This is LiN's Life

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!