Worries

Been neglecting this blog for the last couple of weeks, not that i wanted to, but i had to due to my sweet chantal.
She was so fuzzy lately that i couldn't do anything, whilst login to internet to write something on this blog. She had this new habit of caught wind during evening, first i didn't know that an infant can caught wind. Then realized when she kept on asking for more milk, eventhough i knew she is already full by the way she suck on my poor nipple. And eventually she will through out after so much milk.
It could have been so frustating for her not knowing how to burp when so much wind inside her little tummy, that is why she kept on asking for a feed. It is not the milk that she wanted, it's the feeling of sucking which give her so much comfort.

As a new mom, who didn't know what to do when her child is experience this so called "colic", i write an SOS email to the mailing list of ISM, asking for any help.
Some of the mom told me to gave her a pacifier, and some advice me to robe some warm oil on her tummy (which i already did), others will advice me to buy some medicine of some kind.

I did took their advice, not the pacifier one, but the medicine, and the next day I went to the nearest mall and get her a medicine recommended by her paediatrician. Hoping that i wouldn't need to gave her the medicine, I guess I was wrong. That same evening, she start to feeling a little unease again, then I decide to gave her the medicine, she didn't like very much and ended up throwing up afterwards.

These episode last a couple of days in a row, it's always started after her afternoon nap, I did take notes of how she would wake up with her blanket wide open exposing her legs, and how she will settle down after throwing up. Although, these last 2 days she has been very good, maybe she knew that her daddy will be home tomorrow from shanghai. Yes, he'll be back tomorrow evening after 2 long weeks in Shanghai.

Minyak Telon and Colic

She has been experience some wind for 2-3 days in a row.
Before her 2nd vaccination of Hepatitis B, she had vomit quiet a bit. I told her doctor and she said i should get her some wind drops, and that she will gave me some sample, turns out we forgot to asked for a sample and she also forgot to prescribe us a sample.

On her second night, she was getting a bit fuzzy, kept asking for some milk, and i was worried she will throw up if she gets too full, and she did. This time was a lot. I tried to keep myself calm, and change her clothes and mine, then gave her a rub with Minyak Telon to help her get rid of the wind. However, she did asked for more milk then gracefully fall asleep.

The third days was even worst, anne was at my place, and chantal was behaving good until it was after her 6 pm feed. I went to see her when i could hear her crying, and saw that her blanket was wide open, she sometimes did this if she wasn't being wrap tightly. Then from that, she kept crying and wouldn't settle. I tried to hold her, swandle her, even holding her against my chest, still she will start crying. I called my sister, and she told me to feed her some warm water, and rub lots of Minyak telon her her back, stomach and chest.

It was around 9ish when finally she settle. I was so exhausted and tired. My dear sms me, and asked whether he can see her through a webcam, so i carried her and logged on to skype to show him his precious daughter. She was a sleep when i carried her.
Pheww...I hope tomorrow she won't go through this tantrum again.

Chantal very first month

The very first month of your life, you already can:

1. Focus on Face, You always focus on our face everytime we look at you closely, or when i came near you to change your diapers.
2. Smiles Spontaneously, You were born with a smile in your face (daddy told me), thus smiling wasn't something new to you, though now you smile more frequently, even when you were sleeping soundly.
3. Follow face with eyes and head, Your daddy loves it when you follow his face when he plays with you.
4. Respond to sounds by quieting, This is due to the toys daddy bought for you, which means you are going to be a good listener.
5. Move your hands and feets when not in a bundle, You can not stop moving your hands and feets, and you loves kicking daddy when he holds you facing him.

Oct 16th 2006,

Love, Mommy & Daddy

Chantal 1st night w/o her daddy

Tonight will be chantal 1st night without her daddy present.
My dear had to fly to Shanghai today for his work, and might have to stay there for 1 or 2 weeks. He is not happy, but it's part of his job to travel around the world to which ever country Levi's had a project going on. Though, it will be the first time for him to actually felt unwillingly to travel overseas. I remember when we first gone out, he had to go to Bangkok, he told me he didn't really want to go, but that time i think it was his "fallen heart" speaking. This time, it was his fatherhood causing him feeling blue.

He kept telling me today, that it is hard to left us for just one day, let alone for a couple of weeks, and he surely will miss chantal alot. I told him, that we will be ok, and that 2 weeks will be just a blink of an eye. The important thing is he have to go with a good feeling, not worry too much. He's worried too much about me, being alone with the baby. All these stuff about depression and those "baby blues" thing on TV making him more stress out.

Well, we will be ok daddy...

Lazy Sunday

Usually, our sunday were always quiet busy with cleaning and cooking, and end the day by going to church.
Though, today cleaning and cooking still happen, but we didn't go to church today. It's been 4 weeks since chantal birth that we skip sunday church.

We have to figured something out, so that we can bring chantal to the church, without disturbing other people during the cermont. A friend of mine told me that, at our church, there is a special room for mother and their babies, which located at the back of the church and surrounded by glass, which i assumed noise proved.

