Salma's first airplane ride

Last Saturday morning was Salma's first airplane ride. We went to KT to attend my best friend's wedding. But on the plane ride to KT, Salma was fast asleep, so she missed everything going there, but coming back, she was wide awake!

We sat at the window seat, with Salma on my lap. I let her look out of the window. Before take-off, I kept saying to her, "Okay, get ready... get ready..." and while the plane took off, she didn't complain one single bit. She just looked out the window and exclaimed, "Wowwww!" Then, to my husband's amusement, (and to my detriment), she proceeded to ask me for breastmilk. You see, Salma's favorite pastime is to drink milk (breastmilk) in the car. So since the plane is like a car that flies, she wanted to do what she likes best. She was very persistent in asking, so in the end I gave in, with some difficulty, because those economy class seats are not the roomiest of places. Plus, she didn't like the thermal airline blanket that I used to cover up my shirt, but in the end we managed.

A tip to parents who are flying with babies for the first time: you need to check in extra early and ask for the seats right at the front. We tried to do this on the first flight, but we didn't come early enough and ended up with seats somewhere in the middle. We were luckier on our return flight, and managed to get seats second row to the front. It's also good to bring toys or books to distract them, which we did but didn't need to use (since she spent a lot of the time just nursing). To combat the earache that we all get during airplane journeys, it's good to give your baby a drink to suck on with a straw. This will "pop" their ears and bring it back to normal. Salma was nursing most of the time so the earache didn't seem to bother her that much.

We were also lucky that our flight lasted for 45 minutes only. On longer journeys she may complain though...

Shoes! Shoes! Shoes! part 2

Today I am wearing the super mama heels that my husband bought for me yesterday. Haha! I have not experienced this type of shoe-for-beauty pain in a long time. They're pretty high, these heels, and one size bigger than my normal size. Cos my favorite shoe shop was having a sale and they ran out of size 36....

I like how I look wearing them with my skinny jeans. Yeah, wearing jeans to work on a Friday even though it's not allowed. I figured since it's my last Friday at this company, who cares. I feel good today! :D

Shoes! Shoes! Shoes!

I dunno what woman doesn't like shoes. I love shoes and shoe shopping. I used to have a different pair of shoes to suit each outfit (well almost), from stilletos, kitten heels to wedges. But ever since becoming a mom, that all changed for some reason. When I got pregnant, they told me I had to switch from heels to flats, so I packed away all my shoes into their shoe boxes. It's been almost 14 months since I delivered my baby and I still haven't unpacked my shoes yet! And I only vaguely remember what shoes I have. But ever since becoming a mom, I feel like I don't have the freedom to dress the way I used to dress anymore. I have no idea why I feel this way. Like now, all I want to do is feel comfortable. Before, I could go through the torture of being in stilettos for the whole day, but now the thought of wearing those shoes even for just 2 hours make me cringe.

Why the sudden change ya? Maybe it's the thought of having to tote Salma around in heels that make me weary, but then I see some mommies who don't even care about that! There is one mom who sends her daughter to the same school as Salma who wears 3-4 inch heels to work everyday! She doesn't even bother to change into slippers to drive (like I do, I wear a pair of flip flops while driving cos heels get ruined if you drive in them). I can't even bear to wear really high heels to work, even though Salma's not around then. Maybe my sense of balance has changed ever since getting pregnant?

I go into my favorite shoe shop, which has now opened branches in KL (where previously I could only shop there in Singapore each time I went there for a business trip), and I try on their super sexy strappy heels to wear with skinny jeans, and I know they look great on me and make my legs look nice, but then I don't buy them because just the thought of walking in them for a few hours with Salma makes me feel tired. And they're not even that high. But just the thought of it. I haven't even tried doing it and I already gave up. I've thought about wearing ballet flats, but then for some reason they just don't look good on me. Or I haven't found the right outfit to wear with those type of flats. So I don't own any flats except for a pair of crocs, which I wear occassionally to office on Fridays.

What is it about shopping for and owning a lot of shoes that make women happy? I can't figure it out. It seems that all women love shoes. Does this have any links to back when we were hunter gatherers? Like "the one with the best shoes gathers the most berries?" Or what? Cos scientists managed to link women's love for the color pink to our hunter-gatherer days. They rationalised that women's brains are honed into liking the color red or pink because back in those ancient times, women needed to train their eyes to pick only the reddest and ripest berries for the best food. Back in the day, I used to only think new shoes made sense when you had a new outfit. That was when I was like in my fashionista mode in my early twenties. I went through a phase of buying a new outfit each week. Crazy. [Which reminds me of this new girl in the Sales Dept who is going through that same exact phase I went through, because each week I see her coming in wearing a new dress, new shoes and new handbag!] Then I became more cost conscious and realised that new shoes can jazz up an old outfit and bought shoes without having to buy a new dress to go with it (or vice versa). Then I had a baby and became almost broke from buying mamy poko and didn't buy new shoes for myself at all. And wore the same black heels until they were kaput.

And now I have reached that stage where I just want to find those staple black, brown and grey (or silver) heels that can match with anything. At least 3 or 4 staple shoes. 3 for work and going out, 1 for casual. Have been looking for a nice pair of brown heels but have not found it yet. It has to go great with a baju kurung and my skinny jeans. That's the condition. But have not found one yet. Must keep looking. Being a mom is hard work. ;)

Stroller sale (and other stuff) at Baby Cottage Sunway

This news is just too good to keep to myself! Baby Cottage at Sunway (the one off the Federal Highway, next to the Fire Fighting equipment shop, and across the street you can see the back of Mentari Court apartments like 50 m away or something) is having a sale. We bought a Maclaren Volo (lightweight buggy-type stroller useful for travelling) for just RM 487, from the usual price of RM 609, 20% off. There are other strollers that go up to 40% off. They carry brands like Maclaren, Combi and Graco.

They also sell other baby stuff like cribs, highchairs, baby nursery accessories, nursing equipment (Dr. Brown's, Avent), breastpumps (Medela, Spectra, Avent, and this other brand i haven't heard of.. i think it's called Safe & Sound).

Baby Cottage has a branch in Subang Parade, but I'm not sure if the sale extends to that outlet also. But it's worth a trip to check it out, if you are looking for baby stuff!

Conjunctivitis

Salma and I are at home with conjunctivitis (eye infection). Salma caught it on Friday, most likely from someone at school. And since she spends 90% of her time at home with me, I am bound to catch the infection from her... which I did. This is the first time I am having conjunctivitis. It is a really irritable eye infection, very itchy. Your eyes secrete this sticky white discharge, especially when you sleep, and when you wake up, you find that your eyelids are stuck together because of it, and you can't open your eyes!
Conjunctivitis is highly contagious. If you get the discharge onto someone else, and they rub their eyes, they'll get it. It is actually making me feel a little sickly, this being the first real day of me having it. Salma's had it for 3 days, and it looks like it's wearing off.
 
The itchiness is making me very irritable. And surprisingly sleepy. I've not taken any meds for it except for eye drops.