Week 39: The waiting game...

Fetal development in pregnancy week 39:
"Whether you give birth tomorrow or next week, it's pretty much all the same for your baby, who is now truly
R-E-A-D-Y to face the big bright world outside of your womb. Speaking of wombs, your body is priming up for the big moment and hopefully, you're as prepared mentally as you can be. Your baby is well stocked up on fat, all their organs have put on the finishing touches. Here's hoping your child is already in the birthing position and basically just "hanging out" waiting for that elusive moment when all systems synchronize in your body to trigger the labor process."
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our lil precious weighs 3.1kg today & his head is still down !! (very happy with his weight gain..shows that all my resting is realli working!!)
Dr Adrain said that next week (7th Oct) will be the last appt..and if i've not 'popped' by then, we will 'bring the bb out' on the EDD i.e 8th Oct..i simply nodded my head..and before we left, he reminded me to continue to make sure that bb moves 10x in a day...
once out from his room, i turned to Dar..
"you mean..in 8 days time, we are gg to see our lil precious..?? meaning that if i dun 'POP' anytime from now to 7th oct, i will be induced on the 8th oct ??"
Dar looked at me...just as blur ~ but he reckon that i'm prob correct..we can now countdown to 8 more days to parenthood..ahhh!!!
i need to list down all the things i wanna eat !! heeee..
back home, my nesting instincts set in again..
got Dar to help me to set up our lil precious cot..&
ta-ta~
here is the FINAL 'version' of the cosy corner for our lil precious...*smile*

on a sidenote:
perhaps its a good thing that i brought fwd my ML...the financial market is cRaZy..everyday, a NEW update..& it seemed to be from bad to worse..perhaps if i'm still in office..i might go into early labour due to all the STRESS !!!
i realli dunno ~~

~In Hibernation ~
sshhhhhh.....
Here are some things to watch for in the weeks and days surrounding your due date.
*More frequent Braxton-Hicks contractions (yesh!)
*Lingering back pain
* Noticing the baby's weight has shifted downward (or the baby dropping into your pelvis) (yesh!)
*Nesting urges - energy spurts or a restless feeling at any hour of the day (yesh!)
* Some increased cervical discharge (yesh!)
*Frequent and/or loose bowel movements (yesh!)
*Possible queasy or mild flu-like symptoms
***
i am having energy spurts @ times...
yesh..nesting instincts i supposed...
cleaning up the house, fiddling w lil precious stuff...
then next moment, i feel completely drained....
after eating, i feel like sleeping..
i feel that i need to hibernate..
to preserve all the energy
which will be very quickly used up
when our lil precious arrives.....

...& the WAIT continues....
@12.04am of 27 Sept 2008~ rec a sms from a dear fren
:"Congrats! U & Ashton r not gg to share the same bday!hee..."
hee...i jus laughed when i saw this sms..yesh, our lil precious had heard my pleas not to 'pop' on my bday..and allow me to enjoy all my celebrations...wahhhh...

my lil bday scrapbook !!
lotsa fun i had !! everyone was afraid that i might just pop in the middle of the dinner..and frens were feeding me..till i almost 'explode'~~
now that,i'm done with my bday celebrations...the waiting game continues..there are nites when dar will suddenly wake me & ask me "r u feeling ok?" , check if the bed is wet (he's afraid that my water bag burst!!)..call back from work every now & then to make sure i'm ok..if i miss a call..he will be in this panic/frenzy mode..guess the both of us are jus anxious..but its hard to be relaxed when sub-consciously you know that 'its anytime soon'..for me..its more of ensuring that our lil precious is moving 10x in a day..BUT there isn't much space for him now..and sometimes his movement is soo gentle that i'm not sure...mmm..so for now, i'm telling him to 'give' me obvious signs of labour i.e contractions, 'show', water bag bag burst..and NOT by suddenly not moving..& pls be a good boy to oni 'show' me these signals when daddy is at home....mmmm..looks like i have lotsa requests for my lil precious..oppss...

~Happy Bday to ME~
last year,
Dar "surprised" me
with a lovely spa-getaway

this year..
well,
initial idea was to have a nice dinner somewhere..
but with the road closure due to the F1 race +
i need to be "ON STANDBY",
we'll be having a cosy dinner @ Jack's Place @ Compasspoint
together with my parents + sis...
so that in case of EMERGENCY,
we can rush home, grab the bag & rush to the hospital!!
wahhh...drama drama...
so...my little precious..
"are you gg to be my birthday pressie??"

