Nick used to hate sitting in his stroller. So we decided to have stroller training at home.
Monday, October 1, 2007
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Primary School Bloopers
In the last few weeks, Mommy has been working as a part-time teacher at a primary school. She has never taught primary school before so at first it was a bit overwhelming for her. Nonetheless, she has a great time there.
Here are some of the witty comments her students made... Mommy hopes you enjoy them as much as she does...
1. I wish they never invented Kumon and Mandarin Language School!
2. Why can't we lie when our parents lie to us all the time?
3. Miss, are you 19? You are so old!
4. My mom asked me to go on diet... but I am always hungry... that's why I always pick up food from the floor and eat them.
5. When I grow up, I'll go to the office with my twin brother. He'll work so I can play video games.
Here are some of the witty comments her students made... Mommy hopes you enjoy them as much as she does...
1. I wish they never invented Kumon and Mandarin Language School!
2. Why can't we lie when our parents lie to us all the time?
3. Miss, are you 19? You are so old!
4. My mom asked me to go on diet... but I am always hungry... that's why I always pick up food from the floor and eat them.
5. When I grow up, I'll go to the office with my twin brother. He'll work so I can play video games.
Wednesday, August 8, 2007
To: All Moms
MA AND GOD
By Shel Silverstein
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Use your fork.”
God gave us voices – Ma says, “Don’t scream.”
Ma says eat broccoli, cereal and carrots.
But God gave us tasteys for maple ice cream.
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Use your hanky.”God gave us puddles – Ma says, “Don’t splash.”
Ma says, “Be quiet, your father is sleeping.”
But God gave us garbage can covers to crash.
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Put your gloves on.”God gave us raindrops – Ma says, “Don’t get wet.”
Ma says be careful, and don’t get too near to
Those strange lovely dogs that God gave us to pet.
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Go wash ‘em.”
But God gave us coal bins and nice dirty bodies.
And I ain’t too smart, but there’s one thing for certain –
Either Ma’s wrong or else God is.
To All MAs out there… go easy on the “Don’t…!” ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
By Shel Silverstein
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Use your fork.”
God gave us voices – Ma says, “Don’t scream.”
Ma says eat broccoli, cereal and carrots.
But God gave us tasteys for maple ice cream.
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Use your hanky.”God gave us puddles – Ma says, “Don’t splash.”
Ma says, “Be quiet, your father is sleeping.”
But God gave us garbage can covers to crash.
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Put your gloves on.”God gave us raindrops – Ma says, “Don’t get wet.”
Ma says be careful, and don’t get too near to
Those strange lovely dogs that God gave us to pet.
God gave us fingers – Ma says, “Go wash ‘em.”
But God gave us coal bins and nice dirty bodies.
And I ain’t too smart, but there’s one thing for certain –
Either Ma’s wrong or else God is.
To All MAs out there… go easy on the “Don’t…!” ^_^ ^_^ ^_^
Friday, July 27, 2007
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Hands-Off Dad
We went to visit someone who just had a baby last weekend. When I arrived, the Mom was resting so the Baby was with the Grandma. At that time, the Baby was pooping… and for some reasons, this baby continued to poop for a good 15 minutes. In the middle of the process, while the Grandma was holding the diaper and cleaning his bum-bum, the Dad walked in and took a quick glance at the baby.
The Dad: Oh, he’s pooping (walked out of the room)
Later on, The Dad brought out a box of learning cards and showed it to us.
Us: Wow, these are great! You should use them with your 3 years-old.
The Dad: Oh, she’ll run away when she hears the word “learn.”
Soon, the Mom came out from her room into the Grandma’s room to look at the Baby. The Dad was nowhere to be seen, leaving the little girl with me in the living room. It was 5 PM, the Little Girl was drenched in sweat, her hair unruly and wet, her soles were black from running around the house. She was playing by herself so I called her to sit beside me.
Me: Hey, let’s play with these cards. Can you tell me what this is? (pointing at a giraffe)
Little Girl: ilafe (her pronunciation was far from perfect, but she got it!)
Me: That’s right! How about this one? (pointing at a monkey)
Little Girl: Onkey
Me: Great! You are so smart! Let’s give you a round of applause.
Little Girl: (giggling and clapping her hand enthusiastically).
This continued for a while and, surprisingly, the Little Girl was very responsive to the questions I asked her.
Well, I don’t think I have any right to judge, but I can’t help but to think… If you don’t want to raise children, why have them?
The Dad: Oh, he’s pooping (walked out of the room)
Later on, The Dad brought out a box of learning cards and showed it to us.
Us: Wow, these are great! You should use them with your 3 years-old.
The Dad: Oh, she’ll run away when she hears the word “learn.”
Soon, the Mom came out from her room into the Grandma’s room to look at the Baby. The Dad was nowhere to be seen, leaving the little girl with me in the living room. It was 5 PM, the Little Girl was drenched in sweat, her hair unruly and wet, her soles were black from running around the house. She was playing by herself so I called her to sit beside me.
