No More Problems!
Alden is now eating well, at first he was put on S26, Karen preferred this infant formula brand by default because apparently its her family tradition, her brother and sister also were brought up on S26. Funnily enough, my mum also used S26 on myself, Kenneth and Billy; my brothers. So we were quite content with using S26. We managed to control the vomiting baby, it seems that this is due to the mixture of mother's milk and baby as well. Not because of GERD or Pyloric Stenosis. So panic's over!
Since then, we've switched over to Enfalac A+ that seems to work well as well. Apparently my mum said that people told her that S26 creates fat babies. My mum seems to have something against fat people hence, she encouraged the change. There weren't any ill effects from the switch either. We also found a nice little shop located near the badminton hall near Ming Tien that sells really cheap baby formula, where is it? Well, if you look across the street from 7-11 at Taman Megah you'll find the entrance to the badminton hall parking lot. Simply drive through it half way and you'll find the shop. So go tell people who are having babies now. The stuff there are like nearly 10% cheaper than the hypermarket ones. At the rate Baby Alden is finishing the formula, I think it's a good thing we found the shop. He's now steadily consuming 6 ounces per feed, with 3 hours between feeds.
My mum also took a hiatus to balik tong san (visit China). So she'll be off grandma duty for about 2 weeks. Thank God Karen's mum took a 2 week leave to relieve her, so grandma 2 will "enjoy" his company for the next following 2 weeks.
He also took his second round of shots and the doctor warned that he might develop a fever from the reaction to the shot, so taking the advice of Karen's mum we bought a nice temperature monitoring strip. Very functional, it reads the person's temperature right down to the nearest .2 of a degree within 7 seconds of resting it on the forehead. With a baby that's an achievement, cause Alden likes to move his head randomly.... Anyway, he was fine, did not develop a temperature or anything. So that shot went well :)
Enjoy the pictures!
Monday, November 29, 2004
Wednesday, November 10, 2004
Monday, November 08, 2004
Back Home From Pantai
The Results
So they went in for "observation" and well, no one actually "observed" the duo much. I'm quite upset over the fact that no one really came and observed them, it was like blow RM500 a day at the hospital thing. And the doctor also wanted to do a Barium test with X-rays to boot. Well, I don't know if I want to go to Pantai Hospital anymore, Karen also said their service isn't really that great, they did not manage to get her things that she has requested. However, it wasn't ALL bad, they have ASTRO...... HHHAHAHAA!! Besides that, their new wing is really impressive, it's like stepping into a hotel. Very nice and modern!
The Tests
The Doctor did do an ultrasound however, that wasn't very conclusive, "nothing wrong" he said, so he came out with GERD instead.. GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease!!! That's why he recommended the Barium tests to "rule out any possibilities". However, what they did at Pantai was to make baby Alden sleep at an inclined angle, hence, he doesn't even throw up anymore. During feeding, baby Alden was kept at an angle as well, so that his head is above his body, that solved a lot of problems, as it was a bit worrying to see him throw up milk during feed as well. I did tell Karen that his a bit too horizontal, even I would have trouble keeping fluids down if I were sleeping and drinking at the same time. He did vomit, but just a little bit, like a wet burp, so that's not a worry.
The Verdict
I hope stating this won't come to haunt me later on, I think he's fine, just that he requires a little more angle during feeding and resting, now we understand why he seems to sleep better in the bouncinette (which is a bit inclined) rather than on flat surfaces. So the next mission is to incline whatever surface he rests on so that he doesn't do his vomiting act anymore. We shall see....
So they went in for "observation" and well, no one actually "observed" the duo much. I'm quite upset over the fact that no one really came and observed them, it was like blow RM500 a day at the hospital thing. And the doctor also wanted to do a Barium test with X-rays to boot. Well, I don't know if I want to go to Pantai Hospital anymore, Karen also said their service isn't really that great, they did not manage to get her things that she has requested. However, it wasn't ALL bad, they have ASTRO...... HHHAHAHAA!! Besides that, their new wing is really impressive, it's like stepping into a hotel. Very nice and modern!
