31 Weeks

As time goes on, you are becoming more of a reality. A little human.

Look how your little cheeks have filled out over the last month...

At this month's prenatal visit, the doctor told us not only can you open and close your eyes, but you've even got little eyelashes to bat.

You are really active! You are always on the move. The doc had a bit of a laugh as he tried to measure your thigh bone, check your heart and your tummy. You wriggled and squiggled all about.

Your busiest time of day is in the mornings and in the evenings, usually when I am lying down. I guess when I lie down it gets pretty squishy in there and you keep trying to make more room.

You now make fewer big movements, like somersaults, but you make up for it by kicking harder. Ow!

Also, you stretch a lot. For the last week, you've been sticking out a foot or a fist quite regularly. It feels really weird having a lump suddenly - and sometimes violently - appear out of my tummy. For some reason, that mostly happens on my right side and up top.

I've been getting a burning sensation right in the middle of my chest. It seems my intestines are all squashed up there and sometimes when you kick up top, it really hurts. Combination heartburn and karate move. Nice.

You've also had a few bouts of hiccups. The first time I felt it was about a week ago. I sent D an sms and your grandmother. She thought it was so cute and she told all her friends about it. "Really ah? Babies can hiccup inside ah?", she asked her other grandma friends. Already she is carrying on about you and you are not even born!

You know someone said to me, "No one will think your baby is as interesting as you." And it's SO TRUE! There really is nothing worse than hearing a mother - or a grandmother - going on and on. So we'll try to keep it all in the family - or on your blog here!

Colostrum... huh?

I first noticed a "pearl" a while back... maybe when I was about 20-ish weeks.

It was kinda weird. Kinda gross.

I told C about it and she was all gushy: "Ohhh S, you have colostrum!"

Well since then, there have been more pearls.

Yesterday, I realised that I had some slight grazes, a bit of skin had come off and had healed over.

All I can say is that the internet is a wonderful thing. The things you learn....

Colostrum

It is possible for a woman to start producing 'colostrum' any time after about 14 to 16 weeks of the pregnancy. Colostrum is the first fluid a woman's breasts produce and is a clear or creamy-yellow substance that is syrupy in consistency. It is possible for some women to hand express colostrum from their nipples during pregnancy, or to slightly leak colostrum occasionally, especially if this is not your first baby. (Be aware that leaking colostrum during pregnancy does not happen for every woman and your milk may not become obviously noticeable until after your baby is born.) If you are leaking colostrum and it is becoming annoying, you may need to wear breast pads inside your bra.

It is normal for some women to notice a small amount of blood mixed with the colostrum that may come away during pregnancy. This comes from within the breast and is caused by the rapid growth of blood vessels in the growing ductal system, in preparation for breastfeeding. Also, drops of blood may also be seen on the bra because the sticky colostrum temporarily 'glues' the nipple to the inside of the bra and a tiny bit of nipple skin is removed with the bra, which does heal.

A little practice for D

First off, I have to say that at seven and a half months, my belly button has still not exploded! That must be some sort of record! C thinks I must have had a really, really deep innie. But anyway, it's going to pop out soon... and then I can clean it properly for the first time in my life. Ha! Nice.

Yesterday, we went to a yum-cha brunch with C and N at the Westin and D got a little taste of what is to come.

Baby B was a little bored and needed to be entertained. He sat on his mother's lap through lunch, then Dad took him for a lap or two around the restaurant, and then he was back in his mother's lap.

I thought I would relieve her for a while so I took him. But soon after, the desserts arrived! Yum yum yum. These days I have a very sweet tooth! So I passed B to D.

While we all tucked into dessert, B happily sat on D's lap watching the cars whizz by from the window. After about 15 mins, he wriggled his way into a lying position, did a few stretches and promptly fell asleep!

B kept a firm hold on D's finger, which he didn't dare remove for quite a while in case B woke up.


How will we be able to eat out with... no hands?!?!

All in all, I think D had him for 40 mins, if not more. Well done, I say, coz I know D will be able to handle the baby when I'm off for APPLETINIS with the gals!


I can't wait!

All wrapped up

Swear-by-swaddling mums have convinced me that a tightly wrapped baby is the way to go - for the first couple of months at least.

Some people do not swaddle, believing the baby should be allowed to "explore". But even C, who didn't swaddle, says to DEFINTELY do so.

