Monday, August 30, 2010

Project Nursing Rooms - United Square

Positioned as a 'Kids Learning Hub', it's no surprise that this family-friendly mall has a really well-equipped nursing room (level 1). Everything that a parent needs is provided - hot/ cold water, three spacious nursing rooms that comes with a cushioned armchair each, a highchair, three changing units, a cushioned bench and even some magazines for reading.

My only complaint is the unpleasant stench that greeted me the day I was there. Perhaps it was already in the evening and the cleaning lady hasn't got the time to empty the waste bin in time (imagine all the soiled diapers in there!). Other than that, it's one of the best baby rooms I can find in Singapore.

Interior of one of the three nursing rooms

The three nursing rooms - the one at the far end is larger than the first two.
The hot/cold water dispenser is at the corner of the vanity top.

There are three changing units here. Would like it better if the two at the end are separated, so as to give parents more space.

A highchair is available here, next to it is the cushioned bench. The magazine rack is on the wall, just next to the entrance (on the right).


Ratings

Cleanliness: 3.5/5
Amenities: 4.5/5
Ambience: 4/5

Would have given higher ratings for cleanliness and ambience if not for the stench I encountered.

Friday, August 27, 2010

Project Nursing Rooms - Ion Orchard

Ion Orchard is a huge mall and not wanting to go around hunting for the nursing room, I approached the concierge counter (B3) for help. I was told there are two baby rooms are available: one at Basement 3, opposite Starbucks, and the other at Basement 4, inside the food court.

Since I was at Basement 3, I naturally headed there first (located near the toilet) but was shocked when I stepped in. I saw two groups of people inside the baby room, one group was changing baby's diaper, the other was feeding a baby (using bottle of course). I guess I wasn't expecting to see two groups of people inside what I thought is a single nursing room - and it was cramped with so many people inside.

Anyway, I knew I won't be able to breastfeed there, so decided to try the other one just one floor down.

Luck was on my side, there wasn't anyone in the baby room. When we went in, I realised we could actually lock the room from the inside.

With its beige marble walls and warm lighting, the decor in this spacious room resonated a modern vibe. There is an orange plastic chair, a changing table (secured to the wall and foldeded away) and a Pigeon bottle and baby food warmer. However, I wish there's an extra chair so that fathers can sit while waiting for their wives to finish breastfeeding.

There's no hot water dispenser in this baby room.
You can see the changing table (white) from the reflection in the mirror.

The tiny Pigeon bottle and food warmer on the vanity top

You can lock the door of the baby room from the inside. But how can we tell if the lock is spoilt or not?
Can you imagine a mommy breastfeeding inside, thinking the lock is working when it's actually not? It will  cause a lot of embarrassment.


Ratings

Cleanliness: 4/5
Amenities: 3.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5


Update, 2 November 2010
I was at Ion Orchard on Sunday (two days ago) and used the baby room on the fourth level and noted that there's hot water dispenser and even a fan next to the armchair. There's also a power point above the armchair.






Saturday, August 21, 2010

Rethinking Work

I've been thinking lately if I should take on fewer assignments to focus more energy on Kenan - and I think I've gotten the answer today.

This afternoon, hubby brought Kenan out with his colleagues for what was supposed to have been a drive-around-the-island makan trip. I went along, because I really worry that the daddy can't take good care of our little boy. The session coincided with Kenan's normal nap time but he ended up not sleeping and instead, was busy 'socialising' - getting to know daddy's colleagues, as well as taking in the sights, sounds and smells around him.

The makan places

The first stop on this makan trip was to the hawker centre at Alexandra Village. Unfortunately, it turned out the place was under renovation. So we headed to Tiong Bahru food centre instead. The two main items we had were chwee kuey and lor mee with shark's meat (178 Lor Mee, Tiong Bahru Food Centre, #02-58), which we proudly recommended to the foreigners in the group. The latter came highly recommended by one of the colleagues. Though hubby and I  used to come to this food centre quite often, we've never eaten the lor mee before, mainly because hubby and I are not fans of this dish. But I would say this lor mee is good! What makes it so is its shark's meat - which is coated with flour and then deep fried till it's crispy. Surprisingly, it was still rather crispy even till the last strand of noodle. No wonder the stall had such a long queue!

