Adino Online

You know, I was just looking at this photo and I noticed something on my forehead. Something that wasn’t there before.

Well. Maybe it was there. But it was never so noticeable.

Maybe it’s the weird lighting or the extra high ISO setting, but I can’t help but realize that my mole on my forehead is growing.

Okay I know what you’re going to say.

“Adino, you’re so vain. Nobody’s looking at your face. We’re looking at Rachel”

“Are you molophobic? You molcist!”

“Don’t make a mountain out of a mole la, you drama queen”

“Err… you need to lay off those Cheezels and Big Macs… can see your double chin already leh”

So do you think I should consider going for those mole-removal surgeries?

P/S: *electronic arpeggio…. ding ding ding ding*

Page-jing for Klang Valley bloggers, Page-jing for Klang Valley bloggers…

Did you hear about Rinnah and Paris B’s Klang Valley bloggers get-together on May 31st? Those who are interested, please send an email to Rinnah to RSVP.

If you don’t know what that is, it means Reserve Seats Very Promptly. Okay I made that up.

*descending electronic arpeggio…. ding ding ding ding… and resume cheesy shopping mall music*

Baby Rachel was admitted to hospital yesterday afternoon for phototherapy (which is why I didn’t blog).

Her bilirubin (thanks Siew Lee!) count is 260. Doctor is worried that it could go higher, which is why he suggested phototherapy before it got serious.

With heavy hearts and wet eyes we brought baby to hospital.

We’re not allowed to stay with baby, because she’s in the phototherapy room with other babies.

We’re only allowed to visit for feeding.

She looks quite peaceful and contented lying there under the light. According to nurses, she only cries when she is hungry.

Good girl.

We hope baby can come home today.

In the room are three other baby boys… good thing they are blindfolded and can’t look at my daughter (grrr…)

Update: Baby’s back home!

I’m so in love…

My family…

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Thank you everyone for your congratulations and well wishes.

I apologize that I don’t have time to reply to each individual comment. I’ve spent the whole day at the hospital with my darlings.

Today I found out that parenthood is a very humbling experience.

I used to think that I knew a lot about lots of things.

Now I know that I don’t know anything at all.

I now have the utmost respect for my parents for raising me.

I respect all you parents who have survived this tremendously difficult task. It’s my first day, and I’m already overwhelmed.

Our hearts break each time baby Rachel cries and we have no idea what she needs.

We’re having some difficulty getting started with breastfeeding. Princess Rachel sucks for a few seconds, and when she finds that she isn’t getting any milk, she gives up and refuses to open her mouth. If we keep persisting, she starts to cry until she turns beet red. *sob sob*

Any expert advice?

Other than that, so far it’s wonderful. Today I rocked baby to sleep in my arms. Today she opened her eyes to look for me when she heard my voice. Today I think she smiled at me.

Happy Mother’s Day to my darling wife, my mummy, and all you mothers out there!

P/S: Sorry, no photos today. I’m just too tired.

When doctor was checking Poey Chin, he told us that her water membrane had already burst!

However, he told us that baby has not descended into the pelvis yet. His theory was baby’s head was too big to go through my wife’s pelvis.

He recommended Caesarean section as the safest way to deliver baby.

Fifteen minutes later, Poey Chin was prepped in a labour ward. Half an hour after that, she was wheeled in to the operation theatre

She could not go under general anesthesia because we had taken breakfast, so she used a spinal epidural. I was able to join her in the operation room.

I don’t want to cover all the gory details, but thank God for all those episodes of Grey’s Anatomy we’ve been watching to desensitize me.

All throughout, I was comforting my darling wife because she looked scared.

Within 20 minutes or so, baby came out all crying and looking quite purple.

To cut the long story short (I need a nap, because I’m very tired), mummy and baby are fine.

My baby

Here are some more photos.

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Last night just before we went to bed, my darling Poey Chin told me that there was some pinkish discharge.

Those of you who have gone through this must know what that means.

It means the early stages of labour has begun. According to my reference materials, the “show” may precede labour by 24 to 48 hours.

I couldn’t sleep after that. Not even a wink. The last time I had this sort of insomnia, it was the night before my wedding.

Among the many things going through my head were:

“How am I going to blog about this?”
“How will I get the right photo angles”
“Will they have free wi-fi? I wonder if I can Facebook”
“I wonder if I should Twitter the progress of my wife’s labour”
“Oh dear, I don’t have any snacks for visitors to my home”
“Do I have enough ice cubes?”

Sigh… I guess this proves that blogging is in my blood. So we’re all packed to go. In the photo you will see three bags. One bag for baby’s stuff, one bag for mama’s stuff, and one bag for daddy’s stuff.

