Waving hello n bye

After 2 months plus of teaching him to wave bye/hello, he consciously (or automatically) does it every time someone walks towards the entrance door *grin*. So proud of my little boy.

With it,also came the separation anxiety that i've been waiting since he was 6mths. Not too bad though. Both of us are handling it well i must say :)

Ps:will post matching pix once i have it

Standing with hands on air

I spent my first overnight trip without Adam yesterday. N this morning, when i came back home, i was delightfully surprised to see him showing his latest act: standing up with his arms dangling up in the air for a few seconds, maybe 3 or 4 or more secs.
When i played with him on the mattress, he did the same act again repeatedly, propping himself up with the help of the wall, let go the hands, stand up for few seconds, fall down, laugh, turn his body around, and repeat the cycle again!
He is obviously enjoying it too!
Growing up fast my boy! #10m 3/4

Food for thought

Sudah beberapa minggu ini ARK lebih susah makan. Yg dulunya 5menit kelar,ini mah bs setengah jam lebih.blm klo udah bener2 ngatup alias gtm.
Mikir segala macam penyebab,ntah teething,lbh pengen main,msh kenyang ama susu,lama nelan krn udah naik tekstur dst.muter otak, nyoba beberapa resep baru blm ada yg top markotop berhasil mancing dia mkn lahap.
Eh taunya krn pengen nyobain ikan jenis baru buat Adam dan suami sukses nemuin ikan patin dr pasar, akhirnya ngubek2 resep n nemu disini. Hasilnya?.. Sukses berat deh ni menu baru buat Ark.

Lahap hap ! gini terus dong nak, mama kan seneng liatnya ;)

Resepnya kumodif sbg berikut:
Ikan patin (1potong fillet)
2bwg merah
3bwg putih
Kacang merah (sebaiknya sdh direndam)
Daun salam
Ini modifku: +Daun jeruk+sere (biar ga amis)

Rebus semua diatas smp matang (7-10mnt)
Angkat ikan,buang kulit,duri (aga peer nih,secara kecil2 ada duri nyelip)
Rebus sisa kacang di slow cooker biar tambah empuk (3jam)
Aku tambahin pasta baby sekalian buat karbonya.

Pas udah ready, krn adam lagi susah makan n aku takut dia ga nyaman ama kulit kacangnya, kublender semua dgn kuah n bubur nasi secukupnya.

Hasilnya: harum n nyam nyam!

Serve dgn sayur (td pake bunga kol) utk variasi mikronutriennya.

Ps: ga ada foto makanannya. Just my kiddo happy face sitting on the high chair

Circus on bed

Akhirnya setelah 1taon lebih nyimpan wall sticker,ditempel juga nih barang. Dari feeling so good bakal pindah rumah,mikir2 spot yg paling pas n setelah mindahin posisi kasur jauh dari arah ac,nemplok lah rombongan sirkus nemenin my ark (adam reidanu kaelan) baby bobo.
Ps:he loves it when i point to the elephants n monkey carriage,gives out a big grin!

My 10th month kiddo

Happy 10th month my champ! Here is what he is loving to do at the moment:

• lying down and relaxing beside or on me cuddled just after he wakes up in the morning.
• trying to wake papa up by calling 'eh eh' or 'mh mh mh'.
• sleeping sideways almost like hugging an imaginary bolster (but i'm not giving him one, afraid he will be so attached to it)
• shaking/swinging his arms happily when we hold him standing up straight
• guaranteed giggles when we hold him and swing him sideways or making him feel being dropped downwards

What he does not so likey at the moment:

• coarse food in his porridge. He used to be ok with it, but now he will stop opening his mouth if we give him such texture, or worse he will end up crying loudly. The poor guy. Probably he's not comfortable with his growing teeth either. Now we blend all the ingredients to make sure it is smooth.
• banana. he used to love it, now he loathe it!

All we need is love

Sometimes all we need is a massage to the heart. Seeing love is always recomforting & refreshing to the soul.
Stumbled upon this beautiful video on vimeo via here . love the dress, the guest chairs!, the video shooting, the tune of the song, and how all things blend and fit so perfectly into one theme.

9.5 Mths!

Yg ini late post, ga sempet kepublish2 :) Sudah berapa bulan ya anakku? Woh, sudah lewat 9 bulan :) Apa saja yang terjadi sebulan terakhir ini... yg gw inget:
- Adam pertama kali ngalamin demam, sempet sampai 39.3 derajat di malam pertamanya, tp kemudian turun di sekitar 38.3 dan akhirnya sembuh sendiri di hari ke-3. Gak aku bawa ke dokter karena anaknya gak terlalu rewel, cuma lemes aja bawaannya. masih senyum2 ketawa, tapi lemes. bawaannya tiduran aja, beda banget dari gaya sehari sebelumnya yg ngerangkak kemana2. Looking back, sepertinya dia demam krn infeksi virus/bakteri gara2 orangtua-nya (gw :( ) gak terlalu perhatiin higinietas tempat dia bermain. Ada 2x gw biarin dia merangkak2 di lantai/karpet tempat umum, krn 'keliatannya' cukup bersih, padahal sebenarnya nggak.
- Setelah demam sembuh, eh dia kena batuk2 kedinginan gitu, gara2 kitanya lupa kasi dia baju anget pas dia tidur mlm n kebetulan ac kamarnya dingin banget mlm itu. jadilah malam2 dia nangis2 kebangun n pas dipegang badannya, dingin banget! duh maafin kami ya nak.
- Nah setelah sembuh dari 2x sakit diatas ini, yang ada dia malah gampang banget cranky. Padahal pas sakit demam gak apa2 loh. Pembalasan kali ya, mumpung udah sembuh n udah balik energynya boleh dong cranky hihihi.
- Gigi atasnya udah mulai erupsi! 4 sekaligus sodara2! Apa karena ini jg doi sempet cranky berat.
- Alhasil, gw nyobain ngasih dia Gripe Water, Orajel versi Malaysia (Orrejel), obat penurun panas bayi dari dokter Uphtamol yg dikasih dulu pas abis vaksinasi pertama utk jaga2 klo panas. So far, yang kayanya rada ngebantu gripe water n uphtamol, walo aga ribet nyendokin 2 sdt obat ke bayi, tumpah2 keluar mulutnya. Dicoba ditaro di botol susu, dia jg reaksinya langsung nolak, krn rasa jauh dari susu kali yah. gw encerin dikit ama susu, dia jg kayanya tau itu bukan susu asli jd rasa susah2 juga. Nah, abis itu gw beralih ke Orrejel, yg bentuknya kaya salep n menurut instruksi tinggal diolesin n dipijet2 ke gusi bayi. Adam biasanya seneng banget klo ada barang yg masuk ke mulut, pasti langsung mangap2 n gigit2. Eh tapi ini Orrejel, mgkn krn rasa anggur yg buat dia aneh, dia marah2 deh klo gw masukin jari gw yg diolesi gel ini. langsung ngatup serapet2nya begitu nge-taste sedikit rasanya. yg ada boro2 bisa mijet gusinya, ini mah cuma sedetik ngerasain gusinya aja udah sukur.

