I Love...

blowing bubbles......

When I was still staying at my parents', I used to blow bubbles out of the window every now and then and watch them float into the sky and onto the streets below. And if the wind was good, they'll be carried real far...

Each stream of bubbles carry a little prayer to the Heavens... to the Lord Father, who's there to receive them.... I'll just lean against the window, blow bubble after bubble, and send all my prayers up. I really loved those quiet times with God...

And it's been a long time since I did that....

So I bought myself a bottle, strapped Jeddy on, and blew prayer bubbles to God one day...














































They were bubbles of thankfulness.... for blessing me with my Little Jeddy...

Thank You Lord for walking with me all my life, for guiding me, and lighting a lamp at my feet when things got dark and dreary. Thank You for Your great love... I pray that You will also walk with Jeddy and be his closest Friend all his life, to watch over him and keep him safe. May he be full of the joy of the Lord, may he be wise in his thoughts, and compassionate in his heart. May he bring great joy unto You dear Father.... Amen and amen......

...

Recycle Recycle

I use disposable diapers....

I know I shouldn't, considering the havoc they create for Gaia.....

So!

I've been thinking of ways to recycle trash, rather than go trotting off on a guilt trip.

You even get to save some money on buying new toys for your little one by making them yourself!

IDEA #1: Bottle Poleys

Why throw out your Yakult/Vitagen bottles?

Scoop in some rice or beads or bells(remember to wash and dry the bottles first!), tape two bottles mouth to mouth, stick some colourful felt around them, and what do you get?

This!


















Directions for use:
(1) as rattles (he'll love the sounds made by them)
(2) arrange them around your baby's feet and then watch him kick the bottles down!
(3) stack the bottles up (ala totem pole) and watch him topple them with his hands (or feet). Remember to praise lots when the 'pole' comes crashing down! :)
(4) as bowling pins. Encourage your little one to kick a ball towards the bottles to knock them down! For bigger kids, teach them to roll the ball instead!

Jeddy putting his thunder thighs to good use. ;D


















IDEA #2: Crunchy Chew Cloth

I don't know about your little precious. But mine loves the crinkly sound and texture of plastic foil (is that how we call it?) wrappers. He's always reaching out and grabbing the bag of wet wipes during his diaper change.

He'll then give it a good squash in his hands, try to stuff it into his mouth, and then squash it some more. What can I say? He's smitten.

But this wrapper has sharp edges, so I don't really let him play with it much or let it get near his eyes and face, which is really a shame.... until something struck me.

All you need is a towelette (preferably with cute prints to attract attention), needle and thread, and one of those wet wipes wrapper which you were gonna throw out.

Optional: Fill the wrapper with some big beads or bells and tape the opening close for added security.

Fold towelette around wrapper and sew the edges close. The point is to cover those sharp edges.

Tada! A crinkly chew cloth!


















Direction for use: Just throw it at your baby (I do that. ;P). Watch him grab and squash the cloth, all while relishing the sound it makes. Let him chew to his heart's content! (Note: the beads or bells gives added audio and tactile stimulation!)

This chew cloth works great for me cos it keeps Jeddy occupied when I need to change his diapers...

Well? What are you waiting for? Go make some chew cloth and bottle poleys! ;D

Have other great gaia-loving, money-saving ideas? Do share!

Till then, enjoy!

........

What Are You Trying to Say, Lil' Jeddy?

The older folks say that babies with pointy upper lips will turn out to be a chatterbox...

Well I can't be very certain of that yet but pointy-upper-lip Jeddy sure can blabber on for what seems like eternity (seems more so when it's 6:30am in the morning!). And eventually that blabbering evolves into yelping, which is a sign for Mummy to rescue him from whatever he was doing.

Here's a vid of one of his many blabbering moments in which he's also hiccuping at the same time! Watch it only if you find squealing (to the point of choking) and senseless baby talk appealing.

You have been warned.... ;)




......

Happy 4 Months Jeddy Boy!

