Pregnancy Week 34: Preparing for baby's stuff

today was just a lazy day, but still, baby's stuff needed to be cleaned and ready. we washed all the baby's clothes, towels, bedsheets, etc... , as well as the drawers to contain these items in.

well, basically that was it.

"short and sweet, but not sweeter than yesterday..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 34: Planning for baby's one month

it was literally a sweet day for us. we went to Tampines to try out the cupcakes to give out for our relatives and friends for baby's one month. the cupcake owner gave us 4 cupcakes, and they were all excellent. however, we couldn't finish all 4 of them and had to bring them back (which were eventually devoured by ting yee.. hehe..)

then we went to Ikea to buy the teething plastic thing to put with the cot, and over to my mother's place to pick up yet two more books for baby's Chinese name which my father bought in Hong Kong. after that, we found out that ting yee eventually had swollen feet!

"soon, baby avatar's real name will be revealed... stay tuned..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 34: 9th gynae appointment

all's well with our baby according to the gynae today! weight is about 2.1kg, liquid inside mummy's tummy is fine, and baby can be seen via the ultrasound! (see below)

it is supposed to show the face (in the middle) and the hand at the left side, that is, if you can make them out. the important thing is, both mummy and baby are fine! however, this will be the last ultrasound scan picture for this pregnancy... hint hint...

then after the appointment, we went to Giant and bought many baby related stuff, like milk powder (in case breasts do not work... hehe), diapers (with an extra compartment for poo poo), laundry detergent especially for babies (oops, babies' clothes i mean), and some "non-blue" clothes. these stuff costs half of the total grocery bill! kids are really expensive!

"what face? what hand?" - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 33: Disappointed Baby Warehouse "Sale"

we embarked on a journey to seek out new baby stuff, to boldly go where no parents-to-be had gone before... a warehouse "sale" for baby stuff! well, the experience was not exactly pleasant...

first, we went to the wrong place (Shun Li Industrial Complex and Shun Li Industrial Park are NOT the same!). the baby warehouse place is in fact at Shun Li Industrial Park, the one at Kaki Bukit, in case anyone reading this is thinking of going there.

next, when we finally got there, there were nothing really special about the two places (yes, there are two different outlets in the same Shun Li Industrial Park), just the fact that the things are not cheap. disappointed, we bought only some superficial baby items.

but the real treat came when we went to United Square (the one along Thomson Road), and found out that there were plenty of shops, and training centres inside the shopping centre! we finally found the one place that is located very near our home... excellent!

so, we spent a great amount of money to buy, buy and buy almost all the necessary stuff for our baby! these include really expensive cloth diapers, relatively cheap bathtub, and more cheaper clothes...

"today happened to be our monthly anniversary too!" - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 32: Sentosa Holiday

ahh... our first family outing with our baby at Sentosa for the past two days, two nights! first, on friday, we took the sentosa express monorail from Harbourfront to Sentosa. then we checked into our chalet (which i felt that it wasn't as comfortable as our own home).

the next day (saturday), we spent the whole day coming up with chinese names for our baby. we even thought of names for girls (long term planning?) after dinner, we concluded the night with a viewing of the Sentosa's "Songs of the Sea"

"nice and relaxing..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 32: 8th gynae appointment

another gynae appointment for ting yee. all is well, no dramas.

"that's the way i like it..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 31: Last Lesson of Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme

finally, we have come to the end of our lessons.  today was the "post partum" lesson: after birth.  we were taught how to bathe and care for the baby, minor ailments and vaccinations of newborn.

perhaps this was the most exciting of the lessons as it showed us what to do with our baby after nine months in the mother's womb.

then, ting yee and i went for a walk with our baby in pearl's hill park, i think that was the name of the park.  it was more like a place for mosquitoes to feast on humans!

and i think ting yee is starting to "revert" back to the first trimster stage: wanting to sleep more...

"bloody blood suckers!" - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 31: 1st Cinema experience for our baby!

well, it was indeed the first cinema experience for our baby, that is, inside ting yee.

before that, we went to eat an indian buffet.  yummy as usual.  then we went to watch "Three Kingdoms: Resurrection of the Dragon".



however, our baby was not very active, and ting yee was not comfortable with the seats. but it was an outing nonetheless...

"and the movie sucks, not because of the plot, but because it did not exactly followed the events from the novel..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 30: 6th Lesson of Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme

right... this is the 6th lesson, and it was back to some physiotherapy for breathing and post-natal exercises.  breathing for mothers who do not take any form of pain relievers during pregnancy and post-natal exercises for mothers who want to get back in shape after birth.

all in all, it was a slow saturday as usual, with our baby's constant kicking.  that is a good sign...

