 | Musings from Down Under and keeping it downright real! | Jul 16, 2006 |
Hello! I'm glad I can finally get connected to family and friends on a more regular basis now that I'm blogging instead of writing a long, weekly email. Also better to show pix here 'cos I don't wanna bomb your accounts with heavy files. So hope you'd enjoy my accounts, musings and thoughts here...Journey with me, eih! Love, Krystal I first read about in-ee and out-ee from one of those pregnancy newsletters I subscribe to. A pregnant woman has an out-ee when her belly button is pushed out due to the growing bub inside her womb. For the longest time, I wondered what it'd feel / look like when it was my turn to have an out-ee! Alas, many, many weeks ago, I started having a little sore belly button and reckoned something must be happening - finally. However, my in-ee didn't become a full-blown out-ee until this week! Ooo lala... it's quite cute actually. Whilst I'm quite delighted I look so pregnant, I'm also quite self-conscious my belly button's sticking out.  So in this soaring 28 degrees temperature, I've actually got a singlet on underneath my top (a pre-maternity one too so you can imagine how figure-hugging it is!)... and still, my in-ee is popping out!! Ooo lala... Haha, yes you can tell how obsessed I am by this newfound development. Of course I HAVE seen other pregnant women walking around with out-ees but it's not quite the same when I have one of my own! It's pretty amazing, actually... The only other thing I'm obsessed about is whether my out-ee will revert back to an in-ee after I deliver... it's s-u-p-p-o-s-e-d to!! This morning, I stepped on the scales... something else I'm quite mindful about - the weight I'm putting on. A hefty 53kg!! I am 1kg away from putting on an allowable total of 10kg (to 15kg) for women expecting one baby. I said to bubba, "It's either you or me who's the heavy one, bubba... so who is it!?" Sept 18th, 8am: our 2nd visit to Monash Ultrasound for Women. I was into my 19th week. Without boring you with all the nitty-gritty details, here's an excerpt of our report: Satisfactory development has occured since the last examination with all fetal dimensions consistent with 19W5D, the gestation based on the previously established menstrual EDD 07 Feb 2009. Something that I was particularly pleased about since the 1st ultrasound revealed a tiny gash of about 1cm on my placenta (with traces of slight bleeding) and that my placenta was a little low in its position - this 2nd visit revealed "The placenta was situated anteriorly with its lower edge clear of the internal cervical os." and the sonographer confirmed that the bleeding / gash was gone, praise God! Report continues..."At the patient's request male genitalia were identified." Kenny was wrapped and said, "See, I told you!"... my heart was racing as my eyes were fixed on the screen as I behled the distinctive organ confirming the gender of the baby ... Indeed God had promised 2 years ago when I first arrived in Melbourne, "I will give you a son", I didn't know that He'd meant that literally! As much as I was pleased to know everything was developing normally for bub, I was startled by reality - a boy! And a rush of uncertainty (almost alike fear) filled me - what do I know about raising a son? I'm a woman!! What if I raised him up like a girl and he became a momma's boy!? What if he just loved rolling in mud all day long.... like eating worms and pulled little girls' hair at school?! What if... what if... And I wouldn't be able to put ribbons in his hair... what about those cute little pink leggings that you could dress little girls up in... not to mention, those cute little dresses...!? Slowly, my uncertainty disappeared over the next couple of days as God assured me - didn't He think I was capable to raise up a child (doesn't matter the gender!) in the first place? Otherwise would He have blessed us with a baby?? And hello.... there's Kenny... it's a partnership! Surely K knows what to do with little boys! (He has since 'confirmed' my fears saying he WILL bring our son for a good roll around the garden to develop his immune system whilst I'm out, he WILL let him play with fire so he knows it's something that could hurt if not 'used' in the right manner... he WILL.... he WILL.....) I am now really delighted and excited about his entrance into the world... it's not by our strength but His strength and His Spirit in us that will enable us to bring this child up the way He would want us to!! This week our visit to the obs went very well... we'd got our results from our 2nd ultrasound and it revealed that my placenta was well-placed and it didn't have a tiny gash any more. This was great news as the last ultrasound revealed my placenta was a little low and there was a tiny gash which presented some bleeding. So we're really thankful and as usual, God is good He answers the prayers of His people!
Until I stepped on the scales which is a monthly thing... Obs: 3 kilos!! You put on 3 kilos in the last month!!??  Krystal: *speechless* Obs: What the HELL have you been eating!? Krystal: *sheepish* .......................Potatoes............ 
