Local Meetup Group for new Moms

Recently I've joined a few local Meetup groups for new moms and new parents. I went to one of the meets for the first time.

I rarely get to go somewhere far since I still don't have my car insured. I borrowed my husbands car just for this event, while he took the bus to work. Anyway, a few of us (moms and their babies) met up at Victoria Park early in the morning where there were playgrounds and swings for the kids. It was nice meeting other moms with babies around the same age as baby Brandon. I'm looking forward to future PlayDates so Brandon can meet friends and become less shy with unknown people. When I'm bored at home, I just wanted to go do some activities with my little one.

These are the groups I am part of:
East Vancouver New Moms Group
Richmond Mommies

I have also participated in a few nearby communities for the Family Drop-In programs such as Frog Hollow Neighborhood House (which is just a couple blocks away), Collingwood Neighborhood House, and Thunderbird Community Centre.

Later in the evening after dinner, I went out for a nice evening walk to the Sunrise Park with Brandon. It was great weather. Here's a short clip of baby Brandon enjoying the swings and relaxing.

First Reaction to Strained (Puréed) Meats

Over the weekend, we went out to buy some more Heinz jarred baby food since we were running out. I had a deal at Save-on-Foods with the coupon. I haven't previously bought puréed fruits so I stocked up a few.

Brandon just turned 8-months old and he was old enough to try meats and strained foods. I bought 2 jars of the Heinz Strained Chicken with Broth. We offered to him during dinner and the first reaction was that he dislikes it. He frowned and hurled. Oh, poor baby! We switched the other dish of rice cereal and he was ok with it. Then we mixed the strained chicken with a bit of rice cereal. Again, he made a face. We didn't want to force him and had to throw out the leftovers since it can only be stored in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. We'll try mixing with fruits another time and see how he takes it.

Baby's Got the Cheek Rash Again

So I realized baby Brandon's cheek rash came back. It was worst this time under his chin more than his cheeks. I am suspecting it's the spicy food I've been eating these past few days? The only spicy stuff I had was nacho cheese dip (spicy flavor) with my chips. I didn't really clue in if it was something I ate that caused rash on baby's cheeks (as I am still breastfeeding). Instead, I kept trying to recall what he ate instead. Maybe it was the pear puree I mashed up for him and gave him an allergic reaction; maybe it wasn't. He hasn't been falling asleep very well lately probably due to the irritation.

What do you other moms think? I'll lay off on the spicy foods for now and see what happens.

Graco Pack 'n Play Playpen

Last night we finally set up the playpen for our little baby Brandon. He sat in there for the first time and he was happily playing with his toys. My reviews: I find that the bassinet that hangs over is a little lumpy, but I don't use it and he's over the limit weight anyways. It's quite portable for traveling.

I recommend this product for your child to sit and play in if you need to step away for a bit. I let my baby sit in it while I do my work, fold my laundry, or cook dinner. I am able to see him and make sure he is safe.

My cat Momo gave a reaction to the new playpen thing. He stared cautiously through the mesh watching little Brandon. Momo was being nosey and looked like he was ready to run away as if it was going to chase him. It was so funny!

First Time Eating Baby Mum-Mums

It was Brandon’s first time munching on Baby Mum-Mum rice rusks (rice crackers) and he loved it. I put it into a mesh feeder (the Nuby Nibbler) in case he would choke on the chunky bits that cracked off.

Photos of Brandon enjoying the Baby Mum-Mum while on his Jumperoo:

Weaning Baby from Night Feedings

My goal is to successfully teach baby to sleep through the night. Recently, I have started the process of weaning baby from night feedings. Every night he wakes up one time on average and starts crying and always looking for a nipple or something to suck on. I have put together resources from books I've read and online research and have started noting on a chart of his wakings and sleeps. I will follow up on the progress in a couple weeks.

Guide to good sleep habits:
Babies between 6 and 12 months will need about 14-15 hours of sleep each day.

1) Continue on with bedtime routing: wash/bathe and/or reading a bedtime story

2) Continue to breastfeed/bottlefeed. Put baby in crib drowsy, but slightly awake. This will also teach your baby to fall asleep on their own. Don't try to feed baby at each arousal. Let your baby self-soothe to sleep. Pick him up and comfort him if he wont' stop crying (I don't recommend the cry-it-out method).

3) Decrease feeding times gradually. You may experience more wakings during the weaning process, but continue to decrease feedings each time. It is okay to nurse as much as he wants during the day.

Brandon's New Toy: Gleams Ball

Finally got my parcel in the mail on the toy ball I've ordered online. It's called the Gleams Ball that bounces and flashes and plays music all at once. I saw that my friend had one and thought it was cool so I bought one for our little Brandon to play with. I've searched online for shops and photos and then figured out what it is. Here are some videos in action.





Because there were small holes in various shapes on the surface, Brandon's little fingers could easily get stuck and get hurt from the spinning motor inside. So what I did was stuck some clear tape over the holes. Another downside is that it sucks up batteries like crazy.

Day Care

I have started looking around for information on daycare/childcare. My maternity leave ends in August 2009 and it may be a bit late for me because there’s a long wait list for most group daycares. Time is passing by very quickly.

The only choice I have is either be a stay-at-home mom or go to work if I get a childcare spot for little Brandon. My main choice is to go with the group childcare at the centre. My parents are retired, but there is a problem. My dad doesn’t have the patience to look after kids. Don’t get me wrong about him not liking kids. He loves little Brandon, but like I said… he doesn’t have the patience and he’s very tempered easily. On the other hand, my mom is fine with anything. My mom actually gave me an idea: if there’s no daycare available by July/August, I can look for a babysitter temporarily till my spot on the waitlist becomes available.

I’ve recently contacted to just a few licensed group childcare and registered my name to be on the wait list. Expected fees I am looking at is between $900 and $1200 per month. Yikes! Also, I was told that license childcare is income tax deductible under “childcare expenses”, so hope this will help me and my family a bit.

For more information on choosing child care, visit the website at http://www.mcf.gov.bc.ca/childcare/parents.htm to obtain a copy of The Parent’s Guide to Selecting Child Care.

Here’s a list of useful links with resources for those in Canada and the Greater Vancouver, BC area:

http://www.childcareresource.ca

http://www.wstcoast.org

http://www.childcarechoices.ca

http://www.vancouver.ca/commsvcs/socialplanning/initiatives/childcare/cccentres.htm

http://www.canadachildcaredirectory.com

http://www.godaycare.com

http://childcareinfo.gov.bc.ca/childcaresearch/search.aspx

http://www.childcentre.ca