As i'm entering the glorious 3rd trimester, i hv to tolerate these issues:

1. The battle of the bedtime -my bedtime routine seems to be more like a battle zone than a peaceful trip from the sandman. It's hard to find a comfortable position-lying on ur back, right, left seems so wrong. There were times i wish i cud sleep upside down.
   
2. Mild swollen- face, fingers, ankle. Especially in the morning and yup..thru out the day & nite i've to bear with a mild swollen digits. It's quite painful when u tried to grip on something.
3. Frequent urination-my number 2 fave place besides the mall is the rest room. Every now and then...i'll take a trip to the rest room. My fave rest room while shopping wud be: Ikano (Level 4), the Curve (level 2), the Gardens (Level 1), Tropicana City Mall (Level 1). At nite, i've to wake up at wee hour 3-4-6 times per nite to pee, or i'm at risk wetting our bed.
   
4. Butt pain or is it sciatica? I'm not sure if it is..but i'm sure i'm having pain in the butt fr too much walking. Who says walking during pregnancy is good? i got myself a pain in the ass..is it part of the delivery preparation ke?
   
5. My lil one is so active [mmg sakit bile dia cube stretchy2]. Kicking, moving, rolling, stretching, elbowing all the way...except during the last scan [pandai budak kecik ni]. Owh..including hiccuping in utero [almost everyday] ....sgt cute rase budak kecik ini hiccup & kesian jugak bile dia hiccup, but there's nothing i can do because it's totally normal - only more mature fetuses hiccup in the womb because their central nervous system is adequately developed in order to allow this to happen. It is believed that the fetus breathes in amniotic fluid or drinks it. When this happens and the amniotic fluid enters and exists the fetus lungs then the diaphragm contracts and hiccups results. Fetal hiccups appear to be extremely normal and almost all moms will feel the babies hiccups at least once if not on a regular basis.
6. Breathless - be it walking, sitting, lying..i'm short of breath.
   
7. Hotness - [not that kind of hotness]..this hotness is related to temperature. There will be an increase in body temperature as the fetus radiates body heat which cause the mother feel hot. I feel hot even if i turned down the air-cond to the lowest temp [pity DH having to bear with the coldness at nite]. Serious, gile panas, i slept without nothing's on at nite. Ade jugak time2 i hv to take a bath at nite sbb terlalu panas.
   
8. To date...i'm 48kg (that's an additional 13kg!!) and i'm still gaining. My father was quite worried over my weight, i overheard him talking to my mom. Ape2 tah papa ni, he's worried if i didnt lose my weight after delivery. [huhu..seram. Cemane la papa leh fikir up to that point?] However, DH didnt seem worried at all, but happy that i gained weight as much as his. Huh. I vowed to shed this weight real fast.
   

Now, i can understand why I always heard complaints from mommies that they longed for the pregnancy to be over as soon as possible. Well, i didnt want this pregnancy to be over just yet until the time has come. I can still bear the pain and all as for now.

Last week i purposely made an appointment at Vision College Medical (VMC) at KJ for a 2nd opinion scheduled today @ 3:30pm. Hoping to see the gender and face since, it was not that clear the last time we went for a check up.

The 1st half an hour: The lil one gave its back to us. What we saw: iye..the cute butt & the strong backbone. The sonographer nudged the lil one but he/she refused to budge. I was told to lay on my right side, then the left side...still the lil one decided not to show. So..Miss Sonographer suggested for me to take a walk then we'll do it all over again. I went down stairs helped myself to a bar of kit kat and half a bottle of mineral water, went upstairs and below are the results after the lil one decided to give us just a peek (as usual):

I'm x going to show u mommy..

NO!!! NO Mommy!!

...Nudge2!! Wake up la lil one..we want to see u..

Pls..Pls no Pichas!!

Oh well...since CNY is around the corner..especially to Miss Sonographer, the lil one decided to do this [Can you see the intertwined fingers?]:

Gong Xi Fatt Choy!!

So..the gender still remains a mystery. My next real checkup wud be in anor 2 weeks time. I'm not looking forward to know the gender - merajuk.

