Photos of Isaac

Hey! Where's the Poop??!!

Well, another 3 days have gone by since Isaac's last poop on Saturday. Hence we decided to bring him to see Dr YY Yip this morning just to confirm everything is ok. The nurse also weighed him before the consultation and he is...... (drumroll)...... 6.8kg! There was another baby almost the same size at the clinic (though Isaac seems a little taller) and judging by the way his father carried him (his neck is very steady already), maybe he's about 4-5 months old. And Isaac is only 2 months+.. Even Dr Yip said that 'erm, he's quite a big baby for his age'. Hmmm... do i hear the undertones of 'erm, he's a bit overweight'??? But well, what can we do? He's drinking every 3 hourly as per usual and now predominantly breastmilk and the occasional formula. Well, we'll just have to continue to monitor him.

Okay, back to the poop. So we brought him to see Dr Yip and he said that his tummy feels alright and he looks well and more importantly, it's NORMAL! Dr Yip said that it's normal for breastfed babies to have poopless days, some even up to a week, coz the baby is absorbing the nutrients from the breastmilk and hence, don't have too much waste produced. Well, i certainly hope so! However, Dr Yip gave Isaac some oral mixture to help him to poo coz the suppository that Isaac received last Saturday is no longer in production! I'm not inclined to give him the medicine so soon coz he's still happy and drinking as per normal. I will monitor and only give it to him if he don't poop on the 5th day. And, this will be the 'pattern' until Isaac start to have solids! A few more months of worrying! Dr Yip also asked us to give him some diluted baby apple juice just to give him some additional fluids. Well, my mum has also been giving Isaac gripe water daily but still no poop!

Let's hope his poop will come soon!

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Note: Isaac pooped right after i published this posting! Yay! Finally!
Let's hope Isaac will have daily poops!

Survivor - The First Week

Am glad to report that we survived the first week in caring for Isaac ourselves... but not without the help of my mum!

I psyched myself mentally to be a 'real' full-time mummy and was also quite determined to do so. So, after sending Auntie to her sister's place last Sunday morning, we headed straight to my parents' place. While we were there, mum took care of Isaac while i 'recharged' my batteries and took a nap. We went home at about 8 plus at night, changed Isaac, fed him and put him to bed. I didn't really sleep much the first night of caring for him, mainly coz of insecurity - if he is sleeping ok, if his little wimps are because he needed something etc. I also breastfed him throughout the night and i was rather pleased when he went back to sleep after the feed coz it seemed that the supply is adequate for his needs! And viola, the first night was over. I felt happy though a little tired. And the spent the rest of Monday bathing him, feeding him, putting him to sleep. And, when Chee Meng returned home in the evening, i became a little emotional coz i was really happy that he is back to help look after Isaac! Finally, i survived another day! I was emotional also coz when Auntie was with us, she would prepare dinner and both Chee Meng and I would enjoy our dinner in the kitchen while Auntie take care of Isaac. That looked like a perfect picture of family life and seemed no different from couplehood days.

I was contemplating preparing dinner but Isaac is quite an active baby who needs to be rocked even while in a sarong and will only sleep through soundly without any wimper for at most half an hour. The thought of dashing around preparing dinner and looking after Isaac at the same time is quite 'sian', so i asked Chee Meng to pack dinner instead. So that rounded up the first 24 hours on our own. It also didn't help that i came down with sore throat and a cough which made it more challenging. I was feeding and carrying Isaac with a mask on which made breathing a bit more difficult.

And on Tue, we went over to my parents' place according to our plan - ie, weekday nights at my parents' place and weekend nights at our own place. And i also went to see a doctor for my cough on Tue night and the cough mixture he gave me really made me groggy... luckily mum was around to help care for Isaac when i was in a state of blur. Well, wrong cough at the wrong time. I was so glad mum is around to care for Isaac in the day so that i can catch naps and recharge. I still took care of Isaac at night while at my parents' place coz i think it is my responsibility and it's not fair for me to pass this on to my parents. Luckily, Isaac is learning how to sleep better and i am also getting a few hours of sleep at night. And, thank god my mum is very very good with children, so Isaac is in good hands. I can also tell that he likes her a lot. He listens and responds to my mum when she talks to him and that makes her smile. Same for my dad -Isaac will keep staring at him when my dad speaks to him. I can tell that that they are proud grandparents!

