Nikon Coolest Pix

Birthday came early-- I bought myself a new camera!

I tell you, I've had many cameras before and they are all the unconventional ones.

I've had Polaroids, Lomo cams (two of them), Casio Exlim (it is still the world's slimmest and lightest), and now-- the world's first camera with built-in projector!

Cool!

Of The Blue Sky

Apples & Bananas

Shaved half an apple, cook it over medium fire. Add a little water.

Chop a banana into cubes, cook together.

Optional: Add a little butter. (note: unsalted!)

Puree it with blender.

She loves it! Yum, yum.

How Now Brown Cow?

Is blending fresh apple not apple puree?

I googled and found this video http://www.videojug.com/film/how-to-make-apple-puree
The apples are being boiled before meshing, and it doesn't look oxidized! Gosh.

The puree I've made is so oxidized that I don't think it serves much nutrients eating it.

I think I really need to research on making baby food.

***

Gosh gosh. Supposed to cook any fruits before feeding.

Sharks. Got to seriously go read up! help!

***

Saving Grace! Avocado need not be cooked. Even for an infant. *phew!

One simple recipe http://www.wholesomebabyfood.com/avocadobabyfoodrecipes.html

Creamy Banana-Cado Baby Food
Peel and de-pit a ripe avocado. Cut “meat” out and mash with a fork. Peel and mash 1 banana. Place in a blender or food processor and puree until desired texture is achieved. Avocados and Bananas do not need to be cooked.

Of Potty & Winter

Winter in East Coast.
Kiki looks as if she was going somewhere cold.
Indeed, the shopping centres in Singapore are cold.
So much energy to keep the buildings cool, yet the generators emit even more heat to the atmosphere. Try standing behind an air-con generator and you will know what I mean.
I never did care until I watched I "an inconvenient truth". Although I still feel that even if I think green or go green, my efforts alone will not be able to effect major change, which is what we need. Rain (new colleague) reminded me that if everyone who thinks like me put in an effort, there will surely be results. So, ya, I will be mindful of the resources that we have and with my personal effort, be green. (having said that, I am not ready to be a fanatic, so please don't talk to me about carbon footprints and all). http://www.climatecrisis.net/


First time using the potty today. It is funny how she natrually grunts when she poops.

Probably, making that noise made it easier.

Poem

Found this poem on the net:-

If I had my child to raise again

If I had my child to raise over again I'd build self-esteem first, and the house later.

I'd finger paint more and point fingers less. I would do less correcting and more connecting.

I'd take my eyes off my watch, and watch with my eyes.

I would care to know less and know to care more I'd take more hikes and fly more kites.

I'd stop playing serious, and seriously play. I would run through more fields and gaze at more stars.

I'd do more hugging and less tugging. I'd see the oak tree in the acorn more often.

I would be firm less often and affirm much more.

I'd model less about the love of power, And more about the power of love.

By: Diane Looman "Full esteem ahead" (via Little Red Bus)

Smile!

Recently, she has been breaking into wide smiles all so often. It is very delighting, her megawatt smiles could light up a room.

Recipe

I made porridge again on Saturday morning, this time, the porridge was great! I used the mini slow clock cooker (is it slow clock? I'm not sure. Maybe it is as it takes a long time to cook anything at all). Anyway, as I was saying, the slow clock cooker gave such soft rice grains that I could easily mash them up. The only catch was that it took 1 & 1/2 hours for it to cook. But the carrots that I made failed to be soft. I didn't want to wait another one hour for it to slow cook; I cooked it over the stove fire. No matter how I boiled it, it wouldn't turn soft. Maybe the carrots are too old and dry. I did go to the market to buy baby-carrots but all the packets there had dried-up carrots. So anyway, Kiki took only a few mouthful of porridge and that was it for Saturday. Oh, thankfully I've got pumpkin squash as a backup and she enjoyed it. Emm... it was jar baby food, in case you're wondering....

