We were reminded by the pediatrician at our last visit (when gabe was five months old) that if he is responsive to baby rice cereal, to start him on potatoes and carrots. Gabe has been eating very well, currently taking four heaped tablespoonfuls of cereal at each meal, and most times he'd still open his mouth for more. And it'll all go down in about 15 minutes or less. He's easy to feed, and I thank God that he has inherited this from derod. Yeah... he's no doubt derod's son in that manner! I was a terrible eater, starting before the table was laid and still sulking at the unfinished plate after all the washing up is over.
I began my quest to try him on the two mentioned veggies when he was four and a half months old. Potatoes first, as advised by many baby cook books, since it has a mild taste and is probably closest to tasting like milk. Its preparation is supposed to be as easy as abc: just cut up the potato into cubes, steam them till they're really soft, pass them through a sieve and add milk to it if necessary till it reaches the desired texture. Sounds cool? Yeah! Until I tried it... the sterilization of utensils and especially the mashing through the sieve... it was a workout, no less. I had prepared a large batch and frozen portions enough for the next few days only to get endless chidings from my mum on how babies should be given fresh food at every meal, reminding me that my own nanny had cooked two meals of porridge over charcoal fire every day just so that I could be given the best of nutrition and to ensure that "wind" doesn't accumulate in my tummy due to such overnight food.
So I put on some determination and set out to cook a meal of potatoes for my son every day, and this routine went on for... one day. Back when this happened, he was not used to sitting on his own for a long stretch while I was busy preparing the food. Juggling between a crying fella and boiling water wasn't fun and that kind of put me off the endeavor quite a bit, not to mention the state I was in after the workout. So after consultation with experienced mothers, I decided to stick with baby rice cereal and upgrade him to two meals a day when he was ready. At this stage, gabe had already tried potatoes for about three days, perhaps sufficient to determine him not allergic to it.
But, with the visit to the pediatrician, I thought it would be time to try out the carrots and him being older, was able to sit longer and watch all the action in great curiosity. Carrots proved harder than potatoes and it was a greater workout, mashing the stuff through the sieve. But it all turned out as it should in a bowl and I fed it to gabe.
He gave that same "urgh!!!!" expression to the first taste of the orange stuff as he would to anything unusual. But that look persisted in the next few spoonfuls, and along with each one, a look that said all of the following:
1. I want to spit this stuff out
2. What is this disgusting thing? Think think think...
3. Should I even swallow it?
As if the above wasn't enough, he was rather unwilling to open his mouth to receive a next spoonful and at one point, kicked both legs in frustration. I decided to stop the ordeal and we're back to cereals haha. Well, makes both baby and mummy happy, since I won't have to go through carrots again too. We'll have another go at it in another form - when he hits six months, it can all be thrown into the slow cooker together with the real rice!
Friday, August 3, 2007
Thursday, August 2, 2007
Priorities Revisited
I made a trip to the gynaecologist on Monday for a routine checkup. A trip as such would consist of 80% waiting and 20% consultation so I dived for the magazine table after registration and well, amidst catalogues of high-end watches and cars, some of which I've not even heard of, it would seem more interesting to pick up a copy of Motherhood. Unfortunately these magazines usually revolve around the same issues, cord blood banking being one of the latest, and it was sheer boredom that kept me flipping those pages.
There was one article, though, that caught my attention and reading it brought me back to basics. It was a story of a little singaporean boy and how he suffered from a lack of immunity. They gave a long scientific name, but it really just meant that his body was not able to give him the immunity that all of us need to survive. It started off with a cough that would not go away and other accompanying symptoms like fever, refusal to feed, etc and prior visits to pediatricians revealed nothing. At the alarming sight of the swelling of one of his arms, his parents rushed their first born son to the hospital where he was admitted immediately. Numerous tests brought them to the conclusion and they also showed that various organs were not in good condition e.g. one lung was inflated to the point of almost "bursting". They also found out that it was the BCG jab he received that triggered the downward spiral of his condition - what it would have done for the normal baby in kickstarting a process of his body producing antibodies in resistance and hence immunity, it crashed his entire system. The worst part of this was that the little boy was only five months old.
