Its Bathing Time

Charmaine is always screaming out her lungs

during her bathe...

Look at her expression :)

Chatter in a box...

I was wondering how come there was silence

and saw this when I entered our bedroom...

 Charlotte trying to fit herself into the box :)

Random Photos

I am also envious of Charlotte's eyelashes.

Oooh...

I have Daddy's forehead.

Seems like I have sleepy eyes like Mummy.

Mummy suspects that she carried the wrong baby cos she said I look like a Malay baby.

Luckily I have Daddy's forehead so

she can confirm that I am her baby :)

ah... Confinement!

Traditionally, Chinese believe that confinements are necessary for mothers after giving birth in order to restore their body back to its original condition or even better condition so that they will not have health issues when they grow old.

I am currently going through my second round of confinement a.k.a suffering... now!

My first confinement sucks. I was staying with in-laws in a 3 room flat. There was no room for the confinement lady to sleep hence she had to be at my house from 8am to 7pm daily. Her cooking was lousy. She was way too chatty... kept complaining about the lack of space at my house (where I was already pretty irritated by it) and most importantly my utility bill shot up thrice for the month she was here!

We had an "internal" meeting everytime after she left to discuss about her almost everyday.

My second confinement is okay... better than my first I would say. Confinement lady was not the "original" that I had requested for. The "original" lady asked her friend, which is this lady doing confinement for me now, to take over her duties as she was sick. Somehow I managed to find out that the "original" lady had already planned this long time ago before she was sick. Sometimes you can dig out / find out a lot more by chatting to them ;) 

My confinement lady did not turn up for work the day I was discharged, blaming that I should inform her when I was hospitalized. NB! How the hell I know they had such prearrangement of passing duties so irresponsibly where I had informed the "original" lady everything... never mind.

The following day, she called to to say that the car had broke down (she told Ivan that she had to purchase coach tickets to travel here actually so it indirectly meant that she was lying) and she could only come the next day where Ivan was supposed to go back to work. Imagine how damn pissed I was! I was on the verge of shouting at her not to come anymore!

She managed to "rush" (she said she rushed but later on during some conversations she said she went for coffee with the "original" lady before she took coach here - lying again) to my house in the night time eventually after Ivan told her that there wasn't anyone helping with confinement except him and he had to go back to work the next day. She thought my mother was here to help. If my mother was... I would not even need her!

p.s: my mother paid for my confinement and I never blame her as she needs to work... we do not want her to go through the tedious confinement too anyway.

She came late at around 9pm on the second day I was discharged and hint me that she will be going back on 31 Oct at around 12pm. Woah! I am been cheated of  9 hours straight! I told myself - never mind, tolerate.

The first day she did not wash any of baby's and my clothes. At night, I asked Ivan to ask if she does so and she told Ivan she do not do any washing of clothes. A while later, she agreed to do so. She threw ALL clothes (exclude hers) into the washing machine together and hung them up to dry.

Ivan switched on mobtv when his parents came one day and from there the lady requested to watch her Taiwan show everyday. How clever Ivan is right?! Again I told myself - never mind tolerate and as long as she attends to baby when she cries  and complete what she has to do its okay...

She asked us to help her buy top up card for her mobile which we gladly did, bought her black coffee as she dislike the coffee Ivan drinks, treated her subway and other meals when we are at hospital, bought her pies when I bought some for myself, helped her buy hair dye when I went NTUC, buy her cakes when we have it, buy wholemeal bread instead of white bread as she prefers it....

She told me she needs to go custom to stamp her passport after 2 weeks and we allow her to do so even though I know that it is not necessary. She still got the cheek to tell me she will go coffee with her friend and come back after 4pm to cook dinner. ^&*$%&$&($@@!!!

We understands that she rarely does confinement in Singapore hence she is afraid to go market. Never mind. I told her Ivan will accompany and drive her go market to buy food. Instead she told Ivan what she wants and let Ivan go alone. You know guys are not that good with buying food esp. Never mind. She can suddenly come up with something and expect Ivan go purchase it. She must be thinking that Ivan is his own boss or something!

She insisted that I chomp down all ginger she cooked in the food. Told her Charmaine had jaundice and I need to cut down on ginger. When doctor told me to avoid all herbs as Charmaine's jaundice is persisting, she asked me what to cook. She feeds me same breakfast and lunch, refuse to believe that feeding plain water to breastfed babies are like poisoning them, complains to me almost everyday about Ivan smoking in toilet...

Gosh...

These confinement ladies really need to go for trainings to brush up on their "professionalism", update on their old wives tales, learn more about medical problems with infants, cooking lessons etc.

Most importantly, they ought to have passion for what they do. Imagine the lady telling me that she actually do not intend to do my confinement but if she backs out she will need to pay penalties so end up... she's here. 

I told Ivan... I need a maid when I am pregnant with our 3rd... not a nanny ANYMORE!

When will it stop?

Brought Charmaine for blood test again today.

Its 13.5. Shot up again. *irritated

Wonder when will it stop...

