3 Months On..

Clara is 3 months old already. How fast. Compared to her brother, she is really alot easier but I don't think it's because Bradley was difficult, it was because we were inexperienced parents. I'm digging this parenting job most days - just gotta constantly remind myself my kids didn't choose this, we did. With lesser and more realistic expectations, everyone is happier.

Today we took Clara for her jab. She's 8.2kg! Yay! I can have chubby baby too. Frankly at this stage, chub or not doesn't really matter, I've learned that every babies and kids are different. What's most important is their health and wellbeing. And of cos, mummy's wellbeing too. Happy mummy = happy babies.

Another Year Wiser

Hopefully.

I turn 31 today. My day went on as usual, revolving around the kids. No major celebrations nor need for surprises or gifts. DH and I have long past this stage. These days we prefer to spend money on family activities or the kids. Is that how it's like when you are a parent?

Don't get me wrong. We get a fair bit of couple time despite not going out. The kids sleep fairly early and when they do, it's OUR time.

My bday wish?

Our family of 4 to be happy and healthy together.

Do You Believe In Second Chance?

I do. Because I am living one.

Having Bradley is a miracle. Being blessed with Clara is double the miracle.

While we weren't infertile, it took us a while to conceive B. And followers of this blog will know it really boiled down to poor and wrong timing. When B came along, DH and I were out of this world happy. He was the best thing that happened to me.

And then came Clara. While she wasn't exactly a surprise, I think it's fair to say we weren't expecting her so soon. We conceived her the first month we tried. 

Initially I was so worried I couldn't love her as much as I do with B and how was I supposed to divide my love among them? People tell me you do not just divide your love, it multiplies. I wasn't sure.

Now I understand. Seeing her grow everyday just makes my heart melts. I've been given a second chance to enjoy this motherhood gig all over again . Things I couldn't enjoy previously being a first time mum - the lack of experience, the anxiety, the nervousness and the whole nine yards - I could now.

That's why I say I've been given a second chance.

And I'm not wasting this chance, for when it's gone, it will be gone for good.

Is This Sleep Regression?

I have been a sleep nazi with B for the longest time. Old habits die hard.

Maybe because I was traumatized by those days I had to sit by his cot for 2 hours resulting in no sleep at all. Then things took a turn for the better, especially after his first birthday. His naps were improving and as he grew, outlook seems bright. All until the arrival of little sister and in fact started during pregnancy.

He had been STTN, well at least in my books apart from the sips of water he takes. All this stopped about 5 weeks ago. Last 3 days he had been waking up crying, although he goes back to sleep almost immediately and he wakes up before 6 almost everyday. People tells me not to let him sleep so early so he will wake later. Sorry, not the case with my son. He wakes up before 7am regardless of his bedtime.

Today, DH leaves for his biz trip and when he left the house At 530am, Mr B woke and I couldn't put him back to bed. I wanted to cry. I woke at 5am hoping to get most chores and my mind prepped for the busy day ahead, as well as shower before DH Leaves. With his early wakening, I didn't get to drink my coffee or rest when I was done with the laundry. It was like "bam! off to work u lazy bum, no relaxation for u". Really wanna cry you know.

Boy I miss drinking a hot, scratch that, even a warm cup of coffee.

They always turn cold when I finally get to drink them.

Jaundice Check

I don't think I posted here but when Clara was 5 days old, she was admitted for phototherapy and it was a pretty stressful period not just becoz of that,  but having to manage B as I was staying in with C. Anyway I am so glad that episode is over and definitely not looking back.

When she was admitted, her jaundice level was 13, considered borderline high for a 5 day old. Upon discharge it was 8.5 and 3 days later it wad 10.5 but pd said it's not too worrying as she was older then and the threshold it different. Moreover in that 2 days after discharge,  she gained weight well and output was great too. So no follow up needed unless I was unsure.

Fast forward to the jubilee weekend. My mum and sis started commented she's looking very yellowish and started dishing out advice to sun her. I know in the past we sun our jaundice babies but I have had 2 different pds telling me sunning is of not much help. Anyway they made a fuss and I got worried so took her to Dr Zainal for a follow up check and blood test to rule out any liver function failure.

I don't deny I was concerned too so when Dr called me with the results, I was more than relieved. It is just bm jaundice which we has suspected and should go away by itself latest by 3 months. Phew. And during the assessment, Dr commented C is overall doing well in terms of her weight gain.. in fact she's over 97th percentile! 2 kg weight gain in 1 month that's pretty awesome.

So, it really is possible to love your second born as much as the first born. And all those guilt I had towards B, I'm still feeling it but in a way I'm also guilty towards C. Her brother still had a good 2 years and abit more of 1-to-1 personal time but for her, attention is all split up.

