Wool at night

JW in the Baby Beehinds Wool cover.

It is suppose to be cooler than PUL (Polyurethane Laminate); and to that Mrs Kong can testify. We have used it sporadically for a few nights now, and am glad to report that it is true. Hard to believe but true. It also manages to keep the smell of the pee in better, compared to the nights when we used our PUL pocket diapers. And surprisingly, turns out odour free after it dries out in the sun without frequent washing.

Are we too young to start the potty training process?

Of late, Mrs Kong has noticed a pattern in JW's peeing. Of course it happens when the diaper is on, but it also happens, quite consistently, in a few minutes after the diaper is taken off, when we are either in our bathtub, or standing next to the water basin, playing with our bath toys. Mrs Kong notices because Mrs Kong cleans up before proceeding with the bath!

So this is an idea: can we start the potty training process now? (though JW will miss out on wearing cute cloth diapers... ) Can JW sit still in his new potty, and not try to chew at it like he did 2 months ago when we first got it?

We shall see what happens at bath time tonight.

12 months and 3 weeks we are!

Latest developments for our 12 month and 2 week old

We have been experiencing some pretty "interesting" behavior from our little guy of late. Interesting because it is in a way expected (as you would expect your growing child), although its also not exactly what we had expected to happen.

First on our list is refusal of solids. Ever since we started on Enfagrow (formula for 1 - 3 year olds) JW has been saying no to solids a little more than he used to. It is strange, but we suspect its because he is now not so hungry after the heavy milk feeds.

More so, JW is now a little bored of his mashed food, and ready for chunkier, non mashed varieties. He is no longer wanting scraped apple, but rather, wanting to bite at the apple himself. Same for the kiwis. JW now grabs the kiwi from Mrs Kong's hands to shove it into his own mouth. JW is not the only one learning at mealtimes these days.

Secondly, with increased awareness of all around him, he is able to identify sequences in the day, and knows what to expect from our behaviour.

For instance, at bedtime which Mr Kong usually deals with, JW will now know that Mrs Kong's leaving the room means that bedtime is looming close. If he is not ready for bed, he will protest and cry when this happens.

Yes, one might say that he has always been more aware of whats to come but now, its just harder to distract him.

We have also been seeing better sleep patterns from JW of late (touch wood!); with us seeing him sleeping for longer stretches of time. (I hope I don't jinx this by blogging about it!!) Unfortunately, he still prefers having us around, though we do understand this too... it is pretty lonely in his room without us and we miss him just as much ;)

Having said all the above, JW is now so much more of a little boy than just the little tyke we had under our roof 2 weeks ago. He is into copying our actions (holding the second Wii remote and pointing it to the TV while Mrs Kong tried to work the first one), pointing and identifying objects around the house like "fan", "doorbell, "(toy) zebra", "piano", and "joining" in on conversations with his baby babble (e.g. pointing at the lamp and going "ph ph ph").

It is just too cute most of the time, and we can't help but talk about him especially when he is tucked under those sheets at night in his bedroom.

We could go on and on with regards to what JW can do now, but suffice to say that what he is capable of takes us by surprise each day. Mrs Kong suspects that this will be the norm rather than the exception from now on.

Baby Friendly Singapore?

Just three days to our trip to SG, Mrs Kong is now trying to google "baby friendly Singapore" just to make life a little easier. Sadly, this baby friendly Singapore does not seem to exist .. at least online anyway.

Will this be another Hong Kong experience? Will we find a cubby hole in a shopping centre parading as a baby room?

stay tuned...

And that's the end of babyhood for us...

We turn one today; though JW probably does not have slightest clue of how momentous this event is.

It has been a truly amazing year, starting from the moment of Mrs Kong's headache at about 8pm on the 26th of July 2008. From then on, it has been a roller coaster ride; with laughter, tears, stresses and immense pleasure.

It isn't possible for one to remember one's own birth moment. But it also isn't possible for a parent to forget the moment he/she became a parent.

Happy Birthday JW!!

Broccoli

Mrs Kong will be the first to admit that we are terrible at updating this blog. For some reason we get so caught up in daily life that we just don't have the time to write about it.

But nevertheless, it is accepted that this is not a legit excuse.

Our latest excitement is broccoli; or rather baby eating broccoli!

This was first rejected some 3 months ago when introduced but surprisingly, JW started to take it (quite enthusiastically in fact) last week. He gets so excited, the entire floret is coaxed into the mouth (by JW, not Mrs Kong) even before he has a chance to chew on it. Initial attempts were a little cautious of course (our guys MO) but now, JW even grabs the floret himself if Mrs Kong is not quick enough.

