A Close Shave...

Nowadays when i hold Adri in my arms, she's become very very dear, more than ever. I'm not sure if i can say that i was close to losing her.
Thank God for journey mercy.

Resolved during my confinement month that once that one month was over, I would bring Adri out alone. Couldn't bear the thought of being stuck at home for months and being totally reliant on Mart to bring us out. I guess i just didn't like the idea of being that restricted.

Thursday.
Wanted to start by exploring somewhere near and wanted to bring Adri out to Compasspoint but ended up exploring a little further and arranged to meet Bestie at Expo for the Metro Sale, juz to check if there were grabs for baby stuff.

The extremely excited mummy got baby ready, packed her stuff and headed off to meet Auntie Daphne. That was Mummy's first at driving baby to somewhere beyond Sengkang.
I wasn't nervous about leaving baby at the infant seat on the rear of the car cos prior trips with Daddy had affirmed that Adri loved car rides! Even those bumpy ones across humps! =D
So off i went, took great care to drive slowly; was on the 3rd and 2nd lane mostly. Ensured that temperature was right and turned on some music. Just when i thought that all was right, i heard a "ker-perb" sound when i steered left. Didn't suspect that anything was wrong but on further thought, it dawned upon me that i had nothing on the rear seat except for the infant seat. Took a glance and realised that the infant seat which was behind the driver seat had taken a 90-degree flip to the left! Adri was fastened, but lying on her right! Boy, i was shocked! how did that ever happen?! Infant seats aren't supposed to move/shift! =O
Was on the highway and couldn't stop. with one hand on the steering wheel and the other stretched towards the rear, i immediately flipped Adri back to the comfortable position!
Boy, heaved a sigh of relief but what came next nearly brought me to tears!

I guess the shock caused me to miss the exit. I ended up heading towards the U-turn near Terminal 2 (Changi Airport). If you were me, what speed would you be driving at then? Approached the U-turn with snail speed but alas, i heard the familar "kep-perb" again, only that it was much louder then. Needless to say, i tried to check on Adri via the rear view mirror but i couldn't see her! Assessed the traffic and decided to steal a glance. Lo and behold, this time round, the infant car seat had overturned!!! Adri was literally hanging upside down!
I can't describe how i felt but it was pure terror! My heart skipped a beat and it almost stopped! My one-month old baby was trapped in an overturned car seat! Baby didn't stir at all and i wondered if she had suffocated. Instinctively , i wanted to stop at the road shoulder to check on baby but couldn't because there wasn't one! There were only two double yellow lines on that road! I was so close to stopping along the double yellow lines but didn't cos i knew that that irrational act might have gotten us hit by the fast-coming cars and ended us in paradise. Tried to look for carparks or somewhere where i could just stop to rescue Adri.

NONE!

Just imagine how fast my heart was racing!

Thankfully, after minutes which seemed like eternity, i spotted the familar, giantic bus stop! Stopped the car, put to "P", forgot to pull handbrake and raced to Adri. When i turned her over, she was looking at me with her big bright eyes, not at all disturbed by the turns and uncomforable position.
Boy, you can't imagine how grateful i was to God for preserving Adri's life. Thankfully, she was fastened tight in her seat. I can't imagine what would have happened if her belts were loose...would she have suffocated? Or perhaps suffered some hard knocks on her soft skull and pass out?

Didn't have time to hug her. I had to move quickly cos i knew i was at a bus stop. Did a quick job at fastening her infant seat. Thankfully, hubby had demonstrated on how the seat was to be fastened. Wasn't sure but did the best i could.
Well, got honked but what could i do but apologise profusely to the bus drivers who probably just thought that i was some ignorant and inconsiderate driver?

Accordingly to Daphne, i was all pale when i eventually met her at Expo. I still quiver when i recall what had happened. When i told hubby, i was close to tears!

So, what went wrong?
The seat was fastened properly but hubby commented that the infant car seat was not secured enough; it was only held by one strap. Honestly, i still don't quite understand that but what we did was, we immediately went to get another that very night. And we tested and made sure the seat didn't shift an inch with every turn!

It was an experience that really sent chills down my spine but on a positive note, Adri is prob brave enough to accompany Mummy to those exciting rides at amusement parks! Mummy loves those but Daddy doesn't! =p
I'm really really proud of Adri. I dare not imagine how different things would have been should Adri had wailed aloud!

That aside, will i stop driving Adri around and go public?

Nope. I believe in overcoming my fears and taking practical steps to do that. Yep, i do not deny that my confidence has shaken a little but that experience has taught me to be extra cautious. =)

Adri's 1st month Celebration

Can't express how thankful i am to Auntie Sabie for being the photographer during Adri's 1st month celebration. If not for her, many precious moments would have been missed.

Boy, Hubby and I were that busy that we didn't have time to take pictures! And by the time we settled down for a family pic, we were "half dead".
okie, baby was the star of the night.
A picture speaks a thousand words. =)
Hee, am too tired to write... =p

Baby Swing! =D

Hubby and I were wondering what we could do in prep for 12 midnight and lo and behold, my cinderella woke up some 20 minutes before the clock struck 12 and started wailing! Oh my! Thankfully, we had managed to set up this wonderful gift that we received from our neighbour - an infant/baby swing! =D

Check out baby's expression. The pics have been arranged in the order at which they were taken. Apparently, baby seemed to be soothed by the back and forth motion of this auto swing! =D

Will this be THE solution to our sleepless nights or would it be sheer novelty that will eventually wear off? I certainly hope it won't be the latter.




Boy, i love fisherprice for coming out with products such as the baby cot carousel, rocker and swing! =D

Okie, buzzing off to attend to my cinderella! It's almost 12, going to get ready to nurse her! =)

Adrielle + X'mas Tree!

