Just Joanne

November Instragram-med

2011-12-15T16:28:00.000+08:00

So far, November and the first half of December have been great and filled with absolute fun! (unpleasantness at work does not count)

And I can foresee an equally good second half of December since it's just 9 more sleeps to Christmas Day! Woot!

Actually the last week of October was good too! Had a smashing time in Korea with bestie Chioz but I am saving that for another post =)

I mean who doesnt love Christmas? (Grinch does not count!)

Christmas seems to be the one festive season celebrated by all race and religions (at least it is over here in Singapore). The chinese (buddhist, taoist, etc), malays (muslim), indians (hindu, sikh) and people of other ethnicities exchange gift with one another at home and at work

Tis the season to be jolly la la la la la la la la la

Clearly you can tell I am in a very jolly mood *grins from ear to ear and nods head vigorously*

Anyway, I digressed. I have summarized how I spent November 2011 in instagram pictures

Be warned, instagram overload ahead!

Studio Shots

Alexa turned 11mo on 7 November and we brought her to Your Thousand Words for

studio shots and the pictures turned out really well!

ps: I still have not done Alexa's milestones' post for the past 3 mths (10mo to 1yo) arghhhh

Boating Trip

The weather on that day had been kind to us! Though it drizzled a lil at around 3ish or 4ish
but that didnt dampen our already heightened mood (booze played a part in the mental
state of the girls. As for me, I was lightheaded from the motion sickness! Puked alot but it
was great fun nevertheless)

Our fuel (booze and food) and the hot bikini babes :)

The usual suspects: bubblies + Joy, Alice, Moi and Ser

Smoking hot lovelies

Swimtime and toilet break heh

Bi-Annual Penang Trip

Stayed at Lone Pine Hotel again when I was holidaying in Penang and I picked Super Deluxe Room.
Super LOVE the room! It is especially huge and it comes with a separate room with a a daybed. I
personally prefer this room to the Garden Premier Room I stayed in May this year

The balcony of the deluxe room is different from any other I have stayed in. It has a bathtub on it!
Super awesome kan? Having said that, I didnt get to enjoy the bathtub since I was alone with Alexa
and surely I cant leave her alone in the room while I soak myself in the bathtub in the balcony. Alexa,
see how much mama have sacrificed for you?

Swimtime with Alexa at Lone Pine Hotel, my precious precious baby :)

Mad love for Lone Pine Hotel. Both times I was there, I only had praises for it and I love how peaceful
and quiet the place is. My kind of staycation :)

On the left, bukit mertajam's famous duck egg char kway teow. On the right, shek shan
(also in bukit mertajam)'s famous hokkien mee (aka prawn noodles)

On the left: air itam's famous penang laksa. On the right, bukit mertajam's famous yam rice + mixed
pork soup

Serene's Birthday at LaLa Land

2011-11-10T11:48:00.000+08:00

Boo! I am still very much alive!
I will be on vacation for 2 solid weeks from next week onwards and I promise you more updates (if anyone reads/cares at all) :p

In the meantime, a long overdue filler post :)

This past July, we celebrated Serene's birthday at Universal Studio Singapore
It was my first trip to USS and boy, I had so much fun with the girls!
I am sure you have guessed as much, it was a fun & laughter filled outing
And most certainly a booze fueled outing
Thinking back, I cant think of one outing w/o alcohol with the girls!
Even when we go to the movies, we sneak in booze -_-
Oh wait, hang on, there was once
I was pregnant and it was Joy's birthday
But that didnt stop the girls from drinking in front of me
SO INCONSIDERATE RIGHT?!?! Jolly well knowing I cant drink tho I very much wished to drink!

Anyway, we were supposed to meet at 10ish (too ambitious)
In the end, we only managed to meet up at 11ish, close to noon.

The birthday girl!

I volunteered to bring the icebox to chill our energy drink aka booze

There's always fun-times to be had when the 4 of us get together but these fun-times are heightened with booze :D

We had sake, beer and champagne, enough to get a whole village drunk

HEH JUST KIDDING

But you can see that the icebox was filled almost to the brim!

Also, I needed the beer to boost my courage (ie, cloud my judgement) before I go on the roller coaster
I have quit roller coaster or any forms of ride that drops me abruptly from a 10 storey building height since several years back
That day, I found my courage which I lost several years back (I think) Yay!!!
I went on both the rides (the human battlesar galactica where you are seated throughout the ride & the alien battlestar galactica where they strap you hanging throughout the ride) *grins proudly*
I even held my arms high in the air during the rides!

We were asked to finish up our drink (beer in disguise) before the Monster Rock Musical.
We were more than willing to finish up the beer! Heh

20-inch pizza for lunch

I would like to thank the cast, the director (blahs names) and most of all, my family
for their endless support and love....

For the adrenalin junkie, the Revenge of the Mummy is another ride not to be missed. It's exciting coz you dont know what's coming. It's so pitch dark you cant see ahead of you. But there will be no sharp abrupt drop though if you were expecting something like that.

Can you tell it was a scorching hot day :p

Watched Shrek in 4D and it was awesome! You get water sprinkled at your face (when Donkey sneezed) and tickly gushes of gas at your feet (when hundreds on spiders were let loose) and I was jumping like a teenage girl pulling my legs up my seat!

Originally, there were more pictures on this post but due to my lack of knowledge of HTML, the pictures got deleted while I was fiddling with HTML to align my pictures properly and I am too lazy to upload them again.
They were pictures of rides on King Julien's merry-go-round, Magadascar's a crate adventure water ride, the show, Lights, Camera and Action Hosted by Steven Spielberg and the show is A MUST WATCH!

We missed some of the rides and shows coz we didnt want to wait 60 minutes for the ride or 2 hours for the next show. For a full list of shows/rides of the seven zones, refer to the link http://www.rwsentosa.com/language/en-US/Attractions/UniversalStudiosSingapore

Overall, it was a very good trip to USS! Recommended to all :)

RIP Steve

2011-10-10T13:10:00.000+08:00

I am certainly not ashamed to come forward and put my hands up when someone asked "who cried when Steve Jobs passed away?"

To the people who put these 2 pictures together and came up with the tug at your heartstring one liner, I would like to ask, DID YOU CRY WHEN THE MILLION DIE? Or better, did you do anything to help ease the situation at all coz what's the point of crying if you dont help?
I DID (cry and donate) and I am still contributing (not much) to help the millions.
I need to qualify that the amount I contribute monthly can only help several not millions

These self made preachers and hypocrites are real jokers (totally cannot stand self righteous moral high ground people)
We cried when Steve Jobs passed away because he made an impact on our lives and we had not had enough of his brilliance and the possibilities of what he could bring to us.
Not because he was just a genius (not that he wasnt one).
Truth be told, I wanted to be amazed by what he could bring to us but it was cut short abruptly. Who wouldnt be upset???
He has enriched our lives bringing what we saw on TV into our lives.
We used to see on TV people operating computer at their fingertip, swiping away at the screen and talking to the computer for information.
IT IS NOW HAPPENING IN OUR DAILY LIVES BECAUSE OF HIM.
And what is wrong to be mourning for a guy who has made our lives better and advanced?
For fuck sake, we are not crying over Hitler's death or even Najib's!

Makes my blood boil when some idiot is trying to prove a(n) (invalid) point.
We are not crying for the ONE who killed the MILLION.

PS: Please donate to Edesia at The 111111 Project to help feed malnourished kid!

The Bun

2011-09-25T09:08:00.000+08:00

Wore a huge bun to work on Friday and it attracted so much talk/comments/stares.

My dressing and styling have always stood out among my colleagues who dress conservatively or rather, conventionally for work.

Usually, it doesnt bother me that much but there were times when I did feel shy and avoid having to walk around in the office much -_-

The bun was propped fairly high on my head I had to duck my head a lil each time I get in/out of the car heh

New feather + leaf necklace from H&M. Much love for it though there were several
times when the feathers got twisted up tickling my neck, I will jump thinking some
creepy crawly were on my neck -_-

Topshop knitwear, Zara pleated skirt, Random brand platform heels, H&M necklace
and ASOS cateye sunglasses

H&M Girls

2011-09-21T20:09:00.001+08:00

If you do not already know, H&M, the giant retail-clothing company from Sweden has landed on the shore of Singapore girlie high squeals in high pitch tone ala teenage girl meeting Justin Bieber
It was the news of the year (fashion/retail/clothing wise) and everyone who is fashionably inclined (even those who are remotely fashionably inclined) were very hyped up by its arrival in Singapore.
On the night before its grand opening, there was already a long queue waiting to get inside the next day MADNESS TO THE MAX KAN?

And obviously, I was equally excited like the rest but definitely NOT mad.
Skipped lunch last Friday and raced to town for a quick tour of H&M.
Was supposed to go grab what I saw and wanted from the website but I was in there longer than I liked -_-
However, I emerged from the store happier albeit guilty!

H&M freaking rules! Reasonably priced and fashionably awesome!
You will be seeing more of Alexa and I dressed in H&M from now on :)

Sheer cream top from H&M, beige tiered dress from Cotton On, random brand tweed jacket,
Aldo pumps

Alexa: Denim dress from H&M, Me: Orange sheer top from H&M

Cant wait for my next H&M visit!

Love-Hate Relationship

2011-09-20T10:27:00.000+08:00

I have a love-hate relationship with dressing up and applying make up (a skill which I have recently picked up and at the moment, am still a beginner) for work.
I absolutely love dressing up and applying make up for work.
They are my personal perk-me-ups in the morning coz I love looking pretty and fashionably nice
But at the same time, I hate having to wake up earlier just so I can dress up, style my hair and apply make up for work.

I turn to youtube for tutorials on how to style/bun my hair and to apply make up. YOUTUBE ROCKS!
Before this, I thought I knew a little about makeup.
But after watching the tutorials, I realized I knew NOTHING about makeup.
What I did previously was just putting on colors on my face.
But make up is about CONTOURING, BLENDING, HIGHLIGHTING to bring out your features.
And it is important you use the correct brushes and the correct techniques of applying makeup, eg, angled brush for contouring, kabuki for foundation/face powder, domed brush with tapered tip for blending, etc.
I find this particular eye makeup tutorial from Racheal really helpful and she is only 14!
Her tutorial explains the various areas of the eyes and the techniques and how to apply colors on these areas. It helped me understand better on how to apply eye makeup!
I also watch Michelle Phan's youtube tutorials on how to create different looks. She is really awesome and talented!

And actually putting on makeup requires certain skills/knowlege and it does not seem difficult from the tutorials. In fact it seemed too easy from the tutorials! While watching the tutorials, I told myself confidently "I could do this! Apply base color, blend a darker color at the crease line and swipe like a windshield to blend. Ehhh how come it came out wrong????" :((
But it is actually really difficult!
I had to watch and watch and watch to correctly blend, contour and highlight.
I had to learn how to use the different brushes and its application.
I had to practice the strokes and correctly angle the brush.
But I must say I am getting pretty good at it now
++++++++++

What I wore to work recently (some were Friday dress down outfits)

Topshop knit top; random brand green pleated maxi skirt, accessories: F21, Rubi &
Alexa (best accessory ever) :))

Cotton on men tshirt, Asos printed maxi dress, Asos sunnies,
random brand platform heels from KSL City

Cotton on floral jacket/throw ons, Topshop A Line dress, Aldo peep toe booties,
Asos cat eye sunnies, Diva pearl necklaces

Random brand top from BKK, Asos pleated palazzo pants, Asos sunnies

Milestones: 9 Month Old

2011-09-16T09:32:00.002+08:00

By the time Alexa turned 9 month old (on 7 September 2011), she has managed to achieve some major milestones, making me a very proud parent *beams with pride* errmmm I am well aware that these milestones are expected of her for her age but am still proud nevertheless -the proud parent syndrome. At times I wonder if Alexa may just grow up and turn into a dumb kid from all the fuss we showered on her for all her EXPECTED achievements. It's not like she could solve mathematic questions or play the piano or read from a book etc

At 9 month old, Alexa's milestones are below:

- is able to sit up on her own from a lying position

- says baba and mummum nonstop (I do not think she knows what baba means but I am inclined to think she knows mummum refers to food)

- is able to crawl (mostly, she crawls on her tummy but is attempting to crawl on her knees). It is very dangerous to leave her alone unattended on the bed now coz she breezily lift herself up using the bolsters/pillows used to block her and throws herself over them to get to the other side so she could potentiall fall off the edge of the bed!

- is able to cruise (she cruises in her cot and play yard holding onto the rails, ie, walking sideways)

- is able to balance and walk (she cant walk on her own but she is practising to walk with assistance from her push toy see video below).

