The baby now weighs at 7 kg, more than twice his birth weight, as heavy as his elder brother when he was 3 month old
His head circumference  and weight are at the 90th percentile but his height is stuck at the 50th percentile
A stout and no longer so little guy and I am beaming with pride when I write this as 99% of him today comes from mama’s milk

A toothless grin or a pouty lips with his brows knit to a frown defined his 2 most prominent facial expressions
The former greets me every morning and it just makes me a tad less tired
He looks very different in each expression

He loves playing with his saliva, blowing bubbles
His elder brother calls him the bubble machine
He does that when he is hungry and when he sees me coming
Somehow he has learned to equate MAMA with FOOD

He seem to have found his voice.
He coos at his hanging mobile
He oohs and ahhs when talked to
He chuckles when his ribs are being poked at
He is much more playful than his elder brother this age

He is able to hold his neck now and he enjoys looking around him when held up
Because of his stronger muscle, we have added some new bulky toys to his meagre collection
A hand-me-down Bumbo chair from his elder brother
A hand-me-down Jumperoo from his twin cousins
A hand-me-down rocker from a dear friend
They came in handy when I need my hands free but he usually won’t want to stay in any for long

He seem very eager to use his leg
His kicks are powerful and he enjoys pushing himself up to a standing position, showing his biggest grin as if with great satisfaction
I thinks he enjoys looking at his surrounding from different positions, lying, sitting, tummy down and standing
Each gives a different view

Just 3 months into his life and I felt that I could understand what the baby wants even though all he does is cry. It is only now that I understand what parenting books means by recognizing babies’ different cries to know what they want.

I definitely can handle Marcus better than when I had Malcolm and because of that, I have been bringing the kids to places on my own. I am less panicky and more relaxed and because the baby sleeps so well when in motion, it is actually less tiring for me to bring them out than to stay at home.

I realised that, when I had Malcolm, I was LEARNING to be a mother.
Spending most of my  time trying to decipher the baby’s cries can be stressful.
Unable to pacify the baby in the public can be stressful.
Having a baby who refuse to sleep in his own cot and waking up every 2 hours for feed can be stressful.
When the baby controls your life, IT IS stressful.

Now, with the experience from my first born and all the lessons learned through the hard ways I am surprise that I could actually ENJOY the baby. He is such a happy baby and his smile is SO contagious.

If only all babies are this easy, I don’t mind having a couple more.

is cooing at my hanging mobile

Baby Marcus is 2 months old

At 2 months, he weighs about 6 kg and is almost double his birth weight

He is still very much on his 2 hours feeding schedule

however, he is able to stretch his feeding time to 4 hours if he is in deep sleep

This usually happens if he is

- in his car seat in the car and the car is moving

- in his car seat in the stroller and the stroller is moving

- in the night

So far, he drinks from the bottle and from me

We let him try formula just so that he won’t end up like his brother who drinks NOTHING but breastmilk

He rejects the pacifier and has discovered his fist

We were hoping that he will eventually learn to soothe himself by feasting on his fist

Marcus makes all sorts of noise when trying to poo

We suspect he is as colicky as his brother

Because he is breastfed, he poos a lot and I mean A LOT, many times we end up having to bath him because the diaper leaked !

He is happiest in the morning

Usually cranky in the afternoon and evening

He is still unable to sleep through the night but he seem to be able to differentiate between day and night

He wakes up once or twice for his feed at night but is able to go back to sleep faster than in the day

He has rather strong neck muscle for a newborn

We suspect it is due to the amount of beef I consumed when I was pregnant with him

At less than a week old, he was able to push his head up and turn it when he was put on his tummy

One of his favourite sleeping position is tummy down position and because of his strong neck muscle we are quite comfortable putting him in this position

He loves to kick and locks his knee when you hold him upright, as if trying to stand

He loves to bath and the sound of splashing water calms him down

Unlike his elder brother, Marcus likes to smile

He likes to be near people

He smiles when you look into his eyes and talk to him

He smiles when he gets a diaper change

This little chap has kept our family busy lately

Before I had him, I couldn’t imagine life with another baby who looks like Malcolm

Now, I realized that no matter how much he may resemble his elder brother

He is every bit himself

Specially Uniquely Him

and he is just sooo adorably cute

and I can’t imagine life without him

It took us a long while to decide whether to pay a few hundred bucks, leave the kids behind and relived our wedding day (I could already imagine my mum looking all stressed out caring for the baby day and night)
OR take the risk and pack the kids with us.

