A New Life

Last night in SG

2010-12-29T08:45:00.000-08:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

Tonight is our last night in SG before we fly back to the US. You seem to sense that something is amiss. Usually you will sleep through the night when we put you to bed at 10pm. But tonight, you woke up again and refused to sleep till 11 plus. Maybe you know that our flight is at 2am tomorrow, so you are starting to adjust your biological clock, huh...

So hungry that I have to eat my turtle... Where's my food?

Parting is going to be quite difficult for everyone... Mommy has no idea how you are going to take it... Will you realize that something's missing? Will you cry for your ma-ma, ah-gong, po-po, gong-gong? Daddy just printed out a large family photo to bring back to the US, just in case. Hopefully it will have its intended effect.

High five to Hobbes!

You had such a happy time here in SG, it almost feels wrong to bring you away. It will be another eight months before we return , which is not that long really. (Only the same amount of time that you have been with us, that's all!)

Maybe if I stare long enough, Daddy will give me some of his food...

As Mommy is writing this, you woke up again. Seems like Boy Boy is nervous about tomorrow as well huh. Sleep tight, little one! We have a long journey ahead of us...

Mommy and Daddy love you!

Starting solids

2010-12-10T04:12:00.000-08:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

It has been a whole month since the last post, although it didn't feel so. I guess Mommy's many mommy-friends are right when they say time passes really fast with kids...

Hmm... let's see. What happened this month? You started eating solid food, which was lots of fun for all of us. When you are hungry and Mommy's slightly slow with the spoon, you will bang on the table repeatedly, as if saying "More! More! More!" So impatient huh! Cannot wait is it?

But when we are feeding you something which is not one of your favourites, we will have to do all sorts of stunts to make you open that golden mouth of yours (singing, reciting numbers in multiple languages, saying "ahhhh" in variable intonations)... all these time with the spoon touching your lips so that we will not miss the chance to stuff it in your mouth when you open ever so slightly. Can be very tiring at times, especially when the target keeps moving around.

There was even a time when you hands were moving around so much that you knocked Mommy's bowl off my hand! Fortunately for us, your food has gravity-defying properties -- the gooey rice cereal was still stuck to the bottom of the inverted bowl when it reached the floor. So Mommy simply picked it up and continued with the feeding. Hooray.

It is always an exciting time when we feed you something new. You love porridge with pumpkin, chicken, or veggie, as well as potato, pear and prune puree, but not apple, mango, banana or papaya. Surprisingly, you didn't react too strongly when we gave you a teeny tiny bit of durian. And when we made a smoothie using a variety of leftover fruits from the freezer, you loved it! Unfortunately, it is next to impossible to replicate the same taste for you again.

With all these new tastes, I guess it is no surprise that you started drinking a lot less milk. So Mommy thought maybe it is a good time to switch you to formula. Will make our lives easier on the flight(s) back to the US anyway. But it seems like you had other plans. You drank 20mls of formula and that was it. No amount of cajoling or tricks could get you to take another sip.

At first, Mommy is really worried about you not drinking enough milk. There were days when you only nursed only during the night. (I guess you were too sleepy to reject, huh) But now, I guess as long as you are eating nutritiously, and are a happy healthy baby who is gaining weight, Mommy will be grateful enough. :)

Six months!

2010-11-09T05:29:00.000-08:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

Guess what? You are six months old today! :) Mommy can't quite believe that we have made it this far.

Daddy and Mommy just went through all the blog posts since "the beginning"... Gives us a warm fuzzy feeling just reminiscing about the past... like listening to your heartbeat for the very first time, our first look at you through the ultrasound pix, finally finding out that you are a boy boy, your not-so-expected arrival, those pretty tough first weeks... and then just looking at photos and more photos of you from birth till now brings a smile to our faces. :)

We didn't really celebrate today in a big way. In the morning, your Daddy did come up with the brilliant idea of buying you half a cake to celebrate your half-year-old birthday (such a wonderful sense of humour the man has)... but that didn't happen in the end.

Six months old liao, big boy already okay? Must learn to be a good boy boy hor... Mommy and Daddy love you!

Wake up, Mommy and Daddy!

2010-11-05T21:22:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

This morning, you woke up at your usual, early time ~ about 7.30am. But lazy Mommy and Daddy wanted to sleep in more (It is a Saturday!), so we picked you out of your crib, and put you in between us, hoping that you will magically fall back to sleep again.

Of course you didn't.

Instead, you tried to wake us up. First you turned to Daddy and tried to reach out to his face, grabbing his nose repeatedly... Upon seeing that, Mommy decided to turn my back against you, so that my nose will be safe from your claws... but you decided to beat on Mommy's back instead...

Okay... so Mommy thought maybe if I ignore you, you will stop trying to wake me up. But you were so determined! And the abuse went on for a few minutes, even Daddy commented "Wow he is really determined..."

"Or stubborn, like Mommy," I thought.

So it was no surprise when the least stubborn of the three of us (i.e. Daddy) finally gave in. Daddy woke up and picked you up to play with you. You got your way, and Mommy got mine... and I continued to sleep... heh heh...

***

Lately, you have been babbling a lot too. You sound so cute when you make those "agoobuhey..." sounds! We are so glad that you have progressed from your screaming phase a few weeks ago. But these few days, you have adopted a new habit: you will make this "booeh" sound when we feed you solids, as if you are trying to regurgitate what we just fed you. It is quite puzzling for us, because you used to like to eat the pumpkin and rice cereal so much. Maybe you are trying to tell us that you are bored of these foods already and want to try something new?

***

You have also learned how to sit up on your own! Good job Boy Boy! You are most steady when you are sitting still watching TV, but will tumble over when trying to reach out for that faraway toy. As for crawling, *sigh*, you are still not a happy baby when you are on your tummy -- Mommy has to keep you distracted with rattles and toys, or else you will run out of patience very soon. On the other hand, you can stand while holding on to our hands already. Heh, seems like this Boy Boy doesn't like to do things in order huh... must be different from other babies is it...

***

Nowadays everyone is very "wary" when we carry you. You like to grab our ears, hair, specs (especially specs)... and leave as in a frenzy as we wince in pain, try to unclamp your fingers around our ear/hair/specs, while at the same time making sure we don't drop you. Now we are slightly smarter. Mommy will tie up my hair while carrying you, and we will watch out for those naughty hands when they come near our faces...

***

Amazingly, you are still asleep after Mommy has finished writing this post. :) (Phew!) Sleep some more okay, Boy Boy. Later Mommy and Daddy will bring you out to "gai gai". Mommy and Daddy love you!

busy busy busy...

2010-10-24T07:08:00.000-07:00

Hi there Boy Boy!

Waking up bright and cheery in the morning

On Monday, while Mommy is at work, Daddy called to say that you have been very fussy the whole day -- crying, refusing to sleep in your crib, and having to be carried the whole time. You were also coughing quite a bit. We thought maybe it is because of your teething and all that extra drool which caused you to choke and cough...

Saying "Hi" to the camera!

But you had a slight fever the next day, and (since you have never been sick before) we thought it best to bring you to see a doctor. After a brief five minute visit and a hole in our pocket, we were given some meds for cough and cold... You took the meds without much protest (phew!) and after two doses, you were back to your normal self again -- no more fussiness! I guess maybe you were not as sick as we thought, and that we were just being kancheong first-time parents... Anyway, lesson learnt: PD visits will be reserved for more serious illnesses!

Looks like the little tiger is about to pounce onto something

Daddy's uni friends had a gathering this week, and we brought you along. Daddy's friends all commented that you have really big eyes, coz you were staring soooo hard at them! One of them even asked if you ever blink your eyes... It reminded Mommy of an incident while we were still in the US. You were (again) staring intently at this man, and his girlfriend commented: "Wow, he is really staring at you!" To which the man cheekily reply "Well, most people do anyway!"

Going to "gai gai" today!

