9th month update

Yaaayyyy tenth month has already begun.....
Here is an update on what V has been up to in the ninth month.

A lot of V's mile stones were due to be completed, babies take their own time exploring and trying out new things. You cant really hurry them. And this was the "catching up on the milestone" month :)

V learnt to turn over a little late (almost in the end of the sixth month). And even then he would turn only from his left side. I think that was because I have always slept on that side. Now in the ninth month, he can turnover from both sides and also go from tummy to back position.

He has just started going from the tummy position to sitting position, though it is yet to be perfected.

V can crawl, but doesn't really like it. He started of with crawling in a butterfly stroke style. It was more like dragging, hehehe. But now he can properly crawl and go a ahead a few step at a time. He crawls on the bed, but hates crawling on the floor probably cos its too cold.

He would walk if he could, but its a little too early for that. He loves standing up with the support of my hands and roaming about in the house, but this was giving me a back ache :P So I have bought a simple walker for him. He loves zooming about in the house and I get a little break :)

V still likes pureed food more than chunky foods. He prefers the home made rice cereal to Dal chawal. And at the moment he loves soups. I am in a fix though about breakfast. He doesn't like suji kheer or Dalia and I cannot keep giving soups to him all day long :P So I still have to explore on that front.

I changed V's pediatrician after the recent experience and am pretty happy with her at the moment. She has prescribed vitamin, iron and calcium drops for the next three months to help build his immunity. Will be starting those from today.

So that's about it.. looking forward to the next month  :)

Damn you Mumbai Weather!!

The weather in mumbai has been fluctuating like crazy... one day its really cold and the next day so hot that u have to turn on the air conditioner.Vihaan caught his first ever viral infection and it took two whole weeks for him to recover, which is why I wasn't posting new blogs.

V's infection started out as simple cold and cough, but the cough then became worse. We had to take him for a chest x-ray first. The x-ray ruled out the possibility of any major problem but showed a very congested chest. A blood test further confirmed a viral infection. I hate needles and tend to burst out in tears at the sight of any, so seeing V being injected was the worse experience possible.

Treatment was a three day course of nebulization and 7 day course of antibiotics. During Nebulization, medicine is converted into vapour form with a device called the nebuliser and the child is made to inhale these vapours through an oxygen mask. It looks worse than it is though, because of the mask on the baby. But it is the fastest and most effective way for medicine to reach a baby's chest. So it provided instant relief (at least for a while).

Almost every other child is suffering from the same problem because of the extreme weather change. So there were always 2-3 kids waiting in line for the nebulisation. V hated it (he doesn't let me touch his face even during a bath) and his crying scared the other kids in the room :P When he was not screaming he tried to lick the inside of the mask (i have no idea why) So it was a good thing that we bought a separate mask for him.

For now the meds are done, and he is doing well. We will be going for a follow up visit to the doc today, so I have my fingers crossed :)

Some Important websites and links

Some links that I find very useful :

Pregnancy/ Childbirth/ Baby related

www.babycenter.in

www.whattoexpect.com

www.indiaparenting.com

 

 

Online Shopping

www.firstcry.com/

www.babyoye.com

www.smartbaby.in

 

Baby Food

http://www.homemade-baby-food-recipes.com/

 

I will be updating this post as and when I find more sites :)

 

 

 

 

Starting Solids- Part2

Feeding accessories

High Chair

It was extremely difficult to feed V while he was playing with his toys. Making him sit on my lap created more of a mess with most of the food ending up on my clothes!! I have seen too many friends run behind their kids for hours while trying to feed them. Also its best to develop the habit of sitting at one place while eating food from now itself. After comparing different brands, we decided to buy the Chicco High Chair. Its very comfortable and can be used upto 3 yrs. Its also easy to install and clean. V loved it instantly!!

Spoons and Bowls:

You can either go with the regular steel bowl and spoons that we use, or buy the colourful variety which is now available for kids. Just make sure that they are sterilisation and microwave safe. I have tried a variety of spoons and my favourite is the pigeon weaning spoon (the red one in the pic above). The design makes it easier to feed. 

Bibs:

V is quite a messy eater!! Sometimes he decides he has had enough to eat but still takes food in his mouth and then sprays it all over me/ highchair/clothes. So bibs are an absolute necessity for me. I prefer plastic bibs with crumb catchers because they are easier to clean and leave no stains.   

Though its been two months since I started introducing solids to Vihaan, I have not stopped breastfeeding because right now, the portions are quite small. Also, since he has no teeth yet, I am giving him mushy food as he cant chew.

I am trying to inculcate healthy eating habits from the start by introducing steamed veges and fruits and also by avoiding sugar in meals. So far, its been good!! :)

Starting Solids - Part I

I started introducing solids to Vihaan after he completed 6 month, though some people start solids as early as 3 months. The first month was pure eyewash!! He refused to try out anything.. or eat more than a couple spoonfuls at a time. But than gradually started accepting and sometimes even enjoying the new tastes and textures.

Here are some of the foods that we started with:
Pureed fruits/ Vegetables
I started by giving steamed and mashed apple/carrot. V has developed quite a taste for it. I do not add extra sugar to either carrot or apple as they are sweet enough naturally. Peel, core and cube apple/ carrot. Give it a couple of whistles in the pressure cooker. Or steam it. Serve it. Easy Peasy. I cook an entire apple at a time and then divide it into 3-4 portions. Then I freeze the portions in separate containers. Defrost them whenever you want to serve them and viola!! instant baby chow :) You can do the same with other vegetables/ fruits too. This is also a good way to teach the baby the different fruit and veg flavours without the distraction of spices.

Home-made cerelac
V doesn't really like this, though I try to make him eat at least a little cos its healthier!!
Take one part split moong Dal and one part rice. Wash and dry them. Roast in a pan. Grind and store in an airtight container. At the time of serving you can add water and cook the mixture and serve. Adding Salt/ sugar is optional.

Store Cerelac
Though most people frown upon giving kids the store bought variety, it is definitely an easy to prepare food. Its pretty useful especially when you might have to go on a trip with the baby because all one has to do is add warm water. V lapped it up the first few days, but now refuses to eat more than a few spoonfuls.

Chapati/ Bread butter
I feed V chapati while I have food. This ways I hope he will get used to the idea of having lunch and dinner.
Chapati is harder to chew, Brown bread with butter is better to swallow. However I give V sips of water between spoonfuls because otherwise its too dry. Some people mash the chapati with milk and then serve it to the baby. 

Dal
Cooked split moong Dal with a pinch of salt. The other day, I added spinach to the dal and fed it to Vihaan. Tricked him into eating spinach... muahahahaha!!

As I am still in the introduction phase, would love to know your favourite baby recipes.