Kinda wierd to post about food following a post about bowel movements. But, I love this dish, so I must share with all of you hehee.
Today, Jovann had Oatmeal cereal with an organic new zealand apple for breakfast. and for LUNCH, he had Stewed Tenderloin Beef fillet with green Zuchinni and organic Carrots, with Steam Russets potatoes creamed with milk by the side. Sounds classy leh???
Share with you the recipe, which was suggested by a friend of mine. Thanks Brenda!
- Put a little water to the boil in a small claypot (just enough to cover ingredients). At the same time, steam a Russet potato in a steamer.
- Add zuchinni and carrots, bring to boil, and turn down flame to simmer for 15mins.
- add tenderloin beef fillet, continue simmering for another 15mins.
- Remove from fire, mash zuchinni and carrots with a fork. put aside.
- Blend beef with the nutrient rich broth at the bottom of the bowl.
- Heat up EBM and add to mashed cooked potatoes. (his classic favourite)
- Serve to hungry baby!
20mins later.
- Wash the empty bowls. hahahaa.. I left some of the beef behind coz it's his first try and didn't want him to eat so much beef yet.
I have been warned (by magazines and articles) that when I have my own baby, I may be worried sick about everything about him/her, whether he's breathing when sleeping during newborn days, when he falls sick, whether he's putting on enough weight etc... but nobody warned me that I will be so obsessed with his bowel movements, or lack of it. Nor that I will be so elated when he finally does a big one, when something eventually comes out of his ... ah hem.... anus.
Coz Jovann has constipation problems.
It all started when he started on solids around 6 mths old. (I kinda miss the nice smelling tao suan poo back when he's still only on breastmilk and no solids yet)
Now, 3 months down, things are the same. Aside from one blessful period of 2 weeks when he poos EVERY DAY (I suspect it was the huge amount of sweet potato I "accidentally" fed him), every other day was a question mark. Why am I worried? Actually breastfed babies SELDOM have constipation, and even babies who poo every 3-4 days are fine and well. However, Jovann's poo is so hard after 3 no-poo days that he tore his anus recently. 2 fine cracks that the PD pointed out to us after I found blood in his stools one night. We felt so heartpain, and when the PD palpates his tummy he found hard stools inside.
The next few days found me asking everyone around me for advice.I already know the wise advice of
- papaya (he eats lots, but PD advised not more than 3 times a week due to the high amount of beta carotene that turns skin yellow. When at my parents, J can take papaya all the 3 days)
- drink more water (he is already drinking water during meals, when he wakes up, and after he exercises. He likes water pretty much)
- fruit juice. I tried Gerber apple prune juice, I tried Heinz pear juice. Diluted, undiluted. He hates all.
- more fruits (problem is, besides papaya, he only likes PEAR. he HATES apples. so our fruit choices are limited isn't it? It's either papaya that cannot feed more than 3 times a week, or PEAR? Contrary to popular belief, bananas are NOT good for constipation coz it makes your poo hard. eeerrr....WHAT?! anyway, BUT BUT BUT, I finally found ONE TYPE of apples that my fussy eater likes! Bless the apple grower! Its Organic New Zealand apples that Originates from Japan. Huh? did you say New Zealand and Japan? Yep, beats me how it happens, but its there on the packaging.
None of this seem to work. he is still pooing every 3-4 days, and straining very hard when it happens. When he goes all quiet during mealtimes or play time, I will hasten to bring him to the changing table or potty, and go "ngggggggg..." with him, and cheering him on like a cheerleader sans the pom pom. When I see the hard stools stretching his anus so tight and him straining his face with the effort, my heart feels the pain.
3 mths have gone by through which it was not uncommon for my parents to call every day with their welcome line "Han Ming jing tian you mei you da bian? (Did Jovann poo today)". 3 mths have gone by with us shovelling any FRUIT or water down his throat, and me clapping with encouragement and relief when he does a big one.
I have even at times pronounced with the air of someone making a scientific statement "His poo is hard at the front part but soft at the end, I guess he pooed out everything", and my hubby will nod his head in solemn agreement. We will then cover our little hero with kisses.
Then recently, some friends shared more tips (not as common) with me! and behold, one of them works!!
- Make Jovann poos at a fixed time every day, to encourage his bowel movements to be regular
- Tummy massages, clockwise direction, with hand sweeping downwards on his left tummy coz thats where his intestines are. I knew this! But it didn't occur to me to do it! Frm that day on, I incorporated this routine into his nightly massages.
