The Secret Language of Babies

Watched Oprah Winfrey Show the other day and found out that babies all around the world has a secret language of their own.

Do you know that?

After testing her baby language theory on more than 1,000 infants around the world, Priscilla says there are five words that all babies 0–3 months old say—regardless of race and culture.

Those "words" are actually sound reflexes, Priscilla says.

"Babies all around the world have the same reflexes, and they therefore make the same sounds," she says. If parents don't respond to those reflexes, Priscilla says the baby will eventually stop using them.Priscilla recommends that parents listen for those words in a baby's pre-cry before they start crying hysterically. She says there is no one sound that's harder to hear than others because it varies by individual. She also says some babies use some words more than others.

"The constant crying creates a lot of stress and frustration for these moms. "You just feel absolutely helpless. You want so much to be the one to comfort them and to kind of shelter them from whatever they're feeling," says new mom Danielle.

After Priscilla explains the cries, the moms are shocked to learn their babies are actually talking to them! After two hours with Priscilla, all nine babies are comfortable, happy and quiet."Who would have thought that all of our babies are trying to tell us something and we just didn't know it the whole time," says Erica, another new mom.

"So it's amazing."

For more info & video, please go to:-http://www2.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/200611/tows_past_20061113.jhtml

Visit www.dunstanbaby.com to order your copy.

Sleeping Beauties

It has been a tough week.

Very early mornings and very late nights.

Hubby had a rough week too and we have been losing sleep over work matters.

But now that things are looking a little better, we'll be doing nothing this weekend but sleep sleep sleep on our new Ikea bed ;)

Baby Blues

When you want a baby so much, it hurts when your period comes...

I guess we just have to keep trying yeah Hubby?

Sarah the Brown Watermelon

"These stretch marks make me look like a brown watermelon," complained Sarah my cousin the other day.

Well I have to say yeah she does look like a brown watermelon! :)

Since Sarah got pregnant, she decide that she'll try her best to use all natural products. So I google for natural homemade stretch mark cream and found this recipe.

Homemade stretch mark creams

Recipe 1

Cocoa butter is probably the best known home remedy cream for stretch marks. It's healthy benefits include keeping the skin soft and pliable. One homemade stretch mark cream recipe which includes cocoa butter is below.

1/2 cup cocoa butter
1 Tablespoon wheat germ oil
1 Teaspoon apricot kernel oil
1 Teaspoon Vitamin E oil
2 Teaspoon grated beeswax

Heat mixture until beeswax is just melted. Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Apply this cream to your stretch marks until desired results are achieved.
Shea butter is a relative newcomer to the stretch mark home remedy field. Natural shea butter is an excellent source of Vitamins A and E which are essential for good skin health. Try rubbing shea butter on your stretch marks 2 to 3 times a day to help with the healing process.
Another home remedy for stretch marks is to rub olive oil on the stretch marks until they start to improve.

Recipe 2

Aloe vera gel has long been know for its soothing and healing properties for burns. It has been claimed to do the same for stretch marks since they are essentially an injury to the skin. The following recipe uses aloe vera and other ingredients to create a homemade massage oil for the prevention and treatment of stretch marks.

1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup aloe vera gel
4 capsules Vitamin E (remove liquid from capsule and discard casing)
2 capsules Vitamin A liquid

Blend ingredients together and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.
All of these home remedies for stretch marks are extremely good for overall skin health. Why not try one for a while to see if it can help reduce the appearance of your stretch marks. These home remedies are an inexpensive alternative to costly prescription cream. I sincerely hope you will find one that meets your needs.

I might try'em on me ;)

Good luck ladies

Saggy Issue

I guess gravity has gotten the best of me...or at least the best of my b00bies. Used to be all perky and ummm jiggly but now it seems my b00bies are racing, which one will be touching the ground first.

Hmmmph!

I know that there are a lot of stuff out there that you can use to firm up your b00bies, but I'd like look for any kind of exercise that would help me with this...errr saggy issues.

So I asked a personal trainer friend what is the best exercise for saggy b00bies?

"Push-ups", she answered.

Errr ok. Not a big fan of push ups but I'm willing to try anything.

So do the bench push ups slowly concerntrating on your chest muscle, 20 x, 4 sets every day.

Another reason is that we use the wrong type of bra. There was a programme on wearing the wrong bra in Oprah Show some time back that I watched.

And do use sports bra when exercise.

The Curvy and the Bodacious

A cousin who is getting married this January 2008 at Carcosa Sri Negara (yeah I know!) is surviving only on Aquarius mineral water, cheese cubes, cabbage soup and air.

She is determined to fit into size 4. She is currently size 12.

Impossible it seems but I have witnessed a friend who lost 18 kgs in 3 months. She didn't eat anything. She too survived on mineral water and air too.

