10 Safety tips in your baby's nursery

The Article in 'Straits Times' dated 21Jan 2011 page C1 is so saddening.
A 4-month-old infant died in his sleep at his babysitter's house while lying on tummy. 

• Make sure baby's cot is deep enough to be safe for your bb, that the bars are the correct distance apart, make sure the distance between each bar is no less than 2.5cm (1") and no more than 5cm (2").
• Use lead-free paint. If your bb breathes in lead dust, lead fumes or swallows anything with lead in it, he can get lead poisoning, which can cause learning disabilities and other neurological problems.
• Once bb can push up on his hands and knees, remove any toys that hang across the cot. When he can pull up, put the mattress in its lowest position to prevent him from climbing out.
• Check the cot to be sure that the mattress fits snugly. Avoid corner-post extensions and decorative cut outs in the headboard or foot board which could trap baby's limbs.
• Avoid curtains and blinds with cords, as dangling cords carry a risk of strangulation or tie them up out of your baby’s reach.
• Position the cot away from direct sunshine, windows, heaters, lamps and furniture which can be used to climb out of the cot.
• Put your bb to sleep on his back, with his feet at the bottom of his crib or cot, to decrease the risk of sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) or now commonly known as SUDI.
• Don't put a pillow in the cot as bb needs a surface that is firm and flat.
• Always keep the drop side of his cot up and locked before you leave the nursery.
• Keep toiletries such as baby lotion and wipes out of your baby’s reach.

Baby clothes Mega Sale for a GOOD cause

Sometimes after buying new bb clothes, our bb ended up not wearing them. This can be a BIG problem.
On one hand, you can't bear to throw them away, so you end up keeping them. On the other hand, you may end up giving away all the new clothes that your bb never gets to wear at all.

This goes on and on and trust me, by the time your child turns 5 years old, you may have already used up whatever, and however small the closet space and storage space you have for keeping your child's belongings.

Looking for used clothes to buy for your bb?

A denim Disney jumpsuit

A white Moose Kids jumpsuit

A red Jonjon Style Jumper

To see more, Click HERE

21st week Dearest Baby TK

25jan'11 - 31jan'11

141 days' old, you enjoyed playing rattles & tried to hold them tightly;
142 days' old, you enjoyed reading flash cards w Teacher E; napped 7h in total (ave to date 4.826h);

143 days' old, you visited the Jurong Bird Park with Grandmum, Dardy & Marmy for the first time;poo
144 days' old, you took 21.25oz or 603.8ml in total;
145 days' old, you are meeting your Uncle M & Aunt again and their little friend for the first time; gg for Parents Tea Session w Dardy & Marmy; napped more than 7h in total;
146 days' old, you are having Reunion Dinner with Granddad, Grandmum, jiu jiu & jiu mu;
147 days' old, you poo at 530p aft 51 hours;

20th week Dearest Baby TK

18jan'11 - 24jan'11

134 days' old, you napped more than yesterday; played peek-a-boo w Teacher D; slept while Marcus gor gor celebrated his birthday; Grandpa came to visit you
135 days' old, you pooed 2x; napped more than 6h;
136 days' old, Vera jie jie celebrated her birthday; area below your lips & neck are red and sore; Dardy bought 'jin yin2 hua' and use the boiled water to clean the affected area
137 days' old, you stayed at home w Marmy; affected area healed alot
138 days' old, you went to Granddad's place to stay; napped ~3h;
139 days' old, you napped 2h uninterrupted in the morn;
140 days' old, you are gg to the Jurong Bird Park w Granddad & Grandmum next week; pooed at 2p; napped 30min+40min+40min=110min (<2h) at Infant Care

