Banana Bread Recipe

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Servings: 5 loaves

Preparation Time: 10 minutes

• 1 cup butter


• 2.5 cup sugar


• 4 eggs


• 2 tsp vanilla


• 2 cup buttermilk(or 2 cup milk w/ 1tb white vinegar)


• 4 cups all purpose flour


• 1 cup whole wheat flour


• 2tsp baking soda,


• 2tsp salt,


• 4 cup mashed ripe banana's..

Directions:

preheat oven to 350F

Grease 5 loaf pans and set aside

in bowl add both of the flour's, baking soda, and salt..set aside. cream butter & sugar in mixer, add eggs & vanilla, add bananas, then add flour mixture and milk alternating between the 2. Do not over mix or it get's tough!!

bake 350F about 1 hour

Makes 5 loaves (recipe can be cut in 1/2 if you want to make less)

Freezes well, just wrap in foil making sure all ended are sealed.

Week 37

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away. Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard).

Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

How your life is changing?

Braxton Hicks contractions may be coming more frequently now and may last longer and be more uncomfortable. You might also notice an increase in vaginal discharge. If you see some "bloody show" (mucus tinged with a tiny amount of blood) in the toilet or in your undies, labor is probably a few days away — or less. (If you have heavier spotting or bleeding, call your caregiver immediately.) Also be sure to ask your caregiver about the results of your Group B strep culture. That way, if the result isn't yet on your chart when you get to the hospital or birth center, you'll be able to give the staff there a timely heads-up if you need antibiotics.

It may be harder than ever to get comfortable enough to sleep well at night. If you can, take it easy through the day — this may be your last chance to do so for quite a while. Keep monitoring your baby's movements, too, and let your caregiver know immediately if you notice a decrease. Though her quarters are getting cozy, she should still be as active as before.

While you're sleeping, you're likely to have some intense dreams. Anxiety both about labor and about becoming a parent can fuel a lot of strange flights of unconscious fancy.

Be patient: if labor doesn’t start this week, or even next, keep in mind that only 4-5% of women actual deliver on their predicted due date. What’s more if this is your first pregnancy, you can expect to be anywhere from two days to two weeks late. You can distract yourself by keeping track of fetal movements, mostly to reassure yourself that all is well with your little miracle. In the off chance that movements do start to decrease substantially, try not to freak out and instead, call your doctor of midwife and discuss it with them.

If you still haven’t decided whether to breastfeed or not, here’s a good reason: some experts estimate that mothers excrete between 400-700 calories a day while breastfeeding, and to compensate, you should be eating roughly 500 extra calories a day (mmm that’s like one spoonful of Ben and Jerry’s ice cream).

Itching Away

I guess this will be my second biggest nightmare which I experienced during my pregnancy (well, the first being my morning sickness). Guess what, this week I was attacked by the biggest irritating problem which I had... the eczema!!! :s It was all over my hands and foot!! All my 20 fingers are being attacked... :'( And it's very very itchy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I can't help but scratching it to satisfy myself.... I know it's no good if I keep scratching it... Wish this can go away soon! I'm dying of itchiness here! :X

Dear Lord, please help me get rid of this eczema. Hope it doesn't affect my baby too. Thank you Lord for everything. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

Below are some info from Baby Center website regarding my discomfort:

Is it normal to feel itchy during pregnancy?

It's not uncommon to feel itchy, particularly around your growing belly and breasts as your skin stretches to accommodate them. Hormonal changes may also be partly to blame.

Some pregnant women find that their palms and the soles of their feet get red and sometimes itchy. This common condition may be caused by an increase in estrogen. It usually disappears right after delivery.

You may also find that things that normally make you itchy — dry skin, eczema, food allergies — make you even itchier when you're pregnant. Finally, there are certain conditions that occur during pregnancy that may cause you to feel itchy (see below).

How can I get relief from the itching?

Avoid hot showers and baths, which can dry out your skin and make the itching worse. Use mild soap and be sure to rinse it off well and towel off lightly. Then slather on an unscented moisturizer — some scents can cause irritation.

Try an occasional warm oatmeal bath. (You can buy oatmeal bath preparations in drugstores.) Wear loose cotton clothing and avoid going out in the heat of the day, since heat can intensify the itching.

Is it common to get itchy bumps on your abdomen?

Up to 1 percent of pregnant women develop a condition characterized by itchy, red bumps and larger patches of a hive-like rash on their bellies. This is called pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP) or polymorphic eruption of pregnancy.

PUPPP usually begins in the third trimester and is more common among women carrying twins and those having their first baby. The eruptions usually show up first on the abdomen around or in stretch marks (if you have any) and may spread to your thighs, buttocks, and arms. PUPPP is harmless for you and your baby, but it can itch like crazy!

Your doctor or midwife will want to see you for a diagnosis and will probably prescribe a topical ointment to give you some relief. She may also recommend an antihistamine. In severe cases, you may need a course of oral steroids.

