Chloe is potty trained!

After 3 days going without diapers, Chloe can now tell us whenever she needs to pee and poo as long as she is not in Toys R' Us.  I am so proud of my little girl!  She is now officially ready for nursery next year :)

Mid-autumn festival - celebrating 2 years together

It is the mid-autumn festival today. Mama boo and I have been married for 2 lunar years already! How time flies! In that space of 2 years, we had a new addition to the house, Chloe!

In similar fashion to our wedding dinner 2 years ago, the day started out warm and humid with late afternoon showers. We were planning to have an outdoor cocktail reception following our solemnization but the showers washed away our plans.

This evening, we planned to allow Chloe to play with her Hello Kitty battery-operated lantern which plays musical notes from "London Bridge is Falling Down", "Old Macdonald Had A Farm" and "Twinkle Twinkle Little Stars". These cheap contraptions rarely work beyond a month. We bought the lantern on the first few days of the 8th lunar month for Chloe. Today is the 15th day and the lantern can only play "London Bridge is Falling Down". Before it can play the next tune, a loose connection meant that power is cut to the device and it plays "London Bridge" again.

Nevertheless, the lantern was of secondary importance if the weather does not cooperate. A heavy late afternoon shower that kept at it till the evening meant the ground was very damp. There were not many kids out at Chloe's grand-parent's estate by 8pm. We thus aborted our plans and decided to head home.

As we drove the car into the basement carpark, I saw a boy carrying a lantern while being accompanied by someone who is probably her mother. Chloe was less than 2 months old when she celebrated the mid-autumn festival last year. Now that she is walking, she had a chance to receive a lantern as a gift. We definitely wanted Chloe to experience the joy of carrying a lantern and walking around the estate. It was a good thing we decided upon that because Chloe eventually had a good time walking around the estate with her part-malfunctioning Hello Kitty lantern. She even had a chance to play and interact with our neighbours' kids who were carrying lanterns lit by candles. The kids patted each other on their heads as they exchanged envious glances upon each other's lanterns.

Finally, like the skies 2 years ago, the full moon was ever present in the clear dark sky, allowing us to enjoy the full moon in its full glory.

Happy 2nd lunar anniversary to us!

不要

Chloe's latest favourite word after "Minnie" is "不要". I was so happy when the first word she spoke at 6.5 months old was "MAMA". Then she learnt how to say "Bear" before she said "Daddy" etc. Well, I knew how much she loved her bedtime bear but I never knew it will come to this. It all started on my birthday when both Chloe and her daddy were down with fever, cough and running nose. What luck!

Before this episode, Chloe is seldom ill (other than jaundice at birth, food-triggered eczema at 7 months and slight fever twice occurring after vaccinations). As a baby, she was also not fussy with food. She just shove everything into her mouth (regardless of edible or not, including her fingers and toes).

But her flu must have made it hard for her to swallow so much so that she said NO to all food. Unbelievable! We had just started her on milk powder (even though she refused to latch on at 9 months old, I was still giving her expressed breastmilk till she turns 1) so it could have caused her "heatiness". At times, she became frustrated at us for repeatedly asking her if she wants to eat this, eat that and she'd repeat "不要,不要,不要,不要,不要"!

We were so worried especially her grandparents who like their grandchild chubby. Thankfully after a week of ordeal, Chloe is pretty much back to normal and was able to enjoy the end-of-term party at the playgroup although the word "不要" still sprout out from her mouth every now and then.

Chloe is 1!

We had a great party at home a day before Chloe and my lunar birthday. It was also Chloe's god-grandma's lunar birthday. Many of our relatives and friends came and joined in the fun. Thank you Chloe for being such a wonderful girl. Mummy loves you! *Muaks*

Happy Birthday Chloe

The time was 0:01:30 and I had just stepped out of the bathroom. I had intentionally reduced the length of my run so that I would be able to return home earlier, take a shower, and be the first to wish Chloe happy birthday. The shower took longer than usual because I included an extra task to shave. We will be bringing Chloe to Universal Studios Singapore in the morning and I wanted to make sure that I will look good on every photo with Chloe at the theme park.

