The Day We Found Out...

19.6.2010
The day we found out we were having a baby boy. A Boy. We gonna have a SON.
Hubby and I both were hoping for a girl, don't know why, we both just love little girls.
I was looking at stuff for a baby girl... Now we gotta start tuning our minds that we're having a boy, and start looking at blue things, and stuff for a boy.
Takes some getting used to! But a baby is a baby, and what you give is what you get in return... And no doubt, this baby is gonna get alot of love from us and from our families.

P.S - Another funny notion came to mind the day I found out I'm gonna have a boy -- One day I'm gonna be a mother-in-law to a daughter-in-law!!! :-)

Shopping

I complained about not finding proper maternity clothes, so I decided to ask my friend (a mother of 2) where she purchased her work clothes during her pregnancy. She recommended me this shop, 9months, which she went to in Jusco Bukit Tinggi Klang. So I did some googling and found out that they have an outlet in The Curve also. Since I was planning to go to The Curve over the weekend, I decided to check it out.

I love the shop!! I fell in love with their clothes, their selections etc. But they are PRICEY!  I found work pants that fit me nicely. They had the type with the elastic extender at the side, or those with the small pouch at the top (called demi pouch). However, what makes them special is the material is really good quality material, the pants have real zips and pockets (and not some just for show), and it is slim cutting and not too baggy. The price? RM160! I have said that I’m willing to pay if it is really nice, and this was really nice. However, I did feel the pinch of paying RM320 (I bought 2 pairs – same design but in black and grey) for just 2 pairs of pants that I’ll wear for just a few months. Anyway, they made me feel good, and that’s what’s important. It’s hard feeling good during pregnancy if u don’t look good.

I also fell in love with their jeans, but it cost RM170, and hubby convinced me not to get it. I do see his point, as I can’t wear jeans to office, so it’s a waste spending that much on something that’s gonna be used just on weekends, when I already have some other skirts and pants for weekend wear. But still, *sigh*… It’s nice if I have unlimited amount of cash to spend!

We saw this stall at The Curve Street Market, selling the cutest baby clothes. It’s call “My Mini Closet” and it carries mostly rompers from Carters. We saw one which said “Lock Up Your Daughter” – hubby was very interested in getting it. Told him we will if our baby is a boy. Also saw a bib that said “Feed Me Or No One Sleeps”. Am gonna get that next time. Can’t wait to shop for my baby. I don’t quite know when to start. Some advise not to buy too early. I know I shouldn’t buy too many baby clothes as I can take those from my niece. But baby clothes are SO adorable; I can’t wait to buy a few!

We made a trip to MidValley on Sunday, and I went to Mothercare to get my Belly Belt (yes it has arrived!) Probably I shouldn’t have since I already bought work pants, but I got it nonetheless. It works fine, except my pants are a little tight around the thighs. Not sure if I will use it now or just wait until after delivery (when I am trying to lose weight).

While at Mothercare, I saw so many adorable things for baby’s nursery – the cots, quilts, blankets etc. But they are not cheap! Again, good if I have unlimited budget. Knowing hubby, we’ll end up buying practical items and not much on every whim and fancy I have…

I gotta start doing up my baby shopping list soon. Time to hit the stores!

Belly Belt

Yesterday I was depressed as I felt I looked big n hideous. The pants I bought was a little too big for me, and the top I wore was a Padini size L (not really maternity clothes lah) and overall I just felt big. So since I was meeting up my friends in Bangsar, I decided to check out online (read: google) if there are any nice maternity shops in Bangsar Village. And that’s how I came across a forum discussing the Belly Belt.

Yes, Belly Belt. It’s a really cool thing to have if your tummy isn’t too big yet to wear those maternity pants with those pouch-like thingy at the top, but your current clothes are getting too tight and uncomfortable that you need to unbutton them, especially when sitting down. So I did a little research (read: google once again) and found out that I can buy them from Mothercare, or online at BabyLoft. I called Mothercare in Midvalley first, found out that the price is RM89 for 3 elastic waistbands, but they’re out of stock now. So I checked online at Babyloft, it’s on discount right now so it costs RM81.21, and if you include shipping (RM6) the total comes up to RM87.21.

I was so excited, I immediately ordered it and made my payment via Maybank2u. I figured that it was easier to get it sent to me rather than going to Midvalley on a weekday. It was the only thing that cheered up my day. And then I called them to confirm my order and inform that I have paid. Guess what? They said they were out of stock! They just ran out of stock on Saturday! And the new stock will only arrive in 2 – 3 weeks’ time. Man, what a day. My mood was really swinging today – from depression to happiness to depression again!

I called Mothercare in Midvalley again, and the very nice girl there offered to find out from other outlets if they still have it. However, she called me back informing that every outlet has run out of stock except the one in Gurney Plaza, Penang. Hmmpphhh! But she said if I really wanted it, they can see if they can get the people at Gurney to send it over to KL. I decided that I needed to sleep on it.

