Waning into weaning

While I am not yet quite ready to admit it, and my stubborn nature will insist I continue to try and reach the arbitrary goal of "1 year" which I set out for myself, I digress - it appears we may be inadvertently waning into a state of weaning.  The Oxford Dictionary defines wean as

"accustom (someone) to managing without something to which they have become accustomed to"

while Wiki is more specific in describing the process of weaning as:

the process of introducing a mammal infant to what will be its adult diet and withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk

Sound pretty harsh eh?  Well, yeah - and pretty sad too, considering where we started all those months ago.  Hours and hours of practicing, focus, trying, bleeding, crying and more trying.  Then we settled into a nice hum breastfeeding bliss where the feeder and feedie were generally on the same page, albeit the feedie could be somewhat demanding from time to time (the whole point in demand-breastfed I hear you say, so touche).

Well, that was then, and now is now, and now more closely resembles a mid-air refueling of a very antsy F16 in the middle of a dogfight ...

Breastfeeding an eight month old boy, nothing

more than a mere 'refueling' for more jumping!

Gone are the days of blissful breastfeeding, like a snuggly momma dog with her delighted pup...

...no, these days, despite having only one suckling, with only one tooth, I definitely resemble this poor momma dog more closely...

I know, it could have something to do with the fact that our feedie has turned into a bit of a foodie and loves all things fish, chicken, beef, broccoli, spinach, breadsticks, cottage cheese, gosh - you name it, he'll probably eat it (including chili, garlic, onion, curry...) but when I rush home clear across town to make it for the lunch-time feed - I expect at least, well, a bit of a feed - instead, Luka thinks it is a swell idea for mommy to come home to play and jump around with him.  Which, I must admit, in the grand scheme of lunch hour dates, is not all that bad.  

But boy oh boy, I will miss the whole "but I'm breastfeeding" excuse for that last piece of chocolate...

So, while I'm not quite ready to give it up yet, the signs are there that our little man is moving on to greener (and spicier) pastures. 

More on eating and our life in Dili

"Give me that! Let me show you how..."

Since I have been absolutely flat-out at work lately, I have not been able to update all of you on the progress and goings-on of life in Dili, and yes, yes I know you are not interested in hearing about Chris and I, only how is Luka doing - so yes - Luka too.

As we've mentioned in earlier posts, we have moved to a new house immediately opposite close friends and Luka's closest buddy in Dili, Adrian.

Turns out it was a great time to move since I was overwhelmed with work commitments at night and especially now going into the festive season I am expected to attend more and more social functions at night, making our current location near all the embassies much more preferable.

Luka has in a word, been thriving.  He is 6.5 months adjusted/corrected age, and closer to 9 months actual age.  In terms of development, here is the latest:

1. He is able to, albeit reluctant, to sit
2. He wants to stand, jump, pounce and most recently, climb, everything
3. He manages to actually move himself forward on his stomach on his play mat when you place toys outside of reach, but is smart enough to know it is much easier to flip on his back, scoot up, then flip back over and triumphantly score the toy
4. He still only has one bottom tooth, and what a cutie it is
5. No movement on the hair growth yet, though we remain baffled at the redness of it
6. His eyes seem to be leaning toward a greenish hue at the moment
7. He still smiles about 40 times an hour, and laughs out of his belly when you blow bubbles in the pool
8. He loves, loves music and wholeheartedly joins in whenever I or the nanny sings to him
9. He is close to a truce with Gus who have lately been much more amenable to trying out this new visitor - I think someone realized that he is not in fact, visiting
10. He has grown out of all his 6 and 9 month clothing and is seriously challenging the 12 month variety - which means there will be a lot of naked baby in the weeks to come until we can get to a place with clothes for him

We haven't weighed him this week, but as of last week here is Luka by the numbers:
Age: 6.5 months
Length: 74cm (29.13inches)
Weight: 8.6kg (19lbs)
Head: 45cm



Yes, that does in fact mean that his length for his corrected age is officially off the charts now.

As for our little culinary experimenter:

"I love my mummy because she feeds me"

Chris was excited to read an article that suggested that one should feed an infant at least 24 new foods before their first birthday - at last count, we were up to 28, and he's only six months old- something Chef Daddy took great pride in.

This week's favorite, home made brown bread.  While we started out toasting it (like the book says) mommy figured out instead of toast fingers, just give him crust fingers - it lasts much longer and is nice and bendy.  He must by mommy's child because he loves bread.

Whoa, what's that flavor...ssssssour!

Hm, new food - cool!

In continuing Luka's flavor journey, he was recently introduced to yogurt.  Now since there are none in Dili, we employ some assistance from a Kiwi invention called an EasyYo that allows you to make your own home-made yogurt with a little bucket-looking thing, some boiling water, and a packet of easy-yo.  We have come to depend on it as much as on our bread-maker where there are sometimes weeks if not months without either in the supermarket.

As with most of the food we have introduced him to, he honestly seemed to like it, despite the somewhat surprised look when this new SOUR flavor hit his jowls.

Whoa! What's that tingly feeling in my jawline!!!
 Yowzer that was sour!

