Recipe: 5 Minutes Chocolate Mug Cake

It is rare I get a chance to test out new recipes I find ever since Kayden came along. I luuurve chocolate, anyone who knows me will tell you that. And ever since after my pregnancy, my sweet tooth is coming back, at full steam!

So, sometime ago, when I came across a recipe on Ju's blog that will yield me chocolate+cake in 5 minutes. The little chocolate hormones in my head went bersek. And just simply reading and looking at the scrumptious one she made left me salivatating! I skipped to my pantry as soon as Kayden took his afternoon nap and made it immediately.

 One for me, one for hubby

It was delish! And definitely a keeper! Moist with a molten center. Oh my god, it was soooooooooooooooooo good! It is a very useful recipe to have, I gather most people have the ingredients in your kitchen pantry.

It is something quick and easy to make, only 4 things to wash (2 mugs, a spoon and a bowl to mix it in, that's it!) and 5 minutes to make! Although, as with all my baking, I take ingredients out from my fridge to let it cool down to room temperature first. (hubby got used to seeing a slab of butter sitting on the window sill out of nowhere LOL) But that's just me.

5 minutes Chocolate MUG Cake
(adapted from The Little Teochew)

Ingredients
- 4 tbsp flour
- 5 tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp cocoa
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp coffee powder
- A pinch of salt
- 1 egg
- 3 tbsp milk
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp vanilla paste
- 2 microwave safe coffee mugs


Method
1. Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl.

2. Add the milk, egg, vanilla and oil. Mix it well.

3. Pour the batter into 2 mugs. (They should each only come up to the halfway mark as the cake will rise, and you don't want it overflowing!)

4. Microwave 1 mug at a time. Cook it for 1 full minute and then leave it for a couple of seconds, then cook it again for a further 30 seconds. Microwaves differ, so I suggest you cook it for 1 minute and see how you go.

5. Voila! and we have CAKE!! I would say dig in! But I learnt that the hard way, it was VERY HOT! So let it sit alittle first and enjoy.

Kayden 6 months : Starting solids

Kayden has started on his first solids.  So far, we HATE apples and pears, except for when Mommy sneaks it in together with the yummy pumpkin which he LOVES. So, the carrots pretend to be pumpkin and I get away with feeding him with it anyway.

 About to get his first taste of banana mush...........

 

................ and he decides it tastes disgusting. 

I tried giving him a 2 or 3 more spoonfuls after this picture, but he spits it all out every single time!

 in the end, the cheeky monkey purses his lips shut and refuses to have any more of it!

Kayden spits out mushed bananas and gives me that incredulous look on his face as if to say "You call that food??? It's DISGUSTING!". Potatoes are a touch and go.

He has gotten the hang of swallowing the purees, sometimes even holding my hand to push his spoon into his waiting open mouth if he likes the combination I give him. Babies of his age still have the tongue thrust reflex, but it looks like he is getting the hang of eating solids.

I give him the same food for 3 to 4 days, just in case he gets a reaction and if so, I know exactly which food is causing it. Which was the case with plain old packaged rice cereal. He developed a dry rash around his lips the morning after.

So really, the food that are going into him are orange, and not surprisingly so, it comes out exactly the same colour! Quite bizarre! So perhaps next week, we might try some broccoli. (green poo? haha)

He now giggles and laughs when spoken to, cries and growls with displeasure, and kicks and pulls at almost anything in sight. And everything, I mean EVERYTHING goes into his mouth! Somebody remind me WHY I am still sterilizing his bottles?

Kayden is also teething! His bottom left front tooth is cutting through. Yay for tooth but nay for the entire household. We had screaming attacks in the middle of the nights. So. Not. Fun. He wakes up frustrated and clutching his gums, the poor baby. Thank god for baby panadol and Bonjella . As the checkout lady at Coles told me earlier this week, it works wonders!

But at other times, where his tooth isn't bothering him, he gives us all plenty of his gummy smiles.

at 5.5 months

Bye bye house

WOw I haven't published an entry for what seemed like the longest time! Trust me, I have a gazillion drafts on the dashboard on blogger and I have not published them all because they are all half complete!!! So, I better finish off one of the drafts I typed out earlier..Just a short one though, I promise there's more coming soon.


I think I need more than 24 hours in a day! Before I know it, its the end of the day most of the times.

Since my last post, we have sold our house, packed up and have moved in with the in laws while we build our new home. We have been extremely busy for the past  month or so, its been CRAZY! We have only just begun to feel alittle settled, hence the time to write this post.

I forgot to take a photo of the board with the SOLD sign on it after it was sold =(

As hard as it is packing up a house, its even harder with a baby who won't let you out of his sight and starts getting clingy, and with that, nothing much gets done! But we got there. Very Slowly.  There are still heaps of boxes to unpack and put away so we don't live out of boxes for the next year or so.

 

 We got bored and stuck Kayden in a box with the blankets, he was not impressed haha

Finally!

When Kayden was a newborn, everyone commented how much he looked like Dez. He is looking alot like me when I was about his age now!

Soggy

I love Daddy (and my teether)

His thumb, that's what. Because Kayden is almost always chomping on his thumb and index finger these days. Sometimes both at the same time! They say that if a baby sucks on his thumb, he loves Daddy more. And Mommy, if it is his index finger.

I love Mommy (even while sleeping)

A summer sunset beach wedding

We attended Dez's workmate's beautiful sunset beach wedding a few weeks ago. We are only just 2 weeks into autumn, and I miss summer already!!

Kayden at 4 months: Picture this...

2 adults pressing their faces against the sides of the door frame, one kneeling on the ground, and the other right above him, trying to peer at their son who is too busy rolling around in his cot instead of going to bed! Haha! YES. That was us. We actually did that.  It sounds so stupid. And something that you thought you will only see in a Scooby Doo cartoon.

And in case you missed what I said. He ROLLED! Onto his tummy! YAY!


Kayden is now 4 months old. Alittle bit ahead of his milestones. Most babies should be able to roll around 5 or 6 months. Round about the time which they should be teething, which I am suspecting Kayden is also doing! I have had people telling me Couldn't be! Too early!

But this is the same baby who has defied quite a few odds of the universe! The same one people have told me its too early to feel him kicking at 14 weeks when I was pregnant with him and then too early to be babbling at 10 weeks old!