I love these chips [Chinese Arrowhead Chips / Fried Nga Ku]



Made from these:

The taste is like kerepek ubi but softer. It's better than potato chips tau. However, they are imported from China and usually available only around this time of the year. CNY pun da dekat, so i got to munch these chips after membebel kat Ezany: not to eat junk food! Hehehe...I ate a large bowl of it after lunch. But, after finishing a large bowl of it, i felt an ounce of doubt since the chips came fr a chinese firm & somebody questioned me whether it's halal?. Hmmm...i dont hv those issues before this bc logically, chips kan..mestila fried in oil right?...ade mix with anything ke? I dont think so. Besides, every CNY my neighbour never failed to give these to my family. Hmm...well, i just finished a large bowl of it. Heheh. Next time, if i feel like munching on these chips..i'll find the chinese arrowhead myself and fried sendiri ok.

I don't feel good.
Thrice i feel like am almost fainted.
Am not anaemic. I think it's due to the heat & this lil one is so very [penekanan pada perkataan "so very" : teramat amat amat sgt] active today.

CORDBLOOD STEMCELLS (Part I)

Been wondering about the collection of cordblood stemcells since i got pregnant. DH been talking about it, waaay before i got pregnant bc one of his fren did it. But..i just don't give it a damn. Now..am doing my own research about it as much as possible, bc DH seems so interested on this particular subject.


Generally:

Cord blood, which is also called “placental blood”, is the blood that remains in the umbilical cord and placenta following birth and after the cord is cut. Cord blood is routinely discarded with the placental and umbilical cord. Your baby’s umbilical cord blood is a valuable source of stem cells, which are genetically unique to your baby and family.

A Once-in-a-Lifetime Opportunity – Only At Birth
An expectant parents age storing cord blood stem cells for their families, not only as a potential life-saving resource for current uses of stem cells, but also for their future potential. Some families have more defined risk factors, but most often, parents bank for the security of knowing the health benefits stem cells may someday offer their children, themselves or other family members.

Cord blood banking is prudent choice if you or your spouse/partner has any family history of a disease that is treatable with stem cells, such as leukemia, lymphoma or myeloma. It is important to remember, however, that for many cancers or diseases, the causes are unknown and they occur even when there is no family history of the disease.


Basically that's it, what is all about. However, i need to know more. As it involves thousands of RM (Hmmm...) The purpose sounds good. But, i want to know the -ve part about it too.


What i found?

• Generally speaking, cord blood banking ni mcm insurance (potential life saving). Digunakan bile ade health prob (Stem cells can treat 70 diseases, including leukemia, thalassemia, lymphoma, myeloma, solid tumors and etc) for the baby, u & ur family.
• Many couples do not bank the cord blood when they have a baby is because of the cost.
• Dr segi islam: thumbs up, as it purpose is to cure.
• Currently, there are three co. in Msia on this cord blood bank-Stemlife, Cyrocord & Cellsafe International. (Which one yg elok?-not sure masih dlm process research). But, cuma Cellsafe International bole attend collection kat government hospital, the rest kat private shj.
  
• Ade package2 dia: The more money u fork out-the longer years u'll be able to keep it.
  
• However, money will be refunded if during collection, the stemcells count is low / contaminated and let's say it's contamination free-the cells will be kept in nitrogen liquid at -196 celcius. if kept properly, the cells shouldn't get damaged or die and even sepatutnya takde tarikh luput.. but in the event that one day u need to use it, the cells have to be retested again before the transplant takes place, and kalau this time didapati contaminated, ade money back guarantee.
• I found that, ade certain2 gynae tak agree on this particular collection diatas beberapa sbb yg am not clear about it.

Info still tak cukup. I still need to hear what they (the stemcells collector) hv to say during my ante natal class in March. Me & DH agreed to discuss this with our ob-gyn, to know her opinion on this.

P/s: Topic to be continued after further research...

Nudging DH yg tgh buat kerja....

