13 Month Check Up

Lil Ashley hates her Pead. Poor Dr Sellapan. :(

 

Everytime we bring her in for check ups she will wail as soon as we step into the clinic. And this started happening when she was 6 months old.

 

So recently we took her for her 13th months check up and vaccinations and we tought, OK it has been 6 months or more since her last visit, she should not remember. No such luck, the minute she saw the doctor she started crying and protesting. sigh the drama!!! At one point she punch either my hubby or the doctor. And dont even get me started on the cry until vomit,  I won't even go there.

 

She is tiny for her age. 8.5 kgs only at 13 months. I have seen babies 10kgs at 3 months... but I am not complaining....makes it easy for us to carry her hehehehe.

 

Apart from her crying episode, she is in good health! *happy dance*

Mid Year Update

 

Almost 14 months post partum and I still look like I am pregnant! I have internet friends, close friends, family members people on the streets congratulating me *slaps head* That bad meh??!! Actually yes loh... I have shy away from cameras waist down and my boobs and my tummy have become ONE.

 

The funny thing is that I only put on 5kgs in the whole span of my pregnancy and I lost it all and more after the first 4-5 months post partum. I blame birth control pills! And now I gain back everything minus 5kgs! Sad case indeed.

 

I give myself till next June to actually look decent on my baby girl's 2nd birthday. I PROMISE!!! So in hopes to return looking normal and fit into my clothes I have enlisted a help of a personal trainer 3 times a week, slimming sessions (which I doubt will work ) and torturous lympathic massage session once a week.  oohhhh and to reduce my hand to mouth exercise ASAP! If all of that does not work then I think God is telling me to get pregnant with another child... coz the fatness may be a sign.

 

OK

 

Enough about my fatness.
 

Our lil Ashley turned one 1 month plus back! How time flies.

 

 

 

I am so totaly in love with her. She can be handful at times but then again which toddler isn't. Quick update.
 

She finally drinks her milk. One fine day she hand signed to my mom MILK and we gave a bottle of milk and to our surprise she finished it! Since then she will have her milk maybe twice a day. FINALLY!!!!
 

Her molars are out! OUCH!
 

She started walking at 13 months! And it was baby steps! hehehehe so proud!

 

She can sign to us MILK, BATH, BRUSH TEETH, WASH HANDS, EAT, BYE BYE, FLYING KISS.

 

She understands many words and can follow 2 step commands.

 

She went thru sleep training and now is able to fall asleep by herself.

 

 



 

10 Months Already?

My blog is becoming a dusty old place :)

 

I was browsing through it and my last post about my lil girl was when she was 5 month old. Tommorow my lil pumpkin will be 10 months old. How time flies. I was suppose to document her every month milestone but it has been a many months of crazy sleepless nights and hectic days.

 

Even until now, motherhood has not been easy. I do not know weather I have a high need baby or I am being too hard on everything. But whatever it is I keep trying to look at the positive side of everything and constantly reminding myself to stay positive and tommorow will be a better day.

 

Ashley is one lil girl that really dislike milk. I have been having tug of war with her while feeding milk since she was an infant. So at 9 months I finally threw in the milk bottle and decided she is weaning herself from milk. Now I only offer her the bottle in the morning and most of the time she would refuse the milk. She takes 5 meals a day now and she is thriving well. I try to give a well balanced diet...try.... :)

 

My battle with her on milk has been super super hard, I would give her she would cry push the bottle away, switch to cups, straws, spoon and she would taste it and spit it back out onto my face. Cute it may seem, but that always brings my day down.

 

Next challenge is sleep. She wakes up so frequent in the middle of the night that I have develop high blood pressure and lack of sleep and zombified every single day. I am still hoping this is a phase and one night she will sleep through and everyone in the room will get a good sleep.

