I'm Gonna Be An Umi

Whatever you can do, I can do too!!

2008-04-29T19:23:00.000+08:00

THAT is the mantra of M nowadays. Despite being only 16 months and not even able to string two words yet, he behaves much like a 3-4 year old. He feeds himself during mealtimes, tries (unsucessfully) to dress himself and basically prefers to do things all on his own. He will let me know when he is hungry by pointing to the kitchen and pulling my hand in the direction of the kitchen and tell me he wants to sleep by pulling my hand in the direction of the bedroom. In short, taking care of him is a breeze coz he knows what he wants and he will let me know. No coaxing, no tears & hardly any raised voices.

Recently, he has also added to his list, the inate interest at doing the "adult" things we do. Whenever he sees me starting dinner preparations, he will take the placemats and place them on the dining table. (albeit haphazardly as he cannot even see the top of the table) He so very much wants to be helpful so we usually let him do so and even praises him for his effort. His current favourite activity is cleaning up the house.
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All by myself... ZZZZZ Part 2

2008-01-12T06:46:00.000+08:00

After one year, one month and a week of sleeping on our bed, right smack between Umi and Abah night after night, Muhamad Mubarak is now putting himself to sleep all on his own in his own cot. That cot is supposed to also double up as a playpen but it has been grossly underused (currently it is a laundry hold-up area) as we do not believe in placing him there in the day and prefer to let him roam free.

It's not so much as kicking him out of our bed. It's more of getting him to learn to fall asleep on his own without me or his Abah next to him patting him to sleep or allowing him to breastfeed till he dozes off. We thought it was time to train him to sleep independently, to be able to put himself to sleep when he felt he was tired. We wanted to make sure he could do this before we ship him out to his own room hopefully by the middle of the year. (assuming by then we would have found the time to give the study a fresh coat of paint and hopefully get him a toddler sized bed)

It has been a week since he has slept in his own cot and since there has been no incidents whatsoever, I daresay we have successfully done it !! HE has done it! Bravo to my little prince for being so co-operative and making life such a breeze. The first night he kept whining to be taken out. With some distraction of his favourite books and finger games he was sleeping soundly.

The second night, he was still a little surprised when I placed him in his cot but he complied genially and didn't complain. The third night onwards, when his energy was all spent and he was sleepy, he pulled my hand to go with him into our room and pointed to his cot. I cannot describe the euphoria I felt when he did that. I guessed why it worked so well was because we were very gentle with him but firm, we kept assuring him we were nearby and that even though he was sleeping away from us both, we would be close enough should he needed us. We made it fun for him by playing games with him and tried not to make such a big deal out of it. (Even though it was a milestone for us!) But above and beyond that, whatever we did wouldn't have worked if Mubarak had been a cry-baby, fussy or the kind who is afraid of something new. This is probably the 20th million time I say this. But Syukur Alhamdulillah I have been blessed with such an easy to care for child. Hopefully the transition to his own room will be just as breezy

Next up.... potty training !!!!!! This one won't be so easy !!

All by myself... ZZZZZ

2008-01-05T06:50:00.000+08:00

When we first had him, our intention was only to let him sleep with us for the first 6 months. After that we wanted to train him to sleep on his own and preferably in his own room. Needless to say my mother was totally against the idea. She cited various hadiths and studies to convince us in Islam it is not right to let your child sleep away from his parents at such an early age. We should allow him to sleep with us on the bed for at least the first 2 years (the permitted breastfeeding period) To be honest, The Don and I had our own misgivings about our original intentions. We absolutely did not agree with Gina "Cruella" Ford's way of sleeping. (you know, the let your child sleep in his room and let him cry to sleep method). The Don couldn't part with his son and I thought it will be very tiring for me to have to get up, take MM out from his cot and breastfeed him in the middle of the night and later put him back to sleep again. Needless to say we didn't follow through with it. Besides, apart from the fact that MM loves to push us off the King sized bed when he tosses and turns, he was no trouble at all. (Who would have thought a kid his size will need so much space!) He hardly woke up in the middle of the night and when he did, all I needed was to breastfeed him for a few minutes and he will fall back into slumber. He wasn't fussy and gave us no trouble falling asleep either although he hates the idea and will only consider sleeping when he can barely open his eyes and has zero energy left.

Still the idea of him in our bed wasn't something we relish. We both felt that if we continued with the practice, it will be even harder to make him leave our bed when he was older and could come up with a million excuses and tricks. Also, now that he was only on partial bottle feeding, we thought long and hard and felt the time was ripe to introduce some changes. However we believd in doing things the Jane Nelson way (kind yet firm), a method that doesnt work with all kids but has worked great with MM.

We compromised with him and placed him in his own grossly underused cot right next to our bed. He was quite tired but not very sleepy yet. I played peek a boo with him for a while, kissed him goodnight and gave him two of his favourite books to read on his own in his own cot. He was initially surprised why we put him in his cot but when he told him very very gently to lie down, he surprised us and did. He got a up a few times and whined for us to carry him out while pointing to our bed. But we persevered and coax him to lie down and flip through his favourite books. I played a few finger games with him (without talking or laughing) and soon he was too sleepy to protest. He laid down on his own, tossed and turned a little and before we knew it he was sleeping soundly.

We were both pleasantly surprised to see how well it went. No great bawl and dramatic crying, (I imagine my mother would have knocked on our door if it had happened ) very little resistance and yes he slept throughout the night. He semi-woked a while at 6.30, we carried him to our bed for his morning breastmilk session and put him back in his cot. We wanted him to wake up in the morning in his own cot so he can remember what happend last night and hopefully realises that this is the way to go from now on.

I'm glad the first night went without a hitch. Let's hope the same happens tonight!

Who does he look like ?

2007-12-26T13:13:00.001+08:00

MyHeritage: Celebrity Collage - Geneology

Finally.. the question is answered....

2007-12-26T08:28:00.000+08:00

Everywhere we go, one of the first questions people will always ask is "ikut muka siapa eh? Most people on my Umi's side of the family will say I have the "Arab" look. They will say I have a sharp nose and pipi labuh (chubby cheeks) that are common is most of my relatives on that side. When I go to the house of my Abah's relatives, they call me "Ismail Junior" because it seems I look like my Abah right down to the straight and standing hair. I can't begin to imagine what it will be if some of my Abah's relatives meet my Umi's relatives.

I notice my Abah and Umi always reserve their comments on this issue. They don't take sides and insist I just look handsome. (hehe)

Well, now when ppl make comments again, at least I can say I look equally like my Umi and Abah. If you don't believe me.... look here ...

Itchy Itchy Fingers

2007-12-18T04:13:00.000+08:00

As usual, this morning was a mad rush for time. While I was making milo for the hubs, I put in 2 pieces of bread in the toaster to make toast. A few mins later this came out ...

I thought the toaster was damaged as we very seldom use it anyway. I tried again to put a single piece of bread this time and again the same result. Then I realised the knob whioch adjusts the temp of the toaster was turned to the max. It must have been that little imp and his itchy fingers. My toaster is placed right at the corner of the kitchen table. And while Mubarak is not tall enough to see what is on the table he is definitely able to fiddle with the knob with a good reach. *sigh*

Nowadays we can't put anything on the tabletops that are within his reach. Yesterday afternoon, while Mubarak was at his grandparents' he snatched a cup of teh-o from the coffee table and poured it all over himself. Apparently he smiled when he realised he was all wet. Lucky the tea was not hot otherwise it won't be so funny.

His other favourite thing to do now is to hide things in odd places. He was going in and out of his Baba's room one afternoon and found his Baba's brand new stockings. He dragged one of the stockings here and there throughout the whole house like a train and then a few minutes later he didn't have it anymore and was playing with something else. When his Baba realised one stocking was missing she searched the whole house for it but couldn't find it anywhere. 2 days later, when she was looking for cds, she found her stockings in the drawer of the tv cabinet.

At this point you can imagine what a handful Mubarak is. He is forever running here and there and poking his nose in all things he is not supossed to. Like switching off the tv switch while we are watching tv and dragging the dining chair across the dining area. He also tries to put his finger between the fan grilles of the standing fan and tries to move the lesung batu (mortar and pestle) on the kitchen floor (And he actually can make it move!!) Once we even found him carrying the anak lesung (pestle) like he would a baby, craddling it in his arms. Needless to say the lesung has been removed from its usual place on the bottom kitchen cabinet to the kitchen sink so that he can't reach it. Every single day there will always be a scratch / bump / pinched finger etc on various part of his body. Good thing about him is that he hardly cries and as soon as he falls / knock himself he will cry a few seconds then get up and start his antics again. The only way I can get him to sit still for a few minutes is to hand him a book. That will make him sit for at least 10 mins (or longer if I sit and read it with him) while he turn the pages and look at the pictures. Or when he is sleeping. That will give me time to do other stuff like chores and surfing the net. But when I have finished my chores and he is still sleeping, I'd feel the house is too quiet and I will start raining kisses on him to wake him up.

It can be very tiring caring for him but looking at the bigger picture he is learning how things work and his curiosity is abundant. This is the best way for him to learn the ways of the world hard knocks bumps and all. After all, soon he will grow out of this stage and then I'd wish I could turn back time.

Appetite's gone away

2007-12-12T07:19:00.000+08:00

Since the fever he had last week, he has lost appetite to eat. If he used to gamely sit down on his high chair and open his mouth widely when I asked him too, now he shakes his head and tries to wiggle out of the high chair. When I put him down he wil run around and refuse to even face me. When I finally managed to get a few spoonfuls in his mouth, he will gag and spit out the food in his mouth. So eventually his Baba and I only managed to make him eat not more than 5 spoonfuls in one sitting.

We don't believe in forcing him to eat and we absolutely do not belief in distracting him with TV so that we can get a few spoonfuls down his throat. So I had to resort to other means. Initially, I thought he was sick of the food we feed him, - variations of soup with soft rice. So I decided to bring forward his weekly weekend treat, penne pasta with chicken and peas. This is usually reserved for weekends when we stay home. I have no choice but to give him frozen porridge on weekdays so I try my darndest to give him fresh food on weekends. Still, it didn't do much to make him eat.

Next I tried to bake bread pudding for him. But to meet his nutritunal requirements I added small chunks of minced beef and peas in it. He liked it for the first 4 spoonfuls and then decided he didn't like it anymore. Next day I tried grilled chicken sandwich and some baked fries. This was also popular but only if I placed it on our usual dining plate used a stainless steel spoon and not his Sesame Street kiddy bowl and colourful spoons.

I kinda caught on his trick but since he still didn't eat as much as usual, I tried baked chix nuggets the next day. Again I had to put in a grown-up bowl and used grown up utensils to entice him. I guess its not so much the food but where it is that makes him want to eat. His appetite is back but very gradually and it takes quite a bit of effort to coax him to eat.

Oh the things I try to make his eat! But I suppose this is a phase every child goes through. Let's hope my boy with that voracious appetite will be back soon.

33 and counting.....

