Catching up

Way to go...
Above: Kait takes up Jon's challenge and emerges the victor in the hare and tortoise race! And really because...

the good Gor Gor will let her win!

And outdoors, Ben will also give me a headstart when he and Jon ask to race me. Why?

"Because mommy, you are so slow!"!!!

Even then, it's Jon and Ben who will come in first and second, followed by Kait in third position -- because she's ahead of me (and I'm carrying her, facing forward) in the carrier. And so, I am always last!

Back indoors...

Way to grow...
Below: Kait wants to turn on the TV and music...

She likes the Mama Mia songs from an old Abba CD that her brothers enjoy also. Bobbing, and *slap* *slap* she'll tap her side!

And here's how we let her use us as the prop to walk around...
It's also to steer her away from constantly pulling things off shelves and digging into the newspaper basket! Part of all the exploring going on.

I'm just trying to keep up with her -- Kait is a bundle of energy! And because her hair has grown quite a bit, we've had to trim her fringe (bangs) already, now at 8 months old, but not without the daddy's help to hold her. She doesn't like to sit still or sit down much, and will wriggle herself out of my grasp.

More catching up to do -- so many things, so little time. Have a good week, thanks for coming by =).

Spring forward

After an exhausting week, it's nice to have spring just around the corner as daylight savings start today!

Vern was away for three days, the children and I weren't without our crazy moments, and a few things (the saner ones) afoot with them...

Baby Kait (almost overnight!) finally sprouted her first tooth. She's otherwise occupied with crawling here and there!

Ben had gone ahead to invite his classmates to his party!

"Party, what party?" I had to ask him, since his birthday isn't until May.

"The one you're going to send cards to tell everyone to come," he shot back without missing a beat!

"Erm... (see how carefully this mom treads)... shouldn't we discuss it first?"

"I am discussing it with you NOW..."!

Talk about growing up too fast too soon!

And moving along with a book report due after next weekend, Jon is trying to hurry up and finish reading the book puh-lease -- I begged him oh-so-politely, and I'm the more anxious one as always! So that he can go on to work on the report, and hopefully it'll be one less thing to worry about, what with three tests coming up that same week! This week, the teacher had sprung a surprise Math test on the class. Only, Jon preferred to call it "a SECRET test... because surprises are meant to be nice!"?!

But nice or not nice, fair or not fair, how do you encourage children who'd rather be laidback about homework, (and honestly, I'm trying not to dread it), that keeping up with it day by day is the only way forward? It is (time and again) driving me quite crazy!

The way to a man's heart...

... is the stomach. Or is it the heart itself?

Food talks...

Above: Ben holds up a "talking" pear, and Jon wants a "byte" too!

Heart to heart...
The bond between father and child is a special, precious one. So is the relationship our Abba Father desires of us; the bible tells us to "delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart" (Psalm 37:4).

Vern is busy with bread and butter issues made more challenging by the current economic situation. He's looking for the job that can feed the family, but it's my prayer also for the path that opens up be to his heart's desire as well.

The toughest part is not over, and the coming weeks and months before any changes ahead will continue to be stressful ones. I'm trying not to overly worry, meanwhile, doing my part to place food -- the edible kind -- on our table!

Left: Grilled chicken is a favourite with the boys. I used curry powder, salt, and sugar for this version.

And look who else I'm preparing food for (more pictures in the previous post, decided not to lump everything here)! She's not eating much to be filled up yet, but enough to know fruits are yummier than veggies already.

And with the crawling that's started also, I'm more than a bit busier! But please don't ask me if she's sleeping through the night... what's that?!


I've lost count of how many more times she's waking up now. Naps wise, it's already down to one in the morning that hopefully will last longer than 30 minutes, and the second one is when she goes with me to drive the boys home from school! Where'd she get so much energy?


At almost 6.5 months now, Kait has grown a bit more since these pictures taken before the six-month mark. The latest in addition to the crawling is, she likes to pull herself from the sitting upright to standing position if you'll let her hold your hands!

