This is how it went down…

On 06/06/2008 at 1.41pm , our little darling , Mia Medina made her honorary debut.With much coaxing of course.

The day before , after being put on the CTG machine for 30mins or so ( my third in 1 week ), Doc agreed that she is beginning to mess with our heads & reluctantly decided to intervene. If only there’s a peep hole to check on her everytime she went quiet , we would all let her be. She was a very active baby till the previous Fri.From then , she would play games , kicking up a storm one day & stay still as if she’s meditating on the other. After thorough checks , she was deemed very healthy & ready to meet her anxious parents.

Arrangements were made for us to check in the delivery suite at midnight.I was to be induced.

Well , naturally , i was a mess. I was extremely excited at the thought of the end results = My little girl but crinch at the thought of getting there.There’s just something about induction. I hate the absence of surprise.And induction is no simple procedure.As it is, labour itself is a complicated process , what more when you medically attempt to bring on an act of nature?? So yeah , naturally i was a wreck. Especially when i have extremely low threshold for pain & am a verrryyy timid person. Thanks to my man who was supporting me throughout. I couldn’t ask for a better birth partner.

yeahh..12am got settled in the suite.Changed into my seductive , backless night gown & got strapped & monitored by the CTG machine while waiting for Doc Selina to STROLL in 1 1/2hr later. Hmmm…

 

Just being in that room makes me sweat, especially since i was only 2 rooms away from where i had Dan.Scary experience..that one.

Gynae inserted  a vaginal insert to soften my cervix. I responded fairly well. Not only did my cervix thinned out & soften , it dilated to 3cm from 2cm in 6hours. I was told to catch some sleep during the night, conserve my energy for all the huffing & puffing that’s in my schedule. Of course .. i did just that.For only an hour out of the six i was given. My tummy was churning , my mind was wandering .. I was AFRAID. Every hour would pass & i would think to myself…could this be hour the contractions would start?? But nothing happened. I had a quick shower at 6am followed by breakfast & the obligatory shot of anema followed.Regular yet still relatively ‘weak’ contractions came on at about 8am.Weak…they say?? It got me greething nevertheless.8.30am , 2nd visit from Doc Selina who performed an amniotomy ( breaking of the water bag ) and oxytoxin was given continously by an IV. That was to stimulate contractions.That was what i needed.

Cos within minutes , it came fast & furious.Some even lapsing each other.Oh Gawd!! I could still feel it boy.. Induced contractions definitely more painful & longer even at the early stages.I was only 3cm dilated at that point. I knew that with the amount of sleep i had the nigght before and with the doc gauging it to end in 5 or 6 more hours.. i knew i couldnt possibly last through it without exhausting myself. And the last thing i want is to have no energy left to push & end up on the surgery table. So reluctantly , i agreed on epidural with my husb’s insistence. The administration itself was painful.But within minutes , i felt just tightening & slight cramps when the contractions came..the off the chart ones.But it was all about balancing. As soon as the contractions grew stronger , you have to either endure or increase the pain relief but in turn , you’ll lose sensation on your lower body. I felt my thighs were 100kg each at least. .:) And pushing was extremely hard when i cant even lift my thighs up..hub & the nurse had to help.

However i must admit pushing Mia out was an easier task than with Dan. I didnt even need an epsiotomy.I guess you could say i’ve learnt from mistakes thus this past few days with my new baby has been simply blissful. And watching how Danish is slowly adoring his baby sister is the moments i look forward each day.

 

 

The waiting game..

Visited my babe of the moment ( my gynae..:) ) . All’s good. According to her, i was about to go into labour when it abruptly change its mind when she heard of my false labour pains the other day.Lil Pea is bigger now..2.9kg roughly according to the machine. The moment she said ‘ 2.9kg, Norleni ‘ ( yes..she calls me by my full given name..Hehe ), I shrieked. Only because that’s lil Danish’s birth weight!!! And we still have 25days before the 40th week. And Dan was 4days overdue..

