♥ LiFe's LittLe tHiNgs

Rainbow after the rain ☂

2012-01-27T23:53:00.006+08:00

it was drizzling when i was on my way to my parents-in-laws' place to pick up Jayvier in the evening. while walking, i screen through Twitter updates on my iPhone & saw Shirlene's tweet about wondering if she will get to see any rainbows after a sudden downpour. i looked up into the sky & was surprised to really see a full & clear rainbow. i immediately took photos & replied to her tweet with the pic. i can't remember when was the last time i saw a rainbow... it made me stopped for a few minutes & stare in complete awe at how beautiful nature is. that is definitely something that money can't buy!

GroupShot

2012-01-26T15:57:00.011+08:00

i wanna share this cool app which i downloaded from the Apple store last night.

it is a photo-editing app that make group picture perfect by swapping out the imperfect parts like closed eyes or unintentional poses. other than group/family photos, this app is also useful for people like me who often take photos with kids & dogs. it's always so difficult to get Jayvier & my dachshunds to look at the camera lens. the photos will either turn out they are looking at the wrong way or i wasn't smiling at my best. i know photoshop can be done to merge several photos into a perfect one but i have yet to master such pro PS skills. here's an example of how easy a good shot can be created just by a few clicks away using GroupShot.

i look better in the photo on the left but my little boy was distracted by don't-know-what

just like most of the photo apps, you can choose to take a new photo or upload from your camera roll

the uploaded photos should be nearly identical to get a great result

"yellow out" the imperfection by swiping over the face that you want to remove

replace with a face that's looking at the camera from the right column & wait for the transformation

ta-dah!

save the new photo to your camera library or share it through e-mail, Facebook or Twitter

the only bottom line is that it's not a free app. i downloaded it at US$0.99, which is a introductory price for a limited time. i'm obsessed with photos apps so i don't mind to pay a small amount of money for a good & easy-to-use app like this. ^^

mummy & son in red. huat ah!

Finally confirmed on our most expensive purchase ever

2012-01-25T12:10:00.017+08:00

Caspian @ Lakeside Drive

the stack we bought is no. 25 - high floor & center pool view ^^

恭喜发财！

2012-01-24T23:12:00.012+08:00

CNY this year is somewhat a little different for us. the attention was shifted to our little boy who is still too young to understand why everyone is giving him red packets. we were surprised he is able to hold the ang bao in his tiny hands & that made hubby's relatives very happy.

thanks hubby's cousin, Robin, for the cap which came in really handy later in the day

the handsome boy on the right is Robin's son, Brandon

the kiddos

i am utterly besotted with his chubby cheeks

Jayvier is blessed with sweet Zoya who dotes on him a lot

left hubby's grandma place after two hours & had a late lunch at Ding Tai Feng with his family. decided to visit the River Angbao together since there is no where we could go. it didn't turn out as crowded as we had expected due to the drizzle. there is nothing much to see like the past years so we took turns to take photos with our own zodiac signs

春到河畔 2012

the gigantic God of Fortune

my rooster

my mother-in-law's snake

father-in-law's & Zoya's boar

hubby's monkey & Jayvier's rabbit

Jayvier's first children ride with Zoya

our son really loves crowd. he will wave his arms & kick his legs in excitement whenever a stranger make eye contact with him. he never fail to make us laugh out loud with his hilarious expressions. with my little joker boy around, CNY is no longer that boring to me. next Lunar New year, he will be running around!

Rooster characteristics

2012-01-22T22:22:00.013+08:00

超准！

"Just like the real rooster, these people born under the sign of the rooster are very routine, regimental, self-assured and hardworking. He has no lack of admirers as he is outspoken and emits alluring appeal. They like to judge the book by its cover and are risk-taker. Never share your deepest secrets with them. They are not good at keeping secrets. At times, they behave like weirdos. Rooster persons know their responsibilities to their families and are good at managing resources especially the financial ones. He is sharp and critical often with little regard to the feelings of others. His opinions may case uneasiness to people willingly or unwillingly the subject of the opinion. The need to be identified, likes to brag about themselves and be at the center of attention. A career that allows the person to interact with as many people as possible is very suitable."

Jayvier's first semi-solid

2012-01-21T17:08:00.052+08:00

our boy boy has been showing a lot of interest in adult food lately. he will look at our mouth when we are chewing & will imitate like he is enjoying some good food. so we decided to start off with instant baby puree since it's more convenient compared to cereal.

Heinz pureed pear & banana, 4-6 months

his first contact with spoon

it was fun feeding him with the tiny spoon though he got a bit cranky halfway through. we gave him around two tablespoons (30g) of puree & supplemented with 60ml of formula milk two hours later. it wasn't easy to feed him since he is not able to sit up on his own yet. guess we will have to wait for him to sit up properly before we can officially replace one feeding in the day with solid food. shall let him try cereal next weekend!

yummy!

Company Lou Hei

2012-01-20T23:57:00.027+08:00

as usual, i joined my colleagues for the annual 捞鱼生 event before we left office on the dot for the super long weekend.

Tiffany, Megumi & Olive

me with Tiffany & Megumi (photo taken by Olive's shaky hands)

(from the left) Weixuan, Shirlene, Winston, Jacqueline, me, Kristin, Nicholas & Benny

Happy birthday, mummy

2012-01-19T17:01:00.068+08:00

it's my mum's 52nd birthday & she suggested dinner together at The Soup Restaurant (三盅两件). we ordered the set menu with yu sheng for 5 pax. other than their signature Samsui ginger chicken, i find the rest of the food so-so only. Jayvier was pretty cooperative throughout except that he doesn't want to sit in his stroller while we eat. the husband & i have to take turns to let him sit on our laps. our silly boy made all of us laugh when he kept blowing bubbles through his mouth & choked himself with his own saliva.

food collage

Jayvier's cheeky look

hubby had to constantly wipe his drool

our first photo together...

this photo will be perfect if the baby is looking at the camera lens

I am 5 months old!

2012-01-04T21:42:00.003+08:00

An awesome start to a New Year

2012-01-01T23:46:00.159+08:00

"WOW" was the first thing we said when the husband & i opened the door to our premier room at Ritz-Carlton Hotel. call us 'suaku' but we didn't expect the room to be that big. although we didn't managed to get the Marina Bay view room, we are equally happy with the open view of Kallang Bay.

the chest drawers are full of surprises

a panorama view of Kallang Bay. Jayvier enjoy looking at the cars that look like toys.

what we love most will be the very spacious & clean marble bathroom. i couldn't wait to jump into the bathtub for a bubble bath with a glass of red wine. what's life without a little indulgence like this?

the room service is prompt & excellent. baby bathtub, steriliser & high chair are all available upon request. i wouldn't have packed a full diaper bag if i know that bath set, pillow & blanket were provided.

you name it, they have it.

we realized we can actually oversee the entire Marina Bay while waiting for the lift at the 10th level.

the swimming pool

our room package comes with a pair of complimentary tickets to the Singapore Flyer. we have been up there before & are not that keen to do it again but we thought we could bring our boy up for a little experience. turn out he's actually too young for it & he started to fall asleep halfway through. i find the ride kind of boring especially after the capsule is at the peak. i will just use 'beautiful' to describe the night view of Marina Bay instead of breathtaking 'cos i don't think i can ever find a view that is breathtaking in Singapore.

we are ashamed to admit that we actually paid $20 for the photo taken by the Flyer staff before the ride. it's a proper family portrait of us so hubby feels that it's worth the money.

after the ride, we walked back to the hotel for a shower & our poor boy was down by 9pm. our initial plan is to wake him up before the clock strike 12 to view the fireworks together. but looking at him sleeping so soundly, the husband & i decided to catch the fireworks from the lift lobby instead of squeezing with the mad crowd.

our little sleepyhead

the hotel gave us $60 credit to be used during our stay so we ordered room service for supper

had a sumptuous breakfast at the hotel cafe the following day & that sums up our 2D1N stay at the 5 star hotel. the money we paid for the stay is almost equivalent to a trip for two to Bangkok. it is rather extravagant but we plan to pamper ourselves like this during every NYE until our boy is ready to travel overseas with us. we miss the times when we had NY countdown at Taipei and Hong Kong...

before we check out, i passed the free Ritz-Carlton postcard to the Concierge to have it sent to us as a memory keepsake...

just discovered http://makeagif.com/ & i think it is a pretty cool website that can create animated gifs easily with multiple shots.

i hope everyone had a great NYE like we do!

Zoya turns 4 !

2011-12-30T23:24:00.008+08:00

the Tang family gathered to celebrate our niece's 4th birthday at Hung Kang Teochew restaurant located along North Canal Road. hubby & i bought her a Hello Kitty watch that cost $69.90 (no idea why so ex) from the Sanrio shop while her auntie bought a large Hello Kitty plush toy who is dressed in Elmo's costume. little Zoya is really happy to be showered with all the lovely presents from her family. kids nowadays are really blessed to be able to have the things they want.

she's on "happy birthday to me" repeat mode throughout the dinner

showing off her new watch

two adults acting cute

we get to carry Zigmune & he made us realized our boy is getting really heavy.

aww, so cute!

we don't remember Jayvier is that tiny four months ago... time flies!

Closing thoughts on 2011

2011-12-29T15:59:00.002+08:00

i haven't had the time to log in to Blogger.com ever since i returned to work. i wanted to blog about D&D, X'mas & gatherings but 24 hours a day is simply not enough for me to do so. work is all about updating reports while the rest of my time is spend on looking after Jayvier. he is changing a lot & has become a cheeky little boy. it melts my heart whenever he flashes his smile at me. he is growing up so quickly that sometimes i wish he was a baby again.

the husband & i are still searching for the ideal home. we haven't made up our mind to wait for the new condo that will be ready by latest September 2012 or to go ahead with our initial plan & get a resale unit at The Centris. really hope we can finalize our decision by this weekend so that we can have one load off our mind for now.

2011 is gonna end in another two days' time. i have to say this year has been one of the most fulfilling years of my life. mothethood is a surreal, beautiful experiene & i couldn't be more proud. come this 2012, i want to spend more time with my wonderful family. whether or not the world is coming to an end soon, i will continue to remind myself not to take my loved ones for granted.

happy 2012 to everyone!

Our 11th X'mas together

2011-12-25T13:20:00.002+08:00

all i want for Christmas is you ♥

Today is the day

2011-12-08T18:18:00.005+08:00

i'm typing this entry on my way home from work on the train (can't wait to drive!). this day is marked with a big :( on my calendar. it's finally here & almost over.

saying goodbye was hard. i had mixed feelings after i kissed my little one goodbye a million times this morning. i feel really upset about leaving him, but i am also secretly looking forward to uninterrupted lunches & a little me-time at work.

my colleagues were happy to see me, especially those who have to cover my ~~shit~~ job duties all these while. i nearly went blind after spending the entire day screening through over 30,000 e-mails in my inbox. wish i could just delete them away & 'start afresh' like what Benny said but some of the old e-mails are necessary for me to keep track of recent cargo status.

anyway, i'm so glad the day is over. the husband made a call back home during lunch & we were relieved to hear that Jayvier didn't cry that much. he even nap twice after his morning playtime. i am anticipating the excitement on my boy's face when i come through the door later. :)

4 months old!

