Pregnancy-related news - I am going to hit week 27 on Sunday. Alhamdulillah. So far, everything has been good. The duck waddle has started. So inelegant, my walk. My cravings are terrible. Last night, I wwoke up at 1.30am and stayed up for 3 hours thinking of parmesan-oregano bread - the kind that Subway serves. It's almost ridiculous how the need to consume something just completely overwhelms me! Since no one was going to JB to get the halal version (and in any case, they dont just sell the bread), I contemplated making my own.
Yes, I decided to bake my own bread. I spent a good part of the afternoon kneading the dough, let it rest, kneading again and the effect? Unfortunately, it was a bit too dense. I should have let it risen a while more. It was nice eating it fresh from the oven but I know that tomorrow, it will be as hard as rock. I may feed them to the pigeons.
Now this baking frenzy has been fuelled by the recent purchase of a big fat oven. I will definitely try to bake this bread again or perhaps make dinner rolls. One of my colleagues has been most encouraging in my baking pursuits and I will need to consult her about the aforementioned dinner rolls.
Another craving that I have is 2 roti prata kosong, mandi, bungkus. That, is prata-man-speak for wanting your 2 prata kosong doused in gravy and wrapped in brown paper to be eaten at home. So far, there are two places that are capable of fulfilling this need - one, a prata place near my workplace (hooooray!) and another, at Woodlands Central.
This craving business is all new to me because I had no cravings in my previous pregnancies. But if it helps to put on weight, that's all the better!
And, just to confirm - there is no issue with gestational diabetes. Alhamdulillah! I can eat everything and anything. Strangely, however, my need for chocolates was completely gone after the test.
----
Huda News
She had her 8th year check-up with her neonatologist yesterday. Along with it, she had to be assessed by a psychologist for something that was like an IQ test, to ensure that there were no issues before she was discharged. The assessment showed that all was okay but verbal reasoning was not somewhat lower than average. The psychologist assured us that this was common among Asian, bilingual kids because the test was designed by Americans for kids who speak English from birth.
That made me wonder about bilingualism. How do I make my kids be effective at both languages? It's so difficult. As I had long stated, she used to be a very proficient speaker of Malay until she went to nursery and picked up Singlish from her classmates. TheHusband and my ears were in too much pain and that was when we switched our home language to English. While we avoid code-switching in speech, we occasionally go back to Malay from time to time. And we tend to chide the children all the time for their Singlish use, for eg - "So pain!"; "I never do this eh."; "Have something over there." and the list can go on til just about forever.
I find that my children's command of Malay is extremely lousy. While some may say that this is a common issue facing kids in Singapore, I do wonder if this is really necessary. Isn't there some kind of magic formula to ensure effective bilingualism? Some suggest that each parent speaks exclusively in one language to the children. But, such a suggestion assumes that parents are robots and are highly disciplined. I am in neither category.
Okay. Now, I promised the kids that I would bake some chocolate chip cookies. Dough is in the fridge. Just have to bake them. So, must go now.
Tell me if you find that magic formula for bilingualism, okay?
Friday, June 06, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Week 23, Day 2
Come Saturday, I'm going to have my next appointment with my gynae during which I'll have to take a gestational diabetes test. Reading up more on it, out of 4 risk factors, I qualify for one which is, I'm above 35yo.
I am scared of this test. I don't want to test positive for it. Especially because, I have lately been having a strong need to consume chocolate daily. Initially, I tell myself I'll stop at one square of a chocolate bar. One square becomes a row of 4 squares and before I know it, the entire bar is all gone!
And then, there's this penchant for sweetened drinks. But I dilute my sweetened drinks. I normally drink one part of 100 Plus with about 3-4 parts of water. So, that should be okay, I hope.
So, from tomorrow (today's a public holiday so it's a bad time to start on diets), I will cut out chocolate and sweetened drinks from my diet. I'll drink yucky plain water and low fat milk all the way til Saturday.
Hopefully, I'll test negative for GD.
I am scared of this test. I don't want to test positive for it. Especially because, I have lately been having a strong need to consume chocolate daily. Initially, I tell myself I'll stop at one square of a chocolate bar. One square becomes a row of 4 squares and before I know it, the entire bar is all gone!
And then, there's this penchant for sweetened drinks. But I dilute my sweetened drinks. I normally drink one part of 100 Plus with about 3-4 parts of water. So, that should be okay, I hope.
So, from tomorrow (today's a public holiday so it's a bad time to start on diets), I will cut out chocolate and sweetened drinks from my diet. I'll drink yucky plain water and low fat milk all the way til Saturday.
