Let me just share with you some experiences of privileges that I have being pregnant. True, there is the downside such as insomnia, swollen hands and feet, feeling like a whale etc. etc. but there are the perks to it which help make the experience so much better.
The other day I was attending a matter in Court before the Senior Assistant Registrar (SAR). It is not uncommon to see a long line of lawyers queueing outside the SAR's door as the norm is first come first served. To top it off, there are no chairs provided outside the room for the lawyers to sit and wait. The chairs are placed quite a distance away. So there I was waiting and a very kind lawyer offered to let me go in before him even though he had been waiting for quite some time. I'm glad to see that chivalry is not extinct.
Similarly, I was at the bank waiting to deposit some cash into our clients' account. After taking a number, I was waiting for my turn. A very nice bank officer in fact offered to help me with my transaction so I did not have to wait for so long.
Also, I get extra food from hawkers such as the fruit lady downstairs. She often gives me extra fruit for free, especially my favorite honeydew. She also selects the sweetest fruits for me and sometimes gives me more for the same amount of money.
Most definitely, the best privilege for me would be that my Hubby does most of the work around the house, inclusive of making breakfast for me on Sunday mornings :) I am not allowed to do heavy housework such as mopping the floors/windows or washing the bathroom, which I dislike doing anyway! I really do feel very bad that he has do everything but he insists that I rest and that he can handle it. At most he allows me to do light housework such as folding the laundry. He sometimes jokes with me that this privelege only lasts for 9 months so I had better make the most of it :)
Perks aside, I am looking forward to Baby's arrival. To me, that would be the best privilege of all.
March 31, 2009
March 30, 2009
Which diaper brand?
We have been reviewing certain disposable diaper brands to use for Baby and so far it's come down to these few brands. Any suggestions on what's good?
When Baby's Ah Mah is looking after her she will be using "lampin" (traditional cloth diapers) but I don't think I can handle washing so many of those which is why we still need to use the disposable type. So far we have bought one small pack of Drypers for newborn babies as the price was much cheaper compared to Mamy Poko and Pampers but we still need to see if Baby suits this brand. Hopefully she will not develop any rash or allergic reaction to it. Otherwise we will have to switch.
Hiccups
I woke up yesterday morning feeling small rhythmic movements from Baby. At first I thought it was Baby's regular morning kicks but the movements did not seem to stop. Baby's Daddy also woke up and he put his hand on my belly and felt it too. He was quite alarmed when he counted about 50 kicks in a row.
We finally realised that Baby must have been having the hiccups! We had read before that it is not uncommon for babies to be hiccuping in the womb; it was just startling because we had never really felt it before. Anyway, according to the BabyCenter website, it's perfectly normal.
Question
Is it normal for my baby to be hiccupping in the womb?
Expert Answers
Ann Linden, certified nurse-midwife
Yes. Fetal hiccupping is a normal phenomenon that's been felt by many pregnant women and has been observed on many an ultrasound. Your baby may have started hiccupping intermittently beginning in the late first or early second trimester, although you wouldn't have been able to feel the hiccups at that early stage.
Some women notice episodes of hiccups — which feel like a series of little rhythmic movements — a number of times a day, while other women only notice them once in a while.
Hiccupping is common in newborn babies, too, so after you give birth, don't be surprised if your little one hiccups occasionally.
We finally realised that Baby must have been having the hiccups! We had read before that it is not uncommon for babies to be hiccuping in the womb; it was just startling because we had never really felt it before. Anyway, according to the BabyCenter website, it's perfectly normal.
Question
Is it normal for my baby to be hiccupping in the womb?
Expert Answers
Ann Linden, certified nurse-midwife
Yes. Fetal hiccupping is a normal phenomenon that's been felt by many pregnant women and has been observed on many an ultrasound. Your baby may have started hiccupping intermittently beginning in the late first or early second trimester, although you wouldn't have been able to feel the hiccups at that early stage.
Some women notice episodes of hiccups — which feel like a series of little rhythmic movements — a number of times a day, while other women only notice them once in a while.
Hiccupping is common in newborn babies, too, so after you give birth, don't be surprised if your little one hiccups occasionally.
