Ashton is 12 days old..

time flies when one is so busy.. DS is now 12 days.. but he developed pustales.. look like pimple outbreak!! n so near his eyes....painful! these are supposed to be normal, but his is very big and numerous and spreads all over face, back, body, eyelids... sob sob..

even jadelle is concerned.. ask me to put cream on didi's eyelids!

we have been to PD, even he got a shock.. but still insist iz normal. just that he had it really bad. & was given cream to apply to the areas around the eyes, as well as areas on his body & neck..

other then this, he has been a good baby.. latching every 2-3 hrs and sleeping in between.. pooing & wee wee as per normal.. i can grab 3-4 hrs of sleep in between at night.. about 1am to 5am..he wakes up 1am, 4am, 6am and 8:30am.. but not much interrupted, as when i am sleepy, i juz give up and ly down and feeding him at the same time..

so different from jadelle's 1st 2 weeks of life!

Aside from latching him, i am expressing on average an extra 70-90ml every day... this amount, i only give him when he is really fussing.. otherwise, trying to boost up supply and ensure i have advance supply in excess for him..

things are so much easier this round..

1st day and night at home with Ashton..

Ashton's home finally.. he had to stay one more night as he had mild jaundice.. was relieved when his level dropped and allowed to come home..

as he did not poo much initially, AK & I decide to let him take abit of FM in hospital, while i try to express colostrum/ EBM..

he came home sleepy leh.. looks like 60ml is too much for him..lasted him from 8:45am to 1pm!

we had an uneventful night. latched him every 2-3 hrs.. (each breast). his last feed @ 12am, i latch him 2 sides so that he can sleep abit longer..and his next feed was dragged until 5am. with a poo & wee wee in between.. crossing fingers that this will continue..

Maid wise, so far so good.. maybe i ain't demanding much lah..

now blogging as i am using my medela freestyle.. hmm.. suction is good.. but but.....milk supply still stuck inside breasts.. can feel the lumps still.. sigh.. each time expressing only 20-30ml, even on a full breast.. why like this huh? i really tried liaoz.. still cannot, i pump only when i go back work liaoz.. sigh..

visiting time.. and jadelle's first view of her brother..

After sending out announcement messages.. visitors start arriving.. who came?

jason, priscillia, joanne, mum, dad, francis, cynthia, huaqing, wenqi, lilian, hing, maderick, AK's parents.. nora.. and of course, the most important visitor to us at this point, JADELLE...

asked wenqi & gang to help take pictures and to hide the baby first.. so that i won't be carrying baby when she comes in..

She was so happy to see me.. i asked her to touch my tummy.. ask her where is didi? then i whispered to her that doctor persuaded didi to come out already. and he is ready to meet his big sister.. and that he bought a present for her.. does she want to know where he is? she stared around, sitting next to me.. my girl's eyes were so big..

then AK pushed in the baby with a present inside meant for jadelle.. he told jadelle that she has a present for didi also.. and say that didi has a present for her.. does she want to give didi her present?

she nod her head.. and we told her that didi also has present for her.. does she want to know wat didi give her?

she nod yes.. and took it.. and say thanks to didi.. and i helped her open it up..

she like the goofy baby towel.. and later on, we taught her how to carry didi.. mum helped.. she kissed him! i was soo relieved.. hope this last..

then when Ashton start to wail.. she exclaimed.. don't cry!! we all laughed.. i hug her and praised her..

NEXT Hurdle: her acceptance of me breastfeeding the baby..

I ask her.. jadelle how? didi so small? how are we going to feed him? he need energy to carry milk bottle.. and milk bottle too big now..

i ask her ok to feed milk milk? she say yes.. feed milk! i ask her: but where to get milk from? she looked around for milk powder.. so i said.. remember when u baby, where you drink milk from? so can mummy feed didi nan nan? she nod yes..

Drew the curtains. i latched the baby as he was crying.. and i ask jadelle, is this correct? u tell didi.. he still learning..jadelle nod head yes.. correct.. and asked to carry.. so i tell her still not yet drink finish.. wait a while..

she left me and didi behind, saying good night.. and knowing she will come find me tomorrow.. i miss my princess already..

Announcing baby Ashton's arrival...@ week 38, 5 days..

I have yet to update about the past week's event, and have already pop.. so much happened this last week..

Jadelle was ill with phlegm and running nose.. and cried for me at night and vomit out phlegm at night..

