No Good News

Chubbs is still sick. Fever lingering around 38.5 degree C on average. It's been a whole week of Panadol, breastmilk only, cold towels, cold baths and cool patches, and he has not cooled off. I gave the PD a call this morning and she suggests we bring him in later for blood and urine tests because having a temperature for this long is rather abnormal. Fuzzy and I are very worried. Please continue your prayers for little Chubbs.

More sponging in front of Wimbledon.

More cold baths.

Resting on Daddy's tummy.

Hugging Daddy's arm to sleep.

My Sick Baby

For the past few nights, I've been holding Chubbs to sleep almost the entire night... haven't done so since he was two-months old. He didn't want me to put him down at all, because he was in so much pain. We brought him to the PD twice this week because he vomited the contents of his tummy several times; all when I was carrying him :/ He's diagnosed as having stomach flu; apparently it's a viral infection that's in the air, and there's nothing we could have done to avoid it. Because of the infection, Chubbs lost all appetite (probably due to stomach cramps) and has not had a semi-solid meal in four days; he's lost quite a bit of weight.

Day before he got sick.

And then there's the fever. Highest recorded was above 40 Degree Celsius. I panicked when I woke up one night to find Chubbs huddled beside me, trembling in his sleep... if I had put him down in his cot, instead of holding him to sleep, I would have missed this, and it would have been disastrous. I could feel the heat radiating from his body, and his lips were drying up. We started sponging him down with a cold towel and eventually plonked him in the bath because we couldn't cool him down fast enough. It was 6am, he was running a 40 degree temperature, the water was cold, he was rudely awakened, he was so weak he could hardly sit or hold his head up, but Chubbs played and laughed in the water, hardly kicking up any fuss. In times like these, my son's strength and good nature amazes me so much; I cannot put to words how much I love him.

Enjoying his bath.

I had to sit Chubbs in his bath four times yesterday. His lips turned purple and he was shivering at some points. He took his cold treatment bravely, and distracted himself from the discomfort by mercilessly bashing his bath toys together (some things just don't change). But no matter how many soaks he's had, his temperature is still hovering at around 39. He is very weak and has been resting his head down on everything within close proximity; my shoulders, Fuzzy's chest, any pillow, my leg, etc. I've never seen his so still and sanguine before. I'm nursing him every hour to keep his fluid levels up and for him to get the maximum nutrition possible; hopefully this cools him down too. We are physically very tired (I'm almost at the point of hallucination), and running out of ideas on how to help Chubbs feel better. Please help to pray that he feels better soon.

Sponging him down while watching Wimbledon.

KO-ed on our bed.

For the Last Time...

The g*y-blue Miata is sold... since last night our dating wheels no longer belongs to us. Fuzzy and I are heart-broken :( It's new owner plans to transform it into a track car; Fuzzy's original idea... I'm sorry, Love. We were driving around in this until I was about 8-months preggers; when I was too much of a whale to climb in and out of the 2-seater with ease anymore :/

Despite its queer colour, leaky roof, and tempermental radio, Fuzzy and I loved this car. We used to drive around checking out interesting property, musing about where we'd like to live, how our house will look like, what decor-style to choose... The best part, I was able to take photos of houses/black-and-whites/old buildings easily, with the top down. We love old convertibles!

We took one last joy ride, sans Chubbs, to get groceries (sounds so unhappening) a few nights back. It's so sad that Chubbs won't ever get to know this car, or ride in it beside Daddy, topless :/

The drive felt empty without Chubbs talking to us from his car seat. But it felt good to have the wind in our hair again, and to hold Fuzzy's hand as he drives.

Parting shots...

Didn't realise before that it's so difficult to snap blurred photos.

Fathers' (Sun)day Eats

Besides honouring the daddies out there, Fathers' Day is also an excuse for me to indulge in more good food :) To celebrate with my dad, we stayed home for a salmon belly sashimi and grilled crayfish dinner last night. My brother, Niel, got some really good stuff from a fish wholesaler friend and we ate enough raw fish to satisfy any possible cravings for the next month or so :) Omega-3 super-charge!