March 26, 2009
Little Miss Sunshine
I just took a quiz on Facebook, " What Little Miss character are you?" and the result is:
"You're a very happy yellow girl who loves to make everyone happy"
Yellow girl?? Hmm..makes me sound like Lisa Simpson :p
Anyway, yes I do like to make everyone happy. Hopefully Baby will be like her Mummy and also enjoy making people happy. I wish for Baby to be a happy "sunshiney" baby that will bring joy to people around her :)
"You're a very happy yellow girl who loves to make everyone happy"
Yellow girl?? Hmm..makes me sound like Lisa Simpson :p
Anyway, yes I do like to make everyone happy. Hopefully Baby will be like her Mummy and also enjoy making people happy. I wish for Baby to be a happy "sunshiney" baby that will bring joy to people around her :)
March 25, 2009
Economic Recession - How Can We Overcome It?
I initially wrote this piece for our National Young Lawyers Committee column "Putik Lada" in The Star, but the editor subsequently requested for something else on a specific topic, so I reproduce the article here. As parents with young children, I think this should be useful in helping us to get by in these tough times.
Many of us young working adults may have been too young to remember or feel the effects of the late 1990s economic recession, but the reality has struck this time as most of us are facing what could be a monetary nightmare.
The United States-based National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) defines economic recession as: "a significant decline in [the] economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP growth, real personal income, employment (non-farm payrolls), industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales."
Evidently those hardest hit are those working in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, with threats of retrenchment and lay-offs all around them.
Lawyers too have felt the pinch of the recession, especially firms which specialise in the property market, i.e. conveyancing. Due to the economic downturn, many people are unwilling to buy property or even to sell as the market value of their property may have dropped drastically. This in turn affects the banking sector as well as fewer people are taking up loans to finance the purchase of property.
In this doom and gloom, what then can we do? Life must go on as usual. Below are a few tips which hopefully can help to ease our financial burden in getting by during these tough times.
1. Use Cash
Credit cards, if used unwisely, can lead to uncontrollable spending and unnecessary debt. At most, keep a maximum of two credit cards for emergency purposes and auto-debit payments such as utility bills, insurance payments etc. Cash should be used for all other retail purchases. This will help users to make credit card payments in full. Banks make a fortune out of credit card debt and especially since the 20 days interest-free period has been done away with, this has become a burden to credit card users.
2. Refinance Your Property
There are many banks nowadays offering attractive packages to home-owners who wish to refinance their property. With the drop in the base lending rate (BLR) to 5.95% as compared to the previous 6.75%, home-owners should make full use of this opportunity to refinance. With the zero moving cost packages offered by the banks, home-owners need not spend a single sen on legal fees and disbursements, and at the same they are getting a better interest rate and paying less for their monthly installments.
3. Try To Live On One Income
Most households nowadays have two incomes, with both spouses working to support the family. It may be a good idea that each family try to live on a single spouse’s income, thereby putting the second income into savings. Although this may be more difficult to achieve in low to middle income earners, at least a portion of one spouse’s income should be saved. It may not look like much, but a couple of hundred of ringgit per month can go a long way.
4. Do Not Reject Hand-Me-Downs For Your Children
I recently watched a programme on television whereby a family of sixteen children often came home to find a bag of clothing on their front porch, clean and usable clothes given to them by well-meaning neighbours and friends. This family commented that they never rejected the clothes, and rather this helped them to save a lot of money on their children’s clothes. Although our situation may not be that extreme, taking hand-me-downs from friends and relatives can help us to save as well, especially so when children grow extremely quickly, thereby making buying new clothes quite futile.
5. Conserve Energy
High utility bills can put a strain on our wallets. Switch off the lights and fans when noone is in the room. Turn off the television if noone is watching. Use energy-saving bulbs. Wash a full load of laundry instead of just a few stray pieces. Use the air-conditioning only when absolutely necessary. These are just some of the ways we can help to save electricity.
6. Car-Pool
No doubt, the price of petrol has come down compared to a few months ago. However, this does not mean that it is cheap. If we car-pool, we can save on petrol as well as on parking fees, not to mention that it does wonders for the environment.
7. Buy Malaysian Products
Many Malaysian products are compatible to those which are imported. By buying Malaysian-made goods, not only are we helping to boost our local economy, we also help our government to save on the cost of importing foreign goods. On a similar note, many hypermarkets and departmental stores also carry their in-house brand which is much cheaper compared to “branded” goods. As wise consumers, we should stock up on these goods as every sen saved helps to go a long way. As the Malay proverb goes, “Sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit”.
