Raychel and her left hand

Raychel has been developing her fine motor skills without any complications - however we have noticed that she favours her left hand more than her right to feed, colour, grab any items, etc. I don't think is a big issue, since both her maternal grandfather, 2nd cousin William and great-grandfather are lefty's, but Ray fears that she will face challenges in the world b/c it's designed for righty's only. I think this fear also is naturally engrained from a past stigma b/c society would not accept left-handed people and would force them in some shape or form to use their right hand. Either way, Raychel's left hand is a lot stronger and easier for her to use than her right and we should just encourage her to be herself.

Interesting facts:

• Experts say that parents won't be able to determine true right- or left-handedness until a child is 2 or 3 years old, when a child begins to favor the same hand consistently.
• Also, some children may be ambidextrous (using both hands equally) until they're 5 or 6, when they finally make a choice.
• Lastly, hand dominance is greatly influenced by genetics. So, if both parents are left-handed, your child has a 45 to 50 percent chance of being left-handed as well (about 10 percent of people are left-handed).

Raychel's lefty behaviour could be temporary - who knows? And if she is a lefty - that's okay too.

Top 10 Favourite Parenting Items/Places to take Raychel of 2010

1. Favourite Parenting Magazine: Today's Parent
2. Favourite Toy Brand: V-Tech
3. Favourite Children's Clothing Brand: Carter's
4. Favourite Infant snack: Baby Mum Mum's
5. Favourite Formula: Heinz
6. Favourite Family Restaurant: The Keg (yes, I know it's not normally known for being a family restaurant but she loves their bread and mashed potatoes).
7. Favourite Infant Juice: Heinz Pear Juice
8. Favourite Hotel: Kowloon Hotel, Hong Kong
9. Favourite Movie in theatre: Tangled
10. Favourite Outdoor Attraction: Tie - Toronto Zoo/Whittamore's Farm

I also have some great 2010 milestones that deserve to be mentioned.

Special mentions: - Disneyland (HK)/DisneyWorld, Coney Island, Central Park, Wonderland, CNE, Chuck'e'Cheese, Hong Kong, Englewood Beach, all of Florida, all of Hong Kong, the Cottage (Haliburton).

Raychel and the Art of Discipline

A mother's love liberates. -- Maya Angelou

A child misbehaving around their parents is not a new story. This fact is universal. Now that Raychel has hit her 1^st birthday milestone, she is starting to show these unpleasant yet normal misbehaviours. I must teach her to listen and obey our authority. Now, where lies the rub is how?

I begin to investigate from literature from child psychologists, parenting podcasts, medical websites and articles and I'm happy to know there's a vast database of quicks tips and suggestions on the art of child disclipline. Like a sponge, I absorb this content all in. And the most important tip I discovered through my research reflects my parenting method perfectly.

One major aspect in doing so is reminding yourself about the normal growth and developmental stages and keeping them in mind to avoid frustration on everyone’s part. For example, “Toddlers have short memories. You may need to tell a toddler a rule over and over again”. I swear we tell her to not put her hair elastics in her mouth over 20 times a day (even after we put them out of sight or are in a ponytail) yet she still has the need to suck on them. Or to not lift the toilet seat up. It seems like any sentence with the word “no” in it she doesn’t comprehend.

One thing I know that is sometimes a common practice but I will do everything I can to avoid this method is Physical discipline such as spanking, biting, shaking. Grey Bruce Public Health explains that “parents often use physical discipline as a last resort, when they are angry or frustrated. Research shows that physical discipline can lead to unintentional injury, damage to your child’s self-esteem, and increased risk of poor adult outcomes (such as deliquency)”.

If you’re unsure about if physical/old school ways our parents did of disciplining your child - For more, visit the Canadian Pediatric Societywebsite and it has lots of information on the risks of physical discipline

Grey Bruce Public Health said it best, “As parents move into the toddler years, they will find themselves becoming very familiar with positive discipline techniques”.

I hope to gain good techniques and plan to share them with you J

http://www.publichealthgreybruce.on.ca/Family/Toddlers/ToddlerDiscipline.htm

Baby's Skin: The Largest & Precious Organ

A baby’s skin is far more sensitive compared to an adult’s. It’s smoother, softer, and new. Baby's skin requires more protection to keep it clean and moisturized.

I first noticed this when Raychel was less than 1 month. I noticed how sensitive to skin creams, soaps and more perceptible to eczema she was compared to other babies I knew in my circle of family and friends.

So I immediately wanted to some advice from my doctor and a natural path associate to see what products/ointments to use on a daily basis and also to help alleviate any discomforts associated to sensitive skin. Of course, alongside a prescription face cream from our family doctor, we use Johnson’s Baby products and I’m happy to know that this product is still a recommended and popular choice.

Their products are clearly timeless because our family for generations has been loyal avid users.

I currently use on Raychel the pink classic lotion and their Bedtime lotion with Lavender. They both smell amazing on her. Sometimes I’ll buy an extra bottle or two just for myself b/c it’s lightweight on the skin and smells refreshing.
If you need to buy a simple unisex baby shower gift, I strongly suggest their gift set below:

JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME® SWEET SLEEP™ Gift Set
 All the essentials for your baby's nightly routine

• This baby gift set includes everything you need to help your baby get a good night's sleep. The products in this set are formulated with NATURALCALM™ essences, a unique blend of patent pending essences that has been tested and proven to have relaxing properties. When used as part of a nightly routine of bath, massage and quiet time, these products help your baby fall asleep easier and sleep through the night better.

JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME SWEET SLEEP SET™ contains:
• JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME® BATH 9 oz
• JOHNSON'S® BEDTIME® LOTION 9 oz
• JOHNSON'S® Baby Shampoo with Natural Lavender 15 oz
• Soft Baby Wash Cloth
• And a special bonus to enhance your baby's nightly routine (usually a book or a soft toy)

Children's birthday parties

Celebrating birthdays is a fun yet expensive occasion. So you can only imagine how much time, money and effort it takes for a child’s party. Ever since I’ve become a mother, I’ve attended more children’s birthday parties with Raychel than I did before I had my own child. It’s almost like a cult – the Mommy cult. As soon as you’re labeled as a parent, you’re immediately attending birthday parties with clowns, balloons, overly sweet tasting cake and children running around uncontrollably. Because I’m thrown into this foreign world, you learn as you go along the children’s party etiquette – the do’s and don’ts for surviving the party.

One thing I’m a huge advocate for is making sure that your child has a nap or had a good night sleep before the day of the party. Last thing you need is a cranky, exhausted child to deal with especially in front of guests. If the party is scheduled during Raychel’s normal naptime, I come prepared with her stroller, bottle of milk and extra blankets so that she’s ready to transition into nap time once we leave or in case the party is a whole day event, need to escape into a quiet area.

Raychel will be 1 years old in a few weeks – my party for her is going to be simple and intimate. It will consist of take-out dinner with family and an ice cream cake from Dairy Queen at home. She loves ice cream so I think that will be a great treat for her since she’s not going to remember anything else that day. This way, I don’t have to worry about my party etiquette and I can save some money too.

I’ve come across lots of websites and magazine articles about children’s birthday party etiquette and I find them very helpful. If I get time, I like reviewing them before we attend or plan a party so that I feel like I’m “somewhat prepared” in this situation.

http://www.amazingmoms.com/htm/partytips.htm

http://www.kids-birthday-party-guide.com/kids-birthday-party-etiquette.html

http://chicago.timeout.com/articles/kids/82581/etiquette-for-kids-birthday-parties-kids-birthday-party-guide-2010

Raychel and her baby food

"While we try to teach our children all about life,
Our children teach us what life is all about."
~Angela Schwindt

Raychel likes to eat anything, especially homemade baby food. I can't blame her b/c the homemade stuff tastes pretty good and I always end up making larger portions so that I can enjoy it too. For example, one of her favourite meals is avocado and egg yoke. I use 1 whole avocado and 2 egg yokes. Mix it all together until it's very smooth and then serve. However, before I serve it to her, I put half the portion into a bowl for myself and I'll enjoy my meal after she's finished.

She also enjoys my sweet potato and parsnip mash. I cook 1 large whole sweet potato and 2 parsnips into a pot together for 1h15 minutes. Then I mash them together very well until it's smooth like regular mashed potatoes. I eat this myself and I love it too.

For our Thanksgiving dinner, I made her mashed sweet potatoes and regular potatoes with a little bit of turkey. She loved it. I did notice that the mash was rather thick so we added a bit of baby formula to thin it out.

I still serve her baby food from the jars - she loves all the Heinz ones. I'm fortunate that she does b/c I have tons of coupons for their food. Every time the grocery stores has Heinz food and juices on sale, I immediately make my pilgrimage to the store holding my coupons proudly. Silly as it sounds, I'm happy to make the journey there b/c I know that I'm feeding my child with food she likes and at the same time I'm saving money too.

Raychel also likes her cookies - what kid doesn't? She likes brands such as Baby Mum Mum, Arrowroot, and Heinz. Gerber makes these toddler snacks called Lil Crunchies and she goes crazy for them! I will serve her 3-4 and they don't last for very long. My favourite flavour is Veggie Dip but I'm sure Raychel would rather me not still her snacks.

Raychel's developmental milestones

Raychel has been growing up so quickly - it's amazing on how much developmental progress she's made. Like her gross motor skills for example: holding up all 20lbs of herself while she's standing up with support from chairs and sofas. Or her fine motor skills like taking her favourite rattle and shaking it loudly and also feeding herself by picking up her Gerber star shaped puffs and putting them into her mouth. She def likes looking at herself in the mirror and touching her reflection. And so much more, it's hard to remember them all. From all these behaviours, it doesn't seem like she's behind in her growing development. I'm happy for this b-c I know it's a challenge for both parents and child when behaviour development is progressing slowly. I recognize every child is different so it's important not to panic if she can't do all the things that's required/expected of a 10 month old.

One thing she likes to do is drink from my water bottle. I let try it once after I drank my bottled water in front of her and she seemed quite curious about my action. So I let her take a sip and to my surprise she drank it - no mess! It's like she already knew what to do. I know drinking from plastic water bottles aren't good for the environment and other cons to drinking from a bottled water but I was proud that my daughter could do it all on her own. Whenever she wants a drink, I support the bottle for her and she will put her hands around it too like she's actually drinking it on her own.

What a smart kid!