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Nat Kao

Milestones and growing up Nat Kao Parenting 101 Product Reviews Reviews

iChew [Product review + a discount code]

December 18, 2012

The vast majority of babies sprout their first teeth between 4 and 7 months of age. Baby Nat had his first bottom middle at 6 months. Now, at 9 months, he has 6 teeth – the bottom two middle teeth, top two middle ones and two more at the sides. Good thing is, he doesn’t have the same fussiness and irritability his sister had when she was teething (my goodness, she was a screamer, alright) nor the sleep problems his brother had when he teeth broke through.

This happy little honey bun just dribbles all day long. Oh, and he also loves to bite. This is the little teether gnawing away:

This is him finding out how juicy my left thigh is:

Somebody give this boy a teether, please!

When the folks at Maternity Exchange asked me to pick a gift for my baby from their wide range of fun and quirky gift and accessories, I picked the Sophie the Giraffe Ice Bite Telephone Teether which I felt would be perfect for Nat to grasp and handle. This teether provides just the kind of relief a teething baby with sore gums needs. Upon refrigeration, the cold anaesthetises the pain caused by teething, and the hard parts protect baby’s hands from the cold. I had to get this for Nat because I haven’t found much success getting him to use the hand-me-down teethers from his siblings; they are so cold to hold he usually can’t last more than three seconds.

So with this Ice Bite Telephone Teether, the little boy got to say “hello” to Sophie the Giraffe

And had his sore gums soothed with a new toy to nom nom nom away

It was great that he could hold on to it for a while and changed the sides to chew and explore. That kept him busy for some time.

With a teether so cleverly designed like this, I’m sure we’ll be able to tide through the dribbling, drooling and biting. At least I know my thighs will be safe for now.

More details:
  • Sophie Ice Bite Telephone Teether and other Sophie Baby Teethers are available in-store at #03-108 Marina Square and online at http://www.maternityexchange.sg/.
  • Just for Motherkao’s readers, shop online and receive 10% off regular-priced gift and accessories! To enjoy the discount, enter the promo code “motherkao” when you check-out. Applicable for online store purchases only and valid till 31 January 2013. Free shipping is available for any orders of $100 and above.
  • Maternity Exchange offers a wide range of gift and accessories for mummies, babies and also daddies alike. Indulge your expectant friends and loved ones, or even yourself with some wacky, practical or simply delightful gifts! Check out their range of gifts & accessories here.
  • This Christmas, Maternity Exchange has new gift bundles that combine practical, fun and witty gifts that are sure to bring joy and laughter this festive season! All bundles come prettily packaged, from $80 for a basic one to $220 for a luxurious gift set.

*Discount applies to most gifts & accessories storewide except promotional & clearance items, MX Gift Vouchers, Hem Gems, Hollywood Fashion Tape, the Sophie range and other selected products. Maternity and nursing wear, lingerie and swimwear not included.*

**Disclosure: Baby Nat received the Ice Bite Telephone Teether for the purpose of this review. All text and opinions are Motherkao’s own.**

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Invites & Tryouts Nat Kao Product Reviews

Yee-ha! [Skibz bib product review + giveaway]

December 8, 2012

I’m a Kao-boy everday but today I’m for real.

By jingo you’re right, I’m a cowboy today! I had some good ol’ beef porridge t’day and finished it all, the whole kit and caboodle, y’know.

And best of all, this Skibz bib cowboy jig is makin’ me look real macho! No more dribblin’, spillin’ – howdy pard! I could wear it all day!

And just so you can be a cool cowboy dude like me, my Mama’s gonna give away 5 Skibz bibs here on her blog to spread some Christmas cheer! Ain’t that swell? You can check out the cool Skibz designs here.

 

This is how you can stand a chance to win in 3 simple steps:

1) LIKE Little Safari Shop’s Facebook Page

2) LIKE Motherkao’s Facebook Page (if you’ve not already done so!)

3) Leave a comment telling us which design you’d like to win for the giveaway. Don’t forget your name and email address so we can contact you if you win!

Giveaway closes 20 December 2012. 5 winners will be picked at random!

UPDATE: We’ve picked our 5 winners! Congrats Jack Kie, Adeline, L Lee, Irene and Lydia!

