SOoooOOOooo CUTE!!!

Reminds me of my niece Shannon, she used to dance to Indonesian disco music.

My favourite boys

T's getting really active these days, he tends to kick off his blankies and expose his bottom half. So CN decided it's time to wear pants! Hooray for me cos i bought SOO many funky baby pants. This pair is red with clover leaf prints (not polka dots ok!)....



Playtime with Daddy...

See who blink first...

One for Aunt Cami. He loves the mobile! thank you!

Kekekek...

Things that make you go Boomz!

Let's not pin the blame on this average ah-lian. She didn't choose to win, the judges are the ones who should shoulder the blame. If not for their bak jiu tak stamp (the eyes were covered) this wouldn't have happened.

So i dedicate this entry to Miss Ris Low-the originator of the word "boomz". I hope one day i'll see you strut around orchard rd in ur jeebra prints bigini. By the way she has relinquished her title as Miss World NOT COS of her "fractured english", but cos she committed credit card fraud. Story here.

Here's a list of how i would use "boomz" in my daily conversation from now on.

1. I just pumped out 170ml from my left boob, but only 70ml from my right! It's just... Boomz!
2. Can u believe that the supposed great depression in 2009 turned out to be small dent in the economy? The recovery is simply Boomz!
3. A woman in indo gave birth to an 8.7kg baby! If she waited any longer her womb will go Boomz!
4. Argentina might not qualify for world cup, that is so not Boomz!
5. Fann wong and Christopher Lee are married, Boomz! Her gown is S$300K... I hope she looked Boomz if not she would have wasted a Boomz amount of money.

Why am i so free?

You must be thinking, this new mommy is either A. Addicted to blogging or B. Has exceptional time management skills...

Let me reveal the mystery..


Me: can i learn how to bottle feed the baby?
Confinement Nanny (CN): No. Too young. u might get air into his tummy.


Me: Can i bathe the baby?
CN: No. U can't touch water. And i don't think u can handle it.

Me: Can i put him to sleep?
CN: No. U'll get tired.


Me: Can i change his diapers?
CN: No. tht's my dirty job! Besides he's too small.

Me: Can i shower?
CN: No. Not till after 40 days..(one of the few CN laws i broke)

Me: Can i step out just for a bit?
CN: No. u'll get wind in ur body.

Me: Can i watch TV?
CN: No. your eyes will hurt.

Me: Can i do stuff on my laptop?
CN: No. it's bad for ur back. (She doesn't know that my handphone is a mini computer)

Me: Can i brush my teeth?
CN: No, ur tooth will ache... (wait a minute, will it ache from brushing or from not brushing...)

Me: Can i cook dinner?
CN: No. (no reason given, maybe she just doesn't trust my cooking).

So in a nutshell. i am supposed to lie in bed ALL DAY.... My motherly duties consist of feeding on demand, and pumping milk every 3 hrs.

Black or White

We read The Baby Whisperer and it says that babies can only see black and white in the first few days/weeks...They also see straight lines as wavy and are often facinated by it.

So we did an experiment. We printed out black and white lines and clipped it to the sides of his crib. On some afternoons, i'd find T staring at the black and white lines for hours, playing by himself in his crib. I don't know if he's really "seeing" anything but that was enough to spur us on to get other black and white flash cards.

See! T is enjoying his new toy...

"It's a rooster dad, NEXT!"

"A nice big house, with 2 windows, a door and a chimney!!"

For the record, YES WE ARE KIASU parents. It's my badge of honour.

Bath time!

T's pretty much a water baby. He loves his evening baths cos he takes a huge nap afterwards. Currently the nanny bathes in a very small basin. I bought a gigantic swanky looking tub that is apparently useless till he turns 8 months. Can't blame a first time mother for not knowing.

He doesn't like being on his front. At this point he always struggles to crawl forward, the nanny has to hold him down before she can squirt some baby lotion unto her hands.

Wah.... Pang pang (nice smelling) already.