It's presents galore for the little one today. :)

First, Mum came over in the afternoon with a new set of ultra-cute baseball 2-piece set and two new friends for Jeddy! I've always wanted to add to the Baby Pooh Bear that accompanies Jeddy to bed. Yippee!!! She also brought over some of the yummy glutinous rice cakes with coconut that she made (I polished all 4 of them cos Hub's having a cold. ;P).


















For the record, Mum managed to make Jeddy laugh the longest! He was so happy and excited when Po Po played with him today! He was chuckling and 'jumping' in my arms!

I got some pressies from Mum too! Thanks so much! I love them!


















Sis also bought Jeddy his first pair of jeans and some cute socks (make me wanna stuff my giant feet into them!) during her most recent trip to San Francisco. Love the clothes from Baby Gap. Thanks Tiam Yi Yi!























Not forgetting her beloved Zeh, I got a pair of nice comfy shorts. Very soft.... and very short. ;D


















And here's Mummy's cheapskate pressies for Lil' Jeddy.

Bubble blowing set from NTUC (guess who wants to play? ;D) and a little book that costs only $3.90 from a mobile book stand. What a steal!


















I also printed his plain tees and bibs with some of my hand-carved stamps so that he has something 'new' to wear today. :)


















Lucky Jeddy...

...

I've recently introduced a bolster to him, hoping that it would put him to sleep more quickly.... And it did! He'll rub his face in the bolster and very soon he trots off to dreamland. Victory!


















Oh, and this is next on my list of Things-To-Buy-For-Jeddy. A walker! I just have this thing for babies on walkers (think it started with Sis when she was a baby). They look simply adorable and mischievous in them.

And here's Jeddy in one of them at his Gran's. It belongs to his one-year old cousin Liying. Love the mischievous look already!























Yeah I'm aware of their potential dangers... so here's my checklist when I do set out to buy one.

(1) Wide and heavy base so that it will not topple easily.
(2) Lock function so that it can double up as a chair for him and allow him to practice standing rather than walking before he's ready to.
(3) 'Hidden' wheels to minimize the chance of him rolling over his own feet
(4) Seat height to be adjustable.

If there's anything else that I should look out for, do let me know! Better yet, any recommendations or brand? Drop me a message in the tagboard! Thanks in advance!

......

Jealous Mummy

It's official.

I'm jealous. ;D

I spend the whole day with Jeddy, playing with him, cleaning his poopy diapers, carrying him around, bringing him out etc etc... and yet all I get is a shy smile here and a cheeky grin there.

Enter Daddy.

You get chuckles and squeals.

Whyyyyyyy? *whine whine*

Heard from a fellow august mummy that most babies like playing with Daddy but goes to Mummy for comfort when upset... how true....

Sigh.....

Anyway, here's Daddy playing peek-a-boo with Lil' Jeddy. Just look at how excited he is.


:D

......

The Jinxed Onesie

I tell you, this onesie is jinxed.

Poop will leak out from the back of his diapers when he wears it.

Remember this?

And now this...
























$*%#&!

Although it's only been documented twice, it's happened at least 4 times. I even hesitated for a brief moment when I took it out for him after his bath today.. and it really happened!

Needless to say, I changed him into an Ah Pek singlet for good measure. No pictures but i'm sure you can imagine it. It's the see-thru type with lots of holes.

Sexy... ;D

......

Who Said That?

Someone once told me that things will start to look up after 3 months. That I'll start to get more sleep, have more time to do housework, and more time for myself.

Whoever you are, you bluff me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

XP

*sob sob*

Here's Jeddy's poor mummy's timetable...

