me and my baby

17 more pages of my baby book to go. Bear with me guys. I know I got carried away but with so much cuteness on board who can't. Life of a doctor & a bird lover...






 

About a year ago I had an idea of doing a baby album with many profession choices. We don't have many baby photographers in our country. A renowned one also told me that the flashes cause eye problems to the children. I was afraid, so decided to do my own version. I made the book with Jian's pictures & edited them with a twist, hoping when my little girl grows up she would be proud of me. There are 20 pages. I am so thrilled to share this with you guys I lost the edited photos , so after editing them again (just like the album) I will be posting those in some upcoming dates.Do enjoy & pray for my little girl <3.

LIFE AS A DANCER

REALLY ENJOYING

Last few days ago I wrote a post about baby bathing. Now I intend to write about feeding the little ones. As a child doctor I knew somethings but as a mother I struggled a lot. Sleeping,bathing,dressing every other prospective of child care is a thing getting used to,but regarding eating we mothers have to fight the worst battle. Jian was always a playful active baby. But some expected her to be a chubby one as her mother is a Pediatrician. I was so anxious that I took her to a nutritionist at 8 months of age with a good weight of  7 kgs(14.2 pounds). The good doctor understood me & explained that being born with 2.5 kgs she was gaining weight superebly.Eventually I learned the truth..No matter how perfect she is... she will never be THE BEST to them. So I stopped paying attention to others. Being a doctor you tell your patients"Do this & do that". But after being a mother I really saw things.

Remember Exclusive Breast Feeding.Some of the doctors are man,telling mothers what to do.This always offended me.There are so many things to keep in mind, like"Is the mother working? What if the mother can't produce enough milk?"No matter what the mother says some are like "You have to feed your child only breast milk up to 6 months of age, period". And the mothers come home feeling all sad & guilty.

The babies have their own way of saying things. Like when they are  ready to have solids they will look at the mother's plate with so much curiosity or even try to hold the food.Their little bodies will give us clues.They will be able to sit with little support & control the neck.Being a mother you have to have a keen eye.Nobody is an expert,nobody knows my baby as I do.Some tips I learned as a mother & a doctor-

1.Talking to other mothers whose child is in the same age group helps a lot.There is nothing more useful then first hand experience.

2. Babies have these unique ways of letting us know.Like the POOP.If the baby has something that is not agreeing with his/her body,the poop will be either hard or too soft. Too much solids will harden the poop & if we add something like a little spice or too much vegetable, this will cause gas & soft greeny stool,which is not natural after EBF (exclusive breast feeding) period.

3.Never force your child anything. Some say if you dont't give vegetables, baby will never like it afterwards. Due to Esophageal reflux(which I will share with you guys in another post), I always used to give Jian whatever she liked, and now she eats carrots,papayas and everything as long as I talk to her about its nutritional goodness skillfully. Kids can be very reasonable once you discuss with them no matter how old they are!

4.After reaching 6 months we should slowly introduce solids & gradually increase the amount. Many websites will tell you to do this & that, but you have to customize everything. If your baby don't want more than 2 ounces don't give any. Forceful feeding may cause so many nutritional imbalance one of which is very easy to guess... obesity.

5.Some babies rapidly increase the amount. Others may take 2 - 3 months. Just don't be so concern on the weight gain.Look for other signs like playfulness,emotional expression & milestones.

6.Try to make baby foods at home whenever possible. Rice cereals or mashed sweet potatoes are very easy to make & takes a few minutes. Mother's hand made foods are easy to digest & nutritional value is twice as much.

7. Don't get alarmed at simple things. Always have a Pediatrician who is easy to talk to rather than a very professional high class Doctor.

8.Try to talk to the child while feeding him/her. This helps in development of all the 5 senses.

Always believe in yourself. You may do many wrong things while taking care of this new little person but your love will always be there to turn those mistakes into blessings. Time is a very good teacher,it will teach us everything, we just have to have some patience & faith. You can check out this for  further information or give me a buzz.

