First days of solids.. yay!!

Yesterday was the first day Rafael started on solids, and as recommended, I mixed a little fortified iron- baby cereal with his milk. He took it on almost immediately, apparently interested with the bright-colored eating utensils, and he latched onto the spoon quite eagerly even though he didn't quite know how to eat yet... I found it very amusing... taking a picture was a pain though, while trying to feed him at the same time... but all mothers are multi-tasker, no? *grins*

No pictures, please!!

So, in short, he ended up eating, or more aptly, eating while 'blowing' about 7 teaspoons of his porridge-like cereal before he seemed contented, and within the next half hour, he fell asleep. You wouldn't believe that the nap that followed was almost...3 hours? he only yelled out for a nappy change in between, and was sleeping quite soundly until his next feed, which didn't happen until almost 5 hours later! - I was a little worried there...

No dramas and no fuss, his first day of eating solid (though he didn't do no.2 due to less quantity of food), was a breezy affair, I almost regretted not starting it earlier, he he heh.. but apparently it's better not to start too early if the bub has skin allergy or some sort; and my boy does have quite a sensitive skin.. he got eczema, followed by mild rash that seems to linger around most of the time, due to his excessive finger-eating habits. But his skin is getting better; I'd say we hardly ever touch the cortizone cream a few days after the eczema worsened. Then it took an upward turn for the better, thank God!

Anyway, him eating cereal got the planner in me quite excited, so I did up a whole month of menu planned for him, even going as far as scheduling when to buy certain variety of fruits and vegetables for him. Premature perhaps, but I couldn't help it... ^_^ 

While I was at it, I got my multi-steamer-blender for baby food, and it's not Avent's. (Avent's is very good, I hear, though the price tag is a little steep at around $280?) I ordered mine online, it's called Cherub baby, an Australian brand, and costs around $125. The brand itself doesn't really matter as long as it delivers, so, I'll see if this works well. At the moment, since I haven't got the multi-blender yet, I'll plan for easy to puree veggies & fruits. Banana, avocado, apple and pear are high on my list right now..

Baby sling

I've written about baby sling previously during my pregnancy, and since then I've owned three different brands. Talk about splurge! I've tried Sleepywear, baby breeze, and an overseas no-brand model that turned out to be quite comfy. Here's my short review on all of them.

The sleepywear is a wrap-around type of carrier that requires a little bit of effort initially (they have around 5 different ways to wrap around your body), is made from a super-stretchy fabric that is rather comfortable to be worn, both for you and your baby, especially for newborns, as the wrap ensures that the bub is very tightly bonded on your chest and this is what makes him feel very secure and happy. It is great to lull baby to sleep in this in winter time as your body heat + the tight wrap = toasty warm bub. It comes in a range of colours, washable and easy to dry.

The downside is, not all babies like to be wrapped tightly for a long time, so my little boy outgrew this after about 3 months, even though it is suitable for older babies up to 1 1/2 years. And you must remember to put your little one in the sling only when he is in an agreeable mood (i.e. after a meal, when he is sleepy), because trying to do so when he is cranky means a lot of unnecessary frustration for both you and your baby. Trust me, I've done it countless of times before...

Sleepy Wrap

The baby breeze is a light, summer type sling with ring mechanism that is supposed to sit on your shoulder. It is made of a single breathable fabric with double ring to wrap the fabric around; this will create a 'pouch' in which your baby will rest, then the length is adjustable by pulling the length of the fabric through the ring. Theoretically easy, and is actually quite easy to put on, so long as you take care of the fabric not to get all bunched up around the ring. Easy to wash & dry and great for swimming too. Rather on the pricey end of the range though. This one, my baby loathed completely & utterly for no good reason :(

Baby Breeze

The no-brand carrier is very cheaply priced yet this fits my purpose well enough, for short-time usage throughout the day when bub doesn't want to be put down in his own cot. This has a fixed clip-on shoulder attachment that simply clicks in place; then the strap is also adjustable. At first I thought I'd require assistance to clip it, but then I figured out a way to do it without any help. The biggest issue with fixed attachment is that it fits some people well; such as me and my mom, but my other half couldn't use it comfortably. This is perfect for newborn as well, but it doesn't free both of your hands to do other things.

Baby Bjorn Air

I know I've said I'd get a baby bjorn carrier, but I was discouraged by not-so-stellar reviews from some friends, and that it is rather expensive... Tried on the baby bjorn Air version once and the material whilst nice and breathable, doesn't sit very well on the shoulders. Now that I'm looking back at it, it's been 5 months so far, and recently, bub's getting more and more active, I doubt that he'd like to but put in baby sling anymore ^_~ Well, I won't start collecting baby slings, that's for sure.. :P

A good baby sling does give you a number of benefits such as: freeing your hands to enable you to do more work, lulling bub to sleep & let him bond closely to you, better weight distribution that doesn't tax your back/ shoulder alone, and size-wise, more convenient for outings than a bassinet/stroller will ever be; So, if you do want to get baby sling, shop early! compare as many different types as you can; try them with your baby too, because, in the end, it boils down to whether baby likes it or not after all.

something to think about...

One who says parenting was easy must have been somebody who hasn't been there before.  I've seen seemingly all good and rosy stories around parenting that would lead you to believe that parenting is a smooth sailing journey. I tell you, even a rookie parent like me would attest to that. (well, especially a rookie parent like me :P ) How about the late night hours? the countless nappies and breast-feedings/ bottle washing? and those are just the beginnings..

However, as I watch over my baby son sleep tonight, my frame of mind has changed considerably. Sometimes we have much, (way too) much to complain, but after stumbling upon this blog this afternoon, I don't think I would complain ever again. 

This is a beautifully written little blog that expresses honest emotions, dealing with grief and death. I admit I cried copiously after back-reading the entries. Heart-breaking story with bittersweet notes to it, this blog is a poignant reminder of how precious and fragile life is, and that true love conquers all.

cherish what we have today, for today may be our last...