It was nothing short of amazing to see her move one foot forward followed by the other. Unlike us adults, babies have to learn/discover motor skills as simple as walking. Walking and other motor skills come to us naturally errmmm there was a time when we had to master/perfect the skill too but not to babies. Babies may not even realize what they are doing while they are at it, ie, they may not know moving their feet forward = walking.

So each time I see Alexa discover a new skill, I will get really excited and be overwhelmed when really, it's no big deal heh. That's just me!

Alexa saying hi to her own reflection in the mirror, whom she thinks is another baby. I read
if babies attempt to touch the image in the mirror instead of touching themselves, the
babies think it is another baby in the mirror. But if these babies looked in the mirror, they
touched themselves, they understood that the reflections in the mirrors were images
of themselves. To test, draw a red circle on the baby's nose and put the baby in front of the
mirror and see if baby touches own's nose or the reflection's nose :)

For the past 10 days, Alexa has been pooing alot more than usual, ie, she poos before she wakes up, once during daytime and again after dinner. She used to poo only once a day after she turned 7 month old (or thereabout). I suspect she is teething and I read and was told teething does not cause symptoms. However, most parents I know and read from forum maintain that their teething babies do experience discomfort (every baby differs from each other), eg, fever, diarrhea, swelling gums, biting behaviour, refusing food, sleep problems etc.

I do not think Alexa has diarrhea (even though she poos more now but her excrements are not watery) and she is not having any one of those described above except for sleep problems. She wakes up more at night now compared to just once in the past. So let's see if her first tooth will cut through anytime now :) Yay, another milestone!!

Alexa chewing on her teething biscuit and she had stains all over her face, body, hands

and legs!

Milestones: 8 Month Old

2011-09-02T11:46:00.001+08:00

The source of joy at home turned 8 month-old (almost a month ago ><) and it will not be long before she turns big ol 1

At 8 month-old, Alexa:

- is able to stand with support

- is able to pull herself up to a standing position using a furniture or us

- loves pulling herself up, sits down, pulls herself up and sits down and it goes on and on and on

- indicates wants with gesture (eg, while she is seated & whenever Fong goes near her, she will pull Fong's hands towards her and raise her hands to be carried by him never fails to melt Fong

- started to lift herself onto her knees but she is not able to crawl yet

- started to work on her pincer grasp, picking up stuffs with her index finger and thumb when we feed her finger food

- pushes away what she doenst want

- is able to chew on fruits (peach, apple, plum etc) using a feeder teether

- is able to imitate others' activities (eg, when we bob our head, she will follow suit)

- is able to put/drop balls into a container

- holds and drinks from a sippy cup

Alexa absolutely loves to travel and goes out on an outing. She will get really excited whenever she sees us taking out her car seat. To her, car seat = going out. She loves to watch her surroundings when she is out and she will wave/flail her arms and legs in excitement whenever she sees something interesting. She loves to be carried facing outward :)

And this other activity that excites her too is her bathtime! She does not mind water streaming down her face though she does look distressed but after rubbing/wiping the water from her eyes, she will look up and grin widely! She loves kicking and splashing in the tub leaving me soaked to the skin :D

She has started to fake coughs and cries to get things done and it worked on us in the beginning but not anymore :p

East Africa Famine

2011-08-19T14:37:00.001+08:00

I have been spamming Facebook's newsfeed and Twitter's timeline with updates on the famine in East Africa and appeals for donation/help so much I suspect I am now on the most annoying list of my FB friends and Twitter followers I gladly be on such list if I can help save just 1 life.

So far, 32 of my FB friends have LIKED Edesia's FB page and this translates to food for 1 day for 32 kids in East Africa (FB users go click LIKE now). And a kind soul who saw our relentless posts/updates on Edesia on FB has pledged to donate a certain sum of money :) And another kind soul, Jean has donated too after reading my blog. Hooray!

Pictures, clips and stories on the malnourished, starving and sick children whose lives are hanging by a thread are just too much for me to bear. I am beyond heartbroken. They remind me of Alexa and I absolutely cannot bear to imagine Alexa being sick and hungry. I rather die a thousand times and not let Alexa suffer. It's as clear as day just how lucky and blessed we are errrmmm having said that, I am still saving to buy a chanel 2.55

Both pictures taken off Global Giving and if you do not feel even the slightest
twinge of compassion and sadness, I am pretty sure you are cold hearted

It's amazing how internet or rather, FB and Twitter have been instrumental in raising awareness on global issues. A few years back, I may just read/watch such news on the paper/tv and not knowing how to share such reports with my peers. But with internet, sharing is so much easier, faster and efficient and especially so with the emergence of FB and Twitter. Sharing on FB and Twitter is as good as giving realtime update as most FB and Twitter users are logged on round the clock. And now helping/donating is literally at your fingertip. All you have to do is tap your finger on the mouse to click on the donate button and of course key in your credit card numbers but that will not take more than 2 minutes of your time. I remember I had to issue a cheque and mail it to Red Cross to help the victims of the earthquake in Pakistan and god knows how long it took for my money to reach Pakistan what with the effienciency of Msia postal system, and then for the cheque to be cashed But with internet, money can now be deducted from your credit card and go directly to the non-profit organization :) It's almost like passing cash to the non-profit organization face-to-face. No lag in between.

I am now officially a serial donor. Just this month alone, I have donated to International Medical Corp, UNHCR and Edesia and I have became a montly contributor to UNICEF and World Food Programme (I have donated to WFP in memory of a dear friend who has recently departed us. May her rest in peace)

Now now, I am not trying to impress on you how nice/kind/saintly I am. Instead I am trying to impress on you what YOU can do to help. I am just an ordinary working/nursing mum who has the cutest daughter ever trying to help make the world a better place. I list out the names of the organizations I have donated becoz I do not want you to think I am just all talk and no action.

How you can help :)
https://www.wfp.org/donate/hoa_banners
http://www.supportunicef.org/site/pp.asp?c=9fLEJSOALpE&b=7542627
http://www.globalgiving.org/projects/somalia/

Batu Feringghi, Penang's Only Luxury Boutique Hotel - Lone Pine Hotel

2011-08-18T14:10:00.000+08:00

Lone Pine Hotel at Batu Feringghi, Penang, underwent a major renovation last year, which saw the old vintage colonial hotel transformed into a modern contemporary hotel, while retaining some of its original buildings and details leaving traces of the hotel's colonial past.

While I was holidaying in Penang this past May with my Ma and Alexa, I brought pumpkin pie for a swim at Lone Pine Hotel ermmmm yea I spoil Alexa like that..... what to do, she is my only child for now and I must say I would have had the most amazing time at the hotel if Alexa didnt act up -_- They have an amazing team of staffs at your beck and call and the interior of the hotel was oh-so-nice!

Alexa was cranky on the day we checked in coz she couldnt take her naps, not without the swing. And a sleep deprived baby was a cranky baby -_- Luckily she is now able to sleep without the swing! And I had to suffer from gastric on the very same day we checked into the hotel and and the best part was, my Ma didnt go with me T_T and so I had to manage Alexa all by myself while I was in discomfort.

Initially, I was determined to bring Alexa swim several times in the day (ie, swim, rest, swim, rest, swim) to get my money's worth. After the first and one and only swim for the day, I told myself no more swim for the day. Before Alexa went for the swim, I had to apply sunblock on her from head to toe (literally) even behind her ears, in between her fingers and toes and all her creases! Then after the swim, I had to shower her, change her into fresh new clothes and thereafter, feed her and make her sleep. Bathing Alexa was the most painful part of the "bring Alexa to swim" project coz Alexa just turned 5 month old then and I didnt have a baby bathing tub with me and she couldnt sit up on her own yet! So,I had to hold on to her while I sat with her in the bathtub in the hotel room. I soaped/shampooed her with one hand while the other held onto her. Then I had to hold her under the running tap to wash away the soap/shampoo. And I had to tilt/bend her under the tap of the bathtub in order to wash away the shampoo. Luckily it was a standalone bathtub and the tap is fairly high and so I didnt have to bend Alexa too much under the tap. And surely I was not gonna repeat the cycle twice in one day! Phew, writing this makes me shiver!

Fortunately, Alexa woke up and went all sunshiney on us after a good night sleep and we had the most wonderful time swimming in the morning before we checked-out in the afternoon :)

The Room - Premier Garden with Patio

The half covered adorable baby in bed is not the property of Lone Pine Hotel

Vanity section (dual: one on the left and one on the right) between the room and
the bathroom

The Patio looking out to the garden and the beach

The view I get from the room

Casuarinas branches swaying in the garden complement by soothing sound of
waves beating onto the shore

The Garden for Lounging by the Beach
In the past, you will see me lounging on the sunchair posing in a bikini with a can of beer but these days, I'd much rather pose with Alexa and have my flabby tummy covered up :)

The Pool

We literally had the pool to ourselves as the angmohs were busy sunning themselves and reading on the sunchair. It was utter bliss!

The kids' pool

Alexa had the pool ALL to herself :)

The regular pool separated from the kids' pool by 2 rows of sunchairs

I am going back to Penang this November. In fact, I will be going to Penang twice a year from now onwards and I gonna make Lone Pine Hotel a yearly affair for Alexa and myself! I have plan to stay at Lone Pine this November but it seems like my relatives in Penang have grander plans for us. We will be going to Haatyai and perhaps, Cameron Highlands and so high chances are, we will have to skip Lone Pine.
If indeed we are going to Haatyai and Cameron Highlands during my 8 days stay in Penang, I think I will be needing another holiday to recover from my holiday in Penang, dont you think? Heh

You can find out more about the fabulous Lone Pine Hotel here :)

Sincerely Soles

2011-08-05T23:44:00.000+08:00

Top: Zara, Jeans: Zara, TRF, Tan Bow wedges: Miss Selfridge, Ankle sock: Rubi
Accessories: Diva and BKK, Sunglasses: MNG

My tan bow wedges is pulling a bershka on me! I get it, it is time for me to buy more shoes!

++++++++++

Aint that the cutest butt you've ever seen?

Thunderbolt

2011-08-04T13:58:00.001+08:00

via http://modellbloggen.se/

I.WANT.THAT.TATTOO PERIOD

Of Shoes and Famine

2011-08-04T13:02:00.007+08:00

White blouse: Bysi, black bodycon skirt: F21, pPlatform wedges: Bershka,

Accessories: Diva and Rubi

I paid good money for this pair of platform wedges and they are an utter disappointment I liked them very much; a conservative design with subtle stud details plus my kind of height. I mean I have way much cheaper shoes which have served me damn well better thanchu Bershka.

The horror to find your shoes slowly disintegrating even when you have kept them well in the shoebox. The shoes literally came apart before my eyes. First, the leather fell off like crumbles off the crackers you eat and I told myself that it was okay since it is a pair of black shoes and no one will notice the unsightly tatter. Then, the platform came apart and so I brought them to the cobbler last Saturday to have the platform glued back. And I continued wearing them in the sorry state that they were this past Tuesday and Wednesday when the soles came off. That was the last straw! I had to resort to taping the soles just so that they wouldnt fall off when I walk in them!
Now, they lie at the bottom of the trashcan waiting to be picked by Majlis Bandaraya Johor Bahru.

++++++++++

This morning, as I was happily applying baremineral foundation on my face, my ma recounted what she saw on tv the day before, on the famine and drought crisis in East Africa and immediately, I was choking back my tears. At one refugee camp, a mother whose child (she had 2 children) has died from the drastic condition (most prolly malnourishment), did not report the death. A few days later, the medical officers who were doing their rounds found the dead child asked the mother why didnt she report the death and the reason given was she didnt want the food ration for the dead child to be taken away. The first thought that came to my mind was she was not acting out of selfishness but out of her instinct for survival. The red tapes in East Africa (downright outrageous if you ask me) have delayed aid into East Africa and there are 12 million people waiting for help to arrive. If you look at it from another perspective (if the food/medical assistance/money does not arrive anytime sooner), they are actually waiting to DIE. And it is totally totally heartwrenching seeing all the skinny malnourished children in the news. The crisis has certainly tug at my heartstrings and it broke the dam! It had me crying non-stop.

Tremendous support and effort (= MONEY) is needed to help these 12 million people and the ONE seafood dinner/italian dinner/french dinner/whatever fancy dinner you give up can go a long way. DONATE HERE NOW!
And you can bet on your pretty tight ass I have donated! In addition, I am a monthly contributor to UNICEF, which pledges to help children worldwide. You can help save lives and make the world a better place!

Damn, I feel like a preacher.