Chantal dad has been holding her, since this morning. :)
I guess he wanted to spend his weekend with his daughter.

Satee...Padanggg....

Yupe, another session of Sate Padang, this time was specially requested by ME..
My dear didn't put his hopes down to look for cow's tounge, he went to geylang serai again! and came home with an0ther object of cow's instead (go figured!).

The funniest thing was. when he was shimmering the meat, suddenly he yealed at me saying "Honey...i think we ran out of gas". Haiya..so i called the gas man, took him nearly an hour to get to our place.

These time, he made those sate padang with much expertise, hence the taste was much better than before. :)

Fussing

Chantal has been quiet fussing these couple of days, started on monday, she can't just fall a sleep during the day. I was kinda worried first, then i figured she just want to be hold, which made my day blunty busy with her on my arms.

Yesterday wasn't bad at all, she fell asleep around 3ish in the afternoon, and had to be waken up for her next feed just before her dad got home from work.

Today was not as good as yesterday, although she was asleep until 1 am, then i had to wake her up for her feeding, then she fell asleep easily after that. However, since the rain start to fall, then there were thunder, she start to become uneasy. *sigh*

After a couple of round of feed, she finally ozzing...*yawn*

watching over you

 

in my arms

 

Butet ato amoy?

 

Jepretan papanya

 

Masak Masak

My dear has been eager to try some recipe which he downloaded from one of 'his fav site', there were ayam pop, ayam suharti, and sate padang. Yesterday afternoon, with "semangat 45" he went to geylang serai and bought all the ingredients including rice flour and jintan for sate padang, the only one that he can't find was coconut juice, though he did asked the some of the stall owner, but most of them were giving him a strange look and mention that they never sell any coconut juice, and asked what is the coconut juice for. These coconut juice are the main ingredient to cook ayam pop and ayam suharti, as those chicken should be shimmer along with the juice.

Still eager to cook ayam pop, my dear bought those cans coconut juice, hoping that it wouldn't be too sweet, and wualaaa....Ayam Pop versi Changi...yummie...
We were too busy eating those chicken, that i forgot to take some picture of it, but believe me, the taste as yummie as those in Restorant Padang.

To top up the weekend special, my dear made another of his experiment, Sate padang..
As soon as we arrived at home after taking chantal for her first trip to the mall (parkway parade) to try out her new baby carrier, my dear was busy in the kitchen, i can hear all the noise from our bedroom, while i was feeding chantal, he was grounding some spices and boiled some meat on the stove. Then, a couple of minutes later, there was these sate padang, made by my dearest husband. All i can say to him was, "wow...this sate padang taste like those made by abang2 sate", and "i think we should do this more often, like next weekend?" Heheheheh...

A less yellowish than before

Chantal has been place under sunlight every morning for the last couple of days, although she didn't like it so much, i managed to put her to sleep before her regular sunbathing.Yesterday she spend nearly 2 hours under the sun, and was pinkish when i took her away from the sun. She had also been given winter melon water, the one that nurse azizah told me to gave her, to help her get rid of her jaundice.

However, i noticed that for the last 2 days her consuming those sugary water, she was becoming kinda hyperactive, everytime i breastfeed her, she didn't stop moving her hands and feets. And her sleeping was not as calm as before, she can't stop moving, and kept waking up every couple of minutes.As i've decide to stop her winter melon for today, her movement wasn't as active as yerterday, so i guess i better stop those winter melon, and feed her plain water instead.

Jaundice

Chantal 1st visit to doctor Malathi which supposed to be her regular visit turn to nightmare, She has to be admitted for Jaundice.

I knew that something happen to her, when on the second day i looked at her, and she had this yellowish color on her nose and chick, then i asked my mother about it, but she told me that it was nothing and that she has to drink more. I heard about this jaundice, and it is commonly happen to a premature baby, but chantal was born normal, not premature though.

The only reason that i could think of behind her jaundice was the weather condition in Singapore, it's been quiet unhealthy since a couple weeks ago, thanks to the burning forest in Indonesia, which gave such a bad haze to Singapore. Thus, she has to be treated under UV lights, and because she is on total breast feeding, i will need to stay with her.

So we both were admitted on the same day, and she is straight away being placed in one of those horrible bed. First, she was crying her heart out, due to her being strapped with only diaper on, and being placed on flat surface which made from acrylic material. Then, the good nurse, came back with the nicer bed, made by Medela, it has a rubber surface which made it a little bit comfy for the baby.

As soon as she was placed on that bed, i couldn't help myself to cry, she had those eyeband, and was so hopeless. I know that everybody trying to comfort me by saying, it was common, and within 1 day, the yellowish will be gone. All mother will feel the same way i did when they child has to be hospitalized.

The night that we spend in the hospital was hard, i couldn't sleep, i kept looking at her, and try to wake her up every 3 hours, to fed her. I have to monitor her passing motions, and how her feeding. The good thing is her appetide has stayed the same, she still drink plenty of milk, and passed motion regulary.

