Happy 17 Months old!

Favourite food of the month: Egg!!!

My Darling turns 17th months old today. Feeling so quilty I wasn't prepared for her list of milestones. Been really packed with the handmade soaps lately.

In terms of solid foods, she's been eating adult foods quite often and she loves it. Of course, we try to limit that so majority she still be eating her usual steamed vege, fish and egg, without salt or any flavouring.

Yea egg is one of her favourite right now. So excited by just seeing it. Keeps saying,"Aedgg, Aedgg, Aedgg!"

She's been playing with hard boiled egg for quite a while. She knows how to knocked it slightly and break the shell. 2 weeks ago, she managed to peel egg for the first time! By a little guidance, she peeled off bit by bit, gently scraped off by nail, and, tada! There you go a nicely peeled hard boiled egg! Such a great accomplishment! She can't wait to send it right into her mouth and take a big bite :)

Mommy love ya,
Xoxoxo

Happy 11 Months Old My Baby Gal

Hmm what are you looking at, dude?  :D

My Darling turns 11 months old today! Can you believe it!?
I gotta start planning for her first birthday real soon :)

You turned into a smart little gal you know that? You've learned so much that Mommy can't keep up!

Solid foods are goin well lately, we've started lumpier food instead of the mushy purée.

Porridge with fish, pumpkin, carrot, spinach, potato, tomato and I've changed her white rice to organic mixed grain of brown rice, buckwheat, millet, quinoa, oats and barley.

Enjoying Pumpkin Porridge!

Last week you joined Mommy and Daddy for Japanese udon for the first time and you loved it! :)

We've been practicing to have you on the high chair with us during meal times. You really enjoy the bread pieces and sometimes plain rice and happily feeding yourself with fingers :) Mommy's getting you your utensils and we'll practice self-feeding with spoon k! One thing is, you hate it when Mommy pointing your leg on the food tray and say 'put down', you'll be whining but putting your foot down unwillingly :)

You've learned so much and I hope I didn't miss anything here. Among your first words are:
Mama (Mommy)
Dada (Daddy)
Papa (Popo)
Wrow wrow (Dog)
Mao Mao (Cat)
Rerrrrr Rerrrr (Lion)
Duck (yes, Duck!)
Baba (Bao Bao, Bye bye, Apple, Pineapple)
Be ber (Bird bird)
Mum mum (Eating time)
... (I'm sure there's more but my mind's stuck!)

Favourite games of the month:
Peekaboo - You discovered the curtain and you'll pull it over your face then pull it away to peekaboo with me :)
Be 'caught' - When you're doin certain things that you're not supposed to do and someone approached to say 'no-no', you'll fall right onto the mattress excitedly and plant your face to it.

In the morning I'll be waked up by this cutest voice calling Mama :) And you said Mommy yesterday for the first time!

Mommy love you so much my baby!
Sweet Pea Mom
xoxoxo

My Little Darling Turns 7 Months Old Today!

My first Liverpool kit!

It couldn't be time flies just like rocket. It feels like just yesterday that i was pregnant!

My little Sunshine you've learned so much now everyday I discover new things about you!

Your 7 Months Milestones

- Ever since you mastered the ability to grasp an object, so excited you started transferring it from one hand to the other! :) I'm overjoyed witnessing your first throwing moment (I think I was the first one!)

- You're able to sit up independently, occasionally topples over. So we put up pillows barriers while you exploring around.

- Able to get from your tummy into a sitting position by pushing up on your strong arms.

- Refusing to sit most of the time, & wanting to stand instead!

- Enjoying the joy of jumping with your strong little kickers, while holding up by human jumperoo :) Mommy's getting some serious arms workout!

- You tasted your very first spoon of semi-solid food, & you loved it! Your favourite food of the month: brown rice cereal :)

- First time holding & drinking from the sippy cup by yourself, though it's more like you're playing with it like a teether :)

- Mommy managed to shed off 5kilos (yep, took me that long!) part of your contribution too as Mommy lost weight by breastfeeding :) though I still have the remaining stubborn 5kilos clinging on me :(

- You enjoy riding a imaginary pony on all fours (very furiously till u topple over!) as much as we enjoy watching it :)

- First experience of socialising with other babies. Reached out & touched each other's face. Awww...

- You amazed Mommy the most by starting to hold the objects around & pull yourself up already! :D

Love
Sweet Pea Mom
xoxoxo

Review: Nutritionists' Choice Cookbook

Lovely gift from Lynnora!

