I suck as a freelance writer because...

I've neglected this blog for almost a week. *ugghhhh*

How can I promote myself as a writer if I can't even find the time to write on my own blog? Hah!
How uncool is that??!!

Anyway, in my own defense, I've been busy going to and fro between my local clinic and Hospital Taiping for my antenatal checkups. Thankfully, after peeing in so many sample cups and got my blood drawn so many times that the inside of my right elbow seriously resembles a junkie, the specialists at the hospital declared that my renal profile is OK, I don't have UTI or other pregnancy related issues i.e. high blood pressure, gestational diabetes. Syukur, alhamdulillah.

As of this week, I've hit the 37th gestation week. Looks like I'm good to go..you know where..heheh. Unfortunately, I still have a TCA with the ANC specialist at the hospital next week. I truly hope that Baby doesn't decide to enter the world anytime soon. Please, Baby? Wait till we're back at Tok and Wan's house, ok? Pretty please???

I have also completed 2 assignments for a client and currently working on 2 more articles. So far, things are moving along, slowly but assuredly. The dateline is 1st of April but since my EDD is the 4th, I plan to finish these articles at least by next week, before we head home to my parents'. Personally, after reading through the half-finished article No.1, I think I need to do more research. I haven't done that much lately since I've been relying more on whatever comes to mind. This trend cannot continue because my piece (so far) sucks and I intend to rectify that. 

With that in mind, I hope you all can forgive me if I don't update as much later, ok? Heh...

Nite..nite world! 

Boring updates..

Been busy this week.

I've been going back and forth between here and the clinic and the hospital.

More EOD BP and urine tests. Bleeeeeeghhh...

I have to be at Hospital Taiping tomorrow for another follow-up with one of the OB/GYN and get my results from last week's urine test (not sure what it's called but for this test, I had to pee in one test bottle, hold it and pee in another bottle). Then, on the 8th, another TCA with my local doctor here at Bagan Serai's clinic.   

During this pregnancy alone, I've had to go through 4 U/FEME tests. Not that the tests were painful or anything, it's just the tediousness of such visits that gets to me. Hours were wasted waiting to be checked by the nurses and waiting for results from the technicians. But, I shouldn't be complaining, it's for Baby anyway. Luckily, from the results of all these tests, they know that my kidneys are fine and working properly. They are just concerned about the trace amount of blood in my urine.

Plus, I've had 2 assignments to complete and more of the same in the near future. Syukur, alhamdulillah. Guess I'll be busy even during confinement. My only concern about these assignments is whether I'd be well enough to handle them all. I've had my lil' bro go through a simple 'test' of sort to see whether he can be my assistant during my confinement. So far, he's done ok. Hopefully, I can rely more on him for my future projects. 

Well, that's all for now.

Will do that entry I promised soon.

Today...

1. Shahrin, who has the fever since yesterday, is vomiting frequently. This only started earlier this morning. Should I be worried?

2. Today is the last day of EOD BP monitoring. So far, everything looks fine, blood pressure maintained at 110/70 since last week & no more protein in my urine, alhamdulillah. Thursday will be a more thorough check-up plus an ultrasound scan. Can't wait to see Baby again.

3. Last month, my total personal income (money from doing freelance writing) was RM325.00. I've just checked my account heheh.

4. I'm already booked for more writing assignments. Not sure if I can comply during my confinement but they were insistent, so I guess I have to rope in my youngest brother as my hired help :p

5. I didn't sleep last night. AT ALL! Till after Subuh prayer (I know..shouldn't have slept after praying but couldn't help myself any longer)  

6. Ahmad has been surfing & checking out smartphones, BBs and iPhones. Just saying...

List of Baby's items.

I'm only starting to do this today muahahahahahah...

Just started washing a load of cloth nappies plus some newborn PJs for the baby.
Most of the items in our Baby-storage box have been with us for 6 years, starting with Shahrin, handed down to Nazrin and this year, they will belong to Baby.

Baby's items currently available:
1- Nappies (although mostly will be used for swaddling and as towel/wipe since Baby will be wearing diapers)
2- Newborn sized PJ and daytime wear
3- Booties and mittens
4- Barut (binder?) for Baby's tummy
5- Baby blankets
6- 1 baby hat/cap?

