Xavier is sick yet again, cough and running/blocked nose so we bought him to Dr. Chee for medication before it gets worse. As the clinic need his recent weight, we weigh him and to our surprise, he has now crossed the 10kg milestone. He is now 10.17kg and 79cm long (I use long as we are usually measure laying down). I think when he can stand up on his own I would already need to pay for child fare for him when taking MRT.
Anyway back to the topic of nicknames, seems like unknowingly, Xavier began to have nicknames and its a growing list.
Mat Yo Yo - The first nickname would probably be given by me. I was calling him "Mat Yo Yo" because he looked like the Malays in sarong whenever we wrap him up in cloth diaper before showering him. It's not in any way making fun of our Malay counterparts or the popular Malay program, just so happen the name came up whenever I see him in that outfit.
師奶杀手 - I came up with this when the Aunties were ogling about his Thunder Thighs.
XL - Lilian came up to me one day with a grin and she was saying she just realise Xavier's initial would read XL (Xavier Lee). Seems to go well with his size. Ha.
"Wah" Lee - We went to Soo Jit's second boy's baby shower and as many of our friends haven't seen Xavier since his baby shower, the first word they said (when they saw Xavier) was "Wah!". Rick then turned to him and say, "Think we should just call you Wah Lee from now on. Everyone's reaction when they meet you is Wah!"
Sunday, 30 August 2009
Milca Hokkaido Soft Ice Cream
My neighbour Alan was asking me for information about Japan as he would be going there with his wife soon. Ever since the day he asked, I can't help but think about going Japan again. There are just so many things I missed about Japan, especially the food, the kawaii girls, the gadgets, the customer service, erm I better stop (as I could go on forever).One of the things I miss was the Milk Ice Cream I tasted when I was in Hokkaido. You see, Hokkaido is famous for its seafood and dairy products and Hokkaido milk is as fresh as it gets. And it is only in Hokkaido that you get to taste Milk Ice Cream. (The other unique flavour is Lavender Ice Cream.) And I could not find it elsewhere in other parts of Japan.
So I was very excited when I saw one of the stalls in Orchard Ion's Food Hall (at basement 4). So did Milca Milk Ice Cream taste? My first bite had me thinking I was eating the soft serve from MacDonald. But as the Ice Cream slowly melts, the milk flavour began to surface. And the more I ate, the the closer it edge towards the unforgettable taste I had in Hokkaido. The cone is yummy too, thin and very crispy, complementing the ice cream very well.
My verdict, this is as close as you can get besides flying to Hokkaido for the milk ice cream. Its still not the same, but defintely close enough.
2 Orchard TurnOrchard Ion, Food Hall (basement 4)
Wednesday, 26 August 2009
Takashimaya Baby Fair starts 27 Aug 09
The Takashimaya Baby Fair starts tomorrow 27 Aug 09 to 13 Sept 09. For those parents to be and parents of young children, this fair is not to be missed. Elsie had said before that this is the best baby fair in Singapore. The discounts are genuine and the variety are aplenty. I trust Elsie on it. If there is one person that I know that does more research than me, it has to be Elsie.
So what are stuff to get? For parents to be, you can look at strollers, car seats, breast pump, stream sterilizer, bottles, wet wipes, etc. Do your research and comparison, especially on the stroller. Handle it, push it around, try opening and closing it.
For parents of young children, you would know what you need by now. They also sell toys and educational stuff like flash cards and DVDs if you are keen.
See you at the fair.
So what are stuff to get? For parents to be, you can look at strollers, car seats, breast pump, stream sterilizer, bottles, wet wipes, etc. Do your research and comparison, especially on the stroller. Handle it, push it around, try opening and closing it.
For parents of young children, you would know what you need by now. They also sell toys and educational stuff like flash cards and DVDs if you are keen.
See you at the fair.
Workshop with Tomato Photo
Having the knowledge and actually applying what you know are two different things. I have taken many photos of Xavier since his birth, easily 3000+. But somehow I find my photos lack that something. So I decided to look for a "how to take better photos of babies/kids" kind of course/workshop during my block leave.
There ain't many such courses around but I chance upon a workshop by Tomato Photo (Eric and Elsie had their photos with Zach taken by him and Joanne was telling me about wanting to take her babies photo with him). So I decided to use the money I had intended for a tripod to pay for the workshop instead.
Today was a 2 hour session on the "theory". But it was like having a casual chat for us. In fact, it feel abit like I was "interviewing" him. So what have I learnt from the session?
