Babysitting Aston for Dummies

It's been a while since hubby and I went for a holiday.  Well actually our last holiday was when I was only 5 months pregnant with Aston.  Geez....time does really fly! Aston is now 9 months old! Anyway, hubby's aunt from Singapore is in town for the Christmas holidays and hubby offered to send her back to Singapore  and take it as a chance to bring Aston on an overseas road trip.

After much thought, I've decided not to bring Aston along and have our post baby holiday instead.  I hinted to hubby that it's going to be a holiday where we are going to catch up on all the lost "woo hoo" time in the bedroom.  Oops too much information there! Anyway, hubby's eyes got big and he agreed without much hesitation.  Well frankly I am also looking forward to this "woo hoo" holiday of mine that I splurge on the hotel that cost a whooping RM1000+ a night.  Yes, you got that right and with RM1K a night is not even a presidential suite mind you.  Oh well, after consulting a girl friend of mine who is an expert in luxury hotels especially in Singapore I thought to myself that it will be money well spent.  I told hubby that this will be a once in a lifetime experience for both of us.  I can't wait for tomorrow because tomorrow night I will be sleeping in a 5 star hotel in Singapore that comes with a butler service!

Now...back to Aston.  My mum offered to babysit Aston while we go for our holiday.  Tomorrow will be the first night Aston sleeping over at grandmama's condo.  Deep down I can't let go.  It's a catch 22 really.  One hand I can't wait for my "woo hoo" trip but the other hand I can't let go of my son! Everyone asked why just one night.  Even hubby asked why not make it two nights.  I told hubby No 1 I can't afford another night in the hotel.  No 2 I miss my son.  I told hubby if I can enjoy this trip then we can plan for another longer trip that is also provided that grandmama is OK with the babysitting.

Anyway, I am so worried for grandmama and for Aston that I actually email grandmama a schedule hopefully everything will go smooth during the day.  The guide to babysitting Aston as follows:-

7.30am  Wake up

             Feed Aston 180ml** milk

             Change Diaper

8.00am  Walk around the garden 

8.20am  Aston Watch Brainy Baby Dvd

             I will shower / boil his porridge / prepare his breakfast

9.20am  Feed Aston breakfast (cereal mix with 2oz** milk (should be about same consistency as porridge.  If too thick please add water.  If too runny mix in some mashed fruit) + small portion of mashed fruit (eg banana/papaya/apple/pear/golden kiwi without seeds)

10.00am Morning nap for Aston (he usually will fall asleep between 10.30-11.00)

11.30am Wake up

              Change Diaper 

12.30pm  Feed Aston Lunch (porridge)^

1.00pm-3.30pm Playtime

4.00pm   Feed Aston 180ml** milk

              Afternoon nap for Aston 

5.30pm   Wake up

             Bath time

6.00pm  Feed Aston Dinner (porridge)^

6.30-9.00pm  Playtime

9.00pm  Feed Aston 210ml** milk

             Change Diaper

             Bedtime* (he usually fall asleep between 9.30-10pm)

*Tip: Off the lights leaving a night light or pitch black is fine with him.  Try to keep the room as quiet as possible.  Soft music is fine.

** Note:180ml water = 6 flat scoops of milk powder

            210ml water = 7 flat scoops of milk powder

            2oz water = 2 flat scoops of milk

^ Please include either one meal red cabbage in the porridge each day.

I know I sound like some control freak but I cannot help it.  I know for a fact that if Aston's routine is disturbed even if it's caused by Aston himself he will be one cranky baby the whole day!

Fingers cross everything will go smoothly !!!

Merry Christmas & Happy New Year !!!

              

            

Aston's First Class

Aston and I went to Bangsar Village to check out Gymboree last Thursday.  It was a pity that when we arrived the class just ended not long.  Nevertheless, we got the schedule and price and I registered Aston to attend a trial class today.