My birthday wish:
a smooth delivery &
for lil Ashton to be
a happy + healthy baby

Week 38: Stuck in a holding pattern

Fetal development in pregnancy week 38:
As you know, you've arrived at the final leg of your pregnancy journey, and if you're still carrying your little love around, they've just about reached their birth weight (somewhere between 6 to 8 pounds is average depending on whether they're a boy or girl). There really isn't a lot to report on baby this week, so lets do a quick recount of where we're at: all internal organ systems are pretty much ready for the outside world, they've got their meconium stockpile building up (their first black baby poo), lots of healthy baby fat, a rapidly developing brain (that'll keep growing with them for years to come), and they've more or less reached official baby status-- all they need to do is "head out" and say hello to the rest of the world and especially their ready-to-pop momma.
And how's mom doing?
Hang in there momma, it's only a matter of time before the obnoxious and painful fake contractions you felt in your back, lower belly, and pelvic region will be replaced by real contractions... which are even more obnoxious and painful. You'll know when the real ones kick in because they're if you're feeling weird electrical tingles in your legs and inside your vagina, this would be none other than your not-so-little baby hitting various nerves as they settle into the pelvic area more intensely painful (woo!) and they spread over the entire uterus, through the lower back and into your pelvis.
If you're having trouble sleeping (which about 100% of women in this phase of pregnancy are), try to take little catnaps during the day, get one of those neato full-body pregnancy pillows, or at least lots of pillows that you can shove between your legs and under your belly to support your awkward shape more comfortably. Also, if you're feeling weird electrical tingles in your legs and inside your vagina, this would be none other than your not-so-little baby hitting various nerves as they settle into the pelvic area. If you're feeling sharp shooting pains instead of tingles, this would be your extra-evil-but-adorable baby pressing on your oh-so-very sensitive sciatic nerve. All we can recommend is some wincing, sitting down, and putting your feet up
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yippee..today is also my last day @ work ! and also one of the busiest day ! rushing to finish everything, handover, informing the various departments of the new person to liase with etc etc...*pant pant*
had one of my fav - yummy nasi lemak from Golden Shoe (for lunch..thanks kris!!) guess the next time i eat this..will prob be next year (when i'm back in office..wahhhh!!)
,
got a call from "Studio Loft" that the pics are ready -yeah..went down to Pagoda street and am very satisfied with the pics!!
and of cos, went to see Dr Adrain today..bb is at 2.8kg (mmm..a mere 100g increase from last week)..nonetheless, happy to note that his head is still down so chances of natural delivery is pretty high..Dr Adrain also passed me the pre-admission letter and informed me to monitor bb's movement everyday..(need to move @ least 10 times every day) & if water bag burst / contractions / bleeding, need to call him immediately..yesh, i have to be "ON STANDBY" anytime...*gulp* he wanted to give me MC to rest at home but i told him "no need, me on leave liaoz!!"
his answer " very good , must rest well and rem to monitor bb's movement ya =)"
so, for now, shall rest well, and wait for "THE MOMENT" !!!
meanwhile, i'm just 'admiring' my pics which i've just collected...heeee =)

Week 37: And we're ready for take off!

Fetal development in pregnancy week 37:
It’s the calm before the storm. Changes in your baby's weight have leveled off with only a few ounces of fat added this week. At this point your baby should weigh in at around 7 lbs and 20 inches (with boys somewhat heavier and longer than girls). Happily, as far as internal organs go, they are now developed enough to function in the outside world although the oh-so-important immune system is still developing and will continue to do so after birth. With a large boost of antibodies provided by breast milk when nursing begins. Fighting infection and staying healthy should be well within their physical capacity when your little fighter is born.
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Good news !! our little precious weighs 2.7kg today !! which means..its about a gain of 400g in less than a week..Dr Adrain is pretty pleased with the weight gain..& so do us !!
"Baby, good job ! you heard my 'nagging' ya.."
Durians really works..heee..i've been stuffing myself since last thurs..Dar went to buy 2 boxes of durians & i guess i was eating too much that my nose bled yest..oppss..
For this last lap, supposed to eat more cooling stuff thus i've been drinking coconut + eating ginkgo barley w foo chuk + bird nest.. hope to balance out the heatiness..& stay healthy..no flu/sore throat..yippee..counting down...i've 5 more working days to go !!
(i can't wait..the market is CRAZY..i wanna be out of it..wahhhh)

Wedding, Wedding & more...
its the Lunar 8th Month, a good month for wedding..and for me..i'm attending 2 wedding dinners & a ROM luncheon..i love being a part of the whole wedding celebration..yesh..i'm one of those that will go "ohhh..soo sweeett..." and tear when the couple march in..and tear again as they exchange their vows..heee..i will go 'ga-ga' over the little details..and flip through the album many a times..smiling c",)
perhaps, its just me..simply loving this whole lovey-dovey ambience !!
& just recently, i was helping my friend draft out her e-invite !! glad that she & her hubby-to-be love it..me couldn't attend their wedding (cos will be doing my confinement) but @ least I've 'contributed' a little for her wedding !
Nice ??