At the end of the day,  no matter how hard a day I had,  I just count my blessings for this 2 healthy kiddos.

Clara's Full Month

The Jubilee Weekend is over. That also marks the end of my confinement and the beginning of running solo during the week with DH going back to work today.

Coincidentally, this long weekend was timely for us to celebrate Clara's full month. With Bradley, we had a party at home and whilst it was fun having friends and relatives over, we were absolutely knackered by the end of it. So this round we decided no matter what happens, we are not doing it at home. And, to prevent conflicts of any sort (really more on appeasing me), I told DH it might be a better idea to separate the celebrations with our families, on the pretext that everyone will have enough time with the baby and no need to fight over her. Smart move eh?

So on Friday we went over to my in laws for a gathering of some sort. I have to give it in to MIL, she prepared a lot of food enough to feed a village, and there were only 10 of us including her 2 guests. Saturday was the party for my family which we planned for a while and decided to get it done in a restaurant as opposed to my initial idea of the function room at my sis' condo. Had we do it at her condo, our cost would be much lower, but there would be cleaning up and self servicing. We thought it would be nice for once to do it outside and not worry about cleaning up later, and having people serve us. It busted my (ideal) budget but at least it was in a comfy environment (private room at Jamie's Italian) with great food and company. With that marks the end of Clara's celebration.

But it's not over! We had yet another gathering at my sis' for National Day and yet more food. But seriously, parties are of a different meaning to me now. With just 1 child, I still had the luxury of enjoying the party after I made sure he's fed etc. But now with 2, omg, it was feeding B, then B goes off to play, feed C, then time to change B, then change C, and feed C and then feed B. I'm confused and lost myself. Needless to say, I didn't catch much of the parade with all this hustling between the kids. It will be what, another 2-3 more years before life gets slightly easier? Or am I too naive to think so?

SMB Blog Train - Mummy's Me-Time

When Mummy Danessa asked if I would be interested to join her blog train on me-time, which will run from July to August, my first instinct was, "no". My second baby would be due in early July and I don't think I will have time to update my blog, let alone talk about me-time. But, I decided to go ahead and commit myself to the blog train because, isn't this what me-time is all about? Finding time amidst your busy schedule, be it at work or home, to spend some time with yourself? This will also give me an opportunity to reflect as well as see how we are doing with this parenting gig.

So, here I am, with my 3-weeks old baby napping in her cot and my 2-year old napping in his room. Someone say "ahhhhh.... bliss". Usually, I would be napping with them especially since my day sorta started at 4.45am today. But since I've just finished some ibanking and computer is on, why not?

Me-time in my previous life, aka Before Children (B.C) were all about going shopping alone, going for a massage, mani/pedi session. Sometimes when I get really frustrated at work, I go and dine on my own for lunch, enjoying the peacefulness and not having to answer/speak/entertain anyone. Other times when a little perk-me-up would do the job, I get into a hair salon for a hair wash or get a quick shoulder massage.

But, these were all BC. Now, after the arrival of not 1, but 2 kids, the luxury of sitting on the porcelain throne in peace without having the session disrupted is a welcome Me-time. So, how do I keep my sanity?

1. Marketing - as aunty as it sounds, going to the market alone can be quite liberating. I don't have a toddler I have to run after or pestering me to carry. I can take my own sweet time at each stall and remember everything on my to-buy list. Sometimes I even get to buy coffee and sip it while I get the weekly groceries done. But, I've not gone to the market since Clara was born and I have a feeling I probably won't be able to do so soon.

2. Shower - forget bath. Shower is a great Me-time. This confinement, I broke all rules and showered twice a day which is my norm. I take longer showers in the morning because I wash my hair. Those minutes in the bathroom, in total privacy (not always the case) are well cherished. I never really used to scrub my body in the bath nor be very conscientious with applying lotion, facial regime etc. But I have since been religiously doing so... erm... just to extend my time in the bathroom. LOL. Ok la, and I think I really should be doing these maintenance work since I don't have the luxury of going to the spa or facial.

3. Breastfeeding Clara - Ok, I know I should be bonding with my girl when she nurses but she happily closes her eyes while drinking away, so I gotta find something to do to entertain myself right? I look down at her for too long the nape of my neck starts to hurt. So during nursing or pumping sessions, I catch up with what's happening on Dayre - commenting and replying, I check in on FB and Instagram but lately even this is a luxury. Most of the time when I nurse Clara, I'm playing with Bradley at the same time. And my favourite activity to do while doing the night feed is.... sleep.

So, come to think about it, mummy's me-time is as good as nothing. But I have learnt to lower my expectations, and quite frankly, both Bradley and Clara, and my husband are the loves of my life, I'm more than happy to spend my waking moments with them.

Next on the blog train is....

