To Do's

Today I am officially unemployed or a full time home-maker - whichever you want to call it. I have a full plan on to-do's!
1. Get a haircut and pedicure - done
2. Get a new pair of glasses - done
3. Get a facial - KIV cause I don't think I can lie on my back for so long but my facial lady gave me very nice massage in the last facial.
4. Get the baby stuff ready (clothes, changing table, baby cot) - almost there
5. Get gifts for the kids to exchange in the hospital as get-to-know-each-other gift - done
6. Stock up my fridge for the first 2 weeks of my delivery - in progress
7. Pack my hospital bag / Lucas bag (who will be staying with the grandparents) - yet to start

Counting Down to D-Day

The D-Day is very near....unless the baby decides to come out earlier, her birthday should be July 10th. I am again bought the suggestion of c-sect. In my last checkup, the gynae again recommended that I go for c-sect. He said 9 out of 10 babies are born early. Only 1 baby is born on the due date and past due date. If I wait for the c-sect to be on the due date, he is very sure I will end up with an emergency c-sect. And of course, he reminded me of my age. With all the discomfort I have lately, I am also looking forward to have the baby early. Sleeping is difficult, walking/standing up is difficult and the constipation is making it even worse. On the bright side, I do get preferred service whenever I go. When I go for grocery, the supermarket will send me a 'chaperon' to unload the grocery to the cashier counter and then load the grocery into my car. When I go to the bank, I get priority service (i.e. get to jump queue) and the teller will come to me instead of me going to the teller's counter.

My tummy is so so low that everywhere I go, strangers will come to me and said 'Your baby is down' or 'It is a boy?' I will just smiled and nod my head on the first question. As for the second question, a number of them were surprised to hear that it is a girl. Another question I get quite often is 'You can still drive?'. I am surprised with that question. There is still plenty of space between my tummy and the steering wheel.

Check-Up

Yesterday, I had a scare. As I was lying down reading a book, the baby was turning / moving non-stop for about an hour. Along the way, the baby made 'popping' sound. I was worried what could she be damaging - the placenta, the water bag etc...
So, first thing this morning after I dropped Lucas to school was to see my gynae. At first he was curious of what the 'pop' sound could be. He did an ultra-sound scan. He checked the heart beat. It is ok. Then he checked the placenta. It is ok also.
He scanned the head and said 'Your baby is small'. The indicative size of the head is 31+ weeks when it should be 32+ weeks. Then he measured the thigh bone and the indicative size is 33+ weeks. Then the gynae said 'The baby is tall'. Next, he measured the stomach and the size is 33+ weeks and weight is 2 kg. He said 'The baby is growing well. She just doesn't has big head'. I suppose that is ok. At the end, he still could not figure what could be the 'popping' sound. He just said maybe the baby kicked too hard and don't worry about it.
Then, he suggested that I do a c-sect after 38 weeks. I was planning to see if the baby comes out naturally by the due date. If not, I will do a c-sect on the due date. He told me that age is against me (I am beginning to wonder how about celebrities who had baby when they are in the 40s and 50s) and my precious pregnancy (i.e. problematic pregnancy with previous black history) and a fibroid inside my womb. Anyway, I told him I will think about it and let him know in the next check-up.
The baby head is down. When I asked if the baby is engaged, he said the same thing 'At this time the baby's head can be anywhere. The baby is still moving around'. I suppose that is true. The head is down but not engaged on the birth canal yet. The baby can still move around but because of the limited space in the womb now, the movement is very restricted.
The good news is I only put on 1kg in 4 weeks this time as oppose to 3 kgs in 5 weeks previously. 500g goes to the baby and the remaining 500 grams goes to me. Not too bad!

3 kgs in 5 Weeks

I managed to break my own record by gaining 3 kgs in 5 weeks! When I visited the gynae yesterday, his first comment was 'You have been eating a lot'. I shameful admitted my own action. I thought the baby was underweight and has been trying very hard to put on weight, not knowing how damaging it can get. Out of the 3 kgs, 600 grams go to the baby and the remaining 2.4 kgs go to me!! Now, I am more conscious with what I eat. The baby is lying horizontally when I had my scan yesterday, and it about 3 inches below my belly button...that's how low my tummy is. When I asked the gynae if the baby has turned down, his classic reply was 'At this time, they can be in any position anytime.' Counting down...29 weeks and 11 weeks (or less) to go.

I Missed Drinking

It has only been 2 and a half months since I discovered that I am pregnant but I missed my glass of wine already..it is not that I am an alcoholic. Work has been so hectic the last 2 weeks and Lucas has been so active and the hormones in my body is creating wreck in me. Today, after I tucked Lucas to bed, I missed my glass of wine. It would be nice to eat my dinner in peace and sip some wine to wind down. It is going to be a while before I can start drinking again i.e. after the delivery and the breastfeeding. Meanwhile, Dominic is all happy to get the booze stock all to himself.

Instead, I have to settle for a can of Vanilla Coke - better than drinking milk, I suppose.

But honestly, I have been 'cheating' now and then. A few hours before I were to take my home pregnancy test, my dear husband gave me a very encouraging message. He was drinking his beer and he said to me, 'Here, drink some. Once you are tested positive, you can't drink. Since you do not 'know' now, better have a few sips'. We pretty sure then the test is going to be positive. On Valentine Day, we had a nice dinner complimentary from my in-laws. My dear husband poured me a quarter class of wine and said, 'Since it is Valentine, you can have a few sips.' I happily gulp the precious liquid.

Thinking back, I also had been cheating when I was breastfeeding Lucas. I remembered very well on the first day we took Lucas home from the hospital, Lucas was downed with jaundice. He was supposed to drink more milk to help purge the toxin out of his body but this boy just wanted to sleep. His jaundice was getting worse and I was not sure what to do. I was so stressed and I just drank a can of beer! Don't know what damage has been done.