Thursday, December 31, 2009

Confession of a control freak

Last night at 1137 pm , it dawn on me that my life is “different" now. While some of my friends are still out there counting down, I was already in my PJ on a new year's eve. Confession: I felt miserable. But after about an hour, it finally struck on me that I'm a mom! I felt peaceful...

Although it's been more than 3 weeks since the arrival of Sophie and 10 months since I prepared myself for “motherhood”, I realised that a big part of me may still be unprepared, especially emotionally. My emotions have been on a roller-coaster ride. I am still attributing it to hormones! Sometimes I seem to have a lot in my mind, other times, I caught myself zoning out and staring in the air, empty headed. Happiness and sadness come and go like the wind.

Despite all the reading, nesting, antenatal classes, self-talk, tips from others, I supposed one can never be “fully”prepared for motherhood. . Being a control freak, I like “certainty” and things to be “in order”. I even prepared an Excel schedule for feeding during my 30+week of pregnancy, mentally ready for taxing 2-hourly feeding (obviously the worksheet is no where to be found now!)

Needless to say, daddy M has been on the ride with me, walking on shells, being the best supporter he can be! I am thankful. I really am.

I am learning, day by day, bit by bit, to accept what is “out of control”and things not done “my” way. I'm accepting that a smallie is depending on me and will dominate a big part of my life and I should enjoy every single bit of it.

Friends ask me what's my wish and resolution, well I think it will be – take things easy, let go and let God.

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Future Reminiscence

sophieanddad2 sophieanddad

Nice shots that we'll look back with warmth and perhaps tears of joy one day...

Birdies

birdEvery afternoon, we leave Sophie on the day bed in the living room to do some kicking and stretching. At the same time, she is accompanied by 2 flash cards with either 2 birdies or 2 apples, in the colours that she can identify. Don't misunderstand me, I'm not flashing the cards and teaching her how to read yet – she's only 21 days old!

I just thought maybe it's nice to let her see some things... and the 2 little birds are like her friends. Anyway, her attention span is only 3 minutes max, before she starts to look for her pacifier!

Wednesday, December 23, 2009

Post-natal pampering

I like my masseur's job. Everyday, with her Hello Kitty van, she goes into homes of new mothers who welcome her with joy. She brightens their days. She takes their minds off crying babies, breast feeding, diaper change and the battle of handling a new born. Just like what she does to me. I look forward to her arrival everyday. For that 1 hour and 15 min, I pamper myself by forgetting everything and imagining having a massage by the sea in Phuket. The massage comes with post-natal wrap but for what it's worth, the relaxation is sufficient for me! Inch loss is secondary (for now).shalom

You would imagine post-natal masseurs are usually aunties in their 40s + but Sharon is different, as you can tell from her funky van. She's  a bubbly girl in her 30s yet with very firm and strong strokes. I seriously think all new moms should indulge in post-natal massage to maintain sanity! We deserve it :)

Monday, December 21, 2009

Thanks Pa!

IMG_1432 3 days ago I received a nice pot of lilies. First thing that Daddy M said: "It's not from me". It was more than 1 week since Sophie's arrival, so all the hampers/ gifts would have already been delivered! Who could it be? Secret admirer at this stage/age? Tough luck!

The recipient was not named. But the message gave it away.

IMG_1383a

I knew instantly, it's from my dad! This word of wisdom is from him before I popped. He told me that in order to have a speedy recovery during confinement, I have to tell myself that "there is nothing in this world / anyone who can make me angry, not my mom, not the baby, not my husband, nothing at all." I heeded his advice, for at least 1 week.

Day and night, I chanted this. But I guess, there is just so much that I could take. First week home was hell (pardon the language). Coping with pain (wound and hemorrhoid) , inexperienced confinement lady (CL) who was lost whenever bb cried and always needing guidance (from me?!!!) and my mom's constant complain of the CL, I blew my top and broke down a few times. Tears seemed to come easily especially at night. I was like a werewolf/vampire that only came alive at night! No one was spared!

Apparently, dad (in Penang) heard it from mom about my state and decided to send me a pot of flowers to cheer me up!

How sweet is that?! First time in my life – flowers from my dad.

Somehow, since the delivery of the flowers, I seemed to be more calm and collected, consumed with a sense of peace. The dust seemed to have settled over the past few days. It also made easier that I was finally mobile. The wild hormones have disappeared...BUT CL is still lost at times. Positive side of it – when she leaves, I will not be too lost given that I've been "instructing" her on what to do while she's here :)

Monday, December 14, 2009

Oscar award for daddy-hood

IMG_0737The Director of Nursing in hospital called me the Big one, Sophie the Small one and Daddy M the Great one. I totally agree to that!

