Happy New Year 2008!

Happy New Year!!! So fast, 2008 is nearly here and I've been pregnant for 35 weeks and 4 days out of 2007. Really looking forward to receiving our little princess in 2008. :)

Been having bad backache and buttache for the last few days. A few other mummies also have it. Think it's due to ligament loosening for delivery. :/ No countdown plans this year. Can't squeeze with the crowd with big tummy also. :P

Cooked bah kut teh for New Year Eve's dinner instead. Trying out my new Tiger magic thermal cooker. Not too bad but the soup base we used was too peppery. :P

Tomorrow night, having my super early Reunion Dinner steamboat at my mum's place so that can eat my abalone & sea cucumber and fish maw before confinement. Will try and eat shark fin & pineapple tart this month too. Yummy!

Packed hospital bag today

A very quiet Xmas spent at home. Didn't go out at all. Finally, started to pack my hospital bag, it's about 70-80% done. Haven't put in videocam and camera yet cos if charge it too early, afraid the battery will be flat. Need to put in 1 set of clothes for me and hubby for changing/showering. Still asking the experienced mummies whether i need to bring post delivery inflatable ring or whether KK will provide.

BB was hyper active yesterday but today not as active. Must remember to count movements liao, must have at least 10 movements in a day.

Merry Xmas!!!!

Had to work half day on Xmas Eve until 1pm. Got lots of work to clear cos boss on leave and this week is a short week. After knocking, went to Tampines Mall and Century Square with hubby. Had Xmas Eve lunch at Jack's Place and met 2 colleagues, great minds think alike. The Xmas set lunch was good. :)

Went to watch National Treasure 2 at Century Square after lunch. Not bad, went to buy tickets at 3pm, still can get 4th row from the back for 3:45pm show. Haven't watched a movie for so long, last one was Ratatouiie. ;) Hubby bought me a Swatch watch, and a Xmas present for BB. All wrapped up so I don't know what he bought. I bought him DVDs again. Wanted to buy him a wireless earphone but he doesn't want. Hee, ask him to chose himself cos I don't know what he wants. ;P

Went to Kiddy Palace to buy a small waterproof cot sheet for the mini BB bassinet. Actually, my mum already bought a cot sheet for me but the one she bought was too big, more for a big cot. So, end up buying a smaller one lor. But the smaller one from Annaku ($13) costs more than the one my mum bought ($10). :P Bought another nursing top using my $20 Spring voucher. $39.90 less $20 less 10% DBS Ladies Card, so only $15.90, quite cheap.

I've been having breathless attacks once in a while recently. Got to breathe heavily or breathe through my mouth to feel better. Quite scary leh. Got some water retention on my legs too. Sometimes, wake up in the morning, finger joints feel sore when I try to clench my hands. :/

Cousins' gathering

Went out with my cousins to pig out at Katong. They wanted to eat at Astons but we ended up at Waraku, Katong Village because Astons refused to let them enter the restaurant unless there is 70% attendance (hubby & I arrived late because of the rain.) But it was a blessing in disguise cos we got a cosy room at Waraku, can eat and talk in peace. Didn't bring camera so pics of the food are with one of my cousins.

My cousin bought more clothes for BB, 2 Precious Momemts T-shirts, one pink & one purple. Think BB can wear when she is about 1 year old. She also bought Precious moments name plates for RaeAnne, Me and hubby. Haven't put up yet if not will collect dust. RaeAnne, say thank you to Juliana Yee yee. :)

She also bought 2 sets of button front pyjamas for me from her China trip. Quite sweet with small pink flowers. :) But not sure if I can wear cos waistline for the pants are very small (I won't go back to my pre pregnancy weight so fast). It'll be difficult for me to wear pants immediately after delivery. Plus I'm more used to wearing T-shirt material to sleep, less restrictive. Hee.

Laundry day

Went to my friend's place this morning to collect the car seat bassinet from her, can only use until 6-9 months She passed me her BB recliner chair covered with mesh cloth cover (or is it a bouncer?). She bought a Xmas present for my gal, 1 pink and 1 white long sleeve t-shirt top with some lace design. Think I have to keep till BB is 1 year though cos looks quite big.

Went to parkway parade for lunch cos was eyeing the $169 Philips juicer from Harvey Norman, end up buying a smaller $99 Braun juicer instead. Bought a standing fan too cos the existing one is spoilt after just 2.5 years. Went back & forth between Harvey Norman and Best Denki before finally making up our minds on which shop & which model to buy. :P

Hubby was so tired with the shopping that he had a afternoon nap after we got back close to 5pm. So I decided to let him sleep and not to wait for him so I washed BB clothes today ... Weather still rainy but weekend always too busy to do it. Used the Pureen detergent to handwash her clothes, face towels, booties, mittens but dumped the nappies, hooded towels, etc into the washing machine. Not that bad lar, managed to do it despite my big tummy. :)

But once I finished washing, it was dinner time and my neighbour downstairs (who converted her service balcony into a kitchen) started her usual heavy cooking again. Don't want my BB clothes to stink so had to move my laundry rack to the balcony. :P

Cooked dinner after that, just porridge with fried egg & fried oyster sauce kai lan. But kai lan not very nice cos too little oyster sauce. :P

Feb MTB Gathering

Went for Feb MTB gathering at the Village. There was a good turnout and happy to put faces to names again. We had a gift exchange and I received a baby food making set and 1 pack of 82 Pigeon wet wipes. Ate half pork knuckle and fried vegetables. :)Hubby did not join for this gathering, he paiseh and went shopping instead. We took a group photo but some mummies had to leave early so was not in the photo. :P

Sitting (from left): artemis, eliaw, blueginger, dorothy, june & apple79

Standing (from left): piglettail, tubao, moi_dar, eileengoh, cheryl, snowbelle, H@ppymum2b, jeannie & kitsune_sg

* Missed the group photo but NOT the action: Garfield, BKGE (Kel), Tute and Stephie :)

3rd wedding anniversary

Had a weekend getaway at Swissotel Stamford hotel, stayed there on 16 Dec to celebrate 3rd wedding anniverary with hubby. Got hotel voucher from Amex card promotion so only $100++ per night. The hotel was very full so got 2 queen sized beds on the 26th floor instead of a room with a king sized bed. The beds turn out more like super single than queen, very narrow. Didn't sleep well as a result. :P The harbourview room view was good though.

