I'm really happy for you, and I'mma let you finish, but I..

Yesterday morning we had a doc's appointment with Morgan's Head Consultant person. As we were sitting in the waiting room, which was full of children, two Ursuline nuns walked in, with a boy and a girl.

Seeing them four made me think. I know how much it can suck for a Single Parent to see two-parent families walk by. I can somehow understand how a child can feel having only one parent present in their life. What I cannot imagine is how a child must feel to see other children with at least one parent in the picture when s/he has none.

My thoughts were interrupted by two priests/preachers who kept rambling on and on and on.
My thoughts about how annoying they were, were then interrupted by my mum telling me that she thinks Morgan's hair will be like some ginger girl's, who had just walked in. I must say she did have beautiful long wavy hair, bunched up in two long braids.
 
All of a sudden, my observations were interrupted once more by a loud BOOM. Some girl fell off a chair, making others around her gasp. Cue loud wailing.

Another interruption - priests/preacher dudes started rambling again. Thankfully they left after a short while. My attention then drifted off to a boy that kept running to and fro past us. I kept observing him only until the Waiting Room music started playing in my head. "Fiiiiiigaro Figarofigarofigarofigaro Figaro!"
 
At last, we were summoned to the doc's office. There were about 6 Med Students in the room observing. When weighed, it turned out that Morgan is now at 4.34kg, and her head's circumference is 38.7cm. Pretty impressive!

Since my mum hurt her foot, we couldn't take advantage of the sunny weather as much as I would have liked. We just stopped by at my sister's workplace on our way home, where I gave Morgan her bottle. That is where I noticed them. FRECKLES!!!!

Morgan's forehead is getting freckly! *gasp* The Ginger Force is strong in this one!

Today we took Morgan out with us for coffeetimes, and then the Exodus began. My brother picked me up, we loaded his car with the vast majority of our stuff, and took it over to my place. Once back at my Grandma's house, I took more things back to my place, this time with my sister's aid.

When I got back, I snuggled up with Morgan who was a bit cranky - I am positive she _is_ teething. She kept spitting out her dummy, and attacking my finger. She slobbered and sucked really hard on it. Yes, I know it sounds wrong - get your mind out of the gutter already.
 
Later on in the evening, she got to meet her dad for the first time thanks to Skype. She won't appreciate it now, but she will later on in life.

We are now about to embark in what will officially be our last night here before heading home. I can't wait! I am dreading returning home a tiny bit - the idea that I won't have any back-up there, and that it will just be the two of us scares me a bit. Wish us luck!

Wherever we may roam

Yesterday, Morgan and - had our First Day Out. It was fun - but boy was it overwhelming and tiring!
Our day started off with my mum and I deciding to give Morgan a sponge bath.

 Wet Baby! And not a very happy one!

The door bell rang just as we were done, but before we could dry her and clothe her. My mum handed her over to me wrapped up in a towel. I kept thinking "you're going to either pee or poop on me, aren't you?"

Lo and behold! I hear the trickle of pee slapping against the floor's tiles. I put Morgan down on the nappy changer to get some tissue paper to soak up the pee on the floor so as to avoid potential slips until I could clean it up. A few seconds later I notice a tiny amount of poop. I place a wet wipe underneath her bum so that she can poop freely before I clean her up again.. I gave her a couple of minutes or so, and when I saw there was no progress, removed the wipe and turned around to get something from behind me. As soon as I turn back towards Morgan, I see Mount Poop being built up on the towel beneath her.

It got a bit messy, but eventually managed to get everything under control. I suppose it was Morgan's way of telling me exactly what she thought of our stripping her down to give her a bath - and paying me back.
We then got picked up by my soon-to-be sis-in-law. We managed to get the pram in the car, car seat strapped in, and we set off, driving slowly to our destination.

 Are we there yet?

