Overdue - photos that is!

I got tons of photos to upload, like finally!

I'm counting down to the day when Baby Boy decides to arrive. We went for our checkup last Friday and gynae wasn't too hopeful that he will come soon, cos he's only 1/5 engaged :(, and in her words, "Baby is doing very well and seems very happy still in you!". She then asked me if I used to exercise alot pre-pregnancy, cos apparently, there's a possibility that tight abdominal muscles prevents smooth and complete engagement. But really, I think it's all my fault that Baby's not gone down yet, cos he has a lazy bum mummy who does nothing but eats and sleeps and puts her feet up all the time at home.

I really hope Baby Boy doesn't go overdue. Baby Boy, Daddy has been bringing us out for alot of morning walks recently, so please cooperate with us, cos Daddy and Mummy really can't wait to see you you know...

Anyway, here are photos of me and my glorious tummy over the last 10 months.

the night b4 we found out that i'm pregnant. it was a celebration dinner for my viva. to think i actually ate raw oysters and had alcoholic drinks then. luckily no harm was done to baby.

the test kit that changed our lives forever!

at 3 months.

at 4 months

taken during the ultrascan

from the 4th month then onwards, i started to eat alot more. u can see how i'm putting on weight...

cake and pineapple tarts making fest during cny

at 6 months, carrying my brother's darling zining

at 7 months - still quite vainpot

busy eating our own weight

at pan pacific during the world gourmet festival. this meal was prepared by a couple of 2 michelin starred chefs and costs a bomb, but it turned out to be quite disappointing. conclusion: martin wishart's still our best experience so far.

was already 8 months then

my tummy at 9 months!

and ready to pop anytime!!

Sometimes, I wonder if I would ever be able to regain my pre-pregnancy figure...I actually really miss my non-existent A+/B cup breasts.

I've put on a total of 13 kg now (and counting....) and Baby actually weighs a decent 3.2 kg already. The last month was the worst! I can put on about 1-2kg in a matter of just 2 days! So please....Baby, don't go anymore overdue, else I will have such a difficult time pushing you out!

Actually, I have had the easy course of pregnancy. I mean, I have the luxury of not having to work and stay at home to be a lazy bum. And Steve was ever the good and loving husband and daddy. To be honest, I feel really guilty that he had to shoulder all the responsibilites of being the sole breadwinner, and on top of that, take care of all the household chores. And you know what? The most amazing makeover of the year, courtesy of Steve's sheer sweat and hardwork, had to go to the Baby's room.

from this...

to this!

And all that was achieved within a month! From clearing up the trash from the pre- and post-UK days, to the beautiful transformation of the nursery for our Baby Boy, no expenses was spared. For almost everyday after his work last month, Steve charged upon himself with the preparation of the nursery, and all I can do is make him tea and coffee.

I think this is what they call love. And I can feel it so much of it from him these months. So much so that on some early mornings when I couldn't go back to sleep, I would glance at Steve and tears would just flow, cos I couldn't help but think what if something were to happen and Steve were to leave me forever? I don't think I would be strong enough to survive without him...I kept telling myself, the best thing I can do from now is to be a good wife and Mummy to my two darling boys and to take very good care of them.

Oh! And we received a very special gift for our Baby from Steve's brother and his wifey. They are lovely, and we kept telling Baby Boy that he's going to be a very loved Baby. Thanks so much!

All the way from Melbourne! The printed words on the shirt reads "Spit Happens". Hilarious!

And some cute rompers we bought for Baby Boy. It's going to be fun dressing him up! Mummy can't wait to get more!!

And my article was finally published!

The baby ticker reads just 6 more days to go...Baby Boy, come out soon k, we're all ready for your arrival. Daddy and Mummy can't wait to sayang you all over.....

Very Horri-gible Behaviour

Yesterday, we witnessed an ugly incident in the carpark at Bukit Timah Plaza (or Bukit Timah Shopping Centre, the one where NTUC Finest is).

Some man was shouting at the top of his voice not to one, but to two police officers, complete with gestures and all. Beside him was a helpless looking couple, standing by a car.