I was so excited for him today.  I was hoping that he won't be too overwhelmed during the class.  After feeding Aston his lunch, mummy quickly got ready and packed his diaper bag and off we went to Bangsar Village.  The traffic was pretty chaotic due to the rain but nevertheless we arrived just in time for the class.   A staff checked Aston's temperature and gave him a sticker with his name and stuck on his back.  I quickly put on my socks and put down the bag and I sat Aston down on the mat.  There was only one baby at that time attending the class so Aston was looking at him and exploring at the same time.  Just less that 5 minutes the class started.

The class started with a welcome song with hand movements.  I must admit I was pretty uncoordinated with Aston.  I think Aston must be wondering what am I doing.  Anyway, throughout the whole song Aston was looking around especially to the baby next to him.  After the welcome song, we continue with another song which I can't remember but this time it involves both the hands, legs and hugs.  I then have to lift Aston up on my shin and move him up and down and side to side.  I must say pretty good tummy work out there!

There's a socialising time where parents suppose to get to know each other while the child play with some balls.  Today's topic was family tradition.  I couldn't think of any and just came up with bubble bath! Yes... I said that my mum used to give me bubble bath when I was young and so this tradition is being carried on with Aston till today.  I thought to myself maybe this is not very suitable for Aston because he did not show any signs that he's enjoying himself neither did he cried so I guess he doesn't mind? Anyway, when the instructor took out the beach balls and asked them to kick it to their friends Aston was a champion.  He just kick and kick and kick.  Everyone was so amazed with his legs.  So I guess he's beginning to enjoy the class?

Mummy started to get tired after carrying him to do the kicking but the lesson must go on.  We moved to the slide to encourage Aston to crawl but he just refused to move.  He rather be in a sitting position instead but after some encouragement he manage to move just one or two steps forward.  During this time, another baby joined the class.  After trying to crawl up, we then moved him over to slide down.  Then we moved to the opposite side to encourage them crawl through the tunnel but Aston did not moved an inch while the other baby friend was already crawling in from the opposite end.  We ended up at the swing, then on a "log" then we went back to the center and that's when the instructor took out the parachute and blow bubbles which Aston is the only one trying to catch the bubbles.

Overall, I think Aston will enjoy it more once he starts to master his crawling skills.  As for me, I think I can treat it as my workout for the week.  So, I got sucked in to purchase their package which cost me RM2000 for one year but this also includes music class for him.  I think Aston really like music so I'm looking forward to bring him to his music class maybe this Sunday or starting next week.

Mummy's New Toy

I indirectly bought a new toy few weeks ago.  Why I mentioned indirectly? Well, I actually used my credit card points to exchange for a Lebensstil bread maker.  I was very eager to start baking and I thought since it's homemade bread I might as well make it healthy all the way so I bought some organic flour.  I even bought plain white bread flour and wholemeal! The day that I bought the ingredients I can't wait to start baking.  I dug out the weighing scale and what not and started putting everything inside the baking pan as per the instructions that came with the bread maker.  Tick..tock..tick...tock walking in and out of the kitchen peeping through the window on the machine I thought...oooh looking good! However, I remembered my mum told me that baking bread at home will make your house smell like a bakery but all I can smell is yeast!

Tick..tock..tick..tock...the whole process takes 3 hours by the way I still smell yeast! The moment it was done I quickly took it out and I was so disappointed.  The bread did not rise as much as I imagine and the smell was definietly nothing like bread.  Therefore, attempt no 1 FAILED!

Attempt number two I tried wholemeal instead.  Went through the whole process as per the instruction and this round I even tested the delay baking.  Delay baking means you calculate how many hours later you want your bread to be ready from the time you press start.  The delay baking was perfect.  My bread was ready at 7.30am as per what I've calculated but this round my bread did not rise!! My bread end up resembles a banana cake! Attempt no 2 FAILED miserably!

After two attempts I complained to my mum and dad and decided to pass the machine to them to have a go.  I even pass them the yeast and flour.  They were also eager to start baking and at their first attempt the bread was so delicious!! After one week of having the bread machine my dad decided to return it to me with recipe and instructions.  All this while I did not activate the yeast! Lousy instructions from the machine! Anyway, my parents even bought me high protein bread flour, wholewheat, yeast and mix grain that include physillium husk, flaxseed and linseed.

