33 weeks pregnant

Obs said to expect Baby K anytime after 37 weeks. 37 weeks! That is only 4 weeks from now. Eeks! Am I ready?

I think so?

I have been truly blessed with a smooth pregnancy so far. I thank my parents for the good genes I have inherited, and also all the help from hubby, his parents, and so many of my friends during my pregnancy. Everyone has chipped with some form of help or other! I put on 9kg so far, and I can see most of it have gone to baby. I don't have too many complaints during my pregnancy. Just the usual morning sickness at the start, headaches, some leg cramps, breathlessness and alittle bit of reflux. All the usual signs of a healthy normal pregnancy. Now, I just need baby to turn the right way. For most of the pregnancy so far, he has been lying horizontally across. For the past couple of days, I have been rubbing the spot where I think his head is, hoping he will move away and turn upside down instead. But he seems to like a particular position and always resettles in the same spot! Sigh. I am hoping for a normal natural delivery, not really a cesarean if possible.

Everyone seems to think I am going to cope really well during delivery. Do I look so gungho? I didn't think so! Every time I bring up the labour process with the obs, he tells me that he truly predicts that I am going to cope with the pain really well. Uh huh.

Also, here is my new friend. Meet Mr Fit Ball. I can no longer sit for long periods in a couch because my back gets sooo sore, as does my coccyx (sp? I'm referring to that little tail bone thingie at the end of our spine). Sitting on the fit ball really eases the pain quite a bit.

Early bird breakfast

What does one do when her baby gets the hiccups at 6am and starts kickboxing? She wakes up grumbling, and makes a quick breakfast.

Hubby wakes up almost 2 hours later and is pleasantly surprised (trust me, it doesn't happen like this all the time).

9.30am now. Is it time for my nap yet? I think so.

Good night.

Bald for real

When I get a quiet moment, I end up wondering how Baby K is going to look like. I can only barely just make out his features in the 3D ultrasound taken at week 20. But the little bugger had his hands covering his hands the whole half hour the sonographer was doing his thing!

Hubby came out with a whole head of hair standing upright, and I was just simply bald. See why I overreacted when I found myself bald on farmville the other day? Never again.

Satays - An experimental dinner

With sucess!!! So I'm sharing my recipe! Not the best picture but we were salivating from the smell of it, so I just took a quick snap and we dived right into it.

My brain told me I had to make this one afternoon. I didn't really measure out the measurements when I did the marinade, the recipe below is just an after thought of what I think I put into it. So finetune it as you go along. After looking at a couple of recipes, I just simply chucked in the following spices and they turned out really yummy and yet so simple to do. The hard part was skewering the meats onto the sticks, not so fun. I made both the chicken and beef version, but I only had beef mince in the fridge so I just made do with that.

Satay marinade

5 Chicken thigh fillets sliced into strips (beef or pork will do too)

1 tsp Tumeric powder

1 tsp paprika powder

1 tsp cumin powder

2 tsp coriander powder (I figured out this needs more compared to the other powders)

1 1/2 tbsp curry powder

2 tsp salt

2 tbsp sugar

bit of water

bit of cornflour

drizzle of oil

Satay sauce

1/2 onion diced finely

1/2 can coconut cream

2 huge scoops of peanut butter

1tbsp+/- curry powder

small chunk of gula melaka (i'm sure brown sugar will do too)

water

1 tsp salt

1. Marinade the meats and skewer it onto bamboo sticks (soak them in a glass of water first to prevent it from burning later on) and leave it for about 30minutes.


2. Meanwhile, prepare the satay sauce. Heat up some oil in a saucepan, and sautee the onions until soft. Add peanut butter, coconut cream, gula melaka and some water (to dilute it to the consistency u like). Keep stirring it while bringing it to a slow simmer or until the oil floats on top. Add the curry powder and salt. Take it off the heat and leave aside.


3. Preheat the oven and have it on high using the grill setting, putting the rack close to the heat.


4. Pop the satays in and brush alittle oil onto it while cooking. Cook until browned.


5. Serve piping hot with some chopped canned pineapples, cucumbers and the satay sauce.

32 weeks pregnant

Where did time go?!


Baby's movements are different now, he's no longer doing his high kicks as much, however I can feel him squirming and turning alot more. I have a small frame, so I can imagine how squished he is in there, the poor thing! To me, it feels like he is shoving and pushing with all his might trying to make some space around him.


