The Year It Has Been

2007 has indeed been a year of blessings and new experiences!!!

We begun the year with the adoption of a pair of cute, furry bunny Lops named Thumper and Baby Ivy. They were such a joy to watch and play with, but of course, it comes along with cleaning the cage, poop and grooming them.

After contemplating between 2 interesting job offers, I decided to tender my resignation , spent a memorable farewell with my colleagues prior to CNY and began a new journey with Red company in March.

It was definitely a new challenge as the moment I joined the company, I had to fly off to The Netherlands 2 days later for 2 weeks of orientation in the headquarters in Delft and the next 2 months with Green company in Utrecht.

Despite aching and dying to be home because it was my first year of marriage (argh!!), it was nevertheless a good experience. Well, apart from being sick from chickenpox (double argh!!) while abroad, I had a great time learning to cook dinner with my new found colleagues in a lovely and cozy restaurant, had French cuisine dinner with the CEO, tasted poffertjes and pannenkoeken (basically they're pancakes in Dutch), got to learn some Dutch, climbed the awfully steep stairs in Dom Tower, and of course, travelling!!

Within that 2 and a half months period, I had planted my happy feet at Madurodam, Rotterdam, Amsterdam (thrice!), Arnhem, Leiden, Keukenhof, Maarssen, Den Haag, Scheveningen and Gouda (twice!). I also got to witness several festivities there such as Easter Day, National Windmill Day, Koninginnedag, Remembrance Day and Liberation Day.

And oh, heh heh, with the lump sum of allowance (in Euro currency) I saved up, I managed to buy myself a Compaq laptop and sent Hubby off for a few days of holiday in Chiangmai with his buddies.

I was finally home for good in middle of May (hurrah!!) and was ecstatic to be able to celebrate our first ROM and wedding anniversaries in June and July respectively. Woo hoo!!

Baby Ivy suprisingly gave birth to 2 kits in which one was stillborn, the other one died a week later, and in the end we decided to give Thumper and Baby Ivy away. *Sobs*

Together with Gummy, we launched a Bring Norah Jones campaign (which unfortunately did not succeed). In August, I celebrated Hubby's birthday with a triple-birthday-gift suprise and then the Mid-Autumn festival in September.

But the most eventful of all is when we found out in late October that we are expecting a Mini Patchee next June!!!! It was fun and exciting to consult a gynaecologist to confirm the pregnancy, detect the heartbeat, celebrated my 28th birthday with a little one inside of me and going for short visits to Cameron's and PD during the holiday seasons. It was also very nerve-wrecking when I contracted mild UTI, did my blood test and when Doc said that I needed to catch up on my weight gain for my own sake and for Baby's slow development.

But no matter what pain and worries I went through, they've all been worth it coz we get to measure Baby developing from the size of a strawberry to lemon, counting down the days to 200 days, 12 weeks and now to the second trimester.

There's nothing more than I can ask for but to be thankful and grateful for this truly wonderful year.

2008 will definitely be a year of many changes to my life. The arrival of Baby in the coming Year of the Rat will coincide with Daddy and my FIL's 60th birthdays, the 'promotion' for the proud grandparents to Gong Gong, Poh Poh, Yeh Yeh and Nai Nai. And also, having Sis and Telco Boy begin their new journeys in Hong Kong and New Zealand respectively means having to hold the extra responsibilities of taking care of my parents and in-laws.

I'm definitely looking forward to the new year and to finally meet my little bundle of joy in 6 months time. Hope the new year will bring good cheers to you too!! Happy 2008, everyone!!!

*Hugz*

Poh Poh's 70th

We celebrated Poh Poh's 70th birthday at Ah Yat Abalone Forum Restaurant, and our relatives congratulated us as expectant parents. *Grin*

Suckling piglet

Poh Poh is the only surviving grandparent I have, even though she is technically my step-maternal grandmother (my actual grandma passed away sometime in her 30's - 40's due to cancer, and Gong Gong remarried so that his children will have a mother figure) but I still love her all the same. I kind of miss my other grandparents.. I wonder if they know about Baby. Will they always be around in spirit to protect Baby from harm?

Baby's Slow Development

We went for our check-up today and got to see Baby!! Hehe...