---> Update

Managed to speak to Dr Lim of Kinder Clinic again and expressed my concerns of the long wait to carry out another blood test 2 weeks later and proposed to carry out a liver test for Charmaine.

Dr Lim mentioned that I could do a blood test next week but there will not be much changes. As for the liver test, it will not be necessary until Charmaine is a month old as it was only then the liver will show signs. He mentioned that 13 is a low level and there is no need to be alarmed until it hits 15 or if she poops whitish stools. As long as its yellowish seedy stools, its fine. He also mentioned that if I am concerned about the jaundice then I could try to stop breastfeeding for 3 days and carry out blood test on the 4th day to see if its breastmilk jaundice. He did mentioned that the benefits of the breastmilk weighs higher than the concerns of the jaundice hence he felt its better to continue breastfeeding and carry out the blood test on coming Tuesday. 

I will do that for the moment and hope for the better :)  

Charmaine was Hospitalized

Returned to Kinder Clinic at Mt A for Charmaine's jaundice check

and Dr Terrence Tan informed us that her jaundice shot up to 19.5 at Day 6.

She was hospitalized for 3 days 2 nights and needed to be on 3 nos. of the light.

Its more cost effective to do it in hospital as their lights are stronger

than those machines that you rent back home.

 The only good news was Charmaine was 3 k.g which meant she was feeding well

but her liver cannot expel all the jaundice and some needed help.

Dr Tan was trying his best to console me by telling me the stories of his son

whose jaundice level shot to 22 which was considered to be high

as if goes above 25, one has to change blood.

He kept looking at me especially at my eyes,

expecting me to cry or teared upon hearing the news

but I was pretty calm cos in my head I was thinking -

Damn! Additional cost! How to cope?!

Moreover Dr Tan charges are damn high!

Bet he must be thinking that I am a "Bad Mummy"

who is not worried about her child and had no reaction upon hearing the bad news.

Maybe its because Ivan wasn't around and I knew I ought to be strong...

Anyway, Charmaine's doing fine now though her jaundice is now 11.5.

We had to do another blood test next Tuesday.

She's 3.2kg now :)

Hope and pray that everything will be fine.

Our Charmaine Darling

At hospital before discharge...

Charmaine fell asleep when during her feeds.

Wonder she is born in the year of Tiger or Pig?

Love these little hands :)

Day 4 - She's in deep sleep

Felt that she looks like a Malay baby :(

maybe too much milo.

Random photographs

Charlotte's childcare celebrated Children's Day on 29 September 2010

and the children were allowed to wear home clothes.

Charlotte insisted to wear this dress hand sewn by nanny.

Mummy was at hospital busy delivering Charmaine mei mei and

Charlotte jie jie visited Mummy to give her loads of hugs and kisses.

Charlotte: Mummy I want you to come home. Tomorrow morning I come to fetch you ok?

 I bet the ladies beside me was badly disturbed by her.

No offences.

When Charlotte saw this cross in Mt A she said,

"Mummy how come the uncle never wear clothes? Shame shame. I don't want to talk to him!"

Arrival of Our 2nd Bundle of Nightmare

Ivan and Charlotte accompanied me for admission at 00:00 hrs on 01/10/10 in Mt A.

Then I was left all alone (except for the nurses) in the labour ward waiting to give birth anytime once I dilate enough.

We had no one to help us with Charlotte.
Moreover we did  not want to traumatize her further by sending her to my sister's or in-law's place.
Hence, Ivan sent Charlotte home and put her to bed till the next morning when he could send her to nanny's place.

I was so afraid that I would pop without Ivan around.
Imagine Ivan was still no where in sight at around 9am.
He overslept and his mobile was switched off.
He could not be woken up by the calls I made to home at all.

Luckily, Charmaine decided to pop in the afternoon.
I wanted Ivan to be around when she has pop so that we could take photographs of her.

Its pretty uncomfortable with the heartbeat monitoring equipment "sticked" onto my stomach the whole night and I had to ask the nurse to turn the volume down so that I could nap a little.

I was surprised that I could sleep this time round.

The bursting of the water bag was bearable.

The awful drip injection was ok.

The epidural was manageable.

There wasn't tears but just minor groaning maybe

because Ivan wasn't around and I knew that I had to be brave.

Ivan took this photograph to scare those who is going for epi.

Hahaha.

Very typical of him.

Epi wasted my precious 2 pieces of wholemeal bread with butter.

I asked for medication to stop myself from puking further

but it did not help.

Puking was disgusting,

Luckily I wasn't puking during labour this time round.

With less than 8 pushes, Charmaine popped.

There was really this popped or blobbed sound when she was out.

It was amazing yet funny.

Ivan took a video of her eyes looking round and round.

So scary.

Nurse said: Now you look like a doll.

and Dr Chen went to next door for another delivery after sewing me up.

She really know how to earn money :)

Outing with Pals Before Popping

Thanks Preggy Lyn for organizing this dinner before I pop.

Dinner at Mushroom Pot was great!

They have ladies night from Mondays to Fridays

and their soup is yummy.

Its a good place for gathering.

Joel is so CHUBBY!

A happy baby :D