Mastitis or dengue fever?

Just last week, I felt an achy flu coming when I was fetching Gabriel from school. Brought the 2 boys for a quick lunch at the Bishan Sports Complex as I wanted to enquire about the gymnastic classes for John. Sadly, the whole gymnasium was renovating and they have moved their classes to Hougang.
By the time we got back home, I was already feeling so achy and tired that I had to go nap with baby for half hour. That night, I started shivering and realized that I had fever...38.9 degree celsius! Oh no...I was hoping that it's not dengue again! I had dengue in Oct 2005 (dengue epidermic in S'pore) when John was 2 months old! Caught with no symptoms at that time... also waking up shivering with a temperature of 38 degree celsius and had to go for blood test for the next 5 days ...then confirmed dengue on the 5th day and admitted to KK Women's hospital as blood platelets kept falling. It was so agonizing...as I got weaker each day and my family had to stay in the family companion ward the first night...bringing baby to my bed every 3 hours or so the first night for me to nurse. On the 2nd day in the hospital, LC Cynthia Phang said I had to stop nursing for the time-being if I wanted to get well. So I had no choice but to let her bring out those ready-made formula milk while she took baby away from me to feed and even taught Adin how to do it! Sigh! So heartbreaking! Well, I got discharged on the 3rd day as I was so determind to recover...forced myself to eat and just prayed, rested and expressed milk with the hospital's pump to prevent engorgement. I was so glad to go home that day and started nursing baby John as soon as I got home!
So I got quite worried when I came down with the high temperature last week. Baby Paulina was almost 3 months and I really can't afford to have another dengue episode! I even sms my friend, Gabrielle who also has a 3 month old baby, to save whatever expressed milk she had in her freezer and to standby to express her breastmilk in the event that I may come down with dengue fever! It's so nice to have friends who are also breastfeeding their babies who are of similar age group! Knowing that Gabrielle who is also an experienced breastfeeding mom of baby no. 3.... I was confident that she'll be able to express that extra milk for my baby. Oh...we'll just go that extra mile to help another breastfeeding mom! *Hee*
I kept popping panadol every 4-5 hour that night and fever only broke the next morning at 7am! It was only then that I realised that I had a painful block duct on my right breast. The achy feeling in my whole body didn't go off so I just kept massaging the painful area and kept nursing baby while doing breast compression. Oh well, the fever and bodyaches finally went off after 2 nights! Thank God! And thank God it was not dengue fever!

Bollywood Veggies Farm-10th Jan 2010

It was our first trip to this organic farm last Sunday morning and it was a fun-filled, educational and enriching day! We were greeted Ivy Singh (the owner of Bollywood veggies) as we sat at the open-air bistro waiting for our lunch. She was an old aquantance of DH through the sports arena. It was a pleasure chatting with her as she shared about her life and her 9 puppies (already dogs but she still claims that they are her puppies) ...LOL!

Yummy delicious food! We have planned to have lunch there and it turned out as good as expected. The food was not only delicious but it was also homecook style and truely unique in taste! A fusion of Indian/Peranakan and everything nice! All veggies were from their organic farm. All dishes were $5 per serving. We had banana flower, chicken curry, sayur lodeh, veggie tempura and nasi lemak! Peeped at what others were eating at the other tables...some delicious homecook stews and lots more! We also had coffee and home-made muffins after!

 

 

 

 
 

Gosh! That's Ivy's house at the left bottom photo! Neat huh? House overlooking the pond and a fishing boat!

FLS Volunteer Appreciation Day

Family Life Society actually organised a Volunteer Appreciation Day on the 12th Dec 2009. It started off with a thanksgiving Mass celebrated by His Grace Archbishop Nicholas Chia. As that day was also the Feast day of Our Lady of Guadalupe, who is the patron saint of the Pregnancy Crisis Service, a video documentary “Our Lady of Guadalupe, Mother of Hope” was played as part of our program and also a recitation of a special pro-life rosary before the mass.

The Volunteer Appreciation Dinner was held at Sembawang Country Club, 249 Sembawang Rd at 6:30pm with the theme 'A Tribute to our Volunteers'. It will be a night of fun and laughter while catching up with  fellow volunteers and getting to know other volunteers (and staff!) in FLS.

I was honoured to have received a Commendation Award for Joyful Parenting that night! This award goes to all my current fellow volunteers of Joyful Parenting!

And guess what....I won the 1st price for the dinner...a $800 worth of a Blue Saphire semi-precious stone!

Wow! I won the first price?

As the MC announces my name and everyone were just clapping and clapping and clapping! *Hee!*

Christmas 2009

We were at the 5:30pm Childrens' Mass on Christmas Eve and then back home for our family dinner. It's been our longest xmas dish in the menu ...traditional oxtail stew at every xmas eve dinner! Ever since I was young ,my late mom used to cook it every year! Yummy!
After dinner, we left our 2 boys to watch their favourite movie while dh and myself with baby went for our last minute shopping (that's what we told them). We actually went collect our boys' presents...new bicycles! Well, I thought they'll be happy to get new ones since their current ones are already REALLY REALY worn out! We had to collect the bicycles at night since we wanted to surprise them on Christmas morning. Dh only brought the bicycles to the house after they have gone to sleep that night!

Gabriel & John's new bicycles for Christmas!

Wow! New Bikes & happy faces!

It's baby's first Christmas!

The boys decorated their sister as a present for us?

Thank God for this greatest gift this Christmas!

Post-Xmas Sale 2009!

Visit http://www.thebirthshop.com.sg/ for Post-Xmas Sale!

Moving from 2009 towards 2010!

Farewell 2009 ~ Hello 2010!

