Babywearing

The memories of baby E's first year are slowly fading into the recesses of my mind, becoming hazy images filled with a sense of overwhelming love and affection for the little guy.

Before these memories fade any further, I feel a need to write down what I felt during that time to remind me of what it was like.

You know, just in case we decide to have another baby.

Baby E was a terrible sleeper. Terrible is putting it nicely. He is such a bright, attentive baby that it seemed like he just could not relax enough to close his eyes and fall asleep. And all I could hear were my mother-in-law's constant comments about 'babies need sleep to grow, why is he not sleeping? I think he's grown smaller!' ringing in my head so in my fuzzy, tired 'new mama' brain I was obsessed with getting him to sleep.

I guess it didn't help that even as a newborn, his crying was really (incredibly) loud and demanding. He would go from sound asleep to yelling his head off. I was constantly worried that he was in some sort of pain because I would do diaper changes, swaddle then unswaddle, walk him around the house, sing to him, lay down with him, give him wind drops, try to burp him etc. Nursing always helped but then I worried he was constantly nursing and might be having an upset stomach from too much milk.

Almost 2 months

I had seen a shop selling baby slings and carriers when I was pregnant but had some reservations about babywearing. The shop owners were really helpful and took the time to recommend and demonstrate the use of a Sleepy Wrap (now known as a Boba Wrap).

After baby E was born and the minute my confinement period was over, we went to buy a Sleepy Wrap. Right in the store, I wrapped baby E up and he fell asleep almost IMMEDIATELY. I was SOLD on babywearing. It wasn't just for convenience, I am convinced that it saved my sanity as well. 

Looking back, I probably had some postpartum depression in those first few months. Being able to wear baby E in the wrap meant I could keep him close yet still get things done around the home. And at the time, keeping things neat and tidy at home was tied to my mental state. It helped me feel like things were under control.

The hubby was also able to use the wrap and get baby E to nap which gave me a break.

2 months (photo taken by auntie J)

I loved the Sleepy Wrap. LOVED it. It did get a bit warm in our hot and humid tropical climate so I always dressed baby E in sleeveless onesies or thin shirts and he was happy.

5 months

As baby E grew bigger, I wanted a more sturdy carrier. So back to the same shop we went and bought a Manduca carrier. The wide waist belt helps distribute the weight of the baby more evenly which is great for the hubby who has bad shoulders. I could even breastfeed on-the-go with baby E in it.

The Manduca has since replaced the Sleepy Wrap as our go-to carrier and we never leave home without it!

15 months

Baby E has reached a stage where he refuses to be carried in the Manduca anymore. He's also started falling asleep in his stroller without needing to nurse. So more often than not, the Manduca is stashed away in his stroller basket these days.

I guess what I am trying to say is that the phrase 'This too shall pass' is true. Baby E has grown and adapted to life on the outside (of the comfort and safety of my womb) at his own time and the test for me was to take a step back and let him develop at his own pace.

Sunnies

Baby E loves to (pretend) drive and picked up daddy's sunglasses to try on for size.

Hey babe, how YOU doin'?

Sleep or Speak?

Baby E has been talking more lately. Wait, let me back things up a bit.

A couple weeks ago, baby E seemed to be settling into a regular sleep pattern which included a nap at 11am and bedtime at 6pm with little to no protest from him. He was super cooperative, like super duper agreeable and slept pretty well. After bedtime at 6pm, he would wake at 10 or 11pm for milk and to say hi to daddy before going back to sleep which is my cue to turn in for the night. Baby E would still drink milk at night while we are sleeping but they would be short, peaceful nursing sessions.

Here's what I think of sleep, pffft!

I recall Dr Teoh (baby E's pediatrician) telling us to be prepared as a child's sleep can take up to 3 years to settle into a regular pattern. That week of great sleeping by baby E gave me hope, maybe a little too much hope.

Because the week after that, he went from great sleeper to fighting the sandman every step of the way. His only daytime nap was pushed to 12pm and is now at 1pm. He would find any excuse to not sleep, like asking to change his clean diaper (which I had already changed in anticipation of his impending nap), taking all his books out to flip through the pages and point out the pictures to me. Or opening up my box of disposable breastpads and emptying the contents out onto the floor and taking all his neatly stacked diapers and throwing them around the room. I tried everything from coaxing, patting, singing, ignoring him to finally losing my cool and being very stern with him.

Not only that but his bedtime has gone from 6pm to 7pm and is currently now at 8pm. His eyes were closing at 7pm, then he started rolling around in bed and shaking his head to wake himself up. Nursing has also become a challenge with him digging his fingers into my flesh and the pinching, kneading and poking was starting to get on my nerves.

But then I noticed he was talking more. In actual words. Baby E's paternal grandparents heard and understood what he was saying as well so it's not my mummy brain playing tricks on me. Couple days ago I swore he said 'Gugu (Ed's sister) go work.' It sounded more like 'Gugu gowerrk'. Yesterday his ah gong (paternal grandfather) bought some durians home in a big brown paper bag. Baby E walked up to him and asked, 'Wat dis?' while pointing at the bag. He says words like truck, baby, koko (older brother), mei mei (little sister) and a bunch more that I can't recall right now.

So I figure his disrupted sleep is a result of his brain working overtime to grow and develop. I also figure his unwillingness to cooperate is part of his growing up process. Or so I tell myself because I've skimmed over the emails that Baby Centre (or whichever baby website I signed up on when I was pregnant and bored) sends that outlines toddler development and says that this is the stage where he figures out that he is an individual with his own opinions on things. Which is a good and normal thing.

Freedom, yay!

