Shared with Sito this 欠扁问答题:
mf: What is this? *made my palms swim*
Sito: Fish?
mf: What is this? *made my fists swim*
Sito: *looks at wife*
mf: Fishballs :D
So he asked me back..
Sito: Test you maths! If 1 = 5, ... Eh... *thinking*
mf: Tester fail!
Sito: *sulk*
...
Sito: Ok, if 1 = 5, 2 = 54, 3 = 543, 4 = 5434, what is 5?
mf: 1? *immediate reply*
Sito: Why do you know?! *sulk*
mf: Heh! But why is 4 = 5434?
Sito: Should be 5432 but why do you know??
Just one of our random times :)
Went in to check ZK's temperature just now. No fever :) But I lingered for a while cos he was so cute just lying there, asleep with his pacifier stuck between his cheek and the bed :)
Then I came back to the study and Sito did his fishball hands.. Ya, it's our most recent cute gesture.. (We have cute sounds too! Later!)
So I sang a random tune with these words:
I turn around and see cuteness..
I go into black black room and see cuteness...
*pause*
I look into mirror and also see cuteness!
Hoho!
Tuesday, 5 February 2013
On leave!
Woke at 6 am with a jolt. You mean ZK didn't stir throughout the night??
I thought for a while and recalled that he coughed at around 3 am but didn't wake up. I barely turned my head to the monitor and then went back to sleep.
That was a good six hours of sleep! Longest stretch of bed time for me since 12 Jul 2012! Thank you, my little one! :)
So I woke and went about my morning stuff - put together my pump parts and bottles which were left to dry overnight, toilet break, brushed teeth. Then, panic - why is he still sleeping? Usually if he doesn't wake in the middle of the night, he would be awake by now!
Took my flashlight to his room and I saw him squint in the sudden brightness. Phew, he's alive! Hoho, paranoid mama!
He measured 37.4 deg in bed. After changing his poopy everything and nursing, he measured 37.7 deg. After my breakfast, he measured 37.3 deg. Wth?!
I've decided that I won't give him paracetamol for fevers below 38 deg. So I stuck the cool pad on his lower back and texted boss to say I'd take childcare leave today. She replied about a fire at work this morning - luckily I checked email last night so I told her I'd replied, yay! :p
ZK measured below 37 deg for the rest of the morning. When I woke with him from his second nap, I wasn't too well - my sneeze sounded bad, and the nose was dripping. Already had phlegm and a sore throat in the morning. My morning Berocca had failed!! Think I may need to drink it every morning for good results; did that for two months back in 2008 and I didn't get my usual July/August big bad cold although I came down horrible in November that year..
So anyway, I packed him off to IFC, came home to pump, had foot reflexology downstairs and came home just before the downpour, ran the washer and lay down on the sofa for a nap. But, I couldn't fall asleep! Sito suggested reading one of his books :p I guess I took the wrong book - it was the exec summary but it got quite interesting so I stopped and tried to nap again.
Well, I failed. So here I am... I think I should go read about the population white paper.. I've only read the exec summary and no news. Should really catch up.
I thought for a while and recalled that he coughed at around 3 am but didn't wake up. I barely turned my head to the monitor and then went back to sleep.
That was a good six hours of sleep! Longest stretch of bed time for me since 12 Jul 2012! Thank you, my little one! :)
So I woke and went about my morning stuff - put together my pump parts and bottles which were left to dry overnight, toilet break, brushed teeth. Then, panic - why is he still sleeping? Usually if he doesn't wake in the middle of the night, he would be awake by now!
Took my flashlight to his room and I saw him squint in the sudden brightness. Phew, he's alive! Hoho, paranoid mama!
He measured 37.4 deg in bed. After changing his poopy everything and nursing, he measured 37.7 deg. After my breakfast, he measured 37.3 deg. Wth?!
I've decided that I won't give him paracetamol for fevers below 38 deg. So I stuck the cool pad on his lower back and texted boss to say I'd take childcare leave today. She replied about a fire at work this morning - luckily I checked email last night so I told her I'd replied, yay! :p
ZK measured below 37 deg for the rest of the morning. When I woke with him from his second nap, I wasn't too well - my sneeze sounded bad, and the nose was dripping. Already had phlegm and a sore throat in the morning. My morning Berocca had failed!! Think I may need to drink it every morning for good results; did that for two months back in 2008 and I didn't get my usual July/August big bad cold although I came down horrible in November that year..
So anyway, I packed him off to IFC, came home to pump, had foot reflexology downstairs and came home just before the downpour, ran the washer and lay down on the sofa for a nap. But, I couldn't fall asleep! Sito suggested reading one of his books :p I guess I took the wrong book - it was the exec summary but it got quite interesting so I stopped and tried to nap again.
Well, I failed. So here I am... I think I should go read about the population white paper.. I've only read the exec summary and no news. Should really catch up.
Monday, 4 February 2013
My little hot potato
Sighs, ZK is ill again :( So poor thing, and it makes me all flustered too.
When he had bronchiolitis last month starting the weekend before my birthday, I forgot my birthday for the first time since I became aware of birthdays. I was nursing the poor boy on the sofa on my birthday morning - very early morning - and checking Facebook at the same time. I thought it strange that three friends had written on my wall... "What's up?" Then I realised.
Last week, barely a month after his bronchiolitis, he came down with a fever while in IFC. Got a call while I was shopping for shoes over lunch *.* Had to get back to office to get my stuff etc so Mum helped to get ZK. That was also the day when a car plunged into a hole along Keppel Road so I barely made it home in time due to a jam. But I managed to bump into grandma and grandson outside the centre so we cabbed down to the GP downstairs, 10 minutes before closing time!
Doc gave his lungs the all clear but said that his fever would take some three days to go away. And she was right. I kept sending ZK to IFC in the morning but every day around noon or 1 pm, I would get a call. But his fever was very low grade by Friday. By Saturday, nothing.
But strangely, his fever returned yesterday and with a vengeance! He fell asleep at Mum's place so by the time we got back and took his temp, he was at 38 deg, a little warm. Put him in bed with some medicine, but at 11 plus, Sito who kindly went in to attend to ZK woke me to tell me that ZK was at 39.4 deg!
I was so sleepy and so worried. And since ZK was awake already, we gave him some medicine and I nursed him to sleep - first night feed in quite a while.. He woke a few more times last night. Changed his wet diapers once and also his PJs as he was sweating. His fever dropped but stabilised at about 38.8 deg to 39.0 deg.
This morning, seeing that his fever returned higher and that it hadn't gone away like before, we took him to NUH again. This time, everything was clear as well, but we got a different medicine. Doc said he might take five days to recover *.*
I took morning leave and Mum took care of him in the afternoon. Apparently, he was cranky and/or sleepy the whole afternoon. And he went over 39 deg again! I was in a meeting then and felt so sad :( I was so happy when I saw him break into a little smile in the evening!
He's not having a fever now. Hope he'll be all good by tomorrow morning..
When he had bronchiolitis last month starting the weekend before my birthday, I forgot my birthday for the first time since I became aware of birthdays. I was nursing the poor boy on the sofa on my birthday morning - very early morning - and checking Facebook at the same time. I thought it strange that three friends had written on my wall... "What's up?" Then I realised.
