A Tribute to The Husband

Its my darling hubby's birthday today! And what better way to commemorate it than to write a tribute to him....Sorry to spoil the market guys, but what can I say, I married a wonderful hubby! My hubby is:

1) A Cleaner

Thank you for cleaning up my mess darling! Of late, the clumsiness quotient has increased as I can no longer see my feet and I somehow keep dropping things. To date, I have dropped the entire ice tray on the floor 4 times in the last month and my poor husband has had to clean up after me everytime.

In fact, before the pregnancy, he was already a super cleaner, washing the dishes, sweeping the floor, hanging the clothes. I have no doubts that he will be a hands on dad when Pipsqueak arrives - what more can a girl ask for?

2) A Good Listener

As most of you know, us girls tell stories with EVERY SINGLE DETAIL, guys just give one liners. So The Husband is always patient to listen to my stories and descriptions of events of the day! And he always patiently listens...without doing the guy thing and giving solutions or drifting off into la la land halfway.

3) Loving and Caring

In our 3.5 years of marriage, I've never been deprived of hugs, cuddles and words of affection and affirmation. He tells me he appreciates me, tucks me into bed every night and gives me a kiss before he leaves home and another when we meet at the end of the day.

4) A great partner

I always say The Husband is an old man in a young body - he has the wisdom far beyond his years and a living testimony to James 1:5 - "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him".

Despite that, he values my input and we talk about things, discuss issues and never have I felt that I had to submit to his leadership in the home grudgingly or "because God commands me to". We've worked on multiple projects together and I couldn't find a better working partner than my Husband.

5) My best friend

I wouldn't choose anyone else to travel round the world with, hang out for coffee, stay up late to chat with or just muck around and do silly things with other than my Husband. We have so much fun together and our marriage feels like a long date that has never ended.

Happy Birthday Darling! You make me thank God for his goodness daily and you are my daily reminder that God loves me more than I can fathom, because He brought you into my life. Looking forward to countless more birthdays together!

Note: Just in case you are wondering why The Husband looks like he's being swallowed by an Anaconda - that's the Snoogle, my pregnancy pillow Mum and Dad bought from the US. He decided to try it out for himself and I had to take a shot.

Week 26 - Pipsqueak's Collection

For a little guy who hasn't taken his first breath nor holds any identity documents, Pipsqueak has been accumulating lots of stuff. I can see why parents tell us that when they travel, half the luggage space is for the kid and the other half are for the parents to share! Our home is being overrun by baby stuff, and most of it, we didn't buy! Decided to post some pics of stuff he's received so far. Disclaimer: For all aunties and uncles who have given stuff so far, please do not be offended if your contribution is not posted, there is just too much stuff and this post will never end! Your gift is very much appreciated! The Avent steam steriliser set is from Esther and Sam.



The Medela Pump in Style is a hand me down from Angeline and will save me heaps of money cos its not cheap!


Car seat is from the Wongs! We had to have a personal lesson in learning how to strap it down to the car and which strap goes where, etc. These baby gadgets are not that easy to figure out.



This Chicco rocker is from Adrian and Jerene - and strangely enough it matches the car seat!






Mum and Dad are visiting from the US and brought a few outfits for Pipsqueak - I've been told this is only a fraction of what they bought, they just couldn't carry all the stuff in their luggage! Check out the matching caps with the outfits.




These socks were bought by me. Yes - for those of you who can't believe at how little the Husband and I have bought, you will know why when you see the amount of stuff we already have!

We went to Church camp this week and had a wonderful time of fellowship, prayer and meeting with God. It was an awesome camp as we prepare for the next lap for our Church and we are truly blessed with godly and balanced leaders. I swam a couple of times and I have definitely grown not just in the belly department but also the rear-end department. I feel as if my bottom has exploded! AAARGH! Major exercise required after Pipsqueak arrives. The other thing we did at camp was eat! Every meal was a buffet and the last weighing of myself showed 50kg, which means I would have gained 9kg so far. And I have 3 more months to full term!