So I flipped through Baby-gami, a book we got from KT. I looked at all the different ways of swaddling and let me tell you, folding a crane is nothing compared to this. Pretty complicated... especially with a wriggling baby.

Errr... and then?

But luckily, K came to the rescue! She swears by 'The amazing miracle blanket' which according to all reports makes swaddling easy-peasy.

I took AGES deciding what colour to get. K said to get a pretty colour. M said to get pink and then lavendar with pink trim.

Well, I just ordered two online for Pinz to bring back from Washington DC for Mopes.

Bet you won't guess what colours D and I picked!

School's in... and OUT!

Many women work through their pregnancy up until the day they give birth. In Singapore, there is three months of maternity leave and then working women are back at their places of employment.

Well, thank God I am not working (though I think if I were, I could and it'd be ok coz I'd be in a routine) but I was going to finish up my degree before Mopi's arrival.

But when I went through a couple of lectures and my course materials yesterday, I was like... G.A.H!!!!!

So, this is what ensued...

To: Faculty of Arts, Postgraduate Student Support Centre
I have one more unit to complete to fulfil my MA graduation requirements. However, I am due to deliver in April/May and I am not sure if I will be able to complete the unit. As such, I'd like to inquire when the cut off date is for withdrawing without penalty. Also, if I do withdraw, do I have to complete my remaining unit this year or or can I resume studies in 2007?

To: Me
The deadline to withdraw from semester 1 units without financial or academic penalty is 31 March. Another option you might like to consider is to intermit (defer) for either semester 1 or for 2006. This way you can keep your place within the course. If you wish to do this, the deadline is also 31 March. If you wish to intermit semester 1 after that date you will liable for the tuition fees. Please let me know if you wish to intermit and I can complete the paperwork on your behalf and forward it to Student Administration for processing.

To: Faculty of Arts, Postgraduate Student Support Centre
Thanks so much for your prompt response. After considering your advice, I will defer for this year and resume in semester 1 2007. Thanks so much for your help.

Then I told Pinny about my decision via MSN:
P: i think u will be very busy w the baby
S: i only have ONE unit to complete to GRADUATE. how lazy is this!
S: ...and i could finish my dissertation before the baby is due in may
S: ...could.... should....
S: ...but WON"T!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
P: ...but u can write nice blogs
Q.E.D.

Grumblezzzzzzz

I don't know why but sleep has been eluding me.

For a very long time now, I haven't been able to sleeeeep, as in really SLEEP. Like when your brain and body gets swaddled tight in a deep, dark, comfy coccoon... which then cracks open at just the right time, to leave you all refreshed and energetic... And you float as light as a feather through the day...

Well, 'tis but a distant memory.

Last night for example, I went to bed at 11pm but my mind kept on clicking over - mostly about nothing - till almost 2. Then when D woke up at 6.30am for work, PING! I woke up too.

Very frustrating.

So each morning I wake up with a pseudo hang-over, very sad b'coz I don't even have the pleasure of spending the night before indulging in some bubble trouble.

To make matters worse, I have a neck crink on the right.

Nice.

As you can tell, I'm all grumpy.

Mopi needs a walk-in wardrobe

D was kinda freaked to see piles of baby clothes overflowing from Mopi's cupboard, so this afternoon I thought I would get them in some sort of order.

Believe it or not, in that mess I actually found a full wardrobe for several age groups: 0-3mths, 3-6mths, 6-9mths, quite a substantial number of outfits for 9-12mths, and I even have one outfit for 12-18mths.


I really don't know how that happened!

I was shopping for newborn clothes but... people must have shoved those other cute little outfits into my shopping basket when I wasn't looking!

Anyway, D has banned me from buying Mopi more clothes.

;P














Besides little hats and socks (she has 12 pairs!), I can't seem to resist buying cool drool catchers! So kerrrrute!


D: Does she really need NINE newborn bibs?!?!?!

That kinda reminds me of handbag shopping -
D: Do you really need ANOTHER handbag?

Duh!

On another note, I am trying to get stuck into a more vigourous exercise routine again. It seems that one needs to be fit to pop a baby out!

So I've been heading to Fit4Two for aerobics, hopping on the cross-trainer and I am picking up the clubs again.

