False Alarm

So yesterday, we had a false alarm labour.

It started just after lunch, around 2pm-ish. I started having contractions (though not painful). I tried to move around, drink water, lay on my right, hot shower... but the cramping still persisted. BUT it wasn't painful at all. Just an uncomfortable feeling of tightening around the tummy area, then release. My stomach was also hard to the touch. It was sort of like my earlier Braxton Hicks moments (they started about two weeks ago on and off), but what worried me was the frequency of the cramping and the fact that it wouldn't go away.

I remember when I was carrying Ian, I foolishly brushed off my actual contractions as Braxton Hicks. And look at how that turned out!!! By the time I acknowledged them as contractions, it was already very painful. By the time we got to the hospital, got my contractions monitored, changed, cleared bowels bla bla bla... there wasn't enough time for epidural.

This time around, I didn't want to take the risk. Dah la they say that labour progress will be quicker with the third child. Hence dengan kelam kabut I told Hubby to complete our hospital bag packing (yesssss banyak lagi rupanya last minute things yang belum masuk). Baru nak isi air zam zam, carik kurma, pack toiletries, yada yada yada. It turned out that we needed a bigger bag, so we had to change bags as well before we left. Kissed the kids goodbye and left home.

By the time we got to the hospital, it was just before Maghrib. They hooked me up to a contraction monitor, and as expected, it was registered as a mild contraction, and frustratingly irregular. The nurse did a VE and decided that the baby was still high up, so we were told to go home. *sigh* As I was walking out the emergency room, I still felt the contractions. We then went for a quiet dinner for two at Huckleberry Damansara Heights, and even then I was still having (painless) contractions every 7 -15 minutes apart. Baby AY was really pulling a fast one on me!

Arrived home and found that my helper had packed the boys' bags in preparation to head to the hospital. *giggles* The boys pulak wanted to 'see' the baby! Amboiiiii everyone is super excited to welcome the princess.

Nevertheless, this false alarm definitely showed us how unprepared we were for the actual thing. And I guess this reaffirms our decision - we will induce Baby AY tomorrow, and InsyaAllah she will be in our arms on the 18th. *18.9.18*

I hope you can spare a moment of your time to doakan for both this mummy and baby; that the delivery will be a smooth, quick and painless one. *kisses*

Just realized that I was so busy buying party frocks and tutus, that I did not buy any 'practical' butang depan clothes for newborns. Hence this was my last purchase for Baby AY - her going home outfit!

38 Weeks

Drafting this as I’m waiting for my (now weekly) gynae checkup. Yesterday was my last day at work, so I am officially on leave starting today. Honestly, memang menyesal tak accept the doctor’s offer for MC at from 36 weeks; I foolishly thought that I could cope with work until the end. What I failed to realize was that my body is aging. I’m not as young as I was when I carried Ian - back then I was baking and busy with decorating my SIL’s wedding dessert table at 38weeks!

If I can give anyone a piece of advise, it would be to have kids before their 30s. At 35 years old, badan memang dah tak larat nak lug around additional weight. And surprisingly, I gained a whopping 25kg this time around, meeting my maximum weight gain as when I carried Aiden. My legs and the heel of my feet simply cannot take it. Back pain tak payah cakap la. Just to shift sides on the bed pun I would be wincing in pain. Thankfully, Hubby has never slacked on his responsibility of giving me my nightly back and foot massage. It doesn’t cure the pain, but it’s at least 15 mins worth of pure bliss.

But looking on the bright side, Alhamdulillah I can confidently say that I did not slack off at work. This has been a relatively easy and drama free pregnancy... and to be able to work up until my 38th week, is something that I am extremely grateful for.

Ok, doctor’s calling! BRB.

Ok I’m back. So baby is now 3/5 down in the birth canal. Cervix is soft, 1cm dilated but the doctor still cannot feel the head of the baby (yup I went through a VE)! And she is 3.7kg! Omg that’s even bigger than Ian. I hope she’s not trying to beat Aiden’s weight. I’m banking on the machine’s 10% tolerance accuracy so hopefully in reality she’s below 3.5kg???

Options on the table? Induce myself on the 18th *18.9.18* or wait for her to come naturally. I’m oh so tempted to get her induced (sebab badan dah tak larat). I’ll have the long weekend to think about it - doctor recommends a staycation close to the hospital, just in case! *chuckles*

Wish me luck, peeps! For all you know, the next time you hear from me, l’ll be proudly showing off Baby AY to the world. InsyaAllah!

Ian's First Concert

So so so proud of my baby boy. He has definitely come a longggggg way; from daily begs of “I don’t wanna go (to) school”, to dancing in his first ever concert!

In his recent parent teacher report card session, his teacher reported that she was very impressed with his development, progress, focus and social skills. Especially since this is his first year in school. Pegang pencil (motor skills) pun macam someone who has been to school for a few years. I have personally witnessed the focus bit a few times as well; sometimes I ask Aiden to do something tapi Aiden masih in lala land so Ian jumped in to immediately do it. *chuckles*

Hence it came as no surprise to me, that he focused and dutifully followed his teacher’s instruction to not tell his parents about his upcoming concert nor show off his steps by practicing at home. (It was meant to be a surprise.) I only found out about it when a fellow mum shared a photo of Ian in concert practice at school. That same afternoon, I asked him about his ‘concert practice’ and his gave me a surprised face; “How did you know! It’s supposed to be a surprise!” *giggles* We tried to coax him into showing off his dance moves, but as expected, he declined!

