Walk this way baby!

Woohoo! Tiffany is finally OFFICIALLY walking on her own as of this week...or, I should say, she has finally gained the courage to walk on her own as of this week! Little miss has been standing up and 'cruising' since she was just 6 months old (she has always been an impatient little thing!) but by no means would she let go and try to walk on her own! So no doubt, I am the happiest mummy on earth this week now that my little cupcake has reached this important milestone!

All excited, I decided the time had come to buy some shoes for my little tot's feet and to finally get her accustomed to walking with shoes on. I must add that, to date, little miss has refused to wear any form shoes for more than 5 seconds! Any attempt to make her wear shoes would always result in her crying hysterically followed by her flinging the pair as far away as she possibly can! She would do the same with her socks too if she didn't have her sock-ons on (marvellous invention)! In fact if I forget to put the sock-on's on her socks she takes them off and not only that, she then hides them.  And don't think she just hides them anywhere, oh noooo, she puts them in places where I wouldn't dream of looking.. I have found socks, under mattresses, under the sofa, in plastic containers in the back of the bottom cupboards. It's just amazing how crafty she can be when she wants to...and she's barely a year old! hmmm

So I've done a bit of reading up on the subject of buying shoes for toddlers, and I was amazed to read so much conflicting information.  However, the majority of paediatricians recommend flexible leather-soled shoes for their flexibility (but preferably non slip socks or barefoot) till the age of 2. So after much deliberation, I bought her the following pair from Pediped.  Aren't they adorable? Now to convince the little miss....

For those interested in reading up on the subject here is a link that might interest you:
http://www.babyzone.com/baby_toddler_preschooler_health/worry/article/are-toddler-shoes-necessary

Shoo flu, don't bother me!

Doesn't it just suck when you are stuck indoors with the flu or a cold? Doesn't it suck even more when you are sick with the flu or a cold and have a baby or toddler to take care of, but haven't the strength to do it because you are sick and really need someone to take care of YOU instead? And how much more does it suck when said baby or toddler catches the flu or cold from you whilst you are doing your utmost to take care of him/her in your feeble state?

Yeah, well the above pretty much sums up what the past two weeks were like for us... and boy, those two weeks sure sucked and big time! Poor little princess caught the flu from me and we were both sickies and feeling yucky! Talk about taking a trip to guilt town!! I swear, nothing feels worse to me then when the fact that little chick is sick is my own fault!

Drowned in my own guilt, and in an effort to make my princess feel all better, I did some googling and came across this link for some med-free home remedies:
parentsconnect.com/parenting-tips/home-remedies-for-the-common-cold.jhtml

Oh yes, I know the title says remedies for the common cold, but the remedies are just as good with the flu (tested and proven!) These home remedies basically ease the symptoms associated with a cold or the flu in a totally natural way. That said, you may still  need to visit your doctor especially if kiddo has a fever.

Another interesting link is the following.  Read what Dr Sears has to say about boosting your child's immune system here:
http://www.askdrsears.com/html/4/t042500.asp

On a more positive note, we are all better now and here is a little photo to prove it:

I wish you all good health! Keep well!

X

Our Pet Ladybug! Isn't it the cutest?!

For her first birthday last December, little chick was lucky enough to recieve one of these cute little critters from her auntie Dee. Isn't he just adorable?? We have named the little guy "Bugg" and is currently little miss' favourite toy! Everywhere she ventures to, Bugg will have to go (whether he wants to or not! haha). As far as pets go, this one doesn't eat, sleep or poop making it a mama's ideal pet! Nor does it get dizzy from all the times it goes around the sofa and it has the ability to wear an energetic little toddler out! Woohoo! This one is definitely a keeper :)

I [heart] my tub!

I use the term ‘my’ very loosely here, as I can hardly fit a leg and arm into it, let alone have a good ol’ soak in it!! :) In fact, the only reason why I say that this tub is mine, is quite simply, because I paid for it! But that’s where we draw the line.  This funky looking tub from Hoppop, called the Bato+, actually belongs to little miss, whose tolerance for being in bath water has doubled in time (which also means she gets more tired during her pre-bedtime bath and sleeps earlier! Did i mention how much I love this tub??).  Perhaps the reason she is enjoying her baths all the more is due to this wonderful invention having a double wall, and therefore the water temperature inside the bath stays warmer for longer!