Items we may need to buy soon:
1- More caps
2- 2 or 3 pairs of newborn wears
3- Cute receiving blanket (teheheh)
4- Newborn diapers
5- Wet wipes
6- Toiletries

Items I wish we have but not likely to buy:
1- Stroller (never owned one)
2- New baby cot (we do  have one but the boys never used it much so it has become a sort of storage area
     now)

Plus I haven't even prepared a traveling bag for myself just in case I might need to go to the hospital sometime soon (though I'd rather wait till my actual EDD).

Walking zombie much?

This sleeping disorder(?) I'm currently experiencing is totally putting my life out of whack!

Couldn't sleep even if I wanted to till 3-4am then oversleeping till 9-10am.
Shahrin had missed quite a number of schooldays due to my current condition. *sigh*

Then, by mid afternoon (12.30-3pm) I'd crash like the dead, oblivious to the world. I don't even know what goes on during my afternoon nap but I do know that these days, I can count on Ahmad to look after the boys while I sleep the day away. So, it's kind of a give-and-take situation where he'd get to sleep-in till 12.30 while I make sure Shahrin goes to preschool in the morning & Nazrin is fed and bathed. After that, I'd wake Ahmad up to go pick Shahrin up after school and I get the chance to crash while he looks after the boys.

Last night was the worst.

Baby kept moving around so much, I couldn't get comfortable enough to actually fall asleep. *double sigh*

So, this morning I am up with the azan Subuh and still can't get a wink. That's why I'm writing this entry hahah.
Well, looks like it's time for Shahrin to go to school. Better wake him up.

Owh..I forgot, Ahmad told me his bike got a flat tire.
Hmm..better let him send Shahrin to school then.

Toodles!

Yesterday...

Yesterday was spent going from one medical establishment to another.

From early morning to late in the evening. Starting with a visit to Taiping Hospital (the ACN clinic) to see an OB-GYN there at 10am which lasted till 1.30pm. The usual checks were performed; weight, urine test, blood pressure and a little chitchat regarding my past 2 pregnancies.This whole part itself didn't take that long, it's the waiting-outside-in-the-hallway-to-eventually-SEE-the-doctor that took hours. We're used to this situation since the day Shahrin was born, so we took it like a pro. But there are countless others who were constantly complaining and making rude remarks about how slow things are and they're wasting their time there. The usual pain in the butt kind of people who think the world revolves around them *ughhh* 

I mean, come on! Do you really expect the doctors to just rush through every patient just to make the waiting list grow shorter? Would you have liked it if the doctors just do a cursory glance at you and then send you home with a few advice, just because you don't want to waste your time there? But then, whatever. It's not my problem anyway.

So, I digress heheh. All in all, it was the usual kind of waiting with the boys running around with a bunch of other children, making the waiting a bit more interesting since you get to see parents trying to break off fights, pushes (boys will be boys) and overall children-related mayhem. 

When it was FINALLY my turn, I went in and sat down opposite the doctor who is actually 1 year older than I am. How do I know this? He told me himself when he looked at my IC number heheh. We chatted a bit about my past deliveries and the related medical conditions. Then, he got down to business regarding this pregnancy. I have been referred to them since I underwent a C-section for Nazrin's delivery. So, the main concerns about this are:

1- I have tissue-scaring in my womb and my stomach skin. With such scars, the doctor is concerned that during contractions when I am due to deliver Baby, the tissues might be torn apart at the scar area. This could lead to heavy bleeding or hemorrhage, which could be fatal. 

2- Usually, with cases like mine, the doctors would offer the patient a choice between having a normal delivery or go through another C-section. If the patient chooses to try for a normal delivery, she would have around 6-8 hours of trying before matters are taken out of her hands. After this period when she is still unable to deliver the baby, then the doctor would immediately order an operation. This is to prevent the scarred tissues from tearing during prolonged contractions. Unfortunately, as the doctor told me, this situation would mean that future pregnancies would have to be monitored even more closely due to issue #1.

3- In this trimester (in my case, the 3rd trimester, I'm already 8 month along) I should pay close attention to any sudden or intense pain in my abdomen. He said this kind of pain would be different from contractions & that I should not try to 'wait till the pain is gone' or 'try to self-medicate myself' by rubbing oil or something like I did when I had the ectopic pregnancy back in 2007. That kind of pain could indicate that something could be wrong in there & waiting for it to go away could put Baby and myself in danger.    

