Dodo fran writes

Blog Entrygotta wait.. waiting impatientlyJul 10, '08 12:22 AM
for everyone
Darn in, tot i could get my hands on the new softsound books that i ordered for baby today.   But looks like its not to be, as arrangement with the person doing bulk purchase fell through.    Now i have to wait till monday.  argh.  no new books to entertain bb with over the weekend.  and i was so looking forward to it. 

This is the first of my stuff im receiving from participating in bulk purchases..    so its extra exciting!    More to come, 1 tub of calendula cream from california baby, and 3 original sesame street VCDs at $6 each  (is that cheap?  i dun even know the prices at the stores.  sure sounds cheap though.)


Blog Entryhelping to advertise - Vietnamese coffeeMay 15, '08 1:33 AM
for everyone
http://www.mycafeadventures.com/678.html

An ex colleague and ex schoolmate started this biz after making a couple of trips to VN for work...
They serve Vietnamese coffee at parties and events.  Add buzz and brighten up your event with aromatic Vietnamese coffee!


Blog Entrythe things husbands say....May 9, '08 3:59 AM
for everyone
Hubs:  So u managed to express milk today?  where?
Me: My office has a nursing room mah!  Thought i told u abt it already?
Hubs:  Wah really ah?   Got hidden camera or not???


Blog EntryMissing youMay 9, '08 3:54 AM
for everyone
2nd day back today..  nothing much to do, cos colleagues hvnt yet relinquished my stuff back to me.  Im not complaining.
Back from work the 1st day, had a strange reception from Michael.  He was pretty quiet.  Maybe he was tired, cos he normally sleeps with me, and dint sleep much the first day i was away.  Maybe he was hungry, cos he dint eat very much the first day away either.  =(   so poor thing.  I hope he'll be able to get used to it after a while.   But that in itself is really sad, cos i dont want him to get used to me being away all the time.  5 days a week is a lot - sigh.

On a brighter note, i can finally wear high heels, albeit still a size 3.  no matter!  Bought my first pair of high heels, (that i can really wear), easily 2 and a half inch,  from charles and keith today, cos they were having a sale.  Hurray.  My feet have expanded - think both broadened and lengthened ever so slightly.  Now just hope it stays that way, while the rest of me continues to shrink.   The great disappearing antgoddess!




Blog EntryNote to self..May 1, '08 5:11 AM
for everyone
for when i start buying sippy cups...

http://safemama.com/2007/11/22/bpa-free-bottle-and-sippy-cup-cheat-sheet/

This is a list of BPA Free bottles, BPA Free sippy cups and food/milk storage items that I made into a quick reference for those looking for a short list to have on hand when shopping for items for yourself or someone else’s kids, should BPA be a concern to you. If a product you are using is NOT on this list, you should investigate that product and whether or not it contains BPA. Please note: If a product is not on this list it means either it contains BPA or we aren’t aware of it’s BPA status. We are more than happy to add BPA Free products to this list as we find them (or you find them), shoot us an email and we’ll add it in. Thanks!

Updated: April 26, 2008

BPA Free Bottle Products

  • Adiri Natural Nursers
  • Avent “Via” disposable bottles ***see note
  • BornFree: All bottles and cups BPA free *see note
  • EvenFlo: Glass bottles, Classic Tinted Polypropylene bottles
  • Playtex: Original Nurser, Opaque Soft Bottle (discontinued), Playtex Drop in liners
  • Gerber: Gerber Clear View, Fashion Tints (”Plastic Pastels”), Gerber GentleFlow
  • Medela: All bottles
  • Sassy MAM bottles (UltiVent), Baby Food Nurser Kit
  • Green to Grow Bottles **see note
  • Sassy Baby Food Nurser Kit
  • ThinkBaby Bottles
  • Momo Glass Bottles
  • Munchkin: Dora the Explorer Classic Bottles
  • Nuby: Standard Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Non-Drip Bottle, Wide-Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, Standard Neck Bottle with Handles and Non-Drip Nipple, 3-Stage Wide Neck Easy Grip Feeding System with Non-Drip Nipple.
  • Nuture Pure Glass bottles
  • Babisil Silbottles
  • Weego Glass Bottles
  • Siliskin Glass Bottles
  • Dr Brown’s: Glass Bottles (all vent system pieces BPA Free), Dr. Browns Polypropylene bottles (due in store’s April 15th)
  • Parent’s Choice Bottles (available at Walmart) - box is marked BPA Free

