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. :)
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.
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.
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.
Jonas's birthday bash ended successfully even though there were some hiccups along the way. The event was held at NSRCC (National Service Resort And Country Club) chalet at Changi last Sunday, 24th May. The check-in was in the afternoon and the event itself was held in the evening.
The chalet is really cool! You get an individual bungalow with attached verandah and BBQ pit although car park is shared. But the car park is off limits to visitors who have to park their cars further away and walk over. I think this is to ensure that there are enough lots for the people who stay over. Walking into the chalet, there is ample space to entertain on the ground floor with the huge living area, dining area, open concept kitchen and bathroom. The 2 bedrooms are on level 2 with another shared bathroom. Although it is indicated that 8 people maximum can be housed in the bedrooms according to the website, I would advice against that as I find the beds too small to be able to sleep two. Of course unless both of you can sleep zombie-style throughout the night, wink*. This is how the chalet looks like.
We are abit behind time in checking in so had to rush to do the deco once we reach. Luckily we chose to keep everything simple and deco involves only putting up his Happy Birthday banner and photos of him growing up from Day 1. I spent a lot of time to look for suitable decorations for the event but had a hard time finding stuff I like until I decided to search online. In the end I ordered from this shop called ' The Party Stuff. They have a wide range of party deco to choose from and also have physical shops in 4 locations. Good place for balloons or special themed candles. While putting up his pictures, it brings back a lot of our memories of the past year.
Neo Garden catering came to do table setup at 3.30pm. The birthday cake came at the stipulated time of 4pm. I ordered a 2.5kg fresh vanilla cream cake in the shape of the number 1 from Cake Avenue. Then came the hiccup. The fridge is too small and the cake can't fit in! I tried all possible means and after constant failure, my last resort is to put it in one of the air-con rooms (which is also the suggestion from the people from Cake Avenue) and kept checking it throughout the party. Luckily when we cut the cake at 7pm, the cake still looks and taste quite alright.
Neo Garden came with the food at 4.30pm (very punctual delivery).
And before the first guests start coming in, I quickly brought Jonas upstairs to help him change into his new outfit we bought specially for the occasion. For children clothes, you can check out Vivocity level 2 which has alot of selection. We bought his outfit from a shop called Pumpkin Patch at Vivocity.
I didn't have time to change my own clothes but "I can't see people" without my makeup so quickly I put on some basic makeup and the party starts.
As both my husband and I need to go around and interact with the guests and also look after Jonas, I engaged the help of my sister Ashley to be photographer of the day. Many thanks to her for taking nice pictures of everybody. Jonas fell asleep along the way I guess he was just too tired. He is happy most of the time except when unfamiliar people tried to carry him, he'll cry.
We opted to go for catering cum BBQ that day but think we ordered too much food from catering. We ordered for 45pax in the end still left with a lot of food which we gave some away to the guests. Most people left at about 8pm while only a few of my husband's friends stayed for the BBQ and for mahjong after that. When mahjong session finally ended around 11pm and we got Jonas settled down for the night, both of us were totally drained. We were fortunate to have my mother in law stay over with us as she'll take over looking after Jonas when we are tired.
Only the 3 of us stayed with Jonas at the chalet. I thought it will be better if more friends and family could stay but it was Monday the next day and the children had to attend school. Most of our friends have young kids to look after too so they also can't stay. As a result, we are able to stay very comfortably as we have this huge space all to ourselves. :)
The day had been a roller coaster ride for us having to rush for time. But I am glad we are able to make it a memorable event for Jonas afterall.
Some experience gained from the event that I'll like to share with everyone.
1) Always try to find out more information about the venue. For my case, if I know beforehand that the fridge is small, I would have requested for it to be delivered closer to cake cutting time. Or maybe prepared other methods of storing the cake. The birthday banner I bought was also too short but too wide such that the guests have to be careful lest they get tangled up with the hanging mobiles beneath the banner. This was our first time using the services of this chalet so we are not familiar with the spaces which are allowed for decoration within the chalet premises.
2) Always order catering much less than required especially if it is done concurrently with a BBQ. The portions given for the mains like pineapple rice or bee hoon are usually a lot so it is safe to order about 10-15pax lesser than your guest list to prevent food wastage. We have a lot of last minute no show resulting in plenty of leftover food. Thus it is also important to do a final RSVP with guests 1 week prior to your event and make changes to the food accordingly. And do buy some plastic food containers to store the food because caterers do not provide them anymore due to some government regulations about food safety.
3) Have your baby rested well before the event so that he'll be awake and happy during the event. Jonas wasn't able to have his afternoon nap that day as we have to go out early to buy our BBQ food before checking in. Then he was also too excited about going out he can't sleep. So he fell asleep during the party with my husband carrying him but we are lucky he woke up when it's about time for cake cutting :)
4) Ask someone you trust to do photo taking on the day as you will be too busy over many other things. With my sister to help, I have one less issue to be worried about and managed to spend more time with Jonas on his day.
5) If you plan to do a chalet, make sure you get someone trustworthy and also close to your child to stay over in the chalet. In this case, it is my mother in law I have to thank for taking over looking after Jonas when we are tired. I think we will be much more drained out if she wasn't there to help.
All in all, Jonas's 1 year old celebration has been a great learning experience and an enjoyable event.