Apalagi ya perkembangannya?
- baru2 ini dia mulai suka melambai2kan tangannya klo lagi pengen deket ama orang. tapi belum ngerti gerakan tangan bye2. pokoknya dia gak pernah sedih klo gw tinggal kerja, cuma senyum2 aja ngeliat gw say bye2. jadi gw blm ngalamin stranger's anxiety dia yg berlebihan. satu penyebabnya gw rasa krn dia merasa nyaman jg sama babysitternya. Syukur lah ada yg telaten jagain dia n ngajak main dia tiap hari selama gw ga di rumah.
- sekarang dia udah nyaman banget dengan posisi duduknya. Jadinya aktivitas merangkak kesana kemari nya dia malah rada berkurang. karena suka diselingin dengan posisi tiba2 duduk smbl liat2 sekitar.

On me, I'm starting to wonder when my m-cycle will come. Gak kerasa berarti udah 9bln+9bln gw gak direbetin sama acara bulanan wanita hihhi... emang enak sih gak repot jadinya, tapi memang bs lama gini yah. Hope it will start soon.

Segitu dulu d, kiss n bye!

Towards 9 months

My parents decided to come to KL to visit us & baby A this week. I've observed that Adam tends to talk/vocalize more when there are more people around him, it's as if he wants to join into our conversations. But yesterday he did one step further, so yes, another milestone. My mum was making funny sounds like 'brruuuttt' (almost like farting) & 'pfft- pfft' kiss sound with her mouth to Adam. Adam started immitating & he could actually master these 2 different sounds & he was really happy he could pick up these 2 new skills ... Then my mum started making a 3rd sound, it sounds 'klok.. klok...' but he couldnt immitate this one. So what he did... he crawled towards my mum who was lying low on the floor, stared closely at my mum's eyes, put his forehead on my mum's head like a bull about to attack,and then he slapped her forehead.. ahahaha! Of course, before and after he had this major grin on his face. This is like major social interaction step he's making. Not only he's immitating, but he interacts by showing his emotion thru physical show towards the other person :).. Few minutes after, he did another approach to my mum, but this time he deliberately landed a 'smooch' on my mum's lips. It's the sweetest thing!

So Adam's first kiss is with his grandMa. Record that son, it's not with some pretty hot chick down the lane that u will meet in 17 years time (or earlier) :D xoxo mum.

Back to Cherating

This weekend was an exciting mini-adventure-trip for our little family & friends. Thanks to my hubby yg udah organize event-nya, ngomporin org2 utk ikutan, nyari penginapan, n ngebook hotelnya, berangkatlah juga kami, 7 pasukan keluarga, sesama 'tki' disini hihihi...

Perjalanan dimulai dengan ngumpul pukul 9 pagi. Ngumpulnya di dpn condo kami karena tempat kami yg paling di ujung utara KL, paling deket ke mulut masuknya highway yg akan diambil. Yang berubah sejak punya anak adalah sekarang gw hampir gak pernah duduk di kursi depan mobil lagi, nemenin si kecil duduk di belakang. Untung ada hiburan lucuk si baby kecil ini, jadinya gak bosen gak liat pemandangan hihihi.

Perjalanan ini pitstopnya di tengah rute, yaitu di Temerloh rest area. Konon yg terkenal di rest area ini adalah sup ikan patin yg dimasak dengan sejenis durian 'tempoyak'. Tapi gw gak suka yah, rada amis gitu nurut gw, jadi andalan lauk cannot-go-wrong gw adalah apalagi klo bukan ayam goreng.

Kami sampai di Cherating sekitar pukul 1 siang. Jadi perjalanan mengambil waktu sekitar 4 jam. Cukup oke lah utk stamina badan. Jalan masuk resort ternyata sama dengan jalan menuju Club Med, resort paling ok daerah situ. Tapi ketika jalan bercabang kecil masuk ke hutan2 dengan jalan kerikil berpasir, itulah jalan yg musti kami ambil hihi. Untung sedan2 masih lewat dengan aman. Nama tempatnya Ruby's Resort dan ternyata kami disambut oleh si Ruby sendiri... seorang srikandi sini yg kesannya tegas dan galak tp sebenarnya ramah. Jadi gw sempet aga terbengong jg wkt kita baru datang dia udah standby di pintu gerbang resort dengan berkacak pinggang dan kaki ngangkang lebar huruf A (kebayang gak sih). Terus gw langsung introduce myself, sementara suami sibuk nyamperin keluarga2 lain di parkiran. Begitu si ibu tau suami gw yg mana, dia langsung teriak2 panggil Chris utk settle the bill dulu *LOL*. Plus ibu ini kayanya kaget temen2 kita banyakan jilbab n dia langsung bilang 'kalian tau kan resort gw pet friendly?'. Ya gw sih gak papa. Ternyata banyak doggy & doggy lovers di resort ini sodara2. jadi tiap kabin/kamar ada balkon berpagar di depannya utk anjing2 tamu 'parkir' disitu.

Resortnya sendiri sederhana tapi bersih (well, unit kita baru banget, abis direnov kayanya), n ada tempat2 barbeque n tree house. Pantainya i must say probably best spot in Cherating, sebelahan sama club med gitu loh. Pasirnya alus banget, tempat penyu2 merapat ke daratan utk bertelur di malam hari. Pantai nya tenang, klo soal jernih sih gak sekelas sama nusa2 or gili, tp bersih.

