Adapting

Jeremy has been home now for 2 weeks and is 16 days old. Sleep deprivation has not yet sunk in but it is getting close. His astonishing thirst for food is amazing and is yellow poo is intriguing, the smell is nothing but a smell and ignored.

His sleep pattern and food pattern has not set yet but he is sleeping most of  the afternoon and some of the night.  We are getting about 6 hours of sleep through the night and maybe some through the day if lucky, which of course does not really happen but it sounds nice.
No TV now as there is no time after work but to eat and sort stuff out and then help Yovita and spend time with Jeremy. So I am back to reading and staring and in the early hours of the morning, spending my time thinking I want a cup of tea before going back to sleep and waking a little later.

Jeremy has grown a few centimetres and has put on weight. He has become a little bigger and he has become very restless and moves all the time.

We are now using milk bottles as well as breast feeding and have gone straight to nappies as the cloth ones just stain and are not really suitable for us.

We have not taken him outside the house yet, only to the hospital for a check up, which was all good and so he is not yet used to sunlight and when he goes onto the balcony we have to be careful of the light and the heat so he is not up there for long. He is however totally ignorant of the noise outside the house, from the motorbikes, the mosque, the repair shop, the man with the horn selling his sweet corn which is good but he does react to voices close and far which is good.

My time at the moment is just work and home and chores and thats about it. I managed to sneak Yovita out of the house today for a quick 30 minutes for coffee (the nanny was in control while we were gone) and that was the first time out for her for a while as well which was nice.

As Bob Dylan once sang, 'Times a changing'....

Coming home

Sunday the 5th and Monday the 6th

Sunday is far quieter in the hospital than any other day, mainly because it is not open except for emergencies so the trickle of visitors and odd patients makes it a very tranquil place. Waking after a long period of sleep there was nothing to do and no one really bothering us. Breakfast was at Starbucks which was nice.
Yovita its getting better and walking is a little easier for her so that helps.Jeremy is still a milk fiend but appears to be calming down and a little more restful. He slept more yesterday.
Our good friend Andy turned up for a quick visit which was great. The crying and breast feeding made him leave quite quickly but it was still great to see some one different.
With the family back everyone managed to stress Jeremy out mainly due to the noise and the raise in temperature in the room which he did not like and so panicked and would not stop crying. This meant him being taken back to the baby room for observation, a stressed out mum and all the family moved outside. He stayed there until 4pm.
So once we knew he was going to be OK, I managed to sleep and Yovita just rested. No sooner was I in full dribble mode when some more friends arrived, Jamie and Fiona. Again it was great to see them and they were delighted as were we when Jeremy came back all happy and hungry. Leaving Fiona with Yovita we snuck out for food and some well needed beer.
On return more visitors were there but they never stayed long and once they and our friends left, Jeremy seemed chilled and sleepy and spent along time with me while Yovita managed to eat and shower. He went back to the baby room around 9.30pm and so we could sleep. 6 hours later a nurse was in the room with a breast pump as Yovita needed to provide milk for JD and now she is starting to produce quite a lot and so he won't go hungry which is good. By 4.30am it was definitely time not to sleep as the room was filling with cleaners nurses and do on and Jeremy arrived around 6am but was gone again by 8am for tests and blood taking which cannot be pleasant to watch but necessary.
Hope fully we can go once we have seen the doctor today and hopefully that's by 2 pm as well I want to go home, Yovita wants to go home and Jeremy needs to come home.

Very excited about going home

Monday
 
Possibly the best Monday ever because that was the day Jeremy got to come home after 3 nights at the hospital. Sleeping as bad as the previous nights meant another early start but time with Jeremy before he went off for the usual inspection and things. Breakfast again was at Starbucks and a chance to rest a little and then when back wait for the doctors and the physiotherapist to see Yovita.
The doctor came and said see you next Tuesday after making sure the stitches were OK and that Yovita was doing well which she is. We were then told we could go home but had to wait for the physiotherapist to instruct Yovita with some exercise routines to help the milk flow.
Finally the baby care nurse came and gave us lots of packages and a booklet all about Jeremy before carrying him to the waiting taxi for our journey home.
Once home he was put straight into the cot. I got changed and went to work to discover packages and parcels from friends and family.
Back home we settled down for a long night and got it. I guess 5 hours max sleep through the night but to be expected after all.

Not so happy to start with at home

But soon got over that!

And now that Jeremy is at home, the fun begins!!!

The first few days

Last Friday (May 3rd at 1.50pm) I became a father to Jeremy. The most life changing and inspiring moment ever I have encountered.

Below are my thoughts and what I saw from the day. The post will be in two parts.

