Detailed scan at MAH and how my Saturday went

Bright & early today morning, Andy & Adam went with me to Mt Alvernia for my detailed scan.
For the longest time, I was a nerve-wreck. I was worried about how Adam would react - in a hospital/ being made to wait/ sitting still while waiting for my scan to be over.
He's been with us to my antenatal appointments but I've always had Aunt LY around since I can't be lying on the couch (I asked Hubby how to spell "couch".. I kept spelling "cough". another example of my FRIED BRAINS) and handling Adam at the same time; and Andy also wants to see the scan/ listen to our Doc.

So anyway, today is finally the Big day to put Adam's patience and behaviour to the test.
We woke up early and set off to the hospital. My appointment was 10.30am but we had to wait about 30min before it was our turn.
By then, Adam was hungry and asked for milk. I said I didn't bring his milk out (yet another example of fried pregnancy brains) so I went upstairs to the cafeteria to grab a char siew bun and soya milk, which he finished without a trace.
Then the sonographer called my name and Yes it was our turn. Timely!

Andy, Adam & I got ushered into a dimly lit room and Adam sat nicely and cooperatively in his pram while I lied down on the couch and the sonographer got started.

In between, when Adam realised I was stuck lying there for yonks and he couldn't get to my side, he cried about 2 times but I promised him once I'm done I will give him his Donald Duck chocolates (handmade chocs my Mum bought for him). But overall he was so well-behaved. He didn't throw any tantrums neither did he cry the house down. I'm generally more than pleased with him and am relieved that we managed to complete the detailed scan at one go. Didn't need to be excused to hush him before continuing! Yay!!
Sometimes, I think we parents just need to have more faith in our children, yeah??

We got home after lunch and my friend Joryl came over to visit Adam and my unborn child, with her new puppy - a Sheltie girl!!
Oh I miss my Alice so much!

Joryl & Sunkist.

What a sweet darling little girl - all 5 mths of her :)

After dinner, Andy & I went to IKEA and bought some wardrobe organiser and household stuff for the nursery.
P.S. We are keeping the gender of our No. 2 a surprise except for some close friends & family.
So please, if you happen to be one of those who are in the know, please do us a favour and keep it a surprise for us!

Also, this time round, I've instructed my in-laws not to tell their relatives our address / lie that I'll be doing confinement at my Mum's place.
This is because - when I gave birth to Adam, I did my confinement at my in-law's. (Our own home wasn't ready yet.)
And to my dismay, people started visiting - one by one, at their own convenient times, while I was still doing my confinement!! Or should I say, all through my 1 MONTH of confinement!
They know that for Chinese women, during the 1st month after delivery, we are confined to the house and cannot go out as this is a tradition known as "doing the month" or "zhuo yue", that's why those eager beaver visitors came knocking at their own preferred timings and didn't even bother calling up before-hand.
There I was, all sore from my C-sect wound, nursing a newborn every 2-hourly, and getting used to my new role as a Mummy, trying to bond with my baby and squeezing in as much rest as I could during confinement. And people would just turn up. And my MIL would knock on my door *Bang bang bang* "Shuqing, so-and-so are here to see the baby!"
Sometimes I would be naked in my room nursing Adam or pumping milk and people would knock on my door.
How irritating is that???! I understand that as a first child, first grand-child, and first great-grandchild in the family, Adam was special and everybody was excited to meet him; and I really do appreciate the gifts they bought.
BUT ..... Can't they meet him at the baby shower???

until today, I still remind my MIL and Andy how annoyed I was so I've made it clear this time - PLEASE no visitors during my confinement.

My (fried) pregnancy brains

My fried brains are back again.
I've been super forgetful / clumsy/ tired x 1000 lately.
The other time, my supervisor SMSed me a reminder to attend a lecture. I kept the SMS in my hp the entire time but when the day came for me to attend the lecture, I actually missed the date and "attended" it one day late!!

And just this evening, I was in the shower and pressed a good glob of facial cleanser in my hand (I usually wash my face 1st) but I really don't know WHAT went into my mind, I ended up washing my vagina instead. (!!!??!)
I don't even know how that happened.

Maybe it was because Adam wouldn't leave me alone in the shower. Everytime I have to use the bathroom, he says Ok he will play on his own but thus far I've yet to use the loo without him knocking on my door 2 minutes later and asking me something.
This evening was no different. We were alone at home because Andy had to work late.

