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Policies of Von-Nation
*~ Be happy, think positive, SMILE!
*~ Love simply
*~ Live the day like there is no tomorrow
*~ Live without regrets
*~ Dispose of your rubbish carefully
*~ Reduce your usage of plastic shopping bags
*~ Love the world, be charitable
*~ Respect Cross-cultural relationships
*~ Respect same-sex relationships
*~ Be kind to your family, respect ur parents
*~ Enjoy song & dance
*~ Swear till your hearts' content
*~ Love who you are and be satisfied
*~ Eat when u r hungry
*~ Money is not the most important thing
*~ Have faith in something you feel strongly about
*~ Respect all religions
*~ Don't take life so seriously
*~ Give hugs
*~ Have manners! Be polite
*~ Cherish ur group of friends
*~ Don't talk shit, get to the pt
*~ Be passionate about your job
*~ Invest in a good eye cream
*~ Don't waste food
*~ Respect elders
*~ Don't be afraid to have a say!
*~ Love animals

Subject to alteration..
What do you think?
Political correctness
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Adoption
Count me in
To snip or not to snip?
Friday. 9.3.10 9:19 pm


Since I knew I was having a baby boy I have been worrying about the decision on whether or not to circumcise. I have been reading up both sides of the debate to make up my own decision, but I am still very much torn! This is a life changing decision for a male, the popularity of circumcision has definitely been in decline in Australia since 1970s. Now a days it is probably around 5-10% of boy's parents who decide that their lil one should have the chop.

I just don't want to get it wrong! What happens if Leo didn't want to get rid of his foreskin? I wonder what other adult men think? Do they wish to get rid of their skin if they weren't circumcised as a baby? The men on both sides of my family and F's family are a mixed bag, some are, some aren't. I don't know how comfortable they would be sharing their experiences especially with me! But I really am curious about how guys feel about their skin.

A couple of benefits I have read about removing the skin, is to increase penile hygiene. Having an uncut penis would mean proper penile hygiene every day, or continuous cleaning throughout the day! If not, UTI (Urinary Tract Infection) could occur or the tip goes red...etc. I have heard horror stories of fungal infections going bad! There was also a few writings about an circumcised penis would mean a decrease risk in contracting STDs. But hey...I hope my son will not be a player and sleep around without a conscience. The cons of having a circumcision could be infection in the incision area, loss of sensitivity, psychological issues later in life...but the risks of a circumcision going bad are very minimal.

It's just horrible to think my poor baby will have to go through the pain and then me having to deal with a moody, crying baby who may will make me feel really guilty by avoiding me. But then if it is for his health? A mother would do anything! I could just leave it up to Leo when he grows older to decide... but then most grown men are hesitant to go under the knife because they have grown attached to their bits and why would they want to hurt their pee pee?

Can you believe this decision had actually kept me up the other night? I woke up to breastfeed Leo, and then went to sleep with both sides being debated in my head. I would appreciate your opinion on the topic...maybe hearing others out there will help me make a decision. I go to the doctors on Monday to get more info on the procedure..

I found this website for others who would like to learn more
http://www.circinfo.net/

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Sofia turns 3
Monday. 8.9.10 7:36 pm
Not sure why but I feel that Sofia was not '2' for very long...it seems this year has passed by so quickly and I am amazed at how big she has grown right before my very eyes. I can't believe she is a little girl now rather than a baby. She is also a big sister to Leo and will be going to Kindy next year. How her life is only beginning! It is an exciting time but also a sad one. I have also missed out the opportunity to carry her these past 9 months since I have been pregnant :( Now she is 16kgs it is difficult to lift my baby girl.

For Sofia's birthday I baked 2 cakes, one for a celebration with my family and another to celebrate with F's family. It was my first time ever making a kid's birthday cake and Sofia had requested to have a barn with farm animal cupcakes. It turned out pretty well in the end, they were so cute and delicious. Then I tried to make hubby's favourite cake, infamously known by his family as 'spanish cake', but after looking through Google the official name is Pastel de Tres Leches, a well known Central American cake soaked in 3 milks (whole milk, condense milk and evaporated milk). It turned out pretty good for a first try. So moist and just the right amount of sweetness! But damn all this cake eating is going to my hips and no amount of breastfeeding is going to help me lose this padding! hehe.

I am also going through my confinement period or ZUO YUE as they call it in Chinese. It is the 30 days after giving birth that I must go through a traditional practice of 'repairing my body'. I have to stick to a couple of rules to avoid my body being affected by 'wind', the Chinese believe that during this time it is important for the new mother to take care to avoid complications later in life such as arthritis, aches and pains etc. I have been eating ginger almost every day as this helps to warm up the body, staying in doors to avoid the cold weather and not washing my hair or having long showers. It sounds pretty disgusting not having showers, but thank god I'm not having my confinement during Summer! IMagine not being able to shower when you are sweaty...yuck! I have broken a few rules like leaving the house to go to the post office and grocery shopping, but I have kept this hushed from my mum. She wanted me to move back into their house so she can look after me...but it would have been too much, I would have felt more stressed! I feel less stressed this time doing the confinement by myself! lol.

