A spark of JOY and SENSITIVITY

This week has been the beginning of adjustment for Keziah and me to prepare her for my absence in 3 weeks when I have to return to work. She has started her bottle regime of 1-2 bottles a day and a regular visit to my mum's from Tues to Thu. I have started to express my milk more diligently especially when she feeds on bottle and my breasts start to feel super full with tingling sensation if I don't empty them by the 2nd feed.

Noted a few things about Keziah
1) Smiled alot more especially when you interact with her.
2) Seems to enjoy my mum and dad (especially my dad's company - guess coz he carries her to sleep and jiggles alot with her)
3) No problem with bottles so far, taking about 130ml or more I guess as she seems to demands more when I gave her 120-125ml.
4) Too distracted by the noise in HDB by the road that she doesn't really nap
5) Amazing! 4 nights a row she slept from 8.30-9pm till 4.30-5.30am in the night without waking up for a feed. Not sure about noises she makes coz it wasn't loud enough to wake me till morning. Seems like her waking is also getting progressively later which is a good thing to match our working schedule. Record breaking of about 9.5h for last night. Not sure if it's coz she refuses to nap at my parent's place for more than 30 min each time in the day.
6) Knocked out today from 12.30pm to 2.35pm and still sleeping when at home today. Didn't even wake up by my breast pump after I put her down for the second time after awoken by it. Moved around during her nap without waking when mummy here thinks she gonna wake as she raised her head while on tummy. Why so? Coz it's quieter? Coz she's back on my bed which she sleeps on during the day when home? Is she that sensitive to her environment?

Excitement with every development

It's really so interesting to see how Keziah develops each day. In the past she used to just happen to be fortunate to have got her hands caught with some toys and simply moving them around. Today she is able to actually grab and hold her rattle and wave it around. Not to mention having a good lick on it.

Shy shy ah....

Kicking and waving around in attempt to roll over....

My new friends at Grandpa and Grandma's place...

Got a rattle too....

Aiya taking me in action with my rattle ah....

Yum Yum....

Grabbing at things...

Looks like Keziah is getting her hands on everything and anything, exploring and having a good tasting too!

Myraids of faces

Smily little Keziah playing with her tongue once again...

Hmmm...do you notice that she's drooling?

Under the play gym, exploring with wide eyes...

Smiling in her dreams and with dreamy eyes wondering who's there

Great Singapore Sale and more of Keziah

Yupz yupz the sales are here! I really want to go out shopping. Heehee...wonder if Baby Keziah is ready for it. Well, I am still considering my odds of bringing her out and most probably will use a pram. Ha Ha otherwise I think I will have my hands all full.

Okiez it's been awhile since I started up loading some pics of Keziah. She has grown bigger I guess or at least seems abit more chubby and heavier. Heehee and I am very happy she's napping alittle better though not very long naps and I seems to have to watch over her. I think she is really quick temper over the things she wants. Needs must be met asap. Still a light sleeper unless she can step into deep sleep. Today the aircon man is here to check out our leaking aircon and it happens to be her nap time. Woke up once by the noisy machine (yes, it sounds like a super high powered vaccum that rumbles alot) to clean out the clogged pipe. After 20 min of carrying upright and rubbing her back, she finally fell back to sleep amidst the noise and I successfully put her down on her tummy.

Tongue out..licky..

Fun on tummy

Oops..I'm caught 'red-handed'

Yawn....I wanna sleep

It's Zzzzzzz time

Our Family

My new Minnie Friend from Japan

Back to Work?

Feelings about work seems to create some dilemma in me. Initially I was dying to go back to work as baby's cries were driving me crazy. Yet as the days went by, seeing how little Keziah grows and developes, I start to hesitate about returning to the workforce, leaving her with my parents. Everyday I see her smile more, communicate more in her baby language, always looking so engaging in our conversation, I begin to tolerate her cries abit better and find life more predictable. I love her more each day and never regreted stepping into motherhood which ties me down and changes my life and pirorities.

Now with all her baby ance gone, little Keziah has such smooth soft skin, coupled with the lovable baby smell, makes her such a darling. Napping a little better leaves me more time to go online, watch her sleep and for today, organise her photos which have been developed but sitting on the table as I have yet found time earlier to make up her scrap book. Pity didn't take picture of her everyday but only now and then.

Babyies and nightmares?

Hmm...I really wonder if babies have nightmares. Was putting my gal down to bed at her usual timing though she was fussing quite abit during the last feed...Not sure if it's due to slow milk flow or simply she's full and yet forced to drink or simply cranky. However, after 50min she let out a loud cry as if suddenly awoken by some unknown fear. After some quick carrying and patting by my hubby she went back to sleep. Sure hope she sleeps tight from here on.

Dreams dreams

Looks like Keziah is getting more or less a fixed wake up and bed tim, starting the day 7-8am and ending 9pm. Still waking for one night feed at 3-4am. This morning is really wierd. She fuss with eyes opened and I took her out to feed for 15 min and thought she had fallen asleep so I placed her back in her cot. Yet she wakes on hitting the bed and started to play with her disney pooh mobile. Left her as such and expressed about 90ml of milk. She's not falling asleep on her own, just kept yawning! Got hb change her diapers and gave her another 25 min and she's in dreamland. However poor mummy had difficulty getting to sleep with funny dreams. Kept tossing in bed and dreaming funny things till 6 plus when my hb got up for work. Finally slept abt an hour and half before hb said his byes and shortly before Keziah's waking.