But the most reassuring news is that she is very healthy,chubby cheeks with just enough fluid around her. And Doc also assured me that if i were to go into labour, she wouldnt intervene cos baby looks ready to grace the world.And to that..i say ’Amin’. And till now..im still trying to coax her to make her debut. You know..since she’s ready and all. And deep down..Mummy’s really freaked out.I cant imagine pushing a 3plus kg baby out of me.. 

The wait is killing me..Im scared to bits yet i cant wait to get it over. You know..i would rather push a 2.9kg baby than a 3.5 one.And of course..i just cant wait to see my little princess. Im going to start googling how to induce labour naturally…

 

 

 

Pregnancy Brain

This i had to blog about.This i had to jot down.It got me cracking & hub sighing. After it dawned on both of us that i have indeed lost the other pair of my shoe , he immediately asked that the car keys were handed back to him.Never mind that he was carrying our sleeping hero,a sling bag, paper bag & walking with only his socks on, he still demanded that key.Hahaha..

I,on the other hand was simply amused. I knew i’ve gotten extra forgetful.My fellow SAHM refers it to being in total relax mode.But i would never have thought that i would be that forgetful as to leave my shoes behind..Im very sure its in E!hub’s carpark. And i thought my next entry would be about how we enjoyed E!hub.But this steals the show.

What exactly is PREGNANCY BRAIN ?? It is a condition that affects expectant mothers, usually during the first and third trimesters. Sometimes known as placenta brain or baby brain drain, the condition is usually characterized by short-term memory loss or forgetfulness. Some medical experts say that pregnancy brain is a myth, but evidence shows that many women( im a living proof ) have experienced this condition.-http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-pregnancy-brain.htm

Apparently it gets better a few months after delivery.That surely was the case for me.Lets hope my sanity actually returns this time around.

Ok..so after establishing the fact that i have indeed forgotten my shoe ( i  refuted it when hub first mentioned it as a possibility ), i was bewildered.Very amused & a tiny itsy bitsy upset. Cos it was my fav Mphosis sandals.And i still found it hard to believe that i would actually leave something as important as my footwear behind.Its not as if walking barefooted felt natural at all.

Well..on the other hand, NOW  i have an excuse to get a new one.:)

And i ended up walking from the carpark,into the lift( we weren’t alone ) & to my doorsteps in Hub’s shoe.And he , without shoes , only socks. We even sense hesitation on the uncle’s part to enter the lift.He was staring at our feet!! Hahahahah..

So there you have it..The Day i lost the other pair of my shoe.36th weeks with lil pea..

Next Entry : Shopping for shoes. ( Ya rite with my ‘elephant’ feet )

 

1 week on

83.5kg

That’s what it reads on the weighing scale!

83.5kg

Could my eyes deceive me? Where have I gone wrong??!!!!!!!

Alright I fess up, sure I didn’t follow the exercise programme and calorie count but gaining 400g in a week is abit too much right? ……Right? …er……Right?

Ok, ok i get it, I have only myself to blame. Even if my pregnant wife makes me feel guilty for eating less than her I should have stood my guard. :-I

Well, lesson learned! With renewed vigor I’m more determine this week. Next date with the weighing scale I will prevail!!!

Ice cream..anyone?

On an extremely boring Sunday evening..what’s pregger like me to do?

Indulge in cold,satisfying ice-cream of course! Nowadays..anything frozen & cold is the way to my heart.Wonder if lil pea would feel the chill or enjoy it like Mummy is.

Serene Center ….. here we come!!!! I havent been there since like forever. This place has very fond memories for me.Daddy would relentlessly bring me & my bro to its Mcdonalds every Sunday..the only day we get to see Daddy those few years.I was a baby..probabably 5 or 6.We would go berserk on its indoor playground on the 2nd floor.I could still remember how Dad would smash those fries & blow it before feeding it to me..It feels like only yesterday.No wonder..Daddy still has a hard time grasping at how big we both have grown..more like how old instead of how big.LOL.
It was walking down memory lane..Boring place,nothing has changed really.But it still brought a smile to my face.
Sorry…was sidetracked alittle.

