Sunday, April 27, 2014

Yiu-Khye - 18 Months

Khye @ 18 mo - 7 March 2014

It's time to do an update on the little man in the house.

Khye has just turned 18 months, and I simply cannot believe my baby is now no more a baby, and is in fact a 1 1/2 year old toddler. It's really unbelievable how time flies!


Eating

Khye dislike porridge now, and prefers rice. So I usually serve him fluffy rice with soup or sauce. He dislikes food that are too mushy and prefers food that has a bit of a bite now. So no more mashed food. Instead of mashing those carrots, I cut them into pieces.

He somehow dislike bread, which makes life kinda difficult for me, especially when we travel.
He eats them occasionally. But usually he would just spit them right out.

He can also eat small pieces of soft meat, such as tender chicken meat. And he loves satay, and could eat up 2 two stick of the chicken satay.

And thank goodness he loves fruits. He loves all kinds so far, except for kiwis.
He especially loves papayas and mangoes and watermelon. 

He has grown slimmer, but taller for the past few months. Totally expected as both my kids stopped growing sideways, but only lengthwise when they turned 1 year old.
So I was right to just absorbed and relished all his chubbiness when he was a baby! haha.



Walking To Running

From the last update at 15 months when he just started walking, Khye has grown quite a bit.
I can't believe that in a mere 2 months or so, he graduated from walking to running. Albeit still running like a funny penguin with arms flapping. But he is so cute when he runs. And he is quite steady actually.



Breastfeeding

Yes, he is still an exclusively breastfed baby. I weaned Shern off breastmilk when he turned 18 months, and it was easy because Shern takes the bottle.
But for Khye, he hates the bottle, and I don't really know how to wean him off my breasts. I tried putting milk into his water bottle but he would just take a sip or two and then goes off to play. He treated it as drinking water, so he didn't drink the whole thing at one go.

But I think the real reason is that I am still not prepared to let go. hahaha. So is mummy issue, not baby.
But I have a planned overseas trip in June and will be gone for 40 days, so I think that would be the time I would be weaning Khye off. Well, until then, 1 more month to go from now.


On Sharing

Khye is now learning to fight for his own rights. lol.
Yes, no more letting his brother bully him. He would make noise if Shern sits on his bouncer or his Bumbo Seat, claiming that those are his.
And especially when Shern sits on my lap, he would want to push his brother away because he claims his mummy to be his;.

But other than that, he would be alright and wouldn't mind sharing most of the toys and such.
He is overall an easy-going child, and so it is easy for him to share and be happy (well, at least for now!)



Sibling

Khye is now mini-Shern. I say that because he imitates his brother so much.
Everything the brother does, he wants to do too.
If the brother touches something, he would go there and touch it too. If the brother does a somersault, he would try to do a somersault too!
Is nice when you see both of them play together, and Shern being happy to be the leader.
But there are times when Shern got frustrated because Khye wanted to follow him everywhere! Haha.



Talking

Khye is still not talking yet, except for a few words such as 'mum mum', 'mama' and 'papa', and the occasional 'yee-yee'. But that doesn't stop him from pointing to things and yakking baby talk to tell us what he wants.

He is also a vehicles-freak like his brother was at this age. So whenever he sees a bus, or a truck or a motorcycle, he would point to that and said 'ahh ahh ahhh' until we said the correct vehicle, like 'yes, that's a bus'. So it was quite troublesome whenever he sits in his carseat behind and I'm the driver, as I can't see what he is pointing at and he kept on yakking 'ahh ahh ahh' until I said the correct vehicle.

But he knows and understands what we say.
Like we asked him where is mummy or daddy, or pho-pho, he can point out to us.
And when we asked him if he wants some water or food, he would shake his head no if he doesn't want them.
He can also put back his toys when we asked him to, and usually will obliged.


Here is a short clip on my cutie pie on doing some of the actions, and saying the few words he knows.
Enjoy watching my cutie pie. 



