Baby Nursery~ Before & After

I've been off work since the 1st of November and it feels like I have been even busier than ever before!
The nesting instinct kicked in around the same time and that gave me an extra surge of energy.

I drove David crazy with my to-do list and constant reminders for him to get the nursery painted (or rather hire the painters). Every morning before he left for work I'd say, "Don't forget your phone, wallet, car key, access card and please can you get someone to paint the nursery". And every day for about a week, he'd forget to e-mail them.

Then something miraculous happened! My nesting instinct rubbed off on him. So there we were, hand in hand organizing our apartment, sorting out clothes to be given away to charity, throwing out all the junk that we had accumulated over the years and rearranging furniture.

After three weeks, I'm finally able to post our before & after pictures of the nursery which was once upon a time, David's study.

We decided to keep the sofa bed in the nursery.

Wall decals and picture frames were added to fill the rather bare walls.

In keeping with the owl theme, I managed to find a few owl cushions at a craft bazaar.

All owled out!

Week 33 ~ Who Am I?

I am 33 weeks old today.

I sleep whenever Mummy sleeps and wake up with Mummy too (although Mummy is not convinced that this pattern will persist once I am born).

I like it when Mummy sleeps on her left side but get a little uncomfortable when she moves to the right. This is when I will wake her by gently prodding her belly. I'm all smiles again when she shifts back to the left.

I love listening to the BBC news every morning with Daddy while Mummy eats the same breakfast of peanut butter on toast and a glass of juice. The cold juice settling in her tummy always make me jump and I start kicking in her belly.

I get the hiccups several times a day now especially after Mummy has had her lunch which can sometimes be a tad spicy. This makes Mummy worry. She worries that spicy food makes me uncomfortable. Don't worry Mummy, I'm OK. It's YOU I worry about. Spicy food gives you heartburn.

I love it when Mummy chatters away incessantly to me about anything and everything. Boy... she can really talk. She'll describe the cute little dresses and toys that she has bought for me. Sometimes she speaks to me in her faraway voice about her hopes and dreams for me.

I get a little frightened whenever Daddy drives and some other driver has ticked him off. Although that is not the word that Daddy uses. He uses words which are not the usual ones I hear. I can't really hear them that well though because I know Mummy lays her hands on her belly to sort of muffle the words.

I am highly amused whenever Mummy and Daddy sing duets for me. They can be quite a funny pair especially when Daddy sings back up. Sometimes Mummy sings me lullabies while she takes her shower. It's like listening to soothing songs on a rainy day.

I can't wait to see my parents and I know they can't wait to hold me too. Mummy keeps reminding me that we only have a few more weeks to go before I can finally meet them.

Do you know who I am?

I am a tiny life nestled under my Mummy's heart, lulled to sleep by its beat.

I am Little Baby Prosser!

Happily Ever After

I purchased my baby her first story book a few days ago.

"What's the point", said an acquaintance. "She won't understand it at all".
Well, my baby may not understand words yet, but that won't stop me from reading to her or even chatting with her.
In fact, we're already having chats over breakfast every morning.

*kick* What's that darling? You don't want peanut butter on toast again?
But you loved it yesterday...
*kick kick KICK* What? You don't feel like having iced Milo?
You prefer apple juice? *rollllll*
OK Baby.

"But you can read her anything else, even the newspaper", the lady persists.
"Just make sure it sounds like something out of a story book".
I can't read her the lyrics of J Lo's "On the Floor" in the voice of
Mary Alice Young from the Desperate Housewives and expect it to be the same.

Dance the night away
Live your life ,and stay young on the floor
Dance the night away
Grab somebody drink a little more

No no no! That just won't work. It's not the same. I want it to be real.
You see, I need it to be real. This is going to be a special moment for me as well.
From the moment I knew I wanted to be a mother, I've had this vision of me reading a bedtime story to my child. Whilst some mothers daydream of baking cupcakes together or braiding their child's hair, I've always pictured myself as the story-telling-lullaby-singing mummy.

So when the moment is right, I will dim the light.
Baby would have had her bath and is all snuggly and warm in her cot.
I'll open the book, and read to my sleepy child her first ever story of
princesses and fairy godmothers.
And I'll treasure that first moment for the rest of my life and live happily ever after.

