Baby Blues (part 7)

Its true what they said that the last few weeks of your pregnancy is usually the longest....the waiting, the false alarms, the constant urge to the toilet, etc, everything that seems to indicate anything but true labour...oh well, into the 36th weeks now.
Kind of happy though especially about the new baby bonus plan being backdated to the 17th of August. Except that the maternity leave thingy is subjected to your employers' approval. Doesnt matter anyway, I spent nearly 1.5 months at home because of the bed rest by the doc and now I am starting on my maternity leave. Been finding myself thinking about work, partly due to boredom and partly because of the kids at school. Sometimes Herman call me selfish, foolish and even a workaholic....but I am just not the type who can stay at a desk job and be happy with it. I need to move around and be constantly hands-on at work.
Thats why I just cant wait for the baby...maybe thats why the baby taking so long cause of my pressuring him...should take things slowly and not think so much about it...right now been having a lot of signs thats telling me the day is near, well, this Saturday will be going for my check-up. See what the doc say...anyway the EDD is around the 14th of September last check up...so still got two more weeks till then....

National Day Rally Speech 2008

Everyone had probably seen our PM Lee Hsien Loong speech last night. A few things caught my eye (or ears actually!) especially about the baby bonus thingy. Hurray for the fact that the leave will be extended from 12 weeks to 16 weeks and hurray for other incentives that are provided such as one week unpaid leave for infant care. But my concern is when will all this be effective? I mean he did mentioned that another minister Wong Kan Seng will probably make the official announcement and the details by this week. Then I can e-mail my admin and take the extra 4 weeks.
So far here is what I know and more interested in :
Growth dividends : 50% more in second payout in October. Means be getting between $75 to $150 extra. (can plan holiday!)
Maternity Leave : Extended to Four months (16 weeks)
Infant care leave : Oone week unpaid leave a year until the child turns two
Child care leave : Extended to 6 days per year for child younger than 7
Baby bonus : Bigger cash grant for new mums (then how about me? considered as 'old mum' is it?)
If you ask me, yeah I want more kids, probably a whole soccer team but practically and realistically, everything is so expensive. Its a long-term commitment, lots of financial planning from the time you got pregnant all the way to the kids adulthood. So for now, just two is okay for us. Maybe number three when both kids are in primary school (just to see if I can get a baby girl).
Probably the reason why I'm working in kindergarten is being surrounded by kids. Its like your own (even though they are other people's) but still they are yours for that 4 hours. Can play games, toys, sing and dance with them and watch how fast (or slow) they learn and grow. How you want to strangle them at times but hug and kiss them too, love kids but just having two of my own is good enough for me...

Baby Blues (part 6)

Went to the doctor last Saturday. So many people, we arrived at the clinic around 9am and only get to see him around 2pm. Got to see a lot of preggies and two of them got sent off to the hospital to be induced (probably past their due date). That gave me cold feet. He rushed off around 12pm to ESH and came back around 1+pm.
Did the scanning and Alhamdulillah, baby is okay, so told me to stop taking the nifedipine. Except for my bp is on the high side. Currently the scan shows that the baby weighs around 2.89kg and is around 35wks+, not engaged yet. Confirmed with him regarding the baby's circumcision. Got to see the doc again in 2 weeks time (30th Aug). Got to do a vaginal examination to check how far dillated I am next appointment. So far tummy getting a wee bit tighter and bigger so feel a wee bit heavier. Looks like baby is going to hit 3kg like his big bro. Shadiq weighs at birth 3.145kg. Takpelah, as long as the baby is healthy and fine...so two more weeks till the next appointment.
Anyway, today is also Faiz's 24th birthday...Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!

Shadiq Pics

Here are some more photos of Shadiq. Playing with blocks and playing with Emma (one of those 'good' days when they are not fighting with each other).

Baby Blues (part 5)

