𝗧𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗸 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴! 𝗜'𝘃𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗺𝗶𝗴𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗺𝘆 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱, 𝗵𝗼𝗽 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿! 𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝘇𝘇𝗮𝗻𝘆𝘆.𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗽𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘀.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Long Overdue Child Concession Card

 It took me a while but I finally applied for Sarah's Child Concession Card which was due months ago. Sarah is now standing tall at 1m at 3 years old so she ought to have the card if not, she has to pay for transport. Generally, drivers or MRT people do turn a blind eye and just let the kid pass (especially if they are in the younger range) but if you happen to get the strict ones, even at 1.2m they insist that you pay.


To avoid the commotion, might as well apply for the card. It is free anyways! You can find more information on Translink's website but here's the gist of it. 


Benefits: 

🚈 Children under 7 years old can travel for FREE on basic bus services, express bus services and trains. 

🚈 No need to top up the card. However, you will need to do so if your child travels on Premium bus services and NightRider services.


Child is eligible for a child concession card if:

🚌 If your child is above 0.9m in height,

🚌 below 7 years old

🚌 not in Primary School



It was fast and easy to get the card. Simply visit any Translink Ticket Office with your child's birth certificate. The parent or the adult submitting the application also need to show their NIRC.


If your child is a non-Singapore Citizen or non-Singapore Permanent Resident, remember to bring along your child's Passport for verification when applying for the Child Concession Card. The card will be encoded with your child's name, Birth Certificate/Passport number, date of birth and expiry date of the card. Each eligible child is entitled to purchase one Child Concession Card. As your child transitions to a Student Concession card, you have to return the Child one.


For more information, you may visit  Translink's website.


Sarah is so delighted to have a concession card of her own!





Fruits Galore with Fruits Delivery (Fruit Hut)

 sponsored review

Fruits, fruits, fruits!

Jhon and I love fruits and that includes my little one, Sarah too! We always have a small stock of fruits at home whether it is oranges, cherries, tomatoes or grapes. Occasionally, we would have other types such as watermelons, mangoes or whatever that is in season or we are in the mood in. 


We were running low in stock so Fruits Delivery (Fruit Hut) came in timely for us to let me review their produce! With over 80 varieties, I was like a kid in a candy store; it was so hard to choose as I was spoilt for choice!



So why Fruit Hut and not other grocery stores? You may refer to the table below but basically, they provide only the freshest fruits from the best farms worldwide. They are so confident and adamant about providing their customers the freshest produce to a point they will give a 100% replacement guarantee for any bruised or rotten fruits.


[source: Fruits Delivery]


Fruits Delivery has a 2 hour delivery with FREE delivery with orders above $60. As much as a fruit fanatic myself, I don't think I personally would need fruits THAT urgently but they also have fruit baskets! It would be perfect for those last minute gifts for any occasions! They have 4 different baskets according to you preference and budget.


[source: Fruits Delivery, photo by Owari Photography]


Anyways, with a 35SGD budget, I got these! I knew I may have gotten overboard when I received these and saw the fruits overflowing. Oops! Pardon me having the photoshoot along my corridor. It was a cloudy day (read: Mother nature's soft box) so it has perfect lighting. 




Here's my attempt in a better presentation of every fruit received in one shot. haha Can lah, can lah but you can see how much fruit I've gotten for the household. All gone in less than a week. 




I got my hands on 5 types of fruits,

One of several fruits such as papaya and avocado, that you can also have an option to choose ripeness level from fully ripe, somewhat ripe or no preference. Dole Banana has always been our favorite brand as it never disappoints on the creamy sweetness it provides.

When the word 'honey' is in the name, you know you will get perfect sweetness in your mouth. This is one of my and Sarah's favorite fruit. I am talking about legit will devour the mango. If she finishes first, she for sure will walk towards me asking for more. Sometimes, I have to hide from her or I won't get my fair share. That's what you call Mom Life. haha

I initially wanted Pink Guava  but it was out of stock so I settled for this instead. Jhon can eat this as it is like an apple but I need Asam powder or something. The guava was crunchy and nice to eat!

