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.

Winding down

Every year we find ourselves lamenting how fast the year has passed. How it seemed liked yesterday that we ushered into the New Year. For me, I'm just glad we'll be in September in a couple of days. The past months has had its share of excitement, moments of anxiety and fear mixed with days of contentment, peace and thankfulness. Its like a whole multitude of different feelings all concocted together. It's hard to explain.

While coping with all that emotions not forgetting all that hormonal changes taking place, I had to make sure I continued giving my best at work. The last thing I wanted my colleagues to say was that I wasn't doing my job well just because of my pregnancy. It was the perfectionist in me at work - not always a good thing. I'm thankful that I pulled through. August and the months leading up to it was just crazy with a $24 million budget to defend for and a mega career fair to handle. At some point, with all that stress, I was so afraid I was going into preterm labour! I had to constantly remind myself of what my sister said - that some stress is OK for baby!

With the toughest months at work now behind me, I can finally breathe. I'm determined to take September easy preparing my hand-over to my colleague who'll be taking over my portfolio and generally just not freaking out over work. Our EDD is end October but with quite a fair bit of leave to clear, I'll be pretty much staying home for the entire month waiting for Baby J's appointed hour. By God's perfect timing, the management decided too that it was time for my next internal posting so I won't be coming back to my current division after I return from maternity leave. That helps a deal knowing that at least I don't have to spend my 4 months of maternity fretting over the mountain of work to catch up on when go back to work!

So as Baby J approaches 32 weeks in a couple of days, Mama too is starting to wind down at work. I'm so looking forward to my 4 months of leave and even more excited knowing that I'll be spending it with our precious little pumpkin!

Love box from Yiyi

Love box from Yiyi, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

Three years ago, my sister shipped back a love box - filled with our wedding favours, ribbons, wooden fans, brocade purse and ten thousand other stuff we got for our wedding. Now, fast forward three years and here's what we came home to yesterday!! A similar love box filled with all things baby carrying the Ann Arbor smell - specifically her house's basement - that made us all miss our time there last Christmas!

Other than the stuff I've been purchasing online over the past few months, my sis filled the box with precious hand-me-downs from Sophie that I'll love Baby J to have! Like her "pat pat animal' book that I remember her reading every night before she went to bed when she came home at 4 months, her "praise God" swimming costume that looked adorable on her and I hope will too on Baby J, her first mirror that tickled her so much, I'm sure it'll do the same for Baby J and the many books that Baby J will inherit hopefully with her cousin's intelligence as well!

And so we begin the count down!!! I think we're all set lest for the stroller and crib! That'll come later. Very excited and I'm just glad that far from home she may be, my sis can share in the excitement with us as well as she put this together for us!

Thanks Chets!

Favourite sounds

As I hit 29 weeks, Baby J's kicks and movements have been getting more forceful. Not that I'm complaining (yet) cos I truly enjoy her kicks even when they hurt - especially when she kicks me at the belly button area!

Its funny how she responses to the various noises though. It's like at 29 weeks, she already knows what she likes and what's on her no-no list. So after observing her for the past few weeks, here're what gets her dancing....

• The water from the shower. She better like it as much when she takes her bathe in future!
• Elmo's Ducks song
• The worship band playing on Sundays
• The sound from my mechanical toothbrush. Whenever I brush my teeth, she starts her dancing.
• Her dada's voice - I think she's bored with mine. When she hears her dada's voice, its like her world is lighted up! I call him the guest star!

It's all happening very soon and we're clearly very excited as the day draws near. Watch this space as we start the count down!

National day 2011 in photos

National day 2011 in photos, a photo by pz.sher on Flickr.

So here's how we spent our National Day ....

• skype with the birthday girl who happily showed the world her purple helmet and telling us she's sophie and that she's 2!
• a lazy breakkie of kaya toast and soft boiled eggs
• seeing grandpa and the dada sweat over fixing up baby J's car seat
• yummy lunch with the grandparents, aunts and godbrothers who're finally back for their break. we also had a cake for all the 4 august babies
• shopping for baby J's cot but didn't find a suitable one.
• picked up dad's birthday present
• staring at my tummy for long moments in amazement as I see baby J's kicks and movements. she almost scared her yiyi sam yesterday with a big wave she created!
• helping sam - who thinks she's giada - prepare roasted tomatoes to go along with our takeaway pizza dinner
• tuning in the the NDP and thanking God for where the nation is today
• turning in soon and feeling relaxed knowing that i'm on leave tomorrow!!

Look who's 2!!!

I hope you liked your Madeline toy & book!! Oh and all the other goodies yiyi threw into the love box!!

Happy birthday to the cutest 2 year old!!!

***Muaaahhh***