Baby Can Turn!

Woo hoo! Baby D hits a milestone. He has been actively turning the last 2 days. The last few weeks I've reduced drastically the amount of time I carry him. He has been very good when I lay him on the mattress. Unfortunately, a bit lazy to turn. He would just lay there happily eating his "drumstick" (sucking his entire fist) and looking around. We would tease him by saying his butt is too heavy to turn. He finally proved us wrong. Now we got to watch out that he doesn't roll on to the floor.
I'm not sure if my little trick spurred him on. You see, I was told that to encourage babies to turn, you put them on a blanket and gently lifting the sides, you roll them back and forth. 2 nights ago, I had my DH assist me. He held on to one side, I held on to the other. Baby was like hammocked in the middle of the blanket and we rolled him for half a minute or so. He enjoyed that. Next day, he surprised me by turning on his own.
Anyway, I sound like a first time parent being all excited and stuff. But you know what, whether you are first time, third time or tenth time parent, it's so delightful to see your baby hit milestones.
GO, BABY GO!

p.s. I know I will regret this when he starts to move faster than I can catch him :)

Mother's Day Gifts

Getting an e-card from my daughter reminded me that Mother's Day is just around the corner. I haven't really done much to celebrate Mother's day for my own mother for the last few years. I remember as a teenager, I would get a card for her and write down my thanks. When I was away at university, I would also post home a card to tell her I loved her. Now we are in the digital age, giving and getting physical cards have become extinct like dinosaurs. Well, for me anyway.

Have you thought of what to give your mother for Mother's Day? Or have you thought of what you want to receive for Mother's Day? I think this year I'll get her something simple from MyAsper. Maybe a nice pendant or a bracelet? Why don't you check it out as well. Easy shopping and quite affordable. As people always say, "its the thought that counts."

Feel Good Moments

Received these e-cards in my mailbox today. It made me smile and laugh. Who were they from? Non other than my 5+ year old daughter. These things she can pick up very fast.

Anyway, click on the following to see how children these days apologize and win over their mother's hearts.

• Happy Mother's Day card
• I'm sorry card
  

Times the Bookshop Stock Clearance

Just to say that I was at the Times Book Sale at Dataran Hamodal (next to Colgate) and... it is a total waste of time if you are looking for children's books. Not much choice at all and the price is not that cheap either. So, if you are a parent thinking about going there to stock up on your children's library, DON'T! It's really not worth the trip, and to find a parking space is a nightmare.

This is my community message.

VALUE BOOKSHOP'S LUCKY DRAW IS STILL ON.

ENDING 30 APRIL 2007

HAVE YOU SUBMITTED YOUR NAME YET?

CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW

Who Are You Kidding?

Kids come in all kinds, even when they come from the same womb. Again today koko D here didn't finish his dinner. I was a little mad because I had asked him 3 times during dinner if he was able to finish it. And 3 times he said "Yes Mommy!" If he had said no, I would have dished out some of his onto my plate and eaten it for him.

Anyway, he was eating really slow. He talked more than he ate (darn, I need to replace my broken kitchen timer quick). In the end, he gave up. Well, I had gotten some sweets today while out shopping. Knowing how passionate my kids are about junk food, I told koko D that he wasn't getting any because of the wasted food.

If this happened to che-che K, she would probably sulk, show pathetic face, and drop a tear or two. Later she would file for a petition.

How did koko D take it? He came upstairs and adamantly declared "I don't like that sweet." Hahahah. Who are you kidding my dear son? Are you trying to convince me or yourself? You already delightfully indulged yourself in it earlier today. Hahaha.

This is not the first time. This is koko D's style of handling mommy's restraining orders. When I deprive him of something that he obviously likes, he tries to get back at you by telling you that he didn't like it in the first place. Sort of like saying "Your punishment isn't a punishment. Neh, neh, neh, neh, neh."

Such cunningness. I don't know whether to be proud or to be worried.

