Scrapbook 2014 - First Layout

It's been awhile since I last scraped... ever since I'm pregnant, I hardly have the energy and with the heavy belly, it's quite difficult for me to carry out those boxes (where I hold all my scrapping stuffs) out to scrap.

Now that Danielle has a fixed sleeping schedule in the afternoon which means that I have some ME time at home, I keep scrapped a layout...

Hmm.. I was aiming to have at least 1 layout in a month... at least to keep those creative juices going and to exhaust some of my scrapbook materials. If not I keep on buying but dun get to use it.

January 2014 - Our first wedding anniversary

I tried to keep it to theme for my monthly layout. Eg, in the month of January, the most significant 

event for me is our Wedding Anniversary.

So here is my layout... 

Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace. 

Marriage has taught me that life no longer revolves around me alone. Now my life includes my husband. So things that I say or do, I will always try to spare a thought for him. Listen and always give support. Cause I always believe that in this relationship.. I give 100%, my husband gives me back 100% or even more too...

I've started my first layout.. currently I'm behind time with 2 more layouts... Lets hope that these few days, I have the creative juice to scrapped.

Have a great week!

Xoxoxo,

Felicia 

Solo Maternity shoot {Confetti Peektures}

Yes, you didn't read my title incorrectly. I did another maternity photoshoot just for myself.
Cause I wasn't 100% satisfy with the previous shoot... guess mainly because my hub hates to take photo and half of the time, he is giving grumpy face. And when I schedule the first photoshoot, my baby bump wasn't very prominent.

So I decided to take another one when I'm at week 35. During this time, I'm at my heaviest!!!!

In case you wanna know, this set of photos are taken by Confetti Peektures! They even provide props too! So cute!

Check out their works on their FB page: ConfettiPeektures

Haven't received all the images yet but these are the few images that Angie (the photographer) edited and sent to me..

Honestly I prefer this set of photos than the previous one. But I guess both sets have it's charm.

With this set, showing my baby bump and pregnancy glow.  The previous set, showing us a newly wed couple going to be new mum and dad... the love we gonna have for our newborn.. =)

Too bad my hub refuse to take a outdoor family portrait... cause I would love to book a session with my pre wedding photography, Oh! Dear photography for one session.. =(

Guess I will have to attempt to do one family portrait by myself.

Pss... did i mention that I am itching to upgrade my DSLR?? Hehe.. let see how long I'm able to content this itch..

Xoxo,
Felicia

What happened to my CONFINEMENT?

Well, here's my story of my very sad confinement..

After giving birth, every lady will have to stay confine at home for 1 month. We, Chinese called this period of time, 做月. Basically during this period of time, mummies who just gave birth are consider very weak and they aren't supposed to go out have to be "confine" at home for their postnatal recovery.

Many preggie will start to look for a good confinement nanny when they have past their 1st trimester. The very clever me, didn't bothered to look for one, simply because my mother in law has agreed to help me with my confinement. Which means that I've to look after baby at night, which I'm pretty fine with that arrangement cause I have to learn to look after anyway.

Along the way, we employed a Myanmar maid to help with the household chores as my mother in law got pretty occupied with her own newly setup business. Things are fine when we received our maid and both of them got along pretty well.

But somehow, one fine day, things changed. My mother in law got so pissed off with the maid that she started to tell us that she isn't very good, eg, lazy, crafty, instructions given to her and things are not done and such. My hub and I didn't really believe caused when we instruct our maid, things get done.

Than we thought maybe they have communication problems. (My mil english isn't that good... the maid is just half past 6). So we just let it be....

Came the day I went into labour and after 3 days staycation in the hospital, I'm back home.

Hello Danielle.. You're just 3 days old

She decided to open her eyes and say Hello to me.
Just looking at her, makes me forget how terrible my confinement is. 

To my horror, my mil only cooked the confinement style breakfast and prepared the ginger red date tea and that's all. The rest, my maid has to ask me what I wanna eat and she cooked accordingly. As for my baby, she only help me to shower her twice. Can you imagine the 4th day I tried to bath my daughter all by myself??!!! And where did my mil go??! Well, she left for work in the early morning like 7am.