Went to Equinox restaurant for dinner since it'll be the last time we can celebrate our "er ren shi jie". The Indian waiter was very helpful, he gave me a cushion to put on the back of my chair when he saw I was pregnant. Food was quite ok but desserts was disappointing, a lot of things were sour which did not suit our taste. Hubby gave me a silver pendant and chain from Tiffany while I got him 2 DVDs. :)


Had breakfast at Yakun, Raffles City cos breakfast not included in our room rate. Went for manicure & pedicure today beside Plaza Market Cafe. Too bad, didn't managed to squeeze in a facial. Bought a watch from Furla, less 50% + 5% as Xmas present. ;)

2 mummies from Jan MTB popped liao, will nag hubby to start washing if got sunny weather and start packing my bag this week, will probably use a sports travel bag since the Cordlife kit is already A4 sized. Seeing my gynae again on 2 Jan 08. Hope BB grows to a good size, so I don't need to worry about her being too small. :)

Jan MTBs gathering

Had a gathering with the Motherhood Jan MTB forum on Wed, 12 Dec. We had dinner at Pearl River Chinese restaurant at Suntec City. A la carte buffet at $30.80++. It was good to see all the faces behind the nicks. QQ, one of the MTBs did a very good post with pics of the gathering and the food at her blog. So instead of reinventing the wheel, I'll just copy & paste her url here. Hee hee. http://happycouples.multiply.com/journal/item/179/Wednesday_-_12_Dec_2007_-_Jan_08_Sg_motherhood_gathering_2_

Received the Hello Kitty changing mat and training chopsticks that I bought from BP. The changing mat was thinner than I thought but guess can use it to line my new changing top. The training chopsticks came broken though cos she did not use any bubble wrap to protect it, need to tell the supplier. Hopefully, she can send me a new one. :P
Something wrong with blogspot, the header info & piggy pic is out of sync. Got to redo the header page. :/

Phew! RaeAnne is 2.2kg!

Went to see gynae on Wed, BB's head down and back facing up so she can't measure BB's waist properly to get estimated weight. But based on the scan, estimated weight may be 2 kg or less(below average) so gynae asked me to go down again today to Antenatal Monitoring Clinic for a rescan. Was a bit worried for the past two days cos if BB is really not growing well, worse case scenario, may need to induce and deliver earlier.

Thankfully, after all the pep talk by me and her daddy, BB turned today into a nice 'C' position so her tummy can be seen clearly. Based on today's scan at exactly 33 weeks, her waist circumference is 28.9cm, estimated weight is 2.18-2.38kg (2273g). Gynae said she is slightly above the 50th percentile which is good, my amniotic fluid level is 6.8cm so she still has space to grow. My weight is now 52.2kg, gained about 1 kg since last check up in Nov. :) Asked the technician to show me BB's face when she was scanning and caught her opening her mouth and closing, so cute, think she may be yawning. ;) Too bad the technician did not take that photo. :P

To reward her for being such a good girl, hubby bought her a toy from toy r us. He refused to let me post the photo cos he said it's a surprise for BB. ;)

Popped by the new Spring Maternity outlet at Tampines, they were having a Xmas promotion so ended up buying 1 more nursing top & 1 black lacy maternity dress for wedding anniversary and Xmas parties (if any). ;)

Booked post natal massage

Booked my post natal massage/wrap with Grace, starting with 5 sessions. She's only available from 19 Feb so hope I won't deliver early. If not, got to wait very long before doing it, then the wrap may not be so effective for slimming effect. :P

BB Video Monitor

Kiddy Palace at Century Square has been renovated and it's bigger than ever. Very happy. Saw a very interesting BB video monitor there called Dancing Daisy. Looks good but quite expensive, on offer still $299. Will put on my wishlist, it's better than the Philips baby monitor I was eyeing cos Philips one can hear BB but cannot see. :)

Food glorious food

Had home cooked lunch today cos Hubby fried bee hoon before we went for the book talk. Give him 8.5/10, cos I like it better when he fried it plain the last time without the dark sauce, that one 9/10. But of course, 11/10 for effort! Hee. :)

Book talk at Popular Bras basah went well, some of his ex students even came down to support. :) Went to Bugis to shop around after that, BHG not having storewide sale anymore so nothing much to buy. :P

Went to our favourite restaurant near Liang Seah street, Pivdofr. Set dinner is only $17.50 nett, no gst, no service charge. It came with drinks, salad, minestrone soup, main course (I had roast pork, hubby had pork chop with spagetti and pudding dessert. We ordered half dozen escargot too, my favourite. Was so greedy that I took the first piece before I realised I hadn't taken a photo yet so no photo for escargot. hee :P

BB Cabinet/changing table

Just went to ikea and bought a baby cabinet with removable changing top, $189. A bit ex but already the cheapest one there. There's a simple changing table for only $39 but don't want to bend up and down to get the stuff plus think a cabinet has better mileage, next time can remove the changing top & use it as a shelf to put BB stuff. Delivery next Monday. Can't wait to put all the diapers there, my wardrobe got no space liao.

Some mummies who attended antenatal class said no need to buy bottle drying rack cos it defeats the purpose of sterilising the baby bottles. Looks like I can delete from my list then. One less thing to buy. :)

Hubby's first radio interview today & Popular Book Talk this Sat

Hubby was interviewed on FM93.8, The Living Room today for his book, 11am - 12noon. Couldn't listen to the broadcast cos I was working and had a meeting. But luckily, there's a repeat broadcast tonight at 11pm. :)

This Sat at 3pm, he's going to Popular Bras Basah branch to give a talk & book signing ceremony. Will go down and support him. All are welcome. :)

Pre natal massage

Was on leave on Mon & Tues. Went to eat at Tung Lok Seafood gallery for lunch, hubby said the dim sum buffet was good but when we went there, found out the buffet only applicable for min 4 pax so ordered ala carte dim sum & some seafood dishes instead. The deep fried baby squid was very good. Wanted to take a photo but the plate looks messy cos we wasted no time attacking it. Dim sum was good too, hubby loves the carrot cake & char siew pau. Went to the beach but it was too hot so didn't stay there for long. Had very nice fresh coconut juice (the green type) at East Coast seafood centre after that. Went to Tampines to check out BHG before going home. Bought another pigeon wipes hard case ($7.20 less 20%). :)

