New year, new hope

I.need.to.slim.down.by.whatsoever.means.i.could.reach.

Sorry for myself that i have weight problem ever since i had given birth to my first girl. The weight doesn’t go down anything below 60kgs. The jelly belly is going to stay permanently with me for the rest of my life. I have this bitter-sweet relationship with my jelly belly so all the while, i’ve never taken it seriously to shed it away. I think i should, starting from Feb of 2011.

I’ll be having an almost two weeks of my own back in my hometown starting next monday so i guess it’s all good to do some dieting and slimming by finding time to exercise more frequently by joining Zumba dancing classes and jogging along riverside with my family members. Fingers crossed and I’ll persevere! Fighting!

Contractions!

I’ve been having this regular contractions for the whole day today at an interval of 10 minutes apart and each contraction lasts for at least 30 seconds. The longest contraction I’ve timed lasted 50+ seconds!! I need to wait until the interval gets shorter to about 5 minutes apart between the contractions and increased intensity of the contractions. I can feel they’re coming really closer now.

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not an expert in this area since I had no experience of contractions with my previous pregnancy. I have no idea if these regular contractions are going to last for hours or weeks before the actually day knocks at the doorstep. All I can do now is to stay relax (with the jabbing pain from contractions and backache and pelvic pain, relax seems to be the last thing down the list), get as much rest as possible and wait for next definite symptom(s) – I.E. bloody show or water break before I can admit myself to hospital or else the nurses will just revert me back home.

I feel so physically exhausted and to that, I feel really bad for my girl and husband as I might be the most grumpy mom and wife they are facing at the moment and I don’t have much reserved stamina left for them by the end of the day. All I could think of is to get a bath, get on bed and sleep if I could.

At one moment..

I really felt like i was going to deliver my baby sitting on toilet bowl;
I really felt like i was going to black out from the jabbing pain in the rib cage thanks to my baby;
I really felt like i was going to knock myself against the wall so that i couldn’t feel the squirms, kicks and ticklish sensations and i could sleep for an hour or two at nights;
I just wish I would be out from this situation NOW!

Separating

I’ve started to train Chloe to sleep on big bed since about a month ago when she reached 18 months old. Things can go hellish or angelic some nights. It’s just really not stable I would say. Either me or hubby will take turn to sleep with her as its only a queen sized bed and the other one will sleep in another linked room, being ready for any out of hand situation (I.e. Unstoppable and uncontrollable sudden cryings at night).

On hellish nights, I just have to keep reminding myself that she is still only a baby and it’s very normal for her to have nightmares (or is it not) and waking up not knowing where she belongs. When she is out of control of herself and with my super pregnant belly getting in the way, I just have to leave her to my dear angelic husband to keep myself sane. She just needs him to cuddle and comfort her when she cries like crazy then she would stop(I.e. Like tonight). He has his ways of cooling her down.

Of course there are some nights when she is ‘good’ and I can comfort her with just some pats at her back and she would fall back to her sleep.

I’m really counting my blessings because i am so blessed with a good husband and a good father to the children. I’ve heard a lot of complaints from some friends of mine that their husbands are not helping much with kiddy chores (either they are not or they cannot because it still depends on who the child is more sticky to) and some of them are just being ignorant in the house. God is good to me!

The heart of anticipation

A good friend of mine in Perth is going into labor today by appointment. I can’t help but to feel so excited, tensed and ancipated for her the whole night and I ended up waking a lot earlier than usual at 7am! I wonder if she has already been cut open?! Hahah.

I was talking to a friend of mine how fast time flies and she claimed how interesting it is to see a new life popping out soon after 38 weeks baking in the oven o.O”

Looking Ahead: Signs & Symptoms of Labor [Source: pregnancy.org]

Listed below are several common signs and symptoms of approaching labor.

