Thursday, September 28, 2006
Dominic's First Toothbrush
28-Sep-2006:
Dominic has two lower incisors now. Ever since he cut his first tooth, I've been brushing his teeth twice a day using a wet handkerchief. Now, congratulations to myself, I have finally got him a baby toothbrush as shown in the picture below, although Dominic's is green in colour.
MAM Teach Me Toothbrush Set
The unique MAM Toothbrush Set features a long-handled teaching toothbrush designed for hands-on learning (i.e. the handle is long enough for you to whole the tip and guide baby as he brushes his own teeth). The shorthandled baby's first brush is designed for holding, chewing and generally exploring, to help baby grow comfortable with the "feel" of oral health care. The long-handled toothbrush also has a soft massage part at the end of the handle to gently clean toungue and gums prior to the appearance of baby's teeth and may ease teething discomfort. Now, one might criticize that it doesn't make sense to give Dominic a toothbrush at this age as he hardly has any teeth. Let me tell you that it's important to start good oral health care early. Why? First, children infected with decay-causing bacteria early in life are at greater risk for high levels of tooth decay by 4 years of age. Second, children with tooth decay in their baby teeth are at a greater risk for developing tooth decay in their permanent teeth. To me, these two reasons are 'bla-bla' and I don't really think Dominic will develop any tooth decay when he only has 2 teeth. But the main reason I bought this toothbrush is the following reason. Third, learning to brush can be easier with a receptive baby than it is with an independent toddler. I am teaching him from young that brushing his teeth is a must, much like taking a bath and there's no saying he doesn't want to do it. Come on, get your baby a toothbrush now!
Monday, September 25, 2006
Sleep Training - Part 2
25-SEP-2006:
Have you read my post about Sleep Training? It was when I trained Dominic to go to sleep on his own. Sleep training part 1 is totally successful! I now only need to put him in his cot. It's great and I never thought this was possible. Sleep training part 2 was about getting him to sleep in his buggy. Everytime we were out and he got sleepy, he would cry for his bed or for one of us to pick him up. Most of the time, he would remain in our arms until he fell asleep. It was very inconvenient. And so sleep training part 2 began.First Day: I took him out on his buggy in the afternoon, about the same time when he always had his nap. As predicted he started crying when he felt sleepy. And I just let him cry it out. He continued to cry and I continued to walk. He cried for 20 minutes and I walked the 20 minutes. Finally, he fell asleep. And I had 45 mins of exercise that day. Second Day: I took him out on his buggy again. We walked for a while and he became sleepy. He whimpered a little and then he fell asleep. So far so good. Third Day: This time he fell asleep without even a whimper! And I thought that my training had been successful. As it turned out, I concluded too soon. Fourth Day: It was a Friday and I was lazy. So there was no training today.Fifth Day: It was a Saturday and as usual we went out. It was the first test of whether my sleep training had been successful. Sadly, it was not. As usual he complained when he wanted to sleep. Probably because of the noise. Anyway, sleep training part 2 was a failure.
Thursday, September 21, 2006
Say No To Baby Walkers
21-Sep-2006:
Since Dominic has started learning to walk now, it was time to get him some appropirate toys. Have you see Dominic walking while holding on to the window sill? If not, you can see it at http://sukye.multiply.com/video/item/24. Anyway, we got Dominic yet another Fisher Price toy - the Fisher Price Baby Playzone Ride-to-Stride Walker. Fisher Price said:
The Stride-to-Ride Walker™ starts off by steadying first steps and rewarding baby with lights, sounds, and high-energy music. When toddlers are ready to ride, just move the legs together and lock in place to form a comfortable seat. Walking, riding, or shooting some hoops, baby will enjoy plenty of rewards—including music, sounds and lights!Requires 3 “AA” alkaline batteries.
I was about to buy Dominic a walker - those where baby can sit and have four wheels so that when baby kicks his legs on the floor it will push him forward. Then I came upon articles that advised against walkers. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends against using walkers because they can be dangerous and can discourage your child from learning to walk on his own. Thousands of babies end up in emergency rooms and doctor's offices from being in walkers and falling off stairs or bumping into furniture. Walkers can give parents a false impression that their babies are truly mobile and can control their actions. Some parents even leave their babies alone to navigate their way around the home while trapped in a walker. Exersaucers, as well as door jumpers, are much safer alternatives, but neither leads to your child learning to walk earlier than usual. Interestingly enough, studies have shown that children who use walkers may actually learn to walk later than those who don't. So we decided to get him a push-along toy instead. And here's Dominic in action with his new toy. He prefers to ride it and have me push him till my back aches. The lazy boy is willing to walk only at most 3 steps. He also likes to push the nose on the face, which is a button that plays a music when it is pushed.
Wednesday, September 20, 2006
Do Baby Boys Get An Erection?
20-Sep-2006:
We were in our hotel room in Edinburgh one morning and I was dressing Dominic up. But before that, I had to clean his private part first and to my horror he began to get an erection when I touched him! I covered him with a cloth and after a while he became soft again. Then I started cleaning him again and he got an erection once more!
So the question is ... do baby boys get erection? And do they feel anything when they have an erection? And when they do, are they sexually stimulated? It's scary to think that Dominic can be sexually stimulated at this age ... REALLY.
Anyway, I did a little bit of research on the Internet and here's what I found.
From About.com:
From About.com:
Q. From What Age Do Males Start Masturbating?
Answer from Jerry Kennard,Your Guide to Men's Health
Boys get erections as small babies. It is reported that self stimulation occurs as early as at 6 months of age in boys (about 10 months in girls). Most self stimulatory behavior is stopped because it is not socially acceptable. Masturbatory behavior tends to resume in privacy when children are about 8 years old.
