I'm a full-time mummy

This post contains quite a number of headless photos.

(Okay, okay, before you decide to exit out of this post, it is NOT a grotesque post,

more like I actually had to trim off the upper body portion of the pictures shown in this post.)

Reason is due to my BFF being a very personal person (she doesn't even have a profile picture in her Facebook!) and I totally respect that principle of hers (cos I'm kinda like that too, only I masked my paranoia of being stalked by ermm.. showing more pictures of Ben? Theeheeeeheeee...)

So anyway, a bit intro on how she was so privileged (ehem ehem... sorry, can't resist bragging... it's the ego I tell you!) got to be my BFF...

She was just 4 days older than me, although I was quite often mistaken as the older one, thanks to us being vertically challenged by 3 inches difference.

We met at high school, were classmates together towards the last couple of our high school years. Sat near each other during classes. Hang out with our other friends after school, at McDonalds, doing revisions and sometimes playing UNO cards to pass the time.

At 16 years old during school holidays, we worked at the same departmental stores as part-time sales promoter to earn some spare cash for our own expenses when school holidays are over.

At 17 years old plus, she (and another close friend of ours then) accompanied me for my 1st date meeting with my hubby then PEN PAL.

At 18 years old, while waiting for our final exam results, we again worked at the same departmental store but we were under different clothing brands though still on the same floor. She even helped matchmake me with my hubby who is then starting to court me.

Then we drifted apart after we got our high school results, she continued on with her A levels and university and I went to a college, got my IT Diploma, jobless for a while, then worked part-time at a souvenir shop before finally managed to find a job in the IT line.

After about 4 years plus, our paths crossed again when I recommended her to my company (the subsidiary I'm working with happens to have a vacancy), she didn't get to work at the same subsidiary as mine (unit trust) but she was offered a post for the insurance subsidiary. Because the IT department were centralised under Group IT, we ended up working in the same office floor, in fact, her cubicle is just a table away from mine.

Those days were fun, at least we get to complain and share our work grouses. We go for our lunch together, go home often together (her house is about 20 minutes further than mine). We went to the company dinner together.

And then she left to another insurance company, while I left to join the banking industry (both of us still in IT line of course) but we still kept in touch, going out for drinks and chatting whenever we can (together with my hubby then boyfriend)

When my hubby's dad passed away in 2004, she attended the funeral wake even though she had to travel far, taking trains and carpooling with our friends who are going as well.

When my parents passed away in 2006 and 2007, she was there to support me too.

When I got married in Nov 2007, she attended my registration of marriage ceremony.

When I got pregnant in middle of 2008, we double dated (me with hubby, she with her boyfriend) and took a short 3D 2N trip to Cameron Highlands to celebrate my last holiday before Ben arrives. I was 5 months pregnant with Ben when we went for that fun holiday.

When her dad passed away in February 2010, no matter how we got nagged by my superstitious MIL (it was nearing Chinese New Year then and old folks have this superstitious crappy thinking that we should not attend functions like this before happy festival - bah humbug...), hubby and I made sure we attend the funeral wake and gave her the support she needed in times of sorrow.

And one time, after visiting a friend of hubby who recently gave birth (went to gave some advice to the new mum on breastfeeding matters), we went over to my BFF house and invited her along to join our dinner at a mall near her house. She gladly joins us (even though she gotta work the next day), then we walked around after dinner and hubby even managed to pester her to take Ben for a walk.

It was a nice sight to see her tagging along after with Ben, it's not often we get to see Ben getting so comfy with someone so quickly!

I just want to dedicate this post to my BFF,

thank you for being such a good and loyal friend to us.

It's nice to be able to have a BFF which you can talk to about anything and my BFF is a super good listener and we can just continue talking about stuff that happens long ago, kinda like we could just pick up where we left off long ago and resume chatting about the stuff as if it happens recently.

We wish you all the best in your life, be it work wise, family wise or relationship wise.

Read: 3 John 1:2 (NIV), Proverbs 18:24 (NIV), Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 (NIV)

** P.s: Go and settle down already girl! We want to see you holding hands with your little prince and/or princess soon!

Maybe our kids can continue to be BFF too! :D

Still and always will love you loads girl!

** FYI, this post was originally posted in Sept 2010 and I'm reposting this as an entry to the "The World's Greatest BFF" contest

I came across this pregnancy pillow while I was browsing through the Internet as usual and am so very happy that Alison, the owner of Ready2Roll Pregnancy Body Pillow generously agreed to send me one of her pillows to try out!

Prior to this, I have been using two of Ben's pillows (oh he has tons of it as my MIL made quite a number of small pillows and bolsters for him) to support my belly and back. And to tell you the truth, I was getting more and more annoyed with the make-shift pillows as being a pregnant woman, I tend to pee quite often especially at night and every time I got out of bed and went back, I need to readjust the pillows all over again which is quite tiring and cumbersome. Oh what would I do without this pillow! So getting to review this pillow was such a blessing and life saver!

Description from the product page:

"The Ready2Roll Pregnancy Body Pillow has two pillows. This provides better sleep as it:
* does not need to be repositioned when rolling over
* allows two sleeping positions on each side - one leaning slightly forward and the other leaning slightly back

The Ready2Roll Pregnancy Body Pillow has a flat middle section which you lie on.
* This provides better sleep as the pillow: does not move out of position
* cannot fall off the bed

The small size of the pillows:
* allows space in the bed for a partner
* makes the pillow portable

An adjustable middle section provides:
* a perfect fit
* comfort throughout the entire pregnancy

More info can be found on the FAQ page at: http://www.rrpregnancypillow.com.au/faq.php"

Front view of the pillow. Love the color!

