The saviour of my dry lips...

Cold winter months...I have dry and chapped lips. My old lip balm does not seem to do a good job this time. I need a new product, to have fantastic result and won't burn my pocket! Today, I went to the local Boots and bought a lip butter. It is only £2.49!!!!! I tried it, I only applied it twice within 3 hours, and my lips are now so smooth and it tastes so good. It has the scent of dark chocolate and peppermint. For me, it smells just like After Eight! Yummy! I love it. It is really amazing and how can I not share this with all those who suffer dry and chapped lips?

I always love Palmer's cocoa butter products. I have been using cocoa butter for many years now, and with a growing baby bump, cocoa butter is such a pampering product. It smells so good on me, it also protects me from stretchmarks. I started using cocoa butter during my first trimester. Now, at 30 weeks and 5 days pregnant, I have not seen any marks, I have a baby smooth baby bump that I am so proud of, even my midwife is awed. May be it is my gradual weight gain, with the help of cocoa butter at least two times a day, I pray hard that I will not develop stretch mark throughout this pregnancy, high hope!

I want one of these...

Sugar and I went to Selfridges and been looking around for some Christmas bargain...Then I saw this nice baby changing bag and I thought it looks really cool. Sugar said it looks nice on me too. There are pink and baby blue ones, but i have fallen in love with this grey one....Oh, darling!


This will be my perfect Christmas present, ever! Drooling...

Cooking for two...

Ever since my maternity leave starts, I am throughly enjoying my time staying at home while Sugar goes to work. I enjoy cleaning the house, doing the laundry and my favourite of them all would be cooking for two!

It makes me very happy every time Sugar comes home to eat. Sometimes he will call me from work and ask what dishes I would be cooking, then we can kinda plan the dishes on the phone. I absolutely love it! When it is Sugar's day off, he will cook for me, and he loves cooking as well.

With the cold weather, and blasting heating these days, I boiled some Chinese sweet soup to sooth our appetite, and to stay warm. Picture shown one of my favourites, it is easy to make and it is white fungus with sweet red dates, lotus seed and dried longan. Such a winter warmer, the Chinese way!

I absolutely love this stage of my life!

Counting down...there are about 72 days till my due date. I cant believe it, it is less than 100 days, I still have lots of things to prepare for the arrival of my little prince.

I am grateful that I have started my maternity leave early so that I can plan things ahead. I just want to organised as much things as possible because I do not know when exactly is the 'B-DAY'. It is all excitement and I will try to be as calm as possible and I will pray for a smooth delivery and an easy labour.

Today, I spent the whole day relaxing around the house, I took a nap in the afternoon, I have not done this for such a long, long time, and it feels so good. I also spent the evening doing some craft. I made paper pockets to put Lil'B's ultra scan pictures which were taken when he was only 20 weeks in my womb! How time flies, he is now closer to meeting me in person!

I just can't wait...I am also into the stage that I am reading as much info as possible about birth and delivery. I just want to find out as much as possible, chat in the forums, chat with new mums and find out as much as I could so that I know what to expect and do not panic...(the breathing.....ahh).

I have yet to write my birth plan, but I have already had a rough idea of what I need during the birth. Let's pray that every thing goes smoothly as my plan!! Let's just pray for that!

I love our home...

Ever since we moved in to the new house, we have been constantly adding new things, be it in the kitchen, the bedrooms or the lounge. As the weather turns cold, we bought some new throws for the sofa, so we can stay warm while watching TV. The new Missoni throw that we bought is really comfy and warm. This afternoon, we go back to buy another one. I love the colours and the fabric, I am still thinking to get more of those, who knows, I can get the smaller size for my baby, as a blanket. We still have more things to get as the baby is arriving soon.

I really enjoy shopping for the household products. I absolutely love shopping for baby products too. I have changed so much ever since I am pregnant. I no longer go mad about shoe shopping. Perhaps the changes in my body shapes put me off all sorts of shopping for my wardrobe. I just cannot believe that as an expecting mum, this is such a massive change. I am becoming so adapting to housewifery. It is such a great change and it is soemthing good, I believe...

