Kimmy and Julie :: Family Journal

“Olympic Baby” @ 10 Months

Olympic Baby? Quite exaggerate huh? Cause Jonathan boy was born on 8th October, so today is the 8th of August and it marks the beginning of 10 months’ milestone…and it’s the opening of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. So this day should be a great day!

This is our lovely Jonathan boy.

This little one of ours (not so little anymore), instead of learning to nod his head, he has learned to shake his head vigorously. At first we couldn’t figure out what makes him shake his head but later discovered that he will only do it when he is happy or excited. If you watch the video on his Choo Choo Train ride, you will notice it at the end of the video.

He is adding new vocab to his babbling. Yup, still babbling and yet to utter any word that we could understand. I think he will call Daddy first ’cause it’s easier to pronounce “Pa-pa” than “Ma-ma”. That will be great cause he will call for Daddy and leave the Mommy free at last!  *grin*

July month was not a good month for Jonathan boy as he was down with fever, flu and cough due to the renovation work of our house and since last Thursday, he has been passing motion (not watery but loose stool) for 3 - 4 times a day. Good thing there’s no fever and vomiting but poor boy’s butt become reddish. Brought him to see the paed and it could be due to food poisoning. Pray for a good month ahead.

And not forgetting to mention, today is 2 weeks after the 1st Anniversary of my first post in our Cyberhome about our pregnancy and parenthood journey with Jonathan boy. Such a great joy having two most important person in my life, Darling and Jonathan. We give praises to our Great God!

Choo Choo…. I’m riding on a train

Video will take some time to load.

Jonathan starts to love this kind of rides. This is him at 9 months old.
The face impression he shows when the train stops is so original. Cute and naughty, especially when he starts to shake his head at the end of the video.

How It Is Made

This is how Jonathan boy’s porridge are cooked.

I have the Magic Saver Cooker (MSC) from Cosway and a ceramic pot. The MSC comes with a inner stainless steel pot (to cook the food) and insulation pot (to warm the food).  

Jonathan boy is having two feedings of porridge each day so I just have to prepare once and it can last till evening (still warm) using the MSC.

Step 1: To come out with two feedings of porridge, I put in 3 milk powder scoops of rice with 3 x 4oz of water in the ceramic pot.  I’m giving him unpolished brown rice as the content of nutrients is better than polished rice.

Step 2: I’ll make sure I always have at least two types of vegetables of different colour. My favourite mix is pumpkin and broccoli because pumpkin gives the sweetness and broccoli gives him the vitamin C and folic acid and the easiest to prepare. I just need 2 - 3 florets of broccoli without having to chop finely. As for pumpkin, I’ll grate it otherwise I can cut into cubes. Just put the florets of broccoli and grated pumpkin into the ceramic pot. Sometimes, I’ll add 2 cubes of chicken meat, fish, pork or scallops.

Step 3: Put the ceramic pot into the inner pot of the MSC and fill the inner pot with water.

This is called the double-boil method. Bring it to boil then simmer on low fire for 45 mins.  With the lid still covering the inner pot, transfer it to the insulation pot. Do not open the insulation pot until feeding time so that the porridge can continue to cook on its own till soft.

So here’s the outcome and greatness of the MSC.

I prefer to cook this way compared to slow cooker as this is faster and energy saving. Each morning, I just need 5 - 10 minutes to prepare the porridge ingredients. Then leave it to simmer while I bath and change to get ready for work. Before I leave for work, I just turn off the fire and transfer the inner pot to the MSC. It’s so easy and hassle free.

I Adore My Cry Baby…

I just love to make him pout and cry because that expression and looks of him is so cute to me just as his heart-melting smile. Since born, he dislike bathing or changing. He will cry and yell…it’s really scary as though he’d got beaten. It was not because of cold water or hungry baby. In fact I fed him full before his bath time. It was a mystery where nobody can answer. Good thing my MIL (Jonathan’s caregiver) can bear with it. It got better gradually when he was 3 months old whereby he will only struggle and cry a little occasionaly when washing his hair. But suprisingly on his full moon, he did not cry at all. Probably he knew that it is an eventful day and I’d been telling him to behave well.  But now, he loves bathing. He loves the shower head. He will whine and cry if I took it away from him. *Headache* 

When I leave him in the cot or on the floor playing with his toys alone, he will yell and cyr. Separation anxiety, I guess. When he really get scolded, he will cry sniffingly. He gets frightened easily by even a moderately loud sound.

When he is tired and napping time, he will whine for his pacifier. I love to pull it away from his mouth cause he will whine and cry. Again…I love to see his expression especially his mouth. Evil Mommy, huh?

p/s: Ann, fyi, he didn’t cry when I pretended crying in front of him. He just blurly staring at me.

My CG members and friends commented that he is such a good boy because he don’t simply throw tantrums and could sit on the high chair throughout meals. Perhaps it’s because we know how to keep him quiet by stuffing food in his mouth. :P  After all, he is actually a well behaved but demanding baby.  Most importantly, I always pray that he will keep real quiet in church, during the sermons especially.

