My Second Baby Has Arrived!

The day has finally arrived. I took this picture of my tummy before I went KKH to deliver my baby on Thursday at 6+am. My cervix was 3cm dilated, and my gynaecologist decided to break my waterbag. I had my epidural at about 8+am when my contractions became really unbearable. My cervix was fully dilated at about 12pm but because my baby was not in the ideal position for birth (he's facing up though head was down), the midwives put me in various positions to push the baby out while they used their hands to turn the head of the baby. It was quite tedious because I had to go through this procedure for about two hours and my epidural medicine finished at 12+pm. The midwives convinced me not to top up the medicine because I suffered quite bad side effects from epidural (e.g., vomitting, shivering) and told me that baby would be out soon. The effects wore off at about 2pm and I had a hard time managing the pain till the baby decided to come out at about 2:30pm when the gynaecologist made her way to see me. KengYong was very supportive throughout the whole process; he even "pushed" the baby out with me by timing his own breathing to coincide with mine. I also had to thank Rina, my younger sister, who took leave to help me mind Gregory while I was in the hospital. I could see that Gregory had a great time with her and Regine.

When the baby was out, KengYong and I were so amazed that he looked so so much like Gregory. See pictures below (Left: Baby. Right: Gregory at birth). Baby was 3.455kg and 52cm long. He was a lovely baby, just like Gregory two years ago. I was discharged from KKH on Friday, a day after I have given birth. I was relieved that Baby didn't have jaundice on the first day, which Greg had gone through. Both boys look so much like KengYong, and they have the same blood group as their Daddy (A+) too.

Greg's First Pet

Greg's teacher used to have a small fish tank in school and he was quite disappointed to find it gone after the school had a mini renovation mid this year. Yesterday evening we walked past an aquarium, and Greg loved watching the little fishes swimming in the tank. He was so excited when I told him that I have decided to get him a little fish tank so that he could rear some fish himself. The shop owner was quite kind to do up Greg's little aquarium and selected a type of fish that's easy to rear. All in all (including the fish food and a net), the shop owner charged me $10. I thought that was quite cheap!

Greg has all sorts of questions about his fishes... e.g.,
Greg: Mummy, why my fish never sleep?
Me: Fishes do sleep. It's just that they do not close their eyes when they are asleep.
Greg: But I never see my fish sleep...
Me: Your fishes maybe sleeping if they are not swimming about but their eyes would still be opened..
Greg: Yesterday I see them swim, now I see them swim... I don't think my fish sleep you know..
Me: Well, maybe they slept at the same time as you last night.. hahaha.

He's also very enthusiastic about feeding his fishes besides admiring them from outside the tank. He fed the fish once in the morning and half an hour later, he came running into my room with the bottle of fish food.
Greg: Mummy, mummy, I think my fish is hungry. Can I feed them?
Me: You just fed them not too long ago..
Greg: But I want to feed them.
Me: Remember the fish auntie said you cannot feed the fish so many times?? Only once a day..
Greg: Why?
Me: The fish will die if you feed them with too much food.
Greg: But the fish don't want to eat if they are not hungry..
Me: Nope Greggie. I said no means no. You are overfeeding your fish.
Greg: Why?
Me: (getting impatient) Your fish will die..
Greg: I want my fish to die..
Me: What? You want your fish to die?Why?
Greg: Mummy, can you get me new fish if my fish die?
Me: Nope. Now go keep the fish food or I am going to get really angry.
Sigh..maybe he's still too young to feel responsible for the fish.. I wonder if it's the right thing for me to get him the fishes now..

A 'Not-So-Negative' Poem to Share

I am working today. I took MRT to CKTang during lunch to see if I could get Greg some formal clothes (because he has at least two wedding dinners to attend in December). On my way back to office, there was this pair of mother-son sitting diagonally opposite me in the train. Son was trying to concentrate on his handheld game whereas the Mother was teasing and distracting him. Son asked his mother to stop but she didn't. Son got quite angry and shouted at his mother when he lost his game. I guess the Mother must have felt a loss of face and she started whacking the boy from MRT and all the way to Square Two (they alighted at the same stop as I). I pitied the boy, really. Just thought that he didn't deserve so much repeated "physical humiliation" in public by his mother. Sigh... I thought the Mother was also naive and childish. She should have stopped making fun of her son once she knew she was irritating him. I believe I would never do such a thing to my kids... aiyo... or is it too early to say?... hahaha..

I am generally slowing myself down. Mood swings I still have but I guess the next poem that I would like to share isn't too negative.. haha. Here it is..

Do what makes you happy

So that your life doesn't feel empty

Be with who makes you smile

It helps to forget problems and make them seem so mild.

Laugh as much as you can

Remember that life can be shorter than counting from one to ten

Learn to cherish what you have

Love as much, as if you do not have much time left.

"I Don't Want To Go Back To School"

Originally, KengYong and I planned to send Greg back to his childcare today but apparently the hfmd outbreak at his childcare centre has not been cleared. Greg has stopped going to school since last Tuesday and I noticed that he's getting too comfortable at home. He's now quite resistant to the idea of returning to school, his reason being "my house is nice and fun". We have received phone calls from the school today and yesterday that there are still children getting hfmd, so I guess we have to keep Greg at home for the next few days.

Anyway, today, Greg's form teacher T. Roze called. Greg, thinking that it was his daddy, ran to pick up the phone while I was preparing his lunch. I saw him keeping very quiet when he picked up the phone and I took the phone away from him. It was then that I realized his teacher called to give an update of the hfmd situation at childcare. Greg appeared very anxious after I put down the phone and kept asking why his teacher called.

