5 Months: Bad nose

Andre's nose is all clogged up from a few days of runny nose.. Although he is still active and his food intake still remains as usual, sometimes when he sleeps, i can hear a bit of wheezing and his voice sounds quite nasal.

Poor boy was crying last night, i guess he couldn't sleep well. So i just instinctly put my mouth at his nostrils at sucked out all the gooey, yellowish phelgm. Honestly speaking, i don't know if it is the right thing to do(Dr Ong will probably scream at me for hygiene), but well, it's almost like a mother's instinct, you heart tells you this is the thing you must do.

Luckily Andre was cooperative, and i manage to get most of the bad stuff out. I rested him against my chest and cuddle the boy to sleep. And he snuggled well, for a while, he wasn't snoring, or making those rusty sniffles while he slept and i'm glad his airways is cleared.

It was a moment of me and my son. The time where the son finds comfort and security with his mother.

(Sorry ah, this post a bit emo, cos i felt really close with Andre at that moment)

As for where is papa during this time, he's doing carrot pureeing duty and after which, went out to buy the fish and chips ma ma was craving for.

5 months: Baby Andre propelling to a sitting position (Video)

So it was a normal tuesday evening, baby's all bathed and left lying in the cot. Mummy is catching episode 79 of 珠光宝气. Suddenly, i heard some rustling and i turned my head. There is Andre, all seated, and ransacking his toiletries box gleefully. Hey, how did he sit up??!! Shucks, i missed the action..

For a long while he sat, he took out item by item and examine. When bored, throws the item aside and goes for the next one. By the end, i had "ru yi"oil, his tube of diaper cream and a box of "ridwind" <-- (Andre's colic medicine), all strewn on the floor. Throughout the whole action, i was trying to video-cam. But Andre thought its the camera, and so he looked up and posed with a grin several times. Hehe...

He got tired at the end and was starting to fuss. But he obligatory performed a "pull to sit" stunt for me so that we can document this historical moment.



Like all gongfu masters, Andre gave a mighty yelp before performing his gongfu skills.

5 Months: Picture time at po po's place

Andre with his cousins
Andre's having a little conversation

Andre's fav pasttime now is doing these push ups

Who else, but with Andre's favourite gong gong

5 Months:

We decided to lower down Andre's cot today. He's showing real signs of mobility.

This morning, i left him on the bumbo. And he successfully escaped. Went into the room to get something.. next thing i saw the poor kid sprawled on the floor face down.

In the afternoon, i saw him pulling himself into a sitting position. Although he wasn't stable for long... i guess we should be seeing more of that in the coming month.

We're not going to take any risks.. so down goes the cot. And i plan to get grills for the window when we return from China. Time to baby proof the house.

5 Months: Splash time again

Loves batting the water and creating a mess! The kid is gaining awareness of the environment and the effects of the things he do. And we encourage him to HAVOC! .. (for the time being only)

5 Months: 7.3 kg

7.3 kg... finally gaining some decent weight...

7.3 kg is a good weight for toning those arms

5 months: VUR

We went to RH early this morning to collect Andre's MCU scan and X-ray results. Andre has been diagnosed to have Grade II right vesicoureteric reflux. Left side is good. The results isn't that bad and Dr X is pretty confident that Andre's valve will repair by itself in the next 2 years. YAY! Thank God!

So what does this whole VUR thingy means and indicates?
In short, the "not so good" valve is not the issue. What we are afraid of is in the event of an infection, the faulty valve will allow the bacteria to enter the kidneys when backflow of urine occurs. This is really bad cos infections will scar the kidneys and in the long run, result in kidney disease and failure. Since the valve will probably repair itself in the next 2 years, meanwhile we need to minimise the risk of bacteria infection as much as possible.

One of the considerations is circumcison. Dr X claims that it will reduce 60% of UTI (urinary tract infection) cases. The little skin around the birdie is a good breeding ground for germs. Another more immediate action plan is for the patient to take a low dosage of antibiotics for the next 1-2 years. Of course, personal hygiene is of utmost importance. Always wipe front to back, otherwise germs from the poo poo might be brought forward to the uretha.