I've also tried being less strict with insisting that he stay in the stroller if we are in a reasonably safe place and he agrees to hold my hand 70% of the time. And I also take him out of the stroller in the MRT if he asks me to and I find that he is much more willing to sit back inside the stroller when I explain that we've reached our station.

It's all about give and take. Without having him climb over my head. A real delicate balance.

The payoff is that he actually FELL ASLEEP IN HIS STROLLER on Wednesday after lunch with a friend. And he stayed asleep for over an hour while I had my coffee and a piece of cake in blissful silence. Just me and my sleeping baby.

Best. Feeling. Ever.

Cuteness Reminder No. 2

Hey there!

Like my teeth?

And my tongue?

Yep, that's me. I'm the cute one.

I really need this reminder today.

Baby E has officially entered the Terrible Twos and nothing I did today was up to his (extremely) high toddler standards. From refusing to change his diaper, insisting on sitting up to nurse before his nap (which results in him falling asleep sitting up and then waking up when I move him to his bed) to refusing to sit in his high chair, things went downhill pretty quick.
 
He's finally down for the night and there is nothing sweeter than a sleeping baby (or toddler!)

Stroller Comparison

I'm comparing the pros and cons of two strollers that baby E has. The first stroller was approved by daddy E but the second stroller was a total impulse buy on my part.

Ok, so here's the first stroller, the Feebo model by Lucky Baby:

Pros

1. Full canopy, it's also water resistant enough to withstand light rain (took it out recently and it started POURING with rain, the canopy could not handle that and was soaked through).
2. Reversible handle so I could face baby E towards me and keep an eye on him when he was younger.
3. Big basket underneath, I can stuff a whole bunch of things in there plus the diaper bag which is really useful.
4. Well-balanced, the stroller remains pretty stable even without baby E sitting inside to act as a counterbalance to the heavy items hanging off the handles and shoved into the basket underneath.
5. The back reclines flat so it can be used from birth until the child reaches 18kg in weight.

So this could have been our one and only stroller purchase. But some things were bugging me.

Cons

1. Takes more effort to steer, wheels are a bit stiff. When used in the rear-facing position (i.e. baby facing the parent when being pushed), I need to use two hands and brute force to keep the stroller on it's intended path. Also I keep kicking the wheels when pushing the stroller because the front wheels are set quite close together (or maybe I need a more feminine, mincing gait when I walk??). But when put in the forward-facing position, steering becomes much easier.
2. It's a heavy stroller, not easy to fold up and take on a bus if I'm the only one bringing baby E out (which happens quite often since I'm a SAHM). So I usually end up walking all the way to the MRT station which takes about 15mins and it's not good idea in wet weather because a large portion of the walking route is not sheltered.
3. The reversible handle seemed a bit shaky where it attaches to the frame which made me nervous in the beginning.

Otherwise, it's a great stroller which we got for a great price during a warehouse sale at Taime Pte Ltd. It was S$129.00 after discount if I remember correctly.

Now, I've always wanted a lighter umbrella-style stroller with a narrow frame that I could carry onto the bus while baby E remains seated inside. So while out window shopping during the recent GSS (Great Singapore Sale), I ended up getting a Maclaren Quest 2012.

Pros

1. Very easy to push and steer, even with 1 hand.
2. Lightweight, I can lift the stroller onto the bus with baby E sitting inside it and the stroller frame is narrow enough to fit through the bus entrance without getting stuck.
3. Easy to open and fold, the carry strap in the back is also very useful. We got lost while searching for a car in the parking lot and I was carrying the folded up stroller up and down several flights of stairs with minimal effort.
4. The canopy is waterproof! (and detachable)

Cons

1. The canopy is small! But the stroller comes with an additional rain cover, when used together it provides pretty good coverage.
2. The basket underneath is really, really small. I can fit my handbag in it and that's it, no more room.
3. Must remember not to hang heavy items from the handles, the stroller has a tendency to tip over backwards if the items outweigh baby E. When he wants to come out and walk on his own, there is a delicate juggling act involving putting the backrest into a reclined position and the footrest up so that the diaper bag can fit in the seat plus any bags hanging off the back being shifted to the front to re-distribute the weight and keep the stroller balanced.

That being said, I do like the new stroller. It's light and very maneuverable which makes navigating narrow shopping aisles at our local NTUC a breeze. Plus I can get it up and down the feeder bus that services our estate pretty easily on my own (provided it's a wheelchair-accessible bus, I can't get it up and down by myself if it's a regular bus with steps).

So in conclusion, I now use the Lucky Baby Feebo stroller for 'long-haul' trips downtown when I tend to bring a lot of stuff to keep baby E entertained and the Maclaren for short trips in our neighbourhood when I can travel light.

Edit to include:
A fellow SAHM mentioned that when the Maclaren stroller is folded up, the front wheels touch the canopy which can be an issue if the wheels are dirty. I didn't notice that before buying and the scruff marks on the canopy were starting to bother me. Then I realised that the canopy can be detached, so now I take it off before folding up the stroller. I also lock the front wheels so they don't swing around and touch the backrest.

Cuteness Reminder

Hi cutie!

Found this photo in the 'Received Files' folder on my computer, taken by my cousin when baby E was 6 months old.

It put a smile on my face after a particularly challenging day taking care of baby E who is now a strong-willed toddler who knows his own mind all too well.

C is for Curry, and Curry is for me...

Ever since E's graduated to regular food, having meals outside has turned into an even busier event for us. He'd point and gesture at our food and we'd try and figure out where he's going with this (to eat, squish, throw, use it to feed us... in no particular order). There are times though, that he'd cut to the chase. Picture below of our very own curry monster lapping it all up.

Who knew?

Bo chun ... MORE?