8. Keep A Check And Balance Sheet of Your Spending
It is always a good idea to make a record of our daily spending. By doing so, we can sometimes be amazed at what we spend our hard-earned money on. In this way, we can help ourselves to eliminate spending on frivolous items which we do not really need.
All of the above are just some basic tips to help us spend our money wisely and to have something extra for a rainy day. Having said that, however, an occasional splurge to pamper ourselves never hurt, as long as it does not take its toll on our pockets and we do not need to make painful sacrifices for it. The bottom line is, we need to be prepared and in doing so, proper planning is essential. As long as we fail to plan, we will indeed plan to fail.
Many of us young working adults may have been too young to remember or feel the effects of the late 1990s economic recession, but the reality has struck this time as most of us are facing what could be a monetary nightmare.
The United States-based National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) defines economic recession as: "a significant decline in [the] economic activity spread across the economy, lasting more than a few months, normally visible in real GDP growth, real personal income, employment (non-farm payrolls), industrial production, and wholesale-retail sales."
Evidently those hardest hit are those working in the manufacturing and industrial sectors, with threats of retrenchment and lay-offs all around them.
Lawyers too have felt the pinch of the recession, especially firms which specialise in the property market, i.e. conveyancing. Due to the economic downturn, many people are unwilling to buy property or even to sell as the market value of their property may have dropped drastically. This in turn affects the banking sector as well as fewer people are taking up loans to finance the purchase of property.
In this doom and gloom, what then can we do? Life must go on as usual. Below are a few tips which hopefully can help to ease our financial burden in getting by during these tough times.
1. Use Cash
Credit cards, if used unwisely, can lead to uncontrollable spending and unnecessary debt. At most, keep a maximum of two credit cards for emergency purposes and auto-debit payments such as utility bills, insurance payments etc. Cash should be used for all other retail purchases. This will help users to make credit card payments in full. Banks make a fortune out of credit card debt and especially since the 20 days interest-free period has been done away with, this has become a burden to credit card users.
2. Refinance Your Property
There are many banks nowadays offering attractive packages to home-owners who wish to refinance their property. With the drop in the base lending rate (BLR) to 5.95% as compared to the previous 6.75%, home-owners should make full use of this opportunity to refinance. With the zero moving cost packages offered by the banks, home-owners need not spend a single sen on legal fees and disbursements, and at the same they are getting a better interest rate and paying less for their monthly installments.
3. Try To Live On One Income
Most households nowadays have two incomes, with both spouses working to support the family. It may be a good idea that each family try to live on a single spouse’s income, thereby putting the second income into savings. Although this may be more difficult to achieve in low to middle income earners, at least a portion of one spouse’s income should be saved. It may not look like much, but a couple of hundred of ringgit per month can go a long way.
4. Do Not Reject Hand-Me-Downs For Your Children
I recently watched a programme on television whereby a family of sixteen children often came home to find a bag of clothing on their front porch, clean and usable clothes given to them by well-meaning neighbours and friends. This family commented that they never rejected the clothes, and rather this helped them to save a lot of money on their children’s clothes. Although our situation may not be that extreme, taking hand-me-downs from friends and relatives can help us to save as well, especially so when children grow extremely quickly, thereby making buying new clothes quite futile.
5. Conserve Energy
High utility bills can put a strain on our wallets. Switch off the lights and fans when noone is in the room. Turn off the television if noone is watching. Use energy-saving bulbs. Wash a full load of laundry instead of just a few stray pieces. Use the air-conditioning only when absolutely necessary. These are just some of the ways we can help to save electricity.
6. Car-Pool
No doubt, the price of petrol has come down compared to a few months ago. However, this does not mean that it is cheap. If we car-pool, we can save on petrol as well as on parking fees, not to mention that it does wonders for the environment.
7. Buy Malaysian Products
Many Malaysian products are compatible to those which are imported. By buying Malaysian-made goods, not only are we helping to boost our local economy, we also help our government to save on the cost of importing foreign goods. On a similar note, many hypermarkets and departmental stores also carry their in-house brand which is much cheaper compared to “branded” goods. As wise consumers, we should stock up on these goods as every sen saved helps to go a long way. As the Malay proverb goes, “Sedikit-sedikit, lama-lama menjadi bukit”.
