Update end Jan

It's been over a month since we went to Japan. Kelvin enjoyed himself immensely. Unfortunately, it's too much work right now to upload everything onto the blog and this is supposed to be about the baby anyway.

5+ months pregnant and travelling on foot, bus, train and ferry wasn't easy. It was more the psychological worry though rather than the physical strain. I wasn't as big as I am now. I was just getting over the severe headache and morning sickness of the the previous month. So I ate a lot of Ramen and managed to put on over 2 kilos. Luckily, now that I'm back at work, I've slowed down in the weight gain department. The doctor says I should put on too much weight. Between 1 to 2 kg is a good pace.

Anyway, here I am at about 21 weeks, just past the 5 month mark. This day wasn't as cold as some. The sun was out so I could do without the jacket.

I managed to climb all the way up to the top with my bump. Kelvin was so afraid for me the entire time because all the stairs were really slippery and steep. Kelvin was wonderful. He took really good care of me the entire time. And, he navigated through the complicated subway systems of every city we went to. He was also really good with the Shinkansens. So travel wasn't a real problem. It wasn't even that cold except for when we were in Kyoto and when we went up into the Japanese alps.

This is us in Gion, Tyoko. I balanced the camera on a low wall and made Kelvin pose while I focused. This is at 5pm but it looks like night time already. I remember the time because we were there slightly before 5pm and they had cleared the street of cars so that people could stroll through the shopping district. When the clock struck 5, suddenly the people cleared and cars started coming toward us.

This shot was taken at the imperial palace in Tokyo. Kelvin and I each did one of these but Kelvin's photo came out better (taken by me of course).

There are lots more photos. We did after all spend 3 weeks in Japan. Overall, it wasn't as expensive as we thought it would be. I kept a tight reign on the budget of course. Kelvin really likes Jap culture. We were impressed at how efficient everything was and how polite and orderly the people were. Next time, I'd like to go back and try the onsens.

At the moment, my bump is a lot bigger. I'm now at 28 weeks; about 7 months. I'm beginning to slow down. On saturday, we spent the whole day in Orchard. We went to the doctor's in the morning then we walked to Cineleisure for a MAC course. After that, it was shopping at Tangs. The next day, I could hardly move without feeling like I was going to burst open. So lesson learned, I can't walk around as much. My bump is heavier, I move more slowly now. My feet are swollen. My clothes are all getting tighter. Pretty soon, I'll only be able to wear dresses. However, I still refuse to wear maternity wear that resembles circus tents. I'd rather spend a little bit more money on stuff I won't be ashamed to wear after the delivery.

The baby's kicks are getting stronger. Sometimes it feels like she's banging away on my tummy like a drum. The other day while Kelvin was playing "Virtua Fighter" on his Xbox, she kicked me at two opposite ends like she was doing some flying kick punch combo. Sigh! I worry about how this child will turn out sometimes.

Starting to get really tired at work now. I think I need more rest. Generally, I've settled into the swing of things only to find myself slowing down yet again. I feel this urgency to get stuff done so I don't have to worry about it during my maternity leave. However, I'm getting more tired. I think I'll try to go home soon. Still at work at the moment.

It's beginning to feel a lot like Xmas... weather-wise

Hi!

It's my first post as father of the child... :]
and I'm not even gonna talk about baby... much...
We're in Japan at the moment, enjoying out much deserved break.
It's pretty cold and chilly but not as bad as we expected. It hovers round the 10 degree C plus range... it was 9 whe we landed yesterday.

Jess seems to be doing ok. She was quite tired when we landed and I was quite worried that she would not be able to do much today but she felt much better after a good night's rest.

We've got a big challenge tomorrow... we're gonna have to switch hotels and lug our bags through the metro　try　to make it to Ghibili by 12 noon.

More later... got to go pack now

Costs, Round 1

Just so we all have some idea of what it takes to raise a child in Singapore.

First consultation on 16th Oct: $262.20
Blood test on 23rd Oct: $275.50
Second prenatal visit on 13th Nov: $219.40
Emergency visit to hospital because I strained my uterus while swimming: $390.71
Prenatal ultrasound at Thomson Medical on 29th Nov: $107
Third prenatal visit at 18+weeks on 1st Dec: $658 (for a package of up to 8 prenatal visits)

The grand total so far is $1,912.81

It looks like we'll have to eat in foodcourts and hawker centers more often.