Sophie and I have been super  blessed by the ever-supportive Daddy M. He is definitely in the running for nominations for :-

Best support a new mother can have

Best lactation consultant – correct latch? duration?

Best masseur

Best photographer

Best burper

Best baby carrier

Expert of electrical appliance (steamer, warmer, pump etc)

And the list goes on… Now Daddy M is down with slight flu from all the late nights and round-the-clock service.  Poor thing… We pray the blood of Jesus over him and be healed in His name. He will recover quickly and gets to play with Sophie again!

Tuesday, December 8, 2009

Answered prayer

As I was saying in my previous post , was hoping to go to Taka after Jones the Grocer but instead we went to Orchard Ion instead! Prada, Louis Vuitton, Hour Glass...
1pm: made it back to hospital
2pm: dilation 3cm , not bad - so checked into delivery ward
5pm : 4cm dilated. Gynae was jealous that I was still not in grimace so put me on drip to hasten the process
515pm: started to have more severe contraction but still not painful to curl up
6ish: ok started to have grimace in 2min apart. But it was bearable, but to be safe we called upon the happy-dural
630pm - 7pm: the longest half an hour in my life waiting for anesthesiologist who was in a traffic jam !
730-10pm: numb, zzz , read , prayed
10pm: Fully dilated!
10:20pm: midwife started me on a dry run to push. "Chin down, pull your thigh, Poosh!" . Tried for a few times but no sign of bb. My mind was blank, occasionally I saw the Louis Vuitton bag that I wanted and I pushed harder. At times I saw Jesus carrying my bb nearer and nearer. Baby's heart beat went lower so I was given an O2 mask.
11pm; Gynae arrived. Helped by 2 midwives who were very encouraging - "it's coming , poooosh poooooosh..."
Daddy M helped to support my head and I think he was poooshing too:)
1125pm: Gynae took out a gigantic pair of forceps and gave me some help
1130pm: with the last pooosh, our friend arrived in style ! Bb Sophie Dorett!

As usual I was hoping to get emotional but no tears came out... Haha

Thank you Jesus for a painless and supernatural delivery! Our prayers answered !!!

Sunday, December 6, 2009

This is the day that the Lord has made

So today is THE day.
840am: I was induced with a tablet
930am: I was out of hospital
950am: I am having a cuppa and muffin at Jones the grocers, Dempsey.
This place surely doesn't feel like Singapore with all the Ang mohs ,
mummies with kids, having their breaky...
I am scheduled to go back to hospital at 1pm ... Hmmm maybe taka is
the next stop after this :)
*more updates to follow...*

Friday, December 4, 2009

Presents

Trying to get M his birthday present this year was tough. Can't think of anything that he wants/needs. His life is so contented as I've got him all that he wanted over the years haha.

So I've resorted to presenting to him mojo as his birthday gift this year...that is if mojo has strong telepathy with me and gets the signal to come on time-6th Dec!

Meanwhile, my back up present #1: A coffee table photo book that showcases some of M's nice shots.  

IMG_0318IMG_0316 IMG_0322IMG_0320

So proud of his work! I was beaming proudly when I collected the book from the photo shop,“Ahem, it's my husband's photographs..”

So near yet so far

Everyday, I receive loads of sms/calls from Singapore and overseas asking if mojo has arrived.

Friend A: Any action yet?

Friend B: Have you popped?

Friend C: Still home?

Friend D: Any signs?

Friend E (who's having holiday in India): Update please?

Sis in law: How?

Brother in Penang: When are you popping?

Friend F: Hey, why didn't you answer my calls? I thought you're in labour!

Friend G: I'm keeping my phone close to me, incase I miss any of your sms/calls

Mojo, mojo, see how everyone is anticipating you?

This really reminds me of our wedding day where I was late for 1 hour and 15 minutes for our church ceremony.

Well, good things come to those who wait :)

Saturday, November 28, 2009

Cultic countdown

Been having bad back ache over the past 2 days, so decided to check it out at the gynae this morning. And guess what? I'm in early labour because I'm already 1cm dilated. What do we do now? Nothing but wait. Too early to check into hospital.. So gynae suggested to do lots of walking, enjoy the weekend, Mojo is probably coming very soon! So today is about pampering myself – good food, relax, Cantonese series :)

Given that my life is going to change drastically very soon, I decided to do something different and give Sunset Grill & Pub at Seletar Airbase a try (despite it being so near our house). M has tried a few times to drag me there but I was always too unadventurous to try a new Western food joint..

Tsk tsk tsk.. oh me of little faith. Should have given more credit and trust to the wise man at home. Sunset Grill was not bad at all! We were there just before 7pm , hence managed to get a glimpse of sunset. Though the restaurant name sounds a bit posh but the place is totally ‘humble’. IMG_1278a It's like a shed in the middle of nowhere. Surrounded by trees, diners are seated on plastic red chairs, the food is not super fantastic, yet the place was packed! There is a ‘cultic’ element to this place that I can't quite describe. Conclusion: I'm glad that I went, and definitely bringing mojo there later.

