27/4 1.45am 1st waking, he woke up and walked into our room quietly and put his head on my arm while standing at the side of the bed. Then I picked him up and went back to the room. I told him repeatedly we are going back to bed in korkor's room. I placed him onto his mattress and lie next to him. He tossed for awhile and went back to Lalaland. At 5am he woke up and walked into our room again. Then chanted for milk. I brought him back to the room and told him it's still too early, then I lie down. He didn't lie down for long, sat up and chanted for milk again. When I ignored him pretending to be sleeping, he would lie down for a while and toss and then decided to sit up again and ask for milk. I don't think he slept, but I knew I slept. Bleah... he shook me and tried to wake me up, probably at about 6am. So I decided ok, I would try my luck and voiced out to him, "Ok mommie bring you to the kitchen then we get milk". It sounded alien to him, he didn't nod his head. So, to simplify things, "Do you want milk?" He nodded. I took his hand and walked him to the kitchen. No fuss no complain, no rolling and screaming, he followed. Then brought Foogo out of the kitchen and told him he has to sit on the highchair and he didn't struggle. He drank probably 100ml or so and started to fool around. Had to coax him a bit and the probably did another 50ml. And he let out a loud burp. I think my 1.5yr old stomach is not as big as much and can't match some infants would can apparently gulp down 250ml of FM which baffles me. Doesn't matter, it's just me because I don't believe in overfeeding. The burp does indicate to me that's as much as he can drink at 6am in the morning (since the last feed before 9pm). I am very thankful and glad that he didn't reject FM in the morning on an empty stomach. Well done Dylan for skipping night feed for the 1st time from ~9pm to 6am, and a happy me getting some longer quality sleep wahahhaaa!

I hope to see some consistency while putting him to bed, i.e no patting or holding hands or hugging required and stick to this routine. But I noticed for the past few nights while putting him to bed at 8-9ish, whenever I stood up from the mattress, he would stand up and follow me around in the room ALTHOUGH I was just sitting on the bed, watching out. Duh... So I suppose Dylan's criteria was for me to sit at the corner of the mattress and watch him toss and turn. Tonight I sneaked out of the room while he was just about to doze off. Actually I couldn't quite tell whether if he did snooze off already so I decided to tiptoe out of the room.

Last night I sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star again, Dylan's answer to each end of the phrase was star. Tonight there were difference. I took a video of him completing each phrase.

Today's update

Same thing last night, he would up twice about 3 and then 5am. But I latched him when he woke up the 2nd time. Then slept till about 7am.

As YT and I were having dinner, Dylan brought a book of vehicles to us. YT read and came to a page of dump trucks. Dylan said dump truck then suddenly went off. He picked up the fire truck and said, "Truck". Then came back to us. YT pointed at the dump truck on the book and Dylan said, "Truck". I think he was trying to connect .. either that he was confused the definition of truck. Hahahaaa

Tonight, again, I made Dylan 3 scoops of Gain IQ and I think he probably finished 3/4 of it. So I'll just stick to 2 scoops of it for night feed. Fed on high chair, no fuss during milk time tonight, but still require a little coaxing and chit chat over that 5-10min.

27/4 sleep log : Tonight was peaceful. Before that in the dark, I sang Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, he completed each phrase with Star, grinning ear to ear in the dark when he does the Star. Just like Shawn back then when he started completing each phrase in a song. Managed to get him to sleep in 15min. Yay yay!

Amused

Taken last evening... entertained by Foogo

As of today...

To continue 25Apr episode : Dylan did whimper at about midnight, but didn't walk out or cry. Then woke up at 3ish to cry. I carried him back to the room and tried to pacify him. He screamed but not the typical murdering scream. It was managable within 15min. Much to my content. Then at 4ish and he asked for milk. I thought well should be about time. Latched him on and put him back to bed and we all slept till 7plus.