Me: Hey, let’s play with these cards. Can you tell me what this is? (pointing at a giraffe)
Little Girl: ilafe (her pronunciation was far from perfect, but she got it!)
Me: That’s right! How about this one? (pointing at a monkey)
Little Girl: Onkey
Me: Great! You are so smart! Let’s give you a round of applause.
Little Girl: (giggling and clapping her hand enthusiastically).
This continued for a while and, surprisingly, the Little Girl was very responsive to the questions I asked her.
Well, I don’t think I have any right to judge, but I can’t help but to think… If you don’t want to raise children, why have them?
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Nick’s Baptism
Nick was baptized on Sunday, July 22, 2007 at St. Thomas the Apostle church. Aunty Lulu was his godmother. Oma and Aunty Deline were also present during the ceremony.
On the way to the church Nick fell asleep and didn’t wake up until it was his time to be annointed by water and oil (good timing Lil’ Fella!). Nick was a real trooper, he didn’t cry during the whole process. Congratulation Nick!
On the way to the church Nick fell asleep and didn’t wake up until it was his time to be annointed by water and oil (good timing Lil’ Fella!). Nick was a real trooper, he didn’t cry during the whole process. Congratulation Nick!
Tuesday, July 24, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
6 Great Books for A Great 6 Months-Old - Part 3
Non-Board Book #1:
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza– Bilingual (English-Indonesian) version
The story is about a little yellow bird named Choco who was on the quest to find her mother. After many rejections from different kinds of animals, he found a perfect mother.
Why we love it: This book contains many acts of love that babies can relate to, such as hugs, kisses, and dances. Also, we can introduce many kinds of animals as they are part of the characters of the story.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 27.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
Non-Board Book #2:
Just Keep Swimming by Melissa Lagonegro
This book is part of the STEP into READING series published by Random House Publishing. We received this as a present from a friend who recently visited us from the USA. The characters are based on Disney’s Animation Movie Finding Nemo.
Why we love it: This book is targeted for preschoolers who are learning to read. However, we find that this is also a great book for babies because the sentences have rhymes (Mommy can get Nick’s attention when she reads it in a sing-song way). In addition, they are also short, simple and repetitive – perfect for our little ones!
Publisher: Random House (http://www.randomhouse.com).
Price: USD 2.50
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, and CiTos).
Non-Board Book #3:
The Sounds of Morning by Lulu Wijaya– Bilingual (English-Indonesian)
This book describes and illustrates nicely various familiar sounds and activities that little children experience in the morning.
Why we love it: Little children will enjoy this book immensely because they can relate their mornings to Eva’s, the main character in the story.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 21.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
A Mother for Choco by Keiko Kasza– Bilingual (English-Indonesian) version
The story is about a little yellow bird named Choco who was on the quest to find her mother. After many rejections from different kinds of animals, he found a perfect mother.
Why we love it: This book contains many acts of love that babies can relate to, such as hugs, kisses, and dances. Also, we can introduce many kinds of animals as they are part of the characters of the story.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 27.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
Non-Board Book #2:
Just Keep Swimming by Melissa Lagonegro
This book is part of the STEP into READING series published by Random House Publishing. We received this as a present from a friend who recently visited us from the USA. The characters are based on Disney’s Animation Movie Finding Nemo.
Why we love it: This book is targeted for preschoolers who are learning to read. However, we find that this is also a great book for babies because the sentences have rhymes (Mommy can get Nick’s attention when she reads it in a sing-song way). In addition, they are also short, simple and repetitive – perfect for our little ones!
Publisher: Random House (http://www.randomhouse.com).
Price: USD 2.50
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, and CiTos).
Non-Board Book #3:
The Sounds of Morning by Lulu Wijaya– Bilingual (English-Indonesian)
This book describes and illustrates nicely various familiar sounds and activities that little children experience in the morning.
Why we love it: Little children will enjoy this book immensely because they can relate their mornings to Eva’s, the main character in the story.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 21.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
Nicknames
Our center of attraction, Nicklaus Alexander Panji Ramadani, has many nicknames.
From Mommy and Daddy: Nick
From Jie-Jie Emma: Baby Nick
From Jie-Jie Cheryl: Kiki
From Omi and Akung: Hua Hua (short form of Ren Hua, Nick’s Chinese name)
From Oma: Niki
Hmm… Nick, don’t get confused, ok? ^_^
From Mommy and Daddy: Nick
From Jie-Jie Emma: Baby Nick
From Jie-Jie Cheryl: Kiki
From Omi and Akung: Hua Hua (short form of Ren Hua, Nick’s Chinese name)
From Oma: Niki
Hmm… Nick, don’t get confused, ok? ^_^
Friday, July 20, 2007
Food for Thoughts
Nick’s been eating solid food since he was 4.5 months. We’ve introduced him to various fruit, vegetable and grains since then. So far, he doesn’t have problems with any of the food we’ve given him, with the exception of Gerber’s Peach.
