(2007/07) July 2007 MTBs

[susuibu]

<font color="0000ff">JULES</font>
Oh no.. another bad night for XY and you. Nothing much we can do but persevere with the liquids, so she doesn't have to be admitted for dehydration.
Keep us updated, hopefully she'll take a better turn today and at least keep her food down.

<font color="119911">CLAIRE</font>
How did Matt do last night? How's his cough?

<font color="ff0000">LOBANG QUEEN</font>
Wah.. you're going to busy with ABCs!

<font color="0077aa">LM's Update</font>
After bringing up his dinner last night, I think he felt better. He woke up so many times though, crying, quick suckle and went back to sleep. Monitored his fever, was about 38, paracetomol every six hours.

So far, today, the fever hasn't returned but he's coughing a whole damn lot more today and runny nose + phlegm.

I'm hoping this is the end of this round and he'll feel heaps better soon. He must be, since he was able to eat 3 tablespoons of barley cereal mixed with breast milk - it took forever for him to finish it, but at least he ate and keeping it down, so far.

Thanks everyone for asking after LM. This forum is such a saver for my sanity!

<font color="0077aa">JILLIAN</font>
Happy Discharging! eheh.. if there's such a word! Only the best patients get such early discharge so well done the pair of you! I'm sure HB, your parents and family all deserve a great big pat on their shoulders too! The worst is over, phew!

 

[susuibu]

A little humour...

I'm renown for my lack of direction, terrible sense of it. I get out of Orchard MRT and I have to pause, think really hard and concentrate on which exit I need to take to get above ground!!

Big Man laughs and teases me about it ALL the time!

Anyway, we like to have imaginary conversations and dream up what LM might be thinking or saying.

When he's about 4, we would imagine him going up to a stranger on Orchard Road and have the following conversation:

LM: I think my Mama is lost..
Stranger: Oh, you mean YOU are lost, little man.
LM: NO, I mean my Mama is lost. I know where I am. She's got terrible sense of direction! Can you help me find my her?

The end. Ha. Ha. Laugh at my expense.

 

[mikha]

susu.. so no more fever but more phlegm?
3tbsp of cereal sounds good.. i hope LM gets better soon. poor baby. poor you.
just started giving barley cereal and she loves it soo mch better thn the rice one..


ive got a bit of a dilemmma.
ive got a job offer.. not my old place but a new one.
10am till 2pm.
sigh sigh sigh
i dont know. money is goot
im so stuck

at least i can still bring her for gymboree at 330

haiyah

peck.. i havent glued the stuff yet.. i'll try to take a pic soon

 

[allys_mommy]

Hey everyone, we're home and exhausted..... Ally is a happy little girl. Refusing her bottle at the moment so we're syringe feeding her. Haven't read the posts yet but will do so later after getting some sleep. Thank you all for being my pillar of support and source of sanity.

 

[mikha]

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teddy
teddy (20.6 k)</td></tr></table></center>

 

[mikha]

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butterfly
butterfly (20.9 k)</td></tr></table></center>

 

[mikha]

ALLY &amp; JILLIAN!

so glad you gals are home!
now everything can go back to normal..
pooping and feeding..
we were all thinking of both of you.

<font size="+2"><font color="ff0000">GROUP HUG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!</font></font>

 

[katgrrl]

Phew, good to hear that Ally can be discharged! It must be such a relief to get the all clear and go home

nothing beats home, man....

<font color="ff0000">Jillian</font>, do have a good rest. U must be exhausted physically &amp; emotionally. I know how u feel because our bb was warded before.

<font color="ff0000">Amber</font>, part time job? 10-14 not bad, imo.. though it depends how long is the commute time. I miss being at work &amp; having the adult interactions esp now when I'm holed up with no friends

..hopefully, I'll find some in the near future....

<font color="ff0000">Susu</font>, hope LM is feeling &amp; eating well soon!

