Sunday 1 January 2017

Happy New Year

Well, 2016 has simply whizzed by, hasn't it? With just a couple hours left of this year to go, I wanted to wish everyone a very Happy New Year. For longtime readers who have hung around, thank you for your continued interest and support. I know blog updates this year have been very sporadic and I can't promise that it will change anytime soon. As many of you know, my brood expanded from one to three this past April so life has been a whirlwind of mainly diaper changes, bottle feeds and lots of baby carrying. My makeup collection has sat collecting sad dust bunnies for the past year. I've been trying to make more of an effort with putting on my face but it often feels like a losing battle, especially when I see all the white hair that has sprouted, reminding me that I'm on the cusp of turning 40.

Enough of my prattle. Who wants to see cute baby pics?

These little tykes were born at 36 weeks by C-section, weighing just 2.4kg and 2.5kg. They spent 8 days in the neo-natal ICU, mainly learning how to feed and put on weight. One had jaundice and the other had trouble maintaining his body temperature for awhile, but other than that, their issues were pretty mild compared to other premature babies. They came off their oxygen tubes after the first day and their IVs were out by the third day. Still, there were a couple of harrowing moments, like when the nurses jabbed one twin several times in the arms, heels and even his forehead trying to find a viable vein for the IV needle. It was surreal being discharged from the hospital and going home without my babies, but fortunately, we lived just around the corner from the hospital. We were also able to view the babies live over the internet through video cameras above their cots.

We've been fortunate in that we've had great help from our parents, who have been taking turns to stay with us for six months each. The first few months were tough as expected, but the painful pregnancy had trained me to function with very little sleep. At least now I can sleep lying down without stomach acid flooding my mouth like it did when I was pregnant.

These chubby wubbies are identical twins but they have always looked different to me. The younger one has a slightly rounder face and bigger eyes. My husband still gets them mixed up on a regular basis, claiming that he's just not good with faces. Whatever! The two also have different temperaments. The older one is more stoic while the younger one is super jolly but also quicker to fuss.

However depressing the state of the world around us is, I feel like I've been blessed many times over with this crew. Life's pretty perfect when one's heart and arms are so full. Each day when they wake up and see me, their faces light up and they kick their tiny feet and flap their arms like ecstatic chickens on speed. Those precious seconds of unadulterated joy are what I hold on to. Some day, they'll probably become resentful moody teenagers who can't wait to escape to the other side of the world but I'll always have these treasured memories of the time when I was their whole world and vice versa.


May the new year bring you more love, light and merry adventures wherever you are.

11 comments:

D. said...

Hi Iris,

Happy New Year to you, yours, the little, and the tiny ones! What a lovely post :)

Cheers,
D.

visee said...

Dear Haru,

Thank you for continuing to maintain your blog all these years! I still look forward to checking your blog, and am always delighted to see posts. It's wonderful to see how your lovely family has expanded and that you are doing well!

Happy New Year and have a great 2017! :)

Citrine said...

Hah, your boys have the cutest cheeks!

Happy New Year!

Haru said...

hi D,
Happy new year to you too!

hi Visee,
thanks for reading all these years! Hope you have a wonderful year ahead too!

hi Citrine,
I do like munching on those cheeks every day :) Happy new year!

Christina said...

Happy New Year to you! Your boys are just precious! Even though you don't have time to blog anymore, I have to say I still enjoy your little updates of collections and sometimes life tidbits here and there. Have a wonderful 2017!

Tsubomi said...

Happy new year Iris! Thank you for continuing to blog even though you must be so busy with your little ones! I really appreciate how you are sharing your life with us. Your boys are so cute!

Anonymous said...

happy new year! sorry for being a lurker all these years (i'm just no good with internet and social media) but yours is my favourite blog ever. maybe because we're around the same age - it feels kinda surreal seeing you from being single to married and now a mother of three (while I'm still single *horrors*) - it's been 10 years when I first chanced upon your blog searching for japanese product reviews when I was staying in japan. I'm so glad you are still continuing with the blog even though you must be really busy these days. *sob* am feeling particularly sentimental now that i'm gonna be 40 soon too (nooooooo!). bless you and hope you have a wonderful 2017 and beyond~

Haru said...

hi there!
Aww, thanks for your kind comments and for reading the blog all these years! Trust me, I still get that surreal sense too now and then when I look at my boys around me, and wonder at how much my life has changed compared with just 8 years ago. It just goes to show that you never know what's waiting around the next corner or when your life will take a turn. Turning 40 years old definitely has its challenges but I'm also excited to see what it will bring. It's painful to even try to stand up straight from sitting on the floor now! I'm trying to keep the blog going, especially since it's just a few months short of the 10th anniversary. This month has been especially trying as all the kids have caught colds, so updates will be slow, but I'll definitely try to keep them coming.

May 2017 also bring you many blessings! I really appreciate you taking the time to leave a comment!

Haru said...

hi Tsubomi,
thanks, the blog gives me something to look forward to during the small snatches of time that I get to myself, like when all the kids are asleep. It's definitely tough to keep it going and I really wish I could do more in-depth posts. But it is what it is, as Sherlock Holmes says. Thank you for reading the blog!

Haru said...

hi Christina,
Thanks for your well wishes and for continuing to read the blog! It often feels like nobody is reading blogs anymore and that I'm just talking to myself here. So the rare comments that I receive here are very much appreciated. I'll continue to do my best to keep the blog going. All the best to you in 2017!

saltvinegar said...

So nice to see that you are still blogging! Congrats on the triple cuties!