Isaac as of 21st August 2007

You can see Isaac starting to fill out now... his cheeks are puffier.. not as scrawny as before...

The Milk Trail - Part 3: Got Milk?

You know, just as I was telling you guys that I got certified as a GOOD COW... it seems as though my milk supply is becoming lesser :( Yesterday, we went back to my parents place for dinner. I didn't bring any expressed breastmilk with me, coz me, the Supplier, was there, right? So I figured I didn't need the expressed breastmilk.

But from like 2pm onwards, Isaac wanted to drink at like every hour - 3pm, 4pm, 5pm, 6pm, 7pm, 8pm... which is what he has been doing for the past week or so... but then last night, he drank me flat!!! He suckled for like half an hour on each side, and then he finally decided he wasn't getting enough - and he positively BAWLED!!!

*sob*sob* I felt me breasts and FLAT they were. Isaac positively flattened me! And he was crying his heart out - coz he was hungry. Gosh, I was so distressed. But tried not to show it lah. Lousy cow, I thought. What's the use of certification if you can't bloody PRODUCE. (alright, sorry, must watch me language)

So, what to do, I pretended he wanted to sleep and kinda tried to rock him to sleep. which was kinda easy since he was pretty tired out from all his crying over no milk. And when hubbs came back, I got him to carry Isaac, coz Isaac kept trying to suckle through my tshirt when he smelt the milk on me.

After an hour or so, I think there'd be some milk in them for him, and I let him latch on to try again. and so there was. He was temporarily satiated and we quickly went home.

But I'm DISTRESSED. I'd always had milk. How come now no milk?!?! *sob*sob* well. not totally NO milk, but not as abundant as before... when I try to pump, I get less than half of what I used to be able to pump... plus I'd wanted to start freezing and storing milk these couple of weeks coz I might be going back to work in a few more weeks time... so, this turn of events is especially worrying coz I really want to breastfeed Isaac for at least 6 months... or till I next get pregnant again...

This morning, I smsed a few friends and relatives who were breastfeeding mums. They all said the same thing, that, Isaac's probably going through a growth spurt, and hence he is feeding more often, and probably drinking a lot more. Also, that I should persevere in breastfeeding him, and my body would soon produce more milk to meet his demand...

sighz... I hope so... I really hope so... It's kinda reassuring , that they all say the same thing... But still...

MORE MILK! MORE MILK! MORE MILK!

GIMME MORE MILK!!!

NOW!!!!

Isaac as of 19th August 2007

See the lines on Isaac's forehead? MRT tracks at such a tender age. tsk tsk tsk... guess which side of the family that came from... kekeke...Sly look from Isaac... hehehe...
" Oh Papa, you're one big joker, you are!!!"
"Oops, caught in the act of laughing at Papa, by Mummy!!!"
"hehehe... betcha dunno what I'm up to..."

Isaac as of 16th August 2007

Isaac as of 15th August 2007

Don't you think Isaac looks just like his Papa in this picture? hehehe...
And here's Isaac laughing his head off when we told him he's gonna lose his hair in 30 years time...

The Milk Trail - Part 2: The Good Cow

Yes, let me continue my Milk Trail... (no, not done yet *stern*look*)

So you see, as you've read before in The Milk Trail: Part 1 - I was milk-less when we were discharged from the hospital when Isaac was 3 days old. It started to become very stressful as Isaac was crying the entire day and demanding feeds at every hour coz he was getting zilch from me milkless breasts.

Furthermore being a novice at latching him on, think my methodology wasn't too good, and so I had sore nipples. And as he was demanding feeds so often - the sore nipples got worse. It got so bad that the nipple on the right breast started to bleed. So I had to stop letting him latch onto that breast (coz if babies drink blood, they'd get stomach upset from indigestion).

