Week 38 Pregnancy Update, What motherhood taught me!

Hi all..

I'm currently 38.5 weeks pregnant. It's getting so so close now. How crazy isn't thinking I'm going to pop a baby anytime now :D 

As my due date is getting so close now, I have this weird feeling (not sure if other second time mums can relate)  it's like having a strong separation anxiety with my first born. I feel like every moment I spend with my son is extremely precious, much more precious than before and I feel like that precious time is getting shorter & shorter.. The connection with him is just getting stronger & I'm afraid of losing what I'm currently holding tight once the new baby is out and I'm afraid things between us will change. Never knew the transition from 1st time mum to 2nd time mum can be that difficult. Nevertheless, I hope the relationship with first child remains strong & will never ever change even though I'm having a new baby :)

At this stage, I'm doing pretty okay ~ no complaints so far except a little backache here and there and soreness in my V area (not sure why too!)

 

My super round belly ~ it's so wide! Left and right side of my belly are equally swollen! And I think my popped out belly button looks funny! :D

Highlights at 38 weeks:

1) Leaking Colostrum ~ I wake up every morning with yellowish dry skin on my nipples I suspect as colostrum and I'm right ~ the other day, I tried to press gently my right nipple and a tiny drop of super yellow liquid came out but funnily on my left nipple, there was only a drop of transparent liquid. I guess left boob is not ready to produce colostrum yet.

I can tell that milk production will kick in more quickly in the 2nd birth than the 1st one. I remember day 1 after I gave birth to EJ, I had to press my nipples really hard (until it really hurt) to see a tiny drop of colostrum. So I just hope breastfeeding will be easier & more natural this time round :)

I have also started applying nipple cream twice a day, kind of nourishing it before the real breastfeeding kicks in :) So I won't face dry, cracked, painful nipples during direct latching for the first time!

2) Coffee ~ I just have craving for a cup of coffee in the morning & yes I have it! I know that drinking caffeine during pregnancy is not good but I guess one cup in the morning won't be that harmful, right? I used to drink a cup of coffee in the morning before I got pregnant & coffee never failed to wake me up but during pregnancy, coffee has no effect on me at all. I still feel tired & sleepy!

Pregnancy craving does change! Last week I craved for chocolate & I had to eat a bar every day and this week's craving is coffee!!

3) Watching movie is no longer fun ~ Yesterday I watched hunger games part 2 with my husband thinking this is our last movie before the baby is here but turned out I didn't enjoy my movie at all. My back was so sore from sitting down for 2 hours without pillow support & worst part was I needed to go to loo every 30 minutes. So annoying!

4) Braxton Hick Contractions are getting stronger and more frequently ~ sometimes I think I'm in labor but nope, I'm not! The tightening can be really strong although not painful but it's really uncomfortable and it can come many times in one hour time, especially when I walk, bend down or stand up.

5) Nesting Part 3 is done ~ I'm done! That's it! Nesting is a serious business! My whole body is very sore now ~ everywhere especially my back. Seriously that's it! Baby Cal, just come whenever you're ready!

6) Baby Movements & Kicks ~ Everywhere! but her favorite spot is my right ribs! She loves the right side of my belly so much & most of her movements are on my right side! Occasionally, she's on my left but most of the time, right is her all the time favo!

7) Talking to her every night ~ Yes, I do talk to her every night before I go to bed. What do I talk?

"Cal Cal (Calysta's nickname), when you're born, please be a good girl, latch on and breastfeed well. Give your mommy plenty of rest & sleep, so she can take a good care of you & produce you plenty of milk. Please don't be cranky at night, do sleep through the night, be an easy going baby and most importantly, be healthy and happy all the time!

I talk the same to her every single night! And that's my wish for her!

I made my own reflections! As a second time mum & as a mum who has been through motherhood for the past 19 months, motherhood has taught me many things I didn't know before nor I didn't expect it to be.. And I really think it's good to sit down, reflect, write down and perhaps make changes about it? I'm someone who prefers to pour the content of my heart through writing and here are my 10 reflections as a mum who has been going through motherhood for the past 1.5 years and here are things motherhood taught me:

1) A mum can be very protective

Even simple things like "Do the germs get into my child and make him sick if he touches dirty shoes?", "Why didn't you wipe his hand with anti bacterial wipes?", "Oh no, that stranger auntie is touching him again, will he get germs or something?" Sounds familiar? A little simple thing can make a mum paranoid and extra protective!