Pukul 3 pada berangkat lunch break (one thing i didnt like about this trip, or probably the only thing i didnt like abt this trip is the weird lunch hour). Jam segini resto jg udah tinggal sisa2 kan makananannya. Anyway balik2.. Adam ngegelendot tidur n lama pulak, gw jg nemenin secara gw nya jg cape dah berapa hari kurang tidur. Sementara yg laen2 pada berenang di pantai.. hix ngiri. Untung terbalas di esok harinya.

Malamnya kami bbq di dekat tree house. Adam awalnya gak comfort ditaruh di atas tikar di atas rumput, untung lama2 biasa. Gak terasa udah msk jam 10 mlm, Adam udah mulai rewel banget secara udah jauh lewat wkt tidur dia. Mlmnya dia rada cranky krn kecapean. Oh well.






Pagi2 kami tanpa dikomando ketemuan di pantai, nikmatin udara pagi, terus makan pagi, n abis itu Adam diajak nyebur sama bapaknya. Lama jg loh, ada kali 1/2 jam di dlm air, padahal Adam blm dipakein sunblock. Alhasil keluar2 dia udah lebih item 2 shade dari sebelumnya hihii. Sebenarnya Adam jg udah 1 minggu batuk2.. jadi hari itu dia jadi tambah beler ajah. Cuma untungnya anaknya gak rewel sih. (Update: Sembuh stelah 2 malam terapi tidur malem gak pake AC).

Di perjalanan pulang siangnya... (kami cuma nginap semalam) Adam tidur sepanjang trip. Tekor kali ya doi, secara mlm sebelumnya kurang tidur n paginya cape berenang. Minum ASInya banyak, cuma gw seneng dia minum banyak secara takut dia dehidrasi kepanasan itu loh. Dia cuma kebangun pas mobilnya slow down, tp giliran tancap gas lagi, dia tertidur lagi...

Overall, we had so much fun. Ini trip pertama yg berasa vacation trip bareng Adam, alias kita pergi ke suatu tempat cuma utk do nothing/have good fun. Trips2 sebelumnya biasanya banyak 'mata pedangnya' entah sambil shopping or culinary trip dst. Tapi kali ini kt ke Cherating, cuma utk having fun di pantai n bbq di area hotel. Bener2 bukan tipe vacation kita waktu dulu msh ber2 doang, klo pergi ke suatu tempat, pasti sebanyak mgkn tempat dijajal hihih. These are some of the things that change in our life, but we love it :)

ps: oyah, judulnya back to Cherating, krn we are 99% positive Adam was conceived there :)

Hello, I have grown! (7mw3)

Hello world,

I am going to be 8 months soon. These past 2 weeks, I have given my parents some little surprises:

- I gave them a hard night once, but the next day my 2 lower teeth showed up :)

- I can sit up with my back straight

- I can prop myself up to standing position as long as I got something to hold on to :) I really like to do this especially when I'm in my crib.
- I have started to do proper crawling (lifting my tummy up). I can do 5 steps like that, and then I'll go back to  locomoting ("merayap"). It is quite tiring to do proper crawling :)
 - I have learnt new syllables.. "yeay" and "chacha"... on top of my "mamamama..", "dadaa", "hey..." and so on :)
- I still dislike avocado but my mum keeps giving it to me, Mum says it's good for the brain and the body fat :) Ok, I will eat it but pls mix it with my other favourite food, like rice or banana :)

I don't know what new things I will learn in the coming month, but stay tuned, I will surprise my pa&ma again :)

7m2w

My boy can sit up straight now (since 2 days ago). Oooo he's growing fast :D

A thought on educating

I am copy & paste-ing this interesting article from www.kiasuparents.com (Yeah i know, the kiasu-ness of my teenage years in SG still linger on my skin ;) ). Since my boy is still really small, of course there are many other things that preoccupy my mind on how to raise him. Right now, it's more on ensuring he's growing healthily. But came across the below writing by 'chenonceau', quite an eye-opener i must say. Never really thought of teaching a kid the skills of learning, ie. learning how to learn, rather than learning the subject/object itself. http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/content/adapt-your-parenting-style-your-childs-growing-needs

ps: The reason i copy paste fully and not just the link is just in case the article disappears from the website itself.

Adapt Your Parenting Style To Your Child's Growing Needs

See Also: 

 Forum Thread

I am not weighing in on the debate Pro-Drilling or Against-Drilling. Because, I do both depending on the situation. I rather suspect that most Mommies here do too. We all do a bit of both I think. I am also not telling other mommies/daddies what best they should do because I am not in their situation.

I went and dug out The Daughter's report book. Here is my story.

The Daughter scored 79 for English, 88 for Math in P1. She placed in the bottom 25% of her YEAR. However, in P1 she scored 99% for Chinese because Grandma plied her with assessment books. Little Boy's grades followed the same pattern.

English, Math and Science were my subjects to coach. Chinese was Grandma's. We took very different approaches. I looked past the grades in P1 & P2 for both my kids. In P1 & P2 my objectives were (1) they get used to school, (2) they adapt well socially, (3) they learn basic self-management skills, (4) the kinda keep up, (5) they like learning (6) they understand the value of diligence and discipline, and (7) they take full ownership of their studies.

These were all specific qualitative aims I had in mind. Not quantifiable but I wanted to focus on laying this foundation so that I would have a strong foundation of work ethic and self-management skills to build on in Upper Primary.

P1 & P2: Foundational Study Skills

I expected my kids to pack their bags, take notes, keep track of homework etc... That's tough you know for the little ones. So many times, they forgot their books. My son lost his exam schedule and I didn't help him get another. For 3 weeks, he went to school with his transparent exam pencil box because we didn't know when exactly his exams where and which day was what exam.

How to get good grades like that?

Nonetheless, whilst they were thus struggling, I was always warm and supportive ... and I gave a lot of loving advice. Next time, you need to remember this and that and the other. I had high expectations (about specific behaviors, not grades) but I tried not to help. I didn't gloat or say "Hah! You deserved it!" That's very mean and discouraging. Every boo boo was an opportunity to talk about how my child could manage himself better.

I gave very little drills at this stage. If they remembered to do their homework, I was happy. My kids "failed" at this stage but neither really failed as in score below 50. I did not allow that to happen. Their lowest grades were still 70+. I reckoned that that was what I could live with... believing that catch up was imminently possible from a 70s range.