- Having the knowledge and actually applying what you know are two different things
I know what rules of composition are; rule of thirds, leaning lines, colours, textures, shapes, etc. I have gone through them in my basic photography course and the books I read. But when it comes to actually taking the photo, I do not seem to apply them. Often, I am so focus on capturing Xavier and his action that I just snap photos. Hence my photos look more like snap shots.
Even when Hart showed me some of the photos he took, I know it looks great but I can't really tell why until he explained what he "saw" when he took the photo. I guess its that comes with experience and practise.
- See/Know/Visualise how you want the photos to look like before you click the shutter
By knowing what you want your end photos to be like before you start taking photos, you would then be able to know what settings to use, what background to use, what expressions to capture, when is the moment to click.
- Know the technical stuff then forget about it
Very often we get sucked into the technical part of photography, like "is my lens not sharp enough" or "full frame more expensive and better", etc. I know I do. But these do not guarantee you great photos. Taking great photos is about capturing the moment you would treasure and like to keep as memories. Equipment is just a tool to achieve that. In fact, Hart showed me how he prefers softer photos for babies (since they are soft by nature) and how adding noise to a photo can make a photo look more real (see the photo example later).
- There is a photo within a photo
Well Hart didn't actually say it this way but he showed me how he would post process the two photos I brought along to the session. See the differences below.
This was the original shot I brought. It looked kind of messy with the bright colours from his playmat distracting the viewer from Xavier. Hart showed me how he would lower the colour intensity of the playmat so that the subject would stand out.
Or he would crop away the distraction like the above photo. By doing so, the viewers would immediately focus on Xavier's eyes first. He even changed it to black and white and added noise to the photo. I thought it looks great. Bryan Peterson had mention before in his books that there is often a photo within a photo and you can see the above as a perfect example.
The above is another photo I brought. As Xavier was back-lit, Hart simply blew out the background and changed to black and white so the photo looks more simple.
Hart also shared some of the way he engage his subjects to get certain look or expression. The Golden Rule, subjects will always look their most natural when they are at ease and not posing.
I am looking forward to the practical session with Xavier next week.
There ain't many such courses around but I chance upon a workshop by Tomato Photo (Eric and Elsie had their photos with Zach taken by him and Joanne was telling me about wanting to take her babies photo with him). So I decided to use the money I had intended for a tripod to pay for the workshop instead.
Today was a 2 hour session on the "theory". But it was like having a casual chat for us. In fact, it feel abit like I was "interviewing" him. So what have I learnt from the session?
- Having the knowledge and actually applying what you know are two different things
I know what rules of composition are; rule of thirds, leaning lines, colours, textures, shapes, etc. I have gone through them in my basic photography course and the books I read. But when it comes to actually taking the photo, I do not seem to apply them. Often, I am so focus on capturing Xavier and his action that I just snap photos. Hence my photos look more like snap shots.
Even when Hart showed me some of the photos he took, I know it looks great but I can't really tell why until he explained what he "saw" when he took the photo. I guess its that comes with experience and practise.
- See/Know/Visualise how you want the photos to look like before you click the shutter
By knowing what you want your end photos to be like before you start taking photos, you would then be able to know what settings to use, what background to use, what expressions to capture, when is the moment to click.
- Know the technical stuff then forget about it
Very often we get sucked into the technical part of photography, like "is my lens not sharp enough" or "full frame more expensive and better", etc. I know I do. But these do not guarantee you great photos. Taking great photos is about capturing the moment you would treasure and like to keep as memories. Equipment is just a tool to achieve that. In fact, Hart showed me how he prefers softer photos for babies (since they are soft by nature) and how adding noise to a photo can make a photo look more real (see the photo example later).
- There is a photo within a photo
Well Hart didn't actually say it this way but he showed me how he would post process the two photos I brought along to the session. See the differences below.
This was the original shot I brought. It looked kind of messy with the bright colours from his playmat distracting the viewer from Xavier. Hart showed me how he would lower the colour intensity of the playmat so that the subject would stand out.
Or he would crop away the distraction like the above photo. By doing so, the viewers would immediately focus on Xavier's eyes first. He even changed it to black and white and added noise to the photo. I thought it looks great. Bryan Peterson had mention before in his books that there is often a photo within a photo and you can see the above as a perfect example.
The above is another photo I brought. As Xavier was back-lit, Hart simply blew out the background and changed to black and white so the photo looks more simple.Hart also shared some of the way he engage his subjects to get certain look or expression. The Golden Rule, subjects will always look their most natural when they are at ease and not posing.
I am looking forward to the practical session with Xavier next week.