I used to bully my nieces and nephews whenever they cry for their mommy…”I want my Mommy!”  And now, my son is doing that. He has yet to utter those words but he has started to reach out his hand demanding for me to carry. Yesterday night, I was busy cleaning my house after the renovation. My cry baby woke up and was crying for me. No matter how hard Darling pleases him, he wouldn’t stop crying. Until when I walk in to the room, he stoped crying immediately and reaching out to me. As usual…my jealous big baby, Darling commented, “He only wants you! “

That’s my adorable cry baby…I hope it is just a phase and that he will grow up to be an independent boy.

Jonathan…9 Months

I woke up from bed yesterday, looked at my watch…it’s 8th of the month. Gosh, another month had sailed through but so little pictures of Jonathan we had captured. Let’s see what are the highlights of the month.

He is 9.6kg now. At 8.5 months, Jonathan is able to stand unaided…his record so far was 10 seconds. But he still needs something to support him up, then he’ll start to show his stunt by letting go his hands steadily, smiling at his audience expecting some cheers and finally, drop down on his buttock. But yesterday night, instead of sitting down on his buttock, he jump upfront. He repeated the same act every time we make him stand and definitely enjoying it. Good thing it was on the bed. I hope he won’t do it on the solid floor.

He is getting more demanding. He must have what he wants. He loves our mobile phones so when we refuse to give him, he will cry.

One night, he bit my nipple when he wanted to hook on to my breast. I have warned him and pat his cheek softly many times not to do it. It was a quick reflex that I beat him harder on the cheek and he cried this time. Thereafter, he refused to suck even though I apologized and cuddle him until I had no choice but to force him to suck. Thank God, he finally accepted my breast. After this incident, he is more gently. *Slap head*

In the earlier two posts, Jonathan had his first fall then fell sick recently…getting better today. Get well soon, my little sick baby.

On an unrelated update, some renovation is going on in my house, at the kitchen, utility room, stairs and car porch. It looks like a major renovation because my house is full of dust, no facility to cook and wash our laundry. I’m blessed to have my sister living next door. She lend me her kitchen to at least cook porridge for Jonathan boy every morning and boil water. We have to eat out every meal and send our laundry to the dobby. Most of our time were spent in our bedroom (that is the cleanest place so far).

But overall, I’m looking forward to the new kitchen and utility room. The most important space for a woman is always the kitchen. Why the utility room? Cause I plan to set up a condusive study/working place for Darling and a more child proof playing area for Jonathan. Setting them up one step at a time…

First Fall…Ooopps!

Jonathan boy has been sleeping with us on our bed since many months ago as I find it so comfortably-lazy breastfeeding him while lying on the bed. Then both of us will be in our dreamland after that. Each morning then, I’ll wake up early to prepare his porridge leaving him on the bed with Darling.

On Wednesday morning, while I was preparing his porridge in the kitchen downstairs, suddenly I heard a loud stomp and immediately followed by a loud cry. I knew what had happened and quickly rush upstairs. True enough, Jonathan boy fell down from the bed. How did it happened?

Well, I didn’t realised that Jonathan boy awaken the moment I left the room. Darling was sound asleep so he did not realised it as well. As usual he loves to grab the cock shaped alarm clock on the side table. I guess when he was trying to reach out for the alarm clock, he lost his balance and fell head down from the bed. His forehead touched the floor but both his leg were hanging in the air leaning against the bed. There was a slight bump on his forehead only but his upper lip were swollen and the inner lip bled a little.

I was so afraid that he may not be able to eat so I try to breastfeed him. Thank God, he was fine. It’s not that he had never fall before…those are minor fall which are part and parcel of growing up but this is falling from another level of height. We have been very careful all these while when putting him on the bed and I always remind myself never ever let him fall. I guess I always take it for granted that it’s ok to leave him on the bed since he is looks sound asleep and Darling is sleeping beside him.  I’m so sorry, Jonathan boy. Mommy would be more careful next time.

Jonathan…8 Months

Jonathan boy reached the 8 months milestone 2 weeks ago. Have been quite busy recently due to work.

Here are some photos of the cheeky one…

He will greet us with big smile and grin when he sees us at the door step upon returning home from work.

He can crawl on all four now but still prefers combat crawl.  Helps me to mop the floor though. He loves to crawl to the dining table and chairs and then get stuck between the legs of the chairs/table.

Occasionally, he knows how to show gesture of bye-bye by opening and closing his fist when I lift up his hands. Sometimes, he will ask for things by opening and closing his fist. While we are dining, I broke pieces of biscuits on his bowl to train his pincer grasp and he’s doing very well. It also ended up cleaning biscuits dropping on the floor.

He loves to babble (especially when he’s angry) but yet to call “Da-da” and “Ma-ma”.

Unusually, his upper lateral incisor on the left erupted first then the central incisor. Funny. Soon the other three upper incisor will be apparent as it has started to erupt half way thru. Two at the bottom remain standing strong. No pic to show here as he dislike people touching his mouth, nose and eyes. But he stood still when I’m cleaning his ears.

What to watch out for in the days to come…? Standing unaided at least for few seconds which sometimes I can see him attempting to do. And of course calling “Da-da” and “Ma-ma”!

