First Prep-Talk*

While getting ready for bed, after reading our books, I asked the boys if they'd like to say "Goodnight" to the baby. Both took turns to kiss my belly.

Mommy: The baby is now still very small, like Mommy's thumb (they looked at my thumb). It must grow until it's big enough to come out. Then I will have to go to the hospital and the doctor will help mommy take the baby out. The we can all see it and hold it.

Micah: Then we can see the umbilical cord?

Mommy: Yes. Then you can see it. But now it's still inside. It can hear you and when the baby comes out it'll know you, can recognise your voice. (Both boys smiles and beaming.)

Micah (talking to my belly): I am Micah and this is Max. (To me) When is the baby coming out?

Mommy: When it's ready. It must grow and grow until it is too big to be in the womb, then it's time for the baby to come out and grow some more out here. Like you and Max. That time I must go to the hospital so that the doctor can help take the baby out. The I must push the baby out, Boosh! and...

Peals of giggles from both the boys.

Micah : Yeah! Yeah! Like me and Max. But the doctor had to operate me out and you pushed Max out. Boosh!

Both boys went "Boosh!" a few times and rolled all over the bed until it was not that funny anymore. We settled in for sleep.


* I was working on this when I got too tired and went to bed. So here's something that should have been up on 8Aug, 2008.

Tagged, Again.

I got tagged by Hissychick and Lia. The same one I did before, but never mind, to write 6 random things about myself.

Here are the rules …
1. Link to the person who “tagged” you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post.
5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.

1. I can draw considerably well.

My sisters and I used to draw on the walls in the old apartment we stayed in in the heart of town. A rented place. It sure was a nightmare to my parents, trying in vain to keep our hands off the walls. When we got older, I lived there from birth till 6, and moved the whole place was repainted. Lost are our early art works. We fondly called those walls our art-gallery. All the training we did in our childhood earned us popularity among friends during art classes. hahaha...

2. I have always admired patience and perseverance in people.

Hence some of the people I really admire and look up to and have very high regards for are my former teachers, those from my kindy years till pre-U years. They have been on the job year after year and never fail to help, teach, advise and encourage their students year after year. Their job, as far as career prospects were concern sucked, yet they never took it out on us innocent kiddos who could really make their life so stressful. hats off to them! (These teachers really added to my thoughts of becoming an educator myself...but looks like I did not quite make it there.)

3. I studied in a local Uni. Never thought I'd actually make (for those of you who know how tough our Pre-U is and also the qualifying grades), but it was here that I really learnt the ugly side of Malaysian's inwardly-turned eyes. I never knew what racial polarization was until I was there. I never even used that phrase in any of my conversations before that. Talk about culture shock for foreign students, I really felt foreign. Those were my years of real awakenings of what social and political concerns were. In protest, I actually refused to speak any Mandarine (the little that that I know) and used only Malay and English, and to some of the girls who were very shy, or from Penang and Perak, I spoke northern Hokkien.

4. Brainwashed - in a good way.

This has so much to do with all the ingraining of my Alma-Mater of my Secondary school years. I studied for 5 years in St. Mary's Girls School and the 2 years of pre-U in St. John's Secondary School. Both schools were heritage schools, started by missionaries, and moral values, Godly values, and civic consciousness were in the air we breathed for the many hours we were in school. So this was something very different in my sisters and I compared to my brothers and other family members. It's also very non- Chinese mindset that thinks only of taking care of yourself or your own family first. Contributing to the community or doing charity comes only when it's worth it or not too costly.

5. The oldest friend I have and still am in touch with is one I knew from Kindy. We were 6 then. Today she has 3 kids and stays 10 minutes from my place. My other best friend (next to Gadget-daddy) is one I knew from when we were 10. Todate, we still meet for lunch at least 10 times in a year. She's married with a baby boy and stays 10 minutes from my moms.

6. I loved school. I was blessed with many good friends and very good teachers. One friend in particular has a very volatile kind of character. We brought the best and worst out of each other. Because of her I often found myself in leadership positions (though I did not always handle the pressure well) but I had a very full and meaningful 7 years of school in my teenage years.

Hmmm... Looks like this one has a lot to do with school for me.

OK. I tag:

Florence

Infant

Lynn

Mummy-yeoh

Mundane

U.Lee

Tired and Out

Was starting to work on a post and decided to stash that away for a while.

Am tired.

Promised my doc no shopping. Promised some of you I'd take it easy...

... but today we went to the big park with my sister and her kids. I did not do any climbing of the structures at the playground, but there was really a great deal of walking.

I had really taken this for granted: Walking without a care.

Anyway, today I consciously walked slower and avoided more walking adventures than necessary. Left the boys with my Mil and my sis with her 2 kids to venture into some flower garden. I met them by the fountain via a shorter route (not that short even).

So I am exhausted and have a slight backache.

Update the photos later.

Now to bed.


p/s- Ate rice porridge for 3 meals today. Had a roti chanai for breakfast too. Mmm... the dhal and sambal were great.

p/p/s - Carried both the boys upstairs. Micah fell asleep in the car on the way back from the park. Max while nursing downstairs (yeah, still breastfeeding this 32 month old boy) about an hour ago. Some situations just could not be helped. Gadget-daddy's in Jakarta still.

Cravings = Gender ?

If it's true, the old wives tales*, then ...

