Tiny Doll @ 23 Weeks

Baby is 23 weeks today, apparently looking like a tiny doll, complete with fingernails and toenails.

Here's what 3DPregnancy has to say...

"I recognize Dad by his voice and I really enjoy it if he rubs Mom's tummy to feel me kick (but sometimes I swim away from him just to make him grumpy)".

You two can make contact with him. If you press on your abdomen and push it slightly to the side, he will definitely respond. Also, if he kicks and you react, he will certainly continue, he will let you feel that he's there. You can talk to him and sing for him because you know that he can recognize your voices already.

119 more days to go.. Gee.. Why does it feel like the second trimester is passing by so quickly, faster than the first one? Nooooooooo...... Don't go yet!

The Gender

We went for our much anticipated monthly check-up (it is always very exciting to see Baby!) and yes, we finally saw Baby's gender!!

Doc zoomed straight towards the genitals. Baby wasn't in the best position but Doc was able to locate both of Baby's legs. Hubby and I were in a daze coz we obviously couldn't interpret the image. Doc and his wife were really cheeky though. The wife took a look at the image, said "Oh, I saw it already" and walked out of the room! Hubby and I just looked towards her direction and then at each other with a huge question mark on our faces. Doc, even cheekier, explained that he had to firstly locate the V part where the legs meet, pointed at it, and said that if there is something protruding, it means it's a boy. We stared the screen long enough to notice that there was indeed something extra there. "Means it's a boy?" He said "Yes". He then promptly checked if it could be the umbilical cord but after making sure that there is no blood flowing on that 'extra' part and that the umbilical cord is pretty much floating around the top of Baby's body, Doc said that he can safely say Baby has 80% chance of being a boy. Oh dear, we don't have a boy's name for Baby!!! *gasp*

All the while, we had been hoping for a girl. I can play dress up with her. Hubby can call her his little girl and bring her out for walks. We even thought of a nice name for her. So yes, it was really an unexpecting news. But now that we know, a boy is just as nice. Hubby get to play basketball with him. He will be our little man in the house. What's more important is that as long as Baby is healthy, the gender really shouldn't matter.

Another happy news is that, I am now 43.6kg (my lifetime achievement, woo hoo!!!), 2.3kg gain from the previous check-up. It probably must have been all those CNY food I've had! For once, Doc was very satisfied with that! Baby is now weighing 443grams. Apparently at the rate I'm going, Baby probably wouldn't exceed 3kgs which is good and should be easy to deliver. I really hope so too!

We announced Baby's gender to our families and the godparents-to-be (Baby is soooo loved!!!). Hehe... We're having a kuchee-rat boy!!! He's surely gonna be just as handsome as his Daddy!! We will be able to start shopping for blue stuff soon! *Grin*

:(

Mummy contracted shingles a few days ago and she imposed a 2 to 3-week ban on me from seeing her. "It's dangerous for pregnant women", she said.

Am upset coz as much as I love her to want to do something for her, to stay with her to take care of her until she recovers, I have to obey because I know she loves me just as much and she doesn't want anything to harm Baby.

I can't do anything but to ask about her recovery through the phone everyday. Am sad when she complains about the rashes, headaches and muscle pain. I think I will buy some fruits and a bouquet of flowers to cheer her up a bit. Will drop by on my way home from work tonight and pass them to her via Daddy. *Sighz*

She insisted that I do not tell Sis about her condition, where as Sis is now suffering from a really bad diarrhea in Shanghai and she also told me not to tell Mummy. But of them just doesn't want the other party to worry, yet now I'm worrying for the both of them! *Double sighz*

I honestly pray for their speedy recovery. Hubby and I are going for our monthly check-up tomorrow and I so pray that there won't be additional worries about Baby. *prays*

Booby Pears @ 22 Weeks

"Forget the fruit bowl . Now you're the fruit. Make that pear - but with breasts."
~ The Pregnancy Countdown book

Gee.. What a nice way to describe the way I look now, eh? The funny thing is that, I don't really look very pregnant unless you look at me from the side coz my tummy's kind of sharp-looking. Some say that if the tummy is sharp towards the front, it's a girl. But an ex-colleague of Hubby's, who has 2 sons, said that if it's sharp, then it's a boy. If it's a girl, then the tummy will be very rounded and the mother will look very clumsy. She also said that if the father consumes a lot of meat, then there's a higher chance of conceiving a boy coz apparently meat is acidic and will give a higher sperm count with more male chromosomes or something like that. Eat more vege, and you'll get a girl. I don't know, Hubby and I are hoping for a girl, but hopefully we'll be able to see this coming Saturday when we go for our monthly check up.

