We're featured!

Pop Tots was featured on My Paper, January 20, 2012, Page A13. A journalist from My Paper contacted us three days ago regarding the Bruce Lee Romper. We exchanged a few emails and next thing voila we're on! It's a proud moment for my business partner and I. It's going to be a good year i can feel it.

Happy Lunar New Year everyone!

Bulk Purchase Begins!

log on to http://poptotsshop.blogspot.com to find out how you can order this pair of hand knitted shoes for only $9.90.

Xiaoxiong number 2

Mountain Boy has this comfort bear from kingkow gifted to him by a family friend. It's actually part of a gift set which also includes some onesies, mittons and bib etc. We've been quite paranoid about losing the bear whenever we travel. When we went back to Singapore over CNY i was delighted to find the same box set! But i struggled (only for about a minute) with the decision to buy it because it costs S$59! Luckily a friend was going to give birth so that gave me justification to buy, at least the onesies won't go to waste!

Surprisingly, Mountain Boy doesn't mind the newness of 2. Maybe he might have thought that 1 went through a facelift to look a whiter and cleaner. He still hugs 2 like the bear he loves most in this world. Then incidentally the other day he saw 1 tucked away in the cupboard and started squealing for it, i had no choice but reveal to him that there are indeed two bears. Again to my surprise, he hugged both like he loves them equally, for a few days he slept with both bears and i would find him waking with both bears still in his arms. So sweet.

Anyway, i decided to hide 2 from his sight for now because i cannot afford to get two replacement bears if they both get lost!!

These shoes are made for walking

Remember the shoes from 4 months ago? Mountain boy has apparently outgrown most of them. Mountain man and i like to joke about having a hobbit for a son because he has such big feet (13.5cm long). Albeit the fact that shoes were pretty much decorative for the first 10 months of his life, he resisted them. Putting them on was a real struggle because i never could get both sides on without him kicking one side off.

To my relief that changed recently. My little walker decided that shoes are cool, perhaps even necessary to pass off as human being (versus being a real hobbit). So yay! TIME TO GO SHOPPING. Ok I didn't literally GO shopping, i went to the trusted taobao and searched for 学步鞋 (shoes for new walkers). Came across some pretty cool designs and bought a couple. The first 2 pairs came and they were 1 size too big so i bought 2 more at the right size. And then another friend told me about Stride Rite so i went back to taobao and bought 1, it was again 1 size too big so i bought 2 more at the right size... One thing led to another and i ended up with 8 pairs of new shoes for Mountain Boy. I don't think he goes out often enough to do justice to all of them so i make him wear them at home. kidding.

These shoes are made for walking.

Did you know Camper makes baby shoes? I couldn't resist. It's not SUPER comfortable but dang they are cute!

Mama's handsome little boy before our little outing today. Running here, there and everywhere.

Here's a funny picture of Mountain Boy running away from a certain scary Mountain Bear...

Living to eat

Mountain boy is truly enjoying his solids experience. Before he started on solids 2 months ago he was at the 25th-50th percentile, now he has shot up to the 75th percentile!

Because he loves eating so much, i really enjoy cooking and preparing his meals daily. The freezer compartment that was used to keep my frozen milk has been replaced by cubes and cubes of multi-coloured frozen puree.

He is always cautious with the first bite, he'll never open his mouth too widely for that. If he likes what you're serving, he can wallop 3/4 cup in less than 10 minutes. But like any other kid, he constantly needs to be distracted especially towards the end of his meal.

So far he has tried the following in chronological order:

1. Carrot
2. Baby Rice
3. Pumpkin
4. Peas (which i have stopped because it gives him gas)
5. Sweet Potato
6. Apple
7. Pear
8. Oatmeal
9. Banana
10. Prunes (Organic and dried naturally)
11. Avocado
12. Potato
13. Wheat Flour
14. Cinnamon
15. Beetroot
16. Egg Yolk
17. Spinach (which gives him a rash, but don't know if it's a coincidence)
18. Millet
19. Papaya
20. Cauliflower
21. Brocoli
22. Butter
23. Beef loins
24. Rice
25. Tomato
26. Cheese (I use Chedder and made a yummy cheese sauce to drizzle over vegetables)

My SIL introduced the Rafferty's Garden series and we've been hooked ever since! The ingredients are MOSTLY organic, and the rice cereal has no added sucrose or sweetener. I've tried so many of their products and i think the packaging is great for travelling.

