2 Months it Is for Eskimo Boy

Dear Aidan,

You're 2 months old. And Mama just turned 70!

(Just kidding.)

But at the rate you're experiencing colic, acid reflux and a very real difficulty in napping, Mama will soon be dead. (Kidding a little less, now.)

Ack! My hands! Gone!

You're still waking up at 11 pm, 2 am, 4.30 am and 7 am for your milk. And because you're usually too sleepy to drink continuously, Papa and Mama have resorted to undressing you and putting a bag of frozen peas to your face to wake you up.

While it can be awfully lonely sometimes to wake up a few times in the night with only deadly sombre silence for company, I'm just so glad I can be there for you. I'm so glad that I can provide for you.




Papa tries very hard to support Mama, too. But one day, he'll tell you about that one incident where he jumped out of bed upon hearing your banshee's cry at 2 am.  Only to switch off the baby monitor so he could go back to sleep and snore...which he did.

See, I do smiles too

I'll say also that burping you after a feed is nearly impossible. I don't think you appreciate being slapped on the back. Or bent forward. After all, your neck is still jello. And it must suck being so helpless. But all my weariness and uncertainty melt away when I see your smile. That's right, this is the month you gave us your first smile!

Ah, I kinda like being naked

Anyway, we are fortunate to have Aunty Lilian, the confinement lady, agree to stay on another month to help Mama. Aunty Lilian cooks really well. In fact, I suspect Papa agreed for her to continue so he could have more of her cooking. She's also good with changing your nappies, showering you and teaching Mama how to do both.  When you grow up, you must call her and thank her for looking after you so well.




You had a fever scare in your 6th week, actually. It's funny how first-time parents can sometimes panic at the slightest change of whatever. It turned out that you were just warm from swaddling. But Mama doesn't regret rushing off to the hospital to have you checked out. Yeah, paranoid android is my middle name.

On the 19th of April, we took you out on your first outing when we visited the Church of the Assumption for your baptism! All the important members of your extended family came for it. Well, except for Uncle Khin (Mama's brother), his wife, Aunty Swee-Lin and cousin Dillon, anyway. They live in Singapore, you see.

Zzzz...what's going on, Mama?

Ok, so that's what Grandpa and Grandma look like

But I've already had my hair washed!

(L-R) Uncle Victor, Grandpa, Amachee, Poh-Poh, Kung-Kung,
Mama, Papa...and Grandma! It's like a Mensa test!

Oh hi Uncle Brian...Aunty Angeline....yawn

You slept throughout the entire solemnisation, of course. But just so you know what you missed: it was a beautiful, tender and meaningful event. From the lighting of your little candle, to the anointing of oil by Father Phillips, to the baptism by the font. It left Papa and Mama feeling secured in the knowledge that you'd be in safe hands, always.

After it ended, the entire family went for brunch at D'Canter in Damansara Heights. One day, you'll know where this is. But you'll still need to ask for permission before ordering the stiff drinks.

Just saying!

Are You a Month Old Already?

Dear Aidan,

You're officially 1 month old today and we can already see that you're going to be quite an intense little guy. Your banshee cry apart, there's always this death stare and frown I only usually see on really old and grumpy people.

Whatcha lookin' at?

Should I even be here in the first place?

Time really does have wings. But with the wings, comes lots of new little adventures. Well, some of them aren't very positive from Mama's point of view. But I'm sure, in hindsight later, I will be able to 

grin about it and maybe wonder what all the worry was all about.

Firstly, I'll admit that  I'm nervous about possibly not being able to breast-feed you for long. What mother doesn't want the best for her child, right? And yet, God has different plans for different people. 

It's 2 am and there's a...light

Right now, I'm already supplementing your meals with a little formula. I've decided not to be burdened by guilt and to just enjoy the moments I have watching you grow, day by day. After all, the entire Breast-Feeding Advocacy Brigade can't see how Mama pumps furiously in between waking up to feed you from the breast directly. It's depressing to see tap drips against the effort I'm putting into this when a Niagara Falls would've been a lot more encouraging.

I know I'm staring but it's not personal

Secondly, I'll also admit that you're one baby with super-strong reflexes. What I'm trying to tell you, really, is that you're a horrible napper! And Mama, Poh-Poh and Aunty Lilian, the confinement lady, are witnesses, too. Your eyes would close but once your head drooped ever so slightly, you'd awaken and bawl. And what a bawl too. I get it. You're angry that you can't sleep properly and you just want all of us to understand - the neighbours included.

I'm really sleepy as you can see; I just can't seem to sleep is all!