Mommy's band friends also met up this week. We went for high tea at the Regent, and had the most wonderful time. Everyone wanted to carry you, even after they complained of aching arms (you are now a squirmy 8.3kg sack of rice). You also met Xuan Hui jie jie and little Nathan (who is more "Michelin" than you when you were three months old). As usual, you were described as "round" and "solid" with "big eyes"...

Big "family" photo after the high tea ~ you are already asleep in Daddy's arms...

Bye bye 4th month, hello 5th!

2010-10-08T20:37:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

It has been a while since Mommy has had the time to sit down and write something here. You are already five months old today! Time really flies and you have grown up so much already...

Sitting in your Jumperoo, chomping on your favourite butterfly... I bet the Jumperoo has something to do with your love for jumping

Growth-wise, you are sprouting along nicely... 7.9kg during our last weigh-in. Coincidentally, the word "solid" has been used to describe you on separate occasions by family and friends. Mommy can't help but agree with them! Not sure why, but you seem to have developed a love for standing and jumping; no longer are you satisfied with just lying on your bed or even just sitting up -- you will always go "EH! EH!", as if to tell us "Pick me up! I want to stand!" Of course we will happily oblige you, since you will flash us with your trademark smile... but that also means super tired arms for us... We joked that all the nutrients must have gone to plump up those chubby thighs of yours, coz I don't think four-month olds are suppose to stand yet...

Shu-shu making you squeal and laugh after dinner

Clothes-wise, you are growing so fast that we have to buy 6 - 12 month PJs for you already. And all your nice clothes for 3 - 6 months are only worn once or twice... such a pity... (but more excuse for Mommy to shop for you... heh heh...)

Winter clothes meant for you when we return to US... but since it fits nicely now, it probably won't fit when you actually need it in a few months' time

Food-wise, we have tried to introduce you to some yummies. After rice cereal, you have tried apples (yuck), watermelon (yum), pumpkin (okay) and carrots/potato puree (okay). You also sucked on a piece of peach, which you enjoyed. I think the adults had more fun seeing your really funny expressions, especially when you tried the apple and cringed/coughed/choked, as if it was the most vile-tasting food on earth. For the record, it was very sweet and yummy, as verified by all others who tested... maybe baby taste buds are a little more sensitive huh!

Ma-ma and you in matching outfits

You also went for your jabs. We were initially worried that the immunization schedules for US the SG will clash, but fortunately we got that sorted out... This time, the jab went to your bum-bum, after which you let out a big cry, turned around, stared angrily at the perpetrator, and fell silent again... Phew! Later on, you did develop a slight fever. We stuck the KoolFever pad on your forehead (btw, Daddy laughed at the way you look) and gave you some Panadol so that you will feel better, and things improved after that.

)Still relatively cheerful despite being poked in the bum

Oh yes, and teeth! Your two bottom teeth just popped up this week! Finally! They have been peeking out of your pink gums for such a long time... plus all that excessive drooling which flowed onto beds, linen, clothes and more...

Boy Boy, it is really a joy to see you grow up day by day... Mommy and Daddy's troubles will all melt away whenever you smile... Stay happy and keep growing okay? Daddy and Mommy love you!

Double Standards

2010-09-13T07:36:00.001-07:00

Well Boy Boy...

You made your Daddy quite angry today, you know? Must remember to say sorry okay...

It happened not once, not twice, but many many times already... At bedtime, Mommy and Daddy will try to coax you to sleep. But you will refuse very loudly (growl growl growl), giving us your angry look and trying to scare us into submission, while using all your strength to wriggle out of our arms... We retaliate by trying to stuff the pacifier back into your mouth and struggling to get you to close your eyes -- sometimes even physically pushing trying to push your eyelids close... so desperate are we!

And at this time, when Ma-ma, Ye-Ye or Shu-Shu come into the room to see what the racket is about, you will immediately switch your growl into a big wide grin... coz you know them = play time! (Especially your Shu-Shu who always manages to make you so happy)

But of course, Daddy and Mommy can never stay angry at you for long, even if you make us feel like the bad guys who deprive you of fun when we are trying to do our "job"... You have given us countless moments of laughter and joy. These days, you have become quite a talkative boy, trying to chat up even strangers... Daddy and Mommy wonder why, since neither of us are quite as sociable as you... You are also very very loud... and very very fierce! But thankfully you are more often smiley and chatty than you are grouchy and difficult.

Little Rui Kai comes to visit...

2010-09-04T08:17:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

Last week, your little cousin Rui Kai dropped by to visit you. It was really fun to see how the both of you interacted with each other. Rui Kai is about a month younger than you, so you must be a good kor kor to him, okay?

Everyone's anxious to see what happens during the first meeting...

A handshake marks the beginning of a good friendship!

When we first place the two of you side by side on the tatami mat, you can't seem to keep your hands to yourself -- you will automatically spread yourself in the 大 position (i.e. arms and legs all spread out), and inevitably hit your little cousin, not once, but many many times... not a very friendly start! We were pretty worried that Rui Kai will start crying because of your "abuse", but thankfully he is a magnanimous boy. In the end, we decided to flip the two of you on your tummies so that nobody gets injured and the both of you can see each other.

The two little tigers...

I think all the adults had lots of fun that afternoon playing with the two of you. Hopefully there will be many more opportunities for you two to play together soon!

Home Sweet Home

2010-08-27T08:01:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

It has been a while since Mommy has time to sit down and write to you. The past few weeks have been quite the whirlwind. Packing to go home, tying up some unfinished business, enduring the looooong journey home, settling down back in SG, overcoming jet lag, running errands... If Mommy has time, I will try to recap how we made it through all that... but for now, Mommy and Daddy are just cherishing the times we have with you before we both have to go back to work.

Thinking back, Mommy is really lucky that Daddy has the time to be a very hands-on Daddy and supportive hubby. Mommy loves to look at both her big man and little guy playing and laughing together, sleeping off the afternoon, going out for walks and even watching Jon Stewart... The past three months are filled with such precious memories -- your first smile, your coos and gurgles, you listening intently to us as if you understood what we say, and sometimes replying with a squeal or two... There were challenging moments too -- our breastfeeding journey together was probably frustrating for you as well as for me at times, and then trying to teach you how to feed from the bottle, and basically trying to figure out what you are trying to tell us every time you cry. I don't know how we managed to overcome all that, but we did! And you deserve a hug and a kiss from Daddy and Mommy for being such a good Boy Boy!

Soon, Mommy will have to leave for work... that means less time to spend with Boy Boy... Mommy is really going to miss those days when we had all the time to play and bond together. But at the same time, Mommy is glad that we are now back home, and that there are so many people here who can't wait to shower you with lots of love.

His royal chubbiness

2010-07-30T20:36:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

As you are approaching 3 months old, you are becoming more and more entertaining. Just this afternoon, Daddy was happily telling Mommy how you tried to join in singing when Daddy was singing A-B-C to you... When Daddy sang "A", you followed with "A!", and when Daddy sang "B", you still went "A!". Same with "C" -- you responded with "A!". Of course we know you were probably just vocalizing your happiness, but it still thrilled us to think that you know at least one out of the 26 letters of the alphabet... Seems like the A-B-C song is your favourite song to date. No matter who sings it and how many times you hear it, you will still listen intently and join in sometimes.

We got to do a weigh-in again yesterday at WIC. At 11 weeks old, Boy Boy is now about 14 pounds (6.4kg). No wonder you are beginning to feel more and more like a sack of rice, and a real squirmy one too! Your chubbiness has now spread from your thighs to your arms, and you are filling up your onesies quite well. Mommy really likes to play with all that baby fat of yours. Every time you are feeding, Mommy will disturb you by pinching your chubby legs and arms -- couldn't resist it! Once, Mommy got scolded by Po-po for doing that "哎哟！你不要再弄他了啦！" , and that I should let you drink in peace... Well, like a friend mentioned, this baby fat of yours is "for a limited time only"... better pinch while I still have the chance!

