Wednesday, 21 November 2012

The 12th month

Rayray turns ONE today and I honestly cannot believe a year has gone by! That 3340grams of little pink baby was in my arms exactly a year ago and I struggle to remember how little she was!!!

Oh hey you!

and here she is on her first birthday!

I no longer have lie-ins in the morning, I have a routine too as I am a GF mummy! Though I do look forward to seeing Rayray's little face every morning as it just brightens up my day! Life is so different with a baby let alone being a full-time mum but I still enjoy it and would not have it any other way. 

Rayray has really started growing into her little face as well as her personality! She is generally an easy-going, happy and cheery baby but she could be a little madam sometimes too!!! She moves around like a little worm during the day and still loves her bath time. I have noticed that she is rather observant, especially we have been going to various classes in the last month and it amazes me to see how every baby differs from each other. Whenever we go to a new place, she would spend a good 5 minutes or so looking around before doing anything. We were at a music class last week and the teacher played the violin in the end of the class and she was the only baby that had her eyes glued on the teacher for the entire duration while she played. 

Height - 80cm

Weight - 10.8kg

Eating - Three solids meals plus one bf before bedtime. In the last two weeks, I replaced her morning bf to goats milk and things went pear shaped. She started really enjoying it and couldn't seem to get enough of it on the first day but by lunchtime she was a completely different baby to much of our horror! In hindsight, it could be any reason but it coincided with the fact that she started having goats milk. We were out at lunch and instead of sitting in her high chair, socialising to all the waiters and waitresses and people at next table as she always does, she was whiny, grumpy and would not eat her lunch at all! By that evening, she probably only ate a fifth of her usual dinner portion and started screaming.... The second day she had the worse wet nappy ever! And it went on for the whole day and boy, she was not a happy bunny. It must be her tummy upsetting her so I stopped giving her goats milk on the fourth day. She was tired, lethargic and just very grizzly. Three days ago, I tried giving her almond milk and her tummy so far has been fine but she doesn't seem to like the taste of it. I am also still debating the fact if almond milk is right for one year olds as the research I have done so far tells me not and I am thinking to give goats milk another go. Anyway, I have derailed and will have another post on weaning. 

So here is one variety of what Rayray has for breakkie: Scrambled egg with tomato and toast

BEFORE

and AFTER

so Yes this is how much she can eat! but it's not always the case and she likes variation at breakfast so I try giving her different food everyday!

Sleeping - Rayray started waking up in the middle of the night for two weeks and it really drove me nuts as I was so used to her sleeping through the night! I didn't know what caused it but as a mum I just had to suck it up and thankfully she has since slept better. She also seems to nap much better at lunchtime! 

Development - 
  • Claps when I say 'clap clap'
Lunchdate after her first ballet class and just look at how she is sitting! lol
  • Loooooves standing up and she can 'hold' the pose for a good 15-20 seconds now
  • Knows who mama, dada are and says wawa and nana rather often on top of 'baba', 'gaga' and basically just loves 'talking'!
  • Has mastered crawling even better as well as climbing stairs. She can climb up to coffee tables and her little rocking chair
  • Understands when I say 'come here' as I hold my hands out and she would crawl towards me

Dressed in her PJ for Children In Need at ballet class. I was surprised to see how long her hair was!

We had a little gathering lunch on the Sunday before Rayray's birthday and it was lovely to see friends and G & J's little newborn, Weisin!!! 

                                     
This is half of the table ..... 

A little family portrait 

Oh and this is me - very happy as I am back to my pre-pregnancy weight:50kg! YAY

We also did 抓週 i.e. a Chinese custom of telling a child's fortune by placing various emblems before him and letting him choose one on his first birthday. 

Here are the 18 objects we prepared

It didn't turn out to be as eventful as I anticipated! She normally goes for things she has not seen but this time, she went for spring onion, chopsticks, hammer and a chicken drumstick! hahahaha We all thought it was hilarious that the things she chose were elongated and chopsticks and drumsticks symbolise she could be a foodie! Well, she does love her food!

A cute giant Lola cupcake, red velvet flavour of course! 

Happy 1st Birthday Rayray, you are my whole heart, whole world and we just want you to remain happy and healthy! 

Sunday, 11 November 2012

Lucio

Lucio is another one of my favourite Italian in London. Friendly atmosphere and always guaranteed good food BUT again, I didn't enjoy my main this time! Is it my taste buds?

I liked my starter but strangely the roast pumpkin was overly seasoned!

My roasted pumpkin salad with chestnut and pomegranate

D's roasted tomato and rocket penne

N's salted beef salad - a winner

K's smoked salmon

T's seafood linguine

Beef ragu with tagliatelle - I should have gone for it!

Grilled sea bream

Rayray couldn't get enough of breadsticks!

My very boring grilled sea bass and it was so burnt at the back!

T's pork chop and fried squash strips - delicious!

Look at the amount of truffle compared to what we got at LL!!! And it wasn't more expensive!!

Grilled Octopus, i think...?

