Raeanne the milk monster!

The milk monster is here!!! It's scary growth spurt day! Raeanne had 80ml of milk at 7.10pm. At 8plus she seemed hungry again and latched non stop till 11plus hubby took over to carry her to sleep. Initially she refused to sleep. Hubby got to use his raindrop "music" to lull her to sleep.

Look at how hungry she was 1h after drinking her bottle of milk. 

And how awake she was at 10plus still trying to ask for more milk.

Side track from Raeanne... I finally tried Madam Partum post natal massage today. As I had csect, the therapist could only massage my tummy after 4weeks. So today I only had breasts massage and massage for my shoulders and  back which are in pain. As this is traditional tuina, I'm feeling sore. I really hope eventually the massage will help me with my overall wellness and slimming down. 

It was also the first time Rachael display very strong jealousy over her sister. We were preparing to take a nap together. She wanted me to hug her to sleep. I just hugged her for a while and Aunty came in with Raeanne asking for milk. So well, I had to latch her on and tell Rachael to sleep first. She cried badly and refused to stop. She wanted me to hug her to sleep so badly that she didn't listen to what I said. So after feeding was done, I hugged her then she took her looooong nap. 

Dear God,

I pray for Rachael to know that there are times that I can't be there for her because of Raeanne. I pray that You will give me wisdom to know how to deal with the situation in a better way than today. I pray for this season of jealousy to be over for Rachael and she will start to love her sister and understand that her parents love her all the same. I pray for her heart to be assured that she is still important to us. 

I pray that I have enough milk for Raeanne. I pray that I will never had to top up with formula milk again. Help my milk to produce in time for Raeanne. Help Raeanne to be able to digest the milk to satisfy her hunger and nutrition needs. 

In Jesus' more precious name I pray, amen!

Rachael was down with fever

After a day of fun out with daddy, Rachael was down with fever. I tried to delay letting her take paracetamol. She finally took at night before going to bed. I rubbed lavender and copaiba oil on her as well. She fell asleep within minutes. Now I checked her temperature, it was only 36.3 degrees celcius. Thank God for bringing her temperature down. 

As for Raeanne, well, she was always struggling during the initial stage of breastfeeding. Each time I thought I found out what's wrong, she debunk that belief that I had and I have to try something else again. Oh well, I hope I've finally got her pattern and we don't have to struggle again. Each time she struggles, we wasted quite a lot of milk and made ourselves wet with milk and perspiration. 

This was taken at 12midnight after she's finally satisfied and full. See you again at 2am!

Hope I will be able to wake up on time to feed you! Sorry mummy had been so tired that I couldn't wake up in time yesterday. 

Dear God,

I lift up Rachael into Your loving hands. I pray that she will be fully well in the morning when she wakes up. Father I pray that You strengthen her immune system, improve her appetite and may all the sicknesses and diseases stay away from her! Jesus had already taken away our sicknesses when He died on the cross for us. So I pray that You will keep our family strong and healthy! We thank You Jesus! In Jesus' most precious name I pray, amen! 

Raeanne is fine!

We went to the PD for one last blood test for jaundice. It went up to 10.4 but the clinic nurse said it's ok. She doesn't have to go back for any more blood test! Praise the Lord!! 

Since we were at the land of the kids, hubby brought Rachael to Toy'r'us while Aunty, Raeanne and I went to buy new clothes for Raeanne. Rachael "tok" her daddy badly today by asking him to get 2 very expensive toys for her. I want to see how long she will play with them. 

After lunch at foodcourt, I went to the nursing room to breastfeed Raeanne.

It's my first time breastfeeding her outside. Quite a successful one! No fuss but took quite long while the rest had their lunch and waited at the food court. 

After we are done, the hubby brought Rachael to the Jungle fun games while Aunty, Raeanne and I went to Bakerzin to drink and wait for them. Another 1hour wait. I had a hot chocolate that tasted like milo. 

By the time we were home, we were all exhausted. My back is hurting badly now and my shoulders are aching. If my mum knew about it, she will nag at me again... oh well, it

wasn't my idea to stay in the mall for so long.

Oh yes, while we were at the mall, quite a number of people turned their heads and commented that Raeanne was very cute. Thank God for a cute baby! 

Dear God, 

Thank You for protecting Raeanne and making sure that her jaundice level didn't go up too high. Thank You for blessing us with 2 sweet girls. Now, I lift up myself into Your hands. Help me not to feel that I'm unloved because the attention is now on the 2 girls. Heal my wound well and help me to take care of myself well because only I am in control of my own body and health. Help me to manage my expectations and be more understanding toward my hubby so that I won't feel negative in this transition period. I pray all these in Jesus' most precious name, Amen!