2011-12-04T21:12:00.002+08:00

he's growing up so fast...

Jayvier loves his Bumbo chair

training him to grasp

bought a new sturdy stroller from Mothercare

taken at TMC with his grandma & cousin

don't mess with the sercurity guard yo!

The fun is over

2011-12-01T04:31:00.026+08:00

time flies like crazy when one is not at work. my maternity leave is going to end in one week' time. this is the longest break i had throughout my twelve years of work life.

Jayvier is clingy like a koala bear & will cry for mummy when he's in another person's arms for too long. we had a 'rehearsal' earlier today to have him babysit by his grandpa while hubby & i went for a hair cut. our boy started to wail pitifully even before we kiss him goodbye. it was heartbreaking to hear him cry & i had to try so hard to hold back my tears. my mother-in-law commented he's that attached to me as i have been taking care of him fully for the past four months. the feeling is mutual. i have grown very attached to my boy too. i don't dare to think about how i am going to deal with the emotional trauma when i have to say bye bye to him on 12 December.

to get back into the swing of things at work, i know i must have absolute confidence in my father-in-law. i'm sure Jayvier will be well taken care of by his grandpa. i am just hoping that my boy will not miss me too much or not remember me when i return home after a long day, from 7am to 7pm. what upset me the most is that i am going to miss most of his developmental milestones... i didn't marry a millionaire so no matter how unreluctant i am, it's time for me to snap back to the harsh reality of life & stop dreaming about being a SAHM.

Birth of our nephew, Zigmune Lim

2011-11-30T23:14:00.001+08:00

30.11.2011 • 5:45am • 3.155kg • 49cm

Finally SOLD

2011-11-29T09:10:00.011+08:00

our house turned into a showflat when Ben the agent brought five groups of families over for viewing on Sunday. hubby & i were so happy when one couple came up with an offer price which we delightfully accepted. we were supposed to receive cheque from them yesterday but it turn out they can't commit yet as their bank loan is not approved due to credit issues. so last night, Ben arranged another viewing with a potential buyer. i stayed in my bedroom this time round as Jayvier was having his after bath nap. the couple is from Philippine & they brought along their 4-5 years old son. that kid is a little terror. he sat on our dining chair & messed around with the stuff on the table. when Ben brought them in to my master bedroom, the hyper kid jumped right into my dogs' bed. i was really pissed & glared at his parents who doesn't even bother to tell their son to behave. seriously, i have zero tolerance for kids with no manners. please lor, 不会教就不要生啦！

i couldn't wait for them to leave my house but who knows they offered a price higher than the previous agreed price. i was 100% reluctant to sell to them but the husband feels that there is no reason to turn down the good offer. a cheque was issued on the spot & if nothing goes wrong, we will have to hand over the keys on 13 April 2012. can't believe that our house is sold, just like that. we are going to be very busy with home-hunting, renovation, packing, moving & car-hunting for the first half of year 2012.

Happy wedding anniversary

2011-11-26T23:45:00.018+08:00

it's our 5th & we kept it simple, with dinner over at PS.Café Palais Renaissance.

food is pricey but the service & romantic ambience makes it all worthwhile.

lovely tulips from the husband ♥

located at Palais Shopping Centre

dress from ASOS

chic interior

feeling chirpy to take a break from the baby

my grapefruit lychee caipiroska - $18

his Moroccan Lamb - $36
ginger & dukkah crusted lamb skewers with roasted vegetable cous cous, oven roasted tomato, rocket & harissa yoghurt

my Miso Cod - $35
boiled white miso cod fillet with dengaku eggplant, roasted pumpkin, daikon & caramelized gingerlemon & sesame dressed soba vegetable salad

the service staff packed a complimentary slice of yummy-looking chocolate cake for us before we left as he knows it's our anniversary celebration dinner.

we appreciate the sweet gesture!

Week 15

2011-11-22T23:12:00.004+08:00

my dear boy has just recovered from a mild fever. he went for his second 6-in-1 jab last Friday & it made him a little fussy after that. i know it's common for babies to have fever after their vaccines but it's hard for me not to worry when i can feel Jayvier's body emitting heat that night. i kept waking up to take his temperature & make sure the cooling pad doesn't slip off from his forehead. he still has the last shot of 6-in-1, two oral doses of rotavirus & another three shots of pneumococcal to go. it's so sian that he has to deal with the possible side effects of fever, fussiness & swelling at injection site after each jab. anyway, i was relieved when he appeared to be feeling better the following day.

flashing his all gum-out grin

Jayvier is turning four months old next week & he never fails to amaze me everyday. i've been bringing him out to the neighbourhood by my own in an infant carrier on a daily basis as he loves people watching. he will coo, babble & shriek whenever i talk to him. when he's excited about something, he jerks his arms & legs crazily to demonstrate his joy. i feel really blessed to be able to witness all these cute little milestones. ♥

his upper body & neck are becoming stronger

sitting up is just around the corner

smiles at mirror image

he's looking at everything with curiosity, even his own reflection

I hate centipedes

2011-11-21T12:34:00.007+08:00

just watched these two movies online

The Human Centipede (First Sequence) (2009)
A mad German scientist kidnaps and mutilates a trio of tourists in order to reassemble them into a new "pet" - a human centipede, created by stitching their mouths to each others' rectums.

The Human Centipede II (Full Sequence) (2011)
Martin is a mentally disturbed loner who lives with his mother in a bleak housing project. He works the night shift as a security guard in an equally grim and foreboding underground parking complex. To escape his dreary existence, Martin loses himself in the fantasy world of the cult horror film "The Human Centipede (First Sequence)", fetishizing the meticulous surgical skills of the gifted Dr. Heiter, whose knowledge of the human gastrointestinal system inspires Martin to attempt the unthinkable.

"The Human Centipede II" caught my attention when i was browsing through the new movies list on Funshion. i downloaded both one & two & i couldn't shake those images out of my mind for days after watching them. part I start slow but it build up tension & fear while part II is in black & white & it's full of blood & gore. this definitely has to be one of the most disgusting movies i've ever watched. the director is Tom Six, who is also the writer & the producer. i wonder what had happened in his life that made him came up with such a sick concept... if you love gore/horror movies like me & has plenty of time to spare, go watch it.

Look how he has grown

2011-11-18T10:57:00.001+08:00

a baby's face changes everyday...

i was constantly reminded by experienced mummies to take pictures of my son as often as possible.

i didn't realized how quickly Jayvier is changing until i look at this picture taken the other day.

looking a tad bit chubby here...

gone is his newborn look

The worst explosion ever

2011-11-16T16:06:00.000+08:00

Jayvier has outgrown most of the clothing that were given by my friends & colleagues. i went to Mothercare the other day & bought him a 7-piece set of sleeveless bodysuits & some new socks. nowadays, shopping is no longer complete without going to the kids' section. i'm lucky mine is a boy or else i would have spent a lot on cute little dresses & accessories for a baby girl.

in his new baby clothes that are for babies of 6 - 12 months old

i brought him out to Jurong Point in the baby carrier after his first feed this morning. the moment we returned home, i knew he had pooped when the bedroom was filled with an awful smell. i immediately took him out from the carrier & put him down on the waterproof bed pad for diaper change. i got a shock of my life when i undressed him.

mustard everywhere

the whole of my right palm kena the sticky 'mustard' when i pulled up his top. it was a total mess. my boy still had the cheek to flash his sunshine smile at me when i was busy cleaning him up with lots of wet tissues.

gross to the max

i wanted to throw that top away but feel it's a waste since he only worn it once. it's soaked in a pail of water with lots of detergent now... shall leave it for daddy to try washing it when he comes home from work later =p

Linus's 1st birthday

2011-11-13T21:25:00.020+08:00

my whole family was invited to Linus's 1st birthday party today. Weixuan the mummy is so nice to allow us to bring our niece along as well. Zoya was very happy & excited when we went over to pick her up early in the morning. the party was held at Amazonia at Great World City level 3. it's a 9500 sqft indoor facility with themed play gyms for children between 3 months to 12 years old. it's a pity Jayvier doesn't know how to crawl yet else he can join in the fun at the toddler zone. there was another birthday party going for an angmoh kid so the place was quite packed with many parents & their children. Zoya is shy & she only wants me to play with her instead of mingling around with other kids. i was forced to go down the slides with her as she didn't dare to do it by herself. the interior of the Jungle-themed play gym is a huge & crazy world. i nearly break my back from climbing through the many different obstacles.

the scary 8m high wave slide

that's her signature pose. cute hor?

Jasmine's daughter, Celeste, was my life saviour. she volunteered to take care of Zoya at the play gym while i rest & catch up with my colleagues. it's cute to see the girls click at first sight & Zoya kept repeating to me that she likes Celeste jie jie very much.

sweet Celeste knows Zoya is afraid of the slide so she went down with her hand in hand

i didn't see that creepy fella behind them when i took this photo. someone please send this to www.ghostphoto.com!

getting ready to for cake cutting

nice looking cake & happy family with cute Giselle on the left (lousy resolution as it was zoom in from a corner using my iPhone)

taken by Weixuan's photographer. all looking great except stupid me who look like i am going to drop Jasmine's baby gal, Chloe.

our boy sleeping soundly in the midst of action

Zoya had so much fun that she was reluctant to leave when the time was up. her parents came to pick her up & she told them she wants hubby & i to bring her back to Amazonia again next time. we are glad that she enjoyed herself today. ^^

Happy 31st to my man

2011-11-08T00:07:00.009+08:00

this year, the best birthday gift from me to him will be...

the little one in his arms! ♥♥♥

i had celebrated hubby's birthday for 11 consecutive years... (and still counting, of course!)

no fancy celebration this year but 2011 is special because we have little Jayvier with us during cake cutting.

next year, he will be able to join mummy to sing the birthday song for his daddy's 32nd birthday ^^

A birthday gift for himself

2011-11-07T23:58:00.014+08:00

i told the husband i need to go back to Primitive Tattoo for a touch up. he surprise me once again, saying he wants to do a new tattoo on his left arm. this is the design he chose after browsing through the Internet:

his horoscope sign - Scorpio

we managed to make an appointment with busy Malvin on the eve of hubby's birthday. the price quoted was just within his budget of $300. hubby hesitated for a while but decided to go ahead after Malvin told him he will do a free touch up for his first tattoo that was done three years ago.

waiting... i think he needs a new hair cut more than a tattoo =p

and so it begins...

look nice too with just the outline

part 2 - shading

ta-dah! fresh from the oven

it took about 1.5 hours to complete. i enjoy sitting there witnessing the entire process. according to hubby, it's pretty painful especially near the shoulder area. there was quite a lot of blood man. i took a couple of the bloody pictures & Malvin says i am a sadistic person. hmm... here's one with the most blood lost.

