Question: Why do some babies' hair stand up naturally while others don't?

Well, I dunno. Waha. But our baby's hair has been standing up ever since she was one week old. Not just a few strands, but almost all of her top hair. Keke. And she sure has a lot of hair! I like it that way! Reminds me of me. Haha. It makes her look adorable though, so it's okie. =) We love her for how she is. So here's our my little darling looks like now. She's all smiles and it's really heartening to see those grins and laughs on her face. (Well, of course she bawls too, what do you think, she's a baby afterall!~)

Anyway, I think I am getting used to parenthood. And I think it's an amazing journey so far, with definitely more ups than downs. Positivity rules, remember? Since young, mummy taught me to always hope for the best, but expect the worst. In that case, things always turn out better than you expected (well, most of it) and you emerge as a happy person from all circumstances.

For example, everyone was telling me labour pain is the worst pain ever, it's beyond what they imagined, it's unbearable, it's better to take epidural if you want a second child etc etc. Scary, yeah. I believe in what people say because there's bound to be some element of truth in it. So, I imagined my labour to be the worst of the worst nightmares. I didn't know where to set the pain boundary, I guess I shouldn't set any boundary but just assumed I'm in for the worst roller coaster ride of my life and if I wanna survive this marathon, I'd better be mentally prepared for the ordeal.

So, in the end, it really wasn't as bad as I thought it to be. Yeah, I should say I'm lucky, cos' as compared to my mum's experiences and a few of the unlucky ones, mine was really smooth sailing. I do admit I'm blessed. And I do also think that my psychological preparation of the worst helped me to overcome alot of the physical pain. Maybe I used to be a sports person, and like jw, we both believe in mind over body. I'm quite sure jw will have survived the labour process even better than I did (minus the screams and the crumpled face and hands squeezing) cos' I guess he's mentally stronger than me. Well, we will never be able to prove that though unless he gets pregnant someday. Waha.

And like parenthood, I also knew it wasn't going to be easy. I mean, how can it be easy? BUT, it can be happy and it is. Sure, I've suffered sleep deprivation as compared to my carefree days and esp my pregnancy days where I could sleep for 8-10 hours every night. Nowadays, I can only sleep 2-3 hours at a time and then gotta wake up to feed baby, coax her to zzz before the whole cycle starts again. And yeah, I have to put up with her crying spells, sometimes asking myself what's the cause of it but never seeming to find the answer, and I just need to inject myself with syringes of patience and love and tell myself to give my baby more TLC (Tender Loving Care) because it might be what she needs. Can't lose my temper or run short of patience because that will just worsen the situation. I'm glad I have a patient hubby too (well, most of the time, keke) and we seem to be helping each other tide through the tough nights.

Maybe her sleeping pattern will turn for the better soon and at least no more sleep deprived nights. I already think things are improving and my hubby is having better nights cos' I am now better able to coax baby back to zzz when she cries and so he can have more peace and rest before he goes to work. She seems to be a more sensible baby the older she grows (fingers crossed!). Keke. But, you can be sure parenting will continue to bring along its challenges, its obstacles and its problems. I dunno what and I dunno when but I do believe that there lies a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Parenting will be a rewarding journey because I already can see how Angel brings about much joy to our faces and how dear she is to us. So, it's not thatttt hard being a mum and dad after all, right? Well, again, hope for the best but be prepared for the worst! That helps me to put my perspective in place and makes me such a happier person at the end of the day.

The good thing is that I still have my parents here to help me out now. Things are going to be even more difficult when they leave. Keke. But again, when there's a will there's a way and I think everything will be worked out somehow or another. I will survive! I kind of look forward to the challenge too. With baby angel by my side, suddenly I'm quite fearless and even stronger than I was. Thank you Daddy Mummy for everything you've done for me, and for bringing me up and giving me more than I deserved. I love you! You have no idea how happy I am to see the both of you walking in snowy roads together, caring for each other and taking photos for each other. It makes my heart warm everytime I take a photo of both of you.

To my brave mummy who's soooo afraid of the cold but is thriving well in the minus 10 degrees weather now, I'm so proud of you! Esp when you took off your glove to play with the snow and toss it around and we went to the iced up lake. Li hai!!!~ You also have not complained nor grumbled despite I know it's quite tough for you to travel so far and to withstand the drastic changes in weather. That's you, my Mummy! Who is always cheerful and zhi zu chang le, I guess that's why I am too.

There's nothing more precious than kinship in this world. Nothing. Friendship comes close but it will never substitute nor be the same as family.