Isaac also decided to throw in a challenge in the first week - by not pooping. He did not poop from Sunday to Tuesday (2 days) and from Tuesday to Saturday (4 days). And he was getting a little cranky coz his system is 'blocked' though when i called up the paediatrician's, the nurse said that poopless days are quite normal for babies this age as their bowel movements are still not fixed. I also checked the Internet and saw in some forum postings that some babies go without poop for 2 weeks! It was worrying especially when he poops a few times a day since birth. However, he was still passing gas rather regularly and his tummy is not bloated or anything. But on Saturday, we decided to bring him to see a doctor coz he was wailing even after he was fed and cleaned. His forehead was also a bit cold (which according to old wives' tales meant an upset tummy). So we went to the Children's Medical Institute at NUH to see a doctor on Sat late afternoon. Luckily there was no one there when we were there so we got to see the doctor fairly quickly. And the doctor also checked and said that Isaac's generally ok except the fact that he did not poop for the last 4 days. So they inserted a suppository into Isaac's bottom and within minutes, the poop landed!! And i tell you.. it was a mega-poop. For once, we were so happy to see Isaac poop and i was cleaning him up with much joy!! Luckily, Chee Meng's company provided Isaac with medical insurance which meant that we did not have to pay $90 for the consultation (treated as emergency). Even if we had to pay, we would do so happily! All for the poop! And Isaac gave us another mega poop again that evening and was still pooping when i cleaned him! I think it is about 4 days worth of poop that Isaac discharged in one day! Well... he still hasn't pooped today... so let's monitor the situation. Let's hope we don't have to artificially induce poop again!

Well, i'm just glad to have survived the first week. But mainly because of my mum's assistance. Indeed, 世上只有妈妈好!

Mixed feelings..

Chee Meng and i sneaked out for a 'date' tonight - to catch the latest James Bond movie. Isaac was at home with Auntie... the 2nd last night before she goes back. Chee Meng took leave today to accompany us around and also to take a break from work. Well, both of us think that the latest Bond movie is just so-so... nothing to shout about...I think i still prefer the series of Bond movies by Peirce Brosnan coz he's just so suave...

I went on our date with mixed feelings - on the one hand, i felt good doing the usual couple things again just as we did before Isaac came into our lives. But on the other hand, i kept thinking what was Isaac doing (is he sleeping, has he drank his milk, has he this, has he that...) and if he's 'bullying' Auntie. We contemplated taking a short break to either Thailand or Hong Kong in Dec 08, but i'm not sure if i can go on our holiday (leaving him in the care of my mum) without thinking about him. From a very firm ' yes, i can leave him with mum' initially, my inner voice is telling me 'can i leave him with mum?' now. My main concern is whether he will get his daily requirements of breastmilk and if that few days being away from him will affect my milk supply especially when i'm not really overflowing. Mornings can yield about 6-7 ounces of breastmilk (coz i'm too tired to wake up to pump/feed Isaac at night as he's being cared for by Auntie) and every 3 hourly interval gets me about 3 ounces combined at most. Hmmm.. don't think the quantity is sufficient to meet Isaac's needs. After suckling on both breasts, he's still restless at times and we have to supplement it with formula. Sometimes my inadequate supply makes me a bit sad and demoralised, but i'm determined to keep breastfeeding him as long as i can but at least for 6 months. Let's hope my breastmilk will fill up buckets!!

Since i've been lazy at night, i shall try 'relactation' after i take care of Isaac full-time. It may not be easy and may even be tough, but let's try it. At least my body is well-nourished to withstand inadequate sleep due to night feeds and i think my determination will see me through. Of course, let's hope little Isaac will cooperate with me and not 'bully' me.

Though i'm a bit worried if i can cope with taking care of Isaac on my own, I'm at the same time quite looking forward to it. Coz it's something i have to go through eventually. And i think i should be able to manage.

Wish me luck! Or else, buy me lots of eye cream to cover up my panda eyes (let's hope you don't have to!!!!)

The challenge begins on Sun night:)

Counting down - 3 more days...

Well, Auntie will finally be completing her 2-month stint with us this coming Sunday... which means we've 3 more nights to be lazy before we are left to our own devices to take care of Isaac. Auntie has been a great help these 2 months and thanks to her, I was able to rest well (and at night especially) and have good nutrition. I've also gone on a crash course of changing and bathing Isaac since the end of Isaac's first month, so that i will be well-equipped to handle the little fella when Auntie goes back. But everything has been so far so good and i'm getting more confident in bathing Isaac and he also seems to enjoy bathtime. I think i should be able to handle him on my own. Lots of friends have been giving me encouraging messages about looking after Isaac and i would like to thank all of you who have messaged me!

Chee Meng asked me to go stay over at my parents' place for the first week after Auntie goes off so that my mum can help me look after Isaac till everything becomes more stable and I become more 'steady'. Chee Meng is also worried that i will starve to death coz there are no foodcourts, no markets around me, whereas my parents' place has a wonderful market and hawker centre just at our doorstep. And, my mum can also help to look after Isaac while i catch winks or naps. I'm sure my mum is looking forward to us staying with them though Chee Meng will feel a bit sad coz he won't be able to give his precious Isaac a kiss before he goes to work every morning. But let's see how.. if i'm able to handle him after a week, then i'll move back to Sengkang. I'll find a way to settle food or just rely on 'healthy' food such as cereals and sandwiches. Ah... maybe i can even lose some weight!

We are also looking at moving near my parents' place so that everything is easier, but flats/apartments near my parents' place (Ghim Moh) are rather expensive, so let's see how.

In the meantime, i'm gradually taking over the care of Isaac from Auntie, so that i'll be ready to be a full-time, unassisted mommy!

Never say never...

When Isaac was still in my belly, i said a few 'nevers' such as - i will never let Isaac suck the pacifier, i will never let Isaac sleep in a sarong. Well, i relented to both the pacifier and the sarong just to ensure that the little fella can sleep well and sleep enough.