<font color="ff0000">Jules</font>, hope she retains the fluids! dehydration is quite serious
http://www.babycenter.com/0_dehydration_11527.bc

<font color="ff0000">cheok</font>, thanks 4 the tip! will google later, Alex just woke up so i'll goout 4 a walk.. gg nuts soon otherwise

 

[ewoks]

jillian:

its great to be home...home sweet home!

i take my hats off ally; she is such a brave girl. i take my hats of u too...u are such a wonder mum... clap clap!

jules: hopefully xy is feeling better nw?

susu: goes the same for LM...hope he is feelin better as well.

amber: its nice to hold a part time job for the time being...at least ur $$ load is slightly lifted up.. try it out first....and then see if you can balance both work &amp; home. gd luck

 

[allys_mommy]

Claire: Yes go ahead and add me

Amber: Thanks for the post regarding discipline, good tips in there. Ally can be a real hand full and sometimes I wonder if I'm expecting too much from her at this age. But then again, when I see that cheeky look on her face I know she's playing me.

Have to run, Ally's started crying...

 

[yolk_sac]

susu
Ah Ems was on Sinupret too! Do we go to the same PD? Olive Tree at Forum? Good to hear LM is a bit better. The cough takss a while to clear but as long as there's no fever....guess it's a good sign and a step in the right direction! Speaking of "direction"...I'm like you - bad at getting around, always getting lost. I took ages to get to Irene's place yesterday even though it's quite near my place. took a wrong turning etc, even though I looked it up in the street directory. Pathetic huh?

jules
No, I'm lousy and lazy at taking supplements. But I have a (hypochondriac) friend who swears by echinacea! Who knows? Maybe it's all psychological!

Amber
Wow, 4 hr work day!! Good stuff!! Is it like the old job where you get paid during holiday periods? That'd be super. That said, all depends on how you feel abt leaving Ash at home. Will your mum be able to come over some mornings to help out? Also, the point someone raised about commute time is also valid. Got to add that in as well. Sigh...Tough call, babe. That's why we're always vacillating on this topic. Put it up to Him in prayer and seek guidance. He knows best after all!

 

[chipndale]

hi all, thanks for the concern. xy seems to be getting worse.. not retaining ANYTHING - milk/porridge water/ water/medicines.. everything i feed her comes back up again once she coughs. and her fever has come back. only gd thing so far is that she still produced a wet diaper in 6 hrs (one of the signs of dehydration is the absence of this), and still plays as per normal , tho a bit more manja than usual.

really dun want to have to bring her to hospital cos that means lots of blood tests, drip as well as definite admission.

 

[yolk_sac]

jules - i wonder why she is throwing up...is it a reaction to the meds you're feeding her? or is she just getting rid of the phlegm? ems threw up a few times right after i syringed her meds in, i think she just hated the meds. but if XY is throwing up all the time, this seems a bit worrying leh. but you know better than me what to do lah. poor XY - wish i cld give her a hug. you take care too babe.

 

[brinkleybum]

<font size="+2">HELLO FROM KL!</font>
hey gals..just a quick one from Kl b4 R wakes

Jules,
sorry to hear abt XY not getting better. She sounded worst than R when I admitted her...praying for her to win the war with bug soon!

Jillian,
Horray! am happy for Ally! Keep us posted on her recovery!

Yolk/claire,
planning to send her back end of this month. Will have to cope with 1 maid for at least 3 months though..what do you think? Keep her till then or kick her out immediately?

Amber,
babe, take the job first. Do it a few times and really dun like, you can stop! Rather than you sitting at home wondering wondering right?

Susu,
Hugs to LM!! And you too! I think you are starting to look like me now? The very Chic Panda-look???

<font color="ff0000">Terror in KL</font>
TOUGH!!! R gave me hell starting from last night and lasted the entire day. Super duper fussy...and <font size="+2">GASP</font> SHE ACTUALLY REFUSED boobs! How?!?! Whats happening?? die lah! my ultimate tool is rendered useless now!!

