How early should your child brush?

Recently I was talking to my friend about our kids and the topic somehow arrive at brushing of their milk teeth. So far I've only wiped Jonas's teeth and gums with a clean damp cloth but haven't started on "real" brushing(with toothbrush) yet. She told me I should start soon as she read an article that says the milk that the kids drink will harm their milk teeth if not cleaned properly and can definitely cause cavities. I decided to find out more by doing a Google search on how old toddlers should start brushing. 
Most of the sites advised to start even before the first tooth appear preferably around 4months old. Babies are actually born with their teeth formed but are just hidden beneath their delicate gums. Parents or caregivers should use a clean damp cloth or a soft silicone finger toothbrush to gently rub the gums in order to prevent bacteria from forming on the surface. When the first tooth appear, continue cleaning with the finger toothbrush or you can switch to a normal toothbrush. The ideal toothbrush head should be small for easy maneuvering in LO's small mouth and the bristles should be soft. This should start at about 6months of age and done at least twice a day to get kids used to the idea of brushing their teeth. Usually most kids will be taking solids at this age thus brushing is important to prevent the sugars from harming their milk teeth. A tinge(about size of a rice grain) of fluoride toothpaste can be used but do not try rinsing their mouth with water as they may swallow the toothpaste. Instead, teach them to spit out the excess toothpaste and leave abit of it on their teeth for the fluoride to work better. It was highlighted that the ingestion of fluoride can cause diarrhea. By the time they reach 2years old, the amount of fluoride can be increased to about a pea size. Brush their teeth and gums gently in a circular motion as they are still very delicate. If a child struggles, you can try letting him hold his own toothbrush. With some practice, kids will learn that they need to brush their teeth. Try to let them watch you brushing so that they can learn too. Adult supervision and assistance will be needed until they can do it by themselves. I also read about flossing in between their teeth on one of the sites but I wonder if it could be possibly done since getting them to start brushing is already such a challenge. On another website, it states that a child should be brought to the dentist before he turns one which I felt was too early. However, it is a good idea to start bringing them for half yearly dental visits at a younger age before going to primary school in order to ease their fears about visiting the dentist.
Armed with this newly gained knowledge, I bought a Kodomo brand toothbrush suitable for 0.5-2year old and a tube of fruity gel Kodomo toothpaste for Jonas. I've been trying to make him brush his teeth without much success for the past few days. After I start to brush his teeth, he'll start to suck at the toothpaste shortly and prefers to bite the bristles and the toothbrush head. Then he wants to hold the toothbrush. When I try too hard, he'll turn his head away or shake his head indicating that he don't want to brush. I guess he's still too young to understand what we are doing. But I'll persevere with it and not give up. Hopefully he'll like to brush his teeth soon as I noticed he already have half of his milk teeth grown(about 10). He is currently 18months old and I'm abit regretful I didn't start him on it earlier. So with this bit of information shared, I hope you will have a better experience then me when taking care of your kid's oral hygiene. 

Trip to the Singapore Botanic Gardens

For the entire month of October, I was busy with house moving and there were tons of stuff to unpack even though I already threw away quite a lot. So when I finally found time to bring Jonas out, I was relieved (of my chores) and he was elated. I decided to bring him to the Singapore Botanic Gardens which is a few MRT stations away from our new place. I thought it was a good idea to be outdoors post hazy days to get some Vitamin D from the sun.
We reached the garden at about 1pm. The MRT alights right at one of its side gates (Bukit Timah gate) which I thought is very convenient and I'll definitely want to bring him there again. I remember N years ago, it was always difficult to travel there whenever my parents want to bring us for a visit.
As it was a Sunday when we went, I noted several groups of people having picnics there (locals and foreigners). On one hand it shows the diverse racial harmony that Singapore is well known for, however on the other hand I wonder if it portrays a good image of us to tourists as sometimes picnic goers can get quite rowdy. Singapore Botanic Gardens being named by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site is well known to tourists and we certainly hope they will leave Singapore with a good impression of the country and our people. Anyway that aside, Jonas got tired shortly after reaching and fell asleep in the stroller while having his milk feed as he usually naps around that time. I made a mental note to bring him there earlier on our next visit.
I did some research online prior to the trip and my husband and I tried to look for the way to the Jacob Ballas Children Garden. There are signage pointing to the direction of the location indicating how far we are from it. But we find it somewhat confusing as the signage are few and far apart making it difficult to deduce the exact way we should go. When we finally found our way after getting lost for a few times, we decided to have our lunch first at the Kidz Cafe outside the Children Garden. Jonas was still sleeping but we decided to wake him up for lunch so that he'll have the energy to run later. He woke up grouchy at first but I managed to bring up his spirits by bringing him to walk around the vicinity outside the Children Garden.

I spotted some squirrels jumping between the trees inside the garden (which was visible from the outside as it was merely fenced up) and brought Jonas for a closer look. But I had a shock when two of them jumped onto the top of the fence just inches away from our faces I took off quickly with Jonas in my arms. Innocent Jonas was just laughing away.

Lunch was a simple fare of sausage spaghetti for me while Jonas shared fish and chips with my husband.

