What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Mango purée with cereal
Verdict: Baby Bel wasn't too sure of this. Was shown a wrinkly frown and she was reluctant to open her mouth for more. I think it was because it wasn't very ripe so was a little sour. Next time will add some apple purée to it. 2/5

Rooaarrrrrrrrrr... Lion....

How Baby Bel loves music! Especially from her new toy the Graco Baby Enstein Exersaucer. It was kindly lent to us by Sandra since Laetitia has since outgrown it. Thank you Sandra & Laetitia!

Baby Bel loves it to bits! Especially the portion with animals on it (bottom right hand corner of photo). Didn't take her long to figure out that if you keep hitting the segments, music would be played. It was Kevin who noticed that she would thump on the animals enthusiastically while it went through the different pre-recorded mix ie Roarrrr.. Lion.... Pachelbel.... tum tum tee tum (music). Only when it reached the music portion would she stop hitting it. Then she would lean back and laugh or turn around to play with the other toys... only to start again when the music ends. Our little musician = )

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Banacado (Banana & Avacado)

Verdict: Baby Bel loved the mashed up Banacado. As this particular dish is uncooked, it's a lot more nutritious for her. However, she couldn't finish everything as it was too rich, so mummy finished it for her and it was DELICIOUS! I think I'll serve this at the next dinner party that we have.

Baby Bel 5/5

Mummy 5/5

Baby Bel's First Surprise Party... almost

This saturday we were planning to go to Alex's Surprise birthday (which starts at 11am). Operation Get-out-of-house was was in action at the first signs of her waking up from her nap at 10.40am. That translates to Mummy getting the food ready while Daddy finishes up on his emails (yes, even on a saturday). Daddy feeding her, and Mummy getting the baby bag ready. Then Mummy making sure that Baby Bel is cleaned up, creamed up and dry. Daddy takes over and dresses her up into a pretty outfit, while Mummy changes. Hold the clean and dressed Baby Bel at arms length (in case she pukes) and put into pram. Then it's everyone's shoes and coat, garbage, bags, pram... ZOOM out the door! Time check 11.25am. Phew!

Made a quick pitstop at La Defence to pick up Alex's present. We got him a lovely remote controlled helicopter which he loved (of course). Stopped for a little entrée as it was already 12.45pm, we can always eat to our fill at the BBQ later. The party was held at Anne's parents' place in the suburbs. We got there at 14.30pm.... kinda late, but still plenty of cars parked along the road... er hang on... how come the party is a few doors away from the address that we were given?

A quick phonecall... and SURPRISE!!!! The surprise party was cancelled!!! Didn't you get the email??? Anyway, we were invited to coffee and some éclairs au chocolat. We had a lovely time together nonetheless. And that's never surprising with them.

Trying to take a photo of a kid is always difficult... now add another THREE kids...


And a shot just of the girls - Clemence & Baby Bel.

BON ANNIVERSAIRE ALEX!

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

1. Natural yoghurt with pear compote
Verdict: a quizzical look, failing arms and legs to indicate a YES! Five spoonfuls later, a frown, a grimace, noting the sourish taste... spits everything out... Our girl has delayed taste buds... 2/5

I remember that I had asked one of Kevin's friends what she was feeding her son that day (who was as they say in France, "costo", meaning well rounded and big but not fat). When she said courgette, I nearly fainted. Huh? Courgette? Isn't that like "big people" food? Okay, then I was not a mum, neither was I pregnant. I thought young babies only ate cereal.

So here I am, making courgette for my baby. Yes! Homemade courgette purée so that she'll grow up to be big and strong.

Baby Bel waiting to be fed... Look at her happy face when she spots the food. (Check out her teeth)

2. Sweet potato with homemade courgette (zucchini) purée
Verdict: Grins, smiles, laughs, vigorous arms, legs and head movements, a resounding YUMMY! Give me more courgette tomorrow Mummy!!! 5/5

Distressed cries

Well whadaya know? One day after posting on how good she's been going to bed and BAM! Suddenly she's got issues going back to bed after her last feed in the night, and waking up really early like at 6am. We suspect that she's uncomfortable due to her teeth cuz her cries sounded distressed. Poor baby...

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Nestlé Pear with Cereal
Verdict: According to Mathew, Isabelle loved it! She swallowed it really fast and looked sad when it was all gone... 5/5

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Homemade sweet potato purée
Since this is Mummy's very first homemade purée, Baby Bel is sure to love it! Oh okay, and the fact that it's sweet helps too.

Verdict: This is hands down the best carbohydrate she's ever ever eaten! Don't worry Belle, Mummy will make this often for you. It's also very good for you! 5/5

Ladies and gentlemen, I think we have a gourmand here!

Bed time routine

Nap times have become a synch (have we just jinxed ourselves by blogging this?), with Baby Bel going quietly save for a little 2 second fuss 95% of the time. The biggie was bed time at night. Complete with screaming and crying matches lasting up to 45mins at times and lots and lots of questions. Is she still hungry? Is she wet? Does she have wind? Is she over tired?