Sunday was a lot better, I made avocado into cream. Good recommendation from Pam, she told me to get the Braun hand-blender and it works wonderfully. Of course I didn't let Kiki finish the whole bowl of avocado (even though she could), as it is too much (I think) for a baby to consume. Hence, I ate half of the portion. It tastes wonderfully rich. Thanks to my mom who had introduced me avocado when I was young, many people I know do not like that fruit, they say they feel like they're eating a cake of soap. Well, maybe if they eat the creamy version, they might like it. Or would they then feel that they're eating face cream.

The Morning

The morning she visited my office.

One of the pantry old auntie wanted to meet Kiki and so I brought her to the office one morning.

There were only five people whom Kiki got to meet as I always reach the office an hour earlier than required. It's not that I am so hard working, but it was to avoid the traffice jam. So anyway, the pantry auntie & our company's cook were both so excited when they see her. Despite the unusual morning outing, Kiki did fairly well and was taking in the envorinment.

The Recipe is Love

There is much feedback to me about cooking for babies.

The key, they said, is to practise.

It is true that Kiki only took a few mouthfuls the first time she took porridge last week, and it's true I was discouraged.

Few people have informed me that it is common in the beginning and I should just practise making porridge and coninue to feed Kiki. They said eventually, the baby will grow to love eating it. Jasmine said that one experienced mom (demonstrated) and cooked for her boy and he finished the food but when Jasmine had her hands on it, her boy didn't liked it. Still, she persisted and now, she's a good cook!

Okay, that's encouraging. Thanks.

I shall experiment again this weekend and I should make porridge every weekend!.
Until such time, I will then teach my maid.

Hari Raya- Sarina

Picture Courtesy of Sarina

Today

My mom bought these jumpers. I wouldn't buy one that says "I love Mummy" cos right now, next to her milk, she loves her caretaker more than us.

At the Cafe

One Birthday Session

Bren's nephew celebrated his 3rd birthday on Saturday.

It was a long day for me because I woke up at 6.58am and was kept busy till late.

First, I cooked spinach porridge for Kiki to let her try. I think I will stick to the rice cereal and bottled food instead. Cooking takes up so much time! Forgive me! I will probably do the cooking thingy when Kiki could sit up firmly.

Second, we went to Sarina's house for Hari Raya visiting. Kiki was not doing well at all. She cried when we stepped into the house, hence we ended up eating at the corridors and spent the whole time trying to bring her into the house in peace without much success.

Third, I went to buy a birthday present for Christopher, get ready the ang bow, get ready the maid and also get Kiki ready for the dinner. Luckily it was held at East Coast where we could just walk across.

"Eating" at the restaurant

For now, everything's heading for the mouth.

The Rabbit that became mine

Kiki likes this black rabbit a lot as she could suckle on its ears and paws, but it was too bad it really wasn't suitable as a toy. I bought it at the pasar malam stall and it is actually a pencil case. One of its eyes came off when Kiki was sucking its ear. Luckily it rolled onto the floor, so, no, this one is out!

Two New Things

Two new things this week:- Buff Junior! Hello Kitty Bandana that can be used as a headscarf, mask, cap, headband, hairband, pirate-styled bandana, etc.

Subscribed to Babytv on SCV cable and I'm glad I did!

Kiki "talks" to the characters on TV and I've noticed she particularly likes puppets!

wow.

She even giggles while watching the programmes.

Additional $4.50 (i think) for this channel.

I like this channel because the programmes are designed for babies, they are slower paced and each segment lasts only about 5 minutes. It plays out many different types of programmes. There're simple graphics, puppetry, 2-D, 3-D, cartoons, and many other slow-paced visuals.

In the evenings

In the evenings

I miss out on these evening walks at the playground as by the time I reach home, it is dark.

3-Oct-2009, Saturday - Her First Solids

We followed the doctor's instructions to the T, this is Kiki's first solid food!

Most mothers I know gave their babies some form of solids when the baby turns 4 months.

For me, I thought there must be a really good reason why the doctors strongly recommended not to give the baby solids till 6 months.

