Daddy's Thoughts from Shanghai

In time for little Matthias' one month birthday, Daddy decides to pen down some thoughts from Shanghai:

Matt has been a bundle of joy to me even though we are miles apart. Seeing his pictures on the blog and daily chats with Shirley keeps me updated of Matt's progress and growth. Of course, there is always a tinge of longing in me that wants to cradle him in my arms and to lend a helping hand as Matt struggles to take his first step to crawl. Reading his progress from the blog often brings both smiles and tears of joy as I celebrate his every little victory alongside him.

Matt's arrival brought Shirley and myself closer. Her maternity instincts brought out a soft spot of Shirley, which may not have been obvious to many who had known her to be a no nonsense person previously. I must say that Matt can be quite trying at times even for a patient person like myself, but Shirley's love and patience for our boy seems to know no end as she feeds and changes him untiringly.

Seeing a part of ourselves being in Matt reminds us of God's blessings in our lives. We thank God that He has so graciously preserved a piece of the love between Shirley and myself. Whether be it the knitting of brows when Matt is serious or the rolling of tongue when he is mischevious; all points to God's handprints and goodness on this little life. May God's favour, wisdom and blessings continue to rest on Matthias even as he grows up.

In this time of celebration, we would like to express our heartfelt thanks to:

• Our parents who have stood alongside us to take care of Shirley and Matt: We would have been very worn out by now if not for all your help and advice, not to mention the wonderful cookings.
• Our church friends in Singapore and Shanghai who prayed and celebrated alongside us.
• Our friends and colleagues for their gifts and well-wishes and more importantly, their kind understanding and assistance.

Finally, Daddy would like to end by wishing little Matthias a very Happy 1 Mth Old Birthday!! Happy Birthday Matthias!! Daddy sends you his love and blessings from Shanghai!

3 Pennies for Mummy's Thoughts

It's been amazing to see little Matthias grow over time, even if it is barely for one month. During this month, he has learnt to do a lot more than he can when he was first born.

1. He has learnt to stare at certain things that are bright. Studies have shown that newborn babies are not able to see very much as they are born near-sighted. I realise whenever I put Matt on my lap, facing me, he would start staring. Seems to me he is staring at the picture of a boat that is hung on the wall. And you can really tell he is staring. Cos like Daddy, he seems to be more serious and when he stares, he frowns... Also whenever I carry him near to a window, he likes to stare out of the window, cos it is bright outside...I also like to put him lying on the bed and move my face very close to him, so that he can learn to recognise "Mummy". He stares...
2. He has learnt to lift his neck and move his head from side to side. Baby websites say that it is important for babies to have tummy time to strengthen his neck musles and push up, roll over, sit up, and crawl. From the tummy times I give him when he is lying on me or on the bed, he has learnt to do this. Check out the photos and the pictures of him in action.
3. He has learnt to sleep on his tummy. Although studies have shown that this is a more dangerous position for babies to sleep in (due to higher "SIDS", AKA Sudden Infant Death Syndrome), Matt has proved that he is able to sleep in this position and sleep even better.
4. He has learnt to do flying kicks. As he grows, I realise that he is kicking harder and harder. Sometimes when I put him in my lap, facing me, he seems to want to move and starts kicking me to move. Also, sometimes, when he sleeps and wants to wake up, he starts kicking his legs high up, almost 90 degrees to the bed. Check out the photos I took of him earlier to see how he is kicking his legs.
5. He has learnt to grab things. As Matt likes to put his hands around his face, it is hard trying to feed him. So I will try to hold his hands away from his face, and he will grab my fingers with his hand. At times, when I hold him close to me, he grabs my T shirt collar or sleeve.

Daddy asked me almost every day on MSN, "so what new thing did Matthias do today?". So I will always tell him stories.

Night times have always been a challenge to take care of Matt. But as I do "trial and error", I realise practices that are good for Matt to drag his sleeping time longer (ie also less feeding during the night).

1. Putting him to sleep on his tummy. Do this only with caution and start in the day time with adults watching out for his safety.
2. Feed him a bit more at time. I used to feed him 90ML and then at night, I would give him a bit more (ie 100ML) so that he is more full.
3. Do the last feed around midnight, so that even if he wakes up, it would be only once during the night and the next feed would be around 7 plus in the morning.

Last night, I am so proud of Matt, as he has slept almost 6 hours straight throughout. I gave him his last feed of 100ML at 11PM and he only woke up around 5AM for a feed. Then went back to sleep and only woke up again slightly after 8AM this morning for his next feed. I hope that in time to come, he will be able to learn to drag feeding intervals longer, especially at night. Jia You...

Baby Talk 2

It's my 满月today. 奶奶 got up early to prepare the stuff to send back to Mummy's family and the relatives (ie the cake, chicken, luo mi fan, ang ku kuey etc.). Now 爷爷 has gone out to deliver the stuff.

奶奶 has just bathed me and put on a new blue bodysuit with a nice print of a car for me. Mummy then laid me down on my little cot to get a little rest before my "excursion" later. Haha, I just learnt how to use a bolster.



