New Kid On The Blog

30-APR-2008:

Three more days before taking off, we have already started packing. Last year when we went back, we carried two suitcases full of chocolates and souvenirs for others and only underwears for ourselves. This year, we could be repeating the same thing, although it seems like there are more things to bring along since Dominic is older now. First of all, we have to be prepared with stuffs to entertain him during the long flight. I have a few things in mind:

1. Lots of books. Fortunately, he has plenty of lightweight paperback books.

2. Crayons and colouring books. I must remember to photostat his colouring book as the whole book is simply too thick and heavy. And I must remember some blank paper to scribble on as well.

3. I'm still trying to decide whether to bring along the laptop just in case Dominic wants to watch his movies. Or he can watch it on daddy's MP3 player but the screen might be too small for him. Or maybe he can just watch the in-flight entertainment programmes. I'll let daddy decide whether HE wants to carry the laptop.

4. Snacks!

5. I can't think of anything else. Ideas, anyone?

And since we'll be going to Redang as well, we need to pack our swimsuits, Dominic's arm bands and goggles. We also have a bottle of leftover sunscreen lotion (which is 2 years old now) and it will be a good time to utilize it (if it hasn't expired yet). Oh yeah ... this time round I have to pack Dominic's toilet seat as well!

Speaking of this, the other night when we were waiting at A & E, Dominic suddenly said he wanted to poop, so I took him to the hospital's toilet. Fortunately, it was clean and dry and I popped Dominic onto the toilet seat. I had to hold him so that he wouldn't fall into the toilet bowl. It was pretty tiring and I was bleeding at the time. Plus, the problem was he didn't want his daddy to do it instead. Well, at least he didn't refuse to go on an "unfamiliar" toilet. I wonder when will be the right time to tell him that he and mummy have different private parts and that he should go to the toilet with daddy instead.

I think Dominic is coming down with a cold, so I must remember to bring along medication.

I guess that's all I can think of at the moment. Dominic ain't getting a bassinet to sleep in this time. I can't imagine how he can sleep while sitting in his seat. I imagine it will be a rather tough journey.

# posted by Skye @ 6:16 am 0 comments

28-APR-2008:

The Wii Fit finally arrived today. It is so cool. It has a Balance Board which you stand on while performing yoga, muscle exercise, aerobics and balance exercise. I actually felt better after following the yoga routine for about 20 minutes. You choose your own virtual personal trainer and it assesses your fitness on a daily basis. The results are plotted on a graph so that you can see if you have improved.

It also acts as a weighing scale. Today, I weighed myself for the first time after the miscarriage and I'm 45kg - which means I have lost 3.3kg. I can't believe it. It's great. Now I can tuck in a few extra pieces of chocolate cake. Dominic is 12kg - which is roughly his normal weight.

# posted by Skye @ 4:44 pm 0 comments

This factsheet is for people who have had a miscarriage or for those who want to know more about them.

What is it?

The medical definition of miscarriage is the spontaneous loss of a pregnancy before 24 weeks. Miscarriage is very common, occurring in 10 to 20 percent of confirmed pregnancies. Most of these occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy.

Miscarriage symptoms

Why does it happen?

About half of all early miscarriages happen because of a problem in the way genetic material from the egg and sperm has combined during fertilisation. It can be difficult to find out why this has happened but it is more likely to be due to random chance than to any underlying problem with either parent.

Imbalances in pregnancy hormones, problems in the immune system, and some serious infections (not minor coughs or colds) are also thought to make miscarriages more likely. The risk of miscarriage increases with age, because the quality of eggs deteriorate. If a woman drinks too much alcohol or smokes heavily, the risk of a miscarriage is higher. It is also increased with multiple pregnancies, such as twins.

If a woman has previously taken the contraceptive pill, the risk of having a miscarriage appears to be slightly reduced.

While some studies suggest that stress may play a role in pregnancy loss, it hasn't been shown to cause miscarriages on its own. Research also indicates that doing moderate exercise or having sex whilst pregnant does not increase the risk of miscarriage.

