BeansTalk: The Other Side

Bean is 30 months old now and we have yet to work out a win-win weaning programme.

The last time we tried giving him some formula milk, he vehemently protested with screams and tears. Project formula has been a total failure, so far. We give ourselves another 5 months to equalise the duration I had breastfed Girl who scored 35 months.

After he empties one side, he pops out to announce "the other side" and comfortably tucks himself into round 2. 

Sometimes he goes into this mode on repeat and of course, I feel all dehydrated -sleepy-tired-needwaternow-cranky.

Terrible twos are not just for the toddler, now I know *grin*

Busy Week

Please pardon my excitement- it is The Little Girl's first exam week at The Big School!

She started on Tuesday with English and Spelling; followed by Mathematics and Science yesterday; with Malay as Foreign Language and Ejaan (Malay Spelling) as ending today. 

Honestly, she did not "study" but played a lot throughout the preparation period. I do not think I will be saying this in 10 years' time, so let me enjoy this prep-free exam period *grin* 

When the Examinable Areas were first disclosed, I made a mental note to check with her if she had understood those lessons as taught in class. When we did go through the books during "revision", I asked if she wanted to clarify any confusion/forgotten lessons. She sounded alright and I left it at that, not wanting to create any self-doubt in her. 

She then watched Cars from Disney and The Wolf Children (highly recommended work by Mamoru Hosoda) and played with her toys. Story time at night was Sukukata for only once (because I panicked, she was fine!).

Bean turned 21 months today. Still 16 teeth with no signs of the final 4. Still breastfeeding at noon, bedtime, 2 am and 5 am as his Happylatch Meals. 9 more months to go, in sha Allah. Precious moments every time I cuddle him for a feed as he is now an active toddler. Alhamdulillah.

More updates on The Little Girl: we have reached the end of JMC Primary 1 so Teacher has lined up a "mini concert" this Saturday. 

Songs to sing: Come And Play With Me and Whales' Sneeze. Solfege. Play 2 songs. The Little Girl chose See You Tomorrow and A Cuckoo Clock on the piano. I am not bringing any extra audience to avoid her getting stage fright, but I am sure The Other Half and Bean will get the best seats in the room. 

The last time she was to act in The Bear Hunt at The Playschool, she clammed up and refused to act upon seeing the many new adult faces. I really hope she will be brave enough this time, as the piano faces the wall and not the audience. 

I still have work pending and really should get going to clear the trays before the weekend starts. I have a very dear friend returning to Tokyo with her children this Sunday *sobs* - how fast 24 months flew us by! See my post on this friendship here.

How is your week going so far, my lovelies? Happy holidays to those enjoying the school break. Safe travels, journey mercies and please do share those beautiful memories!

TATT

Tired all the time.

So it turns out that my prolonged disturbed sleep pattern may be the possible cause of this condition. It is a huge relief to know there are no other serious medical conditions, such as diabetes (because I also feel thirsty all the time, thanks to breastfeeding).

I have not slept through the night since 28 March 2010, the night before The Little Girl was born. If you count the broken sleep to include pregnancy days, then I can tell you it is since August 2009. 

No wonder I look forward to the day Bean is fully-weaned and possibly, in sha Allah, I can regain proper sleep cycle.

TATT it is for now. Oh, bottles of water at my bedside, but of course.

Good night!

P/S: Please ask for a blood test to screen for diabetes, coeliac disease, anaemia, under-active thyroid if you feel TATT. It can save you, or improve quality of your life!

Johor Premium Outlets

This is our first trip to Johor Premium Outlet.

Firstly, bravo on the fly traps! Pesky flies are hardly seen.

Secondly, the trees have grown more shady, thus protecting shoppers from the blazing heat. We noted that the landscape management company and/or proprietor could have selected even more shady greens, like the tiered types you see at The Gardens and along Mahameru (who remembers the new road name?).

Thirdly, we are so glad to see eateries other than the food court. Options like Absolute Thai and Kampachi are helping us to extend our leg hours beyond dinner rush hour. The dinner service and food at Kampachi was excellent. The lunch service and food at Dome's left much room for improvement. Crispy Crepe provided us with good snacks, and we especially enjoyed the peanut butter with banana as well as chocolate with banana crepes. 