We chose the latter, we brought our 7 weeks old baby along.

Nah, it wasn’t anywhere far. We just drove across the little channel to this island called Sentosa for a little getaway, the exact location where we took our wedding vow many years back, this time, back with 2 kids, not as romantic as before.

The island has changed drastically. No longer quite as idyllic nor quiet, with all sorts of entertainment centers sprouting out all over the island.  There are nightly fireworks at the Songs of the Sea.  There are pubs everywhere.  There is an artificial surf center for those who really wants to surf but didn’t have the time to fly down to Bali. There are people tempting fate doing the flying fox down the hill which I thought this might be more interesting to them.

Add the up and coming IR, and all the other interesting attractions, I can already imagine the Sentosa of tomorrow - crawling with tourists, local and otherwise, big jam on the narrow causeway, double digit inflation, and lack of space on the beach which I am so not looking forward to.

The entertainment centers now breathes more life into the island.  Gets rid of outdated and loss making parks.  Dolphin lagoon appears to be closed.  So much for the pink dolphins which I thought was a far cry from being world class.  I am not too sad about Dolphin Lagoon closing after hearing that dolphins elsewhere such as at San Diego Sea World were treated better.

Mal was contented staying in the resort, feeding the peacocks, playing with the water slide, taking pictures with cool christmas trees made from recycled materials. Here’s one made from 250ml drinking bottles.

and here’s one with him playing the slide. He could do this the WHOLE DAY!

We woke up each morning, looking forward to our sumptuous buffet breakfast at the resort’s cafeteria
We stuffed ourselves crazy with food and ate like pigs
At night after putting the baby to sleep, we ordered room service and had our dinner at the balcony, occasionally catching the fireworks from the musical afar.

We went on the beach tram to explore the beach area, a large part now lined with shops and pubs. So much has changed and there is even a food court which makes it even more convenient for family with kids to visit the island

Before the trip, we worried that the baby will keep everyone awake at night
We worried that we will end up spending money to get ourselves stressed out

After the trip, we realized that being away from the daily mundane chores is by itself a natural stress reliever.
Nursing the baby under the stars with Pulau Bukom greeting us made waking up in the middle of the night less painful

When we were out and about, I chose slinging the baby over our heavily invested jogger
Going up and down the tram with the baby in the sling was a breeze
I was able to nurse the baby discreetly
Most importantly, I could have both my hands free while carrying the baby.
I am selling these slings here.

This trip has definitely made us more confident in handling baby Marcus and we are now thinking of going further for our next holiday with him along.

It is a Chinese tradition for women to go through 30 days of confinement after child birth. During this period, she needs to follow a certain lifestyle and diet which is believed to not only help her recuperate but also rid her body of any prior illnesses. It is a belief that she will then emerge with a stronger and healthier body after the 30 days.

If you ask my mum, she will probably ramble on about how disobedient I was for not following the confinement rules. To be frank, for both confinements, I did try my best to stick to the rules, BUT, failed miserably. I figured out that to adhere to the stringent lifestyle and diet requires more than just plain perseverance and determination. Without some kind of faith and belief, it is impossible for me to stick with the practice of NOT bathing, NOT drinking water, NOT leaving the house, NOT washing my hair. I can’t imagine the physical discomfort that one has to go through without bathing and washing hair for a month and I think it may just aggravate any post natal depression.

But because my mum is a strong believer in the benefits of doing confinement, I was served like a empress during this 30 days period. I was spared the washing, the cooking, the cleaning. She even helped to bath the baby because I should not touch water.

You can read more about confinement practices and confinement myths busted

It was good to have help during this period when I was sleep deprived and when the wound from the operation still hurts. And when my husband volunteered to help with the cooking during the first week, both my mum and I got a little worried as we knew that it was his virgin attempt in cooking confinement food. But thanks to the internet, he managed to find some really good recipes and served some really authentic traditional confinement food.

