Bakerzin Revival

Regular Bakerzin customer but stop patronizing half a year ago due to yucky Carbonara on the last trip. Give it a try today ... it's a dining option again. Glad it's back, the Strawberry Shortcake has always been to die for.

Gynae Visit - November 2014

This week marks the 26th week of pregnancy. We were excited to see our baby again. Dr Loh produced a 3D imaging this time which kind of freaked us out a bit haha. He described it as "yah right now all will look like alien ..." followed by a light smile. I've truncated the image so readers will not be taken aback by it.

I recalled our parenting lecturer's talk on inverted or low placenta and asked Dr Loh about it. He have a quick and assured ok, so yeah mother and baby are healthy and Meimei can continue to exercise. These days he seems aloft and nonchalant about us. I suppose no news is good news when it coms to pregnancy.

He wasn't too keen though when we asked if the "Bom Bom" sound from Baby-plus would affect our baby. We took his cue and will stop the daily lessons immediately.

Overall it was an uneventful appointment except when we were hearing our baby's heartbeat through the ultrasound. It's always comforting to hear it as it signifies a healthy baby. I've been videoing every ultrasound (when Doc lets me) for keepsake and sharing with family. It's good for reminiscence someday hehe.

Pre-Natal Classes - Week 2 : Pain Relief

This week's topic is on pain relief. This is an important topic for us since Meimei has low tolerance for pain. I think the most common method we've heard of is Epidural, which is an injection of painkillers into the spinal cord to numb the lower body. As the medication delivery is invasive, there is always an underlying fear of complications or side effects like nerve damage. Most articles I've come across on the internet says it is low risk, but I'm still skeptical.

We were shown a video on the various pain relief options such as TENS, Entonox (Meimei calls it the laughing gas), Pethidine, Epidural, Water delivery etc. It's useful to know the variety of pain relief options. I was tickled by the image of a pregnant lady sucking on the mouth piece delivering the Entonox gas. It looks somewhat like a druggy getting her fix!

We had a brief review of week one's topic on food, though I can't recall much of it now. The one thing I did remember, because it was somewhat disgusting, was the discussion on placenta and how some would preserve it to make pills or soup. It's an old chinese medicinal practice but I really can't see Meimei or myself drinking a placenta soup ... Eeeee, just thinking about it makes me want to puke. Thankfully the class didn't dwell too long on this topic.

For the exercise segment, we expanded on the angry cat exercise to extended cat. Meimei didn't take to this since she was already not keen on angry cat to begin with. The activity that Meimei liked though was the basic shoulder & hand rub, which happens to require hubby to administer. Hahah. Her face literally light up and soften as I gently rub her little palms. I can foresee nightly should and hand massages for my dearest honey!

Pre-Natal Classes - Week 1 : Foods

I've been meaning to sign up for parenting classes since the start of the pregnancy. I've envisioned fun sessions with Meimei as we try out the exercises and baby care. I see it as a good couple activity and bonding opportunity. The classes didn't disappoint, with a mix of lectures and exercise workouts. Although there were parts that were boring, the overall experience is worth the expensive course fee. It came up to about $350 for five two-hour sessions.

It is comforting to see that there are many other parents just as 'clueless' as me who have signed up to learn. Surprisingly every dad was there to accompany their wive though I suspect some may not be there willingly *grin judging from the aloofness and silence with their wives. Also a clear tell-tale sign is their long focused attention on their mobile phones rather than the lessons. I, for one, am enjoying the course and taking in as much as I can.

This week is the first sessions so the logistics took a little longer. I like how the lecturer offered her personal mobile number so mothers can Sms her anytime to ask about any pre/post natal queries. I applaud her for that as it really gives mothers a sense of comfort. It takes a truly caring person to offer such follow-on free consultations outside the classroom.

So the sessions are vaguely broken into 2 segments. First is the lecture where she will show us a video, followed by a slide presentation. The other part of the session involves exercises to stretch and soothe the aching muscles.

Food is the topic for the week. It's the usual advice you would hear from your gynaecologist. Avoid raw food, eat lots of fibre and take your vitamins and supplements. Interestingly she mentioned that the omega-3 pills are actually meant for the mother, to lower the risk of post-natal depression. I always thought it was for the baby to help with brain development but glad that it is helping Meimei as well. Other little titbits include her experience with some mothers that cannot take chinese supplements such as ginseng and bird nest.

The lecturer also surveyed the room on the type of foods that mothers like and it seems Meimei's odd craving to laksa is not uncommon. A few mothers shared that they crave for curry, spicy food, maggi mer and even cold drinks. The most regular response though is fried and junk food. Meimei seem to have wean off most of the initial cravings and is back to eating the healthy foods.

The highlight of the sessions, at least for me, are the exercises. I think Meimei needs these badly to help her with her back. And it seems backaches are a common ailment during pregnancy. You can see the increased attention and knowingly nods as the lecturer describes the back pains.

I find the pelvis raise and angry cat to be most useful. Fathers were encouraged to join in the exercises so you get a feel of the muscles stretched and can help your wife with them.

