Is this tv cool or what...:)

I guess this website is not only about BB but also the things that happen around daddy & mummy's daily lives. hahaha

We recently got another tv -22 inch Sony Bravia tv... the daddy likes technology related products, like the television and computer-related stuff. The thing is that this amazing HD ready TV (they do not have a full HD TV in that size) can be plugged into the computer as well and it looks really clear. We can use this as a computer for our internet connection which is rather cool. I guess daddy may want to also use this to watch re-runs of Lord of the Rings or any Star Trek shows without disturbing mummy as she reads her books... I also love such shows, but just saying that he can do more with one more techy product in the house. :) Oh yes, daddy can feed baby while watching the tv as well in the comfort of his bedroom. hahaha

I think the specs are just nice for daddy:
Sony� BRAVIA� L-Series HDTV delivers 720p picture quality in a 22� screen size making it perfect for a kitchen, bedroom, or dorm room. Enjoy High Definition channels as a result of its built-in ATSC/NTSC tuner. An MPEG noise reduction circuit helps improve picture clarity while a fast panel response produces crisp, clear images. Equipped with an HDMI� port, the BRAVIA 22� L-Series HDTV also allows you to connect a Blu-ray Disc� player, a DVD player, a PC, or other video source.

Me-time for mums

BB's daddy went for men's conference today... Well, that leaves me the mummy to look after baby... Which reminds me of this show that features dads looking after baby at home, while mums go out to have some 'me-time'. Me-time for mums are important, especially if mums look after their babies most of the time. It is important to have time-off especially for SAHM (Stay at home mums).

Well, mummy can go out and go shopping, manicure, pedicure, facial, catch up on a cuppa of coffee/tea with their galfriends, do their hair or just do their favorite sports and have time off from their kids. It can be crazy for the mum especially when in the past, the mum goes out to work. Now that she looks after baby or just even work in the day and look after baby at night, it can seem like the mum doesn't seem to feel she has a life of her own anymore. It is not that mummy doesn't want baby anymore, but it is important for mummy to have time-out for a while, probably once or twice a fortnight?

I was looking at the 'shower time heading in the following article. Perhaps that is why friends gave me 'Body Shop' products for my birthday? Becoz it has aromatherapy and it helps in the relaxation process during this period. haha I guess this is only my opinion and may not reflect the opinions of others. :)

This extract is from an article Finding Time For: Yourself While You Raise Your Kids

By Jennifer Wolf, About.com

Here are ten tips for carving out that precious "Me Time" on a regular basis:

1. Get Up Earlier

You've probably heard this suggestion before. This time, I want you to do something different: Try it! Until you've applied this strategy for at least seven days in a row, you're not going to realize how powerful it is. Start by setting your alarm for fifteen minutes before you really need to get up. Then use that time to listen to the quiet, write in a journal, or engage in another activity that restores your soul. Do not, however, use this time to get a head start on chores. Use this time for you.

2. Make Your Bedtime Routine Consistent

It's hard to plan for some alone time in the evening when your kids go to bed at a different time every night. Instead, implement a consistent bedtime routine so that your kids can anticipate rest and learn to fall asleep on their own. If you have early risers, you may also want to put an alarm clock in each bedroom and teach your kids to play quietly until at least 7:00 a.m.

More: Establishing a Bedtime Routine That Works

3. Give Yourself at Least One Night Off Per Week

Part of what you need in your life is some time in your head - time to think , to plan, to dream. This is one of the most rejuvenating gifts you can give yourself! So at least once a week, give yourself a night off. After the kids have gone to bed, resist the urge to do the things you would normally do, like chores or watching TV. Instead, spend some time pursuing a hobby you love, reading a book, or reconnecting with a friend. Everything else can wait.

4. Use Your Shower Time

Those few minutes you spend in the shower each day are probably the most regular "alone time" you get. Plan to use it well! Purchase some energizing aroma therapy products that you love, and make the most of the few minutes you have to yourself. While you're there, take some deep breaths and let the water wash away some of that tension you're carrying.

5. Take a Walk on Your Lunch Hour

Let's be honest. You don't need to hear another story about your co-workers's cat; so at least once a week, break away from the employee break room and go for a short walk on your lunch hour. This doesn't mean skipping lunch altogether, of course. You need those calories to sustain you through the afternoon. Eating a light meal and going out for a brisk walk is a great way to clear your head and exercise your body.

