"I miss you, Mom"

I felt happy that my mom could come to Penang one day before I delivered. She stayed here to visit and help me during my confinement period.

She did a lot of chores for me as we know that during confinement time I should avoid touch the water and rest as much as I can. So everything about water my mom would handle it, including bath Fidel and the baby.

I’m so grateful that she can take care of Fidel too, cooks meal and entertain him as well. Joseph and I thank her so much. We couldn’t imagine if my mom didn’t come and help me. Maybe our house would be like a broken ship.

Time flies, today already reach three weeks. My mom will fly back to Jakarta. Pity my dad too. He must feel lonely when mom is not around.

“Mom, thank you so much for your help. Although you stay for three weeks, but it means so much for us. We're gonna miss you.”

One day before delivered with mom and sister

Trying the baby carrier on Fidel

Habel enjoy his bath"I'm gonna miss you, pho pho""Say cheeze...""See you again, pho pho"

Our Second Baby, Habel Lim

Finally on 01 October 2010, at 1:19pm, our second baby was born through C-sect birth.
We named him Habel (Indonesian version of Abel). In Mandarin is 林实信。
Our wish is he growing up to be like Abel, offering God his best gifts and even his own life, out of his genuine faith.
Thank you all for your prayers and best wishes to us.

"Welcome Habel Lim Shi Xin"

Stubborn Baby

I know that it's been very very long time I didn't update my blog. I think it because of my pregnancy. Since I'm pregnant, I don't feel to write though many stories to tell. I have no strength to wake up anymore after accompany Fidel sleeps at night (usually I do update my blog at night).

At this moment I decided to force myself to write something on my blog before I go for deliver tomorrow. Actually our second baby due date was 27 Sept 2010, but it overdue again like the first one.

Yesterday, 28 Sept 2010 I went for check up and still not dilated. Don't you think he is a stubborn baby?? Hahaha... Or he feels too cozy inside "his little world". After discussed with doctor, we decided to have C-Sect delivery on 1 Oct 2010.

Hope I will be able to update my blog again after deliver.

Second Baby is ....

Wanted to update to all my friends on 22 April 2010, but most of the time(night) I had already no mood to post and no strength to sit in front the computer. It made me late 3weeks to post this.
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Thurs,22 April 2010

Today is the day that I’ve been waiting for. We’ll go to see our baby… We’re so excited as we would know the gender of the baby by 7pm. My pregnancy is 16weeks now.
It was a busy day again for me. Morning had a Bible Study Fellowship (BSF). At noon wanted to have lunch with my friend-Chiali, but last minute I need to cancel it because I had my dad’s order of business. I reached home with Fidel sleeping in a car. Fidel always fall asleep in the car after BSF-doing some activity from children programme (Quite time, pray, Bible storytelling, singing hymn, have some snacks and play), provided by BSF.

I had my lunch while he sleeps. Thank God that I could enjoy my lunch while I’m very very hungry without being “disturb”. After did some chores, he woke up and I fed him lunch.

Three O’clock, I took Fidel to Bukit Mertajam to do dad’s business, Joseph was with me as he took half day leave—come back from dentist, he was not feeling well too.

Well… Let me cut my long….story. We reached home at 5pm. Rest for a while, and fed Fidel dinner, while Joseph still lying sick on the bed. I think he is too sick. I managed to get Chiali to accompany me.

Tadaa…! We reach the clinic. While waiting for my turn, Chiali and I were guessing what is the gender of my baby. Boy or girl is OK for me. But if ask me to choose…. I would prefer girl. I thought I can take “a breath” in the future as people say girl is more quite, not so active like a boy. I could experience new “model” of God’s creation, dress her like a doll. 

“Liana!” the nurse called my name. Oh, oh! It’s my turn now.

After “bli bli bla bla” with the Dr. I lied on the bed and Dr was ready to do the scanning.

Oh…. I’m so happy to see you again, my baby, I spoke heart to heart to the baby as I saw him/her in the screen. I looked carefully and keep searching whether there is “a spout” coming out. Since Dr started does the scanning, telling me this is the spine, kidney, heart, brain, legs, hands, etc. until few minutes… the baby was not in a good position. He was stuck at one corner for so long. The position was very very bad. Finally, when Dr was about to “give up”, the baby finally could come out from the corner, as if he/she heard our conversation. While he/she stretch the body, Dr captured the photo. Before he captured the photo, he tried to search the gender and told me that he think it’s a male.

“Huh….??” My response was like asking the Dr to repeat again what he just said.
“I think is a son. 85% is a boy…” said the Dr.

O… ow… What immediately come to my mind was “How if the second one is active just like his brother? How to cope with them?”

