Monthly Archives: December 2010

How to sleep a baby? [Daddy Experience]

Maybe Widad Something Like This, To Fall Asleep
After reading common mistakes when sleeping a baby, I’d like to share with my routine of sleeping my baby Widad.

At 8.00 o’clock, I prepare the bed for Widad to sleep such as putting a few pillows around her favorite spot. I hug her, bring her inside our bedroom, and put her head on my arm. I close the lamp to avoid her eyes from getting active, just to make her feel sleepy. She often falls asleep about 20-30 minutes later.

Her sleepiness shows some signals around 8.00 pm:

  • She plays and cries, play and cries again.
  • Or cries then rub her eyes.
  • She can’t stop crying even I hug her to comfort her (this is my favorite cue)

I learn that we need sleeping routine to help baby Widad recognizes sleeping schedule. So when she gets in the dark with the voice of reciting Al-Quran (mp3 from my iPod), she knows that it’s time to sleep and then she closes her eyes. She, usually, doesn’t take much time to fall asleep.

On certain times, she couldn’t sleep and she cries a lot. My heart breaks like a glass when she did that. Probably, she has been sleeping all day long and consequently, her brain is still active through the night. She often scratches my arm with her nail, and my skin burns with a few lines of small marks because I always forget I cut her long nail.

Sometimes, I want to left her on the bed and surfing the internet on iPad, and let her finds her own way to fall asleep without rocking her on my arm.

Frustration darkens my decisions, but I always think twice before I make something irresponsible.

Best and Worst Parenting Moments via Parenting.com

Interesting facts I’ve found on internet :

  • It’s so amazing when nursing mom who is breastfeed in public legally protected in Taiwan.
  • It’s so astonishing when I found that kids in daycare do get sicker, they’re less likely to get sick in grade school because of stronger immune systems. Hopefully Amirul and Widad one of them.. :D
  • I never thought that pregnant lady’s body are the most sexiest figure and they are proud of it!!
  • I’d read about Aldi Rizal, an toddler from Indonesia whom smoking at young age. What wrong with his parent. Don’t they know that smoking causing various diseases
  • Dirty diaper with poop were used as weapon??.. Believe it or not.. It’s true when there is a case in Pennsylvania
  • FarmVille game in Facebook causing a mom of 3 month old baby shake her baby to death. :C

Read Best and Worst Parenting Moments of 2010 via Parenting.com

RM35 for Aquaria,KLCC Is Not Worth.. at Least for Me

I always want to bring Amirul & Widad to Aquaria when Amirul starts to love watching Baby Eistein DVD. Until last weekend, we brought them to Aquaria, KLCC. Indeed we only pay RM20 for adult and RM10 for Amirul, still I don’t think that it’s worth for money.

Why it’s not worth, at least for me:

The crowd is huge. School holiday maybe, but I think the space itself is relatively small to cater the visitors

No privacy. I mean I can’t seat behind the glass for more than 3minutes. I need to give chance to others as well. Look at this photo, I was behind them at least 5minutes. erhmmm

  • I can finished explore every inch of the Aquaria within 1 1/2 hours or lesser
  • Variety of marine life, I can see the real shark and stingray, huge makeral, sea turtle and it’s really new experience for Amirul. However, I still feel not worth due to above two reasons. huhu

Maybe I should try Under Water World, Langkawi

NOTE : However, Amirul so excited and keep pointing big fish..big fish.. huhuh

Hai MakLong!! Hai MamaAtok!!

I just knew that kaklong (my sister) reads my blog. Perhaps I can propose my mom too. She can see Amirul & Widad’s developments here. Eventho we just 8 hours distant by car, tapi di saat abah tiada disisi, mungkin melihat gambar Amirul & Widad dapat menghiburkan Mama.

Huda’s Kitchen : Widad’s Food – Broccoli Chicken Porridge

Ingredients : 1/2 cup of rice, 1/2 cup of broccoli and 1/4 cup of sliced chicken

Boiled the rice until is slightly dry and the rice is fluffy.

Add sliced chicken and put 1/4 cup of water and boiled again

Boiled the rice until is slightly dry and the chicken are cook, then you can add the broccoli

The water is dry, the rice is soft and fluffy, the chicken and broccoli are cook. Now you either blend or just eat it immediately

However, my Little Widad loves blended porridge, so I need to blend it first before feed her. Nutritious meal for active baby.

Note : Read the goodness of broccoli for you baby here. Unfortunately, after reading this article, now I knew broccoli is not good for baby under 8 months old. Broccoli may induce gas for infants. aishhh. Its ok, after this no more broccoli, wait until Widad 1 year old. It’s ok, Mummy can finished the rest of the porridge.. huhukkkksss

My Breastfeeding Diary : Would you breastfeed in public?

