Bye Bye Ah Tai

Just left grandma's place and mummy got a call.

Uncle called and told mummy that Ah Tai (my great grandma) passed away at about 8plus at night. Don't have much memories with her but mummy says that when I was younger, I was afraid of her, maybe because of her looks. Cos she's old you see.

Her last known age is 104. Rest in peace Ah Tai.

Letter from Mummy #8

In a wink of an eye, you are now 24months. Its a whole 2years old since you were first put on my arms in the hospital. The hospital you were born in no longer exists as it has changed its name. So what's in your birth certificate is a rare commodity.

The last few months before your turned 2 was such an ordeal. Where you had to take in tons of medicine and see the doctor for n-times. Not sure why this is taking place but I really pray that before your 25th month, you will just be cleared from all the medicine and be back to your normal healthy and wholesome self.

Its always a joy having you around but if you were not that demanding and not that much a cry baby, it would have been better. Maybe I have placed an expectation on you that you cannot reach. Sometimes, I have to constantly remind myself that you are just turning 2 and not 3. Maybe because you are hit your milestones way earlier than your peers or maybe because you are born in the 2nd month of the year. Please help remind mummy that you are just 2 and not 3.

My prayer for you as your turn 2 is that God will continue to bless you and that you will come to know who Jesus is and that you will be my healthy baby once again.

Happy Birthday Netanya

Letter from Mummy #7

Dearest Baby
In a few months time, you will turn 2. Its just so fast. In fact, you are growing so quickly that sometimes I do wish that you would slow down just a little so that I can enjoy that moment with you. However, at the same time, I wish that you would quickly turn 3 so that you will be out of this stage which you are in that is so very challenging. The terrible twos stage where you just simply throw your tantrums just because you are frustrated and things are not going your way.

Well, I know that this is a phase that you will have to go through and I hope that I will be more patient. However, sometimes you just want to push your limits until it makes me angry and I pray God will help me.

Feeding you is like a chore nowadays cos you tend to get distracted so easily and I'm not sure if the food tastes yucky to you or not but you simply have so much difficulty eating your own food but not our food. I wonder why. They taste better?

Milk feeds are like a sacred thing that only Mummy is able to do and not anyone else especially with the bottle. And you have simply opted to use the small cups in your grandparents' place instead of the milk bottles. And apart from mummy and grandma, no one else seem to be able to have your permission to feed you milk. I wonder why too. Maybe next time when you are older you can tell me ok?

I just pray that with all these going on, you will continue to grow healthy and fine. And that God will bring us through this phase as soon as possible and that I will enjoy seeing you grow.

Letter from mummy

Dearest Netanya
You turn 18 months today and you are getting cuter and wittier as the days go by. Although sometimes you still make me angry and still has your ways with your drinking and eating, I still thank God for growing you and making my worries about your growth become in vain.

With your ability to communicate now, life is much simpler and its quite fun sometimes trying to decipher what you are trying to say. Your intelligence just makes me wonder what is going through your mind sometimes. Your cheekiness leaves me in a dilema if I should be angry at you or laugh at you.

I believe there are still lots more to learn about you and from you and I am looking forward to more days spent with you. :)

May God fill you with joy and love so that you can continue to share them with us. :)

Love
Mummy

Letter from Mummy

Dear Netanya
Time seem to have just whizzed by like that when I see you grow. Now that you are wanting to be more independent and know how to negotiate with us, it seems like you are such a big girl already. Although at times, you still may not know what you say or indicate exactly, but I'm sure God is still giving you the wisdom and knowledge of what is going on around you.

Sometimes, you still are stubborn and still want things your way though it may not be the best. Although you make mummy and daddy frustrated sometimes with your not wanting to finish your milk and food, its always a challenge. Those times when you are scolded, those times when you were being spanked, it hurts my heart as I did those things. Help mummy to be more patient ok?

