Seven Years
Me and my baby galBaby and I went out for dinner on Sunday evening.
It was our seventh dating anniversary and we thought it would be lovely to get out for a bit of us time.
After all, it has been a few hectic weeks with moving, settling in, having a new baby and Darien's Papa being in hospital. I think we were looking for a bit of a breather. =)
We brought Kate along because she's fully on breast milk and we weren't sure if my parents could cope with all three kids! And she was being such a good baby by sleeping through dinner and the car ride! (I love babies at this stage!)
T'was a good Italian dinner with the mains and desserts as highlights. I was craving for pasta and since I'm a full time milk machine, I am allowed to eat as much carbs as I like! =p
Being a Sunday evening, there were just us and a family having dinner in the restaurant. Which was just perfect in my opinion.
Seven years seem like such a long time but, really, it feels like it has just flown by. We've definitely grown in more ways than one. And love seems to take a deeper meaning than what it felt like in the beginning. =) The funny thing is, you realize that it takes a lot of work to make a relationship work. Love ain't the same without the additional effort.
I love my Hubbi. I think he's been amazing throughout the different points of our time together. Through the good and the bad (and sometimes very bad) he's always been the pillar of my life. Sometimes we disagree on things but, unlike how things are at the beginning, we tend to just let the smaller things go these days. (That's what growing old does to you! =p) I lean on him for most decisions and I know that we are in this for the long term.
He still makes me laugh. (And we do have a weird sense of humor.)
And he gives the best hugs. xx
So 3 beautiful kids later, here we stand.
Happy Anniversary Baby! ♥♥
Labels: Anniversaries, Darien, Kate, Love
Baby Kate - The Birth Story
Kate's birth story was not something that I expected.
I was somewhat hoping that I would deliver somewhere in my 37th week since she is my third baby. But the time came and went and nothing happened. We hit week 39 and still whilst there were some signs of contractions, nothing was really strong enough to warrant a trip to the hospital.
Here is the timeline for the birth.
Friday 23 Oct 09 - So during my visit to the gynae on Week 38 Day 6, she announced that I was actually 3.5cm dilated and that I was actually having contractions whilst she was doing an internal examination.
I was like WHAT? So we can have this baby any time now? But after being strapped onto the CTG, it was quite clear that nothing was going to happen that day.
My gynae did warn that things will go pretty fast after I hit 4cm.
The weekend passed and I didn't feel anything. However, walking around with the notion that you are dilated is quite scary. I was thinking what if my waters break in the middle of the movie? Or if I cannot feel the contractions and then the baby will just drop out of me when I'm walking. Tee hee.
Monday 26 Oct 09 11.26pm - I started feeling the contractions again. This time round, it was quite clear that it was something to be taken a lil bit more seriously as I was feeling it in my hips. I started to time the contractions and it was quite consistent for two hours before it slowly died down. I actually fell asleep so I guess things were heating up but it still wasn't time.
Tuesday 27 Oct 09 6:36am - I was woken up by a massive contraction which kept me up. This was followed by another two hours of rather strong waves of contracting. By this time, I woke the husband up and said, I think we better make a headstart to the hospital.
After making sure that the boys were being looked after, we left for the hospital. But NOT before stopping for breakfast at McD's (because you need to have energy for labouring... )
I called the gynae's clinic and they advised us to go in for a CTG to make sure that it's not a false alarm. Fair enough I thought. So we arrived at about 9:30am. Shortly after, they strapped me onto a CTG machine and it was clear that things were progressing.
A check by Dr K showed that we were 5 cm dilated. She mentioned that my baby head was low and could feel that my water bag was about to burst. I was then told to go to the hospital NOW. It was clear that we were going to have this baby that day.
11:30am - Darien drops me at the reception at Mt A while he went to park the car. I was sent up to the delivery ward. But as soon as the head nurse saw me, she went," Oh dear we don't have a delivery room for you." NOT GOOD. She did panicked for a bit cos we were @ 5cm.
