bb's second teeth -chart update

way to go bb... now she is eating pureed brocolli/potatoes/carrots + her rice cereal.. yum.. few more months we shall add fish..

BB's second teeth

see.. i took this photo on Sunday.. her first tooth quite obvious.. second one only can see little bit.. but today when she giggle so much when i read Mr. Sneeze to her.. her second teeth already very obvious.. first teeth rather long now..

wahh.. got to go back office and update her teething chart.. heee..

now she doesn't drool as much.. Jen said her bb haven have teeth , also never drool so much..so we guess bb will wean off drooling around 7 plus month.. heee

BB Food maker

Bought this food maker from KP 2 months back when we are preparing for solid food for bb after she is 6th month old.



Very convenient for preparing bb's food in small amount. and easy to wash. recommended !

mummy nowadays are spoilt with choices of products ..just the matter of are you willing to spend .. for bb.. anything can la.. heee

bb's new shoes

hee.. bought the pooh pooh shoes for her 2 weeks back.. cutey..

the other shoes bought before she was born.. bb learn to walk shoes..

more toys

This is the imaginariu block which im going to buy next week.
Bought this in dec07. still yet to let her dip into her pool
flash cards, bought in dec too. i bought 3 sets, alphabets+numbers+words

mix & match, 3 sets too, animals/alphabets'shapes

shall keep a look out.. 29th april will have member offer.. wonder if i will go.. so out of the way..

BB's vaccination Timetable

Gees.. a bit "senget" ar.. i scan this timetable for Jenny's reference. Think it'll be good to just post it here in case i need it online.. heee..

So far, we've been on schedule. now, already made appointment for her 9th month development assessment by doc this coming June. and her MMR jab in her 15th month aka Dec 08. meaning we cannot travel in Dec le.. or should say, cant stay long in m'sia this year end. got to come back for her jab.

so, now compulsary vaccinations all taken to-date. We left with optional pneumococoal. I tot of letting her take after she is 1. as she is now on her anti-biotics, so i tot better not to interfere with this yet. anyway few more months only, we can afford to wait,. since she is not in childcare yet.

K la.. i've been very good at scheduling.. everything in order.. heee

My bb's toys

Eventhough i've been surfing on homeschooling.. but this approach is only suitable when my bb is older like 1 onwards.. now, being an infant, the best stimulation is our physical reaction with her.. she needs us to talk/sing/near her more than anythign else.. some of her toys i tot would be nice blogging here.. so that i can see how she grows with her toys..




Bought this from a florist.. during their offer.. tot colourful, so i bought 2 butterfly 7 1 red bird.. tie around her baby cot..

Bought this from Ikea to keep her toys..




Got this very long ago.. some of the alphabet missing.. use as her playmat.. but too small, tot of getting a bigger ones for her playmat

these are her bathing toys.. with her waterproof book + animals.. can spray water one worr

these are her rattles.. we have 2 new ones from similac

These are her favourite bitings.. esp the bee.. suppose to be wrist rattle.. bought before she is born..ended up become her biting stuff

these are the MR series which i read to her daily..one per day.. now i add some jesse bear book during weekday..

These are her soft toys.. the hand ducky & soft ball from ikea.. plus her pooh's clothe book from popular bought so much cheaper during their yearly offer in suntec.

Her baby gym already keep in wardrobe cos she now can turn come turn go.. dangerous to be on baby gym.. as the cushioning not thick will knock her head.. so i never let herplay baby gym now..

I bought some other toys which is not suitable at her age now.. all in wardrobe.hee.. will post some of her toys from toysrus..

BB Teething Chart

I Shall keep track of Joelle teething progress here in the chart beside. Her first tooth aka central incisor just pop out from her gum last friday.

Home Schooling material

mm.. i've been very engrossed in those website that one of the blogger shared. It has most of the homeschooling material free for download.

I found quite a number of useful artwork..lapbook and some FIAR/BFIAR materials.. FIAR aka Five In A Row and Before Five In A Row (2-4 years old)

http://www.fiarhq.com/fiarold/catalog/before.html

Im not sure how to get started yet.. but im just downloading whatever i think is suitable and shall slowly print it out when time comes..

http://www.homeschoolshare.com/Lapbooks_at_HSS.php

Just keep the reference link here first and shall slowly explore.. i haven started anything concrete yet.. just read one book per day for her + brainy baby vcd and sing some songs and talk to her + her ever favourite 'peek-a-boo' game.. i guess that's enough of the stimulation for a 7th month old ..

if possible, i try not to send her to childcare too soon.. as playgroup is where toddler infected with diseases.. esp HFM disease.. so scary

Why does my baby put everything in her mouth?