We next adjorned to Maxwell Market. This is definitely a food haunt for hubby and I, even till now. We readily recommended some of our favourites - no, not the Tian Tian chicken rice or Zhen Zhen porridge. We were proud to introduce the teochew handmade sotong and pork balls soup and fried sweet potato balls. I also recommended the Xing Xing ondeh ondeh and tapioca cake, but too bad it was closed by the time we got there (opens for business from 8am to 2pm).

Meanwhile, Kenan finally fell asleep by the time we got to Maxwell Market. He only woke up when we were at our last stop - Ji De Chi, a dessert place that sells traditional fare like peanut or sesame  paste, and the newer shaved ice desserts.

Though Kenan looked more energised after his sleep, he wasn't his usual cheerful self throughout the outing. I know it's not because he was suddenly shy or afraid of strangers. I think part of the reason was we brought him out while he should have been napping at home. I felt really bad that we disrupted his usual routine. Thankfully, he was able to squeeze in about an hour's nap. But what was truly bothering him, we were about to find out soon.

Feelings of Guilt

When we got home, Kenan became cranky. We quickly bathed him and then gave him his dinner - which was oat cereal. Shortly after his food, he started crying. I realised he had pooed and wanted to change his diapers. But to our horror, we saw that there was a bit of blood in his poo. And while cleaning him half way, he started crying loudly and began to poo again. This time, there was even more blood and we could tell that Kenan was in a lot of pain because he was crying really pitifully. It broke our hearts to see him crying so badly and yet we couldn't do anything to help!

I felt like I've been a really bad mom. I believe part of  the cause of Kenan's constipation was because I've been so busy with work that I've neglected his dietary needs and didn't prepare as much fruit purees as before.

I guess this is a wake up call for me. After today's episode, I've decided that once I'm through with this  proofreading/editing project (which is taking me much more time than expected - I might have as well be the one doing the translation with the amount of changes I'm making), I will take up less jobs and spend more time with my son.

Honestly, the thought of working less has never crossed my mind until today. Though it has been a really trying time for me, because I would work late into the night and sleep anywhere between three to five hours a day, I've never entertained the thought of working less.

But I realised if I'm to continue with what I'm doing now, it will defeat the very purpose of my being a WAHM, which is to take better care of my son and be able to spend more time with him during these crucial first years. It won't be easy for me to let go of my work but it's a sacrifice I need to make. As much as I love my work, I guess the time has come for me to re-examine and re-prioritise my life.

Indeed, life with a baby will never be the same again - it's just that I have not fully let that sink in yet. Not until this moment.




Thanks to Alvin, my hubby's colleague, for the photos!

Friday, August 20, 2010

谢谢你,宝贝


宝贝,时间过得好快!一眨眼你就已经是个七个月大的宝宝了!妈妈想告诉你我很爱你,真的真的很爱你。我每天看着你,心里头一直在想我怎么会生了一个这么可爱的你?真的很神奇,更是感谢上帝将你送给了我。

宝贝,很对不起妈咪不是世界上最好的妈妈——有时候我忙得没时间陪你玩,有时觉得为什么照顾你这么麻烦,甚至有几回还因工作压力大的关系骂了你。但你知道吗,妈咪每回在事后一定感到无比的内疚,因为你还那么小,怎么会是你的错呢。而你,不论什么事,即便被我骂,却还是对着我笑;只要我一抱你,你就乐开怀。谢谢你,宝贝,你对妈妈的依赖让我觉得很幸福。

不错,有了你以后,我才更了解幸福是什么,尤其是做女人的幸福。是你让妈妈的生命有了另一重意义(爸爸也有同感哟)。更是你,让妈妈感受到一辈子从未有过的喜乐。

谢谢你宝贝,我希望可以 成为一个更好的妈妈。为了你,吗咪会加油的!