So for 1 week, he cooked 6 meals a day, with each meal nicely planned out and written in his diary. I was impressed with how well organized he was and I even thought that he would fare better as a househusband if  and only if he could keep this enthusiasm going, continuing his effort 24/7.

Apart from the usual Red Dates and Longan confinement tea, he tried something called the Fried Ginger Rice Tea which is really simple to make and reminds me of Sikhye, a traditional sweet Korean rice beverage usually served as a dessert. I totally love it !

With my 30 days of confinement coming to an end, on one hand, I may not feel any sense of achievement or triumph for having completed the stringent regime, on the other hand, I no longer feel guilty about flouting all the rules. Perhaps like what my mum said, I will be stricken with rheumatism and a thousand other maladies when I hit 50 years old.

Meanwhile, enjoy this refreshing tea recipe.

Fried Ginger Rice Tea

Ingredients:
300g white grain rice
150g fresh ginger shredded
Sugar to taste

Method:
1) Stir-fry the rice and shredded ginger until dry and golden brown.
2) Remove and keep in a bottle
3) Soak 1tbsp in a cup of boiling water. Cover for 30 minutes.
4) Add sugar to taste
Serve hot.

5 years ago, when I had Malcolm, I was certain and confident that I would give birth to my baby like any others, the way my mum did with her 4 kids, the natural way, through the vaginal birth canal. The chance of me having it any other way, was distant, remote perhaps even nonexistent.

After more than 12 hours of labour, with my cervix still stucked at a dilation of 1/2 the required length, I was told that unnatural  intervention was needed. Malcolm was finally brought to the world under the doctor’s skillful surgical incision. The procedure was brisk but the recovery was arduous and painful.

This time round, for my 2nd pregnancy, I was given the option. Vaginal birth which put me at risk of tearing my 5 year old wound and perhaps see history repeat itself OR pick a good looking date from the doctor’s busy schedule and get it over and done with in a blink of an eye.

It was a tough choice and we chose the latter.

So on that good looking day or more like, convenient day, within an hour or two, the job was done, the wait is over.

Thinking that this might be it

my LAST bump !

We hauled out the camera stand and started snapping away

And we ended up with some cheap home studio pics

And I think I am going to miss my bump.

The truth is that
Malcolm is not really keen to meet his baby brother

His standard answer to
‘Are you happy that you gonna have a baby brother ?’
or question of a similar effect
will yield a straight ‘NO’
reason
‘Because baby will be noisy’

And guess what ?
He is probably right

He does adore my new tummy, A LOT
and would plant kisses all over it whenever given a chance
He is somewhat fascinated
and would ask questions
‘how will the baby come out’
‘how will the doctor do it’

I realised that the biggest task on hand to welcome this little life
is not the stocking up on diapers
the amassing of clothings and toys
the splurging on fanciful gadgets

In fact
these are trivial

We have decided that the new baby will be getting mostly
hand-me-down items from our first born and from friends

The more pressing challenge we are facing now
is to mentally prepare Malcolm for the arrival of his baby brother

We talk to him
We explain to him
We turn to books
illustrating all the fun of having a baby brother

We WANT to feed him with all the good things of being a BIG brother !
We WANT him to LOVE being a BIG brother !

and when he came home from school the other day
and exclaimed that HE MADE THIS in school

and HE IS GOING TO GIVE IT TO THE BABY !!!
…
….
…..
We thought we finally see some light at the end of the tunnel

I got a little carried away with the recent buzz and it totally slipped my mind that I am nearing the final stage of my pregnancy.

It is great to keep my mind occupied with things other than aches and pains and the long to-do-list for the arrival of the new baby.

On one hand, I am excited about the new baby, on the other hand there are things I wish to accomplish as I know my focus will soon be very much on the new baby.

I remember how my time revolved round Malcolm when he was little. I was a new mother then, I was inexperience, I was not sure and I panicked at his smallest cries.

I like to think that after 5 years of caring for my first born,  I am more experience, less panicky and more prepared.

It was during the onset of my 34th weeks, a series of sudden Braxton Hicks contractions, it dawned on me that the baby may arrive ANYTIME, perhaps even too early.