Point to note every time I pay a visit to places of interest -- Do Not buy food from there. It was as always overcharged. I paid $9.10 for tomato sauce spaghetti with one chicken sausage. I might as well have the fish and chips which I think cost $7.90. For my next trip to the Zoo, we shall have a hearty breakfast before going and I'll pack sandwiches and snacks to eat there.
We started exploring the Children Garden and Jonas was happily running around pulling my husband behind him.

There was a Treehouse playground which was quite unique but only for 5-12 year olds.

There was a sensory area for kids to have a feel and smell the plants. Photosynthesis was being explained with simple diagram charts. There was even a water play area which we couldn't let him go to because we did not bring extra clothes for him. The Children Garden is not very big so we proceeded to other parts of the Botanic Gardens after awhile. I found out from the staff that it'll take us approximately 45min to walk from where we were (which was known as the Bukit Timah core) to the other side of the Botanic Gardens. We decided to just stay and roam around where we were. As we were passing by the Eco lake, we noticed some people aiming their cameras at something on the edge of the lake. We stepped in to have a closer look and found two black swans standing by the lake and they seem to be sleeping. We wanted to stay for longer but alas it started to drizzle. Although there are shelters, we didn't want to be trapped by the rain not being able to go anywhere. So we quickly walked back to the MRT station but I did not forget to take a memorable photo outside the Garden before leaving.

Overall it was an enjoyable trip to spend time with the family. But I would certainly start the day earlier so we can cover a bigger area on our next trip. The more popular attractions like the National Orchid Garden are on the other side of the garden which is nearer to the main entrance. I would highly recommend the Botanic Gardens for nature loving families by spending the day having a picnic or taking beautiful pictures with the picturesque background.

Godson is 2 years old

I can't believe how quickly time has passed by. This year we celebrated godson Xuanle's 2nd birthday. We didn't have the chance to spend more of our time with him when he was younger due to our busy work schedules, their house moving and my own pregnancy and childbirth to handle all coming together around the same period of time. We also missed his 1st birthday celebration as Weiwen and Jade(Xuanle's parents) decided to do a small family celebration. Nonetheless, we are really glad we decided to plan something for him this year. 
We celebrated in advance at the end of August(his birthday is early September) on a weekend. Jade and I just wanted something simple for the boy so we decided the best bet will be a steamboat dinner organized at their place. Being in a familiar setting is very important when organizing events for LO in order to make them feel comfortable so they can enjoy themselves. And Xuanle did enjoy himself with Jonas's accompany. After they were fed, they just played with each other while we adults have our steamboat dinner. We were glad that they enjoyed each other's company as we are planning more outings together in the future. As both of us only have one kid each, I hope Xuanle and Jonas can become good friends so they can lookout for each other when they are older.

We rushed off to the community center near their house after dinner for a free outdoor movie screening. They were showing a cartoon but I don't know the title of it but many parents are enjoying the movie with their kids. We collected our ice cream, popcorn and water and joined in the crowd. Xuanle did not really enjoy it as the sound system is quite loud thus he was abit scared. Jade had to bring him walking around the vicinity for him to get used to the environment before he settled down. But it was only for a short while as I learnt from Jade and her mother in law later that nothing will catch Xuanle's attention for long. Jonas on the other hand enjoyed the movie as he is a tv addict, totally engrossed with the show. We had to pull him away when it was time to proceed home for cake cutting. The boys were very happy during their walk back home.
I bought a Black Forest cake for Xuanle from a new bakery shop at Westgate before going over. At first I was rather worried how it will taste but it turned out to be quite tasty with compliments from everybody. I felt great especially seeing both boys liking the cake. When it was finally time to say our goodbyes, Jonas was reluctant to leave his playmate even though we can see he was already tired. We literally had to drag him away. 
We enjoyed such simple gatherings and the mothers(Jade and I) promised to plan again if time permits. Happy two years old Xuanle and I hope we can spend more time together with you from this year onwards.