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

The Weaning Journey Continues

It's almost a month since Kenan started taking semi-solids and it's interesting to see how he takes to some of them immediately while others he simply doesn't like. Isn't it amazing that a six-month old baby has already developed a sense of what he likes or dislikes eating?

Here's a list of what he has tried so far:

Carrot
Pear
Potato
Broccoli
Avocado
Apple
Prune (Gerber's)
Banana
Papaya
Sweet potato
Peach
Grapes

For things that he doesn't like, what I did was to add it to his cereals. So far, that seems to work and he would happily finish everything up. By the way, while I initially stuck to the three-day rule, in the end, if I don't see any negative reactions after a day, I would move on to a new food. I did ask Mrs Wong how strict do I have to be about adhering to the three-day rule and if I can introduce a new food if I don't see any allergic reactions after a day. She said it's alright. I figured if none of us in the family has any adverse reactions to a type of food, it should be quite alright for Kenan too.

Besides fruits and veggies, I've also let him tried baby yogurt (bought from Fairprice Xtra). The first time he ate it (pear flavour), he scrunched up his whole face and it was a really funny sight! Yesterday, I decided to let him eat yogurt again - vanilla flavour this time - and guess what, he's suddenly so fond of yogurt he almost finished the whole cup! But I stopped him, as he has already ate some papaya prior to that. But I wonder if it's because the vanilla flavoured yogurt is sweeter than the pear one (that's what I thought after trying them) so he was happy to eat it. Nevertheless, I'm glad that he is finally taking yogurt.



Kenan is taking Yoplait's Baby First Yogurt bought from Fairprice Xtra (6x70g).
This one comes with three flavours: pear, vanilla and peach


Though Kenan is progressing well, my hubby commented that our boy's diet is very 'western' - cereals and purees. So my next project is to get him started on porridge.

But honestly, I dread making porridge. It feels like a lot of work, especially the part about making stock to add flavour to it. I know it's just a matter of time that he starts eating porridge. I feel extremely guilty that I'm not doing more, yet looking at my current workload, I definitely won't be able to get to it any time soon... at least not this week. But if the daddy would like to be a bit more hands-on in the food department, I would gladly let him do it! And dreams do come true, ya? ;)


PS: Now that Kenan is taking semi solids, the days of eating left-overs have also started for me!

Monday, August 16, 2010

Work, Work and More Work


I've been buried under tonnes of work lately. On top of a demanding as well as frustrating (I'm upset with the standard of translation) proofreading/editing project of some translated text, other assignments are also pouring in.

Like this afternoon, I received a call from an editor for a new assignment. I've not worked with him before; he had gotten my contact from his colleague.

Later, when I read his email (sent me materials for the article), I felt both flattered and pressurised. He said he has heard "a lot of stories" about my "wordsmith-ery" and is looking forward to reading my article. My first reaction had been "Wow, I'm really flattered", and then almost immediately after, my heart sank. Hm. I'm happy to know that my clients are satisfied with my work but in this case, I'm feeling the great pressure to perform. After all, I've not worked with him before. What if I don't meet his expectations? What if in the end he thinks my writing is just mediocre? I guess I would be happier to hear the positive feedback after my work is submitted.

But that said, I'm really thankful for all the good words. It's affirmation for my decision to leave the corporate world three years ago to pursue my passion for writing. Work has never been the same since I became a freelance writer and my only regret is in not having made the switch earlier!

Meanwhile, I gotta say thank you to every editor for your faith in me, especially to those who gave me the chance while I was still new in the field. Without you, I won't be where I am today.

Indeed, as a mom, my work has taken on greater significance than before. Not only is it a means to earning an income, it's also what keeps me balanced as an individual - it's reminder that my life is not just about changing diapers and breastfeeding a baby, but that I still have dreams and passions. I'm looking forward to the day when Kenan can go to pre-nursery and I can spend much more time on my work. It's strange that I've turned into a workaholic of sorts, but I guess that's what happens when work is not work but something you love doing. So yes, I'm happy to be called a workaholic, and make that a workaholic mom.

Saturday, August 14, 2010

Another Tooth!