 

[brinkleybum]

<font color="aa00aa">LEWIS HAMILTON</font>
Oh bump into Lewis Hamilton in the Hotel lobby and he was really sweet. Took a pic with us and was playing with R...awww hope he wins in Sepang this weekend!

 

[chocomilk]

jules do you want to call the pd to check if XY's reaction is normal? Oh dear,

i really hope she wont get dehydration.

bcube OMG!! I wont know what to do if my shayne rejects my ultimate weapon!!! How come R is refusing boobies? Er, so what's next??!

I yelled "LEWIS HAMILTON" when i read your post and my hard-core F1 fan husband rushed over to see what i was reading! EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE I DONT LIKE LEWIS HAMILTON!!! I HOPE HE LOOOOOOOSE! He two-timed his gf, i no like two-timers!

 

[mikha]

Jules, dooesnt sound good.
my red flags wld be up!
you'd know best wht to do.. i'd just dumb dumb run to PD for everything.

i swear Ash needs to be a PD whn she grows up.

ive had a bad day with her. she cries whn i put her down for a nap. up to 30mins-45mins. i do the PU/PD but she carried on for almost an hr! it this damm teething!

she doesnt have stranger anxiety but sometimes separation anxiety.. make any sense? sigh

abt job.. more income is always good. esp now with cutting corners on one income.
Yolk, nope not like old job.. it's by 3mthly contraactss.. which i like..pays more thn old job n is in orchard rd area.. easy to commute. BUT, we've got no family to help...
i trust my maid 95%.. shes really great.. but it's the 5% thts not worth the safety of our child.

the rare days i leave Ash at home with her for a few hours.. maybe twice a mth or so.. my helper is soo happy she just plays with her and doesnt do much housework.. which is fine.
but if she has Ash everyday? and the novelty wears off... she'll surely be more careless n complacent.. n i cant take tht risk..

sigh sigh sigh

 

[allys_mommy]

Finally a moment to myself. Ally has become my siamese twin but who can blame the poor girl?

Amber: That's really a tough call, nothing beats having family to look after Ash but since that's not possible I guess you need to decide. I personally miss my financial freedom since I stopped working but other than that no regrets. Sorry, I know I'm not offering you any useful advice so will give you a big hug instead.

Jules: Poor XY, I think as long as you feel she's alright then try to delay the trip to the hospital. Its horrible when they're unwell.... give her a big hug from me.

Here is a picture of Ally right after the operation. Poor girl was in so much pain despite the pain medication. She was also running a fever which is normal post op.

Ally this morning, feeling much better! Except she hated the splints on her arms.

The "bravery award" which they give to all the kids who go in for an operation. We thought it was a very good idea

 

[mikha]

Jillian looking at those pics...
i know why i should stay home.
nothing beats having your mother ard whn youre sick.
and i dont want absent whn she needs me. ever

BIG HUGS TO YOU AND ALLY.
i hope to finally meet this Champion girl.

peck n i were just saying on SMs tht we shld set a date..

argh gotta run

 

[mikha]

anybody got parents/grandparents/in-laws to rent?

 

[mikha]

yeah yeah yeah... you all keep quiet now...

<font size="+2">then when i go too bed early... you guys come out and play!!</font>

 

[allys_mommy]

hahaha, poor Amber.... we should meet up, I want to meet Ash the angel baby! In 2 weeks Ally should be ready to play, we have to go back for check-ups next week so hopefully we get the all clear.

Am going to get my tired body into my nice cosy bed, no more uncomfortable, unstable hospital pull out bed for me tonight!

 

[chipndale]

yolksac, i think the throwing up is due to excessive coughing.. xy's cough is really horrible. very phlegmy and she can cough till she is nearly gasping for breath. poor thing.. breaks my heart to see her like that. and the thing is she WANTS to eat!! she just downed 175ml in 3 divided feeds within 30min! well, she threw up a bit after that, but i hope she retains the rest. her porridge stayed in too.. keeping fingers super crossed. now she's napping on my mil's chest.. seems like she sleeps better in a semi upright position.

bcube/amber, actually i'm trying my best not to over-react.. my instinct is to rush her to hospital ASAP!! mil was echoing my thoughts.. however, hb was trying to make me see things rationally.. she does want to eat, and doesnt have much signs of dehydration except dry lips. will just keep a close watch on her tonight. hate getting her admitted just to treat my own fears.. u know what i mean?

