So Much Development!

Hi Baby,

Mommy worked out in one week you showed so many developmental milestones. Starting off with new baby teeth, sitting up unsupported, rolling on your front to back to front again, playing with your feet and stuffing them into your mouth (happy baby pose!), learned how to seek attention, expressing feelings (just a matter of us interpreting the meaning correctly). What else is there that I might have missed out...

Last weekend Auntie Choo came over and took photos of you, here are some taken in your playroom..





Aren't the pictures great? Auntie Choo been practicing a lot with her camera and you're one of her favourite subjects.

Oh yeah, that reminded me, whenever there are people around, and even if it was your nap time, you don't want to sleep, you'd stay up so they'll play with you. Like last time, mommy put you down for a nap and managed to sleep for at least half an hour then your cousins and Uda came over and you were wide awake, playing, laughing and only had your nap after they all left.

One of the great things about baby is no matter how short your sleep is, you'd always wake up smiling.

Love,
Mommy

You Can Sit!

Dear Baby,

Beginning of the week mommy was feeling really sick, and it also just so happen that mommy took a couple of days off anyway to take care of you since nenek lambak was in Jakarta with Uchu. On one hand it was annoying mommy got sick while on leave but on the other it was good because mommy just spend the days in bed, and since daddy was working it was just you and me.

So it was one of those days while we spent the day in bed was when mommy discovered you can sit. All I did was sit you up, and hey, you're sitting! I can't remember if this was the same day as when mommy discovered you got teeth... It was great to see you able to sit upright, and you're trying to balance your body and using your arms. At first you seemed unsure but also happy as it was something new.

That night when daddy came home showed him you can sit. You're growing up really fast now. You get really antsy nowadays if you get put in a lying down position and insist on standing, or sitting at least.

We really have to be careful with you, for all I know, I turn my back on you and you're crawling off. It really is harder to take care of babies once they learned how to move around... there was that episode where you rolled off the bed in your sleep, thank goodness for japanese style beds, and that other episode of falling over backwards while sitting, thank god you're still short. I know mommy can't protect you forever, but I have to try, all that adrenaline and increased heart pumping leaves me all jittery when something happens to you when it could've been prevented. Aaarrghh!!

Love,
Mommy

Aahhh!!

Hi Baby,

Mommy just discovered you got teeth! Mommy could feel two front teeth coming up on your lower gums. It just so happen you took mommy's finger and started sucking it, and it just happen mommy's finger rubbed against your gums, and that's how mommy found out today. Gotta tell daddy now.

Love,

Mommy

More Ring Slings!

Hi Baby,

This weekend Auntie Lin is in Singapore. Mommy asked her to get some stuff for you, or technically for mommy. She's gonna come back with at least 3 ring slings. Yay!

Love,

Mommy

PS, daddy doesn't know :p

Just The Two Of Us

Dear Baby,

Today we went to see Auntie Choo do her grading for her shodan, that's first dan black belt in Aikido. Since her grading was in the afternoon, and we're down to one car, we sent daddy to work in the morning so mommy have a car.

The day went by with baby napping, short nap in the morning which gave mommy the opportunity to hang up the laundry and then a long nap in the afternoon, which mommy joined you for the first half and then waited for you to wake up. As the time got nearer to when we were suppose to go you were still sleeping, by the time you woke up after an almost 4 hours nap, we had ten minutes to change diaper and get to the dojo.

We got there in time and saw Auntie Choo do her grading as we sat at the back. She was nervous and rushed through some of her moves. We even watched Uncle Noh and Uncle Chiong's grading. When mommy used to do aikido these were the people I trained with all those years ago, and I felt it was fitting we were there to witness their achievement to getting their black belts, these guys trained really hard to get it, and they say once you get your shodan, that's when the real training begins.

After Auntie Choo did her bit, she broke rank and came over to us as we sat at the back of the room. During the whole time we were there you were more interested what was on the notice board that was behind us then what was going on on the mat. Mommy thought you'd be interested to see people being slammed and flipped on the mat, maybe because it was all so quiet and serious concentration going on. There were quite a number of people watching the grading and they were all aikidokais of various age, they only realised we were there when you coughed! I bet you there were probably surprised to hear a baby's cough in the dojo. Apart from that, you were really well behaved while we were at the dojo, no fussing at all, I guess it helped that we sat in line with the fan which kept us cool as it was a hot afternoon.

After an hour of being there we left the dojo and headed over to atok and nenek's house, as they were flying off that evening with Uchu to Jakarta for the next few days. So mommy had taken leave to take care of you.

Mommy just realised us going to the dojo was the first time mommy and baby had gone somewhere just the two of us, usually it's with daddy everytime we go out. So most probably they'll be future jaunts for the both of us. Wonder where can we go next....

Love,

Mommy

5th Month Check Up, or Not...

Dear Baby,

Monday mommy and daddy were suppose to attend this course but as the universe moved it turned out we were excluded. But that's ok, what we thought would be a nice slow start to the day got interrupted with a phone call from the clinic asking if we could come in today instead of the appointed Thursday. Well, all of us are awake already so we got ready.