PUPPP usually disappears within a few days after delivery, although it sometimes persists for several weeks. (In rare cases, it may even begin after you give birth.) Fortunately, it seldom appears again in subsequent pregnancies.

Even more rare than PUPPP is a skin condition called prurigo of pregnancy (or papular eruptions of pregnancy), which is characterized by many tiny bumps that may look like bug bites. These eruptions can occur anywhere on your body, but you're most likely to get them on your hands, feet, arms, and legs.

Although the eruptions can be itchy and annoying, prurigo of pregnancy appears to pose no risk to your baby. This condition generally starts around the beginning of the third trimester and may last for up to three months after you give birth.

In very rare cases, a pregnant woman will develop very itchy eruptions that start out like hives and then turn into large blistering lesions. This rash is called pemphigoid gestationis (or herpes gestationis, although it has nothing to do with herpes virus). The eruptions often start on the abdomen and spread to the arms and legs.

This condition is considered more serious than PUPPP because it may be associated with an increased risk for preterm delivery and fetal growth problems. It usually begins in the second or third trimester, but it can start anytime — even in the first week or two after you have your baby.

Pemphigoid gestationis can come and go throughout pregnancy, and it often flares up after delivery as well. It usually happens again in subsequent pregnancies and tends to be more severe.

Let your caregiver know if you develop any kind of rash during pregnancy. Whether or not the rash is related to your pregnancy, it's a good idea to have your caregiver evaluate it and recommend appropriate treatment or refer you to a dermatologist.

Can intense itching ever be a sign that something is wrong?

Severe itchiness in the second or, more commonly, in the third trimester can be a sign of intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, a liver problem that affects less than 1 percent of pregnant women in the United States.

When bile doesn't flow normally in the small ducts of your liver, bile salts accumulate in your skin and make you itch all over. The itching can be quite intense. The condition itself doesn't cause a rash, but you may end up with red, irritated skin with little cuts in areas where you're scratching a lot.

Call your doctor or midwife immediately if you think you have cholestasis because it may spell trouble for your baby. Your caregiver will do blood tests to check your liver as well as ultrasounds and fetal heart monitoring to check on your baby.

Depending on your health and your baby's condition, you may be induced before your due date. This problem goes away after you have your baby, although you may get it again with your next pregnancy.

It's Finally Here

My baby's cot was finally here!!! :) Thank God it doesn't rain that evening. I'm feeling so excited and relieved at the same time to see the cot physically placed in our living room upstairs. It was perfect! I can feel my baby in my womb getting excited too! :) We should have bought the white colour cot in the first place... to eliminate all the hassle... hohoh... Anyway, what was meant to be, was meant to be. It's a process everyone will go through... there's no shortcut to it.

After the delivery man assemble the cot and left, my dear hubby carefully checked the cot again to make sure everything is safe. Mmmm... it's good to see that he finally show some aspects of "loving-father" figure around the house :) It was such a lovely scene to see him cleaning our baby's cot... but he did not wash the dirty cloth after using it... >_<" He just throw the cloth in the toilet... hmmmmpppp!! He still need more training on this! To help eliminate extra or unnecessary house chores.

Now that the cot was actually here in out living room, we are just waiting for his "master" to sleep in it. Hopefully it will be just the perfect cot for our newborn baby, the Newbury cot (from Mothercare) with white finish. The colour, the design and the functions, were all chosen for his safety and usage in mind. Hopefully our baby will like it as much as we do. ^_^

Below the description of Newbury Cot:

- 2 handed drop-side mechanism makes getting baby in and out of cot easier
- 3 position mattress base height
- Protective teething rails
- Requires a continental size cot mattress (60 x 120cm), sold separately
- Suitable from birth to approx. 2yrs
- Flat-packed for home assembly
- Conforms to BS EN 716
- White finish
- Assembled size: L128 x W68 x H99cm

Let the Countdown Begin

Geess.... It's week 37 now! :o) I'm getting VERY anxious and at the same time excited!!! Most of the preparations to welcome my little darling is almost done... apart form his cot! The delivery man will come only tomorrow. Hopefully this time the cot has no defects on them. I can't wait to make prepare his bed before his arrival. :)

After all the huu-haa last week, I realised that it's not a big deal after all. If she don't want to work, then let it be... If they don't want the money, then it's not my problem... why would I be so stressed up on behalf of them??? It's funny how sometimes when things just happened and you are not ready for it, you will tend to handle it differently from your usual self. Now that I have time on my own and I think back... I oredy knew all these is coming... but I didn't know that it will come at one go! hahah.... God has His way of teaching us to look things at the bright side.

I'm all ready again for the new challenge that I'm about to face. I just need to remember to be my brilliant self and enjoy whatever comes to me! Embrace it and live it! That's is your life... if you are not happy whoelse will make you happy???

Piece of Pancake

Today I have a sudden urge to make pancakes as dessert (heheh)... but I don't have much ingredients left in my kitchen cupboard... :( It has been a while since I cook... When I look at those inspiring food blogs, it makes me wanna grab my kitchen utensil and start baking again! :-) I must say their blogs are truly wonderful to read and at the same time motivating.