I walked stealthily to Chloe's cot and watched her sleeping. Her head was tucked at a corner of her crib and her right hand was holding on to her Bedtime bear. It was difficult to lower the drop-side to her cot so I gave up the idea of giving her a peck on her forehead. I placed my index finger and middle finger to my lips, gave them a kiss and planted both fingers on her cheeks. "Happy Birthday Chloe" I whispered, trying very hard not to wake Chloe up from her sweet slumber.

Slowly, I made my way to Mama Boo's bedside. Mama Boo was sleeping on her sides so I gave her a peck on her temple. "Thank you dear for giving us such a sweet little girl."

Today marks 365 days of existence of Chloe in this world. She has blossomed healthily from an infant into a toddler. Thank you for being my daughter.

This home-made video clip on Chloe's first years was supposed to be shown to guests at Chloe's birthday bash. Thank you to all guests for attending the Mickey & Minnie mouse themed party. I am sure she loved it a lot. That's why I had used one of the track from Jim Brickman's The Disney Songbook entitled "When You Wish Upon A Star" to make the video.

Walk Chloe Walk

Chloe has been cruising for the past few months and finally took her first steps when she was 10.5 months old. On the day she turned 11 months old, daddy and mummy finally brought her to get her first pair of walking shoes from Pediped!

Chloe loved her twinkling ballet flats so much that she keep asking us to put it on for her even at home and walked around the house with a "bag" as if she was shopping just like mummy hahah....

Chloe gets a new relative! Yee Ying "Ah Kim"

Chloe attended a wedding for the first time today. It was an ROM solemnization ceremony for her Uncle Jacky who was marrying Yee Ying at The Legends @ Fort Canning. Chloe was decked out in a lovely white dress. She would point to herself if you asked her "Who's the flower girl?" although she had not gain full mobility with unassisted walking yet. It was a buffet lunch reception and Chloe had her fair share of delicious home-cooked porridge with Ikan Kurau and pumpkin by Mommy. As if the fare was not enough, she had milk after the porridge and now she has a really round tummy. This daddy here did not manage to take much photographs of Chloe because he was the emcee for the day. He also tried to take some videos of the newly-wed as they posed around Fort Canning for the official photographer to take some pictures to complete the portfolio. Chloe managed to smile for the camera after some bubble magic. Here is her photo!

Here's wishing the newly-wed a blissful wedding life!

Tooth Fairy

After months of drooling, the tooth fairy finally visited Chloe and planted her lower left front tooth! Can you see it?

Noticed the red spots on her cheeks? That was the result of food triggered eczema. According to Doctor Belinda, it could have been caused by the biscuits and banana taken that week. Her whole body was covered with rashes. Everytime we changed her diaper, she'd scratch her bottom (sometimes even till it bled) if we did not manage to grab hold of her hands in time. But she is better now after applying the PD recommended California Baby Calendula cream for several weeks.

Chloe is 6 months old!

Chloe is 6 months old today! Mummy Boo is filled with joy and had been looking forward to this day since day 1. Chloe has been such a darling and has been hitting all the milestones way ahead. She is really very focus and goal oriented.

I would say I had a good start. I had a relatively easy pregnancy (no morning sickness nor cravings, only had cramps in the middle of the night possibly because I walked a lot or rather shopped a lot). Even though Chloe was a big baby, I managed to deliver her within 4 hours without using epidural. I attribute that to my high pain tolerance threshold and that sweet little Chloe did not want mummy to suffer.

With melamine milk powder contamination in the recent years and a family history of allergies coupled with the fact that breast milk provides the baby with tons of immunity and lowers the risk of allergies, I made the decision to breastfeed her exclusively for 6 months because I wanted to give her the best I can. My beloved hubby and mummy were very supportive too. To ensure I had the determination to persevere, I did not even buy a tin of milk powder. As soon as she was born, I let her attempt to suckle in the delivery room. She did it like a pro!

