Father's Day & ONE MORE DAY to Baby's arrival...

Just one more day to go before we welcome our little baby to our family!! The excitement is palpable & I can't even begin to describe the sense of happiness and also trepidation I feel at finally becoming a "MOMMY"!

Am sitting in Joseph's office at his desk (waiting for him...as always!) penning down my thoughts as we wait out the final 15 hours before saying 'hello' to our little son. It's "Father's Day" today and how coincidentally apt for Jojo as it'd be his very first Daddy's Day ... one day before his own baby arrives!

We're still shopping furiously for the bub ... its been impossible just how MANY things a tiny little being needs... I reckon we've spent a BOMB just trying to get all the stuff ready... The last week since I started on my maternity leave has been a whirlwind of tidying up the Baby Room which my MIL & bub will be sharing... and as of 5am this morning, the room finally bears a resemblance to a bedroom... fit for a bub & a loving granny... {=:=}

Will try and update this blog as soon as I'm ready to sit down & find some peace & quiet time to share my innermost thoughts on breastfeeding, sleepless nights & coping with a newborn soon... LOL

Exactly ONE month to THE DAY!!

What do you know?!?!?!? I am now exactly ONE MONTH to THE DAY!!! 18-May-2007 today and exactly a month from today on 18-Jun-2007 ... I will be welcoming my lil' bub into the world! Just where did all the months go?

So strange that it feels like forever when it is someone else who is expecting BUT when it happens to you, it happens in the blink of an eye ... LOL

On the one hand (as I've been telling all & sundry), I am sooo excited to see my wee one face-to-face, hold him, kiss him, smell him (yes...smell!), cuddle & bury my face in his little chest ... Awwwww!

Yet, on the other hand, I feel so UN-READY for what is to come?? And exactly what is to come???? I've been told... Sleepless Nights, Endless Diaper Changes, Painful Boobies - all seems so negative eh? Well... I suppose I'll just have to wait & see ... not planning on stressing myself out now ... WISH ME WELL!!!!

My Pregnancy Weight Gain Chart!

Massive weight gain during pregnancy is often a woman's greatest concern... aside from the well-being of her little one... hee!

Thus, in "memory" of this milestone, I have made a log of my weight gain progress throughout my pregnancy to date so here goes: -

* 01-Nov-06 : 64.5kg (confirmation of pregnancy)

1. 15-Nov-06 : 63.3kg

2. 18-Dec-06 : 61.1kg

3. 20-Jan-07 : 61.1kg

4. 23-Feb-07 : 64.5kg

5. 24-Mar-07 : 67.0kg

* 02-Apr-07 : 67.5kg (adhoc gynae visit for abdominal pain)

6. 14-Apr-07 : 68.5kg

7. 28-Apr-07 : 68.9kg

8. 12-May-07 : 70.3kg

**Net weight gain (from confirmation of pregnancy) = 5.8kg
**Net weight gain (from point of actual weight increase) = 9.2kg

My very 1st Mother's Day!

My Very First Mother's Day!

Happy Mommy's Day to me & all the mommies (Saggs, Mabes & everyone else!) out there!! How exciting... I've finally been promoted to zee NEXT rank ... from Singleton to Girlfriend to Wife ... and now MOMMY!! To be honest, didn't do much by way of "celebration" as too much was happening round about this time (ie. my mum's move, my aircon reno works, etc etc)

BUT worthy of mention - my 2 gal-pals did wish me a "Happy Mother's Day"! One early in zee morning frm Aunty Bubble (aka Mabes) & a vv sweet sms all zee way from zee UK!! Thanks Mabes & Saggies!! :-)

His plan for us never fails ...

Philippians 4:6-7

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer & petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts & your minds in Christ Jesus"

Eversince the unhappy experience at my previous workplace, I have relied heavily on this verse in the book of Philippians, shared with me in the most timely manner by a good friend (whom I'm sure He put in my life as a "reminder service" of His plans for me - it's far too coincidental that she always rings when I go through a bad patch & always shares with me verses that would calm my nerves).