Here's the scoop

From her first spoonfuls of rice cereal and first sips out of a bottle, to sitting up and taking notice, the fifth month onwards sees exciting milestones such as these, in this "I'm growing, growing fast" stage!
Which of course also includes the understanding of cause and effect...

You know, the "Look Ma...

I'm going to drop this to the floor, and I will go WAAAAAHHH!!! And now, mommy, you pick it up... oh, what fun, let's do it again, and again!".

Left: We came across this budget-friendly Summer brand infant seat with an activity tray, for a few more dollars and with bigger leg holes than the Bumbo. On a good day, it buys me some hands-free time in the kitchen.

More and more, this is also when babies don't like to be confined or want to stay still. Two nights ago, Kait got the beginnings of a crawl: the On your mark (*on all fours*)... get set (*bum goes up in the air*)... and LUNGE FORWARD!!! And she's been practising everyday since!

But now, can it be the growth spurt, not just the eczema that comes and goes, or maybe cutting her first teeth, that's the reason why she keeps waking up minutes into her sleep at night? Jon saw she had eye bags, Ben thought maybe she was just not feeling well.


Me? I had to make a new pair of glasses after walking into the wall the other day breaking up a fight between the boys! My first pair after all this time here, it came to more than twice the discount price (bluff one!) because of so many hidden costs, but hey, how come the lens is the reflective kind?! The backup pair was squashed earlier, and I do need glasses more than contact lenses to hide my darker than usual panda eyes!!!

But oh what fun, really...

Here's when the fun starts!

Kait turned six months old a week ago.

Poised

Poised is Kait during tummy time!

It's hardly the word to describe me though. "Frazzled" is more like it -- on any day! But I'm trying not to think of it that I only have a window here and hopefully another one there (when she'll go down for her catnap) to do this and that, or not at all!

It's the eve of Chinese New Year Eve. I have decided it's OK if scooping up our messes from the floor is the closest we'll get to springcleaning!

An unhurried sense of time is in itself a form of wealth. - Bonnie Friedman

Meanwhile, here's wishing everyone an OX-picious year poised for opportunities and possibilities, the poor economy notwithstanding! Hope, not fear, I'm encouraged by Barack Obama who paved the way as the first African American President.

GONG XI FA CAI! WAN SHI RU YI!

Coming soon: Deep Freeze and Home Alone II

Temperatures will drop to OF (or -18C), maybe even lower, midweek, when Vern will be out of town for five days. That'll make it the coldest this place has seen in a decade, and the second time after kiddo #3 the husband is away.

Unless the roads are icy, I plan to still get Jon and Ben to school. And so long as I stay behind the wheel in the carpool line, with Kait in her carseat, to drop them off and pick them up like we do on regular days, we should be OK.

But we won't go if the extreme weather poses unforseen logistical issues. Prayerfully, there will not be any freezing rain or snowstorms.

I'll appreciate your prayers for our safety, and also my sanity. Thanks!

Warming up to the new year...
It's been a week since the boys resumed school after the winter hols. Each day, it still takes a lot to get our act together, but I'm secretly happy that school gets us back to a more predictable routine. Also because while there's more driving for me to do again with the baby girl, there's less of the driving this mom up the wall, from all that fighting and not playing nicely between the brothers, day in day out!

Kait will be 5 months old tomorrow. She is not sleeping through the night, unlike some babies I've read and heard can by now, or soon after. Neither Jon nor Ben slept longer stretches till much later. I'm trying not to beat myself up over this. Things are crazier with three kids, and I am (be warned!) crankier!!!

Doing what I can to encourage Kait to take one slightly longer nap in the day. She's not been getting much from the minutes here and there, and her overtiredness in the night -- eyes closed but fussing away -- can't be quality rest for her either. But when she does sleep better, she awakes happier, cooing, and rolls on her back!

Homework, homework

Jon does a book report, and Ben goes to work on one, too!

I like that!