Often the cause of a miscarriage remains unknown. If a miscarriage has started there is very little that can be done to stop it.

What should I do if I notice bleeding in pregnancy?

If you experience vaginal bleeding at any time during pregnancy it is worth contacting your doctor or midwife for advice.

You may be referred to an early pregnancy assessment unit, which is often based at a local hospital, and may be given an ultrasound scan.

At hospital

After a discussion of the symptoms, and possibly an examination, some tests and investigations may be needed to find out what is happening. Some examples are listed below.

• An ultrasound scan will show the uterus and any developing embryo. If all is well and the pregnancy is sufficiently advanced, a fetal heartbeat can be seen. If pregnancy is not very far on (less than six to seven weeks) it is sometimes not possible to tell if the pregnancy is continuing, and you may be recommended to have another scan in 7 to 10 days time.
• Sometimes a blood test for beta hCG is taken. This is a sensitive blood test which identifies levels of the pregnancy hormone. You may be asked to return after 48 hours to re-take the test. In pregnancy, levels of the hormone rise over time. If they are decreasing, it indicates that the pregnancy has been lost.
• You may be given a blood test to find out if you have a rhesus-negative blood group. If you do, you may need an injection to prevent problems in subsequent pregnancies.

Types of miscarriage

Different terms are used to describe miscarriage, depending on what the ultrasound scan or an internal examination reveals.

Threatened miscarriage is used to describe bleeding in early pregnancy, where the cervix is found to be tightly closed. The pregnancy is most likely to continue. Some doctors may advise you to rest in bed, although there is little evidence to suggest that this will make any difference to what happens.

Inevitable miscarriage describes bleeding in early pregnancy where the cervix is found to be open, suggesting that the pregnancy will be lost.

Incomplete miscarriage describes a miscarriage that has definitely started, but there is still some pregnancy tissue left in the uterus. The cervix is usually found to be open.

Missed miscarriage describes a pregnancy that stopped growing some weeks ago, but there was no bleeding at that time. This type of miscarriage usually causes a small amount of dark-brown blood loss and the sudden end of normal pregnancy symptoms but there may be no symptoms at all, coming to light only at a routine scan. It is sometimes called a blighted ovum.

Treatment options

Doctors can prescribe a combination of misoprostol and mifepristone. These soften the cervix and make the uterus contract so that the remainder of the pregnancy is expelled.

Surgical treatment involves an operation to empty the uterus. This is known as an evacuation of retained products of conception (ERPC), but is sometimes called a dilatation and curettage (D&C). This is carried out under general anaesthesia. A soft plastic tube is passed through the cervix into the uterus and the pregnancy material is removed by suction.

General anaesthesia can temporarily affect your co-ordination and reasoning skills, so you should not drive, drink alcohol, operate machinery or sign legal documents for 48 hours afterwards. If you are in any doubt about driving, please contact your motor insurer so that you are aware of their recommendation, and always follow your doctor's advice.

Recurrent miscarriage

Miscarriage is a very common event and many women experience two or more miscarriages, purely by chance. Having more than one miscarriage can lead to anxieties that a normal pregnancy will never occur. But even after two miscarriages it is unlikely that you have an underlying problem, and there should be every chance of a successful pregnancy in the future.

After three consecutive miscarriages it is advisable to undergo some tests to rule out a specific cause. Possibilities include a hormonal disturbance, genetic problems, abnormalities of the uterus, or a condition of the immune system called "antiphospholipid syndrome". This is a disease where the body's own defence mechanism causes blood clots in the placenta.

Miscarriage later in pregnancy

Four-fifths of miscarriages occur in the first 12 weeks (first trimester) of pregnancy. Pregnancy loss later than this is much less common, and the causes may be different to those described above. You may need more specialist information and advice.

