The First Family Holiday

Dear Baby,

Where to start...

Oh yeah, plane ride.

The Plane Ride
We got to the airport early, all of us woke up much earlier than usual. But we got to the airport and checked in and leisurely waited in the . You had breakfast while we had breakfast. Daddy took you around to keep you occupied so mommy can eat.

You had a quick diaper change in the departure lounge just before we boarded the plane.

Just so happen there was another baby sitting in the aisle across from us in the plane, he looked younger and smaller than you, but daddy learned from the grandfather that the baby was older than you. Mommy pretty doubtful about that...

You slept part of the ride in the cot provided, you played in it when you were awake, sitting up, playing with the cups, playing with money just to keep you occupied.

When the plane was about to land, this was the part mommy was concerned with, the whole pressure in ear thing. Pleasantly enough, the pressure wasn't as bad as mommy remembered back in the days, I think they've started to repressurise the cabins now because you didn't seem to be affected in any way. You only started crying because the other baby was crying, and since you were on daddy's lap who was sitting next to the asile, you tried to reach out to the crying baby and you looked quite upset and started crying too! Mommy grabbed the water cup and got you to start drinking since we know you like drinking from a cup just to distract you. Daddy whispered in your ear, "Ignore the baby, just concentrate on your water". Which you did. Then, mommy heard the crying baby was crying interval like, and mommy looked up and saw that the baby's grandmother was dipping the baby's pacifier into the water and putting it back into the baby's mouth in an attempt to stop him crying when they saw us giving you water.

On the plane ride back coincidentally it was with the same family with the baby and we all sat in the same place. Mommy didn't think we needed to change your diaper just before we got on to the plane as you just had a diaper change not long before. Then, while waiting for take off you leaked! We had to wait for the plane to be up in the air and the seat belt sign switched off and there was a scramble to get the diaper bag down from the overhead compartment. Turned out we weren't the only one who needed to do a diaper change, so did the other baby, good thing we packed extra tights for you to change into as well.

You napped for a while in the cot, daddy was snoozing away and mommy stayed up to keep an eye on you, and you also napped on mommy's lap when you didn't feel like being in the cot and when nursing. You played and made faces at the other baby when awake, laughing and cooing. And when the plane was landing, the other baby was crying away again and you didn't need much distraction, although you did give daddy the concerned look whenever you looked over to the baby.

Overall, your plane ride experience was pretty pleasant.

A week or so after we came back from our holiday, one of mommy's friend was flying back to Singapore with her baby, she said there was 7 babies on that plane at that time. I wonder how that went...

The Hotel
We stayed at this hotel that mommy and daddy had stayed in several times before, and with each visit, the service got better and better.

We asked for a cot for you in the room, and it was a nice Mothercare cot with large mesh panels and we can see you very clearly when we put you in there to play, very different from the one we have at home, and everyday the housekeeping would change the sheets and whatever toys you have in there all arranged lined up nicely.

The room came with buffet breakfast so every morning we'd go down to one of the two hotel restaurants, sometimes you'd be awake and sometimes you'd still be sleeping. We'd get a plate of fruits for you to have when you feel like having something, but most of the time, you were happy playing with some hotel guest who was sitting across from us and they'd make faces at you and you'd laugh and giggle away.

Moving Around
We have never used a stroller with you and decided to not even borrow one for the trip. So our means of moving around is to carry you. Mommy carried you in the sling and daddy carried you in his arms, although towards the last few days of the holiday he decided to try out the sling and had been carrying you that way every since. Daddy was suffering from blisters because of the shoes he was wearing and good thing they sell blister plaster there which we always seem to get lots of for his poor feet.

This trip we didn't bother going out of Orchard Road much, only on two ocassions, one was to visit mommy's friend and the other was when we went to Novena area to check out the Bumwear shop and the Baby Slings & Carriers shop that were there. Now we know where they are! Oh and one to Marina area for daddy's shop.

Feeding Baby
Baby led weaning wise, usually during breakfast, but you weren't interested to eat much that early in the morning and it's mainly fruits.

You've had mushroom soup while at mommy's friend's house, and carrot soup at one restaurant. Gave you a taste of tom yam soup, oh the expression on your face!

We carried water around for you in the bag...