Pooja Kawatra blogs at Mums&Babies. A full time working mom who turned into a stay-at-home-mom, she enjoys spending time with her two little angels and growing everyday with them. She spends time cooking, baking and crafting with her kids at home.

Click on here to read more about other mummies and their me-time!

Rise & Shine

It's 6:34am now and I have accomplished much.

* Fed Clara
* Washed up and found out B woke up, put him back to sleep
* Put away dishes in kitchen
* Tidied up one kitchen cabinet because the mess is simply unbearable. It will be another 5 hours before it gets messed up by Mr B again
* Put the laundry into the washing machine
* Showered
* Boiled the red date longan drink and its now sitting in the slow cooker
* Ibanking (read: online shopping)
* Clara just pooped - changed her diaper

I should have another hour before both kiddos wake.

Ah... strangely I don't miss sleep anymore. I function on adrenalin.

That is until my body decides its breaking down. -_-"

On a separate note, I've been monitoring Clara's weight especially after the jaundice episode. She still is abit yellow, but her wet diapers, OMG, so much. And who says girls don't "shoot" their urine. This daughter of mine has the ability to spray her urine at me while changing her. Well, at least I get to see that her urine is clear. So she's clearly hydrated enough. As of yesterday, she was 4.3kg, well above her birth weight and I'm delighted. Bradley, at 4 weeks old, was only 3.7kg, 500g above his birth weight only. Granted, he might be a poor benchmark, but at least I feel mei mei is on track. Or I hope she is, cos she won't be having a visit with our pd (B's pd) until she's 2 months.

Next Thursday marks C's one month, how time flies. But, there are some things I'm totally not looking forward in August. Come Monday, KK is going back to office and my mum can't make it to my place, so I'll be running solo. I tried to be cool about it because I have to go solo soon anyway. And, he has 2 business trips coming - someone say FML.

[Sponsored] Drypers Drypantz Review

When Bradley started crawling round about 7-8 months old, changing his diapers was a nightmare. He wouldn't lay still and would just flip and crawl away. It was still somewhat manageable if we were at home, but when we were out, it was impossible. He would try to crawl away from the changing stations in nursery rooms and sometimes there were other parents waiting for the space which made it quite stressful for us. That was when we decided to get pants diapers. But being the kiam siap (stingy) mother I am, for pants diapers are typically more expensive than tape diapers, we only use it when we are out.

Anyway, when we were sent some Drypers Drypantz for review, I was stoked! 

Mothers with boys will understand that their days, or rather our days are full of activities - climbing, climbing and more climbing. So Drypers Comfort Fit^tm in waist is perfect for active toddlers, providing softness feeling and greater comfort. Even after his time at the playground or scooting around on his Y-glider, the Drypantz still fits well and doesn't drop off or get misaligned.

Mr B being comfortable in Drypers Drypantz

Close-up look of the Comfort Fit around the waist area.

I typically change his diapers every 3-4 hours but with Drypers, I've tried changing it 4-6 hours and so far no issues despite it being soaked with urine. This is because of Activ-Core^tm which is specially designed to quickly absorb urine, preventing flow-back and provide up to 10 hours of longer-lasting dryness. Drypers diapers also contain 4 natural plant extracts with aloe vera, olive extracts, chamomile and vitamin E that helps to keep baby's skin healthy and comfortable. Say bye to diaper rash!

Having tried a few different brands of diapers, I have very basic requirements which I'm sure apply to most mums:

• Comfort - it must be comfortable for the kiddo for them to run around and be as active as they can be --> CHECKED
• Sensitivity - B has sensitive skin so quite prone to diaper rash. He's tried some which gave him rash almost immediately and Drypers diapers (both Drypantz and tape) did not give him any problems --> CHECKED
• Economical - As the kiamsiap mother and wife I am, affordability is very important. Babies go through how many diapers a day? At least 6! --> CHECKED

For those who have not tried Drypers Drypantz, don't just take my word for it. Hop on to www.facebook.com/DrypersSingapore to request for free sample.

That's not all.

From 13 July to 23 August 2015, 6 lucky Drypers consumers ( 1 winner weekly) get to enjoy a rockin' awesome 2D1N staycation in the first-ever Drypers rock themed room at Hard Rock Hotel, Resorts World Sentosa. Drypers will be dressing up the room with rock-inspired decor and guests staying in that room can channel their inner rock star in a private space with a whole load of Drypers goodies. 

Here's a preview of what the winners can expect during their stay:

Props for taking selfie/wefie and are all yours to bring home! That is, if you are one of the lucky winner :)

How cool is the guitar prop? Totally rocking the rock theme. Pun intended.

More props to pose with and 3 T-shirts for Rockstar Daddy, Rockstar Mummy and Lil Rocker to bring home

Awesome cot which I can just picture B wanting in and out.