Me: Cube tlg tgk kat op scar ni. Nape rase sgt sakit kat bhg ni?? [*tunjuk2] luka ke?

DH: [garu2 kepala] Jap..jap [then, belek2 my belly] Umm...the op scar xde luka, tp ade merah2 la kat line atas dgn bawah. [belek2 lagi and senyap jap....] ............I think kan.... u got urself a stretchmark.

Me: Gasp!!! No way!!! [terus pergi ke cermin & belek my belly] Scream!! [I saw 2 thin line of red stretch mark just above my op-scar] Huwaaa!!!!

DH: Laughing out loud.


OK..it's my fault that the thin line appeared. I didnt apply any oil since i got the itchy rash [i did hv an entry about the rash..*malas nk cari]-even, after the rash da ok and leaving me tiny dots of light brownish scar. Konon mcm takut la, what if i applied oil nnt rashes dtg balik? Pdn la muke, rashes takde dtg2 da tp dpt stretch mark.

Now, i applied all kind of oil religiously [thrice a day]- vitamin E, earth mama baby angel oil, bio oil sampai la ke olive oil at my belly, butt, thighs, and breast. Any possible place that i think a stretch mark cud appear.

I hope that the stretch mark is temporary. I did read somewhere that the stretch mark will disappear after delivery. Hoping desperately.

I just hate these type of lawyers (these type ticked me off, nk tgk kene marah ke tak..u can try these):

a) thinking that their case is much more important than others, dtg lmbt tp bising2 nk mende cepat. - u shd be thankful i didnt strike it off.

b) pointing fingers when they filed their application at the wrong court!! - silap besar la.

c) came barging-in to the restricted area and finally into my room!! Hello??? Who r u?

d) giving ORDERS to my staff (yes! u read right..kasik orders ok) that he/she wanted to see me in chambers. When i refused, my staff akan kene marah ("U don't come n tell me that it's going to be in open court, u go n tell her that i want to see her! " & "apsal susah sgt nk jumpe in chambers?"). Hello? who do u think u r? u don't hv the right to give orders to my staff. Don't u learn ethics? tak reti nk respect ppl ke? U wanna ask for help but u give orders. Sorry!! tak di layan u can speak openly and i will reply openly. I hv 96 files to check one by one, i'm not lazing on my sofa in this big room ok!

e) the m.o.b kind of lawyer who actually lied (saje ckp mob when there's no such trust given). Alternative - i asked for letters.

f) bickering during submission sambil dua2 berdiri. (Note: bickering bukan arguing) Iye..sgt mcm budak2.

ok..i'm done as of now kene pegi meeting dah (kalau tak sure pjg lagi list). It's hormone, bak kata yatt - we met just now for a shortwhile.

p/s: haahla, ezany bile marah sgt2 perut jadik sakit. Am having those right now dgn vaginal pain sekali. Huhu.

Yay!! no usual meeting tomorrow morning. I hate waking up early for meetings.

Yay!! got 96 files only this afternoon and no files tomorrow afternoon.

Yay!! tomorrow is Friday but Nayy!!! Aqeel's mom is on course - so...am not going anywhere. Anyway, RM pun dah kurang- thanx to the attempt to break open my car by tah sape2 yg takde skill itu but successfully damaging my key insertion, which resulted me having to change the lock.

Yay!! next monday is payday! and Aqeel's mom is finally around.

Amazingly...this week seems to fly so quickly. I don't feel like it's a looooong week like i thot it wud be.

P/s: owh...4pm ada meeting. Hmm...sure it wud drag until after office hour. *sigh...

I hate full hearing/trial ke in this condition. Sitting for long hours non-stop (fr 9:30am to 1.00pm) is no fun ok. To make things worse pagi byk fail, ptg pun byk giler fail, (thanx to my previous interpreters who didnt think twice when fixing) now, i hv to continue at 2:30pm-4pm. The chair is not comfy..hard and not a sitting-frenly-chair. My bulging tummy feels hurt, the lil one keeps on kicking at every annoying questions/objections posed or was it me fidgeting?