8. Keep A Check And Balance Sheet of Your Spending
It is always a good idea to make a record of our daily spending. By doing so, we can sometimes be amazed at what we spend our hard-earned money on. In this way, we can help ourselves to eliminate spending on frivolous items which we do not really need.
All of the above are just some basic tips to help us spend our money wisely and to have something extra for a rainy day. Having said that, however, an occasional splurge to pamper ourselves never hurt, as long as it does not take its toll on our pockets and we do not need to make painful sacrifices for it. The bottom line is, we need to be prepared and in doing so, proper planning is essential. As long as we fail to plan, we will indeed plan to fail.
March 24, 2009
My Wish List
Here are some things that I found online which are simply adorable for Baby, but the prices are way beyond what we should spend! Even though we can afford it, I suppose it's no point to spend so much on Baby's things which she will outgrow in a short time. The money would be better spent on essentials such as milk and diapers. But anyway, it's nice to dream :)
Fisher Price Open To Take Along Swing - Precious Planet
Fisher Price Happy Giraffe Bouncer - Precious Planet
Chicco DJ Baby Walker - Cottage (available at Mothercare)
Winnie The Pooh Cosy Play Gym (available at Mothercare)
Rosebud Moses Basket (available at Mothercare)
Littlehampton Changing Unit (available at Mothercare)
Maclaren Quest stroller (available at babyGap)
babyGap embroidered ruffle dress
babyGap embroidered denim romper
Ralph Lauren Baby's First Polo
Ralph Lauren Suede Color-Blocked Loafer
Aren't they all so pretty? But it's really not necessary-lah. We can get just as good things at regular stores without having to break the bank. After all, it's just in the brand. Baby won't be able to tell the difference if she's wearing Ralph Lauren, babyGap, Anakku or pasar malam clothes.
So I also think that's important to teach Baby to be frugal from young. Although children nowadays are very priveleged, Baby has to learn that not everything that she wants she can get. She needs to learn that Daddy and Mummy work hard for the money and luxuries once in a while are okay but not all the time.
Baby, Daddy and Mummy also promise to try to give you the best life possible, so be a good Baby and grow strong and healthy for us. Hopefully we will not spoil you too much, although I believe the tendency is there, especially with your Daddy!
Fisher Price Open To Take Along Swing - Precious Planet
Fisher Price Happy Giraffe Bouncer - Precious Planet
Chicco DJ Baby Walker - Cottage (available at Mothercare)
Winnie The Pooh Cosy Play Gym (available at Mothercare)
Rosebud Moses Basket (available at Mothercare)
Littlehampton Changing Unit (available at Mothercare)
Maclaren Quest stroller (available at babyGap)
babyGap embroidered ruffle dress
babyGap embroidered denim romper
Ralph Lauren Baby's First Polo
Ralph Lauren Suede Color-Blocked Loafer
Aren't they all so pretty? But it's really not necessary-lah. We can get just as good things at regular stores without having to break the bank. After all, it's just in the brand. Baby won't be able to tell the difference if she's wearing Ralph Lauren, babyGap, Anakku or pasar malam clothes.
So I also think that's important to teach Baby to be frugal from young. Although children nowadays are very priveleged, Baby has to learn that not everything that she wants she can get. She needs to learn that Daddy and Mummy work hard for the money and luxuries once in a while are okay but not all the time.
Baby, Daddy and Mummy also promise to try to give you the best life possible, so be a good Baby and grow strong and healthy for us. Hopefully we will not spoil you too much, although I believe the tendency is there, especially with your Daddy!
March 23, 2009
Haagen Dazs, anyone?
It's funny how when you are not allowed to have something that you crave it all the more.
I have been so far very good throughout the pregnancy with no strange cravings in the middle of the night whereby Hubby has to go hunting for any particular type of food, so he should count himself fortunate! :)
However, I have been "banned" from eating certain foods which I used to enjoy. Examples are:
1. Ice cream (I would love some Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream right now; I can just taste the chunky bits of strawberry in it, yum!)
2. Iced drinks - It's not really nice having to drink warm drinks in the middle of the blazing afternoon. However, Hubby has recently relented and I can have chilled drinks after it has been out of the fridge for a while, so it's not too bad.
3. Fruits such as watermelon and pineapple - I believe the Chinese believe that these type of fruits are not good for Baby and Mummy because it is too cold and very "lai".