P3 & P4: Transiting From Skills Focus to Grades Focus

By P3, they pretty much got the hang of the skills required to keep one's head afloat in school. They took notes, their bags were neat and they owned their study process completely because whilst I was encouraging and free with my advice, I tried not to help too much. So, about P3, I began to set grade goals (90+ for every subject).

At first, neither kid believed they were capable (since neither had ever scored in that range before except for Chinese), but I told them that I knew they could do it.

I began to PROPOSE drills, and because both are close to me, they do bend to my wishes even when gently proposed. Mostly I gave them past year exams from other schools. I planned the schedule and checked in every weekend to see if everything was done, and done well. At this stage, I was still refining study skills. I wanted to see careful work, good handwriting... I was less fussy about grades than I was about general work quality. I threw absolute hissy fits when work was shoddy and careless, but looked past genuine errors and absolute scores.

By end-P4, they were hitting the 90s in English, Math and Science. Strangely though, their Chinese grades dropped to the 80s. I kept telling Grandma that the way she taught the children Chinese made them feel like they didn't own the process. When they did well in Chinese, Grandma felt proud that she was a good teacher and hardworking too and conscientious. But my kids felt dispossessed of their glory. Their Chinese marks belonged to Grandma. Also, as you move into P4, the syllabus changes. Whether Chinese, English, Science or Math, the kids nowadays are no longer tested what is in the textbook.

By P3 & P4, kids are tested OUTSIDE of what is stated in the textbook. Grandma was still drilling textbook material. To score in the 90s for Science, Little Boy had to do independent internet Science research! We constructed Powerpoint slides, put him in a Professor's geeky glasses and made him present his findings. To score in the 90s for English, we were reading tons of storybooks and practising how to create metaphors, analogies and alliterative effects (e.g., Pretty Puddle of Pungent Poo). We read poetry. Basically, there was no way to drill our way to success because there was no way to predict what would be tested. Anything could be tested, and so I took a blunderbuss approach - LEARN EVERYTHING INTERESTING and HAVE FUN. Look at what teacher taught, ask questions of yourself and look for the answers on your own. Never mind if not in syllabus. You learn more and you won't die, and you'll have fun.

"The grades will come" I promised them. Back then, it was me putting on a brave front and being a brave mother so that my children would have the strength to carry on and keep trying. I couldn't tell them I didn't believe in them. In this way, I concur with Amy Chua... the best thing you can do for your child is to believe in him.

Meanwhile, Grandma went on drilling from the textbook. And whatever I said to her, she wouldn't budge from her time-tested method. She had been a Chinese Teacher in the past and had tutored even Mrs Carmee Lim's daughters (ex-Principal of RGS). She thought she knew best but her methods were outdated and designed for a syllabus and an approach that was past.

P5 & P6: ABSOLUTE Grade Focus

In P5 and P6, I became Tiger Mother. The Daughter came home one day in P6 and waved a Science paper scored 98% in my face. I said "It was an easy exam. The PSLE won't be this easy." The Daughter has never forgotten that scathing comment.

I reckoned that by P5 & P6, my kids had amassed enough resilience and process skills to take some knocks and I did knock them about, though never as hard as what Amy Chua seems to have done.

Starting P5, there was a consistent practice schedule which intensified as we moved into the 2nd quarter of P6. I devised the schedule collaboratively with my kids and I was sensitive to their mental and physical states. I had no qualms about deleting work if I thought it was too much. I wanted to manage my kids energy levels. Must always have time to recharge even if grades suffered meantime. The rule in the house is to NEVER TOUCH BOOKS 3 days before and exam paper. And I made sure I allocated whole days or whole weeks of NO BOOKS so that they could play to their hearts' content.

There was a constant process of watching and adjusting. There was a lot of trust and dialogue. I worked them hard but I made sure that I was there to encourage and listen to their problems. But they still owned their study process. I proposed a work schedule and they decided if they could manage. More often than not, they would ADD in stuff and tell me "Mommy, I can try." They knew that the PSLE was an important exam.

I also built in a natural reward into the work schedule. If they somehow did their work fast and well, they had that extra time to play. I never gave more work when they finished theirs earlier than I had expected. And whenever I could, and they had finished earlier than expected, I would take time off work to play with them. Go somewhere they wanna go... do something they like... together.

Results

The Daughter placed consistently in the top 3 places from P5 to Sec 2. In Sec 3, she was handpicked for an accelerated program where the others were smarter and just as driven as she. To keep up, she really pushed herself. End Sec 3, she was in hospital with pneumonia, a result of 2 months of flu and insufficient rest. She was so motivated that it had become a problem. I went to school and got an exemption for one month of homework... plus I locked up her laptop. She vegetated at home that month.

Little Boy is now in P5. He looks at the work schedule that we worked out and if I decide to delete an item, he will say "Leave it in Mom. I will try."

Unfortunately, The Daughter's Chinese marks at 'O' levels went down to the 50s. She hated Chinese and rebelled completely against Grandma's micro-managing ways. Little Boy's Chinese dropped to 79 for the first time in end-P4. So, I've taken over Chinese from Grandma too... and I'm doing it my way now. Read a lot, have a lotta fun, and to hell with textbook. I will be introducing exam practices later in the year however. Learn and have fun first. Drill later.

Both drill and no-drill are important to me.

My Objective

I don't need my kids to be the best in class... but I want them to be the best they can be. If what they can be is 80+, then fine... and seriously, The Daughter's class now is full of people who are so smart she and I feel stupid. That's fine. We're not as smart. And we don't need to be.

She got where she was not because she was smart, but because she was motivated. Motivation can get a child farther than a parent's best wishes and most beautiful dreams. The Daughter is no longer at the top of her class anymore, but that is fine because I know she has reached her potential and maybe even a little beyond. The same with Little Boy. I know he can manage 90+ in every subject if he wants to. Even Chinese.

The trick is to make them want to. And the first step is to turn the ownership of the study process over to them... and make them own it. This should be done early enough (I think). I have just sacked Grandma and turned the ownership of Chinese over to Little Boy. He used to roll his eyes when Grandma complained he was slow. Today, in the car, he said "Mom, I have a problem. I am slow in my compo. Others have done 1.5 pages, I've only done 1."

