Day 4 Loving siblings

How angelic the little one looks when she sleeps! Well as usual she still trying to get her bio-clock adapted. Lots of sleep in the day and sometimes we wonder why isn't she hungry? Night she's constantly feeding. Tiring start of the journey to breastfeeding.

 

Oooo….what a sweetie pie...

Jie Jie and Kor Kor are so excited to see her once they arrived home. They just can't wait to cuddle and carry her. 

Maternal instinct versus the paternal

Day 3 First morning back home

Everyone's off to church while we stayed home. Keren had her first shower and finally a little more awake. It's really difficult to catch her awake as she's often dozing off after a feed.

Oh yes, she loves being talked to. Do you notice that little dimple of hers?

Her little cot…A sleepy babe

Day 2 Home sweet home

Chubby little sumo...

Day 1 Showered with love

Her little hands….

 Daddy and her sweetie pies….

Keren's Birth Story

We had been waiting for her arrival. Being the 3rd one, we expected an earlier birth, an easier birth but guess it all caught us as a surprise.

Mommy has been off school for 2 weeks in this month of August laden with hols. The wait was getting more laborious as the little one gaining weight as well as mommy. We were given 18 August for induction since the next day is EDD but we wanted to wait natural.

The day went by and still no sign.

We slept but the night of 17 August was really unrested with multiple toilet visits.
Then as we passed midnight, 18 August
3.30 am Contractions. Is it?Tried to rest in bed but the frequency got closer till almost once every 3 min.
4.00 am Wash up and headed off for hospital
4.30 am Checked in and was prepared. Will it be as quick as Abel's where dilation was 5 cm.
5.00 am only 2cm dilated so it's a long wait. IV drip and antibiotics administered. Contraction eased.
8.00 am Gynae came. Still 2cm.."Still early. have breakfast first." Some med was administered to increase contraction.
9.30 am Got moved to birth room and had a very unappetizing breakfast while watching Martha Steward whipped up yummy dessert. Contractions was still slow and cervix dilation only moved to 4 cm. However, each contraction was getting more painful. Baby's heartbeat was falling so was given oxygen.
Bed pan was given in hope draining the bladder would move the baby down. Thigh jab was given to ease pain but as usual did little.
Pain was hitting the roof despite the slow dilation and time just ticked so slowly. Or should I say I'm unaware what time is as I prayed that God just help me dilate quickly and get over this ordeal. I asked hb if I should take epidural but his reply: "It's ok I'm here with you."
The pain was unbearable and I was practically crying with eyes closed as each contraction built up. The nurses finally allowed gas but I was just not breathing the right way, not holding each breathe as I should. Even now, cervix was only 6 cm.

1030 Little did I know the next moments just sped along with a mass wetting (Don't ask me if it's pee or the water bag). Baby just descended and I just felt like pushing. Nurses Informed my gynae then all I heard was "don't push....cervix's not fully dilated...otherwise you'll tear your anus..very good..8 cm already...9 cm...9.5 cm..

1100 Gynae came and the mask was taken away. Push and push..2 pushes and she's out!

1105 Princess Keren @ healthy 3.220 kg. Thanks to God for He has answered our prayers.

 Total exhausted….Not any better when the standard of the confinement meals has gone down over the years.

 After a good clean up and ready for first feed...

Her first smile…. 

National Day

Yes, it's Singapore's 46th birthday! We started a lazy morning with traditional breakfast of eggs and kaya toast.

 Next a visit to Hort Park. The weather will brilliant but terribly warm too...

 It never fails to do good to have space to run and breathe in some fresh air...

 Of course, playground time for the kids...

 Wonders of a thirst quenching drink thereafter...

We had the luxury to be invited to Uncle Chee Choy's loft house to enjoy the fly past and fireworks, all in the cool of aircon. Humble pics of idiot proof camera...

NDP celebrations @ school...

It was a morning of buzzing activities in school. The kids sang and dance and the K1 put up a cultural dance performance.

Abel's in full swing

Abel NDP sing from Joan on Vimeo.

Keziah's dancing her Indian dance…

Untitled from Joan on Vimeo.

The kids upgraded!

In an effort to make space, we all build up. The kids were so excited with this upgrading and as usual, we get the squabble of who sleeps at the top. But we all know for now who's gonna be at the top first.