6. Introduce Quiet Time

If your children are too old for naps, but still young enough to require constant attention, introduce "Quiet Time." This is when your kids read or play quietly in their rooms for one hour in the afternoon. You can then use that time to relax, read a magazine, or do something special for yourself. If you need to, create a behavior chart where your kids can keep track of their quiet time hours. Celebrate their cooperation with a trip to the library, a local park, or the children's museum after several argument-free siesta periods.

7. Make a Date With Yourself

Why don't you have time for yourself? Go take a look at your calendar. Everything you do gets listed there, from dentist appointments to karate tournaments. Most likely, the privilege of regular, sustainable "Me Time" won't become a reality until you actually schedule it on your calendar. So grab a pen right now and mark at least one "Me Time" date for this month, even if it means hiring a babysitter.

8. Maximize Your Commute

Most of us spend a considerable amount of time in our cars. Instead of turning on the radio or making another phone call, turn everything off and enjoy a brief period of quiet. This simple habit can help you respond effectively to the challenges you face as a single parent, rather than reacting from your emotions or exhaustion.

9. Use "The Box" Technique

"The Box" is a collection of items that your children love to play with, such as Play-doh, special markers, and activity books. You can even save happy meal prizes to include in the "The Box." Then, when you need a few minutes of quiet, invite your children to play with "The Box" for fifteen minutes. As you begin to employ this strategy regularly, rotate the items inside so your kids don't become bored with what they find. It's amazing how much fun they can have with simple toys that you make available for limited amounts of time.

10. Do Not Use Your Kids' TV Time to Do Chores

When you use your kids's TV time to do chores, two things begin to happen: 1) Your kids don't participate in the chores, and 2) They end up watching a lot more TV. Instead, do the chores together as a family. This way, you can use your children's TV time to sit and relax, collect your thoughts, listen to some music, or write in a journal.

Make a difference

"Make a difference to someone's life everyday.. one at a time... bring a smile, encourage, help, meet a need.."

Why baby reduce his milk intake

When BB reduced his milk intake, I was asking around for answers, thus a friend who was studying the subject at school mentioned a few reasons why (Thanks Isabelle). I was pretty sad that baby decided to reduce his demand for milk... Then I realised he has been using avent tit no. 2 and 3, thus I needed to change to tit no. 4. This is one reason among many that the baby does not want to drink more milk. Hope this helps if other mums out there encounter the same issues! :D

Several possible reasons:

- temperature of milk, rate of flow of milk, taste of milk. check if the temperature of the milk is more hot / cold than usual. check if the teat is blocked, it might be because as babies grow up, they might be ready for a teat with a larger hole, and is getting frustrated with the smaller hole teat. also check that your milk has not acquired smells, like if you place the milk can / bottle too near onions, the milk will have a slight onion smell too.

- he might be ill / uncomfortable. common causes are cold, ear, throat infection, viral / fungal infection. check his mouth and make sure there are no which patches which can be sore while sucking milk.

- babies start to get very curious 5 months onwards, things around him distracts him easily, like the TV / any sounds / another baby. lessen his distractions before / during feeding.

- he might be ready to start on solid food and has no appetite for milk. try giving him his milk first before solid food, if not, try giving him baby food that contains milk, like cheese / baby yoghurts. you can find these in supermarkets, they usually have recommended food for different baby ages.

- at about 9 months, a baby needs about 500ml milk a day to obtain the necessary calcium. these can be obtained from baby food that contains milk. a 9-month-old baby will usually only drink milk once in the morning and once at night, with water during the rest of the day.

- if he is still not taking enough milk, try giving him baby vitamin drops / calcium supplements, but very occassionally this is required.

Jaundice

Jaundice is the yellowish staining of the skin and sclerae (the whites of the eyes) that is caused by high levels in blood of the chemical bilirubin.

Why do some babies get jaundice?

Red blood cells have a shorter life in babies than they do in adults. This means more bilirubin goes through your baby's liver. If your baby's skin is bruised during birth, more red cells may need to be broken down. Then your baby's liver has to handle even more bilirubin. Sometimes a baby's liver is not mature enough to handle the extra bilirubin.

