He'll Be Coming Round The Mountain....When He Comes....

Hmmm....I'm spending a night alone here while Ju Han works late tonight. Just penciling in some thoughts to my pregnancy book and had some incredibly nerve-wracking flashes so I thought I'd share with you.

Baby Boy is coming along.....I am now 35 weeks pregnant this coming Wednesday. He will be coming along soon and sitting down and thinking about it just brought home the fact that this is actually the easiest part of the pregnancy - then the delivery (which will also be easy) and after that is where the REAL experience really starts! When he's here!

I am not sure I know how to handle this. I wonder how Ju Han and I will handle it, how will we cope? Will we be stressed out? Or overjoyed and parental mannerisms and attitudes just come naturally? I don't know how I am going to hold him or bathe him or change him! I just told my MIL the other day that I am a planner but I have no idea how I'm going to plan about Baby Boy at all...I mean I can buy all these stuff, but planning how long I will sleep with him or how I would love to breastfeed him if we can both work hard enough at it to make it work...e.t.c......

This is scary! Downright scary! I've always said there will be a Humongous change to our lives but it's never held as much truth as it does now and it will strike home even more when he's come! So, no more just waking up and deciding to go out for breakfast so we just get a shower and throw some clothes on.....but I mean is it really as 'bad' as that? And wouldn't just popping out of bed to peek at him snoozing away cutely and chubbily be worth more than a breakfast outside?

I could go on and on but basically, I just wanted to share that having a baby never seemed as real as it did tonight and never scared me more, as yet....., because he's still in me now. Which is different but not soooo much, and I've had to go through some stuff I've never really gone through before.....but soon he'll be here and life will never be the same again. For myself individually, for Ju Han individually, and for both of us together as a couple. We will have a Baby - a human being we made, together, it's just too big to comprehend! And we will be responsible for him for the rest of our lives!

And EVEN scarier - it's not just that we are responsible for him - but we will care and love him and that will somehow open us up and make us that much more vulnerable to hurt and pain because we do want things to be good for him, and if they aren't, WE're the ones who are going to hurt and worry.

I'm scared. I really am.

A Comfortable Position FINALLY!

Wow! After so many experiments, I have finally found the best bed arrangement for my aching back, swollen feet and burgeoning tummy in this the 34th week of pregnancy!

Here's a pic and as you can see, it took quite a fair bit of organisation - hehehehhehe.....

So, firstly - there is my Original Pillow - I am someone who needs some height to the neck and head so this was a good enough pillow for me pre-pregnancy and huge tummy - nowadays if I sleep on this pillow alone, I can't breathe very well.

Next came the 2 folded up towels to help elevate the Original Pillow - for a time, it managed to counter the
'I have no neck and can't breathe' syndrome.

When it got to be uncomfortable with the bigger, heavier tummy, I started trying out different combos of soft and orignal pillows.....nothing really worked ..... til now that is!

And voila! What do I have - The Original Pillow already elevated slightly with 2 wadded up towels, a Soft Pillow on top of Original Pillow to rest my head, another Soft Pillow to provide a gradual slope so my back doesn't hurt, a Cushion to help reduce the water retention in my feet and last but not least - a Bolster, to bolster support for my back whichever way I'm turned!

Granted, I only sussed this out last night but it worked like a dream - I slept like a baby til 9am this morning!!!!!! Here's hoping there are many more good nights like that!

Jinxed!

My friend definitely jinxed me! Yesterday I was showing her my swollen feet from water retention and she relayed to me her experience where her finger joints were so painful and bloated that she could hardly make a fist! And then she asked me if I had encountered that - the pantang person that I am - I replied, "Touch wood, no!"

I should have crossed my fingers too! Cos this morning, I woke up and felt the bloated painful finger joints!!!!!! AHhhhhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Here are some pics of my swollen feet, ankles and hands.

Swollen Feet at 34 weeks

Swollen ankles!

Left Hand

Right Hand

Do Pregnant Boobs HAVE to grow?

cos...I don't think mine have really grown. And yesterday a friend confirmed it! Boo Hoo!!!!

They did immediately look larger and fuller which is how I deduced I was pregnant but other than that.....

Well, it ain't the size that matters but what's inside eh? :)

33Weeks!

18 weeks

22 weeks

26 weeks

30 weeks

33 weeks (ok will try to take another one where I'm turned the other way around!!!)

Oooh, btw, baby has turned down since 32 weeks.

Baby Fair at MidValley 26-28 Nov

OOoh, my first baby fair! Well, it is about time to buy stuff since we're like 8 months along! :) How time flies right?

The night of the 26th (Friday) I checked out reviews of the fair just to see what it's like and found some very very unfriendly comments about it like too many credit card sales booths there and that there wasn't a very all-encompassing merchant mix unlike some other fairs.....But since we had already planned to go on Sat morning with MIL for guidance and advice and the nanny for brute strength! hahahahha - we were going to go anyway - we had to already anyway since we didn't have anything for the baby yet except for clothes. Also, going with managed expectations is always a goood thing!

So we were there 'bright and early' (my fault and even so, I didn't get to eat breakfast!!!!) about 10.45am, I told Ju Han to park at Car Park G so it's closer to the convention centre, we had the nanny and the trolley bag and off we went!

There was a lot of people there and (strange) there was another 'fair' being held next to the baby fair - a fair for Gents! Hahahahha - yeah, the entrance said 'Gents'! A Gentleman's fair what with stuff like cars and girls and all that I think....didn't really pay attention. We had to line up for the Goodie Bag - we took 4 since we had 4 people....and it was full of stuff like Appeton and some milk/cereal food for baby.....

Then off we went into Hall 1 of 2. Ju Han decided to take off like 5 minutes into our foray....to scope out quickly all the merchants that were there. The first thing we bought was MamyPoko S sized diapers - 2 boxes for RM20 each - a good deal right? I am going to use lampins (prefolds) and cloth diapers but never hurts to have disposables as well eh, and they were cheap.....but ok, we bought 2 boxes and had to line up for it for some time and they didn't fit into the trolley bag - made me kinda think, ummmm....did I do the wrong thing bringing a trolley bag? But of course not - we made full use of it later! Hahhahha.....

Then cos the line for that was quite long, Ju Han called and said he was alreayd in Hall 2 and there wasn't much in Hall 1....So MIL and I and the nanny didn't really meander around Hall 1. We arrived next at Autumz and I bought some nursing bras. Yikes - so many people and 1 trying room....not very good....also I wanted to buy a black colour bra but she asked me to come back again cos they were too busy to dig my size out....Hmmmmm....first time I've ever heard that - of course I didn't go back again - well, I did, to buy a Cloth Diaper to get 50% on BabyOrganix but then too lazy to ask them about my black bra size.....So, I bought like 3 nursing bras and 2 sleep bras (Bamboo) - would have liked the padded bra in black but...well....that cost me a fair bit though of course it was below the pricing on the Net and all that....Like RM100 over....

Then walked down that row -saw Avent...but Ju Han said more stuff in Hall 2 so we met up in Hall 2....I did see Credit Card Sales People but they didn't bother me too much - maybe cos I've got the 'hand and face - No Thank You' look down pat. Hahahhaha. Firm but polite.

So next thing we did buy some Bebe Disposable Breast Pads and Lampin with Free Pins - the wet wipes were fragranced - lots of people telling me 'all also got fragrance one' and I was like yeah, of course you say that, yours has it and you KNOW that's not a selling point! hahahahahhaha Anyway, I saw later in Jusco that Pureen Giraffe is fragrance and alcohol free......So, on with the fair, I bought some more mittens and booties - the mittens and booties were like really no discount at all RM4.90 each set...Then yeay, we went to Sweet Cherry and bought the Play Pen! Yeay! RM249 - seems like a good deal cos it looked nice and felt sturdy - the dismantling of it seems rather complicated but this other woman said it seems more hardy and stable compared to some other ones which she saw were easier to construct/deconstruct......later I found out she bought one unit too.....So we bought the play pen in brown (the one on display was black - cool looking- but I guess we take brown for baby boylah right?) and it came with a free foam mattress, a changing station and I guess (oh my god I don't know!!!) different stages for sleep/play......

