And he sings!

After class today there was a long wait to get out of the Evans Lodge carpark. And the little one was in his singing mood so I managed to video him singing "twinkle twinkle little star".

There's a twist at the end where he replaces the final line with one line of the Chinese version of "head and shoulders". Oh, please be warned that it sounds vaguely vulgar because he can't pronounce the Chinese words properly yet.

Enjoy!!!

-- Post From My iPhone

Tyke on trike!

Ok, it's not really a tricycle, but it's a training bicycle. With the success he's had on his scooter, we thought we'd promote the little one. And waddayaknow... He's a natural! *grin*

We got his wheels from a bicycle shop in Joo Chiat and it came with a basket (John insists on ferrying his animal friends) and a bell. And it was a hit with the little one right from the start. He literally rode the bike out of the shop!




Now he insists on going to the park to ride and we're happy to oblige. :)

-- Post From My iPhone

Translator please

We have come to terms with the fact that our little one is a little slow in the speech department. Don't get me wrong... it's not that John doesn't speak. We just don't understand him. This is what I mean....

Now, can someone please translate what he's saying please?

Then & Now - Part 1

It's amazing to see how much John's grown in just a few months! Here are a couple of photos taken in the exact same ride at Suntec City and John seems to have grown almost a whole head taller! And he's lost some weight too. :)

John at 11 months


John at 18 months

He's 20 months already!!!

I haven't done a real update on John for a while now and since he turns a whopping 20 months today, I thought i'd do just that.

Physically, John's thriving. We hadn't weighed him for some time and while we didn't know his actual weight in figures, we certainly felt every increase in our arms. So a trip to the PD for an immunisation booster and we find out he's 12.2kg! That's a whole 9 kilos more than what he weighed when he was born. He eats well and loves his food. Breads and biscuits of ANY kind really do it for him and he can go on and on if mummy doesn't stop him. He's been going wild this CNY with all the goodies everywhere and it's not easy to get him to stop cos mummy herself is indulging. Boo me - i'll deal with the consequences in a couple of days. :S

I'm happy to say that as of tonight, John's been sleeping through the night and on his own for a whole 3 weeks now! PRAISE GOD! J and I made the decision to sleep train him and although it was perhaps the hardest decision we had to make, it may have been the best one ever. Our little family of 3 is now well rested and having a whole lot more fun. We still see one or two bumps in the road, but consistency in our sleep training approach has ensured that he gets a good 10 - 11hours sleep every night. God is indeed good. I attribute all success in this area to Him and His guidance.

John's got a very big personality coupled with a really infectious laugh. He's a real social creature, very much like his mummy and has no qualms approaching other kids and asking to play with their toys. He loves being around people, especially children, and will do anything to get some claps from us. And when he's really excited, he'll start running on the spot and clapping his hands.

He attends Julia Gabriel with me 3 times a week - 2 chinese lessons and 1 english - and although I've heard very differing opinions about the effectiveness of the school, I believe John's benefiting from the sessions. I can see John learning and socialising well with others. He can now follow instructions, mostly in english and some in mandarin, and he can follow most of the actions during the sing-a-longs. He sits through the story-telling with no fuss and loves to play with paint and glue.

John loves TV, but he loves books too. He watches any show that's on tele and even knows how to tell us he wants to change the channel. His favourite would be anything with music. He "reads" anything too, from simple board books to flipping encyclopedias.

The thing we love most about John is that he shows he loves us. He'd snuggle up against us in the morning and plant a kiss on each of our cheeks - several times too. He's such a joy to have around and he constantly amazes us with the things he does. We pray we'd grow to be better parents everyday and that God will continue to guide our steps as we bring up this gift he's given us.

Happy 20 months bubba! Mummy loves you!

Gymming junior

When John was about 10 months old, I signed him up with mygym at Marine Parade. I heard that it could really help with his motor skills, build his confidence and help with his social skills as well. When I looked at gym options, I looked at mygym and JWT Kids Gym at Leisure Park Kallang. The latter was nearer to my place and offered free parking on weekdays but the time slots for John's age group was not ideal and so I went with mygym instead. But I have no regrets. After one term, I can say that John's done very well in the said developmental areas. Here's a look at what he does at each class.

