Musings of a momprenuer in the year 2015.

It's 2015 and we are already in February and approaching CNY. Time sure flies when you have so many things going on in your life. If you don't already know who I am, I am Jen, a mom to a pair of boy girl twins conceived via IVF. If you are going through IVF or am considering IVF, do go all the way back to my previous posts and read through to get an idea of what to expect. I also am a business owner and I operate My Pixie Baby - www.mypixiebaby.com and we primarily sell baby essentials and Mustela products. I also am teaching in a student care centre and that occupies about half my day. Sometimes with so much on my plate, it makes me wonder where I got my energy from. I guess I am one of those people who just take things as it come, try not to think about it and just get through it as much as I can. I consider myself more successful compared to others not in the monetary sense, but experiences wise.

I was reading through a fellow childhood friend's blog and was so inspired by her drive and passions to succeed. She too, has a very successful online business and has travelled to many parts of the world. This year, I hope to be more like her, and be less lazy and aim to lead a healthier and an even more fulfilling life. (As I am typing this, I am almost passing out from the effects of the cough mixture I downed earlier so pardon my incoherent sentences)

I just wanted to get this out before I sit on it for far too long and forget all about it. So anyway, I wanted to blog about my experiences as an entrepreneur and how I hope I can inspire other moms to take the plunge and be like me!

These are the 3 things that truly define me as a Momprenuer.

1. Being able to admit your past failures.

I never liked looking back at what went wrong. I knew that if I sat myself down and started to be really critical with myself, I will probably have a looong list of what should have been done or what should have not. I knew that I would probably hate myself after that but still, I went ahead and accessed myself. I was harsh and focused on what I could have done better. I insisted to dig deep and tried to understand what I was weak in and asked for help in those areas. This self assessment helped me to see my faults and humbled me to ask for help when needed. I now understand that there are some things you just cannot do it by yourself. Hah..

2. Knowing when to let go.

Learning to let go is a skill that I am still trying to master. Sometimes I find it hard to let go of my ideas or the way to get a certain thing done. I often kill myself in the process of getting there and not all the times is it worth for me to try even. I have slowly learnt to be less stubborn, listen and discern more. Learning to let go also means letting go of toxic people in your life. They may be friends or colleagues who always bring you down and make you feel shitty about yourself or do things that makes you doubt your self worth. These people are worth clearing out periodically because you need to be only filling up your life with the people who truly matter.

3. Being able to laugh at yourself and then move on.

Before My Pixie Baby, I had GlamzPixie. I started this out with my sister selling women's accessories and branded bags online and at flea markets. I realised that what I thought looked good and nice might not be the same for others. Although it wasn't a successful business venture, I was lucky that I learnt many valuable lessons from it. It is through this that I am even more determined to make My Pixie Baby work. I don't dwell too much about the fact that I might not have even gotten back my capital. I just chin up, look ahead and move on, this time a lot more careful with how I run my business.

4. Knowing that being a Momprenuer means I do sacrifice personal time for myself and it's not really a bed of roses.

Whenever people hear that I do have a business, their reaction is that I wake up late, work for 3 hours and slack the whole day while waiting for orders to come in and money to drop from the sky. I hope that I can achieve that one day, but for now, this isn't the reality for me. I have to work late at nights because I want to spend time with the kids while they are awake. This means that if I am packing orders or updating my stock inventory, I will have to be doing it after 10pm and sometimes this stretches to after 12 midnight. I also have to wake up early at around 7 plus in the morning to continue where I have left off and then, prepare and hug the kids for school then go to work. It is PURE.HARD.WORK and I don't get it easy. I don't have as much time as I used to to meet my girlfriends for an after work dinner and drinks. Weekends are spent cramping as much play time and errands with the kids then work again late into the night. It is really not easy and not everyone is able to have the discipline to live this way.

This year, I aim to expand my business and keep myself healthy so that I can have the energy to keep up with everything. I hope this inspires you to find out what you love and take the plunge to achieving your dreams.


Follow us on FB at https://www.facebook.com/mypixiebabyjen for more updates!

Taking better care of yourself, even if you are a Stay Home Mom.

 

 

I am guilty of a few things. I am guilty of hanging around my house in my pjs till after noon and only bathe until I stink badly/ or need to go out. I am guilty of buying too many facial products and not using them as often as I should be. I am guilty of not exercising which explains the size I am today.

  

Sigh. I don't even wish to continue the list anymore. It just reminds me of how lazy I have allowed myself to become ever since I quit my full time job and reverted to being a stay home mom. I left my job because I had to work on Saturdays and Sundays and this meant that I would miss out on a lot of family gatherings and time spent with the kids. I rather scrimp and save more than to work and be unhappy all the time. When I was working, I would slap on makeup everyday and go through more than 3 steps of my beauty regime before leaving my house. I had to meet clients and was managing a team so I wanted to look professional at all times. When I came back from work and before sleeping, I would bathe and carefully remove all make up, then go through another 7 steps of beauty regime before I finally go to bed. I would wake up with a flawless face and baby smooth skin. And people will praise me saying I look radiant. So a week in after resigning from my job, I stared at myself in the mirror and saw a face I could hardly recognise. I had a few break outs, my skin looked kind of dry and I allowed my eyebrows to grow out like a bush. So I decided something had to be done right away. I immediately took out my tweezers and began working on my brows. I quickly gave myself a mini facial, scrub, mask and moisturise. After doing so, I felt so much better and it certainly gave my confidence a big boost!

 

This made me think, how many mommies in Singapore are like me, given up on taking care of themselves because they are so busy taking care of their kids? How many moms have stalked their friend's FB page and admired how good they looked and wished they could be as well groomed too? My fellow mommy friends, the truth is, you can do it too. It starts with bathing,  putting on a clean Tshirt and a nice pair of shorts, tying up your hair and taking care of your skin. There's a Chinese saying that goes ' In this world, there are no ugly women. Only lazy ones.' I totally agree with it. If we don't make an effort to look good for ourselves, we can't blame our husbands if they wanna look somewhere which is pretty, right? Taking pride in how we look like also means that we don't allow ourselves to look all tired and worn out as if we were what the cat dragged in.  

 

So because I was reminded of how I looked better when I took care of myself, I decided not to be lazy and from today onwards, adopt the same skin care routine as before and start exercising. Seeing my old pic with all the breakouts verses the me now who has a smooth clear skin, I am really motivated to maintain the same routine and allocate time to myself and love myself a bit more. I'm also going to share with you the routine I have adopted to allow me to have better looking skin and although I must say it seems quite a lot to do, it really only takes less than 15 mins every day to get it done. So before I share the products I use, here's a before and after pic to share so you can see the difference for yourself. Lazy vs Hardworking.

 

 

 

Without too much rambling, I will be sharing with you on the products that I used plus a short write up on some of the better ones that I really like. Hopefully after this read, you will be more inclined to take better care of yourself and look better! Note that all the reviews of the items listed are solely my own point of view and therefore, unbiased.

