Park Hotel Clarke Quay Staycation Review

Sponsored Staycation

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It was more than half a year ago when misterchewy and I last went for a staycation in Singapore. Very long ago right! I still remember I popped 18 days later. Hehe. Our recent staycation at Park Hotel Clarke Quay was our very first one as a family of three. Really glad that we brought Little misschewy along because our wedding anniversary and misterchewy’s birthday was a few days later, so we wanted to celebrate the occasion together. I was thrilled about staying at Park Hotel Clarke Quay because I love its classic architecture which is inspired by Singapore’s colonial past. Besides that, I like that the hotel is strategically located in the heart of the city and the nightlife at Clarke Quay is very vibrant. Perfect for party goers and foreigners who want to experience the nightlife in Singapore.

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There are 336 well-appointed rooms and suites at Park Hotel Clarke Quay which all showcase modern baroque furnishings, elevated ceilings, as well as floor-to-ceiling windows that offer guests sweeping views of the Singapore River and the city skyline. Our Club room located on the 9th floor wasn’t too big but there was space for our small luggage, baby playpen and stroller, with room to walk around comfortably.

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Baby Chanelle was just as excited as Papa! She was in a bright yellow summer dress, courtesy of Aunty Mag 😀

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Do you know that children under 12 years old stay for FREE at all Park Hotel Group’s establishments? Kids meals are also complimentary!

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In-room amenities tailored for little ones are also available at no additional charge. A bottle sterilizer in the room makes things much more convenient for us.

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Very impressed with the wide selection of snacks!

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As a breastfeeding mother, the first thing I did when I opened the mini fridge was to check if it’s cold enough to store my expressed milk and not what’s inside the fridge. Felt that the fridge wasn’t cold enough and there wasn’t a freezer compartment to freeze the cooling panels of my cooler bag 🙁

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It was Chanelle’s nap time so we let her have the queen-sized bed.

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Little girl woke up about an hour later and we simply had to show her the view from our room.

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Before dinner, we pushed Little misschewy around in her Maclaren Denim Quest Stroller. For an extra cushy ride, I got her a Skip Hop Memory Foam Stroller Liner from Agape Babies. They are currently having a diaper bag sale and also 15% off playmats!

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I really love the stunning pool that overlooks the panaromic city skyline. With state-of-the-art audio and visual equipment and superior standards in service, the hotel is an ideal venue to host wedding solemnizations, events and conferences. In fact, there was a wedding ceremony that took place that day!

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We were treated to a delectable weekend seafood buffet at Brizo Restaurant & Bar.

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Brizo offers contemporary Asian and Western cuisines with seafood specialities. Helmed by Executive Chef Wilson Shum, guests may embark on a voyage through a menu of well-executed fusion creations.

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We enjoyed the wide selection of fresh seafood and hot cooked food.

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We had to scrap our initial plan of taking a stroll around Robertson Quay because it started to rain after our dinner. Baby Chanelle was in good hands while I took a quick shower 😛

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Behind-the-scene action. Hahaha.

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Pigeon baby bath amenities and bath tub are provided.

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Little misschewy was probably scared when we left her to sleep in the playpen given that the environment was an unfamiliar one.

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When she was finally drunk (on milk, not wine!), we transferred her back to the playpen. Hehehe.

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Our little bubba is clearly a morning person! 😀

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Thanks to Chanelle, we never really had to set our alarm on weekends because she would be the one waking us up by 9am. Lol. We were in time for breakfast at Brizo! It was Chanelle’s very first time on the high chair, which was too big for her. Anyway, we didn’t have much appetite so we only grabbed a few bites. The egg station is not to be missed!

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Someone was interested in the bacon. Lol.

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It was a nice family staycation for us and we are looking forward to our next one!
Do check out the hotel’s website for the various ongoing staycation promotions that suit you best!

Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Park Hotel Clarke Quay
1 Unity Street
Singapore 237983
Tel: +65 6593 8888
Email: info.phcq@parkhotelgroup.com

Third Wedding Anniversary and Misterchewy’s Birthday!

