Mummy's Little Darling - Isabelle

5 Month old ALREADY!!!!!

2009-01-13T19:10:00.000-08:00

This Mummy has gotten lazy of uploading photos everywhere.... So... pls visit:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=59365&l=8d073&id=522402195

for her latest photos. =)

More Funny Noises

2008-12-27T19:42:00.000-08:00

More Funny Noises from the Naughty one....

Unfortunately, there are alot MORE funny noises that she makes off camera, so this is the best that I can get so far....

Listen to her as she gargles her saliva, entertaining herself with it....

Isabelle's Funny Noises...

2008-12-24T19:57:00.000-08:00

Listen Carefully.... Hear the "grr-grr" noises she makes, while playing with her Saliva!!!

More Photos of my Chubby-Wan Kenobi

2008-12-20T19:35:00.000-08:00

4 Months Old Isabelle....

It's NOT a sock! Just Cap too small --------- Playing with her Tongue

More Tongue Playing -------------- Fascinated by her own tongue

Such BIG EYES!!!! ------------------ Look at her Finger!!! OMG!!!

Perfect-Sized Cap ------------------- So Happy!!!!

Having Fun ----------------------------- Newfound Sleeping Position

Flipping...

2008-12-20T19:31:00.000-08:00

If at first, you don't succeed, try again.

If at second, you still don't succeed, try again.

If STILL don't succeed, you try again, and complain and cry!

Success is SWEET, until you realise there's more to do after that.... Hehe....

She's complaining because after flipping, she can't move herself.... Heehee....

"Dancing" with Daddy

2008-12-20T19:25:00.001-08:00

Videos of her in the 3rd Month....

2008-12-16T07:18:00.000-08:00

Cute Hiccups..... hehe....

Photos of the 2 Month Old....

2008-12-11T17:37:00.000-08:00

By "Popular" demand..... Photos of my Isabelle.....

Taken JUST before Vaccination -------------- Mmmmm... Yummy hand....

Her Little Blue Dress ---------------------------- Her Toys

Her Pink Dress ------------------------ Daddy's armpit Smelly smelly....

Sitting on her Bumbo Like an Adult! ---------------- What's on the floor???

Drooling Milk!!!!!!!!!! ------------------------- Daddy's hand salty salty one....

Early Videos of the Chubby-One

2008-12-11T17:22:00.000-08:00

2 Videos of her taken when she was only 2 DAYs old..... See what happens when she gets all wrapped up, movement restricted, with NO ONE to "save" her.....

It was then that we knew.... She's gonna have one hell of a temper.....

More Cute Photos

2008-09-22T20:45:00.001-07:00

More Cute Photos of Chubby-Chub...

Daddy is Nice, Warm and Cuddly

Minnie Mouse and ME!!!

Completely Zonked out after Milk-ahol

When "M" is the Favourite Letter...

2008-09-18T19:55:00.003-07:00

She didn't POOP!!!! For TWO DAYS! (I wonder if it had anything to do with the vaccination)

"Has she pooped yet?" That was the first question that my mom asked me when she called; that Alvin's mom asked him when she called; that Alvin asked me when he called; that I asked Alvin when I got home. It was THE most important question on everybody's mind.

And when the reply was "No, not yet." The standard response was "Har... Still not yet ah... Aiyoh... Why like that..."

We tried to help her "kek". Constantly going "Mmmmmmmm. Mmm, Mmm. Mmmmmm..." But to no avail. It was as dry and as irritating as the desert.

Even though there were intestinal activity, there was no bowel activity. She did release potent, super-killer, near-fatal gas. We could tell that she was very uncomfortable and it even affected her feed. She drank less and vomited more frequently. (Probably too bloated inside).

After TWO days of dry spell, we got worried and desperate. Old remedy has it that feeding her a little bit of honey water will help with the bowel movement. And so, we tried that. We also fed her more water.

We searched online for information as well, and found that, breastfed babies can actually go up to 7 days without bowel movement. But to assist bowel activity, we could mix a little bit of prune juice with water and feed her, which we intended to do on the third day. As last resort, we would bring her to the doctor.

Chain of Events:

11th Sept 08 (Thursday): She pooped 3 times! (We were wondering if it was due to the Rotavirus vaccination clearing up all the "rubbish" inside her...)

12th Sept 08 (Friday): No Poop. (Logical, since she pooped 3 times on Thurs)

13th Sept 08 (Saturday): Still no poop. Drinking pattern was getting erratic. Started to vomit more. All were getting worried. Fed her honey water at night.

14th Sept 08 (Sunday): 4am - She POOPED!!!! HOORAY!!!!!! The weird thing was, she wasn't suffering from constipation as her poop was watery.

On Sunday, when we "announced" that she has finally pooped, everyone was relieved and ecstatic.

* Adults are such weird Creatures - Happy over Poop *

6-in-1 Cocktail

2008-09-18T19:55:00.001-07:00

The time has come, when every newborn has to go through... The TERROR of vaccination injections...

8th Sept 08:
This was the day. The day we dreaded and feared. The day that she would get her vaccination, and probably develop a fever and be "sick".

3:15pm: We brought her to the SGH O&G Clinic for her 6-in-1 vaccination. Her appointment was at 3:40pm ,but we were early (Kiasu Parents, obviously). As usual, the nurse weighed and measured her. She has grown AGAIN! (DUH!)

Vital Stats:
Length - 51cm (She grew 2 cm in 2 weeks!!!)
Weight - 4.6kg (600g in 2 weeks!)

Throughout the whole waiting period, Darling was fast asleep. She was supposed to be fed at 4pm so I started to prepare her milk, while Alvin carried her. Unfortunately, it was no simple task (as simple and easy as it sounds). I had to get the water temperature correct, by mixing the hot water (from the themal flask) with the room temperature water already in her milk bottle. As we usually mix more water to get the temperature right, the excess water has to be poured away before adding the milk powder. The easiest place to perform this "task" was obviously in the toilet, but the toilet was occupied! (It's those 1 cubicle toilet). So I had NO WHERE to "test" the water, unless I was prepared to let the water drip on the floor. Eventually, I got the temperature right, and managed to pour the excess water away in the toilet basin.

Finally, I headed back to the waiting area. I was confused. My hubby and baby has disappeared! I was looking for them (frantically), when a nice lady told me that they had already gone into the consultation room. That was fast, as I did not receive any sms notification (usually the clinic will send out an sms when the patient is 3rd in line). So I headed into the consultation room.

The Paediatrician checked Isabelle and said that she was growing fine and her responses were normal. She did an eye check, by moving a toy from left and right. She also did a "sound check", by shaking some bells on the left and right side. Lastly, she placed Isabelle face down and waited for her to lift herself.

The Paediatrician confirmed again that we wanted to do her 6-in-1 jab and also asked if we wanted to give her the Rotavirus and Pneumococcal vaccination. We agreed to the Rotavirus vaccination but not the Pneumococcal.

We went to the Treatment Room for Darling's vaccination. All the while, she was still asleep, and unfed. Surprisingly, when they gave her the jab on her thigh, she did not cry. Then they fed her the Rotavirus vaccination. They also gave us a bottle of Paracetamol syrup in case Darling gets down with fever. But the paracetamol could also be used to soothe her discomfort even if there was no fever.

Not long later, when she was fully awake, and aware that she was hungry, and probably uncomfortable from the vaccination, she started to CRY the hospital down!!! Worst of all, I had to make payment so I could not prepare her milk while Alvin carried her. When it was all done, she had toned down a bit, so we figured, it was probably better to feed her at home than at the clinic. So we rushed home. And throughout the entire journey, she cried so loudly, like she was being tortured, that I felt so bad not feeding her first.

Finally, we got home and in the shortest possible time, plopped the milk bottle into her mouth.

That night, she got a bit feverish so we fed her the paracetamol, using a syringe given by the clinic. She didn't like it very much as she kept trying to spit it out, especially when I squirt too much into her mouth.