As I was telling you in The Milk Trail - Part 1 - by night time of Day 3, my mum and the confinement lady persuaded me to pump to see how much milk I had and I had none. Sighz. And you know what? We pumped until - my left breast nipple also bleed. So hubbs went to Holland V's 24 hour Cold Storage to buy formula milk to feed starving Isaac. And I had two bleeding nipples.

On Day 4, in the day time, think the milk started to come in. I wasn't really aware of it. Coz I didn't know how it felt like - I mean, I've never experienced it before, right? So when the confinement lady kept asking me all day:"Do you have engorged breasts?" - I replied:"No, I don't think so." Coz I really didn't think so. Though to tell the truth, I had an inkling that the milk was coming in. But I was somehow reluctant to tell her. I had this insanely paranoid thought that she wanted me to pump it out and hence prevent me from latching Isaac on and feeding him. Silly me. Hormonal imbalances, I suppose ;p

By midnight of Day 4, my breasts were so engorged that they were rock hard. And I'd forgotten that I had two bleeding nipples - so I couldn't latch Isaac on to feed. I tell you, engorgement really hurts!!! It was soooo painful. The confinement lady put some towels in hot water, and placed the towels on my breasts. This encouraged the milk to flow, and we simply let the milk dribble out and waste away, just so that we can drain the breasts to provide me with some relieve from the pain of engorgement. Wah, very heartpain to see the milk go to waste...

So, first I had no milk, then I had 'too much' milk!

Though, since then, when we tell some people about our experience of engorgement, it seems that engorgement is a blessing. For it means that I have milk. Some people have apparently never experienced engorgement before - coz they either don't have milk, or have very little milk.

I'd previously thought that this would be a long post, coz at that time when we were going through that period of time, everything was so much more dramatic. Now, it seems like... no big deal. What's a little pain if one can have milk?

On Monday, we brought Isaac to the paediatrician's. He wasn't due for his first 6-in-1 vaccination shot yet, but we'd wanted to bring him to the doc as people have commented that he still looked a little yellow.

The paed took one look at him, and said:" Oh, he's not too yellow - I wouldn't worry about it. Look, he's as yellow as me!" she said, as she placed her forearm next to Isaac's face. She was right - she was as yellow as he was, in fact, think she was more yellow. hahaha.

She asked about his poo colour ("mustard yellow"), frequency of poo ("4 or 5 times a day") and colour of his pee ("clear to light yellow"). Then she declared:" With Isaac at 7 weeks old now, at 5.67kg and 59cm, he'd doing very well, I wouldn't worry about the jaundice. In fact, with the state of his poo and pee - I'd say Mummy is a Good Cow! Stamp and certified! Good Cow!"

hahahhaa... :) I'm a GOOD COW!!! yay!!!

Hope to remain a good cow for at least 6 more months... *grinz*

Wish me luck! and MILK!!! ;p

Breastfeeding Mum Joke 1

You know when I am breastfeeding, somehow I keep thinking of corny breastfeeding jokes... This is one I thought up this morning at 5am as I was feeding Isaac which I thought was pretty good...

What do you call a breastfeeding mother with both her breasts exposed?
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Udderly shameless!!!


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Isaac as of 12th August 2007

These were the last of the pictures that I'd taken of Isaac that we had downloaded onto the computer. All were taken on 12th August 2007. Smiley Isaac! :)

Isaac looks very different now. His cheeks has filled out and he's more plump now :) hehehe will show you guys once the camera's back! *grinz*!!!

Story of the Camera

You know another reason why I've been taking so long to upload photos - is coz we haven't downloaded them from the camera to the laptop yet. we'd only done so for the pix from Isaac's birth (6th) to the 13th August.

And the reason why we hadn't transferred the pix is partly coz of laziness, but also coz by the time I really wanted to do it - we'd sent the camera for repair. What happened? hiaz... I think the thing with this breastfeeding business is - the milk gets everywhere!!! and I mean everywhere!!! not just on the clothes and in the baby's mouth - but like on the table, the floor, the bed, the everything anywhere everywhere! and so... I dunno how it came to be, that milk got onto the camera shutter. and I didn't even realise it, so the milk dried up, and became kinda sticky I guess. So the camera shutter couldn't open and close properly as it should.

