A Hold To Last A Life Time

No Such Thing As Interest Free

I got a nasty shock today after checking my credit card bill. I've been charged with an 'Admin fee' of about $90 for using a 6 months interest-free instalment payment plan. I've never in my life paid via credit card instalment plans. I've never research on what it means to pay interest-free but as an accountant, my instinct has always told me that there has to be some catch. Banks will never do something for free, they will suck your money dry and then spit you out and leave you to die before they ever consider giving anything for free.

So this 'interest-free' instalment actually cost more than if you were pay anything together with interest! I had charged $3000 to the card. So $90 admin fee meant I was paying 6% per annum rate for the instalment. With interest rates on deposits at a meagre 0.02% per annum ... imagine the margin they are making on this scam. I knew it was bad ... but never really saw it was this bad.

Sadly, my instincts failed me for the very first time and I fell into the trap. I suppose I had a lot on my mind when the lady at the counter offered the instalment plan on the delivery deposit while we were checking into Thomson for Meimei delivery. It's not like I didn't have the funds to pay, but somehow in that moment, Meimei and I agreed foolishly on the instalment proposal.

Meimei was pretty unhappy about it too when I told her the cost of the instalment plan. Well once bitten twice shy, we both now know the actual cost of interest free plans. Never again will banks take another cent from us through such devious schemes.

Shielding Another

I saw a very heart warming scene this morning. A little boy about maybe 2 year old was crying to buy a toy and refusing to continue walking. The grandpa got angry and was ready to beat him. Suddenly I see his sister, maybe only a year or two older than her younger brother, running forward infront of her sibling and extending out her hand to shield him.

Then the dad came in a fury and began scolding the boy. The sister grabbed her baby brother's hand and pulled him along, all the while coaxing him to move in a loving way. The scene brought a warm to my heart. I hope our Emily can be as loving and caring when she gets older, more so if we can give her a brother or sister.

It got me thinking how parents can cultivate this in their little ones. The family doesn't seem the highly educated sort. Just your normal average income family, yet their elder daughter has qualities everyone hopes for in their own children. I suppose a lot of it comes naturally ... It is ingrained in their DNA at birth. We can only hope. And hope i will, that Emily becomes a sensible, loving and selfless person like the little girl I just met. 

A Look To Melt Daddy

A little pout <check>, a little anguish <check> and the all important puppy eyes <check>! Daddy can you say no? hummpphhh ....

Dumex: You Almost Had Me

Today we brought Emily home. Her jaundice has fallen nicely to about 7.5 and the doctor has ok-ed her discharged. We had been worried we could't go home together as a family.

It really is different at home. We were not prepared at all for Emily's wimps and cries. At the hospital we could just wheel her back to the nursery whenever she starts her wailing. But at home, we had to try to pacify her with the little knowledge we have gathered on our baby. We were truly unprepared.

She had been fed earlier at 9am and by the time we reach home at 1pm she had started to cry for milk. It's day 4 and Meimei has not started to produce milk. And for all the preparations we had ... somehow we didn't think to get a tin of formula milk. So as Emily gave out shrill cries, I rushed out to the nearby shophouses across the main street to find her lunch.

Because we had been planning for total breast feeding, we didn't research on the type of formula milk to give our baby. At the hospital, we gave the nurses utterly clueless looks when they asked if we had a preference on the brand of milk for our baby. When we couldn't come up with a brand, the nurse recommended that they feed Emily with the 'Milk of the Month', which happens to be Dumex Mamil Gold. Ok, I think I've heard of the brand before. So when it came to buying our first tin of milk, this was the brand I seek out as well. No sense to change to another brand if Emily has been taking this for the last couple of days.

I bought a can at Guardian Pharmacy. At $51.90 it's one of the more expensive ones. But no biggie, so long our baby takes to it I'm fine to spend a few extra dollars. I hastily rushed home to find Emily still sobbing. "No worries Daddy's home with milk!" I thought. I quickly opened the top seal on the can and looked ... hmm ok how to mix the milk. Ok, so 1 cup to 30ml of warm water. Sure that's say enough.

