I see you!

I had a developmental scan done recently, at 22 weeks.

On reaching the hospital, I had to pee (I do that like 350 times a day now). That was a mistake. Coz to see a clear, fuzz-free scan, you need a full bladder. And having, *cough cough* a thick layer of fat on my tummy (though the sonographer politely said "a thick layer of skin"). The scan was kinda fuzzy (though it looked fine to me, the untrained eye). She spent a whopping 45 minutes locating organ after organ.

She measured the maternal blood volume going to the uterus, locate the main blood vessels - the aorta and the pulmonary vein, the kidneys, bladder, stomach, different brain lobes, the umbilical cord.

Then checked the heart function - whether the blood flow is normal - in colour - the four chambers present, the valves in working order - all to rule out possibilities of having to anticipate a heart disorder. I had to turn slightly towards my right coz the baby was not in a position to show the best scan. I was impressed!

Then she measured the various arm and thigh bones, even showed us the little feet and fingers!! The cranial bones measured and we are through. The report said everything is in order. ALL PRAISES TO GOD!

She even gave me a blurred photo, which looks like an alien, with the eye sockets visible. But I love it anyway.

Then a quick visit to the Dr, who said the baby was growing very well, to continue my vitamins and that was it. Scheduled another appointment in 4 weeks and another routine scan in 8 weeks.

I also have to go for the GTT (Glucose Tolerance Test) at 28 weeks, which I have not calculated whether its gonna be in Ramadhan or not. This test requires an overnight fasting and then on reaching the hospital, have to drink a thick, extremely, excruciatingly sweet and concentrated glucose syrup, which I've seen have made some women puke. It would have been more drinkable if it was cold and carbonated. Then a tube of blood would be taken at an hour's interval each, for the next 3 hours and the glucose level measured in each.

The pregnancy books I have been reading seem outdated already. I can get unlimited information from the Internet now, on everything and anything about pregnancy I need to know, as long as I can bear to stare at the monitor.

Still constipating...but bearable, hehe. Hey, some have it worse.

(Err, tried to upload some scan pictures off the net, but Blogger not in a good mood today??)

Hic...hic...Drunk?

Had a scare last week.

I am constipating very badly. The pregnancy hormones relaxes the digestive muscles so they get a bit lax. I have been a, ehem, very "regular person", every morning without fail, but this week it got worse.

So I went to get fruits. Loads of them.

My favourite is the Sarawak pineapple. Sweet and juicy. Can't get enough.

Then I also had longans - I must've have eaten at least half a kilo! Sedappp. Juicy, succulent and sweet.

Then papaya, rock melon and rambutans.

Hmmm. For lunch AND dinner. That filled me up. Then it happened.

I was lying on my back. Usually the baby would move when I do that. But tonight - NO MOVEMENT.

I waited and waited. For the next 2 days and 2 nights. NO MOVEMENT!!.

I read all the antenatal books about fetal movements but most only mention the case for action when you are almost due or overdue - which I am neither.

Anyway, at 20 weeks, if there are no fetal movements either -

1) My fat layer is soo darn thick I can't feel much
2) Wait for the next checkup (which was like 2 weeks away)
3) Go to the Dr

At 20 weeks, there is not much that can be done. Womb is still best. If there is no heartbeat found then, sorry. The body will expel the "remnants" naturally within 3 weeks. No medical intervention needed.

I decided to go to the Dr, though my husband said I should wait - coz the baby's probably asleep. I have eaten A LOT OF FRUITS, remember? The fruits probably turned to liquor and made the baby drunk. Hmmmmmmmm.

But I did anyway. My peace of mind is most important. I need to know. Good news or bad news.

So off I went to the see the Dr. He was quite perplexed. But he examined me anyway. The moment he put the heartbeat monitor, I could hear the heartbeat, beating fast and strong. Oh THANK GOD! He also checked whether I was leaking any amniotic fluid. But no.

"Dont worry too much. Your baby is OK. This is not your first right? I know the miscarriage might have scared you but everything looks fine for the moment".