So that is all for now until the next update. :)

Thursday, April 24, 2014

How We (Barely) Survived 8 Hours of Road Trip With Our Kids

We received a very last minute invitation to a hotel stay in Port Dickson. I usually plan my trips weeks or months beforehand as I like to get organized.
But this time I decided to say YES as hopefully it would be a relaxing trip and it would also be our first road trip. (what was I thinking?)

Our trip from our house in Penang to our hotel in Port Dickson supposedly would take about 5 1/2 to 6 hours, that is without stops in between.
I knew that would be impossible because we needed toilet breaks and also some stretches for our kids and even us adult.

Shern who is nearly 5 yo and I knew I wouldn't have problems with him. He is after all a very good traveller, be it in the car or plane.
I was on the other hand more anxious about Khye who is only 1 1/2 yo.

Usually Khye sits well in his car seat, but never this long. And also because we drive a Toyota Vios, once both their car seats are installed in the backseat, no more place for me to sit. So I needed to sit in front, which means I couldn't sit with Khye behind.

So you can imagine me cracking my head on how to entertain my 1 1/2 yo on a long car ride. I packed toys and books and everything that I could think of for a better road trip for Khye and us. lol.

Anyway, for this post, I would like to just share with you all which things worked, and which things didn't work for us! Whether is was Yay or Nay for us!


#1. Have Breakfast Before We Start Our Journey - YAY!

This one's good. We stopped for some dim sum breakfast at Gurney Drive before we started our journey. All four of us tucked in well and was fueled up and ready for our trip.


#2. Books To Read - YAY! 

I took Khye's favourite interactive books, such as Rod Campbell's Dear Zoo, and also a new interactive cloth book where Khye spent some time playing with them. 

This one's a big hit for Shern. I brought some of his favourite books and he had a nice time browsing through the pages of his Train book. He even took out his Boogie Board and paper and pen to draw some of the trains pictures from the book. 
 


#3. Pack Lots of Favourite Snacks - YAY!

For Khye, I packed cereals and some fruits for him and he was happy munching away while looking out the window.
For Shern, it was easy. I packed his favourite Nutella sandwich, and some organic Lollipops that he usually don't get to eat often, so he was pleased when he got to suck on lollipops.


#4. Toy Trains with Cake Tins/Pans - YAY!

This one's a BIG hit!
Both kids were excited when I took out  some trains and cars and also some cake tins and pans as a base for them to roll them on.
I gave Shern a cookie sheet as it was bigger.
As for Khye, I gave him a square cake pan which has higher sides, so that his trains/cars don't roll off easily.
Both kids were mesmerized with these for more than half an hour. 
 



#5: Bring A Pillow For Each - YAY!

I was glad I took an extra pillow so that each of them could have one pillow to hug on. 
When in the car, if one gets something, the other one wants it too. 
Usually Khye doesn't take a pacifier. But when I offered it to him, he took it and plopped it into his mouth as he often see his bro doing so. lol.


#6. Have a Break/Rest Every 2-3 Hours - YAY!
 

When we saw the kids getting restless, we stopped for a toilet break and also for the kids to stretch their legs. Although the sun was scorching hot above our heads, we still let them had a run in one of the playgrounds in the rest stops along the highway.

We also stopped at the Sungai Buluh Rest Stop and had Kajang Satay. All four of us are satay lovers!



#7. Sunglasses As A Means of Distraction - NAY!

I read that some toddlers love sunglasses. But Khye didn't really took to it very well. He took it for awhile and played some peekaboo with his brother. But barely 5 mins later, he was whining away.
Look at his tear-stained face.


#8. Activity Books for Older Kids - YAY!
 

Shern had always loved doing these activity books. In it, they have puzzles and 'spot the difference' and word game and such. He spent quite some time doing that.
Don't give him a colouring book as Shern hates colouring. haha.



#9. Bring a Boogie Board or just Pens and Papers for Doodling - YAY!