Here's some pics of the wonderful moments I had over the past few days !!
::5th Sept (Fri)::
with the very lovely bride - Angeline @ the Swissotel the Stamford..
She's wearing a DIVINE gown..isn't she gorgeous !!
Really fun catching up with my ex-colleagues..reminiscing the old-good days..and of cos sharing the joy of the union of a beautiful couple c",)

::7th Sept (Sun)::
Irene's Wedding @ Hotel Intercon...so looking fwd cos i wanna revive those magical moment all over again..hee..yesh! dar & i held our memorable wedding there..& i've been longing for a time to go back there-as a guest, to soak up the whole ambience all over again..heee..
yesh..i'm biased..but i really love the ballroom !! the foyer..the chandeliers..soo nice !!
Little details @ the reception..i like c",)


the theme: Whimsical Magic

w the lovely bride..congrats !! indeed a very beautiful wedding =)

on a sidenote: usually i will be the one who will bring a camera..but this time..there's 2 professional cameras @ the same table..yesh, 2 of my colleagues are like pro-cameraman..snapping away..in fact, one of them had a lens which cost more than what the wedding photographer has ! suddenly my Canon IXUS pales in comparsion...*shy* but of cos, we had fun letting the guys snap our pictures away..all nite long..la la la ~

::14th Sept (Sun)::
Ann's Rom @ Aramsa Spa at Bishan Park..lovely garden setting !!

and there's a gift for all the guests..specially hand-made by Ann's sister..she started doing it since Jan ! soo touched =)
plus cameras for us to capture the moment..so that the couple can develop the pics and revive the moments !!

sshhh..it's time to exchange their vows...

with the lovely bride c",) + all her pretty jie-meis !!
(the jie-meis put up a special surprise performance for the couple..realli moved all of us with their retition of the song -
[L] is for the way you look at me
[O] is for the only one I see
[V] is very, very extraordinary
[E] is even more than anyone that you adore...)

simply us....

not forgetting catchin up with the pretties..!! and jus rec a good news, Wai-yue is pregnant..yeah..and she will be due in Mar next year =) soo happy for her !!

and lastly, here's a pic of their wedding car...Congrats & enjoy the new journey ahead !!

Really Random...
hee..as the topic says..this post is really random..waiting for Dar to buy back lunch..so decided to blog on some of the recent buys etc..
1) Mum'sfairy Supershields Plus & Original Handsfree Strap !!
http://www.mumsfairy.com/
just collected it from one of my forum frens..had heard lotsa good reviews..with the handsfree, you can take a short nap/read a book etc while pumping ! and the best thing is that with the supershield, you can lean back and rest while pumping thus relieving backaches..mmmm..hope that with all these benefits..i will persist with 'milking' for our little precious..c",)

2) Hanging Space ??
reckon that there will be lotsa washing once our little precious arrives and looking @ the unpredictable weather..decided to get this - for more hanging space..and also pails for all the soaking of the soiled nappies etc..mmm..have i become more domesticated ?? hahaha..or maybe getting a dryer will be a better solution?? BUT i dun think i wan Dar to get a shock when he rec the SP bill..heee..yesh, i know that the energy consumption for dryer is VERY HIGH..well, that shall be under the KIV list till furthur notice then....

3) Gifts from the US
thanks to cousin lynn for a lovely mickey romper & "Bath & Body Works" hand cleanser =)
i can't wait for your more updates of your trip ya *wink*

4) Pig Trotters ?? Anyone ??
yesh..water retention is 'hitting' me @ this last lap of the pregnancy
=(
..look @ how much my legs have swelled!! my shoes are getting tighter...i used to frown when i see a preggie wearing slippers to work..now i know why..cos your feet may just swell soo much..that wearing shoes does hurt..& it doesn't realli make sense to buy new shoes @ this stage..mmm....what to do??