Had my prenatal massage yesterday. Grace (the masseur) was supposed to come at 12:30pm but she arrived about 1 hour early. It was ok for me, cos the massage was 1.5 hrs so if she comes early, I can have my lunch early. :) I had no mattress so end up using my bumper mat but she advised me to put a bedsheet cover over it. Used 2 big towels to cover pillow & bolster too. Lie on my side cos of big tummy. Grace was professional and friendly. Her massage is very soothing but not very hard cos she said pregnant so cannot use too much force. Good for me cos I'm used to a lighter touch. :)

She used some oil (forgot to ask her what type of oil), was quite oily but can shower half an hour after the massage. One thing bad about doing home massage is that there are lots to wash after that. And not as relaxing as in a spa but prices very cheap. Will definitely continue to do prenatal massage if she has any slots for me on Sats. Interested in post natal too but she doesn't do during CNY period so not sure if can do for me.

One of MTB from Jan thread (EDD 24 Jan) already went to hospital cos of contractions. Her EDD is just 1 week earlier than mine (1 Feb). Really scared I'll pop early too. Think I better continue to fatten BB up until my follow up appt with gynae next week. Want BB to be at least 3 kg. ;)

Bought videocam today!

Went to Sitex today and bought my Sony handycam. Went early at 10am to avoid the crowd. Unfortunately, the restaurants are not open so end up eating BK fish for breakfast. It's good I went to Sitext cos better deal than Harvey Norman Parkway. Instead of free 512mb memory card, at Sitex, they gave a free 2GB card. The rest of the freebies (tripod, extra battery, camera case) the same. I bought the cheaper model (DCR-SR42E) though since the salesman said the more expensive model ($1499) only better for taking still photos. Paid $899 + $145 (extended warranty for 5 years), total: $1044. Not sure if I made the right choice also, but since not sure, better buy the cheap one then the expensive one. :P Hubby also bought comp games, got promotion, buy 2 get 1 free. :)

Went to JL sale, agree there's nothing much. But since i'm there. Bought a little pink dress for $10 (size: S) and a pair of baby socks for $2.50. BB has 3 dresses now. The yellow one is a hand-me-down from cousin, 2nd floral pink dress a gift from cousin, the third one is the pink dress from JL expo sale. :)

Sitex fair

Waited for hubby to finish IPPT test before going to Sitex at Expo, reached Expo closed to 7pm and the carparks were closed cos it's full. All the cars were queueing to go into the carpark via another route. Looking at the queue, don't think we can even get into the carpark at 7:30pm so gave up and went home instead. :P

Baby active as usual and tummmy getting bigger and bigger. Just left with 9 weeks but feel like such a long time. Quite sian to answer the same question again and again about my EDD especially when it's the same people asking once every few weeks. :P

Beansprout Pillows

Woke up at 4:30pm to pee again. Just receive my Wee Justin beansprout pillows today, a gift from my cousin. Door to door delivery at 8+pm, quite impressed with the service. They even gave a free silk pillow case with every 2 pillows purchased. The pillow is longer and not as hard as the one I orderd from Bulk purchase. :)

BB is super active, she kicks, pokes and shifts her body so often. Starting to wonder if she ever sleeps and if she'll be as hyperactive when she's out. :P

Sony handycam

Having second thoughts about the Sony handycam. There's another model that is more basic without ClearVid (good for night & outdoor settings), at only $899, $600 cheaper than the model we were eyeing. Not sure if it's worthwhile to pay so much more for the ClearVid feature. :P But at the same time, if we were to buy extended warranty for 5 years, will we be happy with this basic camcorder for 5 years since technology is moving so fast and HD is the way to go. Sigh, decisions decisions. So difficult to decide cos both me & hubby are not techies. :P

Popping early

Went to read the MTB Dec 07 thread at motherhood forum. 2 more mummies going to hospital & going to pop today and their EDD was 10 Dec and 20 Dec respectively. Looks like so far, all the Dec mummies who popped are early by 2-6 weeks. Scary... Now, hubby asking me whether it's possible for BB to be a Dec baby or even have the same birthday as him: 6 Jan. Don't want BB to be born too early leh, she was only 1.5kg during my last check up. Don't want her to be too small when born. :P

Heard some mummies saying that eating durians will help BB grow very fast. Seldom eat durians but went hunting at ShopNSave & NTUC Tampines. But no durian to be found. Bought durian curry puff from A1 curry puff at Tampines Mall, Basement instead. Better than nothing. Hee. :)

Had leg cramp at 6:30am today on left leg calve. Super painful, woke hubby from sleep. He helped me push back my foot to ease the pain. Bought 100plus just now, hope it'll help. :P

Char Kuay Teow

Went for antenatal class yesterday. This speaker was not as humourous as the lactation nurse manager last week. But she did clear a few doubts. She said don't use ear thermometer for baby because NB's ear membrane very fragile. Instead, just use a digital thermometer and measure under the armpit (must make sure BB's armpit) is dry. She also showed us how to fold a cloth nappy (won't be using it, too tedious to wash & dry lar) and how to give baby a bath. She also clarified that no need to use cord spirit to clean BB's umbilical cord, just use cool boiled water and cotton ball because KK did a study and found out the risk of umbilical cord infection is the same whether we use cord spirit or boiled water. Yeah, no need to buy the container for cord spirit liao. :)

Received my beansprout pillow with extra cover yesterday. It felt very hard though because they packed a lot of beansprout husks inside (at least they are not stingy about that). Asked the supplier if it will soften with use and she said yes. Received the bamboo baby chair from my colleagues yesterday. They even attached a golden ribbon to it, looks very sweet. :) A lot of colleagues were admiring my BB chair cos I left it at my cubicle until hubby came in the evening to pick me up. One of them pointed that there were some rough corners which may scratch BB's tender skin. Must ask hubby to find sandpaper to smoothen before letting BB use it.