He is also in love with the vegetable puffs (top picture: far left) from Happy Baby. He gets crazy eyes when he sees the bottle. Only thing I don't quite like is the non-airtight packaging. I always have to transfer the puffs into another airtight container to preserve the shelf-life.

Anyway here's a video of a greedy Mountain Boy mastering his pincer grip (pinching things with fingers).

10 Tips i picked up from a recent baby nutrition course and some mommies:

1. Try to pick organic even though the books don't say so. Organic fruits have more absorbable nutrients. Especially apples and peaches because the skin is quite porous.
2. Carrots are more nutritous when cooked. Don't feed the water from steamed carrots because it contains nitrates (which apparently gives u the blue baby syndrome).
3. Iron is very important for baby after 6 months because the body only stores enough iron for 6 months. Beyond that it is necessary to supplement. Some common foods high in iron are egg yolk (only introduce if both sides of family don't have egg allergies), red meat and spinach (but vegetable iron needs to be supplemented with vitamin C).
4. Feed DHA as early as possible. It is very important from brain and nervous system growth. Reduced ADD.
5. Add 1tsp of vinegar to stock. It releases the calcium from the bones (i learnt this from the mommies).
6. When feeding your baby fish, try to select a different type of fish each time. Because fish are contaminated with different poisons, so by choosing a different type u are reducing the risk of over contamination with the same poison.
7. When feeding chicken choose the thighs because it is higher in iron. And also try to go for free-range chicken.
8. When feeding salmon, choose the tail because it is the most tender.
9. When feeding beef/pork, choose the smaller loins.
10. If your baby refuses to sit on the high chair, don't offer alternatives. They will eat if they are hungry.

Passion for Shoes

I just recently bought 5 pairs of shoes for T and 1 for myself. What a colourful bunch! I love love love these new shoes.

Did i ever mention that my feet expanded since i gave birth? That's 50over pairs of shoes rendered unwearable. I've invested in a shoe-expanding device and i've managed to salvage less than 5 pairs so far.

So anyway, all the more reason to go shoe shopping.

I... wanna rock and roll all night.... and party everyday...

I must admit that i'm not a KISS fan, but i couldn't resist the cute T-shirt! My little rocker is so handsome!!

Hotslings part 2

Remember how i was so crazy about carriers?

T is now strong enough to be carried upright, so i have a new way of slinging him in. It's much better than the cradle carry cos less of his body is in the carrier so it's not so tight. But my verdict is that it's a good to have for short periods at home or short trips to the market. Active babies like to wriggle around too much the sling won't hold them in!

Apologies for the blur picture.

T is also abit too big for the Ergo + Infant insert (plus all the heavy winter clothing), but too small for the ergo without the infant insert. So i've been utilising the Bjorn and i've actually gotten compliments for how special the colour is!

Crazy about carriers

A good carrier is quite essential in my opinion. It's handsfree so u can drink coffee on one hand and carry your shopping bag in the other. It eliminates the reliance on strollers which are bulky and inconvenient if you don't have ur own car. And it's great for parent-child bonding. In China, there's an additional benefit of keeping warm during harsh winters!



Hotsling

Pros:

1. More portable as compared to other carriers: Light, foldable, easy to stuff into diaperbag.
2. Many cloth patterns to choose from.
3. Can hip-carry, cradle, semi-cradle (with baby sitting up), back carry.
4. Can breastfeed- though i don't know how.
5. Mother looks chic.

Cons:

1. Very hard to put the baby in. The first few (hundred) tries were a struggle.
2. I am not sure how comfortable it is. T was very squashed when i first put him in at around 5 weeks. But as the bb gets bigger, less of him goes into the sling and it'll get better.
3. Need to get the right size. If it's not the correct size it will look quite clumsy and won't be comfortable for the mother. It's non-adjustable nature also means that u cannot share the sling with ur husband. (not that mountain man wants to carry a floral yellow sling).

To buy or not to buy...