2) A mum needs to be & stays strong

She has too! Who else can wake up every one hour to check her child's temperature when he's having fever? Who else can monitor her child so timely to make sure his medications are taken on time? Who else can rush to the hospital back and forth and do everything it takes to ensure the child is happy & healthy? Who else can be that strong to watch a sick child vomiting his medication, crying his lungs out, yet never give up, but to stay strong and repeating the process over and over again?

3) A mum is a decision maker

A strong decision maker on her children! Not dad nor other family members! Mum decides what's the best for her child and mum's natural instinct is really that strong & accurate and so her decision is mostly the best for her child's well being. Most of the time, she will be very careful, do lots of researches before making that decision!

4) A mum is from Venus & a dad is from Mars

A mum loves to rant and share about her day being a mother to her man without wanting a solution sometimes but man tends to take woman's sharing as complaints and he wants to find parenting solutions for his woman, but at the end, finding solutions for his woman can interrupt his concentration at work, thus affecting his work performance. And eventually, it affects the relationship between man and his woman. I came far to learn about this, ranting to your man is not a solution but it's the root of every family problem. Parenting is not only about the relationship between you and your child but it's also about you and your husband.

5) A mum sacrifices everything

Her sleep, her beauty, her career, her youth, her health, her time, her hobbies, things she wants. And her children are always her top priority. A mum sacrifices with no regret at all!

6) A mum needs to learn to block unnecessary comments

Comments about how you raise your child is getting more hurtful when you are a mother yourself.

Does this sound familiar?

"Your milk supply is low, just top up with formula milk!"
"Your milk is too watery, no wonder baby doesn't like it!"
"Don't you worry about your child?"
"Don't you care about your child?"
"Why did you feed him that?"
"Don't take this, it's not good for your child!"
"Your child should...." "Your child shouldn't.."

Seriously, when those unnecessary comments come from your family members, it sucks 100 times more than comments you receive from strangers if you know what I mean? And it's quite a trick to ignore & block those unnecessary comments without getting upset or angry! Motherhood does teach a woman to grow up and to be more mature in handling problems like this!

7) The world doesn't always revolve around us and our children

Sometimes, it's not all about us and our children, selfishly we want the best for our children without thinking about others or our actions towards others but we are not the center of this world, we are PART of this world! Many things we just can't change! Our entire lives don't just revolve around our children, there must be a balance of everything I believe!

8) Children are forgiving

This is what I learned from my 19 month old son.  I was angry with him, so I scolded him and I screamed! 10 minutes later, he acted like nothing happened ~ he gave me his biggest smile and hugged me! Can we learn from our children to be that forgiving?

9) And so, mum feels guilty but moves on fast!

Because children are so forgiving and thus we feel guilty screaming at them, isn't? A mum's voice can be loud & fierce but her heart will remain soft for her children.

10) And this shall pass too!

Everything will pass too! I have been through the period when my child:

"Went on food strike"
"Had sleeping terrors ~ waking up & crying non stop"
"Had fever more than 39.8 degree"
"Had bacterial infections"
"Was sick for 2 weeks and I had to force feed him medications with so much heart breaks"
"Refused to nurse"
"Was crying & couldn't sleep because he had bad flu & cough"
"Wasn't well yet I received unnecessary comments that added more pressure than I already had" 

But every single thing I mentioned above passed too! And every single thing will be back to normal! Amazingly, despite things I went through, I'm still enjoying being a mum!

Motherhood is simply awesome!

~38.5 weeks and counting, so see you soon labor ward!~

Showing off my son's artworks

EJ went to baby class for 1 month when he was 16 months old. He was having so much fun but unfortunately I couldn't register him for the next term since the place was very far away from my house (too tiring for a heavily pregnant mum like me), so I have registered him to the nearest playgroup near our house for January 2015 intake. He will be around 20 months old in January 2015.

Showing off some of his artworks he did in his baby class. Maybe it's done 100% by my baby boy, I feel like keeping his handworks forever and these are so precious to me :) I feel like he has given me the most beautiful gifts in the world, something I would not trade for... (It's just mommy's feeling!)

Just wanna say "I'm proud of you, son!" (maybe nothing special to others, just a messy little paint here and there but this meant a lot to me, it's really that special & precious, something I can hang on my wall permanently ^^ )

Week 37 Her Face + My favorite baby online shops

37 weeks pregnant! Officially Full Term!!

Yesterday I went to my prenatal check-up at TMC and I'd say it was the best visit ever! No queue (not many people in the clinic) and the best thing was Calysta finally showed her face to me, she had been quite shy to show her face, been hiding her face against the wall of my uterus (is it a right term "uterus wall"?) and I thought she wouldn't show me at all and I would have to wait until she's born! But yesterday she gave me a big surprise, the first time ever Calysta showed her face to me, although ultrasound scan was not that clear but I roughly knew how she would look like when she's born. I have been imagining her face for the longest period ever!

