False Alarm!!

Had a scare last Thursday...

It was still one of my days off, and Hubby and I had planned to run a couple of errands that day (plus get some dating time hehehe). We went from bank to bank to settle some loan matters, then to the management office to get some paperwork done in anticipation of the house reno works starting soon, and finally the post office to send off a package of altered tudungs to a customer.

After all that, we went to grab a bite to eat at The Curve, since we wanted to drop off the baby carrier seat for reupholstery as well. It was a leisurely lunch, since the lunch crowd were gone and we got our food in record time... After dropping off the baby carrier, we decided to go to Ikea and the Brands Outlet store to get some stuff for the shop as well as the baby (I still think we don't have enough clothes for him just yet!) All in all, I'd say we had an enjoyable, relaxing day walking around, getting some exercise while spending some valuable time together (and still got some important things done!).

Hubby had a futsal game that night, so after we picked up the kids from nursery, we went home and I had a lie-down like I usually do after coming back from work. Somehow this time it didn't feel as relaxing as before though... I felt discomfort all over the tummy, plus my back didn't seem to want to let up... I had a very light dinner cos I didn't feel like I had an appetite, so spent the rest of the night folding laundry in front of the TV and entertaining the kids while Hubby was gone...

I had a nagging feeling that the discomfort I was feeling wasn't normal, so started to time the pains when they came... Horrors of horrors, they were pretty much exactly 5-7 minutes apart from start to start, and they were painful! Not just a simple tightening of the belly that the regular Braxton Hicks would be! I tried to maintain my composure, but at the same time was firing off somewhat-panicky sms-es to a good friend who had delivered prematurely. Eventually it got to a point where the pain was becoming more unbearable, and my mom started noticing. I had to tell Hubby once he got back, but even then we weren't sure what to do... to go to the ER? We went through 2 false alarms with Hariz, and only delivered him at the 3rd ER visit, but even then he was already 36 weeks in... right now I'm only at 35!!! I was still timing the contractions, but since they were regular but the intensity wasn't increasing any more, we decided to wait it out a bit more... they eventually tapered off around 2am, which was about 7 hours since they started, and I finally could get some sleep...

The next morning I called up my gynae and described the situation to him... 'What should I do if it happens again?' In his usual reassuring voice, he basically told me to come in for a quick checkup & monitoring if it happens again before our scheduled appointment (and I assume that means the ER if need be la), and he might have to give me something to suppress the contractions since I haven't reached the 36-week marker yet... it's too soon for him to be comfortable with... He also told me to take it easy, so I spent Friday pretty much in bed and just pottering around the house (that put paid my plans to help out Mama at the shop that day!).

So right now I'm still praying that everything goes well... I'm extra panicking about work cos it means I really have to start my handover very very very soon, just in case... and I also have to pack up my things cos we'll be retrofitting the workstations while I'm on maternity leave (don't want my poor colleagues to have to deal with my trash...) I remember how panicked I was when I had the 1st false alarm with Hariz... that was a scare... and now, every extra-hard contraction has me worried whether the contractions are starting up again... if possible, please let this baby come not too soon... I want him to come out healthy and strong... this time around I just might ask the doc for early MC for extra rest, which I've never done with the other 2 before... I'd be happy to just sit and sew in bed during that whole time (it'll at least give me a chance to finish up my sewing projects hehehe...)

Tummy oh tummy...

My tummy is no longer my own...

It rolls around in unpredictable ways, at all times of the day...

Sometimes I get sudden punches or pushes from within (and trust me, it hurts!!!), and it takes a whole lot of rubbing on the spot to push the knobby limb in... even with this 3rd one, I can't tell if it's a foot or knee... luckily it's not a kick to the ribs, but still...

Baby's head is already downward, so I'm guessing the frequent fluttering I feel right below the huge tummy are from his hands moving about...

This is one very active kiddo! At last count 2 weeks ago, he's about 1.6kg, which was still ok by the doc...

At this very moment, the kicks have begun... I get the feeling this kiddo gets snatches of sleep during odd ours of the day and night, and at other times just loves to announce his presence (usually when I'm just about to go to sleep or get started with work)... you are gonna be a force to be reckoned with, kid!

Hooray for a break!!!

I'm off for a short break!!!

I've got 6 days of leave left, and am taking 5 of them this week...

So shoot me, I was gonna take 'em on a staggered basis... but since work schedule looked crazy for Oct, there was no way I could take my leave as planned... the head honchos are all away this week, and I really needed a break (physically and mentally), so my old boss said this would be the best time to go off anyway... Obviously, I could sense that my current remote boss was a teensy bit nervous about me going off, but I've told her many times to be prepared for my maternity leave early and to get my disinterested and disconnected colleague to be in?volved in our current project since he's supposed to cover my role after this... I've been worried like crazy about the handover alone, it's high time the others see the criticality of this and pull their weight too hehehe...

On the books for this week? Buy the required baby stuff that I've yet to get, think about baby names, start on baby projects for myself and Nin Ja Moo, and relax!!!!

9 whole days of freedom... whoohooo!!!! Dang it's gonna be hard to get back to work after this...

Taking it easy the 3rd time around?

I feel like we've been taking the preparations for this 3rd little one a little easy...

There are less things to buy, since major items like stroller, baby carrier/car seat, breast pump etc we already have... we just need a new cover for the car seat, dig out the breast pump from the store... errr.... what else? Bought new nursing bras (which I can easily add to since hubby knows where I got them), initial stock of plastic EBM storage bags, breast pads, some baby clothes, and not much else!!!! We're not likely to buy a new cot, since the last we bought ended up being used more as a playpen rather than a baby's sleeping area! I haven't even been spending on little things like baby blankets and hankies and such...

We haven't even thought of names yet!! I've been so busy, so stressed out, and the preggie symptoms have been worse than before that sadly I haven't been enjoying the pregnancy as much as before (hmmm, how much did I enjoy the previous pregnancies anyway? hehehe)... even the Braxton Hicks contractions have started much earlier than before, and are more real than practice!! The doc had to give me meds to reduce the intensity of the contractions, since it's still way too early (at this point we're just into the 33rd week).

This week's gonna be a crazy one, but I'm planning to take the whole of next week off since I have 6 more days to use.... then perhaps I'll take the last day of leave at the end of the month, and just bide my time in November... I plan to use these days to catch up on all the other preparations we need to make, and hopefully get to make 2 simple baby quilts (one for me, one for my best bud) before it's time... Too ambitious ke agaknya? :) Ah, what the heck... I need the break!!