Introducing Cayden, the newest member of the family, who was delivered after 22 hours of induced labor followed by an emergency Caesarean. Both mommy and baby are recovering nicely, though the lack of operating instructions has daddy perplexed. Thankfully, the nice nurses have been patiently educating us on what to do…
It should be of little surprise that G and I would choose Japanese for our “last date night meal in the foreseeable future.” While we have never tried Goto, recommendations from a few trusted sources convinced us that this might be the closest to dining in Japan that we would experience locally. Other convincing factors include: the chef/owner, Goto Hisao, is the former chef of the Japanese Ambassador, and as a geek, how could I possibly pass on a restaurant named thusly. Skipping to the conclusion: we were very impressed. While dinner here is not cheap, if you’re in the mood for high class kaiseki- this is the place to visit.
Dear Baby C,
Today we’re going to start the process of inducing you out. I’m really nervous because I’ve heard a number of horror stories about induced labor often leading to emergency C-section or just being plain painful. Some induced labor take as many as two to three days! I’d also much rather have had you choose when you want to come out like Baby N.
Please help me to be strong and to work hard with mommy to get you out safely ok? I’d like for you to come out tomorrow morning or early afternoon. It’s silly, I know. But I checked out the Chinese calendar and since you refuse to choose your own birthday (no contractions for mommy even in week 39!), I thought it would be nice if you could go along with my preferred date and time.
See you soon!
Mom
Google “birth plan” and you’ll find a whole slew of guides and sample birth plans. My gynae doesn’t really see the point of a birth plan but I think it’s a document that helps you to better understand the delivery process. Some people (like what I did initially), copy and paste the sample birth plans with only a few minor edits. Others (like what I did after learning more about each bullet point) make it a point to really understand and customize their birth plan.
On a higher level, it also helps the more anal first-time mommies feel like they are in control of this completely unknown trauma that will soon be inflicted on their bodies. Yes, I know to say that the birthing process is a huge trauma on the body seems to be a little dramatic given the beautiful bundle of joy you will get after the process. But the pain and suffering the mommy goes through should not be undermined. A friend mentioned how she was in induced labor for nearly three days and almost needed blood transfusion post-delivery. Even a short labor is at least 3-5 hours and something tells me I’m not one of these lucky mommies.
Ramen. It wasn’t really until our trip last year to Kyushu that G and I truly understood what the craze was all about. There is a local favorite, Taiho, that serves up a slightly greasy and salty tonkotsu ramen with pork rinds… mmm. Craving some noodles at home, I decided to learn just how difficult it would be to create a bowl from (mostly) scratch. Since I lack the patience to fry up rinds, I went with the next best thing- bacon. As luck would have it, the Momofuku ramen recipe happens to include this tasty internet meme as a key ingredient. In total, this dish took 3 days to make, but that was only because I also wanted sous vide crispy roast pork as well.
I have paid the fifty percent deposit (SG$140) to Placenta Advantage. A very amazing friend, L, recommended them to me, among many things (confinement lady, massage lady, traditional Chinese medicine shop, etc). L is a very hands-on person in everything she does from work to family so I’d be a fool not to at least check out her recommendations.
Anyways, I called Pauline from PA and she recommended that I read this website for more information on consuming placenta. Since I’d already done most of my research online before contacting her, I was more interested in reading her service contract.
Before signing up with them, they recommend that you get a doctor’s opinion on your health. For example, if you have any blood disease or other health conditions that would make the placenta consumption ineffective. My gynae isn’t very pro-placenta consumption so I think she gave me a bewildered look when I asked her if my health conditions were suitable. I took her look as a positive sign since I hadn’t heard anything otherwise.
Pauline prefers to talk to the client personally instead of having me elaborate so if you are interested to find out more, email her at placenta.adv.sg at gmail.com or call her at 9362-8425. The service contract details the process and also tells you how to instruct the hospital staff should they be unfamiliar with the process. You should also have a small ice box ready for the placenta storage.
I’ve been humming Changes these past few days. Time may change me, but I can’t trace time… 8 months have already flown by, and G is ready to pop at any time. May simply vanished as my one-month notice was too short to take care of last minute to-do’s. And now it’s June and we’re poised to see a host of changes, personally and professionally. The two biggest are the arrival of Junior and my new job. These were also the impetus for our dining and cooking rampage of the past few months. G and I both knew that there would never be the same freedom to go out on a whim (at least for the next few years), and so we celebrated the end of just the two of us.
We’re looking forward to family life and all of the changes that come with it. I still have a backlog of food-related posts to write-up (someday), but updates in all likelihood will be less frequent between parenting and work (I actually have to wear pants everyday).
Some random updates:
First rule to remember when buying diapers as a first-time parent is to not get too excited at baby fairs when the diapers are going at super-low deals. You see, babies grow really fast and each baby’s build is different. Diapers have a shelf live of maximum two years so if you buy too many, you probably want to sell it off somehow unless you plan to pop another one in a year or two.
Some guidelines when choosing diapers and planning how many to buy:
Wild Honey is reminiscent of a local hipster coffee shop replete with deep sofa-chairs and the latest trendy design magazines for your perusal. Their specialty is serving breakfast items from around the world all-day. While the food may not be mind-blowing fantastic or truly “authentic”, the dishes that we’ve tried so far have mostly been satisfying. The one big drawback is due to the cafe’s relative size, it gets packed early. By 10am on the weekends, expect at least a 20 min wait.
G and I stumbled upon Matsu awhile back on our way to eat at Torisho Taka (they are neighbors). The restaurant serves mid-ranged Japanese-French fare in a semi-formal setting, equally appropriate for a date night or business lunch. Since the set menu prices seemed reasonable and the reviews online were generally decent, we decided to try a little fusion one weekend.
The lunch prices are comparable to lunch deals available elsewhere (or next door for that matter), but diners have a few different price options to choose from for more variety or courses. Since this meal was breakfast/lunch, we elected to order the “Matsu Set” – a six course meal for $58.