More details:
  • Skibz, the ultimate dribble bib, is recommended for children aged 0-3 years. It’s made of 100% cotton, looks like a scarf but works like a bib, and is available at the Little Safari Shop.
  • Skibz retails at SGD$20. Motherkao’s readers get 5% off the retail price if you order before 10 Dec. Just quote “Motherkao” when you place your order.

** Disclosure: The Kao-boy received a Skibz bib from Little Safari Shop for the purpose of this review. All text and opinions are the Kao-boy’s (mother’s) own.**

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Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up Nat Kao

Letter to my littlest #3

November 29, 2012

Dearest Nat,

You’re nine months old! You’re crawling, cruising, clapping and making all sorts of monosyllabic sounds. First you said “ma ma”, then you said “bah bah”, and then you started playing with your tongue and blowing saliva bubbles I think you forgot your “mamas” and “bahbahs’.

And boy, you must be wishing you can run and jump and move around! I bet you’re wishing to be as fast as Ben and Becks. Every time they disappear into the rooms, leaving you alone, you’d wail for them to come back. Sometimes you’d give up halfway crawling after them because they’re moving around too fast for you! I can see that longing in your eyes – how you wished you could take part in their little hide-and-seek game and ring-around-the-rosies prance-along. It won’t be long, little one – you’ll be chasing them in no time!

Till then, please take your time to grow up, will you?

With all my love and more,

Mama

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Milestones and growing up Nat Kao The darndest kid quotes and antics The Kao Kids

Can’t carry on

November 9, 2012

Does your kid have a favourite phrase he’d say to you regardless of time and place? My two older kids’ fave is “Mama, carry me”.

Of course, depending on the time and place, my replies are usually as follows:

“How am I supposed to? I’m carrying your baby brother.”

“Why don’t you walk, my dear?”

“Shall we hold hands instead?”

“You’re getting quite heavy, my love!”

“I’m really tired today and would like to rest my arms / back / legs.”

“Darling, let’s hug first. And then you can sit next to me.”

Of course, fatherkao often reminds me that we won’t be getting these requests soon enough and that we should savour every moment. I totally agree. In fact, I’d always say to myself ‘to heck with the backache and fatigue’ and try as much as I can to smother these babies, all three of them, with loads of hugs and kisses, and indulge them in a great deal of carrying. In fact, I baby the baby so much I now have a problem: he wants to be carried all the time.

At nine months, he is unable to travel in the car on the car seat. For nine months, I can never drive without witnessing moments like these:

Pardon the picture quality – snapped this shot at a dark basement carpark yesterday

At nine months, just like his older siblings, he’s learned to say their favourite phrase his way, “Mama, carry me”!

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Nat Kao Thunderstorm days

One too many

November 6, 2012

My baby boy has seen viruses and infections of many kinds. He’s eight months old, coming to nine, and to date, this boy has had:

1) two bouts of diarrhea, one lasting as long as two weeks

2) one bout of gastric flu (the virus was so potent it knocked me out too)

3) two throat infections followed by the works: phlegm, cough, runny nose

4) three occasions of congested nose followed by high fever

5) and this just in yesterday: conjunctivitis

People who know me know that I stand by my decision to send all my children to infantcare. I stand by it because this is the best option of all the limited options I have being a full-time working mom. Sure, there’s the option to leave my babies with a domestic helper (or even two helpers) and have her mind my kids, or to leave them with a nanny and do pick-ups when I knock off. I chose to leave all my babies at infantcare because I’d much prefer to trust professional teachers who have experience and genuine love for caring for babies, and have my children interact with other babies and to socialise. At the infantcare which all my three kids have gone to (and Nat will still be there till I stay home next year), the teachers fill the infants’ day with lots of activities – storytelling, music-making, sing-along and mini-lessons to help in their development. They’re not plonked in front of the tv the whole day or just mechanically fed, burped and put to bed when it’s naptime. My babies have done gym workouts, cut cheese, rolled sushi rice, squeezed frozen toothpaste and painted with their fingers and toes. They go for outdoor strolls, do simple craft work and play with the many available developmental toys there. The infantcare teachers that loved Ben and Becks to bits and showered them with so much love are the same ones that are caring for Nat today.

