First cold

So I've been out of sorts as I managed to catch an upper respiratory infection from Jaeminkins. Not sure where he picked it up from, perhaps the change in weather, perhaps from all the playdates, who's to know. So Jaeminkins has his first cold at 5 months on the dot.

Day 1 I noticed that he had a runny nose, sneezing a bit. Then during the night he wakes half a dozen times and I discover mucuous vomit all in his hair, cot and clothes. So gross!

Day 2 Jaemkins and I are both wrecked and so is Pepe who tried to give me a break and sleeps in and almost misses his plane. Jaeminkins is still coughing and sneezing. Headed over to the medical centre to be informed that baby panadol can help and to wait it out.

One thing I did find interesting is that as babies can't blow their noses as yet, then tend to swallow their mucous and then their tummies don't like it and so out it comes as mucous vomit.

Day 3 His voice is hoarse and his breathing sounds like Darth Vader. His snot is more clumpier which means he's on the mend. Not as much sneezing and coughing and acting much like his happy self.

I'll be happy once this is over and when Pepe comes back from his 'mancation' in Japan. I'm off to spend time with the folks, should be interesting....

The screecher

Some say that some babies are quiet and seem to fuss very little. Other babies seem active form the first day of life and demand a lot of attention. Apparently neither extreme means there's anything wrong.

However crying and screeching is the baby's first form of communication.

So recently at about 4-5 months, Jaeminkins has learnt that he has a voice and has been expressing himself through making screeching noises. He screeches, screams and then starts laughing?? He does it so much sometimes that he starts to cough a lot.

I've noticed that he starts screeching mid afternoon or when we're out at dinner.

One time he screeched right after we had ordered the food. So going out for dinner has been a challenge. To get around this, one of us would eat dinner whilst the other held him and kept him occupied and then vice versa. The other trick was to walk him after we had our fill so the sound of cars passing by would dull down the screeching sounds and sympathetic parents would smile at us.

I'm waiting for him to start making different sounds other than screeching and syllables that will eventually turn into words. I've read that when they start to make different sounds that won't screech as much. I hope!

I've also read the noise mostly stems from the same thing – their inability to tell you what they really feel or want. Funny as I have no idea what they're trying to tell me either except that my ears are starting to get sore from listening to the high pitched screams.

Challenge 4- love

As it was Valentine's Day, what better way to celebrate the theme love but with lots of seafood.

I headed down to the Fish Markets with many like-minded people and got myself a dozen Sydney Rock oysters and a great big mudcrab. Yum!

As I had the MasterChef Cookbook Vol 1, I thought I'd test out
Lucas Parsons' Singapore Chilli Mud Crab and the Pressure Test Apple Tarte Tartin.

So for entree was the yummy oysters with an eschallot and red wine vinegar dressing, yummy! Pepe surprised me with my favourite Tasmanian Kreglinger Vintage Brut 2004.

Lucas Parsons' Singapore Chilli Mud Crab

serves 2

prep time 20mins

cooking time 6mins


Ingredients

1 live mud crab (1.25-1.5kg)

1 tbs peanut oil

Chilli Paste

2 small red chillis, chopped

10g fresh ginger peeled and chopped coarsely

2 large cloves garlic coarsely chopped

1 tbs peanut oil

Chilli Sauce

1 cup (250ml) tomato paste

Juice of 2 limes

30g coarsely grated palm sugar (in 100ml of warm water)

1/4cup (60ml) of tomato sauce

3/4-1 tbs black bean sauce to taste

Garnish
Coriander leaves and lime wedges to serve

Method

Cook mud crab in boiling salted water for 10-15mins. Drain and refresh in iced water. Prepare the crab lifting the tail flap and easing off the back shell. Remove and discard the gills, liver and brain matter and rinse the crab well. Using a cleaver or heavy knife, cut the crab into four pieces.

To make chilli paste, use a mortar and pestle to pound the chillies, garlic and ginger to a paste. Add 1 tbs pf the peanut oil and combine well.

Heat wok with peanut oil until hot and smoking. Add the chilli base and stir for 30 seconds. Add the crab pieces and cook for 30 seconds, stirring continuously, then add the chilli sauce and cook, uncovered for 5 mins or until sauce thickens slightly. Season with salt and pepper.

To serve, arrange the crab in a large bowl, then pour over the sauce. Scatter with coriander leaves and serve with lime wedges.


Let's say it was delicious and gone in seconds.

Apple Tarte Tartin

recipe by Kate Nichols

Serves 2

Ingredients

3 Golden Delicious apples (I used Granny Smiths as this is how I remember a good apple tarte tartin)
1 tbs lemon juice
½ cup (110g) caster sugar (you could probably use 1/4 cup as the apples were so sweet)
20g unsalted butter, chopped
Ready-rolled puff pastry sheet
Icecream to serve (I used Maggie Beer's Vanilla Bean & Elderberry Icecream)

1. Preheat oven to 220C (200C fan forced)

2. Peel apples, cut into quarters, remove cores (cutting each quarter at the core so it has a “flat” side), and toss the quarters in a large bowl with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the sugar.