He now owns his problem and I play the familar supportive role "Oh never mind... you keep on reading those books and one day, the grades will come. I promise" and I look at him with a confident smile. This way, he will keep on trying... and he will end up where he ends up in Chinese. And I will still be happy even if it isn't 90+.

Not the Only Approach

I consciously took an approach where I focused first on Foundational Study Skills to the detriment of grades. It worked for me. I am sure there are other parents who focused on both at the same time quite successfully. I am sharing my story because it isn't a usual approach, but it worked for me.

7.5 Months

The tooth eruption happened! Teeth actually. The boy was so fussy for one night, woke up 3 or 4 times in the night. I even had to move to another bedroom to steal some sleep time for myself, otherwise there will be one more cranky person in the house ;p. And now we can see a little bit of his 2 lower front teeth now. No wonder for a few days beforehand he was also quite choosy with his solids, he only wanted to eat really soft food (ie. i had to sieve the food thru a mesh) , when usually he could settle for mashed fruit.

Now he's back to his normal wake-up-once-a-night cycle (cross finger) & he can eat back the rougher solid. I even tried to 'upgrade' the texture of his food. Made him some rice porridge with chicken broth. I thought if he didnt like it it would just mean he's not ready & I will defer it for next time, but hey... what do i know... the boy is gulping it happily just like any other food. Today i added grated chicken meat into the porridge, he really enjoyed it :) I add 'serai' & 'daun salam' into it, cooked it for 5 hours in the slow-cooker, and voila.. it smells so good! Serve it for my boy with a cube of pumpkin puree + home-made chicken stock, yummy!

intermezzo :)

7 Months

Seperti yang dirasakan setiap ibu, gak kerasa waktu berlalu! Baby A sudah 7 bulan 2 hari sekarang! We like to call him Big Baby now... 'cause so different from his helpless small state of being few months ago, when he's still tiny and so dependent on us. He is still such a joy to us of course. Throws the warmest smile, gets excited when we carry him around, dancing to the music or just going out of the house. Still loves to chirp around in the pool (unfortunately we the parents have not been so diligent in bringing him swimming). Still puts everything into his mouth (tissue paper and newspaper have been victimized). Does not like to eat roughly cut stuff, still likes it smooth. Moves around fast, starts to climb (over our body, pillows etc). Gains better control of his hands and fingers. Good job my boy! You are growing well & heathily & happily, we cannot ask for more!

Another thing that happened this month, is we shifted to another unit in our condo block. So fortunate to have found this unit in such a short time. It's a tad bigger, got 1 more room (for our helper), kitchen & living room & balcony bigger, and most importantly this place is somehow more homey. Love the new place. Here is Big Baby new crib corner.

Fly high to the sky!

One fine saturday n Adam's adventure with food

Setelah hari-hari kerja gak bisa seharian di rumah, akhirnya tiba juga hari Sabtu... full day with my kid, enough to make me feel a happy mum :)
cape sih seharian nemenin anak kecil yg aktif n gak mau ditinggal main sendirian, tapi seneng :D
Apalagi Adam sekarang semakin komunikatif, semakin seru klo nemenin dia main bareng. Sekarang dia udah lancar banget ngerayap kemana2. Udah mampir ke dapur, 'ndesel' ke bawah meja n kursi makan, ngerayap ngejar gw (yg dengan senang hati gw tunggu dgn tangan terbuka lebar siap meluk dia :) ). Suami gw bilang, 'sekalian aja taro kain pel di bawah perut dia biar bantu2 bersihin rumah' hihihi... Iya dia tuh ngerayapnya blm bisa smbl angkat perut/badan ke atas, tp tetep aja kenceng bergerak kemana-mana.

Soal makanan, hari ini iseng nyobain 'baby led weaning', alias ngasi makanan non-pure yg bisa dia pegang n taro ke mulut sendiri. Mumpung emak-bapaknya lagi tumben2nya makan bareng di meja makan (biasanya di sofa hihi) kita taro dia di high-chair dia (yg masih rada kegedean, jadi kita ganjel sama selimut dia), terus setelah berdoa bareng (perdana nih berdoa ber3 utk makan hihihi) gw kasi 2 potongan panjang pepaya di tray dia. Bener aja, dia pegang2 n dia masuk2in ke mulut. Ada yg patah n jatuh2 kemana2 sih secara licin, tapi ada jg yg sukses tergigit masuk ke mulut dia. Emang beneran bisa ya ternyata bayi dikasi makanan gini. Aga deg2an jg awalnya, takut klo keselek, tp pepayanya kebetulan emang udah mateng banget, jadi soft banget n gw jg udah sempet perhatiin dia bisa keluarin lagi bagian makanan yg terlalu besar buat dia telan. Kebetulan dia juga masih dlm fase oral juga, dimana apapun yang berhasil dia pegang akan dia bawa ke dalam mulut hihi.

I love my little son. Ini rekaman dia makan gasol/tepung beras merah perdana 1.5 minggu lalu. Maafkan suara suami gw yg bawel  dan sudut pengambilan gambar yg kurang profesional :)

My first 6 months breastfeeding experience

-- Spoiler Alert : Postingan yang panjang.. mudahan gak bosen yah bacanya :) --

Gak terasa... 4 hari lagi perjalanan breastfeedingku dengan Adam mencapai 6 bulan. Banyak banget yang aku pelajari dari proses 6 bulan menyusui. Bener-bener berangkat dari pengetahuan yang 'nol' ttg asi (masih ingat pertama kali ke bazaar produk bayi melongo ngeliat bentuk2 n merek breastpump) sampai akhirnya lulus 6bln Asi, orang bilang S1 (hihi lucu aja deh gelarnya nih).