- YOGURT!!! this is a life saver! I tried Horizon baby yogurt (he made a face, I did too after tasting it). then a friend Grace told me about Mullers Little Stars. Thank you Grace! Jovann love it at first taste, and every day after I fed him that he will sure reward me with a poo! Of course, I only feed him with the 2 peach ones, as he cannot eat strawberries or raspberries yet (after 1 yr).
- Rotate each of his legs 10 times each in clockwise and anticlockwise movement every morning before bringing him out of bed.
And now, I will always stock some Mullers in my fridge, and left instructions with caregivers to try make him poo every morning. so far these 1-2 weeks, he's been pooing every 1-2 days, and thats enough for me for now! :)
Mommy brought you to the Young Parent Fiesta in Marina Sq and there's a baby crawling contest for babies between 5-10mths old. I registered you for it! At this point, I think I should let you guys know that silly me did not manage to take any photos NOR videos of him in action! Why? Coz I was there only with my mum (Jovann's Ah Ma) who do not know how to use a camera. I was busy catching his attention to make him crawl to realise I could have passed the cam to one of the MANY organisers/helpers behind me. DUH. It was your first crawling game and Mommy missed capturing it. I am so sorry Jovann. Let's recap with you here in words kae?
There were 5 babies in total, but split up into 3s (where Jovann is) and 2s (1 boy and 1 girl whom spent the longest time looking at each other before crawling, hehe). Green and yellow combi jig saw mats were laid on the entire stage for you babes to crawl from one edge of the stage to the other. Whilst waiting for these to be up, you were so hyper you were trying to climb up my body when I was carrying you. A lady commented you are one active boy. Ah Ma carried you up to the starting line. You were the first off! Coz you had caught sight of the black remote control Mommy brought along to entice you. Your eyes were focused on it, and you were leading for half of the stage length. Then you decided you needed a rest. You sat on your bum, and actually looked back at Ah Ma, the ever attractive remote control forgotten for that split second. I think you could be mentally measuring the distance back to Ah Ma and if it' ll be less work to go back that way. At this time, the other 2 babes caught up, and the little cute indian boy next to you drew level, then passed you! You then remembered me again, and decided to continue crawling, and you caught up with the little indian boy, at one time even veering a bit off course towards his toys (some teething rings and softtoys). When the 2 of you drew level with his mommy, he was actually still a bit ahead. But he has stopped. Knowing the finish line is where the last piece of combi jig saw is, I placed the remote there and you moved that crucial few paces and was crowned the winner! hahahaa... the organiser asked for your name again, and the Emcee announced.... "An the winner is.....Jovann!...wow! congrats!" hehehe. And we were given a big green combi bag, which seems to contain a lot of goodies....but.....you won't believe it if I tell you whats our price for all your efforts. A 800ml of Combi Bottle Cleansing Detergent and many Combi pamphlets!!! Goodness... hahahaa. Eerrrr....what's the difference betw the winner's prize and the participants' gifts? Their bottles are smaller. DUH.
Mommy was either too thrilled at you winning, or too worried that you are hungry, coz even at this point I forgot I can take photo of you on the crawling mat already! Well, we ended up going off from the stage, so there goes any photo memory of you on the crawling mat, brrrrr......
Well, later managed to ask one of the helper to take a photo of 2 of us at the Fiesta, here's it! hehee.
Before all this, while waiting for the crawling contest to start (they wanted 6 participants min), Mommy went to this French Cheese booth that sells several French brands of cheese, some of which are suitable for babies from 6mths. Mommy fed you a small piece of it and the love hate expression on your face was priceless. You look disgusted by the taste, but kept leaning towards me and opening your mouth for more! Think you are too hungry. ***
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There was also a Sony Young Parents Cover baby booth that I wanted to check out. An experience there made me see the ugly side of Singaporeans.
Due to some miscommunication and probably poor organising, there were 2 queues for the parents queueing to have their babies photos taken (we get to bring one home). If your baby happen to flash his/her brightest smile for the camera and charmed the persons behind the scenes, he or she may get to grace the cover of the next YP mag! cool....actually I was just there for the free photo...hahahahha! Anyway, the 2 queues caused some confusion and when I put Jovann on the table (with some nice white furry rug on it), there was a pair of grandparents at the front of the other queue quarrelling with the photographer. They claimed they queued very long already, their grandson is sleepy (a lot of babies are at this stage), and how can they let me go first. I was like, helo, I also queued as long as you, its not my fault you were in the other (wrong) queue. These thoughts were of course not voiced out. They kept arguing and I could see the photographer getting flustered. All this while, Jovann was smiling at everyone and happily grabbbing the furry mat and talking to himself. If photos were taken at this moment, they would have turned out great. BUT, guess what, the grandparents just deliberately plonked their grandson down directly beside Jovann, arm to arm. This ensured that no good photos could be taken. They have made their point. Just at that moment, the Crawling contest organiser called me and asked that I gather in front of the stage. So I told the photographer and relieved him off an awkward situation. I could see the gratitude in his eyes, hahahaa. I then shoke my head at the grandparents and left.
