my baby last week

Email received from babycenter....
Hello, Angie! A baby who has discovered cruising will "walk" around a room while supporting herself with furniture and other surfaces. To encourage walking, hold your baby's hands when she's standing facing you and see whether she can step toward you. Some 9-month-olds are ready to practice walking with a stable push toy. One prop not to use is a walker, as they are associated with serious injuries and can impede normal development, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Will baby walkers and jumpers help my baby learn to walk?
Expert answers....
David Geller, pediatrician
No. In fact, studies have shown that babies who use a walker may actually learn to walk about a month later than those who don't. Walkers allow babies to move around before they are physically ready for it, which can cause unusual movement patterns and delayed muscle control.

Babies learn to walk in part by watching and understanding how their feet and legs move. If a walker has a tray, they can't see what's happening with their lower body and don't get the information they need about their motor development.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against using walkers not only because they can discourage your child from learning to walk on his own, but also because they can be dangerous. Thousands of babies end up in emergency rooms and doctor's offices from falling down stairs or bumping into furniture while in a walker. Walkers can give parents a false impression that their babies are truly mobile and can control their actions. Some parents even leave their babies alone to navigate their way around the home in a walker.

Exersaucers, as well as door jumpers, are much safer alternatives, but none of these options will help your child learn to walk earlier than usual.

Editor's note: In general, baby walkers have gotten safer since the early 2000s, when the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission worked with manufacturers to develop better safety standards for these products. Walkers on the market now should have "stair-fall protection" — either a gripping mechanism that keeps the walker from going over the edge of a stairwell or a design that prevents the walker from fitting through a doorway. However, some manufacturers continue to ignore these standards. Also, older walkers (such as those bought secondhand) may not have these safety features.

My call: is this really true?

Cousin Keagan

Today we have company! :) nicky's cousin, keagan came today... he is now 16mths old already! it was ages since we last saw them and he is now walking! how time files...manage to get some pictures of them playing together and of cos, nicky doing the love-love thingy, which kinda scared keagan..."too much love-love, darling"...



Dinner at dad's club and there are alot of us today...14 of us!
It was a thank you dinner to the Tan family for helping us to change our kitchen tap. Thank you for your immediate help and taking time off to help us! Really appreciate it and seriously recommend edwin to do this part-time cos he can change the tap for us in minutes, and it was all done with no mess too! :) skillful!

Here's us! joseph & sharon joined us as well..hope you enjoyed the buffet spread and milo-peng guys! :)


2 of them giving me some attention while having their dinner...
Tonite's receipe: carrots, potato & spinach. Hope you enjoyed it as well, keagan :)


After dinner, the 2 lil'ones at the kid's playroom. Nicky will be able to join u once he can walk... :)
keagan and samuel: (poor keagan, samuel holding his face to look at me)


Well, that's all folks...

Foods that can be unsafe for your baby

came across this article sent from babycenter...might be useful to mummies as a guide...

Here goes...
As your baby grows, he'll be eager to sample food from your plate – and you'll be eager to introduce some variety to his diet. But not all foods are safe for your child. Some pose a choking hazard, and a few aren't good for your baby's still-developing digestive system.

Foods to avoid: Newborn to 4 to 6 months
All solid food: The AAP recommends feeding your baby only breast milk or formula for the first four to six months.

Foods to avoid: 4 to 12 months
Honey: Honey can harbor spores of Clostridium botulinum, which causes botulism. An adult's intestinal tract can prevent the growth of these spores, but in a baby the spores can grow and produce life-threatening toxins.
Peanut butter: The sticky consistency of peanut butter and other nut butters can make it tough for a young child to swallow safely.
Cow's milk: Stick with breast milk or formula until your child's first birthday. Why? Your baby can't digest the protein in cow's milk for the first year, it doesn't have all the nutrients he needs, and it contains minerals in amounts that can damage his kidneys.
Choking hazards to watch for
Large chunks: Pea-size pieces of food are safest — they won't get stuck in your child's throat. Vegetables like carrots, celery, and green beans should be diced, shredded, or cooked and cut up. Cut fruits like grapes, cherry tomatoes, and melon balls into quarters before serving. Cut meats and cheeses into very small pieces or shred them.
Small, hard foods: Nuts, popcorn, cough drops, hard candies, raisins, and other small dried fruit and seeds are potential choking hazards.
Soft foods: Soft foods like marshmallows and jelly candies can get lodged in your child's throat.