6am: Feed + change diapers
7:30 am: Wake to gobble breakfast
8:00 am: Jeddy wakes up. Entertain him.
10:30 am: Feed
11:00 am: Jeddy naps. Mummy does laundry.
11:30 am: Jeddy wakes. Bathtime
12:00 noon: Play and Entertain (steal some time to bathe and gobble lunch)
1:00 pm: Feed.
1:15 pm: Continue to play.
3:30 pm: Jeddy finally naps. Mummy lies wasted on the couch.
4:00pm: Jeddy wakes. Mummy wants to cry. Play and entertain.
5:30pm: Jeddy feeds and naps. Mummy does some housework at lightning speed.
6:00 pm: Jeddy wakes. Play.
7:30 pm: Feed and wipe down.
8:00 pm: Jeddy sleeps. Mummy eats dinner and lies wasted on the couch again. TV time.
9:30 pm: Wash dishes.
10:00 pm: Me time.
11:30 pm: Feed
12 mn: Mummy sleeps reluctantly.
(Jeddy usually wakes at 3am, 5am fussing for his pacifier. Mummy gets up (without her specs), feel around his cot for the pacifier and poke pacifier around in his face until it goes into his mouth. Success rate: 30%. Mummy lies down, Jeddy 'pui' pacifier. Mummy gets up again and repeat poking routine. Repeat until Jeddy falls asleep. )

Ok, there are times where he plays on his own... but not for long. He seems to bore so easily... and I'm running out of ideas...

......

Then again, I'm not about to wave the white flag (though I've picked it up countless times). I'm reminding myself that all will come to pass.... in good time.....

.....

So here I am, with my precious 'me time' and yet I'm still writing about him, looking at his photos and laughing at his videos....

I'm hopeless.

;P

And here's why...









pinch his cheeeeeeeeeks!

.....

Yummy Finger

*slurp slurp* ;D

Dexterity +2

You wouldn't believe what happened.

I was changing Jeddy out of his poopy diaper when I realized he was more squirmy than usual, trashing his legs as if he's trying to move.

Then I saw it.

Jeddy's eyeing his pacifier that's about 10 cm away from his outstretched hand. He was trying to move towards it!

*Squirm squirm* *inch inch* *reach reach* *grunt grunt*

And what do you know?

He got it!

With one swift motion, he grabbed the pacifier and put it into his mouth!

I wanted to dance. :D

Well, too bad I didn't manage to get it on camera. I had Desitin (diaper rash cream) smeared all over one hand and a dirty diaper in the other.

What an exciting moment......

......

26.2 Degrees Celcius

It's been raining for a while... in fact, I don't remember seeing the sun for two days...

No wonder my laundry stinks.

So I've been cooped up in the house with Lil' Jeddy for the past 3 days. He's been a good boy though... and busy scratching his face.

He now has a record number of 7 scratches. All of which drew blood. Here's a picture showing 4 of them. The rest are on his chin and right cheek.



















Now before you admonish me for not trimming his nails........ I cut and FILE his nails 3 times a week! Sigh..... somehow, even when his nails are so short they're almost non-existent, even when I give him a manicure after the cut..... he still manages to scratch himself.

I realize he scratches himself when he sleeps. He has this habit of rubbing all over his face before he falls into deep sleep or when he's roused. So it's really beyond me. Can't sit there staring at him all day can I?

Well, as my friend, a supermummy, May Koh, says, it won't hurt him much. Better that than overcut his nails and injure him in the process....

...

Lil' Jeddy's been having overactive glands too.

First, sweaty palms and feet.

Just look at this picture... looks like he just washed his feet. And those tiny black speckles? Those appeared when he rubbed his feet together (you may wish to enlarge the pic to get a closer look).

Icky huh?















Second, drooling. Babies around 3-4 months start to salivate gallons. Plus they'll put everything they can grab into their mouths.

Here he is, shoving a ring into his gummy.















Talking about the rings, that's probably the best purchase I made. And they cost me only 5 bucks. Isetan was having this mega sale and I got it cheap.

It's his favourite toy. [He ditched his best friend flower a long time ago]
So far, I've been bringing the rings wherever we go. It keeps him occupied when we have our meals. It entertains him when I need to poop (you can't wait when it comes to these kind of things ya'know?)... heh heh.... in short, my life saver.

But I can imagine it being a very fun toy for him. The bright colours, the sounds the rings make when they clack together. It's a whole lot of possibilities for his little precious mind. :) Next on my shopping list: 'Rings' in different shapes. :) Do tell me if you know where I can buy them!














.....

I think the toll of taking care of Jeddy for the past 3 odd months is finally bearing down on me. There are so many things I want to do but just cannot muster the strength to do them. I think I need to go easy on the housework for a start.....

