A Bling-ed 30

It was perfect. I could not have asked for more.

Hubs really surprised me good this year, the effort he puts in to make my turning 30 extra special.

He did something which actually goes against his strong belief, and for that, I am so touched. Knowing how easily emotional I can be, each time I think about it send me breaking into happy tears.

I got more than a cake.. and it was a darn yummy Komugi cake at that. I really thought that Hubs got me another cheesecake as I just mentioned it a day before that I felt like eating small cheesecakes..

So, as I happily opened the cake box, there it was in my face, and me rather in disbelief..

Thank you my love.. thank you for coming into my life and also giving me two most beautiful angels, making us, a family, so complete.

Three-O me :)

In about 3 hours, I will no longer be in my 20's.

Hello Big Three O, you have finally come knocking on my door, and this year, I get to have the best birthday present again, just like when I was 24 years old. 

Thank you God for sending us two angels in our lives, making us feel so complete as a family.

I am appreciating life much more, and I am grateful to wake up to a brand new day together with my boys and parents. 

Turning 30, and I have two sweetie pies & a fab husband = Happy contented me

Can't ask for more.. 

maybe a cake, I do really want a cake though :) even if its just a slice...

So, before I get back to work as a walking canteen for Mason and a hands-on mom paying attention to my firstborn, Jaden.. I just want to tell myself, which I know I will be reading this years later on.. that I promise that I shall make the best out of my new chapter in life, turning 30, not only for me but for my boys as well. 

Happy Birthday to me in advance :)

xoxo

and thanks to Hubs for the pressie in advance that will be making its way back from Paris to me.. *gRin*

Baby Mason @ 11 Days Old

I am going to be a good blogger for now, and shall keep blogging about Mason's updates so I can look back and remember each day of how he is growing up with us.

Jaden, as the big brother, at first gets easily frustrated when he hears Mason crying but now, he is in the process of coping with Mason's cries, sometimes he will peek over at Mason and see what is the fuss, or he will either join in the crying and both the brothers will drive me up the wall.

Last Tuesday, 10th Dec, we brought Mason back to the hospital for his second dosage of oral Vit K. His birth weight went up from 3.31kg to 3.45kg and that was only in a span of 3-4 days.

Today, 17th Dec, we had to bring him back to the paed as she wanted to have a follow-up on him as he was then starting to show signs of slight jaundice from last week. However, after seeing him today, and asking me how he often he is pooing and what colour and texture is his poo, she sent us home, saying it is only mild, showing on the face while his hands and legs are all normal.. that he is fair looking, thats why he looks a bit yellow for now. Nothing to worry about, no blood pricking needed and the next appointment for the 3rd dosage of Vit K is in 6 weeks time.

We also got to weigh Mason and measure his height. 

He is now weighing in at 3.64kg and 54cm in height. Boy, and he is only 10 days old. Its a good sign that he is piling on weight too, thats what his paed said. She commented some newborns tend to lose a bit of weight in the first week. 

As for me, I had my gynae checkup scheduled today too.. and when Dr Yong said that my wound are almost 90% healed and my uterus is halfway contracting back to its normal size. *phew* Pap smear would be in 6 weeks time too... and I bet he is going to give me a small pep talk about the birds and the bees again, like how he used to, just for my own good, just in case I do not wish to get pregnant again.. which is YA.. NOT WHEN I AM SO LOOKING FORWARD TO MY PREPREGNANCY WEIGHT AND COFFEE AND LOTS OF GOOD FOOD I AM MISSING OUT ON... for now, maybe :) :)

I mean, I am so in love with pregnancy and to be able to have this miracle of another being growing inside you to be a tiny human, that is beautiful..  ANYWAY..

My weight? Well.. From a bulking 62.7kg, I only managed to shed off 8.9kg and not the whopping 10kg I was so looking forward to. So, currently, I am weighing in at 53.8kg 10 days after giving birth.

Mason's umbilical cord dried up and dropped off on Thursday, 12th Dec. The day he was expected to be due.. Faster than what we expected but today, the paed said, there will be the second part to dry up and drop off too.. so, we are just waiting for that to happen. 

Mason is starting to be accustomed to his bath, no longer screaming his head off at us, sometimes even lulled into sleep by the warm water on his body. Must have felt like 'home' to him after being in the amniotic sac for about 40 weeks. 

He is still not liking diaper change, and always cry out loud. Really, a 3+ kg boy making so much noise.. its amazing!

My breastmilk came on Monday night, and I have been fully breastfeeding him since, except that once when I supplement it with formula milk just once as I felt I was too engorged to let him latch on, and also there was a nipple tear. 

