Your 5-month-old's development

* Sitting up on her own
* Repeating her favourite sounds
* Strong enough to feed herself
* Learning about cause and effect
* Able to see small objects and subtle colours
* Honing in on sounds
* Easily distractible now
* A growing range of emotions
* Is my baby developing normally?


Sitting up on her own
By now, your baby's physical developments are coming fast and furiously. If you place her on her stomach, she'll extend her arms and legs and arch her back, and when on her back, she'll lift her head and shoulders. She may even sit momentarily without assistance -- be nearby, however, to provide support and surround her with pillows to cushion a possible fall.

Encourage her to play face-down on the floor: lifting her head and chest to see toys or your face helps strengthen her neck muscles and develops the head control necessary for sitting up. If you support her under the arms while letting her balance her feet on your thighs, she'll bounce up and down. She's capable of easily bringing an object to her mouth for oral exploration.

Repeating her favourite sounds
Your baby is adding new sounds to her language repertoire, and her current favourite is probably blowing a raspberry or making bubbles. At this age, it's common for babies to become so enthralled by one of their newfound abilities that they get stuck on it for a while. This is a normal developmental process. Most babies master one skill before moving to the next. Hearing the same sound over and over can get annoying, but learning patience now will prepare you for the endless string of "nos" and "whys" you'll be hearing when she is a toddler.

Strong enough to feed herself
Though she may be able to hold her own bottle now, don't prop your baby up and let her feed herself just yet. She'll be better able to sit up by herself and grasp small objects sometime after six months.

This month, continue using feed times to cuddle, hold and nurture your baby -- she'll be fiercely independent and resisting your kisses and snuggles soon enough. Your baby's probably showing more signs that she's ready for solids -- from a lessened tongue-thrust reflex to a keener interest in the foods you and other people are eating. However, breastmilk or formula is all she needs until she is six months old.

Learning about cause and effect
Your baby's ability to interact with you, others and her surroundings is growing daily. At this stage, she may start playing little games as she begins to understand that simple actions have results. She may drop objects just to watch you pick them up, or to see how and where they fall. Tiring as it sounds, you'd better get used to it. In a few weeks, this will be accompanied by fits of giggles.

Able to see small objects and subtle colours
Your baby's getting better at spotting very small objects and tracking moving things. At this point, your child may be able to recognise an object after seeing only part of it -- the basis of little hide-and-seek games you'll be playing in the coming months.

Earlier, your baby learned to distinguish between similar bold colours. Now she's beginning to sort out subtle differences in pastels. Read more about your baby's developing sight.

Honing in on sounds
Your baby now realises where sounds come from, and she'll turn quickly toward a new one. One of the most appealing ways to engage her is to jingle a set of keys. Wind chimes are great attention-getters, too.

Your baby may watch your mouth intently when you speak now, and try to imitate inflections and utter consonant sounds such as "m" and "b." Five-month-olds can recognise their own names. Notice how your little one turns her head when you call her or talk about her with others.

Easily distractible now
When your baby starts fussing at the supermarket this month, you may be able to distract her for a short time. Try engaging her with funny faces or a round of Incy-Wincy Spider. Clapping your hands or giving her something to hold can work too.

A growing range of emotions
Babies can't express their emotions in the same complex way that adults do. While they do let you know when they're angry, bored or happy, they can't express love or humour in the first few months, but that's beginning to change. By five months, your baby shows a strong attachment to you by raising her arms when she wants to be picked up and crying when you leave the room. She may also give you hugs and kisses. And she's beginning to get the joke -- she'll laugh at funny expressions or positions and try to make you laugh, too.

For many parents, this is when the fun begins. You'll find yourself regressing back to childhood as you make silly faces and nonsense sounds, or play at pantomime and mimicry.

Baby development

My photo album


Recognising familiar faces (including your own) is an enormous treat for your baby as he learns to identify people by name and association.

Skills developed: pattern recognition, fine motor
What you'll need: a small photo album - the type where the photos slide into clear plastic pockets.

