At 6 months

Dear Annette,

We got worried when we sent you for your immunisation jab this month because you only weighed 6.142 kg. That's quite a bit on the small side for your age, especially considering that you were born 3.1 kg. Dr Chang says you should have doubled your birth weight at 4 months! But we understand each person is different and size isn't everything. We just continue to pray that you will be a healthy girl who will bring glory to God in your life.

We also decided to give you formula milk, thinking that it might help to give you a boost but you cry terribly each time we put the bottle teat in your mouth. Yet you're okay with the spoon and even lap it up when we give you the milk in a cup - which can be a messy affair. However you're not drinking much of the formula milk either so you're still mostly drinking mummy's milk.

You've started on solids and most of the time you're quite happy to open your mouth once you see the spoon but you quickly lose interest so we have to distract you with toys and books so that you will open your mouth to eat and we won't worry that you won't have enough food to help you grow. It takes an hour to feed you most of the time! And we have to keep alternating between the different types of food - rice, veg, fruit, milk - to get you to take in more. We're willing to be more patient (though we don't wish to spoil you) as we try our best to help you grow within our means as we can't force you. We can only depend on God's grace that you'll grow well and develop good eating habits.

For sleep, you're still sleeping on your tummy and you nurse to sleep most of the time unless we brings you out and you fall asleep as I walk around with you in the patapum or over my shoulders or por por/nai nai's shoulders when they're at home with you. The only change is that you're more vocal in your cries especially before sleep, wailing "Ma ma mum mum ma mmmm..." - at which mummy of course is the only one who will be able to make you go back to sleep by nursing again. And you're more wakeful - which shouldn't be the case since the solids should be keeping you full - but I still give in to nurse you as the easiest way out because I need my sleep. Thankfully you like to sleep so you don't take that long to fall asleep and you sleep for quite a long stretch despite the constant wakings. We pray too that you'll develop good sleeping habits as you need sleep to grow too.

One exciting thing is that you've started calling papa! :) It thrills him when you do.