Milestones: 7 Month Old

2011-08-01T14:15:00.001+08:00

Alexa will turn 8 month old in less than a week and here I am, documenting her milestones at 7 month old. FAIL.COM

At 7 month old, Alexa:
- understands object permance (she will look around for me when I play hide and seek/peek-a-boo with her or she will bend to the side to look for the voice/noise)
- registers interest in her own reflection
- looks for objects after dropping them
- passes objects from one hand to another
- babbles enthusiastically
- bounces to music
- understands certain words/gestures/acts (see video below)

Alexa is terribly afraid of men (not all but most). She cries so hard you would think someone has pinched her real hard. And her cries are heartwrenching (at least to me).

To wake us up in the morning on the weekends (Alexa is an early riser) she will claw at our face -_- I say claw coz when she tries to caress/touch our face to wake us up, we get scratched by her nails and that is one surefire way to wake us up! And it is exceptionally nice to wake up to your baby smiling up to you (albeit with the stinging pain).

Alexa loves attention and does not like to be left alone. When we let her play by herself in the play yard, she will look at you longingly, inviting you to play with her. And who can resist the puppy eyes look of your firstborn?!!??! Not me!

She loves loves loves watching tv, especially colorful animation. My ma likes to turn on the tv to let her watch babytv in the morning and my husband loves to put on nursery songs on youtube for her to listen to. These are some of her favourite nursery songs/videos:

But I have observed that she is getting easily restless and distracted and therefore, I am minimizing her tv/youtube time. When it comes to her mealtime, she will turn her head to the tv wanting to watch her babytv or when we take away the ipad, she seems visibly upset.

Some things you have to teach them young :)

Haenim Play Yard

2011-07-21T11:06:00.003+08:00

Yellow blazer: Bysi, tube top: MNG, mesh top: MNG, pants: MNG, pumps: Aldo

The heatwave that is hitting us right now over here in Singapore/Malaysia is almost unbearable! Alexa is getting heat rash on the back of her bum and so my ma is making her wear cloth diaper (not the fanciful/commercial ones but the traditional kain lampin ones) instead of disposable diaper at home.

++++++++++

Shopping for Alexa excites me more than it excites the recipient (be it food, toys, books, clothes or accessories). I find tremendous joy from watching her playing happily with her new toys, enjoying her food and wanting more and looking all pretty in her new outfit. The simple pleasures of life :)

Recently, I bought a parklon playmat and a haenim play yard to set up a play area safe for Alexa. I have previously set up a temporary play area for her but it was not "gated" and the abc playmat was said to be toxic. The living room of my house is now Alexa's wonderland! Her bumbo, highchair, play yard, toys etc are all over the living room!

By the way, babies stuffs dont come cheap. The playmat + the play yard = a marc jacob rose gold watch -_-
But no words can describe the gratification I get from watching her playing happily within and so it's totally worth it :)

The playmat provides a soft yet firm surface for her tummytime, to cushion her fall and for her to crawl on (she does not know how to crawl yet) while the play yard is to provide her a safe and confined area to play in while we adults go about with our daily mundane chores.

At the moment, the play yard does not really serves its purpose since Alexa is not able to crawl/cruise/walk yet. But she does roll around much and the play yard gives us a peace of mind knowing she will be rolling within the play yard on the playmat and not onto the cold hard floor.

Pooh flower hill playmat from Parklon + Haenim Play Yard (6 panels) [both made in Korea].
The play yard is big enough for 2 adults + a baby to play comfortably within

Bought a bluebelle singlet + frenchie underwear for Alexa yesterday and I so wish they have them in adult size too! So cute and pretty!
Oh yes, I buy something for her every other day if not everyday

Life Changing

2011-06-29T09:18:00.000+08:00

My life used to be beer, whisky and party till late nights. Now, it is all about milk, poo and waking in the middle of the night for diaper change and night feeds.

Watching her enthusiasm for life makes it all worth it. But I DO miss beer!

New Wardrobe

2011-06-27T23:09:00.001+08:00

Red outerwear: LuvChicFashion, green tank top: Toshop, Wedges: Topshop
Navy polka dot dress worn as skirt: random brand from BKK, red skinny belt: AX

I have to admit, I have been shopping quite a fair bit lately :) And the bump to my pay in April played a big part in the recent increase in said activity
I know I ought to be saving up to ensure a nice and comfortable move-in condition of my home in 2012/2013 but really, shopping makes me happy. And contrary to popular belief, I do not spend like SGD500 a month on clothes
And I do set aside money monthly! (a good habit I just picked up recently)

At the same time, I have been picking out lotsa seldom worn clothes or clothes I dont wear anymore at all to be given away. Mostly, I have picked out baby Ts for my niece. Baby Ts were all the rage when I was in my late teens/early twenties. The tighter/the shorter the better. Seeing my 9 yo niece wearing my baby Ts makes me wonder how the hell did I manage to squeeze into them back then. Oh well, at least I was certainly not fat then :)

Arm Candy

2011-06-21T09:34:00.001+08:00

Short sleeve blouse: Zara, Multicolor lantern skirt: Forever 21
Tan Bow Wedges: Miss Selfridge, Pearl necklaces/earrings: Diva, Baby: Mine

I have replaced Fong with Alexa for a much better arm candy! Alexa is like a permanent fixture on me now

Milestones: 4 Month Old

2011-06-20T11:46:00.000+08:00

Yes, I do realize Alexa turned 4 month old several months ago but I skipped the 4 month old milestones and did a 3 month old milestones post. Do not ask me why.
So, I am making a 4 month old milestones entry now to make up for the missing post (coz I only remembered what her milestones were now).

(am only listing down this one thing which I can remember -_-)
Alexa enjoyed being held in a standing position and she could bounce up and down and she loves bouncing/jumping! (check out the vid below)

Milestones: 6 Month Old

2011-06-20T11:24:00.001+08:00

It has been a whirlwind ride on motherhood for the past 6 months and I have been enjoying every second of it! Before I knew it, Alexa has turned 6 month old (2 weeks ago). I was looking back at her old (not too old since she is after all, just 6 month old) pictures and ohmygod, she has grown so much! From a barely able to move newborn to a wriggly bouncy 6 month old :)

Alexa is able to:

- sit without support

- begin to understand what was being said (mum mum, milk milk)

- make attempt to feed herself (she will grab the weaning spoon and feed herself whenever I put it near her mouth)

- manuever/turn 180 degree while on her tummy (one moment her head was facing north, the next her head was facing south!)

- reach out and grabs at stuffs within her reach (while seated in her rattan chair, she will lean forward to grab whatever was on the table)

- lunge forward (Alexa wriggling like a worm in the video below - check out her butt!)

Alexa loves:

- playing peek-a-boo

- interacting with people

- experimenting with sound as she loves to squeal/babble (as if she was singing!)

- grabbing anything she can get her hands on and stuffs them into her mouth

She loves to be carried and whenever she is seated or lying down, she will raise her hands or kicks in excitement when we put out our arms in a gesture to carry her. She will fuss when we put her down (so spoilt!). Also, while being carried, she is able to lean forward with her arms out when someone else offers to carry her.

Alexa had her first solid when she was one week shy of turning 6 month old and her first taste of solid was Happy Times organic brown rice cereal. Alexa's first solid deserves a post by itself so stay tuned for it!

Alexa is commanding more attention from us now and she does not like to be seated in her chair or lie in her rocker for a long period of time as they restrict her mobility. She is one super monkey baby! She cannot sit/lie still for more than 10 minutes! And so I have created a corner which Alexa can call her own for her to roll, play, learn and explore :) She seems to love her little corner very much!

I love playtime!

Pearl

2011-06-15T10:42:00.003+08:00

Pearl necklace & earrings: Diva, Asos pleated jersey wide legged pants, G2000 blouse

I wonder if this is a sign of ageing but I am starting to appreciate and wearing more pearl accessories these days. I mean pearl was never my choice of accessory unless I needed to dress up for a formal business occassion. But I realize, pearl accessories can be fun and trendy too. It totally glams up an outfit. Not too bold and loud, but subtle, stylish and classy. You can layer a long strand of pearl necklace, or tie it in a knot or just wear several strands of short pearl necklaces of different sizes to creat a chunky effect ala Atlantic-Pacific.

Just the other day, I went accessory shopping at Diva and got myself 3 pairs of pearl earrings in 3 different colors and a pearl necklace. Wore them on the spot since they go so well with what I was wearing :) And of course, they are fake pearls.

But do you know that real pearls are as expensive as a girl's best friend, diamond?

Mumsie and Pumpkin Pie Lesson #1: Teether

2011-05-31T00:21:00.000+08:00

From L to R: Sassy (most expensive at approx RM25), Auby, Tollyjoy (least expensive at RM5.50)

I was told being a parent is a lifelong learning process and it is especially so when it comes to your firstborn. I couldnt agree more. With Alexa, I learn something new every other day, if not every day. Even buying a teether requires some certain degree of knowledge!

The first teether I bought for Alexa was, as you can see, very colorful, appealing and in my opinion, complicated for a newborn. I was reading the back of the pack for details and it stated the colour and texture of the teether inspire vision and touch, which I agreed wholeheartedly, rendering me to buy it on the spot. But, I soon realize, the tiny hands of my newborn (I let her play with the teether when she was almost 3 month old) were not able to wrap around the thick and barely there stick since the 3 rings took up half the length of the stick. And surely if her hands were not able to grab the stick, she cant hold the ball. So, it was a total waste of my money since she cant even hold up the damn thing -_-

The second teether was a gift from a friend. As you can see, the slender design allows easy gripping. Alexa could easily hold up the ring teether (although she cant wrap her palms around the ring completely, she could easily hold up the teether by grabbing onto both sides). However, Alexa was not aware that she was to chew on the soft parts and she chewed on the parts which she held to her mouth without looking (babies do not look at what they chew and they just bring whatever they hold to their mouth) and most of the time, it was not the soft parts. So, this didnt serve her as well as I wanted.

Following the observations made with the 2 teethers (and a few others which I didnt show here), I bought the third teether for Alexa and I dare say this serves her best! She could easily grab the teether and she need not maneuver the ring to get to the soft/chewable parts since the entire ring is chewable! Who says expensive stuffs are best and cheap stuffs dont work!

Sky High

2011-05-22T00:17:00.000+08:00

Forever 21 knit top, MNG skinny jeans, chiffon wedges, topshop belt

After having to put off my trip to the hairstylist for the past several months, I finally went to him today for a long overdue hair treatment. Straightened my hair while I was there coz my hair has became so unmanageable I had to bun it up ALL the time. My hair was frizzy and poofy and dry you cannot even imagine. Now it is sleek and smooth and straight ahhhh. Alexa is now able to run her little fingers through my hair easily without getting stuck at my entangled hair. Sat in the fanciful saloon chair for 5 hours straight and my bum was flat and numb by the time my hairstylist was almost done with my hair. Didnt manage to get a haircut coz I couldnt bear to sit in the chair any longer.

I wore my new pair of wedges today and it is the second highest pair of shoes I own, which is not that much shorter than my highest pair of heels (5.5 inches). Everyone wonders how I manage to not fall flat on my face :)

Milestones: 5 Month Old

2011-05-19T10:31:00.025+08:00

Hello all! I am back at work from a two-week break and ironically, I didnt have time to update my blog during the break! I realized I was out every single day during the break! I was in Penang for a week and when I was back at BP/JB, I would be out shopping, visiting, etc. Not one full day was spent at home! A pretty tiring break if you ask me ;p

And I have so many things to blog about! What I have learned/picked up as a mumsie to share with other mumsies, the flea market back in April (long overdue), my recent trip to Penang, etc!

But right now, Alexa takes precedence over the rest!
Alexa turned 5 month old on 7 May 2011 and she can now:
- rolls from tummy to back
- rolls in both direction
- recognizes own name (she will look up when we call out Alexa)
- sits momentarily without support
- stranger anxiety (she starts to cry if someone unfamiliar carries her)
- separation anxiety (she will fuss when I am not around to put her to sleep)
- reach out for objects and drags towards her (when I bath her, she will reach out for her baby einstein water book floating in the tub and drags it towards herself)
- turns toward sounds/voices/moving objects
- understands the word "kick" during "swimtime" [check out the video below]

Brought Alexa swimming at Lone Pine Hotel while we were in Penang and the aquapro float served her well. Highly recommended

ps: I realized I skipped the 4 month old milestones post! I did the 3 month old milestones post when she turned 4 month old so I guess her 3 month old and 4 month old milestones can be read together since she reached those milestones when she was 3 month old up to 4 month old :)

UPDATE: check out her 4 month old milestones here

New Love for the Feet

2011-04-17T22:20:00.001+08:00

Pretty shoes, my kryptonite

#1 - Miss Selfridge Tan Bow Wedges: I managed to snag the last pair of UK size 5 which was on display in the display window! Lucky me!