During my 3D2N stay in the hospital, the nurses brought Chloe into my room to be fed every 3 hours. It went well on the first day. But on the second day, we had Chloe rooming in with us. She was not satisfied after the feeds and kept crying. Not realising I was already engorged, I continued to feed her till nipples became sore and bled! We seeked the help of the senior lactation consultant Mrs Wong Boh Bui. She was good! She helped me to massage to relieve the engorgement and the milk started flowing! (Seriously the other nurses didn't know what was wrong and thought I was simply holding the baby in wrong position). Luckily we attended Mrs Wong's pre-natal class so she was willing to help us. She also taught daddy to cup feed (rather than bottle feed) Chloe expressed breast milk so the baby will not suffer nipple confusion and daddy can help mummy out with the night time feeding. Chloe sipped milk from the cup like a kitten. It seemed like she was born knowing how to drink from a cup already.

It was toughest during her first month. She is a very active baby who sleeps very little in the day and reserves all her sleep for night time (exactly how she was during pregnancy). She demanded to be held all the time, not in the cradle position but in the upright position (possibly due to stuffy nose or because she wanted to behave like older toddlers). She always fell asleep during breastfeeding. Then if we put her down in her cot, she would jump right out from dreamland and literally "swim backstroke" in the cot protesting vigorously. When she was upset, she could even bear her weight on her elephant legs (standing) since a few days old. She literally toilet trained herself as she need to sit upright on our laps to poo. Her favourite past time then was to creep up on daddy's chest and sleep (just like her mummy :P). She smiled on video on day 4 but I believe that was just muscle twitching. She would cry during bath time, she would cry when her nappy was wet and would cry throughout the nappy changing process (which made it more difficult for the first time parents to change her). Her jaundice worsened and we had to keep her in the ultralight box 24 hrs for 3 days. Other than feeding and changing her, we should not take her out no matter how badly she cried. So by the end of the first month, she barely gained weight.

All that took a turn for the better right after her first month celebration. I took care of her alone (my mum and hubby were helping out during the confinement period when I needed rest and had lotsa sesame oil and ginger laded confinement dishes prepared by my mum). Chloe settled into a routine making it much easier to predict her needs. Once her needs are satisfied, she became a happy baby. She stopped fussing when we change her diapers. Bath time became play time for her and daddy (Chloe's daddy has been bathing her since day 1 until recently).

By the time she was 2 months old, she was able to sleep through the night (that is equivalent to 6 hrs of uninterrupted sleep for newborns). I put my foot down and stopped carrying her to sleep even during naps no matter how hard she cries. We had a standard bedtime routine (which involves only singing Rock a bye baby twice and a goodnight kiss, it was that easy) and put her down at the same time every night. She still protest during nap times but night time sleep was a breeze.

At 3 months old, she took her first 5 in 1 jab with pneumoccocal and rotavirus vaccine with only slight fever that went off with 1 dose of 1.5 ml paracetamol. I am glad she is such a strong girl and that my efforts to breastfeed her were worth it. She chuckled whenever I held her high in the air. A sign that her parents' sense of humour had rubbed off on her. She started blowing bubbles (a sign that speech is developing). Her favourite past time now is smiling and wowing passersby or simply keep staring at them till they play or smile back at her. She is so sociable :) I guess bringing her to Hong Kong helped her in the social aspect as HongKongers are very vocal and love to interact with babies a lot.

At 4 months old, her second dose of immunizations went well with no fever. She was able to sit on her own (supporting herself with her hands on her feet or the ground). A week later, she was able to roll over 1 way from back to front (when both me and hubby were down with food poisoning in HK). Another week later, she was able to roll over both ways. This was when she started practicing very enthusiastically even when she sleeps (she is sleeping facing down as I am penning my thoughts).

By 5 months old, Chloe has started saying "Boo" (while splattering excessive saliva) or maybe "Poo" when she needs to poo poo (or so we thought). After direct feeding Chloe for the past 3 months in HK, she does not want to drink from milk bottles! Luckily she is willing to drink from the training mug given by Auntie Wendy and Phyllis. She even like to hold it on her own after her mummy taught her :) She can also drink from a cup just like us but we need to make sure she doesn't spill them all. On hindsight, it was a good move we cup feed her ever since she was a newborn as she is now able to drink from a cup without a need to wean her off milk bottles.

Now that she is 6 months old, she has started crawling! Her motivational factor is our laptops and iPhones (I guess she must be wondering why her parents spend so much time staring at these 2 items). Tomorrow we shall start her on her first solid food - rice cereal. So excited!