Hospitalized yet again

When Jonas's constipation problem is slowly being brought under control, I heaved a sigh of relieve thinking finally he'll become a healthy and happy baby. Alas illness struck him again this month. He came down with very high fever a week after his 1st dosage of the MMR(measles, mumps and rubella) vaccination. The paed did warn us about the possibility of fever but we have never encountered him having such high temperatures before which puts him into a "resting" mode, lying down or wanting to be carried all the time. Even the fever med that was given to us didn't seem to work. Seeing his temp swaying high and low on the digital thermometer sets my mood up and down too.
We admitted him to KKH on a Wednesday night with a temp of 40.3 Degree Celsius. Children with high fevers were given the priority to see the doctor first. After understanding the history from us, the doc proceeded to check for signs of infection. She pressed Jonas's tummy, look at his ears, look at his throat and checked his lymph nodes. She said everything looks ok except for slightly swollen lymph nodes at the base on the back of his head. I was told to sponge him with water while waiting for admission and he screamed with discomfort while I was doing so in the middle of the A&E. He was also given paracetamol right away. We were being admitted quickly to a 4 bedder this time round. However, Jonas was feeling really  sick and keep crying and crying. And so many doctors came to look at him and they all check for the same things I wonder why they have to do it so many times. So when the 2nd and 3rd doctors apart from the A&E doctor wanted to check his throat again, we did not agree for them to do so. Jonas has just drank his milk and we worry he'll vomit it out. The doctor suggested getting a urine sample to test for urinary tract infections first. A bag was being stuck around his groin to collect urine and the nurse told us to check frequently and inform her once he peed as the bag could leak. When the doctors finally left, we had to carry him and pat him to sleep before putting him back on the bed. The nurse was kind enough to have given him a cooling mattress which is really a water filled mattress to be put on his bed to help bring down his temperature. The beds in that ward were all taken but are older kids. We were rather apologetic with Jonas's crying therefore we wanted to shift him to a 1 bedded ward as soon as possible. Thus we were put on the waiting list but it wasn't until the next day afternoon before we were being shifted. Jonas had a disturbed sleep that night, having to take his temperature hourly and had to be woken for medicine if his temperature goes higher than 38.5 Degree Celsius. And his urine bag did leak as told. Hubby was checking on him in the wee hours of the morning but noticed half of his clothing and part of the bed soaked. So we had to wake him to get him changed in case he catches a cold and informed housekeeping to change the bedsheets before putting him back to sleep again. We had a hard time sleeping too worrying about his condition and I kept waking up having to sleep sitting upright on a plastic chair. I woke up with a very sore butt at 7am plus and switched with my husband (he was bunking on the roll away bed which was equally uncomfortable) but not for long as the doctors came in around 9am. 
We were told the results of his urine sample was normal so he didn't have any urinary tract infection. They will continue what they are doing now to control and monitor his fever and at the same time try to find out the site of infection. We were reassured the fever which is going up and down now will not cause harm to his brain and well being. My mother in law came over to help us quite early and we went back to bathe and get changed. When we are back in the afternoon, the nurses are preparing to switch Jonas to a single bedded room. However, it was not in the same ward but one level lower. Although we had to go through the hassle, we are glad to have a room to ourselves again. It is definitely more comfortable to rest without disturbances and convenient to have a private use toilet. Jonas can come down to walk around on the floor too if he is well enough. It is already day 4 he did not have any bowel movements. So after consultation with the doctor, the nurse administered glycerol suppository upon Jonas to help him pass motion. Luckily it worked on him pretty well and he managed to clear out his bowels twice. The day passed by and we could see that he is becoming more alert though the fever still come and go. But his temperature shoot up again at night and the nurse had to give him the stronger medicine to help bring down his temperature.
The next day, the medical team swab some tissue from his mouth and arranged for him to do blood testing. The result from both tests turn out to be fine which means they still could not find the source of infection. The doctor came to see us in the afternoon. He said Jonas is most likely experiencing a viral fever whereby source is unknown but the condition is self limiting. That means it will heal with time as his immune system will be able to fight the virus. What needs to be done is just monitor and control his fever. He said as long as the peak of his fever is going downwards over the days, Jonas is on his route to recovery. He also said that Jonas will start to develop rashes all over his body for the next few days and it'll take time to heal. But that was also a sign of recovery. The doctor was spot on. Jonas had an outbreak of rashes on his face, neck and body. His arms and legs were spared at first but it didn't take long for the rashes to spread over those areas.

However, his temperature went down and remained stable in the below 37.5 degrees range over the next 24hours and the doctor decided it's time for him to go home to continue with his recuperation. Jonas was discharged after a stay of 5days in the hospital. 
Although we never found out the cause and the site of his infection, we were glad he was recovering well after the discharge. We didn't even need to use the medicine which the hospital had given us to treat his rashes as there was no itch and rashes disappeared after a couple of days.

The doctor told us viruses are airborne so he could have contracted it anywhere under any circumstances. Lessons learnt from this experience:

1) Never take any fever lightly especially constant high fevers of 38.5 degree Celsius or higher. High fevers can cause permanent brain damage in young children if left untreated.

2) Parents have to be very vigilant when bringing their kids to crowded places or any gatherings as bacteria and viruses can spread easily amongst young children due to their weaker immune systems.

Talking about that, I think I'll start to research more about supplements and healthier food options for toddlers. Time to start building up little Jonas's immune system as he gets exposed to more food and different environments as I'm thinking of placing him in child care soon. I'll share the information here in my blog if I discovered anything useful. In the meantime, it is another chapter closed for our joyful little family. 

SG50 outing to Jurong Birdpark

Time to get out and play especially after that torturous stay in the hospital to treat Jonas's constipation. As both my husband and I are not working on National Day, we decided to take the chance to bring him out to unwind. We dated our godson Xuanle and his parents Weiwen and Jade as it has been a long time since a get together and we missed him. 
In conjunction with our SG50( Singapore independent since the year 1965), there are several places of interest giving out discounted entry fee rates. We decided to bring the kids to the zoo since both of them seem to like animals. But later on we gave up the idea as we reckon the crowd will flock there as it is a very popular tourist attraction going at a discounted rate on a public holiday. Eventually we chose to go to the Jurong Birdpark instead with the Singapore Science Center as our wet weather outing location. We are very lucky the sun shine brightly on that day without any showers at all. My husband wanted to drive there but the carparks are all full when we get there at about 11.45am and we have to park all the way up on the hill and walk down with Jonas in pram. I think it is quite dangerous as we are just walking on the sides of the roads as there were no pedestrian pavements. Maybe the authorities should do something about it in case of accidents.
Weiwen and Jade are still waiting for the bus at Boon Lay interchange so we decided to grab a bite as we have not taken breakfast yet. As we are having our lunch in one of the cafés, they reached and went to queue for the tickets first as they had already eaten. The food here are of course tourist priced, so it's advisable to eat before going or pack your own lunch boxes. Jade printed out the SG50 discount coupons from internet and got the tickets at half priced. $14 instead of $28 for adults. No entrance fee for both kids as they are under 3 years of age.
The boys enjoyed themselves observing the birds and taking photos. I am surprised some of the birds are allowed to roam freely in an enclosed habitat. Jonas enjoyed looking at the penguins which are kept in a cold enclosure area.

