14-Pound Baby Boy Born In CA

Doctors at an Orange County, California hospital made a very heavy delivery over the holidays.
Richard Walker Sault weighed 14-pounds and two-ounces when he born two days before Christmas.
Baby Sault's mother underwent a C-section, but both baby and mom are said to be doing fine.
The big problem for the family now is that Sault can't fit into his baby clothes.
His parents have had to exchange all his clothes for bigger sizes.
Officials at Saddleback Memorial Medical Center in Laguna Hills say Baby Sault is one of the biggest babies they've ever seen.

NECN.com

Christmas Greetings 2008

Obama is in Manila?

Hilarious!!!

Christmas Eve: What's on the Menu?

Have you planned your Noche Buena menu?

It has always been a tradition of our family to spend Christmas Eve all together in our parents’ house in Kamias. We make every Noche Buena a feast. Two Christmases ago we had Lechón Baboy (roasted pig) -- it was a gift from my sister’s client. Last year we had Filipino Style Spaghetti, Roasted Whole Chicken, Gising-Gising, Humba (Braised Pork Belly), Lumpiang Shanghai (spring rolls), Oven-cooked Tuna Panga, and for dessert we had Fruit Salad and Leche Flan (as always requested by hubby) and Chocolate Brownies.

On Christmas Eve 2008 we will all hear the Misa De Gallo (Midnight Mass) in Holy Family Parish. After which we will feast on the food each family will prepare:

* Pasta c/o Timi and family - Spaghetti (with 2-4 different sauces) or Baked Mac/Lasagna
* Pochero c/o JB and family (Rheez will be the cook for sure…hehe)
* Seafood variety c/o Tues & Cris – Tulingan, Lapu-Lapu, Prawns, Lobsters (could be any of those, could be all…WOW!)
* Lumpiang Shanghai by me & family - Due to insistent public demand. LOL
* Hamon
* Mango Float by me again. This is going to be my first time to prepare this so wish me all the luck.
* Caramel Cake by Estrel’s with “HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JESUS!” on it. Of course, all of these are for Jesus’ birthday celebration.
* Maybe we’ll all have wine later. *big grin*

Now we’re having a hard time thinking which should go first, opening of gifts or the food fest? Both are just überly exciting. :)

Please VOTE for JANUS and LEAVE a comment!

Hello mommies, friends, relatives and other contacts. Baby Central is in search for famous baby of the month (Jan ’09) and the theme is “funny face”. Please vote for JANUS and leave a comment. The most voted & commented baby will be declared winner. Janus is turning 1 on January and this would be a nice “balato” hehe

Here is the link of his photo: "THE MASTER OF THE HOUSE: HE RULES!"

You need to register first to be able to vote.

Thanks a lot!

All I Want For Christmas is My Two Front Teeth

Finally! Janus’ first tooth (or teeth) finally came out Monday Dec 8. I noticed it but was in denial. Even asked Vhic to check and if it was not just my imagination. I’ve been waiting for it since he was 6 months and when he was 8 months his gums were starting to look swollen, which is part of the teething process. That’s why when (I think) I saw a little part of his teeth I thought I might be again just convincing myself…LOL! He’s 11 months today, I thought they’d never come out until he turns 1. :( Our pedia said that if they come out all at the same time, Janus can get a slight fever or feel a little pain. It’s going to be a hard time for him, she said and I don’t want my son to go through all that. I am super happy to see his 2 front lower teeth, just in time for Christmas. Thank God for his teeth! =D

Protecting My Child’s Innocence

This is a repost from mrsgooding's blog about her daughter Bea Gooding's personal experience of racism. Let's help this mommy spread the word.


I’ve been living in New Zealand for close to 8 years now. I must say that compared to most Asian migrants, my daughter and I have had it good. Racist remarks have been few and far between over the years. Racial discrimination whether at work or at social occasions have been subtle enough to render themselves obscure. Perhaps having a Kiwi for a Husband made all the difference. Maybe, maybe not. We were immune from the racial jibes. The taunts. Or so I thought.

When silly remarks were made in the past such as ‘Asian b*tch’ or ‘Go home to your country’ , they were mostly ignored by us. I’m an adult. I can handle it. Heck, I even survived the racist remarks made by my Husband’s ex-wife to me when she found out we were getting married — ‘She’s only marrying you to escape the Philippines’. It angered me, yes, that’s true. But I also learnt to dismiss it as rants of a narrow-minded and ignorant individual.