With the December to February festivities, my shingle-shangle illness and moving house kerfuffles, it's been a while since I've ventured onto the golf course. So yesterday, I went to the range for a bit of a hit.

At first, I felt kinda weird swinging the 7 iron and then I realised it's because I have put on quite a bit of bump since I last played. But it wasn't the bump giving me problems, it was my chest getting in the way!

After yesterday's session, I was all prepared to play 9 holes today but the weather here has been VERY HOT and humid, so D thought it'd be wise to sit it out. We're going to play early tomorrow morning instead.

But that doesn't mean he's going to give up on an afternoon of golf. He's gone off to have a round with S, so I am going to munch on very nutritious butter and salt popcorn and watch Elizabeth Town. okbye!

The credit card is still sizzling

We’ve coasted along into the third trimester. Mopi is at 29+ weeks and considering a baby is considered full-term at 37, there doesn't seem that long to go.

Having practically done zip to prepare for her arrival, I had a little panic fit this week, which forced me to sort out my to-do/to-buy list (which basically meant collating must-have lists from Kirri, Claire and Yvette - thanks guys!) and head to the shops.

And amazingly, I sorted out all the little necessities that Mopi will need in her first month... or three!

Now, you would think that me being ME, shopping would have been quite fun. But it was agonising!

An example: On Thursday, I went to the 1Utama Mall and spent AGES trying to figure out which brand of diapers to buy, which Sebamed baby wash was better value from which pharmacy, and if Winnie the Pooh looked too scary on the travel mosquito net. I got there at 10.45am and didn't leave till 5.30pm! I didn't even sit down for 5 minutes during the entire time!

Luckily, I was like an energy bunny this whole week. They call it the nesting instinct in pregger books.


The big ticket items have already arrived or are on order.

We ended up buying this Stokke Xplory Pram in red, which if you remember I had my eye on for a verrrry long time.

And here’s Mopi's cot (it has a matching change table) in her room under a Kessler doggie painting and a couple of cute bed sets which we got her:


So all in all, I'm done except for a few bits and pieces to pick up from Mothercare. They go on sale next month so am waiting till then to finish up.

'Cuse me, can I have a low-fat no-foam decaf latte, please!

Our names are down for antenatal classes

Today, I signed us up for ante natal classes at Gleneagles Hospital over three Saturdays from 2-4pm.

Session 1
* the delivery process
* pain management

Session 2
* breathing techniques for labour and delivery
* pre and post natal exercises

Session 3
* common problems in infants
* breastfeeding
* how to bathe your baby
* tour of nursery and labour rooms

I think we need it coz we're not very into the entire process. Here's an example -

Last night's conversation:
Me: We're supposed to be talking to the baby, you know.
D: But how am I supposed to talk to your stomach?
Me: I know, it's weird.
D: It's like you tlaking to my foot. Here, you try!
...And he proceeds to shove his toes in my face.

Nice.

Mopi's CNY loot

Last night was Chap Goh Mei, the fifteenth day after Chinese New Year, marking the end of celebrations - and of the giving and receiving of ang pows.

Despite being rather itsy-bitsy, Mopi managed to collect some red packets.

Most people were rather pantang about giving, but some aunties were quite insistent: "For luck!", "For good fortune!", "For a fat, healthy baby!", and the best one from D's 5th Auntie in KL, "So she slides out fast fast!"


First deposit into the $uper-$aver a/c?

ps: I just opened the red packets and two were empty! And the culprit? Mopi's own father! No wonder his gambling luck has been really stupendous!

27 weeks

So I was right!

Mopi did become a watermelon overnight - well, since the last u/s anyway. We went to see Dr R on Wednesday and she has doubled in size! She was about 500g during the last scan and now she's just under 1kg.

I said to Dr R: "She kinda just popped out suddenly!"

His reply: "It's been known to happen."

Oh-kayyy...

I think I've piled on the kilos too. Scary, considering there's still quite a long way to go. My tummy is feels especially heavy towards the end of the day, when there is a kind of achy pressure down there (you know where).

Anyway according to Dr R, there's nothing to worry about. He even said I can still play golf! No excuses for getting out of exercising...

So it was really reassuring to see Mopi moving around this visit - especially after the shingles/mega-medication debacle.

Even Dr R commented on how active she was when he had a look-see. She kicked up quite a fuss when the doc roused her from her slumber to take all her measurements.