2006-10-30T11:55:00.000+08:00

I walked out of my gynae's office on Sat smiling from ear to ear and if not for that not-so-lil' bump on my tummy I might just have done a little skip and a dance. Hehe. Routine scanning shows Baby Muhammad has turned. His head is now at the right place just waiting for the time to be engaged (not-so-soon the doc says!) My placenta which was slighly low during the last month's scan has moved up and I'm in prime position for normal labour! Insya'allah!

For two weeks now I have been feeling what I thought was his head at my navel area, prodding and kicking and sometimes causing my belly to look lopsided when he chose to push his way up. With the scan we know now that what we had been feeling was his feet /knee. I told the doc it was huge and rounded and heavy like a head or a buttock so purely for our amusement the doc did a scanning measurement of the feet and guess what! His feet alone is 7cm already!!!! I do not have big feet and neither does The hubby ...I wonder where he got his Ronald McDonalds feet from?

Currently Baby Muhammad stands at 2.3kg. He is slightly above average weight-wise although the doc says my chances for normal are as good as anyone's. Insyallah. My iron level has improved tremendously, everything else is also a-ok although I have been suffering from severe heartburn and sleep is a luxury for me these days. I have had to resort to sleeping in a semi-upright position, with pillows all around me. I can't seem to eat rice since I will end up with excrutiating heartburn so its noodles n bread for me nowadays. Other than that I guess I'm alright. And super excited waiting for the arrival of Baby Muhammad.

I might need to start eating iron railings!!!

2006-09-26T11:25:00.000+08:00

Had my 28th week checkup on last sat. Unlike the previous visits this one was fairly quick. Had my urine glucose, BP & haemoglobin levels tested. All came out normal except my H level which were still at 10g/dl (normal is 11.6-15.5g/dl). I'm out of my wits on what to do with my H levels anymore. I have upped my intake of my iron tabs and made sure I do not forget to eat everyday but still to no avail. Dr Yang insists I must get my level up so that I do not feel breathless and easily tired She says I might not feel it now but when I hit 8,9mths, the low H levels might cause headaches & dizzy spells for me. Ok ok I hear you Doc! I will eat more green veg & legumes & red meat!!!

Other than that, everything is A-OK!! I haven't had much weight gain, gaining less than 1kg at every checkup (I already have a lot to start with so the less I gain the better!) Baby Muhammad is currently in a breech position although Dr Yang that's normal at this stage and he will turn soon. My placenta although anterior is not low-lying so no danger of placenta praevia and Baby Muhammad's weight currently is estimated to be 1.3kg. A very good weight, according to Dr Yang. She showed us the graph for baby weight intra-uterine and apparently Baby Muhammad is slightly above average. I have this fear that my baby will be huge and my delivery will be a nightmare but the doc assured me that from my current weight gain, there is no sign of that happening. Although she did add that anything can happen anytime so I should take care of my diet and my overall general health. She commented that I seem to have one of the easier pregnancies and the baby is growing beautifully (and hopefully my delivery will be as easy, Insyallah)

I have started feeling tightening in my belly esp around the navel. Sometimes there are hard spots probably baby's fist or head or feet. But it's only for a while and will go away within 2-3 mins. Dr yang asked me to monitor these tightenings and call her should they be consistent over a period of time. Could it be that these are what you call Braxton Hicks?

Anyway I was curious how Dr Yang came up with the estimated weight of the baby. A quick search on the net showed there is some sort of formulae they use. Here's my overall estimated weight gain throughout my preganancy. I must say it's fairly accurate so far (the gaining of 2 lbs (0.9kg) every 4 weeks. So Baby Muhammad at full term should be about 3.4Kg or so. (according to this estimator)

Pregnancy weight gain estimator
You should gain roughly 15 lbs. during your pregnancy.
Over the last two trimesters you should gain about 2 lbs. every 4
weeks. If you gained the average of the range above, this is where
the weight would go (totals are rounded):

Maternal:
Uterus 0.79 lbs.
Breasts 0.33
Blood 1.03
Water 1.38
Fat 2.75
Subtotal 6.28

Fetal:
Fetus 7.5
Placenta 0.53
Amniotic Fluid 0.65
Subtotal 8.68

Total 14.96

Source: ACOG. The formula is based on your current size and weight
and whether you are underweight, overweight, or normal weight.
This is only an estimate. Please consult your healthcare provider
for a more detailed description of your recommended weight gain.
SOURCE: BABY CENTRE

ABCs OF MY PREGNANCY PART DUEX

2006-09-14T15:40:00.000+08:00

M - MILK FACTORY
How come nobody warned me that my boobs were gonna feel like 2 huge missiles and my nipples like they were on the grinding stone? I can't begin to imagine how they they will feel once my milk has come in. And sore nursing breasts? I don't even wanna think about it yet!!

N - NAMES
This is one major headache for us. We can't seem to decide on a name. Actually I have shortlisted a few but none of them seem to be good enough for the fussy hubby although he doesn't quite come forward to give any suggestions of his own. In the end he says if we still can't decide on any name we'll just name our son Ahmad Albab. Very Funny!!!

O - OBSTETRICIAN
I first saw my gynae Dr Mary Yang at a marriage & parenting seminar 2 months after our wedding. I was instantly attracted to her straight forwardness, her matter-of fact way of speaking and she was very reassuring when I confided that I had dysmenorrehea (painfuul periods) and fear it will afect my chances of conceiving. I instantly decided that should I be pregnant I will go to her. So when I found out I was expecting last April, I looked her up and meanwhile made enquiries about her from other doctors and her previous patients. She came highly recommended. And I haven't regretted my decision since. Every visit is a visit we look forward to not just because we will get to see our baby on the scanning machine (yes! every visit!) but also because Dr Yang will regale us with extra information and stories about her other patients and even her own birth experience.

P - NO PERIOD
One of the best things about my pregnancy is no period for the whole 9 months!! YAY!!! My periods are excrutiating painful and every month I writhe and suffer for the first 2 days. And since I will be breastfeeding our son, it will be some months before my period makes a return. YAHOO!!!!

Q - I'M THE QUEEN
I lovvveeee being the queen of the house! Since I've been preggers, I haven't had to think about cooking, mopping, laundry and other household chores. And it seems my every wish is my hubby's command. All I have to do is say I feel like eating seafood and off he whisks me to our favourite seafood restaurant. Or if I say I wanna eat ice-cream and hey presto! we're at Haagen Daaz. Maybe thats why I haven't had cravings cause I get what I mention almost immediately there is hardly enough time for me to long for it. Let's just hope this queen status stays till after the delivery. *hopes and prays*

R - REASONS GO OUT OF THE WINDOW
When you are pregnant, nothing seems to make sense anymore. And if you try to find a logical explanation, you'll just end up even more perplexed. I suddenly can't stand the smell of my own perfume and resort to using my mom's. I love milk normally but suddenly milk just makes me puke. But apparently all that's not too bad. I once heard my mother's friend can't even stand the smell of her own husband and he had to sleep on the floor while she was pregnant. hehe

S - SIMPUL BIAWAKS (LEG CRAMPS)
These are the absolute bane of my pregnancy. At least one night every week, in the middle of the night I will wake up screaming when my leg muscles suddenly cramp up and I getthis acute pain in my calf. Lucky for me, hubby will always be ever ready with that jar of vicks and he will soothe away the pain till I fall asleep again. It seems there is no cure for this and its just something I have to bear with till the baby pops out.

T - TOILET BREAKS
I am the sort who don't need toilet breaks in the day and only look for one when I reach home. But since I ventured into the 6th month of my pregnancy, I have been going to the loo twice every hour. It certainly doesn't help that the toilet is quite far away from my office. And when I feel the urge, I need immediate relief a.s.a.p!!! Maybe I should carry a urinal bag so I don't have to make the trip so many times in a day.

U - ULTRASOUNDS
I still can remember the very first time we saw our baby on the screen and heard his heartbeat. The feeling was outta this world. And we still feel that way at every single visit to the Obs/Gyn. Seeing our baby move in the womb, seeing him suck his fingers and seeing him covering his face like playing peek-a-boo makes us feel so close to him and we can't wait till we can hold him in our arms. And the 3D scanning is just a miracle. To see his face so clearly is so magical indeed.

V - VAGINAL EXAMS
I am certainly not looking forward to the visits during the last few weeks of my pregnancy when the doc will check for signs of cervix dilation and will do the hand in vagina thing. *shudder*

W - WORK
Work is certainly not at the top of my list nowadays. Productivity has gone to a new low level. I am seriously contemplating taking some time off work after my maternity leave so that I can spend more time with our baby.

X - X Chromosomes
Apparently my X chromosomes are not as strong as hubby's Y. In fact I have this lingering idea that it's gonna be quite diff for us to get a girl. I hope the next one will be a girl. Till then, all I can do is look longingly at all those pretty dresses and hair accessories.

Y - YAWN
My absolute favourite activity of the season. All I need is 5 quiet minutes and I will start yawning. Even if I slept at 8pm the previous night, I will still be yawning the day away in the office.

Z - ZIPS
UURRGGHH!!! I screamed out loud the day the zipper on my favourite pants just refused to budge no matter how hard I tried. Its like a slow nightmare the way one by one of my outfits started not fitting me anymore. At 5 months, I had no choice but go shopping for clothes and boy did I go crazy!! hehe but soon I think I won't be able to wear most of them too and have toresort to long dresses like some makciks. AArrggghh!!!!

ABCs OF MY PREGNANCY

2006-09-13T13:20:00.000+08:00

I know I haven't been the most diligent of bloggers to update my stages of pregnancy. Let's just say there is too much going on in the real world that there is never ever any time to sit and chronicle every detail hehe. Still here's my feeble attempt at summarising my pregnancy joys and woes for the past 6 mths

A - ANXIETY
Every now and then I get this little panic attacks that my baby is doing well inside and that nothing ever comes to harm it. I fear going down stairs in case I tumble and I fear walking on wet surfaces in case I trip.

B - BUY! BUY! BUY!
I started this pregnancy with the vow not to start buying things too early but once we knew the sex I just couldn't help myself. My baby cabinet hasn't arrived yet but my wardrobe is starting to get full from all the baby stuff I have been stocking up.

C - CAESARIAN
My worst fear. I hope I can give birth naturally so I won't have to go under the knife. And I heard it takes a lot longer to heal too if I have to go thru the big C.

D - DRINKING WATER
I have to drink the equivalent of 7 glasses a day. So far I think I have only averaged 5. Plain water that is. Other types of water I have been gurgling non-stop since I tend to feel thirsty all the time.

E - EXHAUSTION
I never knew the meaning of exhaustion till I got pregnant. I could sleep from 8pm till 8 am the next day and still yawn the whole day long. It was worst in my 1st trimester when all I could think of was sleep sleep sleep. Some pople start feeling energetic in their 2nd trimester but the situation has only improved a little for me.

F - FUTURE
One constant thing on our minds is the future. What will our life be like with a kid ? What does the future hold for our kid in this country ? So many questions and no answers. The only way we deal with it is to do our best and hope for the best.

