This is LiN's Life

Was at SGH yesterday to do a scan and for my mthly check up. I dont know why but my chk ups are scheduled at 3wks apart fr each other instead of the norm 4wks.

We woke up as usual, had breakfast and dropped Nurul off. We were unusually early although the scan was at 9.50am.

When I was called to the scan room, my hubb went in with me. The technologist scanned the baby and as in the previous ultrasound session Baby is in an awkward position - her head is at the bottom right of my tummy, almost near my right pelvic bone. (In the previous scan, Baby N was caught on the screen with her head at the front of my tummy - meaning her legs are towards my spine, lying horizontally slightly to my left. Now I didnt even know that is possible?!)

Awkward...such that when the technologist tried to look for her with the "scanner" thingy, it kept hitting my right pelvic bone which had me whispering "ouch" a few times. Alhamdulillah, Baby is ok...normal, heart, head all growing as scheduled.

Then the technologist asked my hubby to wait outside while she does a vaginal scan. It took me by surprise coz usually they dont do that esp since I am in my 3rd trimester! I had to get down from the bed and turn the other way around. Easier said than done!!

She then continued with the scan and OH MY GOD! was it painful! She manovered the scanner thingy left and right, up and down and it hit my "I dont know what" inside. It was quite painful that tears started swelling in my eyes. Then she called out for her colleague.

They had a little discussion in Mandarin while her colleague took over the "manovering" scanner thingy part and said out "4cm".

Then they told me that my Placenta is a the bottom. *gulp* At that moment, I felt guilt, for ignoring repeated warnings by my mom and hubby "dont carry heavy things!". I did try not to carry heavy-heavy things but it is almost impossible since I am mostly alone with Nurul most of the time and my Nurul is a heavy 12kg now.

Getting dressed, I asked her what are the complications of a low placenta. With that she quickly replied "The doctor will explain everything".

Ok. Thanks ah...that reply kept in a state of suspense as I wait for my number to be called upon.

Meanwhile, I went to get my weight and blood pressure taken per normal. My weight during the last check up was a hefty 64.5kg. So when I went up the scale this time round, I was kind of expecting the scale to go beyond 65kg at least.

The scale went 64.5kg and stayed there for a whole 1 second. Just as I was begining to question "Huh?" the scale jumped up and stayed at 67.5kg for a whole 2 or 3 seconds. So yes, I put on 3kgs in a mere 3wks! I think I will not dare to look at the small LCD screen in my next appt, it might just show a two digit starting with 7! OH MY GOD! That would be as heavy as my hubby!

So anyway, when we went in to see the doc, the doc explained that my placenta is 4cm from the opening of my cervix. She thinks its something not to be worried abt as I am only in my 29th wk so my womb should be expanding more! (Yikes!) within the next few wks and most prolly my placenta would start to move upwards given that there is more space now. 4cm is at the borderline. Anything between 4cm to 2cm should be a worry and anything that is less than 2cm is definately very dangerous. She confidently says that it should be safe in my case.

At that moment the phrase "Placenta Previa" crossed my mind. I dont really know the meaning but I must have read it somewhere before.

My hubb asked if there are anything that I should or should not do to help the situation.
The doc said "No, we just have to wait and see"
"Carrying heavy objects or walking alot... will that make it worse?"
"Not really, just dont do strenous exercises and try not to carry too heavy an item"

Right...so how heavy is heavy?

She then scheduled me for a Diabetes test in the next two wks and another appt the following wk.

Meanwhile, Baby is kicking and stretching like nobody's bizness...she really likes to stretch out from one end near my pelvic bone to the other diagonal end near my rib cage. So I really have no choice but to sit up straight all the time!

Well, here she is at 29wks...her first public appearance!

Ok so all of you would have known by now that I lurrrrve shopping! Haha! So that is why I simply lurrrve baking diaper cakes...coz I get to shop!

Well...most of the time the items are meant for my customers, but sometimes, I do bits of top ups just to enjoy that that special discount...hehehe...

Oh and this compulsive buying nature goes on beyond baby stuff...and it all starts to add up to quite a bit such that my hubby have started to nag!