LOOKING AT MY PLATE AT ONLY 4 MONTHS

I was always this super sharing kind of person from the times I could remember. I used to share my notes,my lunch,my thoughts..you name it. With times it just intensified in density. And obviously my husband was the sufferer. I am in the long & boring process of having a higher degree,which I honestly don't know what I will do with once I get it. Having some hand picked friends most of which now lives abroad & my favorite brother in Malaysia for studies I decided to tightly keep hold of my memories. And I am very bad in maintaining continuity & documenting things,most of which I leave for afterwards. So obviously I lost my little girl's 0 to 3 months video clips which were in possession of my little sister.When there was any laptop related stuff I used to depend on others. Then I found this awesome thing called BLOGGING...it helped me in keeping my memories,sharing my rambling thoughts just the way I wanted to. 

Main reason(I guess): REALLY SHOWING MY HUSBAND I COULD DO STUFF SPECIALLY WITHOUT HIS HELP.

Point of inspiration : All this fellow bloggers from my country causing so much notion politically.

Relieved to see: Other mothers just like me,wanting to share so many beautiful & awful things.

Techs used: My husband's old & slow laptop paired with a super slow internet. No smartphone or DSLR camera.

Typing speed: barely ok.

Previous experience: Some power point seminars & a 48 page Thesis.

Still can't believe: That I am writing a blog about my little angel.

Trying to: Improve the look of the blog everyday..& make it interesting for my daughter.

HELPING MOMMY AT BLOGGING

Is Discipline really necessary? I mean do we really have to follow any rules? What if we decided not to follow any restrictions. No more disciplined army life. That's what the teenagers think anyway. I myself wasn't a rebel as a teen. Always used to do what my parents told me. Definitely a rule follower. Doing homework every night, doing every chores.. & the usual.But I felt trapped & ALWAYS WANTED OUT. My parents were loving but they didin't say it loud. They gave me everything but I wanted more. I think every teen soul is like this.Lost somewhere,somehow. Some come back but some..I guess not. Most of the times we forget the real meaning of things. Why were there rules in the first place? Not to trap but to free us? Well young minds don't think that way. They just think they are right,they are the best.And may be they are. Weren't they supposed to be the free uplifting spirits for us old souls! 

Today we went to get our MRPs..machine readable passports. There were these little & big crowds of people everywhere.It was a mad house. No discipline.I thought "We really need 20 lines to make everything look good & peaceful". The mike was out. So one man was calling everybody's names & there were 500 people at least. There were  crowds of 300 to 500 people in  form submission zone,picture lines & delivery slip collections.But in most of the places there were no particular lines or rules. There were so many Armies,Polices & BGP workers but all of them were either on the phone or doing their job rather unwillingly like doing something faster would kill them.Most of us were suffering but once in a while some brave souls try to save us & protested. I was there standing..thinking how about I link them to www.iheartorganizing.blogspot.com or help them clean all the mess.But then again I thought what would be the ultimate fate? If they don't want to change,if they don't want to be disciplined,how far my help will take them?
I looked at my husband & said " Rules make us greater.Without it we are just primitives letting our selfishness get to us." There are so many young minds telling us to change, to follow but are we listening to them?

I used to be on that rebellious side of the world but now I am a mother. And also feel like I have to say something to the other part of me & also my girl. "Rules are there to guide you when I won't be there. They will make you win over your darkness & make you great."

DO I HAVE TO FOLLOW ALL THE RULES?

One of the most common question as a Pediatrician I face is "How do we bath our baby?"

After being a new mom I used to like see everything in wikipedia & obviously my text books.Most of the time I got no answers.Then I tried this new technique.Asking other moms who are my co-workers.Some answers were helpful.Others were a little bit ..you know,not so great. EVERY MOTHER & BABY IS DIFFERENT.Jian was always this hyper active baby,moving,ooing,trying to engulf everything around her.Up to her 18 months,I used to massage her everyday for 2 times.Then gave her a bath afterwards,even in the nights.Living in a tropical country,the weather was almost so hot that it helped her calm down a little bit & she easily fall asleep.Some of my friends were like..you are doing it all wrong..we don't bath our baby daily even!So much water will cause Asthma,Pneumonia & so on.Except for extreme sick days, daily once bathing should not be postponed.