I don't quite get the fascination to be stick thin to look beautiful. I mean I know it's your wedding day and you want to look the best but you do want to look best AND not faint walking down the aisle.

Cliche it may seems but if you are genuinely happy and content with your life and have a good heart, it will show on your face.

To all bride-to-be, enjoy it. It's your wedding day :)

Water Babies

I'm not too sure if there's such class in Malaysia. A colleague was searching for a swimming class for babies as she believes that it should benefit the infant.

It looks scary to me. I mean they are so small and all but looking at these pics I think they are better swimmer than me :)

Benefits of Baby Swimming
The benefits of baby swimming are numerous, proven by extensive research into this area. This section outlines a few reasons why it is a good idea to start swimming at an early age.

Reflexes

Newborn babies have a number of inbuilt reflexes which can be utilised to aid early movement in the water and learn safety skills.

The 'gag' reflex is an natural involuntary response that causes the windpipe to be sealed so that water does not enter the lungs. This reflex is thought to disappear sometime in a child's first year, but means babies can naturally hold their breath underwater before learning to control it through the exercises in our classes.

The swimming or 'amphibian' reflex causes a baby's arms and legs to move and propel them through the water and this reflex is thought to disappear between 6 and 12 months. This makes it look like a newborn can swim under the water. Introducing a baby to water whilst this reflex is still present helps them to develop their own voluntary movements in water rather than sinking motionless when the reflex disappears.

The righting reflex is present in a baby over 4-5 months old and is demonstrated when a baby tries to lift its head upright when lying on their back or front, which can cause frustration. Floating exercises used in our classes avoid the stimulation of this reflex so that the baby remains relaxed and will enjoy swimming and floating on their backs.

By understanding these reflexes and working with them, we can lead babies from their first splashes through to swimming, with a lot of fun along the way !

For more information about this approach to baby swimming and research, you can visit the Birthlight web site.

Development
Babies are at their most receptive in the period immediately following birth. The pool is a multi-sensory environment, opening babies minds up to whole new experiences and is a great opportunity for parent baby bonding as it involves lots of eye and physical contact.

Swimming allows babies and toddlers to move independently through the water long before they can crawl or walk, aiding development of muscles, coordination, balance, lung capacity, stamina and the brain - to mention just a few !

Personalities are further developed as the child tries out new skills in the water - the more cautious children learn to take risks as they attain new skills and the more boisterous children can become more prudent! Older children enjoy achieving new goals, making new friends and becoming independent, so increasing their self-confidence.

Social Benefits
Parents and children often find new friends through our classes, sharing a common interest and it's a great souce of information about everything related to parenthood.

Families can enjoy time together in the water if everyone enjoys splashing in the pool, providing an opportunity for escaping the pressures of everyday life.

Holidays provide a great opportunity for trying out new water skills, copying older siblings (or younger ones!) and ultimately, just having fun in the sea or pool. Practising water safety skills for these situations through baby swimming classes is a great asset.

Claim Your Hans Solo

Hahahah got this in my e-mail this morning

Wouldn't want to be the one paying for the excess baggage.

Cool ad nonetheless.

I forgot the name of the bounty hunter in Star Wars.....alamak

Appointment With Death (well that's how I feel ok?)

I'm scheduled for a root canal!

Root canal according to Wikipedia

"Root canals is the commonly used term for the main canals within the dentin of a tooth. These are part of the natural cavity within a tooth that consists of the dental pulp chamber, the main canals and more intricated anatomical branches, that may connect the root canals to each other or to the root surface of the tooth. Root canals are filled with a highly vascularized, dense connective tissue, the dental pulp. Inflammation or infection of the pulp tissue may occur. The most common reasons are caries and tooth fractures that allow microorganisms, mostly bacteria from the oral flora or their byproducts access to the pulp chamber or the root canals. If this process is irreversible, an endodontic treatment is advised in most of the cases and a general dentist or specialist (endodontist) should be seen for advice and treatment.

Endodontic treatment, coupled with internal tooth bleaching, is also used to fix teeth that have blackened because of infiltration of decayed soft tissue into the dentin in the teeth, most often seen in incisors that have been injured through a sudden impact."

What? What? What?

The Hubby had a root canal before.

He's not helping when he keeps making the drilling sound before he screamed, demonstrating how painful it was for him.

God, pls pls pls let me have the ability to be invisible.

Bend It Like Mommy

Not exactly my idea of a futsal...

But I accepted my sister's invitation to play futsal this weekend.

I have never played futsal before but it sure looks like fun! I have watched my sister played in tournaments and well it doesn't look that hard.

And it looks like great cardio so what the heck.

Lets hope I don't pass out in the middle of the game hahahahahahaha!

The Hubby is interested too so perhaps he can join the men's team :)

Well, lets hope we both don't pass out during the game!