In the two years that followed, he underwent ten operations of stem-cell transplants, damage control (when his body and organs suffered attacks) and other purposes. The magazine wrote that his arms told of the countless needles that have pierced them. His father resigned from his job and his mother first took unpaid leave and later also resigned, to take care of him while he made his almost permanant stay in the hospital. Which parent could concentrate at work when your child is so ill? So, they went from dual to zero income but was blessed by donations from family and friends for the extremely high medical costs. Today, the little boy is in a much better condition but extreme care and caution must be taken due to his delicate situation.
What broke my heart was not just that this boy was only five months old when he began this ordeal, but also the few pictures they published along with the write-up. They showed a tiny bundle lying in a hospital bed, with tubes through his mouth, nose and hands. One of those shots saw him looking intently into the camera with large eyes, and yet what stuck out was the presence of those tubes again. No doubt, my heart would have gone out to this family if I'd read this two years ago but it caused a different kind of stir in me today. Perhaps it's the identification of a mother, or it could be because gabe is also around that age and I would never be able to bear it if my son went through such torture. I do not think that any parent will ever be able to recover emotionally from such an experience.
And it made me think. It was so natural of us to expect that our bundle of joy comes with all the right stuff, both the visible and the invisible. What came so natural to us was the assumption that our children will be alright, will grow into cutsey little babes donned in great looking outfits (making them even cuter), how fast they are at crawling standing walking, what we'll teach them at what stage of life, and in Singapore, what kindergarten and primary school to send them to... the list goes on. It made me stop. Stop to give thanks. Stop to appreciate that my son has proper features, ten fingers, ten toes, strong bones, normal development. Stop to remind myself that I should not take these for granted. Stop to pray that the Lord will watch over his growing, his coming and going.
Coming back to basics is humbling, and harder than anticipated. Such reminders are always welcomed to bring me back to the right set of priorities.
There was one article, though, that caught my attention and reading it brought me back to basics. It was a story of a little singaporean boy and how he suffered from a lack of immunity. They gave a long scientific name, but it really just meant that his body was not able to give him the immunity that all of us need to survive. It started off with a cough that would not go away and other accompanying symptoms like fever, refusal to feed, etc and prior visits to pediatricians revealed nothing. At the alarming sight of the swelling of one of his arms, his parents rushed their first born son to the hospital where he was admitted immediately. Numerous tests brought them to the conclusion and they also showed that various organs were not in good condition e.g. one lung was inflated to the point of almost "bursting". They also found out that it was the BCG jab he received that triggered the downward spiral of his condition - what it would have done for the normal baby in kickstarting a process of his body producing antibodies in resistance and hence immunity, it crashed his entire system. The worst part of this was that the little boy was only five months old.
In the two years that followed, he underwent ten operations of stem-cell transplants, damage control (when his body and organs suffered attacks) and other purposes. The magazine wrote that his arms told of the countless needles that have pierced them. His father resigned from his job and his mother first took unpaid leave and later also resigned, to take care of him while he made his almost permanant stay in the hospital. Which parent could concentrate at work when your child is so ill? So, they went from dual to zero income but was blessed by donations from family and friends for the extremely high medical costs. Today, the little boy is in a much better condition but extreme care and caution must be taken due to his delicate situation.
What broke my heart was not just that this boy was only five months old when he began this ordeal, but also the few pictures they published along with the write-up. They showed a tiny bundle lying in a hospital bed, with tubes through his mouth, nose and hands. One of those shots saw him looking intently into the camera with large eyes, and yet what stuck out was the presence of those tubes again. No doubt, my heart would have gone out to this family if I'd read this two years ago but it caused a different kind of stir in me today. Perhaps it's the identification of a mother, or it could be because gabe is also around that age and I would never be able to bear it if my son went through such torture. I do not think that any parent will ever be able to recover emotionally from such an experience.
