Vitamin L

I read this from Babylicious:

And below is the other study as cited from “The Complete Secrets of Happy Children“, which I thought I had better add since there is a possibility of embellishment of the above study since the reliance upon memory is always somewhat questionable (and hubby would say that mine is more so than the average person). At the end of World War II, there were a lot of orphans who needed care. A Swiss doctor travelled around to learn what were the best methods for taking care of orphaned babies. He travelled around Europe and examined all the different styles of orphan-care to determine which was the most successful style. He witnessed a large spectrum of infant care. In some places where American field hospitals had been set up, babies were snug in stainless steel cots, in hygienic wards and getting 24-hour feeds of special infant milk formula from nurses in crisply starched, white uniform. At the other end of the spectrum were the remote mountain villages where a truck would pull up and ask the villagers if they could look after half a dozen babies. These babies were raised in the arms of the village women, surrounded by children, goats and dogs. They were fed goat’s milk and eventually ate from the communal stockpot. The doctor’s method of comparing the different forms of care was by using the death rate. This was a time where dysentery and influenza took lives of many throughout Europe, yet the children raised in the villages were thriving better than those children who were cared for in the scientifically-managed hospitals. The conclusion was clear. Babies needed “love” to thrive. In other words, he said: infants need frequent skin-to-skin contact from two or three significant people infants need movement of a fairly robust kind, e.g. being carried around, bouncing on a knee, etc. infants need eye-contact, smiling, colourful and lively environment, and sounds, such as singing, talking, etc.

~~~~~~

Now i can't seem to remember how much i carried Eliza when she was an infant. Then again she was so light (compared to now) that i think it's not that difficult to carry her.

But i do remember relishing BF-ing her and carrying her to sleep (even though i had read books that babies need to learn to sleep on their own and not carried/rocked to sleep). The sleep part that was like a love and hate thing to do, was also filled with really warm moments.
I would gaze upon her even when she has fallen asleep.
I would enjoy cuddling her in my arms and rocking/walking her to sleep.
I would love the moments as she fell asleep on me.
I still love sleeping in the same bed as her...even though she starts off sleeping in her own bed but ends up in our bed the next morning.

Even though i didn't manage to learn how to use the sarong carrier, Beco saved us. I loved going out with her and bringing her along in Beco made it so much easier. Those were the days...now i can't carry her with Beco cos of my wound and she's also getting heavier. Ww still can carry her with it but since she's already mastering her art of walking, i would love her to walk outside more than being carried.
We brought her to T3 one evening and i let her 'loose' to walk about on her own, and you know how large an expanse of space T3 is. I could sense her 'wow-i-got-such-a-huge-space-to-explore' look on her face when i put her down.

Seems like step 1 of letting go has happened. She's gaining a bit of her independence as she learns to walk.

Still she needs just as much cuddling and carrying. I felt that in the weeks during my recuperation, my lack of carrying her has somewhat strained our r/s. It is as if she sensed some rejection when i couldn't carry her. Not that i loved her less...but carrying her was part of that love she needed. I'm glad to be on carrying terms with her again, and it felt as if we're a little closer. Geee...how fragile or sensitive is a mother-daughter r/s.

We had a good weekend last week...some of the so many photos i took...
NTUC was having offer on these diapers and Eliza was having fun with these toys.


Eliza sitting on her potty...my turn!


Saturday we did a rekke with Ww's school BB to the southern ridges walk...and Eliza did some walking, some strolling in the stroller and some sleeping.
She looks like she's leaning forward here....


Went to Ikea on Sunday for lunch with my mum & sis...and she was having a ball of a time poking her reflection. i love this pic :P

Baby Signing Time

I've been wanting to teach Eliza how to sign for quite a long time and most of what i knew were
~ Milk
~ Mummy
~ Daddy
~ Please
That's about it...even if i've read it somewhere, saw it somewhere, i don't remember how to sign the word anyway. Milk was the easiest cos it was a word we frequently used...well..at least 3 occasions a day. Somehow i did catch her signing milk but it seemed more like out of the action rather than because she wanted milk. We couldn't be bothered with her signing mummy & daddy since she's able to say 'mama' and 'baba'.

After reading from Babylicious about Baby Signing Time (BST) and how it worked quite well with her boy, also because of the songs, i had wanted to get it but couldn't find it at all in SG. I managed to find the first two volumes of the DVDs and tried to let Eliza watch. It was just at a time when we occasionally (which has become frequently now...) show her the videos during meal times so that she'll finish all her porridge. The BST was the most successful of the DVDs she has watched cos it was all songs, with little kids like her doing the signs.