Did a rather quick job at setting up the xmas tree. We really wanted to immerse Adrielle in the spirit of Christmas and i simply couldn't wait to see her response to the dazzling lights!
Placed her in her rocker beside the x'mas tree and her whining stopped shortly! She was captivated by the glittery lights and before long, she felt asleep, even before i finished my little conversation with her! =D




Boy, I can't wait for confinement month to be over and to celebrate this year's Christmas with Baby Adrielle! =D
Am not allowed out and can't do any Christmas shopping yet but i will defintely bring Baby Adri out once i pass this weekend and do some sprint shopping for at least my beloved family! =D

Christmas is all abt the spirit of giving and i thank God for this awesome bundle gift of joy! =D

P.S. Notice that my posts are getting shorter? Baby's awake!

Adri's Treasure...

I think my baby has learnt that her vocals are an extremely effective "sword"; unsheathed, both Mummy and Daddy literally surrender.

For two consecutive nites, my angelic baby who sleeps real soundly and follows a 3-hour routine in the day turned really easily irritable in the night and that made both her exhilarated parents exhausted.

Having her in the day is really a bliss, she sleeps in heavenly peace and awakes only when it's time for her feed punctually! Even when she awakes before it's time for her milk milk, she lies contentedly in her cot/rocker and observes her surrounding quietly.
Of late however, nothing seemed to be able to comfort her in the nights. She had, for the past two nites (as well as on certain nights ), stayed awake from 12midnight to 6 in the morning! Literally awake! The exasperating part was, she cried non-stop! And each time she did that, Mummy's heart literally broke! It was sheer heartache to see her wincing in agony, her face turning red from wailing and hearing her sweet little voice turn coarse from all the bawling!

Nothing we did seemed to work. Here's what we've tried:
- cuddled and hugged her + patted her
- rocked her both by hand and with the baby rocker
- fed her milk and/or water
- used pacifier magic
- watched dazzling x'mas tree lights + listened to x'mas music
- put her in between us on the bed
- checked and changed her diapers
- applied soothing medicated oil on her little tummy ("Ru Yi" oil)
- Burped her
- Played lullabies
- switched on the air purifier to calm her down
- placed security pillow on her
- adjusted the room temperature
- swaddled and unswaddled her accordingly
- Talked to her (in various volumes and tones)

In all, we tried all means and ways but little Adri was simply inconsolable! Tricks that worked in the day all failed! And the funny part is, the moment the clock hit 6am, she dozed off! =O

Am trying to practise Parental Directed Feeding. Didn't have to deliberately enforce anything, Adri's routine fitted nicely. I pray that come 12th week (as indicated in the books), Adri would have been sleeping soundly through the night and Mummy and Daddy wouldn't have become "pandas".

Boy, she's only approaching 4 weeks, that many more weeks of sleepless nights to go! I certainly hope that all necessary adjustments would be expedited.
Now i understand why many mums with young kids don't have the energy and time to doll up.
I fully understand...*Yawn...*

Life is becoming more unpredictable;
Every day is a day of new learning.

P.S. Juz dawned upon me that 12am - 6am was the period where i rested when i was preggy!

Mummy's 1st attempt at bathing baby =D

My mum says that it's a race against time when you have a kid, everything has to be done in "double-quick time", esp when baby is asleep. Once baby awakes, everything has to be put on hold and it may be quite a while before you find time again.
Baby's supposed to awake at 2.30pm for her feed and hence i'm trying to do a quick upload.

These are pics of my first attempt at bathing Adri. Mum who was with me went home on Sat night and hence i had to bathe baby on Sun morning, when she juz merely a week old!
Other than Baby Adri, i had never held a babe that young, and needless to say, bathe them.
No hands-on practice sessions prior to that. All i had was observing how my mum bathed her twice!
After a struggle of some 10 minutes, done!
Plus point - baby didn't cry! =D



The experience was real scary, but fun!
And hee, that's the only once thus far.
Mums are great, they are always around to help
(hee, at least for this confinement month) =D

Special B'day!

Hee, nope, I'm not that obessed. I wasn't celebrating my baby's birthday. It was mine. =)
What i really enjoyed about this year's birthday was, I celebrated this year's birthday with my baby!

Honestly, i have been feeling really tired and trying to get adjusted to life and wasn't really keen in celebrating my birthday. Wasn't looking forward to anything but sweet friends and family made the day all special. =D

Other than the precious gift (referring to Baby Adrielle), frens sent me smses of well wishes, Bestie had a cake delivered to my place even thou she was away on a holiday, Hubby bought my favourite cake from Sweet Secrets and my sis-in-law got me a fruit cake! Never had 3 birthday cakes in a day! =D That really made my day cos i was feeling all tired and cooped up at home. Thank you all! =D

Was tired, but all drag vanished the moment i carried baby! =D

Grand Finale!

After our last visit to the gynae's, Mart and I decided to opt for induced labour.
Reason?
1) Baby's healthy + ready. So why not?
2) We were super duper excited to meet our little princess! =D
3) We'd rather be prepared than caught unaware. Imagine having the water bag burst while i'm shopping =p
4) Doc's scan showed baby to be approx 3.1kg as at 38 weeks. If i were to wait for 2 more weeks, baby could have been 3.5kg and labour might have been really tough cos baby's huge size. Well, Dr Chen did caution that a 10% allowance was to be made for every weight approximation via scan.

So ta-da! 23rd Nov 2007 was to be our baby's birthday!

This is me, all excited on the night of 22nd Nov, @ 2325h, getting all ready for "THE" trip to Mt Alvernia Hospital.
ok, why such an odd hour? I was supposed to admit myself by the time the clock strikes 12! =)



In retrospect, the excitement only started building up when i was getting changed. I was home the whole day but i did nothing excepting watching TV + eating throughout the day! The numerous channels on SCV simply got me hooked. I'm no TV addict but i actually subscribed to SCV in prep for the months that i would be home. =p
Honestly, I wasn't hyped up or feeling any butterflies in my stomach til 11pm! Was the SCV an effective distractor or did i just have my unique way of "compartmentalising" my emotions?
Don't know. =)

Once the quick admins was done, we were taken to the delivery suite and there we spent the night SHIVERING! We didn't expect the delivery ward to be THAT cold! It was simply freezing! We tried looking around for the air conditioner controller but alas, it was under a central control. We later learnt that the low temperature was necessary so as to ensure that the bacteria stay dormant.