We also looked at the strollers but didn't like any and also saw some Combi strollers but I hated the silly woman who was working there! Ju Han was very excited to show me the 4.3kg unit cos I can't really lift like 8kgs on my own.......and I asked the lady there where were these Combis made, she said it's a Japanese brand and I said, yeah but where were these MADE??? She hissed 'CHINA' at me with a look of pure irritation and hatred, and I immediately got turned off! If you can't be proud of your product, you wanna screw me into buying it? BITCH!

Then Ju Han and I had an argument about it cos I walked away and he wanted me to look at the other strollers and I was already so turned off by the woman......

We also stopped by Putto Peter Rabbit which sells premium (and they are very happy to admit this) diapers, baby bath, lotion and wash products from Korea. We bought the Clothes Wash set which came with bottle of Softener and free pack of Wet Wipes for RM39.90. We liked the Baby Bath and all that too but it was just tooooo expensive! Then I got to participate in a Lucky Draw - sachets of cream, some with Gold Dust meaning you win a RM39 pack of 2 Baby Bath/Shampoo and Lotion. And me, not having ever won any Lucky Draw in my life - with no big expectaions, with no quick prayer to God, purely by the luck of Baby Boy, drew the one with Gold Dust! YEAY!!!!!!!!!!!!

After that we went for lunchlah since we could only collect our play pen at 2-3pm.....So we had some Sushi King - aiyo, one food preparer just coughing coughing away in the middle of the entire restaurant. So when my Soft Shell Crab handroll came prepared by him, Ju Han ate it - we decided it wasn't a good idea for me to even try to eat it! hahahhhaha - He was wearing 2 layers of face mask though and all this, the day after I hear on the radio that H1N1 is back! But really though, nothing like this would happen in a First World Country right? And customers wouldn't stand for it too! But we all just sat there eating....One thing is the food at Sushi King just is uninspiring lah....So much food on the belt and in the menu but somehow......We only went there cos the Food Court was overwhelming.....

Following luch, a quick round again in the baby fair, we picked up some cloth diapers from Luntatots - I think these people are getting a bit big for their boots - their CDs were like RM40 bucks on average - Autumnz ones are only RM28! But I didn't like the Autumnz ones designs so much - I then meandered over to BabyOrganix and was going to buy their Head to Toe Cleanser and Bottle Wash cos Buy 1 Free 1.....Then I saw a sign that said 50% off with purchase of Autumnz CD - so I hurried on back to buy 1 lah since only RM28 and I needed them anyway.....when I came back, I found out there was a miscommunication! IT was only 50% off on the Clothes Wash! I had already bought the other Clothes Wash from Peter Rabbit so was quite upset cos the sales girl very excitedly concurred with me about the 50% but didn't mention (or I didn't hear) that it was a limited offer....Luckily the boss was there and she tried to make things better by giving me 50% on whatever items I bought....so we bought a big bottle of Bottle Wash and a big bottle of Body Wash.....Ju Han is a bit concerned that it's made in Malaysia even though the proprieter claims the ingredients are from Germany....so we'll use first and seelah....I am glad she made the effort to give me the discount though.....which is what ALL people should note when they try to do sales! Don't upset the customer! Cos you never know when she's going to blog about it! Hahahhahahaha

Oh yeah, we also bought a Little Bean baby monitor - RM249.90 instead of RM299.90 and we got 2 pieces of Cold Gel Packs for free....hmmmmm.....Tested out the baby monitor today, seems quite ok - clear sound, good melodies though when the parent unit plays melodies, you can't hear anything from the kid unit anymore....Also, the little night light is a bit ummmm....little....The units are very small.....hope they work well!

After all that, we went down to Jusco and bought some more stuff like talcum powder, bathtub etc......hahahah - ironic! Baby fair didn't have these things and we had to buy from downstairs!

Then on Sunday we went over to Babies Kingdom in Kota Damansara and bought a cot with bedding and latex mattres 3 inches and latex pillow small for RM859 - good deal I think.....free delivery but no assembly.

So all in all, we bought quite a lot of stuff- spent 2.2k buying play pen, cot and bedding, cloth diapers, the pink/blue waterproof mat for the cot (the one with the puffed up little squares remember???), lampin, disposable nappy liners, disposable bra pads, baby monitor (which plays 3 melodies for baby so cool!!!), pampers, nursing bras, bath tub, powder, clothes wash, baby wash, bottle wash, wet wipes, nappy rash wet wipes, 2 swaddle blankets.....so the baby stuff is being washed, my nursing bras too....mum bought me 4 sarongs for the cot....


We still need to buy breast pump, stroller (which can wait), nappy rash cream, nipple cream, milk storage bags, baby's dresser and sofa bed from Ikea.....so my plans are all on the way.....I have called in the Recycle guys to collect some of the rubbish from the baby room coming tomorrow (Tuesday) and I will call the cupboard maker to come do final measurements at the house cos we need to build a new cupboard in the hall to function as the new 'storeroom' and then Wed we will go to Ikea and get the rest of the stuff. I also bought my final 2 pairs of pajamas from Giant! hehahahahha so it's easier to breasfeed and keep me warmer with the long pants.....so now I have 4 pairs should be able to recycle throughout the week.....ummm...let's see, I also bought cotton wool squares (facial squares) for the cleaning of baby bum......heeeeehheheee - operation baby buys is well on its way!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Vagaries of the Third Trimester

I cannot sleep well anymore! For the past 1-2 weeks, I have had wake-ups during the night and then not being able to get back to sleep until like, 3 hours later - resulting in me only getting approximately 2-4 hours sleep a night! No position is comfortable and the baby isn't moving that much anymore which gets me a bit worried sometimes cos I don't know if he's just not moving or cos he's getting too big to move.....


So, have been feeling the drain of the third trimester now - tired and sleepy as opposed to the gung ho excitedness of the second trimester. Yesterday, the very thought of driving to work made me so lethargic, so I ended up staying at home.....

Also am leaking urine hahahhahah - sometimes I just C.A.N.N.O.T get to the toilet in time!

Plus I think I have some hormonal blackness around my neck - I think....it's not veryvery obvious (that's what I think anyway) but I think it's there.....but the line down my tummy is very very obvious.

Shrink Your Hips post Delivery

Ooooh - LittleWhiz.com has ShrinkxHips for RM211.50! Shrinks your hips after delivery. Cool eh?

Check this out though for user reviews.

OK I know I keep promoting LittleWhiz.com, no they are not paying me anything - I just think their prices are better than the rest. :) IF I AM WRONG, PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!!!!!! hahahahahhahaa

New Friends of Baby Boy

Ya - no posts for some time and then a flurry of them huh! :)

Here are some friends of Baby Boy's.

(L - R with back row first: Senor Amore, Awie Awana, Moo Moo, Rabitto, Bally)

Rabitto and Bally are new  - from Ikea! So cute and colourful. Rabitto is a rattle!

First Gifts from FRIENDS!!!!!

