Bugs War

The flu season is here.

The first to fall sick at home was Ah Yee - patient #0.

After a few days, I became patient #1. I had sore throat, followed by high fever, runny/stuffy nose and cough that lasted for 10 days.

Then one after another, Ah Fen, Ah Ling and hubby are sick too...

Oh my god, my home is filled with germs!

It was a torturing 10 days...

I tried not to take any medications as I am still breastfeeding Cedric. So everyday I took mega dose of vitamin C, make sure I take enough fluid, and tried to have some rest.

Being a breeding ground of the germs myself, I was so worried about spreading the bacteria/virus to Cedric...

Cedric was only 3 months old. I really can not imagine my little boy suffers from the slightest discomfort...

So the best thing I can do for my baby was to continue breastfeed him as much as possible. 

Most probably Cedric have already been exposed to the germs even before I had my flu symptoms. My breast milk will be his best defense against illness, as it is packed with antibodies that is specific to the bacteria/flu that I'm suffering from.

Touch wood...so far my boy is doing well, actively learning to roll over with no sign of flu.

I am praying hard that the breast milk will help prevent Cedric from getting sick, or if he does get sick, I hope it will help him to recover fast.

Kudos to the golden liquid - breastmilk! It is definitely the ultimate weapon in the war against bugs!

Baby Hair Brush 胎毛笔

Cedric's baby hair was shaved on his full moon day. 

The baby hair collected was sent to a baby souvenir shop called Babywise to be made into baby hair brush. 

Some people believe that writing brush made from baby's hair is a gift that can bring good luck and intelligence to the baby, hence another name for this baby hair brush is scholar brush (状元笔).

To me, it symbolizes another phase of Cedric's life, from being in the warm and comfortable womb of mommy, to this challanging and sometimes cruel world. 

Whether or not Cedric becomes a scholar or extra intelligent being is not the most important thing, but I wish my Cedric boy will grow up to be a brave and loving man in the future.

I am imagining...

On his wedding day many years in the future, the day when he'll leave home and be the center of a good girl's world...

His daddy and I will present this gift to him, and tell him how much we love him, and how he'll always be our little Cedric boy...like when he was just born...

This is a gift of love from daddy and mommy...

Before shave

Half way shaving

After shave - popo helped me to put on a cap to hide my botak head

A gift of love from daddy and mommy

My Parents, Cedric's Grandparents

My parents stayed in with us for the first 2 months after Cedric's arrival.

Both are first time grandparents.

During the 2 months period, my mom was transfromed from a kelam kabut grandma that goes blank whenever baby cries, to a multi-tasking & all experienced baby sitter. 

My dad, from being baby-holding-phobic (according to my mom, he never carried me nor my sisters when we were baby), to his first, second, and countless times of carrying and comforting Cedric when baby cries. 

Cedric's Gong Gong &  Po Po

Another thing my dad learned during his stay here is how to use a computer. 

My sister Yee bought him a laptop a week before they go back home. Now my dad has an email account, he plays facebook, reads newspapers online, watches movies from PP Live etc. He has become a computer savvy!

After they returned to hometown, dad's new found hobby is to check for Cedric's new photos and videos on facebook everyday. So my sisters and I can expect his call if he doesn't see new baby photos being uploaded every few days.

My baby Cedric is being blessed with the love of his gong gong popo.

And me, I think I might need to have a Chinese version of my blog in the future, so that Cedric's gong gong popo can be a part of the kid's growing up journey.

Cedric @ 11 Weeks Old

Time flies...my baby Cedric is 11+ weeks old now.

The toughest 2 months have passed.

I think I am now a better mother compared to 2 months ago, in the sense that I understand Cedric more, and he too knows me better day by day. In other words, we are better partners now.

So, before he cries for nen nen, I'll pick up his hungry cues earlier and offer him mum mum right away.

When he is tired and ready to oi oi, I'll comfort him and sayang him to sleep, wishing him a sweet sweet dream.

And he definitely loves his diaper changing station. Everytime I put him there, he will give me a wide smile, and start talking his alien BB language to me.

Oh, my cutie baby boy...he is generally a happy boy nowadays.

He loves to smile, loves to talk, loves to play, and loves to be carried upright like a big baby. I think he is a baby that can't wait to grow up. And I think his daddy can't wait for him to grow up too, so that they can go swimming and play badminton together soon.

I am enjoying my every second, every minute and every hour with my little lover everyday!

Mommy loves you so much my Cedric boy...

Booster For the Heart

Day 18 of my confinement month...

It has been a very challenging period, both physically and mentally...So challenging that I sometimes lose control and cried, followed by episodes of constant worrying and feeling blues...