Below were the pancake recipe which I copied from a blog...

Whole Wheat Pancakes

3/4 cup quick-cooking oats
1 1/2 cups plus
2 tablespoons well-shaken buttermilk,
divided 3/4 cup whole-wheat flour
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 large egg, lightly beaten
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
1 tablespoon packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons fresh pomegranate seeds
2 tablespoons chopped walnuts

Soak oats in 3/4 cup buttermilk 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt in a large bowl.

Stir egg, butter, brown sugar, remaining 3/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons buttermilk, and oat mixture into dry ingredients until just combined.

Heat a griddle over medium heat until hot and lightly brush with oil. Working in batches, pour 1/4 cup batter per pancake onto griddle and cook until bubbles appear on surface and undersides are golden-brown, about 1 minute. Flip with a spatula and cook other side, about 1 minute more. (Lightly oil griddle between batches.)

Adapted from Gourmet


Honey Nectarine Pancakes
(makes about 12 medium sized cakes)

Dry Ingredients
1 1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tsp sugar
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda

Wet Ingredients
2 eggs
1 1/5 cup buttermilk (or milk, in a pinch)
1 tbsp honey

2 ripe nectarines

First, bring a pot of water to a rollicking boil. With a small paring knife, score the nectarines on the bottom (cut a little cross in the skin), and then drop the fruit into the boiling water for 2 minutes. Fish them out and rinse under cold water. Peel the skin off starting with the place where you scored the nectarines. If the nectarines are ripe, the skin should come off pretty easily. This also works with peaches. Core and dice the nectarines into bite sized squares.

Now, heat a little butter in a frying pan on medium heat. Whisk all the dry ingredients together. In a different, largish bowl, whisk all the wet ingredients together. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon or spatula until you can't see the flour anymore. Make sure to get to the bottom of the bowl because flour is tricky and likes to hide down there. The batter will be pretty lumpy, but that's ok.

With a small ladle, drop a little bit of batter onto the frying pan to make cakes about 3 inches in diameter (or whatever diameter you like them, really). Drop a few nectarine pieces on top of each pancake. When you see bubbles forming on top of the pancakes, flip them over for another 30 seconds to 1 minute. Continue until you're out of batter (if you'll be making lots of pancakes, heat the oven to 100F and store the finished pancakes on a cookie sheet in the oven to keep them warm). Serve drizzled with honey.

Time Out

I really hope that last week will never appear or repeat again in my life! It was such an annoying and agitating week for me! Aaarrrgghhh!!! Thank God I've got my dear hubby to support me and dear Jesus to shine His light at my path while all these things banging onto me.

Lucky thing was today is Sunday! All those were bygones now! I'm here looking for a little comfort... to patch up and repair all those wounds which has no good to me or my poor little soul. I guess a cup of hot coco or a piece of dark chocolate cake can help drown all my sorrows and problems away. Looking back, I really duno how I can survive all those nonsense!??

Before I forget, we celebrate our anniversary yesterday! This marked 1xth years that we are together as a couple! :) It has been a long and wonderful journey.... :) Nevertheless, it help to put all those nonsense away for a moment and let my poor soul recovered and get ready to fight again! :) Although it was just a simple celebration, we had fun and enjoyed it! :)

Thanks to dear hubby for the dinner (at a Taiwanese restaurant) although he did not planned it before hand (as always)... :P I guess the biggest comfort for the day was the scrumptious 'mango rolled in Mochi disc on top with coconut flakes' as our dessert... it was unexpectedly very good exceeded the main course.

And today, we had a fabulous buffet dinner (as post-celebration) at Hilton Hotel. I must say, it was really good! 2 thumbs up for their delicious food (and variety) and of course service!!! ^o^ We had a good time eating and relaxing at the restaurant. Mind you, we seldom go for buffet lunch or dinner as we afraid that the food might be disappointing but this one is surprisingly goood and the price was reasonable! I guess this wrap up all my lousy previous weeks and start new this week! :)

Hope y'all have a good weekend!

Gone Bananas

Problems on top of problems...! It seems like this is not my month after all.... >_<"

All the problems seems to roll in one by one each day... I do not know how much more I could handle, these "unforeseen" circumstances. Guess what? The cot which we ordered early this month got defects on them and the delivery guy who are suppose to find a new one for us did not call us in return. Bear in mind, we bought this cot from a reputable company who are suppose to care - the Mothercare shop.

So today, Mothercare suppose to deliver a new cot to our house to replace the defect one. It was so coincident that when they arrived, it rains cats and dogs! We do not know that the "cleaver" delivery guy bought the ready assemble cot in his truck!?? And it got wet when they open the back of the truck making it worst!!! So hubby reject it as it was very dirty, wet and still got defects on them! >_<>

When I think of it... it's just like a nightmare... I wonder do other parents also face this sort of problems while they are preparing for their newborn to arrival??? This month definitely not a good month for me! :'-( It started of quite ok but in between the road, it has a lot of humps in the middle.... I wonder when will all these nonsense going to end. If only my life could be made simpler. Btw, did I mentioned that I mistaken the appointment time for my gyne visit this month... *_*

You're Fired!