Again, I waited till we finish the loaf of bread at home and started baking white bread.  This time I let the yeast to activate.  Waited for 10 minutes no reaction! It's suppose to be bubbles but I do not see any bubbles! So I waited and started stiring the mixture and end up waiting for 30minutes! I knew something is not right but I still continue and as expected my bread rise just a little bit more compare to the "banana cake" but the texture is still lacking.  However, this round the bread taste much more like a bread.

My last attempt was just two days back.  I decided that I'm going to go all out this time.  Wholemeal + mix grain.  If I fail again, I'm going to give my parents the machine and get them to bake me the bread instead! I started with activating the yeast..waited 10 minutes looking good! Put in the rest of the ingredients and started baking and YES this time my house smells like a bakery and the bread rised! Yayy!! I'm so happy that I can't wait to bake another one when I have the time.  I plan to take photos the next round I'm baking.  Honestly, after having homemade bread you wouldn't want to have any commercial bread anymore! The bread is so soft and fluffy even after 2 days!

Aston's Progress @ 8months

Lately, I'm on a lazy mummy mode that's why it took me so long to finally update Aston's progress.  All the free time I have during the day I've dedicated to Astro on Demand (AOD).  Yes! I've turned into one of those stay at home mums who just watches TVB dramas all day long.  I must admit I salute mums who manage to actually keep up to date with the episodes while taking care of a child or a few of them.  I personally find it hard to keep up especially with AOD as the timing of the episodes are fixed and everytime when the episode that I'm looking for starts Aston is either awake or cranky.  So I will spend whole day chasing episodes after episodes especially when we first got it installed as the show that was being broadcasted was near ending so imagine I had like 25 episodes to catch up! Now is all good because a new series just started and Yes I'm now awaiting for the new episode to start tonight! This is how updated I am with my dramas!

Back to Aston, he's a big boy now.  Everytime I carry him to have his bath I will surely comment while carrying and kissing his cheeks telling him that he's my "big baby".  Daddy said this comment is a classic mummy's boy (ie a mother who will never let go of her son).  He's grown so much now that I can hardly carry him to wash his hair but I still want to do it until the day he really retaliates.  Now I still am able to control him while washing his hair but I think in another month or so I won't be able to do it anymore.  He's also able to sit on his own unsupported for a very long time and recently he manage to manoeuvre himself from lying down on his tummy to a sitting position.  He's also able to crawl just a few tiny steps to the front to grab a toy but he will not move anywhere else if he's gotten what he needs around him.  I can't wait for him to start crawling everywhere in the house to explore.  I know it's going to be tough chasing him around but I'm sure he will be happy once he knows how to do it.

Aston is still having 2 solid meals a day with 3 milk feeds.  I have yet to introduce him to any meat.  Still introducing him vegetables and fruits.  I think I will start introducing him white meat after going for a check up on the 16th December.  However, these few nights he woke up in the middle of the night and refused to return to slumberland until I feed him his milk.  So, today I started giving him 3 solid meals a day with 3 milk feeds.  Let's see how tonight goes! Hopefully, it's really due to hunger that he's awake in the middle of the night and not just being a rascal.

At 7 months he was being introduced to the below 10 fruits & vegetables.  At 8 months, mummy slacked a bit because she ran out of ideas on what to introduce to him so mummy started mix and match.  The ones in bold are what's being newly introduced this month.  Mummy also started cutting the vegetables into small pieces for the porridge instead of using puree.  The porridge does taste better but mummy have to be very careful as sometimes the vegetables are not soft enough especially carrots, onions & potato.