Me: I'm going to take a shower now so can you play by yourself first and I'll join you in 5min?
Adam: Ok mummy. I'm waiting in the Play Room.
*I scoot off to take a quick shower*
2 minutes later.... *Knock knock*
Me: (&%^&$#$. I had JUST pressed some facial cleanser onto my palm & turned on the shower) What is it???
Adam: Mummy what are you doing???
Me: I'm going to take a shower!
Adam: Ok mummy. Remember to close your eyes if not you will be "meh meh" (Hokkien for blind. I always tell him to close his eyes when I rinse off shampoo).
*Right this moment, I began washing my pubes with my facial foam!*

Oh gosh. Lucky it was only facial foam instead of toothpaste/toothbrush.

Anyway, after my shower I joined him in his playroom as promised, and he played Doctor on my bump.
I asked if the baby is talking to him, he said Yes. So what did the baby say? I asked.
He quickly replied that the baby wants to eat raisins.
HAHAHAHAH

My son can be so random.

Staycation at Rasa Sentosa

Maxi dresses: my figure-savers this pregnancy.

My face round round and my arms so flabby...............

Our private suite with personal outdoor jacuzzi.

Self-pampering before our spa appointments!

My favourite skincare line.

Then the doorbell rang. Bubbly room service for us!

with compliments :)

We ended the evening with dinner by the beach at Barnacles.

Last December, before I knew I was knocked up, I had all my leave booked for travel plans this year.
+ April Good Friday long weekend - Perth farm stay and Margaret River with Hubs & Adam
+ July - Hong Kong sales + Disneyland
+ October - Game fishing in Rompin
+ December - somewhere we've never been to before (we were thinking Europe or visiting Andy's relatives in Florida)






Now.... with all our travel plans shelved till God knows when, Hubby decided to book us a little staycation to get away from the rush and routine of daily life.
We chose Sentosa because it was away from the city.


Although we were technically still in Singapore, that little staycation did miracles to my mind & body.
Not waking up to alarms, not waking up to the kid, we basically spent all weekend sleeping, eating, relaxing in the sun, and just did nothing.
I was a greedy pregnant whale!

It was a good break. I love Adam to the ends of the universe of course, but I do miss my me-time.
Especially so when I'm pregnant and don't get much rest because I'm kept busy by him all the time.


Thank you Rasa Sentosa for the hospitality and offering us much respite.

I think I'm gonna need a few more hotel stays till I deliver!

I'm a 15-weeker, and we've started on the nursery :)

Time has definitely gone by in a blink.
I recently went for my antenatal checkup in my 15th week, and will be scheduled for my 20-week FA scan somewhere mid-April.

This time round we've started preparing for the nursery early, which is currently also Adam's Play Room.
We should be putting the cot and some baby stuff there, but I'm kinda nervous to know Adam's reaction when the time comes where he realizes he's gonna have to share his Play Room, the first among many other things he's gotta have to share.



The toys, electric breast pump and safari cot set are from the recent Taka baby fair which is still on-going until 25 March 2012.
We also couldn't resist buying a Bugaboo Bee in the newest model (not from baby fair though)!


If you're wondering why we have to buy so many things since this is not our first-born, well that's because when we shifted to our own place we gave away 90% of the baby stuff, including our Bugaboo Cameleon !!! All FOC!
The Cameleon is actually borrowed by a couple-friend, but I'm not sure if it's just me, I don't feel comfortable asking people for stuff back. What about you???


When I gave birth to Adam, I had some people give me stuff like sarongs (for confinement), nursing covers, and stuff like that.
(Ok, I say "give" in the sentence above because they will always say "Hey I have this/that to pass to you so you don't have to buy". They never said to lend me or that they'd want it back some day)


Then when I've forgotten all about them (you know how FAST kids outgrow their milestones), these same people start asking me for their stuff back, to pass on to their niece/ cousin/ friend who's just given birth. Oh. My. God. Whenever I received calls or SMSes like those, I always felt a missed heartbeat when I frantically try to recall where I chucked the said stuff.
You know how it is, I was staying with my in-laws, we had limited space. Everything was stashed everywhere!!!! Where on earth do I go pull out the nursing covers / sarongs/ tummy binder all of a sudden?!?!?!
Out my ASS????

I've also given Adam's infancy stuff to other people but I've never ever thought of asking for them back. Seriously. Even my $2000-Bugaboo Cameleon, for goodness' sake! Even though this couple-friend said they would like to "borrow" it, we've never thought of asking it back from them, especially when their kid is still less than a year-old and expecting their 2nd child to0.
Maybe that's just us (thank goodness Andy & I are alike in more ways than you can imagine), or are we too generous ??