Why Serene Center..you asked??

Island Cremery.
Heard alot of good reviews for this place but this would be our 1st visit.

Sure..it looks like any other brownie with ice cream.Nooo..i mean..yeah sure its a chocolate brownie…but the ice cream.That’s what makes Island Cremery a very interesting choice. Its Horlicks & Nutella ice cream among other unusual flavours it offers.The Nutella didnt do so much for either of us..would prefer if its richer in Nutella not Vanilla.But the Horlicks’s cool!!! Hub loveesss it.Ooh yeah..he loves the brownie too.I’m not a big fan..never have been.So i didnt even take a bite.So..ill just take his word for it.

 

This is what i’ve chosen.Teh Tarik & Burnt Caramel. The latter was ok..different but too sweet for my liking.Buttt…the teh tarik on the other hand, i give two thumbs up. It’s exactly like sipping nice , flavourful teh tarik from your mama shop only that its cold & its ICE CREAM.What’s not to love? If you are never a teh tarik fan to begin with..please just skip this & instead knock yourself out with the rest of the more interesting flavours like Chendol,pulut hitam,Tiger Draft , sweet potato to name a few.We’ll definitely come back..I owe myself a mudpie.:)

Poor Danish..who missed out on this cold,sweet experience.He would have totally loved the kids corner. Decked at one corner was a line of kid’s stools with papers & crayons on its low kid’s table.There was even a guitar for the little kiddies..Next time baby..ok??

 

Of cravings & false labour pains..

Like the ticker states..i still have 32days to go to my due date.Well i do understand that due dates are ONLY a rough estimate.And machines aren’t always right especially when i cant even give my gynae a straight answer as to when was my last menstruation date.But still..it got me all panicky.
It all started on Tues night.Right after dinner..me & hub was resting watching TV while the lil one was running around with Bibik.Suddenly..resting on the once very comfy couch seems like a chore.I couldnt find a right position.With pillows to support my back..DIDNT work.Pillows underneath my tummy..DIDNT work either.Tummy was hardening every few minutes & im gasping for air.Im even starting to sweat.It continued till the wee hours of the night.It finally calmed down around 2am & i finally got my well
deserved rest.
I wokeup, optimistic, hoping it would be a better day. I was so wrong. After a cup of orange juice for my daily dose of Vit C , popping my calcium pills & a tbsp of olive oil..it started again. I couldnt remain still for 5mins. My heart’s palpatating , my tummy’s uneasy & the moment i got up from the bed , i felt like collapsing.And despite all this..all i could think of is munching my extremely cold ice cubes!!! So i got Siti to get me a bag of ice from 7-11 & gave in to my new found craving.

Cut story short..it all started from that fateful Tuesday.Ever since..i havent been too well.Its either this or that or all at once.Palpatations,vomiting,restlessness,breathlessness,tummy cramps,lightheadedness.And on the 1st episode..i actually thought i could be in labour..cos it was quite consistent.
Well all this got me very worried..u know being very close to the finishing line. I did some googling & found that the symptoms ( ice munching included ) could be a sign of anaemia.Could i be? I better give my doctor a ring…

The regime and diet plan

Ok here we go. Head straight, mind focused and this is what i’m going to do.

Phase1: Conditioning; – Week 1-4, Calorie count: 2000

Phase2: Cardio only – Week 4-8, Calorie Count: 2200

Phase 3: Cardio (70%), Weights training (30%) – Week 8-16, Calorie Count: 2200

Phase 4: Weights training (70%), Cardio (30%) – Week 16- 24, Calorie Count:2400

Conditioning, since my last workout was back in.. hmm i don’t know say 5 years ago i reckon it would be a good idea to start with something modest. So for Week1 this is the plan:

Morning: 2 X 20 push-ups and 2 X 35 crunches

Evening: 3 X 20 push-ups and 3 X 35 crunches

Ooh i hope this works!

