Emah (my paternal grandma) turned 89 yesterday according to the chinese calendar. We had a small gathering of our family & relatives at kuma's house.
It was nice to see my relatives there just to eat and talk and catch up.
camerawoman: yours truly - that is why you can't see me here
camerawoman: kuma
Emah is getting real forgetful nowadays. She can still remember me. But she can't seem to remember Yiu-Shern at all. It was always the same questions she asks in hokkien.
"Whose baby is this?" "Wah...Shu-Yin is married already?"
Anyway, I am glad she is blessed with good health and longevity. Ay 89, she can still walk and goes to the toilet by herself, etc.
Shern was in one of his best behaviour last night. He did not really throw a tantrum. He smiled and goo-goo-gaa-gaa-ed a lot in fact!
It was Shern's first time attending a birthday party.
Many people view marriage as being tied down. Loss of freedom. And worse still, some people treat marriage too lightly, and choose the easy way out through divorce.
Marriage is a special bond shared by two souls, who tie the wedding knot after promising to be companions of a lifetime. It is not only the physical, but also the mental and spiritual unison of two souls.
I think a successful marriage is the understanding of what commitment truly is. To be committed to each other. Combined with love, faith and understanding. This is what marriage is to me.
Peter & I have been married for 3 years today. We are still trying our best as husband and wife to each other.
Frictions are inevitable. We deal with it. We learn from it.
Shern can now spot small objects - his vision is improving by leaps and bounds. He can also recognize his toys now. If I try to hide his toy partially (part of his toy peeking out behind the chair), he will try to move his hands to indicate that he wants it.
Grab Grab Grab
Shern now tries to grab everything within his reach - and it happens frequently with our cameras. Whenever we put our cameras too near him, his hand would suddenly appear.
So it is now quite a challenge to take close-up pictures of him.
20 Nov 2009
Min-Yee's Bed
Shern overall likes to be on his tummy. I find that he especially likes Min-Yee's bed. He always wear a big smile and snuggle on her bed - which ends up full of his saliva.
Well, that makes a happy Shern and an angry Min-Yee :)
22 Nov 2009
How Is Mummy Doing?
This week is a very busy week for us. We had less than a week to pack up everything so that we are ready to move on Sunday. In fact, we barely had time to breathe let alone take pics of Shern. So there are only a few photos of Shern this week *guilty mummy*
Besides that, I attended 2 weddings - Debbie and David's Wedding on Friday and Soo Yin & Raymond's Wedding on Saturday. (will blog more about this when I have time)
In line with the hugely researched of late and the current recommendation from the World Health Organisation (WHO) that: no solid foods are introduced to baby for the first 6 months, I have breastfed Shern exclusively until yesterday.
Shern had his first solid food yesterday - 5 December 2009.
I have decided long ago to make homemade food for Shern as much as possible. It is really simple. All you need is a blender and a little effort and a lot of love.
Ingredient 2 oz brown rice powder 8 fl oz water a little formula/breastmilk
Instructions To make the rice powder, grind brown rice in a blender or food processor. Bring the water to a boil. Add the rice powder, stirring constantly with a wire whisk. Simmer for about 10 minutes (don't forget to keep stirring, or the rice will stick).
Then stir in enough formula or breastmilk to give the consistency that's best for your baby.
I chose to use brown rice because it is a more wholesome, nutritious and healthier choice compared to white rice. I find it takes a little longer and more water to cook than what the recipe suggested.
I heard from friends and read from the books and internet that usually babies don't really eat their first solid meal. They are actually just learning how to eat with a spoon. Learning how to push the food from the outside to the inside of their tongue before swallowing them.
But Shern is REALLY eating his first solid meal. Yes! He seems to be swallowing a big portion of it. Haha!
First, I put him on pho-pho's lap. He took his first few mouthful.
Shern's First Two Mouthful Video
He seems to love it so much and can't wait for more 'til he even licked the bowl. See this video.
Then I put him in his Bumbo Seat and we continued the rest of the feed there. He was sitting there happily enjoying his first food. See this video.
I find with him sitting on his Bumbo Seat makes feeding him easier. I am loving this Bumbo Seat more and more.
I already posted earlier that Shern went for his first 2 swims here and here. Shern is a really happy baby when put on water.
His daddy is as happy as Shern. Peter likes to play with him in the water. Look at their 2 happy faces while mummy stayed behind the lens.
9 Nov 2009
Look at his face when I tried calling out to him to smile at the camera!
9 Nov 2009
Pleading To Be Carried
This is Shern's face when he wants to be carried. He will make pitiful noises and cries.
10 Nov 2009
Apung-Balik
This is Min-yee's doing. Min put the mooncake round box on top of Shern's head. Shern seems to love it there.
11 Nov 2009
Bravo Bumbo Seat
This Bumbo Seat serves to be a very useful tool. When I am home alone with him, and when I need to use the toilet, I will put Shern on his Bumbo seat just in front of the toilet so that he can still see me (he will wail out loud if he can't see me) while I do my business! :)
Blowing Raspberries
Shern just learned how to blow raspberries. He is starting to blow spit bubbles or raspberries - a skill that supposedly helps him learn how to move his mouth, tongue, and lips together, and later be able to form words.
He would go 'brrr...pooh...brr' with his mouth. He does it all day long when he is in the mood.
15 Nov 2009
(This video was taken during the car ride home from mum's house back to our house - so it is rather jerky)
Shern blowing raspberries
Shern also likes it if people does it for him. He laughs his head off.
(Chooi Ting aunty is the one making Shern laughs)
Daddy's Little Boy
9 Nov 2009
Shern still likes playing with Daddy - both of them looks so cheeky
Night Time Fun
Shern is in a good mood one night and refused to close his eyes. He was still smiling away at us so out came my camera.
11 Nov 2009
Min-yee joined in and 3 of us took a photo together.
11 Nov 2009
Stranger Anxiety
Shern is starting to show signs of one of his first major emotional milestones — stranger anxiety. Shern is becoming clingy and anxious around new (and even familiar) people, and that includes his Ah-Ma & Ah-Kong.
I think maybe because he does not see them often enough - we go back once a week for half a day.
He used to love them and would laugh and smile when they talk to him. Now he cries when Ah-Ma carries him.
9 Nov & 14 Nov 2009
How Is Mummy Doing?
Parents went to Turkey the whole week and 3 of us were home alone.
As usual, I felt kinda exhausted yet exhilarating at the same time while taking care of Shern. Exhausting because Shern really needs 24/7 monitoring Exhilarating because I get to see Shern achieving milestone by milestone every single day.
I purposely put Shern on his Bumbo seat with him facing AWAY from the TV - coz too much TV is bad for infants.
But Shern heard noises coming from the TV box and thus he arched his back to view the source of the noise. I managed to capture his arch step-by-step on my Ixus 110.
Will Shern grow up to be a TV addict a.k.a TV Manager of the House like his Min-yee? :P