Just came back from Parkway parade. Wanted to eat char kuay teow for supper yesterday but the stall was closed. Had dry fishball mee pok instead. Had swensens breakfast at Parkway and satisfied my craving for char kuay teow at Marine Parade food centre with the famous watery char kuay teow for lunch. Found it too garlicy (lots of roughly chopped garlic) but at least the pork lard was good. Hee. Had sugar cane juice too.

Went to kiddy palace and saw the 'hard cover' Pigeon wet wipes, $7.20. Some mummies said it was hard to find, I didn't buy since no promotion. The 3 packs (82 pcs each) on offer though at $10.10. But I want to wait until JL expo sale and see if got promo since I have JL vouchers.

Went to Harvey Norman too to check out video cam, think we more or less decided on which model to buy liao but costs about $1499 (excl extended 5 year warranty fee) so must wait until get Dec bonus before can buy. :P

Was looking for pretty little girl dress for BB's first month. Came across this french shop called Chateau de sable on the 3rd floor. Saw a little pink dress with 2 ribbons which I really like but $39 quite expensive and there was no promotion so didn't buy. :P

Waking Up is Hard to Do

Have not been sleeping well since Sunday night (woke up 2 times), Mon night (woke up 3 times at 2am, 5am & 7am)and last night (woke up once at 5am). Most of the time, woke up to go toilet but also woke up because of leg cramps. Was so zonked out on Tuesday that I wanted to take urgent leave but got 2 colleagues on MC so was too paiseh to ask my boss. Been taking more nuts (some mummies say it may help), isotonic drink like H2O, hope it'll help. :) Some people tell me I have to get used to this type of disruptive sleep when breastfeeding but can't imagine how I'm going to drag myself to work for one full day next time. :P

BB has been kicking and poking more and more. Her kicks are powerful but her pokes are even worse. Really painful. Sometimes, when the pain is bad, I'll raise my voice and ask her what she's trying to do but she'll only stop for a while and it'll start all over again. Another reason why I'm having such lousy sleep because she's very active at night. But she very sayang her Daddy, when Daddy put his hand there, she'll kick or poke less. :/

Hubby has been borrowing story books/fairy tales and reading stories to BB a few times a week. :)

Story Time!

Breastfeeding lesson

Went to antenatal class on Fri, the class was on breastfeeding. The lactation nurse manager was very humorous, never saw hubby laugh so much in any antenatal class. :) She gave out baby dolls for us to practise the different holds, 1) cradle 2) modified cradle and 3) football hold. I'm still not very good at it. :P She talked about the use of cold cabbage. She can use we can use that when engorged, 1-2times a day is fine but not too often unless trying to switch to FM cos it will reduce BM supply. If you want to do TBF, then try to let BB latch on as soon as possible after delivery so that body can release the colostrum cos mature milk only comes in after 3 days. If wait until discharged & go back home then start BF, then you'll only get colostrum which is not enough for hungry BB. She said don't switch BB from 1 breast to another after 5-10 mins, if not BB only gets foremilk (thin and quenches thirst only), no hindmilk (richer and satisfies hunger). If you want to switch, wait until BB suckles at least 20 mins at one breast then switch to the other one. But if pumping then can only pump 5 mins each breast then must switch, if not will get sore nipples. So pumping will take more time cos may need to pump 3 times for each breast. :P

She also said it's very important to plan ahead. Eg. if going back to work after 3 mths maternity, start pumping and bottle feeding by end of 2nd month. If not, BB will refuse to take bottle when you go back to work cos he/she will be used to direct latch on. If intending to supplement with FM when going back to work, start feeding 1 bottle of FM for the first 3 days, followed by 2 bottles of FM for the next 3 days so that BB can get used to it. Also, this will prepare our body and prevent engorgement after going back to work. She said we can ask for the lactation consultant (on call) if we need BF help after delivery. If still warded, the service is free. Reassuring cos I think I'll need help in the beginning. If we need help after discharge then it is chargeable from $30 onwards depending on how long the consultation is. :)

Chosen 2 design from WeeJustin beansprout pillows since cousin is getting that for me, one for my house, one for ILs place. :)

Diaper Bag

Still wondering whether to buy a diaper bag. Besides Allerhand, there's another brand called Skip Hop that seems quite good. The bag can be slung across a stroller so quite convenient. The bulk purchase price is $98 but I think usual price is $120+. The only bad thing is that the Skip Hop is slightly smaller than Allerhand and the bottle holder is not insulated. But I think should not be a problem since I have a thermos flask and will be making milk on the go instead of keeping milk warm. :)

A MTB from Feb 08 thread shared what is usually in a diaper bag but I added a few more things I'll need. :)
1)diaper(about 4-depends on how long u going out)
2)3 set of clothes(in case of accidents)
3)milk powder container(abt 3 feeds)
4)wipes
5)toys
6)snack(depend on how old the bb is)
7)sweater(in case cold)
8)ziplock(for dirty clothes)
9)changing mat
10)nappy rash cream
11)milk bottles(1 big/1small)
12)pacifier
13)thermos flask for milk
14)thermos food jar for porridge
15)security pillow/blanket

BB Update

Went for gynae appt at KK today. Got the results of my OGTT. No diabetes, YEAH! Fasting glucose is 4.1 (<6.1mmol) while 120min glucose is 5.0 (<7.8mmol) Also, Dr Judy Wong told me she'll do a weight estimate for my BB today. Very happy, was prepared to pressure her to tell me BB's weight today. ;) Based on BB's waist circumference, she is between 1.43-1.51 kg now, above 50th percentile and I'm 51kg now. Gynae estimates that if she maintains the same growth rate, she'll be about 3.1kg at 39 weeks. She said BB size is good because nature always ensures that slim mummies with smaller pelvis won't have big babies unless the mummies binge a lot, then can't be helped. Slim mummies with big babies will find it difficult to deliver.