Doc returned my blood test report, glad to know that everything is normal and I still have immunity from Hepatitis B. *Phew* And oh, my blood type is O+. Muahaha.. Just the same as Daddy and Sis! This means I'm a generous person!! *lol*

Am glad to say that I've passed the 40kg mark, but Doc said I had only gained 200 grams when I should be gaining 2 kgs instead. *Sighz*

We did the ultrasound scan and Baby looked so much bigger now! Baby was sleeping at that time but we saw Baby moving his/her tiny hands and legs. Sooooo cute!! Doc measured the width of the head and true enough, it's smaller than what it should be, i.e. Baby's development is about a week's late. Even the EDD (estimated due date) on the scan is a week's late. *Sobs* Doc said that I must take balanced diet, consume more protein. I just hope that I will stop vomitting soon and eat more. Doc said that eggs are very good, and so is coconut water (and the flesh).

Baby at 14+ weeks

In case if you can't interpret the picture, the white round thing on the near top left is the placenta. Baby is lying below the placenta where the head is on the left, and the body on the right. Can see?

Hubby managed to record the entire session this time. Hehe.. I actually can't wait to see Baby again next month! Doc said that I should be able to start feeling Baby's little kicks anytime soon. Wow.. It's so exciting! And the best part is, Doc said we might be able to tell Baby's gender next month! Ooohhhhh!! Can't wait! Can't wait!!! *Grin*

Second Trimester

We're now on our 14th week and have made it to the second trimester! WOO HOO!!!

Apparently, according to The Pregnancy Countdown Book (it's my daily bible now.. Tee hee hee!), energy returns, nausea stops, and I'll eat like a Viking. Oh yes!! The honeymoon period!!

This week, Baby should be 3.5 inches (8.9 cm) long from crown to rump, just a little longer than a lemon, and weighing about an ounce (28 grams). Baby can now squint, frown and grimace and also grasp with his/her hands. Can't wait for this coming weekend's check-up. So dying to see Baby and what tricks she/he is doing inside me. :)

I'll also get to find out my blood test results, which Doc said, if there was no news from him, it means everything's good news. And oh, I'll get to know what is my blood type too. *lol* Yes, to think this 28-year old still doesn't know her blood type, despite having to undergo an appendectomy 20 years ago. So chicken shit, eh? *Grin*

Christmas In PD

Yet another annual time-sharing breakaway courtesy of Chef. This time, we headed for Paradise Lagoon Apartment which is beside Corus Paradise Resort in Port Dickson. The last time I was there was about 5 years ago for Moorish's birthday. The place is now very rundown and sad to say, has lost its appeal. Not a place that I would ever consider lodging in even with time-sharing membership. But beggars can't be choosers, can they?

We unloaded our bags, rested for a while, and the gang started the steamboat feast. The food was too much that we had to play a few rounds of Blackjack much later that night whereby the leftover food were the bet. I lost quite a bit and was still in the puking mode so poor Hubby had to eat my share. Tee hee hee..

Food and pressies!

After dinner, we gathered at the living hall for a gift exchange session. Our budget was not more than RM 20. We drew numbers for our presents. I got a nice one from Xiao Ping - a Christmas mug, a box of chocolates and photo frame with a printed photo of the entire gang taken a few months ago. *Smile*

Then we spent the rest of the night playing Jackass and the following morning Rayman Ravin' Rabbits on Playstation 2. Definitely laughed our hearts out on that two!

Winter Solstice Festival

Every year around this date is the Chinese Winter Solstice Festival which is known as Dong Zhi in Mandarin. Dong Zhi is considered the longest day in the year where daytime is the shortest and nighttime is the longest. So families would gather for a reunion dinner and have 'tangyuen' (glutinous rice balls) in warm ginger-ish soup to 'survive' the wintery night.

My family would make it a point to have dinner together and Mummy would make 'tangyuen' for dessert. This year is no different, except that Sis is not able to celebrate with us but we have an additional little someone in the form of a fetus. Hehehe... Mummy made a special 'tangyuen' in which it's extra small.. "For baby to eat", she said.

For me and Baby

The left one was extra small.. But it had stretched until it didn't look any different from the rest. Anyhow... Baby, Poh Poh made this specially for you! Hope you liked it! *Muakz*

13th Week Lemon

[updated on 21st December 2007]

Baby is 13 weeks, about the size of a large lemon and it's the last week of first trimester! Yay!