Boy Boy has also found the joy of sucking your little hand. Sometimes you will lick it as if it were yummy ice cream, and other times you will munch on it as if it were a chicken drumstick. The sucking sounds can be pretty loud at times! In the beginning, you couldn't control your hands that well: Every time you tried to bring your hand to your mouth, it will hit your face or eyes, as if you are hitting yourself... And then you will start crying and Daddy will laugh at you... so evil of him right... But to his credit, he will still help you put your hand in your mouth. Nowadays, Daddy has fewer chances of laughing at you already, since you are getting better at finding your little hand.

Lastly, Mommy is proud to announce that your hair is finally growing! No more jokes about botak-ness and baldness... Well, your head still feels like a fuzzy peach right now, but at least it is better than a bowling ball... Hopefully soon we will be able to use a comb on you and create some really funky hairstyles...

Sleep-deprived Boy Boy...

2010-07-25T19:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Boy Boy,

I swear this is not a posed photo

It is starting to become apparent that Boy Boy really likes looking at your surroundings, and maybe even starting to recognize things. Every time Mommy puts you over my shoulder, you will be staring intently at the light behind, so much so that Mommy is getting worried that the bright lights will damage your eyes. At night, no matter which way Mommy tries to carry you, you will behave like a sunflower -- your head will turn towards the direction of the light and your eyes will be glued to the light.

You also love looking at your 小老虎 -- part of the CNY decorations left on the wall which Daddy and Mommy have neglected to remove... I am not sure what Mr 小老虎 is saying to you, but every time you stare at him, he makes you laugh so happily! Maybe one day you can share his jokes with us ya?

Today, we brought you out shopping, and went into Borders. You were pretty excited in there, staring at everything with your eyes big big! We established a few things while we were there: 1) You didn't really like the big Elmo soft toy, 2) Furry puppet ducks are okay 3) You paid more attention to books than to soft toys. (Po-po's theory is that you are more attracted to regularly-shaped things)

Unfortunately, Mommy, Daddy and Po-po are having difficulties coaxing Boy Boy to sleep. For instance, Boy Boy was awake from 11 am till 10pm today, with multiple failed attempts in between to make you fall asleep -- you are so unputdownable! We will be carrying you all around the house trying to get you to sleep, but you will be more interested in staring at everything, as if you are trying to absorb your surroundings visually with your eyes. And even if we manage to put you down, you will wake up within 30 minutes. It doesn't matter whether it is your crib, Daddy and Mommy's bed or Po-po's bed... you don't seem to sleep very well. The result is a super grouchy and irritable Boy Boy at the end of the day. I think you finally fell asleep out of exhaustion... finally cannot keep your big big eyes open anymore huh! And when we thought you have finally gone off to dreamland, you started sobbing in your sleep! Poor sleep-deprived Boy Boy... Daddy had to carry you to calm you down. He is probably your favourite bed so far -- soft and warm and cushy...

Boy Boy, don't be too excited to see the whole world so soon, ya? Babies need lots of rest to grow and grow, okay? Sleep more!

Obviously, Boy Boy is still unaware that people usually sleep at four in the morning

Feeding woes

2010-07-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

Recently, Mommy and Daddy have a new mission, which is to train you to use a bottle. Mommy will be going to work soon, and will no longer be able to act as your food source the entire day. However, things have not been as smooth sailing as we hoped.

We did a little reading up, and found out that it is better for Mommy to go far far away when Daddy is bottle-feeding, so that you will not be tempted to feed from the familiar and reject the bottle. So for our first attempt, Mommy hid in the room. (Okay, so I peeked a little, but I don't think you can see me, right?) Unfortunately, you didn't know what to do with the bottle nipple in your mouth, and couldn't get the hang of sucking it. Before long, you got frustrated and started wailing, as if to say: I am hungry! Where's the milk and what is this rubbery thing you are trying to stuff in my mouth? *angry tiger growl*

So attempt #1 = Fail... Mommy had to step in to feed you instead.

Boy Boy did improve over the next few attempts... you figured out how to suck from the bottle, but sometimes you will forget, become frustrated and show your (very loud) protests. There were also good and bad days. Some days you will totally reject the bottle without even trying while others you will be super obedient and finish the whole bottle, to Daddy and Mommy's delight! We learnt that we need to pick the right times to test the bottle on you, during the times of the day when you are most contented, which is usually in the mornings.

Right now, you are doing two bottles a day, which is pretty good. But you will still want to drink from Mommy as a source of comfort after the second bottle, otherwise you will show us your "colours" again. I guess we will just have to take things one step at a time, and hopefully we will have enough time to transit you to the bottle.

P/S: Boy Boy, you are still feeding every two hours! So hungry ah... When will you consider feeding less frequently? Or else Daddy and Mommy very hard to go watch movie leh...

Checkup at 2 months

2010-07-16T13:23:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

We went for your check-up today. You were sleeping soundly when we brought you to the clinic, which helped a lot because you barely protested when the nurse and doctor did their poking and prodding on you. Only that you refused to open your eyes when they wanted to check on them! Daddy says you have inherited Mommy's stubborn nature. Mommy prefers to think that Boy Boy is displaying his determination instead... same difference, ya?

Growth-wise, Boy Boy is doing great and we can't ask for more! Jaundice is no longer a worry, although we can still see a tinge of yellow in your eyes. Weight now is 12 pounds 10 ounces (about 5.7 kg), which is double your birth weight, and according to Dr J, in the 75th percentile. Height (or should we say length?) is 23 inches (80th percentile)... Looks like Boy Boy is going to be tall like Daddy huh!

Dr J asked if you had a preference in the direction which you turned... We had to think a bit before we answered. Now that she asked, we realized that you turn your head to your left more than to your right. Dr J said she could tell because your neck muscles are tighter on one side than the other. So Boy Boy has to start doing some neck stretches now! Basically we have to make you turn your head to your right while you are laying down, and press down for a few seconds to stretch out those muscles. We can tell that they are pretty tense, coz you really don't like it when we do it!

As for the vaccinations, Boy Boy had to drink the oral sabin and get poked three times. I bet the sabin didn't taste good, coz you were spitting up so much of it, we wondered if anything actually went in at all. And when the first jab went into your big juicy thigh, there was a pause, followed by a big loud wail. While you were crying, the nurse quickly jabbed the other two vaccines in, and before we knew it, you fell asleep again! Phew!

We had to monitor your temperature to make sure you don't become too feverish. Fortunately, you only had a low-grade fever for about a day that resolved with Panadol. It was also a relief for us that you liked the cherry-flavoured solution -- don't have to shove it down your throat...

Two months!

2010-07-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

In a few more weeks, we will be going back to SG! Lots of people are waiting to see you, especially your Ye-ye and Ma-ma... You must be on your best behavior, okay?

Guang Hao smiling at Po-Po...

Mommy is pretty anxious about the trip back home. We will have to drive 3h to the Chicago airport, take a domestic flight to Houston (2.5h), transit there for 3.5h, take a flight to Moscow, then another transit (1.5h) before our final flight back to SG. In order to get ready for the big journey back to SG, Daddy, Mommy and Po-Po have brought you out for two "big" outings so far -- both to Indianapolis, which is slightly more than an hour away by car.

Our first trip was on the 4th of July, to Uncle N's house for a BBQ-pot-luck-cum-fireworks night. Boy Boy was pretty obedient in the car both ways! You were sleeping most of the time, and only cried once to indicate that you were hungry. We had to stop at the gas station to feed you because, unlike in SG, it is against the law to remove you from your car seat to feed you while in a moving vehicle.

The second trip was an impromptu trip to Daddy and Mommy's favourite buffet restaurant in Indy. Unfortunately, Boy Boy got hungry on the return trip, and there were no gas stations to stop at in the vicinity. (Yes, Indiana is that ulu...) So poor Boy Boy was wailing non-stop for twenty minutes before you finally relented and took the pacifier. Mommy felt pretty helpless listening to your cries but yet unable to do anything to help you... Hmm, must learn to tune-out baby's cries sometimes...