Like I said, these things I managed and learnt to ignore over the years. I’m an adult. I can fight my own battles. I can choose to ignore and dismiss things as I go.

But sometimes, there are things that you can’t ignore. Especially if they are emotionally affecting someone you love more than life itself.

That someone is my only daughter, Bea.

Yesterday, she came home from school hysterical after a very traumatic bus ride. Three teenage boys taunted her and THREW STONES at her INSIDE the school bus while taunting her saying she doesn’t belong here and that she’s a bloody Asian. If she was not in a public place, who knows what extent they’d go to in their desire to be hurtful and destructive. I shudder at the thought.

It took all my herculean effort not to break down while my daughter narrated what happened to her over the phone.

I rage at the thought that this happened while my daughter was on her own without her family to protect her.

I rage at the thought that this is happening to a child who’s done nothing to deserve this treatment.

I rage at the thought that my daughter is being robbed of her childhood, her innocence. She is only 11! My daughter has started questioning her right to be in this country (this is not the first act of racist bullying she’s experienced). She may not be born in New Zealand but she is a New Zealander and has lived here more than half her life! We pay our taxes, we obey the law and we deserve to be treated with respect.

I rage at the thought of doing nothing.

When it affects my daughter’s welfare, I will speak and stand up for her rights.

So today, I make a stand.

I make a stand to STOP. RACISM.

As parents, you may think that silly remarks like ‘Asian b*tch* or ‘Lazy Maoris’ or ‘bloody nigger’ are harmless. But when spoken out loud in front of impressionable children, these can be taken as the ‘norm’. That it’s ok. Those children will grow up to become teenage bullies who will think nothing of what they say. Because they heard and learnt them from YOU.

PROTECT MY CHILD’S INNOCENCE.

Protect your children’s innocence.

I will not wait for anything worse to happen to her before I speak up.

I will not wait for her to question her life and the reason for loving and living in this country.

I will not wait for her to tell me ‘Mum, I want to go home.’ Because this is home for us. This is where we are building our family’s memories. New Zealand is the country we are re-planting our roots.

I will not allow for my daughter to consciously start mixing exclusively with her ‘own race’ to protect herself.

I will not wait till it’s too late. I don’t want to feel the anguish of Megan Meier’s parents have gone through with her suicide due to bullying at MySpace.

I want her to grow up knowing that this a better world for her. A world where people accept and respect you for you who you are regardless of the colour of your skin or station in life. A world where my daughter can grow up confident about herself and can stand up for her rights. Knowing that she is loved and that she is worth something.

Spread the word.

I am hopeful that each time my sharing gets read, it will make a positive difference in the way people view others. Remember, it takes one tiny step to make a difference.

STOP. RACISM. STOP. BULLYING.

Stop it now.

This is a battle worth fighting for. A war worth winning.

Baby Care: 5 Sweet Slumber Tips

Putting baby to bed will be easier and less stressful if you stick to a pattern on a daily basis.

Sleep is not something you can force on someone, despite of how much you want or need them to drift off. However, following a routine that sets the mood for the night is a brilliant way of making sure that your baby knows that it's bedtime. Follow these tips to guide your bedtime ritual, although feel free to add your own, unique traditions.


Tip #1: Establish a regular sleeping time for your baby. Eight in the evening might be bedtime most nights, but if your baby is displaying signs of sleepiness earlier, put him to bed earlier. An overtired and restless baby is harder to settle and will be more likely to wake during the night.

Tip #2: Set calming daily rituals to prepare your baby to bed like warm bath, brushing teeth and gums, milk feeding, light massage, reading books and listening to music. A baby who has been bathed, dressed in clean and dry pajamas, had his diaper freshly changed and has a happy tummy really should have no reason not to feel sleepy. By trying your best to maintain the night time routine, your baby will come to know what to expect. And by the time you bring out the lavender oil, he will know it is time to lay his head down to sleep. The last feed should be accompanied by calmness, and an air of relaxation encouraged. Try to make time to feed your baby when you are not rushed with dinner, preparing lunches for the next day or trying to do dishes and help with older children's homework.