Hopefully, I'll test negative for GD.
Thursday, May 01, 2014
About All the Other Stuff
Here's an update about everything else.
1. Blog Condition
Sometimes, I'm ashamed of my blog. It's so bare-bones, compared to everything else on the Internet. But, I'm doing practically nothing about it. My updates are erratic; most are done when major things happen - like a pregnancy. Hur hur.
But I am not going to spruce up the blog. Other than putting more words here. Because I'm lazy like that.
2. Scrabble
I have downloaded a Scrabble app. And my Scrabble kakis (ie, my brothers) and I are playing too many Scrabble games in a day.
3. The Girls.
They fight and fight. Then play together like best friends. Then fight again. TheHusband and I are impervious to their frequent fights. Sometimes, one party will exaggerate and cry for an extended amount of time. Generally, they will still be ignored. Heh. Such excellent parents we are. Examples of their fights:
a. Farah took Huda's rubber band. Then, she sat down on the sofa and started reading a book. Huda wanted the rubber band back but Farah completely ignored her. She focused all her attention on the book she was reading, ignoring the sister. Huda got increasingly agitated by the second and started shouting, screaming and wailing. Farah remained cool, calm and collected. The wailing reached fever pitch and when my ears finally hit the threshold of pain, Huda got the bigger share of the scolding. Huda's response? "Farah always takes my things so that I get scolded for the rest of my life."
b. Huda is a law abiding citizen and gets upset when the sister does things which are socially unacceptable - like speaking at loud volumes. Farah has a naturally loud voice and it is quite a challenge for her to speak softly. She has been scolded numerous times for not using a lower volume. Her loud voice is always a source of pain for Huda and many, many quarrels result from Huda's failed attempts to make Farah speak softly. Huda's way of showing her anger at her sister involves pinching her or mouthing some banned words like "crazy" and "stupid". Farah would retaliate by shouting back at her sister - her speaking voice is already too loud; imagine her shouting voice. It's a miracle the neighbours had not complained to us about the noise we generate.
4. Kids Reading
The girls are avid readers. It's a good thing (sometimes). Whenever we go out, they will insist on bringing a book each. (Actually, they want to bring more but we don't allow them to. The bag will be too heavy.) Farah, at 5 years 3 months, is a fluent reader. Many times, quarrels between both girls break out because the older sister refuses to lend the younger one books she has borrowed from the school library. When they are not quarreling, they can sit down for hours reading one book after another. Often, this results in crying fits. They don't want to sleep because they want to read. Or they wake up too early in the morning and insist on switching on the light to read. Farah has been caught a couple of occasions reading by the bedroom window in the wee hours of the morning. We hope Ihsan will also be as voracious a reader as his sisters.
5. Huda's Progress
When Huda was born, her prematurity and low birth weight were major shocks for me. The more I read up, the more worrying it got. So many things could go wrong. The only solution lies in prayers. And effort. That was part of the driving force that strengthened my resolve to eliminate (now it's simply reduce; elimination is just not possible) screens in the first few years of her life. Another thing I did was to make sure that she had a good diet in her first few years. But she was such a picky eater in those first few years so all those salmon, kurau and cod that I regularly prepared for her ended up in my tummy instead.
Given this background, I am very proud of how far she has gone. Last year, she was a prize winner during the annual prize giving day. It was a prize for Malay Language. (Which actually is somewhat questionable considering her command of English is better than Malay.) But a prize is a prize and it should be commended. And last year also, she was nominated to be a prefect. This was amazing because she has always been very timid. (At the end of her K2 year, worried about her fear of public speaking, we talked about this with her neonatologist whom we still have to see annually. She suggested seeing a psychologist. Fortunately or unfortunately, the earliest psychologist appointment was on the first day of her P1 life. We didn't want her to miss such a momentous occasion so we decided to put the psychologist appointment on hold. Now, I can safely say that she no longer needs such an intervention. As long as Allah wills it, of course.)
This year, she is tasked to lead the afternoon session pupils in pledge taking every
Wednesday. Imagine that. My premature little girl who used to have major problems with Show and Tell can now confidently stand on stage before all the P1 and P2 pupils.
6. Oven
I have a microwave-convection oven but the convection oven is only partially working. I can't set the temperature I want and I can only choose from three preset settings. That is terribly annoying. Last week, I went to Farha's house and she served the most delicious roasted chicken. It is so delicious I couldn't stop thinking about it. As a result, I am going to get a proper oven. Now, I really really regret not having a built-in oven when we did our kitchen some 10 years ago.