Thinking outloud:
I shdnt push myself like today when there r loads of files fixed for hearing. What the hell am i thinking when i allowed things to proceed (my superior?my responsibility?out of sympathy?) . I shd hv been thinking of my health first! *ketuk pale sendiri. Tak serik2, yday i got painful braxton hicks from 5pm-7pm disebbkan terlalu active covering for remand, up and down naik dgr case- i dozed off in pain and woke up feeling better at 8pm. Sib baik ok bile bgn, kalau tak ok....dah kene pegi hospital tak pasal2. Hmm..not good isn't it? I shd been thinking of this lil one. It's not easy to get this far...and semakin far along, i shd be more cautious instead of hardworking. I wudn't want this lil one to be delivered before his/her time kan?

Repeat this mantra: i mustnt push myself!!

As i'm heading towards the end of 2nd trimester. It's time to update on my 2nd trimester experience.

2nd trimester:

1. As happy as can be - shopping sana sini tak ingat dunia. Backpain, buttpain, braxton hicks..all were forgotten once i saw bags & clothes, baby clothes and baby equipments. U might want to start shopping for a bigger size clothes+comfy lingerie since ur belly+hips+boobs is growing bigger. Start shopping!! it's a wonderful therapy.

2. Food? i can eat almost everything!! even burgers:) [I craved for cheeseburger and shake almost every week now] I know..sungguh tidak sihat but then, during first trimester tak dpt mkn, and of course masa confinement sah2 tak dpt sentuh. Now is the perfect time to just eat anything and everything that crossed ur mind. As long as u keep on consuming veggies, vitamins & fruits. Konon2 balance la junk food+healthy food. Be prepared : ur appetite may increase giller2. I love milk chocolates!! ehehe..tetibe.

3. Thank god..i hv no heart burn as for now. But then, i still hv several weeks to go during 3rd trimester and heartburn can happen anytime. So, according to aqeel's mom - mkn la sikit2 to avoid heartburn. However, i can't control myself..bc eventho i ate a large portion i'll get hungry less than 15 minutes. Can u imagine what will happen kalau makan sikit2? sure in a second aje dah lapa lik.

4. I am really thankful jugak, because i didnt have leg cramps just like what happened to my mom. Amazingly, i can walk from one end to the other end of shopping mall without having a cramp at nite cuma sometimes dpt braxton hicks and butt pain je. Utk leg cramps...as for now belum ade experience, but i believed if u do have one sila lah sapu minyak angin cepat2 and get DH to massage ur legs.

5. I hv occassional light dizziness. However, there was this one time i almost fainted, mmg da nk gelap dunia and hard to breath properly. Wanna know the reason why? it's not bc of am anaemic or something [sbb my blood count shows that am waaaaay red blooded, even passed the border line for normal]. It's because, the place is stuffy, air-cond tak terase & ramai org. Sungguh dramatic nk pengsan tepi bag department. Tah hape2. So, pls avoid going to stuffy+crowded places ok. U need lots of fresh air not dampened or smoky air.

6. Ur belly may expand side to side or melonjong ke depan. I hv no idea utk experience yg side to side, tp kalau melonjong ke depan...pls be warned ok, kalau jalan byk and tak reti nk stop for rest, ur bulging belly might feel like nk tercabut and menegang sakit. No worries tho' once u hv a seat, relax2 7 mins, & drink a glass of water u'll be able to feel comfy again and can start walking again. When u go shopping, bring along a bottle of water. Not only it can quench ur thirst from that long walk but also relieves any braxton hicks or cramps u might get.

7. As u reach towards the end of 2nd trimester...u realized that u r not that fit as before anymore..jalan sikit pun dah start mengah. So, before that short of breath and tired feeling overcomes u during 3rd trimester nnt, u can start shopping for baby stuff sikit2. Perhaps, brg2 yg important for both u and the baby first - maybe breastpump/stroller/playpen/carrier/bengkung for u or even baby clothes ke? up to u.