Haircut

Among my 3 babies, baby D is the one born with the least hair. He actually looks like a balding baby. Hahaha. The other two had a headful of hair. Anyway, he got his first haircut the other day. The barber was none other than his ever-ready-with-the-clipper dad. It was a very calm experience: no screaming or squirming. The result? My cutie pie look-like-a-monk baby!
By the way, this happens to be our LIM family's hairdo for the boys. From grandfather, to father, to grandsons... they all don the same hairstyle. It all started the day my DH bought himself a clipper and decided trips to the barber shop was over.

So, baby D... you have been officially initiated into the Puncak Alam Lim clan. Don't you think his face looks rounder now?

Tips for haircutting:
1. Invest in a good clipper. Can ask your barber to recommend one. The one we use an Edison cordless clipper. There is one for sale here: EDISON Professional Complete Rechargeable Clipper/Trimmer Set. My DH is happy with it.

2. Make sure your baby is in a good mood when you decide to cut.

3. Sometimes, it is mommy who has to be coaxed into the hair cutting. Baby's first hair is so soft, fine and nice. I always feel heavy hearted to cut it. But with my kids, their baby hair was kinda crazy as it would stand up when long. I mean, look at Big D when he was a baby.

That hair just wouldn't stay down. I was reluctant to cut his hair but he looked soooo much better after cutting. YOU JUST NEED TO HAVE SOME FAITH and LEARN TO LET GO.

4. The army style of cutting is the easiest. It's also fast and that works for squirmy kids.

Chubby Cheeks

This is my little chubby cheeks at 3 months old.

Danic went for his immunization jab today. We went to the Klinik Desa here at Puncak Alam and it was FREE. How nice. They weighed him at 8kg and pronounced him obese. Hahaha. Oh no, I have an obese baby. And all he has is breastmilk. Furthermore, he hasn't been feeding as much as before. Sometimes, he would go till 4-5 hours without a feed and still not make a fuss. I think the nurses didn't know what to advice me. They couldn't tell me to cut down on formula milk – coz' I'm not using formula milk. He has already cut down on the feeding. The only thing they could say was “don't give him solids until he is 6 months old.” Yes ma'am (tabik).

This is poor Danic knocked out. He had a slight fever and was quite cranky. Understandable. Gave him some medicine and that helped. Look at his chubby legs. So nice to squeeze.

A few weeks back, I tried to train Danic to fall asleep without being rocked. I would put him on the mattress and pat him. Unfortunately, it is not that easy. Danic would wail and wail. His face will be all red, fists clenched, stomach tightened and kicking liking crazy. The other mothers have said to let him cry it out, but not more than 10-15 minutes. So that is what I did. The result? I think I gave him colic. Either that or he became even more insecure. He would cry and refused to be consoled. Give him the breast to suck – NO. Give him the pacifier – NO. Rock him in the arms – NO. Put him in the sarong – NO. Oh, it was very exasperating. Anyway, Daddy chided Mommy a bit and teasingly said, “what have I done to the baby?”

So, what happened next? Mommy decided to totally ditch the idea of training baby to sleep by himself. Now we are back to holding him and rocking. Putting baby in the sling seems to work very well. It calms him down quite fast.

Lesson to be learned:
1. Do what is best for baby and not for yourself. Convenience is not always good parenting.
2. Don't listen too much to other people. All babies are different, all mothers are different. This makes for countless types of mother-baby combination. Do what your heart says is right.

So, for my babies, attachment parenting and baby wearing seems to be the answer.

Baby milestones:

• Baby likes to be talked to and will talk back. So cute to see him having a conversation.
• He can laugh (with sound). He likes being nuzzled at the neck. I think it tickles him.
• Have no desire to turn yet. He has tried and can sort of do it. But I think his butt is heavy. Hahaha.
• Can sleep through most of the night. Wakes up probably only once.