Wait, how much is a cup? Eh ... where's the spoon? It doesn't come with one?!! As you can imagine now, I was in a panic. Baby's crying and everyone's stressed. And here I am trying to get her the milk but I can't figure the right proportions! "Ok relax, let's look at the labels ... maybe they specified the volume of a cup. Ok found it, 4.5g." "Let's use the baking spoons, we have one at 5g. That should work?!" So yeah we used it to make our first home made bottle of formula milk for Emily.

Now I think I've not been able to describe adequately the anguish and helplessness, and subsequent anger and contempt on the lack of a spoon. The emotions were so raw that I wanted to throw the whole can down the rubbish chute. Everyone was running around the house trying to sort out all the luggage and stuffs we brought back from the hospital, while trying to calm our tiny one. And the easiest of things like making a bottle of milk became such a shock and hassle simply because it lacked a spoon really turned us all off.

I will never buy Dumex ever again. Wait ... We will never buy Dumex again. My parent-in-laws and friends all took turns to dig through the can with a chopstick for the spoon. Everyone was disgusted that the spoon was no where to be found. Seriously, how did you fail to put a spoon into the can? Is your QC passed by an imbecile? How can I trust that your milk is of good quality if you can't even ensure a spoon is in the can? Are you selling tainted milk like in China? Yeah my friends suggested that we threw it away and get another brand like Nestle NaN, incase it really is a pirated can from one of our neighbouring countries.

Dumex, you almost had me as your loyal customer for the next couple of years. I'm sure you had put in certain marketing budget to supply the hospitals with the milk. Smart move to hook us and our baby on it. And really I wouldn't mind going with your brand. But no, this takes the straw. For all the efforts you have put into selling your brand, you have just thrown all of it down the drain ... at least for one customer. Maybe more, just that folks didn't complain or voice it out. Really ... all I can say is that this was truly silly on your part.

Our First Born

She is everything we have been working hard for in the last 9 months. It's been extremely laborious for Meimei who had to endure all the backaches, kicks and discomforts to bring her into this world. And after a final long 29 hours, our baby girl has finally arrived!

We decided to try for a natural birth through induction on Monday night. So we admitted ourselves at the stroke of midnight and moved into the post-delivery wards to start the induction pills. Meimei took a dose at 1am and began our wait.

The first dose didn't seem to have any effect. Meimei didn't have more than her usual sporadic contractions or cramps. Nurses came to check on Meimei in the morning and found that her cervix is still close. So in pops the 2nd dose and the waiting continues. 

The regular 4-5 minutes contractions finally started at about 4pm. It's been 16 hours and we were relieved that it has come. We notified the nurse and were told to pack our essentials for more waiting at the pre-delivery ward. I quickly packed our iPads and phones, together with the jackets for warm and off we went. It felt like we were going for an excursion.

There was more waiting in the pre-delivery ward, though now we have to share the room with other pregnant mothers. Meimei was now strapped to a CTG machine which measured baby's heartbeat and monitored her contractions. You can tell the contractions are starting to hurt more with the anguish on her face.

Dr Loh arrived at 8pm and promptly examined her dilation. Hmmm only at 2cm ... we still have a ways to go. Out of the blue Doc said to the nurse, "Bring me the hook." What?! Before we knew what was going on, he broke Meimei's water bag. "Ok, I've just broke your water bag. I'm giving you 12 hours and I'll see you again at 8am tomorrow. If you still don't dilate to a good size, we will have to operate." Oops ... we were a little shocked after that but there was nothing we could do but wait.

And wait we did ... shortly after doc came, Meimei was wheeled into the delivery room. The anaesthetist came to administer the epidural to help ease the pain. We then settled into a night of rest and eager anticipation for baby to come. I was sleeping for the most part in the wee hours. It was only till about 4.30-5am that I woke to find two nurses working at the monitors. I thought they were here for the regular checks, as they did throughout the night.

But apparently that wasn't it. I could hear the monitors constantly beeping and sense something was amiss. I was to find out later that baby's heartbeat has been rising above the safe range of 120-140 bpm and have been at 180 odd for the past 15 minutes. Efforts to lower it by giving Meimei the happy gas didn't help. Our precious was in duress. 