The bato+ comes in a choice of fun colours including lime (as seen above), fuchsia and aqua. It has high walls making it perfect for toddlers and looks very much like a modern Victorian tub.  It can be used for babies too, though from my experience I feel there are better baths out there suited babies that cannot yet support themselves.  It is very sturdy and surprisingly not as heavy as it looks.  Unfortunately though, you can’t have too much of a good thing, and this tub does have a flaw. One of the main problems of this tub is that the bottom is quite slippery.  This problem is easily fixed by sticking some anti-slip bath mats to the bottom.
This tub, although not the cheapest around, has been worth every cent and is, in our opinion, the perfect toddler bath!

Tiffany's Favourite Books!

I have, from as early on as I can remember, had this deep passion for books! It was of no doubt that once my little chick made her grand debut, I didn’t waste any time in building her first little library.
And as it turns out, little chick loves books too! Everyday, she spends hours going through all the pages of ALL her books (after pulling them off her shelf and then dumping and scattering them all around the living room floor mind you!) and starts “reading” her own made up story. It’s so cute to watch her. Though, I must add, her defination of ”loves books” also includes gnawing at them, especially when she thinks mummy isn’t looking. When I catch her gnawing at the chosen victim of the day our conversation would go something like this: “Tiffany don’t bite the book!” Tiffany would look at mummy with those big innocent eyes and reply with a reassuring ”no no no no” as if to say, “Who? Me?? Chewing a book?! you must be insane, mummy!!” Then I would say to her: ”That’s a good girl!” Then she would start clapping at herself for being such(!!) a good girl, and as I turn my back I find her gnawing at it again. Sigh! A parent is forever learning though…from now on only board books are allowed to enter the threshold of our home, as they are the only sort that will have a chance of lasting more than a couple of hours with my little bookworm.
Anyway, I’d like to share with you a few of our favourites from the bunch:

Guess how much I love you by Sam McBratney

This is such a heart warming book and I really enjoy reading this to Tiffany, especially before bedtime. It’s about a little nutbrown hare that wants to impress his parent (big nutbrown hare) with the enormous scale of his devotion, but ends up being the one who is impressed. The story, which depicts the unconditional love a parent has for his/her child, is based on a conversation between little and big nutbrown hare before little nutbrown hare goes to bed one evening. It is a very sweet story that really gives a good tug on the heartstrings.  It ends with big nutbrown hare telling his child that s/he loves him/her all the way to the moon and back! If you wish to buy this book click here

On the Night you were born by Nancy Tillman

This has got to be my top favourite children’s book! The first time I read it, I admit I started chocking up and had to stop! It is such a touching and meaningful tale. The story is about a parent telling the child just how special s/he is and how the whole world rejoiced on the night s/he was born.  Here is a caption taken from the book:

“On the night you were born,
the moon smiled with such wonder
that the stars peeked in to see you
and the night wind whispered,
“Life will never be the same.”
Because there had never been anyone like you….
ever in the world” …

To purchase this wonderful book click here

The very hungry caterpillar by Eric Carle

You may remember this classic from back when you were a child. 40 years from its original publication, this story still remains a favourite with children.  Its story is a simple one.  A caterpillar “pops” out of its egg and looks around for some food.  Though the hungry guy has unusual taste in food, infact he prefers food that children eat… I mean, who would want to eat leaves every day, right? After eating holes through all the pages in the book, the poor fellow gets a stomach ache and goes back to eating leaves again. By then he has become a big fat caterpillar.  He then builds a cocoon around itself and after staying in there for two weeks, he nibbles a hole in the cocoon, pushes his way out and emerges as a beautiful butterfly.
Not only is the story really fun to read, but the holes in the book make it all the more interesting for kids, not to mention the colourful illutrations that capture the child’s attention. Not only that, you can teach your child the days of the week and numbers from this story! If you wish to buy this book, click here