Now, I am all ready waiting for 舅舅 to come and fetch Mummy and I back to 婆婆's place... Will keep you updated of my adventure for today later when I got some time...

Finally arrived at 婆婆's place at 2PM. I was still sound asleep when we reached. I was looking around when I reached, the place looked so new and strange to me. Then I was exchanged hands many times, cos many people at 婆婆's place carried me.

The Hungry Boy

Mummy:

It's amazing how Matt is always hungry. But then I find out from other Nov 2007 mummies I know from the Singapore Motherhood forum, that their babies are like that too. Matt feeds every 2-3 hours. And at times when he is really hungry, he wails and he wails very loud, with his whole face turning red and grouchy (like "关公"). And then his head will start rolling around, with his mouth open and tongue licking away for milk (probably that's how Matt has trained his neck muscles up so early at 4 weeks old). He will stretch his body, wave his hands and kicks his legs. At times, he will start biting his hands cum mittens...

Lucky one mummy show this information with us... See this link... http://www.kellymom.com/bf/pumping/milkcalc.html. I have gradually started increasing his intake of milk during his feeds, from 60ML (since discharge from hospital), slowly by 10ML each time to the 100ML he is taking now. But he always seem to gulp down his milk and finish the entire milk bottle, that it looks like he is not taking enough. Will have to keep monitoring and see how, but Mummy is stressed, cos not sure if can produce so much milk milk to feed little Matthias...

There was this afternoon whereby I put him onto my lap and teased him by placing my finger near his mouth. See his reaction...

The Cantonese Traditions for 满月...

This morning, after 奶奶 bathed me, 爷爷, 奶奶 and Mummy did a few funny things to me that they never did in the past. They say these need to be done at babies' 满月.

1. I found my 2 sideburns missing. Then I realise when Mummy was holding me up, 奶奶 has cut them. Apparently, this is to mean "快高长大". Lucky Mummy decided to keep the rest of my hair and only cut a bit at the sideburns. See the photo below. My sideburns are missing now.
   
2. 爷爷 took his shaver out and put it across my eyebrows. Ooops, let me check out in the mirror. Are my eyebrows still there? Luckily, they are. 爷爷 did that action just for a 意识. This will mean so that I can grow up to be a "醒目仔" (in Cantonese; AKA being "streetsmart").


3. Then 奶奶 did something even more funny. She took a hard boiled egg and rubbed it all over my face. Hmmm, I have no bruises on my face, nor do I have teeth to bite the egg, what's the egg for, I wondered. Then she told Mummy it's so that my face will be "smooth smooth" like the hard boiled egg. See the remnants of the egg on my face...
   

Another Penny for Mummy's Thoughts

It has been a difficult evening. Matt has been fussing since I fed him at 6 plus in the evening till now (it's almost midnight already)... I tried everything I could to pacify him... feed him... change his diaper... carry him... put him to sleep on his tummy... Nothing seems to work. It looked obvious to me he is tired and wants to sleep, but simply refuses to...even when I hold him in his favourite position, close to my heart... He was kicking away...I simply can't figure out why as I could usually calm and smoothe him down that way...And now when I finally got him to sleep and lay him into his little cot and I looked at the clock. It's more than 2 hours since his last feed...ooops, he needs milk again soon...


It's now 3AM. And I have just finished feeding Matt and expressing milk. He slept since midnight and only woke up around 2AM for his feed, after which he went back to sleep immediately. This little rascal must be tired from throwing tantrums the entire evening. This time, I managed to drag the time before his feeds for 4 and 1/2 hours. Now he only wakes up once in the night for feeds, between his last feed and first feed in the morning. Hopefully, soon he will learn to sleep throughout the night.


It's been a daily routine since 15 November 2007, even at the hospital as I insisted on taking care of him myself in the ward. A daily routine of every 2-3 hours to feed him, change his diaper, express milk. Then before you know it, the cycle starts again... Honestly, thank God for the Internet and MSN. If not, I really wonder how I can have some sanity time... I haven't even got time to read the magazines my girlfriends brought last week when they came to visit me, nor time to watch my favourite HK serials.

A Messy Baby

I woke up this morning and realise what a mess I am in. My booties and blanket were kicked away. Even the sheets covering my little cot is messed up. Lucky I am still so small, if not, I am sure Mummy would get me to make my own bed...




Ever since Mummy put me on my tummy to sleep or nap, I have been sleeping all over. Check this out... Still in my "Surrender All" position and with my Butt lifted up...

Baby Talk

Hmmm, it's countdown time (another 3 more days to go...) to my 1st month celebration this Saturday, 15 Dec. I can "TELL" that Mummy is dying to get out of her confinement (and also the house) to do her Christmas shopping, get her hair done (Mummy says she hasn't gotten a hair colour since CNY cos she was pregnant with me...) and do her other grooming stuff...before Christmas.

Think the rest of December is going to be exciting, with my 1st month celebration and all the Christmas parties Mummy got invited to (I am sure I am on the invitation list as well). Mummy says I need to be a good boy and behave before she brings me with her. I am dying to go along to "COLLECT" my Christmas presents... Wonder what Christmas presents I will get.