 

Apart from all these challenges, Ashley is growing up fast with many antics that sometimes I dont know if I should cry and laugh! She can stand up, crawl very very fast and climb. She is taking her solids very well and love her yogurt. she is also very vocal now and if we dont reply her she gets louder. Oh she has 8 teeth and we are suspecting her 1st molars are coming in really soon. One thing I am very proud of her is that she understands simple instructions, and she know what she is allowed to do and what she is not allowed. She really has a mind of her own. And...she loves to share :)

 

If she has a piece of cracker on her hand she would offer it to us. She would also give her pacifier to us when she wakes up. She would clap her hands when she gets super excited and will bite when she is geram. She will choose which toys or books she wants to play or read to. She will ask to on the her music. She loves to go out and about.

 

2 more months and my lil baby will be a toddler. So so fast. Cant believe it sometimes :)

 

 

Our Joyous, Drug Free, Gentle Birth Story

I always wanted a Caesarean delivery. ALWAYS...until I stumble across Hypnobirthing .  It totally changed my view and perception on birthing. It also changed my husband’s view as well. At first we were very sceptical about it, so we decided to enrol ourselves into Wai Han’s intensive course. Those two days was an eye opener and Caesarean was wiped out from our mind!

When I went for one of the routine scans, I discussed with my doctor about Hypnobirthing and he immediately agreed and asked if we have our birthing plan. He proceeded to tell us he had delivered a baby through hypnobirthing once many years ago and was excited to be able to do so again.

I started having period pain like cramps on my 37^th week of pregnancy and was feeling heavy but I did not do much as I was busy running around getting my work sorted before going on maternity leave. Then the night before going into my 38^th week of pregnancy I could not sleep, the period pain aches was getting stronger. Again I did not think it was labour, until the next morning at 9am I went to pee and I spotted a group of whitish blobs that looked like barley in the toilet bowl. There was no blood, no leaking nothing. Oh my gosh!! Is this my mucus plug?! Isn’t it supposed to be bloody all? I Woke my husband up and we were both staring into the toilet bowl deciding what it was...when we looked at each other we knew, it was TIME!! Our lil girl is coming !!             

Soon then I had my breakfast and started to feel the surges. I started my breathing exercise and started listening to my rainbow relaxation and birth affirmations and rolling on my gym ball. Surprisingly I was calm, hubby was calm and when I finally called my mom to tell her that her granddaughter was coming soon, she was calm as well!!! My surges moved on till late afternoon as it got stronger and more frequent.

At about 5pm we decided that we will go to the hospital as my surges was getting closer and closer but not regular. So we took out hospital bags, the gym ball and went to the ER.

As I walked into the ER I told the nurse I am in labour. She looked at me crazy… I was not in pain, looked calm and smiling. She would have thought I am a mad woman! She took my details and I gave her my birthing plan and told her my doctor is aware and has signed for it. The nurse wanted to wheel me to the birthing suite but I told her I am ok walking but they insisted its hospital policy.

When I went into the birthing suites, the mid wife looked at me and asks me if I am sure I am in labour? Once again I don’t look like a woman in labour! The nurses set me up in a birthing suite and proceed with the entire IV prep, hospital gown and so on. I told her I am having a hypnobirth. Again crazy look at me…my hubby told her to check my files as my birthing plan was in it.

She called my doctor and all was good. I agreed to be monitored for 20 mins and she told me my surges are not close enough and we would have to wait for my doctor to come. My doctor came at 9pm and he told me he wanted to do a VE on me. I agreed as I know he won’t break my water bag and do anything funny. I was 3cm dilated! Sheesh…he told me this will be a long night! Maybe 6-10 hours.

When he left, my surges started to get more frequent but we were left alone in the birthing suite. My hubby set up music and I was riding each and every surge. I even had a hot shower, ate and drink. At about 11pm I started to have very strong surges. We called the midwife and she asked if she was allowed to do a VE, I then allowed it, she was gentle and when she was done, she told me that I was 8cm dilated and baby is coming. YAY!!!The midwife proceeds to call my doctor in while I was still riding the strong surges. I could feel my baby moving down and turning.