Saturday, 22 August 2009
Rong Chen Bak Kut Teh @ Sin Ming
It's been a long time since I blog something on food. I am reminded how torturing it is to do food blog. Imagine editing enlarged photo of yummy food to make them look even yummier, made worse by an empty stomach. Lilian was wondering why I stared at the following picture for so long.
You can't really blame me for staring, the braised pig trotter made me salivate just staring at the photo. The trotter meat is soft and tender and the skin is oh so tasty. If you prefer leaner meat, just let the stall know, but I recommend getting the fatty ones. Afterall, what's braised pig trotter without the yummy skin and that heavenly layer of fat below it.
And on to our main subject, Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶). The Rong Chen Bak Kut Teh is clear soup based and you usually get one long pork rib and one short in each soup. I love Bak Kut Teh with long rib bone as it adds to the experience of holding it by the rib bone with one hand and ripping the meat off while I scope the rice with the other.
The pork ribs used has two layers of meat separated by a layer of fat. Somehow the meat I had that day was a little tougher than its usual standard. The soup is very fragrant and the mix of garlic and pepper seems just right. Sweet and spicy would be how I would describe it.
However, I do find when we replenish the soup, it doesn't taste as good as the first, usually more bland.
Special mention is the braised duck rice stall in the same coffeeshop. Will do a post on it when I next eat there, provided the insane queue is not too long. Apologises for missing out the photo on the stall. If you look at the block from the carpark, the coffeeshop and the stall will be on your extreme left.
Blk 22 Sin Ming Road
Eng Ho Hup Coffeeshop
Singapore 570022
You can't really blame me for staring, the braised pig trotter made me salivate just staring at the photo. The trotter meat is soft and tender and the skin is oh so tasty. If you prefer leaner meat, just let the stall know, but I recommend getting the fatty ones. Afterall, what's braised pig trotter without the yummy skin and that heavenly layer of fat below it.
And on to our main subject, Bak Kut Teh (肉骨茶). The Rong Chen Bak Kut Teh is clear soup based and you usually get one long pork rib and one short in each soup. I love Bak Kut Teh with long rib bone as it adds to the experience of holding it by the rib bone with one hand and ripping the meat off while I scope the rice with the other.
The pork ribs used has two layers of meat separated by a layer of fat. Somehow the meat I had that day was a little tougher than its usual standard. The soup is very fragrant and the mix of garlic and pepper seems just right. Sweet and spicy would be how I would describe it.
However, I do find when we replenish the soup, it doesn't taste as good as the first, usually more bland.
Special mention is the braised duck rice stall in the same coffeeshop. Will do a post on it when I next eat there, provided the insane queue is not too long. Apologises for missing out the photo on the stall. If you look at the block from the carpark, the coffeeshop and the stall will be on your extreme left.
Blk 22 Sin Ming Road
Eng Ho Hup Coffeeshop
Singapore 570022
Tuesday, 18 August 2009
Xavier found his Feet
Earlier this month Xavier seem to have discovered his feet. He has been practicing yoga, bringing his feet to his mouth to suck. And if he is wearing socks, he would be eating them as well.
Xavier's First "Toothbrushing" Experience
I haven't been sick for such a long period before, hence the reason why I been behind in my posting. Xavier had his first "tooth-brushing" experience early this month. Well not exactly tooth-brushing as his teeth hasn't show up yet. More like gum brushing. But we thought we get him use to the sensation. Derek gave us the Nutec Infa-Dent Toothbrush.
Did I tell you how expensive his toothpaste is? SGD17.00! I also haven't use such expensive toothpaste before. It's a special toothpaste that is safe for the baby to swallow. Here's a shopping tip, get them from the "toiletries shopping haven" at Chinatown and that same toothpaste will only cost SGD10.90. We also discovered that have a wide range of California Baby products as well, selling at wholesaler prices.
Did I tell you how expensive his toothpaste is? SGD17.00! I also haven't use such expensive toothpaste before. It's a special toothpaste that is safe for the baby to swallow. Here's a shopping tip, get them from the "toiletries shopping haven" at Chinatown and that same toothpaste will only cost SGD10.90. We also discovered that have a wide range of California Baby products as well, selling at wholesaler prices.
Sunday, 16 August 2009
Baby Tips 2: Diaper Strategy
While cloth diapers are the best for babies given its advantages like more airy (less likely to get nappy rash), more comfortable (since its usually 100% cotton and less likely to have allergy) and more economical over the long run, we still choose to use disposable diapers. And boy I am glad we stick to disposable diapers.
