Progress

Baby is 450 g. He does ticklish stuff around my tummy sporadically throughout the day, especially at night. Doctor said he is growing well although my bump is small. He seems to move when he hear voices, like kids, one particular colleague and when me and Andrew laugh about something.

I am getting heavier at 21 weeks and the backaches are interfering with my sleep. I have sweaty palms and sweaty feet... Can be so bothersome u know. I still just have 3 main meals and occasional snacks. Constipation is my number 1 enemy. Andrew got me some prune juice and I got medicine from my gynae, so I m all geared out to battle it!

We have been shopping for baby essentials. I am utterly clueless so I would buy what I can think of. Thank god for my sisters and mom and my mummy friends who are never stingy with advice. Planning to buy everything before I get too heavy to do long hours of shopping!

Fret Not

Today I saw a colleague teary eyed over an embarrassing situation. I told her hey forget about it. People can be insensitive and no use feeling hurt about it. Then as I drove home, I sort of told my baby ( we have our little talks) that people can be cruel so expect that...but don't get affected.

Then just now I saw a video of a little boy bullied by a bunch of older boys. Gosh. I am slightly frightful for my baby now if that ever happened. I think it was where he stayed, seems rather dodgy. Although it can happen anywhere I guess, but the least I could do is provide a good environment for baby. Let's hope so.

I can practically hear my friends telling me to stop worrying!

Travelling alone

It must be a few times in my life where I went to see a few places on my own. Taiwan, ayuthaya, Bali, some spots in US and Manila. Not by choice but because somehow life works in funny ways I guess. But here are the pros.... I pretty much dictate my own schedule. I eat and drink whenever I feel like it. I can control my budget. I am really good at being alone because I love the peace and tranquility. I don't have to engage in small talks with travelmates who sometimes are not your preferred mates!

But there are some cons for sure. Like you don't have anyone to share the joy of discovering something instantly! I am not an iPhone person so not in the habit of posting stuff every other minute. Although I can have a meal on my own, it is nice to have company to unwind with after a whole day of travelling. When I started to travel with Andrew I do realize a travel partner enhances a trip sometimes. I like how we strategize for the day. I can have more choices when we order food because there is 2 of us and I can pinch on his food.

Pretty soon we are going to travel with our baby. A friend of ours was showing us his diaper bag hehe. Told us to get a small one because you tend to load more stuff on a bigger one! His baby girl was cranky because it was way after her nap time.....

Well it is all good. Can't wait to travel with a baby in tow!

Just the three of us

J asked me yesterday how I was feeling. Well I was thinking bloated, fat, backaches, hungry, etc etc... But I only told her that it is tiring but a nice feeling. Carrying and making a baby is no joke! This week I have some flutter like feeling that is really ticklish. And the baby is starting to form bones so my tummy is getting hard.

I have been at yo-yo with food. Aside from my usual grub I have yoghurt and ice cream every night this week, yikes! Yoghurt to make me feel less guilty about feeding unhealthy stuff like ice cream to baby!

It is just that I am eating for two now. Whatever that goes to me goes to baby too. It makes me worrisome sometimes... K was telling me, to get used to the worrying, mothers never stop worrying. How very true! I know because my mom is a toughie but she cries every time imn( the twin) leaves for uk ( mind you, we are already 33 ).

Motherhood is definitely something to get used to. I have flashbacks sometimes these days of what an ass I was to my mom in the past and wonder how I would handle it if my son did the same. Gosh! I hope he gets all our good genes! W said I would make a good mom, maybe because I was going on and on nagging at her of working late nights ( midnight, c'mon!) in our office. Or maybe because I threatened to tell her mom!

Of course let s give some credit to the husband who has been patiently obliging , tending to my absurd needs at times....the foot/hand and back massages are really helpful! Well, no one said it was ever easy to be a dad. I guess the fathers face a different set of fears and worry, but I will let him blog about that. Hehe

I hope at it would be smooth one for the 3 of us!