Helps keep Ben out of mischief. Also, when Jon sees younger brother hard at work, it's a bit hard for him not to be working either... 'coz Ben's snapping up the toy soldiers fast!

It's not cool though, when they fight tooth and nail over that last maimed soldier whose arm had accidentally come off!

But now you know why I cherish the saner homework moments! Heh!

Above: Jon's diorama for that soldier's journal he chose to do for this month's book report on historical fiction.

Below: Earlier, Jon working on his book jacket for a mystery book report. Ben's vampire version is on the right!

Reason to smile

So sweet of you all for caring... I'd like to say a BIG THANK YOU with these smiles from Kait!

Vern is back, yes! He was away for only four days, but it's different from when he has to work late, home alone with the three kids 24/7.

The toilet backed up and I had much worse than an explosive poopy diaper on my hands. And not that the regular stuff hasn't got my hands full already -- making sure the kids were clothed, fed, and bathed (and the bathroom clean again), there's the greater challenge when the boys would lock horns with each other, and with me... oh, the frustration, the despair, as always, sigh! And especially when it's not just the baby, but the three kids crying for my attention all at the same time. And I tried not to be discouraged when she wasn't sleeping so well again.

In the end, my top sanity saver was the activities going on, besides school, that gave us the perfect excuse to be out and about! Because, out of the confines of the home (and four walls) = kids can't drive me up the wall?! ;p

OK, that's not completely true. But Jon and Ben did get to run around and burn off some energy. And with Kait snug and comfy in the sling I carried her wherever we went, she caught some rest that way, too! As for me, I just can't enough of the pretty fall colours! (More on this, later).

I'm also really grateful for that one close shave (read: mini heat attack!), when Ben's fingers almost got crushed! It's a serious reminder for me to check thoroughly before closing the door after any child.

Thanks again for thinking of us, and for praying for our safety and God's protection. Wouldn't have done it without your support =).

I call her Sweetie

Above: Kaitlyn flashes Jon a big smile, two Sundays ago after her baptism, and just before Nana went off a week ago now.

Kait didn't wince when our pastor sprinkled water on her head. And as he carried her and prayed, it felt like we were taking it from the beginning again; Ben was just as little when we called this place our home away from home.

There's more to juggle now than at the outset, and with the boys growing, they do demand lots of energy and patience from us. But whether as parents to two before, or blessed with three now, may God be our guide always.

Good morning, God

This is your day

I am your child

Show me your way.

The simple lyrics of this song Ben learned from his teacher becomes a prayer for myself also, as I sing it to Kait every morning she greets me with her sweet smiles, and especially when she's had a fair amount of sleep! =)

Sweet dreams in the making

Thank you every one who responded with your thoughts, tips, and advice to my plea for some Zzz's!

Trying out your suggestions, I did go on to be a walking zombie sarong for awhile more though, carrying Kait around in a sling, the whole of last week.

"Bo bian" (no choice, as we say in Hokkien), swaddling her strait-jacket style does not work to keep her in slumber mode. Plus, she's giving me, in the day also, not just in the night, the "put me down, I'll cry; pick me up, and maybe I'll take a snooze" treatment, babies are infamous for.

So, anything to help her get some shuteye. That was my main concern, that when I added up the minutes here and there she was sleeping, she wasn't getting enough for a little one her age.

And it's true, quality rest in the day begets better sleep in the night. With this, and the "tanking up" feeds before sleep (different from my just succumbing to being Human Pacifier all throughout the night, nursing her earlier, and the boys last time), I'm beginning to see some results... yay!

Thankful for the progress made, and not wanting her to get too used to being in the sling, I went back to cradling her today. Do hope with time, she'll be better at self-soothing.

Meanwhile, baby steps now!

Bedtime reads
For those who like to read more on the topic of sleep for babies,

• Fay has come across "Babywise" by Gary Ezzo and Robert Bucknam
• Priscilla finds "Save our Sleep" by Tizzie Hall useful.

One of these is ready for me to pick up from the library. Thanks, gals!

Goo goo ga ga

Kaitlyn's cooing is my favourite part of her development these last few weeks.

