We finally settled on a name for our second bundle of joy!
So why
Megan Annaleigh
(may-guhn , ann-a-lee)?
Well, we really liked the name "Megan" which has a few meanings but all very beautiful and we decided on Megan almost immediately.
In Greek or American, Megan means "pearl". The Anglo-saxon version means "strong & capable" & the Persian meaning of the name (which I love the most) means "child of light".
Among the few first names we gave thought to included "Kiera" which I really loved but "Kiera" means "dark skinned" which quite frankly, isn't quite as meaningful and appealing compared to Megan.
As for "Annaleigh", I wanted a middle name that meant "God's grace" simply because God's grace and favour in our lives has been so evident and abundant, it only seemed apt that our daughter's name reflected that and everything he had blessed us with. So yes, Annaleigh means "grace / favour" :)
In case you're wondering, if we were expecting a baby boy, we were intending to name him Ryan Shane.
Ryan cause we think it's a very nice name (and also the only name we agreed on) with a really adorable meaning - "little king" & Shane because it literally means "God's grace" and I thought it'll be lovely to have our son named after his daddy.
So there you have it!
Megan Annaleigh Joseph!
I love every bit of her name already and I can't wait to caress her in my arms! Getting more excited as the days go by!
We all can't wait for your arrival, little princess! But for now, keep growing well inside of Mommy!
Xoxo.
7 Reasons Why Women Shouldn't Expect To Be Pampered
By Esther Rachel Lai. - 7/22/2015
By pampered I mean pampered by their other halves
If there's one thing being in a relationship/marriage with Shane has taught me, it's definitely mutual respect. These days, the minds of the females are clouded with unrealistic views on how relationships are supposed to be like through fictional dramas and movies we see on the screens. While it's all very entertaining to watch, for some girls however, these shows have subconciously become a benchmark for what's to be expected in a guy when it comes to relationships. It always has to do with the guy scaling mountains for a girl. Undeniably, it's all very romantic and it sends our heart in flutters BUT it isn't what relationships are supposed to be based upon.
Surprisingly, when I tell friends of how if I were to storm off in anger in a public place, Shane wouldn't chase after me and would instead head the other direction, they give me the same kind of pitiful reaction. But Shane's reasoning is "if you're gonna embarrass me in public, don't expect me to chase after you like a fool." At the start of our relationship, whenever this happened, I'd get even more mad that he wouldn't put his ego down to "chase" after me but over time I realised, hey, he actually has a point. Why should I expect him to be at my beck and call when I had first blatantly disrespected and humiliated him in public? It all boils down to one thing - mutual respect. & because it irks me till no end when I hear girls play on the whole warped "because I'm a girl" idea, here's 7 reasons why I think girls should not EXPECT to be pampered.
Reality check sista. You're not a princess and he's not your slave. Being in a relationship doesn't mean he has to take all the shit you throw at him just because you're "the weaker sex". It's ironic because most girls who expect to be treated like princesses are also the first to put their hands up for gender equality - but for all the wrong reasons. The same way we'd cringe and rebutt "are you looking for a maid or a wife?!" when we hear of a man who looks for a woman who does all the housework, cooks and wash on top of working full-time, are you then also looking for a lover, someone to share your hopes and dreams, your joy and sorrows with or someone who's a slave to your happiness? Gender equality goes beyond women's rights.
If you want to be treated like a queen, make sure you're first treating your man like a king.
If you want to be treated like a queen, make sure you're first treating your man like a king.
There's nothing wrong with being pampered and loved by your other half. But there's something very wrong when you constantly expect and demand to be pampered. Look at it this way: your man surprising you with gifts on his own accord vs you demanding he get you something that you want. If anyone's to be pampered, it should be because he wants to not because he feels obliged to.
Your happiness shouldn't depend on someone else's ability to make you feel good. I cannot stress enough how many times I've heard guy friends find strong, independent women attractive and whiney little needy girls, quite the opposite.
It also shows a certain level of maturity that distinguishes a woman from a girl.
It also shows a certain level of maturity that distinguishes a woman from a girl.
Your friends probably won't say it to your face but flaunting how pampered you are doesn't make anyone envious. It just makes you look really really spoilt
& nobody appreciates a diva attitude.
Which brings me to my next point.
& nobody appreciates a diva attitude.
Which brings me to my next point.