Bb TK doing crunching exercise at 4m 1week old

Milestones chart 1-6m

Child's Age	Mastered Skills (most kids can do)	Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)	Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
1 month	Lifts head when lying on tummy Responds to sound Stares at faces	Follows objects briefly with eyes Vocalizes: oohs and aahs Can see black-and-white patterns	Smiles, laughs Holds head at 45-deg angle
2 months	Vocalizes: gurgles and coos Follows objects across field of vision Notices his hands Holds head up for short periods	Smiles, laughs Holds head at 45-deg angle Makes smoother movements	Holds head steady Can bear weight on legs Lifts head and shoulders when lying on tummy (mini-pushup)
3 months	Recognizes your face and scent Holds head steady Visually tracks moving objects	Squeals, gurgles, coos Blows bubbles Recognizes your voice Does mini-pushup	Rolls over, from tummy to back Turns toward loud sounds Can bring hands together and hold tightly
4 months	Smiles, laughs Can bear weight on legs Coos when you talk to him	Can grasp a toy Rolls over, from tummy to back	Imitates sounds: "baba," "dada" Cuts first tooth May be ready for solid foods
5 months	Distinguishes between bold colors Plays with his hands and feet	Recognizes own name Turns toward new sounds Rolls over in both directions	Sits momentarily without support Mouths objects Separation anxiety may begin
6 months	Turns toward sounds and voices Imitates sounds Rolls over in both directions	Is ready for solid foods Sits without support Mouths objects Passes objects from hand to hand	Lunges forward or starts crawling Jabbers or combines syllables Drags objects toward himself

you may like to check out milestone-chart-1-to-6-mth

For Bb TK,
he's mastered all the skills at 1m, and even the advanced skills for 2m; Mouths fist, an Emerging skill for 6m; Vocalizes: eeh
at 2m, he's doing alot of hands & leg punching-kicking movements; laughs loudly
at 3m, displayed all the signs for Mastered skills and Emerging skills, and Advanced skills except roll from tummy to back; stares/licks at clenched fists; bats at moving objects and people; Vocalizes: Emm
at 4m, flips 90 deg C on sofas; Plays with his hands, a Mastered skill for 5m

When to feed your baby solid food

Age: 4 to 6 months

Signs of readiness for solid food
Some clues to watch for

• Can hold head up (TK is able to do that very well at 3m)
• Sits well in highchair
• Makes chewing motions
• Shows significant weight gain (birth weight has doubled) (TK's birth wt doubled at 3m)
• Shows interest in food (TK stares at us when we're eating in front of him, sometimes he even swallow hard)
• Can close mouth around a spoon
• Can move food from front to back of mouth
• Can move tongue back and forth, but is losing tendency to push food out with tongue
• Seems hungry after 8 to 10 feedings of breast milk or 40 oz. of formula in a day (at 4m, TK is only taking 30oz in a day)
• Is teething

What to feed

• Breast milk or formula
• Semi-liquid iron-fortified rice cereal
• Other grain cereals like oats or barley

Guide to feeding your baby

Use this guide to find out what and how much to feed your child at every stage of development from birth to 12 months. (See toddler article for guidance on feeding children over 12 months.)

- don't have to introduce foods to your child in any particular order
- you may want to give your baby a taste of tofu at age 6 mths, even though it's recommended at age 8 mths
- it was once considered important to wait until age 1 or even age 3 before introducing highly allergenic foods like eggs, fish, and peanuts
- experts now believe that postponing these foods doesn't prevent food allergies.

Age: 0 to 4 mths

Feeding behavior

• Rooting reflex helps your baby turn toward a nipple to find nourishment

What to feed

• Breast milk or formula ONLY

Feeding tip

• Your baby's digestive tract is still developing, so no solid food for now

BPA ban in baby bottles?

We've been using baby bottles from the olden days. Parents then were not aware of BPA and its dangers.
We've used such bottles and we're fine now. So, why do we need to use BPA free bottles for our children?
Our parents, including ourselves do not know the harm that has been done, maybe we look fine but we can't say for sure.
Lookout for the next entry for BPA free baby bottles.

EU to ban BPA in baby bottles

Why won't baby eat baby food?

- if babies won't eat, mothers worry, get irritated, and even become depressed
- we know babies have changeable moods
- don't conclude baby dislikes a certain food
- try introducing it again a few days later, perhaps with a slightly different flavor, at a different temperature, or using a different spoon
- take an unhurried approach during weaning as you help your baby learn to eat solid food (never force down the food and alot of patience is needed)