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

Early Christmas

blo2

The tree is up! If you read about our Christmas tree story last year, having a tree now is totally not the practice of this household :)

BUT the wise man at home thinks that it would be fun for both of us to decorate and set up the tree instead of him doing it alone later while I may be busy milking…

Anyways, I think it’s nice to welcome mojo home with the sweet smell of Noble Fir…

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Just the 2 of us.. not for long

With my cousin who lives with us being home in Penang for a break, M just reminded me that these next 4 days will be our last chance to be home alone , with just the 2 of us for a very long time to come.
The thought is surreal…we’re looking at probably at least another 18-20 years... I’m sure it will be blessed with so much more joy!

So my plan for the last few days of ‘just the 2 of us’:-
- watch at least ONE movie together at home
- cook a simple meal together (a bit ambitious with my circumference )
- breakfast in bed?
- catch an afternoon nap together (let's hope it rains over the weekend)
- Scrabble, chess, Gin Rummy?

Sunday, November 15, 2009

6 years on

 

15 November – our courtship anniversary but we didn't do much this year. A simple day with a peck on the cheek, simple wish and simple gift. I'm STILL a die-hard romantic and I'm attributing this simple celebration to tiredness from pregnancy and having relatives in town on the same day. So, what does courtship anniversary mean to us? 6 years ago, on this day,

  • We've gone out on a few dates
  • We decided in our hearts respectively that we like each other
  • We found each other very attractive and wanted to see more of each other
6 years on...from funky blue-wigs crazy days to parenthood... amazing!!

Thursday, November 12, 2009

Mom

I’m not sure if hormones are still at their peak during these very last days of pregnancy but I’m feeling sentimental today.

Today is the day that I finally feel how my mom feels and finally see how she sees things- how her care towards her children, her love, her worries and protectiveness over her children are often being construed as naggy, unreasonable and incommunicable. I’m guilty as charged because I have always been closer to dad than mom mainly due to our invisible communication barrier. I often find it hard to talk to her and find her unwilling to accept my opinion or understand my views in life. I know that motherhood tends to spawn a renewed sense of appreciation in women towards their moms, but I was expecting it to happen to me much later, probably when I see mojo. I guess it came earlier than expected.

What’s the triggering point for the shift?

It all started from the confinement nanny issue. Mom found a replacement for me – her friend from Penang who is not a professional confinement nanny but has done a few jobs before. To mom, I believe she thinks this is the best choice for me– someone whom she knows, someone who probably has the same confinement practices as she does and someone who speaks her lingo. But being a control freak, I was skeptical of her friend’s experience. It’s only after I turned mom down that I started to feel bad. She probably thinks that her effort of getting me the best person in such a short notice is not appreciated.

I am imagining, 20 years down the road, I may be in her situation where I go all way out to help mojo but only to be declined by her… or when I give some advice and want the best for her but being interpreted as ‘naggy’, ‘unreasonable’ or incommunicable. Will I be hurt? How will I feel if mojo is closer to M and can only confide in him?

Thank God for openining my eyes today and see clearly. Thank God for making me realise that it's not too late to appreciate mom in a different level and see the roads she has traveled, her sacrifices and endurance in life for the benefit of her children, and hopefully make me a better daughter…

Sunday, November 8, 2009

Self-appraisal

It's been a year since I started my first blog.

Looking back at “my top ten to-do (wish list) in the thirty forth year”, it appears that I have lots to do in my thirty fifth year, or subsequent years ahead considering that I may have new wishes with mojo.

My top ten to-do (wish list) in the thirty forth year:-
  1. Write a letter in French – Somewhat. Emailed with a few sentences in French
  2. Have a kid - In progress
  3. Learn how to cook fish curry and rasam – Postponed
  4. Visit Israel - Postponed
  5. Foot massage my husband – CHECKED (I think)
  6. Learn to use a DSLR camera - Somewhat
  7. Bake a cake - Postponed
  8. Perm my hair – Chickened out and abolished
  9. Picnic - CHECKED
  10. A trip with my sister- Postponed

My back up eleventh to twentieth things-to-do in the thirty forth year:-

  1. Go for eye lasik – Chickened out and postponed
  2. Visit my nephews-in-law or niece-in-law whom I’ve not met - Postponed
  3. Read every issue of The Economist – Considered CHECKED (usually only the first few pages of each issue). Maybe I should just give up and stop subscription next year.
  4. Add new pictures to the wall - Postponed
  5. A trip with friends - Postponed
  6. Decorate the attic - Postponed
  7. Plant a palm tree - Postponed
  8. Watch Sex And The City movie with wandalingam - CHECKED
  9. Go for a swim - CHECKED
  10. Take a walk on the beach- CHECKED

On hindsight, I think I might have been too ambitious :)

Thursday, November 5, 2009

Hunting for a confinement lady

The ONLY thing that I felt secured and well planned in my preparation for mojo's arrival was having the confinement lady booked way in advance. We even planned to have her for at least 2 months. Despite having lots of loose ends to tie up eg. hospital bag, cot, clothes (ALL NOT READY), I still had this 'under control' feeling as long as there's a 'trustworthy' helper around.