We forgo taking the tram and walked around instead to let the boys explore more. The place is too big and we only managed to see some of the exhibits before proceeding to the play area to let the boys play. They enjoyed running about and going on the see saw but both of them refused to try the swing and I wonder why.
After that, it was time for the High Flyers show so we started off to the venue early to grab a good seat. It was really very crowded that day. Even though we went like half an hour earlier, the first few rows are already taken. We have to leave our prams in front and sit at the back.

The show started and Xuanle loved it seeing all the colorful parrots talk and fly around. There are also pelicans, flamingoes and a lot of other birds. The birds flew very low over our heads but we were told to keep our hands down and not to touch the birds. Volunteers from the audience were asked to hold hoops and parrots fly through them swiftly even though the hoops were really small. It was a great show which ended with photo taking with all the birds. However, Jonas was too tired and fell asleep even before the show started and woke up only after the show ended. So he completely missed the wonderful show.
Jonas sweat a lot during his nap so we decided to change his diapers and a dry shirt that we have brought along. Then the children were fed as it has been quite long since their lunch.

After that it was already 4.30pm and we decided to leave early so that we don't have to squeeze with the crowd. My husband walked uphill alone to drive the car down as it was inconvenient with our prams. We went to the nearest mall Jurong Point to have our early dinner as all of us were famished after a long day outdoors. Then as we were too tired to shop, we sent our companions back and returned home early too. All in all, it was a tired but fruitful and enjoyable day spent with our loved ones. I definitely will not hesitate to bring them out again as I prefer them to be more outdoorsy rather then being cooped at home. They are really too active so we must have more such activities to drain some of their adrenaline. Maybe next time to the zoo?

Things you must not forget for an outing with LO:

1. Always bring along your pram though you may find it inconvenient. It is handy when they are too tired to walk and you are too tired to carry them. Acts as a trolley for your outing barang barang too!

2. Do bring extra clothings for LO so that they won't catch a cold wearing their soaked shirts through play.

3. Pack food especially their favourite treats so that they can be distracted for a while when they get cranky.

4. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! Make sure they drink lots of fluids to replenish what they have lost through sweating. And I tell you boys sure sweat ALOT!

Exploration into beauty enhancement

I decided to write about my first beauty exploration post motherhood. Nowadays, becoming a mother not necessarily linked to being bound at home 24hrs a day circling around LO and not having time to take care of our own appearances. It is more about having ME time to unwind, be well maintained and confident so that we can manage our babies and our lives better.
So I succumbed and jump onto the bandwagon of eyebrow embroidery. I put on makeup everyday for work and it always took me a long time to get my eyebrows drawn. On a good day, I need at least 10-15 minutes to make them look balanced. The root of the problem is that I have little hair on the back portion of my brows and I'm also not skilled enough. The result was thick but flat eyebrows as they do not curve where I want them to. Finally I thought enough was enough. I am spending too much time on it. And since my colleague has done embroidery before and I saw it is quite natural, I decided to try out at the place she did.
I booked an appointment with the principal embroidery artist, Anna, at the Avone branch in Nex shopping mall. As she was the most experienced, many customers look for her so an appointment in advance is absolutely necessary. Topical anesthesia was applied to the eyebrows area as soon as I reached because I was told it would need at least 30minutes for it to take effect. One has to be mentally prepared as the salon was designed open concept, everybody walking past can see what you are doing. In short, the salon is not situated within a shop front, but in a kiosk in the center of the mall 2nd level walkway. I had no issues with it as I've previously done my manicures and pedicures in a similar kind of setting. 
I had wanted to test out the cheaper version of eyebrow embroidery at first for a feel of it but somehow, they managed to talk me into upgrading to the latest 4D version. According to them, the 4D version is more lasting and the result look more natural than the 3D version especially so for first timers. The reason is because in 3D embroidery, the pigment was just dyed onto the superficial layer of the skin while it is dyed into the deeper layers of the skin in 4D embroidery. The knife they used for both procedures were also different thus 4D gives a more natural effect. It will cost me another $200 for the upgrade. 
Anna started off by using an eyebrow pencil to draw two different designs on each eyebrow for me to choose. One was the more traditional curved shape and the other was the now very popular Korean straight brow. I opted for the curved one as i felt it frames my face better and was also worried the straight brow will go out of fashion very soon. I had to think carefully as these brows will be with me at least for a year after the procedure. I will not want to look like a freak after spending so much on it. I felt minimal pain during the procedure though I was abit alarmed by the sound of the instrument against my skin but Anna was a fast worker. The job was done within half an hour. The procedure involves picking up dye with the knife and scratching it onto our skin following the shape that was previously drawn. She went back and forth along each eyebrow at least 2-3 times, making sure the dye gets in and the effect comes out natural. I was satisfied with the result though it looks slightly dark but I was told it will become lighter and more natural after 1week when the skin peels off. The surrounding of the eyebrow will be slightly red and swollen which is normal and should go away after a few days. They used iced cotton wools over my brows to cool and soothe the swelling. After 3 changes of the cotton wools, I was good to go. By now, the anesthesia has worn off and the brow area feel warm and slightly stinging but it was bearable. I was told to avoid the area when washing my face for a few days and to moisturize with cream. I did not buy the cream from them as they said I can use any moisturizer as long as it don't have any whitening agents. I was entitled to one time touch up which has no time limitation which means I can still do the touch up if it's after 2years.