Grains:
At 5 months, Nick started eating Gerber’s Mixed Grain cereal. We also gave him Dumex cereal, but Nick seemed to like Gerber’s better.
At 6 months, Nick started eating homemade strained porridge (rice/brown rice/mixed).
Fruit:
Fruit was the first group of food that we introduced to Nick. We started with fresh papaya and banana. Nick loves banana, but he’s not too fond of papaya. So we mix papaya with baby orange juice, which works very well so far. Nick has also tried Gerber’s Applesauce, Peach (this one didn’t go very well because it’s too sour), and Pear.
Vegetable:
At 5 months, we gave Nick Gerber’s vegetable, such as spinach, carrot, potato, winter squash and peas. All went in without resistance. Currently, we mix fresh vegetable, which are carrot, soft tofu, green bean, and broccoli to his porridge. Every week we introduce new fresh vegetable to Nick. We plan to give him yellow squash, spinach, corn and potato.
Poultry:
We use homemade chicken broth and ground chicken breast for his porridge.
Fish:
We mix salmon with his porridge and use some ginger and lime juice to get rid of the strong fishy smell.
Sample Menu:
Breakfast (7:00 or 8:00 AM): Gerber’s/Dumex’ instant cereal
Lunch (noon): Fresh fruit (banana/papaya with baby orange juice)
Supper (5:00 PM): Strained Porridge: brown rice/white rice/mixed, chicken broth, ground chicken/salmon, mixed vegetable (maximum 2, choose from green bean, carrot, broccoli, and soft tofu).
Grains:
At 5 months, Nick started eating Gerber’s Mixed Grain cereal. We also gave him Dumex cereal, but Nick seemed to like Gerber’s better.
At 6 months, Nick started eating homemade strained porridge (rice/brown rice/mixed).
Fruit:
Fruit was the first group of food that we introduced to Nick. We started with fresh papaya and banana. Nick loves banana, but he’s not too fond of papaya. So we mix papaya with baby orange juice, which works very well so far. Nick has also tried Gerber’s Applesauce, Peach (this one didn’t go very well because it’s too sour), and Pear.
Vegetable:
At 5 months, we gave Nick Gerber’s vegetable, such as spinach, carrot, potato, winter squash and peas. All went in without resistance. Currently, we mix fresh vegetable, which are carrot, soft tofu, green bean, and broccoli to his porridge. Every week we introduce new fresh vegetable to Nick. We plan to give him yellow squash, spinach, corn and potato.
Poultry:
We use homemade chicken broth and ground chicken breast for his porridge.
Fish:
We mix salmon with his porridge and use some ginger and lime juice to get rid of the strong fishy smell.
Sample Menu:
Breakfast (7:00 or 8:00 AM): Gerber’s/Dumex’ instant cereal
Lunch (noon): Fresh fruit (banana/papaya with baby orange juice)
Supper (5:00 PM): Strained Porridge: brown rice/white rice/mixed, chicken broth, ground chicken/salmon, mixed vegetable (maximum 2, choose from green bean, carrot, broccoli, and soft tofu).
Thursday, July 19, 2007
Insensitive Comments
Yes, many people may think that these are trivial - somewhat petty - issues, but hey, so are most things that irritate us daily, right?
*These conversations happened during dinner at a restaurant when Nick was 3 months-old*
An insensitive relative: “Why didn’t you take your son to dinner tonight?”
Mommy: “Well, Nick sleeps at 7:30 PM every night and I don’t want to take him along since it’s going to screw up his sleeping patterns.”
An insensitive relative: “Yeah, just let him sleep in his stroller. We want to see him.”
A few months later (by the same group of relatives):
An insensitive relative: “Where is your son?”
Mommy: “Well, he’s sleeping at home. It’s past his bedtime.”
An insensitive relative: “Yeah, that’s the best way to take your kid around, when he is sleeping.”
Yet again, another version of this (by the same group of relatives):
An insensitive relative: “You know, this is the best time to take your kid around. He’ll be just sleeping in his stroller and won’t bother you.”
Alright, what’s wrong with these people? The baby has no business in a restaurant at night and I, the mother, don’t want to let him sleep uncomfortably in his stroller. If you want to meet the baby, you are more than welcome to visit us at home.
*These conversations happened during dinner at a restaurant when Nick was 3 months-old*
An insensitive relative: “Why didn’t you take your son to dinner tonight?”
Mommy: “Well, Nick sleeps at 7:30 PM every night and I don’t want to take him along since it’s going to screw up his sleeping patterns.”
An insensitive relative: “Yeah, just let him sleep in his stroller. We want to see him.”
A few months later (by the same group of relatives):
An insensitive relative: “Where is your son?”
