Have been telling my husband Jane doesn't enjoy much of my attention especially in the areas of logging in her growth. Baby Jane, is a big baby! much longer and heavier than Ian when he was at the same age....She's already standing on her own at 7 months! Impressive! She is also developing her pincer grip very well. Time for me to get all the stacking toys out! Here's an update of her recent photos

Kids Watch Kids Learn

Ian had a great time at Go Go Bambini. Thanks to Jeffrey who introduces me to this promotion event by his friend Yanni. Apart from the good food and goodie bags, the promotion is to create awareness among parents that children follow and imitate adults thus exhibiting good values and desired behaviour by adults is important. One of the interesting learning style that Dr Daniel Fung mentioned was interesting to me which I am going to further elaborate. The picture illustrates the theory behind. For example, the behaviour we want a child to exhibit " To sit down at the dining table to eat his food".

HPB SEEKS YOUR HELP TO STAMP OUT CHILD AND YOUTH SMOKING!

Wouldn’t it be interesting to find out the extent to which your child’s behaviour is affected by yours? Come and experience first-hand at a special session organised by the Health Promotion Board!

“Stop Smoking Before Your Child Starts” is a new campaign launched by HPB that focuses on the influence that parental behaviour have on children. The campaign was developed based on a study1 done by Dartmouth College that suggest that children are highly attentive to their parents’ smoking habits, and are more likely to regard smoking as appropriate and normal behaviour in social settings, thus resulting in a higher likelihood of them picking up the habit later on in life.

HPB is committed to a smoke free Singapore and is seeking your help to spread this important message among parents like yourself. We would like to invite you and your child to a fun morning followed by lunch at Go Go Bambini, Dempsey Hill at 11.00am on Saturday, 25th July, As part of the fun and interactive activities, we offer you an opportunity to observe how your child might behave relative to the child in the TV campaign which was developed based on the study. You can view the television commercial here: http://www.vimeo.com/5636146

Also get the chance to hear from Dr Daniel Fung, Chief of Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry at the Institute of Mental Health who will share with you about the impact of parental behaviour and share some tips on how to deal with it. Also, meet Ann Aludra, a mummy who quit her smoking habit of 7 years for her child.

3 weeks at Home Part II

My first pregnancy, Ian was pretty small. (2.9kg at 38 weeks). This translates to a smaller size me. Staying slim is not a problem. However this time, I still weigh 63kg at my 3rd week. Hip and waist..well much BIGGER, even bra size is bigger:(.















However, I tried jamu massage this time, the results are good, if not 63kg at the 3rd week is not attainable...Sigh...if only somebody can sponsor my follow-on treatments! Highlighted in Pink is my ideal!!

Weight 68kg to 64kg (53kg)
Arms L27:R27 to L25:R25 (L23:R23)
Underbust 77 to 75.5 (74)
Waist 83.5 to 79.5 (70)
Upper Hip 99 to 94.5 (85)
Lower hip 100 to 98 (90)
Thigh L60:R60 to L57:R57 (L50:R50)

3 weeks at home Part I

Well these 3 weeks suppose to be my confinement period. To be frank, I was pretty handsoff with Baby Jane with my mum around....but do observe/revise the things to do with a little baby in the house!This is a picture of Baby Jane wrapped in a Hello Kitty towel...hehe now I have an heir to my Hello Kitty collection (which has stopped since I got married.)

Ian likes his sister. He is very generous with his hugs and kisses for her since the first day he met her. Ian always ask for Mummy and Meimei when he comes home from school, a very sweet child. These weeks, I have spent time telling him not to scream in the house and to play his drums and tambourine in other rooms while Baby Jane sleeps soundly. Ian is singing alot now and always invent his own lyrics. In this video he was singing " Meimeix2, meimeix2, bu yao ku!(不要哭）" and ended the song with a kiss on Baby Jane's face! Sweet little brother!