I was lucky, i asked for an blanket but poor Mart didn't have his jacket with him and ended up donning an extra T-shirt and sneaking little hide-outs at the washroom and outside the ward throughout the night.

Did i manage to catch some sleep? Yup! Though the contractions came on and off throughout the night, they were still bearable. Don't ask me how i managed to remain calm. I just have this amazing ability of drifting into dreamland when i'm tired. Try asking me how many alarm clocks i need before i could actually pull myself out of bed on the mornings of each work day. It's highly embarrassing. =p Hee, I recall the astonished look my hairdresser had when he first learnt that i actually fell asleep amidst all the pulling and tugging during those rebonding sessions!

This is a pic taken the morning of 23rd Nov! My hubby is all excited! Me? I was already feeling the intense contractions but i guess i managed to force a smile?



And this, check out my expression. I wasn't doing any warm-ups! It was immense pain!
Did i take any epidural? Yes i did but because i asked for it late, at only 7am, somehow the anaesthesist was preoccupied with god knows wat and the administration was delayed for 1.5hrs! The anaesthesist who was supposed to come didn't and by the time another came, he said i was already highly distressed! By then, i think the contractions were taking place like once in 2 minutes or something. And hey, before the water bag broke, the pain was bearable. After the water bag broke, my word, i think the only place that i didn't feel at was my hair!

Don't ask me what i did to Mart. I am sure i scratched (i did remember to cut my nails) and pinched him. And fathers out there, don't cheat by wearing long sleeves, lest you wan your sleeves riped! =p



Okie, my learning point?
ASK FOR EPIDURAL EARLY!
And hey, i wasn't trying to be "garang", i even opted for epidural prior to admission!
However, I was advised by the nurse to ask for epidural when pain becomes unbearable and i didn't expect the administrating of that WONDER DRUG to take that long.

Sum it all, after some 5 hours, i heard the first wails of my princess.

My thoughts during labour? One word:

PUSH!!!

My thoughts after labour? Yet another one word:

WOW...

(thoughts of awe)

Is it worth it? Will i go thru it again?

DEFINITELY! =D

Braxton Hicks...

I experienced my first contractions! That was 2 Saturdays back, on 13 Oct! Boy, i really had a rude shock. Was home, feeling lazy on a Saturday evening and was about to rest my swollen feet when i felt the left of my tummy tightening a little. It began mild so i literally ignored it. However, shortly after, the contractions became more intense! I felt my whole tummy tightening, liken to menstral cramps - first at the middle of my tummy then to lower abdominal. That happened in waves, with irrgeular interval durations. The pain was excruciating at times and guess what? The waves of tightening and relaxing lasted close to 3 hours!

Was i worried? frightened? Sure i was!

Knowledge is really important. If not for the books that i've been reading, i think i would have panicked and thought that i was going into labour. Mart would have probably rushed me to the hospital!

What i experienced was probably "Braxton Hicks" aka false labour contractions. That can take place anytime from week 30 of pregnancy. Can't rem the exact reason for it but it was something to the effect of preparing the expectant body for the actual labour and delivery. So what's the dif between the real and false labour contractions?

Real labour contractions are supposed to start mild and eventually intensify, but at regular intervals, with each experience increasing in duration and eventually at increased frequency. Braxton Hicks, however, take place at irregular intervals + durations and discomfort can be eased with a change of position. BUT, i have heard of cases in forums where the Braxton Hicks didn't ease and the expectant mummy rushes to the hopsital only to be told that that was a false alarm! Those, according to the mummies, felt so real, with features of the real labour contractions.
Well, guess one can never be too sure. =)
As for me, i'm glad i had a little headstart, for i now know how contractions feel like. =)

Lesson Learnt
What hit Mart and I that night was, WE WERE ABSOLUTELY NOT PREPARED TO GO TO THE HOPSITAL!
That night, Mart and I checked the "hospital bag" and realised that many crucial items were missing. Mart wanted to play safe and he started looking for important documents like:
1) Our marriage cert (original. For registration of Baby's name + particulars)
2) Hospital Admission Form (which we were supposed to fill up and post out weeks before but didn't and worse, we didn't even rem where we had placed that form!)
3) Receipt of gynae package (we needed the original receipt in order to claim from Medishield. Boy, we searched high and low. Turned the house topsy turvey and even thought we had left it in our cars. Spent quite a while deliberating on which car we had left it in. And guess what? I finally found the receipt in the tiny zip of one of my bags. =p
Hee, pain + panic = insanity + goldfish memory (forgetfulness) =p

Other than the above utmost important stuff, we didn't have things like apparels for Baby and ourselves in the bag! Boy, can't imagine if i had really gone into labour then. Well, books + magazines advise one to be ready with the hopsital bag a month before EDD but wow, after that experience, i embarked on the journey of getting that bag ready. As of today, other than hubby's apparels, everything else is in place. =)

Any further "attacks" since?
Yes, but real mild ones. =)

Am Week 34 now. Guess i have to be more alert cos Baby can really arrive any time. =)
Am looking forward. =D

Baby's Wardrobe

I once told a fren that once Baby's out, there'll be 2 vainpots in the house.
Check out my princess' wardrobe thus far.
Erm, i've stopped shopping for her clothes for quite a while. What will happen if i pick it up again? =p

These are Baby's tops...



And these are her dresses...



Her 3quads + shorts...




Her skirts!



And coming up in the next entry is a display of her rompers! =D

Baby's Wardrobe again...

Okie, i couldn't fit this into the previous post so here's Baby's rompers! =p =p =p



Psst, this excited mummy feels that there's still much space for more. =p

Introducing Baby Adri's Family...