Actually, we made some rather poor decisions when we renovated our flat before we moved in. That's why we are considering having a major renovation in 2 years or so, after HDB is done with the Home Improvement Programme. This is, provided, we still cannot find our dream home within the next few years. I'm hoping for us to move out because I cannot imagine the headache with renovating a flat we are presently living in. All the packing, having to move to a temporary location, choosing enough items to last us for that 2-month stay at the temporary location, then blah blah blah... you can imagine the headache involved. But, the problem is, that perfect unit is elusive. The one and only unit that spoke to us had been sold to someone else because Malays couldn't buy the unit. Boohooohooo.
Anyway. Coming back to the oven. Farha told me that I could buy a built-in oven and place it on the countertop cos some of these companies like Mayer can provide boxes for built-in units so that they don't look too strange sitting on the countertop. But, it might be a bit too big on the countertop. So, maybe I'll get a medium-size oven instead.
I fantasise about oven-baked chicken and chocolate chip cookies making regular appearances during my next round of unpaid leave.
I just hope that the oven does not become a white elephant.
7. Work
I think, after many, many years, I can safely say that I like my work. There are aspects that I don't enjoy, of course. But I love the core aspect of my work. And for that, I thank Allah for guiding me to this route. (It helps that I can take a few years off and still be assured of a job when I come back.)
---
That is all.
1. Blog Condition
Sometimes, I'm ashamed of my blog. It's so bare-bones, compared to everything else on the Internet. But, I'm doing practically nothing about it. My updates are erratic; most are done when major things happen - like a pregnancy. Hur hur.
But I am not going to spruce up the blog. Other than putting more words here. Because I'm lazy like that.
2. Scrabble
I have downloaded a Scrabble app. And my Scrabble kakis (ie, my brothers) and I are playing too many Scrabble games in a day.
3. The Girls.
They fight and fight. Then play together like best friends. Then fight again. TheHusband and I are impervious to their frequent fights. Sometimes, one party will exaggerate and cry for an extended amount of time. Generally, they will still be ignored. Heh. Such excellent parents we are. Examples of their fights:
a. Farah took Huda's rubber band. Then, she sat down on the sofa and started reading a book. Huda wanted the rubber band back but Farah completely ignored her. She focused all her attention on the book she was reading, ignoring the sister. Huda got increasingly agitated by the second and started shouting, screaming and wailing. Farah remained cool, calm and collected. The wailing reached fever pitch and when my ears finally hit the threshold of pain, Huda got the bigger share of the scolding. Huda's response? "Farah always takes my things so that I get scolded for the rest of my life."
b. Huda is a law abiding citizen and gets upset when the sister does things which are socially unacceptable - like speaking at loud volumes. Farah has a naturally loud voice and it is quite a challenge for her to speak softly. She has been scolded numerous times for not using a lower volume. Her loud voice is always a source of pain for Huda and many, many quarrels result from Huda's failed attempts to make Farah speak softly. Huda's way of showing her anger at her sister involves pinching her or mouthing some banned words like "crazy" and "stupid". Farah would retaliate by shouting back at her sister - her speaking voice is already too loud; imagine her shouting voice. It's a miracle the neighbours had not complained to us about the noise we generate.
4. Kids Reading
The girls are avid readers. It's a good thing (sometimes). Whenever we go out, they will insist on bringing a book each. (Actually, they want to bring more but we don't allow them to. The bag will be too heavy.) Farah, at 5 years 3 months, is a fluent reader. Many times, quarrels between both girls break out because the older sister refuses to lend the younger one books she has borrowed from the school library. When they are not quarreling, they can sit down for hours reading one book after another. Often, this results in crying fits. They don't want to sleep because they want to read. Or they wake up too early in the morning and insist on switching on the light to read. Farah has been caught a couple of occasions reading by the bedroom window in the wee hours of the morning. We hope Ihsan will also be as voracious a reader as his sisters.
5. Huda's Progress
When Huda was born, her prematurity and low birth weight were major shocks for me. The more I read up, the more worrying it got. So many things could go wrong. The only solution lies in prayers. And effort. That was part of the driving force that strengthened my resolve to eliminate (now it's simply reduce; elimination is just not possible) screens in the first few years of her life. Another thing I did was to make sure that she had a good diet in her first few years. But she was such a picky eater in those first few years so all those salmon, kurau and cod that I regularly prepared for her ended up in my tummy instead.
