Antibiotics 3

While chalking up Genting trips is fine, chalking up doses of antibiotics is not. :(  This time it was Cefdiel as paed said better avoid too much Augmentin.  Jo Ern tends to have high fevers when she is sick.  For a breastfed baby, isn't she supposed to be tougher??

 Oh yeah, I was sick last week

But I'm ok already now. SEE?

It was nights of limited sleep for me while I kept checking her temperature.  Then it was off to the paed.  At least I could rest easier once she was on antibiotics.  BUT... after that she developed a blocked nose, couldn't sleep at night and screamed a lot.  And I thought I was already sleep-deprived!  Please don't get sick too often, ok Jo Ern?  Mummy needs her sleep.

Good thing she's recovered now.  It was exhausting at the time, but recalling now the image of her sitting up in the dark screaming at the top of her little lungs... I actually think that was cute and feel a rush of affection for my baby.  Hehe I must still not be thinking too clearly!

Genting trip 7

A rare family photo!

So off we went to Genting AGAIN for hubby's birthday.  We stayed the first night by ourselves.  Hubby's guests arrived the second afternoon for whisky, snacks and chat in our suite and balcony.  Dinner was at Ming Ren, then back to the suite for more drinks and the badminton finals.  The ladies went off for some shopping and returned with 'yau char kwai' for supper.  Overall, a nice program indeed. 

Well I didn't go shopping since I was trying to feed Jo Ern who was having a screaming fit for some reason.  This one can be pretty fierce!  She also 'insisted' on having some of the tapioca chips we were munching on.  Actually she had quite a few new foods this trip.  I figured the 1-year salt/sugar ban is almost over.  She tried cheese, yogurt, noodles, raw capsicum, grapes, aforementioned tapioca chips, vinegared potato strips.  Oh, and some 'soon hock' at dinner - not bad eh, having this expensive fish when she's not even one? :)

Grapes taste better if you pick your own

We managed to get some rides at the theme park.  But gave up shortly since it was the school holidays and queues were long.  It was nice just walking around in the cool weather.

This bear is a few times bigger than me!

We didn't walk around all that long.  But when I had a peek at the stroller, Jo Ern was completely KO already.  Haha the poor baby!

K.O. baby

With babies, it's such a short period before the next meal or nap time. We always plan to do this and that after a leisurely breakfast and have to re-plan when we find Jo Ern looking real sleepy.

Genting trip 6

I'd better just post this entry before our NEXT trip.  Jo Ern is actually sick right now but hopefully the antibiotics will work soon.

An apple? I only have two teeth but I will try my best to eat it

So off we went to Genting again last weekend.  A quick overnight trip this time. There wasn't much time to do anything so as usual we ate a lot and went to the theme park.  Confirmed Jo Ern is afraid of clowns.

We aren't the best hotel guests with Jo Ern around.  I normally feed her her solids on the bed.  She will crawl around halfway through so the bedsheets end up with mashed peas and whatnot all over.  Then I use the towels to wipe her so towels also end up with mashed peas and whatnot all over. Then we leave the mess for housekeeping.  :)

Papa made this fortress just for me!

Oh wait, is he trapping me so I cannot climb everywhere?

Got milk?

Got my spoon ready. Wonder what I will get to eat?

So let me jot down how the sizeable stash of breastmilk in my freezer came about. Might come in handy to jog my memory should I have another baby heh. The main secret is... plenty of hard work and determination! My natural supply isn't bountiful by any means and I would regularly panic about not having enough.  :)  Upon returning to work, I had stock of 20 portions of frozen milk.  This dropped to a low of 11 before rising again to a more comfortable level.

On to the to-dos:

1. Time control. Yield is disproportionate to time - if 3 hours yield 3oz, 5 hours may only yield 4oz. So no dilly-dallying when it's time to pump! I would pump at 11.30am and 3pm in the office. Then I rush back home to pump at 6.30pm.  The other feeds are direct.

2. Extension of point 1... waking up in the middle of the night to pump.  Jo Ern was sleeping 5-6 hours at a stretch so I figured I could squeeze one portion out in the middle of that period.  Only worry was that she would wake unusually early wanting milk!  It did happen a couple of times.

3. Pump after baby has finished direct feed. This tells the body that more milk is needed, produce more next time please.  Each pumping only produced 5-10ml, but it adds up when supply is at critical level. 

4. No 'supplementing' with formula allowed.  That tells the body that less milk is needed and it will produce less accordingly.

5. Milkmaid tea, warm drinks and fenugreek didn't seem to make any difference. 

6. After baby has graduated to solids, pump when baby is eating solids.

That breastpump was practically my bosom buddy at one stage!  I would remove the motor and store the rest in the fridge so it'd be available all the time.  Luckily Jo Ern appreciated my efforts, right?  Err, right?

Actually... I don't like milk THAT much. Like this corn, it's nicer than milk.

Sighhhh..  :)  Jo Ern does prefer food to milk.  Especially food that is NOT baby food!

Jo Ern and the Watermelon

Nowadays I cry when put down, so Mummy gave me this watermelon to play with

But I still want to be carried.... (This watermelon is nice and big)

Somebody carry me please... (this watermelon is quite fun to hold)

Carry me carry meeeee..... (I do like this watermelon)

While she didn't let go of that watermelon, it didn't distract her at all!  This Jo Ern now cries the moment she is put down by herself.  I think she is afraid of being abandoned.   The other day she was sitting at the front door watching Ah Kong and Justin koko get into the car to go out.  She was happily watching until the car backed away.  Then she started crying away.  Aiyo.

Genting trip 5

I'm beginning to like holidays!

So off we went to Genting again since they called hubby to collect a gift before end-Feb.  It's all a conspiracy to get customers up there, of course!  Anyway since I happened to be on leave, we got a room on Sunday when rates are much lower.

Jo Ern was a happy baby this time.  The moment we arrived at the room, she was just chuckling away and playing around on the bed.  I think she's getting the hang of this thing called 'holiday'!  Hubby put her in the jacuzzi again.  (I am too lazy to fill it up!)  She warmed up to it eventually and even sat by herself a while.

Lots of bubbling water but I am not scared

We went to the theme park again with our annual pass.  Where Jo Ern decided to be scared of clowns.  Previously she had waited patiently for balloon animals from them but this time, she was crying for such a long time.  We tested her with a second clown and same reaction.  Poor girl seemed so traumatised!
.

Hmm what is this person doing?

Oh no it's a... a monster! 

Waaaaa!  Sscared!  Mummyyyyyy!

New skillz

See Mummy, I can stand!

Baby Jo Ern is well on the way to becoming a toddler.  She is crawling about now (though I think it's cuter when she's zipping around flat on her tummy!).  The other day, I left her in the living room while I went to wash her Avent cup.  Came back to see her head coming up over the 5th step leading to the dining area.  Almost gave me a heart attack - I didn't even know she could climb stairs and there she was at the top! 

She can pull herself up to stand.  Her favourite place to check out is our coffee table where hubby typically has placed some snack.

Then she can open cupboards and drawers too.  She loves to rummage around and helps herself to whatever she finds interesting.  Found her at my kitchen drawer happily taking out my beehoon. 

What are these things mummy keeps in here?

What I really like though, is when she comes over and leans her body or head on me.  Can't get enough of this display of affection at the moment!