We fed her the medication every 6 hourly over the next day, until her fever receded. She didn't like it, but her mummy loved it. Because the paracetamol kept her sedated... (Lousy Mummy eh... hehe...)

Over the next few days, she was particularly whiney but particularly obedient. It almost feels as though she felt that she was put through the pain and discomfort because she was naughty... Like she was being punished... So poor thing...

And even though vaccination was good for her, it was very bad for the mummy - Big hole in the pocket...

Vaccination Bill:
6-in-1 Vaccination ----- $443.00
Rotavirus (2 doses) ---- $183.60
Paracetamol "Syrup" -- $2.00
7% GST --------------- $44.00 (NB!)
--------------------------------------
Total Payable ------- $672.60
--------------------------------------

*Faint Faint Faint Faint*

A Cow's Life...

2008-09-06T06:22:00.000-07:00

Today, I document the hardship of being a Mummy...

My Daily Routine as a Cow (as of 6th Sept 08):

9:30am: Wake up. Be a cow - Express milk for 45 mins.

10:30am: Dump milk into fridge / freezer. Soak "equipment" in water. Brush Teeth. Grab a quick bite. Leave the house (cheong-suar to work).

11am: Conduct Tuition for 2 hours.

Schedule A

1pm: Rush to lunch.

1:30pm: Gobble Lunch. Rush to next tuition.

2pm: Conduct next Tuition for 2 hours. (Daydreams about Chub)

4pm: Rush home to be a Cow again.

4:30pm: Wash equipment. Express milk for 30 mins. Soak equipment.

5:25pm: Leave house to pick Alvin to go for dinner at his mom's.

5:35pm: "Collection" of Alvin Successful. Cheong to AMK for dinner and to see Chub-Chub.

6:05pm: Reach AMK. Settle Down. Catch a Breather. Prepare to eat dinner.

----------

Schedule B

1pm: Rush home to be a cow again.

1:30pm: Wash equipment. Express milk for 30 mins. Soak equipment. Gobble Lunch.

3pm: Leave for next lesson.

3:30pm: Conduct tuition for another 2 hours.... (Daydreams about Chub)

5:30pm: End Tuition and Rush to pick Alvin up.

5:40pm: "Collection" of Alvin Successful. Cheong to AMK for dinner and to see Chub-Chub.

6:15pm: Reach AMK. Settle Down. Catch a Breather. Prepare to eat dinner.

--------------

(Chub's usually drinking her milk at around 6pm)

6:30pm: Finally get to sit down for a proper, relaxed, yummy meal.

7:30pm (to 8pm): Leave AMK to get home in time for her next feed (3 hours interval, so next feed supposed to be at 9pm, but sometimes she "cheats" and starts crying early for food.)

8:30pm: Be a cow again (if I'm on Schedule B for the day).

9pm: Prepare her food. Feed her. (During this time, depending on who is feeding, the other will catch a quick shower).

10pm: Still being a cow (if I'm on Schedule A)

11:30pm: Wait for her next feed (Supposed to be 12am)

12am: Prepare her milk, while she cries the house down. Feed her.

12:45am: She finally decides to finish her milk and sleeps. I put her on the bed and wash up the bottles and stuffs.

1am: Express milk again (if on Schedule B) and waits for her next feed. Catch a few winks in between.

Between 1am to 3am: I wake up almost every 10 to 15 mins due to her "eh-ee-eh" noises. Constantly checks on her to make sure she is still asleep.

2:50am: Prepares her milk beforehand so she can't cry the house down.

3am: Feed her.

4am: She finishes her milk (while dozing off in between). Put her in the bed. I wash up the bottles again.

4:30am: Express milk again (if on Schedule A). Else I catch longer winks, but still wakes up due to her "eh-ee-eh" noises, which are usually louder and longer (than the between 1am to 3am ones...)

5 odd am: She whines and cries longer and wakes up. (Not time for food yet). I have to carry and cuddle her to sleep.

Between 5:30am to 6am: Feed her less than her normal quantity, in preparation for her morning shower.

About 6 - 6:30am: Alvin wakes up to shower her. HOORAY! My turn to go to bed!!!!!!

Somewhere between 7am and 8am: Alvin sends her to his mom's. I have no idea of the exact time because I'm already dead to the world...

9:30am: I wake up and the entire routine starts again.... Sigh....

Hectic Life of a Mother....

Mission IMPOSSIBLE!

2008-08-27T01:14:00.001-07:00

26th Aug 08: Continuation of the Collection of Urine...

As the collected pee has to reach the laboratory within 2 hours, we had to wait till the next day to collect Darling's pee...

9am: I heard my Mother-in-Law "Shhh"-ing Isabelle in the toilet. Immediately, I dropped whatever I was doing and rushed into the toilet with the urine sample cup in my hand. I waited and waited and waited. There was no pee. Apparently, Isabelle has already peed in her nappy before feeding and my MIL was just making sure that she's cleared her bladder before making her sleep...

As the nurse in the clinic said that it would take about 45 mins for the milk to be converted into urine, we waitied for her next pee. Unfortunately, I was caught up with blogging and missed track of time. So, by the time I heard her make noise, her nappy was already wet. Now, we had to wait for the next round...

Sadly, we kept missing her pee. We were always one step behind... It was becoming impossible to collect her urine sample. And we were all feeling frustrated with an almost unaccomplishable task...

12pm: We fed her and tried to "wee" her. 4 adults standing in the toilet waiting for her pee... Nothing. So we estimated that her next pee timing would be around 1245pm.

12:45pm: Nappy was already wet... Sigh.... We are never going to be able to collect her pee...

In desperation, we stripped her butt-naked and my MIL carried her while she slept. And I sat beside her with the collection cup in my hand.

1:10pm: Still nothing. We decided to "wee" her in the toilet. 2 adults whistling in the toilet till the lips were dry. Nothing happened...

1:30pm: We tried to "wee" her in the toilet. Still nothing. Sigh.... This is really getting nowhere...

1:45pm: Attempted to "wee" her in the toilet again. No points for guessing that it was another failed attempt...

2pm: We tried again... Still nothing...... This is getting ridiculous.... Seems like she's never going to pee...

2:15pm: 2 crazy adults standing in the toilet to "wee" her... 1 was standing outside giving "moral" support. Alamak... She pooped instead of pee. I was cleaning her poop when suddenly, it HAPPENED! The golden shower came! I immediately picked up the collection cup and collected the pee!!! PHEW! I almost missed it because I was cleaning her poop. All of us cheered. I have never seen adults so happy to see a baby pee...

With her golden shower nicely collected, I headed to SGH to submit it... Hooray...

Mission Impossible: POSSIBLE!

Lousy Mummy, Shitty Daddy

2008-08-27T01:11:00.000-07:00

25th Aug 08: 2nd Outpatient Appt

Today was Isabelle's review check-up at SGH O&G clinic for her thyroid and jaundice. As there were no available parking lots at the nearest car park, Alvin dropped us first to go register. Steady Mummy single-handedly carried Baby Isabelle and my BIG Bag of barang barangs (her health booklet and appt card and blood test form) and headed to the Registration Counter.

Not long later, the nurse came and took her vital stats:

Length - 49cm
Weight - 4.0kg

She has grown 1cm longer and put on 1kg!!!! (In just 18 DAYS!!!)

In the consultation room, the Paediatrician (Dr Lian) mentioned that her thyroid functions were already normal (PHEW!), but she had to do more tests to determine the cause of Isabelle's prolonged jaundice. And to do more tests, she would have to draw blood... This time, we were allowed to stay in the room to accompany Isabelle, but lousy scaredy-cat mummy preferred to wait outside. I didn't want to break out in tears when Darling starts to wail. So, we left the consultation room to wait outside. Even as we were outside, I walked all the way to the other end of the clinic, just so I won't hear her cry. (This mummy very lousy... Can't even give moral support...)

