The Confinement

One of the things I look forward to after the delivery is of course the CONFINEMENT month.

Many people think I am mad, because it meant one month of restriction and loss of freedom for them. No more shopping, no more going out to play, no more good sleep. But to me, it’s really not much of a torture because I love to stay at home. And definitely, the yummy confinement food is a big draw for me. Hehehehe…

I showed you the pretty ginger before. My mum-in-law has grinded the ginger into shreds and my dear hubby has fried them over low fire till they become super dry and flaky. He took 3-4 days just to fry the ginger! Hard work just for me.. :) Now they have been stored into small containers and kept in the fridge. When we need to cook the food, we just need to spoon in the ginger. Easy & good!

And these?

They are bottles of yellow rice wine which would be used to cook all my confinement dishes. Ladies on confinement cannot consume water, so  every dish has to be cooked in wine, and not water. Even when I am thirsty, I cannot drink water, and the only thing I can drink is red dates water. Basically, every morning, my mum in law will boil one big pot of water with lots of red dates, and I will just drink that the whole day. I am not sure why this is so, but I think it’s got to do with the fact that water gets retained in the tummy area and causes bloated-ness.

And these are packets of herbs which would be boiled in water for me to bathe in. It’s the first time I’m going to use this, because during my first confinement, I bathed everyday as per normal. Not that I am suffering any repercussions or side effects from all that, but to appease my mum, I shall just do that this time round. :) I hope I don’t smell too bad after every bath. =P

Are You Interested To Know…

…. what my schedule is like for the next few days till I go for my C-section next Thursday? :)

Today is my last official day at work in office, and it feels almost surreal that I’ve finally come to this day. Haha… I can already foresee that it would feel very weird that I need not collect & submit attendance on Sat & Sun, and how weird it would be not to attend leaders’ meeting on next Tuesday night… but there’s tons of things I need to get done before the big day!!

* * * *

Saturday (tomorrow): Going to JB to visit Grandma who’s just went through an operation yesterday, and to bring back some stuffs for my confinement which the aunties bought for me.

Sunday: Service with Mrs Yonggi-Cho! Going back to my parents’ place after service, to tie down the arrangements for my confinement. My MIL will cook all my confinement meals, but my mum will take care of all the marketing.

Monday: Wash Baby Jayne’s cot mattress cover, sun all her clothes again, pack into her cabinet. Sterilize all her bottles and store. Check that all her things are in order.

Tuesday: Play with Joey whole day! Cos she’ll probably stay at home so that Isaiah can go for his leaders’ meeting at night.

Wednesday: One final day for me to rest, rejuvenate and relax with facial masks, eyebrow trimming, body scrub…. and of course, pack my hospital bag! Got to cook dinner for my hubby too, since it’s gonna be the last time I will cook in a while.

Thursday: Wake up at 6am to have my breakfast. Leave for the hospital at 830am. Joey will stay home with my MIL. Isaiah will bring her to the hospital to see Jayne only on Friday morning! =D

I hope all goes according to my plans and that I don’t go into labour before the scheduled date! Haha…

What Was It Like?

Frankly, I can’t remember what it was like the first time round.

Did I go on leave a few days before I went to deliver Joey? Or was I working up till the day before I admitted into hospital? I really cannot recall. Maybe my hubby can refresh my memory?

Nowadays, I have been suffering from partial short term memory loss. As my due date draws near, I have been trying to recall things I’ve done when Joey was born, like how to pat baby to sleep, feed baby, bathe baby, but alas, everything comes back to me in one big messy lump of blurred memories.  I can’t seem to remember anything much! How scary is that? I only last gave birth 3 years ago! And how is it that my mother-in-law who last gave birth 30+ years ago could remember every single detail so clearly, even down to the fact that newborns generally start off with 30ml of milk at each feed?! I sure hope this is all temporary.