Well.... things happen... My confinement lady pulled out on me last night - she needs to go for a surgery.

Angry? yes
Anxious? yes
Disapointed? yes
Worried? yes
Felt sabotaged? yes

Made at least 20 calls within a night and got 1 who is on 'standby' ie, if the next mom-in-line pops, she gotta go.

With 3 weeks left, only God can give me a miracle.

Wednesday, November 4, 2009

Still here

Yes yes I'm still around, counting down to popping day .. less than 4 weeks left?

What excuses do I have for not blogging over the past weeks?

  • Super busy at work (double yawn)

  • No new pictures taken to boast

  • Too slow with my clumsy penguin walk

  • My fingers joints are tight

  • My feet are swollen like buns

  • I’m big (16kg heavier)

  • Nesting for mojo (70% completed)

  • Busy shopping for ideas for M’s birthday present

*Image from roguesgallery1.blogspot.com/2009/08/rudy-sant...

Thursday, October 15, 2009

In denial?

The other day I stepped into G2000 thinking I could get a large sized non-maternity business top.

SK: Hi, do you have size 40?
Sales lady: No more size 40, 38 is the largest here. You’re too big. Our cuttings are all very small (with an irritated look as if I’m in denial that she had to wake me up!)
SK: Ok, I think I’ll try the 38, I think I can fit
Sales lady: No. You’re too big. I don’t think you can fit. As I said, our cuttings are all very small
SK: Just let me try
Sales lady: You can go ahead and try, but I’m telling you, you’re big.

Hello? Customer service please?


PS: I could fit perfectly in size 38 but it will probably last me another 2 weeks. Thank God the sales lady was not around when I was out of the fitting room, otherwise, I may have ended up buying the shirt to prove her wrong. Haha.


Final lap

I’m wondering how motherhood would transform me like how it did to my good friends. How it has made them stronger than before and how they see things in perspective, differentiating what’s important in life. Deadlines and stress at work may no longer matter. Nothing is more important than the little life who depends on us fully. But I must admit that I am not there yet. Apart from a bigger belly with movements in my tummy, I am pretty much still consumed at work, more so during this period (preparation for results, hand-over etc).

I know this is the final lap before the FINISH line, or rather the START line?

Monday, October 5, 2009

Awakening

Sales person A: "Hi m’aam, can I help you?"
SK: "yes, I’m looking for make up remover"
Sales person A: "I see, m’aam, would u like to try XYZ"

10 minutes later..
Cashier B: "Good afternoon m’aam, that will be $xxx"
20 minutes later, SK walked by OCBC credit card roadshow at R. Place.

Sales person C: "Hi m’aam, OCBC card for you? M’aam if you sign up today we have free gifts blab la la…"

SK’s not listening and her mind wandered away: "Do I really look like a m’aam because of my pregnancy or have I been officially promoted from MISS ‘to M'AAM?"

The last I remembered, I was still being addressed as “xiao mei” (little sister) in food courts and cabs… Hmmm…but then again, come to think of it, the frequency has reduced tremendously recently.

As I was filling up the members application form for the cosmetic that I bought earlier, I realised too that in less than 12 months, I’ll be checking on the age category of 35-40…

Frankly, I don’t feel like I’m approaching 35, neither mentally nor physically. (denial???)
Argh! Is this a mini pre-mid-life-crisis awakening??

Sunday, October 4, 2009

Double submergence

ON a sunny breezy Saturday afternoon, a mother and daughter were baptised at East Coast Park beach. Yeap that's Mojo and I. Having accepted Christ for more than 20 years, I finally got myself baptized. What made it more special was I shared this unforgettable moment with Mojo. It was a refreshing experience, as if I accepted Christ all over again. I'm believing for a supernatural painless birth with a healthy Mojo and she is going to be a special girl and a blessing to lots...

