翯和合鹤
霞顺十鸣
霓蔼礼一
虹祥拜声
万气佛冲
里薿如云
暄重来霄
。，，，

诗里的藏头为贺姓氏的藏音。大儿子和二儿子的名字再以藏音各自藏二、藏三于第一和第二行里。第三儿子藏六在第三行，暄就藏七在第四行。

鹤为中华文化里的吉祥之鸟。鹤响亮的鸣叫声冲上了云霄而得到了光明（阳光）。是以明白事理的先导，要冲破隔障（云霄）才能看清楚（阳光）一切事理的对与错。

第二行看似有点佛教的味道。它是以佛学（非宗教）里的哲学为基础。在佛学和这诗里，佛的意义博大精深，指的是有高等智慧而非一般凡夫之人类。如来是指大自然宇宙里头的一切知识和定律。这第二行意味深长。指的是以底姿态、诚恳地追寻大自然宇宙里头的一切知识和定律以增加本身和人类的智慧。

第三行则有和气、顺利、慈悲和吉祥之气薿薿。兄弟姐妹之间和周边人和蔼地相处。

当之前所有三大条件达成之后，三兄弟不只德高望重，人人敬仰，还让贺氏的声望气势如虹，名扬万里。

他们能不能做到，那就要看看他们长大后对这诗的领悟和造化了。或许他们做不来也无所谓，但愿他们努力为达成诗意，将之传承于后代。

献丑了。

We headed to Neway Karaoke Box in One Utama at 1700. The karaoke box was huge. The lounge was big enough to fit in all 20+ of us. It was a buffet dinner with free karaoke. The food was very nice and everyone was enjoying and had a full tummy.

As for our boys, this was their new experience, a new one. They had no idea what karaoke was about. Dmitry was really enjoying singing with his cousins. He sang Beauty and the Beast and Reflection (theme song in Mulan). I would say not bad at all at his age. He could recognize all the words in the lyrics. He was good comparing to his old daddy. Ha.. ha..

Dietrich joined him for a few kid’s songs. Dominik roaming around and having fun with all sort of food. He really enjoyed the food and the noises there.

We left for Melaka at 2245 and touched base at 0115. The kids were soundly asleep after a fun karaoke and tummy filling buffet session.

Today? Richie went to school for the first time to get him familiar with schooling life so that he can accustom easily when he starts his school officially next year. It was quiet at home with only LA, Nik and I. Nik was able to enjoy quiet moments without Richie bullying or disturbing him.

And today, guess what? Nik begins to show symptoms. His outbreak is slow with fewer blisters. We are supposed to meet up with LY tomorrow but it looks like impossible. They are so afraid that their daughter (same age as Nik) may get the chickenpox too.

Well, all three of them have gotten their chickenpox.

Dmitry and Dietrich were so excited. Especially Dietrich, he likes to blow off candles. So, Dmitry was trying to prevent that from happening. I was so afraid they might ruin the cake. Thank God the cake was safe.

Here’s our neighbor. They live across. Her husband is a lecturer in MMU. They are Indonesian expatriate.

There, the princes and princesses.

This is Gwen. She is 3 weeks older than Dominik.

Time for the present, the ultimate moment Dmitry has been waiting for…

After the party, having relax moment in our bedroom…

Dominik and Dietrich were excited about the bread. One thing for sure our children love bread very much.

We went to the town to see some CNY decoration. The decoration is not as beautiful as 20 years ago. Partly the reason is lack of sponsorship. Shops are not willing to sponsor as the local government does not care to participate in the CNY decoration.

I hope I will have some time this weekend to go downtown for photo shooting. I always wanted to do it but did not find time for it. I hope this year I can find some time for it.

After our drink, we went up to Jusco to see some electrical appliances. Umi called and told me to come to Coffee Bean and she had something for us. When I went there, she presented the card to me as a gift. Thanks Umi! It is a nice Christmas gift.

And I have some work to do. What now? An idea sparked in my head.

I have installed a web camera on the Windows box in the living room for her and D to use so that they can communicate with me through video Skype. The main reason was to communicate with me while I was away for a month to Okinawa for my karate training.

Hmm….

So, I Skype LA at the living room and I can have the video in my working room. Nik’s napping soundly in his wonderland while I am writing this post. What a high tech daddy!