Meanwhile, we'll be scheduling the DMSA test in the coming weeks to make sure that Andre's kidneys were not harmed during the last infection. It's another invasive test where they are going to inject some dye on the back of his hand, wait for sometime for the dye to map the kidneys and take some screenshots. I supposed it's x-ray bah ... poor boy, so young need to go through radioactive waves.

Dr X does not seem that bad today. His explanations were clear and rationale reasonable. He'll probably close this case after the DMSA, and for the long term antibiotics, we'll be seeing Dr Ong for that.

5 months: Top of the world

"I'm on the top of the world, looking down on creation... and the only explanation i can find...."

Ans: Daddy using me for weight lifting training la... keke... well, i'll encourage him by cuckling more

(borrow Carpenters lyrics for a while)

5 Months: Push Ups

Look Ma Ma!
Okie... here's another one...

Okie... let you take my side view...

Bought this silly train for Andre at Raffles City. Andre loves it so much ... scampering after it when it goes beyond his reach. I think the rattling sound catches his attention.

5 Months: MCU scan

Andre was scheduled for the MCU test at 1.45pm at KKH today.

There was no sedation given. When we entered the lab, we were informed that the test will be carried out in 2 parts. 1st a catherer will be inserted into Andre's bladder. Parents are not allowed to be with the child. The 2nd part is the scanning of the child's bladder. One parent is allowed and i insisted to be the one with him.

As we waited outside, we could hear the poor boy crying. But i think he was more frightened being held down than the pain. If it was painful, i believe Andre's crying could actually gone a few octaves higher. It was done within 10 mins.

When i went in for the 2nd part, i was shocked to see my son bounded onto the fixture. He was wrapped so tightly that only his head and arms could move. The rest were like mummified and he looked like a poor little lamb ready to be slaughtered for some ritual on some elevated platform. I was asked to hold his hands and calm him down. A huge x-ray screen was pulled over his body. The dye was injected into the catherer and we had to wait for him to pee. Only when Andre is peeing, then we can see if there is any backflow of urine. The radiologist and attending Dr were very nice and they made sounds to calm the child down. We were done in 20 minutes for this part.

When we came out, the poor boy was whimpering, totally exhausted from howling for 40 mins. He fell asleep on daddy's shoulders immediately. We should have trim his nails in the morning, cos from all the struggling, he left a few scratches on his face. I think the procedure wasn't that painful, cos by afternoon, he seemed to have fogotten his little adventure earlier part of the day. And he was peeing as usual without any signs of pain.

In a way, i tell myself i need to be brave, even though the procedure seems very scary. If i'm frightened, my son can sense it and become more fearful. As parents, for the good of our child, we need to grit our teeth through the process cos prevention is better than cure. Come to think of it, we don't remember things that happen to us when we were 1 or 2 years old. While waiting outside, i saw a few newborns hooked up to oxygen tanks waiting for some scan, and i told myself to count my blessings.

Now i pray that the results will be optimistic. God, please bless this child.

5 Months: Suntec City

We love this outlook cos everything is so matching. But the overall is getting a little too tight so i guess Andre can only wear it probably for one more month.

5 Months: Teething Rusk

Andre 1st try at the teething rusk. He did nibble at it, but it became so gooey and messy. In the end, i couldn't take it so i just took the biscuit from him and gobble it up.

5 Months: Amother satisfying meal

Andre poos really infrequently. And we have to keep track of his last poo. The moment it hits the 5th day, we'll automatically insert the suppository for him. We really hate doing it cos we don't want it to become a bad habit.

So we try to find all other alternatives to stimulate his bowels. We gave him as much water and juice he'll take, carrots for fibre etc. He's also taking probioitics every night. And today we tried prune paste. Hope there will be a big packet of "curry" waiting for us to collect tomorrow.

5 Months: Collection of passport and visit at Raffles Hospital

Started off early in the morning to collect Andre's and my passport at the immigration office. With the appointment, we queued less than 1 minute and everything's smooth. Now we can bring Andre abroad. YAY!

