I’m sure we all know about the ‘Pink Ribbon’ and how it is associated with ‘Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign’ around the world.

I myself have always known about the Pink Ribbon campaign, but frankly … that’s about it really.

It’s only recently that I learned more about Breast Cancer Awareness.

And, it is only recently that I am more aware of how breast cancer could happen to ANY woman around the world (yes, it can happen to anyone, even to someone who’s been living a ‘healthy lifestyle’). I will be writing another post on this topic.

For now, I’d like to share with you this info:

Breast Cancer Awareness Month (BCAM) is an annual international health campaign organised every October to increase awareness of the disease and to raise funds for research into its cause, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure. The campaign also offers information and support to those affected by breast cancer.

It is also a way to remind women to be breast aware for earlier detection.

Now.

Every October, Estee Lauder Companies (ELC) illuminates landmark buildings or monuments around the world in glowing pink lights as part of their global campaign. And this year, they’ll transform The Singapore Flyer into a radiant PINK .

Yep, PINK!

And it’s all happening tomorrow night: Saturday, 1 October 2011!

Here are some photos of their ‘Global Illumination’ activities that’ve taken place around the world:

[Hong Kong Peninsula Hotel]

[Tokyo Tower, Japan]

[Los Angeles International Airport]

[The Art Museum of China Central Academy of Fine Arts, China]

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Tomorrow night, the President’s wife, Mrs Mary Tan, will officially illuminate the Singapore Flyer, together with the Estee Lauder Companies.

And, I’m glad our family will be there at the Illumination event too!

Yes, all five of us! =)

If you can join us, please do come, support and be part of this worthy cause.

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PS: I will tweet and post Facebook updates and photos ‘live’ from the Singapore Flyer. You are welcome to add me on Facebook.

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I saw this photo for the first time today.

It’s of a 21-week-old unborn baby named Samuel Alexander Armas. His hand, coming out of his mother’s uterus, firmly held on to the finger of his surgeon named Joseph Bruner.

I was so moved and I felt I should really share it here too on my blog.

Here’s the story behind it (quoted from the Net):

It was 1999, and a baby was diagnosed with spina bifida and would not survive if removed from his mother’s womb. Little Samuel’s mother, Julie Armas, is an obstetrics nurse in Atlanta. She knew of Dr. Bruner’s remarkable surgical procedure. Practicing at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, he performed this special operation while the baby was still in the womb.

During the procedure, the doctor removed the uterus via C-section and made a small incision to operate on the baby. During the surgery on little Samuel, this 21-week-old fetus reached his tiny, but fully developed, hand through the incision and firmly grasped the surgeon’s finger, … as if thanking the doctor for the gift of life.

Samuel’s mother said, “The photo reminds us my pregnancy isn’t about disability or an illness, it’s about a little person”

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In 2003, Samuel’s parents, testified before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology, and Space about the photo and their experience with in utero surgery. They were joined at the hearing by Dr. James Thorp(a maternal-fetal medicine specialist) and by Michael Clancy, the photographer who captured Samuel’s awe-inspiring grasp.

Michael described for the Senate hearing the details of his experience during the surgery:

“The tension could be felt in the operating room as the surgery began. The procedure would take place within the uterus, and no part of the child was to breach the surgical opening. The entire surgical procedure on the child was completed in one hour and 13 minutes. When it was over, the surgical team breathed a sigh of relief, as did I.

“As a doctor asked me what speed film I was using, out of the corner of my eye I saw the uterus shake, but no one’s hands were near it. It was shaking from within.

“Suddenly, an entire arm thrust out of the opening, then pulled back until just a little hand was showing. The doctor reached over and lifted the hand, which reacted and squeezed the doctor’s finger.

“As if testing for strength, the doctor shook the tiny fist. Samuel held firm. I took the picture. Wow!”

Click HERE to read the full story.

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[In 2009, nine year old Samuel, far right, with his parents and younger siblings]

Here’s another related article on Foxnews.com, … it’s on Samuel who’s nearly ten years old in May 2009.

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Apparently, there’s been a debate about whether the photo is real or just a hoax. You may read a little more about it here - http://michaelclancy.com/, where the photographer gave his side of the story online.

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Here’s my personal thought :

Till today, many people still feel they have the right to ‘abort’ their pregnancy because it’s ‘their body’ and that there’s ‘no life’ anyway, … especially not when it’s only 21 weeks!