Before the warm up, the kids are allowed to run around and play with anything in the gym. John's favourite item at the moment is the trampoline. He makes a bee line straight for it. I think for him, it's even more fun when there's someone else on it too.

The warm ups are made up of action songs, dancing around and a skill that parents learn so they can continue at home. Such skills include flipping your child, teaching him to arch his back etc. After that it's free play again before 3 gymnastics stations interspersed with free play. Then it's the swings! All the kids love love love the swings. After that it's the bye bye routine and that wraps up the gym session. All this lasts 45 minutes and at the end of each session, mummy's waaay more tired than John is. If given a chance, i think he could go on for another hour if we let him! Here are more pics of our session yesterday.

Part of the free play - Climbing on the snake

Gymnastics station #1: swinging from the pole. Here he's learning to bear his own weight.

Gymnastics station #2: Climbing the ladder

Free play again. Here he's chosen to walk up and down a set of steps with handles.

The ball pit. John just loves throwing the balls out and calling for mummy to pick them up and throw them back in. Tiring i tell you.

The big swing! Carefully monitored by the gym instructor, John balances on this huge swing. Here he's actually looking at the other babies in the smaller individual swings.

Now he get's a ride on the individual swing. The gym assistants blow bubbles to keep the bubs entertained. The swings help prevent fear of heights.

I'm glad John's really enjoying his time at the gym. As a mummy, I feel it's important that I engage him in such play and am part of this process of development. And I have no regrets signing him up for something like this. After this term, however, I'm thinking of enrolling him in something else just to give him some variety so now i'm scouting around and looking for interesting trial classes. :)

First steps!!!

I'm slowly putting together my post on John's birthday weekend and i hope to have that up soon. I've just got lots to say and loads of pics to choose from. So stay tuned.

BUT, I'm so excited cos my little man took his first official steps today!!! 5 to be exact. wooooot! In attendance was mummy, daddy, mama, gong gong and our helper, Tess. He had been taking one or two tentative steps of late but today, it was proper walking. When he finally got back down on his fours again, we broke into a huge applause, which John of course loved. I'm hoping the positive response would encourage him to do it again. My cam's going to be blued to me tomorrow. Hopefully i'll catch his next steps on camera.

Tea time at CVC

When you're the youngest member of 'staff' at mummy's workplace, you're more often than not the centre of attention. John's constantly has a few pairs of eyes oggling at, i mean watching, him. Here's the proof!

Here's grandma, aunty Marianne and Aunty Gret watching John have his tea.

Tea for John now consists of a cracker or some biscuits. Thanks to advice from my friend Desiree, I bought the munchkin bowls that have a suction base and i put John's food in it to help him learn that food should be eaten off a bowl/plate rather than off the table. And he's doing really well. He's good self-feeding and can put even the tiny rice crispies in his mouth with no problem.

John's now been drinking from a straw for about a month now. It's amazing how quickly he learnt how to do it. His first successful attempt with a straw ended with a sip of soya bean milk from the hawker centre. I guess he figured that the drink was too good for him to miss out on considering he loves tofu. We use the pigeon bottle at the moment, although it has leaked a few times and I'm thinking of changing it. I'm holding it off for a while because John's really comfirtable with the pigeon. He can even open the cap on his own using his bottom 2 teeth!

Here's grandma feeding him water.

As part of the drill, after tea, the ladies of CVC will get him to "perform", clapping hands, raising hands, saying bye bye etc. And even though they've seen him do it a million times, his cooperation still elicits a very boistrous response from them (mummy included). See what I mean in this video:

Sometimes, I can't decide if, on the days we go into CVC, John has more fun or the folks at CVC have more fun. Heh. But as long as everyone's happy, i'm happy. :)

Teeth and thudguard

After a quick survey of the bubs i have come into contact with recently, i have concluded that John's got more teeth than the average 11 month old. I am proud to say my bub's going to have 8 teeth by his first birthday! My mil said he probably has lots of calcium, and i am inclined to agree seeing he has a cup of yoghurt a day... everyday.