The bulge seems to be getting bigger everyday. Of course it should be that way, shouldn't it? It's just that, I'm still amazed at the fact that I'm pregnant, that we are expecting a little someone in 6 months time. Everyday I wake up, all geared up to rush to get ready for work, only to realize that I'm pregnant and I have to take things slow. I have to keep reminding myself that I can't simply do stuffs, carry things, bend too much and all.

We watched Enchanted today. Really loved the movie, even though it's illogical at certain parts of the movie. And the song.. Hubby and I kept humming it all night long. Hehe.. We plan to buy the DVD. I wanna teach Baby all the fairy tales we used to know when we were young. Kids nowadays only know Barney, Powerpuff Girls, Pokemon, etc.

I want to teach Baby about Snow White, Cinderella Red Riding Hood, Rapunzel; all the Enid Blyton stories like Noddy, The Malory Towers (Darrell and her friends), and how can one ever forget The Secret Seven (with Peter and Janet holding meetings in their shed!); Roald Dahl's like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Matilda, BFG (which stands for Big Friendly Giant, if you've not read this before), James and the Giant Peach; and so many more!

I don't want Baby to miss out on all these.. Not even Mickey Mouse and friends.

Crazy Christmas Party

[updated on 21st December 2007]

Definitely an unproductive day at work, especially when we are about to take a super long Christmas break starting tomorrow. It was however, a day of fun, joy and laughter.

My teammates and I came dressed in red and white colours, excitedly looking forward to the day. We had our gift exchange session in which our budget was to be within the range of RM10 and RM15. I drew a lovely Christmas mug and a teddy bear to come along with it. *Grin* Then we went to Pavillion for lunch and was back to the office with 2 boxes of J.Co doughnuts. Yummy!

We spent the rest of the afternoon preparing for a mini Christmas party soon after for the entire department. Then everyone in the department just went crazy with the games in which we played Scoop the Snow (scooping cotton balls using spoons blindfolded) and Binary Search (guessing the number, and if guessed correctly, the balloon will be burst over their heads). We then popped sparkling juices and champagne party poppers, cheering to the joyous ending of a wonderful year.

Going crazy!

Can't believe that I've been working in this company for almost a year and I've had so much of fun with my colleagues throughout the period. I've been appointed a committee member for the department. We vow to make the department even more lively and a fun place to work in for everyone!

12-12-12

[updated on 21st December 2007]

Today was a significant day for Baby. Baby turns 12 weeks on the 12th day of the 12th month. How cool is that!

However, too significant till I was down with a massive flu - cough, sore back, leaking nose, shivering and all.. I had to leave office early to fly home, take a super hot shower, wrap myself up with layers of duvets and take a good, long nap till dinnertime. I've been having a hard time getting a good night's sleep the past few days and had been having nightmares every night! Yes, the fears of Baby and I losing Hubby; father-in-law sneaking Baby away; and the pregnant me being kidnapped by a cab driver! It had been so bad that I woke up with tears flowing down my cheeks, screaming for Hubby. *Blush*

Oh well.. Just another 1-2 more weeks till the second trimester and I hope all these will subside.. I have a sneaky feeling that Baby somehow loves his/her Daddy's cooking. Baby pukes at any of the grandparents' cooking, but not his/her Daddy's. Jealous, man!! Hehe...

But no matter what, it doesn't matter whether Baby will loves me more or less than his/her Daddy. As long as I love Baby and that I'd do anything for Baby, nothing else matters. :)

Jewel's Baby Shower

[updated on 21st December 2007]

The first baby shower cum tea party I've ever planned (along with Moorish, Sue and Lily, with some help from Jewel's husband and her sister too) and attended and I had fun.

We suprised Jewel at her parents' place. Poor girl, she wanted to go shopping but her husband said they could only go to Bangsar Shopping Complex and they had to go over to her parents' house after that. Hehehehe..

So there we were, armed with helium balloons, baby diaper cake, more book gifts, bread pudding and cupcakes, waiting for the arrival of the parents-to-be. Jewel was nonetheless, suprised with our presence. Thank goodness she didn't get a great shock and go into labor!

Oh so cute!

Can't believe that the last time we had all met up together was in June for Sue's birthday and that was when Jewel announced that she was pregnant. Now, she's already 8 months pregnant and I'm joining her soon! My oh my... I'm excited yet nervous.. Hehehe...