When it was finally all over, we went back in and this time, Isabelle did not look as traumatised as the first time. She didn't cry as much and as loud either. I guess this is because she has grown older, bigger and stronger.

Dr Lian also told us that she needed to do a urine test as well, so we had to collect Isabelle's urine. Challenging!!! We headed off to an empty room in hope of accomplishing our task. After all, Isabelle had just finished her milk (quietly, which is RARE as she's always a NOISY drinker!), so there should be some urine soon.

Objective: Collect Isabelle's Urine

Apparatus:
- Containers for urine collection x 2
- Kidney bowl x 2
- Cotton balls x 1 box
- Alcohol solution x 1 packet

Instructions:
- Pour the alcohol solution into the box of cotton balls
- Use the cotton balls to clean her private areas
- "Wee" her over the kidney bowl
- Collect the urine in the 2 containers given

We stripped her (bottom only), cleaned her and put her over the kidney bowl. Both of us started whistling, while Isabelle remained indifferent. We whistled until our lips were dry, and there was still NO PEE. Then Isabelle starting to cry. After all, she didn't like her butt cold. So, Alvin sat down, with the kidney bowl on his lap, with 1 hand carrying Isabelle and covering her butt and the other hand supporting her legs. We whistled and whistled and whistled, but to no avail...

Then it happened... She PEED... But her shit CAME OUT too!!! And it came splattering out, so her shit landed in the kidney bowl, on the floor and on Alvin!!! (Daddy got Shit from Isabelle!!!) She started crying so loud like as though she was being tortured. Quickly, I cleaned her up and carried her (still butt naked) while Alvin went to clean himself. Within seconds, she calmed down and fell asleep while mummy rocked and sang to her. With that, we requested to collect her pee at home and were told the pee has to be delivered within 2 hours from collection.

Mission Status: FAILED!

Mummy's Confinement Tonic

2008-08-25T23:00:00.000-07:00

The confinement month was a very "trying" month for me. I had to be careful with what I eat. But worst of all, I had to eat things that I didn't like to eat - Liver and Kidney. To force myself to eat it, i cut up the livers and kidneys into small cubes of about 5mm x 5mm. Then I would mix it into the rice, together with vegetables, other meats and most importantly, GRAVY. I almost always end up swallowing instead of chewing... Lastly, fish bone soup. That is the most "exciting" food for me. As Isabelle has jaundice, I was advised not to take ginger, so it was fish soup without ginger. My GOD! The fishy taste is beyond description...

Then there were the TONNES of the typical gift - Chicken Essence. I received so many boxes of chicken essence that I could almost start selling them. Fortunately, the taste of room temperature chicken essence is still bearable. Since it's suppose to be good for my body and help me recover faster, I religiously drank it every day. Also, it was supposed to improve lactation (No wonder I'm a cow...). On top of that, I received many many DOMs. Total collection - 4 Big bottles, 1 small bottle.... It's probably going to take me YEARS to finish.... (Hmmm, I wonder who's giving birth next. The presents are already ready... hehe)

On the bright side, I also get to enjoy specially prepared, for confinement only, homemade salted chicken. It takes about 3 hours for the making of ONE salted chicken. And I had a total of THREE salted chicken, one per week. The salted chicken is absolutely YUMMILICIOUS! But, because it was very heaty, I never fail to get sore throat after eating it. Still, I swallowed every bit of the chicken.

The Making of Salted Chicken

1. Chx MUST be Dried --------------- 2. Prepare the Charcoal

3. Add in the Salt ------------------- 4. Mix the Salt well

5. Prepare Wrapping Paper ---------------- 6. Prepare the Herbs

7. Stuff herbs into the Chx --------------- 8. Wrap Chx Professionally

9. Nicely Wrapped Up Chx ---------------- 10. Put the Chx into the Wok

11. Cover the Chx With Salt ---------------- 12. Let the Chx Simmer

After 3 long hours...

The Homemade Yummy Salted Chicken is Ready to be Served

Isabelle's 1 Month PARTY

2008-08-25T20:18:00.001-07:00

23rd Aug 08: From Afternoon till Late...

Isabelle's party was split into 2 sessions as our place was not big enough to accomodate all the guests. As such, she had an Afternoon Tea Attire and a Dinner Attire. However, both Mummy and Daddy were so busy that we took very few pictures only.

Photos of Isabelle's Man Yue Party

Food! Glorious Food! (with Red Eggs)

Afternoon Attire (with Ang Bao in hand)

Godma, Ah-Ma and Isabelle (Dinner Attire)

Ah-Ma and Isabelle (With Little Rabbit Shirt)

Nai-Nai and Friends and Isabelle

The Ang Baos are all MINE!!!

Throughout the entire afternoon and night, Isabelle was very very well-behaved. She only made a little noise when she wanted to drink her milk. Only "complained" a little bit when we were preparing the milk. Usually, she will cry the house down for us having to make her wait for milk. Also, she was passed over from hand to hand, auntie to auntie, without crying or making any noise. (If only she was like that EVERY day...)

When the whole celebration ended, she very quickly reverted back to her usual self. She started to throw tantrum and cried the entire house down while waiting for her milk to be ready... Sigh...

Preparation for Isabelle's 1 Month Celebration...

2008-08-25T02:37:00.000-07:00

23rd Aug 08: Morning

Since we were celebrating Isabelle's Man Yue today, all of us woke up early to "prepare" her for "Big Day".

First, we cut her hair. Who else but Stylo Milo No. 1 Hairdresser Mummy who got the honours of cutting her hair. From this day forth, it will always be this mummy to cut her hair. (Without a doubt, she WILL hate it, like how I hated it when my mom cut my hair.) But of course, I'm doing a better job than my mom...

After cutting her hair, it was time for her "Man Yue" bath... She was enjoying her bath all the way until the part where her hair was being washed. And finally, she was happy and contented after being warmly wrapped with towel.

(Naked photos of her now will "haunt" her for LIFE!!! HAHA!!!)

And finally, what is a nice hair cut and a nice shower without a nice manicure... See how shiok this entire "Man Yue Baby Spa" treatment is...

Innovative Mummy!!!

2008-08-21T18:02:00.001-07:00

15th Aug 08:
1 day after the Polyclinic Doc said we could try sunning Isabelle...

With her jaundice still not going down, and advised by the doctor from the polyclinic, Muumy tried to suntan her little darling. (Of course, later on we realised that even after sunning her, her jaundice did not recede.. Sigh)

Since Isabelle was to be suntanned (and not her mummy), I came up with an innovative way of sunning her, without myself getting sunned. I put her on the stroller and pushed her into a pavilion. So, while she sunned, mummy sat in the shade... (Hehe)... And of course, to protect her eyes, mummy was even cleverer!!! (See pictures...)

Isabelle's Jaundice (Part 2)

2008-08-19T20:13:00.000-07:00

11th Aug 08 (Monday):
1 day after she was discharged from SGH for the photo-therapy of her jaundice, we brought her to the polyclinic to monitor her jaundice level, as instructed by the Paediatrician. "Sua-ku" mummy has never really been to a polyclinic, so I didn't quite know what to do. I pressed for the queue number to do her registration. Fortunately, I went to the information counter to ask after getting the queue number, cause it turns out I took the wrong one. Registration for babies is a different queue (apparently a shorter and faster queue. Hehe...)

Since it was our first time there, the nurse had to take her vital stats and note down all her health histories. While waiting for our turn, naughty Isabelle started to cry down the entire clinic. She was hungry! Without any choice, we had to find an empty consultation room for me to "bazooka" her. She was SOOOO hungry that it took us almost 30 mins and we were being "chased" out of the room even though she was not quite done yet. Anyway, it was enough to keep her quiet, so we let it be. After giving the nurse the details, we were instructed to go to the lab to do her SB test (the test for jaundice level one...). The thought of the pain that Isabelle will have to go through when they draw blood made my eyes watery.

