Jeremy so kindly fetched the hubs from the hospital yesterday. The hubs now has no more cartilage in his right knee and has a torn meniscus. The surgeon shaved off part of his knee bones to prevent friction as they will rub against each other as there is no longer a 'padding' between the upper and lower bone, in layman terms. Hopefully, when he is able to walk without the aid of the crutches, he will be able to walk with his normal walking style, without the limp of course.

This morning, Jerry came by with the family and picked K and I to church. After church, Jeremy, Ivy, Bev as well as Jerry's family had lunch at the coffee-shop downstairs our block and then they all came up to see the hubs.

When the hubs removed the bandage in the evening, his right knee was so swollen. Strangely, he does not require a knee brace. Anyhow, we pray for a speedy recovery. The next 2 weeks is going to be tough on me, having to send and fetch K to/from school. It would also means no home cooking for us, till further notice. Lol....

After the hubs' usual routine of sending K to school this morning, he admitted himself to the hospital for a scheduled knee surgery.

When I reached the office, I told my Manager that I"ll probably be coming in later to work for the next 2 weeks and at 4ish, she kept asking if I was going to visit the hubs at the hospital. I had not thought of that because the hubs said not to. But at the Manager's constant urging, I left work early and paid the hubs a quick visit, which he was happy with. As I had to rush off to pick K up, I had to go off after about 20 minutes and went to the taxi stand. There was no taxi in sight and the queue at the main hospital building was crazily long! Thankfully, the hospital has a train stop now and on hind sight, I should have headed to the train station immediately. The journey was faster even if I have managed to catch a taxi, given that it was the after-office peak hours.

Anyway to digress, while on my train ride to the hospital earlier, the 2nd SIL messaged me to tell me an unfortunate news that she had miscarried. She was in her early 2nd trimester and had been bleeding throughout the pregnancy and was admitted to hospital once or twice before. She had shared that the baby was a boy but thankfully, there was no major impact of her own personal health after the 'delivery'.

I wished I could see her and be with her but I guess not till at least the hubs recovers from his knee operation. For now, I can only provide her some words of comfort and to let her know that I'm available when she needs to talk. :(

Yeterday's dinner: Udon mixed with green capsicum, carrot, bunapi mushroom, cherry tomatos, fried egg with sun-dried tomato and ricotta cheese pesto. A slice of chocolate cake followed, for K that is.

270ml milk feed at 8pm.

Woke up to ask for milk at 6.30am but slept back when I returned with her milk bottle. She quietly crept out of bed at 7ish while the hubs and I were dressing up for work.

We're still monitoring.....

Last night's dinner for K as well as the rest of the family. Rice with some pork rib, lotus root, celery, carrot with peanut and black beans and stir-fried french beans with egg.

After which, she had a palm-length size of corn. Her dinner ended at almost 8pm! First long it lasted for so long. Then slightly after 8, she had a quarter of a big persimmon and her 270ml milk feed was at about 8.30pm. After she finished her milk, she soothed her tummy and told me that she was very full.

Still she woke up before 6am this morning for her milk fix! I reckon the amount she has for dinner is a lot for most 2 year olds. She eats more than my 21 year old niece. 

On Sunday evening, I gave her 2 slices of chocolate cake, made by my 3rd SIL, after dinner and of course she has to end the night with her regular milk fix. She slept through till Monday morning. I'm not sure if it's because she was also too tired from Sunday's activities or she ate well enough.

The hubs & I just can't put a finger on it. Is the cod liver oil giving her a voracious appetite? Or is she seeking comfort? I doubt it is the 2nd one. Well, at least no longer at her age. Most of the time, especially if it's a school day, she knocks out almost as immediate as when the bottle leaves her mouth. And then you hear her snoring.

We've talked to her about it, that she should 'enjoy' her sleep and wake up later to have her milk when it's time to wake up for school. But somehow, that protruding tummy refuses to back down. Everytime we delay making milk for her, she wakes up 1/2 hour later and cries for it. As if to ask, why does it have to take so long? Or is it because most of her friends in playgroup still have their mid-day milk fix while we've taken her off that ever since she started school. I don't know and I hope she'll be back to her normal milk routine soon. :p

With trolley on hand, the 3 of us took our usual morning walk to the market only to realise that it was closed for maintenance. Thankfully, the coffee shop nearby, the usual one that we go to for our Saturday breakfast, was opened for business.

Almost at lunch time, the hubs went to the Victor's home to help Kenneth dismantle a playhouse as they were gifting it to K! I was at home with K, fed her lunch, did the laundry and managed to put her to bed. When the hubs returned home with Kenneth and his 2 girls, K was still napping.

The 2 girls remained at our place while Kenneth went back home. They played with K for a while before we left to West Coast Park and met up with the Victors as well as the Salahudeens.

The sun was out in full strength and when it was time, the hubs didn't have much of a mood to join them for dinner. Gaye had a case of diarrhea and Kenneth had to send her home while the Salahudeens had company for their 2 younger girls when Kenneth & Gaye's daughters joined them for dinner. 

