My first 2 weeks
I had been home for more than a week now.
I was scheduled to born on July 3, 2008. Mom and Dad got up early that morning, and did a final bag check. Around 7:30 am, they said goodbye to Ya Ya and Ma Ma, and left home. It was an overcast morning, and there were not too many people on the street. A few were on their way to the office, with coffees in their hands, and A few students with sleepy eyes were being delivered to their school. Mom and Dad walked along Lee Garden, Caroline Hill Road, and Cotton Path, arriving at St. Paul around 7:45 am.
After getting all the paper work done, Mom and Dad sat at their designated room (508B) and waited, and shared the last moment before my birth. Around 9:30 am, a nurse came in, and signaled mom to get prepared. She first had to go into a preparation room. By the time she came out, she was on a rolling bed. Mom was very pale from anxiety, but the thoughts of the imminent birth to her son gave her strength. Dad accompanied her to the operating room on the third floor. The workers pushed her inside, and Dad waited at the entrance of the operating room. That was a long, long wait, or at least it seemed that way. Looking out from the window, the sky was beautiful, with white clouds and blue sky. It had been raining really hard in the past few days, and the air had been deeply cleansed. Around 10:30am, Dr. Fung came out, asking me one last time that I indeed insisted in watching the birth. He then disappeared into the room, getting Mom prepared.
Dad was led into the operating room around 11:05am. Dr. Fung was already busy making cuts and other maneuvers behind the hanging blanket, and Mom was laying motionless on the operating table. She was being administered a half-anesthesia, so she and Dad could share the experience. That was very brave of her. Around 11:20, the voice of Dr. Fung got excited. The anesthesist signaled Dad to get up and take pictures. Dad started the camera, and captured the moment that I was pulled from Mom’s belly. I was quickly awaken, and started crying normally. A nurse took me to the cleaning table, where I was being tidied up. Another nurse led Dad to watch me being thoroughly cleaned, while Dr. Fung was busy continuing with the operation. I was brought to see Mom, and said Hello :-)
I was brought to the fifth floor, while Dad hanged around a few more minutes inside the operating room. He was then asked to leave, while Dr. Fung finished up the procedures. Dad waited outside the operating room. Dr. Fung came out around noon, congratulating Dad, and announcing my weight at 2.8 kg. This was a bit lower than the pre-birth estimation, but that’s ok. Mom had to wait 15 more miniutes still, so they can be sure there were no immediate complications from the operation. She came out of the room around 12:30 pm, a good three hours from the time she left 508B.
They went up to the room, and Mom was transferred onto the hospital bed. She was doing ok, and was already beginning to feel a bit of tinkle on her left leg. She would need to stay on the bed, and could not have any water or food in the next 6 hours.
Ma Ma and Ya Ya came and see them, and Ma Ma brought some lovely roses. Around 1pm, they went to the nursing room, trying to see whether I was ready to see them. Of cause I was. I was eager to see them too.
Hello :-)Mom checked out of the hospital on Monday, feeling pretty good and with little pain. I, however, had to stay for another day. I needed to do a bit more sun-tanning. In total, I was under UV light for two solid days, giving me a nice tan. It helped me decompose some of the excessive bilirubin that I had accumulated in my system. Oh well, a day alone at the hospital wasn’t too bad after all. The nurses and aunties were very nice to me, and I got to know my fellow room-mates.
On Tuesday, I got a “all clear” from Dr. Chan, and I was ready to go home. It had been raining really hard in the past few days, and today was no exception. In the morning, there was a “yellow” rain warning. Dad called Auntie Vivian for help. He came to the hospital around 10 am. Did all the paper work, and we were ready to go by 11 am. We waited at the lobby for a little bit, and we went home in Auntie V’s Lexus. Auntie Y also came along for the ride. It was a comfy and short ride home, and we said thank you to the aunties. Dad then walked me up the 4 flights of stairs. Mom was at the door to welcome me home. Ma Ma was there too, giving me my first hug.
Coincidentally, I arrived home at 11:20 am, July 8, 2008, exactly 5 days from when I was borned.