It is really irritating to see baby puts everythign they grab into their mouth. it's like they need to taste it before deciding what to do with the thing next.. she even tempted to put a shoes she grab into her mouth.. really fainting..

Found this article from babycenter which explains why baby must taste everything..

Your baby's mouth has more nerve endings per square millimetre than any other part of her body, so if she really wants to find out what something tastes or feels like, she puts it in her mouth. If you don't want something to go into your baby's mouth, don't leave it where she can get hold of it.

Babies go on putting things in their mouths well into their second year -- although it's because they become increasingly interested in what their toys can do, rather than what they taste or feel like. But at that age they start to explore using their fingers and eyes most of the time. Toy manufacturers specify that certain toys are not for children under 3-years-old because they contain small parts which could stick in your baby's throat if swallowed. By three, most children have stopped putting toys into their mouths.

On the other hand, many babies like to add to what they know about the food they eat and the liquids they drink by examining them with their hands as well. Many babies like to let their fingers puddle in their juice or enjoy the feeling of pasta squished between their palms.

Babies often mouth toys more when a new tooth is just breaking through the gum. The mouthing is also accompanied by drooling and generally being off colour -- it's painful pushing a tooth through. Some babies get looser stools and a sore bottom too.

UTI -Post 2

My girl was warded from last sat night till tuesday afternoon ( 5th apr 08 evening - 08th apr 08 noon) as doctor diagnosed her with UTI.

After discharge, she needs to take 2 weeks of antibiotic, 3 times aday 5.6ml each time. After that once a day, for the subsequent 7 weeks. we will be back to KKh for detail check up to ensure there is nothign wrong with her kidney function.

poor thing that so young and she needs to go through this. now, we are very careful when cleaning her, many frriends suggest water than using baby wipes. so now when she pass motion/urine, we will bring her to the tape to clean. put her whole butt there to rinse.. haaa..

Pray hard she will be fine with the test in may. mum and i got to cooperate to ensure we use the correct method in cleaning her to prevent reoccurence.


Her medication from KKH:
(1) cephalexin 125ml/5ml syr - 2 weeks ( 3 times a day. every 8 hourly)
(2) cephalexin 125ml/5ml syr = step down dose - 7 weeks (once a day)

Marketing

After married, and being a mum, and working, i always have to juggle between all tasks..

i have to think of what to eat for dinner. what to prepare.. what is needed to prepare mon-fri dinner.. sat/sunday if never eat out.. what's left to cook.. what's left in freezer.. how about maid's meal if we are not at home.. anything is finishing ? washing powder ? baby washing powder ? blahh.. etc etc etc..the list goes on and on..

i will always pay attention to what's on offer every Thursday in Giant/Ntuc/shop n save.. cos i want to be a smart mum in spending for household groceries.. heeee..

at times, i will take the trouble of just take the free shuttle to Giant after work to get the products on offer , it is really worth it.. cos i will buy more in order to save $$. like one whole salmon/batang fish. once we get one whole cod fish. which i think if buy in pieces will cost more. We just keep in freezer and as and when need it, we just take it out. now my freezer is so pack. so cannot buy any more big item. got to consume the old ones first. heee..

geess.. wonder diapers is on offer this week. i just got one big pack of drypers last week from shop n save. about 19 cents each piece for M size.. cheap huh ! stock up during offer.

happy buying. this week must remember to watch the channel 5 or is it 8 the "shen qian wang" really got lots of lubang to get value for money stuff !!

Urinary Tract Infection ?!?

i extracted this from babycenter for my future refernce:

What's a urinary tract infection?

The urinary tract includes the kidneys, which make urine; the ureters, tubes that carry urine from the kidneys to the bladder; the bladder, which stores urine until the body is ready to empty it; and the urethra, the tube that carries urine from the bladder out of the body.Normally urine travels this path without a hitch, but if bacteria get in the urine — from the skin around the genitals or rectum or via the bloodstream — they can create infection and inflammation at any point along the way. About 8 percent of girls and 2 percent of boys will have at least one urinary tract infection (UTI) during childhood.Call your baby's doctor if you suspect something's wrong. Urinary tract infections are usually easy to treat, but if left untreated they can cause permanent kidney damage and even kidney failure. Doctors say children under age 2 are more likely than older children to suffer serious damage, so it's important to catch and treat the condition as soon as possible.