About two weeks ago, we discovered that Kenan's first tooth had erupted. Now, his second one's out too!


It may appear trivial, but as a mom, it's simple things like this which brings me joy and makes my day. More importantly, I'm thankful that I can be around to witness his new developments and milestones, rather than being told by the mother-in-law or maid or whoever else that takes care of him. I would be really jealous if that happens. And it is in moments like this that I feel that I've made the right decision to be a WAHM and all the hard work has been worth it.

Friday, August 13, 2010

Project Nursing Rooms - Forum Galleria

The nursing room at Forum Galleria is located on the first floor. While it is tastefully done up, it's amenities are really minimal. There are two nursing rooms, one facing the main door (see photo) and one on the right of the entrance. There's an armchair plus a changing table inside each of the room (curtain provides the needed privacy). There's another armchair near the basin, I suppose the hubbies can sit and wait here while their wives are breastfeeding.

By the way, I couldn't find any hot water dispenser here, which is commonly found in many other baby rooms.

The decor is beautiful but amenities could have been much better, and there's no way you can have a stroller inside that nursing room with you


Ratings

Cleanliness: 4.5/5
Amenities: 2.5/5
Ambience: 4.5/5

Thursday, August 12, 2010

Staycation

We had a staycation at Grand Hyatt (again) over the National Day weekend.

After checking in, we headed out for some shopping in Orchard Road, but not before we had our stomachs filled at Wendy's (it was my choice; I've not had the chance to try it after its return to Singapore). Followiug lunch, we popped into Forum Galleria, thinking there might be some shops with interesting baby stuff and were disappointed. We decided to go to the Takashimaya baby fair but the crowd and long queues at the cashiers put us off.  So we just walked around and window shop.

When it was Kenan's meal time, we returned to the hotel to prepare his cereal. I brought along some sample packets of Nestle brown rice cereal, where all I needed to do was to add in water. It smelled really yummy and I couldn't resist tasting it. Good thing I did, because I found out just how sweet it was. I doubt I'll let Kenan eat it on a longer-term basis, but for this short holiday, I shall make do!

While I enjoyed the staycation, I'm really looking forward to a real holiday overseas. For a start, we probably won't venture to any where  exotic or far away, as after all, it will be Kenan's maiden flight and we want to see how he (and us) copes with it. But one thing's for sure, this little boy enjoys sleeping on the big hotel beds with their fluffy quilts and soft bedsheets!


Kenan looks so tiny on the big hotel bed!

The little boy having a rolling good time on the bed!

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Project Nursing Rooms - Isetan Scotts

The nursing room at Isetan Scotts is located on level 4, children's department. It is very well equipped with two nursing rooms, three changing tables, thermo flask with hot water, cold water, one highchair, washing area, a sofa just outside the nursing rooms (I suppose it's for husbands to wait for their wives while they feed baby) and even a machine selling Yakult!

Three changing tables, but I feel that they are placed too close for comfort, especially the last two. I can imagine the parents banging into each other when they change babies' diapers.

Too bad both nursing rooms were occupied when I was there, so I didn't get the chance to take a look inside, not to mention taking photos.

The washing area, together with supply of hot and room temperature water


Ratings

Cleanliness: 4/5
Amenities: 4.5/5
Ambience: 3.5/5


Friday, August 6, 2010

A Great Resource on Weaning


I chanced upon this wonderful website call Homemade Baby Food Recipes when I was doing some reading up on weaning.

I find it a wonderful resource for everything a mom needs to know about weaning - from general information on weaning, to types of foods and how to choose and prepare them and more. Go check it out if you have not already visited it before. And if you know of any other great sites on weaning and baby recipes, please do share with me!

Thursday, August 5, 2010

Project Nursing Rooms - CK Tangs

There are two spacious and well-equipped nursing rooms in CK Tangs (Orchard), both located on the fourth floor. Cheeful decor and warm lightings make this a nice, cozy place for breastfeeding. The rooms each comes with an armchair, bottle steriliser, hotwater flask, changing table and washing area.

