Letters to Julianne #11

Dearest Julianne, 

Your 8th month must have been pretty special for you having mastered crawling! Yes, God created us with the ability to not just roll on our tummies to get from toy A to toy B, He created us with the ability to crawl too! Crawling is way more cool isn't it?  Wait till you discover walking pumpkin!  We pretty much still confine your crawling to the bed and playmat for fear that you'll plonk your head onto the floor so for that reason, you haven't quite started roaming freely around the house on all fours yet.We'll get there once you're more confident of crawling alright?


Yiyi Sam has been teaching you new tricks.  The latest is the royal wave.  

With you new found mobility, we've had many near misses of you falling off the bed.  Really can't lift our eyes off you for a second these days.  You've also mastered climbing out of your rocker if not strapped down entirely.  The other day, when Por Por buckled you in only on one side just to grab something from the room thinking you weren't capable of getting out, you went all out to prove her otherwise and earned yourself a little red bumped on your forehead.  The thing about you,  you like to crawl your way to anything that can help pull yourself up to stand.  And when you do, you confidently lift up one hand, choosing only to hold onto whatever it is you're holding onto with just one hand!  You're such a show-off really and that young lady is going to land you in some big trouble one day.  You've also started cruising a little in your cot and playpen.  You'll hold onto the side bars and cruise from one end to the other quite easily.  Por Por thinks you'll be an early walker.  For all we know, by the time we go for our first holiday in December, you'll be able to walk.   

Look just one hand Mama

From the report card Por Por gives me everyday, I know you have alot of fun every afternoon playing with Por Por and Yiyi Sam.  They tell me all the funny things you like to do on Por Por's bed and the little mischiefs you get up to.  Like how you will bobb everytime you hear a familiar tune on TV and get so exciting (apparently you like the weather music on ChannelNewsAsia and the FoodNetwork tune), you literally lift your little butt off the bed.  The other day, you were bobbing so hard, you ended up falling back onto the bed and thought it was so funny, you got up, bobbed again and fell again like it was a game!  We think you've a pretty good sense of humour for an 8 month old!  I think you're going to miss having Yiyi Sam around so often once she starts Uni in August. 

On the reflux front, we've finally reduced your dosage to once a day instead of the twice we were on. Praise God for that!! Feeding you your meds is a daily chore and I hate it that you had to go through it twice a day.  Ain't you glad we just need to do this once now?  At our latest review a few days ago, Dr Vas was very pleased with the weight you've put on in the past 1 month.  You put on 400g in the past 1 month and now weigh in at 7.2kg.  It's the biggest weight gain for the record since you were diagnosed with reflux.  You're still a small peanut and nowhere near going off the charts for sure, in fact you're only slightly above the 15th percentile according to WHO's chart but we're definitely making progress with Project Fatten Up Julianne.  We gotten thank Por Por for all that yummy porridge she's been feeding you with and the people at Healthy Times for the yummy cereals they produce which you polish every evening.  Would you also like to give Mama some credit for all the milk I religiously pump for you every 4 hours at work?   

You're one very happy baby and such a bundle of joy to be around.  You add so much sunshine into our lives, a piece of work you're so good at doing, it's like that's your job - to make us happy.  You're always ready with a smile for the familiar faces around you.  With unfamiliar faces, you're usually feel a little apprehensive but given time, you'll eventually warm up enough to break into a smile.  I'm so glad that Gong Gong and Por Por finally have the chance to experience grandparenting, something they don't get to do very much with Che Che Sophie.  And even more glad to see them enjoying every moment of it., and you savouring every moment of that love they give  But Che Che Sophie is coming home really soon and you've gotta learn to share Gong Gong and Por Por's love and time with her alrighty?  You're going to have so much fun with Che Che Sophie and from the sweetest things she says - like how she wants to bring home her changing mat for you - I already know how much she's gonna love you!!  

Love from Che Che Sophie

This month, you learnt funny facial expressions, the cutest has to be the pout.  You're doing it less these days but when you were around 7.5 months, you were pouting so much, every other photo we took caught you pouting!  Exercising those lips? 

Little Miss Pouty

At 8 months, you're still not sleeping through the night. Sigh ... when is that going to happen?  But that doesn't disturb me as much as the fact that you're still taking your day naps in your precious rocker!  Oh Julianne, just when do you intend to start napping on the bed?  There's just that little bit more of your weight the rocker can take before it's going to give way!  There's no way I'm going to lug that darn thing with us all the way to Melbourne come December so between now and then, you better start learning to nap on the bed!  Deal? You sleep perfectly in your cot at night so I really don't understand what's so difficult about doing the same in the day!  

Her fisher price rocker - it's like her life depends on it

Food wise, you're averaging 4 milk feeds and 2 solids a day with little snacks of puffs and crackers in between.  We started you on real proteins this month after a failed attempt last month at introducing ikan bilis into your porridge.  So these days, your lunch porridge is a blend of either ikan kurau fish or minced chicken with either carrots or pumpkin.  I also introduced egg yolks into your diet and made you pasta for the first time the other day.  Later this evening, in celebration of your 8th month, I'll be introducing you to the world of soy!  Steamed tofu with egg yolk awaits you for dinner!!  Fingers crossed that you'll react well to soy.    

Enjoying her pasta

4 more months to your 1st birthday!!  I'm clearly more excited than you at the thought of that!  We plan to throw you a small little cozy party with family, nothing too big since you ain't gonna understand anything at this age and a big party is just gonna turn out to be an adults party more than anything.  We'll save the big party for when you start school and have more friends k!  I promise!  

Happy 8th month my sweet Julianne.  Mama loves you so much and from the smile, snuggles and hugs you give me, I know that feeling is mutual!! 

My Sunshine!

Happy growing! This time next month - guess who'll be home to celebrate your 9th month with you? Can't wait!! 

Love much, 

Mama