parenting

LUNCHBOX IDEA – SAUSAGE ROLLS HACK

Hey!! Who’s feeling organised with lunch box preparation? I am leaning more towards overwhelmed these days. I never thought that this process will take so much of my attention and energy until the 4th week of school.

We live in a busy, fast paced schedules often mean there are just not enough hours in a day. This is why preparing lunch boxes can be so challenging for parents. Kids can be fussy and coming up with new and interesting foods that aren’t full of sugar that won’t get thrown in the bin can be tricky. But the importance of packing a healthy lunchbox is immeasurable. Kids are more alert and focused when they’re fuelled with healthy food.

And, you all know that I am very intrigued to always find new things which may make life a lot simpler and efficient. So, here we go again!! I create a very simple hack to nail a healthy lunch packs for your little ones.

What you need is 2 main ingredients and 20 minutes of your time

SAUSAGE ROLLS HACK

puff pastry (room temperature)
poppy seed (optional)

filling:

gourmet sausages (your own choice at room temperature)

how to:

pre-heat the oven at 200’C
remove the sausages’ skin
cut half the pastry – rectangle shape
roll the sausages inside the pastry
cut into small pieces/ finger size (3cm)
place them on the layered baking tray
sprinkle them with poppy seed (optional)
In the oven for 20 minutes or until golden

I can’t believe that I just made a homemade sausage rolls. AARRGGHHH!! I am a cool mum. I had Jared back home bringing his empty lunch box and said, “that was the best mum!” – the best feeling ever. TT

This very simple idea can be done quickly after dinner or early in the morning. It is a great finger food option for your busy little champions packed with nutrients and tasteful. It’s worth to try!

Yup!! IT IS TIME TO TAKE YOUR KIDS’ LUNCH BOX TO THE NEXT LEVEL. BECAUSE YOU CAN.

Share your reviews on the comments below and if you like my hack, please like this article and subscribe for more hacks coming to your inbox. x

Love,

Kenny

WHO DESERVES YOUR LOVE THE MOST ?

As a mom, I tend to put myself behind others in the family, don’t you? Just because, I am a MOM. It’s in my nature to nurture and care the offsprings.

Who’s the first waking up in the morning?

Who’s the last closing their eyes at night?

Who’s the last person sitting on the dinner table?

Who’s the first person leaving the dinner table?

I don’t know about YOU. But these sounds like ME in everyday life. I tick all the boxes there – so I deserve a win I guess (on their eyes). Yes babe! You do! Take all the credits. I say it once again, take all the credits!

Ha….It took me only 3 years to understand this very word –

“I deserve all the credits”

I spent too many times hating and beating myself hard for not lifting up my performances to my expectations. Many nights, I sat on the corner of my bed crying out of guilts. Many hours, I sobbed pitying my life with dirty nappies and mess kitchen. Many occasions, I let others opinion overwrite my joy.

Then, a moment lights up – one night I sent J to bed as per usual, we planned to do all the bedtime routine as normal. The day was quite intense that day, and my face had turned red at the time, @#%3hdie&&! filled my brain. In the middle of our book reading, J told me “mommy, you should leave me now and go to work.” Then I replied, “wha do you mean?” J insisted “you should go to work, so you’ll get some money, and you will buy me toy, won’t you?”

I stopped there – AND yeah I realised that I can not pour out of an empty cup nor half empty cup. Others could feel the anger and disappointment within my soul. My child, he can sensed it. And that is the LAST thing you would let them feel; your negative vibe. No matter how hard you try to cover it from them, whatever you keep in your heart will ooze to the surface.

So, I quickly learn to love myself first before I can love others surround me.

^{Luke 10:27}The man answered, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your strength, and all your mind.’ And, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’”
– Luke

Here was clearly stated to love your neighbors as yourself – how can you love others without knowing the art of loving yourself first? It is not an easy decision for me to put myself above others. However, I understand the significant impact it could bring onto others life today. SO, I CHOOSE TO LOVE MYSELF FIRST THIS VALENTINE’S DAY.

4 PRACTICAL STEPS ON HOW TO LOVE YOURSELF

1. SAY 3 THINGS YOU LIKE ABOUT YOURSELF TODAY

Trust me! It is not as easy as it sounds!! ;(

Do yourself a quick test:

(in 5 seconds) mention 5 of your strengths / things you would die to keep in your life forever

(in 5 seconds) mention 5 of your weaknesses /something you wish you could change in life

Which questions you get all 5 in time?!

It is was easier to judge ourself than to appreciate ourself in life. We tend to train our brain by traits. By forcing myself to think hard about things I love about myself these days is the best healing force I have ever done.