 

[susuibu]

<font color="119911">CELEB</font>
Yes, I go to Dr Tan at Olive Tree! I've been with her since day 0, when LM was born! I thought Ems's paeds was at Glenealges?

<font color="0000ff">JILLIAN</font>
Siamese twins.. I know how that feels! You guys must be happy to be out of the hospital and back to familiar surroundings. Get well soon, Ally and I hope you, hubs and your folks get some well deserved rest, Jillian!

<font color="ff0000">JULES</font>
Aii!!! At least XY has a good appetite, and she must be retaining some of that milk and solids. I do hope she gets well soon, or at least let the vomitting stop.

I know what you mean. LM just brought up his dinner and milk again. His coughing seems worse at night, and even now, while he sleeps, he's still coughing lots, the poor guy. We had to give him his drugs twice this evening - he threw up 2x!

Good thing though, his fever seems to have crashed and over with, touch wood. Just as well, as we're headed back to see family tomorrow over the long weekend. I hope he copes well with the drive.

Big Man and I are now taking turns to fall ill too. Argh.

Btw, if you're in doubt, just speak to your PD first before going down to the hospital.

<font color="ff6000">AMBER</font>
Sent you an email! I asked Jillian too if she's like to sub-contract her parents to LM and myself!

<font color="aa00aa">BCUBE</font>
Aii... R rejected the ultimate weapon? Maybe it's the changes in environment up there in KL? Give her a couple of days to get used to the place maybe? That's typically how long LM takes as well to get accustomed to new place, new sleeping areas, etc. Hang in there.

<font color="ff0000">Filial Piety Duty</font>
Alright, girls. Will be posting and checking sporadically as I'll be away this weekend visiting my Dad &amp; family. Everyone take care, enjoy the public holiday for the working mums, and have a good weekend everyone!

Ta!
Susu

 

[susuibu]

<font color="119911">CELEB!</font>
How long did you keep Ems on sinupret for? Nurse at clinic said the bottle has to be discarded after two weeks cause it's herbal. But how long did you give Ems this med before chucking it out? Ta!

 

[susuibu]

Hehe... we took this pix before he fell sick.

Big Man calls it LM's <font color="0000ff">YODA</font> impression!

LM: "Ah.. yes... many babies to come seem ill but better they will be soon..May the force be with you"

 

[yolk_sac]

Heyo! Sorry, so so tired today, so will just reply to direct questions etc. HUGS TO ALL THOUGH

susu
Haha, oh yes, I remember you telling me that you were with Dr Tan. In fact, I remember us discussing this issue before you popped! Sinupret - Ems was on it for probably about 5 days. I brought her in on the 6th day for a review and Dr Lim (who was covering for Dr Tan) examined Ems and said that we could stop the Sinupret.

jules
Good to hear that XY's retaining some food. Aiyoh, so heart pain to hear about her coughing!

Nasty bug - go away!!

Jillian
Hurray to your being home!

How does Ally do at night with the bandages on? She's ok? Ems is looking forward to another play-date with her "counterpart" Ally soon! Ps - I love that little bravery award they give out, how sweet!

