Goodbye 2017!

The collage above is generated from my Instagram feed based on the most number of likes. It somewhat summarizes my 2017 in a nutshell.

First row (from left to right): babywearing my newborn; bibs from local brand (support local!) Bows & Blings; cloth diapering my newborn.

Second row (from left to right): trying my best to use chemical-free baby products and Four Cow Farm is one of the choices; doing art & craft with my preschooler (check out this album); healthy desserts (also milk booster for breastfeeding mom like me) - chia oats from BlackNbeige Cravings and Lacteatkies lactation cookies.

Third row (from left to right): blogged about my postpartum essentials; more milk boosters (seen here is Topfer organic nursing tea, Mom More Milk Lactation Hot Chocolate and Lactation Brownies); nursing top (support local!) by fellow mommy pal who's also the founder of Milk At 27.

By the way, apart from babywearing and cloth diapering, I'm also an ardent fan of JuJuBe and Lularoe. You can check out my posts on Instagram.

 

A post shared by My Fluff Journal (@myfluffjournal) on Nov 25, 2017 at 7:06am PST

As a reminder to myself, I'm posting "The Last Time" poem here.

From the moment you hold your baby in your arms,

You will never be the same.

You might long for the person you were before,

When you have freedom and time,

And nothing in particular to worry about.

You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,

And days will run into days that are exactly the same,

Full of feedings and burping,

Nappy changes and crying,

Whining and fighting,

Naps or a lack of naps,

It might seem like a never-ending cycle.

But don't forget...

There is a last time for everything.

There will come a time when you will feed

Your baby for the very last time.

They will fall asleep on you after a long day,

And it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.

One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down,

And never pick them up that way again.

You will scrub their hair in the bath one night,

And from that day on they will want to bathe alone.

They will hold your hand to cross the road,

Then never reach for it again.

They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles,

And it will be the last night you ever wake to this.

One afternoon you will sing "the wheels on the bus"

And do all the actions,

Then never sing them that song again.

They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate,

The next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone.

You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face.

They will run to you with arms raised for the very last time.

The thing is, you won't even know it's the last time

Until there are no more times.

And even then, it will take you a while to realize.

So while you are living in these times,

Remember there are only so many of them

And when they are gone,

You will yearn for just one more day of them.

For one last time.

-Author Unknown-

See you next year!

Check out my compilation of annual posts since 2007.

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15-minute activity challenge journal

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Helping my baby stay comfortable while teething

Both my boys cut their first tooth when they turned six months old. Generally speaking, teething usually begins during the first six to eight months of baby's first year, and continues up to 36 months (3 years old) or earlier. By then, baby has 20 teeth. My older boy gotten all 20 teeth by 30 months old.

The chart below shows the general teething timeline. For my second boy, he has eight teeth by 12 months old. The numbers indicated in the boxes outlined in green are the months when his teeth were emerging. So now, I'm waiting for his first set of bottom molars to emerge followed by his first set of top molars (see boxes outlined in blue).

Teething times can be the bane of motherhood (tell me about it!) due to increased fussiness/crankiness (the baby, of course, haha), chewing on things (ANYTHING within his reach so you could hear me screaming NOOOOO! PUT THAT DOWN NOW!), and increased amount of drool (this can be yucky). On a side note, my pediatrician tells me that fever and diarrhea are not signs of teething, contrary to popular belief. If baby has fever or diarrhea, it's more likely due to bugs swallowed while chewing on things, so do make sure good hygiene is practiced.

Teething is a natural part of baby's growth, so it's not something that needs to be treated. Having said that, I put some effort to help him deal with teething to make his life (and my life, obviously) more comfortable.

Here are some "gears" that I have used when my baby started teething from six months old.

Six months

Baltic Amber teething necklace

Natural and unpolished Baltic Amber teething necklaces are well-known for their relieving abilities and calming characteristics. However, teething discomfort varies from child to child. Some children may still experience quite a fair bit of discomfort although they are wearing the necklaces. Also, there are claims that teething necklaces are a hoax. Whatever it is, as long as my baby is not experiencing adverse effects and I see that he's doing well while wearing the necklace, I believe it works.

Natural rubber teether - Vulli Sophie The Giraffe Teether

This is probably the most popular teether in the world. It's made from toxic-free paint and rubber; it's bendable and flexible; it's made from one solid piece so choking hazard shouldn't be a problem; it's very easy to clean. I bought it, just because. Haha.

"If you're happy and you know it, chew Sophie."

Eight months

Chilled teether

This kind of liquid-filled teether should only be chilled in the fridge, NOT frozen in the freezer. To be on the safe side, always check for leaks or punctures.

Food-grade silicone teether

I like this teether's soft and flexible texture. Its bright yellow color provides visual and tactile stimulation for baby.

Teething rusks

 

  

 Store-bought teething rusks save the day. I bought Bellamy's and Only Organic.

Tooth wipes

I used Aleva Naturals Bamboo Baby Tooth 'n' Gum Wipes to clean my baby's gums and four little teeth at eight months old. The main ingredient is Xylitol, a berry extract, which has a slight sweet taste and promotes healthy teeth and gums by fighting bacteria.

When I'm out and about, I prefer Jack N' Jill Natural Baby Gum & Tooth Wipes because they are individually wrapped and convenient to bring along.

Ten months

Soft toothbrush

Since baby always wants something to chew on, why don't get him started to get used to the idea of brushing his teeth? So, I gave him this cute Pigeon Lesson 1 toothbrush that doubled up as a teether too.

