New Path Ahead

Here's a view that's breathtaking enough for one who's been under intense stress for the past few days, or weeks for that matter... and after not seeing the sun for 10 days.

One of the views from Ward 4A at Hospital Ampang

All day all night
A call from the hospital for me to stay in with my kid was a positive one indeed.  Deep inside, I also knew that it's the beginning of a changed lifestyle.

How does it feel to be in hospital for 10 days without any contact with the world out there?

The facilities at Hospital Ampang are generally good, but the lack of access to news and such soon made me lost track of the date, as well as how many days I've been there.  

At the Mothers' Room of the NICU, the lights were on all day and night with no room for darkness.  All of us there face various types of stress - worrying about our babies, adapting to taking care of babies by ourselves (for first timers), and so on.  The NICU is very cold.  I'm not fearful of cold temperature, yet this one was a challenge to me.

Bring your own cutleries!
The food at Hospital Ampang is generally ok, but mothers who check in to the Mothers' Room of the NICU are advised to bring along their own fork and spoon as none are provided there.  Cutleries are only provided for people in the wards, not NICU.  Also, it's advisable to bring along a small knife if you prefer to skin your apple or pear.

 Meal at NICU

Lunch at Ward 4A.  Nasi briyani... yum........

Everything first time
Indeed it was.  It's the first time I changed diapers, first time feeding a baby, and first time swaddling one.  I also didn't know how to burp a baby.  I had no idea how it's done until I observed it from the nurses and my fellow roommates.  So much of theoretical knowledge and yet zero experience in actual handling!

Among the challenges
...are feeding a baby using a syringe instead of bottle.  According to the doctor, it's to avoid nipple confusion among babies.  Not unexpected though, as Hospital Ampang is categorised as "Hospital Rakan Bayi" (or baby-friendly) that endorses breastfeeding.

When I first checked in, I was disappointed by my kid's poor appetite.  I'd have to wake him up every 3 hours for feeding (33 cc EBM+1/2 scope Carborie+0.6 cc MCT oil) or else there wouldn't be feeding at all.      And using a syringe is not exactly pleasant in motivating a baby to feed because a syringe is hard while a baby's natural instinct is to suckle on a soft surface.

There's a distinction between spitting up and vomiting, but in reality it's not really easy for a first timer to tell the difference in the beginning.  A vomiting-phobia person who'd do anything to prevent vomiting and also fearful of seeing others puke, I ended up wearing a thick face by frequently referring to the nurses and also doctors whenever I saw anything spilling out from my kid.

I didn't have much time to sleep.  Perhaps only 4 hours daily, if any.  I was working round-the-clock.  In short, you may say that I had a relaxing "confinement month" because I didn't need to care for a baby immediately after delivery, but the following month I had to do double the amount.

Anyway, a mother who's concerned about her child will not mind doing everything she can for her child.  After going through a long journey of challenges, I'm grateful for the opportunity, because to be called in to live with the baby means a progress is underway.

A few days later (I don't know how many days because I've lost track of the calender), I was told that my child and I would be out of the NICU to the ordinary ward for babies.  And thus we moved to Ward 4A, which is much more pleasant because it has a more relaxed environment, less cold, and more spacious.

I wish to continue, but.....

The Lactation Room at Ward 4A

Nothing beats what's natural, so mother's milk is always the best.  I used to have an abundant supply of milk until a sudden cessation when I checked in to 4A.  A typical single yield of 100ml suddenly dwindled to 20-40ml.

I don't know what went wrong.  I've highlighted it to the doctors, but things mysteriously didn't work out even though I went along with the advices.  My favourite question is "Why does my body always work against my kid?"

I'm a little disappointed by the fact that I'm now relying on premature formula >50% of the time.  The maximum I managed to provide my kid now is about 20 ml of EBM, and about 30 minutes of breastfeeding which seemed inadequate because my kid isn't satisfied with me due to my slow flow.  

So difficult to obtain
I had difficulties finding pharmacies that sell Carborie and MCT oil (MCT stands for medium chain triglyceride) to fortify my milk as advised by the dietician.  After calling up the pharmacies of various hospitals, I only managed to find Carborie at Pantai Hospital Ampang.

Conclusion
Prior to discharge, I was taught BLS.  Other advices including not to bring baby to public places when he's still small, visitors must be well when they come, and that we should see a pediatrician if the baby is unwell.