Anyhoo, having a mega teething machine as a baby has its good and bad points. Good in that he's able to eat foods which are more lumpy, and he's able to bite off fruit pieces and chew them. It's also nice to see a smile with a nice set of teeth and we have been trying to teach him the need to brush every morning and evening.

Bad bits... he grinds his teeth. It's almost like he finds the noise amusing. Of course it sends shivers down my spine. I liken it to nails on a chalkboard. eeks. Also, he bites. Everyone in our household has battle scars to prove it. He's quite cheeky about it too. He affectionately snuggles into wherever he's going to land a bite, like on our belly or thigh, and because we think he's showing us love, we don't stop him. Then he goes in for the kill and sinks his pearly whites into our flesh. And he bites HARD. Anyone has any tips on how to prevent biting?

One other thing is that he wants to chew on everything... yes EVERYTHING! From his shoes to our books to the toys he sees lying around. I guess it's not bad as such because it's a natural way for babies to explore, so I'm not fussed about it. Here's an example. I blogged about the thudguard a while ago, and unfortunately... a couple months on, it's been relegated to a decorative item in John's play yard.

As you can see, if an item can't be chewed, it's got no value to John.

After 5 months of teething, i'm just glad that John's not reacted adversely nor has he been overly fussy; just the bucket loads of drool which i'd take any time over a hard-to-handle baby. Thank God for that.

Johnny Walker

When John started to cruise around the house, we bought him a push cart from the Better Toy Shop at Takashimaya to help him move towards the next major milestone... walking. This cart is much better than the other push-type walkers because it has a screw to tighten the breaks on the wheels so it feels heavier and more stable for the bub. Definitely a great buy for us.

So far, he'd just push for a bit and decide it's easier to crawl. But TODAY, he decided to really give the cart a go and voila... we have him "walking" - supported, but nonetheless, still walking! Mummy was so so proud. :)

Good thing I had my camera on hand.

climb climb climb!

For a while now we haven't been able to keep the bub off the stairs. He loves to climb and the moment he's allowed out of his play yard, he heads straight for our very own "mount everest". He's gotten so good he can go all the way to the 3rd level with no break. I really wonder where he gets all that energy. Here he is in action:

10 months on...

One of John's favourite things - tags!

15 June 2008... the day my little bubba arrived kicking and screaming, greeting the world with gusto. 10 months on today, some things have not changed. :) He's still kicking, especially when he's refusing to have his diaper changed; and he's started to exercise his vocal cords a lot more recently.

Apart from that, he's changing in almost every other way. His personality is really coming through now. Though he's still quite sociable, he's developed a mild case of stranger anxiety, which i think came about after getting sick. He's more clingy now and would show his displeasure (vocally) when i walk out of the room. Now i've literally got to sneak out if i've need to do something. But he loves meeting new people and warms up easily, as long as mummy/daddy's still around.

John's got a slight problem with eczema. He's got 2 crusty spots on his face that come and go quite often. We were recommended a-derma, a cream that uses an oat as the active ingredient rather than a steroid, and i think it's helping somewhat. I'm also washing his face more often to keep the area clean. I also read and hear that very often such eczema associated with babies disappear when they're about a year old... which is just TWO months away! (I can't believe my baby's turning one!!!) *fingers & toes crossed!*

Physically he's really grown. I can seriously feel it in my arms when we go out and I carry him. He's aso grown taller and is now as tall as our dining table! He's now completely mobile and can crawl the whole length of our house in seconds. He's also taken to climbing stairs and can do a whole flight at a time. He's so mobile on all fours that I think he might take some time to walk. We've bought him a push cart type walker to encourage him to walk, but after a few steps, he decides he's faster crawling, gets down on all fours and nips off. He's also learnt to climb down backwards... today he climbed on our coffee table, crawled across it, made a 180 degree turn and 'gostan-ed' down. Mummy was so proud that she forgot to tell'im he wasn't supposed to be climbing the coffee table in the first place. :p