#2 - ASOS Satin Paris Bow: In a flight, on their way to mama :)

#3 - Runched Chiffon Wedges: Status not available coz the website owner didnt update me. Last I heard, they should have arrived in Malaysia

Making a Comeback

2011-04-13T22:17:00.000+08:00

Most people finds it incredulous and unbelievable that it only took me approximately 30 minutes (provided traffic is smooth) to get to work in Singapore from JB

In fact, my traveling time is so much shorter than most of my colleagues who work and stay in Singapore

And this afternoon, I got home for lunch in record time,

in exactly 30 minutes!

I dont usually come home to JB for lunch but I had to 1)pick up the chocolate crepe cake from HumbleBeginnings which was delivered to my house and 2)ease my yearning for my baby girl Alexa

And lunch today was a bowl of hot vermicelli soup with meatballs!

My ma FTW!

I know I sound like a broken record,

but Alexa has this ability to light up a room with her cheerful squeals

and her bubbliness and cheerfulness is making me drag my feet to work every morning!

Think I have fallen deeply in love with Alexa to the point of no return :p

This was taken while my ma was making me my lunch. I am spoilt like that

As you may observe, this is my first daily wear post since I gave birth to Alexa
and this is what I wore to work today :)

Silk shift dress: DKNY; Blazer: Hand-me-down; Blue heels: Zara

Milestones: 3-Month-Old

2011-04-09T19:24:00.002+08:00

Slowly and gradually, this blog is quickly becoming Alexa's virtual journal :) (oxymoron line I know)
I started out this blog to slam the morons we have for politicians,
but I soon realised, the best way to show my displeasure, is to vote for the oppositions
So, this blog then became my personal journal, which has seen me through the worst and also the best.
From the party/travel/wear/lame/emo posts to wedding to having a baby.
This blog sums up my life for the past few years in a nutshell.

Anyway, I digressed
I have been inspired by Tracy of http://www.thelilstuffs.com/ to document Alexa's milestones,
and regretted not doing so from day 1
But it's all right. Better late than never!

She
- reaches out her hand and grasps at the toy we wave in front of her
- holds her head steady
- bears weight on her legs (when I hold her under her armpits and place her on my tummy, she will stand upright and she wont sit down [refuses to bend her legs] even when I try to sit her down)
- turns to voices/sounds
- plays with her hands and feet
- recognise our faces: she will stare at unfamiliar faces but when she sees my ma's, Fong's and mine, she will light up :)
- rollovers from back to tummy

When she first started to turn (but couldnt completely turn onto her tummy yet-see picture above),

we taught/encouraged her to rollover and in 2 days time,

she managed to rollover by herself

Fong and I were jubilant/exhilarated/thrilled (these words were an understatement!)

Below is a clip of Alexa flipping over effortlessly *beams proudly*

4-Month-Old

2011-04-07T22:26:00.004+08:00

My favorite girl turns 4 month old today!! *throws confetti*

Having Alexa can be described as falling in love all over again *sighs dreamily*

Many a times, I felt like a lovestruck teenager giddily in love!

I suffer from heartache when I dont get to see her for several hours straight,

I get excited when I know I am seeing her soon,

I have hundreds of pictures/clips of her in my phone which I looked at all the time,

I smile foolishly to myself when I think of her,

I stare at her till I fall asleep while she is asleep by my side.

Only the love I have for my daughter is pure and unconditional.

Nothing like the love between partners/couples.

I love her regardless of whether she loves me back or if she leaves me one day.

This is a mother's love :)

I used to be put off by mothers who were too eager to talk about their kids' milestones/development ala my kid is sooooooo smart!

Sigh, karma comes one big round and bites you in the ass -_-

I am fast becoming one of them!!!

Or rather, I am already one!

At the risk of being blocked by my FB friends who do not have kids yet, I talk about Alexa's discovery/milestones all the time and I upload videos of her cooing, gurgling, squealing and rolling, which, are actually boring (not to me).

But to me, these are nothing short of spectacular and amazing!

Crazy how someone so little can do to you!

Happy 4-month-old darling! Mama and papa love you muchie!

Buy My PreLove

2011-04-01T07:44:00.002+08:00

Hello all, lovelies and I will be participating in Hooked on Flea at Home Club tomorrow, 2 April 2011 from 2 to 8pm, selling our pre-love!

Which is perfect, as it is high time for me to find willing and appreciative buyers for my rarely worn clothes Pretty pretty stuffs I dont wear so much anymore (or at all) and they deserve to be out and about, so please give them a new home. Pretty please!

Mango Grecian inspired maxi dress (selling for SGD20)

Tiered tube jumpsuit (selling for SGD15)

Supre T Back Dress (selling for SGD15)

Maxi dress (selling for SGD10)

Esprit white biker jacket (selling for SGD15)

Mango beach coverup/top (selling for SGD10)

Maxi dress (selling for SGD10)

and many many others, eg, topshop, mango, etc for as low as SGD5

See you there!

Itsy Bitsy Teenie Weenie Bikini

2011-03-23T17:15:00.003+08:00

My bikini days are officially over, at least for now

Was reading xppinkx's blog when I realized I cant fit into almost all, scratch that, ALL my old bikini tops! Boo! (I actually tried them on just a while ago and them bikinis tops are very far from covering my "modesty")

And it's not easy, not to mention wasteful, to buy new bikinis for my new body, in my case, new boobs coz once my nursing days are over, I will most prolly go back to my original size.

My boobs have grown significantly during pregnancy and even more so since I started breastfeeding (2 cup size up).

I weep at the demise of my bikini days T__T

But then again, on a scale of 1 to 10, getting to wear my binikis: 7, nursing Alexa: 10 period

And so, I am totally thankful for one piece swimsuit,

for doing a decent job of covering up my goods and my flabby parts

This is me, 2 months after I gave birth to Alexa in my ASOS 50s inspired swimsuit

Remember I mentioned I have decided to get a Konfidence swimsuit for Alexa?

Well, I have changed my mind (what's new!!)

Saw this on Gap's website and it is retailing for approximately SGD30

You can bet on your pretty ass I clicked to buy instantly but stopped short of making payment

Coz, shipping charges to Singapore was freaking SGD171!

Who in the right mind would pay SGD171 for shipping for a less than 2 pound swimwear at SGD30

Not me!

So I called up Gap store in Singapore and they told me the new collections are coming in end March/early April and if the piece of swimwear (pictured below) comes in with the new collection, they will call me up

Fingers crossed!!

Already I can imagine Alexa looking awfully cute in it!

My last resort will be VPost if Singapore Gap store is not be bringing it in......

April 2011 Hooked On Flea

2011-03-18T08:51:00.004+08:00

Was walking around aimlessly at Raffles City Shopping Centre when I walked into Miss Selfridge
(The "SALES" section in the store got my attention)
And I emerged from the store with a candy striped bustier bubble dress (pictured below: aint it pretty!!) and a one shoulder chiffon blue dress :)
The best part was, both dresses were on 70% sale! Yay for me!
I got the bubble dress 2 sizes bigger,
not becoz it was cheap,
but becoz I need the big breast cups of a size UK12 for my humongous nursing breasts

I figured I can easily have the dress (the bustier) altered to fit me nicely
(the bubble bottom need not be altered coz I like it poofy)
but when I was at the seamstress yesterday, she told me yes the dress is pretty and all but it was bad workmanship and design! (sigh, blame it on the mass production)
Tucking in the sides of the dress is not an option coz then the 2 bones underneath the breast cups will stick out awkwardly
And so, what the seamstress will do is to replace the rubber in the top hem of the bustier to tighten the dress and to nip/tuck the breast cups so that they will fit around my breasts and let the dress be loose around my stomach (no choice!)
Fingers crossed that the dress will fit nicely even though loosely around the ribs/stomach
Otherwise, I may just cut away the bustier top and wear the striped bubble bottom as a skirt (seamstress' idea which is totally ingenious)

I have now started to shop for myself (couldnt really shop when I was pregnant) and I have been going crazy shopping for Alexa for the past 1 year
and so I figured it is time I discard (read: sell) the old stuffs in the wardrobe to earn some quick bucks and to make space for new stuffs hee
And so if any of you keen to buy my old stuffs at dirt cheap price (what I have set aside for now, max is SGD15 and many more at SGD5!)
I will be at HomeClub for Hooked on Flea on 2 April 2011 from 2pm to 8pm
For details of location and how to get there, read here
See ya'll there!

#LikeABoss

2011-03-15T20:01:00.003+08:00

Alexa reminding us who is the boss at home

Baby Swimwear

2011-03-14T09:39:00.004+08:00

I am so spoilt for choices!
Every one of them is just too cute!
And sadly, I can only pick one :(
since Alexa will outgrow them very very quickly
and she may most prolly be wearing it once (coz the window is 6-12 months) only
when we go to Penang in May.
We will be staying one night at Lone Pine Hotel
to soak up the sun and for Alexa to play in the water!

I have shortlisted the following swimwear and I think I have already decided which to buy :)
(even though I am so tempted to buy all!)

Cupid Girl
The smallest size available is for 6 months old
and since Alexa will only be 5 months old when we go to Penang,
coupled with the uncertainty of not knowing if it fits, (this is to be purchased online via http://www.singapore.zodee.com/)
I struck this off the list.
Alexa may be swimming in this swimwear instead of swimming in the pool, for all I know

Imse Vimse Swim Nappy
I am looking for something that will keep her warm period
even tho this is super adorable!!

Konfidence Wetsuit
From the website, this claims to be able to keep the baby warm and snug,
easy to wear,
and I can let her try it on since it is being sold in Singapore.
And so for now,I have decided to get this for her :)
unless between now and the time I buy the wetsuit for her,
something fancier and more practical tickles my fancy ;p

#LikeADrug

2011-03-13T20:51:00.011+08:00

Have you guys been missing me?

I sure missed blogging!

Blogging has taken a backseat ever since Alexa came into my life.

Her coming into my life has threw my life around, in a good way :)

And I am not gonna lie, sometimes I wish I could just dump her with my ma and go have fun whenever, wherever I like it.

But mostly, I cant get enough of her! I think of her at work ALL the time #LikeADrug

I have been very blessed I have my experienced ma who is here to help me out with Alexa,

putting my mind at ease when I am away from her :)

Fong and I are eternally grateful to my ma!

Anyway, Fong got me a new camera for my birthday, which I have been using a lot on pumpkin pie :)

The main reason why I asked for a new camera.

To document pumpkin pie growing up

Many a times, I dressed up (or the lack of it) Alexa for photoshoots at home,

to which my ma will comment I am crazy and has got nothing better to do! ;p

A feast for your eyes! hee

Newborn Love

2011-01-25T08:34:00.009+08:00

Hi all, please bear with the lack of postings until I get my bearings with my new life as a working and nursing mummy (it's really really draining and tiring but it's worth it!).

Am running high on newborn love. I literally suffers from heartache when I do not get to see pumpkin pie for like 10 hours straight and so I get my hourly fix of my darling by looking at pictures and clips of her on my Iphone. Most of the time, I look like a looney cooing, smiling and laughing at my Iphone

Pumpkin pie has baby acne and heat rash and EVERYTHING I read assured me they have nothing to do with breastfed babies and the mother's diet. So I totally do not appreciate "supposedly concerned" comments like "you have to watch your diet" "your baby face is fugly" or "your baby face's condition has got to do with your diet". PLEASE GET OFF MY BACK!

As it is, I am already upset that pumpkin pie's face is not as smooth as a baby's bum and so it is even more upsetting when someone rubs it in by making baseless and unconstructive comments.
Sometimes I cant quite decide whether these people are just plain ignorant or out to drive me up the wall.

Fortunately for me, my baby is a very smiley and happy baby (proof that the acne and heat rash are not causing her any discomfort). Otherwise, these people will surely and definitely make many more hurtful and biased comments.

Cute as a Button

2011-01-05T09:15:00.007+08:00

Tiny feet,
tiny hands,
tiny mouth,
tiny nose.
Ahhhh only one word to describe pumpkin pie, CUTE

Pumpkin pie is 4 week old yesterday.
I know, time passes so fast right?
She is almost a month old!
And she is the most smiley baby ever, bringing much joy to us!
At least that's what everyone has been telling me.
(well, they have not seen her bawled!)
Compared to other babies under one month, whose pictures show them either sleeping or expresionless (as pointed out to me by Elaine), pumpkin pie loves smiling and making faces for the camera
And these moments are priceless,
and so worth my sweat and blood (referring to the delivery)

Pumpkin pie now gurgles, coos, grunts and hums! Tres cute!!
Whenever she coos, it sounded as if she was trying to talk to us!
And my ma and I will ang gugu, chiak, hello, ooohh ahhh at her while she smile back at us, as if we were communicating in some secret foreign language known only between us.
That's baby lingo for you, ladies and gentlemen.