BB was facing us when gynae was scanning, she's now head down (but not engaged), her spine was on my left side while her hands and feet were on my right. She also said the placenta position and amount of amniotic fluid are fine. She also told me that she'll be leaving for private practice in Apr 08 though. Sigh, looks like all the good female gynaes I know at KKH are leaving for private practice. :P

Went to Mothercare before going for gynae appt. Finally bought 2 pairs of 3/4 jeans & brown cropped pants for weekends and a nursing top. At $150.10 in total, I even qualified for the Mothercare privilege card. :)

Decided to order the small beansprout pillow with an extra cover from BP ($16) cos cousin told me she will buy the bigger Justin Wee beansprout pillows from www.beansproutpillow.com for my BB. :)

BP for Beansprout Pillows

Saw a BP for beansprout pillow & bolster, something that's on my wishlist. They have it in normal cotton, cotton from US/Japan and two tone cotton. Asked hubby if MIL will make for our BB but he doesn't think she has the time. Since no one has said that they are buying that, think I can get it for BB. Like the 2 tone version but a bit expensive. $11.50 each for small pillow and small bolster. If not, maybe the Japanese cotton one which costs $9.50 each. Will ask the supplier how much for extra covers first before deciding. :)

Bumper Mat & maternity clothes

Went for OGTT today, not as bad as I thought though the glucose drink was really sweet. Got "2 snake bites" on my left arm vein now. Went to OIO maternity shop to kill time while waiting for the second blood test. Ended up buying 1 sleeveless working dress good for meetings ($50), 1 grey working skirt ($27.50) and 1 pack of 3 low waist maternity panties ($23.50). Quite cheap, considering they are working clothes. Not enough maternity clothes liao, cos I returned some of my cousin's which no longer fit. Only 1 of the maternity clothes (a black dress) my colleague lent me fit either, think I'll bring the bag of clothes to return her.

Wanted to see Dr S F Loh just to check the weight of my baby since I'm idling at The Private Suite anyway, but he refuse cos he didn't want to cause any misunderstanding with Dr Judy Wong. Wonder why since I don't have a package with Judy Wong yet plus I'm not changing gynae. It's just that it's Sat and Judy is not working. Plus any gynae can do a scan right as long as patient is willing to pay. Hmmm... :/?

Received my bumper mat today. It's really soft though only 11mm. Luckily I bought the smaller sized one. Got no space in the BB room for the big one though a thicker mat will probably be even more comfortable. Cleaned it with baby bottle detergent and lay it out to ventilate (get rid of rubber smell) and iron out the creases as recommended. BB's cosy corner look good enough for me. :)

Antenatal class

Attended antenatal class today. Today, the nurse went through how to prepare for admission and what we need to bring. Took the chance to clarify what's on my list. No need to bring diapers, adhesive maternity pads, & disposable panties. It is in the ward package, can pay using medisave. Toiletries are provided, but can also buy from the ward or bring your own. No slippers, so have to bring my own bathroom slippers. After that, we watched a video on delivery of baby but it was an abridged version so found it not so scary or bloody. Today's lesson ended early which is good cos I still need to go back to KK tomorrow for OGTT and back on Monday for results. But we had to pay $2 ERP coming back. Should have hung around at Macdonalds for fries instead. :P

Finally bought BB bathtub

Went to Kiddy Palace at Sengkang today to buy my BB bathtub, the Tampines branch is closed for renovation. Bought one that was on offer $29.90, there's a non slip mat and a free net to hook on when bb is small. Very important to have a drain-off plug so that BB can stay in the tub as the water is being changed. :) Wanted to buy a pink one but there was only 1 piece and it had a black mark that cannot be cleaned off. So bought a blue one instead. Can't use my cousin's privilege card because the bathtub was already an offer item. The bathtub is quite big (can use to 1+ - 2 years old), but need to buy a S hook to hang in the common bathroom. No space in BB's room liao. :P

Bought a pair of beige maternity working pants too. Only have a pair of black working pants from Spring maternity, not enough. But prefer my spring maternity pants because it's low waist, more comfortable and wrinkle free. The kiddy palace one is high waist so leaves itchy marks on my tummy, but it's cheaper, $41.90 after discount. The Spring maternity one costs about $70. Yi fen qian yi fen huo I guess. :P

Baby gifts

My cousin from NZ came back to Singapore on Sunday and visited me on Monday night. She gave me the 2 dresses, 2 pairs of shoes, and a very cute Peter Rabbit Baby's First book. But now, I have 2 Baby First books. Don't know which one to use. Think I'll have to keep one for no. 2.

Collected my precious moment wall tiles yesterday. Hubby commented that they look very home made, printed colour pixs mounted on styrofoam and wrapped in plastic book cover. But because I combined orders with another MTB from the forum, we only paid $3.70 instead of $4.50 per tile so I'm ok. Some MTBs complained to the vendor at the BP thread though that they felt short changed that the tiles look so cheap. :P

My colleague passed me a musical changing mat, a bottle carrier with ice pack and 6 velcro waterproof backing bibs today. Her boy is already 1 year old. Many bags of stuff, no space in the wardrobe, some too early to wash and some don't know whether will use at all. Baby room look very messy. Can't imagine where I'm going to put everything. :P

Videocam and list

Thinking of buying a videocam to record BB's milestones during the Dec year end sales. Our budget is around $1k, considering between Panasonic SDR-H250 and Sony DCR-SR200E. Sony is more expensive though. Asked hubby to check with his colleague to see which model is better.

Cousin and colleague passed me some used baby clothes for my BB, think I'll ask my CL to go through them to see which one is suitable for BB.

It'll be another 2-3 months before delivery but should pack the hospital bag at least 1 month before so it's good to know what to pack. Assembled a list after gathering advice from some experienced mummies:

For the Mother-To-Be:
- 2 Night gowns with front opening for breastfeeding
- 2 Bras
- Socks (to be used in delivery suite)
- cardigan
- bedroom slippers
- toiletries
- sanitary pads
- magazines (to kill time)
- polythene bags (for your soiled linen)

For New Born
- 2 pairs of mittens & booties
- A set of baby's clothing & wrapping blanket to be used during discharge

For Father-To-Be
- Bring along a sweater, as the Delivery Suite may be too cold for some.
- Videocam
- List to send friends
- Original marriage cert
- Identity Card & Spouse's Identity Card
- Doctors Admission Letter
- No valuables