I must say though, that it's pretty difficult for Mama to function with this much sleep deprivation. (Which is not as bad as the thought that a little baby like you are functioning with a total of just 30 minutes of sleep in a DAY, of course.)  It's not like Papa could take over breast-feeding duties, you know. What? Never mind, one day you'll understand. At least when it's time for the Lesson entitled 'The Birds and the Bees'.

Anyway, to celebrate your 1st month here on Earth, we had a little Full-Moon party for you. Quite a few of Mama's and Papa's friends came. Not that you gave a toss. You just wanted your milk on time. Plus a little help cleaning up the post acid-reflux-attack mess you made.

I'll tell you though - and this is something else I'll admit - I was pretty glad when it was all quiet again, and all I had was you, in my arms, falling asleep. Well, trying to, anyway.

And You Arrived

Why, hey, you must be my milk-supplier

Welcome to the world, baby Aidan.

You were born a few hours shy of Valentine's Day - 9.35am, 15th February 2009, which we guess you'll be glad about when you're older. No jokes about being a Casanova, Valentino, Cupid or Romeo!

Mommy can't believe all 3.54 kg of you were inside my tummy, too. Wow. Do you want to know your features? First of all, you're pretty fair (for the moment). Your little eyes, when they're open, look a bit Chinese. And you've got a pointed, square jaw like both Daddy and Mommy. As for your nose, we all think you have Daddy's nose which looks like Grandpa's too. You remind me of a little Eskimo, actually, especially all bundled up in a furry blue wrap. I guess we'll be referring to you as our little Eskimo Boy for a while.

Although we'll learn more about you over the next few years, what immediately strikes us right now is your cry. Ha ha. Let's say you have a pretty healthy set of lungs, quite unlike the typical newborn!

Did you know that Mommy tried to bring you out naturally? But in the end, God decided to have you arrive by surgery. It's okay. It doesn't matter how you come, really, as long as you come safely. Daddy didn't get to cut the umbilical cord too as a result. But he told Mommy all about the procedure.

In this case, if you ever hear that babies come out of their mommies' tummies, it's correct.

By the way, you got us a little worried on the 3rd day because you had jaundice. Dr. Azizi, your paediatrician had to put you under ultraviolet light to treat it and make it go away. It was sad to see you, all naked except your nappy and a cool cloth visor over your eyes, lying on your tummy and being "sunned". But you did look rather comfortable.

We think you're going to like the beach. (Did we already mention that Daddy followed the nurse to bathe you and you didn't cry when you were placed in the water?)

Do. Not. Disturb. Baby. Asleep.

Many people came to visit you in the evening: Aunty Hsian, Uncle Srihari, your grandparents. In fact, daddy's mom came thrice, bringing different guests each time - Angeline's parents, her sister and brother-in-law, and of course with your grandpa, great-grandma, Uncle Victor, Uncle Brian and Aunty Angie.

When you're older, you must go to Damansara Specialist Hospital and say hello to the nice midwives and nurses there.

They all loved you and when Mommy and Daddy were really tired, they took care of you in the nice, warm nursery. They were especially helpful in teaching mommy how to feed you. So remember these names: Nurse Hazura, Midwife Khairol, Midwife Balwinder, Midwife Siew Poh!



Anyway, we're awfully glad to have you in our lives, Baby Aidan. It'll be a tough few months ahead but we're parents now and like any new profession, we gotta start somewhere!

Man, it's tiring just trying to keep my head straight!

A Valentine's Day Baby?

"You're going to be unhappy with me." said Doctor Guna at our appointment yesterday.
"Why?" we asked.

He'd just scanned you in Mommy's womb, and given me an internal examination to determine the size of my hip area as well as the readiness of my cervix to deliver you into the big, big world. The results? You're 3.1kg now, a good weight. Your head has gone down quite low but it's not locked in position yet. Mommy's cervix is kinda ready but not fully yet. Sooooo...it looks like you're all snuggled up inside, thinking you're at the Alila resort, and not ready to leave HQ until maybe another 2 weeks' from now.

So, back to Dr. Guna and some news he has yet to tell us.

"I have to go away starting next Tuesday and I'll be gone for a good 10 days; something personal has cropped up."

The good doctor then proceeded to tell Mommy and Daddy that there's a choice to wait till you come out naturally, in which case, he had a good replacement doctor by the name of Dr. John Wong. Or alternatively there's the BIG "I" word - inducement!
Inducement really means he'll help you come out earlier with pills and other methods. It's perfectly safe, too, he said.