This is a nice feeling. I love our home so much, there is nothing like home. It is the safest place in the world, it is full of love, it is ours, it is such a happy place. We hope one day, we can afford a bigger house, and live happily ever after with our family.

Mothercare Gift Card

I am so happy!

Received an email informing me that I have won a £100 Mothercare Gift Card from one of the online competitions that I have entered.

I am always keen to enter competitions online through all the moms & babies websites. I just cant believe I have actually won something!

Let's go shopping at Mothercare!

Feeling guilty!

I missed my antenatal appointment this morning. I rang my midwife later and tried to book for another appointment next week, but it is all fully booked. So i guess I have to book for a week after that, which means it is so close to Christmas! I feel so guilty!

This morning, Sugar and I went shopping for infant travel system. It's just amazing to find out that there are so many choices out there and we are all confused now. We did not buy any today, will do more research and find out our real needs. We bought a Mamas and Papas moses basket, really pleased with it, and I just cannot stop carrying it from my bedroom to downstairs pretending that I am busy showing off Lil'B to my guests!! What a nice feeling... I just cannot wait to see my boy!

I hope to get to book in an appointment for my routine antenatal check-up soon! Oh, yesterday evening, Sugar and I went for our very first antenatal class. It was rubbish. It lasted for two hours, and there were only 6 of us in a class. Before the class, I would imagine that it was a nice class, and I would get to meet many parents-to-be and make new friends. Now, Sugar refused to go to the second class with me next week. I am also lack of motivation and do not think that I will want to attend the class. The topic covered yesterday was all about birthing and labour...not very informative though, Well, the session was so boring and so lack of preparations, and I am getting better and more useful information from books and websites. What a waste of time, the class...., I have already read it before. Next week's class will talk about breast feeding, and I think I might give it a pass, I have a very good midwife and I am sure I can learn a lot from her, more like a one-on-one session!

This week is my last week at work, and I can put my feet up, my maternity leave starts next week!!!! Yay!

It's winter cold on December...

The cold weather has begun... I do not like it, it is too cold for me. Turning on the heating also means too dry for my skin and my lips. It is dreadful, it is really that bad and I feel that I cannot do anything about it, completely... Switching on the heating is definite, as Sugar said, it is better to stay warm than worrying about dried lips....So, I am drinking lots of water, and drinking lots of water also means uncountable trips to the loos, it is good in a way, walking to the loos is a form of exercise, to me. Besides the unpleasant nasty cold, I love hot showers on cold days, so relaxing. I always love the after-shower feeling, it cheers me up!

Yesterday, I went to the hospital to get my swine flu jab. It did not hurt, it was like a sharp scratch. After that, for the whole evening, I could not lift my left arm, it was a bit numb. I woke up this morning with still a bit of numbness, but I am totally ok now.

Yesterday, Sugar and I drove to China Town for some dimsum... I did not eat much. These days, I only make sure I eat half full, or rather, I have small meals every time, but have snacks in between. I am afraid eating too full will make me feel uncomfortable, as now my baby is growing bigger and bigger each day.

I am about to start my maternity leave. I am so looking forward to it! When my leave starts, I will have lots of free time, i will most probably be staying at home loads. Sugar will be working, so i will need to think of something else to do when I am all alone at home. Cooking sounds like a good idea...I guess I will love my domestic life more, hopefully....

3rd trimester, yay!

How time passes quickly. I am already in my third trimester. What a journey.

From the day that I held a positive home pregnancy test in the toilet and cried with joy, to my first antenatal appointment, to my 12-week scan, and then my 20-week scan, numerous blood tests and urine tests, I am now more than half way through. It is indeed a good excuse to celebrate!

The bump is so obvious now, and the pregnancy glow boosted, I have only just started to experience mild back ache, I have had two leg cramps so far, zero morning sickness during my first trimester and let's celebrate before the stretch marks start to crawl on to my bump and leave me horrified! I am still rubbing lots of cocoa butter and bio oil to my bump every day, with the hope that stretch mark will not appear (such high hope) ! Now, with the growing bump, the dark line on my tummy which is called the linea negra has darkened. I am also glad to know that the line will fade away after birth.