After a miscarriage

Further information

• The Miscarriage Association
  01924 200 799
  www.miscarriageassociation.org.uk

# posted by Skye @ 11:22 am 0 comments

26-APR-2008:

My pregnancy diary ended at 8 and a half weeks. It all started last Tuesday when I had my first sign of vaginal bleeding. By Wednesday evening, I had started passing fresh red blood and had made two calls to the NHS, spoken to two nurses and one doctor. On Thursday morning, I had myself checked by a GP and she couldn't find anything wrong with me. By now, I've heard the same phrase numerous times - vaginal bleeding is very common in early pregnancy and occurs to 80-90% of women. I was then referred to a gynae for further diagnosis. The appointment was to take place on Friday, first thing in the morning.

Thursday night, I passed a clot of blood the size of about 2-3cm. We went to A & E straight away. I was seen by a gynae who did a vaginal examination on me and gave me an ultrasound scan. We saw the baby and the heart was beating away healthily. Dominic saw it too. We told him that was "mummy's baby" but I'm not sure if he understood. Although the baby was fine, the gynae didn't sound very reassuring. She told us that "things can change overnight" - which was exactly what happened.

I was awaken in the middle of night by my first painful cramping. I passed a huge amount of blood into the toilet - which I later suspected was the foetus. I hope its heart wasn't still beating when I flushed it down the toilet. The cramping stopped immediately after that and I went back to sleep. I didn't panic anymore. I wasn't worried anymore. I had accepted the fact that it was not meant to be. I told Saimun that I had passed a huge amount of blood - and we both went back to sleep. There was nothing to be done.

The next morning, we were to see another gynae. I knew I wasn't pregnant anymore. I didn't feel pregnant anymore. Not that I felt any more pregnant than this before but somehow I felt lighter ... and different. We went to the hospital, had another scan and the gynae confirmed it - I've had a miscarriage. There was some "retained product" in my womb and I was given two choices - (1) to evacuate via operation (which I think is like sucking the retained product out through the vagina), or (2) let it pass out naturally - the term they use is "conservative management". I chose the latter and was admitted immediately.

I was discharged on Saturday morning. Throughout the entire procedure I was checked and scanned by so many doctors. I didn't have to get a 2nd opinion. I had a 2nd, 3rd, 4th and God knows how many opinions - I lost count. They like to do internal scanning - i.e. sticking a thing down the vagina and I hate that. I lost count of how many times my private part had been intruded. The hospital staff was wonderful. I've never imagined that public health service can be this good. The nurses were extremely kind and helpful. The doctors as usual were always too busy and showed less compassion, but they did a thorough job. The hospital itself was new, spotless and comparable to Sunway Medical Centre where I gave birth to Dominic. The choice of meals was a list that was too long for me to even finish reading. The only thing missing was a TV in the room. When I was discharged, we just walked out - there was no payment to attend to.

To all of you who told me that things will be fine, you were right. Things are fine - despite the tragic outcome. In fact, I can think of several positive outcomes from this incident.

(1) First of all, daddy had been wonderful. I haven't done any housework since Wednesday evening. He did everything, apart from cooking, and he took care of Dominic. He took good care of Dominic all by himself when I was at the hospital and today, he even prepared dinner. He came to the hospital 4 times a day, travelling to and from home and he brought Dominic to me, which no doubt cheered me up considerably.

(2) At least now I can fly back to Malaysia with no worries.

(3) At least now I can eat whatever I want.

(4) At least now I can look forward to our Redang trip and ride on a jet ski.

(5) At least now we can execute our original plan and try to have our baby in 2009.

(6) At least I didn't suffer any pain throughout the whole thing.

(7) At least the gynae said there isn't an increased chance of this happening again.

When things like this happen, people will often try to find a blame - on anything. Maybe it was because I walked too much. Maybe it was because I carried Dominic. Maybe it was because I ate too much fruits and raw vegetables. Maybe it was because we had intercourse. If it had happened a week later, maybe it was because I travelled on a plane. The last thing I want to hear is people telling me that it was something that I did. Again, daddy was wonderful. He has been extremely supportive and understanding and I am very grateful for that. His main concern is that I feel well and healthy. He took us out today and we had a wonderful time.

