week 38 update.

I have just entered my 38th week of pregnancy. Alhamdulillah...

...and I think I just lost my mucus plug.

Menstrual-like cramps accompanied my sleep last night, and when I woke up to prepare sahur at about 0440 hours, I noticed blood-tinged mucus on my pantyliner. TMI, sorry, haha.
I panicked for a bit and woke Mr. Sunshine up, but then continued to prepare our sahur.
We had sardine sandwiches.

I panicked when I realized that I hadn't washed the baby's bedsheet, pillow & bolster cases, so I immediately put them to wash after sahur.
I changed my pantyliner for Subuh prayers and after that, told Mr. Sunshine to get some sleep, just in case I had to go into labour soon.

As for me, I wasn't experiencing any pain, just slight menstrual-like discomfort, but I was sweating out of nervousness, and I couldn't go back to sleep ! I texted Lene to let her know what's going on.

Then at around 0640 hours, I remember that I haven't charged my camera's battery. How to take photos of my baby ?? Haha. So of course, I put my camera battery to charge.

At 0730 hours, I went to the hospital, punched in for work and went straight to the maternity ward. The nurse did a vaginal exam (VE) on me, and told me I wasn't dilated yet. "Baru buka sebesar tip of the finger." was what she said. So I chose to go home first, and was given the day off by my boss. Mr. Sunshine is here with me, he took an emergency leave.

By the way, the VE was an unpleasant experience. Hehe.

So here I am, at home. I've told Daddy, mum in-law, and my best friends and they're all praying for me. :)

Feeling pretty sleepy right now. I've noticed painless irregular contractions, but they could be Braxton Hicks. So I'm just gonna wait until my waterbag ruptures or when I get more frequent (and painful) contractions.
I could be like a fellow blogger, Dina, who had her bloody show last Saturday, yet still no sign of labour progressing until now.

I'm just praying, and waiting.
Pray for me ya ! :)

Ramadhan blessing: Celebrating 13 years of beautiful friendship with my best friend, Akhir. MashaAllah.

xoxo

lizard dreams.

Good morning everyone. :)
It's another beautiful Ramadhan morning !

Since it's just the two of us, sahur for Mr. Sunshine and I have always been simple. I would either fry some rice, fry eggs and sausages or make french toast etc etc.
This morning I made chocolate chip pancakes. :)

Fasting was a bit of a challenge for me yesterday, I felt extremely weak and by the time I got back home from work, I was literally shaking and had to lie down.
What's amazing was that Mini Mel was super active the whole day yesterday.
It's as though she was telling me that she's alright and giving me strength to continue fasting. :)
And that's what I did. Alhamdulillah.

Last night as I was wiping my face before going to bed, a baby lizard jumped on my arms ! I pushed it off and it landed on my towel. I assumed it was there the whole while and I was the one 'invading its territory'. I vigorously shook my towel, but it didn't budge for a good one minute or so. When it finally did, images of it crawling into my ears, nose and other body cavities of mine haunted me.
I had trouble falling asleep !

This morning I hesitated for a bit before touching my towel.
Now that I think about it, I think I'm gonna put it to wash. Hmm.

Mr. Sunshine came home with a surprise yesterday.

A Sweet Cherry SCR7 Carrier Carseat !
Wheee !
He has been scouting for a baby carseat/stroller for quite some time now. :)
Thank you sayang !
Now let's pray our baby will have no problems adjusting to being in the seat. Hehe.

Ramadhan blessing: Still having the energy to go to work and not have gastric attacks. Alhamdulillah.

xoxo

partiality.

Thank you Allah for giving me the strength to fast for the past 6 days.
So far there hasn't been any fainting spells, only occasional dizziness which go away if I sit or lie down.

Yesterday was the last Friday that I had to work before I give birth. No more working on the weekends ! Woohoo !
We welcomed two new Pharmacists to the hospital last week, one Provisionally Registered Pharmacist (PRP) and one Fully Registered Pharmacist (FRP).
Reshuffling of current posts is in the works.
I haven't really figured out how I feel about all the changes.
Hmm.

If all goes well, I'm hoping I get to go back to Gombak for at least one night before heading back to Batu Pahat before my EDD. Daddy agrees that it's a good idea to break the trip into two, so that we can rest in between.
Apart from that, I really want a chance to break fast with Daddy, Marc & Lene, since I didn't have the chance to do so last year. :(

Uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions are quite common these days.
I can only imagine how real contractions feel like.

The weekend's almost over for me, sigh ! Gotta get my mind ready for work tomorrow.
Bye.