First Encounter

We were in Penang (Jonathan’s Er Yi’s house) few weekends ago. Took the opportunity to see Jonathan’s reaction towards the pool water. Guess, the pics says it all…

We made a mistake.  We were too eager to put him in the water so the moment his little toes felt the cold water, he screamed immediately and resisted it. Moreover, it was his sleeping time so he wasn’t in a good mood.

He is too cute when he cries so that’s the reason why I love to make him cry at times. Watch his mouth… Bad mommy, huh?
We cooled him down then we tried to put him on the baby float to see if he can paddle on his own. Again, he screamed. So he is afraid to be left alone. Looking at him crying, Mom insisted to stop putting him in the water so that he won’t get phobia to the water. On the contrary, I didn’t want to give up. Being a kiasu mom, I must make sure that Jonathan boy can swim very well like his Gong Gong and Shi Yi Zhang because both Darling and I cannot swim. What a shame…

After a few try, see…he enjoyed playing in the water, splashing so hard. Must set up the big pool at home one day…

And here…my lovely niece, Jean Suen loves the water but dislike being pushed to the middle of pool. As usual, the naughty Wu Yi (me) ask her Papa to push her to the middle of pool and left her there, alone. She cried and keep yelling, “I want Mommy, I want Mommy”.

Credit goes to my little sis for capturing such a wonderful moments.

Jonathan…7 Months

A follow-up from my post on Jonathan’s 6 months milestone, I would say it’s never too soon for babies to achieve new act. Jonathan boy can now sit up by himself from a crawling position. No signs of him crawling on all fours although he tend to lift himself with the support of his palm and feet. He is very good in combat crawl so now he will move around the living hall and at times got stuck underneath the stand fan or dining table. He is able to pull himself up with a support like sofa, baby cot, our legs but he don’t know how to sit back down on the floor yet. It surprises me when he does that as I thought this would only come next month.

So far, I’ve only given him cereal, apple, carrot, potato and porridge with fish. I’m doing it very slowly, giving him new food one at a time. He is gaining weight well so I guess I don’t have to be too eager and also due to his previous health condition.

Jonathan boy is very sticky to me probably because I’m still breastfeeding him so he knows mommy can always satify him. When others is carrying him and if sees me, he will be whining for me. Darling always say, “See…he wants you only.” Haha….Darling is being jealous. Nowadays, he disallowed us putting him in the baby cot. Probably he knows we are going to leave him playing alone so he cry for our companionship.

And he is definitely a demanding baby. When he can’t reach for the things he wants, he will whimper. If you snatch take away things in his hand, he will cry. I tried to teach him to play stacko and he refused because he didn’t want to let go the stacking block in his hand. I hope he has not learnt selfishness. Gotta teach him to share now.

You see…this boy dislike sitting on a potty. Another headache…

I’m Sorry, Son…

Jonathan boy cried yesterday night again. He could have a reason for crying but I just could not understand it yet.

Yesterday, I put him in his baby cot with the pacifier in his mouth. I pat him to sleep. He lied down quietly while gazing at me. After a while, he started to twist and turn, rubbing his eyes against the soft bed and there it came, the whining and crying. Whenever he cries, he opens his mouth and of course the pacifier fell off from his mouth then he cries even louder. I’ll pick up his pacifier and stuff back in his mouth. When he rejected it, I’ll give him some water. He’ll suckle a while then cry. I gave him the pacifier again but he still cried, then I gave him water but he still cried. I sing to him but that would not calm him down either (not that I have a bad voice, at least better than Daddy). At times I’ll just let him cry to see if he’ll get tired and stop crying. Guess I’m wrong…because he won’t stop crying.

Being a stubborn wife and mother, Darling will pester me to pick him up from the bed. I’m reluctant because I don’t want Jonathan to get used to carrying to sleep. But hearing and looking at him crying (until sniffing) and especially at night (my mom always advise me not to let baby cry too much at night), I have to pick him up. He will stop crying sometimes but still sniffing. After talking sense to him nicely (i.e. It’s already late, Mommy have to work tomorrow. Jonathan is tired, just close your eyes and sleep. Mommy put you down on the bed. Mommy is here, mommy will pat you to sleep and sing song to you. Ok, you don’t like Rock-a-bye, Mommy sing Twinkle Twinkle.) I put him down. Before his back touches the bed, he started crying again. The whole cycle go on and on. Pacifier…water…pat…sing…pick up…put down…cry…

He really tested my patience and only Darling knows how impatient I am. It’s already midnight. I just couldn’t bear with his nuisance so I spanked him on the buttock again. He knows it’s painful that he cried even louder. I made him looked at me straight on the face and lectured him. He knows mommy is scolding him so showed his “tut-tut” mouth.

Every time after I spanked him (only on his buttock or chubby hips) due to his mommy-cannot-understand act, I felt bad the next morning when I sit beside the baby cot looking at him sleeping so soundly, caressing his innocent face, stroking his head. I just wish for a supernatural brain to read his mind and understand his needs.

Jonathan boy, Mommy is sorry for making you cry. Mommy pray for Lord Jesus to teach me to be more patience with you and give me the wisdom in understanding you.