I have started getting my Braxton Hicks contractions.Double checked with the obstetrician and he confirms that they are usually painless. However they can be quite uncomfortable when it happens. The muscles of the uterus tenses and tightens up for 30 to 60 seconds, and it feels rock hard when that happens! Apparently they start at around 17 weeks, but we don't feel them until much later on.


Mini me still gets his hiccups, but not as often as before perhaps just twice a day now or so.


I have been feeling breathless alot more this past week too. Uterus is now pressing against my diaphram and I have to practise my breathing exercises when that happens.


My bump has also popped out quite a fair bit now, and I am really running out of things to wear now. I managed to get away with not getting any maternity clothes so far for this pregnancy. But I might have to. Sigh. Either that, or hope the weather keeps getting warmer so I can swish around in some dresses instead. So, I've been doing some window shopping online.



But u see, I got distracted and have been looking at these removable wall decals from forwalls. Too cute! I just can't decide which one to get!

Spring is here!

Spring is here to stay finally here to stay! I am LOVING the warm sunny days we are having here in Melbourne. We have been out doing up our garden abit more on the weekends these days, getting it ready with some spring colours! Its not quite ready yet, so until then here is a gorgeous bloom at a tulip farm we went to over the weekend.

Recipe: Condensed milk pound cake

There's nothing like the aroma of a sweet smelling cake wafting through the house, a condensed milk pound cake! I used to love putting condensed milk in my milo drinks, but since I no longer have any form of added sugar in my drinks, I decided to use up some of my condensed milk in the fridge. Plus, I had all the ingredients in my pantry and home on a rainy Saturday evening.

Condensed Milk Pound Cake

I got the recipe from here

120gms butter

25gms sugar (I used raw sugar)

1 1/2tsp vanilla paste

120gm cake flour ( I just used plain flour)

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 tsp baking powder

2 eggs (70gms each)

1. Preheat oven to 175 degrees. Lightly grease a loaf tin.


2. Sift flour and baking powder and set aside.
   
3. Cream butter and sugar on medium to high speed until pale yellow, light and fluffy.


4. Add vanilla paste and salt, then cream until mixed well.


5. Lower the speed and add the sifted flour in 3 batches until you achieve a smooth mix.


6. Add eggs one at a time, and mix until well combined.


7. Pour into loaf tin and bake for 1 hour.

Mine didn't seem to rise as high as the original recipe, probably because I substituted the cake flour with plain flour. It had a dense yet spongey soft texture. This recipe yielded a yummylicious cake which I will definitely be baking again!

Nesting @ 29/30 weeks

Pregnant women go through a phase called 'nesting'. There is this natural instinct to want to do things around the house to prepare for the oncoming birth of the baby. I am definitely experiencing this at the moment.



Here's what I got up to Sunday night and Monday.

• 10.30pm: I had this urge to tidy my bathroom cabinet. I sat on a little stool in front of it and dragged everything out from under the sink. Friends who know me know that I have enough skincare products and make up to last almost forever. I organized, cleaned out the bottles and tubes and even sorted them out by their use by dates. Knowing mom is arriving in a month or so, I even packed her a toiletries bag of skincare products so it is ready for her to dig into when she arrives on her morning flight. I packed myself a toiletries bag for my hospital stay. That probably took me an hour in all. But then, packing my hospital toiletries bag also reminded me that I could now start putting things into my hospital bag, and so I did. I spent another 15minutes or so pulling out little bits and pieces that goes into the bag. By the time I finished, I was exhausted and my back and shoulders were aching. Bedtime, finally...


• I'm not a morning person, so Monday after lunch I opened up 4 big boxes of stuff that needed to be put away in the garage for storage. So I cleaned packed and reorganized our documents and bits and pieces for 2 hours. I would have started hauling them into the garage myself if I had the strength! A little annoyed it will still have to sit in the study until the weekend where Hubby will move them.


• All that packing left bits of shredded paper and dust on the floor. I start dusting and wiping down surfaces in the house.


• Eeeks, floor is now all dusty, so I vaccuumed.


• While vaccuuming, I realised the laundry hamper is full, so I did 2 loads of laundry and put them up.


• Folded a basket of laundry


• Did the dishes

Yesterday:

• Swept the deck. Sounds easy enough, but carrying a 8Kg load on your belly and being bent over is exhausting. Especially when we are talking about trying to scrap off possum poop! That I think took me about 40minutes.


