The beginning - as told by daddy...

Day 0

The labour was close to 10 hours. Or rather we were in the labour ward for that duration. She had been dilating slowly throughout the day and towards the last hour, one of the midwifes had to help with the dilation. I'd almost thought that she'd pop the following day.

The gyne arrived at about 10.45 pm and told the wife that all she needed by 11 pm were 3 pushes. 2 midwifes were assisting by pushing on each side of the wife's tummy.

By the 2nd push, he paused to ask me what was the make of the camera I was using and commented that since he had not seen it before it must be new. I was dumbstruck for a good 5 seconds and lost the focusing on the camera. I had too lost track of the 3rd push, only to realise the baby will soon be out as the gyne reached for his 'favourite' vacuum plug.

The gyne barked over my wife's raised legs, telling me to ready the camera for the 'moment'.

***

She kind of 'slipped out' with the final push.

The gyne was almost directing my shoot from the front of the wife's legs.

'Set it on multiple!'
'Here's the head, look!'
'Out. Here you go!'
'Shoot shoot!'
'Take the time, the clock's behind you.'

My camera swung from place to place.
Got the baby, got the blood, got the wife, got the clock.
I'd lost focus on the camera but I didn't quite care. It's the Moment, right?

In a seamless flow, the midwives were dabbing and wiping her while inserting the tubes in all orifices to suck out the fluids. She cried and cried, then paused momentarily to open her eyes for the first time, peeking into the World.


I went 'wowowowow' and broke into a few 'hos'. I was tongue tied. Vocabulary eluded me. The wife was slightly better...at least she went 'Oh my, oh my....hello baby.'

The gyne had deftly snipped the cord and I was looking up down the little one, checking for hands, fingers, legs, toes, ears, nose...just making sure she's got them all.

The gyne then proceeded to draw the cord blood for our donation and had the placenta removed. I took a glance at the blue-purplish blob of placenta on the tray and failed to understand how anyone would process and consume it. I wasn't sure if the wife felt the gyne stitching her up after this. She was just looking over her shoulders, watching the midwife clean up Avery.


The midwife had her wiped down and prepared to give her her first jab. I alternated between shooting and assuring my wife.

The stitching took a while more (those were really big surgical hooks!), in the meantime, she was bringing the house down with her cries.

***

The midwife brought her to the wife.

It was indescribable that the pregnancy had ended and we were looking at our baby, our firstborn for the very first time. I don't know how the wife felt when she cuddled her for the first time. As i recalled mine, i was awkward, afraid that I would mishandle and injure my fragile dearest.
The stitching got done, and the gyne recommended a ped for Avery.
He got round to all the paperwork and gave me a firm handshake and a pat on my back.

'Congratulations.'

Avery was all swaddled by now and we were told that she'd be wheeled to the nursery on Level 6 and the wife had to stay put for 2 more hours for further observation. I followed the midwife and was briefed of the procedures for retrieving her from the nursery.

It's already 10 minutes past midnight when i called the folks to let them know of Avery's birth. Guess that officially makes me a father and them, grandparents.

***

We popped!

Well, Avery Tan Ying Xi... Welcome to the world darling. :)

37 weeks and counting

37 weeks.. or is it 38 now? Almost 38 i think. Sort of lost count after these days. Yes, pregnancy amnesia has finally hit me.

I am as big as can be. Okie... thanks to those who say that i don't look that big and making me feel better but the scales can't be wrong. All in all, i've put on 15kgs from the start of my pregnancy till now. There may be another spurt of weight gain but let's hope that it just bbump.

Bbump is about 3kg last week. Holding it stable for 2 weeks but that could change at next doc's appt next tues (there was a pasta lunch sometime during the week). But hey, bbump may be out by then! Except, if bbump is really coming, please do it on Monday and not the weekend, cos' mummy wanna go watch Avenue Q on sunday. :P

Family is sort of holding their breath and waiting for me to pop anyday now. I am still going to work (today is my last day since next week will be school hols anyway and i start to clear leave then). Bros will call and ask "Water bag broken yet?". Parents-in-law commented that they are not sure if we will be doing our weekly weekend dinner for the coming sunday (could pop then you know). My mom insist that she thinks bbump as descended though it felt otherwise to me.

So how am i feeling? Bbump is wiggling rather actively most of the time and the tendency is for me to feel a leg (or some limb) kicking out at the side of my waist on the right. Must be quite a tight squeeze. Am getting mixed feelings such as wanting to pop ASAP (but no... not before Ave Q!!!) and worried that once bbump is here, my life will go haywire starting from confinement (mothers from both side will be presiding). Sigh. Doc mentioned that bbump may be a big baby *groan* so asking me to consider epidural.

I am not that gungho anyway so i guess depends on how much i can tolerate first before going to hospital (doc warned to go only when STRONG pain but what's STRONG pain??). If "strong" pain already when i reached hospital and only less than 4cm dilated, i say give me the epi. Cannot imagine cannot tahan already and still more than half way to go. But say if's journey half done, then at least it make sense to 'diong' all the way.

In any case for now, i am still feeling pretty... normal. No funny sensation or anything. Sorted out work things before starting my leave (the reports i have to vet, the minutes i have to write, the emails i have to clear... sigh). Arranged for cordblood to be donated to the Singapore Cordblood Bank. Didn't think to spend $$ and store the cordblood for personal use but since they take donations, may help other people in future. Who knows? Finished packing my bag for the hospital and making sure necessary documents are packed (need real marriage cert or photocopy will do?). Got bbump's room ready but i think the test will be when bbump is back and the taking-care stars.

So... that's it. Just waiting for bbump to pop out. First decision bbump will ever make. That's cool.

34 weeks and counting...

We more or less confirmed bbump's chinese name but still looking for an AngMo name but if don't have also nevermind i guess.

