My 28 days confinement

Week 1

The house seemed upside down. Packed with 'strangers' and took some time to understand or got used to each others...

Good thing is, Renee and Ifa had become closer each day ^^

Phoebe had been very obedient and napping most of the time, besides feeding or shower ^^ Nanny seemed experienced and loved babies!

To ensure the two sisters love each other, there's a gift exchange ceremony. They gave each other a token of lovely welcome gift

Renee was bathed by Ifa for the first time, under supervision/distraction by her dad. She wanted my hug after the tearful shower. Only to pull away a piece of smelly sweaty towel away from my shoulder as it absolutely stank! Haha! Time to change the towel!!!

One afternoon when I was lying on sofa, Renee ran over and looked at me with a big smile. I tapped the seat beside to invite her up, she waved her hand in front of her face and said "Chou Chou" (which means smelly)... DotZ...

One night when Phoebe was crying and nanny was busy, daddy carried the baby and sat in the living room. Phoebe turned her head to watch TV... Wahahaha!!

My nice confinement food ^^

Phoebe had juandice, so she was brought to SingHealth SK Polyclinic for follow-up every few days to ensure the level was acceptable. Jiayou, my girl!!

And here's a gift package from my company!! And some birdnest from my dearest 'weird' friends! ^^

Week 2

Jamu massage... By auntie Mona (again) on the 7th day since delivery. Thanks to JY for loaning her binder!

Massager Mona commented that my hormones didn't seem balance... A lot of rashes and markings on the skin... ;'(

Unfortunately, I didn't throw away any inches from my waist after the 5-day session and my aunt said that I had upsized ;p

Renee and Phoebe's bonding time most of the nights. To bring them closer bit by bit...

Yes, this little baby flipped to the side by herself at 2 week old! Phoebe started to use net rocker ever since her sweat glands became active...

Relatives visited us... Mostly last min. notification and folks came by to send their blessings (Ang baos)... And to carry baby Phoebe! Haha ;p

Breaking personal best record of no-shower (10 days in 2011), targeted for 14 days in 2013... But only made it as 13 days when hubby asked (or begged) "when can u take a bath?"

Happy Birthday to hubby! We had our first family photo but hubby and I

looked too chui-Ed, so not sharing here...

Happy National Day, Singapore! I was glad that Phoebe came earlier than this day so she could see fireworks, too! Here's a pic of us watching NDP on TV together ^^

This yahoo Baby had been sleeping with her arms behind her head like she's sun-tanning at Hawaii beach...

Week 3

Bathing is such a pleasure! I realized it during both confinement... And soon forgot about it once when I was done with it. Wahahaha!

I hugged my girls tightly and told them, "mommy has bathed! Smell me!" Renee would point at my towel over the shoulder and said "臭臭"...

Anyway, perspiration cycle returned shortly when I took my meals... Arghh!

Dear was back to work from third week onwards. No more penguin daddy during the day... 

After putting Phoebe on formula for so long, we decided to re-introduce BM (breast milk) to her when our freezer had run out of space... For the first few feeding, Phoebe threw up... So we cut down the volume and fed half at a time... She got used to the taste and texture soon...

We also started re-latching on. Phoebe would fall asleep in the lay down position after she's been satisfied. Haa! ^^

Week 4

Full month celebrtion! Yippee! Instead of hosting for two separate sessions, we combined it as a single session. So we were looking at serving of 80 and more pax... Not just that we had no clue where  to place the food (with 7 tables!), I started to wonder if this floor could take the weight of so many people...

Thank you, Bro and his gf for the kawaii bear

It shall be just me and my helper with two little terrors after Tuesday. I wanted to thank my confinement nanny for all the care and guidance. So glad that this would all over and yet another beginning of my new Challenge! Jiayou! ^^

Sisters bonding continues... May these sisters live happily ever after!!!

Breaking News

After receiving an overwhelming feedbacks from several witnesses of helper Ifa with her endless call-time...

Mdm had finally expressed her concern when helper Ifa asked for permission to top-up her calling card.

Helper Ifa had proactively asked if we'd like to keep her phone, so Mdm generously accepted this proposal and highlighted that it's to ensure she has enough rest. She can make call of not more than 15 mins during weekends.