Apart from that, there were also concerns about protein detected in my urine. Read more about protein in urine here and here. As these articles have stated, this could indicate a bigger problem which is preeclampsia. I've wrote about this condition here. So, the doctor has ordered me to bring some forms to my local clinic for a follow-up on urine test as well as an EOD BP. The EOD BP test is a blood pressure test to be taken every other day, starting on Monday next week. The doctor did told me not to worry to much about this condition as it was never detected before. Hopefully, this condition will go away on its own but I still have to check back with my local clinic for a closer monitoring. 

Then, we had a little 'visit' with Baby, which 1) gave the doctor a shock as Baby kicked just when he placed the 'wand' thingy on my belly and we had a good laugh over it, 2) still unable to determine Baby's gender since we were only presented with the backbone and a few more kicks and 3) a relief to me since Baby is calculated to be in the normal weight range. Alhamdulillah. 

So, after a few more minutes of chatting, we finally settled everything and I was to report myself to the clinic with the forms the doctor gave me. As it was already lunchtime, we headed out to the nearest McDonald for some burgers and ice cream (I've been looking forward for the ice cream heheh). After Zuhur prayer, we rushed back to Bagan Serai and while at the clinic, I had to go through the same routine again. My 2nd urine test for yesterday revealed that I indeed have some protein in my pee. So, as the big doctor's order, I have to be there again next Monday for my first EOD BP, on Wednesday for a second EOD BP and another urine test, on Friday for a 3rd EOD BP and the following week for more follow-ups. 

Well, that about wraps up what happened to me yesterday. Today was spent as leisurely and unproductively as my bulging belly allows heheh. Hopefully tomorrow will be more fruitful as I intend to ask a neighbor here to come and help me clean house. No visitors, please! hehehehe

I think it's settled then...

Ahmad's mom came by yesterday.

She told me today that if I spend my confinement back at my parents house, she's gonna hire people to come and re-floor (put in new layer of cement?) the floor. It's currently non-uniformed and have holes in certain spots.

Well, since she's the owner of this house, guess I'm crashing in at my parents come March.


YAAAYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Couldn't jump myself, so he's doing it for me :D

Gotta break this cycle!!!

Feeling super duper sleepy!
Nothing new there. Been like this since 2 weeks ago.
Can't sleep at night, can't stay awake during the day.
*sigh*

Still have 2 more writing/editing projects to finish by end of this month.
Really have to focus more on my projects and less on this uncomfortable feeling that will not go away till Baby is out.

Heading of to bed now.
Ahmad's up, now it's his turn to watch the boys.
Ibu needs some shut eye.

Bye!!!

3rd trimester update.

Uh uh..

Getting into the 3rd trimester, I seriously feel like being back in the 1st trimester only minus the morning sickness, alhamdulillah.

My baby bump is making it hard for me to bend down, get up and even lie down. My body aches all over and getting comfortable is a chore all on its own. But then again, that's the case with being pregnant, right? Heheh..

I've been busy this past week, thus the absence of any update. Apart from being superslow-mo while doing housechores, I've also been experiencing 'mild' insomnia. Can't sleep at night but majorly sleepy during the day. *sigh* Don't know which one is worse, trying to count sheep at night while cajoling baby to go to sleep or hitting the sack but kept getting "IBUUUU!!!!!" calls from the boys during the day. This situation has affected my brain, causing me to stare at the lappy screen for hours on end, with no progress on work whatsoever. AHahah...

All in all, life goes on as usual around here.

Baby is kicking up a storm these days. Always stretching and kicking and pushing into my gallbladder (seriously, having to pee every 5 minutes is no fun at all when you're like a beached whale...). It is also super active at night, thus the insomnia thing. Even during the day, it'll be dancing around in its amniotic fluid with glee while I just sit and 'try' to relax at the sideline. Sometimes, I can even see my belly moving to Baby's constant movement. And it never fails to amaze me, even after my previous pregnancies, that I have something precious within my womb, to cherish, to love and to nurture when Baby is ready to face the world.

