My Baby Knows Karate

I'm convinced that the one inside me knows karate.

He will chop chop here and kick kick there, and even do triple somersaults in that small confined space.

Isn't he talented?

As I'm typing this, he is doing the karate chop again.

Watching my tummy jerk has become a new hobby for me.

With all that training, when he is born, he will be good enough to go for black belt assessment right away.

Pregnancy Blues

I've lost count. I'm due on 13 Jul, and today is 19 Apr, so that means I'm 7 months and 1 week into my pregnancy. So around 29 weeks la.

All of a sudden, my tummy has ballooned into a big ball.

For the first time, I'm blogging about the discomfort that I'm facing, although some of these symptoms are not new. I just feel like whining today to gain sympathy votes.

HEAT

Anyone living in Singapore would agree with me that the weather in Singapore is getting TOO HOT TO HANDLE. Come on, 35 degrees for a preggie is no joke ok! Moreover, I work in a classroom, and hellujah, the classrooms are not air-conditioned alright? Best part is, my classroom is located on the 4th floor, and my office is located on the ground floor. Each day, I have English, Math, Health Ed, before recess, after recess, after school, split periods. You do your sums. I literally climb up and down the stairs several times a day. By the time I huff and puff my way up, my engine is all worked up, and then when I start teaching, gosh, it remains a mystery how I manage not to melt into a pool of perspiration and evaporate the next minute.

To counter my problems, these are some of the strategies I take:
- I put a table fan in my classroom that specifically blows at me.
- I mark in the classroom (with the fan full blast at me of course) as far as possible to mimimise carting up and down books. I make use of those in-between 1 period breaks so that I cut down on walking up and down)
- I place a desk beside my classroom for marking (coz sometimes my in-between 1 period breaks are other lessons that my class is having and I can't mark in the classroom)
- I mark in the computer lab on the 4th floor (but I did it only once and gave up; the air con in the com lab is super CMI)
- I go down 1 floor to the library to mark (the air con there is much much cooler) - at least only move up and down 1 floor
- I "bathe" my arms and neck whenever I have free time; meaning I use shower cream to wash my arms and neck and wipe myself dry. Then I powder myself. It cools me down and makes me feel good coz I smell good.
- I shower if i can afford the time.
- Worse comes to worse, when I don;t have time, I just powder myself. Better than nothing la!
- I have another small fan at my workstation. Air con is not good enough. Anyway, the air con in the HOD Room super CMI. As good as don't have.


BACKACHE, and all other ACHES

Because of the walking and the standing, I get backaches all the time. Recently, I even get leg cramps.

- I have a high chair (bar chair hor, not baby chair; DUH) in the classroom for me to sit on when I deliver simple segments like spelling or class test or going through of corrections so that I get to rest and stand lesser.
- I get my hubby to massage my back and legs.
- I tried to go for foot reflexology, but my regular reflexologist refuse to do it for me. Say coz I pregnant. (I'm exasperated; I've done it before and my gynae also said its ok)
- I tried to buy the Osim UPapa. They refuse to sell it to me. Haiyo. Same reason. Cannot tahan.
- I'm trying to source for prenatal massage.
- My facial therapist does a good shoulder massage for me. That is my only indulgence.
- I sleep on my back. I know the book says to sleep on the side, but that makes my back ache even more. I need my back fully supported, so I sleep on my back. It works best for me, all 3 pregnancies.


Lower Abdominal PAIN


For the first time in my 3 pregnancies, I experienced this scary pain on Saturday, 18 April 2009.

All of a sudden in the evening, I felt this sharp pain at the lower part of my abdomen. It's the area just above my bladder and below the baby. Felt like the baby's weight was too much; it was as though the baby was stepping on my bladder. Anyway, it was really painful. I couldn't stand nor walk. Even certain sitting positions could trigger the pain. The only comfortable position was lying down.


Fortunately, I woke up on Sunday feeling better. You cannot imagine my happiness when I realise that I could move around and walk! It struck me that I cannot take my mobility for granted! Those people who have to have CRIB, really, it is tough. Now I understand. Because I was feeling ok, I managed to have a fun-filled day taking my kids out on 2 outings today.


End of grouses.


So you see, 世上只有妈妈好，有妈的孩子像个宝... ...

My Pretty Girl

Went to the JL sale yesterday at Expo and bought this sweet pink cocktail dress as well as a couple of books for my kids (from the Books Warehouse Sale).

She loves the dress. She's now into princess stuff.


This morning, she woke up and first thing she wanted was to put on this dress. Mummy happily put some light pink blusher and eyeshadow on her, and made her a star necklace to complete the look! Of course I had to tie her hair up and wear the mini tiara on her head. I then snapped and snapped and snapped .....


Here're a few prettier ones. The rest are in my facebook.

Simple Pleasures

Last Friday evening, my hubby had to stay late in school because of Meet-Parents-Session. The agreement was that he would come back on his own and dabao his own dinner. He had to take the bus as the car was with me.

Decided to give him a surprise, so I got the kids showered and smelling good, I showered too, and off we went to pick him up from school. Kids were so happy to see Papa, and we went to AMK hub food court for (his) dinner. He got a big plate of hokkien mee, and it looked so good that I had to pinch some. Kids shared ice-jelly cocktail, I had ice-kacang, my maid had a drink. After the food, we just walked around for a short while, bought a princess mat for the kids' room, and then went home.

It was a simple evening, without any big bang or fanfare. So where's the pleasure?

The joy of seeing joy on my family's faces. Kids were happy to see Papa, I was happy to deliver a surprise, my kids had a chance to go kai kai, the joyful process of preparing to go out, waiting in the car and seeing my dear walking out of school, saving him the process of having to buy his own food and taking the bus home, spending quality time together as a family, eating simple yet delicious food, buying something for the kids and making them so excited, allowing the kids to make a decision (they chose the design of the mat), holding hands together as a family.

It's the simple things in life that are so enjoyable and memorable, and these priceless little episodes add so much value to life. At least for me.

I count my blessings and treasure what I have. I'm contented and happy.