The poor little thing constantly has his fist in his mouth, sucking, rubbing and chewing. And the drool!! Arghh!!! How does one produce SO.MUCH. drool? The tooth has not cut through his gums yet, but I have heard that a baby could be teething for a while before that actually happens. So the middle of the night screaming continues meanwhile.

Who was that person who started the saying that "it will get better after 3 months"? Somebody please tell her she's wrong!

There WILL be light at the end of the tunnel.....calm blue seas...breathe in.....breathe out.................................

Things you learn about a newborn

I mentioned sometime ago in a previous entry that I will post about new things you learn about a newborn. Here are things I may not have mentioned before, and according to my own little 'mommy brain'. It makes me feel warm inside remembering the times Kayden was just a teeny tiny little thing! Small and squishy!

Kayden at 5 days old
• Babies come out looking puffy. Their environment when in utereo is nice and warm, so they put on extra weight before they are born, to protect themselves from the cold outside. They then lose up to about 10% of their weight a few days after they are born. And if born via a natural delivery, their eyes are probably puffy too, because of the pressure their little heads go through during birth.
• Even without feeding right after they are born, babies may pass a black coloured, tar textured poo called meconium. It is from the liquids and other substances they take in while in utereo. I don't know why its black though?
• They then feed at very short regular intervals. It's their way of making sure that the supply is there because the more they feed, the more milk you will produce.
• A newborn's stomach is tiny. It is the size of a small coin, possibly just only about 2-3cms in diameter. At 3 months of age now, Kayden's stomach is probably only just slightly larger than the size of a ping pong ball.
• All babies stomachs look puffy. It is NOT wind as many of the older generation will tell you. Its alot of innards to fit inside a small body!
• They will recognize Mommy and Daddy's voice straight away and be able pick it up from a room full of people. They will probably calm down from hearing mommy or daddy's voice.
• The have 2 spots on their heads which are soft. Their skulls are not fully closed to allow their heads to fit through the birth canal during birth.
• Newborns are very noisy breathers! Their nasal passage ways are tiny so they sneeze alot due to the dust and fluff. Remember I did this?
• When you see a baby suddenly throw their arms out while they are sleeping, it is called the 'startle reflex'.
• When you put a finger into the palms of your new baby, he/she will always curl their finger on over it - the 'grasp reflex'.
• If you sweep your baby's cheek or near his/her mouth, they will turn towards it to suckle. - the 'rooting reflex'.

When I was pregnant with Kayden I read up alot on things before he was born, so I knew what to expect in the early days. Luckily I did too, there is just no time nor energy after baby arrives!

Kayden's already outgrown some of those newborn milestones. He's growing up too quickly!

Sometimes I wonder who was doing all the pushing and walking...

Routines at 3 months

I think at 3 months of age, Kayden has finally fallen into a routine.

8 am     : Nappy change, first feed of the day

8.30am : Back to bed for his morning nap, where he usually sleeps for 2 sometimes 3 hours. I either go back to bed or am up for my breakfast.

11am    : Feedtime again but this time he keeps up for abit more and I put him in his bouncer and its playtime with mommy.

12pm   : Ideally, it is nap time again. And I am able to have my lunch while watching daytime TV.

2pm    :  Kayden wakes up after a 2 or 2.5 hour nap and is up and very alert this time round. Nappy change and it is time for another feed. After that, I sometimes put him on his playmat and plays, or he is in his bouncer while I go around the house doing some household chores. But around this time is also when he gets grizzly and clingy. He may then transforms into a baby koala, meaning he insists on me carrying him for at least the next hour or so!

4pm     : Hopefully back in his cot for another nap. Sometimes he wants another feed at this time. By this time, I am usually exhausted and I may also go for a nap while he's asleep.

6pm     : Nappy change when Kayden wakes up, and if he's happy to be back in his bouncer I put on something on TV for him or put him on his playmat while I am in the kitchen preparing dinner for the evening.

7pm      : Dez is home from work and he gives Kayden his bath. I feed him and we have our dinner after.

8pm or 9pm : Bedtime for Kayden or he spends some time with us, or Dez and I watch some TV.

11pm    : Kayden is up again for his last feed of the day. Dez changes his nappy, gives him a bottle of formula and puts him back to bed.

12MN  : Dez and I go to bed.

4.30am  : My boobs wake me up and I attach myself to the pump while I surf the internet using my mobile (I need something to do during don't I?).

5am      : I slump back into bed until Kayden is up again.

********************************************************************

So you see, 4 to 5 hour sleeps is the best I get! I said my goodbyes to my 8 hour night sleeps shortly after I fell pregnant. I don't see us reuniting at least till June, where I may wean Kayden off, but I'll see how we go then.

Showers of blessings...which he didn't share...

And thank god for that! It was the first morning of Chinese New Year and I was all dressed and ready to head out for yumcha with the family. I usually have us all ready, Kayden's nappy bag packed and then leave it to the last 15 minutes or so before I do one last nappy change before we step out the door.


I have just finished wiping him down and only turned sideways to place the soiled nappy into the bin. It was a mere 2 seconds later when I turned back, to see my son with a stunned look on his face.


Somehow, he had managed to wee onto himself! His face and body wet from him giving himself a golden shower!! I know that urine is sterile, but it still didn't stop me from giving out a loud yelp which brought Dez running into the room. Smelling like pee isn't the best baby scent, especially on the first day of new year! So we made a mad dash to give him a quick bath.


Funny now, when I think back about it! And oh boy, what a story we have for his 21st birthday speech! Haha!

Kayden at 3 Months

Kayden is 3 months old. He now weighs 6kgs and is 60cms tall. My newborn is not so new anymore! I used to get  the"what a tiny little baby!" comment from other moms in the parents' room. Now, I get the "he's big for a 3 month old!".  Indeed, Kayden is alot taller (I find it weird to say longer, even though he's not standing) and bigger in comparison to other 3 month olds I see.

The poor little man is suffering from cradle cap at the moment, I call it cradle crap. A dry crusty layer that forms on the scalp because of excessive oils or something like that. It does no harm to babies, and was told it shouldn't bother him. But my poor baby is obviously bothered by it. His face full of scratches when he misaims, trying to reach for the top of his head.  3 to 6 months it may last for, the doc says. So lots of olive oil before bathtime to help soften it, but only to come back again the next day, argh!