Lunch for my F-I-L was arranged at the Imperial Herbal restaurant at VivoCity. Reservations were made because Fuzzy's elder brother has heard some good things about the restaurant and my F-I-L likes Chinese food.

Chubbs out and about... he loves to rest his arm like that.

Our set menu included scallops with egg whites in deep-fried potato nest, sharks' fin (which I am against eating!) herbal soup, steamed fish with green ginger and tobiko, herbal chicken with chestnuts and red dates, braised sea cucumber with yam and abalone mushroom, scallops with seaweed, and the list goes on. Food was above average... well, it better be, considering the price we paid! It doesn't taste bad, but nothing to holler about. Dessert was an interesting lemon-grass flavoured jelly with aloe vera. The sweetness was just right, and it provided a refreshing end to the meal. It was a long lunch... we left feeling too full at 3.30pm.

Touring the restaurant...

Chubbs' First Ride

We are starting him early on these four-wheeled toys, no? Chubbs' first ride is a wagon/walker/scooter that is a gift from my folks... supposedly his birthday present when he turns one. But Fuzzy could not resist tearing it open and unleashing Chubbs on it.

Chubbs spent the first 15-min inspecting the gadgets that came with his ride. The springy, rattly attachments, the twirly, spinning parts, the shape sorter etc.

From the eye of the shape-sorter.

After he had his fill fiddling around with the parts, he realised that he can climb on the wagon and use it to support him standing. So that exercise went on for a while.

Then he found that he could walk and wheel it around, and proceeded to roll it off the tatami mat. The only problem; my son likes to multi-task. But he hasn't perfected it yet :/ He would be wheeling the wagon, waving at me, laughing with his eyes closed, trying to pivot, while clutching on to his walking buddy/sidekick (he has to carry a toy or pillow with him always while walking/climbing/crawling) all at once. As you can imagine, this need to multi-task gave him many boo-boos on his forehead, chin and he even acquired a bruise around his eye :/

Despite the falls and knocks, this wagon is a sure keeper. And I reckon it will keep him entertained for many good hours. Hurrah!

Blueberry

I'm reminded of the movie, My Blueberry Nights, the one directed by Wong Kar Wai, with Norah Jones and Jude Law. What can I say? I'm a romantic movie junkie :/ And my poor hubby has unwillingly sat through too many with me...

I've been waiting to let Chubbs try blueberries because it is a well-known "superfood", high in anti-oxidants. So much so that they are touted to be able to potentially fend off cancers, infections and inflammations of all sorts! I haven't seen any organic ones around until recently. I think the berries are in season! Fuzzy and I bought a punnet from Fairprice Finest, for Chubbs to have a taste.

I ground a handful of raw blueberries up, using the Munchkin baby food maker, and mixed the purple mush into his brown rice cereal, flax meal and breastmilk. I left the skins (I think this is the most nutritious part) and seeds in too. I was a little worried he won't take it because the skins made the mixture quite chunky, but he surprised me and slurped his breakfast up. Yay!

I believe in eating the colours of the rainbow; but there are few purple/blue foods out there. So it's great that Chubbs likes blueberries. And they are great with other fruits like apples, pears, bananas etc. More power to Chubbs!

"Check out that bicep!"

Ember

Fuzzy took time off today for a lunch date with Chubbs and I. It's also an early Fathers' Day celebration for Fuzzy :) We were last at Ember a year and a half ago for my birthday dinner. We remember that meal fondly and were excited to return to have the miso cod again. I was also eager to check out the refurbished restaurant, since they underwent a major renovation recently. The new look of the restaurant is a bit more chic with clean lines, but less cosy.

The set lunch menu (no a la carte for lunch) is extensive, with numerous choices for each of the three courses. Fuzzy had the special starter of the day; baby spinach salad with poached egg and summer truffle shavings. He loved it so much, he requested that I make it for him at home.

I could not resist the seared scallops, and they did not disappoint; done to perfection with their centres still juicy and rather raw. The bacon sauce that the scallops sat on was delicious too, lending a hint of smokieness.