the scorpion looks like it's burning in flames

i was actually very tempted to get inked again but i can't think of any design & which part to do it. i couldn't stop admiring my man's arm after we reached home 'cos i find the ink very alluring. men with nice tattoo designs are sexy! haha

our cute son here & a glimpse of daddy with his new tattoo

Forming strong bonds

2011-11-06T22:22:00.001+08:00

Jayvier has grown really attached to me. he will scream & cry when daddy carries him but will calm down the moment he's in my arms. it's becoming obvious now that he is able to recognize his mummy. at the same time, i'm glad he will smile at strangers when they look or talk to him. his favourite daily activity for now will be the peek-a-boo game. when i leave him alone on the booster seat, he will quiet down & turn his head to search for me in the room. i will then either call out his name behind the wall or jump right in front of him from nowhere. it's so funny to see him waving his limbs & squeals in excitement when i've been found.

his startled + excited look haha

our furkids are still a huge part of our lives now though i wish i have more time for them. we are looking forward to the day when we are able to bring Jayvier & the doggies out for picnic. it will be fun to see them running around & playing together at the garden or beach.

our boy's guardian angels

Busy Saturday

2011-11-05T23:36:00.013+08:00

i always feel that there's nothing better than starting the day with a delicious, hearty breakfast. hubby & i woke up early today & drove to The Plain which is located right behind The Pinnacle. it's a Melbourne-inspired cafè that serve awesome coffee & breakfast.

love the simple decor

my long black, his latte

darling's eggs
poached eggs with ham, cheese & roma tomatoes
on sourdough toast

dean's breakfast
poached eggs on melted cheese & vegemite
sourdough toasts

random. new charm bracelet from ASOS

we went to Toa Payoh after breakfast to attend a 2-hour weaning seminar sponsored by Philips. the topics covered were quite general which can be easily found online. most of the couples brought along their babies who are around the same age as our boy. we felt blessed to be able to leave Jayvier with his parents when the babies started to fuss & cry during the talk.

AVENT weaning seminar @ Philips Learning Center

rushed home after that to do some last minute cleaning. our agent, Lawrence, had arranged with three families for viewing at our place. we were kind of awkward initially to have people touring our house, looking at every little detail. the viewers commented that our place is very nicely renovated & well maintained & that make me feeling proud. one family is pretty interested in buying but will only decide when the valuation report is out. there will be more buyers coming over tomorrow... i am starting to feel a sense of 不舍得 to leave our first owned property.

we walked over to The Centris to meet the agents in the evening. i still prefer the first 2 bedder we saw after viewing a few other units today. we linger around the poolside & saw that there's a post-Halloween party for kids. the children looks like they are having a lot of fun. we think Jayvier will be able to make a lot of new friends when he grows up in this new estate.

looking forward to swim in the 50m pool olympia every week

My 3-month-old

2011-11-04T15:11:00.001+08:00

Weight: 6kg

Length: 65cm

Head circumference: 40cm
milk intake: 5 ounces

More viewings

2011-11-03T23:09:00.017+08:00

met up with two other agents to view a 2 bedroom penthouse & 3 bedroom unit today. a penthouse is actually not within our options but the price is incredibly lower than a 3 bedder so we went ahead to check it out. it's located on the 15th floor with a pool view. the house is nicely renovated, well-mantained & the open roof terrace is ideal for gatherings. other than that, the floor area & layout on the first level is almost similar to a normal 2 bedroom unit. we would have chosen it if we don't mind to pay an extra 280K for the roof terrace.

the view of the 3 bedder on the 12th floor is the best we've seen so far. it's located right in the center of the condo premises so we get to enjoy the huge beautiful pool view from the balcony. the layout is better than the 2 bedroom units. it has both the wet & dry kitchen, a bigger yard & a small storage room. too bad there are too many built-in fixtures in colours & designs that we dislike & the owner's asking price is unreasonably high. there will be another few viewings for us over the long weekend. it's tiring but i do enjoy the process 'cos it's interesting to see the different types of layout & renovation done.

we just had our flat evaluated earlier & the report will be out in 10 days' time. we hope the valuation price will be good. there will be buyers coming over to our place for viewing on Saturday. the agent told us we will only have around two months to pack & move after we hand over the keys to the new owner. 2012 will be an exciting year for us. ^^

Home-hunting begins

2011-11-02T23:32:00.004+08:00

hubby & i met up with the agent for viewing at The Centris last night. it's a 2 bedroom unit at 936 sqft / 87 sqm on the 11th floor. comparing that to the floor area of our current home at 133 sqm, we had imagined the rooms to be small & cramped. to our surprise, it's much spacious than we thought. here's how the layout looks like:

i like the layout a lot. the kitchen is open concept with an island top, built-in oven & microwave which is something i've always wanted. the master bedroom is roomy with built-in wardrobes & the size of the bathrooms are just right. the living room is cosy & faces the Jurong Central Park. i love the open view! not only i can see people flying kite at the park, i can clearly see passengers standing at the platform waiting for the train towards city. haha. when i look down from the ~~balcony~~ planter, Breadtalk, Ding Tai Feng & many other shops & restaurants are just right below my feet. the olympic-size swimming pool & keyless door system are cool too. i managed to sneakily take photos of the master bathroom when the agent is not looking.

huge bathtub! not really practical though

i would say it's love at first sight though i have complains about the yard & planter area. the size of the yard is so small that it can only fit a washing machine & a small frame person. the planter area is only about a foot size in width. cannot even place a armchair there to rest & relax. also, there is no storeroom so i wonder where we are going to keep bulk items like mahjong table, vacuum cleaner & the many luggage we have.

the agent told us to place a deposit if we like it but we are planning to take our time & view more units for comparison. buying a property is not like buying a toy so we are not going to make any haste decisions just like that. meanwhile, we will need to find a buyer for our place. the kitchen designed by myself will be what i'll miss most after we moved out...

wish i could move it over

A very useful emoticon

2011-11-01T00:00:00.000+08:00

╭∩╮（︶︿︶）╭∩╮

Bye bye October

2011-10-31T11:55:00.003+08:00

October is gone just like that. i'll be going back to work soon... i wish i could just freeze time! my boy is turning three months old & i am having so much fun with him everyday. he loves to smile & it cracks me up whenever he chuckles. he is beginning to make a lot of those 'ooh' & 'ah' noises which is reallyyyyy adorable. daddy bought him a baby walker from Metro anniversary sale a few days ago. although he's still too young for it now, we can already visualize how cute it will be when he starts to use it to learn how to walk.

Vteck first steps baby walker @ ~~$104.90~~ $67.15

our flat has hit the 5-year period & we are planning to sell it since it's worth more than double of the purchased price now. we met up with the agent, Ben, last week & told him about our intention to sell & to look for a unit in Pinnacle @ Duxton. i've been wanting to stay there 'cos it's only a 10-minute walk to my office & i've wish so much to stay in the city after being in kampung Jurong for the past seven years. to my disappointment, the units at Pinnacle @ Duxton has not meet its minimum occupation period (MOP) until year 2014. Ben is selling his flat in Redhill & the husband says we could consider it since the location is also quite good. after viewing his flat online, i feel that we will have to spend too much money on renovation works as it doesn't match the modern concept i have in mind.

i browsed through propertyguru.com the following day & saw many units going for sale at The Centris- a condominium above Jurong Point. a particular unit caught my eye & i casually show it to the husband. he did some math & realized it's affordable so we left our number for the representative agent to contact us. she called us not long after & hubby addressed to her about our financial concerns. she arranged for a banker from DBS to call him to work out the loan & monthly repayment amount. after doing the calculations, hubby told me it's financially workable & we can start to look for an ideal unit with minimum renovation required. that got me really excited 'cos staying in a condominium is one of my goals in life. haha. as much as i wanted to leave Jurong, i knew we will never have to worry about entrusting Jayvier to a complete stranger at infant care if we continue to stay near to my in-laws instead of moving to the city.

we plan to use part of the money we made from selling our flat to get my dream car- Mitsubishi i. the husband says i can drive to work which i am really looking forward to. yup i know the cost of driving to the CBD area will be high but seriously, i had enough of taking the sardine-packed train everyday, especially with all the frequent train fault issues recently.

i'm keeping my fingers & toes crossed for all of that to happen. if everything goes well, we will be able to fulfill the remaining 3 C's- cash, condominium & car. *beams*

i want mine in red!

My little sunshine

2011-10-21T17:10:00.003+08:00

"A baby's smile melts the heart and calms the soul." ♥

10th week milestones

2011-10-14T13:21:00.000+08:00

crying decreases
leans on elbows while on stomach
able to control his head more when held in upright position
turns head to find source of sound
coos, gurgles & shows interest in different sights & sounds
smiles in response when we smile & speak to him
begins to enjoy taking a bath
sleeping 5 to 6 hours during the night

Get inked again

2011-10-09T21:38:00.002+08:00

our son's name in mirror image font

i showed that to the husband a month ago & he commented it's nice. when i told him i want to tattoo it on my forearm, he said i am very hiong (meaning 'fierce' in Hokkien), in a disapproving manner. why mirror image? 'cos i feel that it's nice & unique & it add some mystery to the design. i've been wanting to do that after i gave birth to Jayvier so it doesn't bother me at all when i didn't get hubby's support. but i put it on hold since taking care of my boy is my first priority; everything else is secondary.

coincidentally, Shirlene did a tattoo of her son's name together with her hubby on their wrists last week. that is totally sweet & cool. my desire to get inked came back again & i told the husband i'm serious about getting it done within this month. i needed him to check his work schedule so that he can arrange to babysit while i'm out. to my surprise, he want to tag along & is even thinking about doing the same on his ankle. so we went down to Far East Plaza spontaneously last night without making any appointment.

we had our dinner first at Pepper & Lunch & discussed about the design & which body part to tattoo on. i realized hubby had changed his mind about doing it again. i find him rather wishy-washy but having a tattoo is a personal & permanent thing so i would rather he chicken out now than to regret later. anyway, we reached FEP at 8+ & met up with Shirlene who was also there to accompany her hubby for his appointment at Think Tattoo. we get to see the process of the art piece on Daniel's back which is really cool. i admire his endurance though he told us a couple of times it is very painful even after applying numbing cream. we then went up to Primitive Arts at level four to look for my tattooist, Malvin. after some wise advice from him, i decided to ink 'Jayvier' instead of 'Jayvier Tang' on my right forearm. i was glad Shirlene hang around for a while 'cos i know i can't trust hubby to take photos during the process.

drafting the design

a funny candid moment taken by Shirlene. i swear i am not crying.

managed to squeeze out an awkward smile before the real thing

the process took only 15 minutes to complete. i am surprised it was a lot less painful than i had imagined. on a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being the most painful, i will give it a 2. it may sound sick to some people but i actually enjoy the tattoo pain. i find the process relaxing & therapeutic ♥

love it so much!

my initial idea was actually something smaller but the more i look at it, the more i am loving it. it's gonna be pretty noticeable but i don't intend to wear long sleeves to cover it up. it's not likely to cause a problem at work since my position doesn't require me to interact with clients. i know there are many people out there who will judge & still associate tattoos with criminals or gang members. to me, tattoo is a beautiful piece of art & a form of self-expression. i've grown really attached to my boy & looking at his name on my arm reminds me he is with me in some little way, no matter where i am. i don't care what others think of me or if it will look like crap when i'm old & wrinkled. 'cos seriously, life is too short to even care at all.

