Cloth Diapers Revisited!

Dear Baby,

Remember a while back mommy said something about, we'll just go for the solid colours and no need for the fancy printed ones and blah blah blah... Well, judging from your diaper drawers you had anything but just solid colours. The more mommy look and read up on other diaper brands the more I feel tickled to maybe just get one or two, you know, just to try and see if the performance is any better, you never know right until you tried. Starting off with the Blueberry and FuzziBunz mommy picked up from Auntie Chin because they were on sale, tempting they were. And next thing mommy knew, not only do you have printed diapers we have also expanded on brands! I have now become like all the other CD mommies out there. Your diaper collection have gone beyond the two dozen in rotation to double that amount. Almost 50 diapers and there is only one of you that's using them. Your collection consists of pocket diapers, All in Twos, prefolds, traditional lampin, covers, fitted, hybrids... It's a whole new world out there with cloth diapers...

Mommy is a member of the Brunei Breastfeeders Club and mommy started a topic on cloth diapering. Strangely enough, mommy have been posting on the different types of diapers, the terminologies, different systems and various things related to cloth diapering to share the knowledge to help mommies new to cloth diapering. I figured if we can help reduce the rubbish in the landfills we can help the environment, and mommy is doing my part to help with that cause. Plus, as the new mommies have now noticed, it can become an addiction... I'll take cute cloth diapered baby's bum over designer handbags and shoes any time! There are still alot to learn and by putting up posts mommy is increasing the knowledge and helping others in the process. You will learn this is one of the best method to learning.

As soon as mommy remembers where the camera is, will post up a complete picture of your diaper drawer for posterity sake, until it expanded some more... I'm not sure if that's a good thing... hahaha...

Love,

Mommy

Baby Led Weaning Part III

Dear Baby,

Food choices have been more adventurous now. And you also learned that mommy and daddy sometimes have more interesting stuff on the plate. And mommy can officially say I have finished reading the BLW book from cover to cover. The book has now been borrowed by one of daddy's cousin who got a baby who is two months or so younger than you because she saw you eat a chicken drumstick which you picked up off daddy's plate one night at a family function and happily eating away sitting next to daddy. She was intrigued and amazed as it was always a battle with her and her baby when it comes to meal times. She read the first chapter that night.

Mommy tries to make sure your diet is varied and have lots of taste and textures. We have ventured out to curry chicken, gave you the drumstick after mommy gave it a quick rinse so the curry taste won't hit you by surprise. You tried lettuce and cabbage, crunchy food! Nini Noi's homemade burger patty, dim sum and a whole bunch of others that mommy just can't remember anymore... Snack food now consists of cucumber sticks and tomato slices, once in a while mummy will let you have half a wholemeal bun, I'm still wary with the amount of salt present in bread, so mommy make a note not to give you bread daily. I'm still trying to get you to try as many types of fruits as possible, waiting for the persimmon to ripen up and soften a bit that we bought last weekend...

Nenek asked if she could feed you cornflakes, and for a 150g box it contained 10g of sugar I said no, I rather you get fresh fruits as snack then some processed manufactured stuff. We're still laying your foundation for healthy wholesome food and we can't slack now.

Mommy and daddy like to eat out with you, and the restaurants we head to are places we like in terms of food, service and baby friendly. And you like going there too because you get entertained by the staff a lot. We have relatives that complain you look so serious, and we have the wait staff whom you'd give a ready smile to. I think the difference is that sometimes relatives don't play with you as much as others, heheheh...

You don't drop your food purposely anymore, now it's more of it fell out of your hands as you bring the food to your mouth. There are times when you don't want to hold the food but wants to eat it so we have to hold the food for you, it could be you don't like the feel of the texture. Another one you do is you'll eat the food, chew and then spit it out. I think it's the 'yay, good girl for eating' part, you like the acknowledgement but not necessarily the food, your grandparents tend to do that, and it is wrong and I remind them not to because by praising you for eating, you will learn to associate to get a praise, you must eat. So wrong. Very very wrong. They may not think it will do no harm, so said your nenek but mommy have learned a lot and experienced a lot when it comes to eating disorders, and it is a cycle that shouldn't be allowed to start to begin with.

Mommy plan on introducing you to food you can learn to use your fork and spoon with, we tried a bit last night, you would have the spoon in one hand, and you'd tried to get the food to your mouth, and then use your free hand to get more food into your mouth.

When we eat at your grandparents places, Nini Noi has learned to lessen the use of salt in the cooking so you can eat what everyone else is eating, so you get to eat a wide and varied taste and textures. At nenek's place, since nenek doesn't do the cooking anymore, the amah have been making the same stuff for you over and over. Your menu over there seems to be boiled vegetables, pumpkin soup, chicken soup and beef soup. In order to make sure you get a varied diet mommy would have to start packing food for you to bring over it seems.

Today Auntie Choo is coming over and we're going to make onigiri, and mommy wants to make some for you to try as well and maybe we'll have a picnic.

Mommy wants to introduce you to blueberries but I have to wait for the signs that you are ready for them. So many taste, texture and flavours for you to try out there!

Love,

Mommy

Baby's Italian Dinner

Dear Baby,We went out for dinner one night to meet up with a couple of mommy and daddy's old friends and Auntie Choo. Auntie Choo was suppose to have DD therapy but she was sick and didn't want to pass it on to you so she had to content herself by looking at you instead. Poor Auntie Choo, so near yet so far....