The skin peels over a week and I always had the urge to rub it away with my fingers as it is not very nice with some parts of the brow lighter and some darker. But I endured it and now I don't have to draw my brows every morning. In fact I even skipped makeup as my face look better now with well defined brows. The brows are very natural so when I put on makeup, sometimes they will look too light depending on how much makeup I wear. My colleagues did comment that they are too light but I'm quite happy with them. Only I'll have to darken them abit when I do put on makeup but it's so much easier now as I just need to follow the shape to get nicely curved eyebrows. This is definitely money well spent. Firstly, it improved my appearance and secondly if I can spend less time on makeup it means I can spend more time with my son. Isn't that killing two birds with one stone?

Before eyebrow embroidery.             

Just after embroidery done

After the skin peeled off

Unforgettable July

When I checked my website yesterday, I came to realize I don't have a single entry for the month of July. But it has been a hectic month for me and my husband as our poor Jonas had to be warded to hospital to treat his chronic constipation. If you remember from my previous post, Jonas had this problem since he started solids at 6 months old and we never found a solution that can heal it completely. Every now and then, he'll be visiting his paed for his daily dosage of probiotics and lately suppository to help him pass motion. The last straw came in when he didn't have any bowel movement again for 3 days and when he did, his faeces was so huge and hard causing the skin around the anus to tear and bleed. He also had rectal prolapse due to pushing too hard. We took him to the paed whereby after he did a rectal check, he noticed there's still a lot of faeces stuck in his intestine. He gave us a referral letter to ward Jonas to KKH (Kandang Kerbau Hospital) for further investigations.
It was the beginning of a nightmare for both he and us. I wasn't with him when he was warded. But my husband said they have to wait for a very long time even with the paed's referral letter. After the doc has seen Jonas, they didn't want to ward him at first, treating his condition like just one of the normal cases of constipation. It was not until my husband raised his concern(raised his voice also) before they finally ward Jonas. My husband has requested for A ward during admission but was told that was not available at the moment and we would be informed when there's a vacant one. But when they reach the B1 ward(4 bedder), my husband walked around and noticed there were many vacant A class wards so he enquired. He was told that because tomorrow is a Monday, those rooms were reserved for the surgery patients. My husband accepted the explanation but reminded the nurses to please inform us ASAP when there's a vacant ward. The reason is because Jonas is feeling uncomfortable thus making a lot of noise and we are worried he'll disturb the other patients in the same ward.
An X-Ray of his intestines were taken when he was admitted and it showed the stools stuck there for god knows how many months. That's the reason why his stomach always seem so bloated and his appetite so poor. Jonas also had to have his blood tested and a needle was pricked into the vein of his tiny hand to draw the blood. The needle had to be left there throughout his stay in case they need to test his blood again and we had a hard time trying to distract him and to get him not to fiddle with it lest he injured himself. My heart ached when I saw him with the needle and looking so tired from the afternoon's treatment to clear his bowels. 