We have confirmed the gender too at last week's visit to the doc. He also did a 3D scan and printed the side profile of bbump for us. Took a while because the placenta kept and cord kept getting in the way but the doc managed to snap a pretty decent side profile. It really cheered my mom up.

We are happy to say that bbump is doing well and at the moment, weighs 2 kg, more or less. The stuff we needed to buy is also almost done. Will need to wash the nappies and clothings. My mom made bbump two chinese patchwork coverlets. Very very cute. She also made a fluffy cotton mattress, bolster, pillows and a special tea leave pillow. Will need to also sun them and the cot mattress donated by a colleague of mine.

Looks like everything is ready, set... We will just wait for bbump to say 'go' in a 4-6 weeks time. Before that, must remember to pack the bag for hospital but i think i have some time left.

26 weeks and counting

Last consultation with the doctor during my 25th week showed that Baby Bump (still no name yet!!) is growing proportionally and having no major issues other than being smaller than it ought to (2 weeks smaller to be precise). I am not sure what kind of measurements norm the machine compared to but i guess Mook and I are still abit concerned.

Generally, i think i put on a bit of weight. 6 months into my pregnancy and i think my total weight gain is about 9-10kg. That's like 1.67kg per month but now i am not sure how much is me and how much is the baby. I am wondering if i am one of those mommies that suck in the nutrients instead of the baby. Eeuch. That's abit unfair since the only reason i am consoling myself for the weight gain is that it is all for the baby. And now, Mook is trying to make me pig out so that baby can grow more (durians being one of the things offered on the menu - eeuch eeuch eeuch!). But i am thinking i might be the only one ' benefitting' from the pigging out and who will be lumped with the excess weight at the end of the day? Me!

So poor Baby Bump, not like mummy is trying to starve you or anything (you should see the look on daddy mook's face directed at me when he talk to you about growing big and strong) but it is okie for you to fight mummy for the nutrients okie? Infact, take ALL of it! Mummy wants you to grow big and strong too, though not via the durian path. Eeuch.

Off our asses, and out shopping.

Well, we are finally on our start to get stuff for Baby Bump. A colleague of mine is going to donate her cot to me (her 3 kids have outgrown it) which saved me some money since it is still in good condition. Was also shopping at the recent Taka Baby Fair. Mook actually made me rush down early at 10am on National day (fair opens at 10) to avoid crowds and pick up the bargains. Baby Bump may grow up as Singaporean as daddy, with that unique brand of "patrotism" but i think i will try to keep it in check.

Mook has sussed out the advert the day before (i think he kept a copy of the advert too) and our main target would be the stroller which is going for $388 after discount (original price is 500 plus i think). After 3 hours of looking and comparing (well, i took a few breaks in between while he carried on), we finally got the stroller that was advertised, as well as the corresponding car seat/carrier. Other stuff we threw in the mix were: 1 Avent electric bottle senitizer (bundled with bottles, teats and whatnots), nursing pads, extra bottles/teats & milk powder container and hypoallegenic shampoo/body wash for baby. Bill came up to over 900 plus just for those stuff. Anyway, by the end of 3 hours, i am just glad that at least it is free delivery and we had two toy xylophones & one bath towel (& 5 chances to win $5000 in a lucky draw) tossed in as well.

In any case, i think that's about all right? Diapers i am sure i can get at Sheng Siong and the likes... Friend did mention about the breast pumps (electric? manual? handsfree??? - the last will really make me feel like a cow) and Mook was thinking of going back to the fair before it ends on the 24th. Sigh. I am tempted to order online (based on friend's recommendation) instead of thronging through the crowds again. Heard that it is cheaper in the USA. Wonder who i can ask to help send back if i order online, possibly Baby Bump's little aunty who is now working in NY. Throwing in Fedex charges, may work out to be cheaper, since the model i saw cost about USD$200+++ . Can't remember who told me that good pumps are going for 7-800bux locally.

Roll eyes.

Well, Baby Bump, you better appreciate all these pumps and strollers and whatnots when you are out here because buying them and spending the money is stressing mommy out. I think just for that, no toys for you for 2 years. *hrump*

Week 23 and counting

Mook says that i don't blog enough about baby bump. Well, i did invite him to write but then, i guess he is even more lazy than me. All he really wants to do is to take photos of my tummy but so far, i have been politely declining because he wants to do those Demi Moorish type of photos. *roll eyes*

Anyway, so far so good with baby bump. I am "showing" and i think it is because i have taken to wearing back my polo-tees instead of those 'roomy' shirts. People seems abit shock to see how obvious my tummy is but i think its just that i have been 'hiding' it quite well. Baby is not that big yet and it is not like i am shy to show my tummy, i just don't quite like the 'in between' stage where people can't quite discern if you are really pregnant or just fat. Now, since it is quite obvious that i am pregnant, so it's back to 'flaunting' it.

Baby bump been moving around quite actively at night and i am starting to feel the weight. I wonder how much more 'weight' i will have to carry by the time this pregnancy is over. Anyway, i am back to training at the gym and swimming once a week. My usual personal trainer has been quite good, working on building up my back and pelvic muscles (for bearing the extra weight and of course the delivery). Sessions has been quite relaxing since i can't go beyond heart rate of 140. After gym i will pop down for a swim at the condo... just relax and massage my muscles at the jacuzzi.

Quite the eng eng cheng cheng lifestyle. Hahaha no wonder people tell me to enjoy the pregnancy. I always wondered if pregnancy will bring with it some sense of enjoyable (not that i realize there is anything tangibly enjoyable about it) but it is really to enjoy myself before the endless waking up at night and caring for the baby once it's arrived. Anyway, 船到桥头，自然直。We will see how it all goes.