Following the collection, we went to Raffles Hospital (RH) next for Andre's UTI checkup. Thanks to daddy's company insurance, we are able to claim $600 worth of pediatric consultations at RH a year, and selective scans can be done free with a minimum one-time charge. The reason why we came here was because Dr Ong warned that the ultrasound and MCU would come up to a couple of hundreds of dollars.

The hospital is nice, very high class i would say. The services provided by the counter staff is excellent. The Dr which Dr Ong recommend is less lacklustre than the facilities and the environment. Well, since i've not much good to say about this Dr, let's just call him Dr X.

The consultation was brief and what he says was pretty much what Dr Ong has explained. Except he says that the ultrasound is quite 'fei' and that we can do the MCU immediately. (Dr Ong's school of thought is that we should let the system settle down at least 6 weeks before doing the MCU). Dr X made no attempt to even look at Andre (even though i made the introduction), and was slouched in his chair during the 3 mins explanation. When done, he says "So anything else?" Gives me the impression that he couldn't be bothered and he's impatient. Oh well, maybe i'm just being too sensitive again. Asked if the MCU is very invasive and traumatising for the child, he says it is and so it is our decision, so how? (hey!! that is not what Dr Ong says ... she says it's more like the child scaring himself than the procedure itself).

I hate to make these kind of decisions. 1st, i'm not a Dr. I don't have the experience or medical expertise to help me decide the right choices. 2ndly, that's why i go to seek your professional advice right, if not i would have treated my child myself. Here you are, leaving me dangling in the air, its like asking a patient if he wants his antibiotics, if yes, which brand, how much does he wants to take. I can't help thinking that the modern Drs seems rather unwilling to take up any form of responsibility and let the medically untrained parents make the decisions. If anything happens, it will not be their fault but the parents! Oh well, since Dr Ong was very firmed that we should do the procedure in the 1st place, Kevin and I did not hesistate and asked the Dr to go ahead and schedule.

End up, RH does not do the MCU and we were referred to KKH. The staff at RH was very kind to help us secure an appt with KKH on the coming Monday, 22 Mar. We did a urine culture and test for Andre. (For half an hour, we whistle and shhhh .... but Andre simply did not have any reaction. Gave him milk, water, let him hear the sound of trinkling water, tease his fat thighs with our cold fingers, drip saline on his bird bird, but still no pee. Finally, in the most unexpected moment, he sprouted a little golden arch) Test results are out. Everything's clear. OK for the MCU on monday.

It's a long post, rather a rant. But Dr X's words and attitude did not make me any more comfortable about Andre's condition. Came back, read the internet. Made me a little more depressed.

But the silver lining is, i've came to realize, how lucky we and our little boy are. There is this child, who was born with spina bifida and had to be permanently catherised to drain his pee. He has to grow and accept it as his way of life. His parents are fighting on (and remaining all faithful to God). Our child is so much more blessed in comparison and so as parents, i guess we should appreciate our blessings more than harp like a spoilt child on mild unpleasantries.

5 Months: Sleeping Child

Managed to sneak a pic before i left for work in the morning. Sleeping so serenely.

5 months: Carrots

Organic carrots. This is the 1st time i bought organic veges from the supermarket. Well, anything that is good for the baby.

Grinded and seived. Carrot Puree.

Mummy tried to feed Andre initially, but we got puree all over the place. Bumbo, floor, clothes, face, everywhere except the mouth. Once Aunty Ted took over (she's a mother of 4), she managed to feed everything successfully and cleanly into Andre's mouth. And he love the carrots!

See the happy and contented happy face?

Following the afternoon's success, i made more carrots puree in the afternoon.

And froze them per my Super Baby Food book into food cubes. Each blop (1/2 carrot) is 1 tablespoon and the carrots here can last Andre for a week (Provided he hadn't gotten sick from carrots then)

5 Months: Milk Stash

My secret stash, more at mum's place. Milk accumulated after 5 months. Had to clear away those that has expired as frozen breast milk only last 3 months. 3 bags thrown away. It may seemed quite a waste as i could have donated. But it's something i'm not comfortable with.

5 months: Fisherprice Toy Sale

Fisherprice toys warehouse sale at lok yang. All these stuff for only $250!! 15 items in all. Stuff were going for like 50% off. But it was very hot and stuffy. And the toys were so dusty. For a moment, i thought i was going to faint while rummaging through the crowd and heaps of toys.