In spite of pumpkin pie literally clinging onto my breasts every 2-3 hours and therefore disrupting my already almost non-existent social life, I am very very much enjoying every moment with her!
In fact, I cant get enough of pumpkin pie!

I do have maternal instincts, you know!

ps: Happy New Year folks!

It's A Girl!

2010-12-17T21:50:00.003+08:00

If you have been following my tweets,
you would have already learned that I have given birth to a healthy and beautiful 3.2kg baby girl
Having her, completes me
and I dare say, Fong as well
The truth is, Fong never wanted kids of his own.
I put my foot down on this matter and now he is a convert.

When he first saw Alexa, he was so overwhelmed with joy he was choking back his tears while kissing me!
And I actually looked away coz I have never seen him cry or teared ever
Do not ask me why, but my immediate reaction then was to turn away
But needless to say, I was very very moved by that scene

Everyone couldnt believe I gave birth naturally, WITHOUT epidural or any form of anaesthesia.
I am amazed at my own strength and courage too.
The truth is, I delivered my baby at a government hospital, jolly well knowing I will be denied epidural and I can be a big wuss when it comes to pain.
(am truly impressed with the service/treatment accorded to Alexa and I - ante natal & post natal - by the government. The reason why I chose government over private)
Malaysia's Ministry of Health does not encourage epidural as it harms the baby and supposedly, carries side effects.
But I have no regrets tho it was motherfucking painful (no words can even begin to describe the pain I went thru).
Giving birth to Alexa drug-free had been very challenging but it was very fulfilling and it gave me a sense of accomplishment and achievement.
There's this thing among women in the world that if you can handle childbirth, you can handle everything. And I so agree!
It was an amazing experience!
I never felt so vulnerable and yet so strong at the same time.

I first started bleeding on Friday night.
Went to the hospital but was asked to go home since there were (i)no contractions, (ii)water didnt break and (iii)my cervix has only dilated for 1cm (the cervix needs to be fully dilated to 10cm)
Saturday was uneventful and I even went for a walk at the park to expedite the dilation.
On Sunday, I started experiencing contractions at like once every hour.
By Sunday night, the contractions became more frequent, occuring once every 10-20 minutes.
Went to the hospital again but still, no progress with the dilation and was sent home again.
By midnight, the contractions became more intense and painful and struck as often as every 10 minutes, and the pain kept me awake the entire night.
Went to the hospital for the third time on early Monday morning and I was warded after being examined and confirmed I was in labor contractions. Dilation of cervix remained status quo tho -_-
So I could only wait in agony (experienced contractions every 5 minutes) while being violated repeatedly the entire of Monday.
In case you do not know, the doctors determine how much your cervix has dilated by sticking their fingers deep into your vagina and I have lost count how many doctors/midwives stuck their fingers into me T_____T
By Monday night, I was in so much pain, even the nurses felt sorry for me.
There was this old and experienced nurse who helped to dilate me.
She stuck her finger into me and "enlarged" my cervix while pushing down my stomach.
Then she instructed the nurses to push me into labor room.
By then, I was already in labor for 24 hours.

I was wheeled into the labor room at around 11ish on Monday night and gave birth to Alexa at 3:57am on 7 December 2010.
And it was one hellish of an experience from 12am to 4am.
One houseman, Alisia Chin (whom I am eternally grateful to) who was attending to my delivery told me my labor contractions were more intense and frequent than normal.
In every 10 minutes, I experienced 5-6 contractions as opposed to the usual 3-4 contractions.
I was writhing in so much pain even Alicia sympathized with me and told the midwife of my plight.
But the midwife brushed us off saying "bersalin memang teramat sakit" (translation: giving birth indeed is very painful)
Alicia was my pillar of strength, talking to me, comforting me and massaging me.
She was as good as a birth partner!
At one point, I was begging for epidural knowing well I will not be getting it.
(was trying my luck with the kind hearted Alicia lol)

I gritted my teeth and bear with the excruciating and tormenting labor pain.
Personally, my labor experience was harrowing.
I was perpetually in intense and extreme pain from 1am onwards (before that, the contractions came in intervals of 5 minutes)
The pain was unbearable and continual.
This is deemed the transition labor, where our body is working hard to dilate the cervix fully so that the baby may moves out of the womb into the birth canal before the pushing phase begins.

By around 3am, the pain coupled by an urge to shit was getting more and more intense.
There was this strong burning sensation to shit which was beyond my control (felt like a really bad constipation)
I was told by Alisia that it was sign that the baby was coming out.
The urge to push was irrepressible and I found myself pushing involuntarily as if I wanted to pass motion.
However, I was told my Alisia that unreserved/unnecessary pushing through a cervix that is not fully dilated may cause swelling that may interfere with the birth.
Alisia kept peeking in between my legs and told me that I was not ready and told me to regulate my breathing to keep the shitting urge in check.
But it didnt help and I was fighting very very hard not to push.
My body seemed to has a mind of its own that day.
I couldnt control it at all!
Suddenly, when I couldnt fight off the urge to shit anymore and as I heaved to push, Alisia ran off yelling for the midwives.
I couldnt see what they were doing but it felt like they were digging into my vagina trying to "crown" Alexa.
Then everyone got excited and positioned me for the birth and yelled "push" "some more some more" "well done" "again"!
As I was pushing (which was so much different from what I saw on TV) I could feel the midwife snipping apart my vagina (episiotomy - a surgical incision made to enlarge the vagina to assist birth).
Frankly, it was not as painful as I expected. I could feel the cut but I didnt wince the least.
Perhaps I was too absorbed with the pushing to register the pain.
After 4 or 5 pushes, Alexa was finally out.
The moment she was out of me, I heaved a sigh of great relief and collapsed backwards onto the bed, my body completely drained of energy, with my precious in my arms :)

Today, Alexa is 11 days old
and I have 4 more kgs to shed before I go back to my pre-pregnancy weight!

Being an Adult

2010-11-22T13:50:00.001+08:00

Ever since I found out I am in the family way, it dawned on me that finally, I am an adult.
Of course I do realize I am and have been an adult for the past 10 odd years.
But Fong and I used to not plan much ahead and we have been spending our life pretty much recklessly, ie, we faced whatever came our ways and tackled the problems/challenges there and then.
We went on holidays on a whim, shopped unnecessarily and didnt save much.

But with a baby on the way, we do need to plan ahead now.
That's what a responsible and sensible adult would do -_-

Okay, the truth is, the idea of me being a mama and the astronomical sum of being a parent made me realized I am embarking on a whole new chapter in my life - ADULT.
Fong and I have always wanted to get a house but we never really got down to it coz we were in our comfort zone, or put it this way, we were plain lazy.
And when I got pregnant and decided we NEED to get a house, we were both thrown off the chair working out the calculations.
There's the insurance/savings for the baby, getting a new house, getting ready for the baby, etc etc, and we realized OHHH EMMM GEEE, it's not cheap having a baby!!
But we will work it out!

And so after much searching, we finally found a place to call Home

The show unit

We gonna go sign on the dotted lines sometime this week and,
fingers crossed when the project completes in 2012, the house mirrors the show unit
In Malaysia, the artist's impression/show unit can be very deceiving!

++++++

My belly at 37++ week (pardon the creases). I just woke up from sleeping on my side

The video below was captured yesterday morning :)

It Could Be Anytime Now

2010-11-11T15:07:00.012+08:00

My belly at week 36

A summary of my past 3 weeks

- Moved into the new place two weeks ago and Fong & I are warming up to the old house (it's at least 40 years old). Most people are clueless of the area I have moved to, and that includes true blue JB-ians.

- Went for antenatal checkup 10 days ago and muchkin weighed an approximate 2.4kg. Was told to take this piece of info with a pinch of salt. Never ever accurate and can swing both ways. Baby could come out weighing MUCH more or MUCH less than the estimate.

- Threw up ala merlion in the morning for a few days last week and thought the dreaded morning sickness was back to haunt me till I go into labour cuz I read morning sickness may come back for some women in the third trimester.

- Ongoing project at work which could potentially delay my plan to take maternity leave ahead of my EDD. Fong is extremely worried I may go into labour anytime as munchkin will become "full term" next Tuesday, ie, she will be ready to meet the world anytime after next Tuesday onwards. And apart from Fong, the people at work are also worried I may pop now, since we are right smack in the middle of a deal.

- Munchkin has dropped! Am feeling pressure in the pelvic area and I walk terkangkang now, like a duck. And the dem hemorrhoid is getting worse now that munchkin is pressing onto my pelvic T___T

- Finally, we are buying a house. A place to call home. This piece of property will set us back by half a million >.<. Already Fong & I have been discussing and feeding each other ideas on how to furnish/do up our house :) No more luxurious holidays/impulse purchases/frivolous shopping for now since we need to set aside money for the reno/furnishing and the baby. But the house is worth it, srsly (hopefully)! Getting our loan application processed now so fingers crossed!!!

- Wardrobe and cabinet are up yesterday and I cant wait to unpack the boxes all cluttered in the bedroom. But it will have to wait till next Wednesday.

ASOS

2010-10-20T13:26:00.004+08:00

1. chiffon maxi skirt

2. nude obi belt

3. feather clutch

4. body con with mesh insert one pc swimsuit

5. mock suspender tights

6. satin triangle bra and matching satin undie

7. satin bodysuit

8. birds on wire shorts

Now you know why I need to get rid of my rarely worn/used clothes/accessories???

And you cant blame me for the recent purchases!

ASOS offers flat shipping rate to Singapore,

regardless of the weight of the parcel!

And when you split it 4 ways, it's just approximately SGD5/pax!

Fucking good deal right?

And I got all the above at a discount, mostly at 50% off!

I know I am preggers now and cant be wearing the stuffs I bought,

but I told myself, I MUST lose all the baby weight within 2 months of giving birth to Alexa,

just so I can fit into my pre preggers clothes!

And the above are meant to push me towards my goal,

coz I simply cannot wait to wear the skirt, the swimsuit, the shorts and the lingerie

So far, I have gained 9kgs (am 33 weeks pregnant now)

and fingers crossed, by the time I deliver, I hope to gain max, 12-15kgs

As much as I wanted to be rational and practical and level headed (now that I am a mama-to-be),

I am, and always, have a weak spot for chic and pretty stuffs!

Pre-Loved For Sale

2010-10-20T09:37:00.001+08:00

Would anyone be interested to buy my pre-loved barangs???
Am thinking of selling my rarely worn/used clothes/accessories here
as I seriously have too many things I need to get rid of! Arggghhh

Nails & Hair

2010-10-13T22:01:00.001+08:00

I am ready to pop in another 5 weeks time!

By then, at week 37, munchkin will be considered "full term" and her lungs would have matured enough to adapt to the life "outside",

even though my due date, munchkin's eta is at week 40.

From what I read, munchkin now has fingernails and toenails and hair

and her skin is becoming smooth and soft as she plumps up for her arrival

I wonder who munchkin will resemble, me or Fong?

What do you all think?

Take My Breath Away

2010-10-06T10:15:00.001+08:00

Despite me having an easy pregnancy so far, I have been experiencing shortness of breath, alot.

And it certainly does not feel like a knight on a galloping white horse came and swoop me off my feet riding into the sunset - nope, not the took my breath away kind of sensation.

More like someone is stealing the oxygen from the air I am breathing kind of sensation

I always imagined how people die of suffocation when I was short of breath but I dont think I even came close to what those people experiened -_-

Okay this is getting morbid.

Anyway, I attribute such condition to the squashed organs within me.

When there is a baby growing within you, everything gets pushed away/up/down or pressed on.

Case in point, the diapghram, that lies under our lungs, is being pushed up, out of it's usual location by the expanding uterus (the growing baby). During pregnancy, the diapghram will be pushed up 4 centimetres and this tiny relocation of the organ is enough to decrease the lung capacity, ie, decreasing the amount of air the lung is able to take in.

At the same time, the brain picks up the decreased lung capacity and sends out instructions to breathe more deeply. As a result, although the lung capacity is decreased, the volume of air we are taking in with every breath is actually increased.

And yesterday, I found out that the relocation of the diapghram in me was not the only cause of my breathlessness!

Was getting my antenatal checkup at the government hospital when I was told my hemoglobin level is very low.

The normal range for an adult woman is 12-16 gram/deciliter and mine was 10.1!!!

Some biology lessons for ya all. Hemoglobin is the protein molecule in red blood cells that carries oxygen from the lungs to body tissues and returns carbon dioxide from the body tissues to the lungs.

Low hemoglobin means less oxygen in blood and the lowered oxygen may result in shortness of breath!

And the main reason behind low hemoglobin is deficiency in iron in the body!

Gonna load myself with iron tablets, red meat and spinach to replenish the iron in me.