2. BE GRACIOUS TO YOURSELF

The fact that you are a human. You have feelings and emotions. No one is perfect. Some of us confuse self-love with endless positivity and endless optimism. This will drag you to even hates yourself even more when you assume that we can only be tougher as what the world throw at us.

Allow yourself to be honest with who you are. Forgive yourself for your past deeds, those things you are ashamed of.

Learn to say “it is okay”

It is okay to not get everyone dress up nicely to the church.

It is okay to get a McDonalds for dinner today.

It is okay to leave the dirty dishes till tomorrow morning.

3. TREAT YOURSELFT

This part I love the most. Put your sanity above others. Go get some massage. Fix your nail and toe nails. Have some pretty blow dry at saloon. Enjoy your night outs with the girls.

Because you deserve it. Don’t feel bad about it.

4. SHARE YOURSELF

And only after you have worked out your own personal bumps you can begin to see the diamonds in the rough: your gifts.

Knowing that someone else out there might been through the exact pain/ confusion you were in last weekend. It is always worth to share your story to others. This is another effective way of self- healing; is when you try to be open with yourself. Being vulnerable is not a weak indication of a person, is a strong point of someone.

Find a medium or platform or group where you can give your experiences and take some tips and tricks about mothering/ parenting. It is always calming to have someone like-minded who gets your back through thick and thin.

So, here I am sharing my journey on this platform, believing that I am never alone in this, and would love to be someone else’s buddy on this journey called motherhood.

Connect with me on :
Instagram (@mamaonrepeat)
Pinterest (mamaonrepeat)

Lastly, here’s the answer to above question.

YOU!

It is you who deserves your love the most ! Remember that ! xx

Much love,

Kenny

5 USES OF BABY ROOM SPRAY

Alright, so today I am going to talk about something that is very new to me. It is that new that I didn’t even know that it is ever exist in this world.

A BABY ROOM SPRAY

Oh yeah!! very simple way to purify and refresh my room especially during night time. Bubba Organics was kindly enough to give me one to try and my gosh…I LOVE IT! I’ve been using it everyday for the past 2 weeks and feel so good about this. Here I shared 5 uses of this new innovation “baby room spray” (I literally spray it everywhere event though it called baby room spray). Sooo..let’s call it room spray from now onwards. YES! I love it that much.

FRESHEN UP – Room sprays are a great way to freshen up a room or area. It made out of the natural antibacterial properties of Eucalyptus and Melaleuca. It smells subtle and delish with sweet & fruity scent. This helps the boys to breath easy while working to keep the germs at bay. Also perfect to be used after nappy change. 😉
IMPROVE QUALITY OF NIGHT SLEEP – Room sprays helps us to experience a good night sleep. As some of you may try to put your breastmilk on bub’s pillow when you do sleep training, so I try this method to Asher. I sprays the room spray to his pillow. And I was surprised with the result, Asher tends to sleep longer than usual. One night he even sleep through without feeding. (can’t wait to experience that night more often). I spray on my pillows too, and I feel great with my quality of sleep lately.
CALMING – We’ve all had those nights when one of the kids can’t sleep and what can we do, they hear a nose or think something is under the bed, this is the time to pull out your monster spray – make it a calming blend of essential oils and your little one will soon be off to sleep.
RELAXING – Life as a mom is full on from am to pm. I had tons things to do in a day, yet I have little time to work on it. Things get intense easily, kids were pushing my buttons hundred times, getting out of the door seems harder than ever. Right at this moment, I know I need to RELAX. Yes, I spray this on my body and it feels magic, it relaxes my mind and muscles instantly. I always carry one on my nappy bag, you know just in case.
REDUCE SNIFFLES – It is safe also to use on babies when they sniffles, but remember to wipe their nostrils afterwards.

So, what about you? Are you now a big fan of baby room spray? If not, you gotta try one anytime soon. And if you don’t feel like make your own room spray, just like me…No worries…

Shop Here

Love,

Kenny

3 ODD THINGS TO THRIVE MOTHERHOOD

Do you find motherhood challenging? Do you feel inadequate for the role? Are you scared? Are feeling frustrated? How much sleep do you get this week? How many coffee do you finish a day?

and the list goes on…

Growing up I always want to be a mother. I love kids, and they love me. Not until I had my first child; not knowing what actual motherhood was like, and being afraid to talk about it with anyone. Everything started to change – one by one, little by little, day by day. How life changing and how emotionally complex a time it is for women – the powerful change of identity new mothers go through, the isolation of post-partum depression, and the on-going attachment. But it is still by far the greatest accomplishment I have ever achieved in my life. *pat on the back*

We all know being a mother is never an easy job. Unlike 9 – 5 regular job, it requires all of your time, mind, energy, soul – ALL OF YOU. You can’t leave when you don’t feel like doing it. Everyday is a battle between mind and soul. Some peer pressures may add the nerves within you.