Daddy and Mummy need no further introduction.
Baby Adri's "siblings"?


This is Pixie, our first baby. He became a part of us in Jan'03. He's approaching 5 years of age. He's Mummy's darling. He's expressive and affectionate but not exactly friendly to strangers. He's one with an attitude. =D
Some call him a fat cat. Actually, not very, only 6.5kg. =p

Why did we name him Pixie? When we brought him home from Daph's doorstep, he was so angelic in the car. Perhaps he was too frightened but he didn't meow an inch. And prior to that, while he was with his 3 other siblings, he was sooooo cute. Nauti but not too hyperactive. Boy, you should have seen 2 of his siblings! They scampered non-stop!





This is Daddy's and Mummy's 2nd boy - Pepper! Became Pixie's little nightmare in May'04. Cos he's so friendly to every one, he bumps and pounces around and that irritates Pixie quite a fair bit. He's Daddy's darling. Mummy loves him too, just that she doesn't like his licks. =p
Make a guess? Who's heavier? Pixie or Pepper?
Pixie! Pepper is 3.5kg, i think =p

We choose the name "Pepper" cos he's simple but yet adds spice to one's life, liken to the everyday spice pepper. =)
He has a nickname, "Papoo". I can't rem how that came about but he responses to both "Pepper" and "Papoo".
Papoo turns 4 in Feb'08.




Now, introducing our youngest boy - Genie! Believe it or not, Genie is Pixie's darling! Pixie grooms him non-stop! Boy, this little one is pampered. He's named Genie cos he's mischievous. He gives Daddy and Mummy heartattacks with his numerous attempts at jumping out of the window. Cats don't have 9 lives! Besides, we stay on the 18th floor!

This little one is a year + 3 months old. Joined our family in Oct'06. =) A cat with an extremely nice temperament. He's very sweet, but greedy. Each time they are given treats, this little one gobbles up his treats and snatches Pixie's! Hmmph! Pixie loves him too much to growl at him and it'll be Mummy who'll be going "No, Genie, No!"
This little tiger is heavier than Pepper! He weighs 5.5kg! =O



A little animal farm? Perhaps. =D

Baby's 1st...

This is a recollection.

When the sonographer affirmed Mummy's instinct, that Baby was a girl, back at Week 20, hubby and I were so excited that we started the purchases the moment we left the hopsital! We didn't know what to get but we just wanted to get Baby something. Went to Baby Kingdom at Kaki Bukit but decided that it was way too early to get stuff such as sterilisers and strollers. Headed elsewhere and finally, Mummy ended up getting Baby her first pairs of booties and mittens and set of clothes and Daddy, her first toy! =D

We were extremely excited!




That day, 19.07.07, was the beginning of our shopping spree. =D

Baby Adri @ Week 32... =D

Wondering why i've been so diligent and putting up that many posts in a day?
It's cos i've been "forced" to rest.

My left knee joint is hurting really badly. The pain is lesser as compared to what i experienced on Saturday but i still can't quite move around at ease, be it walking, sitting down + getting up or even bending. When i tried to get up from my bed this morning, i almost fell onto the ground cos my knee was simply aching!

Decided i won't be able to work. Decided to bring forward my gynae visit. Thought I would kill 2 birds with 1 stone - As compared to a GP, i thought Dr Chen would know it better as to why my knee was hurting and I would be able to see Baby again, today, rather than on thurs! =D

Oki, so what's wrong with my knee? After examining me and deciding that there wasn't anything unusual such as swells, Doc felt that it was prob due to "overuse" that resulted in excessive rubbing of my soft bones. I didn't do anything extraordinary but i guess Baby's weight did add a strain to an especially long day of teaching on Saturday. Doc "ordered" me to rest and specifically told hubby, "Rest ah, no shopping ah. Absolutely NO shopping." And hey, before you start wondering, i wasn't shopping over the weekend. I rested for the whole of Sunday cos the pain was excruciating!
Doc then covered me with 2 days MC. I asked for a day but she gave me two. Contrary to the first trimester, i'm not feeling that stressed this time round cos i've covered the syllabus back in school and am in the midst of revision with my class. They are quite self-disciplined and motivated so i'm not too worried.

Since i couldn't move around, i ended up eating, reading and then deciding to explore the various modes of which i could upload pics onto my blog. Still havent quite gotten the hang of it. I'm quite an IT nerd. =p


Okie, how's Baby? Here's baby, weighing 1745 grams. =D =D



Today was another detailed scan of Baby but i didn't get to keep the other pics. Doc pitched Baby's growth against Baby's growth chart at Week 20. Baby is average, neither too big nor too small. =)

Star event of the day:
I saw the 4 valves of Baby's heart! They were beating away! Strong!

That was simply BEAUTIFUL and amazing! I had seen her heart flickering away but today was the first time i saw the 4 valves! I literally went "Wow...." It was simply amazing! Clear, defined valves.
I don't think i'll ever get the chance to see that again, unless Doc does another detailed scan.

And oh, Baby moved during the scan! She moved her hands a little and gave me a nudge! =D

And how abt my weight?
I've been good. Doc didn't question me about my weight gain cos i've only put on 2kg since my last visit 4 weeks ago. (Applause, please. =D) And hey, no gimmicks. I had my breakfast before i visited doc, i didn't try to cut down on anything. =)

However, I got "reprimanded" by doc for not being regular on my iron pills and DHA. =p
Oki, enuff excuses, i admit i was simply lazy. I promised i would try to be more regular. =p

And when's my next visit? 6 Nov 2007. =)

Mummy + Adri

Hubby commented recently that i haven been taking pics.
Well, i'm not one who likes to take pics but here's Baby Adri in my tummy at Week 31+.
Mummy + Baby weighing 60kg.

Am I big? =D

Back to Week 20...

Okie, these are pics of Baby Adri's detailed scan @ 2oth week.
I really wonder if anyone can figure anything out cos the pics are so small!
Squint, some of the parts are labelled! *wink*

Help!