Jhon requested for this one as it's something he enjoys eating but don't always get to eat it. The peach was firm, sweet and juicy. There's nothing much I could complain about.

Longans are one of my favorite too and I shamelessly finished the entire 500g all by myself in one setting. I usually would peal the longans and store them in the fridge before eating so I can just sit and binge eat the cold, juicy and sweet goodness. But it's been a while since I last ate it. I basically devoured it after the photoshoot. 


[source: Fruits Delivery, photo by Owari Photography]

As you can see, Fruits Delivery does not only provides produce as it is, they also sell Cut Fruits, Fruit Juices and Chinese Prayer Sets besides their Gift Baskets which I've already mentioned earlier. Fruits Delivery was also on the list of 10 Best Fruits Delivery in Singapore on Best In Singapore check it out if you have the time.

If you prefer the shopping experience of picking the fruits by yourself, you may also visit their store at 19 Geylang Lorong 12,Singapore 398999 on Monday to Sunday between 11:00AM to 10:00PM.






Sarah's Eye Patching Journey

 Besides having to wear prescription glasses due to Morning Glory Syndrome, Sarah also has to wear an eye patch on her good eye in hopes to improve her lazy eye. We are still new at it and amidst of monitoring if will help or not.


Sarah was asked to wear an eye patch on her left eye for 2 hours a day. Again, we were prepared for it months before we even visited the doctor, thanks to Dr Google. We occasionally would cover her left eye with our hand and called it 'Pirate Exercise'. After her consultation with the eye doctor and had the confirmation that she does have to wear an eye patch, we prepped her even more.


I let her choose eye patch designs, let her see pictures of kids wearing eye patches and I also got ready an eye patching chart with stickers for a sense of accomplishment.


We had to wait a week for Sarah's glasses at that time and we were advised to patch her eye when she is wearing glasses but during that week, this was what Sarah did to one of her baby dolls. I knew that we were on the right track. haha




While I was browsing for eye patches, Sarah took a peak at I was doing and saw these; specifically the pink one. It was rather cheap so I made Jhon to order it (it was on Shopee and he has an account). It took slightly longer than expected and we ended up getting a standard Nexcare eye patch which I will be talking about it later. 


All Season patches are so soft to the touch and can tell it is breathable and comfortable to use. No need to mention too much of the aesthetics, it is obviously so cute and appealing to children. So cute that can even go out jalan-jalan with it. 




We had Nexcare as a backup. It costs more and unfortunately, putting aside the design, it does not fair compare to the All Season in terms of breathability and comfortability. The material is similar to a cloth band aid and it's a nay to us. 




Quick Tip:
If the adhesive is too strong, put the patch over a clean cloth (i.e. shirt or pants) once or twice so removing the patch is less painful. Wetting the edges of the patch also helps loosen the adhesive while removing.





Her first patch was from Nexcare. She was eager to use it and did not threw a fuss. For some reason, I was tearing up when I looked at her wearing the patch. Firstly, her mood totally changed, she does not make eye contact anymore and what was worse, she said she "couldn't see". She can see but what she meant it was blurry (how blur, I don't know) and would have her hands and arms in front of her, trying to feel her way around.

I video called Jhon to show him and Sarah can barely look at the screen. She kept repeating that she "couldn't see" and when it was time to hang up, she wanted to press the red button as she always does but had problems. I believe due to having one of her eye covered, her perception of depth was also off so she was "tapping" on the left of the handphone. Wah. To see your own child struggle even just a little bit can really make your heart aches.






Treats while patching helps a lot. It eases any discomfort she had. Her first 2 days of patching only lasted for 1 hour. She was pretty cranky after 1 hour and being it her first experience, I gave her some slack. But on her eye patching chart, I only gave her half a star. I encouraged her to get a full star so she has to do 2 hours. 

On the 3rd day, she did her full 2 hours after her nap time and she has been receiving full stars ever since. Every time she gets her eye patched, there is always an adjusting period. Sometimes, she would close her eyes for a while, get quiet and mellow but after a while, she got used to it.