I have been only pumping my left so far, and last week, I could only yield about 1.5oz of milk. Last night, I managed to pump about 60ml of milk. Yay to that! By the power of determination, I really pray that I will be able to make that 2 year breastfeeding journey with Mason. 

Today, the bits of Mason's umbilical cord came off completely.. and hes been pretty cheeky at times too. Sometimes I am not sure if its nerves in him that triggers it off or hes just laughing in his sleep, flashing megawatt smiles. *sigh*

Like what hubs say, "Makes you fall in love all over again..."

New Arrival -our latest addition

Hellloooo everybody!

Woo hoo~ 

Guess most friends know by now that I have already delivered and the date of arrival of our second bundle of joy was on 8th December 2013 (Sunday -5:07am), weighing in at 3.31kg, length -49cm.

So, let me present to you our latest addition to the SimonYap clan,

Mason Simon Yap

So whats the birth story mama, you ask...

Well, ever since our last checkup on Monday Dec 2nd, my gynae mentioned since I was already 2cm dilated, he thinks that it was gonna be around that week.. but I was feeling quite skeptical. You know how women instinct works, especially for your own body. I didn't feel any contractions nor do I sense a sign, although I felt that I might just pop on the 40th week itself.

Should it be any consolation, I was looking at the dates I thought would be beautiful or easy to remember and that was 8th Dec (because if you pronounce it in Canto, for Dec 8th, it would be 1-2-8) then, there is the special 11/12/13 (just a day before Mason's EDD) and of course 12/12/13 or 13/12/13 was also good.. 

I actually busybodied and went online to search the Chinese astrology signs, compatibality and all that beliefs.. supposedly this year, Water Snake babies are generally good but they also have certain dates born, which supposedly, their fate would be shaped better and because of that, I was in the danger of popping before the 'not-so-fabulous' dates. So I just kept talking to baby in me, tell him that weekend would be just perfect, not weekdays as Jaden kor kor still have school and its a busy week.. weekend onwards we will all be ready and then...

On Saturday morning, Dec 7th 2013, my sister called me up and asked if we all would like to have a family dinner, since my parents are down and they have yet to seen me since Jaden's 6th birthday party and the very fact that she is pregnant too, I want to see her too at her 5th month of pregnancy.

We all went out for a good meal of banana leaf rice:-

Simon, Jaden, me, Mummy, Daddy, sis, David and Howard.. we ate till we could not eat anymore and then she was just telling me that the day before she popped Howard, she too, had a big meal. She asked me if I had any signs of popping, I said no with confidence!

Then as Hubs settled down to watch football, ManU vs Newcastle, baby in me was kicking around quite furiously. As I tried to walk around the house, I keep feeling the sharp intense vaginal gravity pull feel. I remembered telling my gynae about this before, that I have felt it before when I walk, and he mentioned it was normal.. so I did not think much about it except that it was more painful than normal. 

After a while, I just could not take it. I told Hubs that I think we need to go to the hospital just to check it out because my tummy feels tighter than before, the skin, the space and the sharp pain. Wouldn't hurt to just go check it out as the hospital is down the road.

So we called Iz, and he fetched us to the hospital while my parents took care of Jaden at home. I told them we will be back in a while after checking, as I did not even bother to bring my hospital bag along. I really thought I would be send home after being checked and saying its just a nerve or baby ter-press on my ligaments or something like that...

Went to the A&E as it was already 1130-ish pm, asked for the labour delivery room nurses, midwives to come get me to be checked.. instead of letting me walk, they wheelchaired me instead. Felt funny though as I thought to myself, I am still fine to walk..

Little did I know, this is when all the drama begins..

At 12am, nurse came, asked me to change into the hospital gown so they can check on my dilation.

Damn..and they strapped on the CTG to me.. crap! I hate that thing that constraints you to the bed. 

"Oh.. you are about 5cm dilated already, Husband, please do go get her hospital bag and proceed on with admissions."

I was like WTF ???? But I have no contractions at all.. they then told me, you do.. look at the chart.. and I was like REALLY? BUT I DIDN'T FEEL A THING..

Anyway I asked if I could go home first with my husband to take my hospital bag as I wanted to say goodnight to Jaden and leave instructions first to my parents how to put him to bed and all.. but NARP! I was left alone in the hospital while Iz quickly drove Hubs back to get all the hospital bag and his own change of clothes.

My gynae, then arrived before Hubs came back and he checked me again.. I was like WHAT? ONCE NOT ENOUGH? Trust me, its painful when they have to check you for dilation. 

