Rock a bye baby

For the past 2 days, it has been difficult putting minibeanie to sleep. I mean, his arms & legs would be waving in the air, doing a nice job of removing his blanket, all the while making little whimpers. We call this "fussing". It either means he wants to be burped or wants more milk OR both. And when he's finally asleep, he could be making little sounds in the cot. A little yelp, cry, grunt or a squeak...yes, very endearing but not when it's 2:30 in the morning and you've a ear cocked for his cries. Then, it's our turn to be awake.

Nonetheless, he's the sweetest dear when he's asleep. Then, much as we'd like to give the little 'Care bear' (DH's moniker for minibeanie) a tight squeeze and a peck on his cheek, it's best to let sleeping babies lie.


I thought I'd have a savoury scones for lunch tomorrow so I made these quick & easy scones from black olive tapenade & minced garlic. Hmm...if I could have some hearty soup to go with it... :P


minibeanie is 1 month 4 days old

Full month

minibeanie's a full month old. And according to Chinese tradition, this is a time of celebration because eons ago, if a baby survives a month, he's likely to have a good chance of survival. (To my non-Singaporean friends, this tradition typically means a gift of cakes and red eggs from the new parents to friends & relatives).

Well, to mark the occasion, I've baked a batch of choc muffins with white choc frosting and dyed a couple of eggs :)

minibeanie & The Bean

minibeanie is 1 month old

Summer, exit stage right

minibeanie's a month old! :>

And Summer is clearly on his way out, giving way to Ms. Fall. Clearly, the days when minibeanie sleeps with merely his diapers is numbered. Speaking of sleep, there is a 'strange' practice here where folks leave babies to sleep outdoors for the fresh air and because the babies sleep better. The babies are put in their prams, dressed & covered for the occasion, then the prams are placed outdoors for the duration of the nap. Even when the temperature's -10C. Yes, I couldn't believe it at first either.

This is the 5 day weather forecast for Helsinki. It appears this will be the last summery weekend!


minibeanie is 4 weeks old

You know you are a parent to a newborn when...

1. you cheer & clap to every burp with, "Good job!" and "Encore!"
2. day becomes night; night becomes day.
3. your time is no longer your own.
4. despite being able to stay at home for a year, you wish you're back at work.
5. you get sour milk on your chest and pee down your legs, and you're not mad at the perpetrator.

minibeanie is 3 weeks 5 days old

Daddy back to work

It's DH's first day back at work today after 3 weeks of being a SAHD*. And he wants to bring minibeanie to work, feeding & burping him in meetings :) So, in more ways than one, today is a little new chapter for all of us, for I'll have to manage on my own obviously.

Here are a few pictures of the sleeping minibeanie. He makes the cutest whimpers, snorts & squeaks when he sleeps. I often say there's no need to get a baby monitor because he lets us know when he's ok from the next room! :D
Sadly, his lovely mop of newborn hair is beginning to thin, revealing another feature that he inherited from his dad - the hairline ;) For some reason now, minibeanie's hair 'style' above reminds me of Jack Nicholson.

*stay at home dad

minibeanie is 3 weeks 4 days old

Baby Slings

I got a Sarong Sling from Singapore a long time ago. Its versatility in creating at least 6 different wears was its main attraction over the other options. A few days ago, we finally made time to watch its instructional DVD. Then, 1 to 2 days passed before I ventured to have some hands-on practice. Making sure that minibeanie was fed, burped and content, I took out the sling and proceeded to sling the baby. Cutting to the chase, putting on the sling comfortably without the baby falling out was really tricky. I pulled & tugged at the tail of the sling until I wished I had 3 hands and wondered why no one mentioned that a huge learning curve was in store.

minibeanie was an angel despite his mummy being a klutz. All he did was looked a little cramped as a contortionist in training and gave the occasional grunt & snort when I nearly dropped him (kidding!). Then again, nothing could disturb him from his sleep.


On an unrelated topic, minibeanie went for his first developmental check at the neuvola today. He weighed in at 3.98kg and measured 54cm - a whopping 23% increase from birth weight and nearly 10% in height...I wish I had that rate of height growth when I was a teen.

minibeanie is 3 weeks 1 day old

1 Hot mama (...not)

After a mild July (for which I'm thankful), August seems to be making up for lost time. The past week saw temperatures soaring to high 20s. Sounds great by tropical Singapore's and even Finland's standards but thanks to the orientation of my apartment and the excellent build that retains heat so well in winter, it's 30c indoors. It's really no fun having minibeanie plastered to his mama during his feed who in turn is plastered to the leather sofa. Thus, we regularly seek respite outdoors where it doesn't feel like a greenhouse, at least not yet according to Al Gore.