We parked a couple of blocks away from the cafeteria we were going to - Mint - and so I got to push the pram in the outside world for the first time. It was daunting! Making sure I keep an eye on Morgan, looking at the pavement to avoid potholes and other possible obstacles, keeping an eye out for any pedestrians, cars and other vehicles/beings who might cross our path, looking for the nearest, safest and most convenient spot to roll off the pavement to cross the street - and keeping a conversation going. Talk about becoming suddenly aware of how often we multitask without even realising it!

We got to Mint, and luckily for us a group of people with a pram left at that very instant, clearing up an ideal spot for us to sit inside. People were chattering, an REM cd was playing in the background [which I found amusing seeing as I made a reference to them recently in a previous blog], and Morgan was hungry. This meant I had to feed her whilst trying to decide what I wanted to order for myself. That wasn't an easy task since I was focused solely on her - so I opted for the easy way out of the "I'll have what you're having" kind.
Seeing as I was focused on Morgan, it took me a while before I got round to my coffee and meal. Mel (my soon-to-be sis-in-law) wolfed down her food so as to be able to help Morgan burp whilst I eat.

To those of you who work in catering - please don't hover over my shoulder when you can clearly see I have a young child to tend to before I can focus on my own meal.

I never had reason to complain at this cafeteria - food and service are both exceptional. However, yesterday it was as if the 3 waitresses waiting on us grew tired of waiting. They invoked The Unspoken Time Limit During Which Food And Drink Must Be Consumed Lest Your Plate And Glass/Cup Be Taken Away - and that nearly happened in fact.

I missed seeing the Blond Dreadlocked Eyecandy Waiter yesterday - it would have been Lesson 1 on men for Morgan. Instead some guy walked in, and I taught her that this dude is what I call a Pretty Boy, and that she should limit herself to looking at Pretty Boys and that's it. She seemed content receiving this knowledge.
We went for a walk and after a short while, I started getting quite tired. Morgan fell asleep in the pram, and so we headed back towards the car - but not before taking a photo of the two of us.

Happily bringing the day out to an end.

We stopped by to say hi to Mel's parents as they wished to meet Morgan, and then we headed back home where a nappy change & feed was due, followed by a ton of sleep for both Morgan and myself.
A major update for today is - I was discussing what weapon gives the most satisfaction - a machete or a sledgehammer (yay for sledgehammer!) - with a friend and I made a pun using the following video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG71yD8UUbE. I decided to show it to Morgan. She was entranced!! She was watching it quietly, and when I moved my phone slightly, she followed the movement with her eyes!

In the backseat of my Cadillac

Whether you're a passenger or a driver, you will surely be familiar with this scene:

Stressed out parent[s] trying to ignore their child[ren] who is/are busy bouncing all around the backseat, possibly kneeling on the seat facing backwards, waving at the cars behind theirs.


Locally, the concept of wearing seatbelts whilst riding in the backseat is still not that popular.  The idea of child carseats even less so.  Thankfully, on each and every hospital list, there tends to be a carseat listed as a requirement for when you leave hospital.

When I was looking to buy a 3-in-1 travel system, I mentioned the need of a carseat to my mum, who seemed oblivious to the need of having such a security device.  She is an educated person and pretty much up to date with current events- and yet, the concept was foreign to her.  The same can undoubtedly be said about a large portion of the population - especially those above a certain age.

An article I came across earlier reminded me of this topic. In it, there was mentioned that in the US, it has been reported that accidents are the major cause of children's deaths.  Namely car accidents.

It is literally of vital importance that you install the baby carseat properly.

I personally don't drive myself - however 4 people in my immediate family do [actually 5, however I rarely ride with the 5th person].  This means that I will be pestering all of them  to come by for us to try and fit the carseat before Creature arrives - otherwise I'll be screwed when it comes to getting Creature home from hospital after giving birth.

The more cars you familiarise yourself with attaching the carseat in, the better. You never know who might be picking you up - so if you have an idea of how to install the seat in advance, it will reduce frustrations that might arise once you have a squirming crying baby sitting in the seat itself.

