Crawling

It's been a long time, but Isabella has finally started to master the art of crawling. Whilst she isn't zooming around yet, it won't be long before I start burning some calories running after her. Right now, she is only taking a few knees forward at a time. But I am so proud of her!

All I want for Christ is my 2 front teeth!

And she finally has them! I was playing around with Isabella the other day and had her upside-down. I looked into her mouth and saw these 2 pearly whites shining at me. Yippee! No wonder it hurt so much the other day when she bit my chin! Now she has a grand total of 4 teeth!

She's starting to stand

Isabella surprises me everyday with how much she is learning. This week, she has started to try standing. I have been giving Isabella the opportunity to practice her swimming skills in our pool several times a week as well as her weekly lessons. A few days ago, she started to stand on my legs when I was sitting in the pool. Prior to that, I have been trying to get her to stand to no avail as she has been used to the jolly jumper. So, everytime I have tried to get her to stand before that, she just tries to bounce instead. Now, even out of the pool, she will stand with my support.

Her personality really is starting to shine. My cheeky little princess. She's full of smiles and giggles and when she sits in her high chair or plays in her bassinet, sometime holds her toys out and drops them on the floor to see what happens to them and then laughs. I wonder what she'll surprise me with next.

My little mermaid

Isabella's had a very big day out today. We went to the city again for her NAET appointment this morning, and the good news is that she doesn't need to have anymore treatments unless she starts reacting to any other allergens in the future. So, after that appointment we walked across the bridge from the City to Southbank Parklands.

It has been a very sunny and hot day today, and Scott and I just did not have the energy to walk fast. I felt the heat just drain any last bit of energy I had. At Southbank, we walked along the markets, where I looked out for one of those people who drew caricatures as we wanted on of Isabella. Before we found one, we had decided to stop by a Cold Rock Ice Creamery for a nice treat. As the day was so hot, it didn't take long before our ice creams started melting. After our lovely treat, we went back to finish the other half of the market, and I finally found the caricature stall. But alas.... my dear darling baby had fallen asleep. *Sigh*... we will have to wait till next time. We decided to head back to the city as we had a few things to pick up on the way home.

As difficult as it was walking from the City to Southbank in this heat, it was harder going back! But it all paid off once we got to the city, as the buildings there provided some relief from the heat, and better still when we went into the department stores there. As Isabella was still sleeping, we decided to cool off at one of the department stores, Myer. As they had some sales on, we went to the Children's section where I found a few bargains, and also decided to get my baby girl her first swimming outfit.

When we finally got home, Isabella and I had a nap, and then later jumped into the pool. Yesterday, we had introduced Isabella to the pool for the first time. She was quite apprehensive, but thought we should persevere with it. Today, she was still quite nervous, but after a few minutes, she was feeling more confident.

"Here is a picture of my pretty mermaid in her cute costume"

She's growing up so fast!

My little munchkin is growing up so fast. She has been sitting up for the last 2-3 weeks. Whilst she can crawl yet and hates being on her tummy, I suspect she might be one of those babies who will just start walking and skip the crawling part.

And for the last week or so, she has been talking almost non-stop. Words like "Mum Mum", "Baba", Buba/Babu". I've been enjoying my little chatter-box. I wonder what her next words will be.

Stay tuned.. for the next development!

High Chair

Isabella has been sitting in her high chair all week, starting with Father's day breakfast. She is having much more fun in her high chair and since it has wheels at the bottom, I have been pushing her around the house whilst I get things done as well, and most of the time she is happy to sit in it whilst I go along my merry way with the house work.

This morning before Scott left for work, already I had put on a load of washing, vacuumed the main areas of the house where Isabella would go to, ie her bedroom, our bedroom, ensuite and kitchen/dining areas. Also got hubby's lunch ready, as well as the usual juice, vitamins, washing baby's bottles, boiling water and also letting the dogs out from the side of the house. Doesn't sound like much, but it was a fair feat for me all in an hour!