And my hands are soooo itchy... Sis bought me a bunch of amazing Japanese craft books from her previous trip. I'm dying to try out everything...

And so far, after almost 4 days, I only managed to make this.
















It's a crocheted coaster. The crochet I've been doing all along only consists of one type of stitch. The single crochet stitch. That's all I need to know to make amigurumi (crochet stuffed toys). I decided that I should start playing with other stitches too... not bad for a first attempt eh? I'm quite pleased with it. ;D

Can't wait to try other patterns.....

...

And for those of you who do not know, you can now borrow 8 books from the National Library each time now that it's the school holidays. Yippee!!!!!

Here's Jeddy's new batch of story books, freshly disinfected, and left to dry on the kitchen counter...














Oh how I love the smell of Dettol. ;D

...

Chuckle Chuckle

I've been wanting to upload this for the longest time but didn't know how to compress the video. Hubs the genius finally got it up for me. Schmuuuck!

So here's the short vid of Jeddy's first chuckles when his Daddy-O played iit-chiang with him. Watch it! And chuckle along with him. ;D




...

Lighting Up My Life

To be very honest, I was never a ‘kids’ person. When my colleagues brought their babies/children to school in the past, I’d be sure the walk the other way. I have friends who would go googoo gaga over little kids, fuss over them and fight each other to carry them. Me? I would say ‘Hi!’ with a bright smile and walk away again... Not exactly a child-friendly person yah? To say that I did not like children would be taking it a bit too far, but I wasn’t particularly fond of them either. ;P

So even when I was pregnant with Jed, I didn’t grow to love small children overnight. I truly began to wonder whether I would even love my own kid. Though I was assured by everyone that it would be different with your own, I remained skeptical...

Well what can I say now? They are right! Jed may look like a bulldog one minute and a tau sa pao the next, but I love him to bits! I go googoo gaga over him, can’t wait to carry him (even when he breaks my back) and squeeze him. And I fuss over him 24/7.

So those of you out there who are like me in the past, don't worry a single bit about not loving your kid and being a good mummy k?

And will you start to like other people's kids too? For sure. :)

Unless they're pesky, rude and downright spoilt. In that case, you can go ahead and step on their feet when they're not looking. Wuahahahahah!

[Confession: I used to be quite a bully when I was really small, like between the age of 5-7. I would stamp on the feet of kids smaller than I was and pinch them real hard, before running for my life. If they bawled before I could make my getaway, I would just look innocent and hope to get away with it. Amazingly, I've never been 'found out' by the adults... ;P]

...

Nothing can light up my day more effectively than Lil' Jeddy's smile.

I may have to peel my eyelids open at 3 am in the morning to feed him, or jiggle him around for 2 hours because he doesn't feel like sitting in his chair or lying down on his bed. But when he flashes one of those gummy smiles at me, I feel myself melting into a gazillion of atoms. Heck, I would even tear.

Aw shucks. ;)

...

Here's Lil' Jeddy in his ever sparky morning mood with his sparky smile...

Sure made my day there (even though he looks like a pau) :)

...

New Toy to Old in 2 Minutes

I sacrificed some two hours of sleep last night to make this soft felt rattle for Lil' Jeddy. It's hand-sewn, mind you. Couldn't wait to present it to him in the morning... :)




















Here Jeddy, look at what Mummy made for you last night! I'm the best mummy in the whole wide world right? :D
















*shake shake* *rattle rattle*















Hey! :S















Lesson Learnt: 3 month olds love their hands more than anything else in the world. They can stare at them for hours, chew some, and then stare somemore...

Well, since he doesn't appreciate it, I shall play with it myself!

*shake shake* *rattle rattle*

......


Wanna Make a Rattle for Your Ungrateful 3 Month Old? ;D








1. Enlarge the above template to desired size.
2. Use the template to cut out 8 colourful felt pieces.
3. Sew along the sides of each piece together using simple whip stitch/ blanket stitch/ running stitch (whichever you're good at ;)), leaving a small opening for stuffing.
4. Stuff with polyfill (cotton wool will work too. Am sure you mummies have lots of it! ;D)
5. Stick a bell in among the stuffing.
6. Sew the opening shut.
7. Rattle it a few times to get the kick and satisfaction out of your masterpiece.
8. Cross your fingers and present it to your little one. ;)

Enjoy!!