19th week Dearest Baby TK

11jan'11 - 17jan'11

127 days' old, you are awake for 3h before falling asleep at 630a; you soiled all the gauze napkins at Granddad's place and had to wear disposable diapers at 630p (lasted for 9h)
128 days' old, you napped for the longest first time for 3h till 140p for feed;
129 days' old, you did 'crunch' as if ready to sit up on the sofa/bed when placed down for the first time; gg home after dinner w Dardy; Granddad & Grandmum worried /missed you very much but we'd stick to the plan; diaper lasted for >9h for the night on ave
130 days' old, you stayed home w Marmy alone for the first time this year; you did the 'crunch' again; Aunt Yee visited you w TL di di (first meeting w TL); Grandma came to visit & you 'screamed' when carried; pooed at 11p after 49h
131 days' old, you napped ; Grandpa came to visit you
132 days' old, you are gg Sun banking w Dardy & Marmy
133 days' old, you went to infant care and met 8 other little friends; you're the youngest there; pooed at 820p

Quotations

The problem is never how to get new, innovative thoughts into your mind, but how to get old ones out. ~ Dee Hock

I'm facing the problem of how to get the old existing things OUT of the house

before we can even consider introducing new stuff IN

I see bags of stuffs everywhere in the house

at every corner

And dust gathers in all the possible places

I am dusting the bed, sweeping the floor, doing the laundry, preparing lunch, trying to blog or check email

after TK is put to sleep

after he's fed
and planning to tidy the house
before TK is awake
before he needs to change diapers

19th week of motherhood

10jan - 16jan'11

- had glutinous balls as tea
- had veg sweet & spicy fish for lunch
- wet weather lately and this is the last weekend before sending TK to infant care
- slept so well last night, and Dad had to wake me up again to pacify TK while Mum went to prepare feed at 5am (heard his cries but thought I was dreaming)
- had veg dumplings & veg sweet & spicy fish for dinner
- watched the TV on 'Dream Potters' and Darling called to remind us to watch (Darling went home to dine w Ma; Pa bought us a new tap)

- woke up in the mid of night at dawn 4am to pacify TK while milk is on its way
- Mum I'm gg to make groceries w Mum alone
- Dad not feeling well (must be glutinous balls yesterday)
- Darling coming on Thurs to fetch us home (plan to pack the house and stuff for infant care next week)
- Bro gg to buy more formula milk & disposable diapers for infant care (a pack of M80 may be able to last for 2-3weeks; current stock of formula milk can last till mid Feb'11 after CNY)

-

Quotable Quotes

The years teach much which the days never knew. ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

I like to say, if you're the years, then I'm like the days

because whatever I had experienced you'll never, ever going to understand.

Similarly,

whatever you're going through or teaching

I would never, ever going to understand to its fullest

however hard we try.

So,

we can only improve

our own position

Quotations

To be beautiful means to be yourself. You don't need to be accepted by others. You need to accept yourself. Thich Nhat Hanh

Are you yourself today?

Well, me?

I don't need a comb to style my hair nowadays, and

I don't mind if others can't accept that

I don't shampoo my hair daily or

I don't take long bath (shower takes less than 10min) daily or

I don't brush teeth before I drink water when I wake up in the morning (that should be the correct way) or

I don't change my pyjamas daily unless soiled or

I eat the same kind of nutritious meals daily over and over and over again..

I wash & hang the clothes the way I do.

I am just

the way I am

You can call it 'Branding', and

this is my brand

Ee not Eeee

Quotable Quotes

Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new. ~ Albert Einstein

How true..I tried to do something very few, very few people dare to do..

you can call it new..

And I immediately realise words once uttered can't be taken back

A mistake is a mistake, and it was in mid 2009.

It was not acceptable.

It'll be remembered as long as my memory can function

To remind me not to make another similar one..

This year

I'll try someting new

To be a good mother, wife, daughter, daug-in-law, sister, sis-in-law..

many, many roles..

HApPy 4mth BirThDaY, LitTLE TK!

Happy Birthday..Happy Birthday..

Happy Birthday ...to.. you..TK

What makes a #1 confinement lady

1. She's very organised, and upon arrival, she'd go about organising the kitchen..including the 'storeroom' and after settling bb and us..she goes abt checking out the nursery, and by day 2, more or less settled..

2. she's got the schedule for bb and mum all in her heart: 6.45am wake up, 7am make breakfast, boil my bath water, bathe bb, feed bb, does laundry, make tea, does hshold chores, make lunch, feed bb, does chores, make tea, bathe bb, take shower, make dinner, feed bb..
In short, she makes sure I'm never hungry, as she say 'wind' will get into me if hungry, and she takes care of bb day-night.