He is quite a chatterbox! When left in his rocker, he babbles to himself, sometimes for a good half hour or so. And he babbles right back when being spoken to.He does the "auuughhhh" and the "aughh gooos" to anything in sight!

2 weeks ago, Kayden also discovered his hands. He waves it in front of his face with his eyes transfixed at it! It was hilarious when I once caught him dozing off in his rocker still with his arm held up to his face! Funny as!

He has also finally started to sleep longer hours at night. Once or twice a week, he surprises me and sleeps all the way through! But I still crawl out of bed in the middle of the night anyway, breastfeeding moms will know why!

He loves his cot mobile! It is just a simple one, its not battery operated so it doesn't turn unless we do it for him. And when we do, the little fella looks at us, and almost always gives a wide grin as if to say "Thanks Mom/Dad!",  before resuming the conversation with his pals!

I love my little man!

Harumi's carrot and tuna salad

When I saw this recipe from The Little Teochew I was itching to make it. And I am so glad I did, it was so yummy! I love tuna, and I love salads, perfect for the hot weather we have in Melbourne this week too! It is named Harumi's salad because the original recipe hails from Harumi Kurihara - the Martha Stewart of Japan! Interesting, you learn something new everyday. I might do a little bit more research on her later..
I ate this as a main meal, but you could probably portion it as an entree or a side salad. So depending on big you want your portion to be, it could serve either 1 or 4.

Recipe

(Original recipe from Harumi Kurihara and adapted from The Little Teochew)

2 carrots julienned

90g canned tuna (I used Sirena brand and drained most of the oil)

50g finely sliced onion (I had a lonesome red one sitting by itself)

1 tsp finely minced garlic

oil for frying

Dressing: (mix all of these first before dressing the salad)

*2 tbsp white vinegar ( I only had red wine vinegar so I used that, tasted fine!)

*1 tbsp mustard ( I used wholegrain mustard)

*salt and pepper to taste

*splash of soy sauce

*1 tsp honey ( I tasted the dressing before and after the honey. Like Ju, I think the honey is needed to adjust the tanginess of the vinegar.)

1. Mix up all the ingredients for the dressing.

2. Heat some oil up in a saucepan. Lightly stirfry the garlic, onion and carrots. The carrots should still be crunchy. Just cook to remove the rawness of the vegetables. Remove from heat.

3. Drain the tuna, add the vegetables and dress the salad.

4. Chill and serve.

When the tree fell down...

Ok. It wasn't a tree, but it was a very BIG branch! We live in an extremely green area with lots of trees in our suburb. Many of the trees have been around for god knows how long. So, naturally, alot of the trees are tall and have extremely big and heavy branches. We came home one evening to find a note on our gate from a very kind neighbour who said she had witnessed a branch fall from a tree belonging to a restaurant on the other side of our fence fall into our backyard! It was late, so we couldn't see a thing. But the next morning, to our horror, this was what we saw.

The branch was obviously getting too heavy, and with the winds we had that week when it happened, it was no wonder this happened. It was no one's fault really. But I was annoyed because we are actually in the midst of selling our property and our perfectly manicured hedging is now all ruined! So were the fence and lattice.

But it was a relief when the owner of the restaurant took action almost immediately when informed about the damage. Within an hour of a quote, the tree people came, chopped off the monstrosity into blocks and took it away. And then it looked like this...

Open inspection was in a day and it wasn't a great way to showcase our backyard (which is big, and honestly part of the feature of our property). The fence guy who got the job from the restaurant owner didn't have enough materials to start work right away, but toddled off to get some wood from somewhere ( I suspect Bunnings from around the corner), came back to our place and quickly patched it up for us. It isn't the best job, but it will have to do for the time being!

*Inhale*. *Exhale*. Things happen for a reason.... happy thoughts... happy thoughts...

Just chilling out

Having a moment

People ask me how I am coping everytime they see me. I say fine and mean it too. Most of the times anyway. But with a new baby to cope with, things aren't always rosy. 

Right after Kayden was born, I was lucky enough to have my parents and aunt to help me out around the house. But they have since gone back home, and hubby has returned to work after the holiday season break too.

Sometimes I think "hey! I've recovered from the labour! I can jump, I can bend down,  and I can somewhat run again!". So I go about doing all the housework despite warnings from my mom and aunt (they were here to help me out during confinement) totally forgetting that the doc said it takes up to 3 months before I may fully recover from it all.

There was a night feed where I felt nothing seem to be going the right way. I was exhausted and Kayden was struggling as I was feeding him. Naturally all that wriggling brought up quite a bit of his feed which spilled onto his clothes, my clothes, the chair and the floor. Then I saw annoying baby spiders in the corners of the room as I was burping him. And just as I was putting him back into his cot, his cot door slided up and I was having difficulty pushing it back down, so I pushed and I pushed and all that noise woke hubby up and he came into the room.

I broke into tears. Nothing is going right!!! Everything is just wrong wrong wrong! Why is he puking so much? Why are there so many spiders in his room all of a sudden? What is wrong with the stupid cot door! Waaaa!!!!!

But my lovin husband immediately hugged and consoled me, telling me it is all part of having a new baby. There are many other first time moms out there who are trying to cope with it all too. I also know it is also due to my hormones settling down after the pregnancy.

Feeling reassured about it all, we both went back to our bed. Leaving Kayden soundly asleep in his cot, after all that commotion from before. He didn't stir one bit! Ahhhh... life of a baby...

Bath time

It has been just over 2 months since Kayden was born. I am still learning how to care for him and I think I have a touch and feel for most things so far. Except for the one thing. His bath! I have had a bad back for the past couple of years which required regular visits to the chiropractor's. I have only bathed him possibly just 5 times or less so far. Bending over while carrying him strained my back too much, so we are still thinking about solutions on how to improve this!

So hubby now gives him most of bath, it is great bonding time for father and son. He used to scream and squirm but now, the little man is as relaxed as he can be whenever he is in his little tub. He gives contented little sighs and kicks around,in the water and coos. He only lets out a little cry of annoyance when he is lifted out!

My happy Mr Chucker

Oh yes, he chucks up that much we usually have more than 1 piece of hanky/cloth on standby!