I've never meant for this to be an outlet of frustrations but i guess this is what blogging is all about, right? As what Daph would have put it, it's an outlet for one to pour, to write whatever you wan to.

Honestly, I don't know who'll be reading this but i'm sharing in confidence cos most of you would have been personally "invited" by me to join me in my journey as a mummy.

HELP! SOMEBODY HAS BEEN REALLY IRRITATING ME AND I AM ABOUT TO BURST!

I shall not spell it out but some of you know who i'm referring to.

Now, does being an elder mean:-
1) you have the right to engage in careless talk? Make insensitive and ridiculous comments and thereafter forget all abt it and expect others to do likewise?
2) you have the right to ALWAYS find out what your children are doing despite the fact that they are all grown up?
I'm just terribly not used to this and i really don't like to be monitored. Makes me feel like a kid and honestly, it makes me wan to "rebel" and be spiteful.
Some are as such - ask for a yard when you'r given an inch.
3) make (unreasonable) demands and expect pple to oblige?

i pity my hubby. i seldom get direct dosages but hubby does.
(Ok, i seldom do, but I'm still fuming over the insensitive remark i heard over dinner last Sat. That was obsolutely unbelievable! One of the rare times that got me so upset!) Hubby's often frustrated but doesn't show, still very accommodating but as his wife, i see it all and i feel frustrated. I'm just so glad that hubby and i are staying on our own. If not, i think i' would have gone crazy long ago and/or relationship between hubby and i would have been terribly strained.

Now that Baby is coming, i'm expecting more "wars" between the MIL party and DIL camp. We'll see what happens. And ha, i guess now you know who i'm referring to.

Ok, i know what some are you are going to tell me - Honour your parents.
I AM TRYING.

Involuntary Movements...

The last round i tried to write, i fell asleep on my labtop. I hate to admit it but i'm getting more limited in many ways, getting really tired really easily. I miss my 2nd tri!
Hmm...Let's see if i can manage a post today.

I just marked tonnes of composition exam scripts cos school composition exam was on Wed (3 Oct) and I just don't have the energy to do anything else. Ended up surfing the net for a while..

Okie, so what have i been busy with? Work! What else? All teachers out there will know that the window just before examinations is the peak - we'll be busy clearing our markings in prep of our kids' revision.

That aside, I've been staring lots at my stomach lately. Not that i'm obsessed with myself. Trust me, i don't think any pregnant woman will feel very attractive at this point of time - a darken and bulging tummy that has a little bellybutton sticking out like a sore thumb, fats accumuating every where and swollen feet cos water retention. I lost count of the number of times i've asked Mart if i was fat! =p
Hmm, did i mention swollen feet? Yes, sadly but surely, my feet have begun to swell! The very week i hit 7th month preggy, my feet grew miraculously and i could no longer fit into those pretty baby doll shoes. Felt real clumsy cos i simply couldnt feel the ground! And yes, i did kick a few more dustbins in the office. =(

Okie, back to where i was. Why have i been staring at my belly? I have been trying to spot a little mould of Baby's feet or elbow or even hands but nah...haven had the chance to. Nonetheless, it has been an amusing experience. My belly moved involuntarily each time Baby moved. I love watching my tummy do the "Kallang Wave". Don't know what Baby has been doing but i literally see a hump move across my belly. The feeling? Ticklish! =D =D

Other than the Kallang Wave, it has been a great experience communicating with Baby. Place one hand on my belly and Baby responses by giving a little kick or push at exactly where i've placed my hand! =D Any karate kicks? Nope. Guess girls are more gentle. =D
Gee, those of you who grew up with me would know that i was very active and tom-boyish when i was a kid but i really hope that my baby won't take after me in this aspect. I pray that she'll have a gentle and sweet spirit. =) And oh, Baby's movements became more prominent! I've become really sensitive to her little turns and hiccups. She must have grown a lot! I look forward to our next meeting. That'll be on next thursday, 13 Oct. =)

And oh, many around me said i'm really BIG. I feel likewise and i feel really heavy. Just a few days ago, i dreamt that Baby came out at Week 35! My! Scary! =O
On a serious note, I have the hunch that Baby will come out earlier, say at Week 37 or 38 and that'll be NEXT MONTH! Reality is setting in and the very words "next month" seem really scaaarrryyy... I look forward to meeting Baby but honestly, I am apprehensive, the change is drawing nearer!
Hmm...do all mums-to-be feel this way?

Some Quick Thoughts..

Are you comfortable with silence? I am.
Are you comfortable with being alone? I am.
(Okie, i know i've been cranky of late but i really think it's seasonal and it's due to hormonal changes.)

Bumped into a relative when i was with some colleagues yesterday. She was with her two young kids. We tied the knot at around the same period some 5 years back and she went into the family planning route immediately and have been a stay-home mum since.

I wasn't very keen in striking a conversation but she was. Though we were only two years apart, we weren't very close and I was trying my very best not to sound too superficial. At the end of the chat, i thought she didn't sound very good, she sounded like she needed company and someone to talk to. She sounded as if life had not been very fulfilling for her. Her countenance wasn't as great as before. Well, perhaps i was reading too much into it.

I've been looking around and friends who are mums literally devote their whole lives to their kids. Their children became the centre of their lives and everything else seemed to have become secondary. Their conversations theme around children and more children and they rush home immediately after work. For some, it was children over job satisfaction (ie, accepting new job challenges and embracing growth of that nature). Needless to say, retail therapy and tea sessions are hard to come by. Okie, even sms chat sessions seemed to be strenuous for them!

Okie, enuff rattling. What's my point?
These wonderful mums probably gave up their dreams and private space for their children.
I've always been one who treasures my private space. Hubby and i had discussed this and he knows that. I definitely am one who needs "time out" to be by myself, be with my frens, doing things that i like. I've never been one who needs hubby to be around twenty-four-seven. In fact, i think i won't want him to be around twenty-four-seven. I need to breathe!

