Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

It’s not easy being the big sister I guess.

She’s so used to getting all the attention of both parents. And all the toys found at home most likely belong to her.

And when another little one joins the family, she’s ‘expected’ to welcome the new member with open arms; to somehow learn and accept the fact that she’s no longer ‘the one and only child’ receiving all the attention and time.

Kinda tough I’m sure. Especially for someone who’s just past the age of three.

I often try to put myself in her shoes. To try and understand how Anya must have been feeling now that there’s Vai around. That her toys now need to be shared. That Mom seems to be with the little brother more because he’s still a baby and needs to be breastfed, fed at mealtimes, diaper-changed, etc.

But frankly, it’s also not easy for me to always be ‘understanding’ and ‘accepting’ whenever this big sister is cranky and fussy (though the whole act is done in the name of ‘demanding more attention from Mommy’).

Ah.

In the end I think, we all get to learn.

I learn to balance and juggle everything with more patience, wisdom and perseverence (I can only do this with God’s help and strength).

And Anya gets to learn how she needs to think of others, share what she has and care for another too.

Oh well. That’s life. A never ending learning journey for everyone.

And how much we learn and how far we change and develop towards a better self is entirely up to us.

I guess it’s inevitable for siblings to pass flu bugs to each other. Vai seems to have gotten his from Anya.

Yesterday morning, Vai woke up looking unusually … quiet. He looked weak and wasn’t his giggly self for sure. Took his temperature and it was 38.6 degree celsius.

Anyway, I took the kids to see our GP, got some medicines and went home to rest. The doctor said it’s just flu, btw. And even lots of adults get them too nowadays.

Vai has never gotten this ill before. His body temperature was at least 38 degrees and there’s even a time when it reached 39.6 degrees.

He frequently gives out a soft moan. He’d want to be carried a lot. He wants to breastfeed VERY often (I guess it’s his body’s natural way of avoiding dehydration). He vomits during his mealtimes too (I think it’s ‘good’ though because it means his phlegm is out of his throat).

Caring for a sick baby sure requires a lot of Mommy’s energy (not to forget lots of patience too because the older sister also demands attention from Mom).

Ah. At least right now only ONE of my kids who’s not well. Not both at the same time, I mean.

And I hope he’s getting better soon.

PS: He’s now 10,7kg and 74cm long

Went past a newspaper stand and apparently this year’s Baby Plus is out already!

The shots were taken in February and yes, Vai was actually sleeping and breastfeeding during THAT shot! Heh.

Today’s sermon reminded me of so many things. Here’s one I’d like to share with everyone.

We tend to appreciate something ONLY when that something is gone.

We appreciate our health more, when we’re sick. We appreciate the fact we can eat and swallow well when we have a bad sore throat and our mouth is full of ulcers. We appreciate our parents more when they’re no longer around.

We’ve received so much in our lives but we tend to take them for granted. Consciously and unconsciously. We have a home, a family, a husband, children, meals on our table and our health. Sunlight, rain and air. And this is only to name a few.

Every second in our life is a blessing. It’s given and showered upon us without us asking for it. It’s pure grace from above.

Let’s not take things for granted.

Let’s start counting our blessings.

The flu bug is going all around nowadays. Anya somehow caught it and has been coughing away. Her nose is runny and she was a little feverish for 2 nights earlier this week too.

Now about her cough.

To soothe and help ‘reduce’ the coughing (especially at night time), my Mom and Dad told me to put on some ointments on Anya’s neck and wrap a hanky around it. You know. Like a cowboy. They said it’ll keep her warm and she’ll get a much better sleep.

Frankly, I was kind of sceptical. I remember very clearly how I too wore my Dad’s green hanky around my neck, at night time especially. And so I sort of wonder if this cowboy-approach can really make a difference.

I tried it anyway (since her sleep was really interrupted by her frequent cough). I put on some Vicks Vaporub on her chest, back and neck. AND, the night Anya became a cowgirl in pyjamas, her cough somehow … disappeared! I mean it was like … 95% better!

The sceptical me wanted to think that perhaps it was just coincidental. Perhaps Anya’s cough happened to be better that night.

But then again, I thought to myself that perhaps the old trick DID make a difference. Her neck was kept warm and the air-con didn’t get to it. The ointment kept her warm.

And so from that night on, she’s been wearing my red bandanna. For the past 4 nights now.

And I know she’d be wearing it till her cough completely goes away and she’d be wearing it again when she catches the cough bug again!

I guess I’m a convinced Mom now. Hehe.

[Yeah I know Anya didn’t look like she’s sick at all in the photos. She insisted on jumping up and down on my bed while I took the photos!)

Additional notes:

>> It’s important to check that the ointments used is suitable for the kid’s age. And Vicks Vaporub is for kids above 2 years old, btw.

>> Other than on the back, chest and neck, I apply some ointments on the soles of her feet too and let her wear her socks at night. I guess it helps and keeps her warmer too.

The weather’s been quite warm lately and Anya’s been sweating it out. And so today I gave her a haircut.

*Snip*

And oh, just in case you’re wondering how and where I do my haircutting job… it always takes place in the bathroom. Anya’d be on the toilet seat (with its cover closed) and I’d be sitting on her plastic stool. She’d then be happily playing with her bucket of water, spoons, tubes and bowls.

As for cutting Vai’s hair. Well, it is more tricky. He’d be sitting on the bathroom floor with a few toys and I have to follow and cut his hair ‘on the move’ whenever he decides to crawl and move about.

Always an interesting experience.

I remember the day when Anya started to look at her hands rather differently.

She observed and looked at them up close. She opened and closed her palm. She was kind of … intrigued by them.

You see, though her hands went into her mouth and were used to pick different objects and touch nearly everything she saw, I guess realising that they are attached and are PART of her body was a completely different matter. A very interesting discovery for a growing baby I’m sure.

[At the time I haven’t started blogging though. And I didn’t take our ‘big’ video camera out to ‘document’ her discovery. Now that my IXUS camera has a video camera feature in it, it’s SO easy and convenient to capture our kids on video! A must-have camera feature for parents, I reckon!]

Vai himself kinda ‘discovered’ his hands recently.

And he now is learning to clap as well as open and close his palm at the tune of ‘Twinkle twinkle little stars’.

Cool!

PS: Click here to read more on 8-month-old babies’ developments

Vai’s been doing this for the past three weeks or so.

Letting go and just … stand.

It all started when I was sitting on the floor and he pulled himself up while holding onto my back.

Soon after that I sort of felt he’s somehow no longer holding onto me.

I then turned around and saw him standing behind me. For 2 seconds before falling onto his diaper-cushioned buttocks.

From then on, I notice he started practicing it more often. And gradually, for a longer period.

And today, he balanced himself and stood for about … 6-8 seconds.

[something tells me that this little kid is more of a daring and risk-taking type of guy]