Little Jen's First Book

Hubby and I both enjoy reading a lot. So, I am thinking that my Little Jen will enjoy reading as well. So, we bought him Bedtime Stories and Rhymes.

Of course at the age of 11 months old, he can see neither see anything familiar on all the pages in the book, nor can he relate them to things he sees in his daily life. 

Still, he enjoys flipping the pages of the book, excited with the way the pages turn. I have tried reading to him but he does not have the patience to even wait for me to finish a short rhyme. He wants to enjoy things the way he likes - By flipping, pointing at certain pictures and shouting, "Arrgh!!!" as if he just discovered something really interesting (*smile*).

He had the books for weeks and one fine day, as I thought I could trust him not to tear the pages, he tore one and shouted happily. What an achievement!



Oh what to do.. This is Little Jen a.k.a. Little Disaster. Will just buy him another book when he is older then.

Little Jen - Teething Issue

I have been eyeing Little Jen's gums since the time I found the new molar tooth sprouting. It seems like his gums are swollen especially those near his 3 bottom incisors. Tried to offer him his Avent Stage 3 Teether but he only bit on the fish shaped teether for a while and then totally forgot about it. 

Little Jen's New Tooth at 11 Months Old

Yeah! Finally, what a long wait! Waited for Little Jen's next tooth to appear after his last of the 7 teeth appeared when he was 7 months old. We waited for more than 4 months for one of his molar tooth to grow out of his gums. It is one of the top molar tooth.

Just in case you have lost touch with the school lesson on types of teeth we have, can refer to the below picture from Tooth Growth and Development:

Little Jen has 7 of his Incisors out already. The Canines have not appeared yet and now, he has his first Molar out. Hopefully the rest will follow soon so that Little Jen can get a taste of real solid food.

I also found from Wikipedia on the growth pattern of Deciduous Teeth (aka Baby Teeth) and it says that babies usually have their incisors within 6-16 months of age and then canine teeth within 16-23 months. Their molars will appear when they are 13-33 months old.

Interesting to know that my Little Jen is teething well.

The Search for Little Jen's 1 Year Old Birthday Cake

I am searching high and low in the internet for that special cake for Little Jen's 1st Birthday in July. Found Cakes by Jo which is really interesting with all the beautiful customised designs and personal touch. BUT too bad, she is fully booked until August 2011 already.

There are of course some other online home-made cakes but I am not too confident that the cakes will turn out as well as desired and be mouth-watering.

Then, I thought, why not I bake on my own. May be ugly but at least it is speciallu Mummy-made cake. BUT again, I do not have an oven, mixer and other cake-making utensils. Will have to KIV this until I have  my own little dream kitchen.

Maybe I will shop around with Hubby for cakes nearby .. maybe a Jelly Cake from Jelly Cake House which is conveniently 5 minutes away from home or maybe the usual cake chain store, Tong Kee Bread and Tart Cake House in Connaught or maybe Secret Recipe. Since Little Jen does not know how to speak for himself on the type of cake he wants, I will be the decision maker (*wink*).

Most probably some nice Cheese Cake.. Yummy..

Little Jen - Not sleeping well at night

I am really grateful to have Little Jen sleeping soundly every night before midnight. He will then still get up at about midnight, 3AM and then 6AM before greeting me with a dazed look in the morning.

Last night, he cringed at about midnight, then few times more till it was slightly pass 2AM. I just hoped that he would fall back asleep on his own. However, he cried and cried and then coughed and by that time, I was sitting up, watching him already. He suddenly vomited and then cried loudly in fear. He was frightened, I carried him up so that he would not choke, comforted him, wiped him clean and then, made sure he slept soundly again. He woke up a few times again shortly and cried before passing out some gas. I was agitated but Hubby said that he must be feeling unwell and just needed some comforting.

In the morning, his poop was again greenish and thick liquid-like, similar to last night's. Might be that he was having diarrhoea and that caused him to have very gassy tummy last night. Poor Little Jen and of course, poor Mummy, hopefully, tonight he will sleep better (*smile*).

The Gift Of Metta - Loving Kindness

I am passing on this gift of Metta to my Happy Hubby and Little Jen.

May peace and joy be with you both always, my loved ones.

Letting go of your baby

Once I met a wise man and he told me, "You must have great karma since you are in this world in perfect form, looking radiant and well-spoken." Then he asked me, "How much do think your parents contributed to your well-being now?". It was difficult for me to answer as I knew that I would very much like to answer - EVERYTHING. The usual answer will be without them, I will never be here where I am.

However, I have learnt a little about karma, reincarnation and etc.. I am reincarnated because I have my attachment to life, I just have something that I cannot let go of. So, in Buddhism sense, it is not because of my parents.

Then, why am I living the life I have now with a loving Hubby and a perfect Little Jen? Again, this is the law of cause and effect. Because I must have done something good in my past life that I who I am now, reincarnated as a human with all loving and kindness surrounding me and above all, loads of chances to do good deed to gain more good karma.