New (and huge) present from your 舅舅 and soon-to-be 舅母... You were super excited while playing in it -- lots of kicking action!

Sleeping-wise, Boy Boy has managed to sleep four hours straight for the past few nights, which really helped Mommy a lot in terms decreasing the level of panda-ness during the day. But Boy Boy still gets real grouchy at night every night, which Daddy has dubbed your 闹闹 period... Hopefully this 闹闹 period will gradually disappear as you grow older, Boy Boy!

Guang Hao sleeping in his favourite pose

Tomorrow, Boy Boy will be going for your two-month well-baby visit, which includes your jabs... You must be a brave boy, okay? Mommy will treat you with an ice-cream if you are good. But since you can't eat it now, Daddy will eat it for you first... :)

"The Force is strong with this one"

2010-06-26T22:35:00.000-07:00

That's what your Daddy said one night, when you suddenly let out one big explosive poop that leaked out through the back of your diaper to stain your onesie, as well as Mommy's clothes. Well done Boy Boy...

Boy Boy and friends holding a meeting...

You have been quite a grouchy little Tiger recently... bullying the three Roosters in the house... (Yup, Mommy, Daddy and Po-po are all born in the year of the Rooster) You appear to be sleepy, with your big yawns and droopy eyes, but you simply refuse to fall asleep! Once we put you down in your crib, you will stir and start growling at us, and we will have to repeat the whole procedure again... Our arms are starting to feel sore now, especially since you are growing heavier day by day. We have been weighing you by standing on the bathroom scale with and without you, and today the difference is 11.6 pounds... Mommy is wondering how much rounder you can get, while Daddy commented that your face is starting to look rectangular because of your chubby cheeks! Soon we will be "upgrading" you to size 2 diapers. In fact, we have already taken out some of your onesies from the dresser because you have outgrown them already!

Wide awake!

Today, we went out to have Japanese food. (Yes, sashimi!) You were in a cranky mood again. But fortunately, your Daddy was really patient and managed to coax you to sleep holding you in his right arm, while eating with his left hand. Boy Boy, if you have to inherit traits from Daddy and Mommy, make sure you pick your Daddy's patience, okay?

Zzzzz... Comfy in Daddy's arms...

Now that it is World Cup season, the soccer matches provide a good source of entertainment for both Mommy and Daddy at home. You are pretty good at choosing the times for your diaper change. Somehow they seem to coincide with when the teams score their goals. And your Daddy will lament "See, Boy Boy! You made Daddy miss a goal again!", to Mommy's laughter.

Looks like a school uniform, doesn't it?

Celebrations

2010-06-20T22:46:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

Doing some serious thinking at four in the morning...

This week is supposed to be an eventful one, with Daddy and Mommy's anniversary on Wednesday, Daddy's birthday on Friday, and Father's Day and your Ma-ma's birthday on Sunday. But with you being around, the celebrations had to be tweaked around you...

So Daddy and Mommy sneaked off for a little time-off from you on Wednesday by outsourcing you to your Po-po, who kindly looked after you while we were gone. We couldn't be away for too long either, since you are still feeding every two hours or so, with Mommy being your food source.

Daddy and Mommy went to a nice little cafe in school which sells the nicest desserts in town. We had a rich chocolate fondant cake and a Nutella-banana-crepe with vanilla gelato. As if that wasn't enough, we went next door to another cafe and ordered a tiramisu... all these to satisfy Mommy's sweet tooth!

When we came back, you were still sound asleep, and not causing too much trouble for Po-po. So Daddy and Mommy went for a walk around the neighborhood. (There were fireflies!) But no matter how far we walked, our minds are never too far away from you. I suppose this is one of the side effects of being first-time parents...

Looks like someone is getting ready to run off somewhere...

For Daddy's birthday, we wanted to go for dinner at Outback Steakhouse as a family. Bringing you out was pretty challenging! First we wanted to wait till you have had a feeding before leaving the house, so that we won't have to do that while we were outside. But you slept more than usual, and Mommy didn't have the heart to wake you up since you were sleeping so peacefully.

So we waited. Then, just as we were about to leave, it started raining heavily. We thought we will just brave the rain and go out anyway, but then the tornado warning siren started ringing... So we ended up waiting some more (in hunger) for the storm to pass before we could set off. By the time we reached Outback, we were starving. And of course, you didn't wait for all of us to finish our dinner before protesting that you were hungry (again!). Mommy had to bring you to the car to feed you, leaving my pasta behind...

Wearing your new jumper from Auntie BY!

Despite all the extra trouble we had to go through to bring you out, Mommy, Daddy and Po-po really enjoy going out with you. We have been to the shopping center multiple times now, and there is a certain sense of happiness as we push your stroller down the mall. We can't wait for you to grow up quickly so that we can bring you to that huge playground in the mall to play!

Your favourite pose...

Daddy's first Father's Day was spent rather uneventfully. We were all exhausted and decided to take the day to sleep in. Next year, you will have to make it up to Daddy, okay?

广昊's gaining weight!

2010-06-15T22:19:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

We had an appointment at the WIC Office today. It has been almost three weeks since your last weigh-in, so both Daddy and Mommy were quite curious to know how much our little one has grown.

And guess what? You hit 10 pounds today! (Ten pounds two ounces, to be exact!) That's a lot more than we expected! Mommy is quite relieved that all the milk I have been feeding you is doing something!

When we try to burp you by putting you over our shoulders, you always manage to squirm and wriggle your way downwards such that your head is tucked comfortably under our chin.

And you love to lay on your tummy... especially when it is on a soft surface, like Daddy's tummy.

广昊 and 睿凝's full month party

2010-06-12T21:36:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

We had a little full month celebration for both you and 睿凝 today. 睿凝 is Auntie XJ and Uncle William's little girl girl, and she is born one day after you! Many aunties and uncles turned up to see the both of you. We tried to have a BBQ, but then a storm came (the meteorologist was wrong, apparently) and we had to move the party indoors, with a few people BBQ-ing in the porch. Still, we had good food and great company.

Little 睿凝 looks so cute in her pretty dress! It is funny that you are actually the older brother, because you look so small next to her. Who asked you to be so kancheong, come out of Mommy's tummy so soon ~~ you were supposed to be the younger brother...

Comparing you with Daddy's photo when he was one month old:

Before today, no one seems to think that you look like Mommy. But today, some friends finally spoke up for Mommy! (Even though Mommy still can't see herself in you...)

Here's your first Ang Pao from your Gong-gong... looks life-sized for someone so tiny as you:

Boy Boy trying to sink his still-non-existent-teeth into the bear:

广昊满月了！

2010-06-09T10:40:00.001-07:00

Happy one-month old, Boy Boy!

According to the lunar calendar, you turned one-month old on Tuesday. Po-po made some red eggs and glutinous rice for the occasion, and Daddy and Mommy distributed them out.

Po-po wanted a photo of you holding a red egg. Amazingly, you could do it even though you were asleep. With a cute pose too!

You are definitely growing chubbier day by day, with your face bceoming rounder and rounder, just like your Daddy's when he was a baby.

Both Daddy and Mommy think that you look like the Dramatic Chipmunk/Squirrel from Youtube in this photo... :P

You are starting to recognize things, and can follow objects with your eyes. Your neck muscles are getting stronger too! Whenever Daddy carries you over his shoulder, you always attempt to turn your face towards him to give him a kiss... But more often then not, you will be spitting up milk on his clothes while being burped... Well done, Boy Boy... :)

Feeding-wise, you are quite the ferocious eater! You like to open your mouth really wide and shake your head from side to side, as if you are trying to scare us by being a little tiger. You are still feeding very very frequently, and Mommy is really hoping that you will start sleeping longer hours soon!

