Ma po tofu

My easy way: stir fry garlic and fresh chilli in oil. Add in taucu. Stir and then add in water/soup base. Add in silken tofu, break them into smaller pieces. Add in some chilli powder (if intended for more spicy dish). Let it come to simmer. Dish out and top with spring onions. 

Second time, exclusively breastfed

The breastfeeding journey does get easier when it comes to the subsequent kid (equipped with knowledge and experience); at least for my case!
My second baby turns 6 months old today and this marks our 6 months exclusive breastfeeding journey. 
For myself, it has been 3.5 years of breastfeeding (both my girls born on same date, three years apart). I only managed to tandem nurse maybe for a week after which my elder daughter says ‘nen nen is yucky’! 
While both girls are exclusively breastfed, they are both different in their own ways. And this has also busted the many myths about breastfed babies! For example, people always assume that breastfed babies are clingy and need the breast to sleep. Yes, my elder girl was one of these high needs baby at her infant days but my younger girl could actually soothe herself to sleep in a swaddle (especially her early three months)!
Not all babies are same even if they come from the same ‘factory’ and fed the same breastmilk. While my elder is sort of tiny baby, my younger girl double her birth weight quite quickly and achieved her sister’s 6 months old weight by third month! (They are about 250g difference at birth) 
Some may argue that this is because my second girl direct latch entirely in the six months since I am a stay at home mum (while I did pump and bottle fed my first girl – since at that point I was a working mum). But actually my elder girl latched more frequent and longer in her early days compared to my younger girl! Well, I am not a Scientist to make a conclusion on this.
My point is do not doubt your own breastmilk (and the quantity you produced)! Every baby is different- so ignore the comparisons that people always make on babies raised & fed differently (or even similarly)!
How does it get easier with number two? Firstly, no one doubt you because you have successfully breastfed the first who is growing up so healthily. Even if there are, of course, one would have cleverly avoid or ignore them! Brush away people who try to belittle you! 
We basically breastfed everywhere (because we know nothing matters more than feeding the baby plus the need to handle the elder kid, every action has to be ‘fast’) – I think in these six months, we only looked for a nursing room 5% of our total outing! We even brought her to an oversea trip at 4 months! Well, the decision to babywear (from birth) was one of our best decisions that ease our breastfeeding journey.
So now what? Certainly, we would continue our breastfeeding journey until she naturally weans off like her elder sister (maybe in a different way). For now, I would enjoy our every breastfeeding moment (I no longer whine like I used to during my first girl’s days about the long nursing session)- as I do miss breastfeeding my elder girl – who insists that ‘nen nen’ now belongs to Mei Mei! 
Breastfeeding is not a competition nor a trend; but it is a choice on how you would like to feed your baby! Begin with an end in the mind!

DHM for babies

I was recently made an admin for DHM for babies fb page, a sub of DHM fb page. The fb page is dedicated to parents sharing their home cooked speciafically for babies! Anyone could join but before posting, please kindly read the pinned post!

This also coincide ya with baby Nikki turning 6 month old tomorrow and starting her solid soon! 

My first post is still Noelle’s food:

Steam chicken
Suitable for babies that have passed chicken, orange and carrot – probably after 11 mo
Squeeze fresh orange juice on the chicken, let it marinate for an hour or more. Pour away the orange marinate and then top with carrots. Steam for 10-15 minutes!
Well, this is for my big girl though she is over her baby phase! 😂 cooked this today cos hubby and I are having tomyam chicken ! 

Disclaimer to all DHM for babies’ members – please kindly do your research and follow your own cues when feeding your babies. What every member share is based on own knowledge and experience! We are not responsible for your baby – you are! 😊😊😊

Magnet exploration

The Hands Free Pledge

I’m currently in love with this book titled ‘Hands Free Mama’; it speaks a lot about what I have been doing especially since last year…

Call me ignorant; but I am becoming hands free…

Things to keep the kids occupied

We were at pasar malam. She was looking at the stacks of ‘lego’ (yes, pirated ones!). She didn’t say anything but her eyes – the ‘stare’! Ahhhhh…then I asked ‘do you want?’ And she nodded! She took one and I asked her to take another (1 for RM3 and 2 for RM5)! The smile and the sudden ‘good behaviour’ kind of girl appeared! 😂
She promised to take her shower before opening and she did. And she knew she can only open ONE (but she is chanting that the other box is ‘for holiday’ 🙄🙄cos usually we buy these to get her occupied during our holidays).