Ramadhan blessing: The appreciative smile I get from Mr. Sunshine's when he's stuffed with the food I cook for berbuka.  

xoxo

90/60.

Well, my 1st day of fasting is going ok so far. Alhamdulillah.
It might be due to the fact that I took the day off today.
The real challenge of fasting would be tomorrow.

To start things, thought I'd share a picture of me which Mr. Sunshine took this morning. :)

A sleep-deprived me at 36 weeks and 5 days. :)

I had my weekly antenatal checkup this morning and my blood pressure was on the low side, 90/60mmHg.
It was probably a result of staying up too late last night.
Lack of sleep = exhaustion.

Mr. Sunshine and I had pizza, pasta & chicken wings from Pizza Hut for dinner plus a few slices of Sarawak layer cake for dessert last night, so we decided to just have something to drink for sahur.
I have always been used to not eating and only drinking plain water for sahur, but this morning I had milk, since milk has been my staple breakfast for the past 9 months. :)

I don't usually have dates for sahur or berbuka. But this year, because of how good they are for baby and I, I have vowed to try to incorporate dates into my diet, however distasteful they are to me. :p
Mr. Sunshine bought Chocodates, which are dates covered with chocolate and almonds replacing the seeds of the dates.

I think it's an awesome alternative for people (who don't fancy dates) like me. :)

Oooooh, guess what arrived in the mail yesterday ?

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My post natal set and tummy binder (bengkung) !

Bought from Kak Engku.

After considering online reviews and advice from friends and family, I've opted for the post natal set from Nona Roguy. I don't know whether I'd be able to follow through with the whole set but it's worth a try. :)

These arrived too..

From FabulousMom. :)

And as you can see, I've chosen the Spectra 3 breast pump (with the extra breast shield set for dual pumping). I gave the pump a try last night, it's not as noisy as I had expected it to be. I can't comment on it's milk expression efficiency yet though. Hehe.

Mr Sunshine has disallowed me from cooking, hence I haven't got a clue what we'll be having for berbuka today. I am more than willing to prepare a berbuka meal for us, but I guess not today.

Just a few more hours to go, I can do it !

Ramadhan blessing: Listening to the heartbeat of my baby through a fetal doppler. Subhanallah.

xoxo

week 36 update.

Woah, time sure flies !
Alhamdulillah.

At 9 months pregnant, I am having a hard time keeping my cool. I've gotta admit I am more nervous than excited.

Thanks Google Images !

I have noticed that my belly has dropped slightly, which means that Mini Mel's is slowly making her way down my pelvis.
This must be the reason I have been experiencing persistent menstrual like cramps along with lower back pains. Walking gets slightly uncomfortable at times. I have to adjust to walking at a slower pace than usual. Mr. Sunshine would be happy to hear this because he keeps asking me why I need to walk so fast everyday. Err, I am just a natural 'fast walker' ?

Baby squirms a lot.
Mummy pees a lot.
Haha. Ok, not funny.

I am far from having the burst of energy a.k.a 'nesting instinct' some expectant mums are said to acquire around this time. Instead I feel like I am getting lazier as the days go by. If only I could laze around at home these days. But I know that's just unhealthy and I need to keep moving especially during this last month of pregnancy, and that's what I plan to (try to) do. InshaAllah. :)

Thanks Google Images !

Alhamdulillah so far, my feet and legs are appearing slightly larger than usual but they're not edematous and there are no signs of stretch marks on my belly. YET.
It's either I'm blessed with really thick skin or the fact that I have been religiously applying olive oil on my belly since I found out I was preggers is working.
But then again, I might be speaking too soon.

I don't think we're allowed to have jeweleries on us in the labour room, so instead of waiting until the last minute and risk misplacing them, I have just removed both my engagement and wedding rings. Well, my fingers have also puffed up a bit so it's better that I removed them now rather than having trouble removing them later on.
I just hope they'd still fit me after the delivery. Hehe.

I have more or less one month to go ! InshaAllah.

"There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (Al-Anbya' 21:87)

xoxo

send someone to love me.

Mr Sunshine and I went shopping for baby stuff yesterday after work. Bought a couple more pairs of baby clothes, a baby bathing tub, a bedding set, disposable diapers and a few other necessities.
I was pretty excited and surprisingly energized that there were even times I was the one telling Mr. Sunshine to rest and wait for me while I walked up and down the staircase of the departmental store looking for stuff. But of course he wouldn't leave me to do all that walking on my own. Hehe.
It's no surprise that all that energy I had fizzled just after 2 hours of shopping. Hehe.