Letting things go

2011-10-07T14:40:00.010+08:00

just like a normal Saturday, the husband & i left Jayvier at his grandparents' place while we go out for our date night last week. we went back to pick him up after dinner & shopping at Centrepoint. all was well until my mother-in-law told us she gave our boy water to drink to relief his "heatiness". i was pissed as it is not the first time we told them not to give him any water. i couldn't figure out why it is that hard for them to understand a baby at his age still doesn't need any extra fluid. breast milk & formula contain enough water & too much of it can dilute a baby's blood. actually i know a little water won't kill but i'm just unhappy that my in-laws act on their own despite our constant reminders. how can i entrust Jayvier to them when they couldn't follow such a simple request?

as unpleased as i may sound, i did not show any dismay 'cos i don't want to make life difficult for the husband. but the moment we left, i told hubby perhaps we should entirely forget about leaving our boy at their place for a few hours every week. he didn't agree to my idea as Jayvier will have to be alone with his grandparents for much longer hours when i go back to work two months later. like it or not, i will have to accept the fact that i have to somehow let go & allow them to establish a comfortable relationship before it is too late. the most we can do is to remind his parents again about our concern. at times like this, i really wish i can be a SAHM.

(heaved a heavy sigh)

Getting back in shape

2011-10-05T22:32:00.007+08:00

i got the green light from Dr. Ho to resume my fitness routine two weeks ago. with all the night feeds & energy needed to handle a high need baby, i haven't really been sleeping all that much so exercise was the last thing on my mind. however, my sweetie pie is starting to sleep through the night recently. hubby & i are glad that we are finally regaining our energy after being able to get six straight hours of precious sleep.

hubby took urgent leave today so i had the luxury to take a short break again from my daily responsibilities. the last time i stepped into a gym was January this year when i submitted the doctor's letter to temporary suspend my membership due to pregnancy. silly as it might sound, i was actually feeling excited while making my way to the gym. as much as i want to shed the stubborn 5kg, i know i have to take things slowly & gently. after a 30-minitue session on the exercise bike, i feel like new again. music is the best motivation for a good workout!

Two months old!

2011-10-04T13:57:00.001+08:00

Weight: 4.8kg

Length: 63cm

Head circumference: 38cm
milk intake: 4 ounces

Short hair once again

2011-09-30T20:28:00.004+08:00

this is my hairstyle now

娃娃头

i've been wanting to cut my long hair after giving birth. i miss the bob done by Dexter three years ago. the husband is on leave today so i went to look for Huifen today to pamper myself with haircut, colour & treatment.

i feel that bangs with short hair doesn't really suits me. but i'm loving the hair length 'cos it's so much convenient when it comes to carrying my boy. shall wait for my fringe to grow & cut one length next month.

A bit of us time

2011-09-26T21:30:00.006+08:00

there was tension in our relationship during the week when the husband returned to work after his one-month leave. i wasn't used to looking after Jayvier alone. i was so exhausted by day five; my emotional energy is all zapped by the crying baby at the end of each day. i felt unappreciated & will complain how tough things were when hubby came home from work. our different parenting approaches made things worse. he is the cry-give-pacifier type while i am the cry-must-carry type. (ok, i know both methods are incorrect.) it didn't took us long to start competing over who is right & who works harder.

Cindee came over for a visit last week. i confided in her & she shared that she went through the same scenario when her husband wasn't at home most of the times after their daughter was born. after hearing her story & advice, i realized a lot has to do with my attitude. i shouldn't view parenting as a chore. there is also a lack of communication between us. hubby didn't realized sometimes all i need is just a hug while i had forgotten he is also feeling tired after a long day of work. i was selfish to compare who does what, especially when he has make extra efforts to help out during those midnight feeds even though he has to wake up at six in the morning for work. thanks to Cindee who made me identified the struggles that are placing stress on my relationship with the husband. i realized i need to stop complaining. i don't want hubby to dread having to come home to a naggy wife!

things are back on track now. we share tasks & work together amicably in housework & childcare. couple time is something we have neglected ever since Jayvier entered our world. hubby's parents is willing to babysit for a few hours every Saturday so we make it a point to head out to town for dinner & shopping. such a typical weekend activity has become very precious to us now...

dinner at Fish Mart Sakuraya

Thai cuisine at Lerk Thai

Life's sweetest reward

2011-09-22T18:15:00.002+08:00

his lovely smile that totally warm my heart

New toy ♥

2011-09-20T22:24:00.002+08:00

Olympus PEN EP-3

The sanity challenge

2011-09-19T14:25:00.006+08:00

"how to stay sane while home all day with a newborn alone" - that was what i googled desperately last week. being a SAHM is much more tiring than my 9 to 5 desk job. i knew it would be challenging but didn't know it will he that hard. coping with sleep deprivation & a fussy baby who doesn't sleep much during the day is tough work. Jayvier wants to be carried most of the times. it makes me wonder: are all babies like that? or only my boy is particularly fussy??? i will hear him howling when i steal some time while he's napping to put the laundry or grab a bite. the husband is a huge help when he comes home from work. that is the only time when i can get a few basic things done, like taking a relaxing bath.

having said that, i am not complaining. i enjoy this new phase of my life & is even considering quitting my job next year to look after Jayvier. but I know that will be quite financially impossible... anyway, it's week six & things does get easier. a bit of routine has established & life has pretty much adjusted, for both the baby & myself. he will need to go for his 6-in-1 vaccination this coming Friday. i'm keeping my fingers crossed that he will not fuss too much after the shots.

All by myself

2011-09-05T19:55:00.016+08:00

yesterday, my in-laws & mum asked if i am able to handle Jayvier alone when hubby returns to work today. i didn't know what to reply as i don't have an answer myself. four hours ago, the husband kissed me goodbye in his uniform, with Jayvier dozing off in my arms. at that point i asked myself, "can i really manage a baby & two dogs all by my own?"

hubby has been of a great help for the past one month, especially during moments when i lost my patience after being tired out. the first month is the hardest. our colicky baby is fussy over almost everything. we were not used to the sound of crying but he would cry over a dirty diaper, hunger, tiredness, or for no apparent reason. i was overwhelmed by the average number of ten feeds & seven dirty diapers a day. with hubby around, i never have to worry about burping the baby & diaper change after each feed. i can rest & leave everything to him after nursing the baby, regardless in the day or night.

it's 7pm now & Jayvier is sleeping soundly beside me, making cute little cooing sounds. while he's napping, i seized the chance & catch up on dirty laundry, had dinner & did some online shopping. all in all, it was a nice day & i am enjoying this me-time. i am hoping it will be that easy everyday, or get even better with time.

soundly asleep with mouth widely open, again

the internet will be my best friend to allay the loneliness for the next three months. i rely on it to read, blog, shop & catch up on the latest movies & Hong Kong serials. other than that, my goal for now will be to relax & cherish every second i have with my boy, before i return to work in December...

One month old!

2011-09-04T17:03:00.001+08:00

personalized cards for the full month cakes

full month cake from Sweetest Moments

love from his grandparents

not forgetting the many gifts & ang baos from our relatives & friends.

thank you all!

Jayvier is greatly blessed!

Jayvier's first video

2011-09-01T22:32:00.000+08:00

Time flies when one is not at work

2011-08-31T23:48:00.002+08:00

almost a month has passed since my maternity leave. i am enjoying my new role & responsibilities as a mum even though every day has been the same routine for me- to change, feed & comfort my boy. Jayvier needs to be fed every two hours, even at night. whenever he cries in hunger, i have to stop whatever i am doing & nurse him immediately. on goods days when he has no colic attack, i will try to nap, do the laundry, blog or read in between his feeds. waking up in the middle of the night is a torture. the last decent night's sleep i had was probably months ago; when i was comfortably pregnant at the second trimester.

the husband will be going back to work next Monday. we brought Jayvier out today to open a saving account for him at RHB bank. went to Paragon & Takashimaya to get moon cakes for our relatives after that. three feeds plus two diapers changed. i was completely drained by the time we reached home. at times like this, i really miss the time spent with hubby when it was just the two of us.

weighed myself earlier & realized i've lost 14kg. another 5kg to shed to my ideal weight. my life revolves around my boy now so guess i've got to give up the idea of going for time-consuming slimming sessions at Marie France. a healthier & cost-saving alternative will be to re-activate my gym membership at Amore next month. i am very much looking forward to regain a sense of control over my routines & daily life soon.

My growing baby

2011-08-30T20:53:00.008+08:00

Blooming bump

2011-08-28T17:21:00.013+08:00

i've posted most of the maternity shoot photos in my Facebook account when Benjamin sent the final edited photos to me few weeks ago.

double chin, flabby arms, fat thighs & swollen feet...

these photos definitely serve a good motivation for me to regain my pre-pregnancy figure ASAP.

Tummy time

2011-08-26T19:49:00.012+08:00

my boy has spend most of his time on his back ever since he was born. i didn't dare to leave him on his tummy as i do not want to increase the risk of suffocating him. but i have recently read from BabyCenter that putting a baby on his tummy for a minute every day will discourage head flattening & promote the development of motor skills. so i gave it a try earlier & was surprised to see that Jayvier is able to lift his head up by his own. he seems to enjoy being on his tummy & will arch his buttocks high up in the air which is soooooooo uberly cute.

here's a short video of his first tummy time ♥

The realistic world

2011-08-24T15:02:00.000+08:00

八字命名

2011-08-22T21:41:00.018+08:00

the husband & i couldn't think of a Chinese name so we stick to our initial plan to consult a astrologer with Jayvier's 生辰八字. my kind in-laws offered to go all the way to Parkway Parade on our behalf & came back with a list of Chinese characters for us to choose from.

surname - 陈

2nd character - 俊祈信奕政

3rd character - 元友文方仁

if i'm not wrong, the characters are selected based on the number of strokes under the elements that he lacks in his life. the choices are rather limited. the only combination i like is 陈奕仁 but that's hubby's great grandfather's name so it's out. in the end, we mutually agreed on

陈俊元

Jayvier Tang Jun Yuan

we went back to Mt. Alvernia to do his birth certificate & baby bonus account this morning. it was done within ten minutes. went to Robinsons to top up some baby stuff after that. i wanted to shop more but find it quite impossible to do so with Jayvier in my arms. i can put him down in the stroller but it's weird to shop while hubby follow me around with the baby & stroller. we headed to Vivo for some desserts when Raffles City got crowded at lunchtime. Jayvier's diaper need to be changed & it was by then i know the nursery is located inside the ladies only. it is my first time changing a diaper for a baby in the public, alone. my naughty boy shoot his 童子尿 all over me when i was done cleaning him up. it's the nth time we kena his urine during diaper change. we definitely need more practice!

i find it quite ley chey to bring a baby out. have to prepare too many things... stroller/carrier, diapers, changing mat, nappy rash cream, milk powder, water, warmer bag, pacifier, hand sanitizer, extra set of clothing, swaddle blanket, wet tissues & so on. i no longer bother about packing my make-up kit or other unimportant personal stuff in my bag. parenthood totally change my life.

the husband using the baby carrier for the first time

16 days old

2011-08-20T20:17:00.000+08:00

The two men in my life

2011-08-19T20:07:00.004+08:00

daddy 'forcing' his son for a photo together

First visit to the doctor

2011-08-18T18:33:00.015+08:00

Jayvier's grunting problem worsen yesterday. He couldn't settle to sleep after each feed & diaper change. He cried on & off for the entire afternoon, with his face flushed up in red, fists clenched & body curled up in a fetal position. His little abdominal turned hard & bloated. I googled & the symptoms appeared to be colic attack- trapped gas in his intestines. We applied the traditional 如意 oil but it didn't seem to work. We begin to get really worried when he spit up milk more than once in between feeds.