Jane's Birth Story

My birth story for my second baby is so much simpler. Although my husband suggested for me to go for planned birth (via induction) due to my discomfort in the later stage of pregnancy (backache, pelvic sore etc, unable to sleep and walk well etc), I was adamant about experiencing incoming labour symptoms in God's will!

On the 24 Jan 09, Dr Han, my gynae pointed out that I am low on amniotic fluid which may mean a number of complications. However, CTG shows that baby is comfortable and there is no cause for worry. On the second day of CNY 27 Jan 09, he scheduled another CTG to be done at delivery ward. I went there in the morning, all things are fine and I have minimal contractions too. Dr Han, on the phone relay the message that I will go home for that day. I happily continued my CNY visiting and even visited the Sentosa Flowers 2009! It was a wonderful CNY 2009 for me, just like the way I want it to be! I am glad that baby is co-operative …...if not I would have to spend lonely days at home during this festive season.

After settling Ian to bed that nite, I felt slight contraction around 930pm. Thinking that it is braxton hicks, I couldn't care less. As I was on the computer messaging with my sister and cousin, I started to notice that the “braxton hicks” seems to come in more frequently and each time more intense. This is it! So this is how it should be...:). I went around preparing Ian's school bag for the next day, and doing both our laundry and Ian's. I also prepared my newborn's room, making sure everything is ready for her homecoming. At 1130pm, I woke Kok Sung up, suggesting that we call my mum over just in case it is REALLY the real thing. Mum “flew” over in less than 10 mins. I was quite reluctant to leave the house cause I had hated the waiting at the delivery suite the last time I had Ian, but we left the house after much persuasion from my mum with our hospital bag. In the car, I decided we should visit McDonald before admitting myself into the hospital. I have kids meal with my favourite fries!

Admitting myself into the delivery suite, I was quite surprise Dr Han had just been to the delivery suite for another mother-to-be. However, he was already on his way home...the senior staff nurse checked and reported to him that my cervix was 4 cm dilated (required 10cm dilation for delivery). Dr Han gave instruction to have me warded in the delivery suite. Dr Han was back at the delivery suite at 1245am, he was wearing a pink t-shirt and in a festive mood. He jokingly says that he was only 3 minutes from home and I got myself admitted. “my life is run by all these women!”. He checked my cervix and said it is already 6cm dilated. He broke my water bag. He assured me this is going to be a real fast delivery. The nurse also informed me that there is no use for epidural now, it's too late!! In fact Dr Han still want to administer induction, his advice is that since it is already started, might as well make sure it will end tonite! This is because there are times whereby cervix will stop to dilate till another few days later. Furthermore, I am already low on amniotic fluid which is a worrying too. So now the only “painkiller” is nitrous oxide which the nurse taught me how to use... “Call me when you feel like passing motion!” Dr Han reminded me. I told him I feel like doing it now, he jokingly said, “ Don't bluff, can't be so fast, I am still wondering if I should go home first!” In the end he still decided to stay in the hospital...At 1:22am, I became to fidget, the contraction is intense, however nurse checked and said that it is only 7cm, I got to control the urge to push....The nitrous oxide doesn't help (or should I say I didn't use it correctly), I got to push it away as it is blocking my normal breathing. Dr Han happened to come in for a check and commented, “ what's wrong with her (me)” I told him I just want to push now. Dr Han checked and said let's do it. It is already 9cm dilated! Time to work!

“Be an obedient girl and listen...” Dr Han keeps saying as he position me for the delivery. I had insisted that I sit up, but Dr Han advised that I should lie lower so that I could have more space to push. My mind was only focus on pushing, but subconsciously I listened to him. “Yes! I can see the baby coming out! But you got to do it little by little if we don't want episotomy”. After a few tries, Dr Han still go ahead with the episotomy, my husband was also agreeable. “It is definitely better than tearing...” Baby Jane was delivered at 1:38am with a Apgar score of 9.5. Thank God, things are perfect.