Anyway, back to the topic of preparing for the nursery. So... this time round, we decided we will start over and prefer buying the stuff we need again. Full stop. (Unless people are buying stuff for the Baby Shower, that's another story.)

Sunday Champagne brunch at Mandarin Oriental

Fred (the guy in the centre) is leaving Singapore, going back to France, so we decided to hold a farewell lunch for him, and with the kids in tow, Paul thought of a grand plan - babysitting, play area for kids, great buffet spread, and alcohol.

We went to Mandarin Oriental for their Sunday champagne brunch.

Somehow one of my weirdest cravings this pregnancy is alcohol. I've been craving for Cosmos and cold icy mixes. So too bad I could only take a few sips of the Dom Perignon. Bleah.

And the luncheon didn't progress as well as I thought it would, because Adam wouldn't be with Morgan and insisted on sticking with me THE WHOLE TIME.
At first, our designated server had brought both boys to the Play room, and I did mental cartwheels thinking I could relax and enjoy some adult-time finally.
Wrong. 10 min later, the server came back with a black-haired whiny kid. Oh goodness, that kid is MINE.
Adam has been clingy like cling-wrap ever since we broke the news that I'm pregnant.
Andy & I think it's only right for him to be involved in the new baby as much as we are, but we didn't expect him to be pesky to this extent.

So anyway, everyone enjoyed the meetup except me of course.
I was reluctantly forced to babysit Adam the whole time and deal with his what-nots.
But this gathering is not about me. It's about wishing Fred all the best and hope his father recovers from surgery soon (the main reason he's going home).

As for me, I think for the remaining 5 months or so, I'm better off :
- not having a social life
- leaving him with my aunt / in-laws
- swapping him for a better-behaved kid.

Pregnancy - revisited

My ideal job
I have been extremely bummed lately, always wanting to sleep, cannot concentrate at work, making mistakes etc... So I did the wise thing and consulted my very wise and reliable friends & Hubby over my serious need to lie down 24/7.
I need a job which allows me to lie down all the time, as opposed to standing up and walking about all the time.
These are their suggestions:

Meena: Prostitute
Charmaine: Andy's sex slave
Andy: a Blow job.

See? I knew I can always count on them.

Confinement Lady
I did not engage any confinement lady when I gave birth to Adam because my MIL was available to help cook and do the chores for my 1-month confinement, and also because we were staying with my in-laws then.
This time, the situation is very different and we figured it'd be best to hire someone "professional" in this aspect to do it.
I called several recommendations from friends / relatives / online forum but many were either already booked for the months of Aug-Sept (speaking of kiasu-ism) , or charged exorbitant rates like $2500- $2700!! I remember during Adam's time, confinement nannies were only charging $1800!
Dragon Year is really, really a Baby Boom year.
I'm already having visions of myself camping overnight and volunteering to mow the fields of our choice Primary schools in future. Shudder.


Anyway, during my last checkup after I fainted at work, my doctor has prescribed me iron & multi-vits to boost my energy levels and overall wellbeing.
I'm seeing slight improvements on my energy level, although I'm still tired but at least I can still function as "normally" as possible.
I even managed to read books to Adam at bedtime (I always say choose 1 book but he will take out 5 at any one time) and play with him in the evenings instead of hiding under the sheets the first thing I reached home. Gratitude.

Here's the latest ultrasound photo of our little little (and highly likely last) bean.

Just the previous visit, it was still a teeny bean pole with a yolk sac and suddenly it has expanded to include limbs and a face!

My lack of interest
Before I was preggy, I had all these mental prep-talks of how I'm gonna be a glowing mom-to-be armed with my knowledge and experience of being a mother.
I hate to admit, but the truth is far from it.
I've totally lost all my moods, I don't bother with makeup these days and everyone at work's been asking me why I look so pale all the time.
Truth is, I just cannot be bothered. Sigh. I've totally let myself slide.
Charmaine asked me today, what would I like for my Birthday??
I replied her something very Aunty - please get me Takashimaya vouchers because I have no wishlist this year.
Knowing as how I am now, I will probably use the vouchers at the Baby Fair for my kids instead of myself.
The unthinkable is happening.

When will I get my mojo back???!!!!