He then said, you are 4cm dilated and do you want to break your water bag.. and before I could reply anything, he proceeded on to break it. Brings back memories to when I had to induce Jaden out. He, too, was the one that broke my water bag but I don't remember squishing out water so much.. the warm water that flows out, and never stopped after that...

I was a little disappointed that my water bag did not break naturally as I wanted to try to go through this pregnancy experience as natural as I could.. but oh well, what done is done and there is no way he could plug up the hole and stop the water from coming out.. so the next best thing was to let labour take place at its own pace.

Gynae did ask if I wanted epidural, I said not sure but that is possible but I would like to wait it out as long as I can stand the pain, then he asked to put on the oxytocin drip. I told him NO. He said, I might be in labour till morning or the next day, I said, its ok, I would prefer to wait it out then to induce... He said he would check back with me again in an hour to see if I wanted the drip.. when Hubs reached, I told him to tell the gynae, that we are adamant in not using the drips. 

I remember once they put the drip on me, the contraction hit me like a truck. That pain.. its unforgettable, the one that makes you just want to twitch and die. Ok, maybe I am just being a little overdramatic here but you get the picture. I have low tolerance for pain anyway.

So, thankfully for data plans on smartphones, facebooking and whatsapping friends to chat was the best way to do your research on the spot, and getting distracted when contraction creeps up on you..

Hubs? Well, since there was 7-11 downstairs, he went down to get himself a bunch of food to eat in my labour room, having a small little party to himself while I was just lying there feeling scared of what may come next.

Don't get me wrong. Hubs was really supportive.. just that its funny how he was in the mood to eat and felt sleepy when if hes at home, he would be all bright-eyed at that very hour.

Somehow I was not feeling the least tired. Tried to rest but the CTG strap was uncomfortable for me.. and 2.5 hours passed by with just contractions I could bear.. when they gradually became closer and started to be more intense when the nurse came in to asked if I wanted epidural as the doctor is here giving epidural to another lady next door. I said, no, I would like to hold it out still but what are the other options of painkillers?

She offered either injection in the butt or gas. 

Guess which one I took.. of course the gas.. What? Already having contractions and I have to take a needle? NO WAY !!

So I opt for Entonox and breathed into it whenever I felt that I could not take the contraction pain. 

About 1/2 hr later, I started asking Hubs to call the nurse as I knew I needed epidural then but wasn't sure if I am allowed to as they said, once I hit 6cm dilation, there is no way they are giving me so I prayed hard.

Turned out I was still at 5cm when the painful contractions are coming in, so I said, please call the doctor back.. which is going to take about 20mins for the doctor to arrive but I COULD NOT CARE LESS.. I JUST WANTED THE EPIDURAL!!

I hung on to the gas mask like it was my savior for the moment. Sort of make you high and drowsy at the same time, taking your mind off the pain. Its mind over body for now.. because you will still feel like writhing but at least your mind is much more relax.

Suddenly I hear the anaesthesian has arrived, asked me to sign some stuff, explained to me the procedures hes about to take and all I wanted to do was to scream at him to just DO IT!

Told me to sit up and that was one of the worst moments of my life.

Contractions hit me like a bitch real hard, and even much more frequently. Thankfully for Hubs who stood by me, and let me hold his hands.. or squeezing it to almost breaking it.. when my contractions hit me.

Just as the anaesthesian wanted to poke the needle into my backbone, contraction hit and we all have to wait it out and suddenly I was just having the urge to push.

I kept saying I have the urge to push, urge to push.. FML!

As I felt the cold drip of the epidural flows in me, I felt a bit relieved yet I was like WHEN THE FxxK THE DRUG IS GOING TO KICK IN? FML FOR BEING STUBBORN because WHERE GOT DRUG KICK IN INSTANTLY ONE????? FML FML FML.. and I was breathing in the gas as though my life depended on it, taking so many breaths..

and then I thought I saw my savior sitting at the base of my feet, with all his ka-chang! ( equipments ) My gynae is here, all dressed up in his delivery gear ready to help me deliver baby.. THANK GOD!!!!!!!

I was already feeling kinda woozy and high from breathing in the gas, so I just let them prepped me ready, and had me hold on to the clutch, legs up and PUSH EMILY PUSH! PUSH MACAM YOU MAO BERAK!! PUSH YOU CAN DO IT! 

I could still feel each contractions but at a lower pain, must be the drug slowly kicking in but the pushing, that was painful. Its almost like something was going to burst out your arsehole!

Now, I understand why they said, PUSH MACAM YOU MAO BERAK!

