24 weeks

Baby sensations:
Mopi has been kicking a lot more. The kicks are stronger now. Little karate chops. Hyaaaaayah! But they are still sporadic and there's no real time when she's particularly active. She seems to kick most when I am lying down on my back, probably in protest as I've read that's when space is most constricted. Incidentally, she seems to kick a lot when I pay mahjong as well. Maybe she likes the clicketyclack of the tiles. Now that she kicks a lot, if I don't feel anything for a while I poke at my tummy trying to get her to respond, usually in vain. She does what she wants! When I was feeling really ill last week it was nice to feel her kick, kinda reassuring to know she was alright and that I wasn't all alone in my suffering. Hope the meds didn't affect her too much. Poor doped up baby!

Baby's likes and dislikes:
She doesn't really like classical music, especially hates opera (or maybe that's just me). She seems to like Enya though. During one particular song, she kicked for quite an extended period of time in rhythm to the music. Hilarious! But maybe that's only funny to me...

At this month's prenatal visit we learnt that:
All test results came back clean. Mopi is at very very low risk of neural tube defects and down syndrome. Thank God!
Risk of NTD: 1 in 10000
Risk of Down: 1 in 1425
(Age related Down risk 1 in 538)

Anyway, I got to see some pretty cool pictures this visit to Dr R's. D didn't make it coz we had already been to see Dr AT and Dr Y in Singapore. Dr R put up a 4D (what does that mean?) scan and you could really see quite clearly a picture of Mopi floating around and waving away. It was surreal. Dr R says it becomes even more so in the coming months coz the face will become more detailed - and at the very end we'll be able to see what Mopi looks like even before she pops out!

It's still not so clear but here's a pic of the bubs - she was waving her arm at us all through this scan. Helllooooo!

This month has been:
REALLY TOUGH. Somehow I got me the shingles. And it was such a horrible, painful, disgusting experience.

We went to see Dr R who confirmed it and he gave me some painkillers and cream. But the rash progressively got worse. It was like some flesh eating virus. Blisters popped up the size of grapes and in fact, were in clusters like grapes. The pain was BAAAD - a deep stabbing, relentless, pounding sensation. GIVE ME AN EPIDURAL ALREADY!

Finally, I caved in and went to see a specialist who painstaking explained to D and I the risks associated with taking the meds. So the three of us weighed up the pros and cons and I went on the meds. Ahhhhh drugs. *Bliss*

The blisters have popped and gone crusty (yum yum) and I am feeling stronger, though not enough to venture out of the house as yet, which is why this blog is getting so much attention!