8. The lil one will have a paartaaay in ur womb during second trimester as the space is still big. U'll feel the kicking & rapid movements either when u r lying down, sitting, walking, or standing. Enjoy the feeling...sometimes it may hurt a bit. But, the pain makes u smile as u know someone is having a blast in there. Do count the lil one movements ok- mesti lebey than 10x every 2 hour or so. Tp dont worry too much..as the lil one ade time2 dia move, ade time dia tido. Asal lebey dari 10x dlm satu hari shd be ok da.

I hv nothing much to say about 2nd trimester. As i found that the saying is very true: U will enjoy ur 2nd trimester!! tp every pregnancy is different kan?

p/s: I hope u hv a great time during 2nd trimester too Ezany!!!

About the mommy!
Name: KB
Age: 26
First child?: Yes!!!


About the daddy!
Name: ZB
Age: 29
First child?: Yes!!!

Finding out!!
What day did u find out?: 08.08.08
How did u feel when u found out?: Shocked, shivered, scared, thinking...alamak..takleh pegi JB for Ezany's reception.
Who was with u?: I was by myself in the bathroom, but ran into our room, jumped on the bed, woke DH up and showed him the two lines!!
Who was the first person u told?: DH
How did they react?: Cool
How did the daddy react?: Smiling from ear to ear


Telling the grandparents!
How did ur parents react?: Excited....first grandchild
How did his parents react?: Speechless i think but excited at the same time.....first grandchild
Are they helping with baby names?: Nope, thank goodness everyone has left us alone so far. But Mil has been hinting names to DH but not to me!
Have they bought anything for the baby yet?: Yes, that's the beauty of having a first grandchild. The mommy & daddy don't hv to buy a lot of stuff for the baby. Babygears & certain baby stuff are sponsored.
How often do they call to check on u?: I talk to my mom every day!


About the pregnancy!
When was ur first appointment?: 08.08.08
When is ur due date?: 10 or 14/4/09
How far along r u?: 26 weeks
Pre-pregnancy weight?: 39kg
Weight now?: 46kg
Have u had an ultrasound?: Yes! every month
Have u heard the heartbeat?: Yes!
What was the heartbeat?: strong & steady


Sex of the baby!
What do u want?: Well I kind of want one of each eventually, so I really don't care I just know that i hv to hv a lil girl.
What does the daddy want?: A boy....says he can only handle one of me at a time! & he needs a friend (same gender). But, he wudn't mind tho if it's a girl.
What do u think u r having?: hahahaha..tatau
Have u had ur big ultrasound yet?: That's a NO
If so, what r u having?: because we r yet to be confirmed of the gender.
Are u happy with what u r having?: I know i will.


About the birth!
Do u know what u r taking with u?: I think so..i hv my checklist ready.
Who is going to be with u?: DH & my mom of course
Are u going to videotape it?: Heck no! I am not going to have myself on camera squinting/screaming in pain!
Natural or medicated?: They have medicine for a reason....but perhaps i'll opt for natural until i can't handle it.
Do u think u will need a c-section?: Hope not! i want to fit in my kebaya & heels asap.
Will u cry when u hold ur baby for the first time?: Not sure...depends whether i'm on drugs or not.
Do u know what u will say to the baby when u first hold him/her?: Hello there!! Ok..ok...islamic sket.."Assalamualaikum!"
Are u scared about the labor?: Of course!! Ade ke yg tak takut??


Names!!
Do u have a name picked out?: We haven't decided yet..
Girl names...: Shd hv K!!
Boy names...:Shd hv Z!
Is ur baby going to be named after someone?: Nope! 100% original


Other random questions!!
Where was ur baby conceived?: At home..kot?
Have you felt the baby move?:Iye..actively
What race will your baby have? From you and daddy?:arab+chinese+malay
Do you have stretch marks?:Not yet
What was your first symptom?: Super tired - slept as early as 730pm till am.
What religion will the baby know? And from what side?: Islam fr both of us ler
What music or interests do you want the baby to know?: A little bit of everything!
Will ur baby have godparents?: Yes..ade da automatically, Pit ngn Kayer la kan?
Who will the god mommy be?: Pembetulan..it shd be MOMMIES ok - All the angels
Who will the god daddy be?: Hahaha..definitely not Shukor??
What is the baby's room theme be? no specific theme
What was the first thing u bought for the baby?: A pumpkin patch romper!
Are u ready to be a mommy?: YES!!!!! :) i think i am.

