M.I.A.

Wow - has it been that long? Poor blog... have been neglecting you. Well... my attempt at blogging everyday along with my photo a day has gone kerplunk. Ooops. Mind you the photos I have kept up but due to mommy duties, I've been unable to upload them. They are all in my laptop or in my iphone. Somehow, time escapes me. It's like I woke up from hibernation, spring is over and summer is on its way in AND CHRISTMAS IS JUST AROUND THE CORNER! AND my daughter is now doing a whole bunch of new things.

TIME! Please slow down just for a bit.

And while we are at it, can I please turn you back. Back to 2004. I need to tweak a few of my decisions and would like to start again.

Thank you.

Sunshine and Teardrops

15-6-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

A very dear friend of mine sent me a text message in the morning saying she was taking her son to the park and if I wanted to join them. At first I was a bit hesitant because I will be taking my son and baby daughter with me and this will be the first time I will be doing it on my own. On top of that, the sleepless nights were weighing me down. I have to admit I considered just staying home but it was such a lovely day outside that I readily agreed. I figured if I don't get up and go now, I may just never do it.

Boy was I glad I agreed! The sun was out in full force and was such a beautiful warm day for winter. My son played in the playground and ran around, enjoying himself. My daughter slept in the pram the whole time. My parents even joined us as well so they could see the grand kids. My mother and I had a talk which lead me to cry and vent and basically voiced out some unsaid things. Problems that arose are no where near resolved but I was glad to say a bit of my piece. I hope she listened and went away thinking about what I had said.

After two hours, we went home to have a late lunch.

Sunshine and teardrops were what I needed on that sunny day. And a friend and parents who care.

Somewhere Between Sleep and Zombie

I am somewhere in between getting sleep and being in a bit of a zombie state.  Lack of sleep.  I had it much worse I think with my first child.  The second time round, it seemed easier but I still get the occasional curve ball my new daughter throws at me and just when I think I will be getting some sleep, she dictates otherwise. She is only 2 weeks old.  I can not even remember what I was like when my son was 2 weeks old, 5 years ago.  I know this time, I am at least functional.  Last time, I was asleep when he was asleep and I was up when he was.  Maybe I should save my reserves this time round and still sleep when the baby sleeps.  I am a bit cocky this time round just because she sleeps 2-3 hours stretches at a time. 

Conclusion: Get more nap time for me.  

Birthday Bash - Left, Right and Centre

21-4-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

This week has been a birthday week. First my dad turned 60 and we had a low key dinner to celebrate. My father is very unassuming so nothing extravagant suited him just fine. Then my niece turned one a couple of days later. Had a mini celebration again with lots of food, cake and more cake! Yum! On the weekend, we have 3 more birthday parties to go to plus a baby shower.

Celebration of life! The best celebrations by far.

We Survived The 7 Year Itch

14-4-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

My hubby and I celebrated our 8th wedding anniversary yesterday. We survived the seven year itch! Last night, we had a family dinner to celebrate - restaurant was chosen by my dear son so it was our usual jaunt, a local Vietnamese restaurant. Enjoyed dinner - it's like comfort food. Crispy chicken egg noodle soup, coconut juice and some porkchops and rice. We went to bed happy.

Today, we took our son to pre-school and then headed off to Manly. It was a glorious day - for lack of a better word. The sun was out in full force, the skies were blue - the day was just perfect. The seas were rolling, people were out and about and my hubby was in a foul mood because he woke up on the wrong side of the bed. I could almost see his temper escalating! First we missed the turn off. Then what followed was a litany of an annoyed man who couldn't get out of his cranky mood. It was almost amusing but I dared not say anything or let out a giggle. He eventually snapped out of his mood once we walked it off a bit and eventually made our way to the restaurant.