She looks like EJ when he was a newborn, she has her daddy's nose!

At 37 weeks, Calysta is pretty tiny, she's only measuring 35 weeks, which is 2 weeks behind but doctor has no concern at all as she's gaining weight and she's doing fine as well (Heartbeat & water level are both good!) From week 34 to week 37, she only gained 300 grams. She's currently 2.7 kg and 31 cm (from top to bottom), not sure her exact length from head to toes! Compared to EJ, she was much lighter, EJ was almost 3.1 kg at 37 weeks. I'm sure baby boy is bigger than baby girl!

Doctor said it's anytime now and I did ask him if he needed to write me an admission letter and surprisingly he said "no need"!, advised me just come to L&D when I have contractions or any pains!

From week 34 to week 37, I gained 1 kg only which I was very surprised!. I used to gain 3-4 kg every month in my third trimester (funnily, I only gained 1-1.5 kg every month in my second trimester) but for the past three weeks, I gained just 1 kg (Calysta gained 300 grams, so mine would actually be 700 grams weight gain) I really think it's due to high stress level I experienced for the past three weeks, EJ was sick for a couple of weeks and during that time, I didn't have enough sleep, too stressed out& didn't have appetite to eat! But I'm grateful though, that it's only 1 kg of weight gain, hahahaaa...

This 2nd pregnancy has been a smooth sailing pregnancy and I couldn't ask for more. I have been so grateful! I can eat, sleep & walk well! Physically I feel good too, no soreness or itchiness or whatever!

However, the funny thing is how different emotional feeling can be between 1st & 2nd pregnancy. 1st pregnancy, I couldn't wait him to come out and every day was so slow but 2nd pregnancy, time flies so fast and I CAN wait her to come out (although sometimes, I'm too curious how she looks like and can't wait to see her face!) because I need more time & it will never be enough to spend my precious time with my son before she's here...

Ready or not, she's coming soon! Too soon!

Me & Baby Girl, not sure she will look like me or not!

 

Closer look, she's placing her hand in front of her chin!

Baby bump at 37 weeks!

And btw, just want to share my top 5 favorite baby online shops in Singapore and I hope this can help fellow mommies (especially first time mums) I have been buying baby stuff online since EJ was a newborn because it's so convenient.

TWO advises, please choose the reliable shop that offers FREE home delivery in the next day (for certain amount of purchases) and please pay by PayPal for fast transaction!

I have been buying regularly from these shops (for both babies, EJ & Calysta) and they are:

1) BabyOnline ~ http://www.babyonline.com.sg/

Good service, free home delivery for certain amount of purchases, fast delivery. I bought sleeping bags (quite many of it), Thermos Food Jar and some stuff I can't remember.

2) Pupsik Studio ~ http://www.pupsikstudio.com/

Good service, fast delivery, free home delivery for certain amount of purchases. I bought baby slings & baby carriers (very good offer!), baby toys, nasal aspirator, Aden Anais Muslin Swaddle, baby swaddle, Aveeno Baby Eczema Cream (very good!), Baby crib mobile and a few more! They offer good deals and varieties too!

3) Agape Babies ~ http://www.agapebabies.com/

Good service, fast delivery, free home delivery for certain amount of purchases. The best purchase I've ever made is California Baby. I only use organic baby shower gel & shampoo and I find that this website offers so so much cheaper organic baby bath range comparing to retail shops like Watsons, etc.. I have been stocking California baby bath range from them. I also bought card milestones and fever patch from this website too! Good deals and varieties too!

4) The Groovy Giraffe ~ http://www.thegroovygiraffe.com/

This one is an online book store, my son loves books and I have been buying so many baby books from this website. I prefer to buy baby books in bulk, more convenient and I don't have to worry heavy loads as they offer free home delivery for certain amount of purchases. Good service but delivery will take a few days time which I don't mind (books are not that urgent!)

5) BingBling ~ http://www.bingbling.com.sg/

This one is mostly selling products related to breastfeeding. Reliable, cheap, original & good service! But it doesn't offer free home delivery unfortunately but I'm still happy with this website, even though I have to top up for courier, but the price + courier is still much cheaper than retail shops like Mothercare or Mums & Babes. I love Medela products and this shop offers a wide range of Medela products in a much cheaper price!