Amber
3 month contracts means you can work for certain stretches and then take a few months off before working again? That's great flexibility! Sigh. Tough call, babe. I can see the arguments for and agst either way, but in the end, guess it has to come down to your intuition and gut feel abt what is best for your family. Personally, I could not leave my bb with a helper, however good she is. But it's just an irrational thing. My family's practice has always been like that. But I do understand why some families have to do that, and I'm so glad the helpers treat the babies right.

bcube
Miss you!!! My hb thinks the photo of Renee with Hamilton is super cool. HB is a big fan of his (erm, sorry cheok!) Abt the new maid - I wouldn't be able to have someone live under my roof if I knew she was lying and stealing. I just would not have peace of mind. I think you should let her go sooner rather than later. N was able to cope (well, sorta!) previously, so she'll just have to keep on keeping on for a few more months

 

[yolk_sac]

susu
Haha, great pic!! And I love your Yoda speak. I have a good Yoda pic too - this was Ems, a day or two after her birth, while we were still in the hospital:

 

[susuibu]

YODA pictures!

So who else has a Yoda pix they'd like to share?!
Every baby has their Yoda moments, come on!

 

[allys_mommy]

Horrible Night.... I'm officially a platinum member of the SPG.

Poor girl couldn't get to sleep cos her nose is so congested. She sounds like a snorting pig and even after trying to suction it she still was really uncomfortable. The only time she could sleep was if I held her standing up. Mind's a blur, will write more later when I can think clearly

 

[susuibu]

<font color="0000ff">JILLIAN</font>
Oh dear... sorry to hear about the platinum bit, bah!

How about letting Ally sleep in her car seat? I noticed LM sleeps well in it when he's got the sniffles as he's more upright. This might give your arms a break too.

We rock the seat too, to lull him to sleep, so that's an extra bonus.

Do hope it'll get better soon!

 

[jendome]

Good morning, mummies,
I need some help and advise here.
My boy currently is teething and he is rejecting milk.. usually he drink 180ml... if bottle feed, he only drink 80 - 100ml then dun want liew, the remain 80ml, i have to inject into his mouth via spyinge and he enjoyed that... Any mummies experience the same as mi ???

 

[allys_mommy]

Susu: Just rang her doc to find out the cause of her sleeping problem. Seems that after surgery the palate area will swell and this in turn makes the nasal passages smaller. Which would explain why it sounded like I had a little piglet in the room last night. Good news is the swelling will go down and things will get better, the bad news? It might take a week! I can't imagine being a platinum member for a week, I want to revoke my membership ASAP!!

As for sleeping in her car seat, she's got one of those newborn to toddler convertible ones which I unfortunately can't rock. So it looks like I'm going to get some arm training for the next few days.

 

[chocomilk]

susu hahahah, love the yoda moment! SO cuuuuuuute! ENjoy your time with da family! Hopefully on your return, LM will feeling much better!!

yolk kakakaka, yoda moment indeed!!!

jillian oh at least you detected the 'problem', now that you know it makes you feel more in control isn't it? Well, at least she'll get better as the days go by. hang in there!!!

SPG Club aiyah consider me a permanant club member la! Just as when things got better, Shayne's nap and bed time has gone haywire again!! Yesterday i spotted two more teeth emerging through his upper gums. So, all in all he has FOUR TEETH trying to erupt!

 

[bebeetmaman]

<font color="0000ff"><font face="tahoma"> Hi ladies,
Sorry to interrupt.

Do check out http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/450761/1301847.html?1205904095
for deals on diaperbags and wonderbibs! </font></font>

 

[allys_mommy]

Ally would like to say a big thank you to her friends,

Ashley
Matt
Shayne
Renee
Ems
Lucas
Faith
Kaelyn
Jovan
XY
Wairah
Veve
Kaizer and their mommies for the wonderful musical pony and the lovely flowers!

 

[yolk_sac]

jillian
Oh no! Sorry to hear abt the bad night. Did the doctor say if there was anything they could give Ally to bring the swelling down? When Ems had her cold, her nasal passages were blocked (by mucus presumably) and she sounded like a stuck pig while she was breastfeeding. PD prescribed decongesting nose drops but I guess Ally's case is completely different since it's not a question of excessive mucus. Another thing I've noticed is that when Ems nose is blocked, she takes comfort in lying on her tummy - does Ally like this sleep position? Maybe that might help a bit.

cheok
So Shayne has two "pebbles" on the bottom and two on the top? Or have the bottom teeth already cut through? Poor guy. Can't be much fun. Ems' bottom two are almost 100% out I think, and she has one tooth on the top which is "pebbling" at the moment. I'm very envious of the mums at JG with babies with lots of teeth, not because it's a race or anything, but because they have a higher % of their teething woes behind them! But I hear the biggest challenge is when the molars arrived - can't wait!