The armchair for nursing/ feeding

Next to the armchair is a shelf where the steriliser and hotwater flask is placed

The changing table and washing area


I've been here a couple of times and remember on one occasion when there was an unpleasant smell in the room. But overall, it is still a nice baby room.
Ratings

Cleanliness: 3.75/5
Amenities: 4/5
Ambience: 4/5


Tuesday, August 3, 2010

TMC Weaning Talk - By Mrs Wong Boh Boi

Being a first time mom, I often feel inadequate about caring for Kenan. So whenever there are talks which I think are useful, I will try to attend, granted that I'm not busy with work. Last Wednesday, I was at another weaning talk, this time Mrs Wong was the only speaker and it was organised by TMC.

Food and allergies

I was about 15 minutes late; Mrs Wong was talking about the different types of food and their potential in causing allergy when I arrived. I didn't manage to copy all the types of food. Below is what I jotted down:

Level 1 (least allergic):
Rice, pear, prune, apple, pork

Level 2 (can cause some allergies):
Barley, apricot, beef, wheat, plum, spinach, cabbage, oat, cherry, cauliflower, broccoli, banana, potato, corn, chicken, peach, turnip

Level 3 (common allergy culprits):
Legume, berries, cow’s milk

She advised that if babies develop rashes from eating any of the above food (the reactions usually show up within 4 hours of consuming the food), parents should stop it for one week, then reintroduce it again and in smaller amounts.

But if serious allergies develop, e.g. swollen eyes, difficulty breathing, then keep it away for a much longer period.

Preparing baby purees and stock

When it comes to preparing baby purees, Mrs Wong feels that using fork to mash the food is good enough. She said it's alright to give babies foods that is textured rather than being too finely blended.

In addition, when it comes to some vegetables and fruits where the skin needs to be remove, such as pumpkin and potato, don't peel the skin first. Instead, steam them first then scoop out the flesh as this will help retain some of the vitamins found in the skin, said Mrs Wong.

Moving on to the preparation of stock, she commented that fish bones are a good option. Next comes pork bones, then chicken and others. Pork is a better option than chicken because the latter are usually injected with growth hormones, unless you are using kampong chicken, then that should be safer.

She said when making stock, don't chop the bones into small pieces and don't cook them for too long. The recommended time is about two hours. Chopping the bones into small pieces and overcooking will cause the marrow to seep into the stock and there had been some reports pointing to the potential danger of certain diseases being passed to humans through the consumption of bone marrows (such as mad cow disease).

In making the stock, Mrs Wong recommended double boiling as you will get a good concentrated stock of goodness. If you don't have a double boiler or a 炖盅 at home,  the other way to do it is to put the bones in a smaller pot, then put that into a larger pot filled with some water and then boil it (it's not necessary to add water into the small pot of bones, but if you want to have a bit more stock, can add a tiny amount). By the way, it seems like only a small amount of stock is produced each time, so if you want to make enough to freeze, then you need to buy more bones. Mrs Wong said the stock can be frozen for up to a month.

If you are making fish stock, remember to sieve it and remove any bones. For the other kinds of stock, skim off some fats as babies can't take too much  fats.

In addition, it is good to let baby test out the stock to see if there's any allergies before using it to make porridge.

Then someone in the audience mentioned about using ikan bilis to make stock for babies. Mrs Wong said to avoid ikan bilis because it’s too salty and is bad for small babies, especially their kidneys (same for things like Bovril; after all, they should not take salt until they reach one-year-old). Then another participant suggested soaking it overnight, but Mrs Wong pointed out doing so will remove all the nutrients.

Other types of food

Fish: Cod and threadfin are good to introduce first. Salmon's taste is stronger so mommies may like to start that a bit later.

Noodles: Some Chinese yellow noodles contain a certain type of acid (I didn't manage to catch the name) which is bad for babies (and pregnant moms). A good alternative is to use Italian pasta.

Soy products: Don't give boys too much soy-based products as the estrogen can affect the male reproductive organs. Even girls should not eat too much as it can cause early menstruation.

Spinach: Maximum three times a week, if not will have too much iron.