While I was trying my best to cover baby's ears from the din, I heard the man shouting to one of the policemen,

"F*** you! I'm richer than you!"

Steve and I immediately quickened our pace to bring baby out from the dirty, dirty atmosphere.

I don't know exactly what happened there. All I know is that we have just witnessed a very ugly side of human nature.

No wait, make that an ugly side of Singaporean nature.

So what if you're rich and can afford a luxury way of life? To me, to exhibit that kind of behaviour and to spout that kind of nonsense in public and so blatantly in front of the police shows that you are poor and barren of morals. That man is nothing but a bankrupt of soul and values.

And I think unfortunately for most of us, there are many of such people around us in Singapore.

In contrast, my mother-in-law had an encounter of recent with someone who was quite the opposite.

She had parked her car outside a relative's place and upon returning, was shocked to see that the back of the car had being rammed into.

What she found under the wipers was even more surprising. A little piece of note with apologies, complete with the full contact details of the person who had caused the accident.

My mother-in-law proceeded to contact the guy and the matter was settled amicably between the two parties in a couple of days.

I think in the earlier ugly incident, the man could have done something accidently to the car belonging to that helpless couple, and that he could have tried to shirk away from it. The couple could then have called in the police when they realised that it's impossible for them to settle the matter with the man.

What would you have done in a situation where you can get away with bearing responsibilities like in these two scenarios?

I think it's all to do with the upbringing one has had.

I can't guarantee that we can provide the perfect upbringing for our son, but I know we're going to do our very best to make sure that he is rich in morals and values first before anything else.

P.S.: Gynae says I'm not going to be due very soon so don't hold your breath yet.

GOT MILK?

My gynae asked us to try and see if I have start producing it, so we tried....

And yes!!! I have milk! :)

Well, not really that, but the first stream of it, which is called colostrum.

And I'm really happy about it! Steve and I both gasped with joy when it happened. HAHA! It was a funny but very exhilarating moment.

Baby's not engaged yet, so I think I may be carrying him to full term.

Will he arrive on my birthday?

Hehe, as long as he's happy and healthy and safe.

Baby boy, your Daddy and Mummy can't wait to see you face-to-face. We love you!!

Pregnant Pause

I am officially just 3 days shy into my 9 months of pregnancy. That means, I will soon be able to see Baby boy face to face! Can't wait!

Went for our checkup on Monday and my gynae said Baby's in the right position now. You cannot imagine how happy and relieved I felt after that, cos Baby was still breeched a month ago. After a month of persuading and cooing, Baby boy has finally cooperated with us. However, Baby boy is still capable of moving around now, so the education goes on.

My tummy's no doubt very big now and it feels every inch so. I have to wake up almost every 2 hours at night to pee, and the usual 5-second walk to the toilet has to take about 10 seconds now with me holding my tummy. Ever so often, I have to toss and turn so much in bed to find a right and comfortable position to sleep in that poor Steve has to suffer insomnia along with me.

And Baby's movements are getting so ticklish! Haha! The way he moves around in my tummy now can sometimes feel as if he's stroking me from inside. I love how I can sometimes feel his little round fist or foot. It's a really miraculous feeling, and most wonderful!

If this is really going to be a monthly update basis, then perhaps the next time u see my blog entry, it will be filled with loads of Baby's cute photos! We'll see, we'll see :)

The little things in life

I wonder if anyone still reads my blog. Well, that's becos I so seldom updates it!!

I am going well into my 8th month of pregnancy, but still not as quite big as a house yet. I mean, my belly is still rather compact. Aunties and Ah Sohs that strike up conversations with me becos of my belly all thought I'm just about 5 to 6 months. I just want my baby to grow well and healthy, don't care so much about the rest. The 3rd trimester is taking its toil on me for sure. Just last week, I fainted on the MRT and was totally concussed from Jurong East to Clementi. The last thing I remembered was seeing stars and putting my head down when the train approached JE. By the time I was conscious, it was already at Dover and my head was resting on someone else's lap. It was a harrowing experience and I was so worried for Baby that I kept stroking him and telling him to kick Mummy to let me know he's all right. And he did straightaway. I think we're going to have such a good boy.