The two main advantages disposable diapers have over cloth diapers are convenience and mess control. These two were strong reasons and I tell you why. Xavier is on breastmilk right from the start so he poos very often during the first three month. How often? Up to eight times a day. And I am not counting the number of times he pee yet. So you can imagine how many soiled diapers we have to wash every day if we were to use cloth diapers. Now what if the soiled diapers also dirty the area (sofa, his cot, your bed, your clothes) the baby was resting on? You know what I mean.
Disposable diapers are not cheap though. The cheapest cost at least 10 cents per piece and the most expensive I have seen is about $1.20 per piece. Which diaper to use for your baby is down to your baby's butt preference. Some babies' butt is made of gold and have to use expensive diapers to prevent rash whereas other babies' butt is more forgiving and accepts all diapers.
There are differences in the quality of the diapers. Some are more comfortable, some are more absorbing, some are less bulky, some have urine indicators and some are made in Japan (and no it doesn't wash your baby's butt like those Japan toilet seats).
I find the best way to go about using disposable diapers is to have two sets of diapers (instead of using only one kind of diaper):
1) For use when you are at home or at places where you can easily change his diaper with minimum fuss - Cheapest diaper that your baby is not allergic to and is able to reasonably contain his output. The rational here is since you can easily change his diaper, get the cheapest diaper that will not cause him nappy rash and is able to contain his output. This is where you can save quite alot of money.
2) For use at night when he sleeps or when you are out (shopping, chilling) and you want maximum convenience - Good diaper that is reliable (contain his output for up to 10 hours without changing). You might wanna spend more and get good ones as you are actually paying for convenience (not having to wake up in the middle of the night to change diaper) and reliability (not having to wake up in the morning to find your baby sleeping with his/her pee or poo around him/her, or dealing with soiled mess when you are out shopping). Bulkness might also be a consideration if you go out often for long period of time. Having bulky diapers means u either have to carry a big bag or carry less diapers when you go out.
When testing for nappy rash allergy, either get a small pack to try or get a few samplers from your friend using that brand and model. I know Huggies do give samplers if you register and request from them. Once we have decided which brand and model of diaper your baby should use, look out for offers and stock them up. The offers can be pretty substantial so do your homework.
The two main advantages disposable diapers have over cloth diapers are convenience and mess control. These two were strong reasons and I tell you why. Xavier is on breastmilk right from the start so he poos very often during the first three month. How often? Up to eight times a day. And I am not counting the number of times he pee yet. So you can imagine how many soiled diapers we have to wash every day if we were to use cloth diapers. Now what if the soiled diapers also dirty the area (sofa, his cot, your bed, your clothes) the baby was resting on? You know what I mean.
Disposable diapers are not cheap though. The cheapest cost at least 10 cents per piece and the most expensive I have seen is about $1.20 per piece. Which diaper to use for your baby is down to your baby's butt preference. Some babies' butt is made of gold and have to use expensive diapers to prevent rash whereas other babies' butt is more forgiving and accepts all diapers.
There are differences in the quality of the diapers. Some are more comfortable, some are more absorbing, some are less bulky, some have urine indicators and some are made in Japan (and no it doesn't wash your baby's butt like those Japan toilet seats).
I find the best way to go about using disposable diapers is to have two sets of diapers (instead of using only one kind of diaper):
1) For use when you are at home or at places where you can easily change his diaper with minimum fuss - Cheapest diaper that your baby is not allergic to and is able to reasonably contain his output. The rational here is since you can easily change his diaper, get the cheapest diaper that will not cause him nappy rash and is able to contain his output. This is where you can save quite alot of money.
2) For use at night when he sleeps or when you are out (shopping, chilling) and you want maximum convenience - Good diaper that is reliable (contain his output for up to 10 hours without changing). You might wanna spend more and get good ones as you are actually paying for convenience (not having to wake up in the middle of the night to change diaper) and reliability (not having to wake up in the morning to find your baby sleeping with his/her pee or poo around him/her, or dealing with soiled mess when you are out shopping). Bulkness might also be a consideration if you go out often for long period of time. Having bulky diapers means u either have to carry a big bag or carry less diapers when you go out.
When testing for nappy rash allergy, either get a small pack to try or get a few samplers from your friend using that brand and model. I know Huggies do give samplers if you register and request from them. Once we have decided which brand and model of diaper your baby should use, look out for offers and stock them up. The offers can be pretty substantial so do your homework.
Saturday, 15 August 2009
我是師奶殺手 Xavier
Seems like all the "Aunties" that Xavier go pass cannot help but give Xavier a 2nd look. His Sunshine smile, Michelin profile and Thunder Thighs are just too irresistible. Everywhere from supermarket to kopitiam to carparks to lifts, they always ask the same questions:
1) "你的 baby 很 cute hor?" - "Your baby very cute hor?"