Egg yolks: Maximum three yolks a week*

Chinese herbs: Cordycep (东虫草)  can be taken from one year onwards. Red dates and wolfberries (枸杞) are good and can be given to babies. But wolfberries can be sourish if cooked for too long, so put in later. Red dates must remove seeds if not it will be heaty. Bird’s nest has a high risk of causing allergy, so give much later when child is a few years old.


*After note: I was doing some reading up on the internet and noted that there are some slight difference in opinions as to when egg yolks can be introduced to a weaning baby. Some websites state from eight to nine months, others say it's ok to give from six months onwards. But when it comes to egg white, all agree that it is to be given from one year onwards.

Lamentation

Here I am, at five-ish in the morning, trying to rush out an article which is supposed to be due yesterday. I am exhausted. Since Kenan was about 5.5 months old, the hours of nap he takes each day has reduced drastically. I cannot no longer find blocks of two, three hours at any one time to do my work. I once thought those early days of seemingly endless diaper-changing and breastfeeding will be the toughest, I am obviously wrong.

As he grows older, he is demanding more time and energy from me. He is now on semi-solids and it takes much more time to prepare his meals and feed him than just simply letting him latch and breastfeed.

I am really desperate for a solution. I definitely don’t want to sacrifice my career, because I really LOVE what I do. In fact, there’s so much more I wish I can do. But at this rate it goes, I might have to drastically reduce the amount of work I take on, or I might fall ill from only sleeping three, four hours a day and have to stop working anyway.

It’s a scenario I dread. Before I find the solution, I guess I will just have to  grit my teeth and press on.

It’s been my choice to be a WAHM, I had thought that it would be the best I can do for my child and for my career. I don’t think that decision has been totally wrong, just that perhaps it doesn’t fit the career of a writer just as well as compared to some other work that I can do from home. Honestly, I am not sure.

Once I’ve finished this assignment, I’ll go google and see how other WAHMs cope. But before I do that, I shall go catch up on some sleep. I really need my beauty sleep. These days, I don't even dare look at myself in the mirror for I dread seeing the dark undereye rings and discover how haggard I might have become. People marvel at how fast I've lost weight after giving birth. Trying doing what I do and I guarantee that you will bounce back to your original size just as quickly. Go ahead, try it.

Anyway, I've ranted enough, better get back to work before my son wakes up crying for milk again.

Monday, August 2, 2010

Mothercare Car Seat

Have you ever had the experience of shopping for something for months but nothing seems to fit the bill, then just when you were about to give up, it appears right before your eyes? That surmises our experience in getting a car seat for Kenan. We have been hunting for a car seat for many months, but it's either too expensive, too bulky or it just wasn't asthetically pleasing enough.

Then yesterday, we happened to pop into Mothercare @ Harbourfront as we saw that it was having a sale, and we found the perfect car seat! We had been there a couple of times but somehow we never noticed this particular car seat. But it doesn't matter, we're pleased to have found it, and at what we thought was a good bargain. More importantly, Kenan seems to like his 'throne' very much.


More information about the car seat:

Brand:  Mothercare

Model: Seville

Colours: two options, one is what you see above, another is an all pink one

Functions: For birth to about 4 years. Combination of rear and forward-facing, with four reclining positions for forward-facing. Cover is removable and washable. Comes with newborn padded cushion.

Price: $280 (we got it at15% off during the sale, which has ended last Sunday)

What we like: Reasonably priced, nice design, not too bulky, easy to install (can also take a look at the pink car seat here).


Now when I need to stay home and work during the weekends, my hubby can bring Kenan out alone!

Project Nursing Rooms - Raffles City

There are two baby rooms in Raffles City - one is located on the third floor, the other is at Basement 1, near to Shokudo. I decided to use the latter and was disappointed.

While the decor is sleek and stylish, the place is crammed and stuffy. I've expected more, given that Raffles City belongs to Capitaland.