There are some other things that I am planning to get before giving birth:
(All images are from Google Images)

1) A breast pump.

As I intend to breastfeed my baby exclusively, I wanted to get a dual pump. But considering the cost, I have decided to go with a single electric pump, the Medela Swing. The only problem or question that I have with a single pump is, will my other breast leak milk while I am pumping ? If it does, then wouldn't it be a total waste ? Should I get a cheaper manual pump to pump both sides ? *pening*

The main reasons that I have chosen Medela Swing is because of its 2 Phase Expression Technology, similar to Freestyle which has garnered so much positive reviews. Plus it can operate on batteries too, which I think would come in handy if I happen to be stuck in a jam or whenever there's a blackout. Hehe.

2) Nursing bras

I've only bought one pair of these so I definitely need more.

3) A nursing pillow. 

I consider this a necessity because I am prone to have back pains and sore arms etc etc. Prevention is always better than cure. :D

I sure hope whatever we have purchased for Mini Mel is enough at least until I finish my confinement period.
Speaking of which, I will be in Batu Pahat after I give birth, InshaAllah. Mum in-law will be taking care of me and baby during my confinement. As much as I want to give birth in KL, near Daddy, Marc and Marlene, it's best that I deliver my baby as near as possible to my in-laws. Hence, Batu Pahat would be the wisest choice.
I've been having my good share of sleepless nights about this. I have never stayed over at my in-laws without Mr. Sunshine and that's something I've gotta prepare myself for because I can't expect Mr. Sunshine to take a whole month's leave to stay with me. He obviously has to go back to work.
Now don't take this the wrong way, my in-laws are great, but being away from Mr Sunshine (and Daddy, Marc & Lene) while I deal with postpartum pain, and the pressures of adjusting to being a new mum is something I am not sure I am capable enough to deal with. :(

I know it's all for the best, for both baby and I.
I hope the one week leave before my EDD will be approved.
I hope I get to go back in time to deliver my baby in Batu Pahat.
Ameen.

But at the end of the day, we can only plan. InshaAllah.


xoxo

out of sorts.

Credits to Google Images.

xoxo

week 32 update.

• Baby's kicks and movements are getting stronger. Alhamdulillah. It occasionally feels like an adult punching me in the tummy. Ouch.
• The doctor told me that my baby's head is already engaged, according to the ultrasound scan she did on me. But she also said there's a possibility of the baby flipping back up. But Mummy's baby is a good girl, isn't she ?
• I am nauseous most of the time. No vomiting so far, just nausea.
• Heartburn and gastrointestinal reflux are two things I need to deal with everyday. I have been trying to avoid spicy food, but am having quite a tough time staying away from chocolates !
• I pee 35646797897787824 times a day. 
• I get breathless easily these days.
• I get tired easily too. Hehe.

Alhamdulillah, I have no major complaints because I know what I am going through is normal for most pregnant women. :)

And oh, I would like to thank those who gave feedback on my hospital bag checklist post. All your comments were very helpful, thank you so much ! ;)

xoxo

our babymoon.

Hello everyone.
It's July !
As we enter the second half of 2011, it's good that we take some time to reflect on how we've spent the past six months, and work on a plan to make the following six months even better !
InshaAllah. :)

Mr. Sunshine and I capped off June by going on a one-night babymoon. :)

A babymoon is a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby. source

Where did we go ?
Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi !

My reviews on the resort ?
The room we got was just ok lah. Not too shabby, but the television reception was terrible, the bed was creaking, and flushing the toilet was a chore for me. It wasn't as chilly as I expected it to be, except when it rained.
In my opinion, the food was overpriced but tasted good lah. 
The surroundings were picturesque ! There wasn't really anything much to do except to enjoy the scenery, just perfect for anyone who just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and relax.
Enough babbling, here are some photos we snapped during our stay. :)

I think this fountain symbolizes fertility. Correct me if I am wrong. :)

Mr. Sunshine posing at the entrance of the resort. :)

Mr. Sunshine checking on the baby. Hehe.

We shared a bowl of chicken soup for dinner.

Along with a large Calzone pizza.

Look at the cheeeeeeeesseeeeeee ! I would like to think that's the culprit which made us fall asleep for three good hours immediately after dinner. Hehe.

Me at breakfast. Don't be fooled by the minute amount of food. I already had Nasi Lemak before that. Hee.

And I washed everything down with a huge slice of yummy bread pudding !

We stopped at the Animal Park on our way back, where we got to feed cute bunnies !

