Baby Shoot!

 

The baby shoot pictures are finally out! Qi Qi chanced upon the family portrait package promo on facebook and decided to book an appointment for a family shoot. Key reason being that we haven't had a nice family photo to date, which is a challenging task as our dear Ya Ya doesn’t appear to have an affinity with the camera.

The 1-hr photo shoot was a wonderful experience, both for the adults and our little one. It helped that the photographer (Melvin)  knew how to deal with young kids and created an atmosphere of fun and laughter. Ya Ya warmed up to Melvin rather quickly, and was soon treating the studio like her play-pen. She was even able to come up with some quirky poses which we had never seen her do before. Indeed, it told a lot that we came out of the studio feeling happy instead of exhausted.

It was not just the photo shoot which impressed us. The pre- and post-service were equally impressive. Prior to the shoot, the photographer called us to find out the theme and preference of the shoot. Two weeks after the shoot, a slide show of our photographs was prepared for us and we were brought to a cozy room for the selection process. The staff there were always courteous and ever-friendly and the waiting time was never more than 10 minutes.

Selection process was tough. We liked almost every photo out of the 20 plus shortlisted for us. Prior to the selection, we made a pact between us to just choose the best 1 to 2 photos, simply because we did not want this to burn a hole in our pockets. Yet just like our wedding shoot, we did not manage to comply with this so-called promise again. We cut down to our best – 11 photos in all. Which was a huge achievement for us already.

And yes, which meant the hole in our pocket appeared after all...

Happy 14th Year Anniversary, my dear!

Dearest Qi Qi,

Happy 14th Year Anniversary!

Just reminiscing and recalling to myself how we used to celebrate our monthly anniversaries when we first got together. And we were really excited about our 1st Year Anniversary as well. In a blink of an eye, 168 months have zoomed by us and we are celebrating our 14th year as a couple.

14!

In that 'short' span of 14 years, so many things have changed or occured to us and our families. Undergoing conscription, ORD, graduating from our universities, getting our first pay cheques, changing jobs, a nephew for us, a sad loss in the family as well. Significantly for us, we got engaged, then married, bought our own place and stayed on our own, and then of course the life-changing event - the birth of our child.

As we age, our focus have also shifted. While spending time on our own used to be something we enjoyed rather frequently, with the demands of work (official & unofficial), household chores and the child, that has become a luxury which we hardly get to taste. Even on the rare occasions we do find time alone, there is still the fatigue factor and it almost always ends up as a rushed affair as well. Which is why I really treasure and value even more all these time I can spend together with you. My biggest present for our anniversary would be to spend a quiet meal with you without distractions like the iPhone or any talk about diapers.

Over the past 1 year especially, I have seen how much we have had to sacrifice for and contribute to the family. It has not been easy, but we should make use of this opportunity to give ourselves a pat on our shoulders and say, "Well done, baby!"

But really, the biggest thing I want to say is that my love for you never ceases to grow by the day. Each day I wake up, I am thankful that I get to spend another day with you. Long may it continue, and I really hope we will be lucky enough to bai tou xie lao. That would make me the richest man on Earth, for sure.

On this special day, I would love to say, thank you dearest for all that you've been to me. I am looking forward to the next block of 14 years to see what is in store for us.

Loving you always.

Jeff

Golden Words

And just like that, it happened. Right out of the blue, on a typical Tuesday morning, out came the words - clear, crisp and unequivocal.

I had just woken Yaya up from her morning slumber, to get her ready for the ride to her Granny’s place. As I led her out of bed bleary-eyed, I told her gently as I normally did in the mornings, “Let’s look for Ma Ma.”

“Ma ma,” she echoed.

Wanting to confirm what I had heard, I repeated myself. “Yes, let’s go look for Ma Ma.”

“Ma ma!” she shrieked, louder this time, but with equal conviction and clarity.

And so we waddled towards the living-room. “Dear, she’s calling you!” I exclaimed to the unsuspecting Qi Qi.

