Home Sweet Home - First Month

I changed the template of the blog as the previous one seems to run when viewed in Firefox.

So where was I? Oh... ok

When new born Sandra reached home for the first time, she seem totally unaware of being brought to a completely new place, which is a good thing. Old chinese tradition requires the new born to hop over a basin of charcoal fire or something like that, which I didn't do it of course. But it did have effect on quite a lot of people whom I know (other than relatives) they say it's "important" etc... Well, I simply can't do this kinda thing. My aunt told me when I was young, when I first arrived home she hold me and swing around a basin of fire! Oh gosh, if she accidentally dropped me I might not be typing right now!

First few nights was tough, Caroline says she's not tired, but I am. I woke up whenever Sandra makes a tiny bit of noise. Luckily she's not colicky, but she keeps making funny noises like err.... eweeee, herrmmm, grrr... shreeee... . As tough she's so uncomfortable with the baby cot and frustrated. A check with the PD says she's fine and she might have "wind" after feeding and was told to burp her often. But it's hard to ignore when she makes these noises, even until now. But we can't do anything but to try to carry her hoping it would make her feel better.

After the first week everything seems to be going fine, the feeding, sleeping etc. Lucky with the help of my in-law here from KL to help out, me and Caroline get to rest most of the time.

There comes the 1st month. And yes, what else but to hold a party and invite all the relatives and friends over to see the baby (and touch). Sandra didn't cry a single bit during the party and seems to really like the hug from almost anyone! I find this kinda occasion very good, not for the baby but the parents! Lots of parents to share their experiences and advices, which is pretty neat. But there seems to have one problem too with this kinda occasion. We found foods left by the kids all over the sofa, floor and even the baby cot! But we have a good time, I think Sandra too.

Ok, I think I've summarize the first 7 weeks of Sandra's life here. Now onwards instead of trying to recall back, I'll post the latest happenings around her life, and ours too.

Here's some funny faces she makes during her first 7 weeks:

In the Hospital

So it was 7 March 2006 when Sandra's born. Caroline wanted me to stay with her in the hospital and so I did. I'm amazed that the ward feels no different from a hotel at all! Maybe it's because it's a Single Room Suit. Anyway, middle of night every few hours the nurse would push the baby in for feeding, Caroline had a tough time training the baby for breastfeeding but the nurse was patience and experience until she get the hang of it.

For the next 3 days although being a father I basically can do nothing except settling the bills and wondering around. Caroline was not, besides breastfeeding, she's tired and recovering. The 2nd day we had lots of visitors, and loads of gifts all over the room! Whenever the baby cries, we were so nervous and couldn't handle until the nurse was call in who calm the baby down like magic touch! Wrapping Sandra was a big challenge, we couldn't figure out even after dozens of tries, but the nurses did it as though it was child's play. It's felt scary to handle such a fragile body, but eventually we got the right position and the baby was comfortable (although sometimes I felt uncomfortable with the holding position).

Every baby I saw at the nursery looks, well, almost alike! Girls are wrapped in pink and boys blue. We went for baby bath class and only then I realize that there's so much knowledge behind such a simple task! Just like that, my wife was discharged and for the very first time, Sandra see the "real world" outside of her mum's womb (ok, out of hospital). While getting her to the car, looking at my "fresh new born" baby girl I suddenly came to realized that the environment in this outside world around us seems to be very hazardous. Air and noise pollution, dangerous streets, roads, people coughing, dirt, dusts etc... But we still need to bring her home passing these "obstacles".

Bye bye hospital...

The beginning...

When Caroline was first pregnant, first was joy, follow by "what to do...", and then "now what?". Ok so it's our very first in life, two grown ups faced with an incident which we never encounter before in our entire life! Funny isn't it?

It seems that nature always has it's way, naturally as the days goes by we begin to "behave" like a couple who were parents to be!

1st month - 2nd month:

We double check with the doctor after tested positive with the pregnancy test kit. The doctor too also checked twice with the kit to make assurance! Then was endless joy and discussions on the new member of the family followed by "announcements" to the rest of the family members. Almost everyone thinks it's about time we have a baby as we're already married for 3 years.

3rd - 4th month:

Nothing much, started the regular trip to the Gynae and shot him with tons of questions, basically getting most of the answers as "not to worry...". All our topics with our friends and relatives surround around babies and pregnancy. Almost everybody's comments and experiences are different. Some say during pregnant can't take papaya, pineapples, don't do constructions etc. Some say do more walking, eat more fruits, don't drink coffee or baby's skin will be dark. Some told me to take extreme care of caroline, say she'll start behaving different (Yes as a matter of fact she's so happy she have been playing Mahjong almost every weekend!). I decided the best advice would be from the doctor, which is "not to worry..."

Then we got our first look of the baby! Which looks more like a little tiny fish.

5th - 8th month:

So we have more pictures of the baby. We never get tired of looking at them, thanks to the person who invented the Ultrasound, you made our day!


Caroline's stomach is getting bigger and movement slower due to the weight. I always can't help to laugh at her new penguin walking motion, cruel me I know. The exciting day come when we scan for the baby's sex = it's a girl!

Most will ask mothers to be more careful during their pregnancy, but it's me who's always worrying her of tripping, not to drive, not to eat this that etc.

During the 8th month we get a taste of how expensive having a baby can be after getting most of her stuffs like baby cot, stroller etc. We got a big box of clothes from our relatives, some old some new as gifts, so we decided not to buy much.

The Final Countdown:

So everything was ready, even the baby room was ready. During the 39 weeks during a checkup the Gynae was sup rise to find contractions a week before the expected delivery date! Caroline felt nothing at all but the Gynae mentioned it could be "anytime from now". We were advice to go home and get ready. We went to have a big meal with my mum as Caroline knew she wouldn't be able to eat her fav. foods after giving birth.

The next day, nothing happens, until night when we were about to sleep. She felt something was not right for the very first time, contractions? We both didn't;t know how it should feel. A quick search on the net and some recalled advice from the Gynae alerted us that we better head for the hospital, and we did.

We arrived at Mount Elizabeth Hospital about 1 am. And was at the delivery suit till 5pm and after all the worries and confusion our Gynae came and PUSH!

The Arrival:

I think all guys won't know how great your wife is after you go through with them during labor. It's such a difficult task I described it as nothing compared to 2 and half years of army infantry training. The baby arrive with less than 30 mins of pushing and seeing this miracle happen in front of you can change the entire perspective of life!

So this is where it all started...

1st post - late blog

Ok here we go, my name is Jason. Me and my wife wanted to start this blog way back few months. We actually wanted to have this blog for our first child- Sandra Chong, from before the day she's born till old (hopefully she'll take over when she's able to type on her own, maybe not using a keyboard as by that time technology might be more advanced using voice recognition). But as every first-time parent knows, even before the baby is born, you'll basically be so busy, tired, or lazy (me) to do anything else except all the buying, preparations and excitement waiting for the child to come to this world.

It's been 10 months plus time since then, and one night while searching for breastfeeding related articles I came accross huileng's blog. It was so well done and full of useful information that it really gives us the inspiration to start a blog for our baby too! Although it's a "little" late but if we don't start today, it'll be forever.

Now Sandra's born and it is already 7 weeks old, me and my wife is getting used to ways and means to handle out first baby. Therefore, it's time to start the blog!!

I'll be posting "back-dated" events in the first few post of this blog, follow by all the happenings of our little Sandra as she grows.

So here we go! Please bare with our really lousy English...