A Day with Many News

Today is a day with many news
First I got a e-mail from my sister in Taiwan,

阿公於昨晚4/28晚上8點過世

當天媽因陪爸與同學去大雪山, 臨終未在阿公身邊而難過不已

但小阿姨(美寶)解釋阿公喜歡爬山所以也跟著去了

或許這樣解釋媽能釋懷

阿公看起來安詳

與阿媽相見了!

I don't know what to feel since it must be a relief for grandpa after the pain he had been suffered after the Chinese New Year. I am more worry about mom since she must be blaming herself not being there for his last monument of this life.

Later I got a call from Aone, saying he got layoff from RMJM. I know we have been taking about this for a while and had planned for the worst. But when the announcement finally came about it still need some time to get used the idea. Luckily, I got another year of I went to make sure So I wrote back,

"My dearest sweet Aone:

I don't know how I should evaluate your layoff at this moment, but I feel relieved. From Daniel's perspective, this is a great opportunity that you two can spend more time together when he is still little. We don't have to worry about the day care thing and he is going to be better off with you. To me it is much less relaxing without those picking up and dropping off. I can concentrate more on my dissertation and hopefully finish it ASAP. We may have to tighten our belt for a while, but we should be all right as we always do."

In the end, it is another unproductive day but a day with emotional ride.

Searching for a Perfact Sleeping Bag for My Toddler

As the little one becomes more active, even at night, I guess many mommies may all come to the same problem of searching for a good alternative to blanket in cold winter! For someone who lives in US, Holo's sleepsack will be the first brand that comes to their mind since they are the most popular one you will find in the retail stores. My two year old has been sleeping in a Holo sleepsack since last winter but the zipper has broken and he is kind of outgrew that sleepsack already.

Therefore, I started my sleepsack search in the middle of the night and several products seems to be the bigger hit in the sleep sack/sleeping bag family:
Holo Big Kid's SleepSack Wearable Blanket(Microfleece)
Merino Kid Baby Sleeping Bag (2-4yrs)
Agoo 3-in-1 Sleep Sac
Grobag Baby Sleeping Bag

Holo is the most affordable option ($15 and up) and the overall design is neat since kids can actually "walk" with the blanket in the morning by having two holes in the bottom. However, the color choices are HORRIBLE and the fabric is the one that I concern about! Micro fleece keeps them warm in the winter but it is not breathable. Daniel often sweat in it when the heater is on. And the cotton one is not warm enough for the winter.


Merino is stylish and the fabric in their descriptions sounds very very attempting! Agoo 3-in-1 Sleep Sac seems to be versatile that you can adding layers according to the weather. However, the price tag for both brand is not so friendly at all... over $120!! for a toddler sleeping bag! But I would probably buy the Merino if I win a lottery since some moms put big words on this product review.

Grobag is the brand I found in the middle ground: stylish, better fabric and more affordable (plus good reviews and many awards)! It is a UK brand which specializes in baby sleeping products. They are so specialized that you have options to choose size, style, togs (thickness), organic as well as the travel design. Before you go to retailers, do go to Grobag's company website. They have a filter so you can look for a sleeping bag product that tailored your specific needs . The best deal you can get from Amazon.com is $37 plus free shipping. The only downside is my son can not walk with this sleeping solution since it is a "bag"...

Among the Grobag families, I decide to buy Grobag Baby Sleeping Bag 2.5 tog, 3-6 years in Bubble Style since the size will be big enough for him to grow into it and 2.5 tog appears to be the warmest solution for the cold winter. Plus the travel hole design will allow me to tug him in the car seat or stroller with the sleeping bag as we travel. However, the size is only available up to 18-36 months at Amazon.com. What worse is that the larger sizes are not available at any US online retailer as far as I searched. So I hit the wall again!

So what is my solution gonna be ? Since it is a household product in UK, I will either do an international shipping via a UK online retailer or ask my friend in UK buy it to ship it to me depending on the cost. And I shall keep you posted!

奶奶ByeBye

就在2009年的第一個禮拜天

一歲又九個月的兒子終於完全斷奶了!!

