Wordless Wednesday: My Laundry

One Year Old Baby Pregnant

I know I'm rather late but I just recently found out about this via Facebook.  I just can't believe how a one year old baby could get pregnant.  Oh, my! She's just a few months older than my own baby!  Anyway,t he first thing that came up on my mind upon reading the title was if she was raped.  How could a one-year old be raped and get pregnant when her body has not yet fully developed? So I did a little research and found out that it was a unique case where the mother was pregnant with twins but the other fetus grew inside the fetus.  I researched further and it was said that abortion was considered to save the baby's life. Poor, baby, I hope she survived.  Pardon me, I just can't find a story on what happened to her after wards but if you do, I would love to hear the story. Thanks!

Thank You, First Commenter!

Never Shake A Baby

As much as possible, I take care of my babies myself.   I am never confident to leave them to the care of a yaya/nanny/caregiver.  You can't blame me as I have heard a lot of stories regarding them and child abuse which often results to illnesses.  One of them and the most I am afraid of is Shaken Baby Syndrome.

Shaken Baby Syndrome or SBS is a form of child abuse wherein infants of less than 2 years of age are the hapless victims.  Ir is caused by vigorously shaking an infant with or without impact of the head, often in anger, to get a child to stop from crying or whining.

A baby's brain and the blood vessels connecting the skull to the brain are fragile and vulnerable to whiplash motions like shaking, jolting, jerking and impact.  The neck muscles of a small child is weak and the head is relatively heavy and the child's neck cannot support the stress of shaking. Consequently, when shaken, the head would bounce back and forth that could cause swelling, bruising, and bleeding which can lead to blindness, cerebral palsy, learning disabilities, spinal cord injury, hearing loss, irreversible brain damage or even death.

Symptoms to look out for SBS include poor feeding or eating, difficulty in breathing, pale or bluish skin, extreme irritability, vomiting, seizures or spasms, poor sucking or swallowing, no smiling or vocalization, unable to lift or turn head, pupils unresponsive to light and blood pooling in the eyes.  It is important to seek immediate medical attention upon noticing any or all of the above symptoms to avoid serious complications and even death. Be sure to tell the doctor or the pediatrician if SBS is suspected.

Anger, frustration and losing one's control when the baby is crying are the major culprits why the baby is shaken.  There are reasons why a baby cries. To prevent him from crying, always see to it that his basic needs are met.  Make sure he is not hungry, has not pooped, has burped and is not too hot or cold.  If he still continues to cry despite these, try soothing the baby by rubbing his back or tummy.  You may also rock the baby, give him a pacifier or teether, shake a rattle for him, take him for a walk or put some soft music and sing to him.  If all else fails, call a doctor.  If you get angry or frustrated, put the baby in a safe place and take a break.  Call a friend to take care of the baby while you let the steam out.

It really is tragic that thousands of sweet, adorable and innocent babies are victims of these disabilities just because of the parents' or caregivers' ignorance of the dangers associated with Shaken Baby Syndrome.  Many are still unaware of this.  Spread the word.  Have pity on them.  Never ever shake the baby.

Thank You, First Commenter!

Wordless Wednesday: Two In One

My nephew and my  baby 

Thank You, First Commenter!

Ready For Solid Food

It's more than a month  since I gradually introduced my now 6 month old baby to solid food.  I was quite hesitant at first, afraid that her still sensitive little tummy can't digest the food. However, after a few days of studying her for signs, I was quite confident that she is in fact ready for solid food even if I didn't see any signs of teething.

Signs to watch out for if baby is ready for solid food:

• Head control. Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.
• Sits well when supported.  Your baby needs to be able to sit upright to swallow well.
• Tongue-thrust reflex is gone. To keep solid food in his mouth and then swallow it, your baby needs to stop using his tongue to push food out of his mouth.
• Makes chewing motions.  Your baby's mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow. 
• Shows interest in food.  Your baby may begin eying and grabbing your food as it travels from your plate to your mouth
• Shows significant weight gain or birth weight has doubled.
• Growing appetite.  Your baby seems hungry after 8 to 10 feedings of breast milk or 40 oz. of formula in a day
• Makes chewing motions.  Your baby's mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow.

Thank You, First Commenter!

How To Pat Baby To Sleep

Putting a baby to sleep by patting her on the back instills a feeling of comfort and security in the baby, and creates a stronger bond between adult and infant. The key elements are making the child feel secure and not conveying any tension or frustration you may be feeling by staying calm and focused. Use this method when the baby is upset or fussy, or if you simply feel like spending some quiet time with your child.

Things You'll Need:

* Baby blanket
* Rocker



Step 1

Swaddle the baby in a small blanket. Lay the blanket out flat and then lay the baby, face up, on the blanket with her feet pointed toward one corner and her head pointed toward the opposite corner. Fold the bottom corner up over her feet then fold the corners opposite her hands toward the center, making a snug wrap with her arms inside.

Step 2

Find a quiet room with no loud noises or bright lights. Sit down in a rocker or a glider and place the baby against your shoulder. Keep one hand firmly but not tightly around the baby's upper legs. Place one hand on the baby's back. Her head should rest on your shoulder.


Step 3

Calm yourself so that the baby doesn't sense any tension. Use your feet to rock the chair back and forth gently. Don't make sudden moves and don't exaggerate the rocker's movement.

Step 4

Use your hand to slowly and gently pat the baby's back just below the shoulder blades. If she squirms, make sure you're holding her firmly so that she feels secure.


Step 5

Keep rocking and patting until you sense the baby has fallen soundly asleep. Slow your rocking and patting until you've stopped moving. Put the hand you were patting the baby with against the back of her head and neck and shift her to a position against your chest.

Step 6

Get up in a smooth motion and lay the baby down in her bassinet or crib.

Thank You, First Commenter!

Little Angel At Five Months

Was it just yesterday that I gave birth to her? Well, time surely flies fast and my little angel is now five months old. It is always a wonder to see her development and as of today these are what she can do:

• She can now hold her head steady when sitting upright. 
• She can roll over in one direction. 
• She can grasp a rattle. 
• She can reach accurately for objects and tries to put it in her mouth.
• She turns towards the source of a sound or voice.
• She squeals with delight and smiles spontaneously
• She smiles at her own reflection in the mirror.
• She can sit briefly without support.
• She surely gets attention by babbling so loudly.
• She mimics sounds and gestures.
• She laughs at funny expressions and silly faces.

I'm now excited on what she can do for the next few days but I don't want her to grow old fast. Could she just stay like this forever?

Thank You, First Commenter!

Welcome To Elai's Precious Angels

The idea to create a new blog came up when my precious little angel was born last January. I was hesitant to create one then for fear that I might not be able to manage it properly. But when I learned from a blogging friend, LJ, that she is maintaining 10 wonderful blogs, I was quite challenged. Whew! I can hardly imagine how she does that. Well, If she can manage 10 blogs then why can't I with two, right? Hence, the birth of my second blog.

This blog then would be about my three precious little angels, my nieces and nephews and babies and kids in general. I don't want to call this a baby blog since they wouldn't stay babies forever. Thus, this would be a personal diary that would include the adventures, the joys and the sorrows of motherhood and parenting in particular. I hope I could entertain you with their cute and adorable photos and their crazy antics that I will be sharing once in awhile. I am not the best mom but I am trying my very best to be one, so I will also post parenting tips that I will find useful and which could greatly help me to be one great mom.

So, on behalf of of Champagne, Charlton and Chezelle, welcome to Elai's Precious Angels!