Collation of Natalie's recent works. She has a story line for each piece. And she wrote a secret letter on how worried she was for us on a day that was raining heavily and she was hoping that we had brought an umbrella along and that daddy picked me up in his car... such a sweet sweet child.
Big brother at 3.5 yrs wanted to turn back time and dress like the baby. . So here goes. ..
Felt strong abdomen pain this morning at 09:10. Somewhat like wind in the stomach, the diarrhea kind of pain. It went away after 5 to 10 minutes. I suspect contraction... Baby may be ready to see the world today!
Good that I am scheduled to see the gynae at 10:00. Been placed on the machine that measures uterine contractions. A belt is wrapped around your waist and attached to a machine called a tocodynamometer. The other belt is placed at the base of the belly to monitor baby's heart rate.
Natanael has been really active this morning. Moving aggressively throughout the process. Am now waiting to see the gynae.. may be false alarm too....
Part 2
Ok it was false alarm. Baby has no intention to come today. He is estimated at 2.8kg at 38 wks and 4 days. Gained a whopping 200g from ice cream over the past days. Doc was surprised at the rate of weight gained and did a couple of checks before giving her estimate. I too was surprised by the heaviness of the baby... despite myself losing weight from 67.4 to 67.2kg. No wonder i feel that Waddling takes more effort now and I literally walk like a duck the way I swayed and has a tendency to trip over since Centre of gravity has shifted to the front!
This morning the papa woke up declaring that he has a feeling that Natanael will be out today.
Lol well I am left with another 5 hours before the day ends. ..Perhaps he may be right, but totally not feeling contractions today.
Kids kept me busy the whole day as unlike last couple of peace and alone days at home, the bus arrangement to my place starts today.
Me being a poor disciplinarian totally messed up their routine. First Nathan transformed back to the sticky mode so everything is mummy here mummy there. " I want my mummy. .. I want you! .. Where are you mummy! " Sigh he made me work so hard . . No time for couch potato-ing at all.
Natalie was also distracted. Didnt want to do her Homework after lunch.. but at least she practiced her piano!
Next couple of weeks are gonna be a huge challenge!!!
Baby has been having hiccups regularly and I could feel it Almost everyday! It makes me worry if it's something I ate or poor blood flow... Or is he having a slight seizure? Rhythms can be fast and over a stretched period... then he'll twist and turn... and eventually hiccups stops. Gynae said baby's diagnostics seems normal and my worries may be unfounded as Hiccups for an unborn baby are completely normal. Done some research and found this:-
According to baby Centre, When your baby hiccups, it will feel like a small spasm in your belly. Hiccups will generally feel distinct from other sorts of movements. Some babies will not hiccup at all while still in the womb, while others may hiccup several times a day every day.
Hiccups in your unborn baby are just a fetal reflex that is remarkably similar to our own. Only the more mature fetuses will hiccup, as hiccups rely on the development of the central nervous system. Some experts think that hiccups in utero is a response to fetal drinking or fetal breathing, which causes the flow of amniotic fluid in and out of the lungs, stimulating the diaphragm to contract.
Hiccups in unborn babies do not seem to cause the same discomfort as it does in adults. Some research even suggests that hiccups are actually soothing to your baby, and help to relieve a variety of pressures on his growing lungs and organs. It is also fairly common for newborns to get cases of the hiccups.
Hopefully baby is ok. Can't wait to see him in my arms!!
Am in my last couple of weeks before delivery and with the pelvic pain that's getting unbearable. .. Boss had suggested that I work from home instead! Am so happy that I don't have to worry about water bag bursting in office and rushing down to the hospital! My staff were worried that I may deliver in the office given that the stomach looks really low now. At least I don't have to waste my maternity leave before birth! In fact working from home is more efficient in my case so I can concentrate on writing the RC papers when kids are away at school. ☺ without distraction from calls and colleagues or long lunches!
Too bad he rejected my request for 6 months maternity and counter offered return in 3 months instead.. i will minimally require 4 months. But of course I can work from home if he is agreeable. So envious of my friends who took 1 year out to spend time with family. .. think I should join the govt sector in my next move! Lol
Pics of the kids on day 1 .. wonder if didi will have similar resemblance! Mood wise...am feeling more chirpy than Nathan's pregnancy.. less grouchy or domineering as some calls it. However with physical aches and pain that comes with age..it may have affected my mood as well..=) not sure if this is correlated though... but food wise I seem to love cold beverages esp soda water, chocolate ice-cream, red meat that has loads of fat.. smell of satay. . Didnt exactly like the taste but definitely liked that burnt scent.. and roti prata especially at 2nd trimester!