At the last meal this evening, JW was found scratching the bottom of the bowl which previously housed the broccoli. He was searching for more broccoli which he had just finished!! Poor JW. We shall be steaming a little more for him tomorrow.

Cough Cough

We were admitted to the hospital for 24 hours last week for acute bronchiolitis. JW's paed recommended 24 hours worth of nebulizer treatment. Hence, while Mr Kong was in Bangkok for work, Mrs Kong and JW "checked in" to our usual hospital for a night's stay.

It wasn't too bad though JW did have a rough night and Mrs Kong's was the same as a result. JW initially thought he was on a holiday (like the holidays we have taken him on) because we were in a very nice room in the hospital. It was the "single Exec" which Mrs Kong would equate to a "suite" in a normal hotel. There was sofa, a bed for Mrs Kong, massive floor space, ensuite and a cot for JW. (JW's cot was the size of a single bed!)

Though JW did not like the nebulizer at all, not one bit, we did have a fun time rolling around in the hospital bed, watching astro and playing with the remotes - one which controls the bed and the other to control the TV/ light and nurses!

OH YES... and JW ate the cot. paint actually peeled of :P

p/s: JW is much better now.

Sleeping for Malaysia

JW was on a growth spurt last weekend. His naps were perfect and night time waking was minimal. Eventhough he woke up a few times during naps, he just sent himself back to sleep. We enjoyed the peace and quiet while JW napped. He also ate A LOT! And Mrs Kong thinks his feet grew while on one of his naps. :O

Can only conclude ... a growth spurt!

Cloth Diapers

JW wearing the Bum Genius 3.0

Is that or is that not a cute little bum in the Bum Genius 3.0?

This is Mrs Kong's current obsession. .. and I mean Obsession with a capital O! Its a day and night obsession even Mrs Kong does not understand how this has come about. Never would have expected such an obsession given Mrs Kong's OCD for cleanliness. Perhaps its the benefit it does for the environment, or the money we save (doubtful on the latter). Maybe its the fact that the lack of chemicals (from the disposables) is better for JW's skin. Maybe its the colours, designs and prints. Maybe its how cute JW's bum looks in them.

We started off with the Bum Genius 3.0 pocket diapers (ie super absorbent inserts with outer shell made with PUL laminate) and the Cloth Diaper Wholesale pockets in white. Mrs Kong has just purchased more inserts for the diapers to ensure that we have enough to use during the day (admittedly, Mrs Kong perhaps went a little overboard on this)

So now, the hunt is on for a good fitted diaper. .. that will suit JW. Who knows.. we might even find one good enough to use at night!

The boy has found his voice..

... today!

JW was not his usual grumpy self this morning. For some reason and maybe the following reason, JW was all smiles right from early morning. He smiled at me when he woke up, when he went to visit ah mah and ah gung; he smiled at meal time, and play time and most of the time!

In addition, he started speaking.. non stop - at every opportunity. It was "te te te" and "da da da" and "da di". It was amazing to watch this new milestone today, and just amazing to see an almost over 2 days transformation from our little fella who only knew silent laughs not too long ago.

Update on JW's eatings

Today our fella decided to start chewing. In the absence of a actual video, it goes like this "slopsh slopsh slopsh".

After many weeks of feeding his fussing and crying during meal times seem to be a little less of a mystery now. He fusses for the following reasons mainly: he wants more (in which case he raises his arms for the spoon); he has had enough of a particular type of food; he has not swallowed properly; or he is full and wants out of the chair. Its the same cry for all scenarios though.. so a little more mystery to figure out still.

Will try to catch him on video tomorrow. Too tired today.

We are drinking from a big boy's cup now!

JW and his cup. ... and not the sippy cup! So excited, he dropped the two spoons he so tightly held onto, and immediately reached for the cup!




All wet, no doubt, but definitely happy! :)

Newsflash on JW's Solids

Mrs Kong baked a beetroot today, and JW ate a quater of it happily!

JW in Hong Kong

JW taking his morning nap before we leave on our sightseeing..

JW's favourite item in the whole of HK: cheesy hotel art

So much of a favourite that Mr Kong had to take ANOTHER picture of it with JW. Maybe we should have taken it home with us.

We took JW to Hong Kong over Easter, for his first taste of air travel, and just to see how he would fare on an overseas holiday. We were apprehensive at first, believing that Hong Kong is just not baby friendly. We were right. It isn't!

And definitely not breastfeeding friendly. ...