~The End~

Week Thirty~ Mummy loves you

Week One, I was completely unaware,
Life was about where to go, what to wear.
Week Two, not a hint of pregnancy,
I did as I pleased, footloose and fancy free.

Week Three, I still didn't have a clue,
Having just quit my job, I had nothing to do.
Week Four, enjoying my free time,
I went on a holiday, at a drop of a dime.

Week Five, we spent Easter abroad,
I was feeling queasy, something seemed very odd.
Week Six, I planned a doctor's visit,
I was going to be a mum, I had been bestowed a beautiful gift.

Week Seven, I started to feel only worry,
Cysts were complicating my long awaited pregnancy.
Week Eight, excruciating pain- I was rushed to A&E,
Please, please I begged. Please be safe my little baby.

Week Nine, the cysts did no harm this time around,
I was back at home, safe and sound.
Week Ten, the cysts had grown bigger,
Don't give up, I thought. I must fight back with vigor.

Week Eleven, I was still walking on egg shells,
Move slowly with caution and care, the doctor tells
Week Twelve, my baby was healthy and well,
I felt a surge of emotions, hope began to swell.

Week Thirteen, we planned the surgery carefully,
The timing had to be right, to ensure that baby was ready.
Week Fourteen, I was wheeled into surgery,
I was a nervous wreck, but had to stay calm for my baby.

Week Fifteen, all went well and I was recuperating,
The cysts were gone and my heart was singing.
Week Sixteen, we shared the good news with family and friends,
We received much love and lots of helping hands.

Week Seventeen rolled into Eighteen,
No more nausea, I was feeling serene.
Week Nineteen, lo and behold!
Was that my baby I felt, that had just kicked and rolled?

Week 20, it's a girl..it's a girl!
I can't believe it, you are my precious little pearl.
Week 21, oh my gosh..my head is in a swirl,
We need to choose you a name, that would make you dance and twirl.

Week 22, I rub my belly with so much pride,
You respond with a little kick and a roll from inside.
Week 23, I sometimes wonder if this is a dream,
I can't wait to hold you, my lil peaches and cream.

Week 24, I can't hold back anymore,
I release the shopping queen, and she dashes store to store.
Week 25, I am "Mothercare" obsessed,
Your Daddy thinks that I have been horribly possessed!

Week 26, Mummy's been window shopping a lot,
But this time she managed to get Daddy to buy you a cot.
Week 27, let's give this shopping spree a rest,
I do not want to shop in haste, I only want to give you the best.

Week 28, you seem to rise with me each morning,
And we chat over breakfast, we dance and we sing.
Week 29,  I sing to you my darling baby,
Songs of joy, songs of love, songs of how you make me happy.

Week Thirty, Mummy loves you my little darling,
Such tenderness, a warm wonderful feeling.
Mummy loves you, my little sweetheart,
You and I are one, no one else can ever tear us apart.

* to be continued...

My Pregnancy Must-Have

Sorry I've been away for so long.

I've been busy. 

Busy with my trips. Trips to the toilet.

Busy planning. Planning to have an early night, every night.
Yet things always happen to alter that very carefully laid out plan.

Things like heartburn. Leg cramps. A blocked nose.

My only comfort at night is my trusted friend, Vicks VapoRub. I would smear it all over my nose and parafiltrum (the skin between the nose and upper lip. New word...yay!). I would even slather in on my neck. Poor David. Gone are the nights when I used to go to bed smelling of some sort of flower or fruit. He now has a very big girl climbing into bed reeking of mentholatum fumes.

Vicks Vaporub has always comforted me. It transports me back to my childhood. The smell reminds me of those sleepless nights brought on by a stuffy nose. I would tiptoe into my parents' room . Mama, sensing her troubled child was standing next to her would always take me back to my bedroom. And there began the ritual of slathering Vicks VapoRub to soothe me back to sleep.

Pregnancy has made my skin extra dry. Naturally, my dependency on lip balms has increased. And because my sense of smell is extra "special" now, I find that I can only use selected lip balms which do not have an overpowering fragrance. I tried the fragrance-free ones, oooh but they were "too" fragrance-free that they just smelled like wax or a box of crayon. So this is where the Banana Boat lip balm comes in handy.