-Speak forth and it shall become the truth-

Sunday, September 27, 2009

Choo choo

 IMG_1211

What an amazing cake! It was baked by LS’s sister for Zephy’s 2nd birthday. I’m inspired! Can’t wait to bake cake for Mojo. Ok that’s after we get an oven first :)

Thursday, September 24, 2009

Gummy day

It’s Gummy day! Gummy is Mojo’s friend, ie WL’s daughter. She's nicked-name Gummy because she looked like one in her early sonograms. So, Gummy is scheduled to come out today! Thanks to the advancement of technology, I’ve been kept posted on the process since 7am :)

7:am - Mummy being induced
9.am – Epidural jab given to mummy
10.30 am – Doc broke water bag. Dilation : 1.5cm. Estimated delivery time:6pm
11.00 am – Mummy gobbled 2 cheese sandwich
12pm to 6pm - no news from mummy (SK checking her phone every 30 minutes)
7pm- Got a message from daddy : "Not much progress at dilation. So switching to C-sec now. Should be done by 9"
7.57pm- Another message from daddy: “Pleased to inform that our dearest daughter Caitlin was born at 7.25pm, today 24th Sept 09 Thurs. She is 50cm & 3.32kg"

Hooray! Hooray! Hooray!

No more Gummy. It shall be Caitlin from now on :)

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

BST


This is the book for Mojo’s nightly BST (Bible Story Time), around 10-11pm read by Macho Daddy. It’s a combination of all-time favourites from old and new testaments. Each story is followed by a devotion and short prayer. I think I'm enjoying it more than Mojo as the stories serve as reminders to me and more importantly I love the fact that we are spending time in the word of God like doing daily devotion together as a family :)

Thursday, September 17, 2009

Mojo Chocolate

TG sent me this picture – an ad by Sins Chocolate. Not sure if the promotion is still on :)

photo1

For those who are new, Mojo is the nick name of our baby.

Sunday, September 13, 2009

Getting crafty

ricesock

I'm proud of my latest project - rice socks. Homemade heat pack with own choice of design that molds into  body parts. I was inspired by a blog where rice sock was one of the items in the hospital bag for labour! 

What you need:-

  • A pair of new socks (preferably knee length ). I used cute baby tights and cut them into 4
  • Uncooked rice – as much as you want, depending on the size you want to create
  • A couple of drops of essential oil

Scoop rice into sock, add a few drops of essential oil and tie a knot at the open end. DONE!

Heat the filled pack in the microwave for 1 minute or freeze for 45minute as cold packs.

I am using one for my back ache now .  Nice!

I think a few of my friends are getting this for Christmas this year!

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

A taste of childhood

Found these pictures that M took a couple of years ago. 615-F Tanjung Bunga, 11200 Penang was my childhood address @ granny’s. The house was torn down last year, together with the remaining kampong for development.

When I was living in the house 20+ years ago, there was no gate and no post box. The post man would drop the letters into one of the windows (can’t remember where the house number was though). The condition of the house was probably better and ‘warmer’ than the picture when we lived there but the green surrounding remain the same.
The house faced a mini fruit plantation (maintained by uncle 2) with starfruit, mangosteen, banana and sour sop trees. Trees seemed to be our invisible fence, separating us from our neighbours.
Though there was no gate, it was safe and anyone could just walk into our compound… Those were the days… Hopefully some day I may find more old pictures of the house’s interior to share…

Monday, September 7, 2009

Uncle 4

IMG_5197 All of my childhood friends know uncle 4, whom I lived with together with my granny. He is called uncle 4 mainly because he's the 4th boy in the Ho family (mom's side).   Mind you, the numbering starts from the 2nd boy. So in my mom's  family, we have boys number 1 to number 11.   He was the smartest boy in the family who was sponsored to study law in the UK in the 60's but was sent home after a few years due to depression. To some, uncle 4 is ‘crazy’, because he talked to himself , he smiled to himself, he walked thousand miles a day... But to us, he is a special uncle whom all of us love.  He taught me lots of things , random things which I remember till now. RIMG0061_coke

Today, uncle 4 can't walk anymore, he weights half of what is seen in the picture and can hardly talk because of a fall and side effects from the medication. Visited him over the weekend back home in Penang and he cried when he saw me.  I'm not sure if they were tears of joy or sadness.  But I'm glad I made the trip to see him and I know Jesus is watching over him.

Random things that I will always remember about uncle 4 :-

  1. He walked miles with me to a public telephone to  call my friend to chat (during the days of zero technology)
  2. He walked me to the bus stop every morning to ‘protect’ me from stray dogs
  3. He wrote all my debate speeches
  4. He was my walking English dictionary
  5. He taught me the quotes from Julius Caesar – I came, I saw, I conquered
  6. He told me who Martin Luther King was
  7. He explained why Japanese did the Kamikaze
  8. Uncle 4's own quote: “ Use your eyes and see things far far away”

Thursday, August 27, 2009

FAQ of my pregnancy

I answer some of these questions at least once a day.