When all those things collide, I learnt quickly that in order for me to survive motherhood is by doing it my way.

And some of the ways are not ordinary to most ears. It might SHOCK most of the new mothers or soon to be a mother. So, are you ready?? These are my 3 ODD THINGS ON HOW TO SURVIVE MOTHERHOOD

YOU DON’T ALWAYS NEED AN ANSWER TO ALL YOUR QUESTIONS

Human brains, especially mom brains, in general don’t like dealing with ambiguity. We want to (believe that we) make decisions based on knowing all the facts.

Why does my 24 months old baby has suffer from sleep regression? When can you start introducing sugars to a child? What is the best gap between your first and second child? How can I remain calm when my toddler’s screaming and slamming her head on the wall during the groceries? Should I give my kid iPad and video games?

Unfortunately, this motherhood journey comes with no manual book, no contract, no insurance. There is no right or wrong, black or white. Every curiosity, every perplexity, every anxiety, every scarcity – these feelings are valid but not definite. There’s always a pro and contra to your questions. And that is okay. These should not affect your decision making process. Because remember you are doing motherhood for yourself and your children, NOT for other monsters.

So, calm down…stop putting all the pressures on yourself – to get everything fixed on the tip of your finger. Your brain may filled with 963,815 questions a day, your heart may rushed to 225 km/hr but you gotta accept the fact that some questions may not be answered instantly TODAY. But, ONE DAY you will get there. ONDE DAY you will understand why does thing happen accordingly in the past. Even when you find NO answer to your ambiguity, my one piece of advice, never give up on this hood called motherhood.

You are never alone on this journey, you are not the only clueless person on this crazy road. Ask around, speak up, and stay positive. You don’t need to figure out these puzzles alone today.

ONE PLUS ONE DOES NOT NECESSARILY TWO

What does motherhood to do with this complicated mathematical riddle. THAT’S IT! It is complicated. What I mean by this is not everyone will understand and accept this fact. SO, bear with it!! 1 + 1 = 3 ; this statement bothers most of mathematicians, it intrigued them to proof that it is true. However, to most of us – common people, we don’t really care on this debate.

And this is exactly what I feel about modern motherhood. Not everybody could understand the physical and mental struggles a mother has to face everyday. I am talking about SAHM, working moms, mom of one or twins, single moms. WE ARE ALL MOTHERS. We are all putting the same effort to raise our kids. We are all moving towards one purpose. But sadly, nowadays, the society often times try to part us into different segments. Then, the next day we wake up in mothers rivalry. Who are doing better and who are working harder?

To me, no matter what! All mothers are a super woman (full stop). They are the first one to wake up in the morning – the last one to to lay her head on bed. They gave up their body, they gave up their sleeps, they gave up their freedom, they gave up their space, they gave up their moments, they gave up their life for just one breath. They are the most selfish person on this entire world. AND I RESPECT ALL OF YOU. YOU ARE MY HERO.

That is why this topic annoys me a lot. And I feel that I had to speak up for myself. This is me explaining 1 + 1 = 3 is possibly true. The society has their own perception on motherhood. So do us, we have our own voice about motherhood. Do not let it break us, instead let the similarity unite us. So next time, when the society says you should not go back to work until at least your baby 12 months old OR they might question the things you are doing with your kids at home today, look at them in the eyes and share your voice confidently.

This journey is not meant for the weak. This gig is designed for those who are committed. This road is build for those who are willing to go extra miles, those who are open-minded, those who are extraordinaire, those who are brave enough to take the risk.

REMEMBER THIS

Bottom line: Motherhood is not for anyone. And you are blessed to be one of its special breed.

BREAK THE RULES

YES! You hear this. BREAK THE RULES> rules are there in the first place to be broken, right? jkjkjk

With the firstborn I used to do everything textbook / Google accordingly. Unfortunately, with the second one, I have got very minimal time to follow step 1 to 10. Many times I skipped the step 1 to 6, jumped onto 7 straight away. Or otherwise, I would find Jared with another lollies in his mouth or bubbles on his throat.

Thus, I quickly learnt in order to survive motherhood, I gotta learn how to break the rules. The rules of breast feed vs bottle feed. The rules of co-sleep or crib sleep. The rules of BLW vs spoon feeding. The rules of spanking vs time out.

At this time round, I choose to do whatever works best for the me and my kids at the time. I know I used to be strict with routines. But, let’s be honest, routines are draining. For those who are having zero support system other than your husband in the house, living with routines and kids are hard work. I used up all my energy in yelling and chasing my toddlers rather than enjoying the magical moments we may create in between.