She took to it very well and has a certain kind of pace to eating, it came naturally.

I try to at least know what it tastes like, turns out, it tastes just like our Nestum cereal.

Nice fragrance to it.

Look-alike

My sis ordered a figuring for herself but it turned out looking more like me, so she gave it to me instead.

Let me try to find a picture of myself, looking like this...
Okay, here you go.

Although I am like 2 to 4 sizes bigger than my sis (depending on whether you're referring to US, UK or Asian chart), people always tells us we look alike.

We think we look a little alike, but we don't think we look as much alike as what they make it out to be.

When we were younger, we had friends calling out to us on the street, mistakening her for me and vice versa. We are always puzzled how these people could genuinely mistook us. Nevertheless, this is a fun and funny thing for me.

Hari Raya House Visiting

Starring at..........










The cat!

My customer invited us to his house for Hari Raya celebration. He naturally thought that I would bring Kiki along, which I'm glad I did. To my relief, Kiki was relaxed and even broke into a wide smile when the hosts greeted her. Again, she won them over with her dimples. The wife exclaimed - Han, look! Dimples!

Could it be that Kiki likes Malays? Hum............ I don't think she knows how to differentiate races yet, but now that I reflect, she does seem more cosy with the Malay ladies. Oh, I wonder if she associates them with Kakak... maybe.

So, anyway, Kiki was charming and the people there took turns to hold her.

26th September, Saturday 2009

Cushy Throne. Waiting to go to the Godma's.

I was told that Kiki sometimes looks fierce.

A few people told me that.

They also said her eyes are bright.

The same people told me that.

I joked with Bren that it's because she has his fierce eyes and my bright ones.

Although Kiki is kind of a-little-hard-to-handle, I have no complaints as I feel both Brendan & I had our fair share of being hard-to-handle too. I mean, we've come a long way from being selfish-arses to being who we are today and we've matured or may I hope to say-- become better persons. In a way, I see us imparting what we've learnt to our baby. And what an apt way to start! The joke is on us.

To the Godma's (again)

Every once in a month, we go to the Godma's place.

Kiki is beginning to recognise faces and people, and she is not responding well to it.

She is fine with people around, she's also fine with crowd. In fact, she is fine with strangers.

She is just not fine when they start talking to her.

She would cry.

I was told that it is because she hardly meets people hence the hesitancy.

Well, it is my task to integrate her into a larger scale of people, especially when I feel that social skills are important.

Brendan is bringing her out more often during the day when he comes home early. Today, I heard she let a hawker lady carry her, without much incident.

At the Park (Sengkang)

Thinking that some fresh air would help, cousin JY suggested we go to the park.

A troop of us went to the park. Cousin JY, LS, Anna, My Mom, Sis, Bren, the two Babies.

But Kiki was still having that "oh-no!-stranger" spell, she cried when my cousins talk to her. I got rather upset with her being cranky the whole day. I felt that my cousins are accommodating us and I was embarrassed that I couldn't coax her out of it. Nevertheless, they were very encouraging and even suggested that I should bring Kiki over more frequently. Well, I will make an extra effort to get her accustom to people. Today, the Malay lady at the rice stall asked to carry Kiki cos she was just so delighted to see her. Kiki didn't cry for a full 5-mins. That is some improvement at least.

Something New

Finally had a brief moment of calmness when she found the toy interesting.

It has some push buttons that make sounds and play music.

This is supposed to be a tool box but it is missing a hammer, (it is a hand-me-down toy).

Nevertheless, it works well without the hammer and we just use our hands to push the buttons etc.

Hip Hop Hooray

Kiki Looks Like A Rapper.

I almost forgot about this Tee until I was searching for some stuff in her drawers. Luckily it fits and I think to fully utilize it, we could use it as a PJ too.

To The Airport

We were heading home after visiting the Bazar but detoured to the Airport since Kiki was awake and attentive. Plus, we've heard so much about Popeyes Chicken and have yet to try. I try to let Kiki use the pram more often now so that we don't need to carry her as much, but I think this pram is no longer suitable, she keeps sliding down. I think I need to use the other one that can let her sit up, but then again she hasn't learnt to sit yet...... not very sure which is which.