Baby Mood Swings

Hmm..think babies follow their mummy's in their mood swings. I noticed when I am exceptionally anxious about how to get her to nap, why she not napping long, why can't she sleep like other babies, she too is cranky and exceptionally hard to coax. Today somehow after talking to some mothers on msn, I came to realise and crystalise the fact that babies are different, babies change all the time, babies might sometimes just want to be cuddled, sometimes just want you to notice their needs since they can't communicate in verbal yet. Somehow today it was much easier to put little Keziah to nap. I put her in car seat till she fussed, sang to her and then cradle her to sleep downstairs before putting her on tummy on our bed. Second nap I managed to cradle her to sleep and then set on the bed to watch her abit before putting her down. Who knows she actually phantom cried and a little patting puts her back to half asleep state. Next I noticed she surveyed the place before closing her eyes at about 20 min whereby I then put her on the bed. Think she was exploring whether this is a safe place to sette down. Today I also on a light in the room to brighten it up abit coz the dark room theory of the books don't seem to work on her. Maybe she's afraid of dark. Let's see how long she can nap this time. Meanwhile I am having a cup of tea while writing the blog. You must be wondering why am I not resting. Will do in awhile but guess I want to have a break doing something on my own too. Heehee...possibly also coz my hb was very helpful last night with washing my pumps and putting my expressed milk into bags for freezing and changing diapers this morning at about 5 am while I slept abit more. Prayful she will hold on to these schedules and nap more. Even if it's 45 min each time is fine. Will wait to see when I can put her to sleep without cradling and she will just sleep on her own. heehee..

Good days and BAD days

Okay after taliking about the good nights, as we begin the week, there it goes kicking off ith a bad start, Our gal as usual can't seem to fall asleep for her naps. For a good 10 mins I could put her half asleep beside me on the bed and she dozes off. Who knows the next moment she wakes up crying and wailing. Can't seem to calm her and only after carrying fo awhile she dozes to a half asleep state. Yet now even when carrying she rouses by some bubbles in her throat and carry on crying and yawning midway. Obviously tired and can't go to sleep. Is she colic? I think I will visit the PD soon if this goes on and on...

Wanted to put her on training to sleep but how to with a state like this? Am I too soft-hearted? Do I have to do he hard way of crying it out?

Amazing night...

Wow! Last night was really amazing. I set my gal to bed at about 9.10pm and was expecting her to be up at 4 or 5 am. Yet who knows she was only up at 5.50 am. She clocked almost 9hrs of sleep straight throught without waking up - or at least not to the extent that I knew she was crying in her usual super loud voice that would wake me up. She must have got drunk on my milk. I had wanted to express my milk at 3.15 am but thinking that she would be awake soon, I aborted the idea. Ended up morning I was so full and am certain that I gave her a super feed. Yet who knows she pooed as usual but refuse to return to bed there after. Guess the day started early. I must say she is now adopting some kind of routine in feeding but yet to learn to nap. I have started adopting the E.A.S.Y (Eat, Activity, Sleep, Your time) as written from the book though a little variation with the feeding time ranging 2-3h. Success in some way but I still haven't got much of my own time since she simply refuses to sleep and always gets overtired that she screams and gets plenty of wind that makes her scream in her shrill voice. Eating times are closer in the afternoon when she doesn't sleep well and fuss. Typically she catnaps and refuses to be put down in bed. The soothing cycle repeats itself. Tried the shh..shh...and pat method and got her to sleep while carrying her. Amazingly this evening about 6pm I carried her to sleep and thinking she will only sleep 30 min I simply just carried her (a no no if you want your baby to sleep independently). Put her down on the bed at 7.15 pm thinking she would wake up so that I could sponge her but who knows despite our noise, tickles and exercises, she simply refused to wake. No choice we had to resort to simply change her and sponge her half asleep. Yes, she fussed and screamed halfway. As usual I fed her after and she slept at 9 pm in her cot. Oh please don't give me a erratic night and get up in the wee hours to fuss.

Actually today being Saturday, my hubby is around to give me a hand. His presence just makes me feel so happy eventhough he's tired from the week's work. His big smile and his share of household chores make me feel rather comforted at times though I still get pissed and wonder why he gets so tired easily when handling baby Keziah. Heehee...had pasta for lunch and chicken pie for dinner today cooked by him. Still appreciated though I had to carry Keziah in one hand and eat with the other as she was fussing and struggling to find her way to dreamland.

2 months old

Counting the days, Keziah is now 2 months 1 day old. Looks like I am posting only every once a week. Arghh...every day I want to come in to put up a post, I just feel I better rest. I must say I am thankful now that Keziah is sleeping well at night - at least 5-7h a stretch before a night feed and going back to bed. She is also showing some sleeping and feeding pattern though can be a little erratic at times. I still have difficulty putting her down to nap in the day. Even calling up the parentcraft consultant doesn't seem to be of much help as she says my girl is fine as she sleeps well at night. The problem is in the day when she doesn't sleep and she gets tired obviously, she cranks. Now I am reading this book recommended by my friend entitled "Secrets of the Baby Whisperer" by Tracy Hogg. Trying to steal all time to read from feeding to watching my girl sleep. Guess I am a slow reader and now slowly ploughing through it in hope to get some tips. Really tough trying to adopt S.L.O.W - Stop, Listen, Observe and What's up - to understand what the baby wants. Especially so when now at my mum's place trying to get her adapted to staying here for the day as I will be leaving her here for my parents to tend to her when I start work. Okiez.. muz persevere...oops here she goes cranking upon putting down on bed by my mum after she carried her to nap.

"Hmmm....It's bath time?"

"ahhhhh....so relaxed after the swim in the bath"

"Hello...taking a pic of me!"

"Wonder what's out there"

"Hey I want to show my little hands too"

"Toys toys how are u?"