This worked well for both the older kid or even for my toddler.
I forgot to take pics of them using their Boogie Board.

Shern loved drawing and writing or just plain doodling. He would draw and make up stories (usually it involves trains!) and would be immersed in his own world.
Khye just liked doodling on it too. He would just doodle away and have fun.

I like that Boogie Board is much cleaner than pencils or pens, and also I don't have to bring so many pcs or papers. Kids just like to waste paper you know (at least mine do!). They would just draw a small thing on a piece of paper, and then they would ask you for another piece.
But with Boogie Board, all they needed to do is to just press the erase spot and it goes clean again. Just like a Magna Doodle, but more slim and ultra portable!



#10. Ipad - YAY!

I always delay offering the iPad to Shern. Because there are so many other ways to entertain them. So I always let them choose other options first before bringing out the iPad. 
But I also see no harm in giving them the iPad if we really need to. iPad is after all the super duper nanny!

I'm also proud to say that the iPad stays in the bag the whole journey on the way there. Shern was kept entertained with so many other stuff I mentioned.
But on the way home, I took it out and offered it to him so that he could have some fun playing his favourite Angry Bird racing game.



#11. Letting My Toddler Cry Himself To Sleep - NAY!

To tell the truth, Khye had a meltdown on the way there.
Look at him crying away, while his bro smiling away for my camera. lol.
 

I tried letting him cry himself to sleep (because it was way past his nap time) but he just couldn't, and to our horror, he turned into a monster and had a terrible meltdown.
We had no choice but to let him cry until we reached the next rest stop on the highway before I carried him down to console him.
And once we got out of the car, he was calmer and when I offered him my boobs, he fell asleep almost immediately. Ahh, the power of boobs! lol.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


OK, so that was how we (barely) survived the 8 hours of road trip with a 4 1/2 year old and a 1 1/2 year old toddler.

So will there be another road trip for us? 
Well, not such a long one. Max I would say would be a 4 hour trip. Anything more than that we will choose to fly in the future, or at least until Khye's a little older! Or until we change into a bigger car (*winks) where I could at least sit at the back with the kids.
But nonetheless, it was a great experience for our family.

Here are some family selfies I tried taking (but I kept missing someone out of the pic).
I think I must admit I'm terrible at taking selfies. 



I hope by me writing down what worked for us, and what not, it will help others out there who are preparing for a long road trip with kids!

Bon Voyage!

Wednesday, April 23, 2014

Review: OXO Tot's Baby Blocks™ Freezer Storage Containers - 2-Ounce Set

I had the opportunity to try on another super duper product of OXO Tot brand.
This time is OXO Tot's Baby Blocks™ Freezer Storage Containers - 2-Ounce Set.


To tell the truth, the moment I'd heard that it is an OXO Tot product, I rubbed my hands in glee! 
Why? Because I'm so in love with all the other products I'd had by OXO Tot - the Twist Top Water BottleFlippy Snack CupSippy Cup Set, and Divided Feeding Dish.



PACKAGING AND FIRST IMPRESSIONS
 

The packaging is simple and straightforward, as it came in a box which stored the tray and its individual 6 pcs of 2oz sized containers. 
The box was sturdy and made of hard and thick cardboard, thus protecting the contents inside so that it was not dented or spoiled in any way. However, it was easy to open. 

Brand name and logo and also the description of the content was printed on the box, making it easy to identify

Some of the uses was also being printed at the back of the box, which is good as it simplify decision making when it comes to choosing and buying the product.   



FEATURES AND USES

 


First of all, I love the sturdy and hard plastic of the containers, unlike some which looked flimsy and cracked when put into the freezer. 
I associate OXO Tot's products by its sturdiness as it gives a very solid feeling that the material is of high quality, and this product is no different. 

The colour green is also neutral, so no gender problem for those people who dislike getting pink colour stuff for their boys and such.
But for me, no problem in colours actually because I believe that 'real men wear pink'! lol.
 

