Jared & food (Charis feeds and writes)

Since our last post on Jared's first step into the solid world, he has since gone on other foods such as sweet potatoes, bananas, pears, rice cereal and rusks. Jared loves his food! Or perhaps he just loves the idea of eating and loves playing with the spoon and the food that is laid out on his tray. But we all know who he takes after in this, heehee.

After having sweet potato for the first time.

This has been a great way for me to have my lunch as well. In the past, I will wait till he's asleep and that's usually not at a fixed 12 - 1pm schedule. But now, we get to eat together. I'm trying to teach him to eat by himself so it can get really messy. Suddenly it seemed like a better idea doing this just before his afternoon bath. Took me a few laundry runs and major cleaning to realize that. Doh!

Here's what happens when you let Jared eat on his own.

Time is a luxury ever since Jared came and every moment he's asleep, I'll be scurrying around doing little things. One can never know how long his sleep can go so I try not to start longer projects. Usually I get to update this blog only when he's taking long afternoon naps, just like today. Otherwise, night time, when he has turned in for the day, is the only time I get to do serious work.

That's why I love whoever invented the steamer blender and the food feeder! Jared's grandma and grandaunt bought the Phillips Avent Steamer Blender for his foray into solids and it has not disappoint. So easy to use and most importantly, so easy to wash. As for the food feeder, it is hands-free, fuss-free and the boy loves it! Here's a vid of Jared eating frozen pear puree from his food feeder which gave me lots of time to eat my lunch and also lots of happy laughter for Jared.

Happy Half-year Birthday, Baby!... (Charis writes)

Jared, today you reach the halfway point of your first year with us. You have brought us so much joy and laughter, we cannot imagine a time without you in our lives. Each night, our prayer for you is to continue to be healthy & to grow strong, but mostly for wisdom on our part to raise you well. Oh, there were moments when we begin to doubt ourselves as worthy stewards of such a beautiful child! But whenever you look at us with those eyes, we see love, wonder, curiosity & contentment. So we dust ourselves off and continue on this journey of raising you once more.

I hope you will read this post someday 'coz these are the few special moments we shared together these past 6 months that I'd like us to remember:

1. Even before you were born, we already started worrying about you. The doctors here with their fancy machines told us you had imperfections and we should run more tests. What a blow to our faith! And naturally as new parents, we went with the worldly advice and we began to fear. Tests done after you were born showed nothing. NOTHING. The lesson here, son, is to trust in our Heavenly Father and rely on His strength.

2. You made your mother wait! Every morning in the final 2 weeks before you arrived, there was a heavy cloud over my head. It took a lot of strength & support from your Daddy and Grandma for your Mummy to keep sane & not feel inadequate as a woman. And I'm still working on that.

Now I make YOU wait for me while I hang the laundry
(but you get to play).

3. On the first night you were back home from the hospital, you made Daddy drive out at midnight (thank God we had a car then) to get a pacifier for you because you just wouldn't stop crying. Only the 24-hr convenience stores were opened and after going to 3 stores, Daddy finally found a pink one for you. It didn't help us that night at all.

Your first very pink pacifier.

4. On the very first day you were out of the house, we went to church. That evening, you wouldn't stop crying even after feeding you. And horrors, we forgot your pacifier! Again, Daddy had to run out and about to the whole stretch of Silom Road looking for one. This time there wasn't any and we had you wailing all the way home in the taxi.

5. Now you have 6 pacifiers and all you want is your thumb.

6. You have had 3 haircuts in this 6 months! The first time at 1mo at the barber's while you were sleeping. The second time at 3mo at Aunty Lin's and you were sitting quietly on my lap. The third time at the barber's again  at 5mo and you were sleeping again! Alas, now you are shedding quite a bit of hair.

After your 3rd haircut, you looked a little like Mr T.

7. You can hold your own bottle at 5 months! It can still get messy at times but now you've started showing off and started turning the bottle around like a steering wheel and holding it with one hand while facing one side.

You're a big boy now.

8. We share a silly but funny ritual now. Each time I carry you into the bathroom, you will start smiling as we enter and then laugh at our reflections in the mirror even as the lights began to flicker on. You do this every single time! And as I wash your little hanky, squeeze then shake the water out, you burst out laughing. Apparently you think that is funny :)

9. How amazed we were when we took you swimming for the first time. How nonchalant you were about it all and a face that said "no big deal!". If you could yawn at will, I do believe you would!

"Next! *yawn*"

10. How it took me 5 hours just to write this post. In that span of time you had pooped twice, took 2 short nap, played on your play mat, ate a banana and now you're back asleep again (and up again!). You're going to keep us on our toes, aren't you?

Happy half-year birthday to you, our handsome boy, Jared. Our prayer for you today is that you grow in strength and in good health. May you continue to be curious about the things around you and never stop reaching out your tiny hands to feel them and to learn. We pray that God will continue to watch over you and send tiny bits of wisdom to both your parents to bring you up to be a God-fearing and loving boy. We love you!

After your first half-year birthday celebration at Tony Roma's.
Yes, you dressed up!

Jared's first step into the solid world (Charis writes)

It's been more than a month since our last post on Jared. So much has happened! He's had another haircut since, flew on a plane again and has started sitting up on his own. Another HUGE milestone achieved is his first taste of solid food. Okay, second taste since he accidentally ate some tissue paper awhile back. Both of us were so nervous that day whilst baby sits in his booster seat happily unaware of what was going to happen.

After consulting Dr. Google for weeks, we finally decided on giving avocado as his first food since it is easy to prepare and is pretty tasty as well. I mixed it with some breast milk so it is runny, easily digestible and tastes familiar. We took close to 100 pictures and a video before our camera ran out of batteries. Alas, what goes in must come out and shall we say, what came out was ab-so-lute-ly NASTY. Ahh, Baby's Firsts are such memorable occasions. Here are some pictures of that day in actual order (warning: may be repetitive hence the captions and attempt at humour) and a short video at the end of it below. Enjoy!

The superstar of the day awaiting for what's about to happen.

After the first few spoons. "That wasn't so bad, mummy!"

"But I think it needs a little bit of flavour"

Daddy took over the feeding while Mummy took pictures.

"Mmmm.. yummy!"
Jared keeping things fast despite Daddy having Flash hands.

One spoonful.

Pinch of flavour.

Spoon.

Flavour (do you see a pattern?)

Jared's got his game face on. GRRR-nom-nom-nom

"Is that all you got for me, huh?" he taunted.

Getting the hang of it.

And loving it.

Got distracted with his monkey friend who's also smeared with green goo.

Oops! Someone was overzealous in either the eating/feeding!

"Daddy, I think I'm gonna throw up."

All done! Good job, Jared!
(He didn't throw up)