11 Months Old

Yeah!! Louisa is 11 months old.

 

Wow, 11 months. That seemed like a long way to go, when I was still on maternity leave. hahaha. Now, looking back, time has zipped past me again.

 

I've been breastfeeding her for 11 months. How did I do it? I dunno. I just did. And, that just makes it more difficult to give it up. hahaha.

 

Her 1st birthday party is in a few more weeks...so exciting. Who to invite? We haven't sent out the email invitations yet...

 

But I've gotten most of the stuff ready:- the birthday banner, cake, balloons, food...what else is there to prepare? Oh yes, her birthday outfit. That's all washed and ready too. hehs...

 

Louisa is also cutting her 5th tooth. Awwwww~ no wonder she's been super cranky lately. Funny though...she cuts a tooth every now and then, and each time I see some "whites" on her gums, I'll go "oh...no wonder". Shouldn't I already be able to tell when her crankiness is due to teething?? Haiz....

My little angel

Aunty Piggy (aka my sis, who's also a pig) noticed that L has long eye lashes...oooohhhh....pretty pretty....Think that came from her father. But she didn't inherit his dimples though. hee... Here she is. (Photo taken when she's 9 months old).

 

 

My (Our) Lucky Star

My lucky star....Louisa.

 

I think Louisa is my lucky star...Well, not that I have gotten a pay rise or a promotion or anything like that since she's born...but rather, we've won (a bit) of lucky draws and Toto. heehee...

 

Just over the weekend, we've won our biggest lucky draw prize to date...a 3D2N stay at the Bayfront Villa at Banyan Tree Bintan. Yippeeee!!!!

 

Oh, I forgot to add....FOR 2 PERSONS. hahaha. But we'll bring Louisa along. ("huh??" you might be saying....)

 

Yes, it's supposed to be a romantic thing, but Louisa can't zzzzz without us (more like without me). So, how to go without Louisa? So, I think, there goes the couple spa etc...but then again, with the current economy the way it is, I doubt very much that we'll want to spend on any spa treatments too. Yes, we've saved a lot on accomodation, since it's the prize, but still, a spa treatment there can easily set us back by a hundred over bucks. Nah...not now lah. The dust over the financial crisis isn't settled yet. My take is that it still has some distance to go (in the US)...and it'll be a little while more before the effects cross oceans and become felt in this part of the world. So, while the Banyan Tree prize is timely (2nd wedding anniversary approaching, and we get to save some $$...heehee...), this is seriously still not the time to spend like that. Spa treatment? Aiyah, DIY lah! hahaha...

 

So...maybe we'll have a "made in Bintan" next? hahaha...

That Parenting Journey

Now that I've found a new way to post on this blog (via email), I think I'll be blogging a bit more than before. hehs....

 

The uncertain economic outlook and current volitility of the market is also contributing to slightly more "blog time". Nobody knows what to do at work. Write a report, make a recommendation, market is still crashing...hahaha. I notice more are just staring at their screens, checking out their Facebook, emails....but that also means one thing: the prospect of losing your job is also quite real. With the fall of Lehman Brothers, there are now more people out in the labour market looking for jobs. So, hey, quit watching the computer screen and get that spreadsheet out if you want to stay employed!

 

Ok...in a minute...

 

The parenting journey has been quite interesting so far. It is often fraught with opinions from well-meaning relatives. I've gone through the challenging initial stages of breastfeeding, of expressing while at work (oh, that IS very challenging), night feeds (not often, but bad enough to render me a "zombie" the next morning), trying to ensure that she has the right stimulation, trying to make sure she eats well and the right kinds of foods...through it all, I've learnt so much about myself - what my limits are, what I can achieve, how stubborn I can be (I realise I just don't give up, when it comes to L's things), oh and what a spendthrift I can be. hahahaha.

 

After a chat with a friend last week, I realise that I do need to let go some. I've been "holding on" too tightly to this role of motherhood. Not that I hate it. In fact, I pretty much enjoy it. Which is probably why I can't seem to let go. The downside of not letting go is not having enough time for myself. I don't get enough sleep, I haven't had a manicure in....months. Haven't had my hair done nicely for a looooong time too. Not that I would want to spend that money also. hehs. But the lack of sleep and rest is getting to me. I find myself falling ill often (and it's tough staying awake during office hours).

 

I guess I'm not one who would want to 'outsource' that parenting role (feeding, playing with, interacting with, bathing etc) to anyone just sao I can spend some time with the girlfriends or at the hair salon or spa, though, I DO need a spa treatment badly. I know of a couple, who leaves the kids with the parents and maids. While they do spend time with the kids and get their own personal rest time as well, it's just not me. I'm the mother here. I want to be the one in charge of my baby's things. It is very gratifying to see and hear your child squeal (coz she can't talk yet) for you and lean towards you or crawl to you the moment you step through the door or when she's in need for anything - attention, some comforting, cleaning up....awwww....I don't think I want to give that up for all the riches in the world. I cannot imagine how I would stomach it, if my child were to clamour for her grandparents or the maid instead of me.