At the same time, I was watching the DVDs as well and learning from it. Really repetition helps loads. I don't remember all the signs at all from the two volumes. I'm still trying to recall how to sign 'bath' anyway. It's also because most of the time my back is facing the tv, and i'll occasionally turn to see the tv to communicate with her & sign to her what's been shown on tv.

Ever since early Jan, she has been signing, bit by bit. One of the first was 'baby' which we thought it was some fun action until i saw the DVD and realized one of the toddlers in the show signed it in that way. It's not the exact baby sign, but close to it. Recently, Eliza did do the exact 'baby' sign and we cheered her on with it.

Recently, for a few days i realized that she was signing a few words last week already. The last one was 'dog'. It was bedtime and she was flipping her 'Going to bed book' by Sandra Boynton. The back of the book shows more of Sandra Boynton books, one of which is the 'Counting dog' book that we also have. She patted her thigh after pointing to that book, which was the sign for 'dog'. I was so thrilled! It's really so exciting realizing that she has learnt stuff like that.

Other words signed are:
- Ball (not too exact though...and cos it's so similar to another word i usualy get confused)
- Eat
- More
- Shoes
- Diaper
- Hat
- Car
- Bus
- Airplane
- wash hands
(hmm...i must have written this list somewhere before)

Although her signing is really quite tempremental, as in she doesn't always do it on cue, it's quite exciting to see her learn these things. It was only this year January that she started watching the DVDs. Well...everyone at home is also learning all these signs as well..haha...and I'm trying to teach her 'drink' & 'water' recently. Somehow they know all these stuff but just don't want to do them. Really, never underestimate how much a toddler can know...they don't always like to be tested so...I guess we won't really know how much they know. Now i'm searching for the other volumes...

Today she slept really late...

Considering going to bed at 9pm and only eventually falling asleep at 1115pm is really late. Actually, i scolded her just before she went to bed and after that she was quite like a wreck and very sticky to my mil.
Usually she's more sensitive in the evenings and a little chiding will cause her to pout and eventually wail with hurt from being chided.
So she was crying on and off, refusing to let us close the bedroom door because she wants to go out, always pointing to the door. At first, i was so frustrated because she kept clinging on to my mil to carry her here or there that i left my mil to put her to bed, but after half-hour and no progress on her sleeping, i popped in to take a look only to find her playing on the bed. Anyway after on and off crying, Ww suggested to just let her out and let her play till she's had enough. After some play, she was ok telling everying goodnight but when we put her in her cot she refused to let us close the door and kept asking my mil to carry her. In the end, Ww & I managed to get her to fall asleep...after some rocking, cajoling, hugging, praying, singing, pat-patting...phews!

Am i being too strict? I do feel that i'm particular about some things, like having to finish at least half of her bedtime milk before bed (so that i don't get woken in the middle of the night to make milk cos she didn't want to finish her milk earlier), minimal playing when it's bedtime (not that it really happens..it's more like play until sleep overcomes her), pacifier in the bed and when sleeping only, if she's not going to sleep, no pacifier (which she'll guai guai throw it into her cot before she gets out of the room in the morning...then again..i wonder when i'll be able to wean her off it).

Then again, i also realize that she's not developmentally ready to understand some concepts, ie if we tell her that if she a good girl, she'll get to get goodies or go out, not that i'll have used these tactics much but i've heard my mil and even Ww say these 'condition' conversations. Nah for her...it's a if i want it now i want it now concept...and for me it's a decision of what she's allowed, else i'll have to use distraction tactic. It's also challenging now that she understand words and some of the things we say, yet is unable to express herself verbally, it's more challenging when she's really insistent and frustrated.

Sigh...off to work one day and i miss her liao.

Back to work; Skin; Crocs

I'm finally going back to work. After 34days of absence from work (although of that 4 days spent in hospital and about 1 week being quite nua and 1 week trying to CNY & 1 week recuperating from the outings & 1 week being more normal).

The worst thing of this whole ordeal is that i can't carry Eliza the way i used to for all this while. Eventually it wasn't so much about losing baby no.2, nor was it that i was in a life-threatening situation. Those feelings lasted about 1 1/2 weeks then everything was back to normal...and it was working around not lifting Eliza which i was always so used to.
It was to Ww's advantage cos Eliza knows she can look for daddy to be carried. Mummy will only hold her hand or go down to her and hug her when she clings on to mummy. Not that i have not tried carrying her, but that i really felt the stretch when i did, if not, it is as if my energy is being sapped out from me. So no choice, i have to guai guai not carry her. boohoo. :(

The second worst thing of this ordeal is i'm not as energetic as i wish i can be. Still, i don't rest as much as i could after the second week. I can't help sleeping late, and sometimes i'm out so i miss my afternoon naps.