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Happy Chewsday! It’s misterchewy’s birthday today and we will also be celebrating our third year wedding anniversary! With a baby in our lives, priorities have changed. I admit that most of the time, I put Chanelle before my husband. I guess it’s a mothers’ thing? I also don’t approve of couples leaving their kids to their parents or in-laws while they enjoy their own couple time. I mean, once in a while it’s ok I suppose but I still want to do things together as a family. If not, what’s the point of setting up a family and having kids right? Haha. Perhaps it’s only the beginning for us, so it’s easy for me to say, but we shall see! For now, I’m just thankful that it is fate that brought the three of us together 🙂 Lastly, happy birthday hubby! :333

Going Underwater with Sony Xperia Z2!

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Happy Monday! Little misschewy turns 5 months old today! She’s really a lot more playful than before! Recently, I bought a swimming tub for her from Qoo10 and she had her first dip in it last weekend 🙂

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She wasn’t too thrilled actually. When we placed the neck float around her, she was screaming and protesting. It took us some time to calm her down and let her get used to it. LOL.

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This photo was taken yesterday morning and she was clearly beginning to enjoy kicking around in her tub!

Thanks to the latest Sony Xperia Z2 smartphone, I was able to capture a short video underwater! With the waterproof Xperia Z2, you can take pictures with the best phone camera while swimming in freshwater for up to 30 minutes. You can even dive up to 1.5 metres with it. Just remember that all the covers for the micro USB port, the micro SIM slot and the memory card slot must be firmly closed. How cool is that?! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Chanelle’s First Play Date

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I applied leave yesterday quite some time ago and over the weekend, I felt like doing something different with Little misschewy. To put things simply, I wanted to get out of the house! Since Chanelle has started to develop social awareness, I thought it would be good to allow her to interact with other babies around her age. I mentioned previously that I joined the March 2014 EDD mummies group on Facebook and I remember that there is a fellow mummy who is a SAHM and stays very near my in laws’ place. So, I dropped her a text and asked if she was keen on a play date and if we could go over to her place because I don’t have a play mat, yet. Mummy Fiona very kindly agreed and we also asked Mummy Jasmine to join in! 🙂

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I probably didn’t give Chanelle sufficient time to get used to the new environment before letting her lie on the play mat together with Natalie and Joash. Poor girl was a little frightened by the unfamiliar faces around her, looked at me with a frown and started to wail before I could quickly pick her up to comfort her. After her milk, she was all smiles and babbling away endlessly!

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Even though the babies were too young to know how to play with one another, I felt that it was a very good experience for me and Chanelle.
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Chanelle’s Milestones at Four Months Old!

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I’m guilty for being a lazy mummy and for not charting Chanelle’s developmental milestones on a regular basis. I figured it’s better late than never. Four months whizzed by and our darling girl has developed quite a bit, both physically and in terms of attaining age appropriate milestones! 🙂

Physical Growth: Chanelle looked a little scrawny as a newborn even though she weighed 3.36kg and was 50cm long at birth. 3 weeks ago, her weight had doubled to 6.7kg and her length was around 61.5cm. We often joke that Chanelle is as heavy as a bag of rice and she has ‘Michelin’ arms and legs! Very nice to cuddle 🙂 You can check them out here when I previously blogged about Chanelle’s lunar 4th month traditional celebration. 😛

Feeding: As much as I would like Chanelle to be exclusively breastfed for the first 6 months, she is currently on one formula feed before her bedtime (sometimes none, if I latch her to sleep). While I’m at work, my mil bottle feeds Chanelle with expressed breastmilk which I store chilled in the refrigerator. To save myself the trouble of pumping and bottle feeding at night, I let Chanelle latch on and I get some sleep too. I don’t intend to introduce solids at this stage because she hasn’t begun to show interest in our food, so I suppose she isn’t ready yet.