Today, I prepared the two dishes for the kids and LA. They loved it so much!

I am able to channel this feeling to traning but when I am not training and writing on my MacBook, I think of them so much.

I know what is my next birthday wish will be but this time, no one could ever make my wish comes through. I will have to work very hard to make this second wish come true and that can take me years to realize the wish. I hope LA and the three dinos can be patient.

Thanks grandma and uncle BS for coming to help.

It was about 4 years ago when the last flood came. D was still a baby. So this was the second time for D and first time for Rich and Nik.

We are all fine and in good health and at this moment as I am writing this post, the water has subsided and we have cleaned up all the mess. No losses of property.

This is the 5th time our area was flooded. Can you imagine how the hell can Bukit Beruang (our area is supposed on the high ground!) get flooded? This area has been heavily developed with more houses and high rise apartments. Tress have been chopped down. When the city council approved the plan for development, their oversight on irrigation systems has caused this inconveniences. What a GREAT! job they have done! Despite of previous floods, nothing has been done to improve the irrigation system. So incompetence and ignorant.

The two big boys were a little agitated by the loud drum noise. Dominik was really enjoying the drum rhythms and he was kind of dancing and getting excited in the whole event.
D and R enjoyed so much playing with the colorful papers from the party poppers.

Last August when my wife gave birth to Dominik, my mom sent her maid to our home to help. She helped to wash and cook. We did not want her to even lay a finger on our kids. But my 2nd son, Dietrich, liked her very much and liked to hug her. We left it to be but we tried to prevent him from doing so as much as we could.

Then I had retinal detachment in September. Had a surgery and needed for follow-up examination in KL. My wife would drive me to KL for the examination. One day in October, my wife sent me to the clinic in KL without taking any kids along (we left them at home together with my MIL and the maid), we discovered a small bruise on my eldest son left inner arm. We became suspicious about her and my wife asked Dmitry who did this. He told my wife that the maid “pinch” her! My wife asked him 5 times and he answered 5 times the same answers! Then my wife and I checked on Dietrich and found a bruise on his right waist. Dietrich did not know to express yet. Then we decided to file a police report and sent her to the police station for investigation. And we had to sent our kids to General Hospital for examination! After the police investigation, we deported her back to Indonesia.

Why did she pinch the kids? We trained our kids to do household chores. It appeared that Dmitry wanted to help her to clean the dining table. Apparently, the maid did not want him to do that so they were snatching the cleaning cloth. And the bitch pinched him. As for the case of Dietrich, we did not know what happened because he did not know how to express himself yet.

Of course not all Indonesian maids are bad. My mom had one maid earlier and she was very hardworking and quick in her work. We, particularly my sister Angie, really missed her. Angie missed her so much even until the last days before her departure. We tried to contact her in Indonesia but failed.

Before this happened, my wife and I had talked about installing CCTV at home. But before we could finalize the decision, this unpleasant thing had already happened. It was too late to install and we would never need to install one because my mom had decided not to employ any maid anymore.

If you want to install one, then do it! Don’t think about the cost or its worthiness. You never know what these fanatic Indonesian maids can do (but not all of them are like this).

Luckily, the incident did not leave any permanent psychological effect on our kids.

When we arrived at the park, it was noon time and there were some crowds at the tracks and some kite sellers and parents with kids were flying kites. So we went to Roger’s Kites stall and bought a kite for RM45! It was quite expensive for a small one but according to the man, it will last for 2 years because of the stitching. So we bought it.

I had not been flying kite for more than twenty years. I could not get the kite up. After many tries, the man who sold us the kite offered to help us. He slightly explained and I had recollection of the techniques in the younger days. With his help, we finally got our kite soaring high in the sky. Can you spot which kite is ours? The photo was taken using my cell phone the kites look small.

Ladies, you have just been terminated! Ha, ha!

When we arrived home, it was an hour before midnight. We prepared then ate the crabs just before midnight. Nik was sleeping already. D and R were so eager to eat te crabs with toasted breads.

Just before the clock struck 12, I called Michal in Poland to wish him and his mother and girl friend a Happy New Year. Michal, if you are reading this, Happy New Year and we wish you were here to celebrate with us New Year 2007 and have crab party. Do you still remember the restaurant we had crabs party beside a temple?

