Smiling 3-month Baby Orange :) Can see his hair start to grow back
Baby Orange laughing over some funny tricks Papa did. This Pigeon baby shirt and pants from Cherry's time. It is still soft and durable after about 10 years.
A pensive looking Baby Orange
He is getting more demanding and needs loads of attention. Papa started his extensive and exhaustive travelling from end of June. When he came back from a business trip, Baby Orange didn't seem to recognize him. He looked intently at Papa and cried when Papa carried him. I laughed so much over this as Papa claimed all babies liked him hahaha....
Papa's wefie with Baby Orange, in Baby Cory suit gifted by Cherry from her angpao money
Baby Orange's weight increased to 5.95 kg for month 3 check-up. He got the second DPT immunization for this check-up. The week of head lice nightmare for the older kids, 哥哥 and I got flu and cough, and I passed it to Baby Orange. So that weekend we took him to his paediatrician. No medicine given as he is still too small for it. Dr Cheang helped to "suck" out the nasal mucus (鼻涕) using a tubing/pump machine. He cried and screamed while getting that treatment. I think he got better in about 1 week without medication. I just tried to breastfeed him as much as possible.
Baby Orange's weight increase for 3 months.
姐姐 and 哥哥 didn't have their weight checked at 3 months at that time,
He sometimes refused feedings especially when wide awake and during the stuffy nose episode. Sometimes he didn't get a poop everyday by month 3. We informed Dr Cheang when visiting due to Baby Orange's flu and he checked Baby Orange's tummy by pressing. He said if his tummy is still soft it is ok. And I'm to feed him more. Well, it's probably because he got a stuffy nose that's why not so easy to feed.
EBM freezer storage up to 3 months, started to occupy top shelf. Some storage bags/bottles are of 2 or more pump sessions.
For memory sake, different pump session might yield different results. One bottle EBM with more foremilk (watery substance) and one with more hindmilk (milk fat).
He is still wearing the hand-me-downs from Cherry and 哥哥's time. But he doesn't like one-piece babysuits, he doesn't like it buttoned and doesn't like it unbuttoned as the metal buttons poked at his back when he turned in his sleep. He is fussy over these kind of small things. 哥哥 didn't mind those buttons and he wore those babysuits up to 9 months unbuttoned. Cherry put on lots of weight and couldn't wear those suits anymore after 3 months :P
Now he doesn't really know how to play with toys yet. But he kind of gurgles a lot between 2 to 4 months. He likes being wiped down with warm water after coming back home from Porpor's house.
The ever-playful 哥哥 made LINE selfie stickers for Baby Orange.
How did mommy feel? Well for one, no period returning yet since Baby Orange is still fully breastfeeding. I pump at least once per day whenever Baby Orange goes to por por's house during children's pickups/school runs. Started to get achy left wrist from holding Baby Orange :( Strangely this didn't happen to my right wrist.
And siblings' photos for memory sake. Cherry and 哥哥 during their 3 months. There are some resemblance in certain angles but their facial features looked different to me.
Cherry at 9.5 weeks. Same baby singlet as the one Baby Orange wears.
Cherry smiling at 9.5 weeks, look at those rolls :P
Cherry at 3 months :P
哥哥 at about 10 weeks. Cherry says he looks Thai :P
哥哥 looks tanned as he used to be "sunned" up to 2 months old :P
It was a surprise to us as no announcement was made. He just came back to tell us he was given 2 jabs and a oral medication. The poor boy said they were not given any notice and just queued for the jabs. He said he had to wolf down his tea, as he was holding onto the injection sites with both his hands. So he and his classmates didn't get to go for recess while waiting for the bleeding to stop. He said he felt that his arms were "lenguh" after the injection, and it was like that for about a week (the way he said it was 手酸). Luckily he didn't have any fever, as some children might get fever after such injections.