The Tests
The Doctor did do an ultrasound however, that wasn't very conclusive, "nothing wrong" he said, so he came out with GERD instead.. GastroEsophageal Reflux Disease!!! That's why he recommended the Barium tests to "rule out any possibilities". However, what they did at Pantai was to make baby Alden sleep at an inclined angle, hence, he doesn't even throw up anymore. During feeding, baby Alden was kept at an angle as well, so that his head is above his body, that solved a lot of problems, as it was a bit worrying to see him throw up milk during feed as well. I did tell Karen that his a bit too horizontal, even I would have trouble keeping fluids down if I were sleeping and drinking at the same time. He did vomit, but just a little bit, like a wet burp, so that's not a worry.
The Verdict
I hope stating this won't come to haunt me later on, I think he's fine, just that he requires a little more angle during feeding and resting, now we understand why he seems to sleep better in the bouncinette (which is a bit inclined) rather than on flat surfaces. So the next mission is to incline whatever surface he rests on so that he doesn't do his vomiting act anymore. We shall see....
Sunday, November 07, 2004
Worrying Eating Habits
What's going on?
Lately Alden has been drinking his milk and then minutes later, vomits it up again. A lot of people have been giving us theories on why this happens and how to solve it. We've tried their way and it all failed. So today on the 8th of November 2004, we finally took him to a Pediatrician and she examined his abdomen and diagnosed that he may have Pyloric Stenosis.
Pyloric Stenosis
Sound worrying, however, I have researched much on the Internet and it says 2 things:
Hah.... well, I have suggested that she expresses her milk into a bottle so that Alden can finish up in about 5 minutes instead of an hour... Milk will go cold, a lot of reasons lah.
Anyways, she's been admitted to Pantai for 1 day of monitoring and observation (technique check on the breastfeeding), so I'll let you know the results after Karen and Alden gets discharged tomorrow.
Lately Alden has been drinking his milk and then minutes later, vomits it up again. A lot of people have been giving us theories on why this happens and how to solve it. We've tried their way and it all failed. So today on the 8th of November 2004, we finally took him to a Pediatrician and she examined his abdomen and diagnosed that he may have Pyloric Stenosis.
Pyloric Stenosis
Sound worrying, however, I have researched much on the Internet and it says 2 things:
- It's normal for babies to have this. It's the second most common affliction to babies after hernias. 5 times more common for boys to have this rather than girls.
- It's very normal to go for a minor surgery that involves cutting and correcting the muscle which controls the passage of food from the stomach to the small intestines.
Hah.... well, I have suggested that she expresses her milk into a bottle so that Alden can finish up in about 5 minutes instead of an hour... Milk will go cold, a lot of reasons lah.
Anyways, she's been admitted to Pantai for 1 day of monitoring and observation (technique check on the breastfeeding), so I'll let you know the results after Karen and Alden gets discharged tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 03, 2004
Chapter 3 : 5th Week has passed!
How's he doing?!
Alden has certainly grown a whole lot more during the month, when we visited the doctor on the 22nd, he weighed in at 5.1 kg, that is an additional 1.6 kg from the original 3.5 kg he was born with. The doctor also commented that his growth is "Superb!". Well, thanks to the really patient mother that he has. Karen has always taken her time while feeding him, the length of feeding time has now increased to about one and half hours per session too. He also got a booster shot for Hepatitis during the visit. Best part is that he didn't cry very much at the doctor's after receiving the shot, just when I thought that we were in the clear, he got hungry and started crying for food. Ahh well, had to feed him infront of everyone at the waiting area at Assunta Hospital. Luckily we loaded up with baby formula...!
Full Moon Party!
Baby Alden's full moon party took place at home on Sunday, the 24th of October 2004. It was quite a big do and a lot of friends and relatives came to share the joy. It was an eventful day, it started quite early in the morning as Karen came and woke me up. "We're cutting his hair!" she said.