Bought him to a clinic at our neighbourhood area last night. It was indeed colic. Colic drops was given to relief stomach wind & griping pains. Poor Jayvier is brave & has no problem taking the medicine through a syringe. The husband and I feel helpless whenever he cries in agony. The crying worn us down to the point where I feel like joining in. We haven't been sleeping & eating much these days. Taking care of an unwell newborn is both physically & mentally exhausting. The only thing that can comfort us for now is colic is common & not harmful. It will eventually go off after week 12. Another 10 weeks to go... We will hang in there.

Surviving the first week

2011-08-16T17:21:00.013+08:00

Getting to know our newborn by ourselves at home is overwhelming. Day one was a bad start. My first priority is myself & my baby but hubby's parents & his sister's family came over before we could settle down. I was upset that I couldn't even breastfeed Jayvier when his grandma & aunt joined in later. Baby's cries of hunger, dogs' whining & his relatives' voices made me felt weepy & irritated. But all was well after they left when they realized I need some time alone to get used to the adjustment. I feel so silly to let such uncontrollable emotions weigh me down.

One of my birth plan is to totally breastfeed my boy. It didn't managed to work as planned when Jayvier has to be kept under observation at the special care unit right after birth. I only get to feed him on the second day. He has no problem with latching but my milk supply was miserable. I felt defeated whenever the nurse had to supplement him with formula milk. The encouragement & advice from my friends & colleagues were of a great help then. I was reminded to take things easy & it made me realized what matter most is my boy is well-fed & healthy. Now with my milk supply kicking in, I will let him suckle as much as he can & top up with formula when he's frustrated. A happy baby truly makes for a happy mum.

With all the attention Jayvier needs, it is difficult not to neglect our furkids. But I'm glad they are handling well & there are no signs of aggressiveness/jealousy when we let the doggies get close to the baby. Hubby is taking care of the household chores, diaper changing & burping the baby after feeds. It warms my heart to see his fatherly side- something which I still need time to get accustomed to. He is able to take a month off from work so we didn't engage a confinement nanny. The good thing about that is I am free from all the strict confinement rules. I bathed with hot water on day two & washed my hair on day five. The only rule that I obediently followed will be my diet. I'm having catered confinement food for both lunch & dinner & is drinking only red date longan tea & milo.

Jayvier is a good sleeper in the day. He can sleep for four to five hours before his next feed or diaper change. But when it comes to night time, he will wake us up every two hours. He will toss & turn with grunting & stretching noises, as if there is a lot mucus in his throat. At times, his breathing will suddenly quicken & will spit out some milk. I've read that grunting in sleep is a common problem for newborns. They will outgrow it a few months later. It pained our hearts to see him not able to sleep well at night. I am praying hard that my boy will not inherit my childhood asthma.

Whenever Jayvier is soundly asleep, I will stare at him, feeling amazed. Seriously, I had never felt so protective over anything else in my life. He is so tiny & helpless, totally dependent on us for love, care & feeding. Before that, I told myself I will not pick him up whenever he cries in case it become habitual. But now I noticed that he loves to be held, stroked & carried. He will turn quiet & calm when I speak to him gently & hold him upright. He seem blissfully contented to remain in my arms all day. It is amazing how a little person can evoke such deep emotions & bring such joy to my life. Motherhood is so challenging yet fulfilling!

Little fortune king

2011-08-08T20:53:00.017+08:00

Jayvier's weight came in first prize for yesterday's 4D

hubby & his relatives won over 40K in total!

4D3N at Mt. Alvernia

2011-08-07T19:51:00.011+08:00

Other than the first night where we had to stay at a medical ward due to maternity ward shortage, I had quite a pleasant stay at Mt. Alvernia for the past four days. The confinement food is yummy; most of the nurses are nice & very attentive to our needs. Still, I missed home & the furkids. I couldn't get to sleep in the day so it was boring when the visitors left or when Jayvier was back at the nursery.

I thought I can be discharged by day three but Jayvier appeared yellow on the second day. But thank Buddha after a night of phototherapy, his jaundice level dropped from 9.6 to 8.2 (normal level is below 8.0mg/dl). We can all go home today!

Family of four generations

2011-08-06T21:11:00.003+08:00

Jayvier with his 90-year-old great grandmother, grandparents & cousin

My birth story

2011-08-05T22:01:00.030+08:00

I was looking forward to the coming long weekend as I will be 37 weeks pregnant, which is technically considered full-term. I plan to tidy up the house, open up all the packaging of baby's stuff & get Jayvier's nursery ready. I had also booked the movie tickets for Saturday, hoping to watch a final movie before I popped. 'The Rise of the Planet of the Apes' looks interesting, starring James Franco in '127 Hours'. So, my mind wasn't prepared at all for what's going to happen on 4th August 2011, a rainy Thursday; five more working days before my maternity leave officially starts. Here's how it goes.

On the day before Jayvier's birth, I went to bed at 11pm. My stomach was feeling a little odd from mild cramps. At 2:30am, I was awakened by strong cramps followed by a wet feeling in between my legs minutes later. Went to the toilet & found a 50-cent coin thick discharge with some blood on my panties. Instead of waking up the husband, I googled & read that the discharge is known as mucus blood aka 'bloody show'. The mucus is sealed to my cervical canal during the last nine months. Passing it out is one of the labour signs but it may be hours, days or weeks before delivery day. Unbothered, i went back to bed but the 15-minutes interval contractions were distracting.

Half an hour later, I realized I was leaking water with irregular contractions at 10 to 15 minutes apart. Woke the husband up at 5am & we decided to head to the hospital for a check. I took a bath & did some last minute packing before heading out to drive my mother-in-law to work. We reached Mt. Alvernia at 8:30am. I was leaking a lot of water by then. Had breakfast at the cafè & check-in at the delivery suite at 9am.

Had two painful dilation checks by the nurse & Dr. Ho after I changed. I was 3cm dilated & the water bag was gone. The nurse inserted a medicine into my anus to clear my bowels. I had to endure the terrible stomachache feeling for 10 minutes before rushing to the toilet. All was cleared in seconds & I was put on drip to speed up contractions.

The contractions got stronger at 10am & they were 5 minutes apart. The breathing technique I learnt during childbirth lesson wasn't that helpful. I decide to waste no time & asked for the epidural for relief. The epidural shot was just a needle prick pain - a peanut compared to contraction pains. It was amazing that I no longer feel anything when the contractions came.

feeling much better after the epidural

the chart to monitor baby's heartbeat, epidural level & contractions

12pm- I was a little disappointed that I'm only 5cm dilated after two hours. I tried to get some rest while hubby went for his lunch but my sleep was gradually disturbed by an intense pain. This time round, the pain was different from the earlier contraction pains. It's up at the arse area - the constipated kind of pain, like a big piece of shit stuck at the anus. It was totally unbearable & the nurse asked if I would like to increase the epidural dosage. Thinking that there is still a long way to go before I am fully dilate, I agreed to it immediately.

While waiting for the nurse to prepare the epidural, the pain got really intense & I started to tear a little. Laughing gas was given but it was only a short form of distraction. I was finally relieved from the pain when the second shot of epidural was given at 2pm. Half an hour later, I was told that I am 9cm dilated. No wonder I was in such great pain earlier! At that point, I regretted asking for that second dosage. If a dilation check was done before the shot, I will choose to bear with the pain since I'm almost ready for birth. Feeling completely numbed from waist down, I felt lousy for the wrong decision & begin to really worry about how I am going to push later. Seeing my feeling of anxiety, the nurses assured me that I will be guided on the pushing later.

4pm- The pushing process begins. Still feeling nothing from waist down, I have to imagine pushing my bowels out on a toilet bowl. It was so much harder than I thought. Every time a contraction came, I have three tries to push with all the energy I have. To my disappointment, the nurses commented that my pushing method was incorrect most of the times & I was far from baby's crowning. Still, all were encouraging especially the husband who kept reminding me that I am doing a good job. After many cycles of hard pushing, I was physically & mentally exhausted & on the verge of giving up.

4:40pm- Dr. Ho finally arrived after what seemed like eternity. He noticed the baby's heartbeat is irregular & dropping slightly. I did another two cycles of pushing before he decided to use the vacuum extractor to guide the baby's head out. I gave it all with a hard push & then Dr. Ho said: "the cord is around his neck." I was thinking how come he can see his neck? Have I pushed the baby out??? Suddenly, I heard a loud cry & a bloodied baby was placed on my body.

4:58pm- My boy had arrived! I was in shock to react while hubby's face was filled with joy. I finally made it!!! I am so thankful from the great help from Dr. Ho. He passed hubby the scissors for cord cutting. Then next was weighing, measuring & health assessment of baby by PD, Simon Ng, while I get stitched up by my gynae after he removed the placenta. All was well for Jayvier except that his heartbeat & breathing was faster than normal, probably caused by the umbilical cord around his neck earlier. The nurse put him on my body once again before they send him to the ICU for a 6-hours observation. I drop a tear of joy while stroking his tiny head lightly.

till now, i still couldn't believe i am a mother

A gift to celebrate our 10 years of togetherness

2011-08-04T23:00:00.006+08:00

spot a little resemblance?

Jayvier was born on 4 August 2011 at 4:58pm, weighing at 3.145kg, 50cm in length & with a head circumference of 34.5cm.

Welcome to the world, Jayvier.

The ninth month

2011-08-01T23:52:00.001+08:00

How far along: 36 weeks 3 days

Baby's weight: 2.97kg

Baby's position: head down & engaged

Baby movement: amazing. his punches & kicks are stronger it hurts. but i love feeling them 'cos i know he is doing well inside me.