But one thing's for sure, Baby is getting very strong. His kicks and fumbling arounds have become so distinct that sometimes I suspect people can observe my belly movements from a mile. I can also feel his occasional cute feet and fist, saying hello and high-fiving Mummy and Daddy. I seriously think I'm going to miss feeling Baby inside me. Then again, I just can't wait to carry Baby in my arms, give him lots of tender loving strokes and countless kisses.

By the way, we had a 3D scan of Baby a month ago, where we get to have a clear view of Baby's features, and guess what? Baby's an exact replica of his Daddy and everyone agrees!!

Speaking of Daddy, he has been the most adorable darling and taking such good care of me. His biggest gesture came in the form of a gift. I couldn't accept it when he presented it to me, but he tried his best to persuade, saying "Take it as a heirloom for our daughter next time."

I feel really guilty to be so luxuriously pampered by him - I don't think I deserve it. What more can I ask for now? I suppose my only want in life now is to deliver Baby safely and healthily into this world that is going to be filled with so much love for him from Daddy and Mummy.

Boy or Girl??

We had a meet-the-parents session yesterday with baby. Baby is doing really well, and throughout the scan, Baby waved alot to us! I can see Baby's little hands, fingers, thighs, toes very clearly. It's a really amazing feeling to have a little life growing inside u.

And Baby was very cooperative and revealed its gender clearly to us.

It's a boy!!

I was almost tearing as the gynae told us this and showed us the signs. Daddy even exclaimed out loud to me: "There goes your pink dresses!!"

Why was I tearing? Honestly, I don't really know. My gynae had told us before that Baby could be a girl in an earlier scan. Then, I was actually quite disappointed. But yesterday when it was confirmed that Baby is a boy, my feelings were really mixed. Totally happy, but kinda disappointed too. To be frank, I have no preference for a boy or a girl. Perhaps it could be just that I would have so much more fun dressing a girl up than a boy. But still, I can still dress up my boy with lots of blue apparels, can't I? And that also means, I'm going to have two guys to love and protect mummy from now on! Woo hoo!

And so I made a mental note to myself: Since Baby is a boy, I must start watching more macho shows now. Haha! Does it make sense? Not much I think.

So far so good. I am 5 months now and have put on 3.5kg so far, gynae says it's just nice. But watch out world, I think I am going to ballon up at an alarming rate in the next few weeks, cos Boy-boy is certainly making very good progress and his kicks are getting alot stronger now.

Boy-boy, here are some pictures of ur cousins...u are going to have such a good time growing up having fun with them u know?

Happy 10th Year Anniversary

Baby is kicking me as I'm writing this....

But I'm dedicating this post to my Big Baby:

Baby, it's been 10 years since that night in Steven Pang's room where you strummed the guitar and I sang. It all began that night.

The numbers 2001 holds such memories for us. Whether they are happy, sad, regretful or tumultous, I'm grateful for them cos they have all but made us stronger and wiser.

To my Big Baby, I'm glad that I have spent my past 10 years growing old with you. I look forward to many many more decades growing grey alongside you.

I love you.

蓝月

Yup, it's blue moon time and it's time for an update.

Baby is about 5 months' old now and I can feel it kicking and pushing already. It's a most wonderful feeling, like having little butterflies fluttering in your tummy. Baby is still quite small now so the sensation is still enjoyable. In fact, I rather be kicked and pushed and 'disturbed' by Baby than not feeling it at all. Sometimes, when Baby have been quiet for some time, I would stroke my tummy and tell Baby: "Baby, can you kick Mummy to let me know that you're all right?" And amazingly, Baby would respond and give me a little push or shovel. Baby is a clever baby :).

The Tokyo trip was one of the most beautiful times I've had in a while. I think I did more walking during the trip than I did in the past few months. Steve was my tour guide, train master, rock. Indeed, I wouldn't have been able to quite enjoy the gruelling walks without him beside me encouraging and taking care of me. Yes, the bump is getting rather obvious and I can feel the extra baggage on me. Sleeping and the act of turning over in bed without having to think twice about making too big a movement has become a thing of the past. Thanks to this short holiday for us to take a breather out of the country, the little passenger and I have put on 2kg in a matter of just 6 days. It's good progress and I love and adore every bit of it, flesh or flab.