And there she went, repeating the 2 words over and over again. After months of unsuccessful cajoling and probing, it felt like payback time as Yaya went on and on. Yet it did not sound like a broken record at all. A perfect start to an otherwise dreary-looking day.

So there you have it. Another surprise from our bible The Joys of Parenthood. How sweet such surprises can be indeed.

Just ask Qi Qi. =)

It's been a looong 5 months

And finally, I'm seeing the end of May.

Flashback to December 2010. I can't remember what the exact words were, or who exactly said them, but they were somewhere along the line of "Enjoy your time in NIE, it's your honeymoon period!". A fine piece of advice indeed before I left Fairfield for the last time as I embarked on my journey to the unknown.

On hindsight, it is perhaps a good thing that I can't recall who provided these words of wisdom, for I would have been tempted to give him a kick up the arse for preparing myself so inadequately for life back in school.

It started off promising enough - a free day every week up till Chinese New Year, with a couple of lectures everyday. Even then, the readings started to mount, and the number of years since I last touched on the contents started to show as I struggled initially with content mastery.

There was hardly any space to breathe in the subsequent weeks. More modules kicked in, and the assignments came fast and furious. There were pre-session readings, post-session reflections, lesson plans, videos to watch and critique. The list goes on, but what made it worse was that each assignment were sometimes worth a meager 20% - so complete assessment of one module sometimes took 3, even 4 assignments. Even if I were the first to admit to being sort of perfectionist, even my shoddiest of efforts took me at least 3 to 4 hours to complete a task.

If ever I had any uncertainty whether I preferred formative or summative assessment, they were all dispelled by what I went through the past four months.

It was perhaps regretful that I spent much of my weekday evenings slogging in the room while wifey and the rest of my family or in-laws bonded in front of the television. It was difficult at times, hearing the laughter filtering in from the living-room while I racked my brains in front of the comp. I could not squeeze time for exercise, to read the books I want, to catch up with close friends, to do the recreational activities I enjoy. These were all cherishable moments, and I can't help feeling a tinge of regret that I have passed them by.

School work was but one of the issues weighing on my shoulders. Renovations were required at the new place, furniture to be bought and assembled, but the most damaging of all was certainly the psychological blow of having to deal with issues at home. I've never felt so much despair and genuine helplessness at times and I truly hope I will never get to go through these ever again. It was a very tricky issue to navigate, and I was on the receiving end of some barbed comments and unfair labels.

Throughout this very difficult period, I still managed to seek some light at the end of the tunnel. There were my closest friends who encouraged me to believe that it would all work out in the end, even at the bleakest of times. More importantly, I must thank my dearest wifey for being tolerant and understanding with regards to my situation, both at school and at home. Everybody have their wants, but it takes great love to put aside these wants for a compromise that would make the one you love feel better. For that, I also owe her an apology for not handling things to the best I could have done.

I may not be the perfect husband, but I am learning and growing in this role everyday, so that one day, I can be as close to one as I possibly can.

Princess's humongous appetite

Take a look at baby princess's feeding schedule below when she is 6 days old. Given that each feed lasts almost an hour, one can easily conclude that my life revolves mainly around her now. Keke.

Schedule of feeds on 19 May 2011

1st feed: 9.30am
2. 12pm
3. 2pm
4. 3.40pm
5. 6.40pm
6. 8.05pm
7. 11pm
8.12.30am
9. 2.30am
10. 3.40 am
11. 6.15am
12. 8.45 am

It's been really taxing given that baby is on full breast feeding.. haven't had a good sleep since. But I will persevere! :p

Been a while since I experienced such service..

Dear and I brought baby to Mount Alvernia to see paediatrician today; am so amazed by the excellent service there. Was greeted with smile and help rendered everywhere we went. Service staff ranging from the paediatrician to clinic staff to the lab assistants (who drew blood for baby) were all so patient and kind. :)

Not just them, there was some who went the extra mile. Just to illustrate with 3 incidents-
1. Went female toilet wanting to change diaper for baby, was about to start when a doctor said: " shouldn't husband be allowed in to help?" I smiled. A nurse at present then chipped in: "We have, come, I bring you there."
2. Wanted to find a laboratory but we were lost,made a u-turn and realised a nurse ran after us and checked where we wanted to go. Then he led us to our destination via a shortcut,by cutting thr an authorised door.
3. Lost trying to find a breastfeeding room. A kind staff asked:"Are you lost?", and directed us to the room.