We checked in to Mahkota Hotel at 9th floor in Jasmine block. This was the first time we stayed in Mahkota Hotel. The one-room apartment was not too bad except that D and I had to sleep on the floor. We bought some supper and ate in the hotel while watching TV until midnight.

We woke up at 0700 and had breakfast at 0800 and 0830 we were heading to the pool. The breakfast was quite a hectic one as both D and R were getting excited about the pool and could no longer sit still to eat their breakfast and Nik was starting to make noise. LA and I had to wash down our breakfast with juices.

When we were at the second pool, the water was cold and the morning breeze made us felt colder. But that did not stop the kids jumping into the water. R was shivering and I had to wrap him with two pool towels and to rubbed him to keep him warm. As soon as he had warmed up, he insisted to go into the pool again. We played until the sun came out and we began to feel warmer but we had to go fearing of getting sun burn.

We returned the pool towels and went back to our hotel room and took some hot drinks and hot bath/shower. After the hot shower, D laid down on the couch and fell asleep. Soon, Nik was asleep on my chest followed by me. LA and R took the luggage to the car. When they were back, LA took some candid shots of three of us sleeping.

R got his first mini waterfall bath.

Ooooo…. cold. An gu…. The water was cold. Nik only got his feet wet.

R was shivering.

Teaching R to swim, actually kicking his legs in the water.

D was soaking in the cold water and sneezing away.

R was wrapped in two pool towels and I rubbed his body to keep him warm.

Caught in candid camera having siesta after the swim.

Nik was sleeping on my chest.

R was helping mommy to pack.

R gave D a kiss. Smuck!

And a smuck to daddy.

Daddy woke up and kiss kiss!

LA, Nik with cousins Lilian, Vivien and Shane

LY with Nik and LA with Su-An

Strong grandma

Nik with cousins Sharlene, Vivien and Wendy

D and Rich got their Christmas presents from Santa Clause (daddy)

D got this dream Yoyo and R got some play stamps

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LA suggested to go to Mahkota Parade and there we go. To our surprise, D said he wanted to stay with grandma. So we left both D and R with grandma. Poor grandma, she had to take care two musketeers.

It was Nik’s second visit to departmental store. He was excited to look at lights and people walking by. When he was tired, he would sleep in cuddles.

After taking many look at all the shops selling sports shoes, I decided to buy a pair of Addidas running shoe. It fits my large feet well. I really liked this Addidas UK 12 size and its design. I was hesitating because of the price, which was RM167.90 after 40% discount! LA said that was her Christmas gift to me. But I was still hesitating because of the price and it might not last long. Finally, I decided to take it. Honey, thanks for the early Birthday and Christmas gift!

Now, I’ve got the shoe but I feel a little pity to wear it for running. I hope this pair will last me for at least 2 to 3 years to spread even the cost.

When we arrived at grandma’s, we learned that R had stepped into the drain. Luckily, we had bought him and D a new pair of sandal earlier before we went to MP.

We arrived home around 2030 and three musketeers were soundly asleep in the car. It was a tiring day for all of us.

We seldom bring Nik for shopping so there is little chance to use the pouch. LA asked me to carry Nik for a moment and the idea sparked in my mind.

Wee! Daddy has got hands free.

What are you looking at?

Ummm…. Do you want a ride?

I sat on the bathroom floor having Nik laying on my lap. I gave him a warm shower. He like the shower very much. Nik is the “fattest” among three of them. Both Nik and I enjoyed the shower very much.
Sorry, no picture because both big man and little man were completely naked.

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Disclaimer: This is a follow up of the other post on August 29, “Icterus and phototherapy”. This is not a medical advice. Try it at your (and your baby) own risks. We will not be responsible for any health damage or fatality. Please seek medical advice.

Our sons, Dmitry and Dominik, developed baby jaundice after a few days of their arrival. Dietrich was lucky not having a jaundice at all. I think Dietrich has developed his liver well in the womb. He was actually overdue by 1 week. This could be the reason why Dietrich did not develop jaundice.

To help the baby with jaundice to break down the bilirubin build up in the body, it requires lights with spectrum about 75%UVA (400 – 315 nm) and 25% UVB (315 – 280 nm). A normal fluorescent lamp used for home lighting lacks of these spectrum.