Not again...!!! Why are they (the confinement lady and part-time maid) kept giving me endless problems??? I'm getting very irritated and I'm tired dealing with all their shallow mind-set... >_<

Not that their services is any cheaper than others in the market price... and I still pay them promptly. I thought that by paying "double" of what the normal confinement lady charged would satisfied my confinement lady's greedy appetite to work but it seems that my confinement lady wants MORE!

After about 2 months from the agreed price and date, she agreed to work for me during my confinement period but now, just yesterday, she called to say that other people are charging more and she's not willing to work at the price she agreed on previously!!!! :0 What a greedy b****!!! You are telling me now... At this very last minute and my baby could pop anytime!! :S

I guess this is what the Cantonese are saying, "while you are ill, they will take your life"! This is what she is doing to me... She knew I'm desperately looking for someone to look after my baby yet she still do such nonsense to me. These people are very greedy!!!

Well, lucky thing was I did not depend so much on just her alone to look after my baby. I still have my back-up plan (thank God for that!). If I were to really just depend on one person alone I think I'll have heart attack!!! Serious! Normally I will think of the worst and then the best ways in solving my problems cause you never know which asshole will rack your plan last minute.

When life gives you lemon, just make lemonade! :-)

Dear O' Lord, please help me to go through all difficulties in life at this very moment. Please shed some light for me if I'm in the dark tunnel. Thank you Lord for all that you have done for me so far. Please continue to bless me and my family especially my baby which is still in my womb. We need your loving care and attention as always. Lastly, please forgive my sin and please show me the right from wrong. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.

I Love Photography

Recently me and hubby decided to have my maternity photography taken before my pregnancy due. So, after surveying for a few photographers, I decided to go to the one which provides studio & make-up services plus of course, their photography skills must not be too lousy. Now, I dare not have too high hopes on those freelance or studio photographer as their skills may vary according to their "mood". Sometimes what you see on their blog or website is very pretty but when comes to your photography session, it turns out otherwise. So I kept a broad mind on this matter.

Well, after all the emails and postponement of appointments, we finally set a date for our shooting!!! :) We were so excited! :) And I found my dress to go with the shooting as well as my hubby. We were all set to go for our shooting. Just have to wait for a few more weeks for my tummy to get bigger so that it will look nice according to the studio staff. So we waited for my tummy to get bigger around till about week 34! :-) It turns out, my tummy really got bigger than before!?! Huge! ^_^

The day was finally here! And we had our shooting done. It turns out all those photos were not too bad... although some were kinda weird - my hubby dislike a few pose in the photos and as for me, I was quite disappointed at the way he shot my Blueberry bear which I bought for my baby... :'( It was a waste that the photographer failed to see the beauty in his eyes.

Anyway, overall it was not too bad. I like a few poses and so do my hubby. Hopefully when the photos were edited it will look much better. Can't wait to show it to my dear baby.

Lousy Maid

I never thought that hiring a part-time maid could be so inconvenient and nonsense!!! Not only they are not helpful, they create all sorts of nonsense excuses to you!! >_< I can just named a few examples to you:
1. why we need to mop the floor twice, it's tiring for me...
2. I cut my finger I can't work.. (the cut is just tiny and you are not going to bleed to death)
3. outside it very hot I don't want to work...
4. can you give me ang pow (i.e. tips) my boss pays me very little only every week...
5. I came from the king's heritage/decedent back in Indon... (so?? here is not Indon...) and etc. etc.

Can you believe this??? I have to go through these nonsense every week! :$ The job they are suppose to do is not done properly (never mind) but they have all sorts of request and most of the times they try to work VERY slow so that the time can passes by quickly and they do not need to get "more" work done!

It was such a nuisance to hire a part-time maid nowadays as they are not only damn LAZY but with a terrible one-of-a-kind attitude! Moreover, their so called "boss" who is suppose to keep track of their performance and managed customers' satisfaction failed terribly in doing both tasks. Seemed like the maid is his boss and vice-versa.

Moreover, it adds more headache for me each week when the maid come to my house for their service! As I requested form the beginning that I want the same maid to come each week but the "boss" failed to provide me a reliable maid. FYI, I've encountered more than 20 maids from just this one company alone!!! Moreover, I suspect the boss asked his maid to work slowly so that they can charged overtime charges!!! This is so unethical!

What on earth these lazy bitches doing in my house if they do not want to work??!!!! I'm getting really irritated by their boss excuses saying that the maid are afraid of working in my house. Bear in mind that the maid you provide is either rejected from agency or does not have a valid working permit in this country (i.e. either their permit been canceled by their previous employer or they are here on visitor visa... so working hard does not apply here coz they really treat themselves as "VISITOR" not worker). Therefore, if the maid is not up to the minimum standard, of course they give a lot of excuses to their stupid boss complaining about the customer being fussy!!! This is a TOTAL NONSENSE!