K still doesn't like the sand so much although she was not particular about it when she was much younger. But with the playhouse now, I know she can't be any happier. :)

My plans to have some me-time and to visit the hair-salon after work today were dashed when I realised I did not pass the hubs' his house keys when he went down to the car before K & I this morning. And M wasn't at home either!

So, I ended up meeting Jeremy, Ivy and Bev at K's childcare centre as they had wanted to surprise K. Ivy had been wanting to see K in her school environment but because the glass were all covered up, there's no way anyone can peep in. I'm not sure if K was surprised when she saw her favourite uncle 'cos she definitely did not show it. Lol.

We all went for dinner at a western style coffee-shop nearby K's school and I must say all of us enjoyed it! While we had pork knuckles, fried ramen with beef bulogi, mussles, mixed grill and so on, the bread monster ended up only eating garlic bread as she could taste the pepper in the rosti and then refused to have any.

After the good dinner, we took a walk to the nearby mall before they all came back home with us, to visit M.

And the hubs gave K some more bread, cranberry bread this time, as she didn't have much for dinner. Hopefully, she doesn't wake us up for milk tonight.

I had to pick K from school yesterday as the hubs had to work late. Everything went relatively smooth on our way home. As usual, we had dinner at the coffee-shop downstairs our block and K wanted to eat some more after she finished about 1 1/2 bowls. We went home and I made a slice of home-made bread with jam for her, followed by a slice of cheese and when that was still not enough, I had to spread jam on a slice of wholemeal bread for her.

Fearing that she may have eaten too much and get a tummy-ache, I did not allow her to eat anymore and she bawled. Her milk feed was less than an hour's time. But what do we know! She woke up at midnight for milk and we used the delay tactic again but it didn't last long. We had to give in.

Today, we met up with the Victors, who have just returned from their 3 week holiday in England, and the Whites. K ate quite a bit. She had porridge where I picked quite a variety of ingredients such as cuttlefish, meatball, oyster etc for her 'main' and then she had so much fruits after that. When we reached home, it was already past 9 and she had her last milk feed late and she slept all the way through!

Hurray!! I'm not sure if it's because she was simply too tired or otherwise. Gaye and Deb advised that she probably didn't have enough to fill her tummy. But I was worried that she eats too much although the hubs did remind ourselves that K knows when to stop. But a toddler with a tummy-ache is not easy to manage either. My SIL, Ivy, says we shouldn't try to make her too thin. (!!) Like duh....who's even thinking of that! 

Anyhow, I'll start giving her some snacks or fruits after dinner as there is only that much of an appetite she has for her main meal. :p

I follow a few mummy blogs and have read on sleep regression. It has never affected me as K has been able to sleep through the night, ever since she was about 4 months old, save for the few times when she is not well and cannot get back to sleep or probably just had a nightmare and cannot soothe herself back to sleep.

However, I cannot say the same for the past month or so! K has been waking us up in the wee hours, 4 or 5ish in the morning, to ask for milk. And if we ignore her, she'll cry for her milk. Needless to say, it's disruptive to our sleep. Ultimately we still have to give in to her. At times, the hubs will tell her that the bottles are still being sterilised or the we just boiled water and it's too hot to drink. Sometimes, she dozes off but more often than not, she wakes up 1/2 - 1 hour later to ask for her milk again.

I do not know if she simply loves her milk so much and she always finishes her milk, even in her slumber! Recently, we decided to increase the amount of milk back to 270ml, thinking that it would keep her well-fed till 7ish in the morning at least. But no, she has to wake us up in the middle of the night for her milk fix. And mind you, her dinner time is at about 6.30pm and her milk feed is at about 7.45pm. She should be off to dreamland about 9ish. 

Hopefully, it's a growth spurt but it can't be for so long right? Hiaz......

The hubs was able to drop by the party, although late last night, to pick us home. By the time we reached home, it was 11ish and K fell fast sleep in the car. Because she was fast asleep, I could only wipe her body and she cried because of all the movement in removing her dress, changing her diapers etc. 

This morning, she woke up at almost 9am while the hubs, who woke up earlier than us, went back to sleep!!??!! Thankfully, K was back to her healthy self and while the 2 were still sleeping, I got down to making shepherd's pie.

The hubs and I planned to do some shopping at JB and Ivy had nicely said ok to looking after K for the day.  And so the shepherd's pie was just a little something for them as well as lunch for K. The 3rd SIL had stayed over the night too with the 3 kids after last night's party and when we reached Jeremy's, the 2 boys decided to stay on while we sent the 3rd SIL and Esther home, on our way to the checkpoint. 

Unfortunately for the jam that we were caught in at the Singapore immigration, we couldn't shop at a much more leisure pace. Although I did manage to buy a pair of working shoes and some tops. The hubs didn't buy anything for himself this time though.