What is the one thing that bothers you the most when traveling with young children? For me, it has to be packing! I'm so worried about forgetting things that I sometimes feel like I'm packing my entire house along with me. So, whenever I know certain items are provided, such as baby toiletries, it really helps ease up the luggage. See how thoughtful the Drypers rock theme room is? It comes with its very own toiletries - baby wipes, talcum powder, body wash and shampoo. All for the winners to use and bring home.

So here's what you need to do to stand a chance to win this staycation:

1. Take a rock-themed photo of your baby (0-36 months) wearing Drypers Drypantz
2. Include a creative caption for your photo and hashtag #Drypantz and #diapers
3. Submit the photo on the Drypers Singapore Facebook page

There will be one winner each week and winners will be notified via Facebook. On top of that, three winners per week will walk away with a designer's bag worth $162. Consumers can start participating from 13 July 2015 and contest ends 23 August 2015.

WAIT THERE'S MORE.

Do keep a lookout for Drypers engagers dressed up like rockers, they will be carrying photo frames with more details about the contest. Take a picture with the frames and upload it onto any social media platform and get a Drypers 10s Wet Wipes in return. As simple as that. Check out Drypers Singapore Facebook page to see where the engagers will be in the coming weeks!

You can get your limited edition Drypers Drypantz at Giant and NTUC Fairprice outlets which comes with a free sleeveless rocker t-shirt for kids, BUT stock are running low so while stocks last!

Good luck with the contest!

Finally.....

A picture of Bradley holding Clara. You have no idea how long I've waited. And he was the one who initiated it becoz he didn't want me carrying another baby.

Guilt Towards My First Born and Thoughts on Being Second Time Mum

I've been putting on hold this post for the longest time, because I know the moment I start it, the flood gates will open. True enough, I am already tearing now.

Ever since I found out I was pregnant with Clara, of course there was the initial joy, since it wasn't exactly expected. Then came the guilt. What is going to happen to B? All this time, it has always been "daddy, mummy and Bradley" (he says this all the time when he look at our pictures or when we are all standing in front of the mirror). How is he going to deal with another person in the picture? Sibling rivalry - not something I'm familiar with because I'm the youngest in my family and the age gap between me and the second youngest is 12 years, so I never had much sibling rivalry. You could say I'm the pampered one, not spoilt!

During the course of the pregnancy, I've tried explaining to him that there's a baby in mummy's tummy and next time when baby is out, she will be best friend with him, playing together and having fun. I know he understands but he tries to shut them out. Sometimes he acknowledges 'ok', but most times he just ignores.

So the day finally came when I have to deliver C - I think B's 'nightmare' literally started when he was disturbed from his sleep and had to come to the hospital with us. Sure, it wasn't the best arrangement but for us, we had no other options.

From the day C arrived, B did not have a good night sleep - first night he was home away from mummy for the first time ever. He finally fell asleep, well, sobbed himself to sleep from the exhaustion but at least he had at least 10 hours. When I found out, my heart ached so much I decided to let him stay with me in the hospital the second night. Which was a bad decision because he is such a light sleeper and when he got woken up, he takes forever to go back to sleep. And he doesn't want daddy to put him back to sleep, only me. So I had to juggle between bfg C and hugging B. Its been like this at home too.

Our initial plan was to have C sleep in her own room, which we did so the first night. But this little girl is such a gu niang even when she woke at night, she didn't even make any noise! When I did wake to check on her, she somehow managed to kick her swaddle off and her diaper even!! Thats when i decided no, she's not going to sleep alone yet. She will sleep in the 3-in-1 rocker in our room on the floor. And whenever I need to do the midnight feed, I will bring her outta the room to feed. Sounds good right? But somehow, our boy who has been sleeping through the night somehow always manages to wake up when I'm not beside him and bam! He's up officially and will take another 30 minutes or so to put him back to sleep, that's after I finish feeding C. Can you imagine?? It's really tougher managing B at this point instead of the newborn.

So, our new arrangement - daddy, bradley and mummy on our pathetic queen-sized bed (I was told I can't change my matrimonial bed during pregnancy and at least until after 4 months baby is born, otherwise we would at least have a king bed now!), C in her rocker and when I need to feed her, she comes onto the bed with me while I bf her lying down. Its not ideal BUT, its the only way that we all get our rest.