I was almost crying, thinking how silly, but GLAD that everything's OK.

AND the fruits only helped me for one day. I'm back constipating the day after. Guess I have to eat more fruits...pass me that bag of duku-langsat please...

Food......with a capital F

Have not been updating frequently because I cannot stare at the computer screen for long now - I get dizzy and nauseous (must be all the +ve ions from the monitor).

So I will update bit by bit and S-L-O-W-L-Y.

My cravings are under control (so far). I am, at this very moment, longing for a cold, thick mango juice with those chewy black sago (also called "pearls"). Ooohh. So much for control, huh?

Then I saw claypot rice on some masak-masak blog and now I'm wondering what that taste like!

Otherwise I am happy with Heinz baked beans, eaten out of the can (reminisence of hostel days) or on toast with scrambled eggs - for breakfast, lunch and dinner - and the occasional frozen grapes (they are awesome!).

I am halfway there, at 20 weeks.

Saw my "bun" in the oven when I had the ultrasound scan done at 18 weeks and have absolutely fallen in love with my "bun" (swooon). Its a tight fit in there. Movements are getting stronger everyday and we play our little games when I'm lying flat in bed.

I get breathless when I stand or lie down at times and the Dr said I should go to the hospital if I get chest pains at the same time or when my breathlessness gets too much to bear. And I'm not referring to THAT kind of breathlessness.

I do look pregnant now and not FAT! There is a definite baby bum, yeay!

Too early, too early...

I was at the mall, went to the babies' section. Hmm. Babies' clothes are soooo cuttte! Almost bought some but its TOO EARLY....

I was making enquiries about the whereabout of my old cot. Its been passed around the family. But then the last person left it at a rented place and left the country without it, so chances are we wont get it back. But I noticed the cots are getting cheaper and has many more varieties, so hopefully I can get one. But then again ins TOO EARLY....

Its been 18 weeks, another 22 weeks to go...

Hello again!

I've been down with - morning sickness. Its been a tumultuos 3 months. My mouth tastes like rubber (no, not THAT rubber..) and metal and sour and salivating too much. I spit a lot coz I get full swallowing my own saliva!

I have headaches spells. I don't know why they call it MORNING sickenss coz I have it round the clock - from the time I wake up to the time I sleep.

I have not been very friendly either, hehe. My partner thinks I don't like him anymore! I can't stand the smell of smoke, steam from rice cooking or coffee, blleargh..

BUT

I'm getting better. I'm into dried apricots today. And fried battered mushrooms, YUM! And butterhead lettuce. Can't get enough of that!

Haven't been baking either coz I get tired easily. The last thing I baked were egg tarts and they were gone in minutes. To make the shortcrust (pastry) in this not weather, I practically rolled and cut the dough with my head in the freezer! But it was ooooiiiiissssshhhhiiii delicious! Nothing like those you buy at the bakery. They are just not the same.




If I feel well enough, I might make caramel custards today.

Sex and the (long) Married Couple (Part II)

If you have a good sex life, it occupies about 10% of your relationship - and if you don't, its about 90%.

When sex is fulfilling, you both enjoy it and move on to other things. BUT if you are not satisfied, then someone feels hurt, rejected and confused and the problem consumes the marriage.

OK. That what made me write the previous entry.

Sex and the (long) Married Couple

I want to have a go at this for a long time. I have so many things to say but they are all jumbled up but I sorted them somewhat when I read kj's long entry that definitely you cannot digest at one sitting.

And my girlfriends have been talking about it for years...

*Thank you* kj for letting me quote parts of her blog entries. :)

A lot of blogs have been written by husbands about their wives "losing" interest in sex after being married for many many years. And its always the wives fault. Hmm.

This is a GENERAL observation. Not every man is as described below but MOST are, hehe.

