Complication of renovation

I feel I am stucked. For all the survey that I have done, it seemed to be backfire, ended up I have too many ideas and when I discuss these ideas with various contractor that I have, most of time it is either sound silly to them ( then they will cannot do like that...like that will cause....), or ' we will just do what you want'... not helpful.
I think I have done a few mistake during this renovation process
1) Different contractor for different works. I have one doing wetworks for turning backyard to wet kitchen; one doing wiring, one doing plaster ceiling, and one doing kitchen cabinet, and another one painting.
I regreted this, I do this for obvious reason: I thought it can save cost. However... coordination is tiring and time consuming, the wiring service don't include patching work and smoothen wall, the plaster ceiling guy service don't include ceiling painting, then the wetwork guy ask why all the electrical fitting is up before the painting is done as it will affect the painting.
2) Engage cabinet guy too early. The very first deposit that I pay with regards to my new house is dining table and beds, next is kitchen cabinet at my dry kitchen area. After paying up deposit, the next weekend they come to measure, then the very next Monday the guy start doing my cabinet already. I haven't decided which fridge to get and probably eye on Fridge of brand S, rightaway they proceed to make the tall cabinet according to that size. Then they keep asking me when the cabinet can be installed. The cabinet is done in september last year, till today my wet kitchen is not quite done yet, wiring is not quite done yet, but the cabinet guy insist that the cabinet can be up despite there is no painting work, as they rush to deliver the cabinet out of their factory and get payment before Chinese New Year. 

I am upset, as it seem the cabinet guy and the wiring guy ( both handled by same contractor anyway) seem don't care about my house finishing, just want to get the so-called agreed work done and walk away. I can only pray for the after sale service is not bad if not good. My wetwork guy is good enough to concern for me, as he has engaged painting service ( though I am planning to engage another one which is much cheaper, more than RM600 difference.

3) Probably I focus on the cost so much so I end up loosing. I might have to pay extra to get another guy to finish up after one guy is done his work. All this make me Penny wise, Pound foolish.

I really feel like I have messed up.

2011 resolution

I read what was my 2010 resolution: discipline. Again, nothing new, I didn't really achieve that, I must say TV play a big part of temptation.
Anyway, I think I need make new year resolution smaller: Making my girl sleep at 9.30pm on weekday. sound small, but I believe it takes lots of discipline on me and the rest of family to achieve that.

second wish, I hope to be a better leader with better time management.
I think those are hard enough for me to achieve.

Lighting at new house

I am not sure why its is so difficult for me to figure out the lighting coordination for my new house. I have been planning it out for nearly a month, yet still couldn't find a perfect solution for it.
While the whole area should be illuminated enough, I wish the to have different control for number of downlights for a different ambiance :
1. lighting when watching TV,
2.lighting when need to read newspaper...
3.lighting when kids is playing at the area near staircase...,
4. Lighting when guess come..(this is easiest, basically on all lights)
while also considering its impact on electrical bill later on. I have used power points, draw on the floor plan the likelihood of the lights coordination... but still I am not quite satisfied. Just when I feel its good enough, then 2-3 days later I doubt again and wanting to find alternative. Worst is after I mention to the electrician the light plan (which I thought good enough), I will go back home and think again, wondering what if....
I think the contractors is quite frus with me, keeping asking to change this and that, can't really fix my mind. Even the light shop where I bought also, I think...as I have already change lights for 2 times. and likely changing for 3rd time:P
I got to tell myself that nothing is perfect...nothing is perfect...just live with it.. arg!!!

HX-almost 8 months old, standing up

Yup, this girl is eager to grow and adventurous to test out her new strength. Just 3 days ago, with support of the sofa and her hands, she is standing up, against the sofa.
Let see if she is walking before age of 1 or not.

Breatfeeding, pumping and travelling

My friend has been successfully expressing milk while she is travelling abroad. below is her experience. She also shared her experience in suzette's blog, which has encouraged her a lot. Hope this will encourage more mothers to breastfeed even need to travel more.

"I managed to bring back frozen milk from my last trip to Lyon, France. Transit Amsterdam. Total travel time after checking out from hotel ( after packing the frozen milk in the cool box) till Malaysia: 19 hours.

