Week 36

Dear Baby,

Please be a good boy and head down already will you? You were head down at Week 29. Don’t understand what did I do wrong to make you rotate to the bottom right side. Your prone to keloid Moma doesn’t want to go through c-sec. Vain Moma still wants to wear her bikinis.

I had the most wondrous dream nights ago. I dreamt I was using the breast pump and I could produce 2 bottles of milk within minutes. Your grandma was amazed. A realistic dream or not I do not know. However I hope to give you the gift that God has given me.

See you in a month’s!

Hollywood Boulevard (07 Nov 2009)

A Stroll Along Hollywood Boulevard

Like typical tourists, we walked down the “Walk of Fame” and took a pic with MJ. We had to wait to take a picture with this. Talents whom has left us are always more in demand. While the rest are on the ground, the only one of the wall is Mohammad Ali’s.

On our left was El Capitan theatre. Must catch a show here someday! Further down on the left is Roosevelt Hotel. I would like to stay here someday. There’s this special feel to this building which I cannot explain.

Our walk brought us to Mann’s Chinese Theatre.

Passed by Madam Tussaud’s Wax Museum.

Finally at the end of the street. See what I bought for Princess Phoebe! Drama is her middle name. Haha.

While waiting for the coach to leave for Universal Studio, eiji took this shot. Not bad I say.

Maternity Photoshoot (1)

Dylan’s 1st Ferarri….Puma Shoes!

Happy Couple Shots

Semi-Naked Shots of my Week 30 bump

Will be collecting another batch in 2-3 weeks time. This time, bikini and naked shots of Week 35 bump. Till then, stay tuned!

Couple More Weeks (Week 34)

Antenatal Package: 8th Visit (Week 34)
Blood Pressure: N
Urine Test: N
Weight: 57kg (18kg Weight Gain)
Foetus Weight: 2337 grams

Dr Koh was in a chatty mood. He probably had an easy day. He brought up the recent message from PM about the lights out once a week. Frankly, if women know pregnancy is so so so tough, they wouldn’t even want to venture there.

When I ask Dr Koh if I require 3rd trimester growth scan, he replies it is not necessary. Adds on that he does growth scan for me every visit! He checks for baby growth progress(not too big), amniotic fluid(looks like bubbles on screen) level(sufficient), placenta location(not obstructing birth canal), baby’s position (head down but still not low enough, head is at bottom right of my tummy), cervix opening(closed) and hear heartbeat. He measures femur length to be 6.47cm and shows us Dylan’s birdie and balls(it has dropped!). I grew 2 bumps on my left armpit near the accessory nipple. He says it is not cancerous or blocked, probably some hardened skin. I’m going to bug him on this again next session. He suspects I have yeast infection again, so I was put onto 3 days pessary.

I ask about estimated birth weight and Dr Koh replies it can be from 2.6kg to 3.5kg. Ideally, Dylan should be 2.8kg maximum because of my small frame. Since Dylan takes after our genes, he wouldn’t be too big, so he will grow to suit my frame. I have mixed feelings when I heard this. Birth weight is a start in life for him and I can’t even handle up to 3.2kg. All my metabolic diet programming has gone to waste. He ask me not to envy mums with bigger babies. As quoted from him: “Smaller better for less damage to myself”. I later found out I was 2.6kg at birth while eiji is 3.1kg at birth. Let’s hope Dylan can catch up at the infant stage.

The upsetting news for this visit is I am diagnosed with PUPPP at the hands and feet. A sort of pregnancy rash from hormonal imbalance. Seems like if you are carrying a male foetus for first born, the chances of getting it is higher. It should go away 2 weeks after delivery when my hormones has stabalised. It will only get worst and spread in surface areas. Meantime, it is to be managed with antihistamines and steriod cream. He advises me to stay positive and stress free.

Dr Koh says braxton hicks contractions(BHC) involves tightening of the entire tummy, not part of the tummy. It will feel as hard as a bowling ball. If baby movement reduces by a lot or if I am getting very frequent BHC, alert him. I’m relief to hear that he will not check for cervix dilation(VE) since it is my first delivery, and the cervix of first time mothers dilate really slowly. He warns that it is a uncomfortable procedure. The first time VE is done is to be in hospital by the midwives. In the next visit at Week 36, he will draft me a Doctor’s Letter which I have to show upon check in to hospital. It can be considered a birth plan. So far, he’s happy with my progress and is confident I will carry till full term. But I dread the next visit. If Dylan doesn’t fully head down and/or engage by then, we need to discuss in depth…

A Post to Keep Me Going

From a dear friend who has been encouraging me these 34 weeks.