Toothpaste

I've read that we should avoid fluoride toothpaste for babies so I chose Little Innoscents organic toothpaste, a natural fluoride-free gel with a cool and minty refreshing taste. See the photo below for its ingredients.

Twelve months

Silicone teething rattle + necklace (rattle for baby, necklace for me)

I bought these matching silicone teething rattle and nursing/teething necklace from TeetherJoy.

I bought this nursing/teething necklace with wooden beads and crocheted beads from YoMommies.

Why do I love nursing/teething necklace? It's multi-functional! First, it's a pretty accessory and I can wear it like any other necklace. Second, my baby can hold onto the beads while he's nursing to keep him focused and not that easily distracted. Third, my baby can gnaw on the beads (under my supervision of course).

Here's my happy one year old with his eight little teeth.

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Baby's Monthly Snippets

Walking down memory lane from birth till one year old.

Welcome little baby!

One month

Two months

What most babies do:

Social and Emotional

• Begins to smile at people
• Can briefly calm himself (may bring hands to mouth and suck on hand)
• Tries to look at parent

Language/Communication

• Coos, makes gurgling sounds
• Turns head toward sounds

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Pays attention to faces
• Begins to follow things with eyes and recognize people at a distance
• Begins to act bored (cries, fussy) if activity doesn't change

Movement/Physical Development

• Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
• Makes smoother movements with arms and legs

Three months

Four months

What most babies do:

Social and Emotional

• Smiles spontaneously, especially at people
• Likes to play with people and might cry when playing stops
• Copies some movements and facial expressions, like smiling or frowning

Language/Communication

• Begins to babble
• Babbles with expression and copies sounds he hears
• Cries in different ways to show hunger, pain, or being tired

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Lets you know if he is happy or sad
• Responds to affection
• Reaches for toy with one hand
• Uses hands and eyes together, such as seeing a toy and reaching for it
• Follows moving things with eyes from side to side
• Watches faces closely
• Recognizes familiar people and things at a distance

Movement/Physical Development

• Can hold head up and begins to push up when lying on tummy
• Makes smoother movements with arms and legs

Five months

Six months

What most babies do:

Social and Emotional

• Knows familiar faces and begins to know if someone is a stranger
• Likes to play with others, especially parents
• Responds to other people's emotions and often seems happy
• Likes to look at self in a mirror

Language/Communication

• Responds to sounds by making sounds
• Strings vowels together when babbling ("ah," "eh," "oh") and likes taking turns with parent while making sounds
• Responds to own name
• Makes sounds to show joy and displeasure
• Begins to say consonant sounds (jabbering with "m," "b")

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Looks around at things nearby
• Brings things to mouth
• Shows curiosity about things and tries to get things that are out of reach
• Begins to pass things from one hand to the other

Movement/Physical Development

• Rolls over in both directions (front to back, back to front)
• Begins to sit without support
• When standing, supports weight on legs and might bounce
• Rocks back and forth, sometimes crawling backward before moving forward

Seven months

Eight months

Nine months

What most babies do:

Social and Emotional

• May be afraid of strangers
• May be clingy with familiar adults
• Has favorite toys

Language/Communication

• Understands "no"
• Makes a lot of different sounds like "mamamama" and "bababababa"
• Copies sounds and gestures of others
• Uses fingers to point at things

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Watches the path of something as it falls
• Looks for things she sees you hide
• Plays peek-a-boo
• Puts things in his mouth
• Moves things smoothly from one hand to the other
• Picks up things like cereal o's between thumb and index finger

Movement/Physical Development

• Stands, holding on
• Can get into sitting position
• Sits without support
• Pulls to stand
• Crawls

Ten months

Eleven months

Twelve months

What most babies do:

Social and Emotional

• Is shy or nervous with strangers
• Cries when mom or dad leaves
• Has favorite things and people
• Shows fear in some situations
• Hands you a book when he wants to hear a story
• Repeats sounds or actions to get attention
• Puts out arm or leg to help with dressing
• Plays games such as "peek-a-boo" and "pat-a-cake"

Language/Communication

• Responds to simple spoken requests
• Uses simple gestures, like shaking head "no" or waving "bye-bye"
• Makes sounds with changes in tone (sounds more like speech)
• Says "mama" and "dada" and exclamations like "uh-oh!"
• Tries to say words you say

Cognitive (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

• Explores things in different ways, like shaking, banging, throwing
• Finds hidden things easily
• Looks at the right picture or thing when it's named
• Copies gestures
• Starts to use things correctly; for example, drinks from a cup, brushes hair
• Bangs two things together
• Puts things in a container, takes things out of a container
• Lets things go without help
• Pokes with index (pointer) finger
• Follows simple directions like "pick up the toy"

Movement/Physical Development

• Gets to a sitting position without help
• Pulls up to stand, walks holding on to furniture ("cruising")
• May take a few steps without holding on
• May stand alone

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Baby turns one!

Here's baby's first birthday cake. It's a rich chocolate cake made my his grandma and the outer layer of white fondant was done by "gu che" (my husband's younger sister). The cake was then decorated with lollipops, colorful NIPS chocolate-peanut balls, and a chunk of dark chocolate bar.

Time to sing the Happy Birthday song!

 

Let's blow the candle together!

 

Presents to be opened!

 

Now both boys have the same coin box to store their coins.

 

Bath toys!

Play time! Baby loves this makeshift "stroller". It's actually a grocery cart.

 

Not forgetting myself! Here's my outfit of the day.

Top: LuLaRoe Irma

Skirt: Agnes & Dora Midi Skirt

Necklace: Vintage sunflower

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