You guessed it, we were there twice! Every premium/designer outlet begets multiple visits from us, old habits die hard! We would usually mark what we would like to buy and think it over, preventing impulse purchase. As a result of this, we bought almost nothing! The Other Half credits this to The Flat being too close to boutiques at KLCC that we are already immune to the word "Sales",

"Markdown" and "70% off". I concur.

Although we were not thrilled about the limited brands present, we were glad to see the usual suspects on discount. Surprisingly, supermarket and high street mall labels make up 75% of the shops there. Our haul this time is comparatively much smaller than last summer at York Designer Outlets.

If you are a big fan of Burberry, Aigner, Oroton, Furla, Sacoor Bros, Kate Spade, DVF, Salvatore Ferragamo, Coach, Michael Kors and Polo Ralph Lauren then there are some gems waiting for you to mine. We spotted DKNY, Armani Exchange and Boss too.

 

My best purchase was Akemi Super King Silk Sateen Fitted Sheets. Very makcik good purchase. In fact, I would be silly enough to return just for this sole purpose.

The playground area is not shaded/covered. Let's hope that is room for improvement too. During our first visit, the playground was wet from the rain. The sun was scorching hot on the second day. My kids were disappointed on both days, regrettably. The grass must find a way to grow too.

On the bright side, baby change rooms and family toilets are available. Let's hope they will add some nursing rooms in future, as I personally do not feed inside bathrooms (simple hygiene logic - would you eat inside a toilet?). Thank you for taking this into account when you are looking for ways to improve your property, Genting Simon Sdn. Bhd. 

In conclusion, this place is worth a look-see. See you again next time, Johor Premium Outlets!

Bye Bye Babyhood

Bean is officially a toddler by age and by skill now.

The changing table, baby cot, extra stroller, baby carrier all seem so outgrown and outdated. 

Time to bundle them up and pass those preloved items on to my girlfriends who are expecting their respective nos. 2 and 3. 

Time flies, I am feeling all nostalgic (PMS, much?).

Goodnight, peeps.

Ramadhan Mubarak!

The years I have missed fasting and their valid reasons:

1. 2009 - pregnancy with threatened miscarriage;

2. 2010 - fully breastfeeding a sususaurus;

3. 2011 - breastfeeding a sususaurus who despite eating solids, latched on day and night every 2 hours;

3. 2012 - same as 2011;

4. 2013 - confinement, lochia after Bean.

That brings the total of missed fasting days to 4 x 30 days = 120 days.

I have replaced 4 of those days in the last few days. I have paid my zakat fidyah for those 4 years but my heart really wants to fast so here we are. 

116 days to replace, in sha Allah. 

May this Ramadhan be one full of blessings and may our Ibadah be accepted by Allah swt. Amin!

Point to note: Bean is also a sususaurus and seems to want to latch on more during the 4 days that I was fasting. I take this a test of my faith and syukur alhamdulillah managed to keep the fast.

The choice of food and drinks, in my humble opinion, are important when fasting when breastfeeding. Some carbohydrates, protein, vegetables and never forget the Kalahari Medjool dates. Air zam zam is best and failing that Evian is quite good too. I have just discovered the Yusuf Taiyoob dates, so juicy and filling! I tend to consume a substantial Sahur meal to power me throughout the day; followed by light Iftar meal (cold sandwiches, salads, fruits, dates and lots of water). 

Please do share your coping strategies, supplications and Ramadhan purpose, if you have.

Incidentally, this just came in:

All's good save for Durian and Shark Soup in my case. Enjoy! 

30 Months

"And We have enjoined on man doing of good to his parents; with trouble did his mother bear him and with trouble did she bring him forth; and the bearing of him and the weaning of him was thirty months; until when he attains his maturity and reaches forty years, he says: My Lord! grant me that I may give thanks for Thy favor which Thou hast bestowed on me and on my parents, and that I may do good which pleases Thee and do good to me in respect of my offspring; surely I turn to Thee, and surely I am of those who submit."