8:30am, she is now asleep. I know I was really excited about Isabella's teeth coming out, and I am in a way, but I forgot about the sleep disruptions that come along with it. So, on and off, Isabella's sleep has been better and worse at times. Last night I was expecting a bad night after a stressful day since she didn't get much sleep, but she surprised us. One feed and about 2 or 3 dummy calls.

Anyway, here is a picture of Isabella in her highchair (proudly donated by our friend Paul)

Watch Out! Teeth coming through

Yeay!!! Isabella's teeth are finally coming through. She's been sticking my fingers in her mouth lately.. and I've started to feel something sharp. Last night she woke up crying in pain, not the usual hunger cry. So I knew immediately that she was crying from her teeth cutting through. We gave her some panadol and bonjela. Somehow I don't think the bonjela works.. cause she drools so much and ends up eating it anyway. She went to bed at 8:30pm and woke at 10ish because of her teeth, and then again at midnight, but didn't eat. Then woke again at 4ish in the morning for a feed and then just before 8am. This morning I can almost see 2 teeth pertruding from her lower gums. Yipee! I'll try and get some pictures.... if I can. Lol.

Update

Last Saturday, I got Isabella a Fisher Price Precious Planet Musical and Light Mobile for her cot. Up till that time, she has been sleeping in her self-rocking hammock. But she loves her new cot mobile so much that since then, she has been sleeping in her cot. I am so proud of her!

Also, in the last week or so, she has been a much happier baby. Her eczema has improved and her skin has clear up alot. Apart from a few specks of eczema, her skin feels almost like a baby's skin should feel.. yes.. smooth as a baby's bum! I don't have to moisturise her quite as much anymore, and when I do, I only use the moisturiser and not the rest of her creams.

I am so grateful and am enjoying the "new" happier Isabella. It certainly makes it easier to take her out. She has started eating some solids.. well, the pureed sort. She doesn't really like rice or the vegetables much. But I saw a friend of mine feeding her baby pureed pear and liking it, so I thought I'd try Isabella on that too. Whilst she isn't thrilled, at least she's not showing as much of a dislike to it as she did with the rice and veg.

Also, yesterday during her evening feed, she's learnt to blow raspberries (bubbles). Not too good when you're trying to teach them to eat and swallow. But oh well. She has also learnt to smack her lips, and her hand grasping has improved alot. Whilst she isn't saying any particular words yet, she has started to baby talk with us.

Her NAET treatments are going well. So far, they have treated her for sugar mix, food phenolics, amines and histamines. We attend her allergy treatments weekly on Saturdays.

That's all there is at the moment. Hope all is well for all of you!

She's nearly back to her old self.. YAY!

Just wanted to let you all know that the happy Isabella is almost all back again. I am so happy, and her eczema has improved alot since her NAET therapy. Tomorrow we will attend her second treatment.

Here she is playing with her new toy!

New Picasa up and running

Hello again,

Just letting you know that the our newest picasa site is up and running.

Scott and I have been rather busy lately. In the latest treatment for Isabella's eczema, we have started treating her with NAET therapy at the Advance Allergy Clinic in Brisbane. I have been doing lots of research, and recently heard from another mother about NAET. The philosophy is rather similar to the Bioresonance therapy, but somehow, it seems to make more sense to me.

So far, she's only had one treatment, with the first allergen being treated - sugar mix. Next treatment is this Thursday, and it will be for dairy.

Isabella's skin has improved, I'm not sure if it is partly due to NAET or also to all the other things I've tried in my previous post. I think she is starting to itch less, but breaking the itch -scratch cycle is rather hard. Hopefully, as the treatment progresses and her eczema is more improved, her itch may be eliminated.

Stress has a major part in her flare-up. She can have almost perfect skin in the morning like she did last Saturday before her NAET appointment, but a lack of sleep, tiredness and being woken up to drive to the appointment was enough stress to cause her eczema to flare up in a very big way. Parts of her body like the back of her neck, elbow, arm and leg creases, and also her abdomen all became angry and her skin was flaking all within the hour.