Food wise, John's doing better with lumpier foods. He's now eating rice again, but commercial rice porridge. He didn't take to mummy's home-made one - much to my disappointment. But whatever makes him happy and as long as he's getting good sized meals, i'm happy. I've also started giving him bread... home-made bread, and he loves it. Other new foods include honey dew, grapes, tahini and pumpkin seeds.

All in all, everything's going great except for one or two bits and i'm just thankful for the chance to watch my baby grow. I thank God everyday that I have the privilege to be his momma and I pray I'll be the parent God intended me to be.

John's 9 months old!

Yesterday, John turned 9 months old. I could have had a whole other baby in that time, so he’s been my little man for quite a while now. And I have loved every moment of it… :)

We went to the PD on Saturday for his routine check and he’s doing very well. He’s now 73.5cm tall and 9.5kg (gasp!) - No wonder my arms feel like breaking every time I carry him for more than 10 minutes. He’s teething again BIG TIME. Teeth number 5 and 6 have made their appearance. He’s not overly cranky or anything, just drooooooooooling loads, so mummy’s got to pack in a couple more tops when we go out. He refuses to wear a bib, so that makes mealtimes a really messy affair. When we try to put one on, he yanks at it so hard it causes scratches on the back of his neck. We’ve decided that more laundry is better than scratches so the bibs have been put aside for now.

Talking about food, John’s been eating relatively well. His favourite food BY FAR is yogurt. He has a whole cup of yogurt (organic natural yogurt) for lunch everyday and we put in fruit and ground seeds in for added nutrition. I buy a kilogram of yogurt a week for him… that’s how much he loves it. He also loves his fruits on their own, like apple, pear, mango and papaya. He also takes some vegetables well… like sweet potato, avocado, carrots and pumpkin. He doesn’t mind chye sim when it’s mixed with something else and he absolutely HATES asparagus. He’s not a fan of fish but likes egg yolk. Oh and he’s also decided he doesn’t really like rice.

He’s still on breastmilk most of the day, but I feed him one bottle of formula now just to get him used to something else so it won’t be so hard on him when I hang up my nursing bra (hopefully when he’s 1).

One thing that has amazes me is how John’s such a social creature. He lets everyone carry him and smiles at complete strangers He even ‘talks’ to them sometimes. He’s a hit with the staff at restaurants, with the other mummies and domestic helpers at the park, with everyone in church, which is great for us. :)

Developmentally, he’s also come such a long way. James’ cousin came by with her bub last week and commented on how John’s so active… she likened him to a Duracell bunny! Here’s a video of him doing the "100m baby sprint" – with a few distractions along the way.

He’s also moving around so fast now we’ve had to baby proof the house over the weekend. He prefers to stand and does so at any chance he gets. He can do so unsupported for about a second before he falls to the ground. He can also stoop down before getting back onto the floor.

John’s favourite game is peek-a-boo and loves anything that makes a loud noise like a tin can or a plastic container full of peanuts. He loves a cuddle in between his toys and we’re glad to give him that.

When I look at how John’s grown, I’m just amazed at how God’s put so much thought into us humans when he designed us. It just shows how much He loves us. Also, when I think about how much I love my baby, I can only think about how much more God our Father loves us. I just pray that I will be the mother God wants me to be and that I will bring up my son in the ways of the Lord.

Thudguard

I was browsing Deborah's sister's blog recently and read a post on the Thudguard. Although John's been crawling around like a busy bee and his play yard is, in my opinion, padded enough, we decided to get one because my father-in-law mentioned numerous times how he was worried that John would injure his head (him and mil are both doctors you see...). So our decision to buy the product was really for his peace of mind.