[Al-Quran 46:15]

30 months, pardon my ignorance about period of breastfeeding being 24 months. Al-Quran 2:233 states 24 months. 

Someone help me with tafseer, please?

In any case, happy nursing, fellow mamas out there!

Giving

Giving and not expecting anything in return.

The Avent old and new breast pump, Avent steriliser, Avent and Bean warmers, Avent VIA cups, Beaba food cube tray, Kid+Co food cube trays, Avent bottles and some baby knick knacks. Packed! Donated!

Reason being we are fine with feeding directly since Bean was 44 days old. Those 7 large bags can be so much better utilised by someone else in need. Not that we could sell them on eBay anyways.

When someone told me that she can come and pick it up today and pass them on to someone else in need, I knew my prayers have been answered. Alhamdulillah!

Slow down, Bean. You are growing a little  too quickly for Mummy. Happy 7th month, love! May Allah s.w.t. watch over you always.

Baby Led Weaning

See www.babyledweaning.com for details, if new to this concept.

With The Little Girl, we did not apply this 100% as we were spending half the week at The House. It would have caused The Grandparents too much distress and mess, and I had too little time to wipe down everything at every meal. 

So I cheated improvised.

On days when we were at The House, I fed her purée. Life was not easy as my MIL didn't enjoy her kitchen being shared, and we have two kitchens! I ended up doing double the work by steaming, making purée and freezing them in portions to bring to The House from the then apartment. At meal times, I had the frozen cubes thawed and reheated (same amount of work and time as cooking them fresh on my Beabacook). No wonder I was so slim.

Oh, the suffering I used to bear with just because of not having my own space and freedom...but Allah s.w.t.is Kind and has removed that obstacle for me, for which I am eternally grateful!

So let me share with you how I "cheated" "improvised". 

On days when we were at our own place, I'd let The Little Girl feed herself with steamed, bite-size, "not likely to choke or gag size" food. Mostly pumpkin, carrot, broccoli, apple, pear, banana and occasionally treat of Heinz organic biscotti.

She loved it!

Messy? Well, we had the IKEA Antilop high chair. Removing the tray to be washed was relatively easy. The pelican bib was also comparatively easier to wash compared to purée mushy wet stains. Usually whatever crumbs that fell into the pelican bib was just be put through the insinkerator then the pelican bib itself wiped down and washed.

Now, I'd share with you how I further "cheated" "improvised" when out and about.

Organic jar food. Try travelling on long haul flights with nothing suitable to eat and hungry baby! Not much fun, I can confess. We brought along fresh bananas/apples with skin on. Except Australia. Nothing gets pass the immigration/quarantine. England is "more understanding" of baby needs.

In conclusion, we did not employ just one strict method. After all, eating is a mix of different cuisines requiring different skills, no? Don't be too hung up on quantity, just be sure to serve up the best quality food. No salt. No colouring. No sugar. No flavouring. No preservatives. That is a lot of NO!

My key consideration back then for The Little Girl (and will apply to Bean):

- She sure nursed through it all so I wasn't too worried about her calorie count etc. Breastmilk would have covered whatever shortfall in her diet.

- She ate breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and sometimes even supper with us.

- She pooped and peed well.

This time with Bean, I guess we will employ the same mix. Some traditional and some baby led. Depends on what we will be eating and where we will be, I guess.

Recent research point toward early weaning at 4 months but Bean is not sitting upright as yet so I am not feeding him. Simple rule - avoid choking. After all, Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. said not to eat lying down...

Bean has his whole lifetime ahead of him to enjoy food and drink, so why rush him when he is not ready? Chillax!

Have fun feeding your little one. May Allah s.w.t. bestow berkat to all those nutritious and delicious meals!

Avocado on Toast

Amazing yield of breastmilk, Allah s.w.t. is really Great!

Here is a really simple and fast snack if you have no time to make guacamole.

Slice ripe avocado and place onto toast. Place another piece of toast and press firmly. Eat immediately. Sorry, I ate so quickly that I forgot to snap a photo for you.

well, drink something warm after that too, then feel the amazing let-down and fully refilled breasts all ready for the next feed!