Happy New Year 2010

Greeting from hot and sunny Melbourne! It has been hot most of this week! My favourite way to start the new year! Whatever you are doing, I hope you are doing something nice with your loved ones!

Eat, drink and be merry! Happy new year 2010, from my family to yours!

Kayden 8 weeks - 2 months

Kayden is 2 months old! He now weighs 5.2kgs, that's almost a kilo since we weighed him at his health check 3 weeks ago. But I am not expecting him to keep gaining weight like this. Most breastfed babies gain lots during the first couple of months, then the weight gains slows down.

He has since hit several milestones of his age too. Mr Bobble Head is able to lift his head up momentarily when perched up on my shoulder. He smiles spontaneously (he smiles to himself or to the toys on his cot mobile) and responsively (when spoken to). Sometimes, I even catch him giggling in his sleep! Adorable when that happens!

My favourite would be that kayden has already started to 'baby talk'! He coos and babbles. We have 'conversations' in which he responds by going 'uhhhhhhh' 'ahhhhh' 'orrrrrrrrhhh' and then breaks into a wide toothless grin!

The not so favourite would be that he is already starting his drooling phase! Something I always thought would happen more at the 6 months mark where they are supposed to be teething (although some parenting materials I have read says it can start from the 3 month mark). U can see hin playing with the bubbles on his lips here!

Dirty laundry

Its amazing how much dirty laundry there is to do for a little person!!! The laundry rack is always being used these days. I have a little chucker on my hands. Kayden tends to throw up quite a bit of his feed most times. And not surprisingly, it ends up on his clothes. He goes through at least 2 to 3 change of clothes most days. Plus towels, handkerchiefs, socks and mittens!

On the side note, its true! That the sound of the kettle or washing machine lulls and soothes a baby to sleep. Some people even say that the AM channel of a radio station with that buzzing white noise does the trick too (if you can stand it). Kayden loves the sound of the washing machine doing its thing. He listens, and then dozes off.

Kayden at 7 weeks - Sleep deprivation

Kayden is 7 weeks old. And I am a walking zombie. Sleep? What is that? Gone were the days where I sleep for at least 6 hours! Going into REM mode for 2 hours is bliss these days! Kayden is still on 3 hourly feeds. It can take up to an hour or so to feed him at times. He suckles for about 30 minutes then I burp him. He tends to throw up abit of his feed most times, so I prop him up on my sholder for a little while more to make sure it all stays down. Otherwise, he will be grizzly again in 2 hours. And that, is exhausting. Because eg. it means, 2pm feed, finish at 3pm, and then at 4pm *waaaaa!!!!* and its feed time again. NOT fun. And makes mommy highly grouchy.



I have started him on formula feeds for night time in bid he sleeps longer (as formula takes longer to digest compared to breast milk). However, it still means that I am up hazy eyed twice during the night. Hazy eyed, legs, arms and eyes in auto pilot mode shuffling around and feeding him.

He has started sleeping for 4-5 hour stretches duringt he night this week. Its either the start of a sleeping pattern or that he is exhausted from all the X'mas festivities! The poor little man was so exhausted he managed to sleep through all the noise at the annual Christmas day dinner at a cousin's!


Edited to add: Oh my, I've read over this entry 7 months later. I was sleep deprived back then alright! All those spelling and grammatical errors! Haha! 

Merry Christmas 2009!

Merry Christmas 2009 everyone! Best wishes for a joyous and feastful season.


My exhausted santa's little helper was exhausted after LOL!

Kayden 6 weeks

Baby Kayden has been keeping his mommy extremely busy! I am sneaking this post in before his next feed!

Firstly, a quick update from my previous post. As you can probably see, Kayden is no longer jaundiced. YAY! Another visit to his paeditrician told us that all is well, he just had prolonged neonatal jaundice. However, during the visit he had the snuffles, his doctor suspected he might have a blocked nasel passage further down in his throat, and so the poor little man had to have a catheter stuffed right into his throat via his nose. The doc assured us it was nog painful at all, the catheter was extremely soft and smooth, it would just be uncomfortable for him. But, it was so painful to watch! Hubby couldn't bear to see it close up so I had to hold his head still while the doc did her thing!

Our delightful little mini is now 6 weeks old and weighed 4.3kgs at his last checkup. I use past tense because he seems to weigh heavier than that now. It won't be too long before I am going to struggle carrying a wriggly baby in my arms.


He still wakes up for his feed every 3 hours or so. But, he is now starting to stay awake longer where he looks around the room. He looks at me with his big round eyes and is starting to respond to our little conversations by smiling! It is rare but when he does that toothless grin, it melts your heart!

Still jaundiced

As I posted in an earlier entry, Kayden was diagnosed with jaundice at 4 days old. He underwent phototherapy for 30 hours and seemed to be getting better. He is now almost 3 weeks old but still, I see the yellowness in his skin and definitely still in the whites of his eyes.

To top it off, he seems to be getting the sniffles and quite a bit of phlegm in his throat too. One night, he was even making those throat clearing sounds like an adult! My poor baby didn't sleep well that night.

His paediatrician has requested we go for his check up earlier, at 2 weeks rather than at the 6 week mark to check on his jaundice.

My only comfort is that he is still feeding extremely well, which helps to flush the bilirubin out of his jaundiced system. Still doing lots of wet and dirty nappies.

I wonder what his doctor will say? I get a feeling Kayden is going to need another heel prick, to do yet another blood test. I hate it when they do that to him, that pitiful cry that he makes and the whining he does after, is so heartbreaking! Hopefully the jaundice is not too serious, and he does not have to return to the hospital for more phototherapy. Of which, I might have to be warded too, so I can feed him during the treatment.

Hopefully we have some good news to start our weekend this week...

A different type of list

Some people have a little notebook that that jot down their baby's feed time, when baby does a wet/dirty nappy, just like at the hospital where they write it all down on the clipboard. So do I. But that's hardly interesting for u isn't it?


I have this sheet of paper stuck on my fridge ever since I got back to the hospital.







Its my drug list! I am on several analgesic (pain relief) ever since the delivery.I find it really hard to keep up with what I had. The pregnancy brain has been overtaken by the new mommy brain. So, to make sure that the drug doesn't wear off before the pain kicks in again, I had to keep track of what I have taken at what time! The drugs are to cope with the pain from the bruising and my stitches. I'm starting to come off it these days, but I was pretty much drugged up 24/7 at the very start.