Breathtaking

Exhibit A

If you are a keen gardener (or lucky enough to receive flowers from your loved one) you will know 'baby's breath' as a tiny white flower often used as filler. If you are a new parent, you will likely associate 'baby's breath' with the sweet sound and breastmilky (also somewhat sweet) smell of your bubba's rhythmic breathing, and pretty much think it is the most beautiful sound/smell on earth.

Another familiar type of 'breath' is of course, the oft feared garlic breath (and yes, apparently there is a website called www.garlicbreath.org) which, if you are a foodie, like us would generally indicate an enjoyable meal in the near past, of if your olfactory factory is in overdrive, like my dad, it would just mean a nosy nuisance for days after the calories of the cheesy garlic bread has made themselves at home on the hips of the diner.

Exhibit B

Today, I would like to present to you the latest in breath technology - a hybrid of the above mentioned breath classes.  Behold, baby garlic breath or perhaps garlic baby breath?  That's right - imagine my surprise one sunny lunch hour when I made the trip back home to breastfeed Luka, and while burping him as per normal, his burb comes out smelling like GARLIC!  I had to take a serious double-take and then realized this is foodie daddy cooking up a storm for him, which this week included delicacies such as "Carrots with Garlic" (Exhibit B) and "Broccoli with Basil".  Trust me, when I got home, I myself wanted to sit down for the mushy goodness coming out of Daddy's Test Kitchen!

Bananarama!

Yummie banana!

Self-feeding training. Lesson 101 - m o u t h.....

So, since moving to the tropics, 'solids training' has taken somewhat of a leap forward.  I guess tropical fruits such as mangoes, bananas and avocados are all the rage on a baby's palate as Luka is practically helping himself from the refrigerator these days!  Of course I blamed ouma for feeding him all the good stuff and no vegetables - so I ensured we had some sweet potatoes and butternut in the mix this week as well, and yes, loved it.    

Bottle Battle Round #6 - Game, Set and MATCH

Okay, perhaps it is not entirely a fair fight, and yes, it might to a large extent be due only to the fact that we still have a longer attention span than Luka - but, dare I say - we WON one!

Luka and Daddy settling in for a sundowner

On Friday the 16th of September, Luka the Legend and Daddy the Darraigner stepped onto Central Court at 84 Hilltop, Scarborough - for the final match of the Bottle Battle tournament.  Armed with a few solid wins under his belt, Luka may have underestimated the resolve of a father under strict instructions from his beloved wife to 'do or die' (well, it wasn't that dramatic, but not like breastfeeding Luka while I am at work is an option for Chris, so pretty much).

After the initial warm-up shots were tossed around while standing and bouncing in the position most likely to through Luka for a loop - it finally happened - he latched onto that Latex nipple like there was no tomorrow and gulped down the entire feed in what seemed to be a single shot (what came back up from his persistent reflux problem is another problem, and not one only related to this form of feeding).

One cannot but congratulate the challenger for the courage, determination and skill to finally take the title in the Bottle Battle Cup 2011!  (Let's hope mommy fairs equally well in the 'Solids Invitational'.

"See, it's not that bad!"

Bottle Battle Round #5

The contestants on Court 2 

Contestant #1:  Luka the Legend
Weapon: More accurate use of hands, making swiping at the bottle much more accurate!
Contestant #2:  Daddy the Dude
Substitute:  none, this is a singles match

A skillful backhand move by the
challenger

Weapon of choice:  remains unchanged - AVENT One-Piece Anti-Colic Valve System switched half-way through to NUK latex slow-flow to mix things up and try a 'shock and awe' approach.


Outcome: Game 4:  Advantage Daddy (with Luka serving next)
Match notes: The match took place both inside and outside on the deck overlooking the ocean while Daddy rocked, swayed, shuushed and talked to Luka (translation: Luka can currently only be bottle fed by someone with a strong back and good coordination, in good weather, by the coast)

A rather shocked expression
from the undefeated champion

Results:  A strong showing by the challenger who made his determination clear to the defending champion.
Quote of the match:  "Buddy, even if you wear this last bit we are going to finish this bottle!"
Match time:  About 45mins

Next up - final game of the set.

Proof that we are not raising a sore loser

Bottle Battle Round #4

Contestant #1:  Luka the Legend
Weapon of choice: new-found intent on winning, armed with a fresh nap under his belt.
Contestant #2:  Mommy now Mildly Meek
Substitute:  none, this is a singles match
Weapon of choice:  remains unchanged - AVENT One-Piece Anti-Colic Valve System fitted with a slow-flow teat - 50ml of Nestle Lactogen Formula (why? because mommy can't keep up feeding a growing 4'ish month old, AND the Medela - so will have to 'get ahead' first before can provide him with expressed breastmilk)


Outcome:
Game 4:  Advantage Mommy (with Luka serving next)
Match notes: With Daddy the Determined braving the freezing (14C/54F) Atlantic waters in his inaugural Cape Peninsula dives with local dive outfit Pisces Divers mommy was left home to brave Game 4 in the Bottle Battle Match alone.  Using the skills and technique demonstrated by the Daddy yesterday, mommy proceeded with trepidation.
Results:  It was a game of 50's.  Formula attempted:  50mls (1.7oz) of that 50mls, Luka ingested probably about 50%. Of the remaining 50%, mommy is wearing about 50% and Luka's bib the other 50%.  So in all, not a terribly bad showing, and certainly an improvement over previous Games.
Match time:  About 45mins, no tears, a little fuss, lots of bouncing and entertainment, and a much better communication strategy between Luka and Mommy.