Bon appetit!

Note: green avocado = unripe, dark green avocado = firm ripe, almost black avocado = soft ripe. 

The wonderfully creamy fruit can ripen on kitchen tops in a wire basket. You can easily halve the avocado, scoop out the stone with a spoon and peel the skin off when the fruit is ripe. Great replacement for butter on toast!

 

Please share your tips on how you serve up your avocado!

Tefal Food Steamer

One of the kitchen toys I play with very often is the steamer. 

Chocolate lava muffins.

Yoghurt muffins.

Berry compote.

Salmon with wolfberries, tofu and broccoli - the breastmilk-producing meal I eat quite often. Have to re-think salmon now following Fukushima.

I have not captured the many other foods I have been making in the steamer, maybe I will the next time they come up on the menu rotation.

Easy to wash steam baskets, dishwasher friendly, tried and tested recipe cards, adjustable timer, auto timer for regular recipes (fish, vegetables, cakes etc), and affordable. Definitely strikes all the right cords with a busy mother like myself!

I just have to remind myself to be more careful when handling hot steam!

Do you steam your food too? Do share your delicious recipes!

Holidays

We took our first family of 3 holiday when The Little Girl turned 2 months. We flew to Langkawi with MAS , and rented a car. Packed everything minus the kitchen sink. The Driver had to be put on duty to assist.

Then, along came Bean.

We kept to tradition and took our first family of 4 holiday when Bean turned 2 months. We drove to Penang with our own 4WD. Packed just barely enough the second time. No need to summon The Driver.

Wiser, eh?

IBS

Bean has inherited The Other Half's sensitive guts. No chilli or spices in my food, unless I am prepared to clean up the mess.

There goes all my favourite Thai and Malay dishes. Hello again to our Irish and Chinese recipes at home.

Note to self: No wasabi! No kimchi!

Air Zam Zam

I believe in miracles. I believe in Allah's power to heal and cure.

I drink air zam zam so that Bean can benefit from it. The Little Girl gets hers via a cup with her meals. The Other Half drinks it for overall well-being. We share them with the needy, especially.

A very kind cousin sister in law got me a bottle in my third trimester to drink and alhamdulillah the labour and delivery went smoothly. In fact, in between pushes during delivery my obgyn had asked me to drink some. 

We are very blessed that we have found a booth at the SACC Mall that sells every 500ml bottle for RM10 (the price is to cover the cost of transportation only). You may find the booth on the first floor near the concourse air well.

If we can pay for Evian, why not pay for air zam zam? The benefits are endless!

Do you practice this too? How often should we drink it? Do you know of any specific supplications before drinking air zam zam?

Do share!

Midnight Drinks

I have BP of 110/70 and quite often after a marathon feed, I feel giddy. Thirsty giddy. Too pening and lazy to saunter to the kitchen to help myself to a warm drink.

 

The Other Half is very sweet. He makes me a warm drink and serves it half-asleep!

 

The recipe is simple.

 

You will need:

3 level tbsp of Horlicks

100 ml of hot water

100 ml of fresh milk

 

Dilute Horlicks with hot water and stir well with a spoon. Add fresh milk. Stir well. Serve warm.

 

Bon appetite!

Nursing In Public

Yes, I do it.

 

Discreetly, if Bean is due for a feed and the public feeding room is fully occupied.

 

I use a nursing cover but Bean is at the age where he is able to throw that aside/play. He seems to be more comfortable nursing with just my somewhat long tudung covering. I wear a belly cover to hide what is meant to be hidden (who wants to see those two layers of fat?!).

 

Do people stare?

 

Not really, not where I frequently go for groceries, shopping or eat out. Thankfully, people are quite civilised on my side of town (trinity of KLCC, Bangsar and IPC). 

So far, I have not received those dagger looks that translate to "why do you wear the hijab and nurse in public?". Maybe I am discreet about it. Maybe I am just thick-skinned after all these years.

