Welcome, little Ethan! ♡

Let's do a quick update! :)

Overjoyed and brimming with love and pride - we are proud parents to little Ethan! ♡

I often imagined about how Ethan's birth process would be like but things would not always go our way, right? I had imagined my water bag to burst naturally (and also imagined all sort of funny possibilities where it might burst - workplace, supermarket, public transport!!)  therefore kickstarting the labour process and I had also imagined that the labour process would be short and sweet and that I would be able to push the baby out easily.

However, since I was already overdue, Ethan was induced and I was told that an induced birth would likely be more painful and take longer. The water bag burst naturally, but only at the 8th hour into labour. And by the time I was fully dilated, I was too tired to push, and probably too high on gas too! Baby Ethan was not out yet even after 1.5hours of pushing. Raaaah. Haha, nothing according to what I've imagined but it's fine. All is good! :)

Our lives have changed completely upon his arrival and it's only for the better. While he has brought the meaning of sleep deprivation and being patient to a whole new level, my heart melts when I see him smile.

Speaking of smiling! He smiled at us on the 2nd day of birth and yesterday (31st Jan 2015) he laughed for the first time! Hehe. Couldn't remember what made him laugh but it was such a precious and sweet moment. ♡ Can't wait for the next milestone!

Week 40

We have finally arrived at Week 40! I'm thankful that my little one is able to stay in my womb till Week 40 so far but a part of me is slightly anxious and excited in meeting him soon. :)

Looking at it differently, it's not so bad to enjoy more rest while it lasts since I have a long journey ahead of me in caring for the baby. And of course, the gentle care from family members and the feeling of the little wriggles ... I'm very sure I will miss them! :)

So I had a sudden urge to clean up the house today. Started with vacuuming, mopping, wiping, changing of bed sheets and doing the laundry. Wow. That's a lot of nesting instinct accumulated within a day! Usually I would just be a lumpy mass, lounging on my reclined sofa... haha, but I have to admit it feels good to see a cleaner place! :)

The increase in movement actually sent slight discomfort as I feel cramps at my abdominal abdominal and thigh area. But all is fine now. :)

The two toys are the little friends awaiting the arrival of the little one. We can't wait! See you soon, little baby! :)

No Hurry, Mummy!

So the doc checked and said that I'm still dilated at 1cm. It's been days and we are still at 1cm, so I'm pretty thankful that we didn't opt to break my water bag earlier as I would not be surprised if I were to end up with a long labour process.

I was advised to walk more. Seriously, after stopping work, I've reduced my movements significantly. Most days were spent at home and I hardly trot around for fear that my water bag might burst at some random place. Haha! So right after the consultation, I went shopping and bought 2 bags from Cath Kidson. Just couldn't resist their sale! Bought the 2 bags at 50% discount. Just the right size for bringing him to the park or a short walk in the mall, I reasoned!

The hubby might have to put up with more random shopping as long as the little one continues to stay comfy in me. :D

So, any effect? Well, the long walk yielded me some more head drilling by the baby which resulted in slight discomfort and also some shooting pains down my thighs which didn't last for long.

Let's continue with the journey tomorrow!

That all so familiar sticker

This is the first time I've thought of taking a picture of this sticker for my routine tests. Could it be the last time as well? :D

Anxiousness while waiting to see the doctor.

Oh yes, I think I'm officially as heavy as the hubby. 

Waiting Game

We are almost at the end of the race, patiently waiting for the arrival of our little one.

It is likely to be a week earlier, says our gynae. A week earlier to meet you, our precious.

Undeniably, my heart is filled with anxiousness and worry, but you are worth every ounce of it. :)

Daddy and Mummy love you. ♡

The Hubby on Being Daddy

I must say it has been an interesting journey observing how the hubby has changed throughout my pregnancy.

At the initial stage, he was really rational about things and tried to play down my excitement level, which made my feel slightly disappointed. You know how TV would always show dads-to-be in an ecstatic state, like they would throw confetti and do a unicorn dance if they could. Well, hubby was happy, but not THAT happy. HAHA! Hence, the early stage was threaded with caution, with the hubby advising on when I should see a doctor and nagging at me to eat my supplements, etc. What got him really pumped up (in a bad way!!) was be my refusal to eat. Dinnertime would sometimes be such a dread as it would end up in scolding sessions as I didn't feel like eating and I was losing weight.