He is right by saying that my parents breathed life into this physical body and brought me into this world but everything is an effect of my own doings. My parents could have done many things to change me to make me a 'better' person but eventually, my karma will rule over my life.

I can only bring up my Little Jen with all the love I have but it is up to himself to carve his life pathway. I do not own Little Jen and I can do everything I can to provide for him but his own karma will decide the person he will be in future.

Nonetheless, of course, parents are your God at home and when you think of it that way, you will learn to respect them and treat them with love and kindness. I do hope but I cannot demand that Little Jen will be as grateful.

Tinted Window Film - For UV-proof windows

In the past 2 years, I have been working with my laptop sitting right next to a window. Unable to move into the room although it is temptingly cooler and cosier in there as there is just not enough room for another table. No choice, I have to live with the window during the day come rain or shine.

Just a few months back, I realised that the pigmentation on my face had darkened a lot and oh, there were also freckles on my right shoulder, the side most exposed to the harsh sun rays. Poor me.. and I complained to Hubby.

Now I am determined to take better care of myself before things get any worse. So, I am applying sunscreen everyday before sun rises and re-apply after lunch break. Alright, I never applied sunscreens before this thinking that I could get away since I was not going outdoor.

The next thing now, I am planning to get the windows tinted with 99% UV resistant films! I called and emailed a few companies including one in Seri Kembangan. The lady in the particular shop actually laughed when I told her I wanted to tint my window with total surface area of not more than 15 sq ft. She suggested I buy the films and ask someone to help install it. Well, if I knew how or had my own contacts, why would I ask to include the installation fees. Nevertheless, she has given me the rough cost estimation.

Without installation - ~RM250
With installation - ~RM450!!!

Another replied my email directly saying - We do not provide films and installation for 15 sq ft.

Okay.. so, I guess, unless if I learn how to install on my own, I am not going to get anything UV-proof (@.@). Maybe, I should re-consider getting a blackout curtain then...

When will my baby start walking?

I have been asking in Online Forums and also whenever I meet up with any young parents or speak to any on the phone - How old was your child when he/she started walking without support?

So far the earliest I heard was about 8 months old and this lady told me that her friend bragged about it to her when her daughter was only able to walk by the time she was about 12 months old. She however told me that once when she consulted the Paediatrician, he told her that it is no use forcing a child to walk. The leg muscles may not be strong enough to hold their own body weight and this can cause more harm than good.

Once I asked another friend of mine on the phone. He immediately claimed that his son was a late bloomer as he only started walking without support by the time he was 17 months old. However, he then recognized my concern and mentioned that he was not even worried when his son was only able to turn himself at about 7 months old, which was also quite late. What a great father he is, I could sense it. He advised to be patient and when babies are ready to walk, they will and soon, you will be running after them. "No need to ask any other people and compare cause every baby is special."

He told me that his wife had a colleague who had always checked with his wife whenever the baby started to achieve something new. It seemed like a frequent reminder of how slow his baby was. The lady was telling her that her son was able to eat this by this age and crawl by the time he was 4 months old and walk by the time he was 7 months old. It sounds so much like a miracle that you can expect the Mummy to tell you next time that the son is already flying!

After speaking to some parents, well, my Little Jen is not slow at all. He is just being very very cautious not to fall down = Smart boy! (*Laugh*). 11 months  old already able to walk 3-4 steps without support.. what else can I ask for (*smile*).

Little Jen is 11 Months Old

Little Jen turns 11 months old yesterday and we are all really looking forward to his very first birthday.

In the past 11 months, he had shown tremendous growth mentally, physically and of course, emotionally as well. He still does not know how to stand and walk without support now. However, I am in no rush as I believe that he will know how to when the time comes. Without any support, he can take a staggering 3 steps and stand for about 5 seconds at max.

Teeth-wise.. The same, he still has 7 teeth and the rest have not sprouted yet. Nonetheless, he is already taking in a lot of solids like porridge, bread, biscuits and his favourite - fruits. With only 7 teeth, I have already bought him a tiny toothbrush for him to toy around.

His weight is about 9kg now, nowhere near 10 yet but since he is within the healthy weight range, it is okay although he has not put on much weight for the past few months.

He is not used to being with my own parents and when I leave him at home while I run some errands outside, he will start fussing and crying all the time. Once recently, he actually stopped crying and according to my Mum, he suddenly seemed to thought of some great idea and started scrambling up the staircase. However, when he was on the first floor, he started crying out loud again. Buzzy Mummy knew what Little Jen was trying to do. He thought of climbing upstairs so that he could find Mummy. He does that a few times a day when he wants to see Mummy at home. I am working from home and I work upstairs whereas he is always downstairs with my Mother-In-Law. It is such an amazing feeling to know how much he appreciates Mummy (*smile*). By the way, trying to teach him some sort of emotional independence and this proves how much he has developed mentally.

Buzzy Mummy thinks about Little Jen every second she is away as well. Love..