At this point, my husband walked in and he went, "How bout we go back to TMC?"
That was when the nurse went, "Dun worry, we will sort out a delivery room for you." I was then shown to the observation room to be ,yet again, strapped on for monitoring because my gynae stipulated for constant monitoring.
12:05pm - I was told that I could move to an delivery room. The contractions were still quite bearable at this stage. I was then pushed to the room at the end of the aisle. Turned out it was the backup delivery room and it was just tiny.
It was also where I had my "show."
Right after, things got a lil bit more painful and I was just sucking on the gas for my pain.
We tried to press the call button for the nurses but it turned out the button was BROKEN.
So in the midst of my contractions, I had to grit my teeth whilst the administration lady came in with the handyman to FIX the blardy thing. My goodness.
Good thing she was friendly and got me some water and milo or else I would've lost my head at them.
2pm - Doctor K comes by for a visit. I was almost 6cm dilated. It was then when she did the internal examination that she burst my water bag.
Things were starting to heat up cause I was getting quite delirious with the pain. In fact, it got to the point where I was grabbing the rails whilst breathing in the gas.
2:15pm - I was once again told by the really nice nurse that she had a nicer delivery suite for me back at Room 2. And that she would like to MOVE me there. Arghz... By this time I was quite high from the gas and the pain. I remembered that it was the longest journey as she was pushing me in the wheelchair towards the new delivery room.
2:40pm - Things started to moving really quickly. I was given a pethadine jab because I needed something stronger than the gas. And by this time, the Eurasian nurse looking after me, insisted that my gynae be called to return IMMEDIATELY.
2.50pm - Doctor K arrives. She quickly got me in a position to push. After one push, the baby's head was out but I was squirting clots of blood and she knew that it was either my placenta separating OR my uterine scar from my previous c section was bursting. Dramas that I didn't know but my husband remembers oh so vividly. So she got the vacuum out and got me to push again. This time, the lil one came out completely.
After examining the placenta, she said that the cord was quite short and so as the baby descended, she was pulling the placenta and it was separating from the lining, causing it to bleed. Thank God for her quick thinking.
And that was my birth story. I must say that my recovery post birth was rather quick and I was feeling back to normal in a couple days. That said, I think age plays a part. Somehow I feel a lil more fatigued this time round than how I felt after my first two deliveries.
My husband has been amazing throughout this birth. He's the one that kept encouraging me when I was pushing cause I was so high on the gas... it took a lil bit of time for things to get through to my head. Poor baby was witnessing all the horrid parts of child birth as he had to hold my leg up to get me to push. Without him, I think my labour would've been a lot longer.
Baby Kate had a great AGPAR score after her birth and I was just glad that she arrived safe and sound. Despite being moved three times during my delivery, I thought the nurses at Mt A were really warm and decisive at anytime that I interacted with them. =)
Labels: Birth Story, Kate
Thursday Night Rambles
We have had a few busy days since Daddy's been away.
It's always amazing how things fall into place unexpectedly when you are managing the kids solo.
So far, we've been out meeting friends, playing with a friend's dog that just came back from Oz, play dates with other kids and furniture shopping... Buzzi bees we are.
I'm exceptionally thankful that, this time round, we are living back here in Singapore. It really does make a difference when you have a few more extra pairs of hands to help out with the kids, who can be such big bundles of energy. (Especially if you've met my boys... =p)
The kids are at the age where they know that Daddy is away, whether it is for work or other stuff. They've been rather good, really. Playing by themselves. Laughing heaps at silly stuff. And they occasionally say, "I miss Daddy." ♥
The part that I miss about having Darien around? It is the night duties that he does with the boys. He roughs and tumbles with them before bed time every night. And he reads to them. Sings songs with them. Preps their milk. And then sends them to bed.
All these while I have some ME time. =) Bliss...