Mommy: “Well, he’s sleeping at home. It’s past his bedtime.”
An insensitive relative: “Yeah, that’s the best way to take your kid around, when he is sleeping.”
Yet again, another version of this (by the same group of relatives):
An insensitive relative: “You know, this is the best time to take your kid around. He’ll be just sleeping in his stroller and won’t bother you.”
Alright, what’s wrong with these people? The baby has no business in a restaurant at night and I, the mother, don’t want to let him sleep uncomfortably in his stroller. If you want to meet the baby, you are more than welcome to visit us at home.
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Back to School!
This week is back-to-school week. That translates to:
Traffic Jam! – More time on the road for Daddy
Daddy hasn’t complained too much about it, but he has to leave work earlier and comes home later. That means, he spends slightly less time with Nick on weekdays. Well, don’t be discouraged Daddy… as long as you spend Quality Time with Nick, he won’t forget about you! ^_^ ^_^
Other Mommies calling Mommy to schedule lessons – More work for Mommy
Luckily Mommy works mostly from home so Mommy can still spend lots of time with Nick. Also, Mommy is dying to meet Mommy’s students… during school holiday, Mommy’s been shopping for books and preparing lesson plans for them. Can’t wait to use ‘em! Not to mention, Nick gets to meet Jie-Jie and Ge Ge who adore him. As an added bonus, we get our “splurge money” back! Oh, the joy of working from home! ^_^ ^_^
Traffic Jam! – More time on the road for Daddy
Daddy hasn’t complained too much about it, but he has to leave work earlier and comes home later. That means, he spends slightly less time with Nick on weekdays. Well, don’t be discouraged Daddy… as long as you spend Quality Time with Nick, he won’t forget about you! ^_^ ^_^
Other Mommies calling Mommy to schedule lessons – More work for Mommy
Luckily Mommy works mostly from home so Mommy can still spend lots of time with Nick. Also, Mommy is dying to meet Mommy’s students… during school holiday, Mommy’s been shopping for books and preparing lesson plans for them. Can’t wait to use ‘em! Not to mention, Nick gets to meet Jie-Jie and Ge Ge who adore him. As an added bonus, we get our “splurge money” back! Oh, the joy of working from home! ^_^ ^_^
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Nick’s First Swimming Trip
Nick went swimming with Jie-Jie Emma at Jie-Jie’s apartment today. Because Nick and Jie-Jie were still too small even for the kiddie pool, we used the outdoor heated whirpool instead.
At first, Nick looked uncomfortable, but that only lasted for a few minutes. After that, Nick started moving his legs in the water. Mommy let Nick tried different positions, the Superman Style and the Backstroke Style.
The swimming session lasted for 30 minutes. Then, Aunty Lulu and Jie-Jie Emma introduced Nick to Elmo THX, which was very funny. Nick, being a serious baby, didn’t laugh when Elmo did his flips and jumps, however, he was very fascinated by it. Nick touched and held Elmo and he cried when Jie-Jie pulled Elmo away from him ^_^ ^_^.
Too bad Mommy forgot to bring the camera… but we’re going swimming again next week and we’ll definitely take some pictures then.
At first, Nick looked uncomfortable, but that only lasted for a few minutes. After that, Nick started moving his legs in the water. Mommy let Nick tried different positions, the Superman Style and the Backstroke Style.
The swimming session lasted for 30 minutes. Then, Aunty Lulu and Jie-Jie Emma introduced Nick to Elmo THX, which was very funny. Nick, being a serious baby, didn’t laugh when Elmo did his flips and jumps, however, he was very fascinated by it. Nick touched and held Elmo and he cried when Jie-Jie pulled Elmo away from him ^_^ ^_^.
Too bad Mommy forgot to bring the camera… but we’re going swimming again next week and we’ll definitely take some pictures then.
Monday, July 16, 2007
6 Great Books for A Great 6 Months-Old - Part 2
Board Book #2:
Peter Rabbit’s Colors – based on the works of Beatrix Potter
Mommy picked this one from the on-sale rack many years ago. She wasn’t even married then, but she loved the book so she bought it. It turned out that her hunch was right. Nick loves this book!
Why we love it: This book is quite big for babies (20 x 21 cms), but it is very sturdy and colourful. Peter Rabbit and his friends are cute and there are little flaps on the pages which helps Nick practice his motor skills.
Publisher: Penguin Group
Price: MSRP USD 6.99
Where to get it: We’ve never seen it in any bookstore in Jakarta. However, there are alternative books for similar purposes. For example: Little Monster’s Book of Numbers and Little Monster’s Book of Opposites from Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com) . They are bilingual books (Indonesian-English) and the price is Rp. 35.000,- each and are sold at Aksara Bookstore, TB Gramedia and TGA.
