Monday, June 30, 2008

First foods

It's another milestone! Hao Ran is eating his first semi-solid food.

I found the following book very helpful.


They gave instructions on how to introduce new food to the baby, what kind, how much, when etc. It is quite an art. It also lists the kinds of food most people are allergic to and thus to avoid during the baby's first few months. The recipes are very clear and I'm really impressed that they can make every kind of puree look really appetizing.

Spinach puree

Banana puree


Frozen purees
(my friend told me this is not a good idea,
a friend of hers fed her baby frozen purees for 2 weeks
and ended up with food poisoning,
best to make food fresh every time)

And I'm skipping ahead to food for 9-12 months:
Imagine, Chicken and Avocado Delight!


According to the book, iron-fortified rice cereal is recommended as the first food for the baby, before starting them on the various types of vegetable purees and fruit purees. I found this available in our local supermarket (NTUC) and Hao Ran took his first semi-solid yesterday at Day 99 of his birth. He lapped up every bit, and the video shows him being fed the last spoonful this afternoon (Day 100).

Babbling

Saturday, June 28, 2008

Funny face!





You'll probably find me cute now, but in a few year's time, you'll tell me it's rude to make faces...
Geeheehee, I'd better make all the faces I want now...

Tuesday, June 24, 2008

Baby fever

Little Muffin Rinpoche went for his first dose of 5-in-1 vaccinations yesterday, against diphtheria,tetanus, pertussis, polio and Haemophilis influenzae type b (Hib).

Last night he started developing one of the side effects - fever. For the first time since mid-May, he did not sleep peacefully through the night, stirring every 1-2 hours. I was awake the whole night attending to him. Every time I picked him up from his bed, I could feel his little body warmer than usual. There was a sense of panic that arose within that took a while to settle.

His appetite reduced quite a bit; before he could drink 120ml of milk within 15 minutes, now just 60ml and he stopped drinking. We had to feed him his usual feed twice about 30 min apart. When a day passed and his temperature still remained higher than normal, I called my faithful best friend from secondary school and received very helpful advice from her.

She said, "If you are measuring temperature from the ear, if your child has temperature of less than 38.5 deg Celsius, there is no cause for panic. Take the infant paracetamol (goes by the name DHAMOL) as instructed by the doctor. Don't swaddle him or cover him with blankets to try to sweat him out, instead just let him wear loose comfortable breathable clothes."

"If temp goes beyond 38.5, it can be dangerous for the baby. Bring him to see the doctor immediately for another prescription. The ibuprofen liquid prescribed according to your baby's weight, will supplement DHAMOL, to bring down the temperature and you have to take both medications in conjunction, ibuprofen one hour after Dhamol. Ibuprofen helps with high-grade fever and Dhamol with low-grade fever."

"If you can't see a doctor yet and the temperature has risen above 38.5, start sponging him. That is, wipe his forehead, neck, arms and legs with a towel soaked with room temperature water. Let the water evaporate to bring down his temperature."

"The change from low-grade to high-grade fever can happen very quickly, and it can go unnoticed at night. So start filling up a schedule of people who can wake up to take his temperature every so often, every one hourly if need be."

"Make sure he drinks lots of water to bring down the temperature. If he does not like to drink water, than add a little ribena to the water for flavouring to encourage him to drink it."

I thought to post this if it helps anyone else.

As I was typing this, Hao Ran woke up and I picked him up from his rocker. For the first time in the past 24 hours, I felt his temperature normal. Double-checked with the thermometer and indeed it is back to 36.9/37.0! Bounced him with joy!!! Geshe Michael would call this instant karma! Hopefully the temperature stays down.

Newly recovered Hao Ran.
Photo taken right after his temperature measurement.

Sunday, June 22, 2008

Danke!


Sometimes this world is too full of stimuli. I need to rest from all the stimuli bombarding my system. Sucking on something is very comforting for me as a baby.


I'm so grateful for my very own dummy from Switzerland, from the Kalousek family. Danke, Markus, Edith, Nico and Michelle!


The onesie is too big for me currently, but I should be able to wear it in a couple of months' time. Mum is saving it for a big occasion, as she is very fond of anything red at the moment.