At the lab, we had to take another queue number, we were 90th in line and they were only serving the 46th person. It was going to be a long wait... Then, to my surprise, the lab assistant saw us and said that babies get priority, so we were next. (Hehe, and just like that, we cut the queue!!) The scary moment came.... Time for them to draw her blood. OMG!!! I could not imagine. And this time, I was present while they drew her blood. Then I realised, they only needed to draw the blood from her heel and not her hand. It was a relief, but still, I was in fear...

The lab tech pricked her heel. She remained asleep and quiet. Phew! Then the lab tech squeezed her heel and used a capilliary tube to draw her blood. She was still asleep and quiet. Phew Phew!! First capilliary of blood completely drawn. They needed to draw a total of 2 tubes. As the lab tech was drawing the 2nd tube, she started to cry. So poor thing. All mummy could do, was to sayang her head and keep kissing her. Heartache. (But mummy didn't cry, because Darling didn't cry as loud and as poor thing as the other time.)

Finally, it was over! We were told to wait for the results as it would be ready in 5 mins. After 15 mins, the results were out. Dammit! The reading has gone up! It was 225 when she was discharged yesterday and 236 today! Now we had to wait to see the doctor and listen to the diagnosis.

The doctor was abit "blur" (I felt). Anyway, he said that the reading has gone up and that was not a good sign, so we were instructed to go back the following day to do the SB test again. Sian... have to wake up super early again and "chiong" to the polyclinic so that we can be first in line...

The whole "excursion" took 2 hours...

12th Aug 08 (Tuesday):
Today, we were smarter. We fed Isabelle around 7am so that she would not be hungry at the polyclinic. At the polyclinic, mummy was no longer a "mountain turtle" (Sua-ku). So I was able to get her registration done quite fast and go to the lab to do her SB test. Same thing, she got priority so we cut queue and went in for her blood test. It seems like Darling was "prepared" today. She did not make noise throughout the entire "procedure" and remained fast asleep!

SB result was 234. Hooray! It has dropped a bit, which meant that it was in the down trend. But still, the doctor (a different one from yesterday) ordered another test on Thursday. (At least I get to rest for 1 day). Total "excursion" time was only 45mins.

14th Aug 08 (Thursday):
Again, we had to "chiong" to the polyclinic early in the morning. Her SB result has dropped again to 230! Yippie! But of course the doctor said it was still not low enough as the readings should drop to below 100. And it turns out that on Monday, the lab missed out doing 1 test (which they charged me for!!) so we have to return on Saturday to do it. Got to wake up early and "piah" to the polyclinic again...

The doctor also mentioned that, though not medically proven, but according to the elders, we can try sunning Isabelle for 20 mins every morning before 10am. Of course, I diligently did that over the next few days...

Today was supposed to be Isabelle's EDD. How fast time flies. She's already 2 weeks old...

16th Aug 08 (Saturday):
With all the "sunning" efforts, we were anxious to find out the results of the SB test. As Isabelle has to do an additional test (Conjugated Bilirubin test), the lab tech had to draw MORE blood from her heel. If there was not enough blood from one heel, the lab tech will have to draw blood from the other heel!!! The amount of blood required were 2 capilliary tubes and 2 small vials. Throughout the whole procedure, the lab tech kept squeezing Darling's little heel for blood. Of course, Isabelle started to show her displeasure by crying. (It was probably painful, and she doesn't like her limbs being restrained!)

Again, we waited for the results of her SB test. The results of the Conjugated Bilirubin test will only be out on Monday, so we have to return on Monday again. (I was beginning to feel like a regular customer of the polyclinic). The conjugated bilirubin test will determine if her liver is fine.

Results of the SB test came back - 238!!!! I was confused! After all that sunning!??!?! It went up!!! !@#!@# The doctor (same "blur" one on Monday) asked us if we wanted to re-admit Isabelle. I rejected the notion as the Paediatrician told me that we only need to worry about her jaundice if the level exceeds 300. And that, because she's growing up every day, it is normal for her jaundice level to rise. (Oh well, Polyclinic diagnosis VS Paediatrican diagnosis...) Also, we wanted to wait for the Conjugated Bilirubin Test result to be out before we make any decision.

18th Aug 08 (Monday):
SB readings - 237! (Alamak, no change one.) Conjugated Bilirubin Test result was also ok. The polyclinic doctor (another different one) did a physical check on Isabelle. Again, Isabelle started to whine (she was being pressed and restrained). The doctor said that she should be fine and that the results were more or less hovering around the same values. And since we were going to bring her back to the Paediatrician for a routine check on Thursday, we didn't need to go back to the polyclinic any more. YEAH!!!

With Isabelle's 1st month celebration around the corner (23rd Aug), her scaredy-cat / "pun-tan" mummy decided to change the Paediatrician to the following Monday (25th Aug). Just to make sure that Isabelle gets to celebrate her 1 month birthday! Hehe...

Isabelle's "Exercise" Regime

2008-08-17T20:54:00.000-07:00

At only 17 Days old, my Darling Isabelle has already invented her own "exercise regime". It was her regime before feeding, during feeding and after feeding!!! (NOT an easy task feeding her!)

Photos were taken with Daddy's Fastest Finger! Click-Click-Click non-stop!

------------ 1. All Hands Out ------------------------- 2. Hands Back In -----------

----------- 3. Right Hand Up ------------------------- 4. Right Hand Out ----------

--------- 5. Taste Right Hand --------------------- 6. Left Up, Right Out ---------

-------- "What To Do Next" ------------------------------ "Hmmm..." ----------------

---------- "Any how lah!" ------------------------ "Mmmm, milk milk time" ------

Photos of Cute Cute Darling

2008-08-16T02:25:00.000-07:00

With her being so cute and naughty, Mummy cannot help but to give her pet names:

- Darling, Xiao Huai Huai (Little Naughty Naughty), Xiao Ke Ai (Little Cute Cute), Baby Xiao Qi and the latest one, Chub-Chub (She's SOOOOO CHUBBY!)

30th July: 2 Days Old (Nappy Changing)

Don't Like WET WET!!!!

Don't like to be EXPOSED!!!

Ahh... Warm and Nice...

***************************************

3rd Aug: 6 Days Old

Yes Ma'am! I shall drink my milk...

Don't let you see...

You look at me... I look back lor...

Naughty Naughty Isabelle

2008-08-15T01:54:00.000-07:00

When she was discharged from Hospital on Sunday (10th Aug), we were so happy to bring her home. Little did we expect that 4 days would bring about drastic changes...

We expected her to miss home and be more obedient when she returned since there was not much "love" for her in the hospital.

But, all her habits seemed to have changed for the WORSE!

Toilet Training:
Prior to her re-admission for jaundice, she was almost perfectly toilet trained. She would whine before she wanted to pee and Nai-Nai would run to her rescue. If we were fast enough, we would be able to rush her to the toilet before she pees. This ensures that she would not wet her nappies and it was a form of toilet training.

After her return from hospital, she only cried after wetting her nappies. Sometimes, when Nai-nai tried to "wee" her before and after feeding, she would throw a big tantrum. If she's naughty, she will pee on Nai-nai!

Feeding:
Her feeding schedule was completely messed up. Previously, she fed on 100ml every 3 hours. In the hospital, she was put on a "strict" diet of 80ml. (Apparently, she was considered to be overfed at home).

When she got home, it felt like she was part of the "7th month" gang (Hungry Gh**t)! She cried more frequently for food with irregular timings and we could no longer predict her feeding schedule. I had to start noting down her feeding times and volume just to "catch" her pattern. Worst of all, she suckled the milk like there was NO TOMORROW! She suckled so much faster than she could swallow! Half the time, I believe she wasted almost 30ml out of the 100ml we fed her. (No doubt her mummy is overflowing with milk, but that was NOT the way to waste it!!!) Even her shirt and towel were always wet after feeding!