So quick updates on my life lately:

I don’t only breast feed. I combine breast feed and bottle feed Asher (depends on the circumstances). Mostly when I’m home during day time I breast feed him exclusively. And he’s happy to take either breast and bottle. So, I am happy too.
I stop sterilise bottles and other baby utensils – just because it takes forever to me to get ready. Boiling water is the way I roll these days.
I do half co-sleep with Asher just because I have already set up a cot for him inside the boys room and our bed is not spacious enough to fit another human on it. (We definitely need an upgrade to super King size). So, first half of the night, Asher will spend his sleep on his cot on the boys room, when he wakes up for night feeding, I will take him with me till the morning.
I slap and yell at Jared. But I don’t prefer to make that as my first response towards his daily misbehaviour. I ask him for time out at the first place then if he did the same mistake for the second time round, I have to give him a punishment as the consequence of his action. Then, I do reconciliation every night before bed with him then we pray together.

My advice to all mothers of one, two, three or many more. Your intuition is your best weapon. Follow them and wear them with pride.

Never ever feel sorry for breaking the rules, instead feel sorry for yourself for breaking down your mental health by following the rules.

Mama your way is the only way you do motherhood.

There is no hood like motherhood. Wishing you all the best and luck in thriving this gig. X

Love,

Kenny

#FASHIONFRIDAY – STROLL STRIPES

Hello another weekend!

Glad that we could have spend time together as a family of four. Our family quality time is pretty simple; strolling around the city, cafe hopping, playground and capturing moments.

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And guess where we visited today?! Yes! Another day in Surry Hills. It is indeed one stylish neighbourhood next to the city which filled with many cafe scene. This was the place destination when we were dating till today, we take the kids with us like a joey in our pouch.

The kids enjoy the stroll as much as we do, while sipping his version of coffee called babycino, then we stopped by here and there to take some pictures. And how I loved seeing how the photos turned out at the end of the day; many raw moments which we will treasure in few years to come.

OH LETS PUT A PRESSURE POINT to the outfit theme of the day; STRIPES STRIPES STRIPES…

Don’t they look cute together? Horizontal lines will give wider illusion to your body, an in contrast, vertical lines will give thinner illusion to your body. Let’s see. I don’t really believe in it, I still look wide in these photo though. T T What should I do >>> ? aghhh…Nevermind let’s not focus on my flaws. Let’s take a look at the star of the day/ the over – achiever. My forever firstborn, Jared. He’s clearly looking cute with this edgy look.

Oh and tomorrow we’re going to celebrate Jared’s 4th birthday! DINO RAWR!! gonna get back to blowing some balloons. So see you next week! X

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Jared: Biker’s hat, Denim jacket & Stripes turtle neck (Cotton On Kids), “Play Hard” Legging (Minimacko), Stripes socks (Uniqlo), Shoes (Vans)

Kenny: Outerwear (H&M), Stripes White Pants (Shein), Sunglasses (ASOS), Shoes (Alexander Mcqueen)

Andri: Beanie (Carhartt), Stripe Shirt (GAP), Pants (Zara), Bomber Jacket (H&M)

Asher: Bonnet (Hazel Village), Stripes tee (Cotton On kids), Stripes Navy Overall (Miann & Co), Tights (Ollies & Place)

Love,

Kenny

ASHER LIONEL TJUNG

ASHER LIONEL TJUNG – The Easter Baby

July 1, 2018 // 03.20AM // 4.045kg // 53cm

As I heard the his first cry, my heart skipped a bit. What?! Was this even real? I just gave life to a new human. He made such an entrance to the earth. And I am his mother. I fell in love once again. At the first sight….

As the days are approaching, we had a feeling that this baby will make an early debut before his due date for some reason. Since week 36/37 I constantly experience such a strong brixton hicks. Around week 38 – I had some mild cramps with various intervals, I noticed some mucus plug dislodges from my cervix for 4 days in a row with no blood showing. And as I was entering week 39, I felt lightening; where as though I have more room to breathe as the baby laid down low on my bladder, and I felt less movements of the baby; which are normal as the baby’s head got engaged, and still mild cramps.

Thursday, 29th March 2018

I woke up at 7am as usual, feeling excited that maybe today could be the day I get to see my baby. I talked to my baby (my own tummy in real life) every morning, and happy to feel some kicks and hiccups. But, today, it seemed a little odd, no matter how hard or frequent I rubbed my tummy, I didn’t feel any response. I felt no movement of the baby. I waited till mid day, and still nothing changed. I tried to stay positive to calm myself down. Then, I waited a little longer till my husband came home from work. Again, nothing changed. This time, I couldn’t help myself, my brain’s racing, my heart’s screaming, was it what it was? was the baby okay? was the baby sleeping? was the baby still alive? We rang the hospital and they asked us to come for a check up. We dropped off Jared at my aunt’s place and head straight to the hospital.

