A Stuffed-Up Thursday

Not having a very good day. But thank God tomorrow is a Public Holiday and I am able to have some rest as my pregnancy rhinits (nasal congestion) is getting quite severe. It came back all of a sudden since yesterday after it disappeared in the 1st trimester. I am finding it difficult to breath and drinking water feels like suffocation as while swallowing, I can't breath. It is that bad. Really hope that it goes away soon and never comes back!

BabyPlus!

On a happier note, I am having a BabyPlus baby! Yay~ 

"The BabyPlus curriculum is a series of 16 naturally derived sounds that resemble a mother's heartbeat. The rhythm of the sounds increases incrementally as the pregnancy progresses. The BabyPlus sonic pattern introduces your child to a sequential learning process, built upon the natural rhythms of their own environment.

This "auditory exercise" strengthens learning ability during the developmental period when the advantages will be most significant and enduring for a child. BabyPlus is the first educational tool designed for prenatal use that has been proven effective. BabyPlus children have an intellectual, developmental, creative, and emotional advantage from the time they are born." - Taken from www.babyplus.com

Interesting yeah? I bought this pre-loved set from a very nice mummy (to newborn twin girls!!) this afternoon and I can't wait to start the educational bonding session with Little Bub later this evening. :) I know Bub's excited because he/she has been very active ever since I said I'm gonna buy it!

18 Weeks

Little Bub's 18 weeks and 4 days today, and getting more active with each passing day tumbling around in my tummy, dancing, jumping on my bladder and perhaps thumb-sucking! 

I have 9 more days left till the Detailed Scan and I am practically bursting with excitement! The names for Little Bub are prepared and ready, just waiting for the big reveal on the gender. Hubby Ng is really sweet about it too, as he speaks to my tummy everyday, telling Little Bub to be good and doesn't matter if it is a boy or a girl, Daddy will love him/her very, very much! I can't wait to start calling Little Bub by the given name.

Thanksgiving:

- For a really wonderful Week 18 experience with Little Bub.

- For getting BabyPlus from such a wonderful lady at a great price.

The Surprising Little Bun in The Oven

Hubby Ng and I had just went through our customary wedding for less than 2 months before we found out that we had a bun in the oven! It came as a huge surprise to us during the Chinese New Year (I was about 5 weeks along then), less than a month after return from our honeymoon destination - Taiwan! We figured that little bub was conceived during our honeymoon, and that is exactly what made it ever more meaningful to us, having our very own Honeymoon Baby!

The Symptoms:

I was really tired throughout the CNY celebrations, when I followed my beloved Hubby Ng and the in-laws to Malaysia for very first time. It was quite an adventure and I really love my new extended family. Anyway, I should be about 4 weeks along by then and little bub's existence was still unknown to me. I recalled that I was wiped out all the time and sneaked in little naps whenever I could. It was the kind of tiredness that blanks out every single thing on my mind and all I could think of was SLEEP!

Worse, I developed a mysterious rash on my face. I looked horrible and felt downright horrible as well but thought it was just the seafood I had although I was never allergic to sea critters of any form. On top of everything else, my period was more than a week late. And I never missed one. The irony was, I thought it would "arrive" the moment we return home and I stocked up on at least 4 months worth of sanitary items!

The Discovery:

So we were back home on 18 February and I was in bad shape with the rash and running a fever. The next day I was better and went back to work. In the evening back home alone, it suddenly hit me that I might be pregnant and I did a pregnancy test. I was ecstatic and could not believe my eyes when it turned up positive almost immediately!

Here is my conversation with Hubby Ng who was still at work:

Me: "B... guess what? I am pregnant!"

HN: "Huh??"

Me: "I said I am pregnant!"

HN: ... (pause) ... "Hahaha! Really arh!?"

Me: "Yah! I just tested, can't be wrong."

HN: "Okok, we talk tonight. Show me the test later!" (He was really over the moon!)

The Worries & Doubts:

Of course, it was not all smooth sailing at all. Hubby Ng and I were wrought with worry during the initial weeks of the intense 1st trimester. I spotted on two occasions, between Week 7 and Week 9. There was the constant worry that we would end up losing the baby before the 2nd trimester. However, our faith kept us strong as we prayed and interceded for little bub daily. I was very careful at work, wearing only flat pumps and sandals. My favorite high heels were banned, so were coffee and tea!

The Signs (and Wonders):

I must be one of those lucky few blessed with mild morning sickness. I merely started feeling queasy around Week 6 onwards. No, I did not perform the "Merlion" and no, I did not get acquainted with the toilet bowl either. My appetite was superb. I ate, and I ate, and I ate! There were the occasional bouts of queasiness and they were easy to deal with. :)

Naturally, with all that in-take of food, I literally boomz-ed. First the waist and lower abdomen, then the chest and then the dreaded hips too! But the nasties came too - fainting spells and shrunken bladder. Fainting spells are what I dread the most. I blacked out in church, nearly fainted on the MRT platform, MRT station, at work. I just thank God that I have not hurt myself at all! The shrunken bladder was annoying, but much less of a worry.

The Amazing Little One:

Honey, I have a bun in the oven!

I may be smaller than a mustard seed (yes, the tiny black dot), but Daddy says I will grow big and strong!

Look, mom! I am 7 weeks old now!

This little bub is 8 weeks and 4 days old, with a tiny beating heart and little arms and legs.

See how I've grown! I am now 13 Weeks old and a far cry from a tiny mustard seed! I am lounging in mummy's tummy, all nice and snug...

The Wonderful Hubby:

He vacuums and he mops, brings out the laundry, tidies up the house and irons the clothes. He is the one who gives me reassuring hugs, kisses of appreciation for making him a baby, words of encouragement when I am feeling down, prayers of comfort when I need it. He is the one holding my hand, blocking my falls, carrying my heavy bag and allaying my fears.. He is Hubby Ng, my Superman!