VALUE BOOKSHOP'S LUCKY DRAW IS STILL ON.
HAVE YOU SUBMITTED YOUR NAME YET?
CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW

Malaysian Options For Withdrawing Funds From Paypal

I was browsing around the other day and came across an ebook that offers solutions for Malaysians wanting to withdraw funds from their paypal account. It is known as "MalaysiaPal: PayPal Alternative in Malaysia". I was very excited, as you know Malaysians have no way of getting funds out of paypal. The ebook only costs RM10 (USD3) and gave you rights to resell it at RM10, meaning you can get back your money and maybe earn some more. I was so excited that I emailed some friends I thought could benefit from the information.

After reading the ebook, I wondered if the advice given is valid. The ebook highlights 3 ways. Anyway, I decided to do a little bit more digging just to be sure I won't get anyone in trouble for recommending the ebook. Well, bad news. My joy was short lived.

Over at the ebay forum discussion, there is mention of people getting into trouble with one of the methods proposed by MalaysiaPal. You can read it for yourself:

ebay forum discussion 1
ebay forum discussion 2

Seeing that is the case, I have decided to NOT resell this ebook. The other two methods mentioned in the book can still be used but you can find this information for FREE. Why buy free information! Therefore, I shall forego my chance to resell this ebook. I'd rather lose out on my RM10 then to recommend to my fellow parents (and nonparents) a product that is not worth the money.
I would like to extend my apologies to those that I had sent a recommendation email on this ebook. I should have checked it out more thoroughly first.

Also, there is another ebook just launched titled How To Withdraw Money From PayPal in Malaysia. This ebook is FREE. But it also mentions MalaysiaPal.

Actually, if you want to learn about ways to withdraw money from your paypal, this ebay forum discussion is a good resource. Many people sharing their experiences - good and bad. Only thing is it starts from the year 2005. So, there is many, many posts to sit through.

Anyway, I just wanted to sound out this warning about MalaysiaPal so others don't get duped like me. There are other websites promoting it. So, here's the warning:

WARNING: If you see the MalaysiaPal ebook, don't get too excited. One of the methods has gotten people into trouble - funds getting stuck, accounts suspended. The information can be found free.

The Many Uses Of A Kitchen Timer

A kitchen timer is a very useful gadget when it comes to parenting. I have found that it can do more than just help remind me not to burn the cake. Here are some other handy use for a kitchen timer:
1. For parents that have started on potty training.
Use the timer to remind the child when it is time to go potty. You can set it to 45 minutes - 1 hour. Tell your child every time it rings, it is calling him/her to go potty.

2. For slow eaters.
Use the timer to specify how long it should take for them to finish the meal. Of course, be realistic on the time and then add a few more extra minutes so they don't choke down their food. You can offer a reward if the food is finished within the specified time. No punishment if they didn't. I find that it helped my children concentrate on their eating. You know how some children are? As they are eating, they minds are wondering somewhere else or they are still in 'play' mode. So they either keep the food in the mouth for long periods or are busy playing / yakking they are not putting food in their mouth. With the timer in front of them, it keeps them focus at the task at hand.

3. For those who take an eternity to bath.
Use the timer to tell them when they need to be out of the bathroom (preferably already bathed PROPERLY).

4. For those who are learning to share.
Use the timer to help them take turns. When the timer rings, they need to give the other person a turn.

If you think of other ways to use the kitchen timer, let me know.

Story Of A Clean Plate

What's the story behind this clean plate? Well, one of my pet peeves is having to wash a plate that is still full of rice and stuff. So, I have been constantly telling my children to clean their plate. Well, this is what my daughter presented to me today (and yesterday). She has been really trying hard to clean up the plate. As a reward, mommy here promised to show all the 'aunties' and 'uncles' what a good job she has done. Oh, almost forgot. She also wanted me to tell the whole world that she ate her vegetables. Thumbs up for you my girl!