Tip #3: Exercise caution when choosing beddings. Make sure each item does not pose the risk of suffocating your baby.

Tip #4: Always keep all crib drop-sides up and locked in place whenever baby is in the crib. The crib should be positioned in a warm (or cool) spot in the room, should be clean and dry and arranged with the covers neatly tucked in.

Tip #5: Control the room lighting by using curtains and lamp shades to allow transition from active to peaceful sleeping time. It is even better if the baby's room has blinds or drapes that block the light from outside. Total darkness is not needed, just a little light present, for example from a night-light or a soft lamp is perfectly fine.

What to Expect When Your Baby Starts Crawling and Walking

Help your baby develop his coordination skills. Here are some mommy tips to share:

Crawling
Between 6 and 10 months, your baby will wiggle and stretch, then push himself up and take off. He may also shimmy, scoot on him bottom, or skip crawling entirely…lots of babies do. To help develop a crawler's coordination:

• Fill a baby proofed room with cushions and boxes he can crawl over, under, or through.
• Pump up some music, plop down on all fours next to him, and swing to the beat. He'll likely imitate you.

Cruising
Soon after he can stand, between 8 and 13 months, he'll most likely try taking steps while holding on to furniture. First he'll drag his feet sideways, but eventually he'll pick up his legs. To bring him closer to walking:

• Push furniture together so he can glide around a room.
• Stand him on your lap, then slowly move each of your legs up and down so he can get used to shifting his weight.

Walking
Between 9 and 14 months, your baby will let go of the couch and take his first steps. He may be unsteady at first, but to ease him along:

• Let him go barefoot so he can balance better.
• Stand a few feet away from him while holding a toy. With practice, he'll walk confidently toward you to grab it.

THE SPOILED BABY MYTH

Can you actually spoil a baby?

Your baby cries a lot and you're uptight. You're not sure if you're supposed to soothe him or let him weep.

You are not alone. Many parents know very little about what to expect from babies. Your motherly instinct may be to comfort him, while friends and relatives tell you "No, you'll spoil him." The question is can you spoil an infant?

Spoiling means teaching someone to expect that his every demand will be met each time he makes it. Babies under three months exist in the present. And because crying is your infant's only way of telling you something is wrong, you need to listen to him so he can begin to make the connection between his cries and your reassuring, which happens around 6 months of age. Even then, an older baby probably is incapable of manipulating you to get your attention.

Young babies should not have to wait for a response, either. Too much stress on an infant's nervous system such as crying continuously is not healthy for him development. After three to six months, you can try stalling your response a bit with a gentle "I'll be right there", but it's never a good idea for babies younger than 6 months to "cry it out."

So trust your gut -- pacify your new baby when he weeps. Turn a deaf ear to everyone's advice not to your baby's cries.

Top 5 Gift List for Girls This Christmas 2008

This Christmas, the most popular toys for girls follow a pattern. Girls love dolls, stuffed toys and make-up, but they also love electronic and video games and lifelike puppies!

Here is the Top 5 gift list for girls this Christmas 2008:

High School Musical Three Dance Mat
Songs from the popular High School Musical series of movies are featured here. This is the perfect gift for any High School Musical fan; the High School Musical 3 dance mat will shake your body in your own private spotlight in a style that will make you want to be any favorite character of it.



Baby Born with Magic Potty
For your little girl who loves to play with dolls, the Baby Born with Magic Potty is a perfect gift. When you feed her or give her something to drink, she needs to use the potty! When you place the pacifier with in her mouth, she'll close her eyes.


Barbie Dolls
Barbie dolls and their accessories are the best-selling fashion doll of all times. It gives little girls a chance to play pretend with fashion, houses, furniture, cars and other "real life" toys.


My Life
With My Life Handheld, you choose and care for a pet, play fun games and go on fabulous shopping trips, all in the palm of your hand You can customize your character, choose your size, style, fashion and look, right down to the color of your eyes. Build relationships with virtual friends, family and pets.


FurReal Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup
The lovable mutt features voice recognition and obeying six commands, including, "Sit", "Speak", and "Lie down". Biscuit uses sensors to respond to your child's voice and touch. Biscuit wags his tail and barks, too, to let you know he's ready to play, he even "shake" at your command, lifting his paw to your hand or sit up and beg, just like a real pup

It also goes with Plush pup, collar, tag, plastic brush, plastic bone, and adoption certificate.