Someone told us before that breastfed baby's poop is not smelly... that is so not true! Every time you let out a loud noise from behind, you will have that "it's not me!" look on your face, even though we can all smell that it is coming from you! Nice try okay...

Apparently you still have not given up spraying Daddy and Mommy with your pee during diaper changing sessions... but most of the time, you end up wetting yourself instead. In fact, we have to change your clothes so many times a day that we have dubbed this as a "fashion show" for you. Also, you are beginning to outgrow your newborn-sized onesies, and soon we will have to move you up to size 1 diapers too! You are growing up real fast!

Three weeks old!

2010-06-01T14:31:00.000-07:00

Hi there Guang Hao!

Nowadays, Mommy and Daddy and getting used to getting our clothes dirtied by pee, milk and poop. Sometimes changing your diaper feels like we are working with a time bomb -- we will never know when you are going to spray us with your pee! We are a little bit smarter now -- we place a piece of tissue at the strategic location to protect ourselves... But still, accidents do happen.

You have grown visibly chubbier now compared to when you were born, which makes Mommy feel better because you always pee and poop so much, Mommy always wonder if all the milk I am feeding you is going into the diaper. And you have become noisier too! Lots of grunts and sighs and cries and yawns... you are pretty loud! Fortunately all our neighbours have moved out, so you can wail all you want and we probably won't get any complaints.

Sometimes Mommy feels a little jealous of Daddy, coz he always gets to play with the happy and satisfied Boy Boy, while Mommy always have to feed the grouchy and hungry Boy Boy... And whenever Mommy carries you, you immediately think of food, coz that is what Mommy smells like. Makes me feel like a big milk bottle.

Mommy still has about a week of confinement left before I can go out of the house, eat cold foods, and take regular showers again! Actually, Mommy cheated a little... Po-po allowed me to go for walks in the neighbourhood with you, since you needed a little bit of sunlight for your jaundice. Also got to shower a couple of times a week... quite torturous, but it will be over soon!

Two weeks!

2010-05-26T08:55:00.000-07:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

We survived another week! Even though you kept us awake all through the night (Daddy says you are on SG time -- wide awake in the middle of the night, and sleeping throughout the day), we are still so happy to have you. Your many facial expressions have provided great entertainment for us. And both Mommy and Daddy have been trying to capture them on film. Hopefully you won't mistaken the cameras for us next time.

You umbilical cord fell off right at the two-week mark. We brought you back to the PD to check you jaundice levels yesterday. When the nurse told us it increased to 14, Mommy's heart just sank, worried that you will have to go through another bout of tests. Fortunately, Dr J thinks it is not a problem, since you are pooping, peeing and eating fine. She is happy with your weight gain too (7 pounds 2 oz now!). And she is awfully patient with explaining and reassuring Daddy and Mommy. Seems like the blood type mismatch between us (Mine's O+, yours is B+) means that it will take some time for the jaundice to resolve. So we will have to get through this with lots of patience... and sunlight.

广昊's first week

2010-05-22T19:59:00.000-07:00

Everyone is joking that Boy Boy is Mommy's Mother's Day present... Mommy definitely did not think that she will be celebrating her first Mother's Day this year! Forty-eight hours after you were born, we finally got to bring you back home. We almost couldn't do so because your bilirubin levels were high from the light test. Fortunately, the blood test came back with a lower reading, so we didn't have to stay another night!

However, the next few days were quite traumatic for poor Boy Boy. You bilirubin levels continued to climb, and you had to have blood drawn from your heel daily. But you were such a brave boy, practically sleeping through the whole procedure. We had to rent a bilirubin blanket for you to sleep on, in the hopes of bringing the bilirubin levels down.

Unfortunately, you had to be admitted to the hospital on Saturday, coz the levels hit 20. The worst thing was, they had to do extra blood tests for you, so the heel stick was no longer enough -- they had to draw from a vein in the hand. The PD nurse had to poke you twice because she did not draw enough blood the first time. Both Mommy and Daddy were heartbroken to see you wailing away in pain. Later on in the night, you had to have blood drawn again. This time, they couldn't find any more limbs to poke, so they had to take it from a vein in the head... Poor Boy Boy... We wish we were the ones being poked instead...

It was a tough night for all of us in the hospital. You were only allowed to have diapers on, and had to be under constant light therapy. It didn't help that the hospital room was so cold, and there were times we could see you shivering. Daddy had to ask the nurses for a way to keep you warm, and we were given rubber gloves filled with warm water to put by your side.

Fortunately, the PD who came by to see you the next day was an easy-going one. He said we could bring you home that day, and follow up at the community clinic on Tuesday. So far, your bilirubin levels have been dropping, but we will still have to bring you back next week to make sure you are in the clear. It seems like we have almost all the risk factors for jaundice (Asian, blood type mismatch, breastfeeding, etc). In addition, the doctor said that because you are slightly preterm, your liver may need a bit more time to mature. We will just have to be patient for now...

Countdown to Guang Hao's (广昊) birth

2010-05-14T19:20:00.000-07:00

May 6th (Thursday):

Mommy's exams are finally over! Mommy is really glad to finally have a breather. Since your expected arrival date is not for another three weeks or so, Mommy and Daddy thought we will still have plenty of time to get things ready for you.

May 7th (Friday):

Our weekly appointment with Dr H... We did our usual ultrasound, which was ordered a couple of weeks back because Mommy's amniotic fluid was on the low side. Fortunately, today it was back to normal! I guess all the drinking of water helped. Your expected weight is 5 pounds 8 ounces, which is low by US standards, but just the way Mommy wants it to be. (Yup, Mommy is hoping a smaller Boy Boy will mean an easier delivery!)

We also did our weekly BPP (biophysical profile), to make sure you are doing fine despite the low amniotic fluid levels. Mommy was hooked onto a fetal heart monitor and a button to press whenever you move. You were super active! And we managed to catch you during one of your hiccuping fits too. Dr H gave you a 10/10 for acing all the tests! This was a relief for Mommy, because anything below 6/10, and we may have to consider inducing labor. Not fun.

May 8th (Saturday):

Mommy finished up her last session of piano lessons with the kiddos today. No more commitments from now on! Mommy was really looking forward to a couple of weeks of sleeping, knitting, reading etc, before you are born. But it seems like you had other plans...

That night, Mommy started having some cramps for the first time. But Mommy didn't worry too much about them, since they didn't hurt that much, and Mommy was sure they were false contractions. I mean, whoever has heard of going straight into labor without feeling any false contractions? Mommy went to sleep hoping that the cramps will go away the next morning...

May 9th (Sunday):

... but they didn't. Daddy, Mommy and your Po-po went about our usual activities anyway. We had breakfast at McDs, and went grocery shopping at Payless. We talked about what were the things we had to prepare for a BBQ-cum-baby-shower we were going to have with Daddy's classmates that night. We even called up Uncle W and Auntie XJ to see if they want to meet up for lunch. Auntie XJ has a scheduled C-section on Monday, so we wanted to catch them before they became busy with parenthood.

So it was quite ironic when Mommy's water broke at about 1pm that day, and we had to call them back to cancel our lunch date. Daddy also hurriedly transferred all the marinated BBQ stuff to his classmates, so that the BBQ can proceed as planned. And of course we called Dr H, who was kind enough to let Mommy have her lunch before being admitted to the hospital.

2pm:

We reached the hospital without much drama. The suite was nice and cozy, but the pain was getting quite unbearable. Mommy's dilation measured 6 cm, which surprised the nurse a bit, coz she didn't expect us to be so far along...

4pm:

Mommy was given the option having the epidural now, or wait until an hour later, because the anesthesiologist had to go into the OR to perform a C-section, and will not be available till later. So Mommy said yes, and had the epidural put in place. That went smoothly and painlessly. Unfortunately, the epidural was not much of an epidural. Mommy could still feel all the contractions, and the dose could not be increased because the anesthesiologist was uncontactable in the OR. So it was pain pain pain for the next few hours.