I hope there's no hidden agenda in this episode... We had communicated! ^^

Home alone with Phoebe

MIL had brought Renee to the clinic this noon, and to help get some vegetables and lunch for the helper and herself.

So Phoebe and I had some fun! Wahahahaha...

My 'first' night with Phoebe when auntie was gone

Renee played with my phone and called her paternity grandma last night. We didn't realize it until she put nai nai on speaker...

MIL stayed over on Mon night to help O-la O-la baby Phoebe. She caught helper Ifa using phone at 2am, chatting/reading messages. Helper was in a dazed most of the time in the morning. So we had been warned.

So last night, when I barely recovered from fever, I showed up in Phoebe's room at 12am - 4am. I wasn't there to catch her using the phone. I was there to make sure Phoebe was taken care of. I left the room after Phoebe went back to bed after 4am feed.

This morning when I looked into the mirror, I thought I saw a zombie...

Anyway, after Phoebe finished the second half of morning feed at 8am, she fell asleep on Seally until the next feed, with the air-conditioner turned on. Who said she didn't fan or was afraid of cold?

While Renee watched her karaoke rhymes after she was up! Ah nua nua...

And I am still a zombie...

I thought it was only...

I thought it was only headache and body ache...

Until I finally took out my very expensive thermometer...

It was measured as 38.3°c... I asked my parents if I was having fever... I couldn't even think properly now...

Was it the engorgement infection that caused this fever? Or too much confinement food? 

小忍者

有一个晚上，睿锦一直不肯就寝。一直重复地在房里兜兜转。

爸爸看着她毫无头绪地绕；忍不住问道：＂Rock Lee，你要去哪里？＂

睿锦的发型真的太像Naruto里的Rock Lee了！哈哈哈！

Small place

How big is SG...

Why are babies and toddlers so cute?

Why are babies and even toddlers so adorable? (I'm not talking about my own kids... If you look around you, all babies and toddlers are always cute!)

Why is this so?

It's because it takes lots of love, patience and money to take care of the needs for these little bundles...

When they can't communicate and need to learn everything from scratch... Not many pple would be able to tolerate the cries, specially when deprived of sleep... And under such horribly hot weather.

I would suggest that those who couldn't take it, not to volunteer for help... And for those who made it... Keep up the good work..

The moment when you decided to expand the family, you'll need to be prepared for sacrificing your personal interest and time... Never vent your anger on your kids... Verbally or physically. These little angels cannot be taken for granted.

My happy helper

She used to switch off the TV when no one is in the living room...

Today, she watched TV when no one is in the living room... Wahahahaha ^^

Nice Quotes

Came across these quotes when my friend shared on FB... So I saved the pics+quotes and posted them here to share...

"If you don't understand my silence, you'll never understand my words"

Learning...

I believe this is the stage when Renee is learning new things or words rapidly...

As I was laying in bed most if the time, our helper had been talking to Renee a lot...

Last few nights, Renee practised her new words learnt.... She pointed at her leg and said "leg", then on her toes and said "toe"...

Yesterday, if we put our hand on her cheat to ask "who is it?" She'll pat on her chest and reply "Neh-Neh"... (Because she couldn't pronounce 'Re' yet)

Will she speak with a foreign ascent in future? Hmmm...

Back to BM

Our freezer was overloaded with BM (breast milk)... From the day when Phoebe returned home, she had been fed on formula... All my BM were expressed and kept frozen...

Last night, we decided to gradually give her BM to see if her jaundice would be maintained at an Okay level during the follow-up tmr...

However, things were not as straightforward... Phoebe wasn't used to the taste or texture or for whatever reason, she had thrown up the milk...

She seemed to accept the fresh one pretty okay but not for those thawed milk from 2 weeks ago...

I suggested to feed her with the newer batch but the confinement lady recommended to keep trying. Reason being that the milk from earlier stage had more nutrition values. Also, if we gave up now, Phoebe will not be drinking the 2 week of BM stored in freezer...

Jiayou, Baby! ^^

10kg...

I had gained 10kg to myself... How am I supposed to shake off these extra weights?

10kg!!! I couldn't even cut 1kg and now it's 10kg!!! Oh nooooooo.... May I be the best cushion pillow for my girls...

