Countdown to 19 Jan 08!

It was a whirlwind of gatherings, activities, and preparation for me. The past 1 mth whooshed past me in a blink of an eye.

Looking back, I realised that the Xmas that just passed will be the last one where I will be celebrating alone with my hubby! I am not sure if you noticed, but once you have a kid, there is this tremendous stress to make sure Xmas has to be a huge and mah farn affair where ppl will start buying presents for your child and you have to buy presents for theirs!

I guess the best present I could ever wished for was my husband to return back to Singapore from Perth soon and he managed to do it before Xmas! In fact, his attempt to surprise me with his trip back turned into a shock for himself when he arrived home in a cab that stopped in front of mine! I gave him a shock instead! That was the most classic case of "who was more shocked"! hahahah....

The past 7 mths of handling the pregnancy alone suddenly became more manageable. Though I have been described by many friends as "independent" and "tough" and "brave to handle pregnancy alone", having another person to share the load of the baby preparations and housewrk, meant I could finally heave a sigh of relief and rest better. The sudden spurt of growth of my tummy and the bb's increasing weight also proved to be rather tough for my body....exhaustion, backaches and all started to take its toll on me. Luckily I was constantly going for prenatal massages from my 7th month so it definitely made me feel better!

Well, I am now in my 37th week, which is considered full term a.k.a baby can pop any moment. Till 19th Jan 08 is but 1.5 weeks away....hopefully the baby will stay in my tummy till my trip to Mt Alvernia Hospital! Let me do my last minute shopping, read my storybooks and sleep!!!

This Xmas and New Year was definitely unforgettable for me as I prepare for motherhood. I also managed to meet up with so many friends that I have lost contact with and found even more on Facebook! I was also in the best of health in 2007...never really falling ill except for the first trimester symptoms! 2007 was definitely a year of fun and experience for me and I am really happy with all the decisions my hubby and I made with regards to our life.

To all who have shown me care and concern for the past few months, thanks so much, I really appreciate it. Happy New Year! :)

Attack of ze Bitch

You know...sometime in your life you will meet this person who seems intent on noticing what you do, what you wear, how much weight you put on and attack you maliciously?

Well, having come from a girl's school, this is fairly common. It has been sometime since this has happened to me (last time was in my first job in an IT sector) so I am surprised that while not working in an office environment, I would hear such shitty comments being made to me, especially now that I am pregnant!!! Weird right? Why would anyone be anything but extra nice to pregnant women you would ask? Well, beats me!

I am unsure of the intention of this "evil" being but I think I have been very nice and kept quiet with regards to her comments on my increasing weight, my ever increasing butt size, my clothes etc. Could it be that I refused to acknowledge her comments that she refuse to stop attacking me? hmm...I really have to think abt her puzzling behaviour.

To be fair, I have not made any comments to her physical attributes at all (even though she is out of shape) as my philosophy is "why be mean to anyone else unless you are damn perfect" and I sure dun think I am perfect! Though I try not to take her crap comments to heart as I am sure I am gaining weight since I am pregnant, but I sure am affected (not sure if itz the hormones) and disappointed.

Well, to this "evil" being, hope life treats you well. I may be nice now as I am trying not to be evil back to you as I am carrying a baby...but beware...I am not sure when my patience will run out! grrrrrrr......

I wish I had known...

I wish I had known...

i) that the initial morning sickness I suffered was named day sickness as mine lasted the whole day! and it lasted 14 weeks.....:(

ii) that getting pregnant is not a happy joyous thing from the start....I started off becoming grumpy and sick especially when I had to eat the hormone pills to stabilise the pregnancy.....I felt so damn hot all the time and felt like screaming at all those around me! hehe...

iii) that the prenatal vitamins that are so called good for me and the baby are so large and hard to swallow! the freakin pills are HUGE! having trouble swallowing food was already bad enough....sheesh can't someone make these pills more "pregnant friendly"?

iv) that i would have to spend $2 per pill for a fish oil pill that is supposed to enhance the brain development of the baby! hmmm...imagine how many shoes, bags, pedicures and massages I can buy if I din have to consume this!! all the things I sacrifice for motherhood..hahahah

v) that having a baby is such a "community affair"! Once anyone sees me, all the well-intention advice starts pouring out...and I must admit that I get really confused at times!! Heaty or cooling food? Si Mi Lai??? What do you mean I cant eat this fruit? Aren't all fruits good for a person if taken in moderation?