I hope to visit your beautiful country one day!
My mum misses the cool mountain temperatures, clean air and running streams, and sounds of cow bells. She misses having picnics with you on the mountain by the running stream with the cows. She is reminded of how beautiful your country is when you send her a calender of Switzerland every year. And of course, she misses being in your graceful company.


Monday, June 16, 2008

Letter to Rev. Ekan



Dear Rev. Ekan,

I think I look good in your present for me!

Even mum wanted to dress up like me!

Anyway, the occasion is that I get to go out of the house for a long trip...5 hours out of the house...I don't do this very often.

Today, I visited Dr. Agarwal. She is my doctor at the KK Women's and Children's Hospital, where I was born. Dr. Agarwal was pleased with my development it seems. She thinks I'm big for my age. I met a fellow baby boy at the clinic who is my size but an eight-month premmie. Mum thinks I will qualify to be in the national basketball team if I want to in the future. I am only one week shy of being three months old!!!

Anyway, I now weigh 6.0kg, am 58cm long (I wish I can say "58 cm tall" but I can't even hold up my head by myself yet, let alone sit or stand or walk), and have a head circumference of 50cm. This means that carrying me around takes more effort than carrying a sack of rice and mum can train her biceps. But it also means that I can no longer fit that cute little hat that I wore only once...boohoohoo...

Oh, I really enjoy my first trip on the public bus on the way back...! I slept most of the way, but I think it was a good experience. Hopefully grandma will let me get out more often after this.

That's all for now! Will continue to keep you updated with all the interesting happenings in my life!

love,
Hao Ran

Sunday, June 15, 2008

Happy Father's Day!!!





To all fathers and grandfathers, and great-grandfathers...!

For all the joy you have brought to your children, grand children and great grandchildren!!!

A very Happy Papa's Day!

Saturday, June 14, 2008

And a Moo Moo here...


And a moo moo here,


a moo moo there,

here moo,

there moo,


everywhere moo moo...



Thanks, Wan Leng Jie Jie, for the present!

Wednesday, June 11, 2008

Grandpa is funny!






Heehee...grandpa is so funny...he's making funny noises and funny faces at me...heehee...heehee...I love him so much!

Yawn!



Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Energy Balancing workshop



When I have a lot of gas in my stomach, it can be really uncomfortable and agitating. Sometimes my grandpa massaged an acupressure point below my knee called the Zu San Li 足三里. It helps to relieve my discomfort to some extent. I think I'm really lucky to have such a wise and tender grandpa.



I don't know much about acupressure points and energy flow, but my mum is inviting a special person from the States who does.



This beautiful person is going to give a weekend workshop on the Use of Meridians to Balance Energy Flow.

The dates are Saturday 12 Jul 3-5pm, Sunday 1-3pm and 4-6pm.



If you are interested, drop my mum an email at yatpeng@gmail.com
for more information!

Saying Hi!


Hi!


Nope, I'm not missing in action.
Just that so much has happened recently.


Made new friends.
You know Paddington came all the way from UK?
In someone's luggage in fact. Uncle Ofer's.
And Uncle Chii Shyang found him but it's another story.

I find my butterfly and caterpillar friends really fascinating.
They love listen to me chatter on.
Friends who listen attentively are the best!


Without friends, life can be pretty boring.

I also discovered new ways of falling asleep.



Mum adores this picture of mine.


Have to warn her when enough is enough.
Such a baby paparazzi she is.
Or maybe it's just me she's crazy about.

Bye for now!


Sunday, June 8, 2008

Life's Flavours




Sometimes we just have to take in life in whatever flavours it presents us...

Hopefully we can transform the experience or change it entirely...

Monday, June 2, 2008

Great Response to Life's Challenges!



Nope, this is not Hao Ran, with his hair dyed blond. :) Mia gave me a link to four babies (quadriplets) laughing together, and I got attracted to this one...wish I can learn to laugh at life the way he does...

Looking forward to seeing Hao Ran laugh for the first time... (books say around four months' old)

It's funny how we take smiling and laughing for granted...including holding up our head without it flopping over, knowing that the strange-looking thing waving within our vision is our hand, learning to aim our fist into our mouth instead of hitting our cheeks or chin, learning that it is a better pacifier than a dummy since it is always with us, amongst other things...