And it made me think. It was so natural of us to expect that our bundle of joy comes with all the right stuff, both the visible and the invisible. What came so natural to us was the assumption that our children will be alright, will grow into cutsey little babes donned in great looking outfits (making them even cuter), how fast they are at crawling standing walking, what we'll teach them at what stage of life, and in Singapore, what kindergarten and primary school to send them to... the list goes on. It made me stop. Stop to give thanks. Stop to appreciate that my son has proper features, ten fingers, ten toes, strong bones, normal development. Stop to remind myself that I should not take these for granted. Stop to pray that the Lord will watch over his growing, his coming and going.
Coming back to basics is humbling, and harder than anticipated. Such reminders are always welcomed to bring me back to the right set of priorities.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Gabe's List of Loves
No. 1: His papa
Gabe LURRRRVES his papa. We have noticed this since the early days of gabe's life. He saves his best and most spontaneous smiles for his papa. Of late, gabe will also wail when derod passes him to some other person to carry esp strangers. Doesn't happen much with me. I suppose other than the father-son bond, credit must also be given to derod for the crazy ways he entertains the boy. Every night, I would hear gabe crackling with laughter from the bathroom and emerge to find derod entertaining him in the most bizzarre manners - from head-above-head bobs with weird noises to flying shirt peekaboo (which involves a topless derod running up and down to make the shirt "fly"). Little wonder why kids love to play with their dads.
Bath Time
Most babies, we are told by nurses and our antenatal class instructor, do not know how to enjoy baths until they are about two weeks old. And until then, they will most probably cry through the process. So imagine the surprise the nurse at the hospital got, when she came in to do a how-to-give-your-baby-a-bath demo with none other than gabe as the "model". He simply let her do all the mojo without a single protest. Bath time has been a breeze, and an enjoyment for the little one since then. Recently, our friend has discovered that kicking and splashing is fun, and has not stopped those leg exercises much to the dismay of the wet mother. But he really looks quite cute having that much fun in the tub.
The Fan & the Moving Curtain
Gabe's best friend(s) is no longer the ceiling lights in the living/bed room. This status has now been bestowed on the fan (when it's in motion) and the curtain that moves ever so gently with the breeze from the fan. He'd look out for them and "talk" to them when he wakes up in the morning, and will even be distracted from his milk, just to give them another smile or a little more of his attention.
Cleaning his Butt
Yeah you read right. Since the day he came back from the hospital, my mother has already discovered this preference. His cries would stop once the wet cotton wool touches his butt and cleaning process begins.
The Telly
His parents have decided to refrain gabe from exposure to the telly until he's slightly older in the hope of preventing lack of attention span of a child, or at least, this is in theory hahaha. Nevertheless, gabe has a knack for finding where the tv sets are, whether or not he can hear the sounds coming out from it. He'd be quiet and stare at the box without blinking and efforts to put him in positions in prevention of watching prove difficult -- he'll turn his head in angles impossible to believe, possibly to 180 if he was able to.
Gabe LURRRRVES his papa. We have noticed this since the early days of gabe's life. He saves his best and most spontaneous smiles for his papa. Of late, gabe will also wail when derod passes him to some other person to carry esp strangers. Doesn't happen much with me. I suppose other than the father-son bond, credit must also be given to derod for the crazy ways he entertains the boy. Every night, I would hear gabe crackling with laughter from the bathroom and emerge to find derod entertaining him in the most bizzarre manners - from head-above-head bobs with weird noises to flying shirt peekaboo (which involves a topless derod running up and down to make the shirt "fly"). Little wonder why kids love to play with their dads.