# posted by Skye @ 6:30 pm 0 comments

24-APR-2008:

I was watching the whole re-run of Sex and the City - one must be wondering how on earth does a working mother with a 2-year-old who cooks every night and does not have a maid or any relatives to help out can have time to blog, maintain a website, indulge in computer games and watch so much TV. Haha! I'll explain this part later.

Anyway, back to the show. There was this episode where Carrie and Big was in bed one morning and she farted right in front of him. She was so embarrased that she left straight away and kept worrying about it. When for some reason, their frequency of love making decreased just a liiiiittle bit, she began to blame the fart for it. Watching that made me feel blessed that I have a relationship with my husband so comfortable that we can fart all we want in front of each other without feeling embarrased. In fact, we can co-exist in the same bathroom when the other is performing the gross act on the toilet bowl - quite comfortably. Sometimes, it's like a family event with the 3 of us happily cramped inside the bathroom. Gross, but I have to say it makes feel warm and fuzzy just thinking about it. :-)

On the other hand, are we gradually jeopardizing our relationship by being too comfortable with each other? Taking each other for granted that we don't bother to impress each other anymore? There was this episode in Everybody Loves Raymond where Debra and Ray were getting ready to go out and they were late because Debra was still dressing up and fixing her hair. Ray got impatient and he shouted up the stairs, "You don't have to do your hair Debra. I already married you!" I think my husband is exactly that kind of man. He doesn't bother if I dress up as long as I look presentable. The truth is, most of the time I dressed up NOT to impress him but because I wanted to look good in front of everybody - mostly the girls. And another truth is, guys rarely notice you unless they are already interested in you. It is the girls that you often want to impress - or rather you don't want to look shabby while your girl friend looks fabulous and sexy next to you.

I've never liked watching Everybody Loves Raymond but recently I identify with the "issues" and find them so realistic and thought provoking. I think it must be because I'm approaching mid-life.

Anyway, I've been off work today (hence watching a lot of TV) because I have started bleeding yesterday. I saw the GP today and she couldn't find anything wrong with me, so she is sending me to the gynae and an ultrasound scan tomorrow. I am sooo freaking out at the moment that it makes me wanna cry. I don't know what the gynae is going to find out tomorrow. Maybe the baby is already dead. Maybe I'm on my way towards a miscarriage.

When I first missed my period, I silently wished with all my might that I wasn't pregnant. It wasn't something I wanted at that time. When I found out that I was pregnant, I had mixed feelings and wasn't exactly thrilled about it. Now, I want this baby and I can't believe how terrified I am of losing it. Well, to make myself feel better ... if it has to happen, then we'll go back to the original plan and aim to get pregnant again July onwards. Fingers crossed.

# posted by Skye @ 10:42 am 0 comments

22-APR-2008:

I said it. I did it. Yesterday, I bought a whole basket full of groceries with nothing but organic vegetables and meat. For 3 days supply of fruits, vegetables and meat, the total bill costs an additional £7. The killer is the meat. Normal pork chops costs about £2.50 for the usual portion that we eat. Organic pork costs £4.98. Normal British whole chicken costs about £3-£4 each, free-range (but not organic) chicken costs £7-£8 and organic chicken costs £10-£11.

Not everything comes in organic form so I'm still eating pesticides - I hope in a much lesser amount now. It SHOULD make quite a difference since I eat a lot of the vegetables raw. Organic vegetables taste sweeter I think (or maybe it's just mental), and they don't look as beautiful or grow as big.

I have recently discovered that raw mushrooms taste fabulous with salad in olive oil dressing. Here's my tip: Buy fresh button mushrooms (not the can ones), wash them clean or if you don't like it raw, blanch it a little. Toss with baby spinach leaves, red onions, sun dried tomatoes and olive oil. Then shave in some parmesan cheese.