Heavenly scent!!!!

Locanda Locatelli

W was back to London and of course we had to go back to one of favourite hunts, Locanda Locatelli. 

Their delicious bread basket

Since it is now the truffle season, I had to have scrambled eggs with truffle! Though I regretted as should have gone for fried eggs instead! I found scrambled eggs too filling and rather sickening after a few mouthfuls!

My heavenly scrambled eggs with white truffle but wouldn't have it again!

W's burrata with roasted pumpkin salad...not that impressive

Nee's grilled octopus salad - got the thumbs-up from everyone! 

Chargrilled mackerel - very good


Homemade egg-free spaghetti, stewed octopus and chilli

Heavenly spaghetti with white truffle

This time round, we didn't seem to enjoy it as much as we used to...not sure if it was the food, or the fact that they weighed the truffle BEFORE and AFTER shaving it into our plates!!!! Oh well...

Tuesday, 23 October 2012

Photo Sess

We had a photo session before we left Taiwan in September and here are some of them:-


 Daddy is my best playing mate!

Kissy-Kissy 

 Poor sausage was completely zonked out after the photo shoot

But came alive again when we got home! 

Oh um daddy and mummy, why do you have to strip me naked? lol

Though it is so so so comfortable! 


Sunday, 21 October 2012

The 11th Month


My gorgeous girl on a gorgeous English autumn day in Greenwich Park

Rayray is only a month shy of her FIRST birthday!!!! OMG OMG OMG! This can't be right, can it? Where has the time gone? 

We travelled back to London in the end of September and this time round, Rayray didn't sleep well in the plane as she was busy 'socialising' with people next/opposite us! Though it only took her around a week to adjust to the time difference as opposed to the long two weeks when we went to Taiwan in July. 

This month, baby indeed has been very very 'busy'! She doesn't stop moving when she is awake and I mean NON-STOP! She is either forever busy crawling around (she has mastered the skill and she now can crawl forward or backward with impressive speed! lol) or pulling herself up! She is fascinated with sockets and plugs just like every baby so the house is pretty much baby proofed now! She opens and closes wardrobes or cabinets, she is constantly on the missions of seeking new 'toys' to play with i.e. the ones mummy says NOOOOO to in particular! Oh, and not to mention that it is such a challenge to change her nappy now as she wriggles around. 

Watch where you are going!

Height - 77 cm 

Weight - 10.3kg 

Eating - Breastfed twice a day plus 3 solids meals. Yes I dropped her afternoon feed by chance and in hindsight I am glad I did as I knew I would just prolong it! I was rather 'thirsty' for some bubbles when I had lunch with friends on a weekend and so I decided to treat myself to a glass! T then suggested it might be a good opportunity to drop the mid afternoon feed and so I did! Now I offer Rayray a pot of yoghurt or fromage frais.  She has also decided that she didn't like breakfast cereals anymore a week ago and so it has been a struggle to get her to eat it since then. So I have been giving her variations, including scrambled eggs on toast, bircher muesli, pancakes with fruits, cheese scramble and french toast. Her appetite has also decreased noticeably but then I am not worried as it is normal after her growing spurt and it is not as if I need to worry about Rayray's weight!!!

T's very proud pancake v.s. AK's!

I have also stopped puree-ing her food as she actually prefers lumpy food now! It is soooo much easier not to puree food anymore! I either make her fresh food every meal or would just make 2 portions and freeze the remaining one and she either has it the following day or in a few days time and to be honest, I think freshly-cooked food tastes so much better and I can see Rayray turning into a bit of a connoisseur! lol

tucking into a strawberry

loves chewing her cutlery

Sleeping - After two weeks of showing Rayray how to lie down from standing up position in the cot, she has finally got it but I had to sleep train her again as she would cry after half an hour putting her down in the evening. I think it is because of all the travelling and jet lag and she forgot how to self sooth anymore. I didn't really let her cry in Taiwan as mum always gets upset when I did and she just couldn't bear hearing Rayray's crying.

My honey-bunny: just woke up from her nap

Development -
  • Loves playing patty-cake i.e. clapping hands and waves bye-bye enthusiastically

    enjoys going to the supermarket with mummy

  • Picks up tiny objects i.e. blueberries (one of her many favourite fruits) and peas with tips of thumb and forefingers and it is hilarious to see her doing that. I would love to post videos on here but ummm I have struggled to! Can anyone tell me how to do that from my iPhone?
  • Stands alone momentarily and she looooves doing that!
She now yanks her hair clip out all the time!
  • Apart from saying 'mama', 'dada', she now says 'baba', 'nana' and 'gaga'!
  • Understands "NO" but always challenge my limit! hehehe and when she knows she is doing something naughty, she would always look at me first and see my reaction!

    Oh hello there!

    Her new bath seat and look at that signature smirk on her little face!

    "Rolling" time after bath

    My princess

    I feel truly blessed to have such a little precious person in my life and there hasn't been a day she hasn't brought smile to my face. I can't wait for her first birthday as I know there will be more joy to come.