Well, you know the rest of what happened during the crawling. Thing is, after winning, we went back to the photography booth, Jovann was by this time so hungry that he was munching on the remote. When I put him down and remove the remote, he started crying! nothing I can do (returning the remote) can cheer him up. Nope, not good photoshoot time. So off we go to feed him first. After that, we returned to finally have our photos taken. Again, by this time, its about 15mins before his nap time, and Jovann is staaaaarting to get sleepy I think, though he was still smiling when I carry him. Once I put him down, he cried again! It took a balloon and some screechy balloon noises to stop his tears. But of course the photos didn't turn out as nice as I expected. Well, Daddy takes nicer pics. :) Here's the one they gave us. The frame can be folded to become a photo stand.
You are now 3 days before you are officially 9mths old. Looking back, its been quite a long way since the first day you tried your first taste of semi-solids. It was on CNY reunion dinner at Ah Ma/Ah Gong's place, on the 16 Feb 2006 (pls refer to earlier blog entry). It was Healthy Times Organic Brown Rice cereal. You gave me such a face when you were tasting the cereal, will never forget that look. That feed was just for reunion dinner sake, not a proper meal for u. :)
On exactly your 6mth birthday, you have already progressed to eating 3TBS of HT cereal for lunch. So that day was the first time you were introduced to FRUITs. and mommy chose avocado, mashed with a bit of breastmilk. And to my amazement, you love it on first taste!! I was amazed coz Mommy never like it, but Daddy does...
However, this early "success" can be misleading. As the weeks wore on, and I enthusaistically prepared fresh fruits/veges for you, I realised i have a fussy little eater on hand. Why did I say that? For one, you ONLY take fresh expressed breast milk, or those chilled for less than 36hours (Mommy discard chilled milk after 36-48hrs). YOU Flatly refused any milk that has been FROZEN. you will make a face, push the bottle away, and vomit it out. Mommy had to give those spare bags away. And secondly, you only like FRESH steamed potatoes. And certain foods with creamy textures. For spinach, you like Puay Leng (the one with more pesticides) and don't like Heng cai (chinese spinach which has more nutrients). You don't necessarily like sweet stuff, and can enjoy something one day but refused to eat it the next time. Mommy is sweating with anxiety everytime I try new things on you. And after literally sweating and slaving over the stove for 1/2 cooking something for you and you flatly refused to take or stop after a few spoons, it can be such a severe dissappointment. Fortunately, after some time, Mommy can more or less tell what kinda food you like.
Example, potatoes with spinach... :)
As I read that root vegetables are the safest first foods, by the time you were 7mths old, you have already tried Pumpkin, butternut squash, avocadoes, carrots, potato, sweet potatoes, apples, pears. How do I keep them nice and ready to feed during days I am at work? Food cubes! its a life saver for working moms who refused to compromise the nutritious value of homecooked foods even though they may not be the ones to feed their babies during the day. Mommy steam the vegetables (I never boil it coz you lose more nutrients that way), and puree it using a blender. The first blender was a huge philips one, which made me so fustrated coz more food is being splashed across the container then being worked by the blade. Then Mommy discovered a multifunction compact and verstaile blender U-Like, and realised I have a similar one in the storeroom bought many yrs back. Talk about being far sighted! hahahaa.
So, thanks to knowledge mommy gained from reading, internet and friends, you have a fresh supply of pureed safe vegetables for acompanying your cereal every lunch. I will bring 1-2 cubes of different kinds of vege to either Ah Ma (Wed-Fri) or Ma Ma's (Mon,Tue) place, they will heat it up by steaming, then feeding you with cereal. Sometimes you eat fresh avocadoes and pears with cereal instead. I made sure you don't eat the same thing for 2 consecutive days.
Spinach and squash
Food cubes in the freezer next to Mommy's FBM.