Despite the many cons i've stated, the chic-ness makes it very tempting for mothers. I must admit that even though i've struggled with it, i look forward to the day when T gets bigger so i can hip carry him.

Baby Bjorn

Pros:

1. Comfortable for both baby and mother. T loves it very much.
2. Easy to put on.
3. Front carry, baby can either face in or face out.
4. Relatively portable: it's still OK to stuff into diaper bag.
5. Looks pretty good.

Cons:

1. No hip carry and back carry.
2. Actually hard to find fault with the bjorn from a usage perspective. But there are alot of negative press about suspending the baby at the crotch and the outward facing position. it's supposed to be bad for posture and spinal development.

To buy or not to buy...

I think the rule of moderation applies. Baby walkers also has bad press, but we all grew up using it and i think we're fine. I guess just don't use the bjorn for long hours and it'll be fine.

Ergo Carrier

Pros

1. Easy to put on.
2. Provides good overall support to baby and mother. Weight is focused more on the hips rather than the back and shoulders so u won't feel so "achy".
3. 3 main positions: front carry (includes cradle carry for infants), hip carry and back carry.
4. Can use for babies up to 3 yrs (longest usability amongst all carriers).
5. Infant insert allows good posture for infants.
6. Attached sleeping hood great to block out stimulation and the cold.
7. Most comfortable for babies amongst the 3 carriers.
8. Has a front pocket.
9. Has safety features that ensures that the carrier don't fall apart should the buckles come off.

Cons

1. Cannot face outward, but it's because the makers claim that outward facing posture is bad for babies.
2. Looks a bit too sporty for me.
3. Quite bulky. Cannot stuff into diaper bag.
   

To buy or not to buy...

If u only have money to buy one carrier, invest in this one. That's cos I rate comfort quite high when you have to carry ur baby or toddler for long hours. Also, it's got the longest usability so u get a better value for ur money!

PS: This is one of the dresses from H&M. hehe.

wook mommy, wobots...

A while ago, i bought these cute robot wall decals from Amazon. It was part of my grand plan to put the nursery together. These stickers can be easily removed and repositioned, sticks on wallpapers as well. Mountain man and I had fun "decorating" the room last night. It took us less than half an hour to complete the job.

It's just amazing how the little bit of effort made such a huge difference to the room. Suddenly it felt like a baby was meant to sleep here.

Can't wait for u to come out T, ur robot friends are waiting!!

Left out

As i was doing more packing n unpacking of the bb room, i found this! Its a gift from eujin n yen a while back. The cushy car rattle is so cute! Can't wait for T to start enjoyin these things.

Nesting: Washing machine part 2

The hardware:



This is the size in comparison to my big washing machine.







Open the top and this is the interior where all the action happens. 4 modes: Wash, Rinse and Drain, Disinfecting and Full Auto.





The installation:
It's like any washing machine. One inlet for water tht is to be attached to ur water faucet (comes with different types of attachments depending on where and wht ur faucet is). One outlet for water to come out, one electric plug.

We encountered problems installing the faucet at first cos the water kept on leaking. Had to call on professional help from the apartment to fix it. It's not a hardcore washing machine so the hardware is not exactly sturdy. We can't leave the faucet "on" like the normal washing machine cos the pressure might wear the outlet down.

The Washing;
Okay the churning is pretty strong! i think it's very clean. The first try was a disaster. It was totally my fault cos the water outlet wasn't put at the right place, but i got the hang of it the 2nd and 3rd load.

This is the result of 2 loads. it's decent.

Water usage is about 2x standard sized pail. At first i didn't know how much water would flow out so water overflew from the pail and the entire bathroom is WET!

I think in the future, this water can be reused to soak the dirty diapers.

Common complaints:

1. Does not spin dry. But to be honest, wringing with bare hands is better than handwashing the whole thing. And i won't say that handwashing gives a cleaner result.
2. The draining function is not good enough. some water remains in the machine after the end. The tip is to press the rinse and drain mode for a while until the water full drains and off the machine.

All in all, i give this machine 7/10. All the "teething problems" at the start can be ironed out pretty easily once u get the hang of it. now i just have to figure out how durable this thing is....

then again, it's only 520RMB.