No wonder there are a lot of cases where the maid (especially those INDONESIAN maid) is being abuse either physically or verbally by their employer. Sometimes you really just can't stand their irritating attitude and they know BEST how to irritate you! So this is both ways... I don't blame those employer who abuse their maid... cause I know some ppl may not be as patient as me. I've been dealing with all these nuisance for about 5 months now and it's getting worst each day!!! +_+

If any of you out there looking for a part-time maid services don't ever go to this company - Daily Cleaning Services or maybe you will recognized by their name/contact - they called themselves Mr/Mrs Tan, 010 231 1605 or 012 491 1162. Their service is lousy! I tired it and dissatisfied with it. Hope you will not hv to face this kind of rubbish services.

Week 36

Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.

At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Now that your baby is taking up so much room, you may have trouble eating a normal-size meal. Smaller, more frequent meals are often easier to handle at this point. On the other hand, you may have less heartburn and have an easier time breathing when your baby starts to "drop" down into your pelvis. This process — called lightening — often happens a few weeks before labor if this is your first baby. (If you've given birth before, it probably won't happen before labor starts.) If your baby drops, you may also feel increased pressure in your lower abdomen, which may make walking increasingly uncomfortable, and you'll probably find that you have to pee even more frequently. If your baby is very low, you may feel lots of vaginal pressure and discomfort as well. Some women say it feels as though they're carrying a bowling ball between their legs!

You might also notice that your Braxton Hicks contractions are more frequent now. Be sure to review the signs of labor with your practitioner and find out when she wants to hear from you. As a general rule, if you're full-term, your pregnancy is uncomplicated, and your water hasn't broken, she'll probably have you wait to come in until you've been having contractions that last for about a minute each, coming every five minutes for an hour. Of course, you'll want to call right away if you notice a decrease in your baby's activity or think you're leaking amniotic fluid, or if you have any vaginal bleeding, fever, a severe or persistent headache, constant abdominal pain, or vision changes.

Even if you're enjoying an uncomplicated pregnancy, it's best to avoid flying (or any travel far from home) during your final month because you can go into labor at any time. In fact, some airlines won't let women on board who are due to deliver within 30 days of the flight.

Easing Swollen Feet

*Put your feet up whenever possible.

• Don't cross your legs or ankles while sitting.

• Stretch your legs frequently while sitting: Stretch your leg out, heel first, and gently flex your foot to stretch your calf muscles. Rotate your ankles and wiggle your toes.

• Take regular breaks from sitting or standing. A short walk every so often will help keep your blood circulating.

• Wear comfortable shoes that stretch to accommodate the swelling.

• Don't wear socks or stockings that have tight bands around the ankles or calves.

• Try waist-high maternity support stockings. Put them on before you get out of bed in the morning so blood doesn't have a chance to pool around your ankles.

• Drink plenty of water. Surprisingly, this helps your body retain less water.

Call your midwife or doctor if you notice swelling in your face or puffiness around your eyes, more than slight swelling of your hands, or excessive or sudden swelling of your feet or ankles. This could be a sign of preeclampsia, a serious condition.

Ballooning Away

Now, I really looked like I'm pregnant! :) Everywhere I went, people will stare at my tummy and for those who know me, they will asked me, "Wow... When is your baby due?" Still, sometimes, I got people saying to me that my tummy looked small compare to others at my current month.

Nowadays, I can feel my back aching whenever I walked too much or sit too long. I can't even reached my toes anymore while in the shower not to mention clipping my toe nails... can just for get abt it. And those shirt which I used to wear, can't even fit in anymore to my current size... not even the new bra which I bought before my pregnancy.

The feeling of being pregnant is really increadible I must say especially your little ones kicking inside you. Sometimes, he even respond to your singing or when you are talking to him. This is an incredible feelings which I couldn't really describe in one sentance. There's no word to really describe the feeling actually... :) I pray that he will come out safely and healthy. Can't wait to meet my little man! :D

Confinement Practices

Written for BabyCenter Malaysia

What are they?

Traditional confinement practices stem from the belief that your body is considered 'out of balance' as you enter a 'cold stage' due to the loss of blood and energy from the birth. The confinement period focuses on re-energising your body with the 'warmth' that has been lost.

Chinese, Malay and Indian communities all have their respective confinement practices. The common thread amongst the practices of the different races is to help you and your body recover from the intensities of childbirth.

Traditionally, your mother or mother-in-law will take care of you during the confinement period. Many Chinese mothers who can afford it also hire a confinement nanny, a pui yuet (Cantonese for 'companion for a month') who will see to your needs as well as your baby's. She stays with the new mother and her family for exactly 28 days; if you want her to stay for longer than that, you must let her know early as good confinement nannies are usually booked up months in advance.

The nanny will cook special foods for you, bathe your baby and do your baby's laundry. She will also take over the night feeds (if you wish) so you can rest. Breastfeeding mothers will normally express milk so the nanny can carry out the night feeds.

