Somewhere over the rainbow…

Preparing for Baby’s Arrival

I dragged my maid to The Store with me and bought a 5-tier drawers for new baby days ago. Then, I started digging out Justin’s old clothes and nappies from the boxes, busy arranging and folding them, before placing them nicely in the drawers.

I found out that I don’t have to buy new clothes for this new baby. She has a plentiful of old clothes from her brother and cousins, even if most of them already dirty, wore off somewhere, and miscoloured. I wonder if I’m not treating her well enough by not buying her new clothes as I only bought a set for coming back from the hospital, and another set for full moon. Maybe it’s really too less, have to shop for a few more during Mega Sales.

BTW, I’ve bought a car seat for her, it’s a red Halford. It’s about half of the normal price when I bought it during previous year end sales. Justin thought I bought it for me and wanted to sit in it, so I kept the car seat in the storeroom first. Well, Justin has to stick to his until he’s 25 kg first, then only we’ll buy a new one for him.

Mmm…other than those, I didn’t buy anything already. It’s so different expecting the 2nd baby, like not as anticipated as the 1st one. I’m eager to have her, but really didn’t know why there’s not much preparation this time.

Last time, I read a lot about pregnancy, breastfeeding, and baby care before Justin’s arrival. Very kan cheong. Hubby also anxious to see Justin’s scan during each check up. This time, I went for check up by myself sometimes, and even if hubby came along, he didn’t ask the goc to print to 2D scanned pic too. I didn’t read that much already, or probably Justin has occupied most of my time and I’m not as free as before for reading.

Hubby also used to read or sing to my tummy last time, but haven’t started for the second baby. Funny huh? Both of us wanted to have the baby at first, but like really not anxious at all. Or maybe we’ve become “amateur” parents we are more relax?

14 Months Old

After reading Zara’s mama’s, Jazzmint’s, and Jefference’s blogs about their little darlings’ development, I’m also gatal to write a thorough report on Justin’s milestone. I copy the format from Jazzmint (don’t mind ya?)
Here it goes:

14 months old

Physical growth

weighs: 10.0kg (weighted at 13 months old)
height: 80cm (before Chinese New Year)
teeth: 4 top, 4 bottom

Eating habit

Early morning feed (6 – 7am): 7 – 8oz of milk
breakfast: cereal / bread / biscuits / noodles, depends on what we’re having
lunch: rice with veges, fish, chicken; pasta with soup; porride with dishes
before afternoon nap (2-3pm): 7 – 8oz of milk
evening break (5-6pm): an apple / kiwi; some jackfruit / papaya / any fruits
dinner (6.30 – 7pm): rice with veges, fish, chicken; pasta with soup; porride with dishes
bedtime (9.30pm): 7 – 8oz of milk
midnight (depends on whether he’s waking up or not): 7 – 8oz of milk

He’s good at chewing and splitting out food he doesn’t fancy now. So, I have to “trick” him with raisins mixed with his food sometimes in order for him to finish his meal. BTW, he’s very sensitive to citrus fruits, if taken too much, he’ll have swollen face.

Social development
1. Only smiles and being carried by people he knows. He won’t take any food or toy offerred by strangers or people he doesn’t trust.
2. During a conversation, if the adults are laughing, he’ll pretend a laugh too, like he knows what we’re talking about.
3. Prefers to be carried by ladies, comparing to gentlemen.
4. Only be friendly to babies, toddlers, and kids he’s familiar with. If there’s a new kid in the house who’s playing with his stuffs, he’ll crawl to his obsession, grab it, and pull the poor fella’s hair or ears. Not a friendly host though… But once the terrifying kid being a regular visitor, he’ll be friendly with him.
5. Still stick to mommy most of the time, but is getting better being with other family members and kakak.

Speech development

ma: mommy
papa: daddy
popo: grandy
gongon: grandfather
kakak: maid
pek pek: hubby’s brother
unker: uncle
girl girl: dog next door
woof woof / dog: any dogs
ci en: chicken
ferrr: fish ( can’t pronounce “s”)
ummm: food / feed me
mmmm: going to poo
apple: this sounds very accurate
baba: banana
bike: motorcycle
bok: books, have to read to him every time he sleeps now
bear bear: teddy bear
cheh cheh: Xin Yi
Koh Koh: Li Wei
gof cup: golf club, his favourite toy
ball: for balls, balloons, anything round
ken ken: lattern, saw a lot during chinese new year
pak pak: scare, sometimes only pats his chest showing that he’s scare
er er (while patting his head): he’s in pain, but doens’t show which part, mommy has to find out
aughhhh: tiger / lion / elephant
ar: stars
bat: hitting golf balls, or making a swing
cho cho: his bolster, can’t sleep without it

He understands both Chinese and English when we talk to him, and still learning to pick up new words.