4. Laksa/Rojak - For the same reason as above, it's too "lai", probably because of the pineapple in it.
5. Instant noodles - Hubby says there is too much MSG which is not good for Baby. However, I am allowed to have two or three mouthfuls at a time though, not too much.
I can probably only think of these at the moment. I wouldn't necessarily say that I crave them; I could do without them and it doesn't really bother me that much. Anyway, if it's good for Baby, then I am more than willing to make the sacrifice to make sure that she stays healthy and strong.
I have been so far very good throughout the pregnancy with no strange cravings in the middle of the night whereby Hubby has to go hunting for any particular type of food, so he should count himself fortunate! :)
However, I have been "banned" from eating certain foods which I used to enjoy. Examples are:
1. Ice cream (I would love some Haagen Dazs strawberry ice cream right now; I can just taste the chunky bits of strawberry in it, yum!)
2. Iced drinks - It's not really nice having to drink warm drinks in the middle of the blazing afternoon. However, Hubby has recently relented and I can have chilled drinks after it has been out of the fridge for a while, so it's not too bad.
3. Fruits such as watermelon and pineapple - I believe the Chinese believe that these type of fruits are not good for Baby and Mummy because it is too cold and very "lai".
4. Laksa/Rojak - For the same reason as above, it's too "lai", probably because of the pineapple in it.
5. Instant noodles - Hubby says there is too much MSG which is not good for Baby. However, I am allowed to have two or three mouthfuls at a time though, not too much.
I can probably only think of these at the moment. I wouldn't necessarily say that I crave them; I could do without them and it doesn't really bother me that much. Anyway, if it's good for Baby, then I am more than willing to make the sacrifice to make sure that she stays healthy and strong.
March 19, 2009
Pink is my favourite colour
When we first started buying things for Baby, we decided not to buy everything pink even though she is a girl because:
1. We want to recycle the items if we have a next baby
2. Pink is really a bit girly and not necessarily girls have to wear pink all the time
3. Baby might surprise us on the delivery day by not being a girl after all! (Hey, it has happened before!)
So anyway, we bought more unisex colours such as green, yellow etc. as can be seen from my earlier post.
However, yesterday, we were overwhelmed with pink! Baby's Ah Ma came back from a trip to Hong Kong and bought Baby this:
Hello Kitty milk bottles and milk powder container
1. We want to recycle the items if we have a next baby
2. Pink is really a bit girly and not necessarily girls have to wear pink all the time
3. Baby might surprise us on the delivery day by not being a girl after all! (Hey, it has happened before!)
So anyway, we bought more unisex colours such as green, yellow etc. as can be seen from my earlier post.
However, yesterday, we were overwhelmed with pink! Baby's Ah Ma came back from a trip to Hong Kong and bought Baby this:
Hello Kitty milk bottles and milk powder container
It also comes with a bib
Besides the pink Hello Kitty milk bottle set, we also got a whole lot of pink clothes from Aunty Sue handed down by Baby Sarah. There were too many to show them all here so below are just a few:
Besides the pink Hello Kitty milk bottle set, we also got a whole lot of pink clothes from Aunty Sue handed down by Baby Sarah. There were too many to show them all here so below are just a few:
Pink Burberry dress
Pink Tweety Bird dress
Pink Tweety Bird dress
Pink Baby Minnie set
Baby's pink things!
I guess there's no escaping the pink when it's a girl :) By the way, I had a weakness for pink myself when I was younger. I remember when I was young I told my father that I wanted him to respray our old car pink! I suppose it speaks a lot for the colour of this blog ;)
I guess there's no escaping the pink when it's a girl :) By the way, I had a weakness for pink myself when I was younger. I remember when I was young I told my father that I wanted him to respray our old car pink! I suppose it speaks a lot for the colour of this blog ;)
March 16, 2009
Doctor's check-up
Yesterday morning we had our usual monthly check-up at Adventist Hospital with Dr Zovi. I think Baby was excited about it too as she started kicking me very vigorously very early in the morning. Maybe she thought that her Daddy and Mummy will be visiting inside her little world.
However, there was no ultrasound done yesterday because at last month's check-up Dr Zovi had already done a very detailed scan (almost half an hour) to check all Baby's vital statistics. So we only listened to Baby's heartbeat using a Fetal Doppler. We could hear it beating loud and strong so hopefully everything is okay with Baby even though we did not get to see her this time.