So I go to the next question..Does regular bathing causes any diseases?

Water is life..you all know it..But do you know it acts like the conditioner of your skin.Being a baby not to be able to wash the face or drinking milks & other liquids tends to make the skin sticky, vulnerable to germs.No matter how many baby wipes we use the skin needs to rehydrate from inside out.And of course they are not supposed to have water till six months.So the water in their skin will keep it clean & refreshed without any doubt.If you are not still sure ask your own skin..Does it like to have a bath everyday or it prefers waterless periods.Our little angels are nothing but merely just us in a tiny body with large souls.

SUCH A HAPPY BABY!

Another common question is" how to make her/him like the water?"

Babies easily adopt things once you try it.As a mother I have a little extra experience.We tried this bucket jumping  trick which works like a charm. Here are some humble tips.....

1.BATH the baby as early as possible after birth,except in premature cases.Early bathing may cause hypothermia.

2.DO NOT USE any lotions,oils or powders on baby's skin.It may cause allergic reactions to the sensitive,soft skin.All these can be tried a few days later.

3.FLAKY or dry skin is normal in a newborn.The skin  may even look a little bit yellowish.In case of severe yellowness consult with your Pedi.

4.Try to use natural products rather than artificial cosmetics.Hypoallergic range from Gohnson is a easy find.

5'Always have an assistance to help during bathing.Once you are adopted,you can lose the help.

6.NEVER LEAVE THE CHILD UNATTENDED.Not even for a second.

7.Don't wash baby clothes with antiseptics.It may cause rash.

8.Always try the product on your skin before appling it to the baby.

9.Do not  pour a lot of water on baby's head,it may cause choking.

10.To make the bathing more enjoyable,we can use toys,rain songs or water splashing games.Bubble bath is also a great alternative.

11.Wipe the head properly with a soft towel.Jian didn't liked it before,then I tried the Famous black cat trick..Every child has this thing which they are afraid of ..she used to stand at the window & stare/talk to black cats on other roofs  for hours.I told her black cats love babies wet hair & eats them.From that day she begs us to wipe her hair.

So you see whatever others say try what's best for you & your baby.Don't get carried away by somebody else's experience.RESPECT OTHERS BUT CREATE YOUR OWN.

SHE JUST LOVES BATH TIME!!

What do you think is the GO number this year?I mean regarding your children.I have these annoying relatives & friends,being all well wisher kind & asking me when are we going to have the next baby?Why are we not feeling threatened with only one child?We have no future with 1 (oh! my god with only 1 child) & etc.

Thanks for your concern guys & thanks for today's plot.Is it wrong being happy with only 1 ,the most beautiful precious kid in the universe?I don't know where did I GET THAT offal husband of mine?Being all impractical like me.

My sweet little angel is like this love sponge,wanting more & more hugs & kisses which are increasing in seconds.She needs this extra attention all day long,nights too.ALL kids are like this.But we,as parents decide otherwise.There are so many downsides to having a child without proper spacing.Let's talk WHY?

1.ECD-Early childhood development.Ring a bell?The UN,WHO,USAID -are spending tons of money & resourses for this.It's said that the brain grows to its fullest,upto two thirds in the first three years.SO if you have another child in this period,definately the attention shifts to the next one.

2.Mother's nutrition-A mom needs at least 2 to 3yrs. in between to rejuvenate.Our body & nature works that way.When in the womb the baby takes all the nutrition it needs specially the calcium,iron,zinc,vitamins from the mother's blood through placenta.She must have 2 yrs.to gain back all the vitamins & minerals she has given to the child or she may suffer from anemia & malnutrition,no matter how many vitamin pills she takes.