It was a dark period of great uncertainty and worry (now I know better!) but committing myself to His plan, I found myself richly rewarded. In spite of common expectation that I would be likely to remain UNEMPLOYED till after bojo is born, which I'd estimated to be a good one year from Dec '06, I found myself faced with a much UNEXPECTED opportunity to take up a job that offered new experiences in a new industry - barely a little over a month after the previous saga happened. How 'lucky' was I?

And in the last week, I'm again confounded by just how GREAT & BOUNTIFUL the Lord's blessings can be. All things impossible can be made POSSIBLE through Him! AMEN!! Against all rational expectations, my current employer has done the unthinkable... I'll not be losing out on my 3-month Maternity Leave benefits!!

This 'windfall' is most definitely a miracle! The company is neither not bound by law nor obliged to offer this to me as it was a mutual agreement we had come to at the point of my employment (given that I was employed in my 4th month of pregnancy!

By His grace, this came about without me asking for it... I had made a random prayer at one point, wishing for the 'impossible' - asking Him if some miracle could happen... maybe, just maybe I might be offered the 3-month paid Maternity Leave. Honestly, that was pure wishful thinking on my part.. I did not expect my prayer to be HEARD & ANSWERED! Praise be to God!

Now, I want to share my testimony to all who have worried & fretted over life's uncertainties... I know that as weak as we are, we wil always fall back on our own human rationalisation & ways of trying to resolve our problems BUT I know now that He is with us always...every step of the way. His plans will always be far more superior than we could ever hope for.

Moving along into my 31st week ...

Fetal Development Factoids

• Baby's arms, legs & body continue to fill out, they are now finally proportional in size to his head
• Weighs about 1.5kg now & measures about 41cm from crown to toe
• Bub isn't moving around as much or as forcefully due to limited room in the uterus
• Expected to grow at least another 1kg before delivery
• Bub's organs are continuing to mature & he is now passing water frm his bladder - good practice for urinating after he is born
• Brain scans have shown that fetuses have periods of dream sleep in the 8th month

WOW! Another week hve flown past & I'm now one week away from my 8th month!! Have been feeling more & more knackered as I move along into the 3rd trimester ... as is expected, i guess? My back is hurting, my ribcage feels stretched & I have this nagging ache at this specific spot on my back which just wouldn't go away? Oh, the joys of pregnancy! Heehee...

On the one hand, the major discomforts I'm experiencing makes me wish our bub would arrive soon... and yet on the other, I'm almost afraid as the countdown to D-Day beckons... hehehe! Hve taken next Mon off so I can 'devote' this weekend (Sat, Sun, Mon & Tue) to tidying up the place & esp Baby's Room! Can't put it off any further... sigh!

On a happier note, had my Performance Appraisal today with me boss & all went well ... PHEW!! Am really happy working with the current team, everyday at work is filled with laughter & great camaraderie so in spite of the stress that comes along with the job, it is still a JOY!

Like father...like baby son :-)

CHECK THIS OUT!!!

Tell me that our baby Bojo is not the spitting image of his daddy! Just look at the "evidence" above, hahaha! Bojo is the CARBON COPY of Jojo .... in every sense of the word!

Check out the following: -

• sleeping pattern,
• the BIG nose,
• the LIPS!! &
• the pouty look on their faces when asleep!!

Its little wonder I felt a sense of deja vu when I first saw our bub's 3D pic ... I knew I've seen that visual somewhere ... now I know .... kekekeke!

Any nay-sayers out there, I throw you a challenge to point out the DIFFERENCES between the 2 of 'em & you get a prize! LOL ...

The "I Love You" Teddy Bear

I love Jojo... this is an uncharacteristic gesture of L.O.V.E from my husband...

Without going into TOO much detail, we had a tiff on Sunday & were both suitably miffed with each other (to say the least...)

But...SURPRISE SURPRISE...I return home last night & found this sweet "Forever Friends" teddy holding a huge red heart laid on my side of the bed coverd up in the quilt..

Awww....it was a Kodak-worthy moment & certainly a gesture that I was not expecting from my usually taciturn husband who is not given to exhibiting such 'metrosexual-like' behaviour!