Feeding rabbits is ticklish !

I have just entered my 32nd week of pregnancy ! Alhamdulillah.
Am praying that the next 8 weeks or so will go well, InshaAllah. Ameen. :)

xoxo

she's almost 2 kilos now !

anx·i·e·ty   [ang-zahy-i-tee]
–noun, plural -ties.
1. distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune: He felt anxiety about the possible loss of his job.
2. earnest but tense desire; eagerness: He had a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.
3. Psychiatry . a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder. source

At 30 weeks pregnant, I am plagued with anxiety 24-7.

I am starting have second thoughts about delivering my baby in a government hospital, no thanks to my brief yet traumatizing (haha) maternity ward admission last week.

I doubt I am capable to withstand the pain which comes along with labour. I have a wayyy low pain threshold.
I am afraid that I would not be able to stop myself from screaming in pain and the nurses/doctor would get annoyed and angry at me and I would get depressed and that would lead to me not having enough energy to push and...............................

I am unsure whether I have it in me to be a good mother. I have never been good with babies. I don't even know the proper way to hold a newborn ! *gasps*
Don't get me wrong, I love babies, but I have never actually had to take care of one.

Ok, I should stop over-thinking things.

But these concerns of mine are normal, right ? RIGHHHHTTTTTT ??

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Mr. Sunshine has been away in Kelantan since yesterday and will only be back this Thursday, InshaAllah. As he goes on these work trips pretty often, I have gotten quite used to staying home alone.
This time around, I am slightly nervous, especially because my hospital bag is only halfway ready. We have packed all of the baby's necessities but as far as my essentials are concerned, there are a few more things I need to add in the bag.

Baby's clothes washed and dried. This is just to show how cute and tiny they are !! Hehe.

 My Hospital Bag checklist

Baby's essentials
7 pieces of disposable diapers DONE
2 pairs of rompers DONE
1 pair of long sleeved top & bottom DONE
1 bottle of telon oil DONE
I pack of baby wipes DONE
1 piece of a hooded baby towel DONE
1 piece of a hooded baby blanket DONE
2 sets of mittens & booties DONE
1 set of baby toiletries DONE
1 piece of baby binder (I wonder if I should pack more) DONE
3 pieces of washcloths DONE

Mummy's essentials
2 pairs of blouses -
1 pair of socks DONE
2 pieces of kain batik DONE
3 pieces of nursing bras
1 pack of disposable panties (not too sure whether this will be enough) DONE
Toiletries - cleanser, toothbrush, toothpaste DONE except for my cleanser.
1 Towel DONE
1 pack of maternity pads (I packed my normal sanitary pads) DONE
1 pack of disposable breast pads DONE
1 sweater - I can't fit any of my sweaters anymore ! Haha.
1 instant hijab
Surah Yasin
Antenatal checkup record book

Apparently I should have been done with the packing and the bag should be in the trunk of my car or somewhere near my house door, you know, just in case. *starts to panic*

I should give my back & head a rest right now before I hurt myself.
Goodnight.

xoxo

smelly jackfruit.

I slipped and fell on my butt yesterday morning.

Yes, this is not a joke.
I fell like a smelly jackfruit (nangka busuk). Hah take that, direct translation ! Hehe.

It was actually the second time it had happened within the past 3 months. And both times, it happened at the same spot here at home.
The difference this time is, my back hurt longer than it did before and the pain intensified as the hours passed. As I was also worried about how Mini Mel was doing after the fall, I decided to get myself checked.
I was not bleeding and neither did I have any other sort of discomfort but the doctor told me I had to be admitted for monitoring purposes.
I did not refuse admission this time around because I knew it wasn't only for my sake but for my baby's sake too.

So, I checked into the maternity ward here (at the hospital I am working at) yesterday afternoon. The ward has a strict policy which disallows anyone to accompany the patients in the ward outside visiting hours so that means I was left alone the whole night. Mr. Sunshine got to see me for about 5 minutes yesterday evening because he couldn't get off work early. :(
But Alhamdulillah, everything turned out normal with Mini Mel, my back pain became more bearable, and I was allowed home this morning.
All in all, it was not a pleasant one night's stay (from sweating all night because the fan was too far, to painful looks on the faces of the other patients who were experiencing contractions to the soft screams of women in labour !!), but am extremely grateful that everything's alright. Alhamdulillah.
I honestly take my hats off to the women who could go through all that labour pain ALONE. 
I can cry just at the thought of it !
Boy, am I glad to be home with Mr. Sunshine.