"slow and steady ensure a smooth delivery... of pizza? of course not! of baby!" - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 30: 7th gynae appointment

ting yee had her 7th gynae checkup today, and brought back more photos of our baby! check them out:

This picture shows our baby's thigh...

This picture shows his stomach...

This picture shows his head......

And this one shows his heart!

"the Real Avatar is coming along nicely..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 29: Construction Complete - Baby Cot

after three weeks, we finally constructed the baby cot. please see below pictures:





"awaiting occupant in approximately 2.5 months time..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 29: 5th Lesson of Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme

5th lesson was perhaps the most important one of all. because it taught and showed us the labour experience! we also learned about the three different methods to relieve the mothers of contraction pains during labour.

yes! we were shown a video of how a couple went through the labour process from the first contractions to dilation to the actually birth of the baby: no mosiacs involved!

then we met up with an ebay seller to buy a second-hand pram/stroller. it costs only SGD40.00, and it looks brand new! hahahaha! average cost of a brand new pram/stroller is about SGD250.00! long live ebay!



"blood, cord, cry, scream, joy, tears, happiness, and some funny colour liquid..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 28: 6th Lesson of Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme

because the trainer for 4th lesson was not available, we had our 6th lesson instead: Breast-feeding. we learnt the benefits for babies, benefits for mothers and the correct technique in breast-feeding. it is really not as easy as it looks!

subsequently, we bought 44 breast pads on ebay...

"it is not so easy to just suck after all..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 28: Baby and Toddler Fair at Singapore Expo

we have been to several fairs, but this was perhaps the first time we went to a baby and toddler fair. we bought several maternity clothes, a couple of baby clothes, stretch marks cream, etc...

we also met ting yee's best friend at the fair, who is one month in pregnancy behind us. her husband was also at the same time looking for a pram/stroller.

a rather tired day though...

"baby fair is actually more interesting than computer fair at this stage in life..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 27: 3rd Lesson of Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme

the lessons today were more "hands-on", so to speak. we were taught the physical changes in the women's body when they are pregnant, as well as information on proper posture and back care. the physical part came in the form of Antenatal Exercises, Relaxation and Massage, hence Physiotherapy.

then at night, our baby experienced his first Jeff Chang concert at Expo!

"more physiotherapy next week!" - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 26: 2nd Lesson of Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme

2nd lesson provided us with information such as "Effects of Pregnancy & Coping Strategies", "Lifestyle Modifications" and "Nutrition for Mums-To-Be".

there were a few issues raised, but the presenter told us not to be too worried, because the gynae will inform us beforehand if there were any problems. i really hoped everything will go as smooth as possible for ting yee.

at night, we went to Ikea with my mother and bought a baby cot, mattress, and some other baby related stuff.

"next week, physiotherapy exercises!" - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 25: 1st Lesson of Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme

we signed up for Antenatal Care & Parentcraft Programme conducted by National University Hospital (NUH), the same hospital where ting yee will be giving birth at. So, today was the first lesson.

we were taken on a tour around the hospital. the guide showed us where the delivery suite, wards, operation theatre, etc, were located. kind of confusing, but ting yee knew where these places were anyway.

i strongly recommend couples who are expecting their first baby to attend this kind of courses. it is not expensive, and provides valuable information before, during and after birth.

"the wise will always seek out new knowledge..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 24: 6th gynae appointment

today is the day! we finally knew the gender of our baby! it is a boy! and he weighed 520g, and still going up, depending on what his mother eats. yeah, mother's weight going up, daddy's weight going up too...

so after the ultra-sound scans, we headed to buy the very first set of baby clothings, along with some baby safety "gadgets"... cheap ones. yeah, cheaper the better... feeling the pinch now...

anyway, our baby waved "hi"

"wassup!" - The Real Avatar

"time to choose a name..." - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 21: baby kicking? or punching?

recently, ting yee felt that the baby may be kicking or punching or just moving inside her. while it is not conclusive, we are indeed delighted that everything is going smoothly and it will stay like this all the way to the birth!

"karate kid?" - TheAvt

Pregnancy Week 20: 5th gynae appointment

well, we thought today was the day we will find out the gender of our baby. false alarm! today, ting yee and our baby were tested for HIV and other normal routine stuff to ensure the baby was fine. and the baby was fine!

"patience is a virtue!" - TheAvt