However… male or female is OK for me. I just felt a bit “shocked” because few of my friends say, “It could be a girl” as they said that I look prettier since pregnant. Hahaha 

I went back home and told Joseph that it’s a boy. He said, “Good lah… so we have chance to have the third one.”
“What…?? How if the third one is boy again or TWIN BOYS??”

Anyhow… whatever the gender is…, “We welcome you, babe”. We believe God has His beautiful plan in each creation.

Sleepless Night

It has been a long long time that I didn’t up date my blog. I think almost two months. Don’t you think it’s a long… time?

Now, I’m here…. But not to update my blog.

I had a sleepless night. I’ve been laying down on the bed for 3hours but I still couldn’t have a deep sleep. I had a long day today. I feel very exhausted and tired… Started my morning with Bible Study Fellowship (BSF), went back home for a nap, had tea time with few friends outside, and brought Fidel for swimming. Fidel and I reached home at 8.10 pm, but our little one doesn’t want to go home, he stopped his step at our neighbor house and went in there and played for half hour with the children in that house (I will write more story about Fidel and the neighbor in my next posting). I left him there and had my dinner at home with Joseph.

Lay down on the bed for 3hours, made my stomach hungry. Actually I don’t want to bother it, but I feel more uncomfortable – starving on the bed.

Well, I just finished my yummy instant noodle while I write this post. I’m full and feel very satisfied. Will go back to sleep now.

Hope that I can have good rest…

See you again in my blog. I will write more story soon as one of my loyal readers asked my why didn’t update my blog for such a long time. Hahaha…. *wink*

Valentine Surprise

It’s quite late to post about Valentine and Chinese New Year now, but let me keep this “Sweet Moment” in my blog. So that when I get old, I still can remember what happened on that day.

13 February 2010, it was Chinese New Year eve, we had our family dinner attended by my parents-in-law, older sister-in-law family and our family at Korea Palace. It was a very nice restaurant, although a bit expensive. The food was all over the table, many side dishes – Korean typical foods were served as a complimentary. Those dishes were delicious and very tasty. Love it.
Just before we started our dinner, Joseph announced that I’m pregnant. Everybody was surprise and very happy for us. Then… we start our dinner.

While we were eating, there’s a man came and calling my name,
“Miss Liana…??”
“Yes…?” Why got people calling my name? When I turn my head around, I saw beautiful flowers. I thought this restaurant was so kind, give the ladies flowers as the next day is Valentine day, while he holds 2 bunch of flowers and calling my sister-in-law’s name too.
I accepted the flowers and saw the sender name was Joseph. Oh! Not from the restaurant?
It was from my hubby…. It’s a valentine gift! Ow… so sweet. Thank you darling. Hug and kiss for my hubby.
The other bunch was for my sister-in-law, Connie. It’s from her husband, Jonathan.
I was thinking how these men ordered the flowers. Yet, Sister Connie told me that Joseph asked her help to order flower for me. And the flower from her husband was ordered by him 2 weeks before and asked to be sent to the restaurant too. What so unique was each of them ordered to the same florist at different time. They are a sweet couple.

I could say that this valentine was the most memorable one. Not because I got the flower from my hubby, though I could say so, because usually we just went out for V dinner, but this year after 4years being married I got V flowers. Of course I don’t expect to be given flower every time. It is just a symbol to show our love, but the most important is we show our love, care and attention to our family every day. I could say it’s the most memorable valentine, because we celebrate 2big occasions (valentine and CNY) together with more families. Beside Fidel, soon we’ll have extra one more blessing in our family. And I always thank God for my very best partner in my life. Together forever ‘till death do us apart.

I Must Wean Him (Day 2)

This morning I was very excited to give Fidel try new formula milk.

“Fidel…. Mommy croot croot croot nen-nen to this cup for you to drink, OK?” I made the squeezing sound and acted as if I squeeze the breast milk out to his cup. After repeat 2-3times to ensure him, he nodded his head and smile…

Yes! He understand what I’m saying. I made 3oz and passed it to him.

“Nen-nen…. Yeah! It’s very nice!”

He took it and had a sip. He continues sip and sip, within 2 minutes he finished the milk.

“Mo mo...” Fidel tried to say ‘no more’. He whined to have more milk.
“More? More nen-nen? Really?” I asked him few times and he nodded his head again and again.

Wow! Is it so delicious? He wants more! I was so excited and made another 3oz. He drank it but not finish.

Oh, it’s OK. At least my son had drink 4-5oz this morning. Success! Success!