Anyway, there are two nursing rooms inside, one on the left, the other on the right. Right in the middle is the changing table (only one), a washing area, and no hot water dispenser. The day I was there, the nursing room had a really foul smell - it's almost like S*** but since the other room was occupied, I had no choice but to use it. By the way, the nursing room is very small, there's no way to fit in the stroller. Even the main area is crammed and once we push in our stroller, there's hardly space for two standing adults.


The main area - includes changing table and sink

A closer look of the above

The nursing room - enough just to fit in the single armchair


Ratings
Cleanliness: 4/5
Amenities: 2/5
Ambience: 2/5

The score for ambience would have been higher if not for the unpleasant smell in the nursing room I was using.



10 Feb 2011 - Second Review

The weekend before the lunar new year, hubby and I were having dinner with friends at Chijmes when Kenan decided to do a big one. When I enquired with the restaurant staff, they told me there is no baby room within Chijmes. So I decided to hop over to Raffles City, which is just across the street.

Instead of using the baby room on the third floor, I thought I could just go one floor down and use the one at the basement. But it turned out to be a mistake.

Kenan is now a curious, no-staying-still one-year-old boy. When I put him on the changing unit that's situated right next to the sink, he kept wanting to get up and play with the tap and soap dispenser. In the end, I had no choice but to carry him away and use the one upstairs.

By the way, I didn't realise one major flaw the last time (because I was just there to breastfeed my son). The changing unit is placed in such a way that the longer side is parallel to the mirror, this means if your child is bigger like mine (not a baby who's jus a few months old), his/her legs will dangle out of the changing unit when you put him/her down facing you. However, if you choose to place your child sideway so that the legs don't dangle out, it makes changing diaper really difficult. What's more, there's no place for you to put your diaper bag!

In comparison, the one upstairs is soooo much more user-friendly! I wonder why two baby rooms in the same shopping mall can end up world's apart in terms of design (not the aesthetic part - though one is more chic/contemporary while the other is cozy and homely) and functionality. Maybe it's because of the limited space the designer can work with (but I really doubt that's the reason - aren't designers suppose to be creative to begin with?). But anyway, I think I'll not use this baby room again if I can help it.

Sunday, August 1, 2010

First Swim and A First Tooth

Kenan finally experienced his first swim since his birth. He had his swim at Hwa Xia's Harbourfront outlet. We've passed by this shop many times and always enjoyed seeing the babies swim. So yesterday, after many months of 'contemplation', we decided to let him have a go at it. After all, they provide towel and swimming diapers. All I had to do was to give him a feed before the swim, as we were told that baby will get cranky if they swim on half empty stomach.

After getting warmed up by the staff and putting the neck float on, he was ready to go into the water. And boy, we were so surprised at how well he swam! I've 'complained' about Kenan's "sedentary lifestyle" - he doesn't roll around like his peers (he can do it though, but just refuses to); his favourite position is sitting, something that he can do pretty well after five months old. If we put him on his tummy, he would move in a circle, but that's about it. So we were really surprised that we have a 'water baby' - he moved his limbs vigorously in the water and almost caused water to splash out. He was obviously enjoying every bit of it and attracted quite a bit of attention from onlookers who were watching outside the glass window.

But we found it rather expensive. Just for that one session of about 20 minutes, it cost us $30. We paid another $2 for the swimming diaper. We decided that daddy will just bring Kenan downstairs to the pool, no point signing him up for a package with Hwa Xia. After all, he is already six months old and his immune system should be strong enough for him to start going to the public pool.





By the way, we also discovered yesterday that Kenan's first tooth has erupted! It was a really exciting moment for us as parents. When I brought Kenan to Angie's place few days back, her mom commented that Kenan is probably teething, I was still skeptical. After all, teething or not, he puts everything into his mouth all the time. Now I realise she's been really accurate with her observation. Ah, that's why she's a grandma and I'm not! And it made me feel kinda guilty that I don't even know that my boy is teething! I guess that explains his crankiness and how he's not his 'usual self' (cries more often, needs to be cradled and rocked to sleep, can't play on his own for long, irritable etc.). Sorry Kenan that mommy hasn't been as observant or understanding enough. But I really do love you. Always will.


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