At 15 months, may God continue to grow you and give you wisdom and protect you from all kinds of diseases and illnesses. Stay happy and joyful always. :)

Paichu Paichu

Dady and mummy don't have an idea what that means but I just love saying it. :p

Mummy taught me call to call her. For now, whenever I call her, it would be..........

"Ma-Ni"

Therefore, Mummy = Money. hahahahaha

Letter from Mummy #4

Dear Netanya

Looking back this one year, we have gone through laughter, cries, anger, and mostly joy in seeing you grow up. Looking back at one year, there could have been times when mummy could have been more patient with you. Looking back one year, there could have been so many more things you could have done. Looking back one year, there could be times when you wouldn't have fallen sick. Looking back one year, the thought of you coming out from mummy's womb is just indescribable. How God has formed you and molded you to who you are, using you to teach daddy and me the various things in our lives as well as knowing how the Father heart feels each time disobedience is from the child. Truely you have been a blessing and a gift from God. This mummy has to constantly remind myself.

Mummy realised that this blog wasn't created right from the beginning and there are things missing from birth till you were about 2 months. I'm including the experience of how I delivered you to serve as a reminder of the goodness of God as well as how you came out for your first cries.

May you continue to grow strong and healthy.

27th Feb (2208hrs)
Felt abit of pain around my tummy. Seems like some muscle cramps. Its not the first time as it happened before on the 26th Feb with some regular interval but didn't last long. So thought was another false alarm. Decided to just monitor and watch TV. Noted down the timing on my table.

2300hrs
Pain is at 7 mins interval and each lasting about 40-60seconds. Decided to call up my gynae to see what I should do. Gynae called back and told me that if pain gets worse, to just go to the hospital. Decided to watch TV first and then decide later since its close to midnight and it would be more worth it to go in after midnight.

28th Feb 0130hrs
Pain was still there and seems that it has gotten abit more painful. Decided to go into the hospital. Got changed, folded the clothes that was left in the baby's room, took the necessary stuff and to the hospital we went having the thought of what if we get chased home due to false alarm.

0200hrs
Registered at the A&E, brought up to delivery ward, told to strip down and change to gown without any undergarments (felt so weird). Nurse came to ask many questions, hook on to CTG machine (felt like a prisoner), took BP, did a VE -_-''' and guess what! I was still 1cm dilated!! haha. That was like 2 weeks ago 1cm, 2 weeks later still 1cm..:p Tried to get some sleep and watched tv but still there was still that regular pain. So had to try not to think about it but seems that the pain was getting more painful.

0445hrs
Felt like a kick in the tummy, thought was my girl kicking again but then heard a slight pop and felt something coming out from below. Thought was my pee (cos was abit high tide and wasn't allowed to go to toilet to pee cos of the CTG) but seems like cannot control so i knew was the waterbag that broke. Called the nurse, she came in and check, indeed was water bag. Told her want to pee and she shoved a bedpan below my buttock. Took me forever to pee. NEver liked the bed pan.

0530hrs
Gynae had to deliver someone from next room and after her delivery, she came in to check. Another VE -_-''' and still 2cm. Seems that its a confirmation that the 1cm 1hour dilated is not medically proven..:p

0600hrs
Nurses change shift and realised that they didn't prepare the gas for me to standby. Pain was abit more intense and needed to pee but didn't want to do the pan. Thank God the other shift nurse was kinder. Managed to get off the CTG to go to the toilet to pee.

0730hrs
Gynae came to do morning rounds. Did the VE again -_-'''. Dilated 3cm. She did a stretch (GOSH!~) to make it 4cm. Asked me if I wanted the labour to be fast or slow. I told her please let me get over and done with. Went ahead to do the drip to make the contractions come in faster and mentioned that by 12pm or 1pm, the baby would be out and more painful contractions could be felt in half an hours time.

0830hrs
Nurse came in and ask if I could bear the pain. I told her still bearable and she increased the dosage of the drip. Almost immediately, the pain was quite bad.