Infant Dies After Choking on Own Vomit

KUALA LUMPUR: A six-month-old baby girl died after she choked on her own vomit at her home in Bukit Angkasa.

Brickfields Deputy OCPD Supt Aidah Abdul Hamid said police were alerted after the infant’s elderly baby­sitter brought her in to Universiti Malaya Medical Centre around 1.30pm on Friday.

“Rania Batrisya suffocated after she regurgitated her food and the babysitter rushed her to the hospital. The infant died around 4.30pm on Saturday,” she said, adding that police had classified the case as sudden death.

Supt Aidah also said that a post-mortem carried out yesterday confirmed that the infant died of asphyxia and ruled out foul play.

When met at the mortuary, the infant’s grandmother, Ramlah Baba, 63, said she last saw Rania alive on Saturday.

“After Rania was born, my daughter Radiana Rais, 37, only trusted me to take care of her,” she said.
Ramlah said she stopped taking care of Rania about a month ago as she had to go back to Malacca to take care of a sick relative.

Source: Infant Dies After Choking on Own Vomit

Food You Crave for During Pregnancy = Food Your Baby Enjoys Very Much

My auntie once told me that whatever I crave for when I was pregnant would be more or less the stuff that my Little Jen would like later. I ate apple and avoided oranges during pregnancy. The fruit that I must have every week is banana! I liked papaya too. Right before my delivery, I craved a lot for Durians! Just in time to have a few before I went into confinement.

I avoided eating pork as the taste just put me off. However, I liked chicken and amongst all the dishes at the table, I would attack mainly the vegetables. All vegetables except turnips, white carrots and similar carrot-like vegetables.

And, yes, my Little Jen has similar likings and dislikes. However, this is not entirely true as he likes to have pork in his porridge too, at least he does not reject it totally like me during pregnancy. Babies do not usually enjoy vegetables but yes, he likes vegetables. No rejections at all and he especially loves to eat fruits.

So, verdict on this is partially true.

My First C-Sect Experience

Alright, I delivered via C-Sect under with a really heavy heart. It was really unexpected when the Gynae asked me if I would like to opt for C-Sect since tomorrow would be my due date and baby was more than ready to greet the world. If I did not go for C-Sect, I would have to go back to the hospital for an hour of monitoring every 2-3 days interval. I would have to lie down with all the weird sticky antennas sticked on my tummy. Those things sent some signals to the monitoring equipment everytime the baby moved, when there were contractions and of course, the baby heart beat as well.

I eventually considered C-Sect as my own mother, my mother in-law both told me that it was normal to have C-Sect nowadays despite the fact that both of them delivered naturally. Well, understood that both were really looking forward to meeting their grandson in person especially since the pregnancy dragged till the very day before the expected due date.

Eventually, I started searching for dates and what the chinese calendar said about delivering on 07 July 2011 and the best time and etc.. Set and I called the Gynae, made the appointment so simply like making an appointment to see the Dentist. Had a good Kim Gary dinenr with Hubby. IT FELT LIKE TOMORROW MIGHT BE THE END FOR ME.. since I would be lying on the operating table and cut apart to make way for my Little Jen.

The next morning, I told Hubby what I would want if anything happened to me. He looked nervous too.

I told the Nurses that I wanted my Hubby to be with me during the operation. They wheeled me to the 'waiting room' and gave me some shots. Then, they wheeled me into the operation theatre, made me sit up, hugged a pillow, poked a needle through my back and that was it. I started to feel numb from my waist downwards. They made me lie down again and draped a cloth in front of me, cutting my view from my legs.

They pulled both my hands to so that both were 90 degrees from my body and strapped on more equipments i.e. to monitor my blood pressure and heart beat. Then, I could feel something done down below, should be the urine tubes.

Finally, my Gynae came in and then he started to ask me if I could feel anything down below. I was half awake and asked for Hubby. Someone came in and touched my forehead. He was draped in green like the rest of the nurses and doctors. I thought he was my Anesthetist. Realising that his eyebrows were too bushy and too familiar, I looked again, and there, he was my Hubby.

The Gynae started asking -  Can you feel anything? No pain? No pain.. No pain okay..

The next thing, He asked Hubby to stand up and looked over the draped cloth. The water was slightly yellowish and the Gynae told him that Little Jen had passed motion in the womb. Ops, I heard that and I got worried. I waited to hear my Little Jen crying and his first cry was heard soon after.

A while later, I could see his chubby thighs as the Nurse carried him to the little cubicle. Warm tears flowed down my cheeks and I tried my best to control my feelings but it was just too indescribable. Hubby wiped my tears gently and whispered into my ears, "Now that I see Little Jen, it feels so weird, all of a sudden, we have a son."

After that precious moment, everything became blur and I was so drowsy, I could only hear the Doctor and Nurses talking but I just could not peel my eyes open. Looking forward to meet Little Jen in the recovery ward later.. (*smile*).