Come to afternoon nap, I can see that he’s tired. I just prayed that we would have a smooth sleeping process.
“Come here Fidel, sleep next to mommy, but no nen-nen” I covered my whole body with blanket. And he started to whine, try to take the blanket away, and he cried. I tried to persuade him, but he didn’t want to bother me. After 20minutes crying, I pulled him and place him on my tummy facing me. He stopped crying and slept on me. After fall asleep, I put him down on the bed, he cried again. OK… OK… then I let him sleep on me for the whole afternoon nap, about one hour. Thank you Lord, he sleeps without breastmilk.

At night, before we go to sleep, I asked Fidel to pray together and he did do his hands like praying, “… Lord, we pray that Fidel can sleep well without nen-nen. … …”

After switch off the light, Fidel did trying to find his nen-nen and whined. I said to him, “I’ve told you that I have no nen-nen anymore. Dry…(don’t know whether he understands the word ‘dry’), no more… finish. Just now you drank nen-nen in the bottle. You must sleep now.”

Amazing! Thank you Lord Jesus. You really listen to our prayers. He just came up to my tummy and slept there hugging me. I place him down on the bed after few minutes.

Prayer is so powerful! Just need two days to wean him. God, you are so good to us!

Last Prize in 2009

It’s a little bit late to post this. Actually I have many stories to tell, but I have no time to write. When I have time… I’m lazy to write. Hahaha…

These are the 3rd prize that Fidel won last August 2009-Laundry Cleanser Concentrate and Liquid Cleanser. Yippee… I can save more money again.Last Dec 2009, I received email from Mother and Baby Magazine, which said “Congratulation… … …”. You know the meaning, right?

Sept 2009, I was thinking to buy a different magazine—“Mami&baby” instead of “Parenthood”. Just to try my luck. Usually if we are selected as a winner, it will show up at two months later edition. Wait till Nov 2009… didn’t receive any email. So I just forget about it.

Middle of Dec 2009, I was excited to see a letter in my inbox.

That was the story how Fidel won the prize for the 4th time. Thanks to Brother Vincent for always helps us in redeeming all the gifts. Btw, Fidel was one of the Candid photo winners. The photo was taken when he was 11.5months, tasted ice cream for the first time. It’s very cold till he wrinkled his face.

Mami & Baby Dec 2009

11.5monthsand the gift...

Fidel won 4prizes in 2009; hope to get more in 2010. Hahaha….

Jakarta Boy

Joseph always calls Fidel, “Jakarta Boy” every time Fidel goes to Jakarta. Actually we’ve been here for almost 3weeks. J accompanied us here for 4-5days and he went back for work. Our last trip to Jakarta was ten months ago, F was only 4.5month-old. Now he is 14months.

At first we quite worry as the journey takes 2hours20minutes and as we know F can’t sit still too long, he likes to be free, crawl and play. We manage to make F sleeps on the plane. What I need to do is wake him up earlier and keep him active for 2-2.5hours. Finally, just before boarding, F fell asleep. Yeah! We made it.

He slept for 1hour. When he woke up, he wondered where he was. He hurried walked to the window and looked out, and he said,”Oh…oh….” I guessed he was amazed to see the cloud and the blue sky. We still have about 1hour in the plane. We just let him sit, stand, play and had his lunch too. The seats were not full, Fidel paid RM30 for Penang-Jakarta flight and he had his own seat.

We reached Jakarta about 12noon. Yeah! “Here we are again!” My sister-Belley and my grandma were waiting for us. Because we tired and the weather was about to rain, so I prefer to home and had lunch at lunch as my mom had prepared food for us.
We reached home and Fidel starts his inspection. He crawled to every corner in the house. Our house in Jakarta is not childproof. I was very busy in following Fidel and say ”No-no” all the time.

Jakarta Boy is in action!
Hope you enjoy your holiday here, Fidel.

Fidel's 2nd trip to Jakarta (14months)

With Pho-pho in the zoo??

Re-train Fidel

Three weeks ago when Fidel was sick and didn’t want to eat for 4-5days, we decided to let him latch on me while he sleeps at night. Every time he woke up, I’ll offer him. Until he recovered, it became a habit. He wakes up quite many times in the middle of the night and will get back to sleep only when he gets the milk. When he wakes up, I would pretend sleeping and won’t bother him. Guess what he did… He did “self service” by pull-up my shirt and act like the milk is belong to him, and he would suck till sleep.

I told Joseph that we can’t let him go back to his bad habit—wakes up many times and need to latch-on only get back to sleep. So, we decided to let him sleep with Joseph.

Then the training starts….

Fidel woke up at night and knew that the person slept next to him was not me, he cried. He cried for about 40minutes and fell asleep.