Nursed you everywhere and anywhere, sitting and moving around. Let's see, in various restaurants, kinokuniya book shop, planes, in airports, nursing rooms in various malls, that was interesting...

Nappy Changing Baby
First time ever mommy and daddy walked in and out so many baby rooms. Ion's baby room is on the 4th floor, clean and spacious, fancy open door hand sensor thingy. The folding changing table had side bars, hot water dispenser, sink with counter, a standing fan and chair for nursing. Very peaceful changing and nursing you in there. Daddy said it's too sterile, mommy feel like being on a space ship or something...

At Ngee Ann City it was a foldable changing table in the female toilets. While mommy was changing you the place was packed with people queuing for the toilets and the cleaning lady standing nearby looking very displeased as she eyed us. Thankfully it was just changing a wet nappy, and everything was in hand.

Apparently we went to the number one baby room in Singapore at Union Square. They had several stations for nappy changing, with a soft mat for baby to lie on and mirrors to distract you. When we were in there there were three other babies getting changed as well. After everybody was gone, daddy stood you up and leaned you against the mirror walls and took a shot of you, ala baby can stand! In the changing room there is also two smaller cubicles with arm chairs for nursing, and the doors can be locked from the inside. You got distracted with the wallpaper a lot.

The first time mommy noticed you got distracted with the wallpapers was when we were at Plaza Singapura, you kicked up a huge fuss about changing your diaper. You cried and cried and cried. And when popping you on the breast you were still fussing. You cried, nursed, saw the wallpaper, sat up, cried, nursed, saw the wallpaper and cried again. Popped the nursing hat on you to remove all distraction and only then you settled down to nurse. We were in there a good hour most probably. The second time we used that changing room you didn't kick up that much of a fuss but you were fascinated with the wallpaper. It was a small cubicle but at least it was a comfy tub chair they provided for nursing, don't know if there was any other changing/nursing room in that building...

Changi Airport transit area, it was pretty easy to spot. Near the toy shop and a big playground area for the bigger kids. Several changing stations available, and mommy remembered it as being hot for some reason...

The worst place I had the unfortunate incident of changing you was when we were at scotts road, there was no place to change you in far east plaza we happen to be in and you were leaking as we made our way out. Figured see if there is a place to change you in the hotel next door. There was a space on the cold marble counter top at the corner of the L shaped sink area, since no one was about quickly took the changing mat out and you on it. Just as mommy took off your diaper and was about to clean you, you decided to pee! Needless to say it was messy, lots of tissue was involved and desperate clean up and changing you at the same time so we can get out of there. Worst experience ever at that time.

The Shopping
Mommy and daddy's shopping needs are pretty simple, give us a good book store and we're happy. On top of that, mommy bought several more breast feeding outfits from Mothers En Vogue in Centrepoint along Orchard Road. Daddy went to his favourite local design label Depression at Millenia Walk. We bought you several dresses from Baby Gap. And when we were at United Square more wet bags from Bumwear, I did contemplate on whether to get their cloth diapers but the prints didn't appeal to me much. And a new soft structured carrier, Manuka, for when you get heavier to carry and more Sunday Afternoons Hats, pretty ironic how we lost one on our way there, so daddy picked up five more when we got to Square2 of Novena Square.

We made a point to go to AFC store just to see where it is and what they have. There were several cook books for children that I might want to get for us when you're older. Daddy liked the t shirts they got and bought several and fridge magnets because you liked them.

Mommy was also looking for a new cooler bag since the old wine bottle bag was ripping up inside for the breast pump and storage. We went to every department store kitchen ware section looking for one. Don't people go on picnics anymore mommy wondered. We even checked out a camping shop but all they had was a cooler box. Then on our second last day we checked out Takashimaya's outdoor gear section and yay, they have one! In various sizes too. It was a Coldman, mommy decided on the 9 can capacity one and it only comes in blue. That night mommy was texting with a friend who lives in Singapore and was telling her how mommy been looking around for a cooler bag, she told me to go to Ion at the upmarket supermarket, selling a stripy cooler bag. Oh! So on our last day we figured if we happen to get there we'll look for it and it just so happen we did as we've already packed and was just chilling before we checked out of the hotel. The supermarket was really nice, mommy daddy picked up lunch there and some cakes too and the cooler bag was big and it was half price of the one already bought, and the surprise was when we got to the check out, we opened up the bag to put lunch and cakes in it to find there was a smaller cooler bag inside. Score! The cooler bag became mommy's hand carry as it doesn't collapse unlike the blue one. But it sure is pretty.