Smelling like bubble gum, they received the thumbs-up from Mr. Schnoz. I now keep a stick on my bedside table, in the bathroom, in the living room, in my handbag and at work. I would have one in the car too but from experience, you will only be left with nothing but a melted waxy mess in your glove compartment if you park outdoors under the afternoon sun.

Of course pregnancy would not be complete without a dry itchy belly. I was lucky that I stumbled upon Bella B's Tummy Honey Butter. I started using this in the early stage of my pregnancy and found that it has done wonders for me. It smells simply exotic to me, like mango and tea leaves in a tub. Funnily, I don't smell a hint of honey at all.

After every shower, I would rub this butter liberally all over my belly. It starts off a little greasy but as you massage it into your skin, you will find that it is easily absorbed and does not leave a greasy residue on your clothes. Your skin remains well hydrated throughout the day and you can actually still get a whiff of mango on your skin. Yummy!

I have not suffered from an itchy belly and so far, am not seeing any stretch marks yet. However, I am aware that I am only into my 30th week and that the marks may only plague you in the last month of pregnancy. Either way, I am prepared for them. If i don't get any, I'll count myself lucky. If I do, oh well..I'll just think of them as badges of honour I have received for carrying my little girl in my belly for nine months :)

Then and Now ~ Third Trimester

This was me.

Slender.

Independent.

Free.

I was free to eat whatever I wanted, free to do whatever I pleased.

Free...but not content. Free...but not quite whole.

This is me.

Bellyicious.

Serene.

Happy.

I am a belly-full of joy.

I feel you kick and roll.

I close my eyes.

I smile.

We are one.

Baby Bump

I realize that I have not been taking that many photographs of my baby bump. I only have two, to be precise. Two pictures of my bump.

FIRST TRIMESTER:

This was taken in June, I think. I was around 12 weeks then. Notice how I had arched my back, trying so hard to exaggerate the belly! I had not undergone the surgery to remove the ovarian cysts yet then so the round belly was also due to the growing cysts.

SECOND TRIMESTER:

Now the picture on the right was taken in late July, perhaps around week 20. I am now at week 27 and have another week before I will be officially in my third trimester. I was a little irked last week by a nurse that was guessing my pregnancy stage. She looked at my belly and said "You must be 13?". As my eyes grew wider and my brows started to furrow she went on.. "14?" bigger eyes, deeper furrow... "15?" ...blood shot dagger look with killer frown..."16?"

"I am 26 weeks", I snapped back to which she shrugged her shoulders and to my chargrin retorted, "Oh...small baby". Not happy!

I believe my belly size is adequate for my body frame and size. It doesn't matter what others think. I do not have the urge to eat for 2 and have no uncontrollable cravings for pastries or other fattening unhealthy food . I have not altered my diet at all and am pretty pleased with that. I have however not been keeping up religiously with my exercise routine set by my trainer and will make an attempt to improve.

Third Trimester snaphot will be posted soon with more updates :) Watch this space!

Baby Gifts

Over the past few months my sisters have been going crazy with their shopping for all kinds of baby paraphernalia. My sister Veronica (affectionately known as Imm), who lives in Singapore had started her online shopping for baby items as early as May. She now has a gunny sack full of baby treasures and has the postman's number on her speed dial. Before we knew our baby's gender, she had to buy gender-neutral coloured clothes but that didn't stop her from buying the most beautifully and creatively packaged gift sets. You won't believe that these cute little cupcakes are baby onesies, towels and blankets!

This was her first purchase. A white onesie with Darcy's proposal (Pride and Prejudice). She loved it so much that she bought a matching mini T for herself!

And of course, she could not resist buying these cute baby booties even before we knew the gender of our baby.

Booties so aptly named "rose garden"

My youngest sister Ginny (who lives in Abu Dhabi with her husband Vincent) recently returned to KL bearing gifts of the cutest size. Little dresses with matching cardigans. Aww.....

Ginny and Vincent even bought  baby onesies with every day of the week printed on them in the teeniest size. Adorable!