Bath Time
Most babies, we are told by nurses and our antenatal class instructor, do not know how to enjoy baths until they are about two weeks old. And until then, they will most probably cry through the process. So imagine the surprise the nurse at the hospital got, when she came in to do a how-to-give-your-baby-a-bath demo with none other than gabe as the "model". He simply let her do all the mojo without a single protest. Bath time has been a breeze, and an enjoyment for the little one since then. Recently, our friend has discovered that kicking and splashing is fun, and has not stopped those leg exercises much to the dismay of the wet mother. But he really looks quite cute having that much fun in the tub.
The Fan & the Moving Curtain
Gabe's best friend(s) is no longer the ceiling lights in the living/bed room. This status has now been bestowed on the fan (when it's in motion) and the curtain that moves ever so gently with the breeze from the fan. He'd look out for them and "talk" to them when he wakes up in the morning, and will even be distracted from his milk, just to give them another smile or a little more of his attention.
Cleaning his Butt
Yeah you read right. Since the day he came back from the hospital, my mother has already discovered this preference. His cries would stop once the wet cotton wool touches his butt and cleaning process begins.
The Telly
His parents have decided to refrain gabe from exposure to the telly until he's slightly older in the hope of preventing lack of attention span of a child, or at least, this is in theory hahaha. Nevertheless, gabe has a knack for finding where the tv sets are, whether or not he can hear the sounds coming out from it. He'd be quiet and stare at the box without blinking and efforts to put him in positions in prevention of watching prove difficult -- he'll turn his head in angles impossible to believe, possibly to 180 if he was able to.
Friday, July 13, 2007
Adventure on a Thursday Afternoon
It has always been my intention to lug gabe along on the various modes public transport instead of being overtly reliant on the taxis. With gabe being more predictable and easier to manage, I have taken him on the MRT on a few occasions, though the distances are usually quite short.
A few days ago, I received a call informing me that gabe's chinese brush and seal are ready for collection and I decided that gabe and I were ready for a trip out on our own to United Square. This time we'll be changing trains and crossing major roads, upping the difficulty level by one notch, if you know what I mean. The plan was to make the collection and then head to derod's office, also via MRT, to meet him as he knocks off.
And so it began. The train rides were pleasantly uneventful, though I had difficulty locating the lifts at Dhoby Ghaut. I was already mentally planning the route before reaching Novena: we'd exit and cross the major roads and somehow find out way into the shopping complex. But a sign leading to an underpass that connects the station to United Square caught my eye and I thought, heh! That's not a bad thing! United Square's supposed to be really baby-friendly so maybe the underpass would be too. So I trotted off in that direction, rolling gabe along the broad tunnel with tiles of multiple colors. What made me think I'd expect a lift waiting for me at the end of the tunnel, I do not know. But I was confronted with a long flight of escalators at the dead end, and just when I thought, what the heck, just do it, saw that it was a single space escalator. A little horrified at the thought of being stuck, I'd pushed the pram ahead in "measurement" and found that it will go through. European brands definitely wouldn't have made it through. When we were approaching the end of the flight, the steps were still at an inclined angle, giving not much time for me to lift the front wheels up for a secure landing and gabe almost got dumped out of the pram (much like how you'd dump soil out of a wheelbarrow), and me coming behind on a still moving escalator. With a loud "oh dear!" and what-must-have-been divine assistance, we escaped totally unscathed. Mentally I was already concluding that I'll never again take this underpass, when I saw the second of the two flights of escalators, and ... it was on repair. The alternative? A long flight of steps, with three segments bearing probably 15-20 steps each, almost looked like the path up to Mordor. Ignoring my question of whether they were going to be done soon in both English and Mandarin, the workers just went about their repair work. I told gabe that this will not stop us and proceeded to remove his belts, and attempt to climb "everest" carry him with one arm, and hoisting the pram on the other. Just when I was about to do this the workers said that if I'd just a moment, they are ready to close up the barriers and let me through.