6pm:

Apparently, a lot of babies chose to be born on the same day as you , Boy Boy (nine, as we later found out), so the hospital was short of manpower that day. Dr H came in and called it 10cm and (finally) gave Mommy the permission to push. While Mommy was pushing, Dr H had to set up the surgical table, and go out of the room to look for help (which was kind of funny in retrospect). Help slowly trickled in. When the surgical technician came in, the team was finally complete, but Mommy was still pushing, and getting really exhausted. After what seemed like forever, Boy Boy was born at 6.57pm!

Your Daddy got to cut your umbilical cord. He did pretty well considering that he cannot stand the sight of blood. You came out eyes wide opened, and wailing quite loudly too! You measured 20 1/4 inches, and weighed 6 pounds 8 ounces, a lot more than what we anticipated from the ultrasound!

Baby shower

2010-04-25T16:07:00.000-07:00

Hey Boy Boy!

We are really lucky to have Mommy's classmates hold a baby shower for us last Friday! The room was beautifully decorated with cute baby boy stuff... There was delicious food made by Mommy's friends... Oh yes, and a cake too! Isn't it cute?

We had fun and games! My favourite was the one where everyone had to guess the size of Mommy's tummy by cutting out a length of ribbon. It was a very close finish! And we have a very happy winner with the winning piece of ribbon... :)

There were so many presents for you too! We were really touched...

Ultrasound and Camera

2010-04-11T18:46:00.000-07:00

Yo Boy Boy,

Its your Daddy. Hope you are growing up well cause the nurse practitioner thought your mommy was slightly on the small side last checkup so we are scheduled for another ultrasound next week. This time please try to cooperate lah, take ultrasound so many times still haven't see your face yet. Must pose nice nice and take a good photo.

On the topic of pictures, Daddy is trying to justify picking up an expensive DSLR to take nice pictures of you. So hor, if you want to have nice baby photos to show your girlfriend later, must kick mummy much much to tell her that you want daddy to buy a camera next time I ask you a question hor.

See you next week.

Less cooking, more eating!

2010-04-01T18:55:00.000-07:00

Hey Boy Boy!

Mommy and Daddy are counting down to your Po-Po's arrival this Saturday! She is flying in all the way from SG so that she can take care of all of us. Truth be told, Mommy has failed to inherit your Po-Po's cooking skills, and hence Daddy has been suffering under Mommy's mediocre cooking these past years... (although somehow this has not translated to any weight loss whatsoever.) So we are both really excited about the prospects of having good food to eat again!

Size-wise, Mommy is still not used to the bulging tummy, and it keeps bumping into things when I turn around. But weight-wise, Mommy still finds it okay -- no back aches or anything. In fact, with the weather turning really nice this spring (it is 24C today!), Daddy and Mommy have been walking more and driving less to school. Good exercise for the both of us.

Hehe, you seem to be getting quite a bit of exercise of your own too huh? Mommy realizes you are wriggling quite a bit during lectures. Are you paying attention too? I suppose two brains are better than one. Mommy could possibly use some of your help during my exams!

In the meantime, keep growing up healthy!

Spring is here!

2010-03-24T21:56:00.000-07:00

Hey Boy Boy!

We had a week of Spring Break holiday, but it seemed to go by so quickly. Mommy had a lot of assignments to complete (why do all the deadlines come after holidays...), so Daddy basically had to take care of the house alone. He even managed to bake his favourite pandan kaya cake again all by himself!

Mommy's friends had a small baby shower for us last Thursday! We had yummy Korean food (bibimbap and kimchee pancakes), nice company and lots of fun chatting! They had lots of presents for you too! See, Boy Boy, you are so lucky. :) Auntie Song bought you a balloon as well, which is tied to your crib right now. Hopefully it will still be floating when you are born, then you can play with it!

We went for a checkup again today. It was Nurse V today, and she was really helpful. Taught us how to identify which part of you is poking Mommy... seems like your bum is always jutting out huh! Daddy took a peek at their computer, and saw that we may be a little bit further a long than expected. Just make sure you stay in there till after Mommy's exams okay?

Our little tiger...

2010-03-12T18:52:00.000-08:00

Hey Boy Boy!

Seems like you are making good progress! At your last "weigh-in", you are about 2.5 pounds. Unfortunately, despite Dr H's determination to let us have a good look at you with our latest ultrasound, you still decided to hide from us! This time, your face was in a part of the uterus with relatively less fluid, which means we won't be able to get a good picture of you in 4D. But we did manage to see you in action -- you were swallowing up the fluid! So that's why there isn't much fluid around you huh... you were drinking it up!

Daddy and Mommy had long wanted to get a tiger soft toy for you... The most famous and friendliest tiger we know is Tigger, so that's what we got! Actually Mommy is beginning to think that the soft toy is more for Mommy and Daddy, coz the both of us have been playing with it quite often these days... (Daddy makes Tigger perform really cool kungfu moves. With sound effects!) But we promise we will give it to you when you can play with it, okay?

13 more weeks left...

2010-02-28T19:26:00.000-08:00

Hey Boy Boy!

Your Daddy and Mommy were really running around a lot last week! Kopi was sick, and we had to make multiple trips to the vet. In addition, we had to go see Dr H to make sure you are okay. Plus we had baby classes this week too. Phew!

Kopi is back with us now. No more laboured breathing and yucky mucus, which is a good thing. Your Daddy has to feed him antibiotics twice a day via a syringe. On top of that, because our dear Mr K is not eating well, Daddy has to "force feed" him with baby food (i.e. sweet potato). Hehehe, I guess it is good practice for your Daddy. Next time he will be an expert at feeding you too. In the meantime, we hope Kopi gets well soon. Mommy is learning to be kinder to him too. Like not waking him up just to feed him his medicine, and tip-toeing past his cage when he is sleeping.

As for our visit to Dr H, everything is going well. Dr H kindly offered to let us have a go at the 4D ultrasound again, since we didn't manage to get a good look at your face the last time. Mommy was quite excited, because I just had a cup of coffee (I can explain that...), and I thought the caffeine rush should help us get a better look at you! I was sooo wrong! You head was tucked in the exact spot as when we did the last US, and Dr H said you were yawning! Seems like coffee doesn't really have an effect on you huh... Anyway, Daddy and I were a little disappointed that we didn't get to see you on 4D. Maybe you are really bent on giving us a surprise huh...

On a separate note, we received a package from your gong-gong, who sent us lots of CNY goodies! Although the bak kwa and Mandarin oranges were confiscated at the US customs (long story), we still received the pineapple tarts and kuih bangkit.

Should have taken a photo when the bottles were still unopened. Now this is what is left...

Lastly, if you keep hearing someone singing, it is not me okay. Your Daddy has been humming a lot of funny songs for you, mostly from the PS3 games that he plays (e.g. the "Victory Song" from Final Fantasy). He can't wait for you to grow up and play computer games with him. He intends to teach you some street fighter moves as well, which I suspect you already know from the way you are moving around in Mommy's tummy.

Mommy's random thoughts

2010-02-18T17:49:00.000-08:00

Hey Boy Boy!

How is it going in there? Feels like there is a party going on. You seem super active at night, to which your Po-Po has said: Serves Mommy right for being a night owl... Boy Boy, you shouldn't pick up Mommy's bad habits hor, understand?

Nowadays, because of time constraints, Mommy's source of entertainment comes from retail therapy (i.e. online baby shopping). But we haven't bought much stuff for you yet. Just the big items: crib, car seat, stroller, carrier and that cute winter jacket. We also received some hand-me-down toys from kind friends. Tomorrow we will go and look at a second-hand bouncer that a neighbour is selling. Trying not to buy so much till your Po-Po comes, so that we can at least have some activities to do together (garage sales!!), given that life can get pretty boring here...