Normally you love going to this Italian place, you'd be sitting in the high chair enjoying what food put in front of you and playing with the wait staff. But something must've happened when Chef Michele who was carrying you put you into the high chair. Your face turned sour and you cried and you didn't want to sit in the chair at all all evening. I guess you were upset you got put in the chair before you were ready. So you spent the evening on daddy's and mommy's lap as we took turn holding you.

It was when you were sitting on mommy's lap was when you decided you rather eat straight from mommy's plate instead of bits being passed to you. You ate away as mommy and daddy were having a conversation with our friends, and Auntie Choo decided to whip out her camera and starting taking pictures.

Clean up involves taking you to the bathroom and washing off the tomato-ey sauce from your hands and face. Then it was horsing around with daddy before we all called it a night...

Love,

Mommy

The Diaper Drawer...

"Lookie at all my pwetty diapers!"

Photo by Auntie Choo

Of Namesakes And Defining Moments

Greetings and salutations, dearest Dyanna...

It has been 10 months, 2 days and almost 6 hours since you came into our lives. No matter how challenging it has been, you have always been our reason to smile.

Always.

Ironically, when I selected to name you after a Themysciran princess (albeit transliterated minutely), I never expected you to truly live up to your namesake. Sometimes, it is unavoidable, but we do worry about your safety. Especially when you dive head first of the bed or staircase or some such furnishings. And it will get even more worrisome when you start walking.

Even now, as you crawl faster than your remote control R2-D2, we worry. When you start standing and attempt to reach something above you or whatnot, we worry. When you start getting curious with everything that's in the kitchen (like that time you tried to touch the boiling pot), we worry.

Yes, I know it is to be expected. A piece of the puzzle that will never fit in the beginning, but would fall into place by the end of it.

And I know your mother does her best to teach you the right things. But, I'll never (ever) be certain if I'm teaching you all the right things. All I can do is let you learn by yourself, sooner or later, and make your own choices, regardless whether we like it or not. Not that your mother will agree with my perspective. And I know you'll make the best of it, no matter what.

And when we are long gone and you have done your part, I hope you know we did it because we love you.

Always. No matter what.

Because fate is what we make of it,

Your loving father

The 9 months Check Up

Hi Baby,

Mommy had to lie to the nurse who was taking down the details of your check up, it was the baby led weaning thing. It started when she asked what have you been eating and mommy rattled off the list and she did look taken aback and started saying about got to be careful giving babies solids and them holding their food as they'll choke and finger foods are a no no etc etc, and then with her hand poised with a pen ready to jot down she started with "Are you eating rice porridge?" Mommy did a "Ye-es?", and she continued, "Does the porridge contain vegetables and protein?" Mommy can enthusiastically say yes to that one, you are eating your vegetables and protein only not in the way she expected.

Baby led weaning is the square block idea that can't fit into their round hole mind. Mommy and daddy have seen you eat, your grandparents have seen you eat, other people have seen you eat, and you're doing fine, as a matter in fact, they were amazed to see you were able to feed yourself. Because of baby led weaning, you learned how to chew your food, how much food to bite off safely to fit into your mouth to chew, your handling skills have improved, you learned not to squash a banana into mush to eat - although if you're just playing then you squeezed the life out of it and smear it all over the table - you tried so many types of food and flavours, the other night for dinner you had curry spaghetti! Those people don't know what they're missing...

You weighed in at 10.03kg, height 74cm and you're just below the 95th percentile in the charts.

There were boxes which the nurse ticked, like are you crawling, standing etc all to do with your development.

Mommy asked about giving you baby vitamins, and the nurse said from what mommy had told her from what you are eating, mainly fruits and vegetables, there is no need as your growth is on the up. The nurse said they would recommend only if baby isn't developing or under nurished. Well, you're anything but that.

You're growing well and the next check is when you turn one, the day after you turn one years old. And you got one more jab left, I can't remember which it was....

And because we went out for breakfast first, and turned up at the clinic in the later morning where there were less people, we were in and out in half an hour! Yay!

You did complain when mommy took off your diaper to get you weighed. I think you were already nervous when we got there, probably anticipating injections every time you go clinic...

I wonder what'll be like when you turn one...

Love,
Mommy

One Sunny Day

With daddy in Orchard Road, Singapore

Dear Baby

Mommy can't remember how it happened... but I remembered being obsessed finding a sun hat for you months back, and that now whenever you're outside you must have your hat on.

When mommy was looking for a sling online, I came across this site that was also carrying this particular brand of hats called Sunday Afternoons. After reading that the hats have an SPF rating of 50 and they come in baby sizes and all other good things, I was sold. Since the shop was in Singapore and Auntie Lin was heading there, I asked her to pick up a couple for me, one of them is a sun hat, wide brim and all that in light purple and an adventure hat in light green, which we lost on our trip there ironically on our way to the same shop to pick up more hats, and another baby carrier. All the hats are still too big for you even at the smallest setting, but we managed.

While there, daddy picked up 3 or 4 more adventure hats, and one other hat which style mommy forgot the name to because he liked the colour.

The hat you're wearing is an infant sun hat from the same brand which I asked Auntie Sarah to pick up for you when she was there on her way to Japan. I figured it should fit you better as the other hats were 1-5 year old, but it was still slightly too big for you. But considering how fast babies and toddlers grow, it won't matter in the end...

When you start school, it's compulsory to have a sun hat for play, so we're all set for that already.

You don't like it if your hat got put on your head when indoors, you'll automatically remove it. But when we're outside and your hat goes on, you don't bother with it because you know you're heading out somewhere. Hopefully wearing a hat outdoors will become a habit for you.

You know what mommy should've done, I should've gotten an adult Sunday Afternoon hat for myself too when we were there, doh!

Love,

Mommy