Lets see:

Stay-home-wives have to manage the house, cleaning it, maintaining it to look like a home (I'm not going into detail but you get the jist). Then - kids - what nutritious food to feed them today? Have they done their homework? When are their exams coming up? How are their doing with their friends (again the list goes on). In short, multitasking is an understatement in a woman's world.

Wives who ALSO work out of the home work, deal with bossy boss, nasty and (some nice) colleagues, deadlines, deadlines, meetings, overtime. Then work continues again at home, regardless whether you have help or not but when you get home you change roles from a boss/secretary/factory-woker to a mother+ homemaker+dish-washer+laundromat+cook+waitress...the list goes on (I'm getting tired just thinking about it)

Husbands work, come home to a home cleaned by wife/cleaner, eat home-cooked meals cooked by wife/cook, served dinner by the wife/waitress, read newspaper, wait for kids to go to bed, lie in bed with his hands behind his head, tv on, with a hard-on, waiting...for sex.

Husband is KING. Wife is QUEEN? Uh-uh more like.... (fill in the blank)

Note: AGAIN, not ALL men but enough men.

Wife: E-X-H-A-U-S-T-E-D. Sex is the LAST thing on her mind.
(Does he think lying there with a hard-on is ALL I need??!)

Husband: D-I-S-A-P-P-O-I-N-T-E-D
(darn, I waited so long for her to finish the chores and put the kids to bed, and I'm not getting ANY?!)
and declares "she is not interested in sex anymore." SIGH.

BUT

Who doesn't like to be horny?

(Quote) KNOW WHAT? It's a nice feeling. Being horny. Really nice. LIKE YOU'RE ALIVE. And young again. And sexy.

Guys turn on like a hotplate....gals are like crockpots...we warm up SLOWLY.

SO this is what WOMEN want (if you want sex tonight) :

I need the seduction thing going on all day long. Send me sexy e-mail, sms-es, tell me how great my hair looks, admire my eyes and tell me I've got a great ass/boobs. Notice that I have groomed myself just for you. Even that new clip/hairband on my hair you mention makes you closer to closing the deal to sex tonight.

HELP ME with the household chores and kids so my energy is not zapped out or ll be nodding off to la-la land with your hard-on in my hand!

Call me "baby" and look at me with those eyes and let me see how you are begging for my touch. When we finally get some time alone, don't strip down and just wait there...keep your clothes ON and let me peel them off. We don't get turned on by instant "naked"...it's the game we want to play.

PLAY THE GAME !!!

I FEEL SOMETHING. I'M ALIVE. I FEEL SEXY. SENSUAL. DEMANDING. SUBMISSIVE. DESIRED. DESIRING. LUSTFUL.

I want to attack. I want to be attacked. I want tender and soft, I want hard and furious. I want it every which way. I want to be enveloped, dominated, caressed, loved.... everything, all of it.

Wives love pleasing their husbands when they are turned on. But they have to BE TURNED ON.

When women are turned on, isn't it worth all the little details men paid attention to? Don't men like pleasing their wives? After all when a woman is turned on, you can lay back with your hands behind your head and watch her unfold....

Sex and Little Girls

Now, more than ever, influences from the west are at its strongest.

Being sexy, is no longer adults' territory. Little girls under 12 are made to feel that their sexuality need to conform to certain standards before they are cool. And they are believing it!

At the mall, I was overwhelmed by the fact that clothes for these little girls are getting more and more skimpy, more flesh being bared. Very very very short skirts, jeans that start at the hips and expose their butt cracks (already?), fake nails, high heels, belly-button-baring extra extra small baby t-shirts.

Why are parents allowing their innocent little girls to dress like streetwalkers?

Dream Kitchen

I dream of a country kitchen

with modern appliances

and a traditional charcoal oven

for authentic breads and pizzas, (yummy)

and classic country pottery

with lots of woody fixtures

spacious islands to knead and mix

- bread - savoury and sweet

cakes

and cookies.

And just outside, fresh herbs in pots.

Testing font 1
Arial
Courier
Georgia
Lucida Grande
Times
Trebuchet
Verdana
Webdings