As you can see the pictures are getting clearer and clearer each month.

Her face was very close to the wall... we have a few squishy face photos too!

We've already established she has my pointy chin. Unfortunately, I think she also has my flat nose instead of D's nice pointy one.

D's response yet again? "Ohhhhhhhhhh Nooooooooooo!"

With three months to go, let's just hope Mopi develops her father's lean, long legs instead of my Little Lotta's!

Dancing baby

It's been a long time since I've been out in the sun.

On Sunday, I decided to follow D to the club and catch some rays, taking care to keep my rather raw post-shingle torso in the shade.


While D whipped up and down the pool, Mopi and I listened to some cool tunes on the iPod.

And she really loved it!

She was whirlin' n twirlin' n kickin' n groovin'...

Mopi is a watermelon

I think Mopi has had a major growth spurt.

For the last three days, my tummy has been feeling so heavy. Walking around the house, I even use my hands to help carry the watermelon that has become my stomach.

It was such a sudden thing. Overnight. Pop! Out came the tum. Waaaay out.

***

On another note, I've been confused for the longest time.

We know pregnancies last for 9 months, right?

Wrong.

Doctors calculate the gestation period and the various milestones over a period of 40 weeks. They start counting from when you get your period so for most of the first month, one isn't really pregnant at all.

Anyway 40 weeks = 10 months right?

So being at about 25 weeks, I've been telling everyone that I am 5 months pregnant. I thought in layman's terms, one would discount the first month.

Thus, 25 weeks - 4 weeks (for the first month) = 21 weeks, which is 5 months right?

Wrong.

I've JUST discovered that I am actually one more month pregnant that I thought!

In fact, I'm six and a half months pregnant.

ALREADY!?!?!

You see, last night Mopi was being particularly active and so was my mind. I just couldn't get to sleep. So I decided to flip through What to expect when you are expecting - a book I discarded after about 10 weeks. (Pregnancy books are tres zzzz... and I am also scared to read the last chapters so I stop halfway!)

According to the book, the 40 weeks so work out to 9 months:

First Trimester
Month 1: 1-4 weeks
Month 2: 5-8 weeks
Month 3: 9-13 weeks

Second Trimester
Month 4: 14-17 weeks
Month 5: 18-22 weeks
Month 6: 23-27 weeks --->>> ME! at 25 weeks!

Third Trimester
Month 7: 28-31 weeks
Month 8: 32-35 weeks
Month 9: 36-40 weeks

This is just really scary... coz I'm really quite advanced at 6.5 months, aren't I?

D-Day looms... and I still don't understand the maths of it all.

But the good news is, I've still got my innie!

More space needed for Mopi

So we've gone and found Mopi a new home.

It was quite a quick decision. We saw the place on Friday and we loved it. So we immediately put in an offer and it was approved this afternoon. We move in on the 7th of February - in two weeks!

The place is huge. There are two levels with a great view of the Twin Towers.

The first floor has a kitchen, dining area, lounge and a guest room. The second floor has a little family sitting area, master with study and three bedrooms. One bedroom will be Mopi's nursery and one will be turned into my study/office.

No doubt, there'll be lots of room for Mopi to crawl about.

Our new home is just upstairs from where we are. So we're moving on up from 9 to 23A, which is actually 24 but the Chinese don't like the number 4.

Chinese people are so superstitious. The landlord said to D: "You better check if the date is ok with your feng shui guy, coz it's the Fiery Year of the Dog, you know!"

Do people really have a feng shui guy on call?

While it may be the same block of apartments, but it will still be quite an effort to shift all our stuff.

We're getting movers, so hopefully it won't be too stressful. I'll just sit back and point: there, here, there, upstairs, room two... chop chop!

Anyway, it's quite exciting as Mopi will have her own room and since we'll be all settled in our new place by mid-February, I can take my time doing up the nursery.

So many options!

No pinks though!

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!

Baby bag

I thought this may be cute to carry Mopi's things about town...



... then I discovered the price.

A mere USD$498.

Mopi's chin

There's no doubt, she's got my pointy chin!

When I discovered this, I showed D and he was like: "OH NOOOOooooooooooo! She's gonna look like you!"

Nice.

Not!