The most stressful part is when your gynae proclaims that u can eat ANYTHING (even pineapples!) but not herbal stuff.....and you get all these "why you so kia see" kind of comments from your elders! "What you mean cannot eat herbal stuff?" they would ask me....So how? Listen to gynae or all these "people who have given birth to so many children"? U tell me!!! stress rite?

Frankly all these contradicting things about food and what NOT to do (eg cannot squat down) can sometimes be too much for someone who is trying to adjust to her mood swings, body aches, nausea and dizzy spells..kekekke...But in all fairness, everyone is concerned so I dun hold it against them. :) Know what I do? I eat different food when I am with different people!! I know it's cheating but I'd rather not get scolded or daggar stares when I consume that piece of potato chip! hahahaha...

vi) that some of the horrid symptoms from my first trimester will revisit me as I enter my third trimester! feeling even heavier and tired this time, its so scary to have mood swings and bouts of "feeling damn hot" at weird times of the day! I also cannot push myself to walk too much anymore or I will suffer the consequence of swollen feet and back aches at night. :(

vii) that people will treat me like I am some endangered species! hehe..It's actually them being extra careful with what I eat and do but sometimes pregnant people just want to be treated like a normal one too! hahahah..

viii) that going to toilet to pee will take up such a big chunk of my time especially during the night when i am supposed to SLEEP! yikes...

Hope I have not scared any of u ladies who are planning to get pregnant...take it in your stride ....the way I am trying hard to!! hahahha

FAQs...

I have been dealing with FAQs in my previous jobs as I am always dealing with clients/customers so attempting to answer all possible questions is something I am familiar with. You would think a departure from the working world would "release" me from such work but NOOO...I still get them and as per my wrking style, I try to tweak the answers until there are no further questions!! hehe... I always knew my job was useful!

I know it is an ineveitable thing and what else would people ask me after looking at me and my protruding belly! Here are the FAQs I have been encountering ......

1) Person A: How many months pregnant are you?When is your due date?

Me : I am currently 7.5mths (as at 19 Nov 07). Giving birth on 28 Jan 08.

(I learnt that telling ppl my pregnancy in weeks (as per what pregnancy is measured by) doesn't seem to evoke any understanding as one of my friend remarked "wah u are 4 mths pregnant already ah" when I told her I was 24 weeks! I am like "No...24 divide by 4 is 6mths leh"....it has happened so many times until I decided to tell ppl in mths for better understanding. However, a full term pregnancy is actually 40 weeks which is of course 10 mths so it also kinda confuses people when I say I am going to give birth end Jan 08..sheesh...

2) Person B: Is it a girl or boy?

Me: Boy

Person B: Wah your parents-in-law must be very happy! At least U dun have to worry anymore cos you have a son.

(Hello!! what era is this huh? what's up with having a son as opposed to a daughter?I mean, look around you, isn't it obvious having a daughter nowadays is so much better? Anyways my idea is that having a healthy child is so much more important than the gender. gosh...)

3) Person C: Wah you going to give birth pretty soon hor? (this person thinks a child is born in 9mths instead of 10mths) Aiyo when is your husband coming back?

Me: He has to complete his training first. He will be back before end December.

(me not sure and lying cos if I dont give a date, the conversation will never end..hehe)

4) Person D: Which hospital you going to?

Me: Mt Alvernia ...my gynae gave me a choice of Gleneagles, Mt Alvernia and Thomson Medical. I am choosing Mt Alvernia because its the nearest to my home.

Person D: Huh really ah? I prefer Thomson Medical/Gleaneagles leh. The service there so much better. The food at the food court also nicer. I think the nurses there more professional than Mt Alvernia.

Me : Oh, is it ? hehe..(me gives a sickly smile and wonders when this person will stop convincing me to change hospital :S)

5)Person E : Your tummy is a little small hor? How much weight you put on ah?

Me: Small meh? I checked with my gynae and the size of the tummy doesn't indicate if the baby is big or small. My last check showed the baby is growing well. Anyways I am glad my tummy is not too big if not I will be suffering backaches. I should have put on abt 10-12 kg so far.