...

DIY DIY

I'm in a sewing frenzy these days...

Made a bunch of these tissue paper holders to give away. There's one for everybody! ;D














Well, they are really easy to make... not to mention addictive!

Also, at the request of Sis (who happens to have many requests ;P), I made this elastic headband for her. The pattern is taken from Heather Bailey's site. An amazing designer and fellow mummy!















It's aptly called Hooray for Headbands! ;D I wanted Sis to pose for a pic but she shy (don't beat me! ;P) so I have no choice but to put up my spastic photo instead. Ha ! But just for the records, Sis looks reeeeeally pretty in it. Imagine her cascading long hair... *whistle*

Anyway, she came up with a term for me. The Hunchback of Pasir Ris! Yea, cos you can imagine me all hunched up over my sewing machine in the middle of the night pedaling away and snipping threads under the dim table light. Creepy! xD

...

And no entry is ever complete without Lil' Jeddy..... so here it is!

This is how he sleeps. Very relaaaaak... and without a care in the world.... oh well, maybe an occasional nightmare or two.... ;D














...

Endnote: Here's something the older folks believe in (they apparently swear by it).... Wanna know if your next kid's gonna be a boy or a girl? Two signs to look out for... Check your kid's chubby thigh. If it has one fold in it, it'll be a boy. Two folds, a girl! Next, check your kid's nipples. Inverted? A boy next. Protruding? Expect the next to be a girl.

Don't ask me what happens if one nipple inverts and the other protrudes. ;D

So far, Lil Jeddy has one fold and inverted nipples...... Hmm.....we shall see............

Yes Master.... ;P

Call me The Slave...

This is my Master.



















See how he sits on his throne looking all princely and ordering me around with a wave of his hand?

Well, The Slave shall stage a rebellion.

And overthrow the Master! wuahahaha~~~~














Hehehe... ;P
......

Seems like all that training (actually it's only twice a day lah) has paid off and he's showing some progress. He can hold up for slightly less than 2 mins. Well done!
















He loves the 'Shinkansen' (a Sanrio character of the Japanese Bullet Train). I use that to 'steer' his head left and right, up and down. ;) Vicious Mummy? Naahhh... it's all part of the Training Program! ;P




















...

Happy 3 Months Jeddy!

Whoever came up with the phrase 'time flies' wasn't kidding....

Man, it feels like yesterday when I was grabbing Hubs by his t-shirt pushing little Jeddy out... and now he's 3 months old... and breaking my arms... ;P

... and sent word through Nathan the prophet that his name should be Jedidiah – "beloved of the LORD" – because the LORD loved him. --- 2 Samuel 12:25

I can really feel God's love and abundant blessings upon my little one. In fact, I feel it everyday.

Not only that, He renews me with strength each new day and with wisdom, that I may know how to take care of Lil' Jed. At night I rest well, knowing that Jeddy is safe in His Hands...

Praise be unto God our Father!

:)

...

Our little family of three went to Liang Court to celebrate Jeddy's 3 month (actually that's just an excuse for me to go out. kekeke)

Went to one of our favourite restaurants Tampopo for our ramen fix and also to satisfy my sashimi craving.

[Mini lunch party for Jeddy's 3 month. Jeddy grouchy cos he can't eat a thing]














We had a pretty good time out there. Jeddy was well behaved throughout, only choosing to cry in the crowded lift (so malu...). But he was hungry.... so I'll let him off this once. Hmmph! ;D

I wonder why Jeddy always looks like a grumpy bulldog outside when he's usually so lively and smiley at home. [Refer to above picture]

His cheeks will be droopy and his eyes reduced to slits. And as if that's not bad enough a sight, he drools all over his nice shirt. Urrrgh!!! Frankly sometimes I wanna pull down the shades on his stroller! ;P

Here's a pic when we just got home. Thought it would make a good family shot but seems like he hasn't recovered from his 'outside' face. See who's the odd one out? :S














...