Note to self: Tak payah nak jalan laju-laju sangat lah bila perut dah besar ini !

Let's move on to less despairing updates.
Mr. Sunshine and I made a trip to Kota Bharu, Kelantan last weekend to attend a friend's wedding kenduri. We stayed at Tune Hotel, Kota Bharu which is located just a stone's throw away from KB Mall. The room we got smelled of cigarette despite it being a non-smoking room, but other than that we were pretty pleased with it.
I made a mistake in purchasing 24-hours credit for the air cond & telly, we spent less than half of the time in our room ! Lesson learned.

We did some shopping for baby stuff while we were there, had breakfast with Zana (who's currently working in Hospital Tanah Merah) and paid a visit to my ex-colleague, Ina and her 8-month old daughter. :)

Our King Sized bed.

We were lazy to bring our towels & toiletries so we purchased the towel+toiletries set !

Contents of the toiletries set.

We wasted more than 12 hours credit ! :(

The highlight of our trip for me was of course, KENNY ROGERS !!! :D

At our UiTM mates, Izza & Bob's kenduri. Congrats again you two !! :D

That's all for tonight I guess.
Before I end, I'll leave you all with this.

Goodnight !

xoxo

i need a good eye cream.

It's only Tuesday but I feel as though I have been working non-stop for weeks. Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but I am feeling extremely exhausted !

This is probably to be expected as I am entering my third trimester, Alhamdulillah.
The familiar exhaustion that I had to go through during my first trimester is coming back to haunt me. A good night's sleep is pretty difficult to get these days, not only because of my expanding belly, but also because I need to wake up to pee a few times throughout the whole night.

My tired eyes are making me look so old.

Maybe I shouldn't stay in front of my laptop for too long, eh ?

Ok bye.

xoxo

mr sunshine and i have an announcement to make...

InshaAllah.
Alhamdulillah.
Masha'Allah.
:)

xoxo

sung kang is delicious.

I don't enjoy leaving my blog idle for so long whenever my last post is a negative one.
I feel as though it leaves a bad impression on myself.

I'm doing much better emotionally right now, Alhamdulillah.
Apart from praying, Mr. Sunshine, Akey and my family are a good source of comfort. :)
Mr. Sunshine took me out for an impromptu movie marathon date last Saturday. We watched Kung Fu Panda 2 and Fast Five.
In my opinion, the sequel to Kung Fu Panda was better than the original film. I was laughing like a kid throughout the whole movie ! Baby seemed to be having a blast in my uterus too, kicking, punching and squirming from the beginning to the end of the movie. Haha.
At first I thought he/she was disturbed by all the noise coming from outside but the exact opposite happened when we were watching Fast Five.
Baby behaved really well, only kicked twice as if he/she knew the movie was not suitable for below 18 year-olds. Hehe.

Baby Po is so adorable ! And always hungry (like me, haha) !

Speaking of always being hungry, I found out that my weight had shot up another 3.5 kgs in the span of two weeks (!!!) during my antenatal checkup last Monday.
It's really weird because I weighed myself at home before I went to the checkup, and I was so sure I weighed 1 kilo less than what it showed on the weighing scale at the clinic. Not that it's a major difference, but it's still a difference. :p
Hence, I have to go through another MOGT test next week, get my blood pressure checked every other day again, and get my blood checked for signs of pre-eclampsia. :(
My previous MOGT test came out normal, Alhamdulillah. So far, everything's looking normal, except for my weight !

The doctor did an ultrasound on me to check the baby's estimated weight and the condition/amount of my amniotic fluid. Baby's weighing around 1.3 kilos right now - which is normal for 27 weeks - and there were no abnormalities with my amniotic fluid.

So, what does that leave us with ?
My butt is the sole culprit of my weight gain ! Ok boobs too, but a*** is huger. Hehe.

Moi at 27 weeks. :)

I'm praying I don't end up with gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia or any other complications. Ameen.

I think it's best I give my back a rest already.
Goodnight everyone. :)

xoxo

i am craving for...

Nando's Hot Peri peri Quarter Chicken set. Photo credits to Google Images.

Koryowon's Bulgogi Jungsik.

Carl's Junior's Chili Cheese Fries.

Wondermilk's cupcakes.

Swensen's Frosted Chocolate Malt.

Swensen's Chicken Baked Rice.

Murni's Carbonara pasta. Photo credits to Google Images.

Whisk's Macarons.

Sri Gombak's Spicy Pan Mee. Photo credits to Google Images.

IKEA Meatballs. Photo credits to Google Images.

xoxo