Awe-struck, I took the bear in one hand & ran to the bathroom (where he was taking a shower ... R-rated for those of yous under-18 pls! :-P) & asked if he bought me the bear bear... DUH!!!

He mumbled an faintly audible "Yarr" and of course, in true "Joseph-style" proceeded to say ... "So you saying sorry to me?" !!!! Haaaiii, I knew he didn't mean it BUT its his way of minimising the 'sweetness' of his gesture. I know just how much it would've taken him to spend $$ on something as 'frivolous' as this MUCH LESS the thought of doing it so I AM very very appreciative. Of course, Praise to our Lord for I have learnt (yet again) that all things ARE possible through Him!

I LOVE YOU, DEARLING!!!

Me - Godma!! (Irene's Easter Vigil Baptism)

Ha! Me = Godma or God-M (rather, God-M for 'God-Monster, ;P)!! After more than 10 months in the RCIA journey with Irene, it has finally crescendo'd into the Grand Finale --> Her baptism on the night of the Easter Vigil Mass at Church of the Holy Cross. :-)

It was a happy moment ... God is great! Who would've thought... but who should've ever doubted Him? Irene, my ever-practical, non-religious 'oldest best' friend (no pun intended! she is indeed my oldest & bestest friend, in that category! Ha...) has finally taken zee plunge into committing herself to our good Lord!

My prayer for her is that she continues to walk with the Lord as she now embarks on this life-journey as a Christian. May we find strength in His love for us and always seek to follow Him as He has commanded, "What I have done, go and do likewise". A tall order but nonetheless, we continue to keep trying...

I also pray that He will guide me to always be a 'beacon of light' to Irene as her God-M... lest I stray and fall into bad 'habits'... AMEN!

For Bojo ... with love from Aunty Saggies

Bojo is indeed a blessed babe ... even before he is born, he's already sooo loved! Look at ALL the wonderful gifts from Aunty Saggies!!

What can I say?? Is this L.O.V.E or what?!?!?

1. Christmas '06 - Newborn Baby Rompers from London (Bojo's very 1st Christmas pressie @ 2 mths old!)
2. April '07 - Handsome shirts & pants from London from Aunty Saggs' visit home to sunny SG
3. April '07 - Cotton Sateen Baby Sling (Bojo's 1st month Party Gift-in-Advance!!)

ALERT! Sharp Abdominal Pains (Lower-Right)...

Red Alert!!

Experienced a succession of sharp & intense pains in my abdomen last night... specifically in my lower-right abdomen.

The cramp-like pains lasted for about an hour (from 10.30pm - 11.30pm) and was excruciating to the point of bringing tears to my eyes... they were not continuous but hit me at intervals during that hour... :-(

Was getting rather worried & pored through "What to Expect When You are Expecting", "Babycenter" website & googled... but since there was no bleeding... it seemed like there was no cause for concern? Baby Bojo also hiccupped (i think?) when I took to bed so I felt a little relieved...

Anyhow, gave Dr Ong a call this morning just to be sure ... his suspicion is that my old scars from the myomectomy is acting up! Apparently (and of course, I've forgotten this...) the surgery done was mostly on the right side of my uterus so it does coincide with the pains I felt last night...

Doctor's advice is to take it easy today - ie. no strenuous exercise (??? i don't even exercise! haha) and to monitor the pains (if it persists) and to check Bojo's movements throughout the day... Sigh... pray that all will be well.

Jojo is especially "sweet" (by his standards la)... rang me at lunch to say that we should arrange for a visit to Dr Ong's tomorrow .. just to be sure... even tho' at extra cost! In any case, Dr Ong will be away at a conference and so, we've made tentative arrangements to see him Mon morning..

I REALLY hope that all will be well with the bub ...

Labyrinth: Our Girlies Retreat!!

WE HAD GRAND PLANS!

Plans for a weekend getaway in the sunny island of Phuket at the beautiful Treetops Arasia... just the girls... a chance to recapture our youth,,, of days gone by,,, sipping martinis (or fruit punches for Mabes, Steph & moi!). Breezy evenings spent lazing & chatting & just ... enjoying being in the company of a bunch of good ol' friends!

