Growing beautifully @ 36 weeks

Baby J is 36 weeks old!, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

We really can't wait to see you precious little one!! 

Love,

Mama & Papa

To Baby J with Love

To Baby J with Love, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

With most of the items on my must-do-list-before-baby-J-comes crossed out, I decided it was time to work on a little something for our precious one.  It was between knitting her a sweater or doing a cross-stitch of her name.  In the end, I decided to go with something more familiar - cross stitch.  I remember working on something similar for my younger sis 18 years ago.  I also did one for the hubs some years back.  Little Sophie too had her share of Yiyi's love when I altered some wooden alphabets with cute lady bug patterned paper!  So of course Baby J wasn't gonna miss out on a love gift from Mama.  It's just that this Mama took 8 months to get started on Project Love.  With more time on my hands now that I'm clearing block leave and with my tummy getting so huge that all I want to do on weekends is laze at home, I figured it's a good time to keep myself occupied with putting this together for Baby J.  

I ain't very fast with this whole cross-stitch business.  4 hours yesterday and all I finished was what you see here.  We brilliantly gave our daughter a fairly long name so it looks like Project Love will take a while before we see the finished product.     

Stay tune to see the progress! 

Happy Mid Autumn Festival!!

Mid Autumn Festival, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

There's something about decorating the garden with pretty lighted lanterns and sipping chinese tea while savouring some mooncakes.  I'm glad our family still preserves some of these tradition.  

Baby J @ 33 weeks!!

Our beautiful daughter is 33 weeks, 2.2kg, at the 70th percentile for her fetal age and

wonderfully created in His image!

Love you Baby J!!

When Mondays aren't blue

We're on leave today with nothing specifically planned for the day. I have tons of leave to clear and the hubs just decided he'll stay home with me and Baby J. It's nice sleeping in on a Monday knowing we have the entire day just to laze. But those who know me know that 'laze' doesn't exist in my vocabulary. Yes even at 32 weeks pregnant, I find it hard to 'just laze'. So here's what I've been up and about doing since 730am.

• Prepared a breakfast of oatmeal for the recovering-from-pulse surgery father
• Went for a nice brisk walk while the hubs did his 5km run
• Made oatmeal for the hub's breakkie
• Organised Baby J's newly laundered clothes and brought out her socks and hats for the wash
• Went out to get the father a swimming float to sit on. We ended up with a yellow tweety bird float which I think Sophie can use when she's back
• Mixed flour, butter, eggs, mash bananas and choc chip together and made a yummilicious banana choc chip loaf. I think Baby J liked it alot cos when I had it for tea, she was dancing big time!
• Put together the parma ham we bought yesterday, brie cheese, olives and semi dried tomatoes to feed a greedy father, husband and cheese-crazy sister. Of course, I had no share in the said lunch. I was happy with left over lasagna from last night's Peperoni take out
• Indulged the hubs by playing model so that he can perfect his studio photography skills with all the gadgets he bought. He did create some really awesome pregnancy shots though! He's been told he'll be billed in the form of night-feeds

Yap, so it wasn't quite a 'just laze' day. Not that I'm complaining. It was nice just doing mindless things that I enjoy. If the number of kicks she gave me was anything to go by, I think Baby J had a good day too knowing that she didn't have to go to work with Mama but spent the day at home with her Papa, Yiyi and Gong-gong.

Yes, our little girl loves being home and she knows it when she is.

My top 10 pregnancy must-haves

10.Good pregnancy and parenting books. The What to Expect when You're Expecting was a easy to read guide. I believe most expectant mothers live by it. I also found the La Leche League book on The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding most informative and encouraging when it came to the 101 on Breastfeeding - which I'm hoping I'll be able to do for at least a year. The other good read that we found useful and well written was Dr Medina's Brain Rules for Baby.

9. My hot thermos flask. While most people fought morning sickness, Baby J was more a evening baby, which made my nights in the first tri challenging. Drinking warm water helped so since then, I've always had a flask of hot water in my room. It has accompanied me throughout this pregnancy and its the first thing I consume after waking up - which I read, is good for the body too.

8. Burts Bee belly balm. I've been faithfully applying them since round about 10 weeks. Well its doing a fabulous job so far although I was told genetics play a part to in this stretch-mark business. My sis didn't have it so I'm thinking belly balm or not, I may have been spared too. Still, doesn't hurt to apply.

7. The Leachco Preggie pillow that helps me with a better night sleep especially in the 3rd tri.

6. My Ferragamo "My Joy" ballet flats. I bought this on one of my many trips to the US last year. It certainly came in handy since I had to ditch my 4" heels. Thankfully, my feet hasn't expanded and even if it did a little, the shoe still fit me comfortably.

5. Belly bands. They are the reasons why I still fit into my bottoms today at 32 weeks! Least for a maternity work skirt and one other berms I bought, I actually haven't had to invest in any bottoms despite my growing belly.

4. Ribena. The one food item that has remained essential since Day 1. I thought it was a 1st trimester phase but no. I think I've gone through three 2 litre bottle concentrate already.

3. My mum for all the nutritious soups and meals she prepares for me. For all the bird's nest and chicken extracts she has been brewing. She's a big reason Baby J is growing so well today. We always tell her Por Por feeds her well.

2. My dearest husband for everything he does; from faithfully reminding me to take my vits to making me my comfy bed surrounded with all the pillows so that I stay comfy lying on my left. For looking into all other aspects of Baby J's arrival that don't fall into the fashion and deco department.

1. Our great God who has blessed us with Baby J and who has walked every step of this pregnancy and before with us. We know that our daughter has been beautifully and wonderfully made.