Shots taken in between my contractions

Ask Jeff to smuggle some cotton dweet candy for me. I am so tired that after hours, I tell jeff dun even bother to tok to me anymore.

I tried laughing gas and all else, and am really really tired after 5hrs+ of pain.

the most irritating part is the doctor-on-parol coming in to check dilation width with FINGERS!!!

by the time the doctor insert the 4th finger, i scolded "remove the fingers and f*** off, tat's bloody painful".

jeff apologise to the doctor, and i apologise later after 1 contraction ended...

The story begins....

Am on the way to work on 16th april 2008. Took 154 and alight at Jurong interchange. There is a pasar-malam, so I bought breakfast. I chose Ramly beef burger, bought a packet of durians and a coconut. And yes this is for breakfast, don't ask me why this weird combination.

The pain comes when I am buying ramly burger. It worsens and gets periodic. Description is like leg cramp, jus that the cramp is not on the legs, but like a rope tightening the tummy. It happens when i m queuing for the ramly burger. The irritating uncle still asks me as I look in pain and bends slightly "do you still want your burger?"

gosh, i paid the $, of course I want the burger. Thought it is false alarm as it is only 36 weeks, but the pain is getting untolerable. so i decided to take a cab to KK, at the roadside near bus interchange.
on the way, i called jeff. both of us agree and tink that should be false alarm labor pain, but go to hospital and check no harm.

at the hospital, upon scanning and checking, gynae-on-parol tells me i have dilated 4cm and have to stay in hospital, as delivery is anytime now. of course i am surprise, and called jeff to come and make admin arrangements. haiz, we have not choose the bed and worst of all, all baby stuff we have not buy yet, as parents say we have to wait till alst month then buy --> bantung.
jeff assures me, and tells me not to worry about anyting else. jus go and deliver.

the 1st ting that i ask jeff to help --> bring the video cam. I wan to film the whole delivery process!!! i am brought to the delivery labor room immeidiately, as my contractions is getting more regular.

Daddy, Mummy and baby Jet

Grandparents and Jet (3rd-4th month)

Jet is fortunate to have many people loving him, and I want him to have a happy childhood with lots love.

Jet on Magazine Cover

My boy's "Magazine" will be out in a week's time. He is featured on a magazine cover. :)
Will scan and post his photos once it is out.

Cannot wait to do the irritating thing to tell everyone that's my son.

In office, I will show everyone especially my boss that "This is the product that I have managed over the past 3 months. Now I am a Regional Product Manager, and I tink I can manage every product well that comes into my hands".
Hope the hint is clear that there may be pay raise, and/or Senior Manager or Director position coming along. Well, well, well... these are my dreams again, and I will work for them...

Hope and "Can-Fight-Any-Battle"

People tells me i can be intimidating, because of the persistence i have in the tings i do, and the drive that is always so positive and trying to do so many things to learn to balance tings well.
guess with my boy coming along, this persistence is even stronger.

Hope: It does not make me as what others said, "after you have your kids, kids are the most important and you should drop everyting to be with them". i do agree to a certain extend. but i tink having kids give me hope that I should love life and balance tings well, pursue my dreams as i wanted and to share my doings and realisation of dreams with them. i hope to bring them up in this way to love life, and to create and walk a path of life the way they want it. Not meaning to be selfish, for not living your life for others.
i always tink that when you tell others that i have hope because i live my life for you, and i tink the other person who hears it will feel stressful. I rather to tell myself i live for myself, and in my picture of life i want kids and love to share the life I have built with them. Even if I fall, I hope they are with me, and I will learn to make things work again, to show them that mummy can do it.

So now to me in everyting i do, it is not successes or failures. i will structure my way to work and reach successfully, and if i fail, i will make it work again. That will be the way I work now.
Share these thoughts with jeff as well...