 

Step 1: Cleanser

 

 

 

I use the Vichy Normaderm Cleanser. It's good for people with sensitive skin and 1 pump of this product is good enough for my entire face so I would say this is quite value for money. This product does not leave my face dry and tight after washing so I really love it. Sometimes I use the Mustela Dermo Cleanser to wash my face as well especially on days when I don't have any make up on. I like the smell of it and it's so gentle and doesn't leave my skin dry and tight too. For days that I need to remove makeup, I like to use Bioderma Sensibio H2O (makeup remover) to clean my face. It is by far one of the best make up removers I've ever tried.

 

 Step 2: First Essence



 Formulated with 91% fermented Jeju soybean concentrate, this product helps to promote healthy and vibrant skin. I use this as a first step after cleansing and before toner. This helps to soften the skin and prep it for the other products that I will layer upon. Initially when I started using this, I didn't see any results so I thought this was a waste of money. After about 3 weeks, I realised my skin was able to absorb products better and it's softer. The surface of the skin did not look as dry as it was before and my face seems clearer. I tried the Tony Moly's First Essence but I felt it left a greasy film after application and it probably is a little too rich for people with oily skin.

Step 3: Toner

 

 

 I am super in love with this toner. It's from Etude House and true to its name, Wonder Pore Freshner, it really does wonders and it's so refreshing! This product helps shrink your pores, keep it clean and reduce blackheads. It also contains alcohol, so this helps with sebum and oil control. I love that after about 2 weeks of using this product, my T zone is less oily and I need not blot of touch up my make up that often anymore. This is currently my holy grail for toners. It contains peppermint extract so after use, you get a nice refreshing clean and cool feeling on your face. Love it.

 

 Step 4: Eye Cream

 

 

 Innisfree Eco Science Eye Cream. I'm still a little undecided on this one. I cannot decide whether the dark circles that were lightened were due to this eye cream or because I am having more sleep. What I liked about this cream is that it probably did help with the fine lines below my eyes and kept it moisturised so whenever I put on concealer, it doesn't settle in the lines and look disgusting. I also like that this eye cream comes in a pump bottle kind so I don't have to put my fingers into the jar and dig around. It has a light gel consistency and while it is easy to pat on, it doesn't get absorbed very easily so it leaves an oily looking film beneath the eyes for a while. Despite that, it does not give me millia seeds so I am quite pleased with the eye cream. I only use this at night because of the oily looking sheen but it disappears by the next morning leaving soft and supple skin around the eye area.


Step 5: Brightening Essence / Serum

 

 I am currently using the Etude House brightening serum in the day time and the Missha Time Revolution Night Repair at night. The brightening serum has a liquidy gel like consistency that spreads easily and absorbed very quickly without leaving any sticky feeling. This is very good for our warm climate where sometimes the moment you step out of the house you start perspiring. It seems to minimise pores and even out skin tone. It BRIGHTENS up skin tone rather than whiten it for my case. It's a step before moisturiser/cream.

The Missha time revolution is one of Missha's best selling products. I like that it is easy to spread on and it protects the skin from environmental damage, reduce fine lines, even out skin tone, and moisturizes the skin. The star ingredient in this serum is Bifida Ferment Lysate, a probiotic that has been traditionally used internally to strengthen the immune system. When applied topically, it’s been shown in at least one study to reduce skin sensitivity and increase the skin barrier’s ability to repair itself. I can see results after adding this to my skin care collection. My cheeks weren't as red and I would like to think that it's doing its work in preventing wrinkles and the aging of my skin!

Step 6: Moisturiser/Cream

 

 

  I use the Innisfree balancing cream for night because it is heavier and does not get absorbed that quickly . I got it upon recommendation from the guy working at the shop and I have to say that it really does its job very well. I have combi skin and it helped to moisturise my face while controlling the sebum in the T zone.  It smells very good and it does give the skin a dewy appearance. However, because it's heavier and not absorbed that quickly, I am not keen to use it for day time. But so far, this is my to go to cream for night use.

For day time, I use the Etude House Brightening Essence Lotion together with the Collagen Moistfull Emulsion. It gives me a dewy appearance as well and absorbs very well, meaning I need not have to blot it or wait for it to dry on my face before putting on my sunscreen. It really gives the skin a boing boing effect which I really love.


Step 7: Sunscreen

I truly love this sunscreen and when I do have time I'm going to dedicate an entry just for the Holika Holika Wonder Sheild Primer sunscreen. It acts as a primer and a sunscreen and I tell you, this sunscreen is not oily and it doesn't have that strong sun screen smell! It's usually my last step of skincare for day time and somedays I skip BB cream and just lightly powder my face, draw my brows, put on some lip gloss and mascara then off I go. It does leave a bit of a white cast but by the time I leave house and take the bus it's not that obvious anymore. I really love that it is not sticky and provides enough coverage so you don't look all caked up. I really love love love this sunscreen and although I tried Kiehls before, I didn't like it as much as I love Holika Holika's sunscreen. I must say that it's worth a buy and if there's anything I must put on before I leave home, it will be this.

Facial Masks

1. I absolutely love the Innisfree Volcanic clay mask - It helps to clean out my pores and leaves the skin looking very clean and soft. I will probably do a review separately on this as well eventually. But this is now my twice a week mask.

2. Sulwhasoo TruFresh Mask - This was given to me as a birthday gift and I also absolutely love it. It helped to calm my skin when I was having my breakout due to a hormonal imbalance during that time of the month. It can be left on overnight or washed off after 10 mins. I like how the mask keeps your skin very soft and smooth after use and it seems to have brightening properties too!

3. Face shop's ampoule mask - The ampoules are to be put on your face before you put on the mask sheet. I find the amount for the ampoule to be quite a lot, so you can properly use half of it first with the mask and just use the remaining half next day. My face was very soft and well moisturised and I really recommend this to mommies who have not much time on their hands as this is very easy to use and it really packs a punch.

4. Innisfree's second skin mask - Also very good. It really covers your skin well and also very moisturising. One of my favourite too.


Again I know this might seem like a lot to do. You definitely can skip a few steps if you are time pressed, but really do invest some time in taking care of your skin. You don't want to look like you are 40 when you are 30, and 60 when you are 40. I have heard of friends who take care of themselves because they are scared their husbands will stray, but I strongly recommend you to do it to feel better about yourself. It's isn't about being beautiful, it's about taking pride in your looks and respecting yourself. When your kids see a happier you instead of a frazzled and unkempt mommy, I am sure they will be happier too!

Do write in the comments section below what are some of your holy grail products. I would love to hear what are you guys using for your facial routine!



Nursery Essentials - (things that you wished someone had told you to buy before baby comes home!)