Excursion

We brought Kakak to the Bazar at Tanjong Katong to let her soak in the festivities of the Malay New Year. She was delighted to see that there were many Muslims around and we bought some snacks to give her a treat. I've also bought her a blouse for the new year.

As we were at the Bazar in the afternoon, the crowd was semi-thick, which was just nice for us to move about and we had a fairly enjoyable time.

Kiki was busy looking around, she stares at anything new that may catch her attention at that moment. We would slow down and let her watch whatever's been captivating.

Selamat Hari Raya

Pasar Malam at Tanjong Katong

Toy Stall

Indian Dancers at T3

Breaking News

Breaking News!

Price of Milk went Up. Overnight. All across Singapore.

I don't know about other brands but I'm talking about Friso (Gold- 0 to 6 months).

It was $29.95 and became $34.00 overnight.

This is a 13.5225% increase.

Bren says, "it's like this, when you have a car, the petrol will also cost you money"

I said, "you can don't drive a car but your baby cannot don't drink milk".

It never did cross my mind that the price of the baby's milk powder will increase so much as I thought it was already quite expensive. I mean, how can you peak a peaked price right? Wrong.

I also thought maybe I should just go and scout for the cheapest brand on the shelves but then on second thought, I don't want to make the switch since Kiki is doing well with the current brand, and it is not as if we cannot afford it. But still, what about the others?

Rubber Throne (in my favourite colour)

I almost forgot about this rubbery foam chair that Aunt Serene gave a long time ago. It was kept in my mom-in-law's store room cos at that time, we haven't had a baby. At the back of my head, I do remember this chair but I thought it was suitable for a 2-year-old. I tell you, my sense of judgement is absent when it comes to dealing with babies. Luckily Ashley reminded me of this or Kiki might outgrow the throne by the time I take it out of the closet. You can see that she fits snugly into it now. She doesn't like sitting in it for long, at most it's 5 minutes before she would push herself out of it. Stretch! Stretch! ... we have to lookout for her as she has yet to learn to use her arms to prop herself up, nor is she able to sit. This seat should come in handy when we start giving her some solids next month. The doctor says to introduce rice cereals when she's 6-month-old, so, we're in no hurry for now.

Some Roles Are Not To Be Outsourced

Work has been busy the past two weeks. Never a dull moment.

One some days, it can be quite taxing, hence I've decided to get some excercise at least to break a sweat and get the heart pumping. It helps to relief stress. But I only do this on a weekend as time on a weekday is lean. By the time I settle in after bath and dinner, it is past eight. Any waking moment is to be spent with Kiki, be it just watching her roll over her tummy. This makes my weekends more precious than they used to be.

Today has been a wonderful day as I feel productive. I let Kiki sit on my lap and we played with the few hanging mobile toys for about half and hour. Then we did some reading. She was especially responsive to Dr. Seuss' little book--I think it is tittled "Mr. Brown", I'm not quite sure. The rhymes go Moo Moo, Hoo Hoo, Pop Pop, Klop Klop. etc. and that is supposedly funny as Kiki would giggle after I do Pop Pop & Klop Klop. I have decided to make the effort to hold her and play with her whenever I have the chance because I realised that she was being overly sticky to the maid. It does takes quite a bit of effort on my part because frankly, I would rather be doing my other stuff, but I've decided that I have to part-take in the process of not just bringing up a kid but to be involved and stay connected. It is easy to delegate the job to the maid now that Kiki is so comfortable with her but it is wrong of me if I take that for granted. I do know that I need time to be alone, you know, do my own stuff but I also need to bear in mind that a relationship has to be nurtured eventhough it is with my own baby. I think being the bearer does not give you the immunity, on my part, I've got to be there too. Hence, I've been feeding her whenever I have the opportunity, I also sleep with her, and we will be going out of the house more often from now on. Let's have fun.