Zhi char Dinner

Had dinner with my family at Blk 802 Tampines coffee shop. Had zhi char, there were 6 of us and we ordered 7 dishes: Deep fried Garoupa, Oat meal Prawn, "Cai po" beancurd, Stir fried broccoli with scallop, Seafood Yam Ring, Fried spring chicken and 'San' mee. Already ate so much and they still gave us a free dessert (Sago red bean soup) which we didn't expect. Food was quite ok, the deep fried garoupa and cai po beancurd was good. I found the chicken and scallop a bit bland. But it's definitely value for $ cos the whole bill came to about $100 for so much food. So full now. :P

Baby weaning cutlery

Saw my cousin's 2-year-old daughter is struggling to scoop her rice with a straight spoon. Cousin said she missed the golden opportunity to teach her to eat on her own when she was 9-10 months old. Heard angled spoons and forks are easier for toddlers learning to feed themselves. Bought a baby bowl cutlery set and 2 sets of luvable friends forks & sppons from Yahoo auction, will pass her a set. Hope her little girl likes it. :)

Book Out in Amazon

Been helping hubby to publicise his book to my colleagues and friends. Sold 7-8 copies to some supportive colleagues. Hubby provided personalised service by autographing and drawing special cartoons for them. The book is now out on Amazon. :)

http://www.amazon.com/Why-Procrastinate-Teo-Aik-Cher/dp/9814222259/ref=sr_1_1/104-2105679-5428737?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1193919652&sr=8-1

Hubby's book is out!!!

Armour Publishing New Release
WHY PROCRASTINATE?
A Teenagers’ Guide to Overcoming Procrastination
By Teo Aik-Cher


Dear Readers, Parents and Teachers,

ARMOUR Publishing is pleased to bring to you an important yet fun book to help teens overcome a key struggle they face everyday - procrastination.

WHY PROCRASTINATE? is a practical and entertaining book that helps teenagers overcome as well as eradicate the ills of procrastination. Written in a light-hearted manner and filled with cartoons, author Teo Cher Aik, who is a lecturer at a top junior college in Singapore, explores:

Some of the reasons why teenagers procrastinate;
Why they behave the way they do; and
How this problem of procrastination can be dealt with effectively through proven strategies.

“In this illustrated book, Aik Cher shares with you 13 reasons why most people procrastinate and equips you with 13 strategies on how to move beyond inertia and put yourself on the road to results and success. I am sure you will find it an enjoyable and enriching read.”
Adam Khoo
Executive Chairman
Adam Khoo Learning Technologies Group Pte Ltd
In his Foreword

Let’s begin a journey to success as you read this inspiring guide!

WHO SHOULD READ
Teens, parents of teens, principal and teachers, educators, counsellors and all readers who aspire to kick the habit of procrastination.

*******
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Teo Aik Cher is an educator whose words and illustrations have been featured in numerous publications. He was the illustrator for Adam Khoo’s latest best-selling book, Secrets of Millionaire Investors and the Speak Good English booklet, Speak Well, Be Understood. He also illustrated and wrote for the first and second Singapore Kindness Movement books. His cartoons are featured regularly in the Chinese Newspaper, Lian He Zao Bao, where he has a weekend column.

*******
Book Specifications
Cover Price: S$14.00 (Singapore/Malaysia)
ISBN 13: 978-981-4222-25-9
Size: 198mm by 129mm
No. of Pages: 136 Pages

ORDER + BULK PURCHASE + ENQUIRIES
WHY PROCRASTINATE? will be available in November 2007. Retail price is S$14.00 excluding gst. Please email jenny@armourpublishing.com or call 62769976 for any enquiries.

Available at major book shops eg. Kinokuniya (Ngee Ann City Tel: 6737 5021), Popular bookstores (head office: 6462 9500), Times Bookshops, MPH and various other bookstores from mid Nov onwards. Call first to avoid disappointment.

Mamy Poko Diapers

My cousin passed me an unopened pack of Mamy Poko New born diapers (52pcs). She bought 7 packs in JB (cheaper there) but her baby boy who was born on 4 Sept, outgrew them last week. Mamy Poko is recommended by some mummies. :) So far, I have 3 packs (1 small pack of Pampers NB, 1 big pack of Drypers 'S' size and now 1 pack of Mamy Poko NB). Looks like 3 packs won't be enough for RaeAnne but since different brands suit different babies, I better don't stock up until I'm sure which one fits RaeAnne best. :P

More BB gifts

Received my Maclaren Techno XT stroller and Capella S207 today. Not opening them up yet so that the strollers won't get dusty and won't take up too much space in BB's room. The Mini cosleeper cot I bought is also still in box. Hee.

BB received her first piece of jewellery today. :) It was a Piglet (from Disney's Winnie the Pooh) anklet from Poh Heng bought by my mum. It came in a gift box with a free Winnie the Pooh soft toy. Gold is very expensive though, 1g of pure gold is $44. Luckily, my mum had some old gold pieces for trade-in so she just needed to top up a bit. Looks like gold is a good investment cos the value preserved through the years. :)

Antenatal Class

Went for antenatal class tonight. Today's class is on labour & delivery and Pain relief. The session is very informative, the speaker is SSN Yeoh Soo Kiam, a midwife trained in UK with 12 years of experience in delivery wards. She explained about pain relief. The mildest form is enthonox or laughing gas, next level is pethidine, an injection through the thigh cannot be administered within 3 hours of labour and of course epidural which blocks 80% of pain. She said it's best to decide early if you want epidural cos no point enduring the pain going from enthonox to pethidine then finally to epidural. But she did say that it is really up to us, a few mummies want a natural delivery without any pain relief and they did it just by breathing, relaxing and massages. Thought this url on pain relief is quite useful, http://www.tinytums.co.uk/content/pregnant/you_and_your_body/pain_relief.aspx

She also answered my questions on cutting the cord (Daddy can cut the cord even if doing cord blood banking because the gyane will clean it), bowel movement (no more practice to put enema for mummies to pass motion before delivery), good to ambulate during delivery (but once at hospital, they will ask you to lie on the bed because of the monitoring machine so walk around at home if you want), when to go to the hospital (go when you need pain relief, if wait until contractions is every 5 mins, the pain may be unbearable for most mummies). Hee. She even passed around the needle and tubing used for epidural, a bit scary but better to know early than to be shocked in hospital I think. Too bad, I can't choose her as my midwife for delivery. I asked if I can do that. She said cannot but she will pop by if she's on duty when I'm delivering. ;)