3. Using a 20cm frying pan as a guide, cut pastry into a round slightly larger than the pan, prick with a fork.


4. Melt butter in a 20cm non-stick frying pan over medium-high heat. Cover with the remaining sugar. Cook over medium-low heat, shaking pan occasionally to spread around any dark spots that appear, until a rich caramel forms.

5. Place apple quarters into pan, rounded side down, arranging them around pan. Cut remaining apple to fill gaps. Cook the apples over medium heat for about 10 minutes until caramel is bubbling up in the pan, shaking pan occasionally to prevent burnt spots.

6. Lay the pastry over the apples, tucking any protruding edges around edges of pan.

7. Place the pan in the oven, cook for about 25 minutes, or until the puff pastry has risen and cooked. The pastry should be dry and flaky. Stand tarte in pan for 10 minutes before carefully turning out onto a serving plate. Serve with cream or icecream.


After having attempted Apple Tarte Tartin a few times, this recipe has been the best one yet and definitely one to do again.

Blowing raspberries

Over the last few days Jaeminkins has learnt to blow raspberries.

Apparently this is the one time that spitting should be encouraged! As around 5 months, babies start blowing spit bubbles  -- or raspberries  -- a skill that helps him learn how to move his mouth, tongue, and lips together, and later be able to form words. 

I think he's already learnt the universal sign for okay. But he was soon back to blowing bubbles and spitting about.

So I've been laughing it up whenever he makes raspberries  -- and even trying to imitate him, I'm hoping in no time, he'll be telling me just how funny I am!

Crossing his arms to sleep? I don't think he was impressed with me as I put him in his cot for a sleep and I think that was he rebelling and then fell asleep. Too cute.

Challenge 3- rice/noodles

For this challenge I used the cookbook -Korean Home Cooking by Soon Young Chung

Japchae is a Korean dish made from cellophane noodles (called dangmyeon), stir fried in sesame oil with various vegetables (typically thinly-sliced carrots, onion, spinach, and mushrooms), sometimes served with beef, and flavoured with soy sauce, and sweetened with sugar. It is usually served garnished with sesame seeds and slivers of chili. It may be served either hot or cold.

This dish is served at Korean parties and special occasions, with seasonal vegetables added. Japchae is most commonly served as a side dish, though it may be a main dish. The name, japchae, comprises the two hanja words; jap meaning "mixed and stirred") and chae (meaning "vegetables"). Therefore, japchae literally means "a mixture of vegetables."

An interesting bit of history with this dish.
Japchae was first made in the early 17th century, when the Joseon Dynasty was reigning in the Korean peninsula. When King Gwanghaegun hosted a big party at his palace, one of his lieges, Yi Chung, created this dish to please the king’s palate. The king liked this dish so much that he rewarded his liege by promoting him to the position of hojo panseo (equivalent to the Secretary of the Treasury). At the time, japchae was made with vegetables and mushrooms, such as sliced cucumber, shredded daikon, and pyogo (shiitake) mushroom. Although dangmyeon (cellophane noodles made from sweet potato starch) was only added in the 20th century, dangmyeon is now an integral and primary ingredient of this variety of japchae.

Japchae

Serves 6

Preparation time 2hrs

Cooking time 15mins

Ingredients

4 dried chinese mushrooms, soaked for 30mins in several changes of water

125g beef tenderloin or scotch fillet, cut into thin strips about 4cm long

Vegetable or sunflower oil for frying

125g spinach, blanched in hot water and excess water squeezed out

125g carrot, peeled cut into thin 4cm long strips

1 egg separated

Salt and freshly ground pepper

1 brown onion

60g sweet potato starched noodles

1 teaspoon pine nuts for garnish

Pan toasted sesame seeds

Beef and mushroom marinade

2 tablespoons light soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

4 teaspoons finely chopped shallots

2 teaspoons crushed garlic

2 teaspoons sesame oil

For spinach marinade

2 teaspoon finely chopped shallots

1 teaspoon of crushed garlic

2 teaspoon of sesame oil

2 teaspoon of toasted sesame seeds

Freshly ground pepper to taste

For noodle seasoning

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 tablespoon sugar

1 tablespoon sesame oil

Method

Squeeze excess water from mushrooms then remove and discard stems. Cut into thin slices.

To make the beef and mushroom marinade, combine beef and mushroom marinade ingredients in a bowl.

Add beef and mushroom slices and marinate for about 20minutes.

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a frying pan. Add beef and mushroom slices and stir fry until well cooked, 3-4 minutes. Remove from pan set aside on paper towels.

Wash spinach, remove and discard roots, reserving leaves and stems. (If spinach stems are too long, cut them into 2 sections) Immerse reserved spinach briefly in rapidly boiling salted water. Quickly remove from water and drain. Squeeze out excess water.

To prepare and use spinach marinade. In a bowl combine spinach marinade ingredients add spinach and set aside.

Clean frying pan. Soak 2 paper towels in a small amount of oil and use them to wipe frying pan. Heat frying pan and stir-fry carrot, in another frying pan, fry egg white and yolk and slice thinly to make egg gidan (thinly fried egg used for garnish). Remove from pan and cut into thin slices. Add salt and pepper to taste. 