21 weeks

The first time I felt you kick:
[Saturday 10 December] It was in the deep dark hours of the morning and I was kinda awake, which is the norm these days. Sleepless nights. Anyway, I was just lying there on my side trying to will myself back to sleep. It was quiet and still... and suddenly I felt this little sensation in my tum. I wondered for a while if it was gas or a tummy rumble but I think it was the baby.

It felt like:
Blowing bubbles through a straw in a big glass of water. You know, bubble bubble blub blub blub. But it was a very slight sensation not violent or strong. Anyway, I thought it quite interesting but I didn't feel super excited, not enough to wake D and certainly not enough to not go back to sleep. So that's what I did, I went back to sleep.

I discussed this movement with P and she said her sensation is like a snake crawling under sand. Hmmm.

I told D on sat night and he was like "How come you didn't tell me sooner?" I dunno.

At this month's prenatal visit:
We found out that MOPI IS A GIRL!!!!!! We did the scan in Singapore as we were there for the Christmas break.

WHEE!!!!!!!!!

Apparantly, if you see three lines it's a girl and if you see one beeeg one, it's a boy. Go figure. We did a super dooper scan and everything is "normal" and "good" and positive - oh, except for a low lying placenta.

Stocking up

Mopi's taking up quite a but of space now... or maybe it's all the turkey, christmas pudd and nachos over Christmas.

The baby is moving a lot more now and since Monday night there have been rather distinctive kicking. D felt it too but until I said: "Did you feel that?", he thought I was gassing in my tummy. The kicking isn't rhythmic like people have told me to expect but rather a thud now and then. It's kinda weird.

Today, we're off to check out the Robinsons sale. Life as I know it is over.

Mopi's first Christmas present

All the way from America...

16 weeks

The best bit of advice I've received is:
To check out all the baby stuff that I would need and then wait for the sales to come... then to just grab them then!


This month's ultrasound was:
[Monday 28 November] A HUGE let down! We were supposed to be able to find out if Mopi is a GIRL or a boy this visit but the baby wouldn't turn around. The baby kept its back and butt to us and refused to flip over. Despite all the prodding and poking, Dr R just couldn't get Mopi to turn. Finally, we managed to isolate Mopi's legs but then the baby wouldn't spread them! ARGH! Anyway, the baby's heart rate was at a rapid 158! Everything else was normal - blood flow, placenta, head, brain, spine etc. Dr R also took a LOT of blood for a series of tests and indicators for Down's and other congenital abnormalities. Ow.

Spilling the beans

Well, we got the all-clear and we started telling... though I must say D spilled the beans a few times when he wasn't supposed to.

Everyone was really happy for us and most people were like, "It's about time!"

*Rolls eyes*

From New York:

From London:

From Singapore:

And a grin-inducing email from Colorado:
YIPPEEE! I am SO happy for you!!! I think about you and your bub to be all the time!!!! Hope she's doing well ;) Can't wait to hear more!!!! Ill have to start reading your blog again. It's bound to be hilarious. Pregnancy is pretty weird..... Anyway, I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy for you!!!!!! You will have such a beautiful little one!!!!!! I can hardly wait for you!!!!Take care. I will keep sending baby dust, and just so you know, it has always been pink. - Kizaroonie

The first thing we bought for Mopi

It was on sale so I couldn't resist.


How cute is this little outfit!

12 weeks

What I'm enjoying the most about my pregnancy so far is:

Some foods seem to taste sooooooooo gooooood - like cold Twix bars and Almond Caramel Auntie Ann's pretzels.

The strangest advice I've received is:
Don't hang anything up on walls... supposedly the knocking is bad might give the baby a hole in the had or something.

Names that I've been thinking of:
But not necessarily like all that much: Isabelle, Riley, Olivia for a girl and Lachlan, Riley, Keiren for a boy.

Girl or boy? I think you will be a:
Girl! PLEASE BE A GIRL!!!!!!!!!!!

The old wives tales predict:
D: Pink
Mum: Pink
Dad: ?
RK: Blue
Dr: ?
Keng: Blue
Marilyn: Pink
C: Pink
Yvette: Blue
Smell: Blue

At my prenatal visit this month I found out that:
[Friday 28 October] Cramping is normal... Turns out cramps are caused by the stretching of the lingaments and uterus.

On the U/S we saw Mopi crouched in a boxer pose. So D has nicknamed the baby "The Boxer" but that is just too blue for me. Veto!