Sookie has donated to me some of her maternity clothing cos I really didn't want to buy so many new pieces and now our first other gifts from friends have arrived via van! :)  I got my Breastflow!!!!!! :) I was almost leaning towards Avent in the end, even though I really really dislike the look of it just cos Avent breast pumps can only be used with Avent bottles - but now am so happy I got my Breastflow set!!!!!!!!!! :)

 

This one is a yellow top, bottom, bonnet, mittens and booties set - anyone who knows me well, knows I love Pooh and this set coming in yellow is just perfect cos that's the other colour I have for baby boy besides white and blue!!!! There are some frills on the clothing and definitely frills on the bonnet though - hhehehehehehehhe.

30w Photo

18 weeks

22 weeks



26 weeks

 

30 weeks



The pants above are one half of my pajama set bought at Giant to aid breast-feeding. Mum says my hips will get larger after delivery! Hehehehhe - these fit just right now....And they are FREE SIZE!

31w and 3 days - amniotic fluid dropped

We had another check up today - the doc said my amniotic fluid has dropped - the last check being 3 weeks ago saw me with 27cm of fluid and now it's like 21cm. So I had a Proluton shot to encourage placental function and will need to go back in 1 week's time to check and see if there is further reduction.

I really hope and pray everything goes well and baby boy is healthy. He is now 1.8kg and I have a colleague whose 32 week baby is 2kgs - hopefully, by the time I go and check at 32 weeks, he will be a good weight too. Strange I guess since baby boy has always been ahead of the curve - perhaps (touch wood) I've been 'boasting' about it too much?

He is still active and well inside me - definitely feeling the 10 movements a day that we should have.

Please pray. Thanks!

Baby Boy is 30w + 4 days!

Can you believe how fast it's flown by?? He's going to be 8 months soon! HEheheheheheh and when I first got to know him, he was 5 weeks old!

There is a Baby Fair at Mid Valley 26-28 Nov so we're going to have do our shopping then - the list is endless I think......cos we haven't actually bought anything yet! Yeah, mum keeps nagging at me but I do have baby clothes and mittens and booties and hats and towels and hankies all sorted out! So we need some big ticket items like the cot and bedding, stroller, play pen, room furniture (that's from Ikea), liquid wash for baby's clothes and baby himself (my cousin who has experience with babies recommened Lactacyd and also Cetaphil - for when the baby already has rashes - apparently alot of babies nowadays developed skin conditions due to the scents or whatever in lots of babies products - including some very famousssssss brands!), bath tub, milk bottles (especially for water feeding), baby monitor, baby carrier, wet wipes, cotton wool, ear buds, blah blah blah loving the First Years baby carry basket idea, what else?....probably get the cloth diapers too.

JH will probably tell me to just get the big ticket items cos the small ones won't be much different in price and can be bought anywhere - how come guys always think like that?

Apparently Lactacyd Baby Items are very popular in the Philippines - don't remember having seen it here! I also read reviews where mums loved the Earth Mama Angel Baby brand which is super expensive I think. But it's supposed to do wonders for everything from diaper rash to mama's zits!

I definitely want to breast feed and have been looking up milk pumpers but also read that not EVERY MUM needs a milk pumper - I will definitely have to get one though for when I go back to work - although better to buy it then to save on warranty time. Avent seems to get good reviews while Medela seems to suck - hmmmmmmm...I mean suck in a bad way.......from user reviews on the Net so.....

Mum also reminded yesterday that I need to pack a bag for the hospital already. And FIL asked me where we will 'check in' for delivery and which floor to go to and all that at the hospital - which is a FANTASTIC question in deedi - o!!!! Will have to check that out - we've gone on a tour of the hospital but that was ages ago.......

I should also look at registering for pre natal classes huh! Maybe Mamalink.com.my or Jenlia apparently quite good too - I will need the one where they teach me how to breathe and how/when to push.....Mamalink's 6 class course is RM600 with RM20 for registration (WOW!) AND! she also does Home Visits at RM200 (DOUBLE WOW!)

The Jenlia one apparently costs RM310 - their website doesn't seem to work very well for me so I think I have to call themlah - now is perfect time for me to attend....hope they aren't full.

(Wah, the more I read, the more afraid I get)

And I won't get to go on holiday before going back to work cos Ju Han already said he's full up till March 2011.

Still cannot eat properly from a Gum Infection

(written 12 Nov) It is imperative that mothers-to-be get their dental conditions in order! Go for a dental check up if you’re planning to get pregnant. Go for another check up in your 2nd trimester and make sure that in the meantime, you brush twice daily, carefully and thoroughly so that you don’t get gingivitis or periodontitis which could start off labour early! It’s no joke!

Flossing daily is also recommended.

I hope my gum infection clears up soon.

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/gum-disease-and-infection.html this website will give you quite a nice lot and organised composition of information about gum infection - I've probably searched 100 websites and I like what this one told me and how it told me things about gum infection.
 
(Update 14 Nov) My gum infection, after finishing the enzyme and all that, has not cleared up - there doesn't seem to be much difference, the pain when chewing is the same and if anything, the raw area on my gum near my wisdom tooth seems to have developed a white pocket - am liable to think it IS heatiness cos this is how ulcers appear to be right? I've never had an ulcer in my life....so just guessing here. The gums are still rather swollen from my own eye examination cos I can see and feel the gumline almost right up to the surface of my teeth.
 
Sigh, more porridge but MIL has been great in trying to add variety to my daily dinner. Also, since I can't eat any fruits and vegetables, she's processing juice for me - the first day it was oranges, apples and banana and the second it was green apple, celery and something (since I wasn't getting my veges!!!!!) and last night, she thought up kiwi and a juice we usually have (Berry Blast which is a juice of 5 fruits and vegetables) and I added in a mashed banana. Hehehheheehhe.
 
I went to White Zone Dental in PJ New Town (State) for my checkup and non-resolution - not sure if my strain is especially virulent or the dentist just didn't identify/resolve the correct problem. But I have a prior appointment set up with another dentist near work for Tuesday so if it's still not healed by then, I shall have a go at the other dentist - at this stage, I'm like - just lance the damn thing and let me get on with life - I'm missing out on so much fooodddddd  - and you know you just want to eat it all when you can't right?! Double Sigh!
 
Yesterday for lunch I had Mushroom Soup and Garlic Bread (soaked of course) at the Western Food counter at Food Republic at Pavilion Mall. They charged me RM4.90 for the soup which was tastelesss fat - it's a good thing I had the Garlic Bread otherwise I would have been tempted to just leave the whole damn thing! YIKES!
 

I HAVE A GUM INFECTION AND HUBBY IS NOT AROUND!!!!!!!

(written 12 Nov) I really love filo pastry! It’s so crunchy and flaky and yummy!


Yesterday I went to the dentist and she told me I have a gum infection – so I have to brush my teeth really well – especially at the back (where apparently a little plaque had set up home) cos pregnancy elevates the hormone levels in the body which in turn, makes the gums more sensitive to ENEMIES!

So, a couple of days of enzyme and gargling with salt water – no antibiotics cos of baby boy and I hope to be good as new. In the mean time, I am losing weight – hahahahhaha – cannot eat anything except soup and porridge cos the moment food enters my mouth – I’m like, “AARRGHGGHGHH!!! PAIN!!!!” So!

Last night I had porridge with fish mashed in. This afternoon, for lunch I had mushroom soup with soaked croissant…..(AHA! Now you know why I started my post with the filo pastry comment)…..Tonight supposed to be porridge again but with chicken and eggs. Sigh, so sad….I want to eat rojak.

And hubby not around some more – in India – so I am prevailing all by my lonesome…..heheheheheh…..

Halford Cosmo DX Stroller

....is only RM359 at littlewhiz.com. Without the baby carrier - which I don't think I need!

Will go check this one out at a store on Sat and see if it feels gooooddd....

Toothache

Aissshhh! I've developed a low grade toothache in the lower right region of my teeth. Difficult peering in a magnifying mirror has revealed a darker spot in the middle of the tooth - which could either be a cavity or shadow from plaque....hehehehahhaha.....