We'll be going to Hospital Taiping next week for my 32 weeks check-up. The reason for this is because of my pregnancy history with the boys; i) Shahrin was premature and weighted only 1.66kg at birth and ii) Nazrin was born via C-sect due to possible fetal distress condition (meconium related). Guess I'll be seeing an OB-GYN there for consultation regarding this pregnancy. Hope everything goes well.

I've talked to my parents about my concerns over Mama's health and they seemed to embrace the idea well. Too well for my liking, in fact. I was kind of hoping that my mom would be adamant about me giving birth at home with her, like the last time. But this time around, they just said that it's up to me to decide and that they will help with the financial end of things if I do give birth and spend my confinement here. They would pay for someone to come and help with household chores and for a midwife to come look after me and Baby. I was actually hoping that they would say, "No, come home to us and we'll take care of you and your children" but it seems that maybe they realized that they too have to rest and take care of their health too.

Ahmad seems happy with this arrangement though since he wouldn't have to travel every week to my parents house like last time. However, I'm still thinking things over, this is not my final decision yet. I still have 1 more month before making my decision.

Oh, speaking of that, I haven't done ANYTHING in preparation for Baby. Ughhh..guess I know what I have to do today..sort out the boys' old baby clothes and nappies and blankets and booties and mittens and and and and......


*sigh*

Dilemma of a pregnant Ibu..

Called my parents this morning. 

Well, actually Nazrin was the one who wanted to call his Wan but I took the opportunity to talk to them too.

My mom is still down with fever...*sad*

They stopped by here the other day, on their trip from back home in Alor Star to Atan's house in Ampang during the Chinese New Year holidays.

Mama got sick on the 2nd day they were back home. Since my parents have been taking care of Atan's new baby at her house for the past month, mama had to clean the month-long abandoned house from top to bottom the moment they arrived. She swept and mopped the floor, dusted the furniture, basically spring cleaning the whole house for the baby's sake. She got sick right after that.

This in itself is not new. My mama has been known to work herself sick all the time, especially when her flock gathers at home for holidays or during family gatherings. She always had to be the one to do everything; cook, clean, do laundries, tidy up mess (which to me is quite pointless when you have just about a dozen kids running around all day) and by the end of the day, she'd be bone tired and eventually get sick. It's not like we don't help her with the chores, it's just that she would always do things MORE than each of us combined. 

So, here's my dilemma. I've been planning to have this baby plus spend my confinement period back home. This was the case when I had Shahrin and Nazrin although I only spent a week at home for confinement when I had Shahrin due to him being born earlier than planned. I had him in Taiping and spent most of my confinement time at the hospital where he's at. With Nazrin, Ahmad sent Shahrin and I back to my parents 1 month early (out of fear that Nazrin could be born early too) and I finished my confinement under my parents watchful eyes. 

We had planned the same thing for this baby too since my mama didn't want me to overwork myself taking care of 2 big boys (we could say that I actually have 3 big 'boys' heheh) and a baby plus the usual house chores. I'm supposed to stay focused on healing myself for at least 40 days (the usual confinement period among Malays) by resting, eating a special diet for new mothers and other herbal medicine. I shouldn't be doing anything strenuous like lifting heavy objects or subjecting myself to cold water too often. Mama doesn't trust Ahmad to help me with my usual jobs around the house thus the reason for my spending time at home after having my babies.

Unfortunately, my youngest sister just gave birth back in October last year and she too spent her confinement with my parents. They took care of the baby, her 1st born and herself while she focused on getting better. These days, they are taking care of the baby since my sister has started going back to work and her Indonesian babysitter has gone home with no news when she's coming back to Malaysia. My parents assured me that by the time I'm ready to deliver, my sister would have hired a new sitter and they would be free to take care of me too. 

Today, knowing that my mama is sick, I'm beginning to doubt the idea of going home for this delivery. My parents have spent almost 4 month looking after my sister and her kids. They ARE getting older; Baba would sometimes be bedridden with gout while Mama always have had problems with her aching joints. If I do spend time with them this coming March till maybe around May, I would be burdening them with 4 additional individuals to look after. 3 kids are not easy to handle especially for older folks. Even I have trouble controlling them and I'm their mother who spends 24/7 with them. I don't know if I can impose on my parents with my flock so soon after they had to look after my sister's flock. If my sister hadn't had her baby first, then it would've been a different story all together.