Belly measurment: 43.7"

Total weight gain: 19kg. FML

Food craving: Tom yum, durian, coke & tomato-flavoured Twisties

What I miss: wearing my wedding band, high heels & skinny jeans, sleeping through the night

What I am looking forward to: the long awaited 4-months maternity leave

Wu Xia

2011-07-27T15:32:00.002+08:00

"脚底一针，再插一针。"

that's what i've been mumbling to myself ever since i watched '武侠' last Saturday. apparently, only people who watched it know what that sentence is about. i like this movie a lot. it's a mixture of action & comedy, with a unexpected interesting story plot.

Donnie Yen is cool as usual but without 金城武's role, this movie will be kind of boring. i love his cute role as the constable & his funny Fujian accent tickles me. of course, his looks play a big part. why is there such a perfect human being on earth?

Hokkaido

2011-07-25T17:27:00.050+08:00

just finished reading Xiaxue's & Cheesie's entries on their holiday at Otaru. it’s so nice that they can go on a sponsored trip together. went through my photo albums & it has been a year since my last holiday. i’m missing Hokkaido so much now! didn’t managed to do a proper post on the trip last year so having some free time now after my gynae check, i shall do a summary of my beautiful 5D4N summer holiday.

one of the reasons the husband & i enjoyed this vacation a lot is that we get to rent a car & drove around on our own. we rented a Honda Fit & it is equipped with multi-languages GPS. the car is pretty new & clean & its navigation system is very easy to operate. i didn’t have the confidence to drive in a foreign country so hubby was the driver throughout.

our first highlight of the trip is to visit the famous Ishiya White Chocolate Factory aka Shiroi Koibito Park. it’s more like a castle than to call it a factory/park. we get to observe the production process of the yummy 白い恋人 cookies from the tour corridor & enjoy their cakes & coffee at the Chocolate Lounge café with a very nice view. we didn’t managed to do a personalized cookie tin due to time constraint but we bought a whole lot of their cookies back for our friends & relatives.

the Sapporo Beer Garden is an awesome place for Sapporo draft beer, BBQ mutton & fresh big scallops on hotplate. to all the people out there, their huge beer hall serves the best mutton we have ever had in our lives!

we headed to Otaru the following morning, which is only a 30-minutes drive from Sapporo. the Kitaichi Glass street is famous for its antique lamps & hand-blown glassware; while the Otaru Music Box Museum has music boxes of in all kinds of sizes & pretty design. i am not a fan of glassware & music box but i enjoyed walking around the nostalgic town. another interesting thing i noticed about this place is that there are many rickshaw pullers ferrying tourists around. they are young & are in either tight tights or shorts. most of them are well-built & good looking unlike our rickshaw pullers seen at Bugis street who are ah peks or ah bengs.

not bad looking right?

beautiful Otaru Canal

we made a spontaneous decision to drive to Mount Tengu (天狗山)

Mt. Tengu is a popular ski resort in winter & is named after a hastly looking goblin-like creature that lives in the mountains & characterized by its big protruding nose. legend has it that the tengu has supernatural powers.

1. To wish for success in business & safety from traffic accidents, touch both sides of the nose lightly with both hands

2. To wish for success at school, place your hands on both side of the nose and move them forcefully towards the top.

3. To wish for an encounter with your future spouse & the well being of family members, touch the entire nose three times with each hand in turn.

4. To wish for smooth delivery of a baby & healthy grown of children, touch the nose top gently.

there is a Chipmunk Park at Mt. Tengu. we are lucky to be able to feed the cute chipmunks since the park is only open in summer. but their movements are really swift & this is the one & only best shot i took.

we sat at the mountain peak for sunset. my poor photography skills couldn’t justify the beautiful view that oversees the whole of Otaru City & port.

our night programme of day 4 is dinner & shopping at Susukino – Hokkaido’s famous night life district. the Japanese red light district is different compared to Singapore. the ladies there do not stand outside to wait for customers. if a guy is interested, he is to go inside the shop & take his pick after going through the women’s photos & profile. then the guy standing outside will arrange for the customer accordingly. i managed to snap a photo of the sleazy area before i was stopped by one of the guys at work :p

shopping at 狸子路 no. 1 - 7

our last day activity is the main objective of our trip – a 3-hours drive to Furano for summer flowers viewing. part of the drive was a bumpy ride as we have to pass through a rocky mountain road before arriving at the farms. but it was all worthwhile after we get to see the beautiful blooming flowers.

we spent most of our money on food for this trip. we had the freshest crabs & the sweetest rock melons. even a simple sandwiches or sushi from their 7-11 stores can taste so unbelievably good!

Hokkaido, we will definitely be back!

Sneak preview

2011-07-22T12:04:00.002+08:00

Maternity portrait

2011-07-15T23:27:00.009+08:00

few months ago, i was still very excited about my maternity portrait appointment with Benjamin. this is my first (and very likely) my last pregnancy so i wish to go for a professional photo shoot to document this exciting journey in my life. but looking at the amount of stretch marks on my growing belly, i wasn’t that keen anymore. i actually wanted to cancel the appointment but part of me is worried that i will regret if i don’t go for it.

i came to know about Benjamin through an online pregnancy forum. he is a father of four kids & is well-known for being understanding & experienced. i decided to engage him mainly because he is fine with doing portraits with pets. we haven’t taken a proper family shoot with our dogs so this would be a great chance to include them this time round. his charges is pretty reasonable- $200 for photography session time up to one hour + best 30-35 softcopy + 2 pieces of 8R prints

i reached the studio on time with a just-get-over-and-done-with attitude in basic makeup, plain black tee, shorts & flip flops. can tell Benjamin is surprised that i didn't bother to bring any extra clothing to change for a variety of looks. before we started shooting, he asked if we already have some idea of the type of shots we would like to have. hubby & i don’t have anything in mind so we leave it to Benjamin to guide us on the poses. i felt awkward to expose my watermelon belly in front of another guy initially. but he was professional & i kind of loosened up after a couple of shoots. can’t help to laugh whenever the husband has to do cheesy poses like kissing & hugging my belly. the most challenging part was to get our dogs to cooperate but Benjamin was really nice & patient. he show us the photos from his camera & i can’t believe how big my belly is getting. it’s just so funny to see it in photos.

waiting for the photographer

Benjamin setting up for the next scene shoot with rose petals

the session lasted about 1.5 hours. i was a little tired from the standing but over all, it was a relaxing & enjoyable photography experience. we had fun as it reminded us of our wedding photo shoot taken five years ago. the photos will be ready for selection in a week's time. hope they will turn out good!

Longest day ever

2011-07-14T22:12:00.010+08:00

i thought i felt better so i went back to my office to clearsome pending stuff even though i’m still on MC today. who knows after i stepped out of the house, the baby somehow moved to aposition where he put all his weight on my pelvic bone. the pain was so unbearable that i could hardly walk. i wasperspiring in pain by the time i make it to the office.

felt better after some rest but got kind of moody when mycolleagues took turns to ask me how I was feeling. a few volunteered to getlunch for me. i apologized to my manager for taking frequent leave & MCrecently but she told me not to worry about it as baby is more important. i wasoverwhelmed by all the concern & almost teared. had lunch swiftly & left theoffice for my dental & manicure/pedicure appointment at Raffles Place. i was supposed to meet up Jing Xuan for dinner but the pain in my pelvic areaforced me to cancel it. cabbed home & slept the evening away.

hubby is onnight shift so i’m home alone with the dogs now. without them accompanying me, i think i would have sunk into prenatal depression easily...

A relaxing Tuesday

2011-07-12T19:58:00.022+08:00

2.5 hours. the waiting time for appointment with Dr. Ho is really power. did a follow-up on cervical measurement & it has shortened by 2mm over two weeks. this raise a concern 'cos as mentioned previously, a sign of cervical shortening before the 34th week can result in preterm labour. so we decided to take up the injections to mature the baby's lungs, just in case he decides to come out before week 37. meanwhile, i am advised to reduce physical activity as much as possible. if my cervix continue to shorten, i will have to be bedridden. other than that, everything else seems good. my placenta is no longer low-lying. baby is currently weighing at a healthy 2.27kg, with his head diameter measuring at 86mm.

did some light shopping at Tanglin Mall after the husband & i left Mt. Alvernia. The Regent Hotel is a stone's throw away so we decided to go for high tea. we ordered the English Afternoon Tea Set at $36++ per pax. yup, i know it's pretty expensive to spend over $36 on a afternoon tea. but what's life without a little indulgence? the feeling of sipping a cup of freshly brewed tea while enjoying a leisure afternoon with my loved one is pure bliss ♥

mini sandwiches + freshly baked scones/pastries/cakes on a 3-tier dessert stand + a fresh pot of tea

i have been trying to avoid the camera lenses as much as possible ever since i am preggy. i even went to the extreme of 'warning' my friends not to tag me on Facebook :p but i'm in a good mood today so here is a random collage of myself to end off this post. shall go for a short nap now. got to wake up at 12 midnight later for the second painful injection at the hospital... glad i am on MC tomorrow!

see! i have proven that 'mother with a widen nose during pregnancy means she is carrying a boy' is not a myth! >_<

Random mumbles

2011-07-10T17:18:00.012+08:00

there are a couple of random stuff i wanted to blog about recently but i kept putting it off due to hectic workload & erm, laziness. after getting an iPad, i hardly turn on my MacBook at home. with so little time left in my pregnancy, it's high time i stop procrastinating & pen down my thoughts before i pop next month.

met up with a couple of poly mates for dinner a few Fridays ago. i've not seen them for eight years so there was a lot of catching up to do. Yuting is doing good at an auditor firm now; Jack is a father of two adorable boys; Caroline is preparing for her year-end wedding; Mei Yi just came back from a long holiday while Amos is busy with his masters course. the differences in our lives makes me wonder will i still be what i am now if i had stayed on for my second & third year at Singapore Poly back then.

i’m currently in my 33rd weeks now. going through the third trimester is a lot tougher than i thought. back pain, swollen legs, itchy skin & sleepless nights is taking its toll on me. i feel like i've just run a marathon when i've only climbed a flight of stairs. i have yet to get to birth & parenting but the pregnancy process alone makes me understand what people really means when they say mothers are noble.

hubby & i made a major decision to switch my delivery venue from TMC to Mt. Alvernia after we went for the hospital tours two weeks ago. Dr. Phyllis doesn't deliver at Mt. Alvernia so i made a last minute change of gynae as well. no offence to people who delivered at TMC but we find the hospital too small & commercialized. i had enough of their stupid parking system too. so we are really happy that changes can still be made even though i am in my last trimester.

a measurement of my cervix length was done during my first consultation with Dr. Ho. he seems more professional & understand my concern about preterm labour since i had done a surgery that has a chance of weakening the cervix three years ago. the previous gynae did mentioned about doing the measurement when i was at week 20 but she never did. don’t know if she had forgotten or simply just couldn’t be bothered about it. anyway, my cervix length is currently at 22mm, which is shorter that the standard 25mm measurement. a follow-up has to be done during the next check-up. if it gets shorter than 22mm, i might have to consider taking up a jab to strengthen & increase the growth of the baby’s lungs. otherwise, the chances of him surviving will decrease if he is born before week 37.

my life has been rather mundane other than the occasional dinner gatherings with friends. weekdays is all about work while weekends is the only time for the husband i to do couple things like movies, brunch, high tea & shopping together. i really can’t wait to go on another holiday soon… but for now, our next major plan will be to get our own car next year. i dig out my license & realized it was issued in July 2003. this means i have not touch the steering wheel for eight years! to regain my confidence on the road, i will sign up for the refresher driving course after my confinement period in October.

another four weeks to my 3.5 months maternity leave.. can’t wait man!!!

