To better days!

After 12 hours on an IV drip, two unbelievably inedible meals and too many hours of bad TV. I'm finally back at home, recuperating. Have to say, this week hasn't been anything to shout about but all that matters is that the baby swimming inside is fine. I'm better, still very weak but on the road to recovery. Just want to say a big THANK YOU for all your prayers and kind thoughts. Thanks, Manuela and Pablo for taking care of Sera while I was at the hospital. Thanks Slyvie for dropping off and picking Sera up from school. Thanks baby for trying so hard to be patient with this impossible patient, and to Sera who has been surprisingly sweet all these days. So moving on from this hiccup of a week ... the family is now looking forward to receiving oma, who arrives tomorrow night.

After the sand storm

The start of picnic season is back ... and today we were finally able to go outside and enjoy the sunny yet cool end of winter weather. For three whole days, we had experienced sand storms brought about by the north-westerly strong winds from Saudi Arabia. To avoid the sandblasting, Sera and I stayed indoors most of the days.

So this morning, we packed our picnic stuff and met with some friends at the Corniche. We had a good time basking in the sun and Sera had a great time with her new friends, Max and Luz.

Sera was so happy to be outdoors ... and that's Luz standing at the back

Of course, she enjoyed the slide the best

Sera, Luz and Max having a rest and snack

Johan with the three kids ...

End of our picnic ... very tired but very satisfied

A typical morning conversation with Sera ...

I've learned that there is no such thing as predictable when it comes to being a child, or maybe it's this toddler age. I've come across this term, Terrible Two's, where I guess the toddler turns suddenly rebellious but please explain when my darling daughter is proudly showing her independence, her resistance and her stubborn streak? I'm not complaining, really I'm not ... I'm just, simply trying to understand and concede that she is the way she is. And her character is obviously a combustion of Johan's and mine. Groan ...

Our conversation early this morning:

Sera: "Ow, ow ... sockies" (she's walking into our bedroom, apparently complaining about her socks)

Me: "What is it, Sera?" (still drowsy, just wanting three more minutes of sleep)

Sera: "Sockies ... help me ... up!" (so I pull her up our bed) ... "Sockieeeeees .... !!!"

I'm finally up and looking at her feet, her blue striped socks. Looks fine, they'd gone a little loose at her toes overnight. I assumed she was referring to that? I pull up her socks.

Sera: "Nooooooo .... owwww, sockies!"

Me: "What is it? You want them off? Fine, I'll take them off." (I pull them off)

Sera looks at her bare feet and smiles.

I get out of bed. She too, rolls out of our bed and all of a sudden lets out a loud, "Owwwww!"

I rush to her and she's stepping on her tippy toes, pointing to her feet, complaining miserably, "Cold, cold, cold!"

I give up! Well, no actually ... I tried to patiently explain that was the reason why she had to wear her socks blah blah blah. I'm pretty sure she understood the rationale of wearing socks but she just didn't want to wear that particular blue striped socks. The minute I tried to put them on for her, she starts her, "Oww, oww .. "tirade again

All this and it wasn't even 7am! Help me ....

Breakfast went fairly smooth. I got her ready for school and the last argument we had was over the shoes she wanted to wear. I picked a pair of white sandals and put them on for her but she started to complain, "Oww, oww ... " There we go AGAIN! She went on to explain that they were, "Wetttttttttt."

Wet????!!!! They were most definitely not wet. But I guess she just didn't want to wear them. I chose another one for her, slipped them onto her feet and quickly pushed her out of the door. She complained, very loudly of course ... but this mama wasn't listening any more. That was our morning ... how was yours?


At school, during outdoor play. (Her fringe looks a little strange but I've trimmed it since so fret not, it looks less comical)

Just a phase?

You see, Sera has been crying like a banshee this entire week when I drop her off at school. Yes, it's quite shocking really because she has never done this before, not even on her first day of school. Every morning, this week, it has been a struggle - getting her ready for school, getting her into the car, getting her out of the car, walking to the school gate, the three steps up to the main door. And when we finally pass the main door, she goes on her knees and starts her wailing. Goodness! I really don't know what has come over her? I try to soothe her ... but mostly in vain. She clings to my legs while I practically have to drag her to her classroom. She sees her teachers and friends and her cries grow even louder!

I, of course, am completely baffled and incredibly distraught over this change. I did have a talk with her teacher and the assistants but they say she is super fine and plays very well with the other children. In fact, she calms down very quickly the minute I walk away. That pacified me a little but I was still a little wary and honestly, filled with immense guilt. How could I do this to Sera, put her in school everyday? She's not even two years old! She's being traumatised at such a tender age ... !

So I did the most obvious thing I could think of, I let her stay home with me for two of the days ... and can I just say, it is not easy to entertain this girl. She is inexhaustible ... and I, on the other hand, am very exhaustible these days! Ha ha ... it's not really funny, but I was totally flat out those days she was with me the whole day. Just ask Johan.

So if it's just a phase, like her teacher had advised, I think I'll believe her and let Sera go to school as per normal, next week on.