This morning I continued on my hunt for the Belly Belt. I called up all the Mothercare outlets, and as was informed to me – none had stock except Penang. I called up the outlet in Midvalley again and asked if they could send it over from Penang. She said she’ll find out when they will receive the new stock, and she informed me that the new stock should be arriving next week! Phew! So, I just have to be a little patient now.

Babyloft informed me that they should get new stock by next week also, and will inform me when they do. However, since the people at Mothercare Midvalley were so helpful, I plan to go there to purchase it once they get their stock. Hopefully not too late next week!

Anyway I know I have to invest in proper maternity clothes soon. But I hope I can use this Belly Belt for the next month or so, until I am a bit bigger, and until I have found clothes that I like. So far I’ve checked out Sogo and Midvalley and have not found much to my liking. So, this buys me some time to shop. And this would be a good solution after I deliver and before I lose all the extra kgs!

Depressed

Pregnancy is already a difficult time for the mum-to-be, and it sometimes just gets worse! I’m 4 months now, and my clothes are getting too tight. I’m the kind who just loves fitting clothes, so I can kiss them goodbye for now. The shirts that I used to wear (size S mostly) just wraps around the belly snugly, even more after lunch. And the pants – I have to open the button while sitting down!

So I decided that its time to shop for clothes. I checked out on some forums, most people advise to buy normal clothes / babydoll tops in bigger sizes. I did just that. I got a few baby T’s from Hush Puppies as “weekend clothes”. I also managed to get some Padini tops in bigger sizes (I’m now a size L!). And then came the prob of looking for pants. For both weekends and for work.

I can still fit into my jeans since it’s stretchable, but I don’t think it’s advisable to keep wearing them as they do get a little tight around the waist. Lucky for me, Sogo was having Padini Clothings sale recently, and I managed to get a denim skirt and a Capri pants from Miki Maternity – at RM19 each! Those were a real steal! They are the kind that go under the belly, with the extendable portion at the pockets, so they don’t have the “pouch”-like thingy to go over the belly. I really prefer this type of pants as I don’t fancy the pouch, cos you have to wear long tops with them.

So now, I had to look for office wear. Unfortunately for me, I have to wear semi formal clothes to work. I checked out Sogo first (since my office is just next to Sogo) – nothing nice there. Most of them are big and they have HUGE pouches over the belly. So I went to Midvalley over the weekend, thinking that they may have more options as they have some shops selling maternity clothes.

Sigh, it was really depressing, I couldn’t find anything nice, anything stylish, etc. The maternity clothes options in Malaysia just makes me depressed! And they are terribly expensive! I don’t mind buying something expensive if it is nice and will last long, but then again I don’t intend to wear these maternity clothes for very long. No doubt, I still need to wear them for sometime after I deliver, but still, I don’t think its worth paying RM150 – RM190 for a simple pants.

Finally bought 1 black pants (not really slacks material) from Mother Care. Size M was a little fitting around the thighs, so the salesgirl and hubby told me to take size L so that I have room to “grow”. Wore it for the first time today – and I am depressed!! I feel I look big and ugly in it. Really big and bulky! The pants is loose. It won’t go wt any just nice fitting tops. I need to wear equally loose tops to hide the baggy pants. To console me, hubby said “It’s ok, it’s like hip hop fashion, baggy pants!!” Man, that sure does help!!

So, I am in a depressed mood today, and totally have no clue what to wear to work tomorrow, or for the rest of the week!!

Silence

I have been silent for awhile now. All’s well but I just didn’t know what to update yet.

Pregnancy Updates:
I went for ultrasound at 6 weeks where the doc confirmed the pregnancy sac, and for another scan at 8 weeks where she confirmed the heartbeat. It was really a relieve to hear it. Between these 2 weeks, I had put on 2.75kg! Even the doctor told me to watch what I eat as she doesn’t like the mummies to put on too much weight -- it can lead to complications later on. I knew I had put on but I didn’t think that much! I was constantly hungry. Hungry may be an understatement now – I was ravenous! I’d go for lunch and as soon as I got back I was starving again. Hubby asked me to keep snacks at my place and I told him, “When you’re starving, snacks isn’t enough!!”

Anyway, subsequently I watched what I ate. I also started becoming nauseous and was vomiting at times. I think “morning sickness” should be renamed “evening sickness”. I was fine in mornings, and then the nausea would start by mid-day, and in evening I’ll throw up, and at night I was just so tired. Simply exhausted!

At 12 weeks, we went for another scan. This time we can see the baby more clearly. The doctor (in Ipoh) advised me to do the blood test for the First Trimester Screening. I went to FMGC in Jaya One PJ, did a nuchal translucency scan (to determine the fluid thickness at the neck – one of the markers for Down Syndrome) and did a blood test. The scan was ok, and the blood test showed low risk. It was certainly a relieve for us!