Noticed that I said that "the biggie WAS bed time. Now (double jinx??) it seems that we've also conquered bed time fussiness. How? With a magic milk formula you ask? With gin and brandy!!! Put down the phones and stop rolling your eyes Grandmas!!! I was just kidding! Actually, it was by luck.

One day it was still too early for Baby Bel to go to bed, and she'd finished her bottle. So I asked Kevin to read to her from her favourite book. After 15mins, she had a stoned look so Kevin put her to bed. She looked at him, gave a yell of defiance, rolled over and went to sleep hugging her bunny!

Now, we've incorporated lots of Daddy time where Kevin reads and sings to her, plays her music from her caterpillar soft toy and she goes to bed without so much as a whine... well, still a little sometimes, but what a difference!

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Banana with Cereal
Verdict: The smashed and gooey banana mixed in with rice cereal and some milk was gulped and slurrrpped down in no time. Even I wanted to have some! (actually I did have some - it was really fragrant!) I think we have a new favourite fruit here! 5/5

Recently heard

D: Belle! Isabelle! Say PAPA! PAPA! (makes silly face)
M: Belle Belle! Say MAMA! MAMA!
B: Ah...ah...ah... goo (laughs)
D: Woo hoo! She said PAPA!
M: (indignantly) That was clearly a MAMA!

What do you think?

So bite me!

So guess what I found today when Baby Bel and I were playing??? Two little white ridges poking through a wall of pink. Yep! Baby Bel has her pearly whites!

No wonder she's been salivating so much... although I'm told that babies do this regardless. She'd also been biting on lots on things, especially her hands, sometimes pushing them so far in that she gags (roll eyes).


On the other hand, this paranoid mummy was a little sorry to see the teeth. I rationalise that the earlier they appear, the higher the chance of them getting damaged before the permanent teeth appears. That might mean that her permanent teeth would also appear earlier, and there'll be a higher chance of cavities etc etc.... yes, yes, mummy worries and ramblings. Husband thinks I'm crazy. We're just thankful that for her first teeth she didn't need to go through the fever and the crankiness. But maybe she did and we just thought that it was, well, normal.

We tried to take a photo of the teeth but didn't manage to. She wasn't exactly a very willing participant. Maybe this is what a trip to the dentist will resemble! We'll try again.

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Potato with Picard's green beans
Verdict: Met with puzzled expression at first but was quickly won over. With the broccoli episode, I had wondered if I would be wearing the green beans. My fears were obviously unfounded. Although, she wasn't as enthusiastic as with her carrots, at least she doesn't seem to dislike it. YAY for potatoes - it's tough work masking the taste of greens!!! 3/5

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Peaches with cereal
Verdict: Like all fruits, Baby Bel was begging for more when everything was finished. Her cry of dismay when there was no more was quite cute. Giggle. 5/5

Different uses for same toy

When she was little, Baby Bel would just lie on her back on her play mat and stare at the hanging toys. As she started to master her movements, she would swat at them. Later she progressed to try to pull them all off, and then later she discovered the mat itself and all the wonderful colours.

Lately, she's been learning that there's another use for the mat and it's overlapping arches. Monkey bar! No, she's been using the arch and the toys to try and pull herself up from a lying position to a sitting position. No success yet, but will post it as soon as it happens! What a clever girl!

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

1. Picard's potatoes mixed with some milk
Verdict: with its bland taste, like rice cereal, Baby Bel the carbo lover took to it immediately! 5/5

2. Blédina Apple compote with cereal
Verdict: I found this Nestle product rather sweet so added only a little to her cereal. And did she lap it up! 5/5

I wanna be just like Daddy

After watching Daddy read the papers, Baby Bel is anxious to follow suite. However, no boring newspapers for her...

"Nope! No boring Les Echos for me! Now where's that FUSAC Magazine?" (shares Mummy's love of magazines)

"Hmmmm interesting.... a 2nd hand high chair for only 30euros? What else can I find?"

"Mummy! Daddy! Look! Look! I found us some great bargains!"

"What? You want to get a new high chair? YAY!! But you wouldn't mind 2nd hand books? Okie, let's see what I can find..."

Mid-Year Review

Just as Kevin has an upcoming Mid-Year Review, we thought that we should do one as well for Baby Bel, now that she's 6months old. See any differences between Isabelle when she was a few weeks old (left) and now (right)? No, the slightly bald patch that she has is not counted because we know that it will definitely grow back! Optimism is beautiful!

At 6 months old, Baby Bel weighs 7.4kg and is 64cm long. That's more than double her birth weight and almost 20cm longer!