Spinach. Looks yucky isn't it? But its packed with iron and vitamin C okie!?
pumpkin and butternut squash and carrots - you don't have any extreme reaction to this, just wariness at the new taste.
apples - you HATE IT. you gave me the look "Mommy, are you trying to kill me with food?" kinda look. and you gagged. We tried all kinds, China, Fuji, Gala, South African....... no more apples for some time.
sweet potato - you didn't seem to like it. Probably coz it was too sweet. Yes, too sweet. that dispells the myth that babies usually love sweet things hahaha. Perhaps its coz the first time I cooked it, I used the japanese sweet potatoes which are purple skin and yellow flesh. I remembered feeling curious why the flesh is not orange. To my shock, after i steamed and mash it through the sieve, it turned green and the consistency of kaya!!! A frantic call to a friend for help revealed that it could have just oxidised, still safe to eat. Whew. I also learnt that jap sweet potatoes, being yellow, does not contain as much beta carotene and thus anti oxidants and nutrients as their orange (not as sweet) cousins, so from then onwards, Mommy bought more of the orange ones.
Pear - you didn't quite like it initially, though reaction not as extreme as with apples. But gradually, it became your favourite food.
Potatoes - you love these! BUT, you only likes FRESHLY steamed ones. Once Mommy transfer to the food cubes and freeze, you didn't like the taste! But Mommy had to freeze some, else how does Ah Ma and Ma Ma feed you vege/fruits with cereal. I have no intention to feed you jarred baby food if I can help it.
HT organic brown rice cereal - you started turning up your nose at it after a while. turns out you were only tolerating it. Mommy then tried Heinz baby 1st cereal (4-6mths), you seem okie with it then started to show signs of dislike. Mommy had to search very carefully for cereal to feed you. Though there were a lot on the market, but being total breastfed means you must take only those that doesn't contain milk. So Friso, Dumex and many kinds of Nestle is out. Many Heinz cereal contains wheat, oat or honey. And some HT ones contains Wheat, Oat and Barley, which are all gluten and thats a no-no for me till you are 9mths old. So it was Heinz organic rice cereal. And you love it at first taste! WOW! jackpot. Only thing is, this cereal is super hard to find. When you were 8mths old, we combed 3-4 cold storages and it was all out of stock! Once we find any place that have, we grabbed all left on the shelf. We don't wanna run the risk of you rejecting lunch just coz you cannot have your favourite cereal.
Just to make lunch time more sane for Mommy, I bought a tray especially to serve you in. Here is how your typical lunch looks like. :) there are toys at the side to entertain you. and a basin of water with hanky to clean up your spills, which is a lot for someone so small. Water to feed you with throughout the meal, and the bottle of breastmilk is warming in the metal container.
I am bibbed and throned. Give me my FEAST!
When you turned 7mths, there was spinach, papaya, brocoli, zuchinni (yummy italian cucumber), parsnip (I learn the existence of vegetables I didn't even know existed!), peas. And you tried poultry and pork. And started on porridge. Yummy!
For porridge, Mommy always use the fresh ingredients to cook it with on weekends. So every night, Mommy will pack the ingredients for porridge into a nice box to be brought over to Ah Ma or Ma Ma's place for them to cook porridge for you on weekdays. fortunately, you seem to love porridge. You can finish one chinese bowl of it without much fuss. Really an asian baby are you? :)
After 8months, you tried tofu (love it, you like to "chi dou fu", you notti boy!), yogurt (hate it), and Mommy plucked up courage to feed you apple again, and you were more receptive.
Some yummy combinations - stewed chicken, potatos, carrots (you hated it) steamed pork, garden peas and potato (you love this) steam chicken breast with broccoli and sweet potato (you are fine with this) avocadoes and papaya (you love this).
And now...FINALLY! you are hitting 9months soon, and vast possibilities of cuisine choices open up before me! Now, you can finally try asparagus, gluten meaning wheat (meaning many kinds of baby biscuits) or oat which means oatmeal cereal for breakfast, FISH (brain food!), egg YOLK (not egg white). The possibilies are endless! I am rubbing my hands in glee for the coming exciting cooking this weekend.
Jovann Pole Dancing?? Not!!.....hahahaa. He's just messing around with the "pole", aka the vertical support structure of his toy mobile.
Months ago, newborn, all he does is lie there in his cot, staring at his mobile....
@2 months old **
** Then, @ around 3-4mths, still lying there, he starts to grab either the elephant, giraffe or zebra, and screams hysterically when he got one of them, shaking it madly in his hand.