Here's an immunization schedule for Malaysian children, to see what is in store in the future. I think girls get HPV immunization for Form 1 now? I've asked Baby Orange's paediatrician, seems like they do not give the Year 6 jabs that we girls get during our primary school time, as it's been administered much earlier. But nurse from 姐姐's paediatrician clinic mentioned they will get jabs at Year 6. So I'm totally confused. Will have to see how it is during her Year 6.
Malaysian children's immunization schedule which I cut out from The Star some time ago
For 姐姐, she got her immunization at 5 years old as we followed the private hospital's schedule. We didn't know it is administered free of charge to children at Year 1 (7 years old). Thus she did not get her immunization at school but at the paediatrician's clinic at 5 years old. That's why for 哥哥 we decided to go for the jab done by government nurse at school.
Now it's a family of 3 children for us! I've never thought about having 3 children! It's not that uncommon though. And it's not that uncommon to have quite a big gap in ages for eldest and youngest. But I still can't believe it there's about a 9.5 years gap for 姐姐 and Baby Orange, while it is about a 7.5 years gap for 哥哥 and Baby Orange.
A walk down memory lane with these photos of them at about the same age ....
The children at about their first days
Them at about 10 days
This is about full moon
Shortly after full moon. Don't they look alike? It's 哥哥 and Baby Orange :)
Didn't like comparison, but hey, that's what moms do all the time :P Can I just say weight is just a number?
And some sibling photos to share
With 姐姐, Baby Orange at 10 days old
With 哥哥, Baby Orange at 10 days old
These are when 哥哥 is about the same age.
哥哥 is about 12 days here, 姐姐 about 2 years 2 months old
Baby Orange is 1 month old! He's growing well, 姐姐and 哥哥 are excited to have him back home :)
There were some full moon rituals that i followed at the confinement home, some which I didn't know of during confinement with 姐姐 and 哥哥.
First is getting Baby Orange's hair shaved. Not only that, we got his eye brows shaved too :p 姐姐 did not get her hair shaved somehow. Her hair eventually dropped by 3 or 4 months of age, and it got messy when it's accumulated on her pillow. So after her, 哥哥 got his hair shaved and it's more hygienic for baby, so that the hair doesn't affect the baby. Well, baby's hair is fine and if it got into baby's nostril, it might cause him discomfort and irritation. We follow this local custom more for hygienic purpose.
Before shaving and after shaving, it's a local Chinese custom
This is his before and after photos. Initially he was ok, but as soon as I hold him upright to shave behind his head, he started crying, getting louder and louder until he was screaming. Poor boy, I guess he has had enough of us handling his head by then. I got a video of him here :P
He cried and screamed, but was calmed as soon as he's wrapped up in swaddle.
Then nanny gave him a bottle of EBM :)
Auntie who helped him shave his head also helped to give him a bath and put on baby oil for him on his head. We're supposed to keep his hair in a high place in our home to signify "高". I think auntie meant something like get high position in career and life, something like that :)
The next day is our last day at the confinement center, we are going home! According to those who follow the local Chinese customs, we must bathe in water with 7-coloured flowers (七色花, no white flowers). I think to 'cleanse' ourselves before going home :) This is interesting, bathing in flowers! I got 爸爸 to buy two packs for us, one for Baby Orange and one for me.
Baby Orange's bath with 7-coloured flowers七色花. There's a fruit like lime too (not sure what it's called).
Baby Orange had his bath early in the morning on the day of his full moon. Auntie just dunk the whole pack of flowers into the bath, cut the lime fruit into half and squeezed it into the bath water. It smelt nice! He cried during his bath :P
Smiling in his dream before bath. Then crying during bath with 七色花 :P
Baby Orange's shaved look
In the afternoon it's my turn to take a bath with the 7-coloured flowers (七色花). Kakak prepared the herbal bath for me, and I just dunk everything in the herbal bath water. The lime is really fragrant. I've never bathed in flower water before so this is a new experience :)
The 七色花 in herbal bath
After all the rituals are done, and after dinner, it's time to go home! One of the nannies gave me a Chinese calendar for the day Baby Orange is born for memory sake. It's special! We didn't keep Chinese calendar for the older two children, didn't even thought about it.