Bring a medium saucepan of water to a boil, add noodles and cook until soft about 5 minutes. Remove from water and rinse in several changes of cold water until water is clear. Drain noodles and cut into 10cm lengths to make them easier to eat.

To make noodle seasoning. In a bowl combine noodle seasoning.

Add noodles to seasoning and mix well to coat. Add beef and mushrooms, spinach, carrots and onions and mix well. Serve sprinkled with pine nuts and ground sesame seeds and topped with egg gidan.

Stokke chair arrival!

Yay the stokke chair finally arrived from Austria after 4 weeks of wondering where it was and what had happened to it. Whilst Pepe was putting it together, I put together my favourite summer drink of ruby grapefruit and compari. I used the juice of 3 ruby grapefruit, a swig of compari with lots of ice. Yum and sooo refreshing.

We had decided to take advantage of online sales overseas whilst the Australian dollar was strong and Pepe really wanted a Stokke chair for Jaeminkins. I must say I was impressed, it has a small footprint so its not too cramped at the dining table and one advantage is that the child grows with the chair. Happy with our buy online. Now just have to wait for the accessories to come through.

Like father like son

Recently Jaeminkins has learnt how to roll over from his back to his tummy as I have been finding him in his cot awake and struggling to get up from his tummy. Found it a little alarming at first to find him lying on his front as there's so much literature about putting babies to sleep on their backs to prevent SIDS. But I've been getting a lot of reassurance from the playgroup mums, midwives, and the older generation mums to tell me that it's okay. But like father like son, they both like to sleep on their side and tummies=)

Its been a trying time as we've had to stop wrapping him as he's learnt how to roll and so its fidget central when we've put him down to sleep. Since the start of February, I find that Jaeminkins has somehow rotated himself 90 degrees to 180 degrees and at first I thought I was slowly losing my mind. But by just watching him, he uses his surroundings to push off and slowly rotate, babies are such clever little beings.

I know I was anti-dummy before but that's before I discovered that it works. So at four and a half months I've put him on a dummy to go to sleep and it has worked wonders.

We've also been trialling the 'cry it out' process, in other words, put the baby in his bed, shut the door, and let him bawl.

Dr Richard Ferber, author of Solve Your Child's Sleep Problems states after about a week of unheeded crying, a baby will learn to fall asleep on his own. Without a rewarding response to his cries, the theory goes, a baby learns that it's not worth the trouble to cry so hard.

Pepe gets really cut up when he hears Jaeminkins crying his heart out so it hasn't been an easy process.

On Tuesday night, Jaeminkins cried solidly for 50mins and we'd go in and check on him at 6mins, then 15mins then 20mins and then just let him go. He eventually flipped onto his tummy and sobbed himself into the mattress, so when he eventually went down you could hear these little sobs in his sleep.

Heartbreaking to hear but as I've been reading, most parents give in just before the child falls asleep so we were toughing it out and were rewarded with a sleeping baby.

Putting him down again on Wednesday night, Jaeminkins only took 20minutes to cry and fall asleep. So I think its just a matter of routine and he'll associate being put in his cot at night as sleepy time.

Jaeminkins has an interesting crawl at the moment, he face plants, lifts his knee and bum up in the air and pushes forward. Cracks me up every time he does it but is that how all babies learn to crawl??

Passport ordeal

Renewing a passport is no big deal right but creating a new passport for a baby??!!!

Let's say it wasn't too bad going online and typing all the details on and then printing the forms off. It was the passport photo that was creating the havoc. The instructions are

• show the baby or child awake, looking straight at the camera with mouth closed and no pacifier.
• show both edges of the face clearly (no toys, blankets, chair backs or other people visible) and no hair across the eyes.

Hmm that was the hard bit, not only was Jaeminkins was feeling extra chatty on the day of his passport photo was being taken, he was also extra fidgety. So with a yellow muslin draped behind him in the pram, wearing a bib as he was being quite dribbly, this set the scene for his passport photo.

The post office employee had a hard time trying to get a photo that he was happy with. After about 5 tries, he prints the one that he thinks will be approved. So what do you think about the photo?? I don't even think it looks like my child.

Now putting in application forms, I can't believe how picky the post office staff are. One of the signatures was in blue ink and not black ink and I was told that the application could be rejected on that basis. I was going to blame Pepe for that one as he was the one that signed in blue ink.

The signature of the witness on the application and the back of the photo didn't quite match so it could also get rejected on that basis. And the baby photo, it could get rejected as it didn't quite comply with the instructions but 'c'mon it's a baby' and I have no control over his facial features.

So my ordeal was to either to outsource the photo as it may not get approved but then in that case it may get rejected as the post office didn't do it. So I decided to risk it and go with the photo taken by the post office staff.

I was advised by friends what they went through to get a child's passports and it is at times an ordeal and chuckled at their stories but I thought I'd wait it out and see what happens.

Two weeks later, I was rewarded with new passports for myself and Jaeminkins. Let's say that Pepe chuckled a lot after checking out Jaeminkin's photo. Interesting to know that a child's passport only lasts 5 years. Its a tragic photo but too funny not to share.