It's been there since late Monday evening, mum thinks I'm heaty and yeah my gums on that side have swelled up a bit and are tender to the touch; MIL meanwhile thinks I've developed dental caries (TOUCH WOOD!) from lack of calcium during pregnancy. I only drink like a glass of milk a day with no calcium supplements so gotta ask my doc about that......apparently pregnant women need 1200-1500mg of calcium a day.....One glass is like 250-300mg....sigh....

I REALLY hope it's not a cavity cos I don't want a single filling to mar the look of my teeth. I'm going to be really upset if it is and I've developed it due to a lack of calcium. Baby boy just turned 29 weeks and apparently babies start their guzzling of calcium from the 3rd trimester onwards - takkan so fast the calcium deficiency has taken effect????? And it's not like I was a complete milk virgin before! I drink milk!

Last night I told my dad that I had a toothache and he was really surprised cos yeah, the last time I had a toothache - I sat up crying through the night, with my mum accompanying me and my little night lamp (you know the one where the inner light creates shadows from the outer layer that revolves????) Yeah - I was like below 10 probably! Every visit to the dentist after I got my permanent teeth in has been just routine cleaning with nothing extraordinary - I seem to have very strong teeth - til now..........that's why I'm inclined to think it is heatiness - though I exhibit no other symptoms - like constipation or pimples or sore throat or whatever......AIYA! With a CAPITAL A!!!!!!!

Pigeon Brand runs STRANGE sales!

A couple of days ago, I bought 2 baby bath towels of Little Coro - a Pigeon brand from Parkson Pavilion for RM24.90. When I went to pay, yeay! There was a 10% discount!

Today, I was in Parkson KLCC and aghast that the towels I had bought just 2 days before were priced at RM17!!!! I called the sales girl over and asked her what the *!&((&^)% was going on???? She said, oh yeah, the normal price is RM24.90 but they were having some sales. Upon further prodding, I discovered it wasn't a KLCC sale - it was a PIGEON sale but the prices were still different from mall to mall because apparently, "sale dulu dekat KLCC, kemudian Pavilion, ataupun mereka belum tukar harga!" (The sale is on first at KLCC, then it will start at Pavilion; or that the sales people just haven't changed the price yet!)

OK, so I don't understand this sales tactic. I want to write to Pigeon. I want them to EXPLAIN to me what the *&^%%!( is going on!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Is it Pigeon, or Parkson or Pavilion/KLCC?????? :(

NOT HAPPY!

Advertisement: SUCKER WANTED!

My cousin who works in paediatrics advised that after the baby has finished feeding/suckling - the breast ought to feel much lighter as it is now devoid of milk. If not, then it is imperative that the 'leftover' milk is pumped out. Otherwise, the mum runs the risk of engorgement of the breast which is hard and painful.

She then advised that the best help could come from our very own husbands - their job would be to suck out the remaining milk. When I told Ju Han about this, he pooh-poohed me and accused me of making the whole story up just to check if he was listening. So, since Ju Han does not seem to demonstrate any inclination towards helping out with the sucking - I am now resorting to advertising for Suckers!

So, SUCKERS wanted! Only good-looking men need apply. And please note, there will be no monetary payment involved.

Thank you.

Movie Marathon

Spread over two days! Oklah, 2 movies in 2 days does not make a marathon but I thought it sounded catchy.

Yesterday we watched 'Altitude' which was supposed to be some sort of horror plane ride in the skies.....Ju Han and I had such a good time clapping the movie at the end and laughing through it. Yeah, you can tell it's bad when people are laughing through a horror movie - it's not as bad as a Korean horror flick I've watched before and nowhere near as laughable as 'Jangan Pandang Belakang' which terrorised movie-goers a couple of years ago....but ....still bad!

Ju Han kept hoping it would take a turn for the better butttttt......the short answer is nope, it didn't! I won't give away the plot and the 'twist' but the only thing good about it was the Megan Fox look-a-like lead actress and I must say the acting was pretty good. Other than that, it's RM11 a pop for some laughs!

Why did we clap then I hear you ask? Well,....it was so bad, it was funny! HHahahhahahahah

Then today, in order to redeem for yesterday's bad experience, we watched 'RED' - Retired, Extremely Dangerous. A whole cast of big names - Bruce Willis, Helen Mirren, John Malkovich and Morgan Freeman - retired CIA wet team members - wet team as in they commit all the bloody, gory, squishy acts for the CIA I presume. Good show - with humour thrown in and action and love....This is probably also the first show I've actually seen Bruce Willis laugh in. (Precisely what I whispered to Ju Han when it happened).

Good one!

Only BABY Talk?????

Yeah, I realise that all I've been writing about is baby stuff.....shall try to put in more everyday marriage stuff ok. But so far, everything (touch wood) is fine. We're humming along and it's nice and smiley and laughy and cuddly and kissy. HAhahhahahahhaha......

The only thing I would like to improve on is our relations with friends (AHA! Tell me what 'relations' you were thinking about????!!!!)

We don't seem to spend much time with friends. We've been married since Mar 09 and it's like 1.5 years now but I think we're still in the honeymoon stage. Furthermore, we don't really make plans for the weekend so ..... difficult to tie people in. I asked Ju Han whether he wanted to have some friends over this weekend for a game of Risk but he figured he'd be working so would rather rest......We're quite quite different from my brother and sister in law. They are very sociable beings and always on the move with friends - dinners, barbeques, outings, parties......but Ju Han and I just aren't like that. Though we DON'T want to end up old and without friends!!! Which could very well happen right? And I also don't want to end up with just married couple/married with baby friends. So boring. Need to have a good mish mash eh and then we can keep our toes in every pie. AIyo, sounds greedy and ambitious but I think it's just not in our make-up.

I enjoy my time alone and I do enjoy being with friends too but not that huge party group thingy. I prefer more intimate settings where people can talk and really get to know what's going on. It doesn't help that all my close friends are so far flung and my KL friends have very busy lives of their own.

Well, we just make do eh? I don't think there is a right or wrong - But I would infinitely prefer to prefer time with my husband over time with my friends/parties. Right? RIGHT????

Tao Organic Cotton

Ooooh - yesterday I was at Parkson One Utama and, after refurbishment, they've expanded their baby section. I really really liked this brand Tao - all items made from Organic Cotton. I bought a hat and pair of mittens and booties for baby boy. Couldn't find any clothes to buy for him - Ju Han would have loved to buy sets....but they were all rompers and I think it's difficult to gauge how big the baby will be when he arrives and how fast he'll grow out of the rompers.....furthermore, I've bought a romper already and MIL has bought two so the rest we're getting separates - easier. So no TAO clothes for baby boy.

The towels are really nice but only face and longer (like hand towel) - no bath towel otherwise I would have bought that cos most brands I've felt are really rough!!!!!

But I am digressing, the best thing of all is the BEDDING!!!!!! Yum!!!!!! But a 3 piece TAO cot bedding (inclusive of fitted sheet, baby blanket and side padding) costs RM499.90!!!!!!!!! Yowzers!!!!!! But the padding is really padded unlike ALL others I've felt and the cotton is so soft. But way tooo expensive man! However, for those of you who have the cash to burn - feel free to go ahead and knock yourself out! Beware though, those who like colourful stuff - TAO colours are all beige-y, brown-y, green-y, in line with the environmentally friendly theme.

87 days to GO??????

Ok, my baby ticker says there are 87 days to go to my big day. Are you sure - I think it's wrong! 87 days?????????? WHAT THE??? WHERE DID TIME GO?????? How can I be only 87 days away??? That's not even a 3 digit number???!!!!!!!