To be honest, I'm having a lot more rest at night than I expected. I don't know if this will last but I'm thankful for it for now. B was horrible as a newborn, thats why DH and I were expecting the worse. And I guess as second time parents, we more or less know what to expect, what to do and what are the things we can prepare ahead. Like bfg for one. It seems to be working this round because I religiously try to feed C every 2-3 hours whereas with B, when he was sleepy with jaundice at the hospital, I just let him sleep without bothering too hard to wake him up. My milk kicked in faster this round so I guess that helps. I'm still doubting my ability to breastfeed via latching but so far it seems that C is producing enough wet diapers and seems contented so far? More importantly, I've taken a very relaxed approach this round. I'm totally ok with supplementing ebm or fm if I'm not available to latch; confinement rules - well, I stick to those that I can, eat as healthy as I can but let's just say I shower twice a day and have gone out for dinner with B, C and hub at Sentosa. I'm way way happier than I was during my confinement with B.

I hope things remain or improve in the weeks to come.

My Birth Story - Baby Clara

So I've updated here I'd been having bloody show for a few days, lost my mucus plug. But just like Bradley, Clara decided it's fun to mess with mummy and let her guess and guess on when she will arrive.

On Monday evening before I went to bed, I started feeling some contractions. Told myself to sleep it off and if it's real contraction, I will definitely be woken up by it. At around midnight, I got woken and started timing the contractions. They were regular and painful but definitely very bearable.

12am: regular contractions about 10min apart

2am: after 2 hours of monitoring, decided to wake up and go to the hospital. Showered,  woke hub and did some last min packing

3am: called mum since she's coming along to watch B for us. Carried B but he woke up and didn't go back to sleep till 7!!!

350am: reached TMC. Settled B and mum at family lounge and went to labour ward. 2-3cm apart, cervix soft, contractions 5-7min apart. Pain level 3/10

7am: by this time my contractions seems to have died down

9am: Dr W came and checked. Only 3-4cm!! Faint. No pain. So broke waterbag and started oxytocin

1030am: texted hub to activate him back to the labour room coz I'm starting to feel intense pain. Cervix check: 4-5cm. Oh my god, so slow. Contemplating epidural. But it seems like with each contractions the cervix opened abit more.

11am: asked for gas. Realised I've been using the gas wrongly with Bradley coz I actually felt high from it while with bradley, it had no effect! Pain, pain, SO MUCH PAIN! DH was super encouraging, held my hands throughout and told me I did it with Bradley,  I could do it this time since it will be a faster labour.

Next few contractions I know the nurse was checking and each time it got bigger. Next thing I knew, she was pressing the call bell and another head popped in to ask "call now?".

"Yes, faster".

In minutes, I hear DR W running in and said, "wah so fast".

"ok, next contraction push"

Ok so I pushhhhhhhh like I had the constipation of the lifetime. And everyone around me like so excited I think they can see baby's head emerging.

"change of breath... pushhhh"

"Argghhhhhhhhhhhh"

"One more time baby coming"

"Pushhhhhhhh. .. dont stop... pushhhhhh"

And out came a whole chunk of slimy hot stuff and baby was on my chest.

Phew.

Seriously,  why this round so scary? I can actually remember everything vividly. I can even feel dr stitching me up and we were having a convo. She said the tear was v small and she's proud of me! Awwww my idol leh. .

Anyway, that is my birth story second time. Not much diff from the first except it being shorter and faster. In fact even their birth time is just 1 hour apart. Everything else kinda deja Vu.

Meet Baby Clara

My little girl was born 7 July around 1130am, weighing 3.2kg.

Both mummy and baby doing great but mummy is still trying to get used to the feisty girl's loud cries of complaints.

Unlike kor kor, her cries were not for hunger but more of anger especially when I kept forcing her to latch when she's obviously done.

I wonder what we have created.

Here's some pictures and I will be back with the birth story soon.

Mucous plug

I just had bloody show.

Counting down now!!

Deja Vu

This is beginning to feel too much like a deja Vu.

If I remembered correctly, I started my maternity leave at 38 weeks, thinking "ok full term already, baby will come anytime". I also didn't want to risk having my waterbag burst while at work, meeting a client or in the midst of a conf call.

Week 38 came and gone and no signs of labour. I went to the park and had long walks on my own in the mornings, I did a lot of housework (not sure if it was nesting), climbed a fair bit of stairs. Did everything that was said to induce labour, except sex maybe, too tired too heavy too big. I had some bloody show but not alot and no contractions. Eventually B came a day before edd and a few hours before the scheduled induction.

Today at 38w4d, I was strapped to the ctg machine to track baby's heartbeat and I could hear B and hub talking outside the room. 2 years back I was in the room with hub just feeling excited about everything.

Dr W didn't check the cervix for dilation today, say shall leave it till next visit which is 2 days before edd and just wait for labour to start on its own. Baby is still approximately 3.2kg, mummy has put on 8kg to date. Oh and unlike with B, this round I was tested positive for Strep B which means we gotta get antibiotics IV during labour.