BUT........

I DO NOT WANT TO HAVE MY CONFINEMENT HERE! due to several emotional issues.

So, what should I do? I'm torn between keeping my parents healthy and my issues. 

UGHHHH....     

    

Errrrrr......

I don't know whether I should be glad/happy/ecstatic or concerned.

It's about Ahmad. He's behaving very peculiar lately. Some of the things he's been doing without my asking:

1- Wash the dishes.
2- Giving the boys bath, wash their poop.
3- Tidy up the house! (this is the most recent one)

and although I know what I know is kind of invading his privacy, he's been;

4- Deleting all the SMSes in his inbox and sent folders.

This last part is what's been bothering me the most. He's never done this before. We've always been open with each other and sometimes he'd read my SMSes and I'd read his. Lately, he deletes everything in his message folders, making me suspicious. Add this to the above items. Wouldn't you feel the same way?

Or maybe it's just my imagination running wild. Maybe it's just because of my pregnancy. I know I have let the house fall apart since getting pregnant. Maybe it's just his way of helping me out (though he'd never do any of these during my last 2 pregnancies) and showing me that he cares.

Malays do have several 'old wives tales' regarding guessing a baby's gender during a pregnancy. I bet everyone around the world have one but I'm kind of lazy to google them. Anyway, when comparing my previous experiences with this one, I can honestly say that it is very different. This time around, I suffered horrible morning sickness and extreme fatigue, which I didn't have with the boys. Everyone keep telling me this one is sure to be a girl because of these differences. So maybe Ahmad's change of attitude has something to do with it too, right? Heheh...wishful thinking on my part.

Anyway, I AM glad that Ahmad's been helping out a lot these days. Makes me love him a little bit more! <3

Relief....

Remember what happened to me 2 weeks ago?
I had such a bad stomach pain, similar to the pain I experienced when I had the ectopic pregnancy.
After seeing the doctor that day, the pain persisted for 3 more days but less intense (or maybe that's just because of the paracetamol he gave me).
Then, the week after that, I had a bout of diarrhea and vomiting, from morning till late at night.
I couldn't keep anything down. The minute I'd finish eating (I couldn't even finish them), I threw up, followed by having to go to the toilet. I wanted to see a doctor that day but Ahmad was busy with something else and I didn't have the energy to drive by myself. So, I just prayed that it was just something I ate the day before and nothing serious.
Luckily, I felt better the next day, so we didn't see the doctor at all.

BUT...

A feeling lingered in me.
Nothing serious, just a fleeting thought.

I  didn't say anything about it to Ahmad.
I was worried about it though.

Fortunately, today, my fear has been lifted. Alhamdulillah!
I went for my routine check at my local clinic and the scan showed that my baby is well and kicking!
What a relief.

Now I am able to write about it.

After the abdominal pain, I googled the symptoms and had a few hits on preeclampsia. I read through them and I learned that:
        i) high blood pressure
        ii) protein in urine
        iii) swelling in the hands, feet or face
        iv) upper abdominal pain or chest pain or back pain
        v) breathlessness

are some of the signs and symptoms of preeclampsia. Although I found these signs worrying, I tried to keep calm since the doctor already told me that it was nothing. But the vomiting and diarrhea made me even more worried. I couldn't shake the feeling of impending doom.

I was worried that my baby has died and I didn't even know it. I googled just now. These came up. It was a scary read. Thank GOD it didn't happen.

De ja vu (sp)?

Last night, just before I fell asleep, I felt a twinge in my right side. Didn't think anything of it because of the obvious reason; sleepy! hehe.

This morning, the pain was still there, a constant stabbing pain. I kept hoping that it would go away, I thought maybe it was just gas (I'm slightly constipated, normal during pregnancy, right?) or it was just stomachache. Nope, I went and passed gas and pooped and the pain is still here.

After about 2 hours, I couldn't take it anymore. So, I woke Ahmad up and we went to the clinic because I kept thinking back to 2007, when I had an ectopic pregnancy. The pain is similar to the one I experienced before and this time around, I do not want to wait 3 days before I see a Doctor.