P.S. Saw a Halford Cosmo DX Travel System Stroller Set today - hmmmm....looks quite nice and light. RM599 online....can't really find user reviews about it. My friends keep asking me about strollers now - I don't know yetttttttttttt - what's good what's not????????????????? ARRGGHGHHHH!!! I guess this is practise for how to advise your children when they're actually out in the world already huh? HOW DO I TEACH THEM TO BE GOOD/CONSIDERATE/KIND??????

Half way there at 26.5 weeks

Here's another comparison time-lapse picture for you. Wow, even comparing it myself, I can how much I've grown! My innie is becoming an outie and I've gained like 1 kg in a week!!! A WEEK!!! How am I going to stay within the 13-15kg range of healthy weight gain during pregnancy??? I'm not even eating all that much - I worked out that what I do have extra to pre-pregnancy is breakfast, and maybe a tea break - I eat the same amount at dinner and maybe a little larger of a portion at lunch. So how can I be gaining so much weight!!!!!!!! I'm like at 9kgs gained already!

But!!! Let's forget the depressing news and move on to what's JOYOUS!
 

18 weeks



22 weeks



26 weeks



Isn't it just fantastic! There is a little human being growing inside me! He loves music and he loves moving around at 2-3am in the morning as well as after 9pm at night! He's just wonderful. When I was taking photographs tonight, he moved around quite a bit too - either he loves having his picture taken or he was hungry. Hahahahhahaha - he was almost 1kg a week ago - god only knows what he is now! :)

Here are more random pictures of me - and some of my face - which I don't think has really grown......

 

 Really traditional maternity dress - think my bangs make me look big



     





Hipper mom


 



I think I look really pretty here - my fave pic!!!





Face shape at 22 weeks



Face shape at 26.5 weeks



26 weeks around the corner!

Last Sat we had another checkup for baby boy. He's now 6.5 months old and weighing almost 1kg, the little bugger! :) I am so happy he is growing well and even though everyone says my baby bump is big - I think it's just the right beautiful size! :)

He makes me happy - I never really believed it when mothers said their children bring them so much joy and change their lives. This little one isn't even out in the world yet and every little kick or movement of his still makes me wonder smile. I spend a lot of time touching him and when he kicks, I pat him in response. Simple pleasures of life. Ju Han too is becoming even more fatherly, I love watching him being tender with 'da bump! Hahahahahhaha.....

I have also started exercising again - since the treadmill is not realllllllly my thing, I've resorted to dancing around the room - to a certain extent and also started marching when in the shower. Heck, if I'm going to be like 10 minutes in there or washing my hair for 20 mins, I might as well be making good use of the time eh? I also do some half squats when brushing my teeth in the morning and night. Tone up my thigh and legs muscles and hopefully get keep the 'chicken skin' to a minimum! The way it is now is scaryyyy!

My innie belly button is not quite an outie yet but probably will be one by the next one month!

This morning I woke up early - sick of getting to work late after being stuck in the traffic with every other lazy person out there! hahahah . So I did my toilette, did my marches in the shower, dressed in some new clothes, even had time for a cornflake breakfast (I prefer Kellog's cornflakes by the way), read some of The Star, and drove early to work, got here like in 35-40 minutes, got some nice parking and even had time to put in some blog posts. VERY COOL!

Not Being Able to Cut My Toenails

I forgot to record that I have not been able to cut my toenails since, ummm... I think before 20 weeks pregnancy.....so just to let you know! :)  Last week I went to the nail salon and had them done - in bright cheery Tweety Bird yellow! :)

25 weeks!

Today I went back to work after 2 weeks off (hurrah!!!) and EVERYONE said I was big! Some even said I looked like I was going to pop tomorrow! What? I don't think I'm that big am I?????

I did also weigh myself today and have gained 9 kg which yeah - is a bit much I know and I had only gained 5 kgs at 22 weeks so the last 3 weeks have obviously been gastronomic!!!! Also, I stopped exercising the last 3 weeks so maybe.....I do note that I have been eating more normally - But I guess eating normal portions per meal, 5 times a day puts it away huh!

At first the ideal weight gain target of 13kgs looked possible but now....hmmmmm.....doc did say I have a lotttt of amniotic fluid though so maybe that's adding to the weight plus baby boy is growing well - hope he continues the positive trend. I really want to lose the weight after birthing though so let's see how breastfeeding and a gym membership work out.

Wish me Luck! :)

Oooh, btw, baby boy started moving around alot around the 23 week and he lovessssss dancing to music. Hope he takes after me in his dance moves! hAhahahahahahhahaah

Mummy at 22 weeks

Here is a comparison of Mummy at 18 weeks and 22 weeks.


18 Weeks




22 Weeks





 

I Love My Gynae

Yalah, I know I don't have any experience with anyone else but I really like his manner and style. He tells me what he needs to tell me, he takes the time to explain things to me and answer our questions, reassure us. He is just great! Wanna know who? Dr Dev Menon from Tropicana Medical Centre.

For those of you who are planning to find  a hospital and are in the area - you should check out Tropicana. Can be a bit pricey but worth it for me - it feels and looks nice, the delivery suite and rooms look just nice, the staff are friendly and I love my gynae! Hahahahahhahahaha....Plus never underestimate the value of using a hospital close to your home - you never know when you need to make a midnight run! :)

It's usually very busy (a bit surprising for me since I always think of it as a premium hospital) but if you make night appointments then it's so easy! You breeze in, chat with your gynae and breeze out again. Seriously! That was one of the main reasons I chose Dr Dev cos he had the most night shifts and his picture looked kind. (Yeah, I know - I think I've said this before)

I won't put up a link to the hospital on the website but just google it. It's there.

Where to Buy Kampung Chicken to Make your own Essence of Chicken?

So cool! Since I am now pregnant and my mum has made essence of chicken for me with a double-boiler pot, I thought I'd find out how to make my own too here in KL.

The thing though is that it's nowhere near as easy as you thought it'd be to find genuine kampung chicken here - don't believe me? Google it! I couldn't find anything anywhere that told me where I could buy these pure free-range chickens that when double-boiled, would give me real goodness for my baby and not a cocktail of hormones and chemicals! God Forbid!

So finally, I chanced on Allo Expat and found DQ Clean Chicken. I was so happy I went screaming down the stairs to my MIL that I had found allegedly pure grass-fed chickens that I could feed my baby with! And DQ, if you are not clean as you purpot to be, then it's on YOUR conscience! Cos I am making my own chicken essence with your chicken - oklah, I plan to order (which is the OTHER REALLY COOL THING!) but I haven't yet!

MIL suggests that I order 2 chickens first and have them delivered! YES you read right! THEY DELIVER! to my HOUSE! For RM3! Yeah, I'd prefer if they were free but what to do right? Everyone needs to make a buck. Maybe they should say that if I buy above a certain amount or an accumulation of a certain amount, then they provide free delivery for a couple of times....... :)

So, anyway, for those of you who are looking for clean chicken and convenience, then check out DQ Clean Chicken! However, caveat emptor! I haven't tried thme and and I don't promise anything so don't complain to me if service/quality is not up to your expectation!

Yippee! I'm going to be able to double boil my own essence of chicken - they even provide the technique and some recipes!!!! Good good! Sets my mind at ease abit with the fact that I haven't been fortifying my body with herbal goodness......

Update to Strollers

We went to check out Sweet Cherry strollers at Jaya again. This time with Ju Han there, we tried to open and close the strollers which I didn't want to do on my own before. So, apparently, the easiest to open and close and light as well! is the SCR8. Yeah meaning the latest arrival lah - cheap too - RM349 or RM369 only. And that's without discounts! Woooohooo! BUT smallest basket ever, cannot reverse steer and no switchability from the baby carrier to the normal stroller chair. And it's 3 wheeled which I didn't like just because I thought it wasn't as stable.

