Baby Xenetia @ 1 Week Old

2 days old Xenetia still at the hospital

                                            Carrying 3 days old Xenetia in my arms

She literally popped out a week ago, on the 17th Aug.

She's officially 1 week old now.

My baby has developed a sense of taste recognition.

She will hungrily suck on to the bottle nipple if she's given milk; pushes her lips forward to push the bottle away when it's plain water.

She has learned to express herself by crying whenever she wets her nappy and immediately stops when she's completely changed into new nappies.

Baby Xenetia has a very sweet smile.

She gave a wide smile today after successfully bullied her grandmother. She managed to stay tight lipped when fed with plain water to cure her hiccup until her grandmother gave up.

Wide awake and wanting to have a chat at 10 days old

Baby Xenetia has her ways of getting what she wants, i.e. through crying out loud.

Even in my womb, she was one restless soul and she still shows the trait after she's out. Her eyes are always rolling and her hands and legs are constantly moving when she's sleeping. At
times, she'll open her eyes.

As a baby, she should be sleeping most of the time, but she can't. She's always awake, with eyes wide open, and very alert to sounds and voices.

However, once being cuddled, she'll immediately dozed off soundly. Babies feel insecure, I think, when she can't sense her parents' or guardian's presence.

She's gained weight and is at a healthy 3.64kg.

Soon, baby, no, NOW!

It's frustrating.

My patience is wearing thin.

We've been trying to persuade her to come out, but...to no avail.

I keep telling myself that she will come out when she's ready, but...I just can't seem to wait any longer.

I wish my labour was over by now.

I wonder if she's too comfortable being inside my womb.

In another week's my due date and I don't like the thought of getting induced.

That's my only concern. It's torturing.

And if my baby don't come out soon, she'll be too big I might need a C-section, which I'm totally against.

She was around 3.3 kg last week and my OB said she was a little too big for my size, which is tiny.

Yes, I'm a tiny pregnant lady and my back hurts so much at times I don't feel like moving around.

It's getting more and more difficult to get up from bed because of my increased weight and bigger baby bum and what's worse is that I have to get up several times throughout the night just to pee.

Arghhh....

I know, I know...I should be enjoying my pregnancy. I did. Now, I just want her to come out and me, over with pregnancy.

I'm anxious to see her and to cuddle her in my arms.

But most importantly, I want a natural birth or vaginal birth or however you might want to call it.

My husband suggested, "You must be stressed out."

What? I'm staying at home, doing so little chores and not working. Am I stressed?

Well, maybe...

Of course I am! I've been getting ready for labour for the past few weeks and I want a holiday!

I desperately need a getaway. Gosh, I'm experiencing pre-labour blues...I don't even know if it's the right term to describe my unstable emotions that just recently emerged.

I'm mostly tired, I guess.

I'll be alright.

I'll get some rest and I'll be fine....

I hope my baby comes out soon...it's OK if she wants to wait till she's ready.

I still love her with all my heart.


XOXOXOXO

Waiting for Delivery!

Here I am with a 34-week-old baby in my womb that's trying to kick herself free from the uterus wall.

From gentle tingles to quite painful ones at this third trimester as her bones, skull and senses are almost perfectly formed.

I swear I feel her hands and legs stretching across my belly many times a day. At times it hurts so much I'll give a gentle scream to distract myself from the pain. Sometimes, I'll negotiate with her to stop hurting me when I'm in the mood.

There's always something new to discover throughout the process of pregnancy and my husband and I put into test our theories. The latest discovery - she'll stop her activities whenever we talk to her (it seems that she can recognise the tone). Each time we stop talking to her, she'll move again. So cute!

The OB reminds me at each appointment to keep count of her movements at least 20 for half a day, and my baby girl is definitely an active one!

Young parents have advised me to have a healthy sleeping pattern as the baby will follow the same pattern when she's out. But I find it so difficult to have a good night sleep lately and I end up getting tired easily during the day. No pillows or bolsters can help me to sleep better. It's almost tortorous.

Appetite has grown tremendously. I eat every 3-4 hours now and after a heavy meal, I'll find myself full up to the neck and it feels so uncomfortable that I wish I could vomit the food out. Indigestion really sucks. I'm now over 56kg (from 44kg before pregnancy).

Also, I find it harder to pass motion even though I eat an apple every morning, which I thought would help relieve constipation. But no. However, it's still OK. Two days of constipation the most.

What have I been doing at home? I'm waiting...waiting for delivery. It's exciting. It's also stressful.

It's getting more difficult to just walk (sluggishly) as the weight is taking its toll on me. I can't stand too long or I'll have a mild backache. I find myself panting more often now and sweating all the time.