Very sim tia, must send camera for repair, coz we'd only just bought the camera a few days before Isaac was born - ie. super new camera lor. Well, the plus point of that is that the warranty is still valid and so we got it serviced for free.

We'd only just gotten the camera back from the service centre 3 days ago, on Friday. So I thought:"Great!!! Now I can transfer the pictures and post them online. And then guess what??? Yesterday, we went to my MIL's place for lunch and it was the first time we are going over since my confinement - so we brought a lot of stuff over (coz my MIL is to look after Isaac when I go back to work after my maternity leave)...

And... dear hubbs, whilst struggling to carry so many bags and stuff and putting them in the car, accidentally left one bag behind at the carpark lot - the bag with some important documents and the camera!!! *groan*!!! Was only when we reached my MIL's place and were unloading the car, then we realised. Hubbs rushed back to checked the carpark lot - but by then, the camera was gone. However the important documents were still there. We gave thanks that at least we found back the documents - or hubbs would be in very big trouble. We only super heartpain about the new camera...

AND ISAAC'S PICTURES!!!!!

*sob*sob* All the pictures and videos we'd taken of Isaac were still in the SD card, in the camera. sadness. Hubbs had quickly scribbled notes that said something like:"you can take the camera, but please return us the SD card as it has pictures of our newborn baby in it" and left our address in the note too, and stuck the notes near the carpark lot, and on the few cars in the vicinity of the lot.

We spent the whole of yesterday heartpaining. Kept checking the letter box in hope of finding the SD card in it. Poor hubbs. Today is his birthday too. Not a very good birthday gift of losing a brand new camera with Isaac's pix in it, just the day before his birthday. I didn't have the heart to scold him lah - not that he wanted to lose the camera right. We're just so glad we found the important documents that we figured we should be thankful for that already. We were consoling ourselves that "Luckily Isaac smiles very often." coz a lot of the pictures we lost were those that I had taken of him smiling.

Then GUESS WHAT?!?! This morning, our gynae's office called hubbs! Someone had found the camera and wanted to return it! Somehow, they'd traced it all the way to my gynae!!! Is that AMAZING or what?!?! Hubbs called me just now and told me. He'd go and meet the person after school today and get the camera from him/her.

Wow! Hubbs says he'd ask the person how they'd tracked it all the way to our gynae. But after I'd spoken with hubbs, I was thinking about how the pictures could have led to our gynae... And you know what??? I think it must have been the pictures of the Synchronised Breastfeeding attempt sign that led the trail to Mt Alvernia hospital, and then, we have pictures of Isaac's birth which had Dr Ang in the pictures!!! what luck!!!

I was telling hubbs - this is Jesus's gift to you for your birthday!!! He wanted to teach you a lesson not to be so careless!!! hahaha...

So, that's the Story of the Camera.

The End

where have we been?!

woah! only now when I looked at when I last posted did I realise that it's been more than we week since! so where have we been? well, where have I been, rather. I've been pretty caught up with Isaac since now I'm taking care of him more as the confinement lady has left.

last Friday, we took Isaac out on his first real outing! He went to work!!! hahahaha that's what my mum said, she was like:"Wah, so young go office to work already ah?" coz we brought Isaac to my workplace! *grinz* Luckily it's the school hols so hubbs was free to come along. Don't think I'd have managed alone.

Had already informed my colleagues we'd be in office from about lunch time. Many of them lunched-in to catch us, and some others after lunch too. It was a grand reception for Isaac. The moment we stepped into the office pantry, at least 15 'aunties' all clamoured around Isaac, trying to see him and touch him. The noise didn't bother Isaac one bit - perhaps that's coz I'd already preped him before we came. I told him:"Later, you'd see many many aunties who all sayang you okay. They'd be a bit noisy, but it's okay, alright? So you smile smile at them, okay?"