Friday 3rd May

So after 40 weeks the decision was made to induce the baby and go from there. We have been going to YPK Mandiri in Menteng which is a mother and baby hospital and with the permission of our doctor was allowed to induce the baby a few days early with the warning of a c-section if the induction failed. We checked in and went to a ward where Yovita was checked out by a midwife and then the doctor paid a visit and explained that due to the position of the baby's head the chances of induction working was only 15% successful and so we agreed to have a c section. 

This was at 11am and the delivery would take place at 1pm.

Yovita was then put on a drip and had blood tests and anti-biotics pumped into her while I signed here and there on some bits of paper to allow the operation to go ahead. I also had to change into the hospitals medical clothing, wear a hair net and a mask to cover my mouth. The footwear I had to wear was a pair of crocs! As I write this I am sat in the recovery room wearing a blue gown and no shoes but I digress.
15 minutes after Yovita was taken to the operating theatre I was sent for and stood by holding her hand  as the doctors busied them selves with the delivery. About 5 minutes later at 1.50pm Jeremy was born all purple and pale but screaming and kicking which is the best sign. He was cleaned and put under a hot lamp while the nurses cleared his noise and throat.
They  then gave him to Yovita to nurse, maybe to help ignore the fact that the doctor was sewing her back together at that point but also to help Jeremy feed but it was so cold in the room that the feeding never took place.

After that I went with the nurses and Jeremy to weigh and measure him. He weighed 3230g and was 48 cm tall with his head being 34cm which I am sure is important. Then he was tagged and put in an incubator and once he had opened his eyes, whisked away to the baby room.

So I phoned mum and broke the happy news to the world.

Yovita is now in the recovery room under a hypothermia blanket sleeping and recovering. JD is screaming somewhere I hope and I am sat waiting for the next thing to happen which I guess is the move to the private ward. I have just returned from a quick bite to eat so I am feeling better.

In the operating Theatre

Just been weighed and off to sleep

 Saturday 4th May.

I think we eventually got to sleep about 11 pm on Friday. Yovitas family showed up around 8 pm and stayed a while.Jeremy had long since gone to the baby room and Yovita was still spinning from the pain killers so being the dutiful host I showed them some photos and then they left.  From 12 midnight there was someone in the room every hour checking on Yovita and probably doing other things as well and finally with boiled eggs being presented for Yovita to eat at 4 am it was time to wake up and get up.

Yovita slept as badly as me and was in some pain because of her operation and stitches but finally managed to eat some rice porridge for breakfast which was good. Jeremy arrived at 6 am smelling very nice and so Yovita could feed and start to know her new son while I just watched still unsure what to do, eventually I managed to sneak out for some food at around 8 and has a peaceful breakfast in McDonalds.  Before 9 am Jeremy went off for some tests so when the family arrived 30 minutes later they were not too impressed.
More family arrived around 10, not sure who but they were; aunts our something. As they left, Jeremy arrived so they were called back were happy because they could see him and then left. What happened next was an hour of photos as Jeremy was not too hungry or sleepy but happy to be photographed so every one was happy.

The doctor came a little later and told us we could go home Monday which is the best news and the drip and things going intoYovita following the operation could all be removed as well. Yovita is now eating which is great. Jeremy is insatiable in his quest for his mothers milk and we spent most of yesterday evening picking him up feeding him and then trying to put him todown to sleep but to no avail.

In the afternoon, I quickly popped home to get a few things and ate in Ya udahs restaurant as I was starving. Its a great place with overly rude waitresses in a hurry to serve you so you can eat and leave but don't let that put you off.

We finally gave Jeremy to the nurse around 9.30 pm so he could rest and we could sleep. By 10 pm we had both passed out. Still by 4 am Sunday morning, everyone was awake and food was was arriving and nurses were coming in and out. Jeremy arrived at 6 am and fell straight to sleep as did we for the next hour.

Saturday looking about

Top man

The next few days will be in the next post.

Waiting

At the beginning of April we were hoping for an April baby but with May in sight, it appears that won't be the case.
We have had scares and contractions and dilations and many trips to either midwives and doctors but all are saying the same thing. Wait.

The excitement reached a new height on Tuesday when during the weekly check up the doctor turned round and said 'today' and we were led off to another room where Yovita was wired up to a machine and after 30 minutes sent back to the doctor who said 'not today' and so we went home but it has to be soon.

We will visit the doctor again on Tuesday who I am sure will say the same and we will wait until the due date which is the 7th of May. After that I guess the baby will be induced.

Happily I am teaching my wife to be patient and just wait for the time to be right rather than rush the birth and considering I am a very patient person and am told far too many times a day 'wait ya' I am doing just that, being patient.