BoardBook #3:
When the Elephant Walks by Keiko Kasza– Bilingual (English-Indonesian) versionKasza is a genius children books writer – We think that her books are must-haves for all children. Her stories are very clever and original, easy to understand and contain funny twists at the end. They are also entertaining to not only the children, but also adults. In When the Elephant Walks, Kasza tells us the movements around the forest when the elephant walks. The story starts with, well, of course, when the elephant walks… and ends with Kasza’s trademark witty twist.
Why we love it: This is a very children-friendly book. It is small and sturdy and it contains pictures of many animals that children love. The story is presented in simple and short sentences, which are perfect for children who are learning to read. We also love the price! At Rp. 39.000,- , it is by far the best bargain in its category.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 39.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
To be continued...
Peter Rabbit’s Colors – based on the works of Beatrix Potter
Mommy picked this one from the on-sale rack many years ago. She wasn’t even married then, but she loved the book so she bought it. It turned out that her hunch was right. Nick loves this book!
Why we love it: This book is quite big for babies (20 x 21 cms), but it is very sturdy and colourful. Peter Rabbit and his friends are cute and there are little flaps on the pages which helps Nick practice his motor skills.
Publisher: Penguin Group
Price: MSRP USD 6.99
Where to get it: We’ve never seen it in any bookstore in Jakarta. However, there are alternative books for similar purposes. For example: Little Monster’s Book of Numbers and Little Monster’s Book of Opposites from Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com) . They are bilingual books (Indonesian-English) and the price is Rp. 35.000,- each and are sold at Aksara Bookstore, TB Gramedia and TGA.
BoardBook #3:
When the Elephant Walks by Keiko Kasza– Bilingual (English-Indonesian) versionKasza is a genius children books writer – We think that her books are must-haves for all children. Her stories are very clever and original, easy to understand and contain funny twists at the end. They are also entertaining to not only the children, but also adults. In When the Elephant Walks, Kasza tells us the movements around the forest when the elephant walks. The story starts with, well, of course, when the elephant walks… and ends with Kasza’s trademark witty twist.
Why we love it: This is a very children-friendly book. It is small and sturdy and it contains pictures of many animals that children love. The story is presented in simple and short sentences, which are perfect for children who are learning to read. We also love the price! At Rp. 39.000,- , it is by far the best bargain in its category.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 39.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
To be continued...
Thursday, July 12, 2007
6 Great Books for A Great 6 Months-Old
Mommy’s Maid of Honor got married last Saturday, July 7 2007 (7-7-07) and Nick’s cousin was also born on that day (at 7 AM!). And, Nick turned 6 months last Sunday. So, in the spirit of repeated numbers… we will give you reviews of 6 great books for A Great 6 months-old.
In general, we found that boardbooks are better than regular books for 6 months-old for a few reasons. They are sturdy (can withstand licking and light chewing), easy to handle (easy to flip and the baby size ones works nicely with those chubby little fingers), and FUN (bright colors, fun pictures, and bold letters). However, there were a few non-board books that we love as well.
Again, in the spirit of repeated numbers, the reviews are divided into 3 board books and 3 non-board books that Nick adores.
Board Book #1:
Little Mouse, I Love You by Caroline Anstey – Bilingual (English-Indonesian) version
This books begins with a question posed by a little mouse to his grandmother. “What is love?” Little Mouse said. To answer his question, Gran (grandmother) took Little Mouse for a walk around the forest. There, Little Mouse witnessed mothers of different kinds of animals nurtured their children. At the end of the day, Little Mouse figured out that all the actions by those mothers made up love.
Why we love it: The story is so sweet and the book is amazing. Beautiful, embossed pictures and lift-a-flap pages keep Nick’s attention while Mommy reads the story to him. He loves touching the embossed pictures and flipping the lift-a-flap pages.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 89.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
To be continued…
In general, we found that boardbooks are better than regular books for 6 months-old for a few reasons. They are sturdy (can withstand licking and light chewing), easy to handle (easy to flip and the baby size ones works nicely with those chubby little fingers), and FUN (bright colors, fun pictures, and bold letters). However, there were a few non-board books that we love as well.
Again, in the spirit of repeated numbers, the reviews are divided into 3 board books and 3 non-board books that Nick adores.
Board Book #1:
Little Mouse, I Love You by Caroline Anstey – Bilingual (English-Indonesian) version
This books begins with a question posed by a little mouse to his grandmother. “What is love?” Little Mouse said. To answer his question, Gran (grandmother) took Little Mouse for a walk around the forest. There, Little Mouse witnessed mothers of different kinds of animals nurtured their children. At the end of the day, Little Mouse figured out that all the actions by those mothers made up love.
Why we love it: The story is so sweet and the book is amazing. Beautiful, embossed pictures and lift-a-flap pages keep Nick’s attention while Mommy reads the story to him. He loves touching the embossed pictures and flipping the lift-a-flap pages.