Many updates from the Tan household

ME
I fainted at work today. Unglam. I was all scrubbed up to assist in surgery when I saw white spots and had difficulty breathing. The next thing I knew, I fainted. (Just for your info, I've assisted in many surgeries before and it's not the gore that blacked me out.)
And the next next thing I knew, I was being wheeled around a wheelchair to the A&E dept for some medical attention.
Oh. My. God. Totally embarrassing.

According to the doctor at the A&E, I'm having something known as "vasovagal", which my husband thinks sounds very genital - "vaso" = blood vessels. "vagal" = sounds like vagina.
Means what? My vagina has many blood vessels. ??? Crazy husband. That's why I cant believe 100% what my husband says.
It really means a sudden dilation of vessels which makes blood pool elsewhere and make a person faint.

And this is the reason:

I missed my period. Been 2 months now.
I peed onto a contraption which returned the following. POSITIVE.

I initially didnt wanna tell anybody yet because I've not crossed the 12-week mark. So far I've only told my Mom and my Aunt. But for some unknown reason, my Dad "could tell from my face" and so could 7 hundred other people whom I've met ONCE a year during CNY.
And as of today, my whole dept knows.
It doesn't help that this pregnancy is much much more untolerable than my 1st.
When I was preg with Kai, I could manage 3-shifts in a hospital ward, working 6 days-week, and had no adverse reactions whatsoever.

Leg cramps in the middle of the night, expanding waistline, intolerance to smells (shampoo/soap/perfume), intolerance to sights of certain foods, all seem a distant memory.
On top of that, extreme fatigue, exhaustion, the need to lie down 24/7, food adversity, lack of appetite, exotic food cravings all seem very new this time round :(
I never used to have any cravings in my previous pregnancy, 'cept for once or twice when I felt like eating the Chinese 9-layer multicolor cake.
In these 2 mths, I've already craved for --- pasta with sundried tomatoes & fetta cheese (what?!), cornflake & raisin cookies, and Marks & Spencer potato chips with Sea salt & Balsamic vinegar (what?!?!?!), and Chicken in a Biskit which I've made my poor Charmaine & hubby hunt for.

In summary - I have just set myself up for 9 mths of torture in exchange for few hours of marital pleasure with the husband!!!!


ADAM
1 month of being in his new school hasn't turned out nearly as well as I'd imagine. In fact, it was pure torment for all of us.
We had to fight with Adam to get out of bed every morning, fight with him to put on his uniform (which he hates), fight with him to physically get his ass to school, and then fight somemore at home when his tantrums escalate.
My little preggy heart can only take so much.
I withdrew him from Learning Vision, as discussed and agreed with my good Hubby & family, and switched Adam back to his old school, where he's now back with his friends again, after a month of hiatus.

He seems to be enjoying himself more now, give and take some hiccups and teething problems with the switch-over. But generally all is good now. Thank GOD!

Lesson learnt --- we parents all think we know what's best for our child but sometimes we should just take a step back and be more in tune to our child's needs.

And the other day, I was at home on a weekend, with a terrible need to nap (not new to my husband and kid anymore).. So I said to Adam:

Me: Mummy needs to rest for a while on your bed Ok?
Adam: Ok mummy. Mummy go sleep. Good night Mummy!!
[5 mins later, he enters the room]
Adam: Mummy??? You sleep?
Me: Yes baby. Mummy is tired and needs to rest for a while Ok?
Adam: Ok mummy. Mummy go sleep. Good night Mummy!!
[I shut my eyes ..again... and dozed off]
[10 min later, he re-enters room]
Adam: Mummy? You sleep?
Me: Yes baby. Mummy is tired and needs to rest. Now. Ok??
I chased him out the room (his own room, bad mummy) and closed the door and napped for an hour.

I am so wasted. Poor deprived child. He's gonna grow up developing psychological problems because his mother is always sleeping/tired/"stomach so big with baby inside" <-- he went telling my in-laws, traitor!!

Ok that's enough updates for now. Feeling giddy typing this. -___-
Off to nap.

What a loooongg Saturday for a Preggy me

My Saturday started at 8.30am because we had an appt to go Mt Alvernia for our fetal anomaly scan.
Arrived there late, well because stupid Andy insisted he wasn't tired and wanted to watch 140min-long Red Cliff 2 on Friday night.
I always know not to trust everything guys say, now to reinforce that belief.

Parking at Mt Alvernia was a beech as well because there were so little parking lots and so many cars! Most available lots were reserved for doctors and handicapped.
They say men are like parking lots, the good ones are taken, the rest are handicapped.
You begin to think there is some truth in that.