At the clinic, I had a urine test to check for UTI but the test was cleared. Then, a nurse scanned the baby, which made me totally forgot about my pain, just watching my tiny baby moving around in my womb. Very nearly cried if not for the pain in my right side. She suspected appendicitis, so she referred me to the Doctor. At that point, I didn't really care about the pain anymore since I know that my baby is alright and I don't have to worry about him/her. But I went to see him anyway.

After poking at my side a few times and asked about the laparoscopy I had in 2007, the Doctor told me to come back if I vomit and/or have a fever and if the pain intensified. Finally he sent me home with some painkillers, Paracetamol 500mg, to be exact.

WTH?????

Ughhhhhhh...looks like I'm just gonna have to endure it till whenever............

Pregnancy related issues.

I've been reading Cecily's blog for a long time now and she is an inspiration to me. She writes about anything and everything under the sun. Most especially about her darling daughter, Tori and about the lost of her twins, Zachary and Nicholas.

Apparently, this month she is concentrating on women's health and one of the most important topic that I find interesting to read is about pregnancy related issues. Please go read her article here and here she wrote about issues mothers face after giving birth. Both articles have been eye-opening for me, even now, with my 3rd pregnancy. 

The first issue struck a nerve in me, firstly because next year, in April, I will be facing the same life and death situation faced by all pregnant mothers in this world. Secondly, the stats she presented are terrifying, to think that even with today's medical advances, women still have to face their mortality when they should be celebrating a new life. I've heard stories of friends who experienced horrible birthing situations and I'm sure you have too. I still remember precisely what happened during Shahrin's birth and had even said that I don't ever want to go through it again. Luckily, I had an easy labor with Nazrin though I cheated since I opted for the C-section instead of waiting for normal labor. Apparently he had pooped in the womb (medically known as Meconium Aspiration) while I was only 3cm dilated. The Doc advised us not to wait since it could affect his health, so we agreed to her suggestion. 

As for the second issue, my mom had repeatedly warned me about post partum depression or in Malay "meroyan". She told me not to worry too much about stuff and to ask for help whenever I feel overwhelmed with anything at all. I guess that's why we have 40 days confinement period, where the mother and the newborn are looked after by relatives, especially grandmothers, just so the mother can rest and recover. I do believe this period is necessary, to make sure that someone would always be around just in case the mother IS having PPD or just having a hard time coping with a new baby. That way, she can get the treatment she needs to get better.

Thank you Cecily for the articles. They are truly informative and hopefully will give me more knowledge on how to manage my pregnancy, labor and post-labor situations.  

Back in business...FINALLY!

Hi all,

And peace be upon you to all my muslim friends.

Alhamdulillah, my pregnancy has finally hit the 2nd trimester & I am glad, GLAD! to tell you that I am 70% back to my old self. I don't feel so fatigued all the time, my appetite is almost normal (still feel nauseated when eating but I've managed to keep things down), morning-sickness is bye-bye and I don't sleep 5 times a day anymore. 

During this month's check-up, my weight has gone up 1.4kg! Sadly, I am now officially in the 90~kg region. Bummer. I've always kept my weight in the mid 70~kg all through my 20's (yes, I know, not my ideal weight but at least my weight was consistent back then) but right after my pregnancy with Shahrin and Nazrin, my weight has gone up and up and up and up. *sigh*   

As for the chaos in the house, I've managed to settle some of my more pressing chores by taking the 'divide and conquer' approach. By breaking up a BIG problem into smaller ones, I can honestly say that the house is not looking like a disaster area anymore. Well, not as bad as it was during my 1st trimester, that is.

With the mountain-high clothes, waiting to be folded, I micro-managed them by making 4 piles; mine, Ahmad's, Shahrin's and Nazrin's. Then, I focused on folding one pile at a time, till the pile is finished. Though the process of laundry-folding can never be conclusively finished, since I wash at least 2 loads everyday, I am glad I took this approach as it gave me peace of mind while still keeping me sane. As oppose to trying to fold every piece of clothing in that pile while trying to sort them into their respective drawers, at the same time, by focusing on one pile at a time, I save time and get back on track.   

I did the same with the floor. As soon as I felt fine enough, which was around early last week, I chose one area a day for sweeping. I have at least 3 major areas; bedrooms, kitchen and living room. Thankfully, my sons no longer have blackened soles from running around on dirty floors as I have also managed to mop the floor too. 