Next week we will have another appointment with Dr H. Heard that we will be doing a oral glucose test. I have always wondered how those things tasted like. Weight-wise, Mommy is still a little on the light side, but I am not too bothered by it (I hope you are not too!) since it has always been that way, and I don't skip meals anymore.

Right now, Mommy is kinda worried about our pet guinea pig, Kopi, who hasn't been eating well since yesterday. Given that he is a senior citizen (5 years old, which is probably about 50+ years old in GP years), he needs more TLC than usual. Going to bring him to the vet tomorrow if things don't improve. I guess there is one similarity between pets and babies -- you can't get them to tell you what's wrong.

Update:

Brought Kopi to see Dr Wolf today. From the mucus on his nose and paws, and his laboured breathing, it looks like he has a respiratory infection. Poor Kopi has to be hospitalized and given some IV antibiotics. Apparently guinea pigs can't really breathe through their mouth, so when they have blocked nose, they feel reeeeaally suffocated. I heard that guinea pigs don't do very well when they get pneumonia, but Dr Wolf said Kopi's paws still look pink, which means his blood is still quite oxygenated. Hopefully he can make it through!

Kicking Daddy

2010-02-06T19:32:00.000-08:00

Hi Boyboy,

Have sort of decided on your Chinese name already. Both your Ah Gong and Ah Ma came up with it independently and it was one of our choices, so it was an easy decision. However, your Ang Moh name is proving to be a tougher choice. Your "uncles", aka your Daddy's good brothers have been offering suggestions and some have been pretty good. We'll keep on shortlisting; maybe you can help by doing what Daddy did when I was in your Ah Ma's tummy - give a strong hard kick to mummy when you hear a name that you like.

Mummy says that you have been very active recently, which is very unlike Daddy, who only kicked once throughout the pregnancy. The other day you even kicked my face! Just don't do that when you come out ok?

Grow up healthy ok!

Daddy

24th week checkup

2010-02-03T20:07:00.000-08:00

Hi Boy Boy!

Everything went well today at Dr H's office today. It is always fun to hear your heartbeat on the Doppler, although Mommy always gets teased by Dr H for wearing so many layers. I guess us tropical folks just don't have the functional fats to survive in this kind of cold winter weather.

Anyhow, spring comes in about two months! And soon after that, it will be your arrival!

Daddy and Mommy finally succumbed to temptation and bought your first piece of clothing. The winter clothes at Gymboree were on sale, so Daddy picked out a winter jacket for you. Hopefully it will be the right size for you next winter. Your grandparents (we still cannot decide if it should be ah-ma and ah-gong, or ye-ye and nai-nai) also sent a baby sleeper with adorable paw prints. See how lucky you are! Already so loved, even before you are born. :)

On the logistics side of things, we are grateful that our Medicaid application has been approved. That will really help to save us a lot of money. Daddy and Mommy have also started going for baby/pregnancy classes at the nearby LifeCare services, which is run by volunteers. We really appreciate all their time and effort for conducting all these classes for free. The Baby Bucks which we "earn" from going for the classes can be "spent" on items in their baby boutique, which has a lot of good stuff. We have also been receiving cheques from WIC which allows us to get some free groceries from supermarkets. So thankful. :)

Busy baby...

2010-01-27T19:02:00.000-08:00

Hey Boy Boy!

Are you very busy? You've been moving around so much! Or are you protesting because of the spicy sambal chilli that Mommy just had? It's good stuff okay... I am sure you will learn to appreciate it in time to come.

Last week, Mommy had to put on the fetal monitor (shaped as a round disc) on my tummy for a while, to make sure that you are doing okay. You gave the poor nurse such a hard time! Wherever she placed the round disc, you kicked it in the exact same spot and she couldn't get a reading. It is not a football okay! After shifting the disc all over Mommy's tummy for ten minutes, she finally found a sweet spot (which was really low... heh maybe it was a blind spot which you can't reach?) and quickly took the readings she needed. Boy Boy, you better be more cooperative next time okay? And that includes staying in until Mommy's exams are over. Pretty please?

***

As for your name... Well, we don't really have a lot of options for your Chinese name, because we have quite a few, erm, guidelines to follow. But it sort of makes things easier for us too -- we only have to think of half a character! As for your English name, we are still deciding if we will give you one (since neither of us has one). It will be convenient to have one when we register your birth over here in the US. But Mommy's quite ambivalent about boy names (girl names are much prettier!) Maybe one day we will all sit down together and run through a list of boy names with you, and if you like it, give us an indication, like a kick or something. That will save us a lot of trouble...

luff,
Mommy

Baby knits and kicks

2010-01-19T20:15:00.000-08:00

Hey there Boy Boy!

Last week your Daddy had to go for a conference in Qatar, so it was just you and me at home. Thankfully, we had very nice neighbours! Auntie XJ and Uncle W asked Mommy over for dinner almost every night. Since Auntie XJ also has her little angel inside her, Uncle W had to take care of both pregnant mommies at the same time! (Yup, so all the nice food that you had was cooked by Uncle W...) It was fun talking about baby stuff with them. Saw their little girl's ultrasound photos too, which were really clear! Can see the face, hands and feet... so amazing... The both of you may have really close birthdays, or even on the same day!

This is a little hat that I knitted during the break. At that time, we still didn't know whether Auntie XJ's baby (or you, for that matter) was going to be a boy or a girl. So Mommy used this neutral-coloured yarn to knit a little baby hat for your future potential playmate! Reminds me of a 包, don't you think?

Mommy has lots of ideas on what to knit for you as well, but judging from how the first week of school went, Mommy's beginning to wonder if she is going to have any spare time left at all! The amount of readings for each week is quite substantial -- this week, I had to read almost 300 pages for one class! (Of course I didn't manage to finish it...) Now I wish I had paid attention during those speed-reading classes we were made to take back in secondary school...

Daddy's been really excited about feeling your little kicks as well, but you have been really cheeky! You stop kicking every time Daddy puts his hand on Mommy's tummy! Makes me feel like the boy who cried wolf. I don't know if you have can hear your Daddy's voice yet, but he is the one who keeps telling you to "Kick Mommy! Kick Mommy!" He even went to the extent of pointing a fan remote control at Mommy's tummy and pretended that there is a "kick" button on it to activate your movements! Hahaha...

Also, you seem to be more active at night, which is okay for now, but probably not-so-ideal (for us) once you are born... But then again, whoever has heard of parents who have enough sleep when their baby is born... I guess we will just be grateful to have a happy healthy baby like you!

luff,
Mommy

If you use a bit of imagination....

2010-01-07T22:57:00.000-08:00

... you will probably be able to see that this is indeed a baby...

I hope the annotations help! (I think the hands look like doraemon's...)

Hello Boy Boy!

2010-01-06T19:57:00.000-08:00

Hello Ah Boy,

Today we finally got to see you again. Did the ultrasound in the morning and everything looks very good, in fact you may even be due a week earlier than expected. However, you were not in a good position(head was too low) and we could not get a good look at your face. In the end, we could not take a nice 4D ultrasound picture of you like last time. At least we could tell that you are a baby boy. Now we just have to decide on a name for you. Mommy's thinking of names of characters from books and such and was throwing names like ****** (Censored) around....... Hopefully, by the time you arrive, we would have decided on a nice name you. So in the mean time, you would just have to make do with Ah Boy.

P.S Dr H hinted that he may do another ultrasound for us just to take a picture of you, if it happens, please be nice and cooperate.

Daddy

Baby crib!

2010-01-02T19:33:00.000-08:00

After gathering the valuable advice from many experienced friends and relatives, we decided that we will buy a crib for you, baby! We thought now is a good time to buy, since we had the time to drive around (holidays!), and before Mommy becomes too immobile. Besides, we wouldn't want to lug a crib from car to house in the thick of winter!