2) "几个月了?" - "How many months already?"
3) "喝什么奶粉?" - "What milk did he drink to get so big?"
(Lilian absolutely loves this question as the Aunties usually want to know which brand of milk powder does Xavier eat to be so chubby. So Lilian will always be beaming from ear to ear when she says he is breastfed.)
Quite a number say we should bring him to baby contest/competition. Well we did consider but I have a hard time looking for contests. Seems like the information is not so readily available since most competition are independently organised. If you do come across, please let me know. Hehe.
Anyway to all the 師奶 reading this blog, below is a treat for you.
**Warning, contains nudity.**
1) "你的 baby 很 cute hor?" - "Your baby very cute hor?"
2) "几个月了?" - "How many months already?"
3) "喝什么奶粉?" - "What milk did he drink to get so big?"
(Lilian absolutely loves this question as the Aunties usually want to know which brand of milk powder does Xavier eat to be so chubby. So Lilian will always be beaming from ear to ear when she says he is breastfed.)
Quite a number say we should bring him to baby contest/competition. Well we did consider but I have a hard time looking for contests. Seems like the information is not so readily available since most competition are independently organised. If you do come across, please let me know. Hehe.
Anyway to all the 師奶 reading this blog, below is a treat for you.
**Warning, contains nudity.**
Wednesday, 12 August 2009
Xavier seem to have installed a single turbo
Xavier been moving about his playmat pretty fast, zooming from one end to the other end when he sees his target, which usually is his mirror. But he seems to be doing so only with one leg pushing (the other leg kicking air). Hope he install "twin turbo" soon and use both legs.
Below is a video of what I mean, although he was not in a mood to show just how fast he could move till nearing the end of the clip.
Below is a video of what I mean, although he was not in a mood to show just how fast he could move till nearing the end of the clip.
Monday, 10 August 2009
Xavier is changing infant-care center
Xavier is currently in an infant-care near our place. The main reason for choosing that infant care is due to convenience (since its just across the road), the flexible opening hours (up to 9pm at night) and its very reasonably priced.
I had known this infant-care center was a basic needs center where they will feed the baby, change his diaper when its full and put him to bed. I also thought since the baby is still young, he would not be needing to learn much anyway. Well I was totally wrong. Xavier seems to be very bored at the center with little stimulation. In fact, I suspect he is on the bouncer from the time we bring him there to the time we pick him up. That center is so small he doesn't even have the space to crawl and explore. The only time he gets to practice crawling is when he is at home with his playmat.
Hence we decided to look for another infant-care center that has the space for him to crawl and move around and where the teachers would stimulate the little minds (be is singing, story-telling, flash cards, exercise, massage, what have you).
So we went to check out four infant-care centers during one of the days we were on leave. On the list are Sunflower Baby House, Cherie Hearts, Babies Inc. and Pat's School House Baby Haven. We were unimpressed by Babies Inc. and Cherie Hearts but Cherie Hearts is a franchise so different centers might different in experience.
Sunflower Baby House came highly recommended by Eric and Elsie as their son is in there. And needless to say we were equally impressed by the facilities in the center and by Angela (the business manager). She is very detailed in her explaination of the facilities and the programs the baby would go through, she was also very willing to share with us her knowledge as a parents of three kids. Xavier had just caught the cough then and she told us of the clapping method to help loosen the phlegm which was what the physiotherapist did when Xavier went for his Chest Therapy at Mt Alvenia. This center ranks top on our list and the only reason why Xavier is not going there is because of the location. Its located at Turf City. Believe me I have spent a few nights thinking of the best logistics solution to put Xavier there but in the end, its just not feasible.
Pat's School House Baby Haven is a branded center. Many parent who have considered infant care or child care center would have heard of them. They have set a high standard in terms of facilities and programs as well as price. The center has facilities for activities for both indoors and outdoors and the programs seems very engaging. We seen a teacher telling a story to a few infants and was pretty impressed. The location is definitely more manageable than Sunflower since its beside KK Hospital. We had somewhat set our mind on this center when my colleague suggested we have a look at Learning Vision.
We checked out Learning Vision on a Saturday. The facility is pretty big (for a CBD area center) but the programs ain't as impressive as Sunflower or Pat's. It was a Saturday so we didn't see the teachers in action. The whole place is centralised air-con so it might not be such a good thing for babies (I mean letting babies be in air-con room for half a day almost everyday is not such a good thing right?). But in the end, we decided to put Xavier here. The main reason is to balance the need for Xavier to be stimulated and engaged in activities in a center which has the space and the facilities for him to move about and explore, and the convenience and sanity of the parents.