"Can-Fight-Any-Battle": Yes i realise i can really fight any battle now, kinda feeling. I just feel that i have nothing to lose anymore. I will just charge, and forward.

http://sixgirlsaguy.livejournal.com

Well, I have not blog for 3 mths plus, and yes i am reallllyyy enjoying motherhood.
there's so much i want to pen-down in these 3 months, spending almost every 24hrs with my boy, Jet. I need to spend these 3 months to build the bond, and as well to maximise the use of my maternity leave, hence i drop down all else tasks that i tink deem not important at all.

a blessing my boy is healthy. ahve posted some photos to http://sixgirlsaguy.livejournal.com. And many photos on my facebook account. :)

he is really a little sumo to play with, and bathing him is a joy i look forward to almost everydae. love to play with his neh-nehs when bathing, and i tink i am getting perverted. :)
now he kicks and kicks when bathing, that i need to bath after that, but realise that he loves water like mummy, and will schedule to bring him swimming soon. also a sport i hope he will excel like me. :)

My Maternity Photos

These are my maternity photos, taken just 2 weeks before my delivery.

Well, never expect my baby to be borne 36 weeks+5 days..... :)

My baby boy, Jet, is here!!!

My baby boy, Jet, is here and borne on the 19th April 2008 evening.
Will blog later on the story, the labour, the motherhood... etc.

Have been missing out on blogging, as I am busy spending couple times with my husband. We trying to go prawning, arrange outings, spend quality times, prepare for baby stuff etc.
However, my delivery is quite a surprise to me, with my boy being borne at 36 weeks+5 days.

Limbs Numbness ; Increasing Backache ; Panting

Limbs numbness and cramps: I wake up lately with my hands getting more and more numb overtime. There is one day I cannot even press the alarm clock button down, and when I try to slide the toilet doors, I experience no feelings at all.
If I sit too long, my legs will be numb as well, as if there are millions of ants inside my legs.
Have consulted gynae, and she says it's ok.

Legs cramps are not frequent but happens around 2-3 times a week. The cramps will just pull me up from my sleep. Sometimes they are so painful, that I teared and have no energy to shout for jeff. I just grabbed him hard and now he will wake up and help me massage, and make hot drinks.
Feel bad for disturbing his sleep, as I know he works very hard nowadaes too. But his patience makes me grow stronger.

Increasing backache: My senses can determine good and bad chairs now. If my back starts to ache a while after sitting on the chairs, I will call for cushions, or put my hands behind my back to support. At restaurants and cinemas as well. Always happens on my middle-to mid lower backs.

Panting: Honestly frens or closed ones do tell me I am quite hyper by nature. Lately even climbing stairs or after showers or walking, I get panting. Need to breathe in from mouth and nose. Gynae asks me to regulate and breathe in-in-out. Try not to sit when I am panting. Standing and breathe will be much better to cure the situation.

Maternity Photography

Me and jeff will be taking maternity photography soon. We will be going glamour shots and b-scene studios, wanting and hopefully to capture the beautiful moments when I am first pregnant.

I really look forward to it. Will be going IMM again this weekend, to check out of the photography studios again if there are better packages.
Dun think I will take the nude arti kinda photos again during my second pregnancy. Perhaps will be family photos then. :)

6 weeks side-activities

During these draining unexpected 6 weeks, with the mounting issues, I try not to think about it.
Other than the times spent need to work on these issues, I try to steer myself away by arranging a lot of other activities:

-- Meeting frens for dinner: I try to arrange dinners with different frens during weekdaes when I am free. Of course not very packed until I am tired.
-- Window-shop baby stuff: Since we cannot buy baby stuff till last month, I try to go window-shop, to get myself updated of things need to get. This is quite an enjoyment, as certain things are realllllyyyyy so adorable, it is like shopping into another world of fantasies.
I shouls say nowadaes you get to see adorable and amazing designs from baby clothes, to toys, to even daily stuff. I am trying to control, and am afraid I will really spoil my kid.
-- Shopping and enjoying: I try to do walking during shopping, to keep fit. Some people tell me I dun look like I put on much weight during this pregnancy. (Ok, I am not very slim from the start before I am pregnant)
Walking during shopping can take the mechanical focus part away as my eyes and mind are really distracted from the shoppings. I just keep walking, drinking and resting.
-- Book chalets and cheap hotels: We relax occasionally at chalets and hotels. And will visit sentosa a few times at least before my delivery.
-- Eat good food: We will plan to eat good foods during weekends.
-- Multi-task: When i'm working, anytime I have free time to think about recent happening issues, I will start to msn frens to chat or call, to distract myself.

