Monday, June 25, 2012

29, 30 next

Turned 29 today.

Never thought I'd be facing the big 3-0 so soon.

Looking back the last decade what have I accomplished?

A university degree

Moving to a foreign country

Getting married

Having a baby

On paper it looks like I did all I set out to do when I turned 19.

Do I have any regrets? Sure! Plenty! Most are forgettable.

One I never will forgive myself is pursuing my career with more heart.

I guess I never really knew what I wanted to do. I skipped from retail to HR, to translating, and finally advertising.

Perhaps I should have pursued my love of fashion like I wanted to when I was 19.

I recently had an opportunity to start writing for an up and coming website commenting on top three wardrobe fixes.

Stay tuned...

Sunday, June 24, 2012

Itchy, much?

Since early this week I have been having progressively itchier nights caused by what I now believe to be hives. At first I thought it could be mosquito bites on my neck and arm but it's been reoccurring every night in different places and have definitely been getting worse and worse.

Just when I've started to get more sleep now this.

I googled online and came across something interesting, but unfortunate. There is apparently something called postpartum hives that occur due to the oxytocin that is released every time a let down happens during breastfeeding.

Could this be what I am going through?

Going to the dermatologist tomorrow to find out, stay tuned for updates...

6/25

Went to the doctors, he said my hives are not caused by breastfeeding n asked me to change my bed sheets.

Slightly insulted from his accusation that my bed is somehow the cause of my hives, I returned home and changed my bed sheets and in my cleaning frenzy discovered that my summer blanket was...becoming fluffy?

I washed it and found that the fluff would not come off!

Could it really be a simple case of fluffy blankets causing my itchy skin?

I decided to use another blanket for the time being and see if it made any difference...

Another bout of the hives have driven me back to the dermatologist and this time I have decided to be a good girl n listen to the good doctor and take my medicine, he assured me that the medicine will have no effect if breastfeeding... Fingers crossed...

Wednesday, June 20, 2012

You're so photogenic, Baby!

Since having my baby 6 months ago, I have unearthed a few hidden talents, and one of these talents is photography.  Obviously this is a completely subjective analysis of course, but I believe my ability to capture little R in his best moments on par with Annie Lebovitz and Mario Testino (cue to laugh hysterically).  Despite my total ignorance and big headedness, I do, however think that I have a few tips and tricks up my sleeve for capturing babies in their best.

Now, all babies are cute, full stop, but sometimes its just a matter of angle and lighting that makes a cute baby into an 'oh my god I want to bite his chubby cheeks off' baby.

1) When babies are only able to lay on their backs, sometimes their face is so chubby and cherub like that they somehow resemble a big pizza, round, flat and lacking much dimension.  That's fine because most of the baby's feature are not fully developed yet, so if you are noticing this for the first time, chillax.  So in this case, why not try shooting from the top of his head, the angle will make his face more dimensional and if your baby looks up at mummy (or daddy) you get the added bonus of the big eye effect!

2) Ever want to take a photo with your baby but somehow always manage to look like how you feel i.e. struggling on 2 hours of sleep and last meal was 6 hours ago and consisted of half a bagel.  The best way to look good (and healthy) is to have your baby lay next to you on the bed with the camera (I like to use my iPhone) facing down, the gravity will naturally pull your face and skin back making you look fresher and younger instantly!

3) Never take a picture with bad lighting or no lighting, I always turn on the lights to make sure that pictures come out clearer and that way any edits you may want to make to the pictures can be done without too much work, which leads me to my next tip...

4) Having good, easy to use - this is the key here, EASY to use editing programs are essential for a busy mother.  I use my iPhone here again and my favorite apps right now are Line Camera, Instagram and Photolr PS.  All of these apps are easy to use and have great editing options not to mention create cute pictures and instantly uploads to my Facebook.

So, next time you catch your baby do something adorable, don't forget to get your camera or iPhone to capture these precious moments, and give my tips a try!

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Ferber method - review

After 6 days of implementing the Ferber method I have come to a sort of stand still as to what I should do next.

One the one had, R's sleeping has improved dramatically, he only really wakes up once in the night now and sleeps average from 8pm-7am with a night feeding at around 9:30. When he wakes up at other times he is able to sooth himself back to sleep within 2 minutes. This has made a dramatic improvement on my quality of sleep as well as my temperament.

On the other hand the amount of time spent listening to him cry at the initial stage of sleep has not changed much from 15 - 20 minutes. This is the part I'm most frustrated and unable to deal with. I cannot imagine having to listen to such desperate cries night after night, especially when my maternal instincts tell me I should do something about it. Its distressing for any mother to have to listen to this every night and this is the main reason I have decided to call halt on this Ferber operation.

At this point I am certain of three things, the Ferber method works, on some level; it might not be suitable for all babies; and I am not sure if this is the right choice for me and R.

I will try and adopt a more gentler method from tonight, I think the thing to keep in mind when implementing any type of sleep training, as with anything in life, is to stay flexible. No one will benefit from a stubborn decision least of all your baby.

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Ferber method - Day 6

7:13 the crying is unbearable even after 6 days of this you'd think I'd be trained to get used to it but sadly I'm not and I'm starting to wonder if this is the right thing for me to do. On the one hand R's night waking have reduced drastically, however the time it takes for him to fall asleep as well as the process itself has not eased much at all. Tonight after 10 minutes of crying I gave up and comforted my poor baby, I gave him a lot of kisses and distracted him from the crying by letting watch his musical mobile. He was better fit 15 minutes but then started to cry again and after another 10 minutes of crying he finally fell asleep. I really don't know if it's he's learnt to fall asleep or that he's simply exhausted from crying. This is definitely not fun. Time of sleep 7:55 pm.