Ok, so we got to the Diagnostic Imaging Department of the hospital - more waiting for our turn."If I wait any longer, what's gonna turn up in the ultrasound would be my poo poo" I said to Andy, to which he responded with a frown and half-smile.
Finally, the sonograper called my name.
Yay! Andy was grinning like a proud Dad, his sideburns tingling with anticipation to see our baby after the long wait.
When you are about to become a parent, waiting for that monthly antenatal scan seems eternity.
Few weeks ago, he reminded me "Hon, you remember when is our next appointment?"
Few days ago, he reminded me "Hon, this Saturday we can go see baby already."
On Friday, he duly reminded me "Hon, tomorrow we can go see baby already.. so excited!"

The sonographer - a pleasant young lady wearing lab coat - ushered us into a dimly lit room and I promptly lied down, unbuttoned my jeans and pulled up my blouse.
A good Brazilian wax is worth it - not just in the bedroom or at the beach.
The sonographer went over each and every vital organ in detail and measured the spine, the femur, the head etc.
"Looks like a boy. You can see something in between the legs" she pointed with the cursor.
Actually, I couldnt make out anything on the screen because I was lying flat and the images looked a sea of black and white to me.
How disappointing.
Me: (pointing to something round which looks like a scrotum to me) What is this?
Sonographer: "The hand"
Ok I give up. I obviously am not very good at ultrasound-deciphering.
"This is your baby's face. You can see the 2 eyes, the lips"... she went on.
As she went on describing our baby's anatomy to us, I could feel my frustration rising because I obviously cant make out most of them.
What eyes? What lips?! I thought the entire face looked like a whole egg - round and without features.

In the end, I just lay there like a defeated soldier as Andy looked and listened on.
I was quite peeved, only I didnt go around shouting "I CANT SEE MY BABY'S COCK"
After the appointment, it was already 12noon.
Decided to grab lunch before supposedly meeting Charmaine and Meena.

In the end, we didnt meetup because the girls decided to spend the afternoon at Arab Street while Andy & I were in town for his haircut and some shopping.
While waiting for Andy to have his haircut, I went to Mothercare to look at prams and strollers and baby stuff.
I didnt know baby stuff are so expensive! A newborn overall from Baby GAP easily costs $25.Even the cheapest stroller costed $139 on discount.
The most expensive in the store was $899! A 3-wheel multi-terrain stroller with HUGE spiked wheels for going on grass and sand.
I dont have many friends with kids - only 3 whom I seek advice from.
They all seem to have 2 prams - a heavy duty one for going to the zoo/grass/walk the dogs, and a lightweight cheapo one for chugging around and going shopping with.

And with advice from my friends like - 3-wheel strollers are easier to steer.
Make sure the front wheel can swivel so it's easier to maneuver, and the wheels must be big enough to go up and down kerbs and wont get stuck in drain covers and grills.

Andy: "Our baby needs one with 12-inch rims and change the suspension.. he is going to Pram Rally - P1!"
Do I smell trouble brewing?!
We popped in Times bookstore and browsed through pregnancy books.
I pointed an interesting line to Andy which says at 20 weeks your baby's external ears have developed and can hear noises inside the uterus and from the outside world.


So, Andy has replaced the word "dick" with "dictionary".

"Honey, do you wanna read my dictionary?" which I cant help but laugh out loud!
By the time we were done shopping and walking around, my hips and lower back hurt, and I was feeling drained.It's been a long day for me!

Bean Husk pillow Project

This little project called our Bean Husk Pillow Project has been ongoing for several months now.
The parties involved in this project are: Mum, Aunty LY, Grandma and I (the least involved :P)

Mum went to the tow-gay seller in our market to collect the husks.
Grandma was in-charge of the sieving and sorting process which is MOST TEDIOUS of all!
The husks come with bits of the leftover beans and other "unwanted particles" so she painstakingly sieved through all of them.

The husks went through stringent sorting, selection and sunning processes and are immaculate. End result? Beautiful sun-dried bean husks!


You will also need a funnel and cup.


I bought pillow and bolster from Kiddypalace, removed all the stuffings inside.

Cut a small little opening on a corner of the pillow and pour bean husks inside.

Our QC Officer busy with her biggest project of the year.

So cute! Though she is getting demented and asks me the same questions everytime I'm home (like "How many months maternity leave do you have?") but I still love my Grandma! :D

Same process for the baby bolster.