Ju Han of course, most disliked the one I liked the most - go figure!

What is important in a stroller actually? Is it the basket? I want a full stroller handle meaning I cannot strap on bags and etc to one handle and another like people do alot of......I can hang a satchel kind of bag over the full handle though.....but not a backpack. I see some people using the basket and some not.....Is reverse steering important? Babies all over the world can get used to non-reverse steering so it most definitely isn't a mandatory thing. And is the baby carrier important? Depends on how often we expect to be taking baby around right? HMmmmmmmmmm......

Well, the SCR5 which has all the above (except with small basket) apparently is the most popular model, I guess due to its versability but it's not easy to open and we don't like the idea that to open up the thing, we may have to touch the wheels of the stroller....and it's padding isn't very thick.

SHITE! But I think opening and closing as well as weight ease is very important so we could end up with the SCR8 in the end...............cos I want to be able to be independent with the stroller too.....But no cup holders too.....

First Trimester Happenings

From my first blog post about how I got pregnant and what I felt etc, I think most of you can glean what I went through but I just wanted to list down some of the major/common thingys I had just so it's easier for new moms out there:

1. Butterflies in the tummy (probably hormones tickling the stomach/uterus lining)
2. Wind in the tummy (cos I didn't know how much to eat and when to eat - basically eat whenever you feel you MIGHT be hungry and know your frequency - I knew I had to eat approx every 2 hours and never get caught without food - like in a traffic jam....always have some biscuits at hand and try not to drink too much if you don't have access to a toilet cos you need to gooooooooo)
3. Not having much of an appetite and not being able to eat very much at all.
4. Increased urination
5. Backpain (I had to shift around alot when I was driving but this could also be because I have a history of lower back pain)
6. Throwing up (nothing to do with the normal nausea, which I didn't have much of, but I always threw up when I brushed my tongue and sometimes felt like it when I just brushed my teeth - try not to think about it but it's difficult to quell once the feeling has taken over your tummy and twisted it into knots - really that is what it feels like)
7. Not liking fish anymore and char kuay teow which are usually some of my favourite food. Until now, I don't really like fish so I take extra supplements so the baby has enough DHA etc. I also cannot take much spiciness anymore.
8. Not much temperamental moodiness - due to a very supportive husband and support unit like my in-laws and family
9. Anxiety about the baby, about changes to my life and our marriage.
10. Boobs increasing in size.
11. Not too much in terms of cravings but I did note an increase in preference for ice-cream and coke.
12. Not really tired/sleepy.
13. Advised not to exercise yet due to the fragility of the foetus in the first 3 months.

Baby's Age

Ok, I may not be as good a mum as I want to be - I can't quite figure out how old Baby Boy is. Hahhahaha - I think he's 22 weeks old and sis thinks he's 23 weeks old. (yeah, I know my baby ticker says 21w2d.)

But anyway, I read that at 26 weeks they can really 'remember' voices already - in the sense that they hear and retain an auditory memory of the tone/pitch/cadence of the voice and when baby is born, they recognise these voices and they can calm the baby down! I must get Ju Han to talk to the baby cos apparently, babies can recognise their dad's voice in a roomful of voices immediately after birth! And if they're irritated/annoyed or upset, their dad's voice can calm them down cos it's familiar! Initially I thought that dad's voice would be easier for babies to hear from within the womb cos dad's mouth can be closer to them but no!!! I also found out that a mother’s voice comes to the womb through her own body and it is stronger, richer and less distorted when it reaches the baby than outside sounds. Many sounds and noises travel to the inner ear through vibrations in the baby’s skull.

A newborn baby may show preference for their mother’s voice, but a father’s deeper voice travels well through water.

How cool is that????!!!!!! :)

Baby Shopping

Today I measured the baby room in order to get ready planning for it. I have scoped out some items and am really excited that as of today at least I have a mental image of what I want the room to look like! I need to buy chests of drawers, a sofa bed at the very least.

And guess what I found this really interesting site that converts your ultrasound pictures into wall art! Just check out prinz-prinzesschen.de. The small ones cost 44EUR which is approximately RM174 and it goes up to RM376 excluding 19% tax - not sure if postage is another price. Ummm... it is not in English so ummmm....just use the Google translator..

I also love these maternity t-shirts - look here. Don't know where you're supposed to buy them though - of course cos the site is a Trend Hunter site, maybe it's just announcing possible hit trends and not really mentioning where one can make purchases.

Dreams and Nightmares during Second Trimester Pregnancy

This is one thing I have noticed quite consistently through my second trimester. Don't remember having much of it in my first but recently......

This is what happened in the first trimester that I do remember - I used to get up and go to the bathroom alot during the night - like 2-3 times and used to prefer not to get up because I didn't want the baby to get used to waking up in the middle of the night. Hahahahha....; I also had a lot of tummy butterflies which got me really upset; wind in the tummy from not knowing how much to eat and when; increased urination. I still had good skin though.

And now I either don't or I get up just once throughout the night but the new development is that I have started to have either insomnia or terrible terrible nightwares or dreams that are just plain weird. I can't really remember them but Ju Han says that one time I told I dreamt of green people standing on a playground and of course I had my normal dreams about worms too and then once about a cockroach that I couldn't escape from cos I was held down. And definitely definitely awful nightmares like me getting unspeakably FURIOUS with my nanny - 2 TIMES!!!!!

I want to try not to get so upset during the dreams for fear of spreading bad vibes to the baby but oh my god! I've never felt so angry before.....The dreams about the worms, yeah, I have felt so scared before but the anger is the one that frightens even me.

The more normal stuff is just when I wake up (don't have so much problem Falling asleep) but then I wake up in the middle of the night, either from a dream, or toilet break, and just can't seem to get back to sleep. I have read, watched TV for hours on end and just can't seem to get drowsy again.

I have found out on the internet that it's normal so please - if any one of you out there is experiencing it, don't worry too much unless, I think, you have a recurring theme. Then perhaps you ought to study it a little bit more because it could be your sub-conscious or God trying to tell you something. Hahahahhaha - yeah I think God speaks to us through our dreams sometimes.

Sweet Cherry Strollers

Ok, so today I checked out some Sweet Cherry strollers. At One Utama where there is a sale going on - but am not buying yet cos there will be another sale in December before the baby is born, and cos I am not sure yet which one I want to buy, and cos I am also not sure yet if this is the brand that I want.

The strollers seem ok to a naive new mother like me. I have several models I like which I tried to find out more about online at http://www.sweetcherry.com.my/ and couldn't really find. Also, will need to check out some forums and see what other mums say.

Basically the most popular model the SCR 5 - I don't quite like. It's slimmer (what if baby takes after dad and needs a lot of space) plus it's got the teeniest-weeniest basket ever as well as no cupholder. But! it can be reverse/foward facing and I can either use a carrier car seat or actual stroller seat (switchable/replaceable).

I like the C209 Nano Stroller Click one comes with a matching bag, cup holders, looks nice, ok basket, 8kg but the material I saw which was brown and beige circles felt a bit rough - which is a minor thing to remedy I supposed. I also like the TS012 Gra Stroller that comes with a huge basket underneath and 4 wheels which I prefer over the 3-wheeled ones. The problem (?) is that it doesn't face front and back and I am not sure if the wheels are wide enough to be steady.

The C918 Bingo Stroller faces front and back, has a large basket, looks nice and is extra padded for comfort (as is the TS012) but it's 9kg. Heavy?

And oh, The Gra comes with a single unlocking system - cos it's not two separate locks at both back wheels, it's one lock controlling both back wheels with a single step. None of the others has that.