My belly at 30+ week

4D scan of munchkin

The Good Ol Times

2010-09-29T08:33:00.007+08:00

I weep and laugh at the irony.
Boy, I am so broke now!
10 years ago, when I was taking home a mere fraction (I wish) of what I am drawing now,
I managed an Europe trip and a Louis Vuitton shopping spree (note the word spree) within 5 months of starting work
and I had plenty of cash to splurge on the frivolous and unnecessaries
and I didnt even own a plastic card (the mother of all evil to shopaholic!) back then
and still, my bank account boasted a five figure savings *beams with pride*

But that's history
Now, a four figure savings is an achievement
and standing in between me and all those worldly desires of things shiny to me,
are bank installments (try 2 cars and an apartment), endless bills, insurances and taxes,
all the boring/mundane and yet very important aspect of an adult life.

I guess along with adulthood, it brings along with it, great responsbility
and it is definitely more than what I have bargained for -_-

Still, a girl can keep a wishlist, no?

Fashionable Pregnancy

2010-09-21T19:57:00.002+08:00

These days, you can still be fashionable even when you have a bun baking in the oven

I am proud of my bump

and I like wearing clothes that flaunts my bump

Somehow, I do find a baby bump in a body hugging dress/top to be really sexy!

Am inspired to showcase all my maternity fashion here

and I am so taking a leaf out of these women's books!

Nicole Richie

Angelina Jolie

Miroslava Duma

Who says fashion and pregnancy do not go hand in hand???

The Beginning of the End

2010-09-16T21:01:00.011+08:00

This past Tuesday marks the beginning of my third trimester

I am now 28 weeks pregnant (6 months and 2 weeks)!!

So far, everything has been proceeding swimmingly,

save for the occasional breathlessness (very common occurrence during pregnancy)

and the overwhelming urge to fall asleep after every meal

My bulging tummy at week 28

And when it comes to bedtime, I have difficulty falling asleep,

or maintaining to remain asleep

or even having a restful sleep

It has been an uphill task to sleep well

finding a comfortable position to sleep

As a result, Fong and my sleep suffered (my tossing and turning kept him awake)

And it will just get worse as I grow even bigger

My laments for now T___T

Sleeping on your side is best during pregnancy (not advisable to sleep on back)

Left side that is

I read that this allows for the best blood flow to the fetus, uterus and kidneys

and improves circulation of blood back to the heart

I have been using pillows to support my back and abdomen

But none of them helped me get a good night's sleep

And so, I got myself a pregnancy pillow!!

And it does not come cheap

Setting me back by SGD129

And I didnt even know if it worked

Coz most mummies I asked, used pillows/bolsters for support

The result -

And if you must know , I got myself a theraline pregnancy pillow

from Babytown (elsewhere selling it for SGD150 and above)

which can be used as a nursing pillow after I give birth

It was a good investment!!

+++++

Wearing random chanel lookalike cropped jacket; rest&relax skirt worn as tube dress; charles&keith heels

Work outfit sometime this week

And it's non maternity, still!

Haa I am making this sound like an achievement

+++++

Took leave today coz Fong is not working today (lame I know and a waste of AL)

Not that we had anything planned for today

But just in case we would like to do something together

and we were supposed to go back to BP today

but we didnt and I will spare you the boring story

So, I cleaned the room and went to get a haircut and hair treatment

Came home and got Bee to help me take a picture of me

Am now randomly taking pictures of me pregnant

So I can pick the best looking one

to submit to the 2010 Pregnant Model Search (szeyuh, I have decided to enter!!)

(I hear collective gasps of horror lol)

The search does not require me to parade in front of the judges (the one reason why I have decided to participate)

and the winner gets to go to New Zealand (on an all paid expenses trip)

for a photoshoot for their new winter collection

So I thought why not??? :)

Wish me luck!!

pssttt what do you think of this picture???

One Stop Shopping/Dining - Bangkok

2010-09-08T13:50:00.006+08:00

Seeing that I need to get shopping done (for munchkin) and also a break,
I made a second trip to BKK in August (first trip this year was in January)
(if you have not realized, I go to BKK at least twice a year!)
Going to BKK is just so convenient,
as it is just a mere 2 hours flight from Singapore
compared to a 4 hours drive to KL
and nowhere else beats BKK when it comes to shopping!

And for some reason,
it thrills me to see that the boutique/blogshop in Msia/SG,
selling exactly the same fashion items I bought from BKK,
which I got for so much cheaper. SCORE!
Granted, I had to pay for the airfare

Shopping was the usual suspects - Platinum Mall, Chatuchak weekend market and Siam Paragon minus Siam Square and Central World coz they were burnt down
I read that Thunglor is a bit of a shopping heaven with independent quaint boutiques by local designer.
But I didnt get to check out Thunglor.
Perhaps another time with Alexa in tow :)))))

On the first day of shopping, I spun out of control
and used up all the bahts I brought with me
buying for munchkin

This has never happened to me ever,
during my past trips to BKK (when I was shopping for myself!).
I sorta went crazy grabbing at all those adorbs lil pieces,
handing them to the SA,
and not even counting how many pieces I have grabbed.
Lucky for me, they are really cheap!!

By the end of day one, my back and shoulders were all sore from the lugging
I called it a day by 5pm coz I tak larat dragging all the shopping bags already
and my lower arms had these red marks,
made by the plactic bags' rings cutting into my skin.

#1 - A shop at chatuchak weekend market selling flower power dresses and tops. Very cheap and very nice!
#2 - Full length shot of me in some random shop at chatuchak weekend market
#3 - Vintage stuffs from this particular shop in Chatuchak which I will always visit whenever I am there

#4 - Went crazy shopping in Junk Kids, a shop in chatuchak weekend market carrying baby/kids clothes/accessories! MUST check it out
#5 - Random shop's display in Platinum Mall

#6 - Day 3 of shopping and I was wearing a blouse I got from BKK on day 1 :)))

#7 - 20kgs worth of purchases and I had a hard time packing them into my suitcase!

#8 - Didnt forget hubby dearest though the mission was to shop for munchkin. Got him golf apparels and his golf mates were bugging him where he got his golf shirts :)
I got good taste!
#9 - Munckin's stuff filled up more than half my suitcase and my suitcase is ginormous! And I still had stuffs I bought for myself, hubby, etc not packed! Not to mention stuffs I brought with me!
I had a hard time closing the suitcase and I had to handcarry some stuffs back,
coz my luggage 's weight has exceeded the max checkin weight imposed by the airline
Even the taxi uncle who helped me carry the suitcase was struggling with it!

Visual diarrhea of food I had in BKK ahead!!

#10 - Best Tom Yum Goong EVER at Talad Nam Seafood (roadside stall in an alley at Sala Daeng)! It was an accidental discovery and since then, we have became its cult followers.

#11 to #14 - Bo.lan (Thai fusion restaurant) and featured as one of the top five restaurants in BKK by Asiaone.
Amouse Bouche
Yellow curry seafood
Stir fry local vege
Red curry chicken

#15 - Yummeh and crispy fried chicken wings at chatuchak weekend market.
#16 - Grilled pork neck at chatuchak weekend market

#17 - Papaya salad (fried version) - Som Tum

#18 and #19 - Local leung fun (cincau) - very refreshing and sweet!

#20 - Thai beef noodle and I like mine exceptionally hot!

#21 to #25 - Zanotti. Authentic and great italian food and also featured as one of the top five restaurants in BKK by Asiaone.
Bread basket
Bruschetta
Mozzarella parma ham pizza
Aglio Olio
Pan fried cod fish

#25 - Stewed pork rice - Khao Kha Moo. Hubby's fav local fare!

#26 - Tom Saep - Hot and sour soup

#27 - Thai bbq/steamboat

The Three Trimesters

2010-09-03T11:46:00.014+08:00

Very long post ahead - trying to redeem myself for the lack of posting lately :)

Very soon, I will be entering into the third trimester of my pregnancy.
My second trimester gonna end just like that *fingers snap*
No wonder it is called the honeymoon period of a pregnancy.
You know how good times go by faster?
From what I hear, I will gain weight the most and fastest during this period and this is when water retention is at its worst, making me feel pretty much like an inflated balloon and a beach whale at the same time.
I will find out pretty soon and keep you posted of my size!

So far, everyone has been telling me my weight gain is acceptable and so fingers crossed!
Secretly, I am very very pleased when people tell me I do not look pregnant from behind or when my bump is not in their vision
Okay I am shallow like that but I am known for being a vainpot okay.
I still worry if I will be able to shed the baby weight after I give birth.
Sue me la!

Looking back, my pregnancy has been really normal!
The sickening first trimester, the enjoyable second trimester and the scary third trimester.

Sickening first trimester
Along with the joy of finding out I am pregnant, came the nauseating morning sickness.
Every single morning, from week 8 to 14 of my pregnancy, I woke up having dizzy spells and feeling nauseated.
The toilet bowl and I became fast friends during my first trimester.
I turned to it each time I was feeling lousy, retching my guts out every morning.
The plastic bag just didnt make the cut though at times, it was my lifesaver, especially when I was driving.

90% of the time, the dizzy spells lasted the entire day, and they were at its worse when I was driving.
Most of the time, I will be resting my head on my arm leaning on the side of the driver's window or I will be resting my head on the driver's window while I drive.
And I wonder why it's called morning sickness when I was feeling sick from it the entire day - so fucking misleading!!!

Also, I couldnt afford to go hungry during the first trimester.
I will feel sick, ie, dizzy and nausea, whenever I was hungry/peckish.
(Not that I was not already feeling lousy from the morning sickness)
The hunger pangs I felt then were so acute, they were unbearable.
The fact is, being hungry then was very much like starving.
You just cannot wait any longer to fill the hungry stomach.
Before this, skipping a meal means nothing, ie, yes you are hungry but bolehlah tahan.
But during pregnancy, when you are hungry, you wish you have food shoved down your throat already.
And so I was eating all the time (small meals) during the first trimester even though I had very poor appetite.
And for some reason sweet and spicy stuffs rocked my boat.
It made my morning sickness this much *shows my fingertips* better.
And during that time, I was drinking coke and IBC rootbeer almost everyday.
And please save your lectures on how coke is not good for pregnancy
It was the fizzy drinks that made my first trimester bearable coz it helped ease the nausea the most.

And during the period I was feeling wretched from the morning sickness, I was so overwhelmed with work I couldnt even go on sick leave when I fell sick, working till at least 8pm every night.
And I was as sick as a dog for for almost 2 weeks.
Morning sickness + sick + fatigue + lack of sleep (from the blocked nose) = haggard and irritated me!

And I remember I didnt care how I looked then and all I could think of was whether I would survive the day at all.
I am pretty sure I looked very much undesirable then!
I went to hell and came back, and lost 3kgs in the process.

And surely I must tell you all about my cravings.
Cravings are plain torturous
Especially when my cravings were for food not easily available.
From what I have experienced, cravings were actually desire for personal comfort food during the period of wretchedness.
I had intensed cravings for petai with sambal ikan bilis (it had to be my ma's), Batu Pahat's famed spicy economy noodles and lok lok (raw food on sticks and you cook them in boiling hot water) from lok lok 66 in JB.
Except for the lok lok, which is easily available in JB but they are only opened at night -_-, I had to travel back to BP to satisfy my cravings for petai and the noodles.
And there was once, Cindy packed the noodles for me and Chieh Yee hand delivered it from BP to Singapore for me!
Awesome friends I have!! (Million thanks again girls!!!)
Another time, Bee and I drove all the way back to BP on a Saturday to pick up 6 packets of the noodles I have asked Cindy to tapao-ed and came back to JB thereafter (while the husband went golfing..... sial betul)

Personally, my relief from nausea was sweet and spicy food (even though it was recommended to avoid spicy food as it irritates the digestive system) and fizzy drinks and lots and lots of sleep!

Miraculously, my morning sickness ended immediately once I was past the 14th week mark.
It went away as abrupt as it came
I just woke up one morning not having dizzy spells and feeling nausea.
And I actually felt liberated!

Enjoyable second trimester
Ever since the morning sickness went away, I have been enjoying the pregnancy
Mostly, due to the attention and dedication from Fong,
and the concern from friends and colleagues,
as well as the cookings from my ma :)

True to everyone's words, the second trimester is the honeymoon period of a pregnancy
Was very happy my appetite came back and I dont feel sick and fatigue anymore!
My mood picked up and I look radiant and my skin glows!
(this is becuz the morning sickness ended + due to blood circulation and thanks to The Face Shop BB Cream - not becuz I am having a girl!!)
It was a total 180 degree transformation!
One moment, I was sick, easily irritated and tired, and the next moment, I was back to my old bouncy self tho I am easily tired now
My energy level has picked up and there is this increased ability to sleep!
I fall asleep by 7 or 8 in the evening right after my dinner only to wake up at 11ish to shower and get ready for bed again

Fong has been exceptionally nice to me too ever since I got pregnant.
He will put his choice of meal before me (I get to choose our meals based on what I want to eat muahhahah), helping out with household chores (hanging the laundry and washing the dishes) and not allowing me lift heavy stuffs.
The girls at work told me to enjoy the attention and dedication to the fullest coz the guys will only be this nice during the first pregnancy
And my ma has been cooking all my favourite food whenever I go back to BP
Everyone else around me tries their best to accomodate my pregnancy, by not smoking around me and ensuring the grounds I step on are safe for walking (for fear I may fall), etc.