I had a sudden urge to pack, to wash, to arrange
It came so naturally and it felt so powerful
I just couldn’t resist the urge

It was my body’s subtle way of telling me to get ready
and I was reminded to listen to my body

The human body has to be the most amazing and beautiful creation

At 34 weeks I am finally feeling the strain of carrying a 10 kg load. Yes, I am still at my 10 kg mark, somehow, my weight hasn’t been increasing much at this final trimester. Perhaps due to the low sugar, low carbo, low fat diet that I am sticking to, a conscious effort to keep my blood sugar level within acceptable range.

I can’t walk as fast and I can’t walk as far. I feel heavy and my legs ache. In fact, I have to plan ahead the places I want to go.  I avoid places where a lot of walking is required. Now, that is totally unlike me, as I go places even when I am pregnant because many times, I FORGOT that I am one until someone will to frown and remind me how PREGNANT I am! Being in the pool is about the only time that makes me feel normal, a relief from the extra weight.

Just a couple of weeks ago,  we had a girls’ night out. Just the wifeys and mummies with the daddies at home baby sitting the kids. It was a crazy night with food and juice, music and dancing. And YES, I danced, though I did feel a bit out of place with my protruding tummy in a jam packed pub. We called that a little celebration before the baby pops.

That was about 2 weeks ago.

Today, I think twice even when going to town. For now, my body is my MASTER and I am OBEYING my master’s plea for me to SLOW DOWN

I have been having Braxton Hicks contractions. I don’t remember experiencing such intense false contractions when I had Malcolm and the advice given to me was to REST. The baby however doesn’t seem to want to cooperate. He kicks, moves and turns causing uncomfortable tightness all round my tummy even when I am resting. I told my husband perhaps this baby will take after his size, an 8 pounder compared to Malcolm who was barely 6.5 when he was born, thus explains the intensity and frequency of the baby’s movement. The baby NEEDS space and room which is probably scarce with my petite frame.

Apart from preparing for the arrival of the new baby, my husband and I have been getting quite a bit of couple time these days with Malcolm volunteering to go over to my sister’s place. Reason being, he gets to indulge in almost endless computer games.

We would go for dinner, coffee and then indulge in conversation for hours. We talk about everything and anything and to think that I have known this man for 20 years, it is simply amazing. I am certainly not complaining as I know in about a month’s time, our conversation will probably revolve round the new baby.

We saw his eyes blink
We saw his mouth move
Then we saw him point his index finger

And we thought to oursevles
Is he trying to tell us something ?

And we realised that it isn’t long before we get to meet this little guy

So we went home
and set up his bed

At 29 weeks, my 3rd trimester is at full swing and I CAN FEEL IT!

I have almost hit my 10 kg weight gain mark. Aches and pains is becoming bothersome as my uterus grows and the joints of the pelvis begin to loosen in preparation for deliver. I don’t sleep as well as I need to frequent the restroom more often during the night. Getting into the most comfy sleeping position is no longer a given as it all depends on the baby’s mood. During times when he decides to wreck havoc, practice his Kungfu kicks, make waves and ripples across my burgeoning bulge or just get into the weirdest position, NOTHING helps, not even when I set up a fort in bed, prop myself up with 3 pillows or hog all the pillows to myself. A gentle back massage is good but still, I am very much at the mercy of the little fellow that wriggles inside me.

I failed the glucose tolerance test like for my first pregnancy and was asked to monitor my blood sugar 2 days a week, 7 times a day. After a 5 years break,  I had forgotten how needle pricks feel like and it took me a long while to muster enough courage to carry out the first test myself again. Now, I have grown fearless of the pen-like needle and pricking myself is a piece of cake.

Because of gestational diabetes, I have to be mindful of what goes into my mouth, which I guess isn’t a bad thing afterall considering how I can glut like a pig. According to studies, contrary to common belief that a pregnant woman needs to eat for 2, ONLY 300 calories is required to be added to her daily food intake in order to support the growth of the baby, the increased blood volume, the placenta and amniotic fluid.

Examples of a nutrient-rich food choices that add up to 300 calories is
1 cup cold cereal with 1 cup of skim milk and a banana OR
2 ounces of turkey on 2 slices of whole grain bread topped with lettuce and tomato.