Talking about eating, one of the highlights of camp was of course the Durian Feast! We ordered a total of 180kgs of durian and it was like swarm of locusts descending on the creamy flesh. As I like to say - its a war! And it truly was! I was part of the fray and I received comments that no one has ever seen a pregnant woman walk so fast before. Hey, the little guy wanted to eat, what can I say? (Its the best excuse ever). The strategy is to camp out at the right corner, where the person opening the durian has tried at least one seed and can attest that "hey this is a good one" - then you move in and grab your share. It was quite a sight and for those who've never been to our Durian Feasts before, it can be quite scary.

Pipsqueak is definitely kicking lots more, the kicks to the bladder and rectum can be uncomfortable at times and certain elbow-knee movements are visible to the naked eye, if you happen to look at my belly at the right time.

And another interesting happenning for the week - when Pastor Escobar asked for whoever wanted to accept Christ to raise their hands, Pipsqueak did! I felt him jerk just at that moment - of course, I can't tell if it was a kick but I'm convinced he raised his hand. The Husband found it quite amusing that Pipsqueak would understand the implications of an altar call, but I say hey, let's not underestimate the little guy.

Week 25 - My Shirt is Moving!

Pipsqueak has been getting lots of presents. Aunty Esther and Uncle Sam bought him a steam steriliser to sterilise all his milk bottles and my breast pump parts. Grandpa and grandma just arrived from the US and brought some clothes for him too. Very cute outfits too! Will post pictures of his gifts soon. We also visited Adrian and Jerene who gave us some hand me downs, not to mention the constant stream of hand me downs from colleagues at work like Felicia, Angeline and Jehanne. Thanks to all who have thought of us! Much appreciated.

I saw my shirt move on its own for the first time yesterday and it was weird...I think Pipsqueak was moving around and one of his limbs hit my tummy wall and I saw my shirt move. I stopped my typing at the computer, lifted my shirt to expose my belly and saw a bump move right across. Its strange! I know it will get much more obvious as he grows bigger.

We caught up with some friends over dinner last night and had a great time. Our friend Joy is due in 6 weeks and her belly is the same size as mine! I have 15 more weeks to go! *gulp* I hear the last trimester is EXPONENTIAL in growth, so I'm a bit apprehensive at how much bigger I can possibly grow! It was fun exchanging pregnancy stories and getting pregnancy tips from Joanna, the new Mum! Remin was sharing about his view on breastfeeding, as all the books keep telling you to persevere and to not give up no matter how hard it is. His conclusion is that it must be really difficult if they keep telling you that! Judging from Joanna's horror stories of 4 bouts of mastisis over 2 months, its not as easy as we think! God help me!

It also seems like us first time parents have the same problem - long long checklists and no idea where to start! You spend lots of time in the shop with the list and come out with 3-4 items, but totally exhausted! Neither has any idea what brand or what specific item to buy and whether its really needed.

I did learn from Jerene some useful tips however. One was to rent toys instead of buying them. One such site is http://rent-a-toy.com/shop/index.php - the idea is that kids outgrow their toys and grow tired of them in 2-3 months, so instead of paying full price and buying the toy then having no space to store all the toys they tire of, just rent them! Its delivered to your home and pre-sterilised before each new child uses them.

Talking about shopping online, that's a trend I've spotted with lots of new Mums. They love to shop online! I'm starting to have a clearer idea of how my mobility and ability to shop will be impeded in the coming months and I'll be doing the same!

Seems like my constipation has come back again and the backaches are a daily occurence, but I'm getting used to it and trying to take it all in good spirits. At least I can eat and I feel relatively well. The gynae has advised me to go for 30 minute walks daily, which is hard to maintain! But we will be off to Church camp this week and its in a nice resort in JB, so I hope to do lots of swimming in the pool!

Week 24 - I can't sleep!