Restaurant in question is Garfish. I do not know exactly where I heard of this place (could be anyone at this point) but I'm glad I knew of this place. What ensued was one of the best meals I've had in a while. Hubby ordered fresh oysters for entree (YUM - I looked on enviously but eventually caved in and ate 2). For mains he had the salt and pepper squid with a side of chips. I had the wood roasted whole baby snapper served with sauteed kipfler potatoes, pumpkin, portobello mushrooms and olives with truffle butter. OH EM GEE! The snapper was cooked to perfection. Each mouthful melted in my mouth and the side complimented it beautifully! The snapper was so delicious! I've had snapper before and was disappointed at the lack of taste but this totally made up from the abysmal experience! Hubby and I want to go back and take our son to experience the culinary delights this little place had to offer.

After our meal, we headed off to Ben and Jerry's for dessert. I have been waiting for this moment! When we got there, I tasted tested three ice cream flavours before I made my choice. After much deliberation I decided on Chocolate Therapy and New York Super Fudge Chunk! I was in chocolate heaven! Hubby had the Coffee Coffee Buzz Buzz Buzz. That was awesome too!!! The chocolate chunks are huge and every spoonful was heaped with just a luscious sweetness. This is coming from someone who has been deprived of sweets because I am suppose to be watching my sugar levels. OH EM GEE! I loved that little naughty dessert.

Overall, I rate the day a 20 out of 10! Even though hubby had his cranky episode, the great day that followed once he got over it was awesome! Date days are always so much fun. I love it!

Sweet Cupcake Child

11-4-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

My son and I decided to bake cupcakes today. We've been stuck at home so much this week (recuperating from a bad case of the cold) that I am getting bored. So we made cupcakes.

Guess what he ate the most of? The icing from the bowl and the left over sprinkles.

He ate one cupcake and so did I. The rest is sitting on the kitchen bench top. Hopefully, hubby will eat some. Knowing him though, he might pass. He's not big on sweets.

Oh wells. Maybe if we are still in our self imposed house arrest, we could sell it. Instead of a lemonade stand, we'll have a cupcake stand.

Anyone want cupcakes?!

Sleepy Head

10-4-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Slept in today. I haven't had one in a while. It was nice to just sleep, sleep, sleep. Although, I did wake up from a bad left leg cramp. How bad? Well, first I started whimpering because it hurt. I whimpered loud enough that my hubby woke up to ask what was wrong. I managed to utter that I had a cramp and he started to massage it. The pain intensified and I started to say "OW" quite loudly. When saying "OW" just didn't stop it, I started to cry unabashedly. Eventually, hubby massaged it out and funnily enough we both just went back to sleep without much drama.

Then the phone downstairs rang, answering machine picked up, no message and for some weird reason I thought the answering machine was broken because all I could hear was the word "message" over and over again. Like it was a broken record. In hindsight, I think I was half asleep and it was actually my son's breathing that I could hear. He managed to sneak into our bed. Somewhere between my thoughts debating whether it was really our answering machine broken or just my son breathing, I fell asleep again.

Finally, I woke up wedged in between my son and my hubby. Glanced at the clock and it was 10am. WOOHOO! But my left leg muscles felt like I ran a marathon and did tae kwan do all the same time. It was sore!

But I was so happy I had a sleep in! The rest of the day was spent recuperating some more from this terrible cold we got. I have not stayed home so much. However, need to focus on getting ourselves the healthiest we can be for the arrival of lil' bean. So I happily stay home.

Does chocolate make colds go away? I hope so! I have eaten 5 chocolate eggs today! Oops. Burp.

Still Sick

8-4-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Don't feel like blogging much. Still sick. Cough. Cough. Splutter. Splutter. Ack.

And to add to that, I just digested an unpalatable idea. Makes me nauseous just thinking about it. Ack.

Ack.
Ack.
Ack.

CRAP!

Lunch Date

31-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

My husband and I don't often go out on dates these days. I love dates! Just me and him - just like before.

Today, we took our son to pre-school and headed on to the city to check out a baby store my friend had recommended (cheaper than the other baby stores). We bought a change table for Lil' Bean (the one we got for our son had been given away too prematurely) and my husband bought me a glider chair (for breastfeeding and later on when baby is older, can be his "daddy" chair). I really, really wanted a bassinette and a new pram but logic prevailed (and the budget). But I still think those cute frilly bassinettes are still so gorgeous! And I still want a bright red and pink pram ha ha.