Who i want to tag? :
1. Ezany

I'm on Mc today. Went 4 a checkup this morning. Lalala..anxious..
U see, 3 days before check up i told my lil one...not to hide his/her stuff. Hahahaha. Sila lah tunjuk to mommy & daddy, so we can choose a name & decide on the color. On the way to the hospital, again..i reminded my lil one the same thing..over and over again.

During check up..

OB-Gyn: Let's scan and see ur lil one.

[scanning...]

Ob Gyn: OK...beautiful head [measured], ur baby is in a head-down position. Let's pray the baby stayed in that position until delivery day...Here's the heartbeat...Ouuuhh..ur baby got a strong leg [Ob-Gyn amused] [our lil one tried to kick away the scanning thing.] Here's the thigh..the backbone....the shoulder...the placenta..blablablabla...

Me: The gender?

Ob Gyn: The position is not that clear, however it looks like a cik mek molek.

Me: But Doc, last time u, me, my mom & my sis except DH saw that the baby is a boy.

Ob Gyn: Betul, we saw the 'punai'..however today, the 'punai' is not in sight because of the position. Jom cube kacau dia..bg dia nunjuk. [kacau2]

[Hmmph...our lil one won't budge ok, cume stretch one leg. Ala2 pretend nk tunjuk and happily relax2 dlm position yg mmg tk nmpk clear] [...keciwa]

Ob Gyn: Well, don't worry..the most important thing is..baby ni sihat and mama dia pun sihat [Ob Gyn is smiling at me..perhaps amused ngk my keciwa face & cube pujuk la kot] We can still confirm it on the next check up, as the position is not clear today. Don't buy blue or pink color yet for the clothes tau, i suggested for u to buy white color first.

So, hasilnyer the gender masih not confirmed. Hahahaha. Last time, 4 of us saw the gender very clearly. However DH did not see it clearly [ceh...mmg spoil]. Disbbkan the father of our lil one did not see it clearly..maka i dare not believe my eyes or their eyes *even the Ob-Gyn. Hoping, that this check up DH cud see it clearly. Tp...funnily, this timenyer checkup lebih confusing *garu2 kepala..da nmpk girl pulak. Hahahahahaha.

To those, yg about to ask the gender of our lil one: It is still a mystery. Hahahahaha. I don't mind about our lil one gender sbnrnyer, whether it's a boy or a girl [i'm perfectly happy with either one as long as it's healthy]....tp, bile kejap nmpk boy, kejap lg nmpk cam girl pulak...alamak...confusing seh. Lebih ignite this curiosity in me & will left me guessing about 4 weeks until the next check up *i'm really amused now, coz DH is waaay confused than me* Wait till i tell this news to my mom & sis. Lebih amusing.

Hey lil one...kecik2 lg da show ur character ek? U r so like mommy, kite dok remind bg nmpk clear..dia buat the other way around lak. Mommy will pretend to be cool..*tanak nunjuk pun takpe...we r going to see it anyway*

I'm so hooked to the frosty shakes @ Wendy's
One is just not enuff *regretnyer beli strawberry frosty shake aje td, shd buy 2 shakes*
I'm sooo gonna be fat
I need MORE frosty shakes despite the flu
I want!! I want!!

Terlambat wish..

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!! *Srroott..Srroott*

I'm still having this terrible flu with a swollen soft palate. What a way to jumpstart my new year. Well, i can handle it...my 2008 pun not that fun either (Jan: duty with the dgsr [terus jatuh sakit], Feb: my first major op, March-December: began to hv a good time).

I believe...March-December: am gonna have a blast this year.


Here's a toast to 2009 [with a hot chocolate & a box of tissue]:

To more glorious good food, more money, more happy holidays and fun getaways, more time with DH, and anor baby??? hahaha..