It's been a while since I experienced such service. Wished I had gotten my choice and delivered there!

First labour experience resulting in a caesarean

Went for my weekly checkup last thursday. CTG scan was fine, but ultrasound scan revealed that the amniotic fluid was low. Gynae saidthat baby was engaged and there was the need to induce labour. Any delay would result in greater risk of stillborn. Ok no choice and dear and I decided to admit tmc on Friday night.

0000 Reached hospital
0030 Nurse inserted pill into the cervix at observation ward
0230 Back to hospital ward to wait
0630 Took last meal - 2 slices of bread
0830 Returned to observation ward to check for dilation. Gynae checked, 0cm dilation. Omg! Time to insert another pill.
1030 Back to hospital ward
1300 Felt some slight contractions
1430 More regular contractions and told to wait
1530 Contractions intense and went to observation ward. Dilation 2.5cm. Did shaving, and cleared my bowels
1630 Intolerable and asked for entonox gas. Worked rather well as it made me drowsy. But think I inhaled too much and so vomitted
1730 Asked to administer epidural. Wow, really worked and I could almost sleep.
1830 Gynae came to check and dilation 4cm. Was told to expect to wait till midnight before fully dilated
1930 Nurse came to see and dilation about 5-6cm. Slow dilation and she decided to put me on oxyg drip
1940 Baby's heart beat dropped, and I was quickly asked to breathe using oxygen mask. Nurse called gynae who asked to prepare for c-section.
1958 Emergency c-section. Was put on epidural, half conscious. Baby is out!

Phew, what a turn of events. Didnt expect a caesarean as such was very nervous, but Dear's words of comfort including accompanying me to the operating theatre was really assuring.

Glad that everything turned out well and baby princess is healthy.

Do I still dare for a second one? Hmm...

Maternity shots at 37th week

Hubby and I had a great time taking some maternity shots together. We have never intended to take all along but I chanced upon a photographer who was looking for mothers as models. Great opportunity at the right time. A memorable experience!

25 October 2010 marks an important day in our life... ...

it is THE day we found that I am preggie... :)

Thank You, Dr Zee and Dr Wong

Dear Dr Zee Ying Kiat (NUH),

Thank you for the excellent care you have given our dad from May 07 to Mar 09. Your words of encouragement meant so much to dad and the family, especially after each unsuccessful treatment. We felt your empathy throughout and your genuine disappointment each time. Thanks for being so sincere and always putting in your best. Here's what dad said about you, in his own words: "Dr Zee heng hao, shi ge hao yi sheng. Heng jin ze you xi xin." Thanks for always making our dad feel good and comforted to have a doctor like you.

During your one year of studies, where Dr Wong took over, she always tell our dad to take good care of himself and wait for your return. Our dad did, albeit for a short while. Thanks for visiting him everyday during his last days in NUH, allowing him to bid farewell to you. Am sure he appreciated that much.

Our dad is indeed fortunate to know you and have you as his doctor. Am sure dad will bless you and your family.

************************************************************************************
Dear Dr Wong Chiung Ing (NUH),

We would like to express our thanks for the wonderful care you have rendered to our father for the past one year plus (Mar 09 to Jun 10). Thanks for constantly finding new treatments and never giving up on him. Just want you to know that dad always praise you for your professionalism and speedy response. In his words: "Dr Wong zhuo shi heng kuai, yao zuo scan, blood test, mei ci do shi li ke de, bu yong deng." He was impressed with you, no doubt about that.

Because of your care and efforts in making special arrangements, he was able to witness both his children's weddings and the birth of his grandson. Am sure he was very appreciative.

It was a pity that he could not try the trial drug this time, but he was fortunate to have you as his doctor, visiting him everyday during his last days. Thank you, Dr Wong. Wherever dad is, we are sure he will bless you!