And now is the beginning of a new journey ahead.  A journey which I do not know what to expect, so I shall only go along with what needs to be done for the moment.  Now that we've gone through the 1st phase, a new set of concern thus comes.

A Mother... or Friend?

Today is about a month after the birth of my child.  What does it feel to be a "mother"?  I put inverted commas to the word mother because I have yet to experience motherhood in the full sense.

Summary of progress
My child is currently no longer on CPAP and long lines, with only the OG tube attached for feeding.  He feeds on expressed breast milk (EBM) and fortifications.  His weight gain isn't really significant, though he beginning to look more like a baby rather than a fetus, unlike on Day 1... if I were to ignore the size aspect.

"Wow, we finally get to see what you look like" was the first phrase uttered when my husband and I saw our child's full face for the first time ever when the nasal cannula was removed.  

Against our usually compliant nature, we went against the prohibition to take photos.  I'm pretty excited to share some of the photos, but after a few considerations, I think it's better to do so only when the time is right.  But I'll definitely not say no if you come to me privately and ask to see the photos.  I'm amazed that he looks like my brother during his baby days... oh, you can never miss on what's genetically-connected!

Nevertheless, I'm still not free of concerns about my child because premature babies face more risks than full-term ones.  

Providing milk
What is a mother to do when her child is kept in an isolette in hospital while she's free to go home?

My daily routine now comprises expressing as much milk as possible, and then storing them in the freezer.  Each time I go to the NICU, I'll bring along with me bottles of EBM in a cooler bag, which I then keep in the freezer at the Bilik Penyusuan.

.....

What's natural and what's not
Basically, a baby who suckles on its mother stimulates the production of the hormone called prolactin.  Prolactin thus stimulates the production of milk.

Since I have yet to enjoy the opportunity of letting a baby suckle on me, I have to go by the artificial way.

Electric or manual?
The general rule in determining which type of pump to go for depends on how frequently do you need to express your milk.  If you need to express milk once or twice a day, a good-quality manual pump should be able to do the job fine enough.  But if you need to do it more frequently, or if you require better simulation of a suckling baby, then an electric pump may be a better option.

The lactating room at the NICU in Hospital Ampang has a high-end electric pump for mothers whose babies are there.  However, due to time and distance factors, I have yet to try using it although I'm sure it will do a much better job than my mid-end pump.  Initially, I had intention to buy a brand of pump.  But since the nearest baby accessories shop to my house only has one other brand, I have settled on the latter.  It's not too bad after all, it still does a reasonably good job although it would be better if it operates without sound.

Doing it differently
I believe that a mother's milk production goes higher with the availability of a baby who suckles on her.  No matter how high-tech is one's pump, it can never defeat what's natural.  What is there for me to stimulate more production?  So far, I've never exceeded 300 ml per day... an amount that's still adequate for the time being, but surely won't be enough for a bigger baby.

My EBM experience so far
When expressing milk, I've tried doing it under different environments.  In the end, I notice that the following conditions as conducive to a greater productivity:

1. An environment that's free from distractions such as the computer and Internet.  Don't know for what reason, I always ended up with an unproductive session when I had access to the above.

2. Thinking of my child.  That I must provide him with sufficient food to grow up, more so when he's so small right now.  The best way is by looking at those photos taken against regulation.

3. Listening to music.

4. A gentle self-massage with the help of a warm towel before expressing milk.

Ideally, one should express milk at least once in 4 hours, which means 6 times daily (24 hours divide by 4).  But so far, I only managed to do 3 times per day - usually from 7.30 - 9 am, 2 - 3.30 pm, and 8.30 - 10 pm.  I wish  soon to be able to wake up in the middle of the night for one more session so that I can start training myself to stand with less sleep.

It gets boring at times to sit through an afternoon session, post-lunch time is always tempting for a siesta instead of expressing milk.  I have no choice but to do it first and then take a nap if I have time rather than vice versa to avoid waking up engorged and painful later.

I notice that I have little time to waste i.e. time management is crucial, in which I've not been really up-to-the-mark at home - like how I'm wasting time writing this note when I should be pumping right away (and later complain that I have no time to take a nap).  

After all the effort, it gets really frustrating when milk accidentally spills, no matter how little... like what happened last night.

How was confinement?
I hardly spent a day without going out.  If not to the NICU, I'd be doing my usual chores.  To me, doing chores keeps me occupied, helps alleviate stress, and probably contributes to a speedier recovery.  