Unfortunately, the babies also catch each other’s germs and viruses more easily and readily, and I’ve had my fair share of heartaches during the early years when Ben and Becks were there. This is now the third time running of having my heart broken again and again – for Baby Nat.

How much can a mother take? I’m seeing my PD as frequent as once a week, and sometimes even twice a week and the medical expenses are escalating to a new high. Yesterday, after three days of low-grade fever and lots of sniffing, my poor baby started to have gooey green discharge coming from  his eyes. Those big, round, charming eyes have been reduced to swollen, red, slity ones. Antibiotics, Iliadin nose drops, Sterimar nasal spray, antihistamines, nebulising – here we go again. I’m not sure if it’s fair to make the causal link to him being in infantcare but it’s surely not rocket science that there’s a correlation. I can only encourage myself while being up and comforting a sick baby at 1, 3 and 5 in the morning that he will be stronger and tougher after each episode and pray that God protects everyone in this house from these virus attacks.

My dear baby boy, it won’t be long till Mama stays home to take care of you full-time. You’re one tough cookie for a baby, my love.

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Ben Kao Milestones and growing up Motherkao loves... Nat Kao

You’ll always have a place in my heart

July 31, 2012

These are my boys.

My firstborn and my littlest. Amidst the challenges I’ve been facing with their sister, the middle child, they’ve been the loveliest and most patient to have around. They wait their turn to get Mama, they play by themselves and with each other. Ben, my eldest, always has a smile on his face, a skip in his step and a question to ask. He follows instructions, listens to good reason and shows his love for the people in the house in his own little ways.

Baby Nat has been having a viral infection with a bad combination of mild fever, runny nose and whooping cough. He’s been wakeful every possible hour because it’s been just hard to go to sleep with a cough as bad as his. And yet, he always, always, always has a little grin on his face for anyone who asks how he is doing.

These are the two sweetest babies a mother would ever know.

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Family life as we know it I ♥ lists Milestones and growing up Nat Kao The Kao Kids

Enter Lil’ Nat

May 19, 2012

It’s now triple the madness. Ever since little Nat entered our world, the Kao household is never really quite the same again. Here’s what has changed:

1. We’ve all gotten used to Nat’s crying as part of ambient sound. Because this is our third baby, we don’t pick him up as and when he calls. Although I sometimes indulge him a little; this being the last time (hopefully!) I’ll be holding a baby (that’s mine) this small.

2. Peak hours have extended. It used to be crazy from 6 to 8.30pm, but now it’s even crazier, with peak period officially ending at 10. This is because everything gets delayed with Nat in the picture (see #3).

3. My kids have become more clingy than ever. When I was pregnant with Nat, Ben and Becks were pretty ok with feeding themselves and having someone else shower them. But now, it’s “Mama, feed me“, “Mama, change my diapers“, “Mama bathe me“, “Mama clean my mouth“, basically, “Mama, [DO EVERYTHING]“. They would burst into fits and throw ginormous tantrums if fatherkao or the helper were to come along and do what they want me to do. Becks would refuse to eat if I didn’t hold the spoon. Ben would hold on to my thighs. They would both sit on the floor and cry because they want Mama. This is the reason for the extension of peak hours – the three kids would take turns to be fed / cleaned / showered by me, which means that by the time all is settled, Mama is an exhausted wreck. All these would happen on a daily basis while the helper and fatherkao watch helplessly at a corner.

4. My kids have learned how to be considerate and helpful overnight. The clingy part aside, they have turned into helpful little troopers, refilling wet wipes and entertaining Nat when I need a break. They’ve also learned to shush each other up and whisper. This never happened when there were only the two of them.

5. My husband and I have started asking each other for permission to go to the toilet. Usually, when permission is granted, we’ll also furnish each other with details of why we are going and how long we would take.

6.  Our house is filled with a lot more laughter amidst the madness. Yes, we are all stretched thin but when we see the two clowning around the little one, and the little one chuckling repeatedly, we can’t wait for the day when all three of them would start playing together. What fun!

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Getting all sentimental now Milestones and growing up Nat Kao The Kao Kids

Somebody stop time, please

May 16, 2012

To my precious ones,

You are all growing up too quickly for Mama to handle.