Jenn
I've heard that it's very normal for bb's appetite to decrease when teething. We see that with Ems as well. So not to worry!

 

[yolk_sac]

jillian
Awww, thanks for posting that little pic! Hope she feels better soon so she can enjoy it a bit more. And the flowers were for YOU - because you're doing such an awesome job looking after her!

 

[allys_mommy]

Yo;k: Her doc said that she just needs time for her swelling to go down. In the meantime we're plugged in the humidifier to try and moisten the air in her room. I've also propped her up on pillows but that just means that I need to be there all the time when she's asleep cos I'm worried that she'll bury her face in the pillows if she moves about. Tell Ems that her partner in crime should be ready to come out and play in about 2 weeks.

A big thank you to everyone for the flowers, it really brightened up my day esp after last night.

 

[mikha]

Jillian, you are very welcome!
HUGZ
she looks happy o her horse!

Yolk, how you doind?
hows things with granny n helper?
Ems o?
still phlegmy?

Jules, hows XY doing?
Ash has dry lips a lot.. and i know its cos she refuses to drink water.. all back to normal now?
i hope shes better.

Susu,thnx babe for the lovely email.. i havent had the time to write you back.. susu, yolk, i hear ya i hear ya.. both of you said same things re job offer..
bcube, im going for interview on monday at 5pm.. but i know they already have intentions to hire so its more formality.

i have prayed very hard.. and i want it all you see.. i wld like the job. but money isnt everything. we wld like more money.. but we dont NEED it. it's been tough but we are manaaging.

so had looong talk with hb and hes gonna try to work fr home for most if not all mornings till Ash's nap.. i just need someone here frm 11-1pm.. which is her awake time. aand he said he cld stay home for it.. or perhaps leave at 1230..

so im gonna cracck my head on how to reschedule Ash if need be..

i do not want to leave her home too long with helper.. esp now tht shes mobile. so i hope i can work soething out with the company.. so i can leave early on tues to take her to gymboree

gotta run

 

[yolk_sac]

amber
That's a fantastic arrangement! I forgot that your hb can work flexi hours and do some of his work from home. That's really superb. Glad that all that's worked out really well. Guess the interview on Mon will be a good chance for a two-way dialogue b/w you and the new place - a good chance for you to be upfront as well abt your needs (eg: leaving early on Tuesdays) so that everything's laid out nice and clearly from the very start. I have a good feeling about this!

going back to work
As for me, I'm seriously thinking about going back earlier than I'd initially planned. Maybe 1 May? It's been a wonderful 9 months and I feel really blessed to have been able to have this time with bb, but I think it's time I get on with my job before I get really rusty and feel completely out-of-touch.

There will be a few things to put in place before I go back. For example, Ems is bottle-rejecting (again) and formula-rejecting (I think) so we'll have to work on that. With my work hours, I can probably still do BF for her first feed, her after-dinner feed (6:30/6:45pm) and her dream feed. But she'll need to take a bottle at 10am (snack before JG) and 2:30pm. There's also the issue of who will bring her to JG but that can probably be worked out with my MIL. The thing is that all this would need to be sorted out sooner or later, so bringing it forward by a couple of months isn't going to make a huge difference.

But you know...the thing abt going back to work is I gotta be prepared to let certain things slide - eg the routine - I have a feeling that's going to go *splat* if I'm not around to supervise. Also, who will speak foreign languages to her?

And given her current bedtime, I will have to content myself with playing with her mainly on weekends and PHs.

Sigh - so difficult!