We reached Jeremy's at 7ish and stayed for a short while before we left for home as well as to send the 2 boys back. K, tired from the whole day activity and not napping, dozed off in the car again. This time, we didn't have to wipe her down except to change her diaper as Ivy had showered her at their home. 

We're so thankful for such great help we have in her! She has since stopped looking after the other boy, whose parents have recently hired a maid. Now, we know at least we'll have reliable help should we need one again! :)

The World Cup started in the wee hours of this morning, this part of our world. I was awoken by something and saw that the living room lights were on and called out to the hubs. K, ever the light-sleeper, woke up shortly after at about 4am and couldn't sleep back. 

The hubs carried her and brought her out to the living room for a short while before I took over. I sat down with her by the bay window, something she always does whenever she gets awoken in the middle of the night and can't fall back to sleep. Thankfully, it's not a frequent problem but there was once, she went through this phase for a couple of days.

Anyway, she ended up in M's room, sleeping beside her, on the floor. When it was time to wake up for work, I carried her back to our room and she woke up again, despite looking like she was deep in sleep. Because of the commotion, the adults didn't get to sleep well either but thankfully, the hubs and I were still able to leave the house on time.

When K reached the childcare centre, her temperature was slightly high. I took her temperature at home and it was 37 degrees, although I thought she felt a little hot. At about 10ish, a teacher called, K's temperature had shot up to 38.6 and the teachers were showering her. 

I'm glad my new Manager is such an understanding boss. She always tells me she has a family and children of her own, so she understands things like that. The ex-bird of a boss has a daughter too but she is far from being empathetic to anyone. 

The hubs picked K up from school and I left work at lunch time. This time, I told the hubs no need to bring K to the Doctor's as we have her fever medication at home. When I reached home, M was feeding K and a little while after, the hubs had to return to the office. Thankfully, K slept albeit for an hour. But I felt so productive while I was home! Lol...While she slept, I mopped the floor and even managed to put her clothes to wash and hung them up. 

She was so much better by late afternoon that I could bring her to Bev's 21st birthday celebration! We were not 'supposed' to attend it as the hubs had a staff event in the evening but since she was so much better, I decided that we could take a train ride and attend the party. Although I was hesitating about going, worrying that K's fever might return, Bev was wishing that we could make it. Thankfully, K's fever did not return, she enjoyed herself and Jeremy and his family were pleasantly surprised to see us there.

I joked that K had 'keng' mc just so that she can attend her cousin's birthday. Otherwise, it would just be her and me at home while daddy is at work. Lol...

I caught up with an ex-colleague who left the previous company much earlier than me at the airport today. I had told K that we were going to the airport last night and it confirms my thoughts that we shouldn't tell her our plans until the day itself anymore. Maybe only tell her an hour or so before the actual event even.

She woke up at 6.30am for her milk and couldn't continue sleeping after that. She usually continues sleeping when she asks for milk so early but today, no! I had wanted to sleep in cos it's a non-working day today right? And furthermore, I was on the computer till late last night. But the hubs had an event at work and left at 6am, leaving me no choice but to entertain K.

So K & I met my ex-colleague at 11ish, had lunch and we brought K around the airport. She loves the airport! Before we left, we even brought her to the kids play area. She was so knackered that when we finally got a seat in the train, on our way back home, she slept within 5 minutes. Joanne was so amused that K dozed off so fast and was snoring!

The hubs who had called me while we were still at the airport on the way to the train station, asked if I needed him to pick us up. With the distance from our home to the airport, I didn't want to linger around the airport anymore. 

Thankfully, it poured at our place although it stopped by the time we reached the train station and the hubs met us there with a crazy huge umbrella. K was still fast asleep and was weighing a tonne on my shoulders. I quickly handed her over to the hubs when I saw him. And she continued sleeping even when we reached home. :)

I had such a pleasant experience when I collected my passport at the ICA early thing morning. It was such a breeze and made me feel so proud of our efficiency. Well, I can't say the same when I arrived at 7.45am and saw a snaking queue all the way to the back of the building though.

Having made the first appointment to collect my passport at 8.15am, I had to leave the house before the hubs and K. The hubs even suggested that I leave before K sees me, lest she will not let me go. Although I reached ICA a good 1/2 an hour before the first appointment slot, there were so many people who were already in the queue and lots more who came after me. They started letting us into the building itself at 8am.

I took the escalator up, scanned my IC, collected my queue number and went into the service area. Just as I stepped in to check the queue numbers that were called up, my number came up and off I went to the counter. Within 5 minutes, I had my new passport and off to work I went. I realised a lot of people were there for other reasons as the floor where passports collection is, was not crowded.

Anyway, I even managed to arrive work at almost the same time I usually do. And my Manager didn't even remember that I had told her that I might be in the office slightly later because of this.

Anyhow, the building had a fire drill exercise in the late afternoon and under the insistence of one of the expats, all of us were 'made' to 'evacuate' our office. I can already feel the strain and muscle aches in my calves from the 27 floor descent. Urgh....I cannot imagine how it'll be tomorrow. *bleah*