So I got really depressed cause during the 1st week, both hubs and I were super tiring, Having disrupted sleep, not sure how to soothe a crying baby and etc..  and we received no support from my mil. My mil slept thru the night, not even helping me during those late night feedings. Same goes to my maid. Well, who to blame the maid??! My mil choose one that is so young and inexperience in looking after infant.

I told my hub no matter how expensive it is to hire a nanny during CNY, I'm going to get one. I cannot stand having to handle baby without any guidance. But sadly, it's too last min so I couldn't hire any confinement nanny.. thanks to my gf who suggested me to sign up for food caterers that does confinement dishes.

Google and search for some reviews, managed to find one and immediately book my lunch and dinner for 28 days. So 1 item on our list is done.

Next, we need to find someone who is willing to help us to teach the maid to look after baby and to cook those tonic soups. And I'm soooo lucky that my best friend called and check up on me and I causally asked if her mum is willing to help. And she agreed!! So for the next 3 weeks of my confinement, I have good soup and food to eat. Plus a motherly figure to help me look after baby (during the day) and to teach the maid how to boil those tonic soup.

Thankful for auntie to come over and help me!!! 

On one of those afternoon where baby slept like a baby.

One of the power packed confinement food that auntie prepared for me...

After this episode, I learn my lesson. If wan to employ maid to look after baby. Get one that is married, has kids and know how to handle infant and has working experience in domestic work.

And if I'm ever pregnant with #2, I'm going to hire a confinement nanny. Be in stay in or not.

Have a great weekend!

Xoxo,
Felicia

My life as a mother.. Part 2

Being a mother isn't easy.. but I'm thankful that there are people out there who are willing to help me!!

Ask me what is the toughest I encounter being a mother?! It's not the labour nor the sleep depravation during wee morning hours due to Danielle's feeding..

It's the BREASTFEEDING!

Benefits of breast milk

Source: Pinterest

I know that everyone and anyone would know that breast milk is the best for your baby. I agree cause there are certain stuffs in the bm than formula milk don't have. I was very depressed during my short stay in the hospital because all the nurses and the lactation nurses claims that I've short nipple and baby couldn't latch on properly.

Which leds me to having sore nipples by the 2nd - 3rd day and I try so hard to let baby latch on correctly. Trust me, it isn't easy. Cause baby is so fragile and she is crying so hard (because she is hungry) that being able to latch on properly isn't on my mind. I just want to feed her asap.

At that time, I don't even know if I'm producing enough milk for my daughter or not...

When it's time for us to discharge and go home, I felt so helpless without the nurses around to guide me. Especially when baby keeps crying and crying. Cause she is hungry and my milk production hasn't kick it yet. And the nurses didn't even teach me anything like we can supplement formula milk first.

So out of desperation, hubby went to NTUC to purchase S26 for baby and since that she has been on formula milk. (I've later switched her to Nan HA 1).

As for my breast milk.. it come 3 days after I discharged. And that night when my breast is engorged, it hurt like hell!!!!! Worst than labour! But I'm thankful that I'm able to produce decent amount of milk for my daughter.

My first best record of milk pump.

Occasionally I still let Danielle direct latch on but she is used to the steady flow of the milk bottle, after sucking for awhile she will cry for her milk bottle.

Now my daily routine during maternity leave? Is to pump milk. I tried to express milk every 2 - 3 hours but i felt that the volume isn't alot. I can't express at least 90ml of milk (from both breast) if I tried to express every 2 - 3 hours.

So now I express every 4 hours and I tried to hit at least 100 ml. I'm not sure that without baby's direct latch on, will my milk production be sufficient for me to feed her till she is 6 months old? But I am damn sure I will try. Cause the breast pump isn't cheap!! And I kinda of regret not getting the twin pump.

Here is some common tips on pumping milk:

1. To prompt milk let-down, have a picture of the baby or a blanket that smells like him nearby, especially if she isn't around when you pump. 
2. Invest in a high-quality pump. 
3. Hold baby close, stroke him and maintain eye contact when feeding to help maintain an emotional connection.

* I am not too sure about point no 3. But point no 2 is very right. Invest in a good pump!

It's about time for me to rest and start my expressing..

Have a great week!

Xoxo,
Felicia

My life as a Mother....

Being a mother isn't easy!! I'm super sleep deprived but I'm thankful that help is always rendered whenever I ask for. Thankfully I have a helper and my gf's mother who is willing to come over to my place everyday to boil those tonic soup and to help teach my helper to care for baby.