5) Barney Song
Something realli funny happened this morning..these days, dar will always sing the "BARNEY song" to our little precious in the morning..
"We love you, You love Us, We are one Big family, with a Big Big Hug & a Kiss from we to you..." then dar will plant a kiss on my tummy (somewhere near our little precious head)..& today..after the kiss..there was a little reaction..our little precious responded..to Dar..he felt that his son is giving him a peck..mmmm...realli made Dar's day..!! heee c",)

"Pump" me Up !!
TUES (9th Sept) : went for my gynae checkup and realised that bb is only about 2.34kg..& Dr Adrain was kinda concerned that bb wasn't growing much, compared to 2 weeks ago @ 2.26kg..was worried that my placenta was not working hard enough to provide the nutrients to bb..so immediately he scheduled me for a checkup @ TMC on Thurs morning & I need to bring the report back to him on Thurs afternoon..
and if the report shows that my placenta is 'not working hard enough', we would need to induce the baby @ week 37 (he turned to his calender)..and said "..which will be next week!"
gosh..this was the first time, i left the clinic kinda dejected..oh no..my bb is not growing much..induce next week??..suddenly i have cold feet !!!
WED (10th Sept) : back to office,told my boss..and we were kinda in a frenzy mode..if its next week..jia-lat? handover not done yet.. in the end, i worked till about 8pm on wed (soo busy..) Dar couldn't take leave to accompany me to TMC, luckily my sis is on leave so went over to mum's place to sleep (cos need to be @ TMC before 8.30am!)
Thurs (11th Sept) : i was the 1st patient..(tok about KS) did the Obstetric f/up with full doppler test & guess what, the sonographer was the same as the one who did my detailled scan (at week 20).. from her scan, bb is about 2.36kg (which din differ too much from Dr Adrain's), did all sorts of measurement, blood flow test..also showed us bb's face (little ashton's mouth was in this constant sucking motion..very cute !!) then the sonographer needed to do some bone density check..as she was about to check little ashton's genitals..we saw his little fingers 'protecting his modesty' , in the end, he only showed us his scrotum..the sonographer & us had a good laugh..little ashton is a shy boy ya..
went back to my gynae's clinic @ 1.30pm..was very nervous..the report showed that everything was ok, the blood flow, the placenta are all normal..but he's still concerned with the bb's weight..no need to induce but i'm put on "close monitoring"..
told me to eat more : junk food, ice-cream, durians..mmmmm...
so as i'm typing, i'm enjoying my yummilious durian platter.

"baby baby, pls try to absorb as much as possible ya..i'm looking forward to Good News next tues when i see you again =) "

~1 more month~
Today is exactly one more month to our little precious EDD !!
Wow..how time flies..&we are gg to see him tomolo c",)
wondering how much more weight has he put on..??
mmmm...
* on the sidenote, just confirmed with my boss that I will bring forward my Maternity Leave from 6th Oct to 24th Sept..which means..another 12 more working days for me !! yippee c",)

~A Pat on my Back~
yesh..i'm finally done with all the washing and packing of my hospital bag!!
realli deserve a pat on my back manz c",)
Really no joke having to wash 2 dozens of nappies, hang dry, fold them and pack them in the drawers...tiring tiring....

i miss my spa & massage..and can't wait for the time when i can lie on my front..enjoy the scent of aroma oil, relax to the tunes of the melodic piano pieces..& feel my muscles being kneaded and the tension seep away, to the point of feeling completely relaxed and carefree...i already dreaming and have tot of the perfect place...c",)

"C" is for Chinatown & Coconut
what nonsense am i up to again?? mmmm...
well, Dar & i are off to Chinatown (or rather to Pagoda Street) for our Bloom photoshoot @ The Studio Loft !

Here's a glimpse of the studio...


the whole session lasted for an hour..2 outfit change + some 'artistic' shots..hahaha..totally enjoyed the session..the headache comes when we have to select the pics..from 80+ raw shots..we cut down to 38...to the final 14 !! now awaiting anxiously for the pics (which should be ready in 2 weeks time..can't wait !!)
Here's more happy shots after a fun photo-shoot !!

yummy hawker fare @ Smith Street to ease our hunger pangs after the photo-shoot !!

and lastly...COCONUT !!! i almost went ga-ga when i saw it..why ? cos i can start drinking coconut water now (apparently, its to cool the body system & there's a belief that when you drink coconut water, the baby will be very clean when he/she is born!!) and you can only drink the green coconut, not the small thai coconut..and for some reason, my only recollection of drinking such coconut is @ East Coast Park or Changi Village..mmmm..dunno where else to drink ?? soo silly, rite...so now, you can imagine my excitment !!!
Totally refreshing !! need to drink another 2-3 times...
mmm..any idea where else can i get it??