Maternity Leave

56 days! And the countdown begins...

To the end of my maternity leave, and back to the workforce as a full time working mum. Only this time, with two kids. And soon, a bigger home than before.

Maternity leave is different this time round - as it revolves around Little Bambi's school drop offs and pick ups. And catching up on sleep where possible. Baby Bear is 8 and a half months now, and still wakes up at least twice each night. Now I know what sleep deprivation feels like!

We travelled back to Malaysia at the end of June for three weeks. It was an interesting holiday, travelling with a young baby. It was a really good trip, everyone had the best time, and most importantly, we were able to spend lots of time with the family. Going away during winter was a great escape from the cold. When we returned, the winter did not bother us too much, and before you know it - its SPRING!

My fave pic with both my babies in Melaka.

Our living arrangements have been very different this time round. We sold our home last year, and moved out in February this year. We moved in to a one bedroom apartment, yes, crazy I know, while building a new home. I'll write more soon about our new home. It is very exciting times ahead! We have been slowly buying new furniture etc, but I can't wait to get both the kids settled in a proper home and not in a tiny shoebox. 

When I returned to work with Little Bambi, it was terrible. I had the worst experience at work, but that somehow was a life changing moment for me. Looking back now, I realise I will not let such a situation upset me like that ever again. It has made me stronger and also it has taught me to be a lot smarter about things. Haha..and while I finished work last year before giving birth to Baby Bear in a really good position, I know that good things don't last forever, so I will not go back expecting to be all rosey and perfect.

Xx
Jules

4 Months Old - Baby Bear

Baby Bear is now 4 months old! By this age, he really should be sleeping through the night, but no, he still wakes me up at least once, usually around 3.30am for a feed. While I have started to get used to waking up at this time, he has not been too difficult to manage in the wee hours of the morning. After the feed and a clean nappy, he settles himself back to bed before waking up at 7am to kick start the day.

Over a week ago, he started turning and then rolling! There was one morning when I left him right in the middle of the play mat, went to the toilet, came back and found him outside the play mat.

Because of this, we are slowly starting to transition him into a sleeping bag - which means giving him the freedom of his hands! I have also realised that 4 months is actually quite a different stage. Not only is he more mobile now, he is also more vocal. Talking and definitely more aware of the environment. Which makes feeding more challenging too, as he gets easily distracted. 

His hair was starting to look funny. He had long strands on the top, a receding hair line, and bald patches at the back. My mum kept persuading me to shave his head, and so I borrowed a baby shaver kit from a friend, and we did it! We shaved his head ourselves. Little Bambi found it so amusing. 

Anyway, this is what my little Baby Bear looks like now - after we shaved his head! 

xx

Jules

Little Bambi's Presentation

My gorgeous Little Bambi gave a presentation in front of her classmates today, as part of a project they were given prior to school holidays. Her teacher posted a picture of her on the school app, saying it was fabulous, how well she spoke and how she impressed everyone in her class! My heart is bursting with joy, because she is my baby girl and how proud I am to be her mama!

She started school yesterday, after a 2-week break, and I was secretly sad when I dropped her off - because I miss her so much. She was such a pleasure to be with at home, particularly with helping me with Baby Bear. We did heaps of activities together, going out each day, to the shops, library or a trip to the city etc. I will blog more about all the things that we did - to capture the wonderful memories of our time together.

Good night!

xx
Jules

Full Moon

Last weekend we celebrated baby's full moon, which marks baby being 30 days old, and the end of my confinement. It was also one of the hottest weekends we have had all summer, with consecutive days over 30 degrees and Sunday at 39 degrees!

Baby has been putting on lots of weight, which is a sign of him feeding really well. He has also grown darker, and has chocolate skin! I have started him on a routine, but I have vowed not to get too hard on myself or on baby with following the timing etc. 

On Sunday, the weather was so hot that it made all of us quite cranky. We agreed to keep the full moon celebration a lot more simple this time round. For lunch, we had noodles at home, red eggs and ang ku kuih. 