  1. When are you due? 4 December
  2. Girl or boy? Girl
  3. Any craving?  Croissant and bagel in the morning
  4. How much weight have you gained?  +-8 kg
  5. How many months already? 26 weeks
  6. Can you feel the baby kicking? Yes
  7. Which hospital are you delivering? Thomson Medical
  8. Have you thought of a name for the baby?  No but shortlisted a few
  9. Are you taking 3 or 4 months maternity?  Have not decided
  10. Have you booked your confinement lady? Yes, one of the first few things we did
  11. Have you bought your baby stuff?  Nope! Only bought pump and pram

Monday, August 24, 2009

Book worm

A present that Kate's mom gave me during the baby shower. Step one to kiasu parenting? Neh... I like the idea of kids learning how to read at young age. I prefer my kids to love reading than loving Barbie doll :)

Kate who is going to 24 months knows how to read simple words. I won't be ambitious. If it works for mojo, praise God, if not, it's ok, she will learn to read EVENTUALLY ;)

Monday, August 17, 2009

Mojo moves

Thought of summarizing how it feels when mojo moves in the tummy to capture this nice sensation and memory. I'm amazed by my powerful imagination for some of the descriptions :)

  • Fluttering gas
  • A poke
  • A gold fish swimming around
  • Strumming of guitar from within
  • Serving of a volley ball
  • Light twitches
  • Tickle from within
  • Popcorn popping

“Babies” Shower

image

Had a "babies" shower over the weekend. The party was for the two preggers Aleve (due in Oct) and I, as well as a get together of the piglets or big babies – Kate, Zephy and Xiao Suen (all 2 year olds). Having 3 little piglets running around the house made me realize that our house is not child-friendly at this point with the steps, stairs and corners...It looks like we've got a lot more home improvement to do :)

bb shower

Thursday, August 13, 2009

3rd tri

Today marks the 1st day of my 3rd trimester. How time flies! Counting down, I think I have another 110 days left. Rounding up of what I love about my pregnancy and not:-

Things which make my pregnancy enjoyable
- Pampered by M (top of the list!!)
- Spend on good food and don’t feel guilty
- New wardrobe (mostly from friends)
- Nails are less brittle – from the milk consumption I supposed
- Being read to zzz every night (riding on mojo’s bible story time with macho daddy)
- Surprise fluffy kicks by mojo during the day

Things which I’m still adjusting to
- Slower physical movement and the penguin walk (at times)
- Outbreak of pimples
- Having random people touching my tummy
- My wedding band and watch are getting tighter
- Emotional swing (mild)

Wednesday, August 5, 2009

Orderliness


Being a half-control freak, I was totally impressed by this claypot joint in Geylang.

Firstly they have their own website www.geylangclaypot.com, with instructions on how to place your order ahead to avoid long waiting time as each claypot takes about 25mins to prepare. Knowing that parking is an issue, the shop prepare A4-sized cardboards (to be picked up from them) with clear map and directions on how to get to the free parking lots located 3 minutes away. A guy is dedicated to sit at the counter to answer phone calls for bookings and take-away orders.

The place was not crowded, not dirty and more importantly it was well organized! It was as if they were operating on a supply chain management platform for tze-chars.

We ordered 2 side dishes- Thai style soft shell crab and and stir-fried French beans with shrimps. Our food arrived in 5 minutes!

The claypot was not bad for me, M preferred the one in ABC market. But both of us enjoyed the Thai-style soft-sell crab! According to Wl, the steamed Star Grouper is good as well.

Conclusion: I was sold for the orderliness then came the food.

Tuesday, August 4, 2009

Daddy's girl

Mojo is definitely going to be a daddy’s girl!

Macho daddy recently bought a 1-month old romper for S$29.90.

SK: what!!!? so ex?
Macho daddy: Issit ex? this is after discount
SK: Some more after discount??!!!!
Macho daddy: I think it’s ok mah…
SK: ok, this shall be her coming-home outfit

A few days later…
Macho daddy: hey where is the romper for mojo?
SK: What romper?
Macho daddy: The one that i bought that day
SK: In the pigeon hole together with the clothes from Ah Mai, why?
Macho daddy: I want to hang it
SK: Huh? Do we need to hang a romper???
Macho daddy: Ya, it was my intention when I bought it
SK:.....................

Friday, July 31, 2009

Week 22

I'm in a growth spurt. Last Saturday my weight was 54.8kg at the gynae. 1 week later, I'm 57kg! The good news is I can still see my feet although I feel like a burstable-watermelon after meals.
My current tummy size in week 22 (for the sake of Dylan and Alyssa who have not seen their small Ah Mai being preggers)!