# posted by Skye @ 7:03 am 0 comments

21-APR-2008:

I am 8 weeks pregnant now and still not having any morning sickness at all. I'm beginning to worry if the baby is growing at all. I haven't had my first scan yet as I'm still waiting for an appointment from the hospital. It is very unlikely that I'll get the appointment before we fly back to Malaysia for our holidays. By the time we get back, I'll be around 13 weeks. I have made the decision to get a private scan back in Malaysia.

Actually, if I had been smarter, I would have mentioned to the GP that my last period was 2 weeks earlier than the actual date, so that by her calculation I would now be 10 weeks pregnant instead of 8 and hopefully the hospital will give me an appointment sooner.

I am a little bit constipated these days. I sometimes feel mild period-like cramps for short periods of time. They were so mild that they could be easily ignored. Other than that, I do not suffer any other symptoms.

My weight is 48.3kg. Assuming that my weight before pregnancy was 47kg (since I've gained a bit after living in Britain - the fattest country in Europe - for 2 years), this means that I've already gained 1.3kg in 8 weeks.

I am still going to the gym although I have reduced the frequency from 4 times a week to twice a week. Instead of running on the treadmill I now just walk at a pace that makes me slightly out of breath. Sometimes I peddal on the cross-trainer and yesterday I swam 16 laps. I am hoping all these exercise will give me a super easy labour. :-)

In terms of diet, nothing much has changed. I don't get more hungry than usual and I'm not experiencing any cravings. I mentioned to daddy that maybe I should start eating only organic meat (because of the injected hormone thingy) and he asked me to ask the NHS for their opinions - if it really makes a difference. If you actually believe half the stuffs you read about non-organic food, I can guarantee that you'll go organic immediately - pregnant or not. Well, for the health of my baby, I wouldn't mind paying extra. In fact, I think the whole family should eat organic food, not just me. After all, what is a little bit of money compared to a happy and healthy family? :-)

# posted by Skye @ 5:40 am 0 comments

21-APR-2008:

Last Saturday, I tried making Irene's salmon puffs. It was really easy to make - that is if you're not making your own puff pastry.

The verdict - It tastes good, but I don't think on that particular day, my taste buds are agreeing with the fishy salmon smell. I also think the salmon might go better with salt and garlic rather than honey and soy sauce.

Daddy commented that since we eat salmon all the time, he would prefer the puffs filling to be something like the 'char siew pau' filling or curry chicken. Anyway, everyone enjoyed it regardless, including Dominic.

Thanks, Irene for the recipe! :-)

# posted by Skye @ 4:15 am 0 comments

18-APR-2008:

I have nothing to write about today, so I'll write about Dominic who is going to be 2 years and 4 months old soon. At the nursery, he is getting louder and more talkative. It has been almost 4 months since he first attended nursery and he has become very familiar with the people and the environment there now. He now grabs his bowl and spoon and finds his own seat at breakfast every morning. He has friends now and there's a little girl who follows him around most of the time. ;-) He also recognizes his friends' parents when we meet them in the street.

At home, he is becoming more and more vocal - although only mummy understands him most of the time. He is speaking in sentences now but he often omits the "the", "a", "is", "in" in the sentences. When reading a very simple book, he tries to repeat after me.

Me: All aboard, off we go!
Him: Aboard, go!
Me: Ooh, it's dark. I don't think I like tunnels.
Him: Ooh, dark. Like tunnels.
Me: Whee! We're flying! No, silly. We're on a bridge.
Him: Whee! Flying! Silly bridge.

Daddy said I should shorten the sentences so that he can follow.

When listening to music, Dominic tries to sing along, picking up words here and there (often the last word in the phrase. There's no tune to his songs yet - just sort of yelling at the top of his voice, much like Mumbo in Happy Feet.

He likes to ask me what's this and what's that - and sometimes I don't even know the answer. But he picked up a lot of words by asking.