Afterwards, I was hungry. So off we went to the Bondi Westfield. I have not been there since forever. We found a Japanese restaurant we liked and got a table. I saw the wagyu beef and had to have that! I have kind of turned off sushi since this pregnancy so I left that alone. I also ordered zucchini flowers tempura stuffed with tofu, pumpkin and sweet potato. Had to have my endamame and soft shell crab karage too. They were all so good! Hubby polished off seven sushi plates all by himself. We were happy campers after that meal.

As if that wasn't filling enough, I tortured myself by looking at all the yummy pastries and cakes and cheeses in the David Jones food hall! I miss my soft cheeses. Most especially the soft blue cheeses and the triple crème brie! Ahhhh, soon enough my loves.

The best part of this day was that I could just extend my hand out to the left or right of me any time and it will find its way into my husband's waiting palm, which in turn will hold onto mine. Yep, that was the best part of the day indeed! Holding hands.

Girly Bits

30-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Went to have my ultrasound today to make sure that the placenta is not blocking the cervix. It is not! YAY! No caesarean section. I also got the doctor to double check that our baby still has girly bits. She does! YAY!

I took along my mum and dad and my son.  My dad and my son were having so much fun playing with Mr. Potato Head that they stayed outside during the procedure.  I could hear my son getting excited and talking louder than everyone else from the ultrasound room. Made me smile. He gets excited like I do - we get loud!  

Anyway, all is well in uterus land....

Kindergarten Already?!

29-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Today, we had an early start to the day. I had an 8am appointment with my obstetrician. From there, dropped off my weekly blood sugar results at the clinic in hospital. Headed straight to the post office afterwards to pick up a package and send one off. Lastly, we handed in my son's kindergarten enrolment forms at our chosen school.

We were lucky that the principal was there and not busy so he actually took us on a tour of the school. It was nothing like I have ever seen before! The set up and concept of the school was definitely different from what I grew up with. I like how involved the parents are too (there were a couple of parents who were reading to the kindergarten kids and a few more were due to start the cooking class). It was an open plan set up for the classroom - yes, you read right - I said classroom... singular! One big area where the students were divided in "stages". One to three stages plus a special one just for kindergartens. I loved how everyone was in one area, yet, everyone was well behaved, quietly working but part of a cohesive group. Each group had their own areas and were doing different things. I also liked how there weren't many students in one class either, meaning the teachers had more time with each student. They had two teachers per group as well. I was suitably impressed. I hope my son gets into this school. I feel that he will benefit a lot from this school. I have a good feeling about it!

At the end of the tour, I thanked the principal for showing us around and answering my questions.  I walked away with a sense of excitement as my son enters a new phase in his life next year.  I also couldn't wait to tell hubby about it.

By 10am - we were home!  We still had a whole day ahead of us.  It is now time to vacuum... blah! But I am thinking a  nap to follow will be just perfect!

Next Stop, Level Three

25-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Walked to work today. It was hot. My lunch bag weighed a ton. I wore a long dress. What was I thinking?! I got to work in one piece and decided to catch the elevator up. I figured if I walked up the stairs, I might collapse.

Des greeted me when I got to work and she gave me some banana bread. Yum! Will have to ration it and not eat it in one go - got to watch my sugar intake.

Work was fine.

Then, Jen offered to do my on-call tonight. Yay!

Thank God for good friends. What would I do without them?

Forever Home?

24-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Once upon a time, we used to live in this beautiful house. I use to watch the sunset from that very balcony you see on that photo. I used to take my son for walks around the neighbourhood every morning to familiarise ourselves with our surroundings. We use to watch people and cars go past from that very porch. My son used to crawl all around the smooth wooden floor boards that covered the first storey of the house. We enjoyed watching movies in our very own cinema room on the second floor. What happened I hear you ask? Drama unfortunately unfolded and problems arose and before I knew it, we had to say goodbye.

When we fist moved in, I called it our "forever house" - a house where I imagined our kids will grow up and paint the walls with memories year after year. Where we will start many traditions such as a photo with the Christmas tree with the whole family every year. Where, for better or worse, everyone will live happily ever after.

