Thursday, September 2, 2004

Amateur Parents

Baby Jesse came into our lives on Thursday. On Friday, the hospital saw it fit to send us on our way to our new lives. We checked out of the place by 3pm. I was bursting with excitement. Baby's going home! Or so I thought...

We were supposed to have some help at home. However, due to a miscommunication, the calvary would only arrive on Saturday. Friday, we were pretty much on our own.

"What's the big deal?" I assured Mae, "We can do this!" It can't be all that difficult. After all, I had already learnt to bathe and change Baby from my one-night stay with Mae at the hospital. We could do this. It didn't matter that we couldn't even keep a cactus alive. We could do this. Or so I thought.

After a feeding at 7pm we wrapped Baby up like the nurses had shown me and tucked him in. And he slept like a... erm... baby! At 10pm we were supposed to wake him up for a feeding but looking at his angelic little face, I just didn't have the heart to disturb him. And so he slept.

By 12 midnight, we decided to wake him. But something was wrong. He didn't want to eat. He was lethargic. His limbs were frail and limp. He didn't even have the energy to cry. He opened his mouth to cry but there was no sound. Something was wrong.

"He's feverish!!" Mae exclaimed. He looked flushed. And the thermometer read 37.7 degrees Celcius. We panicked.

By then it was almost 1am. We called the hospital but they would offer no comfort. We had to do something. So right there in the middle of the night, we rushed Baby Jesse back to hospital. They admitted him into the Special Care Nursery for observation. Mae stayed behind to facilitate breastfeeding. I stayed up.

One night and RM500 later, the doctor discharged Baby with a clean bill of health. "There's nothing wrong with him," the doctor assured us.

Turns out, Baby Jesse' amateur parents got a little over-enthusiastic with his wrapping. The poor little guy was practically baking under all that flannel. Also, since we did not wake him for his feed, his blood sugar level dipped causing his lethargy. Heh!

We laugh at it now. But damn, we we're scared shitless that day! Heh, the 500 bucks is coming out of his allowance someday!

25 comments:

  1. these days the weather is just too hot for babies to be bundled up. my pediatrician friend told me a lot of little ones get slight fevers just because they were over-swaddled.
    get baby Jesse some of those baby shirts and shorts with tiny holes for this impossible heat too. happy parenting! ;)

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  2. haha! tsk tsk.. u scared me!
    yes, get it from his allowance (or ang pau money)! ;)

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  3. James, I thought you've already have a buku 555 for Jesse? Heh.

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  4. Agree with Norzu: You ought to start scribbling your buku 555 the day he squished out like a pimple... and way before that - the over shopping for baby clothes, toys, maternity dresses.. etc.
    Remember we live in the khatulistiwa hemisphere.. so, go easy with the wrappings. Jesse is too young to go for a sauna bath.
    As for jaundice - my (naggy) mom kept on telling me to tell you to bask your son in the early morning sun for half an hour. Hope he is okay by now.

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  5. yea, agreed with Gina abt the baby baking business.. just take him out in the morning sun n massage him all over. Remember to turn his body around so tht he gets throughly "baked". Courtesy of my mommy ;)

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  6. Hehehe...
    My Mummy just let the hospital staff "bake" me under UV light for a few days...
    Hehehe...

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  7. gosh swaddle wid flannel in this weather!!??! try to use a cloth nappy to swaddle lah aiyoh!!! poor jesse...

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  8. Oh gosh..i'm not too sure how to react to that post but its hilarious!!!! Hahah..sorry if i'm supposed to come across sympathetic or supportive or anything...but ur just so funny..
    I guess it's funny coz everything turned out well, heres to hoping it always does! =)

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  9. All new parents start out amateurs lah, James. You'll be pros before you even know it, so relax.
    :)

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  10. good gracious! you scared me! my eyes went like THIS wide when i got to the fever part. the poor baby... baked in flannel... must not be a very pleasant experience. you better give him a discount on the rm500!

