Monday, May 26, 2008

是闷?还是平淡?

如果每天的生活如复印机般的重复又重复的过,你觉得生活是乏闷的?还是那是一种过得平淡的小幸福呢?

如果是十来二十岁的我,我应该会觉得生活没乐趣。会重复的思考人为什么要活在这么无聊无趣的世上。为什么我会没有朋友。为什么其他人的朋友圈子会那么大。为什么人家有男朋友而我却孤零零一个人。我的学业会是进步的还是退步呢。我的前途/钱途会是如何的呢。

回想起来,真的还是万分感恩。我也曾经历这一切但都过去了。感恩因为今天我还活着而且还活得很好。感恩虽然乐趣不比别人来得多但少少还是体验了朋友之间所有的欢乐。感恩我的双眼看到了这世界的美而并非我想像中的无趣。感恩我还是有朋友。感恩我的圈子不大但好的朋友有那么几个就够了。感恩没有糟糕的猪朋狗友让我踏上不归路。感恩上帝早就为我安排好我的人生的另一伴。感恩我还是顺利的大学毕业了并也努力的在商场上打滚过。上帝的恩典是要被数算的。那样我们才过的充实及满足。

回想起,四川的人民也过了不平凡的俩周但这些的不平凡让他们痛不欲生。那样的生活就是有趣的吗?不!我相信问他们的话他们宁可平淡的过一生也不愿经历这些灾难。没有人愿意经历这样痛苦的回忆。单是想到了这点我就不断的感恩又感恩。

所以,我认为生活得平淡并非是一件坏事也并非是无趣的。对于现在的我来说,每天的平淡是大幸福。偶尔接到一些电话传来一些坏消息就会让我精神紧崩的过一天。


朋友,你今天数算恩典了吗?你感恩了吗?

Saturday, May 24, 2008

感触

自从5.12四川大地震后就看到新闻报道和电视片段里的那些孤儿,那种母性的冲动就从我里边汹涌而出。孩子,看到你面世的那一刻做妈妈的我该怎么办呢?我想你不需要我为你带上华丽的妆容。你只需要我为你带上那个做为妈妈所保留的那满足笑容并且对你依偎着说:“孩子,你也辛苦了。”

Thursday, May 22, 2008

Fetal development: Week 16 / Wee lad or lassie?

I've had my anatomy ultrasound. Spinal cord is detected and it developed well. Brain of the size of a peanut, so far, appeared on the screen. Black spots showing both eye sockets are so visible. Nose and nose bridge are developed. Bones in the hands and fingers are so transparent since the skin is so thin and no fat composition has developed, yet, at this stage.

Pink or blue? Wee sitting or standing? We're only 80% sure cuz legs were crossed during screening. It's a mystery to be confirmed latter in the months.

Baby has lots of actions in there. Somersault. Yawn. Scratch head with the right hand. Flipping up and down. Just whole lot of self-entertaining programs lining up in there.

=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Little fetus should measure about 11.45cm by this week. Mine is 11.05cm. I'm on the right track yay. The baby no longer looks like some sort of alien with out of proportion head to body ratio but rather they're starting to even out a bit and rest assure that the rest of the body is starting to grow faster than the head from now on. Baby's limbs are lengthening, almost reaching the normal proportions, which he/she will have at birth. Eye lids are seal shut at this stage but they're sensitive to the light. Hence, if you're planning to enjoy a sun bathe, your baby will be busy covering the eyes with their hands. Little one can suck the thumb and perform all sorts of actions with their hands, fingers, face (facial expressions) and reflex movements. They're just as active as they're going to be when they're ready for the world.

Wk 16 to wk 18 is a period where doctor would recommend for some tests to be carried out to check for the risks of genetic or birth defects. AFP test, which takes sample of preggo's blood and put it to test thus it's totally safe for the baby whereas amniocentesis test could be harmful for the baby at certain level since a sample of fluid need to be taken out from baby's amniotic sac. Both tests are to determine if baby's exposed to any risks of defects or Down Syndrome. I had some hesitation whether or not to do the test but hubby assures me that God is taking very good care of our baby so we just rest assure all the worries in His hands.

Give thanks to God that baby looks okay to gynae and she gave away that satisfaction look after checking our ah B. I'm relieved.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=

Short note: My skin is stretching as stretched as possible. I feel the tension. Inside out. Outside in. It just makes me feel so uncomfortable at times. All my micro veins are becoming visible on both side of tummy. I'm like a bloated balloon ready to be let go into the air. Wait. Not yet. I'll stretch further and i will get bigger. Then, i shall be ready for the flying...in my hot air balloon. Goodnite folks.

Monday, May 19, 2008

Too early?

Recently, i've kick start on my baby's prenatal learning process. How? Thanks to the BeBeSound Prenatal Kits (borrowed from a friend of mine) which includes a heartbeat listener, two earphones for both anticipating mom and dad, a pair of speakers with a fetal microphone. And a guidebook of course.

We failed to locate ah B's heartbeat mostly because ah B is still very small thus weaker heart pumps. So, we shall wait and wait til we reach 20+ weeks for stronger heartbeats from now. At the meantime, we indulge ourselves in the excitement talking to our unborn baby. We talk, we sing and we just blabber away twice daily for 10 mins session each cuz the book tells us baby needs a lot of rest. Don't over disturb.

I'm not too sure if this is too early but i'm sure it will sure has its positive effects on baby's brain development. Like learn to talk sooner, walk sooner, think sooner?...since brain controls everything else. Friend of mine introduced this BabyPlus product to me earlier last week. I'm still half confused with the functions of the product. It's said to contain 16 pre-recorded maternal heartbeats that differ from mom's and baby starts to learn to differentiate and thus get the brain to learn and function prenatally. I was a little convinced to get the product but then i have to shipped it oversea and bla x3 then i think i can just settle with the BeBeSound kits to get my ah B's brain functions early too. We'll see how it goes.