I am still reading pregnancy related magazines, books and websites. I am still amaze and awe by small facts about my baby's week-by-week progress as documented in books. I actually love discovering the week-by-week development. I am also reading more other topics, such as birth and breast feeding. This is such an exciting journey, and I am learning new things every day. Life is, simply beautiful!

Getting all the love...

Hmm, life is good. I love being pregnant, and it seems I am getting all the love from Sugar!

Life is simply wonderful!

My maternity portrait...

As I am stepping towards my third trimester, it is quite sad to say that I have yet to find a photographer to help in taking my maternity portrait.

I wanted Sugar to do it for me, and every week, it is either the weather or there is some other things that occupy our days. So, without us realising it, my baby bump is growing bigger each day. I want to have my portrait done before those stretch marks appear. I want to have the memory of silky smooth baby bum. My efforts of rubbing bio-oil and cocoa butter every day will pay off, I keep telling myself that. We shall see, i guess it is still too soon to say!

I have been browsing maternity portraits on the websites, some are really impressive, and I want one of those too!

Picture shown my self timer portrait at 25 weeks pregnant, the location is my lounge!

Coming to an end of my second trimester...

I am officially at my 26th week of pregnancy. I am coming to an end of my second trimester, and stepping into the third trimester. What a milestone!

I have been feeling very moody for the whole week. There is something at work that is bothering me and I constantly feel frustrated with everyone at work. There are even times that I do not even feel like communicating. I guess keeping quiet can prevent lots of arguments and misunderstandings, and it helps not to make me feeling too miserable.

Oh, I am so glad that I am starting my maternity leave on the second week of December. I really think that this is such a good idea for me, because I really do not like the working environment, which is full of souls that are not good for my baby and I!!

Anyway, miserable working life aside, I am overall very good. Lil' B is kicking, kicking and more kicking. I love it! He is very active, he amazes me every time I talk to him, I guess he understands how I feel, he just knows how much I adore him, every time!.. I secretly hope that he would be a very patient man, just like his daddy!

I just cant wait for my maternity leave to start. I want to spend my time organising the nursery, and getting ready to welcome Lil'B home with us!

25 and it is getting bigger..

I am at 25 weeks and 4 days, and I went for my routine midwife appointment.

It goes well, so far. We listen the baby heart beat and my lil'B is moving a lot these days. He is even moving when the midwife used the fetal Doppler to check his heart beat. So cute!

As usual, I brought in my urine sample for screening. They found that I have protein in my urine and need to be sent to the lab for tests. I hope there is nothing complicated. My blood pressure is normal, my weight gain and BMI are normal. My midwife said nothing serious so I pray hard that this is not a sign of pre-eclampsia :(

Earlier on GBS was found in my urine, Group B Streptococus (GBS), my GP prescribed some oral antibiotics for me and it went all clear. I have also done lots of research online about GBS and it is said that it can come and go, with or without symptoms. This is quite difficult, and I have got this high alert GBS sticker on my pregnancy notes. Not just one sticker, there are three stickers in the whole notes! I am worry that I will not be able to have a natural vaginal birth. GBS can affect the baby during birth and this is something I am so worry for a while.

Here are some useful websites about GBS:

Group B Strep Support

Group B Streptococus from BabyCentre

Group B Strep Facts

Swine Flu Vaccination

A few days ago, I received a letter from my local NHS inviting me to our local hospital to participate in the swine flu vaccination programme.

As a pregnant woman, I am considered to be the most vulnerable to serious illness from swine flu. I did not realise that my turn will come this fast. I am really grateful that I am offered this vaccination at this time of my life. I have not had any jabs since a decade ago,I hope this won't hurt, ouch!

I am worry..

Yesterday evening, I clumsily slipped and fell down, and hit my butt, sat right on the tiled floor. I quickly stood up and went to sit down and rest.

I pray hard that it would be alright. I did not encounter any cramp of bleeding. Lil'B is still moving actively, except that my tail bone hurts a little bit. I did not tell Sugar about it and I guess I will be fine.