But here, I see God allowing this miraculous incident captured and shown to the world, as a confirmation that there IS life inside the womb that’s worthy of our protection because it is a soul and every child is indeed GIVEN to us by God.

Our life, inside and outside the womb, is in God’s loving care, and IF God chooses to do something, however impossible it may seem, HE can. May all glory be to God.

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PS: All photos above are from the Net.

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Added, from another article :

Julie Armas told the committee she and her husband were informed at least half of all babies with spina bifida – a disease that damages the spinal cord – are aborted.

“But abortion was never an option for us,” she said.

“We wanted people to know that there is an educated, professional couple out there who love and value their child even though he is ‘defective’ by society’s definition,” Armas emphasized. “No matter what Samuel’s outcome is, we know that God has allowed him to impact others with a photograph of his tiny, unborn hand.”

Samuel’s father, Alex, said he and his wife never considered such a terrible diagnosis could lead to “blessings.”

“But the way things have worked out, the photograph is the least of this, as far as we are concerned,” he said. “Our whole reason for deciding to agree to the photograph has been fulfilled on a larger scale than we could ever have dreamed. People have found out about the surgery, and we are happy with that.”

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Brie is so much more mobile these days.

No, she can’t crawl just yet, but she can push herself forward and roll over towards her right (from her back to tummy, and to her back again).

So we now place her on the lower bed a lot, which we position next to our wardrobe (one with mirrors on the sliding doors)

This works out great for us, because while Brie is there (and Mommy gets to do things around the house, attending the older siblings, etc), she gets to look at her reflection and see ‘another baby’ in front of her =)

You see, as a 4-month-old baby, she’s starting to learn about the world around her, and she gets to observe the different moves and expressions ‘this baby in the mirror’ makes =)

(I read somewhere that babies will only realise that it is their own image in the mirror when they’re close to turning two =)

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Here’s an article in whattoexpect.com that talks about ‘Why Babies Love Mirrors’:

What’s the point of looking in the looking glass?

The mirror game helps your baby learn how to focus, track images, and explore the wonderful things a face can do. Plus, it promotes social and emotional development as she interacts with you (and maybe her siblings). Eventually, she’ll learn that the friendly face she’s been looking at all along is none other than her very own. Now that’s a powerful lesson in who’s who.

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Anyway, I recently read that apparently there are those who believe letting babies look at their own reflection in the mirror is a ‘bad’ idea though.

Hmm. Interesting.

Have you heard about this?

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Brie : Yeah yeah … I’m FOUR! Four months old that is, hehehe … =)

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Ehem … btw, she had her first fall from the (lower) bed today!

It was a ‘head-first dive’ from our 30cm-high mattress and when big brother Vai heard her cries, he was the one who quickly went to the ’scene’, picked her up and placed her back on the mattress. Thank God for big brothers! =)

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As a parent to three kids, I find myself instilling values in my daily conversations with my two elder ones somewhat more frequently, especially this year.

And I guess, it’s more because Anya is now in Primary One, and she spends quite a long period of time away from us every day (ie. About 5-6 hours, from Monday to Friday), where she gets to play, observe and interact with friends from different walks of life.

She gets to see friends behaving and responding in ways that are perhaps ‘new’ to her.

At school, she meets people who are helpful and friendly, but also some others who tell lies, yell at friends (and her!), speak proudly of own achievements, etc.

And she often needs to make a choice too, eg. To be indifferent, to join others in blaming a friend, to copy other people’s behaviours, or to not follow the crowd because she has her own way of doing things.

As a 7yo school girl, I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for her.

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Like for example, the other day as Anya shared with me how her day was like, she told me about a boy who took his friend’s eraser home and claimed that it was his.

“That boy took the eraser during recess, Mommy! It wasn’t even his! It wasn’t the first time that he did something like that. And his form teacher scolded him!“, she enthusiastically shared.

“If the teacher didn’t find out and tell him off, do you think it’s okay for him to take his friend’s eraser?“, I casually asked as we walked home together.

“No. But why did that boy take the eraser when no one was in class?  It’s not his.”

“Well, … many people think that when no one is looking, they can do whatever they want, even when it’s a wrong thing.”

“Like when someone took home a water bottle that belongs to another student when no one was around?”

I nodded and said, “Some people choose to NOT steal or cheat, because they’re scared of getting caught and fined, not because it’s the right thing to do.  Well, WE should choose to do what’s right, though no one is looking. God sees everything, including what we feel in our hearts and what we have in our minds.”