Others:

1) Q0010 Singapore ~ http://www.qoo10.sg/

I can find anything everything cheap in this website! But the thing is I need to find a reliable seller and read reviews from other buyers before buying. Please use Paypal for easy transaction! I tried bank transfer before but I faced some horrible problems, order cancelled, wrote a complaint letter, checked here and there, re-ordered and finally got back my stuff after so many weeks of waiting. So for this website I will only use PayPal!

I bought quite many cheap baby stuff from this website from clothes, socks to breastfeeding positioner. My best purchase would be Zojirushi Food Jar (this one can keep baby food warm for more than 7 hours and it's the best!). Selling at $40 from this website (authentic one) where retail costs around $70-$80. Many of the baby stuff in this website cost half retail price! Good offer but delivery will take a little longer and most importantly, must read reviews before buying!

I hope this helps new mommies in buying baby products online!

BABY CALYSTA IS COMING SOON! Oh gosh, can't believe it, I'm going to be a mother of two soon!

~Netty~

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose Review

(Sponsored Review)
 
I received a pair of Preggers Maternity Pantyhose from Spring Maternity Singapore last month and I have been wearing this 10-15mmHg* gradient compression hosiery for quite a while. Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is designed to improve circulation, prevent swelling and energize tired legs and feet during pregnancy.

This product features true gradient compression and is designed for everyday wear by expecting mums.

6 facts about Preggers 10-15mmHG* Gradient Compression Hosiery you may not know:
 
1) True gradient compression delivers a controlled amount of pressure greatest at the ankle and gradually decreases towards the top of the stocking to promote better blood flow
 
2) Built-in tummy support panel provides a sense of stability for active mommas and can be worn folded under belly and unfolded to cover belly
 
3) Super soft material is breathable and provides shaping support
 
4) Toe is reinforced for durability and rounded for comfortable fit
 
5) Micro-Cool process creates a wicking effect so moisture evaporates from the skin quickly providing a comfortable coolness
 
6) Smooth seams that will not dig into tummy or show under clothes
 
I'm currently in my ninth month of pregnancy, 36 weeks plus. In my last month of pregnancy, my days have becoming crazily hectic. Not only I need to set up a prefect nursery for my little princess who is coming to the world in 2-3 weeks time but I have been running back and forth to the hospital for my son's health reviews & my own doctor appointments.

Running errands in final stage of pregnancy can be really tiring, especially when I was required to sit or stand for long periods of time. Besides, it's pretty normal for me to feel discomforts of swelling or fatigue during pregnancy. I believe that is also part of a pregnancy a woman needs to go through (lucky you if you have never experience any of the discomforts!!) However, after being introduced to Preggers Maternity Pantyhose by Spring Maternity (thank you!!) (I didn't know previously there's such a maternity pantyhose product) I realized I could actually do something about my tired achy legs. Something CAN be done! And I don't have to suffer from tired & achy legs in my final trimester! So, here I am trying the product I didn't know existed previously and hoping it helps to energize my legs :)

My legs are not veiny (that's one good thing!) I can barely see veins running through my legs but at 36 weeks plus pregnant, I can no longer running away from the unfortunate typical pregnancy symptoms such as 1) Tired and achy legs 2) Swollen legs

As you can see from my picture below, my calves are swollen! Absolutely not a pretty sight! I believe my swollen calves are caused by water retention in my late pregnancy. Pretty much I woke up in the morning with swollen legs especially the night before, I had a long walk, swollen calves, ankles and feet became worse.

Not only that (sorry the picture below is a little gross to see!), my feet were so swollen and so my ankles! Can you see the blue veins popping out of my feet?

Thanks to Spring Maternity, I had a chance to try Preggers Maternity Pantyhose to improve my poor circulation, prevent swelling and energize my tired legs and feet during this final stage of pregnancy.
 

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is very comfortable to wear on daily basis. The material doesn't make me feel warm, although pregnancy itself has already made me feel so warm, thanks to pregnancy hormones! But having to wear this for the whole day, I don't feel extra warm at all! The material is so airy, breathable and super soft. Therefore, I feel like wearing nothing!

Besides, I also feel more comfortable walking/standing up for a long time. It does help in relieving me from tired legs when I need to walk/stand up for a long time. At the end of the day, I can see the difference between long walk with Preggers Maternity Pantyhose VS long walk without. Long walk without is certainly more tiring and thus, more swelling in the next morning!

Another benefit I like from Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is built-in tummy support. In late pregnancy, especially when my baby's head already down & engaged, most of the time, my belly feels extra heavy! I just feel uncomfortable walking with heavy belly and often I feel Braxton Hicks Contractions (those fake contractions preparing woman body for labor) that come along when I have my long walk. Heavy belly + tightening can be agonizing and intolerable. I have been thinking to buy maternity belt to solve this problem but fortunately, Preggers Maternity Pantyhose was being introduced to me before buying expensive maternity belt that I will no longer be using it after my baby is born!