Nesting: T's new washing machine

I ordered the new Eco-egg washing machine for T, it's so cute!!! It's slightly above the knee in height, and it can take up to 1kilo of load. That's roughly 1 set of adultwear (Trousers, shirt, underpants, socks). It has similar functions to a standard washing machine, and an additional disinfecting mode if u're washing cloth diapers. SWELL right?

I know it seems extravagant and totally unnecessary to buy a new washing machine just for a baby. But actually it only cost me slightly over SGD 100 (china rocks!). And i think it's quite tough for the helper to handwash baby clothes and soiled diapers daily. A lot of time can be saved to do other things like play with the baby, cook a better meal, SLEEP....

Now i just gotta wait for mountain man to set up the thing so we can start washing the first batch of clothes! I've never been this enthusiastic about laundry.

Symptoms of 3rd trimester

It's week 30 going 31. My movements are getting slow with frequent rests in between. Just a month ago i could walk the entire Seoul like i wasn't pregnant, now every step has to be premeditated. Should i walk to the kitchen to get that glass of water now, or can i do it later when i am more thirsty?

Lesser mobility = less frequent trips to the kitchen = less food = less fat
Might as well...I've put on enough anyways. While i waddle, the other parts of me wobble. It's depressing.

My hip joints also seemed to have been dislocated somehow. Last night i couldn't even get up to pee! It hurts soooo baaad.

My fingers haven't felt normal in the last 1 month, i've got the carpel tunnel syndrome. I don't remember what it is exactly but i think it means tht I'm so fat tht my blood vessels get squeezed, so the circulation to extremities are disrupted making my fingers numb and painful. I know it doesn't sound possible tht one can be both numb AND painful, but u'll know it when u get the carpel tunnel syndrome.

The body temperature is also rising, the aircon just don't seem to be cold enough. I'm wiping off my perspiration all the time, even when the person next to me is freezing.

But even with all these complaints, i take heart in the fact tht i've a miracle growing inside of me. Soon i'll have T in my arms. To remind myself of the approaching day, i did what every mother would do to feel better. I shopped.

Since i've combed through all of the baby sites in China, i've decided to widen my horizons and shop from amazon. So i bought...

Bravado Nursing Bras- Boy are they sexy. easy access to the boobies. (Note the sarcastic tone) But seriously i heard these provide the best support.
Bumwear- this one size cute diaper cover thing.
Robot Wall Decals- so i can decorate T's room.

I also opened up all of T's things that i bought over the last few months, sorted (i think for the 5th time) which ones need to be washed so T can wear them as a newborn.



We can't wait... I'm totally freaked out but somehow it still feels nice.

Baby supplies, Check!

Thanks to Little Miss Snooze's comprehensive list of Baby Stuff To Buy, i've completed all of the baby shopping in just 2 hrs. Of course luckily V was around to verify and do quality control on the stuff we picked, making sure tht everything was in order. Simple things like choosing the right mittens, thick rubbers are better than thin rubbers so they won't slip off. Clothes made of muslin are better for newborns, etc etc.
Those were valuable advice i wouldn't have known otherwise.

The start up cost of having a child is really high! The supplies alone cost us over 400SGD (includes big items like Steriliser, medela BPA free milk bottles and a swanky bathtub). So i'm guessing T2(Tamagotchi 2) will have to inherit T's things for it to make financial sense.

Anyway, China baby shopping is really convenient. There are a few websites equivalent to Kiddy Palace that i can just call and it's cash on delivery. Totally helpful if u're homebound during ur confinement.

www.lijiababy.com.cn
www.leyou.com
www.redbaby.com.cn

Rockabye lullaby

This is SO PERFECT for T. At least it's more up our alley than nursery rhymes and mozart music. Now i don't have to be so worried about not knowing the full lyrics to Mary Had a Little Lamb and Eensy Weency Spider.

The Rockabye Baby series offer baby renditions of lengendary rock music all the way back from the 70s. There's the Beatles, Bob Marley, Radiohead, Smashing Pumpkins, U2, Nirvanna....it's so impressive! And the CD sleeves are soooo cute!

Here's the original U2 Best of...
This is the Rockabye Baby version! *squeal*

The samples are pretty good!