When I was waiting for the twins to be discharged from the NICU, I started to prepare my room for the arrival of them. I started to get confused and hyperventilated from the sheer amount of work to be done. I had to set up the crib and because I am a HDB dweller, my room had space only to fit in a queen sized bed and a cot. I wasn't able to fit in 2 unless I decided that I wouldn't be needing to open my wardrobe. I also wanted the twins to sleep together as they were kept separate from birth, having to be in different incubators. So I set about trying to prepare and soon found myself in a whirlpool of baby products and necessities. No doubt some of the information online is helpful, I needed a list that would cater to a Singaporean Chinese family. I wanted a good mix of traditional and modern items that would make caring for baby much easier. So without too much rambling, I present you, Jenny's  List of Baby's essentials for your nursery.

If you, like me live in a HDB flat, the following will help you cut down on unnecessary purchases and help you save a little.


Big Ticket Items

1. Baby Cot - If you are on a budget, you can easily buy a 2nd hand cot and just invest in a good mattress. Seahorse brand has a standard size allows you to customise if you cot is well, special. For 2nd hand items, you should go to Lovey or Preloved Baby Goods on Facebook to see if you might come across any special deals.If you have a cot, you will also need cot bedding. My advice is just to get 1 set of bedding, and then have 2 or 3 pieces of mattress sheets. There's really no need to spend so much on the bumper and comforter (which you prolly won't use for long anyway).

2. Play yard/Play Pen - Again, these are items that you can buy 2nd hand cause you don't usually use it for a long time. A play pen is good if you don't have any additional help. So you can keep 1 in the living room and put baby in while you go about doing your chores. It might not be the most comfortable place to sleep in so I suggest it for older babies or when they are starting to stand and it's no longer to leave them in the cot for more than 15 mins. I suggest not using the cot for play so babies will just solely associate the cot for sleep. Play yards have more mileage and can go a longer way but are more costly. Again, go through the Facebook Groups mentioned to see if you can grab any good deals. If you buy a play yard, you will need a play mat but I have seen people using a thin mattress. Play mats are good to cushion the knocks and bumps for baby in future.

3. Steriliser - It comes in many brands and if you are on a budget, do get a 2nd hand item. However you will need to do a good descaling if you buy a 2nd hand sterilizer. For that matter, I prefer the Pigeon brand to Avent because for the Pigeon one, you can see the build up and it's 'open' as compared to Avent where there's a hole where water accumulates and you cannot see the disgusting stuff that's in there. So you really wouldn't know how much gunk is in there as you can't see it. Some people I know use the traditional way of boiling the bottles and teats. It's probably the cheaper alternative so do whichever that you feel is more convenient for you.

4. Breast Pump - If you intend to breast feed/pump. If you decide to latch then you probably don't need this. Good to have a manual one on standby to boost the supply or for emergency use when baby is unable to latch. A good manual one that I have tried is the Avent Manual Breast Pump. Very good suction and it sometimes yield more milk than my Mustela Freestyle. I used that for emergency purposes when I forgot to charge my pump and still feel it's a good breast pump.


These are some of the items that I can think off hand which are the more expensive ones. We will now move on to Diaper Changing Essentials.

1. A cot organizer (if you don't have table space. This can be hung onto the cot thereby making your life slightly easier) I had a changing table given to me from Ikea and just used that. I have seen my friends bought the Toyogo stand with wheels as well. Practical and cheap. Below is an example of it.

 

 

 



2. Diapers / washable and dispposable- You don't have to get too many newborn sized ones as they grow out of it very quickly. Stock up on S and Medium sizes as these are easier to sell if baby grows out of it. I also bought some muslin cloths meant to fold them for nappy use but the kids were too small and the cloth was too big so I gave up. Besides, I didn't have much time after pumping and latching them to wash their nappy and hang it dry.

3. Wet wipes / cotton wool - When the kids first came home, I used only water and cotton (those that comes in a roll and you can cut it into bigger squares) to clean their butt. For poo, I will use tissue to wipe off first then wash their butt to prevent nappy rash. I only used wet wipes when we were out and after they were about 6 months old. What you don't need, is a wet wipe warmer. This is because we are not living in a country that has winter which might result in cold or frozen wet wipes. Besides, how cold can our wet wipes be?

4. Diaper cream - I recommend the Mustela Vitamin Barrier Cream or the Earth Mama Baby Bottom Balm, both of which are selling in my online shop at www.mypixiebaby.com. These are 2 very effective diaper creams which prevents rash and red butt which can be very sore for them. Reviews on the diaper creams next time.

5. Ru Yi Oil - I simply love this oil. I love the smell of this on my babies! It's supposed to help rid the baby's tummy of gas and I think it really does. If you don't burp baby properly, it might result in them having gas in their tummy which might cause a bit of discomfort. So to help them fart, you can apply a few drops of  Ru Yi Oil on your palm, rub them together to warm it up and gently place them on your baby's belly. I was told to rub it clockwise, but I followed my grandma's method of stroking downwards and LIGHTLY pinching the base of the belly as if you are trying to "pluck" out the wind. Not sure if you understand this. Hahah. I also like to apply the oil to the base of my babies' feet as it has a bit of warming feeling and I feel they always sleep better after doing that.

I think that's about what you need for home use for diaper changes. Let's move on to feeding essentials.

When the twins came back, they each had 6 bottles, 6 teats and 2 pacifiers. Honestly, It was quite crazy but it saved me ALOT of time washing and sterilizing it multiple times. After milk, I will quickly rinse out the milk, put it into a basin and then, when I am almost down to the last bottle, I will wash everything at one go and sterilize all at 1 time. I had to do whatever that kept my sanity as looking after twins with no help was really quite crazy.

1. Bottles and teats - You can choose any brand you like. For hygiene purposes I don't suggest you use preloved ones for these. I liked the NUK ortho teats series and it comes with cute Disney designs!

2. Steriliser (as mentioned above)

3. Pacifier - There are many schools of thoughts on this. I used the pacifier because the twins wanted to latch all the time and my nipples were bleeding from their latching and pumping. I initially did not want to, but I had to save my nipples as it just simply got too painful.

4. Woods Gripe Water / Dentinox Colic Drops - I had both on standby because I was afraid that my kids would be colicky. I didn't have to use it because of good burping techniques taught to me. I did however introduced the Gripe Water diluted with water when the kids were about 6 months and only gave them after their bath. They were also on Neosure to gain weight so my mom recommended to feed some water as their poo was very hard.


Bath essentials. Ah, this would cost quite a bit if you are not careful. When the kids came home, I was using the California Baby body wash for them. Later I found it to be a bit drying for my daughter so I changed it to Mustela and have been using it since then till now. Good skin care is a must. In our tropical weather, babies tend to develop heat rash easily so invest in one that doesn't dry out the skin. A good moisturizer is essential if your baby sleeps in the air con with you. What you will need:

1. Bath towels x 3
2. Bath essentials like your shampoo, body wash etc. I personally love Mustela cause it's very easy to wash off and the smell is very good. Light and very baby-ish. Exactly how a baby should smell like. I used the Mustela Dermo Cleanser and the Mustela Baby Shampoo. SInce then, I didn't have to deal with angry red rashes or dry skin.
3. Moisturizer and baby powder. (Some use powder, some don't. It's up to you.) I used the Mustela Hydra Bebe Body Lotion. It's easy to absorb and very light. Not sticky after application. You can buy these cheaper than retail on my online shop at www.mypixiebaby.com.