The finished products:

One beannie pillow like this easily cost you $20 (our total cost is only $9 for the materials) but it's not about the $$.
It's about doing things with your beloveds that no amount of money can buy.

Even Andy's mum complimented that they are very nicely done. Feel so proud of my Grandma, Aunty LY and Mum.
I love my family so much and want Baby A to grow up in an environment filled with lots of love and family togetherness :)

D-Day 20 May??

My mum went to calculate the auspicious date for Baby A's arrival and so far, a good date would be 20 May.
That's exactly ONE WEEK from today.
I feel like I still have so many things to do, so little time!

- Bring Alice to vet for clearance and to top up her prescription diet + any medications to prepare for my month of Confinement. My confinement = dogs' confinement.

- Have to arrange for Cot to be delivered earlier. (Arranged delivery date is 23 May)

- Go for my Brazilian wax

- Attend Siling & Norman's wedding this Friday 15 May.

More importantly, Andy is still extremely busy with the shifting of his warehouse from Pasir Panjang to Changi.
Who ask my dear Hubby to be so charitable, letting the car forum guys store car parts in his warehouse FOC... now he gotta call the guys up to take back their exhaust pipes, sports seats, original parts ....*rolls eyes*
Plus all the goods, forklifts etc gotta go to Changi.

I hope that he will be able to finish all the shifting by this weekend, so that next week he will have time for Baby A's arrival.
I want him to be around as much as possible and be involved as much as possible.


Baby, Daddy & Mummy cant wait to cuddle you!

9 Layer Kueh Lapis

I've been craving to eat this my entire pregnancy, and for the past 9 months I didnt eat a single piece of this. Not many shops selling this anymore and it is fast becoming extinct.

Finally today, Andy's mum bought them for me. I'm so happy!
I savoured it, peeling layer by layer off and eating it.

I'm really easy to please :)

Week 37 Antenatal checkup

Went for my checkup with Gugu (let's call her Aunt LY from now on) accompanying me.
For the 1st time she got to see Baby A "live" hahaha, and get first hand news from the man himself - Dr Don.
Andy tried his best to rush over in time, but when he reached our appt was just about to be over. But it's Ok. Because I know how much he wants to be there.

Baby A is still breech.
I've been told to pick a date for Caesarian section since it is unlikely that he will engage.
This means, Baby A can come out anytime within these 2-3 weeks. He wont be coming out on the 1st week of June afterall (his EDD is 4 June) because that week, Dr Don is going on leave and he cant be around to perform the operation on me.

I've emailed Singapore Cord Blood Bank to express my interest in donating Baby A's cord blood, and will be meeting up with them on Thursday to fill in the necessary paperwork.
Feel so happy that Baby A can be a donor and do good deeds the moment he is born.
I think instilling in a child good morals and values are much more important than paper qualifications.
For those Mummies-to-be who are interested in donating your infant's cord blood, you can go to the SCBB link above and email them.


We also finally bought a breast pump. We took a good several months to decide "to buy or not to buy yet?"; "which brand" etc. I guess Breast Pumps are very personal because each Mummy gives a varying opinion of each brand.
In the end, I chose AVENT because the steam steriliser Charmaine gave us, and our milk bottles are from AVENT.

Andy & I tried it when we assembled the pump and he was quite excited about using it Hahaha
He was learning how to latch it on correctly and how to use it the right way.
The end result? My nipples were sore and red. Didnt know it is quite painful to express BM.
But that also means - Hubby did it! LOL He successfully learned how to use a breast pump.
I'm so proud of him for being a hands-on Daddy.
There is no milk flowing out now of course. We just wanted to make sure it was working properly.


The next thing I need to do is to pick an auspicious date for Baby A's arrival and go for a nice Brazilian wax. *nervous and anxious*

Busy monday

Busy, crazy Monday.

List of things to do:
1- Change bedsheets and clean up the room

2- Meet Mum and my Aussie relatives at Kallang Bahru at 5pm.
I'm not looking forward to this meetup because first of all, I'm forced to go by Mum. She says that once I pop I will not have the chance to meetup with my Aussie relatives for the near future.
Mum (via SMS): You wana take MRT down to Toa Payoh to meet me then we take a bus to Kallang Bahru?
Me: No I dont want to climb up and down the bus with my heavy and huge watermelon just tell me what time to meet and the address. From Tampines I go to Kallang is nearer.

Honestly what on Earth is my Mum thinking? Has she been abducted by aliens?!