Lots of pictures from Tokyo to share.

Our first bento from the airport

We need some of these in Singapore don't we

At Shinjuku station. It's total mayhem!

On our way to our hotel which is located just a stone's throw away from the station

A Christmas treeful of teddy bears in Takashimaya

The next day, on our way to Akihabara

Having ramen at a little eatery at the train station

Walking around Ginza where everything is posh and expensive

It's Steve's birthday and we had such a difficult time finding cakes because it's already late and all the stores are closed. We finally manage to get 2 pieces from Starbucks.

The next day we visited a fish market, forgot the name liao. People mountain people sea queuing for the freshest catch of the day.

This is a most interesting place, small but warm and cosy, like at home. The boss is a very friendly host and he speaks English and Mandarin very well too. We even had free English-Japanese lessons during our 1.5 hours there. What's even more interesing about here is that Jay Chou had frequented this place twice, where the boss said Jay loves its unagi-don.

The amicable and lovable boss. He always has his camera ready at the side and the walls are adorned with photos of customers (incldg Jay's). Too bad we forgot to take a shot of them. But if you happen to be there you might just be able to see our photo on the wall too. He keeps a guestbook where customers are invited to leave messages. It's about 8 A4 sizes thick now.

This is the front of the restaurant. Oh! The lovable boss gave us a tuna sushi replica as a souvenir. We would love to be back.

At Ueno Park

At a shrine in Ueno Park

We had wanted to catch the autumn leaves but guess we're too late to do so in December

Donuts madness in Tokyo! This Krispy Kreme outlet is located just opposite our hotel and EVERYDAY EVERYTIME we pass by, there would always be a long long queue. We finally gave in and joined in tonight.

This board shows the average waiting time from this point onwards. 40 minutes is considered short already. The longest we've seen is 1hr 40 mins. Most comforting act is that they will give out a free donut (fresh and krispy from the oven!!) to every customer as they reach the front of the queue. This kind of thing will NEVER happen in Singapore.

We bought a dozen but can only finish 6 :(

Very greedy but worth every bit.

On a boat ride to Tokyo Bay

Rainbow Bridge in the distance

Replicas

Curry Katsu Don. I've been craving for this since we reached Tokyo but after this meal, I don't think I will touch curry katsu-don for at least half a year. The serving is too huge!!!

This guy beside Steve does nothing else but dons this funny costume and stands motionless outside an electronic store. Take photo is free one.

Shabu-shabu!! The wagyu was so well-marbled with fats it melts in the mouth! We had this for dinner for 2 consecutive nights.

Very satisfied customer

Another bizarre translation. I wonder how a Roman taste like.

Our last day in Tokyo. Takashimaya is just a road's cross away from our hotel.

The Thunder Gate is the main entrance of Asakusa Kannon, one of the oldest temple in Tokyo and a major tourist spot

It's really cold and this piping hot soba lunch was really welcoming.

Tired faces on our way back to the hotel.

The lobby of our hotel, Hotel Sunroute Plaza Shinjuku. We got a promotional rate of an average $130 per night. It's a really good deal and the location's fab.

The room's small but adequate for the 3 of us.

I love the toilets in Japan. Would love to ship one home had it not been so troublesome.

I didn't buy anything much in Tokyo, only a mascara for myself, and loads of local delicacies for relatives. Baby's due and there's so much more expenses coming up that I think it's better to save as much as I can to help chip in the household income in a way. Besides, I kept telling myself that I will be back in Japan soon.

By the way! Here's a picture of me having a scan.



I've cut my hair short, my first time in I think about 10 years. Sob. I miss my long hair but it's getting too long in this heat. I'm due for another detail scan in a week's time and by then, Baby's gender would be confirmed. Do you think it's going to be a boy-boy or girl-girl? If you ask me, I don't have a preference. Boy or girl, we know it's going to be very loved and cared for by Daddy and Mummy, right Baby? :)