Boys get erections as small babies. It is reported that self stimulation occurs as early as at 6 months of age in boys (about 10 months in girls). Most self stimulatory behavior is stopped because it is not socially acceptable. Masturbatory behavior tends to resume in privacy when children are about 8 years old.
My comment: Scary ... can't believe kids these days start masturbating at the age of 6! But I do believe it happens.From Drugs.com:
It is common for a baby boy to have an erection of his penis. Your baby may have an erection during diaper changes, when breast feeding, or when you are washing him. He may also have an erection when his diaper rubs against his penis. An erection is normal and you should not do anything.I felt much better after reading the answer from drugs.com above.
It is common for a baby boy to have an erection of his penis. Your baby may have an erection during diaper changes, when breast feeding, or when you are washing him. He may also have an erection when his diaper rubs against his penis. An erection is normal and you should not do anything.I felt much better after reading the answer from drugs.com above.
Sunday, September 17, 2006
Edinburgh, Scotland
17-Sep-2006:
It was another holiday, this time in Edinburgh, Scotland. The train ride was 6 hours due to engineering works. Normally, it would have been only 4 hours. We would not have avoided the engineering works unless we postpone our trip till next year. Six hours of journey and another six hours on the way back ... I think Dominic took it pretty well.
We checked in at Ramada Royal Mount Hotel which was just 5 mins walk from the train station. It was superb cos it was just right there in the city. The hotel was nicer than we expected. It was only a 3-star hotel but it had just been refurbished - everything looked brand new.
It was the first time Dominic slept on the same bed with us since our trip to Newcastle about 4 months ago. I don't know about him but it was torture for me. He kept kicking and twisting and moaning the whole night! Mummy's boy didn't want to sleep with Mummy anymore. It's true. Even at home, he didn't want it when we brought him to our bed with us. He wanted only his own bed.
Edinburgh was beautiful. The weather was fantastic. It was like walking in air-cond, but not too cold. There were lots of night time activities including a haunted graveyard tour. We didn't go, of course. Not with the baby. There was an underground city, but kids were not allowed. We went to the Edinburgh Castle, which was just like a museum. It seemed like we had been visiting lots of castles. We also went to the Scotland National Gallery. We had also been visiting lots of art galleries lately. There was an open market but nothing much there. Other than that, we just walked around the park, sight-seeing and shopping. Basically, we just walked and walked and walked. I could hardly feel my legs after that.
On the train:
The hotel room:
And the rest:
Monday, September 11, 2006
Dominic's 2nd Drawing
11-Sep-2006:
Do you remember Dominic's first drawing? It was ink on fabric (the cushion of the living room couch). This time, it is pencil on wood. There was a pencil that we left on the table where we put the telephone so that we can jot down numbers or details when we were talking on the phone. Since Dominic was able to pull himself standing, he had managed to grab hold of the pencil and by the time I came back from the kitchen, he had completed his masterpiece.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
First Swimming Lesson
9-Sep-2006:
We took Dominic to his first swimming session today. We went to a public pool ... like the ones in KL where you pay RM2.00 to get in. This one costed us £3 per person. That was like RM20! But it was a nice swimming pool. The water was heated. And it was an indoor pool, of course. The baby pool was huge ... more than half the size of the adult pool which was olympic-sized. At first, Dominic was nervous. But I told him that it was just a very huge bath tub. :D After a while, he was kicking his legs and flapping his arms and drinking lots of water. Hahaha! He had never liked drinking water. We swam for about 45 mins. Then when it was time to change, I had one hell of a time. Dominic screamed when I put him down to change him. Then he screamed when I put him down so that I could change. SM was no help because he couldn't come into the female changing room. And so he stood outside helplessly listening to his son's screams. After that, we gave Dominic a bottle and some biscuits while we strolled all the way home. And then it occured to us that he was screaming because he was hungry. Right ... don't we always get hungry after a swim?
Tuesday, September 05, 2006
Stand Up, Baby!
5-Sep-2006:
Dominic has learnt to push himself up to a standing position while holding on to .... anything; the window sill, the coffee table, his crib, the dining chairs, the tv cabinet, the toilet seat, the couch, the doors ... well, anything that he can reach.
He can also walk a few steps while holding on to something.Click http://sukye.multiply.com/video to see videos on Stand Up, Baby and Teaching Dominic To Walk.
Sunday, September 03, 2006
Kew Gardens
3-Sep-2006:
Kew Gardens is the Royal Botanics Gardens of the UK. On 3 July 2003, it was officially inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites by UNESCO. Most people would find it impressive. Some would say there was nothing except plants and plants and more plants. Some would say that it is just like the botanical gardens in Malaysia. In fact, they're all quite right in some way.
- It was impressive and extremely huge. There were large conservatories with all kinds of plants. Some were made 'Tropical' with heat and humidity that was worse than in Malaysia.
- There was nothing much except plants. There were tropical plants, water plants, cactus, flowers, vegetables, fruit plants ... any plants you can think of. There was a gift shop that sold plants and seeds and stuffs related to plants. There was a museum that featured plants and their uses. There was an art gallery full of oil paintings of plants all over the world. There was also a Pagoda with more than 200 steps but we didn't go up because there was an extra charge. There was a children's playground/room with swings, rides, etc that were the shape of leaves, trees, etc.
- There were lots of 'Malaysian plants' that we've seen quite often such as palm trees, coconut trees, bamboo, hibiscus, etc. And it was rather fun spotting those because all the other plants looked the same to me.
As usual there was nothing interesting for Dominic. He was too young to appreciate it. Anyway, he had his first picnic where he had lunch sitting on the grass. He also had his first encounter with baa baa black sheep. :-) We spent about 4 hours in the garden and I would consider it a nice outing.