So, of all:

C209 Nano looks the best but only faces 1 way
C918 Bingo looks second best but bulkier at 9kg
TS012 Gra looks most old-fashioned but has everything I want including the one step brake system.

Have to check with Ju Han.....sigh. Also can't seem to find any reviews. All my items no one want to use one . first years baby bottles and sweet cheery strollers....sigh. Am I a bad mommy for not buying a Peg Perego or something like that?????

I still also have not checked out how to open and close them, one handed or not, whether they fold standing up or lying down, covers are detachable and washable or not.

Btw, found this website http://thechildrenplace.blogspot.com/search/label/Stroller has discounted strollers. All from Combi brand but the Combi Urban Walker has gotten great reviews. Hmmmmm...the UR-300Y looks cool. But don't know if the padding is enough or not. Let me check it out......

Here's another online site http://mama-and-kids-junction.blogspot.com/search/label/stroller.

Ooooh, reviews say they love the Urban Walker - mostly complimented the one hand fold/unfold. But most complaints about the tricky reverse steering so meaning even though it tells you it can do that.....it doesn't do it very well at all.....AHA! Hmmm...better go try out my Sweet Cherry one. Meaning if the reverse is also difficult - then the Nano will be the best bet....for me.....don't know about Ju Han yet. Though I know people using the SCR 5/6 and they did reverse quite easily lah - those aren't in my list though....

Listssssssssssssss

Here's what I need to plan for still:

1. Decide on stroller model
2. Decide if we need carrier car seat to go with stroller?
3. Decide if I want to have Malay post-natal massage and if yes, Find urut lady
4. Decide on baby bottle brands
5. Buy cloth diaper covers for lampin
6. Buy baby cot
7. Buy baby clothes and booties and mittens and blankets and etc. ARRAGHGGHHGH!!!!
8. Buy baby bath tub
9. Buy baby mat
10. Buy baby mobile
11. Buy baby proofing items
12. Love baby changing table seen at BabyJaya for RM500!!! But not buying cos waste of money?, space wastage?, no use?
13. Buy nanny mattress and bed
14. Figure out where to let confinement lady and nanny sleep
15. Figure out where to pump breast milk during office days and where to store in a non-baby friendly office/organisation - yeah I'm talking to YOU E-yore Bank.
16. Quit being paranoid about not eating well enough for baby and not taking any herbal por por stuff
17. Sleep more
18. Ask grandma for old sarong to place under baby
19. Design baby room
20. Buy sofa for baby room
21. Buy side table for sofa for baby room
22. Buy chest of drawers for baby room
23. Baby-proof house
24. Buy foldable play pen
25. Buy baby monitor
26. Buy breast milk pump if I am breastfeeding together with milk storage bags etc.- need to fit baby bottles
27. Buy baby wipes and all those thingys like rash cream, baby soap, baby detergent and etc.
28. Buy stainless steel pot for sterilising
29. Buy nursing bra if nursing, and disposable nursing pads etc.
30. Buy toys
31. Handle and manage and stay on top of all the etcs.

My First Favourite Baby Brand - The First Years

Like I said in my last post, I had been having such a worrying time trying to find 'The First Years' brands anywhere else but at Metrojaya. Well, I found them again - online! At the my.BBstore.com and I believe BabyJaya (physical store at Damansara Utama) also has them! But BBstore has a wider range - the only downside is that I won't be actually able to hold the items and touch them and try them out.....you know like how it feels in the hand and such.

myBBstore is having a sale now in conjunction with the Mega Sale and I hope they have it again at year end and then I can buy some stuff for baby!!!!!! Obviously if I breastfeed I won't be needing so many bottles (I think) and I just love their stuff - seems really well thought out like the handsfree baby safe gate and the bath tub, though a friend did advise me that if the 'hump' in the tub was removable, it would be easier for toddler to use. I also like the side bolsters which keep baby in place - yeah, it's just as easy to use 2 actual individual bolsters but....this one won't move! They are attached with a supposed great air flow mat underneath! Hehhehehehee..... The swaddle blanket also looks nice cos it has open legs - the ones I've usually seen has a pocket where the baby slides into it and then is wrapped up - I can understand the logic of that in that the baby is completely secure and doesn't slip out, doesn't kick out of the swaddle blanket but then in Malaysia - ummmmm.....just think the baby might be cooking in his own juices! :)

Well, I am a first time mum - don't know much about what is good or not for the baby. Just trying to see what catches my eye and what seems to make sense. Must get Ju Han in on this cos he always thinks of things I completely miss out! .

By the way, for those of you who are interested, BabyJaya has a gift registry - you know like wedding registries. Seems like a great idea cos people need to know what to buy you especially since this is such a personal venture....kinda like a housewarming gift - you wonder what the hosts colour schemes are like, what kind of decor they have etc.....But as usual, I think maybe for the Asian mentality - it still seems a bit much! I used to hate it when I saw wedding invitations with an attached pink card that thanks the guests for the gifts. Have you seen those? Or remember them? Yeah, I thought it was presumptous!

Diverted! Diverted! Ok, like I said in the title - this is my first fave baby brand - maybe I'll still come across others I like better....but somehow, the first time I laid eyes on it - the look, the feel, the products they produce just give me the impression that these people really thought about what a new mum and baby needs and the items look classy, colours are elegant and mmmm.....just nice lah. HHahahhahahaha For example - I really didn't like the NUK baby bottle look with the cartoon coloured animal cartoons all haphazardly strewn on it. MAM bottles look nice too but not best breast complementary and Avent, what can I say, ....BORING!!!!!!!!!!!!

It's a zygote - embryo - foetus - BOY!

Yeah, you read right! I'm 5 months pregnant! HMmmm....how can it be that long?? I last wrote in April, that makes it - May, June, July, Aug, Sept.....WOW! Time flies when you're having fun! Hhahahahaahhaa....

Well, yeah we started fooling around in let's see March but that was kinda all off in terms of timing. And then in April we went to Redang right, with Ju Han's parents.....and in May, we went to Singapore and Universal Studios with my family - I rode the roller coaster twice! My friend Thing May says that it was the turning and twisting of the ride that aided the little soldiers! But now, having just outlined it above, I guess Ju Han's main men didn't need any help at all cos we probably made the baby in Redang eh??? :) HAhahahhahaha Ok, he is going to be all grossed out about me writing this online!

So, I pretty much felt like I was pregnant when I missed my period in Singapore. And when we came back I still waited a few more days before testing because the month before, I had wasted a test after being late for a week! So, I waited a few more days just to be sure. But I had already noticed some changes in my body - noticeably (to me only) my boobs.

I tested before work one morning because they said that's the most accurate time to test eh - what with the high concentration of pregnancy protein. HAhhahahah - and it was POSITIVE! I wasn't sure what to think because yeah, we'd talked about it at length, about whether this was the time to start a family or not besides the fact that I wasn't getting any younger.....I woke Ju Han up and got him to come take a look - his joy was instantenous! And then after a little while, I can still remember, the reality of him becoming a father sank in, and he quieted down and kinda just whispered it to himself! It was a heartwarming moment.

People stated the fact to me that I must be so happy and I was - but at the same time I was also cautious, as in I wasn't sure what really to feel...pregnant, my life was going to change, can I be a good parent? Do I know how to parent? Do I want my life to change? What about the world of two of us? I never was the "OOCHI-WOOCHI-Oh-You're-So-Cute" type and this development in our lives also had me kinda scared.

We decided not to tell anyone yet and to make an appointment at a nearby hospital to get it all checked out. Actually the first person we told was Dr Sharina from our local clinic because we went there first to get the results of our blood test (just to test that we were healthy before we started having babies....) and she calculated that the Estimated Due Date (EDD) was to be 18 Jan 2011!

