Introduction to Solid Food, Day 1: Nestle Rice Cereal

Today, I started Evan on her first stage of weaning. Rice cereal by Nestle was introduced. I am intending to purchase organic rice cereal either by Healthy Times or Happy Bellies for Evangeline. At the moment, I just try her out using the samples given by PD.

11 May - 1 teaspoon X rice cereal X 10ml of FM

The consistency of the cereal was a bit watery thus I may add lesser FM the next time round. Evan took it quite well and finished all the cereal. After which, I continued her milk feed of 150ml,drank 50ml and rejected the rest. She fussed and cried when I warmed up the milk again for her to drink 15 mins later. Guess she was cranky because she was sleepy. So I left her at her rocker and she fell in deep sleep immediately. I gave her the remaining 100ml of milk in her sleep and she finished them all.


Reflected on the whole process and realised that I may have to feed her a bit of milk (maybe 50ml), then rice cereal followed by the remaining 100ml of milk so as to enable her to know that milk is still her staple food for now.

Try again tomorrow and see how it goes. :)

Age: 5 Months, 3 weeks and 1 day old
Allergic reactions: None. She finished everything! :) God Bless Her!

Current Mood: Accomplished

Books and more books

As a first time mum, I really have lots to learn. I came to appreciate my mum more, knowing the difficulties and contraints and challenges in bringing up a child. However, as the older generation has a different way of bringing up kids compared to now, I have to do some reading up to ensure that what I am doing is right for Evan. Like my mum will nag about introducing solid food to Evan when she was 4 months old and to start off with chinese porridge, this is totally unacceptable in Evan's case as my hubby and I have history of allergies. Therefore these are some areas we have to educate our parents or help them to understand better.

So far, the following books are very informative and helpful for me in my research. Hope those new mummies will find them helpful as well.

1) Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron ( A good reference book for parents or children with allergies)

2) Weaning by Sara Lewis

3) Weaning and coping with feeding problems by Naia Edwards

4) First Foods published by Marshall Cavendish

5) The First Complete Nutrition Guide For Asian Parents, Feed Your Child Right, published by Marshall Cavendish

6) Annabel Karmel's New Complete Baby and Toddler Meal Planner (My favourite :))

7) Annabel Karmel Top 100 Baby Purees (My Favourite)

Current Mood: Excited

Cooking equipments

Here are some basic equipments you may need to get baby ready for solid or prepare homemade baby food.

1) Small Cooking pot or saucepan
2) A steamer (Electric or pot type)
3) High Chair (Proud to get a second hand JANE high chair at $100, RP:$275)
4) Blender (Either U-like Blender or Braun handheld blender, still sourcing)
5) Bibs (I got Dex Dura Bibs Stage 1)
6) Measuring Spoons and Cups
7) Weaning bowls, soft-tip spoon(I bought Pigeon Stage 1 weaning set)
8) Training Cup (Mag Mag Pigeon is the best!)
9) A few cutting boards for different purposes to prevent cross contamination
10) Sieve
11) Baby cubes by Petite Creation or ice cube trays

I think these are the ones I have for now to help me with her weaning.

Current Mood: Anticipating

Evangeline, the Pianist!

Good Morning Evangeline!

Apologies that the video is inverted. I dun know how to invert the video vertically or horizontally so that it will not be upside down. Can anybody enlighten me on how to do it?

Evan drinks water all by herself!

Evan's Growth Progress

It's has been a tiring, challenging 3 months since my last post. Many things have happened but yet God is gracious and faithful. The providence of the Lord is just so bountiful that you just can't help being thankful and touched. Evangeline has grown tremendously BIG due to consuming MILK POWDER. Oh my, you can imagine the thunder thighs, the chubby cheeks and not forgetting the bulge around her waist. :)

Physical Growth

According to PD, she is still in the 25 percentile for her weight so we make the deduction that she is just generally a petite baby (like me).
Her motor skills are good and developing faster than usual. She is able to grasp for things, reach out for toys, hold her feet, lift up her feet 90 degree upwards, able to flip from back to tummy and to back again. Her smiles are incredibly sweet and the first thing she does in the morning once her eyes are open is to give you her brightest smile. That is more than enough to drive away any negative emotions or moodiness that day. She loves to converse and talk to people with her baby language. She listens attentively to every word you say and really serious about what you share. She is still not able to sit up without support but she is showing symptoms of wanting to crawl! She loves to stand and oh boy, she sure have strong limbs.

Spiritual Growth

Evangeline has this habit since she was in my womb of clasping her hands together in a praying position. She is always in this mode and we can't help to tease her that she's going to be a great prayer warrior next time. Every morning after her feed, she will spend time praying with mummy for Daddy, herself and I. I always forgotten to say grace with her during her feed, guess not conscious enough. Have to try to make that into a habit for her. Every night, without fail, we will bless her sleep to protect her so as to enable her to sleep through the night peacefully.

Feeding

Sad to say, I only managed to breastfeed her till 3 months due to lack of milk, I was really devastated, depressed and self blaming myself for not able to breastfeed her. As I was not having enough rest, no help and she not wanting to latch on properly, my milk supply dropped drastically till the milk weaned off by itself. It was an emotional period for me as I refused to give her formula milk and insisting to keep trying to save back my supply. Unfortunately, the amount of stress and expectations I placed in myself had make the situation worse thus I learned to let go and trust in the Lord that formula milk is just as good. By looking at her now, I can't help to say that she is a Sumobaby! I make a commitment and pact that no matter what, I must succeed in breastfeeding baby 2 next time!

Sleeping Routine

Currently, she is able to have her last feed at about 10.30pm and will sleep thru till 6.30am or 7.30am in the morning. In between, she will fuss a little as she unknowingly flips to her tummy in her sleep and is unable to turn back thus gets frustrated and cries. Pacifier comes in handy at this time to put her back to sleep again. We hope that as she starts her solid food, she will be able to have more restful and undisturbed sleep. :)

Reactions towards unfamiliar ppl and places

Unfamiliar ppl and places can evoke her to scream and cries for security and comfort. Besides her own parents, grandparents and godparents, she will squirm her face, pout her lips and break into cries when unfamiliar ppl carry her or when she is in a total strange and different environment. It will take her a while to calm down by having a short orientation around the place and having her to warm up a little to the ppl. Once that mode is set, she will be in smiles again.

In 3 weeks time, she will be able to have her first taste of solid food. Currently, I am getting all the necessary equipments and things ready for her solid food. I still needed a hand held blender, a steamer and a high chair. Waiting for the Motherhood Fair at Expo to get great and cheaper deals. So guess she needs to be in her bumbo seat for her solid feeds for a while before the high chair comes in in June.

Items on hand now are baby cubes for her puree food, Dex dura bibs, disposable bibs, weaning plates, bowls, spoons and bottles, First Food Book etc.

I just can't wait to start!

Current Mood: Anticipating