I hadn't felt this before.. all these are new to me as I was a happily epidural woman when giving birth to Jaden, thats why I couldn't push with all my strength, resulting in getting Jaden forcep-ed out!

So with baby no.2, although its not a very beautiful painted vision that every woman that is going to give birth would have after reading this.. it is worth the experience and its a beautiful moment after everything has ended.

We had about 6-7 pushes before I heard someone said, they could see baby crowning.. and with the last push, out came Mason, crying.. It was beautiful but what happened next wasn't for me.

Almost immediately after he came out of me, my body went into some muscle spasm mode and started shaking furiously.. Seems like its normal.. while my gynae and his poker face, was just waiting to deliver my placenta and sewing up a small tear that I had. *sigh* Had another episiotomy done on me. :p

Hubs were assigned to follow baby around, no matter what, so that he did his job real well while I was just trying to stop myself from shaking and praying that my gynae will quickly deal with my stitches, as I could actually quite 'feel' each time he sews me up there.

While the nurses scurried around, weighing baby, draining excess fluid out from Mason, I was trying to get over my physically tired body. 

Then, right after they did everything, they put him on me to get some skin to skin contact, and after a while, they took him away to wipe him down clean, which he was screaming bloody murder so loud.

While me being all sewed up and the nurse putting a catheter into me to drain out all the urine, which was really alot according to them, it was rather a painful affair having them push my bladder clean of urine. 

After an hour or two of monitoring me in the labour delivery room, the nurses have me changed into the ward gown and pushed me upstairs to my room with Mason in my arms. :)

Tried to breastfeed him almost immediately after that, but knowing myself well, milk still has not arrived for me. Mason did latch on well too, just like his brother and he was suckling.. not sure was it comforting to him but it was good to know he and I have no conflict with each other in breastfeeding.

Hubs hung out with me till about 10-11am before I send him home to get some sleep, and also so he could bring my parents over with Jaden to visit Mason.

They were one of the firsts people to see Mason after Hubs, of course.. :p

Though we did take a suite ward for me, I asked Hubs to go home to sleep with Jaden so Jaden won't feel as if we abandon him for baby, even if he doesnt say it or show it.. We want to create a positive loving feeling for Jaden towards the whole new scenario he is about to take on for the rest of his life, having a new addition family member in our lives. 

As for me, Mason was screaming for food right after Hubs left for home, near midnight. Since I did not have milk just yet, I asked the nurse to supplement him with a formula milk first.. it might be a taboo nono to those die-hard breastfeeding mamas but I know that just by doing so, I won't go off my goal of wanting to breastfeed Mason until he turns TWO at least. 

In total, Mason prolly have four formula feeds at around 15ml tops, and milk did come to me on Monday night onwards.. and we have been breastfeeding since.. was even striked with engorged breasts on Tuesday night but all is well now, since Mason direct latches and have helped it go away. 

So there.. the birth story of our second prince, Mason Simon Yap.

Everybody has popped!

except me...

Friends of mine, has started popping their babies when they are at 39 weeks...

Most of them or those that I know of.. and me, already in my 39 weeks and 3 days, well, I am still not really feeling it yet. As in, sensing THE DAY but as long as baby no.2 is ready, and have not passed 42 weeks, I am ok with it.

Who knows, he might just want to share my birthday with me instead. 

My father has learnt the route to and fro from Jaden's school so I am more or less, relaxed in that matter. Shown them where the morning market is and where they can have breakfast after dropping Jaden off at school.

Have been making my mother write down the steps to using each and every of my kitchen appliances, so that she don't simply press them and stress me out unneccessarily should it break down. 

She has still not grasp the planning of cooking/menu planning for both Jaden and the family yet, which do get on my nerves at times. Its just me and my short temper fuse this time, I have to say. Its my bad but I just can't help it. The only thing that I could do to stop lashing out is to do it myself. That is why when people ask, no help? How to.. when nobody really understands how to work around with Jaden -his behavior, his food, his sleep, his bathtime.. 

Hubs have set up the baby playpen cot/bassinet last Wednesday. 

Me, I have been out rummaging through toy sale since Wednesday till Thursday like a woman that is not heavily pregnant and ready to pop yet.

Everybody was surprised that I was still out and about and very much active although I slowed down since yesterday. I was still driving myself around, but to nearby places only.

XY and the girls initially wanted to hold a baby shower for me, same goes with some of the supermoms I know but since I was not sure when I was going to go into labor, Hubs forbid me from going far into KL city for buffet with the supermoms, and since its holiday and year-end for some other friends, they have tons of work to finish before calling it a year, XY hosted lunch at her place instead for me, attended by Meu and her baby girl. 