Diapering Baby
We bought along I don't remember how many pieces... 50 probably of the grobaby biodegradable diapers, basically the whole box and several of the mothercare disposables pads as well since we still have some from last time we used them when you were three months old. Was suppose to have 6 velcro diaper covers but mommy forgot to put the 6th one in the bag so we survived on 5. And 3 of the mothercare ones. Didn't really count how many diapers you went through, brought along some paperbags to put the used diapers in and disposable wipes used. Throwing them away neatly, haha.

For day use, we changed you about every three hours. If we missed changing you after three hours, leaks will start. At night, we'll change you just before midnight, risking waking you up, and again when mommy wakes up about 6 or 7 in the morning, with no leaks, yay! That was the bit mommy was worried about most, night diapering.

So for morning diaper change I just put you into a mothercare one as I know it'll last about 2-3 hours and we're still in the hotel and it gives mommy time to wash the diaper cover used the night before and hang to dry and get your diaper bag sorted for the day.

Several things about using the grobaby biodegradable diapers, one, it literally breaks easily when it's full. Case in point, was changing you and the diaper fell off the counter, it split and broke! The stuff came out. Fortunately was in the hotel room that time it was easily cleaned up and binned.

Two, never use the adhesive tabs to stick onto diaper cover, the glue was so strong it rips the biodegradable diaper apart.

Three, mommy have read about other mommies complaining how regular disposable diapers got bits of the gel sticking to the babies bums, when mommy was changing you there were times when you had those gel bits too. And the grobaby only have 3% of the gel of what regular diapers got. Apart from that, I don't mind using them as an alternative to cloth diapering while travelling, knowing they'll break down and degrade in a couple of months is good for me.

Needless to say, it was so good to get home and put you in your regular diaper again.


I think that covers our first holiday. We had a great time together and a good experience. Probably the next trip we'll make you'd be walking already won't you.

Love,
Mommy

EBM Anyone?

Hi Baby,

Mommy still writing up our holiday...

In mean time, there is this...

When we got back from our holiday, you and I had an extra couple of weeks at home together, so the need to express and the need to take EBM from a bottle wasn't required. It was all nursing on demand, and sometimes mommy pop you on the breast because you're at the age of forgetting to nurse because you're too distracted.

Then, mommy's leave from work ended and it was back to expressing for me and back to the bottle for you.

On day one, mommy had a hard time trying to fill one bottle in the morning, and according to nenek, you refused the bottle completely and went without milk all morning. Good thing mommy came home during lunch time. And you went without milk again in the afternoon. Nenek said you were really angry whenever the bottle tried to make its way to your mouth.

So in the first week, you hardly took any EBM when mommy's at work or spin class and my own expressing sessions wasn't yielding much either.

Before the break, mommy can get up to 6 cups of EBM a day, and you can drink on average of 4-5 cups a day. After a break of three weeks, I'm surprised how drastic the change was.

On top of that, there are EBM that is coming to the end of it's shelf life (3 months) and since you refuse to take any, mommy been offering them up to anybody who want them just to reduce the stock until you start taking them again. The criteria is that it has to be for baby girls because of religious reasoning (sesusuan - if babies of opposite gender to each other are sharing the same produced milk at that time, they are considered as siblings and not allowed to marry each other) and I'd like to have the cups back that they came in thanks.

I asked contacts to the NSICU at the hospitals if they need it, because breast milk are excellent for preemie babies and help reduce their stay in the hospital, no reply so far. I asked friends who's babies I know could do with breast milk because of their allergies, no one came forward. I'm at a stage of finding recipes I could use the milk with. Auntie Elaine said to mix it up with your porridge (which you don't take) and mashed potatoes (which you haven't had) to use it up. Just to throw away breast milk because they expired is so wasteful when it could've helped other babies out there.