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose Built-in tummy support is indeed a belly support. I'm impressed with this tummy support! The material is not only comfortable & breathable but the design of this built-in tummy support provides me the sense of stability. It feels like wearing maternity belt to support my heavy belly! In fact it's like all in one product, not only supporting my belly but providing my legs with better blood flow! Unlike other built in tummy support maternity wear, this one doesn't slide down my hips at all. Not even once after so many hours of wearing. It's really that fit & stable!
 

After wearing Preggers Maternity Pantyhose for a week, I can certainly see visible improvements to my current legs conditions.

1) My legs are less tired now and I can walk longer and farther. I feel good even I have to stand up for half an hour or walk for an hour! Leg cramps & soreness lessen with Preggers!

2) My tired legs and feet are energized. No longer feeling sore legs and feet waking up in the morning. Therefore, I'm no longer needing to worry the impact from the long walk-the day before in the next morning! 

3) Swollen calves, ankles and feet are improved! I don't see it that swollen anymore. I believe Preggers Maternity Pantyhose does improve my poor circulation. The compression does promote better blood flow!

Can you see it's less swollen now?

 Now I feel more confident wearing short dress. I'm happy to see my normal legs back :) No longer needing to hide my swollen legs/feet/ankles under long maxi dress anymore!! :)

It's so easy to pair Preggers with my pre-pregnancy clothes. I can absolutely pair it with my short pre-pregnancy dresses. I'm a tall girl but pretty slim and I'm lucky enough to be able to fit into almost all my pre-pregnancy dresses except dresses are getting too short due to my growing & expanding belly size and most of the time, I don't have the confidence to wear short dresses. I'm afraid of exposing too much skin in pregnancy, I just feel awkward!

And with Preggers Maternity Pantyhose, I'm no longer afraid of wearing my pre-pregnancy dresses I can fit into. I'm no longer needing to worry if my dresses are too short and inappropriate in comparison with my big belly. Now, I can totally rock my short dresses out and be a fashionable pregnant mum back!

Preggers Maternity Pantyhose is so versatile and I can see myself wearing it with everything from dresses, shorts to skirts.

#OOTD (Outfit of The Day) in Preggers, black color pantyhose with light color floral dress (contrast color) makes my legs extra long and my legs appear slimmer too (how great isn't when every part of my body looks fat except my legs??) Wearing black color pantyhose is another way of showing off mile long legs in a classy way :) Agree??

For more information, check out Spring Maternity website at http://www.springmaternity.com/

Thank you for reading my review with Preggers

Wish me a super smooth delivery in 2-3 weeks time!

~Netty~

Week 36 Pregnancy #2 Update with Baby Calysta

I'm in my ninth month of pregnancy!

A little over 36 weeks now, that means 1 more week to the official full term and another 2-3 more weeks before she's here with us! I can't wait & I feel nervous too!

The emotional feeling I'm currently experiencing being a second time mum is I feel like in my ninth month of my pregnancy, every moment I spend with baby boy is too precious but short.. The time will finally come when he's not going to be the only one in my heart.. I feel guilty because I'm soon going to be shared. I'm nervous and wonder how on earth I could love my 2nd child as much as I love him.. I didn't touch my belly as much as I touched EJ when I was pregnant with him, I didn't talk to her as much as I was pregnant with EJ and I didn't read to her either but I read to EJ when he was in my belly.. But I know things will change when she's finally here, I will fall in love over and over again :)

Pregnancy is so far so good, I don't have any complaints at all :) I can eat well, I can walk well & I can actually sleep well (so far I can sleep like a baby, wake up twice or more to pee but I can sleep back soundly) BUT for the past one week, it was terrible.. I didn't sleep well at all, not because of the pregnancy causing me sleepless nights but it was my 18 month old boy...

My 18 month old was sick and diagnosed with walking pneumonia caused by mycoplasma bacterial. He was having high fever, nausea with vomiting, cough, flu & cold and for the past one week, I was so worried and couldn't sleep at all (I had to wake up every hour to check his temperature). I was so scared! This thing + pregnancy hormones + pressure I received from the old folks when my baby boy was sick just broke me down. I kept on crying & crying (I know it's silly but who can blame a hormonal pregnant woman?) And I just felt so upset! One whole week of upsetness!

My baby boy is currently recovering & he's doing pretty good now (still under observation but absolutely so much better) and so my mood is! I'm feeling better too! At least, I can smile & laugh now, no longer a sad cloud!

