Genetics

Isn't it amazing how much of ourselves is reflected in our children. For example, Caitlin looks so much like I looked when I was a baby that my uncles and aunts cannot stop talking about it. Of course they would know; they watched me grow up after all. All of them look a little alike each other anyway so they get a kick out of seeing their genetic material get passed down to another generation. I in turn, look a whole lot like my father. In fact my mother always says that I inherited everything from him: his brains, his looks, right down to his walk.

However, it's not fair to say that Caitlin only has MY genetic material. It seems that she's inherited her father's sense of humour. Two days ago I was feeding her and she bit down hard on my nipple. When I yelped in pain and surprise, she immediately followed with a giggle. Then, for the heck of it, she bit me a second time. This time, I forced myself not to giggle along with her. A combination of surpressed laughter and mock sterness resulted in a sort of constipated look on my face. Hopefully, she got that biting Mommy isn't a game. It seems she's also inherited her Daddy's sensative skin. Vin used to break out in rashes all the time. Sand used to make him break out in blisters. In the span of one week, I've seen my daughter go from small little heat induced bumps to eczema on her mouth to full blown hives. Vin says she'll outgrow it but I'm upset of course. I've already given up seafood. Could it be that I've cut down on the breastmilk and therefore she's MORE sensative?

Caitlin just loves her "Between the Lions" video. She can sort of sit up by herself if I jam her in between two pillows. However, after a while she just falls over sideways.

6 month mark

I'm glad to say that except of a bout of eczema we discovered the other day. Caitlin's happy, healthy and developing really well. Just brought her to the PD today. She's 6.83kg, 64cm tall and 41cm around the head. Hence, although she started out in the top of her age group for size and weight, she's not slowed a bit and is on the petite side. Not that I mind though. Kelvin's worried she'll be a shorty like me. However, I said it's too early to tell yet. 

Feeding

She's on breast milk about 50% of the time now. I feed her when I return home at 5pm, another time at 7 or eight and after her bath again at 9pm. She then sleeps till about 3am when she wakes for another feed. At about 5am or 6am, I'll feed her again before going to work. During the day, she's taking 14 to 16 ounces of formula, one serving of rice cereal and a baby cracker now and then. She really enjoys the cracker. She likes holding her herself and licking it; then the sensation of "chewing" the mushy stuff with her gums. She's learned to hold the bottle by herself. So when the maid feeds her formula, she'll hold the bottle with both hands while she's feeding. If she's had enough she'll pull the teat out of her mouth. Caitlin's also learned to drink from a cup. When she sees Daddy and Mummy drinking anything, she'll stretch out her hand. If I'm not sick I'll let her have a sip of water from my glass. We started training her to drink water from a large spoon and then from a cup that has a spout attached. Therefore, she knows that juice and water comes from a cup rather than a bottle. 

Physical Development

Caity can stand on our lap now. She even takes a few steps if we hold her upright. Recently I bought a toy that spins and travels round and round with music. She "walked" after it when it got stuck in a corner. She's gotten really good at rolling onto her stomach from her back. Recently, she's just learned to roll the other way. She's getting quite sophisticated with her hands too. She can pinch, reach, cup her hands, pick up toys from the floor and pass objects from one hand to the other. She enjoys peek-a-boo type games.

Social and Neurological Development

She is curious about everything and everyone. She'll laugh when strangers talk to her. Today when she was being examined by the PD, she smiled and coo-ed at the PD. We played with her during the jab and she didn't even feel it. She's become very confident and no longer becomes startled by loud noises. She's falling asleep at a regular time every night and can now sleep up to 6 hours at a stretch. She's starting to understand certain words (I think). She will look in the right direction when I ask her "where's daddy". She's observing every day objects that we use like the telephone and when she sees items that are familiar, she'll look at them like she knows what they're for.

cheap alternative to a playpen

Who needs an expensive playpen. We just lay a mattress on the floor and let Caitlin roll around. The round activity mat was given to us by Kelvin's colleagues. She just loves exploring all the different rattles, crinkly bits and mirror that comes with it.
Caitlin can identify Daddy's voice from far across the room now. Whenever she's feeding and she hears Kelvin's voice, she'll detach herself and look for him. What a daddy's girl.
I'm all dressed up for cousin Ivy's wedding tea ceremony. You can't see but Caitlin's wearing a cute little dress. She only owns 3 dresses at the moment.
3 generations. My mother, Caitlin and me. My mom is very proud to be a grandma; Po Po. She keeps saying over and over how my baby photos look exactly like Caitlin now. E Gu-joing (2nd Aunt's husband) says that Caitlin's my "photocopy". Except for a few grey hairs and a couple of age spots, can you tell that my mother is 58 years old? If she just paid a little more attention to her appearance, I think she'd look like her 40s again.
Cousin Ivy in the Kwa. Caitlin's being manja.

Falling asleep without Mommy: the impossible

Last night, another miracle--Caitlin fell asleep on her own. Kelvin put her in the cot and she fell asleep on her own after playing for a little while. On the one hand, I was elated. On the other hand, I felt a little sad that she didn't need to suckle and that our special time of closeness would come to an end eventually. She sleeps a lot better now. By 9.30pm she's out and she only wakes once or twice through the night. This gives me some time to myself in the evenings. She's also not as jumpy anymore. Every day I pray for her to sleep better. Part of it is also that she's more alert during the day and we can engage her more. This means that she getting into a pattern of regular nap time during the day so she sleeps better at night.

She's 5 and a half months old today. Recently, she's begun licking me deliberately. She does it occasionally with Grandma Dolly but it's mostly me that she licks. She'll latch on to my chin and start slobbering away. The maids think she's "kissing mommy". I do feel like she's doing it out of affection for me. Then again, who knows? Maybe she just wants "nan nan" (milk). Here she is Caitlin "kissing" Mommy.

Kelvin took this shot of Caitlin and the shot below. She can now lift her entire chest off the surface of the bed. Sometimes, she'll push up with her arms. She's also begun playing by herself. I'll place her on a thin mattress on the floor and she'll immediately flip over. Then she'll pull and chew on a colourful activity mat. She particularly likes licking her reflection in a little mirror that comes with the mat.
Still not a lot of hair on the top of her head. It is growing in but it's all very short fine hair at the moment.

Grandma Dolly brought the whole family out. Since we forgot the pram so we had to borrow cousin Ellie's push-chair. It was actually really windy so we had to cover Caitlin up.

Ellie Jie Jie Rocks