Elmo Live Doll
The Elmo Live doll is very lifelike and he talks with a moving mouth, just like a real person! Elmo Live mimics the real muppet from Sesame Street. His head bobs back and forth and he waves his arms and is very animated as he tells jokes and stories. He even crosses his legs while interacting with your child! Elmo Live does more than sit, stand and move he can sing and play games too. He's a favorite in the neighborhood and a must-have friend for children. He laughs loud yet stands proud with every little accomplishment.

** This article has been published here. **

World Aids Day: major milestone in the long struggle

1 December 2008 is the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day this year also marks a major milestone in the long struggle against this disease. More than 3 million people in low- and middle-income countries are now receiving life-prolonging antiretroviral therapy. The response to AIDS changed the face of public health in profound ways, says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan, reflecting on some of the achievements of the past 20 years.

Source: World Health Organization

Cyber Monday Deals 2008 Just Got Better With Website Coupon Codes

For those who are in the USA, this may come in handy…

CYBER MONDAY just got better. CyberMondayDiscountCodes.com offers discounts and coupon codes for shoppers during the holiday season. CyberMondayDiscountCodes.com is your one stop online shopping gateway for Cyber Monday discounts and coupon codes. Cyber Monday 2008 falls on Dec. 1. Cyber Monday falls on Dec. 1, 2008, the first Monday after Thanksgiving. Cyber Monday offers deals when you shop at the top 20 Internet retail shops such as Amazon, Walmart, and the Apple store.

All I Want For Christmas...

We went to the mall two consecutive weekends ago to have our usual “family day out” and we stopped over at Toy Kingdom. I was trying to get some ideas on what I can get Janus for Christmas, since this is going to be his first, and they have such a massive selection of great toys that I went a bit mad. It’s just that there are loads of toys that I want to buy him, mainly so that I’ll have an excuse to play with them myself.

As we go around we thought of buying him a few toys. There were a lot to choose from, and I mean A LOT from Fisher-Price, Playskool, VTech, Chicco, Tomy, to those not-so expensive and known brands. As the salesladies and salesmen (otherwise known as “promodizers”) started to demonstrate the toys they also started to annoy us. They were talking crazy over at each other in front of us. So Vhic and I decided to leave them and look around more.

Here are some ride-ons that Janus tried:

How about a motorcycle?

OMG! He looks more interested with
this pink cab. Nice try Daddy…. Grrrr!!!

Having a hard time choosing, Janus?

I think he likes them all...

Ah finally! This is what we got for him.
Not too big, not too high. Just right for his size.

I’m still on the search of what Christmas present I’d give Janus. Right now I am just happy that this year he is my most special, early present that I got.

My Grumpy Santa

Christmas 2008: Gift Suggestions For Boys

This Christmas, the most popular toys for boys follow a pattern. Young boys love toy figures and stuffed toys, but they also love electronic and video games and lifelike puppies.

Here are some gift suggestions for young boys this Christmas 2008:

Bandai Catcha Beast
Catcha Beast is a new kid’s electronic boy’s action game from Japan. Your kids can track and catch a number of virtual beasts. Catcha Beast utilizes advanced special technology to detect invisible imaginary beasts, enabling your kids to connect and do virtual battle against a mysterious world of creatures while at the same time your kids get healthy exercise. The Catcha Beast incorporates a special digital compass that tracks beasts as you hold the handset and move it around in the air. Spin your body until you find one, hook it, reel it in until it appears on the black and white screen, then let the battle commence. Available in Red or Blue.

Cars Walkin' Talkin' Lightning McQueen By Mattel
Among the toys, this Walkin' Talkin' Lightning McQueen captured the spirit and personality of a star. You can make him walk and talk, just like in the movie. It comes to life with light, voice and sound. Just program and set him down and watch him do his thing. Walkin' Talkin' Lightning McQueen goes one step further to bring you the fun, thrill and magic of this modern animated classic.

FurReal Biscuit, My Lovin' Pup
The lovable mutt features voice recognition and obeying six commands, including, “Sit”, “Speak”, and “Lie down”. Biscuit uses sensors to respond to your child's voice and touch. Biscuit wags his tail and barks, too, to let you know he’s ready to play, he even “shake” at your command, lifting his paw to your hand or sit up and beg, just like a real pup.It also goes with Plush pup, collar, tag, plastic brush, plastic bone, and adoption certificate.