Can't wait till these 30 days are over so I can take Leo out for walks and to meet my friends back at work. And #1 to indulge in spa like treatment so I can feel 'normal' again. lol!

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Arrival of Leo Fernando Arevalo
Saturday. 8.7.10 7:08 am

Baby Leo

It has been almost 2 weeks now since our newest family member, Leo Fernando Arevalo arrived into our lives. He was born on Friday, 23rd July at 7:17pm. It was a strange day actually because I was feeling cramps at 3am that morning, and F was called to cover a night shift at the last minute! I didn't want to stop him from going to work as I wasn't sure whether it was the real deal...I did sms him to get his ass back as soon as possible once he had finished his shift at 6am. The cramps were not regular, I would get them every half an hour and then it would change to every hour.

I had a check up with the OB at 12:30pm anyway, so when I went to see her she told me the baby was sitting in an awkward position..his spine was against my spine which explained the irregular contractions. She asked me to sit on a fit ball to try to reposition him. I went home and did a few yoga 'cat' poses which involves being on all fours and arching my back and curving it. Once I felt the baby move into position the contractions came on quicker and stronger. Funny...I never thought that positioning would speed up the labour!

So by 5pm we dropped Sofia off at my parents and rushed to the hospital. I stuck on my TENS machine and began hitting the 'boost' button. Yes, I was going au natural! A TENS machine is a device used in physiotherapy to stimulate the muscles with electrodes which helps numb a certain area. The feeling of a 'boost' from the TENS Machine is similar to that of 'pins and needles'. It is non-invasive so baby was not affected at all. According to some research TENS does not work for everyone, I definitely felt it made a difference. My pain threshold is fairly good, as I have avoided the use of panadol and other pain killers in the past. Even though the labor pains were crazy painful I could instruct my body to do what it needed to do especially when it came to PUSH. I would have to say I'm kinda proud of myself to do it without drugs...it was better than my first experience with the gas. F was an amazing support who helped rubbed my lower back the whole time.

Anyway more news on Leo, he weighed in at 2.98kg which is 6lb 9oz. Bigger than Sofia. He came out crying and within a few minutes locked eyes with me and we cuddled. There was a calm that followed and that moment I was in love with my baby. He is a cutie...gotta say, I'm a proud momma :)

Sofia was so smitten by Leo, she loves to smell him and kiss him every chance she gets. I am so glad she has someone to play with now. I was worried she would be jealous of the new comer but she was not jealous at all, she was more worried and concerned that he was too little and shouldn't be carried by everyone, only by mama and papa (me & F), more like an overprotective big sister. I couldn't wait to get out of the hospital and take him home so he could settle into our family.

There have been sleepless nights, but it's all worth in the end for this lil man. I am prepared this time for a baby because I have done it all before, it is definitely less stressful...but then again credit to Leo for being such a good baby. :) We had a list of names for him but decided on Leo because it suited his lil face, and his baby cat-like cries, he is born in the year of the Tiger and plus it is his star sign. We now have 2 Leos in the family, Sofia and him...I wonder what they will be like when they grow up together. Oh man...another one added to the clan!

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July - "THE" month
Sunday. 7.18.10 11:22 pm
A lot has happened in the first half of this month, and there will be MORE to follow in the second half. We bought Sofia her first bike, an early bday present for her third birthday. I can't believe my lil girl is all grown up now! Her legs can actually touch the pedals and the helmet fits snuggly on her head. 3 years pass by like a blink of an eye. Both me and Fernando stare at each other and can't believe so much has happened. Now Sofia is growing up into a little lady with a BIG personality. She is still learning how to operate the pedals by pushing one foot before the other...so still heading up the learning curve.



It's been 2 weeks since I have stopped work to commence my maternity leave, in that time I have attended a seminar about investing in shares and understanding how to trade in the stock market. The course that was offered at the end of the 2 hour 'free' seminar costs $3K+! I was really keen to enrol on the night, and Fernando thought it would be a good idea too...but the class starts on the 24th, and I am due to give birth on the 23rd! Sooo...after leaving the place and putting a bit more thought into it, it is best to let this course go. Although it has fuelled my interest in investment for financial freedom. I find that through our youth we are not taught how to save and manage money, and I wonder why my parents never worried about finances. It would of helped, so they could pass it onto the next generation! It is a pity that many young people are stuck at home with the parents till they are over 30 because they didn't know how to save and got into debt too quickly. Therefore reducing their chances of entering the housing market. Lucky for F and I we are not big spenders and not lovers of borrowing credit or personal loans...but I know we can do much better to work towards an earlier retirement. Therefore I have begun my research and knowledge into investment and trading shares through books.