0900-0930hrs
Pain increased tremendously. Was in a state of high due to the gas already and almost giving in to pethidine.1000hrsPain was bad. Decided to ask the nurse for the injection. She did another VE -_-'''. Dilation is only 5cm and mentioned that there's approximately 2 more hours to go. I was like give me the drug!!! The pain was such that when there's pain I didn't feel any pain. When there isn't a contraction, I felt pain. Maybe was the gas.

1030hrs
I was in lala land. Not knowing exactly what was going on. Only remembering a nurse asking me if there was a wanting to pass motion feeling and I told her yes. Think the nurse did another VE but this time I didn't feel anything. Reason being, I was ready to deliver. They called my gynae.

1040 hrs
Gynae arrived. Heard her saying something like why you so fast. haha

1048hrs
Hearing people around me (the nurses and my gynae) shouting push push push. Ok and in one big push, baby Netanya Teo was delivered.That's how she came. Fast and furious.

Letter from Mummy

Dear Baby
Its been 9 months. I still remember last year during this time, we were still anticipating your arrival and you were still contorting within. Putting you at my chest now, you seem to be as tall as my torso measures. How fast you have grown and I am just amazed at the speed you are growing.

At times, I wish you would stay put at where you are and stop growing so quickly but at the same time, I wish you would grow up quickly so you could enjoy the fullness of your life. However, I believe God has His own timing in your life and all that you are going through, your milestones are all in His time.

Although you still do not like to eat sometimes and seem to be quite picky on the type of food that you eat, I'm still glad that you are growing well. Though not in the 75th or 90th percentile, as long as you are not underweight and gowing well, its alright. As long as when you reach 1, you will be able to wean off abit of your milk, it would be fine. You seem to be like a non-Chinese baby whereby you prefer cereals and jar food to porridge. Maybe you are like Mummy, self claimed "ang moh lang". Or maybe because both Daddy and Mummy do not like to eat porridge that's why you have the same reaction to it. I just hope that what I am giving you is enough for your growth nutritionally.

My prayer for you as you turn 9 months, that you would grow healthy, continue to explore the things around you as much as possible and realise what you are able to do as a human being. Most importantly that you will one day come to know who Jesus is. Stay cheerful and beautiful my baby. :)

Love,
Mummy

Letter from Mummy

Dearest Netanya
Seems like just yesterday you were a tiny little being in our household. Today you turn 6 months which means you are in our lives for 6 months already. How quickly time passes by and how big you have grown.

I thank God that after two and a half months of sleep drinking, you have suddenly started to want to drink while you are awake. And I was thinking so hard of ways to help you drink and eat when its time to introduce solids to you. You showed me that my worrying was in vain.

Although you still have your quirky habits and tantrum throwing moments, the smiles and the laughter on you face just brightens my day. At times I got frustrated with your cryings screamings for no apparent reason and even smacked you a couple of times on the thigh, you don't seem to hold any grudge towards me. I'm sorry.

You are so active and you are just like me not liking afternoon naps. You love to sing and love to talk so much that even though we do not understand you, we try our best to communicate with you. You always love to be on your tummy and you can't wait to crawl that you are now moving backwards and trying ever so hard to move forward without any result. Yet day by day you do not give up and you keep trying. Persevere my baby. You'll get to crawl soon.

Seeing that you have adapted well in your grandma's house on days when I had to go to the office, makes me feel less burdened.

Half a year has gone past for you and more months/years are waiting for you to conquer and experience. My prayer for you is that you will continue to grow and experience life to the fullest.

Happy 6th month old my little baby. :)

A letter from Mummy

Dear baby

Today you turn 12 weeks old. I can still vaguely remember the day when you first popped out into our life. That first cry you made in the delivery ward and the looks on your face and the somewhat curly hair that was on your head when I first carried you in my arms, still dazed from the gas that daddy was feeding me with to ease the labour pains. From that day onwards, life for me has just taken a flight to another level. Now seeing your teethless smiles and hearing your laughter is something that will be etched forever in my heart.