On a lighter note, my cousin from NZ bought some clothes and a pair of BB shoes for RaeAnne even thought she's only coming back in Nov. RaeAnne has her first pair of shoes, can strike it off my wishlist. :) But oops, RaeAnne also has quite a lot of clothes now. Hope she gets a chance to wear everything before she outgrows them. :P

BB Bamboo chair

My colleague offered to get me a traditional BB bamboo chair as a baby gift. It can be used by BB or flip over to be a normal stool so 2-in-1 purpose. Thanks, Caroline! :) Borrowed a photo from yahoo auction to show how the bb chair looks like. Hope the seller won't kill me. :P

Tummy itching this past week, don't know why. Maybe tummy is expanding, hope I won't get stretch marks. Have been diligently applying the Elancyl stretch mark cream since 3month plus. Hubby said my tummy kenna scratch marks, not stretch marks. ;P

Bought the cosleeper bassinet

Visited a colleague at AMK who gave birth recently. Her baby gal was quite big and looks very active. We had very good teochew porridge at the AMK Ave 1 hawker centre. We had braised duck, deep fried black pomfret, fish cake, fried vegetables and duck gizzards. The stall was rated 3 chopsticks by makansutra. Die die must try! :)

Went to Mums & Babes, United Square to buy the cosleeper bassinet after that. Unfortunately, hubby didn't know the way to United Square from AMK, made a few wrong turns and we were both frustrated and tired by the time we got there. Luckily, we arrived about 20 mins before the shop closed, managed to get the mini cosleeper in natural. The pink colour one was really sweet but for practical reasons decided to get the natural in case we have a boy next time. The bigger cosleeper was also on sale, only $199 but the width is 71cm even bigger than the cot we were eyeing at BB Kingdom so no point cos it won't fit into our bedroom.

The shoplady said should not use the mini cosleeper once BB reaches 6 months and can flip & crawl which is what I suspected anyway. Averaging the cost $139 over 180 days, cost is about 77cents per day. Saw some of the moses basket and bb cribs selling for a similar price or even more. So this cosleeper should be still worth it. Only time will tell I guess.

Arm's Reach Co sleeper

My cousin recommended me the Arm's Reach Cosleeper bassinet. It's on promotion now. Only $139, usual price is $299. It's small enough to put on my side of the bed and facilitates breast feeding cos I won't need to get out of the bed. But it's also portable as it folds into a small pack about the size of a golf bag. Can bring around easily for travel or when visiting and if I cannot use it anymore, can keep in the storeroom. But the problem is because it's so small, I'm not sure if I can even use until BB is 1 year old especially once she can flip or crawl. If I buy a normal cot, I can use it longer but it'll be too big, will have to put it at hubby's side of the bed and it'll also block the toilet door partially. Will probably buy it and hold off buying a normal cot for the time being. BF in the night is already very tiring, makes more sense to buy something that that makes it easier I guess.

Bought Bumper Playmat

Haha, couldn't resist and ordered my bumper playmat yesterday. There's a MTB organising the BP and she's going to deliver soon, her price is $152, $7 cheaper than the other supplier. This mat is only 11mm, the thickest they have is 18mm. The thicker the better but we decided to try the thin mat first since the thicker mat's about $100 more exp. Guess me and hubby can nua on the mat first lar if BB can't use it yet. :)

Gynae check

Went for gynae check up today. Sugar in urine seem a bit high but told gynae I just ate at the foodcourt before going to clinic. She said still have to do the blood sugar test at 7th month anyway so booked the test on Sat morning. Gynae commented that BB is quite active. She turned to look at us when gynae was scanning but turned away when I was 'complaining' to the gynae about her kicking. The picture on the left was her in boxer position while the right one is her turning away from the scanning probe. :)

Asked gynae if I can rebond my hair, she said better not cos a study (though not very conclusive) said that babies of mummies who rebond, straighten or dye their hair may have higher incidence of eczema and asthma. It is thought to be the chemicals being absorbed by the scalp. In fact, she said should not do until 6 months after delivery cos we may suffer from hair loss after delivery. Looks like I got to put up with my messy wavy hair for a long, long time. :/

Asked gynae if she can give me BB's weight but she said cannot. Can only give me average weight from 7th month onwards. Think the machine can't measure weight. :P

Visited KKH's A1 wards, saw the deluxe room, very big with a separate living area (2 seater sofa, 3-4 armchairs). Heard it costs $600+ per night. Very good, wish I can book the room but don't think my medical benefits can cover though. :P Went to the Pureen shop, bought 2 packs of Pureen maternity pads for $11. Quite cheap. The salesgirl who has 3 kids said most new mummies use up 3 packs in just 1 month. Scary.

Ruyi oil

Just received the Metro Infant fair postcard today. Got a lot of bundled deals. Quite tempted by the Lucky baby Besto changing table + Deluxe high chair - $129. But don't know if I will need a high chair since we don't eat at the dining table at all. A colleague passed me a bottle of extra Ruyi oil, no need to buy liao. :)

Finally bought BB strollers

John Little was having a storewide 20% discount plus additional 30% in vouchers but I only found out last night. A MTB bought the Maclaren XT stroller at a good price, only $244 (include voucher value). Called up JL Orchard this morning but no stock. Called up the other JL stores. Causeway point only has 1 grey display piece left. Marina also no stock but thankfully the customer service person I spoke to said I can order and I'll still be entitled to the same promotion as long as I pay today.



So, rushed down to JL Marina with hubby at 12. In the end, we bought 2 strollers since it was cheaper than Baby hyperstore because of the vouchers. Bought Maclaren XT stroller (1st choice: red, 2nd choice: orange, 3rd choice: light blue) and a smaller red Capella S217 to put at my in-laws place. Only $244.19 for Maclaren and $95.23 for Capella (vouchers' value included).