Last week, barely a month after his bronchiolitis, he came down with a fever while in IFC. Got a call while I was shopping for shoes over lunch *.* Had to get back to office to get my stuff etc so Mum helped to get ZK. That was also the day when a car plunged into a hole along Keppel Road so I barely made it home in time due to a jam. But I managed to bump into grandma and grandson outside the centre so we cabbed down to the GP downstairs, 10 minutes before closing time!
Doc gave his lungs the all clear but said that his fever would take some three days to go away. And she was right. I kept sending ZK to IFC in the morning but every day around noon or 1 pm, I would get a call. But his fever was very low grade by Friday. By Saturday, nothing.
But strangely, his fever returned yesterday and with a vengeance! He fell asleep at Mum's place so by the time we got back and took his temp, he was at 38 deg, a little warm. Put him in bed with some medicine, but at 11 plus, Sito who kindly went in to attend to ZK woke me to tell me that ZK was at 39.4 deg!
I was so sleepy and so worried. And since ZK was awake already, we gave him some medicine and I nursed him to sleep - first night feed in quite a while.. He woke a few more times last night. Changed his wet diapers once and also his PJs as he was sweating. His fever dropped but stabilised at about 38.8 deg to 39.0 deg.
This morning, seeing that his fever returned higher and that it hadn't gone away like before, we took him to NUH again. This time, everything was clear as well, but we got a different medicine. Doc said he might take five days to recover *.*
I took morning leave and Mum took care of him in the afternoon. Apparently, he was cranky and/or sleepy the whole afternoon. And he went over 39 deg again! I was in a meeting then and felt so sad :( I was so happy when I saw him break into a little smile in the evening!
He's not having a fever now. Hope he'll be all good by tomorrow morning..
While ZK was in IFC and we weren't working..
Now this is super overdue!!
17 Dec 2012
Had my first facial and first massage in a very very long time. And yes, they were good..
18 Dec 2012
Had lunch on my own at Star Vista before a pedicure. Also very good, both of them.
Goemon Japanese pasta - oily but very yummy!
19 Dec 2012
Did a health screening finally! But the stupid clinic totally forgot to call me! I'm going to get the report this Saturday. Enjoyed foot reflexology without ZK for the first time! The boss must be relieved - he used to give me a room just in case ZK started to fuss!
20 Dec 2012
Rebonding. Need I say more? I'm pretty now! :)
21 Dec 2012
ZK wasn't at IFC as it was their year-end cleaning day. But we had fun over dinner with three aunties! Last we had a meal together was years ago, coincidentally also Mexican!
24 Dec 2012
Sito's working day but his office was closed so we had an early breakfast at Wendy's!
Very rare but Sito had an interview that morning - he interviewing Kellogg applicants - and I had a TCM appointment for my numb left toe. Turned out to be a lesson in TCM *.* And I couldn't take their medicine cos it couldn't be cooked in a metal pot - I only have an induction cooker!
26 Dec 2012
Sito's enforced leave starts!
We woke early for dental appointments. But I forgot that I had to pump. So I was very late for my appointment. In fact, I was so late the dentist couldn't see me anymore!! Made another appointment for 31st morning instead..
Nvm, we took photos of me with Samantha :)
Our plan was to watch movieS, yes, movieS with a capital S! :) But first, we must eat - we walked from Clarke Quay to Miramar Hotel for Japanese buffet at Ikoi! As usual, service was slow. So I ordered a lot at one shot. And I think that was our only order.. It was a lot though..
Cute agedashi tofu :)
Then we took a cab to Orchard to catch Wreck-It Ralph - it was so good! But Cineleisure was really crowded and noisy! Holiday season plus school holidays plus a very young crowd..
27 Dec 2012
Set off early to catch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Bought the tickets at Shaw and turned back to Macs at Forum for breakfast :p
The afternoon was spent shopping at Ion - we got new shoes yay! And then we had a super early dinner before heading home - ramen! It's hard to eat ramen carrying ZK so...
Here's Sito's ramen in black garlic soup..
And mine, cold, with normal soup, which looks black here...
28 Dec 2012
Isetan sale! I headed out very early to buy things - had a long shopping list of baby things. But I found a pretty top for myself along the way :)
We wanted to get tickets for Life of Pi the day before but after getting our tickets for The Hobbit, the credit card system went down so we thought we would buy after the movie. Of course we forgot about it! The ticket counter wasn't open when I arrived at Isetan so I went shopping first, and... I was still queuing to pay 20 min before Life of Pi began! Worse, one of my items didn't have a price tag so the lady went upstairs to check!! Nvm, I thought, the ticket queue should be close to zero, like yesterday.
Well, I thought wrong. Many people must have gone over from the sale. Or it was a Friday thing. There was a queue for tickets :( When it was finally my turn, I saw from the screen that there were only three seats left! And the couple next to me also just asked for the same tickets! Then guess what, the sales lady serving them told the one serving me to go ahead as I reached the counter first. Phew!
Sito arrived shortly after that - ya, we were both cutting it real close! And then we went in to enjoy the movie - a full Indian cast with a token angmoh :p We enjoyed it. Should dig out the book from our cabinet one day - I bought in back in Oxford..
Having nothing much to do in town, we went home - for a massage! He went for a full-body while I had my feet done. It was heavenly.. Well, for me, at least. He suffered bruise-like pains from the masseur's massage style. I had to rub the spot for him later to relieve that pain *.*
31 Dec 2012
I suggested brunch - love brunch! - and Sito found this place for brunch at Scotts. But that outlet required advanced reservation so we ended up at the outlet at Mandarin Gallery. This Wild Honey is really popular despite the price! We both had hearty breakfast - English for him, New York for me :)
Since then, Sito has been based in Singapore and will be so until March. So whenever he comes home soon after ZK falls asleep, we are able to enjoy some time together. Recently, we've moved our desk from ZK's room to the utility room so we set up shop in there to work on our computers. Actually, work for him, leisure for me :p Or watch movies in bed. I realise it's so nice to have him around. The house isn't all dead quiet like when he was in JB on weekdays. Well, enjoy it while it lasts! No idea where his next project will take him..
17 Dec 2012
Had my first facial and first massage in a very very long time. And yes, they were good..
18 Dec 2012
Had lunch on my own at Star Vista before a pedicure. Also very good, both of them.
Goemon Japanese pasta - oily but very yummy!
19 Dec 2012
Did a health screening finally! But the stupid clinic totally forgot to call me! I'm going to get the report this Saturday. Enjoyed foot reflexology without ZK for the first time! The boss must be relieved - he used to give me a room just in case ZK started to fuss!
20 Dec 2012
Rebonding. Need I say more? I'm pretty now! :)
21 Dec 2012
ZK wasn't at IFC as it was their year-end cleaning day. But we had fun over dinner with three aunties! Last we had a meal together was years ago, coincidentally also Mexican!
24 Dec 2012
Sito's working day but his office was closed so we had an early breakfast at Wendy's!