Publisher: PT Wortel Books Publishing Indonesia (http://www.wortelbooks.com)
Price: Rp. 89.000,-
Where to get it: Aksara Bookstore (Kemang, Plaza Indonesia, CiTos) and TB Gramedia throughout Indonesia.
To be continued…
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Mommy’s Top 5 FAQs regarding Normal Childbirth
A lot of people have come to me and asked me questions regarding the experience and this is the summary of our conversations.
Q: Was it painful?
A: Yes. But I believe there is no such thing as a pain-free childbirth. Okay, I am using a bit of assumption here, but I think I have a pretty strong case since everyone who’s gone through it (including those who had a c-section) that I’ve spoken to agreed with me. My sister and my niece weren’t very happy with the information and decided that adoption was the way to go (they’re single, by the way *_*)
Q: Was is VERY VERY painful?
A: It can get to that point… Mine wasn’t so bad until the very end (when I was almost fully dilated), but as my Ob/Gyn puts it… if you can’t bear the pain, don’t hesitate to ask for painkillers… a.k.a. epidural.
Q: Epidural… what is that? Is it safe?
A: Epidural is a spinal anaesthesia… it’s injected to your spinal cord. Yes, it may sound scary and they do supersize the needle,but when you are already in pain, it’s not bad at all. For me, spinal anaesthesia is one of the most amazing inventions for moms-to-be. For more info on safety, risk, etc… Web MD (http://www.webmd.com) has comprehensive information on epidural.
Q: Did you have an episiotomy? How fast did it heal?
A: Yes, I did. I took oral painkillers (Ponstan) for a day, the swelling was gone within a week, the sore and discomfort was gone by the end of the second week. From then on I could still feel some tingling once in a while until the end of the second month.
Q: If you could turn back time, would you do it again?
A: Absolutely.
Q: Was it painful?
A: Yes. But I believe there is no such thing as a pain-free childbirth. Okay, I am using a bit of assumption here, but I think I have a pretty strong case since everyone who’s gone through it (including those who had a c-section) that I’ve spoken to agreed with me. My sister and my niece weren’t very happy with the information and decided that adoption was the way to go (they’re single, by the way *_*)
Q: Was is VERY VERY painful?
A: It can get to that point… Mine wasn’t so bad until the very end (when I was almost fully dilated), but as my Ob/Gyn puts it… if you can’t bear the pain, don’t hesitate to ask for painkillers… a.k.a. epidural.
Q: Epidural… what is that? Is it safe?
A: Epidural is a spinal anaesthesia… it’s injected to your spinal cord. Yes, it may sound scary and they do supersize the needle,but when you are already in pain, it’s not bad at all. For me, spinal anaesthesia is one of the most amazing inventions for moms-to-be. For more info on safety, risk, etc… Web MD (http://www.webmd.com) has comprehensive information on epidural.
Q: Did you have an episiotomy? How fast did it heal?
A: Yes, I did. I took oral painkillers (Ponstan) for a day, the swelling was gone within a week, the sore and discomfort was gone by the end of the second week. From then on I could still feel some tingling once in a while until the end of the second month.
Q: If you could turn back time, would you do it again?
A: Absolutely.
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
We Love Baby Bjorn Sling!
Nanny had an emergency family matter so she took Monday and Tuesday off. Nanny left after Mommy gave her morning lesson and Auntie Wina ended up teaching Mommy’s class in the afternoon. Since it’s still school holiday season some of Mommy’s students were on vacation so it wasn’t that bad.
One small problem, though… Nick was going through the “please don’t leave me alone!” phase. So Mommy had to carry him around the house while performing housework.
Thankfully, Ah Yi Lulu and Jie Jie Emma lent their Baby Bjorn sling to Mommy and Nick! Mommy could carry Nick safely while she’s washing his bottles and utensils, preparing his food, and even when she’s typing her lesson plans (this didn’t last very long, but Mommy managed to some work while babysitting Nick).
Now that Nanny is back, Nick is back to the old-fashioned batik sling… ^_^ ^_^.
One small problem, though… Nick was going through the “please don’t leave me alone!” phase. So Mommy had to carry him around the house while performing housework.
Thankfully, Ah Yi Lulu and Jie Jie Emma lent their Baby Bjorn sling to Mommy and Nick! Mommy could carry Nick safely while she’s washing his bottles and utensils, preparing his food, and even when she’s typing her lesson plans (this didn’t last very long, but Mommy managed to some work while babysitting Nick).
Now that Nanny is back, Nick is back to the old-fashioned batik sling… ^_^ ^_^.
Sunday, July 8, 2007
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
Playing in the Dark
We lost power at 11:30 PM last night. After checking that all circuit breakers were in place and discovering that none of our neighbours lost power, we called the electricity company. Surprisingly, they came over to our house within the hour and by 2 AM the electricity was back on.