Rachael's second learning journey

Rachael had a learning journey to Duck Tour. It's the first time that the school allows parents to join them for the tour but sadly, I'm on confinement and couldn't make it. I'm glad that one of the classmates' parent whom I had on FB and been in touch once in a while, went with her child. I got her to help me take photos of Rachael on my behalf. 

The mum was so nice to do a video call to me with Rachael at the place. Rachael was happy to chat with me over the phone. That was when she started smiling for the photos. 

This is the only photo that she's smiling happily at the camera. Probably because she knew that Aunty was taking photos for mummy to see. 

At the end of the day, when she came back from school, guess what was Rachael's response when I asked about Duck Tour? It wasn't fun to her at all! I guessed to a child, looking at Singapore's scenery is boring. 

Anyway, in a few hours time, Raeanne is going for another blood test for jaundice. I really hope that all will be well for her. No more jaundice please!

Dear God, I lift up Raeanne into Your loving hands. Please let her test results be good. Let her be cleared from jaundice that we don't have to worry and see the PD anymore. By the blood of Jesus, she is healed! Her liver is fully developed and she is made well in all things. This will be the last blood prick for my darling girl. In Jesus' most precious name I pray, Amen! 

Sunbathing

Even though some people said that sunbathing is not recommended for fear of baby being dehydrated and getting sunburnt, Raeanne still went for a little tan this morning before 9am. 

She looks so cool with that "shades"! 

Aunty trying to undress her.


After she's done, we realized that the "shades" left behind some sticky residue on her face!!! We will not use that again. She looks happy after tanning. 

Dear God,

We pray that as the days go by, the jaundice level within Raeanne will continue to drop. I pray that Raeanne's liver will mature and I will have enough milk for her to flush out all those that needs to be flushed out to be healthy and strong. Father I pray for her to be free from diseases and sicknesses! In Jesus' most precious name I pray, Amen! 

God is good!

Thank God for His goodness! Raeanne's jaundice level dropped to 6.5 from 14.5! The CL and I went down to bring her home this morning at 10plus. Her bill came up to $990 for a night!!! After medisave, I still had to pay about $500+. Oh well... I'm just glad that she is all well to be home. I pray that she will not need to be hospitalized again. Praying for her to be well from now on!

Love this cute picture of her!

Playing with mummy! Cheekiness revealed!

 Crossed eye cuteness! 

Dear God,

Thank You for Your healing! Thank You for sending Your angels and Holy Spirit to be with Raeanne last night at the hospital when her parents couldn't be around with her. The nurse commented that Raeanne is a good girl for waking up for her milk punctually every 3h without fuss. Thank You for Your grace and favour upon our little one. I pray that she will continue to grow healthily and happily as a child of God! In Jesus' most precious name I pray, Amen!

 

Another emotional day

It was time to bring Raeanne for her check up on jaundice. What we feared most happened. Her jaundice shot up to 14.5 which PD says she's ok if it's below 14. All these happened within 3h. 

I brought her for her check up at 2.30pm and she cried with tears in the eyes when she was pricked at her right heel. Then we rushed down to Thomson for removal of my stitches at 3pm. We waited for very long before it was my turn. Warmed up my last bottle of 60ml of EBM for Raeanne  to drink. 

Finally it was my turn. Gynae said on my left side the wound looks a bit raw and she covered it with Opsite which I can only remove one week later. I'm supposed to go back 5 weeks later for papsmear test. 

So once everything was done, I went to collect the car from the valet, tipped the uncle $4 and drove all the way to the exit and the PD clinic called to tell me the sad news. I decided to turn back. Couldn't stop crying. 

Settled admission for Raeanne and tried to breastfeed her one last time but she's not hungry yet. It was only 5pm and her next feed should be 6pm. So well, I left her at hospital with my swollen eyes. It's so so painful having to leave her alone at the hospital. 

Dear God, I pray for Raeanne's jaundice level to drop drastically these few hours. I pray that her liver will mature and be able to eliminate the bilirubin in her body. I pray that the jaundice will not come back again after this round. It's so painful to see her being pricked so many times. Father I pray for her to be free from any diseases, sicknesses and be a healthy baby from now onwards. I pray for the blood of Jesus to cover her and the Holy Spirit to protect her all the days of her life. In Jesus' most precious name I pray, Amen! 

I can't wait for her to sleep like this next to me again on my bed... 

Raeanne is home!

Finally, on Day 5 (19 Aug), I received a call at 10plus in the morning to inform us that we could discharge Raeanne before 1pm. So I quickly woke hubby up.

We reached Thomson at 11 plus to settle the bill and about 12, reached the nursery. The nurse said Raeanne was hungry and had to feed her for 15min. I should have brought my EBM along... wasted. She started drinking formula the night before and drank about 50 ml according to the nurse.

Yeah! I'm going home!

Home sweet home!

Daddy mummy love me!


I love sleeping!


Drinking EBM from the bottle for the first time! 

Day 4... emotional day for me.