G - GAS
I didn't have nausea, I didn't have cravings but what I did have was lotsa lotsa lotsa gas! I think i could have filled in a hot air balloon with all the burpings I get in a day. Hehehe. Sometimes I get pain on my upper back and a tiny rub will result in a loud belch, sending my ever-"sensitive" hubby in guffaws of laughter. I don't just look like a cow I sound like one too *sigh*

H - HUNGRY
Despite being chubby (its my genes ok!) I have never been a big eater. But since I've been pregnant I need to eat every 3 hours or so, otherwise I will vomit due to hunger or get this immense headaches. So my drawer in the office looks like a grocery store and even the car is stocked with munchies for me.

I - IRON
Instead of the usual Obimin given to preggers, my gynae has given me Fluoron tabs instead. It has all the necessary vits and minerals (high iron content) + it doesn't cause constipation like Obimin apparently does. Despite the high Iron content, my Iron level was still too low for my doc's liking (prob the reason for my non-ending exhaustion) so she prescribed me double dosage of those fluoron tabs. But I keep forgeting to take the one after dinner. In the end, I improvised and swallowed 2 at a go. Hehehe

J - JOYAH
Otherwise known as LizaNoor, my friend, neighbour, mother mentor & big sister all rolled into one. She has given me invaluable advice and shared with me numerous stories & anecdotes from her own experiences and from her friends & relatives. She has been there every day of the week to listen to my woes and my pains and is truly the greatest pregnancy companion I could ever ask for. The only thing better was if she was pregnant too with me at the same time. hehehe

K - KICKS
I have been feeling the movement of my baby since 24th week but I haven't been able to share them much with the people around me simply because of the baby's position. My placenta is anteriorly located so that somewhat cushions me from those violent kicks and belly movements (ala the movie Aliens hehe) Although at nights and early mornings the baby will kick at my sides (usually just before the time my alarm is suppose to go off) and I will hurriedly grab hubby's hand and place it on my belly. And that usually does the trick in getting hubby out of bed. Thank you baby for the morning wake-up calls.

L - Labour
The one thing that fills my mind every second of the day. I wonder what my labour will be like. I have heard horror stories of 20 hour labours and I have heard stories of baby slipping out effortlessly. I think I can bear the pain (if its what I tink it is like) but I dunno if I can bear the long hours. I imagine myself screaming to the gynae "GET THE BABY OUT OF ME NOW!!!!!!" *shudders!!!!*

TO BE CONTINUED...........

THINGS WE NEED FOR BABY

2006-08-17T15:47:00.000+08:00

Baby's Main Stuff

~~Baby Cot/Playpen - must have changing panel + mobile + side pockets~~ BOUGHT!

~~Mattress - Not foam (thins easily), either coil or some other material~~ BOUGHT!

~~Mattress protector~~BOUGHT!

~~Bumper - From Aussino $69.90~~ CANCELLED!!!!

~~Pillow/bolster + pillowcases~~ BOUGHT!

~~Bedsheets~~ BOUGHT!

Baby Monitor -

~~Baby's cupboard~~ - BOUGHT, $300

~~5-in-1 baby rocker + highchair - from kiddy palace $189.00~~BOUGHT!!!

~~Swaddler - bought 1 already (blue) maybe need one more. (yellow) $24.00~~BOUGHT!!!

~~Nice & secure Sleeper from The First Years - For baby to sleep with us on the bed~~ CANCELLED!!

Diaper bag - Samsonite preferably in dark blue - $99.00 @ Kiddypalace

Stroller Travel System - saw a Graco one we liked. Light & one-hand foldable in black & white

BABY FEEDING NEEDS

Medela Breast Pump - $189 in Singapore RM368 in Malaysia

Milk storage bags

~~Milk bottles (wide neck & adjustable flow teats) - haven't decided if I want the Mothercare ones, Avent or Nuby~~ BOUGHT!!

Bottle & teat brush

~~Steam sterilizer~~ BOUGHT!!

~~Bottle warmer~~ ~~– Phillips~~ BOUGHT !

~~Bath Tub - with non-slip insert~~ BOUGHT!

~~Breast Pads~~BOUGHT!!

~~Breastfeeding pillow~~ -$79.90 BOUGHT!!!

BABYCLOTHES

Mittens/Bootees

Cloth Diapers

Tops/shirts - long and short sleeves (front buttons ones!)

Suits - pants and long shirts

~~Rompers & Onesies~~ BOUGHT!!!

~~Face & burp towels~~ BOUGHT!!!

Hooded Bath towel

BABY LAUNDRY

Buckets with lids

Basket for baby laundry

~~Baby clothes detergent/softener -Pureen Pink~~HT!!!

~~Clothes hanger for drying mittens/booties/handkerchiefs~~ BOUGHT!

~~Tiny hangers for baby cupboard~~ BOUGHT!!

BABY CONSUMABLES & ACESSORIES

~~Baby soap/bath lotion~~ BOUGHT!!!

~~Baby shampoo~~ BOUGHT!!!

Baby oil

Cotton buds

~~Baby powder container with puff~~BOUGHT!!

Nail clippers

Bath thermometer - Munchkin Duck

Baby thermomether - Via Ear

Anti-nappy rash cream

Oil for wind (Minyak Telon)

Woodward's Gripe Water (Non-alcohol)

~~Baby Wipes Pigeon box + 6 extra = $18.50 @ Seiyu~~BOUGHT!!!

Lots and Lots of Diapers

Its a bird.. its a plane... its a ..........

2006-08-03T09:37:00.000+08:00

The much anticipated visit to my O & G was last Sat. We were very excited about the visit not just because the doctor will try to see the gender again but also because we were going to do the 3D/4D scan. My glucose test which I took last month came back negative Alhamdulillah and the blood test also showed no abnormalities or risks (free of thalassemia, hepatitis and HIV) But my iron level was low so the doc prescribed an additional dose of MultiVites for me. Actually I already knew the results of my glucose test. The nurse called me the Monday after I took it to tell me the result. I think I celebrated a little too wildly what with Haagen Daaz ice cream and a little carbonated drink such that this time, my urine test showed a teeny weeny bit of sugar in it. So back to the drawing board & no more sweet stuff!!

Our baby is doing remarkably well. As usual we did the normal ultrasound to check for length and heartbeat and position. It seems I have an anterior placenta so that explains why I haven't been feeling the baby move yet. I asked the doc how would I know if i am feeling the baby and she explained about the bubble & butterfly thing that Lynn mentioned and then suddenly the next day on Sunday I felt exactly that! But I wasn't sure if it was the baby or the gas in my tummy. But as it came quite repeatedly I guess it must be the baby! And now after that Sunday, I have been feeling the baby move almost every time and I love it! Its like finally, after waiting soo long now I have this "secret" connection with the baby. But now I can't wait or the baby to start kicking so that hubby can join in the fun.

The 3D/4D scan was the most exciting ever! It was like watching our baby on a homemade video on tv. We could see the full form of the baby instead of merely the black and white imagery of the normal ultrasound. We could make out the baby's eyes, nose and the fingers of his hands. I was so interested to know how our baby looks like but apparently at this stage what we were looking at was merely his bone structure. His fats are not depositied on his body yet so we can't really tell who he looks like. So maybe in the 3rd trimester we will try again. The miracles of technology. Subhana'llah.

No that's not my baby. Just as example of how clear the 3D/4D scan is.

And through the 3D scan too, we now know that our baby is a BABY BOY!!! His genitals can be quite clearly seen and my husband beamed away as the doc showed us TWICE! just to be sure. Even the doc realised how much Daddy wanted it to be a Boy despite him saying he doesn't mind either way. And for the whole day, he went on and on about how strong his instincts were and how his dream was true after all. (just before I knew I was pregnant, hubby had a dream he was holding our baby boy!)I told the doc I was gonna go start shopping. She told me to wait for the next check-up next month for the detailed scanning. I asked if she wasn't sure about the gender. She said no coz she's pretty sure its a boy but she said it's way too early for shopping. I think she is in cahoots with my husband!!!

Since I have passed the 20th week, its time for the antenatal classes and i'm scouting for the best one according to experienced moms. I know the one at the hospital I'm gonna be admitted in is quite boring as it only consists of lectures *yawn* I'll keep you updated of which hands-on class I finally sign up for. Things are beginning to get interesting!!!!

Can you keep a secret???

2006-07-14T09:38:00.000+08:00

Its incredible how fast time flies. I'm already in my 18th week and soon I'm gonna be at the halfway mark of my pregnancy. I haven't had any major incidents Alhamdulillah. The pregnancy is progressing marvelously and I'm quite enjoying this journey. I have been still able to keep my pregnancy under wraps from most people although I suspect it won't be long before I will eventually have to make it known.

Why am I being secretive? Hmmm...Both my hubby and I feel that this is such a private matter that we are not quite willing to share every single detail with the whole world. Weird? Perhaps. No I'm not into scientology despite my fan-atic obsession with Tom Cruise at one point of time. (before he lost his head in love and embarassed himself mercilessly) My colleagues in the office do not know yet. Umi says they are not observant enough or I'd have been found out long ago. I guess I won't lie if they ask me if I'm pregnant point blank but to-date they haven't and I'm not going to announce it as of yet. I guess it helped that I didn't have any tell-tale signs like my other colleagues when they were pregnant, ie. running to the toilet to puke and constant fatigue and falling asleep at their desk. I have been normal albeit a little more quiet nowadays.

2 of my colleagues are pregnant. (yes my office environment seems to be very fertile) One due in September and the other in Feb next year. Looks like one by one somebody is gonna go on maternity leave.

I thought I didn't mind not knowing whether it's going to be a boy or a girl but lately that has been in my thoughts 24/7. It sure will make shopping a little easier. I recently scrutinised the package I signed up for at my O & G and I realised that I have a 3D scan scheduled sometime in this trimester. I so can't wait for it. In the 3D scan we'll be able to see the baby in life form, flesh and all instead of the black and white shadowy figure we are used to every month. The wonders of technology! Take a look here at a sample of a 3d scan. The baby may look "scary" at first because of all the magnifying n refractive qualities of the amniotic fluid but the image of the baby is quite clear.

Take Your Pick!!

2006-07-07T09:45:00.000+08:00

Since the baby insists on keeping his/her gender a mystery everybody has been taking potshots guessing if its a boy or a girl. Hubby had a dream way before I knew I was preggers and he's convinced his dream was a prophecy. But either way we have no exact preference. We'd rather pray that our child is healthy and well. In any case for fun, I found this website that lists old wives' tale about certain symptoms of pregnancy that is said used to determine the gender. Some people swear by it, it seems.

It's a boy if:

You didn't experience morning sickness in early pregnancy - No morning sickness for me alhamdulillah. Just an extreme aversion to milk that made me puke everytime I drank it.

Your baby's heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute - I don't exactly know this one but judging from the 100 horses galloping sound we hear at every scan, I think it's def more than 140b/min.

You are carrying the extra weight out front - nope my stomach ain't showing much yet.

Your belly looks like a basketball - I think I look like a basketball.

Your areolas have darkened considerably - hhmmmm....