Yes, she has gotten bumps here and there while patching so we have to really keep an eye on her. Usually this time, we would snack and listen to children songs or just play with each other. 






I created Sarah's patching chart using Canva and modified it here and there. There was no need to but I also write the timings when we patch. Sarah was so into the stickers that she wanted to patch again so she can get another sticker. haha I eventually gave her 2, 1 for her chart and 1 for her to decorate her cardboard house. 






It has been 2 weeks now and everything has been going well. Sarah seems to have a better mood while patching now. It is she either getting used to it or her eye muscles are improving or both. 





I have no idea how long this patching journey will last for us. I guess as long as it shows improvement until she gets stagnant. Until then, we can only know more next month on her eye check up appointment.



Review: Sarah's Birthday Celebration Take 2 🎬 with CakeDelivery.sg

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We had already celebrated Sarah's birthday but when CakeDelivery.sg contacted me, I figured, Sarah deserves another birthday celebration for her new journey in life after the bad news we had received. 


CakeDelivery.sg not only sells Handmade Gourmet Cakes but also almost all you need for any celebration as they also sell balloons, flowers and premium soft toys. They sell an array of cakes from cheesecakes, chiffon cakes, ice-cream cakes, durian cakes and even healthier choices cakes to name a few.


Not only that, CakeDelivery.sg also does 1 hour, same day cake delivery and overnight, midnight deliveries, perfect for those last minute or spontaneous celebration! 


We choose 9.5″ Rainbow Cake 1.3kg cake for Sarah because we know she would love to see the rainbow colors when she cuts the cake. All cakes comes a choice of free candles and cake topper so without a doubt, we got ours too.





Sarah all ready to blow those candles. haha 









The cake looked beautiful and the cake was absolutely moist. It was the perfect kind of sweet; not overly and not bland. The rainbow colors were vibrant and it does gives a fun experience to eat all those colors. Mak also had came over later and she also loves it. She was more than happy when I told her she can have a big piece to enjoy at home. Mind you, Mak is not much of a cake person. She usually would take a small piece and that's it. So for her to want more is a big deal!




Get your cakes at CakeDelivery.sg and you won't regret it!


Prescription Eye wear at 3 Years Old

 In cased you missed my previous post, Sarah has a rare birth defect called Morning Glory Syndrome on her right eye. She has a slight lazy eye and poor vision so she has to wear glasses at 3 years old. It kinda aches my heart since she is so young but it is literally something we have no control of.


Finding prescription eye wear  for toddlers  was not as easy as it looked. It is not something we can just walk in an optical shop and choose one; believe me, we tried. I had to do a little digging on the internet and found Tomato Glasses which sells frames for babies and children. and optical shops that have them. 




We visited one at SingPost Centre. Again, we had already prepped Sarah that she has to wear glasses because I don't want to go an entire ordeal convincing her like crazy to wear them. She was not a fan wearing sunglasses for a long period of time when she was 2 so I worried she might complain with her glasses. 


When we reached the shop, she was all excited and wanted to try all the eye wear. I am probably biased but she was so adorable because her excitement was equivalent to a kid in a toy store but it was just glasses. haha She had her eye on a very flexible hot red one and kept on trying on it among other designs. I disagree because it was too eye catching and may be difficult to match her outfits, plus, it was not adjustable. I was looking for a more neutral one and adjustable as she grows. 


Despite of narrowing to several designs, she still chose the red one so I had to tell the sales person to take it away. haha. Eventually, clear pink and clear green was a tie. She looked great in both of them but again, for the sake of matching, we chose clear pink. Plus, it blends well on her face. Hey, if Jhon and I were ballers, I wouldn't mind us buying both colors. haha 




It took us less than a week to collect her frames. Oh, the glasses are really wonderful and comfortable! It has cushion tip for the ears, lightweight even with heavy lens, non-slip on the nose bridge and was even tested for kids who have to wear eye patches AND most importantly, it is adjustable so it can fit Sarah as she grows. Can save money especially Sarah is now currently at a growth spurt stage. 


