PonyTales

I saw Ann Ann’s post about our SG trip and I am also itchy to write about our retreat as well because it is our very first trip together with Zoe.

It is a cell group retreat but this year, we have four babies on board as last year everyone decided that we would help to increase the Chinese population in the country…hahaha

Thanks to Simon’s wife for arranging the accommodation and all the details for the trip - finally we are all able to enjoy this trip and increase our competency as new parent

I started packing about a week before the trip and ended up with 2 travelling bag, 2 backpacks and 1 trunk cart of stuff. I realised that 5 nights is about the right amount of time for me to prepare for the trip as Zoe is already eating solids and I want to prepare her food freshly frozen before the trip. There are countless reminder from experienced mommy not to bring along half the house just for a 3D/2N trip

This are the various things I encountered during our trip:

• Everything that can be packed should be packed before the day the trip begins, mommy gotta focus on preparing baby for the journey in the morning - wake - breakfast(for mommy/daddy) - bath - milk - sleep. Pray hard that baby sleeps at least half or throughout the road journey.
• Same as above needs to be considered on the last day of trip but hard to achieve because we just wanna enjoy till the last day. Some of us went for morning swim with baby and morning walk before we check-out
• A group of 13 adults, 4 bubbling babies, 1 toddler and 1 kid creates a lot of attention everywhere we go.
• Daddy fall sick on the last day and I realised that I did not pack any medication for ourselves. As parents, we also need to take care of ourselves other than focusing on the baby’s well being.
• With a baby, staying together in a family suite is a real advantage as there are more hands to hold the baby while I do my stuff - even manage to go to beach for a stroll and collect sea shells.
• I took 5 days to think of my baby’s clothings/toiletries/food/travel gear and etc. for the trip and 5 minutes for my own stuffs. Zero for daddy as he self-pack
• I also realised that Daddy is really protective towards Zoe as he keeps getting anxious about mozzies, smelly bed/pillows, dirty bathrooms, dusty carpet and all sorts before the trip. Previously, I am the one who sometimes gets anxious over these and Daddy can even sleep in the open jungle if need be.
• I realised that swim suit are not only used for swimming alone, it can be worn when bathing baby in a long bath tub
• Baby pee in their swimsuit too just like some adults who did it in the pool - thats why they add lots of clorine in the pool
• When we travel in a group and mommy struggle to feed herself with the one-arm kung fu and holding baby at the same time - there are always thoughtful frens who eat very fast and then volunteer to carry baby so mommy can still enjoy her food….Yeah!
• Have those single people bunk in together in the family suite so that they will never get bored with all the kids and babies around, instead of having a lonely room all by themself.
• Babies are NOT put off by durian smell…Zoe laughs very loud with Daddy while mommy busy enjoying her share of durians…

It is a really fun trip and I thought I will be dead tired when I came back but I actually felt energetic and refreshed. It brings a smile to my face still when I recall back some of the moments we have there.

Looking forward to more trips in the future