Booby Babies

Yes, it sounds like a long time but it doesn't mean that I've forgotten those painful, stressful, tiring, not at all magical first few weeks. Why don't people tell you that breastfeeding isn't as natural as people think it is? BECAUSE THEY DON'T KNOW.

If it weren't for a wonderful lactation consultant in Kuala Lumpur, I'm sure I would have given up by week 3. One can only take so much pain from blocked ducts and cracked nipples! But thats all in the past and now, Aaron and I have a wonderful BF relationship.

I love it now. I don't really want to think about when to wean. The WHO recommends BF for 2 years so.....I'll just use that as a faraway marker. If he wants to stop earlier, thats ok. It just means he's ready.

When I get the time, I'm going to come up with little document that will help new mothers get started with BF. Something that is practical so that new mothers will have the confidence to continue in the face of criticism from the older generations. The grandmothers all mean well but that 60s and 70s were so pro formula that they have little knowledge of BF, its benefits and its mechanics.

Bakso, Murtabak and Murtabak

I've never really been one to miss foods from home. Sure, I like my Char Koay Teow or Roti Canai but in the past, I've never really yearned for them when I was out of the country. Even the whole time we were living in Australia.

That was me before the move to Palembang.

Over here, we have oats for breakfast everyday. Red rice with vegatables for lunch and then brown rice with vegatables for dinner. No chicken because of the bird flu. Rarely and beef because its just too gross to shop in that part of the market. Pork is in the faraway Pasar Buah. Fish...well, we have fish occasionally. The point is.....meals are boring here. Same vegatables over and over again. The highlight of my week is always Tempeh but other than that.......nothing.

So anyway, we've now discovered some tastes from home.

Bakso.....this food that the Indonesians all claim as their own. They all seem to like it. Talk about it all the time. See signs for it everywhere. When we finally try it, I find out that its actually BEEF BALLS and Dry Noodles - Kon Low Gow Yook Yuun for those who can decipher my cantonese.


Murtabak is something else that seems to be everywhere. Lots and lots of little stalls all selling murtabak. So, one day, I had this craving for it. All the time imagining that it was the murtabak I knoew...mixtures of onion, egg, some meat and then spices all fried and then wrapped in a think Roti Canai skin. Well, over here, its basically just a deep fried roti canai. Thats alright though.....extremely unhealthy but incredibly tasty with a very fragrant curry to go with it.

That was the first murtabak I tried. If you go to some of the afternoon stalls and order murtabak, you actually get Ban Chang Kueh. They have some weird flavours over here though like chocolate chip and cheese !!

2200W

OK. Its not funny anymore. Its ANNOYING ANNOYING ANNOYING! And it happens every day. Would you believe that we're limited to 2200W in this house? I don't know what our other houses have all been and never realised that there was a limit but this is crazy.
No A/C if you want to use the microwave.
No microwave if you want to use the hot water.
No A/C in the living room if somebody wants to sleep and somebody else wants to iron.
etc
etc

We are constantly needing to remember what appliances are on and what we need to turn off if we want to use something.

Alright, so how much does it cost to upgrade the power? RM450. Not a lot. BUT, it will cause the monthly electricity tariff to fall in a category that is twice as expensive as it is now. SO, even if we upgrade the power, it might mean that we have to pay our own electricity bill. Thats currently being paid by the company.

Just another one of the little quirks we have to get used to living in a less developed country.

Watch out! He bites now

Yup! After all the drool, diarrhea and fussiness, Aaron's first tooth is finally through. Its SHARP! I first noticed it yesterday when he chomped down on my finger. Wonder when the others will start poking out.



These days Aaron can sit up to play for short periods of time. He does topple over when he gets tired but there is always somebody there to catch him. You might be wondering what a baby plays with. His favourite toys are the curtains and a little plastic stool. Actually, Its basically anything he can get his hands on ....soy sauce bottle, brush, empty tissue box, tupperware......they all keep him occupied much longer than any of the toys we bought him. Good! Save money!