Through all this waiting, everything else is on hold. So its work and home and home and work. We managed to sneak out for breakfast today and a few hours in a coffee shop which was good but yesterday we stayed home, er waiting. Actually I spent the afternoon sat in the sun drinking but it still counts as waiting.

not really any help

I have a feeling it will be May 1st, not because it is also the same day as my fathers birthday but because its labour day here! and that will mean the city will be full of demonstrators protesting about fuel prices, salaries and things and the during the afternoon riot a bit to make the day complete, therefore bringing Jakartas frail  road network to a complete stop and preventing us getting to the hospital easily.

won't be any help either

So if there are demonstrators than can read, read in English and read this blog, do me a favour, go demonstrate at home. Its easier to get to, you will be just as ignored as you will be here and if you get tired then there's your favourite chair to rest it.

Customer Serivce

In order to appreciate what customer service is I suggest you go and work in a fast food chain or in a supermarket dealing with people who quite frankly on a good day should not be allowed out of their homes due to the fact they believe that everyone and everything owes them something, which of course they don't.

Having spent a good 16 years in customer service and also being a customer service manager for my sins I fully aware of the need to be polite professional and quick however from experience of service here in Jakarta that is not always the case.

However for a change I can actually write about good things and good service which I have had over the past week. Not from BCA, or the laundry or Carrefour because lets face it I am not a miracle worker but from Permata Bank, Hypermart and SmartFren.

I hate slow too but thats all there is

I dislike Smartfren as the 'I hate slow' advertising does not really reflect what speed it offers for mobile internet users and on a good day, it does not offer anything more than dial up speeds. Still I still use them as it is consistent and does not go down just goes slow.

So last Friday I tried to top up Pulsa through my on line banking with Permata only failing twice and having no pulsa and money taken from my bank account.

A phone call to Permata bank on Monday morning to an English speaking customer service person got me a reference number and a guarantee of it being sorted in 7 days. Then an email in English to SmartFren got me a very polite email from them after 8 hours and an acknowledgement that there was an error in the system and I will be refunded.

"thank you for your trust using the product Smartfren.

In connection with the email you send regarding the purchase of credit constraints through your Permata Bank account, we apologize for the inconvenience. After we checked from your Smartfren number 08xxxxxxxxxx172 the transaction is failed, please kindly you can wait for three days work minimum for refund proses from your Bank to your account.

Should you require any further information, service request, or any form of assistance related to Smartfren products and services, you may also use the following customer channels:"

3 days later the money owed was back in my account. This was followed by a phone call from Permata telling me the money had arrived and the issue was resolved.

Good Stuff

Also last week after the latest debacle with the laundry we decided to go and buy a washing machine and so we went to Hypermart in Pejaten Village because they always have great promotions on electrical goods over the weekend. We purchased a washing maching 400k less after discount and it was delivered the next day free of charge and without complaint.

Lets hope I can add to this list of companies here which manage to impress me with their service.

Sunda Kelapa Harbour

More new teachers and yet another opportunity to visit parts of the city. The city tour is always something I enjoy and look forward too as not only do the teachers see and maybe learn more about the city, I get to choose where to go and normally this involves going somewhere different as well as the usual places and so this trip was not really any different.
We set off from the house loaded with tempe and headed this time into Tebet and then into Manggarai and into Menteng. Passing toilet stores and wheel chair stores which were interesting to see as I have never seen so many crutches, wheelchairs and toilets for sale anywhere else!

In Menteng we passed a nice small park called Surapati Taman which while we were passing had a small band playing and many people taking it easy. I had not seen that before, so again something new.

The goal was to go to the fish market at Muara Angke with a quick stop at the Sunda Kelapa harbour to see the old boats. It being a car free Sunday we managed to get stuck in the traffic after the event and so it longer than expected. And I wanted to get into the harbour another way, so we detoured via Mannga Dua / Ancol and passed the famous Alexis Hotel ( no we never stopped, I am not that brave ) and then into the port through the smaller entrance. We paid 3000 for the car and after a few boats being loaded with cement all of us got out and started walking.

Bobbing about in the water was an old man in a rowing boat who said that he would row about the harbour for 100,000 rupiah but accepted 30,000. We gave him 50,000 at the end as we never had the right money and it was worth it to be honest.
So 3 of us get into this very small boat and duck as we pass under the bows of the ships and then head towards the harbour wall beyond which lies Singapore. What ever the old man was doing was certainly not rowing as we just stayed in the middle of this tiny bit of sea until we all started rowing.  We rowed up and down, waving at the fishermen and the men in the ships who looked rather bemused by us before we decided enough fun had been had and got back to dry land. Sadly the boat never had an engine because I would have loved to have further inland and to see whatever there is to be seen, maybe next time.

 

Our driver had managed to drive off so we continued to walk through the port and after many photos with the workers there, finally found the car and then went to Batavia Marina for a well earned beer and some top food.

Never reaching the fish market,  I have vowed to go there next time I organise a city tour with my teachers and will make sure that is the first place we go and not the last.