After nearly 8 months being a ‘Breast-taurant’ for Widad, breastfeeding in public no more issue for me. In fact, even when I breastfed Amirul, I still fed him in public.

Embarrassed, inconvenient, inferior, are the feeling that always I’m facing everytime I’m breastfeeding Widad and Amirul. People stare at me with kinda weird face and kinda that I’m doing a huge mistake.. But, I don’t care what people think about me. What I do care is my baby happy and not starving..

However to me, breastfeeding in public no longer a big issue and nothing new. Bcoz:

  • The awareness on beneficial of breastfeeding to mother and baby is increasing and plenty of people now well-knowledge with breastfeeding
  • A lot of shopping malls are baby friendly. They provided baby-room for parent. Comfortable and private place to breastfeed the baby really helping me to breastfeed in peace.
  • Nursing dress or nursing poncho are available and you can easily get from baby shop or online shop

Breastfeed is not a new phenomenon. Read the stories on breastfeeding around the world.

NOTE : My breast milk getting lessen by days. Somehow, I still feel reluctant to introduce formula milk for Widad..erhmmm

Surviving the Pressures Of Modern Parenting [Opinion]

photo by: Crowbert
I find parenting in this modern world is quite tough and challenging. Not only parenting but everything. Needful things are not cheap like it used to be where nasi goreng kampung was RM2.50 and a daycare fee was RM150 (My mom had once opened a daycare, I happened to remember the fee).

Today, nasi goreng kampung is about RM4.00, and the daycare fee is RM270. And most of the children has been able to read at the age of 4. Mine is unable to speak and he’s almost 3 years old now. A new fresh-graduate colleague makes more money than me, for I have to work hard for more than three years to get that same rate.

That gives me a lot of stress. The world has never been satisfied with us, they become more and more demanding as technology and modernization are evolving.

The eYes

How I wish my eyes will be like this. No make up needed and everyday no need to worry of swollen eyes.

this instead of

This swollen eyes with dark circle surrounded.

But this swollen eyes with dark circle is the proof that I am a Mummy who stay up for her kids, a Mummy who do not have enough sleep for her kids and a Mummy who stay awake whenever her kids fall asleep. This eyes sometimes is a sign of satisfying. Satisfy when her kids stay healthy and her kids grow well

Widad wants to crawl


This little girl wants to crawl.

According to BabyCentre,

Crawling typically comes after a baby is able to sit well without support, which most children can do by the time they’re six or seven months old. After this point, she can hold her head up to look around, and her arm, leg and back muscles are strong enough to keep her from falling on the floor when she gets on her hands and knees.

I can see Widad managed to lift up her back, her arms and knees are strong enough to support her body up, she also swinging her body forward and back. She struggling to start her 1st cruise. until one fine day, I saw Widad lift up her arm and she is crawling. Yeay, my little girl starts to crawl and can’t wait for girls day out.. huhuh

More details on crawling development via BabyCentre

iPad for Everyone

When iPad launched in US, Mr Hubby already started eyeing  the iPad. The bombastic reviews about iPad made Mr Hubby dreamt about it day and night. Keep watching the good price at eBay, comparing iPad with other gadgets until is was launch in Malaysia. After reading SecondTime Parenthood, I immediately told Mr Hubby and without wait any minutes, he told me ‘ I’m going to MidValley during lunch time to get my iPad. Get your iPad, since when you booked the thing and somemore without discussion with me.. huhuh’

So now, everybody was fighting for iPad.. Daddy wants to check his email, eBay business, update his novel, while mummy need to update blog, facebooking and browse for recipe for the day (perlu ker guna ipad tuk tgk resepi, uhuk)  etc. Not forgetting Amirul & Widad, both of them also crazy for iPad. To solve the problem, we set the time for each of us to use the iPad. Tell me that we are crazy when tho, we already have the lappy for each of us. uhuhuh

Alhamdulillah, I think the iPad is worth for money. So many applications suitable for Mummy Daddy Amirul & Widad. Last time, Mr Hubby sharing about apps for kids and toddler. I will ask him to share apps suitable for me. Lets wait for his update.

Huda Kitchen : Rocky Road Brownies

After having new kitchen gadget, everyday, I would browse for new recipes. Typical me. Hangat-hangat taik ayam, Mr Hubby said.. and since I love baking cake, I found this step-by-step recipe  which I think really easy for me. huhu

ROCKY ROAD BROWNIES from savorysweetlife.com . Here is my version step-by-step and Alhamdulillah, the taste was great and Mr Hubby keep praise and give a nice compliment for me.. Thanks Yayang..

