Happy Birthday Miss CoCo!

Haha... A little belated, but never mind lah hor! Miss CoCo's birthday was on the 12th September. No, there weren’t any fancy celebrations or cool parties, but it was a nice day anyway. In fact, I started collecting presents one week before the actual birthday! During Char's housewarming party on the 6 Sep, Mao, Zinc, Suv, char passed me my birthday presents.



So nice hor, go to other people's housewarming can receive gifts too! Haha... Thanks for the gifts gals~ I love it...

On the night before my birthday Cobby and I were watching TV. It was just after midnight and I was criticizing how cruel the Janice Dickenson is on her models when suddenly Cobby asked me to switch off the TV. When I did, he sat down on the sofa and started singing me my birthday song! Awww... After the song he showed me what he was hiding behind his back. A jewellery box!



A gorgeous Brilliant Rose diamond ring! He even engraved words on the inside of the ring - So sweet! I was SO HAPPY!!!





Honestly I didn't expect this, I was expecting probably a nice meal and maybe a handphone or wallet or something, so that was a really nice surprise... Thank you Cobby! I love the present!

At around 9 plus the next morning, I was awoken by my handphone ringing away happily in the study room. So I quickly jumped out of bed, found the phone, and the next thing I knew a bunch of screaming and giggling voices greeted me over the phone. "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!" Zinc screamed, followed by a chorus of girls singing me a birthday song.

While they sang away happily I dropped back into bed. The singing was so loud that even Cobby heard it when I lifted the phone slightly away from my face. Haha... I think the main mastermind must be Zinc while Marl and Suv became the poor accomplice. Haha...

But that was really very sweet of them. Thank you ladies, it was a very nice way to wake up. :)

It was a very simple day, we had roti prata for breakfast and dim sum for lunch. Cobby was very happy when I wore the ring out, he likes it as much as I do! After lunch we hung around Causeway Point and I bought myself some presents too!



Cobby had classes that night so we didn't really go anywhere else, but no matter what I wanna go out on Saturday, so, looking forward to it! It was a simple day, spending time with my dear hubby and receiving all the birthday wishes from friends and family. I felt really happy and blessed. Thank you everybody!

Medical Scare

We went for an OSCAR scan on the 7 August, which was a scan to see what the chances of our baby having Down syndrome are. I wasn't too worried as there wasn't any family history, but we went for the check anyway - just in case. So they drew one giant tube of my blood, which I totally hate, and gave baby a high resolution scan.

On the 4 September we went back to Dr Kee for the test results, so I asked for the earliest timing available, which was 9.45am. CRAP! We waited for almost TWO HOURS to see him! I was SO PISSED and FUSTRATED. What's the point of making an appointment right?? Later Cobby asked what's causing the delay and found out that Dr Kee came in an hour late that morning, so all the appointments were delayed. HMPH! ANGRY!

When we finally get to see him, we got some good news and bad news:

Good news: VERY LOW chances of getting Down syndrome *yeah (^^)Y *

Bad news: My blood test showed signs of Thalassemia

I was like, "huh? What’s that?" Before I had time to register, Dr Kee said that he had to draw some blood from me NOW to test for Thalassemia. On one side I was quite shocked at his urgency - So kan cheong till must draw blood himself on the spot? (usually the nurses do it)

On the other hand, I sort of panicked because I absolutely hated to draw blood. My stupid veins are very fine and drawing blood has always been a painful and difficult process for me as well as whoever was doing the drawing. :P

True enough, when Dr Kee saw my arms and my near invisible veins, he said "wah! did they have trouble drawing blood the other time?" So embarrassing..! So he wasted no time and decided to draw the blood from the back of my hand!!!

VERY PAINFUL OK...

FYI got blue-black the next few days...

Dr Kee said that my case is probably Thalassemia minor, which is not so bad, see, I grew up so big and healthy! Since it's inheritary, chances of baby getting it are quite high.

BUT! If Cobby has it too then baby could get Thalassemia Major, which is like, SUPER BAD. Baby would probably need MONTHLY BLOOD TRANSFUSION and would probably have a VERY SHORT LIFE SPAN. So Dr Kee asked Cobby to fax him his recent blood test result so that he can take a look. *CoCo going pale with scary news and blood lost*

How Thalassemia is inherited

When we left sis called me and I told her about the condition. I was still a confused what the hell is that and was a little freaking out. Then she told me not to worry as apparently she and Mom has it too! I feel a little better that I'm not the only one having it, but I was still worried cuz we dunno if Cobby has it or not.