Buy a small photo album and fill it with pictures of your baby and the people in his life. In addition to relatives and family friends (the most typical photo subjects), try to include pictures of babysitters or caregivers, neighbours, and other babies and children you know.
Give the album to your baby and tell him it's his very own. Sit with him and show him the photos, letting him communicate his feelings to you. He'll react to the familiar ones with excitement and point out any faces he doesn't recognise with a questioning expression. Then put the album on his bookshelf or in his toy box, where he can flip through it on his own. It'll quickly become a favourite - and a parents’ lifesaver on plane trips and long car rides.

Game, set and match

You've probably noticed that your baby loves to watch anything that involves people and movement, so sports are naturally fascinating. It's a challenge for her to follow the constant changes; now the ball's here - ooh, nope, now it's over there …

Skills developed: visual
What you'll need: a local football pitch, netball or tennis court complete with players.

If your local sports centre or park has a football pitch, netball or tennis court, find out when they are most frequently used then take your baby along for a little spectator sport. Sit her on your lap or park her buggy somewhere where she will have a good, unobstructed view of the game. Whether it's the colourful shirts of the players or the regular thwunk of the ball hitting the court, your baby will be intrigued. Do watch out for stray balls though and be ready to spring into action if necessary.

Ayam Percik

Bahan-bahan ( 4 orang )

* 1 sekor ayam yang dipotong 4
* 1 1/2 cawan santan pekat
* 2 biji bawang putih
* 1 labu bwg besar
* 2 cm halia
* 2 batang serai
* 1 camca kecil ketumbar
* 1/2 camca kecil jintan putih
* 1/2 cawan tepung beras
* sedikit air asam jawa@asam keping
* cili kering (optional... kalau nak kuah merah)
* garam dan gula secukup rasa

Cara-cara

1. Blend bawang,halia,serai,ketumbar,jintan...pastu peraplah dlm 1/2 jam.
2. masukkan ayam diperap bersama tepung beras yang digaul sekali ngan santan beserta bahan lain ke dlm periuk dan masak sehingga ayam agak2 3 suku masak dan kuah agak pekat.
3. angkat ayam bersama sedikit kuah dan masukkan dlm loyang pembakar.
4. bakar dlm oven dengan suhu 200 darjah dlm 1/2 jam atau agak keperangan.
5. hidangkan ayam yang dicelup dengan kuah lebihan tadi...hiaslah ikut selera masing2

Resipi Ramadhan

Ikan mudah digoreng


Bagi memudahkan kerja menggoreng ikan,campurkan kunyit dengan sedikit tepung gandum,gaulkan bersama ikan,Insya-Allah,ikan yang digoreng tidak melekat dikuali dan mudah diangkat.
Melembutkan daging atau tulang


Kebiasaan memasak daging atau sup tulang memerlukan masa yang lama untuk melembutkanya.Atasinya dengan mendapatkan dua batang akar pandan yang dipotong dua dan masukkan kedalam rebusan tersebut.

Merangupkan pisang goreng

Jika ingin pisang goreng rangup,berkerak dan garing,ketika membuat bancuhan tepung,masukkan sedikit ketulan ais ke dalam tepung.kacau bancuhan itu sehingga kelihatan berbuih,masukkan juga sedikit minyak masak yang panas kedalam bancuhan tadi.

Nasi Impit Tradisional
Bahan-bahan

1 cawan beras biasa (bukan wangi)

3 1/2 – 4 cawan air

1 helai daun pandan

1/4 sudu kecil perahan air limau nipis

garam.

Cara masak.

1. Campurkan beras, air, daun pandan, garam dan tanak nasi.(Masak menggunakan periuk dan dapur gas)

2. Biarkan nasi menggelegak dan kacau selalu

3. Apabila nasi kering, kecilkan api. Alas periuk dengan lapisan aluminium dan tutup periuk.

4.Masukkan air limau nipis.Biarkan nasi benar-benar kering dan kental.(anggaran 20 – 30 minit)

5. Masukkan nasi dalam loyang yang beralaskan daun pisang dan tutup nasi dengan lapik daun pisang. Tindih permukaan loyang dengan benda yang berat supaya nasi benar-benar mampat dan kejap.