You are carrying low - At the moment my bump is not obvious. I just look like I'm very very fat instead of pregnant.

You are craving salty or sour foods - before pregnancy, I can't stand anything salty or sour so everybody thought I'd like it immensely during pregnancy but so far they've been wrong!

You are craving protein -- meats and cheese

Your feet are colder than they were before pregnancy - On the contrary, my whole body is very warm. Hubby yelps whenever I accidentally touch him.

The hair on your legs has grown faster during pregnancy

Your hands are very dry

Your pillow faces north when you sleep - my pillow stays east-west position. Why would it face north?

Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you - This one is certainly so. And he has been having more ailments than me!!

Pregnancy has you looking better than ever - This is what people have been telling me although personally I think I look like Roseanne.

Your urine is bright yellow in color - and foul-smelling too. I suspect its the iron tabs I'm taking.

Your nose is spreading - How does the nose spread? afro type of spread?

You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in circles - I haven't tried this and dun think I want to.

You are having headaches - I used to have headaches a few occasions int he past month or so. But they've gone away. Thank God!

You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an even number - 25+3 = 28.

Total Score = 8 / 19

It's a girl if:

You had morning sickness early in pregnancy

Your baby's heart rate is at least 140 beats per minute

You are carrying the weight in your hips and rear - I think I'm expanding everywhere instead of just the tummy. I hope the expansion is nearing its limit.

Your left breast is larger than your right breast

Your hair develops red highlights - wow I didnt know pregnancy could do that to your hair!

You are carrying high

Your belly looks like a watermelon - I feel like a watermelon!

You are craving sweets - I have always had a sweet tooth. Its not exactly craving coz I dun feel like I'll die if i dun get it. But I love chocs and ice cream.

You are craving fruit

You crave orange juice

You don't look quite as good as normal during pregnancy

You are moodier than usual during pregnancy - I was a bit moody at the beginning of my pregnancy in the office but that was due to my extreme tiredness. No more of that. Now I'm a cheerpy bird

Your face breaks out more than usual

You refuse to eat the heel of a loaf of bread - I love the heel of the bread!

Your breasts have really blossomed! - let's just say I now know what it feels like to be Pamela Anderson!!

Your pillow faces south when you sleep

Your urine is a dull yellow color

You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves from side to side

You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an odd number

Total Score = 4/19

Does it mean it'll be a boy? I have no idea. I just we'll just have to wait till the doctor tries again next month.

I met Dracula....and he took my blood....

2006-07-03T10:06:00.000+08:00

Last Saturday was easily the worst day of my pregnancy so far. I was scheduled to take the glucose test + blood test at the hospital. So as to have an accurate result I was told to abstain from food and drink from 10pm the previous night. My appointment was at 8.30am but due to our late night watching the World Cup soccer match, we only left the house at 8.30am. That was the start of my disaster day.

My first encounter at the lab involved a simple urine test and a general screening blood test. They took a whole syringe-full of blood from me (and I'm talking about the big fat syringe not the teeny weeny one!) They had a hard time finding my vein and when the nurse asked me which hand is blood extracted from me in the past, I was stumped for a minute and realised I have never given away my blood before!!! You could say I was a blood test virgin!! hee hee Lucky I am not the squemish type.

I was also given a bottle of orange flavoured dextrose beverage to drink in 5 mins. I find it amusing that the nurse actually asked me if I wanted it in room temperature or chilled. I almost answered neither!!! I was filled with great trepidation about the ominous looking bottle but the taste was similiar to an F&N Orange drink with perhaps 40% more sugar content. I was told again and again not to move about while I wait out the two hours before my next blood & urine test was scheduled and not to eat or drink either. But I made my way to my doctor's clinic anyway since it was way more comfy there than the crowded waiting area of the lab.

Meanwhile, I saw my doc for my monthly checkup. I asked her about the discomfort I felt. (refer to earlier entry) Due to the position of the discomfort, the doc thinks its ligament pain instead of the baby. She says I should be able to feel the baby proper in a few weeks time. As usual during scaning the baby is fast asleep and thus not moving much again. (He/She is really taking Hubby's sleeping hobby seriously.) The doc tried to see the gender of the baby but He/She was in a cross legged position. We're not particularly hoping for either gender so we were not overtly disappointed. We'll try again next month.

We brought Umi along for our appointment. Umi was super excited about the visit. She so wanted to see her grandchild on the screen and she got her wish. We wanted to bring both grandmas actually since we knew the doctor was going to try see the gender but my MIL had other plans instead.

The second blood test was even longer than the first. We spend quite some time trying to locate my vein at various positions and finally found one visible (after lots of slapping) at the bank of my left palm. This time was slightly more painful than the first and by this time I was already quite faint from no food for more than 12 hours. I felt even more faint when the nurse took out about 5 vials and asked me to check that all were labelled correctly. They sure took a lot of blood from me!!! As soon as my misery was over (or so I thought) we went to the cafe and I wolfed down a plate of Nasi Lemak. Barely 15 mins later, all of the nasi lemak came out in droves as I "merlion-ed" everything out. Hubby quickly made a pit stop at Burger King, (my absolute favourite restaurant since I got pregnant)and got me a Whopper. Never have I relished a whopper the way I did that day. For the remainder of the day I continued feeling weak and listless. Of course hubby tried to persuade me to rest at home after my ordeal but no way was I going to give up my long awaited shopping trip.

Sings..."Its my baby and I can shop if I want to..."

2006-06-30T12:04:00.000+08:00

I have been reading voraciously on pregnancy and parenting even way before I got knocked-up (hehe I love that word) I have amassed quite a collection and those books that were interesting yet not quite worth buying I have been borrowing from the library. I was there last night with Lisa, my library buddy, and I found this gem of a book. It's written by the wife of the Naked Chef, Jamie Oliver and its a diary of sorts chronicling her difficulties in conceiving at first, her pregnancy, even the birth of her 2nd child. (They have 2 gorgeous girls and a boy) I was incredible attracted to the journal style of the book. (I didn't realise who the author was till Lisa pointed it out.) And after so many theoretical and serious info-based books, I was more than ready for some light-hearted take on the whole pregnancy thing. I haven't been able to put the book down since I brought it home.

So yes.. my baby is moving!!! Hubby practically exclaimed in disbelief when I told him the baby can't be moving already. I must have been in denial all this time thinking I'm still in the early stage of my pregnancy. Maybe its the fear of labour.... maybe its the fear of not being able to handle a baby maybe.. but now I'm back in reality. I'm super excited and I can't stop talking to baby. Suddenly the baby seems so real and I can't help but wish it'd been sooner. I'm all geared up to start shopping and hubby has actually agreed to go with me tomorrow!!!! I bet he knows that there's no stopping me once I start but maybe he has had a memory lapse. Whatever!!! His loss--> My Gain!!!

I'M GOING BABY SHOPPING!!!!!!!!!!

Baby likes World Cup too???

2006-06-28T09:45:00.000+08:00

The past few days after ten, when I settle on the couch to watch the night's matches with hubby I sometimes feel uncomfortable. I feel spasms of discomfort on the lower abdomen every few minutes. And last night, as I touch my stomach to smoothe the pain I felt my abdomen rock hard at one particular spot. Seconds later, the hard spot has moved a couple of inches away but unmistakably there. I quickly consulted my mom, and she said its probably the baby and I have begun to feel him. I think my eyes widened in incredulity and my mother laughed looking at me. I mean can it be true? Can I feel the baby already? It could be wind, no?

I think I'm relatively still in the early stages of pregnancy. This Friday I'll be 16 weeks only (4 mths) Can you actually feel the baby move yet at this stage? Its so exciting but quite overwhelming, I must say. These may be completely psychological, but when I soothe my hands over my abdomen and talk gently to my baby, he tends to settle down. It works even more wonders when its hubby who does the soothing. He not only calms the baby down but me too. The baby seems to be particularly active during the time I am watching the matches on tv. Hubby seems to think his child is as excited as he is about the World Cup. As if!!!!!

Flu.. Flu... Go Away......

2006-06-22T09:47:00.000+08:00

I'm down with the dreaded Flu. While I'm quite used to the sniffling and the runny nose this one came with all the accessories attached - headaches, body aches, fatigue, feeling feverish etc etc etc. Usually such symptoms dissapear within a day or two but this time it looks intent on staying a lil' while longer. Hubby and Umi can't seem to see me suffer and keep suggesting I go see the GP and ask for some mild medication approved for pregnancy but I really really don't think it's worth the risk. I think I'll sit this one through ..after all flu is a self-limiting condition ie it will run its course... sooner raher than later I hope.

Most medicines cross the placenta and go into the blood of the foetus.
The foetus cannot always get rid of the medicine as easily as the mother can, so they may receive higher doses than the mother.
Medicines can affect the foetus at any stage through the pregnancy, not just the first trimester.

Remedies you take during pregnancy or breast feeding may affect your baby, but some medicines are thought to be safe in pregnancy and breast-feeding. Your pharmacist or doctor can advise you on what you can take.

If you take regular medicines talk to your doctor before becoming pregnant so that you can plan the safest use of your medicine during your pregnancy.
Do not stop your regular medicines without talking to your doctor. Depending on why you have been prescribed the medicine, you and/or your baby will often have lower risk if your medical condition is under control with medicines. The dose of some medicines can change during pregnancy.

It is hard to know with many medicines and natural remedies if they are absolutely safe in pregnancy because it would not be ethical to do studies during pregnancy for most remedies.

By the time you have had a positive pregnancy test you may be anywhere from three weeks to two or three months pregnant. This means you may have taken medicines or had alcohol without realising you were pregnant.

Cold or Flu paracetamol can usually be taken for pain and fever. Drink plenty of water. Use a saline nose spray or steam inhalation for a blocked nose. If you can, put up with the symptoms, if you can't put up with the symptoms ask your pharmacist or doctor what to take. Don't take anything without checking first.
Source: http://www.medic8.com/healthguide/articles/medsinpregnancy.html

I Dream A Little Dream....

2006-06-13T09:52:00.000+08:00

I had a very vivid & weird dream yesterday. I dreamt my hubby brought me to the Turf Club. At first i thought he just wanted a look-see then he actually went to a booth and placed a bet much to my surprise. I was too shocked seeing my God-fearing husband do such an uncharacteristic thing that I was lost for words. He then showed me the receipt and I saw the name of the horse he betted on. It was LUCKY.

When I woke up this morning, the first thing I did was to go the turfclub website and check if there was a horse by that name. Lo and behold... there was a horse by that name!! When I told him about it he laughed out loud and said maybe we should bet anyway who knows we might strike it big!! As if!!!! hehehehe

Apparently in pregnancy you are bound to have weird dreams. My cousin used to dream of her husband having affairs all the time and end up waking up picking a fight with him. The things a pregnant woman has to go through sure is strange. Here's some info on dreams in pregnancy

Why am I having such vivid dreams?

Pregnant women have always had very strange, vivid dreams, especially in the first trimester. Experts attribute the vividness of these dreams to hormones, a shifting sense of your physical self and emotional stress. Many people consider dreams to be a mirror of your emotional state. Because you have a lot of powerful emotions when you're pregnant, it seems fitting that your powerful dreams reflect your situation.