Ingredients : 2 eggs, 3/4 cup of melted butter, mixture of walnuts, 1 tablespoon of vanilla essence   and chocolate chip
1/2 cup of sugar, 3/4 cup of flour and 1/2 cup of chocolate

In large bowl mix melted butter, sugar, and vanilla until blended

Add one egg at a time beating well

Add flour and cocoa. Stir the batter until fully incorporated

Brownie batter already incorporated well

Spread the container with butter

Spread brownie batter inside the pan as evenly as possible

Spread the walnuts and chocolate chips all over the top of the brownie batter

Bake 190 Celsius within 30minutes.

And not forgetting to my Little helper, thanks Amirul

Little Chef. :D

Huda Kitchen : Widad’s Food – Rice Porridge with Anchovies and Carrot

Ingredients : 1/2 cup of rice, carrot, anchovies, water

Add 2 cup or water and boil the anchovies with rice.

When the water is slightly dry and the rice is fluffy add carrot and put 1/4 cup of water and boiled again

Now water is dry, the rice is soft and fluffy. Now you either blend or just eat it immediately.

However, my Little Widad loves blended porridge, so I need to blend it first before feed her. Nutritious meal for active baby.

Find the goodness of carrot for your baby here. Jangan jadi cam Daddy yer Widad, pakai spec masa umur 7 tahun.. huhuhuh

Foogo Food Jar My Outing Best Friend

Ever since Widad on solid, I become so excited about foods. Everyday with new recipe inventions, new gadget for Widad’s solid food to make Widad’s feeding time hassle free, and new tips for solid foods. I don’t feel like this during Amirul, maybe lack of information on natural parenting make me naive on breastfeeding and weaning process.

Talking about new gadget for Widad, I had bought Thermos Foogo Food Jar and I love it so much. It is my outing best friend since Widad only eat porridge instead of instant food like biscuit. A bit messy where I need to bring Amirul & Widad diaper bag that always full with diaper, extra clothes, toiletries, handkerchief, milk dispenser, flask, milk bottle etc. now I need to add Widad’s food jar. arrggg

However, with the small size container, bringing Widad’s food is no more  trouble. Foogo food jar really convenient and the food remain hot for 5 up to hours and cold food can remain cold for 7 hours. Mummy happy, Widad pun senang hati kenyang .. huhkhuku

My review for this Foogo Food Jar:

  • Light weight, only 11 ounces
  • Wide mouth is easy to fill, serve from and clean. Can put foods up to 10 oz
  • The outside layer stays cool to the touch eventho putting hot food
  • Do not spill out the food if closed the lid correctly and tightly

Note : At this moment still no bad review, and hopeful this food jar would long lasting.

Tip to keep foods warm for longer time :

Pour some hot water into the food thermos and let it stand for a while

Pour the water out and immediately put hot food inside and close the lid.

For cold food, put the Thermos food jar in the fridge (empty or with the food) the night before.

Mummy New Kitchen Gadget : DeLonghi Oven AOV 823

When I got married, I always afraid that Mr Hubby will starve because I am not a good cook. Everyday menu are telor dadar and ayam goreng with nasi putih with ulam. Yet he managed to gained 5kg after 3 year of marriage.. huhu. Last time I’ve took almost 1 hour just to prepare ayam masak sambal.. Not to mention how many times calling mom to ask for the recipe. uhuksss

Eventho I am not a good cook, I love to bake. Baking cakes or cookies or desserts are my interests.  Currently I only have a microwave oven where had limited my baking skill. Hahahha, I knew I’m not a pro chef, but having a good oven and pretending to be a pro chef is a nice thing, I think.

I knew that sometimes my cake turn to be very delicious and people give compliment on that, and sometimes my cake turn out so bad and Mr Hubby secara terpaksa rela have to eat my cake. Thanks Yayang, such a lovely hubby. You are always my tikus putih to test my cooking. Muahhh

After few times whining to Mr Hubby, he agreed to buy an oven for me. I had listed down few reasons why I need an oven and one of the reason I gave him is to cut short my cooking time where I can spend more time with family to strengthen the reason.. hahahha. What a lame reason. But that lame reason is accepted by Mr Hubby.. huhuh.  So here I present you my new kitchen gadget :

De Longhi Oven AOV 823

RM599 (display set at Harvey Norman, Sunway Pyramid)
Note : Since i bought display set, this oven are not returnable/refundable if any defect happen. The oven will be sent for repair. I’d get for what being displayed meaning that no box, and no manual booklet. But, worry not, because I had browsed for manual and found it here. No harm of buying display unit, if the unit look like new one. ;D

Now : everyday I masak chicken roasted.. kuikuikui

Widad and The Separation Anxiety

At last separation anxiety has come to Widad. She is much worse than Amirul. She can’t get separated from mommy, even an inch.