I can't get enough of potatoes! I have a friend back home, Mel Koo, who loves her potatoes... I remember wondering about how someone could enjoy something as un-exciting as potatoes... Since we landed in the Gold Coast, I've had almost all manners of potatoes; fries, wedges, mash, hash brown... haven't had the baked but I'm sure I'd work my way up the list very quickly!  For instance, I had a cheese burger with fries on Wed. for lunch... I said to myself, I don't wanna eat potatoes again... the next morning, I helped myself to hash browns at brekkie and they never tasted so good before... then at lunch, I had wedges... it was the most hearty serve of wedges I'd ever seen...hence I had leftovers for dinner... by the time I was finished (I only got through half the serve over 2 meals, it was that huge a serving!), I vowed I wouldn't lay eyes on potatoes again for another week... Then I had hash brown again for brekkie and that was really yummy... and then fries for dinner.... and then hash brown again for brekkie this morning. I've never had this much of hotel food in my life... and probably potatoes too. Hope my tastebuds would return to NORMAL when I fly home to Melbourne tomorrow!! I said to Kenny last night, "Your baby ar... he really loves potatoes la..."
To which he replied, "The baby or you??" I don't know... *pronounced in the most M'sian accent one can muster*
My colleague and I have gone into a little battle... remember Roger Hargreaves' amazing collection of "Mr Men and Little Miss" books? 
I love them and have started collecting some late last year when Myers was having a clearance sale.. I have only got a few of them but hope my collection would grow in the near future... soon as I find more of them on clearance sales! Anyways, coming back to this little battle between my colleague and I, we're trying to select the most appropriate Mr Men or Little Miss befitting each other... These are what I got: 
However, in my humble opinion, these are what I think are most suited to me!  
 And everyone say AMEN!! maternity pants have no zippers (oh, but of course!!) hence I don't ever have to worry that I haven't done up my fly after I go to the ladies'? I have caught myself 'checking' a couple of times only to remember... and I am washed over by a sense of gladness... Many well-meaning friends and pregnancy books have cautioned one would become quite forgetful ("pregnancy brain" of which would become a "nappy brain" after you deliver) during one's pregnancy... or one would become quite emotionally high-strung because of all the changes in one's hormones etc. I have promised myself I would not blame forgetfulness (after all, I have always been quite a scatterbrain... my dad always told me when I was younger, "If your head was not screwed onto your neck, you'd lose it" and "I worry for you that you'd leave your baby behind somewhere when you become a mom" ... my Dad knows me only too well!) nor emotional outbursts on my pregnancy. A baby is God's gift and according to James 1:17 "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." Hence, how can it be contradicted that when God gives a good gift, it is accompanied by a host of side effects? So far, I've been doing really well and some non-believers found it hard to believe I don't experience morning sickness etc. What can I say? Every good gift is from the Heavenly Father!  I would also not blame my pregnancy for these never-ending cravings: 1- French fries (or all things potato) 2- Tomato and chilli sauce 3- Hamburger 4- Fillet O Fish 5- Carbonated drinks, particularly Coke I'm sure the list would get longer as we continue with The Journey of 283 days...
I've never really imagined the changes that accompanied a pregnancy. I mean, I have seen the changes in friends (the physical, the mental, the emotional... too detailed to list them all down), but I think I was not mentally prepared for it to happen to myself...
And so soon too!
1. Within 1.5 months, I'd put on a hefty 2 kilos!! I think I was over the moon b'cos I now have a "reason" to put on weight! Bring it on - french fries, tempura, all the carbs I've been deprived of in the last couple of years... bring it on! Yeah, it definitely brought on the extra kilos much too fast!  Instead of eating more healthily, I'd simply eaten more. Tsk tsk... and this is after all I've been advised by other pregnant friends - you're not really eating for 2 'cos bub is tiny and he can hardly consume more than a teaspoon! So yes, am now eating more healthily than just being a glutton.
2. I don't think I've really got any cravings... I'm being mindful that I'm not using bub as an excuse to indulge in the things I'm crazy about. Having said that, there was one week where I had to have Fillet O Fish... had that thrice in a week too! And then if someone mentioned a certain food (or I thought I smelled a certain food), I had to eat it. Annnnnd, most of all, I have really been craving for (serious as this has not ever been a favourite / habit of mine!) sweet, carbonated drinks. Coke has never tasted so good, I tell you! And for me to drink ice cold Coke in winter, that really says something... 
3. I'm actually excited over a Rootote bag which we've ordered online... I've never been excited about canvas / cotton bags... Am I fast becoming an 'auntie'??!!
4. My face is rounder than round now...
5. I'm really wanting to go on a vacation with K... in anticipation that it might take a lot more to travel when bub is here...
6. I've actually bought a scrapbook and I've never been a scrapbook type of person all my life! Another symptom of 'auntie-hood'??
