Lessons

My Big Baby…

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Have your Darling ever complained that you don’t love him anymore?  I mean since the arrival of a new addition to the family of two but now three?

It is not easy to play a dual role in the family. Or maybe multiple role…as a Wife, Mother, Daughter, Daughter-in-law, and more for me who has another home-next-door…Sister, Aunt!

And juggling between work and household matters. At least I am a little blessed that I don’t have to do much house chores as they are taken care by my MIL who is staying with us.

But still, after spending 12 hours or probably more in the office, by the time I reach home and settle down, I do not have much time left for the day before bed. 1 hour? 2 hours? 3 hours if I’m not exhausted yet. 

The little one yearning for a hug and some pampering.  He may be showing signs of tiredness and so it’s time to put him to bed. Whilst, Darling waiting patiently for a listening ear, a shoulder to lean on and some expression of love from me.

At times you fell asleep with the little one.  Pity Darling…no love for today. Well, I owe you, so allow me to keep the debt for tomorrow or the day after. Too much debt!

Worst when the little one is sick, all the attention goes to him.  But when Darling is sick, he must learn to take care of himself. I wish I have two pairs of hands.  Definitely when I have a free hand, my hope that, a little pat on the forehead and a cup of milo with two tablets of paracetamol can make you feel better.

The same may happen to me…It requires understanding, acceptance and support.

Nevertheless, I never forget God’s teaching and the vow we made in front of God…..

……to have and to hold, from this day forward, for better, for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death do us part…….

Our children shall leave us one day to build their own family.  Who else shall walk thru with us this path of life if it’s not our spouse?

Blighted Ovum

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Does blighted ovum or empty sac sounds familiar to you? A blighted ovum is a fertilized egg which implants in the uterus, and begins to devlop a gestational sac. The fertilized egg, however, fails to form beyond the sixth week but the placenta continues to grow. From the ultrasound, you will see a empty gestational sac and fails to detect a heartbeat. Usually by the 8th to 9th week, the heartbeat should be able to be detected via ultrasound.

In the past, many women miscarried blighted ovum pregnancies without knowing what had happened. Today, thanks to the technology that an ultrasound can diagnosis a blighted ovum and because of the advancement of technology, blighted ovum is becoming more common. If you are lucky, the unhealty embryo will be delivered via natural miscarriage. If not, you need to go through a D&C which could be something tough to accept. The most hurtful misconception is that there never was a baby. There are many conflicting discussions about the choice of waiting to miscarry (allowing a natural miscarriage) and having a D&C done.

I first learn of this medical term when it first happened to my sis four years ago. She was lucky enough that it got miscarried on the day she was supposed to be admitted for a D&C. I’d also been through this tough time with my first pregnancy two years ago. I waited and prayed for a natural miscarriage but it never happen until the 12th week so ended up having a D&C. Lately, my staff went through a D&C because she was having a blighted ovum.

I truly believe that our style of living contributes to the health of our pregnancy. The food that we consume nowadays are not as healthy as before. The water we drank, the vegetables and poultry we consumed are exposed to a poluted environment. More women are working adults so they are bound to stress and are lethargic.

My advice to all ladies out there who are planning for a baby, to take care of your health and diet at least 6 months before pregnancy. You should begin to consume folic acid and additionally, milk for pregnant mothers. Obviously it is not viable to be on exotic slimming-down plan eventhough your plans for a baby is more than 1 year down the line. You may look healthy but your internal system may not be so.

I was so blessed having beside me my Darling who is so lovingly supportive and bold. Blessed to have the care and concern from my sisters and parents.

First Fall…Ooopps!

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Jonathan boy has been sleeping with us on our bed since many months ago as I find it so comfortably-lazy breastfeeding him while lying on the bed. Then both of us will be in our dreamland after that. Each morning then, I’ll wake up early to prepare his porridge leaving him on the bed with Darling.

On Wednesday morning, while I was preparing his porridge in the kitchen downstairs, suddenly I heard a loud stomp and immediately followed by a loud cry. I knew what had happened and quickly rush upstairs. True enough, Jonathan boy fell down from the bed. How did it happened?

Well, I didn’t realised that Jonathan boy awaken the moment I left the room. Darling was sound asleep so he did not realised it as well. As usual he loves to grab the cock shaped alarm clock on the side table. I guess when he was trying to reach out for the alarm clock, he lost his balance and fell head down from the bed. His forehead touched the floor but both his leg were hanging in the air leaning against the bed. There was a slight bump on his forehead only but his upper lip were swollen and the inner lip bled a little.

I was so afraid that he may not be able to eat so I try to breastfeed him. Thank God, he was fine. It’s not that he had never fall before…those are minor fall which are part and parcel of growing up but this is falling from another level of height. We have been very careful all these while when putting him on the bed and I always remind myself never ever let him fall. I guess I always take it for granted that it’s ok to leave him on the bed since he is looks sound asleep and Darling is sleeping beside him.  I’m so sorry, Jonathan boy. Mommy would be more careful next time.

Why Mothers Are So Special

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An excerpt from an e-mail……
-Author Unknown-

Mum and Dad were watching TV when Mum said, “I’m tired, and it’s getting late. I think I’ll go to bed.”

She went to the kitchen to make sandwiches for the next day’s lunches. Rinsed out the popcorn bowls, took meat out of the freezer for supper the following evening, checked the cereal box levels, filled the sugar container, put spoons and bowls on the table and started the coffee pot for brewing the next morning.

She then put some wet clothes in the dryer, put a load of clothes into the washer, ironed a shirt and secured a loose button.