When I first checked it out (here), the price was $68. One day later, when we decided to go ahead to get it, the price had gone up to $80! I missed the introductory promotional offer by one day! I really felt like hitting myself. Anyways, we got it and it came within 2 days, so no problem there.

It's a great product... PROVIDED your baby doesn't mind head gear. So if you're thinking of purchasing this for your child, try a hat or swim cap to make sure he/she is ok with having something on his/her head first.

Unfortunately, John was not happy at all wearing the thudguard. Even though it comes with a strap to keep it in place, he managed to take it off everytime... in one swift motion. Determined not to let our 80 bucks go to waste, James concocted a simple plan to get the bub to wear it. Simple plan = Distraction! Why didn't i think of it earlier? - doh! Anyways, John would only wear it if he doesn't know he's wearing it. So at least the thudguard's getting some head time. Here's a pic of John with it on. I think he looks waaaay cute in it.


Oh, one more thing, John sweats a storm in the thudguard. When the gear comes off, he looks like he's just had a shower. Not all that suitable for our hot and humid weather, except if the aircon's on.

And today John's started climbing stairs, so i'm definitely going to try to make sure the thudguard stays on when he's not in the play yard. Hope that goes well.

More developments

Developmentally, this week has been an amazing week for John. I am convinced that all babies really need to grow and reach their milestones is OPPORTUNITY. After we set up John's play yard and put him in there to allow him to engage in independent play, he started doing all these amazing things! Here's what he's achieved in the last few days...

Tuesday 3rd Feb: He started crawling.

Thursday 4th Feb: He sat up by himself without needing to support himself with his hands.

Sunday 8th Feb: He pulled himself up to stand (he used the wall that was mummy).

Look mummy! I'm sitting all by myself!

I truly am amazed at how he's growing and I am just looking forward to much more that is to come.

Watch me crawl!

Yes. John's hit his next milestone... crawling! Because he's just starting out, he needs a really big incentive to get him to move. At the moment, the rubber ducky does the trick!

result: very happy baby

Yummy lips

Don't my lips look soooo delish?!

Earlier this week, we had a look at John's gums and realised his upper 2 front teeth are emerging! That explains why he's been smacking his lips so much lately. Fortunately for us, there hasn't been a proportionate increase in crankiness. Thank God for that! :)

Look who's 7 months old!

Wheeeeee... John's now 7 months old and he's thriving very well. He's 8.3kg now and is about 70cm long. He's also started to do baby push ups and will soon be crawling. He's also learning to sit on his own though that's coming along a little slower than average. He's still putting everything and anything in his mouth and droooools like there's no tomorrow. He's also got 2 teeth and is eating 2 meals a day. His most significant development is that he's now sleeping through the night!

Socially he's fabulous. He loves people and breaks into a huge grin when people raise their eyebrows at him or smile at him. He also loves playing peek-a-boo. His current favourite toy is the rubber ducky, which yes, he puts in his mouth too.

Personally, I can't believe it's been 7 months! I do miss the time he was tiny tiny. But I look forward to what lies ahead for the little active one. Now, i'm taking it one day at a time.

Solids...

We started John on solids on Sunday 14 December. We got the go ahead from his pd and decided it was time. His first meal consisted of home-made organic brown rice watered down with breastmilk. You'd think the bub would find it delish, but this is what he thought of it:

Well, he soon got the hang of it and he was eating much much better. Here's another pic of him after a few more meals.

Since his first week, we have introduced sweet potato and avacadoes, both of which he loves. On top of that, we've started him on two meals a day instead of one and he's still eating well. Mummy's having lots of fun making his meals and having the satisfaction of seeing him wolf it down. :) Oh, did I mention John's now a whopping 8kg!!! For a 6 and a half month bub, i think that's quite a load wouldn't you say?

And then there were TWO...

I mentioned in a previous post that John's first two teeth were growing. I've tried countless times to get a shot of his pearly whites and today I finally managed a quick shot. He was trying to put my camera's sling into his mouth when I took the opportunity to snap a pic. So here they are!