BPA Free Sippy Cups

  • Avent Magic Cups, Super Sport Cups
  • Playtex: Coolster Tumbler, Insulator, Einstein Sip & Discover Training Cup, Sipster, Create My Own, Quick Straw, Insulator Sport, Sip and Discover, First Sipster, Einstein Sip & Discover Insulated Straw Cup
  • Gerber: Sip & Smile Spill-proof Cup, Easy Grip Insulated Soft Straw Cup, Insulated Cool Cup, Fun Grips Color Change Spill-proof Cup, Grins & Giggles Spill-proof Cup (source)
  • BornFree sippy/drinking cups
  • Kleen Kanteen
  • Thermos Foogo Sippy Cups, and drinking bottle with straw
  • SIGG Toddler Water Bottles
  • Kid Basix The Safe Sippy
  • Boon Sippy
  • GrowPure Multi-Stage Feeder and Sippy Cup
  • iPlay Aqua Bottle
  • ThinkBaby Training Cup
  • Sassy Snack Time Infa-Trainer Cup
  • Munchkin: Cupsicle, Cupsicle Straw Cup, Big Kid Sippy Cup, Mighty Grip Flip Straw Cup, Mighty Grip Trainer Cup, licensed character Sports Bottles, Re-usable Straw Cups, Re-usable Spill-proof Cups
  • Nuby: No-Spill Sports Sipper, Insulated Soft Silicone Spout Cup, Soft Spout Easy Grip Cup, Gripper Cup with Soft Silicone Spout, 2-Handle Cup, Tinted Mega Sipper, 7oz Tumblers
  • The First Years: Take & Toss, Spill-proof Cup, Insulated Cup, Licensed character sippy cups, Insulated Spill-proof Cup, 2 Handled Cups

BPA Free Milk/Liquid Storage

  • Avent Via 8-oz. Nurser Kit
  • Avent Snack Cup / Formula Dispenser
  • Mother’s Milkmate Storage bottles
  • Medela Milk Storage bottles and breastpump accessories
  • Playtex One-Step Breast Milk Storage Kit
  • Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bags
  • Lansinoh® Breastmilk Storage Bottles
  • Gerber Breastmilk Storage Bags
  • Dr. Brown’s Breastmilk Storage Bags
  • The First Years Easy Pour Breastmilk Storage bags
  • Bailey Milk Storage Bags (Nurture lll pump tubing BPA Free as well)
  • Bailey Storage Bottles (as well as all parts of their “double collection kit”)

BPA Free Baby Food / Food Storage

*If you are currently using Dr. Browns polycarbonate bottles and would like to switch, the Dr. brown’s venting system (the internal pieces) are BPA Free and are made of polypropylene plastic. Also, they FIT and work with BornFree bottles which could be a little bit of a money saver.   We were also told by another Safe Mama reader that the Avent nipples also fit with Born Free bottles.

** Safe Mama reader Melissa wrote in to let me know that Dr Browns bottle nipples fit with Green to Grow bottles. As we know once a baby is comfy with something it’s sometimes a pain to change so it’s good to know we don’t have to change everything if we don’t have to. Alicia of The Soft Landing did a more exhaustive report on what nipples fit what bottles. Read about it on her blog here.

***All Avent products with the exception of those listed on this sheet, contain Bisphenol-A. They are NOT BPA Free.

Please reference Z Recommends for a detailed report on many of the above products. They have gone beyond to call, write and test all these products and have extensive information. I credit a large portion of this cheat sheet, to date, to them. I have fully appreciated their research and provide this cheat sheet as a quick reference for BPA free products for shopping purposes. Please visit their most recent BPA Report for complete details.

