what a week!

It's been a most eventful week for me. Fought really hard to get well from the flu bug and the throat inflammation. Struggled really hard to come to terms with certain events at work, and to see things from the bigger perspectives of God's eyes, instead of through man's often myopic perspectives. Also, tried my utmost best to be a husband, and a father at home at the same time. Perhaps some may think that all these are "chicken-feed", they are still quite a handful to manage all at one go, and it is definitely by God's grace that I can be writing this blog entry with a sane mind, a fit (well, almost.. perhaps 98%) body, and a peaceful spirit within me. I thank God for the song "God is here" in Martha Munizzi's "The Best Is Yet To Come" worship album. The words are just timely to remind me that despite the feelings of disappointments, disgruntlements, despair, and anxiety, God is here! with me, and within me!

There is a sweet anointing in this sanctuary.
There is a stillness in the atmosphere.
Come and lay down the burdens you have carried,
For in this sanctuary God is here.

He is here, He is here,
To break the yoke and lift the heavy burden.
He is here, He is here,
To heal the hopeless heart and bless the broken.
Come and lay down the burdens you have carried,
For in this sanctuary God is here.

The lyrics said it all! and this song just resonated within me the whole day. Oh! did I tell u that this song is one of Emma's lullabies? step aside mozart, for God's praise and worship is much better! =)

Our confinement lady left on fri, but thankfully, Ade and I are still coping well to date. I guess trying to be hands-on with caring for Emma when the confinement lady was still around really helped a lot.

The big thing we've had to tackle was Emma's feeding plan. We've been adjusting the Emma's feeding plan for the past four weeks.

• "Direct latch."..
• "aiya, not enough lah, must supplement with formula milk"..
• "still not enough lah.. she's growing more.. so more supplement formula feeds.. and must pump more to stimulate supply at the same time.."

gosh! lots of those "advice" gave Ade so much stress that she was so worried about her supply. The situation has turned into Ade's breastmilk supplementing formula milk intake instead of the other way around. With so much formula milk supplements, the demand for breastmilk was obviously not increasing, which in turn, affects the supply! what a vicious cycle. So now that Ade and I have our privacy back in our own home, we've decided to get back to the way God designed it to be for mothers and their babes, and start a new feeding plan for Emma, i.e. total breastfeeding! only supplement with formula at her 11pm feed if and only if she needs it. Demand affects supply right? It's amazing how pple can just obfuscate something so simple.

After 2 days, this has worked so much better!! Though frequency of direct latching is high, and though we've gotta get up average of 2 times in the night compared to the previous once a night, it's still less tiring than Ade having to sit up to pump every 3 hours, even at night. Now Ade can also rest by lying down while nursing Emma in the middle of the night, and it will also help a lot more in stimulating milk supply. Right now, one thing we're sure of, and that is God made man and woman so intricately and uniquely for the roles that they take on in life. For Ade, God has made her a mother who can provide in great abundance for Emma's needs. Amen! Await for praise reports on our (or rather God's) new feeding plan for Emma. =)

For me, I'm enjoying bath-times with Emma, which she also enjoys thoroughly. Perhaps she enjoys teasing me with her pee during her bath-times! hahaha.. yes yes, I've been "baptised" 3 times to date by Emma's pee. The first time was when I was just wiping her face at the beginning of a bath, and the next thing I knew, I felt warm and wet at my thighs where she was resting upon. haha! it happened a second time round, and I then told Emma to only pee after her bath, and that she sure did, peeing the moment she was lifted out from the tub onto the towel that's on my lap! argh! is she smart or what? next time, I'll tell her to pee only after she's put on the diaper after the bath.

Emma's now a month old, and it's been a busy sunday with her first-month celebration. This round of celebration was for Ade's family and relatives, and a few of her friends. It's a blessing to see them all extending their love and well-wishes to Emma through gifts. We thank God for all of them! But after a long day, all we wanna do now is to enjoy our own family time, and rest. =) rest.. so that we'll have more energy for another round of celebration with my family and relatives.

All in all, it's been a long roller-coaster week... but whatever the ups and downs, at the end of the day, God has been good. We feel so blessed and secure in Him, with His presence in our home, in our hearts. I'm looking forward to this week of leave when I can stay home, and be with my family.

[ PS. more photos of Emma at www.dropshots.com/roy_foo ]