4 weeks and counting

Has it been a whole month already?!

4 weeks old!

We had a cosy celebration at home for our families and some of our closest friends over the weekend. Thank you for coming over and sharing in our joy! Check out some of the snaps we captured here. And of course, we look forward to introducing Bieny to the rest of our friends too! :))
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Being a second time mum is supposed to be easier cuz you are more prepared and know what to expect. True that. NOT.

My first labour took a grand total of 45 mins in the delivery suite (excluding the excruciating screams in my sis's car from paragon to nuh). Second time round involved waiting, walking, manual bursting of the water bag, oxytocin, laughing gas, epidural then eventually 5-10 mins of pushing.

My first baby took to breastfeeding like a duck to water. My second baby takes to it like a duck out of water. I've resorted to milking myself like a cow, and my freezer resembles an industrial ice-cream storage unit. I even had to buy a back-up breast pump cuz my current one started malfunctioning (prob due to overuse).

And apparently all kids have jaundice, right? Bielet had mild jaundice but one or two visits to the polyclinic sufficed as her level went down quickly. As for Bieny, her jaundice level spiked in the second week (this after visits to the polyclinic every two to three days) and she had to be re-admitted to the hospital for phototherapy. I was so distraught and the second she left to be put under the light, my heart broke as I fought back tears. "Be strong, Bie!" I remember my sis saying as we left the hospital. It was tough, but as my sis reminded, it is better for Bieny to stay in hospital to receive the treatment.

The day Bieny had to be re-admitted. Her sb level was a whopping 311!

A final snap before admitting Bieny for the night :((

The next night, we got news that she could be discharged. The feeling of euphoria was indescribable, just imagine my shrieks of delight when the nurse called! (I felt a bit bad screaming down her ear later, but I'm sure she is quite used to it...) But since then, Bieny's jaundice level seems to be increasing again :(( so today, I have resorted to sunning her again and have started mixing formula milk with breastmilk. Yellow yellow dirty fellow BEGONE! For the record, we have to resume our polyclinic visits altho it has been cut down to weekly ones.

DIY sunning. Sunnies from paragon.

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But whatever it is, Bieny brings me such an immense amount of joy that it is all worth it. Her little fingers which wrap around mine, her perfectly tousled messy do which I can't help ruffling every minute, her perpertually sleepy face and its accompanying rounded O yawn, her satisfyingly mega burp after trying my darnest, hugging her small body as she struggles and whines... And that sweet little baby smell that I can't get enough of.

That Bielet is such an awesome big sis makes everything even better. The first thing she asks when she wakes up is where Bieny is, she hugs Bieny at every opportunity, shares her blanket with Bieny, insists on saying "bye" to Bieny before she leaves for school everyday, and even wants to help feed Bieny.

I don't know what we did right to deserve these two precious angels but thank you Lord for blessing ZX and me :))

Bielet says "I take care of meimei!" and proceeds to bury her under the blanket...