If you copy/paste this list, please link back here. Thanks!

What is Bisphenol A?
Bisphenol A is a hormone-mimicking chemical used in polycarbonate plastics (PC or identified as #7 recycling code) and resins commonly used for items such as shatterproof baby bottles. Bisphenol has estrogenic properties which, in animal tests has shown to cause a bevy of health problems such as an increase in prostate and breast cancer, uro-genital abnormalities in male babies, a decline in semen quality in men, early onset of puberty in girls, metabolic disorders including insulin-resistant (Type 2) diabetes and obesity and neurobehavioral problems such as Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Research is showing that when plastic containers, mostly those used to hold liquids and foods, are leeching Bisphenol into the foods and liquids they are holding. Heating food and liquids with these plastics is shown to increase the leeching of this contaminate.

Many companies use this chemical in their packaging including cans, soda cans, and plastic food containers. There is a risk of absorbing this chemical through the use of containing foods and liquids but can also leech into our water systems through landfills.

Many leading experts argue that the use of Bisphenol is safe to the human public but research may begin to further prove otherwise.

Excerpt from Wikipedia:

“Bisphenol A has been known to leach from the plastic lining of canned foods and, to a lesser degree, polycarbonate plastics that are cleaned with harsh detergents or used to contain acidic or high-temperature liquids.[16] Infants fed with liquid infant formula have among the highest exposures of anyone eating canned foods. Infants fed canned formula with polycarbonate bottles can consume quantities of Bisphenol A up to 13 µg/kg/day.”

Please read more information on Z Recommends about bottles and sippy cups:

Please also read the Environmental Working Groups Report on BPA in Baby Formula.



Blog EntryIts official!!! Officially BAD!!!!!!!!Feb 12, '08 7:11 AM
for everyone
woke up at 3am on Feb 12 with some pains..  timed the contractions, wah zhun zhun 10 mins apart.   some more 10 mins apart for over 2 hours hor!  pains not very bad leh....  All those damned books say go in when contractions 10 min apart right?

so we packed our bags got ready all our barang and checked in. HAHA.   We reached the labour ward, and obviously the nurse could tell that THAT wasnt it, cos i was smiling and happily chatting away.   Anyhow they entertained me, put me up in the ward for an hour, then sent me upstairs to a normal room to await the doctors arrival at 8am.   By 9am..  ALAMAK. no pain laio.  blasted full dress rehersal.

back home by 11am, went back to sleep, and now finally by 4ish, these I HOPE is the real thing!  Superbly irregular still, which means not much is happening, but HURTS LIKE HELL!!!!!!  Heng still got approx 10 mins in between. 

owww...  this last one lasted 25 sec.  feels like bad bad bad bad menstrual cramps at lower abs.  halfway thru the contraction u kinda feel like killing yourself.   Its supposed to stretch to 90 secs at the end with 2 min breathers..  FAINT.    Half a min contractions with 10 min in between..  its quite bad, and i hear it can last days...   ARGGGGHHHHHH...  

btw, doc says i can come in when i can barely walk during a contraction.  Hooray, sounds like fun times ahead....

Blog EntryEver seen a lizards eggFeb 10, '08 7:09 AM
for everyone
i took this pic some time ago (few mths), but dint post it as i dint have a card reader for my sony memory stick (troublesome sony camera!!!)

This is the 3rd time i've encountered lizard eggs, the first was in my mums place at simei some time ago, the 2nd at my own place (1 lizard somehow clambered on our couch and laid 2 eggs in the warm comfort of the sofa..  simply amazing we dint have lizard yolk on the seat after we sat on those eggs!), and finally this 3rd time, i grabbed my camera to get some pics of the rare sight.  enjoy.  

There were 2 eggs again, but 1 broke cos we had to close the window as the rain was starting to come in.

Cute huh.  =)

Blog EntryIm suaku....Jan 30, '08 12:53 AM
for everyone
WAhh..  finally gave up waiting for Singapore's lousiest TV channel 5 to screen Heros every week.  Decided to search for it on the web.   Happily watching the last few episodes of season 1 now.   Posted some streaming links to movies and TV..  cool..  never knew so much was available online!!!!   so damn suaku...   