Mummy's good friends are having a Christmas party on Christmas Eve night with the theme "Uniforms". I have already decided what I am going to wear... Let's keep it a secret for the time being... Perhaps I will get the "BEST DRESSED" award that night...

More Tummy Time...

Every day, Mummy put me on my tummy to let me have some tummy time. As usual, this morning while I was having my tummy time, Mummy took photos and videos of me. Check this out... I am making good progress... I can turn from side to side now...

Update:
Later tonight, Mummy tried putting me to sleep with me lying on the tummy...This is a much more comfortable position and I sleep better too... I can even turn my head myself from side to side when sleeping... Check out Belly Baby_Take Three and Four for full swings of my head as I progressed day after day...

Belly Baby_Take One (taken 11 Dec 2007)

Belly Baby_Take Two (taken 11 Dec 2007)

Belly Baby_Take Three (taken 12 Dec 2007)

Belly Baby_Take Four (taken 13 Dec 2007)

A Penny for Mummy's Thoughts

It has been such a busy time adjusting to Matthias' daily routine that I have yet to pen down my thoughts so far. This boy has been a wonderful addition to me and YJ's life. Wonder why we put off having a baby for so long (since we have been married for 4 and 1/2 years by the end of this year already). We figured that little Matt is more like me than Daddy cos:

1. He can roll his tongue like Mummy (Daddy cannot...)
2. He has Mummy's big feet...
3. He is more quick tempered (Very fierce when crying for milk...)
4. He's got Mummy's double eyelids (although not obvious, but can still see a bit...)
5. He's got Mummy's nose...
   

There have been many lessons learnt these few weeks. My boss in Shanghai asked me "How is Motherhood?" Guess what my answer was. I replied " Tough, tougher than I thought. Working on a US IPO was easier". These were my exact words...Haha, people who know me well or work with me would know and describe me as a workaholic. Now I still compare work to taking care of a baby...When I told my colleague back in Shanghai about this, he said I should stop thinking about work and focus on my baby now.

I guess one thing I really learnt is to be more patient. Learn to listen to little Matt's cries and try to see what he is crying for or unhappy about. And it's been really tough, taking care of him alone, with YJ back in Shanghai, especially during the nights, where I have to wake up to warm up milk to feed Matt, then change his diaper, put him to sleep (usually he needs to be carried...), then express milk for next feeds. And this can happen 2 times during the night. And by the time morning comes, I am zonked out...There were a few times when he was crying for milk in the middle of the night, I felt like stuffing his mouth up...I HAD to drag myself awake and out of bed to prepare his milk. It was especially bad at first cos Matt's day and night timetable was overturned (He was living on US timezone...Maybe cos he was born at night...). But I can tell it is getting better as he stays awake for a few more hours in the day and then sleep a bit more at night. I must say I am proud of him for the last 2 nights, where he fell asleep in his little cot beside me, without me having to carry him.

Oh, one more thing. His pooing and peeing...He was naughty for a few days...Poo pooed when I was changing his diaper... Got his poo poo all over the sheets covering his little cot and the ends of my pyjamas pants.. Then guess what, he peed into his clothes... I was really so mad...Happened for a few times...Now I get "terrified" of changing his diapers for him...But my frustrations left me whenever I see him back into a peaceful slumber after his diaper change. Guess this is true meaning of motherhood...

Well, I may not have done the best for little Matt so far, but I have definitely done my best to take care of him... Hopefully as I learn more about his habits and routine, it will be easier to take care of him...

I need a Passport...

Daddy and Mummy are going to bring me back to Shanghai with them after Chinese New Year. But before I can go with them, I need to make a passport and a visa. It's hard to take a good passport photo for me now, as I haven't learnt how to pose yet. Is this good enough?

A Quiet Moment by Myself...

爷爷 left me alone on the couch this morning, so I had a quiet moment by myself. I started playing with myself. Check out what I am doing...

Acting all good and quiet...

Time for some exercise...

Exercise is so tiring... panting away...

Getting sleepy... I need a nap...

I can roll My Tongue...

Mummy says when I first came out of her womb, I already know how to roll my tongue (Mummy also can do this!!!) and play with saliva... But Daddy still doesn't know how to roll his tongue... Let's give him a lesson or two to teach him...

If you dun believe me, check out the videos taken by Daddy in the labour ward immediately after I am born...

Rolling Tongue_Take One

Rolling Tongue_Take Two

My Flying Kick...

Mummy says I have learnt to kick this week... And sometimes when I cry for milk, I kick hard... See, she has caught me in the act... Hope Daddy won't scold me for being naughty...

Belly Baby???

Mummy read somewhere that it is important for me to have some "tummy" time for myself every day to strengthen my neck muscles, which will help me push up, roll over, sit up, and crawl. So Mummy put me on my tummy on the bed. Little does Mummy know that I already have had "tummy" time whenever she put me on my tummy onto her. I have already learnt to move my head and lift it side to side...