It was a really intimate nice yummy lunch and time spent with the two fab moms and their babies. They even bought baby an awesome massage oil. :)

Baby no.2 has already started receiving some presents and one of the most iconic, special one that really means a lot to me (traditionally anyway) is the hand-sewn quilt by Iz's grandmother. Jaden received one when we were pregnant with him too and now, she did another one for baby no.2. Time and effort all poured into it.. could only done with pure thoughts and love and dedication.. this type of present really brings back memories to me because my very own grandmother used to make them for us grandchildren using her old clothes.. I can still remember seeing her, sitting at her sewing machine sewing away while we play with the cut cloths, or trying to press down on her sewing machine.

Jaden has been bonding with his grandfather like mad, misbehaving day by day, and being an even much more bigger drama king when we gave him a swipe at the leg. He cried out as if we really whacked him super hard... at least I know I will be in a peace of mind when I leave for the hospital and he can still seek comfort from his grandparents. 

Parents in town

Wokayyyy.. now that both my parents are in town, and these few days for me to get my father to familiarize himself with the usual routes... then I will be much more relaxed!

Speaking of which, getting my mom to familiarize herself with my kitchen, utensils and certain house rules.. like keeping all doors locked at all times.. Having a kid around ain't a joke, especially when hes climbing and being a curious monkey.. and I stay in an apartment.

*sigh* Why do I feel grateful yet stressed by it too? Only time will tell if I still have my hair on at the end of confinement month.. if I manage to last through it without 'puking blood' or 'hair-pulling' sessions.

Coming in 39 weeks now, and baby's estimated weight is 3.444kg while I am weighing at 62.6kg. If baby still decides to stay in comfortably in my little 'oven' until 40 weeks, I am sure I will balloon up even more and he, will be a bigger baby that his elder brother.

Still not really ready

My fingers and toes and feet and face, well, they are all looking very bloated up now.

Me, I just can't wait to shed off the pregnancy weight as fast as I can, without losing milk supply.. I pray.

I have been busy and itchy over the internet, scouring for Chinese New Year wear, doing my online shopping buying S sizes clothes.. well, at least I didn't bang on buying XS sizes which I would have, given a few years ago. :p

So, that will be my motivation to lose those kilos I piled on during pregnancy.

Tomorrow is going to be my 39 weeks checkup.. hopefully we will make it through another week as I think I am going to be really ready by next week weekend comes.

Mom and Dad will be in town by Tuesday afternoon, staying with me until I give birth.. not sure if Dad is going to be staying in KL longer after that but Mom will be staying with me until baby reaches full moon and its time for them to head back to Perlis for their Chinese New Year celebration.

We, the SimonYap clan, won't be travelling much this CNY.. not sure for Melaka though.. but maybe for Chap Goh Meh? but since baby is going to be so tiny and all, we are staying put in town this year, thats for sure, which I don't really mind as I will still be feeling too fat and tired, trying to accomodate to baby's arrival.

This past week, I have had weird movements from tummy and below, somehow, as if its indicating time is drawing near for baby no.2 to come out and greet us but, I am still praying that it will be next weekend. 

Still need to train up my dad to fetch Jaden to school, to drill the route into his head so he wont get lost and also the way to do grocery shopping, so the grandparents can do about and buy meat and vege daily without me having to worry. (I HIGHLY DOUBT SO THOUGH!)

Speaking of training my dad, I have to train my mom too..  to cook things for Jaden, what to prepare for me and all that.. *sigh* its gonna be a challenge for me not to lose my temper along the way, which I highly doubt so too as my fuse can be really short when it comes to things dealing with Jaden and my way.

Lack of sleep ain't going to help much either, I guess.. so lets see how I zen .. who knows, I might be just zen all the way instead.. :p

I have already arranged for one of Jaden's therapy to resume back in January instead so I don't have to worry about his route and scheduling him to be on time.. school will last till third week of December and home therapy will continue as usual unless our therapist is going off for a year end holiday. 

So, for now, have to do a double check again on my hospital bag, get my GBS test results back from the gynae tomorrow, hoping everything is healthy and good to go for a natural birth delivery.. *sigh*

Part of me can't wait to meet baby no.2 now, and part of me says a little while longer, please baby.. until next weekend at least.. :)

Wondering if I piled on any more weight.. but I hope baby piles on more weight though.. they say a bigger baby is easier to take care anyway.. hoping it wont be bigger baby, hungrier baby.. :p