Rockabye Baby! Favorites

This is so great that i got mountain man on a shopping spree. he wanted to buy 5 albums at one go... We're still deciding which albums to get, but we want everything right now!

PS: i've started a "baby shopping" label for the things i buy for T.

Taobao Fashion Spree

I literally went berserk when V asked me if i wanted to tag on her shopping. I'm 90% happy with the stuff that arrived. Being a first time mom, i wasn't quite versed in baby sizes so some of the stuff i bought won't fit T till he turns 2! ack!

So anyway, without further ado I present my first round of shopping spree from Taobao (the ebay of China).

Stripped Convertible Romper - for a sleepy Tamagotchi.
(Sorry if u've to tilt ur head, blogger screws up the picture orientation sometimes)
The romper can converted to a skirt (see yellow sample) so its more comfortable to wiggle around at night.

Frat boy jumper- for Tamagotchi when he attends one of the Ivy Leagues.
Quality is soso, but it looks completely studious and adorable! Thick material, perfect for T when it turns winter/spring.


Panda Kimono - for Tamagotchi Kimura.
This is made of very good muslin material that gets softer with washing. Material is cooling, very good for short walks in the park. Perfect for Spring/Summer.

Upper East Side Romper- for Tamagotchi Bass. (as in Chuck Bass)

This is a gift from V. Isn't it CUTE!! the tie is detachable, so he can "relax" after a hard day at school. haha.

Chill-out Romper- for a laid back Tamagotchi

This happens to be Mountain Man's favourite. Harhar, for men it's the simpler the better.

Some other cute stuff:

Funky bibs. Sorry if u've to tilt ur head again. I love the superman bib!

Winter tights- i know it's a bit girly to wear tights in Singapore, but Beijing is very very cold. It's not uncommon for boys to wear tights.

Totsnob

Born with a silver spoon in mouth? How about a diamond encrusted pacifier instead? Total 3 carats. Sorry T, mom can't afford this. But if i can, i'd buy myself a huge rock first. Or perhaps pay for ur education.

I just found a solid baby website called www.totsnob.com (spinoff from bagsnob.com). It shows mommies the "bad" things money can buy.

T's new car...

One of the things on our list when we got back to SG was to get T a stroller. I thought man, i'm gonna be the only one fussing about the model- right colour, right height, right style, right weight, right price, will T look royal in it, will mommy look cool pushing it around?

Turns out i was wrong about Daddy's supposed minimal involvement. I reckon that buying a stroller is like buying a new mode of transportation... Mountain man and his male friends even discussed (over beer) on the types and models and price and functionalities. Wheel suspension? Frame material? Handling? Recline?

So believe it or not, Mountain Man vetoed ALL my shortlisted options (which were cheaper) and decided (all by himself) that he wanted this. The Inglesina Zippy Stroller in Safari colour, comes with an extra bassinet for infants up to 3 months, and all sorts of accessories for all kinds of weather. I just stood there and let him figure out the installation, puzzled and amazed by his level of enthusiasm.

The deal maker? It's one-hand folding mechanism. It folds like a transformer robot and stands on it's own. Nevermind tht it's 9kg cos in macho terms, heavy is sturdy like a continental car.

For more reviews on Inglesina Zippy Stroller, click here.

Tamagotchi fashion

When i found out Tamagotchi is a boy, i was frankly disappointed tht i couldn't buy tht cute mary jane trumpette socks for him. Actually i still can but i don't want Tamagotchi to develop a fetish for women's high heels at such a young age.

So today i was surfing Karen Cheng's blog, boy oh boy does she look good after 3 boys. She has shrunk back to her normal size (i hate her for tht) and her babies are so perfect. So if Karen Cheng the fashionista can have fun dressing 3 boys, why can't hiaoster me do it?

Thanks to the links on her blog, i found this cool site, Baby's Got Style.

This may look like a bumble bee romper, but i call it the Wolverine Suit- The one before the origins.

Touche! Sounds more like a comment mountain man will make.

Indie baby with a mohawk and black eyeliner.

Hehe, this is so so corny. But i like the old school feel of it.

This is the funniest, can u imagine him on a mini harley, wind blowing in his hair... Scorpions playing in the background.

I'm glad it's not all toy cars and camo suits. phew!