When my doctor came, I was propped up and he told me my baby is crowning. I was told to push but I did my birth breathing. After a few surges my doctor told my hubby that the baby head is halfway out and is still in the water bag. But seeing that I am having difficulty breathing her out the doctor asked permission to break the water bag, we agreed as at the time they could not find the heart beat and it has been about 5-6 surges. So he popped the water bag. At one point my doctor told me to feel her head, and I did!! I felt her hair!! After a few more surges I was at the what  Wai Han would call the “hallmark” and that is when hubby reminded me that this is the time she would come and meet us. And just then, my lil baby girl was born.

She was immediately given to me and her eyes were wide open when we met. She knows me!! And when my hubby called her, she responded! Such joy. We had 1 hour of skin to skin bonding and immediate suckling which she managed while my perineum was being stitched up. I am very proud to say that it was a natural tear and no episiotomy whatsoever. Hubby manage to cut her cord and then she was whisked away to be wrapped.

We are so happy that we manage to have a birth that we wanted. A gentle, natural and drug free birth. Our birth plan was respected and followed through. It was something that my hubby and I will never forget.

5 month old Ashley

Our baby girl is 5 months old this week. It has been a long ride filled with ups and downs.

 

Now I truly understand the meaning of motherhood. It is NOT EASY!

 

Since our little girl was born our lives have been filled with challenges one after another. It started with her being born really small at 2.3kgs 2 weeks shy of her EDD, but then again she was ready to come and see us and create havoc! She had jaundice for almost 2 months due to being a small baby and boggle head. Her glucose level was low so she had to be on drip and phototherapy for one whole week.

 

When we finally got home, my breastfeeding nightmare begun. At first I had so little milk so I struggle to meet her demands and refused that she be fed fomula milk. So I diligently pump every 3 hours throughout the day and night until when she was 2 months my milk factory broke down due to over pumping. And because I was not fully educated on breastfeeding and was misinformed, I stopped due to antibiotics to treat my nipple infection. Well as a consolation at least she got 2 months of goodness.

 

Then we switched her to Formula Milk and then we slowly found out that she is allergic to cow's protein. She started to have eczema!! We then switched to hypho allergenic milk and it sis not go away. In the midst of all the switching, she suddenyl refuse to drink milk. Milk intake dropped and we found ourselved struggling to feed her milk every time.

 

At 4 months her eczema peaked and we switched her to soy milk. Slowly she started drinking and then she refused milk again. At 4 and a half month we soon realised she was not gaining any weight and we had to start her off with solids. Then she had her first fever which landed her in the hospital.

 

Today at 5 month old I decided that I should started documenting her every month milestones, likes and dislikes and one day when she is old enough she can read all about herself!

 

At 5 months old baby Ashley can recognise people, places, show likes and dislikes, turn over and turn back, sit with assitance, Loves her rice porriage, carrot puree, pumpkin puree, does not fancy her soy milk, apple and pear puree, loves music and TV, loves water. Hates her vitamins.Loves baths. Loves going out. Loves her toys especially Lamchop the lamb, Fiona the skunk, Allie the sheep and her many many zebras.

 

 

I am a Mummy!

She is finally here!

Life as a mom....

Challenging and a steep learning curve!

Nothing can ever prepare you...

Our lil Ashley is my new teacher.

Happy 3 month old!

...and the countdown begins...

We are into our 37th week!!

Had our check up today, baby girl is estimated at 2.8kgs and mummy has not gain any weight since the last post but has lost half a kilo. My GD is under control, thanks to my wonderful limited choice of food, hence the not gaining weight part.

Oh...yes...lil bub's head is down and has engaged!!!

ANYTIME NOW!!!

Super anxious, excited and scared at the same time.

Gonna put all our hypnobirthing practices to good use and stay positive and have a gentle and enjoyable birth.

...till then...
 xoxo