On the other hand, here is D giving me a hard time with his eating again. When he was just a toddler, he was very good and would insist he feed himself. Now that he is older and able to feed himself, he insists that someone feeds him (rolling eyes). He is getting really skinny and so we try to push for him to finish his food; something that he hasn't been doing very well lately. I try to encourage him by calling him "my tiger", do the aeroplane / choo choo train thingy and what not, but my patience tends to wear out especially when I have to hold a squirmy, cranky baby and try to feed him at the same time. But must also give him credit for eventually cleaning up the plate. Also regained my head and apologized for the bit of screaming. My sweet D who never had problems eating, where are you and come back to me!

VALUE BOOKSHOP'S LUCKY DRAW IS STILL ON.
HAVE YOU SUBMITTED YOUR NAME YET?
CLICK THE BUTTON BELOW

Try This To Create Content Quickly

This one is for all you parents (and non parents too) out there trying to earn extra money through adsense and affiliate programs. Guru after guru will tell you that having good content on your website is essential to attracting traffic. However, unless you are a writing wizard, preparing articles can be time consuming and brain cramping.

This is where ContentSolution comes to your rescue.

What is it? It is a content creation tool. One of the things it allows you to do is to grab content from article directories, SEs, RSS feeds or your own text files and help you rewrite it into hundreds of unique copies. You can create as much content as you want and download it in ANY format you want - html, txt, pdf, or RSS

Go ahead and test drive it.

IT'S FREE until May 7th. Download a copy here:
CONTENT SOLUTION V2.0

It's a totally no-strings-attached offer. On May 8th, you can decide if you want to purchase it or not. Plus, just for trying it over the next month, you'll get an automatic $30 off if you want to purchase.

Once again, THIS IS FREE for now.

It's A Good Thing I'm Poor

Sometimes I wish I was in a position where I do not have to be overly concerned about money; that I could do what I want, eat what I want, and buy what I want. Of course I'm not only thinking about myself but also my children. I wish I could give them more.

But you know what, ironically, it is because I have limited funds, that I have actually given (and still am giving) my children more. Here is a list of how my children, and sometimes myself, have benefited from our unfavorable situation:

1. Breastfeeding
My initial motivation to breastfeed was because it would cost money to buy formula milk. Why buy something that I can provide for free? Of course, it also helped to learn later that breastmilk is the best nutrition for the baby. You know how some mothers would initially try to breastfeed and then due to circumstances or lack of support, they succumb and give in to formula milk. Well, in my mind I just refused to spend money on formula milk. So right from the beginning, I was determined to make it work, no matter what. I eliminated all other options. And therefore my children were able to enjoy (and baby is still enjoying) exclusive breastmilk.

2. Baby wearing
I often see mothers put their baby in a carrier or stroller. And sometimes I do envy that the babies have been trained to sleep in those things without a fuss. Me? I carried my baby everywhere and almost all the time. I've had my share of comments that I shouldn't carry baby so much because they will be spoiled. But I can't help it, I love to hold them when they are newly born. By the time they get a bit heavier, they already don't like to be put down.
Anyway, getting a good stroller or carrier is expensive. And then they outgrow such things quite fast too. (I don't believe in putting a toddler who can walk on a stroller. I notice most toddlers don't want to be constraint in a stroller by then too anyway.) Furthermore, you don't use them all the time. It didnt seem like a good investment (it's okay if you want to beg to differ). So, instead of strollers or carriers, I used a sling instead.

Now I learn that "baby wearing" is actually good for the babies. Some of the advantages of baby wearing:
- Research has shown that baby wearing practice results in babies that cry less.
- Because they don't spend so much time on crying, they learn more. So, it's good for them intellectually as well.
- The closeness increases bonding, gives baby a sense of security and trust. All these needed to enhance baby's growth and health.

So, nevermind my arms, shoulder and back aches because of too much carrying. No need to envy those mother's who train their baby's to sleep in the stroller/carrier instead of in their arms. Baby wearing is a good thing.

3. Co-sleeping
Baby cribs cost a lot. Not only that, I really don't have place to put one too. So, all my babies sleep with me. I have no complaints here. I love sleeping with my babies. Co-sleeping and breastfeeding together has given me the chance to have enough rest at night. I don't need to get up to check on or feed baby. I just need to roll onto my side. I let baby feed and I sleep on.
No real problems on getting them to sleep on their own beds when they're older. I have successfully kicked the older two kids from off my bed to make way for baby.