Isaac started the pacifier after his full-month celebrations and luckily he don't really like it that much and even spits it out when we try to put it in his mouth to make him sleep. And when he sucks on the pacifier, it really helps him to sleep and it's cute seeing him suck on it.

As for the sarong, Isaac slept in it for the first time yesterday and seemed to enjoy it. The journey to the sarong came a long way. Since birth, we've tried all ways and means to make Isaac sleep - without carrying, without swaying, without the sarong. But Isaac was the direct opposite! He wants to be carried, he wants to be swayed which meant that we have to spend most of our time carrying him so that he can sleep. He's also an active baby and seems to require less sleep as compared to the normal babies. The first question every morning is 'did he sleep?' So we finally decided to buy a sarong for him so that we can spare our arms the 'pain' from carrying the little fella. I was deciding between the normal sarong or a motorised sarong and decided to get a normal sarong coz i still remembered that my younger brother would only need to be rocked a while then he would sleep soundly. Hence, no need for a motorised sarong. But i was wrong!!! Isaac would fall asleep after a few rocks, then he will make noise after at most 10 mins and we would have to rock him again. Which means that i have to be positioned near the sarong while he is sleeping!! Not time-efficient!! Time for a motorised sarong! I will go get one over the weekend so that we can 'squeeze' more time for ourselves!

So, the moral of the story is - never say never. You never know when the never will be reversed:)

Diary of a 6-week old Mummy - Part 2

Isaac is not overweight!! This was the confirmation given by Isaac's paediatrician, Dr YY Yip, though he had gained 2kgs since birth and is now weighing 5.6 kg. He has also grown taller from 50cm at birth to 57 cm yesterday. His head circumference has also increased from 36.5cm to 41.5cm. Overall, he is growing up well and everything is ok.

The purpose for the visit to the doctor's was for his second dose of the Hep B jab. The jabbing process was so cutteee, though Chee Meng's heart ached when Dr Yip poked the needle into Isaac's thigh. Isaac was shaking his head ferociously from side to side when the needle went in, cried for a while, then quietened down and stared at Dr Yip. The whole process is so interesting (sorry, i'm quite a sadist huh?!) and the only regret we had was that we did not film down the jabbing process.. sigh... i should have brought the videocam along! But really, Isaac is really so funny! I think the image of him and the needle will remain as one of the cutest memories of Isaac.

After his jab, we went shopping at Takashimaya! I had to get some new nursing tops coz the ones i bought earlier (when i still had my big belly) was now too big and made it easy for me to overexpose myself! After buying the tops, Isaac was hungry and i went to the Taka breastfeeding room to feed him. He was feeding well, until i guess he felt he poo-pooed and was uncomfortable, that he spat out quite a large amount of milk all over himself and me. Didn't even have a chance to burp him. So i immediately SOS-ed my mum and my confinement auntie to come take over and change him. And wow, it was big business man..

After we changed him, we went for lunch at Angus Steak House! This is one of my favourite makan places since pregnancy and boy, i was so glad to be able to sit down at the restaurant to enjoy a good meal after delivery! It was really yummy! After lunch, we walked around for a bit and went to my parents' place so that Isaac can rest a bit. Of course, Isaac manja-ed everyone and wanted to be carried to sleep. And he rested on my mum's chest for a good 2 hours while i took a nap on the same bed i slept on during my pregnancy. We stayed at my parents' place till about 8pm before we headed home.

So, after a day of galivanting, the lessons are:

Lesson 1 - Extra clothings
It is a given that we bring extra sets of clothings for Isaac when we go out, but perhaps i should also bring an extra top when i go out and expect to feed him. When Isaac spat out milk, he left blots of milk all over my top and i went around Taka for a good half an hour with wet spots on my tee. Luckily we hid in the restaurant where the blots dried up after we completed our meals. Maybe i should also wear a bib when feeding him!! Haha!

Lesson 2 - Call for reinforcements
I felt quite helpless when Isaac spat out milk all over himself and started fidgeting and crying. Luckily i had my mum and my confinement auntie with me and i immediately called them to come and take over. At least i can pass Isaac to them for the clean-up while i go clean up myself. So, the moral of the story is - never attempt shopping without calling in mothers, aunties etc. At least for the beginning, until we get better at handling him.

Lesson 3 - Consider extending the services of the confinement nanny
Luckily, we were able to extend the service of our confinement auntie for another month, which meant that we could still have an easy time while out shopping. As mentioned in my earlier postings, i was really lucky to have such a good confinement auntie who is pro-breastfeeding, neat, communicates well, loves babies and generally supportive. She is also a very good cook and tries to cook different dishes using the same ingredients (well, the ingredients for confinement food is quite standard). There were many days where the dishes she came up with surprised both Chee Meng and myself and we finished every single piece of meat/vegetable! Another reason why i extended her stint was so that we could fit Isaac into a more stable pattern before i take over full-time as well as to have more rest. Of course, i worry if Isaac would be too attached to her but then again, i have my secret weapon - breastfeeding!!! Haha!!

Cheers to more shopping!!