Cobby knew I was super worried, so he quickly found his blood test results when we got home. Looks like his blood test results is normal! YEAH! PHEW~! So we quickly faxed over the report to Dr Kee. Suddenly I can breath better... Sigh~

As we surfed the web for more information, I realised that we should inform my brother of this inheritary blood disorder! It also dawned on me the importance of pre-marital checkups. I was advised to do so by someone, but I always thought that these checkups were for things like, HIV, AIDS, STD, etc. so I thought it's not necessary. I never thought of the possibility that either of us could have inheritary disorders that we didn't know of!

Thankfully Cobby doesn't have the same blood disorder as me. But what if he does? Does that mean I would have to abort my baby and never have a child? I can't imagine the horror... I guess these checkups are a good way to prevent possible pain and suffering of an innocent child.

So, planning to marry Mr Right and having kids? Better go check if the both of you are as compatible biologically as you are emotionally!

Anyway, Dr Kee came back with the results, but this time I was prepared for the news. Surprisingly, he said that the Thalassemia trait was so minimal in my system that they can't really determine if I have Thalassemia minor or I'm just a little anaemic (low blood). So, he prescribed me multi-vitamins with iron in it, then see how lah~

Oh man, the kid is not even out yet and is already causing me so much stress! But we're really glad he/she would be OK. Next check up in October - we'll check if baby is developing normally physically. We'll also find out if baby is a little prince or princess! Exciting!!!!

Baby's very first check up

26 July 2008, Saturday

Whoo Hoo! This morning we went for our very first check-up!

The appointment was at 10am, so we went for a bak chor mee breakfast at Toa Payoh before arriving at Dr Kee’s clinic at 9.50am. Hmm... the number of people waiting to see the doctor was definitely more than I’ve expected. Looking at all the mummies waiting, I think I looked the least pregnant there. Haha…

Like I said, my appointment was at 10am, but by 10.30am I was still waiting for my turn to see the doctor! I wasn’t frustrated, just a little bored. Cobby doesn’t have a problem because he’s got his newspaper – and that’s gonna keep him entertained for hours! So after waiting and waiting, I really cannot tahan anymore! I need to..... Poop.

So I asked the nurse for the directions for the ladies and was met with a disapproving frown. “You want to go to the toilet? But I need your bladder to be full you know!” I just smiled and thought in my head, “Yah but when you gotta poop, you gotta poop woman!” So she gave me the directions and told me strictly that I have to drink lots of water when I get back. When I came back, she really handed me a bottle of water (the mineral water bottle size) and a cup and asked me to finish it! Haha… serious…

At around 11.00am plus, they finally called my name and I got to see Dr Kee. He’s like a jovial grandfather type – grey hair, big squares glasses and a kind smiling face. I feel comfortable with him almost immediately. He patiently gave us a brief introduction and talked about something… Erm… Actually I can’t remember what he talked about because all was forgotten when he said the magic words “OK so now let me examine your baby!”

I climbed onto the examination bed, thinking that he’s going to stick his hands into me. But apparently he’s going to do an ultra sound scan! I asked if Cobby can watch too as he was just as oblivious as I was, still sitting next to the doctor’s table. Dr Kee laughed and exclaimed, “Of course! Of course!” and Cobby quickly came to the examination area.

At first, I just saw some blob of stuff on the screen, but the doc was busy giving instructions to the nurse and taking measurements, so I didn’t know what it was. Finally I asked him, “is that the baby?” and he gave a hearty “Yes that’s your baby!” and started showing me different parts. The head, the spine, the little beating heart and the little hands and feet!

As I stared in amazement, tears of joy just started rolling down my eyes. My baby! It’s real! I’m really having a baby! As the realization hits me, I started sobbing and shaking as I watched the monitor. (And the baby shakes with me too) My baby! Alive and growing inside my belly! All my silly fears melted away as I saw with my own eyes the little life that was inside me. It was like nothing in the whole wide world. I didn’t want it to end, but when the good doctor was sure that everything is fine, he printed my baby’s first photo and ended the session.

Baby's Very First Photo

Sigh, I was a mess! I quickly dried my tears and got up. Did you see our baby? I exclaimed as I hugged Cobby. He was very happy too as his face was all smiles~ After the scan, the Doctor continued to brief us on the tests that we need to take soon and cleared any myths or doubts. When we came out I had to do a urine test, so I went to the ladies to pee on a stick.

It was such an emotional consultation that even while I was peeing, I couldn’t stop crying. It’s kindda funny actually.