Unfortunately, I sometimes dream too big. This may have been one of them. Things just did not work out between family members and it was better to just start afresh. The pain was too much to bear.

Today, I drove past just to see if anything has changed. It looks exactly the same, albeit the bushes out front has grown taller. I felt sad that someone else will be building memories in my "forever house". At the same time, it was like a wake up call to tell me that this may not be the dream meant for me. There is something else out there for me and my family of (soon to be) four.

Dreams do come true. Sometimes you have to be careful what you wish for though because it may not always be what they seem.

Stopping To Smell the Roses

23-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Got up today to my son whispering to me "Mommy, where's your iTouch?" Then he followed it with "Mommy, I stayed in my bed all night!" Then he gave me a cutesy smile. I had to wake up and hug him.

The day quickly followed through. It was hot! We ducked into the shops to get a couple of things and hurriedly headed home to avoid the heat. I had a little nap before my son started squishing himself next to me on the couch. Pretty soon I could smell the minty fresh aroma of Minties coming from his mouth. He found the stash! I asked him how much he had eaten while I was napping and he said only two. I told him that was enough for the day and he agreed readily (amazing!).

So while he was busy on the laptop learning about opposites and learning how to read, I took some time to catch up on some shows on tv. It was then that I took this photo. I looked outside to find the afternoon sun playing on the leaves of the trees. Magical! Simple moments like that make me feel good to be alive.

Afternoon Walk

22-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

When we got home today from spending the morning with mum and dad, I decided to go for a walk and tagged my son along. We went around the block once, stopping by the corner store to get him his favourite ice block and then walked past the playground to see if they have finished building it yet. As you can see, the playground is unfinished. We then headed off home.

I love walking with my son. He has a lot to talk about. He does not stop talking at all. He talks about anything and everything which is so amusing. It amazes me that it was not that long ago when he use to just signal with gestures and grunts and little sounds or mispronounced words to communicate. Now, he uses words like "it's complicated" or "frustrating" or "difficulty". He not only says them but he is also reading now too! His mind is a sponge and some days I toy with the idea of teaching him French but he might overtake me in my lessons and I won't be able to understand him ha ha.

I am one proud momma! I love him to bits!

Freeze!

21-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Went grocery shopping today. Had to re-shuffle my freezer to find room for the new stuff. I think we need a bigger fridge.

I am so tired today, I don't feel like cooking. I grabbed pastizzis, threw them in the oven with a meat pie and had those for dinner. I am too tired to write anything else. With the warm weather, I feel like a wilted flower.

Jelly Belly

19-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

I took this photo this morning. My belly sure is expanding! A lot of people come up to me and ask how long I have to go. When I tell them, they are almost always shocked because they say I am big and ready to pop. Depending on my mood, sometimes I just laugh it off and other times I just have to set them straight and tell them that yes, I do look bigger because I am normally small. It just looks bigger on me. I actually asked my obstetrician if my baby is bigger than normal and according to her my baby is growing fine and is the normal size for how far on I am.

So next time you come up to me and tell me I'm huge, or I might be carrying twins - just think twice. You're lucky I'm not the sensitive type who goes off howling the minute someone tells me I'm huge.

In addition - if I don't know you well and I don't normally have a huggy relationship with you... please refrain from touching my belly because it is creepy. Especially when you are a middle aged man who gives me the creeps to begin with anyway! Shudder!

Ruling Lines

18-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

It started off relatively chaotic at work just when it was nearly home time for a lot of people. I could sense the madness outside my theatre room because a lot of people were asked to stay back. Too many rooms going over their allotted time frame, hence, need to staff it, therefore, people staying back to finish surgery.

By the time I stepped out to write my case up in the registry, it had calmed down a bit and I was able to have a nice, uninterrupted dinner. I found a magazine to read (bonus - it was from February 2010 - rare! Usually magazines are a year old!), put my feet up and enjoyed my spaghetti.