After bath, I basically just changed my kids on the changing table or on my bed itself. I didn't fuss around with too many things because the simplier my life was, the better for us.

Other important things to have:

1. Clothes. I recommend buying about 9 to 10 rompers for 1 child. You can decide to let baby wear the romper to bed or just to go out. At home my kids usually just wear rompers and for sleeping use, I bought the long pants from this shop near the Guan Yin Temple in Bugis. It's cheap, like $12 for 6 pairs of long pants. The address of the shop is Blk 269 Queen Street #01-246 (S) 183269, Tel: 6338 3260. The shop is just opposite the Guan Yin Temple and a few steps away from the public toilets.

2. Bath Towels and hanky (used for cleaning milk stains, bath use), muslin cloth - All can be bought from the wholesale shop too. Muslin cloth is good as a burp cloth too. =)

3. A dustbin with a lid. This is for you to throw baby's smelly diapers in and keep the smell at bay.

4. A nightlight. Just so you need not switch on all the lights just to change 1 diaper.

5. I used Aden and Anais muslin cloths as blankies as they were big and light enough for day time when I only used a fan. For night time, I swaddled the babies so I just covered them with the muslin blanket.

6. Socks x 8 - for the cold weather and for going out or wearing it at night. You don't have to buy too many at one go as they outgrow it quite quickly.

7. Digital Ear Thermometer - I used the Braun one. www.mypixiebaby.com is bringing it in soon. Watch out for it!

8. Nail cutter / nail scissors.

9. Hair brush, grooming kit.

10. Beanies (some old people like to say that before the head fuses, wind can enter through the top of the head so we must keep it covered always. I didn't do it though as I found it pretty cumbersome.)

11. Mittens and booties. Also coming soon in www.mypixiebaby.com

12. Nose Frida - I must say this was a life saver when I had to suck out the mucus when the kiddos caught the flu bug. The pigeon bulb one was a useless piece of trash that didn't do much. I think they have one similar one to the Nose Frida but I have never tried it before so I'm not sure if that works fine.

As I was typing this it suddenly occurred I should also include a list of things that were a waste of money!

1. Crib toys. Trust me, I'd rather you play with your baby peek-a-boo instead. Don't waste money buying all those crib toys said to boost eyesight whatever. You will end up throwing it away instead.

2. Cot bumpers. I don't know why I spent so much money buying those. I hardly ever used it as I was more concerned of SIDS.

3. A formula milk stirrer. Seriously. This was a waste of money. Instead of helping to dissolve the milk powder, it ended up making the formula very foamy and almost like a teh tarik. Sigh..

4. The Pigeon brand mucus sucker,. That one with the bulb thingy. It doesn't do anything and can you imagine the stuff that stays inside because you are unable to clean it! Eeewl!

I cannot think of what else was a nonsense buy for now but as I spring clean my room, I will be sure I find more items that were useless! I will add onto this list every now and then.

Till then, thank you for reading and good luck!

Lots of Love,
J

Essential Oils – Love it or Hate it?

I wanted to write about this because there seem to be a craze over the use of scents and essential oils to help with children’s illness or to help cope with stress etc. Many moms are taking a holistic approach instead of traditionally giving oral medication.  I am not trying to promote any certain brand of oils, but mainly stating my own reviews and usage. Please note that these are not miracle oils and if necessary, please consult a doctor if your child is persistently sick.

My relationship with the Young Living Essential Oils started when my twins started to fall sick one after another and kept re-infecting each other. We had to go through more than a month of battling flu and cough and needless to say, they lost a substantial amount of weight. I was getting desperate and that was when a few friends suggested I try the Young Living  essential oil since it worked very well for their own children. I was skeptical and still am today to a certain extent, but some oils did seem to help alleviate some of their flu symptoms. I do not allow my children to consume the essential oils, because although some of the users do that, I have seen labels indicating that it isn’t for consumption so it’s strictly a NO for me. As usual, I will not bore you with the details of the sign up, but if you are interested in signing up as a member or buying some oils to try out, I can direct you to some of my friends who are doing this as a business and who will be more than happy to assist you on your questions. Alternatively, you may join the FB group called ‘One Drop’ to find out more.

Here’s a list of oils I have: (I know it’s not a lot, but a few good ones are all you need)

·         Valor

·         RC

·         Purification

·         Peace & Calming

·         Citrus Blend

·         Lavender

·         Lemon

·         Peppermint

Valor is my personal favourite and I use it as a scent more often than its intended uses. This oil supposedly instills courage and keeps one grounded. I apply it behind my ears and on my chest because I carry my babies so often when we are out and when they sleep, they do like to fall asleep in my arms so I don’t mind if they smell this instead of the synthetic perfume smells. I stopped wearing perfumes since I gave birth except for the occasional outings without the babies. I love to inhale this scent when I am feeling frazzled or floaty and can’t seem to concentrate. (1 drop on palm, rub together, cup over nose and inhale deeply) I don’t know if it’s because I do the deep breathing thing or because the oil really works. I tried to rub this oil onto Reagan’s feet and spine when he is ultra cranky, but this has never worked for him. LOL. *Bangs head*

RC is a blend of essential oils mainly to help with respiratory issues. I will not go into theory on the oil but this is a must have for me at home. Whenever the twins have flu, I will rub this oil on their chest, their back and on their feet then cup my hands over their nose to let them inhale. I will also diffuse this oil or Eucalyptus oil(Bioaire brand) when they have stuffy noses and it clears the mucus so they sleep a little better. I also do a bit of suctioning before their bed time. Sea salt spray and Nose Frida to suck out all the nasties. Get the one that you can have to manually suck out (like a straw like tube) instead of the dropper like thingy. It doesn’t work. Those SUCK. (pun intended)

Purification. Hmm, Usually I just diffuse this in my room because it smells nice. I don’t see any benefits from it. Not too sure what else I can use it for, but I am happy just diffusing it.

Peace & Calming. Initially I bought this because Reagan is a poor sleeper. He has frequent night terrors and it disturbs everyone’s sleep with his horrifying wailing. I tried to put a drop onto the base of his feet but it doesn’t really seem to have much effect on him. I tried diffusing this, but I end up sleeping a lot better than him. The smell can be a bit strong so I guess this oil isn’t for all. Does it work? Hmm, you have to try it out for yourself for this one.

Citrus Blend is a blend of citrusy fruits (duh) so you know that it is a very uplifting scent. My sis says it smells like a cheap toilet deodorizer, but I diffuse this whenever I want my kids to focus better and for myself, a perk me up.