Elmo Live Doll
The Elmo Live doll is very lifelike and he talks with a moving mouth, just like a real person. Elmo Live mimics the real muppet from Sesame Street. His head bobs back and forth and he waves his arms and is very animated as he tells jokes and stories. He even crosses his legs while interacting with your child.

Elmo Live does more than sit, stand and move he can sing and play games too. He’s a favorite in the neighborhood and a must-have friend for children. He laughs loud yet stands proud with every little accomplishment.

Transforming Wall-E Robot By Thinkway
WALL-E transforms from cube to fully poseable figure in seconds with press ‘n pop action. Free wheeling. It flips front panel down to reveal trash.

So for those who are having a hard time thinking of what to give Janus this Christmas, hope this list will make things a little easier for you. ;-)

How To Plan A Family Reunion

Family reunions are the most popular in all reunions especially during the Christmas holidays. We keep in touch with distant relatives in so many ways. However, even with all the contributions of technology, it's still nice to see them in person once in a while. In fact, there's simply no alternative for it. They allow us to connect on a real, personal level with people who share our bloodline, most we rarely get to see.

Getting organized is the key in planning a family reunion. Planning an event like this can be an enormous job. To that end, you should ask for volunteers to help you. Many very large families actually form committees of people to handle different aspects of the event, such as location of venue, food (potluck or catered), invitations, fund raising, program and entertainment, etc. If you can get help and delegate responsibilities, things will be a lot easier on you.

Next, ask everyone who is being invited for their preferences of date, time and location. Also find out if anyone has any special dietary requirements that will need to be taken into consideration in menu planning. Once you have an idea of what people want, you'll be able to plan a better reunion.

Then, decide on a theme. Themes bring family reunions together in a big way. Will your theme be heritage, tropical, character inspired, or something else? Your decorations and invitations will have the same theme, as well as your planned activities.

Entertainment is important. You need to keep everyone occupied and engaged with each other. Plan games and other exciting activities that guests of all ages can enjoy. Karaoke, board games, parlor games and other fun activities are all popular reunion events.

Menu is as important as entertainment. Some reunions are catered, while others are covered dish or potluck. You should definitely not try to do it all yourself, as this would be overwhelming. Delegation is the key. Just be sure to make the food suitable for the venue and pleasing for the largest number of people. If you have any vegetarians or other family members with special dietary requirements, be sure to include foods those people can eat.

Once you learn how to plan a family reunion, it gets easier to do in the future. After your first try, you will have the skills you need to create delightful reunions any time your family wants to get together. In effect, if your first reunion is a success, you will likely always be the one the others call on to plan more events.

Some Handy Tips

Here are some simple tips which were shared by my cousin that I find very handy. ;-)

Ants Problem: Keep the skin of cucumbers near the place or ant hole.

To get pure and clean ice: Boil water first before freezing.

To make the mirror shine: Clean with spirit.

To remove chewing gum from clothes: Keep the cloth in the freezer for an hour.

To whiten white clothes: Soak white clothes in hot water with a slice of lemon for 10 minutes.

To give a shine to hair: Add one teaspoon of vinegar to hair, and then wash.

To get maximum juice out of lemons: Soak lemons in hot water for one hour, and then juice them.

To avoid smell of cabbage while cooking: Keep a piece of bread on the cabbage in the vessel while cooking.

To rid the smell of fish from your hands: Wash your hands with a little apple vinegar.

To avoid tears while cutting onions: Chew gum.

To boil potatoes quickly: Skin one potato from one side only before boiling.

To boil eggs quickly: Add salt to the water and boil.

To check freshness of fish: Put it in a bowl of cold water. If the fish floats, it's fresh.

To check freshness of eggs: Put the egg in water. If it becomes horizontal, it's fresh. If it becomes slanting, it’s 3-4 days old. If it becomes vertical, it’s 10 days old. If it floats, it's stale.

To remove ink from clothes: Put toothpaste on the ink spots generously and let it dry completely, then wash.

To skin sweet potatoes quickly: Soak in cold water immediately after boiling.