Your premium sweet bread from Breadtalk, the yellow noodle in your Bak Cho Mee and your Indian Roti Prata are NOs NOs for a pregnant lady with gestational diabetes. It will send sugar level off the roof. In short, the diet plan should replace simple sugars with complex carbohydrates.

Apart from a healthier diet, I am doing my daily walk, to and fro Malcolm’s school. I swim regularly, usually after sending Malcolm to school. I am glad that I can still squeeze into a size M swimming costume and I now wear a gleaming tan. I love the colour.

Despite being more fatigue, exercising actually helps to make me feel more energetic. From my first child, I have learned that STAMINA is an underrated requirement for being a SAHM. You NEED stamina to wash, clean and run after the kids!

I feel like I am growing at an enomous rate and it kind of scares me to think that I have 11 MORE weeks to go before I hit week 40. I have forgotten how big I can grow and how far my tummy can stretch.

At times, I can’t wait for the baby to be born but I know that the road ahead will get more challenging and busier once the baby arrives. With that in mind, I am treasuring my ME time, my TWOSOME time with Malcolm and my COUPLETIME with my husband even more.

for a 7 month preggy housewife
is an invitation to a FORMAL dinner function
when she REALLY doesn’t own a single piece of formal maternity wear !

And she is trying her luck now
digging through her ENTIRE wardrobe
including outfits that she had stashed away in the most obscure corner of her utility room
(as they are simply NOT maternity wear)
hoping to find something that can do the job

And here’s the outcome …

Arrrggghhhh !!!

Maybe she should just head off to town to find something that is really meant for a 7 month preggy !

At 25 weeks, my maternity wardrobe is pathetic. Apart from my maternity jeans, which was bought 2 years back during sales when I was in the States, everything else I am wearing now is from my pre-pregnancy wardrobe. I am still living off my over stretched T-shirts, my stretchy capri pants and some baby doll tops which can still accomodate my bulge.

I swore off maternity dresses as they made me look swollen, frumpy and VERY pregnant. With water retention, my legs look stumpy and it is only now that I begin to miss and appreciate my somewhat mascular calves, at least, they were still shapely.

A girlfriend bought me a dress from overseas a few weeks ago. A maternity dress. A cute frilly black one and I thought it will end up collecting dust in my wardrobe.

My husband and I had a date night the other day, just me and him, without Malcolm and I decided to try out the dress.

This was what I saw in the mirror …

and I must say that I ABSOLUTELY LOVE IT !

I love how the frills have cleverly concealed my bulge !
I wore it with my favourite heels even when my swollen feet hurt in them !

I messaged my friend immediately
giggling and smiling like a little girl as I did so

If not for her, I would NEVER have invested in such a dress
And I would still be stuck with my own stigma about maternity dresses.

At 23 weeks, I weigh at 54.5 kg, a 7.5 kg gain from my pre-pregnancy weight.

My thigh, my butt, my arms look swollen, not sure with water or fat but I do secretly hope that it is the former, though it is more likely the latter.

I screamed and was in total distress when I discovered dimpled skin around my butt and thigh area. Arrrggghhh….NO! NOT dimpled cheeks! NOT ON THIS CHEEK! Ewwww …. CELLULITE ! every woman’s worst nightmare has FINALLY found its way to my aging body. I blamed it on my love for starchy food and inconsistent exercise regime when I was in Paris.

I have stopped craving for specific food though I still have a voracious appetite, which is really my pre-pregnancy self. Other than feeling fat and the occassional leg cramp in the middle of the night, I sometimes forget that I am pregnant until someone offer me their seats or warn me about my bulging tummy.

I can walk faster than most Singaporeans, something which I have unconsciously picked up from the Parians. Parisians don’t walk, they brisk walk. I realised that an aging senior Parisian can probably walk faster than an average Singaporean.

I am back to my 1 km swim and I am hoping to do more cycling now that Malcolm has mastered the 2 wheeler bicycle. I am very happy to be back to a more active lifestyle, something which seem to come naturally with the sun, the sea and the heat. I am born for the tropic not the temperate.

I am loving my maternity jeans and I am grasping every oppotunity I have now to enjoy myself before the baby pops.