Will Game 5 be the Match decider?  Stay tuned.

Bottle Battle Round #3

Contestant #1:  Luka the Legend
Weapon of choice: Sheer and utter will and determination (with two Games won, add some confidence to the mix!)
Contestant #2:  Daddy the Disillusioned (re-branding in the hopes of thwarting the opponent)
Weapon of choice:  AVENT One-Piece Anti-Colic Valve System fitted with a slow-flow teat
(Reasoning for weapon for Contestant #2):  Because Weapons #1 and #2 SUCKED!
Substitute:  Mamma the Meagerly Hopeful


Outcome:
Game 3:  DEUCE (with a possibility for advantage Daddy)
Match notes: A much more respectable attempt by Contestant #2.  It is clear that he studied match tapes from earlier games, and used the 'surprise-factor' to shock and awe the defending champion into submission with unexpected twists such as outward-facing approaches and swift footwork.  While less than 30mls/1oz was accomplished, taken with the negative amounts from the previous attempts, we're probably close to a gallon of net gain.
Match time:  An hour of sweat, drool and formula (happy to report no blood yet), and no tears this time!

Bring on the next round!

Bottle Battle Round #2

Contestant #1:  Luka the Legend
Weapon of choice: Sheer and utter will and determination
Contestant #2:  Daddy the Delusional 
Weapon of choice:  NUK Latex  #1
(Reasoning for weapon for Contestant #2):  Another NUK apparatus, this time with a more 'natural' teat for our organic kid. Ha!
Substitute:  Mamma the Mercurial 


Outcome:
Game 2:  6-2 for Luka the Legend
Match notes:  DtD gave it his best shot - and managed to get a few shots in this time, but LtL had improved on his volleys and managed to floor DtD once more with a deep shot down the sideline to square away a solid win for Game 2 in the match.  Mamma the Mercurial was brought in briefly off the bench - but it was soon evident that the game was already decided.
Match time:  A much more respectable twenty minutes.  

Bottle Battle Round #1

Contestant #1:  Luka the Legend
Weapon of choice: Sheer and utter will and determination
Contestant #2:  Daddy the Determined
Weapon of choice:  NUK Orthodontist-choice Silicone #1
(Reasoning for weapon for Contestant #2):  Same/similar as dummy/pacifier/binky that Contestant #1 sucked on until recently deciding that his god-given thumbs are way better (with which his sleep-deprived parents tend to agree)


Outcome:
Game 1:  6-0 for Luka the Legend
Match notes:  DtD did not stand a chance.  LtL hit an ace, powerful on the baseline, and finally buried his opponent at the net.
Match time:  didn't even register  

Behold the newest Foodie in the Family

Breakfast in bed!

The prep-phase

While I am a strong proponent of  'Breast is Best', there comes a time in every infant-son of food-loving parents to make the jump to delectable dishes like....rice cereal!  Trust me, this important step is much to blame for this post, and pretty much, most of the feelings of being overwhelmed in the last week.  A quick search online will give you an indication of just how complicated and controversial introducing solids can be in a normal term baby - let alone to a premature infant that is somewhere between 3.5-5.5 months old.  I mean, do we go by the old WHO 'breast-only for the first six months', or the new WHO guidelines of 'breast-only for the first 4 months', and if so - which four months or six months exactly are we talking about, his birth age (which means his digestive track's real age) or his corrected age (meaning his developmental age) - you see my point here....

'Presentation is Everything' right?
Just because it is not Kobi Beef does
not mean we can't have white linens.

So, once I got back on my motherhood horse after a few blows this week, (we won't go into low weight gain issues, low milks supply - leading to rented pumps and miles driven for Medela parts in the Southern Peninsula, herbal supplements - and just general overwhelmedness and under-decisiveness) meagerly mom (and darling daddy of course) decided that guidelines are exactly that, there to guide us - and in the end, guidelines don't make decisions for Luka, we do.  So with the  blessing of Luka's paed and encouragement from a few great nurses - we embarked on the big Solids phase!  Nothing too crazy in the beginning, just some rice cereal (gotto work him up to that seared Ahi and all), and after the initial 'hey, what's-this-weird-stuff-in-my-mouth-tongue-thurst' - Luka seems to really like it!

"Release my love, or be slain by my
spoon!"

We have started on breakfast only, after a breast feed - with his porridge as 'breakfast-in-bed'.  We make it lots of fun (thanks niggie) and allow him to play with the spoon after the feed (which, proud mommy can say he managed to jam into his mouth - okay, and his eye a couple of times).