Now that my first child is on the way, i know life will be different. I really wonder if i'm prepared mentally. Sure, i love my baby and sacrifices are necessary but i don't wan my life to be centred around her. This thought has been haggling in my mind. I don't wan to give up persuing my dreams. I know dreams can be postponed but, for how long? I would still love to have my private space and I absolutely don't like the notion of "no choice".

One important question - how am i to strike a balance?
Will i be like one of my friends subconsciously and eventually become one of the norms?
Hmm..am i self-centred or is this struggle a "necessary evil"?

Adri @ 28 weeks! =D

I tried to be really cautious with my diet these few days cos i know i'm going to see Dr Chen today. I cut down on all the sweet stuff and drank more plain water instead of my usual nice, cold sugared drinks. I even planned to take my dinner AFTER my gynae visit, in hope that i would weigh slightly lighter but alas, that didn't quite work. =O

Not only did i shock doc further, i shocked the nurse too! With much disbelief, she politely requested of me to retake my weight. She couldn't believe that i had actually put on 4.7kg since my last visit (4 weeks ago). To my and her disappointment, the scale wasn't faulty. Hmm...i think i broke the record.

Now, how then did doc react this time?

Me: Hi, Dr Chen... *with a terribly guilty tone*
Dr : Hi, how are you?
Me: Good...
Dr : Have you been eating a lot of ice cream?
Me: I knew you are going to ask me that question. Erm....nope. (Honestly, i haven't been BUT i forgot that there were a few weeks where i was literally craving for ice kacang late at night and of course, my sweet hubby satisfied my cravings...=p)
Dr : Mooncakes?
Me: Erm, we only bought our mooncakes yesterday and i only took a tiny piece so the change couldn't have been overnight...
Dr : *laughs* So what caused the weight increase?

And the list of possibilities continued....
That was followed by a scan and phew, i didn't have to take the glucose test cos baby was growing well. I put on, so did baby! =D



Adri is now 28 weeks, 1.1kg! =D She's still facing downwards and according to the doc, that's good. =)

Well, we all know that babies grow very fast and their looks change too, esp to those whom they don't get to meet every day. Nevertheless, Mart and I just couldn't help but wonder who Adrielle looks like, esp after we've seen her last scan.
Check out the above scan pic - A top and not sideview scan pic.

Okie, these are our thoughts:-
Baby Adri probably has:
1) Mart's eyes. Look at the eye sockets....huge and buldging (Reminds me of my Mother-in-law's...)
2) Mart's jaw. Chubby and round! Mine's slightly squarish with a sharp chin and I have rather high cheek bones.
3) My forehead. Her forehead is broad and its shape looks like my father's!

Ok, we know that Baby's still developing and it's prob too early to tell but we just couldn't help it! =p

Another of my main takeaways - Doc's words - "Your tummy is going to get lots bigger within the next 4 weeks so be prepared.."

Oh oh, I'm already starting to feel really clumsy....A much bigger tum? I wonder how I'm going to move around. Slower? Panting while walking and stopping with every few steps? Kicking more dustbins in the office cos i simply can't see my feet anymore?
We'll see.

Baby Adri @ 24 Weeks!

Tmr's my next visit to the gynae's so i thought i should do an entry on my last visit.

As per usual, i was very excited to see Dr Chen (actually, more excited to see Baby Adri cos i only get to "see" her once a month!). After a short wait, the following was the conversation that ensued:

Me: Hi, Dr Chen!
Dr : What have you been eating? Have you been snacking?
Me: *Shocked* Er...no actually....No chocolates, no tidbits, no fried stuff for me because i feel queasy each time i take those stuff. No ice cream of late too..Why, Doctor?
Dr : You put on 4kg! That's a lot! The average weight gain for one at your stage should be about 2kg every month.
Me: Oops...i don't snack but i eat quite frequently. Or maybe i do snack. I "snacked" on bread every 1.5hours cos i feel really hungry! Should i cut down?
Dr : Hmm..luckily for you, you started off slightly underweight so you're still fine. No, don't cut since you are not snacking on unhealthy stuff like lots of chocolates. Some expectant ladies "feast" on chocs and ice-cream cos their cravings..

I wasn't perturbed at Dr Chen's remarks but very amused. I was tickled that she actually "greeted" me with an abrupt question instead of her usual checks on how i was doing. That probably meant that i must have put on
A LOT! I can still remember her expression. Funny!
Curious as to how much weight i had put on since Week 1 (til Week 24)? 9kg. Yup, only 9kg. I guess the sudden increase in rate shocked her.

Casually shared doc's comment with a colleague and he responded with something like "Your doc yoga instructor ah?" after finding out that i had only put on 9kg since week 1. That really got me laughing for days! =D

This is Baby Adri at 24 weeks. 600+ grams (Will update on her weight cos this mummy actually forgot Baby's weight the moment she stepped out of the gynae's room! If Mummy remembers, she'll ask doc tmr =p).
Mart and I were looking at her side view and wondering whose lips, nose and jaw she's taking after. Ha, conclusion? No conclusion? It's really hard to tell!



Baby is now 28 weeks. Excited I am, to my "meet-up" with her tmr =D And oh, I've put on another 4kg since week 24. I wonder how Doc is going to react this time...=D

Footprints...

Many come and go, few make an impact.

Was on my way home from my parents' place after dinner and was telling hubby that once again, i was really touched by my father's gesture of love - him, a traditional dad, asking me abt my health and offering to buy me more tonics even thou i've not even finished those which he had stuffed me with!

That led on to a short conversation between hubby and i about pple who had left footprints in our lives. There are just some whom you'll never forget. The encounters might have been short, but the impact is great!

I'm blessed. Even though it has only been a mere 6 months, there are many who had left little footprints in this window of pregnancy and i must say a BIG thank you to you:

Hubby - Dearie, your continuous support and love gives me strength to go
on. What would life be without you? Carrying our child is a wonderful
experience. Loving you more and more each day. =)

Parents - You're the best! Mum, just being there helps!
Your specially thought-through meals and regulated tonics. =)
Dad, need i say more?