 

That said, I always try to feed Bean before leaving home, plan the nursing room visits for his feeds and pray that his feed will last him until we get home. Starting every feed with bismillah and ending it with Alhamdulillah never hurts.

Happy breastfeeding and confidently enjoy your NIP!

How Much Milk Is He Drinking?

I have been directly breastfeeding Bean since Day 44. I seriously do not know how much milk he is drinking. As in how many oz/ml per 24 hours. Ask me this back in 2010 and I would have been scared and unsure.

 

However, not this time. I am a little more sure of myself and arm myself with the confidence that Allah is The Sustainer. (Drinking enough water and eating well help too, duh!)

 

Well.

 

I know that he has more than 6 wet diapers per day, and 1 dirty diaper per day. That is comforting but every baby is different.

 

He nurses on demand, and he feeds during my breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper, mimicking our family meal times.

 

He is thriving, gaining weight and height.

 

He is sleeping well, Alhamdulillah.

 

If you are a first time mum who is feeding directly, BRAVO! If you are expressing, BRAVO!

 

If you are faced with naysayers who doubt your ability to feed your baby the best milk there is, soldier on! Do not let their doubts and insecurities poison your mind, heart and soul. Take ownership of your commitment.

 

My prayer for you is that you remain strong and true to your committed and perhaps a more polite answer than what I have just said above may come in handy *grin*.

 

Oh, and turn off your follow/like to certain online social media groups that purportedly supports breastfeeding but ends up otherwise will help too. Plus, you will get more sleep!

 

Have a great weekend!

 

Sleeping Through The Night

This calls for celebration! *doing cartwheels*

 

Bean has been "doing his nights", "il fait ses nuits", STTN, sleeping well, doing his 6 hours. Call it what you wish. The fact that he started doing it at 2 months old now debunks the myth that fully breastfed babies do not sleep for long hours. 

I wish I could say this in my MIL's face outright (I can't because it would be deemed rude/uncouth/tactless).

 

He started with 3 hours. Then 4. It gradually moved to 5. He would sleep as long as his diapers stays dry. Lately, 6 hours. Well, his little tummy can only contain so much milk before it is all digested and he starts to feel hungry.

 

If you chance upon this entry because you need that slight encouragement, mere statistics or true conviction that young babies CAN and WILL STTN...here, print this and show it to your nay-sayers non-believers (confinement ladies, MILs, etc.) I would urge you to shut out the negativity/sleep-myth and just keep breastfeeding.

 

Breastfeeding has nothing to do with sleep. Formula does not make babies sleep for longer (my MIL's strongest arsenal against me when I was nursing The Little Girl every 2 hours for 30 months was that I should have given her formula so that everyone will benefit from some sleep. Ma, I love you but I don't subscribe to formula is better than breastmilk argument so yes, I did rather suffer the sleep deprivation).

 

How do I know?

 

Because The Little Girl breastfed for 35 months and she only did her STTN at 30 months. For me, the numbers don't lie.

 

It boils down to the individual child, I kid you not. The Little Girl is super-glued to me, until today. She feels insecure when her mummy-radar beams a low signal (even way before I was pregnant with Bean). By low signal I mean being in the same house but different room.

 

Bean, on the other hand, is happy to play with me, feeds then sleeps. I love how he has his own "life", he knows when to play, how to tell the difference between night and day and enjoys his daily routine.

 

So, good luck with your bundle of joy and happy breastfeeding!

 

6 Week Check Up

Dismayed to see my weak pelvic muscles doing Kegel exercises (yes, I saw it on the display screen during ultrasound scan). No bladder leaks so far, but, oh, so much work ahead! Now focus, and Kegel those muscles correctly.

My uterus has shrunk to its original size (about 10 cm), and man, was I emotional over how empty it looks without a growing fetus inside!

Next up: The wait for pap smear in the second half of the first menstruation cycle. Turns out that I do not have to wait that long as it returned at the end of Ramadhan. From nifas to menstruation, no break this time...

End of Confinement

44 days served!

Celebrated by buying nursing tops (yay!) and feeding Bean directly instead of pumping (double yay!)