Other than the consumption of red dates tea for a month and taking herbal bath for 2 weeks (my mother-in-law prepared them), I did not adopt other traditional Chinese confinement practices such as the consumption of rice wine chicken and pig's trotter (I have a strange phobia for various parts of pork).  I took my bath and washed my hair as usual, and consumed some cold drink (when no one's looking) when I feel hot because cold water provides instant hydration.  The herbal bath feels a little spa-like due to the pleasant scent produced, surprisingly relaxing.

My take on "wind", a much-feared element as per traditional Chinese confinement belief is that it's neither entirely correct nor wrong.  While the uterus contains some gas after becoming suddenly emptied post-delivery, such gas is only limited to inside the uterus and will not pass to other parts of the body.  And thus, practices such as fully covering up the body when outdoor, refraining for bathing and cooling food are actually of no real necessity.  Like others, I felt slightly bloated during the early days, but I just "tahan" the discomfort and tried to relax.

Just in case if you thought "how come you're so lucky that you didn't get reprimanded for going against traditional practices", it's actually because I didn't bother listening to what people told me.  Although I didn't argue with anyone, I thickened my face and did not take notice of what I was told to do or not to do by my elderly.

The sensation each time when I visit the NICU
Each time I go there for my visit and to deliver stuff, I'd get that pre-examination sensation.  I'd have butterflies in the stomach before I go in, and if I'm pleased with what I see, I'd regain my appetite and eat happily.

In view of the shocking incident last year, gone are the days when I used to be very positive whenever I go to hospitals.  So, it surely will take time to regain those positivity.

To my dear child, you better grow up to be good... see how stressed am I, always in fear of you not catching up with other full-term babies.

Mother or friend?
Unlike the majority of mothers-and-babies who get to be together since Day 1, the case of my child and I is different.  I don't get to feed him directly since birth, I don't get to cuddle him a lot (I've only carried him not long ago when the nurse let me to do so recently).  Carrying my child feels more like carrying a cat due to his tiny size.  During other times, I'd touch him (by opening the isolette and putting my hands in after a thorough wash), which also felt like petting a cat.  My child will surely "curse" me for always equating him to a cat!

As my child is not with me most of the time since birth, I guess he may not have the same type of attachment to me as other babies with their mothers.  I always feel the void of physical attachment, although my emotional attachment for him has never diminished even for a heartbeat.  I do miss him on certain days when I don't see him.  Perhaps it may not be so bad.   For instance, maybe he won't cry in search of me when I'm not at home during the day due to work.

At this time, I feel more like a friend, or a playmate rather than a mother to this little child... I feel that the relationship is still casual at this stage because I only provide milk and play with him whenever I see him, but I've never really fed or changed his diapers like what most mothers do.  Perhaps I have no reason to fret yet, because at this point in time, he should by right still be in my womb rather than out so soon to the world... so I must be patient until he's big enough to come back to me.  Poor little fella might have thrived much better if he's still inside - bigger, more developed, and less vulnerable.  But he's on the similar path as me... and my only prayer is for him to fare better in life than me. 

So Shockingly Sudden

Why of course... Instinct is neither logical nor scientific, but it's real.  There's only one word to describe what just occurred recently - SUDDEN.

Something's not right, but what?
I went to work as usual last Thursday, did my usual chores back home and went for a shower.  I didn't feel right, but I didn't know what's it.  I was not in pain, but I felt strange.  I saw some discharge (just a little and without blood), so I dismissed any morbid thought that came with it since there wasn't blood. 

I was initially supposed to see my ob/gyn on Saturday, but I thought I'd better go a day earlier.  An EL (emergency leave) sounds like a taboo on Friday and I was afraid if my boss gets the wrong idea that I was taking advantage of pregnancy to laze off until Monday, but I had a strange urge to rest.

I had my check-up and everything looked fine.  Fetal position was cephalic (head-down), but not engaged yet.  I was even overjoyed to have a clearer look at the fetus' face on the 4D scan for the first time ever. 

Still didn't feel right
On Saturday, I saw a lot of mucus coming out.  I wondered if it's the mucus plug - was it broken?  Or was it infection?  There's neither pain nor discomfort, also no itching, and I only saw a tinge of pinkness for a few moments before it disappeared.

The Bloody Show
After coming out of the washroom on Saturday night at about 8.30 pm, I suddenly felt a heavy flow of blood gushing out.  I knew something terrible was going on, I must not wait anymore and I went to hospital straight.