Innovative in getting up on the bed?

Untitled from Joan on Vimeo.

Sleeping pose

Abel never fails to amaze us with how he sleeps. He had been doing this since young and even till now. Don't he ever get leg cramps?

37 weeks….drawing closer...

Yes, we are into our 37th week of pregnancy. Baby's 3kg and a good size if she were to pop any time. Still Mommy's procrastinating from packing her hospital bag. Anyway, the body is already preparing for her arrival, with probably too much relaxin to loosen joints as baby heads down. The ever-expanding tummy puts ever-increasing stress on the bones, joints, and muscles in the pelvis and back, resulting to pelvic girdle pain. No choice Mommy has to just stay home and start her rest earlier than expected. This time round, we are diagnosed with GBS (Group B Strep) Infection. So it's a round of antibiotics and for the first time, the gynae told us that we have to have antibiotics administered during delivery. 


Somehow a break from work just makes Mommy evermore lethargic and she's been sleeping almost the whole day the moment she hits the bed. Ooooo…..can sleep be accumulated to meet the days when baby arrives?

Glass painting

Always easily occupied by simple craft for the evening….

Rainbow Fish

The kids have been looking forward to this play ever since they saw the posters during the June school hols. Finally it's the day!

With all minds, they watched enthralled by the puppeteers as they learnt how rainbow fish realize that sharing was more important than the outward beauty that she had.

They were so excited when they saw in the brochure the Elves and the Shoemaker which will be the next play coming up in Oct/Nov. Will it be out next play?

Preggy shots

Finally we took some time off to stroll at the park and catch some shots of my very preggy state before I deliver. It's 36 going 37 weeks and I'm feeling all so weighed down. Nonetheless, it's nice just seeing the kids run around at the park with all smiles.

Keziah so loved climbing the tree even though she wasn't very good at it and gave up after realizing she's hogging the queue. Her usual sweet chat with her little sister to find out how she's doing.

Let's just stretch ourselves out!

 Finally a shot of the preg!

Going 35 weeks

Haven't been posting as often as term has started and everything seemed to zoom past so quickly. Daddy's been attempting to take more pics with his DSLR so he's the rate determining step to updating as well. Our foursome time is left another 5 more weeks before our little princess pops. While the kids are excited, there are many changes impending.

Somehow everything to get things in order is just going to slow, procrastination in part but the tiredness is getting more and more profound with the increasing weight and expanding tummy. More night wakings to visit the loo and a lot movement with dancing tummy. Heart burn is getting quite unbearable and definitely taking smaller meals to ease it. So sad to see varicose veins on my thighs which never made its appearance the last 2 pregnancies.

Will Mommy go into labour without having the house ready? Geez, must garner more energy to run this last lap!

To date, our little princess at 34+ weeks is about 2.2 kg, a good weight thus far. Since the last visit 2 weeks ago, baby gained about 200-300 g while Mommy gained 0 g. Hopefully she puts on the 200g/week from now base on the regular growth chart.

Goodbye KTM

The railway closed just a week ago and we decided to have an excursion out. Didnt think that there will be many people but to our surprise, it was really crowded. The kids enjoyed walking along the tracks, doing balancing acts, picking at the gravel.

Choo choo down the rails…. 

 Dirt and all we had to say our goodbyes...

Jurong Bird Park

Our very first trip as a family to the Jurong Bird Park. Abel's been there with the school but Keziah hasn't been even once. Finally here we were…watching the birds...

 The kids were lovers of penguin and having a great time picking up feathers along the way..

At Lory Loft, we tried our hands at feeding the lories. Looks like supply of food was more than demand. It was tough getting a bird interested in our little pot of nectar. It was only after many long waits and attempts to lure the birds that we had one.

 Funny faces and pretty smiles...

Homelearning resource

My friend started this website some time back for moms and dads interested in home learning with a hands-on approach. There's loads of printables to make your own learning materials and ideas on how to interest your kids. Now they are having a give-a-way. Find out more from them @ http://myplayschool.net.

My Little Indulgence

Though it's already no. 3, we still have to be fair to her. Bird nest is known to increase the immune system and help with better complexion as the old folks say. These days we're just too busy to cook our own or have the older folks bothering to prepare such stuff for preggies as much as we loved. So what more easier way than buy the prepared concentrate form and take a teaspoon a day.