I scoured the internet, as I am wont to do when making life changing decisions hehehehhehe, and we decided on a prominent gynaecologist from a nearby hospital. I was abit worried about the expense of it but well, Ju Han in his wisdom, emphasized that we wanted someone and somewhere good for the baby and having the hospital nearby would be a boon should we need to make a mad midnight dash to the hospital to give birth! :) I love that man!

So, we got an appointment made, saw him and then it was quite exciting to see the little kacang putih (peanut) on the ultrasound! Baby boy was literally a peanut in my uterus! We heard his strong FAST heartbeat and after that during dinner, broke the news to everyone in the family - parents, siblings and it was just a hoo-ha! My dad started addressing himself as Ah Kong (Grandfather) already! :)

A couple of months passed, I was lucky with not very much morning sickness at all - in terms of nausea. I threw up like 3 times; wasn't very sleepy or tired but I did feel lots of tummy flutters. I don't know how to describe it but it was an uncomfortable feeling and I called them the butterflies. I didn't know how to eat my food portions and very often ate too much at dinner time - making myself full to a point of discomfort (I didn't have much appetite too) and then at night I would get hungry and get wind in the stomach which felt awfully bad too.

But it's true, after 3 months, all that passes and it's hey-ho now! I have gained about 3-4kg in 5 months of pregnancy which I think is quite ok seeing as I am supposed to gain, ideally, 13kgs only throughout the entire pregnancy. And my tummy is now at 35inches around. It's very sharp in shape.

I kept referring to the baby in the feminine standards at first like "I hope she'll like this" or "I wonder how her body is forming now" but sometime around the 4th month I kinda stopped that .....firstly, cos Ju Han advised that if it was a boy, I'd be super confusing it! Which scared the hell out of me! And also, cos I think I kinda felt like it WOULD be a boy! I looked just like I always do - no bleahness and my tummy was sharp so yeah, I thought - it's gonna be a boy!

At our last checkup, the gynae showed us his "rocket". Hehehhehe. It looks HUGE!!!! And my dad is super excited and happy it's a boy cos having had two girls, I guess this one would be someone in his camp! :) Ju Han loves the idea of an elder brother who can take care of his younger siblings if we have any more.....and my mum in law said that knowing his gender really brought home the fact that she's going to be a grandmother!

We've gone around a bit looking for baby stuff but have not bought anything yet. We found quite a nice looking cot and kinda know what pram we wanna buy. I love 'my first years' feeding bottles which are supposed to be best for complementary breast-feeding but am a bit concerned that they seem to only be available at Metrojaya.

I can now feel him moving around my uterus, shifting places and all that but have not felt him kick or felt an elbow poking out etc yet. I talk to him, hold him alot and his dad sometimes whispers to him that he loves him....... :)

I have a bit of back ache - god knows I've had them since my teens.....and I breathe a heck of a lot louder now...hahhahaha....but everything else seems the same except that it seems different too. It's just wonderful.

And we are surrounded by such a wonderful family unit. My sis bought me maternity tights from Paris! Mum said I look so ready to be a mother, dad thought my tummy would be out to THERE when he first saw me at 4 months.....father in law has already hired a nanny for his grandson and mum in law spends loads of money buying fish and juices and vegetables and fruits to make me healthy. And Ju Han, well he's just been my rock - my husband, my friend. I feel like he has changed so much since when I first knew him....but maybe he hasn't changed at all - maybe this is the way he always was and I just didn't deserve to see it til after we got married, til now....when I have grown and matured and am better towards him too.

So, here we are - our own little fmaily unit - Dad, Me and Baby.

Mummy at 18 weeks

Our Experience at Redang!! First time Ever!

Ok, a bit lazy to write the whole bit so here goes:

1. Berjaya Air plane was quite ok - they give water and wet towels - better than Air Asia but it costs RM500 per person to fly to Redang Island. Though the fact that they fly directly ONTO the island is a GREAT thing....unless you Like transferring from different forms of transportation several times to go enjoy your holiday and then transfer again several times at the end of your holiday .... in Malaysian weather no less - by which time you'd need another holiday to recover.

2. Flight back by Berjaya Air was delayed by one hour I believe - no explanation, no announcement.

3. Flying from Subang Terminal is great! Shorter travel time to and from airport - cheaper taxi cost.

4. Berjaya Redang Resort - when we first arrived, we were not attended to. We got our welcome drink but then we had to ask to check in even though there were many assistants assisting other guests to sign in. No surprise that the rest were foreign tourists. When we approached the desk to check in, we were told to wait while they served other customers - even though we could have been given the forms to complete. Yeah, this is a holiday destination - no multi-tasking is allowed! hehehehehe

5. The lady from the hotel who met the flight in and conducted the airport transfer to the hotel was really great though - good attitude, cheerful, helpful.

6. The hotel looks oklah....the normal kind - like Avilion in Port Dickson and somewhat like my 6-star hotel in Bali - can't remember the name of it though.

7. Similar concept to hotel in Bali where our Hillview Rooms required either a walk or a buggy - I requested a quick check in - since we arrived at 8am while check in was 2pm.....and roooms close to the lobby by virtue of my parents-in-law who couldn't walk too far (kononnya....hehehhehhehe). So, good, active listening here cos we got the very first two rooms nearest to the lobby. All seaview rooms were fully booked for a wedding going on there. Too bad it rained that evening....hheheheheh...but it didn't look very nice, so for those going for a wedding there, ummmm...I would strongly suggest that you visit while there is a wedding going on and figure out if that's what you like.

8. Days spent snorkelling, braving the waves. It's the end of March so Neptune was still playing around with his wave wand. Very cool cos we'd stand there and try to stand our ground while the strong waves 'bring it on'! hehehhehe

9. There is a library at the hotel so bring a book to exchange.

10. Snorkelling was cool too - we paid extra for our snorkelling trip - since the ocean was still choppy, locations were cut to 3 vs the usual 4 and charged at RM75 instead of RM90. First we went to a coral graveyard - wow, the sea was quite deep and there were some fishes, then they took us a place where some coral still grew and there were different sea creatures. I didn't see any sea cucumbers at the first place I think but there were more at the second site. We also had bread to lure the fishes with. Then the third place was full of coral - Ju Han was afraid he would try to stand up and hurt his feet on the coral. Then it started raining and a large group came from Laguna edang - aiyo, 4 boats full!!!!!!!! The sea looked like a scene from the movie Titanic!!!!! There were so many people that they scared all the fish away - there was so much bread floating on the surface of the ocean cos no fish was around to eat it.

10. Be careful not to swim too far away cos the current can get quiteeee strong and sweep you away while you are trying to get back to the boat. A good tip is to explore further away while you are fresh on the trip,....as you on into your snorkelling, you get more tired so stay closer to the boat so you won't get stranded far away (or swept out far away) and the boat has to come get you....embarassed and tired and all.....

11. Try to eat at both the hotel and outside - there are local cafes just outside the hotel....Walk aways and you can find at least 3 different stalls. We ate alot at the 3 one, yeah, the one furthest away from the hotel. But the thing is when you arrive at the airport terminal, you need to pay the Marine Park fees and that's when you do get some promotional brochures. Call the numbers and they'll send a van to pick you up from the hotel!

12. What I really enjoyed was the snorkelling and the fact that there wasn't MUCH sun.....so I didn't get too brown and Ju Han didn't burn!

13. There is a gym at the hotel if you are the sort. Next time, we will stay on Pasir Panjang - Long Beach - and experience the different more happening side of Redang. At Berjaya, it IS quiet....so make sure you know what you want to experience from your holiday. Also you need to go out into the sea to see marine life....which is different too from the more populated side of Redang Island.

14. See pictures for COOLEST THING EVER!!!!!!!!!

Here are some pics!!!!! :)