Shopping for a baby!

People who know me would know that I suck at shopping... I like bargains, but won't go all out though. But not when it comes to shopping for a baby. Went for the big bad wolf sale lately to get baby books... And went to a baby fair to hunt for stuff.

I guess parents tend to be over prepared because you don't know what you need until you need them! And so many gadgets out there.... Almost anything you can think of. We just bought a diaper change table at Ikea yesterday. comes with compartments and a foam on the top...

Thank god for hand-me-downs from my sisters so no big ticket spend required! Although I did indulge on some nice cute baby clothes because I could not bear the thought of my son wearing tatty clothes, at least not for the first few months.

Well baby brace yourself to a new life with us ok, taking baby steps!

Why do people care?

I have this disLike for certain things on Facebook. People have this strange urge to publicize the stuff they buy and the events they went to. Why do people care? What you buy has nothing to do with me. Maybe I am one of those who don't bother, but I' m sure a lot of people don't either. I am psyched sometimes when people happily put pics of anniversary gifts or birthday gifts. I like to think these things are personal. Maybe it is just me.

I told Andrew I didn't want details and scans of my pregnancy on Facebook. People don't need to know and those who cared I would have shared privately anyways. It would be weird to have people see scan of my womb...... Yerrrrrrrr.

What is your take and what do you share on Facebook?

Mothers

I listened with somewhat disgust as 2 of my friends went on bitching about their mothers, competing whose mother is worse, whose mother is more troublesome..... I did not know what to say. I nodded once a while and trying to hide my disgust. Then we went back to our desks, and I decided to send the article I wrote about being sensitive to older people to that one friend that was the closest to me. I thought I hoped my article could turn him around.

The following day he said he cried reading the article not knowing that I wrote it, and he felt completely disgusted with himself. Thanked me over lunch and that the slap in the face I gave him was exactly what he needed. His father just passed away and he felt his mom was still adjusting to the fact and relied on him because who else could she turn to if not her own son (who is single, so no excuse for being busy!).

We forget sometimes in our growing years our mothers and fathers have patiently tended to our needs and answered relentlessly to our 1001 questions.... Why do we fail to extend the same love to our parents now when they feel the most helpless.

I hope my son reads this in the next 20 years and would not snap at me one day for asking his help to bank in a cheque!

On A Rollercoaster

I was watching Real Steel and was bawling like a baby in the cinema. Really a first for me. Blame it on the hormones or maybe the movie was really a tearjerker.... Nevertheless, I'm on a hormonal rollercoaster these days. Few outbursts too, it's a pity the husband has to take it all in! Thanks Andrew!

That goes to my next story. Normally I stay out of trouble at work. Too much politics and I'm too insignificant to care. But recently I was dumbfounded when a colleague told of a plan. Lobbying for the wrong guy for the job. Sigh. I'm really disappointed. Also because I know someone else is more deserving. Silent workers always get sidelined. What kind of a world would my son grow up in if I let this pass????? I thought I couldnt let this go. I thought and talked this through with KK, and I thought I'll let it slide. Who am I to intervene.

Well, my hormones got the better of me. I questioned the colleague. Why him and not her. How could you be so blind. Everything is there, concrete evidence. And then I checked with my boss. She concur with me. Sigh....how can I let this injustice go on.

of course there is very little someone small like me could possibly do. But hey, I tried. It doesnt matter what people think of me. I just want to make the world slightly better and brighter.

Maids and whatnots

One stop centers for maids? 6 months compulsory bahasa cases for non Indonesian maids?i say fix the real problem here. Regardless where the maids are from, Malaysians seems to just have an abuse problem. That is the core issue. Either we lack respect for maids, or for some sick reason Malaysians love the concept of slavery and to be able to release stress on someone, to have authority over someone powerless.

Just like any recruitment firms, the maid agencies should make monthly visits to check on the welfare of the maids and also to provide some customer service to the employers. After Ll, they are making a profit out of the service. Points I ponder I guess.