What symptoms could indicate a UTI?
For many babies, an unexplained fever is the only symptom. About 5 percent of babies and toddlers who have a fever without other symptoms have a UTI. The lack of other signs is why so many UTIs in infants go undetected, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). In some cases, a baby may show other symptoms — with or without a fever — including:
• Crying or another indication that urination is painful
• Odd-smelling urine
• Cloudy or bloody urine
• Unexplained, persistent irritability
• Vomiting
• Refusal to eat

What will the doctor do?

The doctor will ask about your baby's symptoms and do an examination. He may ask about a family history of UTIs as there's some genetic tendency.If your baby's doctor suspects a UTI, he'll need to collect a urine sample and check it for bacteria with a test called a urine culture. It's important for the doctor to verify that your baby has an infection and determine which bacteria are causing it so he can prescribe the correct antibiotic.
The challenge is that the doctor needs to collect a "sterile" urine sample, or one that hasn't been contaminated by the bacteria that are always present on your baby's skin. This is hard to do with a baby or young child who can't urinate on command or follow special instructions.What the doctor might do is place a sterile plastic bag with adhesive edges over your baby's genitals after carefully cleaning the area. But this approach doesn't always avoid contamination by skin bacteria, so a test done on this kind of urine sample isn't very accurate.Most likely, the doctor will use a catheter to obtain a sample. He'll clean your baby's genitals with a sterile solution and put a little drape over the area. Then the doctor will thread a tube, or catheter, up the urethra to get urine straight from the bladder. Your baby may cry during this procedure, but it's safe and routine and usually takes less than a minute

If he sends the culture to a lab for testing, it may take a day or two to get the results.The doctor may recommend other tests, as well, because UTIs can be a sign that there's something wrong with your baby's urinary tract. Problems that cause UTIs include blockages and a condition called vesicoureteral reflux (VUR), in which urine from the bladder backs up into the kidneys. VUR is found in 30 to 40 percent of babies and young children who have UTIs.

The tests that your baby's doctor may recommend include:
• An ultrasound, which uses sound waves to show a picture of the kidneys and bladder.

• A voiding cystourethrogram (VCUG), which shows whether urine is backing up from your baby's bladder into her kidneys. During a VCUG, X-rays are taken before a catheter is inserted into the bladder through the urethra. A liquid dye is put into the bladder through the tube, and more X-rays are taken to watch the dye as the bladder fills and as your baby urinates. The process takes about 20 minutes.


What's the treatment for a UTI?

You'll probably be given a prescription for antibiotics in liquid form, with instructions to give your baby between one and four doses a day for up to two weeks, depending on the drug.Even if your baby starts to seem better in a few days, stick with the prescription and use all of the medication until it's gone. If you don't, the bacteria causing the UTI might not be completely wiped out and the infection could come back with a vengeance, making your baby even sicker.If your baby is very ill and unable to eat or drink, she'll need to spend a few days in the hospital so she can receive medicine intravenously.

Babies younger than 30 days old with UTIs typically need to be hospitalized for treatment.
What will happen if the doctor finds a problem? If your baby has a blockage in her urinary tract, she may need surgery to correct it. In some cases, surgery is also needed to correct VUR, although many children outgrow the condition completely by age 6. What your baby's doctor may do in the meantime to head off kidney damage is prescribe long-term, low-dose antibiotics to prevent recurring UTIs.

Is there any way to prevent infections?

Some children may just be prone to UTIs, but here are a few things you can do to minimize your baby's risk of infection:
• Be sure your baby gets plenty of fluids. Fluids help prevent constipation, which would make a UTI more likely. Drinking more will also make your baby urinate more frequently, flushing out her urinary tract.
• If your baby has started solids, offer her plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, which also help prevent constipation.
• If you're breastfeeding, continue until your baby is at least 7 months old, if possible. Studies have shown that nursing for this long may protect against UTIs — and that the benefit persists, even after weaning, for up to two years.
• If your baby is a girl, avoid irritating her genitals with harsh soaps and bubble baths. And wipe from front to back when you change her diaper, to minimize the bacteria in the area.

Brain Food

Just to record down some of the information for baby food, read from a parenting magazine too:

A well-balanced food diet would mean getting the right nutrients from the three main food groups:
1. Carbohydrates
Complex carbohydrates and have low GI (Glycemic Index) as these carbohydrates induce a slow release of energy as they take longer time to be absorbed into child's bloodstream and will nor lead to a hike in the blood sugar level.
2. Proteins
3. Fats
Omega-3 (EPA/DHA), Omega-6(GLA)