6. Biarkan semalaman barulah dipotong-potong.

Tips:

Penggunaan air limau pada nasi untuk menjadikan nasi berkilat.Nasi impit ini berbeza teksturnya dengan nasi impit segera/plastik kerana dia lebih lembut, kejap dan sejuk.

Kuah kacang

Kuah kacang

Bahan-bahan
2 cawan kacang tanah
1/2 cawan cili kisar
6 biji bawang merah kisar
1 biji bawang besar kisar
1 biji bawang putih kisar
3 batang serai diketuk
1/2 inci lengkuas diketuk.
2 sudu gula melaka
gula
garam
air asam jawa
2 cawan air
Minyak menumis
Cara masak
1. Panaskan minyak (gunakan minyak agak banyak sedikit) dan tumiskan bawang dan bawang putih hingga naik bau.
2. Kemudian masukkan cili kisar dan masak sehingga pecah minyak atau garing sedikit.
3. Masukkan air, serai dan lengkuas.
4. Masukkan kacang tanah yang digoreng tanpa minyak, dibuang kulit dan ditumbuk halus.
5. Masak sehingga kacang tanah berasa empuk. Jika airnya kering boleh ditambah lagi.
6. Setelah kacang tanah empuk, masukkan gula, garam dan air asam. Biarkan kuah elok pekatnya dan menggelagak seketika barulah diangkat.Kuah kacang
Kuah kacang pelengkap kepada lontong
Tips
1. Kuah kacang lebih enak jika rasanya manis sedikit.
2. Jika terlalu berminyak boleh dibuang minyaknya (skim)
3.Lebih enak dimakan jika dibiar sekejap supaya kuah dan kacangnya mesra.
4. Untuk mendapatkan rasa kacang yang lunak dan lembut, boleh gunakan kacang tanah yang besar.

Bahan-bahan
Kuah lodeh
3 cawan sederhana pekat

Kuah lodeh berparu


5 biji bawang merah kisar
1 biji bawang putih kisar
1/2 inci halia titik
2 batang serai ketuk
sedikit ikan bilis atau udang kering sebagai rencah
5 batang kacang panjang dipotong serong
1/4 cawan sengkuang hiris memanjang
1/2 batang lobak merah potong memanjang
1 keping tauhu digoreng dipotong kecil
1 keping tempe digorengdipotong kecil
2 keping fucuk (tauhu kering) direndam dan dipotong-potong
Beberapa urat soon direndam
Sedikit kunyit serbuk, dan garamParu goreng
Paru goreng
Cara masak
1. Masukkan bawang, halia, serai, serbuk kunyit, perencah(ikan bilis/udang kering) dalam santan .
2. Masukkan kacang panjang dan masak sehingga kacang panjang separa empuk.
3. Masukkan sengkuang, lobak merah dan fucuk. Setelah sedikit menggelegak masukkan tauhu, tempe, soon dan garam. Kacau sebentar dan kemudian bolehlah diangkat.

Paru goreng berempah


Paru Goreng Berempah
Bahan-bahan

1/2 kg paru di potong dua atau empat

1 sudu makan rempah ketumbar ditumbuk

1 sudu makan jintan kasar/putih ditumbuk

1/2 sudu jintan halus ditumbuk

2 biji bawang putih ditumbuk

1/2 inci halia ditumbuk

serbuk kunyit, garam dan minyak masak

Cara Masak

1. Rebus paru lembu sehingga airnya kering sedikit (anggaran 30 minit).Toskan.

2. Hiris paru nipis-nipis. Kemudian lumurkan garam, kunyit, serbuk rempah, bawang putih, halia. Perap selama 3 atau 4 jam dalam peti sejuk.

3. Kemudian goreng paru secara minyak terendam sehingga garing.

Tips:

Paru perlu direbus agak lama terlebih dahulu supaya apabila digoreng akan rangup dan tidak lembik.


4. Bolehlah dihidang dengan nasi impit, kuah kacang dan paru goreng.