In terms of living skills, he can put on his own shoes and jacket now (and have no problems with taking off his clothes!). He brushes his teeth on his own now - only in the morning (mummy brushes them for him at night). He doesn't wear nappies when he's at home now - except when sleeping. And he will tell me if he wants to pee or poop.

One thing that I have overlooked is his physical development in terms of sports / exercise. I think I should in the future include more activities that train his reflexes such as catching a ball, kicking the ball towards the direction that you want or hitting the ball with the tennis racket.

Dominic is generally easy to take care of. He eats on his own, goes to sleep on his own, generally obedient, able to follow instructions and easy to distract. I'll be blessed if my second child is as easy as him. The only problem is that he can't leave mummy alone. He can't play on his own - he has to ask mummy to fix this or hold that or "help" him play. Sometimes when he's watching the TV, he wants me to sit beside him and watch with him, and wants me talk through the show telling him what's this and what's that thing doing. He sticks to me like glue and sometimes if he's upset or unhappy, he doesn't even want his daddy. Well, that's the only inconvenience.

Socially, he is able to warm up to strangers much more quickly now. I hope his reaction towards his grandma, grandpa, uncles, aunties and cousins when we go back to M'sia this time will be better than the last time. Not many got a chance to touch him the last time. :p

# posted by Skye @ 5:17 am 0 comments

17-APR-2008:

Yesterday we finally rented the DVD. I think Harry has become more and more good looking. He got a new haircut and has worked out a bit so that now he has a lean body with broad shoulders and muscular arms. He didn't look at all 14 years old.

Overall, I enjoyed the movie - I've always liked kids' shows. The graphics and special effects were awesome and some parts were quite funny as well. I am looking forward to the next one.

# posted by Skye @ 4:25 am 0 comments

11-Apr-2008:

The other day, I took Dominic grocery shopping. As we approached the Asda store there was a huge sign on the building that says "24 Hours". To my surprise, Dominic pointed at the sign and exclaimed "Two! Four!". To be honest, I really didn't expect it. After that video clip - the one that generated a gazillion comments - I've not shown Dominic any numbers anymore. I didn't realize he still remembers.

Dominic is a cheeky little monkey now. He likes to ask mummy to buy juice, buy medicine (what he meant was vitamins), buy eggs (his favourite food) and buy milk. When mummy tries to frown at him he'll laugh and say that mummy is funny.

Oh ... and he finally knows his colours now. He knows blue, green, red, orange, purple, pink, white and black. He sometimes gets brown and yellow too but those two are obviously not his favourite color.

I'm glad that I keep a blog and that I write all these down. Just the other day, my cousin asked me how old was Dominic when he started eating cheese because she thinks that her son is too young to take dairy products. I couldn't remember but after checking with my blog I could tell her the answer was 8 months old!

I only wish that I started blogging when I was pregnant with Dominic, not after I had him. I am currently suffering no morning sickness with my current pregnancy. In fact, I don't feel any symptoms at all that I felt when I was pregnant with Dominic. I'm not especially tired, my appetite has not grown or changed and I don't have that tight feeling in my stomach. I'm not sure if that's normal because I can't remember when I started to have those symptoms with Dominic.

Besides, I can't remember anymore what food I should be avoiding. I was reading loads of pregnancy books and magazines when I was pregnant with Dominic but I don't have the urge to do that now. I guess you get a bit less excited about your 2nd and so forth pregnancies. I can recall that I should avoid tuna (because of the mercury content), peanuts (because of possible allergy), sausages and burgers (because they are processed meat low in nutrients) and ... that's about it. The other day, I was about to spread honey on my toast when daddy asked if I could have honey. I remember that honey is a no-no for infant below 1 year old but I can't remember if it's a no-no for pregnant woman too. But there is one forbidden food that I will never forget. My mother-in-law used to pump me with lots of "pau sam" when I was pregnant with Dominic. I didn't know what it could do to me - the books never mentioned that, and besides my sister-in-law had tonnes of it too and she had two babies without any problems. Imagine my horror when my platlette level dropped so low that I had to be put on steroids.