Keep a dream journal while you're pregnant. This can help you work through some of the dreams you have, especially if you find them disturbing. Some women love their new vivid dreams, and see it as a free movie every night. Whether you love or fear your new dreaming state, your dreams will return to normal after labour.
Source: Babycenter

I'm Back With A Bang!!!

2006-06-06T10:22:00.000+08:00

Having safely passed the 12-week mark, I'm happy to say that I have regained most, if not all of my energy back. I no longer snooze like a clockwork at 10.30pm every night and I am not listless like a rag doll no more. My energy is back!!! Woo Hoo!!! For a few nights I even managed to stay up past midnight n chat on MSN while Hubster was busy or away. That is a real achievement for someone whose whole purpose in life a few weeks ago was sleep, sleep and more sleep. If my hubby used to complain that I sleep so early and leave him high and dry now he's begging me to let him sleep so that he can go to work the next day. How fast the tables have turned! Someone should tell him to be careful what he wishes for. Hehe

ALmost every night now I feel a tightening of my stomach. Its quite bad such that even a light touch on my tummy can send me yelping. It doesn't last very long thank god and though it's painful it's not I-need-the-doctor painful. I have been searching the net to find the reason why but haven't been successful. Could it be that my tummy is expanding? Expert mummies out there ... any of this ever happened to you?

On another note, I have been shopping shopping and shopping - window shopping that is. Since I am still not allowed to buy anything for the baby. I brought Umi to Mothercare, Centrepoint last week and I watched her resolve to not buy anything melt right in front of my eyes. She used to say we can only buy after 7 mths now she says let's start buying after we know the gender. Hehehe.

2 more months to go........

Baby Driving

2006-05-31T22:12:00.000+08:00

I found this cute vid. Enjoy!!!!

14cm and growing.....

2006-05-30T09:53:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was my 2nd checkup with my Ob/Gyn. This time we chose a weekday so that we didn't have to wait so long. Hubby and I decided not to take the prenatal testing for Down's Syndrome so we were spared any blood testing this time. It was a quite a decision to make, not to do the testing but even our Doctor supported our decision since she said unless we were willing to give up the baby if something was shown to be amiss, it was alright to decide not to go ahead. Especially since the tests were not 100% foolproof anyway. But on the next visit I will have to take the glucose test to check for diabetes.

The most exciting part of the visit as always, is the ultrasound to check for baby's measurement and heartbeat. The feeling we get everytime we see our baby on the screen is nothing short of magical. On the last visit all we saw was a mass on the screen but this time, we can make out his/her whole form. (Let's go with HIM for the meantime) We saw a side profile of his face (I wonder if his nose is like mine) and we saw his legs kicking in the air. He was quiet throughout the scanning. The Doc says he is probably sleeping. But when the Doc asked me to cough, He actually fluttered, kicked his legs in the air and moved to his side. (hhmm....attitude already? hehe) Hubby called him lazy baby. What can I say? Like father like child. hahahaha

Our baby is currently 14cm, crown to rump (butt) so that means he is possibly longer (if you count his curled feet and all). His length is in accordance with his age of 11 weeks coming to 12 and his heartbeat is also normal. The Doc pointed out his two legs and two hands and he seems to be progressing well. Alhamdulillah. May Allah keps him in the best of health till he reaches full term Insya'Allah.

2006-05-26T13:19:00.000+08:00

11 weeks 29 more to go. Time sure flies very fast. It feels like just yesterday I took that pee test and jumped with joy that there were 2 blue lines instead of the usual 1. So far I have had a great pregnancy. Small bouts of merlion-ing here and there but nothing major alhamdulillah. No food/smell aversion, no cravings, no nausea, no aches and pain just very very tired. I dun think I have gained that much of weight although I have a lot to spare already from pre-pregnancy days so thats another great thing!

I was warned many times over by my dearest Umi not to buy anything yet for the baby. Absolutely nothing! Zilch! So I have been staying away from infant dept just in case I get this big great urge to get something (and I tell it hasn't been easy!!!) and risk upsetting her by breaking her pantang. My Umi has never been superstitious so it was quite weird to see her insist on this. But better safe than sorry. I realise since being pregnant, the things I would normally say "blah!" to and go ahead with, now I choose to err on the side of caution. Not that I'm superstitious or anything but Just In Case...

meanwhile..... its counting the day till the end of my 1st Trimester......

Inch By Inch

2006-05-18T15:53:00.000+08:00

I think it's time for me to start getting maternity wear. I sat down this morning on my chair in the office and immediately regretted my choice of wear today. The elastic portion of my pants has cut into my flesh and I'm reeling from the pain the whole day. Its not so bad in the morning but after lunch, it has started to slowly kill me. Its worse when I stand up and walk about. I seriously contemplated going to OG to get new pants during lunch just now but suddenly I remembered the Great Singapore sale is here so I'm going to go maternity shopping BIG TIME this weekend. hehehe

I haven't particularly noticed my tummy expanding but clothes I'm used to wearing feel very snug now and when I wear baju kurung, its almost like wearing a sign that says "I'm Pregnant" (except for a few really baggy baju kurungs I have)

I did a quick survey on maternity clothes when I was in KL recently and also when i got back home. Why are maternity wear so blardy expensive? Its not that much of extra material and that stretchy thing spandex also not so expensive what. I think its a conspiracy to make as much money as possible from pregnant and helpless women. Thats what happens when the movers and shakers of the fashion world are Men, in particular men who have no feelings whatsoever toward women and in their lifetime will never have to spent on maternity clothes for their loved ones, virtue of them being GAY.

So first stop this weekend ---> Dorothy Perkins
They have the nicest maternity "that-don't-look-like-maternity-clothes" clothes I know. Anywhere else carry such nice looking maternity clothes that dun cost a bomb??
Any pointers by the mentor mommies would be realy appreciated. hehe

Books & Cds for Mothers

2006-05-15T15:43:00.000+08:00

We were shopping at Joo Chiat with my cousin and her husband who were here for the weekend and we stopped for a look see at that 2nd floor shop that sells all kinds of religious books and magazines. Umi came across this book and bought it for me.

Indeed it was the most informative book (in Malay) I have ever come across. Full of pictures in colour and text-ed in easy to read short sentences (my attention span to read in Malay is rather limited), it contains all the relevant Doa's and sieves out the silly pantang larang(s) of the old folks and tells us which ones are based on the Quran & Sunnah. Did you know that you could work towards getting curly hair for your child even if neither you, your husband or anyone in the family has curly hair if you eat at least 10 boiled cockles everyday from early pregnancy to your due date?? Amazing huh?

We also bought some cds by the famous motivator & wiseman Dr Fadzillah Kamsah. A little too early maybe for us but no harm increasing our knowledge now. When we actually have the baby to care for, we might not have the time to sit and really listen to the cds.

Here are some gems in the CD I thought will be useful for all you parents out there.

Ada 4 tahap dalam mendidik anak-anak iaitu :
Dari bayi hingga ke usianya 7 tahun
Pada masa ini, anak hendaklah disayangi dengan sepenuh hati oleh ibubapa.
dibelai dengan penuh kasih sayang, diajak bermain, bergurau dan seumpamanya
dijaga seperti menatang minyak yang penuh.
Natijahnya agar anak sentiasa sedar dan fikir bahawa ibu bapa adalah rujukan terbaik
bagi mereka dalam semua hal yang mereka hadapi.
Dari usia 8 hingga 14 tahun
Dalam pada anak diasuh dengan penuh kasih sayang, anak mesti dididik dengan penuh
disiplin dan diajarkan tentang pengagihan tanggungjawab tak kira di rumah atau pun
di sekolah.
Dari usia 15 hingga 21 tahun
Ketika ini anak hendaklah didekati secara berkawan. Ibu bapa tidak lagi boleh marah-marah
yang melampau pada anak kerana jiwa remaja mereka akan memberontak.
Jangan sesekali mengherdik apalagi memukul anak-anak tersebut.
Dari usia 21 ke atas
Berikan kebebasan kepada anak dalam membuat keputusan sendiri atas apa yang ingin mereka kerjakan. Dalam pada itu, ibu bapa mesti sentiasa pantau, pesan, doa dan nasihat anak tersebut semoga hala tuju mereka betul.
Nak baca lagi ? Click Here ......

I am Merlion....Hear Me Puke!!!!

2006-05-10T09:40:00.000+08:00

What I thought was a once-a-day session has quickly progressed into once-after=every-meal situation. About 1/2 hr after I consume a meal, I will do the "merlion" stunt.

It comes with hardly any warning and no pain/nausea so I always have to have a puke bag ready all the time. At the moment its an inconvenience more than anything else. I hope it doesns't progress to anything worse. Umi says comparatively I'm quite lucky as most people suffer bouts of nausea/faintness too but I'm perfectly fine both before and after the merlion sessions.

I've tried making sure I eat just enough to satiate my hunger and nothing more just in case the vomitting is induced by over-eating. I've also tried variating the things I eat eg. replacing bread with rice just in case it is certain foods that causes this condition but to no avail. I still do the merlion every single time.

*Sigh* the things that happen to pregnant women!!!!!!!

1..2...3.... WWWWEEECCCCKKKKKK !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2006-05-09T09:48:00.000+08:00

Every morning in the car on the way to work, I will do a "Merlion". I do not feel any nausea, no typical symptoms of morning sickness but without fail every morning I will feel lotsa gas in my tummy then I'll do the merlion stunt. And immediately after I do the "merlion", I feel so much better then I can contnue my journey to work.

Is this what is meant by morning sickness? Its weird really. I would think that morning sickness involves feeling faint, nauseous and generally horrid but I have none of those symptoms. This morning for example, I was feeling completely fine and we were joking away in the car when I suddenly felt gassy pangs in my tummy. I bend forward in an effort to relieve the momentary pain and then woooaahhh. Lucky we keep a stash of plastic bags by the passenger door just in case of such emergencies.

I can't imagine what would happen if the incident happened elsewhere. Say in the office or even in the lift. It came totally without warning that I was taken totally off-guard. I really hope if it's gonna happen again, it will only happen only when I'm in the car or at home. Not in public places, thank you very much.

The Last Holiday For A While....

2006-05-03T10:35:00.000+08:00

We had a great time in Malacaa and Kl over the weekend. Our trip started on Saturday afternoon to Umbai Malacca for seafood dinner and then on to KL where we stayed the night and to shop. We even extended our holiday by one more night.And to top it all off, when we all met for breakfast at the Hotel coffee house, my hubby and I received presents from Lisa and M.

We got presents!!!! Two presents!!!!

The cute mugs that say "Umi Loves Abah" and Abah Loves Umi" hehehe.

The photo frame with a photo of how our kid is gonna look like. hehe!!

