Burping positions...

(from left to right)
Mummy's favourite position, sitting in her rocker. Lazy way of burping... hehehe... the father's way. Grandma Jenny's favourite position, laying her tummy side on the lap. Sitting position...with my hand supporting her chin... but I always worry that I would choke her by using this position. Finally, the most effective position, up on our shoulders with her back and legs straight.

Valerie's assets

Although I'm very proud of my darlings "assets"- as in her sparkly big eyes; to-die-for luscious lips; and her soft, tender skin - I'm actually referring to her material assets. This girl has accumulated so many things... in her short span of 7 weeks old. Besides her main furniture (crib, stroller and car seat), here are some of her new stuff.

This is Valerie's new exercising gym & toy... a 1st mth gift from Felicia & Jason. She hasn't yet know how to grab the red star or the orange crab to make music.



















The Moses basket on the left is compliments from Grandma Jenny (my mom). Since the only place that Valerie can sleep in without supervision is her crib in the room, so Grandma thought that having a smaller more mobile crib that we can push around would be better for naps in the afternoon. Therefore we bought this used basket with rocker for $5 at ebay.

We bought this swing from a friend that was going back to Spore. Very useful to keep her asleep. With the music and rocking motion... lovely. Dad can spend more time playing computer games and mom can spend more time sleeping.

Another tear-jerking moment

After half a feeding and a diaper change, Valerie was fussing so much that I didn't know what to do.... place her near the breast, but she wasn't interested. Although she wasn't crying out loud.... she was making sounds that were like trying to cry, but unable to cry out. Then I realise she was probably having constipation and trying very hard to "poop". Her face was all red and I could see her frustration, and it was heart wrenching, cos there's nothing I could do to help relief that stress. 3 minutes later... her face turned all white and she was having a cold sweat. But she stopped fussing. I guess that's the face of a "relieved" baby.... cos the next thing I heard was.... you guessed it!! Pooping sound... and very smelly ones too!!

Anyways, it was another first for me... in the middle of the night. Looking at her calm, peaceful face - but a little palely white - another tear would have fallen down my cheeks if not for my mom being there. But it did make my heart stop a beat.


Valerie at 5 weeks old... with her 2 bedtime friends, Care Bears.

Speaking many languages to a baby

I've read in books that said humans learn language fastest when we are little. That's when our brains are like sponges, ready to absord anything that our 5 senses come into contact with.

I think that teaching a child multiple languages is best when they are just a baby. Speaking 4 languages myself, not including my limited vocabulary in Hokkien, I'm glad I grew up in an environment where many languages were used. I remember my dad speaking to me mostly in English and a mixture of other languages as I got older. The rest of my family spoke to me in Cantonese and English. In school I spoke English, learned Mandarin (in 2 yrs of Kindergarden and from 12yrs old onwards) and practiced Malay (in my primary school years in KL and while bargaining in Bali!!). And with these languages under my belt, I'm still confident that I have a good grasp of the English language and in no way that English was compromised because of the other languages.

My point is, a child should be spoken to in multiple languages if possible and not just only English and Mandarin because it's most "important" or useful in the society. I believe that dialects are important too... I wish I was taught my own dialect, Hakka, but Cantonese is good as well. I do not believe that adding Cantonese and a variety of words in other languages into Valerie's vocabulary now will do any harm to her ability to learn "important" languages later. For goodness sakes, she's a baby. I don't think I should be so rigid as to only speak to her in English & Mandarin just because it's important in school in the future. I don't think by doing that will ensure her succes in the future, do you?

Ok, I've said my share. Whether you agree with me or not, that's your problem, not mine.

Edelweiss

After a feeding, Valerie was fussing and wriggling in my arms last night. The moment I started to sing Edelweiss, she stopped her fussing and her big round eyes looked up to me. Staring at me was a very calm, and angelic face. I had to hold my tears... otherwise my Edelweiss would have gone out of tune. And slowly, Valerie dozed off to sleep.

