My Wish List

Next time when I go back to HK, I should buy these gears.

• 雞蛋仔模 (http://www.chanchikee.com/wanchai.htm OR ILOVECAKE)
• 格仔餅模
• Takoyaki 燒八爪魚章魚小丸子模機
• 紙包蛋糕焗模

Nursing Tank Top - Target Store Clearence $5

Yesterday when I shopped in Target, I accidently found some nursing tank top on sales. It originally priced at $15, but now it marked down to $4.85 in the Frisco Target Store (near Hwy121). Other Target stores in Plano(Parker Rd), Allen(Stacy Rd), Mckinney(Custer Rd) have these tank tops marked down to $8.45. Hurry up to grap some from the Frisco store before they all gone. I got four in different color - pink, black, brown, blue in medium size. A small size is a little bite tight on me now. I bet it will not good for breast feeding swollen breast.

Diapers, Wipes, Nursing Pads - Use Amazon Subscribe & Save!

Amazon is having some good deals on diapers, wipes and nursing pads. It's 30% off listed price and extra 15% when you sign up their Subscribe & Save service. Don't worry, you could cancel it once the initial purchase has arrived (fast two days delivery). If you are not sure whether the diapers are suitable for your baby, sign up for the every six-month service and decide it later. One of my friends told me that only Huggies fits on her son and Pampers for her daughter. Well, may be just buy the wipes and nursing pads.

Anyway, I got the Huggies Newborn($0.18@), Pampers Sensitive Stage 1($0.16@), Pampers Sensitive Stage 2($0.19@), Pampers Sensitive Wipes($0.028@), and Lansinoh Disposable Nursing Pads($0.1@). Since the price is so slow, I could resell it on craiglist or give it to my friends as baby shower gift if it doesn't work on my baby.

Btw, you could use the one-time only Amazon Diaper Coupon Code in your August Parents magazine on top of this current offer. Awesome deal!

孕婦保健 Pregnancy Care

Having a baby is the best time to ask your hubby to serve you. I love massage and having him to massage my stinky feet and ballon belly does help me to relax.

Here's some useful information I found on the web.


MASSAGE 按摩

• 乳房按摩 Bust Massage Good for sore breast in the first trimester, I wish I learn this earlier.
• 乳頭按摩 Nipple Massage Haven't tried it yet, but it is good to preparie yourself for breast feeding after the seventh month.
• 足部按摩 Foot Massage Love this, it's very good for tired and swollen feet in the second trimester
• 肚皮按摩 Belly Massage It tells you how to butter your belly to avoid pregnancy marks. I am using Mother Love Belly Salve (gift from DigDigPoPo) and Palmer's Massage Lotion. Palmer's is quite heavy, whereas MotherLove is a lighter and organic choice for summer season.

PRENATAL CARE 懷孕保健食療 

• 懷孕食譜 Gives you some guidlines on what to consume. The chart is very helpful.
• What to eat during pregnancy I by Angel Tong. Some good advice for second and thrid pergnancy.
• What to eat during pregnancy II by Angel Tong. Mostly are advice on early childhood.
• 妊娠保健  - Prenatal: General Care,  by Dr Ho. Love his advice.
• 妊娠孕吐  - Prenatal: Vomit, by Dr Ho
• 妊娠背痛  -Prenatal: Back Pain,  by Dr Ho
• 妊娠便秘  - Prenatal: Constipation,  by Dr Ho
• 妊娠胎動不安 - Prenatal: Pain Caused by Hyperactive Baby,  by Dr Ho
• 妊娠水腫 - Prenatal: Water Retention,  by Dr Ho

AFTERBIRTH CARE 產後保健食療

• 坐月飲食- 法國廊酒Benedictine D.O.M.
• 產後腰痛 - Afterbirth: Back Pain,  by Dr Ho
• 產後頭痛 - Afterbirth: Headache,  by Dr Ho
• 產後血虛 - Afterbith: Low in Blood Sugar,  by Dr Ho
• 產後惡露不下 - Afterbirth: Unable to release the birth fluid,  by Dr Ho
• 產後惡露不絕 - Afterbirth: Unstopped fluid,  by Dr Ho
• 產後自汗,盜汗 - Afterbirth: Sweating at day/night,  by Dr Ho
• 產後尿頻與失禁 - Afterbirth: Bladder Control Issue, by Dr Ho

BREASTFEEDING 母乳喂養

• Bravdo: How To Breast Feed - Their nursing bars are comfortable. Check it out! 
• Stanford School of Medicine: Breastfeeding - Many informative advice and HowTo viedo

韓式|餐: 香辣牛肉金菇豆腐鍋 Korean Style Beef and Tofu Stew

[2010/7/5] 今日很疲倦, 所以煮易做美味的韓式香辣牛肉金菇豆腐鍋.

材料: 牛肉、金菇、豆腐、薑片
調味料: 豉油、糖、麻油、胡椒粉、韓式辣醬、魚粉、味林

做法:
1) 洗淨牛肉, 用豉油, 糖, 麻油, 胡椒粉調味.
2) 洗淨金菇, 切尾; 豆腐切大塊.
3) 熱鑊後加油, 爆香薑片, 放牛肉. 待八成熟後, 加金菇略煮. 金菇會出水, 要加豆粉水調厚.
4) 沙鍋加熱, 放入韓式辣醬, 魚粉,味林及少少水, 煮熱後加豆腐.
5) 豆腐煮熱後, 加牛肉, 金菇及汁入沙鍋內. 略煮即可.

