iPad App Review - Baby Musical Toys

~ Posted on Friday, March 22, 2013 at 8:36 AM ~

When I received the pitch request from the developer to review this app, I immediately thought of how I can use this app with my 1.5 years old girl. I'd love to nurture her musical sense and to start her interests in music area as well. Without further ado, here goes my feedback...

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Baby Musical Toys

* Title: Baby Musical Toys
* Price: $0.99
* Category: Games
* Released: Mar 15, 2013
* Version: 1.0.0
* Size: 11.8 MB
* Language: English
* Seller: CV. Hompimplay
* Rated: 4+
* Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Description from the product page:

"Babies are just taking their first journey into exploring the world of sound and color, and this is the app to aid them along in their adventure! Baby Musical Toys was specifically designed for children ages 6 months to 2 years old. At such a young age, children are not as aware of sound or color. Here come the toys to introduce your little one into this new, beautiful yet wild world.

Scientists say that picking up musical knowledge from an early age can release an interest in music that they may benefit from in the future! Baby Musical Toys is one stimulus to implant this interest. You child can have fun in this new generation of the ‘knowledge toy’, watch as they engage and have fun whilst learning. Watching their smiles and laughter and playing along with them, you’ll form a deeper bond with your baby. Enjoy some musical playtime with your sweet child when you download this great app!"

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* It is engaging and interactive and I love that we can touch the objects in each page on the screen and the different musical sounds that is being played as you tapped along!

* I like that there are different musical instruments being introduced in this app as I can teach my child the different tunes and sounds made from different musical instruments.

* I also like the future possibilities of reusing this app to teach my child about different objects such as shapes, fruits, vegetables and so on.

Baby Musical Toys

* Maybe it's my own preferance, but I would prefer that there is a navigation button to go back to main screen/menu instead of having to swipe across the iPad screen to return to the main screen/menu.

Baby Musical Toys

I'm a full-time mummy

You can purchase the "Baby Musical Toys " app from the iTunes App Store.

I'm a full-time mummy

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the promo code to redeem the application for free from iTunes Store 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. And if you'd like to read my previous iPad Apps reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My iPad App Reviews"

 

Check-up Routines Under Full Paying Patient Scheme at Hospital Putrajaya

~ Posted on Wednesday, March 20, 2013 at 8:04 AM ~

Before I begin today's post, I just want to state a disclaimer that this procedures noted here is what I have personally gone through on 12th March 2013 for my 1st check-up (3rd pregnancy now) and I apologize if I have left out any important routines/procedures or accidentally added any extra procedures. It is best for you to call up the hospital and follow their instructions.

Please note that prior to my 12th March check-up, it has been over 1 year since I last went to the hospital after giving birth to Alyson in September 2011 so I have definitely missed out and did not realised the new procedures in the hospital, especially those under the Full Paying Patient (FPP) Scheme.

FPP Hospital Putrajaya

Prior to this for my 2 earlier pregnancies, I actually just go to the registration counter and reopened my FPP account and immediately arranged for an appointment with my gynae on the same day. But now, the procedures are different as you will need to arrange for an appointment with your gynae first as any immediate walk-in to register for FPP and wanting to see gynae right after that will not be entertained. The staff at the registration counter will check whether you have arranged for any appointment with your gynae before they process your registration, so please spare yourself some headache and stress, call up to make your 1st appointment with your gynae before you go to the hospital straight.

So for my case, I actually called up early March and managed to speak to my gynae directly and I booked for the earliest date he can slot me in his busy schedule, which is 12th March 2013 2pm. I asked for afternoon time as I remember the crowds are lesser in the afternoon.

I actually arrived at 12.30pm on my check-up date, I thought I should be there earlier as the staff might need some time to reopened my FPP account and process my documents. But no, they said my appointment is made at 2pm, come back at 2pm. They are THAT strict now. No kidding! So I had no choice but to go lunch at cafetaria with my 2 kiddos and my kind-hearted sister in law who fetched us there and accompanied me for my check-up (hubby caught up with meetings back to back and not able to go with me), we also spent some time at the indoor playground in the hospital (not very well-kept and clean but better than have my kids running around outside exposed to the germs and etc)

At 5 minutes before 2pm, I quickly get my queue number and only have to wait for another person before me. Once I was at the registration counter, the staff passed me an FPP consent form to fill up. I have previously filled up this form twice so it's just routine task for me. You can click at the link to print your own form to save time, make sure you use yellow A4 paper since theirs are in yellow colored paper.

I also told the nurse I want to go back to my previous gynae who attended my 2nd pregnancy. He didn't delivered Alyson because he was on holiday that time but I like this gynae as he is soft spoken and gentle and did not rush through our appointments.

*** Confession: I think because of my previous blog post on the factors I chose Putrajaya Hospital and also recommending my gynae, he is now the doctor with the most FPP patients, so I am now quite hesitant to recommend him further as I'm really sorry to flood his schedule, and I'm very lucky to still be able to have him as my gynae.