In the mid-stage, it was pretty much the norm for me. I recovered from my morning sickness and I went about the days like I would when I was yet to be pregnant. No special treatment from the hubby. BLAH! Again, the practical side of him took charge, forbidding me to make any baby purchases until we knew the gender and even after that, no purchases were allowed until I clear my crap (things I no longer use) to make way for the new items. And even then, I wasn't allowed any big purchases (e.g. Pram, car seat, cot) until the later part of the pregnancy as he reasoned that we don't have much space at home. Raaaaah!

The bigger changes in him were observed to take place in the 3rd trimester. We started to take a concern in baby stuff and he was actively giving me his inputs based on practicality and his past experiences. He would tell the kids to help me out whenever we had to carry more bags of shopping. Towards the later stage, he would also not allow me to carry any heavy items. I would often insist on helping to carry a few items, but he would always nag at me to enjoy the privilege while it lasted. Yes, indeed. Getting him to carry my bag in the past was soooo tough but he would readily volunteer to carry my bag nowadays.

Towards the later stage of the pregnancy when my tummy started to grow bigger, he started to take an interest in playing with my tummy, and my non-existent belly button. He would take the initiative to rub and feel my tummy, putting his ears against my tummy in the morning and asking if the baby was active for the day. He would also wait for me as we walked, taking the initiative to hold my hand, ensuring that I was doing fine. What more, he would also voluntarily take charge of a lot more household chores, ensuring that I do not get over exhausted or strain myself. It is a very different him, as if it finally hit him that a baby is on the way. It's a very nice change which I cherish and appreciate. =)

Recently, his radar for babies seems to have heightened! He would take a look whenever he hears a baby nearby and would make comments like it would be how we would be like / life be like when our baby is out, etc. Upon hearing that I'm likely to give birth very soon, he immediately suggested that we go buy a pack of NB diapers as standby (he was so reluctant to buy any just a few weeks earlier) and also purchased a thermometer suitable for the baby. It was almost heart-melting and cute to see him take a second look and studying the baby items at stores that I feel this stage of change in him is too short!

Well, I don't want to make it sound as if the hubby was uncaring and indifferent in my earlier days of pregnancy. In fact, he does so many things for me on a daily basis, even since pre-pregnancy which I don't even talk about. I just want to document the change in him for my personal relishing, just so that I would be able to look back and remember this part of my pregnancy with a smile on my face. It has been an amazing journey so far and it certainly would not have been possible without my hubby by my side.

I love you, hubby! <3

Into the last lap!

Yesterday was the first day of work in the new year for me and I found it quite torturous already. Despite being able to sit down most of the time, my body condition wasn't too kind. However, I am extremely thankful that even at this stage of my pregnancy, I am able to move about easily and be engaged in normal activities. The highlight of the day was going to the hospital for my scheduled gynae visit.

How do you mark your visits in your calendar? I tag them in my mobile with 'Hi, Baby!' =)

So anyway, the scheduled visit was pretty late in the day and the hubby and I had the luxury to have lunch together and rest a little before making our way down. Times like this are always welcomed and cherished, especially when I am about to give birth soon. Hubby wasn't able to accompany me on the last few visits due to work but I am thankful that he was able to make it for the session yesterday.

I was checked for dilation. Not the most comfortable thing, but it wasn't as bad as I imagined it to be. Sometimes, reading about other people's experiences can instil quite a bit of fear and insecurity within me. :X

As of yesterday's check, I was already dilated by 1cm and the cervix is thinning. WOW! Maybe it was due to the check which I was nervous about, or even the fact that I wasn't ready to hear that I was dilated. I was in shock. Fear, anxiousness and uncertainty filled me but thank goodness the hubby was pretty happy and excited. We were told that I would be giving birth soon and the doctor scheduled for me to return for checks in a few days.

Truth be told, like I mentioned earlier, my immediate reaction wasn't that of bursting excitement and happiness, which I expected myself to be in. I guess, I am really anxious about the whole thing. Wish I could be more cool about it!

Am really happy to see hubby's excitement and he was in his usual "ok-I-think-this-should-be-done-next" mode, advising me to inform my immediate boss about my possible earlier delivery, texted his boss to request for urgent leave for the next check up and texting my mum to update her about me.

We then adjourned to the admissions office where we were briefed on our available options and their costs. The officer was very helpful and soon, we left with the completed documents and a info. package on Baby Bonus and CDA application, etc.

It is all getting too real!! HAHA!

Well, the fact that I went to bed at 1am and woke up at 5am and unable to fall asleep again says a lot about my current state of mind. I am feeling very anxious but thought I should blog about the important news that came our way. I just hope that my anxiousness would not affect baby and my impending labour.

All will be fine! =)