Sis Michelle - The pillar of the family. Your sacrifical spirit and love
for us never fails to touch me. Of course, the dishes that you whip out warms my tummy! =D

Sis Jacq - Tips, esp shopping tips! You are an inspiration!
A pretty mummy you were! =D Your generosity too. All the stuff you've gotten for Baby and I.

Sis Cat - Thou far away at UK, your emails and smses warm my heart too. Hope to meet little Jasmine soon!

Bestie Daph - You were simply sweet. Always there, listening to my grouses and keeping me in check. And yes, inspiring me to be sweeter to the pple around me thru scrapbooking *wink* =)

Yusniza - It was fun "testing" it out with you (you know what i mean, right?) ! You're one of the best colleagues i ever had!

Mr V.T. - Your wisdom never fails to marvel me. Thank you for always being there. And of course, thank you for "keeping me in the dark" with the 70% dark and all other yummy stuff! *wink*

M.O. - Once again, for being gracious and bearing. I know i've been rather difficult of late.

Dear family and frens, if i had so absent-mindedly left you out from the abv list, no offence okie? You know u mean a lot to me too.. =)

This tired mummy just yawned. I wanted to turn in earlier but i thought i should pen down my thoughts while i'm inspired and before i lose them all. Poured, happy and pleased.

A brand new term starts tmr. I'm not exactly looking forward cos it's going to be the most busy term but i know i must embrace it. Finish this race and i'll be able to spend quality time with Baby Adri. I look forward to end Nov...

Changes...

Met up with bestie for a while at SDU today. Hey, before you shriek and exclaim "What?!", it's not the SDU as in the organisation that conducts match-making sessions for graduates but "Scrapbook Design University". Cool huh? I never knew such a place existed til 2 months ago. Yup, my bestie introduced that expensive hobby to me and honestly, i'm hooked to it (erm....more hooked to the process of buying and wanting to own all those pretty embellishments actually. Up to date, i've only created 5 pages and a few cards =p)

Anyway, before we met, we were smsing each other and she was grousing about having nothing to wear, about how she spent hours rummaging thru her wardrobe, in futile attempts to look for clothes she could fit in. I recall doing that too and feeling really depressed over being unable to fit into my wardrobe *sob sob*. Well, despite that, bestie still looked great! She looked radiant. Her countenance was very different from when she was in her first trimester. And, that inspired me to do a quick recollection of my very own changes during my first and 2nd tri...I'll be crossing over to my 3rd tri this coming Tues (11.09.07).

Let's see how much this scattered-brain mummy can remember.

Okie, 1st trimester.

Lots and lots of puking! Still remember my first throw-up to be at 6 weeks. That was when I tasted Colgate! Mine wasn’t just morning sickness, it was all throughout the day! It was a routine for me to throw up first thing in the morning and just before I sleep. Not forgetting the several unexpected sessions in between. At the end of my 1st tri, I had grown really immuned to puking that I didn’t even need Mart around to pat me anymore! There was even one session where I was smsing while hugging the toilet bowl! Thankfully, all these stopped the moment I was 14 weeks.

My immunity was down, way down, and I was falling ill every few days! That brought about waves and waves of influenza and left me with almost zero energy for work. My MC rate increased (honestly, I couldn’t help it) and work anxiety peaked cos I got worried over my pupils’ work and that definitely didn’t help in the recovery process.

With regard to classes on Saturdays, I recall the many times when I msged my boss and told him that I couldn’t make it for class. I was absenting myself so frequently that I was expecting myself to be sacked cos I had seen teachers come and go. But he didn’t. Boss told me that he was not one who would fire someone cos illnesses. I was really touched and I appreciated him (I still do!) for being so bearing and gracious.

Now, clothes. The most painful process was when I had to archive my clothes and count the options I was left with (that didn’t even fill one shelf!). I recall staring at my wardrobe and praying that I would still be able to fit into those beloved pieces after I’ve delivered. Depressed? Definitely! Hence, I could absolutely identify with how bestie felt. Shopping? The irony is, although I was a shopaholic, I had absolutely zero mood to shop cos I just didn’t have the energy! What I needed was rest and more rest.

2nd Trimester
Now, I’m yet another to vouch for the saying “2nd trimester is the best”! It indeed is. My energy level picked up and Mart and I managed to do quite a lot of shopping. We shopped for both mummy and baby. Well of course, baby was the priority. And honestly, I’m glad we did that cos I’m beginning to feel more tired now that I’m about to cross over to my 3rd tri.

My immunity level picked up cos I was able to resume to supplements like Vitamin C pills and tonics. Those energy boosters really helped. =D My appetite picked up too. I was feeding baby and myself every 2 hours! Up to date, I’ve put on12kg! =)

Physical appearance? What else other than getting bigger and bigger? Thankfully, no pig trotters! =D

Mentally? Scattered-brain syndrome. I was having a tough time at remembering details. I literally had post-it notes to remind myself of my daily tasks, right to the nitty-gritty of the questions I needed to ask someone. =(

Emotionally, I went on a roller-coaster ride! I’ve always deemed myself to be a rather independent lady who is rather task-oriented. When I’m at work, not that I meant to, but Mart would be totally out of my mind. During this period however, I recall shocking and amusing my colleagues with “I miss my hubby” half-through work. Back at home, there were also times where I missed my hubby so much that I actually cried myself to bed! Boy, I was shocked at myself! Not that he was far away at some foreign country, he was just out on a social gathering! U see, i was totally fine even when he went on his weeks of reservists throughout these 9 years (4 years of courtship + 5 years of marriage) . There was also this once where I teared for a whole 2hours for two consecutive days! And, that was for no particular reason. Boy, that was when the alarm within me rang and I knew I had to guard my emotions lest I fell into depression. Shared with hubby eventually and he was really sweet and attentive. Thankfully, those nonsensical sobbing sessions never did occur again. Now that I recall, I really shudder. I just couldn’t help it, I couldn’t control my emotions at all! Many would attribute that to hormonal changes. Well, I don’t intend to refute that, but I choose to believe that we can always will and exercise certain degree of self-control. Of course, that’s only when one is self-aware.