The catch to all this rest? You will have to adhere to a list dos and don'ts and follow a strict diet - some of which can be rather restrictive!

How long is the confinement period?

For the ethnic Chinese, the confinement period lasts for a whole month from your baby's birth day. Malay women usually observe a pantang period of 44 days. For Indian women, the period varies between 30 and 40 days - the number of confinement days depends on which region in India your family originated from (a Ceylonese mother for example, will observe a 40-day confinement).

Some mothers may choose to extend their confinement period in certain situations to receive more help and care. For example, you might not have family living close by, or you are taking longer than expected to recover from a caesarean section.

For all races, the confinement period is a time for you to rest and avoid any physical work. During this time, sex is not allowed as you are not considered fully healed.

Bear in mind, you are expected to stay indoors during the entire confinement period. If you intend to follow this rule, do expect to experience a degree of cabin fever!

Practices and restrictions

There are many observations that you will be asked to follow, sometimes religiously! Some of these practices can be rather restrictive, especially for a modern mum.

Chinese confinement restrictions include:
• Strictly no washing of hair for the entire confinement period. Some mothers get around this rule by using dry shampoo.
* Avoiding exposure to cold elements such as cold water. Low temperatures from an air-conditioner or fan must be avoided too
• Bathing only with specially prepared warm water that is infused with herbs. These prohibitions help ensure that your body is not made any 'cooler' and you retain as much heat as possible. It is believed this will help you avoid health problems later in life such as rheumatism, arthritis, headaches and body pains.

Some Malay practices:
• Hiring a traditional masseuse (bidan) to massage the abdomen and bind the tummy with a long cloth (bengkung)
• Using hot stones on the abdomen to 'cleanse' the womb (menaikkan rahim). It is believed that the massage and binding, together with the hot stones, help your uterus to shrink faster and expel 'wind' or any impurities from your womb. This is also supposed to help you regain your pre-pregnancy figure sooner.

Indian women may:
• Bathe only with herbal water
• Have a daily massage with special oil blends, such as mustard seed oil.

Again, it is believed that the daily massages will help you relax and get back into shape .

Special Diets

You will be put on a special diet during the confinement period. The aim of the diet is to boost your immunity and strength. Interestingly, all races believe in the 'warming' versus 'cooling' food groups, though each race may have slight variations to what is tolerated.

Chinese diet

You will be required to eat a variety of meals that will 'warm' the body up. These include ginger and a traditional tonic brewed with herbs. Eating meals prepared with such ingredients is believed to promote better blood circulation and strengthen the joints. The Chinese also believe that fish soups can help boost low milk supply. 'Cooling' foods such as cold drinks, cucumber, cabbage and pineapple should be avoided. Also, 'windy' foods such as onions and jackfruit are off limits as they are believed to cause colic in your baby. To take the hassle out of cooking these confinement dishes, which can be laborious to prepare, some companies now offer catering services for Chinese confinement foods.

Malay diet

You will be encouraged to eat fresh fish, avoiding dried and salted fishes. It is believed fresh fish, such as snakehead fish (ikan haruan) will promote healing internally. Certain fishes, such as mackerel (ikan kembong) and other seafood like shellfish, prawns and cockles must be avoided as they can cause allergies and itchiness. Similar to the Chinese, the Malays believe 'cooling' elements found in foods like cucumber, young coconut, water spinach (kangkung) and sugarcane should be avoided. 'Cooling' foods supposedly cause rheumatism, arthritis and weak joints in a mother's body.

Indian diet

Certain gourd vegetables such as lauki and tori are believed to increase milk supply. Betel leaves are supposed to help with lactation as well.

For more information on Chinese confinement lady please go to:http://www.babycenter.com.my/pregnancy/asian-postnatal-practices/pui-yuet/

Week 35

Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.

Your uterus — which was entirely tucked away inside your pelvis when you conceived — now reaches up under your rib cage. If you could peek inside your womb, you'd see that there's more baby than amniotic fluid in there now. Your ballooning uterus is crowding your other internal organs, too, which is why you probably have to urinate more often and may be dealing with heartburn and other gastrointestinal distress. If you're not grappling with these annoyances, you're one of the lucky few.

From here on out, you'll start seeing your practitioner every week. Sometime between now and 37 weeks, she'll do a vaginal and rectal culture to check for bacteria called Group B streptococci (GBS). (Don't worry — the swab is the size of a regular cotton swab, and it won't hurt at all.) GBS is usually harmless in adults, but if you have it and pass it on to your baby during birth, it can cause serious complications, such as pneumonia, meningitis, or a blood infection. Because 10 to 30 percent of pregnant women have the bacteria and don't know it, it's vital to be screened. (The bacteria come and go on their own — that's why you weren't screened earlier in pregnancy.) If you're a GBS carrier, you'll get IV antibiotics during labor, which will greatly reduce your baby's risk of infection.