Usually Asian babies tend to have high chances of getting jaundice compared to Western babies. I have many Asian friends who have babies who have jaundice for 1-2 mths.

How can I tell if my baby has jaundice?

You should watch for color changes in your baby's skin. You should also check the whites of your baby's eyes and the pink skin inside your baby's mouth. If they get yellowish, you may want to see your baby's doctor. If your baby has pale skin, it should look white when you gently press it with your fingertips. If the skin looks yellow, your baby may have jaundice. If your baby has darker skin, it may be harder to check, except by looking at your baby's eyes and inside your baby's mouth.

If your baby's skin is yellow, see your baby's doctor right away. The doctor will take a small amount of your baby's blood and measure the bilirubin in it. In Singapore, it is important to bring baby to see the PD within the first month, so that the PD will be able to monitor to see if he has jaundice and whether it is of high levels.

My PD asked us to bring BB for blood test to test on whether there was high jaundice levels. So, we went for testing; what the nurse did was to poke his foot to extract blood for laboratory test. BB was so sleepy that he slept throughout, only when it came to the 'poking', that he gave a loud cry then he was silent after that. Perhaps it felt like an ant bite.

If the bilirubin level is not too high, your baby might not need any treatment. As for my BB, it was 15.8 thus it was above the acceptable level. The acceptable level was 10 and below. That was why BB had to be on phototherapy, thus we had to rent the 'Billy Bed' or admit him into hospital.

It doesn't seem like a serious issue, but high bilirubin levels may cause brain damage, thus it is better to monitor the issue. Hope this helps if you need advice on jaundiced babies.

Some text referenced from familydoc.org.

1 mth pic

This picture was taken at around 1 mth, he had a bit of jaundice then, that's why he looked a bit yellow... It seems quite obvious at that time and we were concerned as to what to do. So, we rented the 'Billy bed' which is a machine that looks like a bed for him to sleep in and we rented it for 3 days 2 nights, this was bec we didn't want him to be admitted again into hospital for the treatment. I guess one of the reasons why he could stay in the machine for quite some time. was becoz the jaundice seemed to be making him more sleepy than usual. Mummy very xin1 tong4(heartache) at that time...

Cookies for your kids?

Cookies and cream and all that's nice!

I have loved baking cookies ever since I was 19! I loved the aroma of the baking, the dirtying fingers for better causes and the love for yummy cookies! hahaha

Well, there has been many recipies for cookie making... I shall take pictures of my cookie making and place them here! It will probably a visual yummy experience. I guess it is also good for young kids to help make cookies so that they can learn to share and care through this loving experience of sharing! :D

There are a few recipies u can check online:

http://letsbakecookies.com/cookies-for-kids/52-kid-fun/222-cookie-dominos-

I thought the dominos cookie was really cute! Very creative! :P

http://letsbakecookies.com/

Oh no.. baby had ezcema...

What is eczema? It looks dry, scaly and red, although it can also appear as blisters and wet rash. ezcema and stopic dermatitis is always itchy and can be so severe that it disupts a child's sleep. If the child scratches too hard, it may even cause the skin to bleed.

Eczma is a common skin condition that affects about 1 in 10 children worldwide, a condition Pro Taieb calls a 'misunderstood diease'.

'Many parents do not understand that it is a chronic condition,' He says . Many cases improve as a child grows older, and may completely clear up by the teenage years, leading parents to believe it can be cured. Though food and allergens like pollen and dander are common triggers, they do not cause the condition, Prof Taieb stresses. 'For children with ezcema, their skin barrier is defective from birth as a result of their genetic makeup'.

Well, they say if the condition is under control, then maintain it with regularly using moisturisers, Avoid washing hands too often, avoid soaps with detergents, fragrances, coloring and anticeptics. A gentle cleanser will help to prevent it from flaring up and keep dry skin moisturised!

