At 34 weeks...

Check out the bump!

If you guys aren't aware already, I am currently 34 weeks pregnant. Even typing this out I am like, really? 34 WEEKS? It almost sounds insane.

So I've been spending most of my days wobbling around. I never thought I’d be the wobbling type. My mood hasn't been spectacular too. A woman's hormones can already be so scary but add in the pregnancy hormones and you just go bonkers. 

I've been experiencing more shooting pains down the right side of my body now that my belly is heavier. Oh how I used to take standing and walking for granted. I've always considered myself to have a high pain tolerance but oh man... But I think of the healthy baby growing inside me and I'm infinitely thankful. I know that all I have to do is wait it out for 5 more weeks and I'll get to hold him in my arms!

As the pregnancy progresses, I find myself getting more and more tired. Maybe this is my body’s way of attempting to rest as much as possible before the baby arrives. But there is still so much more to prepare and time seems to be running out. On the bright side, I’ve shipped out 3 packages from iherb, Etsy and Amazon to Singapore with loads of goodies for the little one. Hopefully with these items my list can get significantly shorter.

Got the baby's chest of drawers over the weekend and hubs spent a good hour assembling it. It felt so heartwarming to know that he was assembling something for our son. Now all we have to do is wash his little clothes and get the drawers filled!

The father, hard at work.

The end product :) So pretty!

I scoured the internet for the perfect rocker that will allow him to nap in the afternoons as well as entertain him while I scurry off for a quick shower when needed. This rocker / napper seems the least dangerous for a newborn because the sides go up to cocoon him while he's sleeping.  I love the cute mobile that comes with it as well! Hopefully I can utilize this for about 6 months or so. Fingers crossed!

More on the baby's purchases when they arrive in Singapore, along with the $350 load of diapers we got from the recent baby expo. $350 of disposables... Just the thought of it makes me want to bawl.  (╥_╥) 

Christmas in just 8 short weeks! Have you started planning your shopping list?

And so...

A little update about my pregnancy. I'm currently 31 weeks along and this week I'm about to enter week 32 of my pregnancy (8 months). Which makes this my 3rd trimester.

 

Some of the gifts that the 3rd trimester brought along are...

1) Peeing in my pants while laughing, coughing or sneezing

2) Dropping something but not being able to pick it up. So I end up just staring at it hoping that some kind soul will come by and pick it up for me

3) Having to roll myself out of bed like a beached whale

4) Not being able to see my toes unless I lift my feet up

5) Feeling as though I have to pee every 15 minutes

6) Placing my hands over my belly in a crowded place because I'm sure EVERYONE is going to collide into me

7) Cannot move without making some kind of noise

8) Holes appearing in my underwear

9) The need to sit down after walking around for half an hour

10) Being out of breath really easily

11) A weight gain of 10 kg so far. Feeling more gigantic by the second.

12) My fingers feeling numb all the time

13) Junior's movements are getting stronger. He's no longer kicking as much, but trying really hard to punch his way out. So sometimes I have to rub my tummy to make the "lump" he created inside subside.

14) Constipation... oh my god. Not.fun.at.all

15) Swollen feet every night... sighs.

16) Pimples appearing all over my back which is making me really upset.

MUST THINK POSITIVE!! Gambatte! 加油! 加油! ( ･ㅂ･)و

 

  

 

 

This was the ultrasound that was taken last Saturday. We caught a glimpse of his little face with his left fist in front of his mouth! Can't seem to figure out who this bear looks like more...He has chubby cheeks! Like me perhaps?

Baby at 32 weeks

This week your baby weighs almost four pounds and could be up to 19 inches long.

Your baby has also probably settled into the head-down, bottoms-up position in your pelvis in prepartion for birth. That's because the fetus's head fits better at the bottom of your inverted, pear-shaped uterus. And because your baby is accumulating more fat, his or her skin is finally turning opaque (like yours), which means those see-through days are over.  Though weeks away from D-day, your baby's looking more and more like a newborn.

Upping my dosage on fruits and vegetables in aid of constipation and hoping to give him a final boost of vitamins before he's born. I want him to be all chubby and cute!!

 

Lots more to do before he arrives. We have to get his cot and drawers prepped, the confinement lady's bed up and a few other knick-knacks. We've been going shopping every weekend and we are still not done!