I am sure Lil'B is well cushioned inside my womb...Today, I have been feeling moody for the whole day and feeling upset about the fall. My next appointment with my midwife is next week, I guess we are fine.

I also read in the forums that many of other pregnant women had slipped and fell and they were all ok! It does help to eliminate my worries....

Somersaulting, perhaps?

These days, the baby's kicking and wiggling around and it is nothing new anymore. Day and night, and I lost counts how many times in a day he has been moving...

Yes, i still get the feeling of awe every time he kicks, sometimes I just ignore him for a bit, then when he becomes quiet, I will tease him and he starts moving. He is one playful little boy, how cheeky!

Sugar has been feeling the baby movement quite a lot these days. He loves it, he starts to sing for our baby, and I guess I will want Sugar to talk or sing more to our baby, so that he gets familiar to our voices when he is born. Research said that at 24 weeks, the baby is able to hear us, and I guess I will talk more to my baby these days.

We have starting to think about name for our boy. We kinda finalise both the Chinese and English names. Still too soon to say, we might change our minds...

Lil'B is in my womb for the 6th month now...

How time passes quickly..

From the moment I jumped to joy with my positive pregnancy test stick, until my very first 12-week scan, then numerous antenatal appointments, and the latest 20 weeks scan and found out that Lil'B is a boy. I am now 24 weeks pregnant, and it is not long till I meet Lil'B.

I am more than half way through. The first three months was more like a roller coaster ride, with lots of emotions, yet it all went on so well. Since this is my very first time, I do not know what to expect. I read books and magazines, I joined lots of mum-to-be websites and browse the forums, I read so much, like all the first time mum, my bedside reading books are all about pregnancy and the week by week progress of the little one inside me.

These days, I am reading all about birth and labour, and how to look after a newborn. How things change now, it is just like yesterday when I reflect from where I came from....

I just cant wait for the BIG day to come, and I soon will have a baby, wondering what it is like when my baby calls me 'mummy'!

Lil'B is doing Kungfu fighting!

It's funny, I can feel Lil'B moving, day and night, and it is an amazing feeling.According to what I have read so far, monitoring the baby movement is very important, especially during the third trimester. Sometimes, I can get quite obsessive and I would touch my bump and annoy Lil'B and made him move for a bit. Then I would stop. I am sure he is annoyed!

This morning, Sugar felt the movement too when he placed his palm on my bump while I called Lil'B to move it and show off! We had a good laugh!

Ever since we know we are expecting, Sugar and I are bonding so well and we are getting closer each and every minute. He is such a lovely husband, very supportive, caring and very understanding. I have never imagined that he would be so patient with me. I hope this does not change when Lil'B arrives...

How much nappies are enough?

We went grocery shopping the other day. It was meant to be grocery shopping, for some food and groceries, but the dad-to-be is very enthusiastic at looking at the baby department.

Besides our normal grocery, we ended up with some nappies for new born and a set of TommeeTippee Steriliser. We are starting to buy things for the baby so that it will not be too hectic when it comes to last minute shopping.

This our very first time buying nappies. We bought the brand Pampers simply because it is on Sale! It is the attractive sale price that drive us to stock up nappies so early. Yet, I am not too sure whether we bought the right size. I need to do more research. Which brand is better for my baby? I guess it is all trial and errors. So, i guess it is wise not to stock up too many. I also think that new born grows very fast, so we may need different sizes very soon. The other thing is, we do not know the size of the baby until Lil'B arrives...

As for the steriliser, it is a microwave steriliser. Now I am thinking to change that to an electronic steam one, because I read in the forum that the electronic one is more convenient. This is something new to me, and it is more difficult than studying for my MBA!!!!! God please help me!

Oh yes, I am also looking at cloth nappies. This is more environmental friendly, and I will find out more and definitely buy some for my Lil'B. Lets go green all the way and care for the environment! I want to be a 'green mum'!

You do not need an excuse to buy me a gift!

D bought a small gift for our Lil'B. So very nice of him.

It is a piggy bank! I think D is hinting, 'we should start saving!'