Of course after his Babang pujuk berkali-kali, he showed off snippets of it. He eventually showed off from start to finish to my helper, who recorded it for us. But up until the actual concert, I never figured out what song he was supposed to dance to. And when I received his outfit a few days before the actual concert day, I became even more flabbergasted. It was a printed sheer top paired with leather pants. Macam gigolo outfit pulak! Ok, definitely not wearing this ever again, baby! *chuckles*

His sheer top outfit, and leather pants. I think the leather pants is probably better suited for Baby AY!

The morning of the concert, we drove to Sri KDU bright and early. It was a new location for Real Kids’ concerts because the old location was closed for renovation. I was quite disappointed though; not only was the hall poorly lighted with flat elevation seats (not tiered), but also because they didn’t allow early birds to enter the hall. By 9am, the entrance of the hall was completely packed with kiasu parents just waiting for the doors to open. No way was this very pregnant lady in any shape and form to battle for good seats! Really frustrating.

Thankfully my helper tagged along (cos Hubby was away in Palestine - save that story for another day), so she managed to get us pretty decent seats a few rows from the front. 

The Greatest Showkids!

It turned out to be a remake of the Greatest Showman. Honestly, I did not watch the movie because Hubby hates musicals, hence memang tak tau head or tail of the story line. (I have since made an effort to watch it, love love love it!) All the songs the kids danced to originated from the movie. The first show was the title song; it was so beautifully done by the six years old, I felt tears spring into my eyes. Such a vibrant and energetic performance!

The opening song. Well done kiddos!

Ian’s show was the third from the end, so I had a lot of time to fiddle with my camera and such. Because of the poor lighting, my camera was producing really horrible photos. In the end I had to depend fully on my iPhone. This heavily preggy mummy actually kneeled on the floor in front of the stage to film the whole thing, and even had troubles standing up afterwards. *chuckles* And without Hubby around, I had to prioritize on taking a video instead of photos, so apologies for the shaky photos below.

Ian performed so well! He did not forget even a single step. Instead he actually prodded a fellow friend to remind him of the next move... twice! Bossy much *chuckles* Since his show was a combination of boys from two classes, I was not happy that his class was chucked at the back. Dah la Ian pendek, but he was constantly at the back of the formation. Nevertheless, he gave it his best and I am a super proud mummy. And, I was pleasantly surprised when he took center stage right at the end! Oh how I wish Hubby was there to witness how Ian has blossomed so much!

Check out that curly hair!

Best shot I could get.

Ian took center stage at the end of the show! #proudmum

They ended the concert by singing the Real Kids song. Ian was in the front line, but crappy pictures, as usual. I miss the old concert grounds! 

Can you spot Ian? Hint - front left.

After the concert, they released the kids and when I found Ian, I gave him a huge hug and kiss. Was so impressed with how the teachers handled his hair do; bed hair messy and even sprayed slightly in pink! *giggles* Actually, I think most of the costumes this year are really beautiful; the girls in his class wore a beautiful purple gown complete with gloves and a sheer stole. 

Posing with Dafiya and Maryam.

Happy faces after the concert.

Well done Ian! We are all so proud of you. Can’t wait to see you blossom even further next year!

Pink Fong Baby Shark Live Musical

Baby shark dudududu!

That jingle simply stays in your head, right? It is so addictive that sometimes I find myself humming to the tune subconsciously. Both my boys love it too, even Aiden (although he won’t admit to it openly)! *chuckles*

Hence when Astro offered us opening tickets to the international debut of Pink Fong Baby Shark live musical, we were absolutely elated!

VIP tickets!

The kids were absolutely delirious that they were one of the first few privileged to watch the musical on opening night.

The live musical featured the full original Korean cast and crew, including popular characters such as Pink Fong and Baby Shark. The show was approximately 65minutes long, and we enjoyed every minute of it! I had my doubts about how the show would appeal to kids at Aiden’s age, but it turned out to be such a fun, cheerful and colorful musical; I found both boys singing and clapping by the end of the show!

Quality family time.

In a nutshell, the musical storyline was about how Daddy Shark enlisted Pink Fong’s help to find the missing playful little Baby Shark. To bring Baby Shark back to it’s family safely, Pink Fong and friends embarked on an adventurous journey and encountered many dangerous situations. To give you an idea of how interactive the show was, we were entertained by the popular hit song Baby Shark (at least three times!), the crowd was invited to dance along and do a Mexican wave, and the cast even walked down from the stage to mingle with the crowd at the end.

Baby Shark was definitely the star of the show.

Pink Fong and friends.

If you find yourself guilty of humming to the same Baby Shark tune, get your tickets quick before the show ends. The live musical will run between 8-16th Sept at 11am, 2pm and 6pm at the Plenary Hall, KL Convention Centre.