Very rare but Sito had an interview that morning - he interviewing Kellogg applicants - and I had a TCM appointment for my numb left toe. Turned out to be a lesson in TCM *.* And I couldn't take their medicine cos it couldn't be cooked in a metal pot - I only have an induction cooker!
26 Dec 2012
Sito's enforced leave starts!
We woke early for dental appointments. But I forgot that I had to pump. So I was very late for my appointment. In fact, I was so late the dentist couldn't see me anymore!! Made another appointment for 31st morning instead..
Nvm, we took photos of me with Samantha :)
Our plan was to watch movieS, yes, movieS with a capital S! :) But first, we must eat - we walked from Clarke Quay to Miramar Hotel for Japanese buffet at Ikoi! As usual, service was slow. So I ordered a lot at one shot. And I think that was our only order.. It was a lot though..
Cute agedashi tofu :)
Then we took a cab to Orchard to catch Wreck-It Ralph - it was so good! But Cineleisure was really crowded and noisy! Holiday season plus school holidays plus a very young crowd..
27 Dec 2012
Set off early to catch The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey. Bought the tickets at Shaw and turned back to Macs at Forum for breakfast :p
The afternoon was spent shopping at Ion - we got new shoes yay! And then we had a super early dinner before heading home - ramen! It's hard to eat ramen carrying ZK so...
Here's Sito's ramen in black garlic soup..
And mine, cold, with normal soup, which looks black here...
28 Dec 2012
Isetan sale! I headed out very early to buy things - had a long shopping list of baby things. But I found a pretty top for myself along the way :)
We wanted to get tickets for Life of Pi the day before but after getting our tickets for The Hobbit, the credit card system went down so we thought we would buy after the movie. Of course we forgot about it! The ticket counter wasn't open when I arrived at Isetan so I went shopping first, and... I was still queuing to pay 20 min before Life of Pi began! Worse, one of my items didn't have a price tag so the lady went upstairs to check!! Nvm, I thought, the ticket queue should be close to zero, like yesterday.
Well, I thought wrong. Many people must have gone over from the sale. Or it was a Friday thing. There was a queue for tickets :( When it was finally my turn, I saw from the screen that there were only three seats left! And the couple next to me also just asked for the same tickets! Then guess what, the sales lady serving them told the one serving me to go ahead as I reached the counter first. Phew!
Sito arrived shortly after that - ya, we were both cutting it real close! And then we went in to enjoy the movie - a full Indian cast with a token angmoh :p We enjoyed it. Should dig out the book from our cabinet one day - I bought in back in Oxford..
Having nothing much to do in town, we went home - for a massage! He went for a full-body while I had my feet done. It was heavenly.. Well, for me, at least. He suffered bruise-like pains from the masseur's massage style. I had to rub the spot for him later to relieve that pain *.*
31 Dec 2012
I suggested brunch - love brunch! - and Sito found this place for brunch at Scotts. But that outlet required advanced reservation so we ended up at the outlet at Mandarin Gallery. This Wild Honey is really popular despite the price! We both had hearty breakfast - English for him, New York for me :)
Since then, Sito has been based in Singapore and will be so until March. So whenever he comes home soon after ZK falls asleep, we are able to enjoy some time together. Recently, we've moved our desk from ZK's room to the utility room so we set up shop in there to work on our computers. Actually, work for him, leisure for me :p Or watch movies in bed. I realise it's so nice to have him around. The house isn't all dead quiet like when he was in JB on weekdays. Well, enjoy it while it lasts! No idea where his next project will take him..
Saturday, 2 February 2013
New clothes for new year?
The other day, I asked Sito if he was going get some new clothes for LNY.
"Need meh?"
Well, I don't recall him doing that even once all these years.
I asked him if he got new clothes all the time since he was a kid. He wasn't too sure. Probably. Or maybe it's a men's thing; it doesn't matter to him whether he gets new clothes!
I used to get new clothes only during LNY. For most of my schooling years, I remember buying two sets of new clothes every LNY - one each for visiting each grandmother on the first two days - and one pair of new shoes.
It wasn't until I started working that I could get clothes for myself any time of the year. But it's already a habit, to get new clothes for LNY. And it's always a happy thing, to shop for LNY clothes, even though I can now get clothes any time.
I got a simple dress in December and a pretty top last week when I shopped over lunch. Today, Sito got a polo T-shirt - it's now in the tumble dryer. Went shopping after collecting ZK's passport - his first photo ID!!
Anyway, today, Mum confirmed that Sito got new clothes during LNY and here and there too. Lucky boy..
ZK is also very lucky. He has a lot of new clothes! And I think he has some new clothes that are now too small to start wearing! That's what happens when there are too many items to keep track off.. And I tend to keep using the onesies so the shirts get neglected and forgotten.. I hope to clear his wardrobe a bit in the coming week. Do a mini 大扫除!
"Need meh?"
Well, I don't recall him doing that even once all these years.
I asked him if he got new clothes all the time since he was a kid. He wasn't too sure. Probably. Or maybe it's a men's thing; it doesn't matter to him whether he gets new clothes!
I used to get new clothes only during LNY. For most of my schooling years, I remember buying two sets of new clothes every LNY - one each for visiting each grandmother on the first two days - and one pair of new shoes.
It wasn't until I started working that I could get clothes for myself any time of the year. But it's already a habit, to get new clothes for LNY. And it's always a happy thing, to shop for LNY clothes, even though I can now get clothes any time.
I got a simple dress in December and a pretty top last week when I shopped over lunch. Today, Sito got a polo T-shirt - it's now in the tumble dryer. Went shopping after collecting ZK's passport - his first photo ID!!
Anyway, today, Mum confirmed that Sito got new clothes during LNY and here and there too. Lucky boy..
ZK is also very lucky. He has a lot of new clothes! And I think he has some new clothes that are now too small to start wearing! That's what happens when there are too many items to keep track off.. And I tend to keep using the onesies so the shirts get neglected and forgotten.. I hope to clear his wardrobe a bit in the coming week. Do a mini 大扫除!
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Busy ZK
This boy has really bad sleep poses, courtesy of his mama no doubt, ha! Just now when I went in to mop the floor - have to do that every night cos of the dusty demolition of the en bloc flat opposite - I found that he had deserted his soft bolster and pacifier, turned 90 degrees, and found his firm bolster.
Redid the setup in his room after mopping. Found him on the floor between the width of his bed and the cabinet last night, and also on the floor near the bottom of his bed a few times last week - no cushion there! So now, there's a heavy pillow at the bottom of his bed and I've lined the floor along whole length of his bed with blankets. Let's see where I'll find him later tonight..
One reason he's moving about so much is that he's trying to crawl. Really! He's been pushing up on his knees, then dropping to his side when he can't balance his butt in the air :p And every time he moves significantly, he wakes himself up. When I put him on his play mat this morning, he was moving around very quickly, pivoting on his belly to reach his toys. Think it's a matter of time before he moves forward instead :)
So he's a really busy boy lately, learning to crawl, sit, stand and speak all at the same time! This morning, he sat without support for a little while - so proud of this little fellow! :) And he kept babbling when he woke up this afternoon from a nap. He was so cute - he woke, smiled at me, rolled off, saw Sito sleeping on his other side and started to reach for him! All of us were very happy :)
That was also quite a nap - he had me as a pacifier THE WHOLE TIME! I wasn't sore but.. Well, this emoticon says it all: O_o !!!
