Gifts and more Gifts

Baby C is ultra blessed.
2 months after his arrival, the gifts are still pouring in
Thank you peeps!

Daddy's A Aunty Jennie sent some toys and clothes, all the way from Australia.
Alas, Baby C has outgrown all the clothing.
But we do appreciate you!



Aunty Ting Ting came to visit last week.
She brought some interesting gifts for Baby C.

Book Pals!

I find them interesting cause I've never seen them before.
These soft toys like "creatures" are actually books that teaches little babies colours, shapes, objects etc. It comes with different textures to train babies' sense of touch. How cool!
Daddy A is most pleased with these gifts as it aligns with his "Baby C must learn how to read by 6 months" vision.

But best of all are the 2 cards made by Ting's adorable kids - Ashley and Tristan

Tristan's Card

Ting and I wonder why Baby Christian is hanging outside of the little cot hmmm. Hey but its a great effort by a 4 year old boy! Love him to bits

Ashley's card

I can't help but laughed at what she wrote.
"I am 8 years old already. You can be like me too! JUST GROW UP.!"
How true! From a little kid's perspective, all you need to do or be responsible for is JUST GROW UP. But seriously, there's lots that goes into this statement... for the parents!

The card came with a song composed by Ashley too
" The Welcome Song" (Sing to the tune of Mary had a little lamb) Welcome, welcome, yes welcome! To this world, yes,yes, yes! !elcome, welcome, yes welcome! To this world, yes,yes YES!
I laughed real hard.

Thank you so much Ash and Tris
Aunty Est loves u guys!

Laughing Christian

Heard of Laughing Buddha?
I'm sure you do

Presenting...
the Laughing Christian




I know, what a neckless, double-chined baby!
Seriously, I fed him milk and nothing else, really.

High Fever

It had been an eventful week, I'm so glad Baby C and I survived in one piece.

It started last thursday, the day when Nanny left.
I went for my scheduled Basic Theory Test that morning for my driving license conversion. Upon returning home, I found the nanny in immense pain. I think she had a bad bout of food poisoning. She had diarrhoea and was rushing in and out of the toilet, vomiting. I was so thankful that my younger brother came and gave her a lift back to Malaysia, if not I really wouldn't know how she would have survived the ardous journey through the checkpoint on the eve of Hari Raya.

I was left alone with Baby C for the first time. Adrian was away and I was to stay with Baby C alone for a couple of days till my mum comes over to help.

Baby C seemed to realize that the nanny had left and was crying non-stop, inconsolable. I 'battled' with him for 3-4 hours and finally managed to put him to sleep. I was mentally drained, physically exhausted and realized I didnt' have any proper meal that day. By 8pm after my shower, I sensed I was running a fever. Subsequent check with the thermometer showed a temperature of 39 degree. I brushed it off and continued with the housework. However the fever escalated very quickly and before long I realized my vision was blurred and I could barely hold Christian properly. I knew I needed help, urgently.

Thank God for wonderful friends from Church who came, LITERALLY to my rescue.
I gave Jasmine my colleague a SOS call. She was in CG meeting at that time but was kind enough to rush down to my place. Apparently she was given a 5-min crash course by her CGL on burping and feeding baby haha! Cath, my other colleague came down after her CG meeting to look after us as well. Between Cath and Jasmine, they took care of Baby C throughout the 2 days while I was very ill, day and night. It was such a huge relief to have them around. I wouldnt know what to do without them.

I'm so thankful that Baby C was really cooperative. He must have "changed hands" quite a few times during that 2 days, being cared for, fed and bathed by complete strangers. I expected him to kick a big fuss, but thankfully he seemed to know mummy is very ill and was surprisingly at ease with all the new aunties around.

I went to see the doctor. Apparently I was running a high fever due to the inflammation of my left breast brought about by engorgement of the milk duct. Sigh.. I was placed on antibiotics. Though the fever subsided really quickly, but my milk supply dropped drastically. So, its all the way from scratch again. Expressing and expressing and expressing every few hours to increase the milk flow.

I'm so glad Adrian is coming back soon. But I'm even more thankful for friends that came to lend a helping hand when I was in need. That's why I love CHC, it's more than a church, it's a family.

Thank you Cath and
Thank you Jasmine, the 'p-plate' Nanny


Baby C with Aunty Jasmine aka the "p-plate" nanny

Tearful Goodbye to Nanny!

I wish someone had prepared me for the moment to say "goodbye" to Nanny.
But then again, I have a really awesome confinement nanny and just somehow we got along extremely well.

Today marked THE DAY my confinement nanny returns to KL. I've blogged previously about what an awesome nanny she is and how she is absolutely a God-sent to my husband and me.
But the day has arrived when her visa no longer permits her to stay in Singapore.

It was a tearful goodbye. Yes, you've read it correctly, a Tearful goodbye.

Nanny hugged Baby C and cries cause she misses him and cant bear to part with him.
Mummy Est cries because she cant bear for her to leave.
And Baby C cries because... well he is a baby, babies cry.
The husband called from Australia previous days and wishes he was here to bid her farewell.

We all cried because Nanny has inadvertently became a part of our family over the past 1.5 months. She is liken to an old grandmother to us, and not just a hired help. She helped us to survive the otherwise very tough first month of parenthood. We eat together, stay up late watching over Baby C together, bath Baby C together. The husband and I shopped for clothing, shoes and electronic deivces for her; she buys kueh-kueh whenever she is out and take it upon herself to cook "good food" for us. Yes, she has become an extended part of our family.