The past week of going out, pram, diaper bag & all, has also made me realize that man, it's hard to look hot in baggy maternity tops & sensible flat shoes. And to top it all, my cute little red Louis Vuitton bag is just not practical anymore! (To my sis: u aren't eyeing my bag ;) Instead, what's holding my handphone is a PURPLE diaper bag that is complimentary from a Pampers rival. Is this a natural order of things?

minibeanie is 2 weeks 3 days old

Our lives changed

Our baby's all of 2 weeks old! Sounds silly, I know... 2 weeks is well, a short period of time. Yes, but it's all of 336 hours or approximately 84 feeds and as many, if not more, diapers changed in this past fortnight.

Then there are up days and there are down days. Sometimes I even miss the tense moments when there's an urgent SAP problem somewhere in China or Ecuador. Other times, I love it when minibeanie's sleeping in my arms all content after his feed and I can almost swear that he's smiling at me :) Nonetheless, this SAHM role still takes some getting used to.

A change has also come over DH. He goes gaga over babies now. Not just minibeanie but in general, any tiny human being who's still suckling ;) And of course he thinks minibeanie's the cutest baby in the world (Some parental bias there probably... :) Before, he thinks babies are 'scary' and will keep them at a safe distance. Now, he's well-versed in the science of baby poop and genuinely curious about the number of diapers our friend's 3 month old daughter uses. He has come a long way.

minibeanie is 2 weeks 2 days old

Milk and the City

We went to the city for the first time with minibeanie today. I discovered that although he was just a little toukka (maggot, in Finnish ;) the amount of stuff that we have to lug along is disproportionately large - 2 diapers, wet wipes, tissue, changing mat, 2 bottles & a packet of formula milk.

We went by train. Firstly, parking in the city is atrociously expensive during working hours; secondly, a parent gets to ride for free on public transport with a pram in toll. Our mission was to have a sushi lunch and then to get a rubbish bin for soiled diapers in the bathroom. (yes....not shoes or sunglasses from the ubiquitous sales but a diaper bin. We've officially become 'Parents'.)

After lunch, DH couldn't resist having an espresso so we popped by our favourite cafe. The temperature was in the mid 20s aided by a clear cloudless sky and the terrace was just filled with tourists. But we sat indoors - a legacy of my Singaporean heritage? ;P I had an ok cup of Finnish coffee while DH had a double espresso.

And it was just as well. The espresso gave him a buzz of energy as I discovered that the city was not really that user-friendly for prams. Sure, there were always ramps but on a few occasions, DH had to carry the pram up a flight of stairs if we didn't want to look for an alternative entrance.

It was a really nice day overall and a kinda initiation of sorts. minibeanie managed to spit on DH while burping and poop after his feed at a departmental store so DH had to change his diapers in the Gents' baby room. Now, that's progressive - a diaper changing room in the Gents.


minibeanie is 1 week 5 days old

Getting out

Other than taking a walk in the park behind our apartment and visiting DH's mum, I haven't quite the willingness to venture further :P Maybe it is the 'bean bag' that I'm still carrying or the fact that my most of my maternity clothes are in need of an ironing (who has time to iron?!), that I've become a semi-recluse for the last few days.

Well today, I decided that I needed some supplies from the asian shop so we'd a little excursion with minibeanie :) ...when was the last time I put on some lipstick?

Found a pack of 'green worms' for Chendol! :D

But this isn't minibeanie's first outing. This morning after a particularly luxurious sleep of 7 hours, I woke up to find that DH had taken minibeanie out for a 1 hour walk and stopped by a local bakery. (Apparently, minibeanie didn't quite like the sound of chugging trains..well, maybe later) And they got me a sugar-glazed croisssant :P so much for trying to lose that bean bag.

Uh oh...minibeanie's fidgeting in his crib again. Time for his next feed!

minibeanie is 1 week 4 days

Birth Story

Here's a blow by blow account of the events that started on Wednesday, 25th July.

Wednesday 25.7.07
08:15
Woke up and felt some cramping. They weren't regular and didn't increase in intensity - convinced it was Braxton Hicks (mistake #1).

10:30
Was on the phone with my bank discussing interest rates when I felt some wetness down there. Told her I couldn't make a face-to-face trip because we were expecting a baby "anytime soon" (prophetic words). Convinced it was 'bloody show' because after all, wasn't amniotic fluid supposed to be clear? (mistake #2)

15:00
Got to the hospital for a checkup after getting some essentials (see "minibeanie wants out!"). An internal examination confirmed that it was amniotic fluid! Disbelief - couldn't believe that the birth was imminent. The cervix was 1cm dilated.

18:31
Was strapped to the fetal monitoring device that measured fetal heart rate and contractions for about an hour. Contractions were 10min apart; felt like menstrual cramps.

21:35
Contractions were getting more frequent. An exam showed that the cervix was still 1cm dilated. How long was full dilation (10cm) supposed to take??!

22:35
Was given 2 panadol and a light sleeping pill to try and get some sleep. Perhaps it would aid the progress of contractions?


Thursday 26.7.07
00:00
Woken up by stronger contractions - so much for the pills. Pain radiated from back to front. Called for the nurse and fetal monitoring device again. Contractions 6-10 min apart and about a min each.