I mentioned about receiving this lovely gift from Lynnora when I was sharing my EBM with her for her 5 months old baby boy (read about breastmilk sharing!). A beautiful [Nutritionists' Choice Cookbook]!

(Top) Fruity Snack - bananas, mangoes, yogurt & oatmeal
(Bottom) Pumpkin, spinach & potato mix... mmm...
Fish in mixed vegetable soup

Comes in useful guides & yummy recipes of baby foods with lots of pretty images. Covering all you need to know from starting solids to feeding toddler!

(Top) Meehun with sweet potato/ Fish with Kei-chi porridge
(Bottom) Minced chicken with carrot porridge/ Broccoli in tomato rice

That'll be pretty handy for me as we're just started solids, I'd really love to make our own baby foods!

Sweet Pea Mom
xoxoxo

Any recipes you'd like to share with me?

Sippy cup do's and don'ts

Plain water? Blegh...

When should I introduce a sippy cup?

Some babies enjoy a sippy as early as 5 or 6 months, and others aren't interested until after their first birthdays. Most babies seem ready around 7 to 9 months, though.

What's the best way to transition to a sippy cup?

Some babies take to a sippy cup immediately; others take a while to get used to the idea. Here are some tips on making the transition easier:

- Start off with a soft, pliable, nipplelike spout, which will feel more familiar to your baby than a hard plastic spout.

- Show your baby how to raise the cup to his mouth and tip it up to drink.
Give it some time. Until your baby masters the maneuvers, you may want to put only water in the cup. When he shakes or throws it, even a sippy might not keep purple grape juice from hitting the carpet. Don't worry if your baby doesn't use the sippy cup properly for a while. It makes a fine toy, too!

- Try different models until you find one that suits your baby. Some cups have valves that are so effective at keeping the liquid from spilling that children really have to work to get a drink.
Encourage your child to use a regular cup when you think he's ready.

What should I do if my child refuses the sippy cup? (Continue Next Page)

Starting Solids: The 10 best foods for babies

Lovely gift from Lynnora :)

Yesterday I was sharing some of my extra EBM with Lynnora for her 5 months old baby boy (read about breastmilk sharing!). Without expecting anything in return, Lyn gave me a hand book titled [Nutritionists' Choice Cookbook] which she got from the Ministry of Health Malaysia. What a lovely gift! I told her that'll be really useful as we're just started solids, & I'd really love to make my own baby foods!

Here are 10 of the absolute favorites of many parents. After introducing any new food, wait three days before moving on to the next new food to identify any possible allergic reaction. If your baby's still a beginner at eating solids (read about introducing solids to your baby), grind or puree the food as needed.

The 10 best foods for babies

Squash

Squash is an excellent source of vitamins A and C, is naturally sweet, and has a pleasing, creamy texture.

Serving idea: Sprinkle parmesan cheese and a little chili seasoning on half a squash, roast it, and scoop out a serving for your baby, suggests pediatrician Susanna Block, owner of World Baby Foods, an ethnic baby food line. "Cooked squash with a little cilantro, mild chiles, and garbanzo beans are another great combination," she says.

Lentils

Crammed with protein and fiber, lentils pack a powerful nutritional punch. They're also one of the cheapest healthy foods you can buy.

Serving idea: Combine cooked lentils with mixed vegetables, rice, and seasonings of your choice. "Try basil and oregano," suggests dietitian Karin Hosenfeld of North Dallas Nutrition. "Or toss in a bay leaf, which works really well with lentils." (Remove the bay leaf before serving.)

Dark green leafy vegetables

Leafy greens boast high amounts of iron and folate. While spinach is perhaps the best known of this group, there are many other varieties, including kale, chard, and collard greens.

Serving idea: Steam and puree a batch of greens, then mix with iron-fortified cereal to give your baby a double dose of iron. Experiment with the proportions to see what your baby likes; Hosenfeld suggests starting with two parts veggie to one part cereal.

Broccoli

Brimming with folate, fiber, and calcium, broccoli is also known for its cancer-fighting properties, says dietitian Kate Geagan, author of Go Green, Get Lean. And thanks to its sulfur compounds, it has a unique flavor that can help expand your baby's tastes.

Serving idea: Steam pieces until soft, then chill. "Steaming takes the bite out of broccoli," says Hosenfeld. "And chilled broccoli is sometimes better accepted by babies. It can also be soothing during teething."