• Weeded some potted plants.


• Put drawers liners into our bedside tables and coffee table.


• Folded up more laundry.


• Finally remembered to call the local council and after a few phonecalls,finally got us upgraded to a bigger recycling bin (yay!)


• Cleared out an unwanted 4 drawer unit.


• Did dishes again.

Right now:

I have an urge to attempt to scrub away the bird and possum poop marks left on the deck, while the deck is still wet from the rain. (If you look closely, you'll see the poop marks even though I've swept it yesterday)

Damn u rain. I need to clean.

30 weeks pregnant

So I am now 30 weeks pregnant. A full term pregnancy is 38-40weeks. Anything earlier than 36 weeks is considered a premature birth. I feel similar to how I first felt during my first trimester, only without the morning sickness. I have put on about 8kgs so far, and my body isn't used to carrying so much weight 24/7. People tell me I am all baby, I haven't put on too much weight elsewhere. But I feel like a sumo wrestler.

My joints hurt like crazy. My knees and soles of my feet are sore when I stand. But my butt also hurts if I sit for too long. I just can't win! And now, to get off the couch, I need to physically grab onto something/someone to lean forward, then bum shuffle towards the edge to get up. I have started to feel that sheer exhaustion that I had felt during my first trimester again. It is as if there is an automated switch where I am fine the one moment, but then I would be completely spent the next. It does not matter whether or not I have been up and about doing something. I would wake up at 7am in the mornings, have breakfast, and by 9.30am I am back under the covers again. And then probably another nap in the afternoon again.

Another pregnant friend of mine has her due date really close to mine and she has already started to get Braxton Hicks contractions. They are like false labour pains to get the body ready for the real thing. They say I should expect them round about this time, but I have yet to feel any. I think.

Baby is still practising his acrobatic moves everyday. But he is running out of leg room to give me his hard high kicks so he wriggles and squirms more instead. And much to my discomfort, he loves wedging his hand/foot up against my ribs. He still gets hiccups daily! He used to kick and move around alot more when that happens, but I think he's finally realised there is nothing he can do about it. Sometimes I picture him rolling his eyes at himself haha!

I tell myself not too long now..... I will soon have my own little mini in my arms, we can't wait!

Baby on wheels

I have realised some time ago, that gone were the days where prams were primarily used to transport babies from point A to B, sometimes even doubling up as a shopping trolley by hanging your bags off the pram handles.

Has anyone seen those $1700 prams parents are now wheeling around these days? For that price, I was half expecting to find a spare wheel, climate control air-conditioning or indicators somewhere on those prams! I simply gawked at the price, had a quick inspection of it and walked away!!

I almost thought I was one of the rare ones who thought the brands don't really matter. As long as its easy to clean, sturdy and its easy to fold down and lift, its good enough for me. Until I read this today:

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/your-pram-cost-less-than-1000-you-bad-mother-you-20090913-fm4r.html

But I won't be superficial and say the pram we have purchased is cheap either.But, it is definitely less than a third of that $1700 pram! It is still pricier, compared to the ones the older generations used to use anyway. We live across a park, and I do intend to go for walks with baby in the future, so I wanted a 3 wheeler for a more stable ride. We purchased baby's pram brand new, but I know of a friend who has purchased hers for $80 via ebay, and according to her, it only needed a clean and its almost as good as new.

Now, don't even get me started on the accessories baby product manufacturers have come up with! Sun/rain pram covers, bath support slings, nappy disposal systems, etc. What happened to improvising and making do with umbrellas and blankets to keep baby warm and out of the sun??? Or simply supporting baby with your arm while bathing baby? Or using plastic bags to contain smelly nappies and then popping it into the rubbish bin for disposal?

And a new chapter of my life starts....

Yesterday I finished up at work! What an emotional rollercoaster ride the day was! I took time when I arrived to take in the last sights of my work surroundings and my workmates around me on my last day of work. I had expected to feel happy and perhaps even excited, but instead, I was feeling extremely nervous!

I have been working at the same place for the past 6 years of my life. The characters I have met, workmates and experience have given me so many fond memories to treasure and keep. I was extremely reluctant to leave at the end of the day, and without me realising how time flew past, I was still around 3 hours after I was meant to finish for the day!