Awal kehamilan, belum kepikiran tuh mau ngasih minum baby apa nantinya. Tapi seiring dengan rajin baca2 tentang proses melahirkan dan tumbuh kembang bayi di awal kehamilan, secara natural aja, tertanam di aku kalo metode asi eksklusif lah yang akan kupilih. Ternyata aku baru tau rekomendasi dari asosiasi kedokteran (termasuk yg dari Amrik) dan WHO adalah memberi asi eksklusif untuk bayi sampai dengan minimal 1 tahun, syukur2 bisa 2 tahun. Sempat sangsi juga, emang tubuh sekecil aku ini (+ ukuran bra yg minimalis hehe) bisa gituh ngeluarin ASI, jangankan banyak, apalagi sedikit? Berkat sumber2 internet, aku dapetin kalo ternyata umumnya sebagian besar wanita setelah melahirkan pasti akan bisa mengeluarkan ASI. Dan yang sama sekali tidak bisa mengeluarkan ASI itu paling hanya < 1%. Dari situ mulai deh, aku mulai terapin pede positive-thinking, bahwa pasti ada deh ASI ini di saat yang dibutuhkan nantinya. Ternyata, sebelum kelahiran pun, aku dapet tanda positif, mulai dari minggu ke-18, aku sudah mendapatkan tetesan 'kolustrum' keluar dari payudara. Jadinya makin positive thinking deh.

PENGENALAN DENGAN POMPA ASI:
Tapi lucunya (atau lebih tepatnya, lugunya) dan karena kurang pengetahuan (or krn justru kebanyakan narasumber, yang mana kadang pendapatnya bertolak belakang), aku jadi konservatif dan gak berani beli pompa asi sampai setelah si kecil brojol n asi-ku lancar.
Waktu itu aku banyak orang2 yg bilang tiap orang cocoknya ama pompa2 yg berbeda n mengingat harga pompa elektrik gak murah (minimal 800rb utk single pump yg merek barat), mending beli pompa-nya nanti aja biar bisa nyoba dulu stelah asi lancar. Padahal setelah akhirnya ke toko n nyobain beberapa merek, semuanya cocok ajah n sebenarnya susah jg ambil kesimpulan mana yg paling cocok klo nyobanya cuma sebentar2 per pompa (gak mungkin dong 1 pompa dicobain utk 1 full pumping, masa musti datang 4x ke toko cuma utk nyobain). Plus, dalam bayangan aku waktu itu, butuh pompa di awal lahiran itu paling kalo Asi ada tapi gak lancar (kurang). Padahal ternyata pompa tuh malah berguna banget kalo Asi-nya terlalu lancar, supaya gak sakit di pd (mastitis). Malah klo gak lancar, yang bener harusnya makin sering di-nenen-in langsung n bukannya make pompa, krn lbh bagus daya hisap bayi langsung drpd pompa.
Lugu yang ke-2, awal2 kelahiran n selama kehamilan, aku gak pernah ngebayangin klo butuh cukup banyak effort dan waktu utk berkali-kali pumping nge-stok ASI utk persiapan kerja. Baru ngeh, pas baca/liat foto2 ibu2 hebat yang kulkasnya bisa penuh dengan ASIP berpuluh-puluh apa ber-ratus2 botol. Untungnya belum terlalu telat aku ngejar 'ketinggalan' ini, ngeh-nya pas di wkt 2 bulan-an dan karena aku cuti 3.5 bulan, masih ada waktu ngestok 1.5 bulan.
Disamping itu, aku jg parno banget mau ngenalin dot ke bayi krn takut bingung puting. Ternyata, menurut salah satu 'ahli persusuan bayi' dari Engress, si Gina Ford, gak apa ngasi bayi ASIP via botol dari kecil asal maksimal 1x sehari aja.
Jadilah pompa dibeli di awal bulan ke-2, itupun aku diemin dulu 2 minggu gak dicoba2. Pas dicoba pun nyoba 1-2x, berhenti lagi seminggu. Abisnya awal2 dapetnya cuma dikit, sampai stres mikir apa salah beli merek/gak cocok ama pump-nya n udah mahal pula (aku decide utk beli yg double-pump biar hemat waktu klo pumping terutama di kantor) n bisa handsfree (digantung gitu di bra, jadi 2 tangan bebas mau main hp kek, mau ngapain kek :) ) . Ternyata, baca2 situs internet, emang dibilang payudara butuh waktu utk adjust ke pumping machine, percaya gak percaya, ya bener sih. Abisan setelah 2 minggu, flownya udah lebih baik. Dan pelan2 sehari nyetok 1 botol. Pas udah 3-4 minggu terakhir mau masuk kerja, karena semakin panik takut stok gak cukup, akhirnya bisa nyetok sampai 4 botol per hari. Tiap malam pun kalopun Adam gak bangun, aku tetep bangun per 3 jam utk nge-stok. Wah beneran deh, memang breastfeeding ini menguras tenaga, tapi karena motivasi-nya memang kuat, jadi dijalanin aja dengan ikhlas.
All in all, pump ini berguna banget, n learning experience buat aku, lain kali nyetok lebih awal deh. Apalagi minggu ke-2 s/d mgu ke-5 tuh, waktu lbh sering engorged terutama pagi. Plus lumayan banget klo kt bisa pompa misal di pagi, stoknya selain untuk long term, bisa juga langsung dipake sorenya utk si bayi, dimana gw biasanya lagi cape2nya, jadinya kita bisa istirahat/recover energy utk ronde malamnya :).