Dominic still asks me to carry him at times and I feel like I need a very good back massage. Does anyone know if a pregnant woman can have a body massage?

# posted by Skye @ 8:25 am 0 comments

10-Apr-2008:

Last weekend daddy and I was roaming around Homebase - something that resembles the Jusco Home Centre at 1 Utama. Not that we have our own home in London but let's just say that we were "window shopping". :-)

So we looked at leather sofas and tried them out and we looked at kitchen designs and told ourselves we want this and we want that for our house when we eventually move back to M'sia. And then we looked at bathrooms and daddy pointed out a bath tub saying "That should fit our bathroom nicely." At that instant, I finally realized that by "our bathroom" he meant our old apartment back in KL. All the while I was having a totally different image. I was thinking we were going to get a bigger house with a garden.

When I questioned him about it, daddy started to paint a picture in my mind, which I must say was pretty appealing. We have already paid up the mortgage of the apartment. There are 3 bedrooms and two bathrooms - just enough for ourselves and two kids. It's not too big to maintain and we don't need a maid. We probably just need to spend a bit to renovate and upgrade it. We have enough cash in the bank to buy ourselves each a nice car, so basically we won't need to pay any loans at all if we continue staying in the old apartment. Whatever we earn will be "free for spending". When you think about it, that sounds fantastic doesn't it?

I would say moving back to the old apartment is Plan B. I still want a place with more room and a walk-in wardrobe. And what about my library? Where is it gonna be? Haha!

# posted by Skye @ 11:05 am 0 comments

8-APR-2008:

Yesterday afternoon, daddy received a call from the nursery telling him that Dominic had diarrhoea so he picked him up and worked the rest of the day from home. When I got home in the evening, daddy was working on his laptop and Dominic was lying quiet in the couch - with no toys, no TV, just his pillow and blanket. He jumped down the couch when he heard me. Daddy then proudly announced that Dominic did not disturb him at all the entire afternoon while he worked! I don't know how daddy did it but it always worked for him. Somehow Dominic knew that daddy could only play with him if he wasn't at his laptop.

Anyway, whether Dominic had diarrhoea or not, nobody could tell for sure. He only soiled his nappies twice yesterday at the nursery and he didn't have any bowel movement after he got back yesterday. This morning, he did a poo in the toilet and it was hard solid stools. And he seemed perfectly fine to me. He finished his dinner yesterday and even had some cheese and bread. But because of the incident at the nursery yesterday, he is now not allowed to go back until Thursday. I called the nursery this morning to insist that Dominic isn't having a diarrhoea but his key carer insisted that he had and therefore needs to be isolated from the rest of the children for 48 hours.

Well, I guess this gives me a chance to plan a fabulous day together with Dominic tomorrow. Hopefully there will be sunshine and we will go to the park, or maybe we can bake a cake together. This takes a bit of planning.

# posted by Skye @ 4:18 am 0 comments

7-APR-2008:

Friday afternoon, I received a call from the nursery telling me that Dominic had been throwing up. It was 2:30pm when the call came but I had work to do, so I picked him up at 5pm. Besides, I thought it was just another stomach flu like the one he had last time. No big deal, he only threw up after he ate something and he got better on his own.

It was later in the evening that I realized it was more serious than before. This time he threw up even though he just took in plain water. He went to bed early on Friday night and woke up at 12:30am feeling very thirsty. He downed three bottles of ribena and threw up about 4 times between 12:30am and 2:30am. I put a bucket in his room and he went to the bucket everytime he wanted to throw up. He finally settled down at 2:30am and I decided to sleep with him in his room. At 3:30am, he threw up in his sleep all over his pillow and the carpet (we were sleeping on the floor that night). At 6am, he woke up again, had some water and threw up again. It was the longest night I could remember. At 8am, I woke daddy up so that I could have a rest instead.