 

That said, I do outsource some aspects to the maid - washing and sterilising of the milk bottles, washing the baby's clothes, looking after L while I'm away at work, feeding L while I'm not around. And that's during the weekdays. Being the one(s) to handle L's needs myself (or ourselves, when Daddy is around) allows us to not only bond with her, but to tune ourselves to her needs. So don't tell me to "let the maid handle, lah! so you can eat and relax...", especially during the weekends. My daughter wants to spend time with me too...

Over the past few months - Photo Gallery

Just some shots taken over the past few months...

 

 

9th Month Developmental Assessment

On Sat, we brought Louisa to the Polyclinic for her 9th month developmental assessment.

 

We had scheduled an appointment, hence, waiting time was minimal. Good...especially since it was on a Saturday morning.

 

Louisa weighed a good 8.1kg (but she doesn't look "ba-ba". Think she has the long and heavy bones from her daddy). That's at the 75th percentile.

Her height / length is 75cm (ok, she'll be a tall gal...can be a model next time...though I'd rather prefer her to do other jobs than modelling). That's at the 50th percentile.

 

All other tests and assessments went by smoothly. Louisa is progressing well and on track. That's good to know. As a parent, I find that we (ok, maybe it's just I) cannot be too lax over her care, cannot take things for granted. But I think it is this metality that is resulting in more stress for myself. I can't let go. Sometimes I ask myself, is there a point in it all? Stress myself out so much, only to cause more unhappiness.

 

It's been 9 months...time for some serious reflection on how I want to chart my parenting journey...some will say, let it be and it will come naturally to you. Others say, it's always good to have a plan...so what's my take?

Money Not Enough

Another financial giant has fallen. David reigns (as in David and Goliath). Hewlett-Packard is cutting 25,000 jobs worldwide. What does this spell for the rest of us? Economy downturn, potential job losses, essentially, money not enough.

 

Yet, this crazy mummy here is still spending on sprees!! Hello?? Wake up dear. *slaps face*

 

Ever since Louisa was born, I've been buying stuff over the internet for her. Toys, clothes, shoes, books (yeah, like she can read), VCDs, DVDs, CDs....lots of stuff. I hardly even spend on myself. The latest loots were birthday stuff for her upcoming 1st birthday.

 

What I've amased so far:-

 

~ birthday banner

~ several mylar balloons

~ serviettes (mind you, these are for the adults. I haven't bought those kiddy ones yet)

~ drinking straws (for what? I ask myself now...well, Ikea was having a promo on those straws then...$1.80 for 100 pcs of colourful straws).

~ birthday cake design (have yet to firm up with the baker)

~ #1 birthday candle

 

The best part.....I haven't even thought of a venue for her party. So where am I going to hang all these deco stuff???? Beats me.

Louisa's first tooth!!

Wow, after a long absence in the blogging scene....

On Sunday 20 July, Louisa's first tooth broke the surface! Yeah!!! Hooray!!

Louisa has been drooling quite a bit since she was 3 months old...and she's been bitting at anything in her mouth's way, since she was 3 mths plus too. After about 1 month's of irritable nights, her tooth finally popped out. Every night during the past month, she will wake up crying/whining at 2am ~ 3am...and her eyes will still be closed tight. So we reckon it was due to the teething. It must have been irritating her so badly at night.

Well, I didn't have much sleep either. 3am wake up...3.30am back to the bed, and then 6am, wake up again. How to have enough sleep?

Anyway, that's not important. The important thing is, Louisa is has teeth! heehee...time to start brushing. hahahahaha.

At 7.5 months (33 weeks old), Louisa weighs 8kg. Hmmmm...that seems to be a little light, isn't it? Not too sure. Will have to check with the charts....

It's been a while...

It's been a while since Mummy has blogged.

The past 3 months have been rather trying.

We faced challenges from:- understanding Louisa's cries, waking up for night feeds, settling Louisa to bed before we can do anything else...Mummy especially, faced challenges from breastfeeding. It is not easy, albeit fulfilling. Well, bottle-feeding is also very fulfilling. As long as there's a smile of baby's face, the whole parenting thing is fulfilling.

On hindsight, those challenges are not really challenges. I think we deemed them (except the breastfeeding bit) as "challenges" because we are first time parents and we are a wee bit lazy...hahaha.

Louisa has been good. She began sleeping through the night after her 1st month. With a more established routine (thanks to The Baby Whisperer and Gina Ford), we know her feeding times better, and we can really understand her cries. Seriously! On the whole, we are able to communicate with Louisa. I'm thankful we have a little angel (a rather vocal one, though) with us...

Louisa's Baptism

03 Feb 08, Sunday

Louisa's baptism was held at the Church of the Sacred Heart at 4pm. It was a small group with only 5 kids (3 toddlers and 2 babies) having their baptism.

Small groups have its advantages. It's cosy, more informal and definitely less chaotic (no crying siblings running around screaming for their parent's attention...)

Other than the "loud" interior of the church (some find it cosy), the whole baptism setting was pretty serene. It was over in half and hour.