1. Sweet potato

 2. Broccoli

 3. Pumpkin

 4. Cauliflower

 5. Avocado (he hates it)

 6. Banana

 7. Apple

 8. Baby Spinach

 9. Potato

10.Pear

11. Papaya

12. Cabbage

13. Lettuce

14. Peas (hardly giving now because can't seem to blend into smooth consistency)

15. Golden Kiwi (without seeds)

16. Yellow Capsicum

17. Yellow Onions

18. Carrots
19. Yellow Squash

Here are some photos of Aston at 8 Months

My two front teeth

I can sit steadily and bite the teether

I am 8 months old today and we went to the immigration department to pick up my passport!

Daddy & Aston having fun infront of the ipad

Aston's Progress @ 7 Months

 I'm shy to admit that this post is way outdated.  In another 16 days Aston will be 8 months! Time really does pass by with just a blink of an eye.  I've been busy lately with Aston demanding more of my time and also cooking.  Yes, it's been a while since I step foot into the kitchen.   Ever since my FIL went for his long holiday I've decided to brush up my cooking skills and at the same time give myself a test whether I can be a typical housewife (ie ensure all 3 meals are taken care at home rather than eating out).  Well on this matter, I must say I'm quite proud of myself that I manage to do it all 3 meals most of the days with the help from our house maid of course!  I even did meal planning on a weekly basis so that I don't need to go in and out of supermarket.  

Anyway, back to Aston.  Looking at him really confirms that he's grown so much over the last 6 months.  He's also much more demanding and very vocal! Well, he's able to turn very quickly and infact it was so quick that he fell off the bed once.  It was lucky that he fell onto the side where I've placed his playing mat and at the same time hubby was sleeping there so hubby's bolster cushion his fall.  Nevertheless, my heart skipped a beat the moment I heard the 'thump'.  Hubby quickly picked him up and hold him tight as he was crying his lungs out but he stopped just less than 3 minutes after consoling him.  You must be wondering where was I and why I left him on the bed without supervision...well I was on the bed with him but I was too distracted with the iPad and I lost concentration from supervising him.  Yes..lousy mother I am.  The whole time every now and then I will look at him making sure he's never at the edge of the bed but just that one minute my worst nightmare happen....A very big lesson I learnt here.  So ever since that incident, unless I am going to lie on the bed watching him the whole time without any distractions I will not place him on the bed.  I will put him on the floor mat to play instead.

Back to more happy occasions, Aston's been taking his solid food really well and loves it to bits.  He's been introduce to quite a variety of food and vegetables but there's still so much more to go! Up to date, this is what I've introduced him:-

 1. Sweet potato

 2. Broccoli

 3. Pumpkin

 4. Cauliflower

 5. Avocado (he hates it)

 6. Banana

 7. Apple

 8. Baby Spinach

 9. Potato

10.Pear

Typically, his daily routine is as below:-

7.00am              Wakes up

7.15am              Breakfast  (7oz milk)

7.30-8.00am      Walk around the garden

8.00-8.15am      He watch Brainy Baby while I quickly freshen up

9.00-10.00am    Morning nap and I quickly have my breakfast

10.30-11.00am  Morning snack (usually I will feed him fruits/vegetable puree that I have not introduced him before)

11.00-12.00pm Play time

12.00-12.30pm Lunch (7oz milk)

1.00-3.30pm     Afternoon nap

3.30-5.00pm    Play time

5.00-5.30pm    Dinner (Vegetable puree + Rice cereal mix with 2oz milk)

6.00pm            Bath time

7.00pm            Last feed for the day (7oz milk)

7.30pm            I have my dinner

8.30pm            Put Aston to bed

This is how he moves around on the bed by pushing his butt up and kicking the bed

His disapproval of Cauliflower

Enjoying his personal hair wash 

I am 7 months old today and I can reached out for things

Enjoying his time in the tub

Being hormonal again??

I've been feeling very emotional again lately.  Not too sure whether it's due to my hormones or it's just me full stop.  When people say our lives will definitely change when a new bundle of joy arrives well it is very true.  It is so true to the extend that it had affected me so much that nothing else in the world matters except for Aston.  Not even my husband matters to me anymore.