3- After Kallang Bahru, take cab to Woodlands for my Week 37 review.
Andy cant make it due to his busy work schedule so my Gugu (favouritest aunt, Dad's sister) is going with me to the appt instead.
After that, Andy will come and fetch me.

4- Meet a MummySG forum member on our way back because I am buying something from her.

Damn busy day man.

Rain

It's 7am on a Sunday morning and I am awake.
It has been thunder-storming here in the East every morning and I absolutely love it!
I love the howling chilly winds and how it cools my body, and how the weather becomes beautiful after a shower. The grass and shrubs downstairs have lots of dew on their leaves and the dogs love it.

Whenever it rains in the mornings, Andy would wake up to close the windows and start talking to me or singing some weird song. This is morning breath at its peak. Forget mints. Welcome to Marriage!
And Alice, who's forever driven into a frenzy by the rain, jumps onto our bed acting apocalyptic and this drives Andy crazy.
These events in turn wake me and Baby A, who would run his fingers along my tummy depending on which side I'm lying on, and he would throw in a few punches and kicks to make sure I know he is also awaken by all our commotion.

Then I would soothe the dog, tap my tummy and urge Baby A to go back to sleep, and ask Andy to stop singing - which he obediently obliges by rolling over and falling asleep once again - and then my turn to get back to sleep.

Zzzzzz..

Fondue Party - Vesak Day 090509

Our crazy gang has been putting off our long overdue Fondue Party and finally today we all managed to pull it off.
I had an excellent time in the company of my dearest friends and this gathering sort of reminds me that it could be the last gathering we will be having before the arrival of Baby A.
It's still hard to believe that Baby A is considered Full Term now. He could make his arrival anytime now and it sends jitters down my spine!

Chocolate and Cheese warming up. Coincidentally, both Charmaine & I have the same sets in different colors and both our sets are given to us as gifts!


Our food spread.. I love the Flaxseed bread. In fact, I'm a bread-and-choc lover!


Meena had an unique idea - using oranges and mangoes, which went on well on my tastebuds!


We also had pizza. *rubs tummy*

The cheese that Charmaine bought from Cold Storage. Did you know fondue cheese contains wine? I didnt! And according to Meena, it's a favourite meal in winter for the Ang mos.




What happened to my flyaway hair?!

All in all, we had a dandy good time. I dont know about Meena, but at least I did enjoy myself very much!
Though I must confess, we (Charmaine, Mavy and I) did create a terrible mess at poor Meena's house!
First, stupid Mavy was nervous about Meena's gals and he kept piddling on her floor! 3 freaking times!
Then, Charmaine & I spilled the soft drinks when opening the bottles.
What a lot of cleaning up to do even before the real Party began. :P
And poor Ramesh was sick so he basically slept the whole afternoon away and that made me feel so awful that he couldnt join us.

Nonetheless, thanks for the great time Gals! :)
Charmaine wants to organise a Chocolate Buffet to Fullerton before I pop. Hopefully we can make it!

Week 34 Antenatal checkup

Went for our Week 34 antenatal checkup this morning.
As usual, my weight is Ok, my urine test and BP are normal, Baby's weight is a good 2.2kg.

Today, he used his hand to cover his face again. This naughty little fella doesnt want his Daddy & Mummy to see him... Hmm..

This photo is from my previous checkup - also used his forearm to shield his face:

I received some news from Dr Don today - Baby is in breech position.
2 visits ago, he was already in vertex position (facing down). However today, he decided to turn back up again.
Dr Don mentioned that by 2 weeks' time (our next visit at Week 36) if baby still doesnt turn back downwards, he most probably wouldnt, due to the restricted uterine space. That means, I have to deliver Baby by Caesarian.
He also added that my pelvis is small which could be the reason why Baby doesnt turn vertex, because I am still very petite for a 34-week preggy lady. All the weight gained goes to Baby.
Maybe I will have trouble squeezing him out vaginally and end up needing an emergency C-section instead!

Initially when Dr Don mentioned to me about C-section, I was caught off-guard and quite worried about being cut up. Moreover, lately I been feeling increasing pressure on my pelvis and pain in my *ahem* whenever Baby kicks so I assumed he had engaged.
Now I know why it hurts so much - because of the obvious reason that his legs are kicking me down there.

Natural birth Pros:
- Shorter healing time
- Smaller postpartum wound

Natural birth Cons:
- Got to snip an episiotomy "down there" OUCH
- Got to endure the contraction and labour pains which might take forever!