"Oh man, nearly missed it!" I thought as I quickly fumbled around and found Chong Lee's video camera. I made my way downstairs and switched the camera on along the way. Alden was already half way through with the hair cut. He has a lot of hair which was standing up and Grandma who was already an expert with cutting boys' hair (after she had 3 boys to practice on for YEARS!) was busily cutting hair which seemed out of place. I quickly video taped whatever "action" I could, which wasn't much actually. At the end of the "ceremony" he looked much better...
My 3rd Auntie slept over the night before and really helped with the chores, at about noon time, it was like a siesta where nearly all Grandma's sisters chipped in with the cooking, cleaning and arranging efforts. It was an easy day for me as I tried to keep myself out of the way for the ladies to do their job. My job was going to start at about 4.30 p.m. (I cook the pasta, see?)
We had a lot of food, unfortunately for me, I don't know how to eat much of the stuff being served. Let me see if I recall the dishes, Yong Tau Foo, Ang Ku, Red Eggs, Vinegar Trotters, Curry Chicken, Pheonix Feet & Mushrooms (heh we all knew was chicken's feet), some sweet green bean kuih desert thing, my pasta with red and white sauces.
The party started at about 6 pm with guests drifting in, I personally had some friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues who also join in the celebrations. Baby Alden however, was very smart, decided to get hungry just when people were demanding to see him, so I had to hustle Karen to finish up, but being the naughty boy who wouldn't be satisfied with half tank milk, he made noise until he was full up. Then, drifted off to sleep some more... hahaha!
Well most of the guests seem to think he looks like me, "Big eyes, sharp nose and so much hair!" they said, thanks to my mother's pinching of his nose? By the time I had some time to eat on my own, I found that my pasta dish was a hit, erm... I didn't get to eat any of the red sauce and the white one, only 1 final helping left. I made a mental note that 500 g of pasta goes well with 640 grams of chicken... That way I won't under or over cook the next time. A bit disappointed that I didn't get to eat my own dish, but at the same time, beamed with pride that I made a dish that was more in demand than any of the chinese stuff (yea, I don't know how to eat any of that....).
Most guests left by 10 pm, I was still entertaining some of my closer friends like Prakash, Chong Lee, Linda, Marion until 12 am. It was late already, hence, we called it a day... I believe that our maid, Sunarti deserves a mention too as she didn't eat until like 11 p.m. and stuck through the whole day working. She's a rare find that woman.
Alden's Personality
According to his Grandfather, he's an intelligent boy, very perceptive and has a whole range of moods to suite. To his mother, Alden's the cutest thing. To his Grandma, he's getting potty trained whether he likes it or not. To me, I think I've finally accepted that I'm his father and well, I can't wait for him to grow up to see who he takes after (or not). I've finally learnt to carry him around without him complaining much... He's moving his head more and more now and during burping likes to look around, very inquisitive child...! He's gurgling a lot more now, often at the end of every feed, he lets off a very contented sound very much like a sigh.. "Haaaahhhh"
If you scold him and chastise him, he'll somehow respond with a "hah...!" Wonder where he learnt that from...? He also recognises faces now and he really doesn't like it when I get too near to his face, like to beat me off with his mittened hands. I think it's my glasses :)
I certainly think that he's grown more mature over the 5 weeks, and starting to shed some of that baby looks. I'll scan some pictures to include in the blog in a bit...! Wait for the VCD ya!!!
Alden has certainly grown a whole lot more during the month, when we visited the doctor on the 22nd, he weighed in at 5.1 kg, that is an additional 1.6 kg from the original 3.5 kg he was born with. The doctor also commented that his growth is "Superb!". Well, thanks to the really patient mother that he has. Karen has always taken her time while feeding him, the length of feeding time has now increased to about one and half hours per session too. He also got a booster shot for Hepatitis during the visit. Best part is that he didn't cry very much at the doctor's after receiving the shot, just when I thought that we were in the clear, he got hungry and started crying for food. Ahh well, had to feed him infront of everyone at the waiting area at Assunta Hospital. Luckily we loaded up with baby formula...!