9.20PM – We arrived at the hospital and I was placed in one of the birthing room, they checked the baby’s movement. She gave me some iced water to wake up the baby too. It took quite some times to wake up the baby. UNTIL…finally he made a little kick. Then it gets more frequent and harder. We were so relieved to feel those punches and kicks again, because we know the baby’s okay. He’s there alive. Praise God!! No nightmare tonight! and we were happy to be sent back home after a boring and long 3 hours TENS monitoring.

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Friday, 30th March 2018

1AM – We arrived at home and had the bed for only two of us that night. Because we let Jared stayed over at my aunt’s place. That was a bliss night for me, just what I needed before the second baby arrive.

9AM – We went to the airport to pick up my mom and my brother who flew from Indonesia the night before. They came here to help me taking care of the house plus Jared while we’re in the hospital. Then, we had our usual Friday going. We took the families out for some walks and dinner. We had some good quality times together.

Saturday, 31st March 2018

2.25AM – I was lounging on my bad catching up on some K-dramas, when suddenly I felt something popped inside my lower tummy. It wasn’t painful, it was distinct. I didn’t know what it was. I reached my pants, it’s completely dry. My mind rushed 1000 miles trying to figured out what it was. 3 seconds later, I suddenly felt a gushed of warm fluid came through my pants. My water broke. I had one of the midwife broke my water with my first pregnancy, so I didn’t expect to experience water break at home and how it sounds or feels or looks like in my mind. I just can’t. Well, I didn’t want to scare myself. But, it happened this time round. I wet my bed, the floor, all the way to my bathroom. Then, we packed our hospital bags, left the house straight to the hospital.

3.15AM – I laid down on one of the hospital bed got while they monitored the baby’s movement. While they’re examining my water discharge. Its pale pink colour and odourless with tiny amount of blood which is very normal, nothing to worry about. BUT, no contraction yet! For this reason, I was sent back home again for another 12 hours.

3.00PM – Arrived back for the third time in the hospital with no signs of labour. It’s tiring. It’s frustrating. 3 false alarms in 2 days were a bit too much. We had our hopes fluctuate here and there. It felt sucks. 😦

Next minute, the midwife came in to our room, she’s telling us to get induced the next morning 6AM. This was the last thing I wanna hear at this moment. I knew how painful it was to get induced, it was shocking and extremely painful. I were not prepared and Jared was unhappy and stressful. Read more on Jared’s birth story. Even though the case was different with my previous pregnancy, induction were still needed to reduce the risk of infection increases dramatically upon baby. So, I left the hospital with a heavy heart. I was scared and worried if I can possibly bear the extreme pain ever again?! As I was planning to brave myself with unmedicated birth this time. I have a birth plan ready to roll. And I know I can do it this time.

5.30PM – I started to feel some mild contractions every 30-45 minutes. as it’s getting stronger, I chose to distract my mind with food. We had a family feast dinner that night at my place celebrating Easter Eve.

9.30PM – the contractions were getting more intense with 15 minutes interval. However, it is still bearable. Then, I prepared myself for bed 2 hours later, jumped onto bed with my phone around 11.20PM

11.50PM – I felt one long horrible contractions, I even (literally) jumped out off my bed. I lost words and gave a hand-sign to Andri that “things are getting real!” then suddenly I felt the urge to poo. But, I refused to take off my undies. I was much aware of having the baby out at that moment with no professional assistance. My first labour lasted for 7 hours, then I thought this one would be done really quick. Let’s get on the freakin car right now!! While Andri’s on the phone with the midwife, I got myself ready and packed my belongings. Then, suddenly I heard Andri told me that we had to wait a bit longer because the hospital was full that night. #notodaydevil “I AM ABOUT TO POPPED! GIVE ME A ROOM!” – I lost it. I grabbed the phone and told her, I AM GOING THERE. This is my second, I can’t wait any longer. Then, she agreed. GAH.

Sunday, 1st April

12.25AM – We arrived at the hospital with one room “just” ready for us. We came in and I laid down on the bed. I took off my pants and undies straight away, getting myself comfortable. Alright….the contractions were getting stronger and stronger. And I was trying my best to keep stay positive throughout the pains and calm myself down by having a deep breath in between. Then, I changed position; on knees with my upper body leaned against the raised back of the hospital bed. I found this position worked best for me as I leaned forward with my hip opened, it actually encouraged the baby to rotate; his face facing my tailbone which means it would reduced the pressure on my tailbone. As it’s get more intense, it was hard to stay calm so I took the epigas. OH MAY GOD! Whoever invented epigas, you are one genius, it was so damn good! I am grateful for you and wanted to celebrate you! It helped me through my rough & rocky stromy hours. You showed up your magic on every deep breath I take.