3. her cooking is good fabulous and cos I've only vege food, she can cook whatever we have, and even suggest what we can buy, & remind us what to replenish. Heard frm my colleagues she can cook non-veg equally good..even their older children like her cooking, and very willing to share her recipe with them.

4. she'll take care of everything, generous and kind by nature..very simple, and I don't have to worry anything..only I seldom..hardly napped, she'd remind me to rest..to take my shower..to take my meals..my herbal soup, even ask me if i mind her answering HP while carrying bb..

5. doesn't eat much, and only like hot spicy food..makes sure i've got enough ginger..

6. doesn't nap during day..only recreation is watch TV drama serials

7. takes initiative to help out during bb 1st mth buffet bash..making the red eggs the night before, and in the kitchen, carrying and taking care of bb, cleaning up the whole place after everyone left..we were all so tired we didn't hear bb cry dat night..and even helped me to unwrap the presents..

8. reminded me to prepare bb new clothes to wear on 1st mth, change our bedsheets..and get me BIG pail of bath water to shower before bb 1st mth..

9. suggested my hubby to get me top quality 'chong cao' to provide nutrients for my body..and to get for bb necessities..we've overlooked..

10. she'll explain why she's doing things the way she does..so no misunderstanding..good comm. Eg. she closes bedrm door when sleep..not using gauze napkins before we bought the diaper liners.

11. open-minded. she does the washing the way I corrected her..not to use FUZZY, but use 'QUICK WASH' instead, saves water, time..

What to do during the weekends this Jan 2011?

This is something I've been looking forward to..something Darling suggested to bring Little TK along.
The 'Terry Fox Run' may be too crowded for us..
The workshops for children 5-10 yrs old will have to wait another 5-6yrs in the year 2015 or 2016.
so Darling decided to bring us to (to find out, Click 'Read More' below)

Alternatively, click the link below to find out more.
National Parks

Inspiring Life's Journey quotations

We live in the present, dream of the future, but learn eternal truths from the past.

~Lucy Maud Montgomery

18th week Dearest Baby TK

4jan - 10jan'11

120 days' old, you are able to flip 90deg C to your left since yesteday; pooed in the morning;
121 days' old, you are napping 4.325h daily on ave to date; you are 'caught' peeing 10x
122 days' old, you pooed 2x today; took more than 33oz in total; cried (screamed) loudly for reason unknown
123 days' old, you turn 4mth old as Grandmum turn 1 yr older; you are gg home after dinner;
124 days' old, you napped less than 4h; went to Little Grandaunt's place but only met Ah yi gor gor; had photo taken w Ah yi gor gor & you 'roared' when Marmy took photos again & again; 4th Grandaunt knitted a sweater for you
125 days' old, you are gg to stay stayed at Granddad's place for the last weekend before gg to infant care; you pooed at Granddad's place after 2 days (52h)
126 days' old, you wore the new sweater as the weather's cold; pooed after less than 18.5h; laughed so hard when Uncle D played w you even though you're sleepy

18th week of motherhood

3jan - 9jan'11

- school starts tomorrow for students
- Mum made organic sweet potato soup
- had veg fish & red spinach for lunch
- went to the shopping mall nearby and checkout the i/r for FD (max rtns for FD, deposit more than $50k for 36mth, it's 1.15% p.a.)
- rained heavily at around 2plus in the afternn
- Aunt L called and chatted while Mum fed TK (had ~2oz each feeding)

- gg to make groceries with Dad, Mum and TK in stroller if the weather's fine
- Mum gg to make groceries as Dad is feeling unwell with a shopping list I've made (only managed to buy one)
- TK got bitten by 'unknown' insect on his left arm
- Mum made white porridge for Bro
- Darling went to make groceries at Mela (bought a set of supplements) after work
- TK slept with me for the 1st time at Mum's place
-

- Mum made sweet potatoes-organic green bean soup
- had 'xian cai' & organic 'mian xian' for lunch
-

- TK turned 4mth old on Mum's birthdae
- Mum cooked broccoli w carrots & tomatoes, veg rendang fish, potatoes & veg soup, du zhong soup for dinner
- Darling coming to dine and we cut cake after Darling solo sang birthday song while clapping hands