After her appointment, we came home straight away and put her to bed and later, her skin was already improving after getting some rest and feeling less stressed.

When Isabella is stressed, it makes me stressed. I know alot of people say to new mothers to relax and when baby sleeps,.. you also need to sleep. That's easier said than done. I put alot of pressure on myself to get things done, and have things run smoothly... the laundry, ironing, dishwasher, dinner... on top of looking after Isabella. On the weekends, I have also other things I need to get done on top of that... the vacuuming, changing the aquarium water, grocery shopping and also the big pot of cooking and some vegetable preparations for the week. After all these, I feel like I have hardly any time to spend with my extremely loving and supportive husband, whom lately has been getting the brunt of my frustrations. I love my husband and I miss him dearly when he's gone at work.

I get frustrated on the weekends, because after all those chores, I feel like the day just breezes pass and before you know it, .. it's Monday and he has to go back to work. I try and occupy myself throughout the week with attending the new mothers' group on wednesdays and fridays which I organised. I do feel that I get alot accomplished, so I should be happy about that.

Anyway, will keep you all posted about how Isabella is doing after the second treatment. Take care!

So many photos... another new Picasa account

Hi all,

Just wanted to let you know that we have added a third picasa album, as we are uploading so many photos nowadays. As the second album fills up, we will start filling up the new one. When it spills over, I will put the link on this site. Cheers! Have a lovely week!

I apologise that it has been so long since my last post. Since then, Isabella has started getting eczema. Her skin was getting extremely flaky all over, and I've been learning how to manage her eczema as well as gaining more confidence in myself to cope with this. It has been a very difficult time for me to come to terms with accepting that she has eczema, with the past week and a half being the worst. It is on the last 4 days that everything has started to settle.

The last week and a half, I have done a few things to help curb her eczema. Ok.. I know there is no cure for eczema, but one can only try their best.

These are the list of things that I have done so far:

• Prayers : from myself, family members, friends and the church
• Diet restriction : free of wheat, gluten, dairy (including beef), yeast, tomatoes, flavours, colourings and preservatives
• Bioresonance Therapy for both Isabella and I (because I'm breastfeeding). it is suppose to help with getting rid of her allergies, and thus her eczema.
• Creams : tried a whole load, and after lots of research, have finally found the ones that work.
• Oatmeal Baths with Bath Oil : these help to stop the itch, as well as being a soothing bath that is pH balanced.
• Probiotics : (for both Isabella and I) suppose to improve gut function and thus the body's immunity

In addition, to help me with getting more rest, we have started supplementing Isabella on Soy Formula. I have also been expressing my milk for Scott to feed Isabella with. In between the formulas and the express milk, Scott has been helping me with the night feeds. Thankfully, she has gone back to her pre-eczema routine of waking twice during the night. Initially, when she was on antibiotics for the peak of her eczema, she was having lots of diarrhoea which contributed to her waking up almost every hour for the almost a week. That is enough to drive anyone mental.

Anyway, I will give more of an update later when I get more time. Thanks to all who have helped with prayers. Thank you Jesus also for helping Isabella and for me to gain more strength and confidence.

Isabella has grown so much already.  This week she's learnt that she can hold her toes.  She's also learning to laugh as appose to squelling.  She hasn't officially been weighed recently, but using the scales at home, she's about 7kg now at 14 weeks.  

Last weekend, we got her a Bumbo seat.  We thought it would help her sit up and feel part of the family when we were eating at the table.  She only lasts a few minutes in it before she starts getting upset.  Hopefully, as she gets grows, she'll enjoy it a little more.  She looks very cute in it though.

Too much messing around

Oh Dear... This is what happens when you try and mess around with your computer too much.  I tried to make another blog.  Fussing around with emails .. and now I've lost the whole lot.  So, I will have to start again.  I also have to reload my original picasa site.  So, if you are trying to see our original picasa site, my apologies.  However, the second one is still up and running.  Thanks for your patience.