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. :-)

Gynae Visit - September 2014

Since the good news that our baby was a-ok, we have been looking forward to seeing her again at the gynaecologist. I can't express the excitement I have to see our baby. To see her grow takes away all the sacrifices that we have made.

It was nice to see that Dr Loh was relaxed and joking with us. It's a positive sign that our baby is now safe. We can now make out her head, spine, hands and legs. It's truly remarkable and moving to see our baby moving as if she was posing for the ultrasound. She's gonna be a star!

Up, Up & Away!

Meimei had fun drawing balloons today as part of the Sister's entourage activity before the wedding of one of the Nua gang. Meimei has artistic talents.

Paper Flowers

Meimei had friends over for dinner. Pre dinner activity was origami flowers. Very fun and pretty!

Non-Kitty Kitty?

Oh my. What the ... wait ... no it can't be. No ... but they did say it, officially nonetheless. How is Kitty not a Cat??!!! That's like saying Snoopy is not a dog! Oh wait, Peanuts has confirmed Snoopy is a dog.

Ok jokes over, now take it back and let the world go back to normal. Say Kitty is a Cat. And you can go back to earning millions in merchandising. I will continue to queue for McDonalds Kitties. Really ... I'm not buying a little girl dress like a cat. I will buy a cat, not a girl.

*blows mind ... Kitty is a cat, I don't believe this official crap.

Our Baby Girl

We were at the doctors again for the regular monthly checkup a fortnight ago. There was a lining during the scan and doc was not comfortable with it. He recommended that we take the Harmony test. In all that visit costed $1,600. Ouch, expensive but makes more sense for a peace of mind.

So for the next 2 weeks after the appointment we waited anxiously for the test results. The wait and concern was a tiring and taxing time. It didn't help that Meimei was still tired and having her regular 2 hourly meals. Adding on this pressure didn't help her at all.

So it came as an immense relief when the nurse called her to announce the good news. Every results on the test shows 'Low-risk'. Phew!! Also as part of the test, they did some blood work and were able to tell the sex of the baby. It's a girl! YES!! I always wanted a baby girl for my firstborn.

I was secretly guessing that it was a girl. I noticed that Meimei's features are becoming more refined and delicate. Positive signs that the baby's female genes are helping Mummy become even prettier than she already is! Woot! Hahha.

They say daughters tend to stick to Dads. A little sai-nine here and there and any daddy will melt. I really wonder if I can stick to my agreed role as the disciplinarian of the family. A lovely 'problem' to have for any dad. Heh!