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  11. OMG, looks like you need more prayers that I thought. Baby Jesse will never let you forget the day you starved him - so better ditch the buku 555. That could be evidence against you. :lol:

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  12. Phew....thank God!Happy Parenting ! ;)

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  13. I completely understand the feeling. You are worried all the time, whether the baby's hungry, too hot, too cold, having fever, stomach upset, emm-emm, mosquito, the list goes on and on....
    But do look out for Jaundice, it's very common according to Yiyi's pediatrician.

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  14. RM500?!! That's it la. When my kid grows up, I'll force him to study medicine!
    :lol:

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  15. Wow... looks like you even have to take care of the temperature... darn it.... I salute you and your quest to take care of another human being... *standing in salute...

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  16. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAAHAHA!! This is sooooooo funny, dude!
    Man, you'll do just fine, let me assure you. I have a friend who forgot his baby while shopping. Too excited about buying some lastest gadgetry from a local store.
    That friend happens to be my "brother-in-law".
    Ian

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  17. ehhehe....an advance of baby's allowence
    :P

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  18. You're right Pickyin. There must be a heatwave going round. And I thought it was only our house! :)
    :lol: Righto, Ryuu, "That's for scaring daddy!"
    Sheesh Grace... the smilies you have!
    Thankies Roy!
    :lol: Yah Norzu, the buku 555 should come into effect now.
    His Jaundice is clearing up quite nicely, Gina. Should be okay soon.
    Andrea, we prefer to tie him to a stick and slowly rotate it like a nice roast lamb. :lol:
    ¤måggìé¤, did you check if mommy ever deducted anything out of your inheritance?
    Hahah!!! That's the thing about us new parents. We bought the nice flannel and we thought we'd use it! :)
    I guess it's always a good thing to be able to laugh about things, Annu! :)
    I hope so, for Baby's sake, Sashi!
    Hahahah, I guess you're right CC. He deserves a discount since it is my fault! :lol:
    Dammit Fly, Baby could start his own little buku 555 with all these misdemeanors towards him! :lol:
    Oh Dee, we prayed, alright. :lol:
    Heh, Papi, that reminds me that I must blog about Guiness Stout and Jaundice! :)
    Mdmafia, we're hoping Baby Jesse will specialise in plastic surgery. *ahem*
    :lol: Alvink, we're just winging it!
    Advance, Glinar? At the rate we're going, we might have to give him a bonus!! :lol:
    He forgot his kid!??!?!!? Oh my Lord, Ian! I better pray that I never forget mine.

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  19. I'm glad everything turned out okay James. My birthing teacher also emphasized that we should not overbundle the little ones. The trick is - whatever temperature we're comfortable in...the little ones will be too. So imagine yourself being bundled up in flannel and getting heated up... :-)

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  20. LOL. You both will learn eventually... tehehhe in no time you'll be a pro! baby jesse's prolly juz a bit more sensitive, seeing he's newborn,
    And oh... you're beginning to sound like my mom too! Hahhahha I'm not even finished with uni, and she's talking about my dowry and her allowance! LOL. Then again, I have been quite comfy wif her wallets. =D

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  21. Didn't get to congratulate you and Mae Ling. Got the news from Darth Chris, but lost your number. :P My apologies. Well, am sure you're taking everything in stride well paced! Am sure God will enable you and Mae to be wonderful parents! Richest of Blessings to the both of you!.. ~Paulos = Paul Sebastian of Dew Crew ;)

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  22. btw, do invest in an ear thermometer. its very handy and the easiest and fastest to register a temperature

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  23. Thanks Revlon. We'll never forget that! :)
    Hahahh, we all come a full circle, Sapphire! One day you can do that to your kids.
    Hey! Thanks Paulos!! Nice to see you blogging too. And what's this about Darth Chris, he feels more like a Chris3PO. :lol:
    Good idea, BabeKL. We'll redeem one with our credit card points/ :)

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