Tuesday, December 30, 2008

AN's picture gallery

Once again, more pictures of the growing baby.

These were at the PD's that day. It was a long wait (almost an hour after the nurse took AN's weight) and while waiting, AN started exploring the room (near naked except for her diapers and winter jacket.





After the checkup and jabs, we went grocery shopping. AN never had patience to sit in the shopping cart for long and when papa saw this idling cart with a kiddy car in front, he dashed for it.

We managed to shop in peace for the 1st time without her fighting to get out and walk by herself. This time we had to pry her away from the car tho.

The little girl loves to help us push things like shopping carts, and even her own stroller
Papa shopping for a toy to display
Baby giving her suggestion

Papa modifying AN's convertible sports vehicle. Vehicle owner, AN, is scrutinising the technician at work.


"Fix my rear lights"
Watching the technician with the rear end

Posing for a picture while the technician's busy
Testing the steering wheel
Trying to help by holding the vehicle in place.

While waiting, the little baby starts inspecting tools.

Finishing off the last part before handing over

Checking that vehicle is up to her standard

All set and ready to go!

Visit of an old friend

Used to meet this old friend of mine every 28 days before I was pregnant with AN.

Then she came to stay with me for a month of so after AN popped and I've not heard from her since.

Probably the Lord is helping me wean AN off by encouraging her to start visiting me again coz whenever friends like that visit, (I heard) B-Milk supply gets cut off or greatly reduced.

As long as AN doesn't get milk from me, she'll feel hungry. And I can still allow her to suckle for comfort!

I can't bear to wean AN...I love watching her look at me whenever she suckles. I remember the face of a day old baby latched on to me, and that of the 624 days old one today.

Sole caretakers of babies don't usually see them grow day by day coz the change is so gradual. I am blessed with this priviledge of being able to observe AN from day to day, and see little changes in her face.

I saw the day her double eyelids became single when she was weeks old, and then the lids 'doubled' again when she turn almost 3 months old. I saw her eyebrows looking from sparse (hollow where brows should be with fine hairs giving an outline so that she looked like she HAD eye brows), to having normal eyebrows now.

From fighting to latch her on when she had nipple confusion, to fighting her off when she flips my shirt up now.

From looking into those eyes that knows nothing in the world, to a chatty toddler who can point everywhere and 'tell' me things while latched on.

I'm feeling post breastfeeding blues...hehe.

Weaning baby

I had intentions to let AN self wean but the PD AN sees here strongly encourage us to wean her off soonest possible in order for her to put on weight.

Her reasons were that coz the breastmilk now is no longer as good as it used to be before AN was 6 months old, it is pointless to continue. Especially now that AN needs to put on weight, the amount of breastmilk she takes is enough to fill her up but not enough to make her grow. And when that little amount of 'nothing-important' fills her up, she has neither appetite for food, nor formula milk.

She compared breastmilk at this stage to that of empty fillers .... hmm ... -_____-"

And so, I've been trying to wean AN off. It is as difficult as it was when we 1st tried to make her latch on, if not harder.

Personally, I can't bear to wean her off too. hee. And she obviously can't bear to wean herself off yet as well.

From latching her on as and when she wanted, to only nursing her to sleep and less than 4 times throughout the day (including naps), it's been tough. Even during the night, she will wake up asking for 'mem mem'.

PD also suggested not latching her on at night so that she will get really hungry for breakfast.

This is the hardest part of the whole weaning coz if I do not latch her, she will wake up and might not go back to sleep. I've not had the courage to try not latching her when she asks in the middle of the night yet coz we have not other ideas how to make her go back to sleep.

PD said most toddlers her age should sleep through the night already. But AN is not doing so..sigh..

Thank God she's more receptive towards pre-prepared formula milk now (we bought Pediasure & Parents' Choice. Both are high in calories and fats as recommended by the PD) so when she asks for 'mem mem', I'll just heat the milk up and feed her by spoon.

Well, as the Spirit leads then...


Monday, December 29, 2008

Dessert Museum in Winter

Remember we went to Dessert Museum during the HOT summer once? We brought MIL back again last week. It was much colder this time but bearable coz the sun was still rather strong.

For once we actually love Tucson's sun!

We saw more animals this time than we did the last time but we've taken lesser pictures of ourselves. A little cold to stand and post this time. hee.



Looks like the cats we see on the streets in Singapore except that this one was probably twice the size of our cats.





The dessert experience includes an animal with 2 paws who devoured a human with 1 leg? Those 2 legs were mine.



YES!! That was what we saw that night at Winter Haven but I doubt that Lobo was this Lobo..

More pictures of snakes this time. I'm not fan of snakes but thought they did look interesting!




A cross in the sky!
Lastly, MR Liow with AN before we left Dessert Musuem. ;p