Given this background, I am very proud of how far she has gone. Last year, she was a prize winner during the annual prize giving day. It was a prize for Malay Language. (Which actually is somewhat questionable considering her command of English is better than Malay.) But a prize is a prize and it should be commended. And last year also, she was nominated to be a prefect. This was amazing because she has always been very timid. (At the end of her K2 year, worried about her fear of public speaking, we talked about this with her neonatologist whom we still have to see annually. She suggested seeing a psychologist. Fortunately or unfortunately, the earliest psychologist appointment was on the first day of her P1 life. We didn't want her to miss such a momentous occasion so we decided to put the psychologist appointment on hold. Now, I can safely say that she no longer needs such an intervention. As long as Allah wills it, of course.)
This year, she is tasked to lead the afternoon session pupils in pledge taking every
Wednesday. Imagine that. My premature little girl who used to have major problems with Show and Tell can now confidently stand on stage before all the P1 and P2 pupils.
6. Oven
I have a microwave-convection oven but the convection oven is only partially working. I can't set the temperature I want and I can only choose from three preset settings. That is terribly annoying. Last week, I went to Farha's house and she served the most delicious roasted chicken. It is so delicious I couldn't stop thinking about it. As a result, I am going to get a proper oven. Now, I really really regret not having a built-in oven when we did our kitchen some 10 years ago.
Actually, we made some rather poor decisions when we renovated our flat before we moved in. That's why we are considering having a major renovation in 2 years or so, after HDB is done with the Home Improvement Programme. This is, provided, we still cannot find our dream home within the next few years. I'm hoping for us to move out because I cannot imagine the headache with renovating a flat we are presently living in. All the packing, having to move to a temporary location, choosing enough items to last us for that 2-month stay at the temporary location, then blah blah blah... you can imagine the headache involved. But, the problem is, that perfect unit is elusive. The one and only unit that spoke to us had been sold to someone else because Malays couldn't buy the unit. Boohooohooo.
Anyway. Coming back to the oven. Farha told me that I could buy a built-in oven and place it on the countertop cos some of these companies like Mayer can provide boxes for built-in units so that they don't look too strange sitting on the countertop. But, it might be a bit too big on the countertop. So, maybe I'll get a medium-size oven instead.
I fantasise about oven-baked chicken and chocolate chip cookies making regular appearances during my next round of unpaid leave.
I just hope that the oven does not become a white elephant.
7. Work
I think, after many, many years, I can safely say that I like my work. There are aspects that I don't enjoy, of course. But I love the core aspect of my work. And for that, I thank Allah for guiding me to this route. (It helps that I can take a few years off and still be assured of a job when I come back.)
---
That is all.
Sunday, April 27, 2014
And it's a...
...boy!
I wasn't fussy about the kid being a boy or a girl. I just want a healthy baby. Of course, administratively speaking, it's easier to have kids of the same gender. But, really, ultimately, a healthy child is more important than a child of a particular gender.
The two big sisters soon got round to the idea of a baby brother. They were rooting for a girl at first and together with their father, decided to name the girl Husna.
When the possibility of the baby being a boy became stronger at Week 16, we finally decided on the name Ihsan. Confirmed by the sonographer, Ihsan, it is - the one in the womb now, having a good time growing and growing in time for his appearance on 7 September, insya Allah. Or just a wee bit earlier but not too early, okay, Ihsan boy?
Alhamdulillah. There's a great many things to be thankful for. One of which (one of my greatest fears post-Huda) is that he's growing normally. The sonographer confirmed that there's no problem with the blood flow to the womb. Which was a big problem when I had Huda. He has all his limbs intact, and the body parts and essential organs look like they are in good shape. Every pregnancy is such a miracle and shows how great Allah is. Thank you, Allah.
The morning sickness has left me for good. I can almost eat normally now. I still cannot stand the smell of certain foods (like Nasi Ayam) and other smells like perfumes and colognes but the fact that I can drink plain water without gagging is a major achievement. I'm still 3 kg short of my pre-pregnancy weight but the stomach has ballooned considerably, especially considering my frame. Unfortunately, I still cannot get seats when I'm in the train. Boohoohoooo. My clothes camouflage my tummy well and had it not been for my Vice-Principal who practically announced it to all my colleagues, most of them would be completely unaware of my pregnancy. (Must state on the record that she has always been nothing but nice and supportive to me and once she got to know that I am pregnant, she has been even more concerned and extremely supportive.)
The one not-so-good thing about this pregnancy is that I have a very low placenta which apparently covers the openings of the cervix. So, the gynae told me to avoid all strenuous activities (which I have not done since the pregnancy - things like laundry has been completely taken over by TheHusband) and not to carry any weight above 10kg (not an issue either since TheHusband has been doing virtually everything and at school, my colleagues in my level will get into a tizzy if they see me carrying my piles of books).
