My exploration in life… (diary for baby!)

It was two nights ago that our little princess gave us a big scare - she cried and cried non-stop for no apparent reason for at least an hour (or was it two?),  with YEN and I frantically trying to appease her.  We checked a few times if she was crying because she wet or soiled herself, changed dozens of positions to carry her, taking turns to do so; it only resulted in her crying louder and louder.  She really scared us (at least she scared me) when she cried so hard that she had to gasp for her breath for a long time…  she only stopped later (we are not sure how) when my mum took her into her room.  She had stopped when we received her back into our room an hour later, all tired from her crying.  =(

I was glad that she woke up next morning, smiling like she normally did after she opened her eyes and you went to carry her.  The episode really scared me; I really won’t know what I’ll do if something happens to my two lovelies  (my wife and baby)…  Perhaps I’ll be so devastated that I’ll give up living life normally, or perhaps…  I don’t want to think about it, nor do I want to know!  I just wish for their health and happiness!

I had kind of completed my assignments by the first three days as I had targeted.  I wanted to be able to do so, so that I won’t have to worry about them from Thursday to Sunday, that I can use these last few days’ break to spend with YEN and RACHEL (not that I haven’t been doing so physically; I would be mentally worrying about work).  I just hadn’t been able to do some studying that I haven’t been doing since the start of this semester.  It’s like this every other semester, not being able to fulfil promises of doing better every time…  well, at least I see a little marked improvement in my progress…  ("/)

This week is my study week.  It is aptly named "study" week as I have more assignments lined up than anything.  Just a brief count, I have 3 assignments and 1 microteaching lesson plan I have to hand up on the first week we return from the break.  I know very well I cannot waste much time this week.  I have somewhat "completed" one of the assignments due on the first day on our return to NIE.

Went out on a last-minute gathering with my polytechnic friends.  The last-minuteness showed when only five of us turned up - PATRICK, JUNJIE, SHIWEI, PAULINE and I.  Nevertheless, we did bask in the warmth of the few of us and enjoyed updating each other about ourselves and what we know of our other ex-classmates.  If I don’t remember wrongly, there were at least 20 of us in the class (not cohort!)…

We attended a chalet-dinner invite by my ex-boss in Army, MAJ LEE.  It was his birthday celebration and his posting out gathering.  Of course I knew only a handful of the NSF boys present last night, but it also dawned upon us that I had little to say to even the ex-colleagues that I worked with earlier.  YEN asked me if I would be attending anymore of such gatherings / functions with them.  I answered that it depended on the occasion and who would be present; but think I am lying to myself that I feel motivated anymore to attend such events with my ex-colleagues.  Maybe I should move on??

This week has so far (evident from the first day) to spend more time with YEN and RACHEL.  And of course, YEN has been resting more today.  Not to mention spending a lot of time bonding with our baby.  We just find her getting more and more adorable!  She is able to take the goo-ey kind of cereal-like food now without too much problems.  Good for her!  Join us at the diner table soon, love?  =P

We were talking the other day, and we came to conclusion (again!) how lucky we were to have found each other, how well it has been going for us and our hopes that RACHEL continues to grow well and bright while we stay healthy and all.  We know it seems a lot to ask for, but we are determined to make it happen, as long as we have control over things…  =)  I love my wife and baby!

Our little princess reached another milestone when we marked her four-months of arrival to this world by letting her begin eating "solid" baby food.  Yup, the type where we find on supermarket shelves in assortments of brands, colours and probably tastes (not sure about this ’cause I haven’t been brave enough to try it!).  We are giving her one or two teaspoons each time, supplementing it with her normal milk-feed to get her used to it.  According to my mum, RACHEL did not get used to it immediately, spitting it out the first time.  But she’s learning to take the food after that, and we try to increase the quantity of the intake slowly…

We celebrated EDDIE’s birthday by HUIJUN’s order of a SWENSEN’s ice-cream cake and a cake-cutting ceremony by EDDIE.  I do not have any more hopes for EDDIE - he is doing fine on his own without any help from me though he may not be earning a lot certain months (market fluctuates for car dealers) and he is trying to adjust to life of becoming a home owner.  I’ll just support him whole-heartedly in his decisions.

YEN was not feeling well last night, and I only got to know it after I returned home from the tiring netball lesson last night.  I think it may be that she is real tired and hasn’t got enough sleep.  I’ll try to help out more with RACHEL so that she can get adequate rest.  My study-week (a.k.a. holidays) falls on the following week and she is clearing her leave the same week so that we get to spend more time together.  Will make sure she rest enough then.  =)

The heat of tests and assignments, is sadly, on again…  The psychology test has been postponed to next Friday, after the Motor Learning test on Monday.  We just handed up the task card (kind of like a cue card to guide performers of a sporting action) assignment today, and the Motor Learning assignment will be due in October.  We have to write a total of 3 essays for this other module called Social Context of Teaching and Learning.  Not forgetting the assignment for English for Academic and Professional Purposes after we return from the one-week break at the beginning of October.  Isn’t that enough, already!?

The playing of Netball during the learning sessions end late on Mondays and Wednesdays.  And they are tiring!  My knees are killing me (from the constant one-foot landings that we are taught) when receiving the ball.  I was so frustrated at the coach / lecturer teaching us that I shouted at her at the past Wednesday’s session.  I did apologise to her for my behaviour, though…  but it sure is tiring and frustrating!

I can hardly find time to do anything that I would like to do on my own.  I’m already not having enough time for my little princess.  And her consistent wailing for no apparent reason (after we confirmed that she did not wet / soil herself and that she was not hungry) sometimes snaps my short fuse that I just leave her to cry when she does so.  I’m so sorry, my precious YEN and baby girl…

RACHEL will be four-months-old in less than 10 days; YEN and I just found today that she can flip on her own will, and she can turn (her head orientating in different directions, turning to either the clockwise or anti-clockwise directions) while she lays on her back.  =)  That also means that we’ll have to be take note not to leave her at the edge of elevated surfaces (sofas or such)…

My friend QIRONG - a father of two, told us that it is around this time that she is starting to recognise people around her.  I kind of feel it too - it just melts me when I come home after a hard day, to see her smiling at me as if she recognises me!  =)  Wouldn’t it melt you too??  *Gush*

Our little princess is 7kg (as recorded by our own bathroom scale).  No wonder I feel the increasing weight when I carry her like I normally do - my arms begin to tire more and more easily!  YEN and I are so happy that she seems to be growing like other babies do.  =)

The only worrying thing is that she has started throwing tantrums recently when we feed her milk.  She usually take them on three-hourly intervals.  She used to be receptive to her feeds whenever three hours pass, but not now.  She now seems to take meals at longer intervals, crying non-stop when we feed her on the dot.  If only she could talk and tell us what is going on - that she’s not hungry as easily now, or there is something else…

Oh, SHAWN and I are taking a class when we conduct our micro-teaching at NAN HUA.  And we’ve been assigned class 4C - a class I took during my previous 5-week stay there.  That class is a challenging one!  I can only hope that it would be a better experience with them this time round, now that we’re taking only half the class each!