Panadol is a must for my entree everytime, and depending on how I feel, Tremadol and Voltaren for breakfast lunch or dinner haha! I love it when the midwives used to come into my room and say, its time for your drugs! LOL!

My little piglet

Literally. What is the noise that pigs make? Grunts? Snorts? Whatever u call it, he makes that sound when he sleeps! Nobody told me until he was born, that babies are noisy sleepers!! He whimpers, sighs, sneezes, hiccups, stretches and then grunts and snorts in his sleep! Apparently most babies do!



I got frustrated and attempted to 'suck' out whatever was blocking his nasal passageway with this.

A baby mucous sucker.



But I found nothing! I was starting to wonder what was wrong, until the maternal nurse told me that it is normal, and babies do all that because their nasal passageway is so tiny. And they sneeze usually not because they have caught a cold but probably because of the lint from the linen.





But what about the hiccups? I forgot to ask. He STILL gets the hiccups! Its so cute to hear when he gets them, AND LOUD.

Growth spurt

All babies lose a percentage of their weight after birth. By the 3rd day, Kayden's weight was down to 2.8kgs. We were in hospital for a total of 6 nights. On day of discharge, I asked for him to be weighed again, but was gently told by the midwife that unless I really insist on it, she would prefer that we didn't. Being jaundiced, I was already naturally worried and she was concerned it would stress me out more if I knew he was losing more weight. So I left it as it is.


On his 7th day of life, the maternal nurse came for a routine check at home. He was clocked the scales at 2880gms.


When he was a week and 5 days old, the maternal nurse came again, and this time he weighed 3090gms and now measures 50cms!


My baby boy has grown! Kayden is fully on breastmilk, and because of that, I have no idea if he was getting enough. But he has been doing lots of wet and dirty nappies, which I am told is an extremely good sign of a well hydrated baby. The dirty nappies also helps flush the jaundice out of his system.






I was also told that a well fed baby settles and sleeps after a feed, which he does. He is being fed on demand and at the moment, it is every 2-4hours. The maternal nurse was extremely satisfied with his progress, and it gives me peace of mind knowing that I am adequately providing for my child.

My private solarium

Kayden's paediatrician diagnosed him moderately jaundiced on his 4th day of life. They wheeled in the phototherapy equipment into our room and Kayden was to be under treatment for 30 hours.

The little man LOVED it in there! He was mostly all curled up, snoozing away and giving little contented sighs every now and then.

Kayden's birth story

Be careful what you ask for because you might really get it! Baby Kayden came early like I was hoping he would. 13 days ahead of his due date.

Thursday. 5th November. 2.40pm.

Being pregnant can bring about constipation. I think you know where this is going. No need for embarassing public display of my waters breaking. No mess! And true to the fact, like they mentioned at the antenatal classes, contractions do not happen straight away once your waters break. I quickly called Hubby, my doctor and the hospital's emergency department who told me to get to the hospital as soon as I can.








We grabbed my bags and quickly left for the hospital as soon as Hubby got home from work. By 4pm, I was already having regular contractions that were about 5 minutes apart. Whatever happened to the contractions that were supposed to start gradually starting from 30 minutes apart? Liars I thought to myself! At that point, I was coping with the pains, which felt alot like period cramps, which I used to have severe cases of.
This was only the start of a looOOooong night ahead of us.
Time : 4pm.
Got the hospital, still smiling and coping. Midwife strapped me onto the machine that tracks my contractions and baby's galloping heartbeat. She officially tells me I am now in labour.
Obstetrician was with another patient delivering her baby, so I had to wait until he was done. Meanwhile, while waiting, my contractions were getting stronger. And the pain was getting to me. Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, Hubby keeps reminding me.
Time: 7.30pm
Obstetrician finally arrives and tells me I am 3cm dialated. We took a slow short walk to my birthing suite. Midwife settles me into the calm and serene room, dimmed the lights and brought out a fit ball and a beanbag and tells me what positions I can use to help with the pain. But, all I could think of was I feel soooo feral. Waters still trickling and all I wanted was a shower. So I did. I must have been in there for the longest time. The 2 shower jets designed for the birthing suite aimed at my belly, and my lower back gave me some relief at last. Still, the contractions were getting even stronger. Back in the birthing suite, midwife asked if I wanted to try some of the gas to take my mind off the pain. It helped.
Until around 10.30pm.
After 3 agonizing hours, I was devastated when my obstetrician checks and tells me that I am 4cm dilated now. What!?!? After all that and only 1cm!!?? Arrrrrrrrrrrgh! I was ready to strangle someone. He suggested I go for an epidural. I declined but somehow ended up with a pethidine injection. It lasts about 3 hours he tells me and we are still a long way from delivering baby, so it will not affect baby when he arrives. (Pethidine makes the baby drowsy and hard to feed after delivery). I say yes, just do it already.
My anesthesist who was on standby this whole time, comes into the birthing suite to tell me he lives 1/2hour away. And he is going home to rest for the night. He asks me if I wanted the epidural now. I said no. Not yet. GO! Do whatever u want to do and leave me alone!! Obstetrician later tells me I didn't want to talk to anyone then LOL!
Friday. 6th November. 1am.
Not coping with the contractions anymore. I told hubby lets do the epidural. From there things happened fast. Anesthesist quickly returns and performs the insertion of the epidural. By 2am, I was pain free!!! I finally relaxed and managed to get some rest. Extremely strong contractions were still happening, but I was numb from chest down. Midwife had to keep an extremely close eye on me from then. I was only meant to be numb from waist down with even a little feeling in my feet. They were afraid it would seize my lungs up and cause me to stop breathing. I was extremely sensitive to the epidural.
8am.
Obstetriciam returns and tells me I am now 9cm dilated. YAY! Instructs the midwives to get ready for baby's delivery at 9am and I was to start pushing then.
9.24am.
Baby Kayden's cries filled the birthing suite. Hubby cuts the cord and Kayden was promptly handed to me bright and alert. He weighs 3.05kgs, head 33cm and 48cms in length. Midwife assisted me at breastfeeding shortly after. He was a natural at suckling at the breast , I heard some babies don't know how to.
Kayden is an averaged sized baby, but was considered large for my small frame. Obstetrician describes his birth like a train that came crashing through me. He told me shortly after that he had to perform an episiotomy, and that I was badly bruised internally because of his size. My long labour lasted 19 hours. Boy! Do I have a story to tell him when he is older!
The delivery was considered very successful, and the medical team left us 3 to bond.