Like the other day, my MIL reminded me that I should not buy clothes with buttons at the front for Jayne, because it may cause discomfort when she’s sleeping. I got bewildered because I THOUGHT I REMEMBERED CLEARLY that newborns should sleep chest up, till about 3 months old then let them sleep chest down. My MIL told me with a horrified look on her face that Joey slept chest down from Day 1. Unconvinced, I went to check through Joey’s old photos and realised (rather disgusted with myself) that my MIL is right.

Baby Joey, 3 days old

Even though the child-raising part took a bigger portion of my life, it was the giving birth part that I remembered more vividly about. Perhaps because there were stronger emotions involved then. But I wished I didn’t have such a clear memory of those things, because it’s starting to make me nervous.

I remembered how I was pushed into the operating theatre, how the aesthetician put on the mask for me to breathe in the GA, how he counted 1, 2, 3… how I woke up to the voice of a missy calling, ‘Lee Phei Ching…. Lee Phei Ching….’… I remembered how I was pushed back to the ward, how Isaiah showed me Joey’s face on his handphone for the first time, how I fell asleep feeling very exhausted but blissful… how horrendously painful it was when I made my first attempt down the bed and to the toilet, how I forced myself to get onto a wheelchair just so that I can be discharged from the hospital…

It was all very vivid & clear in my mind.

The first time round was easier it seems, because I knew or expected nothing. I didn’t know how it was going to be, so I wasn’t the least nervous. Now, the second time round, I think about the first time and can’t help but shudder. The only motivation is that I KNOW that no matter how painful, it will all come to an end within a week. The pain will go away, and I will go back to life as per normal. Just like the first time round. And my hubby will be by my side all the time. This time round, with Joey too. :)

Ironically though, I got a good feeling that this time round, it’s not going to be as painful as the first time, and I will get down from bed with much greater ease. No pain in Jesus’ name!

Sheer Misery

The past few nights had been a living hell for me.

The primary reason is that I am down with cough (again) and it irritates me to the core. It was triggered off by durians, but who could blame me? I had craving for the heavenly fruit & had to satisfy the craving, isn’t it? Plus, I didn’t eat that many!

Because of the cough, I didn’t switch on the air conditioning at night for 3 nights in a row so that my virus doesn’t spread to Joey and Isaiah, and so every single night, I couldn’t get a good sleep! I am such a pampered girl, I know, but at a time like this, it gets even worse. I feel hot all the time, and even with a fan blowing at me throughout the night, I woke up almost every single hour. Fell asleep around 12am, woke up at 2am.. 3am… 4am… 5am… Sigh, it’s driving me nuts. And every time I gain consciousness, I have to go to the toilet to pee. Can you imagine how tiring it is to do that the whole night on an hourly basis??? I’m going nuts, literally. Arghhhh…. let it come to an end soon!!!

On a happier note though, let me update you on the final gynae visit I went for yesterday afternoon.

A major milestone is that Baby Jayne has facing shifted downwards and is now engaged! Not that it matters much, since I am going for a C-section, but always comforting to know that Baby is doing what she ought to do at this point in the pregnancy. :)

Baby Jayne last weighed 2.5kg about three weeks ago at my last visit, and by yesterday (at exactly 37 weeks), she weighs 3.1kg (clap! clap!).  I know that Baby Jayne is a smaller baby compared to Joey, but I had hoped that she would at least hit 3kg in my tummy before she pops. A bigger baby always means an easier baby (or  so I hope!). So, now I feel more at ease about it.

