jen,
i think xinying's comp screensaver and wallpaper are all of marcus liao. keke..
vanillapod,
abby went through that about 2 weeks back then we realised we need to change the teat. i don't know about nuk, we've been using avent since after first month and i've just changed from number 1 (1 hole) to number 2 (2 holes), she alternates between 1 and 2 for ebm and 2 for fm. especially when she's hungry, she gets really frustrated. your boy, maybe he wants to feed more and faster. consider poking one or two more holes with a needle or changing the teat? what teats are u using?
p.s. don't throw away the old teats.. can poke/cut bigger holes. after 6 months, feed nestum. hehehe
leeyiling,
i faced a certain amt of resistance from abby also after 1st month coz she's so used to the breast. apparently there's a technique in introducing the artificial teat and i'm assuming once she got really hungry/desperate/used to it, she just chomped away. you have to introduce the teat by teasing open the lips, into the mouth and bottom palate i think, tease until bb opens mouth wide and want to suckle then i think.. that was what i did.
first few times, she found it hard to negotiate the teat because it was hard.. she actually had this WTH expression. may take a while to get used to it.. it took her a few nights (maybe 5 feeds) so don't rush out to change your teat. hope this helps, abby doesn't have nipple confusion (to be honest, i don't know what's that. nurses and pd in TMC tell me no such thing), takes to both breast and teat quite happily as long as there's output of milk.
mommies,
just my opinion.. or maybe your bbs really don't like the teats.. think you have to try out bah.
forest,
on pacifier use, i was also resistant scared she too dependent, cannot wean, too much wind. but eventually i relented because my nipples got too sore. sigh. but she's been ok.. like the others, she now loves exploring her fingers in her mouth.
Gioanna,
wah liew.. i remember when i used to get really angry at the organisation, my colleagues, students and their parents. i was damn depressed, repressed, so afraid of losing my job while pregnant, didn't come out and be brutally honest about the way certain things are done. i regretted it.
towards the end, i told abby (still in utero), i rather her fierce and righteous, let it out so she can breathe easily and be happier. so sometimes when she throws a tanty, i let her. everyone also told me i shouldn't cry, be angry, be stressed during pregnancy.. but come on lor, we were bloated like whales, our feet were swollen, we still have to work, it's not like we married into fifth avenue old money. remain calm and serene? chey..
it's the same.. when i went for yoga class. it was damn competitive lor, some of the mothers kept fellating themselves for making the decision to go for drugfree births and all and having a calm and serene buddha baby. in my mind, i was thinking ok lor, see u bunch so competitive.. i wait until your babies enter primary school, see how calm and serene your buddha babies turn out under tuition and assessment books. p.s. i only went for 2 classes.. now still trying to sell my package. liew.
so my point is.. not related lah. i've always believed more in nurture than nature. babies throw tantrums to get what they want.. it's just one of those facts of life.
mommies,
our babies will be stuffing everything into their mouths for the next year and a half because they'ld be exploring and it's just another phase in development. don't be worried lah.. if thumb chomp until wrinkled liao or got blister then worry lor. the oldest kid i saw sucking thumb habitually was 5. then what we did was just to distract him and get him involved in hands on activities, usually he sucked thumb during afternoon naps, it's a security thing. maybe as they grow up, they will find new avenues to attain security?
essanna,
eh pai seh.. my email to u still in draft, forgot what i was going to add liao coz cannot find your message in the thread on the time you enrolled your girl into school.
p.s. so far, i borrowed 8 books from library. i finished 3 (2 not counted because they were travel guides and full of pretty pictures), books due next week. haha..
Enya,
no worries lah, i'm kidding only. i miss those days too, i have cookouts at my place with my girls but i'm abit domineering in the kitchen, should learn to delegate more. potluck 2009 sounds good at Xinying's.
mousebb,
rachel's mom is right in the way the whole social aspect of school as in the desire to want to conform by making friends, observing rules, playing games with rules will possibly not kick in until after 3. school readiness is somewhat dependent on age, infants and tots don't really 'play together', they just look at what others are doing.. unless they already have a consistent playmate e.g. the twins. even then, they're more interested in exploring the environment and toys on their own or with a familiar caregiver i.e. you.
if they go to school, teachers will probably plan for infants to be stimulated e.g. through the senses.. visual, music, language, touch.. and tots will be engaged in exploratory play, attaining mastery over objects, toys but even then, your tot's play is generally solitary even in a bunch, your tod will probably be introduced to social skills such as waiting, sharing, self help skills e.g. feeding, changing, turn taking, classroom routine, simple games with rules, the beginnings of literacy and numeracy..
but once again, reality hits because most moms have to go to work. so school for tots, ok. school for infants questionable.. of course, i may be wrong. i've seen infants enjoy their time under teacher caregivers in well planned programmes.
must tell us more about #1's experience if you choose to enroll him ok? i'm interested in hearing about your experiences transitioning from home to school then from pre-school/kinder to primary 1.