I then have to pay RM110 for the FPP registration (one time fee to open FPP account in the hospital) and they reused my previous hospital card (no problem for me since it's still not fully used and I wrote all the important contact numbers in the booklet) If you noticed, I also used a marker pen to write the word 'FPP' in the cover of the booklet, I wanted my card to be easily seen by the staff there that I'm an FPP patient hahahaha....

FPP Hospital Putrajaya

I was also given a pink visiting slip with a small note that I'm seeing my gynae at the A counter (gynae section)

FPP Hospital Putrajaya

Armed with the small hospital booklet and the pink slip above, I walked to the O&G section and passed them to the nurse at the counter. Not much crowd at all on that day and there's a board written with doctors' names for the day too...

FPP Hospital Putrajaya

The nurse did asked me for my pink medical record book (apparently you can get this book from any government clinics / hospitals) but I don't have a new one with me as my previous 2 books were given by my gynae hahaha.. I told the nurse the same thing and they issued a new book for me. The nurse filled up all the details, including my contact details, previous pregnancies history, family health history and then took my blood pressure.

I was then asked to go do my urine test, left my sister in law taking care of my 2 kiddos near the toilet where I went. For urine test, you need to take just 1 strip of the urine test sample, 1 empty bottle to store your urine and some toilet papers which are all provided at a trolley right outside the toilet. Once you were done, dip the urine test strip into the bottle filled with your urine and throw the rest (bottle in a yellow chemical dustbin in the toilet) while the urine you throw into the toilet seat of course... Then you show your urine test strip to any nurse around the hallway and she will write down the results on your urine test in your pink medical booklet. You will then be asked to wait for your turn.

I walked back all the way to the O&G counter, leaving my kiddos and SIL (which is why you see the picture below they were so far away hahaha) because I don't want to miss out my name being called by the nurse at the counter.

FPP Hospital Putrajaya

I was initially told my gynae has gone upstairs to check on his patients and later a nurse telling me my gynae have to go operating room for an emergency c-sect case, so I was fine with having to be checked by other specialists there since my primary goal is to reopen my FPP account and to have my 1st check-up to make sure everything is fine. But to my surprise, when the nurse called for my name, I saw my gynae in his room. I almost wanted to hug him actually!

Too bad he doesn't remember me (no hard feelings, he sees hundreds and thousands of patients since my time) but his service is still the same. Soft spoken, gentle and no rushing at all. But I think he starts to remember a bit when I mentioned to him that I'm still nursing Alyson now, same as how I was still nursing Benjamin when I was preggy with Alyson in 2011. Anyway, he did the ultrasound scan and everything is fine, baby doesn't move much but we can see baby's heart movement which according to my gynae is the most important as baby might be sleeping now and at 10 weeks, still too early to see much movement.

Before we scheduled for our next appointment, I requested for a longer duration because with 2 kiddos now and staying 40 minutes away from the hospital (no traffic jam scenario), it is tiring and troublesome to go for monthly check-ups so our next appointment will be at 28 weeks. That's me at 7 months pregnancy. Woohooo!!! I think my gynae is fine with that seeing I have no problems with my previous 2 pregnancies anyway.

Please note that if it is your first pregnancy or you have risks or complications in your pregnancy, you do need to see your gynae as frequent as possible, do not follow my steps ya!

That's all the updates I can share for now. Again, a disclaimer that the procedures noted here is what I have personally gone through on 12th March 2013 for my 1st check-up (3rd pregnancy now) and I apologize if I have left out any important routines/procedures or accidentally added any extra procedures. It is best for you to call up the hospital and follow their instructions.

iPad App Review - House Band

~ Posted on Tuesday, March 19, 2013 at 8:57 AM ~

I had earlier reviewed 2 apps under the same developer, 'The House That Went On Strike' and 'David and Goliath' and this time when the developer contacted me to request me to review their next app, of course I'm all for it! Without further ado, here goes my feedback...

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* Title: House Band
* Price: $0.99
* Category: Entertainment
* Released: Mar 06, 2013
* Version: 1.2
* Size: 42.9 MB
* Language: English
* Seller: Jumping Pages Inc.
* Rated: 4+
* Requirements: Compatible with iPad. Requires iOS 4.3 or later.

Description from the product page:

"Conduct the characters from “The House that Went on Strike!”  Touch, interact, and create your own band by bringing the appliances from the House to musical life with sounds created by two-time Grammy winner Vernon Reid.  As the House band maestro, make irons, washers, dryers, toasters and blenders come to life using 20 original sound loops and sounds, compiling five tracks at the same time, recording your own voice and emailing musical compositions with the press of a button."

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* This entertaining app is a continuation of 'The House That Went On Strike' app and it's nice to see the familiar objects and characters in this app.

* I love the interesting and catchy tunes of the various combinations of sounds you can come up with! Just switch between the family characters, the household appliances and you get different type of tunes and songs!

* A fun and entertaining app to get your child to be creative and appreciate the different type of tunes and effects it can give!

I'm a full-time mummy

You can purchase the "House Band" app from the iTunes App Store.

I'm a full-time mummy

I received no monetary compensation for this review, I was provided with the promo code to redeem the application for free from iTunes Store 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. And if you'd like to read my previous iPad Apps reviews, you can do so by reading this post of mine called "My iPad App Reviews"