In the morning 05.30, I heard from the other room (when its training period, I sleep at other room) that he cried. I did send SMS to Joseph ask whether need me to go to the room. He said wait till 6 O’clock only give him milk. After cried, he gets back to sleep again.

When breakfast time, Joseph told me what happened at 5.30 - Fidel cried. Fidel woke up and pull-up Joseph’s shirt. He couldn’t find the breast, so he tried to touch and it was FLAT! (Hahahaha….) Suddenly Fidel cried so loud, because he knows there was no milk for him.

After few days sleeps with daddy, few times wakes up at night, he cries for few minutes. Slowly he knows that no more milk at night.

We are very happy that he doesn’t wake up anymore at night. If he wakes up, we don’t bother him, he will make noise (complaining) but he will go back to sleep again.

Finally, after one week, all of us can sleep through the night.

House On Fire!

Last Sunday, 25thOctober2009, two days ago, there was a fire at our 5th floor apartment.

That day almost 1 o’clock in the morning, I was in the toilet, I heard a man shouting in Hockian dialect and I don’t really understand what that man shouted about. I thought people get drunk, quarreled and fought, which sometimes happen at our apartment. I heard a breaking glass sound too. I thought it must be a serious fighting!

I went out from the toilet and smelled something was burning, and the living room was smoky. I guessed I know what that man was shouting about. I ran to the room and woke Joseph up, asked him to go out and check whether it was fire out there. Then he went out to check.

While waiting for him, the burning smell was getting stronger. Close my room where Fidel was sleeping there so that the smoke won’t go in to the room. I went out from the house and looked downstairs, the smoke was too thick, and I couldn’t see anything.

I ran back to the house and made a call to a fire department but somebody has made a call earlier than me. I became panic and keep thinking what I should take. Important documents, birth certificates, laptops? I grabbed a bag and put few important folders in.

Joseph came back and asked us to go out from our apartment.

I asked him, “Need to bring these (pointing the bag which I packed)? Laptop? Anything?”

“No, no… Just go down. I didn’t see the fire, only a thick smoke. It won’t burn the whole apartment. We need to go down, because it’s not good to smell the smoke.”

I took a face towel and made it wet to cover Fidel’s face. Joseph carried Fidel and covered his face. Thought that it’s not so serious, we got down using the lift which actually we were not supposed to use the lift when got fire. Anyhow many people were inside the lift so we just follow. We saved energy instead of walk 12 floors down (because we leave at 12th floor).

When we reached ground floor, there were so many people with their pajamas, a very old woman sat on the floor while her daughter keep patting her shoulder, I guess this woman was shocked.

Joseph passed Fidel to me, he slept on my shoulder without bother anything.

There was 1 old couple injured. Their unit at 5th floor was fired. They couldn’t go out from the door while the smoke is too thick, they couldn’t breathe. The husband broke the room window, get out from the window and climb to the next neighbor balcony. The husband injured his hands and his wife was rescued and ran her to the hospital by the ambulance as she breathed too much smoke.

After waiting an hour at the ground floor and the fire brigade had checked that it’s safe, then we can get back to our apartment again. It’s almost 2a.m. Our house still got the burning smell. We opened all the windows and doors let the fresh air come in. Put Fidel on his bed, he didn’t wake up at all. How lucky he was…. Sleep with no worry, and know nothing.

I felt hungry… maybe because carried 8kg Fidel and stood for an hour. I cooked instant noodle for us. I thought we were ready to have a good rest until I went to wash my feet, I found that my feet were so black! Just remember that our house was full of smoke and it sticks to the floor. Oh no… Need to mop the floor before sleep? Sigh…

Finally we can go to our bed on 3a.m. after cleaning the house.

“Bed, here I come”

“What.... 6.30?? So fast!” I felt my head just touched the pillow, and now need to wake up, prepare breakfast, feed Fidel, cook his porridge and prepare to go to church as I’m the pianist for this Sunday service.

Thank God that I still can concentrate in playing the piano.

After church, we went for lunch and I went home. Must! My eyes can’t open anymore. Unfortunately, Joseph needs to stay back for a meeting at church.

“Bed, here I come again”

Fidel is Fully Recovered

Finally after 10days struggling with cough and cold, Fidel is fully recovered now. First 5 days when he was sick, I need to struggle with him many times in a day just to feed him the medicine. Hold him tight and use syringe pump the medicine into his mouth and he will cry very loud. One more thing that he didn't like to do was breath-in the gas/ventolin exohaler using a tool, called aero chamber. This one, I need to tight his whole body with a cloth/blanket. While breath-in, he struggled, screamed and cried. Sounds sadistic huh? No choice... For his own good. He cried loudly, I cried in my heart too.