Still, I do get mild stomach pains and each time I feel those pains, I will just sit or lie down and wait for the pain to pass. Thankfully, there has been no bleeding and whenever I go to the toilet, I find myself holding my breath and feeling relieved at the absence of blood. I read up more on placenta praevia and apparently, my risk factor for it is high.
Risk factors for the development of placenta previa include the following:
I wasn't fussy about the kid being a boy or a girl. I just want a healthy baby. Of course, administratively speaking, it's easier to have kids of the same gender. But, really, ultimately, a healthy child is more important than a child of a particular gender.
The two big sisters soon got round to the idea of a baby brother. They were rooting for a girl at first and together with their father, decided to name the girl Husna.
When the possibility of the baby being a boy became stronger at Week 16, we finally decided on the name Ihsan. Confirmed by the sonographer, Ihsan, it is - the one in the womb now, having a good time growing and growing in time for his appearance on 7 September, insya Allah. Or just a wee bit earlier but not too early, okay, Ihsan boy?
Alhamdulillah. There's a great many things to be thankful for. One of which (one of my greatest fears post-Huda) is that he's growing normally. The sonographer confirmed that there's no problem with the blood flow to the womb. Which was a big problem when I had Huda. He has all his limbs intact, and the body parts and essential organs look like they are in good shape. Every pregnancy is such a miracle and shows how great Allah is. Thank you, Allah.
The morning sickness has left me for good. I can almost eat normally now. I still cannot stand the smell of certain foods (like Nasi Ayam) and other smells like perfumes and colognes but the fact that I can drink plain water without gagging is a major achievement. I'm still 3 kg short of my pre-pregnancy weight but the stomach has ballooned considerably, especially considering my frame. Unfortunately, I still cannot get seats when I'm in the train. Boohoohoooo. My clothes camouflage my tummy well and had it not been for my Vice-Principal who practically announced it to all my colleagues, most of them would be completely unaware of my pregnancy. (Must state on the record that she has always been nothing but nice and supportive to me and once she got to know that I am pregnant, she has been even more concerned and extremely supportive.)
The one not-so-good thing about this pregnancy is that I have a very low placenta which apparently covers the openings of the cervix. So, the gynae told me to avoid all strenuous activities (which I have not done since the pregnancy - things like laundry has been completely taken over by TheHusband) and not to carry any weight above 10kg (not an issue either since TheHusband has been doing virtually everything and at school, my colleagues in my level will get into a tizzy if they see me carrying my piles of books).
Still, I do get mild stomach pains and each time I feel those pains, I will just sit or lie down and wait for the pain to pass. Thankfully, there has been no bleeding and whenever I go to the toilet, I find myself holding my breath and feeling relieved at the absence of blood. I read up more on placenta praevia and apparently, my risk factor for it is high.
Risk factors for the development of placenta previa include the following:
- baby in an unusual position
- previous surgeries that involve the uterus: C-section, surgery to remove uterine fibroids, dilation & curettage CHECK. CHECK. CHECK.
- pregnant with twins or other multiples
- prior miscarriage CHECK. CHECK.
- large placenta
- abnormally shaped uterus
- have already had one child CHECK. CHECK.
- prior diagnosis of placenta previa CHECK. CHECK.
- older than 35 CHECK.
- Asian CHECK.
- smoker
And there goes my dream of delivering naturally. I actually thought of scheduling my C-section really late, like in Week 39, day 5. And if I start feeling the contractions before that, I will take my own sweet time getting to the hospital. Then, I shall wait til the contractions are really close, like 2 minutes apart, before I start getting ready. Hopefully, while getting ready, I'll accidentally pop at home (I already thought of a spot at home where I could do it. I would place a sterile string (to tie the umbilical cord), towels etc within reach of that spot.) This desire to give birth naturally arises mostly from a fear of a long recovery time with a third C-section. But, this is not likely going to happen unless the uterus continues expanding and pushes the placenta up in its expansion.
So, there you have it. The story of my pregnancy now. Week 21 already. Still going strong. Alhamdulillah.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Are you just fat?
Heh. I've reached a stage which confounds the colleagues.
They notice the widening girth but cannot decide if it's just me becoming fatter or I'm pregnant.
So, my friend saw my silhouette as I was approaching the canteen table and was wondering aloud if that was me.
Heh.
They notice the widening girth but cannot decide if it's just me becoming fatter or I'm pregnant.
So, my friend saw my silhouette as I was approaching the canteen table and was wondering aloud if that was me.