Dr Zovi laughed when we told her that Baby is very active, usually kicking me all over. She asked whether Baby's kicks were causing me any pain becuase she said that sometimes the baby's movements can be painful. But so far so good, no pain.
Anyway, the next appointment Dr Zovi said she will do a scan again. So Baby, Mummy and Daddy will visit you next month! We also can't wait to see what you look like now and how much you've grown. Be a good baby till then, ok :)
However, there was no ultrasound done yesterday because at last month's check-up Dr Zovi had already done a very detailed scan (almost half an hour) to check all Baby's vital statistics. So we only listened to Baby's heartbeat using a Fetal Doppler. We could hear it beating loud and strong so hopefully everything is okay with Baby even though we did not get to see her this time.
Dr Zovi laughed when we told her that Baby is very active, usually kicking me all over. She asked whether Baby's kicks were causing me any pain becuase she said that sometimes the baby's movements can be painful. But so far so good, no pain.
Anyway, the next appointment Dr Zovi said she will do a scan again. So Baby, Mummy and Daddy will visit you next month! We also can't wait to see what you look like now and how much you've grown. Be a good baby till then, ok :)
Rock-a-bye Baby
On Saturday we bought this for Baby:
We wanted something portable that could be wheeled into the living room from our room or Baby's room so I can keep an eye on her while doing other things. The legs of the cradle (or is called a bassinet?) can also spin around to be a rocker so Baby can be lulled to sleep. It also has a mosquito net to keep the pesky things from biting Baby. It's also foldable so it can be kept away when not in use. All in all we thought it was a good buy at a reasonable price.
Hanging teddy bears
With a small pillow and comforter
We wanted something portable that could be wheeled into the living room from our room or Baby's room so I can keep an eye on her while doing other things. The legs of the cradle (or is called a bassinet?) can also spin around to be a rocker so Baby can be lulled to sleep. It also has a mosquito net to keep the pesky things from biting Baby. It's also foldable so it can be kept away when not in use. All in all we thought it was a good buy at a reasonable price.
Views of the inside of the cradle/bassinet:
Hanging teddy bears
With a small pillow and comforter
March 13, 2009
Quickening
We were a bit worried this morning when Baby didn't move. It was rather unlike her usual pattern whereby she wakes up very early in the morning and kicks me all over. This morning she was very quiet and still, even after I had taken my breakfast.
Driving to work in the car, we were discussing her movement patterns and remembered the first time we both felt her kick. The doctor said that the baby should move at about18 to 20 weeks but by then I still had not felt anything. However, this is normal for first time moms. So anyway, I lay down on the bed and Baby's Daddy put his ear on my belly. After a few seconds, Baby gave a huge kick and Hubby was so surprised. I told him jokingly that Baby doesn't like his big face crushing her :) We were so glad that we could feel Baby's first movement together.
During this pregnancy, Hubby and I have been doing a lot of research on the internet about the way my pregnancy is developing and we found out that Baby's first movement is called "quickening". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to "quicken" means "to reach the stage of pregnancy at which the child shows signs of life." (Source: Wikipedia). In other words, it's the first time that you can feel your baby move.
Anyway, back to this morning, as we were sitting in the car, Baby's Daddy was getting more worried as the time went on because she still had not moved. Then just before we reached his office, she suddenly gave a huge kick to Mummy's belly. I told Hubby that Baby kicked just for him before he went to work so that he would not worry :) Thereafter she seemed to go back to sleep. Baby's waking and sleeping patterns must be changing, but it's nothing to worry about as long as she moves throughout the day.
Driving to work in the car, we were discussing her movement patterns and remembered the first time we both felt her kick. The doctor said that the baby should move at about18 to 20 weeks but by then I still had not felt anything. However, this is normal for first time moms. So anyway, I lay down on the bed and Baby's Daddy put his ear on my belly. After a few seconds, Baby gave a huge kick and Hubby was so surprised. I told him jokingly that Baby doesn't like his big face crushing her :) We were so glad that we could feel Baby's first movement together.
During this pregnancy, Hubby and I have been doing a lot of research on the internet about the way my pregnancy is developing and we found out that Baby's first movement is called "quickening". According to the Oxford English Dictionary, to "quicken" means "to reach the stage of pregnancy at which the child shows signs of life." (Source: Wikipedia). In other words, it's the first time that you can feel your baby move.
