Strawberries cherries and an angel's kiss in spring - My summer wine is really made from all these things

Yesterday was Midsummer - also known as Litha and the Summer Solstice.

My celebration? Sweating my arse off.

I'm not fond of Summer at all - I get migraines if I'm in direct sunlight for more than 5-10 minutes.  This, in spite of wearing a hat and sunglasses.  I also start tanning very quickly - even though I'll have Factor 50 sunblock.

This year though, I'm not concerned about the effects Summer will have on me - I'm more concerned about Morgan.  Since she's Super Fair, I'm worried she'll get sunburned very quickly.  I got her a Factor 50+ Sunblock Lotion which is appropriate for babies and sensitive skin.  So far, so good.

Morgan, Summer Version [19June2012]

Morgan sweats a lot - it starts off from the soles of her feet which end up soaking wet, then the rest of her follows.  I'm obviously worried about dehydration.  I know first-hand how easy it is to end up dehydrated.  My mum suggested giving Morgan a sip of water every now and then.

This, of course, has prompted research.

Now, bearing in mind that Morgan is 5 months old, she is still exclusively on formula milk.

The following info is what I found:

"The USDA recommends discussing the introduction of water with baby's paediatrician.

The UK Department of Health recommends that parents give baby nothing but milk for the first 6 months, but advises that water may be given with solids once baby reaches 6 months of age."

So, why is giving water to a baby harmful before they reach the age of 6 months?

• A baby may "fill up" on water, resulting in him taking less breast milk or formula. This then deprives him of the nutrients essential for healthy growth and development.
• Too much water can stop your young baby's body from absorbing the nutrients it needs from milk. It can also lead to an imbalance of electrolytes.

If baby is exclusively breastfed, there is simply no need to give him extra water, even in very hot conditions. It is, of course, important to increase your own water intake and to nurse your baby frequently.  On the other hand, if Baby is formula milk fed like Morgan, Formula Milk is made up of over 80% water.  Therefore giving additional water is moot.

Once Baby starts weaning [which is recommended by the  WHO [World Health Organisation] not to commence before Baby turns 6 months old], it seems to be OK to give Baby a little water.  Having said that, giving too much water to your baby can lead to Water Intoxication.

WHAT?!
Water intoxication, also known as water poisoning, is a potentially fatal disturbance in brain functions that results when the normal balance of electrolytes in the body is pushed outside of safe limits (e.g., hyponatremia) by overhydration, i.e., over-consumption of water.

"According to pediatricians like James P. Keating, MD, medical director of the St. Louis Children's Hospital Diagnostic Center, too much water dilutes a baby's normal sodium levels and can lead to seizures, coma, brain damage and death."

- derived from http://www.stlouischildrens.org/articles/wellness/water-intoxication-in-infants

 Clicky here for more info about Water Intoxication, and here for more info about Giving Baby Some Water!

Now, I know I mentioned that the WHO advises not to start weaning to babies under 6 months of age.  Having said that, every baby is different and some need/are prepared for 'solids' before they reach the 6 month mark.

Morgan seems to be one of them babies.  She has been showing a keen interest in food for over a month now, and is getting hungrier and hungrier with every day that goes by.  She is currently drinking 210ml+7 scoops every four hours - however most of the time the usual 4 hour gap doesn't elapse as she gets hungry by the time 3 hours will have gone by.

In all honesty, I'm glad that she seems to be ready for weaning early.  This way I can, maybe, be the one to try and feed her for the very first time.  If we were to wait til she turns 6 months old, I'll already have gone back to work, and her first feed would be carried out either by HSS or by my mum.

I've been doing some research about weaning and have found a brand I feel comfortable with trying out - Organix.  I will be preparing her meals myself, however it is always good to have a back-up especially when out and about.  I'll report back with updates the day we start weaning!

Oh, and this is the highchair HSS and myself got her. 

Little Miss Independent taking matters in her own hands! [22June2012]

Burn Baby Burn! Disco Inferno!

Yesterday was a Day From Hell.


In Malta we have 2 seasons - Summer [Mid-march - Christmas] and Autumn [Boxing Day - Mid-March].  It gets way too hot for my liking - and before you tell me to quit whinging and to sod off to some place else [like the ever-so-lovely UK] [[mmmmm rain]] - I did, and had to come back unfortunately.  Or fortunately, anyway.  Had I not returned, I wouldn't have My Family nowadays.

I get migraines after 5 - 10 minutes in direct sunlight.  Sucks.

Morgan seems to be affected worse than me though.  Which leads me back to the Day From Hell topic.

I ended up giving Morgan 2 baths.  The first one was due to her feeling so uncomfortably warm, in spite of being just in her nappy, that she started crying her lungs out to the point where she almost turned purple.  This happened over the span of 2 minutes.  She was inconsolable, poor baby.