If you happen to buy a 2nd hand carseat - make sure it has not been involved in an accident, and that it is not too old.  If the seat you purchase does not come with a manual, do your utmost to contact the manufacturer for assistance.

Those were the days!

"Ah! I miss the good old days!"

Sounds familiar?

Having been born in the mid-80s, growing up I was surrounded by all things cheesy and awesome - cartoons, movies, music - you name it.  Maybe it is nostalgia, but I honestly believe that there isn't that kind of quality being produced nowadays.


I do know that I would like to introduce Creature to my 'childhood' favourites - and I say 'childhood' because in truth, I still enjoy them nowadays.  However I think I will have to come to terms with the fact that s/he will also need to familiarise him/herself with the 'crap' that is being produced nowadays.  The reason? They'll end up being social outcasts if they are not up to date with it all.  It would pretty much be a Parental Imposed Handicap - and I really don't wish to do that to him/her.  Especially since it will probably already be hard enough getting through to others without their prejudice against me appearance-wise becoming an obstacle.  Well, not the children anyway - they tend to be pretty amused by my being colourful and shiny - it mainly would be the parents.  Having said that, I look very much forward to see how it will all be playing out hen it comes to parents interacting with myself in an environment where they cannot do otherwise. *insert evil laughter here*

Thanks to the Internet culture that is thriving in this day and age though, being familiar with the 80s and 90s is still a must.  How else would you get certain puns and memes?  Not sure what I'm on about? Clicky here.

It is all about the penis

To snip or not to snip? That, is the question.  At least, itis for parents who have a son.


Circumcision is sometimes  required for medical reasons - but a lot of young boys are subjected to it as either a religious rite of passage, or as a cosmetic surgery through which parents believe they will be doing their son a favour.

Locally, as far as I am aware at least, this type of surgical procedure isn't as common.  In the US though, it seems to be the norm.  This is my understanding from several discussions held over the years - both in jest and in seriousness - with friends all around the world.  This map seems to confirm the theory:

Religion
In some cultures, males must be circumcised shortly after birth, during childhood, or around puberty as part of a rite of passage.  Religious male circumcision is considered a commandment from God in Judaism. In Islam, though not discussed in the Qur'an, male circumcision is widely practised and most often considered to be a sunnah. It is also customary in some Christian churches in Africa.


^Health
There is strong evidence that circumcision reduces the risk of HIV infection in heterosexual men in populations that are at high risk.  The World Health Organisation [WHO] currently recommends circumcision as part of a comprehensive program for prevention of HIV transmission in areas with high endemic rates of HIV.



Reading about it has made me cringe and mutter 'ouch' a few times in a really whiny tone.  If you wish, you can clicky here to read up - but I don't suggest you do if you're easily impressed.


Earlier this year  there has been some controversy raised in the states about whether Circumcision should be outlawed and classified as genital mutilation - even when it is for Religious reasons - or not.  There are a number of ethical issues related to the topic.  Let's have a look at a few:

• Infant circumcision infringes upon individual autonomy and represents a human rights violation.
• Using circumcision as a way of preventing HIV in high prevalence, low-income countries in sub-Saharan Africa, is controversial, but it has been argued that "it would be unethical to not seriously consider one of the most promising new approaches to HIV-prevention in the 25-year history of the epidemic"
• Some argue that the medical problems that have their risk reduced by circumcision are already rare, can be avoided, and, if they occur, can usually be treated in less invasive ways than circumcision.
• Circumcision may result in psychological harm, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
• Circumcision may affect the infact-mother bonding and trust-building process negatively.
• It is unclear what effects Circumcision has on one's sex life.  It seems to be common belief that it leads to loss of sensitivity and therefore a reduction in pleasure, joweber it has not been proven to be the case as of yet.