Kevin was at home with the baby, so i had to protect all the toys i've selected. And growling at whoever touches my stash while i'm not looking .... ROARRRRR!!

Buying was sweet. Ahem... but the husband did not talk to me the whole night. Oops :P

5 Months: Carter's flown in from the States

Mummy's boss is in town. Uncle Rafael Aymone bought this lovely set of outfit for Andre. Comes with a cute finger giraffe's puppet. The T-shirt and shorts came with matching wrapping paper and a matching paper bag. Don't you think it is so COOL?

Thanks Uncle Rafael and Aunty Adriana!

5 months: Raffles City

Daddy has a job at Raffles City and so mummy tagged along cos she wanted to shop. Need to get more Avent 125ml storage bottles cos though i have like 10, they never seem to be enough. Sometimes they will be at popo's place, sometimes our place. Sometimes they seem to disappear and i'm tired of seemingly washing the bottles all the time to use.

Here's our babe smartly dressed for gai gai.
Burger King for lunch. Dad and son in the same outfit.

Nursing room at Raffles city. They only seem to have one. Facilities not that fanciful.

Aunty Zoe

Uncle Darren

Little Andre playing with his link-a-rings. I realized that my son has this immense concentration that i find amazing for a child his age. He was playing with the rings on the table for a good 1/2 hr, no fuss. Just staring intently at the rings, right hand pass to left hand, left hand pass to right hand. Shake shake, look at the effect. Wave wave, hear the jingle. Taste taste, hmm ..so plasticky. Take them away, he'll give you a look of impatience. And finally he's tired, and you see'll his eyes closing. No tantrums.

5 Months: Marche at Vivocity

Mummy have this craving for crepes for the longest time, but keep putting it off cos both mummy and daddy aren't really fans of western food. There's always something better that comes up. Anyway, really ran out of options and here we are today. It's been so long, and we realized that its still quite fun! Reminds me of the days during JC where i hang out with friends at the branch at Heeren.

Picture time while queueing. Andre's really curious about the bustling activity around. Look left, look right, and finally one at the camera.
Andre's has this habit of pulling his lips flat (bian zhui), making his cheeks puffed up like a puffer fish. Love it when he's rolly and polly. This is my "he's well" indication. When he's not feeling too well, you can see that he'll be shinked up pretty visually. And my heart will ache.

Little bull riding the bull.

5 Months: Weaning off direct latching

Andre has always been an impatient drinker. And since the introduction of rice cereal in his milk, we have changed to Avent teat size 3. Since he's mostly on the bottle as i'm working full time now, he only get the direct latch at most once a day.

Realized that he does not enjoy directly feeding as much as before and he'll stop before his tummy is full. I guess it's because he has to work harder for his milk, and the flow is more erratic and slow. Since it's getting so inefficient, we decided its time to wean him off direct latching.

My emotional part. Many people think it is very easy. Just take him off. But they do not understand this very intimate bond i share with my child. When he's suckling, the world just revolve around me nourishing my child, giving him the very best. It's a very personal relationship. However, much as i feel reluctant, i think it's time i let go. Yes, i'll definitely miss the time he wriggles up close to me, the warmth, the dependency, the rhythmic suckling sound, the contented and peaceful look when he's full... but well, there is sometime we got to stop.

Sometimes, i'm just so tempted to pop him at my chest again, but there's really no point to entice him with the boob and then not giving him later. Anyway, feels good to let out my thoughts here.. Overall, i'm at peace with the decision. Andre's still taking my milk, just in a different way. I thank God for my milk, and i'm proud to say before the recent weaning into semi-solids, and the first two nights in the hospital where the nurses gave him formula while i rest, Andre has not taken any other commercial formula. He's fully on Ma Ma's brand.

5 Months: Andre holds his bottle

When baby was all unsuspecting, mummy took away her hands. Surprisingly, Andre held the whole bottle until he finished everything. Holding my breath, i ran and asked daddy to come see and Andre held the fort.

5 months: The great escapade

Andre's trying to stand up from his bumbo nowadays.

Keeping baby occupied... =)