Not many people opt for inducement because it's kind of artificial. Or "unnatural" if you like. Plus Mommy certainly doesn't want to put you through any unecessary stress if you're actually still floating blissfully about in the warm amniotic waters of your private Bahamian holiday. But it's also good having a familiar doctor who's well known for his skills at a time so important as labour!

We hope that this is God's will. That He has presented us with this situation for a reason, and therefore protect you as you travel along the birth canal. We hope that Mommy's cervix will dilate properly after the first inducement as Mommy doesn't want too many drugs inside me too even if they may not affect you. We hope, also, that Mother Mary and St. Gerard will be on hand to calm you and ease you into your first glimpse into this alien world, and first breath of oxygen.

In order to have plenty of time for you to make your grand arrival (sometimes it takes a while!), Mommy's getting admitted tomorrow night (Friday). And they're hoping that you'll be out by Saturday afternoon or evening (with Sunday as standby, of course).

If you do come on Saturday, you'll be born on St. Valentine's Day, a kind of universal Day of Love celebrated across the world. Not that it's a must that you arrive on that day, of course, because very day is a good day to love someone! But you might want to have a private chat with Mommy's Godfather about why you ended up being a "Love Baby". He's the one who predicted long time ago that you'll be born on this day.

There's nothing to be ashamed of, you know.

How many kids get to symbolically represent such a beautiful gift from God as Love?

The Case of the Polyp and the Bowling Ball

It's now week 36 Baby Aidan. Mommy's into her 9th month, imagine that. In about roughly 3-4 weeks (give and take 2) you'll be in Mommy's and Daddy's arms.

But what you don't know about the last 3-4 weeks!

Firstly, Mommy had slight bleeding the night Aunt Hsian and Uncle Srihari took us out for dinner. A checkup the next day revealed a minor infection in the cervix so Doctor Guna treated it on the spot. It stung a bit of course, but as far as you were concerned, everything was fine! We saw your cute little chubby face - now filled up with a bit of fat. Your head has been down for the past month and you're also displaying the right "presentation" so far: anterior, which is to say, you're facing inward towards Mommy's spine and will come out looking down at the labour bed, not facing the sunshine.

Daddy was a little startled by your face; for a moment he thought it was too broad and your nose, a little disproportionate. But he was quickly assured that you are normal and it was all due to the camera angle.

Anyway, at the next checkup, all was still fine with you and Doctor said you were about 2-2.2kg in size.

Then two days later, Mommy started bleeding a little again! Sigh. There were no contractions so Mommy knew you weren't in trouble. The doctor simply asked Mommy to go home, relax and observe the "spotting" patterns. Meanwhile, before doing that, he also asked Mommy to drop by the Maternity Ward at the 2nd floor to make sure you were indeed OK, so Mommy was hooked up to the CTG scan again to monitor your heartbeat for 30 minutes.

After three days of experiencing the same "spotting", I couldn't wait any longer. What if it were something more serious, right? So Mommy and Daddy brought forward our appointment with the Doctor and saw him last Friday. As it turned out, there was a polyp growing in Mommy's cervix!

A polyp is a little soft, spongey growth that's mostly harmless, but does occur commonly during pregnancies due to the many hormones that are running around Mommy's body.

The doctor had to take it out with a special instrument and send it to the lab for inspection. He also took a swab of the cells there to send for checking. Just, you know, to make sure all was fine before the delivery. Boy, did it hurt when he did that! Luckily your Daddy was there. And luckily I didn't yank Daddy's hand off either. But I guess it was good practice for the actual day that you arrive :D After that, we did an ultrasound scan on you again and Doc said, "Well, what d'ya know, he's developing just fine!" You were about 2.4-2.5kg at that point. He also mentioned that you were slowly moving downward towards the birth canal.

It might be a coincidence then because since that afternoon, Mommy has been finding it more difficult to walk. In fact, what Mommy has really been doing for the past few days is more appropriately called "waddling". You'll know what I mean when, one day, I point out to you how little ducklings walk. As for the "feeling", it's like having a bowling ball wedged between Mommy's legs and one that feels like falling out. What's a bowling ball? Hmm, Mommy will have to take you bowling one day to show that to you, too!

Meanwhile, for the next few weeks, Mommy's going to be resting a lot more. If you want to get out of Mommy's tummy sooner, do give Mommy some clear signs, ok? No feeble little Braxton Hicks contractions ok? Mommy needs all the cues she can get.

I know you might be a bit nervous too as it's your first time. Don't worry, it's Mommy's first time, too!

Can Baby Speak Dunstan?

Not to long ago, maybe two months or so back, Mommy accidentally caught an episode of Oprah Winfrey on televsion.

Oprah Winfrey is a famous talk-show host who makes a lot of money helping people.