Then maid arrived on Saturday.. so much to teach her..

Sunday was reunion's dinner with AK's extended family.. we joked about me eating the good stuff before i pop.. ate crab, yusheng, seafood etc.

Observed Nora, my new maid.. abit slow and not much detail about caring for my girl.. but need to give her time, only 2nd day.

Hope Lily can help out more when i am back home.

my birth story:

1:30am: tummy ache.. no pass motion past few days.. cleared my bowels 2x.. but still feel like going toilet..

6+am: wake up to go toilet again... poo another 4x.. but still feel unclear.. and totally unlike jadelle's time of menstrual cramps..did not associated it with contractions.. until.. the feeling stretched until the spine..

7:30am: Woke up AK, he was due to wake up for work anyway.. "dear, i think i having contractions leh.. past 1 hr got min. 6-8 times.."

but not sure of how regular it was, so asked him to shower n i monitor.. 7 minutes interval..

8am: called gynae for advice.. pretty confirmed it is contractions! but no show, no water bag bursting.. by this time, Jadelle has woken and knew that something was up! she had abit of biscuits with mummy..who gobbled down cereal oats and bird's nest..

9am: by this time, Lily and AK's parents came over already.. we gave Lily a list of instructions to show Nora basic stuff done in blk 38... hope we don't overwhelm her..

9:45am- 10am: we leave blk 38.. Jadelle cried.. wants mummy to go with her to ye ye's car.. mummy whispered to jadelle that doctor wants to help didi to come out from mummy's tummy.. so we go find doctor first.. later, didi will say hi to her..

10:30am: told AK to turn into Geylang Bahru hawker centre.. it's my last chance to grab watever i want to eat! Ate Thai coconut, mee rubus, chwee kueh.. and suddenly we both missed Jadelle.. feels upset without her being around.. until contractions hit.. every 6-7 minutes.. AK & I contemplated going to the clinic first or straight to Mt. A..

11am: decided to go straight to mt. A.. by then, i was moaning softly and grabbing AK when contractions hit.. every 5-6 minutes.. but still tolerable.. checked into delivery suite 8.. 5 cm dilated! Nurse say it's my last chance to decide for Happidural or not.. i knew i can go without it.. but was afraid that i will push too early.. the urge to poo.. very strong.. so i opted for it.. but this time, not much time to rest..told anesthesist about last round's event to warn him.. he was confident not due to epidural.. i ask for normal dosage.

12 noon: AK start to get nervous..he estimated another 3-4 hrs?

12:30pm: Chandra checked me.. burst water bag.. Iwas surprised at the lack of water.. so much for expecting a gush like jadelle's time into the toiletbowl!

1:45pm: suddenly felt contractions through the epidural.. was surprised.. as the screen did not show any contractions.. was very puzzled.. intercom the nurse.. she checked..10 cm dilated.. flurry of activity suddenly.. all nurses started to panic and get busy... my bladder was super full from the coconut.. and um, caught the nurse by surprise.. the floor was wet before she can capture it properly into the urine bag..

was quickly taught how to push..

next wave..push push push.. was surprised.. it all came back naturally.. baby head became juz behind perinium..

one more wave.. push push push.. every one got excited..

another wave.. chandras say it is going very well..

and another wave.. chandras say likely he can stretch me without episiotomy.. ask me to push gently.. but he overmotivated me.. so happy can go without episiotomy.. i push too hard.. and got a little tear.. everyone got a scare.. thought the baby will fly out.. darn! stitches again! heng this round iz small stitch!

1:56pm: Baby Ashton Kwok arrived! 3.020 kg, 47cm tall, double eyelids.. screaming into the world.. Chandras put him on my lap.. this round, i am much more lucid.. saw my boy arrived. saw the placenta.. didn't know it was so small..and saw umbilical cord.. i thought i saw it around his shoulder..

AK asked gynae to cut the cord.. everyone was puzzled and he explained that he gotta be fair to Jadelle as he did not have the chance to cut her cord.. OOHH... the labour ward's team's reaction... AK was so relieved that this round was so smooth..

i latched Ashton's on once the epidural tubes were removed.. he is a good learner.. looks like i dun need to pump so much if i want.. will try to do tandem pumping to increase milk storage supply.. otherwise, i will be darn tired in the months ahead.. not used to carrying a 3+kg baby again..

We rested and waited nervously for jadelle to come.. next story..