Another key takeaway is the recommendation to use 2 pillows for the head and to put a pillow between the thighs when sleeping. This helps to keep the spine straight as you lie on the side. Amazing how simple things like that can make sleeping easier for Meimei.

I'm looking forward to next week's lesson, especially for more exercises and tips to make the pregnancy as comfortable for Meimei as it can be.

Idiot Drivers - Reversing Without Checking Rearview Mirror

Its been many months since we encountered the lady that reversed into our car in the Vivocity carpark. And that incident prompted me to finally get an in-car camera to catch errant drivers red handed.

Today we encountered another one who reversed into our car. And similar to the lady he had the audacity to claim that there is nothing wrong. He initially said: "There is nothing wrong with your car, you have my car plate right. That's it." And he turned and wanted to go off. He knew he was at fault but wanted to play it down and run off scot-free. Well I wasn't gonna let him off, especially when he was not the least bit remorseful nor apologetic. Not a single 'sorry'. I refuse to let him go and insist that he give me his contact number. I wouldn't have been so persistent if he had been more polite. But his nonchalant attitude and pig face really irked me.

I hope the new amendment to the Road Traffic Act gets passed. Section C includes "drivers will also be responsible to provide their particulars to the owner of any vehicle or structure that is damaged following an accident, even in situations where there is no other person present". This will help to deter idiots like this fella from trying to get away after causing an accident. Ah-pueee! Own a WRX but cannot drive. When it gets passed, he can jolly well run off ... I'll just report it as a hit and run? Good for him!

Of Aching Backs and Kung Fu Kicks

Pregnancy is tough. You are drained both physically and mentally. And it is not something you could just stop or switch off. Once you are in it, you are in for the long haul. I suppose my role as hubby is to help soothe her aches and pains. And if I can help her emotionally, even better.

Backaches

I'll just say straight off I cannot even begin to imagine the physical pains Meimei goes through. As her tummy grows, so do the backaches. I give her a massage every night to loosen her tense back and shoulder muscles to help her get into a comfortable position for sleep. But she is a light sleeper and I'm pretty sure she has been waking up consistently from the aches. I've asked her many times to wake me up for a rub when she feels stiff but she never did, or at least I was unaware if she ever did (I'm a heavy sleeper). I know she tries not to disturb me *kiss she likes to pamper me too. But still ... I would like to have woken up to make her bedtime more bearable.

I'm hoping the next half of the pregnancy isn't going to strain her back any more than it already is. I think her slightly crooked back is compounding the problem. I'm crossing my fingers in hopes that the pregnancy will fix the back. My father-in-law describe that the body and bone movements will help to move the joints and organs back to its original position, kinda like a reset button. I pray she turns out for the better after giving birth.

Kung Fu Kicks

Given the diva our baby is, when she wants something she throws tiny little punches and kicks at Mommy. If Meimei has an early dinner, baby will nudge her when we are close to bedtime and Meimei wouldn't be able to sleep till she has a snack. It happens pretty often, especially 2-3 hours after a meal. I envy the closeness and eternal bond Meimei has with our little one. Meimei keeps me updated on baby's movement so I'm not left out. I really appreciate it, because its something I'll never get to experience, but by telling me about it helps to bring us closer.

I think every husband must appreciate the sacrifice your wife goes through to bring a child into this world. It is as much an engaging process for the hubby and we have a lot to contribute to the journey. I know I have to try harder to read up on the various pregnancy-related stuff so I can contribute more. I just need a big kick up the bottom to get going!

Gynae Visit - October 2014

Today's the standard detailed ultra-sound scan. It's a longer session today  since they were doing the various measurements of the baby, like the diameter of the head, the arc and length of the nose bridge etc. Baby's at 20 weeks now so you can make out whether it's a girl or boy. We already knew but were nonetheless excited and relieved to hear that our baby growing normally and healthy. That's always the news you wanna hear. She was very cooperative during the scan, giving good poses for the ultra-sound. There were couples who entered earlier and took close to 2 hours. Our baby finished her 'catwalk' in 40 minutes :-) She's a diva!

The slight downside of today's visit was that we didn't a chance to have a video of the ultra-sound and hear our baby's heartbeat. The ultra-sound tests were done in a special room on the 4th floor. And when we were at Dr Loh's later, he didn't do one since we already had it earlier.

Since we are now officially into the 2nd trimester, Dr Loh put it plainly with a grin, "Go enjoy your 2nd trimester ah, you can what you want, don't worry. When you come to 3rd trimester then the aches and pains will come."

Woot! So looking forward to next month's visit as always.

Speeding? Stitch? Are You Sure?

I received a summons from the traffic police today saying that I was speeding on the morning of 15th Oct on Upper Change Road East just in front of the Expo. They referred to a lamppost 44 which is just under the overhead bridge. Now the silly thing is that the overhead bridge is just a short distance from the junction. And the light is always red when you turn to the junction from Simei Street.

Google Maps 2014

So it's really hard to believe that I can accelerate with Stitch to go from 0 to 81 kmph in a short 200m (see red line in pic and gauge with the bottom legend). Not sure what the traffic police was smoking that morning but clearly something was faulty with the equipment. I have to drive on the centre lanes these days on the expressway because Stitch no longer has the horsepower to overtake cars on the right ... and to say I was speeding is just plain dumb.