Pee on the stick: sob…sob… (have to make sure to aim properly)
Flush toilet: sob…sob…
Wash hands: sob…sob… (Luckily there’s no one in the toilet)

When I came out, Cobby saw my red eyes and immediately came over and gave me a big hug. That broke me down completely and I just cried even louder. Did you see our baby?! I exclaimed as we were hugging and he nodded and smiled. I think he was quite emotional too! After awhile we had to separate in order to give way to a guy as we were sort of blocking the narrow walkway.

We must have looked funny. A couple hugging and sobbing on the walkway, with the woman holding a stick stained with pee. Yah I’m still holding the stick – have to show the nurse mah. So after showing the nurse my pee-stick and paying a scary amount of consultation fee, we left the medical centre and ended our very emotional day. I was so drained that I took a nice LONG nap. What a day to remember~

Mothership : Captain's Log (Part 5)

18 July 2008, Friday

Hmm… it seems like ever since I’ve started taking the Folic Acid and the supplement pills on a daily basis, my nausea feeling has stopped! Coincidence? Or does the pills really helped? I’m thankful anyway!

Went to watch Hancock at Plaza Sing after work today. After dinner, we walked around and passed by this shop selling tiny baby clothes. The girl’s dresses are super cute lor! Aiiiyyyyooooohhhh.... I predict shopping expenses should increase when the baby is out! (Even more if it’s a girl! Hahaha) Cobby got a shock when he saw the prices of the baby prams. Hmm… maybe we can get people to buy for us as baby shower gifts! Haha… sorry lah I very cheapo one!

Later we passed by a maternity apparel shop SPRING, and I tried on a pair of pin-striped pants. Its so comfy loh! 好感動! Finally found a shop that sells not so ugly maternity clothes! Sob...sob...sob...

But it’s not cheap – the pants cost over S$70, so I was hesitating in the dressing room. But then I found out that the pants are actually adjustable! You can actually make the pants looser as your tummy grows! So, satisfied that this could be money well spent, I made the purchase.

My very first maternity pants...

Actually the shop sells many other nice outfits. Some I may consider buying another time? Others… erm… I think I can get cheaper ones at the neighborhood store. I mean, you don’t need Maternity tops really… you just need nice loose tops which can be found like… everywhere!

So there, my very first piece of maternity clothing. Tis the beginning of so much more!



22 July 2008, Tuesday

Called the clinic and finally got to confirm my very first gynae appointment this Saturday! This is my doctor by the way...

WH Kee’s Clinc for Women
339 Thomson Road #04-06
Thomson Medical Centre
Singapore 307677
Tel: 6253 6011
Fax: 6254 0651

Dr Kee Wei Heong
MBBS (Malaya) 1974
MMED - O&G (Singapore) 1980
MRCOG (London) 1980
FAMS (Singapore) 1984

Apparently the e-appointment I made on the Internet last week was totally redundant! The friendly lady from Dr Kee's clinic said that they didn’t even receive the notice! She added that the system was supposed to send all appointment requests to the respective clinics but they didn’t receive anything.

Sigh~ don’t know what’s the point of creating the system…

So lesson of the day is: Don't bother using the E-Appointment for Hospitals - JUST CALL THEM!

Anyway, the nice lady said that I can call them directly for appointments next time. So… countdown to Saturday! Wonder what are they gonna do to me then. Excited!



23 July 2008, Wednesday

I’ve lost count to how long since I’ve had a coffee, and so far, I think I’m coping pretty well! I no longer had the craving or feeling tired without my usual cuppa. Now I’ve replaced my coffee with water, fruit juice, the occasional tea bag and my daily bottle of fresh milk.



Erm, actually I’m a little lactose intolerant, but I found out that my tummy can take it better if I avoid cold milk and drink it slowly. Besides, this is a great way to keep the constipation at bay! Whahaha…

I’m also eating more fruits too even though I’m not a big fan. *PROUD* Wah I’m getting more and healthier! Now to reward myself with some snacks! Heehee…



24 July Thursday, 2008

2 more days till my very first checkup! Feeling kindda nervous. I always have this stupid, irrational fear of, what if this is all a misunderstanding? Maybe come Saturday I would have found out that I wasn’t pregnant in the first place?! After all, the only prove I have so far comes from 2 store-bought pregnancy kits.

What if they were wrong? O_o"

The thought freaks me out abit. Maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to tell the family members before visiting the doctor..? Cobby reassured me that everything is fine and I’m just thinking too much into it. I think I’m just nervous. After all, this is all very new to me.