The extent of fatherly love and competitiveness in getting a child into a prestigious school...ouch 2 weeks of jail term ... For lying about his residential address .... something that he could have avoided if he has dutifully evicted the tenants and physically moved in as an occupant. .. Or perhaps that was not intended at all. And never would he imagine MOE to carry out due diligence and conducted a house visit to ensure compliance. I was surprised the government had the manpower to do so.
According to the straits times in 2007, a lawyer was sentenced for 11 months for forging and lying about his residential address. For providing false information to a public servant, jail term could be up to a year or fine of $5k or both.
Extracted from Channelnewsasia -
"A self-employed man who lied about where he lived to get his daughter enrolled in a prestigious primary school was sentenced to two weeks' jail.
The 35-year-old, who cannot be named to protect his daughter's identity, is appealing against the sentence. He pleaded guilty last month to giving false information to the school's principal on Jul 30, 2013. He also told authorities that he lived within one to two kilometres of the school instead of at his actual address at Balestier Road.
The address the man stated in the application forms was for a property leased to an American national who is renting the unit from his uncle's sister until Apr 2016.
The false information secured his daughter a place at the school. She was reportedly still enrolled in the school when the man was charged on Mar 27 last year. The matter was brought to light in December 2013 when the Ministry of Education (MOE) visited what was purportedly the man's house.
Defence lawyer Ramesh Tiwary urged the court to impose only a fine as the man was a "law-abiding citizen" with a clean record. He added that his client had genuinely intended to move into the address, as stated in the application, but was unable to do so because he could not contact the tenant.
MOE said it will decide on a course of action "in due course" with regard to the student, adding that the school will ensure her well-being. "
According to webmed, Salt Is Bad for the Bone!
Salt can pose a great obstacle to a sturdy skeleton. Research has found that postmenopausal women with a high-salt diet lose more bone minerals than other women of the same age.
"The salt content of the typical American diet is one of the reasons why calcium requirements are so high," says Linda K. Massey, PhD, RD, a professor of human nutrition at Washington State University in Spokane. Studies show that regular table salt, not simply sodium, causes calcium loss, weakening bones with time. That’s important because Americans get about 90% of our sodium through salt.
We also get about twice as much sodium as we should. The 2005 Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise limiting sodium to 2,300 milligrams a day – equal to a teaspoon of salt. But most Americans get at least 4,000 milligrams a day.
Getting the recommended amounts of calcium and vitamin D every day helps offset bone loss from salt.
Adults up to age 50 require 1,000 milligrams of calcium daily -- the equivalent of three 8-ounce glasses of milk.Older adults need 1,200 milligrams of daily calcium – about half a glass more of milk.
As for vitamin D:
People need 200 International Units (IU) of vitamin D a day until age 50.Adults need 400 IU of vitamin D from the ages of 51 to 70 years.Seniors need 600 IU of vitamin D a day after age 70.
Good sources of vitamin D are natural sunlight and from fortified milk, egg yolks, saltwater fish, liver, and supplements.
If you think you can’t lower your salt sufficiently, eat plenty of potassium-rich foods, such as bananas, tomatoes, and orange juice. Potassium may help decrease the loss of calcium.
I will avoid salt intake at all cost during confinement since bone structure at pelvic is already weak to begin with.
The pain worsened as I had 2 near slip incidents recently. Almost tripped over the carpet at office and skidded over spill that I wanted to clean up yesterday. At 38 weeks pregnant, I can't afford a fall. Felt my bone stiffened under the weight and pressure of baby as I can hardly turn myself in bed without agony.
Getting out of bed takes at least 10 minutes each day and worse If I have to crawl from floor level up as the kids insist on sleeping with me. Well I obliged as I can't be doing this during confinement and they jolly well do not want to share a room with me since I will be perspiring from the unbearable heatwave without the luxury of an aircon.
Felt like I am the most negligent mummy in the world today. Natalie was running through my cosmetic kit and I have totally forgotten about the danger of the brow shaper. I got distracted by Nathan who needed to use the toilet and the curious little girl went through my things and decided to remove the cover of the blade. This made a relative deep cut on the side of her pinky.
The brave little soul did not cry. .. she meekly asked for help. And first thing she told me was "Dont worry mummy it's only a little pain. I just need to wash away the blood. " My heart sank when i saw the wound! Her palm was filled with blood! I placed her hand under water. I got Chris to bring the iodine. It stinged her. But she did not cry . In fact she said, "don't panic mummy. .. It's a bit pain but I am alright. Just breathe. .." I was so impressed with her calmness. She saw the fear in me and tried to take charge of the situation.