After dinner, I was still pleasantly surprised I haven't been paged yet. So I put some stuff away and did some set-ups for tomorrow's cases. Still no page. I wandered out the front and still not paged. Unusual. Found the whiteboard where we write who's allocated in each theatre (if any) empty for a change. Team leader found me and asked to rule lines in the allocation book - I agreed because this means I get to sit down and with my size now, sitting down is a blessing. Chatted. Ruled lines. Stuffed up a few lines. Chatted some more.

Page came through and there was a trauma downstairs in emergency. Car accident. Ouch! But I was spared and left to rule lines as another team was put in a room to attend to the patient as he arrived.

Lines... red lines... after a few pages, it was time to go home.

Yeeha!

Green Day

17-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Happy St. Patrick's Day! My son's pre-school asked parents to dress their kids in green today for the occasion. They even made green iced biscuits and had them for afternoon tea. My son reported that they painted their feet today but he declined because he did not want to get paint in his shoes. This is coming from the same boy who has no qualms wiping his spaghetti stained hands onto his shirt or his hair! He amuses me.

The picture of the day is the daily photo log that his pre-school provides everyday. It has the activities they did for the day and my son always ends up in the photos somewhat. He is a camera hog just like his momma!

A Very Merry Weekend

16-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

On Saturday, my mom and sister threw me a baby shower. It was a fun day to spend with friends and family, playing games, eating, chatting and lots of laughter. This photo is my attempt at capturing all the presents Lil' Bean received! A sea of pink and beautiful gifts. I am touched by people's love and generosity.

Sunday was my birthday. Another year younger. It coincided with the Pacquiao vs Cottey fight. We thought we'd invite some friends over and watch the fight live. It was my first time to watch a live boxing match. However, I was disappointed overall. Cottey, in my opinion, was scared to get knocked out and spent majority of the time hiding behind his boxing gloves. Dude! Go hard or go home! Proud of Pacquiao for another win. I just wished that there was more action from the opponent. PATOOEY!

Overall, my birthday weekend was great. Then on Monday we had another dinner celebration with my family. My sister-in-law's mom cooked and OMG - food heaven! And if dinner wasn't enough, they also got me a Lindt cake (don't know what it's called but it has chocolate moose in it with a thin layer of Lindt chocolate on top and an even thinner cake layer in between). Heavenly!

My birthday has been great... I just wish that the family was complete yesterday.

Excuse the Interruption in Our Program

10-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

There I was in the mall, happily shopping along when my alarm went off. Two hours after lunch, I had to do a blood sugar test. Where do I go?! Lucky there was a toilet nearby. I went to the cubicle, closed the toilet lid and sat on it. I took my stuff out and firstly cleaned my hands with the anti-bacterial solution. Went about my business and finally a reading. Good reading. Threw the stuff out and emerged to hit the stores again.

I was telling some of my friends yesterday about my predicament this pregnancy. There was a girl there who's sugar was too low (or high) that she needed insulin. Ouch - imagine injecting yourself everyday until your baby is born? Mine seems to be under control with diet that I count myself lucky. But a friend of mine made a good point - it's the hassle of not being able to just enjoy your pregnancy without having to worry about everything you eat or what the next blood sugar reading might be or where to do your testing. My first pregnancy was perfect. I enjoyed every minute of it. This time round, things are not quite so perfect. It's a totally different experience! Even though the experience may not seem so smooth sailing, I just want my baby to be healthy and safe. It's a small price to pay to be pricking my fingers 4 times a day just so my baby comes out okay. And I'd like to come out okay at the end too.

Wiggly Birthday

9-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

My son was invited to a 3rd birthday party today. It was at the Wiggly Centre. Last time we were there was for his 2nd birthday party and he was stuck in the toddler's play area. Today he was unleashed to the big kid's play area. Time flies!

It was really weird that amidst all the kid chaos and Wiggles songs playing over and over on the speakers, I had to go to the bathroom and do a blood glucose test. This involves pricking my finger, drawing blood and putting said blood on a test strip (which is inserted into a small portable blood glucose machine). You wait 5 seconds and viola, it displays your reading. Hardly the activity you see at an indoor play centre!

Funny thing with this "slightly elevated" blood sugar, I have suddenly stopped craving all the sweet things that I craved earlier on in my pregnancy. I guess that's a good thing.