To get rid of mice or rats: Sprinkle black pepper in places where you find mice or rats. They will run away.

Sweetest Day

I thought today was just another boring Saturday until my cell phone beeped around 4pm. A text message from my sister asking what was I doing at that moment. I replied “Nothing. Why?” She asked me to see her at the mall; she’ll buy some stuff for her kids then to the supermarket to hoard on Jasmine Thai Rice that were on sale. She also asked me to bring Janus with me. “Of course I’ll bring him”, I said. So off we went. Then she texted our other sister to join us too but she’ll be out of the office at 6pm, so she’ll just follow later. Then another thought came to her, “what if we’ll ask our hubbies to follow later and have dinner altogether someplace?” TIIIING!!!! What a brilliant idea! It’s been 2 weeks now since we last went out because hubby and son were both sick (at the same time) for a couple of days….hubby with flu; son with fever then colds. This is a great chance to see my sibs again and have quality time together…oh I miss them. Besides, they miss Janus too a lot. It was just unfortunate that we didn’t have our digicams, so we just settled with our cell phone cams instead.

While at the mall, my sister felt she needs to make up on my son so she bought Janus a set of jumpers. Sweet isn’t? We saw these table cloths with Christmas designs – she got me one too. Isn’t that double sweet? What about the dinner? We went mall-hopping and landed on a Chinese restaurant. There we shared their mouth-watery specialties and ended our meals with desserts (I had a banana split hahaha…I just can’t get enough of food). Not to mention all the chit chats and LOLs we had over food. Now that’s triple sweetness!!! I never thought this day would be a long and happy day. I just feel so happy.

We all went home with a full tummy. We dropped my sister and her daughter home with all her shopping bags. And before we left her house she gave me a “balato”. I asked her what was that for, she only said “nothing”. Hmmmm…..is today my lucky day? Nah! She’s just SUPER SWEET today!!!

I love you sisters! Mwah!

Alfalfa and Vicki

These cute little kids have grown a lot. I was surprised to see their pictures now especially Alfalfa. I think he's a fine young man. I almost have forgotten about him and has not seen any of his movies or tv shows... until I checked his filmography and there I found that he guested in the first season of CSI...hehehe... I really did not recognize him.

Vicki's looks has not changed a lot I think. When I was a kid I watched almost every episode of the Small Wonder and she was an adorable robot. I was also fond of her sense of humor.

It's nice to look back and remember how we got so hooked on these shows and the characters they portrayed. :)

A Special Joy: Babies With Down Syndrome

October is National Down Syndrome Awareness Month, and in honor of this Parenting.com is showcasing photos of beautiful babies, who happen to have Down Syndrome. Check out their latest gallery and see how these beautiful babies melt my heart.

A Special Joy: Babies With Down Syndrome Galleries

Now It’s Cadbury

Countries across Asia have removed items from shelves or banned Chinese-made dairy products.

Monday, Cadbury recalled Chinese-made products in Hong Kong. In their official statement issued by its Singapore office, tests had "cast doubt on the integrity of a range of our products manufactured in China."

It was not immediately clear whether they revealed melamine, but Cadbury said it had recalled 11 chocolate products made at its factory in Beijing which are distributed in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Australia.

Just before this milk scare erupted, I had been craving for chocolates and one of them was Cadbury’s Dairy Milk Bar, and Dairy Milk Chocettes. Geesh!

In A Relationship...

"In a relationship, do you have the right to remain silent? "

I heard this line from the TV series Men In Trees and it made me think deep. Do we really have the right to remain silent? For how long? I just can't seem to give myself an honest answer. Maybe I just simply don't know.

Rashes Away!

All babies get diaper rash from time to time. Most diaper rashes are caused by skin irritation. Irritation can be caused by diapers that rub against the skin or fit too tightly. Irritation can also occur if your baby is left in a wet or dirty diaper for a long period of time. Your baby's skin can also be irritated by the soap used to wash cloth diapers, or by some brands of disposable diapers (diapers with plastic edges) or baby wipes.

Keep your baby's diaper area clean, cool and dry. Wash baby’s bottom every nappy change with water. No need for soap. I only use soap when my baby poops. No powder too for Talcum powder can get in my baby's lungs. Cornstarch may make a diaper rash caused by a yeast infection worse. Pat dry (not scrub, it can irritate your baby's sensitive skin) to dry completely before putting on another diaper. Avoid baby wipes, it’ll save your baby’s delicate skin from irritation and even your pocket.