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One of the many things which I’m very thankful for is, over the years (ie. Since both kids started nursery school), we’ve sort of built this ‘habit’ of sharing. When I see Anya and Vai after school, I’d ask the kids about their day and they’d share with me about their friends, what their teachers taught, what they did, etc.

(Btw, fyi it wasn’t like this in the beginning. I used to get a shrug and ‘I don’t know’ as their replies. It really is a habit that I must continually nurture over the years in my attempt to build an open communication with the kids. I must say that being a fulltime mom helps greatly in this case, because I get to see them straight after school, when everything is still ‘fresh’)

Anyway, I’m glad that the kids can tell me these things because it allows me to see the kinds of struggles they face, and the kinds of values (good and bad) that they’re exposed to at school, etc.

This way, during our chats, I can also share my thoughts on certain issues with them, correct any wrong ideologies, instill biblical values, encourage positive behaviours, etc.

(And I quietly hope that this ‘habit’ continues on)

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PS: Btw, being parents to bigger kids, we find ourselves needing to reflect on our own values and principles too, to see if we walk our talk as well. Not easy.

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We did this the other day.

Drawing a ‘fruit tree’ using watercolour and … just hands! =)

One simple activity idea that can be done by any kids above the age of … 1.5 years old, you think?

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Anyway, here are some other activity ideas using ‘hand prints’ :

- Making: ‘Handprints and Stencil’ Watercolour Painting

- Making : Ox Hand Prints

- Making : Your child’s very own MOOSE HEAD!

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We checked it out for the first time one afternoon.

And we’re very glad that the weather was nice, cloudy and rather breezy.

To read more about the Southern Ridges and its unique ‘Henderson Waves’ (ie. One whole stretch of curved wooden ‘ribs’ =), click the link below:

http://www.nparks.gov.sg/cms/index.php?Itemid=73&id=62&option=com_visitorsguide&task=attractions

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Here are some photos to share:

The kids went up and down the ‘curved side’ like, nonstop!

While they had so much fun, I watched and sort of hoped (without ’saying’ a thing =) that their pants didn’t tear from all that rubbing and sliding!

(I know. The kind of thing ‘mothers’ think! I’m not fun, am I? =)

As we left, I took this shot of Henderson Waves.

Didn’t look as curvy from this low angle, but I liked how it’s surrounded by lots of ‘greens’.

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PS: I just created an album on Facebook called ‘Checking out … PLACES’. It’s one easy way for me to share photos, stories and places that we’ve visited, you know … just in case you’re thinking of visiting the place too or something (and also, because writing one blog entry for every place we visit requires a whole lot more time and effort from me =)

Anyway, here’s the link:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150293633104843.362902.597734842&l=47e41eae00&type=1

(You can view the album, though you’re not on Facebook)

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If you’ve recently visited Toys ‘R’ Us at VivoCity, you’ll definitely spot THIS as you enter the store!

A booth specially made for Let’s Rock! Elmo toy (so that customers can pre-order the item!) that will officially be launched in Singapore next week, 21 September!!

(It’s a big hit elsewhere around the world, btw!)

The kids and I have personally checked out this Elmo, and here’s what we think:

- It’s a super smart toy! I’m impressed! It can move, it can sing 6 different songs, it asks questions!

- The item comes with a microphone, a tambourine and drums, which you can place on Elmo, and he’ll respond differently to each item!

- I thought Anya (who is 7yo) will be ‘too old’ for this (especially when it states that it’s for 18m - 4yo), but … she plays with it as well! I mean, hey … it’s a toy that talks and responds to different approaches, who wouldn’t be drawn to play with it? =)

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Click on the video to take a look at Elmo in action =)


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ANYWAY.

Here’s the good news!

Thanks to Hasbro, I have ONE SET to giveaway!

Yes, one brand new set for you to win!!

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Three simple steps to enter the contest:

1) ‘LIKE’ the Our Everyday Things Facebook Page, if you haven’t already =)

http://www.facebook.com/oureverydaythings

It’s where regular parenting tips and thoughts are shared (and discussed!)

2) Share this contest on your Facebook, Twitter or via email to friends

3) Click THIS LINK (it’ll take you to Hasbro.com website) and name ONE item that’s being featured on that page! Leave your answer in the comment section of THIS blog entry please =)

And that’s it! =)

Here’s a few other important info:

1) Contest ends next Wednesday, 21 September, 11.59pm (on the day this Let’s Rock Elmo toy is officially launched in Singapore)

2) One winner will then be randomly selected, and announced the very next day (Thursday)!