IQ Builder:
1. Choline (found in mlik, egg and nuts), support mental functioning
2. Iron( found in red meat, poultry, plant food like spinach, raisins, iron-fortified cereals, beans) is needed for formation of haemoglobin, which carries oxygen to our body (and brain)
3. Calcium (found in milk product, tofu and bean product, calcium-enriched bread and soymilk, greeb leafy vegetables) is not only essential for building strong bones and teeth, also improtantt nutrient required for transmission of nerve impulse in the barin cells
4. B-vitamin (found in fortified cereals, milk, dairy products. meat, poultry, fish, egg, whole grain) are necessary for energy production, for brain needs.
5.Antioxidants (abundant in fruits, vege, seeds and fish) can help counter the oxidative damage that occurs in blood vessel walls, thus helping to maintain a healthy blood flow in our body/brain
6. DHA(docosahexaenoic acid) plays an important role in the functioninh and development of the brain and eye. In brain cells, 60% of the fatty acids which make up the membrane in the brain is DHA. DHA is a fat(lipid) found in the cell membrance of the eyes. DHA can be made from omega 6 and omega 3 fat. (found in salmon, tuna, mackerel-omega 3, nuts,seeds-omega6)


i think the key word here is reduce sugary food that contains high GI that will make our child hyperactive, thus drain their energy and attention levels. Consume food in variation moderately.

So, taking salmon during my pregnancy is a good choice i guess. I read about the importance of omega 3 in fish like salmon, so i consume once/twice a month for few months, I didn't dare to eat too much, as deep sea fish like salmon contains mercury, so moderation is important !

Home Schooling - Preschool

Read lots from other SAHM's blog on home schooling, which in my opinion, not that suitable for working mum like myself, as i think it needs lots of effort to ensure your kid can cope with formal school syllabus equivalent to her age..

which i admit, first of all, im not a good educator, i don't have the patience it needs and second of all, i don't have the time for home schooling.. i will try to create a reading-rich environment at home so that she constantly exposed to reading materials, pictures and such.

I will start story telling to her soon, every nightly. still sorting out books to start this. SHow her enrichment VCD on weekends (left/right brain + peek-a-poo) from brainy baby , recommended by a friend.

some information obtained from a parenting magazine:

Benefits of home schooling:
Your child is able to:
1.earn according to his level of competency and pace
2. Build a stronger bond with you
3. Receive personal attention in any subject that he fins hard to comprehend
4. Avoid potential negative influences from outside the home
5. Study in the comfort of his home
6. Save money on school fees

Disadvantages:
Your child is not able to:
1. Interact with other children and learn the art of making friends
2. Practise and improve his social skills approriately
3. Learn to share, cooperate, taking turns and team building skills
4. Cope with formal school curriculum as she will be required to do when she attends primary one
5. Built important characteristics with her classmates like self-confidence, trust, sympathy, love and care
6. learnt to be independant.

IF parents chose to home-school their chld, you can maximize the benefits using the methods below:
1. Expose himto places where he can interact or mingle with other kids. To make new friends and built his social skills
2. Nring yourchild to places where he can onserve and learn as well. Eg trip to zee.
3. Organise educational act8ivities at home to promote mathematical concepts, reading, writing, art and even simple science. Hands-on is important.

Worried Mum

BB is now teething, been worried about her since last weekend as she refused to drink milk and cant seem to sleep well.

we just cant figure out what is wrong with her, her body felt warm, temperature taken is showing normal, no fever, infant's body temperature is higher, =>37.5 deg celcius then is consider fever, else it's normal. cranky, crying easily and appeared not comfortable in all position.

LGG and i really pulling our hair out just to sooth her, guessing what is wrong. Mum and mum in law both said most likely she is teething. so we thought it should be.

But, we feel not comfortable. Thus, Monday, mum and i brought bb to see doc, to get some professional advise and clarification. True enough, Doc said " No worries, baby teething ar. Just bear with it. she will be fine, Unless she is not drinking at all, running nose , or appeared sick, then come back to me" Gees.. after 2 hours of waiting time at polyclinic.
I choose to go polyclinic cos we always see the same doctor. heee.. he is from HK we guess, nice and detail.



Found from website on teething symptoms:
The symptoms most likely to trouble a teether include:
• Drooling (which can lead to a facial rash)
• Gum swelling and sensitivity
• Irritability or fussiness
• Biting behavior
• Refusing food
• Sleep problems



My bb's symptoms: (our observation)

1. drooling. Lots of it.
2. irritability & fussiness
3. bite anything she grabs
4. no appetite for milk/cereal
5. crying easily
6. Soft stool. no all the time. in between.
7. fever . highest is 38.7 deg celcius



heartache to see bb suffering. sob. how we wish we can grow teeth on her behalf.
She is still having fever, for the second day now..