Weird Noises:
She started making tonnes of weird noises. The ones I call "Ee-Ee-Ah-Ah-Oo-Oo-Eh-Eh". When feeding, she can be making noises and drinking at the same time. When sleeping, she also made those noises and everyone has to rush into the room just to check on her. Most of the time, she made those noises while sleeping! I guess subconsciously, she enjoys all the attention she gets while sleeping...

Complexion:
Her silky smooth complexion was COMPLETELY ruined after the hospital stay! She came back with red bumps and pimples (with white pus) over her face!!! It got worse the next day and her whole face, including her eyelids, were COVERED with red bumps and pimples, and even on her scalp!!! She was NOT pretty anymore! Of course, it didn't help that she was a messy drinker, with her hands moving all over her face during feeding. So, with her being so naughty, all of us had to be diligent. She started getting facial treatments after every meal (Only 15 days old got facial liao! I didn't even have any facials done till I was 25!). Usually, I was her facial "specialist". Whenever Alvin did facial for her, she would start to whine and complain! (Daddy lousy! Mummy Best!)

Worsening Complexion Condition (13th Aug)

And because of our (mainly mine) diligence, her complexion started to improve. But, we still have to continue with her facial regime as we want her to look all pretty and cute on her 1st month celebration.

Improvement of Complexion (16th Aug)

Isabelle's Jaundice (Part 1)

2008-08-13T23:36:00.000-07:00

7th Aug 08 (Thursday) @ 3pm:
I received phonecall from O&G clinic stating that we have to bring her to the hospital for phototherapy immediately as her jaundice level was over the limit. (Max - 300, Hers - 345). At the High-dependency ward, the doctor told us that she would have to stay for at least 2 days. 1 full day on phototherapy and if the value drops, she would go off phototherapy but still has to stay 1 day for monitoring. So the earliest that she would be discharged was on Saturday.

(This time, mummy didn't cry. It was after all, only jaundice... Daddy, however, was rather sad and emotional.)

The nurse stripped her bare, put her into the cot and under the phototherapy light. She has grown so much that the cot now looks too small for her. As she was hungry, she started crying the whole nursery down! She was SOOOO Angry that she managed to pull herself out of the plastic Dome-shaped cover (used to cover over her whole body, with the top part coloured black to protect her eyes). She even managed to lift the cover. Both me and Alvin stared in amazement. She is one strong and fiesty baby! The nurse finally decided to feed her and we left the hospital with a peace of mind.

Over the next few days, I was her "Milk Express", while Alvin was her "Federal Express". He would send my expressed breast milk to the hospital regularly, while I waited for the previous batch of milk bottles to come back from the hospital so that I could express my milk into them.

And everyday, I would go over to the hospital in the mornings and evenings. So much for staying at home during confinement.

8th Aug 08 (Friday):
Her jaundice level has dropped but was still high, so the doctor ordered another whole day of phototherapy. The hopes of her being discharged on Saturday were dashed. Oh well, rather she be ok, then to be discharged just because we miss her.

With her not at home for only 1 day, everyone was already suffering from "post-natal" depression. The house was suddenly so quiet without her, but of course, the hospital was suddenly very noisy because of her (lol). She was, after all, the biggest baby in the HD ward.

9th Aug 08 (Saturday):
Early morning, we popped by to deliver her milk for the the day and to check on her condition. Her jaundice level was borderline (Max - 240, Her's - 240!). Had it dropped by just 1 point, she would be off phototherapy and there would be hopes of bringing her home on Sunday. But NO, it had to be on the dot. So, the doctor ordered for another day of full phototherapy. No chance of Isabelle going home on Sunday.

Evening, we gave up watching National Day Parade just to keep her company in the hospital (and of course to be her "DHL"). When we got there, to our surprise, she was off phototherapy! Yeah! High chance of bringing her home the next day if the Sunday morning's results are ideal.

10th Aug 08 (Sunday):
We set off for the hospital in high spirits. Her jaundice level has fallen to 225, which was a good sign, but we still had to wait for the doctors to give Green Light to bring her home. We fed her while waiting for the doctors to do their rounds. When the doctors did come, we had to "return" her to the HD ward. Outside, my ears grew bigger and bigger, trying to listen to what the doctors were saying... "Readings look ok"; "Should be ok to discharge". (For once, I'm proud of my god-given BIG ears...)

Not long later, the doctor came out and told us that her readings are fine and she can be discharged. But we have to bring her to the polyclinic to monitor her jaundice level tomorrow and also to go back for another appointment with the Paediatrician.

The discharge took SOOOOOOOO long to be processed that by the time we could leave, it was time for her feeding. So, Alvin had to feed her before we could go home. But it really didn't matter... Darling was going home again.

Nicely wrapped and ready to go home...

(She so BIG, cot so SMALL!)

Isabelle's 1st Outpatient Check-up

2008-08-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

7th Aug 08: 10 Days Old...
We had to bring her back to SGH O&G clinic to do her Thyroid Function test again and to check her jaundice level as well. Early morning, around 8am, Alvin fed her and told her to finish up all her milk cause we were going to bring her to "gai-gai". She obediently finished up her milk and stayed awake for the entire "trip".

At the clinic while waiting for our turn, she started to whine, so we checked her diapers (which were clean) and thus concluded that she needed to be fed. That was almost 11:30am. Normally, she would scream for food, but she was very well-behaved today. (Guess she wants to "maintain" her feminine image). I "whipped" out my "bazooka" and fed her in the nursing room.

When it was her turn, the nurse took her "vital" stats 1st. She had put on 200g and grown 1cm longer! The paediatrician did an overall check of her then sent us (the parents) out of the room so that they can draw her blood.

While waiting outside, Isabelle started her screaming cries. The thought of the pain that she had to go through sent tears streaming down my face. So poor thing my little darling... The louder and more she cried, the more I cried too. It was just too painful to listen. Upon re-entering the consultation room (I had already stopped crying and cleaned up), poor Isabelle was in a state of shock. Her little hand had a big cotton wool over it. They had drawn blood from the back of her tiny tiny little hand. Alvin carried her and she was shivering, with her eyes red and wide open (in shock). I started to cry again. It was heart-wrenching seeing her like that.

The doctor told us that we could go home and wait for the results of her jaundice test. They would call and inform us of the test result. As we went out of the room, I kept kissing and sayang-ing my little darling. She had undergone enormous trauma. SOOOO POOOOR THING!

Isabelle Came HOME!!!

2008-08-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

2nd Aug 08:
Alvin went to the hospital to deliver her breakfast (my Expressed Breast milk) and also to check on her blood test result. I, on the other hand, could only sit at home and wait impatiently for the news. Can she come home today or not??? I was going crazy just thinking about it...

FINALLY! Phonecall came in. Alvin told me that the blood test results were still not ideal, but at least the readings have dropped below the limit, which was good news. She could be discharged but will have to go back for another blood test on 7th August.

While waiting for the doctor to prepare her discharge summary and the nurses to do the discharge paperwork, Alvin had to attend a compulsory session about "Bringing your baby home". The nurse briefed several parents (including Alvin) on what to look out for, when to be alarmed, etc.

Just before I almost turned into a giraffe (neck was getting very long due to all the waiting), the baby came home! YEAH!!!! MY baby was finally HOME, where she belongs.

While she slept soundly in her bed, I sat beside her, just looking at her. Such bliss.

It has now finally sink in - I am a Mummy.

The Day Mummy got Discharged...

2008-08-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

1st Aug 08: It was The Day! The day that I could bring my Darling home.

The evening before, the gynae came to check on me and I requested to be discharged the next day. She gave the green light and both me and Alvin were so excited. We informed the nursery as well, so that they could arrange for my baby's discharge.