7. Less energetic than before; I've noticed I have slowed down considerably. Used to be an energizer bunny but really learning to listen to my body now when it says that it's tired and I've got to say 'no' to certain things.
8. I've started wearing maternity pants and boy, are they the most ingenious inventions or what! They are so comfortable with so much room for expansion at the front... so comfy...so comfy!
9. I can't walk as fast any more... there is a little pain in my stomach if I walked too quickly.
10. I'm asking for help from K a lot more than before and even allowing him to cook. It's great that my hubby is such an excellent cook and I think I'm slowly easing into not being such a particular person.  Ps. this means there's dust on the blinds and lint on the carpet but I am OK with it! 1. Eat stupendous amount of sashimi,
2. Eat astounding amount of raw oysters (with a dash of lemon juice and Tabasco!),
3. Eat wicked amount of soft cheeses,
4. Eat all the bananas and watermelon I want,
5. Eat heaps of smoked salmon (also with a dash of lemon juice and Tabasco!), and
6. Eat lots and lots of proscuito and salami!!
 Hmmm... why is it all about eating (wan)??!
The journey of 283 days began on Friday May 16th 2008 ("Estimated Time of Departure" - ETD)... The journey of 283 days was 'tracked' and noted on Saturday June 7th 2008 
For those of you out there who are not familiar with this little tool, it's a pregnancy test kit!! That's right... it showed a 2nd blue line (ie. the lighter one as the darker is a 'control' line) which meant I'm none other than... But I couldn't believe it... no way, May 16th was not a calculated "good time of the month!? Unless we've been calculating it wrong all this time!?" Ngek ngek... 
Since the test kit came in 2 (courtesy of a very kind friend Nicole who works in a pharmacy and often gets free samples... not only of pregnancy test kits! Hehe... all other types of samples!), decided to do another test... about half an hour later (it took me that amount of time to take in everything... breathe in and out...gush in excitement and disbelief... for K to settle me...) and again, the 2nd blue line showed up - more prominently this time! O me of little faith... was very happy by then and besides myself in excitement. Booked ourselves in for a check with the GP and couldn't resist doing a 3rd test just to confirm. Our GP gave the little kit to us to take home but I really wanted to keep it (not because it's got purple lines!! My all time fave-rave colour!) b'cos I wanted to keep a 'memoir' of every item, picture, note etc. during this very exciting and memorable phase of our lives... 
I'm sure by now you'd have seen enougho of pregnancy test kits to last you a lifetime... good news, I didn't need another pregnancy test to assure me. By this time of visit to the GP, the date was Tuesday 10th June which marked 2 years exactly I've been in Australia. Bub was estimated to be 5-6 weeks 'young'... The journey of 283 days will come to an end if Bub arrives on the dot as Dr estimates - full term of 40 weeks ("Estimated Date of Arrival" - ETA) on 10th Feb. 2009. At the time of writing, Bub has just crossed over from the 1st Trimester (Day 94) and both Mom and Bub are still doing very well, the Lord is indeed always good and faithful. More reminiscing of the last 2 months and thoughts to come... hope you will be patient and as excited as we are to make this journey of 283 days with us. Love, Kenny and Krystal. Last week I'd vowed to make a comeback on blogging and Facebook and now is as good a time as any! First, I think I should do some 'investigations' what new functions have been added to Multiply since I last blogged which was Sept. 07. Oh my, time has flown... But really looking forward to piece as much as we can together on this next very exciting phase of our lives! Blog again real soon! Somehow, I got "lured" into the world of Facebook... I finally joined today after hearing so much about it... I am DETERMINED not to be trapped, to spend hours looking for friends and updating my own profile etc. Yeahhh, I'm determined!!! Heh heh, it won't be hard to stay determined 'cos we still don't have broadband at home!! So if some of you got an invite from me to join or something like that, that's JUST because of formality! But Facebook looks amazing, huh... you can poke people... you can tease people...you can kiss people... You can do almost anything!! What has the world come to!? I know I sound like an auntie now... but seriously, I can't imagine what (internet) technology and creativity would lead us to next. As far as I'm concerned, I'm not gonna try to keep up ... I'm married to an uncle who ransacked round the whole house for his set of house keys and finally found them in his shoe!!!!!!!!!  