26Apr Kids had dinner at about 7.30pm and Dylan had his milk at about 8.15pm. Needed a little coaxing to finish up. After awhile, I whisked him off from the hall to the room while Shawn was just starting to munch his pear. Dylan saw and was not too happy about it. I quickly closed the door, changed his diaper and Pjs and lights off. 8.35pm was in time, 8.50pm was out time. I sat at the corner of the mattress while he lie down tossing around. No noise, peaceful and calm, until he went to lalaland while hugging 3 soft baby bolsters in his arms, with one supporting his backside. I am thankful today I didn't need to collect glue from his nose. Hope tonight would be good for real!

Yesterday his mood was pretty foul in school. When being reprimanded for being naughty, he would just cry and throw tantrum. Monday blues.. Apparently today he is much better. Tr Justina was telling me this PM when I picked Dylan up and he is always chanting "mum mum" for more food. Seeing other babies drinking milk or eating solids/snacks, he is always there eye-hawking on other's.

Recently he asked to 'help' mommie during dinner time. I always ask if Dylan wants to help mommie i.e. to say to self feed. His answer is usually, "Pheeee" (please). I would guide his hand since he isn't controlling very well yet. If I were to start off feeding him, it doesn't get past 10 spoonful of food. So, I guess he prefers to be 'responsible' of his own doing and eat it up. It's not a bad thing eh? Speaking of self feeding, he is not into bite and break the food off while chewing the smaller piece in the mouth. Shawn would give Dylan a piece of fruit under my instructions. Dylan would sit down on his red stool next to Shawn to eat. Just that I need to be there as Dylan in his usual fashion would shove everything into his mouth. So extra care is required when Dylan gets a piece of fruit

Twist and Shout!

To continue on 24Apr episode : Dylan woke up at 4.15am asking for milk. I thought well poor thing, he must have wasted so much energy 5hours ago, so I latched him on and went back to sleep until 7am and latched again. The end

25Apr : Kids had dinner at 7. Dylan had his milk at 8pm. It seems he recognised Shawn's Shinkansen cup and was running away from me and whined and cried when I tried to get him onto the seat. So I took his Foogo cup and poured the cup of milk into it and he willingly sat on the high chair and drank. Putting him bed was not peaceful tonight. There was a twist and shout session from 8.27pm to 8.45pm. I guess it was shorter tonight but episode kicked off earlier. It was a sudden switch off session when he decided to just close his eyes, tumbled down and looked for a nice spot to snooze. Hope he won't switch on the 11.50pm button to twist and shout again. Keep my fingers and toes crossed

Log of weaning Dylan off

Continued from 22Apr :  Dylan woke up at 2am, walked to our room. I held his fingers and wanted to walk him back to kids' room. He sat on the floor and threw tantrum. So I carried him to the room. It took him 1/2hr to calm down and went back to sleep. He woke up at 6plus and well, I latched him on for feed.

23Apr : For the 1st time I gave him FM for his afternoon feed. Teik sat down with him for his night feed. Was peaceful until bedtime. Dylan cried his way to Lalaland, though he had enough milk prior to bedtime. Guess he needed the kick before sleep. Woke up just before midnight and screamed again. He ended up tired and went back to sleep and woke up at 5am, latched on.

24Apr : Latched him before Pm nap. Tonight it took him about 1/2hr, while Shawn was tossing around on the bed, he tossed on the mattress on the floor. Woke up just before midnight and screamed for milk again. He ended up crying, beating me up and tossing and kicking me. Abusive! But I think my neighbours would be thinking I am abusing him from the way he screamed and cried. After all the muck and tears for 45min he gave him and lied next to me and drifted off to Lalaland. I hope it'll last him till 6 or 7am before waking up!

I'm just hoping to kill many birds with one stone i.e.
- boot him out of the room (think this is accomplished)
- wean him off breast milk (think this is in progress, well at least he doesn't push when Gain IQ is served, touchwood!)
- wean him off the bottle (the school got to do this, because I never gave bottle at home. Just cup & straw)
- wean him off comfort suckle at night
- wean him off night feed

How mean eh!