For the past couple of years, I have gone into work every time, been an advocate for the brand I work for, planned and strategized for events and formed many new friendships over time. I am possibly one of those really odd weirdos you make a face at, when they tell you "I LOVE my work!"

Throughout the day, workmates from all across the company's departments came to say their goodbyes, tears rolled off our cheeks and we exchanged hugs and tummy rubs for baby. I was a wreck by the end of the day!

I have truly been very blessed with so many friends and a fantastic boss at work, what more could I have asked for?

A new chapter of my life starts from here on...

Why Winnie?

When I registered for our baby registry, the sales person asked me if I had a theme in mind for baby's nursery so she could list it for family and friends to keep in mind for. I said no I don't, and just to leave it blank.

But for a really strange reason, while going around with the scanning gun, I was drawn to Winnie to pooh everything. Winnie the pooh cot blankets, Winnie the pooh cot sheets, Winnie the pooh laundry hamper, nappy stacker, lamps, toys,wall decals, etc. They were put on my baby registry and had some gifts have started to come in.




You gotta understand I'm not one to go for cutsy stuff. Mickey and Minnie and Hello Kitty? So not me. I used to like Snoopy alittle when I was younger. But I'm more of an ET person. Weird. I know. But that perhaps, is for another post.

So there's a Winnie the pooh theme going on for his room in the future. Splashes of yellow for his clothing and furniture too. Yellow used to be a favourite colour of mine, maybe that's why?

But what if he ends up hating it?? Muahahahahha... too bad, he's going to be stuck with them for a couple of years. He might have a few yellow ducky friends for company too (Daddy seems to like them).

And wait. I just realised. Isn't Winnie the pooh a boy? So why is his name Winnie? All the Winnies I know are females.

Quick fix morning brekky

I don't like eating cereal with cold milk in the winter months. I've been waking up and making myself a quick bowl of warm oats every morning. Takes 2 minutes in the microwave. I usually have it plain with a small teaspoon of honey, but sometimes I like to throw in some fruits I have from my fruit bowl.

Recipe: Baked garlic herbed wedges

I made these extremely addictive, finger licking good wedges over a weekend. So easy to do with minimal effort. Wedges turned out crispy with crunchy bits of roasted garlic and I love how it made my house smell so good!

Baked garlic herbed wedges



6 baby potatoes cut into wedges, skin on

generous amount of olive oil

1 tsp cooking salt

2 cloves garlic minced (I put mine through a garlic mincer)

pinch of dried mixed herbs

sea salt to taste



1. Preheat oven to 200 degrees and line a baking tray with foil.

2. Bring a pot of saucepan with cooking salt to boil and cook potatoes for about 5 minutes or until potatoes are slightly softened. Drain away water.

3. Transfer wedges into baking tray and drizzle generous amount of olive oil together with the garlic, mixed herbs and sea salt. Mix until well coated with seasoning.

4. Bake for 30 minutes or until wedges turn crispy and golden brown. Making sure that the wedges are turned so they cook evenly.

5. Toss with more sea salt if desired. Serve hot!

I wonder if its possible to grow my own organic potatoes next....?

Good restful sleep is a luxury

Sleep. Need sleep. Week 29 this week, and I am definitely feeling baby's weight alot more. So my joints and back are now causing me abit of grief. If I am sitting or lying in a position that is uncomfortable for him, baby wriggles around quite a bit causing me some pain and discomfort sometimes. He has also found my bladder which he tends to use as a pillow or a foot rest in the middle of the night, which means I wake up in a hurry in the middle of the night, try to throw my body forward while lying on my side like a giant hippo and then heave myself off the side of the bed and shuffle quickly to the toilet.

Good restful sleep is a luxury these days. Way even before baby arrives. Even for hubby. My sleep routine every night:

1. Strategically position 2 pillows for my head at an angle, 1 more to support my belly/legs
2. Sit on bed, SLOWLY lower myself onto my side, supporting myself with 1 elbow/hand
3. Lie still for 10 seconds. Turn off bedside lamps.
4. Nope. Not comfortable.
5. Hubby turns his light on again, heaves me up and helps me adjust all the pillows once more.
6. Turn off light. Try to lie still and go to sleep again while huffing and puffing from all that moving around.

This process repeats itself about 3-4 times before I finally doze off, not because I found a comfortable position but because by the end of it I am utterly exhausted.