Nathan too acted bravely and reminded himself not to play with sharp objects. He kissed her jie jie and told her to rest well in order for the pain to go away.
I am so grateful to Jehovah for the 2 wonderful and supportive little ones that he had blessed us with. The negligent mummy would rather that she be hurt than to watch either of them suffer from sickness or pain. ^sob sob^
Needed a refresher and found this site.
http://m.kidshealth.org/parent/pregnancy_center/newborn_care/guide_parents.html
..... brought my memory back on how to care for an infant.
Found a site that provided the following list of confinement ingredients for new mothers and everyone else in the family:-
Abalone for its protein and vitamin E
Angelica (dang gui) to enhance blood circulation
Black fungus to cleanse the arteries
Black vinegar to purify the blood
Blueberries as they are rich in antioxidants
Chestnuts to invigorate and resolve irritability
Chicken to improve mood
Chinese wolfberry to nourish liver, kidneys and eyes
Dark-coloured beans for being rich in fibre and folate
Dried longan to promote restful sleep
Eucommia bark (du zhong) for the kidneys, sinews, and bones
Eggs to nourish the body and complexion
Fish, especially salmon, as a source of protein and Omega-3 fats
Lean beef as it is rich in iron, for energy
Low-fat dairy products as a source of calcium
Old ginger to warm the body
Polygonum (he shou wu) to prevent hair loss
Red dates to improve energy and calm the mind
Sesame oil for being rich in vitamin E, iron and calcium
Turmeric for its antibiotic and anti-inflammatory properties
At 37 weeks and I could tell that the bump had shifted much lower today. Baby seems less aggressive in terms of his movements, probably due to the lack of space. I am worried about the umbilical cord getting around his neck...gynae said no use worrying about such things. I have to focus on nesting and complete my work before delivery.
I have one last Remuneration Committee paper on long term incentive share plans to draft before I can kick back and relax. Trying to delay this till next week since daddy is away in Jarkarta and i really don't want anyone else other than him to be in the delivery Ward. Have asked my mum to be the back up just in case.. but she being a kan cheong spider kept asking me for driving directions and painted scenarios of how the taxis are hard to call at her area or worse if she is outside and how they may take her for a spin and ended up late at the hospital. I think if I am the driver and given directions by her who is a nondriver..I may go mad with her instructions. So yeah the chat turned into a mini argument but well she is now equipped with the hospital address and my ic no. She may get there at around the same time as me ... I hope. Farni thing is like all elderly folks she is more concerned about making sure that the baby don't end up in the wrong hands and play the role of a Guardian than cheerleader who will rara me on as I huff and puff over each contraction. And yes I didn't even attempt to broach the subject on photo taking and how to use the SLR camera or the camera phone. Guess everything has to be placed aside if baby decides to come when daddy is not around. .. keeping fingers crossed that I do not have to cross this Bridge anytime soon.
Yes so i will continue to keep the last paper aside until Chris gets home. .. Wouldn't want Natalie's scenario to repeat.... Since she came at 36 weeks on the first day of my annual leave where we were planned a short drive to Legends resort at JB for couple of nights stay as a solitude pair before the arrival of the baby. I even saw the gynae the day before to seek assurance since it was my first delivery. Well things didn't end up as planned and we ended up taking the drive to the hospital instead. Glad that we were not stuck in JB or at the customs when my contractions happened. Doctor said baby could sense the body relaxing and wanted to come out and play. Either way, natalie was the first baby who had to make her eat back her words despite her years of experience as a senior consultant. So yes we kinda left a deep impression and with Nathan doc took the Conservative mode. Advised maternity leave at 38 weeks. Well again he didnt come till 41 weeks and 3 days... and had to be induced as a result! Again... we have every right to " remove her 招牌"- exact words said by the gynae.
Third baby with Doctor Watt and she gave me 5 days of mc following the long cny holidays for bad pelvic pain- symphysis pubis dysfunction as I had experience acute pain at pubic area due to weight and pressure on gap between the pelvic bones. Didnt even have to see her physically for it .. called up the clinic in the morning and asked if my helper could pick up the mc on behalf and tada! I got the extra 5 days of extended PH! What a great bonus! The additional respite necessary to rush out the over due stack of piled up research and preparation for baby's arrival. It also gave me time to catch up with my 2 lovely children and not forgetting my Korean drama too!
Estimated weight of baby this week- 2.6kg
One of those impromptu stuff that kids do to remind us adults of how cute and adorable they are. ...
Today Nathan stood by the window pane after I picked them up from school and declared.. That he is s star.
Nathan:" You put your hand on the sofa and leg here.... and move side ways .... and become a star!"
What a happy little star!