The nurses did what they call a rectal washout in medical term after his admission which I witnessed when I reached the hospital after work. It involves guiding a tube into his rectum through the anus and flushing the insides by injecting saline into the tube. I hope I am not being too detailed here that scares you off. Just hope to share what the hospital does to try to solve my boy's issue and I'm also not sure if this is what the usual practice is like for chronic constipation cases. But the washouts on the first day were not successful as they did not manage to draw out any faeces from him. 
Jonas fell asleep very quickly on the first night but we have a very hard time to get to sleep. We are allowed only one foldable bed. At the same time, we are worried Jonas may wake up in the middle of the night so decided that my husband will sleep first while I stay awake and I'll sleep when he wakes up to take over from me. But I was so tired I ended up sleeping on the chair with my head rested against the wall from 2.30-4.30am. I woke up with a stiff neck when another child was admitted into the room and they were making so much noise. My husband and Jonas also woke up to the commotion. My husband told me to rest on the bed while he takes care of Jonas. But it was so noisy Jonas could not sleep. My husband had to bring him outside to pat him to sleep. He had to do this a few times as every time not long after we put him back onto the bed, he'll be awaken by the people talking in the room or the baby crying. I had a hard time sleeping too, tossing and turning around for an hour before finally getting some rest when the visitors all went home at about 5.30-6am. 
Woke up at 8plus to feed Jonas his breakfast. The day was another round of rectal washouts but this time they inject olive oil half an hour before the washout to help to soften the stools. Again, the morning washout was not successful. My mother and father in law came to take over around noon and we quickly went home to wash up and rest before rushing back after we finished with our errands. The washout only started to work on the 2nd day night session(it was done thrice a day). He managed to pass abit of motion on his own slightly after the washout. The dietician was also there to see him to check out his daily diet and suggest improvements we can make to it. After listening to my mother in law, she feels that Jonas may be taking too much fibers(in the form of vegetables in his porridge) but drinking too little fluids. So she advice us to cut down on the fibers and make sure he takes 300-500ml more fluids a day then now. We were also encouraged to give foods like yoghurt and apple or prune juice as they aid easy bowel movements. 
Throughout the evening, we kept enquiring about the switching of wards as we both agree we won't be able to stay for another night in the B1 ward. By now all the beds in the ward were taken and there were many visitors coming to see the patient next to Jonas. It is difficult for all of us to rest properly. The nurses reassured that our request is being seen to and will be notified once there's an available room. We were finally switched to the A ward at about 8pm plus after very persistent enquiry from our side. It was really heaven and earth apart. There's a sofa bed which can sleep 2 and we have our personal toilet. All of us rest much better that night. 
The doctor came to see him next morning and seeing that the washout is showing result, he decided to do it once more and monitor his progression. He also decided to follow up with oral lactulose to soften the stools and to give suppository to aid in the bowel movement. I was working on that day but my husband filled me in on his condition throughout the day. I was glad he continued to have bowel movements but so far all are assisted. I go to stay overnight at the hospital every night after work while my husband took leave from work to look after him. My mother in law also came over every day to help us look after him. 
However, Jonas developed a fever of about 37.3 Degree Celsius at night. His temperature was quite high so the doctor decided to give him some medicine to control the fever. We were told if his fever did not subside, Jonas may need to have his blood tested again to rule out any infections. We were very worried but luckily his fever subsided after the medication. The nurses came in to take his temperature every 1-2hours throughout the night.
The doctor decided to discharge him the next day despite us raising our concerns as to whether he'll be able to have bowel movement unassisted when he goes home. His explanation is that he may not be able to do so at the moment so we have to help him and this could take months before Jonas gets regulated back to normal. He decided to administer Fleet(liquid medication that causes intestine to contract and relax) to clear any residual stools in Jonas intestine. This medication is very strong and after a short while of applying, Jonas passed out a lot of stools. In the afternoon, the usual suppository was given and again he managed to pass motion. The hospital was ready to discharge him at late noon but again we raised our concern to another doctor and he decided to keep Jonas for observation for one more day. So far, Jonas will pass whenever he's assisted but not by himself. 
He did not pass motion on the last day but the doctor still decided to discharge him saying that for now he needs to get treatment at home and be monitored 1week later. There is no reason to keep him since he is able to pass motion during the treatment. We were told to feed him lactulose every morning. If he didn't have any bowel movement by the 2nd day, we'll need to apply the suppository to aid him at night. If he still didn't pass, we need to instil Fleet on the 3rd day. Jonas was discharged on a Thursday.
Our worries turn out to become a reality. On Friday and Saturday he did not have any bowel movement but as it was already quite late, we applied the suppository for him on Sunday morning. His stool was very hard and it caused an anal fissure again with rectal prolapse and this time the blood was just dripping from his wound. I quickly took a picture so that we can show the doctor exactly how serious his condition is. We decided to admit him back to KKH A&E again straightaway. So my husband called to make an appointment and also checked that the single bedded wards are available. 
At the clinic, we get to see the doctor very quickly as my husband voiced out his frustrations regarding the previous stay. At first the doctor wanted to send us home again with some medications but we stood our grounds and requested to let him be warded and monitored. This time our admission was super fast and efficient plus we were given the A ward right away. The doctor decided to give him lactulose and suppository. No rectal washout this time round. They also prescribed a gel that's applied to his anal area to numb his nerves for a short period so that he don't feel so painful if he pass motion. But end up we also didn't use it as we were told the effect only last for 30 minutes. 
He was discharged after 2 days this time as the doctor found nothing wrong. We were told it was just a process that Jonas had to go through and eventually will be regulated. But the process is a long one, taking from months even up to 1 year sometimes. The prescription given this time was stronger. We still give lactulose every morning but we will need to give him suppository every evening plus probiotics to make sure he passes motion daily. If he didn't pass by the third day, we'll have to administer Fleet. So far, I've only used Fleet once.
We could see that although he passes motion daily, he's reliant on the suppository. So after going for his 1st follow up and the nurse still ask us to continue with what we are doing, my husband decided to switch to TCM. He had been taking the TCM medication for almost 2 weeks and so far there's only once he didn't have a bowel movement for 3days. We shall see if it helps him and at the same time may be seeking a second opinion on his condition. We also made sure he drink more water and other fluids. I bought for him Manuka honey to mix into his water, organic fruit purée and yoghurt that he can take as an afternoon snack and also fruit juices that are ready packed so that there's variety to keep him interested to drink more. My mother in law also bought sweet potato to cook porridge for him as it is known to be effective to cure constipation. My colleague recommended giving a teaspoon of  pure coconut oil a day which she had been doing for all her 3 kids. This is a traditional Chinese remedy. I already got her to help me buy from Malaysia but don't know if Jonas will drink as he is a rather picky eater. Hopefully this time we can truly end his suffering and get this issue that has long been bothering us off our minds soon. Keeping our fingers crossed.