Things that she can now do:
- turn over on both sides
- sit up for a while
- spend considerably long amounts of time on tummy playing with toys around her and above her
- reach for and pick things up very accurately
- babble
- laugh
- smiles back when someone smiles at her
- razzes
- supersonic high pitched screeches when excited or wants attention
- be gentle with toys
- jump with our support

Things that she's trying to do:
- sit up from lying down position, by pulling up on toys or by holding on to our thumbs
- stand by supporting on us
- talk (she engages us in conversations by answering back... in baby talk, yes)
- crawl

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Picard's Carrots
Verdict: It was with no doubt that Baby Bel would love this sweet vegetable. The excitement on her face was such a pleasure to see. And how could we forget the little squirmy body movements that shout FEED ME MORE!!! FASTER!!! FASTER!!! It's so fun feeding her when she's happy with her food. 6/5

These shoes were made for walking....

NOT! They're made for showing off! Aren't Baby Bell's first shoes adorable!?! They're Daisy Roots. Made with soft leather (without chrome) so that she can still feel the ground, and won't impede her crawling/walking development. They do not fall off and are difficult for her to pull off, unlike socks. Yes yes, conned by advertisement.

Doesn't she look happy to be wearing them? And they're soooo cute!

Broccoli again???

Broccoli (Take 2)
Silly Mummy later read that broccoli has a very strong taste (duh mummy!) and should only be given after about 2 weeks. How was I supposed to know? I lurve broccoli... except that time when I found a big fat juicy caterpillar in one and was off it for months... Anyway, back to baby. Luckily I found out that I'm supposed to mix 3part nice vegetables (like carrots) or carbohydrates (like potato) with 1 part strong tasting vegetables (like brocolli or green beans). The poor girl! Since Baby Bel already started on Broccoli, decided to go ahead with it and try it with cereal.

Verdict: It's a winner!!! Well, not exactly a winner but at least she took it happily this time. I'd mixed it with 3 parts cereal, 1 part broccoli and with some of her milk (which is kinda sweet). 3/5

What's new on the menu today Mummy?

Picard's Broccoli
Verdict: EEEEEwwwwww!!!! She tolerated it a little, and while it was going down, it became painstakingly obvious that she was only taking it cuz I was giving it to her... Check out the videoclip after the photos. Is it possible to give a minus score? 0/5

The unsuspecting Baby Bel wondering what the weird contraption she's wearing is...
"Why does Mummy look so suspicious?"


"Hang on Mummy, where's that lovely cereal from yesterday?"


"You mean there's more??? Daddy? Stop taking photos and SAVE ME!!!"


"Where's Mummy going now? Is my torture over? Wonder what I did to deserve this... Maybe she had to change my nappies too many times yesterday. Although, you know there WILL be consequences in my nappy tomorrow...."


"ARRGHHH Mummy's back with MORE!?!" Daddy? Grandmas? Grandpa? Chor Chor? Aunties? Uncle? Anybody???? It must be this dratted blue thing! It's a change-nice-food-into-yucky-green-mess machine!!! GOT TO GET IT OFF!!!


Broco-eewww

Click, you're it!

Baby Bel mimicking us trying to take a photo of her at Champ de Mars, just in front of the Eiffle Tower. Such an actress! Or maybe it's because mummy and daddy have taken so many photos of her she's memorised the action. Hmmm... I think we should finish the book "Baby Signs" and teach her to communicate with us!

Very 1st playgroup

Not exactly. The very first mini playgroup was with Ping and her baby Sunniva. We met through the Message group. We had gone to the lovely Musee Rodin for tea. It has a outdoor cafe. The best thing is that if you rock up with a stroller, you don't have to queue AND you don't have to pay the entry fee for the garden!

Unfortunately, Baby Bel slept all the way through the tea! Doesn't sound impressive to you? Her nap started 15mins after we left the apartment. It's a 30min walk. Tea lasted for about an hour, followed by a 30mins walk around the neighbourhood. She didn't even wake up when we reached home! She slept on and on and on despite mummy trying to wake her up to feed her. In all, a record 2.5hrs!

Ping (left), the hostess with the mostest with daughter Sunniva and her Japanese friend

Anyway, THIS time, she woke up when we arrived at Ping's place. It's a gorgeous apartment in the 6eme. There were 3 other babies/toddlers there too! And what a spread there was out on the balcony! Chocolate muffins, cheese cake, raspberry tart, coffee, tea, Japanese biscuits etc... I think it was more of a "play-group" for the mothers than for the babies. Baby Bel was soooo well behaved. After tea, we even had time to meet daddy for a coffee before he left for Frankfurt. Boo hoo!

Do you have any of these qualities?

1. Love babies
2. Have experience with young infants (at least 5mths old)
3. Speak french

If so, please apply. Mummy of wonderful, adorable, easy (haha) baby is seeking help so that she can:
1. Start on the pile of laundry
2. AND all the other housework
3. Meet some frens (if I have any left) for tea
4. Pamper myself (oh how I miss my monthly massages and manicures from the days of Singapore)
5. Start date nights with hubby
6. Stop being so easily irritable
7. AND GET SOME MUCH NEEDED SLEEP