Normal fluorescent light spectrum

The Sylvania 215W cool white fluorescent tube (very high output) provides some UV spectrum for this purpose. It may be hard to find this tube but anything close to it will be sufficient (cool white for aquatic plants). The intensity of the UV emitted is not high. It shall be able to aid the breaking down of the bilirubin slowly. To accelerate the break down, place the baby near window or door where there are scattering UV. A morning sun bath will also help.

It will be better if use three tubes. One UVA, one UVB and one cool white. The UVA and UVB tubes will provide full UV spectrum at higher intensity. I haven’t tries this combination. Common sense tells us that too much UV will harm the skin, especially the tender skin of a baby. Please exercise more care when using UVA and UVB tubes.

Please exercise great cautions and observe closely the progression of the jaundice. If it is getting more yellow and towards the feet and palms, please seek medical advice immediately. Observe the color of the stool closely. The color should turn greenish yellow. This indicates the bilirubin has been broken down and discharged out of the body. Give plenty of water to avoid dehydration. Cover the eyes with something. UV and bright lights are harmful to baby’s developing retina.

Again, this is only our experience and research about using right spectrum for the purpose. It is not to replace professional medical assistance. Use at your (and your baby) own risks. We will not be responsible for any health damage or fatality.

Good luck!

With our experience when Dmitry developed jaundice, we gave him phototherapy at home. We used both sun bathing (early morning) and artificial light methods. When Dmitry was developing jaundice, I researched the different light spectrum emitted by different fluorescent light bulb and found the one used to grow aquatic plants very close to the spectrum they used for phototherapy.

I ran home and quickly setup the stroller with the light and get him under it. Nik’s jaundice lasted until August 31.

We put Nik on the steady Chicco stroller under the light.

When doing phototherapy at home, it is important to observe the progressive of the baby’s jaundice. If it is getting more yellow and down to his feet, the baby will require immediate medical attention. Otherwise, it is safe to be at home and continue the phototherapy. Observe the color of the stool carefully. If the color of the stool turns greenish yellow, that indicates the baby’s body system is breaking down the bilirubin. The greenish yellow color in the stool indicates that bilirubin has been discharged out of the baby’s body. Be sure to give the baby plenty of water so that she will not be dehydrated.

When putting the baby under the light, try to put him as near to any window or door. There will be some scattering ultra violet near this area. The extra UV will also aide the phototherapy.

Nik was sucking fingers with big bro look on.

Happy big bro!

Nik was getting fussy.

Don’t disturb, ok?

Rich followed Nik’s finger sucking in the background.

Yawn…

From grandpa and grandma.

Grandpa, grandma and granny (mommy’s side).

With uncle BS.

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When we woke up in the morning, the house stirred into motion. We were busy preparing to go to the hospital to take mommy and Dominik home.

13:45 – We arrived at the hospital.
14:15 – LA was in the labor room.
14:45 – LA’s cervix had dilated to 3 cm.
16:15 – still at 3 cm.
16:45 – her doctor came and still 3 cm. Water bag was broken.
18:20 – 4 cm.
19:30 – still 4 cm.
21:15 – still 4 cm. The stress had built up and her doctor did not like the long wait (more than 6 hours). He feared for the baby and her safety. She had first C-sect and second vagina birth, there was still a risk to have uterine rupture. The doctor explained the risk and we had to quickly decide for C-sect.

LA was very upset and I comforted her and told her about the risk that we might face. She cried and I almost cried too. We managed to get her agreed to the procedure. Immediately, she was wheeled to OT (Operating Theatre) on level 1.

She wanted me to come along and her doctor agreed and assured that I would be sitting beside her and the doctor. I changed into surgical gown with cap and mask and led into the OT. Because of my height, I could get a peek and saw her doctor had already cut her open. I was asked to sit down beside her and hold her arm. I gave her a firm grip. My tear was running at the edge. I asked her if I look like a surgeon and she look at me with a smile. Too bad there is no picture.

I took a few peek and ….

22:10 – Dominik had arrived with a clear and loud cry. The moment I saw the doctor retrieved Dominik from the womb, my heart was pounding. Luckily, I did not faint. Many heartiest thanks to her doctor and his team.

I took some photos the night Dominik arrived and on the day Dominik were going home.