Kitchen Tools Review: Vita-Mix Blender

Before we bought the Vitamix Blender from Costco, we tried the Breville Juicer and the Jack Lalanne Juicer. The Jack Lalanne Juicer is awful, hard to clean and the juice has a lot of pulp. The Breville is a better juicer. The juice came free of fiber and the fiber left behind is quite dry, so you got all the juice out of the vegetables and fruits.

Then, we have the Vitamix. We missed the fresh tasting Breville juice, but it's a whole different concept of having whole food. Everyone knows fiber is good for our bodies. When we couldn't chew down tons of vegetables, having a very powerful machine to break it down is the next best way to consume enough vegetables and fruits for our body needs.

It's a pricey machine, but it could make juice, ice-cream, soup, smoothie, and baby food. It's not that good looking, but is very powerful. We prefer the Vitamix than the BlendTec, because we could control the power of the machine = texture of the finished product. Sure, there's a learning curve to get use to its power but we are not limited by a set of pre-defended settings(like BlendTec). It's especially helpful for making almond paste and baby food.

Here's tell us the difference between buying off counter baby food and home-made baby food.
http://www.vitamix.com/household/health/baby.asp

Here's the Vita-Mix function and whole food concept in Chinese.

http://www.vitamix.com/household/International/hhindex.asp

And, some Vita-Mix Chinese Recipes.

http://www.diet-u.com.tw/content/recipes/recipes01.asp
http://www.vitamix.com/household/international/singapore_index.asp

I know it's quite a hassle to take it out and put it back to the cabinet, but it's super easy to clean. It's bulky and heavy, but I will use it everyday once we remodeled out kitchen.

給自己的信

記得當我還是中學生時, 我想出一本書. 一本收集小孩/青少年就"什麼應該或不應該對他們將來的孩子做"的書. 這是因為我們成長後, 會忘記我們想如何被對待或不被對待. 我們好有可能犯同樣的錯誤, 所以以下是對我自己的提醒.

今後...
1) 要做一個讓孩子覺得可信賴/可告密的媽媽. 如果孩子愛你, 當他們受傷或有困難時會來找你; 不然, 他們會隱藏自己的問題和感受.
2) 不要讓孩子覺得被拒絕. 被拒絕= 不被愛. 即使在幼年時或在小事上也不能, 他們會記得的. 有被愛的感覺, 孩子會全心愛你; 無被愛的感覺, 孩子會尊重/照顧你, 但不會與你有很親密的關係. 這是有區別的.
3) 專注孩子的感受, 不是你的感受. 他們是孩子, 而你是媽媽. 他們年少, 你年老有智慧. 你的位置是'給'不是'得'. 讓孩子'得', 他們從你身上就會學習/知道如何'給'.
4) 不要要求孩子做你喜歡的事, 讓他們做自己喜歡的事. 讓他們隨心行自己(神允許/計劃)成長的方式. 搜尋孩子的才華, 悄悄地鼓勵他們但不要硬銷/強迫他們.
5) 孩子是Rebels, 他們也是Copycats. 你怎樣做, 他們也怎樣做. 如果你想他們跟你不同, 你首先要改變自己的行為. 不要你自己去東, 但告訴他們去西. 你不做, 他們也不會做. 身教比言教重要!
6) ...

大肚dump重有人愛

自從我懷孕以來, 情緒都很容易波動.

家中多左+2, 去街, 吃飯, 無論做什麼, 都要考慮他們, 加上一些生活習慣不同. 或多或少都有點壓力. 當然我們有壓力, 他們也有壓力. 他們來的6個月中，正正有4個月是我懷孕初期, 情緒特別敏感. 媽媽要我照顧他們, 包容他們, 做這樣, 做那樣, 好煩! 不是因為我不愛他們, 只是我懷孕但還要做這麼多. 那有誰愛我, 照顧我?  對他們, 有時我會生氣; 對媽媽, 我會痛會哭, 好像一切都是我的錯. 我不應該生氣. 我不應該埋怨. 我不應該要求蝦子餅的注意(=關懷). 若我說我不舒服，那我是想要吸引別人的注意?! Oh, 懷孕都不能說痛和不適嗎？懷孕是需要人愛和關懷的, 不是去給予他人愛和關懷. 這簡單的道理, 需要我說明嗎？所有不被愛的童年回憶像海浪回到我的身邊.


這個長週末: 週五, 下班後驅車1.5小時接她, 帶他們吃韓國燒烤; 週六, 看世界杯還租了一些電影回家但沒有人看; 週日, 想他們在家會覺得無聊, 送他們去Mall逛街, 以便我們可以在家完成BB床, 晚上煮BBQ給他們....估不到換來的是她哭著對我說: 發脾氣! 不想煮BBQ, 就不要煮! ....是誰可憐?  當然我知道她需要照顧雙方面, 手背是肉, 手掌是肉, 但我覺得我應該得到公平的對待, 因為此時此刻我懷孕阿!

幸好我還有人(DigDigPoPo)關心我, 來探我, 給我買雪糕, 買BellyCream, 給我'add oil'. 開心, 不是她給我的禮物, 而是她給我的關懷. 菜沒有'人'給我特別做, 但我有'別人'(蝦子餅外)給我幸福的感覺.

為什麼'別人'知道如何寵我, 但...


...[後記]... 晚上，不知道哭了有多少次. 最終在禱告中平靜下來. 心事還是只有神才可以治愈. 我在很多方面上已比許多人幸福了. 有健康，有好丈夫, 有多過我生活基本需要的. 一切一切都是神的祝福. 還是把重點放在正面的事情上吧!  酸溜溜, 不公平的感覺會令我們有妒忌; 妒忌會令我們失去該有的平安和喜樂!