I am so proud of my little girl and I look forward to spending each day with her and her daddy for the rest of my life :)

Celebrating X'mas in Hong Kong

Chloe will be turning 4-month old on X'mas day. She will be celebrating her first X'mas in a foreign land. Chloe probably already knew what her X'mas present will be. Daddy and mommy brought her to the Toys R' Us store at Causeway Bay last night and searched high and low for the Kick and Play Piano by Fisher-Price.

In addition to that, mommy also bought Chloe a Hello Kitty romper from Zara.

Chloe is now sleeping soundly on the bed. She had just celebrated her first X'mas feast with daddy and mommy at the bay window of the hotel room on the 28th floor overlooking the Victoria harbour and the clock tower at Tsim Sha Tsui. She is wearing her new Hello Kitty romper while she sleeps. Mommy noticed that Chloe has already tried to rip apart the wrappers on her X'mas gift from daddy.

She can hardly wait but she has to learn to be patient! =)

Chloe is born in Singapore and raised in Hong Kong?

Ever since our little Chloe was born, she had spent her first 2 nights at the hospital, 65 nights at home, 1 night at the Amara Sanctuary on the island of Sentosa and 32 nights in Hong Kong island by the time she celebrates her 100 days of babyhood with a cocktail of 7 viruses (namely Diphtheria, Tetanus, Pertussis, Polio, Hib disease, Pneumococcal and Rotavirus).



Chloe has been a good girl for the past few weeks. During her first week in Hong Kong, she was not her usual self. She cried more than she did when she was in Singapore. After the first week, we moved to Express by Holiday Inn at Causeway Bay and Chloe broke her own record of "Most-Continuous-Uninterrupted-Sleep". That night we moved in, she slept for 6 hours before waking up to demand for milk.

Boo and Chloe are accompanying me to Hong Kong because of a recent work assignment. This trip marks a number of "firsts" for the family:

1. It was the first time our family of 3 flew overseas together.


2. It was Chloe's first time on a plane at age 2 months and 1 week old.


3. Chloe pooped for the first time at high altitude and stained her new BabyGap romper!


4. Chloe took the subway for the first time. In Hong Kong, it's named the MTR.


5. Chloe took the Star Ferry from Central to Tsim Sha Tsui. (That completes her Air/Sea/Land mode of transportation!)


6. In all, other than being chauffeured around in a car in Singapore, Chloe has been on the plane, taxi, bus, subway, tram, cable car and ferry within one month.


7. The family dined at a 3-star Michelin restaurant for the first time at Lung King Heen.


8. We visited places like Ocean Park, Stanley, Disneyland Hong Kong as a family.


9. Our family's first hike was a leisure 40 minute hike to a pavilion lookout point on Lamma Island.

Chloe's Baby Showers

Chloe has arrived (The first days of Chloe Tan)

Hi everyone,

My name is Chloe Tan. My parents are Johnson and Nicole. I was born on the 26th August 2009 at Thomson Medical Centre. As I was 3 days overdue, Daddy and Mommy had chosen to induce me.

On the day of my birth, Mommy and Daddy checked themselves into the hospital. Mommy was ushered into the labour ward while Daddy was asked to go to the Admission counter to settle the paperwork.

From my Mommy's womb, I could hear the "Miss-y" telling my Mommy to clear her bowels. Then I heard Daddy's voice when he returned and could not find Mommy in the room. My silly Dad forgot to check the washroom. Mommy and I were in the washroom because she was still clearing her bowels after the nurse administered a very effective medicine into her. Finally, another "Miss-y" knocked on our washroom door and Daddy was reunited with us again.

Mommy was then asked to lie on the bed while the "Miss-y" attached a device to monitor my heart rate and Mommy's intensity of contractions of her uterus. Next, the "Miss-y" poked a thick needle into my Mommy's left hand and placed her on a drip. The drip contains Syntocinon, a synthetic version of the naturally-occurring hormone, oxytocin. Both chemicals were used to cause the muscle of the uterus to contract during labour so that I could be pushed out. Synthetic oxytocin was used because I was overdue. Poor Mommy had to endure the prick of the needle for my sake.

