Kimmy and Julie :: Family Journal

How It Is Made

This is how Jonathan boy’s porridge are cooked.

I have the Magic Saver Cooker (MSC) from Cosway and a ceramic pot. The MSC comes with a inner stainless steel pot (to cook the food) and insulation pot (to warm the food).  

Jonathan boy is having two feedings of porridge each day so I just have to prepare once and it can last till evening (still warm) using the MSC.

Step 1: To come out with two feedings of porridge, I put in 3 milk powder scoops of rice with 3 x 4oz of water in the ceramic pot.  I’m giving him unpolished brown rice as the content of nutrients is better than polished rice.

Step 2: I’ll make sure I always have at least two types of vegetables of different colour. My favourite mix is pumpkin and broccoli because pumpkin gives the sweetness and broccoli gives him the vitamin C and folic acid and the easiest to prepare. I just need 2 – 3 florets of broccoli without having to chop finely. As for pumpkin, I’ll grate it otherwise I can cut into cubes. Just put the florets of broccoli and grated pumpkin into the ceramic pot. Sometimes, I’ll add 2 cubes of chicken meat, fish, pork or scallops.

Step 3: Put the ceramic pot into the inner pot of the MSC and fill the inner pot with water.

This is called the double-boil method. Bring it to boil then simmer on low fire for 45 mins.  With the lid still covering the inner pot, transfer it to the insulation pot. Do not open the insulation pot until feeding time so that the porridge can continue to cook on its own till soft.

So here’s the outcome and greatness of the MSC.

I prefer to cook this way compared to slow cooker as this is faster and energy saving. Each morning, I just need 5 – 10 minutes to prepare the porridge ingredients. Then leave it to simmer while I bath and change to get ready for work. Before I leave for work, I just turn off the fire and transfer the inner pot to the MSC. It’s so easy and hassle free.

Penang, here I come again!

Yipee! Will be traveling down to Penang this Friday for a special reason this time. Must drop by Nibong Tebal this time for the pork knuckle and squid. Can’t wait to have my all-time fav Tom Yam Maggi at Sunshine.

I Adore My Cry Baby…

I just love to make him pout and cry because that expression and looks of him is so cute to me just as his heart-melting smile. Since born, he dislike bathing or changing. He will cry and yell…it’s really scary as though he’d got beaten. It was not because of cold water or hungry baby. In fact I fed him full before his bath time. It was a mystery where nobody can answer. Good thing my MIL (Jonathan’s caregiver) can bear with it. It got better gradually when he was 3 months old whereby he will only struggle and cry a little occasionaly when washing his hair. But suprisingly on his full moon, he did not cry at all. Probably he knew that it is an eventful day and I’d been telling him to behave well.  But now, he loves bathing. He loves the shower head. He will whine and cry if I took it away from him. *Headache* 

When I leave him in the cot or on the floor playing with his toys alone, he will yell and cyr. Separation anxiety, I guess. When he really get scolded, he will cry sniffingly. He gets frightened easily by even a moderately loud sound.

When he is tired and napping time, he will whine for his pacifier. I love to pull it away from his mouth cause he will whine and cry. Again…I love to see his expression especially his mouth. Evil Mommy, huh?

p/s: Ann, fyi, he didn’t cry when I pretended crying in front of him. He just blurly staring at me. 🙂

My CG members and friends commented that he is such a good boy because he don’t simply throw tantrums and could sit on the high chair throughout meals. Perhaps it’s because we know how to keep him quiet by stuffing food in his mouth. 😛  After all, he is actually a well behaved but demanding baby.  Most importantly, I always pray that he will keep real quiet in church, during the sermons especially.

I used to bully my nieces and nephews whenever they cry for their mommy…”I want my Mommy!”  And now, my son is doing that. He has yet to utter those words but he has started to reach out his hand demanding for me to carry. Yesterday night, I was busy cleaning my house after the renovation. My cry baby woke up and was crying for me. No matter how hard Darling pleases him, he wouldn’t stop crying. Until when I walk in to the room, he stoped crying immediately and reaching out to me. As usual…my jealous big baby, Darling commented, “He only wants you! 🙁 “

That’s my adorable cry baby…I hope it is just a phase and that he will grow up to be an independent boy.