So sweet of them to give us presents!! It was totally unexpected especially since its a long way before our baby is due. I wonder if we will be getting some more presents halfway through the pregnancy too?? Every trimester maybe ??? hhmmmm......
hehehehehe

The shopping was great although I must admit I do not have the same energy and drive I used to have in my pre-pregnancy days. After just a few floors, I was tired and I was actually relieved when I saw benches in the shop. Still I wasn't about to give up and persevered on especially since certain circumstances already limited our shopping time by a whole lot!!!!

Despite it not being a satisfying trip shopping-wise, it was definitely sinful food-wise. In Malacca, we ate to our heart's content - Grilled Seabass fish, sweet and sour prawns and crispy squid fritters together with nasi lemak. I was hoping to get some crabs but they didn't have any that night.

And the last night before we left, we had authentic Thai food at "Good Evening Bangkok Restaurant" at OneUtama. The ambience was great, the service was tip top and the Tom Yum seafood was the kind you'd only get in Bangkok. A small sip sent your nostrils flaring, bells ringing deep in your ears and a tingle in your throat that you could remedy only by having more!!! I asked for black pepper crabs but the waiter said they didn't have crabs that night. But when he came to send the tom yum, I spotted a small crab leg in my bowl. He must have heard me exclaim because he explained that usually they use big crabs for the black pepper dish but if I didn't mind, they could make an exception for me and use these tiny crabs instead. A crab is a crab is a crab. Of course I said YES!!!!!! Such great service is definitely a rarity. To think the waiter didn't even know I was pregnant. If I was visibly pregnant, maybe he would go catch some crabs that very instant for me. Hehe. That was definitely great service!!!!!! I'd recommend the place to anyone who is in need of authentic Thai food with great service.

All in all we had a great time. Sadly it would be a while before I get to travel again. (Doctor's orders!!) So I'm gonna cherish this one till I get to go for my next vacation.

First Pre-natal Visit

2006-05-02T10:32:00.000+08:00

Finally we went for our first pre-natal visit. We reached the hospital (the OB clinic is located at the medical centre of the hospital) just on time but parking woes + lift woes made us quite late. But apparently you never quite get to see the doctor at your scheduled time on Saturdays so despite being late we saw the doctor a good one hour later than our appointment time of 10.45am.

All my apprehension about whether I had chose the right doctor vanished the moment I opened the door and she greeted us with a smile. She took a look at the slip of record the nurse handed to her, looked up at us and shook our hand saying Congratulations. I looked at my hubby and beamed at him at the right choice of Doctor we have made.

The Doc asked all the questions we expected her to ask ie " When was my last period?" "Do anybody in the family have any genetic diesease?" What I liked most about the whole thing was that it was a conversation instead of an interview session. We discussed a lot of things like where she thinks is a better hospital for us to have the delivery etc etc.

Next was the part that scared me the most. The physical examination. Call me a prude but I was totally freaked out about the idea of being half naked in the doctor's presence. How the hell am I gonna deliver I have no idea!!. But it was not as nerve-wrecking as I thought it would be. She checked my breasts and declared I was fit to breastfeed. The good doctor could sense I was very nervous especially when she said she was gonna have to use the vaginal probe. She made available her hips and asked me to lean myself against her to relax. That was definitely comforting.

She called in my hubby and as I held his hand, we both saw for the first time our baby on the LCD screen. It was so tiny that we could barely make him/her out. The doctor then increased the volume and we heard the baby's heart beat. We couldn't believe our ears. It was the sound of a thousand horses galloping. Never have we both heard a sound more melodious to our ears than the sound of our baby's heart beeting. It almost brought tears to my eyes and my Hubby squeezed my hands in glee. We almost cried out loud to the doctor when switch off the machine. She looked at us and smiled. I wonder how many excitable first-time parents she had seen that day alone.

We were given a print-out of the ultrasound of our baby and I will scan it here soon. Very soon. And like all other excitable first-time parents we couldn't stop looking at it!!!

Oh BTW Hubby asked the doc if it was ok for us to travel. She asked us to stop travelling at least until after the 12 weeks are over. We smiled sheepishly and the doctor guessed that we already had plans. She told us to be careful and drive slowly. And no more travelling till after the 12 weeks!!! hehe looks like we'll be staying home for the first time on the next public holiday!!!

Have mercy on me!!!

2006-04-28T14:58:00.000+08:00

I cooked my favourite dish last night ayam masak cili padi and was ravished by the time I finished cooking. But halfway through dinner, the food on my plate looked so unpalatable to my eyes that I just had to stop eating. No I wasn't nauseous but I felt like there was air trapped inside my throat and if I insist on puhing down more food down my throat, I'd surely puke it all out. I don't know how to exactly describe it. Perhaps those who have been pregnant knows what I am talking about. I was so dissapointed that I couldn't enjoy my favourite dish.

It was almost midnight when I suddenly felt hunger pangs return with a vengeance. I Had no choice but to have some rice. UUrrghh!! I hate this period of uncertainty. The feeling of wanna eat / can't eat /don't wanna eat / feel like eating everything. I feel so weak and so whiny, like some bimbo who can't make up her mind!! UURRGHH!!!! And what irony this is coming at a time when my appetite is nothing short of voracious.

Anyway I'm gonna be off again soon. This time to Malacca and Kl, Malaysia. As you know Hubby and I never let a public holiday go by without a trip to somewhere. It seems so wasted staying at home especially when there is nowhere inteersting to go in Singapore and nothing good is ever showing on TV. This time we'll be going with my girlfriends, Lisa & M. I don't know how long more I'll be able to travel according to Singapore & Malaysia regulations so I better travel all I want before they say I can't. hehe. If I usually make detailed itineraries of shopping places, this time I have drawn up a detailed list of places to eat throughout the 3 days we'll be there. There are so many yummy food there I wanna try that even talking about it is making my mouth water. I sure hope I don't get any of my "can't eat" syndrome.

I'm already in holiday mood. Counting the hours till the clock touch 6 and then HOORAY!!!! Its a Holi.. holiday!!!!!

The Mother of all .....

2006-04-27T15:03:00.000+08:00

I have been looking for a pregnancy organizer and when I went to Borders last Monday, I couldn't find anything I fancied. I spoke to my pregnancy "mentor" Liza and she recommended the one she bought for her own pregnancy. She bought it at Borders too. I called them to ask if they had it in their store and whoopee they did!!!! (funny how I saw about 10 different organizers but didn't see this particular one)

I asked my dear friend Lisa if she would so kindly go get it for me and she did even better. She asked if I would mind if she wanted to buy it for me as a gift. "Kecil tapak tangan Stadium World Cup ku tadahkan." Hehehe To say I was overjoyed would be a gross understatement.

I loved everything about the organizer. It had ample space for me to write my thoughts and succint information about pregnancy, labour & delivery to have at my fingertips. The best thing about it was the small cutesy size such that it was portable and I can bring it along with me anytime.

I have yet to actually fill in anything. I plan to do so today. Let's just hope the juice doesn't run out halfway and I will keep writing in it for the whole of 9 mths.

Thank God For Understanding Husbands

2006-04-26T09:26:00.000+08:00

Ever since I took that pregnancy test and found it positive, my dearest hubby has been extra attentive and helpful. He has always been very helpful around the house but now, even more so. He does the laundry, everything from washing to hanging and to taking it down, cleans up after I cook, sets the table and does the dishes. Its almost like I hardly do anything anymore at home, except cook. Even then he doesn't let me cook every day and takes me out for dinner almost every other day, and orders take-out food like Pizza everytime somebody calls to come over.

I have been so tired that coming home from work, I sometimes hardly feel like doing anything. (what's new right?) I wonder how all those women who have to do everything themselves cope ? What about those who have to do everything themselves and have older children to take care of? I shudder to think what will happen to me if I didn't have such a supportive and loving husband.

I suddenly remember my conversation with my aunt who has 5 kids, all about 2 years apart. I asked her whose decision it was to have so many kids? She said it was mainly my uncle's decision and she was quite taken aback when he first mentioned. But throughout her first pregnancy, my uncle did everything for her and she lived like a queen. After her child was born, he woke up during night feedings and he basically helped out in every aspect when he was home. So my aunt said she didn't mind having 4 more. My uncle is very sweet dun u think? Suddenly I wonder if my hubby has such plans ??? *OH NO!!!* But sweet or not DEFINITELY NO 5 KIDS FOR ME!!!

BURP!!!!!

2006-04-25T11:37:00.000+08:00

My first prenatal check up with my OB is this Sat. We're both kinda excited coz for the first time we will be able to see the baby on the screen in the very first ultrasound of my pregnancy. We have been waiting a very long time for this check up and so wanted to go earlier but was advised not to by the GP as anytime before 8 weeks, the scanning will not be able to detect the heart beat of the foetus and we'd only have to come again. (Oh by the way after 8 weeks now its called foetus instead of the clinical term embryo used before)

The question I have been asked most is if I have started "morning sickness" yet. To date, thank God, I haven't had any. And I have had no cravings for any particular food yet too. But I have been experiencing a little heartburn and lotsa gas. Its weird how many times I can burp in a day, not to mention gas escaping via the alternative route too. hehe. I swear I can hold a one-woman concert if I am asked to. Its not too bad I guess at least its better than retching my guts out although it can be really embarassing at times. (Not to mention I'm the butt (oops pun unintended!) of His jokes and whenever there is a sound, he will look at me and think the sound is coming from me!)

Gas

Most pregnant women suffer from bloating and increased gas in the belly at some point during pregnancy. Gas can cause abdominal pain or discomfort.

Causes of Gas During Pregnancy
During pregnancy, hormones relax the muscles in your digestive tract. This slows down your digestion and can cause gas to build up. Gas leads to bloating, burping, passing gas, discomfort, and pain in the belly—especially after a big meal.

Certain foods can make gas worse. But these vary from person to person. Some people naturally produce more gas than others. Some people get a lot of gas from foods that don't bother others.

In general, some starches (such as pasta and potatoes), some fiber-rich foods (such as oat bran and beans), and foods that contain certain sugars (such as cabbage and cauliflower) cause gas for many people. Women who have trouble digesting dairy products may have bloating and gas when they eat more of these products during pregnancy.

Gas: What You Can Do
The following suggestions may help prevent excessive gas:

Reduce the amount of air you swallow. Eat several small meals throughout the day instead of a few large meals. Don’t eat in a hurry. Take your time, chew your food thoroughly, and don’t talk while eating. Avoid drinking from a bottle or straw. Cut down on carbonated beverages. Don’t gulp while drinking. Avoid chewing gum or sucking on hard candy.
Identify foods that bother you. Keep a food diary to help you find the foods that cause problems. Cut back on these foods, if possible, while being sure to eat a healthy diet. Cut back on fried and fatty foods, which can add to bloating.

Sleeep ZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZzzzzzz

2006-04-24T10:43:00.000+08:00

I called in sick today. I think I overworked myself yesterday. I have done it before with no problems whatsoever but this time I think I zapped all my energy. By the end of the day I was so drained I started being grouchy. I made arrangements to go visit my sister and my favourite niece and nephews but at the same time He made arrangements for us to visit his parents and help out in cleaning their new house. So in the end, not wanting to disappoint any party, we went to both. On top of that, in the morning, I went to the market, I cooked and I did a spring cleaning of our house.