Slowly you are starting to drink the EBM again, a cup a day, if we're lucky two cups (technically it's one and a half, nenek decided since you already sucked on the bottle and didn't want the rest they went down the drain). So now we are a few days ahead of the expiration date of the ones that are at nenek's house, only a dozen left now. The rest of the EBM are at home in the deep freezer and those have a shelf life of 6 months.

Mommy is slowly increasing EBM output from 1 cup a day to 2 and a half cups a day. It's all about the let down, the breast may be full but if the let down isn't happening nothing or very little is coming out. Like this morning for example, mommy was pumping for almost an hour when suddenly the let down happened. I almost decided to stop just before that as my hand was cramping up, I have a motorized pump but I never really need it until now.

Another factor is the deep freezer, just yesterday mommy checked and did a space count, there is room for about 30 cups left if the existing EBM stock isn't moving yet. Do I up my pumping schedule to increase supply or do I leave it? Because if I run out of space to store them then the next space available is the fridge freezer with the 3 months shelf life. Then it gets complicated...

Hmmm, probably all that is a bit difficult for baby to understand, because as far as you're concerned right now, have mommy have milk straight from the breast, you're not that interested with EBM...

Love,
Mommy

Chili Con Carne & Meatballs

Hi Baby,

Over the weekend we made chili con carne for dinner, protein packed full with beans and minced meat. Daddy had his with lots of jalapeno peppers and bread, mommy had it as is, and you had it with pasta tubes.

Normally you don't last that long at the dinner table, you'd take bites, smear some on and under the table, wave your arms around, pick things up and let it slip out of your hands onto the floor, spill some water, repeat. But that dinner, you ate purposefully. You'd grab what you could and stuff it into your mouth. Some food still managed to slip out, but majority of it went into your mouth. Mommy daddy had already finished eating but you hadn't. Mommy was amazed, it was the longest you have ever sat in the chair. Daddy had to clean you up after you finished eating and he kept on asking if you're done yet. Told daddy to just relax and leave you be since you seemed to be really enjoying the meal. You ended the meal when there wasn't any more to eat in your bowl, you emptied it out. Your face and hands were smeared with the sauce, so was your outfit, but you were happy.

Mommy forgot to have the camera handy...

After daddy whisked you away to clean up and change, mommy was left with cleaning up. Cleaning up routine after every meal was to pick up all the solids that was on the table, chair and floor. Then wipe the table down and disinfect, wipe the chair down and disinfect, and finally wipe the floor and disinfect. Done.

After the success of the chili mommy decided to try you on meatballs with organic rice pasta swirls. You ate, decimated your food as you usually do, but mommy didn't realise you were also tired, which was why you weren't that interested to eat much until with your tomato-ey saucey hands decided to run through your hair, pull your ears and rub your eyes, your signal of being sleepy. Ack!

Got you out of your chair, washed your hands, went upstairs, stripped you down and gave you a bath. Removing bits of tomato, pasta and meat. After getting dressed, you nursed and fell asleep on the sofa bed. So mommy stayed with you and waited until either you wake up or when daddy gets home before I could clean up downstairs. It was almost a full two hours before any of that happened. I bet you if the cats were home they'd probably finished up your dinner, but they weren't. And good thing cleaned up before the ants got wind of there's food available...

Wonder what to try you on next....

Love,
Mommy

Baby Led Weaning Take II

Eating spaghetti, with a piece of broccoli, a slice of roast pumpkin and a piece of lamb
somewhere under there at the dinner table with the family.

Hi Baby,

Since picking up the two books, Baby Led Weaning and Baby Led Weaning Cookbook by Gill Rapley & Tracey Murkett, when we were on holiday, mommy feels much more confident putting food in front of you to attack now that I know the guidelines, and after flipping through the BLW cookbook to give mommy an idea what foods to feed you, you can eat just about anything.

What makes sense about BLW is that you learn how to chew, learn what safe sizes of food to have in your mouth before you swollow, learning how to move your jaw, practice the dexterity of your hands and fingers and eventually learn how to use forks and spoons.

You can have anything, with a couple of rules. Like no salt in the cooking, that way you get to eat the food we're having, and if the non babies want salt they can add it themselves while at the table. babies are only allowed a maximum of 1 gram of salt, anything over is bad for the kidneys and some babies die from eating salted food, scary...