Caesarian Pros:
- Wont feel contraction and labour pains
- Vagina will still be in "pre-birth" condition.. *ahem*

Caesarian Cons:
- Wound takes longer time to heal
- Would have to reschedule my massage lady, which I went through some pains to book this amazing Malay aunty who helped massage Fandi Ahmad's wife, Wendy Jacobs, back to shape for her 5 births! She is costly but Andy doesnt mind splurging. If I go for C-section I might have to reschedule her or have her replaced entirely if her schedule cant fit mine!



It's all Andy's fault for joking about naming our son Julius Caesar Tan. Hmmph.

As usual, we enjoy every visit to Dr Don. He happily answered all our questions about genetics and giving birth.
We're getting more and more excited about my nearing D-Day and Dr Don said I should expect a letter from my hospital soon indicating details of what to: bring upon admission / pack for my hosp bag.
I'm feeling excited, scared and a little impatient as well.
Finally, he will be done serving his belly time and coming into the real world. I cant wait to see our baby!
Already there are tons of people calling up our families to ask about the Baby's arrival and there will be TWO Baby Showers for him - one for each family.
Whenever some relative/friend calls our mums, it's often "June", "grandma", "faster have one as well" and along the lines of it.

Well, all I hope is to have a smooth delivery and that Baby is healthy.

Weekend again!!

Thank goodness it's the long-awaited weekend again!
We have to go for my Week 34 antenatal checkup, go runs errands like buying lightbulbs for our fused lights, buying baby stuff to prepare for his arrival.

It's those mundane stuff you have to do which takes up your entire day and then you wonder why your weekends are never enough!

I'm really excited to "see" baby again after waiting 3 weeks since the last checkup.
This time, we have thought of a list of questions to ask Dr Don about genetic counselling and about my nearing D-Day.

Poo poo

Was chatting with Andy on MSN while he was at work and he suddenly had this hilarious idea of letting Baby poop amidst the serenity of water feature. *dohh*

And yes, we have decided to name our boy Adam. A very down-to-earth name which originated from Hebrew.
Actually, Andy was the one who thought of the name. In fact, he has thought of 90% of the baby's name because he is a fussy possessive Daddy who pored through "What's in a Chinese name" to shortlist a few suitable names.

ADAM: Of the Earth, the first man on Earth in the Bible.

Another thing is, we might not have mentioned, but we conceived Adam while watching Dont Mess with the Zohan on DVD *blush*... and it was after deciding on this name that we realised what a coincidence it is that the actor is also named Adam Sandler. Hilarious!

So nope, we're not naming our baby Julius Cesar Tan afterall :P

The sweetest thing

I often wonder what life would be like with the dogs and Baby.Well for one, I am not exactly sure how they are gonna react with a screaming crying pooping vulnerable new family member who wouldnt reciprocate to their requests of play-biting and butt-sniffing.

I was enjoying abit of female bonding time with dear girl Alice after we both had a nice cold shower on humid Saturday when she suddenly, out of the blue, leaned her face onto my tummy.

This is the 1st time she does something like this and it touched me so much - because none of the dogs seem to acknowledge my ballooning tummy and stupid Mavy continues to jump on me when I come home.
She pressed her face on Baby for a long time (long enough for me to capture this shot but pardon the quality because that's the best I could get from sucha closeup angle) and Baby was kicking/wiggling inside as she did that, responding very well to her gesture.

Sugar and spice and everything nice - that's what little girly Shelties are made of :)

Norman's 29 Bday celebration

Siling decided to hold a Surprise birthday party for Norman's 29th Birthday.

Andy & I arrived before Norman and we hid in Siling's mum's room and waited for Norman to come

SURPRISE!! :D



Our steamboat spread. Andy always craving for steamboat ever since I'm preggy. My only hope now is for my labour pains to transfer to him as well, not just the food cravings. Heh heh!




Norman's Swensen ice-cream cake



Silly guy singing his own birthday song and clapping along haha! Dry ice for the special effect :P

Andy feeding him

The 2 lovey-doveys on the couch with Cookie the weird growling Shih Tzu!


BACK AT HOME AT 11pm....

My ballooning tummy! I was taking out a $1 coin to pay for my drink during lunchtime and my butter-fingers dropped it. The coin did a flip and landed on my tummy!
The only advantage I can think of is - I didnt have to bend down to pick it up from the floor, though it was quite a perculiar sight to the coffeeshop waitress -__-