6 weeks challenge

During these 6 weeks challenge, it seems strange that other than issues that I am experiencing personally, there are many issues happening around me, which steers my attention and makes time to be passing quite fast.

-- Jeff's car accident: My ah lao has a car accident, where he is "tossed" from the driver's seat to passenger's seat. A European car hits our 16 year-old car on the side at the U-Turn point, at my ah lao's driver seat. Apparantly, the European car only has the bumper a little swayed. While our precious car is gone, crushed and beyond repair.
People who sees my hubby koes his size. He is sent to NUH to do SOP check-ups. Luckily bone-checks and all organ-checks shows ok, with his back muscles strained, and need 2 weeks to be healed. I am thinking if people my size are hit, wonder what will be the impact.
It is proven the other party guilty. The insurance agent tells us the repair cost of the car is more than the market value hence the car is scrapped. We get back half the car's price from the scrapping, and more than the other halved will be "bestowed" to us 6-8 months later, after the case is settled.
Now then I realise TP cases can drag so long.... haiz.

We have got another 16 year-old honda esi civic white color of only 10.3K. Condition is quite good.

-- Promotion: Yes I am promoted, officially 1st March 2008. It has been discussed with me after Christmas, and I accepted the offer beginning 2008. As I need to do a lot of handover, and deal with recruiting, so the official promotion is in March. The company also gives me time to adjust, and I try not to stress myself too. 1 best way is that I give myself a pad on the shoulder again for planning the hand-over activities and transition phase evenly during the 2 plus months period, so that things are settled nicely, my style.

-- Mum starting higher-dose chemo: My mum's cancer condition is spreading again, and things does not look good. She has started her higher-dose chemo, and each session takes 3 hours at NCC (National Cancer Centre), somewhat like dialysis.
We are giving her the support we can, and trying to keep her happy and going strong.

2kg :)

Am glad things are more stable now. Have been mentally challenged for 6 weeks, and has been trying to live life by counting weeks.....

I think I am stronger now overall. These 6 weeks, I have experienced dark brown discharge, contractions and some heart-burning, which are the worrying symptoms. Now being 33 weeks, things seem to be back to normal, and I am seeing the gynae every 2 weekly again.

Weekly visits to check on baby, some blood tests, cervical length checks and getting more and more medicine for consumption is quite draining, but am glad things turn out to be ok. I give myself a pad on the shoulder for going through this ordeal. Well, these issues may be peanuts in comparison to other cases, but am glad i pull through.
I thank everyone around me who has been showing concern. Especially my pillar, Jeff.

There is one thing the gynae has been telling me since week 25. Your baby is big. During the 31st week of visit to gynae, baby is estimated to be around 2.0-2.1kg. According to the gynae, baby is healthily growing, a little on the big side. Honestly, this does not get into me. I rather hear my kid is growing well and big, rather than the other way round.
I still continue my nutritions and nutritious meals as usual, perhaps cutting down on carbo.

Dark Brown discharge

I have been quiet on posting new posts over the past month, as I am mentally challenged by some issues. Am waiting for things to be more stable, before I start to write again.

I have dark brown discharge at the beginning of 3rd trimester. This is worrying, and as the gynae mentions I may have preterm signs.
I am prescribed hormone progesterone pills and muscle-relaxant pills to relax uterus, to prevent any contractions. Am going back for weekly check-ups on cervical length too.

Am glad, baby is above 1.3 kg and has pass the safety mark. I will try my best to nourish the baby.
Will keep monitor my doing, relax, try-not-to-be-paronoid/kancheong spider, and post later.
(easier said than done sometimes....)

Our boy's name: 郑乐添 Jet Tang

We have decided on our boy's name:
- Chinese: 郑乐添 (which means happy addition). We have decided for our kids name to include "乐", our wish for them to be happy.