Recently, he has been nursing like he's having a hamburger - squeeeeze! It can get pretty painful sometimes, especially towards the end of the week when his nails are long.. But well, I take it that he's learning to better his grip.. He also likes to grasp at the bottle when I pump the other side while nursing him every morning. Sometimes, he'll pull the tube off. Jealous? :p
I hope he sleeps through tonight. Last night, he woke at 2.20 am. I napped next to him while he rolled about. He dozed off by 2.40 am and I got up to pump. He didn't get up until 6 am, phew! The three nights before that were bad - he got up to poop at about 4 am and called out by 4.15 am!! After changing him, it took around an hour to get him down again. It was brutal. Think I'd better get some sleep now while I can!
Redid the setup in his room after mopping. Found him on the floor between the width of his bed and the cabinet last night, and also on the floor near the bottom of his bed a few times last week - no cushion there! So now, there's a heavy pillow at the bottom of his bed and I've lined the floor along whole length of his bed with blankets. Let's see where I'll find him later tonight..
One reason he's moving about so much is that he's trying to crawl. Really! He's been pushing up on his knees, then dropping to his side when he can't balance his butt in the air :p And every time he moves significantly, he wakes himself up. When I put him on his play mat this morning, he was moving around very quickly, pivoting on his belly to reach his toys. Think it's a matter of time before he moves forward instead :)
So he's a really busy boy lately, learning to crawl, sit, stand and speak all at the same time! This morning, he sat without support for a little while - so proud of this little fellow! :) And he kept babbling when he woke up this afternoon from a nap. He was so cute - he woke, smiled at me, rolled off, saw Sito sleeping on his other side and started to reach for him! All of us were very happy :)
That was also quite a nap - he had me as a pacifier THE WHOLE TIME! I wasn't sore but.. Well, this emoticon says it all: O_o !!!
Recently, he has been nursing like he's having a hamburger - squeeeeze! It can get pretty painful sometimes, especially towards the end of the week when his nails are long.. But well, I take it that he's learning to better his grip.. He also likes to grasp at the bottle when I pump the other side while nursing him every morning. Sometimes, he'll pull the tube off. Jealous? :p
I hope he sleeps through tonight. Last night, he woke at 2.20 am. I napped next to him while he rolled about. He dozed off by 2.40 am and I got up to pump. He didn't get up until 6 am, phew! The three nights before that were bad - he got up to poop at about 4 am and called out by 4.15 am!! After changing him, it took around an hour to get him down again. It was brutal. Think I'd better get some sleep now while I can!
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Thinking of my baby
My baby is sleeping soundly now. Stay that way for the rest of the night please :)
But I miss him. He was so cute and fun this evening! Must tell Sito later...
Although ZK has recovered from his illness, he hasn't recovered his appetite for solids :( Last weekend, he had very little rice cereal. And he spit out my steamed apple when he used to eat it while making a face. But he is still very excited about his rice crackers! And last Saturday, I was having some bread and since he was positively staring, I gave him a little piece. He stuffed the whole thing into his mouth and after a while, it was gone!
He loves bread like his mama does?! :)) I foresee mornings full of beautiful sandwiches!! :)))
Last weekend, we decided to shower him. He's been getting too big for his bathtub for quite a while now. And the last few times, he was thrashing about in the tub even though he wasn't cranky. So Saturday, I passed ZK to Sito when he took an early shower - papa-and-son shower time! :) I took pictures but they were quite blur as my shower glass was pretty dirty by the weekend; part-time cleaner comes on Monday.
ZK looked quite blur :p But he didn't complain at all. When he was done, Sito deposited him onto the towel I had on me and continued his shower while I dried ZK and did the usual evening stuff.
And Sunday, I decided to swap roles with Sito. I finished showering and had Sito pass ZK to me. I used a lot more baby shampoo and shower foam than Sito did the day before - I've never seen ZK so soapy! He was super clean that day. He looked super cute. He felt super smooth and soft. And he was super close. Then I realised it. I hadn't been this close - skin close! - to him since the day he was born!
It was a very good experience. I think we would shower him during the weekends from now until he can sit well enough in the bigger bathtub.
Now that I'm working, I don't get to see him as much as before. Sometimes I'll think of him and his cute antics. Even his expressionless face is super cute. Like last night when he woke at 1.30 am and stared at me, refusing to sleep. I let him be and lay next to him, watching him roll around, sometimes turning around to look at me, expressionless, and sometimes giving me a kick here and there. Finally, he stared into the darkness and slowly closed his eyes. When we woke, I found him sitting on the floor and leaning forward on his bed, with his head turned towards the door cos he heard me. And oh yes, with poop all over his back!
And on the topic of sleep, I forgot to mention in my last update that besides being able to sleep through without a night feed, he could now nap for longer than 30 min. Last Saturday, he took a 1.5-hour nap and a 2-hour nap! I think his bolster helps. Mum got him this bolster that is very light and soft, perfect for his little limbs. The bolsters from me are too firm and round for him to handle so they're lining his bed for now. I'm now looking for a good opportunity to take a photo of him sleeping with his bolster :)
Oh, I've gone back on my word about no TV until pre-school age. There were bad days just before he started going to infant care when I didn't know what to do with him. So I sat him down in front of the TV and turned it on for five minutes *.* But it was so funny to see him watching the moving images so intently!
I'm getting sleepy. Gonna rest a bit before pumping. Better not turn off my alarm like I did last night - and did not wake up to pump until 2 am!!
But I miss him. He was so cute and fun this evening! Must tell Sito later...
Although ZK has recovered from his illness, he hasn't recovered his appetite for solids :( Last weekend, he had very little rice cereal. And he spit out my steamed apple when he used to eat it while making a face. But he is still very excited about his rice crackers! And last Saturday, I was having some bread and since he was positively staring, I gave him a little piece. He stuffed the whole thing into his mouth and after a while, it was gone!
He loves bread like his mama does?! :)) I foresee mornings full of beautiful sandwiches!! :)))
Last weekend, we decided to shower him. He's been getting too big for his bathtub for quite a while now. And the last few times, he was thrashing about in the tub even though he wasn't cranky. So Saturday, I passed ZK to Sito when he took an early shower - papa-and-son shower time! :) I took pictures but they were quite blur as my shower glass was pretty dirty by the weekend; part-time cleaner comes on Monday.
ZK looked quite blur :p But he didn't complain at all. When he was done, Sito deposited him onto the towel I had on me and continued his shower while I dried ZK and did the usual evening stuff.
And Sunday, I decided to swap roles with Sito. I finished showering and had Sito pass ZK to me. I used a lot more baby shampoo and shower foam than Sito did the day before - I've never seen ZK so soapy! He was super clean that day. He looked super cute. He felt super smooth and soft. And he was super close. Then I realised it. I hadn't been this close - skin close! - to him since the day he was born!
It was a very good experience. I think we would shower him during the weekends from now until he can sit well enough in the bigger bathtub.
