Baby André Aaron's First Haircut

During the haircut

Today is a special day for Baby, André Aaron as it is the day that he had his first haircut. His hair has been getting a little long and I have been thinking where to bring him for a nice haircut for the past few weeks. According to friends and some material I have read, the newborn's first haircut is symbolic and parents choose special days to cut their baby's hair. Some choose to cut when the baby reaches full month, while others prefer to wait till 48 days, 100 days or even four months. When you cut your baby's hair during the first month, it is believed to bring happiness and bliss. Having a haircut after 48 weeks helps your little one lay a strong foundation for his future career. At 100 days, a haircut is thought to bring him longevity and at four months, it is believed that his life will be smooth sailing. We are not strong believers of tradition and we decided to bring André Aaron  for a haircut today as we wanted him to look tidy.

After the haircut

Thomas and I brought André Aaron to Scissors, Paper, Stone - a salon that specialises in haircut for newborns and children. The hairstylist was very friendly and professional and our baby felt completely at ease at the salon. She started by applying powder on his neck to reduce friction and prevent stray hairs from scratching his delicate skin.  Thomas had to carry him as he is too young to sit on the chair. The entire process took only about 10 minutes and his hair was nice and neat again.   After the haircut, I was invited to join as a member of the salon. As a member, we will receive a free customised keychain with a picture of our baby (only for first-time customers). In addition, we can also view and download pictures of our baby's haircut session. That's not all! The 8th haircut session is free for all members.  

Circle-of-Friends® Hair Products

Scissors Paper Stone also carries eco friendly hair products from Circle-of-Friends®  made using premium ingredients, botanical extracts and natural elements including Bonitas Banana Shampoo, Hans Blueberry Shampoo, Rosas Raspberry Conditioner, Pias Pineapple Detangler and more. The salon also has a range of cute backpacks for sale. These products are available online.

Scissors Paper Stone is located at Katong 112, 112 East Coast Road, Katong 112 Mall, #03-36A, Singapore 428802. The salon is open from 10.30am to 8.30pm daily (including public holidays). It also has other outlets at Forum, Vivocity and Suntec City. 

For more information on the salon's services and products, please log on to www.scissorspaperstone.com.sg  

Silver Shell Café - A Place to Indulge and Bond with your Little Ones

The interior

I have been to Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa many times for events and weddings but have never dined at any of the restaurants. Therefore, I was quite excited to try the weekend lunch buffet at Silver Shell Café  when my friend suggested going there. I must say I was quite impressed with the overall service and child-friendly facilities of the restaurant. Before our baby, André Aaron was born, my husband, Thomas and I make it a point to try new restaurants almost every week. We are pretty adventurous with food and are always on the hunt for restaurants with nice ambience and tasty food. However, since the birth of André Aaron, dining out becomes a complicated affair. We have to look for restaurants that are family-friendly and not too crowded or noisy. 

Silver Shell Café is a casual international buffet restaurant located on level three of Rasa Sentosa Resort and Spa and is part of Dine on 3, a collective of three restaurants and a bar. The restaurant is spacious, airy and has a resort-like ambience.

The alfresco  area

There is also an alfresco area for diners who want to enjoy the gentle breeze and the tropical feel. We chose to sit indoors as the weather was hot and humid that day.

Kid's zone

What caught my attention was the exclusive Kid’s Zone which features a medley of delightful treats to woo the palates of your little ones such as salads, nuggets, fried rice, pastas and cheese baked beef stew. 

Baby zone

There is also a dedicated baby zone which offers complimentary baby food, organic pear and carrot juice, bottle sterilisers, hot water, a microwave and baby cutlery, making the dining experience hassle-free for families with babies. Being a first-time mum, I forgot to bring the milk bottle for my baby and I was so relieved when I managed to get one from the souvenir shop located at level five of the hotel. The restaurant staff were very helpful and one even helped me to wash and sterilise my milk bottle.

The centre island features an enticing array of appetisers such as fresh prawns, herb potato salad, Thai papaya salad, chickpea salad, trio mushroom salad and assorted sushi.

Fresh prawns

Assorted cheeses

There is also a cheese section with a selection of cheeses for your indulgence.

Indian station

My favourite station is the Indian station which has an interesting ensemble of popular favourites such as naan, dhal curry, butter chicken, pulao rice (spicy rice dish prepared using different vegetables and spices) and vegetable khorma. I also like the different sauces and condiments such as mango chutney, mint chutney, pickles and raita.

Meat lovers will be thrilled by the barbecue meat station which offers roast duck, pork and chicken (on a rotational basis).