Operation D-boot

Basically play by ear... Unplanned, impromptu with mommie's see how-lah attitude
19Apr Tues : Downgraded Dylan to mattress in Shawn's room. He didn't reject by banging the door to get out of the room. I latched him to Lalaland. He woke up at about 1am and 5am. He walked over to our room, sobbing a little and shook me hard to make sure I couldn't go back to sleep. Obviously I latched him back to Lalaland during the wakings.

20Apr Wed : Tried fresh milk but he smirked, sipped a little, walked away, came back and drank a little more, smirked. Never quite finished it. Bleah.. forget it. I latched him on to make him drift to Lalaland.

21Apr Thru : 150ml of Gain IQ served at 9.30pm served with straw in Shawn's cup. He probably had drink this before in school but via milk bottle. He finished it. But putting him to bed, he asked for more milk. I latched him on again. He woke up at ~ 1am and then ~7am. I had longer sleeping hours last night.. woohooo

22Apr Fri i.e. today : 200ml of Gain Iq served at 8pm, again served with straw in Shawn's cup on high chair. Needed a little of coaxing but he finished it. Tried to get him to bed, he played in the dark all over and got scolded obviously. Well, he did get the intonation of me screaming at him as bad bad naughty boy. He cried and threw a little tantrum. Took about 1/2hr of on and off crying and screaming. I lie on his mattress and he was climbing all over, put his head on my tummy, lie on top of me, trying to find the best position to sleep. Cried a little and decided to toss back onto his mattress to try to sleep. Took another 1/2hr or so for this cycle to complete and finally he knocked out at 9.30pm.

We'll see how it goes tonight. Hopefully he got the message no more latch on to Lalaland.. wishing, hoping and praying!

Update as of today

Some improvement this week. He was willing to sit on the carseat from home to school in the mornings though he was already whining and struggling wanting to get off the seat at the 2nd traffic light that we hit. Well, better than nothing. I just had to say something like, "Ok, mommie give you the bag, or the water bottle" to park his backside on the seat. He is more than interested to hold Shawn's water bottle and pretend to be sipping the straw even though it's empty (which means he's 'drinking' air)

When asked to smile, he tilts his head and says "Mile". Anyway here's a serious picture of Dylan watching tv.

Appetite is back, eating what's cooked in the "Grossly-Yours-Kitchen". I am not proud but I'm glad my boys are eating my all in one pot food. Hahaaa! And recently he is munching his food. I gave him half a mini button mushroom and I see his mouth moving. I supposed he did munch. And all that minced pork no longer get spitted out. Thankfully.. and hope that it stays that way!

Update

Everyday of this week when I drop Dylan off at school, he screamed and cried like there is no tomorrow. I suppose now are talking about separation anxiety. Yes, finally he is behaving that way! I heard from teachers that when he starts to see kids going home at 6plus he starts to drama as well. Cried and rolled on the floor. At home he does the snatch-the-toy stunt every other minute when he NEEDS to get it from Shawn. When he isn't happy, just plummet on the floor, and cry and scream. Think we had seen that enough. Terrible 2 has indeed started! Tada!

He's been talking more, most of it which I couldn't quite understand. Baby blabber. The phrase which I catch is usually, "Let go (let's go)". He has shown interest in vehicles, particularly bulldozer and diggers that sort. Typical BOY thing.

During the Brisbane trip, Dylan had the HATE-MOST-FOOD syndrome. Junk is acceptable, such as chips and less nutritional food like bread and cakes are most welcomed (not all the time though). And also, HATE-THE-CARSEAT syndrome. No way we can belt him upwhile he's awake. He would scream on top his lungs. Gosh.... The only chance is to drug him with milk until he knocks out (on long journey this helps alot!) and then transfer him onto the seat. We have the problem now back in Sg as he doesn't want to be on the carseat anymore. Now he sits on my lap when we are travelling on the road, while goody Shawn sits on his booster throne. Sigh... I wonder when can we get this over and done with?!