Thus I have decided to let the stuff go for a miniscule of the original price that I bought them at....toys, clothings, shoes, household items... you name it, most prolly I will have it. Haha!

Items are self-collect from my place in Sengkang or postage to be borne by buyer. For bulky items, let me know if you need delivery and we will work something out ya. *wink*.

Oh not to forget that once a mth, I will have free giveaways....totally FOC! So do check this link out ya...

www.prelurved.multiply.com

Its been 3 days since the Nurul's Birthday Party but we are still recuperating from it. Im back at work but am I glad that this wkend will be a long wkend! I need time to rest physically and emotionally!

It was a wkend full of pleasant and unpleasant surprises, full of all kinds of emotions. Some parts of it didnt go as planned, thanks to the unpredictable weather and a certain person I am still very angry with! It will be a lesson well-learnt for me and I shall remember what you did!

Overall though, I am glad that the day went well.

Pictures will be up as soon as I can get them from my sis, coz I didnt have time to snap any pics myself.

Biggest thanks to ...

My Mum - who sponspored the whole BBQ and most importantly helped to calm me down when I was most angry. Happy Be-lated Birthday Mom, although the cake came at the stroke of midnight. Neng sayang Mama!

My Sis - for helping out with photo-taking and being the BBQ assistant for the day and for helping me out with the many other little things. Love you too Teh!

My Bro - thanks Alif for being there, hang in there ya, remember this is just a passing phrase in your life and that we all love you.

To Yan - thanks for being the most wonderful BBQ chef and for being so helpful in many ways that others should be!

To my BILs - thanks for coming by taxi and helping out, appreciate it.

To my ILs - thanks for loaning us that Fondue machine of yours and for the fruits that came with it.

To all others who came early to help - could have done it by ourselves but thanks anyway.

To all guests, friends and family members, thanks to all for attending Nurul's birthday party, for all the well-wishes and the gifts. We really really appreciate it! =) We hope you had a good time at the party and pls pardon us for any short-comings.

Close to 23mths, Nurul had only started to talk proper words recently. We were kind of worried coz physically, she developed quite fast. She started to flip on her tummy at 3mths, started to crawl around 7mths and started to walk around her 10th mth.

So it took her almost a whole 12mths to start talking properly - "properly" coz Nurul had started to "talk" around her 1 year old birthday but nobody could really understand what she is saying. My hubb says its not really "baby talk" coz the sounds that she makes are more like the aboriginal language with the occasional "clucks", if you know what I mean!

The funny thing was, when she "talks" to you and you dont respond to her "request", she would get frustrated and say the same thing in a higher tone! It was really a funny sight!

We have always been religiously repeating the same words to her hoping that she would catch some of it. For example, on the walk back from the carpark everyday, I would point out the flowers by the walkway and say out loud "See Nurul, Flo-wer, so pretty Flower" or when we see a cat I would say "Cat" and make purring sounds. It sort of work, I guess coz sometimes when she is not running along the walkway, she would stop at a flower, point at it and look at me - telling me that she recognizes the flower but still no words.

On one occasion though, while stuck in a traffic jam, my hubb's youngest brother who was holding her pointed out to the vehicles in the traffic and said "Car". To our amazement, she repeated "Kar"! He pointed to an SBS bus and said out "Bus" but to this she turned her attention away to a book she had in her lap. Oh well, I guess Nurul will learn at her own pace and nothing can make her go any faster.

To date, she is able to say these words properly:
Mama
Papa
Abang (malay for Brother)
Kakak (malay for Sister)
Baby
Sayang
Susu (malay for milk)
Nak (malay for I want)
Nenek (malay for grandma)
A-tok (malay for grandpa)

And of course there are words that she is still trying to perfect like these:
Peeas (please)

Been there. Done that.

Basically, this time round, its quite the similar to the first time, so I guess that is why 4mths of the pregnancy flies by without me realising it.

Well, almost everything is the same. The first trimester went quite well. I didnt have any bleeding unlike the first time. I ate more than usual but the same as in the first time. However, my tummy started to show much earlier. At 3mths, people were commenting that I looked like I am in my 5th mth. I guess its due to the lesser "elasticity" after being expanded so much in the first time.