Lavender is one of my ‘can’t do without’ oils because I use it for just about everything. I use it for pimples, (very effective) sunburn, (moderately effective) and cuts or stings. Not long ago Janelle had a lot of reddish spots on her back and we wondered if she has sensitive skin. After applying a teeny weeny bit of the oil, the redness disappears completely. The smell can be a little overpowering so I never tried it for calming because it makes me feel choked up even if it’s one drop so I wouldn’t recommending applying it too near your nose area. Other than that, it’s a pretty decent oil that does its job quite well.

Lemon & Peppermint was recommended by my friends to help bring down a fever. Lemon was applied at the base of the feet every 20mins and peppermint can either be diluted with the V6 oil or mixed a drop of it into normal water for sponging. I like to use the sponging way and it seems to be the most effective method to bring down a fever. Janelle is proned to fever fits, so I always have to give Paracetamol regardless. As I mentioned earlier, this isn’t a miracle oil and the effects are not instant so don’t expect it to straight away bring down a fever. Sponging with or without the peppermint seems to very quickly bring down a fever, so concentrate on the forehead, neck, armpits and near the groin area. I have tried just using Lemon purely for bringing down the fever but it did not work. So we are sticking to Peppermint for now. I will probably use Lemon for other uses but most likely will not replenish this oil when it is finished.

So these are the oils I have, and how I have used them on my babies. A little common sense will be good here, should the fever persist, please give them medication. If your child has been coughing for a week and despite using essential oils, please go see a doctor instead. I will not say that the oils have 100% worked for me or my babies. But I do love some oils and will continue to use those. I diffuse oils very often because I love a nice smelling room so I am also exploring other blends and brands. I know of friends who swear by this and friends who feel that it is too over rated. Personally, I don’t see any harm in trying out the essential oils, but please do not go all crazy over it at once. Buy a few, try and see if it works for you. If it does, great, buy some more other oils. If it doesn’t, just use it to diffuse and you will have a nice smelling room!

In my next entry, I will be talking about some of the essential things I must have in my room for baby needs. You can use the entry as a guide and prepare for baby’s arrival!

 

Till the next entry,

Xoxo,

J

Quest for shampoo

Before I start writing, I would like to clarify that this is my own personal review and hence please practise discretion when trying  the item for yourself.

I'm just going to jump right into this entry without having to bore you with the details on my quest for a good shampoo for the kids. They have started swimming recently quite frequently so their hair is subjected to the harsh chlorine from the pool. This made me quite upset because they don't have much hair to begin with especially for little J and now, the chlorine is drying out their already sparse hair. This got me looking around for a shampoo that will provide the needed moisture to keep their hair soft and smooth as before.

Therefore, in searching for a good shampoo, it must fulfil the following requirements:

1. Make my kids head smell good, even for hours after.
2. Keep their hair soft and smooth to the touch.
3. Be paraben free.
4. Must not smell too cloyingly sweet. I tend to stay away from fancy fruity smell as well.

I do not really care less for fanciful packaging and if possible, the simpler the better. So after going through a few organic shampoos cum body wash, I finally chanced upon Original Sprout Natural Shampoo. It is a little pricey at $25 per bottle but let me try and justify the price tag for you. Here's why:

1. It smells superb. I cannot stop smelling my kids! I mean, you know how when they starts to eat solids and their sweat don't smell so baby-ish anymore and borders on smelling a little sour-ish? That's when you need to get them a proper shampoo because those 2 in 1s don't seem to work as well anymore! This, my friend, works so well in the smell department, it's already a sure win.

2. It's organic, natural and without all the nasty stuff that generic shampoos may have. (Read: Parabens and Carcinogens) Wouldn't you want to delay such exposure for your loved ones for as long as you can? Or at least till they eventually want to make their own choices for shampoo?

3. SOFT. OH SO SOFT. OMG, their hair is so so soft after using this shampoo, I am seriously very tempted to use this on myself. I can't stop running my fingers through their hair and the softness of their hair makes me really happy. (I sound very psycho, I know. But I just love to stroke their heads when their are sleeping!)

4. It's tear free. I think. I haven't yet tried this on myself, but I was showering R jr and he accidentally rubbed his eyes after touching his head. He seemed ok. By ok it means he wasn't screaming, having his eyes turn red and trying to claw out his eyeballs.

5. You really don't need to use that much of the shampoo each time. I usually use about half pump or slightly more only.

I know this all sounds really good, so I bet you must be waiting for me to tell you the cons of this shampoo.

1. Expensive. But you pay for what you get.
2. It doesn't lather as well, but that is because it is sulphate free. That is the one that causes the suds in shampoos so I am fine with that.

Really. That's it. This are the only 2 cons I can think of at this moment and frankly, I can live with it. I am just too happy that I've finally found a shampoo that suits the kids and I absolutely love. Again, if you know me, my kids are the most important beings in my life, so I always try to provide the best that I can afford for them. I know some moms will think that I am being too lavish and all, especially when I'm spending such money on shampoos and stuff but hey, you are entitled to your opinions and I respect that. I won't say you are a bad mom just because you don't want to spend such money on your kids, so please, don't hate me if I do. You can buy this shampoo from Watsons or from the local distributor website - http://pout.com.sg/. I hope that if you decide to use this shampoo and love it, drop a comment and let me know too!

My next blog will be on aromatherapy oils - Love them? Hate them? If anybody is still reading this blog, feel free to comment on this topic!

Till the next entry,

xoxo.

- J

To do list

Just to motivate myself...


1. Clean up my room. Pack away the steriliser, bring our the bottles holder and use that instead.
2. Throw away old medicine. Keep the kiddos para and brufen properly together with the thermometer and fever patch.
3. Try and keep the play area as neat as possible. This means selling or giving away of old toys and unopened boxes of toys. Mental note - STOP BUYING ANYMORE TOYS.
4. Do up a proper command centre. This should have a calendar with the dates of the kids activities written down. Currently they don't have much appointments to keep, but it's good to get started on this habit.
5. Bring out their personal boxes. This should have their personal documents and knick knacks of things to keep for them. Label the folders.
6. Spring clean the kitchen. Discard items that are expired. Bring out old pots and pans for the kids to bang on and play.
7. Sort out their flashcards. Do up a proper reading corner for them.
8. Do up a weekly list of activities starting from next week. To be realistic, we must have 5 achievable tasks. Weekends are meant for family outings and play only. No flashcards during the weekends.  Flashcards in Chinese to be taught by their dad. Limit to 10 mins of learning only. This includes reading to them in Chinese. (something I could never do right)

Let's start with this first. To be completed by first week of May.

20.5.14 update

I have crossed out those tasks that have been done. That's 4 out of 8 done by first week of May. Will push on and make sure that I complete the rest of the tasks by the end of May at least! Jia you Jen!

25.04.14 - Out with the old, in with the new.

