My tooth is loose!

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

 

Ayanna woke up the other morning with a loose tooth. She's excited with the wiggly tooth and can't wait for it to drop off.

It's the start of one of the biggest milestones in every child's life.

A child’s baby teeth usually fall out in the same order they came in; starting with the front pair. A baby tooth typically loosens only when a permanent tooth below pushes it up to take its place.

Losing baby teeth is seldom as painful as teething. The 6-year molars may cause some pain and discomfort when they come in.

Brushing at this stage is most important. Most kids lose their last baby teeth by the age of 12 or 13.

An Update on our Weaning Process

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

 

Shamindra is officially weaned off. The incessant cries for "Mummy's milk" have ceased. Instead he now asks, "packet milk?" It helped that Daddy was home to offer support during this time, which made the transition easier. Not having his bedtime feed was the most difficult for Shamindra as he would always suckle to sleep. He seems to have adjusted well; now he simply asks me, “Sleep Mummy's shoulder?"

We can move on to other things. Next on the agenda - potty training.

 

The Weaning Process

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

It wasn’t easy the first time round with Ayanna, so naturally I am a little nervous about the weaning process. Though gradual weaning began once solid food was introduced, complete weaning has only just begun.

Shamindra stopped drinking milk through the night several months ago and now we’re actively engaging in weaning. He seems ready and so am I. Shamindra is in his 23rd month, fast approaching the big two.

This time round, I’ve approached it better with gradual weaning through the months unlike with Ayanna when I resorted to abrupt weaning, which only resulted in engorged breasts and immense pain.

These are some of the approaches I’ve taken –

Skipping a feed- I’ve substituted feeding with a cup of cow's milk. Feedings have been gradually reduced over a period of time.

Shortening nursing time – daytime feeds were shortened. Bedtime feeds were the hardest for Shamindra to let go.

Distraction – whenever Shamindra asks to be breastfed, some distraction is required. He tends to throw a tantrum but eventually gives in.

Weaning is a long goodbye — emotional, sometimes painful, and freeing at the same time. It’s been a great two years building on this level of intimacy with Shamindra.

Deepavali Greetings

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Here's wishing all our Hindu readers a very Happy Deepavali.

"Deepavali Valthekal"

Thank you for your continued support.

 

 

23rd Month Update

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Shamindra turned 23 months yesterday. He’s inching closer and closer to the big 2. We are very excited.

He’s a bundle of energy – walking, running, attempting to jump and throw. He’s quite apt at the trike too. It’s impossible for Shamindra to sit for longer than a few minutes unless he’s got something truly engaging to play with or a favourite read. Visits to the park and playground plus the play class at Gymboree keep his hands and feet occupied. He twirls and yells in delight as he seems to have the most fun when at play.

Shamindra’s picking up words at the speed of light. He strings two or four words together though sometimes his pronunciation may not be as clear; can understand simple instructions and can answer simple questions. He has started referring to himself as “Shamindra” – an important development indeed. He can sing along to ‘Twinkle Twinkle Little Star’, recognizes names of those closest to him, familiar things and parts of his face and body.

He loves to read and complete a jigsaw puzzle (of 4-6 pieces); attempts to draw circles; recognizes several unconventional shapes such as oval, star and rectangle; and loves to build towers, mould play-doh and paint.
Shamindra simply loves to play with his Aka Ayanna. He loves to imitate what she does and works hard at entertaining his sister which usually results in bouts of giggles.  There are also countless anxious moments between the two that involve the ‘that’s mine’ argument.

Boo - Happy Halloween

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Ayanna all dressed up for trick-or-treat at school

Happy Halloween everyone!

Have a spooky and fun-filled time!

 

 

 

My Five-Year Old

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Ayanna is comfortable as a big kid, enjoying the many advantages the big years have bestowed upon her. She’s a chatterbox, especially amongst familiar people; she takes a while to warm up to new playmates and new situations.

Her vocabulary in growing- she can describe things in detail and uses more complex sentences. She loves creating stories and has a vivid imagination. Ayanna loves reading, likes to ask questions which are all an indication of the new ways she’s thinking. Talking with and reading to your children are still the best and most important ways to keep language skills blossoming. Ayanna seems to have evolved into a more patient conversationalist- eager to listen and taking turns to chat about her day.

At five, with her advancing large and small motor skills, it’s the best time for activities such as swimming, and taekwondo, (both of which she’s participating in at school). At home, she exhibits great stamina and hardly admits she’s tired even if she may truly be. Physical activity provides a great release for all this energy – be it at the playground or running about the house. Research shows that physical activity helps reduce stress in children and improves their attention span.

How do you keep your five-year-old occupied and entertained at home?

 

My 22-month old toddler

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

Shamindra has steadily moved into his 22nd month. He’s busy expressing his burgeoning independence – displaying a wide range of emotions and expressions as he tackles different activities and challenges.

He’s running and jumping, climbing stairs more confidently and his language skills and vocabulary are rapidly developing. He surprised us when he recognized his 1-5 and arranged his number blocks in the right order. Shamindra sometimes strings two to three words together to say a phrase that actually makes sense. He says ‘help’ when needs some help with something. He says ‘sorry’, ‘thank you’ and ‘please’ but may not always say these words at the appropriate times.

Shamindra also has added ‘hug’ and ‘kiss’ to his vocabulary and performs the appropriate actions after uttering the respective words. He loves singing nursery rhymes. Even though he can’t say all the words, he tries hard to sing along.

Shamindra is also increasingly curious and eager to try new foods.

The good and bad bacteria

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

 

Ayanna has spent most of the week at home, away from school recovering from a secondary bacterial infection. Her persistent cough and cold led to a fever and her pediatrician resorted to putting her on a course of antibiotics.

What sometimes the doctors forget to tell you is that while antibiotics work towards curing one of a bacterial infection by destroying the ‘bad ‘ bacteria, the antibiotics also destroy good, normal and often protective bacteria. After all we all carry some bacteria in our nasal passages and digestive tracts.

According to experts, because of this, it is wise to replenish your good bacteria by eating foods rich in probiotics. Ayanna has been getting a good dose of yoghurt and Yakult, both of which contain ‘active cultures’ – excellent sources of probiotics.

Gymboree - Level 5

Posted by: Sharmila Rajah Post(s) by this blogger

 

Shamindra joined Level 5 Gymboree today. How time flies.

For 22 to 28-month olds, sessions are geared to stretch the imagination through creative play to support symbolic thinking, language development and social interaction.

It took him a while to get adjusted as the exercises conducted were unfamiliar at first. He was happy to begin exploring the equipment and found the set-ups more exciting to maneuver around.