Taking care of you single-handedly since you turned 1.5months old, it has been a very challenging but yet enjoyable time with you. Bonding with you at home just the two of us. Though right from the start even before you were born, mummy decided to breastfeed you fully but circumstances made it so hard for me and it was quite depressing during that phase of time. You love to sleep at the breast which makes it even harder. It was a struggle for me even to introduce to you the bottle and teat when you were just 3 weeks old. But mummy was concerned about your growth and you seemed hungry all the time, I had no choice gave in to the circumstances. However, having the thoughts of wanting to give up on breastfeeding, I still wanted you to enjoy the taste of natural milk. So from then until now, you have been drinking some breastmilk at least once a day. Although the amount that mummy express out cannot allow you to enjoy one full feed, I am glad that there's still some milk you can take. Thank you for helping me persever. Now you weigh a whooping 5.48kg (i think you gained somemore), I'm glad that you are growing well.

You have been a fiesty little girl, crying like as if there will be no tomorrow when you needed something, be it milk, change of diapers, bathing, changing clothes, etc. Till now, you are still crying whenever you have waited long enough for it. You seem to be growing faster than your peers (as what your PD says), having such strength in your legs, you can't wait to walk. Having such strength in your neck, you could turn your head while sleeping when you were a few weeks old. Having such strong vocals, you started cooing talking and holding a "conversation" when you were two months old. Having a love for music, you know how to sing along and friends who have witnessed that were amazed at what you can do. Teething is something which you may be experiencing right now as you love to put that fist of yours into your mouth and salivating.

You have your quirky patterns especially when it comes to milk time, we are still trying very hard to adapt to your ways. The things you have taught us (or at least me), are priceless. Praying that you would be a patient baby, ended up in God teaching us how to be patient with you. As small as you are, you are already a teacher to me and my prayer for you is that you will continue to grow and be strong, being God fearing and having the joy of the Lord with you always and being a blessing and gift to the people around you as you were a gift from God to us (That's how your name came about).


Though mummy will be heading back to work soon, I will miss taking care of you during those days when I have to be back in the office. Leaving you at your grandma's when daddy and mummy is in the office was not the ideal thing that mummy would want to do. Lookng after you myself would be the best. However, mummy may be able to look after you for the majority of the week and only 2 days you would be with your grandma. Hope that you will adapt well and grow well there. Being contradicting, mummy wants you to grow up but yet not grow up so quickly.

I'm sure there will be more intereesting things about you that both daddy and mummy is yet to find out. Will be looking forward to those days ahead. Happy 12 weeks old. :)

My 1st entry

Finally my mummy has decided to start a blog for me. My name is Netanya, which means God's gift. My chinese name is 张恩慧. My parents chose this name for me cos I am a gift from God to them and they have waited for my arrival for a couple of years. Here's some facts about me before I start to ramble on.

• Born on the 28th Feb 2008 at East Shore Hospital
• I am the princess of the Teo household
• My parents are Papa Jon and Mama Mich
• I weighed 2.815kg when I first landed in my mummy's doctor's hands
• I was 49.5cm tall then
• I was out of my mummy's tummy at 10.48am
• I was given the BCG and did the hearing test and I passed!

I guess this blog is to help mummy remember all the milestones in my life and I think she has quite a bad memory so probably this would help her. Currently, I am already 7 weeks and 4 days old and alot has happened since I was borned.

• I weigh 4.8kg now
• I am 55cm now
• I had my 1st Hepatitis B on the 18th March.
• I just had my 1st dose of 6-in-1 on the 18th April. Made me so tired that I slept through the day and had slight fever in the night and was given some medication by my parents
• I am drinking Enfalac A+ and some of mummy's breastmilk
• I can already coo adn talk to my parents in my own language though they do not understand what I am trying to say
• I love to show my daddy and mummy my beautiful teethless smile
• I can use my eyes to follow objects that attract me

There's 7 weeks of update but I don't think I will update here cos it would be too long. Probably will just start from where I am now. My mummy's slow in doing such things. Sigh. But nevermind, there's a long journey ahead of me. Look out for more!!!