Greg: Mummy, why Teacher Roze called me?

Me: What did teacher roze say to you?

Greg: I don't know. But why mummy? Why t roze called? T Roze wants me to go school?

Me: (laugh) You think so?

Greg: (nod his head) ...but I don't want to go to school.

Oh no! I seriously think that I would have a big problem sending him back to childcare when the place is cleared.

Saachi's mummy (Saachi is one of Greg's childcare mates) shared with me her way of getting Saachi motivated to return to school after a week of their overseas vacation. I decided to try her method on Greg.

Me: Greggie, remember just now T. Roze called? She said she misses you and she cried. She wanted to see you.

Greg: T. Roze cried?

Me: Ya. How about you going back to school to "sayang" her?

Greg: But I don't want to go back to school... (paused for a while) I think T. Roze'd better come to my house Mummy.

Me: ???

Sigh... this plan doesn't work... I guess I have to think of other ways now..

Still Waiting..

Greg dozed off at home yesterday at about 2pm and it was raining cats and dogs. I decided to go for my gynae appointment at 2+pm without him. I did tell Greg in the morning that I would be going to see doctor and he could follow me if he's not napping. Anyway, I instructed Yanti to give me a ring when Greg woke up, and hurriedly I dashed off to KKH. Had my CTG done and my contractions were found to be erratic still. Gynae did a vaginal examination and my cervix has only dilated 1.5cm. Aiyo, 0.5cm more from last week. The progress seemed extremely slow. When I returned home, Greg had woken up already and was playing the Lego blocks with Yanti.

Greg: Mummy, you saw doctor at the hospital already?

Me: Yup. Why?

Greg: The doctor never take didi out yet? (To mentally prepare Greg, I told him a few days ago that I have to go hospital one day to "take didi out" and I have to stay in the hospital for a few days).

Me: No. Didi doesn't want to come out yet.

Greg: Why? The doctor is naughty?

Me: Har? Doctor naughty? What do you mean?

Greg: If doctor gives didi a sweet, didi may want to come out you know...

Me: (laughed out loud) Greggie, I don't think didi knows how to eat sweet yet.

Greg: Ohhh... how about I ask didi to come out?

Me: ok... you can try...

Greg: (with his eye brows knitted and arms crossed, looking at my tummy) Didi, you better come out fast!

Me: Why you talk so angrily to didi?

Greg: Oooh... (bent forward to talk to my tummy softly)... didi, can you please come out? I have sweet for you.

Me: Haha.. why do you want didi to come out now?

Greg: I want to hold didi's hand you know.. very nice one.

Well, I am sharing this conversation between Greg and I with you because I thought he's an amazingly sweet boy. =) Hope he and his didi will get along fine in future.

I had some blood discharge in evening yesterday and some cramps. They went off in the night and all was well till this morning when I started bleeding again. I am really unsure if they are caused by the gynae examination or it's the "show". Anyway, I guess I have to keep monitoring the symptoms... I am just concerned about rushing to the hospital too late and had to give birth to the baby in the car/ cab, and worse...at the void deck! Aiyo...or maybe I am thinking too much already... *keeping my fingers crossed and hoping all goes well*

I Am Still Around!

Ooooh... I am getting somewhat anxious. Friends and relatives kept sms-ing me if I have given birth. My contractions are still irregular, and the baby has not shown any signs in wanting to face the world yet.I am getting nervy about it because the baby is growing bigger, and I am indeed concerned that he may be too big for me to push out if he drags any longer.Of course, I do experience a lot of back aches, heartburn and making frequent trips to the restroom. Sigh sigh sigh.. my tummy does seem to have been over-stretched and I am simply exhausted.

Well, I keep telling self to enjoy my pregnancy and to appreciate that the baby is still swimming happily inside me. I believe I am going to miss him inside me when he's out. In addition, I think my hands are going to be very full and I would have another set of challenging issues to manage when he's out. Just hope that he's going to be a healthy little boy and that he gets along well with everyone in the family, especially Gregory. I am keeping my fingers crossed that everything is going to be fine.

1cm Dilated Already!

I went for my gynae check on Monday when I was coming to 9.5months into pregnancy and Gynae said my cervix has dilated 1cm already! I was shocked and I thought this was fast. It took me three days to dilate that 1cm upon induction when I had Greg. Well, people always say that the subsequent pregnancies are always different from the first one and my muscles must have been a lot more laxed now after Greg wormed his way out in February 2005.

I had quite bad contractions on Monday evening, and I was so worried that I might pop any time. KengYong left on a business trip on Monday night so I sms-ed Rina to "stand-by" for a couple of days to help me with care of Greg if I pop. I also took a couple of days of MC to monitor my contractions and rest. Interestingly, my contractions have somewhat ceased.. perhaps it's because I laid in bed as much as I could. Well, I am glad that KengYong is back now and I am also back at work today. I hope to walk more so that my cervix dilates faster. However, many medical colleagues were shocked to see that I was back at work today because they felt that my tummy could "explode" anytime. My back sure aches more and baby seems very active moving around when I am at work.

It was kind of KengYong to take leave to spend sometime with Greg today. We couldn't bring Greg in to the childcare today because apparently there was a small outbreak of tummy flu and hand foot mouth disease at his school. Sigh. He was with me at home when I was on MC for the past two days. Greg cannot afford to be sick at this time just in case I go into labour, and KengYong may have a hard time managing us both. I guess I may have to take MC for tomorrow again so that I can keep Greg at home. How nice if my mum and dad are around.. life would certainly be a lot easier for me if they are present. *SAD*

Thanks to those who have sms-ed/ called me thinking that I could have popped... I would certainly keep you posted once baby is out!