Now that I'm working, I don't get to see him as much as before. Sometimes I'll think of him and his cute antics. Even his expressionless face is super cute. Like last night when he woke at 1.30 am and stared at me, refusing to sleep. I let him be and lay next to him, watching him roll around, sometimes turning around to look at me, expressionless, and sometimes giving me a kick here and there. Finally, he stared into the darkness and slowly closed his eyes. When we woke, I found him sitting on the floor and leaning forward on his bed, with his head turned towards the door cos he heard me. And oh yes, with poop all over his back!
And on the topic of sleep, I forgot to mention in my last update that besides being able to sleep through without a night feed, he could now nap for longer than 30 min. Last Saturday, he took a 1.5-hour nap and a 2-hour nap! I think his bolster helps. Mum got him this bolster that is very light and soft, perfect for his little limbs. The bolsters from me are too firm and round for him to handle so they're lining his bed for now. I'm now looking for a good opportunity to take a photo of him sleeping with his bolster :)
Oh, I've gone back on my word about no TV until pre-school age. There were bad days just before he started going to infant care when I didn't know what to do with him. So I sat him down in front of the TV and turned it on for five minutes *.* But it was so funny to see him watching the moving images so intently!
I'm getting sleepy. Gonna rest a bit before pumping. Better not turn off my alarm like I did last night - and did not wake up to pump until 2 am!!
Random pictures
Some random pictures to share..
It was a lovely early morning on ZK's third day in infant care. The little boy gets packed off to school very early. He's usually the first infant to arrive. I'm glad that he seems happy there..
Hilarious notice!! Honestly, I don't mind if cockroaches die.. I'm in favour of the genocide of all creepy crawlies!
Found my old Nokia 8250 among my belongings in the office - brought it to office a few years ago cos we needed a phone with no camera. But I no longer had the charger and it couldn't work *.* It continued to stay on my desk until yesterday when I finally chucked it.
Um, really?!
Poor Meh.. I decided to give her away in the recycling bag - I no longer hugged her to bed and she had been gathering dust on our bed board. Someone else would be able to give her more love.. BUT! I forgot to attach a note to her! I'm so sad. It felt as if she was abandoned.. When I gave Eeyore away, I wrote a nice little note. And I love Meh more than Eeyore! Thanks, Meh, for accompanying me through so many nights.. And with her departure, my bedmates are all history...
Snake in the house! In the name of the coming LNY! :) This is actually a bumper pad. Mum got it for ZK for fear that he would knock his head on the wall when he rolls around in his bed. Should be dry by tomorrow..
It was a lovely early morning on ZK's third day in infant care. The little boy gets packed off to school very early. He's usually the first infant to arrive. I'm glad that he seems happy there..
Hilarious notice!! Honestly, I don't mind if cockroaches die.. I'm in favour of the genocide of all creepy crawlies!
Found my old Nokia 8250 among my belongings in the office - brought it to office a few years ago cos we needed a phone with no camera. But I no longer had the charger and it couldn't work *.* It continued to stay on my desk until yesterday when I finally chucked it.
Um, really?!
Poor Meh.. I decided to give her away in the recycling bag - I no longer hugged her to bed and she had been gathering dust on our bed board. Someone else would be able to give her more love.. BUT! I forgot to attach a note to her! I'm so sad. It felt as if she was abandoned.. When I gave Eeyore away, I wrote a nice little note. And I love Meh more than Eeyore! Thanks, Meh, for accompanying me through so many nights.. And with her departure, my bedmates are all history...
Snake in the house! In the name of the coming LNY! :) This is actually a bumper pad. Mum got it for ZK for fear that he would knock his head on the wall when he rolls around in his bed. Should be dry by tomorrow..
To bia or not to bia
Heard a whining baby on my way up to the infant area yesterday evening. Couldn't tell which baby it was. Then I looked through the glass panel on the door and saw ZK sitting happily on a high chair - not him! After signing out on his daily sheet, I went in to get my happy baby who flashed a lovely smile at me! :)
As usual, he became unhappy the moment he was wheeled into the house, only to become happy again when I picked him up and set him up for bed. Today, he was very very happy on our bed while I was changing. Such a lovely smile :)
At times like this, I'm super happy that I'm able to be here with him - physically and mentally, with no OT and no work on my mind.
Yesterday must be the most boring work day ever. I read newspapers, read blogs relating to my work, explored websites relating to my work, read the media release for the enhanced marriage and parenthood package, did some small submissions and discussed a paper with a colleague. I even spent 1 hour 10 min going home to get my milk bottles cos I forgot about them, and then pumped twice. I regretted having lunch at my desk; I had so much time!
I think it's partly because the work in this unit is pretty much on auto-pilot now. I'm wondering whether I should ask for more work. But it's dangerous - it's easy to get more work but it's not easy to shed work. Yes, I'm greedy - I want to be more occupied and have good work-life balance at the same time. I miss what I used to do but I don't miss the endless work and time spent on work. Time is a very precious commodity now.
I wake early with ZK, pack him off to school and return to do various chores in the house before preparing for work. I always do things while chewing on my muesli; I haven't sat down for breakfast for a long time now. This morning, I also had to change his bedsheets even though they were changed only yesterday cos he had a major poopy blowout AND he rolled around *.* Then at night, after he has gone to bed, I'll be busy with chores again - washing bottles, settling his laundry, thawing his milk, preparing our bags for tomorrow. And I have some me time while waiting for the right time to pump the last time for the day.
Discussed this with Sito last night. He jokingly said that for the sake of a bigger house, perhaps I could take on more, get more bonus etc, heh! But ultimately, I must be happy with what I do. And have time for our little family.
So today, I talked to DC - she's now my boss - about it. We concluded that we should try to stir shit within our unit first :) So well, we shall see!
As usual, he became unhappy the moment he was wheeled into the house, only to become happy again when I picked him up and set him up for bed. Today, he was very very happy on our bed while I was changing. Such a lovely smile :)
At times like this, I'm super happy that I'm able to be here with him - physically and mentally, with no OT and no work on my mind.
Yesterday must be the most boring work day ever. I read newspapers, read blogs relating to my work, explored websites relating to my work, read the media release for the enhanced marriage and parenthood package, did some small submissions and discussed a paper with a colleague. I even spent 1 hour 10 min going home to get my milk bottles cos I forgot about them, and then pumped twice. I regretted having lunch at my desk; I had so much time!
I think it's partly because the work in this unit is pretty much on auto-pilot now. I'm wondering whether I should ask for more work. But it's dangerous - it's easy to get more work but it's not easy to shed work. Yes, I'm greedy - I want to be more occupied and have good work-life balance at the same time. I miss what I used to do but I don't miss the endless work and time spent on work. Time is a very precious commodity now.
I wake early with ZK, pack him off to school and return to do various chores in the house before preparing for work. I always do things while chewing on my muesli; I haven't sat down for breakfast for a long time now. This morning, I also had to change his bedsheets even though they were changed only yesterday cos he had a major poopy blowout AND he rolled around *.* Then at night, after he has gone to bed, I'll be busy with chores again - washing bottles, settling his laundry, thawing his milk, preparing our bags for tomorrow. And I have some me time while waiting for the right time to pump the last time for the day.