I have been feeling very lethargic of late but this was the worst case so far. I called my mom in Pahang and she offered to come back immediately to help out so that I don't have to do housework anymore but I prevented her from coming back. She might not get a chance to travel for a long while after this what with my later stages of pregnancy and her taking care of me and baby after my delivery so here's her chance. And to prematurely end it seems so selfish on my part especially since its my own fault that I over-estimated my energy levels. I hope I didn't make her unduly worried.

The people most excited about my pregnancy, other than my dearest Hubby of course, must be my in-laws. They can't seem to stop talking about the baby. My MIL & SIL seems to think I might be carrying a girl as she said I look radiant. I beg to differ. Since I have been preggers I feel like dishrag. And I'm beginning to feel I look like one as well. My constant fatigue makes dressing up such a chore and I even skip the lipstick - eyeliner - mascara routine sometimes before I leave the house.

So if u'll all excuse me, I'm gonna take some ZZZZzzzzzZZZZZZzzzz as you guys continue working that keyboard in your respective offices. I'll be back tomorrow.....hopefully!!!

Milk For The Milk Factory???

2006-04-21T14:08:00.000+08:00

We went grocery shopping yesterday and He bought this for me. There were qite a few to choose from but my sis ever told me that Anmum tastes like plastic (her description) so I couldn't decide between this one and Enfamama. Having no reference, I just hantam chose this one. But we bought a small tin just in case it's not yummy we'll take another one next time.

I have no aversion to milk. But I definitely so wanted the choc flavoured one. But He persuaded me to take the vanilla one. Something tells me he is afraid our child wil be dark like chocolate. hehe.

The milk is ok but funny thing is when He used hot water to make the first cup, the milk ended up in bit n particles that I had a hard time passing through my throat. The second time he used cold water and it was much better. He even bought me cereal so that I will drink the milk in the mornings too.

I surfed through some forum today and I realised Enfamama is the more popular choice. Maybe I'll give it a try in the next round.

I SMELL A RAT!!!!!

2006-04-20T10:18:00.000+08:00

I was on the train this morning and as soon as I sat down, I smelled bad breath. At first I thought it was mine so I took out a sweet (Hacks Honey Lemon) But the smell persisted. I turned slightly to my right and whooah I felt like I was being slapped by the strong smell. The guy sitting next to me was smartly dressed but he must have forgotten to brush his teeth or else he just has very bad hygiene. I spent the entire train ride turning my face to the left or looking down so that I didn't have to breathe the smell in. I doubt anybody else on the train actually smelled the foul odour. Just me and my newly found sensitive nose.

I've always had quite sensitive nosing abilities. For eg, I can smell alcohol from a distance away and I'm always the first to detect B.O on somebody but now the sensitivity of my nose has reached gargantuan proportions. If I can smell the insides of a person mouth without that person opening his mouth..that's serious!!!
Oh the perils of pregnancy!! But at least the smells do not make me nauseous. (yet)

Heightened Sense of Smell
The nose knows, especially when you’re pregnant. Here’s how to cope when your sense of smell sends you running for the hills (or the bathroom!).
What it is: During pregnancy, lots of ladies become more sensitive and reactive to the scents around them.

What causes it: As with so many pregnancy weirdnesses, when it comes to your heightened sense of smell you can blame those hormones again. In this case, it’s estrogen that can make every little scent that wafts your way feel like an all-out assault on your nostrils.

What you need to know about it: Almost every pregnant women notices a change in her sense of smell; it’s how significant that change is, and how it affects you, that makes all the difference. For instance, scientists have hypothesized that for some women, it’s this heightened sense of smell that leads to morning sickness. (One study even found that women born without a sense of smell — a condition called anosmia — don’t suffer from morning sickness when pregnant. Almost makes you want to cut off your nose to help your stomach, doesn’t it?)

What to do about it: You can’t cut off your nose, but you can try to avoid scents that drive you crazy (especially those that ramp up your morning sickness symptoms). Some strategies to try:

Cook (and eat) only those foods you can stand to smell. (Brussels sprout? Probably not.) Leave your windows open whenever possible to banish cooking or musty odors. Wash your clothes more often then usual, since fibers tend to hold onto odors.
Switch to unscented or lightly scented toiletries, cleaning products, etc.
Ask the people around you to be extra considerate: Request that friends and coworkers go easy on the fragrance and, of course, avoid people who are smoking. Try to surround yourself with those scents (if there are any) that actually make you feel better. Mint, lemon, ginger, and other herbs are more likely to soothe your nausea than they are to make it worse.

HUMP AHEAD

2006-04-19T09:23:00.000+08:00

This morning as I was sitting on the bed staring at the contents of my wardrobe, I thought I made a very smart move by choosing my green baju kurung. Since the baju kurung is loose-fitting, I thought I'd be more comfortable and I won't have to deal with the marks on my waist caused by my ever-tightening pants I usually wear to work. When I looked at the mirror after dressing, the baju kurung was a little snug in the tummy area and then I realised there was a small bump on my tummy. Already??? So soon?? Oh No!!!! Looks like I will have problems getting into most of my clothes soon. Its way too early to invest in new clothes maybe I should start pilfering from Umi's wardrobe hehe.

I so wanted to change into something less obvious (since nobody in the office knows yet and I do not intend to announce my pregnancy anytime soon) but He insists I keep it on. He keeps saying we are running late but that gleam in his eye tells me he would much rather see the bump. Wait till I look like I swallowed a basketball then we'll see how he feels!!!

Since a week ago, ever since I found out I was preggers, I realised when I needed to eat I needed to eat that very instant. Its like hunger pangs of the extreme kind, like I haven't had food for 3 days. But apparently thats not the worst of it. Yesterday we were running late in the morning (as we usually are) and we didn't have time for breakfast. I downed one cup of Milo and didn't think much of it. At 11.30am, I began to feel my stomach rumbling. It was still an hour and a half to lunch and if I ate something heavy now I'd surely be too full for lunch. By 11:45 the hunger pangs was so unbearable. It felt like the insides of my stomach was being clawed at so I took out the Julie's Love letters I keep a stash of in my drawer and began munching. One packet was not enough to satiate my pangs neither was two but since it was a little bit better, I endured it till lunch.

During lunch, I was so hungry still, I ordered quite a few dishes from the nasi Padang stall but halfway thru eating, I lost interest and left the remainder unfinished. I called Him to tell him of my predicament and as expected, he became worried that I was hungry and I didn't eat. So on the way home we stopped by the grocery store and He bought all of these for me to keep in the office with strict instructions not to share. hehe

Lisa U were right. This is a mini grocery store. hehehe

I'm Loving It !!

2006-04-17T20:16:00.000+08:00

I'm back from the road trip. My original intention was not to tell anyone but as you all know good news is very hard to keep a secret. He broke the spell by telling my uncles, then my cousin pulled me aside and asked if anything was wrong with me. She said I look tired and listless (actually she used the word lazy) and said she has never seen me without makeup (at least lipstick) but the two days she had seen me I didn't have a trace of any facial paint on. (*Mental Note: I must put in effort to upkeep myself in the looks dept no matter how exhausted and drained I feel) So she ended up being the first to know and then the flood gates went wide open.

By the end of the day, all of my aunts and uncles + cousins and 2nd cousins had pulled me aside one by one and asking why I didn't tell them personally and asking how far along I was. As I expected they were very happy for us and some even chidded us for daring to take the long road trip during such early days yet. We grinned and smiled. They made jokes about how He looks more pregnant than I am and how in some cases, its the husbands who ends up having cravings and nausea instead of the pregnant wife. Let's hope I'm one of those lucky ones.

Everybody refused to let me help out with anything, so the whole time was spent sitting around and mingling with relatives. I was very fine throughout the 4 days we were there except the fact that I tire easily and midway through the wedding I disaapeared to the parking lot to catch some winks in the cold comfort of the air-conditioned car.

What I loved most was the way He took such great care of me. All of the way to Pahang, He drove at a record speed of 100km/h only. Thats a feat (and a huge sacrifice) considering the speed demon that he is. And he booked a hotel room just for us, not too far away from my cousin's place, for us to spend the night so that I would be comfortable and not squeeze with the rest of the relatives at my aunt's house.

The wedding was held over 2 days. On Saturday at the bride's home (my cousin) and on Sunday we were supposed to travel together to KL for the groom's reception. The plan was to leave as early as 8.30 in the morning to head for KL so that we would arrive on time at noon. After the ceremony ended on Saturday evening, He proposed that we take a head start to KL that night itself so that I do not have to rush with the rest early the next morning. So off we went and on Sunday instead of having to wake up at an ungodly hour to get ready, we had a leisurely morning and got ready just in time to join the rest of them at the groom's reception at noon.

The groom's family didn't quite make adequate preparations to receive the guests from the bride's side so we all ended up waiting in a hot and stuffy lounge area of the hall they were having the reception at. We were all perspiring and were quite irritated with the shoddy reception we had been given. He took me aside and led me back to our car where we waited in the cool comfort of our car instead.

I beamed with pride whenever I think of how well He is taking care of me. He is ultra attentive and always puts my comfort a priority. I'm very grateful and think indeed I am lucky to have him as my husband. So far, I love being pregnant!!!!!!!

Road Trip

2006-04-13T17:39:00.000+08:00

My cousin's wedding is this weekend, in Pahang, Malaysia, a good 6 hours drive away. The distance has never been a problem for us as we go back almost one weekend every month but now that I'm preggers and so early yet, I wonder if I can take the distance. Dun get me wrong, I really wanna go but if its risky to our baby then I'd rather not. After all they certainly dun need my presence to become man and wife.

So I consulted the website most pregnant ladies swear by and here's the answers I got:

Are long car trips safe during pregnancy?
There's no reason to avoid car travel when you're pregnant, provided you plan extra stops for toilet and stretching breaks. However, once you reach the end of your pregnancy, you may prefer to let your partner drive as, by now, your bump will be very close to the steering wheel.

What's the best way to wear my seatbelt?
Never travel in a car without a seatbelt while you are pregnant. Provided it is properly fitted, it will help protect you and your baby from harm should you have an accident. The lap belt should lie snugly under your bump and across your pelvis. Always wear your shoulder belt, too. This should fit snugly over the top of your bump and between your breasts. Never wear the belt across your bump as a sudden jolt could cause your placenta to separate from your uterus. If the belt cuts across your neck, try repositioning your seat so it fits better.

Remember, your body — and the amniotic fluid in your womb — provide a cushion for your baby and help keep her safe. That means the best way to protect her is to protect yourself — by wearing a seatbelt.

Are airbags dangerous for pregnant women?
Airbags are safe during pregnancy as long as you buckle your seatbelt correctly (see above) and move your seat well back from the dashboard or steering wheel. You can also realign the seat slightly if necessary. If you're sitting in the driver's seat and the steering wheel is adjustable, tilt it downward to get it further away from your belly. If you're on the short side and it's hard to reach the steering wheel or pedals, use a cushion to raise yourself higher in the seat.