Anyway, life isn't always smooth, isn't? Although I have comfortable pregnancy #2 but there's nothing can stop me from being sad & upset, right?

I'm grateful that my joints, back, wrists, knees are not sore or painful at all (it was painful during my first pregnancy at 36 weeks) and most importantly, I'm still comfortable being my self, the 36 week pregnant me! :)

I noticed at 36 weeks pregnant, Braxton hicks contractions come more frequently now but it lasts for 1 second only. Not painful but uncomfortable. The feeling is like tightening in my belly and this contractions are only noticeable to me when I stand up or walk. I can't feel it when I sit down!

Baby Cal's movements & kicks are still pretty much the same pattern, she still loves her favorite spot which is on my right side and she loves to hang around my right ribs. Luckily when she's around my ribs, it doesn't hurt at all.. I just felt like someone is poking & shifting my right arm :) I can also feel her legs/arms/elbows/ankles/don't-know-what-it's poking out of my skin and it felt funny & sharp :)

Talking about craving, it's weird that I started to love chocolate bar with almonds so much.. And it started at 35 weeks pregnant. Chocolate is now my comfort food! I have never loved or appreciated chocolates like the way I appreciate it now.. I just have craving for chocolates! Before I got pregnant and before 35 weeks of pregnancy, chocolates were never in my mind but now, I just can't stop thinking of chocolates (almost) all the time =.=' Girl's craving?

Next appointment is next week at 37 weeks and I'm curious how much she has grown! and how much I have grown too, arghh!

After shedding so much tears this week (Silly me, it's not even that big pressure!) I think it's time to be happy back, what else can bring happiness to a woman except retail therapy? I bought this super pretty pom pom dress for Calysta. Normally, pom pom dress can cause itchiness & discomfort but this one is super soft & comfortable, so Calysta will definitely look lovely in this dress (this size is for 6 months old). She already has so many dresses and this should be the last piece I bought! (although I doubt so! Retail therapy for baby girl is indeed a therapy!)

Baby bump comparison at 36 weeks.. 1st pregnancy/baby boy vs 2nd pregnancy/baby girl.. I can't see the difference though, both baby bumps are pretty much the same shape but I think baby boy was a little higher, fuller & sharper.. And baby girl is a little lower and rounder :)

 Here's my round bump at 36 weeks!

Almost there & the countdown really begins now!

18 month old Ethan-James, The new chapter of Toddlerhood

My baby boy Ethan-James aka EJ is already 18 months old.. Where did the time go? Can he be small for a little longer? I'm just not ready he's growing up too fast, especially in 6 months time, he's going to be 2! Will he enter the terrible 2 stage? I hope no, please!

From 16 months old to 18 months old of age, he has changed so much! That surprised me too!

Here are 30 facts about little EJ

Emotionally, he...

1) He knows exactly what he wants

Exactly!!! He knows what he wants to do & he can be very stubborn when he wants something. His temper can be really terrible. When I said "EJ, don't play with your shoes, it's dirty.." I took away his shoes and after that he would cry so loud, lie down on the floor & kicks his legs

He knows when he wants milk or biscuits, he will demand it by bringing his bottle or pointing at his biscuits jar

And he always love to mess my cosmetic bag. In this pic, he's holding my lip balm

2) He directs you to do things he wants

If he can't reach it, example: on top of high drawer, he will pull your hand and direct you to take things he's not able to take.

3) He understands fully what things can be done and there's no way you can lie to him

He knows biscuits inside plastic jar can be opened, there's always something inside a plastic bag/packaging and it can be opened and things that are sealed can be opened too. There's no way I can cheat him now! He will always force me to open things for him! 2 months ago at 16 months, he didn't know about this yet and I could still cheat him a little, but now? NO WAY!

4) He can feel guilty but will blame you for what he has done!

When he took my TV remote control and messed it up, he would give him back the remote control, so I could fix it and then I said "It's your fault, see we can't turn on the TV anymore.." He looked down and just stayed silent until I fixed the TV and then here comes the funny part after TV's being fixed, he would blame me "ah ha!!!" pointing his finger at me. It's like saying "ah ha, it's your fault, right?" After that, everything's back to normal! :D

Look at the pic (top right) EJ is blaming me "ah ha..!!" (pointing his finger at me)

5) He's seeking for attention and starts to have 'jealousy' feeling

When I'm with him, I'm 100% belong to him (body & soul). He has entered another stage of toddlerhood, attention seeking & jealousy! When we were together & he was playing his toys, I thought it's ok to check my phone for a while.. Apparently it wasn't ok for him, he got angry because I did something else when I was with him, he snatched my phone & threw it far then passed his toy to me and requested to play.. He has been like that for quite a while! I'm worried if he would react the same when his newborn sister is around in a few weeks time..