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Social: Chanelle is now very alert and aware of her surroundings. She started to smile a little more often at around 2 months. I was initially worried that I might have given birth to a grumpy baby or an angry bird because she was always frowning as a newborn. I’m quite relieved to observe that she’s generally a happy baby who’s ever ready to flash her million dollar smile but she can be pretty angsty like her mummy when her demands are not being met on a timely basis. Ok, Chanelle is impatient like mummy too. *Sigh* On a happier note, my parents actually recorded Chanelle laughing out loud continuously when my mum played Peekaboo with her. 😀

Language: Chanelle has started to coo and babble, which is really very cute. She is able to hold “conversations” with us by babbling on and on for a few minutes. Sometimes, it sounds like she is complaining about her day and we try to respond in a manner that sounds like we empathize with her. I recorded some of her babbling conversations and it brings a smile to my face when I replay them. 🙂

Motor Skills: We started Chanelle on her very first Tummy Time when she was around 2 months plus and it went quite well because she was able to lift her head up for a few seconds. She also likes to be carried upright and instead of resting her head on our shoulders, she lifts her head up and we could tell that she used quite a bit of strength to support her back and neck because of all the wrinkles on her forehead. LOL. Tummy Time is now a breeze for her and she managed to flip successfully at 3 months plus. Currently, she flips from back to front and from front to back, just like flipping roti prata. HAHA.

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Hand-Eye Coordination: We found it somewhat increasingly easy to attract Chanelle’s attention by rattling a toy in front of her. She is also able to recognize members of the family and her gaze follows us across the room.

I guess that’s all for now! I post photos and videos of Little misschewy on Instagram from time to time and if you are interested, do visit my profile @missuschewy 🙂

Baby Chanelle’s Lunar 4th Month Traditional Celebration

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Mummy missuschewy took leave today to celebrate Chanelle’s lunar 4th month! It’s also a good time for me to update my blog while the little girl is having her nap at the moment 🙂 I woke up at around 11am this morning to find Chanelle lying on her stomach with her head raised and looking at me. I was very surprised because she actually let me sleep in peace. LOL.

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1) Trim Hair

Just bumming around in her Exersaucer from her aunts and uncle (my cousins) Sharon, Elaine and Darren! To begin Little misschewy’s lunar 4th month traditional celebration, I snipped off a bit of Chanelle’s mohawk hair. I’m not sure of the significance of doing so but my mil said to shave Chanelle totally bald and I was against it because we had already done so after her full month. Anyway the person didn’t do a fantastic job so Chanelle has really funky hair now! 😛

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2) Ang Bao

Both grandmothers prepared a red packet each for Chanelle as a form of blessing. We had opened an OCBC Mighty Savers account for her over the weekend so this is gonna go into her savings! $$$ Kaching! $$$

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Looking intently at the ang bao.

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Hmm.. Looks edible! Haha Chanelle is starting to put things into her mouth. At times she doesn’t want the pacifier and prefers to stuff her entire fist into her mouth and her hands would be wet with saliva. We reckon she might be beginning to show signs of teething.

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She seems pretty interested in her Exersaucer too!

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3) Chives (Ku Chye)

I joined the March 2014 EDD mummies group on Facebook and learned that chives (ku chye) play an important role in baby’s lunar 4th month traditional celebration. I wrapped a stalk of chives around my finger and rubbed it along Chanelle’s gums. This signifies a smooth sailing and painless teething journey ahead! 🙂

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Want a piece of drumstick my little darling?

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Oh Mummy.. Is this really for me?

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4) Chicken Drumstick

Ok then! I shall take a big bite out of this delicious looking chicken drumstick! Om nom nom nom! Haha ok what I did was to let Chanelle lick the drumstick instead. She will be blessed with good food and let’s hope that she will not be a fussy eater like her Papa! Lucky me, I get to eat the drumstick after that 😛

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5) A string of biscuits

For the final ritual, my mum helped to string 8 Marie biscuits using a red thread for me to bring back to my in laws’ place. We tied it around Little misschewy’s neck and she sat there #likeaboss. I had seen photos of my cousins doing this to their kids and it never fails to amuse me!

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One by one, I touched Chanelle’s lips with each biscuit and recited “qit ta ta” in Hokkien, which translates to “wipe dry dry”. Yes, you might have guessed it. This is to prevent or minimise drooling!