My mom told me that this is just the beginning, more is yet to come....(thanks Mom, it helps alot).

As much as I try to be joyful, I just can't at times. Many factors are restraining me from being a Happy Mom, especially the fact that I don't get goodnight sleeps anymore as I wake up 3-4 times just to pee.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining...just sharing. I'm so excited and happy! I've packed my labour hospital bags, two of them - one for me, one for my baby.

My princess Xenetia is arriving in August!

One Restless Soul

by z_l3nG

The Third Trimester

The beginning of the third trimester sees no big changes compared to the second, only a lot more movement inside the womb, mainly caused by my baby girl, and a growing appetite.

She seems to respond exceptionally well to sounds and noises: from scores of people talking in an exhibition hall to a single voice of a stranger in a quiet shop to dog's barking at 4 in the morning.

She's definitely one restless soul.

Last week, after nearly two months of not watching movies on the silver screen, we decided to watch Pirates of the Carribean. We sat at the first fourth or fifth row, which was very close to the screen and the sound was, even to me, deafening that my ears were shouting in pain.

As the movie started, I could feel her moving about, with her fists and strong legs stretching the layer of my belly, and she continued to move for a long time, probably, 5-10 minutes. My husband, who was feeling my belly all the while, said, "Let's leave. I don't want to take the risk."

Oh, how sweet...he wouldn't let his baby go through the torment. So, we paid RM20 for a 15-minute movie, including advertisements. No more movies!

Lately, I've switched to watching Disney channel. When the animated cartoons sing songs, she'll start to dance inside. She really likes listening to songs, even Elvis Presley's 'Love Me Tender', which I play every night on my IPhone.

When she's not moving, most probably resting, I'll gently call her, "Baby, my baby girl..." and she'll surely respond with a kick or a punch.

Good girl!

Last night, when she was resting, I disturbed her by calling her again (this time abit louder) and she responded with one strong thud! Both me and my husband jumped. She must be so annoyed.

She moves a lot, and I mean A LOT.

Still, I have yet to identify which body parts are moving.

Last Friday, we went to the OB for a check-up and ultrasound.

We saw her face! Oh, yes, we were overly excited.

Her eyes were closed, for sure, her nose a bit pointy and her lips, mmm....definitely not pouty.

When I saw her heart pumping in the rib cage, I just couldn't believe my eyes. It was the first time ever I had seen such an image so clearly.

The OB was a bit frustrated because he couldn't get a clear, proper ultrasound pic of the foetus. When it was clear for capturing, she moved. So, we left empty-handed. No ultrasound pic.

Also, the placenta was too close to her, she was boxing and kicking it. Poor baby. She's in need of more space, but nothing can be done to the position of the placenta, which is still quite low.

I hope you, my baby, will get more comfortable as time goes by...

That's all for now!

Entering the 3rd trimester

"How many months now?"

I get that a lot nowadays, which I didn't get during my first trimester - the attention.

Clearly, my baby bump's got bigger, much bigger and rounder now.

And because my unborn child has grown in size, I often experience backaches and even sitting up straight causes discomfort to my back.

I need pillows, more pillows the better. Soft ones of course.

Shopping was THE thing to do but now, I have to take a 10 to 15 min break (to sit down) almost after every hour of sluggish stroll in the mall.

This favourite activity of mine  - shopping - hasn't been that fun lately.

I get tired easily. Backache is the main issue here.

Despite not having that much fun walking around the huge malls in KL, I have, subconsciously, developed an impulse shopping disorder.

And this is recent.

I just HAVE to buy something every single week to fulfil my shopping desire and it makes me feel very happy.

I wonder if it's hormonal-related or a feel-good therapy.

But one thing's for sure - it's definitely a guilty pleasure. I'm a shopacholic.

Thus, I've entrusted my husband with a very important duty -  to control this disorder of mine.

But it's not helping much as he's just too nice, too kind to restrict me.

He'd swallow the word 'no' each time I gave him the "puss in boots cute eyes" look and asked, "Can I buy this?"

The "look" always works.

Besides this disorder, I'm also having sharp pains in my head (also called headaches) which comes and go quite frequently.

I don't want to take aspirin.

So, I just drink plenty of water and 100 Plus in the hopes of curing it.

It's working, I think.

The headaches are slowly fading.

Thank goodness.

Oh, my baby girl that's inside my belly, is constantly kicking and punching and somersaulting.

Her movements are more distinctive, which means, I can distinguish her movements from my bowel movements.

She's an athlete.

She always, always kicks me to indicate that she needs food because after a minute or two, I will start to feel hungry.

She can already express herself! Marvellous.

Oh, she's communicating with me now...and it means, I need to fill my stomach right away.