I also asked Dr Fong to try to capture a 3-D scan of Jayne because we haven’t managed to catch one at all throughout! She was always facing downwards! But according to Dr Fong, it’s quite impossible to catch a nice 3-D now that she’s already 37 weeks because it’s quite hard for her to adjust her position much nowadays. True enough, we couldn’t really see her face as it was blocked by the placenta. In any case, Dr Fong kept laughing at me because I couldn’t even wait one week to see the ‘real thing’?! Haha, true also la…

The admission papers for my hospital stay have also been prepared and processed. I will admit next Thursday, 21 May, between 9am – 10am. I have to take my breakfast before 630am and no food/drinks after that till my scheduled operation at 2.30pm. Papa Isaiah is expected to hold Baby Jayne by 3pm and I will gain consciousness approximately at 330pm. Then again, Dr Fong says I will be ‘sei sei’ for the rest of the day. Haha, sure hope I will be awake enough to take photos of Jayne and spend some time with her! =D

The only thing that worries me now is my cough. If it doesn’t go away by next Thursday, I have to reschedule my C-section, which is impossible to even think about! Main reason is because after the operation, even a mild cough can trigger a stitch or pain that can kill me. Not literally la, of course. :)

On the actual day, I will try to twitter or blog along the way, to keep you updated of what’s happening till my operation time. So stay tuned! If you have yet to follow me on twitter, you can click here to add me: http://www.twitter.com/klessis

:)

I am curious.

What do contractions feel like?

As you already know, I don’t have prior experience as I was on epidural before the real contractions kicked in for my first pregnancy.

Now everyday, when there’s a twitch in my tummy, or when I feel there’s some cramp-like feeling or slight pain, I wonder to myself, ‘Is this a contraction?’

I Think I Am Mad

I seriously think I am.

For the past few nights, I’ve been waking up for toilet trips in the middle of the night, and the first thought that came to my mind when I woke up would always be, ‘Am I having contractions now??’

Very weird, I know. That’s how I know I am quite mad.

I’ve actually been imagining myself going into labor in the middle of the night, though that ought to be the last thing to happen. Quite frankly, I don’t really know how contractions feel like even though this is my 2nd pregnancy. People have told me that they feel like tightening of the tummy at regular intervals, not necessarily painful, but obvious enough to let you know it’s not regular stomach cramps or aches.

For my first pregnancy, I had induced labor, meaning I practically had no contractions whatsoever, until pretty advanced in my pregnancy, and I had to inject something to induce the labor. Even the machine tells me that there are contractions on-going and at some points pretty strong, I didn’t even feel them. And the cowardly me requested for epidural pretty early so that I can avoid the real pain kicking in. By the time epidural got into my system, I could feel NOTHING already.

And so, I have been thinking that I will not know I am going into labor unless something dramatic happens like, water bag bursts, or if there’s a ‘show’. Haha… But of course, as far as possible, I pray that none of these will happen and I can last till my C-section operation on 21 May with no complications at all.

What If ?

Yes, we haven’t yet bought the stuffs that Baby Jayne would need, like her milk bottles, bottle tits, pacifiers, bottle detergent etc. We have always been working based on the timeline of 21 May for my C-section, so we have a good whole month to get those things settled.

But yesterday my MIL said something which made us realise that we shouldn’t take things for granted. This is my 2nd pregnancy, and generally 2nd pregnancies are shorter, meaning the baby comes earlier. My C-section is scheduled for 2 weeks before my 40-week full term, which means Baby Jayne is planned to arrive when she’s 38-week-old. That is, however, a best-case-scenario. WHAT IF JAYNE DECIDES TO COME OUT EARLIER?? If my water bag bursts or I start to have contractions before that, I would be caught in a frenzy because no preparations are done yet!

Another implication is of course, if I start to have symptoms of baby coming earlier than planned, then my C-section becomes an emergency C-section. Oh man, in that case, I might try for natural birth then, since it will still be emergency C-section if natural doesn’t work in the end. Sigh, how complicated. I am so not mentally prepared for a natural birth lor! I pray that Baby Jayne will be stable and endure till the schedule C-section date! Please pray for me….

2.5kg

That’s how heavy Baby Jayne is now! =D

I was kinda worried because at my last gynae visit 2 weeks ago, Baby Jayne was calculated to weigh 1.9kg. Rather small for a 32-week-old foetus. When they plotted her growth graph, I could see that she was slightly below average size. Not good at all.