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Well, does this ritual thingy really work? I’m not sure but I definitely hope it does! Anyway, neither of our parents did this for us when misterchewy and I were babies but they were open to the idea when I told them about this. It was fun and the photos captured will serve as nice memories many years down the road! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Matching Beushoes for Mummy and Child

Sponsored Post

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I shall start off this post by quoting Marilyn Monroe, “Give a girl the right shoes, and she can conquer the world.” Our shoes certainly play a very important role in our everyday lives and it can either make or break your day. I’m here to introduce to you Singapore’s first bespokes shoes for children, be*U! Hitting the shelves at Takashimaya Department Store and TweenAge earlier in May this year, be*U is an award-winning luxurious children shoe brand which encourages originality and personal expression. This is made possible with over 600 designs, 100 colors and 6 different types of leathers such as kangaroo, cow, lamb, ostrich, horsehide and crocodile.

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Photo credit: Beushoes

Apart from the unique appearance of the brand’s range of shoes, be*U places a strong emphasis on quality and uses only the finest genuine leather sourced from Europe and America to produce award-winning products that embody the true spirit of fine craftsmanship and attention to detail. Do you know that each pair of shoes is painstakingly handmade by well-trained artisans and requires 10 hours of workmanship? This includes cutting of the leather, sewing, stitching and embossing of the name and message, making each pair truly unique.

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This gift box set comes with a variety of motfis that you can choose from for your child to match his/her various outfits. It also upps the fun factor as well!

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All the designs are done by hand and the leathers are cut out piece by piece by experienced craftsmen. What you see here is just a very small fraction of what is actually available. There are designs that are gender neutral and gender specific.

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The ingenious idea of incorporating velcro enables the easy interchanging of different motif designs. Who wouldn’t love a pair of shoes like these? Your little one gets to choose his/her own motifs whenever wherever!

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Apart from the special gift box set, these are some of the many shoes from be*U’s kids collection. As you can see, the possibilities are endless! All the designs are so cute!

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Chanelle is really lucky to be able to own her very first pair of walking shoes from be*U even though she hasn’t even started to crawl. Haha! A very lovely red and pink Narcissus design from the kids keyboard collection.

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Examining her kicks with much interest!

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Much thought went into designing the perfect pair of be*U shoes. The signature patented keyboard outsole is an award winning invention. The keyboard outsole maximizes the flexibility and shock absorbancy in the heel. Stitched by hand instead of glue, the outsole is certainly built to last for a very long time!

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Children learning to walk tend to swing thus the heel counter helps correct walking postures as it contains a stiffener to provide solid support to the heel and hold the feet more firmly. Body weight is also supported by the heel thus reducing the extra tension created, resulting in an excellent environment for children’s foot development.

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be*U shoes are equipped with adequate cushioning of the insole and a built-in arch for ultimate comfort and support for the feet. The shoes also open up widely and allows kids to put them on easily, without the help of an adult.

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be*U shoes use the classic stitch because it will not unravel. The hand-sewn lined thread is coated with wax to make it smooth, waterproof and to prevent rotting.

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If you notice from the photo, be*U rounded shoes are extra wide, and thus mimics barefoot walking closely. The rounded edges provide more room for the little toes and allow feet to move, grip and feel the floor. This way, little feet can grow properly and develop strength and musculature through the grasping action of the toes.

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The new ankle-high cut provides more support and hence more protection, which lowers the risk of ankle sprains.

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It may be hard to believe but children’s feet perspire heavily! be*U only uses 100% genuine leather as it is a breathable material. It is not only more durable but also helps to keep the child’s foot cooler and dryer which prevents blisters, discomfort and odour.

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Mummy missuschewy is also very lucky to receive a pair of Ballerina shoes to match Baby Chanelle’s! The adult ballerina comes in five different widths and mums are welcome to customize their pairs as well. The other be*U signature in the ballerina range are the 12-hour shoes, which are designed for long periods of standing. With a wider width, shock absorption, energy-return insole and high durability outsole, the 12-hour ballerinas provide the ultimate comfort that cannot be found elsewhere. I can’t wait for Chanelle to start walking so that we can wear our matching shoes and conquer the world together! 😉

We are happy to offer a discount code to parents who are keen!

1) ‘Like’ be*U’s Facebook page and/or Follow be*U’s Instagram account to view more designs.

2) Place your order online (not valid for purchase at retail shops) by emailing order@beushoes.com or dropping a private message on Facebook. Quote ‘missuschewy’ to enjoy 20% off! This promotion is valid till 31st July 2014.