Getting that picture perfect

Tada... T's passport photo, looks precious and cute right? Getting this photo done was no easy feat. He slept through the session at the photo studio so they couldn't take a proper shot of him. In the end we had to try taking ourselves and photoshop post shoot.

here are some of his funny bloopers.

Cheeky boy...

His hand kept shooting up and covering his face.

We had to nail him down but he was still too active. Had to give up and try another time.

Slanted head shot. Pouty lips...

He's finally had it... Waaa.....

T going out...

My baby steps out to take passport photo! The items don't match but he's so adorable!!

My 小淘气儿

My confinement lady gave T a temporary pet name since we haven't fixed his chinese name yet. Xiao tao qi'er translates to the 'little playful one'. I think it suits him! He can play by himself all afternoon instead of sleeping. N he after he poops he'll give u a cheeky smile.

Got Milk!

It's my 11th day in confinement. The boobies are sooo sore it feels raw, like they are badly sunburnt. But on the brighter side, the pumping and latching has pretty much reduced my belly to a non-pregnant looking state (although i still have loose skin and purplish stretch marks). I haven't lost any weight since the hospital cos i've been trying to keep my calorie intake high enough to produce milk. I'm proud to say that i've stored enough back-up milk for at least 2 more feeds, and 4 more 100mls in the freezer, just in case.

It's been a real joy being a new mama. Praise God for giving me such a lovable boy.

Confinement Nanny Diaries

Before T was born, i've had numerous discussions and feedback from mommy friends that confinement ladies are sometimes more of a hassle than an asset. As many as 4 out of 5 fire their nannies within the first 10 days. So i was fully prepared that our confinement nanny would suck.

Turns out she doesn't suck. Phew... She's actually quite knowledgable. Although my mom thinks that some of her methods are rather unusual, the most important thing is that she has the baby and my best interest at heart. She's been very dilligent at helping me breastfeed despite the many challenges (which includes 2-3 hr long feeds late at night). She is bossy but she won't insist unless it's absolutely necessary. She also takes our suggestions into consideration- she gets it that we're southerners (ie geographically we're below shanghai, which means that lifestyle wise we're used to different principles).

She's certainly not perfect though. When she first came, she didn't change and shower for 2 days (common in China). We had such a hard time trying to tell her diplomatically... Mountain man offered a few T-shirts he outgrew (one of them read " Show Me Your Tits"). My mom also says she has bad breath. We then had to buy her toothbrush and toothpaste. She also fed me non-portable tap water during the first week. But all these don't really matter. No 2 people are raised the same way so there's always an adjustment period. As long as both parties are willing to compromise, we're on our way to a successful relationship.

Whatever the case, we're glad she's around to guide us. As long as T is healthy and growing, we know we're on the right track.

Fanatic mommy

I don't know if i'm ever gonna stop talking about my son. In the past week, he has consumed my life so much that it's impossible for anything else to matter. YES I've become one of those mothers. The confinement lady says... 不当妈妈不知父母恩，不当家不知材米贵。 If u wonder why some mother's can't talk about anything else, u're most likely not a mother. If given a choice, mothers will gush about their children till the ends of time....

Anyway, more gushing.

T had his first swimming session today!! China pple believe that swimming as early as 2 days old promotes physical development. So i bought T his personal bb pool and plonkety plonk he went!

He was abit unsure of what to do at first. He just went twirling around the pool, i don't think he even knows that his limbs belong to him yet. But i'm so proud that he didn't cry. The confinement lady even sung his praises. Mountain man, my mother and I had such a fun time watching him.

On the 7th day

The 7th day has a certain significance in the confinement calendar. A mother's body expands upon pregnancy and giving birth, so on this day the household needs to cook wantons with handmade dough- a symbol representing the mothers body being kneaded back into shape!

So amusing. N the wantons were yummy!

Funky monkey

My confinement lady is very boring when it comes to dressing T. I bought so many of those kimono tops but she's only worn 2 so far, she just keeps rotating!

Yesterday T had an appointment at the doc to get his blood drawn, i had to beg the cl to change T into something more presentable. I have a feeling he wont be able to fit into this soon.