So we were excitedly anticipating this day that we could go home together... only to be told at 10plus that Raeanne had 13.9 reading of jaundice and could not go home with us as she needs phototherapy. When PD came in the morning at 7plus in the morning, he only mentioned that Raeanne is a little yellow, go back sunbathe her and bring her back to clinic to see him on Tuesday. This news that she couldn't come back with us hit me hard. I was really sad...

I'm tearing even as I'm typing this because I had to leave my little one alone in the hospital. I miss her so much! I wonder if the nurse will remember to feed her milk. Worried that they will neglect her because there are so many other babies in the nursery. I am really praying that her jaundice level goes down and when they checked her again, it will be the positive news that she is well to be back! I can't bear to part with her again. 

Dear God, please clear the jaundice in Raeanne's body. Please let her be well and be able to come back to us TODAY! We are ready to receive her and we want her to be back with us at our own house. Let Your Holy Spirit and Angels surround her as she sleeps in the nursery now and anoint the nurses tending to her that they will be so sensitive to her needs. In Jesus' name we pray, Amen!

Day 3 visitors...

Nick, Eliz and Thow Wee came by during their lunch break. 

Thank you for praying for little Raeanne and our family. 

Then my sisters from school came by after their PSLE oral duties. These experienced and thoughtful ladies bought lots of sticker books for Rachael because they know Rachael will feel left out. Thank you so much! 

That concludes my day 3. I get to have an early night of rest that day. 

Day 2 visitors

I realized I don't have any photos of my Day 2 visitors. They used their own phones to take their own pictures without sending to us... 

But thanks for coming Deb, Jane and SY! Thanks for getting Rachael a gift too, Deb so she doesn't feel left out. Thanks for being so thoughtful! 

Terry and Kim came as well. Photos are in hubby's phone. 

FIL came to deliver food to hubby. Then Patrick and family came at night. About the same time, Eunice came too. 

This is a photoless day for me. 

So let's have some Raeanne's photos! 

Day 1 visitors...

Thanks to all those who came by to visit despite their busy schedule...

The first visitors were actually my FIL and MIL. But they did not take any photos with the baby. They came before Raeanne was borned and stayed till I went back to the ward. 

Then my bro drove my mum down in the afternoon after sending Chloe to school and brought Rachael who went over to their house early in the morning. 

In the evening, my SIL and mum brought the kids down to visit Raeanne!  

Cyrus was too small to carry Raeanne... but he's not too small to carry his mummy's heavy bag. 

The sweetest photo taken on 15 August. 

After that, Andy and Carol came to visit as well. Thankful for the family! 

Not forgetting in the afternoon, my PE comrades came by.

Can really see her love for kids!

And that concludes Day 1 for Raeanne. Rachael went to my mum's house to stay over on her own for the first time while Ken went back home to do work and rest. The brave me stayed alone in the hospital throughout the 4 days 3 nights "staycation". 

15 August 2017

15 August will never be the same again for us. It's the day that Raeanne joined us in our family! She was out at 9.50am, weighed 3.07kg, 49cm long and 34cm for her head circumference! 

To help with my bad memory, I'm gonna blog about my 2nd princess' arrival...

Hubby and I woke up early to send Rachael to mum's place at about 6am. Then we made our way to Thomson Medical and reached by 6.30am. The registration process was very slow. We waited for quite a long while before we were directed to our room 511. Then the nurse came in to shave me and got me to empty my bowels. Followed by pushing me down to wait outside the recovery room and outside the theatre. 

During the wait outside the OT3, the nurse got a shock when I told her my name is Goh Jia Hui. She thought it's exactly the same name as the one inside OT2. Then she also realized that she had told my hubby the wrong thing because she thought he's the other patient's hubby. The one in OT2 is called Guo Jia Hui. 

The operating theatre was super cold. I started shivering while waiting for the anaesthesia surgeon to come. The original one was held up and we had to wait for another one to come. While waiting, I was given the warmer (they pump warm air under my blanket) and my gynae chit chat with me.  

To cut the long story short, once the epidural was administered, my legs had tingling feel whenever someone touches me. As I've taken in the laughing gas, I felt so high and sleepy. I could hear the conversations between the gynae and everyone else in the OT. So I heard them said, "I see the water bag already... ok come and push... ok baby's head is out..." And then I heard Raeanne's cries. When the nurses came over to push, I could feel the hard pushing on my tummy. Then before Raeanne was out, my gynae told hubby to get ready his camera. 

After all the photo taking, hubby was told to cut the umbilical cord which he refused but was "forced" to do it by the nurse! Haha! And then they left the OT. Gynae told me to rest while they stitched me up and I fell asleep. Was pushed to recovery room again and by the time I went back to room 511, it was already 2h later. 

Thank God for a smooth delivery. Thank God for a healthy and beautiful baby!