While waiting for Dr Norshida to arrive, the staff midwife examined me.  She did a CTG and told me I was having contraction.  The staff midwife asked if I felt anything, I said no.  Contraction?  But I didn't feel any discomfort, cramping, or sensation of contraction.

When Dr Norshida arrived, she confirmed that I was in labour.  As the fetus is only 29 weeks, I have to be admitted to a hospital with ventilator available at its NICU.

My worst nightmare has come true - a premature baby!  I was a former premature baby too (late preterm because I was 36 weeks already).  As I was "more matured" at birth, I did not require a ventilator.   My brother is a naturally full-term baby though.  So it's coincidence rather than anything genetic...

Under Observation
Only if I knew.....  I should have gone to ................... Basically, major Government hospitals are well-equipped in handling cases such as this.  And since I have the pink antenatal card (commonly called "buku merah") from Klinik Kesihatan, it would even be easier.

Alas, although I knew it's a "no-play-play" situation, I wasn't sure it was labour because I did not experience the typical symptoms of labour other than blood coming out, which was actually a show... and I did not feel any contraction at all.  Initially, I even imagined soon losing the kid inside for I thought my placenta was tearing away or something more serious, which gave rise to this bleeding episode. 

I was administered with Dexamethasone (steroid injection given to speed up fetal lungs maturation) and given nifedipine for tocolytic purpose.  I was referred to Gleneagles (don't ask me how did Gleneagles come into picture because it was a long story...), being one with proper NICU and such, as the Government hospitals like HKL, Ampang, Serdang, Putrajaya, etc that Dr Norshida had contacted told her that they had no ventilator. 

At Gleneagles, Dr Teresa Chow came and saw me on Sunday morning.  After checking on me, decision was made for admission to Government hospital.  Long-term NICU care will cost a mountain in a private hospital (this is not a late preterm baby who probably needs just a week in NICU, but a 29-weeker a.k.a. very preterm baby who will require a few months of care in hospital).  In this case, it turns out that the pink antenatal card from KKIA is useful for admission to Government hospital for delivery.  Dr Teresa then wrote a referral letter for me to get admitted to Hospital Ampang.

At Hospital Ampang
I was immediately sent to the admission ward - "Wad Bersalin Hospital Ampang".  I was checked on by a few doctors and the nurse told me to change to the pink hospital attire for maternity patients.  I gave the nurse my IC and pink card for registration.  Another dose of Dexamethasone was administered at 11.30 am.

View from my bed at the admission ward of Wad Bersalin Hospital Ampang

I was admitted to the labour ward at about 12.30 pm.  It's past lunch time, so my husband had to get me lunch from outside.  Thinking I might need a lot of energy for delivery later (which was actually not the case, because it was all too easy and speedy- the details are below...), I tried my best to finish my full lunch takeaway.   

I was bored in the ward, without anything interesting to read or look at.  I didn't walk around because I was fighting hard to buy time.  The only consolation was the opportunity to chat to a few other patients near my bed.  

Tea time. 

Dinner before delivery.  Rice with cabbage and spicy fish.    

A pain like no other, but briefly

I had no contraction pain from morning until the evening.  But starting at 8.20 pm, I began to feel some discomfort on my pelvic bone. From just once, the pelvic pain came once in every 30 minutes (8.50 pm), then once on 10 minutes (at 9.00 pm), once in 5 minutes (at 9.05 pm, and then every minute).

I pressed the call button each time the pain came.  Nurses came and checked if the pain was due to contraction.   After 5 minutes, the nurse told me that I didn't have contraction. The nurse then thought I was having UTI and had given me a specimen cup to obtain a sample for testing.  I told the nurse that I had no infection, and that I was also not in the urge to urinate at all. "Rasa meneran yang tersangat-sangat, tu je...", I told the nurse.  I couldn't lie down straight, but had to do it sideways.

9.10 pm

The nurses did not believe me.  At first, one of them told me "Dah check 5 minit, tak ada contraction. Kalau betul awak dah nak bersalin, mesti awak dah sakit sampai awak dah tak boleh bercakap.  Jangan risau, kesakitan ni pengalaman yang paling bermakna untuk setiap ibu, especially anak first".  Very consoling words indeed, still my instinct felt otherwise. 

Probably annoyed with my persistent complaint (I had to... because I really felt the urge to push), the nurse called the doctor.  The doctor came, did a VE and told the nurses to rush me to the Labour Room (LR) immediately because dilation was full.  I also heard her said "nampak kepala".  So fast!