If your baby has rashes, try applying Desitin, Drapolene or Petroleum Jelly liberally to the affected area. If diaper rash persists, change the type of wipes, diapers or soap you're using.

Tainted Milk Scare

This is a repost from an e-mail I received from my sister. I can’t help but say how dare these people, especially the Geng brothers, contaminate and sell tons of milk every day. They even confessed that they were aware of the chemical's harmful effect on the human body, saying their family never drank the contaminated milk. The nerve of these people! I just hope they don’t have children that could “possibly” sip on those tainted milk. It really breaks my heart every time I hear or see in the news that another baby has become a victim. Thank God for my wisdom and common sense. Otherwise, I may have settled for cheap formulas with labels I cannot read and understand. It’s really good to know that our government has banned any importations from China.

For info on brands affected by this milk scandal in China, please visit these links; it mentioned the Philippines as one of the countries affected -- FACTBOX, CNN ASIA

For your safety and precautions.

For your information, the following items have been recalled due to China’s milk scandal:

1. M&M
2. Snickers
3. Mento's Yoghurt Bottle
4. Dove Chocolate
5. Oreo Wafer Sticks
6. Dutchlady Sterilized Milk
7. Wall's all natural mango
8. Mini Poppers Ice Cream
9. Magnum Ice Cream
10. Moo Sandwich Ice Cream
11. Mini Cornetto
12. Youcan Ice Cream

Stores have been asked by AVA Singapore to remove them. If u have any of these items at home, don't eat them.

Singapore's Agri-Food and Veterinary Authority (AVA) has said that its laboratory test have shown that the "White Rabbit Creamy Candy" from China is also contaminated with melamine.

Consumers who have bought the affected products are advised not to consume them, the AVA said in a statement.

The latest test results bring the total number of milk and related products from China imported into Singapore that are found to be contaminated with melamine to three.

The other two affected products are "Yili Brand" Choice Dairy Fruit Bar Yogurt Flavoured Ice Confection" and "Dutch Lady" brand of strawberry flavoured milk.

All the affected products have been recalled earlier.

Since Sept 19, 2008, AVA has suspended the import and sale of all milk and milk products from China.

These products include milk, ice-cream, yoghurt, confectionery such as chocolates, biscuits and sweets as well as any other products containing milk from China as an ingredient.

Retailers and importers have also been instructed to recall these products and withhold them from sale.

AVA will not hesitate to prosecute any retailer or importer who fails to remove these products from their shelves. Under the Sale of Food Act, anyone found selling unwholesome food can be fined up to $10,000 and/or sentenced to three months jail, or both.

As a precaution, consumers are also advised not to consume any milk or milk products from China.