Countdown : 200 Days

[updated on 21st December 2007]

200 more days to go!! I don't know to be very excited or very nervous with the countdown. I mean, it's definitely exciting to have your own flesh and blood born to the world. But it's the labour and delivery part that I'm very worried about. Guess I should just take it one day at a time. Enjoy pregnancy-hood first, yeah?

I'm still adjusting to this new stage of life. I have to constantly remind myself that I can't simply do stuffs. I really miss doing those little hops and skips. I almost did that at the airport when we sent Sis off yesterday! *Sighz* So hard.. Sometimes it's frustrating but it's all for Baby. I'd do anything for Baby. So if I have to stop hopping and skipping for another 200 days, I'll do it!

Hubby said if I read a lot, then Baby will end up reading a lot too. I'm definitely all for it. I'll read as much as possible, coz I too want Baby to love to read. :) Mummy said she still has a lot of Peter and Jane books in the library. I'll probably start reading them once the second trimester begins. :)

Sleepy now.. Going for Jewel's baby shower suprise at her parents' house tomorrow afternoon. Hubby's gonna go cycling in the morning. Hopefully Baby will be just as active as his/her Daddy!

Nite nite.. Love ya, Hubby! Love ya, Baby!

Strawberry Size

[updated on 21st December 2007]

We're 11 weeks today and according to the Pregnancy Countdown book's fruit bowl, we're looking into the size of a strawberry.

Bloody hell!!! Well.. Technically I'm not swearing out loud so Baby can't possibly hear this, right. Anyway... Bloody hell!!! Something so small and tiny can cause such a massive change in my body, lifestyle and my life!

On the other hand, 3dPregnancy says that "my little hands and feet are now completely formed, including very tiny nails." So all the vomitting, nauseating and whatsoever are all worthwhile. Hehehehe... I wonder when will Baby start kicking and show his/her fists.

Horrific Blood Test

[updated on 19th December 2007]

Today I would have gone up to Bukit Tinggi with my colleagues if I hadn't been pregnant. I'm not complaining though - Baby is the most precious gift I have!!!

We went for our monthly check-up today. Doc said he would do the usual ultrasound scan, detect heartbeat and all, check urine again in case if the infection is still there. And worse, he would be doing blood test! Horror!! I actually panicked and asked, "NOW?? TODAY??" with eyes wide, wide open!

We did the weighting first and sad to say, I've only gained 0.1kg since last month. Doc urged me to pass 40kg by next month. Then we did the ultrasound. Baby's so much bigger now! 32mm from crown to rump. Just 2 Wednesdays ago Baby was only 18.5mm! Baby's head is also much bigger. We saw tiny little arms (like dots!), body and legs. Baby's position also seemed to be the other way round and was moving!!

We heard the heartbeat and Doc said it's normal. So exciting! Hubby recorded the entire scan using his mobile phone but he forgot to save it in the end. Hehe.. It's alright, next check-up yah?

Then came the horrific part - blood test. Doc sprayed some cold stuff on my right arm. I closed my eyes tighly while turning my face towards my left. I grabbed Hubby's hand with my left hand. Doc's wife poked the needle through the skin and I could feel it! I could feel the needle moving and it was painful! I grasped Hubby's hand tighter as he tried to console me, rubbed my hand and told me to relax. Doc's wife took the needle out and poked again! It's really, really painful!! I kept thinking about Baby, that it was all for Baby, and shut my eyes even tighter. After some time, Doc said they were done. I turned back, opened my eyes and I felt tears. Doc and wife were worried and got me some tissue paper. I really didn't mean to be so childish and chicken-shit but I am really afraid of needles and pain. And I'm not gonna go blame it on pregnancy hormones or something. *Sobs* Everytime I think about it now, I can feel tears collecting in my eyes. :(

I'm glad it's over though. I just pray that nothing will go wrong with me and with my blood. My birthday wish must come true. Please don't let anything happen to me, and most importantly, to Baby. Please don't let Hubby worry too much about me and Baby. He has enough to handle and I should not burden him with any other problems from me and Baby. He's been so awfully supportive.

I must do my part to make sure that nothing's gonna happen to me and Baby. Please help us to take care of ourselves so that we can take care of Baby...