Physical development

1. Still prefers to crawl and cruise around. Yesterday, he unconsciously made 2 walking steps and sat down again
2. Likes to crawls upstairs
3. Climbs on anything he can reach, so have to be watchful
4. Can make a mini golf swing with his toy golf club (daddy’s been showing him how to)
5. Likes to scrabble with baby pencils on the paper (I don’t let him use normal pencils)
6. Knows how to keep his toys in the box, if we help him
7. Trying to spoon feed himself
8. Drinks from a cup
9. Still thumb sucking when he sleeps
10. Tries to dance and sing
11. Waves bye bye
12. Frowns when he’s unhappy, in pain, sees a stranger, etc
13. Points to places he wants to go, or at things he wants
14. Beginning to like books, and I have to repeat the same books over and over again during nap and bedtime. Dunno will spoil his eyes or not.
15. Will point to his tummy when he wants to pee, or most of the time we’re too late at attending to him, and he has wet his pants

Walker for Justin

Finally, I’ve decided to give in and bought a walker for Justin, after being bombarded with millions of comments by family members and strangers (mostly postman or the courier guy) that by not placing Justin in a walker earlier makes him slow at walking now.

Personally, I know it’s not true, from what I’ve read. That’s why I told my friends and relatives not to give me walker as gift when I gave birth to Justin, and I know that I won’t be using it.

But why am I buying it now? Well, Justin is getting heavier and more demanding during his evening walk. He’ll point to places he’d like to go, and wants me to carry him there. With a big tummy load in me, I really tak larat to carry him for too long. So, I place him in a stroller, and he’s very good at climbing out of it and standing up when I push me. I’m worrying that he’s getting used to it and may fall of the stroller someday.

So, I came out with this solution: Baby walker for him to explore outdoor while I’ll be watching closeby. Just in case he falls into the drain!

Too bad, he’s not really interested when I let him try it in the living room just now, even if there’re musical buttons for him to play with. He’d rather crawl or cruise to get around. Hubby’s in KL today, and have no idea that I’ve bought the walker. I think he’s gonna “lecture” me about this bad purchase I’ve made.

Flower Bath

Interested to know about my verdict on flower bath to cease Justin’s Teh Pao?

I bathed Justin with flowers twice before Chinese New Year, and he really became less clingy to me, but more attached to hubby. However, I changed the formulation of bathing with 7 different types of flowers to bathing with 7 hibiscus only. They’re the only flowers I could get at home as my neighbours sprayed some pesticide in his garden before CNY and most of our plants are near to his. Better be safe than sorry.

For the first two times, Justin didn’t want to bathe in the water. I think he’s confused why there’re flowers in the water, and kept taking out the flowers. See?

However, after staying a week in Penang with me only at my parents’ place, he became clingy again and refused to be carried by my maid or hubby. So, I decided to try the flower bathe again.

During his evening walk today, I took him around the garden and plucked some flowers. He was having a good time as he never knows that he can pluck those flowers! Hopefully he’s not doing this behind my back, if not my MIL will kill me!

After that, we washed the flowers and placed them in his mini bath tub. He was eager to go in and play with the flowers, while I decorated him with these 2 yellow flowers which I have no idea what’s the name.

Both of us were having a good time and Justin refused to come out from his tub.

Well, I went out for a while with my friend who’s back from Finland at night, and he sleep at MIL’s room first before I carried him back to my room when I returned. MIL said he’s doing fine, and didn’t cry for me. That’s effective enough.

Insomia

Like previous pregnancy, I can hardly sleep since I feel my baby’s movements in me. Unlike Justin who has a regular “kicking time”, this baby doesn’t show the pattern yet, and would just kick or move anytime when I’m in bed at night. I’m a light sleeper, so I can’t sleep whenever I feel her in me.

Now I look like a walking zombie as I can’t find much time to nap during the day, and not sleeping well at night. Gee, blogging at 5am, siao leh?

So, what can I do to knock myself off and sleep like a baby? I always tell myself that these sleepless nights are my training in taking care of the baby when she’s out. Well, last time Justin fed at 1.5 – 2 hourly day and night and I didn’t sleep much until he’s about 3 months old when he’s feeding at about 3 hourly after midnight. Since I’m determined to breastfeeding this baby too, I think my sleepless training is working very well. A bit too well…

Macam mana boleh tidur???

Home Sweet Home

Back from Penang and it’s great to have a long holiday doing nothing much besides “bai nian” and gathering with friends.

Justin had a great time too. He’s spoilt by my parents who couldn’t stop feeding him cookies, ice-cream, mandarin oranges, and lots of “kai-kai”. This time, I closed one eye and let they enjoy whatever they wanted. Normally I’d be stricter on junk food, and come to think of it, we adults also feed ourselves with junks and soft drinks during festive season, so I let go my principles for a while.

BTW, an update about my friend who had just delivered. I visited her yesterday, and she already QUIT breastfeeding. Well, I’ve done what I can to help her and provide her the reading materials and SOS to call when she needs help. It’s her choice of listening to her old folks about supplementing with formula and eventually quit. Frankly, I think she quit too soon, it’s really hard during the first few weeks, but the results of a healthy baby is all worthwhile. Anyway, I still wish her and her baby all the best in their new journey in motherhood.

Mmm…as for myself, I’ve almost ended my second trimester and only another 3 months to go. Really anxious about seeing my baby as her kicks and punches are stronger than ever. Yep, it’s a girl, and everyone said I can tutup kedai already since I’ll have a pair of 好. Having only 2 kids seems to be common these days, but I hope to have more if financially capable. Sigh, think about this after a few years lah, not easy taking care of Justin, and with another baby on the way, I’m also worried how well I’ll cope. Better take things slowly.