my little fuzzy eater

parenting, motherhood, toddlers

feeding jared has never been a problem, well, not until he started eating solids that is!

when he was a little, tiny (err, he was never really tiny) baby, feeding him is easy-peasy. a 2-once bottle of milk will be gone by a minute and a half you’d wonder where it went. when he turned 6 months and had his first taste of baby food, my problem started!

uncomfortable with the alien texture in his mouth, he would either choke on it, throw it all up and the food will either end up on the floor, or on mummy’s clothes and face or worse, left lonely, untasted and untouched! sometimes feeding him can be quite frustrating, a dramatic episode off a soap opera, or plain and simple traumatic! who would not be traumatized seeing your baby’s eyes bulge and redden as he choke on the food you lovingly prepared for him? it was sure one reason for mum to have a bad day.

i’ve consulted with his pedia and scan parenting magazines and online articles on tips on how to whet his appetite, i even consulted with other mum friends for advice and even give him appetite-enhancing baby vitamin hoping his love of food will develop.

so far, here’s what i’ve done:

* vary his food each meal so he will be accustomed to different kinds of taste and texture
* make sure i tag him along when the family eats so he’ll get the hang of it and probably be enticed to eat too
* introduce different varieties of food to him like fruits, vegetables, yogurt, and breads
* i even ordered these lovely pocoyo plate and bowl online thinking he will be inspired to eat knowing how much he adores pocoyo (am now thinking of buying these lovely terramoto ceramic blue polka dot dinnerware, maybe it would be inviting enough for him to finish his soup or veggies)
* am brushing up on my cooking skills so i can prepare delicious meals for the little man, so far i’ve managed to cook ground beef with veggies and tomato sauce, some vegetable dishes because i want jared to be a healthy eater when he grows up. come to think of it maybe i must beef up the kitchen as well just to be prepared for the growing feeding need of my growing baby. maybe i should get that stove with propane grilling with bronze burners or that #5 rubber stopper wine bottle (err, on second thought, i probably won’t be needing this one yet!)
* i make it a point to always serve his favorite, like i noticed he enjoys eating and he does eat a lot when he has soup, and he simply love yogurt and yogurt drink so i make sure i give him those regularly

so far it has been an on-and-off ball game, he would enjoy one meal and he can finish a bowl, then he will find the next one uninteresting, just a spoon and he is done. i am discovering new ways and means to improve his solid food eating habits, he will be 17 months tomorrow, he ought to be consuming more solids and slowly weaning on milk, right?

any ideas mummies?

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havin' a baby: baby checklist

I remember back when I was pregnant that waiting for the big day can really be quite a stressing experience. Imagine worrying about your baby, your forthcoming delivery, your birthing details (make sure you’ve had this one sorted out months before your scheduled delivery date to save you all the trouble + the unnecessary headache), and whatnots. Plus, you have to prepare your baby’s stuffs, make sure his room + everything else he needs is ready + waiting for him when he arrives.

Here’s a round up of all baby must-have’s for you to include in your checklist and tick off that seemingly unending list you have:

New born basics

  • 12 sleeveless (or tiesides) shirts
  • 12 short-sleeved shirts or tiesides
  • 6 long-sleeved shirts or tiesides
  • 4-6 pajama sets/frog suits (or what we call onesies)
  • 2 sweaters
  • 4-6 receiving blankets
  • 6 pairs of mittens
  • 4 bonnets/caps
  • 4-6 pairs of booties
  • 12 bibs
  • 4-6 burp pads (you’ll be needing loads of this. Tip: cloth diapers can also be used as burp pads, just make sure to use it solely for the purpose)
  • 24 gauze or birds eye cloth diapers
  • diaper clips or pins
  • nappy clamps
  • 3 packs of newborn disposable diapers

Nursery Linen

  • 4-6 fitted sheets
  • 3 crib blankets (cotton, flanel, fleece or terrycloth)
  • 2 crib bumpers
  • 2 comforters
  • 2 pillows (but you’ll never get to use this until the baby is a little bit bigger)
  • 2 bolsters
  • 2 sets of bolster cases
  • 2 water proof sheets
  • 2 water coverings (believe me to save you all that trouble, you’ve to get yourself one of these!)
  • 4 pillow cases
  • sleeping blanket

Bathing + grooming essentials

  • bathtub (this is a must buy, you will be using it until your baby is a bit older)
  • 4 wash cloths/sponge/mitt (or you can try that super soft baby sponge from Ainon)
  • basin
  • dipper
  • bathing support net (some bathtubs include this already)
  • 4 hooded towels
  • nail cutter/scissor
  • rubber bath mat
  • organizer or try (to make transporting your bathing needs easier)
  • soap case
  • 3 canisters or jar sets
  • powder case
  • hairbrush + comb
  • finger toothbrush (when your baby is very little, you can simply wipe his tongue + mouth with a clean burp rag)

Toiletries

  • baby soap or liquid bath
  • baby shampoo (there are products that are both bath soap + shampoo)
  • baby powder
  • baby oil
  • baby cream
  • baby cologne (but you can skip using this until the baby is a bit older to prevent allergies)
  • baby alcohol (will be your best friend at this time of your life ;))
  • mosquito repellant (you can try human ? nature’s citronella bug spray, all natural + very safe even for smaller babies)
  • tooth gel
  • wipes (one of the things you can never do without when you’re a mum)
  • diaper rash cream or powder
  • cotton swab
  • cotton balls
  • cotton ear buds
  • petroleum jelly
  • baby detergent soap (i personally use Cycles)

Medicine Box

  • digital thermometer
  • medicine spoon
  • nasal aspirator
  • vaporizer
  • humidifier
  • ice bag
  • bed warmer

Feeding + nursing essentials for breastfeeding mums

  • breastpump
  • nursing pads
  • nipple shield and cream
  • breast wipes
  • breastfeeding pillow
  • storage bottles
  • milk storage bags

Feeding + nursing essentials for bottlefeeding mums

  • 6-8 40z feeding bottles (make sure you buy the bpa-free ones)
  • 6-8 8oz feeding bottles
  • 3 nipples
  • bottle brush (i recommend Pigeon’s bottle brush, as it was the most durable one I tried + been using it since then)
  • sterilizer
  • sterilizer tong
  • bottle keeper or holder
  • 2 milk containers
  • bottle cleanser

For weaning

  • soft bite spoon
  • baby bowl
  • straw cup
  • sprout or sippy cup

Nursery furnishings

  • mattress
  • crib (choose one that can be transformed into a playpen for when the baby is older)
  • crib mobile
  • musical toys
  • rattles
  • cabinet chest with drawers
  • changing table (some cribs also come with this feature)
  • lamp
  • baby book
  • walker
  • floor mats
  • diaper pail
  • diaper stacker
  • clothes hamper
  • mosquito net (some cribs also have built-in)
  • potty-seat trainer (for when your baby becomes a toddler)

Travel essentials

  • nursery or diaper bag
  • changing pad (you might want to get a bag with a built-in feature)
  • baby wipes (stack on plenty of this)
  • stroller
  • assorted toys to keep you baby entertained as you travel
  • ziplocks (to separate clean items from the soiled ones in your bag)

You might want to keep a checklist to be sure you won’t miss anything on your baby needs. Good luck + have a grand time preparing for your baby’s arrival 😉

Love + Light,

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