Throughout Saturday, Dominic continued to vomit although less frequently. And today, I finally have something good to say about the NHS here. :-) Daddy rang the NHS Direct helpline and spoke to someone - I don't know probably a nurse or someone. He asked all sorts of questions - was Dominic drinking fluid, passing urine, was he responding, did he have rashes on the body, did he seem to dislike bright lights, etc, etc. Then about half an hour later the nurse contacted a doctor and the doctor called back - asking about the same questions. Then he said "bring him in now, I've booked an appointment for you" and he gave instructions to the hospital which was only 15 minutes walk from our home.

We went to the A & E department at the hospital and were seen immediately. It was amazing. We just walked up to the reception counter and gave Dominic's name and then the receptionist led us in to the doctor's room. We didn't even have to wait half a minute. I can imagine what would happen if we were in Malaysia. We would go to the paediatrician and wait for at least an hour, or we would go the next morning, really early but would still have to wait for 30 minutes at least.

The doctor at the A & E looked at Dominic and he was fine. No dehydration, nothing serious, no medication or treatment required.

Dominic didn't eat anything for 44 hours until finally at 4am on Sunday he woke up and asked for milk.

The worst part of the weekend was that Dominic was extremely whiny and he did nothing except sleep and cry. If he wasn't sleeping, he would be whining and calling "muuummmeeee ... muuummmeeee ....". I was like ... damn it, can you please stop that? It was so irritating. He would do that even though I was next to him and holding him. And he wouldn't let me go 1 foot away from him. He wanted me to carry him but I got scolded by daddy a few times for doing that (because I'm pregnant you see and not supposed to lift heavy things). How can you expect not to carry your toddler? He expects it. I could feel that Dominic was terrified when we told him that there's a baby inside mummy's stomach and mummy can't carry him anymore. I could feel that he was afraid that mummy won't love him anymore. This morning, he woke up again all whiny and tearful. Finally, when daddy wasn't looking I whispered in Dominic's ear "Mummy pao-pao ... don't let daddy know ... ". And I lifted him up for less than a minute. He stopped whining after that and waved me goodbye as daddy sent him to the nursery.

# posted by Skye @ 6:32 am 0 comments

1-APR-2008:

Not sure when exactly it happened but it did. Last month has got to be the most sexually inactive month we've had in our relationship. I hurt my left chest muscles quite badly and it was painful even when I pushed open a door - don't talk about any actions in the bedroom yet. Therefore, daddy didn't get much "luck" last month. Despite that I am now expecting my second child.

When I first found out two days ago using the "conventional" home pregnancy test kit, I couldn't be sure. Two lines means you're pregnant, one line means you're not. The first line (the control line) came out deep and clear, but the second line - it was there but very faint. Was it there or not? That's what happened when I tried to save a few quids and bought the Tesco brand test kit instead. So then I went out again and got the expensive digital test kit - it says "Pregnant" or "Not Pregnant" instead of showing you lines. I can't possibly have misread this.

Based on my own calculation, the baby's due date is 29 November 2008. Gestational age is 5 weeks (and no, I'm not counting in days too). It has only been two days since I found out but I can already feel my waistline expanding! I guess I'm not going to wear much of my new FCUK dress.

The hardest person to break the news to is Dominic. Until now, we haven't thought of the best way to let him know yet. I think I'm going to make use of the Usborne's First Experiences book again. I have to admit that it has become a very useful book indeed.

And finally, I'm glad that this happened, although I've planned it for 5 months later. Just that now I won't have a chance to "try for a girl" anymore. I can only hope that it's a girl. If I had the chance to "try" it, I'm sure it would have a 75% chance of succeeding based on my theories. When I was expecting Dominic, I had a strong premonition that it was a girl - to the point that I asked the gynae if he was sure when he pointed out the little penis. And now, I can't help feeling that it's a boy. I hope I am wrong again. But if it turns out to be another boy, I'll have a chance to prove my theory the next time. :-)

# posted by Skye @ 5:29 pm 0 comments