I have been getting the royal treatment tee hee

I started feeling munchkin move in the belly from week 20 onwards.
At first it felt like soft flutters in the stomach, faint and vague.
Then as munchkin grow, her movements became more frequent and stronger,
and now I can see my belly moving whenever she moves.
The sight of my stomach moving (knowing it's munchkin moving within) is nothing short of miraculous!
Every night, Fong and I will wait eagerly for munckin to wriggle within.
It's the highlight of our bedtime
I went on a pilgrimage to my personal shopping mecca, Bangkok
And spun out of control shopping for the baby.
In fact, I have been shopping endlessly for munchkin througout the second trimester!
I bought too much clothes, so much so everyone is telling me to stop,
cuz munchkin may never be able to wear everything,
since they outgrow their clothes very fast

I would encourage traveling during this period coz you are not too sick (first trimester) and not too heavy and clumsy and awkward (third trimester) to travel.

Second trimester is the time when you notice physical changes to the body.
My belly grew overnight (or it seemed to me overnight) while I was in Bangkok - week 22
One fine day in Bangkok, my belly just swelled and stuck out further than my boobs!
It was so weird to see my belly sticking out further than my boobs!
And be warned, together with your stomach, your boobs may most prolly grow one size bigger too, or more (which I am sure everyone knows).
But I am sure not everyone knows that the areolas will grow too!!!!
This is to prepare to provide the newborn baby with milk.
At first, I was so shocked and disgusted by my own areolas I thought the hubby will find them ugly and therefore, not be intimate with me.
Luckily he does not think so phew! (haaa TMI)
That's not the worse part, the worse part is, they itch!!
Like hell!
I was scratching my breasts like they have been invaded by fleas.
At work. At home. Outside. EVERYWHERE.
Of course discreetly la.
I have applied oil, creams, moisturizer but none helped!

And then, this is also when everyone will feed you will all sorts of comments/advices/to-do-lists.
I truly and really appreciate and welcome all the advices.
For a firstimer, I am very very lost,
and all these advices have been really helpful!
Mucho gracias (you know who you are!)

And I must share some of the comments, or rather myths/old wives tales, with you all.
Shape/size of belly determines baby's sex
So far, everyone has been telling me I am carrying a boy
(some from their gut feeling, some from my belly),
even though I have been telling them I am having a girl, based on the sonogram.
I never believed in it anyway and reading up has surely reinforced my instinct in not believing.
Otherwise all ultrasonologists will be out of their job!
I read that the shape and size of the belly is determined by the original shape of your abdomen, the amount and distribution of the fat, the strength of the abdominal muscles, the number of babies conceived, the position of the baby and the amount of fluid around the baby. There is no correlation whatsoever with the sex of the baby.

Glow for a girl and no glow for a boy
This one is a gem!
Everyone has been telling me I look very good during pregnancy,
(as if I was ugly when I was not pregnant )
My skin glows and it's dewy and rosy (that's becoz I apply BB cream and make up DUH)
and the reason behind all the radiance is because,
I am having a girl!
Win liao lo.
I really pity the ultrasound technician.
To have their job taken over by some beliefs.
The truth is, after the morning sickness ended, I dont feel fatigue anymore.
And I started using The Face Shop Hydro Splash BB Cream (I swear by it - it is that good!)
And generally, all pregnant women glow during the second trimester, due to better blood circulation and there is a general feeling of well being.
It has nothing to do with the sex of the baby.

Do not raise your arms over your head
My MIL has been telling me not to raise my hands above my head.
Not telling me the reason why.
Was doing some reading,
and one of the myths is because the cord will wrap around the baby's neck if you raise your arms over your head.
I don't really get the correlation tho.
I mean how would raising your arm affects the umbilical cord?
The cord is some sort of a ropelike thingy connecting the foetus on the belly button to the placenta,
and not to the arms of the mother.
Anyway the source I was reading says the movement of the mother doesn't really affect the umbilical cord – unless she stands on her head!
I suspect this myth came about from women who didnt want to lift a finger doing chores!

Do not wear heels
I am still wearing heels period.

Scary third trimester
Everything about the third trimester is hearsay for now.
So I will share with you my personal experience,
when I get there in less than two weeks time
From what I hear, the grand finale is the insane pain
But it will be one rewarding experience once you hold the baby in your arms.

White sheer top from BKK, Mango black leggings and Jeffrey Campbell wedges

I have been very fortunate to be able to still fit into non-maternity clothes
At the advices of colleagues and mommies,
I have bought several maxi dresses,
to double as maternity dresses
So, I can still wear them after I have given birth
Also a colleague has passed me some of her old maternity clothes
And so, I get to save on maternity clothes
And get to buy more for munchkin!

No One Will Miss You, Like Ever

2010-08-29T22:05:00.009+08:00

On our way back to JB from BP today on the NS Highway, Fong and I witnessed a bunch of retarded morons [Read: MAT REMPITS] attempt group suicide.

They were speeding by us, weaving in and out between cars, performing death defying acts (case in point - see picture below) trying to die in the most horrible, gruesome and unimaginable death ever.

"Superman" stunt

Seriously, they can all die a horrible death for all I care

But please steer clear of our path coz unlike these fucktards, we still wanna live till a ripe old age!

Fong and I decided even if they met with a horrible accident, they asked for it and they do not deserve one ounce of sympathy!

Filler Post

2010-08-21T08:18:00.006+08:00

I am almost there - as large as a house
Am now 24 weeks pregnant and ever since I passed the 20 weeks mark, I have been gaining 1kg every week, like clockwork.
I now weigh 59kg!!!!
I weighed 55kg and 57kg when I was 20 and 22 weeks pregnant, respectively.
Assuming I have 16 more weeks to go before I deliver, and still gaining 1kg weekly, I would have gained a grand total of 22kgs by the end of it all!!!!
This is really scaring the shit outta me.
And I was making a very conservative assumption.
Usually, during the third trimester, a pregnant lady gain weight the most, uncontrollably!
What I am fearing the most now is, whether I would still fit into my pre pregnancy clothes after I give birth.
I know I know, I should worry more about the wellbeing of Alexa at this moment but I cant help it!
The sneaky bastard creeps into me unknowingly from nowhere! Grrrrr

On a chirpier note, Alexa has been really really fun and happy :)
She has been entertaining Fong and I alot, jamming in there.
Fong and I would just stare at my bulging tummy waiting for her to jam at night.
And mostly she will make lil knocks here and there and we will see a bump emerging from my tummy randomly all over.
She's a rocker in there allright :)
Already Alexa's a star!

My belly at week 24

Shopping for Munchkin in Bangkok

2010-08-02T11:16:00.006+08:00

Quick update of what I have been up to in BKK :)
Mostly, I have been shopping and eating and sleeping and shopping and eating and sleeping.
And it seems like munchkin is loving Bangkok too!
I will tell you why as we proceed along :p

#1 - This was taken at Chatuchak (on Sunday) and this picture is pretty deceiving, I was told. Coz in this pic, I dont look like I am pregnant :)

#2 & #3- This is just how big my stomach has grown in the past couple of days I was in BKK!!! (taken on Saturday morning) Just a week ago, my tummy was almost discernible and Chioz can attest to that coz she saw me just last Monday. My tummy has now surpassed my boobs and we concluded that munchkin loves Thai food, just like yours sincerely :) Like daughter like mama

#4 - Day 1's haul: munchkin's closet. I emptied my wallet on day 1 of the trip! Luckily, I have a walking ATM machine in BKK :)

#5 - Day 2's haul: also munchkin's closet. I called my sister earlier this morning and was informed that she will be passing me my nieces' clothes. Whoopsie! I better stop buying already, I think. But knowing myself, better not put any money on it!

I bought so many dresses and girlie clothes and I will be so screwed if my baby turns out to be a boy! I mean I am sure you have heard of cases when one was expecting a girl/boy (coz the doctor told you so) and the baby came out of your vajayjay another sex. Hope it doesnt happen to me!

Last night, I learned that mother and child bonding starts from the womb! I pity the poor father who is missing out all the nothing short of miraculous events, which are exclusive to just the mama and baby :)
Throughout the day yesterday, I didnt feel much of Alexa and so when I was about to go to bed, I asked Alexa to kick me to make her presence known and before I knew it, she kicked and wriggled, giving me a peace of mind :)
She heard me!! Isnt that just amazing???
I am seriously enjoying my pregnancy!

Off to Siam Paragon now! Toodles!

Oh My Baby

2010-07-21T19:07:00.005+08:00

My tummy at week 20

I have been told my tummy look mighty small at week 20

I am halfway into a full term pregnancy and I still look not pregnant (in certain attires)

But my gynae didnt think my baby is underweight, or rather he didnt say so when I went to him yesterday -_-

And to-date, I have only gained 2kgs (yay for me!!!!)

I certainly have been eating very healthily!

I do not allow myself go hungry but of course there were times when I go to bed hungry

Sometimes, when I have my dinner fairly early in the evening, I will feel peckish by 11ish 12

And mostly, I will just ignore the hunger pangs and try to go to sleep

My body and brain were just too tired to respond to the distress call by my stomach

If I go to bed hungry, is it considered child abuse??? Hmmmmmmm......

The gynae performed a Fetal Anomaly Scan, also known as a detailed scan on me yesterday

Such scan is usually performed between 18 to 24 weeks to look for baby's anatomy in more details and to check that the baby is developing normally

Essentially, the scan is to detect anomalies in the baby, if any

And I almost teared in front of the gynae when he told me that my baby is fine!

That is like the best news ever, knowing your child is healthy and normal and complete :)

I was doing the imaginary toss the confetti and cartwheels in the consultation room

One organ my gynae was unable to read yesterday was the heart

He said he will get a better read of the heart with the four valves at my next scan

Fingers crossed baby Alexa (or Mikaela) will have a healthy heart!!!

The visit to the gynae yesterday cost me RM150 and the irony was, I withdrew ngam ngam RM150 before the trip to the gynae but as I was hungry, I spent RM2 on toast.

I never had to pay more than RM100 for all the times I visited him and so I thought RM150 was more than enough!!

And I was breaking out in cold sweat almost wanting to die of embarrassment when I saw Siu (godsent) at the gynae!

Turned out she and I visit the same gynae and we had to bump into each other on the day I needed a friend the most!

Praise the Lord!!! lol

Siu was waving at me at the waiting lobby like an angel sent from heaven as I was walking out of the consultation room racking my brain how to come up with RM2

My day (or ass) was saved by Siu! Phewww!

++++++++++

Needless to say, I have started buying Alexa's clothes (I am more inclined to name her Alexa but I shall decide when she is born whether to name her Alexa or Mikaela) already.

Before yesterday, I bought mostly unisex rompers from Fox Baby, United Colors of Benetton and Zara Baby.

Yesterday, the gynae confirmed the gender to be a girl (again)

And you can bet on your pretty ass that I will go batshit crazy buying for Alexa in BKK!

Already, I bought some more for Alexa yesterday but I held back knowing I am going to BKK next week

Baby rompers from Zara baby, Fox baby and UCB

Pretty hand-me-downs from Joy's sisters (big big thank you!!!!!!!)

Barbie Pink

2010-07-17T20:09:00.006+08:00

Wearing Zara nautical stripes blazer, Fox camisole, mom's pants, Topshop wedges and Zara studded purse

Again, I was wearing the only pair of pants I can still button up without me sucking my "unsuckable" tummy in. Last night, after dinner, I could feel my tummy stretching and it's really not all that comfortable. More and more, the reality of me pregnant, is sinking. Not that I didnt realize I am pregnant but I am recently experiencing a very tight feeling in the tummy coupled with the stretching/pulling sensation.

On the other hand, I am definitely enjoying the baby moving in my tummy! I felt the baby for the first time 2 nights ago and the feeling, it's indescribable! It's everything good and nice and pretty coming together

It felt like Care Bears. Colorful + happy + love + good cheer + miraculous.

I have my nails painted pink today and the color reminds me of barbie!! It was a lil shocking, even to myself at first but I am warming up to the color already. I was inspired by my new ring to paint my nails pink

ps: I seriously need to moisturize my hands!!

Baby Girl or Boy?