Anyway, went to my mummy’s place for dinner last night and I finally got to meet up with my brother. So I told him the good news. Its fun watching his emotions played out.

Stage One:
Eye popping expression with the slow and calm “really...? That’s good news..! Then you have to take care of yourself now!”

Stage Two:
News started to seep in more and more and he gets happier and more excited. “Whao! That IS VERY GOOD NEWS!” Then he repeats, “you REALLY have to start taking good care of yourself leh!”

Stage Three:
Mom added some oil to the burning flame by saying “yah, you are going to be an uncle soon!” That’s when he broke into a great hearty laugh and exclaimed “YAH! I'M GOING TO BE AN UNCLE!!!”

Haha… So now, the whole family knows…



25 July 2008, Friday

Today was my last day in the office. Phew~ what a hectic day. Running around the office, doing my clearance, taking pictures and saying farewell to everybody. It seems like there wasn’t enough time to it all! I was accompanying Cobby to a briefing after work, so I had to leave on time, which makes everything even more stressful.

In the evening before I left, I was in the Library with Suv, Marl and Zinc when they sort of cornered me. It was closing time so they closed the doors, off the lights and finally asked me something that they were dying to know for 2 months now...

“Are you PG?” Suv asked. Haha… PG??? Well, since this is only between us few ladies, I told them the truth. YES I AM PREGNANT. So following the news there were much laughing and congratulations and a few “I knew it”.

Zinc even said that she noticed that I didn’t have my menses for 2 months now... O_o

Isn’t it kind of scary how some people are so aware of things happening to OTHER people? Or maybe I’m just a person who is more self centered?! Haha…

After that I requested that they keep the news to themselves, at least until I announced it to the world. So this was a secret between us girls. For now.

Mothership : Captain's Log (IIII)

16 July 2008, Wednesday

I hate constipation!

Oh my god the pregnancy is making me constipated! I always regard constipation as the second worst thing that you can suffer, after fever. So I would rather sit on the "throne" for 1 hour or more just to squeeze out a size of a grape. Better than nothing.

So far my constipation does not last for more than 2 days. (Touch wood) But it’s just so irritating! It happens every other week! So I looked in the Internet for some tips on prevention. This is from www.babycentre.com

Why am I so constipated?

If it's any consolation, constipation is a common problem during pregnancy. One culprit is an increase in the hormone progesterone, which slows the movement of food through your digestive tract. And the problem may be compounded later in pregnancy by the pressure of your growing uterus on your rectum. Iron supplements can make constipation worse.

What can I do about constipation?

Here are some tips for preventing and easing constipation:

• Eat high-fiber foods such as cereals, whole-grain breads, and fresh fruits and vegetables every day. Add a couple of tablespoons of unprocessed wheat bran (available at health food stores) to your cereal in the morning and follow it with a glass of water. (CoCo: Will switch to whole meal bread!)

• Drink plenty of water — at least six to eight glasses a day. A glass of fruit juice every day, especially prune juice, can also be helpful. (CoCo: Check! Stocked up on fruits and juices - not prune juice - I HATE prune juice)

• Exercise regularly. Walking, swimming, riding on a stationary bike, and yoga can all help ease constipation and leave you feeling more fit and healthy. (CoCo: will work on that!)

• Listen to your body. Never put off going to the bathroom when you feel the urge. (CoCo: definitely!)

• Ask your healthcare provider about taking an over-the-counter fiber supplement or switching to an iron supplement with less iron. (CoCo: Erm.. maybe not that serious yet)

Haha... hope I get better soon... this is killing me!



17 July 2008, Thursday

Ok, the news is out. Well, at least to the immediate family members. We usually go back to our parent’s home for dinner on weekdays (Tuesday – Cobby Mum’s place, Wednesday – my mum’s place) so Cobby said that he wanted to tell them the good news!

I’ve been trying to delay it as baby havnt reached 3 months yet, and we havnt even seen a gynea yet. But since its almost 11 weeks, I guess it’s ok. So on Tuesday night, before we dig in at his mom's place, Cobby happily announced that we were having a baby.

Reaction?

Cobby’s mom and sis smiled and said congrats, and things like, “oh that’s great…” Then the dinner topic was all about pregnancy and doctors. About how the other day Cobby’s cousin actually dreamt that I was pregnant. (So accurate? Freaky!)

Funny thing was, Cobby’s mum was constantly bugging us on having a baby soon, and yet when we break the news to her, her reaction was, well, boring. Well, this is her style. I really cannot imagine her jumping up in joy and run around the house screaming “whoo hoo!” But I just thought it would be more fun to have a bigger reaction then that right? Sigh~ anti climax.