Welcome to our world my baby boy!

Baby Kayden

Our little mini, Kayden, born 6th November at 9.24am.

Birth story to come soon....

37 weeks pregnant

On the home run! Another 2 more weeks or so to my due date and I can hardly wait! Bring on the soiled nappies and sleepless nights! I am ready! I am looking forward to being able to see and paint my toenailstoes, rid of my clumsiness, turn over in bed without heaving and panting after, be able to moisturize my legs more effectively, get rid of the soreness on my butt when I sit, go out for walks without feeling exhausted only after 1/2 of leaving the house, and this increasing pressure down there where baby feels like he is going to fall out!

But more importantly, to hold and cuddle a healthy mini me, after carrying him for 40 weeks. I whinge about all these pregnancy discomforts now, but I think somehow, I will miss having him inside of me. Sometimes it feels like I have a little friend I have with me all the time, where ever I am. Have him finally meet everyone around us who have been so generous with their caring words, help and gifts!

This week, I have been experiencing even more frequent Braxton Hicks contractions. They used to only happen mostly at night, but I am now even feeling them in the mornings. To date, I have put on about 11kgs. There is a slight backache that comes on and off throughout the day too. Groin pain is still there, but lesser, probably because I am eased off being on my feet. But that's probably what is causing the backache.

I try and sit on the fit ball more often, firstly, because it is more comfortable and it encourages an open position for the cervix which will help in an easier labour later on. I try to also sit cross legged whenever I can for the same reason.

Just playing the waiting game now....

What do u think?

Antenatal classes, friends and people I have met have told me there are a few ways u can soothe a crying baby. One of the ways include strapping baby in the baby capsule and driving around in circles for abit. The motion is supposedly meant to calm a distressed child down.

I get a very strong feeling that may not work for my mini.

Whenever I am in the car, baby really active. He starts wriggling and I feel his arm/leg/back pressing extremely hard against my skin. U know that maneuver in cartoons where dogs and cats are so terrified and they stretch out all 4 limbs against the 4 corners of the box or whatever they are contained in? I hope you know what I mean here. But that's exactly how I imagine or rather feel baby is doing whenever I am in a moving vehicle! I imagine him with his eyes opened startled and wide, arms and legs stretched in front of him, trying to steady himself!!!

He's either loving or hating the car rides. I am guessing the latter.

Engaged at 37 weeks

Yes! Went to the doc last night and he says the groin pains I have been getting is due to baby moving further down and is now deeply settled into my pelvis. Meaning he is engaged! Finally! So really, ANYTIME now. And I can hardly wait.

Technically speaking, we still have 2 more weeks to go, since he is only due at 40 weeks, the normal gestational period. But, if he's ripe and ready to go, so am I! So baby, please don't get too comfortable inside (doubt he is, otherwise, I won't be posting this entry at 6am in the morning!).

Did somebody say eating papayas will bring about early labour? Mom just let me have a huge bowl of it to myself last night *shrug* We also have a watermelon sitting in the fridge *wink*

Recipe: Spaghetti meatballs

This post is for a dear friend who has asked for the recipe sometime ago, here you go D!

Hubby finds it amusing that I won't eat spaghetti bolognese, yet I will have spaghetti meatballs. Haha! Technically the same thing, just presented differently. I just prefer something to cut into, rather than digging into a plateful of slush.

We usually have beef mince in the fridge and canned tomatoes in the pantry. It is a no brainer and really quick to whip up. I happened to have carrots and some bacon this time in the fridge too, but you don't have to. It could be just as simple as mince and onions really. Just based on my own estimation on things as usual, so really, taste as u go ok?





Me and my pregnant brain forgot to include the bay leaf and egg in the photo LOL....AND I forgot to take a photo of the actual dish itself! *slaps head!*But u guys know how spaghetti meatballs look like right?

Seriously, this pregnant brain thing had better not be permanent!

Spaghetti meatballs

serves 4

400gm beef mince

1/2 brown onion diced

1 egg

splash of worcestershire sauce (I use Lea & Perrins)

bit of sugar

bit of flour

bit of water

1.5 tsp mixed herbs (I use masterfoods)

pinch of thyme (masterfoods)

1 bay leaf (optional)

carrot diced (optional)

bacon diced (optional)

1 can italian whole peeled tomatoes in juice (u can use diced ones as well)

salt and pepper to taste

olive oil

1. Mix the mince with the mixed herbs, egg, water, worcestershire sauce, sugar, salt and pepper. I see how the mixture looks like and then I put in some water and flour if necessary, it gives it more bite with the flour and prevents the meatballs from falling apart, and the water makes the meatballs alittle bit juicier. (sometimes I cheat and I also use sausages from the supermarket into the mix, I just squeeze out the meat from the skins!)



2. Roll out into golf ball sized meatballs and set aside for abit.



3. Cook spaghetti in a pot of salted boiling water until al dente and set aside.



4. Heat generous amount of olive oil in pan, throw in all the meatballs and cook it until it browns. It does not have to be fully cooked inside at this point. Remove and set aside.


5. Drizzle abit more olive oil and sautee onions for a minute or so, throw in carrots. Cook until just starting to brown or softened. Add bacon and wave it around for a little bit.



6. Add the meatballs, canned tomatoes and moosh up the whole tomatoes. Throw in a couple of pinches more of the herbs, worcestershire sauce, salt and pepper to taste. Also throw in the bay leaf now if you are using it. Leave it to simmer, until the sauce thickens. If you have some fresh basil leaves from the garden, here's when you throw a couple of them in as well.



7. Plate up your spaghetti and plonk the sauce on top.



8. Serve.

36 weeks pregnant

This post is almost a week overdue. I am actually 37 weeks pregnant tomorrow!



I feel pretty much the same as the week before, but I get alot more braxton hicks these couple of days and they last much longer than before. I also get these twinges in between my legs, they hurt at times. Not too sure how to describe it but its like a nerve being pulled or stretched. It happens only when I am walking around.