Every morning, the doctors do their rounds in the nursery at around 9 plus 10am. On this particular day, all of them seemed to have disappeared. It was almost 11am and I was to be discharged and there were still no signs of the doctors doing their rounds! Alvin went to settle the outstanding payment for my hospital stay while I waited impatiently in the room for the discharge of my baby.

At long last, a paediatrician came into the room. My baby can finally be discharged. “We cannot discharge your baby today,” she said, “the result of her Thyroid function test from the cord blood is above the limit. We have just done another test using her blood but the result will only be back earliest in the evening or by tomorrow. We need to keep her in the hospital until the results come back.” After which, the doctor left the room.

I was shattered! My discharge has already been settled else I can stay overnight and still be with her. Now, I'll be going home without my baby. OMG! The very thought of her not going home with me sent tears running down. When the nurse wheeled Isabelle in, the sight of her made the tears gush down even more. I was heartbroken and could not stop crying.

Even as I got changed and walked out of the hospital with a super heavy heart, tears continued to trickle down. This was even more painful than any of the physical pain I had to endure over the past few days.

Upon reaching home, the sight of the empty cot also sent tears running down again. I could not even bring myself to tell my mom that my baby was still in the hospital. I had to get Alvin to pass the message to her.

In the evening, we called up the hospital to check on the results of her blood test. Unfortunately, they were not ready yet and we had to wait till the next day for the results and the doctor's evaluation. Again, tears started streaming down, knowing that she would be spending the night alone in the hospital without Mummy and Daddy.

Sigh... I was starting to understand how tough motherhood actually is...

* The thyroid function test from the cord blood was not a good gauge as it contained my blood and I have thyroid problems. So they had to do another test using her own blood. *

Sleeping soundly without Mummy & Daddy

Mummy's FIRST Feed...

2008-08-13T06:30:00.000-07:00

30th July 08:
I was finally able to get off the bed and could sit on the armchair. Still PAINFUL, but I survived. The gynae came to check my condition and wound and gave instructions for my wound dressing to be changed to the water-proof type. She then said that I can take showers after the dressing was changed. To which I replied, "It's ok, I don't intend to shower during the confinement month." Boy, was she taken aback...

The removal of the bandages and dressing was SOOOOO PAINFUL that it sent my BP plummeting. I was given a jab of morphine and sent back to bed. Completely wasted again. When I woke up, the pain was gone and I felt alive again. The physiotherapist came and things got better as she taught me how to get off the bed, how to walk, how to sit down and how to cough! It was then that I realised that almost every everyday movement required the use of the abdominal muscles, which I have so taken for granted.

Anyway, I did get to feed Isabelle for the first time before crashing out in pain...

"Papaya" Mummy feeding her Darling with Style...

Daddy Burping his girl

Daddy continued the feeding

The Day Darling was brought Down...

2008-08-12T22:49:00.000-07:00

29th July 08:
Due to my gestational diabetes, Isabelle had to be placed in the High-Dependency ward to monitor her blood sugar immediately after she was born. And so, I was not able to see her after the surgery was completed. However, Alvin was able to see her frequently and bring all my visitors to see her as well. Basically, EVERYONE got to see her, except for her poor-thing, half-dead mummy (who was still recovering from the epidural and surgery). Fortunately, my thoughtful and loving hubby took a picture of her and showed it to me. What more can I ask for...

According to the nurse, if the results of her prick test were normal, she should be able to be transferred to the normal nursey ward the next day. However, in the late afternoon when Alvin went up to the HD ward to visit her (HD ward is 1 level above my ward), the nurse said that so far her Prick Test results were good and if all goes well, she would be brought down to the normal nursery ward (same level as my room).

In the evening, the nurse wheeled Isabelle into the room for us to feed her. Darling has been "discharged" from the HD ward and brought down to the normal ward. HOORAY! She was now only a few doors away from her mummy. Also, we could "steal" her from the nursery and keep her in my room for as long as we wanted and even overnight. But we decided to return her to the nursery at night so that I would be able to sleep and rest well. (Hehe... so lazy this mummy...)

Of course I did not get to do the 1st feed. (Still lying wasted in bed). Alvin got the honour of feeding her. Likewise, I could not carry her, but she was put into my arms. It was an experience that was out of this world.

Our 1st Family Photo

Mummy's Final Thoughts on Pregnancy

2008-08-10T06:41:00.001-07:00

Throughout the entire pregnancy, I have learnt to do and take things slowly. Actually, I had to learn it the hard way. Being a typical non-pregnant Singaporean female, I am so used to rushing everywhere, taking short and irregular meal breaks and basically, relax less, work more. The moment I got pregnant, everything changed. I could not do things fast. I had to eat slowly and regularly and monitor my type of food intake. Also, I was no longer capable of walking fast, for I will get acute pain around my pelvic area. I basically had to move and do things in slow-motion!

Now I understand why most pregnant women move slower. It’s not by choice. It’s a must.

***************************************

Even though having a child in Singapore is a very expensive issue to face, but it is all worth it. For almost 3 years, I debated on whether to have a child. Of course, the main concern being the finances. It is REALLY expensive to have children - The gynae consultations, the hospital bills, the baby necessities, getting a maid or day-care, providing for them, their future education funds, etc etc. But many parents tell me, "Kids are a bundle of joy, and when you have your own, you will know that it is not the money that matters." Now, I truly understand...

Gynae Consultation (~ 10 visits) :

$800 ($80 per visit)

Ultrasound Scanning of Baby (~ 10 scans) :

$800 ($80 per scan)

Antenatal Screenings (2 times) :

$130

SGH C-section delivery + Hospital Stay :

$7000

Seeing the baby for the FIRST time :

PRICELESS!

29th July 2008 - Arrival of Darling Isabelle

2008-08-10T02:46:00.000-07:00

Finally, the long awaited day has arrived. I was going to be a REAL mummy. My operation was scheduled at 8:30am, so I was supposed to be wheeled in around 8am. I got up at 6:30am and prepared myself for the operation. I changed into the blue operation gown and waited excitedly for the nurses to come. Likewise, Alvin was waiting excitedly to enter the Operation room with me. (He stayed overnight in the hospital room with me).

After being transferred to the "wheeling bed", I reminded the Nurse In-Charge that Alvin was going in with me. The nurse was like "huh", and said there was no mention of it. We (me and Alvin) panicked. I wanted him to go in with me!!! After much confusion, the nurse told Alvin to follow her to the Reception Counter outside the Operating Theatre. Even until that point in time, there was no clear indication that he could enter the OT with me.

In the meantime, I started to freak out. As I laid on the bed and was being wheeled into the OT, I started to cry. The thought of Alvin not being in there with me made it even worse. Now I know why my sister said that the hubbies should go in for moral support even though they won't be able to see anything (the entire surgery is being covered up from abdomen down). To make things worse, the nurse was wheeling me so fast that I started to see stars.

Finally, I reached the waiting area just outside the OT. Still, there was no news of whether Alvin would be in there with me. Anyway, I did tell Alvin that if they don't let him in, I would not let them proceed with the operation.

Before long, I was transferred onto the Operating Table. That's where the real "excitement" kicked in. The anaesthetists started poking needles into my wrist, first an injection to numb the area, and then connected another needle (which was connected to the IV) into the wrist. Then, I had to turn to my side and bend with my knees touching my elbow. That was perpetually IMPOSSBILE given the fact that I had a REALLY BIG tummy in between! The anaesthetist then told me that he was going to numb my back and inject epidural into my back to numb me from abdomen down. (I opted for LA so I could be awake to see the delivery of my newborn. Also, I was told that it was safer for the baby if I was on LA than GA.) To which, I asked a really stupid question "Is it going to be painful?" Of course, I found out the answer rather immediately: IT WAS FREAKING PAINFUL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I felt like I was going to "die" from all that pain!