She picked up the game pieces left on the table, put the phone back on the charger and put the telephone book into the drawer.
She watered the plants, emptied a wastebasket and hung up a towel to dry. She yawned and stretched and headed for the bedroom.

She stopped by the desk and wrote a note to the teacher, counted out some cash for the excursion and pulled a text book out from hiding under the chair.

She signed a birthday card for a friend, addressed and stamped the envelope and wrote aquick note for the grocery store. She put both near her bag.

Mum then washed her face with 3 in 1 cleanser, put on her Night Solution & age fighting moisturizer, brushed and flossed her teeth and filed her nails.

Dad called out, “I thought you were going to bed.”   
“I’m on my way,” she said.

She put some water into the dog’s dish and put the cat outside, then made sure the doors were locked and the patio light was on.

She looked in on each of the kids and turned out their bedside lamps and radios, hung up a shirt, threw some dirty socks into the basket, and had a brief conversation with the one up still doing homework.

In her own room, she set the alarm; laid out clothing for the next day, straightened up the shoe rack.

She added three things to her 6 most important things to do list.

She said her prayers, and visualized the accomplishment of her goals.

About that time, Dad turned off the TV and announced to no one in particular. “I’m going to bed.” And he did…without another thought.

Blameless

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A boy was born to a couple after eleven years of marriage. They were a loving couple and the boy was the gem of their eyes. When the boy was around two years old, one morning the husband saw a medicine bottle open. He was late for office so he asked his wife to cap the bottle and keep it in the cupboard. His wife, preoccupied in the kitchentotally forgot the matter.

The boy saw the bottle and playfully went to the bottle fascinated by its color and drank it all. It happened to be a poisonous medicine meant for adults in small dosages. When the child collapsed the mother hurried him to the hospital. He died. The mother was stunned. She was terrified how she was going to face her husband.

When the distraught father came to the hospital and saw the dead child, he looked at his wife and uttered just five words.

The husband just said “I am with you Darling“.

The husband’s totally unexpected reaction is a proactive behavior. The child is dead. He can never be brought back to life. There is no point in finding fault with the mother. Besides, if only he had taken time to keep the bottle away, this would not have happened.

No one is to be blamed. She had also lost her only child. What she needed at that moment was consolation and sympathy from the husband. That is what he gave her. If everyone can look at life with this kind of perspective, there would be much fewer problems in the world. “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” Take off all your envies, jealousies, unforgiveness, selfishness, and fears. And you will find things are actually not as difficult as you think.

Sometimes we spend time in asking who is responsible or whom to blame, whether in a relationship, in a job or with the people we know. By this way we miss out some warmth in human relationship.

Learn to let go…

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This story was taken from a forwarded email.

Jenny was a bright-eyed, pretty five-year-old girl. One day when she and her mother were checking out at the grocery  store,  Jenny saw a plastic pearl necklace priced at $2.50.

How she wanted that necklace and when she asked her mother if she would buy it for her, her mother said, “Well, it is a pretty necklace, but it costs an  awful lot of money. I’ll tell you what. I’ll buy you the necklace and when we get home we can make up a list of chores that you can do to pay for  the necklace. And don’t forget that for your birthday Grandma just might give you a whole dollar bill, too.”

Okay?” Jenny agreed, and her mother bought the pearl necklace for her.

Jenny worked on her chores very hard everyday, and sure enough, her Grandma gave her a brand new dollar bill for her birthday. Soon Jenny had paid off the pearls.

How Jenny loved those pearls. She wore them everywhere – to kindergarten, bed, and when she went out with her mother to run errands.

The only time she didn’t wear them was in the shower – her mother had told her that they would turn her neck green.

Now Jenny had a very loving daddy. When Jenny went to bed, he would get up from his favorite chair every night and read Jenny her favorite story.

One night when he finished the story, he said, “Jenny, do you love me?”
“Oh Yes, Daddy, you know I love you,” the little girl said. “Well, then, give me your pearls.”
“Oh daddy, not my pearls!” Jenny said! . “But you can have Rosie, my favorite doll. Remember her? You gave her to me last year for my birthday. And you can have her tea party outfit, too. Okay?”
“Oh No, darling, that’s okay.” Her father brushed her cheek with a kiss. “Good night, little one.”

A week later, her father once again asked Jenny after her story, “Do you love me?”
“Oh yes, Daddy, you know I love you.” “Well, then, give me your pearls.”
“Oh, Daddy, not my pearls! But you can have Ribbons, my toy horse. Do you remember her? She’s my favorite. Her hair is so soft, and you can play with it and braid it and everything. You can have Ribbons if you want her, Daddy,” the little girl said to her father.
“No, that’s okay,” her father said and brushed her cheek again with a kiss, “God bless you, little one. Sweet dreams.”
Several days later, when Jenny’s father came in to read her a story, Jenny was sitting on her bed and her lip was trembling.
“Here, Daddy,” she said, and held out her hand. She opened it and her beloved pearl necklace was inside. She let it slip into her father’s hand.

With one hand her father held the plastic pearls and with the other he pulled out of his pocket a blue velvet box. Inside of the box were real, genuine, beautiful pearls. He had them all along.He was waiting for Jenny to give up the cheap stuff so he could give her the real thing.

So it is with our Heavenly Father. He is waiting for us to give up the cheap things in our lives so that he can give us beautiful treasure.

Isn’t God good?

Are you holding onto things God wants you to let go of? Are you holding onto harmful or unnecessary partners, relationships, habits and activities you have become so attached to that it seems impossible to let go? Sometimes it is so hard to see what is in the other hand but do believe  this one thing……………..

God will never take away something without giving you something better in its place.