Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

When Vai was still a much smaller baby, I remember how he used to cry and fuss so much and so often.

He’d scream and cry for a very long time when we take him out. He’d fall asleep and be soothed only if he’s breastfed. Often, he’d wake up in the middle of the night crying for a very long time and none of our many soothing attempts seemed to work on him!

He woke up so easily from his sleep that he hardly slept in his cot (because soon after I – however gentle – put him on his cot, he’d wake up!). And when we’re out and about, he’d only fall asleep IF he’s carried in a sling and/or breastfed.

Getting him to drink his formula also seemed impossible. He rejected the bottle and was totally not interested in formula milk. A 30-minute attempt of squirting drops of formula from a bottle into his mouth while I constantly walked around the house – carrying in him a sling, talking and distracting him with anything that I could find – usually led to him drinking at most 50 ml of formula.

He cried, shook his head, looked away and swatted my spoon during most mealtimes. Getting him to eat basically was almost always challenging.

The thought that perhaps this child is a little on the ‘hypersensitive’ side did cross our minds.

Anyway.

Looking at how things are with him now, I have to say that he’s tremendously changed, especially in the past few months.

He doesn’t cry and fuss much. He eats relatively quite a lot and well (he now ASKS for food and fruits!). He’s fully weaned off breastfeeding about three weeks ago. His formula is still spoonfed, three times a day, but in general he finishes up his 200ml within 3 – 5 minutes.

He falls asleep by himself – on his bed – when we’re at home (I still need to accompany him in the bedroom until he falls asleep though as otherwise he’d start playing, jumping up and down on his bed and distracting his sister!). And when we’re outside, he can now fall asleep on his own WHILE sitting upright on his stroller too!

Of course it doesn’t mean everything is always easy.

I remember the time when he found Anya’s marker and scribbled on my bedsheet, walls and floor, or when he often purposely spilled water all over our living room floor, or the time he threw my mobile phone across the room and plonked our cordless phone into the toilet bowl!

And just like any other toddlers, he does insist on things and screams when he doesn’t get it, etc.

But really, when I look at how he’s doing right now and how he was before, I have to say I’m still very happy with his progress so far! Overall, I’m finding it much easier to deal with him now than before.

Oh btw, I do bear in mind though that he’s turning two in less than three months! Which means I may face challenging ‘Terrible Two‘ moments from him real soon!

Ah anyway.

I’d just like to enjoy our moments spent with our little guy, regardless of how our days ahead will be like later on.