Some point after that, they told me that Alvin would be coming in to join me soon. At that moment, it no longer mattered if Alvin was going to come in. I was feeling nausea and my head started to spin and my legs were getting numb. When Alvin did enter the room (in "spaceman" suit), I could not even bring myself to talk to him. I was having a very bad reaction to the epidural and my BP dropped to 40!

Unfortunately, throughout the entire surgery, I laid totally wasted on the Operation Table. I felt numb from neck down. I was only aware of 2 things: The surgery had started (but no idea what was happening exactly); and Alvin was holding my hand.

Alvin's observation: There was a big Green screen preventing him from seeing any part of the operation. But he could hear clanging of surgical instruments. At one point, the entire operation table was shaking violently as the procedure was on-going. (Should be due to the Gynae "digging" for the baby). The anaesthetist was monitoring my heartbeat and BP and was constantly pumping some medication into the needle in my hand (probably to keep me "alive"). The anaesthetist gave "live" commentary - "Legs out". The mid-wife then said "almost, almost". The anaesthetist continued "Can see body and hands".

Before I knew it, the baby was presented in front of me and Alvin. I had a blurry vision of a slightly blood-covered, curled up, "sleeping" baby. The baby was then taken away, to get cleaned up, and the next thing I knew, there was music to me ears - the sound of my Crying baby.

Not long later, a clean and nicely wrapped up baby was presented in front of us again. Ah, my darling Isabelle. It was now all worth it. The 9 months, the whole day morning sickness, the sudden urge to pee, the tiredness, the medical bills, the C-section and the epidural.

Alvin left me and followed the mid-wife and the pediatrician to the High-Dependency nursery ward. I continued to lay wasted on the operating table as the gynae started to clear out my insides and stitch me back up. When it was done, I was pushed into the "Recovery Room", where they infused Oxygen into my nose to continue to keep me "alive" and plugged a clip onto my index finger to monitor that I was still "alive". Apparently, my BP was still very very low and had to stay there for further monitoring. I mananged to fall asleep and eventually, the effects of the epidural started to wear off and I could start feeling my legs again.

Finally, I was being wheeled back into my ward, where Alvin was already there waiting for me...

Isabelle's "Vital" Stats:
Weight: 2.825 kg (6.125 pounds)
Length: 47cm
Head Crown: 34cm

* Baby was sent to High-Dependency nursery ward as I had gestational diabetes, so they had to monitor her blood glucose level after every feed. (They had to do the Prick Test on her tiny little heel.....)

28th July (1 day b4 Op)

29th July (just after op)

She's ARRIVED!!!!

Mummy's THIRD Trimester

2008-08-09T01:01:00.000-07:00

Entering the exciting 3rd trimester where the baby would be out soon. It was the final lap to go. I could feel the baby move and kick and punch and STEPPING on my bladder! Sometimes, I had to stop walking because it was simply too ticklish - Her pressing on my bladder... Many times, I had to time my toilet intervals to avoid any false alarms. Also, I was waking up more often in the middle of the night to empty my bladder. But I feel it was the most exciting period because of all the baby movement and anticipation.

6th June 08: We went to see the gynae for a routine scan. Imagine my surprise when the gynae said that the baby was BREECHED!!!! She had decided to turn UPWARDS! But the gynae said there was still hope of her turning back down since I was only 30 weeks pregnant. Phew! Also, I got "promoted" again for my good diet control and was only required to do my Prick Test ONCE a month. Hooray!

Throughout the whole month, I kept "psycho-ing" the baby. I told her that if she don't turn downwards, the gynae will have to cut me open and pull her out by the legs and beat her backside for being naughty. (Of cos, I omitted the part where her backside would be beaten either way.) Also, I told her to be a good girl and come out on National Day so the whole Singapore can celebrate birthday with her. Alternatively, 8th August was also a good date for it was 08-08-08, and she will get to celebrate her birthday with her friends after school when she grows up. (What a considerate Mummy I was becoming... LOL)

4th July 08: This was the decisive scan. If the baby had turned down, I would be able to deliver her naturally. If she was still Breech, then it would have to be C-section. Scan results showed that the naughty naughty baby was still in Breech position. So, gynae scheduled for a C-section. I requested for 8th August, but gynae said by then I would be in the 39th week and could go into labour any time and would probably end up having an Emergency C-section. So for Elective C-section, it is usually done on the 38th week of pregnancy. And so, the surgery date was booked on 29th July @ 8:30am @ SGH. But of course, should the baby turn downwards any time before that, I could still opt for a natural delivery. (Must be kiasu and book operation date in advance). However, gynae did say that the chances of the baby turning downwards were slim.

18th July 08: 36 weeks pregnant. I was due for another scan. Prior to this appt, me and Alvin were sort of in a dilemma. What if the baby decides to turn down? Should we continue with the C-section or to revert to natural delivery? After all, C-section was very convenient and we don't have to anticipate her arrival, but it would take a longer time for me to recover. Not to mention the overall cost would almost doubled. But should we opt for natural, there was no guarantee that there won't be complications or that the baby would be able to come out naturally and it would be even worse if I had to go into Emergency C-section. So, after much discussion, we decided that regardless of the outcome of the scan, we would proceed with C-section. Anyway, the scan later showed that baby's head was still up there. So, it was a confirmed C-section and I served the baby an "Eviction Letter". (Woohoo! I'm In-Charge!)

With my gestational diabetes, I had to almost completely stop eating desserts and pastries and chocolates and any high sugar stuffs. Some times, I "steal" a snack or two...
There was once, I was in a restaurant, sort of having a dessert buffet. I took plates of mini brownies, mini cups of chocolate mousse, mini tartlets, mini strawberry cakes, etc etc. I was about to indulge in them, when I felt a sudden urge to pee. So I decided to empty my bladder first before indulging in those yummy pastries. Next thing I knew, I opened my eyes. DAMMIT! It was a dream and the BABY refused to let me eat pastries even in my DREAM!!!! Worst of all, when I went to the toilet, there was nothing to pee!!!!!! KNS!!!!!

22nd July 08: I was instructed by a nurse in SGH to head down to SGH to obtain more information before my admission the following week. There, we underwent "financial counseling" and were given information on how much to expect for the bill size and the amount of deposit to put and the Medisave forms to fill for both Mummy's and baby's hospital bills. I also had to get my blood drawn (3 vials!) for some pre-admission test. (So NO fun at all!)

The whole week before the admission, I was catching up on all the food that I would not be able to eat after the surgery (like seafood, steak, etc), catching up on the movies that I would not be able to watch and doing last minute shopping. Funny thing was, it didn't even feel like I was going to give birth and neither did my tummy still looked like baby was coming out in 1 week's time. Plus, people commented that I was still very agile for someone who was already 9 months pregnant. =)

28th July 08: I was admitted into SGH Labour ward with all my barang barang. Alvin was there with me and we were both excited about tomorrow. It was D-DAY! Another last scan showed that the baby was still in Breech position. I didn't have to anticipate her arrival, worry about the waterbag bursting (especially at an inconvenient time) nor undergo labour pains (PHEW!).

Suddenly, Pregnancy was OVER just like that...

NO CRAVINGS AT ALL! DAMMIT!

Mummy's SECOND Trimester

2008-08-08T20:16:00.000-07:00

Before long, 1st trimester was over and I was entering 2nd trimester. Hooray, cos it was the start of Chinese New Year, which meant that I could now enjoy all the New Year Goodies. But I could only nibble bits and pieces here, and was NOT able to INDULGE fully in all the goodies. Worst of all, I could not eat Pineapple tarts, as the effect on my gastric was almost immediate after 2 pieces. Also, the "pantan" that pregnant women should not take pineapples, so I almost completely swore off them. (But I did take 1 piece once in a BLUE moon). Then Ba-Kwa - that was the MOST painful thing as it was my FAVOURITE CNY snack! But every time I took 1 slice, I ran to the toilet to "return" it back, or it was the cringing of my gastric after eating. As a result, I could only see and smell but not eat.