I am so bored...bored of sitting at home not doing anything, bored of waiting for baby to 'pop' out and I am just so very bored!
Well, I took Kak Ai's advice and do the 1000 pcs jigsaw puzzle. Halfway through, got irritated coz Shadiq and Emma want to help and they kept throwing some of the pieces around. Then tried to do some housework to take my mind off things for a while..that worked for a few hours then when all is over, back to square 1...bored! Then made a routine of going for slow, short walks around the neighbourhood. Seems fun to cuci mata for a while but with Shadiq following me, the walks turn into running or playing ball sometimes....and its only for an hour...so still got a few other hours left. Dont want to watch TV anymore so got to listening to the radio, playing games on the internet and reading books.
But until now, I am still so bored and restless...there are nearly 24 hours in a day and around 12 hours are reserved for sleeping but the other 12 hours are the time when I really need to be occupied....running out of ideas what to do so I really do hope that this Saturday check-up with the doctor, he decided to induce the labour....getting heavy, what with all the aches and pains plus the boredom...
Anyway just got a call from my admin, want to nominate me for the Excellent Teacher award organised by MOE-AEYCES. Apa yang bagus sangat, I really dont know...Herman always said that I know how to suck up to the boss. Must be that good until got nominated, hahaha! Just that when it comes down to work, I am the type who just do what's been told or assigned sometimes overdoing things and always a sucker for helping people even though I dont want to. Orang tanya "Siti can help me?" and automatically without thinking I say "Okay no problem." Kesian orang mintak tolong so yang ni pun tolong lah. Then go home and complain to Herman about it. Kena marah by boss also, I say gasak korang lah, asalkan gaji masuk sudah. Well, I got to write a one-page essay about myself...kind of weird, promoting yourself macam nak election MP pulak. Not the type who is going to jump down for an award so wont really care if I dont get it.

Baby Blues (part 4)

Last few days was funny and scary. It all started last Thursday morning when I started to have very bad backache. Can't move around regardless how I tried to change my position, tried sitting or lying down, walk around, bathe, tried everything but the ache just won't go away. So I thought "Okay, maybe been so tense lately...should try to relax and calm myself down." So think of happy thoughts, watch tv and for a while it worked, the pain slowly subsides. Then during late afternoon, the pain came back with full force, accompanied by very bad abdominal pain and I thought "Must have ate something wrong. Mak nya sambal tumis sardine power!" So drank lots of water and lie down on the bed. But the pain just got more intense...and in my mind I wasnt thinking about the fact that maybe I was going into labour because there was no contractions at all.
When Herman got back, told him about the pain and all. He tried to massage my back, rubbed oil and did everything to make me comfortable. By then I started to get a feeling of very intense contractions, aching all over and cold sweats. And I said to Herman "I think we should go hospital now." So we called my mum who rushed over to look after Shadiq who is crying.
When we reached the hospital, I was straight away placed in the labour ward where the nurse checked for my contractions. Apparently the contractions stopped when we reached the hospital but the other pain still stay with me. After an hour, they told me that I can go home and rest, probably due to a bad indigestion. So we went home. Couldnt sleep the whole night though, what with the bad aches and the vomitting that started later. Next morning Friday we see the GP (doctor Aziz was on holiday). Told me I had gastric flu and gave me some medicine to eat. Felt okay the whole day so I blamed the aches for the wind in my stomach.
But the next day Saturday, the pain came back this time I had shortness of breath and I thought "Not AGAIN." My back felt like it was being snapped into two, my tummy felt like it was being poked all over with needles, the lower region like being ripped apart...and every breath that I took is accompanied with pain....Tried to last the pain out, take panadol and the medication that the doc gave me, bathing (which kind of help a bit), put 'koyok' on the back and my mum rubbed my back and chest for breathing. Tried taking shorter breaths to ease the pain. Nothing works though. My mum panic when I started to turn very pale and break out in cold sweat. Called a few people for advise and they all told her the same thing "Go hospital now." I wanted to wait out to see if it will go away like the last time. Waited for a while more then decided to go (again).
Reached there, sent to labour ward (again) but this time my contractions was coming in every 10 minutes plus its already open by 1cm. Could hear the nurses talking to each other whether to admit me for labour or not. They were worried that doctor aziz is not here to deliver and it will be preemie. Finally after talking to the doctor, the head nurse decided that I should wait for Doctor Aziz and continue taking the current medication. So sent home again and felt very tired and drained by then. Still aching all over like before though not as intense.
Poor Herman was so disappointed, he was really like hoping that he get to see the baby but too bad...got to wait. Got a few jokes and laughs out of this though. Mak Long said that when the baby is here, should smack his butts hard for being so cheeky while my mum said that the baby just cannot decide when to come out.
Now still having the back aches, abdominal pains, lower region pains and sometimes heartburns..plus intense contractions at times but this time I tell myself and the baby to wait for a few more days. Won't go to the hospital again unless I am bleeding, my waterbag burst or my own gynae tell me to go. Other than that, tahan je lah...

House Make-Over?