What’s in my bag? I have a bible, some reading materials, my pre-natal class notes (final exam coming wor!), my PDA (for my Sudoku fix), a notepad and pen for writing down instructions, a digital camera (with 50% battery charge) and a backup digital camera. I considered bringing my DSLR but I think it will just get in the way.

We’re going to the hospital now to let her doctor examine her.

Poey Chin hasn’t had any contractions yet, but she is having a bit of backache.

Please keep us in your prayers. I’m so excited and nervous (and physically quite tired).

Wait for my good news and photos! I hope it’s gonna be today.

I just realized that I have developed some kind of superpower ability. And it really works. So far I have tested it three times.

Let me clarify that my super power won’t be able to save any cheerleaders.

Some background before I begin. I have been working at my company for almost eight years now.

In this period of time, I have seen almost a hundred people coming and going out my office door. So many people have joined the company and so many have left.

I’ve lost track of the farewell lunches and dinners that I have paid for.

My Heroes Ability is being able to guess with uncanny accuracy that someone is going to resign.

Just the other month, I was predicting to my team lead that a colleague from another team might resign. A few weeks later, she really did.

Two weeks ago I predicted that another colleague was close to resigning. Yesterday we got the bad news.

See? This is a curse, I tell you.

Okay, I admit that it’s not really a heroes ability. It just some signs that I observe:

1. Stepping outside to answer phone calls
2. Stepping outside to answer phone calls with notepad and pen
3. A sudden uncharacteristic burst of emergency leave and MC
4. Reducing social contact with the rest of us
5. Reduced commitment to future projects
6. Saying words like “if I’m still there”
7. Catch them browsing JobStreet (ok, this one is a bit obvious)
8. Coming to work and leaving on time

Do you have this ability too?

What other abilities do you have?

Photo: Piotr Bizior

Last night, I did something horrible to my wife.

This is not the first time. I promised I wouldn’t do it again… but I did.

Some of you will remember the last time this happened. We went through a period of broken trust, a time of healing, of rebuilding that trust.

It all started last night before we went to bed. We decided to switch places because my normal side of the bed was under the ceiling fan. I was cold and she was hot so we switched places.

Early in the morning, I was sleeping in my inverted-Superman position when I felt the urge to turn to my side.

WHACK!

My right elbow hit the left side of my darling’s face.

I’m so sorry dear. Worse still, I think I apologized and promptly went back to sleep.

Her face is now a little swollen.

Sigh…

I don’t think I will allow our daughter to sleep on our bed next time.

Photo: Half Orc

AAARRRGGGHHH!

I’m so sick of it!

There are just some people who are raised in uncivilized families who happen to live in my condo. Their mission is to irritate me day and night, forever ruining my public holidays and weekends.

Here are three shining examples:

1. The elephants upstairs

There are two or three kids living above my condo unit. Every evening without fail, they will chase each other around the house. Step step bang bang STOMP STOMP RUMBLE RUMBLE. *imagine some dust falling from my ceiling to my chicken soup*

After they get tired of that, they will play with their toy Legos or building blocks. Slam slam slam hammer hammer knock knock. DEMOLISH! And all the blocks come tumbling down.

Then late at night, there will be a consistent sound… someone knocking a metal or stone on the floor. Then that person will will drop something heavy. I suspect that somebody is either lifting weights or making belacan.

My wife and I have tried guessing what they’re doing. You’d probably think that they could be doing some mating activities, but they’re in the living room wor! Besides, I don’t hear any bed springs creaking.

Won’t it be funny if one day I went upstairs and found the unit to be vacant? Haha *nervous laugh*

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I’ve got that feeling I get whenever I’m waiting for something exciting.

I remember that time when my father agreed to buy me a PlayStation. I couldn’t stop thinking about it. I was dreaming about it every night. I read all I could about the PlayStation.

Then there was the time I was waiting to move in to my condo. I kept dreaming about how I would live in the condo and make use of the facilities. I couldn’t stop thinking about how I would decorate the place, where I would put my stuff and how living alone would feel like.

Then there was my wedding. I couldn’t sleep thinking about the happiest day of my life.

Now, I’m just waiting for baby Rachel to arrive. I’m so excited to meet her. I can’t believe that my wife and I created something so magical.

I have so many questions that need to be answered. Who will she look like? What will her interests be? How is her voice going to sound like? What will be her talents?

I dream about her every night. There are no specific faces I see, but I dream of a different life… a life with more purpose. I have been entrusted with a gift, and it is my biggest responsibility to raise her well.

I can’t wait to meet her.

My “some day” is almost here.

I hate this feeling of suspense. We don’t know when she decides to be born. When Rachel is ready, she will signal my wife’s body to begin labour.

I hope I don’t have to wait too long.

Photo: Skyro