As I try to figure what was happening, one of the nurse update that they have just called the doctor and they are going to perform an emergency caesarean for the safety of both mother and child. I could see the fear and worry in Meimei's eyes and tried to comfort her. But her only reply was that she wants baby to be safe.

As they wheeled her away to the operating room, I ran up to the room for a quick wash up. They are allowing me to enter the operating room too, which is rare as the policy was that fathers cannot be there when it is an emergency caesarean. I could even bring in a camera!

Excited as I was being able to join Meimei, I was even more worried when I saw that Dr Loh was here at 5.30am ... just 30 minutes after he was notified. It's a clear indication that baby was in danger. I could only sit and pray that Meimei and baby are ok.

The next part was captured in several secretly firmed video clips. I had a seat beside Meimei, watching intently and reassuring her that everything is ok while Dr Loh and his crew worked. My fixated gaze on Meimei was only broken when the cries of an infant filled the room.

I can't begin to describe the feeling I had when I first hear her cry. I think I was a little excited, a little stunned, a little in disbelief, and a little in awe that she is so beautiful. I had my eyes on her the whole time as the nurse carried her to a side desk to wash her up. She brought her over to Meimei shortly after so they can bond.

As the doctor and nurse finish up helping Meimei they led me away together with baby back to the pre-delivery ward for measurements. She weighs a healthy 2.855kg. We were then led back to the nursing wards while we wait for Meimei to arrive.

As I sat at the lobby waiting for Meimei, I felt an immense relief that Meimei was alright. Yes baby is fine too, but first and foremost my concern was on Meimei. She is my partner, my confident, my one and only that will walk with me through thick and thin to the day we part. 

We are happy to welcome our first born, Emily. And I write about the arduous labour just so she will know how much Meimei has gone through to bring her to this world. May there be many memories to come as we continue our lives now as a little family of three.

Meimei's Womb Is Too Comfortable!

Baby's EDD was yesterday 8th of March. She's late ... must be too comfortable in Meimei's womb. Meimei has been taking immaculate care of her tummy and diet so baby gets the best.

We were at Doc today and the scan showed only little pockets of fluid left in the womb. Doc gave us an ultimatum, the baby must come out before the end of the week. Any longer and baby may poop in the womb and intake her own feces which will land her in ICU. So we were given 2 options, either we induce and try natural birth or schedule a caesarean in the next few days.

Dr Loh is never one to directly instruct us to do something. He is usually happy going and reserved in his advice. But I can sense he is veering towards a caesarean ... I think it is because baby's head is still not down far enough to be engaged. We tried to ask for a more definite answer but the only comment he gave was that the worst case would be an emergency caesarean as it would cost a lot more. We would have the best chances to hit below $10k cost for the delivery if the inducement worked or we go for scheduled caesarean.

It was a tough news to take. We were practically so stunned about the news to make a decision. All I could muster was to ask Doc for time to think it through. A caesarean is very bad for Meimei's recovery so it was call that Meimei should make on her own. But she is confused as Dr Loh mentioned that caesarean was better for the baby, natural birth better for the mother. As a mother she wants what's best for Emily.

We had already been at the hospital for a CTG last Friday because baby didn't move much. It's really stressful for Meimei each day as we are fearful that baby may be in danger if she doesn't move. If we are to induce, I would like it to start tonight ... no sense in waiting anyways. I didn't say it outright to Meimei but I prefer that we induce, even if the chances to have natural birth is small.

Mochi's Friend

Mochi has a new friend who has taken residence on our bed. Introducing Pinku~!

Gynae Visit - 3rd March 2015

Another week and baby has not arrived. I couldn't go with Meimei but from the sounds of it, Dr Loh is also a little anxious that the baby has not arrived. He joked to Meimei that her 同班同学已经毕业了！

Baby is weighting a little more at 3.14kg. Then again its an estimate. I hear that the baby will usually weight lesser than the estimate when they arrive. Hopefully she comes soon ... we are anxiously waiting her arrival. I've been talking to Emily every night telling her that she has met all her KPIs. So its time to come out.

Doc warned that we have to closely monitor the baby's movement. If she moves less it is best we come in for a CTG scan. I'm still hoping baby will be fine and come as planned, close to the EDD.