This is something I live by when it comes to my childrens' clothings. Because they are only at 10th percentile, they are considered quite small for 17 months. Currently J is wearing 9 to 12 month clothes, some designs, 12m. Reagan is wearing 3 to 6 months for shorts and 6 to 9 months for tops. He is very lean, like his daddy, so while he puts on weight, he doesn't get all fat and chubby like other kids do. (which I wish he does)

So one of the items in my to do list involves packing away their too small clothings. Right now we are at half a toyogo box full of clothes. I will soon be packing away their bibs, nappy, mittens etc. I am keeping it for either my no. 3 or my sis or cousin's baby (we're all trying hard) It's times like this, where I will wish that I can get pregnant again soon, but on the other hand, my schedule is packed with these 2 dragons I hardly have time to do much and yes, this includes hey shio hey shio. There will be people asking why don't I stop at two? Deep down I know that to procreate is joy and that I will be fruitful and multiply, that's why for now, we are simply leaving it to God to fulfil this wish of mine. And besides, what kind of question is that? If I want to have 10 kids, its really up to me isn't it? Why do I owe anyone an explanation?

Recently I have been so busy trying to source for stuff for my scrapbook that I am making for the twins. I want them to have items and keepsakes to remind them of how important they are for me to want to document and keep as many things as I can about them. I hope, as they grow up, they will read this and see my love for them is unwavering and strong. Those scrapbook items of mine are bought in bulk hence cheaper, so again, I will be posting them up for all to see when I have gotten it. I digress.

So back to the packing of clothes. It was pretty chaotic because the twins didn't wanna nap today and I had to pack with them in the room. They helped by removing everything from the box and drawers and sitting in it. It was pure madness, the kids threw everything I had folded, walked around the room with their hangers while dancing to Hi5. After what seems like forever, we managed to get things done and packed before I had to leave for class. I wanted to specially talk about 1 incident which left such an impact on me today.

In the midst of the packing and the madness, the kids would suddenly stop their nonsense, turn around, grin at me with their widest smile and run towards me wanting to hug or kiss me. That feeling is so amazing and magical at the same time. At that moment, I felt nothing but pure joy. Joy that I never knew was possible. I felt like I was the bestest person in the world for the kids to love me this way. I guess the saying is true, that you will never be able to experience true and pure love until you become a mom. The kids had unconditionally loved me and this makes me want to be a better person for them. A person they can model after, a responsible person who walks right with God. I am recording this down, only because whenever I feel shitty, I will remind myself to log in here and read on my past entries. Then remind myself all over again why I am doing all these for them.

24.04.14 - Approaching 17 months

Many people after knowing that I have twins, always like to ask me how do I cope with them. Initially I would smile and say it's tough and they make me go nuts blah blah and so on but recently, I will just tell them that I just simply cope. I don't know how else to explain to others. It is because having twins really does drive you up the wall at times and just when you think that you have reached your breaking point, one or both of them does something so cute you forgot what you were mad about. The hours just fly by quickly. In the morning after breakfast, they will have their shower. After which, they will have their play time and then break for lunch. Usually after lunch they will be full and drowsy so it's time for nap. After nap, it's more play time and recently, we have introduced cleaning the floor with the magic clean so that their play area is always clean. And the next thing you know, it's evening and then it's time for their dinner, then shower again and then bed. Phew, what a day.

Now as we approach the terrible 2s, I am beginning to catch a glimpse of what to expect especially during meal times. There are days where I will celebrate when they can finish at least half a bowl of porridge. Other days, I ask myself, why do I even bother to plan a menu for them. (It's times like this where I will throw away the food while vowing I'm not going to cook them anything the next day, but I always do in the end.) The kids now are becoming more and more independent. They are beginning to have minds of their own and forming their own opinions, likes and dislikes. It isn't very easy to coax or distract them with a toy now. And on some days, you will find that NOTHING works!

That's not to say that I hate my kids or anything. I just feel that they have grown, are really not babies anymore and I must make a mental note to remind myself to stop calling them babies, because the right term to call them is "toddler".  We are soon reaching an age were their PD will stop asking for their corrected age, and they will be expected to perform just as well as their peers born in the same year. I hope that isn't asking a lot from them though, I would hate to pressure my kids this way.

Anyway moving on I would be sharing some of the stuff that I do with the kids for sensory play or education through play. Some of the items can be purchased through me, if anytime you see something you like, feel free to leave a comment or email me at sheisemailing@gmail.com.

For today, I will be sharing with you guys my banana pancake recipe which I felt is one of the best and simplest recipe. It doesn't take a lot of time to prepare this if you have everything you need on hand ready. This recipe is friendly for toddlers and my kids really loved it, even without the maple syrup.

Here goes -

Ingredients

Dry

1 cup of plain flour or multi purpose flour
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking soda (optional)
2 teaspoon baking powder
a dash of cinnamon (optional)

Wet

1 egg, beaten
1 cup of milk
2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (I used coconut oil)
2 ripe bananas

Step 1 - Mash bananas with fork, set aside
Step 2 - Combine dry ingredients on a plate or mixing bowl
Step 3 - Combine wet ingredients in a mixing bowl
Step 4 - Mix everything together till it forms a batter. Don't worry if it gets lumpy, you don't want to overbeat it and have it turn watery
Step 5 - Turn on skillet or frying pan and start in small batches until you are able to control the heat. Plate up and enjoy!

How it all started..

 

 

 

 

Part 1.

 

Writing this entry had been very difficult. Recounting everything that happened and looking at old pics made me tear for 2 reasons. 1, after the birth of my babies, my grandma was still alive and she saw to my confinement. 2, seeing how small and frail the babies were when they just came into this world made my heart ache for them all over again. However, I am very determined to complete this blog post by tonight.

 

 

As you can see, I found it so hard to believe that I bought so many pregnancy test kits to make sure that I wasn't seeing the wrong thing. The ones here are just some of the many that I have tested when I got pregnant. If you remembered, I had a tough pregnancy and was bleeding in the late first trimester and early 2nd trimester. By the mid of my 2nd trimester, I was able to move around and did not have to bed rest as often. This pic was taken just 1 or 2 weeks before I popped. My tummy was really huge and my body was feeling the strain of carrying 2 babies.

