What's in a name?

We as parents must decide,

To pick a name that suits our girl,

A name that she will wear with pride,

Of beauty and grace as they unfurl

At first we thought of Abigail

"A father's joy" or "father rejoiced"

Of Hebrew land the name did hail

Its meaning true and deeply voiced

Sierra, Sienna, Savannah, we tried

We even tried Chloe and Annabelle too,

But none felt right for our baby, we cried,

We were confused, much to our rue.

Emma Louise, how sweet..we thought,

As precious as a tiny gem,

A dainty girl, a treasure most sought,

With flowers sewn upon her hem

She will be warm with a smile to match

A breath of fresh air like a garden in May

A calm little brook by a daisy patch,

The name that befits this is Summer May.

Sophie Mei means Wisdom and Beauty

A fusion of love where East meets West

Of Chinese plum blossom and hot English Tea,

Well we think that's the name that describes her the best!

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.