Heh.
Sunday, April 06, 2014
18 Weeks
Alhamdulillah.
18 weeks along now.
2 weeks ago, I saw my gynae and everything looked okay. The vomiting has not made an appearance in the past week or so. And that is great, great news. The aversion to plain water is still there so I'm taking diluted 100 plus. And whatever drinks the drink stall at school brews each day. I'm beginning to be able to tolerate rice more than before. So, I do eat rice on some occasions at school. I'm no longer depending on Stall Number 3's beehoon soto for survival. Just as well, because I think I may be developing a less-than-like for it.
What is the baby's gender?
All will be confirmed in Week 20 when I go for the next check-up. TheHusband and Daughters 1 & 2 are rooting for another girl. TheGrandparents presently have 19 grandchildren - 10 girls and 9 boys. So, TheGrandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces and Nephews are expecting this to be a boy. This is mostly because if this child turns out to be a boy, he will be The Great Equaliser. Me? I pray for a healthy child. Healthy in all senses of the word - physical, mental & spiritual. And , as always, to be a good Muslim. Which will cover all spheres of his/her life. Amin.
At school, more people are aware but it's not something I broadcast to all. I don't flaunt my growing tummy all that much, either. I try to hide my tummy as best as I can. Perhaps, it's because I don't want my pupils to ask me. But the more I wonder about this, the more I realise that I most probably am waiting for a truly safe period. Past a time when I know that the Baby will be able to survive if he/she happens to be delivered early. That will be around Week 30, I guess. It's just this awareness that there are multiple outcomes to a single event that seems to have a strong grip of you the older you get. And I'm already 36 this year. So, the older I get, the more conscious I become of these other unsavoury possibilities.
Occasionally, I feel movements in the womb but it is not something that happens frequently and with great regularity for now. There are also times when the womb area seems to hurt badly but a 5-minute rest normally puts everything back on track. Dr Google said that it's most likely that the uterus is expanding so much these days. When I contort my body in a certain way or slouch, I feel a sudden, sharp pain in the upper part of my stomach. Probably the growing womb has pushed the intestines in such a way that there are kinks there and so, having a proper posture is absolutely necessary these days.
So, that's the main update for now.
Til 19 April, when the gender will be confirmed. :D
18 weeks along now.
2 weeks ago, I saw my gynae and everything looked okay. The vomiting has not made an appearance in the past week or so. And that is great, great news. The aversion to plain water is still there so I'm taking diluted 100 plus. And whatever drinks the drink stall at school brews each day. I'm beginning to be able to tolerate rice more than before. So, I do eat rice on some occasions at school. I'm no longer depending on Stall Number 3's beehoon soto for survival. Just as well, because I think I may be developing a less-than-like for it.
What is the baby's gender?
All will be confirmed in Week 20 when I go for the next check-up. TheHusband and Daughters 1 & 2 are rooting for another girl. TheGrandparents presently have 19 grandchildren - 10 girls and 9 boys. So, TheGrandparents, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces and Nephews are expecting this to be a boy. This is mostly because if this child turns out to be a boy, he will be The Great Equaliser. Me? I pray for a healthy child. Healthy in all senses of the word - physical, mental & spiritual. And , as always, to be a good Muslim. Which will cover all spheres of his/her life. Amin.
At school, more people are aware but it's not something I broadcast to all. I don't flaunt my growing tummy all that much, either. I try to hide my tummy as best as I can. Perhaps, it's because I don't want my pupils to ask me. But the more I wonder about this, the more I realise that I most probably am waiting for a truly safe period. Past a time when I know that the Baby will be able to survive if he/she happens to be delivered early. That will be around Week 30, I guess. It's just this awareness that there are multiple outcomes to a single event that seems to have a strong grip of you the older you get. And I'm already 36 this year. So, the older I get, the more conscious I become of these other unsavoury possibilities.
Occasionally, I feel movements in the womb but it is not something that happens frequently and with great regularity for now. There are also times when the womb area seems to hurt badly but a 5-minute rest normally puts everything back on track. Dr Google said that it's most likely that the uterus is expanding so much these days. When I contort my body in a certain way or slouch, I feel a sudden, sharp pain in the upper part of my stomach. Probably the growing womb has pushed the intestines in such a way that there are kinks there and so, having a proper posture is absolutely necessary these days.
So, that's the main update for now.
Til 19 April, when the gender will be confirmed. :D
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Week 12
Alhamdulillah.
Feeling better.
Vomiting happens a maximum of three times a days, so far. Most of the time, it's only once a day. Hopefully, I'll be having vomit-free days in time to come. Like soon. Really soon.