I'm not a gambler, so trading shares will be something out of my comfort zone. Hence with all the reading, hopefully I can use the universal principles of successful trading to reduce my risk. It would be cool to earn a share in a company...if only I had invested in Google years ago, that would have been sweet :)

Ever since I stopped working 2 weeks ago, my body clock has been outta whack! I can't sleep at night, I end up going to bed at 2:30am and I wake up at 10:30am. It is a big chunk of my day wasted...but I am not sure why I have become an insomniac. Could be the hormones messing with my cicadian rhythm...who knows! But I am not used it this taking a toll on my mind...my mind is constantly ticking away! Don't you just hate that feeling of tossing and turning in bed and not being able to switch off the thoughts running circles in your head? It's great to stay at home though and not have to wake up and take public transport to work...especially in the freezing cold weather that Perth currently has... (2 degrees!!).

Today was my best friend, Michelle's birthday. We are both 26 years old now! Meaning it has been 20 years since we have been friends. Such an amazing friendship...I love her like a sister. Funny how we have had one of the most stable, committed relationships ever! I don't think we have ever fought, we are too understanding and connected to one another. Respect and care is always the key to an everlasting friendship :) Knowing her for so long...makes me feel so old but so fortunate :) lol

And count down peeps...supposedly 5 days till this baby pops out. ;)

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Stichin' is bitchin'
Sunday. 6.20.10 9:51 pm
The past few weeks, I noticed I have become more immobile as my belly expands and takes on a life of its own (literally speaking)! Only 2 more weeks of work left and then I can concentrate on the task that is ahead...which is how to deal with the pain of childbirth. My poor F is not looking forward to it either, it's a strange feeling, a mix of happiness and fear :/ I keep telling myself 2nd time around shouldn't be too bad.

To occupy my mind of these scary thoughts I have begun on my very first sewing project and that is to make PJ pants. I will need plenty of these soon, as I look forward to lounging around the house, and it is now Winter in Perth...so have snuggy pants is the best feeling. I don't want to completely lose my fashion sense, so during my 8 months off I will start on new projects which will involve wearing some of my creations in public!!

I'm not satisfied with what is on the clothing racks at the moment in the stores...it's so boring. And if I do like something it is usually wayyyyy out of my price range. So why not design and sew my very own stuff? It's the beginning of my childhood dream come true, as I love fashion and clothes. There is a long way to go...but these are the first steps.

In the pic below I have made two PJ pants. One for me and one for Sofia. She didn't want to wear them at the time I took the photo, otherwise I would have a very cute model!


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10 year highschool reunion is next year - 2011
Wednesday. 5.26.10 7:36 pm


I don't know why I feel obliged to help organised my 10 year high school reunion. 2011 will mark 10 years that we graduated. I did not graduate from Lumen Christi but Methodist Ladies College. But I feel I spent most of my years with Lumen Christi and met Fernando there so it I have a soft spot for that school. I even made a facebook page so everyone could keep in touch with each other! Why do I care so much? I tend to be the organiser of a lot of things, I like to be the party planner but I am too shy to take all the credit or to run the show! I hope that if I get some old classmates together we can make it an awesome event. One of my worries is forking out any kinda of money for a venue and then losing out because of low response rate. How many people will actually show up to their 10 year highschool reunion anyway?

I also have other things to look after in my life rather than taking on a big project like a highschool reunion. I definitely don't want to put too much on my plate before the baby comes, my hands will be full! Along with other projects I have in mind when I go on maternity leave...

1) grow an organic vegie patch
2) create a mosaic for the garden
3) sew pjs for Sofia, my mum and me (bought the materials but haven't had the chance to sew!)
4) print photos, frame them and hang them around the house

The school is really useless because they don't really instigate any reunions, you have to make it happen yourself. I know if I do this I may not get any thanks or recognition. Fernando is supportive but he is hesitant because he doesn't want to see many people from highschool. I don't want to catch up with certain people too, I will most probably stick with my usual group who have been loyal to me. Maybe this is all a bad idea...

I should just be looking forward to putting my feet up. Only 6 weeks to go till I leave work....I'm soooo over the early mornings...in Winter it is 10 times as bad because it feels like I am waking up in the middle of the night...it is pitch black outside! Oh yea...one more upcoming project, my baby shower! One week to go and I still haven't got all my invitations out, I can't work with this 'baby brain' of mine!

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