Products Recalled - Melamine Contaminated *NEW*

BRAND II - ITEM DESC

1 BAIRONG - GRAPE CREAM CRACKERS

2 DOVE - H/NUT ALM & RAISIN CHOC

3 DOVE - HAZELNUT CHOC

4 DOVE - MILK CHOCOLATE

5 Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml

6 Dreyers Choc Cake Ice Cream 887ml

7 Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml

8 Dreyers Cookie & Cream Ice Cream 887ml

9 Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml

10 Dreyers Mint Chip Ice Cream 887ml

11 Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml

12 Dreyers Rocky Road Ice Cream 887ml

13 Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml

14 Dreyers Strawberry Ice Cream 887ml

15 Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml

16 Dreyers Toast Almond Ice Cream 887ml

17 Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml

18 Dreyers Vanilla Ice Cream 887ml

19 DUTCH LADY - STER M LF BANANA

20 DUTCH LADY - STER MK LF PLAIN

21 DUTCH LADY - STER MK LF CHOC

22 DUTCH LADY - STER MK LF SBERRY

23 DUTCH LADY - STER M LF HNYDEW

24 DUTCH LADY - STER M LF HNYDEW

25 DUTCH LADY - STER MILK PLAIN

26 DUTCH LADY - STER MK LF CHOC

27 DUTCH LADY - STER MK LF SBERRY

28 DUTCH LADY - STER M LF BANANA

29 FIRST CHOICE - CALCIUM SESAME CRACKERS

30 FIRST CHOICE - CALCIUM SALTINE CRACKERS

31 FIRST CHOICE - CALCIUM S ONION CRACKERS

32 FIRST CHOICE - CALCIUM SEAWEED CRACKERS

33 GINBIS - PARTY ANIMAL BUTTER BISC

34 GINBIS - PARTY ANIMAL SEAWEED BIS

35 GINBIS - PARTY ANIMAL CNUT

36 GINBIS - ANIMAL BISCUIT

37 Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g

38 Koala Cocoa Biscuit 40g

39 KRAFT - OREO WAFER STICKS 18S

40 KRAFT - OREO WAFER STICKS 5S

41 KRAFT - OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 18S

42 KRAFT - OREO W/STICK WH CHOC 5S

43 Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g

44 Lotte Koala Cocoa Funpack 210g

45 M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g

46 M & M Chocolate Peanut 200g

47 M&M - CHOC CANDIES PLAIN%

48 M&M - CHOC CANDIES PEANUT%

49 M&M - CHOC CANDIES-PLAIN

50 M&M - CHOC CANDIES-PEANUTS

51 M&M - FUNSIZE MILK

52 M&M - FUNSIZE PEANUT

53 M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g

54 M&M Chocolate Candies Plain 200g

55 MEIJI - UJIKINTOKI 2978

56 MEIJI - UMAKABO CHOCOLATE

57 MEIJI - FAMILY PACK-GREEN TEA

58 MEIJI - CHESTNUT & REDBEAN

59 MENTOS - BOTTLE YOGHURT PROMO PK

60 MENTOS - BOTTLE YOGHURT

61 Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK MALT

62 Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK WALNUT 6S

63 Monmilk BREAKFAST MILKMALT 6S

64 Monmilk CHOCOLATE MILK 6S

65 Monmilk COFFEE MILK 6S

66 Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT

67 Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK

68 Monmilk HI CAL LOW FAT MILK 6S

69 Monmilk HI CAL MILK

70 Monmilk HI CAL MILK 6S

71 Monmilk MILK DELUXE 12S

72 Monmilk PURE MILK

73 Monmilk PURE MILK

74 Monmilk PURE MILK 6S

75 Monmilk BREAKFAST MILK WALNUT

76 NABISCO - IN A BISKIT CHICKEN

77 NESTLE - NES D/STICK MINI VANILLA

78 NESTLE - NES DISTICK MINI CHOCO

79 NESTLE - MILK & BERRY STARS CRL

80 NO FRILLS - WAFER BLUEBERRY

81 NO FRILLS - WAFER CHOCOLATE

82 NO FRILLS -WAFER PEANUT

83 Orion Fresh Pie 138g

84 Orion Fresh Pie 138g

85 Orion Tiramisu 138g

86 Orion Tiramisu 138g

87 PEI TIAN - CREAM BISCUIT

88 Rabbit Milk Sweet 150g

89 SILANG - NATURAL OAT CRACKER

90 Snicker Candies Funsize 240g

91 Snicker Candies Funsize 240g

92 SNICKERS - PEANUT CHOCOLATE%

93 SNICKERS - SNACKSIZE BARS PNUT 5

94 TAKE ONE - BABY BITES 24S

95 TAKE ONE - BABY BITE CK VG

96 TAKE ONE - BABY BITE CARROT

97 Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml

98 Vitasoy Chocolate Drink 4s 125ml

99 Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml

100 Vitasoy Melon Soya Bean Milk 4s 125ml

101 Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml

102 Vitasoy Q Soya Milk 4s 125ml

103 WANT WANT - MILK CANDY

104 Want Want Flavoured Milk 250ml

105 Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 1L

106 Yili Hi Cal Low Fat Milk 6s 250ml

107 Yili Hi Cal Milk 1L

108 Yili Hi Cal Milk 6s 250ml

109 Yili Pure Milk 1L

110 Yili Pure Milk 6s 250ml

111 Youcan Masterbean Multipack

112 Youcan Passion Multipack

113 Youcan Silk Sliced and Passion Strawberry

114 Youcan Stawberry Multipack

115 Youcan Traditional Sesame Multipack 4s

116 Youcan Unusual Multipack 4s

Lesson: If you can't read the label, don't buy it!