Hehehe... I'm a great fan of pyscho-talk and subliminal learning. I believe that it works that I continously intone Isaac with what I want him to do, or don't do. Hubbs doesn't believe it. He says:"Do you really think he can understand you?" "Of course!" I told him "Babies are very smart one, ok." (with Look Who's Talking at the back of my mind ;p) But seriously, I think they DO understand. Besides, I think it's good to talk to Isaac like he's a person and not some little tot who doesn't understand a thing you say. As in, I don't think it's good to 'baby-talk' like say stuff like:"Ang-goo-goo!!!" all the time. Plus I'd probably go crazy if I just baby-talk Isaac for the next two months before I go back to work.

Then on Saturday, we shifted back home to JW! Wow!!! I tell you, if it's one place I miss during confinement, it's home! :) Hubbs had spent the whole of last thursday cleaning the house, so we could move back on Saturday. Was great that J & PY offered to help us shift back, for we'd so much stuff!!! Amazing how it accumulated since we were only at my mum's place for a month. So we all went to JW. H & S and YH & AS came around too. That was good coz they all carried Isaac the whole afternoon, leaving hubbs and I free to pack the house! kekeke...

Saturday and Sunday, hubbs and I looked after Isaac. But since, Monday till today, I've been taking care of Isaac myself (as hubbs had to go back to work again this week). So that's where I've been. I must say it's tiring. But, it's been good. I feel more bonded with Isaac now. And more confident of handling him. I suppose that's the thing about confinement... hiaz! okay, will leave that for another post!

adios amigo!

Parts like Mummy

Oh yes, of course Isaac has parts of Mummy, right? Just not very obvious to most visitors, that’s all.

For one, Isaac has my “kok-tao” – er, my big forehead (dunno how best to translate). Can’t find a picture that shows both Isaac’s kok-tao and my kok-tao – but trust me, he’s got my kok-tao alright. I must say that his looks nicer than mine though ;p

Oh, but these I have pictures of. Our hands and feet! Kekeke… See this is a picture of Isaac’s hand and Mummy’s hand. Look what long fingers Isaac has – just like Mummy! Hehehe… actually, Papa has long fingers too. Isaac has quite a long body, and long legs – everyone says he’s gonna be very tall next time. With his long fingers (and probably big hands) – he’d make a great basketballer! Just like his Papa!

Both photos taken on 11th August 2007

Now look at his feet! Look at his toes! So long, right?! (okay, if you think I’m making a big to-do about nothing, then you shouldn’t be reading this blog – he’s my first kid! OF COURSE we’d make a big to-do about everything! Just be glad I’m not taking pictures of his poo to show you what a BIG TO-DO that is! Hiak hiak hiak. Lame joke.) Alright, anywayz, as I was saying, look at his feet. Firstly, he has long toes! Like me!!! (oh alright, hubbs has long toes too) But even the confinement auntie says that Isaac has feet like mine. BIG, she says. Hiaz, I really don’t think that’s a compliment. Nevertheless, will look on the bright side – Isaac resembles me in some way!!! Yay!!! But seriously, looking at his feet, the shape of them DOES look like mine. Hope he doesn’t get flat feet like me, though. That’s not good. Though my MIL insists that my feet are so flat that I can just use them to paddle a dragon boat. Well, am not sure about that, but I may be able to walk up a glass cladded building – they’re like suction caps! Hahahaha… Spidey Pam!!!

Isaac look like who?

So how? Isaac look like who? 98% of our visitors who visited us in the last month all says that he looks like hubbs dearest. I totally agree. Don’t really know how to describe in words – he just does. Oh, one thing’s for sure – he has hubbs’ receding hairline!!! Can’t escape that one!!! Hubbs’ claims that Isaac’s looks worse than his – still dare to say when he passed it to Isaac! Hiaz!!!

Picture taken 12th August 2007

Picture taken 11th August 2007