But, it's only 8 more weeks before I get to meet him! Can't wait! ^^

The One with the (infuriating) Baby Fair

I'm still feeling a tad sore as I'm typing this post because I'm someone who prides herself for doing ample research before getting the things she wants, especially big ticket items that will save me a lot of money and heartache. I blame it on inexperience and can only hope that I'll wise up next time.

We went to the baby fair at Expo on Friday hoping to snap up some great deals for Junior. The baby fair was surprisingly crowded on a Friday afternoon and we spent the next 2 hours jostling our way through the crowd to look at strollers and beds.

We have shortlisted 2 stroller models that we were very keen on and we pretty much set on either of them.

1st up is the Combi Miracle Turn Premier

Research on forums has shown that Combi is a popular choice amongst mummies because of it's make and affordability.

Here are the Combi Miracle specs taken off the internet:

Features:

• Auto 4 swivel wheels
• One-touch folding and opening
• Self-standing when folded
• Adjustable Handle - Handle can be adjusted according to mothers height
• Dacco seat cushion used to absorb and disperse impact evenly. (Comprises of a head support, back support and hip support)
• Egg Shock Alpha provides additional protection to a baby’s head by absorbing and dispersing impact evenly
• Extra long seat provides extra growing space and additional comfort
• Mesh canopy window maximizes ventilation
• Mesh seat-back along with rear ventilation window
• Large canopy offers maximum sun protection
• Shock absorbing structure -
• One-touch 5-point harness with one-touch release buckle
• Sturdy wheels smooth out bumps and make pushing easy
• Equipped Weight: 7.8kg
• Angle adjustment: 125 ° ~ 170°
• Opened: W479 x D860~1010 x H843~1075mm
• Folded: W479 x D370~560 x H858~950mm
• Available Colours: Green Leaf & Purple Leaf
• Recommended for ages 1-36 months.
• Price : S$559

 

 

We were pretty attracted by the price and decided to try out the stroller. It was easy to navigate around and there was no problem switching directions from front facing to back facing. I hogged and rolled the Combi Premier around and meddled with it for a good 15 mins before making a mental list of a few features that I do not like in my head.

1) I do not like the colour choices, really not a fan of the purple and the green.

2) The 2 knobs to change the direction of the handles are located pretty far down which means I have to bend my body 90 degrees over the handles to attempt to change the direction of the stroller.

3) The ventilation window at the back of the stroller is gawd-awful ugly. It looks like an industrial air-con vent and my idea of a comfy stroller equipped with ugly aluminium window strips just doesn't mesh.

4) The one hand fold feels a tad flimsy, likely because Combi used to use the 2 fold technology before the one hand opening and closing became more popular.

 

 

All in all, we felt that the Combi IS a good enough stroller and is priced very reasonably, but we wanted to check out the Soraria before deciding.

 

 

We walked over to the Aprica booth and zoomed in on the Soraria immediately. There were many parents crowding around the Aprica booth, touching and caressing the strollers but not many were actually trying them out. I strongly believe that the price factor is the reason why many parents were reluctant to give Aprica a chance.

Aprica Soraria 2014 Model

Here are the Aprica Soraria specs taken off the internet:

• Weight 6.98 kg
• Seat recline angles: 120-170 degrees
• High Seat of 55cm from the ground
• Full range hood with 99% UV protection
• One hand folds and unfolds
• Multi-positions reclining seat
• Solid belt pad in 5 point to avoid compression of the abdominal area
• Reversible and adjustable handle
• Ventilation seat system
• Medical Growth Mamol, the cushion to support proper position of baby. Consists of four layers - 1-Cool Max, 2-3D-Mesh, 3-BreathAir,4- Soft 3D Mesh
• BreathAir seat
• Easy Wash
• Auto 4-caster wheel function
• Ideal product frame designed with pursuit of manoeuvrability
• RECOMMENDED USE: Newborn to 3 years of age
• Weight Recommendation: Up to 15kg
• Stroller size:
• Open W48.5cm x D69～ 950cm x H86～103.5cm
• Close W48.5cm x D38cm x H85.5～96cm
• Available colours: Holy Purple, Midnight Black, Global Red
• Price: S$859

Oh man, how I love this stroller. I love the colour choices, it handles like a dream, the ventilation system doesn't look like an air con vent, it is lighter than the Combi Premier but feels surprisingly sturdier and I love the fact that the seat is 55cm above the ground, which means I'm closer to my baby when I'm sitting down and that makes it easier to see and feed him. The direction changing knobs are located near the canopy so it makes switching directions a breeze without bending over. The cushion feels really really plushy and I so badly wanted to sit on it to try it out...