Blog EntrySingapore's hygiene levels dropping...Jan 17, '08 2:26 AM
for everyone
Yesterday i found a tiny piece of the iron wool type scrubber (used for scrubbing pots and pans) in my Pad Thai at Amara food court.

Today, i found a 1. Worm,  2. styrofoam piece, 3.Hair,  in my watercress & pork rib soup (1 & 2) and char siew pao (3).  This was at a coffee shop in the Tg pagar area.

WTF!!!!!!!!!!!

I wonder what i'll find during lunch tommorow.   Hopefully it'll just be whatever i paid for.

you might want to check out the product u intend to buy in this website.   Its got just abt all major brands...   and the safety levels of the various chemicals that go into those products..

For example, for all TBS fans out there, you could just search "The Body Shop" and see what you get.. ;p

http://www.cosmeticsdatabase.com/index.php?nothanks=1

Maybe we should all use sugar and sea salt as scrubs, with some essential oils..  those prob work the best after all haaa....


Blog EntryOMG!!Nov 3, '07 1:01 AM
for everyone
25 weeks this week, and i just realised that 25 weeks is end of month 6!!!!   not beginning of month 6 or end of month 5 as i earlier thought all along!   this puts me 1 week away from 3rd trimester!  ok this is getting scarily fast.   and i thought i still had weeks and months to take my own sweet time with reading up and buying stuff and getting ready.  Realistically baby might come even as early as end of Jan, abt 37 weeks or so..

but when u think abt doesnt a 12 week window still mean i have lotsa time?   lalalalala.... 

im kinda getting big like on a daily basis.  now its very very obvious that i have a bump in front, and pple are giving me seats on the train wahahahhahah!!    the sensation is pretty weird hiak.  Not so sure now that i'd stay small all the way like i had thought...  comparing my size to the belly pics on the net, im probably about average?  and not sure if i'll have any clothes wearable by the time it reaches Jan!

btw..  someone has followed in my footsteps and is 6 weeks along..  i wun say who cos its too early to say ;p  heee....

Blog EntryNew ERP gantriesOct 30, '07 3:48 AM
for everyone

BASTARDS!!!!!!!!!!!!  The ECP isnt even that crowded in the evenings!!!!!

LTA announces new ERP gantries, operational hours
By Asha Popatlal, Channel NewsAsia | Posted: 23 August 2007 2100 hrs

SINGAPORE: The Land Transport Authority (LTA) has decided to extend the coverage of Electronic Road Pricing (ERP) at various locations to improve traffic flow.

A slew of changes affecting motorists using the Central Expressway (CTE), Bukit Timah Expressway (BKE) and East Coast Parkway (ECP) were disclosed after a visit to the Kallang-Paya Lebar Expressway (KPE) tunnel by Transport Minister Raymond Lim on Thursday.

From 1 November, ERP operational hours of south-bound CTE will be extended by 4 hours on weekdays – from 7am to 11am – at the section between Ang Mo Kio Avenue 1 and Braddell Road.

A new gantry with evening ERP on the north-bound CTE will also be installed just before the PIE exit. Motorists will be charged from 5.30pm till 10.30pm on weekdays.

Evening ERP is also moving to the east-bound ECP – from the city towards Changi Airport – with a new gantry just before the Rochor Road exit and another at the Ophir Road slip road.

ERP charges will be implemented between 6pm and 8pm during weekdays.

There will also be a new gantry, with operating hours from 7.30am to 9am just after the Dairy Farm Road exit, before BKE joins Pan Island Expressway (PIE).

Explaining the changes, the Transport Minister said if road usage is not priced, roads will be over-used, resulting in widespread congestion.

While there is no silver bullet solution, Mr Lim said ERP is the only one that directly deals with the congestion problem.

He said: "We sometimes hear criticisms of the ERP system. Some have observed that introducing or raising ERP charges relieve congestion temporarily, but after a while, the congestion comes back.

