Hospital Stay Pictures

2 Weeks Have Passed...

It's impossible to have undisturbed sleep when you have a newborn that requires constant & regular feeding. Before you realised it, 2-3 hours is up & it's time to drag your tired torso up in the wee hours of the morning & feed your little one.

At times, I can feel the hardened lump under my clothes. It's definitely not the best circumstances to dream on. In fact, on the 1st week after Ethan is home, I had a few wierd nightmares. Not to mention the post op pain from the c-section. It took a longer time to subside & I was afraid to rupture the stitches when I suddenly cough cos of the itch in my throat.

Having a helper & my mom in law around is certainly helpful. I am able to catch up on my much needed beauty sleep & rest my aching back & shoulders after Chloe is off to childcare.

My consolation is that Chloe is getting quite comfortable with Ethan's presence now. Pete & I tried to give her the attention she needed. She would ask for didi the first thing she wakes up or when she is home from school.

My only wish is for my confinement to end fast! I never enjoy this stage at all be it now or 3 years ago. I am looking forward to the day I can indulge in some coffee, bubble tea & spicy food :)

Ethan
Day 3


Day 6


After a bath


Day 8


Cute Little Toes


Sucking his fingers

All Ready To Go!

Bags packed, admission letter checked. It's 5am on the morning of 15 May 2010. I am on my way with Pete to TMC.

Hello Ethan, Mummy & Papa are going to see you very soon!

Counting Down to D Day

8 more days. I am slowly getting excited n waiting in anticipation for the arrival of my son Ethan. My son? Suddenly I feel quite emotional & there is a mixture of thoughts in my mind.

First, I am married (kind of late, but better than never? :P), then I have a beautiful girl who is 3 now. I never really imagine to get a son, not that I've always wanted a boy. Just not in my thoughts at all really. Soon, my family is going to be completed & there are many more responsibilities & hurdles I have to overcome in the near future. It's another phase of my life being a 2nd time mummy. It's wonderful feeling.

Although the planned c-section will only be on the 15th, I am already on my maternity leave. With the hectic schedule at work, I just wanted some peace n quiet time for myself, for Chloe before I get too busy with Ethan & for the newly appointed housemaid to get herself acquainted with her job. Not forgetting Pete, we intend to catch another movie before I popped.

My last check up with Doc Wong yesterdy was good. Ethan has grown alot for the past 2 weeks from 2.37kg to 2.9kg! I had actually lost abit of weight to my surprise. Looks like all the food I've been gobbling down recently did have some effect on my little prince :P The only discomfort came from my achy back & buttocks. Strangely, my feet is fine for this pregnancy. No pig trotter legs & water retention. So Pete is spared from the nightly rituals of foot massage he had to do compared to Chloe's time ha!

Surprise gift from Ethan to Chloe

Ethan's Barang

35th Week

It's still best to take a morning slot for my monthly check ups. At least, I dun waste precious time spent sitting at the doc idling away.

During the routine ultrasound scan this morning, I can see Ethan moving his mouth as if he is munching away. This is not the 1st time the scan caught him doing this.

After only 2 wks, he is at 2.37kg today. Perhaps, he is really digesting the durians I had last week! 3 more weeks... this is how long I have to wait to greet my little boy. His birthday is set on 15 May 2010 as I will be going for my c-sect anyway.

I did not shop alot for this second pregnancy possibly due to the fact that boys have less things to buy? :P or that I've already got some neccessities like breast pump, rocker, sterilizer etc either passed down from friends or relatives or from my first pregnancy.

Nevertheless, date set, room booked. I am all set to welcome Ethan to this world for my 4D 3N stay at TMC :)

Pregnancy - 33 weeks

I am due for another appointment with Doc Wong next Tuesday..By then, I should finalised on the date of my c-section. The frequency of my monthly check ups is on a bi-monthly basis now. Ethan is approximately 1.8kg, average size baby I must say.

I am feeling more lethargic especially after work. At times, I feel breathless possibly to the lack of space in my ballooning bulge. The numerous sleepless nights, frequent visits to the toilet somehow made me want Ethan to be born soon yet part of me still wants to spend more time with Chloe before she officially sleeps with aunty wati (my newly engaged housemaid) at night while I take care of little one.

What will happen next in another few months time is still a big question mark in my head. Will I survive the dreaded breastfeeding stage? Will I have painful engorgement like my first pregnancy? Will Chloe be well behaved without my constant supervision or will she get jealous of her newly arrived sibling?

I guess I will only know when the time comes!

Conversation With Chloe

I was patting Chloe during her afternoon nap just now..

Me: Chloe, didi Ethan is coming out soon from mummy's tummy you know?
Chloe: (drinking her milk & nodding her head in agreement)
Me: Do u want to visit mummy & ethan in hospital?
Chloe: Yes & get my sunglasses?
Me: (pretty surprised she still remembers that didi might have a surprise for her) Yes maybe u will really get your surprise
Chloe: Ok i go hospital visit mama, dun scratch your tummy k? doctor will give you injection.

The Search Has Ended...

Finally, after months of debating on which name we like best, we have decided on a name for little brother.

We were torn between naming him Caleb or Ethan. Well, Pete has a preference on Caleb while I prefer Ethan.

Caleb - Of Hebrew origin meaning faith, devotion & Whole hearted.
Ethan - also of Hebrew origin meaning firm & strong.

We have come to a compromise, with me getting the name I like & Pete choosing his Chinese name. Jia Le 家乐 meaning Happy Family.

Pregnancy Update

28 week: At this stage, I am beginning to feel the onslaught of more miserable things to come. This pregnancy is different from my first. From what I can recall, I am still pretty active during this time. Recently, I have been feeling discomfort in my tummy due to the possible braxton hicks contraction. This can happen anytime, when I am at work, or after work. Worst, with the humid & extreme heat these days, I have developed unsightly rash or red bumps on my tummy. They could itch intensely and caused me to scratch incesssantly. Prickly heat powder could help at most for a short 5 mins, after this I am in agony again.