Then.. PRACTICALITY sets in... we 'revised' our plans ... we decided on a more feasible destination - PENANG! Great food, economical, sun, sand & sea.... but alas! That was not meant to be...

A compromise was made... we needed at least the 3 basic elements, SUN SAND SEA. We agreed on SENTOSA!! And even this was not meant to be ...

So where did we end up hvg our Girlies Retreat? *DRUMROLL* GUILIN VIEW @ BT GOMBAK in the sunny isle of SINGAPORE!!!! Hahahahahhahha.... all of our grandiose plans came to naught!!!

Fine, luxurious destinations aside, we DID have a good time! At the end of the day, as much as a fancy destination in a ritzy resort is great, GREAT FRIENDS SPENDING TIME TOGETHER count for much much more especially with Saggs back in SG!!

26 weeks / 6.5 months ... 99 Days & Counting

Fetal Development Factoids

• Approx. 760gms & 35.6cm from crown to heel (legs extended).
• He continues to take in small breaths altho' only breathing in water - good practice for when he's born.
• Bub's more sensitive to sound as his network of nerves in his ears develop.Response to sounds grow > consistent towards the 7th month.
• If Daddy speaks to him now, he might learn to 'recognise' his voice.
• The more he hears it, the more he'll find it soothing after he's born.

Six-and-half months!! Today, Baby is being abit naughtier than usual? Maybe it IS getting a little more cramped in there but he's been so restless! In fact, I've experienced several sharp pains in my lower right abdomen ... made me literally 'jump' up and hold my sides for several seconds just to stem the pains. Wonder what he's up to in there really??

Leg cramps are also starting to bother me alot more... i tend to get them at night when lying in bed or when i'm in deep sleep... Anyhow, Jojo said he held my belly when i was asleep & said he felt Baby move a fair bit while i was sleeping... hahahahaha! We definitely have a NIGHT OWL on our hands... exactly like Daddy ... wide awake at nights ... haaaiiii!

Mommy & Bojo love jazz ...

Ante-natal beliefs about 'infant education' thru music & reading whilst the bub is in utero are popular & rampant ... but I've been SO busy at work & all - honestly hadn't the time to "do" much by way of "giving my son a headstart" in this regard!

So... in the interest of ensuring that Bojo's brain is not turning into mush in utero, i decided that "IT IS TIME" to introduce the lil' one to my fav genre of music ... the soft soothing charms from the likes of Julie London (current fav, thanks to Steph!!), Steve Tyrell, Diana Krall, Michael Buble, etc

I know they say classical music is 'best' but I can't even say I enjoy it much myself so i figured it may be best to 'inculcate' (aka influence) a similar taste in my son NOW! Hehehe...

Anyhow, decided to (finally) make use of the nice new iPod my dearling bought me for our 3rd Wedding Anniversary... selected my preferred Playlist ... BLASTED the volume and placed the earphones on my belly ...

LOL - There was an IMMEDIATE response from the lil' one... i felt a succession of what must be 'kicks & punches' coz it resonated from both ends of my belly... for the first time simultaneously!! Well... i thought to myself, he either likes this aural stimulation vv much OR is protesting at the unexpected loud noise? Perhaps, he is dancing??

(Jojo thinks I'm overdoing the volume & is mighty concerned tt I may be impeding the development of his son's hearing... so I've promised to keep it down tonite ... har har!)

RESOLUTION : THIS WILL BE OUR NIGHTLY RITUAL GOING FORWARD ... {=:=}

100 days to Bojo's EDD

Wowee!! Just added a Pregnancy Ticker to my blog *pat pat on back* {=:=} AND ... noticed tt today marks what is the start of a "special countdown" to THE DAY!!

We're exactly 100 days away from my delivery date, ie. 28 June 2007 (Thur) ... CRIKEY!! I know I sound like a broken record BUT time really does fly?!?!? One-Hundred-Days.... scary scary.... on the other hand, it also means that I will be seeing my beautiful bub soon soon... *clapping hands*

Am starting to love love love this bub more & more ... our little angel sent from God ...