Anywayz, it's gynae time tomorrow. Time to see the lil miss again.
We are almost at 35 weeks. Gasp! And we are NOT even ready at all!!
Labels: Thots
Come Home Soon!
The husband left for Melbourne last night for a grand time of 12 whole days!!
Our house is finally ready and he's there for the inspection and handover which will occur a week later.
We've finally reached the end of the building chapter and now it's time to just finish some of the outstanding tasks like landscaping and fencing and then we'll decide what we want to do next.
One of the things about being heavily pregnant is the many restrictions that you have to endure when it comes to traveling. I guess carrying an almost 34.5 week bub in utero is a good enough reason to stay put for a while. =)
Plus, I've been feeling the fatigue a whole lot more in the last week so it's almost time for me to put my feet up and rest. But it's gonna be single mummy duties till he gets back and then we will be at the home run for this pregnancy. Scary thoughts!
We've spent a bit of time in separate places this year. More so, this year than any others. Usually, he only spends a day or two in Sydney but it's just been a longer stretch of time nowadays. And strangely, it's become quite a norm to just pick up the pieces of where he's left off when it's just me being here. I think it's a sign that we are all getting used to this traveling business for work. Kids, included.
I miss him when he is gone. Somehow the bed feels a lil empty and a part of your being is drifted somewhere else. Maybe this is what being life partners is, huh?
And the cutest thing that happens EVERY TIME the husband is not home for the night, the kids will ask, "Where is Daddy? How come he's not coming home?"
Sighz... come home soon Hunni. But have a blast in the old hometown!
Labels: Darien, House, Melbourne, Us
Setting up the Nest
With the impending arrival of our third (and potentially last) child, I have been a lil busy (read: obsessive) about preparing her lil nursery. It's gonna be rush rush rush once I get the walls painted in the apartment. =)
Here are some of the products that I found online and really liked:
OEUF SPARROW COT
A simple stylish cot, available in several colors. It is built in Europe and designed by a NY based firm, using environmentally friendly products, it is definitely everything that I look for in a bed for bubs.
If money was of no object, I think I would badger the husband into buying that cot. But alas, that amount spent could pretty much accessorize the rest of the nursery. =)
Oh one last thing to add, the beauty of this cot is that it converts to a toddler bed and thus extends its lifespan. =) Kinda makes it feel like a worthwhile investment, huh?
BELLE and BOO
Looking at the illustrations make me feel that they are just whimsical and magical. They remind me of the old Enid Blyton books that I used to read when I was a wee one.
After much deliberation, I purchased three of her prints and I cannot wait to frame them and mount them on the wall.
by North American Bear
Ok.. not really an item I bought for the baby, I actually bought it for Jakey because he LOVES to rub the corners of any blankie or pillow on his nose. =) Kinda like Linus of Charlie Brown.
It's all of 8 inches long and it's made of ultra soft velour... it is meant to be placed over the newborn's tummy like a security blanket.
Once I saw it, I knew it was perfect for my lil boy!
And I was right! He hasn't let it out of his sight since he got it and it's his number 1 bedtime buddy now.
Seeing how much he loves it, I told the husband that we should buy a backup Baby Cozie just in case this goes into the wash.
Available in a few other assorted characters as well.
Mermaid Mobile by North American Bear
North American Bear makes the loveliest mobiles. Each one of them comes with a specific theme and an accompanying classical tune with it.
I like my baby's mobile to be quite old school so the new remote controlled ones do not cut it for me. =)
So I chose one from the North American Bear's line.
Now I can't wait for the cousin to lug it back from the States so that I can see it!
Alphabet PosterI am toying with the idea of buying the prints and hang it close to the change table. =)
Something for bubba to stare at when she is a lil older and starts to kick around whilst I am changing her stinky diapers.
Isn't it beautiful??
*****
Gosh I think I am spoiling this lil child before she is born. =)
Labels: Nursery, Pregnancy