Same things goes to checking iPad, eating my breakfast, etc (He won't let me do that at all, his time is mine and my time is his..)

6) He's very demanding

Yes, he is!! He pulls my hand and directs me to places he wants to go. Playground, Play yard, his room, my room, kitchen, sofa, etc.. And there's no way I can reject him, nor I have the heart to reject this precious little one's demand!

He can even pull my hand and invite me to go to his play yard, so I can play with him.. Including what toys to play too!

"It's play time, mommy!!" EJ demands

And he...

7) He loves to read

He doesn't mind what books I bought him, he just loves to read & demands me to read for him many times a day. I'm happy of course! So, I bought him so many books and his baby board books collection is pretty wide now (and growing!)

 

Busy reading!

 

"Can I read you farm book, mommy?"

 

He also loves "hey diddle diddle" & "humpty dumpty" story books ~ he loves me to sing the story instead of reading it

8) He loves talking especially on the phone

When he's on the phone, he's like one adult baby "eeoo" (hello), "ah..", "mmm...", (pause) & continues talking again (baby language of course!)

9) He can remember things very well!

He remembers titles of his books (although he can't say it quite right yet!). Whenever I ask him to bring me certain book titles, he will bring me correctly! He remembers where things located in the house too! One day, I played him one new baby song (I sang with some actions), a week later, he still remembered that song, showed me some fingers/hands action with a few words from that song came out from his mouth correctly (his memory is better than mine, I didn't remember that!)

10) He's afraid of sticky stuff, dirt, black little things, insects, etc

He refers something he doesn't like (black little things, insects, sticky stuff) as "kah kah" (in his baby language means "scary" haha..) I'm quite worried actually because he's so afraid of getting dirty, oily and wet. He's also afraid of sticky stuff like spaghetti noodles (he won't touch it!), anything sticky & gooey, he will freak out! How if one day he goes to school? How to play dough? How to finger feed himself sticky or oily foods? He doesn't even want to touch wet/cold apple, but he's ok with biscuit because it's dry. Will his life be affected next time?

11) He can follow many instructions

Instructions like "sit down & wear shoes" (he will sit down & lift up one of his legs), "go to your room", "come here", "sit down here", "take this/that", "lie down", "change your diaper" (he will lie down & not move at all), "it's bath time" (he will grab his towel, request you to turn on heater & toilet light and go to toilet), "it's milk time" (he will go to his room, lay his head on his pillow & wait for his milk), "drink water", "don't go there", "close the door" (not only he closes it but he locks it as well, what a naughty boy!), "open the door", "hold hands", "eat porridge" (he will push his high chair in front of TV) and quite a few more instructions

12) He knows his own routine

He knows his timing very well. He knows 8.30AM, it's his morning milk time, 9AM, it's time to go playground (he will climb into his stroller), 1.30PM, napping time (he will request for milk), 4.30PM, playground time again (he will bring out his walking shoes, so I can wear for him) and he even knows his bath time correctly. At 12.30PM, he will take his towel and ready to go to bath! (Although he hates to take shower!) He can't read time yet, I wonder how he remembers that!

13) He loves playground and always look forward to go to!

No playground, here we are, ready to face one super cranky baby! He will force to go of course! Requesting to wear his walking shoes & waiting impatiently at the gate! Once I let him out, he will quickly press the apartment lift button!

14) He's obsessed with Itsy-Bitsy Spider!

He can watch Itsy-Bitsy Spider song over & over again & won't get bored of it! He will request this song by doing some Itsy-Bitsy Spider fingers action!

15) He can say approximately 10 words and combine 2 words together and about 10 animal sounds

He can combine words like "bubble catch", "car where", "ball there", "ball catch", "car there", "bye-bye" and a few more 2 word combinations. He can say quite many animal sounds like "roar" (for lion), "neigh he he" (for horse), "kwak kwak" (for duck), "ba" (for sheep) and a few more (about 10 sounds)

Unfortunately he doesn't want to call "mommy" yet =.='

16) He loves his milk so much

I don't know if it's too much for a 18 month old toddler or not. He drinks milk 4-5 times a day (midnight feeding too), each feeding is about 260-300 ml of formula milk. He grows so tall too (not sure if it's too much milk or genetics), at 18 months old, he's already 14 kg & 90 cm ^^ As big as a 24 month old toddler (or even older)

17) He hates taking shower

Always cry taking one! He hates his hair getting wet!