Lucky Baby Princess Playpen

Sponsored Review

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Ever since our traditional wedding last March, I have been officially staying with my in laws but we still return to my parents’ place to stay over for the weekend. The husband and I are so used to sleeping together on a super single sized bed in my bedroom for the past 3 years since our ROM. He stays with my family most of the time back then because it’s so much nearer our workplaces.

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Now that we have Little misschewy, the three of us squashed in a tiny bed doesn’t seem like a good idea at all. Thanks to Lucky Baby, Chanelle has her own comfortable space to sleep in! Do you know that Lucky Baby is a long standing Singapore brand that has been producing quality baby products for almost 50 years?

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There are a few designs for Lucky Baby’s range of playpens and I naturally wanted this princess design for Chanelle. So lovely!

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I really love this playpen for its cute princess design and bright pink and purple colors! Just looking at this makes me happy 🙂 Also, the playpen is huge and spacious, measuring 110cm in length, 78cm in width and 77cm in height. It also has a unique central locking system for added stability and safety.

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The playpen comes with a bassinet which is wide and detachable. Parents like us will appreciate that there is a safety strap so that you don’t have to worry about your baby rolling right off when you are not looking even for just a split second.

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There is a side toy bag which I use to keep some diapers. Really convenient when I change Chanelle’s diapers in the middle of the night because all I need to do is reach into the bag and grab a clean diaper.

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Music, vibration and daylight functions. I use the music function mostly to keep Chanelle entertained.

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My parents bought a playpen mobile which fits nicely. They also got Chanelle a set of matching mattress, pillow, bolster and blanket.

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Looks like I don’t have much of an excuse to not bring Little misschewy along for our staycations in future?! The playpen can be easily dismantled to fit into this travel bag which makes it too convenient.

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Here’s Little misschewy looking real cosy in her playpen 🙂

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Big thanks to Lucky Baby and also Agnes for delivering the playpen! Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Selfies with Baby Chanelle

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So one Sunday morning, while misterchewy was away, it was just me and Chanelle cosying up to each other on our super single sized bed. She’s 3 months old now. This little bubba is extra cheerful and smiley in the mornings so I decided to take some selfies with her and was extremely happy with the results! 😀

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Now that I have gone back to work, I really miss lazing in bed with our little one, planting kisses on her face and smelling her belly. I miss doing these on a daily basis. Weekends are extra precious now!

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And there will be times when Chanelle actually wakes up in the middle of the night like around 4am and starts cooing nonstop. When we see that she’s entertaining herself and smiling a lot, we go back to bed. Hehe. I really love our baby. Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂

Little misschewy’s Newborn Photoshoot

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Dedicating this post to my little chewy baby who turned 2 months old recently! Sorry mummy and papa are away in Taiwan right now 🙁 It is the worst decision that I have ever made and this is gonna be my first and last time that I’m travelling without Chanelle. We actually booked our tickets towards the end of my third trimester and I thought I wouldn’t miss my baby. As I’m typing this, I only have three more hours before leaving for the airport. Feeling very emotional because I will be missing out on an entire week watching Chanelle grow. I love gazing at her angelic face when she’s sound asleep and how nice she smells all the time.

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Friends have told me to treat this as a good break before I return to work in June. I’m taking 3 months and keeping the remaining 1 month. I wonder if I have any chance of being a SAHM?! LOL.

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Ok back to the topic! Photos were taken by Jacky from Studio Memories. We previously had our maternity shoot at this studio as well. Chanelle was 11 days old at that time and I was still doing my confinement. Thank goodness my confinement nanny gave me the green light to wash my hair that day. Hehe. Chanelle slept too much in the day and she was wide awake during the shoot. Actually, it’s best for newborn babies to be asleep during such photoshoots. Chanelle doesn’t like to be positioned lying down on her front and she fussed and cried. Hence, there’s a photo of her showing off her diapers. Hahaha.

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So glad that Chanelle had her newborn photos taken by Studio Memories! Jacky did a terrific job imo, considering how much Chanelle was squirming and making noise throughout the shoot. I swear I would have lost my patience if I were him. Haha.
Stay connected with us on Facebook www.facebook.com/missuschewy and on Instagram @missuschewy and @misterchewy 🙂