I have more updates but right now I have to see to my sons. They're playing outside and Ahmad's not around to watch them.

Toodles!

Into the 2nd trimester...

Yup folks, I'm inching closer to the 2nd trimester of my pregnancy.

Let me tell you, this time around, I feel like a train wreck! The house is a total loss, the laundry is pilling up, luckily I have an 'understanding' husband who buys me lunch and dinner so that I don't have to cook. So, the dishes are not quite the problem. I haven't swept the floor in over a week (HORROR!!!) and my sons have blackened soles from running around on un-mopped floor.

The nausea and the morning sickness are almost over, almost, but I still don't have my appetite back. It's kinda frustrating to eat my favorite food yet unable to savor them the way I always do. Let's not forget the constant hunger. OMG! It never goes away even when I couldn't enjoy my food.

I've also been so tired, lethargic almost, for the past 2 months. Hence the wrecked house. I've been sleeping early, waking up every couple hours or so to pee (I very nearly bought myself diapers for grown-ups, seriously! ) and wake up still feeling as if I haven't slept a wink. Then, I spent all day long either sitting down or laying down.

Hopefully, with the 2nd trimester, I'd feel considerably better and back to my usual self coz I can't live like this anymore!!!! I looked at the piled up clothes with a heavy heart while they beckon me, taunting me to come and fold them up pretty. SIGH.

My offer still stands......

Losing it..

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still feel like i'm gonna lose it!!!!!!

After a long hiatus...

Hi all,

Been feeling under the weather these past months. Must be 1st trimester sickness. Sigh.
I've never been this weak with the boys before. Haven't done much around the house.
Mostly I'd leave things till I absolutely have to do them (read: wash dishes ONLY when we've run out of clean ones, do laundry ONLY when the basket is overflowing, etc).

In a way, this is my excuse for not blogging. Heh. Lame much?

Anybody close by who would like to help me tackle household chores for a bare minimum wage, please give me a call.

Till the 2nd trimester people. Hopefully I'll be more energetic by then. Huhuhu.

Booking completed.

After sending Shahrin off to pre-school this morning, I came back home to a still-sleeping Ahmad and Nazrin. I've told Ahmad that we need to go to the clinic this morning for 'booking' purposes. When he said he didn't want to go, after telling me last night that he would, I got pissed and went ahead without him and Nazrin. At least I wouldn't have to run around after Nazrin at the clinic while waiting for my booking to be processed.

Booking is a procedure that all pregnant ladies have to go through, in order to get the required medical attention throughout their pregnancy. They will be given a pink book that records all their medical complications or pregnancy progress, for the duration of their pregnancy for safe-keeping. They would have to bring this book every time they have an appointment with the Dr. or just a follow-up with the nurses. This pink book is also important during delivery at the hospital. The medical team at the hospital will need to look at the records in that book in order to come up-to-date with the patient's pregnancy status.

So, since this is my third pregnancy and I already have a medical record at our local clinic, my booking was quite simple. For a first-timer, she would have to bring a copy of her husband's IC and their marriage certificate to give to the registration desk. As for my case, I just bring along my old pink book, during my pregnancy with Nazrin and give that to the nurse at the desk.

Then another nurse took me to the clinic's mini-lab to draw my blood. She kept one vial of my blood for HIV status checks while she sent me to the main clinic with another vial for another routine blood screen. The results came back normal for all my blood properties. After that, quite a long wait while yet another nurse prepares my third pink book.

She had to go through quite a long list of pregnancy-related medical conditions, ticking some while dashing others, according to my history. I've been categorized as a 'green-code' patient because
                         1. I have had 2 major operations (pregnancy related; ectopic pregnancy and a C-section for
                             Nazrin),
                         2. A history of premature birth (Shahrin, at 33 weeks)
                         3. Both my boys were born with birth weight of less than 2.5kg
                                        and last but not least
                         4. I weigh more than 80 kg (over-weight) heheh.

As usual, I was given the usual pep talk during pregnancy; don't lift heavy things, eat healthily, eat my vitamins and having lots of rest.

Well, that's all for this visit. Next month I have an appointment with the Dr for a scan.

For now, we're heading out to buy food for Iftar. Bye!!!