seventeenzeroeightzeroeight

Two weeks have since passed and I am grateful for the company to have given me the paternity leave to take care of both mother and child.

It all started on the morning of 16 August 2008. I was about to head for the airport for my trip back home to Singapore. My son decided it was time and burst the water bag.

So the trip back to Singapore transformed into a trip to the hospital.

When my wife told her mother about it, she was quite alright. I was in a state of excitement and nervousness. Luckily, my mother-in-law was there to calm things down.

We even had lunch before heading to the hospital.

Once we reached the hospital, I informed the reception that my wife's water bag has burst. The receptionist was more anxious than I was and arranged for her to be admitted to the delivery suite.

After my wife was well rested at the suite, then did they ask me to head down to handle the administration paperwork.

The genealogist came and checked on my wife.

Everything seemed normal but the genea was sort of worried that my wife was dilating accordingly and had a c-section could be possible.

The genea said to give my wife 24 hours to see how it progress with assistance from medication.

I chose the single ward so I could be with my wife through out the night. The hospital staff also provided a portable bed for me.

The night wasn't very peaceful though. Wife was going through her contractions and was in pain.

We called in the nurses and mid-wives a couple of times. Around 2am, the contractions got real bad and the mid-wife on duty suggested epidural, but my wife refused. The mid-wife then explained that this was normal and only did my wife calmed down.

Later in the morning, the genea came again and checked on my wife. He recommended a c-section and my wife was pushed into the operating theater in the early morning.

That one hour seem rather long though I had cable to entertain me. The doctor came in and congratulated me for being a father.

He said everything was fine and that the baby was quite heavy at 3.72kg.

He brought me outside the nursery and told me I could see my new born.

When I saw Anson then, he was fast asleep and showed a smile on his face. I couldn't resist taking a photo of Anson using my wife's mobile. I was both happy and excited to see my son, yet I was worried about my wife.

My wife was wheeled in and was still asleep.

We had to stay in hospital for another day as that was the norm for c-section. Wife had to stay off solid food and was very weak.

In between this period of time, Anson was brought in. He looked very fragile and I was quite afraid to carry him.

Most of the time, Anson was asleep.

Wife did try to breastfeed Anson, but was rather unsuccessful as Anson was still not used to it and was in a sleepy mood.

Wife went back home the next day but Anson had to stay one more day for treatment of Jaundice.

I went back to the hospital the next day and my mother-in-law was happy to carry him all the way home.

Wife was happy to see Anson home but she still was weak from the operation.

Luckily for us, mother-in-law found a good confinement nanny to take care of wife and child.

Both mother-in-law and confinement nanny showed me how to pick up Anson from the cot and carry him in my arms.

I started singing to Anson and he seemed to like it a lot. Rock-a-bye Baby is now his favourite lullaby.

On Friday, I had to bring Anson back to the hospital for his first preview.

Anson seemed yellowish and the doctor took some blood from him. We brought him home while waited for the results of the blood test.

When the blood test came back, Anson had to be readmitted into the hospital for treatment.

Wife was upset to see Anson leave for the hospital but she was too weak.

The next day, we decided to bring Anson back though the doctor suggested he should stay one more day.

Mother-in-law said to treat Anson with a little natural sun tanning.

I told the confinement nanny I wanted to carry Anson down and to wait for the car. She gave me the chance to carry Anson all the way home. I sang to Anson while he sleep nicely in my arms.

The next day, both Anson and I spend a few minutes in the morning sun. I took this opportunity to wish him Good Morning and sing as many lullabies as I could remember. I think it was up to four.

The post seven days were dedicated to running around KL for administration purpose. I had to go to the local govt agency to register Anson's BC and to the Singapore embassy to submit Anson's citizen application.

The two weeks paternity leave allowed me to do all this and at the same time bond with my son.

I am back in Singapore and will return to office tomorrow. There are lots of catching up to do but I am glad for the company to giving me this leave.

I will be returning to KL on Wednesday night and I can't wait to see Anson again.

He wakes up...

...............cry for milk

pose for Daddy..............

and goes back to sleep..


Daily Adventures of Anson Koh from aaronkoh on Comiqs

Daddy took me to take a passport photo yesterday.

He tried to wake me during the photo shoot, but I refused to open my eyes.

I did try to give him a smile though.

Daddy then brought me home, and he and grandfather went to the Singapore embassy to apply for my Singapore's citizenship.

When Daddy came back, he called TMNet to activate the Internet that the promised to do so within 24 hours. 24 hours passed and still no Internet. Daddy called and complained. Internet was up within 1/2 hour.

Daddy then decide to make fun of my photo and turbanized me.

I am a morning baby.

This morning, Daddy brought me out for a little sun tanning to help me get better from Jaundice.

Daddy says I am getting tanner than him and he is getting jealous.

After a bottle of milk, I still could not sleep and Daddy sang to me.