In the evening, we celebrated with dinner at a chinese restaurant with some family and friends. After dinner, we got home, only to discover that we had a power outage at our house. While we expected it to be a small power outage which usually gets restored in 2 hours, turned out to be a disaster, where we had no power for more than 15 hours, in a warm night where it was 35 degrees! While it was really tough for all of us adults in the house, both my kids were unaffected by this, with baby sleeping through the night, and even Little Bambi. It just goes to show how resilient little kids are. 

Once power was restored, we have had a cool change with the weather, and everyone has also cooled down and is less cranky.

Baby at 30 days old

Yesterday I also attended my interview for the Australian citizenship. I passed the test, but I do need to provide further documentation. Darn! Tomorrow Little Bambi has an interview at her primary school, and then she starts her first day of school on Friday! How exciting! My first baby is going to school! Busy week indeed!

Good night!

xx

Jules

Three Weeks Old

Baby is exactly three weeks old now, and while some days seem to go at a very slow pace (particularly with the heat), I know these newborn days do not last long, and soon it will be a distant memory!

As usual, my mum is here to look after me and to kick off the fun times of 'Chinese Confinement'. A few days after coming home from the hospital, my face broke out into hives - swollen and the skin on my face is covered in the tiniest bumpy little red spots. I look at myself in the mirror and don't recognise my face. My skin was so coarse, and of course, I felt as miserable as I look!

To make matters worst, the rash on my baby bump worsens too, and spreads all over the tummy. The itch is unbearable, and coupled with the heat, and my mum's instructions to keep warm at all times, I was in great discomfort. Doctor prescribed me Cortisone for the tummy and antihistamine for my face. Three weeks on, my face is getting better, but the rash has not completely disappeared. Same with the rash on my tummy. I still get little new waves of rashes coming through on my tummy. 

With breastfeeding, of course things are a lot more easier with baby second time round. My milk came in early, on day 4. And this time round, my milk supply has been good. At baby's two week check up with the maternal and child health nurse, he is healthy and putting on lots of weight. We have noticed that baby does look a bit more chubby around the face, and he does feel heavier too.

We dig out our old Tizzie Hall book, and I am reading up again on introducing a routine to baby. The only challenge is that we are moving houses in a few weeks, and Little Bambi is starting school very soon. We do have our own mini routine at the moment, coupled with demand feeding, which has been working quite well. 

One more week to go, which will mark the end of my confinement, baby's 30 day milestone full moon, and when the real action starts - school, house move, my dad arrives and my citizenship interview! HELP!

3 weeks old

Bed time for now!
xx
Jules

Baby is here!

It has been a while since I have written any posts, but the good news is... my baby is here!

It has been a crazy couple of months, which I have no idea where to start.. but for today, I just wanted to note down the arrival of my baby boy!

I finished up at work on Friday 22nd December. As usual, I was rushing to get through some last minute work still, at the eleventh hour! :(

We had a Christmas catch up with my girlfriends that same Friday, which was good fun. The next day, I was booked in for a pregnancy massage at the Intercontinental hotel, a lovely surprise gift from a dear friend. The massage was just perfect. And as I laid down on the massage bed, with the massage therapist, I swear, tears filled up my eyes - feeling so grateful and blessed that I have an amazing support network around me, friends and family caring and always being there for me.

Christmas eve, we were invited to dinner to a friends place, and I noticed my feet were beginning to swell very badly. Apart from the swelling, I developed a mild rash on my face, and also on my baby bump. I started feeling very uncomfortable with the pregnancy - at 37 weeks pregnant.

My brother Dopey arrived Melbourne on Christmas Day, and we picked him up from the airport. Grumpy cooked us a Christmas feast at home, with the most delicious turkey - which he spent at least 2 days prepping.

After Christmas, we take it easy, staying home most of the time. And suddenly, Grumpy decides to have some friends over on Saturday 30th December for lunch. We spent all day Friday food shopping and preparing, but by night time, I started feeling slight tummy cramps - my first sign of contractions! Grumpy and I were thinking, this can't be true, its a bit too early! We are only expecting baby mid-January!