Catch her in a talking mood, and she'll lock eyes with you, and go, "Eh... air... uhhh!"!

I wonder if she'll grow up to be more yakkity than her brothers. But one thing's for sure, this is the kind of talking back we parents don't mind, eh? ;p

New at the 2-month mark:
Kaitlyn started batting at toys hung where she can see them, and especially if these play some happy tune.

Singing to her is also one way to get her to "sing" back!

Grooving along...
...yeah, baby!

What say you?
Meanwhile, still struggling with her night-day mixup. I'll appreciate it if you can drop me a line with your ideas on how to keep a sleepy baby awake and engaged in the evening (the longest stretch Kaitlyn sleeps, but that's when I'm busy settling the boys down to homework after driving them back from school, and having to fix dinner also). A couple of hours is enough to keep her wide wide awake well past bedtime (midnight, 1, 2am...), fussing away into the wee hours (3, 4, 5am...), needing way-too-frequent feeds till it's time for me to get up already to make breakfast and get on with the daily grind.

My dark circles are baaaaaaaad, and the scarcer my sleep, the grumpier I am! =(

A well-rested Kaitlyn is a happy baby...

but how do you sleep-train a 2-month old whose sleep pattern is clearly reversed? Not enough rest in the day, and she ends up being restless after dark. It's a vicious cycle hard to break.

No, I'm not expecting her to sleep through the night, neither boy did, just will like Kaitlyn to fall asleep at a sane hour. Need that for my sanity!

Here's looking at you...

Ben looks at Kaitlyn through his (toy) binoculars, and tells us she's bigger already.









Ben to Kaitlyn: Want to have a look?


She's grown, yah...

... no longer swallowed up by this chair, yay!


The thing with babies, besides their size, they always look a little different each time, don't they? And I thought these shots of Kaitlyn before the fifth week was just up, show more of a little girl look already!

Now she just broke out with rashes on her forehead and face =(. Can it be just a heat rash? I hope it's not eczema; both her brothers had it when they were little.

Does anyone, if your child had infant eczema and you were nursing, had to abstain from certain food -- in my case, eggs, dairy products, seafood, nuts, and some citrus fruits, so that the rashes will not flare up too badly for the baby? Only one pediatrician we saw, back in Singapore when Jon was little, had suggested this.

P.S. Here's more information on eczema causes and treatment from Dr Greene, that may explain why some babies get "negatively affected" when nursing moms consume allergenic food.

P.P.S. Hmm... looks like there is a difference between baby acne and eczema.

I'm going to wait and see how Kaitlyn's rashes go; meanwhile, keep her face clean as many of you recommended (thanks!). Hopefully, I don't have to remove those food items from my diet -- the way I did for both boys until they were at least a year old, as it'll mean quite a lot of things I can't eat!

Red eggs!

The red eggs said it all -- that it was more than the regular day, and not just another dinner.

This was last Friday, to mark Kaitlyn turning a month old!

Getting the eggs, dinner preparations, homework, and the cake done (using those boxed cakemix that's great for moms strapped for time!), after I'd driven the boys back from school that day...

... while Kaitlyn napped under the watchful eye of Nana, in between fussing, partly because she needed a feed. Things weren't as orderly as I'm relating them now. But finally, it was our turn to eat!

Breaking red eggs together over dinner...


Red eggs were also a must-have in the one-month favours that went out to friends, as a token of our appreciation.

I have you to thank too, for your well-wishes and prayers, your kindness and generosity! Bless all your hearts! I'm especially warmed by the friendship of old and new faraway friends who took the trouble to send us gifts from across the miles, and not just for our baby, but there's something for the rest of us also. How very thoughtful... THANK YOU!

And here, check out lil Kaitlyn's different expressions in one evening!


No doubt the last few weeks have been especially hectic, but there are these and many more moments, besides the birth of our #3 BaoBei ("precious one"), to treasure, and praise God for!

"Every good and perfect gift is from above..." - James 1:17