Took my weight a few days ago and I've lost a total of 7.5kg. Sigh. But I think I'm gaining them back now. (Positive thinking)
But the highlight of the week is, my sister asked me if I wanted to join her at West Coast Hawker Centre. We used to go there a lot. I thought, I'll just go for my family's sake. The poor kids and husband have not eaten out much ever since I got pregnant. Mainly because the smell of food sends me reaching for the vomit bag.
So, we were there yesterday. The moment I got there, I vomited some of my infamous foamy saliva, no thanks to the food smells.
But I steeled myself. I didn't order anything but I had a bit of food from everybody. Except Huda who had chicken rice. I am still averse to rice (unless it's soaking in kicap manis) and the smell of chicken rice puts me off big time. The char kuay bakar (Mas Merah, I think) was divine and so was the satay (from Stall 60-something). Farah had nice horfun. Took some Mee Hoon Goreng Mama from the brother-in-law and Kuay Teow Goreng from Sofiya. I could keep all the fluids I had - air kelapa and pineapple drink.
Pineapple - Now, I have been craving for pineapples since the beginning of my pregnancy. I allowed myself two small bites in the earlier weeks and no more than that because of the bad rep that pineapples have. But, as soon as I'm past Week 14 and there's no more vomiting, I am going to indulge in one full slice of honey pineapple. Til then, I must wait. Wait. Wait.
Feeling better.
Vomiting happens a maximum of three times a days, so far. Most of the time, it's only once a day. Hopefully, I'll be having vomit-free days in time to come. Like soon. Really soon.
Took my weight a few days ago and I've lost a total of 7.5kg. Sigh. But I think I'm gaining them back now. (Positive thinking)
But the highlight of the week is, my sister asked me if I wanted to join her at West Coast Hawker Centre. We used to go there a lot. I thought, I'll just go for my family's sake. The poor kids and husband have not eaten out much ever since I got pregnant. Mainly because the smell of food sends me reaching for the vomit bag.
So, we were there yesterday. The moment I got there, I vomited some of my infamous foamy saliva, no thanks to the food smells.
But I steeled myself. I didn't order anything but I had a bit of food from everybody. Except Huda who had chicken rice. I am still averse to rice (unless it's soaking in kicap manis) and the smell of chicken rice puts me off big time. The char kuay bakar (Mas Merah, I think) was divine and so was the satay (from Stall 60-something). Farah had nice horfun. Took some Mee Hoon Goreng Mama from the brother-in-law and Kuay Teow Goreng from Sofiya. I could keep all the fluids I had - air kelapa and pineapple drink.
Pineapple - Now, I have been craving for pineapples since the beginning of my pregnancy. I allowed myself two small bites in the earlier weeks and no more than that because of the bad rep that pineapples have. But, as soon as I'm past Week 14 and there's no more vomiting, I am going to indulge in one full slice of honey pineapple. Til then, I must wait. Wait. Wait.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Week 11
Week 11 Day 2
There are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes, the day is all good, with no vomiting. But suddenly, at the end of the day, everything comes out.
As for nights - there has been a total of three good nights so far when I could get more than 5 hours of continuous sleep. Other than that, sleep has been bad.
I have not weighed myself since last week. I don't want to know what my weight is, especially if there's no increase or, worse, falling. I thought my weight was going up last week but I thought wrong. That was most probably the effect of the IV drip. Which went away when I went home.
Not very positive news.
But, at least, I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This weekend, I'll hit Week 12. Hopefully, all will be good by then. Amin.
There are good days and there are bad days. Sometimes, the day is all good, with no vomiting. But suddenly, at the end of the day, everything comes out.
As for nights - there has been a total of three good nights so far when I could get more than 5 hours of continuous sleep. Other than that, sleep has been bad.
I have not weighed myself since last week. I don't want to know what my weight is, especially if there's no increase or, worse, falling. I thought my weight was going up last week but I thought wrong. That was most probably the effect of the IV drip. Which went away when I went home.
Not very positive news.
But, at least, I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. This weekend, I'll hit Week 12. Hopefully, all will be good by then. Amin.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Week 10
Alhamdulillah! I'm in Week 10 Day 1!
Went for my check-up on Saturday and we saw an active baby moving this way and that, refusing to keep still for the doctor to take a sharp, clear picture. That was a big, big relief.
But, I ended up having to stay a night at KK Resort because I was quite badly dehydrated. I normally enjoy my stays at KK but this time, I was restless, restless, restless. Didn't help that the drip made me pee every hour or so.