 

On the 24th of Nov, I was sent to the labour ward by my husband because I was having cramps and my tummy hurt. When I reached there, the doctors said I wasn't dilated and not having contractions. But due to the fact that I am carrying twins, I was asked to admit to the hospital. I wanted to save money so I didn't and monitored my condition at home. R thought it was just another false alarm and was feeling super sucky about the whole thing. That night, I felt crampy and woke up and got to the toilet a few times. Each time I was careful to look out for any signs that I might be delivering soon. On the morning of 25th, R was supposed to go for his cousin's wedding in the afternoon. I started to have menses cramps like pain in my abdomen. Thinking it was just another false alarm, he went out to buy breakfast for me. At about 8 plus am, I called R to tell him that I am feeling quite a lot of pain and had the feeling of wanting to go to the toilet to poo. R then said he will buy my favourite wanton mee and then come home. By the time he got home around 10am, I was already in a considerable amount of pain and wasn't able to walk. I had called the hospital as well and had already prepped the doctors on duty of my arrival. My neighbour saw me bending over and helped me to walk to the lift then to the car. In the car, I was perspiring and every few minutes I would feel a pain that's quite new to me. It didn't occur to me that it was contractions until R asked me if I wanted to go KKH cause it was nearer and because he felt that this is probably it and he was afraid I would deliver in the car. That was when I decided to start timing the cramps in my tummy. True enough, every 3 to 4 minutes I was feeling the pain. I insisted to go to NUH and told R that I'm probably in labour. I was scared and at that point I guess I wasn't able to think clearly. I just knew I had to get to the hospital and ask for Prof Biswas.

 

When I reached NUH, the porter saw I was in pain and immediately helped me onto a wheelchair and wheeled me to the labour ward while R parked the car. When I got there, I was asked to get onto the bed and the nurse quickly removed my underpants. A quick check showed that I was already 2cm dilated and the water bag was protruding and about to burst. At that point of time, I was in a mixture of shock, disbelief, worried and a little excited. I was worried that the babies would arrive so prematurely and that their health will be at risk. But yet, I was excited to see them and frankly, a little relief that the pregnancy will be over. (later on I would terribly miss being pregnant) It was about slightly after noon when Prof Biswas came and ordered the ventolin drip for me. I was hooked up to the CTG machine and various drips. My BP and heart rate was being monitored every hourly and I was given laughing gas to help with the pain. (More pics on that in the next post.) At that point of time, the reality of me going through labour started to sink in.

 

I would like to end this post, albeit a little abruptly by telling you that if I could do this all over again, I will still gladly and bravely go ahead with it. Nothing beats having these 2 kiddos in my life. And everything I did and went through, was just so damn worth it.

 

 

 

 

Mooing,

J



I can't even know where to begin.

They say a picture speaks more than a thousand words. So here you go.

There is so much I wanna update. So to make things easier, I will update the blog in three different parts.

1st part: The birth story and the events leading to it.

2nd part: The NICU stay and lessons learnt.

3rd part: How the twins, J and R are currently doing.

As you can see, these will be very lenghty blog posts, so I must get into the mood first (and hopefully still awake) before writing.

But I just wanna self praise a bit first. My friends gave me a new nickname, no longer chilli padi but energiser bunny. I went around the northwest area of Singapore to collect hand me downs for a church and school I am helping in the Philippines. After that, my mum and I unpacked the packets of clothes and put them into the box we intend to ship over. Then I did Bella's nails and finally prepared the twins for their evening wind down session. I then found the extra energy to do up some spree stuff and updated my online selling album. Man oh man! And now, blogging!

A few things that I felt I have neglected since I got preggy and given birth. They are, maintaining this blog, Bella, my online biz and my hubs. But really can't be helped cause the babies sometimes do take up quite a bit of time. Ok, so I will keep this post short for now, will update more tomorrow.

I hope.

Moo-ing,
J

Another letter to my babies..

Dear Little J and R,

We are already at week 24 of my pregnancy. My stomach is getting bigger by the day because you both are growing so well. R likes to kick me at the ribs and J likes to kick me in the bladder. You both seem to have a rave party at different times of the day especially even more so when I am desperate to rest. Headaches occur almost everyday now, and the discomfort in the left ribs area really makes it hard for me to sleep at night. Tell you something funny, when we went for our detailed scan during week 20, we were told that we were expecting 2 princesses. Apparently R decided that he wouldn't show his penis to the sonographer until week 23 when we went for another scan. I hope the J still remains a girl because we have too many pink clothes already! By the way, my sister, your aunt, is getting married on 6th Jan. I hope that you both can stay in my tummy until after the wedding. Please don't come out any earlier otherwise we cannot go. Mummy and your aunt will be very disappointed.

Alright, mummy's headache is returning again, am going to get some rest. Just want to let you both know that I love you both so much so much, and although people say that being pregnant is the best thing that happened to them, they really didn't tell me how difficult it was going to be. =)

xoxo,
Mummy

18 weeks and counting..

Pardon the lack of posts. I had been trying to deal with mild levels of depression coupled with days of extreme laziness and found no motivation to blog at all.

Yes, we are at week 18, going to 19. Let's first talk about some of the changes that happened over the past few weeks.

1. Obvious tummy growth. I think my 2 babies went through a growth spurt and it's pretty evident now I'm pregnant. I no longer look like I ate too many pies and have a fat stomach. It's nicely rounded and I proudly stick it out at every opportunity I get.

2. Breast changes. The aerolas seem to have a mind of its own and have decided to expand in size. Someone from the facebook group told me that the nipples will expand and darken as the pregnancy progresses. This is to make the nipples more obvious for the baby and make it easier to latch. (not too sure how true it is, but it kinda makes sense.)

3. Stretch marks. I am beginning to see the formation of some new battle scars. They look angry and red, but to me, they are a reminder of what I am going through and in future, what I've been through in order to have these 2 babies.

4. Change in appetite. I keep feeling that foods either taste too salty or too sweet and it puts me off. I like my food bland and as complicated as possible for now. This is good news for R as he need not drive around the whole of Singapore to satisfy my weird cravings.

5. Morning sickness returns with a vengeance. I no longer am able to brush my teeth in the mornings without first puking out an obscene amount of orange-jy bile. There I'll spend at least a good whole minute trying to compose myself while willing the stomach not to hurl. I'll be heaving and puffing like a blowfish while clutching my stomach and feeling ultra shitty.

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I think that's about the changes for the past few weeks. I meant to post up a decent pic of my tummy (fully clothe) but am lazy to transfer the picture over, so I gotta wait till I'm in the mood then I shall do it.
----------------------

So the night before I woke up a few times feeling extreme cramps in my lower abdomen area and I honestly thought I had very bad urinary infection or what. It got so bad I wasn't able to walk and would have to sit and wait for it to subside. The tummy would also feel rock hard at the same time and I would simply rub a few times thinking that the baby is stretching or what. Little did I know that the pain I felt was contractions and it's a sign of early labour. Prof was pretty shocked that I waited 2 hours to see him when I should have just gone to A&E straight. But honestly, how was I to know those crampy feelings were in fact contractions? I mean, I have not had babies before, so I wouldn't even know what labour feels like. Hehehe.. So anyway, I am on Adalat 10mg twice a day + had a jab so I think I should be fine. Bed rest for the next few days again, but I did tell the doctor that I have to go shopping first week of October so he's willing to compromise on that if I promise to bed rest after. =) Gosh, just when I thought I have the green light to go out and 'hiao', I have to stay in bed again. This pregnancy is so full of mini surprises! Ok, the Adalat seems to be making me sleepy, so am off to use the Baby Plus and nap.