3) Contest is open to everyone who can collect the item personally if he/she won!
(Note: If you’re overseas, and you have someone here in Singapore who can collect it on your behalf, hey … go ahead and enter the contest! =)

4) Maximum 2 entries per family please =)

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Can’t wait to pass this cool toy to one lucky winner!

All the best, everyone!

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[Added : 22 Sep 2011] And the winner is :

Lynn

Congratulations Lynn!

Thanks Hasbro for sponsoring, and thanks everyone for participating!

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A 2nd Chance

To those who ALREADY left your comments : If you’d like to be in the 2nd draw where we’ll be giving OUR set of Elmo to YOU (We still have the box and Elmo’s still very new, just that Anya and Vai have played with it for a while =), please click the ‘REPLY’ button under your own comment and say, ‘Yes, 2nd draw please’, or something like that =) I’ll be picking another winner using a random number generator tomorrow, Friday, 12pm, Singapore time!

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[Added: 23 Sep 2011]

I asked Anya to pick a number - to determine the 2nd winner - and she said the number 7, because she’s seven years old =)

So we counted the ‘2nd draw entries’ from the top of the comment list, and … the winner of the 2nd draw is : Yuli!

Congrats Yuli! Your little ones have won Elmo!! =)

Thanks again everyone for participating!

If you haven’t won anything this time round, here’s some news to share : There’ll be another giveaway next week! Stay tuned! =)

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How time flies!!

Our littlest is close to turning 4 months old!! (on 21 September)

Here are some quick updates :

- Exclusively breastfed, on demand (which basically means, she’ll get to drink when she needs to, which can be every 1.5 - 3 hours during the day)

- Sleeps through the night (read: Can sleep for a good 6-8 hours without waking up and asking for a feed)

- When placed on stomach, can lift head up 90 degrees

- Laugh out loud on 9 September! (Click to watch video =)

- Bring both hands together since some 2 weeks ago (like she’s doing a ‘gongxi, gongxi’ =)

- Smile a lot when we smile at her

- Say ‘Ah goo’ often (when talked to)

- Can hold head steady when upright

- Roll over towards the right.

Actually, whenever I put her down on her back, she’d almost immediately roll over, which makes diaper-changing quite a challenge these days!

- Able to move around the cot (360 deg!)

I didn’t expect her to be able to do this at this age. So I watched her for a few minutes to see how she does it, and this is what she usually does:

> Roll from back to tummy
> Use both legs and feet to somehow push her body forward a little
> Lean to one side and lie on her back
> Then quickly roll back to her tummy (by now, she’s somewhat moved herself around and forward)
> Use legs and feet to push forward and around again

She does again and again and again, and she somehow manages to move herself around! (read: the end of a ’stationary baby’ phase!)

- Can fall asleep on her own (but will most likely bring her thumb to her mouth)

- Can sleep in pram, cot, sling, etc (yes, compared to Vai when he was a baby, Brie is a relatively ‘easy sleeper’ so far, which I’m very VERY grateful for! Having an easy sleeper is such a bonus!)

- Poop every day, but the big business is usually just once a day (plus, 2-3x of ’stains’ type)

- Wear Drypers size Medium

- Starting to shed baby hair (ie. Hair on back of head is thinning now)

- Picking up mild cough and stuffy nose this week (together with big sis and big bro)

- Weight : 7.2kg (as at 9 Sep)

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I am grateful to God that everything has been quite manageable for us so far.

And I personally find it heartwarming to see how the big sister and big brother adore the littlest in the family.

(This probably is one of the many ‘bonuses’ of having quite a big age gap between the siblings? =) Anya is 7 years older and Vai is 5 years older than Brie)

Anyway, here’s one shot I’d like to keep on this blog. It’s a shot of the three kiddos, taken by my Dad (on 7 Sep)

Love you all very much!

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It just happened that night.

Brie was in my sling. Anya, Vai and I were laughing out loud, and Brie all of the sudden laughed out loud as well. We stopped laughing all of the sudden, looked at Brie with disbelief, and we all broke out laughing! And Brie suddenly laughed again. And, we laughed. And on and one it went! =)

Anyway, I quickly whipped out my iphone and captured the moments - Brie’s first big laughter =)

I feel so blessed to have been there when Brie had her milestone, and to have shared the moments with the two older siblings too.

Anyway, check out the short clip =)

They say laughter is the best medicine, and that it’s contagious? =)

Have a great Monday, everyone!

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