This is also a good time to create a birth plan. Using our form will help you focus on specifics — like who'll be present, what pain management techniques you want to try, and where you want your baby to stay after you deliver. It will give you a starting point to discuss your preferences with your medical team. Childbirth is unpredictable, and chances are you won't follow your plan to the letter, but thinking about your choices ahead of time — and sharing your preferences with your caregiver — should take some of the anxiety out of the process.

New Face Lift

It's about time I give my blog a new face lift. Ta-daaa....!!!! Hope y'all will like it especially to you my hubby. This new sunny yellow colour (last time was sea blue) is very refreshing and cheerful to me and I wish to use it from now on as my new theme colour for my blog. This new look was inspired by one of the blogger which I stumbled upon while I was browsing the Internet. I hope this will give my blog a fresh look in conjunction with my new role as a MUM (which is very soon from now)!

So, I hope y'all will continue to support and visit my blog.

Happy reading & viewing! :)

No More Nonsense

I am incredibly saddened and angered by the way my parents always rely on me to take care of my sisters' and or brother's shit! I have to say I always go all 100% to help whenever I can but this is just too much now... they basically just treat me like thier slave! I never receive any appreciations in return (not even a thank you) not that I longed for any rewards from them but they are just being ignorant little bastard!!!! Is this how a family should operate??? I don't think so. I also need support sometimes but I never get it in the end.

My parents will always call me whenever there's shit happened amongst them!! And I'm the only one who will have to help take care of their shit! Furthermore, they don't even care what have they done and still continue doing those shitty stuff they are well trained of! Can you imagine I have to gone through such nonsense with all these nonsense ppl!!! I got my own life too! Why can't they figure it out on how to survive in this world??? They are not less fortunate than any ppl other there, so why can't they figure it out on how to survive??? When you look at how others family worked, they don't have all these shit in their family... they will be very supportive to each other no matter what. I miss this kind of family warmth.

So why can't they handle their own life until now!?? None of them ever wonder or borther to help me when I'm in trouble?!! This is all useless sibblings!!! I will never from now on to helo them with anything anymore!!! They shd learn to live their own life and take care of their own shit from now on!

Recently, my mum told me that my sister is planning to go to Aus (again!!!!)... according to her nonsense, she wants to go there to find a job... as if here they don't have any job for her... and as if she has made a lot from here dy. This time I think she is there to have more fun than the pervious years... and make more shit too!!

Enough is enough!!!!!!!! I'll also need to learn to say 'NO' to my parents from now on!

Study: Reverse Alzheimer

By Agence France-Presse, Updated: 1/7/2010

Long suspected of causing brain tumors, mobile phones are now being eyed as key allies in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, US researchers said in a study.

Long suspected of causing brain tumors, mobile phones are now being eyed as key allies in the fight against Alzheimer's disease, US researchers said in a study.

Researchers at the University of South Florida (USF) found, to their surprise, that 96 mice they zapped twice daily for an hour each time with electromagnetic waves similar to those generated by US mobile (cellular) phones benefited from the exposure.

Older mice saw deposits of beta-amyloid -- a protein fragment that accumulates in the brain of Alzheimer's sufferers to form the disease's signature plaques -- wiped out and their memories improved after long-term exposure to mobile phones, the study published in the Journal of Alzheimer's Disease showed.

Young adult mice with no apparent signs of memory impairment were protected against Alzheimer's disease after several months' exposure to the phone waves, and the memories of normal mice with no genetic predisposition for Alzheimer's disease were boosted after exposure to the electromagnetic waves.

No one was more surprised by the results than the researchers themselves, who had embarked on the tests several years ago, convinced they would show "that the electromagnetic fields from a cell phone would be deleterious to Alzheimer's mice," lead author Gary Arendash, a USF professor, told AFP.

"When we got our initial results showing a beneficial effect, I thought, 'Give it a few more months and it will get bad for them.'

"It never got bad. We just kept getting these beneficial effects in both the Alzheimer's and normal mice," Arendash said.

It took several months of exposure before the benefits were seen in mice, and that would be the equivalent of many years in humans, Arendash said.

The mice in the study didn't wear tiny headsets or have scientists holding mobile phones up to their ears. Instead, their cages were arranged around an antenna that generated a mobile phone signal.

Each animal was housed the same distance from the antenna and exposed to electromagnetic waves equivalent to what is typically emitted by a mobile phone pressed up against a human head.

"Since we selected electromagnetic parameters that were identical to human cell phone use and tested mice in a task closely analogous to a human memory test, we believe our findings could have considerable relevance to humans," Arendash said.

But William Thies, chief medical and scientific officer of the Alzheimer's Association, said the study was "very preliminary" and warned against self-medicating by over-using a cell phone.
"No one should feel they are being protected from Alzheimer's, dementia, cognitive decline by using their cell phones based on this study," Thies said in a statement.

The study "needs to be replicated in animals before we begin to even consider trying it in people, as animal models of Alzheimer's and people with the disease are very different," he said.

