My Virgin Uber Ride

I am a laggard. Last night was my first virgin Uber ride and I'm totally sold.

It was pouring heavily and we were stranded at my in law's place (even though it's about 10-15 minutes walk to my place). I had called Comfort hotline trying to book a cab, was put on hold for about 10minutes and the operator asked me to hang up and called me back. I waited about 10minutes and still no return call.

Out of desperation, I googled for Uber cab, managed to download the app on iTune and set up the account. It was a breeze. Within 5minutes, a car was around the vicinity. As it was peak period, the fare surge was about 1.7times. The app has a fare estimation and even show where is my cab and estimated arrival time.

My driver was young, friendly, polite and speak very good English. Knowing it's my virgin Uber ride, he explained why Uber is more competitive than cab as there are no peak hours/ midnight surcharge and even airport pickup is a nominal fee. When I arrived at my destination, he told me to ensure that the driver ends the trip on his app and reminded me that no cash payment as it will be charged to my credit card. My fare was about $9.

To read more about Uber, you can visit https://www.uber.com/cities/singapore/?int=a

I hope the standards of our taxi companies will improve with competition.

p.s: Was taking a cab the other day and this taxi uncle was ranting about how Uber drivers steal their rice bowl ie any Tom, Dick or Harry can be a Uber driver. They can choose their customer via the Uber app, for example, the Uber driver can pick up passengers who travel long distance or if they are on the way to their day job, they can pick up passenger and still earn money.

Uncle was also telling me that they need to go for lessons before they can apply for taxi license. To be a cabby also require experience eg you can get lost in certain places like Fusionopolis even with GPS. Uncle warned me that Uber cars are not authorised and not covered under insurance in case of accidents and asked me to think twice before taking Uber cars.

Updates on 17 Mar 2016:
http://www.straitstimes.com/singapore/grabcar-uber-drivers-may-need-vocational-licence-soon

Love,
Sherlyn

Children Audio/ Sound Book and Shipping from Taobao

It seem that audio/ sound books is very limited in Singapore. I've searched a few bookstores but the selections are really limited.

I managed to order these 3 titles from Taobao, which I also saw at Babyland Fair selling about $25 after 15% discount:

1)ABC 欢唱绘本, RMB72.25

2) 儿歌欢唱绘本, RMB72.25

3)童谣欢唱绘本, RMB72.25

As Taobao now offers direct shipping, I googled online for reviews. I have always use 4PX, some folks at hardwarezone forum mentioned that the cheapest shipping is from 65Daigou. I googled and true enough, the shipping charges is so much cheaper. This time round, I paid $19.50 for shipping by sea for my taobao loots of about 6.5kg, estimated 8-14days as the audio books are classified custom sensitive and cannot be shipped by air.

Here's a table comparison:

	First 1kg	Subsequent 500g	Total charges for 6.5kg
Taobao direct	RMB39 SGD$8.76	RMB11 SGD$2.47	$          35.93
4PX	RMB43 SGD$9.66	RMB12 SGD$2.70	$            39.36
65Daigou	SGD$3	SGD$1.50	$            19.50

using exchange rate of SGD$1 equiv to RMB4.55

Hope you find this post useful.

Love,
Sherlyn

p.s. I've ordered 2 more sound books from Taobao which I would highly recommend.

1) 圣诞儿歌谣音乐书

2) ABC欢唱歌谣

Review: Proby Eco Playmat

As my girl has started to flip and is starting to learn to crawl, I was googling for recommendations of Korean playmat in Singapore.

1) LG
2) Parklon
3) Dwinguler
4) Proby

I've gotten 2 LG playmats for my nephew previously and they are really expensive. It has been 4-5 years and the mats are still in good condition. Parklon and Dwinguler is only slightly cheaper than LG.

I have decided to give Proby a try as it's so much cheaper. I placed order with this Qoo10 seller based on the many good reviews. Seller is very responsive over SMS, has ready stock and is able to deliver the next day which is a public holiday. :) I got Funnimal in Size S (150x200x1.7cm), which cost $69.80+ $7.80 shipping. I didn't get in Size M as I think it might be too big. I would be happy if my girl will use the playmat till 1-2 years old else never fully maximise the value. Hahaha... I didn't get the 2.2cm thick either as reviews state that it is difficult to roll up.