The effect of the Syntocinon was very strong. Every half-hour, the "Miss-y" came in to increase the drip dosage. They also noted my heart rate and Mommy's contraction for the past half-hour. Mommy's uterus, once my warm and cosy safe-haven for the past nine months, started shrinking! I had no more space left and was pushed through Mommy's birth canal. By now, Mommy was inhaling many puffs of "Laughing Gas" as the contractions increased. The air was meant to help Mommy to manage the pain from the contractions. Many a times, Mommy was not drawing the breaths correctly as she was taking them in smaller puffs. Daddy noticed it and kept saying "Breath... breath...breath..." many times to Mommy. Every time Daddy said breath, Mommy would hear Daddy's voice and she would take in the laughing gas longer with each breath. Later on, Mommy also told Daddy that his voice helped as there were many instructions from the "Miss-y" but all she could hear was Daddy's voice. Good thing Daddy knew about this because it was mentioned during Parent Craft training.

All this time, I'm still in my womb and Mommy started pushing with the help of Daddy and 2 "Miss-ies". It took the time of 3 intense contractions before Mommy's Gynaecologist arrived. It then took 2 more contractions before I finally saw the light at the end of the tunnel. Poor mommy had to suffer an episiotomy because I was a heavy BB. Thanks to the large quantities of bird nest and the occasional durians that was bestowed upon to me by the placenta.

Air! I'm breathing air for the first time in my life outside of my Mommy's tummy. The feeling was very different when I was training for it with amniotic fluid. It did not help that some of the fluids were mixed with the fresh air in the delivery room 7. I choked and started to cry but only for a while as one of the "Miss-y" quickly inserted a tube into my mouth. The tube quickly sucked out the fluids from my throat and I started to feel better. Daddy was offered a pair of scissors so that he could cut my umbilical cord. Goodbye cordie, I remembered holding and kissing you time and again while we were playing in Mommy's womb. Thanks for supporting me throughout this nine months so that I can finally breathe the air with my own lungs. I will miss the times we spent together.

After the "Miss-y" cleaned my body, I was returned to Mommy's embrace and Daddy finally had a chance to take some pictures of my birth. The bonding between Mommy and me was momentarily brief but treasured. It was time for me to be wheeled away to be weighed and measured. Daddy's coming along because it was his job (he was not the one bleeding) and also because Mommy wanted Daddy to make sure that the "Miss-y" did not mix me up with another BB. Deep down, I know Daddy will come with me even if he was not told to because Daddy will always keep a watchful eye on me as I grow up.

I weighed 3.98Kg and measured 52 centimetres in length. In case you think I'm fat and chubby, think again. My BMI is 14.71893. After weighing me and measuring me, the "Miss-y" tagged me on my ankles and left me alone with Daddy to bond. Daddy said to me, "Hello Chloe, I'm your Daddy. Daddy's here and Daddy will protect you and make sure you grow up in a safe and healthy home." He then proceeded to introduce me to his Nikon N90 camera. Daddy also called Gong-Gong and Yeh-Yeh to inform them about my time of birth and weight. He was so proud of his wife, my Mommy, because she had given birth to me without any other forms of pain management.

The "Miss-y" returned a while later and wheeled me back to continue my bonding with Mommy. I was breast-fed by my happy and exhausted Mommy. Yippee! I am tasting something else other than my own amniotic fluids and I do not even want to tell you what amniotic fluid consists of.

I spent the next 2 days sleeping and demanding to be fed or to be held. Keeping Mommy and Daddy up all night with my wailing seems part of my job. So my Daddy thought he and Mommy were ready for the job at hand, they better be in for a reality check! Friday's the day the 3 of us leaves the hospital as a family. On my first night, they decided to let me stay in the nursery so that I can have a chance to stay under the warmer. I still have some fluids in my nasal canal. Mommy and Daddy were worried because I kept sniffing away. Every few hours, I was wheeled back to Room 506 so that Mommy can feed me and Daddy can take pictures of Mommy and me. By leaving me in the care of the "Miss-y" at the nursery, Mommy and Daddy also had a chance to rest from their exertions.

On the second day, Daddy requested for me to room-in with Mommy and Daddy. My constant wails were effective at keeping them awake. My lucky Daddy took the chance to sneak away for a while. Later, I realised that he had gone away to order my cot and bought me a thermometer.