Herman must be in the nesting mood right now. That is the only explaination I can get for him suddenly wanting to paint the whole house...kept sms-ing me the hows, whys and whens he is going to do it...I mean if you want to paint, just paint, why keep telling me, right? Now he is thinking about the time involved, counting our finances, the colours to use and most importantly when he is going to do it. Also deciding if he wants to hire painters to do it which would be more proffesional but a bit more expensive. To which I reply....you take nearly three weeks to clean the toilet (with me constantly nagging at the background telling him to wash and I doing it finally) and now you want to paint the whole house? But at the same time, I encourage his energy and imagination...at least he is 'thinking' about it, even though he is not into the 'doing' it mode yet.

Shadiq is now very much happy with his own playroom, stuffed with his toys, books and whatever-nots. But of course, mummy got to pick up and clean. Most of the time, I made Shadiq clean up his toys. So when he got into his lazy mode, just show him the cane and the room will be clean (well for a while at least, then its messy again). His fever subsided today after we changed his medication and after three days of self-confinement in his room, he pushed his box of toys to the living room to play. But turning into an actor by the way he over-react when he hurt himself or being scolded, probably wants attention.

Been at home for nearly three weeks and bored than ever...so its either I make-over Shadiq's room by rearranging his stuffs or putting up pictures, posters, whatevers...Been so restless that it made me sleepless during night time too....stopped watching tv cause there is nothing interesting on even with cable, I hate dramas or soap operas except for CSIs and the History Channel other than that its all crap to me....so I read my books. I have an entire shelf full of books which I love to read over and over again, mostly classics such as Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Dickens, Sir Aurthur Conan Doyle and the list goes on. Until I finished reading all the books, I will occupy myself with them or I go into labour, whichever comes first. Still got five more weeks to go till 10th September...counting the days.....

Shadiq - Baby Blues Part 4

Kesian Shadiq...today is the third day that he is down with fever, flu and cough. Gave him the medication and even 'koyok' to bring down the temp, still vomiting though mostly phlegm. He got even more clingy than ever, not wanting me to be out of his sight unless if he is sleeping...whines and cry more than ever...as what my mom said, the closer I am to giving birth, the more baby he behaves to me.

Kind of sad though, did not even want Herman to sleep with us, pushes him away if he gets too close to either of us. He used to be jealous but now even more so...poor Herman, end up he sleep alone in Shadiq's room, macam orang bujang he said. Partly because of the air-con which he say is too cold (both me and Shadiq still perspire despite the cold).

There are times when he gets on the nerves. I want to go toilet also he wants to follow...or how he clings onto my clothes when I walk away....all he wants me to do is just sit or play with him. Thank God, my parents help me during these times by bringing him out or playing with him..if not, I would just have lose my cool and whack him (guilty of being too hot-tempered). Even Emma seems to pick a fight with me during these last few weeks into labour...'sigh'.....
Shadiq is sleeping right now because of the medication and the fact that he just vomitted out his food, so I will take this opportunity now to read a book and sleep before he wakes up. Cause when he wakes up, he made sure that everybody wakes up...

Baby Blues (part 3)

(1st scan is the stomach - 2nd scan is the thigh bone)

Went for my check-up yesterday. So far the baby is quite okay, on the fat side....while measuring the head and the thigh bone, baby should be around 32 to 33 weeks but when doc measures the stomach, baby is 35 weeks! Total weight of the baby is estimated around 2.1kg and my sugar is a bit on the high side so got to watch my diet. This is what happen when you spend 2 weeks doing nothing except to eat and sleep....all that junk food I've been stuffing myself lately....so the estimated time of deliver should be around the 10th of September but the doc said that judging from the baby's position and weight, baby should probably be ready to be out by the 36th weeks. I was given another 2 weeks of hospitalisation leave again and more medication for the contractions as well as to prevent any infections. Anyway the doc will be on holiday to New Zealand for the next 2 weeks so its really a good idea for me to hold on as long as I could till he came back.

I have been reading too many horror stories on the internet about incompetent doctors and I really not ready to trust on another doctor if I go on labour. Praying very hard that I will go on labour only after my doctor comes back....in the mean time, I am preparing Shadiq about the baby. Can see that when I try to ask him about the baby and put his hand on my stomach, he totally ignore me or refuse to say anything. But there are times when he puts his head against my tummy and he will go "Ibu, baby here. Adik here." but these are very rare moments...I wonder how he will react when he really get to see his baby brother...so far he only gets to see x-ray images and thats the only image he have of the baby...wow, 2 boys in the house, actually 3 including Herman and I am the only girl...wonder what is that going to be like? Probably a George-in-the-Jungle episode...