Mommy is rereading the book again, see if there is anything I missed...

What you have eaten so far:

Avocado
Watermelon
Rock Melon
Honeydew
Mango
Apple
Pear
Papaya
Banana
Starfruit
Kiwi
Broccoli, steamed
Cauliflower, steamed
Pumpkin, roast and soup
Carrot, roast, boiled and soup
Cucumber
Roasted Red Bell Peppers & Zucchini tossed with minced garlic, red onion and unsalted butter
Baked potatoes
Roast leg of lamb
Grilled Salmon
Salmon cakes
Spaghetti bolognese
Fetuccine carbonara
Chicken soup
Mushroom soup
Home made Fishballs
Eggplant and Olives dip

That's all I can think of so far...

Now that mommy had a look at the list, you've eaten quite a variety already, yet I feel not varied enough yet in terms of taste and flavours. There are some food items which you haven't been introduced to like eggs, daddy is sort of allergic to it. But you have had egg products, like the salmon cakes mommy made with just the egg yolk since it says allergies come from egg whites.

Mommy planning on making mini burgers for you this weekend, as long as I remember to take the mince out from the freezer.

Eating out is somewhat easy, fail safe is to just bring your broccoli florets which you'll happily munch on. it'll be great for you to eat what we eat, but mommy is worried about the amount of MSG there are in foods at some restaurants. MSG affect the mental developments in children.

Trying to establish healthy eating now so it will benefit you when you get older. You'll learn what food is good to eat and what to avoid, or not eat as much, as you won't develop the taste for the not so beneficial foods for you because there is no way mommy is going to introduce you those foods.

Drink wise it's just breast milk and water, juices is just sugared water no matter what they say.

Also you got to learn how to brush your teeth first too, got to keep those milk teeth healthy as possible, seen too many kids below five with bad teeth, so not good...

Love,
Mommy

8 Months Old!

Hi Baby,

Today is your 8th month birthday, in the morning we went out for dim sum with daddy's family, nini noi kept on wanting to hold you, auntie lin kept on trying to get that cute baby picture of you, auntie maricel entertained you as always, you drank water from a chinese tea cup, everybody else had 'ye sang' to bring forth the good luck for the year, you slept in daddy's arms in the sling as he shopped around a bit afterwards.

In the afternoon, we went to one of daddy's colleague's chinese new year open house and you tried to make friends with a little boy who was twice your age but the same size, but the little boy was too shy and hung on to his family amah for dear life.

In the evening you napped twice and rest of the time hung out with mommy when not in the studio or with daddy when he's not sorting out the comic books, and before bed all three of us was in bed playing when daddy eventually fell asleep and mommy nursed you until you did too.

Sweet dreams baby...

Love,

Mommy

The Second Emergence!

Hi Baby,

Today mommy confirmed the appearance of your upper teeth, well, I felt the sharpness of one upper tooth the second one isn't far behind.

A couple of days ago mommy noticed how white your gum were at the site and I had my suspicion and today mommy managed to slip in a finger to feel, and yup, there it is, a day shy from being 8 months old.

And you are crawling properly now, on your hands and knees, unless it is something you are interested in then you'd crawl some distance, apart from that, you're happy to just take two steps forward, and one step back to sit down.

Mommy and daddy caved in and bought you this big flouncy hair piece yesterday, everybody said you looked like a present waiting to be opened... go figure...

Love,

Mommy

Whistling Baby

Dear Baby,

I don't know where you learned or how you learned to whistle but you're doing it anyway. It's not the loud shrill whistling but it's still whistling, you were able to purse your lips in such a way that when you blow through your mouth you make that whistling sound. So cool!

The first time it happened was when mommy was talking to nenek and you were crawling on the floor. Whistling sound was heard, nenek looked at mommy, looked down at you, and asked, "Is that coming from her?" with a puzzled expression, yup, the sound came from you. Mommy wasn't surprised, I don't know why, maybe I have already heard it coming from you, don't recall when though...

So far your grandparents on both sides have heard you whistle, daddy heard you whistle and I can't remember who else. Mommy is going to google up whistling baby to see if it is a common thing or you're one of the rare few. Either way, it's cool! Heheh...

Love,
Mommy