Dear Grandma Mary n Grandpa Leonard

Dylan is learning how to pray.
Grandma come quick cos Dylan wants to play!

Grandpa rest well, Dylan will come home soon.

Ps: i did not put his hand together like tht, he did it himself while breastfeeding!

Feng zao Or cordyceps?

Newborns shed a thin layer of skin tht protects the smooth bb skin underneath. T has really peely fingers now. Looks like feng zao, mountain man's favourite dish!

The Father

Before the arrival of T, i've had numerous talks with Mountain man on our relationship, like how it may change after the baby comes. Maybe we'd quarrel over the baby too much, or we'll be so consumed with the baby that we'll forget about each other.

But i must say that it's been better than i imagined so far. Mountain man has been the BEST husband i can ever ask for, and he's also an eager new dad who is very willing to put forth his every effort.


Thing about natural birth (a period which i'd like to call "The great squeeze") is that the father can witness the whole process. And it's really important that he maintain a positive disposition cos he needs to channel it to the mother and create a condusive birth environment. He held me and encouraged me throughout the great squeeze and that really really helped.

This sight provided humour in between the SUPER PAINFUL UNTIL I CANNOT DESCRIBE contractions . He looks cute in a shower cap right doesn't he!

During the hospitalisation (a period which i'd like to call "walking through burning coal"), T was with us the whole time. Unlike in Singapore where baby gets wheeled in only when requested and feeding times, we pretty much were left to tend to T anyway we wanted. The task was daunting but i'm glad we did it. Most importanly, it bonded this new little family unit together.

Anyway, after the great squeeze, i was pretty much bed ridden. or rather, position ridden cos i couldn't even move in my bed. So besides feeding, he did everything else- run interferance with mother, meet up with doctors, paperwork, care for me and care for the baby. By the end of day 1, he was the expert diaper changer (T pooped 5 times the first day). He stayed up with T when i was knocked out from the long breastfeeding sessions. He bascially did EVERYTHING i requested him too. Even if it means getting up from deep slumber just to adjust the aircon by 1 degree.

Not only that, he comforted me through the baby blues and always assured me that i was doing a good job.

So, I've learnt not to underestimate the role of the father during this whole process. I'm glad i went through it with Mountain man. I think i can do it again... once i forget how SUPER FUDGING PAINFUL the contractions were.

This picture was taken on Day 2. Look how comfortable and happy T is in Daddy's arms.

Jaundiced but still cute

3 days old.

The Lactationator

Like Spiderman who watches over the city like a gargoyle in the night, i too have nocturnal duties. Need to make sure that T doesn't starve while the rest of the building snoozes, esp when he has developed a slight jaundice. I do double time by first breastfeeding him before pumping out the remainder and storing it for a potential 2nd feed shortly after. Who says being a superhero is easy right?

But ok Lactationator is another feeble attempt at giving myself a nice superhero name. Need to brainstorm a new one. How about 'Milkstorm'? veto.

T's many expressions

Gooochiiie pooochieee wooochieee....

Gratitude

Thank you very much to all family members and friends for the well wishes. We love reading your encouragement messages, and praises of how cute dylan is (hehe, buay paiseh).

There r no words to describe how thankful n grateful we r. Sorry if we cant reply to all messages but ur good intentions are certainly much appreciated!

Last but def not least, Praise be to God Almighty, the Lord of Heaven n Earth, the maker of all things (like babies etc) for giving us such a healthy n lovely baby. We offer Dylan up onto Him n trust that all will be according to His divine plans.

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Mini mountain man?

He has been doing karate kicks n punches in his sleep. Awwww....don't he look precious... I think he's not all mountain man.

Look what we made...

Dylan Ng, also known as Tamagotchi stepped into this world on 13 sep 2009. He weighs 3,33kg n measures 53cm.

Dad, mom n T are all doing great.

Last 2 cm

It's been 12hrs plus since water broke. Man i dunno how people can do it without epidural. I basically screamed my head off prior to epi, the pain was unimaginable. N i was barely experiencing less than 40% of the full contraction. With epi, its alllllll goooood. I even napped!