We might be expecting a girl!!

With both my boys I wanted to eat a lot of meat. It was as if I was having a growth spurt and into some muscle building regime. All I wanted was more and more and more meat. Chicken, pork, beef, mutton, fish even. Everything. Fried, in curry, stewed, stewed, grilled, baked... in every form of culinary possibilities.

Except that with Max I also wanted jelly for a while, so we half expected he was going to be a girl... but not. He was a sweet sweet baby any way. Oh and now he is showing to be a real sweet-tooth in the family!

This one, I only feel like I need more fluids, sweet ones, even carbonated ones, and fruits.

Today for dinner, MiL made some nice chicken stew, fried fish, sambal tumis (chilly paste with chopped onions, slightly sweet) on the side, and spinach soup.

I looked at the lovely spread, but nothing appealed to me. The sambal made a stir in my brain but did nothing to the tongue. So I had 2 bananas, a green apple, 3 digestive biscuits and a cup of Milo. Does this sound like a girl's dinner? I do think so.

The other funny thing about my cravings now is the no-cravings cravings. I actually don't feel like I want anything. Or rather, I feel like I want something but I don't know what. Nothing is really appealing to me. So I open the fridge very frequently but nothing gets taken out.

And when I crave for something, it could change the next moment. Or if I don't satisfy the slightest indication of what I wanted, it would have changed by the time it's the next meal, or even as fast as 10 minutes later**. Seems to be so fickle minded and indecisive. Sounds like a stereotype of a female? Hahaha...

Well, the good side to this may be that I could be losing some kilos by the time the baby's out! hahaha...

Will keep you posted on this cranky cravings...



* According to most I have heard, they say if you crave for sweet things like cakes and cookies, you're expecting a girl. If you want meat and eggs, it'll be a boy.

**This was the case of the sambal tumis. It was actually in the fridge and MiL heated it up for me when I asked her if there was any of her nice sambal left. After she brought it out from the kitchen I just looked at it but did not even want to sniff it. Teruk, kan?

Update: Doctor's Visit

Thank you, my dear blog buddies for all your thoughts, prayers and concern.

Just got back from the doctors and the results are as follows:

Fetus measures 6cm;
It's about 8 weeks and 4days;
Positive on heartbeat.
Expected due date: 11 March 2009.


I didn't think I was pregnant when I missed my period last month because I had some spotting. Also I have been experiencing some abdominal cramps occasionally.
I reported this to the doctor and he jabbed me.
He also advised me to have plenty of rest. "No shopping" were his exact words.

Seeing him again next week to make sure all is ok.

I am glad. Very glad.
... still trembling a little of all the excitement and still a little anxious I guess.

Thank you for being with me, especially those who sent me text messages while I sat waiting at the doctor's office. It was really nerve-wrecking to wait so long (the doctor had an emergency surgery) and by myself (Gadget-daddy's in Jakarta).

A Few Things

Talked to Gadget-daddy...

I suppose I should go see the doc as soon as I can, but I am a little anxious... scared...
What if it's gonna be like the last one?
Sigh...

He said it'll be Ok.

The boys got a haircut today. They were so good.
This is when the "Who's first?" is useful.
It's also when Micah will quite readily say, "I'll be very brave."




We are staying over at my mom's tonight.
Let's hope it works and that Max won't call for his bed.
Since Gadget-daddy is away and the boys' cousins are in town, I guess it's a good distractions for all of us.

The washing machine is cranky again. What's the point of having a washing machine that requires you to stand there and turn off the water when it's full (or it'll overflow) and have to "wash" with your hands because the water level sensor is out?

Max is going to miss all his usual computer games and cartoons at Ah Ma's.

Ok.. I will go see the doc tomorrow.

Please keep your fingers cross.
Please keep me in prayer.

Semiology

The signs are showing...
(So you were right the first time, Lia.)

Cravings, nausea, sigh-ings...

They say your kids somehow show signs too,
so Max has been more clingy than usual,
throwing tantrums unnecessarily...

Did the test yesterday morning and got the same results as before. ;)

Keeping our fingers crossed.

A Mommy's Gripe

Just need to unload:

The whole week has been extremely hot. On some days I actually feel like I've got a headache from all the heat. So I have been wanting to eat more fruits, opening the fridge for many times more than usual, wondering what thirst quencher I can guzzle down next.

Traffic on Monday and Friday were terrible. It's hard to drive through bad traffic, but it's even harder driving through bad traffic with kids in the car. Poor things. It's a real torment for them.

Due to the headaches caused by heat I have been taking time to lie down in the afternoons. Sometimes just to be horizontal and read in bed, occasionally dozing off. But the naps sometimes don't give me any relief. I really have to watch my tone when trying to deal with squabbling boys.

I've been sighing everyday this whole week. Sometimes because I feel tired. Sometimes because I feel hot and bothered. Sometimes I just need to find some way to release some tension.
(I am very conscious of this, and sometimes I laugh at myself after I sigh.)

It's hard that Gadget-daddy is away most of the days of the week. The boys and I miss him a lot.

I'm trying to think of how to keep the boys positively, actively and creatively occupied, but sometimes the brain seems to be at a protest...

I eat, am full, but do not feel satisfied.
Then I feel like I want to eat something, but can't figure what I want...
The smell of extremely oily food makes me sick.
......


sigh....