For Fuzzy's main course, he had their sea bass with bottarga, which was also off the menu. Bottarga is dried grey mullet roe, which can be a little pungent, so I was curious as to how the dish would turn out. Ember's really good at cooking fish, it seems. The sea bass was moist, flavourful and the bottarga did not over-power the delicate fish. I never pass up on the black miso cod everytime I dine here. It was as good as I remembered it to be. Sweet and savoury at the same time, with the flesh still succulent despite being broiled.

Whenever there's baked chocolate lava cake with vanilla bean ice-cream on the dessert menu, I have to order it. The cake was oozy, sinful and good to the last bite. It went very nicely with our favourite Illy blend cuppa. The only let-down? I felt the ice-cream was not rich, creamy or smooth enough :( Fuzzy had something unusual. A vanilla custard topped with fresh mango cubes and Thai tea granita. He thought it would be interesting to see how the flavours played out. When the dessert arrived, I was impressed with the presentation, though I was still dubious about the flavour combination. After tasting the granita, I have to commend my hubby for having such good foresight. The red tea flavour was robust, and it was a satisfying dessert despite being light and refreshing. I'll try to duplicate this at home too :)

The restaurant did not provide baby chairs. So Chubbs was in his stroller a good part of the time since his special cloth seat could not fit over the restaurant chairs. He looked so cute peering over the table at me.

When he started to fuss, the waitresses took turns to carry him and walk him around outside the restaurant. They were very entertained by how he clapped his hands and how he responses with a smile everytime they talk to him. He loved playing with their necklaces too (something mommy never wears). There was a huge lonesome-looking green Ty bear on one of the chairs in the lobby, and Chubbs decided to keep him company until it was time to leave.

p.s. No, we did not let Chubbs touch the bear. Goodness knows how long it's been sitting there, fading under the sunlight, collecting dust, and how many other babies have gotten their grimy hands on it... I could go on all day...

Flax Meal

Chubbs rejects fish. He scrunches his face, spits the food out, and refuses anymore food after that; even fruit is no go! To get some Omega 3 goodness in him, I'm trying flax meal instead. Flax meal is finely ground flax seeds that does not require cooking; simply sprinkle over his cereal or fruit, and feed. One word of caution though; flax is a natural laxative. If you give baby more than one tablespoon a day, he might end up with diarrhea.

For Chubbs' lunch, I mixed fresh apricot puree with barley and brown rice cereal, breastmilk and added 1/2 teaspoon of flax meal (for a start). I think because it was well-disguised, he didn't think much of it and ate his lunch with little added fuss. I think this will be a mainstay in his diet :)

"Who're you calling Chubby!?"

Apricot

I bought some fresh organic apricots from Fairprice Finest for Chubbs. He loves stone fruits, like nectarines and peaches, so he should like this too... right? Unfortunately, despite their blush, these apricots were still under-ripe.

It was a good thing I tasted the fruit before giving it to Chubbs for dinner; I was taken aback by the tartness. So I gave only half a fruit, mixed in some ripe banana, brown rice cereal and milk. I think he liked it, even though he only took a few unwilling bites. He seems to be going through his anti-food phase again.... his current favourite game is blowing bubbles with rice cereal in his mouth :(

"I'd rather be playing with my new toys!"

3/4 of a Year

Chubbs turns 9-months old today! Hurray for Chubbs! Every month that passes feels like a mini-milestone to me :) Fuzzy was looking at the earlier photos of Chubbs, and commented that baby is growing amazingly fast. He used to sleep on the highest rung in his crib, and now he is strong and tall enough to stand and chew on the rails. As an aside, Chubbs has joined all the other termites in the house in their feast on wood. Fuzzy noticed that Chubbs' crib rails were splintering and wondered why. It turns out, that our dear son has been gnawing on the wood while practising walking, and now the entire length of his bed is splintered :( I've never seen a cuter termite, though.