3.SAM-Many of the second children develop Protein energy malnutrition which may be fatal in growth if not properly addressed,because the mother herself  suffers from the same deficiency.Excessive crying,hair fall,recurrent infections are common symptoms.

4.Uterus habitation-A mom's womb is made that way.It needs to in-ovulate or turn into it's normal shape before it needs to be stretching away the second or third time.

5.Baby benefits-With proper spacing & obviously care,the baby will be born with less post delivery complications.Healthy birth means a healthy outcome.

6.Coping mentally-A mother really needs some time to get used to & manage the stress & responsibility that comes with a newborn.You can check out this link http://www.unicef.org/lifeskills/files/9thStandard-Grade.pdf

I don't discourage you guys to have kids.With proper planning & spacing you could have a better outcome regarding the mother & the baby's health.But being from a country where almost two third of women & child die every year without proper birth planning,it's hard for me to watch & say nothing,being a doctor and all.I don't know what future holds for us but for now we are so happy being the three bear family.The elders did used to say ...."Where there is health,There is wealth".

I ALREADY HAVE  THE BEST,WHY MAKE IT BETTER!

 

A few days ago my favorite uncle posted this picture of me in the FB.I was going through my daughter's album & found a same type of picture.Both of us in the same age & same pose.....Thanks MOM!!

MY SWEET LITTLE WONDER!!!

ME (UNBELIEVABLE)

 I live in old Dhaka.My building is an old one with bigger rooms than the newer apartment types.Its almost 700 sq.ft with only one bathroom & a huge balcony,2 rooms,an oddly shaped rectangular kitchen.My building is open in 3 sides.So I get the bright sunlight all day long,which I love the most about my house.It is very quite being a little bit away from the main road.I decided as i am passionate about my home why not share it with you guys!Actually I intended to enter a room for color challenge in a website,so the pictures were taken by a friend who is a professional photographer.It was a little bit decorative but now for the baby it is more functional & all the breakable items like frames,pottery,jars are kept away.Almost all the furniture were designed by me.The bathroom was renovated in an orange & cream palette.The before & after photo of the kitchen will be posted soon...

JAPANESE STYLE THRONES

 The curtains are made of tribal skirts known as Thami.I always wanted a garden & low sitting arrangement.We choose yellow for the walls as it signifies brightness & looks good with almost every shade of furniture & I have a cool husband who let me try everything!!

THE DIVAN IS JIAN'S NEW JUMPING BED

OUR  VIBRANT RED BEDROOM

MY LITTLE STUDY CORNER

JIAN'S TINKER BELL DRAWER WHICH WAS A GIFT FROM MY MOTHER

 This is our night light which actually gives a feel of moonlit night under the open sky.This was an anniversary gift from my little sister.Beside the light there is our wedding card in a black frame with golden lining.

MY ORANGE ,CREAM & BROWN BATHROOM

Remember 13! Now I am sort of addicted to the number & some agreed with me.So without further delay here are some 13 things that will definately happen to you when you are a mother.....

1.Your husband will blame you for all the BREAKING BAD..in her life.

2.Nothing will happen the way you plan them.

3.Pretty soon you will become bald.

4.Your biological clock will be ruined.

5.Your baby will poop or pee when you are having your meal.(This has a 100% grantee)

6.All the success will be claimed by your hubby.

7.You will forget your shampoo from the mall & try to use no more tears without any success.

8.There will be chocolate or jelly stuck to your hair.

9.You will start sleeping in the wrong side of the bed ,with no pillow.

10. Toys will be increasing like a pandemic threat no matter how many you donate.

11.You will be in the 0 stage of the patience-o-meter.

The last 2 ones are my favorite...

12.Your little ones birthday will be your lime light of the year,specially when they cut the cake.

13.You will feel like the proudest mother of the world,even if she forgets most of the alphabets.

BUT YOU WILL FORGET EVERYTHING WHEN SHE IS IN YOUR ARMS!