Thank God when we went for my check-up this morning, Baby Jayne has gained much more and is now exactly the size she should be at 36 weeks. Catching up! My weight has also increased to 59kg, which is good. :) I was afraid that I wasn’t putting on enough weight. I remembered for Joey, I weighed 60+ kg near to delivery time. So when my weight has been climbing very slowly and little this time round, I am really concerned that I was eating enough to provide nutrients for Baby Jayne. Thank God no need to worry anymore! :)

I told Dr Fong today that in the last one week, I’ve got several strangers coming to me and asking me whether I was carrying a boy, because my tummy looked like it. Quite frankly, I encountered so many asking that it got me paranoid - ‘What if it’s a BOY afterall??’ How am I going to adjust myself mentally?? What name to give to a baby boy? Do we have to rush out to buy new clothes suitable for boys?? HOW WAS I GOING TO EXPLAIN TO JOEY THAT IT’S GONNA BE DI DI INSTEAD OF MEI MEI????” All the thoughts freaked me  out.

Dr Fong was amused at my question, ‘Now then you ask me whether I am sure it’s a girl????!!’, then went to take a closer look at my ulltra-sound scan. His conclusion was, ‘You can start collecting bets from your friends. If it’s a boy, I’ll compensate them 10 to 1. Hahahaha..’

Yep, he is THAT sure. kekekeke…

Big, Clumsy & Impatient

I am now in my 8 month plus of pregnancy, and Baby Jayne is coming very soon.

And so, like my first pregnancy, I am starting to feel big & clumsy by now. My tummy is huge, so I sometimes sway when I walk to balance myself. Not that I can help it, even though I hate behaving like a  pregnant woman. I think pregnant women should still maintain their poise & grace. Haha…

But what to do? Tummy so huge already.

But thank God really, that because Baby Jayne is not as big as Baby Joey’s size, I am not really experiencing backaches or swollen feet as much as my first pregnancy. Up till now, I’ve not really experienced any serious backaches. My feet still look normal in size too. Another reason could also be that I didn’t walk as much this time round compared to the first one. My hubby pretty much fetched me everywhere I went. Thank God for Isaiah!

I am getting impatient though. Hoping to see Baby Jayne soon. Perhaps because this is my Number 2, I feel a lot more confident about it. At least I know what to expect and am mentally prepared about how tough it would be. Then again, I never know for sure until Baby Jayne really comes. Haha!

What am I looking forward to now?

My LAST DAY OF WORK on Friday, 15 May! wahahahahaha… Before I go for my operation, I will go trim my hair & eyebrows, do my facials and rest alot, alot! =D

Can’t Do Without This……

The Glorious Ginger!

These ginger came all the way from JB, and they’re many times better than what you can find in Singapore. They’re so fat, fresh and healthy-looking, totally clean and absolutely delicious! =D

During my last confinement, my mother-in-law and dear hubby did a massive ginger preparation work for my confinement. They de-skinned the ginger, soaked it, dried it, minced it, then finally stir fried it using low fire until they turn brown & yummy! They were then stored in many plastic containers. Every dish cooked during my confinement will have a spoonful of this in it! =) Slurp just thinking of it! Ginger chicken, ginger fish, ginger everything!!

My MIL and hubby are a little fearful of the preparation process because it’s very hard work! Hot and sweaty and soaked in spicy air for at least 3-4 hours! But for my sake, hahahaha….. it’s for ease of cooking during my confinement, so got to do it lor! =P I am so grateful to them!

Change of Plans

As the great book says, "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps." (Proverbs 16:9), many plans got to change after my gynae visit this morning at Dr Fong’s.

I had initially planned to go for my C-section operation on Wed, 27 May 09, for several reasons. Firstly, it’s a Wednesday, so Isaiah will get to claim his paternal leave from Wed-Fri, and then the weekend to rest as well. It’s also a few days before Jayne’s EDD which is supposed to be on 3 June 09. It’s of course after my much-anticipated car boot sale as well, so I could do something fun just before I go and have my baby.