01:34
Contractions still weren't regular. Tried to get some rest for the labour ahead.

02:24
Sleep evaded me. Got up to walk along the corridors.

03:32
Returned to bed to catch some zzz's. Didn't think labour had progressed at all! :(((

04:23
Woken up by stronger contractions - called for the monitoring device again. (The night nurse must have hated me ;)

05:36
Contractions 6min apart; pain has intensified a lot. Concentrate on breathing. Got up to walk again.

06:44
Climbed back to bed.

08:13
DH came at last and brought me breakfast from the ward. Lapped up the oat porridge for energy. A midwife came to monitor the baby's heartrate & contractions again.

09:45
minibeanie's heartrate was 130 - sleeping :) Since it would be more than 24 hours since my waters broke, midwife said that penicillin would be given during the labour to ward off any infections for the baby - just in case.

10:00
The ward doctor came by during his round. An internal exam showed that the membranes had broken because hair could be felt :D 4cm dilated (yippee!) - considering oxytocin to speed up contractions because mine weren't regular. minibeanie however is still at the top of the cervix. Going to the delivery room soon... at last.

11:20
Just had an enema. Going to the delivery room now.

11:30
In delivery room #9. There was a bean bag & rocking chair - wondering if I'd get to use them. Hooked up to the fetal monitoring device again. Oxytocin given on an IV - 15ml/h

12:15
Oxytocin increased to 30ml/h. Contractions were beginning to get borderline unbearable. Requested for 'happy gas' (nitrox oxide).

note: so this was how it felt to be high ;) DH said I would drift off as if on a trance after a few breaths of the gas. He tried the gas mask and said, "3 glasses of wine" ;P

12:30
Contractions now 4.5-5min apart.

12:50
Contractions 4min apart. Midwife said I was 7cm dilated!

13:10
Oxytocin increased to 45ml/h. Contractions were coming more frequently, sometimes 2-3 back to back. Blood pressure 103/66. Felt the urge to push already. Big pain!!!

DH, my birthing partner, was great in giving me an advance warning on the next wave of contractions. His back massages weren't exactly relieving the pain but they helped in distracting me from the pain.

13:37
Pushing phase started! Fully dilated. minibeanie has descended significantly down the birth canal.

13:40
Oxytocin increased to 60ml/h.

13:53
Oxytocin increased to 75ml/h. Huge pain during contractions. (I was thinking, no kids ever again...)

14:37
Moved to birthing position. Midwife started to get all apparatus ready. My 'good friend', the happy gas, was removed from me and pushing began. Reinforcement came from another midwife who helped to push from my abdomen.

DH yelled, "I could see his hair! It's black!"

15:09
minibeanie was born!!! :>

Cord oxygen levels were excellent. Mummy had some superficial tears - 3 stitches were given. A proud daddy cut the cord :)

minibeanie was put on mummy's breast.

16:00
DH gave minibeanie's first bath while I showered.
Vital statistics:
Weight - 3.23kg
Height - 50cm
Oxygen saturation - 98%
Temperature - 36.6C

17:00
Got our dinner of sandwiches, salad & hot chocolate delivered to the delivery room. Hot cocoa never tasted so good! :P

20:15
In our family room, our delivery midwife checked in on us. Total labour time was 3hr 32min with 29min as the active labour, quite a surprise to her as this was my 1st baby.


minibeanie is 1 week 3 days

Home at last

We are finally back home, a day longer than expected. After the blue-lamp was switched off, minibeanie's bilirubin level went up a little. Not enough for phototherapy to be started again but it was enough to be held hostage to the hospital food for another day. Another check at the hospital tomorrow (sigh...)

He's quite an easy baby to take care of. Sleep-eat-burp-poop usually in that order without much fuss ;) And we just proved that Priscilla Dunstan's Baby Language does work!! All we need to hear is the "Neh" and we know that it's food he wants. And boy, does he have an appetite! Just did the 1am feed; the next one's at 4am. Time to wake DH up for his shift.

Will post the birth story soon when I've time :P

1 week 1 day old

The past few days...

2 days after minibeanie's arrival, we were discharged on my birthday. What a birthday present from God :) ... But honestly, I wasn't in any celebratory mood. The physical aftermath of the delivery was still very raw & painful, I hadn't slept for more than 2 hours straight and there was the worrying news that minibeanie had jaundice.

We went back to the hospital for a follow up the next day and found that minibeanie's jaundice had indeed risen to a level that warrant the blue-light treatment. Well, we've now been staying here for 2 days. minibeanie was put on a 2-3 hourly feed (jaundice makes the baby lethargic & often sleep longer than they should). And since the hospital's policy is full rooming-in, we took charge of all feeds & diaper changes just like we would at home.

Thankfully, minibeanie has responded well to the 'force feeding' routine and blue-light treatment. Tonight, we were told that we could switch off the blue-light lamp (we could finally see his eyes when he sleeps!) and tomorrow we would very likely be going home :)

Male bonding

A hungry minibeanie
5 days old