“You’re 8 cm dilated, great job Kenny!” said the midwife. “Damn!! I lost my chance to get the freaking epidural.” I regretted. “I can’t do this. I can’t do this. I can’t do this…..” I murmured to Andri. I lost count on how many times I said this very word. My brain sent me many bundle of limit signals. But it’s funny that my body were doing vice versa, its getting more stable; making a way for the baby to come out.

3:20AM – Next minute, I felt the baby crowning. Yeah baby…I were onto the next position – ready to push. SO did the midwives. Then suddenly, Andri saw the tip of the baby’s head, the next 2 pushes, ASHER LIONEL TJUNG WAS OUT EARTHSIDE with us. Andri cut the cord for the first time, he didn’t get a chance to during the birth of Jared due to some emergency health issue. Read more on Jared’s birth story. What a quick and smooth delivery it was. We were both so joyful and grateful to be trusted with another perfect little chunky man. Last part was pushing my placenta out. It’s easily done smoothly, yet they examined that I experienced quite severe tear after delivery. Asher is a big baby, and it’s common for women who deliver vaginally end up with tear in their perineum that extends to or through the rectum. Unfortunately, in my case, it was slightly bigger than expected, I experienced a third degree perineal tear. It needed to be treated under minor surgery.

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6.30AM – I came back to the birthing room after having an one hour operation, reunited with my little boy. I got to cuddle him was the best thing I could ask for in the world.

I was proud of myself for pulling this unmedicated birthing journey off bravely. Despite of the doubts and fears which were creeping in halfway of the journey. It’s been my desire to try an unmedicated birthing process. And I did it. I COULDN’T BE MORE PROUD OF MYSELF, even though I still had the local anaesthetic injection for my third degree tear treatment, I AM STILL PROUD. By His grace and great supporters around me during the process. I finally made it. Thanks husband for sacrificing your hands as my stress relieve ball. Thanks to all RNSH midwives for ensuring me for my good works and guiding me through my darkest hours.

Asher was very stable and calm during the labour. Unlike my first experience with Jared. Also he made a pretty quick entrance to the world. I am so grateful for him. Such a perfect chunky little man. He injected a pile amount of joy the moment I laid my eyes on him. He’s the real meaning of his own name (Asher means happy). My body was tore but my heart was mended fully. My life is beyond blessed.

YES! This is our family of four. It’s going to be interesting to watch, we believe. 2 boys, 1 man and 1 outnumbered lady. THE TJUNG SQUAD is ready to tackle the world. X

Love,

Kenny

OUR STORY – SECOND BUMPDATE

Hello homestretch!

First, let me admit it; I am poor at counting. This blog is about my second bumpdate of the pregnancy, even though, I have passed the second tri-semester phase.

YES! I am currently #33weeks pregnant. Things started to get very real. It gets to my nerves every single night before I close my eyes. It feels surreal as i’m writing this article.

Symptoms

The third trimester revealed a wide range of new (and not very nice) symptoms.

This Baby is as big as honeydew melon and the belly was starting to resemble a basket ball.

I experiences leg cramps often in the morning, so that, I was forced to take my morning very slow and low.

I have this very “weird” crave that only happens every Monday; after breakfast, I have to have an hour cat-nap before I could really start my day. It’s been going on for the past month, and i can’t run from it (right after breakfast, my head feels heavy spinning and my eyes goes weak). I can not find any specific explanation on this symptom still. Is there anyone of you experience the similar symptom? Please raise your hands and ease my curiosity.

I still get my beauty sleep – NO insomnia for me. Hallelujah….

Midnight bathroom runs are rapidly increasing.

Sometimes, my brain goes blank while I’m driving, hence nowadays, I always try my best to avoid long-driving.

Swollen feet appearing since last week.

Clothing

Dressing your bump always become a challenge for me since week 15 or so. The moment I entered the second tri-semester, I opted for oversized t-shirt dresses. Thank God for ASOS and Zara, they have great range of clothing which keep me cool during summer in Sydney.

At this stage forward, with 6 weeks approaching to the the arrival of baby #2, I decided to rotate my clothing more often, I pretty much live in basic tee/dress or pj’s shorts while I’m working home-based.

Nursery

Even though, I am NOT a first-time parent, I do still find nursery decor is a BIG thing to me. It requires a lot of research and planning in order for you to achieve the look and feel you are desiring for. So far, I have got one third of the room done, assembled the cot and put up some wall prints. What else to add? Shout out on the comment. Tag or share a shop link below. All suggestions and ideas are welcomed here.

