1st time @ Polyclinic

There’s always a first time. In this case, our first time in a Polyclinic and I’m really impressed with Toa Payoh Polyclinic. I’m not saying I have never been to one. But it’s because I have when I was younger that makes me never want to visit a Polyclinic. Time has clearly changed. The Polyclinic is so different from what it used to be.

1. The area for the baby vaccination is clean and spacious. With plenty of ceiling fans, it feels airy considered the fact that it’s a really hot day with temperature around 31 degrees celsius now.
2. The staff is very service oriented. They greeted us with a smile and have explained everything in both languages (English/Mandarin) for my mum to understand too. They look relaxed and I like the fact they do not hurry/pressurize you. This is a big contrast to the other private clinics we have been. At the private clinics, the nurses can be a pain in the ass I have to admit. And you definitely feel their stress with the long queues of patients in line.
3. There is no waiting time at all. This is another big plus. Usually we are waiting forever in the other clinics. Here it’s straight to the self service machines where you scanned the baby’s birth certificate and you are next. Not to mention, there’s these friendly admin staff next to each machine to help you with the scan. I was prepared for the wait and left the baby sleeping in the car. So I end up running to the car park to fetch the baby in order to get to the vaccination area.
4. Cheap! $150 for Prevenar and MMR 2nd dose and it’s by Medisave (Medisave is the Singapore national healthcare savings scheme designed to pay some of the medical/hospitalisation bills). No wonder everyone has been saying we should really go to the polyclinic for jabs.
5. No crowd. I remember Polyclinic from those days where it’s packed to beam with people and filled with screaming babies or kids. There is never enough seats. Here in Toa Payoh Polyclinic, there’s plenty of seats. Water cooler and magazine racks filled with magazines and newspapers. Sure, it will be more complete if they have a children play area with some toys. But I’m happy.

The airy baby vaccination area

The queue chit with his weight/height/head circumference.

Samuel with teary eyes after two jabs. 😛

Some milestones – 27 Dec 2011

Often I watched other toddlers run and imagined Samuel running one day along me.

Today he took his first few steps bravely. Haha! He was too excited to ‘run’ to the playground. It’s been a while since I last took him there. He kick, twist/turn and wanted to get off me. So I just let him downwards and he took a few steps and suddenly remember he couldn’t walk yet. It’s funny like a wounded baby kangaroo who hops a few steps and stalled.

It’s one of those moments that I would want to capture in memories. Too bad I couldn’t have a photo. But I’m sure years down the road when he is graduating from college, I would miss this moment.

Today he’s especially happy because we were all home. (Actually on medical leave from the coughs/flu.) He looks forward to all these little outings; went to the doctor for his jabs, grocery shopping in a car trolley at the city square mall and playing at the nearby playground.

He’s growing at amazing speed and seems to understand so much more. When I explained to him that he’s going to have a jab. He patted his chest as if he’s afraid. He cried briefly few seconds when the jab was in/out but otherwise was fine.

And I realised while he could hold his own bottle, he still prefers to be held and fed. He struggles and fusses when I told him to hold his own bottle. So finally I hold him in my arms and feed him his bottle, he was happy. As such is our baby. 🙂

Some milestones today:
– He managed to sit through his dad’s story telling of 5 books.
– He could say ‘car’ whenever a car passes by.
– He did so much walking while we held his hands
– He finally says ‘Papa’
– He tried to mimic after his grandparents in the counting of one, two, three, four, five while walking