However, during the 4th & 5th month, I was still suffering from occasional morning sickness. Some days it just hits me but the effects were not as bad as the 3rd month.

But I kept telling myself, it's ok, cos the cravings will kick in soon.
(Many pple told me that sometimes the cravings NEVER kicked in... Bummer!)

29th Feb 08: Ultra-sound scan showed that the baby was fine. The gynae instructed me to go for a 5th month Antenatal Blood Test and a Glucose Tolerance Test - Own Time Own Target.

Antenatal Blood Test - To check the blood and to check if the mummy has any viral infections.

Glucose Tolerance Test - A 3 hour "Procedure" where the mummy has to fast overnight, then drink 2 doses of glucose syrup, each 1 hour apart, get her blood drawn and collect the urine 3 times.

17th Mar 08: Hungrily trotted down to Mount E. to do the Antenatal Blood Test and Glucose Tolerance Test (Fasted overnight, with a habit of taking supper!). Firstly, they drew my blood (DAMN BLOODY A LOT and PAINFUL!!!!) and collected my urine. Then they sent me off with a bottle of ~500ml fizzy orange-flavoured glucose syrup (which I had to finish in 5 minutes!). After struggling to finish the "drink", I had to wait 1 hour (for the body to "process" the sugar) and then get my blood drawn and urine collected again. While waiting, I headed down to toilet to rinse off the horrible taste in the mouth. Unfortunately, some syrup came out as well. So I went back and told the nurse that I threw up a little... To my HORROR, they said that this test will have to be void and I have to return on ANOTHER day to repeat the TEST!!! OMG!!! All that PAIN for NOTHING!!!

24th Mar 08: Went back to Mount E. to REPEAT the Glucose Tolerance Test. Told myself this time that I had to keep EVERYthing in no matter how uncomfortable it made me feel. Same thing, got my blood drawn and urine collected before the 1st "dose". Struggled to finish the yucky syrup and then sat there wasted to wait for the next hour. Kept burping out the fizz and the gastric was starting to get worked up, but I had to keep everything in... End of 1st hour, got my blood drawn and urine collected Again. Struggled even more to finish the 2nd dose of syrup in 5 minutes. Still burping and gastric was getting super unhappy. But still keeping everything in. Finally, the moment has arrived! The last blood drawn and urine collected! I WAS FREE!!!!!

31st Mar 08: Headed down to the gynae urgently as I was diagnosed with GESTATIONAL DIABETES! (DAMMIT!) Gynae told me that I had to be on a Controlled Diet and had to monitor my Blood Sugar on a weekly basis, by doing "Prick Tests" in a day. I was rented a Glucose Meter and given some glucose test strips and sterilised needles. Basically, I had to prick my finger with a needle, squeeze out some blood onto the glucose test strip which is attached to the Glucose Meter, and record the readings. The prick test had to be done 30 minutes before every meal, followed by 2 hours after every meal. That makes a total of SIX fingers to be pricked in ONE day! (Fortunately, my Gynae was not so stringent. Another Doctor told me he made his patients monitor the blood sugar EVERYDAY! NO FUN!)

2nd Apr 08: We went to do the 5th month Screening @ SGH to check the growth of the baby. Also, it was the scan that could determine the sex of the baby. (The night before, we told the baby to keep the hands and legs wide open during the scan so that the nurse can see clearly the sex and that we can buy nice clothes and toys for the baby. Alvin also told the baby that we were going to bring the baby out to "gai-gai" the next day.) When the nurse did the scan, both me and Alvin started to laugh. True enough, the hands and legs were wide open and the nurse said that the baby was DEFINITELY a girl. And throughout the whole scan, the baby kept moving around, and the poor nurse had such a hard time trying to measure her. (Alvin and his bring her out for "gai-gai"! Probably made her super active!)

2nd Apr 08: Still the same day, and I did my 1st Prick Test. All readings were within range. Gynae said my diet control was very good and "promoted" me to check only every fortnight. Yippie!

9th May 08: (Week 26) We went for another scan at the Gynae. Baby was doing fine and was in cephalic position (meaning head down, legs up). I was happy that I would be able to deliver her naturally. (All my sisters had to undergo C-section to deliver their babies.)

2nd Trimester Ended with a Breeze...

Still NO Cravings!!!

Mummy's FIRST Trimester

2008-08-08T02:20:00.000-07:00

Immediately after I found out that I was pregnant, I made an appointment to see my gynae the very next day. Unfortunately, during consultation, she did a scan and said it was too early to see anything and told me I had to wait longer before she could confirm anything. But if the pregnancy test kit indicated that I was pregnant, that meant that I was.

Prior to doing the pregnancy test, I had already suspected that I was pregnant. I felt that I started having a keen sense of smell and I had a sudden craving for Char Kway Teow one night (I Don't eat Char Kway Teow, nor enjoy the taste of it) while watching Criminal Minds (it's a show about serial killers with really bloody and gory scenes). Weird huh...

17th Dec 07: I went back to see the gynae again and did another ultrasound. Hooray! We could see the sac forming inside. But the results were still inconclusive. But, it was a relief to see the sac as there were bleedings over the weekend and I was in KL!!!

28th Dec 07: Another consultation with the gynae. I was apparently 7 weeks and 1 day pregnant. From the ultrasound, we could hear the baby's heartbeat! But, that was also the start of my torturous 1st trimester...

EDD - 14th August 2008

Documented Torturous First Trimester
It was the "eat anything and throw up anything" month. I had morning sickness the WHOLE day, EVERY day for almost an entire month! Packaged together with a really bad gastric, I perpetually "died" on the sofa everyday. Fortunately, I did not have an 8-to-6 job, as I really would have no idea how to get to work everyday.

I was living off gastric pills the whole month and Alvin had to buy food for me almost every day, as I laid wasted on the sofa. Then through a chain of events, I realised... My baby is a REALLY FUSSY eater! I cannot repeat my food for a few days. Meaning, if I eat yong tau foo today, I cannot eat it again for the next meal or next day, else I would vomit everything out. I tested the hypothesis a few times, trying with different food. The moment I repeat the same type of food, I throw up. And, she likes spicy food, even though I personally don't take much spice. (She's gonna end up being a fiesty child!) Then, with Chinese New Year around the corner, the baby refused to let me eat my favourite food - Ba Kwa! Too oily for her! (She's too weight conscious!) What a naughty baby!!!!

The only keeping me going / looking forward to... Were the cravings that would kick in later on.

30th Jan 08: Nuchal Translucency Test @ SGH - checking for Down Syndrome. Everything was fine and the sac had already developed into a foetus.

HOORAY!!! END OF 1ST TRIMESTER!!! I SURVIVED!!!

Waiting for the CRAVINGS to KICK IN...

Mummy's Flashback to 2007

2008-08-08T01:45:00.000-07:00

It's been almost 1 year that me and Alvin have been trying for a child... But to no avail...

So, on 30th July 2007, we went to see a gynae to make sure that neither one of us was the problem... I was put through a horrible and painful test called Fluoroscopy. My god, that was NO FUN at all... Anyway, turns out that both of us were capable. So we continued trying...

As each month passed, my hopes were dashed and I was giving up hope. Then, a dear dear friend gave me sound sound advice - Drink Dom. Apparently it worked on all the friends that she knew who drank it.

I mean, there was no harm in drinking it, so both of us drank DOM just before getting down to "business". That was in November 2007.

Also, on that very month, we went on a nice and relaxing 3D2N cruise, on SuperStar Gemini to KL. The relaxation, the sea breeze, the running away from reality... Pure Haven.

Then on 5th December, I peed on a stick. There were TWO lines!!!! Hooray! (DOM really worked + the Sea Breeze & the Relaxation!)