Belly laughs

2011-06-17T11:48:00.001+08:00

The balloon stage

2011-06-13T14:58:00.004+08:00

i'm officially into my last trimester. another 74 days to go! little Jayvier is currently weighing at 1.3kg. his fluttering has begun to be more active with kicks & punches every other hour. old friends like heartburn, constipation, insomia & fatigue are back... i can't walk for too long without having sore legs & backaches. like most of the mummies-to-be out there, i am having mixed feelings at this final stage. a part of me can't wait for D-day to arrive while the other part of me is feeling nervous about what actual labour will be like. the only way i can cope with those pre-birth nerves is to try to focus on the joy of seeing my baby for the first time.

we started our prenatal class last Saturday. the first topic covered was on nutrition which was a bit dry. but i quite enjoyed myself during the exercise segment. it's fun to see couples sitting face-to-face practicing the breathing techniques together. i like the self-introduction part too as the husbands were asked to do it on their wives' behalf. it's interesting to see how much they know about their wives' pregnancy, answering questions like how many weeks pregnant, the EDD, our discomfort, cravings & etc. seeing a mummy who attended the class alone, i am really glad that hubby make the effort to be with me for every lesson.

oh gosh, it's only 3pm now. how i wish i could go home & nap the day away...

Dogs and baby

2011-06-08T15:24:00.004+08:00

a lot have been asking what is going to happen to our furkids when our newborn arrives. some suggested to isolate them at a pet hotel for the first few weeks; a few commented i should send the dogs away as their hair will cause asthma or breathing difficulties towards babies who have sensitive nose. despite all the negative advice, we've never thought of abandoning Donut & Brownie. for the past four years, they have bring a lot of joy to our family. without them, our house will be very empty with just me and the husband. of course i will be concern about my baby's health but, there is a fine line between responsible parenting and overprotective parenting. take myself for example, i didn't grow up in an environment with dogs & cats. but still, i had asthma when i was a kid & sinus when i was a teenager. so having said that, i am sure the dogs & Javyier will get along fine. it will be lovely to see how happy they will be with the new addition to our family. Brownie is three years old now but is still actiing like a little puppy- asking for hugs everytime & whine when thunder strikes. we hope she is aware that she won't be the baby in the house for long...

little puppy smiling in her sleep...

My top 10 hate list

2011-05-27T21:42:00.005+08:00

1. Alarm clock

2. Credit card bills

3. Waking up early for WORK

4. Non-responsive remote control

5. People who stand on the right side of the escalator

6. Price tag/label that will leave behind a stubborn sticky residue

7. When an item I ordered from a restaurant menu is not available

8. People who drag their shoes while walking, especially in the office!

9. Moviegoers who chew popcorn like animals & talk in the cinema theatre

10. Friends who 'like' every single comment on Facebook. Even the one about your dying pet.

Week 26

2011-05-20T16:54:00.007+08:00

my ~~waist~~ bump is currently measuring at 39" & i've gained 10kg. i can't fit into most of my dresses & bottoms anymore. my wedding band is starting to get a bit too tight for my fat finger as well. my feet are swollen & the inevitable stretchmarks have appear on my bowling ball belly. every part of my body is expanding now but i'm trying not to think too much about the the horrendous weight gain. i need to constantly remind myself that there is a beautiful reason my body is changing. i am not fat, i am growing a baby!

that's a random photo of the husband pressing his ears against my stomach. he enjoys doing that & will touch my belly every now & then to listen to Jayvier's heartbeat/movement. i've always thought that he seems nonchalant about the pregnancy until recently i realized he has been taking care of every little thing that matters. with him around, i never have to worry about clearing the litter tray, feeding our pets on time or the cleanliness in the house.

for that, i am really thankful =)

Crazy deal!

2011-04-26T10:16:00.001+08:00

SIA slashes airfares to Japan again

Tour agencies hopeful that airline's promotion will lure wary travellers back; low fare comes with strings attached.

SIA has slashed its all-inclusive economy airfare to Japan to $398, from a peak of $1,380, say travel agents.

This offer is good for travel to Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka and Nagoya from now until the end of next month.

The halfway mark

2011-04-11T23:56:00.002+08:00

had my 20-week anomaly scan on Saturday. it's official, we are going to have a boy!

the little penis

the sonographer patiently pointed out what we were looking at at every stage which helped us decipher the blurs. it was really cute seeing our baby moving around & feeling it at the same time. there was one point where we could cleary see the hands & fingers, as if the baby is waving & saying 'hi' to us. he's currently a bit on the big side, weighing at 345g (chuckles). we are glad that everything is normal except that my placenta's position is slightly low. Dr. Liauw ask me not to worry for now as it doesn't have to be a problem. many women start out with a low-lying placenta but as the baby and the placenta grow, it will sort of migrates away from the cervix. the only thing i can do now is to wait & return for a later scan at week 32 to check if the placenta has moved.

hubby & i spent some time together going through Isabelle's "40,000 Baby Names" book. we were torn between 'Jarrell' & 'Javier' initially. after hubby decided on 'Javier', i did some googling & realized that it has the same pronounciation as 'Xavier'. that made us change our minds again.

our final decision- Jayvier Tang

the little boy has been moving around a lot the past few days. his constant wriggling makes me wonder what he's up to most of the time. think i will definitely miss the feeling of him squirming around after he's out of my tummy. dear little Jayvier, pls continue to grow well now & feel free to remind mummy that you are there!

Nakata's charity football game

2011-04-10T14:30:00.007+08:00

i was elated to know Hidetoshi Nakata (中田英寿) is coming to Singapore for a charity match & gala dinner. for those who don't know who Nataka is, he is one of the most famous Asian footballers of his generation from Japan. after the 2006 World Cup in Germany, he retired from the world of professional football at age of 29. he is now a fashion icon, regularly attending runway shows and wearing designer fashion.

the perfect package: hot face + killer bod *wipes drool from chin*

the gala dinner ticket was ridiculously priced at $500/pax. he's really hot but i am sensible enough not to anyhow spend money like that. hubby took off from work & accompanied me to queue for the football tickets last Thursday at Jurong East stadium. sales start at 2pm but there was already a queue forming when we reached at 1:45pm. we didn't managed to get the grandstand tickets as they were sold out witihn a few minutes. the VIP ticket at $200/pax is way too expensive so we bought a pair of backstand (gallery) tickets instead. before we left the stadium, hubby spotted a Nakata-lookalike which made my heart skip a beat. i burst out laughing when he turned his face around.

帽牌货！

the Albirex Niigata (Japan) vs S.League All Stars match was held at Jalan Besar stadium at 5pm last Saturday. we reached an hour earlier & were able to see the players warming up at the field. i didn't bring a binoculours but i was happy enough to be able to catch a clear glimpse of Nakata with my 14x zoom compact camera.

Jalan Besar Stadium

very cute mini cheerleaders

the most charming man on the pitch

*drools again*

very bad that they didn't turn around for the backstand audience

Nakata the captain flashing his killer smile

so near yet so far!

since it was just a charity game, the players were relaxed but the score is happening- 7:2! as you can see from the photos, my eyes were fixed on Nakata throughout the 90-minutes match. if the little one in my stomach now is a boy boy, i hope he will grow up to look as handsome as the sexy ex-Japanese football player. ^^

It's just not my day

2011-04-07T14:13:00.016+08:00

after i sms my manager that i will be 15 minutes late for work today, i happily posted that on twitter while i was waiting for the train to arrive at Pioneer station. i thought i can still make it for work on time when it was only 8:50am at Tiong Bahru station. who knows the train became stationary for the next 15 minutes at the tunnel before Outram Park station. i'm glad i was seated 'cos those standing (especially ladies in heels) started to make the "tsk tsk tsk" sound. the cabin's ventilation was bad as it was sardine-packed with passengers. the stupid annoucement that was made every 5 minutes- 'This train will be delayed for a short while due to a train fault ahead. We apologize for the inconvenience caused', only made everyone more fustrated. i think SMRT needs to go back to school to learn the definition of 'a short while'. to me, anything more than 10 minutes is considered long.

half an hour later, there was a commotion a few foot away from where i was seated. a lady fainted & the emergency button was pressed. but as the train was stuck in the middle of a tunnel, there was nothing SMRT staff could do other than to lower the cabin's aircon temperature. my medicated oil became her saviour but her face was really pale when she woke up. the train started to move slowly after 30 minutes. overall, it took me 2 hours to reach my office, imagine that! it's understandable that machines do break down but unforgivable that it took more than an hour to solve the problem. over 17,000 communters were affected by this disruption & 2 were sent to the hospital due to heart attack & chest discomfort. SMRT sucks!

Carol's wedding

2011-03-31T22:50:00.011+08:00

First 2nd trimester ultrasound

2011-03-28T12:09:00.003+08:00

fetus lying on the right side, with the spine clearly seen

seeing our baby on the screen every month is a wonderful event. we are happy to know that he/she is growing well- measuring at 13cm from crown to rump. sleeping in such a uncooperative position, the gender remains a mystery. my in-laws were anxious but too bad, we will only be able to tell it's a boy or girl during the detailed scan two weeks later.

meanwhile, i'm so glad that the unpleasant early pregnancy symptoms have eased off. i'm gradually regaining my energy & nausea only strikes when my stomach feels empty. new symptoms like nasal congestion, leg cramp, clumsiness, dizziness, heartburn & constipation are thank Buddha, more bearable. i am not able to feel the baby moving yet though there were a few times i felt butterflies fluttering at the left side of my abdominal area. as this is my first pregnancy, Dr. Liauw says i should be able to feel the movements when i'm in week 20 onwards.

sad to say, one of the most noticeable changes will be my body size. my total weight gain to this point should be 4.5 to 5.8kg but i have gained 7 kg so far. FML. i still have more than half of my pregnancy ahead so guess i really ought to watch what i eat now. else i will be in trouble as gaining more than the recommended weight may result in difficult/cesarean delivery. the worst part is the extra pounds will be hard to lose afterwards.

i thought i will blog more to record my pregnancy milestones but it turn out otherwise. besides being lazy, there were no noteworthy events for me to pen down recently. in the last quarter of 2011, i foresee it will be a challenging period for hubby & i. our baby will arrive in August & our flat will be eligible for sales in October. we plan to upgrade to a condo in the west or downgrade to a 4-room flat in the central area. with an additional member in the family, we will have to come out with a financially workable plan before making any compulsive decision.

for now, we are trying to relax as much as we can when the weekends arrive. after the baby pops out, we will not be able to go for shopping, movies & fine dinings as often as we want to. my only desire now is to go for a babymoon before my third trimester. i will be contented with somewhere near like Malasyia, Hong Kong or Taiwan. but it happens that hubby will be busy preparing for his last term exams in May & we need to attend pre-natal classes in June. so it may not be feasible after all. i am wondering when will i be able to go on a holiday again... time flies & there are times i will think to myself, am I really about to become a mother???