*Adopted some text from Young Parents

Aiyoh.. when BB was young, the PD gave him Mustela moisturiser cream to apply as he had ezcema. People will go up to us and ask, 'Why is BB's skin so dry?? And then we will tell them why. Then they will shake their heads, saying poor thing, suffer at such a young age'. Then subsequently, one mth plus later, another PD gave him Physiogel cream and cleanser. After that, things got better... which is a good thing! :)

Also have friends who recommend products to let him try... Thanks for the advice! :)

BB smiling when he is about to sleep

Baby sleeping

It is funny how many things he likes to grab at the same time. When he sleeps, he can have a blanket in one hand and a soft toy in another! Hahaha What an interesting sight... The baby website says that babies should sleep from around 7-8pm through to the next morning... But he doesn't really do that. Perhaps, he is a bit more special? :) hahaha

Well, one thing he likes to do is cuddle. He is like a cute teddy bear cuddling you and sometimes looking admiringly into your eyes. Baby has his moments I guess... He sleeps well just being in someone's arms. Pictures of him coming soon... Just a matter of time ya... haha

Well, he likes to sleep in different positions... He can sleep on his chest or on his back, he is fine with any type of positions. However, if he is in unfamiliar environment, he may not really like to sleep then. He will either be facinated or curious and look around to see what is happening or just would refuse to sleep and be very squirmy, as if telling us to take him home as he is super tired... Wow... I guess baby knows how to communicate using non-verbal behaviour too! :P

interesting article about raising kids IQ

This is a very interesting article about raising kids IQ:)

http://www.parentdish.com/2009/04/20/how-to-raise-your-kids-i-q/

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Published: April 16, 2009



Poor people have I.Q.'s significantly lower than those of rich people, and the awkward conventional wisdom has been that this is in large part a function of genetics.

After all, a series of studies seemed to indicate that I.Q. is largely inherited. Identical twins raised apart, for example, have I.Q.'s that are remarkably similar. They are even closer on average than those of fraternal twins who grow up together.

If intelligence were deeply encoded in our genes, that would lead to the depressing conclusion that neither schooling nor antipoverty programs can accomplish much. Yet while this view of I.Q. as overwhelmingly inherited has been widely held, the evidence is growing that it is, at a practical level, profoundly wrong. Richard Nisbett, a professor of psychology at the University of Michigan, has just demolished this view in a superb new book, "Intelligence and How to Get It," which also offers terrific advice for addressing poverty and inequality in America.

Professor Nisbett provides suggestions for transforming your own urchins into geniuses - praise effort more than achievement, teach delayed gratification, limit reprimands and use praise to stimulate curiosity - but focuses on how to raise America's collective I.Q. That's important, because while I.Q. doesn't measure pure intellect - we're not certain exactly what it does measure - differences do matter, and a higher I.Q. correlates to greater success in life.

Intelligence does seem to be highly inherited in middle-class households, and that's the reason for the findings of the twins studies: very few impoverished kids were included in those studies. But Eric Turkheimer of the University of Virginia has conducted further research demonstrating that in poor and chaotic households, I.Q. is minimally the result of genetics - because everybody is held back.

"Bad environments suppress children's I.Q.'s," Professor Turkheimer said.

Sleep thru the night. Possible?

Baby has full of fun filled activities! My baby is now 7 months. I am planning to sign him up for little gym classes so he can enjoy the exercises there. I think he has plenty of exercise when he crawls but he does not do that often. He prefers to be on the walker! Is that strange for a 7 mth old boy?
What he can do is:
* crawl a bit, especially when there’s peer pressure!
*glide on the walker!
*stick out his tongue and lick his lips.
He is still waking up in the middle of the night! Well, my guess is because he does not have enough food during the day, but nowadays I try to give him more water at night. He won’t take more milk than he can drink and usually drink lesser milk nowadays. However, there are some tips that baby center says:

Your child is old enough to start sleeping through the night. The key to making this happen is establishing a consistent bedtime routine and developing positive sleep associations. Seven-month-olds should nap two or three times a day at approximately the same time and go to bed between 7.30 and 8.30 at night.

Babies love routine, especially ones that happen around bedtime. You can first bathe her and change her into pyjamas, then breastfeed or give her a bottle. You can top the night off by reading a bedtime story (pick one or two stories that you'll read every night) or sing a few songs (choose a set of tunes for bedtime). By doing the same thing night after night, you will be letting your baby know that it's time for sleep.

To teach your baby how to fall asleep on her own, put her down in her cot while she's still awake and periodically check on her. Within a few nights, she will be falling asleep quickly and easily at bedtime. Once she is able to soothe herself to slumber, she will inevitably begin sleeping for longer stretches, and eventually, all night.

Until she learns how, respond to her the way you usually do when she wakes up in the middle of the night.