Back view-Strings allow adjustments to the pillow's width

After adjusting the pillow's width to my likings, I proceeded to further checked out the details of the pillow...

The pillow's label sewn in the middle flap ...

Ben cheekily used it as his pillow...

REVIEW #1: First day itself!

Pillow comfortably supports my tummy & back!

Pillow also doubles up as Ben's bolster!

I love that the pillow remains at the same spot and I don't have to readjust it's position when I got back to bed again!

More close up pictures:

I love that the pillow also comfortably supports my belly and back. The cushions are just nice, not too thick or thin.

REVIEW #2: Few days later...

REVIEW #3: Machine wash...

I have to admit at this review phase, it was quite torturing as I had to make do without the pillow for at least 2 days to test it's usability and comfortability after machine wash. It dries very fast but in our home, we usually accumulate our laundry and wash in batches, so I had to be very patient while waiting for it to be washed and dry. To wash the pillow, I just need to untie the straps at the back to separate out the pillows into 2 and throw in together with my other laundry hehehe...

Drying up the pillow...

After dry - same fluffiness! :)

After dry - shape remains same :)

Needless to say, the pillow went back to do its job the moment it's dry.

What I would recommend as an alternative to the pillow is to have snap buttons as well. This is because on the first day of trial, Ben actually unties the knots at the back of the pillow and I had to re-tie and readjust it again but after that (and of course, telling my toddler not to do that anymore!) the string does its job by holding the pillows together. But the thought of having snap buttons on the pillow crossed my mind on the first day but then of course with snap button system, the width adjustments would not be so flexible compared to the string tie which you can pull the pillows closer by 5cm or 2cm or even ½ a centimetre if you wish too.

Other than that, there's nothing to complain about on this pillow! Love the design and practically of it and the fact that it remains the same after machine wash - the same fluffiness and it did not go out of shape or anything. LOVE IT!!!

You can purchase the Ready2Roll Pregnancy Body Pillow from http://www.rrpregnancypillow.com.au/shop.php

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with a free product by the sponsor in order to facilitate my review. All opinions expressed in this post are my own. Please do your own research when purchasing products, as your opinions may differ from mine.

Continuing on with Ben's meals for June 06th to 12th...

6th June 2011 - Breakfast: Organic Oats (10 tsp) each spoon topped with cereals, 1 bottle of Vitagen

6th June 2011 - Lunch: 1 slice Cheddar cheese, Mango slices, A bowl of egg mayo (mashed corns, carrots, peas)

6th June 2011 - Dinner: Spaghetti bolognaise (few bites only), then he whacked my burger bread :( (picture inset)

7th June 2011 - Breakfast: Organic Oats (10 tsp), grapes, 1 bottle of Vitagen

7th June 2011 -  Lunch: Egg mayo, Corns, peas & carrots, 1 fried fish fillet

7th June 2011 -  Dinner: Cheese Omelette with Cauliflower and cooked fish (minced)

8th June 2011 - Breakfast: Fried noodle, 1 stalk of asparagus, a glass of diluted Ribena

** Ben ate only few bites of the fried noodle, decided to make backup breakfast 8th June 2011 - Breakfast - backup: Organic Oats (10 tsp) with 1 banana

8th June 2011 - Lunch: 1 apple cut into bite size, Egg mayo (Ben didn't eat), 1 bottle of Vitagen, 1 pack of veggie crackers

** No picture: 8th June 2011 - Dinner: ABC soup drenched on Rice (about 5tsp), few bites of fried chicken, 1 tube of Japanese tofu.

9th June 2011 - Breakfast: A cup of soya,1 vege fish fillet (cut up), 1 slice of bread (toasted & cut into 4), 1 cheese omelette

9th June 2011 - Lunch: Fruit Salads (consists of grapes, 1 banana, 1 apple)

9th June 2011 - Dinner: Forgot to take pic 5 oz of sliced carrots (from ABC soup), 1 tube of Japanese tofu again, 1 oz of potato

10th June 2011 - Breakfast: Ben woke at 8am, hubby made cheese omelette while I slept on...	10th June 2011 - Lunch: Grape Yogurt, Tons of grapes, peeled & deseeded.
10th June 2011 - Tea Time: Ben actually whacked 1 and a half of this char siew pork buns!	10th June 2011 - Dinner: A cup of diluted Ribena, half tube of Japanese tofu, 1 pc of chicken, 5 tsp of rice, half slice peanut butter choc bread

11th June 2011 - Breakfast: Pancakes!

11th June 2011 - Lunch: 1 char siew pork buns

11th June 2011 - Dinner: 1 boiled egg, chicken & potato, rice, a cup of diluted Ribena

** No picture: 12th June 2011 -Ben had some Cornflakes cereal for breakfast (after rejecting BOTH my pancake & organic oats backup meal), then had some of my chocolate cake for his lunch. For dinner, he had 1 char siew pork bun with some lotus soup (and some lotus slices) and 1/3 slice of cold cuts (ham)

Btw, just wanted to add a note that I'm having some commenting issues in my blog, if you're using Internet Explorer you might not be able to leave any comment in my posts. We've been trying to debug it and have yet to figure out the cause. Mozilla and Chrome users are not affected so far. Sorry for the inconveniences!