Still enjoying my pregnancy...:)

Cititel Penang

by z_l3nG


Georgetown Penang

Windy and sunny




Let me start off by saying:

"Cititel Georgetown in Penang is not a fabulous hotel to stay, but it's definitely value for money."

If you're like me, a Penang food junkie, but not at all crazy about the gorgeous hotels along Batu Ferringhi, take my word - go Cititel.

They always offer better rates and the rooms are not bad.

Yes, you can find cheaper room rates in Georgetown only if you don't mind the condition of the rooms and hotel service.

For instance, I stayed at Hotel Malaysia years ago and if I remember correctly, the room rate was RM100, oh yes, very cheap indeed, but the room was old and dull and the sheets weren't clean.

Also, the room smelt funny and you don't get complimentary bottles of mineral water.

They may have upgraded the rooms now. I don't know, but one thing's for sure - I ain't going back there.

So far, I find that Cititel is one of the more decent and affordable hotels around Georgetown.

What I like about this hotel is its strategic location.

You can get anywhere easily, by bus, cab or three-wheeled vehicle known as trishaws. Who needs free hotel breakfast when you can get food just across the street and right next to the hotel?

If you decide to take a ride on a trishaw, don't accept their first offer. Bargain. You can at least get 20% - 30% discount.

Georgetown now offers free shuttle bus around the city and to major attractions in Georgetown and the good news is, the bus stop is just right across Cititel, which is in front of a parking lot.



OK, let's look at some photos of Cititel's standard room:

This isn't a fancy and modern room, but decent and clean. The bed's quite comfy too.

There's no LCD TV in a standard room, but quite a few channels to choose from though.

The light at the dressing table is dim, so can't get a good look at the make-up. Solution: Open the curtains to get natural light in.

Who says you can't get a seaview room in Georgetown? Ok, who am I kiddin'? But, hey, you can get a glimpse of the sea...not bad, huh?


----------------------------------------------------------------------------------



Cititel Lobby

Before booking, try finding other websites like marimari.com or hotels.com to compare room rates.

For local hotels, I usually book through marimari.com. For last minute reservation, try latestay.com.

They're reliable and efficient.




Cititel info as follows:

Add: 66, Jalan Penang, 10000 Penang, Malaysia


Tel: 604-370 1188

Reservations: 1800-38-3388

Email: info@cititelpenang.com

Mine's a Princess

It's official. It's a girl.

"There's nothing in between the legs," said the OB (short for obstetrician) last Saturday. "No male thing."

I had a laugh in my heart. Why couldn't he just say, 'there's no penis?'

Conservative still, I think. Or could it be too tiny to be called a penis?

I don't know.

So I'm having a baby girl in August.

I remember having this conversation with my husband, sometime last year, pointing out that most of our friends had baby girls.

The statistic was, 5 out of 6.

It was like a pandemic.

In the corner of my mind, I thought it's time a boy comes into the picture, and that I would be the one who beat the odds.

Turns out, Nope. I'm in THE statistic as well.

Don't get me wrong. I'm absolutely OK with any gender.

A girl. It should be fun. It's like dressing up a Barbie doll, you know.

I get to dress her up in different style everyday; short skirts with leggings, blouse with short pants, mini dress with a matching headband and so on...whoa, I can go on for days just thinking of the many fashion for my baby girl.

First child, a daughter is good. A girl always takes care of her siblings and is so loving and caring.

Oh, and fathers just have that special bond with their daughters, just like mothers with their sons.

So, it's a good thing.

As aforementioned, I went to see my OB just last Saturday, again, a week earlier than the appointment set last month.

When the nurse asked why we were early, we told her, "Oh, we're busy next week."

That was a lie. The truth was, I couldn't wait for another week to see my baby on the screen.

It's become an addiction.

I wanted to know if my baby's doing fine inside the uterus and if she's comfortable.

The gender of the foetus was supposed to be revealed to me and my husband last month, but my baby was all curled up, hugging itself, probably sleeping.

So there was no way for my OB to get a clear picture of the foetus.

Last week, we couldn't get a clear shot of her either.

She was so restless and vigorous. Both her legs were stretched out, long and straight, and in another milisecond, she was in a crawling position, with her hips up.

There was never a moment where she was still in one position.

But, it was a sign of good health.

Her heart, to my amazement, was pumping so fast and hard, at more than 150beats per second!

It was something new to me.

It was very exciting.

I guess the thing that gets me up early in the morning (which I usually don't) on each doctor appointment was the thought of seeing the growing baby inside me. Each time is just different; so many changes in only a month.

I get tickled once in a while everyday because she's moving alot!

It feels out of this world.

And I can say, I'm loving it!



- 20 weeks + into pregnancy -


Source:
Images from Google