True to a girl's nature, Louisa was quiet throughout the whole baptism. The other baby cried, and the toddlers couldn't sit still. Hahaha... Louisa slept right though her baptism. She only flinched a little (but no crying) when the priest poured the baptism water over her head (it was cold, you see). But her eyes remained closed. I think she must have been talking to her guardian angel during the whole baptism.

Louisa's Diary

Weight to date: 5.15kg (getting a tad bit too heavy for Mummy...going by the way Mummy drops Louisa in her cot while trying to get her out for night feeds. As a result, Mummy has sprained both wrists); Intervals between feeds today: 3 hours (Mummy is very happy! This means more time to blog...); Number of diaper changes today: erm...3 (ok. Mummy's been lazy. Haven't checked Louisa's diaper yet. Went through 2 Huggies S size and 1 Drypers S size. Just found out that we still have 3 pieces of Drypers S!! Gosh! Hate those Drypers S size. Louisa has chubby thighs. Drypers S size leaves "lines" on those 'pig trotters'- she's born in the Year of the Pig).

Basically, life's been great. Louisa just eats, plays, coos, pee & poo and sleep. When hungry, all she does is whine (with eyes still closed) and a teat is pushed into her mouth. All she needs to do is suckle (with eyes still closed). Basically, a feeding session can begin and complete with Louisa remaining in dreamland throughout.

Other times, she will be awake after the feed and it's play time! At 6 weeks, Louisa has displayed signs of being a keen communicator. A typical gal, I must say...I mean, we females just love to catch up with one another, don't we? She moves her mouth (as though making a speech when we look at her); she coos and "talks" to us (engaging a baby dialogue). She will be a good speaker...I think.

Take Time To Smell The Flowers

Mummy's thoughts:-

Although it's been tiring looking after Baby Louisa (waking up every few hours just to feed her, carry her and play with her...I hardly do my own stuff now), I think it is God's way of telling me something.

Before Baby Louisa, life has been all about zipping here and there, getting reports out on a timely fashion and basically rushing through stuff. I used to do a few things at one time - be it the Internet, my reports, reading, eating etc... With Baby Louisa, I can only do one thing during her feeding time - be a cow (just feed her). Ok, maybe 2 things - feeding her and watching TV. When it's Louisa's feeding time, one hand would be holding her and the other hand would be holding the bottle (if feeding EBM). How to do anything else? I can't even switch TV channels! hahaha. Well, I can switch channels if I'm breastfeeding her direct. :-)

But that's not my point. I regard myself as a very efficient person. I do and complete things rather quickly...which has also resulted in my sometimes-impatient nature. With Louisa, I am learning (still learning) to be more patient and not to expect things to be completed quickly. As a baby, in her initial weeks, she would take at least 30 to 40 minutes to suckle. At first, I wasn't used to it. Whenever she took a breather or dozed off, I would assume (or rather, prefer to assume) that she has finished drinking, and quickly remove her and place her back in her cot. She may not even have had her fill! This led to frequent night feeds as she kept waking up every hour or so to feed. So I started to let her really suckle until she's happy and detaches herself. At first, it was like cold turkey for me. I got irritated that she was drinking so slowly. Then I made use of the time to admire her profile, talk to her, stroke her, pray. Slowly, I began to slow down my pace of life...I didn't feel so impatient with her anymore...

On reflection, I think God's telling me (through Louisa) to take time off to smell the flowers. Life is about so much more than being efficient, chasing after things...I used to pray that God will help me be a more patient person. I know now, that this is His way of helping me. Praise the Lord.

Baby Louisa's 1st Month Celebrations

Mummy's thoughts:-

In the twinkling of an eye, Baby Louisa is 5 weeks old. Thank God for a smooth (albeit mostly sleepless) 5 weeks. We celebrated her 1st month last weekend. It was a major gathering of relatives and some friends at the function room of the condo we're staying at.

It was great fun planning her first major party (duh, this is so characteristic of me. I just enjoy planning such events - limited by $ only...). The best part? Daddy actually felt very happy at how the whole thing turned out. Well, he is not one who enjoys planning parties and entertaining...not that he is a A-social...he just doesn't take too well to socialising. But that was then. Now, he's beginning to enjoy socialising - ala Daddy's style.

Daddy told me that when he went to hand the function room back to the security guards, he actually felt a tinge of sadness...Sad that the whole event is over. It touched my heart that Daddy actually enjoyed the celebrations so much. I don't know why, but my heart was warmed. And Daddy was happy with how the gift packs (a goodie box [with 2 red eggs, 2 ang ku kuehs, 2 chocolate bars and a birth announcement card] and chocolate cakes [6 petit fours]) turned out. The gift packs were MY idea (thank you *curtsy*). I searched the internet and sourced them out. I was afraid that Daddy would scold for spending such money...but he was happy with how nicely they turned out. Phew!

I hope everyone who received them loved them too...

It really feels different when you are planning a party or event for your child. I guess it's because it's for someone other than yourself.

YEAH!! Confinement over!

Phew!

I finally have some time to check this blog, log in and post something.

Yeeesss!!! Confinement is over! I can go out of the home now! hahahaha...but will still be continuing with the heaty confinement food...till I know my body cannot take the heatiness anymore.

Next up...Baby Louisa's 1st month celebration and baptism.