Taken during Sato's farewell dinner

2011-03-14T15:23:00.003+08:00

I'm officially 30!

2011-02-19T00:25:00.000+08:00

Sweet surprise from a BFF at work

2011-02-18T23:19:00.001+08:00

Boy or girl?

2011-02-09T14:44:00.001+08:00

i'm still contemplating whether i should inform my gynae to keep the baby's gender from us during the detailed scanning in April. i thought it will be interesting to only find out at the very last minute- until the baby pops out. but everyone is anxious which influence me greatly. meanwhile, i have a few baby names in mind already.

for boy boy
=========
- Rex (Origin: Latin, Meaning: king)
- Ethan (Origin: Hebrew, Meaning: strong, firm)
- Jacob (Origin: Hebrew, Meaning: the supplanter)
- Jake (Origin: Hebrew, Meaning: form of JACOB - the supplanter)

for girl girl
=========
- Paige (Origin: French, Meaning: Assistant)
- Eva (Origin: Hebrew, Meaning: Form of EVE. life)
- Liz / Lizz (Origin: Hebrew, Meaning: God is my oath)

i can't make up my mind so i'll most probably leave the decision to the husband. as for his/her Chinese name, hubby plans to seek the services of an astrologer by using our baby's 八字. he believes that a suitable name can improve the luck of the child and give the child a more auspicious life path. i am generally not a superstitious person but i hope hubby's belief is right this time.

I am getting this!

2011-02-08T14:54:00.004+08:00

CNY 2011

2011-02-06T20:35:00.007+08:00

this year's CNY is somewhat different with a little one inside me. my tummy is beginning to show as i'm entering into the second trimester. my weight gain is scary- 4kg over a month!! (wails) a few relatives were able to tell before we share the pregnancy news. many were curious about our baby's gender, which makes me kind of anxious too. hubby prefer a girl, while i am hoping for a boy. but of course, girl/boy doesn't matter as long as he/she is healthy. we are glad the scan done last week was good. the fetus is growing normally & we get to see the little hands & feet. ^^

i had a good rest during the holidays. other than visitings, we spent some good quality time with our families & went to places like RWS & airport. pregnancy fatigue is a killer... my feet were almost numb after a 1km-walk along the new boardwalk to Sentosa. i'm so looking forward for the symptoms to subside so that i can regain all my energy soon. another few more days to go!

Week 8

2011-01-17T17:20:00.001+08:00

my lifestyle has changed ever since my pregnancy symptoms came. i no longer have the mood/energy to do shopping & meet up with friends after work. my weekends have become very unhealthy too. i'll wake up at 9am, have breakfast, nap for 2 hours, have lunch, nap again, have dinner, movie, and then supper. eat & sleep plays a big part of my life now. what's worse is the nausea gets really bad this week. whenever i starts to feel hungry (every 3 hours), i'll feel like throwing up. train rides are a torture when i try to hold back my puke everytime.

having said all that, i'm hoping to enjoy my pregnancy as much as i can. my colleagues noticed the tired look on my face & a few can tell that i'm preggy. i'm trying hard not to skip work but getting up from bed in the morning has become a very difficult task for me. the only thing i can do now is to pray hard for the fatigue & morning sickness to subside by the end of my first trimester.

Spilling the baby beans at work

2011-01-14T22:35:00.006+08:00

i was forced to announce my pregnancy to the Japanese bosses when they told me i was selected for the IOT program in Tokyo this year. IOT here stands for Inter Office Trainee. it's a one-week course held once/twice per year in Tokyo Training Center. one/two representative staff from each dept will be selected to attend workshops on Trade Finance/Legal Compliance/Risk Management & etc with other Sumitomo staff around the globe.

i was very upset initially when i have to reject the offer as the training will be held during my maternity leave. (best timing. *PUI!*) but i managed to get over it after some thoughts. everything happens for a reason so there's no use for me to harp on issues that are not within my control. although i was skeptical when my manager told me he will reserve next year's slot for me, i do hope that i will have the chance to go Japan again next year.

The little heartbeat @ week 7

2011-01-08T23:03:00.005+08:00

i was pretty nervous before the ultrasound 'cos if all goes well, i should be able to see the baby's heartbeat today.

the baby is still an embryo because it has the remains of a small tail.

i was able to see a small flicker when Dr. Phyllis magnified the embryo.

she then called for daddy & we get to listen to the baby's heartbeat together.

both hubby & i have never heard something like that before.

it's like a loud drum beating twice per second.

our feelings were indescribable then....

it's just so amazing!

Here comes the symptoms

2011-01-07T14:58:00.000+08:00

bloating
insomia
dizziness
sore breasts
tight clothes
extreme fatigue
24-hour nausea
frequent urination
hunger pangs every three hours

that's what i have been experiencing recently... just last week, i did not notice any other changes apart from my missed period. of all the above pregnancy signs, the nausea feeling aka morning sickness is the most dreadful. why they named it 'morning sickness' when it actually occurs throughout the day? on the other hand, i have read that it's actually a good sign 'cos feeling nauseous shows that your pregnancy hormone levels are high. which means, lower miscarriage rates. so, i should count my blessings! ^^

looking forward to my second gynae visit tomorrow.

Closing thoughts on 2010

2010-12-31T13:33:00.006+08:00

time for a summary! read through my blog entries & realized i've not written much for the entire year...

January - last wisdom tooth extracted

February - Bangkok trip

March - Jam Hsiao's Mr Rock concert

April - MayDay's DNA concert

May - Show Luo's 舞法舞天concert

July - Jay Chou's 跨时代 concert

August - Hokkaido trip

September - first Singapore Grand Prix experience

November - our furkids' first swim

December - positive pregnancy test result

overall, 2010 has been a not-so-great year. i have no idea what lies ahead but i reckon 2011 will be another challenging year for me. my one & only resolution is to get myself back into the pink of health. i hope the new year will be a wonderful year for everyone.

Zoya turns 3 !

2010-12-30T22:51:00.001+08:00

It's the happiest time of the year

2010-12-25T23:54:00.001+08:00

the X'mas party with my colleagues was held at Lingling & Alan's house. just like the past few years, the party turned out to be more like a gathering for kids. this year, i picked Boon's name (again!) for the gift-exchange & his gift is something which i need & like very much- a red Nalgene water bottle. other than that, i've received many gifts from my lovely colleagues & friends. Christmas is indeed a wonderful season of ~~spending~~ giving & receiving!

First prenatal visit at TMC

2010-12-21T21:44:00.003+08:00

hubby & i decided not to go back to Gleneagles anymore. i got the new gynae's contact from my colleague, Isabelle instead. so other than my husband, Isabelle was the first to know about my pregnancy. this time round, i've decided to keep it from the rest until the baby is stable at the second trimester. calculating from my last menses date, i should be about six weeks pregnant by now. i thought if all goes well, the baby's heartbeat could probably be detected during my prenatal visit today.

Dr. Phyllis is a nice doctor. she listened to my medical history patiently- from my cone biopsy operation in 2008, to the miscarriage in September. my heart was thumping loud when the transvaginal ultrasound was done. a small sac was seen & judging from its size, i'm only around five weeks pregnant. a blood test was done & duphaston were prescribed until my next appointment two weeks later.

i didn't really had a very pleasant experience at TMC today. the aircon temperature of the entire hospital was really cold. i was shivering most of the time even though i was in long sleeves. during the blood test, i got pricked twice. the first nurse couldn't do it properly & unprofessionally asked her colleague to try pricking me for the second time. and when i finally thought we can leave the hospital for our very late lunch, we have to wait fifteen minutes for our car from the valet parking service.

i hope it's just my bad day today & things will be better during my next visit on 8th January 2011.

Surprised the husband with a little news today...

2010-12-19T13:05:00.012+08:00

Casino Royale 2010

2010-12-05T16:34:00.002+08:00

that's the theme for my company's D&D this year. it was a little different from the past D&Ds as i was seated with most of the new colleagues that night. Shirlene, Olive & i didn't bring our partners along so we were together most of the time. the highlight of the night was the "One Moment of Glory" programme whereby our fellow colleagues presented a dancing/singing/drama performance on stage. luck was with me & i won the lucky draw 11th prize- a 32" Sharp Aquos LCD TV & $400 shopping vouchers. it's a fun night overall. i wish i have taken more photos with other colleagues though, especially with those from Sumitomo.

the sexy organizing committee- Maggie, Shi Hui, Christine, Ching Ee

with Shirlene & Olive

S.O.S. with Sandra & Ivy

with Obata & Joyce

S.O.S. with Nicholas & Moo Hee

Miu Miu-inspired nails

2010-12-01T11:59:00.012+08:00

met Clara Hwang for the first time for acrylic nail extensions. her looks is as cool as her biolography- the only Nailist in Singapore certified by Japan Nail Association. after browsing through her nail templates, i decided on this unique Miu Miu-inspired design:

in less than an hour, Clara effortlessly painted the swallows & did crystal stick-ons on the my fresh, long arcylic nails. i'm so impressed by her professionalism!

her cosy workstation

love my bling bling nails!

Another bo liao yet fun app

2010-11-30T11:46:00.002+08:00

Virgin swim

2010-11-27T23:00:00.001+08:00

yesterday was our 4th wedding anniversary & we took the day off from work again. we decided to bring our furkids for a swim in the morning. they went crazy whinning the moment they saw us bringing out the leashes, as if to say "yeah!!! we are going out!!!!!!!!!!". Brownie even left a long bruised scratch mark on my thigh from being too excited. well, that's what happened when we don't bring the doggies out often.

Club 4 Paws is located near Yew Tee MRT station. it's a one-stop station for dog daycare, exercising, swimming, grooming & boarding service. its small compound & pool facility are open for members only. membership fee cost $40 per annum per dog. hubby feels that it's kind of unreasonable for them to charge the membership by per dog, instead of by per owner. we will have to bring the dogs there on a frequent basis in order to make their memberships fee worthwhile.

our timid dogs did not enjoy swimming as much as we thought they will. we have to place them in the pool by ourselves & they will swim straight to the steps the moment they entered the cold water.

their cute expression is priceless

the doggies were dead tired by the time we reached home in the afternoon... we hope they will have more fun & able to jump into the pool by themselves during their next swimming session.