"Others, especially those using the CTE, have complained that the ERP is unfair. They say that depending on where you join the expressway, some motorists add to the congestion without paying for it. This is feedback that we value. It shows that ERP coverage may need to be more extensive or pricing (has to be) fine-tuned."

Besides trying to come up with a more holistic way of dealing with congestion, LTA will also see if optimal speed ranges, which currently should not fall below 45 kph for expressways and 20 kph for other roads, need to be changed.

LTA is also installing ERP gantries at Toa Payoh Lorong 6, Upper Boon Keng Road, Kallang Bahru Road and Geylang Bahru Road, but will only start charging if traffic conditions worsen. - CNA/so

Blog Entryupdates...Oct 24, '07 6:03 AM
for everyone
55 kg liao...  guess im on track for weight cos doc never make any more noise (unlike the week when he announced i gained 3kg which is 1kg over the weight limit).

you can also call me princess antgoddess now, cos i get waited on hand and foot by everyone...  got porter service, driver service, cook service, cleaning service..  wahhhh life is good ;p

Im 24 weeks today, which means another 13 to 16 weeks to D-day..  still very long hor? 
and i got my first little bitty stretch marks (on my bum which ive been neglecting!  who would have believed my bum would grow so much damnit!!!) 

...  more later ...

Blog EntryIntroducing MichaelOct 24, '07 5:38 AM
for everyone

Michaels first photos

At 7 weeks.   a little beanie bean...
 

At 11 weeks...




At 15 weeks.

Now 24 weeks liao.  hvnt scanned in those pics yet.


Blog EntryMe bottomless pit..Oct 1, '07 5:58 AM
for everyone
Breakfast:
9am - 1 small bowl of yogurt
10am - 2 slices homemade carrot cake brought by colleague (yummmm)
11 to 12 - 1 bucket of strawberries

Lunch:
12 ish - beef, veg, tofu and porridge

Tea:
3.30 - 1 soon kuey
3.30 - 1 poh piah
5pm - 4 yummy indonesian otak

6pm - waiting for dinner... still hungry..  should i wipe out the last 4 indo otak?

Blog EntryI am 50 kg..Sep 10, '07 5:05 AM
for everyone
and still very hungry..  help!!!!   resolved to only eat fruits after lunch from now on...  oooh,,  the ikan bilis covered in sesame sitting on my table looks very appetising.  Just bought it today, but think i finished close to half the packet laio.

Blog EntryROBBED!!!Sep 10, '07 5:03 AM
for everyone


REALLY NO KIDDING!   hiak, come in on monday morning, to find 11 notebooks and a number of people's personal items missing!   Thankfully, its office and not home.  And amazingly, although my notebook was left over the weekend, totally unsecured, it wasnt taken!  HENG AHHHHH!!   was able to continue my work undisturbed on monday morning..

heehee..  police and all at the scene monday morning, plus building security and the office up in chaos.  how exciting ;p.  11 notebooks, $200 missing from someones desk, and small items like calculators (!?), thumbdrives, voice recorders.  Someones drawer was pried, but the thief(ves) was unsuccessful.  Not very skilled i guess.

Body count at the end of the day was notebooks missing from only IT, Sales and marketing.  Not a single analysts notebook was touched although there were quite a number lying around unsecured!  Strange aint it.....   a real mystery.   The thief(ves) broke in from the back, and either managed to disable an alarm, or the alarm was never armed in the first place. 

We suspect its a competitor firm..  hehhh...

Blog Entryonline shopping...Aug 10, '07 6:03 AM
for everyone
http://www.xanga.com/chic_culture

my friend runs this site.  

the clothes seem pretty nice thou and reasonably priced.  enjoy!

Blog Entrystress... May 24, '07 3:20 AM
for everyone
I wish i could box someone, something, anything..
ARRGGHH.  D*****.  Im so irritated and pissed.  punching a hole in my office table would help, unfortunately i cant do that at b***** work.

Sickening piece of s***!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

Help.  What sort of activities give the same release as whacking a golf ball without the price tag.  i need release!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!   Going crazy!!!

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