18) He hates hair cutting

He will cry like hell, so no hair stylist can ever cut his hair, he will struggle & cry his lungs out. So, I had to buy my own hair cutting scissor & style-cut my self his hair!

19) He has so many pairs of shoes

He's only 1 year old plus & his shoes are more than mine =.=' Most bought by his daddy when he's overseas!

 

And his shoes size is almost as big as my one adult palm

 

20) He's a typical boy who loves playing soccer (He loves ball) and car

Yes, a very very typical man! Soccer, ball, car, etc. He's quite obsessed with cars in fact, every day he will stand outside our glass window watching the cars passing by and chant "car car.." (keeps repeating it!)

21) He loves playing bubbles

He gets really excited with bubbles! and  he can say the word "bubble" and actually refers balloon as "bubble" too ;)

22) He loves junk food (but we will only give him once in while!)

He likes fries & fried chicken but can't seem to eat a lot of it. Maybe a few fries & one or two bites of chicken? That's his 18th month old birthday treat at Popeye's!

23) He loves to lock his own room door (which we are so afraid of!)

Since the day he figured out how to open & close doors, whenever he wants his little privacy, he will lock his own room door. How clever but how dangerous if we've forgotten about the key?

24) But unfortunately, he can't sleep through the night yet!

I don't understand this yet, but he wakes up midnight (at 2 am or 4 am) for milk once or twice. Most of the times, he's not able to sleep back, wakes up at 4 am, has his milk and sleeps back again at 6 am to 8 am. Pretty much like a little baby, right?

How I wish he can sleep through the night at 18 months old!

25) He loves watching birds!

He's just being too fascinated by birds, many birds!

26) When he holds my hands, nothing else matters!

As a mom, I feel warm & happy (kind of touching feeling in my heart too) whenever my little son holds my hand, doesn't let it go at all and we just walk far, far away.. I feel like I have to cherish the times he holds my hand because he's not going to hold my hand forever (hey, he will have a girlfriend and get married one day, he's going to hold his wife's hand) and I can't be with him forever too, so I think simple thing like holding hands means a world to me! :)

27) There is always a way to entertain him

This explains, right? At this age, sometimes toys can't fulfill his curiosity towards many things surrounding him & he prefers to explore at other things like playing vegetables & learning how to pluck & peel. I don't mind the messiness, as long as he learns something and of course, he's happy too!

28) Finally he starts eating soft rice with soup

Not much, he only takes a few spoons of rice with soup and it takes 45 minutes to feed him proper solid food like rice, but hey that's a good start, right? He still prefers soft porridge which we normally give him in the morning & night. Afternoon is rice & soup time (we try!)

29) He loves to play (rough) with daddy

Talking about boys, this is what boys do, wrestling around & playing dog&cat (pretending to hide, crawl, chase one another & finally smacking his body hardly on his bed). And he only plays rough with his daddy, not with the women in the house :D (he knows we women hate violence, hehee..)

30) And he's still one happy baby

Yes, he is... His smile & laugh is too precious :)

 

Happy & Laughing Baby video :) 

Busy talking (with his baby language) on the phone while hiccupping



A little update at 18 months old:

EJ is currently recovering from walking pneumonia (mycoplasma bacterial) infection. I can tell you this mycoplasma bacterial is horrible. It pains me so much to see him having high fever for so many days. Luckily he's recovering now with prescribed anti-biotic

Day 1, 2, 3 ~> Fever (from 37.5-39.9), vomiting, cough, blocked nose & no appetite to eat/drink milk. Went to his PD and fever medicine (both high & low) prescribed! Viral Infection suspected!

Day 4 ~> I got really worried as he was still having fever and paracetamol didn't work. Went to his PD again for blood test, found out this horrible bacterial diagnosis (luckily it's only small amount of bacterial and thus there's no need for hospitalization), anti biotic prescribed and so one whole bunch of other medications for cough, flu, phlegm and fever. It hurt me to see him taking so much medications and he left me no choice but to force feed with syringe as he rejected his medications using soft ways I could think of! As he also felt nausea, he kept vomiting after having his medication, so I had to arrange a perfect timing ~ making sure his tummy was empty before taking medication

Day 5 ~> Getting better, no fever for 12 hours and suddenly fever came back again

Day 6 ~> Today! He's better, so far no more fever for more than 18 hours and I hope he remains that way. Appetite is back! Day 8 is his another review appointment with his PD, hopefully we receive good news!

Get Well Soon dearest son! This sickness is really horrible! I have been getting so many sleepless nights, not mentioning the stress level I'm facing during this period! 

Take care!!