What i learnt:
KLM air line latest policy: one luggage per person. ie we must check in our ice box in our luggage bag

How to obtain dry ice?
I had difficulty obtaining dry ice from Novotel, Lyon, France. Actually bought techni ice ice pack from babyland, SS2 ( RM25, cheaper than other shops) , freeze it in the freezer at -18 celcius for 5 days, and used it as dry ice. My husband was creative enough to get paper bags from small cafes so we didn’t have to wrap the ebm one by one with oversized newspapers. Once we took the frozen ebm out from the freezer we just put each packet of ebm in those paper bags.

How to fill up space in the ice box as towel was bit bulky. my ice box was smaller then your’s.
We scrunched newspapers to fill up the spaces in the ice box, these were also useful as insulators.

Where to find place to pump?
Initially while i was touring around the old town of Lyon, i tried to pump in toilets, hospital toilet, hotel toilet.. after that i gave up finding toilets. I just brought a scarf, wrapped it around me, and pumped at the benches along the park. That was more feasible.

How was the security in Lyon, France?
They didn’t allow me to bring in ice packs and my chilled milk that i had expressed at the air port. I had already checked in my luggage. So had to throw that away ;( i tried to explain that i’m a breastfeeding mom. They said only if my baby was with me, then only i could carry milk. Otherwise i need a doctor’s letter.)

Airlines and local securities are totally TWO different things.
I emailed airport securities at KLIA, AMSTERDAM, LYON and also my airline: KLM.

Reply from KLM CRM MANAGER: Breastmilk is not a restricted item and may be taken onboard. You may carry a total of 2.5 KG in dry ice packs. If you are expressing at the airport/onboard you can arrange a request with our KLM reservations to have a note made in your booking : SRFRAG IN CABIN – we can then confirm that you are taking the pump/milk with you. Do take note of course that the actual security check at airports is not controlled (or owned) by the airlines – so if the officers at the security check have any doubts they have a right to question and make a final decision. (which i DID have problems with the security in Lyon. STRICTLY NO LIQUIDS UNLESS YOU HAVE A BABY WITH YOU OR DOCTOR’S LETTER.

Reply from KLIA Corporate Communications Office:
Please be advised that the exemptions for baby milk/food as hand carry is as below:
•Baby milk/food must be accompanied by infant of age 7 or below.
•Proof of authenticity and justification for exempted liquids for medical or special and dietary needs
If the traveller is travelling without her baby, she must provide a letter to prove that she has a baby and certified by medical practitioner that the liquid is her breast milk.

 i feel so happy after this success !! glad that u could do it for Cherilynn. tough though!! but thanks for all the support from u and my husband and friends
michelle

My spectra breastpump need service after 3 1/2 years!

So busy with my house reno and so busy at work, and of course busy taking care of the 2 kids, making me hardly got time to blog.
I have been using spectra 2 to double pump. I must say, apart from bulky ( 2 kg weight!) and require to plug in, it is a good and durable pump. I only need to send it for service after it has been used for 3 and half years. The reason for service is the switch is broken, and that's likely I have put too many staffs in the bag ( it a shoe bag actually), and the book has pressed against the switch so hard, causing the plastic covering the switch broken.
I send to Histopoint at Subang Jaya. The switch only cost RM5, and the service cost RM60. Since its an electrical item and has been in use for that long, so I agree to pay for the service, which claim to clean up incase any milk gets in.
Now its as good as new.

So I highly recommend Spectra for any working mom.

HX update :7 months old

After one month, HX has gained another 300g. Her weight now is 6.95kg. ya she is reaching HE weight at 1 year old. However, both HE and HX fell sick again. ya..again! running nose and cough.
and that's the reason HX is weighed, due to a visit at Dr Koe's clinic, just to make sure her lung is clear, after cough and running nose for a week.
Now she is into the second week, the symptoms get better and worse. like today the running nose seems to be clearing up, then the next day, she got 2 columns running down once she sneeze. HE also cough on and off.
I really feel tired of rubbing her nose. HX has just recovered last month, then this flu attack again. sigh...hope it goes off soon...soon...s..o..o..n

By the way, HX also starts to climb couch with her hands. She can reach higher level, i.e I have to start lifting stuff to higher level and more childproofing. tiring...tiring...