Bitter Sweet Pricker

8-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Alas, my blood sugar is slightly elevated. Hence, this blood sugar monitor. This means I have to prick my fingers four times a day. So far my fingers have been pricked twice and they are sore :( I have to do this until my baby is born.

You know what? I will do it if it means my baby and I will get through the ordeal safe, healthy and in one piece.

But damn my finger hurts....

An Apple and a Walk

5-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

I walked to work today. I left extra early just in case it took longer than usual because of my ever expanding belly. It was a nice walk actually. I took my time and munched on my apple, enjoying the outdoors. It took me 15 minutes.

On my way to work, I saw a man running. My first thought when I saw him was "Oh damn, I hope he doesn't collapse because I will have to resuscitate him in my pregnant state." He jogged along. I looked back at him again because I noticed he was wearing sandals, khakis and a nice dark blue polo shirt with white stripes. Hardly the jogger's outfit. When I looked at him again, I realised it was a surgeon I used to work with who is now retired! By then he was further down the street and not within hearing range anymore. Knowing him though, I wouldn't be surprised that he was running in that attire - but the question is to where?! Too bad I couldn't call out to him because he was too far now. I would've asked him why he was running and where he was going and how retirement was. He was actually my favourite surgeon to scrub with.

So off I trotted on to work after that little encounter. My apple was gone before I even entered the building. And I was still hungry. Being pregnant has turned me into an eating machine. BURP!

Watching the World Outside

4-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

This is the only view of the outside world when I am at work. Sometimes, when I am stuck doing a really long case in theatres, I might not even see daylight.

I took this photo while waiting for my mom to send me a picture message. This is one of the places I get a 3G signal from. I liked how the floor reflected the light initially. When I looked closer, the floor looked more like water to me - and how it even had a ripple effect. I was in awe.

Simple things catch my eye and it makes an otherwise normal day seem extraordinary.

Valentine's Day Again

3-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

I had a not very nice start to the morning. Went to see my obstetrician to get the results for my fasting glucose tolerance test and the result was not favourable. My reading was a bit high. Drats! Too much sweets seeing my craving this pregnancy is mainly chocolate. Not a happy gal! I now have to go the diabetic clinic and see a dietician. I am going to control this thing with a healthy diet and exercise - that is my plan.

Anyway, hubby took me to lunch at a Turkish restaurant where we shared a platter for two filled with chargrilled meats and dips and breads and salads and rice. It was delicious! I'm glad we tried something new today because it started to make me fell better (after this morning's news from doctor).

After lunch we decided to watch a movie - Valentine's Day. I love romantic comedies. They are one of my weakness. I totally loved the movie. It was like dating all over again. It was just me and hubby because our son was in pre-school. By the end of the movie, I was feeling a whole lot better.

Love comes in many forms. Sometimes when you least expect them.

xoxo

Super Duper Special Lunch

2-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

I like to make interesting food for my son to try and for him to enjoy. Today, I made round open sandwiches with 4 different toppings. He devoured the thing! My husband saw the platter before I served it up and he chuckled at the preparation.

It was a labour of love xoxo

"This Will Just Be a Small Scratch..."

1-3-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

I've heard them all... what anaesthetists/blood collectors/nurses/doctors say just before they give you a needle or take your blood.

"This will just be a small scratch..."

"This won't hurt a bit..."

"Just a little sting..."

"It will just be like an ant bite..."

"Here we go - a little sting..."

"This might hurt a bit..."

"Just relax...."

Those phrases they come up with is synonymous with the action of them about to jab you. Today, when I was getting my blood tests (all three of them on the hour for three hours), the phrases swam in my head as I sat there hoping that I wouldn't faint because I had also been fasting since 9pm last night. I was fine though and my son kept me company. I explained to him the day before the procedure and the events of this morning's activity. I told him he will support mommy because mommy needs some blood tests. He asked what support meant and after I explained to him what it meant, he was happy to oblige. And oblige he did. He was so good that the ladies in the pathology office commended him for his good behaviour. He was so good that I rewarded him with a treat - Easyway, chocolate milk tea with pearls.