 Cosmetic circumcision


As of the early 1900s, in the US, Circumcision became accepted for non-religious purposes, however why, is still unclear.  In an increasing germ phobic society, the penis became "dirty" by association with its function, and from this premise circumcision was seen as preventative medicine to be practised universally.  Many practitioners at the time thought circumcision was a method of treating and preventing masturbation.  In truth, none of these reasons are valid.  Most parents who decide to snippety-snip their son's foreskin nowadays do it so that the boy can be like his father/other malte family members, if they happen to be cicumcised - or out of being under the wrong impression that being circumcised means the child will be 'cleaner' and less likely to get Urinary Tract Infections [UTI] and other uncomfortable ilnesses.

Ultimately, some males choose to undergo this operation themselves just because they think that being circumcised will make their penis look bigger.



At the end of the day. whatever choice you, as parents, make, it should be an informed decision.  I personally don't think it is fair to impose such a procedure on a child who cannot as yet speak for himself.

Sacrifices and Priorities don't always go hand in hand

"You're too good for your own good."

Does that sound familiar to you?  That, is pretty much the reason why I seem to get screwed over time and time again.  I have this crazy notion [ *gasp*] that everyone is an individual and therefore deserves a chance to prove themselves to be decent.  Unfortunately this means that by the time their true colours show, someone gets hurt.  And that, isn't them, usually.

Whilst having a conversation with a friend last night [or rather, too-early-this-morning] we were discussing how it seems almost impossible for someone who is "too good" to be otherwise.  In theory, it is simple enough.  It is only a matter of time and practise.  Once you get out of your "too good" comfort zone, and learn how to force yourself to be more assertive, and to put your priorities before others', then you're sorted.  You will be wrecked by feelings of guilt for a while, but eventually your comfort zone will evolve and it will become second nature for you.

He pointed out to me "Ah, but you can achieve that easily by cheating.  By bringing Creature's priorities first, you can justify being 'egoistic' whereas in reality you will still be bringing his/her needs first and foremost."

That gave me some brainfood to chew on.

Being a parent means that yes, your number one priority becomes your child.  However, your life does not need to end the moment the child is born.  I look at my mum, for example, and get pissed off at how she brings everyone else's needs before her own - at her own health's cost.  I end up telling her off and trying to get her to set her priorities straight.  I am sure that the vast majority of parents out there can relate.  Gods know how many times, growing up, we swear to ourselves that we won't do the same mistakes our parents did.

To me, that means one thing. Yes, your child priorities should come first.  But, don't forget your own needs, and every once in a while, do something for you.  "Me" time is still important.  If you don't look after yourself, both you and your child will suffer long-term consequences.  Your child will grow up and look back at his/her childhood, and realise how much you have sacrificed for him/her.  S/he will be grateful, sure, but not without feeling guilty and wishing they could turn back time and make you take better care of yourself. 

Spare your child that unnecessary guilt trip - it is your choice entirely; they have no reason to feel guilty about it.

The Reason Behind Embarrassing Baby Photos

At this time of the year, a lot of parents seem to have the brilliant idea of dressing up their babies/toddlers/children in all sorts of Seasonal Costumes.  Looking at the pictures, one might say "What on Earth were they thinking?! Poor child! The embarrassment!!"

That, is exactly what they're thinking. Embarrassing the child is exactly the purpose.  After all, one has to start early building up blackmail material against their own offspring!  How else will they successfully manage to embarrass their child when s.he brings home their partner in years to come?

Becoming a parent pretty much gives us the opportunity for payback.  We all have that embarrassing photo where we're butt naked in the bath tub, or wearing some silly outfit, or perhaps even wearing a bowl - or Gods forbid, our own potty - as a hat!  If you're lucky enough to have a sibling, they may take advantage of these photos and use them as blackmail material against you themselves! Maybe even end up putting them online! The horror!!

This, is why parents do it.  It is a vicious cycle of sorts.

Hell, I know I look forward to it myself!