Now that I’m going to be 7 months preggy soon, I’m expecting further changes. Will update as those come along! =D

Sonographer's Fret!

I went for my detailed scan at Thomson Medical Centre on 19.7.07. The sonographer confirmed that Baby's a girl! Yayyyy! =D

Adrielle Wong Ke-en. That's your name, Baby. No more "What ifs". =D

The whole procedure took only (only?) 30 minutes! Ha, Baby gave the sonographer a tough time. All throughout the scan, she was going "Aye yo..." for she had never seen a baby as active as mine. As for me, i was trying real hard to contain my giggles cos a wobbly tummy would have given her a tougher time. The sonographer was literally frowning all thru. Ok, dun ask me why, I just found it funny. Baby was turning non-stop inside me! The sonographer even mentioned that there was a point where Baby was kneeling - a position that she had never seen any baby in. And oh, she wasn't an inexperienced sonographer. =)

Hmm...i really wonder why Baby moved that much that day. Unprecedented. Was it the rays that disturbed her? Worth some thought and research.

I wanted to upload Baby's scanned pics but there were just too many cos it was a detailed scan, so i decided on the following instead:



Me at 20 weeks. =)

Baby's 4th Visit to the Gynae's...

I woke up with a shock today. My nose was bleeding! It wasn't the first time that happened but boy, today's was quite excessive. And that was followed by giddy spells that almost caused me to black out. Hence, my original plan to upload something about Baby had to be postponed til much later, now, after several hours of "nap".

This is Baby's 4th scan pic. She was 16 weeks old! It was during this scan that Dr Chen tried to confirm Baby's gender. I recall giving her a real shock with my yelp of "Yes, I wan!" when she asked me if I had wanted to find out Baby's gender. She was actually startled cos she had yet to see someone who was as excited as I was. Well, I just couldn't help it, afterall, I only get to "meet" Baby once a month!




Dr Chen tried scanning her from all angles but Baby had her legs crossed real tightly. Well, she managed to catch a little glimpse but couldn't confirm her gender as the "labia" (i hope i've got the spelling right) weren't properly formed yet. So she said, "It's likely to be a girl." Ha, that affirmed Mummy's instinct! Somehow, i was rather set on the name "Adrielle" and knew that Baby was going to be a girl. We were absolutely ready with a name for a baby girl but undecided on one for a boy *tsk tsk...*

One other significant event that took place during that scan was, Dr Chen did a coloured 3D scan, in attempt to show us Baby's features! But my little baby had her arms crossed right over her face! How strategic! So, poor excited Mummy and Daddy didn't get to catch a glimpse of how she looked like. =O On the high side, that kept us looking forward to meeting her.

P.S. I'm getting really scattered-brain these days. Hence I'm trying to pen down as much as I can before I lose it. =p

Baby's Name...

This scrapbook page explains why we chose to name baby Adrielle. =)
Her chinese name + meaning is there too! =D

1st Movement Spotted! =D

Oh my! Baby moved! I went for my 3rd scan and I saw Baby move! She was having hiccups and she tilted her head slightly and bobbed a little. I thought I was seeing things but Dr Chen assured that I wasn't! That was extremely cute! Look at how beautiful she was! Perhaps, her previous (burnt) pic hindered a little but she seemed to have grown so much within just a month! Isn't that amazing? And oh, she was 11 weeks old, 5.17cm.

Terrible Pic Quality?

Huh? What's that? Baby's pic? Yes, you're absolutely right! These are baby's 2nd pic. Technically, these two pics are the same. Okie...let me explain what happened...

The extremely elated mummy (eh-hem, that's yours truly) was really eager to preserve baby's picture and guess what she did? She actually tried to laminate the pic! Okie, the first pic is what's left of the pic after it went through the lamninator. Silly right? It didn't occur to me that the pic was printed on thermal paper and yes, sadly but surely, i "burnt" my baby's picture! *sob sob*
Any backups? No. I had not scanned the pic beforehand. =(
And the 2nd pic? Got a fren to help to "rescue" the pic with Photoshop and that's the best he could come up with.
Spot the difference? Spot the baby?

Okie, some details about baby. It was during this 2nd visit that Mart and I saw her heartbeat. It was extremely faint and weak but once again, I was flooded with gratitude and I couldn't help but marvel in "disbelief" that there was a life within me. I smiled, I rejoiced, and I knew from that moment that she was my charge, my responsibility.

In my womb rested Baby, 6 weeks old, 1 inch + in length, expected to arrive to this world on 6 Dec 2007 =)

Baby's 1st Pic!

Are you able to make out where baby is? To be awfully truthful, I can't, even though I'm her mummy! This pic was taken during my first visit to the gynae. She was only 4 weeks old! Only 1+ cm! How amazing! Even though she wasn't quite formed, I really marvelled at creation. The thought of a life growing within me really tickled me...The excitement was indescribable! =D

Inspiration

I'm definitely not one who will spend hours to pen my thoughts down, especially on virtual pages like these! Friends who know me will know that the goggle box or retail therapy tops the list anytime! Well, why such a blog then? As the title suggests, this is dedicated to my precious baby! Now, dear friends and family, updates to Baby Adrielle can be found here! I'm keeping my fingers crossed..I hope I will update this regularly (If you know what happened to my friendster account and previous blog, you'll know what i mean...=p) .

A first post is a good start. Okie, I plan to upload some pics of my baby. I have only managed to download the free photo software today. Have yet to figure out how it works. Given my natural inclination to "turn away" from the labtop, I think the updates will take quite a while. Pardon the tired mum-to-be? =D