Discussed this with Sito last night. He jokingly said that for the sake of a bigger house, perhaps I could take on more, get more bonus etc, heh! But ultimately, I must be happy with what I do. And have time for our little family.
So today, I talked to DC - she's now my boss - about it. We concluded that we should try to stir shit within our unit first :) So well, we shall see!
Sunday, 20 January 2013
Production line at work
I do this twice a day in the office - close the door, swivel the chair around, assemble, partially undress, attach, switch on the power, and sng! Sng! Sng! Sng! And 20 minutes later, two bottles of warm milk in my hands!!!!
We call that "printing" in office cos a guy once commented to a mummy one day some years ago, "Your printer was very loud; could hear it through closed door!" Well, we don't close our doors for nothing...
During Sito's enforced leave in December, which I hope to write about real soon, I had to bring my pump out to relieve me of milk while we were out. We joked that I could pump while watching a movie...
"Fix-it *sng* Felix Junior *sng* to the rescue!" *sng*
"My *sng* precious!" *sng*
"Animals *sng* have *sng* souls." *sng*
Anyway, some time in December, I discovered that I could get a lot more milk when pumping both sides at the same time. So for a while, I supported the left bottle with my left forearm and the right bottle with my left hand so that I had a free hand to fiddle with my phone and do compressions towards the end of each session. I ended up with ring marks on my arm and a very sore right shoulder for some strange reason.
So I went in search of something to help me pump hands-free. The common solution of hooking a rubber band to the nursing bra doesn't work as I don't intend to wear my nursing bras to work, which is when I'll need to double pump and be hands-free so that I can do some work. Then I found a kit that holds up the bottles - at $32!! $32 for a bit of string, really??!
So I bought 3m of string from Daiso and made these!
The short one in the centre is made from leftover string - for holding up my blouse so it doesn't fall over baby's face when nursing - works for pumping too!
Materials:
2m of string
2 clips - I use old hair clips
Lighter or glue
Directions:
1) Take one end of the string, use the lighter or glue to keep it from fraying, and tie a knot around the other end of it.
2) Repeat for the other end. Now the hoop length is adjustable.
3) Put the hoop around your neck. Don't put your head through the hoop, no no... Just loop it around your neck.
4) Adjust the length such that the two ends hover around your nipples.
5) Put the pump flanges through the hoop and use the hair clips to secure the string - I prefer to secure it just above the flanges.
6) Hold on to the setup and turn on the pump! After a short while, the suction should keep the collection bottles attached. It may take a few tries for you to get there though.. And I must push my bra in a particular way or the suction won't keep the bottles there..
7) Enjoy doing whatever you were doing before the pumping session! :)
I usually fiddle with my phone or read emails or news on the laptop - just turn a little to reach the mouse. And the other day, I even had a discussion with TT on the other side of my desk while pumping!
Breastmilk production is so amazing. I can pump until I'm sore and nothing comes out, but when ZK wants food after that, there is still food! His sucking power beats any pump.. A few nights ago, I had a blocked duct on the right - massaging and pumping couldn't get it out. Having ZK suck at it also didn't work, probably cos he wasn't hungry at night and didn't suck much. I had to wait until the next morning when he was hungry enough to suck out everything!
Anyway, I'm getting quite tired of pumping. I need to pump four times a day to make up for the milk he has at infant care - once in the morning on one side while he takes the other, twice on both at the office, and once on both before I sleep. But pumping at work takes so much time. And I'm usually very tired at night to pump. So I'm seriously thinking about reducing pumping. That will mean having to supplement with formula. I'm just glad I could manage total breastfeeding so far. Eventually, I want to just breastfeed twice a day - once in the morning and once at night. He can take formula in the day. I'll continue my four sessions at least until after LNY... Wish us luck! :)
We call that "printing" in office cos a guy once commented to a mummy one day some years ago, "Your printer was very loud; could hear it through closed door!" Well, we don't close our doors for nothing...
During Sito's enforced leave in December, which I hope to write about real soon, I had to bring my pump out to relieve me of milk while we were out. We joked that I could pump while watching a movie...
"Fix-it *sng* Felix Junior *sng* to the rescue!" *sng*
"My *sng* precious!" *sng*
"Animals *sng* have *sng* souls." *sng*
Anyway, some time in December, I discovered that I could get a lot more milk when pumping both sides at the same time. So for a while, I supported the left bottle with my left forearm and the right bottle with my left hand so that I had a free hand to fiddle with my phone and do compressions towards the end of each session. I ended up with ring marks on my arm and a very sore right shoulder for some strange reason.
So I went in search of something to help me pump hands-free. The common solution of hooking a rubber band to the nursing bra doesn't work as I don't intend to wear my nursing bras to work, which is when I'll need to double pump and be hands-free so that I can do some work. Then I found a kit that holds up the bottles - at $32!! $32 for a bit of string, really??!
So I bought 3m of string from Daiso and made these!
The short one in the centre is made from leftover string - for holding up my blouse so it doesn't fall over baby's face when nursing - works for pumping too!
Materials:
2m of string
2 clips - I use old hair clips
Lighter or glue
Directions:
1) Take one end of the string, use the lighter or glue to keep it from fraying, and tie a knot around the other end of it.
2) Repeat for the other end. Now the hoop length is adjustable.
3) Put the hoop around your neck. Don't put your head through the hoop, no no... Just loop it around your neck.
4) Adjust the length such that the two ends hover around your nipples.
5) Put the pump flanges through the hoop and use the hair clips to secure the string - I prefer to secure it just above the flanges.
6) Hold on to the setup and turn on the pump! After a short while, the suction should keep the collection bottles attached. It may take a few tries for you to get there though.. And I must push my bra in a particular way or the suction won't keep the bottles there..
7) Enjoy doing whatever you were doing before the pumping session! :)
I usually fiddle with my phone or read emails or news on the laptop - just turn a little to reach the mouse. And the other day, I even had a discussion with TT on the other side of my desk while pumping!
Breastmilk production is so amazing. I can pump until I'm sore and nothing comes out, but when ZK wants food after that, there is still food! His sucking power beats any pump.. A few nights ago, I had a blocked duct on the right - massaging and pumping couldn't get it out. Having ZK suck at it also didn't work, probably cos he wasn't hungry at night and didn't suck much. I had to wait until the next morning when he was hungry enough to suck out everything!
Anyway, I'm getting quite tired of pumping. I need to pump four times a day to make up for the milk he has at infant care - once in the morning on one side while he takes the other, twice on both at the office, and once on both before I sleep. But pumping at work takes so much time. And I'm usually very tired at night to pump. So I'm seriously thinking about reducing pumping. That will mean having to supplement with formula. I'm just glad I could manage total breastfeeding so far. Eventually, I want to just breastfeed twice a day - once in the morning and once at night. He can take formula in the day. I'll continue my four sessions at least until after LNY... Wish us luck! :)
Monday, 14 January 2013
ZK turns six months! :)
And I haven't updated his development for ages! Here goes..
ZK had his first taste of rice cereal on 22 Dec!
But it was too watery so he had some Sophie instead...
That wasn't the first solids he had, of course. Just a week ago, he tried some pure corn juice from my cup :p
And one week later, he gave me his "Apple?!" face!