37w+4d

I thought I heard Dr W said the internal check will be done at the 38w visit, but we had a check today after doing the Strep B swap.

When she was checking for dilation, I was somewhat hoping she might say "ok your cervix is opened, you are __ cm".

Alas, no.

She said, "not opened yet".

Major disappointment. I know it's better for C to stay in longer but I'm tired already. The backaches, the braxton hicks, the constant urge of wanna go LS.. making me very tired. Of course there's still my dear son to care for. Thankfully he hasn't been demanding me to carry him as much, so all good.

Anyway,  according to Dr W, most probably C will arrive around the same time as B so we shall just wait for labour to start naturally. She's about 3.1kg now which is big compared to B who was 3.2kg at birth. But at 39w B was estimated to be 3.6kg so I try not to let the numbers bother me too much.

I'm undecided if I want epidural this round. Although I did it without the previous time, I remembered the pain towards the end being very extreme. But I'm also afraid of the epi jab more than anything. Plus I was told recovery was faster for alot of people who opted without epi. I think that was true. I was up and about walking just 2 hours after delivery.

I don't know. We shall see.

37 Weeks and Counting

I had insomnia on Sunday morning, between 3-5am after my toilet break and changing diaper for a sleeping B. He drinks so much water in the middle of the night,  in his sleep that is, he asked for water. Anyway, since z-monster and I couldn't find each other, I went on to read my earlier blog posts, esp around the period where B was around 37w in my tummy.

Reading those posts really brought a smile on my face. I was still working back then,  I had all the time and luxury in the world to pamper myself and enjoy the pregnancy. But similarly it was Ard the last few weeks I had hoped for baby to come sooner rather than later becoz it was starting to take its toil on my body.

What makes things more confusing was being a first time mum, I didn't know what to expect. And it didn't helped that my labour actually started quite early and was a long process. I was 1.5cm for nearly 2 weeks then 3cm for 3 days before contraction actually started. I guess now I more or less knows what to expect so hopefully no more long waiting game. And since baby is already facing back, hopefully it also means labour will be faster and shorter, not having to wait for bb to turn.

37weeks bump!

Baby Clara's Update

Dr W is back and we had our check up today. Left B with my mum and I managed to return within 2 hours. He didn't ask for me and of course had fun with my nephew. Bless them both. Well I won't have the privilege when school reopens end of the month.

Our 小妹 is now 36w+ and weighs about 2.8kg. Initially the measurement showed she was about 3kg and Dr W said "hmm let's measure again, abit too fast to hit 3kg" after scrutinising my tummy. 2.8kg sounds about right. While the good news is her head remains down and facing back, the bad news is we can't quite see her features anymore coz all being blocked. She's also quite cramped up so can't see much of her hands and feet.

Dr says she thinks C will probably arrive around 39w so get plenty of rest now whenever I can. Not sure if it's possible having a toddler to look after but definitely not possible when baby arrives.

Next visit - strep b swap and following week, internal check for dilation.

See you soon my girl!

Another Updating Medium

I've been spending quite a bit of time on Dayre because there is a huge mummy community there sharing parenting tips and stuff. So I tend to do a bit of updates there as well. Nothing really of significance which I do it here. .over there its mainly my snippets of the day. If you're interested, I'm at Dayre.me/journeytothebump

Will be going for the 36w check up this Thursday. Looking forward to seeing how much Clara has grown. Any time now really!

Weekend Already?

It's the weekend already?? How fast this week has gone by! Maybe because there was a slew of activities. Let's see.

On Tuesday, we had our window blinds installed for the entire house. Something we had wanted to do for a long time but didn't get around to it. Maybe because of C's impending arrival, we finally stopped procrastinating. The blinds look awesome and we love it.

Oh and you might have noticed our new daybed in the TV room. We had wanted to replace the sofa in there forever since the old sofa bed gave way. We stumbled upon this while shopping for B's bed and thought it would be perfect for the TV room. It's also single bed sized, so can double up as a bed should there be a need.

Then Wednesday we celebrated my sister's 50th bday. My BIL planned a surprise dinner for her since February for all the siblings and while I was reluctant to go because of Bradley, I'm glad I made it.

I had to leave the house early so it wasn't any time near B's dinner or bed time. So I left at 4pm, told him mummy has to go out, he will stay home with daddy and daddy will feed him dinner, shower him and give him milk later. He said ok and I quickly took my leave without loitering too long. The plan was for hub to take him on the lrt to get dinner so that he get plenty distracted. It worked. The entire time I was away he only asked for me a few times, but nothing daddy cannot distract him with. I'm so proud of them both and I'm now less worried when the time comes for me to deliver C.

So what did I do when I left home at 4 and dinner was not till 7? I went to the hair salon at Ion for a nice wash and blow and gave myself a little pampering session. Boy was it good.