Lo & behold, when we told Dr Fong our plans this morning, he said that all C-sections got to be done two weeks before the EDD because incase the labor comes on earlier than my plan, my C-section will become an emergency one, which will cost a lot more. Furthermore, if I go into labor in the middle of the night, Dr Fong said he’ll be very sleepy during the surgery. And of course we won’t want that. =P

This effectively brings us to the week of 20 May, about one week earlier than my original plan. And because his usual operation timing is Thursday evening around 5plus, I must go for my C-section on Thursday, 21 May at 5plus. My original plan was to admit into the hospital early in the morning so that I have the whole day to rest at the hospital after the surgery. Seems like it’s not going to be possible now. Dr Fong says it’s extra cost if I want to request for a specific date & time for the surgery.

Oh gosh, that means Baby Jayne is arriving in 6 weeks’ time!

And suddenly, we realised we got to step up on our preparations – We haven’t bought the milk bottles, pacifiers, ingredients for my confinement, etc. I got to seriously get down to arranging for the handover of my work to my colleagues covering me as well. Not much time left!

Thank God my blood pressure & pulse rate are normal this time round, so no sign of thyroids. Thank you Jesus! I also put on 1+ kg from the last visit, so it’s good. Baby Jayne weighs about 1.9kg now, so she’s considered a small baby because going by normal rate, she should be about 2kg by now. In any case, she’s kicking a lot in my tummy, so she should be healthy & strong. I’m in my 32nd week of pregnancy now, and still haven’t managed to take a decent 3D scan of Baby Jayne because she was always facing downwards! Sigh!

* * * * *

After the gynae visit, Isaiah & I went to have a nice breakfast together. This is the 2nd time we dined there, and I like the place because it’s got a very homely feel, and the food is good. We’ve bought their chocolate fudge many times before, because they taste really great!

All their seats are along the counter, so you watch them prepare your food in front of you (like a kid waiting for mama to prepare the food in the kitchen). Hahaha..

Check out our good food. :)

Orange juice & coffee

Chicken burger & fries

Omelet with ham

If you’re interested to visit this nice ‘kitchen’ feel cafe, here’s where it is

Moving Jayne Part 2

This is a more obvious video of her moves! All the small movements on my tummy are her movements, not my breathing, ok!

Moving Jayne

This is by far, the best video I managed to capture of Baby Jayne's movements. What you see is still very minimal though (only 1 movement throughout the video), cos everytime Baby Jayne moves, and I pick up the camera, she STOPS. It's as if she knows.

Watch your left side of the screen for the movement, see if you can spot it. :)

LAMENTATIONS of a VERY PREGNANT MUMMY

It’s so TIGHT!!!!!!

What’s so tight, you ask?

ABSOLUTELY EVERYTHING!

• My shoes are tight!
• My tees are tight!
• My shorts are tight!

And most of all,

• My tummy is tight!

My regular check-ups have revealed that Baby Jayne is an average sized baby, as compared to Joey, who was a big baby right from the start. It doesn’t make any sense, because this is my 2nd pregnancy, and my skin should be better at stretching now than before, so if Jayne is smaller than Joey, why does it feel so much tighter this time round??!

I have no answer to that.

Maybe my tolerance level has decreased this time round. It must have something to do with my age.

And as if it’s not bad enough, my toes are FAT, my feet are FAT, my arms are FAT, my thighs are FAT.

AHHHHHHHHH! FAT & TIGHT! WHAT CAN POSSIBLY BE WORSE THAN THIS?

On a happier note, this week marks my 8th month of pregnancy! Is that FAST or what? I am thrilled at the fact that I will be able to see Baby Jayne really soon!!! And while I had bad back aches during my 8th month pregnancy with Joey, this time round, I haven’t had any backaches yet! *fingers crossed* And the heart burns seem to be a lot milder than the 1st time round. Great news!