Edelweiss was one of the few songs that I could remember the full lyrics and was sang to Valerie at night to get her to sleep - either walking around or sitting in the rocking chair. I only changed one part of the original lyrics, the word "homeland" at the end to "pinky" - my nickname for Valerie.

This is one of those moments that is carved in my brain. A memory of my little Valerie that I will cherish forever.

Happy Full Month Valerie

Our star of the day!!

Proud Parents and Grandmas.

Valerie drunk???

Not sure if it's true... but my mom and I do think she was drunk...

I fed her at about 9+ last night and according to her schedule, she would usually wake up at about 11ish for her next feeding. When Paul came to bed at 1am, she hasn't stirred yet. I thought she might just be sleeping a little longer, which is good, cos then mummy can also sleep longer. Then suddenly, I woke up at 1.50am and realise I'm not being awaken yet. I quickly went to check on Valerie in her crib. She was sleeping so soundly that I could hear snoring softly. She's never slept so long before, almost 5hrs, without waking up! I had to carry her out and try to stir her awake... she started feeding but only for a few mins per side. Her usual timing is about 10mins per side. Had no choice but to put her back to sleep. And hoping that she'll wake me up in 2hrs time or maybe even less as she's only fed to little.

To my amazement, I was the one who woke up about 3hrs later... again trying to wake her up to feed. This time, she fed a little longer and she even slept through her diaper change! Normally she'll kick up a big fuss unless I constantly soothe her while grandma changes the diaper.

Thank goodness, at 6+, my dear girl finally let out a soft wail... and I immediately jumped out of bed. This time, she fed longer and to my relief, doesn't look as dazed as earlier on. Her big eyes were back rolling around and she was making her tweety lips at me.

You'd be asking why we think she was drunk. Well... cos mummy here drank a bowl of "Chicken Wine" soup... compliments of the confinement diet. So, we guessed that the wine has probably travelled to my milk ducts and "contaminated" the milk. Therefore, Valerie being the receiving end of the milk, was probably intoxicated. Hee hee hee....

My Valerie can sing!

Well.. not exactly sing.. but hum.

Was carrying her and walking around the house trying to get her to sleep. The music from the swing was turned on... and Baa Baa Black Sheep was playing. Valerie was making some noise and I thought it's probably her "breathing" sounds. Then I began to realise that the so called "breathing" sounds were kinda in tune with the Baa Baa Black Sheep music in the background. So I tested her... I walked further away from the music and she stopped. And then I walked back nearer to the music, this time it was Lullaby playing and she started humming again!! With her eyes closed!!

What a sight! I wanted to laugh but was worried that my laughter might wake her. I ended up trembling while controlling my laughter.

To hear my daughter hum... it is just so delightful.

Emotions Galore!!

It is tears of joy that glisten my eyes. Whenever I look at Valerie, whether she is asleep or awake, a huge wave of emotion envelops. It just wraps up my heart and it squeezes every ounce of emotions and feelings to become tears.

I'm a person who does not cry easily. Ask anyone who knows me well enough... even my parents or even Paul has not seen my true emotions very often, No amount of sadness, happiness or any kind of extreme emotions in my life will make me tear. And this, I think is because I guard my emotions very tightly - so no one sees it.

But the funny thing is, I cry easily when I'm reading a book or watching a movie that is filled with emotions. I'll sob like a baby, and tears flow easily and uncontrollably. Paul mentioned to me before saying "It's weird to know that you're a person who doesn't cry easily but yet can sob like mad just because someone said a romantic line or some animal died in a movie".

The first week after I was discharge from the hospital, I realise that I couldn't stop crying. Even if it was in front of Paul and my mom. Looking at my princess, sleeping soundly having her own sweet dreams, the tears just wells up from the heart... and slowly trickle down my cheeks. Can't really explain why. But the tears are definitely filled with love, amazement and maybe a tiny tinge of worry. And it only lasted so long...