Overall, the experience was not as harrowing as I anticipated. We walked away from the office with me sporting three round bandaids (two on my left and one on my right crook of both arms) which my son thinks is the worst part of the ordeal because when you pull bandaids off, it is "ouchy". You know what? He probably is right.

The Last Day of Summer

28-2-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

Today was the last day of summer. We had lunch at a famous chicken place (famous for their chicken and garlic sauce) and then on the way back to the car, I saw this! Dark clouds gathering overhead. It looked so ominous! Just as well we ditched the beach plan and just headed for the aquatic centre. We didn't see the rain drench the dry earth but I did see my son having a blast in the water. He was having so much fun that he'd let out involuntary squeals of delight once in a while. Can't get better than that.

Goodbye summer...

Hello autumn....

Pretty soon - hello Lil' Bean.

Welcome to My Stage

27-2-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

This is where I perform. It has more dramas than any stage you will encounter. It has more blood and guts - literally! I fell in love with the operating theatres the first time I ever set foot in one way back when I was a student nurse. I knew I wanted to work there and no where else.

But some days I feel that I want to explore another side of me... my creative side. I often get people telling me that I am in the wrong profession.

Some days I think maybe I am...

Some days I think maybe I'm not....

Some days I want to fuse the worlds together...

Can I have the best of both worlds?

Nice and Neat Needles

26-2-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

One thing I like doing when I scrub for valve surgery is keeping my needles nice and neat. I have this little system where I have to line them all up so I can see each and everyone of them. The blue magnetic needle mat on top is great for displaying the needles I think. I like how the long straight needles adds a different shape to the over all picture. The straightness is a complete contrast to all the curves of the other needles. Listen to me talk about this palate as if it's a piece of art.

I almost sound obsessive compulsive with my needles.

It's quite ironic since I am not even a very neat person normally.

The mind boggles.

Where For Art Thou My Feet?

25-2-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

I was at work today and in a moment of peacefulness (I was in the toilets), I looked down and lo and behold - all I could see were the tips of my purple clogs. My baby bump is getting bigger! And the funny thing was, as if on cue, Lil Bean gave a big kick as if to say "Yup! I sure am getting bigger mom!"

And on another topic.... tomorrow I start my three day high carbohydrates diet in preparation for my fasting glucose tolerance test. I hope the results will be more favourable this time. Fingers crossed.

I Ate One Too Many Chocolates

24-2-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

My pregnancy this time round is the complete opposite when I had my first one. First thing was the morning sickness - I had it bad this time round. I couldn't eat meat, couldn't stand perfume or anything with scents (even laundry powder!), couldn't cook anything and I was sick all day long. If I wanted to eat something and I didn't get it, I would be sick the whole day! I was so happy that once I passed the first trimester, all morning sickness symptoms went away.

This time round, I also have a chocolate craving. It actually started with a mango ice-cream craving - and not just any mango ice-cream either. It had to be Magnolia Mango Ice Cream. Any other brand just did not cut it. Once the mango ice cream craving ebbed away, the chocolate craving replaced it with a vengeance! I gobbled chocolate every chance I got. I don't normally buy chocolate when I do my grocery but this time I was buying them by the block.

Which explains why I ended up in my obstetrician's office this morning. I was summoned there because my glucose tolerance test was "slightly" high. So now I have to have a fasting glucose tolerance test on Monday.

Am I worried? Hell yeah!

So for lent I gave up chocolate. I am shying away from sweets too. It is so very difficult when all I can think about is buying a slab of Sara Lee chocolate cake and eating the icing off it! UGH!

But for the sake of mine and my baby's health, I must stay away from chocolate.

I know I shouldn't worry but knowing me, I won't stop until Lil Bean is delivered safe and healthy. And I come out of the ordeal okay too.

Salmon Sashimi and My Son

23-2-10, originally uploaded by rhee1975.

My son loves salmon sashimi. Whenever we go to the fish markets, he wipes off half a kilo easy. Today, however, he wasn't too gung-ho on the stuff. He was more excited about his Indiana Jones hat which he has been wearing around everywhere since his "ninang" (godmother) gave it to him.

