My New Adventure

Oh my... today is already the last day of March!!! My new adventure begins here. WIsh me luck. To y'all out there, wish y'all the best of luck in April month, and hope you have a wonderful day no matter where you are.

Muakssss....

Love is All Around

My life is certainly will never be the same again.... I meant in a good way of course! :) More responsibilities but we receive additional love from God. No matter what we do or where we go now, we have to take into consideration of the little one which is our little precious.

It's certainly wonderful to be able to spent time with my little darling but it's also frustrating when you couldn't do anything to help him when he cries or couldn't sleep esp at night.

A Free Person

Let's recap what had happened in the past few weeks while I'm away...

Date: 10.03.2010

Yippieeeeeeeeeeeee..... Today, I am a free person! No more staying in the room. My confinement period was finally over! :D Starting from tomorrow, I can take my bath like usual or shall I say as long as I want (hahah... still have to practice precaution though not to get cold), walk around the house with my new baby, carry my baby as long as I can, but still I can't simply eat whatever I want especially those categories as 'cold' food. I am carving for a few food since my pregnancy e.g. crabs (my all time fave), durians (only the sweet ones), curry fish, sushi, and etc. etc. :D Still I am counting my days till the 100th day.... only can set my mouth on those seafood... :'(

Another thing to be happy about is that from now on, I can have my days, sweet moments & peace of mind at home with my own family. (^_^) No more nonsense from my mum (not to say I'm not grateful of what she did but I'm just so very disappointed with her right now). It has been a huge havoc while my mum stayed over at my house. Lets just say that she is just not the role model I was hoping for or she should be. Very very disappointed with her... If not because of the incident that happened during my confinement period, I think I'm still blinded by her behaviour all these while (not to mentioned that my siblings are the worst).

To me, family relationship/ties is very important. But it's just very heartbroken to see/have such person who treated their own family members poorly. I just couldn't stand it!!!! I hated people to mistreat their own family members like that! (>_<) Where does all the family values gone?!! They always said, if you treat a person nicely, you will be treated the same by the person but in my case I don't think so. It's just me alone who are treating them nicely like a family. Well, I guess I shouldn't be so heartbroken with them anymore from now on... I have my own family now.

I prayed that Heavenly Father who is constantly watching from above over us will watch over me and my newly start family members. My family members now extended to 3 person. Please guide us through our journey to become a happy family who support and care for each other. In Jesus name I prayed. Amen.

We are Three

Should have posted this on the 6th March but well u know what they said, better late then never... :) So, what is so special on that day??? It's not my birthday, not my hubby birthday and it's definitely not my wedding anniversary... IT's the day I start (writing) my own blog!!!!! :D

Couldn't believe that I still managed to maintain my blog (since March 6th, 2007) till today and I have to say that I'm still very much looking forward to writing many more stories about my new life with my baby!! :) Hopefully, I can find time writing all the memories down despite a hectic schedule with my baby.

So, happy birthday my dear blog! :) Thanks for being part of my life. (^_^)

Formula Milk

Below are some of the most important info about formula milk which I think all mothers should know before they feed their babies formula milk. Up until yesterday, I didn't know all these before I fed my child formula milk. Most of the time we will tend to listen to the "free advise" which given by people around us but we did not find out the answers ourselves. It was a BIG mistake to just take other people advise blindly without researching the info yourself... It happened to me and I hope it won't happened to you BUT I will make sure it won't happened again!!! (>_<)

Formula Dos and Don'ts :

• Do use formula before the expiration date on the label.

• Do prepare formula exactly as stated on the label. Formula that is too weak or diluted can stunt growth or lead to nutritional deficiencies. Formula that is too strong can lead to dehydration or kidney problems.

• Do wash your hands before handling baby bottles or feeding your baby.

• Do sterilise bottles and equipment.

• Do use refrigerated ready-to-feed formula within 48 hours of opening.

• Do throw away any formula left in a bottle after a feed. Germs and bacteria from your baby's saliva will live and breed in the warm liquid.

• Don't retain or refrigerate unused, prepared formula.

• Don't heat formula in a microwave. The temperature of the liquid may be uneven, and could scald your baby even if the bottle feels cool to the touch.

• Don't put cereal in a bottle - it makes choking more likely.

• Don't prop up your baby's bottle - it increases his risk of choking.

Water NOT for Newborn

When can my baby drink water?

In general, it's not a good idea to give your baby water until he's about 6 months old. Until then, he'll get all the hydration he needs from breast milk or formula, even in hot weather.

Giving a baby younger than 6 months old too much water can interfere with his body's ability to absorb the nutrients in breast milk or formula. It can also cause his tummy to feel full, which curbs his desire to feed. (While small sips of water probably won't hurt your baby, it's best to check with his doctor beforehand during those first six months.)

In rare cases, a baby who drinks too much water can develop a condition known as water intoxication, which can cause seizures and even a coma. Water intoxication happens when too much water dilutes the concentration of sodium in the body, upsetting the electrolyte balance and causing tissues to swell.

Adding too much water to your baby's formula not only risks water intoxication, it means that your baby is taking in fewer nutrients than he needs. Carefully follow the package directions for mixing powdered or concentrated formula and don't try to stretch formula by using more than the recommended amount of water.

In some instances – if your baby has gastroenteritis, for example – the doctor might advise you to give him an electrolyte drink like Pedialyte or Infalyte to help prevent dehydration.

Once your baby is 6 months old, it's okay to give him sips of water when he's thirsty. You still don't want to overdo it, though, or you might give him a tummy ache or make him too full to eat well. After his first birthday, when your baby's eating solids and drinking whole milk, you can let him drink as much water as he likes.

Newborn Bowel Movements

What are normal bowel movements for formula-fed babies?