It's a GIRL

So much for dreams and everyone telling me it would be a boy. Well, it's a girl.

I had a through scan in the hospital to take all the baby's measurements. It's estimated weight is 265g. Not very big but my bump is definitely getting lots bigger. My sister didn't see me for about 1 1/2 weeks. The first thing she said when she saw me again was, "Wow! You're lots bigger!"

"Really, no I'm not," as I sucked my tummy in.

Ah who am I kidding. My apettite is a lot better. I cooked some nourishing sharksfin melon soup with lots of garlic yesterday. Drank it all by myself too.

So Peimin came with us to the hospital yesterday. Aunty Princess, my daughter will have to call her. Peimin was so convinced it was a boy that she'd already suggested a list of 20 boys names. The baby was squirming around in my tummy the whole time which, was both good and bad. Good because the sonographer could get lots of different views. I mean, some women were told to walk up and down first to get the baby to "wake up". Bad because she often wouldn't stay still long enough for a proper look at her. This seems to be worrisome trend. Every time I get a look at her with the ultrasound machine, she's moving...a lot.

We asked the sonographer if she could tell the sex of the baby and she had to literally shake my bump so that the baby would turn. Finally she pointed to these 2 protrusions and declared that they were the folds of the libia (at least I think that's what she said). Anyway, all I saw was that there wasn't a pee-pee so it's time to think of girls names.

Afterwards, I just sat there and contemplated having a daughter while Kelvin and Princess sms-ed friends and family.

"She-ra, princess of the universe!" I offered. Kelvin looked at me like I was crazy. "Ha ha. How about we call her Evilyn," he countered.

Sigh...I would have found a son amusing but somehow when I pictured myself as a mother in the past, I always thought about what I would share with a daughter. Deep down inside, I think I'm a girlie mommy.

Baby too Active and 1st puke

For the second time in a row, Dr Fong couldn't get a good look at our baby because it was moving about too much. I didn't realize how eager I was to find out the sex of the baby till that point. Even Peimin came along because she wanted to find out. Almost everyone has told me that they believe it to be a boy. Dr Fong made a very hesitant guess--a girl. Sigh....so now it's 50-50.

I'll have to wait till I do a through scan at Thomson medical on 29th Nov. Then I'm scheduled to see Dr Fong again right before we leave.

I'm feeling a lot better now. After I fixed sponge grips to the arms of my new specs, my headaches are diminishing. I still get them in the morning though. Must be dehydration. My appetite is improving. Unfortunately, I have to eat a LOT of starch in order to keep my energy level constant. Things with too much sugar are a no-no so fruit, nuts, rice and noodles are a must. According to some colleagues who've just had babies, the 2nd trimester, when you're supposed to feel glowy and lovely, can start as late as the 5th month. I'm at the 17th week now so this is the start of the 5th month. I do have a little more energy and my naps are not as long as they used to be.

My bump is seriously obvious now. It was quite unnoticable right till the 15th week and now it's suddenly inflated. I can no longer see my toes when I look straight down. When I spill something which I think will fall to the ground, I actually stain my shirt instead. My colleagues all give way to me, let me cut queue and spend time telling me all sorts of things that I shouldn't be doing.

Had quite a traumatic experience on the way to work on Thursday. We ate breakfast at Macs. It was perhaps the 2nd day that I'd noticed my appetite was getting better. It was raining and it was getting late so I didn't eat at a snail's pace like I usually do. Anyway, it may have been the bumpy car ride or the fact that I was drinking water in the car just as air was trying to escape out. Before I knew it, I have puked into a napkin I was holding. Kelvin had to stop at the side of the road so that I could expel my entire Big Breakfast. I was quite upset because (a) it takes a lot of effort to eat these days and (b) I didn't want the car to smell of vomit. Sigh. We had to return home so that I could soak my sweater and shirt which was stained. Kelvin had to call work to say that he'd be late. I managed the entire 1st trimester without puking and then this happens. Don't know why it was such a big deal but it just was.