Item came wrapped in clear plastic bag and it was in good condition. It's very lightweight compared to LG (though mat is thinner) but I think it's good enough. The colours are very vibrant and my girl love it. Would highly recommend this playmat to all parents.

Thanks for reading my blog!
 
Love,
Sherlyn 
 

Common Baby Sickness

Have not been updating the blog, was busy with house renovation and moving. :)

I shall share some of the baby symptoms/ illnesses, of which, I manage to clarify some with Pediatrician. Hope you find this post useful. :)

1) Baby has flaking/ peeling skin
It is perfectly normal as they are shedding their old layer of skin. My baby has flaking skin about 2 weeks after she was born. We switched her bathing to Sebamed bubble bath and applied Kodomo lotion after each bath.

2) Baby has rashes/ pimple outbreak
My baby has sudden rashes outbreak 1 week before her baby shower :(. However, it cleared up on its own. As my baby is on mixed feeding, not sure if it because I stopped taking red date tea which is supposed to be heaty after my confinement.

3) Baby has cradle crap
This is normal. You can apply baby oil 1hour before bath so as to soften the scalp so that it is easier to remove using wash cloth during bath time.

4) Baby hiccuping after feed
This is normal unless baby vomit.

5) Baby having spastic movement
This is normal and it's called Moro reflex.

6) Baby's poo is greenish
It will be a concern if poo is red, black or white.

I find this website very useful as it has a visual guide.

7) Baby has cough and flu.
I sent my baby to KKH Children Emergency on one Sunday morning as her breathing is noisy and congested, she vomited her milk and her milk intake reduced drastically. Most of the PDs were not opened on Sundays.

Baby below 6months can't take medicine as their organs are not fully developed. :( The doctor prescribed nasal saline drop (sterile eye drop) and Oxymetazoline HCI 0.01% Nose Drop. We also got the nasal aspirator to help draw out her mucus.

In case you are not sure if you should see doctor, you can call KKH Ask A Nurse. The nurse is really knowledgeable.

8) Bald spot at back of baby head
Noticed there's a bald patch at the back of baby's head. I read that this is due to baby's sleeping position or rubbing against the mattress. It is recommended to alternate baby's sleeping position and tummy time when they are awake. 

9) Excessive drooling
I read infants do not often develop full control of swallowing and the muscles of the mouth until they are between 18 and 24 months old. It often occurs when baby is teething.

Love,
Sherlyn

Baby Name Selection

It is important to have a good name selection for baby as it help to balance the 5 elements in the bazi. I find this website quite useful as it calculate the score of the name.

I have engaged Natural Geomancy Consultancy for my baby Chinese name selection. The charges is $128.

Here are the contact details:
Tel: 62999119
7500A Beach Road 
#16-303 The Plaza
Singapore 199591

You make the bank transfer and forward the personal data ie DOB, time of birth, place of birth and surname to natgeocy@singnet.com.sg. 

They will send you the name details for your selection.

They will schedule you to meet the Master Chiang (waiting time is about 2weeks), the appointment will take approximately 1/2 hour.

It is best that you bring along your own pen and paper to jot down notes as Master Chiang will rattle off. It is also advised that you prepare list of questions to ask Master Chiang eg things to take note of, luck period, education, health, suitable career choices, wealth luck etc.

Hospitalisation Plan for Baby

I came across an article by bumblebeemum on hospitalization cost. As a new mum, I have heard from my colleagues children fall sick easily and it is important to get a hospitalization plan or get your children covered under the company medical plan. Else, the medical bills will take you back financially.

As I shared in my previous post, you can redeem Great Eastern SG50 Gift Pack. The gift pack includes a insurance voucher gift (worth S$108 in value) which can be used to purchase a SupremeHealth A Plus Plan ("Insurance Voucher") for all newborns. You can view more info about the Health plan here. Unfortunately, you can't purchase the plan online, you will need to meet up with the Insurance agent and you can only buy 15days after the baby is born.

We are also planning to get a Savings/ Endowment Plan for baby University fees. The hubby advises to get a plan where premium is to be paid for 20 years and the plan to be under parent's name. Else, when the plan matures, we fear baby might not be able to handle such a big sum of money given her young age. Instead of using it for her education fees, she buys a car/ go travelling. I will share more on the plan once we have done our comparison among the various insurance companies.

A few of our friends recommend that for baby vaccinations, growth monitoring and development progress, we can do it at polyclinics. If you have an appointment and you are punctual, the waiting time is quite fast. Some of the vaccines are FOC or you can use Child Development Account (CDA) account to pay for enhanced vaccinations. More info is avail here.

