Xavier is going places

I just discovered today that babies are constantly learning things, even when they are sick. I can no longer put Xavier down in the playmat and go do other stuff as he is beginning to "move".

By move I mean, he is starting to "leopard crawl". Its an army term which means crawling while in a prone position. I left him in the middle of the playmat and he is able to crawl to the edge of the playmat (and attempt to eat the edge of the playmat).

I tried to take a video of it later at night but he wasn't really showing how he moved in it. Rather, you would see him using his knees no move rather than "dry" swimming (kicking air).

Good work my boy.

"Darth Xavier" sums up what a week it has been

If you are wondering how come I haven't been active online recently, well the past week has been one of the worst week for my family.

It all started with Xavier's cough last Friday, then Lilian's got 1 Stye and 2 Chalazion all on her right eye on Friday as well. She needed to go for operation Friday evening and was on MC Friday to Tuesday. Then Xavier's cough worsen and Tuesday/Wednesday was the worse. He was coughing the whole night that neither himself, Lilian or myself got any sleep at all. Add that to his stroller losing one of the wheels without us knowing and our sudden urgency to look for a new infant care added to the week of "interesting" events.

The problem with baby coughing is they dun know how to get the phlegm out. So its heart-breaking hearing him trying to breath through his stuffy nose and hearing the phlegm going up and down his airway. And when he cough, he was trying so hard that it sounded like he was coughing his whole lungs out (like those coughing and choking at the same time).

We took him to see Dr. Anthony again on Thursday. He said he expected the cough to be worse but the medication seems to have control it well. But given Xavier has developed Bronchitis already, he tapped his table with his fingers for a moment (as if in deep thoughts) before saying he is gonna change the method now. Xavier will be on Nebuliser every 6 hours and had to go to Mt Alvernia for Chest Physiotherapy. This would be the most effective way to clear his phlegm.

Receiving all these instructions at 10pm at night was daunting for first-time parents. Add that to Xavier crying till he totally lost his voice (his worst crying I heard so far) when the nurse demonstrated how to use the Nebuliser, I couldn't help feeling lousy again (since Xavier likely to have got the cough from me). Lilian and I were at a lost for a moment as either of us had to take leave to bring him to Mt Alvernia on Friday to do the chest physio and Xavier would not be able to go to his Infant Care Centre up to Tuesday when we go back to Dr. Anthony for a review. After weighting our options, we manage to work out a plan and I thank my colleagues for their understanding (with the urgent leave matter).

The chest physio was very effective, though not the most pleasant for Xavier. The therapist taught us how to "percussion" (clapping Xavier's chest to "loosen" the phlegm in the lungs and the airway) especially after Nebuliser session. She then proceed to suck out the phlegm in the nose and throat area. This is by far the most effective way to remove the phlegm for babies. The coughing reflex from the baby to "bring" the phlegm up from the airway to the throat area so that it could be sucked out. This is where my heart aches again seeing Xavier coughed till his whole face turn purple. But seeing the phlegm being sucked out of the tube, I knew he would feel better after that.

As for why I titled this post Darth Xavier? Well he looked (and the machine sounded) like Darth Vader. I'm just looking at the lighter side of things. But its not always so relaxing, most of the time he would be crying as he hates not being able to put things in his mouth. Joking again. He just cry because he hates that thing.

Its Sunday now and so far his condition has improved. He is getting better sleep, his milk intake is slowly going back to before he fell sick and he is happier. However he still has the phlegm sound when he breaths. And he threw up twice today on our bed (and we are running out of bedsheets to change). But its a happy problem since its the sticky phlegm he is throwing up.

But its been a tiring week and the lack of rest/sleep and with Xavier coughing constantly, Lilian seems to have now caught the cough from Xavier. Let's hope Xavier recovers soon. Nothing warms my heart now than to see his smile and hear his hearty chuckle.

Xavier found the joy of jumping

Xavier picked up a new trick when we went to Rick's place over the weekend. The girls seems to got him so excited that he has been jumping and bouncing non stop since Sunday.

Lilian wanted to record the jumping but somehow she decided to record it "portrait" style and the end result was a video that you had to view with your head tilted 90 degrees. I manage to rotate it in Windows Movie Maker 5.1 but the new file looks like trying to watch standard TV on a wide screen (very flatten, like hamburger).

Nonetheless, hope you enjoy the video. Will try to take another one more proper.

Edit 20 July 09: We took a better video which I have replaced on this post. He even added a Salsa styling near the end.

Back to the doctor

Xavier still has the stuffy nose and phlegm for a month already (since he started infant care) and yesterday, he started coughing. It sounded bad, like those heavily clogged by sticky phlegm. I had a strange feeling he got the cough from me.

He didn't sleep well last night, and neither did I. Every time he coughed, I had to get up and walk to his cot just to make sure he is ok. He was tossing and turning alot when he cough and I didn't want him to end up in a bad position (head facing down) or had stuff over his head.

Got him to see a new PD this morning, recommended by Gabriel and Winney. The clinic is called ABC, stands for Anthony's Baby Clinic and is located at 327 Hougang Ave 5. This clinic has a more "sane" queueing time and the waiting area is definitely more calm. The PD is very good with Xavier and he has also confirmed my suspicion. I thought I did enough to avoid Xavier for 5 days (since Sunday night) and thinking I have recovered yesterday, I went to play with him. The cough still got to him. Sorry Xavier, my bad.

Recall: The +ve one (Second and Third Trimenster)

After the 12th week scan, we were referred back to Dr. Kek Lee Phin. Well we first went to Dr. Kek for advice after trying for sometime. She helped us with the counting of days as well as supplements but after trying for sometime still no result. So she refer us to Prof. Ng to see if he could help us further. I guess we were luckier with Prof Ng. as he only gave us supplements initially as an onset for more invasive methods and the +ve one came.

We highly recommend Dr. Kek as we find her calm, composed, confident, very knowledgable and very motherly. Anyway is the 16th week scan. He is about 11.6cm then.

Lilian felt uncomfortable one morning on the 18th and decided to see Dr. Kek just to be sure. As it was without appointment, the nurse were not that friendly. But this is the frustrating part. When you are anxious and worried, remarks like "we are full today, very packed already" and "you didn't have appointment so you have to wait lor" doesn't help the situation. Here is him at about 13cm long.

The 20th week scan at 16.3cm. He was playing hide and seek with Dr. Kek, not showing a clear view of whether its a boy or girl but Dr. Kek guess its probably a boy.

And the 24th week scan confirmed he is a boy. In fact he was happy to show it to the whole world.

Here is him at the 24th week scan. He has became too large to measure his body length so we got a closeup of his face.

Here is the 28th week scan. He seems to be looking at us and smiling.

30th week scan. By now its a fortnightly scan to monitor the baby as we get closer to the due date.

33th week scan.

35th week scan. Below shows the head circumference. and the scan after is the face scan.

And he is ready to see the world on the 39th week, 8th Feb 2009.