Anyway, a lady called Priscilla Dunstan was the guest on the show. Why? Because she was an acclaimed "Baby Whisperer" who had discovered a way to decode or translate the cries of a baby.

In short, she knows what a baby is trying to say with each different cry!

Her discovery is since called "The Dunstan Language".

To prove that she was not just tricking lots of anxious, clueless first-time mommies the world over, she showed her skill to about 8 women with their babies in a special part of the episode.

To one mommy, she said, "Hear the dry "e" sound to your son's cry? That would be the "eh" that means he needs to be burped. Said mother immediately props her baby against her shoulder and rubs his back. And automatically, the little boy stops!

To another mommy with a little girl, she said, "Oh she's got a "h" at the beginning of her cry. Try changing position so she can get more comfortable."

In the next minute, after the mommy moves her little girl to another position, she's quiet!

Here is the simple guide to the most common cries of a baby:

* Neh=”I’m hungry”
* Owh=”I’m sleepy”
* Heh=”I’m experiencing discomfort”
* Eair=”I have lower gas”
* Eh=”I need to burp”

Aidan, when you're born, I'm hoping that you speak Dunstan. Because every mommy who knows your Mommy tells me that the first 3 months are the most anxious. It's the period of your parents trying to know you better. And this includes trying to understand what you need from us.

Having said that, both your Daddy and Mommy are looking forward to the adventure. I'm sure you'll be spraying pee all over us. And you'll be giving us a few scares here and there.

Whatever you choose to do, don't give Mommy the biggest scare: fall in love with Manchester United. Now, that's two words you don't have to say. Ever.

(Heh heh).

A Big New Year to Change

At last visit, the good doctor said you were 'advanced' by a week. That's just a big word for 'big for week 32'. But Mommy's not complaining. Aunty Murni's baby, Lucas, was 3.2kg 4 weeks before her due date! He ended up tipping the scales at 3.7kg on 12 December.

That's why she had to deliver through her tummy in a simple operation.

Total weight gained since beginning of Mommy's pregnancy: 12kg.

I don't know how much of that came from the pizza, chicken rice and hokkien noodles I ate in the earlier part of the pregnancy. But I'm glad I managed to squeeze in some good stuff, too. Orange juice. Almonds. Prunes. Vegies. All sorts of fresh fruits from papayas, mangoes, bananas and honeydew to watermelon, apples, grapes and strawberries.

No wonder Dr. Guna said you were about 1.8kg two weeks ago and estimates you to round up at 3 -3.2kg at birth. Apparently that's still okay for a natural delivery. So we'll see if that's how you're meant to arrive.

Mommy's friends and colleagues don't think I look 'big'. They don't think I'm having a harder time walking these days - except for maybe Aunty Hsian who's ever mindful of my step whenever we are together. But I am catching my breath even on slow walks these days so you're not exactly an apple pip in the universe that is Mommy's womb.

Do you know, at this point, you're about 4-6weeks away from meeting your Daddy and I? While Mommy is anxious and a little nervous about the whole procedure, we are really excited about your birthday.

Everyone's trying to guess what you'll look like, of course. The bet is that you have Daddy's curly hair and big eyes and Mommy's quirky, introverted nature. But Mommy's secretly contemplating a lot about how our lives will change. When I think deep enough and have the courage of the saints, I realise my life was made for the gift of you.

John the Baptist (no, you're Aidan John of St.John the Evangelist and author of the Gospel of John), proclaimed to the Pharisees and Jewish leaders about Jesus that "He must increase, and I, decrease." He said this to underscore the importance of Jesus' teachings, life and glory over his own, even though he was himself a powerful prophet.

In the same way, your little life will become the centre of Daddy's and Mommy's own.

Our work ethic, our dreams, our decisions will all have a new purpose: You.

Many personal pleasures will be denied or compromised to accommodate your wellbeing - physical, mental and spiritual.

Many old habits will be replaced by new ones.

It will be a big change for both of us as we have been independent for so long. Even if the last few years have partly been dedicated to the lives and comfort of others.

But you are our calling. The fruit of the Marriage vocation which is itself a service to God. If we can impart all the love and teachings we have ever known from God, the family and friends He has placed in our lives, you will grow up to be the person He has called you into existence to become.

And like Simeon in the Temple when Joseph and Mary presented baby Jesus for santification, I would then say, "You can release me now, Lord for I have seen the salvation you promised the world."

Okay, okay, maybe not as dramatic but I think Mommy and Daddy would be able to pack our fake Louis Vuitton bags and go for that 2-month Amalfi Coast vacation then, wrinkles and saggy skin and all. :)