Love,
Sherlyn

Feeling thankful and things they did not tell you about pregnancy

As I looked back at my pregnancy, I feel very blessed and thankful. I felt uncertain and a little fearful when I learnt about my pregnancy cos I wasn't sure if I was ready for parenthood. I wasn't sure if I'm ready to give up my lifestyle eg frequent traveling, new food hunt hopping and movies. However, the thought of a little life growing inside me, I knew I am going to be a better person so as to set good example to my child. 

I am really thankful for:

• not have any morning sickness or nauseousness throughout my pregnancy. 
• a very supportive hubby who would fetch me whenever he can, massage my legs frequently even when he's deep asleep whenever I scream out loud due to the sudden leg cramps, attend pre-natal classes with me and try to be home early to spend more time with me. 
• my mum who cook delicious and nutritious meal for us every Sunday when we visited her. Even though she's still working at 69years old and earning a menial salary, she splurge on bird nest for us and ensure Hubby and I drink a bottle each week.
• my in-laws for making sure I am well fed at home.
• my SIL, friends and colleagues for handing us lots of baby stuff ie clothes, play pen, baby cot, car seat, bumper etc so we can save a lot of money.
• my helpers as they make sure I get a personal bowl of hot soup when I am having dinner.
• my boss for being very supportive and understanding.
• my colleagues for being kind and always ask about my condition and look out for me.
• kind strangers who gave up their seats to me, offer help eg carry my shopping bags, ask me to be careful about wet floor etc.
• my gynae Dr TM Chua and the nurses at Jurong Women Clinic for taking care of my well-being for the last 8months.
• all the companies for the generous free samples for baby and mummy. 
• the recent house purchase. I strongly believe that our prayers to Guan Yin Ma were answered as we did find a house that we like the best after 1 year of viewings and the purchase transaction was quite smooth even though the price was above our budget. My BIL mentioned before if the house is meant to be yours, the purchase process will be smooth and we won't meet so many hurdles. I hope my baby will grow up in a nice and good environment. My nephew and niece can always come often to enjoy the condo facilities. All the kiddos will remain close when they grow up.
• my baby for being healthy and strong cos every little kick inside me makes me feel very happy.

Here are some things which they did not tell you about pregnancy which I learnt along the way:
1) I find I have lesser pubic hair :)

2) Skin darkening from the brown line around the navel, armpit and nipples. After my week 35, I develop big red patches on my thighs, back of buttocks.

3) frequent gum bleeding

4) thick dried nose mucus which contain blood traces sometimes.

5) thick vaginal discharge

6) I develop red itchy bumps around my tummy and chest area when I was at week 39, it itch like crazy and affect my sleep. I read that it's called PUPPP ie Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy. Doctor prescribe me betnovate cream 0.025% to help ease the itch. I find that having cold instead of warm showers help ease the itch.

The rashes disappear after the 2nd day of delivery.

7) I thought I was the few fortunate people that does not have water retention. Around week 35, my left feet started to swell more than my right and then I realised I could no longer wear my wedding band easily on my ring finger. The leg swelling seem to go away in the morning.

Very upset that I still can't wear my wedding band 4th day after delivery. Think I have water retention coz my fingers hurt even while I try bending it. Hope I can wear it very soon.

8) tailbone ache, frequent leg cramps and I can't breathe if I'm sleeping upright. I went for my first pre-natal massage at Jamu Wellness Jurong Point but was disappointed they did not massage the ankle or pressure points at the soles. I learnt that we cannot do foot reflexology during pregnancy as it might induce contraction.

9) you seem to be more clumsy with your bump ie lose your center of gravity while putting on panty, drop things more easily and you don't really feel like picking up during your 3rd trimester.

10) Temperature seem to be very hot. I can perspire in an air-con room. I set the aircon to 24deg, on the fan but I still feel very warm. My hubby was freezing away and he keep fidgeting with the aircon controller every night, he will be ticked off by me coz I will complain I can't breathe and there is no air circulation.

11) I have intense craving for iced milk tea, cakes and chocolates. I hope my weight gain is due to my baby and not these junk food.

12) Weight gain seem to stabilise during the last few weeks of pregnancy. When I did my final ultrascan, my baby is approximately 2.9-3 kg.

Baby was 2.96kg when she was born. :)