The contractions were not too frequent yet, but there were signs of the mucus plug. At 1am, I rang the hospital, and they said "Take 2 Panadols and try to get some rest". However by 2am, the contractions started to get quite painful, and my water breaks. The hospital said to come in straight away. But first, we had to wait for Dopey to come over to our place and help watch Little Bambi at home. He finally arrives, and at 3am, we make our way up to the birthing suite in the hospital. The pain was severe, and even the walk from the car to the hospital entrance was not easy!

I get hooked up on all sorts of things in the birthing suit, and given laughing gas - which was completely useless. I ask for an epidural immediately, and much to my surprise, the midwife goes "Ok let me organise that for you". The anaesthetist administers the epidural on me, and the pain goes away. What a relief! However in a matter of minutes, baby's heart rate begins to drop, and there were a team of 3 doctors and 3-4 midwives surrounding us, trying to stabilise baby. It was pretty scary. I was only 5cm dilated at that point in time, and my body was shaking vigorously for a good 2 hours - the after effects of the epidural. After they stablised baby's condition, by turning off the epidural... we started noticing that his heart rate drops each time I have a contraction - which again, was quite scary. Doctors kept giving me the option of a C-section, which I just was not prepared for. I had a natural birth with Little Bambi, why would my 2nd baby be any different?

From 3am up to 2.20pm that Saturday, finally baby turned into the right position, and the doctor was able to get him out via forceps. The doctor says the exact same thing when I had Little Bambi, "Good sized baby you have there!" at 3.57kgs and 49 cm. Slightly smaller and lighter than Little Bambi, but he was a week earlier too. He is healthy, and absolutely perfect. I've waited so long for him, he is perfect to me.

I get given a hospital bed, sharing a room with 3 other mums and babies, and spend my first night in hospital. It was not an easy night, with baby being slightly unsettled. My body is sore everywhere, but I struggle with the bleeding the most. Much to my delight, the next morning, I get given the all clear and can go home! Regardless, I still think it was good to spend one night in hospital, the midwives helped me with basic 101s, like swaddling, feeding, changing nappies and even giving baby a bath!

Home time!

Baby at Day 3

My beautiful babies

More thoughts to come.

xx

Jules

Second baby

After more than a year of discussing and planning for a second baby, and 6 months of actively trying to get pregnant, I am really happy to say that I am! 13 weeks pregnant!

It has not been easy this time round. Little Bambi was a breeze, she just turned up, exactly at the time when we decided we were ready for her. But this second baby definitely took its time. I really wanted to get pregnant last year, but in between three big weddings between our closest friends and Dopey my brother (spread across 3 different locations - KL, Gold Coast, Melbourne and KL again), plus a husband that loved partying and celebrating bucks nights, pre-wedding and post-wedding drinks, all I can say was getting pregnant last year was clearly not possible.

Even at the start of this year had its challenges - another wedding of a friend got in the way. Again with Grumpy celebrating a few weekends of binge drinking with his mates. To make matters a lot worse, not long after, Grumpy's best mate from KL came to Melbourne for a holiday. Did I mention that the binge drinking never stopped? Yes of course its all his fault. I was finding it very frustrating.

One thing I did do differently most recently was I used an ovulation kit, and I think maybe that was the winning ticket for us. We are very lucky that we did not have to resort to IVF or anything like that. I missed my period in early May, and I did a home pregnancy test on Mothers Day, and got a positive result!

Little Bambi is very excited to become a big sister. I knew she felt a bit left out when most of her friends had a younger sibling to play with. She wants to name the baby "Dory". Which Sydney Boy said "It is a nice name".. "For a fish".

From the moment of the positive test result at home up until today, it has been a series of continuous blood tests, GP visits, and 2 ultrasound sessions. I am so blessed that everything has been going really well so far. I get very nervous and anxious with the whole pregnancy thing, not only because it was a long journey to get to this point, but because pregnancy loss is much more visible on social media. Here is baby at the 12 week ultrasound - hello there!

Bed time now.

xx

Jules