We spent about 10 minutes or so bathing.  By the end of it she was giggling and gurgling happily.

Her second bath happened at the same time as her daily bath and helped her cool down enough to bear wearing clothes.  I always ensure she's clothed at night since she wriggles, tosses and turns so much that she always ends up kicking the bedsheets off her.

 

Morgan attempting to blow raspberries -[15th June 2012]

So - we've got one warm-as-hell baby.... who is also teething... and is easily bored.  Meaning I spent all day trying to keep her cool, amused and soothe her teething pains.

When she finally fell asleep, I was so tired and irritable that I unleashed my bitchiness on an unknowing victim.

I had mentioned quite a long time ago that I was irked by the lack of Nappy Changing Facilities in the shopping centre-cum-cinema that is just a few streets away from my home.  Well... I managed to find an e-mail address, and sent an     e-mail, asking whether there is a minimum age requirement for a child to go watch a movie that is marked as "U" by the censorship board.  "U" stands for Universal - meaning it is appropriate for all ages.

I also asked why there are no nappy changing facilities in the entire shopping complex, considering that they have shops selling baby clothes and accessories and also have a play area.

To my surprise, I received an e-mail back today with an apology for any inconvenience I may have encountered.  I was told that there's a nappy changer installed in the Play Area Toilets [which I was unaware of their existence merely because Morgan is still too young to access this Play Area] and that there's one due to be installed in the Cafeteria area.  In the reply I received, I was assured that these facilities will be marked in a more clear manner [since clearly they aren't, otherwise I'd have noticed them!]. The person who replied to my e-mail also agreed with me regarding the Cinema needing to cater for all ages since "U"-rated movies can be watched by people of all ages.  He asked whether I've experienced any inconveniences.

I sent an e-mail back thanking the guy for his reply and for acknowledging the issues I raised and for being willing to rectify them.  I explained I haven't encountered any inconveniences as of yet - but that is entirely due to my planning ahead and timing my outings in a manner that helps me avoid having to change nappies whilst out and about.  I pointed out that Potty Training can take a long time and it is not uncommon for 4 year olds not to be fully potty trained - and that I have every intention of taking my daughter to the cinema before she is fully potty trained.  I mentioned that my not having encountered issues doesn't mean other parents haven't - but that it is likely that most of them aren't bothered with taking any action due to being used to encountering obstacles of the sort everywhere they go.

I'm hoping that this matter is rectified sooner rather than later.  It would be nice to be able to hang out in this shopping centre without having to worry about the lack of Nappy Changing facilities.

Oh - and before I forget - Thursday was a good day.  HSS and I bought a high-chair for Morgan and then took her out for coffee in Bugibba.  This was her first time there.  We are having people stop us in the street to ask how old she is and to make remarks about how beautiful she is.  I find it amusing when they tell HSS congrats on having such a beautiful baby.  To me, that means that his street cred is ruined for life.  Jokes aside - it is always pleasant in a warm-fuzzy-feeling-kind-of-way for a random stranger to recognise the love between a parent and a child - regardless of whether there are bio-links or not.

Lion King Moment :) [14th June 2012]

Clothes shopping, anyone?

You know that sense of panic you get when a special occasion comes up and you have nothing appropriate to wear?

Amplify that feeling by a gazillion times, and you might start to understand what Baby Clothes Shopping is like.

Babies are pretty difficult to buy clothes for as it is.  I decided to make my life even more difficult by opting not to find out Creature's gender until the big day.  AND! S/he is due at the beginning of February.  Meaning... I need to have gender-neutral winter clothes for the age of 0-3 months.  Do you have any idea how difficult that is?

Now, the issue is this - there is no knowing how big the baby might be at birth.  Nor when s/he actually will be born.  Thankfully, in my case, even if s/he is born before the 40 week mark, it'll still be Winter.  Imagine the difficulty people face if their baby is due in September [like I was] and s/he decides to arrive early! It would demand a completely different wardrobe, according to the weather in Malta.

My word of advice is this: get as few Newborn sized clothes as possible as there is a big chance that Baby will be too big at birth for them anyway.  And always get a variety in sizes - enough to get you started in 0-3 months, and some clothes in 3-6 months as well. 

The reason? Babies grow up fast. Real fast.

Oh, and do your bank account a favour and stay away from designer labels and from shoes.  Shoes for children under the age of 1 exist only to frustrate the parent whenever Baby decides to kick it off whilst  Parent is pushing the pushchair in a crowded place whilst trying to multitask with other stuff.

Whenever possible, go for 2nd hand clothing in good condition.  And never turn down free hand-me-downs from family/friends.  Your finances will thank you in the long run. 

Speaking of which...