Expert Answers:

Susan Sorensen, pediatrician

Parents spend a lot of time wondering and worrying about whether their infant's bowel movements are "normal." In fact, there's really no such thing. Babies' bowel habits are as individual as they are, and over time you'll get to know your baby's routine.

That said, there is a typical pattern to look for in any baby's bowel habits. During the first few days of life, your baby will pass meconium, the thick, black or dark green substance that was in his intestines before he was born. Once the meconium has passed, the bowel movements of a formula-fed baby are typically yellow, tan, brown, or green. As long as there isn't blood in the stool, any color is normal.

A formula-fed baby's stool is a little bit firmer than a breastfed baby's, about the consistency of peanut butter. If it's much harder than that, it may be a sign of constipation, and you should tell your pediatrician. If you're worried about constipation and your baby is younger than 4 months old, don't feed him anything other than formula or breast milk without checking with your pediatrician first. You may inadvertently deprive your baby of essential nutrients if you feed him a pediatric electrolyte solution, water, or juice. Babies over 4 months can have a few ounces of water a day, but if you think he's constipated, you should talk with your pediatrician about how best to solve the problem.

Another thing to keep in mind is that around 1 to 2 months of age, many babies go from having several bowel movements a day to going several days between bowel movements. This, too, is perfectly normal. It's not how often a baby moves his bowels, but how hard the stool is once it's passed that's cause for concern. When you introduce cereal and other solids to your baby's diet, you can expect dramatic changes in the odor, color, consistency, and frequency of his bowel movements depending on what he's eating.

How to Cure Newborn Hiccups

Overview

Hiccups in newborn babies are fairly common. In fact, they often begin before the baby is even born, and pregnant women can sometimes feel these fetal hiccups. After birth, babies who frequently hiccupped in utero often hiccup outside the womb as well. Although hiccups generally don't bother the baby, new parents are often concerned about newborn hiccups and want to find ways to help their infant.

Step 1

Burp the baby. Sometimes pressure in a newborn's tiny tummy can cause or worsen a bout of hiccups. Burping the baby might ease the pressure and let your baby get over his hiccups. Hold him upright on your shoulder and pat his back gently, or by sit him on your knee and lean him forward as you pat his back.

Step 2

Feed the baby. Whether breastfeeding or formula feeding, the sucking action of feeding can stimulate the diaphragm to relax and return to normal, stopping your baby's hiccups. Even if this remedy doesn't work, feeding will help distract a hiccupping baby, giving her something else to think about.

Step 3

Have the pediatrician check for reflux. In some babies, extremely frequent bouts of hiccups signal a medical problem. If your baby is hiccupping more than once or twice a day or for long periods at a time, he might have reflux, a condition in which the contents of the esophagus come back up into his throat and mouth. Babies with reflux usually have other signs, including breathing problems or demonstrating pain when feeding. Reflux is treatable, so don't hesitate to talk to your child's pediatrician if his hiccups seem excessive.

Step 4

Relax and wait it out. Hiccups don't really hurt the baby, so sometimes waiting it out is the best remedy. Newborn hiccups don't typically last longer than about 30 minutes and usually stop in a far shorter time. They also will decrease in frequency as the baby gets older. By the time the baby is a year old, her hiccups should be a rare occurrence.

Oh Pancake

Another recipe about pancake which I found on the blogging world today... :) Wish I could be able to make one someday for my little baby.

WHOLE WHEAT PANCAKES

2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 cups milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
2 large eggs, seperated
pinch of salt
butter for pan
optional: berries or apples slices

Mix dry ingredients. In a seperate bowl, mix the milk, yogurt, and egg yolks. Seperately mix the egg white until fluffy and airy. Combine the dry ingredients with the milk mixture. Be careful not to overmix. When fully incoporated, gently fold in the egg whites. Check the consistency of the batter, I like thick pancakes so the batter won't be as runny. Just add more milk for thinner cakes.

Heat a non-stick skillet over medium low heat. Add about a tablespoon of butter. When the pan is hot, add about 1/3 cup of batter. When you start getting those pancakes bubbles, flip it over. If you are adding fruit, do it when you start seeing the bubbles.

You can keep pancakes in the oven while you cook the others. Just have your oven at 170F, and place on a cookie sheet. To freeze the pancakes, allow them to cool and then just place in a ziploc freezer bag. To reheat, cook in the toaster or toaster oven until warm. They will keep in the freezer for about a week.

Our Miracle Baby Boy is Here!

Hello everyone!!! First of all, I want to announce to y'all that our little bundle of joy is finally here to meet the world and of course to meet his daddy & mummy! :) Thank you Heavenly Father for the blessings.

So sorry for the looooonnnngggg silence. I felt good though to be able to reconnect with my blog again (it is definitely won't be the same again but I'm equally glad)! I miss my blog SO SO much! Can't imagine life after having a baby would be this hectic (?!!).. No wonder they said time flies by very fast when your baby arrives.. and YES!!!!! I've just given birth recently to a baby boy (he arrived earlier than I predicted)! (^_^)

On this beautiful and wonderful day of 8th Feb 2010, my little precious came to say hello to me & my hubby =) It was all joy and wonderful to be able to held my little baby for the first time in my arms (after about 15 hours of labour pain!!!) ^_^" I could never forget the experience of delivering my first baby. It was amazing God's work!!! Praise the Lord. But if you ask if I would do it again... I would say NO! heheh.... this experience happened once is enough, but I will cherish it forever in my mind and heart. (^_^)

I would also like to say, thank you Lord for the safe delivery of a healthy baby.

Dear Almighty Lord, may You continue to bless my family and may You continue to guide my hubby and I in our lives on how to take care & educate our child in Your way. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Just for the record, my baby boy weights 3.25kg and 52 cm long!