Full term

Today, 1 Aug, baby Caitlin is finally full term. The waiting game begins now.

I wonder which date she will choose to arrive. Hehe. Excited!

I have an appointment with Dr Ho today. We'll be doing heart beat test. I'm eager to meet Caitlin and also because this heavy tummy is tiring me out. I wonder what her weight is now. My appetite is still good, and my tummy has been growing and growing even when she's close to full term. I guess appetite will decrease now that she has already grown to her appropriate size?

Symptoms at this stage:

• Frequent peeing and moving of bowels
• Increased vagina discharge. Sometimes it comes off as big lumps. 
• Fuller breasts. I squeezed. Still got milk although I stopped breastfeeding few months back.
• Insomnia but Kieran always managed to help me with this by making me too tired due to caring for him
• Tiredness
• Hunger (yes, now I still have cravings for food, usually in late afternoon)
• Nausea. That's why I do not dare to eat too much at one go even though I'm hungry.
• Tummy dropped much lower. When I sit down on my dining chair, my tummy touches my thigh. That's how low it is now! I guess Dr Ho will tell me baby is engaged today!
• Felt baby Caitlin giving me awefully strong kicks at top of my uterus, near the lungs, and felt her hicups where my pelvic bones are. So I guess she is still in her wonderful head down position. Please stay that way, dear baby!

Kieran is at school. Today he didn't cry much. He looked rather happy to go to school but he cried because he wants mummy to accompany him inside. I guess he likes the activities, toys and games he gets to play there, and the songs they sing. Just now I peeped in and saw him eating his bread by himself. Very obedient. And later on, after going to the coffee shop for tea and walking back, I peeped in again and saw him concentrating on his construction toys. He loves to assemble and disassemble things. That explains why he loves lego so much. Happy to see that he's not crying and doing activities in school.

Last night, he rolled a sticker in his palm and told me he's making "tang yuan" and its tang yuan that cannot be eaten. I guessed his teacher must have taught him that and they must be playing play dough.

Kieran's physcial growth spurt must have ended, but he seemed to be having a brain growth spurt. Nowadays, he couldn't stop talking and couldn't stop asking "what is this?" and he kept wanting to "read book, read book". I just made him recite di zi gui this morning coz he woke up early and he can recite the zong xu. Very happy. I sent the video to hubby and his grand aunt. They'll be proud of him :)

35 weeks 5 days: sudden nausea

35 weeks and 5 days pregnant. Suddenly, this evening, I felt nausea and dizziness. Happened just before dinner.

I'm thankful that my mom is here to help. She helped to cook and shower Kieran, and I'm glad to hear Kieran happily running here and there, eating his dinner, eating his fruits and in very good mood playing with his toys although mummy couldn't be there to play with him. I was lying down all the while. I switched on Xin Jing to listen, and to let baby Caitlin listen, and lie down on bed, hoping the nauseating feeling will go away soon. My head was hurting too and I felt almost like I had in first trimester. I hope this won't happen again.

My mom helped me buy young coconut from Fairprice. Maybe I'll drink it tomorrow morning after Kieran goes to school.

Kieran is still not looking forward to school. Sigh. I hope one day he will tell me he wants to go to school and urge me to hurry up dress him and bring him to school to play with teachers and friends. His unwillingness to go to school also makes me reluctant to place him on longer hours.

I am initially interseted in Kinderland preschool as its near my parents' place. I had wanted to bring Kieran to the open house this Friday. But after finding out the school fees, I aborted the idea. It was $1600+ for term 4 last year. My goodness gracious! Its 3hr per day lesson with 1hr most likely used up for breakfast or lunch, and only 2 hr or less for actual lessons, and they want to charge this kind of price! I'd rather send Kieran to enrichment lessons like music and phonics with extra money.

This Thursday, I'm going out with friends. Leaving Kieran with my parents. I hope nothing will happen to Kieran. Pray hard!

And this Friday hubby suggested we can try to go to Circuit Road for dinner, as because of an accident, we couldn't go last week... But I think its kind of jinxed... not sure whether we should go. I'd rather keep Kieran safe and sound.

I'm not destined to enjoy anything...

Please let my son be safe. No illness and no injuries. That happens again and I'm really going to break down.

Baby's first moves

Excited and happy! I felt baby's first kick inside me!

Its not really a "kick". Its a slight movement like something round rubbing swiftly against my skin.

Told my hubby and mom. Mom said its like that when we feel baby move :)

Well, nausea is still a problem although not as much as before. As long as I rest more, and don't run around outside in the hot sun, I should be fun. I try to sleep late as much as possible to avoid the morning sickness which usually attacks in the morning. Yup, morning sickness don't just come in the morning. It used to affect me throughout the day in my first trimester.

The most irritating problem now is the rashes which pretty much cover my entire body. Sadly, they are now invading my tummy which has been cleared of rashes since I use the medication from my obstetrician. Using the medicine diligently now. Also taking cough med regularly but taking safe dosages for baby.

Happy all the same even though the symptoms that come with this pregnancy are really affecting my life. I'm glad I have helpful parents and loving hubby to help me maintain emotional wellness when I'm in physical discomfort.

Swimming fun!

I had a good swimming session with gan jie yesterday. It was fun chatting, swimming and walking around in the middle pool. Don't want to go to the deep pool as we are both pregnant and not too keen and swimming too much. Walking around is fine. I heard its good for the spine and its good exercise for mummies-to-be. I think I shall make swimming a once a week exercise.

Unfortunately, I am having insomnia and strange dreams lately. Perhaps due to pregnancy? Its really troubling but no choice, I have to bear with it. I'm glad that I am no longer working and could sleep more in the morning. I couldn't imagine waking up early and struggling with work.

The good news is the morning sickness is much much lesser. My appetite has increased by leaps and bounds. From the looks of it, I'll be gaining some healthy weight soon! Losing 3 kg in the first 4 months of pregnancy is no joke!

17 weeks and 6 days into pregnancy

I'm now into 17th week of my pregnancy.

According to pregnancy guidelines, my baby is supposed to be 15cm CRL and weigh 200g. Previously, during first 3 months and way into the first half of the 4th month, I was still vomiting like crazy, so I lost 3kg and looked much thinner. The radiologist who did the oscar scan for me also said baby is about 2 days smaller. Haiz, heart pain. But luckily, now, I'm eating more. In fact, now at 12.48am midnight, I'm still hungry and asked hubby to heat up the Lor Mai Kai for me.

I'm nauseaous less often now because I try to sleep well pass 10am. From early morning to 10am is the critical period when I will be nauseous and likely to puke if I eat. So these few days, things are getting better. When I vomit, I also lost appetite. Perhaps its psychological. If I know I will vomit soon after eating, I won't feel like eating at all.

I hope so much that baby will be growing nice and healthy!

Next up, I'll be looking for pre-natal yoga classes, pre-natal classes at Mt Alvernia, my hospital of choice, and breastfeeding classes from a breastfeeding support group that a friend recommends. Even though I am now not working, life is not going to be boring! :) Will share those research with all in my blog when I have consolidated them.