Throughout the time I stood there waiting, many walked by and gave more than a glance of survey, but there was only one who spoke up in offer. A nicely dressed, young caucasian lady had offered to help climb "everest" with me. I thanked her for her very kind offer and told her the works would soon be completed. That was a very kind move, but I wouldn't have wanted to have her burst out in perspiration in her nice outfit, though I was very touched by the gesture. I completed the second flight without making the same mistake and just when I thought I was done with the SOC (standard obstacle course), I saw another flight of steps leading me out to the main road! This time, there was no alternative, so in resignation, I proceeded to undo gabe's belts when another kind lady came up behind me and offered her help. The both of us carried his pram down like a sedan and I left the Chinese lady with many words of thanks. When derod heard that I had entered the underpass, he didn't even need to hear the rest of the story to conclude that he has gone through enough with etphonehome to realise that wheels and underpasses do not go together.
In contrast, crossing the major road was so much easier. Well... if you didn't know better, you would have thought I was training up for the trip to Japan... (we might be heading there in November!)
A few days ago, I received a call informing me that gabe's chinese brush and seal are ready for collection and I decided that gabe and I were ready for a trip out on our own to United Square. This time we'll be changing trains and crossing major roads, upping the difficulty level by one notch, if you know what I mean. The plan was to make the collection and then head to derod's office, also via MRT, to meet him as he knocks off.
And so it began. The train rides were pleasantly uneventful, though I had difficulty locating the lifts at Dhoby Ghaut. I was already mentally planning the route before reaching Novena: we'd exit and cross the major roads and somehow find out way into the shopping complex. But a sign leading to an underpass that connects the station to United Square caught my eye and I thought, heh! That's not a bad thing! United Square's supposed to be really baby-friendly so maybe the underpass would be too. So I trotted off in that direction, rolling gabe along the broad tunnel with tiles of multiple colors. What made me think I'd expect a lift waiting for me at the end of the tunnel, I do not know. But I was confronted with a long flight of escalators at the dead end, and just when I thought, what the heck, just do it, saw that it was a single space escalator. A little horrified at the thought of being stuck, I'd pushed the pram ahead in "measurement" and found that it will go through. European brands definitely wouldn't have made it through. When we were approaching the end of the flight, the steps were still at an inclined angle, giving not much time for me to lift the front wheels up for a secure landing and gabe almost got dumped out of the pram (much like how you'd dump soil out of a wheelbarrow), and me coming behind on a still moving escalator. With a loud "oh dear!" and what-must-have-been divine assistance, we escaped totally unscathed. Mentally I was already concluding that I'll never again take this underpass, when I saw the second of the two flights of escalators, and ... it was on repair. The alternative? A long flight of steps, with three segments bearing probably 15-20 steps each, almost looked like the path up to Mordor. Ignoring my question of whether they were going to be done soon in both English and Mandarin, the workers just went about their repair work. I told gabe that this will not stop us and proceeded to remove his belts, and attempt to climb "everest" carry him with one arm, and hoisting the pram on the other. Just when I was about to do this the workers said that if I'd just a moment, they are ready to close up the barriers and let me through.
Throughout the time I stood there waiting, many walked by and gave more than a glance of survey, but there was only one who spoke up in offer. A nicely dressed, young caucasian lady had offered to help climb "everest" with me. I thanked her for her very kind offer and told her the works would soon be completed. That was a very kind move, but I wouldn't have wanted to have her burst out in perspiration in her nice outfit, though I was very touched by the gesture. I completed the second flight without making the same mistake and just when I thought I was done with the SOC (standard obstacle course), I saw another flight of steps leading me out to the main road! This time, there was no alternative, so in resignation, I proceeded to undo gabe's belts when another kind lady came up behind me and offered her help. The both of us carried his pram down like a sedan and I left the Chinese lady with many words of thanks. When derod heard that I had entered the underpass, he didn't even need to hear the rest of the story to conclude that he has gone through enough with etphonehome to realise that wheels and underpasses do not go together.
In contrast, crossing the major road was so much easier. Well... if you didn't know better, you would have thought I was training up for the trip to Japan... (we might be heading there in November!)