Nanny said this is Baby Orange's Chinese "birth cert" :P
Check Baby Orange's weight before I sign out.
He weighed 3.95 kg during his first month checkup the next day. He had put on about 1 kg since birth!
Some photos at confinement center before we go back to our home.
My room at confinement center
A flowering plant outside confinement center, 姐姐 took this photo
With 姐姐
An important milestone, he is breastfed for 1 month!
Ticker from Lilypie :) Dare not put active ticker :P
This calls for an individual post for 弟弟. For getting his first permanent tooth and losing his first baby tooth at about 6 years 8 months of age :) Just a week after he told us of his shaky tooth, 爸爸 helped him remove that shaky tooth easily, right after he came back from business trip.
弟弟 after his first baby tooth removal. The new permanent tooth is already visible from this photo :)
There was no tears nor screams, what a brave boy! 爸爸 is already experienced in handling children's loose teeth, so it was handled promptly. 弟弟 was very cheeky after getting the annoying loose tooth removed. Hopefully the permanent tooth will grow properly in the location it's supposed to. Otherwise it's another child visiting the orthodontist in the family :P
At night, we went to Ric's Burger again. This time 爸爸 get to try the rice burger. The rest of us still preferred their cheeseburger :)
Rice burger at Ric's Burger, only available dinner time.
弟弟‘s kindy recently passed a memo to the kids about their year-end concert. Parents have to pay RM100 for the costume and event, which is fine with us. However the next part about serving buffet at the ballroom after the concert, paying RM90 per adult and RM50 for additional child attending is a real turn-off. This kindy is really all about money-making and sucks parents' blood dry. Previously the other kindy both kids attend only charge for costumes and event. In the end, we decided only 爸爸 will attend his graduation concert, 姐姐 might be having her Yamaha Grade 9 exam around the same time, so it's no use paying now and not get to attend later.
Oh this reminds me, they also had a memo saying they now have pre-standard 1 preparation for the kids. If they can't even teach 6 years old syllabus properly, why should we send our child to them for pre-standard 1. That's why I just added a ticker to the sidebar to celebrate 弟弟 finishing kindy. We'll be glad for him to leave this kindy behind!
姐姐's Standard one Orientation Day! Take a photo of her in new school uniform as momento. See the pinafore is below her knees. But as this post is ~2 mths back-dated, the pinafore is now slightly above her knees. We just manage to get the memo from her ballet school to allow her to keep her hair, but must be kept in a bun for school.
弟弟 sneak into the class and we just take a photo with him at the desk 姐姐 just sat. She told us now she is sitting at different place.
姐姐 in her class
Waiting at the school hall. Orientation started with introduction of all the teachers and speech by Principal.
In the class again. The children are given some exercises to do in class. Not sure if the other classes started doing work, but 姐姐's class started right away. They were given text books and work books during Orientation Day.
We like this school because it is considered near our home and have only 4 classes this year, less than 40 children in each class. Actually when we register we didn't know it's 4 classes, but it's a bonus. I cannot imagine sending the children to school with 10 classes~! There are actually schools with 10 classes for standard 1. Imagine the crowd at the canteen and after school jam. The school is quite organized, they hv time-table and whole year program schedule from the start. They also send notices to parents to inform about important stuff, such as replacement classes, special occasions, collection of school fees, special things to bring etc.
Fortunately this year is starting KSSR, new syllabus for Primary One kids. Seems like more comprehension and understanding is emphasized. We hope she love learning at her new school.
姐姐 came back this week from ballet practise to say that Ms Grace asked them to learn to use chopstick. Not sure why this is required for ballet practise, but it's something we had meant to do but keep procrastinate. Now is a good time since Ms Grace mentioned. Here's her trying to pick up a piece of cake with chopstick. She manage to do it thus the victorious smile :)