Person E: Ok la. I guess it doesn't look so huge because you are so tall. In fact, you don't look pregnant at all. (Me gives a grateful smile at this last statement as it indicates I am not a whale! hahah..but then thinking of it, if i don't look pregnant then what? I look fat ah?)

Person E (continues) : You know ah, the last time I am pregnant, I ate so much, always so hungry...I think I put on at least 20kg! U not eating well is it? Cannot diet at this time you know. U must eat more to have a fat round baby! Don't worry abt losing weight...look at me now!

Me: (totally unconvinced by this person since she is not TAT slim so I try to entertain her) Is it? wah you lose the weight very fast and now you are so slim

Person E: The trick is to breastfeed. Once you breastfeed, you will become slim like me. Very fast one. But once you stop breastfeeding, you will put on weight.

(images of a cow pumping milk flashes through my brain...and I imagine myself possibly being one soon...sigh...i start calculating : how many mths must I breastfeed in order to maintain the "new slim me" after 9mths of "fat ol me"... siao liao)

Well I suppose everyone has some level of concern over my current well-being so I practise and answer all these FAQs with a level of patience that I normally would not have. So, pls do not worry abt asking me the above, I promise not to slap you unexpectedly....hahahaha..

As I start my 3rd trimester with "new" symptoms and aches, I am mentally preparing myself for what's ahead......in the meantime if I bite your head off for no reason whatsoever, pls ignore me.......I read that my hormone level is at an all time high as I approach the birth date! sheesh....

Crash Test Mommy...

I always watch this TV show Crash Test Mommy on Discovery Home and Health where a person gets to experience the life of a "mother" for 2-3 days. This person will normally be the sister or mother of the "mother". They would normally start off by saying things like " I can't understand why her house is always in a mess etc"...and end off by saying " I am sure I can do a better job than her". The person will normally end up emphatising with the "mother" on how taxing her job is and understanding why the house will never be neat. Basically most of them kinda wanna give up after 1 day with the kids!! They also can't wait to return the kids to the "mother". Scary leh!! Whoever says working is easier than staying at home to take care of kids must be joking!!!

From this, I never underestimate how stressful it is for my elder sis who has to stay at home w 2 hyper kids. I learnt to be more understanding where the "state" of her house is concerned cos I personally witnessed the 2 kids messing it after she just cleaned up! hehe..

My siblings and I always try our best to relieve my sis of her kids to give her a break. Of course now that I am pregnant, I can't handle them alone as u need to be able to be really alert to "catch" them when they slip away.

Last weekend, my mum brought Anna and Elijah to my place and I decided to be brave and bring them to cut their hair. Note that Elijah has refused to cut his hair on many occasions and I decided that it was worth a challenge to see if I can make him change his mind! Of course, poor Anna who did not really need a hair cut gamely went along with being a "good example" for her younger bro by cutting her hair first. See the pics below for their facial expressions!! I need to qualify that he tried to run out of the salon many times and I had to force him back in. In the end, he sat on my poor mum's legs and my mum had to endure stray hair all over herself while restraining him!! hehehe..the job of a grandma is def not easy!

All in all, I am so glad I finally helped my sis with this errand though I am not sure if the haircut was that nice since he kept twisting his head left and right! The hairdresser also got quite confused on which side he cut already! kekeke..


As I am able to spend more time with my niece and nephew during this time, I try to meet them as often as I can. I anticipate that there will be at least half a year where I will be so sleep deprived that I can't function so I wanna play with them while I can! :) Here we are at Ikea with 2 of them playing at the children's section. Cute hor??

It is always so easy to "return" the children back to the mother after one whole day of fun. I guess my life will change dramatically pretty soon...:)

Phase 2: Itz happy days again!

Now that I am well into the 2nd trimester, which consists of 4-6 mths of my pregnancy, I suddenly realised that I am my old self again!! :) Well, not realli the same but u get what I mean.

The sudden surge of energy that filled my body was amazing since I was extremely sickly in the 1st 3 mths and I thank God for that! It made me appreciate life so much more and the simple act of being able to walk around without feeling dizzy or puky made me so happy. It so weird how much we can take for granted when we are in proper good health so I can well understand why those ppl who recover after going through a major illness have so much zest for life.