Flashback of Jonas's first year -- Tears & joys

Baby Jonas has turned 1year old now and I thought it's time to do a flashback on what happened in the past year and lessons I learnt from caring for junior. 
Jonas arrived on the 38th week under emergency caesarean. I was scheduled for induced natural delivery initially but the dilation was too slow (according to our gynae) therefore caesarean was performed. I read up a lot about natural birth and the many methods to relieve labor pains but nothing prepared me for the real situation when gynae told me I had to have a c-section. The op makes me a "passive player" whereby I just lie there and leave everything in the hands of my gynae. I think everyone should opt for natural if possible as the recovery will be faster then a c-sect. Post delivery, my wound hindered my movements eg cannot get up from bed quickly, and I could not get to my baby as soon as I want to even though he is just sleeping in the cot beside me. So in the end I had to give up breastfeeding my baby. My husband helps out by making him formula milk at night so I won't have to get up.
Jonas was diagnosed with jaundice when we discharged from the hospital. The nurse said we have to sun him everyday for a week before seeing the paed. The paed we chose was from a list we received from my gynae. We did as told and went to see him 1 week later. But we were horrified to hear that Jonas jaundice level has risen and he needs to go back to the hospital for a blood test and very possibly needs phototherapy! On the day we discharged, we saw a newborn undergoing phototherapy and the poor baby was wailing so loudly under the light it scare us. We definitely do not want to put Jonas through that if possible. Jonas was also diagnosed to be dehydrated. I know I was not producing enough breast milk. But Jonas also doesn't take formula very well. Many times, he pukes after feeding. We were really at a lost being first time parents, not knowing what to do next. It was then my sister in law who heard of Jonas's situation suggested we seek second opinion and introduced us the paed her kids are currently seeing. Dr Koey suggested taking a blood test to check his bilirubin level first. The results showed that Jonas have a moderate case and we are advised to continuing sunning him for 1 more week twice a day and to keep him well hydrated. Thank God his jaundice went down when we visited the paed for follow up and his appetite was better too. It is always advisable to seek a second opinion if you question or don't feel comfortable with the current paed your child is seeing.
As Jonas grows up, there are two issues which kept bothering him and are difficult to resolve even though we've seen the paed about it. His scalp and skin is very dry since birth.

As I found out from the internet, the term for his dry scalp is called "cradle cap". It is very itchy and many times he scratched till the skin bled. I was using the Johnson's top to toe wash for him at first which was later deemed to be drying when I brought him to the paed. The paed prescribed Milderm body wash which is a gentle soap. I used that for a while together with pure aloe vera moisturizer but not much improvement was seen. Later on, my sister in law bought him a bottle of California baby everyday lotion for super sensitive skin. Seeing some improvement to his skin, I went to read up about this brand and found a lot of good reviews on its products. I managed to find its products at guardian pharmacy and I bought the shampoo and body wash for sensitive skin.

I can see some improvement initially but after using for 2 weeks, the dryness came back again. Even using olive oil couldn't help to cure his dry scalp. Now he is using Baby Sebamed children's shampoo recommended by another doctor together with a medicated cream prescribed by yet another doctor which seems to be ok for now. Though the dryness is still on and off but it is more under control then before. At least I don't see bloody scabs from his scratching now. As for his skin, I'm using Baby Sebamed baby bubble bath with QV cream moisturizer.

                 

All babies need to be moisturized but more so Jonas due to his skin condition. Now I moisturize him 2-3times a day as he also sleeps in an air conditioned room. We as parents need to keep in mind that remedies on the internet may not always work on our babies but good to take as a reference. As every child is different, sometimes a combination of methods is necessary and we adjust accordingly to how the child takes to each management. Dry skin, if not taken care of, can last through a child's lifetime. So parents please take note and do not take it too lightly.
Jonas has a weak stomach to begin with. He threw up quite frequently during his early months when he was fed formula (I used Similac Intelli-pro). At times, I'll give him expressed breast milk to calm his stomach. We switched him to Similac Total Comfort after recommendation from his paed. This formula does not have lactose and is also easier to digest. He is taking quite well to it for a few months but at 6 months when he started to take solids, he constipates. The paed suggested to try switching to another formula as the current one may be too "heaty" causing him to constipate. He mentioned Nan and Friso. I decided to try Nan as my colleague's child is using that and she told me it is less sweet than other brands. But maybe because it is less sweet, Jonas rejected completely. Even feeding it to him at night when he was tired didn't work. So I switched him back to Total Comfort but used more water and less formula when preparing the milk. The solid food he was taking at the time consisted of porridge and vegetables. Switching him through a few different brands of milk powder didn't help and we have to bring him to see the paed several times regarding this problem. Up till now, I still can't find a solution that helps him to have a bowel movement daily. Tried giving him papaya, drinking more water and prune purée but he still passes motion like once every 3 days. He is currently drinking Enfagrow stage 3. During the last visit to the paed, he suggested giving less fibre, more water and try other brands of formula like Friso as he said Enfagrow is also more heaty. And I think I'll probably start trying to give him honey water as it's recommended for easing bowels. I'll use it together with the healthy bacteria medication that another doctor gave to regulate his stomach and digestion.
Hopefully, as most paed told me, his problems will be resolved as he grows up when he has more regular meals and fluid intake. 
To sum it up, I'll share with you Jonas's growing milestones for the past year.
At 4 months plus he is able to hold his own milk bottle briefly. He can also flip onto his tummy by himself.
At 5 months plus he is trying to push himself up from the tummy position.
At 6 months he starts to take solid food. I started off giving him pumpkin purée and papaya purée. Subsequently, my mother in law gave him porridge cooked with vegetable and pork or fish.
At 7 months he can sit up straight with support.
At 8 months he pushes himself up onto his knees and rocks himself back and forth. He can also pull himself forward on his tummy. He sits up straight unsupported. And his first tooth appeared on his lower gum! 
At 10 months he pulls himself to stand up by grabbing onto things.
At 11 months he can let go of his hands and stand on his own briefly. He tries to stand up by pushing himself up from sitting position. And now he has 2 teeth on his lower gum. He walks unsupported when inside the playpen.
At 12 months he walks around on the ground by holding onto objects. Makes a lot of sounds and can imitate many gestures that we teach him. He can also hold snacks with his fingers and feed himself. 2 more teeth start to grow on his upper gum now. 
And as I watch him grow I hope I'll have more happy stories to share rather than grumbling as my boy can be quite difficult to tame. At such a tender age, he is already stubborn and throws tantrums if things didn't turn out the way he wants. So the next stage will be teaching and guiding him. Look forward to more of my experience sharing. :)