Blueberries

The deep, brilliant blue of these berries comes from flavonoids called anthocyanins, which are good for your baby's eyes, brain, and even urinary tract, says Stephen Gass, co-author of Mix and Mash: Adventures in the Kitchen for Baby and You.

Serving Idea: Gass suggests this easy blueberry soup: Combine 1 cup of blueberries with one-quarter cup of water in a bowl, microwave for one minute, and let cool. Then swirl some plain yogurt on top.

Avocados (Continue Next Page)

Starting Solids: The 5 worst foods for babies

I'm pretty particular in terms of food selections for my little Darling. Would avoid baby jar foods as much as possible. Here's some handy tips of what to avoid.

The 5 worst foods for babies

Soda

It seems too obvious to mention, but believe it or not, some babies are served soft drinks as early as 7 months of age, according to a survey of more than 3,000 families presented at the American Dietetic Association (ADA) conference in 2009.

Whether regular or diet, soft drinks provide absolutely no nutrients. Regular soda contains a ton of sugar, which can wreak havoc on your baby's teeth. And filling up on either type means babies eat and drink less of the nutritious food their bodies really need.

Juice

Sure, it comes from fruit, but that doesn't mean it's healthy. The fiber in fresh fruit is largely lost in the juicing process, and what's left is a whole lot of sugar. "Juice is basically a waste of calories," says pediatrician Ari Brown, co-author of Baby 411: Clear Answers and Smart Advice for Your Baby's First Year.

Using certain types of juice – specifically apple and pear – to sweeten your baby's food isn't a good idea either, says nutritionist Leanne Cooper, author of What Do I Feed My Baby: A Step-by-Step Guide to Solids. The sugars in these juices can speed up the food's passage through the digestive tract. "When food passes too quickly, the body doesn't have time to absorb all those lovely nutrients," says Cooper. It can also lead to diarrhea in some babies.

What about advertisers' claims that juice provides babies with necessary vitamin C? Don't be fooled. "Babies can easily get their vitamin C from one small serving of fruit," says Brown.

What should your baby drink instead? The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) recommends that babies younger than 6 months drink nothing but breast milk or formula. Babies 6 to 12 months old can have small amounts of water, but breast milk or formula should still be their main beverage. After the first birthday, cow's milk is recommended.

Crackers (Continue Next Page)

Constipation in Breastfed Babies and Formula Fed Babies

DID YOU KNOW?
rice cereals, bananas, and applesauce are some of the most binding foods around and are common causes of constipation.

Constipation in Breastfed Babies and Formula Fed Babies

When solid foods are introduced, breastfed babies may become truly constipated while formula fed babies may struggle more frequently with bouts of constipation.

Breastfed babies are rarely constipated as breast milk is almost 100% completely digested and utilized by baby's growing body. Breast milk leaves little "leftovers" to cause constipation. Many breastfed babies do have infrequent bowel movements however this does not mean that they are constipated.

Formula fed babies tend to battle constipation more often than their breastfed counterparts. Unlike breast milk, formula is not as easily digested nor is it as completely absorbed and used by a baby's body.

Source:
wholesomebabyfood.com
fornewmoms.com

Baby Constipation: It is heart breaking!

potty time!

Darling hasn't been pooping for 2 days since we introduced avocado to her :( Her stomach is so visibly bloated.

We've been putting her on potty to encourage her to poop. I decided to skip a day of giving solids temporarily, just to put her tiny tummy out of stress for a while.

Out of desperate, we gave her a capsule of LactoGG which I've been taking. Hoping that'll help soothing her constipation. After taking it in the morning, she finally gave us a stinky bomb in the evening! :D What a relief for us! We decided to continue giving the probiotics.

If you ever encounter this problem, here are some useful guides from wholesomebabyfood.com:

Common Causes of Infant Constipation are:

- Introduction of solid food(s) - breastfed babies may be more prone to constipation when solid foods are introduced. This is because their tiny tummies are used to processing the easily and highly digestible mother's milk

- Diets low in fiber

- Diets of excessive dairy products (yogurt, cheeses, milk)

- Foods such as Bananas, Applesauce, Cereals, Breads, Pasta and White Potatoes may contribute or cause constipation

- A change in diet usually relieves a baby with constipation. The following tips may also help the constipated baby get things "moving".


Remedies and How to Treat Constipation in Babies: (Continue Next Page)

Introducing Solid Foods to Your Baby

Avocado anyone??