If you do crash, your seatbelt will help restrain your upper chest and keep you away from the steering wheel. The airbag helps spread out the force of the crash.

What should I do if my car hits another car?
In severe accidents, of course, you'll be taken straight to hospital. Even if the accident seems minor, it's best to get checked out by a doctor just to be safe. Rear-end collisions, for instance, can be extremely jarring. A mother's body does a good job of protecting the placenta from sudden impact, but if the jolt is severe enough, the placenta could separate partially or completely from the uterus without you necessarily noticing any symptoms. If you have contractions, pain or bleeding after an accident, see a doctor as soon as possible. Do mention if you have a rhesus negative blood group, as you may need to have an anti-D injection.

Will pregnancy make me more prone to travel sickness?
If you're having morning sickness, extended car travel may aggravate your nausea. But in general, being pregnant doesn't make you more likely to have travel sickness.

How can I stay comfortable while travelling by car?
Sitting anywhere for long periods of time can make your feet and ankles swell and your legs cramp. Keep your blood circulating by taking a break from driving at least every 90 minutes (although you may need to stop more often than that for toilet breaks!). Pull into a service station to walk around and do some simple stretches. If you're sitting or standing, extend your leg, heel first, and gently flex your foot to stretch your calf muscles. When you're sitting, rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes.

It pays to be extra prepared for breakdowns and other emergencies, too. Unless you fancy the prospect of changing a flat tyre with a huge bump, consider carrying a mobile phone and joining the RAC or AA. Keep a supply of warm clothes, a torch and some snacks in the boot of your car, just in case. Always carry some water for drinking, too

So I think I'll put my fate in God Almighty and make that journey. After all He is gonna be the one driving and If there is anyone in the world I feel completely safe with, its Him. So please doa (pray) for me aplenty and I'll tell you how it went when I come back on Monday, Insy'Allah.

Gem Of A Book

2006-04-13T10:03:00.000+08:00

I went to the library with Lisa last night in the hope of finding some books on early pregnancy. We spent quite a long time at the "Family and Childcare" section and I found quite a few gems.

The best book I picked out was this light-hearted take on pregnancy yet no less informative called "The Girlfriend's Guide To Pregnancy". It was a breath of fresh air after reading so many books on medical terms like "Endodermal germ layer", "Hyperemesis gravidarum" and "Linea nigra" (a straight line of negroes?) The author's descriptions of pregnancy symptons made up the first chapter alone nstead of 5 small lines in a page of other more important information. It gives credibility to the pains and aches I feel and doesn't make me feel like a whiny psycho who does nothing but complain of tiredness, hunger and sore boobs all day long. I give you an excerpt here.....

Excerpt
Chapter One: So, What Makes You Think You're Pregnant?

Breasts

One of the most common changes in the pregnant woman's body is in her breasts. The newly pregnant woman often gets the same puffy breasts that she gets premenstrually, but the consensus among the Girlfriends is that these breasts are a lot more sensitive. In fact, taking a shower can be agonizing if you face the stream of water, sleeping on your stomach becomes unbearable and if your husband should happen to touch your breasts you will feel completely justified in hitting him with the bedside lamp.......

Exhaustion

The tiredness of a newly pregnant woman is like a heaviness or being on nighttime cold medication permanently. One of my Girlfriends, Becky, who sells real estate, was so tired that she fell asleep in the car every single time she went to houses of prospective clients. Fortunately for Becky, she has a partner who did most of the driving. The newly pregnant woman may find herself at work, unable to think of anything but lying down. My Girlfriend Rosemary used to lock her office door and nap on her sofa for a few minutes every day. Those of us who are fortunate enough to actually take a nap sleep like the dead, waking up with blanket creases on our faces, red cheeks and bedhead hair - and usually little more refreshed than we were before. Forget about renting a video for a cozy night in with your husband. You will be snoring by the time the warning not to bootleg the tape and sell it for profit is over. This fatigue can also lead to an inability to stay awake long enough to have sex. Please hand this book to your husband right now.

ATTENTION, HUSBANDS OF NEWLY PREGNANT WOMEN:
DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONALLY WHEN YOUR WIFE WOULD RATHER SLEEP THAN SLEEP WITH YOU! SHE REALLY CANNOT HELP IT AND IT IS ABSOLUTELY NO REFLECTION ON YOUR MANHOOD OR HOW MUCH SHE LOVES YOU. TRY AGAIN TOMORROW MORNING AFTER SHE HAS HAD SOME REST. (UNLESS, OF COURSE, SHE HAS MORNING SICKNESS, TOO, IN WHICH CASE, TRY THE PLAYBOY CHANNEL.)

Its humourous, life-like and yet full of information you'd never squeeze out of even a 400 page book on pregnancy. It takes away the clinical aspect of it all and makes all the pains, aches and whines alright. (at least to ourselves) and more importantly it reassures you and you go "Ok, I'm not going crazy". And sometimes that is all you need. Especially when the slightest things your husband does makes you cry the Nile River and makes you think he will ditch you once your stomach ballons. This is certainly a must-read.

I haven't touched the other 3 books yet but if I find another winner between the covers I'll let you know.

So How Come I Don't Feel Pregnant?

2006-04-12T10:19:00.000+08:00

I still haven't felt any different (other than the symptoms I mentioned) since I knew I am pregnant. The Doctor said I should thank my lucky stars. But by the 7th week, most expecting women will start feeling nauseous and morning sickness will make its (dreaded) appearance. I hope I do not fall under the category of "most women". It is extremely rare but some women do not suffer morning sickness at all. In any case the good doctor has given me medication just in case. I sure hope I won't need it.

I haven't quite start having cravings yet but when I am hungry I need food FAST!! Otherwise it feels like I haven't had food in 3 days. And I realised I have been pee-ing a bit more often than usual. But thats all quite minor changes. I was kinda expecting the retching and vomitting already. (ok I'm contradicting myself) Umi calls me every 2 hours in the office just to ask how I am (I'm fine, I'm fine!) and every night pesters me to tell her what I feel like eating. He calls me almost every hour (usually its every 2 hours) and asks how baby is doing. I am basking in the spotlight that has suddenly shined on me. This is the time for me to ask for all of those things He has ever said No to. hehe

I make it a point to eat Folic Acid every morning now. Actually I started as soon as I felt different 2 weeks ago but now that I'm preggers I make sure I dun miss any. Initially I took it to increase my fertility but now its to prevent birth defects especially in the early days. I do not need iron tablets as yet as my b/p is ok but I have some at home anyway just in case.

On Sunday, we stopped by Afghanistan in Tampines for lunch. We passed by a shop selling fruit and He immediately took my hand and asked me to choose as many fruits as I wanted. He said it'd be good for our baby and began choosing heaps and heaps. I only wanted grapes but they didn't have any seedless ones so I ended up choosing the golden pears and mangoes while he got for himself watermelons. He doesn't quite like fruits and the only fruit he does eat are watermelons so it was quite strange that he was the one who dragged me to the fruit stall but then again fathers-to-be are known to do strange things out of excitement huh?

I guess slowly the idea that I'm pregnant is sinking it. I'm taking it one step at a time and trying not to feel freaked out when I sit down and imagine how I'd look like at 7 months onwards. (a penguin??, a big bear??, a big fat blob??)

Its Doubly Positive!!!

2006-04-10T15:47:00.000+08:00

Last night after work, we went to the GP to get confirmation of my pregnancy. The kind doctor asked me to describe my symptoms and when I was done he said we dun even need to do the test. He said I am almost certainly pregnant but we'll do it anyway. He asked for antecedent diseases in the family and said I was exposed to a significant risk of contracting gestational diabetes since both my parents have it. He described with great detail what actually happens when an expectant mother contracts diabetes. Let's just say I'm no longer taking any carbonated drinks and greatly reducing my sugar content. Its most certainly a risk not worth taking.

The doctor's calculation put me at 6 weeks plus instead of the 5 weeks I calculated. But he asks me to see my gynae by the time I'm 8 weeks plus so that scanning can be done and a proper measurement of foetus size be taken to determine the actual dating. I asked his opinion regarding the gynae I'm almost certain of taking and he had nothing but praises for her. Apparently she taught him in med school. (although he did also recommend his wife who is also a gynae)

As earlier planned, we thought of calling my in-laws to share the good news with them but after the doctor's visit, He decided we should go there instead and break the news personally. Needless to say, they were overjoyed beyond words. In fact as soon as we said we came to tell you something, they guessed it and started hugging and kissing us. Even my FIL was excited. My MIL started asking what I wanted to eat and gave a million and one tips on what to do and what not to do. Apparently I'm not supposed to eat cinammon of any kind. I don't know how far it is true but mother's know best so I'm gonna be a dutiful daughter-in-law and listen to her. FIl gave a few more tips to Him how not to hold me in case he triggers off some acupuncture points. We only stayed for 20 mins but they let us go willingly and asked me to rest.

When we reached home, Umi said that she was just on the phone with my MIL. They were congratulating each other and making plans on taking turns to take care of their grandchild. The best part was my MIL asking Umi to take good care of me and asking when Umi was leaving for Pahang so that when she is not around, my MIl can come down to take care of me. The mothers are obviously super-excited. Let's hope they haven't started picking out primary schools yet.

And Its Positive!!!

2006-04-10T12:12:00.000+08:00

We tested last night and its POSITIVE!!! Definitely!!! 2 bold blue lines stared back at us from the pregnancy test kit and no two lines looked more beautiful to us than those two. And we are deliriously HAPPY. He started kissing my tummy and we kssed and hugged. This is certainly the best news we have ever had. Though we have not been stressed up by it, we have most certainly been waiting for this wonderful new phase of our life. We wanted to keep mum about it at first but good news is meant to be shared so we told Umi and she is equally ecstatic. So was M when I sms-ed her. We'll wait for the doctor's confirmation before we tell his parents. The rest will have to wait till we past the 3 mths mark when we will be out of danger (Insya'Allah).

We have been postponing the pregnancy test for several days now and the first time I tested, the thing failed to work!! Considering the number of times I have worked this thing, its almost embarassing to admit that I fumbled. After I had used the stick, I placed it on the cistern cover of the toilet which was wet. Despite waiting for an eternity the results never did showed except for a hint of the vertical line where it says positive. But we were not so convinced so the next night we bought another pack.

Even if not for the test, deep in my heart I knew something was up. A mother's instinct? Perhaps. One thing was definitely my very late menses. (I was 45 days late but it had happened before) The other was my extremely sore boobies. I remembered reading about sensitive boobs as a symptom of pregnancy. I have also been feeling quite tired lately. He said that almost every night, I slept as soon as my head touched the pillow. Coincidentally, my office extended our hours from 5pm to 6pm so I naturally thought that was the reason why. Even more glaring was the fact that I have been eating quite a larger portion than I usually do. Of course on hindsight, it all looked so obvious and we were silly not to have noticed and guessed but since we were not on so much of a lookout we didn't exactly join the dots.

Still, we are out of our minds and over the moon !!!! Or did I say that already? hehe.