Present unwrapping (continued)

This is the Part 2 of Jonas's birthday present unwrapping as he received some more presents from his daddy's friends after the initial one. And he was so happy tearing up the wrappers to reveal its contents. :) Thanks to Auntie Joelyn, Uncle Dion and Auntie Siying for the presents.

Birthday surprise

This is the 1st year I'm celebrating my birthday with my son Jonas, as this time last year I'm in the midst of confinement 1week post delivery. I got lucky with my boss planning 2 consecutive off days on my birthday and the day after for me. My husband specially took leave to celebrate with me knowing that I am not working that day. Usually I'll work on my birthday as I don't specially take leave for it.
We left home early on my birthday. As my husband didn't want to say what he had planned, I just had to tag along and go with the flow. Our destination turn out to be Grand Hyatt hotel on Orchard road. So it turns out that he wanted to treat me to a good meal at one of the restaurants there. There are several choices to choose from. Mezza9 serves up fusion with 9 open kitchen dining experiences in one restaurant including sushi, Chinese and Thai food. Straits Kitchen is more of local cuisine in buffet style. 10 Scotts is more to western and high tea. Oasis poolside restaurant serves BBQ with free flow drinks. Pete's Place is an Italian restaurant offering pizzas and pastas. Read more details about each restaurant from the hotel website. Eventually we settled on Straits Kitchen for our lunch.

I'd recommend tourists to try out this restaurant if they want local fare at a one stop location. Food ranges from chicken rice, satay, otah, roti prata, stir fried Chinese food, Indian curries, chendol, ice kacang and the list goes on. Only pity is they missed out on our world famous chili crab. It would be perfect if they included this in their menu. But if you are looking for seafood, this is not the place suitable for you. Go to Mezza9 on the 2nd level and your craving should be satisfied. Anyway we did enjoy our lunch though it was a hasty one. Our dear Jonas was making faces and so much noise I think because he wants to do his poo poo. 
Then my husband hit me with a surprise. And surprise it was indeed. Instead of going to the toilet to settle Jonas's soiled diaper, he brought us into the elevator and went upstairs to a guest room. And voila! It was not just a guest room but a suite.

He then told me we will be staying there for the night. So this is what he has up his sleeves? He had planned a staycation for me complete with cake, flowers and present. :)

This is the first time we are doing a staycation in a local hotel so I'm quite excited with the idea. But what do we do during a staycation? Both of us decided that it means to stay in the hotel and use it's facilities. While my husband wanted to take a power nap, I decided to explore the grounds with Jonas to see what amenities are available.

The walk from our room to the swimming pool is quite long. By the time we got there (a lot of ang mohs), it had started to drizzle so we had to head back. But I found out the gym and the Oasis restaurant was also on the same level. So was the hotel spa.
When we got back, my husband was still napping so I decided we should take a nap and have a good rest too. By the time all of us woke up, it was dinner time. We had a nice Japanese dinner at a restaurant in Paragon shopping centre. Ended the day with cake cutting. The cake was a strawberry shortcake from mezza9 restaurant. Tasted very nice with the fresh fruits on top.

We extended our stay by one more night which I'm glad we did. Though we did not use the facilities in the hotel (forgot to bring swimming costume), we spent a lot of time together lazing around. We also went shopping at Orchard. Jonas also enjoyed bathing in the big bathtub together with his Daddy. By the time I had to go to work on the Sunday morning, I was so reluctant to leave for work. I would certainly love to do this again but maybe only once in a while cos it's not cheap.
Overall it was a wonderful experience. Thanks to my husband again for planning this special event for my birthday.

Present opening time

This is the long overdue birthday present unwrapping for Jonas as I've wanted to take pictures but couldn't find time to do it. He received some more presents after this so these are only part of the presents he received. And most guests gave him angbaos instead so he didn't take long to finish with the present opening. I forgot to take a photo with all the gifts unwrapped so some of the presents may not be in the pictures. Thank you Xueli, Weiqiang, Weiwen, Jade, Bennett and his wife for the lovely presents. So here are the photos of Jonas at work.