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Happy meal

Korean Shin Kim Chi noodles
- Load up with bak choy, cabbage, egg and chilli paid
Minced pork with french beans
-Marinate minced lean pork with soy sauce, fish sauce, sugar and chinese cooking wine for at least 30min. Fry garlic and pork, add french beans, chilli padi.

My simple and satisfying meal for one at home. Quick nutrition facts :-
- Protein: check. From pork and egg.
- Carbo: check. From noodles.
- Vitamins : check. From vege.

I'm ignoring the trans fat from noodles :)

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Sticky glue

I'm a sticky glue - a term my girlfriends and I used to label boyfriends/husbands who are always ''around'' and love ''couple time''.

I like to spend my time with M. I enjoy the blissfulness of being together, even if we're doing our own thing, silently, as long as we're in the same room. The irony is I used to call him the sticky glue... always 'priding' and 'embracing' my independence / ME-time.

How pregnancy / marriage can change a person... Perhaps it's the hormones... Perhaps I'm just trying to cherish every bit of couple time before mojo's arrival :)

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

SoHo

H1N1 is so common now that our office doesn't really impose quarantine on those who have direct contact with H1N1 patients. So the fellas in "high risk categories" like moi are left to take matters into own hands- work from home. You may think it's cool to work from home but I don't think so...

Why?

  1. No food: lack of good eateries in the neighbourhood (Prata doesn't count) and I'm too lazy to cook for one.

  2. S .. L .. O.. W. connectivity: office web-based emails are slow and need to be refreshed to check for new mails. Ultra inconvenient!

  3. Unproductive: despite having zero interruptions from irritating colleagues, I have constant writers block (maybe I need to see my boss's face to be motivated).

  4. Lonely: I miss M more (blame it on the hormones)

  5. Distractions: from the dogs next door, TV is just 5 steps from me, bedroom is 10 steps away!

  6. Ergonomically unfriendly: My laptop screen is stoo small.. The dining table is my workstation - total mess now
*image from apartmenttherapy *

Sunday, July 26, 2009

Quick facts about Mojo

Got a special request from a friend to update more about Mojo.

Quick facts (latest sonogram is unclear to post on blog)

Nick name: Mojo

Sex: 100% girl

Weight: 350 grams @ 21 weeks

Height: 14+cm

Features: Sharp chin like mom. Round nose. Her tummy size and overall body frame is 10% below average for now. I'm supposed to EAT MORE to help her put on more weight/grow

Personality: Rather active. Fluffy kicks here and there. Loves to be read at night*

* Erm...this is my own deduction. M reads to her everynight before I zzz. One night we were watching TV and past the normal reading time, she started to kick non-stop. So I asked M to read to her :-

SK: "Babe, i think mojo wants to be read"
Macho daddy: "Hey, we cannot give in so easily, we read when we want to read"
SK:...

Less than 5 minutes later

Macho daddy: "Ok, let's go and read to her." , "Mojo, you cannot bully us ah..."
SK:....

Monday, July 20, 2009

Outbreak

WL and I have coincidentally come into contact with people who have remotely contacted H1N1 patients. And guess what, there is nothing that we can do until we see symtoms! No one wants to do a test on us, no doctors want to see us.

Let me define "Remotely". It means I have contact with (A) who has contact with (B) who has contact with H1N1 patient (C).

(A) is not quarantining himself nor has any signs of flu/fever/sore throat. I don't have any symtoms either.

So what should I do?

i) Work from home to self-quarantine
ii) Nothing
iii) Scold (A) for being inconsiderate
vi) Wear a mask and continuing working
v) Avoid crowded places



I think I'll probably go with (ii) after (iii).

Sunday, July 19, 2009

Retirement plan

I've found what I want to do when I retire! I'm going to teach cooking. Over the weekend, we attended a cooking class to surprise chef J for his birthday at Grandmothers Recipe. The chef, Rosaline Soon is a retired banker who conducts small cooking classes for maids, yuppies, friends, corporate team building etc. It's in a stylish yet cosy kitchen of her own in Thomson area.

Menu of the day - Beef Rendang, Ngor Hiong and Sambal Prawn. Never knew Rendang is such an easy dish to prepare. We spent 2.5 hours for the entire lesson with some hands-on time. It was fun, entertaining and yummy of course! Btw, I lurve her Miele stove and Barazzoni cookware!

Wednesday, July 15, 2009

Chatterboxed


Finally tried the over-hyped, over-priced Singapore’s most expensive chicken rice (S$22/plate).

Quantity: Generous for S$11
Chili: Average, not lethal
Rice: Very fragrant
Chicken: Average
View: Fantastic but irrelevant to me (acrophobic)
Final verdict: Won’t patronize if not for the one-for-one Amex card deal.

Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Navel gazing

Today, we have a special guest -WL. I reckon it would be fun to have some friends on my blog once in a while especially those who write randomly but never got down to blogging.