Overall this second pregnancy flew by, and I can’t wait to update you all on the last week of my journey with baby #2.

Love,

Kenny

MOMMY MONSTER SYMPTOMS

Does the Mommy Monster show up at your house on occasion? When the Mommy Monster yells, her anger affects the whole family. Last year I began to realize she was showing up at my house more than I was comfortable with. Every time she visits the house, suddenly the whole house atmosphere changes; cold and dark. When I examined what dynamics brought the appearance of the Mommy Monster, I realized that my unrealistic expectations were contributing to my craziness. I was not accurately estimating my children’s actual abilities. Bottom line: I WAS EXPECTING TOO MUCH TOO SOON.

Bottom line: I WAS EXPECTING TOO MUCH TOO SOON.

I WAS EXPECTING TOO MUCH TOO SOON

I remembered my lowest point as a mother last year, when I feel so lost, negative, unmotivated, hurtful, and helpless. I was applying rules, boundaries and time-out to my two-year-old. I was training my toddler to sleep through the night on his own room. I just started my small business. I was trying to conceive at the same time. (Read more of my struggle to conceive on Our Story – First Bumpdate)

However, the realities were revolved in contrast.

I was frustrated with with my two-year-old constantly pushing the limits, I was caught up in countless night soothings and sleep deprived. I barely saw any progress/prospects on my new business. I threw many pregnancy tests with one line (-) results.

This well intentioned mom was not accurately estimating her child’s actual abilities nor her own body actual abilities. She expecting too much too soon, which resulted in added stress for herself and her child. Yeahhh…that summed up my life a year ago perfectly. THAT’S ME you are talking about.

I overestimate my child’s ability to exercise self-control, to stay focused on a task, and to handle social situations. It’s normal for a two-year-old to get upset if he doesn’t get something he wants. It’s normal for a three-year-old to lose it if there’s a change in his bedtime routine. It’s normal to see zero progress in the beginning years of your business. It’s normal for my body to have some times to get ready for some major changes.

I LOSE PERSPECTIVE OF WHAT IS NORMAL

Too often, I let my own impatience take the lead and I scold with an angry voice because deep down I expect them to act better than they are. I lose perspective of what is normal behaviour for their age and stage of development. I get angry because they don’t live up to my off-the-charts expectations, and then Mommy Monster shows up full force.

BE STILL

I did not realize that I was being overestimating/ overreacting until my husband told me “Calm down, he’s just turned two…” Often times, I forget the most powerful thing in life; the power of stillness.

When you lose touch with inner stillness, you lose touch with yourself. When you lose touch with yourself, you lose yourself in the world. — Eckhart Tolle

There are times for every thing under the heaven; there are times to plant, there are times to harvest, there are times for winter, there are times for summer. Expect something too soon will only give us unripe fruits. Be still and know that God is working relentlessly on behalf of our well intentioned.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. Exodus 14:14

Today, I am happier mom. I rarely see the Mommy Monster around the house. I finally had my beauty sleep back because Jared has successfully achieved another milestone in conquering his fear; sleeping through the night on his own bed like a boss. I am growing another human inside my belly. I got my creativity back and found some good networks for the business.

I am uberly excited for this year! BYE MOMMY MONSTER! I hate you as much as I love you. X

If any of you could relate to any of this drama, I just wanted to encourage you to sit back and take a deep breath, count one to ten, then let your mind to rest for while. Everything is gonna be okay. The day will come to pass. It is normal to feel this way, but you are never alone in this tough gig. You are made for this!!

Love,

Kenny

MERRY GIFTMAS // OUR GIVING PROJECT

Christmas is indeed one of the most anticipated times of the year. Christmas is identical with gifts and presents. And I would say, I tend to uplift my expectation in receiving the gifts this time around. No difference with my toddler who always plead me to give him a present every time we visit Target or Kmart. I do not blame him though. I realised, it is easy for the younger generation to get wrapped in the commercialism of the season and miss the true meaning of the Christmas when they are bombarded by the media and advertisements specifically targeted towards them.

When you think about Christmas; there will not be Christmas without Christ. We will not be able to celebrate this jolly season without someone gave life to Emanuel 2000 years ago. Giving is the true spirit of Christmas. And Christmas is the perfect season to teach your kids about giving.

My hope is to get him understand that life does not revolves around him, there’s much joy in giving than receiving, that God blessed him to be a blessing.

Therefore, I planned a special project this year called “cookie by Jared”. This is a “giving training project” where I am focusing on my child’s involvement from the production till distribution process. Disclaimer: It may cause parents to do more of cleaning works. But hey…ENJOY IT! ENJOY THE PROCESS! HAVE FUN! Having fun with your child in the kitchen builds positive memories, good vibes, and good food.

