You know your little girl is no longer little when....

...she tells you that her classmate R has her first period, and she found out about it on .... gasp! Facebook!!

Yes, Nic's classmate R had her first period recently, and decided to share her experience with her peers on her facebook account, not realising that what transcends between her friends and herself on the Wall are all out there for the world to gawk!

And so with that, we had the Talk. She had asked about the Whisper and Kotex ads that were airing on TV, and I had explained briefly about it. Well, this time round, we went into specifics, like what happens, dealing with it, the inconveniences, keeping track of it, etc...woman to girl.

I found this on the web, if anyone of you mommies has problem having the Talk.

Everything you can possibly think of, ranging from books, disposable panties, starter kit, they have it here. Pretty helpful site for inspiration as to what your little girl would probably need to deal with her first period.

Well, I am glad I had the chance to talk to her about it. Its never too early to talk to her about it, though Nic has just turned 9, and still pretty much a kid. Her classmate R will only turn 10 in March'11, which makes her technically 9 years old when she had her first period. I guess girls these days are hitting puberty at a much younger age. Not a good sign, as there had been researches on breast cancer being linked to early puberty.

And so with that Talk, we had another conversation. And that is the power of the social media, and how certain things should just stay discreet...

Moving On

I should have written about this earlier. The results for the androgram is that there isn't any blockages in the heart. (yay!) And so, they were spot on what they had anticipated about my condition. The cardiologist prescribed some medication that is suppose to slow down the pulse rate, and which will improve my heart's condition. So yes, more pills added to my pill box. Wish they have some nice fancy pillbox to make my day. i am currently using the Daiso ones. Functional and cheap. But i think i deserve something fancier...haha...and so, one more reason to go shopping.

And oh, i found this while surfing, and thought this is just so meaningful

The Cross

The young man was at the end of the rope. Seeing no way out, he dropped to his knees and prayed.

"Lord, I can't go on," he prayed. "I have too heavy a cross to bear." The Lord replied, "Son, If you can't bear its weight, just place your cross in this room. Then, go to the other room, and pick up any cross you wish."

The man was filled with relief. "Thank you, Lord," he sighed and he did as he was told. Upon entering the other door, he saw many crosses, some so large the tops were not visible.

Then, he spotted a tiny cross leaning against a far wall. "I'd like that one, Lord," he whispered. The Lord replied, "My son, that is the cross you just brought in."

When life's problems seem overwhelming, it helps to look around and see what other people are coping with. You may consider yourself far more blessed than you imagine

************** Author unknown ************

the Mind is Willing...But the Heart is Weak

Well, who would have thought that what probably had save my life years ago, had probably been slowly creeping up on me, and little by little stolen my heart.

Yes, the docs did mention the list of side effects of the chemotheraphy. The part about losing the hair and puking registered, but i guess i totally forgot what the chemo drugs could do to my heart. I guess that was the last thing on my mind when the imminent danger was the cancer.

I was due for my routine bone jabs last week. While waiting for the drugs to be ready, the nurses checked my vital stats, and found my pulse rate racing at 122 beats per minute. All these checks done while i was leisurely reading a magazine on the recliner. Subsequent readings hover around 100+ beats per minute. Not normal. ECG was ordered, and then the ECHO.

What really freaked me out is when the attending nurse asked if i needed a wheelchair or if i am feeling faint. They looked at me as if i am going to pass out any moment. Even the doc reminded me to check myself into the Emergency Department if i don't feel well. Thats when panic mode set in. Hmm, not normal.

Anyway, the week went by uneventfully with zero episodes of fainting or breathlessness, racing heartbeat, yes. Saw the Cardiologist today. Not good news. The heart is now weaker. I am now scheduled for andriogram in 2 weeks time, after i am back from my trip. The docs are quite certain that cause of the weaker heart could be due to the chemo but they are not going to rule out blockages in the artery. Either way, i now have a weaker heart, that is .

I am going on a vacation tomorrow. Hopefully it will mend my heart a little

Looks like December is going to be a busy month

this put a smile on my face

Remember the movie "Big" starring Tom Hanks in the 1980s? For some bizarre reason, the tune that he played on the giant piano kept playing on my mind, and i just had to do a seach on Youtube.

The name of the song is called, "Heart and Soul". theres so many versions, but I love this version. Put a smile on my face after a pretty dreadful week.

Will blog more about it next week :)

Mila's Daydreams

I just adored these whimsical pics from this blog "Mila's daydreams". Its 'a mother's peek into her little baby girl's dreams as the little one takes her nap.
I think its a pretty creative way to showcase the clothing as well...if you are in the retail biz for baby's clothing

These are a couple of cute ones that i like.

Little Red Riding Hood

Gone Fishing

Mary Poppins

Home-made Cotton Candy

Cotton candy makes me happy. I have always have such fond childhood memories of having those freshly made cotton candy in lovely hues of pink and blue that you can get from those amusement parks and night markets. They used to be so huge that i had my fingers and cheeks covered with sticky residue, which calls for some tongue twisting and finger licking moments as i tried to clean them off. Nic haven't really enjoyed one. The last time i got her one, Mike got pretty OCD about the sticky fingers and the hair getting into the Cotton Candy.

Well, guess what i found....Ta Dah..Nostalgia Electronics Hard Candy Cotton Candy Maker. Yes, you can now spin cotton candy from hard candy or sugar free candy from the comfort of your home. I thought this is a pretty cute gadget, and its in pink :)

If only I do not need to watch my sugar intake....

The Hard Candy Cotton Candy Maker is available here.

hmm...

My poor neglected blog. I have just been so caught up with the goodness of life that I guess i have neglected my little outlet of solace.



Things have been great and I am enjoying the quiet joy of my life right now. I just had my scans done last week. As usual, the days creeping up to the scan day is filled with anxiety and restlessness. And as Dr Lee deliver my "unremarkable" scan results, it was a great relief. I never knew "unremarkable" results could sound so good.

On the homefront, Mike has taken on a newfound passion in photography. He has invested money on a DSLR, and time on photography courses and photo-taking outings. Well, at least someone in the family can now take great photos. Definitely beats me in my pathetic photo taking skills using my point and shoot camera ANYTIME!


As for Nic, she seems to be growing up quite a bit. She enjoys listening to pop music, and enjoys artiste like Justin Bieber (eeks!), Taylor Swift, Miley Cyrus. She uploads their music to her Ipod Touch (her weekend toy), and listens to their music with the earpiece plug in, oblivious to everything and everyone.

Class work now include group projects, and the girls would arrange to go to each others home for group work and afterwhich they will be just "hanging out" (till we pick her up). And she is 8 (turning 9 in dec). Maybe i was a late bloomer, but I don't remember hanging out with my school friends at their home that young. I was still playing barbie dolls at my neighbour's home then. i really can't imagine how much she has grown. She is a baby no more. I couldn't help but fill a little tinge of sadness at how the years have gone by. But I couldn't help but be very thankful that I can be around for her as she grows each day.

Till the next update ...

The Ultimate Debate - Point Proven

Who has a higher threshold of pain, Man or Woman? Well, we got our point proven.

This is a Must watch for every man to understand and appreciate the their partner who is going to, or already had a child.

Have fun...This is Hilarious!