I basically worry about everything everyday...

Is baby getting enough to eat?
It's time to express milk again, and I'm late!
Who is going to take care of baby after the confinement period?
Will the day care centre staff take good care of Cedric?
If I be stay-at-home mom, will hubby be able to cope physically, mentally and financially?
What about our business that just started to grow?
Should I continue my CLP study this year???

All these question marks and uncertainties suddenly seem so real and haunt me so greatly, that I find myself drowning in the sea of negativity...Maybe this is what people meant by baby blues? Or postnatal depression?

When I am fighting very hard to be better, and to be my own old self again, one thing that always manage to soothe my empty soul is the show of love and care by people I love, and people who love me.

It is like a booster for my heart, so that I have the energy to keep going and continue going...

Gambateh!!!

Jia You!

Booster For The Heart

Becoming a Father

What really changes when I become a father?

Everything does, instantly. It is such an extraordinary event, truly life-changing moments.

When I was about to become a father for the first time, other men who’ve already blazed that trail are keen to share their experiences and then there are those who give me that funny look – a peculiar expression which seems to say “Congrats, you will have sleepless nights and panda eyes, Good Luck!”

Cedric is 6 days old. I am so blessed to have him into my world. The first 24hrs on the first day back home wasn't easy. Mummy only had about 4-5 hours of sleep, barely had enough rest and I can notice the sudden change of lifestyle is not easy to cope. Mummy was quite depressed because Cedric kept on crying every hour and had no idea what caused it.

I am sad to see Mummy's exhausted condition, maybe she has hit the 'baby blues' and become weepy most the time. The next night I volunteered to become 'night supervisor' so that Mummy can have a good rest. It was only me and Cedric at the living room and becoming a baby-sitter is not an easy task.

I have a crying baby and I go through all of the obvious things on my mental checklist. Is Cedric hungry? Is it nappy wet? Is it wind? By now I totally understand Mummy's feeling and realized it’s going to take patience and persistence to overcome the 'stress'

The biggest surprises were the obvious things - the lack of sleep and the sheer exhaustion, plus all the crying.

Although Cedric may make my days shorter, my nights longer, my bankroll smaller, he’ll also make my home happier and my life far more fulfilling.

Cedric Boy
D.O.B: 09/01/2012
Time: 00:12
Weight: 3.35kg
Height: 48cm

Pork Knuckles?

I have been suffering from sore and swollen feet since week 37 of pregnancy. 

Some people say when one is pregnant, the body tends to retain more water. 

According to babycenter.com, it may also be "due to the growing uterus puts pressure on your pelvic veins and your vena cava (the large vein on the right side of the body that carries blood from your lower limbs back to the heart). The pressure slows the return of blood from your legs, causing it to pool, which forces fluid from your veins into the tissues of your feet and ankles."

So I end up with feet that looks like pork knuckles...

My Pork Knuckles...

The only remedy that I have now is hubby's nightly massage...painful, but syiok!

Oops...I Pinched My Doctor

Went for my 39th week check up recently. 

Dr.Siti did an internal / pelvic examination on me to determine my pelvic dimensions and cervical ripeness. 

I was told to take off my pants and lie down with my legs spread widely apart...

"Open your legs...open more...more..." The doctor said.

Oh...That's awkward and embarrassing.... Especially with a young nurse looking at me and smiling one kind... I felt like a piece of meat under the spotlight awaiting to be slaughtered... Of course, it's a piece of meat with kaki terkangkang...

"It will not be painful, only a little bit uncomfortable..." The doctor said. 

Before I have time to be mentally prepared, she suddenly inserted something inside (probably her hand?) and started the examination.

Ouch...!!! That's not ONLY a little bit uncomfortable, that's VERY uncomfortable and it hurts...!!! 

Ouch....

It felt like an electric shock... My whole body suddenly tensed up and my facial muscles cramped together. I couldn't help but to involuntarily squeeze and pinch Dr.Siti's hand as hard as she squeezed her hand inside me...

"Don't pinch me....don't pinch me!" The doctor said, as her facial muscles cramped together as well. :p

After the whole procedure was done, I noticed hubby was snickering in amusement at the corner...

Phew...! I am so glad that it's now done and over with. But this internal exam definitely tops my list of the most uncomfortable procedures for the 9-month maternity follow up!

Summary of my 39th week check up:-

Weight before pregnant: 51kg
Weight at 39th week: 64kg
Baby's weight: 3.2kg
Baby's estimated weight at birth: 3.4-3.5kg
Baby's position: Good, head down.
Cervical dilation: 1 finger = X cm?
Labour method recommended: Natural birth
What to do now: Wait......wait......and wait.........