• Increased vaginal discharge – Usually clear mucous, but sometimes streaked or tinged with brown or pink. This is sometimes referred to as “bloody show”. This discharge may appear at the same time that contractions begin or a few days before. Your mucus plug, which has blocked the cervix throughout the pregnancy to protect your baby from infection, may loosen and be expelled. Any amount of vaginal bleeding should be reported to our doctors and nurses at once. Yes, I think so?
• Engagement – The baby’s movement into your pelvis in preparation for birth (also called “lightening” or “the baby dropping”). It can happen anywhere from a few weeks to a few hours before labor begins. You will find that it will be easier to breathe and heartburn may be lessened. But the additional pressure of your baby’s head on your bladder may make you need to urinate more frequently. This is definitely as doctor has had this ultrasound scan done one me yesterday and baby is already “very down there”. Why THANK YOU for all the pressure and pain in the pelvis! I’ve never had this pressure pain when Chloe was near the expected due date. I guess that’s why i had (chosen) the Caesarean at the first place.
• Weight Loss – As a result of changes in your hormone levels, you may lose 1 to 3 pounds in the week before labor begins. This is mostly a loss of fluid that has been held in your tissues. Don’t think i have loss any weight so far. I think i’ve gained some more because baby is getting heavier now.
• Backache – Dull, lower backache that may come and go. I’ve been having this all the time since early of 3rd trimester until now.
• Diarrhea, Indigestion, Nausea and Vomiting – You may experience one or more of these conditions before or at the beginning of labor, often accompanied by cramping. This is just your body’s way of responding to the labor process.Diarrhea (yes), others (nope, not a bit).
• Rupture of the Amniotic Membranes – The breaking of your “bag of water”. This may happen several hours before labor begins, but in most cases, the fluid-filled sac that surrounds your baby during pregnancy doesn’t rupture until later in the labor process. Discharge may be a continuous trickle or a gush of watery fluid from your vagina. If you are not already in the hospital when you rupture your membranes, notify your provider immediately to describe the time of rupture, the color and amount of fluid. Last time, i had this “exciting” experience with Chloe. I do hope that this time baby will stick to the schedule to arrive on the appointed full term date so that there’s no mess for me to clean up.
• Contractions – The most obvious sign of labor, but often confusing because irregular cramps of false labor pains occur. You may have experienced these “Braxton Hicks” or “practice” contractions throughout your pregnancy, but you will notice an increase in frequency and intensity in these last weeks before delivery. Your abdomen may feel like it is tightening or hardening. Some women have compared it to strong menstrual or intestinal cramps. Aww~I think this one is the most obvious sign i have so far that i did not have with Chloe. I’m pretty sure they’re not Braxton Hicks because the time interval in between these frequent contractions are about 5-10 mins apart and the intensity is getting stronger each day. Each contraction can last for about 20-30 secs. I read this somewhere else that this is regarded as 1st stage of labor where cervix is dilating to 3-4cm and sometimes, water might rupture or bloody show might occur.

There is officially 20 days to count down from now. *Cross fingers*

Not an early bird

Chloe at 17 months 1 week

How lovely to gaze into that peacefulness in her while she sleeps....

After she wakes up..(shudder)…..

What’s next?

Happy Chap Goh Meh (the 15th or last day of Chinese New Year) to all of Chinese friends and families! I’m kind of glad this whole thing is over now. No more cookies, cakes, junk food to nom-nom and the scariest of all, house visits to do. In fact, I am looking forward to my usual daily routine again.

Actually, no. There will be another little one popping out from my tummy in 3 months time! Isn’t that even scarier than house-visiting??

Hang in there..

To my dear readers,

You are not losing me (yet). I’m at the stage where i have to much to do, so much to say but so little time to spend because i need to use the time to rejuvenate myself with more day time sleeps. Do stay with me. Thanks.

Under renovation

Currently, some corners and parts of my house are undergoing some minor/major renovations. My room is undergoing some pipe-leaking maintenance and we’ve moved out to another room. With that, it means our wedding photo has to come down to stay temporary on the floor. In front of some door.

Wedding photo on the floor

Yea, do you see something?

There goes the creativity of a 15 months toddler...