I was pushed to the LR on the bed itself.  I was told "tahan dulu ye, try jangan push sehingga kita sampai labour room".  Looking back, I would have delivered in the ward itself had I ignored my intuition.  

I was in the LR with a few doctors and nurses ready.  The nurses guided me to lie down and hold myself. The doctor told me to push. 

Ideally, one should lie down still and not raise one's pelvis when pushing in order to minimise tearing to the perineum.  But in moments of pain, it's difficult to stick by what's ideal because the body's natural reaction is to defy it. 

Out to the world

And voila, all in all, it took just a few minutes and the baby's out in one push!  My baby is so tiny, just about the size of the adult cat at the backyard of my house.  Guess what's his weight?

My husband's at home when the nurse called him to come to the LR.  The kid came out so fast, which didn't even give his dad any opportunity to witness his birth.  So by the time my husband arrived, the baby's  already out although my husband took only a short time to reach on that quiet Sunday night.    

A little story on child delivery

How it feels to deliver a child?  I did not feel contraction although I was having it, but I only felt a brief, intense pelvic pain right before delivery.  It all lasted for just 30 minutes. I guess active labor came quickly right after the effects of nifedipine wore off.  Since my child is very tiny, I didn't have much trouble "expelling" him out.  

After delivering the child, the placenta was soon delivered.  The doctor and nurse then checked the placenta to make sure it's intact.  The nurse clenched her fingers into a fist and inserted it "inside" to contract the uterus.  A doctor massaged my abdomen a few times. It was a very, very bloody sight.  

I wish my husband was there to witness everything so that he knows how scary it is... hahaha, what an evil wife I am because I like to see people in fear.  Will he puke, get pale, faint, or appear indifferent at the sight of such bloodiness?

Due to my inability to do the ideal, suture was necessary.  The nurse would swab, stitch, swab, and stitch, ..... and the process went on until completion.  The swabbing part alone was painful enough, let alone stitching.  

I didn't cry because of pain, but some "uhh" and "ahh" were irresistable.   I was given a cup of Milo after everything's done.  

Post-delivery

After a proper cleaning up, I was taken to the post-delivery ward.  My husband went to the labour ward to collect my stuff.  Accordingly, my neighbours in the labour ward asked my husband if I've delivered, he told them "yes" and they said "wah, cepatnya...".  

It felt a lot more relaxing to be in the post-delivery ward.  Most mothers had their newborn babies beside them.  In Government hospitals, with the exception of those whose babies are admitted to the NICU, mothers are required to care for their own babies.  Only a few others were like me, all by ourselves.

I didn't really sleep that night because of the sheer attack of emotion at what just occurred - I was still shocked and almost in disbelief.  It was like a dream!

A random picture of my lunch at the post-delivery ward.  I forgot to take a picture of my breakfast because I was too hungry in the morning. 

First visit to the NICU

Since I've not bathed the whole day on Sunday, I went for a shower in the morning after breakfast. And followed by a brief walk from the ward to the NICU.

I wasn't surprised at what I saw.  After all, I also came out the same way as my child - premature and kept in an incubator.  His skin looked red but not wrinkled, unlike me as I was wrinkled when I was born (according to my father).  So tiny, so tiny!!!

I wasn't intimidated by the sight of intubation, the various lines and tubes because these are things that I used to see just a year ago - speaking of my nightmare at Hospital Ipoh last year which I've not really shared with anyone, well.....   Nonetheless, I was not without fear because I didn't know what to expect.  

The nurse told me "ok je ni... kalau nak tahu lebih lanjut, bolehlah tanya doktor".   I didn't bother asking the doctor, because if there's anything important enough that I need to know, I believe they'll inform me.  

How can I help? 

I went to the NICU again the next day.  I saw the doctor's note nearby... I didn't intentionally see it, but it's just there and I took a peep.  The final sentence said "Get EBM".  At least I felt a bit better that my child can be fed.

A nurse came and asked me for EBM.  On Day 3, the nurse told me to try expressing some milk.  She even took me to the "Bilik Penyusuan" and showed me how to do it manually by hand.  By hand because I was a bit too swollen over there and using a machine may hurt.  I took so long, 2 hours for less than 30 ml.  It was colostrum, I labelled my bottle and kept it in the fridge provided.

I wish I can do more for my child at the moment, but it isn't possible yet.  So the best that I can give is my own milk.  I wish I can have more milk in times to come so that I can play a greater part in helping my child's growth.  