In the meantime, I'm trying to 'psycho' Baby to open his/her legs wide for us! Oh, the suspense!!

Playing Host

Hubby and I will be hosting one of Footitie's online friends from Hong Kong. She will be touching down tonight and is staying for a week.

We've not met her before and I've only chatted with her a couple of times online to confirm the arrangement - accomodation, flight and transportation. She sounded like a very decent person. It's our first time playing host to a 'stranger' nevertheless we will provide as best as we can to make her feel at home. Besides we get to know a new friend and we can all go gallivanting for food together, with the help of her nifty guide book. I'm sure there's many places we've probably not been before nor food that we've not tried before. Hehehehe...

I'm actually looking forward to her arrival!

Knock Knock

Now that my tummy's getting harder, I've been playing *knock knock* jokes with Baby.

It sounds really silly when I think about it, but I love it especially when Baby responds by kicking me. Either Baby loves it or Baby is just annoyed!

I also decided to mess around and took this shot..

Patchee & my tummy

Xiao Ping thought my tummy was a mandarin orange!!!!!!!!!

*lol*

21 Weeks Banana

People always ask me how many months am I now. I would say "4-5 months, I think" coz I really do not know how do one calculate the months. I mean, 40 weeks is more like 10 months, don't you think so? Perhaps I should ask Doc about this during the next check-up.

Anyway, we're 21 weeks today and Baby is supposedly to be the length of a banana now. Pregnancy Countdown book stated that "her tongue, which, of course, she will never, ever stick out at you, is now fully formed". That's so cute!

The book, as well as 3dPregnancy also stated that the Braxton Hicks contractions usually start around now. Apparently, they're just a painless, tightening sensation in the abdomen which may last for up to 30 seconds and cover just one part of the belly. Some people relate them as "practice" contractions for the World Series (which is the real one during labour!).

Oh dear.. Now I'm worried... I hope I'll be able to handle the contractions without any medical assistance...........

Happy CNY

Choy San Yeh with earrings. Tee hee hee!

It's been a quiet CNY this year. There's the usual family gatherings now and then, visiting relatives here and there, and not forgetting, distributing angpows to our family members and other kids.

Yet, something is missing. Ahhhh... The lively atmosphere that we've always had in every year of our CNY celebration in Daddy's hometown. Every CNY eve, we would head back there and prepare for our reunion dinner. We would help Yeh Yeh set up the altar at the car porch with lots of food. After our dinner, the rest of our relatives would gather in the house. Imagine having Yeh Yeh, Nai Nai, Daddy and his 8 other siblings, along with their spouses, 40-odd grandchildren and about 15 great grandchildren everywhere within the premise. The elder ones would play mahjong and blackjack whereas the younger ones would roam around the street playing fireworks, and of course there would be a few hanging out at the living hall watching tv.

Come the auspicious time, Yeh Yeh would begin his prayers and welcome the Gods (sorry, can't remember which one is it - Sky or Kitchen God) and one of my uncles would light the firecrackers. It was oh, so lively!

But it's not like that here in PJ/KL. It's almost like a dead town! Here I am, munching on those CNY cookies and mandarin oranges while staring at my decorated CNY tree (with blinking 'firecrackers' lights too!). I shouldn't be feasting on them in the first place coz they're heaty and apparently, oranges will make Baby cough a lot in the future. But what the heck, it's CNY!

Oh well, hope you're all having a great CNY holiday, wherever you are! Gong xi fa cai!

Half-Baked @ 20 Weeks

The bun in my oven is half-baked today. *lol* That said, we're halfway there!! 126 more days to go!!

It seemed like only yesterday when we found out that we're expecting a baby and suddenly now, I wake up and see a huge bulge in front of me. Not only that, the thought of delivering Baby in less than 20 weeks time! *Gasp*

Well, the bump isn't really that huge but it does seem slightly bigger each day, and of course, the flutterings. I just love to play with Baby - talking to Baby, shaking and rubbing the tummy.

Sis just came back from Hong Kong today and already, she bought a few stuffs for Baby - a small lime jacket (can't believe babies are soooooooooooooo tiny!!), a couple of cute little bibs and a very cute pair of pastel-coloured jester shoes. Baby is so lucky!!!

Oh well, CNY is here tomorrow. Hubby and I got to go do a little spring cleaning around the house a bit. Not that I'm able to do much though.. *Sighz*

Here's wishing everyone a wonderful Ratatouille year!!!!!!!!! It will also be the year for our little Kuchee-Rat that's happily swimming around in my tummy. Tee hee hee!