So, on Sunday morning, the doctor said that I was to be discharged. Hooray! And she asked, do you need any rest?
I thought of the work to be done in school, I thought of the pupils, I thought of how it's easy to get my favourite mee hoon soto (the only thing I can eat) twice a day from the canteen and so I told her, not really.
TheHusband, upon hearing that, said, "Doctor, can you give her one day so she can rest?" (Because TheHusband always faces a big resistance from me whenever he thinks I should be on medical leave.)
Doctor asked, what do you work as?
Teacher, I said.
Wah. You very different ah. Most teachers ask for a lot of MC. I'll give you two weeks. Said the Doctor.
2 weeks, I thought. Where am I going to get my supply of non-oily mee hoon soto?
And here is Day 1 of my forced 2-week break. It's only 12.07pm and I have already reorganised the fridge. By the end of the 2 weeks, I want to clean my house thoroughly. I need to get moving somehow, right?
---
What did they use to measure level of dehydration? Ketone level in urine. This pregnancy, I've lost a grand total of 6kg within the first 9 weeks. Now, alhamdulillah, my weight is climbing up again. I've gained back the 0.5kg that was lost. So, what's this ketone level? Ketones can appear in urine as a result of diabetes. But, there is also another reason for ketones to appear in urine. For lucky people like me who love to vomit and can barely eat or drink, the body uses my preexisting fats (but why didn't they take the fats from my thighs?) and break them down to supply nutrients to the baby. This breakdown of fats in large amounts cause ketones as a waste product which is excreted through my urine.
So that's the end of my story for today. I know that when I come back in 2 weeks, I have to confess to people that I'm pregnant. But, that should be the safe period already, being in week 12.
All righty. End of story. Til next time. Or tomorrow. Or later. Cos staying at home while pregnant is really boring.
Went for my check-up on Saturday and we saw an active baby moving this way and that, refusing to keep still for the doctor to take a sharp, clear picture. That was a big, big relief.
But, I ended up having to stay a night at KK Resort because I was quite badly dehydrated. I normally enjoy my stays at KK but this time, I was restless, restless, restless. Didn't help that the drip made me pee every hour or so.
So, on Sunday morning, the doctor said that I was to be discharged. Hooray! And she asked, do you need any rest?
I thought of the work to be done in school, I thought of the pupils, I thought of how it's easy to get my favourite mee hoon soto (the only thing I can eat) twice a day from the canteen and so I told her, not really.
TheHusband, upon hearing that, said, "Doctor, can you give her one day so she can rest?" (Because TheHusband always faces a big resistance from me whenever he thinks I should be on medical leave.)
Doctor asked, what do you work as?
Teacher, I said.
Wah. You very different ah. Most teachers ask for a lot of MC. I'll give you two weeks. Said the Doctor.
2 weeks, I thought. Where am I going to get my supply of non-oily mee hoon soto?
And here is Day 1 of my forced 2-week break. It's only 12.07pm and I have already reorganised the fridge. By the end of the 2 weeks, I want to clean my house thoroughly. I need to get moving somehow, right?
---
What did they use to measure level of dehydration? Ketone level in urine. This pregnancy, I've lost a grand total of 6kg within the first 9 weeks. Now, alhamdulillah, my weight is climbing up again. I've gained back the 0.5kg that was lost. So, what's this ketone level? Ketones can appear in urine as a result of diabetes. But, there is also another reason for ketones to appear in urine. For lucky people like me who love to vomit and can barely eat or drink, the body uses my preexisting fats (but why didn't they take the fats from my thighs?) and break them down to supply nutrients to the baby. This breakdown of fats in large amounts cause ketones as a waste product which is excreted through my urine.
So that's the end of my story for today. I know that when I come back in 2 weeks, I have to confess to people that I'm pregnant. But, that should be the safe period already, being in week 12.
All righty. End of story. Til next time. Or tomorrow. Or later. Cos staying at home while pregnant is really boring.
Sunday, January 26, 2014
Week 8
Today, I reach Week 8.
I pray that I will be able to carry this child to full term. Amin.
I pray that this child, regardless of gender, will be a healthy child. Amin.
I pray that I will be healthy throughout this pregnancy. Amin.
Ya Allah, you know my deepest desires. Grant me my deepest desires if they are good for me. Amin.
I pray that I will be able to carry this child to full term. Amin.
I pray that this child, regardless of gender, will be a healthy child. Amin.
I pray that I will be healthy throughout this pregnancy. Amin.
Ya Allah, you know my deepest desires. Grant me my deepest desires if they are good for me. Amin.
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