想斷奶這件事已經想了很久

台灣的長輩們也一直不斷的提醒

遲遲無法進行的原因

一方面是不知道對兒子的傷害會如何

(兩個月前的某一天小丹還開始會說 ”我要奶奶”…聽了頭痛又好笑 )

二方面是基於健康的考量

因為聽說小朋友兩歲後抵抗力才會比較好

一歲和的母奶雖然營養不多但是至少依然有抗體

(後者也許是一種自我安慰的說法….）

雖然大家都說饞奶是母奶寶寶晚上睡眠無法持續的的原因

我對此也是半信半疑

怕只怕是斷奶後沒有輔助工具的無眠夜晚.....

趁著爸比年底放無薪假

我們商討了一套階段性斷奶計畫

睡前奶先不斷

夜裡讓爸比跟小丹睡 媽咪睡客廳

試試看小丹的反應

這第一階段斷奶計畫也因為媽咪拉肚子不舒服

就在十二月三十號自然地開始

就這樣 第一晚起來哭半個小時, 第二晚十分鐘, 第三晚五分鐘….

意外的，一月三日 Daniel slept thought the night for the first time…

就在新年假期快結束的時候

我們正欣喜著討論著階段性的成功

老公還喊著要做點什麼特別的為假期劃上句點時

在睡午覺的兒子哭著醒來

還吐得滿床都是

醫院護士指示要禁食觀察

只能每十分鐘餵食一湯匙的電解質水

飢渴但又天性開朗的他

看他喝到連大人都覺得難以下厭的藥水有如天降甘霖的欣喜

但是在等待那一小匙一小匙水間的十分鐘

卻是像度日如年般地煎熬

可是連水都hold不住的小丹

幾乎是每半個小時就吐一次

被折磨到快半夜

抱著飢腸轆轆卻精疲力盡的兒子去睡覺

如平常一樣他吵著要喝睡前的奶奶

想到乳糖會惡化他的嘔吐及腹瀉

和母奶讓他下午吐了滿床的的畫面

終於讓自己有壯士斷腕的決心

狠下心告訴他

喝奶奶肚子會痛痛, 會吐吐

媽咪只能陪他躺在床上, 讓他摸摸奶奶望梅止渴

就這樣

第一晚他是累到不行

接下來兩晚他還是會哭鬧著要喝奶奶

而且氣到把安撫奶嘴丟掉, 以示抗議

第四天第五天他也開始認份了

奶嘴塞著嘰嘰咕咕地慢慢睡去

不知道幾天後

“我要奶奶” 這句話彷彿就從他的字彙集裡消除

再也沒有提起

比起很多人我算幸運

有個強力配合的老公和神經大條又肯吃安撫奶嘴的兒子

整個離乳過程還算和平

生病一場的意外收穫

是讓我們的斷奶計畫提早順利完成

兒子現在睡的好, 食量變得超大

以前得拿著湯匙強迫他喝水（牛奶）

現在他是水杯拿來咕嚕咕嚕地迅速喝完

只是他依然”謹記”著為娘的當初生病時跟他的交易

睡前小魔掌每晚要到媽媽的內衣間探索一番才罷休

不過如果可以換得大家一夜好眠

這樣的”犧牲”我也甘心…!

其實如果按照所謂專家們的說法

斷奶是個循序漸進的過程, 是慢慢減少哺乳的次數

(“離乳”或許才是比較貼切的形容詞)

以前老一輩的一次斷完是不得已但比較殘忍的作法

理想上至少得花六個月的時間

按照這個標準來看

兒子早在五個月就開始離乳了

從添加副食品

到每次褓母家回來的相思奶奶

最後只有喝睡前奶 (naps+night) 和夜間奶

小丹的整個離乳過程

至少也花了一年以上的時間

我這個做媽的也算是鞠躬盡瘁了

之前以為自己會在斷奶後有強烈的失落感

現在才知道一點也不

雖然奶奶沒了, 兒子依然愛窩在媽咪的腋窩下睡覺覺

是一種不同的撒嬌方式和親密關係

每每回想到他說”我要奶奶”那討好的語氣與堅持的表情

沒有懷念只是會心地一笑.

當我在清空收藏哺乳內衣的抽屜時

有的是做媽媽的驕傲, 欣慰, 和如釋重負的感受

完全離乳

讓自己跟兒子在人生階段上都向前跨了一步

在此, 為自己跟兒子在ㄋ一ㄝ ㄋ一ㄝ共和國

21個的甜蜜歲月和堅持鼓掌歡呼!

PS. 命中注定不能ㄅㄛ（誇獎）的兒子,
就在我寫完這篇日記的夜裡, 醒來對我說 ”我要奶奶”……可怕！