But what can I do? Nothing, this is Singapore. So I'll just have to suck it up and pay the $150 fine and take the 6 Demerit points. Bah ...

Spam Chips at Southwest Tavern

I cannot believe spam can taste this good. Amazing find courtesy of Lao Da.

What's A Good Name For My Girl?

Pokpok's surname is Bxx (masked for privacy). Yes ... Bxx. It's one of those rare and weird surname translated from the original Chinese one, X.

So now that we know it's a girl we can start to shortlist a beautiful name for her. One which we hope she would grow into and love. As I brainstormed, a few other funny ones popped up and tickled me to no end. She would hate me for life if we ever give her any of these. Others just don't sound right with the surname. I think its a big challenge to find any that goes well with Bxx. Hopefully our little girl will like the one we chose for her. There are so many to choose from ... Here is my top picks.

Agnes - This is a toss-up. Agnes is a nice name, think Agnes from the Despicable Me cartoon. I love the name, but ... Agnes B is the name of a fashion accessory brand. So ... KIV for now

Emma - Has a nice string to it, Emma Bxx. Great for a little girl but I wonder if it will suit when she gets older.

Emily - This is my top choice as of writing. Goes well with our surname. I think 3 syllabus names might work better.

Felicia - The few Felicia I've met are very pleasant people. A classy name.

Megan - I find it very lady and refined. Meimei thinks it reminds her of Megan Fox ... So I suppose it's never gonna be this.

Sarah - The name gives me a very homely, obedient girl vibe.

Now, for my top 'No way, please~' name, I present to you ...

Pika or Peeka - This would be just plain mean, straight up. You know how people like to go 'peekabxx!' at a baby to make them laugh? Yeah imagine the horror of being constantly taunted for life *shivers

I'm sure Meimei has a better idea of the right name. She came up with many of the good names here, the goofy ones are mine haha. So which would you pick for Pokpok's daughter?

No Eat, No Kiss, No Sleep

Classic quirky sign at Mandarin Gallery. The sofas look too comfortable to adhere to the sign.

Bombay Masala Appam

Pleasantly surprised with this Indian Appam stall at Changi Terminal 3 food court. Love the sweetness of the brown sugar and coconut mix.

Poulet

Have you tried Poulet before? I'm sure many have, it has outlets in many of the popular shopping mall. It's signature dish is the french roasted chicken in white sauce. Thing is ... I don't find the chicken any special. And having causally asked the people around me, I find everyone has the same opinion. The chicken is dry and bland. The sauce is sweet and a hit or miss depending on your preference for sweetness mixed with salty. I suppose westerners prefer sweetness in their food.

So why am I blogging about it now? Well because I've discovered the good stuff! Ok, the Tiramisu has always been a welcome dessert. Its soft and delicate, great for after meals and you don't get a rich punch of flavour after a full tummy.

So the dish that prompted this post is the .... duck puff pastry pizza. This is part of the new menu. They hit it right on the note on this. It's flaky, light and buttery and complements well with the duck.

I think I'll be back again to try the shredded chicken topping. :-)

Stella at Changi Coast Walk

It was a spur of the moment thing. The haze was gone today so I thought I'll treat Meimei to a nice dinner at Stella. My colleagues introduced me to the place. It's a tranquil restaurant right by the sea. They have an deck built right up to the waterfront so you can  enjoy the beating waves and constant breeze.

I was apprehensive to bring Meimei there at first because of the low ratings and mediocre reviews I've found online of the restaurant. But I thought why not, I'm sure Meimei would like the romantic setting, the quietness and coldness of an evening sea breeze.

As it turns out, the food was pretty alright. We ordered the Cajun Chicken and Fish and Chips. Fish turned out great, love the batter - had just the right amount of crisp. The chicken could use a little more marinating but was still tasty.

The overall experience was a pleasant one. We like the quietness of the place,  no lines to queue, free parking, etc etc. Surely one to patronise again.

Lovely Turkish Fare, Right in Singapore

It's rather odd that I've not blog about Sofra even though I've patronised it many times over the past couple of years. I supposed it's that we usually don't take pictures of the wonderful food we've enjoyed at the restaurant. I put it down to the dim lighting. And I think I like to keep it a 'secret' so we won't see the masses of people flooding the place.

It serves the most delightful chicken and beef/lamb mix. We usually start with a salad plate and sesame bread. The aroma of the bread together with the salad will whet your appetite and draw you into the main course. That is mostly the Doner Kebab rice, which is priced very reasonably at $10 for what is a very lavish plate of meats, cold salad and Turkish fragrant rice. And you will kick yourself if you do not have Kenefe for dessert.

Whenever we are near Suntec, this place always pops up as one of the go-to spots for lunch or dinner. We have yet to be disappointed by the place and we liked it so much we've brought both our set of parents here on separate occasions. Yes, it's a great place for a quiet family gathering. I'm adding this to my recommended YumYum place. :-)