Baby Pictures!

Napping on the elephant chair, Auntie Elaine put you in that position...

Baby with Auntie Wina

Baby walking...

Baby Vs Sling

Dear Baby,

Before you were born, mommy had this vision of carrying you around in a sling, that way I can have you close and at the same time enable me to do what I need to do.

Unfortunately you have other ideas.

You like to be held especially when you sleep, grandmother lambak can attest to that, she can hold you for hours which you enjoy.

The first time we tried out was the baby carrier, but after it was on daddy and we tried putting you in it, you seemed lost in it and we figured better to wait for you to be bigger before he could use the carrier with you in it.

The next one we tried was the ring sling which mommy been especially looking for. But the first attempt I wasn't wearing it properly and when we put you in the same thing happened. And mommy needed to look up more instructions.

Now that mommy got the instructions including watching the various videos on how to wear a ring sling, I've been trying to get you in it, but somehow it seemed like you don't like being all snug up!

But mommy is not giving up, it's a matter of us getting used to it. In the few instances where I could get you in, it helped free up mommy to do what I need to do and at the same time I didn't have to worry about leaving you because you're always right next to me.

So baby, we're going to get through this, we're going to have a nice happy relationship with the sling, that way you can participate in life instead of being just an observer. Right now you're asleep, strapped on me and I have both hands free to type. We heading to the studio next...

Love,

Mommy

Diapering In Cloth

Dear Baby,

Months back before you were born, mommy decided that you will be cloth diapered, and daddy supported the decision. It was for an environmental reason why we decided to cloth diaper you, 500 years before a disposable diaper breaks down, and we'll use up how many? That's just too much guilt for me. I'll admit there might be times when we'd have to use a disposable but at least it'll be minimal, and cloth diapered babies potty trains early too so that's a saving grace there. When mommy started researching about cloth diapers and read reasons why people choose to do cloth diapers I learnt about the chemicals that were used in disposables, and they were scary. Some babies are allergic to them and got nasty rashes on their bums. I didn't want that for you and all that chemicals almost 24 hours a day next to your skin is extremely unhealthy. Babies who wear disposables get rashes a lot whereas cloth diapered babies hardly have any, big plus there. Wearing disposables is like throwing money into the bin, as they are one time use when cloth diapers are one time purchase and can be used multiples of times. The amount of water and electricity used is minimal compared to the energy it took to make a disposable and break it down. I'm quite happy with the decision we made to cloth diaper you, and your future sibling(s) will benefit from it too.

Mommy did a lot of research on cloth diapering and discovered a world beyond the usual flat fold origami. Mommy had to understand what prefolds, fitted, AIO (all in ones), pockets and more, were for. Mommy even tinkered with the idea of making the diapers as well, but with my limited sewing skills it's a bit out of my league and there were tons of tutorials online on making cloth diapers. Maybe in the future...

After discovering the various types of cloth diapers the next thing was how to wash them. New diapers have to be washed at least three times using just water to prepare the material for maximum absorbancy... if there is such a word... and when washing wet and soiled diapers, we don't want tons of suds, keep rinsing until no more suds, use less detergent than recommended amount because we don't want particles left on the cloth which can lead to irritation and rash on baby's skin.

For you, mommy got you prefolds, which had to be ordered from Singapore because there is no such thing here. And we got given flats as well, which your grandmother likes using because they dry faster when washed. Especially more so when it's the rainy season upon us currently. We also got you some pockets system but we haven't used those yet, am hoping they'd be useful for night time diapering.

Daddy learnt how to do the origami for the flats, cool ain't it...

We got given a few months worth of nappy liners, and your grandmother read that they can be washed and this was after I already told her, she didn't believe it until she read it, so we're able to stretch out the use for a bit, only when they got pooed on is when we throw them out. The liners are to keep you feeling dry when your diaper gets wet so you won't be too uncomfortable in them.

When we're out and about, that's when you get to wear the covers too, purely for convenience really. At home we don't use it to allow the air to circulate and reach your skin. I'm not too happy with the covers as you get so heated up in it and when you're wet it gets really humid and these are conditions that can cause rashes to develop.

We're quite fastidious in changing you anyway when as soon as we discover your diaper needs changing, so sometimes you end up going through three diapers in an hour. I read that for newborns up to three months you'd be going through 10 - 12 diapers a day, that's like a diaper every two hours. When it comes to you, I think we go up to 20. I tried keeping tabs on how many in a day you used but I always lose count after 10 and there are still several hours in the day left. So because of this that's why your grandmother preferred the flats. The amah had to do the laundry twice a day, I don't know if I could keep up with that when we move back to our place.

Those are your diapers for now, mommy been reading up alot on cloth diapering and it says not to go overboard investing so much as different system works for different babies and parents.

Now, what are we going to do with the hundred of disposables that got given to you... am thinking of donating them to the maternity ward at the hospital so they can use them for the newborns who needed it, first, gotta ask if the ward would like them...

Love,

Mommy

The First Check Up

Hi Baby,

Your first check up went well. Daddy took half day off from work just so we could bring you to the clinic. The night before we packed a bag for your diapering needs, good thing we did, because you needed changing at the clinic. You slept the whole way, from leaving the house and getting back. Daddy carried you mostly, he doesn't get to be with you often so it was good. Daddy met several people he knew while at the clinic too. He's super proud of you.

Apparently there's a routine with baby check ups just like mommy's prenatal check ups, what we have to do was weight you and measure your length prior before we see the nurse. You have gained a whole kilo after one month from birth, wow... but we weren't sure if we did the measuring right, it says you only grew a centimeter in length.