While accompanying me on my stroller/car seat research at Bebehaus, they even managed to sneakily buy me the Summer Heart-to-Heart Prenatal Listening System.

The Summer Prenatal listening system will let you bond with your baby before they are even born
You can share those precious moments of your baby with your loved ones by being able to listen to baby whilst still in the womb. The listening system allows you to do the following:-

• Hear baby's heartbeat, hiccups and kicks
• Record and email those sweet sounds
• Bond with your baby

 I tried it the next day and heard my baby's heartbeat and all her kicks and bumps! Simply delightful!

The next day they went out shopping and came home with the Tommee Tippee - Closer To Nature Electronic Steam Steriliser Kit. This is exactly what I had decided to get as the Tommee Tippee teats are...

Designed in conjunction with breastfeeding experts, our range of closer to nature baby feeding products use a unique teat that mimics the natural flex, feel and movement and softness of the breast helping the switch between breastfeeding and baby bottle feeding.

Of course I was planning on just getting the bottles and had not even thought of the sterilizer. Trust my sis and bro-in-law to think ahead for me!

A big Thank You to my lovely sisters and brother-in-law for all the beautiful and thoughtful gifts!

Shopping for Baby

Some mothers go on a baby clothing shopping spree buying all sorts of cute baby onesies, vests,cardigans...you name it! I on the other hand have been very restrained with my purchases. I've been advised to wait till after 6 month before making any extravagant purchase. So I've been buying some odd bits here and there.


My first ever purchase is this cute little zebra I've name Zumba. Found him at Mothercare.

I then went on a mad hunt for JellyCat plush toys. I went to every toy shop in Bangsar but to no avail. Finally, by mere happenstance, I stumbled upon a tiny shop tucked in a corner at Plaza Mont Kiara. There in the window, sat the Bashful Bunny I had been looking for! Not only that, I found a friend for her too :) 

 

Bashful Bunny

Fuddles Lamb




  

 Soft toy obsession over, I wandered aimlessly around baby stores without buying anything for weeks. One day out of desperation to buy something, I decided to buy a Tommy Tippee soother. Now that pacified my buying need for weeks. It said on the packaging "Our unique patented range of soothers was created with dental experts. The soother teat is specially designed to gently expand across the roof of the mouth to support the natural shape of the palate and promote safe and healthy oral development". Okay, that'll do. I was sold.

 Last month during the Hari Raya & Merdeka Holidays, we decided to check out stroller and car seat options. We had earlier on decided not to get the "travel system" which is a baby carrier, car seat and pushchair system in one. The carrier (which doubles as a carseat) will only last till the baby is 9 months old, afterwhich you would need to buy another carseat (which will set you back by at least another RM1500- RM2000). We thought it would be more practical to get a car seat (which will take up it's permanent residence in the backseat of our car for 5 years) and a cool man-friendly stroller (David was not going to be caught dead pushing anything pink or frilly).

So off we went to Bebehaus in Bangsar Village. I had actually already checked out the store with my sister Ginny and brother-in-law Vincent a few days prior to dragging David there with me. I figured that Ginny and Vincent would have more patience dealing with my research. In fact, they were very helpful in listing down names, models and pricing as well as snapping pictures of the items I was interested in. The staff members at Bebehaus were also very impressive. They were helpful and knowledgeable with the brands and models that they carried and promised after sales service which I feel, no other store could live up to.

So as I towed David into the store, I pretty much had an idea of what I wanted to purchase. We left Bebehaus happy owners of the...

Concord Ultimax Carseat

Maclaren Techno xt

    and the....











Stroller and carseat done, I had one more thing on my list. Baby bath set. I found out that Mothercare KLCC was the biggest outlet in Malaysia so that was where we went the next day. After perusing the Mothercare catalogue which Ginny had purchased for me, I had my eyes on one particular bath range. The "Humphrey's Corner" range. It looks something like this....

