The Birth Story
We named you Russell Aaden Loh Yong En. Russell being red-haired and fiery, Aaden being warmth and Yong En meaning bravery and grace. Our hearts' prayer for you is to be a man of strength, honour and valour, tempered with the grace of God in your life.
You were an active baby throughout the 9 months, and you didn't let us down at your birth!
You were supposed to be born on your maternal Grandpa's birthday but chose to come out on Daddy's birthday instead, some 32 years apart. Daddy had just come back from a business trip in Fuzhou a day earlier and we had just attended a wedding dinner. You didn't seem to move much that day, so we made our way to the hospital to get you checked (the second time we had done that in as many days!). Because of the low frequency of your movements, Dr. Chan sped down from home to see if you were okay - and the minute she showed up, you decided to kick like never before. Everyone took it as a sign that you were ready to make your entry and the next day, you did.
Your birth was pretty easy and uneventful - I spent most of the night and the day joking and laughing with the nurses and doctors. Even your delivery was quick and relatively easy. I didn't have the rush of maternal instincts that I'd read so much about - when Dr. Chan handed you over to me, I shrieked for them to pass you to Daddy instead because you were slimy and smelly. Fortunately, Daddy makes up for whatever lack of parental instincts that I have - he teared and he said it was an earth-shattering moment for him when he first held you in his arms. I felt quite detached from you and that is something that made me feel very guilty. It took me awhile to warm up to you; and sometimes, I still feel quite detached and so envious of mommies who can bond so well with their babies, as if they were born to do so.
Just so we'll always remember, you were 2.52kg at birth, 47cm in length and your head circumference was 32cm.
You were a curious baby from birth - you came out looking up. And shrieking your lungs out. Dr. Chan commented that you seemed to have a loudspeaker instead of a voice-box. This comment was echoed by one of the night nurses who came to our room, asking desperately if she could feed you formula because you were screaming so loudly. You were an impatient and noisy baby - you still are.
Fortunately, you were a cute baby. And such a curious one. You kept opening your eyes and staring at everyone and everything, from your first day in the world.
You took to suckling like a professional. And you were ever such a hungry baby. You knew how to root for the nipple yourself and you had no problems switching effortlessly between the bottle and the breast.
Because of the H1N1 situation at the time, we limited visitors to only family members. Your first visitors were your maternal Grandparents, who came bearing flowers, tonics and an over-abundance of love. Grandma couldn't wait for you to arrive, such that it was her second trip of the day - she actually came by mid-day to see you in the Observation Ward before you had even come out!
You had a touch of jaundice, which gave us a bit of a scare when it kept going up. But, aside from that, the 3D2N that we spent in the hospital went by like a dream. You were doted upon by the nurses, the doctors and everyone who came in contact with you. Everyone was quite sad to see you go home.
You came back to your maternal Grandparents' home, which is where you will be living primarily. You are such a lucky baby, everyone wants the best for you and you are so showered with love. Grandma, Grandpa and Auntie Ann were so excited to welcome you home. Even Brownie had a special bark for his little, new housemate.
I've always been a worrywart and this hasn't changed since you came along. I worry about everything about you, from things now to things future, for things within my control and for things without.
As much as I deny it or try to act tough about it, I adore you and am so lucky to have you come to bless us in our lives. I just need some time to adjust to having to give up my life of independence and freedom. There's a lifetime of adventure ahead of us all and we're so looking forward to growing together as a family.
Remember this at all times: We love you. So very much.