Anyway, back to this morning, as we were sitting in the car, Baby's Daddy was getting more worried as the time went on because she still had not moved. Then just before we reached his office, she suddenly gave a huge kick to Mummy's belly. I told Hubby that Baby kicked just for him before he went to work so that he would not worry :) Thereafter she seemed to go back to sleep. Baby's waking and sleeping patterns must be changing, but it's nothing to worry about as long as she moves throughout the day.
March 12, 2009
Stretch Baby Stretch! :)
I think Baby is getting too cramped in my belly. This morning I felt her kick both sides of my belly at the same time! Usually its one side or the other or the middle. And her movements nowadays are less like kicks and more like she's trying to feel her way around my belly. I think what I can feel are her little fingers and toes! It's a funny sensation but I love it! :) My tummy seems to be rather small still but according to the fundal height it seems about right. Anyway, can't wait for the next check-up on the 15th. Hopefully everything is all right with Baby. Her Daddy and I pray for her regularly that she will grow healthy, strong and safe.
Sorting out Baby's things
A few days ago I was in the mood to sort out all Baby's things. Baby is very blessed that she has been given many clothes and other items even though she is not born yet. It also helps Mummy and Daddy to save $$$ :) We had bought some baby hangers so I started to hang Baby's little outfits in my cupboard. They looked so adorable once they were all hung up. Most of the clothes are basic things like tops , pants, rompers and one-pieces. But our favourite is the most adorable little Ralph Lauren dress. It was rather a splurge by baby standards but since we decided to buy a bigger size hopefully Baby will be able to wear it during Chinese New Year next year.
The most adorable dress! :)
Reversible jacket from BabyGap
One-piece suit from Pumpkin Patch
Baby's new clothes
P/S: We got all these branded stuff (except Pumpkin Patch) for very cheap at F.O.S. We are not that extravagant! :)
The most adorable dress! :)
Reversible jacket from BabyGap
One-piece suit from Pumpkin Patch
Baby's new clothes
P/S: We got all these branded stuff (except Pumpkin Patch) for very cheap at F.O.S. We are not that extravagant! :)
Shopping for Baby
Last Saturday we went shopping for Baby as there was a baby fair on at Jusco Queensbay Mall. I wanted to have pizza for lunch so Hubby took me to have pizza even though he's not such a big fan himself. Being pregnant has its priveleges :)
After that we walked around the baby fair to see if we could get any cheap buys. We also bumped into Mark and Julia and their adorable baby Caris. I have never seen a baby with such noticeable double eyelids. We ended up buying the essentials like blankets, towels, baby pillows/bolsters, milk powder containers, wet wipes etc. We had already bought the Avent milk bottles earlier at Parkson since they were having a promotion with 20%. We did also contemplate getting the Avent steriliser as it was recommended by our friends but finally decided against it as my mother had advised us to do things the old-fashioned way and just boil everything in hot water. It's probably a good idea so that we can save some $$$. We also decided against buying a crib because Baby may not sleep in it for long and after all, we already have one given to us by someone. We definitely have to save as much as we can because Baby will not be cheap to maintain when she comes out to the world!
Cute mittens and bootees - notice the "I love Mummy and I love Daddy" :)
Avent milk bottles for newborns
Adorable newborn socks
Blankets and pillows
All Baby's new things!
After that we walked around the baby fair to see if we could get any cheap buys. We also bumped into Mark and Julia and their adorable baby Caris. I have never seen a baby with such noticeable double eyelids. We ended up buying the essentials like blankets, towels, baby pillows/bolsters, milk powder containers, wet wipes etc. We had already bought the Avent milk bottles earlier at Parkson since they were having a promotion with 20%. We did also contemplate getting the Avent steriliser as it was recommended by our friends but finally decided against it as my mother had advised us to do things the old-fashioned way and just boil everything in hot water. It's probably a good idea so that we can save some $$$. We also decided against buying a crib because Baby may not sleep in it for long and after all, we already have one given to us by someone. We definitely have to save as much as we can because Baby will not be cheap to maintain when she comes out to the world!
Cute mittens and bootees - notice the "I love Mummy and I love Daddy" :)
Avent milk bottles for newborns
Adorable newborn socks
Blankets and pillows
All Baby's new things!
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