There was only 1 thing is didn't like about this stroller. I really don't like the price.

With both prams, I have no problems closing and opening them with 1 hand but the Aprica Soraria, although lighter, closes with a "thud" instead of the Combi's "piak".

Both strollers have front wheel steering which makes them really easy to maneuver.

After much delibration and bargaining, we manage to get the 2014 Aprica Soraria at the 2013 model's price. We were over the moon and thought we snagged a really good deal. But it just so happened that Takashimaya was having a storewide 10% over the same weekend and after the baby fair, we headed to orchard for some kitchen shopping and was curious at how much the Soraria was retailing for. Our hearts fell when we saw that Taka was selling the same pram for S$839 plus an additional 10% for Taka Amex cardholders. The only thing comforting us was that the colour we bought at the baby fair wasn't available.

But anyhoo, here it is! Junior's very chio stroller! :)

We managed to get Junior's playpen / bed at the fair as well. I fell in love with this playpen as I was browsing through a celebrity's Facebook page. We got it in a bundle deal together with the pram and got some discount off the mattress as well, and now Junior has a place to sleep!

 

 

 

I love how easy it is to store this playpen away when Junior outgrows it. There are 2 heights to this playpen which will take him from a newborn to a toddler.

Here are some features:

Folds easily with one hand 

The only cot with a upper cot that folds with frame 

Plush, cushy, better for baby certified Oeko-Tex® fabric

Chic look won’t clutter family rooms   

Unique zigzag legs pop cot open quickly and easily

Skid-proof feet keep sleep quiet and still  

Padded edges prevent finger pinches

Lush, quilted mattress pad over the cushioned bed  

Above-ground base keeps baby draft-proof

Sturdy aluminum frame is easy to transport    

Recommended use: birth to 15kg  

Product dimensions: 78 cm high x 105 cm wide x 75 cm deep

Folded dimensions: 87.7 cm high x 27 cm wide x 30 cm deep

Mattress dimensions: 94 cm x 68 cm 

Product weight: 8.9 kg 

Retails for S$249

Only 2 items and $1000 poorer. Man oh man...

We also purchased the silk baby sling from The Birth Shop at more than 20% discount. It doubles up as a nursing shawl when Junior needs to feed when we are out as well.

My thoughts about the baby fair is that, because all the vendors are consolidated there, it is a one-stop shop and definitely easier to figure out what you need and for parents to do direct price comparison between brands.

BUT, if you already know what you want, then I'd suggest calling up other places in Singapore such as Kiddy Palace, Baby Kingdom or Baby Hypermart for a simple price check before you commit at the baby fair because sometimes, these places may be running some promotional offers due to the baby fair as well. The Takashimaya incident was one of them, but we couldn't possibly have anticipated Takashimaya selling a stroller cheaper than the baby fair. But we did manage to call up Kiddy Palace and they happened to be holding a storewide 20% off that weekend and got Junior's bathtub, mattress casing and pillows at a cheaper price than the baby fair. Not everything at the baby fair is worth getting. But the cheap diapers were definitely worth queueing for. 

The next up will be the Phillip Carnival Sale which will hopefully happen soon! Junior needs milk bottles!

The One with the Legendary Ba Chor Mee

My posts have all been foodie ones of late. Blame the hormones I must, food is all that is on my mind...

Had the weirdest craving for ba chor mee on Monday and pestered hubby for it. Then went to google and found the best ba chor mee in Singapore and insisted we go there for dinner last night. So my hubby had to maneuver his way through heavy traffic into town to pick up his wife and satisfy her cravings.

But it was soooo worth it! He had to stand in line for a sweltering 20 mins despite us reaching there early at 6.15pm!



The "original" Tai Hwa Ba Chor Mee

$17 of goodness...

There was a time when $17 can buy 4 bowls of ba chor mee with change, now it's only enough for 2. Geez... But the soup is really rich and not bland like some other stalls. The noodles were nicely cooked and it's not too spicy with each strand coated nicely with vinegar and chilli. The pork liver was pure heaven, cooked just right and melts right in my mouth. This has officially become my go-to stall for ba chor mee, my absolute favourite for now! Just thinking about it makes my mouth water...

I'll definitely be back for more!!

Hill Street Tai Hwa Pork Noodles
Block 466 Crawford Lane
#01-12
Opens: 9.30am to 8pm
Closed: 1st & 3rd Mondays of the month