Introducing Ilham to books!!

How to make one to love book..to love reading.. yess.. you need to start from the early age..from the beginning when your baby's mind still pure and not yet expose to so-called techno gadget i.e psp, wii, ps3 etc..

and why should I read to my baby? just because you want them to know..books and reading do wonders!!even if for the first time the book will end up in their mouth.. ( well that's when cloth book comes in handy) but it doesn't mean that it doesn't worth trying. Exposing books in baby's first year is vital for emotional and intellectual developments.Early childhood studies show that reading aloud to babies can teach them to recognize different sounds have different meanings which are the foundation of speech and comprehension.

In the hospital, I was given a gift pack for new mothers. It contained free samples of nappies, baby lotion, baby oil, baby development book etc. What surprised me was there was a library registration form and a black and white board book for my baby. This is a good way to get children to click with library from their early age. The book called baby's world pictures in black and white showing contrast which known to facilitate baby's eye coordination. and guess what, I got Ilham clicked to it since she was 2 weeks old!!!Usually after feeding,  I wind her.. and if she is still awake, I will either lie her or let her on her tummy and start talking to her. The I will move the book  vertically or horizontally while calling her name or explaining to her pictures in the book. At first she didn't show any interest but after several attempts, as she get good control of her eyes , she started to follow directions of the book. So it's true that picture books with contrast , bright and simple images provide visual stimulation towards baby's cognitive skills. 

Initially I found out it quite boring because it seems that I was the only one who somehow understand the picture ( obviously my baby doesn't has a clue what her mother is doing!!)..but gradually my baby started to pay attention and focus to what I am trying to show/read/explain to her...and now at 5 months she will smile every time I show her a book and tell her that we going to read it. I believe reading to my baby can bond us and develop Ilham's emotion. Sometimes I lie next to her, holding the book high so that we can share the book..and laugh together. 

                                        Ilham's very first book. courtesy of Christchurch City library.

These are benefits laid out in the Read-Aloud book Chapter 1

Baby Wearing ..loving it!!

Ilham Najihah in Nojo 'The Original Sling'

Never thought baby wearing is going to be so fun and very addictive. I encountered baby wearing term when searching  the net on breastfeeding sites. The idea of baby wearing just fascinate me and I decided to give it a go. In a glance , baby sling looks very similar to the frontpack we have. The first time we used our frontpack was when my daughter was 6 weeks old. Born at 2.5 kg so, when we put her in the frontpack, we can barely see her tiny head. Since then, I scouted around for other ways of carrying babies.

At first I wasn't convince that babywearing is for me.Well looking at video demonstrations and holding your baby trying to fit her into a sling are two different things. After all,at that time my baby was so tiny. I was afraid that putting her in sling might crush her fragile body. Needed help but there wasn't any baby wearing group around for me to refer to.So back to the www and then I found out about slingbabies. The website had  increased my  eagerness towards babywearing. That night I slept late to study every aspects of baby wearing, different type of baby carriers. etc.I got my first sling off trademe for $25. It was Nojo brand like-new condition. However, I'm a bit frustrated since this sling was not as I expected. It true the padding give extra support and spread the weight but it is too bulky for me. I reckon it well suited for bigger frame person.But this had not deter  me from trying to wear my baby.

Nojo Sling - all cotton with padding for more comfort..

Breastfeeding.com - Everything for the New Mom

Breastfeeding.com - Everything for the New Mom