A mummy at twenty three

I met my secondary school BFF Fely this afternoon. The last time she saw Baby R was on her baby shower (which was a long time ago) so I bought her along to our coffee date. Fely commented how Baby R has changed since her first month. Haha everybody says that. I think babies change the way they look everyday until they are like, two years old? I think she is starting to look like me more than like Daddy B. Good thing, no? Haha.

With my pretty ex-schoolmate

We had a great time catching up with each other, although it was only for an hour as Baby R was getting a little cranky. She talked about her clubbing nights and guys she met and went out with. It sounded fun, something I would love to do; meet new people, socialise, go out and have fun. Correction- something I would be doing if I hadn't met Daddy B and given birth to Baby R. Instead, I spent most of my time either at home or taking the lil' one to nearby shopping malls or parks for walks. Fret not, I may be looking back at my life before Baby R, but I am definately not regretting my current life.

No doubt life is a total different one after her birth. 24 hours a day seem a lot shorter than before. Preparation to go out takes twice as long. Despite that, I enjoy bringing her out with us. She loves going out too. We love kids-friendly malls like Vivo City, and parks like Kent Ridge Park for some greenery.

While friends are dancing away at Zouk, I am singing Baby R her lullaby. As I need to wake up at around 7am to prepare for the day, my bedtime is adjusted a lot earlier. I am usually asleep by 11pm. That is awfully early to a lot of my peers (the party has just started!). I also make healthier choices when it comes to food for the best quality of breastmilk (if there is such a thing). I do believe that what you eat affects the composition of milk nutrients. Other than avoiding the basic toxic ones like alcohol, MSG and caffeine, I think twice before digging into empty calories like fried food and sugary desserts. I also steer clear from instant noodles and cured meats. Although it sounds like a strict diet, I actually start to enjoy bland and lighter tasting food. I can eat homecooked fish porridge without seasoning every day. Of course there are days I have lunch at McDonald's and treat myself with my all-time favourite Ben & Jerry's. Cravings got to be satisfied lah. After a few months of healthier eating and sleeping, I actually FEEL healthier. They say your nails are the best indication of health. When I was flying, I had horrible, soft and peeling fingernails. It didn't help that I had to paint them red during work hours. They were so bad I had to put on fake nails. And of course it was a vicious cycle, the more I glued them with fake nails and painted them, the worse they got, and the more I glued them to cover them up. Every few weeks when I removed the fake nails, all I saw were soft paper-thin nail tissues. I wouldn't even call them fingernails! But now I am glad to be able to feel thick hard ones, although i have to trim them short. Because I turn in and wake up almost the same time everyday, I rarely get insomnia nowadays. As the result I feel more alert and refreshed every morning. My mood is also better and less foul even on lousy days as I am one who gets grumpy if I don't get enough rest (Daddy B knows best haha). Yes, I cannot emphasize further how important healthy eating and sufficient sleep is to one's being.

Instead of my favourite shops like Topshop, Forever21 and Zara, I prefer to shop in Mothercare, Kiddy Palace and even Toys R us now. I still love pretty clothes and dressing up. It is just there is only a limited range of clothes I wear now for easy breastfeeding. And perhaps I prefers to dress her up more than dressing myself up. Haha. It is also fun to shop for toys and gadgets for her. I am a classic example of why people would say, '小孩子的钱最容易赚'. I love buying overpriced yet useless stuff for her. (I recently bought a bottle handle which cost $11 each. Just because it was pink and I thought it would be good for her to learn to hold the bottle herself. As usual, I buy two of everything. One at my place, one at my mum's. My mum chided me for wasting money because she wasn't even attracted to it! Bah.)

'Shape' used to be my favourite read thanks to my calorie counting addiction. But I no longer have time to exercise * blushing with guilt* and the diet regimes they recommend are not applicable to breastfeeding mummies. I remember buying 'Cleo' from different countries in the world, so I get to read 4-5 different copies every month. Haha. But keeping up with latest trends no longer interest me that much. I seldom look for recommendation for skin care products and make up as I adore the ones I am using now and see no need to change. In fact I enjoy reading 'Young Parents' magazines more since my pregnancy with Baby R. I love browsing through the shopping list. I laugh to myself upon reading on how kids make their parents' lives upside down. I empathise on other mummies who wrote about coping with difficulties. I am touched by inspiring stories on women who overcome birth complications and grow strong. I learn parenting tips. I always think of sending Baby R's photo in for cutest baby contest. Haha.

Every decision you make you take a little, and have to give a little. Whether which to give and which to take depends on your priorities in life. I admit that I have made many sacrifices for Baby R, I have never regretted my decision of being a mummy. Like I have mentioned above, it is a totally different life I am leading as compared to a year ago, but I know I am enjoying every minute of it.