More choking prevention:
Avoid letting your child eat in the car. It's too hard to supervise while driving.
If you're using a rub-on teething medication, keep a close eye on your baby as it can numb his throat and interfere with swallowing.

Foods to avoid: 12 to 36 months
Click here to see age-by-age advice about food safety with older babies and toddlers.
The latest on children and allergies

Doctors used to recommend waiting until age 1 or even much later to introduce solid foods that are common allergens, especially with children at risk for allergies. But the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has changed its tune, because studies show that these delays probably don't help keep allergies from developing.
It's still a wise idea, though, to introduce new foods gradually, waiting several days after each new menu item to make sure your baby doesn't react to it. And if you believe that your baby is likely to have food allergies -- for example, if allergies run in your family -- check with his doctor to determine the best strategy for introducing allergenic foods like eggs, milk, peanuts, wheat, soy, tree nuts, fish, and shellfish.

Read more about food allergies in babies.

what was that?

oh my god ~

yes, this picture says it all...
yesterday, for the 1st time, i felt it myself! ...nicky's 1st tooth is out! it's the bottom left one and the one on the right seems to be coming out too! *faint* this means that the next time he attempts to bite us, we will have to take cover!
i cant and it's really hard to take a picture of the growing tooth/teeth...but manage to video him attacking ah dee's arm for comfort...and i give him my finger to suck on...maybe to relieve his itchy gums~

A Big Thank You

to the both 柠 檬 茶 and 柠檬奶茶 for helping me with the new look on my blog... alot of hard work and time spent. cos i jus couldnt do it. i appreciate your help in this and i really love this new look *wonder why*

Thanks a million once again to you kind people! also to blogger senior & blogger Guru :)

The Boyz ~ 3 cousins

nicky simply adores these 2 boys :)

Down with Flu & Cough

this weekend we were down with flu and now cough... :(
nicky had a little runny nose on thursday, took medication, then had cough on friday nite...so took him to see dr Tan first thing on saturday morning!
went there at 845am and had to wait for approx.1hr before it's our turn...went mcDonald's for breakie, nicky's 1st try on hotcakes! :) and he seemed to like it... hee...



dr Tan said there is new medicine for nicky boy now cos he is "older" so those at home, gotta put aside for spares... so she prescibed bigger bottles and higher dosage for nicky, poor baby...

and i tot the medicine was very christmas-sy cos of the colors! :) the red & green...

Since i was at there at the PD, decided to clarify some doubts...

1. Checked if nicky's stool (kaya-like paste) is normal? she said yes
2. When can nicky can start eating Beef? she said anytime now.
3. When nicky can start eating eggs? (this is a shocker to me ~ only after he is 1 yr old!)

For pt 1, joelle's nanny was concern if it was due to "wrong milk powder brand" but for dr Tan, she said that if his stool has all along been like this, then there is nothing wrong.

For pt 2, i heard from somewhere that babies shouldn't start eating Beef too young, cos their liver cant digest or something....dr Tan says, not true. So no problem to start now.

For pt 3, cos momiji had immediate allergy when she ate eggs the last time, so i tot i beta check with dr Tan and she said, it's best to start after he is 1 yr old. Didnt ask in detail cos it may be toooo chim for me...so i just left it as that.

Hope this information is useful for you mummies :)

For now, both me and ah dee are down with flu and cough...:(