Is Your Baby Ready for Solid Foods? 
Learn About Baby's Signs of Readiness for Solid Foods

There are many signs that might lead you to believe that your little one is ready to begin eating solid foods. But how exactly do you know if your baby really is ready for solid foods? Has your baby doubled her birth weight? Does your baby have good head control?

Your baby may be 3 months old or 4 months old when you start to feel she may need "something more" than formula or breast milk. Maybe she is beginning to awaken more often at night or eat more often than "usual" and you wonder if introducing solid foods may be what she needs.

A Growth Spurt May be Confused with a Readiness for Solid Foods

Please keep in mind that a growth spurt will occur between 3-4 months of age. Your baby may begin to wake more frequently at night for a feeding and/or may begin to eat non-stop (cluster feed) as she once did as a newborn. This growth spurt often accounts for the increased hunger in your baby and it should not be taken as a sign that your baby needs solid foods added to her diet.

You may try offering your baby more frequent nursing sessions and/or bottle feedings instead of solids; you will find that within a week or two, your baby is oftentimes over the growth spurt and back to feeding "as usual".

Here are a few "signs" that may indicate your baby is ready for Solid Foods:

- Loss of tongue-thrust reflex - This allows baby to drink and swallow liquids with ease; with the tongue-thrust reflex still present, baby may simply drink in liquid purees or push the food back out. According to Dr. Jim Sears, in the first four months the tongue thrust reflex protects the infant against choking. When any unusual substance is placed on the tongue, it automatically protrudes outward rather than back. Between four and six months this reflex gradually diminishes, and that glob of cereal actually may have a chance of making it from the tongue to the tummy!

- Ability to let you know she is full from a "meal" with signs such as turning away from the bottle or breast. This is important so that baby is able to self-regulate the amount of food being eaten. This helps stop baby from accidentally overeating as parents may continue to feed baby thinking that she is still hungry.

- Ability to sit up and hold head up unassisted

- Interest in your food (I tend to disagree with this one as when a baby reaches the age of 4-6 months, he is interested in putting everything in his mouth.)

- Doubling of birth weight

- Frequently waking in the middle of the night when a solid sleeping pattern had been established. This may not be the best indicator that your baby is ready for solids. Please keep in mind that a growth spurt will occur between 3-4 months of age, 6-7 months of age and also 9-10 months of age. Your baby may also be waking due to an illness or teething.

Won't My Baby Sleep Through the Night If We Start Solids? (Continue Next Page)

Starting Solids!

After doin much research on starting solid, we finally gave her the very first spoon!

She's been showing signs of readiness & our Pediatrician Dr Yong also advised that we can start as soon as she reaches 6 months old. Since she's diagnosed with lactose-intolerance, I wouldn't wanna rush into it & rather observe a little bit longer. Having said that, I decided to start slowly & gently, just to let her have a taste of it :)
I gotta really pay attention on food selections to be on the safe side.


Her first feed of semi-solids was quite a happy experience. She spat out a bit occasionally but throughout she can swallow quite well. We're all enjoyed it!!

So far she's fine with the Holle Organic Rice Porridge which we mix a bit of my breastmilk. Stool was a little thicker & darker in colour, slightly greenish. Hope that's alright.

It's the 5th day of rice porridge & next probably we'll try avocado :) looking forward!

Sweet Pea Mom

xoxoxo




What's your tips on solids for your baby? Any interesting recipe that you would like to share? :)

Little Darling turns 6 months old today!

Can't believe my little Darling is turning 6 months old today!
Where exactly the time went????
Ok let's see what you achieved so far....


6 Months Milestones

- Extend your little hand to reach for your favourite things/ favourite persons (first lucky one was Popo!)

- Stick out your tongue between your little lips & blow raspberries!

- Stick up your little butt during tummy time & nudge about, starting by goin backwards!

- Grab your little feet & yes, you put it into your month! Slurp slurp... Toes sucking good! Each hand grabs each foot, & try to fit both in it!

- Adopt rolling as your primary mode of ground transportation :)

- Mastering the important skill of sitting up independently, maintain your balance while seated by leaning forward on both arms, topple over during practice :)

- Stranger anxiety kicking in. Most of the new faces that approached closely, you showed a pouty face & started crying. But later on you're able to quickly warm up & make friends!

- Started semi-solid food for the 4th day! You love the rice porridge that we mixed with EBM & happily gobbling down! :D Next we try avocado ok?


Luv
Sweet Pea Mom
xoxoxo


Does your little one experience stranger anxiety yet? How do you help him to cope with it?