I'm guessing mondays are baby days, because when mommy went there for the prenatal checks on tuesdays or wednesdays, never seen babies on those days, but yesterday everybody was holding a baby in various sizes and ages. Babies are big nowadays, there was one baby boy and he was as half as long as his mommy, and when the dad walked in you can see from where the baby got his genes.

While we were waiting for our turn, you needed a diaper change, fortunately there was a space on the table next to the weighing machine and daddy had you quickly changed, unfortunately we forgot to pack a bag to put the wet diaper in, fortunately we packed an extra cover so we just used the old cover to wrap up the wet diaper and used the new cover on you.

The nurse took the measurements down and she also measured your head circumference, 36.5cm, that's 3.5cm growth since you were born. I wonder what's the significance, your brain is developing? Head going into shape because when you were born your skull was mouldable just so you'll fit through the birth canal. Probably that's the reason for the head measurement. Another nurse checked you over, I noticed she checked your soft spot on your head, took off your diaper (she was a bit stumped with the snappi, hehe) and pressed your pelvis area, checked your response, asked what sort of milk you're getting, breast milk exclusively of course and asked about your wet diapers, lots. Then mommy and daddy regaled them with labour stories.

After that you needed to get your second vaccination for Hep B, the nurse said better to wake you up or else you'll be shocked when the needle goes through. You refused to wake up and was still sleeping in daddy's arms. Mommy had to hold your knee down just in case you'd kick and the nurse inserted the needle into your left thigh. You gave out a piercing wail and then went all quiet again. Daddy said it was much louder than the other babies before you who had their jabs but yours were short whereas other babies were still crying.

So your next appointment is on the 16th August and we're scheduled to see the doctor. Hopefully she's nice and tells us lots of things about baby's health. Daddy said he'll take the day off to take you again.

Love,

Mommy

Baby is 1 Month!

Hi Baby,

Well, by monday 12th july you'll be. You just past the 4 weeks old! Tomorrow will be your first check up at the clinic, exciting and nervous as it'll be your first expedition out of the house. Mommy's current debate or ponder, how to do the whole cloth diapering trick outside the home... hmmmm...

Love,

Mommy

Umbilical Cord Stump & Midwife Visits

Hi Baby,

The government antenatal programme is so good. Mommy's experience with the prenatal check ups, time in the hospital before during and after labour, and now that we're home, the visits from the midwife.

We got home on a sunday, on monday daddy sent the letter the hospital midwives gave to give to the antenatal community clinic we went to for our prenatal checks, so that they know mommy had already given birth and they will arrange for a midwife to come visit starting the monday afternoon, so they told daddy.

In the afternoon, mommy got a call from the midwife saying she won't be able to come but will come tomorrow and asked how we were doing. That was nice I thought.

The next day she came in the morning and basically checked on your umbilical cord stump, cleaned it, said you got a bit of yellow and told us to take you to this other clinic to see the level of your jaundice. And then, she checked on mommy, told blood pressure and temperture, and checked on mommy's stitches.

She did this every day until your stump fell off. That happened on a friday, it just so happen mommy was changing your nappy and the stump came off! the next day the midwife came and cleaned your belly button, had an independent source saying your jaudice was mild and just sun you and breast feed, midwife was satisfied with that. Checked mommy for the last time and gave appointment for baby for first clinic check at exactly one month old.

Your umbilical cord stump coming off in a week was pretty good, some I read takes up to three weeks. The midwife said some mommies and babies she visited can go up to ten days, so ours was pretty good since she only had to visit for five days.

Your grandmother said to keep your dried out stump and save it for when you get another sibling to keep the stumps together, it's a belief that the siblings will always be in harmony together. We don't know how true that is but ok, we'll give it a shot.

Love,

Mommy

The 40 Days Confinement & Other Thoughts...

Hi Baby,

You and I are in confinement for the next forty days... at first mommy was quite worried about being in confinement, everybody who have gone through it said they were bored out of their minds and I feared that the only highlight was when it's meal times and end up over eating. Brrr...

So far, three weeks into this, I quite enjoy it. Minus sometimes I get that being-stuck-in-one-place-boredom but it's really not too bad. Every morning your grandmother would prepare the sitz bath with sea salt and herbs in boiled water, and it felt like as if mommy is being dunked in tea. But it's very comforting to be in, and I'm imagining all the sore, achy, torn, cut, stitched up bits are being healed. It also gives me some me time, and I do sudoku to pass away the time while you spend time with granny.

We get food delivered to our room, mainly soup and I haven't really gotten sick of it. Plus daddy sometime comes home with other yummies, hahaha. Your grandmother made sure the room is stocked up with fresh fruits, been eating them just like the time when mommy was pregnant with you, fruits aplenty.

Mommy don't have to worry about doing laundry, cleaning house, etc because someone else does it - but I do wonder about the state of our house being left alone...

I get to nap with you in the afternoons, make up for the multiple waking up at nights for nursing and changing nappies.

Basically I just get to enjoy you... even though your activity is limited to nursing, sleeping and changing diapers at the moment, but it's okay. I've been watching out for your signals when you need what. We pretty much manage to keep you from crying most of the time, only time when you do wail your head off was when mommy or daddy was a bit slow in attending to your needs. Mommy also been trying to do EC with you, but the few times I did you weren't too happy, I could be holding you wrong so will have to try and find the right that works for you.

It's only been three odd weeks so far and all of us are getting used to have each other, mommy and daddy are the center of your world right now and we're more than happy to fill it with as much happiness and love as possible for you.

For mommy, this whole motherhood and taking care of baby felt right, I just fell into the role and it didn't faze me, like I knew what to do, strange really because I never responded to other babies before, I guess this only happens when you get your very own and went through the process and all of the sudden you believe the precious bundle in your hands is the most cutest ever! We'll revisit this when you're a teenager and see how it goes, hahaha...

Love,

Mommy