2010-07-11T23:41:00.005+08:00

Sonogram of my baby at week 16.

Ladies and gentlemen, the gynae told me I am carrying a baby GIRL! And the first reaction I got from my colleagues was "don't spend too much!!". My colleagues are aware of my passion for dressing up and already knew that I would go batshit crazy buying clothes for my baby and they know I will go more batshit crazy buying if the baby is a girl. Damn right I will! lol

Anyway, am not fixated at the sex of the baby yet coz I was told that the sex may change (not literally) but more like a wrong diagnosis by the gynae during early scans.

My tummy at week 17

For now, I can still conceal my tummy in loose fitting dresses and tops. It's my bazookas that's getting all the unwanted attention!!!

Am 19 weeks pregnant and I dont seem to detect any movement from the baby in my tummy! Should I be sensing the baby now? Am getting concerned and it worries me :(

These are the Only (non maternity) Pants I can still Wear

2010-07-11T16:23:00.008+08:00

Wearing light blue denim button down from HK, Calvin Klein cutoffs, Topshop wedges

My weekend routine in JB was broken yesterday when Joy and Ser together with Joy's colleague, Jason, came to JB.

You will most likely than not catch me at home rooted to the sofa with my lappie on my lap watching dvds on tv.

But yesterday was shopping + drinking + eating + laughters for a change

Notice the white embroidered skirt (Topshop) hanging on the right? I very much wanted to get it but I couldnt fit into it :(

Of course I do know my own condition but Joy told me her sisters were still buying non-maternity clothing when they were pregnant. The trick is to buy them in big sizes and wear them underneath the tummy. Too bad the skirt was sold out in big sizes and the largest size left in store was a size M for the petite :(

If only they still have it in size L or XL coz I really like the skirt very much!

Later that night, we went to Roost Cafe at Duty Free Zone for cheap booze and I was reminded of how much I miss beer!! Aarrgghhh

And the girls tried to move the bucket of beers away from my sight when I was looking longingly at it lol

And while we were all chatting away a loud bang on the door jolted us from our chat. Turned out a guy who was walking out of the cafe to answer his phone didnt notice the glass door and walked right into it! Poor guy left a stain of his forehead on the glass.

Extract of part of our conversations:

Ser: When I was still with A&G, Kenneth came looked me up for lunch and he was then driving the tofu car

Us: *baffled look at the tofu car description*

Joy: AE86!!!

Ser: Yes!! That's the car!

Us: *ohhhhh the one driven by Jay Chou in the movie Initial D* -_-

Highlight of the trip. Lok lok for supper at my favorite 66 lok lok and the girls were sweating and tearing from the mean and wicked spicy to the max homemade chili sauce (can you see the beads of sweat on the forehead of the girls in the picture?) Joy kept telling me her lips were tingling and she felt her lips to have fatten from the spiciness (imagine sausage lips). The beer they brought along from Roost to go with lok lok was not able to put out the fire in her mouth. Poor Joy! But that did not stop her from eating tho.

++++++++

Wearing Topshop baby doll top, mom's pants and Charles & Keith wedges

Went Tebrau Jusco again today and intention was to get some baby stuffs. But seriously, there are just so little choices/stuffs in the whole of Tebrau Jusco!!! And I am not just referring to Jusco but also the several baby shops in the mall. So disappointing! Wanted to get swaddle and newborn rompers but sadly, there were only a few pieces of the swaddle left and and they were in white and pink :( and also there were not many neutral colors rompers. Mostly very gender specific and I dont wanna get gender specific clothing for the baby yet.

Fong transferring his golf clubs from his old golf bag to the new golf bag he got from Jusco and he was behaving just like a kid who got a new toy showing and telling me the functionality of the golf bag, demonstrating how the stand works and boasting how many pockets it has bla bla bla. Men -_-

I have decided to get Combi Coccoro convertible car seat. What first attracted me to this car seat was how it looks. This car seat looks so much cuter and pretty than the others. I am a sucker for appearance! Well, it is not all purely about the look. I read up about the car seat and found out it's compact and lightweight, suitable for small cars like mine. So far I have read more positive reviews than negative and I think I am getting this. Any comments/advices from you mummy readers on whether I should or should not be getting this???

House Hunting

2010-06-29T11:30:00.000+08:00

Wearing leopard print sheer top from Bangkok, Zara black cardigan, Calvin Klein cut off and Topshop wedges

Hopefully *prays hard with knitted brows and hands clasped tight* the search for our Home will be over soon! Time is running out and getting the perfect house is not even near the closure of this whole getting a house episode. There are the furniture, renovation (at least plumbing, painting, wiring, etc) electrical appliances and also the baby's stuffs, ie, baby cot, baby car seat, stroller - and the list is non-exhaustive - which we have to get before the baby arrives. Yes EVERYTHING before the baby arrives. Already, listing them out is draining me mentally! Somehow, I only feel like a real grown up now! I was pressing furiously on the buttons of the calculator when the astronomical figure of buying a house, furnishing/renovating a house and preparing for the arrival of the new addition to the family threw me off my chair -_-

This past Sunday, Fong and I drove past two semi ds and we were both very much taken by both properties! We could imagine living in any one of these houses as a happy family :) Will be making arrangement with the agent to view the house and if we are really keen, to negotiate the prices. Fingers crossed one of the two will be the one!

After viewing the houses from the outside, Fong and I made our way to Tebrau Jusco for our weekly grocery shopping when we were stopped by some trainee military guy who turned out was trying to help a couple who were involved in an accident earlier. He asked nicely if we could help to send the girl who hurt her leg to the hospital and Fong and I obliged. We didnt exactly know how the accident happened but the other party, the guy driving a MYVI whose car was knocked into by the couple riding on a motorbike couldnt speak much Malay and told us to wait by the roadside while he inspects his car. Fong was slightly disgusted with the inconsiderate twat especially when his car could still move and what more, the car only suffered a few scratches and a fallen headlight. We didnt see any dents at all. I mean yes, you are the victim in this case but didnt it occur to him that the injured needed medical attention? Anyway I asked if he would like to follow us to the hospital and and he said no, he needed to go get his car checked and fixed and he had the cheek to ask me to get the Name, IC number and registration number of the vehicle of the motorbike rider. Hello, we were just passing by!
Anyway, we dropped off the couple at the emergency dept of the hospital and went on with our day.

++++++++

My H&M Garden Collection maxi dress I bought from Ebay arrived yesterday and I was delirious with joy! Check out the splash of colors! So pwettyyyyyy!
And I have just won the mickey mouse sunnies on ebay, albeit, I was the only one bidding for it! Better for me! No price war!

Pregnancy Journal

2010-06-27T09:57:00.002+08:00

I excel brilliantly at procastinating and not fulfilling my promises, dont I?
Again it has been *checks calender* another 3 weeks since I last updated.
I was supposed to be keeping a pregnancy journal (intention was to update on a weekly basis) via this blog but I failed miserably, havent I?!?!?
If you have noticed, blog entries in a month has never dropped below 5 in my history of blogging.
Well, being pregnant has kept me...... hmmm.... ~~busy~~ lazy perhaps?
These days, I try to keep a distance from anything that requires me to flex my brain muscles.
And blogging requires me to do just that.

#1 Week 8
My baby was still looking pretty much like a kidney bean and that cluster of white dots you see in the kidney bean, that's the heart :)

#2 Week 12
In four weeks time, my baby's head and body and limbs begun to form. It's nothing short of amazing and touching and miraculous :)

#3 Week 15

This is exactly how fat I am now. I mean was. I AM SO MUCH FATTER now. See that piece of lard hanging off my tummy, gosh, I swear I have never gotten this fat ever! I seriously think I need to get a new body after I give birth! Otherwise, how to fit into all my pre-pregnancy clothes???? SOBBB T____T
In between the bonding sessions with the toilet bowl in the weeks leading up to #3 picture above:

- I was very busy with work

- I watched so much DVDs I lost count of how many movies/dramas I have watched

- On very rare occasion (coz mostly I would be too tired/hungover to hang out), hung out with lovelies/besties/frens while I watched them in envy as I sipped on bubble tea and they gulped down ice cold beer

- I had such an intensed craving for "ah pui noodles" back at home, I drove back to Batu Pahat with Bee on a Saturday just to go get the noodles and came back to JB thereafter

- I went to get myself new bras coz my boobs are turning into bazookas -_-

- House hunting and we were this close *shows one mm between thumb and index finger* to buying the house but the horror stories from the tenant renting from the owner shook us badly

- I started bidding for items on ebay and so far, I have won in bids for Nike golf clubs and a H&M maxi dress

- I puked and puked and puked.

That pretty much sums up what I have done in the first trimester of my pregnancy. Boring huh

Well, I am banking on a more exciting second trimester with Ser's birthday smash coming up this Saturday at Changi Village Hotel with the theme "Pina Colada", my trip to Bangkok (which I am hoping it will materialize) and...... well, that's it.

Sigh.... not all that exciting huh.

Anyway, I will tell you more about the sex of my baby in my next post :)

Hang-it's-OVER!

2010-06-06T16:09:00.008+08:00

Wearing Naf Naf dress, Kate Spade oversized clutch and Charles & Keith wedges

I have survived the excruciating painful and vomit inducing two months-long morning sickness! *tosses confetti*

And that explains why I have been missing in action for the past *checks date* 3 weeks

Okay, I am not exactly sure if it is over yet but at least I was in the mood to doll up yesterday for my trip to the hair salon

Let's just say for the past two months, I had been too arsed to bother how I look coz I was not in the mood to look in the mirror after retching my gut out into the toilet bowl the morning and feeling lousy thereafter

Well, now that this whole unpleasant episode is over - or so I think, let's hope it will stay like this from now on - I thought I should dress up more often even though it's just a short trip to the hair salon and pretty much where no one will notice how I look

Another two months and perhaps even another one more month down the road, I will not be able to fit into all the clothes in my closet!

Already there are severals I cant fit into!! My tummy is growing and really it is just lard now coz it's all wobbly and soft and not bouncy hard -_-

Might as well wear those I can fit into as much as possible now right

And wear as much high heels I can wear now!

More about my pregnancy soon! I promise! :)

First Wedding Anniversary

2010-05-15T09:03:00.001+08:00

Elaine had to remind me that my first wedding anniversary has past before I realized I have completely forgotten about my own wedding anniversary. Needless to say, the hubby clean forgotten about it too. We iz Champions. Or perhaps Failures? I'll let you decide

I have always been very good with dates, ie, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries, etc etc and how in the world I have forgotten about my own wedding anniversary, I have no idea >.<>

For those who know me personally or has been following my blog for like at least for the past one year may ask, when is your anniversary?? Since you all have "witness", ie, read of my many weddings.

For those who have just started reading my blog and those of you who just happened to be here, please allow me to clear the air. Not that I have been married several times. Or perhaps I have

My union with Fong were celebrated like, hmmmm, let's see....... 4 times in 2009 thru 2010. Yea you read right and your eyes are not playing tricks on you. We got married 4 times or rather, we went thru the process of being married 4 times.

And needless to say, we picked the most memorable day to be our anniversary :) The original wedding date. The one picked by Elaine lol

May 9, 2009. The day we exchanged vows in Bali :)))) The day magic came alive. The day my sweetest dream came true. The day...........aiya, you should get the drift ;p

Same time next year, one tiny pair of feet will be celebrating with us, our second wedding anniversary :)))) That is, if we do not forget it again -_-

Inevitably, when one is pregnant, there are bound to be questions on the sex of the baby, ie, preference. For me, I still cannot establish if I prefer boy or girl or rather, I would say, either a boy or girl is fine by me. I will still love either one as much as the other. Most importantly, the baby comes out fine, complete and in the pink of health. That's what I wish for the most.

Some people focus too much on the sex of the baby they lose perspective of the wellbeing of the baby and the mother. To some, having a baby is like a task, a supply of offspring and to carry on the family name. A colleague of mine, pregnant with her second daughter, has one of the most annoying relative one would ask to not exist at all, asked my colleague when is she planning for a third one since both kids she has/having are girls -_- Feel like giving her a big tight slap or what?

I mean *touchwood* *slaps own mouth/hands* would you rather have a boy with disability (eg, down syndrome) or a girl who is normal and healthy. A baby (regardless of sex) born healthy and normal is what everyone should ask for. Everything else is BONUS!

I used to toke it for granted that having a healthy, normal baby should come really easy, as if, it's just right. As if, it's just natural. But being an expectant mother myself now and having heard many stories about pregnancies and the horror/sob/joyous elements that came with the stories, I realized having a healthy, happy and normal baby is not a 100% guaranteed deal. It's all about luck and how the expectant mother takes care of her wellbeing.

Having said all that, am still sick :( And it really sucks to be sick!!!