Full Moon Party!
Baby Alden's full moon party took place at home on Sunday, the 24th of October 2004. It was quite a big do and a lot of friends and relatives came to share the joy. It was an eventful day, it started quite early in the morning as Karen came and woke me up. "We're cutting his hair!" she said.
"Oh man, nearly missed it!" I thought as I quickly fumbled around and found Chong Lee's video camera. I made my way downstairs and switched the camera on along the way. Alden was already half way through with the hair cut. He has a lot of hair which was standing up and Grandma who was already an expert with cutting boys' hair (after she had 3 boys to practice on for YEARS!) was busily cutting hair which seemed out of place. I quickly video taped whatever "action" I could, which wasn't much actually. At the end of the "ceremony" he looked much better...
My 3rd Auntie slept over the night before and really helped with the chores, at about noon time, it was like a siesta where nearly all Grandma's sisters chipped in with the cooking, cleaning and arranging efforts. It was an easy day for me as I tried to keep myself out of the way for the ladies to do their job. My job was going to start at about 4.30 p.m. (I cook the pasta, see?)
We had a lot of food, unfortunately for me, I don't know how to eat much of the stuff being served. Let me see if I recall the dishes, Yong Tau Foo, Ang Ku, Red Eggs, Vinegar Trotters, Curry Chicken, Pheonix Feet & Mushrooms (heh we all knew was chicken's feet), some sweet green bean kuih desert thing, my pasta with red and white sauces.
The party started at about 6 pm with guests drifting in, I personally had some friends, colleagues and ex-colleagues who also join in the celebrations. Baby Alden however, was very smart, decided to get hungry just when people were demanding to see him, so I had to hustle Karen to finish up, but being the naughty boy who wouldn't be satisfied with half tank milk, he made noise until he was full up. Then, drifted off to sleep some more... hahaha!
Well most of the guests seem to think he looks like me, "Big eyes, sharp nose and so much hair!" they said, thanks to my mother's pinching of his nose? By the time I had some time to eat on my own, I found that my pasta dish was a hit, erm... I didn't get to eat any of the red sauce and the white one, only 1 final helping left. I made a mental note that 500 g of pasta goes well with 640 grams of chicken... That way I won't under or over cook the next time. A bit disappointed that I didn't get to eat my own dish, but at the same time, beamed with pride that I made a dish that was more in demand than any of the chinese stuff (yea, I don't know how to eat any of that....).
Most guests left by 10 pm, I was still entertaining some of my closer friends like Prakash, Chong Lee, Linda, Marion until 12 am. It was late already, hence, we called it a day... I believe that our maid, Sunarti deserves a mention too as she didn't eat until like 11 p.m. and stuck through the whole day working. She's a rare find that woman.
Alden's Personality
According to his Grandfather, he's an intelligent boy, very perceptive and has a whole range of moods to suite. To his mother, Alden's the cutest thing. To his Grandma, he's getting potty trained whether he likes it or not. To me, I think I've finally accepted that I'm his father and well, I can't wait for him to grow up to see who he takes after (or not). I've finally learnt to carry him around without him complaining much... He's moving his head more and more now and during burping likes to look around, very inquisitive child...! He's gurgling a lot more now, often at the end of every feed, he lets off a very contented sound very much like a sigh.. "Haaaahhhh"
If you scold him and chastise him, he'll somehow respond with a "hah...!" Wonder where he learnt that from...? He also recognises faces now and he really doesn't like it when I get too near to his face, like to beat me off with his mittened hands. I think it's my glasses :)
I certainly think that he's grown more mature over the 5 weeks, and starting to shed some of that baby looks. I'll scan some pictures to include in the blog in a bit...! Wait for the VCD ya!!!
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