I'm 8cm dilated. The end is near... I hope T doesnt get stuck in birth canal!

Daphne: thks to epi, i am lucid. N the N97 keeps me distracted! Hehe.

Labour begins

What i thought would be an uneventful weekend took a sharp turn. I'm lying on the hospital bed at 5am in the morning...

Flashbacks..

Last friday's checkup...
No dilation, no contraction, nada. Doctor suggested induction on monday because amniotic fluid is low.

An hour ago...
Water broke. It didn't gush like niagra so i wasn't sure, more like seeping. Fumbled around in stupor in the dark. Went back to bed, n i get stomach cramps. Hmmm, feels nothing like braxton hicks. Issit just my muscles stretching?

Half hour later...
Mountain man n i started packing n panicking, called a cab n by then water was rushing out...

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prelude to 0909

First part of the bdae celebrations took place last saturday, many thanks to the gracious Tay Family for opening their place for an evening of makan and cake.

So here are the latest pictures of me, sans makeup. Totally fat and ahsoh-ish... but nowadays really got no mood to dress up. Not even when i know there are gonna be cameras around.

Do u think mountain man and i are starting to look alike? uh oh, tht means mountain man look like ahsoh. Haha. Just kidding... but we got the same smile here.

At this point, the kids surrounded the chocolate cake like vultures. Needless to say, the parents had a hard time putting the kids to sleep afterwards. haha! Meranda thought her mom's lap was the trampoline and she kept going boing boing the whole night.

I just feel so blessed to have a loving husband who never fails to do something special for me each year. Also feel so privileged to have wonderful friends who are willing to go the distance. Just feel so bad that they have to house so many adults and kids and then clean up afterwards. (thanks again V and B if u're reading!!)

0909 celebrations

Despite this being one of the most exciting times if my life, i don't know why i've lost the urge to blog. Maybe it's just boring to keep repeating the fact that i have not popped.


Mom's here to celebrate my birthday. 090909, what a great number but no... T decides the date is not good enough for him!




Anyway, Mountain man brought us to Made in China for a peking duck lunch.

I love love love peking duck, and this one was just fabulous. Maybe better than Dadong Roast Duck. It's really hard to get reservations.

The duck is cut up into 3 different plates- Lean meat, Crispy Skin, and Meat+skin+slight fat combi. Crispy skin is just heavenly, light, not dry, and melts in the mouth. Sorry gotta tilt ur head for this pic. Blogger is misbehaving, not me.

Here's my roll- garlic, sugar, cucumber, spring onions, peking duck sauce, a slice of lean meat and a slice of cripy skin. uhm uhHmmm.....

4.5 out of 5 stars!

Joke of the day

Wht kind of bees make milk?
Guess guess guess......

Boo'bees'!
Good right?

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Will I be the dodo bird?

The buzzword of all moms/moms-to-be/new moms is "breastfeeding".

Before i got pregnant, i held the belief that formula won't kill my child, and breastmilk won't make him fly. But now i'm a convert, i've been chastised, I understand the fuss and worry. It's really not just about satisfying the rational mind- breast milk has plenty of benefits for the child and mother... yada yada i won't reiterate here. It's also that feeding is one of the most basic animal instinct (after mating, duh). Failure to do so would imply that i'm not an able mother, rendering me a weaker version of the species doomed for extinction.

Needless to say, i wasn't just gonna stand there and watch my entire family line being wiped out. I've read up on breastfeeding techniques, attended breastfeeding prenatal classes, consulted friends and ensured that my confinement lady is pro-breastfeed...

I've also prepared new breastfeeding outfits- Bravado nursing bras, robes, button-down tops. Essentially front (and quick) access... So i can rip it open when my baby needs me.

 
Sorta like this... A superhero.

So i'm as ready as i can be. When the time comes, i'm gonna be the Wondermom, or Breastwoman, or The Great Titays where milk and honey will flow...

 

Wish me luck everyone. The countdown is STILL ON.

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