...zzz...

Anyhow, it was a fantastic trip. JW slept on the plane... when we were not expecting him to! He slept well in his hotel cot - probably clocking in more sleep than he does on an average night at home. And most amazingly, he slept in his stroller at the correct times, on the bustling streets of HK!

All in all, the weather was agreeable and we managed to pack in some sights and eateries.

Mr Kong and Mrs Kong both agree that this was the best HK trip we have both had so far, maybe because we got to share it with JW. Though probably the most tiring carrying 9.5 kg around ... ;) (9.8kg since!)

More posts coming up ! ... :)

Mrs Kong's Cooking

there is more spinach on the face than in is tummy, unfortunately.

Procrastinating (as usual) and this time from doing taxes. Lots to blog about but we just have not found the time recently. There seems to be so much to do each day, and the days just fly by!

Anyway, here is a picture taken yesterday of our little one's face after a fight with chinese spinach (bayam). Mrs Kong mixed it into the potato, JW's favourite and even then, it was not well received. Mrs Kong is shattered (as you can see in the eye bags, though Mr Kong's are incidentally much bigger) from losing precious sleep time cooking three meals a day for JW.

So... the solution .. frozen food for the picky eater next week.

Just random thoughts of a parent

cheeky JW staring into mummy's computer while mummy surfs the internet

There are moments in the day when a mother wishes time would just stop for a while. And the perfect moment frozen in time. There are many such moments these days, as we watch JW learn develop and mature. Each day he develops and learns a little more. Each day, he becomes a little more like our little man. These moments are akin to little oysters with pearls in the vast sea of experiences. These moments are truly magical.

JW was ill last weekend, but is all better now though he never ceased to be his active and cheeky self. It is of course worrying when one's child is sick, but its a relief that its something he can recover from - something that could only make his immune system stronger.

There are of course illnesses that are not overcomed so easily. And these form the nightmares of every parent as ailments which have longer term repercussions - like stones weighing down on the heart. Dramatic as this sounds, it is true. I know no words to describe such pain, and the chaos that clouds the mind as a result. For I too have been lucky enough not to have experienced it thus far. For this is a helpless child - one who only deserves loving kindness, and yet, suffering instead. For today, JW is healthy in this regard.

Hence for today, I am grateful for JW's -
1) waking up healthy, creeping on all fours, reaching for the air conditioner remote, the cordless phone and my water bottle - to be put into his mouth!!;
2) checking out his own reflection out in the shiny surface of the piano and kissing it! (along the the pedals and the piano seat)
3) crying for attention and his ability to convey that he would rather breast milk than oats cooked in formula milk.
4) trying imitate my use of the mouse but subsequently ended up having it in ... you guessed it ... in his mouth.
5) sitting up to play with his toys and had the energy and strength to shake them about, exploring, and learning new ways of playing with them.
6) showing interest in the towel rack, tripod and his toy box, by shaking and pulling and tugging amongst other actions!
7) feeding well, albeit several times in the night and contributing to my perpetual backache, neckache and headache;
8) trying to talk to us at 10pm, as if to tell us that all is well, and that he is a happy baby.

On the basis of the above, today was a perfect day.

Mrs Kong.

You snooze you lose!

These photos speak for themselves. Not the best lighting, but Mrs Kong has done her best to salvage them.

Obviously JW's dexterity is not so advance yet. Poor JW: look at the expression on his face!

Bath Time

Getting a baby hair wash from shampoo boy Mr Kong

Posing.... :)

JW has his warm bath in the evenings, just before his baby massage, milk, winding down and sleep time. It calms him down and signals that his milk feed and bedtime is around the corner. We have stuck to this bath routine since he was 4 weeks old and it has helped settled JW for his bedtime - most of the time!

We love our bath time. We love the water on our backs and hands. In the special bath tub popo bought. We don't really like water running over our eyes though.

At the rate JW is growing, we won't be in our baby bath tub for long more! Can't wait to bath in the big bath tub with the rubber duckies and bath toys...

7 months old

JW in his favourite corner of his cot

JW loves play. He loves peek - a - boo and loves anyone who will devote time and effort to play with him. At 7 months old, our little baby can sit up well, flip onto both sides - and back with little effort, protest when a toy is taken away from him and does baby push ups (in his effort to get on his knees and begin crawling). He is working on the crawling bit, often creeping backwards and whinning in frustration instead! :)

He knows his mummy and his papa now and gives his papa the biggest smile ever when papa returns home from work. A sight for sore eyes at the end of a hard day!