Last night, my DIY Obasan hands were itching again and here's what those hands whipped out after 5 hours (took 1 hour just to measure and cut the fabrics!).

Another bag! hehehehe... One can never have too many bags eh? The size is just perfect for putting my wallet, phone and lil' Jeddy's pacifier and nappy when we trot down to NTUC.

Feeling pretty pleased with meself, even though I'm sporting the darkest panda eyes ever... ;D




















...

Last but not least, hard evidence that Lil' Jeddy has doubled in weight, and very possibly, size... (Hint: it's the same shirt!)

3 weeks old angel














3 month old blubber boy














once again, feeling pretty pleased... ;D
...

Play...

A fellow mummy and friend, Nancy, suggested I put Jeddy on his tummy more often to train his neck and upper torso....

So I've been doing that.















But that lazy boy doesn't like it one bit. He'll grunt and snuffle and hold his head up slightly for about 10 secs before dropping it back into his hands, smearing them with saliva. Let him stay in that position for another 10 seconds and he'll start to cry.

Sometimes I let him cry... just for kicks.... and I'll be laughing at him while he struggles.... *evil*

Well I am supposed to train him right? ;D

There's some progress today with 20 seconds... but mummy is still not satisfied. He shall be tortured further! hiak hiak hiak....

...

I made him a little ball a few days ago. A simple crochet project. I used primary colours and stuffed a pill bottle filled with beads in it so it'll rattle. Jeddy can't hold it yet but he loves to kick. So I put it near his little pudgy feet and he gets rewarded with a rattle when he kicks.















That was fun. :)

...

Here's his 'playground'. When he gets sick of the rocker (more like mummy is sick of seeing him on the rocker every time), he gets a little playtime on the floor with me.














There's his box of 'current toys' (stuff he can play with at the moment) and some library books.

Note: NLB at White Sands oughta thank me for cleaning their books with Dettol. I think I would have disinfected their entire collection of baby books by the time Jed turns one. :D

...

And recently, he's discovered more of what he can do with his little fat fingers...

Putting them together!




























Gosh... it was really cute seeing him mash those wet sticky pudgy fingers together... and you should have seen his face. He was absolutely focused!

...

Are You Tired Lil' Jeddy?

I've learnt (the hard way!) never to miss his cue for tiredness.... or suffer the consequences...

Cos sometimes I overestimate my boy, thinking he could go on and on at play. The problem is this. He gets tired playing with the mobiles on the rocker. He fusses and complains. But he goes on playing! Picture this. A baby crying and playing at the same time.

???!!!

And once he starts crying from overtiredness, it's often very difficult to put him away for his nap. He would need lots of cuddling, shushing before settling = mummy gets tired too.

Now I keep a close watch when he plays.

[Looking a tad tired from playing. Mummy monitors the situation by staying close]














[Jeddy starts chewing toy and continues to play... Looks even more tired]














[Mummy waits no further and whisks him off to bed, with him still carrying his toy. In pops the pacifier]














[Zzzzzzz............]














*Phew* Success! The above scenario took place in less than 5 mins! That shows how tired he was.
...

I must say that there are a lot of hits and misses. Many a time I miss his tired cues. Yet there are also times where I put him to bed when he's not exactly tired and ready for his nap too!

Well, what to do? Mummy tried her best liao... Sorry Jeddy boy! Things will get better when you can talk, ok? ;D

Slowly but Steadily...

We are training Jeddy's neck everyday now... really hoping that it will be strong soon so I can carry him with just one arm and have the other hand free to do some housework (or dig my nose)...

;P

If he's really clingy for that day and I need to get some work done, this is what I do. Lug him around in the kangaroo pouch. :)

Back breaking though...



















So here's his daily training which Uncle taught us. It's called 'iit-chiang'! Heh heh... maybe only a few would have heard of this. We basically lay him down on our thighs, hold both his hands and say iit-chiang while pulling him up. This will help strengthen his neck muscles.

After just two days, we could feel him trying to pull himself up.

*V-sign*

His head still goes a bobbing every time he's up. It cracks us up cos he looks like those little solar powered desk ornaments with bobbing heads. :D














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