We try to keep him familiar with the thing and the medicine by letting him play with those things and keep reminding him that it won't hurt him, and the medicine is sweet. Slowly he let us put the aero chamber and he behave very well. We almost couldn't believe how good Fidel is while taking the medicine. No struggle, no cry. Thank God, thank God! He answers our prayers.
One day when he woke up from his nap, I peeped from outside the room. He took the aero chamber and put on his face, pretended using it. I grab my camera and go in to the room, have few shots of him, and he ask me to do it for him. Oh dear... He is such a good boy.

"I think everything is ready here"

"Is it correct to insert this way?"

"Put the mask on your face like this, OK?"

"How come still can not go in?"

Thank you Lord for answering our prayers and healing my baby.

Thank you brothers and sisters for all your prayers and concerns to my little one.
May God bless everyone of us.

Fidel is Having Cough Again

Fidel(13months) has a serious cough and flu again last Wednesday(5days ago) and fever for three days. It has been 6months since he got the last serious cough. He didn’t want to eat any solid food. We tried to pursuit him, did some “trick”, and end up only 1-2scoops went into his mouth. He doesn’t like formula milk and hardly drink water. It makes us worry.

4days before sick

Sick Face (Day 5)

Thank God that He still provides breastmilk for him until now. So, I just let him latch on me the whole night. The next day he still had no appetite. Whole day eats only 4-5scoops for five days and he lost 0.5kg. Within 5days he lost 5months weight that he had gained.

Normally he will come to us when we eat something. Just call his name and show him the food, he will come. But this time, he will just walk away and close his mouth tightly. Offer him his favorite biscuit, usually eat one piece within a minute, this time takes 20minutes and not even finish one piece. Sigh…

We pray and pray that God will heal him and the most important is he wants to eat. We try not to worry so much as we keep praying.

God slowly answer our prayer, although he didn’t want to eat, he still want to drink water. And this evening in front of him I pretended eating my food which was actually his porridge, he looked at me and moves his lips, and he said,”Mam… mam-mam…” Oh dear… Thank you Lord! God answer the prayers. He opens his mouth and eats. If I scoop the food too slow, he couldn’t wait and shouts, “Maaaaam….”

“OK, OK baby….”Look like his appetite is back. One bowl of rice he finished this evening.

Till now, he still has cough and runny nose. Beside few medicines that he takes, we do nebulizer to him too. Hope he will recover soon.

Watching His Favorite Program

Every time I play this program (Fun Song Factory) for him, he feels happy and excited. He claps his hands and makes a little dance by moving his belly up and down. That time he was 11month-old.

Chickenpox At Our Church

Two weeks ago, seven person from the church I attend were attacked by Varicella Zoster – chickenpox virus. It attacked all kind of age, from toddlers till the old one.

Chickenpox is contagious, meaning that someone who has it can easily spread it to someone else. Someone who has chickenpox is most contagious after 2-3weeks since he or she got it, when the scabs are about to fall off.

A person who has chickenpox can pass it to someone else by coughing or sneezing. When he or she coughs, sneezes, laughs, and even talks, tiny drops come out of the mouth and nose. These drops are full of the chickenpox virus.Before you know it, the chickenpox virus has infected someone new.
The good news is that chickenpox is a common illness for kids and most people get better by just resting like you do with a cold or the flu. And the really good news is that, thanks to the chickenpox vaccine, lots of kids don't get chickenpox at all.

Usually the vaccine is given at age 1. But you can get it when you're older too. Kids, who do get it, if they got the shot, often get less severe cases, which means they get better quicker.

Fidel just had the CP vaccine last Wednesday as he is one year-old now and going to face CP virus at anytime and anyplace.

Fidel's First Birthday

First of all, we want to give thanks our precious Lord Jesus for his guidance, protection and wisdom that we could have strength to raise Fidel. Time flies… From his first day arrived in this world, only know how to cry, drink milk and sleep until his first year, he learns a lot of things. Those are blessings to us. He brings laughter and joy to our family.

Last Saturday, we had a cell group gathering to celebrate Fidel and Marion birthday, as their date are the same, but they different nine years.
On Sunday, Joseph’s elder sister made a simple party for Fidel and invited families and relatives. I would like to say many many thanks to all of them for all their love, time, and presents. Thanks to other friends for their wishes and presents too.

Here are the photos which were taken by my camera. I’ll upload more photos at the next post. So, stay tune…

Fidel stunned when we sang birthday song to him

Marion with her barbie cake

Marion with sister Nicole and Mom

"Daddy, let me touch the cake""The cake cream is so yummy"The happiest moment: Unwrap the presents!