The funny thing was the "weird sightings that lead to cravings" that I had. They came suddenly and out of nowhere.

For instance, we were having dinner in a halal tim sum restaurant near Simpang Bedok one night. Our table was near the cashier counter when I saw a customer who was paying for his take-away holding to a normal plastic bag with a glimpse of some green leaf in it. I was so sure that it was Otak-otak and started to crave for it. I asked my hubby to approach the man to ask where he bought the Otak-otak. The man looked extremely perplexed and opened up his plastic bag to show to my hubby. It wasn't Otak-otak at all! It was a few bundles of banana leaves which he had just bought at the nearby Shop n Save! After being embarrased, my hubby "tsk-ed" me off and that started my search for Otak-otak for the next couple of days.

On another occasion, walking home from the carpark to my block late one night, I suddenly thought of pizzas and started to crave for them. I didnt tell my hubby fearing another telling off so I kept it to myself. Approaching the lift lobby however, I saw a "brown" box on top the dustbin, from a far and told my hubby excitedly "Eh, someone ordered pizza lah. Must be nice eh! Rainy day, eat hot pizza". My hubby shook his head and started to look puzzled as he approached the dustbin. "Pizza box?" he said as he pointed to it. It was then that I realised that it was blue and not brown. That it was a shoe box!! LOL!

Crossing over to the 4th mth, everthing changed so drastically. Hunger attacks came very fast and furious, there wasnt any pre-warning rumbling of the tummy at all. If I dont satisfy the hunger fast enough, I will start to vomit out but since there is nothing to expell, its mostly water which leaves an acidic metal taste down the tongue and throat. It was so terrible!

One of the worst hunger attack that I remembered was when were were on the way to Jurong, my in-laws place. It attacked me suddenly and I had to control myself fr throwing out in the car. That was in addition to the motion sickness that almost always comes when I am a rear passenger and when my hubby is driving; the 30 mins ride seemed forever!

I also had a more sensitive nose. The smell of my neighbour's frying fish could make me want to throw out. Oh and changing Nurul's diaper of poop never fail to make me puke too. Imagine struggling with a restless toddler while holding back my puke. "Nurul...NO!...*wek*...*wek*...Nuuuurullll!!! *WEKKKK*!!!"

Luckily at 18wks now, I am glad that the hunger attacks are more mangeable although the vomitting is still there, but lesser. Just a wk ago, I started to feel little flutters in the tummy. I was not sure that it was the Lil One kicking about coz its so subtle and random, maybe just gas? But come this wk, I am sure its the Lil One coz the kicks are more intense although still very random. The Lil One kicks all the time, at random times unlike Nurul who does the rhthymic tapping and Kallang wave at night.

My normal working pants are unzippable now and normal work clothes is a lil bit too tight to be worn now. So I have no choice but to start wearing my maternity clothes and pants which are still a bit too loose. My fav footwear for the moment: Crocs. As some of you may have known, I have broad flat footed feet. This makes it almost impossible to wear normal slip in shoes. So once I find a pair that does not causes blister or is too loose, I splurge on it. Well, currently, Crocs seem to fit me perfectly, what it being rubber and all, it fits to your feet and not the other way round.

To date I have 4 pairs of Crocs, 2 Primas (from the Crocs warehouse sale) 1 Maryjane (my very first pair) and the newest one, 1 silver Malindi. I love the Malindi one the most and am in the process of procuring another one! Haha!

To side track abit, I have also managed to convert Nurul and my hubby into a Croc-fanatic too! Haha! Nurul have 3pairs for now, one of which she could no longer fit. My hubb, he's had 2 pairs, 1 pair I recently bought for him through a Bulk Purchase. He really likes the closed-toe open back likes of Sobek and Professional Crocs.

Getting back, I can harly wait for 18 March when we will be scanning Lil One. Hopefully, we will be able to tell the gender coz I for one can hardly wait to start shopping for lil clothes and lil Crocs of course!