We actually tried out co-sleeping one night, by pretending that one of the pillows was you, and trying not to squish the pillow the whole night. It wasn't easy, given that our bed is not too big, and very, very soft, so even any slight movements from us (e.g. turning over) will probably feel like a big earthquake to you.

So for your sake (and of course our sleep's sake as well), we thought a crib will be a better idea.

It was fun shopping for your crib! We finally decided on Gulliver from Ikea. We drove 3h to Boilingbrook to get this. Thankfully it fitted inside the car... phew!

Daddy excitedly opened the package and systematically took out all the parts in the living room.

As we were about to begin the assembly process, Mommy had this nagging feeling that something felt amiss. Turns out that the width of the crib is wider than our bedroom door!

So we moved the pieces into our room, and spent the next few hours clearing up a space for the crib. Daddy spent a lot of time re-wiring everything because the space the crib is taking up was actually Mommy's study table space.

In the evening, we finally re-started the assembly process. Daddy was very quick. The crib was ready in no time!

Daddy feeling tired after a hard day's work!

***

We can't wait to find out if you are a boy or a girl! But many people have wagered their guesses! Some say you are a girl (coz of Mommy's good complexion, and I guess the rounded shape of the belly), while others say you are a boy (heart rate, the line on Mommy's belly, and according to a Chinese website for predicting baby's gender... I didn't even know there are such things!) We will see which of these methods are accurate in a few day! :)

Three more weeks...

2009-12-18T18:46:00.000-08:00

... till we meet again baby!

We went to see Dr H on Wed, and he decided that we should do an US in three weeks' time. We actually wanted to push it back a little later, coz we thought we will get a better view of you when you are a bit bigger. But Dr H thought it is better if we stick to three weeks. Well, three weeks it is then.

Mommy is desperately trying to stay away from all things which may be harmful to you... Boy, it has been hard! No coffee, no sunny-side-up eggs, no sashimi... And that day I had to convince myself to keep away from Olive Garden's yummy, Kahlua-laced, caffeine-rich tiramisu... Mmmmm... I am sure you will like it too when you taste it!

But today Mommy actually did something not so good... I went for pottery class to finish up my glazing. I had promised myself that if I couldn't find any rubber gloves in the studio, I will glaze another day (and go buy my own gloves in the meantime). But I went ahead and did it anyway, coz the studio was closing for Christmas and I really didn't want to wait till next year to finish up the glazing. So I got exposed to a little bit of glaze on my hands... (and maybe breathed a little in as well? I am not sure) I hope it is nothing serious... Now I feel kinda bad taking the risk. Sorry, baby! I promise I won't do it again next time...

Anyway, your heartbeat on Wednesday was 170 bpm, which is on the higher end of the normal range. I suppose you were enjoying the lunch which Mommy just had. Baby you have to be cooperative in three weeks' time okay? We really wanna get a good picture of you to tell if you are a boy or a girl!

Cousins and Friends

2009-12-09T17:37:00.000-08:00

Hello Baby!

Just realised you will have a lot of potential tiger playmates.

Lets see, in March Mommy's good friend would have her second baby girl. In April, your cousin would arrive. One week before you are due XJ and W would be expecting their precious and finally one week after you would be another of your cousins.

So wow, you would have four other Tigers to play with! Hopefully you all would grow up and be good friends.

Psst...

2009-12-06T14:35:00.000-08:00

Hey baby... let me tell you a secret...

I have been (secretly) training your Daddy to become a SuperDaddy, and I think it is working!

Today your Daddy made a sumptuous breakfast (pancakes, sausage, egg - like McD's!), did two loads of laundry, and made dinner as well!

At this rate, he should be able to vacuum the floor with his left hand, and flip a pancake with his right, while carrying you on the back when you are born.

Mommy is still a far cry from being anything remotely super. Except maybe super lazy. Been sleeping too much these days. At very odd hours too. Many people have told me that I better stop being a night owl, or else you will end up being awake at night like me! (At which time I expect to transform from an owl into a panda.) But it has been difficult to keep awake during the day, especially since I am being banned from drinking coffee... so I end up sleeping at odd hours during the day, leaving me wide-eyed at 1am writing this blog.

Hey baby!

2009-11-25T21:43:00.000-08:00

Daddy has been nagging at me to contribute to his new blog for you. As he has mentioned, he really doesn't write that often, so him taking the initiative to set up this blog actually says a lot. :)

I guess it all first started when Daddy had to go to the Netherlands for a conference for a week. While he was enjoying all the wonderful food and accommodation, I was home alone. I started to feel unwell, but I thought it was because I wasn't eating right. (Lazy Mommy could not be bothered to cook just for herself, so she was skipping meals.) When the puking started, I guess I had an inkling that you were responsible, but I put myself in denial mode anyway. At least, until your Daddy comes back...

When Daddy returned, we kind of agreed to put off doing the pregnancy test. *Still in denial!* Until one fine day when I was feeling so sick that I thought that we better find out what was wrong with me before it becomes something serious. Fortunately, it really wasn't anything serious. It was just because of you!

The nausea and vomiting was really not so bad. Nausea was probably all day long, but I could live with that. Vomiting about once or twice a week, usually at night though. Strangely, I felt comforted that I had these symptoms, coz to me it meant that you were still okay! Poor Daddy had to listen to me complain about how sick I felt though. If you are still deciding what traits to inherit from the two of us, you better pick his patience, coz Mommy's quick fuse will get you into trouble (with me) one of these days!

Our first visit to Dr H was at 10 weeks. We went there with totally zero expectations, so that if anything happens we won't be disappointed. Had to do a urine test (forgot to drink water before I came!). After doing all the routine stuff, Dr H said that we should do an US that day. He originally wanted us to do a transvaginal US, but then changed his mind about it. He said that we could probably just do an abdominal one instead, due to my lack of adipose tissues.

As soon as the transponder hit my abdomen, we heard this "Foop... foop... foop..." sound. I thought it was just the US machine making noise. Turns out that it was your heartbeat! (170bpm) That was a pretty cool moment. You can tell that Daddy is totally amazed. Almost speechless. Dr H started explaining to us what we were looking at on the monitor. We could see your heart beating, your head, your arms and legs... with a bit of imagination. You kept having your arm up though... was that a hello wave for us? We saw you turn around once as well. The whole experience was quite surreal. I think all we said throughout the whole time was "oooh" and "wow"... but we couldn't stop smiling!

As the US ended, the lights went on, and we got ready to leave. Then Dr H handed us a long stretch of paper. They were the US photos of you! Wow, we totally did not expect that. We didn't even realize that he took photos. We went home feeling pretty special that day. Can't wait till the next time we meet!

A New Life

2009-11-19T21:04:00.000-08:00

Hey there, finally got down to writing a blog. I don't usually write anything and if I remember correctly I've only ever written one letter to wifey. Anyways, the purpose of this blog is not about me or wifey, its about the newest addition to our family!

Introducing baby Ssmy! Hmm, sounds strange, but I'll stick with it till we figure out whether baby Ssmy is a he or she.

Little baby Ssmy @10 weeks rubbing his/her eyes

Baby Ssmy is just entering his/her 13th week, so we'll be expecting baby to join us around the end of May 2010. Hopefully another Gemini baby. These past few months have been terrible for poor mommy, puking, headaches, no appetite... on top of her packed school work, but I'm sure her suffering will be worth it!

We've had 2 checkups so far. First one at 10 weeks included the ultrasound which we totally did not expect since it was still so early. The Gynae probably did cause of what had happened before, just to be safe. Anyway, the feeling of hearing the heartbeat and seeing the baby move was so surreal, I could not believe it. The second checkup 2 weeks later was more routine, with the nurse practitioner just checking for the baby's heartbeat; baby's heartbeat measured at 140 which we are told is normal for a fetus that age.

So, here concludes my first blog. Baby is going into the 2nd trimester soon and hopefully I'll continue to update this blog. Till next time.

Bye!!!