 

[yolk_sac]

jillian
Ems says to tell Ally, "I'll be waiting for you, pardner!" (in her best Wild Wild West accent). Oh, that's another thing that will have to go once I head back to work - no more playdates for Ems!

amber
Thanks for asking abt her. She's 100% recovered, thank God! Am hoping to build up her immunity with iron/multi-vit supplements from the PD (the dosage is a certain amt every other day) and with echinacea goldseal supplements (5 drops in a bit of pear juice, each day).

 

[allys_mommy]

What a day! Ally my dear super duper medicine taker has now become the impossible baby! Trying to feed her antibiotics and painkillers is a nightmare. It involves a lot of hair pulling ( me)screaming, crying (her not me) pacifying and in the end, just giving it to her even though she's howling away. Whatever happened to the baby that would smile each time she saw me with the syringe?!
She's still not drinking from her bottle, and is rejecting my expressed boobie medicine! So I spoon feed her every two hours with some clear broth. I have to keep reminding myself that this is only day 2 post op and it WILL get better.
Can't wait for her to start drinking her milk as per normal. Its just like looking after a fussy, newborn all over again.

Sorry for going on and on, just need to vent, its been a LONG day.

Yolk: I think its great that you were able to be home with Ems for this long. Its hard to get back into work mode after being away too long. Is your granny going to be her main caregiver? And you're right about it not making a huge difference by bringing it forward a couple of months. All these things that you mentioned would have to be sorted out eventually. At least you can start now and help make the transition easier for Ems.
About spending less time with her, just remember its quality not quantity. Ally and I nearly drove each other mad today cos we've been stuck to each other for nearly 2 weeks now without leaving the house. Glad to hear that Ems is now 100% recovered

Amber: Good luck with your interview on Monday. Its great that your husband is able to work from home and be with Ash, lucky girl!

I need Susu to say her SPG club prayer for me tonight! Just the thought of carrying Ally and waking around the house at 3am in the morning makes me shudder.....

 

[chocomilk]

jiliian Yay, ALly looks good on her new toy! EH, you're doing a great job! From the photos i can't tell these are post op photos!

yolk wow you sound ready to get back to work huh? Ya i agree, once you return to work, you really have to close one eye. ALOT of arrangements to made before you go back work, but it'll all iron out!

teething oh Yolk, not sure what you mean by 'pebble', but i can feel the edges of his teeth and visually, the teeth has cut through his gums. ONly one is out like 10% of the full teeth, the other 3 has cut through the gums but its taking FOREVER TO GROW FULLY.

So anyway, im nursing direct and its PAINFUL!!! I can feel his teeth against my skin. Funny only on the left side...any solution to this?

 

[yolk_sac]

jillian
Oh dear, sorry to hear abt your day. Did the doc say this was to be expected? Guess her inner mouth area might feel sore or odd to her and her reaction is to refuse anything by mouth? Didn't realise she wasn't taking her milk. Will she drink EBM if you spoon feed it to her?

Yes, I think the main care team will be granny + helper, with MIL coming in some days and with my mum coming in some days wef July. Lots of details to be ironed out and some training (eg: how to bathe Ems - so far, only HB and I have done it!) is in order. You really think it's about quality? I keep hearing that it's about quantity. Sigh. It'll definitely be hard for me to do the transition when the time comes. But I must stay positive and not let myself wuss out.

The other thing is that I've heard of babies who go on a feeding strike during the day when their mums go back to work. My friend's BFed baby refused to feed during the day and stayed up feeding all night. So my friend had to go back on NPL. But I think now that Ems is so old and takes three solid meals, this problem may be less likely. But you never know with Ems!!

cheok
Erm, check your latch and adjust the bfding position a bit? Might help. If the pain is really bad, you might want to change the position altogether (eg: if you usually do cross-cradle, switch to football for a while) and then go back to your fave position a few days later. That might do the trick - just kinda switch it up a bit!