However, during the 2.5 hours of darkness and heat (our backup generator was out of gasoline… *duh!*), Mommy was so afraid that Nick would wake up and fussed. Sure enough, he was up by midnight. However, Mommy was pleasantly surprised that he did not fuss at all! At first he just tossed and turned in his bed. So Mommy changed him from his long sleeves jumper into shirt and short pants. When Mommy put him back in his crib, he continued playing with his hands and feet in the dark until the lights came back on.
Once we turned on the AC and the temperature got cooler, Nick drank some milk and fell back to sleep.
Nick, Mommy is so proud of you!
Monday, July 2, 2007
Our Favourite Baby Stores in Jakarta
Mommy buys most of Nick’s essentials at this store. They carry good quality baby products at reasonable prices. The shop attendants are friendly, honest, and very knowledgeable.
Toko Bahagia at Ruko Taman Palem
In addition to selling regular baby products, this store also sells baby formula and fresh milk. Mommy buys Nick’s staple food, Enfamil A+ Formula, and SebaMed products at this store. Formula prices are generally cheaper than Giant and/or CarreFour (this only applies to baby formula). They deliver with no minimum order (delivery charge is Rp. 5000,-).
The Children’s Store,
They sell high quality baby gears. Maclaren, Quinny, and Combi strollers, Baby Bjorn slings, and Bumbo chairs… need we say more? We really love some of the products that we bought from this store. We found “Be Free” baby bottles that solved Nick’s colicky behaviour here. We also love the Combi’s feeding set... they are very sturdy and easy to use and clean.
Mothercare, Pondok Indah Mall II,
Mommy has to fight the urge of buying all the cute little T-shirts, jeans, khaki pants, onesies, socks, shoes… well, that’s pretty much everything, huh?! Our favourites are the sleepsuits. They are very comfortable, durable, and, ohhh… soooo cute! *_* *_*
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Growing Pains
Finally, after many weeks of waiting, Nick’s first tooth makes its appearance. It’s a thin white strip above Nick’s lower gum. Thankfully, Nick doesn’t experience any fever or diarrhea at all.
However, Mommy and Nanny can tell that Nick is in pain as he gets cranky easily and constantly puts his little fingers inside his mouth. He also wakes up a few times at night crying, which is unusual for him since Nick's been sleeping through the night since he turned 4 month-old. When this happens, Mommy has to sing Nick's favourite nursery rhymes to help him get back to sleep. Usually, "Old McDonald" and "Itsy Bitsy Spider" will do the job. ^_^
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Sneaky Nick
Nick has an interesting habit that Mommy’s been observing lately. He likes to “practice” new motor skills while he is sleeping at night. He managed to rollover for the first time when he was sleeping and last week Mommy saw him doing it backward in his sleep! Mommy’s never seen him doing a backward flip during the day before so she was ecstatic. To confirm, though, Mommy asked Nanny if she’d seen Nick did a backward flip before, and of course she hadn’t!
Sure enough, a few days later, we began to witness Nick doing his backward flip during the day. Today, Nick is already a pro in flipping back and forth.
Sure enough, a few days later, we began to witness Nick doing his backward flip during the day. Today, Nick is already a pro in flipping back and forth.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Nick’s First Social Event
Nick was invited to Kak Dea’s first birthday party last Sunday. He was the youngest guest, but that didn’t prevent him from having a good time.
Nick really enjoyed the colourful balloons and streamers. He helped Mommy hold the fishing rod and caught a few plastic fish from the fishing pool. Then, he watched Abangs and Kakaks jumped excitedly on the jumping tent.
However, Nick didn’t get to join Kak Dea when it’s time for her to cut the cake. Nick wasn’t comfortable with the loud music from the speakers. So, we had to stay at a distance away from the speakers.
As usual, Nick fell asleep on the way home.
Nick really enjoyed the colourful balloons and streamers. He helped Mommy hold the fishing rod and caught a few plastic fish from the fishing pool. Then, he watched Abangs and Kakaks jumped excitedly on the jumping tent.
However, Nick didn’t get to join Kak Dea when it’s time for her to cut the cake. Nick wasn’t comfortable with the loud music from the speakers. So, we had to stay at a distance away from the speakers.
As usual, Nick fell asleep on the way home.
Friday, June 22, 2007
Hooray! It's Mealtime!
Nick had his first solid food, which was papaya, when he was 4.5 months old. After a week or so, Mommy introduced banana followed by Gerber’s rice cereal and a variety of Gerber’s baby food to his menu.
Most of the time, Nick is very curious about the different tastes and textures of his food and so he is a willing participant during mealtime. However, there were days when we had mealtime disasters when Nick refused to swallow his food and fussed impatiently. Luckily, Mommy and Nanny managed to translate those cranky moments to the following:
“Please, not papaya AGAIN!”
Just like everyone else, Nick needs variety in his menu. Since we started to alternate his fruit between fresh papaya, fresh banana, and sometimes Gerber’s applesauce or peach, we’ve been having great mealtime moments.
“Can we eat later? I am sleepy.”