The next day we went down to support my nephew who was representing SG in the rowing competition at SEA Games.  Oh my I did not expect the atmosphere to be so amazing. While we did not win anything, it's really the experience that matters and I am really so proud of him. The next race is on Sunday! Looking forward. 

Tonight, a super impromptu kinda thing happened. Because of the school holidays, my nieces are camping overnight at my mum's just for fun. So in her house, there are my 2 grown up nieces and my 7yo nephew. When I took B there today, he was having a ball jumping and goofing around with them. Then I had an idea - why don't I ask them (and my mum) to babysit him tonight while hub and I go for dinner. My hub said ok immediately and mummy was so sweet to say "I thought you'd never ask". So seeing it was still early when that decision was made, I left him there, drove home to pick his pjs and milk, and also keep the food I've prepared for dinner in the fridge.

So that's us - FIRST date night in 2 years!

Truth be told, we were both very excited at first. Then after an hour we started missing B. Towards the 2nd hour, we were like "ok let's go and see our boy".

I certainly enjoyed having an uninterrupted meal and a nice conversation with hub and it's nice to have date nights. But it's also nice to have B around too. Glad we did this coz no idea when the next date night is coming.

Relaxing Sunday

35 weeks baby bump! Is it scary that we are creeping so near to the due date???

Then we took the not-so-little boy for his cable car fix. Today we upped him a level by getting off at Sentosa and took the new Sentosa line and also the Sentosa trains back out to Vivo. When we got to HBF, he saw the mrt station and recognised the sign and wanted to "take train" again. So we decided daddy and him will take the train home while mummy go ta bao lunch and drive home.

someone napping in his new big boy bed.

Baby Clara at 33 Weeks

So on Tuesday, we went for routine check up. C is now 33w, weighing 2.2kg. But if there was anything I learned from the first pregnancy, weights and such are an estimate, providing a rough guideline on how baby is doing. When B was around 39 weeks,  he was estimated to weigh 3.6kg! Dr was getting concerned because there was no signs of labour and felt he might be getting too big, hence we scheduled for induction. Thankfully he decided to come out on his own, before the induction happened and turned out? He was only 3.2kg. But judging from C's development,  she will probably be about the same size as B at birth.

I asked about when Dr W think C will make her debut. I mean, statistically, will second babies come earlier or later. Of course there's no guarantee but again judging from first pregnancy, it shouldn't be too far off so she's expecting somewhere around 39 weeks.  Which is good coz it means more time for me but bad also coz this bump is really starting to get in the way.

Regardless, 7 weeks is not that long a time. We will meet soon little girl!

Preparing and Transitioning The Older Child for A Sibling

My top top concern when Baby C comes along is how B will react to the whole situation. It has always been B, daddy and mummy all this while, with a sudden change of having a new sibling, I really have no idea how he's gonna react. Our pd warned that there could be a chance he would regress and DH and I are already hurting thinking how he might possibly be jealous.

So I did a bit of reading and found some tips that sound really useful, shared it with DH and we both made a mental note to watch out for one another and remind each other. Here's some of the tips:

1. Present the older child with a gift from baby when they first meet.
~ Well I'm not sure how exactly this will work for B but at least one thing I know for sure he will be happy with the gift we chose and that should keep him entertained at the hospital for a bit.

2. Leave the baby in the cot for the first meeting so that both parents' hands are free to hug or carry the older child during the introduction.

3. When spending time with #1 and the baby cries, do not rush to attend to baby. Instead,  explain to #1 that baby needs attention and help, shall we go check out together.

4. During feeding time for baby, whether bottle feeding or nursing, use that time to read or play with #1.

5. Get him involved as much as possible, such as changing diapers, getting the wipes etc

6. Have plenty of 1-on - 1 time with #1 as much as possible. Baby does not require your constant hovering unless they are fussing or crying. Honestly in the 1st few weeks, baby won't rem much, but your toddler will. It's ok to leave the baby on their own for abit.

These are some of the tips I found to be helpful and will be using them on B. Do you have any others to share?

Friday Afternoon Tea with Toddler

Yep, you heard it right. I brought B along for high tea with my mummy friends this afternoon. AND WE SURVIVED!

I had made plans with my friends to catch up this week since this is hubby-less week and I try to pack as much activities during the day so when nightfalls, we are both so tired that I won't miss hubby so much. More importantly, I don't have cooking duties so it was even better.

But I nearly chickened out last night, attempting to cancel today's high tea because I didn't think B would let me enjoy it. But you know what, I have to give him credit for being so well behaved this afternoon. And of course the venue and ambience helped a lot. We went to 10 Scotts at Hyatt and the entire place was cosy, like in someone's living room. Best, we were given a table in a quiet corner and  B had plenty of space to roam around. My friend brought his son along too so the 2 of them had fun together. They had playdates since around 8 months but only recently started playing with each other.