We are deciding and debating with another name which we like. Want to give him a "man man" name initially --> 郑浩男。
But the character "浩" has 10 strokes. It is reckon (if you believe) that a kid's name should not have any character or total character's strokes be in multiples of 10, e.g. 10, 20, 30 etc... Means that something will be missing in his/her life.
Well, up to individual's believe lah. We do not go according to anyone's reference. Just some reading, and our choice.

- English will be Jet Tang. Actual writing still yet to be decided, because we wonder to include the dialect name.
: Tang Lei Thiam, Jet
: Tang Le Tian, Jet
: Tang Lei Thiam, Jet (Zheng Le Tian)

So will decide on the English style of writing.

:)

Baby Boy

We decide not to know the sex of the baby. It is during one of the scans that we get to know the baby boy. :)
well it comes from me asking the question: "what is the protrusion at the chest bone, and between the hands?"
the person who scan me replies: "that is not the hands. they are thighs. that is the penis."

ok, we get to know.
jeff and me prepare names for the baby boy and baby girl already, so we just look forward to the little mickey.

Watching Diet ; Bigger Appetite

Watching Diet: I do not really have any cravings specifically for the moment. Has been trying to eat healthily and balanced meals, so that I feel good at the end of the day that I have done my part to provide nutrients for baby.
jeff has been co-operative and make effort to buy or remind that i eat a varied of fruits and meat each time we have meal. i realised he is more caring, though i know he is not really a very detailed person by nature.

there is once my mum steam a cod fish for me. it is so delicious that i eat the whole slice. from then, my mum will buy slices of cod/salmon and come to my house and put in the fridge. (about twice a week).
this is meant to be my weekday supper. if i am hungry before going to sleep, and do not wan anyting heavy, snacky or unhealthy, jeff will use his method to steam the fish for me.
--> wash the slice fish with salt. before putting to steam, add a little salt, a little soya, 2 sour plums, 3 slices of ginger, a little vege oil and less than half a cup of water. steam for half an hour, an i will down the slice of delicious fish. easy to cook, healthy and easy to wash.

Bigger Appetite: I am 66.5 kg to date. Gynae says my weigh is gaining ok till now. a few scans show the baby to be quite big for the age. Gynae is worried than i have diabetes. (she mentions big babies may mean mummy has diabetes.) So my finger is pricked a few times other than the routine tests, and to date am glad my sugar level is ok.
will watch out.
in the meanwhile, i do realise my appetite increases, and gets even bigger. now I can eat on par or slightly more than jeffrey. e.g. if I eat bak kuh teh with jeff, I can finish slightly more than 1 1/2 bowls of rice. when i sit in the office, i do feel hungry easily. stored fruits, beancurds and milk powder have been good supplies during hungry times.

Itch ; Rashes

I am starting to have itchiness and rashes these couple of days at the breast area. i ask jeff and wonder why. both of us have no clue, and decide to see the gynae this coming weekend to ask more about it.

i bathe warm water every shower, and hears about it that warm showers will aggravate or "promote" the itchiness. for stretch-mark cream, i apply 2 times a day.
-- morning before work: the normal cocoa palm's stretch-mark lotion
-- night before sleep: cocoa palm butter cream

i always apply on the thighs, tummy, sides-of-body and breasts. have been applying for some time, and stopped at the breasts area these couple of days, and see how it goes.
i do change my clothes everydae, so i tink should not link to hygiene issue.
strange.

Shopping clothes: "Perfect Mum"

I have gone around shopping, and finally find a shop that I really adore --> "Perfect mum".
The clothes are hip, trendy and can wear even after pregnancy. There are many people buying clothes there and are not pregnant.

There are a good selection of mix-and-match tops, skirts and pants. dresses range from sweet, demure, showing-type-hugging to wild, depending on the look you wan to portray.
other than that, the under-garment selection of panties and bra (with wire/no wire, and nursing type) are very comfy as well.

i buy enough clothes for festive season, coming CNY and to obtain a discount card. Am afraid to over-spend as well. having comfy wear for maternity purpose of about a 2-weeks wardrobe i tink is sufficient. (agree with sufern)