So back to work!

On Eczema & bites....
I had 3 days on my own, with some help from my FIL and Eliza's ezema came back in another wave on her leg & butt. Poor gal. And to make things worse she had some insect bites that she was allergic or sensitive to and it turned swollen and filled with pus! argggh! Thank God it was just gross to see but not itchy or painful for her.
(WARNING: the following contains images that are yucky..close your eyes if you don't dare to see)

The one on her finger was the most preserved one...it wasn't so big and because we didn't dare put any ointment for fear of her rubbing her eyes or eating it, i think it didn't really get worse.


And then on her arm, i think it kinda got worse cos i put ointment on it. Only after we went to the doc to get some cream, that it did dry up and seem better.

This was the worst. Actually, there were 3 bubbles of pus and two of them broke. I was so afraid it will get scratched when i put her on the high chair.


REALLY, I've got no idea what bit her. Mosquitos? Bugs? Ants? Even the GP couldn't tell us, just said that sometimes kids are more sensitive to these bites.

And then it's this rough leg of hers. see la...scratch until like that. Moreover, daddy just cut her nails on sunday, and this was taken on wednesday. My mil call her chor3 bei2 kia4 (aka Rough Skin Baby). I hope she'll outgrow all that eczema but a dermotogist we went to said that hers is for life and she might not outgrow it...gosh like some life sentence.


Anyway, I do think that the wild weeds bath she had did help her loads and maybe it's time for the wild weed bath again. I can't remember the name of the weed but my fil started growing them on the pots outside our house...amazing how these remedies work.
On Play and Messing up
Being stuck at home with her means that we get to play a lot at home. It also means that she gets to mess up a lot and i have to pack up a lot. On some afternoons, i just couldn't be bothered with the mess and let it be. There're always these few hot spots
~ The book corner. [that shelf space under the used-to-be diaper change table has become her bookshelf. It's also a fantastic place for her to read, but to throw out all the books, flip some of her favourite ones and probaby run away with one.

~ The balcony. [because that box of cards is there and she just adores taking a whole stack and throwing them, and then trying to slot them between the slats of the timber floor]
~ The toy box in the living room.
~ Her playroom
~ The kitchen. [after she has ransacked her drawer & the coffee sachets drawer, or sometimes the baskets next to the washer, and recently the canned drinks from CNY]

On Crocs shoes...
Our orders from Crocs arrived on Valentine's. How thoughtful. But i was really unhappy that for such a light package of 1.4kg, we were charged for 8.5kg of shipping costs due to the volumetric size of the box that Crocs packaged it in. Most of the box was empty loh!

At least there were some savings....so all of us have crocs shoes...:P
Here's Eliza helping to arrange the shoes...(actually, she was de-arranging them)

Arranged!


So far she quite likes her new crocs. Let's hope she doesn't outgrow them too fast! For now it fits quite nicely.
It's useful for situations like this...shoes doesn't get wet & soggy!


Lastly, Eliza posing.

[she was actually watching her baby signing times.
on a side note: when she feels like it she can sign
~ airplane
~ hat
~ milk (most of the time, even when she doesn't want it...she just likes signing it i think)
~ baby (same with milk)
~ shoes
~ car]

Daddy like the above photo...says she looks really pretty here
Mummy however prefers this...says she looks contemplative here. (looks different from the usual pics i've taken)

The sleep post and photos

Of Naptimes...
Somehow naptimes have been quite predictable now i know Eliza's style. If you see her still so active and busy pouncing from activity to activity, don't ever try to get her to sleep..you could take 2 hours. Actually by 45mins if she's not rolling around in bed rubbing her eyes, i'll be giving up getting her to nap anymore.
She's also sloooowwwwllly transiting to a 1 nap a day. It really depends. If she slept late the day before (and most of the time she'll by default wake up at 730-8am), she'll usually need to have a 1030am nap, followed by a late afternoon nap. Or if she gave us a difficult time at night waking to cry or flip here and there such that she lost sleep (and us too!), she'll usually wake up about 9am. Then it's definately a one nap day.
Somehow, the late afternoon nap (3+ to 4+pm) is not the easiest to get her to sleep if she woke up too late from her morning nap (1+pm)...and yet getting her to miss that afternoon one is a recipe for disaster. Cos by 6pm she is DEFINATELY sleepy and as a result, cranky. So if she's on a 2 nap day, that later nap is essential cos she can't last till 8pm. Even a short nap of 15mins is better than nothing. Then again, she is 60% cranky & whiny after the afternoon nap...it's always like she hasn't slept enough, even if it's 1 1/2hrs long.