I will touch on the BabyPlus on my next post. In the meantime, do take care readers!

xoxo,

J.

Choosing the right gynae...

... can bring you peace and joy so that you can fully enjoy being pregnant while knowing that you're being cared for by the right person.


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This post came about because as you all already know, I have had a tough week 9 - week 13 of my pregnancy. I have been in and out of the hospital sometimes 2x a week and been hospitalised twice for the 'unexplained heavy bleeding'.

When I got pregnant and went to see Dr Sadhana, I was told since she does not do deliveries, she will recommend me to see her other colleague who does, Dr Matthew Lau. Now, before I proceed, please note that I am not condemning anyone in this post or saying anyone is incompetent. So I started my follow ups with Dr Lau. During the week 9 of my pregnancy, I started spotting followed by heavy bleeding which soaked through my panties. Of course the first few times it happened, I was pretty sure I was going to lose my babies. Doctors at KKH also termed this as threatened miscarriage. It was an emotional roller coaster for me those weeks and I prayed often, remembering God's promises to me. There will be no loss. My babies are warriors of God and will be a testament that God is all together mighty and powerful and that nothing can stand in His way if this is His will to give me these 2 wonderful miracles. I wished I had followed my heart's instinct and insisted a little more forcibly to my husband when I felt I should seek a second opinion. But R said we should continue with KKH because they already have my records and medical history so trying to be obedient, I listened.

It got to the point where I saw the huge blood clots I was passing out one visit to the hospital that made me absolutely resolute to see another doctor. I prayed asking God for wisdom in choosing one and then logged on to google. I came across a number of posts about Prof Biswas from NUH so I wasted no time in calling them to fix an appointment. I was due to see them on the 18th August. On the morning of that Saturday, we sent Bella over to my parent's place and then headed to NUH. We were being registered fairly quickly and the waiting time was about half an hour. It's a lot shorter than KKH and I liked the surroundings plus I had a nice sofa seat so I was comfortable. When it was my turn, we went in to a doc who looks very assuring and knowledgeable. I started off by telling him about my ivf and current situation and he immediately told us we could narrow the problem to 2 main causes. One is if the bleeding occurs outside the cervix, it can be solved very easily. The other is, if the bleeding don't come from outside the cervix, means it most likely came from the placenta, which to him, is more worrying. He then told us he will do an internal examination to access if there is any possible factors causing this bleeding. Note that I have not told him about the polyp found during the last visit to KKH. He inserted that awful thingy and opened me up and peered between my legs. OK, I know it's a lot of info, but I am sure some of you are reading this because you are preggy or going to be preggy and hence wanna know more. So I shall not hide gory details lest you think pregnancy is all ponies and unicorns. He peered in and saw the polyp and said that although it's small, it might be the cause of the bleeding. I didn't believe him at first, until he started to swab the polyp with gauze and each time he took them out, it will be soaked with blood. Imagine this was just from swiping at the polyp area. Prof Biswas then went on to explain that the polyp is a vestibular polyp so it's kind of linked to the blood vessels, hence each time it's irritated, it bleeds a fair bit. And if the blood does not come out, then it will coagulate and clot inside me, so of course I will be passing out clots!

He then continued to remove the polyp which was quick and painless but not comfortable. He also mentioned that there will be some slight bleeding for the next few days after the bleeding and he was right too. I'm still spotting a little here and there, but at least the blood is those brownish blood which I presume are old blood. I felt super at ease with this doctor and learnt more about my babies in one consultation than all the previous ones I have been to in KKH. He addressed my problems without mincing his words and likes to focus on the now and asked me not to think too far ahead. One problem at a time. Bottom line is, I like this doctor and I think he is assuring and knowledgeable. I will be seeing him again this coming Monday for a follow up and then update you guys again.

Onto happier stuff, there will be a couple of baby sales in Oct! Yay! This means shopping for all of us!!

Going to stop here. Hungry liao.

xoxo,

J.

Random thoughts..

1. I was doing some cleaning together with my mum's domestic helper in my house when I stepped into what I call the 'Tsunami Room'. It's currently a holding area for all sorts of nonsense I cannot be bothered to find a permanent place to store away nicely. I had half a mind to get down to it and start throwing away stuff and preparing the room for baby's arrival, but the mind is willing, my flesh is oh so weak. So I did what I a pregnant lady should do, shake my head, sigh and walk away. Hahaha.

2. I miss the quiet and the tranquillity of my own place in Punggol. I didn't have to put up with Jackye's (he's our family dog residing at my parent's place, who barks at almost anyone/everyone who walks by my house. Lucky for us, my parent's house is the 2nd last unit.) crazy sudden barks which also makes me jump and my heart race and his and Bella's rag fights. Essentially, it's 2 dogs playing tug-a-war with the kitchen floor rags and this always drives Rebecca, our domestic helper, absolutely nuts so she starts screaming at them and then... more noise. I only miss the fact that I only need to ask for food and she will bring it to me without having me to walk too much, hence the much needed 'bed rest'.

3. I keep hearing the screams of children (and their parents screaming back at them) coming from my neighbours and thank God I have 6 more months of peace and sanity before it's my turn.

4. I am looking at the fan, wondering if I should take it apart to wash. Then I remembered, I have the trump card to being absolutely lazy. Doc said I should be on bed rest, so... yippee!! One more thing to ask the husband to do. (especially since Monday is a public holiday)

5. I am thinking of publishing this post while ending it abruptly so I can go and take a nap. Seems like a perfect weather for one since it just rained and it's still nice and cool.

6. I am thinking if I should play Bingo on my ipad while abruptly publishing this post and then lying on my bed since it just rained and it's still nice and cool. Heh.

7. I am wondering if my stomach is going to get so big, I will be unable to see the steps of the stairs if I am going down.

8. Thank God or no more nausea, but hello to freaking indigestion!

9. I really think the sounds of the bus rumbling to the bus stop is super annoying and I wish I was smart enough to not choose a unit facing the road.

10. I love it when Bella squeezes herself next to me. She simply loves me so much she has to literally stick to my body.

11. I love the smell of fresh laundry. Really.. To the extend of buying any products named 'Fresh Linen'

12. I like the smell of rice. The uncooked ones. It brings back memories of my childhood where you can buy any amount of rice you require at the provision shop and it's just stored in the same gunny sacks it comes in. I always loved going to the back of the shop just to linger around the rice and smell it.

13. I hate it when my shit is too hard to be passed out without my bursting several vessels while getting a seizure from contorting my face or body so as to get the right angle for it to come out without tearing my a-hole.

14. Today is the first day of the 7th Lunar month. It's supposed to be a month where the Hungry Ghosts come out to find food. Scared already?

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Seriously ending this post abruptly. Don't even wanna include pictures this time round. I'm preggy and am emotional and I just don't feel like it. :)

xoxo,

J.