But this keep her occupied from yesterday night till now when I couldn’t attend to her! 😊

Busy box for the baby!

It comprises of many baby soft toys that she inherited from the big sister!

My thoughts on homeschooling at 3.5yo

I got to admit that the decision to homeschool this 3.5 year old during her preschool years is mainly by ME – for simple reason, I am doing the ‘most’ work/supervision/guidance or whatever you may name it! 
Also, with Nikki coming along, we did not want Noelle to feel that ‘we are sending you away because of your sister’s existence’! We are glad that Noelle wasn’t send to school for this reason – she developed a truly amazing relationship with Nikki within less than 6 months!
Sometimes I do ponder if the decision is ‘right’. Sometimes I wonder if she would prefer going to school (she did tell me she wants to go to school after I told her that her neighbour friend is going to school – but we had a chat on it – which I will leave it to next post). Sometimes I do think of her progress/development/milestones. (But I have many mummies telling me that she’s doing fine! Some even shared their kids Montessori activities – and told me that mostly achieved by Noelle already.) Being selfish, sometimes I wonder if I would have more time for myself if I just send her to school (but my friend warned me that I will have more work – chauffeuring with a baby along!)
We don’t really go through any syllabus or guide. We don’t even have any theme play – but most activities are just based on our resources. Most of the time I tried doing activities that she is interested. She is not even taught how to write or read but mostly by listening (I do read to her) and observation. 
No doubt Nikki around, Noelle has a lot of her free time – which she can choose what she likes to do (sometimes I do feel that she is bored – but I read an article that it is ok for them to feel bored and they are supposed to think for themselves on what to do).
I also tried incorporating learning into our daily routines/task – for example, today when we were cutting French beans, we learn about the name itself, cutting into different sizes and ‘opposites’ (as in short as opposed to long). We also encourage learning by observation. Noelle actually imitates a lot on how I speak to Nikki, which includes ‘Nikki, are you ok?’ or ‘Nikki, so cute ahhh’ (I will allow you to imagine her expressions). Another example is when we were furniture hunting – while hubby was measuring the chairs – she was just following along.
We tried our best to have weekend activities so that she could get some exposure in life with people of her age. 
Seriously, we do not actually know this is the best decision – but the decision has been made! Probably, I will take the blame if things with her doesn’t turn out well 🙄.
*please do not ever think that I am homeschooling her because I am not able to ‘let go’

No more afternoon me time?

Officially no more afternoon ‘me time’ for mama this week
Nikki latches for an hour plus when I put them together for afternoon nap. Once unlatched, she will be usually awake immediately or after few minutes! 😪

So, she got to watch mama cook quick dinner and take quick tea break (complaining on her high chair) before mama could entertain her with some activities! 

By the time, she gets tired (sometimes don’t even get tired now😩), jeh jeh will be awake!
I want back my newborn Nikki who sleeps 3-4 hours! 😝 she is undergoing ‘Noelle-zation’…😪🙄

Creamy mushroom sauce without cream

Recipe to keep:

Prepare vegetable stock and set aside. Stir  fry onion and garlic in heated butter. Then add in some plain flour. Stir before adding shiitake mushrooms and shimeji mushrooms. Pour in the vegetables stock and I included some of the vegetables such as pumpkin, potatoes and carrots. Let it simmer for 10 minutes and then cool down. Blend everything and then reheat it. Add in pepper and salt if you like. Add in some fresh milk.
The sauce was creamy because of the flour and also thickness from potatoes and pumpkin! 😊

Coffee play dough for muddy puddle

In the making: Coffee play dough to make muddy puddle <video>
Ingredients:

Half cup ground coffee 

2 cups plain flour

1 cup salt

1 tsp nescafe, for colouring

2 tsp cream of tar tar

1 cup hot boiling water