“Being brave doesn’t mean you’re never scared,” said Love-a-lot Bear. “It means you keep going even when you’re afraid“.

Funshine Bear added, “Remember, sometimes it takes a friend to help you see things as they really are”.

Temptations Lurks

And I gave in to 2…

Cotton

One day, a friend message me on MSN: Let me teach you a tip. And I was sold by the idea. My MIL later advised similarly. They tell me to buy cotton roll(RM4 for Tollyjoy Cotton Wool) instead of buying facial cotton($1.95 per packet) or cotton balls(Pigeon $3 for 100 pcs). It’s a lot more economical and I can vary the size to suit Dylan’s needs. And seriously, the roll seems neverending.

A Rainbow Sent Us Off (05 Nov – 06 Nov 2009)

Off we go on our belated honeymoon trip: USA! It was pouring heavily at dawn but the sky cleared up when my dad gave us a lift to airport. We saw a huge rainbow! It gave me a good feeling about this trip and I smiled contentedly to myself. SQ allows maximum of 2 luggages per pax; each luggage not exceeding 23kg. Sweet! There’s luggage in those luggages and it’s all empty! We managed to pack all our clothes and toiletries into the small black handcarry luggage on the ground.

Transiting at Narita Airport. Japan, the master of innovation and maker of all things pretty. Must-Buy-Royce!

The 17 hours flight was especially torturous since I had to wear compression socks and walk up and down the aisle every 2,3 hourly. It didn’t help that the flight was turbulent and I was forced to return to seat many times while queuing to use the loo. I even lost count of the number of meals we had on board. Finally, we touchdown at Tom Bradley International Airport at Los Angeles. 2 hours coach ride to Anaheim, California.

A homeless I spotted with his makeshift home in the trolley.

Our first meal in USA: Vietnamese. Yummy spring roll and beef pho. We bought drinks and snacks from Target and a nearby organic shop, walked around the small neighbourhood before retiring for the day.

Epoch in 2009

January 2009 – Dad Turns 55!
February 2009 – Zen Turns 5!
March 2009 – Me 27 Years Old
April 2009 – ITIL Foundation Certified
May 2009 – Customary Wedding
June 2009 – Conceived with Dylan
November 2009 – USA Honeymoon

And the rest of the year is pretty much of a blur.

2010 will be much better!

Almost 2kg! (Week 31)

Antenatal Package: 7th Visit (Week 31)
Blood Pressure: N
Urine Test: N
Weight: 55.5kg (16.5kg Weight Gain)
Foetus Weight: 1986 grams

We informed Dr Koh that we signed up with CordLife. He reminded eiji to bring the CordLife Kit when I admit into hospital. We touched on pain relief and he says epidural may or may not slow down dilation depending on situation. For example, he had a mum who was so tense she kept pushing till vagina become swollen. After accepting epidural, she relax and vagina become less swollen to allow natural birth. When I told him I am likely to opt for epidural, he says he has seen timid mothers becoming another person and behaving bravely in the labour ward. I want a hollywood birth like C! Anyway, the entire medical team is there to assess the situation on THE DAY. Pray I don’t have to end up with c-sec. He recommended padaetrician, Lillian Lim, from The Kid’s Clinic @ Rivervale Mall. It’s nice to be able to walk to the clinic.

Next, he touched my belly to feel for baby’s position before using the ultrascan machine. It’s AMAZING can! I want to be able to do that too! Unfortunately, Dylan is no longer head down. His head is rotated slightly up although still considered low. His head is at the bottom right of the belly. His body is somewhere above my navel and his legs at the left side of my belly near ribs. Dr Koh says he expect Dylan to continue to rotate till Week 36. I’m not sure if Dr Koh is stating a fact or reassuring me but I hope Dylan will engage head down by Week 36. Dylan is of a good size, not too big for natural birth. My placenta is at left of my belly and not covering birth canal.

I feedback that my feet has been hurting when I stand, especially in the evenings and night. He explains stiff joints and water retention. The flats I am wearing is not ideal for 3rd trimester. I should be finding shoes with 1″ elevated platform. He reminded me to swim REGULARLY.

When I asked him about the 2 accessory nipples I grew in Week 3, he joked that others only have 2 but I have 4 so they should envy me. This doctor of mine is a minimalist. It’s never going to go away naturally so the only option is to laser, which I am definitely going for it once I stop breastfeeding.