The next evening I broke the news to mom & dad before dinner. “mummy, papa, 我们有baby 了!” Wah their expression is priceless. Both faces light up and broke into a wide smile, and we all started to clap and shouted “hooray!” hahaha… my family is so cute.

Later Sis called and Dad told her about the news. When they passed the phone to me she was happy too, but was nagging me on telling them before seeing the doctor to confirm it. Adding that pregnancy less than 3 months is very sensitive. Well, it’s almost 11 weeks anyway, so, no harm right? Hmm… So the news is out, everybody’s happy! Yeah!

Funny Video

I just saw a video at Cruz Teng's blog. Super funny loh!



Power house Gary Cao lost his voice just before starting of a variety show, so his voice sounded Zeng Zhiwei! Good opportunity for the 2 host to bully him! Haha... check out the video here

I Love WALL.E

If you havn't watched this show, GO WATCH IT QUICK!!!!

I think this must be one of the BEST SHOW this year. I was quite skeptical about it at first, I mean, what, robots? But the show really blew me away. It's SO NICE LOH...!

EVERYBODY from 3-100 years old would fall in love with WALL.E. It's funny, cute, romantic, touching and action packed! For a show that doesn't have much conversations, this movie has a great story behind it, perhaps that's what makes it such a good movie, rather then just another mindless cartoon you catch on a weekend.

Other than the lovable WALL.E, the other characters are very interesting and lovable too! I'm trying not to reveal too much about the show, so please for your own sake, go see the movie!



DISNEY's WALL.E

Mothership : Captain's Log (III)

14 July 2008, Monday

That was a fun weekend. YM came over on the morning brother got married, so sis and I decided to let her into the loop as we needed to discuss which doctors to use. After all, YM is a young mummy and she’s the closest to our family.

Again, it’s great that I can confide in her and get useful advice from someone who has experience in this stuff. She even gave me a maternity short skirt! It’s a little loose though, I’ll wear it when I’m bigger. Meanwhile my pants are getting tighter. Phew~ I tried to find some maternity pants that I can wear for work, but so far the ones I’ve seen are a little too casual! Will keep on hunting, or else would have to turn up to work one day in one of my loose shorts. Haha…

Anyway, after an afternoon of calls and discussions, Sis got some recommendations from friends and colleagues. Apparently, they swear by this Dr Kee at Thomson Medical Centre, who, according to them, is nice and gentle and careful and attentive, etc. etc. etc… The problem is… the good doctor is a MAN.

Yah yah, I know what hundreds of women out there must be saying now. “Oh please he’s a doctor…”, “Come on, he’s a professional…”, “He’s probably seen like thousands of vaginas in his career”. I know that he’s a doctor who has seen probably thousands of vaginas before, but I’m an old fashioned girl who married her first boyfriend and is seeing a gynecologist for the first time in my life! So EXCUSE me if I feel weird opening my legs to be examined by a man other then my husband OK?

But after some persuasion and lots of thinking, I have to admit that for medical services, word of mouth is very important. If so many women are singing praises for this doctor and keep going back to him for their second or third delivery, then I guess he must be doing something right. So not wanting to delay any longer, I submitted an e-appointment this morning. If all goes well, I’ll probably go for my first appointment on the 26 July.

It’s funny how some people react to pregnancy news.

Sis called a friend: “Hi P, look I need some recommendation for doctors because my sister is pregnant”

P: GASP...! Your sister is pregnant?! (2 second pause) Oh wait, she’s married. Ok.

I can almost hear her gossip juices flowing just before she remembered that I was married. Duh… so funny right.

Anyway, I’m sad to say sis went back to Hong Kong yesterday afternoon. We went for lunch and sent her off at the airport. It was a little tearful, but I’m comforted by the thought that I’ll be seeing her again in August, which is only a few weeks away.

Meanwhile I have promised to keep her posted on everything, so I’m planning to bring my camera on my first appointment. Just in case we need it.

Oh lastly, Cobby wanted to tell his Mom and sis about the news tomorrow over dinner, so I’ll do the same for my parents this coming Wednesday! Wonder how would they react…

Change topic! Forgot to bring my jacket again to office, so I had to wear The Back-Up. The back up is a frumpy old ugly sweater that is surprisingly warm and snuggly.

I was looking at the mirror in the toilet just now and I realized that the frumpy sweater actually helped to camouflage my baby bump a little! Hey hey! Ugly but useful! All those celebrities trying to hide their baby bump should get an ugly frumpy sweater!! Haha...