We now schedule Nick’s meal half an hour after he wakes up in the morning (it’s breakfast time!) and right after his nap in the early afternoon. We find that these are the best time for Nick as he is fresh, fully awake, and hungry.
“When is this going to end? I am bored”
The first few spoons usually go very fast. However, sitting around without any entertainment is B-O-R-I-N-G! So, we usually put on some music and have some rattles around to make mealtime more enjoyable and fun!
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Cheers to Shel Silverstein!
Mommy came across a really cool poem by Shel Silverstein...
NO DIFFERENCE
By Shel Silverstein
Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We’re all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We’re worth the same
When we turn off the light.
Red, black, or orange,
Yellow or White,
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for God to just reach out
And turn off the light!
It no doubt beats the regular:
God creates us as equals, so, stop judging people based on the color of their skin, the amount of money in their pocket, the size of their brain, yada yada yada ^_^.
NO DIFFERENCE
By Shel Silverstein
Small as a peanut,
Big as a giant,
We’re all the same size
When we turn off the light.
Rich as a sultan,
Poor as a mite,
We’re worth the same
When we turn off the light.
Red, black, or orange,
Yellow or White,
We all look the same
When we turn off the light.
So maybe the way
To make everything right
Is for God to just reach out
And turn off the light!
It no doubt beats the regular:
God creates us as equals, so, stop judging people based on the color of their skin, the amount of money in their pocket, the size of their brain, yada yada yada ^_^.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Trip to the Mall
On Sunday, Nick went to the Mall with Mommy and Daddy. At first he was pretty contented in his stroller… he played with his hands and hummed excitedly. That didn’t last very long, though. Nick got bored and wanted to get out of the stroller. So, Mommy and Daddy had to take turns holding him. Luckily, Nick didn’t mind sitting on Mommy’s lap while Mommy was eating. He was fascinated by the Japanese Curry Rice, which he tried to put his hands on.
Later on, Mommy and Daddy took Nick to see the open kitchen of a Noodle restaurant where Nick couldn’t take his eyes off the steam coming out of a large cooking pan.
Nick was so tired from his excursion that he fell asleep immediately after we hopped on the car.
Later on, Mommy and Daddy took Nick to see the open kitchen of a Noodle restaurant where Nick couldn’t take his eyes off the steam coming out of a large cooking pan.
Nick was so tired from his excursion that he fell asleep immediately after we hopped on the car.
Friday, June 15, 2007
Choco… you look sooo sweet… I can’t help but to lick you!
Since Nick was a few weeks old, he has regular storytelling sessions with Mommy. At first, Mommy just read softly from a storybook. When Nick began to show interest in colorful pictures, we started to have the reading during tummy time.
Now, Nick are familiar with a few characters from his storybooks. Among his favourites are Choco the yellow bird from “A Mother for Choco” by Keiko Kasza and Moon the dog from “Moon and Star: A Christmas Story” by Robin Muller.
Lately, Nick has shown even greater interest in his books… it always starts with Nick staring intently at the pictures and ends with him licking the page! ^-^
Now, Nick are familiar with a few characters from his storybooks. Among his favourites are Choco the yellow bird from “A Mother for Choco” by Keiko Kasza and Moon the dog from “Moon and Star: A Christmas Story” by Robin Muller.
Lately, Nick has shown even greater interest in his books… it always starts with Nick staring intently at the pictures and ends with him licking the page! ^-^
Tuesday, June 12, 2007
Lil’ Nick: A Coffee Addict?
We’ve been giving Nick a teaspoon of black coffee twice a week since he turned three months. It started when we found out that coffee can help reduce the likelihood of seizures due to fever.
Apparently, he loves the taste of it. He squirms and chatters impatiently everytime he sees Daddy drinking a cup of joe in the morning. He does the same thing when he sees Mommy holding a white mug (Nick: white mug equals coffee *_*). When that happens, we have to remove him from the coffee-drinking scene or he’ll start to whine and eventually try to reach out for the coffee mug...
“Hi, my name is Nick and I am a coffee addict…” ^_^ ^_* *_*
Apparently, he loves the taste of it. He squirms and chatters impatiently everytime he sees Daddy drinking a cup of joe in the morning. He does the same thing when he sees Mommy holding a white mug (Nick: white mug equals coffee *_*). When that happens, we have to remove him from the coffee-drinking scene or he’ll start to whine and eventually try to reach out for the coffee mug...
“Hi, my name is Nick and I am a coffee addict…” ^_^ ^_* *_*
Monday, June 11, 2007
Greetings!
Welcome to my Blog! This is a big achievement for a notorious procrastinator (a.k.a. ME!) to finally set up and WRITE SOMETHING on my blog. I admit that I am a ferocious reader, but I am soooo slow when it comes to writing. But, I’ve promised myself that I’ll start writing and posting regularly… so expect more to come. Cheers!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