Left Brain, Right Brain

Let me fill up with a filler post while Julie is compiling the next family updates.

From Wikipedia:-

Anatomically, the brain can be divided into three parts: the forebrain, midbrain, and hindbrain the forebrain includes the several lobes of the cerebral cortex that control higher functions, while the mid- and hindbrain are more involved with unconscious, autonomic functions. During encephalization, human brain mass increased beyond that of other species relative to body mass. This process was especially pronounced in the neocortex, a section of the brain involved with language and consciousness. The neocortex accounts for about 76% of the mass of the human brain with a neocortex much larger than other animals, humans enjoy unique mental capacities despite having a neuroarchitecture similar to that of more primitive species. Basic systems that alert humans to stimuli, sense events in the environment, and maintain homeostasis are similar to those of basic vertebrates. Human consciousness is founded upon the extended capacity of the modern neocortex, as well as the greatly developed structures of the brain stem.

Right Brain or Left Brain Dancer

The above is just something to stimulate your brain once again. Remember those dreaded time when our science teachers who made us memorize and understand each and every part of human anatomy? Yeah.. Scary. Glad that I’ve overcome that stage.

Here’s what I would like to share with you. I got from myklang forum.

Are you a left brain or right brain person?
Look at the dancer animation on the left. Do you see the dancer turning clockwise or anti-clockwise?

If clockwise, then you use more of the right side of the brain and vice-versa. Most of us would see the dancer turning anti-clockwise though you can try to focus and change the direction; see if you can do it.

LEFT BRAIN FUNCTIONS (Anti-Clockwise)

• uses logic
• detail oriented
• facts rule
• words and language
• present and past
• math and science
• can comprehend
• knowing
• acknowledges
• order/pattern perception
• knows object name
• reality based
• forms strategies
• practical
• safe

RIGHT BRAIN FUNCTIONS (Clockwise)

• uses feeling
• “big picture” oriented
• imagination rules
• symbols and images
• present and future
• philosophy & religion
• can “get it” (i.e. meaning)
• believes
• appreciates
• spatial perception
• knows object function
• fantasy based
• presents possibilities
• impetuous
• risk taking

Personally, I’m a touted from this experiment to be a Right Brainer. Most of the mentioned characters matches mine. What about yours?

Jonathan’s Paternal Grandma’s Birthday

Today we celebrated Jonathan’s paternal grandma’s birthday.
Happy Birthday Ma…

continue reading…

Jonathan…9 Months

I woke up from bed yesterday, looked at my watch…it’s 8th of the month. Gosh, another month had sailed through but so little pictures of Jonathan we had captured. Let’s see what are the highlights of the month.

He is 9.6kg now. At 8.5 months, Jonathan is able to stand unaided…his record so far was 10 seconds. But he still needs something to support him up, then he’ll start to show his stunt by letting go his hands steadily, smiling at his audience expecting some cheers and finally, drop down on his buttock. But yesterday night, instead of sitting down on his buttock, he jump upfront. He repeated the same act every time we make him stand and definitely enjoying it. Good thing it was on the bed. I hope he won’t do it on the solid floor.

He is getting more demanding. He must have what he wants. He loves our mobile phones so when we refuse to give him, he will cry.

One night, he bit my nipple when he wanted to hook on to my breast. I have warned him and pat his cheek softly many times not to do it. It was a quick reflex that I beat him harder on the cheek and he cried this time. Thereafter, he refused to suck even though I apologized and cuddle him until I had no choice but to force him to suck. Thank God, he finally accepted my breast. After this incident, he is more gently. *Slap head*

In the earlier two posts, Jonathan had his first fall then fell sick recently…getting better today. Get well soon, my little sick baby.

On an unrelated update, some renovation is going on in my house, at the kitchen, utility room, stairs and car porch. It looks like a major renovation because my house is full of dust, no facility to cook and wash our laundry. I’m blessed to have my sister living next door. She lend me her kitchen to at least cook porridge for Jonathan boy every morning and boil water. We have to eat out every meal and send our laundry to the dobby. Most of our time were spent in our bedroom (that is the cleanest place so far).