The cot was in the colour Mommy had envisioned for me and because they had waited till the Takashimaya Baby Fair, the cot finally came at a discounted price and was sold separately. It was a good thing because Mommy also wanted me to use mattress from BabySafe. Daddy managed to get both and also decided on the mattress sheets, bumpers, pillows and bolsters. They will be delivered next Tuesday and I can hardly wait till they arrive. Meanwhile, I should be able to sleep between them on their King-sized bed and can wake them up every few hours in the middle of the night. This will be fun when we get home.

On Friday morning, I had slight Jaundice but the Paediatrician gave the green lights for me to be discharged. Mommy also received the same green lights from her Gynaecologist. Before we leave, there was one thing Mommy and Daddy needed, they needed to refresh on a couple of things from their teacher, Mrs Wong. Mrs Wong taught Daddy how to feed through a cup. A significant task because all this while, Daddy felt totally at a loss how he could help during my feeding, a task only Mommy could do. They also re-learned how to do a swaddle. Finally, they asked Mrs Wong to teach them how to burp me and I burped really loudly. Please excuse me and please excuse my smelly fart when Mrs Wong placed me back into the Maxi-Cosi car seat.

The drive home was uneventful as Daddy carefully navigated the mid-afternoon traffic along the PIE and BKE. Daddy tried very hard to stay awake when there was traffic congestion along the PIE. On hindsight, I should have let him sleep longer but it was a safe ride home.

A Chip Off the Old Blocks

In typical family tradition, our dear daughter has decided, while still in her mother's womb, on her expected date of arrival. Just as how her parents had planned their lives systematically, from buying a house, getting a car and getting married, little Chloe is not leaving anything to chance, not even her date of birth.

In every sense, she had immediately taken to her mum. Exactly 29 years ago, Chloe's maternal grandparents were carrying Mama Boo and Mama Boo was also overdue. When they were prompted by the gynae to choose a date to induce the labour, they decided on the 7th day of the 7th lunar month. 29 years later, in exactly the same fashion, Chloe is as overdue as her mum was back then. (Talk about being late!) We were asked to decide on the date for the inducement. The answer is obvious. Both mum and daughter will be sharing the same lunar birthday. (Talk about getting broke every year on the 7th lunar month!)

By sheer planning and coincidence, Chloe's parents' and grandparents' wedding anniversary also falls on the 15th day of the 8th lunar month, or what is commonly known as the Mooncake Festivals.

So the date's set. Everyone's ready. Stay safe, warm and snuggly in your mum's womb. See you 2 days from now!

Chloe will be a Virgo!

Today marks the 40th week of the pregnancy. It is also Chloe's expected date-of-delivery as predicted by our gynae during our initial visit many months ago.

Then, Mama Boo reminded me that our daughter will be a Virgo if she does decides to say hello to the world today. I was thinking, "Oh no! Not Virgo, not another neat-freak in the house. I'm a Cancer man, a born collector of nostagia and sentiments. So yes, I hardly throw things away and this often riles up my Virgo wife and mum-to-be of our little Chloe. I hope when Chloe grows up, she will learn to accept her father's values and be patient with him.

On the subject of patience, while searching for the url links to the Virgo woman and the Cancer man, I could not help but notice that Cancer man makes "gentle, caring, sympathetic and understanding father, projecting exceptional patience, pride and protection toward his children."

It's funny because we are so eagerly anticipating your arrival. At the same time, I want to make sure that you only come out when you are ready. Take your time Chloe, come out safe, come out strong. No matter how you look like or who you will become in life, I'm your Dad and you are my daughter. You are the product of my love for your mum and you will always be Daddy's pride and joy.

Till then, have a safe journey.

Shopping Spree

It's Great Singapore Sale (GSS)! Time to stock up on essential baby items in preparation of Chloe's arrival in 2 months time. What have we bought so far?