I'm grateful because Nanny took really very good care of me and baby.
I wthrough a rather tough labour followed by a bout of very bad viral infection.
So I'm gonna let the pictures do the talking (no camera tricks):

Mummy E @Week 1
(I looked "ghostly", could barely sit up straight for half hour. The husband told me later that he was worried sick)


Mumy E @Week 2.5
(some semblance of "human-ness)

Mummy E@ Week 3
(looking MUCH better.. on the road to recovery)


Mummy E@ Week 4
(looking good babe!)

My obgyn commented that I recovered really fast for someone who went through a tough labour, bad infection and put on strong medication for half a month. I must attribute it to the good nutrition (and of course prayers of loved ones). Nanny put me on a "soup" routine:

8am - Kidney and Liver soup
3pm - 泡参鸡汤
9pm －炖酒

Though I'm not a "soup" person, and many times I was forced to gulp down the bowls of soup under the watchful eye of the nanny, I must say I definitely feel stronger and more energetic after going through the soup regime.

Oh did I mention, before she left, she bought stacks of biscuits, cereals and stock up the larder. Knowing I will be alone with Baby C and worried that I wont have time to cook for myself, she stored lots of cooked food in the fridge to tide me through the week. Seriously, I'm thankful.

So from the bottom of A.C.E family, "thank you" nanny and we love you!

Note to Baby C

Dear Christian:

You have been really difficult today. I'm totally exhausted.

It's frustrating when you refuse to be fed and refuses to sleep. What is upsetting you?
Mummy has been up since 3am this morning. There are so many times throughout the day when mummy feels like placing you into the cot and scoots off somewhere. But I cant.
Don't you know daddy is away "fishing" in the far ocean? It's just you and me.
Mummy wishes you would cooperate.

As I am typing these words and watch you sleeping soundly in your tiny cot, you still bring a smile to my face. I must be crazy. My head is pounding from the sleepless night, my limbs are aching from carrying you whole day long, my stomach is growling from the lack of proper meals, but, I still love you. I wish you can be a happy and easy baby everyday, even if not, I still love you.

Baby C, make life easier for mummy ok?
I just want you to know
You are God's precious
You are my precious

Selah

Parent Rivalry

Parent rivalry takes place when the baby starts talking, or so said my friends.
It's the usual squabble between Papa and Mama over whether baby first articulates "Papa" or "Mama".

For Baby C's case, it starts slightly early at Week 6.

The Battle for Baby C's affection

MUM
vs
DAD


I think Mummy beats Daddy hands down!
Selah

Baby J oh Baby J

Its 8:05am, 5 Sept 2010.

Mummy Est's good friend Jerby had been in labour since 9pm yesterday.
Been waiting excitedly for the good news, checking the hp for any new updates through the night in between Baby C's feed.

When is Baby Julien checking into the world?

I'm so excited for Jerby.

I wanna see Baby J.

Said a Prayer for her.

Oh God, let hers be a quick labour.

Jiayou Jerby

Adrian the Alien

Introducing Baby C's playmate

Adrian the Alien

No Kidding, this little "creature" is really known as Adrian the Alien. He is part of a series of soft toys by Lamaze.

Adrian the Alien a gift from Howie and Donna, our sponsors in the States to Baby C. We couldn't stop laughing when they presented us this little gift before we left the States. And now, little Adrian is Baby C's sole companion in his little cot.

Since Daddy A is away "fishing" in the far ocean, I think its only apt that little Adrian keeps Baby C company.

To Daddy who is fishing in the far Ocean, Baby C just wanna say...

Baby C turns ONE... month (Part 1)

Baby C turns ONE... month last Monday 23 August 2010
It was significant for several reasons.
1. Mummy is liberated from "confinement"
2. Daddy and Mummy survived the first month of sleepless nights in One piece. Amen.
3. Baby C is now considered "of age", as per Chinese tradition.

As Mummy Est had just recovered from a viral infection from delivery, we didn't have the energy to organize any one-month celebration. We wanted a simple celebration, just the 3 of us and our amazing nanny.

My nanny has many traditional practices that she wanted us to perform for Baby C's 1st month birthday.
So to set her heart at ease, the 2 highly educated parents dutifully obliged.

Both parents are COMMANDED to deck in Red. Daddy A realized to his horror
he doesnt have any red shirt, thank God for an old navy T-shirt that we dug
out from the wardrobe.

Mummy Est is COMMANDED to cut 3 locks Baby C's hair before 10am - Im not
sure of the significance. Unfortunately, Mummy amateur cut caused a "bald
patch" on baby C's head.

Nanny used 2 Red eggs to rub Baby C's head and body, supposedly for good
health. Both of us watched with horror as we just ruined a
perfectly nice white top with the red "ink". Alas, the top was loaned to us by
Mummy Siang which we needed to return. *shake head*

We were ordered to buy 12 Ang-ku-kueh and to eat it so that Baby C will "stick to us" ie close to us in the future. We ODed on peanut and tau sar that day.

Here comes the BEST PART. Nanny says we must eat "sio bak" (Roasted meat) on
the 30th day. Both parents HAPPILY OBLIGED!!!!


And here are some of the happy pictures of our simple celebration.
As you would notice, its a sea of Red

A Happy Family
Happy Birthday Christian!