Well, the apple was obviously not satisfying enough...
Found some apple bits in his poop the next morning. I wasn't too sure so I gave him more apple - he had 1/8 of a steamed apple! - that morning! True enough, a lot more apple in his poop the next morning!!
That day was half-day at the centre. He had a lot of cereal and didn't manage to take his second bottle so Papa gave that to him at home. He can hold his bottle on his own now!
And then he wanted more. So here's a rice cracker for you my dear!
Tried to give him some water after that but nop, he wasn't having any of that tasteless stuff!
"See how fast I can eat!"
So we thought we could have our new year dinner in peace if we gave him some rice cracker. We thought wrong. He finished a cracker in less than three minutes *.* Faster than in the video! And he had two of those, realised there was no more and kicked up a fuss! Anyway, that was the first time he sat in a restaurant high chair - in Crystal Jade.
ZK faced outward for the first time in his carrier - off to TPY for family gathering!
That was a good day. That evening, Sito even carried him on his shoulders. And the little imp made a funny face behind him!
The little one fell asleep while we were out on Xmas eve. The head looked a little awkward so I had Sito support it..
"Actually, my butt is pretty small, heh heh!"
He developed some nasty rash near his anus so I let him go diaper free on Xmas morning!
Put the diaper back on when we headed out to Harbourfront - that's the family on the MRT :)
We meant to go to Sentosa but wow, that was a popular Xmas destination! So we turned around to the baby spa instead. Good choice - he was so happy that day!
So happy that he let us take photos of him during his bath, peacefully. This is our little yellow riding hood :)
So he has been sleeping in weird positions since he could flip and turn. This was one of the best:
And another one - he fell off his mattress, got caught between the sleep positioner and stayed asleep. My evil ploy worked wahahahaha!
"Merry Christmas! Ain't I cute? :)"
Started him on a brushing routine lately. The introduction on a happy new year morning went very well..
Fed him 1/4 of a banana that morning. He seemed to like it better than apples..
The extended family went to the Gardens by the Bay that day. But I think the highlight of the day was when Grandpa was carrying him.
"Hmmm, this is a new position.."
And what's that look?! Are you 孙悟空?!"
His latest trick is standing. He loves it! Even when he was ill! And he's pretty good at that too *proud* But hey, little one, learn to sit and crawl first, ok... I think he's getting to the crawling stage soon. Lately, he has been able to pivot on his belly to get to places. He would even kick and lift his legs to try to move forward. Oh, and he can flip towards his left too now.
Yet another milestone is that he can go without night feeds now! I started by reducing his night feed as a test. He seemed to be not hungry at all. So one night, I just patted him back to sleep and that was it! He woke on 4 Jan morning happy and not hungry! But with his recent illness, he had to nurse for comfort sometimes..
First day of school in the new year! Wearing his new Snoopy clothes:
My boys, reading :) A most relaxing activity on a weekend after a (not so) long week in school/at work!
Sofa time turned out to be very funny :)
Next was a dinner for Mama who wanted some angmoh food for her grand 33rd. Ended up with pseudo angmoh food - HK-style spaghetti at Xin Wang.
It was good enough. But the dessert was delightful! The top part collapsed halfway but Sito saved the ice cream!!
But poor ZK fell ill that weekend - first illness! :( He was coughing slightly on Saturday and on Sunday, he started to run a fever. We went to a clinic in Clementi and was told to bring him in again on Tuesday if the fever remained high. $109 as Sunday fees are higher. The fever went down but on Wednesday, it came up again so we went to NUH A&E.
The staff there were so nice! They were friendly and kind, and the check-up was very complete. The PD asked many questions, listened to his breathing etc and told us he had bronchiolitis. As his fever came up after going down, she ordered a blood test in case of secondary infection and an x-ray to check his lungs. Thankfully, everything was alright. Consultation and medicine came up to $132, just a little bit more than on Sunday!
So last week was very stressful for me, physically, mentally and emotionally. It just wasn't sustainable to take leave for every day that he was ill. I was already away from office for three days in my first six days! So after taking two days of leave on days he was really unwell, I asked Mum to help out.
See, so poor thing :(
As it was difficult to administer his medicine - he would struggle and he could spit out liquid! -, we had to get an extra pair of hands on two days when I was at work. That was a nightmare - reminder to self to find a few ad hoc babysitters for situations like this.. And as Sito was overseas, Mum even came over at 11 pm on Wednesday and left after his 3 am puff! Sito returned to Singapore after that and took over. Since then, we have learnt to give him the puff while he was asleep, phew!
Went back to NUH outpatient clinic for a review last Saturday. Definitely better but he has lost weight :( only 7.4 kg now :( But he's so long now - 67 cm!
Yesterday, he was finally happy and alert. But Sito and I were both down. Mum took him for the afternoon so that we could rest. It helped a lot! But I missed his laughter - he was so happy and fun that morning! During his illness, I made up a little song "squawky baby" cos he kept squawking. Yesterday, I sang the song to "happy baby" instead and that stayed as a earworm the whole of today hoho!
Just now, he had difficulty falling asleep but thankfully, he has been asleep without stirring except for two bouts of coughing. I wasn't able to give him his phlegm medicine as he was too cranky to attempt any feeding except from my factory..
Time to go pump before going to bed...
ZK had his first taste of rice cereal on 22 Dec!
But it was too watery so he had some Sophie instead...
That wasn't the first solids he had, of course. Just a week ago, he tried some pure corn juice from my cup :p
And one week later, he gave me his "Apple?!" face!
Well, the apple was obviously not satisfying enough...
Found some apple bits in his poop the next morning. I wasn't too sure so I gave him more apple - he had 1/8 of a steamed apple! - that morning! True enough, a lot more apple in his poop the next morning!!
That day was half-day at the centre. He had a lot of cereal and didn't manage to take his second bottle so Papa gave that to him at home. He can hold his bottle on his own now!
And then he wanted more. So here's a rice cracker for you my dear!
Tried to give him some water after that but nop, he wasn't having any of that tasteless stuff!
"See how fast I can eat!"
So we thought we could have our new year dinner in peace if we gave him some rice cracker. We thought wrong. He finished a cracker in less than three minutes *.* Faster than in the video! And he had two of those, realised there was no more and kicked up a fuss! Anyway, that was the first time he sat in a restaurant high chair - in Crystal Jade.
ZK faced outward for the first time in his carrier - off to TPY for family gathering!
That was a good day. That evening, Sito even carried him on his shoulders. And the little imp made a funny face behind him!
The little one fell asleep while we were out on Xmas eve. The head looked a little awkward so I had Sito support it..
"Actually, my butt is pretty small, heh heh!"
He developed some nasty rash near his anus so I let him go diaper free on Xmas morning!
Put the diaper back on when we headed out to Harbourfront - that's the family on the MRT :)
We meant to go to Sentosa but wow, that was a popular Xmas destination! So we turned around to the baby spa instead. Good choice - he was so happy that day!
So happy that he let us take photos of him during his bath, peacefully. This is our little yellow riding hood :)
So he has been sleeping in weird positions since he could flip and turn. This was one of the best:
And another one - he fell off his mattress, got caught between the sleep positioner and stayed asleep. My evil ploy worked wahahahaha!