DOT BAYI
Nah ini aku saklek banget dari awal lahir. Gak mau kenalin Adam dengan dot, baik botol dot or pacifier, sampai Adam udah pinter banget nenen-nya. Menurut beberapa sumber, katanya paling aman stlh 2 bulan baru boleh introduce. Jadilah aku baru kenalin botol ke baby A pas dia umur 2 bulan (klo pacifier tetep aku gak mau krn nurut aku bayi <6bulan klo nangis memang ada sebabnya n musti dicari sebabnya dan bukannya disumpel pake paci).
Nah ternyata, awal2 dengan botol, susah bener deh... Adam terlalu nyaman sama mimik langsung yah, plus biasanya timingnya lama, rata2 nempel 40 menit. Nah dengan botol dan volume yg kira2 sebanding (90-120ml), gak sampai 10 menit, ASIPnya udah habis. Jadilah dia masih meraung2 belum puas ngenyot. Baru setelah 3 minggu deh, dia mulai stabil n terbiasa dengan botol. Nah pas umur 2 bulan-an itu aku juga baca bukunya Gina Ford (khatam deh ini buku, mudah2an bisa posting khusus ttg bukunya), dia testify klo dari beratus2 bayi yg dia handle, klo bayi dikasi 1x botol aja sehari (dan gak lebih) dari minggu ke-2 stlh lahir (stlh lancar latching on kayanya ya) gak akan bingung puting. Nah ke depannya mgkn aku mau praktek-in ini hihihi.
Terus pe-er satu lagi yg gak tau bakal sanggup gak suatu hari nanti... bisa gak ya ngepraktekin bayi minum tanpa dot. Untuk Adam yang aku consider pinter banget nenen (gak pernah nolak nenen, setiap kali nangis pasti langsung tenang klo di-nenen-in n gak pernah bikin sakit gigitnya), setelah 2-3 minggu aku tinggal kerja full-day, akhirnya ngalamin kejadian bingung puting jugah... sempet kaget n sedih juga pas kejadian, tp aku tau itu bukan masalah besar. Jadinya, dia sempet nolak minum direct dari aku, tp untungnya nolaknya max 1x sehari aja, sisanya masih mau. Kayanya momen dia nolaknya itu klo dia udah kelaperan banget, dia maunya dari botol (karena kenyang lebih cepet yah). Jadinya aku siasatin gak berani aku biarin haus2 banget dianya n pas weekend beneran aku geber deh nenen langsungnya biar dia 'kembali inget' ama nyamannya nenen langsung :). Nah akhirnya yang ini udah stabil lagi sekarang... Tapi sisi lainnya, sekarang timing minum langsungnya kadang2 jadinya jadi lebih cepet, <10mnt per sisi. padahal dulu 40 menit itu udah minimal (biasanya aku lepas kalo udah >40mnt, sejak kenal botol, spy gak kebanting perbandingan waktunya). Sementara aku yakin banget klo dia minum <10mntx2, masih ada lhoh asi yg bisa dia serap langsung, cuma flownya mgkn udah lebih lamban yah. Dan krn dia udah kenal ama flow botol yg selalu cepet, jadi gak sabar deh dia nunggu 'LDR'/let down reflex-nya ASI utk keluar lagi dengan cepet. Cuma yang nenangin, biasanya klo pun gini, dia udah pasang tampang happy sih setelah 'melepaskan diri' dari posisi mengenyot.., jadi aku gak paksain juga. Paling konsekuensinya ke dia, dia jadi lbh cepet haus. Tapi konsekuensi ke aku nya yg aga2 bikin ketir nih, krn otomatis produksi asi payudara nyesuain dengan kebutuhan bayi, takutnya produksi menurun klo dia minumnya tambah sebentar. Nah, sekarang lagi kepikiran mau hunting pil2 fenugreek - bumbu rempah india gitu - yang katanya sih emang beneran efektif ningkatin produksi asi.
Nah kembali ke topik botol, sebenarnya kan ada media lain utk memberikan ASIP, tapi aku kemaren2 gak tega nih nyuruh orang rumah kasi minum via alat lain selain dot (sendok, pipet or gelas). Pastinya ribet banget (dokter pun bilang begitu), udah gitu Adam klo haus kan langsung nangis2 gitu pengen minum lahap, klo pk sndk/glas kan lbh lambat ya. Pe-er ke depannya (semoga diberikan anugerah lagi), kepikiran minta suster RS (tentunya RS-nya harus breastfeeding friendly sperti kemarin) untuk ngajarin ngasi minum pake gelas dari awal lahiran. Sempet nyobain sendiri sih sekali, waktu adam 2 bulanan, tp gagal total hihihi.. bleber kemana2. Mungkin klo suster yang udah ahli, lebih enak buat si bayi.

PERJALANAN YANG GAK GAMPANG TAPI SO-WORTH-IT
All in all, perjalanan ASIX (Asi Eksklusif) ini pengalaman berharga banget buat aku:
- Dari proses belajar latching-on (bayi n aku sama2 belajar) di 2 minggu pertama, yang mana kadang kita berdua butuh waktu 10 menit untuk si bayi bisa 'mangap' dengan pas ke areola ku. Terus makin lama, sama2 makin pinter latchingnya.
- Dari awalnya gak pe-de bakalan bisa ngasi ASI, jangankan eksklusif, keluar pun udah bersyukur banget. Terus dengan mindset yg sederhana aja, pokoknya selama ASI ada dan cukup, ya akan kuberikan ASI si baby ini. Ternyata oh ternyata, memang dicukupkan, PTL!
-Minum tiap 2-3 jam sepanjang hari, sampe kira2 2.5 bulanan, dimana akhirnya Adam mulai tidur panjang 5jam-an klo malem, jadinya aku-nya lbh bisa istirahat n waktu sengggangnya bisa dipake utk pumping juga. Bener-bener menguras tenaga klo dinget2. Sekarang sih udah mendingan banget. Tapi dulu msh inget tiap bangun pagi, udah kebayang bakal capenya sepanjang hari gimana hihihi dan berharap hari cepet2 sore/malem lagi hihihi. Belum lagi ada momen growth spurt dia (pas mau 1 bulanan) yg kaya gak kenyang2 tiap jam nangis, minum, nangis lagi, dari jam 6 sore s/d jam 1 pagi. Untungnya ini cuma 1 malam.
- Saking cape-nya, tiap kali nenen-in, pasti browsing di hp (selain main game) tentang trik2 spy baby bisa tidur lebih panjang... hehe ternyata memang everything is a phase and sooner it will be another phase.
- Belajar trik pumping, termasuk dengan ngasi minum baby 1 pd, dan 1 lagi-nya utk di-pump. bawa2 tas pumping beserta peralatannya ke kantor, disamping tas laptop, berasa pindahan kecil2an tiap hari hihi.
- Rasa terpuaskan banget sebagai seorang ibu setiap kali liat wajah kenyangnya abis minum susu :) bonding yang gak tergantikan :) walo umumnya dia selalu nyusu sambil merem (jadinya jarang banget tuh liat2an selama nyusu).
- Nah yg ini, aga curhat sedikit :). Mau baby kita minumnya ASI or Formula, sepertinya selalu ada yah omongan2 orang, even dari org2 dekat, yang mempertanyakan pilihan kita.. (Wah ini bisa 1 posting sendiri klo dibahas). Aku juga sempet ngerasain ini dan sempet brasa 'spanneng' juga. Komen seperti 'ASI-nya gak cukup tuh..', 'dibantu botol ajah..', 'dikasih empeng ajah..', 'dikasih air ajah..', 'nanti kalo udah ngantor gimana tuh klo cuma bisa minum ASI..' Wah macem2 deh dan cape juga nangkisnya. Padahal di saat2 gini, kitanya justru butuh banget denger omongan yg mendukung, bukannya yg menyudutkan ya. Aku tau sih orang2 yg komen ini bermaksud baik, mgkn mrk pikir kasihan ngeliat bayinya nangis (padahal kan wajar aja), or kasian negliat akunya kecapean. Cuma aku berasa gak ngebantu banget deh komen2 seperti ini. Ada yang bilang ini 'well-meant comment that are meaningless' :), jadi gak usah didengerin hihii. Untungnya setelah makin kesini, proses menyusui dan tumbuh-kembang bayi  semakin lancar, terbukti baby A tumbuh dengan sehat sekali, berat badannya bagus dan juga puji Tuhan selalu sehat (Terbukti aku beberapa kali flu berat, tp dia gak ketularan sedikitpun). Jadinya, sekarang udah gak ada lagi komen2 seperti ini :), malah banyakan komen positif yang aku dengar sekarang :).
- Priceless to see my baby growing wonderfully dari yg awalnya kecil mungil, menyusui musti diganjal pake bantal, sampai sekarang tinggal gelendotan aja dgn kakinya udah napak di kasur. Dari yg Adam bergaya menyusui diem gak berkutik sampai sekarang menyusui dengan banyak gaya (kadang suka dimainin deh skrg ngenyotnya, atau tiba2 berhenti senyum2 terus lanjut lagi). Klo gw boleh bilang, takjub deh ngeliat bayi bisa berkembang seperti ini, just with the support of ASI (n parents love :) ). It is a miracle water, created by the creator of the universe, cukup buat si jabang bayi bertumbuh dengan sempurna :).

