The Obligatory Growth Progress Report: Oli’s Turn!

Today in the Jason household, we are celebrating another milestone – Oli turned 7 months old! So now she’s graduated from the newborn phase, it kinda saddens me a little. I know, I know, I’ve been saying how I can’t wait for her to grow up a little bigger a little faster, and now that she is all grown up a little bigger, I’m all sad and nostalgic. It’s just I’m gonna miss those new baby smell, and the fragile, angelic look when she yawns. Ah, human. The grass is always greener on the other side.

Anyway, Oli is a real big girl now! She’s since learned to turn over and back at the age of 5 months old, and she squirms and wiggles everywhere now, and I do mean, EVERYWHERE! Recently I’ve seen her lifting her butt up so high it almost touched the sky (haha I just have to!), and was almost in the kneeling position, I guess she’ll be crawling soon! 

She’s cut 2 bottom teeth 2 months back and she’s so cute! I’ve started her on solids, but the progress is slow; fed her applesauce, pureed pumpkin, and plain porridge, she doesn’t seem to like it or maybe it’s just an auto reflex thing where babies will spit out? Anyway I bought a can of rice and soy bean cereal, and she managed a spoonful yesterday! According to the directions on the formula can, she should be fed 7oz of milk by now, but she’s still on 6oz, most of the time she can’t even finish the bottle leaving an oz. I’m gonna try banana next! Oh and the teething biscuits and rusks! I keep forgetting those! Heck, I don’t even remember what I’ve done with Frappy when she was this age.

She’s a fast learner and loves to hang around her big sister. In the mornings, Frappy would wake up and head straight over to Oli’s cot, climb right in and both would have a gala time yakking and laughing about nothing. Even when Frappy thought it funny to piggy ride on her, Oli would still laugh like a madwoman instead of crying for help. I dread the day when both would gang up against their poor mama. 

She responds well when we call out to her and ask her to come. She’d flash the sweetest smile when heard her name and wiggles straight towards us with a smitten face. It’s really very cute.  

Earlier I blogged about giving Oli the pacifier, thinking it will help soothe her without needing me around her all the time? But looks like it’s not entirely working, because she’s much clingier than Frappy; she actually needs to hold our finger to sleep! And she’s at this stage where no one can hold me except for mommy! And daddy. OK and jie jie Frappy too, but she’d always drop me! So now here’s another thing that I can’t wait for her to grow out of soon! 

When you become a second time parent and counting, you’ll automatically be relaxed about what your baby plays with and puts in her mouth. Very relaxed, in fact. With Frappy, we were so paranoid that we confined her mobile perimeter to within the mattress (sandwiched between 2 couches) because oh you know, she’d bang her head on the floor, the floor is dirty and dusty. Let’s wait until she’s much older. And then the second child comes along and all things go. Oli gets full access to the toy cabinet, hands and mouth, plus she gets to roam the floor like she owns it. And we’re so freaking relaxed about it, you’d want to hand us the worst parents of the year award. But really, hey, if there’s anything we can tell you, is that children grow, thrive even, in every living condition you put them in, as long as we are careful about keeping hazardous items out of reach, and she gets fed, cleaned, and loved, I think she’s fine… uh, right? No? Yes, please? OK fine, stone me now. 

In any case, I’m truly thankful that despite our relaxed attitude, Oli is growing healthily and is a happy baby, uh, when she doesn’t cry as if we’ve abandoned her, that is. I do pray that as she continues on this journey of life, I’ll be able to leave her a legacy to draw inspiration, strength, and love from. 

I love you, Oli! - credit Sharlene