I still can't believe that year 2009 has passed in a blink of an eye! The 3 kids and myself actually spent the evening at Changi Airport T3 on the last day of 2009 since dh had to work till 10pm. The 2 boys had so much fun running around and we were actually there from 6pm till 10:30pm! We love to hang out at the airport as there is so much space for them to run plus some activities if you look carefully, so many choices for food and the best part of all is the free cool aircon!
Baby was already snoozing away on the drive home so I took the opportunity to ask Gabriel what will be his New Year resolutions. He said:
1) To be the best behaved boy in his class. (That should be an easy one! ;-D )
2) To work harder and improve in all his subjects in school. (I definitely agree! ;-D)
3) To practice more for erhu. (Yeah, might as well do your best since you are already in it! ;-D)

Well, I only have one New Year resolution that is to dedicate more patience and time(praying for more energy) in caring for my 3 kids. You are all equally precious to me and I love you all! I truely thank God for:

1) Gabriel as my eldest son. He has been such a lovely boy and a great big brother to John, even to baby Paul when he was unborn...I know you were very sad when we lost him but thank God for giving us Paulina! I'm sure you'll love her as much and will be a good brother to her too! Thank you Gabriel for being Mom's great helper!

2) John as my 2nd son. He is so innocent and such a darling nature! I love your cute nature and everytime when you try to coax and sing to mei mei when she cries. You seem to have all the tricks!

3) Paul as my 3rd son. Mommy still think of you and often imagine you with the family! You would have been 2yrs+ now and running around with Gabriel and John! My heart is still with you, Paul! Do guard and pray for your brothers and sister as they are also praying for you and will always remember you!

4) Paulina as my 4th child and only daughter. I thank God for blessing me with such a lovely and smiley girl! You just keep smiling at mommy and always make me so happy!

Thank you Lord, for all the blessings you have bestowed upon us! We pray for a more prayerful family in 2010 and that our faith in you will strengthen in every possible way as you walk with us! Amen!

Paulina Therese Ng's Birth

Yes, yet another drug-free gentle birth!

That night, I went to bed at 12:45am and said a very short humble prayer and dozed off quite immediately. Got woken up with a sudden contraction at 1am! I even said it out: "This is a real contraction!" What a surprise! God answered my prayer within 15 minutes??? Reached labour ward at 2:30am and was already 7cm dilated!

Paulina Therese Ng Li-Ann

Born on 10th October 2009

at 4:52AM

Weight: 4090 gm    Length: 53 cm

Mount Alvernia Hospital

(5:15am)

My Birth Rescue Hero(on my left) - Dr Paul Tseng

and

My Birth Companion(on my right) - Adin Ng

Cuddling my little Paulina (5:16am)

Nursed her for the 1st time at 5:18am (about 25mins after birth)

The minutes after birth is the best time to get baby started breast-feeding. Suckling gives babies immense comfort and after a brief period of alertness, baby will often sleep, exhausted from her efforts during the birth. The earlier you can start baby on the road to nursing, the more chance of success. Breastmilk production increases with demand, colostrum (the nutrient rich, high protein first milk) helps get baby through until mother’s milk comes in and the act of nursing releases oxytocin in mom which stimulates contraction of the uterus (preventing hemorrhaging) and magnifies those lovey-dovey feelings for mama.

Time together as a family to get to know each other after the birth is especially important. Separating mother and baby is extremely stressful for both and should be avoided. In a gentle birth the mother is awake and aware, highly conscious, energized by having given birth, and extremely eager to spend time with her child—touching, feeling, resting or sleeping together. The newborn needs and wants the comforting presence of its mother, her warmth, touch, sound and smell. After a gentle birth most mothers experience an incredible exhilaration that helps them to overcome their exhaustion. A gentle birth does not involve baby being left in a bassinet in a nursery far from her family.

The 2 proud kor kors Gabriel and John who rushed to the hospital upon waking up! (9:31am)

Still admiring at baby! (2:12pm)

Both got to take turns to carry baby Paulina for the 1st time!

Gabriel at (3:48pm) & John at (3:49pm)

Ah Chor(Great-Grandma), Yi Por(Grand-Auntie) and Yi yi (Small Auntie)

(Day 2)

(Day 2  -  12/10/09  - 3:58pm)

1st time baby Paulina kept wailing loudly and fussed at the breast and I only realised why after quite awhile. She pooed!!! She just hates dirty diapers!

On Day 3 - 13/10/09, baby's jaundice level was mark 14 so I decided to stay on in the hospital for the jaundice treatment. That morning, I went to Dr Roland Sim's ENT clinic to do an endocsope and he scheduled me to do a tongue tumour operation under local at the Mt A. operating theatre the next morning - 14/10/09.

Ohh...it hurts soooo much an hour after the operation when the local anestesia started wearing off! Ouch!

 I had to be on a soft diet for many days after that! I couldn't even talk properly!

 Day 5  - 14/10/09 - 12:16pm

Day of discharge  - extended the stay to be under the Bilirubin Light

14/10/09 - 12:27pm

I requested for my old friend, Sr Christine to do baby presentation at the chapel and she gladly came!

14/10/09 - 6:25pm

Baby Paulina at home for the 1st time and just woke up from a long nap!

Day 6  - 15/10/09 - 2pm

Had to bring the Bilirubin Light home from Dr Simon Ng's clinic as the jaundice level went up again!

Tried for one night and it didnt work out for her because I kept taking her out as I couldn't bear to see her keep crying inside. Sigh! I admitted her to NNJ at Mt A. the next day.

Day 9  - 18/10/09  - 7:28am

Admitted to NNJ for on 16/10/09 and discharged on the 18/10/09.

Poor baby Paulina had already gone through so much since birth.

But you are a much older baby now and the jaundice level after day 7 ain't gonna hurt you no more!

Day 11 -  20/10/09  - 10:50am

Mother and Baby bonding at home.