Chef preparing laksa at the noodle station

You can’t leave the buffet without trying the restaurant’s signature laksa, which is a bowl of comforting flavours. The gravy is rich, creamy and delicious, delivering heartiness in every mouthful. You can have a choice of thin or thick vermicelli or egg noodles.

Tempting chocolate clafouti

A meal is not complete without desserts. End your meal with a selection of spellbinding desserts such as chocolate clafouti, kueh lapis, carrot cake, cheesecake, lemon tart, strawberry shortcake, tiramisu, nutella, blueberry and white chocolate and yuzu mousse.

Strawberry short cake

Kueh lapis

Tiramisu, nutella, blueberry and white chocolate and yuzu mousse

Overall, Silver Shell Café is a fantastic place to bond with your family and indulge in good food. The spread is not extensive but the items are very fresh and tasty. Service is prompt and efficient making the dining experience very pleasurable.

Silver Shell Cafe is located at Sentosa, 101 Siloso Road, Dine on 3, Level 3. The buffet is priced at $48++ per person. Child below the age of five dines free when accompanied by a paying adult. Child aged six to eleven enjoys 50% off adult price.

For reservations, please call 6371 1966.

Baby André Aaron’s 1st Month Celebration

The first few weeks after delivery was a whirlwind of physical and emotional changes for me. There were many things happening at the same time and I was exhausted having to cope with household chores, taking care of myself during the confinement month and learning to adapt and look after a newborn. I am glad I have a supportive and hands-on husband and a helpful mother-in-law and this made my postpartum recovery a lot faster.

Organising a first month celebration for my baby boy in the midst of the frenzy was by no means an easy task. In fact, we had absolutely no time to plan it till two weeks before the party. We wanted to keep the party simple as we did not want to stress ourselves too much.

The first thing we had to do was to work out the guest list which included relatives, close friends, colleagues, ex colleagues and former school mates. We had about 80 guests in total. Initially, we wanted to hold the celebration at the multi-purpose room at a condo. However, two days before the event, the Condo Manager informed us that the water pipes in the function have burst and they were unable to get it fixed in time. Therefore, we had to change the venue and cancel the catering arrangements which caused a lot of anxiety. Thankfully, we managed to secure a function room at the Copthorne King’s Hotel. Our next important task was to inform our guests of the change of venue. We managed to inform our guests, however, due to the mad rush, I forgot to inform one friend, which was a huge blunder on my part.

Fortunately, everything else went smoothly, thanks to my wonderful colleagues at the hotel, who ensured that the decoration, menu and all the details were well taken care of. A million thanks to Naili Printing for sponsoring the beautiful banner for our baby boy. Thank you to Grand Copthorne Waterfront Hotel's Executive Chef, David Toh and the Pastry team for designing such a stunning cake for us.  Last but not least, I would  like to thank all my guests for the lovely gifts and for making the party such a memorable one for us. 

Here are some pictures taken at the event which I want to share with all of you.

My New Parenting and Family Blog!

Hi Everyone! Welcome to my new Parenting and Family Blog - Journal of a Working Mum!

I never thought that I would start this blog as motherhood is a complete new ball game for me. I have never considered myself a maternal person and it took me a while to decide before starting this blog.

My hubby, Thomas and I have been married for almost four years since 2011 and we only decided to seriously try for a baby in late 2014. Having a baby was not at the top of our priority list as we were too preoccupied with work and other activities such as dining out, exercising, travelling and the list goes on......

As the years passed and my biological clock starts ticking, I told myself, that it is now or never. Therefore, we were elated when the gynaecologist confirmed that I was six weeks pregnant on 5 January this year. I am thankful to the Lord for blessing me with such a smooth pregnancy. Other than suffering from nausea during the first trimester and a bad cough during the second trimester, my life was pretty much the same. I went to work as usual, swam and did pilates regularly throughout my entire pregnancy.

Holding our bundle of joy for the very first time

On 22 August at 20:41pm, our bundle of joy, André Aaron Kwok Yong Jie was born, marking a new chapter in our lives. When I held him in my arms for the very first time, the feeling was so surreal yet so natural. André Aaron is almost two months old now and he has transformed our lives completely. Gone are the times where we could dine out weekly, go on movie dates and picnics. Our lives now revolve around feeding him, changing his diapers and bathing him. Currently, I am still on maternity leave and I am working from home. As much as I would like to lead a balanced lifestyle where I could work, exercise and care for my baby, it is extremely daunting. The feeling of guilt overwhelms me whenever I go out or spend too much time responding to work emails. I guess this is the dilemma every working mum faces.

Through this blog, I hope to share with you my experience as a first-time mum, the challenges I face and my thoughts on parenting and motherhood. Hopefully, I can inspire couples to get married and start a family. 

Love,

Jennifer Yeo