Bragging about how your man gives in to all your wants and needs doesn't just make you look bad, it makes him look like a wuss and the people around the both of you will lose their respect for him. & it doesn't help either when you order him around your friends. Your expectations of him will show in your actions no matter how you try to "humble" yourself and make yourself look like an angel. While it may feel good being "served" & the ego boost of having the "upperhand" in the relationship might be addictive, the way you treat your man, whether you build him up or put him down speaks more about you than him. People will only pity your other half but the impression they'll have of you certainly won't be a very pleasing one. Take it from me, his friends are probably begging him to ditch you and your spoilt rotten ass.
Making princessy demands doesn't make you a princess, it makes you look like a complete b*tch.
Making princessy demands doesn't make you a princess, it makes you look like a complete b*tch.
You've heard that love is a two-way street, that it's about give and take, but have you also heard that the more you give into a relationship, the more you receive? As the feminine sex, we tend to be the ones on the receiving end but it wouldn't harm to show the same love and appreciation back to your partner. The more a man feels like he's loved and appreciated, the more likely he'll want to do more for you. Afterall, everyone gets sick of being expected and demanded to pamper and love someone but nobody gets sick from loving. That being said, you shouldn't be giving just because you're expecting to receive either.
It doesn't always have to be the man showering the woman with love and affection. It works the other way round too.
It doesn't always have to be the man showering the woman with love and affection. It works the other way round too.
Love is more than lavish gifts and sweet nothings. Love comprises of deeper things that you should be looking for in a partner - a listening ear, a friendship and unspoken bond between two people, trust and mutual respect. These things are worth so much more in a relationship than being treated like a pampered princess. Afterall, you're not looking for a sugar daddy are you? Love cannot be demanded. It needs to be nurtured between two individuals and built upon a solid foundation not on superficial matters. Everyone has their own way of loving and just because he doesn't love you the way you want him to, doesn't mean he doesn't love you. There a billion other people in the world but he chose you. Respect and appreciate that enough to cherish him instead of making demands to be treated like a princess.
Don't make him regret his decision for choosing you over all the rest in the first place.
Don't make him regret his decision for choosing you over all the rest in the first place.
And of course girls, not expecting to be pampered is one thing but if a guy treats you like dirt, please have the courage and sanity to walk away because you are worth more than that :)
Two weeks back, we spent the weekend with my in-laws at Gardens By The Bay, I remember telling my mother-in-law "I can't believe I'm coming here to see flowers...". True enough, it wasn't as thrilling and exciting of an outing compared to a trip to the zoo (truth be told, I subconsciously kept looking through the foliage hoping for a glimpse of some animal).
And...this was all I got.
Hahaha. But the place is pretty much a haven for taking pretty pictures! So I'm not going to say much this post, it's mainly just visuals. I have to add, the heat was crazy that day but thankfully, the flower dome and cloud dome was extremely cool. Too cold actually that we all started rubbing our arms after an hour so be sure to bring a jacket along! Gardens By The Bay is free for all but entry to the domes require an admission fee. It isn't too expensive though, they've a cheaper rate for Singapore Citizens and another 10% off for OCBC card holders. If you're gonna go to GBTB, you might as well pay to visit the domes because that's the whole highlight of the place - other than the super trees. Okay, enough said, here are the visuals!!
Mandatory "wefie"!
Love how the structure of the dome makes the pictures look that much more interesting!
So inside the flower dome, you can basically find....flowers. Lots of them. & cacti too!
Apart from flowers, they also have pretty decor like that giant swan behind us.
Kylie got a bit cranky at the start though...
& even though I'm advised not to carry her, I had to because she wouldn't stop crying.
Shane cracking me up with his nonsense. He said "put your hand up, make us look like we're lying down on a bed of flowers".
So pretty, the leaves look like they're covered with frost.
My father-in-law trying to be funny hahahaha.
Bromance.
& the crazy girl who went to hug the flowers. Literally hug.
SWAG.
Somebody not looking very interested....
No, I did not teach her to pose like that.
Rascal couldn't take a proper photo.
Just chilling...beside a giant cactus.
Think the biggest wow factor of the Flower Dome was the wood sculpted dragon & eagle!
We then headed to the Cloud Dome which reminded me a lot of Jurassic World. Don't know why but I forgot to take a picture of the huge waterfall.
There was nothing much to see at the Cloud Dome though. It was kind of like a rainforest treetop walk. It's quite difficult to explore the place with a pram though.
Overall, I think the older folks would enjoy the place more. It was nice seeing all the pretty flowers but nothing extremely fascinating although I'm really glad how the pictures all turned out so pretty!
Ending this picture post with none other than the super trees!
Gardens By The Bay
18 Marina Gardens Dr, 018953
Tel: 6420 6848