Just damn disappointed that such help was not received from my mother in law... Tsk tsk...

As I said, being a mother isn't easy and nothing has prepared me for this journey. (I regretted not attending those antenatal classes.. if i have attended, I would be so helpless in caring for my baby.)

But still it a amazing journey..

Soon it will be Danielle's full month celebration... we've planned a small gathering with family and friends.

Let's hope with so many ppl coming, Danielle won't be overwhelm and get cranky at night...

Oh, did i mention that now Danielle is my photography subject. When the moods strikes, I will try to snap lot of pictures of her..

I even thought of taking our first family portrait with OhDear! Photography when Danielle is about 4 - 5 months old... hopefully my hubby is agreeable with this...
Hehehehe

Have a great weekend!

Xoxo,
Felicia

The Arrival of my Little Bundle of Joy...

I've been so overwhelm by motherhood that I didn't even have the time to blog about my arrival of my little cutie... Danielle Lee..

As mention in my previous blogpost... at week 35, I experience pre-term labour. My gynae decided to stop my contractions and given me jabs to mature baby's lung.

Things were good and I pass week 35 & 36 without much "drama" and enjoyed my CNY feasting.

4th Feb 2014 - Visit Dr Tseng

Visited Dr Tseng during my week 37 appointment and prior to that, the night before, I experience some contractions but i decided not to call him since the next day, I will be seeing him.. As usual, strap on the CTG monior on me... and he check my dilation.

Dr Tseng announced that I'm already to deliver... the NEXT DAY (5 Feb 2014)!!!! MY EDD is 23 Feb.. Wasn't really ready to deliver my baby that soon... but since God has decided that it's time for her to arrive, we will just take it as it is.

Because it's such a sudden announcement, (I have a gut feeling that I might deliver early but I always thought that it will be around Valentine's Day week) So I didn't even have the time to remove my gelish manicure, do my b-wax and remove my eyelashes.

And the worst thing that is, it's only the 5th day of CNY. Not many shops are fully open yet, Browhas & Strip were fully booked, no way to slot me in for my eyelash removal and B-wax. So I called all random beauty house and salon that does waxing.

Luckily this kind lady advised me, not to do B-wax as I am going to deliver soon. In case of allergy reaction.. so I shaved. It's a tough job to shave ur vajayjay with a huge belly but I did my best.
The day went pass and no contractions, I did all my prep work for the next day..
The night came, hubby return home from work. We both are very anxious cause we are going to admit to Gleneagles the next morning @ 7am.

5th Feb 2014 - Getting Ready for Baby Danielle

Went I'm about to hit the sack, I have the urge to pee.... while peeing, I heard a loud "POP". It's like my baby did a super big stretch inside.... and my water bag broke... I'm leaking water everywhere.

Told my hubby that my water bag break, contact Dr Tseng and informed him and we made our way to hospital. At that time it's only 1.30am and I should have listen to Dr Tseng when he asked me to shower and slowly make my way to GlenE...

Imagine my dishavle look when I was in labour and the aftermath of labour... I look horrible.

Off I went to the labour ward

The nurses at GlenE is already very nice.. they tried to make me as comfortable as possible.. I remember a nurse whom we called her Auntie Evelyn... she help me with my pain when I had my epidural injections and she comment tat my hubby looks like her son.. Hehehehe

After the epidural, both hub and I managed to catch some sleep as I won't be able to experience the contractions pains. 

But I felt the common side effects of epidural, shivering and pins and needles on my legs.

Poor hubby.... didn't have much rest.  Imagine he was still sleeping when the staff nurse came in to check on me and said that I'm 9cm dilated and I can start to push my baby out.

When he heard that I can start to pushing, he quickly freshen up and help me with my labour...

It's isn't very tough but it's damn exhausting.. 

Dr Tseng came in around to help me with my labour and shortly after... my pretty little baby is born.

Many ppl say that she looks like me when she is born...

It's my week 2 as a mother.. it's tough and its a new experience for me and my hubby. Many things for us to learn especially Danielle's feeding and sleeping time.

Source: Pinterest

Time for me to express my milk...

Will share more on my next blogpost..

Have a happy weekend!

Xoxoxo,

Felicia