Ben, wasn’t it a while ago you were asking questions furiously? Now you speak like a little man; I miss the cheeky, curious you.

Becks, didn’t you just start walking and talking? Now you rattle non-stop to anyone and everyone, and your two little penguins have become your imaginary friends. I thought I heard you ask them to hold hands and hug each other yesterday. I miss your babblings and high-pitched giggles.

Nat, wasn’t it like yesterday I held you in the delivery room? I just heard you chuckle this morning. You’ve grown from the small helpless baby to one enthusiastic trooper doing mini push-ups every waking moment. I will miss holding the little baby that was you.

Not so soon, darlings, not so soon. I still want to baby all three of you.

With all my love, and more,

Mama

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Becks Kao Ben Kao Milestones and growing up Nat Kao Parenting 101 The Kao Kids What to Expect... As a Mother

Contented Little Mother

April 24, 2012

When there was only one kid in the house, life was a breeze. A dear friend (bless her soul) came by a month after Ben’s birth with a book on how to turn my baby into a CLB (a Contented Little Baby). This woman (the author, not my friend) knew exactly how babies worked – she told mothers what time to feed, what time to put baby to bed, what time to have lunch, how much milk to express. If you followed her routines to the letter, you’d be guaranteed a CLB. We tried the routines on Ben religiously, and wala, what did we know, we had a CLB in our arms! Naptime, bedtime, feedtime, me-time – bring ’em on! Easy as pie! This was why we decided since we were the privileged few who knew the secret to having contented babies, let’s have one more.

So when I knew I was pregnant with Becks, I headed to Borders to buy The Contented Baby with Toddler book. I thought I had it all figured out. I would follow the routines to the letter and I would have two contented babies and a blissful life. Awesome.

Awesome. NOT. Becks was a baby who disliked routines and she very much wanted to do what she liked when she liked however she liked and you’re not stopping her because she is a strong-willed girl with a mind of her own and a fearsome temper. She’d shriek the house down if you woke her up at 7am if she wanted to sleep and she’d scream her lungs out if she wanted to guzzle more milk beyond the stipulated time for feeding. She sent the message loud and clear – I will be contented when you give me, my royal highness, what I want, so buzz off and just let me be the baby I want to be. ‘Nuff said.

So there were no more CLBs in the house because Ben’s routines were disrupted by the sister who called out to Mama at her whims. I turned to other baby-led routines and tried other ways to fit Becks in. There was no way to CLB, Ferberize or Baby-wise this girl. It was a tough year, because Ben and Becks were like chalk and cheese – one needed routines to follow, and in turn, feel secure; the other was a free-spirit. I don’t know what we did but we somehow survived by just keeping naptime, bedtime and mealtime consistent for the two of them. And it helped that they started to attend the same preschool and the routines are very much fixed at school, and so life just got better and better.

In a few months, Nat is going to spend more time waking than sleeping and start solids. I practically threw all routine-advice out of the window and did what I felt I should when I should, for Nat. Perhaps it’s experience, or perhaps, it’s instinct. Although because I didn’t follow some form of a routine, he is refusing the bottle now, I am swallowing my lunch and dinner (not much chewing involved) and can go constipated for days because everyday springs new surprises. You don’t know when baby would wake or sleep or want milk – you think you know but you actually don’t – yesterday is not the same as today and tomorrow will be a different day altogether. Some days you think, ah, it’s almost time for a feed so let me get ready, and baby sleeps an hour more and you’d be like, dang, I should have taken a bath and cooked some lunch; and some days you put baby down and you know for a fact that he has just spent the last hour feeding so it’s time to drift off to slumberland with a full tummy but no, he’s all gurgles and smiles and you badly need to brush your teeth, move your bowels, scrub and double-scrub your-smelly-leaking-milk-dirty-self and cut your dirt-and-poop-trapped-nails.

So this is what having three kids taught me, apart from learning to groom myself, eat my food and move my bowels in record time of 4:36 minutes (all together), that each kid is different and with each kid I am different, and have to be. It’s impossible to tell a first-time (neurotic) mum to go with the flow but with three kids, you can and may sometimes even feel guilty that you’re hecking it. I’ve come a long way since my CLB days and am doing what I do best like a fish in water – mothering – and being a CLM, Contented Little Mother.

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