Here's a quick tip! Walk around the mall or have lunch/ dinner before you head home to see if the glasses has a proper fit. It's hard to tell on a toddler when they can't really tell you specifically if it fits or not. We had dinner and noticed that the glasses kept slipping down after a while so we simply went back to the shop and get them to adjust for us.


I still feel pitiful for Sarah for having to wear glasses at such a young age. I started to wear glasses in Primary school and that was due to TV and books but there's a difference though. I had eye lasik 10 years ago and that was one of the best decision I ever made maybe in the far future, she can consider it too. 


Whatever it is, as I opened Sarah's glasses case, there was a pamphlet that reads: 


"Today, You learned that you child has poor vision and may feel helpless... However, we want you to be relieved that you discovered this today because today is a new beginning for your child's better vision" - Tomato Glasses, SEO Sungjoon Kim


Alamak.... Mr Kim, those words of encouragement were perfect to me! Here's to better vision!







My Daughter has Morning Glory Syndrome

 This is happening in real time. 

As much as I try to stay positive, I choked a little as I write the title. I am still sadden by the news every time I sit down and think about it. The even more worrisome thing is that there might be more underlying layers to uncover. We are still in the process of investigating more. I feel I need to jot these down so keep my mind in order.


"Morning Glory Syndrome is a very rare syndrome with an estimated incidence of 1 in 10 million, in the global population. Some individuals have mild symptoms, while others may have more severe symptoms. The main symptoms of MGS include lazy eye, poor vision, color perception difficulties, and squinting." Dovermed


This may be too long for all of you because everything is still so fresh in my mind so I might get too detailed before I get to the real situation. I just need to let it out.



It all started when Sarah was between 1 year to 1.5 years old when we noticed her right eye would wander in a different direction. This ONLY happens when she gets too tired but on normal days, her eyes were completely fine. She could see well, point out colors, shapes, recognize people/ items near and far so we didn't find any concerns.


During her 18 month developmental check-up on February 2019, the doctor noticed it too (the queue time took longer than usual and it was due for her nap). She did suggested us to visit the eye doctor which Jhon and I agreed but wanted to visit when Sarah was a little older because she had bad stranger anxiety. She would cry or get upset as soon as a stranger even looked or acknowledged her. Yes, immunization checks are a bit challenging where she would cry just by the nurse touching her. I couldn't imagine how horrible an eye check up could be especially when she needs to stay still and cooperate. 


As Sarah grows, her stranger anxiety was reduced and I figured, we were ready for that long over due check-up. I wanted to go to Polyclinic for a referral early this year but COVID-19 just happened and it seems every where was a scary place to go, especially a clinic or hospital. We postponed for the second time.


Fast forward to July 2020 when Singapore has exited Circuit Breaker and moved on to Phase 1 and 2, Jhon and I decided to set an appointment with the Polyclinic. We know that Covid-19 won't be going anywhere soon and the cases were more or less handled. Most importantly, the country has also set up proper procedures, unlike the earlier part of the year when everyone was panicking and struggling.

I digress.


Knowing Sarah, I gave her a heads up at least a week before the appointment on what to expect. We always had a doctor's toy kit at home so that was helpful. We play pretend eye-check up so she was more or less prepared for it. For the polyclinic visit, Jhon got to join us for the consultation. I explained our concerns to the doctor as I mentioned above and the doctor referred us to KKH Eye Centre. 


That time, our appointment was due on September 2020 so I was more than happy when I got a call informing that they can push forward the appointment to August 2020.


Honestly, we didn't think much of it. We thought, it was probably a lazy eye and Sarah would need glasses and an eye patch to force her eye muscles to work harder. I looked it up on the internet. It was all good. We just need a doctor's confirmation and advice.




Due to Covid-19, only 1 patient and 1 guest is allowed in the hospital so it was just Sarah and I in the colorful and comfortable children's waiting area. We had to go room to room, getting her eyes checked 3 times with 3 different doctors from optometrist to ophthalmologist. Sarah was a champion. I was so proud of her. She was a little shy but obliged to every instruction. When she saw the eye test machine, she was all raring to go to use it. But as cooperative she was, she is still a toddler so I could tell, testing and checking her eye accurately was challenging. 