But overall, I’m looking forward to the new kitchen and utility room. The most important space for a woman is always the kitchen. Why the utility room? Cause I plan to set up a condusive study/working place for Darling and a more child proof playing area for Jonathan. Setting them up one step at a time…

Our very own smalltalk corner

We’re starting this new smalltalk corner to post some short updates which does not require long old grandma stories. 🙂

1st Time After 9 Months

Since newborn till now, Jonathan boy had never fall ill. Even when he was teething, there was no sign of fever or diarrhea. That’s the goodness of breastmilk.  But after 9 months, he is down with flu, cough and phlegm since Friday night. He is having slight diarrhea too and the faeces is a little sticky. It’s a sign of heatiness.

The flu is bad, mucous blocking the nostril and he’s having difficulty in breathing. I can’t even breastfeed him properly as he tends to pull away in order to breath. He dislike us touching any part of his face so whenever I want to wipe his nose, he turned away and yelled as though scolding complaining us. The pitiful thing is when we sprayed saline into his nostril and using a suction to suck out the mucous, he struggled and cried very loudly.

It could be due to dust as well because we are renovating our house and the whole house is so dusty. I hope he will recover soon.

First Fall…Ooopps!

Jonathan boy has been sleeping with us on our bed since many months ago as I find it so comfortably-lazy breastfeeding him while lying on the bed. Then both of us will be in our dreamland after that. Each morning then, I’ll wake up early to prepare his porridge leaving him on the bed with Darling.

On Wednesday morning, while I was preparing his porridge in the kitchen downstairs, suddenly I heard a loud stomp and immediately followed by a loud cry. I knew what had happened and quickly rush upstairs. True enough, Jonathan boy fell down from the bed. How did it happened?

Well, I didn’t realised that Jonathan boy awaken the moment I left the room. Darling was sound asleep so he did not realised it as well. As usual he loves to grab the cock shaped alarm clock on the side table. I guess when he was trying to reach out for the alarm clock, he lost his balance and fell head down from the bed. His forehead touched the floor but both his leg were hanging in the air leaning against the bed. There was a slight bump on his forehead only but his upper lip were swollen and the inner lip bled a little.

I was so afraid that he may not be able to eat so I try to breastfeed him. Thank God, he was fine. It’s not that he had never fall before…those are minor fall which are part and parcel of growing up but this is falling from another level of height. We have been very careful all these while when putting him on the bed and I always remind myself never ever let him fall. I guess I always take it for granted that it’s ok to leave him on the bed since he is looks sound asleep and Darling is sleeping beside him.  I’m so sorry, Jonathan boy. Mommy would be more careful next time.

6 (non)sensical stuff

Just realised that I’ve been tagged by June and that was in May. How blur am I. This is my first tag.

The rules for this meme are easy:

1. Link to the person that tagged you – June
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Share six non-important things/habits/quirks about yourself.
4. Tag someone.

So, here’s mine:

1) I’m a very bad-tempered person and only my family can see it. With my colleagues and friends, I just know how to hide and control my temper. When things don’t turn out as per my expectation, there goes my mood. If I’m fully concentrating on my job in front of the PC, you better not come near or talk to me.

2) I’m not a coffee lover since young and I can’t stand it’s aroma smell. It makes me drowsy and nausea.

3) When I see children’s clothing that are so cute (especially girl’s clothing), I can’t resist to buy it even when I was still single and now, having only one baby boy. Can keep them for my baby girl to-be mah…

4) I love dogs…big ones especially like Rotweiler. I’m still hoping to have a house with big garden where I can build some kennel and own pedigrees. But I hate lizards especially baby lizards. Yucks!

5) I love sinful food and my fav are pork and egg yolk. And I married the “wrong” husband who share the same liking as me. 😛

6) I tend to procrastinate and jump to a new task before finishing one.

 
Well, not tagging anyone but if you feel like sharing, consider yourself being tagged.