We hope the center would be a good choice for him. I will update again when he starts in the new center. For now, I will be working on sleeping earlier and waking up earlier as soon I would need to drive the whole family to CBD and park, all before 7am every day (my car is a off-peak car).
I had known this infant-care center was a basic needs center where they will feed the baby, change his diaper when its full and put him to bed. I also thought since the baby is still young, he would not be needing to learn much anyway. Well I was totally wrong. Xavier seems to be very bored at the center with little stimulation. In fact, I suspect he is on the bouncer from the time we bring him there to the time we pick him up. That center is so small he doesn't even have the space to crawl and explore. The only time he gets to practice crawling is when he is at home with his playmat.
Hence we decided to look for another infant-care center that has the space for him to crawl and move around and where the teachers would stimulate the little minds (be is singing, story-telling, flash cards, exercise, massage, what have you).
So we went to check out four infant-care centers during one of the days we were on leave. On the list are Sunflower Baby House, Cherie Hearts, Babies Inc. and Pat's School House Baby Haven. We were unimpressed by Babies Inc. and Cherie Hearts but Cherie Hearts is a franchise so different centers might different in experience.
Sunflower Baby House came highly recommended by Eric and Elsie as their son is in there. And needless to say we were equally impressed by the facilities in the center and by Angela (the business manager). She is very detailed in her explaination of the facilities and the programs the baby would go through, she was also very willing to share with us her knowledge as a parents of three kids. Xavier had just caught the cough then and she told us of the clapping method to help loosen the phlegm which was what the physiotherapist did when Xavier went for his Chest Therapy at Mt Alvenia. This center ranks top on our list and the only reason why Xavier is not going there is because of the location. Its located at Turf City. Believe me I have spent a few nights thinking of the best logistics solution to put Xavier there but in the end, its just not feasible.
Pat's School House Baby Haven is a branded center. Many parent who have considered infant care or child care center would have heard of them. They have set a high standard in terms of facilities and programs as well as price. The center has facilities for activities for both indoors and outdoors and the programs seems very engaging. We seen a teacher telling a story to a few infants and was pretty impressed. The location is definitely more manageable than Sunflower since its beside KK Hospital. We had somewhat set our mind on this center when my colleague suggested we have a look at Learning Vision.
We checked out Learning Vision on a Saturday. The facility is pretty big (for a CBD area center) but the programs ain't as impressive as Sunflower or Pat's. It was a Saturday so we didn't see the teachers in action. The whole place is centralised air-con so it might not be such a good thing for babies (I mean letting babies be in air-con room for half a day almost everyday is not such a good thing right?). But in the end, we decided to put Xavier here. The main reason is to balance the need for Xavier to be stimulated and engaged in activities in a center which has the space and the facilities for him to move about and explore, and the convenience and sanity of the parents.
We hope the center would be a good choice for him. I will update again when he starts in the new center. For now, I will be working on sleeping earlier and waking up earlier as soon I would need to drive the whole family to CBD and park, all before 7am every day (my car is a off-peak car).
Thursday, 6 August 2009
Baby Tips 1: Useful Items
Quite a number of friends around me are going to be first time parents or are already parents of a newborn. Xavier is going to be 6 months old in two days time. So I thought I share with you guys some of my experience as a father of a 6 months baby. Do note that I am no expert and the following are thoughts from my personal experience.
I will start of with baby items which are useful:
1) Guardian Underpads - These are waterproof sheets which comes in very handy to contain the spillage or soiling. They come in two sizes: 17" x 24" and 30" x 30". We usually stock up on the 17" x 24" (they seem to be out of stock when we most need it) as we find the size very handy. We use them on changing tops, lay a sheet when we are changing outdoors and let him sleep with the sheet on the lower half of his body. I even used it to put in between a towel and my sofa when I did his naked portraits. It has saved me from dealing with a mess when his diapers fail to contain his output.
2) Pigeon Baby Wipes - This one needs no introduction. One of the popular wet wipes in the market, it does its job well. Wait for offer then buy the 6 large packs for maximum value.
3) Desitin Creamy - The only napper rash cream I trusted and used so far. It helps prevent and heal diaper rash really well. Like recently he had a very red ass from the infant care (dunno what they do there) and we used it extensively over the weekend to help heal it. I literally cream his rash area like icing on a cake.
4) Combi Nail Cutter - We tried a few baby nail cutters before Elsie recommended we try this curved scissor by Combi. The curved shape ensures you do not end up cutting the baby's finger by accident.