First… I let him do some of the dirty works – After I did all the measurements, I let Jared to mix and cut the dough by himself using the Christmas cookie cutters. yes, you can imagine the mess right now. Ha. But, both of us found this process interesting. He listened and followed my directions step by step by asking me “what’s next?” again and again. He was patiently and expectant at the same time waiting for the cookies to be cooked golden and crispy.

Second… I let him make a cookie name list of his school friends – This is a funny process, because he would add some names and cross some due to his favouritism. But, I love the fact that he understood how to give return to good people in his life. And, I used this chance to teach him an important value in life; kindness. He should be or/and do good to anyone not based on what they have done to you, but based on what do you want them to do to you. “You will always reap what you sow”

Third… I let him hand in the cookie to his friends – Here’s the last step when he could feel the joy of giving. When some of his friends said “thank you with a big grins” on their face. Until this morning, before we left home for school, he asked me some chocolates and candy canes to share to his friends today. But, I gotta say no this time. There’s a limit of weekly sugar intakes for each toddler, right?!

label design: Canva

This project will become a tradition in the family. Because I see a lot benefits from teaching your kids on giving from the early age. It builds up a good character and boost self-esteem of the young ones.

And I am super proud of myself and Jared to be able to share the love and kindness together.

Well, from us to you. Merry Christmas. May this jolly season brings you love, peace and joy!! X

Love,

Kenny

Meaningful Play Based Education & Care

Everyday thousands of families across Australia entrust Child Care Centre with the education and care of their children. Choosing a quality child care centre is so important. But, yet challenging. WHY?

The most important influence on a child’s brain development is where and how they spend their early years. Positive stimulating and nurturing environments help them to thrive and grow and learn; alternately negative environments can have a significant adverse impact on their cognitive, emotional and behavioural development.

In response to that, Guardian Early Learning Group has a commitment to provide the best supports for families to strengthen their work and life balance with an early education centre and care approach that nurtures their young children in their early years so they may fulfil their potential through formal schooling, life and employment. Through their unique play-based early education curriculum which is designed to build confidence and initiative, helping children develop successful social relationships, resolve conflicts and become emotionally resilient, preparing them with a set of skills and aptitudes to become active participants in an increasingly complex, globally-connected and changing world.

And this afternoon, I and my son had a privileged to be hosted a private tour at the new centre in the heart of Barangaroo – level 1, 100 Barangaroo Avenue(Corner of Shipwright Walk and Hickson Road). We had such a fun time playing and learning. And, as I promised I would give some reviews on the whole experience.

Location: convenient for the parents who work within the area. Easily accessibly by public transport. Since its a new centre, finding car parks for a drop-off and pick-up could be a bit challenging as they’re located right on the side of the main road, Hickson Rd. They are currently working on getting some car parks available for parents. SO it won’t be a problem anymore in the long run.

Centre: closed and exclusive area for staffs, parents and children’s enrolled ONLY. You need a swipe key to get in which I strongly agree on. Safety first when it comes to your children. Spacious indoor play area as well as outdoor area (still in construction) featuring lush natural gardens, sand-pits and play structures designated according to the age groups and children’s interests. Wooden custom based – natural made material – to educate the children on preventing further degradation of the environment.

Staff – most of them are welcoming and helpful during my visit. They all look presentable and collective. So, I am quite happy.

Learning Curriculum – focuses on developing children’s natural skills and curiosity to prepare them for success in life long learning, such as problem-solving and to respect one another. They enforce the older children to learn to do things that most adults usually do, for example: pouring water onto their own glass (non-plastic), serve their own meal using ceramic plates and utensils. They are also the first centre which commence initiative designed to help the children to build connections to Australia’s indigenous community.

Special Program – “Out & About” excursion program. It is designed to connect the children with the local community. They build their 8-seaters pram which I though so cool. I wanna ride it.

Opened kitchen – healthy nutritious meals, prepared by on-site cooks using fresh and seasonal produce in a commercial kitchen. Children are allowed to see and involved in the process of serving the food as well as requesting some snacks they’d love to eat. Breakfast starts at 7am and first drop off at 7.30am. It gives sometime for parents to sit down having breakfast together with their children as well as lunch.

For those parents who are currently looking for a high quality Child Care Centre around the CBA area. Get your eyes on this new centre which just opened 2 weeks ago. They have such an exceptional positive environments and staffs for your young ones. They provide a meaningful play based centre for early brains.

For further informations, visit Guardian Early Learning Group Barangaroo, level 1, 100 Barangaroo Avenue – or contact 02 8321 2280 for more info. And I wish you all the best!!

Love,

Kenny