Sometimes its very difficult to choose the prospective you want to be in. Either you have to be a mom or wife.& there is the daughter or sister thing.I have met so many of these women trying to find the right identity. In a country where most of the mothers regret their daughters.Our female ancestors teach us that finding your voice is a sin.Always give the best piece of chicken to your husband [really the chicken] .Nobody tells you how to find yourself.May be its a adaptive thing 'like survival of the fittest'. Only in this case its victory of the one who knows to keep quiet,dont move or even breathe. Well,you dont have to be the best.You just have to try with love.I say...why try so hard?Spending the whole life in guilt or denials when there are so many horizons to explore.So be a mom,a wife,a teacher,a student even a father figure.Because if you dont have a little courage to change,how can you shine your little angel's stars?

We are what we think,say & pray about.We never become the one once we had dream about.

These are all just ramblings of a first time mom,I dont intend to advice nor want to be harsh.Just let me be real.Just let me be me.

5 different generations of my family saying the same thing & yes my great grandmother is alive

I know 13 is an unlucky number..but let's face it.How many of you have a birthday on 13th?Nothing is unlucky until you start believing in it.Hey ,if you have the courage to believe in,then why not?Why not being brave & start pretending nothing is unlucky.& yes,you do not have to do 13 things at once.Try a single step a day concept.

1.START SAYING I LOVE YOU TO YOUR HUSBAND[OR WIFE]: even if you want to kill them.

 2.WATCH CARTOONS WITH YOUR GIRL.

 3.STOP BUYING THINGS: If do not love it,do not buy it.Ask yourself do you really need an I-phone or is it just to make your friends jealous.Buying something you just want will give you that 5 minute window of satisfaction which disappears & then comes the everlasting emptiness & not to mention guilt.

 4.STOP COMPLAINING ABOUT EVERYTHING OR ANYTHING: Go to a hospital emergency or better yet go to a child AIDS foundation.We take so many thing for granted,like our moms,our babies,our health.Ask a mother who just buried her son.Ask a patient who just heard he has leukemia.Ask a child who just lost his father.So if you have a mom hug her tight.If you have a child kiss her until she cries.If you can move your four limbs,get up & do a dance move saying-THANK YOU GOD.

 5.STOP BEING COMPULSIVE & OBSESSIVE: I was a compulsive cleaner & did not even know it.Then one day my husband said that he was always afraid he would make something dirty.I was so upset.It took a lot of hard meditation to get rid of the compulsion & being a mother to a 3 yr. old also helps.

 6.STOP FIGHTING OR BETTER YET ARGUING WITH YOUR MOTHER & YOUR HUSBAND: This really helps when you just stop trying to change everybody around you & let go.

 7.STOP BEING SO NEGATIVE: Unpleasant thinking causes bad connections which releases bad neurotransmitters in your brain.Good thoughts heals your brain cells.

 8.START TAKING THINGS LIGHTLY: What if my baby falls down,what if I catch a communicable disease,what if there is an earth quake.Leave all the what if's,& just go to a picnic.

 9.GET UP FROM THE BED & SMILE TO GOD: It is as easy as it can get.Just say,THANK GOD & I FEEL SO GOOD,& in return God will prepare you for what life throws at you.

 10.A 5 MINUTE MEDITATION WILL NOT KILL YOU.

11.TAKE TIME TO LOOK AT EVERY PART OF YOU: Inside out.

 12.EXERCISE OR BETTER YET DO YOGA.

 13.EAT WHATEVER YOU WANT IN YOUR BREAKFAST: And let the day begin.

CATCH WHAT LIFE THROWS AT YOU

Hi!! This is me & my daughter.I am a doctor,BECAME A MOTHER 3 YRS. AGO...like to read,watch people,eat & travel..but i want to do everything with my daughter.She is just perfecto.Ofcourse there are some downsides to doing all these things with your little angel BUT in the end you really feel like blessed like really reallly blessed.So here is my journey,obviously with my daughter!!