About the author :- a very dear friend who shared a big part of my life and best of all - she's preggers too! Our daily conversation now revolves mostly how we feel, what we eat and the latest quirks or changes to our BODY. Below is a snippet of her daily scribble...


I have never prided myself for having a nice belly button. It was just the thing there since the beginning of my existence. Never fancied it enuf to have a belly ring either.

Lately, one worry has become quite pronounced, literally. My belly button has taken on a little life of its own, and beginning to scream pain whenever touched. Today, it has been perpetually on scream mode. OUCH.

I think the inevitable is going to happen to me. My belly button is gonna pop out. As one website described it - the "innie" becomes an "outie" or aptly described as looking pretty much like a popped out timer on a well done turkey.

Like the many changes that I have been experiencing since the beginning of my pregnancy, I am supposed to take it in my stride and wear it like another proud badge of pregnancy. Well, we shall see how that badge looks on my clothes.

On the brighter side of things, I suppose it does give me a chance to clean out all the lint that's accumulated there since I was a kid.

Monday, July 13, 2009

Men are like Waffles, Women are like Spaghetti

Came across this book by Bill and Pam Farrel (which I have not read).

I find the term interesting. Men process life in boxes, separated by walls. Their thoughts are divided into boxes that have space for one issue and ONE issue only. Eg. when a man is at work, he is at work. When he is driving, he is driving. When he is watching TV, he is plainly watching TV. He spends most of his time in boxes that make him feel the best and successful, and ignore boxes that confuse or make him feel like a failure.

In contrast, women (I can totally identify) process life like a plate of pasta. Her thought processes are like the noodles, inter-twined with each other. Therefore she is good at multi-tasking. Talk on the phone, prepare a meal, making a shopping list; all at the same time. This happens to me all the time and M can’t stand it!

So a woman deems that every problem is connected to another problem. By disconnecting issue 1 with issue 2 is an act of denial. So women constantly need to talk things through and link the logical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the issue. Often, this is the root of stress, while a woman makes all the connections, the man is frantically jumping from boxes to keep up. So by the time the woman is finished, the man is lost and confused!

Oh fellow girls, please note that there are also boxes that are empty, ie no words, no thoughts. Men will usually park himself in the empty boxes to relax. So don't be oversensitive or fault them if they reply "nothing'' to your quesiton: "Darling, what's on your mind?" . It could really be NOTHING.

I suppose we are never too old to look at relationship from a different perspective, and never too late to fine tune our approach to build deeper understanding with our partner.

Thursday, July 9, 2009

Amalfi Coast cuisine in Singapore?

*If you're also a follower of M's blog, sorry, it's on the same topic!*

We’ve seen this restaurant around and always wonder how a posh-looking Italian restaurant survives in the whoopee whoop of Jalan Gelanggang. It’s tugged in the midst of neighbourhood shophouses which included a childcare, interior design and mechanical shop. We finally patronized the place 2 nights ago.

The 1st impression was bad - We were the only customers, the waitress was blur, the Italian chef seemed confused by my requests, the wait was long (only because I was pressed for time) and the pricing definitely wasn’t neighbourhood standard. So I sulkily waited for our food, expecting it to be a disaster.

BUT , my linguine marinara and M’s linguine with prawn and pesto turned out to be SUPERB! I’m a boring diner when it comes to Italian and usually only order marinara or tomatoe based pasta. So I think I’m qualified to be a marinara pasta connoisseur :) . I can safely say that their marinara is the best, after Da Paolo Serene Centre and topped Valentino!.

The dessert- fried egg plant covered in chocolate sauce was out of this world!!! (remember, I don’t like dessert)

The restaurant is owned by 2 Italian brothers from the Amalfi Coast and a Singaporean doctor. They also hired a lady chef who spent a few years in culinary school – the ultimate dessert is her signature! Our bill came out to S$66 – absolutely worth it!

So, take a drive out to the North and try this uncovered gem! I wished I had taken some pictures but like I said, I was sulking before the food arrived…

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

I'm a fickle durian lover ie. in certain years, I liked them. In other years, I couldn't bear the smell. I'm currently at the liking rotation but purely because I was told that durian could strengthen baby. Oh what the heck, be it a myth or truth, just try lah.

BUT the weird thing is, I picked up a slight OCD - I'm eating durian with a spoon! Something I learnt from my cousin (hmm.. selective Hainanese genes perhaps). I snorted at the idea at first but once I tried, I got hooked. No more hands! It's somehow easier and cleaner and neater. They taste as nice as using hands, seriously.

Sunday, July 5, 2009

Honeymoon (again) in Maldives


What can I say?? Thank you Jesus for a beautiful week!!!

Resting area outside our villa

View of another island