And Yet Another Pink Baby Shower!

I had just finished drafting the blogpost for my baby shower, when I was surprised by yet another!

This time it was by the SPK girls. Similar as the last time, it was a semi surprise. Why? Well, Hubby learned a hard lesson the last time, hence he gave me a heads up that he was planning to take me out for an intimate lunch. What he failed to realize was that he had scheduled it just before Friday prayers... and I know my husband very very well. Never in a million years would he skip solat jumaat for lunch, even for me!

By the time we stepped foot at Empire Hotel Subang, I looked at my watch and was feeling very suspicious. And as expected, it was yet another surprise baby shower, this time courtesy of my #neighbourslikesisters gang!

They decorated a corner table beautifully, ironically with some items from my DIY room party stash! *chuckles*

I immediately recognized my disco balls and silver sequined cloth.

Love the 'GIRL' balloon! Definitely coming with me to the hospital too.

Beautiful cake - the sleeping figurine is soooo adorable!

Yeay for diaper cake!

Love the personalized door gifts.

Bath and body works cream for each of us. 

Placemats on doilys.

Yours truly beaming in our beautiful corner.

It was a buffet lunch cum high-tea, and we stuffed ourselves silly. It was definitely a great outing with the girls. Different from my prior baby shower where it was all games and hoohah, this one was more of an intimate chat and catching up session, plus gossip of course! We did play some games, but interestingly it was a questionnaire about how well they knew me. Funnily enough, I couldn't even answer some of the questions... one if it was, "What was Liz's favourite childhood toy?" (Erm, did I even have one??!!) *chuckles*

Answering questions... ignore the messy table!

Cake cutting session.

So much love for these girls. 

Thank you girls, for the intimate time out. So touched with your efforts and your presence. Oh baby AY, if only you can see how excited these aunties are for your arrival!

My Pink Baby Shower!

Baby A is coming!

That was the hashtag that my gang pagar sekolah apparently created for the surprise event. Boy oh boy, it was definitely a surprise!

Since surprise baby showers were a tradition in our group, I knew that a baby shower was coming. But I did not expect for the baby shower to be held that soon! (I was at 31 weeks then!) Hubby pun pandai berkomplot with the gang; he made up a story about an invite to a birthday party. Siap we bought and wrapped a present lagi for the fictional birthday boy. *chuckles*

So anyway, he drove us to the venue (The Saujana Hotel Subang) and then dropped me off at the entrance on the pretext of not making me walk so far from the parking lot. So while I was walking into the lobby of the hotel, I suddenly had this suspicion that this was all a planned gimmick. Why? Because I didn’t see any signage to a so called birthday party, and honestly; I don’t know any of Hubby’s friends who would splurge on a birthday party for their son in a hotel! The minute Hubby walked in, I immediately pounced on him and demanded to see the invite. Nampak muka dia panic while he tried to dodge the question, and insisted that I followed him. I on the other hand, refused to budge. And to my surprise, he actually walked away! Ok sah sah something fishy was going on.

After waiting for a few minutes, suddenly he returned with one of the gang pagar girls. *giggles* Surprise tak menjadi! After a few minutes of persuasion (I still refused to budge cos I wasn’t mentally prepared, nor dressed for a baby shower!) I eventually followed them.

The venue they picked was fantabulous! It was a quiet corner in Ti Chen by the lake, and the whole area was cordoned just for us. The table was immaculately decorated in pink floral flowers, with a beautiful cake and diaper cake to top it all. They even dressed me up in a sash and a floral crown! Everyone came dressed in white and pink with matching floral crowns. I don’t think I can ever do justice to the deco in words, so I’ll let the pictures do the talking:

Yours truly with a beautiful floral crown and sash. Oh you can call me Booties too! *giggles*

Beautiful signage, which is currently hanging in Baby AY's room.

Flowers everywhere. That beautiful floral 'A' will be following me to the hospital as deco! Cake and diaper cake lovingly made by members of the gang pagar.

The placemats.

Princess A is coming!

Matching personalized doorgifts.

Our quiet corner.

Setup for the cake cutting session at the end of the baby shower.

After lunch, we moved on to games. After planning two baby showers for the gang pagar, I knew that we had played most of the games suggested online. Hence I was very intrigued on the choices of games that they had in mind. It turned out that they focused more on word games rather than activity games. Which was quite a blessing because doing physical activities while lugging around nearly 20kgs of extra weight around is no joke, ok!

Some of the word games we played. They were quite tough!

We wrapped up the afternoon with a group photo session. Despite not being really dressed for a baby shower (I was supposed to be decked in pink too!) I managed to blend in by hiding behind some bouquet of flowers. *chuckles*

Hiding my tummy behind a bouquet of flowers.

The girls!

Everyone in pink, except me of course.

Posing with our floral crowns.

One with the master decorators!

Gang wefie.

Cutting the beautiful two tier cake.

Selfies.

Last photo by the lake.

Thank you girls for planning such a lavish event for me. I feel so loved!