A lot of people walk past and stare at his choice of food often with wonderment. It's like they can't believe a child his age would willingly choose sashimi over Mc Donalds. I am proud that my son has varied tastes in cuisine. I take pride in introducing him to different delicacies and widening his palate. Whenever I give him something new to try and he whinges, I always remind him about the book Green Eggs and Ham. It was one of his first favourite books. I always remind him that he has to taste everything first before he says he doesn't like it because, just maybe, he might actually like it!

One time, when he was only about 2 years old, we were invited to dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant. There was another kid there too who was 5 years old and his mom had to bring him a Happy Meal for dinner. She asked me what my son was going to eat. I said "Whatever I put on his plate." She was amazed to see that he had eaten everything I gave him.

Food is meant to be glorious I think so I want him to see it that way too. Eating is fun and there is a limitless variety out there for him to try. He must enjoy his food because he told me that when he grows up, he wants to be a chef.

It's Monday People

Happy Monday! I have decided that I will try to blog regularly. I am currently doing one of those Project 365 where I take a photo each day. I have been posting it up to chronicle my life in 2010. Now, I was going to post the photos here too but seeing we are nearly through February, I will just start from yesterday. Otherwise, my brain might shrivel up and having placenta brain is bad enough (yes, I am also pregnant).

Okay, so the photo you see on top is a statue of Australia's first saint - Mary Mc Killop. The Pope announced her sainthood last week. I took the photo at church yesterday. I haven't been to church in a while and I actually miss it. So I took my son and off we went to "visit Papa Jesus". Understandably, he was bored. But I thought he held up well for the hour long service. I got my spiritual fill. When I was younger I used to be bored out of my mind going to church. Now, it's kind of therapeutic. And if I walk away with one message from God, I am happy. Yesterday's message for me was just call on Him and you will be saved. Just the words I needed to hear so I offered up all my worries, no matter how petty some of them are, and knew in my heart that things would be okay.

Afterwards, my son and I went to have dinner at his favourite restaurant. He ordered the same thing he always does and devoured the whole thing PLUS two orders of coconut juice PLUS honey king prawns! But he didn't finish the prawns. Meanwhile, I tucked into my laksa and felt Lil Bean squirming around from all the spices and chilli. It was a good dinner!

How Do You Like Them Apples?

I took my son to his pre-school for orientation day today. As soon as we arrived, he was given a locker. We put his bag in and as soon as that bag was placed in its slot, he was off! He was introduced to his teacher and he greeted her with a mixture of shyness and braveness at the same time. It was story telling time and the book was about dinosaurs. He was a bit apprehensive joining his classmates on the cushions so I sat down too. He listened to the story with interest and kept telling me about the dinosaurs he already knew (he has a dinosaur book at home). He answered questions and piped up a lot when he felt confident he knew the answer. He always managed to double check with me first though.

After story telling time, they had playtime and painting. He painted a picture with splashes and streaks of purple, green and orange. More play time after that. I left the room for about half an hour to organise payment and other formalities with the director. When I came back, he was still playing and had asked if he could stay for lunch. He made some new friends.

Lunch was lasagna and vegies. He gobbled up most of it. He even told his teacher "I love lasagna!" I took photos of him and realised while he was interacting with the other kids that he has grown up so much from that baby I used to carry in my arms. It made me a bit emotional but I held it together.

Finally, after lunch, he agreed to go after staying longer than we anticipated. He only relented and said it was okay to go when the chef promised him that next week when he starts that she would give him some apples for afternoon tea. The apple deal sealed it for him.

Off we went to the shops and I bought him some sweet treats because I was so proud of him. When we got home, I gave him lots of cuddles! My baby is now a boy but he will always be my baby.

Lego Indiana Jones 2 - New Adventure Continues

My son loves this PS3 game! We have played with it a lot since he received the present from Santa on Christmas Day. Now we have finished the game. :( Now what?

Then my sister sends me an sms saying Harry Potter Lego will come out in March this year.

YEEHAA!!!