The second day, her condition is getting so much better, can't hardly see the yellow, though the doctor said it is advisable to stay for another night. Her blood test came out that her Bilirubin are 195 which usually normal.

I was just so happy and couldn't wait to be discharge from the hospital, the 3rd day when the doctor came and check on her, she said chantal look perfectly fine now and can go home.

Chantal Nauli Setyoko

The Happiest Day

16th October would be the happiest day of my life,
The day when our precious one come to the world..
We named her Chantal Nauli Setyoko..
She was born at East Shore Hospital with the weight of 2.9 kg and height 49 cm at precisely 16:30 pm Singapore time.

I was in labor for 4 and half hours, the first 4 hours was painful though I was on epidural since the time I was admitted to the labor room.
The specialist who did the epidural asked me how's the pain in a a count of 1 to 10, and I said it was still bearable , so he only put 5 cc on the machine and told me I will be able to feel a little bit of pain for the 'pushing' phase.

As the dilation went bigger and the pain came more frequently,
i was squeezing my dear hands so tight that I think I might be damaging his fingers,
then when the midwives came to check my dilation, and saw that I was in pain, she called the doctor and asked whether she can increase my dose to help me with the pain.

However, when she did increase my dose to 13 cc, I was already 9-10 cm, and she jokingly told I suppose to be smiling when I am on epidural, not holding my face like that.

She asked me to exercise some pushing before my gynea came, and said i am ready to push but have to wait a little more for my gynea.

When he arrived, everything suddenly went very fast, at first i could still push my heart out, but then because i haven't had enough sleep the nite before, and i haven't had a any meal since morning, I'm totally exhausted when its time to push more.

They kept saying one more push, even my dear was encouraging me to push by saying "dikit lagi sayang.." and trying to be strong to hold my hands, wiping my face..but i guess i didn't push enough, so doctor said he will use vacuum to help speed up the process.

Then at 16:29 pm, she came out, and the first thing that i heard was my dear saying "udah sayang...cantik sekali anak kita, look..cantik sayang...kayak mama". Then i opened my eyes to look at her, and indeed she is so beautiful, and i can feel the tears came out from my eyes, as i said to my self, Thank You God, for the best gift He had just given me.

A new camcorder

Last couple of weeks ago, when we were browsing around at the Best Denki, we came upon a camcorder stall, then realized that we will be needed one of those camcorder for the new arrival. But what to choose? there are so many of them, and we didn't know which one will be sufficient enough with the right price for our pocket.

We then, look around and find this particular brand with function that we think should be sufficient enough for daily use. It was this Canon DC100, and it was on special (promotion). My dear said, that we should buy that instead of those expensive one.

However, when i went to buy the camcorder, the sales person who attend to my interest was so presistant that i should get the newest model instead. It was the DC20,as he showed me the different between them, i called my dear and said that we should take the DC20 as the price is on promotion and mind as well get the best one if we want to keep it for quiet sometime.

So there it is, we have a camcorder for our new arrival. It was already tested by my dear, he took some shoot and pics when we were at the Clark quay on saturday.

39 Weeks

I am now 39 weeksill hasn't feel any major contraction, my weight now is 62.8 kg and my blood preasue falls in normal 70/120. She is now approx 3.1 kg. We did another baby monitoring again, and she was doing the movement again.

I am hoping she will came out as soon as possible, the doctor said he knows i want the baby to come out soon, but he suggest that we wait and let the nature do the rest. Azizah, the nurse told me to do some walking, i guess i didn't walk enough since my parents arrival. We always took cab and never walk to long or far enough.

So as soon as i get home, i ask father to accompany me to buy some congee down at the station (my dear have to work from home) and then walk again to mc donald to get my mom some french fries.

After that, i took some rest and take a nap, woke up, took a shower and took my mom to eat her dinner at sushi tei paragon. Then we take a cab to clarke quay for dinner. We ate at 'clarkquay riverside' restaurant.

38 Weeks

I am now in my 38 weeks, the baby still moving very actively, i haven't experienced any major contraction, only some here and there. Nothing to worry about, said my doctor, between now and 20th october it's the time for "wait and see".

We took some monitoring of the baby hearhbeat and monitoring whether there's some contraction. The test it self took 20 minutes, and it turns out that she is very active inside me, cannot stop moving, and her heartbeat seems to be perfectly normal - fast and steady.

My weight is 62.4 Kg, my baby's weight is approx 2.7 kg, my blood preasure fall in 70/120 - everything seems perfect.

A total fraud..what a liar...

I couldn't believed what my brother was telling me when he was here, i didn't notice that he did wrote a comment on my previous post about "a million little pieces" by james frey.

It turn out that he wasn't all true about his book, it was totally a made up stories, he didn't experience all that, let along was charged in 3 different stated in US.

And he told Oprah about this lies when he was interviewed by her in a national television across the nation and probably across the world for that matter.

There was an investigation by the smoking gun that reveal about his true lies. A complete report on how and what can be found in here.