9:10 - 180 ml of formula with rice cereal down and back to sleep at 9:20. It's time to sleep for sleepy mummy too...

3:03 - A drowsy/hungry R woke up upset and I nursed him which I kind of regret. I think I should just reinforce the method but I'm usually too sleepy myself to reason that and just do the easy thing. I think I myself am to blame for the method not completely adopted by R, it's just hard to find a balance. When should the crying be stopped and when is it ok? No one is there to draw the line or call a foul and the books always say you will know when the cries are more serious, but at the end of the day there is only you who will have to make the hard decision.

5:14 - a short burst of crying followed by lazy yelps with silence... A total of 4 minutes, if my sleepy eyes did not trick me... Back to sleep!

6:13 - I think R woke up there's a lot of commotion in his cot but no sounds I decided to close my eyes for a few more moments before he actually complained.

6:34 - ok it's official, R's awake! And thus begins another day :)



Tuesday, June 12, 2012

My ultimate must have baby list for new mums!

1) Ergobaby carrier - yes it's expensive but in my opinion it's really worth the cash to purchase an item than you will use often that's both good for your baby and you! If you like to snuggle up with your baby often then I highly recommend getting this baby carrier, it's functional and comfortable while allowing for bonding time for you and your baby!

2)Sophie - its an all natural rubber chewy squeaky toy that all babies will enjoy playing with. The fact that even the coloring is naturally derived makes it comforting for even the most jittery of mothers.

3)Parklon play mat - these are non toxic play mats that are colorful, thick cushioned and safe for babies to play, eat or sleep on. I prefer these one piece play mats to the puzzle types that tends to be harder to clean between the cracks and safer in that kids can't rip them out of the floor which might pose a potential fall accident.

4) Bumbo baby seat - this is an award winning baby seat that teaches babies the correct posture to sit. It comes in a variety of cute colors and accessories such a play table, or high chair option. I find the table very useful for meal time to avoid dribbles and it prevents over active kids from tipping the seat over. Bumbo users should be aware that it must NEVER be placed on an elevated surface to prevent falls.

5) Pigeon nail scissors, or any type of round, short tipped scissors will do. I find scissors so much easier to use than clippers because you can see where you're cutting easily and the round tip ensures that you don't poke the delicate baby fingers by accident.

6) Avent 5 in one sterilizer - what you want for these type of products is simply that it's easy to use and it works! Both apply to this dishwasher safe, no brainer sterilizer. The fact that it's roomy and fits a lot of stuff is also a plus.

7) DHC cotton buds & Pigeon double tipped cotton buds. The DHC cotton buds have a little bit of olive oil in them so they are great for cleaning around the outside of the ears or the belly button which can get dried dirty gook in them. The oil lubricates the skin and brings out the gunk, no fuss no muss. The Pigeon double tipped cotton buds have one side which has a natural sticky jelly like substance derived from plants that can attach itself onto larger pieces of snot in babies noses helping to clear clogged sinuses and relieved blocked noses, very common amongst babies.

8) Summer swaddle wraps - they come in a variety of colors and available in fleece or cotton for changes in weather as well as two sizes so if you have a big baby like me then you can still swaddle your baby with ease. I found that when R was a little older and not requiring the full swaddle anymore I could use the swaddle and just wrap it around his belly and that way he's still warm from the chest down but he's not restricted as he would be fully swaddled.

9) iPhone - I know this is technically not a baby item but my iPhone has become one of the most used items since I've had my baby. I use it to take photos, videos, send messages to my husband who is in Japan, my family and friends, edit pictures, chat with my other mummy friends, search online for child care techniques, record baby's schedule with apps and play music to a fussy baby ... And write my blog without the need of my computer! Talk about a multi-tasker!

10) Patience - haha, ok I admit I still don't have this one down to a tee but I'm trying my darnedest to make sure no matter what I am always patient, I've had moments where I've lost it and I totally regret it later and to make sure I don't do it again I try to take a few breaths or even just step out of the room for a few seconds so that my impatience won't cause me to do something I will be ashamed of later. While everything else on the list can be bought, this is something that every mother needs to learn and reinforce everyday, but it will go towards the happiness of you and your child so much further and no matter what, a necessary skill in your life.

Ferber method - Day 5

I'm not sure if it's the Ferber method or just the fact that R doesn't like sleep time, he always puts up a fight right before bed, and today was no different. After his bath at 7 he was put into his cot at 7:10 and as soon as he was in his cot he started to protest , and thus began the crying.

7:15 I checked up on little R and upon sensing my presence he got a bit more upset and cried harder. I rubbed his belly and tried to comfort him and left after a bit. The crying continued but I could tell he was giving up as his cried became fainted and long moments would pass before he gave a yelp.

7:22 - after 5 minutes of silence then yelp, it finally became just silence, although again his sleeping position is all weird, but too afraid to repeat last nights episode, I let him be, after all if he wasn't comfortable he's at the age where he can completely move to any position he desired.

9:15 supper time for R, the little guy fell asleep straight after his meal without a peek.

3:34 little R woke up and cried lethargically and I wondered if I should leave him or feed him but decided to feed him as he was making his hunger calls. He fed quickly and went back to sleep.

6:47 wake up time!