So, it has been a delightful, challenging, fully rewarding, and full of learning journey. Semoga ke depannya aku masih bisa lancar memberi ASI. Sebenarnya aku juga gak neko2 dan gak mau terlalu ambisius kok, yang penting baby A masih demen sama ASI dan aku jg masih lancar flow-nya. Kalo seperti ini kan tentunya tetap akan memberikan ASI :) as it is just the natural thing to do. So, let's do it one step at a time :)

Gearing up towards 6 months

Yeah been some time n my baby is definitely getting more agile and it feels like the baby stage is going to be over before i know it ;p.

By now he is able to:
- lift both his butt n tummy from the ground when he's facing down,its a full push up,yay!
- has said 'Hai...' twice very loudly. Doubt he knows what it means but i'd like to think it is his first meaningful word :) second time was with a shopkeepeer,she was very shocked to hear it.
- travelled airbound on 7 flights already. Little munchkin getting easier to travel with.
- still vigorously sucks his 2 fingers (at least), i have no idea how to stop this. Hoping he will know when to stop,esp when his teeths erupt later. But the up-side is this keeps him occupied so we can do other things in peace :). It is like it is his fave toys. Doctor says not to worry.
- so easy to give smiles,wide ones, when there are others who grin at him, stranger or not :D
- just learning to eat solid (6mth minus 1.5wk), paedi says it is ok. It's been tiny servings, probably 20ml portion. Tried breastmilk with very little avocado - not too much success (first try, think was too diluted for him, plus he was still full from the morning feed, n the avocado tasted a bit too plain for me), steamed pear puree & red rice flour - the last 2 were successful.
- moves much faster n agile when on prone, tends to move backward if he is not rotating.
He was 7.7 kg n 65 cm at 5.5 mth.


ps: no pic at the mom. my laptop harddisk is full n i cant be bothered to connect to my external hard disk drive to do picture file transfer. I need a new laptop :)

3.5 Months Update

- Today, he turned from 'upward' position to prone position for the first time, as my folks call it 'belajar tengkurap'. I didnt see it though, missed it by 1/2 minute as I was in the kitchen. Bummer :) It was a bit of a cheat since the small cushion below his head probably helped him, but he has been turning sideways quite often lately to start with.
- He is sucking his fingers big time, but the good side of it it seems it has helped him (or me/the caregiver) to occupy himself. Gone is the phase where we had to be with him all the time when he's awake so that he doesnt get bored & starts being cranky :).
- As he gained more control of his limbs & his attention span (? not too sure but i think), he starts to be able to self-soothe himself to sleep. It is still a long way to go, as he has been pretty used swayed in a sling, but yeah we are working on this as we dont want to carry him all the time to make him sleep.
- He is cooing more and more, not only when he is happy (when he is engaged with other people or look at interesting toys), but also when he is calming himself to sleep.
- He is loving swimming. Today hubby said he was totally at ease in the water moving his arms around. This has been his 4th day properly baby-swimming.
- He gets really annoyed by sudden loud voices, like car alarm, speeding motorbike, person suddenly talking  to him very loudly. He will shriek suddenly & cries, but quietens quickly too after the sound is gone (& we are there to comfort him).

- He is drinking 120ml per feeding when I'm away, 2 or 3 bottles a day. I'm still experimenting with the bottle volume, trying to increase a bit more especially in the mid morning & late afternoon so he can last a bit longer before I come back home to b/f directly.
- I am very happy that I have been able to pump sufficiently for him and currently my daily pumping volume is more than or at least the same that he needs. This was a big question mark before I started to work, I had a conservative prediction that I would be pumping deficit, as in if he needed 4 bottles a day, I would only be able to pump 3. But thank goodness it is currently all good.

Back to work

It's been 3 days I have gone back to work. Of course I miss him dearly. The first 100 steps out of the house are the heaviest. It's like i'm having the time of my life because of this little man's presence in our house, but yet I am leaving him to do something else. So the first day was the hardest *only for me, and not for him ;) *, I haven't even left my door step and my eyes are red already :).
Anyway, first day didnt turn up to be so hard. Just one hour resting my bum on the office chair, we all ran out of the building 'cause a fire drill was about to start. So there I was back at home from 10.00 am to 2pm to be back with my son :).
It's been 3 days & I have managed to be back at home during lunch break time so that I can breastfeed him directly & of course to see his little blossoming smile & play with him a little bit. Been going to office early (on time) so I can leave on time too. I don't know how long I can keep up doing this, but I will try my hardest to do this as often as I can. Afterall I am gladly doing it.
Ah the joy of motherhood :)