My Pedicure Session..

Ok..Ok..I’ll fess’ up.The last i went to a nail parlour was a day before Hari Raya ‘07, a week before we found out i was carrying another a mini-me. Since then , i’ll just trim my own toe nails & bite my finger nails. Hahhaha..French manicure USED to help me with that disgusting nail-biting habit of mine. Well i assure myself everything will be back to normal after this june ..

The 1st trimester, i was down with coma-like letharginess..so a manicure was totally out of the question.That was a very dark period

Second Trimester.. i developed eczema on my fingers ( The only similarity to my last pregnancy ).And cos of the constant scratching , it swelled. And the nails on the right hand had dents all over but the left hand’s nails were perfectly normal.Strange huh?

Third Trimester.. I’ve gotten used to ugly nails.LOL.

Like those close to me would vouch…i’ve never had a graceful pregnancy..this included.I just dont give a hoot!! That’s the truth..But im really eager for the day to come when it finally matters..when i finally would care.When i would not leave the house till all my lashes are nicely curled…Heeeh.And the day is nearing..

And now that my waistline has a reached a svelte 38inch , i can no longer see my feet.What more trim my toe nails?? So who do i turn to??

 

The Husband of course!! Thanks hor..dear..

Ohh and while he’s chipping my nails..i noticed this..

An enlarged vein forming an inverted U on my feet. And no..i havent been wearing pumps or covered shoes.It must be the extra weight the feet have to carry all day long.

 During pregnancy there is a huge increase in the amount of blood in the body. This can cause veins to enlarge. The expanding uterus also puts pressure on the veins.

I am very green & veiny this time around.My hands,my chest,my expanding tummy. Full of veins..Im afraid ill turn into a hulk anyday!

 

Celebrate your worth,mommies!

According to Salary.com, moms who stay at home with their kids full time would earn approximately $117,000 per year, if they charged for all of the services they provide, including cooking, cleaning, laundry, counseling, driving, and more. Moms who work full time outside the home would earn an additional $68,000 per year for the on-top-of-everything-else work they do in the home after hours.

Another tidbit that I found interesting is this: the same study estimates that a mom’s work week consists of 96 working hours. Ninety-six.

So what does that tell you, moms, about the relevance of Mother’s Day? You deserve it! So don’t deflect any compliments you receive this holiday, okay? Instead, say “Thank you,” and let it sink in a bit. You work extremely hard to provide for all of your family’s needs, that work is indeed valued, and this holiday is for you!

I hope you enjoy it.

I enjoyed mine. A simple, relaxing day spent with my boys.

Happy Mother’s Day , Mom .I can never repay you..All i can do is love you the best i can.

 

 

Losing Weight? Help!!

For as long as I can remember weight gain has never been my problem. Not until a wedding ring, a son and another offspirng due this June. Shirts are getting tighter, my jeans don’t fit. Chest are sagging; that’s rite, i’m having man boobs. And the mirror has become your enemy..

It’s time for action!! And it starts rite now!!!

Like many motivational books will tell you, to achieve something always have S.M.A.R.T goals (Specific,Measureable, Agreed upon, Realistic, Time Based)

Well here’s mine:

Specific: 1) To lose 10kg by 24 October 2008 (abt 5.5 months) 2) To reduce waist by 5.5 inches 3) To reduce chest by 3 inches.

Measureable: To weigh and measure myself monthly. Current stats = 83.1kg (Weight) 38.5″ (waist) and 40″ (chest)

Agreed upon: Embark on a fitness program that doesn’t impede on my family and career. Hmm.. that should be easy.

Realistic: 2kg a month and 500g a week seems realistic to me.

Timeline: Must achieved this by 24 October so i look good on my birthday on the 27th. LOL

Now all i need is a fitness and food intake plan. ***Gulp*** Help