We had our 24 week checkup this week, but the ultrasound scan wasn't very clear and I don't think its worth publishing. So I've attached a picture from Babycenter instead - they send me weekly updates on my progress and its really useful. The diagram is a representation of what Pipsqueak looks like now.

The major happening this week is that I got food poisoning. Could not pinpoint what caused it, as everyone else at the same food as me and was fine, but I had 2 days off work to rest. The diarrhoea stopped by the second day but it did take its toll on my body and the GP was right, pregnant women take longer to recover. My legs and arms were aching for 2 days after, and I was easily fatigued. Thank God I'm back to normal now and Pipsqueak is still active, so I don't he had any major issues with the diarrhoea. Was maybe just very noisy for him in the womb with the additional "activity".

Sleeping has become difficult, and for a sleepaholic like me, I never thought I'd say that! Neither side is comfortable, I'm not allowed to sleep on my back as it presses on a major blood vessel that cuts of circulation to the foetus, so I spend the whole night tossing and turning (and not to mention visiting the toilet).

I've been reading this book by Gina Ford called "The New Contented Baby Book". She's a nurse who cares for babies and advocates teaching babies to get into a routine. Instead of demand feeding, she purports that babies need to be guided to learn the difference between day and night, so that they can feed more in the day and sleep more in the night. Parents who get the formula right end up with a happy baby and well rested mummies. Its quite appealing, and we've decided to try out her routine as it does make sense - she says that there are too many tired mummies out there who struggle all day with the baby, only to be awoken the whole night. They end up breaking down, giving up on breastfeeding because they are too tired and putting a strain on the marriage.

We've started our baby shopping, its sale season here so we hope to make some savings, especially before the GST hike. The house is piling up with baby stuff and we've got to find some storage! We've been getting hand me downs and friends and family asking what gifts to buy. For the record - we're not buying any clothes or toys as we've been advised that people give lots - so rattles, clothing, cot mobiles, stroller toys are generally safe to buy. If in doubt - just ask! We'd be glad to give you some ideas!

Week 23 - Hunger Pangs

I've been too afraid to weigh myself lately - I suspect I've put on about 4-5kg in this month alone. That explains why I feel so heavy! And I haven't hit my third trimester yet! Walking up the stairs is a strain, so is bending down and getting up from the floor or other squatting positions. My advice for all those planning to have kids - hit the gym first and build up those leg muscles! You're gonna need them!

The Pipsqueak is kicking a lot more these days and i guess he's getting bigger, so the kicks are more prominent. I saw my belly jump the other day and it was WEIRD! Its like, there's a living thing in my belly and it has a mind of its own! Quite an amazing feeling.

I've also started to feel really hungry when I wake up to go to the loo in the middle of the night. Its such a struggle - to stay up longer and eat something or to go right back to sleep cos I'm so tired! I've resorted to keeping food by my bedside, just in case. But I still can't eat as much as I used to in one meal...indigestion has become a way of life!

We start prenatal classes this week, which will be interesting. I've also started consolidating our list of things to buy - and its a scary list. I don't even know if I need half the stuff on the list, but I'm too "kiasu" to wait and see, so I've been bugging the Husband to start baby shopping with me. For those of you who are not living in Singapore - now is the period of the Great Singapore Sale, where just about every shop slashes their prices. So I figure, its a good time to buy! Plus the Goods and Services Tax ("GST") will be increased by another 2% in July - so we have every incentive to get everything now.

I've also come to the conclusion that there is no point saving money on maternity clothes. I was speaking to Y, another pregnant buddy of mine who's expecting her second child and we agree that we need to look and feel good at this period of time, when you just feel to tired and heavy and bloated. And I hate not having anything to decent to wear on a daily basis, so I hit the shops again this weekend. This green tee and white shorts I'm wearing were this week's purchases. :) The Husband has been good, he didn't react too violently when I shared with him my new pregnancy clothing conclusion. My favourite line of late is "I'm not going to be a frumpy pregnant woman"!