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Gabe Series - 4th Month
Gabe's latest asset, Bumbo in lilac, courtesy of waigong and waipo. Plonked in it a few times a day, this chair helps him to sit without falling over. Also a useful tool for upright shots. One series attached below.
Favourite past-time. Favourite snack...
This one reminds me of his yee yee.
This one quite handsome, hor? ;p
Note:
1. Yes, the shiny stuff on his chin is drool. Yeah... our friend is getting there...
2. He has quite a bit of facial hair, especially above his lip. When damp/ wet, the "moustache" is actually quite obvious!
Favourite past-time. Favourite snack...
This one reminds me of his yee yee.
This one quite handsome, hor? ;pNote:
1. Yes, the shiny stuff on his chin is drool. Yeah... our friend is getting there...
2. He has quite a bit of facial hair, especially above his lip. When damp/ wet, the "moustache" is actually quite obvious!
Four Months
The fourth month is a huge milestone for gabe (and me) as many things seemed to make their turning points at this juncture. For one, as mentioned in the previous post, he has started on semi-solids and I'm very thankful to say that he is a good eater. He has progressed to opening his mouth to receive the spoon, taking quite an amount of food (though it's only one meal a day for now), and even getting excited at the sight of me mixing the cereal, and needless to say, the heightened anticipation when the bib goes on.
He has also since slept through the night, for about 7 to 8 hours at a stretch. I am extremely thankful to God for this natural progression, without us implementing strategies to wean him off midnight feeds. I have been waiting for this day for whole four months and am finally able to have continuous, undisturbed rest through the night. Of course, there must be some expectation that this pattern may be interrupted due to reasons like teething and other sources of discomfort, but nevertheless, I am gratefully sleeping right now.
His hand-eye coordination has also shown significant improvement. My hair and spectacles are increasingly attractive to him. He is also reaching out for various things to stuff into his mouth. But the cutest part is looking at him hold his pacifier in place, and sometimes curiously remove it, look at it and attempt to return it to its place. Alas, this is the part he'll have to improve on...
More than anything else, gabe's response to play is very different now. Previously, you would have to physically touch him to get a smile or a laugh out of him but today, you will be able to obtain chuckles and even squeals of delight from just talking to him, or as you can see, with silly gestures. Pretend you didn't see the state my hair is in, though...
He has also since slept through the night, for about 7 to 8 hours at a stretch. I am extremely thankful to God for this natural progression, without us implementing strategies to wean him off midnight feeds. I have been waiting for this day for whole four months and am finally able to have continuous, undisturbed rest through the night. Of course, there must be some expectation that this pattern may be interrupted due to reasons like teething and other sources of discomfort, but nevertheless, I am gratefully sleeping right now.
His hand-eye coordination has also shown significant improvement. My hair and spectacles are increasingly attractive to him. He is also reaching out for various things to stuff into his mouth. But the cutest part is looking at him hold his pacifier in place, and sometimes curiously remove it, look at it and attempt to return it to its place. Alas, this is the part he'll have to improve on...
More than anything else, gabe's response to play is very different now. Previously, you would have to physically touch him to get a smile or a laugh out of him but today, you will be able to obtain chuckles and even squeals of delight from just talking to him, or as you can see, with silly gestures. Pretend you didn't see the state my hair is in, though...
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Gabe's Very Own Theme Song
Gabe's maternal grandparents affectionately address him as 小小豬 aka little piglet, since he was born on the first day of the year of the pig. My dad made up a tune to go with the nursery rhyme and has been singing this tune to gabe since Day 1. Gabe actually recognises this tune, even when he was only a month old. This theme song has since evolved to include actions and *sigh* even a resounding "amen" and "hallelujah" in conclusion...
Lyrics included for your information:
oops... that's me in the background engaging in some... erm... activity heheee
Lyrics included for your information:
小小豬
胖嘟嘟
吃飽飽
睡呼呼
胖嘟嘟
吃飽飽
睡呼呼
(repeat)
oops... that's me in the background engaging in some... erm... activity heheee
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