There's alot more pressure down below as well now. Sitting with my leg apart isn't exactly lady like, even for a pregnant person, especially when you are out in public!



I can hardly believe how time is flying! How on earth did I get to 36 weeks?? This time next month, I should hopefully have baby in my arms! Complete with dark circles under my eyes from the lack of sleep, and in auto pilot mode feeding baby!



In my previous entry, I forgot to mention that some pregnant women may get a vertical line ( called linea nigra) over their belly. People tell me that you are more likely to get it if you are expecting a boy. Mine's really dark, I never had any pigmentation on my belly prior to this pregnancy! I really hope it goes away after!!!

Things they don't tell you about being pregnant

And there's heaps. So perhaps this post isn't for the faint hearted, click away now!


You know how some people tell you they luuuurve being pregnant. In my head, I roll my eyes when I hear people commenting that now. I don't mean I hate it but, I am certainly not totally luuuurving it either.


Did you know:

• that morning sickness does not just happen in the mornings? It hits me around 10pm at evenings. I also find that I get nauseous when I am starting to get hungry.



• your sense of smell is heightened. Hence the reason why some pregnant women are so put off by certain smells. I start retching at the smell of raw onions and fish!



• Ultrasounds scan can be both external (over the belly) and internal. Thank god, I didn't have any complications and no need for the internal.



• I feel that I get extremely thirsty. At the beginning I was going through 2 huge 1L bottles of water a day. I am still thirsty, but I try not to drink too much, because going to the toilet every 1/2 hour is a pain.



• First movements of baby are felt as little bubbles popping inside your belly. Then, they become little buttefly wing flutters. And then much later on? KUNG FU high kicks!!



• Watch what you say. Because baby can hear you (from I think around 20 weeks or so)! That's why they can recognize Mommy's voice and even Daddy's.



• Excruciating leg cramps!!!



• Constipation



• You will feel extreme exhaustion at the drop of a hat during the first 3 months.



• Also, towards the end of it all, because your belly is huge, it is uncomfortable to be lying on your back. So you will have to sleep on your side, which means your shoulders and hips may get a little sore from being in that position all night. And god forbid, like me you have trouble turning from side to side during the night.



• You have a tendency to have the pregnancy brain. There was once I almost poured OJ into my bowl of fried rice, instead of the glass next to it. And I asked hubby along the lines of "what are those things at the fast food place that has the beef patties in it called?" and "what is that thing at that thing, do you know what that thing is?"



• Towards the end of your pregnancy, you will develop a nesting instinct. Organizing, cleaning and planning for the birth of baby by rearranging furniture, scrubbing out the kitchen, etc, at ungodly hours! Like I did before!
• You are more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy. It is called gestational diabetes and usually goes away after birth. According to my obstetrician, sugars that u consume go mostly to baby. So you have to watch your sweet tooth!

..............ok you get a second chance. Here comes the gross bits. So seriously, click away now if you don't want to know! Don't say I didn't warn you.

• during vaginal delivery, if it looks like you are going to tear yourself down there really badly, the doctor or midwife may give you a little snip. YUP. You heard me right. U know the spot in between your vagina and ahem, your 'chocolate starfish'? They cut it. And the procedure is called Episiotomy. You will have to be sewed back up after. NOT looking forward to that happening.



• You really give birth twice. Baby comes out first. Then the placenta. It is a flat disc that sits usually around the top of the uterus, and is about 3cms thick or so. I think they are about the size of a large dinner plate. But over here, after baby is delivered, you do 'skin-to-skin' contact with baby (to up baby's immune system by colonizing their sterile skin with normal bacteria,etc). And probably because you are so mersmirized by your new baby, you hardly notice the delivery of your placenta.I think.



• You bleed for around 2-6 weeks after delivery. It is called lochia, and it is because your uterus is contracting back to its usual size (about the size of a pear). Did you know they sell maternity pads? I didn't!



• Your boobies can get rock hard when they fill up with too much milk. And according to the books, and from word of mouth from friends, they will hurt! It happens when baby is not feeding enough yet or you forget to express your milk.



• And the twins may leak too. So you may need to wear breast pads. Yes, I only realised that they exist just recently.



• Braxton hicks contractions (I explained this before in a previous post)



• Breathlessness because as baby grows, all your innards are pushed up and against your lungs.



• Rib pain because they expand to accomodate for the above reason.

Have I put you off having kids yet? LOL!!! But there are good bits to it all of course.

• You get really nice hair and nails. Some of my friends and I did anyway.



• You can eat all u want, put on weight and have the perfect excuse for it!



• You get to live like a queen for a while at least. People naturally want to help and are extra nice to you! Especially when you start to do the waddle.



• I was told that your waters (amniotic fluid) don't necessarily gush out and you go into excruciating labour pains right away.I was starting to worry that it is going to happen in public like on TV. It really depends on the position baby is lying. If he's upside down already, and his head and body are blocking most of the fluid it may then it may just only be a trickle. Releasing just the fluids around his head. And the rest of it comes out in a gush only after baby appears.

You learn so much about your body when you are pregnant! And there are heaps more that you probably never knew about a newborn baby too, but I shall leave that for next time.

Starting the spring garden

Remember how I said we were getting the garden ready for spring? I sowed some seeds in and around the garden and they have just begun to emerge. My neighbour's cat, Taco, came over to suss me out when he saw me clicking away at a pot haha!

35 weeks pregnant

I have to admit I have started to do some things I have said I will never do. U know how in some TV shows, where the pregnant lady holds the front of her belly with one hand and has her other hand on the small of her back? I carry my bump with my hands. And I waddle.


I don't see the obstetrician until next Tuesday, but I hope he is going to tell us baby is now engaged. I swear I can feel his head in between my legs and doing this head shaking motion, trying to dig his way out.


Being pregnant is definitely much harder than I had expected. I thought was coping fine. Until this last trimester. I haven't worn heels for a long time. Not even before I was pregnant, I am more of a comfort girl these days and I prefer my flatties. But, when we attended a friend's wedding this past weekend I wore a low heeled pair of slip on heels with my outfit. By the end of the evening, my feet and calfs were so swollen! There wasn't even much walking involved either! We parked the car nice and close, so the only walking/standing I had to do, was car park to restaurant and chair to toilet during the dinner! I wake up every 2 hours during the night now to go to the toilet, which is soo annoying and exhausting. Every time that happens, I have to readjust myself on the pillows all over again! I believe its nature's way of preparing us for those late night feeds and cries.