5) Beco Baby Carrier - Not everywhere is stroller friendly and there will be times when you prefer not to use a stroller. That is when a baby carrier is useful. Lilian had tried those sling type before but found the strain on the single shoulder too much to bear (especially when Xavier is nearly 10kg). She narrowed down to two which she finds useful, Beco Baby Carrier and Ergo Baby Carrier. Both are similar in that the baby is in a natural sitting position when carried and it distributes the weight between the shoulders and the waist. We settled for Beco as it enables transfer of the baby (from one parent to another) without taking him out of the carrier.
6) LG Baby Playmat - These colourful playmats are developed by LG Chem. Its great as it is cushioned and very colourful, so it becomes a very good play area for the baby. Especially useful for the baby to roam and discover how to move and crawl. Babies need to learn and practice how to move and crawl. It doesn't suddenly just wake up one morning and start crawling. So you need to give him the space to "practice". The link is actually a vendor whom we found from the Singapore Motherhood forum. The design and pricing are available on the link as well as how to order.
7) Attractive toy - Ok this is really subjective but the bottomline is find a toy that your baby really likes. For Xavier, it happens to be the Lamaze First Mirror Lilian bought for him. He loves this mirror so much that you can put it anyway on the mat and he will crawl to it (and attempt to eat it. Maybe he find himself too irresitable). This mirror has been his main crawling "training" tool.
8) Hand me down clothing - The 1st six months your baby is gonna grow so fast there is no point buying him nice clothes. Ok maybe a couple for special occasions but the rest of the time, try to get hand me down clothing. They are soft (due to repeated washing) and very comfortable for babies.
9) Thermometer - Get one which gives you fast and accurate reading. Eric and Elsie gave us the Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer and it works great, plus the ear filters are also easily available. Baby have no patience for you to put those under the armpit or in the ass thermometers.
10) Rechargable Batteries - With a baby around you will find that suddenly you will have many stuff around you that uses batteries. Things like fans, cot mobiles, toys, rocker that plays music all uses batteries. And if you want to save money in the long run and be more friendly to the environment, use recharable batteries. I use Sanyo Eneloop. They have cool adaptors which converts their AA size batteries into C and D size batteries.
Hope you find the above items useful as well.
I will start of with baby items which are useful:
1) Guardian Underpads - These are waterproof sheets which comes in very handy to contain the spillage or soiling. They come in two sizes: 17" x 24" and 30" x 30". We usually stock up on the 17" x 24" (they seem to be out of stock when we most need it) as we find the size very handy. We use them on changing tops, lay a sheet when we are changing outdoors and let him sleep with the sheet on the lower half of his body. I even used it to put in between a towel and my sofa when I did his naked portraits. It has saved me from dealing with a mess when his diapers fail to contain his output.
2) Pigeon Baby Wipes - This one needs no introduction. One of the popular wet wipes in the market, it does its job well. Wait for offer then buy the 6 large packs for maximum value.
3) Desitin Creamy - The only napper rash cream I trusted and used so far. It helps prevent and heal diaper rash really well. Like recently he had a very red ass from the infant care (dunno what they do there) and we used it extensively over the weekend to help heal it. I literally cream his rash area like icing on a cake.
4) Combi Nail Cutter - We tried a few baby nail cutters before Elsie recommended we try this curved scissor by Combi. The curved shape ensures you do not end up cutting the baby's finger by accident.
5) Beco Baby Carrier - Not everywhere is stroller friendly and there will be times when you prefer not to use a stroller. That is when a baby carrier is useful. Lilian had tried those sling type before but found the strain on the single shoulder too much to bear (especially when Xavier is nearly 10kg). She narrowed down to two which she finds useful, Beco Baby Carrier and Ergo Baby Carrier. Both are similar in that the baby is in a natural sitting position when carried and it distributes the weight between the shoulders and the waist. We settled for Beco as it enables transfer of the baby (from one parent to another) without taking him out of the carrier.
6) LG Baby Playmat - These colourful playmats are developed by LG Chem. Its great as it is cushioned and very colourful, so it becomes a very good play area for the baby. Especially useful for the baby to roam and discover how to move and crawl. Babies need to learn and practice how to move and crawl. It doesn't suddenly just wake up one morning and start crawling. So you need to give him the space to "practice". The link is actually a vendor whom we found from the Singapore Motherhood forum. The design and pricing are available on the link as well as how to order.
7) Attractive toy - Ok this is really subjective but the bottomline is find a toy that your baby really likes. For Xavier, it happens to be the Lamaze First Mirror Lilian bought for him. He loves this mirror so much that you can put it anyway on the mat and he will crawl to it (and attempt to eat it. Maybe he find himself too irresitable). This mirror has been his main crawling "training" tool.