My poor Bunny went to bed with a headache on Monday and woke up with a case of a very stiff neck (no, not stubborn...that's nothing new, hehe!) yesterday... He went in to work but his boss sent him home ... But I have to admit it was really cute when he tried to kill a big fly (which had silly-ly flown in from the garage sliding door when Bunny went out to hang the laundry...) which was zipping about the house. Can you imagine someone trying to follow a zipping fly with a stiff neck!? Trust me, my Bunny looked really cute. But the poor thing is still so stiff today... he's not calling me Bunny any more. Whenever he (only) calls me Honey, it's not good... I hope he gets well soon... I subscribe to a very simple philosophy of life... something I learnt from an English class: "Everyone assumed Someone would do Something. In the end, Nobody did Anything" I've been "accused" by a Senior p-e-r-s-o-n at work (yes, here) right in front of a whole group of other Senior p-e-o-p-l-e that she had never been so micro-managed before. No prize for guessing who the 'culprit' of her unhappiness / discomfort / pain was. My stand remains never to assume and best to check always and while there was time left. When it comes time to deliver and nothing gets delivered... "Everyone assumed Someone would do Something. In the end, Nobody did Anything" 
For the last few hours, I've been sitting with Kenny in his office while he came in to do some work (not HIS work, he keeps reiterating!).. left to my own devices I started surfing the net (naturally since I'm so deprived, right!)... While scrolling through the websites on the history of er...his...er.. browser window (is that what you call it!? I'm a total, total IT / internet illiterate like you won't believe!), I found www.kenzandkryz.multiply.com!!! I didn't know my dear husband reads my blog!! I didn't even know he remembers I keep a blog (uncle mar...) Imagine all those things I'd written about him!!! "Cham!!" But he never said anything to me about them...so never mind, keep it rolling, huh! When I was still living in Malaysia, I always longed for a time where I could experience winter. I think most girls would have longed to live through the wonder and romance of at least one white Christmas... I was no different. Anyhow, I've always wanted to savour the sight of bare naked trees and hold a mug of steaming cocoa in my hands.. and watch in glee as I exhale "smoke" from my breath... Why I love winter: the sight of bare naked trees, getting all rugged up (and I could hide layers of body fat until dreaded summer!) ...not perspiring...endless dark and gloomy days... More reasons why I don't prefer winter actually: getting out of bed in the morning, getting out of a steamy, hot shower, it's freezing no matter how many layers of clothes you put on, everything feels cold and food gets cold within a minute...COLD, COLD, COLD!!! Hmmm, but amidst this "coldness" how can I spread warmth to someone / people around me? By cooking them a hot meal...offering them a hot drink... giving them something warm to wear... stopping to talk to someone / lend a help / taking a moment out from work to reply a personal email - anything - instead of just rushing by in life... I aspire to do something, anything, many things in winter that makes someone feel as if spring / summer was here!  ... before putting this down, because it's yet another "tribute" to my dear husband's sleep talking antics... His favourite is a chuckle and then, "I told you so..." - twice. Last Fri. night, when he started speaking up in his sleep, I was anticipating another laugh. But I was not quite prepared for... "Your boy friend had s** with a cow. How do you cope with that!?"
Then Sat. night... "I will let Krystal know."
Ughhh, keep me outta your dreams, mate! Haha... so we were waiting in anticipation if the episode would continue on Sun. night. We think it's a drama in making! But so far, nothing yet... let's wait and see. But please, my husband is a very, very decent and nice soul, ok!!  I've imported my blog (what little of it) from MSN spaces...those were written when I was still un-married... check it out if you have the time!
Question: What's more fashionable than keeping a blog yourself?
Answer: Keeping up-to-date with other people's blogs!!
No, I don't think I'm t-h-a-t humorous! ... t-h-i-s is bordering on freakyyy....
Last Sat. night/morning (again, it's one of those fuzzy times when you're awakened in your sleep), I was awakened by Kenny who gave me a kiss on my cheek.... when I stirred and opened my eyes, he was just staring at me with his two big eyes....
"What was t-h-a-t for?" I wasn't the tiniest bit freaked out 'cos I was getting accustomed to his bed anctics.
He just closed his eyes and went back to sleep.
Needless to say, so did I! Last Fri. I was awakened in the middle of the night (or maybe it was wee hours of the morning... can't exactly recall now) by my husband wrestling quite violently in bed. I've become quite accustomed to Kenny's "sleep antics" (talking is very common...chuckling followed by his favourite phrase, "I told you so"...typical, huh!...muttering incorrigible 'secrets'...) but this threshing around is quite new. I was quite alarmed of course, so I tried to shake him awake.
"Bunny...bunny.... are you ok?" I said, while shaking him. "What's happening, bunny?"
Mutter...mutter... "I'm trying to escape..." ....mutter...mutter...
"Escape from what?" I asked, really concerned now. What bad dream has caught my husband?? My 'fearless' husband!
Mutter...mutter... "butterflies..."
Needless to say, I promptly went back to dreamland!!
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