Tuesday, May 13, 2008

Mother's Day 2008

What I did? I sms-ed my faraway sister to buy a cake, which was on me, for my faraway mom in Australia. She settled with a green tea cake which to me it looks so much like an overgrown cabbage sitting on top of a layered sponge cake.


Cute yet scary...

As for my in laws, hubby and i bought a cake and it comes with a fresh carnation flower as a present for the mom. It was thoughtful in a way but when mom received that flower she laughed. She knew it's the tactic of cake houses nowadays to have "complimentary" flowers but i guess the cost has been added into the cake's price. We celebrated during lunch, cut cake, open up a red wine, took photos and all giggles away happily.

My thought? 2008 was kinda special for me thinking that i'm a mother-to-be and will i ever get to have celebrations from my kids in future? How long will it take for them to comprehend the actual meaning behind over-commercialised Mother's Day? I joked with my mom that my ah B will need many more years to come to be able to celebrate Mother's Day with me. Jokingly and yet so true, she replied "It doesn't matter cuz I also waited until today for my kids to understand it." I love my mom and now, my momS. Moms are indeed the greatest friends you can find on the Earth. Of course, dads aren't forgotten. They play significant roles in the family too! No money no talk! Dads are the greatest free ATM machines God has ever supply to human beings.

Friday, May 9, 2008

Cravings anyone?

Lately, i just love a rich spread of crunchy peanut butter on bread and munch it down together with a cup of thick Ribena drink! Sooo yummieeeeee!

To the preggos out there..

As early as week 11/12 onward, have you noticed that your heart beat is getting "louder"? It seems like someone is knocking from inside and when you look at your tummy's surface, you can even see the "thump thump thump" movement on the complexion itself.

If you do, you're more than just normal. I noticed it since my week 11 and according to findings, it's the increased volume of about 20-25% of blood in your body that is causing such heavy thumps. Your heart is working hard to provide blood for two individuals remember? So, protect your heart, eat healthy! Your body and baby will appreciate you in return.

Somewhere in Gunung Gading, Sarawak (photo post dated back to last year)


Half way heading towards the waterfall. It was soooo humid in the jungle!


Relaxing with mount-climbers in the hut near the fall


The life-saver waterfall we awaited for


A bloke cooling himself at the water pool

December 2007 @ Singapore


At Vivo City


In a cafe


Our daughter

Wednesday, May 7, 2008

Fetal development: Week 14

I think i'll begin to bore everyone with fetal development progress from now on since i've finally step foot in week 14, the start of second trimester of the whole pregnancy. Welcome to the second trimester!

I'm coping so far so good. According to internet findings and pregnancy books, all the nausea and morning sickness have subsided (thank good Lord i didn't experience much of those anyway). My little buckaroo should be about 8-11cm long by the end of this week, which according to pregnancy week it falls on 12/5/08 Monday. Its little body and limbs are coordinated enough for loads of complicated motions and at times, the whole body can move! And it's right that i still can't feel any of the motions cuz still tiny what..

Ohh..and guess what?! Little one develops the ability to move the eyes this week although the eyelids will still remain fused shut until third trimester. He/she will just spend most of the times entertaining him/herself making all sorts of fun facial expressions like squinting, frowning, and grimacing. Like how the little one can control the face muscles, he/she is able to grasp at things and suck their thumb with the little hands and fingers.

I guess any time from now, i'll have to get ready for some sudden odd bowel movement or the feeling that i've got gas cuz it might be my baby poking hello to me! I've been paying attention all this while but to my dismay, i haven't get to feel that so far.

Although the good-ol' symptoms of nausea and morning sickness are gone for some time before coming back again in third trimester, i have experienced dizziness, headache and little back pain now and then and they're exactly what the information told me. And the good news is the back pain is not going away but will increase as i gain more weight towards the end of the trimester. What more...i'll get ugly swollen legs and toes, ankle and/or fingers, which i've got all of them already. This is which they have a fancy name for it "water retention". Thank goodness they'll all go away after delivery.

I should just enjoy trimester two before i really turn into an overstuffed-lumbering-mammoth, which is not long to go.

Psst...I'll go for monthly ultrasound scan 2 weeks from today. Gender will be known then. =P

Tuesday, May 6, 2008

7...is the evil number

Out of nowhere, we own 7 dogs now. All ranging from petite Shit-zhu to grand daddy German Shephard. I'm lucky that i'm pregnant that i dont deal directly with any of them in regards of food and play time. Dogs are weird kind of beings that sometimes you can just be so shocked and amazed and cry in awe of their behaviour.

You see, my bedroom is somewhere near the shelters where we keep the bigger dogs in. Out of the 3 huge dogs, two of them literally play with their eating bowls once they finish their food in the evenings. The klonking and clinking noise could happen anytime after 8pm before 8am. It is utterly annoying when all of the sudden your sweet dreams are shakened by a loud thump from the dropping STAINLESS STEEL BOWL onto cement floor. Then the game could go on for hours...



What the dogs did was flipping the bowls upside down so they would sit on the floor and they would just self entertain themselves moving and pushing the bowls around with their "hands". Then the German shephard dog would bite the end of the bowl and flip it into the air and they just glee with happiness when the bowls made noises. Until they accidentally push the bowls into their neighbour's area, which this third dog doesn't enjoy anything like that thank goodness!, then they would stop.

Unless they could literally speak dog's language for the dog to return them the bowls, i wondered to myself.

Thursday, May 1, 2008