I took advantage of my mobility and good health by contacting friends and relatives. I somehow developed this fear that my life was going to change once my baby is delivered and I'd better start going out and enjoying myself. I think I may have overdid it for some days as my legs would swell and ache. hehe...I also took on small projects which mostly allowed me to work from home. All in all, I must say that it was time well spent though many people kept asking me "what do you do all day? Not boring meh?" *keke* ...somehow being "available" means people will automatically seek you to go out (actually they are all curious on how I look w my tummy!!).... Mentally I kept reminding myself to "enjoy the peace and quiet" that I have now and the fact that I only have to worry about myself and my meals.

Though itz definitely not the same going through the pregnancy without your husband by your side to cater to your whims and massage your aches, I think it definitely made me more independant as a person. My husband on the other hand contacted me daily and tried to read up on pregnancy stuff so when I tell him any symptoms I was encountering, he would discuss with me what it meant and all and when I should alert the doctor. I have never ever seen him so "studious" with anything before so I m kinda glad he is taking the effort to know more so I can leave all the tedious reading to him!!.hehehe...

Of course him not being here meant that I couldn't suddenly "feel like eating" Changi Village Nasi Lemak or Jalan Kayu Roti Prata. I have heard of friends who "torture" their hubbies with such weird requests...for me, I try to drink a cup of milk or eat biscuits to tahan the cravings who incidentally love to "attack" me at the midnight hour. Just a few nights ago, I kept thinking of Moss Burger fries and McNuggets! gosh it was torturous!..I then try to tell myself repeatedly" it's for your own good, eat so much will also put on weight!"....somehow this trick has worked really well and I hope it can continue all the way until I give birth!!

I have been told that if a pregnant woman has a craving, she should satisfy it , if not the kid will turn out dissatisfied and make a lot of trouble for you! Not sure if it is a proven thing or old wive's tale, but it has been 6 mths that I have not catered to my cravings. I guess I will let you know after my child is born on how satisfied or dissatisfied he is!Hopefulli i won't get tortured! :S

I noticed that perks of being pregnant meant that everyone around you is extra concerned and nice to you. My cousin was telling me this "perk" will expire once your baby is born! wah where got such thing! heh..

Being a person who was very used to doing things for myself and helping others since a young age, it takes me a lot of effort to accept help when friends/relatives volunteer. I know many people will willingly sit back and relax but I just can't! call me weird or whatever...I guess I don't believe a pregnant person has to behave like an "invalid". On this note, I admit that I also have on occasions overstretched myself doing housewrk or carrying stuff so I learnt to "know my limits" as I have an additional responsibility to take care of this little person growing inside me.

Well I am about to hit the 3rd trimester, where many have warned me that it will be tough for some people. I guess I will never be prepared no matter how many books I read or shows I watch so I will have to learn to cope as it goes. Already I am suffering from swollen achy legs and back pain so I hope my symptoms won't get any worse! "cross fingers*

Cutie Pies on Mooncake Nite!

Nope I haven't had the mood to start my baking again..keke...it's realli quite a mystery to me as I used to have such an incredible sweet tooth before I got pregnant! What happened to it? How come I dun feel like eating muffins, brownies, cookies or even tau sar bao?!! Without saying, mooncakes are off my "to eat" list at the moment ..sigh...

For those who have not been pregnant before, it's definitely hard to understand. Imagine taking a bite of warm chocolate cake with delicious vanilla ice cream...and not feeling even an ounce of excitement or happiness!! Imagine that!!...sigh...somehow having that "no happy feeling" makes me feel even more depressed. So I guess, until I feel the craving, I better avoid all my fave sweet stuff.. :(

Here ,instead of pics of my cakes/muffins, are pictures of my energetic niece and nephew , Anna and Elijah. Kids at their age (5 and 3)..they can either be a pain or joy (depending on their moods)...I guess having taken care of them at times gives me an idea of how rearing a child could be like...and I sure emphatise with my sis!! Where in the world does one get all these energy to keep up with them? hehe.... I guess I will find out soon enuff!


1) Anna and Elijah sitting in the park posing for my lousy handfone camera (i forgot to switch on the night mode!! sigh)...in one of those rare moments where they are super cooperative!!
2) Elijah concentrating real hard to make weird shapes with the sparklers...don't u think he has the potential to be Singapore's Harry Potter? :P

3) Anna makes a huge effort to conjure a circle with her sparklers. Just for your info, she did this like at least 20 times so that we could capture it on the camera!!keke... Best part is she did not complain!!