All I can say is.. boy was I glad I went ahead with the plans coz I had a great time catching up with friends, having tea and scones. When was the last time I had high tea?! I think it was the week before B was born and KK and I had high tea at Fullerton.

The good old days but today was even better.

Simple joys in life.

A Peek Into Our Lives.....

As part of the Day in a Life of blog train hosted by Mum in the Making, here's a peek into my day-to-day activities. They vary each day of course, but it's somewhat routine and similar in terms of the activities we do.

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5am: DH's alarm rings - he wakes to work out for an hour. I sometimes sleep through his alarm but most times I drift in and out of sleep.

630-7am: B is stirring and will be up, starts talking to himself, starts subtly waking me up. "Mummy I sayang you" or sings whatever song is on his mind. And I'm up in my drowsy state, we play awhile, tickle him and he laughs cheerfully.  DH hears us and joins us in the room, we change B's diaper in bed, goof around a little and go wash up.

7-730am: B has his milk while mummy shower before daddy heads out to work at 730pm.

B helps mummy to feed our little fishes.

Sometimes we drive daddy to work so we can have breakfast together and enjoy a leisurely stroll along the Vivocity boardwalk after breakfast.

8-830am: Mummy prepares a very easily assembled breakfast of bread or cereal. Bradley's choice of spread: butter with kaya or jam, ovomaltine, nutella or biscoff spread. Choice of drinks: milo or strawberry/plain UHT. Some days where we run out of bread, we will have cereal or MacDonalds' hotcakes with his favourite hash brown!

Mother and son's breakfast. That's my red dates and longan drink steeping in the tumbler.

On Wednesdays where B goes to playgroup, we leave house by 845am in order to try to reach before 915am. Other days, after breakfast, B keeps himself entertained while mummy get busy with these:

Laundry

Washing and preparing whatever I can in advance for dinner. 

Cooking the soup. I seldom use the slow cooker these days but decided to bring it out again so I don't have to watch the stove all the time.

Thawing the meat/seafood, which I will bring transfer from the freezer the night before so we don't spend too much time waiting for it to thaw.

All this while, B does NOT play quietly on his own. Every 5 minutes or less I'm being interrupted in my chores to "mummy help!", "mummy sit here", "mummy read", "mummy play".

When my morning chores are finally done, I can finally sit and relax for awhile (read: play with him wholeheartedly) until it's time for shower. Today, we are going on the duck tour. It's our first time and we are supposed to be there 30 minutes before the scheduled departure time. Actually, I later found out if you have purchased your tickets online and indicated your preferred departure time, 10 minutes before departure is plenty of time to get in line to board the boat.

830am: Shower and change and mummy quickly splash on some make up. All in 10 minutes!

9am: Out of the house we go and headed for Suntec City.

930am: Reached there in plenty of time, bought tickets and waited to board.

Getting impatient

Is that the one we are going on?

Wefie with Mum before boarding

The ride took about 1 hour, and boy was it hot and packed! Every seat was taken up so B was sitting on me the entire time. At some point, he started getting bored and sleepy! Must be the heat. Anyway, we were done just before 11am and we rushed home to prepare lunch.

It was B's lunar birthday and I had prepared the stock and thaw the meat in advance. So it was a matter of cooking the mee sua and boiling the soup.

1230-1pm: Nap time. Mummy's break time!! YAY!!! He typically sleeps for 1.5 hour to 2 hours. On some rocky days, 1 hour. On some extreme lucky days, 3 hours! I use this time to catch up on social media, sleep or prepare dinner stuff.

230-3pm: Back to reality, the boss is awake. Sometimes daddy decides to come home early from work, we'll head over to pick him up before coming home to cook dinner. Today is one such day.

4pm: Home from picking daddy. Dad will watch and play with B while mummy cooks dinner.

5-530pm: Dinner time!

6pm: Outdoor play time (this is only if Daddy is back early because with a baby bump now, it has proven quite challenging for me to run after him at the playground or when he scoots around on his scooter).

7pm: Shower aka water play time (again)

730pm: Milk

745pm: Brush teeth and lights off! Hopefully he's out before 830pm.

And that's the end of my day, oh, not before clearing this mess up first.

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This post is part of a blog train hosted by Justina at Mum in the Making. Click on the below button to take a 24-hour peek into the lives of different mummies or link up with your own post!



Next up on this blog train is: Winnie at ToddlyMummy.

At ToddlyMummy, Winnie shares her thoughts on parenting, fun learning moments of they home learning sessions and outdoor adventures. She sometimes share about her favourite food too, along with occasional side orders of stuff that she finds useful as a busy mum.