Of Bedtime...
Now bedtime has a milk before bed routine at around 9pm. And with this also means that most of the time she ends up sleeping around 10pm (add in the cajoling to bed, getting her to 'say' goodnight to everyone in the house, changing a fresh new diapers and jumping in the bed to play some more...) If i do sense her being sleepy early i'll try to get everything done earlier. On some days when we go out and reach home about 8+ or 9pm, she somehow has this renewed energy to play at home such that i'll push the bedtime later to give myself some sanity. (cos if she's not sleepy i don't want to tire myself out getting her to be sleepy)
Nowadays, though, it has been easier to get her to go to the room for bedtime. Some while ago, closing the bedroom door was like locking her up in prison as she'd scratch the door, poke her fingers under the door where there's a gap etc. I guess 365 days of doing the same thing every night pays off ya? She'd willingly jump into her cot. Also the lure of the pacifier is there...and it only stays in the cot.
Then again, there's new variations of play to play in the cot. For a period of time, it was the stuffed toys in there, patting them to sleep, giving them the pacifier, hugging them (on my cue...except for the pacifier one). These few days, Miffy has been the more popular stuffed toy and it was some other interesting stuff to pull or scratch or toggle.
Still the average getting her to sleep time is about 45mins...of which half the time i'm trying to get her to lie down (or 'tang tang') and half the time is her scratching herself like mad even though she's sleept..and most of the time she'll be so frustrated with the scratching she'll keep sitting up or standing up or cry...at least until sleep overcomes her. Sigh...i wonder why she's so itchy when she's falling asleep?

Days of Eliza...
Being home is fun especially when i watch her explore all kinds of things...and watch her being cute :P

My cousin bought this outfit for her but it was for 3-6mths...it's just nice for now...I love the hood part


Trying to join in with her cousins...


Most of the times you don't need complicated toys, this is good enough to entertain her & us :P


Some new dance move? This is hilarious! Anyway she was exhilarated with these baskets and containers..


Finally she got it nicely on her head


When you run out of toys to play...fruits are good options for toys too. She was trying to sit on the pomelo...before that she was carrying it up and letting it drop to the floor with a thud (sorry neighbours downstairs!)


She was giving Amos back his snack container but Amos didn't seem to be too interested it getting it from her...which she eventually just threw it to him.


Playing on the squeaky chair with Jieqi

I want to bring Eliza out!

Ok hmm...ayy...we just did last saturday, didn't we? Went to visit a friend who gave birth to her baby gal at TMC and then to Orch to walk around. Ww survived carrying Eliza in Beco and she's also more 'restrained' in the Beco on the bus.

Sunday was tiring. I wonder if it's cos of
1. the outing the day before (did i over-exert myself?)
2. entertaining the boys aka Ww's nephews who were at my place since morning. with one always whining and wanting me to do this and that, and another who's always hugging Eliza.
3. carrying Eliza up and down her bed. (i don't exactly carry but i try to lift her while i'm sitting down)
So by evening i was so bished out i had to ask my mil to do bedtime for Eliza. i barely wanted to move.

I thought i had better rest this week...no more outings :(
So 3 of us have been home since monday...for 3 days so far. And our routine is quite the same...following Eliza's meal & naptime routines. Playing with her in between the meal/nap times, watching her do funny and amazing things like....
~ say 'banana' (gosh did i hear wrongly?)
~ do her 'meow' sound when she sees a cat picture. (it's not that accurate..but we know it cos it sounds more high-pitched)
~ pick up heavy things like...pomelo, the 1.5litre cold water, packet/can drinks, big boxes, the bus toy
~ babble her Eliza talk which we try to reply back but don't really understand what she's saying, yet it's so funny cos it sounds quite like a good conversation
~ amuse herself (and us) by putting the containers/baskets over her head and walking around blindly
~ use the comb to comb her hair
~ grouch when she just woke up from her afternoon nap (she's in her worst or sleepiest mood during that time)
~ hug all the animals she comes in contact with or 'head'/cha1tou2 them (soooooo sweeeeet!)
~ give her pacifier to Miffy the rabbit or Elmo during getting-to-nap time
~ walk very fast to the gate when she hears ah-gong or daddy come home (she really speeds!)
~ kiss you (this time with her mouth closed)
~ point to the rabbit in the library i borrowed...it's only the rabbit she's interested in though

hmm..now staying at home isn't too bad huh? Still it would be nice to go out, run around, let her see new stuff. I miss it. And i can't do it on my own for at least the next 3 months. boohoooo..