When we finally get to see our doctor for the final verdict, I was all prepared for what was going to be said.  The doctor tried her best to take a photo of Sarah's eye and put the tool aside. She looked at me and told me that she had poor vision and had to wear eye glasses. 


She later then added by saying Sarah had an eye defect called Morning Glory because when you see the eyeball  internally, it looks like the Morning Glory flower.  Sarah was on my lap, minding her own business. I squeezed her tightly knowing it was more for me than for her. To be honest, when the doctor said "eye defect" and showed me the photo of Sarah's eyeball , everything I heard started to sound foggy. I had to muster more strength to buck up and pay attention.


That was not all.


I was informed that people with Morning Glory Syndrome tend to have other underlying problems, mainly regarding her brain nerves so Sarah had to go for an MRI scan. Being a toddler, she had to go under general anesthesia for it.  I was told it was just protocol. I was told it was just to check. 


The doctor didn't proceed more about the matter and continued to tell us that Sarah need glasses and has to wear an eye patch on her good eye for 2 hours per day. When I left the consultation room, I was still dumb founded but still in mommy mode because we were still moving about making appointments. The lovely nurse took us to Diagnostic Imaging for us to book Sarah's MRI scan where Sarah was singing nursery rhymes loudly and proudly for all to hear. I was so proud of her. She is a good and brave girl so I have to be a good and brave Mama.


All this while, Jhon was waiting for us outside the hospital which poor thing for him but I was so glad he was around. As soon as I saw him, I felt I can breathe again. I still had to be strong for Jhon as he is a worry wart. I didn't want to immediately break down let alone a public. I know everything is not set in stone. We are still in an investigating phase. There's no point going all broken down over news that is not official right? For all we know, Sarah is fine.


But it is the fear.

No parent want a single harm come even close to their child.


We went into that hospital thinking it is just a routine check-up, nothing more. It is like asking a contractor to make a routine check up and he tells you oh, you have cracks and we need to investigate if it's hairline or deep cracks. You will be like "What?!"


I dread the night I laid on my bed learning about Morning Glory Syndrome and what it was connected to. 


[Left; Morning Glory Syndrome, Right; Normal]


The cause of Morning Glory Syndrome developmental defect is unknown and there is no cure. We can try to improve the eyesight but that's it.


Ok, sure. I was caught off guard but if I disregard the details, she just have an eye problem since before birth. Full stop. Until I found out what Sarah's doctor was trying to find. She didn't mention to me in detailed other than "checking her brain" but I found out through the MRI form and internet and that was Moyamoya Disease.


"Moyamoya disease is a rare blood vessel (vascular) disorder in which the carotid artery in the skull becomes blocked or narrowed, reducing blood flow to your brain. Tiny blood vessels then open up at the base of the brain in an attempt to supply the brain with blood.


The condition may cause a ministroke (transient ischemic attack), stroke or bleeding in the brain. It can also affect how well your brain functions and cause cognitive and developmental delays or disability.


Moyamoya disease most commonly affects children, but adults may have the condition. Moyamoya disease is found all over the world, but it's more common in East Asian countries, especially Korea, Japan and China. This may possibly be due to certain genetic factors in those populations. " -  Mayo Clinic


I cried! I cried BAD! I was so scared! I am still scared since we haven't do the MRI scan yet!


I try not to think too much about it but I already knew. It's already at the back of my head. We recently had a developmental check up and Sarah passed with flying colors. Her doctor said she does not have the symptoms or obvious concerns. You see, people with MGS are usually associated with several conditions such as Moyamoya, down syndrome and many more. In terms of physicality, motor skills and mentality, Sarah was great. She was off the charts.




So now we are just looking and hopefully not finding more internal problems. So ya. This is where we are now. Trying to be positive but also want to be aware of all the cards on the table. I feel we are in a limbo. Kinda helpless so I am taking one day at a time.