She played with one of the neighbour's car ...

... while I was washing the patio


She played at the backyard while I was hanging the clothes

She goofed around the house, while I was folding the clothes

We painted for a while ...

And later in the afternoon, Kelyan came over to play. They painted more. But Sera decided to paint on her hands ...

... and her legs

Valentine's Day

This morning, we went for an ultrasound scan. It wasn't the first time, of course, but at nearly 20 weeks now, we would be able to determine the sex of the baby. Yes, I was excited and very curious to know whether it'll be a boy or a girl. So last night, while I drifted off to sleep, I stroked my belly and asked the little one inside to be sweet and compliant ... and let us see what we needed to see. Ha ha!

The scan was scheduled in the morning, so we dropped a sleepy Sera to school a little earlier than usual and headed to the hospital. The Indian doctor was sweet and was very thorough, taking several measurements of the baby's head, neck etc. We heard the baby's very fast heartbeat and watched as the baby fidgeted in my womb, as if starting to wake up too. After a few minutes, I couldn't stand it any longer and just blurted out, "Do you see the sex of the baby?" The doctor tried and tried, waited and waited ... but the baby's legs remained stubbornly crossed and they covered the most important part that we needed to see. Sigh ... just like how Sera was! Ok, I was a little disappointed but got over it very quickly. At the end of the day, all that mattered was that the baby appeared healthy and happy.

Johan, on the other hand, is convinced it's a girl. The minute he saw the crossed legs, he concluded in a rather resigned manner that, "It's a girl!". Ha ha. You see, he believes it's his destiny to be 'terrorised' by three women in the family. Now that would be nice wouldn't it and secretly, I think he just adores the idea!

So that was how we celebrated Valentine's Day ... peering earnestly at the scanning monitor, trying to figure out if it's a boy or a girl. Not typical but in a way, very romantic too.

Happiness is ...

... when our mothers actually take us to a fast food joint, without us asking, for lunch after school ...

... when we get to spend the whole morning at the playground

... running freely with my friends

... playing in a bath-tub

... full of bubbles

... for three nights in a row!

Gong Xi Fa Cai

Happy Chinese New Year to all our loved ones! We had a cosy reunion dinner with our dear friends, Amy and Teddy last night. Between Amy, Teddy and myself, we whipped up quite a scrumptious meal. And of course, I had to dress Sera up ... just to add to the festive mood. I'm still surprised she didn't protest to her Chinese New Year outfit ... she even gave me a little dance!

Gong Xi Fa Cai everyone!

Now for my 'Wheels on the Bus' dance ...

'Weeeeeee ... '

Reunion dinner at Amy and Ted's ...

Homesick ...

This photo of a bowl of noodles, instant noodles may I add, with red cut chillies must bode something is amiss. Either I'm still experiencing morning sickness symptoms or I'm feeling slightly depressed. Well, I think I'm pretty much done with the morning sickness so that means the latter!!! Ha ha. Okay, it's really nothing serious but I'm just getting a bit exhausted from this cold I've been hopelessly fighting with. It started last Wednesday when I jumped into the un-heated indoor pool, which was a very silly thing to do, because it left me shivering for many hours after that and worse, my right ear became not only blocked but it really hurt. I seriously thought I may have damaged my ear-drum or something?

So anyway, by that Wednesday night, I was officially sick with a bad throat, a slightly blocked nose and a still hurting right ear. I was due to see the gynae the next morning so Johan and I went ahead with the appointment and after that, proceeded to see an ENT specialist (on the advise of the gynae). Okay, to cut the long story short. The visit to the ENT specialist was a JOKE because he made me go through expensive AUDIOLOGICAL tests which felt very amateurish and ridiculous. The results indicated that the second tube in my right ear was damaged. HUH? I tried to get the 'specialist' to explain but it was probably expensive and painful for him to talk because he just couldn't and wouldn't. I was, at that point, in a lot of discomfort and very hungry, so I just hoped that the medicine he prescribed would help my ears, throat and nose. But not only did the medicine not help, it seem to have aggravated my condition and worse still ... he had prescribed medicine that wasn't suitable for my pregnancy and had also mis-prescribed a medicine for my throat infection. All this, I found out from another doctor I visited the next day. Good grief!

The dust has slowly but surely settled. I've finished my three-day dose of antibiotics that was prescribed by a second doctor from another clinic I went to. The only thing is I'm still having a partially blocked nose and my ear is still annoying me. Oh did I mention that Sera and Johan were actually sick with me but now they're as good as recovered. Hmm ...

So anyway, I failed to make this long story short ... I know. I woke up this morning feeling a little pitiable. So what did I do? I went to Carrefour, after dropping Sera off at school, to get a few packets of spicy instant noodles and a large packet of red hot Thai chilli. The result is the photo above, my little comfort food. ha ha ha. The noodles were way too spicy and I have most likely aggravated my semi-sick condition ... but it reminded me of food from Singapore, so it was worth it. ha ha. Go figure.

On a lighter note, I do feel better now. Griping always helps so I do recommend it sometimes. 'wink'.