When we got to the clinic it was just for your third polio vaccine dose, and the nurse said we just go straight in for your drops. She said we don't have to weigh you like we normally do but we did anyway just so we know...

So, as of 5 months and 8 days old you weighed in at 8.17kg and 69cm long.

While waiting for our turn the television at the waiting lounge was showing a programme about saving babies and it showed a preemie baby having surgery to it's head to alleviate the pressure the fluid build up. There were lots of blood. There was a little girl sitting with her mother covering her eyes across from where we were sitting. Mommy avoided looking at the television, not a thing a parent would want to watch. Was so glad when it was our turn for the vaccination.

Baby at first while we were waiting looked apprehensive, we figured because you thought you were going to get a jab and you cried a bit and daddy took you for walkabouts. When he took you into the room where they give the vaccination, and you came out you looked pretty happy, and probably relieved as there was no pain associated! Daddy said you sucked on the dropper, and the nurse was surprised.

We then went for breakfast before we headed down to Jerudong as mommy had to deliver an order. On the way you nursed and fell fast asleep. Had to hand you over to daddy to hold and waited in the car while mommy went to give the stuff. Handed you back to me when I got back into the car and you were still asleep. As it was a rainy day we headed back home.

Love,

Mommy

The Baby Shower!

Dear baby,

Today was your 'Mandi Belawat', how I explain it, your baby shower. Apparently this is a Brunei Malay thing. They don't have it where else with other malays in Singapore or Malaysia. The 'Mandi Belawat' is reserved for the first born, traditionally held right after the confinement period to celebrate the new arrival and that mommy and baby is doing well.

I'm not sure how it was back in the old days but nowadays, the time to have the 'Mandi Belawat' is anytime within the baby's first year, and that it's a dress up affair. It was said this is the last chance the mommies get to be queen for a day again apart from the wedding. Also supposedly the mommies were suppose to be able to fit back into their wedding outfit. I'm not sure how they were able to do it after only 40 days of giving birth, mommy still got that extra 10kg after you came out to get rid off and it has already been 5 months!

For the event mommy decided on a black pink jubbah and dressed it up with a head gear and wore one of mommy's wedding tiaras. Auntie Nadia did mommy's make up and Auntie Choo came over right after her AGM and was happily snapping away with her new camera. Auntie Adeline did an unexpected turn up whom mommy hadn't seen in 4 years. And Uncle Erwan and Auntie Mimi came too.

You had to be wrapped up in a 'kain jong sarat', the traditional gold woven cloth, and you wore the gold bracelet atok gave you and the gold chain and pendant nini noi and auntie lin got for you. And you were wearing one of the baju kurongs nini noi made from raya.

While we waited for us to make an entrance you decided it was time to nurse and nap. By the time we came downstairs you were fast asleep. You slept right through the 'tahlil' and mommy presented you to each and every guest that came. Each guest would dab a liquid powder made from ground up uncooked rice grains using pandan leave brush and a gold ring tied on it's end and sprinkled you with 'bunga rampai' and wish you. Mommy got the same treatment too. Needless to say it had to be wiped off after every few guests.

Mommy insisted to be the one that would carry you around and boy were my arms tired. And I was sweating like crazy as it was hot. Mommy was worried the make up would run. One of daddy's cousin had to dab mommy's face to stop the sweat from making little streams. It was that hot. When mommy passed by the hallway mirror had a quick look and make up still looked good. When I told Auntie Nadia about it she said the make up was suppose to look better when you perspire.

After mommy was done taking you to all the female guests, it was daddy's turn to take you to all the male guests. But before that, we cleaned you up from all the dabs and flowers. You were still asleep. While daddy did his round mommy went back to all the female guests to salam and thank them for their wishes and contribution.

Apparently you were wide awake when daddy took you, with a scowl on your face, heheh...

Daddy handed you back to me and we went upstairs to nurse a bit more and change diaper, you decided to empty your bowels somewhere during the event.

After mommy rested up a bit and with Auntie Choo's help taking care of you, we headed back down. You got taken by somebody and mommy had something to eat as there were still lots of food left.

Since we hired a photographer to capture the event mommy got him to do a photoshoot of you and us, a nice family shot. By then all the guests had left. And when it was all quiet, Uncle Rashid and Auntie Lina came with Rafie! They couldn't come any earlier but mommy glad they came anyway, we still had lots of food left and we hung out for a couple of hours catching up on happenings.

By the time we got home it had been a long day. Daddy tallied up the contributions that was given and all in all you made almost 3k not including jewelleries. More savings for you!

It was an interesting experience as on mommy's side we never had a baby shower because we follow nenek's malaysian heritage.

I promised your grand uncle who lives in peninsula malaysia to send him pictures of the event and see how big you've become.

For a baby, even before you were born, your lucky star has already been shining bright, and may it continue to shine bright for always.

Love,

Mommy