4. Freedom of play
We moved away from the city because the rent is cheaper. In our current neighbourhood, the children can play outside without the worries of heavy traffic. Of course they are still reminded to watch out for the occasional car, but compared to before, they at least can play outside.

5. Fresh air and clean water
Away from the city, the air here is fresher and the water cleaner.

6. Creative play
I can't afford to buy expensive toys. I don't buy much toys actually. Because of this, the kids use their creativity and imagination using ordinary, inexpensive and even recycleable stuff. They can have hours of fun with a cardboard box and find multiple uses for a skipping rope.

7. Homeschooling
Kindergarten these days are too heavy on the pockets. Thus the decision to homeschool them. No homework pressures. One-to-one tutoring from me. We read and learn from storybooks, and get to choose fun worksheets and activities to do.

8. Better diet
Before, when we were living in PJ, there were many nights we would go out for supper. 'Mamak' and desserts were a big temptation. Now that we've moved, these temptations have been removed. We hardly eat outside food anymore as we are too far away from the shops.

9. Uncluttered life
If I had lots of money, I think I would enroll my children in tons of extra-curricular activities like music class, swim lessons, art lessons, gymnastics, chinese tuition etc.... I think I would end up being a 'kiasu' parent. But since I don't have a lot of money to spend, my children get to enjoy an uncluttered lifestyle. They are not chauffered from one class to another, only to come home exhausted. They spend their energy developing their skills through play and they are the dictators of their learning (to a certain extend).

10. Cloth diapering
You must agree that disposable diapers takes a chunk out of your wallet. Recently, I've considered cloth diapering to cut down the costs. Now, you must be thinking "No way Jose am I going to use cloth diapers. They are messy and will give my baby rashes." I agree with you. Using the traditional cloth diapers ('lampin') is a big hassle. But now we are in the modern age and there are modern cloth diapers. I just purchased a bunch (Bum Genius) from Mia Bambina (free shipping) and they are pretty good. The diaper is adjustable to 3 different sizes so I don't have to worry about my baby outgrowing them. They are pocket diapers, meaning there is a pocket for you to stuff an insert that absorbs all the wetness. Quite fantastic actually. The soaker is wet but the layer against baby's butt is dry. So, I can actually use one cloth diaper for 4-5 hours (that is if baby doesn't poo). And, it works throughout the night too. Initial investment in these modern cloth diapers may feel like a lot, but if you work out the expenses over 1-2 years, you really do save a lot.
If I wasn't pressed to save money, I wouldn't have considered using cloth diapers. And they are actually better for baby's butt as well -- no rashes. Oh, and no leaks too.

Well, I'm only human and can't help wanting to be better off financially. But I guess God knows me and has blessed me with poverty. Hahahah. Goodness knows the path I would have taken if I had plenty of money to spend. So although I feel financially restricted, more good than bad has come out of it.

Mommy's Time Out

When we have kids, our world automatically starts revolving around them. And for us SAHM (stay-at-home-moms), this usually resuts in 'comfortable', 'convenient', 'easy', and 'practical' dressing. This can get quite boring and don't you agree that sometimes, it's nice to look nice.

Well, take a time out mommies. And daddies, pay attention! (Hint, hint) I found a Malaysian online jewelry store and for now, they are having a CLEARANCE SALE FROM 10%-50%. They have earrings, bracelets, brooch, necklaces, pendants, hair accessories etc.... You know, all the girly-girly stuff.

Go take a look. If not now, maybe some other time. I am putting their banner on this blog. Ladies, treat yourself to something nice. If not, hint for DH to do so. Just choose what you want and let him hit the pay button. Hahahah. Also a good option if you need to find a gift for someone. Little girls love these stuff too. I know coz' I have a little girl myself.