Excited to meet Baby Jayne really soon!!!! =D

Life Changes

My tummy at 30 weeks

Life inevitably changes when big events happen in your life. And having a baby is a BIG event.

Baby Jayne is arriving in 2 months’ time, and quite frankly, I have done zero preparations for her. I’ve not bought any new clothes, or washed Joey’s hand-me-downs yet. I’ve not bought her new milk bottles and pacifiers. Not to mention new bed linings for the cot. But actually, there is no real rush because I can get all of those in one day of shopping.

Was just talking to Papa Isaiah last night about the adjustments we have to make when Baby Jayne arrives. Was in a little panic attack yesterday because it suddenly dawned upon me that I hadn’t formally asked my office nursery whether there is space for me to bring Baby Jayne in after my maternity leave. I quickly emailed the person in charge, but was told that she cannot confirm a place for me yet because 2 other people had approached her about it before me. Oh my God, what am I supposed to do if I can’t bring Baby Jayne into the office nursery?? What am I going to do?? Thank God the person in charge got back very quickly to me that she has checked and confirmed a place for Baby Jayne. *phew* At least one less thing to worry about now.

I have often contemplated the idea of employing a maid. But apart from the living arrangements (my house cannot accommodate one more person), I am fearful at the idea of having a stranger in my house, and in such close proximity to my kids. I am not comfortable knowing that I have to leave my kids in such a person’s hands. I guess it all takes getting used to, like how many of my friends have managed to do, but the first step is really hard for me to take. I can also see that having a maid comes with many benefits for me, like having greater freedom to do what I want to do and more time to rest when i need it. Friends who have maids tell me they cannot live without one now that they’ve gotten themselves a really good helper. But I think I’ll see how we manage with 2 kids first, before going down that rut again.

I need lots of grace from God, and strength & wisdom to continue this journey. We didn’t know how we could manage when Baby Joey came and we managed fine. Now we are back to that same stage of apprehension and uncertainty, and I am sure God will see us through once again, like He has always done so. Everything is in God’s Hands. :)

Kicking Jayne!

I am in my 7th month of pregnancy (I think), and Baby Jayne has already proven herself to be an even more hyper kid than Jie Jie Joey! (I know it's hard to imagine)

Starting from my 6th month of pregnancy, Baby Jayne has already started her kicks in my tummy. Now, she moves almost every minute of the day, and when she does, it's vigorous!! Last night, there was even one kick that made me go, 'Ah!' It was one hard kick, I tell ya!

Will Baby Jayne be an even more active kid than Jie Jie Joey?

Then again, I recall that Joey was very mild when she was in my tummy. There were the usual kicks, but they were gentle most of the time, and she likes to shift her leg (presumably) across my tummy that I could literally see the action from right to left side of my tummy. Baby Jayne, however, has a preference to stick her foot on one part of my tummy and hold it there! There are times I pushed her foot away, and she will shift it away, then stick it back there again after a while. haha.. how's that for an interaction with an unborn baby?

My previous gynae commented many times that Joey was a very sleepy baby in my tummy. But look at her now!!!

Maybe Baby Jayne is active in my tummy now, but when she comes out, she will be a very gentle & soft-spoken girl??

(I can always hope and dream right?)

No. 1 & No. 2

There are obvious differences between my 2 pregnancies.

For Joey, I found out about the pregnancy only when I was approaching the end of my 1st trimester. Too busy to notice anything then. For Number 2, I was paying attention because of my first experience, and I confirmed the pregnancy when I was slightly more than 1 month pregnant.

For Joey, I developed a hatred for coffee. The thought of it puts me off completely, even though I was a daily coffee drinker before that. For Number 2, i drink alot more coffee. The taste still puts me off sometimes, but I actually crave for it from time to time.

For Joey, I developed a high tolerance for spicy food. No spicy-ness seemed potent enough for me. For Number 2, no such tolerance. I can't take over-spicy food.