Sometimes I feel bad that my body is unable to carry my child until he's fully term.  It looks a little mysterious and I do not have medical problems, except some PV bleeding during my first trimester and early second trimester (threatened abortion).

When I look back, I realise that's a telltale sign that my body is not quite fit to sustain a pregnancy for as long as most mothers out there.  On a drastic side, I'm seriously considering not to have anymore baby after this shocking event.

I contemplate a long journey in the NICU because my child is prematurely born.  God please give us the strength to overcome this present challenge...

Conclusion

Well, what else can I do but to pray for the best?   

The way he comes to the world somewhat reminds me of my child's grandmother a.k.a my own mother... the way she left the world.  Both went to hospital by ambulance (my child is in utero of course), my mom's intubated before she left, my child's intubated (for the first 19 hours of life) when I first saw him.  She left in May 2011, he comes in May 2012.  What a freaky coincidence, so I'm scared.   

The things I share in common with my child - we're born in the same month (our birthdays are just 5 days apart), we're born on Sunday, and we're Geminians!  I have nothing more to ask for, but to see him grow up like any other children out there, and do better than me in life.

Guess my note is going haywire as if I'm turning crappy, so I shall step down from my soapbox for now... and it's time to head back to EBM, no matter how little (not surprising, as there isn't any stimulation in the form of a baby's sucking).

Contrary to the myth that Government hospital is a scary place to be in, I'm glad for the generally pleasant experience that I had at Hospital Ampang for my child delivery, although there were some hiccups just before going to the LR.   

P/S: I delivered my second child at HUKM (or PPUKM) in March 2014.  This time, the pregnancy lasted more than 36 weeks, thanks to an emergency cerclage at 29 weeks, At last, I found out why I delivered preterm during the first time.  In short, an elective cerclage is mandatory for all my future pregnancies, if any.  The full stories are as follows:

Part 1: Eventful 3rd Trimester at HUKM

Part 2: -unfinished-

Part 3: Hello Brother of Alvin

Expect the Unknown

God... I have nothing more to ask for, but the well-being of the one whom I love and care from the bottom of my heart.  Please help us escape what we fear.

Will the sun ever rise once more, after so long a period of hibernation?   

The "Green Tea and White Chocolate Chips Cookies" Project

Having inherited plenty of cooking materials, inter alia flour, green tea powder (matcha), and baking powder, I thought of making good use of them rather than allowing them to go to waste.  Baking came into mind, but being a total novice in baking, it took me some time before I decided that I was finally ready.

This is my debut project involving cookies. As a start, I've decided to try something humble, one that's easy to follow through.  

Thanks to the author of Da Washoku Kitchen, below is the result of what's adapted from her recipe (please click the link to be directed to her original recipe) - the Green Tea Matcha and White Chocolate Cookies.

With the necessary ingredients and tools from my brother's chef toolbox (my brother did chef training before, but is retired from the kitchen now), but not knowing what to expect since this is my first time, here's a pictorial summary of the preparation and baking processes:

Dry ingredients: 150 g flour, 1 tbsp matcha, a pinch of salt, and 1/4 tsp baking soda 

100 g butter, 50 g granulated sugar, and 100 g brown sugar in mixing bowl

Butter and sugar.  

Mixture of butter, sugar and eggs.

Approximately 1/2 cup white chocolate chips

Mixture of dry and wet ingredients

My first batch of hand-drop cookies prior to baking.  I made it into the size of a dime.

Cookies freshly out of the oven.

The original recipe intended these cookies to be chewy, and they should be baked at 330 deg F (about 166 deg C) for between 6-8 minutes.  

However, as I intended to bake ordinary cookies for this time, i.e. those that crunch as you chew on them, I've modified the baking temperature to 170 deg C for 20 minutes.  

Overall, I'm glad that the baking project went fine, except that I ended up with pain on my wrists during the night after I finished baking and cleaning up.   Speaking of pain, it's either due to not being used to doing small things one by one all by myself, or due the bodily change occurring within.  

The cookies here looked less green than I've expected, perhaps the matcha I used is more olive-green than green in colour.  Taste-wise, each bite gives rise to a hint of matcha aroma. Thus, these cookies make ideal treats for green tea lovers.

Kiddy's grandma would have been happy to try the cookies; I used to tell her I wanted to learn to bake cookies, but she'd just missed the chance to witness it by a year!  These cookies could have been good for  Mother's Day.