From Tangs sale,

• Maxi Cosi CabrioFix Car Seat
• Philips iQ24 Sterilizer
• Philips Bottle x 1 (FOC)
• Philips Washable Breast Pads (FOC)
• Medela Pump In Style Advanced Breast Pump
• Medela Nipple Cream (FOC)
• Medela Milk Storage Bottles x 3 (FOC)
• Medela Quick Clean Wipes (FOC)
• Elmo Puppet Book (FOC)
• I'm Toy Elephant Measurement Tape (FOC)

From Motherhood Exhibition 2009,

• Bumwear Cloth Diapers
• Philips Bottle and Food Warmer
• BabySafe Sleep Positioner
• SwaddleMe Organic Infant Wrap
• Huggies Diapers (Compliments from Cordlife - 24 New Born x 3 + 44 Small)

Others

• Philips Bath/Room Thermometer from their warehouse sale
• Some clothes from Melbourne, Mothercare, Gap & Liverpool Football Club
• Pupsik beansprout pillow & nursing cover
• Oobi bloomers from http://www.bebelove.com.sg/
• Mittens & booties from Spring Maternity
• Wash cloths, flannel wipe & bath towel from TMC
• Ikea changing mat, mosquito net, safety plugs & corners
• Drapolene cream, Johnson's Baby Powder & sterile cotton balls from Unity
• Bathtub & potty (part of dowry)

Took the car seat out for a test drive one Saturday. The teddy bear we bought from Korea Teddy Bear Museum act as a substitute for Chloe :P

Chloe's maternal grandma (外婆) gave us about S$200 worth of Isetan vouchers. We used them to get

• A Burberry dress
• Plenty of Pigeon products (baby wipes, nappy liners, cloth nappies, toothbrushes, bottle brushes, thong, cotton buds & detergents)

What are we still missing? Stroller and Cot are the major ones. What else do you think we need?

Pre-natal Class 5

Yesterday was our last class. It was supposed to be the first lesson actually because Mrs Wong had forgotten to inform us of the change in schedule 5 weeks ago, so we missed the first class and yesterday was the replacement class. We did pre-natal exercises like rocking of the pelvic area, yoga cat pose etc. and also learnt about pregnancy nutrition.

Daddies-to-be had a feel of how pregnancy's like:

We have graduated! Here's our graduation photo with Mrs Wong:

3D / 4D Scan

We went for the 3D / 4D scan on Monday. Before this optional scan, we were told that whether we can capture 4D images or not depends on the baby's position but we should be able to get at least a 3D image. Luckily after 2 to 3 trials and spending the entire morning at TMC, we were able to capture several 4D images of how Chloe looks like in the womb. There was once she was kissing the umbilical cord and smiling. Then rub her eyes and hide her face. So cute!

Chloe's 1st picture

Pre-natal Class 4

This week we learnt all about breast feeding and bottle feeding. Scary to see all those swollen breasts full of pus due to wrong breast feeding methods. Here are some tips for mums-to-be:

1. Recommended to breast feed baby for 15-20 mins on each side of the breast during each feed to avoid swollen breasts. Try cabbage treatment if swelling/engorgement occurs.
2. Start bottle feeding only after baby is at least 1 month old.
3. Straight teats are preferred.
4. It is only necessary to sterilize all the utensils before babies are 6 months old.
5. Using thongs, remove the screw cap from the sterilizer first. Followed by the teat, the cap and the bottle. There is no need to air dry the bottles after they have been sterilized as any water condensation in the bottle is sterile.
6. Turn the teats inside out to wash. As the interior is fragile, use a gentle scrub instead of the brush to wash the teats. Take note to wash the tip as well.
7. Milk bottles typically last for 1 year while teats last up till 6 weeks only.

Pre-natal Class 3

We learnt how to bath, swaddle and put on cloth diapers for babies. Before the class, we thought we would not have a chance to practise cos the class is so big. To our pleasant surprise, each couple get to have a "baby" to "play" with. It was fun! Some tips for bathing:

1. Bath water temperature should be 37 degree Celsius.
2. A drop of non-bubbly baby body wash in the bath water is sufficient for new born.
3. No need to use additional shampoo for babies until they are 3 months old.
4. Sing to the baby while bathing. Teach her to count her toes!
5. Mittens only need to be wore till 6 months old.
6. Mums to be delivering at TMC can sign up for the free breastfeeding and bathing lesson during the hospital stay. For a meagre $10, you get to try out the different breast pumps at Thomson ParentCraft before deciding which pump is the most suitable one for you.