Sorry, papa of my kids... No more hot mama in my vision... T__T

在这之后

我应该会变成一个吃斋的酒鬼。

Seeing double?

Just like twin...

How was everything?

The confinement agent asked, "How's the nanny? How's everything?"

Husband said, "Tell him the truth!!"

Within the first week, confinement nanny commented that our Phoebe was very easy to be taken care of. That was because she would ESS (eat sleep shit)...

That gave us a fake impression that perhaps we could terminate her service earlier by 2 weeks as soon as I could walk around more often than now?

To rethink about it, it's not exactly an easy task! She commented that way because she was experienced with babies and kids. Without her, who would be waking up in the middle of the night for feeding or changing of diaper? Who would be able to adjust the ratio of formula feeding for Phoebe? Well, I could (and I have to!) but would I be able to do a job and rest well at the same time? Nah...

As far as Phoebe is well taken are of, we shall stick to the plan...

Counting down to 27/8 where our house will be slightly less crowded... But a little nervous at the same time... All for my dear little Phoebe >,<

有那么一个故事。。。

（本故事纯属虚构；如有类同纯属巧合）

在一个风和日丽的下午，有那么一个人独自地乘坐着电梯上到某一个楼层。

这人心想：这个时间也没什么人，反正就我一个；那我就尽情地撇风吧！

于是，他越撇越勇，越撇越爽。。。

结果人算不如天算！

到达楼层的时候，这个人往电梯门外一看，惊讶地见到了亲友们！

情急之下，他就在电梯打开门的瞬间中，拼命地吸，大口地吸。希望能多少回收一些毒气，将「伤害」减到最低。

后来，当然是屁也没收完，亲友们也萌萌木木地乘搭着「恐怖」电梯下楼了。

事后，这个人还自我安慰地想着：或许这三位亲友会「无间道」，认为是其中一人的杰作！谁也没想到会是那个人干的好事！

哈哈哈！搭电梯被冤枉，你遇过吧！？

I felt like...

... Crying when I was left alone. In fact, I was supposed to feel happy, to get plenty of rest and enjoy the serenity at home... Guess I was just not so positive at the moment...

What had saddened me further would be seeing Phoebe left alone on her oversized BB cot. In fact, I was supposed to feel happy, that she was not disturbed... And enjoying the quietness in the house...

Visitors came... I was humbled that they visited the babies... But to chat so loudly that the nap of my girl was interrupted, my rest was interrupted... And nobody attempting to the little one when she was crying loudly... For someone to please change her soiled diaper... And not just stood there to watch her cry...

I felt absolutely useless and sometimes helpless... Despite this overcrowded space... I wish I could be more positive... Perhaps it's hormones...

Phoebe is my second girl, seeing her was like seeing myself 30 years ago, when I was just a baby... I was told that I was also a quiet little girl but I supposed I wasn't so disregarded by my grandparents... Perhaps i was, too, just that i didn't know... But now I know...

Baby wouldn't know... But that's not going to be okay... Baby fed with formulas is way different from the past... Something's need not be said but could always be felt deeply in the heart... I wish I could do more for my girl...

Politics?

Confinement nanny is 57 yrs old but still quick and able to wake up the moment the little girl whined...

Helper is 28 yrs old but able to cook well and clean up the whole place... She loves kids but would sleep soundly and not able to wake up at baby's que...

It's the first week and both of them had been v helpful to our family in different areas...

However, nanny had been grumbling abt our helper... I had not heard a single complain from our helper though.

Well, we have our eyes to see... So, we shall see ^^

大宝便秘了

冰箱里的巧克力，没了？水也开了几包，没喝完就放着。。。

老公问我，＂这些水放多久了？＂

我愣着，心想：＂我有多久开冰箱了？＂正天躺在床上（坐月子）。什么都不知道。

这才恍然大悟，大宝每天吵着要吃巧克力。无法应对的人们通通就范！面包、饼干、薯条、巧克力。。。

最后受罪的还有谁？大宝，在这样下去，我要是有4颗眼睛，2张嘴；也没法子救你了！你就继续便秘吧！

有时候真的是没什么立场说话了。。。还是等一切都过去后；再来从长计议！

A lovely card

I received a lovely and heart-warming card from the dearest person. 

Thank you, Dear, for the reassurance and encouragement during this confinement period.

Love U ^^