8) Hand me down clothing - The 1st six months your baby is gonna grow so fast there is no point buying him nice clothes. Ok maybe a couple for special occasions but the rest of the time, try to get hand me down clothing. They are soft (due to repeated washing) and very comfortable for babies.
9) Thermometer - Get one which gives you fast and accurate reading. Eric and Elsie gave us the Braun ThermoScan Ear Thermometer and it works great, plus the ear filters are also easily available. Baby have no patience for you to put those under the armpit or in the ass thermometers.
10) Rechargable Batteries - With a baby around you will find that suddenly you will have many stuff around you that uses batteries. Things like fans, cot mobiles, toys, rocker that plays music all uses batteries. And if you want to save money in the long run and be more friendly to the environment, use recharable batteries. I use Sanyo Eneloop. They have cool adaptors which converts their AA size batteries into C and D size batteries.
Hope you find the above items useful as well.
Saturday, 1 August 2009
Xavier's First taste of Pumpkin
As Lilian starts to introduce new food to Xavier every week, she got a tool to help with mash the stuff so she dun have to pound it. When she took out the U-Like Blender, it looked like one of those retro blender, bright orange with a transparent top. She also got the "Baby Cubes" to store the mashed stuff for the rest of the week.
So this week's menu is Pumpkin. Lilian usually do not like pumpkin, but somehow she could not help herself to the warm tasty pumpkin while cooking it for Xavier.
Xavier was pretty receptive to it.
But boy it was a messy food to feed. He would have his hands over the spoon and his mouth, then proceed to touch his toes. Lilian probably used half a box of tissue to clean him while feeding him. Look at that innocent face with the pumpkin "lipstick".
He was eating big mouthful of it happily till he almost choked. Thinking it was too thick, we diluted it slightly and also gave him some water. After that he just had the disgusted look on his face and refuse to eat more pumpkin. Thinking he wasn't that ready yet for pumpkin, I told Lilian maybe we try again tomorrow.
While it turned out he had poo in his diapers and was damn uncomfortable, hence he didn't feel like eating (I can imagine why). So after cleaning his butt and changing the diapers, he happily finished the rest of the pumpkin. Good job my boy.
So this week's menu is Pumpkin. Lilian usually do not like pumpkin, but somehow she could not help herself to the warm tasty pumpkin while cooking it for Xavier.
Xavier was pretty receptive to it.
But boy it was a messy food to feed. He would have his hands over the spoon and his mouth, then proceed to touch his toes. Lilian probably used half a box of tissue to clean him while feeding him. Look at that innocent face with the pumpkin "lipstick".
He was eating big mouthful of it happily till he almost choked. Thinking it was too thick, we diluted it slightly and also gave him some water. After that he just had the disgusted look on his face and refuse to eat more pumpkin. Thinking he wasn't that ready yet for pumpkin, I told Lilian maybe we try again tomorrow.While it turned out he had poo in his diapers and was damn uncomfortable, hence he didn't feel like eating (I can imagine why). So after cleaning his butt and changing the diapers, he happily finished the rest of the pumpkin. Good job my boy.
Reventón is here!
Lamborghini Reventón. Many people would have heard or seen a Lamborghini. It's a pretty common sight at Raffles Place area (man where do these people get so much money?!?). But not many people heard of Reventón. And who would blame them, given that only 21 were made (and none in Singapore).
What made this car so unique is the design of the whole car, which was inspired by the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. From the paint work to the strong styling to the aircraft cockpit like dashboard and display, this is one unique car that one might not be able to own even if he has money to buy.
Well I dun have the money to buy even the steering wheel so the closest I could get to was an Autoart 1:18 die-cast model. When Jacky emailed that the new stock for it is in, I went down that very day to buy it. Below are some photos I took (more at my Flickr).
I am satisfied with the attention to details by Autoart. Jacky prefer the MR version (which is limited to 500 pieces and are already sold out), but that brand of handmade die-cast is out of my league.
What made this car so unique is the design of the whole car, which was inspired by the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. From the paint work to the strong styling to the aircraft cockpit like dashboard and display, this is one unique car that one might not be able to own even if he has money to buy.
Well I dun have the money to buy even the steering wheel so the closest I could get to was an Autoart 1:18 die-cast model. When Jacky emailed that the new stock for it is in, I went down that very day to buy it. Below are some photos I took (more at my Flickr).
I am satisfied with the attention to details by Autoart. Jacky prefer the MR version (which is limited to 500 pieces and are already sold out), but that brand of handmade die-cast is out of my league.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)