....but they didn't have that range there...infact, none of the Mothercare outlets in Malaysia sell that particular range (I made them check all other outlets like a deranged woman). In the end, I settled for the " Precious Bear' bath set which was quite sweet. Even David had to agree :)

The set comes complete with a "flexi" bath tub (prevents spillage when carried), top and tail bowl, bath thermometer, hooded towel and sponge. Happy Mummy now :)

 

Bath set struck off the checklist, I was left with nothing on my immediate list of things to purchase. A week later while scouring yet another baby & mummy shop, I found a rather fashionable teether. It's called "Teething Bling" and comes in all shades of colours.

Teething Bling^® is the original teething jewelry. Made from the same FDA-approved material as most teething toys, our pendants and bangles look great on the adult wearer but are safe for curious babies to handle and chew.

The one I selected is the Peridot Donut Shaped Pendant held by a piece of black string. A rather Boho-chic look, I thought. I know...I know..our baby won't need a teether that soon, but I couldn't resist. And since I had bought a teether, why not buy another?  Let's hunt for more teethers, I said to myself. And another teether I did find in the shape of a giraffe so sweetly named Sophie.

Sophie the Giraffe is probably the worlds most famous baby teether. Although more famous in France since 1961, Sophie the Giraffe has now become one of the must have teethers amongst mothers all over the world. Celebrities are constantly having their little ones photographed chewing away on Sophie and with its soft natural rubber you can see why.The Sophie Giraffe shape is perfect for those little hands and is soothing on the gums. Babies cannot get enough of this little animal, its totally irresistible as it laughs when the 17cm body is squeezed. It will make a long term friend for your baby way past the teething stage and be warned don't leave home without it

I have a new obsession now; diaper bags. Alas the range in Malaysia is limited so I think I have to resort to online shopping for this particular bag by Oi Oi which I have my heart set on. This model will only be launched in October so till then...my shopping ends here...for now...maybe...I think...

Baby's Scan Video

Our baby's scan recorded by my brother-in-law Vincent. My youngest sister, Ginny and her husband, Vincent were lucky enough to be in KL during our baby's detailed scan in July 2011.

Songs for Baby

I've started crooning to my baby. Maybe she'll start a playlist in my belly and would request for a few familiar tunes when she needs a little soothing .

Here's my list of favourite tunes:

Baby Mine from the Disney's classic animation, Dumbo (a real tear jerker) - This version is sung by Bette Midler

La La Lu from Lady and the Tramp (watched this as a kid)

The Rainbow Connection- my brother used to play this on the guitar :)

You Belong to Me

Dream a Little Dream of Me

Beautiful Boy (guess I'll be changing it to Beautiful Girl)

Till There Was You

And I Love Her (I simply love The Beatles)

She's Got a Way

Isn't She Lovely- Stevie Wonder wrote this for his daughter

Daughters- John Mayer

Clair de lune - Debussy

Mini Babymoon ~ Kuantan

A babymoon is a period of time that parents spend bonding with a recently-born baby.
More recently the term has come to be used to describe a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby. Babymoons usually take place at a resort that offers appropriate services like prenatal massage.
Babymoon can also be used for a trip taken by a couple even before they get pregnant. As long as the trip is intended to be a final romantic fling before venturing into parenthood, the term babymoon applies.
The term babymoon comes from the more traditional term honeymoon, which is a vacation taken by a newlywed couple after their wedding ceremony- wikipedia

We decided to go on a mini babymoon with Sam. Why mini? Well, it's only to Kuantan for 3 days. And it's also considered David's mini golf holiday.

The real babymoon will take place sometime in October where we will go to Bali for about a week with 3 other families. Of course, golf was the main reason the  trip was planned. Hey, what's a holiday without a few rounds of golf while the missus heads for the spa.
I would be around 34 weeks by then and really hope that I would be able to enjoy the vacation despite being fat, heavy, tired and everything uncomfortable you can think of.

Sorry to digress, back to Kuantan. The drive to the Hyatt Regency took only about 2 1/2 hours and we managed to check-in before noon. The weather was lovely and promised a weekend of sun, sea and snooze by the pool.

We were lucky to get a room overlooking the pool and of course, the gorgeous sea view.

Despite looking and feeling like a whale, I managed to squeeze into my bikini and enjoy some pool time with David and Sam.

The boys spent a chunk of our time there playing in the pool.....

...and enjoying a few rounds of golf...

...while I gazed up sleepily from the lounge chair by the pool