For Joey, I felt hot most of the time and I could go sleeveless in my supercold office. For Number 2, I feel cold most of the time. Most likely because my body is not as strong as 3 years ago.

For Joey, I drank zero amount of cold drinks and definitely no Coca Cola at all. For Number 2, only one phrase can represent: Hack care!

For Joey, I ate alot. My appetite was hearty. For Number 2, I lost some of my appetite. Now, I hardly can finish one usual portion of food. Most of the time, I have some leftovers.

For Joey, I felt her kicks in my tummy only when I was about 7 months pregnant. For Number 2, I started feeling the kicks at 5 months. Now at slightly more than 5 months, I could feel her almost all the time already.

And I am starting to get concerned about the amount of weight I am putting on. I remembered for Joey at the end of the pregnancy, I had piled on almost 20 kilograms! But up till now, more than halfway through my pregnancy, I had only gained a total of 3 kg! That's really little ya? And people around me have been commenting that my tummy looks really small for a 5-month plus pregnancy. Then again, for Joey, my tummy really ballooned only during the 8th month. Maybe it's gonna be the same for this one as well. I actually think it's better cos the backaches will come only much later in the pregnancy. The later the better. :)

I am starting to wonder if Number 2 will look like Jie Jie Joey when she was still a baby....

awwww...so cute..... =)

It’s Gonna Be A Missy!

Went for my FA scan today and Baby J is gonna be LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE!

The detailed scan took quite a while, and Dr Fong checked Baby J thoroughly. Praise God, everything seemed to be great! Baby J is developing well, and all the organs that are supposed to be there are there, and of the right size. =D

I can go buy lots of girlie & pretty dresses & accessories again!!! =D

And I told Joey when we fetch her from school that it's going to be a mei mei and not a di di! She doesn't seem to know the difference though. =P

Baby J Is Growing Healthily

Went for my monthly gynae visit this morning, and it was a good scan because Dr Fong took me through all the vital structures of the baby, whatever he could see. :) The report was that all 'seem' to be good. Haha.. I guess an ultrascan is not very detailed, so the doctors will always be careful with their choice of words.

Can you spot which part is which?? :)

I am very bad at such things, and it's usually Isaiah who could recognise which and which, and for me, it always takes alittle longer. The white curved part is the spine, and Dr Fong says the structure looks normal. The back bone is also developing well. He measured the length of baby's hands, legs and stomach circumference, head circumference, and all tally with the estimated age of the foetus. So all in all, seems good. =)

We attempted to catch the gender of the baby today, but baby was sitting upright, so we could only see the head very clearly, and sexual organ was furthest away. In any case, it's still considered early now as I am only about 4 months pregnant. By the 5th month, it's likely we can see, if baby cooperates.

But I did see some interesting things today. We saw both hands' 5 fingers very clearly. In fact, one second, baby was clenching the fist. The next moment, baby was showing a victory sign, and the next, baby was showing a fire sign. Heee... flexible fingers.. :) I also saw a blur version of baby's face, but obviously, not very clear & vivid yet.

I should have more to report on my next visit as I'm scheduled for a detailed scan then! How exciting!

Baby J

I am currently in my 13th week of pregnancy. How time flies! =D Good days are ahead!

Interestingly, Babycenter website tells me the following:

Fingerprints have formed on your baby's tiny fingertips, her veins and organs are clearly visible through her still-thin skin, and her body is starting to catch up with her head — which makes up just a third of her body size now. If you're having a girl, she now has more than 2 million eggs in her ovaries. Your baby is almost 3 inches long (the size of a medium shrimp) and weighs nearly an ounce.

Isn't it amazing how God puts the power of creation & recreation inside even a foetus?

Very soon, I'll be moving into my 2nd trimester! What a time to rejoice indeed! The pants and jeans are getting tighter and I'll have to go shopping very soon. The mega difference between Pregnancy #1 and #2 is that the tummy grows bigger much faster. I've explained to many people before that it's because the skin's so loose already, so they can stretch anytime. Haha!