Bought a lot of other baby stuff eg. Drypers S size diapers, training toothbrush, 1 more pack of Anakku diapers, 2 boxes of disposable breast pads, baby shower wash, baby powder, powder puff, etc too since got discount. Burnt a big hole, charged $600+ to Robinsons card but got back about $200 worth of vouchers which are valid for 1 year so still worth it lar. :)

Dinner at Nanjya Monjya

Went to Nanjya Monjya at Grand Copthorne Waterfront for Okonomiyaki (japanese pancake) with hubby, cousin and brother. It was supposed to be my birthday treat but we never had time to meet up. Been wanting to eat authentic okonomiyaki since the Hiroshima okonomiyaki stall at Taka, B2 closed down 1-2 years ago. Searched the internet and the review of this okonomiyaki place was good so wanted to try it. It's the DIY type where you can fry your own pancake run by 3 Japanese sisters, very authentic place, lots of Japanese customers.



Waited nearly 1 hour despite having a reservation at 7pm because we preferred an indoor table with aircon. Also, the indoor table had the hot plate in front so we can cook our own food. We are a bit helpless in the beginning so kept asking the waiter to demonstrate and help us fry the pancakes. We ordered 4 different types of pancakes (pork belly, pork belly with noodle, mixed seafood, tokyo style), shishamo, pork & cabbage salad and agedashi mochi, drinks and 1 bottle of Asahi beer (I didn't drink the beer).

The bill came up to $149.50 for 4 people, about $37 per person. Not exactly cheap but still reasonable. Food was worth it though we all smelt of oil when we came out. :)

Taka Sale

Went to Takashimaya 3-day Sale today after course. :) Wanted to check out the special buy Graco Playpen at $100, usual price is $199. The very friendly sales promoter said playpen's good up to 1 year old only (up to 14 kg) so not very suitable for our needs cos intend to put at MIL place for at least 2 years.


Bought the pink & purple Thermos foogo food jar, bought it for only $33.12 cos got 20% discount plus 10% Taka cardmember discount. 1 mummy bought it at $36.80 recently at Taka and the BP price was $38 so think I got a good price. :) One mummy said she bought this model for her daughter's porridge. She has no regrets cos it can store up to 2 small bowls of porridge even though the food jar looks small. She also said no point to store too much porridge cos it will turn watery and won't be nice to eat.

Also bought 1 pack of Anakku diapers at $17.91, pigeon cotton balls at $2.10, mustela nappy barrier cream at $12.87, a pack of baby safe cotton buds at $3.70, a travel pack of pigeon BB oil, BB powder, BB shampoo, BB liquid soap, BB lotion, BB bar soap for $5.184, 1 pair of BB Minnie/Mickey plastic spoon + fork $2.61.

Cousin said CL needed 2 dozen diapers so should have bought 1 more pack. 1 MTB from the motherhood forum said Robinsons selling Anakku baby diapers at $19.90 before 20% discount, cheaper so can buy 1 more pack from there next time. Was very tempted to buy the Allerhand diaper sling bag, costs $125.90 before discount, only $90+ after 20% + 10% discount. But decided to control myself since it's not cheap. Maybe will get it as a gift. If not, may try using normal backpack first but must at least buy a changing mat.

Metro Expo Sale

Was on course today at Orchid Country Club. Very far away from my home at Tampines cos at Yishun and cannot claim taxi. Thankfully, got a colleague driving there so I hitched a ride from Expo bus stop. The course was very fun, not boring. Ate a lot today, got 2 tea breaks and a very nice lunch at their Indonesian restaurant. Had fried rice, gado gado, roast chicken, sayur lodeh, fried chilli prawns, soto ayam, chin chow/sea coconut dessert. Yummy! The pool looks very inviting but too bad, I'm not there to enjoy the facilities.

Went to Metro Expo Sale after course since colleague dropped me there. The bras are very cheap. I bought 2 normal non-wired bras, seamless one at $7.90, lacy one at $8.90, 2 nursing bras at only $5.90 each, 3 pairs of low cut panties at $4.90, 3 pairs of high waist panties at $9.90. The brand is Jean Greuze at the left hand corner when you enter. The sales promoter very nice, exceed $40, she gives 1 box of maternity boy leg disposable panties that she recommends post delivery cos can hold the maternity pads well. This type of disposable panties can wash up to 7 times one. She said they supply such panties to hospitals and each one costs $7.90 but I don't know how true is that. Too shy to post photos here. But there's a pix of a word game toy we bough for BB at $7.10. But she can't play with it until she is 2 or 3. :)

Will BB have a sweet tooth like Daddy? :)

New cartoons

Back to work today. Busy day at work as usual, no time to check forum. Some MTBs from the forum said they read our blog. Made hubby feel guilty and drew some new cartoons for BB. Hee hee.

Found out I have piles yesterday. It's pea sized and does not bleed thankfully but still uncomfortable. Borrowed the tyre from my cousin just last week. She bought it because she had piles too. Never had piles before, sigh. Hope it will go away soon. :P

Received my navy blue Sack'n Seat today. Folds into a compact little drawstring bag and material is not bad. Hope to try it out soon. :)

MC

On MC today cos stomach still no good and gastric pain liao. Dr said it's probably something I ate or because some of my meals were late. Anyway, he gave me 4 types of medicine. Feeling better now but no more MC left for the rest of the year liao. Must stay healthy, if not got to use my own leave. :P

Stomach woes

I've been having lots of gas and loose stools these few days, went toilet more than 3 times today. Don't know why. Went to my cousin's kid's birthday party, don't dare to eat a lot but come back, stomach still no good. Just drank some ginger tea but don't like the after taste. Used to have constipation problem at beginning of 2nd trimester. The phase ended and now this. :/

I'm always feeling thirsty too, it's like no matter how much I drink it's not enough. But when I drink too much, I will keep going to toilet, if not stomach will feel very bloated. Don't like drinking plain water too so been taking more cold drinks but I usually try and have it with less ice or no ice at all. My favourite thirst quencher is lemon sugar cane juice. So nice and refreshing. Too bad can only get that from hawker centre. Wish I can have a glass of it now. Sigh.

Bumper Playmat

Saw this thread from experienced mummies commenting on bumper playmats. http://www.singaporemotherhood.com/forumboard/messages/578191/730186.html?1190174158


After reading the comments, we are quite convinced it'll be a good buy. The standard size (1900mm x 1300mm) is slightly smaller than a queen size bed but it'll be big enough for the baby room. Will probably order it after BB is born unless we get it as a gift. ;) Hubby thinks the Sweet Bear design is better though because can use it to teach BB ABC. :)