I refrained from perspiring especially at home when my aircon is not on. All I could do are really light chores that dun work up a sweat. The only relief is having the aircon on or the fan blowing at me at full blast.

Sleep was no better. I can wake up in the middle of the night unable to fall asleep again.

Hopefully, when I see Doc Wong in a few days, she could update me on my symptoms n help me alleviate my sufferings!

Monthly Check Up

I am in my 24th week now. How time flies. I've gained about 2.5kg since my last visit one month ago. Baby is of average weight now at 700g. He is an active boy. During the ultrasound scan yesterday, we can see him moving & making sucking movements with his mouth :)

Doctor Wong compared my current weight gain with Chloe's time. I started 3kg heavier. However I've gained less compared to the same period then. Boy I am kinda happy to hear that. I definitely do not want to weigh more than I should before I reach my last trimester!

At this moment, I am beginning to feel the strain especially when I walk too fast or up hill. At times when I am stressed out, I experienced braxton hicks as well. My tummy would get so tight & uncomfortable that I can literally lie down (if i can find a place) & stroked on my tummy nonstop. Only then, would I feel better & relaxed. If not, I would be seen walking with my legs slightly open (yes i think its quite unsightly!) & hugging my bump like holding a heavy watermelon.

Hopefully, I wouldn't experience more of these discomforts that soon.

Choosing A Name ..

It's never easy to select a name for our children. It's surprisingly easy during Chloe's time. I just chose Chloe cos I like it. We borrowed books on baby names but have not really shortlisted any name for #2.

I contemplated with the idea of using 'C' as well but did not really like the ones that are available.

So far, I've got 2 names in my mind namely Colin & Ethan. No special reason just like the name. I've asked Chloe a number of times & each time she giggled & said ETHAN & she even told me she does not like other names. I am not sure if I should get the cue from her or continue searching for more names.

Well..the search continues.. any nice names dun forget to buzz me!

UPDATES:
1) Ethan
2) Caleb

Colin is out :P

Monthy Check up

Nearly missed my appointment today with Doctor Wong. Luckily I read my appointment card in time on the way to work & made it in time for my monthly check up.

I am at 16 weeks today. I've gained an extra 2 kg & baby is now approx 9cm long. All is well except that I have to load up my calcium intake by drinking more milk. I am not a milk lover. It's always a challenge for me to take my minimum 2 glasses supply every day.

During the ultrasound, we managed to see a little something in between baby's legs. So for now, it's 90% accurate. I can't wait for next month's detailed scan to confirm what we saw today so Pete can really jump for joy.

For me, either gender is equally fine with me as I feel I am better able to doll up a girl than a boy. Well...let's see!

Pregnant again...

I've always wanted to lose that extra 3kg or so ever since Chloe is born. My body is not as tone during my gym days. Then, I used to bodycombat for up to 5 times in a week. Now? My days are spent working & coming home to a hyper active girl. The only exercise I do now is screaming my voice hoarse from disciplining my naughty girl whenever she refused behave.

I can stop thinking of losing that flab at least not till No 2 is born. Yes, I am pregnant again & in the beginning of my 2nd trimester. This pregnancy did came as a surprise to me. I did not expect to see the positive sign on the test kit so soon. Nevertheless, at that moment, I do really hope all will be well this round.

So for now, I can bravely reveal my tummy in a bikini without being conscious of my previously flabby tummy :)

Made With Love - Zhu Jiao Chu

Since my D&C procedure 2 weeks ago, my MIL did a mini confinement for me. She would come over during my medical leave for almost an entire week to cook me soup & ginger dishes. Till now, I will still need to nourish my body with stuff like chicken essence & tonic soup.

Yesterday night, I had Zhu Jiao Chu with one hard boil egg. Yummy!

'Pig Trotters Vineger'

It's Over ...

I went for my scheduled appointment with Doc Wong yesterday morning. Before the ultrasound, I was still hoping that baby will grow after I diligently took the hormone tabs. I started to sense something is not quite right when we still couldnt detect baby from the ultrasound. We had to do a V scan again to take a closer look.

Baby grew..but to a mere 1mm from the previous 4.9mm. What I realised soon was that there was no more heart beat..This got my tears flowing immediately while Doc Wong explained to me that baby need to be an even bigger size in order for the pregnancy to progress.

I tried to keep my mind as calm as possible while Doc Wong explained the procedures of the D&C to be done this Friday. I told Chloe before her bedtime that baby is not going to survive in mummy's tummy. I guess she doesn't understand, constantly telling me yes...& smiling innocently at me.

I am on medical leave this week. Hopefully I can take this time to bond more with Chloe n take my mind off work for the time being.

After 2 Years ....

I went for my gynae appointment at ACJ this evening to see Doc Wong. It's been almost 2 years since Chloe was born. We are ready to take on another challenge.

I am about 6 weeks pregnant now according to the scan today instead of the expected 8 weeks which I thought due to the fact that I might have ovulated late.

The ultrasound scan showed that the foetus was only a tiny 4.99mm. It could hardly be detected through the usual tummy scan. The size of the foetus compared to my last mens did not really tally. According to Doc Wong, it's quite small. This remark got me worried for awhile as we could not detect a heartbeat initially. Doc Wong explained that usually when a foetus is small it could be due to the fact that it's not growing well. During conception, the egg that was fertilized might not be that good due to the health state of the mother.

We could only be sure when I go back for a review 2 weeks later. At this moment, all I can hope is that this pregnancy will progress smoothly as my first one.