Jovann just had his first swim! and goodness, how he enjoyed it. He was all smiles and chuckles and gibbering away at top speed to himself in the yellow baby float. I think he was hungry too, coz he kept trying to lick the float. he splashed and bounced and kicked the water so hard his face was all splattered with water droplets. Hope the water's clean! **
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His 1st swim buddies, or rather, swim girl friends.... Baby Clare and Baby Trinity, both of whom are pros in the pool already. :)
His friend Trinity and her Mommy. :)
1st time I bathe for him fully standing up in the shower. Quite a slippery job but very bonding. :) Love it very much. But he couldn't keep still especially when I had to put on my own clothes. He enjoyed the shower very much, but when he came out he was grouchy when we tried to apply baby lotion for him on tne pool lounge chair. But then I whipped out my magic wand, which immediately quietens him once it goes inside his ear! hehehe.
Later on, Trinity and Jovann met up with Arianne, Sophie and Amabel at Borders Bistro where their parents had some chow.
WE ARE THE OGREEEE babies.....
Jovann and Arianne soon got bored of their parents conversation, and decided to have one themselves. Arianne's mommy said they sounded like old husband and wife quarrelling..... it was a hilarious moment and if the video is shaking too much its coz Arianne's daddy was shaking with laughter when he took the video. **
Happy 8mths my dear Jovann. Now I really feel how time flies. Just a while ago you were just a tiny newborn who does nothing much but cry, drink milk and sleep. But now, you are a bouncing, active, noisy, curious 8mths old who loves to laugh, play peekaboo, smile at strangers.
Yes, you love to smile at strangers. You will study them for a while, and if they look your way, you may start with a slow hesitant smile, then starts to chuckle if they play with you. We notice you like to look at pretty little girls too! on your 8mths, we brought you to Fajar to have dinner with Ah Gong Ah Ma, and when mommy is carrying you and walking from Shop and Save, Ah Ma tried to play with you but you kept avoiding her gaze coz you were concentrating hard on something behind her shoulder. we turned to look and saw a pretty little girl around 2-3yrs old, who seemed flattered by your attention. You were staring so rudely! She came forward a bit and pretend to wana grab your hand. That got you so excited you started making noise and moving your limbs as if you wanna get down on the floor and play with her, and you were going "Aaaaaa...Aaa...." loudly. This happened a few times. The girl, after getting bored of a baby boy who does nothing but "aaaaaaahhhh...", ran off to tug at her mother's sleeve. We need to walk past her to get back to the coffee shop, and wonder if you eyes will zoom in on her again. and you did! Right before we passed by her you turn you head and spotted her and you stared and stared again. Heheheee.... you sure know how to appreciate pretty things don't you? So hiao leh you.
You hate being put lying down to change diapers now. Many times, you will scream your lungs out and Mommy has now become quite fluent in changing your clothes and even wearing your diapers with one hand while the other supports you in a standing position. The Nepia Pull ups that Daddy accidentally bought also comes in handy now.
You love to play peekaboo now. It can calm you down when you cranky, make you smile when you are sleepy. You never seem to get tired of it. and now you love to pull the hanky or pillow off our faces instead of us doing it ourselves. **
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Mommy also gave you your 1st haircut the day after your 8mths birthday. Its Mommy's first time being a hairstylist, and it feels both weird and yet satisfying. At least you don't look like you just had your hair cut from an upside down bowl. But I must say the most flattering comment was when Auntie Ling and Auntie Angeline asked me which hairstylist did I bring you too! hehehe, they said the haircut looks nice. :P
Mommy, pls don't cut my ears.... You also developed this cute habit of suddenly leaning your head on one side, either on your highchair, your leapfrog toy or on our shoulder. its very "yang orh" looking, and love the way you look when you do that. You also like to play with your hands, twisting your wrist this way and that, staring at it so intently all the while when doing it. Sometimes it looks like some hand movement in a dance routine, sometimes it looks like you trying out some kungfu moves in a huang fei hong movie, sometimes just plain adorable. Now, with such a nice haircut, of course must show off right? We also finally got down to taking a photo of you to put into your PASSPORT! but we truly and totally underestimated how difficult it is to take a decent passport photo of a 8mth old babY! Figuring that you like to smile so much, we thought getting a good shot will be a cinch! How wrong we were! We got these kinda shots... or this.... or your mouth just look too big when laughing.... and...finally, some decent ones. can pass a not huh? A stylo milo one. Okie, we are done. changed you back to rompers. your stinko face says it all.... "Are you done or not guys??!!!"
yes, you do love taking photos. The innocence of an 8mth old cannot be duplicated. You can make funny faces without feeling in the least embarrassed. These may not be the most picture perfect you, but they are precious images to daddy and me.