Firstly, I tried storing my expressed breastmilk (ebm) in it. I will be going for a trip overseas soon, and thus I am now trying to store some expressed breastmilk for Khye for my parents to feed him while I am away.

The containers are airtight, watertight and leakproof, which made it ideal for storing breastmilk. I like that the lids are easy to open and shut, (and I don't need to use my super strength to pry it open) and yet doesn't leak.  And yes, I did try overturning the containers, and shaking it vigorously.

But because all I had was 6 containers, it wasn't enough to store my ebm in it. So after they are frozen, I removed them from their containers and store them in a Ziplock back. But the containers still provide a very secure form of freezing system for keeping ebm


Removing the frozen ebm from their containers was easy. First I ran tap water at the bottom of the containers to slightly thaw them. Or you can also just leave them out at room temperature for a minute or two. Then I just squeezed the bottom of the containers and they just popped out easily.
 


Then I just store them into a Ziplock bag and labelled the dates accordingly. 

I put the whole bag into my freezer until I want to use them.



And when Khye was on semi-solid, I made pureed food for him, either to mix them into his porridge, or to just eat the puree like that. And quite often, I made a batch of pureed food at once for freezing to save time. 

I love the clear and transparent containers, as I straightaway could identify the contents, either it was potato or broccoli. 


Measurement markings in both oz and ml is really useful to indicate portion sizes, so that you know how much you are storing. 
 

These containers are ideal and kinda like a one-stop-solution for storing food - as you can portion, store, freeze, heat and serve baby food just by using these. 
Yes, I tried that. I made some pureed food and I just portioned it as I made a large batch. Then I stored and froze it in the freezer. When it was meal times, I just took it out and heat it in the microwave and served Khye there and then in the container itself!
(caution: when microwaving food inside container, please remove lid!)
So easy. And busy mums like me need easy solutions. Easy makes happy baby and happy mums! 

And oh, these are gems to be used when on-the-go, as you can serve baby straight from the container.

As they are 
airtight, watertight and leakproof, I also used it to store my kids' snacks such as cereals and even fruits when we are out and about. 
Talk about multi-purpose usage! :)

Look at how I used them to store cereals (Koko Krunch and Cornflakes), M&Ms, and also pieces of apples. 

They are the perfect snack size for my kids when we are on-the-go!
 

And I like that they come in a tray, in which each containers fit into the freezing tray. This storage tray rests flats on a freezer shelf/drawer and can be stacked to save space - which means that if you have more than 1 tray, you can stack the other on top and this saves freezer space. 
 
If you are a mum, you know how important it is to save freezer space. Well, it is important to me as I have limited freezer space which needs to be shared with other frozen food, ice-creams and such.

And I should mention that these baby blocks are BPA, phthalate and PVC free

And they are obviously also microwave and freezer safe.
The containers are designed for reheating and defrosting in the microwave, and are NOT for stovetop or oven use. 

And for those of you who are fortunate enough to own a dishwasher, you should be pleased to know that they are also top-rack dishwasher safe. 

So as expected, I am more than pleased with these quality freezer storage containers, as I'd found multi-purpose usage for them! 
I can see myself using them even in the future as condiments and spice containers.
And I see myself putting in ketchup in the container for my kids' lunchbox in the future! 
I can think of even more usage for them!

So no doubt these OXO Tot's Baby Blocks Freezer Containers are so worth it! Go get a set or two and you will know!




TO PURCHASE 
Please see below or visit 
Bloom & Grow Asia for their list of retailers.
You can also visit their Facebook page for more info. 




p/s - I'd also reviewed OXO Tot's Twist Top Water BottleFlippy Snack CupSippy Cup Set, and Divided Feeding Dish. Have a click and read them all!


* Disclosure: I received an OXO Tot's Baby Blocks™ Freezer Storage Containers - 2-Ounce Set  for review purpose, but no monetary incentive was received. All text and opinions are of my own and represents my honest opinion of the product(s).

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