I guess mommy’s smell and milk are blooming inside her. You see, widad would play nicely, screaming in happy like a wonderland. Then, mommy’s gone to cooking or something. Then you could see Widad crying continuously. Maybe she visualizes everything in darkness and only mommy is the light of life.

I’m guessing a lot lately to the answer of why Widad crying so viciously without any sympathy on herself or everyone else. While, crying doesn’t harm my baby Widad, my heart is breaking and it hurt my parenting ability.

May be she just wants to test his voice, maybe she wants to develop stronger lungs (I’ve heard that your baby lungs get tough if they cry a lot), maybe she just wants to see me frown like an arch, or may be she feels separation anxiety all along.

I try to remember when Amirul was a little baby like Widad right now.

In comparison, he didn’t cry as loud as Widad does.

He feel comfortable even without mommy being around. He just play and everything went smooth. Leave him. Do your chores, and he plays by himself.

Back to Widad and everything goes disaster right now. Usually, Mommy will leave her in front of TV, to prepare a dinner for us. But then, when she feel mommy’s absence in the air, she launches the voice of frustration.

She cries until her voice became fragile and soundless.

She never stop crying, as if everything was delluminating when mommy put her on the floor or on the carpet. And I always have difficulties to calm her down.

Of all the disaster she has brought upon me, there’s one advantage that i think is my favorite: she sleep very fast.

She maybe like mother-daughter koala bear of the year, but she sleeps very fast, compared to Amirul. May be it’s a relief to make her frustration disappear.

I hope her separation anxiety will pass by in short period of time because she gives me headaches and heartbreaks all the time.

[Separation Anxiety via JustTheFact ]

Speech Therapy Diary: Identified Amirul Level of Speech Delay

My name is Amirul Arshad Mohd Mujahid. I am 2 year 9 months old. I am a happy healthy and active toddler. I love to explore new things and try new skills. I can walk at age of 11months, I can run fast at age of 13months, I can climb the stair steadily at age of 15months, I understand most of Mummy & Daddy instructions. BUT, I am a quite boy. I don’t talk much. I prefer to stay quite and observe and listen to what people saying. By age of 2, I seldom talk. I just nodding my head and use sign languages. Mummy and Daddy get worried. People surround me also frigtened Mummy & Daddy saying that I’m having communication problem. They claim maybe I am autisme toddler. Mummy & Daddy afraid BUT, they don’t put stress on me. They keep teaching me and talk to me more now (they both love to sit infront of laptop for the whole day and they also talk less).. huhuh

Feb 2011, I will turn 3 years old BUT, I still talk in my languages which difficult to understand by most of people. Sometimes I get stress. Mummy & Daddy also get stress because do not undertsand what I am trying to express. By age of 3, I should carry on a conversation of two to three sentences and speaks clearly. BUT, I just managed to talk ‘ nak milk, amma, dit, anya, nak air, yak’ not a complete sentence. Then Mummy & Daddy have decided to bring me to have a speech therapy treatment.

Lets see what I had done for my 1st appointment. Before I started my speech therapy, I need to do audiometric test. This test is to check whether my ear have problem or not.

Q’s for registration number

I’ll be doing my audiometric test here

Daddy will accompany me doing this test, while mummy buzy expressing milk for baby Widad

I’m bored. Waiting for 1/2 hour to start the test. Lucky Om Jabbar made an appointment for me. Thanks Om.

They put something into my ear canal and start the test. I do not know what test is that. “Daddy, what test is this?? I’m forget Amirul.” But I knew they are checking my hearing level

 


Test started : I need to listen to the sound and stack the block accordingly. I heard a series of tones which is loud and it’s getting softer later. Alhamdulillah I managed to hear every sound that come out.  After few minutes, I need to wear ear muff and do the same thing. Again I heard a series of tones through the ear muff. I need to listen carefully to the sound and stack the block accordingly. I also saw the doctor control the tones to check my degree of hearing.

 


Continued from 1st video

This is the result. Doctor said I have a good hearing and no problem with it.

20dB, meaning I can hear the leaves fall, the sound of river and the bird chirp

My real speech therapy will be on Jan 2011. I will update what I’ve being doing during the session. Till now, I saw mummy reading a book tittle ” How to teach your Toddler to read”. I will ask mummy to review the book later. But the question is ‘ when will mummy finish reading the book.. huhuh’

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