Only after that was I confident to tell others that I was pregnant. It was difficult, not sharing the news wt my closest friends, or even my colleagues (who must’ve been wondering why I was always going back early, and looked half-dead in the evenings!), but I had decided to wait until I passed 12 weeks, and so I waited before telling. No doubt, my parents and my sister knew earlier, but the others had to wait til I was ready to tell them.

At the start of 13 weeks I told my closest friends, who were ecstatic for me… And then I also told my colleagues (a few only first), and my mum told my aunts. It’s nice to share this with them.
I am now 15 weeks pregnant. For the past 2 weeks I have been having the worst nausea, vomiting and backache. I really hope I will get over this soon as my best friend’s wedding is in 2 weeks’ time and I need to be well for it.

I’m also in need of new clothes. I read on some forums that it’s cheaper to buy normal clothes in bigger sizes instead of maternity wear. So I went shopping – at one time I was a size S. Now M is tight for me, and L fits if I’m lucky! Man, not just your belly grows but your whole frame does too…. I can still fit into my stretchable jeans though but I figured its time to give it up. I wonder if I will ever be able to wear it again…

I have another check-up wt the doc this weekend. Hope everything goes fine. Am praying for a normal healthy baby, and for me to be able to carry til full-term.

DULL

Today I feel Dull, with a capital D. Just plain dull. I wonder -- they say pregnant women feel lethargic. It’s because we cannot drink coffee!! I think I really need a good cup of steaming hot coffee now. But, I can’t drink it, and I won’t. So, I’ll just remain dull for the rest of the day, and maybe for the next one year plus!!

Went for a checkup last Saturday. I was so hoping the doctor will do a vaginal ultrasound to detect heartbeat. But she didn’t. She did abdominal ultrasound though and confirmed that there is an intra-uterine sac, a.k.a pregnancy sac. Then she told me, “Now we just need to see if the pregnancy is viable… Come back to see me in 2 weeks.”

Man, that’s very stressful. I wonder how some people have the confidence to announce that they are pregnant with just a HPT done. I really wanted a US done as soon as I knew I was pregnant, but none was done for me yet. I feared ectopic pregnancy, but luckily the scan on Sat showed that it’s at the right place. Now I really want to hear the heart beat. Until then, I can’t sleep in peace. I’m having weird dreams; I keep waking up in the middle of the night, etc. I need some reassurance that the baby’s ok.

I read up that an abdominal ultrasound normally shows the heartbeat only at 7-8 weeks of pregnancy. A vaginal ultrasound however can show you the heartbeat (or flutter) at about 5-6 weeks. I am 6 weeks now… So am going to see another doctor in the middle of this week, and really hope the ultrasound will show us something positive.

Til then, I think I’m gonna have some more Milo and just get more sleepy!

Pregnancy & Perks

I still can’t believe that I’m pregnant. On a daily basis, hubby asks me, “How are you?”
I know he means well, and he wants to be part of the pregnancy. But the truth is, I don’t quite feel pregnant yet. I just keep thinking about how big I will become, how my office clothes won’t fit me anymore in a few months’ time, and I won’t be able to wear my favourite jeans also by then! I’m thinking about how I will look when I come in to office, will I be waddling like a duck? Also, what if I get really bad morning sickness and have to stay in the bathroom half the day? I’ll surely get a bad reputation at work!

Well, based on the calculations, I’m 5 weeks pregnant. Well today should be 5 weeks and a few days. I’m a little confused as to what I should be reading – should I refer to articles about being 5 weeks pregnant, or since I’ll be getting into the 6th week, should I look at 6 weeks instead?

Symptoms – there was a time I was hoping for symptoms to give me a clue as to whether I’m pregnant or not. But now, I don’t have many symptoms yet. Some say the nausea will only kick in around 7 to 8 weeks. (Again, do I cross 7 weeks before I look out for it, or should it be from the week I will become 7 weeks pregnant?) In any case, a check with the doctors soon will help to ease my mind as I’m getting a little worried…

Anyway being pregnant has its slight perks. The other day I found a lizard in my bathroom; it came in through the open bathroom window. The 2 things I despise, am afraid of and don’t wanna see are cockroaches and lizards! I was about to take my bath when I saw the lizard running across the ceiling. So I called out to hubby. He comes up with the big brush meant for washing the bathroom, and spends the next 10 mins knocking on the ceiling and walls trying to get the lizard to run out of the bathroom window! He looked like a shepherd trying to get his sheep into line, or someone doing a tribal dance! You think it worked? As if!! After 10 mins and a few times of losing sight of the lizard (followed by more banging of the brush to “scare” it out of hiding), I tell hubby that I’m not gonna shower in there til he gets rid of it. So hubby, who hates killing anything even insects and spiders, had no choice but to kill the lizard. He apologized to the lizard before doing it. I didn’t wanna see how he did it, I just wanted it gone.

I do feel bad, but hey, I am afraid of them. Last thing I want is for it to fall on me when I’m in the shower. So for now, the bathroom windows are shut tight!