Chinese New Year

Chinese New Year arrived earlier this year, this is a special CNY as we have a new addition to the family. For the past few years, we adopted 2 dogs and this year we will have baby Ponyo in our yearly family portrait! 9 days of holidays also means an extra pair of help from Cliff while we care for Ponyo.  Despite the cold weather, rain, and the flu bug out and about, we wrapped Ponyo up and headed off to great grand parents'.  Babies in Taiwan head out when they are at least 4 months old, and only when needed (vaccines/ doctor's visit)...

Ponyo slept through dinner time at Cliff's great grandparents home while she earned red packets for the New Year's blessings.

Dogs have not been anywhere near Ponyo since she came home, this is our 1st photo together! Qiu Qiu showed great interest when Ponyo came home and when she cries!

Baby Ponyo's chinese name was announced by her Great grand papa on CNY eve!

Cliff selected this name from hundreds of combinations grandpa wrote down according to the number combination of strokes within each character. Ran through the selected name with grandpa & great grandpa and it was finally approved! Ponyo's chinese name will be 彤恩（ Tong- En )- Tong means Red (an auspicious color among the chinese, it also means passion)! En is an expression of gratitude and love.

Little cousins said Ponyo looks like a chipmunk! Look at her cheeks!

Oh, we also decided to rename Ponyo, her english name is also official, it's Miya! 

( 宮: in japanese means palace).

Ponyo's One Month Bday~!

According to tradition, baby's 1 month birthday is the time when we make an announcement to relatives and friends that baby Ponyo's 1 month old! We are supposed to send out boxes of cakes/ cookies for relatives and friends who have given Ponyo a red packet/ gift as a thank you which I have not done just yet! If Ponyo's a boy, boxes of glutinous rice will be given rather than cakes! Since I returned home from the after birth care center, I continued to receive postpartum care until Ponyo's 1 month bday on Jan 18th. Coming home was a new adjustment for everyone, definitely more hectic since there's no more help from the nurses. Unable to sleep through the night has been tough, since I wake up feeling dizzy and need short naps throughout the day but grandma and I enjoyed dressing Ponyo up!

Ponyo tries out grandma's floral wristband

Ponyo has become more interactive and loves being talked to. 

 Cliff drove back to visit Ponyo on her 1 month birthday!

Chinese New Year is just a few days away and Ponyo will meet most of her relatives! 

Ponyo's 1st Xmas

Merry X'mas Ponyo! Gingerbread man was hand sewn at the arts & craft hour at the center.

 Time for some sunshine!

 Grandparents and uncle couldn't wait but drove all the way from Taipei to visit Ponyo and bought her a cake for Xmas.

 The center prepared X'mas eve dinner specials for dads!

 X'mas event at the center: Find your baby's photo on the x'mas tree!

ALL the babies look the same while asleep! Luckily, Cliff identified some birthmarks on Ponyo's face and found her photo!

 

 Picking Ponyo up at the nursery after the x'mas event

 Dressed Ponyo up for our 1st X'mas family photo

After Birth Care Center

Postpartum care is a must in Taiwan, at least among the chinese.  Natural birth mums are recommended to be in postpartum care for 30 days, while C-section mums have to be under postpartum care for 40 days. It is a current trend in Taiwan to stay at the after birth care center, rather than receiving postpartum care in the home. While I was pregnant, I've been told how important postpartum care is, that a women's health can be improved as a result of it. I've been warned not to wash my hair for 30 days! not to drink water but only soup, herbal tea, to lie down as much as possible, to wash my hands with warm water instead of cold water, wear a hat, wear long sleeves... some do seem impossible to achieve for me.

The day we arrived at the after birth center. We were greeted at the door, with our luggage picked up and checked in to our room.  

Changed into the floral PJs provided by the center, lunch was also provided while I was fed with loads of information about the room and services.

Dads had to be wrapped up from head to toe on his 1st day at the center, until he takes a shower.

 Since we left the hospital, I had been having swollen breasts, and they are painful! I requested for someone to assist me with the situation immediately. A nurse came by, taught me how to operate the Medela breast pump and started massaging, ouch, I yelled & cried but she saved me! From then on, breast pumping every 3 hours is a must, which also means getting up in the night and start pumping away! Postpartum care isn't as relaxing as I thought it would be! 

Everyday at the center:

8am: Breakfast sent into the room

10am: Room Cleaning

10.30am: Nurse wraps my abdomen with long strips of white cloth (Meant to put organs back in place)

12 noon: Lunch

2pm: Chinese medicine doctor/ OBGYN/ Pediatrician visits weekly OR scheduled for classes (Breastfeeding tips/ CPR/ Caring for the newborn/ Yoga/ arts & craft..etc)

3pm: Afternoon snack & hot tub of cooked herbal water ( used for bathing/foot soaking to prevent cold feet/hands during winter)

6pm: Dinner