"Merry Christmas! Ain't I cute? :)"
Started him on a brushing routine lately. The introduction on a happy new year morning went very well..
Fed him 1/4 of a banana that morning. He seemed to like it better than apples..
The extended family went to the Gardens by the Bay that day. But I think the highlight of the day was when Grandpa was carrying him.
"Hmmm, this is a new position.."
And what's that look?! Are you 孙悟空?!"
His latest trick is standing. He loves it! Even when he was ill! And he's pretty good at that too *proud* But hey, little one, learn to sit and crawl first, ok... I think he's getting to the crawling stage soon. Lately, he has been able to pivot on his belly to get to places. He would even kick and lift his legs to try to move forward. Oh, and he can flip towards his left too now.
Yet another milestone is that he can go without night feeds now! I started by reducing his night feed as a test. He seemed to be not hungry at all. So one night, I just patted him back to sleep and that was it! He woke on 4 Jan morning happy and not hungry! But with his recent illness, he had to nurse for comfort sometimes..
First day of school in the new year! Wearing his new Snoopy clothes:
My boys, reading :) A most relaxing activity on a weekend after a (not so) long week in school/at work!
Sofa time turned out to be very funny :)
Next was a dinner for Mama who wanted some angmoh food for her grand 33rd. Ended up with pseudo angmoh food - HK-style spaghetti at Xin Wang.
It was good enough. But the dessert was delightful! The top part collapsed halfway but Sito saved the ice cream!!
But poor ZK fell ill that weekend - first illness! :( He was coughing slightly on Saturday and on Sunday, he started to run a fever. We went to a clinic in Clementi and was told to bring him in again on Tuesday if the fever remained high. $109 as Sunday fees are higher. The fever went down but on Wednesday, it came up again so we went to NUH A&E.
The staff there were so nice! They were friendly and kind, and the check-up was very complete. The PD asked many questions, listened to his breathing etc and told us he had bronchiolitis. As his fever came up after going down, she ordered a blood test in case of secondary infection and an x-ray to check his lungs. Thankfully, everything was alright. Consultation and medicine came up to $132, just a little bit more than on Sunday!
So last week was very stressful for me, physically, mentally and emotionally. It just wasn't sustainable to take leave for every day that he was ill. I was already away from office for three days in my first six days! So after taking two days of leave on days he was really unwell, I asked Mum to help out.
See, so poor thing :(
As it was difficult to administer his medicine - he would struggle and he could spit out liquid! -, we had to get an extra pair of hands on two days when I was at work. That was a nightmare - reminder to self to find a few ad hoc babysitters for situations like this.. And as Sito was overseas, Mum even came over at 11 pm on Wednesday and left after his 3 am puff! Sito returned to Singapore after that and took over. Since then, we have learnt to give him the puff while he was asleep, phew!
Went back to NUH outpatient clinic for a review last Saturday. Definitely better but he has lost weight :( only 7.4 kg now :( But he's so long now - 67 cm!
Yesterday, he was finally happy and alert. But Sito and I were both down. Mum took him for the afternoon so that we could rest. It helped a lot! But I missed his laughter - he was so happy and fun that morning! During his illness, I made up a little song "squawky baby" cos he kept squawking. Yesterday, I sang the song to "happy baby" instead and that stayed as a earworm the whole of today hoho!
Just now, he had difficulty falling asleep but thankfully, he has been asleep without stirring except for two bouts of coughing. I wasn't able to give him his phlegm medicine as he was too cranky to attempt any feeding except from my factory..
Time to go pump before going to bed...
Wednesday, 2 January 2013
First day at work! Again!
And I wore the same dress I wore on my first day of work on 3 Nov 2003 :p
The office is so different from last time.. Didn't do much today, just some IT and admin, catching up with old friends and making new ones. The handover will be complete tomorrow so I guess that's when I'll really be back to the grind...
Besides being my first day back, today had many other firsts as well..
1) First time that Sito and I took the train together to office! He alights one stop after me :)
2) First time we saw ommuters line up in two straight lines to board the train! I thought I was out of the workforce for too long but Sito said this was hs first as well. But strangely, this happened only at the Buona Vista station on the circle line, and more obvious in the morning than evening.
3) First time using two monitors to work! I was doing little today and yet I felt more efficient. Can't wait until real work lands on my desk...!
4) First time pumping at work! Not my first time pumping outside home - that was at Isetan last Thursday - but I had some trouble setting up shop. The plug was too big to fit into the socket panel on my desk and too heavy to stay attached to a wall socket! Took some adjustment to make things work..
5) First time using new pump! Ok, I bought it secondhand so it's not new but it's new to me! And what a good pump it is! I've never seen my milk milk come out so fast and furious that it bubbled!
6) First time leaving work at 6 pm, not to go study, but to go home! The train was largely empty on the east west line - perhaps many people are still on leave.. Circle line was manageable.
7) First time that ZK was so excited to see me when I picked him up! And when I went for him, he stretched out his arms :) He made a little noise on the way home, which was unusual, but he was happy when he was back, which was unusual too! Had a nice time while changing and massaging him :)
The office is so different from last time.. Didn't do much today, just some IT and admin, catching up with old friends and making new ones. The handover will be complete tomorrow so I guess that's when I'll really be back to the grind...
Besides being my first day back, today had many other firsts as well..
1) First time that Sito and I took the train together to office! He alights one stop after me :)
2) First time we saw ommuters line up in two straight lines to board the train! I thought I was out of the workforce for too long but Sito said this was hs first as well. But strangely, this happened only at the Buona Vista station on the circle line, and more obvious in the morning than evening.
3) First time using two monitors to work! I was doing little today and yet I felt more efficient. Can't wait until real work lands on my desk...!
4) First time pumping at work! Not my first time pumping outside home - that was at Isetan last Thursday - but I had some trouble setting up shop. The plug was too big to fit into the socket panel on my desk and too heavy to stay attached to a wall socket! Took some adjustment to make things work..
5) First time using new pump! Ok, I bought it secondhand so it's not new but it's new to me! And what a good pump it is! I've never seen my milk milk come out so fast and furious that it bubbled!
6) First time leaving work at 6 pm, not to go study, but to go home! The train was largely empty on the east west line - perhaps many people are still on leave.. Circle line was manageable.
7) First time that ZK was so excited to see me when I picked him up! And when I went for him, he stretched out his arms :) He made a little noise on the way home, which was unusual, but he was happy when he was back, which was unusual too! Had a nice time while changing and massaging him :)
Tuesday, 1 January 2013
Happy new year 2013!
I was washing my pump parts when I heard the countdown starting. Rinsed off the soap and dashed in just in time to share the first moments of 2013 with Sito :)
And then, I heard the first song of this new year - Gangnam Style *.* The party is still going strong downstairs...
Anyway, been busy this festive season, and work resumes in two days so will post more later..
Have a great start to 2013, everyone! :)
And then, I heard the first song of this new year - Gangnam Style *.* The party is still going strong downstairs...
Anyway, been busy this festive season, and work resumes in two days so will post more later..
Have a great start to 2013, everyone! :)
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