 

[allys_mommy]

Yolk: yeah I honestly do think its the quality that matters. Just remember not to try and fit in too many things when you are with her because you feel like you missed out during the week. When I was working, I use to do that with Ally and HB. Whenever the weekends came I use to think we have to do this and that because we were so busy during the week. It drove everyone crazy and in the end Hb gently told me that I needed to chill out and just enjoy being with her. Some of our best times as a family was spent at home just lazing about.

I've heard about babies going on a feeding strike as well! And just as how Ally has turned into super duper anit medicine monster, Ems might just decided to go on a hunger strike . I won't rule out anything with these two.

Ally's nurse did say that her palate area is still swollen and she might reject her bottle for the next few days. She reckons that she doesn't want EBM cos there might still be some dried blood in her throat and the taste of milk and blood is quite foul. She'll drink the EBM if I spoon feed her but she makes a horrible face each time. So I've stopped forcing and just give her broth and juice for now. I'm not too worried about her losing weight, just want to keep her hydrated for now.

Cheok: Ouch! That sounds extremely painful.... Poor Shayne has been hit hard by that bloody tooth fairy! I'm also amazed at how well she looks, the swelling on her face is minimal and unless she opens her mouth, you can't tell she just had an operation. Lets hope tonight will be a better night for both of us.

 

[chocomilk]

jillian sorry to hear about your day. Ally's been exceptional this far and even if she reacted badly, it would be quite understandable. Hang in there, yup today is only day 2, as the days pass, things will get better!

yolk I agree with Jillian, its about quality not quantity. As you know i spend my every minute with SHayne, but sometimes at the end of the day, i feel like nothing has been accomplished. Like, we didnt quite bond especially on days when i dont really interact much with him. SO, its really not quite how long you spend with Ems, its the quality. Actually, even the shichida staff said so (i watched the program on mon)

thanks on the tip, will try it out!

 

[yolk_sac]

The Me-Too Chair!
My husband convinced me to buy this from MothersWork (GWC) a few weeks ago. We were getting tired of lousy high chairs - we went to a few eating establishments which did not have clean high chairs or which had chairs which were too roomy for little Ems. The Me Too Chair is actually quite cool. It's super compact and we just stick it in our diaper bag or in the back pocket of our stroller. The five-point harness keeps fidgety Ems in place (the same cannot be said of the harnesses on many of the high chairs we've sampled) and she seems to like sharing the table with us.

This is Ems at Sun &amp; Moon today:

More information at http://www.amazon.com/Phil-Ted%2527s-MeToo-Chair-Black/dp/B000H6R0T6/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&amp;s=baby-products&amp;qid=1206023388&amp;sr=8-2

 

[yolk_sac]

cheok
I totally know what you mean! Sometimes I think if I had a bit of time away from her, I'd be so much more enthusiastic and "on", you know? At the end of the day, I guess it's all about finding the right balance. I think some kind of part-time arrangement (eg: work mornings only) might be the best balance, but part-time work carries with it its own issues. Hope my tip works! BTW, re football hold - not sure if you don't like it like lots of BFding mums. I didn't either and when I first started BFding, there was no way it was working for us! But recently, I had a blocked duct and resorted to the football hold in desperation and Ems and I had no problems with it at all! Amazing. So give it a try even if it didn't quite work for you before ok?

jillian
Oh I see! It's the taste which is bothering her. Argh. Poor gal. This can't be a fun time for her. Yes, I think you're doing the right thing by not forcing the issue and just focusing on keeping her as hydrated as possible. Keeping my fingers crossed for a good night for you!

Abt weekends, yes, I can see how the temptation might be to do lots of different activities (even enrichment classes!) on the weekends. Must resist! My granny has asked me whether I want to hold off JG for some time now that I'm going back to work, but I reminded her that without JG (and with me back at work) Ems will get zero exposure to CL. But will see lah. Hopefully the family can work something out to get her to classes without too much fuss.

 

[allys_mommy]

Hi Yolk, what a great chair, Ems looks comfy in it.
I'm super paranoid about the cleanliness of high chairs outside so this might be a good option for us. Is it only available at Motherswork?