He sang the "ABC" song and I liked it very much that I smiled and showed Daddy my tongue.

Daddy took out his DSLR and started to take close-up shots of of me.



I am a very good boy, when Daddy say smiled, I smiled.



To see more photos, click here.

Today, I am one week old.

Daddy took me home from the hospital yesterday though the doctor suggested I stay another day of treatment.

Mummy missed me and everybody decided I could do my tan the natural way.

Daddy carried me all the way home and I felt very comfortable in his arms. So comfortable that I slept the whole journey home.

Daddy told me he had a very busy day yesterday. He had to accompany Mummy to the doctor's for her first review check-up.

Daddy said Mummy was fine but misses me a lot.

Today, a lot of aunties and uncles will be visiting me.

I hope to see Daddy's Mummy soon during my one month celebration.

Daddy bought me back to Sunway Medical today for review.

Daddy told the doctor, Dr Tan, that my skin was a little yellow. Dr Tan said it could be another bout of Jaundice and had to draw some blood from me to check it.

Dr Tan put a needle in my small little hand and I cried!!!

Dr Tan said the test will take two hours and Daddy bought me home to sleep.

My eyes opened wide in the afternoon and Grandma gave Daddy the permission to take more photos of me.

It was under a bright afternoon sunlight so you can see ever details of me.

I saw Daddy carrying a big big camera pointing at me.

Daddy, please take nice photos of me, ok?

It must be disappointing for some father-to-be in Singapore to learn that paternity leave was not on the cards during the Prime Minister Singapore National Day Rally.

I am luck and grateful for my employer to have given me two weeks paternity leave to be with my wife and my first newborn child.

It is not one month, but its better than one day.

Paternity leave isn't just about a holiday for the father too.

My current experience highlights why even a two week paternity leave is important for Fathers.
My wife was hoping for a normal birth but circumstances forced her to do a c-section.

Wife was weak after the operation and it was important for me to be by her side during this period.

Wife water bag burst on a Saturday, gave birth on Sunday and was only allowed to be discharged on Tuesday.

Anson had to stay an extra day because of Jaundice and I had to fetch him from the hospital on a Wednesday.

A total of five days were used up just to handle the birth process.

It doesn't stop there.

I have to bring Anson for a review check-up on Friday and wife for hers on Saturday.

Can you imagine if I only had one day paternity leave? I would have to use my annual leave for these important activities.

If analysts say its the economics that is preventing one month paternity leave, why not introduce two weeks instead?

The hospital called and said Anson's jaundice has been flushed out.

Enough sunbathing under UV light, babe! Time for you to come home.

If many of you are wondering why the lack of photos, that's because we are under strict orders from his grandmother in KL that we can't take photos when Anson is asleep.

Seem weird that we might adhere to this and many other grandmother's sayings, but it seems better to follow generations of advice to mothers.

For example, wife cannot take showers for one month, but her mother here has prepared some herb bath for wife to wipe herself. Smelt of lemon grass and ginger when I poured it into the tub.

However, the grandmother here is also open to listen to the parents' methods of taking care of their son.

Ok, preparing to bring Anson back..

Anson was tested today and was found to show symptoms of Jaundice.

Mother has left the hospital and is resting at home.

Father is also well and will bring mother's milk later to the hospital.

Anson is under UV light sun tanning for the next 24 hours.

DR said Mummy can go home today.

However, I am not sure if I can join Mummy yet. Have to wait for the pe... dia..tri...cian.. to see if I need additional treatment.

Might have to stay in hospital if I show any sign of jaundice...

I wanna go home with Mummy and Daddy...

Happy 1st day birthday to me..

Daddy tried to sing Rock-A-Bye today while I fell asleep.

But he could only managed two lines and forgot what the next two were.

I peeked and saw him cheat.

He took out his Blackberry, when to Google and search for the final two lines.

I want a new song tomorrow Daddy!!!

Today, Malaysia gets a chance of the gold medal in the Badminton Man's Final between Lee Chong Wei and China's Li Dan.

Today, I came out of my mother's womb.

Daddy said mummy was dilating not wide enough and had to go for a C-section.

Dr told Daddy I am also a bit on the big side, coming out at 3.72kg and about 51cm in height.

I think I saw Daddy looking at me outside of the window. Daddy said I was sleeping and smiling in my dreams.

I must be dreaming of the the tasty Malaysian food I going to get eat in years to come.

I saw Mummy and I was very hungry. I started to cry loudly for milk. But Mummy was still weak. The nurse brought me in and fed me formulated milk.

I saw Daddy at about 3pm. He wheeled me out of the nursery and brought me to see Mummy too.

I saw my maternal grandmother, auntie and uncles, who were twins. Daddy carried me but he seem scared he would drop me.

Daddy tried singing Rock-a-bye baby but grandma was always talking to me.

I was sleep and I kept yawning.

Daddy wanted to return home and he wheeled me into the nursery. He told the nurse I was hungry and I was... milk...