Chubbs tried egg yolk at lunch today. Since he doesn't like fish, this could be an alternate source of protein for him. After thoroughly boiling the egg, I mashed half the yolk into some brown rice cereal and milk. I fed him his usual banana and pea meal beforehand, because he tends to shut down everytime he tries something new. He took two mouthfuls of the egg yolk mixture and didn't want anymore, despite my best efforts telling him that eating it will make him grow up strong and tall :/ Will try again tomorrow.

Using Chubbs being a month older as an excuse to head out for dinner, we went to the nearby French bistro, Le Petit Cuisine. Fuzzy and I are fans of their duck confit and potato gratin. It's also the first time in more than a week that the three of us got to spend some time alone. I needed this break :)

Of course ordered two portions of duck confit, i.e. meat cooked in its own fat. This dish is usually done to near perfection; crispy skin with juicy flesh. However, it left much to be desired tonight. The skin was not crisp enough, and the potato gratin was too sloppy. Maybe it is because the French chef/ owner was not in the kitchen, but outside chatting to his customers. I don't know who took over the cooking, but he should put that spatula down this instant :(

On top of the duck, we had an over-dressed green salad, escargots in butter sauce served with a croissant, bread rolls with French butter, and a mushroom soup for Fuzzy.

Chubbs sat chewing on his toys in a bright red high chair and was entertained by the baby girl at the next table. The amusing thing was, he sat the same way he does in his high chair at home... with his left leg up.

We'll give this place another shot sometime soon because we like that it is close by and relatively few people know about it. Hopefully, the duck confit won't disappoint that time around.

Splish Splash, I Was Taking a Bath...

"... long about a Saturday night. Rub-a-dub, just relaxing in the tub, thinking everything was alright..." Love this old Bobby Darin song. It's been ringing in my head for a while :) Anyway, Chubbs did just that! Splishing and splashing in his own private pool on a Saturday evening :)

Since my M-I-L's apartment at The Berth has been leased out, we decided to blow up the inflatable pool we bought some time back, and let Chubbs play in the garden. We suited him up in his bathers, and dunked him in. As you can imagine, he had great half hour playing with water. I like this arrangement because I know the water's clean, and it is not crazily chlorinated. I can breathe easy :)

He had his bath toys, some balls and a jug for company (since Fuzzy and I can't fit in the pool). We created a fountain/waterfall effect by continuously scooping the water into the jug and pouring it out from above. Chubbs had fun trying to "catch" the falling water, and clapping when the water fell between his hands, in turn splashing his face. He especially loves hitting the water surface with his hands, and letting the water splash on his face again. He really enjoys that!

A little mishap as we were about to dry him up, though. Chubbs made an impromptu decision to lie down on his back, Fuzzy's grip was not tight enough, and our baby ended up dunking his whole head and face backwards in the water. We got Chubbs out, he shook it off, and continued playing with water still in his eyes. He was seemingly unfazed by the incident.

We'll have to be more careful next time :/

Pear-y Good

I'm on a roll with these lame blog titles, aren't I? They sure make me giggle :) I let Chubbs have a taste of pear at lunch today. It's a pear, mango and banana treat that comes in one of those Rafferty's Garden squeeze pouches that I featured previously. They are fabulously convenient and hygenic... I LOVE THEM!

I mixed the fruit puree with some barley cereal, brown rice cereal and breastmilk; it smelt wonderful. Chubbs was a little apprehensive at first, and clamped his mouth tightly shut.

Then he got a small taste and realised that it is delicious; the food was gone in no time. Good job, buddy! It's great that he likes pear, because it's a good fruit to pair with vegetables like peas, broccoli and carrot. Yummy!

Just Peachy

I found some organic peaches at the outdoor organic market at Tanglin last Sunday. Chubbs loves nectarines, and since peaches are their furry cousins, I figured Chubbs will like them too.

I called it! Half a peach was skinned and passed through a strainer to remove all the fibres, and mixed with brown rice cereal and milk. He finished all his lunch. I ate the other half; it was yummy. Bright yellow flesh streaked with pink... juicy, aromatic, slightly tart but still sweet. Will return to buy more!

"Eating well gives me strength to walk!"