Many of our concerned family and friends have been asking about our baby. I guess some are also worried since this will be our first time being a mum and dad (which one is nicer - dad, daddy, papa, pups, Daddy T, Daddy A, Big T?).

We are touched by the many kind gestures as well. Besides advice, many of our family and friends have also offered us stuffs like baby napkins, baby cots, clothes, pump, feeding bottles, etc… Words just cannot express how grateful we are to have so many wonderful family and friends.

Mrs Tai ended up going to the hospital alone for the last 3 follow-up visits because I had some problem getting leave from my present job — which is partly why I decided to quit my present job and look for a more ‘family-friendly’ work environment. I felt bad about all this because I was not able to be there for my wife as well as my baby. To me, this is not a very good start.

But from what Mrs Tai have told me, the baby is doing alright. She is growing very healthily and normally. Ultrasound scan shows everything else is fine, other than the earlier suspected condition - congenital diaphragmatic hernia. Yes, doctors have told us that the baby should a girl.

On her latest check-up (just two weeks ago), Mrs Tai also got to meet up with a neo-natal specialist. He advised Mrs Tai to consider the option of planned delivery (we had originally wanted to try natural birth as we read that it is much better for the baby) as this will allow the hospital to be ‘ready’ for our baby - the pediatric surgeon can be put on standby as well as the necessary equipments. We have until early May (the next follow-up) to inform the hospital of our decision.

What the neo-natal specialist have told us is quite true and logical. So we’re most likely to go with planned delivery instead — just not too sure if its induced or Ceasarian section. Will need to check with the hospital again on the next visit about ‘planned delivery’.

To be honest, there are still quite a number of things that we have yet to work out, like confinement lady’s services (do we still require one?), where will baby be sleeping when she comes back from hospital (we have the baby cot but where to put the cot is another question), do we buy a new refrigerator (we need lots of freezer space and since we will be moving to our new place by year end, should we get the refrigerator now?)… So many questions. So many little things to think and do. But we know from past experience that eventually, everything will fall correctly into place.

Oh ya, we’ve got a name for our baby already…