Like I said in my previous post, I have started experiencing pre labour pains. They feel somewhat like VERY bad period cramps. I feel like there is a extremely tight band on the inside of my belly and there is also that crippling backache that comes along with it. I also feel extremely nauseous and I retch until my whole face turns red, I'm all teary eyed and I'm gasping for breath! So far, the contractions I have been experiencing have been irregular (hence pre labour pains, real labour is persistent). To cope with the pain, I feel the need to take slow walks around the house with hubby supporting me, as sitting down puts even more pressure on my lower back. Or at times, I lean forwards against a wall or over the arm of our couch. Somehow that makes me feel alittle better amidst all that pain.


I need to practise on my breathing techniques alot more I think. Hubby notices that I forget to breathe when I am in excruciating pain during the contractions. Apparently, I hold my breath when it happens. That's not good as it doesn't help with the management of the pain, and it decreases baby's oxygen supply too.


And I have just realised there are still a few things we have yet to get down to doing. We have still need to get a baby capsule for the car (it is a legal requirement here in Australia), and even though I am not looking forward to shopping anymore, I still need to go out for a hunt for maternity bras and nursing wear for use later on.


Time is drawing near!

Getting ready - the hospital bag

This post is really for myself to keep for next time. In the case that I don't change my mind about having a second child!
I am the type of person who makes lists way ahead of my travel plans and I am usually packed at least a week ahead. But with a pregnancy, you never know when that mad dash to the hospital comes along. So, being true to my style, my bag is now packed and ready for operation labour. I actually had it half packed a couple of weeks back, but it wasn't complete. But, I had a false alarm the other night, and that us into a frenzy inbetween the irregular contractions, rushing around the house and really putting things together.

I am 98% organized and prepared (my mom who is arriving in a couple of days has some of baby's clothes) . The bags (hospital have reccomended a labour kit and a post natal ward bag) are almost bursting with all its contents.
For myself :

• front buttoned PJs
• hoodie
• toiletries (Shampoo/conditioner, shower gel, fash wash, moisturizer, face cloths, cotton tips, non-fragranced facial mist,lip balm, toothbrush/paste,comb)
• socks and slippers
• maternity pads x 2 packs. Until I was pregnant, I don't think I ever noticed they have maternity pads? Nor did I know there were breast pads - for you know... the dribbles.
• Lanolin nipple cream
• bath towel
• Underwear
• hair ties/clips
• tissues
• plastic bags (for soiled laundry)
• some money and coins
• medibank/medicare cards

For baby:

• nappies
• cotton wraps
• baby wipes
• bath towel
• shampoo/body wash
• nappy cream
• rompers/ tops/bottoms
• face washers
• mittens/socks/beanie

For hubby:

• board shorts (australian birthing suites have huge bathrooms, for hot showers to ease labour pains, a nozzle for the back and another one for the tummy), he will have to come in with me just in case I fall off my chair in there!
• change of clother
• underwear
• towel
• camera
  

**Also need to make sure:

• petrol is always at the very least 1/3 full at all times
• mobile phones are always charged (hospital's emergency and obstetrician's mobile number stored into it)

I wonder if I have left anything out. I think I have the necessities for the labour at least, and I suppose hubby can always drive back home after the birth to grab bits and pieces if need be.

Double yolks

I have heard of eggs having double yolks, but have never seen it for myself! But look what I got for breakfast one morning! =)

Recipe: Lemon peppered chicken pasta

Hubby doesn't cook often, but when he does, he usually whips up something really tasty! He made this chicken pasta the other day for dinner. It was soooo good, I had seconds even though I was so full!

Lemon peppered chicken pasta

For 4 servings

5 chicken thigh fillets chopped into chunks

2 cloves garlic minced

1 red capsicum julienned

2 cups fresh button mushrooms sliced

a light sprinkling each of:

- lemon pepper

- cajun spice seasoning

- cayenne pepper

1 can diced tomatoes in juice

spiral pasta (however much u need)

salt to taste

olive oil

1. Marinate chicken chunks with some salt, all the peppers and a drizzle of olive oil. Leave for 30minutes.
2. Prepare pasta according to instructions. Remember to add salt to the water, no oil though! It coats the pasta preventing it from absorbing sauce later on.
3. Heat olive oil in pan, sautee garlic until fragrant. Add capsicum and wave it around for a minute or two, and then add in the chicken and cook until it just starts to get some colour.
4. Pour in the can of diced of tomatoes including the juice. Mix well until it starts to boil again. At this point, if you can add alittle water if it looks dry, not too much though, you don't want to end up with a soupy pasta and also because you're going to...
5. Add the mushrooms and mix it through until the mixture starts to simmer again.
6. Add salt to taste. If you think it needs more kick from any of the peppers you can put some more in again now.
7. Pour in the pasta, mix it through the sauce.
8. Serve.

So good! =)

34 weeks pregnant

Doc says that Baby K is already in position this week! He is now head down and will soon be engaged. His back is also against my belly button now, the ideal position to make his way down the birth canal.

Despite making an appointment, we end up sitting in the waiting room for an hour for most of the times. I usually have no complaints and only quick easy questions for him, so we are out within 10 to 15 minutes! I feel alittle duped! Most of the times, the obs end up asking the questions.

How is baby? Good!

Is he moving? Heaps, all day long. He even puts on a show for our friends at the dinner table.

Any complaints this week? Hmmmm, not really, I feel pretty ok.

Have you finished work? Yes

Enjoying your time off then? Going shopping heaps? Not really, I'm so over shopping. Besides, I've already done most the shopping for baby way before.

Are you taking regular walks? Uh. No....? It's still alittle too cold for me to go out for walks? (I didn't want to ask if going to the supermarket counted)


And then he does the usual blood pressure check, baby's heartbeat, baby's position and some other measurements. He sometimes also asks me how I am feeling about going through labour, and if I have thought about pain relief, things like that. And then, he goes back to his laptop and types in his observations and we're done!


I wonder what people discuss with their obstetricians during their consultations? Others seem to take forever during their consultations!