At times, I even felt that his presence is not important anymore as long as I have Aston with me.  I know this sounds very bad but it's true.  Some days especially weekends if we're all at home, I rather he is not at home and out with his mates because I felt that he's disrupting our daily routine.  Perhaps I'm just being too rigid and doesn't like it when the day doesn't go according to schedule.

Sadly, I really feel that I'm drifting away from my husband.  Here I am crying by myself composing this blog while my son is taking his nap.  How sad can my life be? I never expected an addition to the family will affect me this way.  The three of us should be a happy family but somehow I do not feel that happiness.  I see friends who have children and are still such loving couple but here I am thinking that my husband is not important.  Sometimes, I don't even feel like talking to him so I choose to hide in the room and sleep or just mingle with the ipad till I'm tired.  At times, I even wish that we don't sleep in the same room! Should I see a shrink? or perhaps maybe I should return to work and life will be better for me?

Why must I feel this way? Why can't I just be happy and contented that I'm so lucky I do not have to work and can spend time with my son while others doesn't have the opportunity to do so?

Another Achievement by Aston........

Two weeks ago, I started Aston on semi-solid food as advised by his paed.  I started off with rice cereal.  I am a lazy mother so I bought instant rice cereal instead of boiling porridge for him.  Well, the doctor did mentioned that the first time attempts they may just take just a few teaspoon or may not even take in any ! Anyway, went to Cold Storage and bought Earth's Best Organic Rice Cereal.

According to the packaging, it is USDA organic which means no growth hormones, antibiotics, steroids or potentially harmful pesticides or herbicides.  It is made with whole grains and iron fortified.  Most importantly, there's no added salt, sugar, flavours, colours or preservatives.

As advice, by the doctor we must introduce one food at a time and test it out for a few days just incase there's any allergy reaction.  I tested the rice cereal with milk/breastmilk for 4 days.  I was very excited more than Aston himself during the first feeding as I do not know what to expect.  It was a pity that I didn't manage to take any photos because I was feeding him alone and I couldn't handle holding my camera and feeding him at the same time.  Anyway, the first feed I made it rather watery to see how he reacts to being spoon fed.  The first spoonful I put it near him and he didn't know what to do so I touched his lips and left some cereal for him to taste.  Second spoon I tried to open his mouth with the spoon with a little bit of cereal.  Third spoon he's beginning to get the hang and start sucking out of the spoon.  It was so funny because when he sucks the cereals started flying everywhere and then he will give this big smile telling me that he's enjoying himself.  He managed to finish everything on the first trial itself which is just one tablespoon of rice cereal.  Second day he was still sucking out from the spoon but I tried to get him to open his mouth everytime the spoon is near him and tip the cereal into his mouth.  He didn't had any problems swallowing so I thicken the cereal slightly and he enjoy every bit of it! 

After the fourth day, I moved on to sweet potato puree.  I made the puree myself.  I bought some organic japanese sweet potato from Jusco and used the Thermomix to steam and puree it.  

Thermomix

All I had to do was to put the sweet potato into the steaming basket (the little basket in the picture) put in some water into the stainless steel pot/jug and steamed for 25minutes (until soft).  Then I poured the water away and put in the sweet potato into the stainless steel pot/jug and puree away! I then freeze them using ice-cube tray and once frozen I transfer it into ziplock bag for storage in the freezer.  So everytime, I just take out one or two cubes and warm it up using the bottle/food warmer.  

All geared up waiting for his food 

Yum Yum Yum!!

More more more!!

Yummy sweet potato I like!

Home made Sweet Potato Puree

Can't wait for the spoon to go in

Finished and satisfied!

As you can see, he no longer sucks from the spoon.  He will eagerly open his mouth waiting for the delicious sweet potato to be fed to him.  At this very moment, I've moved on to broccoli and it is very obvious that he doesn't enjoy it as much as the sweet potato.  Nevertheless, today is the 3rd day on broccoli and he manage to finish one cube which I'm very happy.  Will try to upload photos him eating broccoli if papa can help us take photos again.