Arenbach called the Alzheimers Association reaction disappointing and "so negative about a new research area of neuroscience that could offer real benefits against the disease in the future -- especially since a new therapeutic approach is desperately needed and long overdue."

The researchers concurred that more research is needed to find out, among other things, what the optimal "dosage" of electromagnetic waves would be -- the 918 megaHerz in US mobile phones, 800 megaHerz in European phones, or another frequency -- and how long effective "treatment" would have to be.

"If we can determine the best set of electromagnetic parameters to effectively prevent beta-amyloid aggregation and remove pre-existing beta amyloid deposits from the brain, this technology could be quickly translated to human benefit against Alzheimer's disease," said USF professor Chuanhai Cao.

The new therapy could also be used to treat one of the invisible injuries suffered by soldiers in war, Cao said.

"Since production and aggregation of beta-amyloid occurs in traumatic brain injury, particularly in soldiers during war, the therapeutic impact of our findings may extend beyond Alzheimer's disease," he said.

Around 36 million people will be living with dementia this year, according to international umbrella group Alzheimer's Disease International.

Pentagon officials have said that up to 360,000 US veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan may have suffered brain injuries.

The Joy of Giving

Recently, my hubby and I have been thinking about buying a bigger fridge since my mum said that my old fridge (still back then it's called National) is too small to store anything (can only fit a small size bird in the freezer section I think). I have to agreed with her because when we bought this old fridge it was just for the two of us and now we are expecting a third member into our family & I think we should get at least a bigger ones so that more food could be kept in the cold storage.

Since then, we have been scouting for a new but not-so-big-size fridge... To our joy, during the last year Dec sale, we were lucky to hv found the fridge that we want (not too big nor small... just nice) and with more discounts!!! :D Well, like always, without further-ado hubby said let's get this fridge now! And that's when we bought a new 2-doors fridge (now new name called Panasonic) into out home. However, we had one problem back in our kitchen... what are we going to do with the old fridge since there's no trade in from the store and our house is not big enough to fit in another box of machine??!?

So, I decided to give it away to my granny as I remembered that my mum told me that my granny's fridge is tearing and wearing out but she is still using it (!??). It is not as cold as it should be and the food which is stored inside is not really fresh. Then, I decided to asked my uncle to come and pick the fridge from me to deliver it to my granny... who knows what happens later... the next thing I know after a few weeks later, when I visited my grandma recently, I still see the old fridge standing on the exact location as before in her kitchen but my fridge that I gave her were no where to be found. Then only I found out from my mom, my uncle had brought the fridge back to his own house for his own use. What an Ass H***!!! :<>

Nevertheless, it will not stop us from giving... Recently, hubby and I decided to donate an amount of money to charity (the homeless children association) in conjunction to his birthday and baby's goodwill. I feel good that we can finally able to do at least something for the society especially the homeless children which were abandon by their parents. I wish them all the best in their study and life.

Week 34

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well.

If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

Many women start to notice a tingling sensation or numbness in the pelvic region or pain as they walk. This may be caused by the pelvic joints loosening, ready for labour. If you're terribly uncomfortable, mention it to your doctor and check out our self-help tips. >>I experienced it this morning!


Self-help tips:

• Avoid pushing through any pain. If something hurts, if possible don't do it. If this type of pain is allowed to flare up, it can take a long time to settle back down again.

• Move little and often. You may not feel the effects of what you are doing until later in the day or after you have gone to bed.

* Rest regularly by sitting reasonably upright with your back well supported.

• Avoid heavy lifting or pushing (supermarket trolleys can be particularly painful

• When dressing, sit down to put on clothing such as your knickers or trousers. Pull the clothing over your feet and then stand up to pull them up. Don't try to put your legs into trousers, skirts or knickers whilst standing up.

• When climbing stairs, go up them one step at a time. Step up onto one step with your best leg and then bring your other leg to meet it. Repeat with each step.

• Avoid separating your legs and making straddling movements -- such as when getting in and out of the car or bath. If you need to separate your legs, do so slowly and carefully and keep your back arched.

• Avoid swimming breaststroke if you can and take care with other strokes. Swimming can often feel like it is helping whilst you are in the water but cause an increase in pain when you get out.

• Performing regular pelvic floor exercises and lower abdominal exercises can help to reduce the strain of the pregnancy on your pelvis. To perform a safe and easy lower abdominal exercise, get down onto your hands and knees and level your back so that it is roughly flat. Breathe in and then as you breathe out, perform a pelvic floor exercise and at the same time pull your belly button in and up. Hold this contraction for 5-10 seconds without holding your breath and without moving your back. Relax the muscles slowly at the end of the exercise.

• Follow the advice in our protecting your back and pelvis article.

Brand New Journey

Welcome to the brand New Year everyone!!!! :) Hope you had an enjoyable time celebrating new year's eve. Don't you love the optimistic outlook that comes with the new year? I'm setting goals for myself left and right. I want to be able to end each day thinking, "Today was a good day," even if this week is a busy week for me. Happy, happy 2010. I'm glad to be back.

Wow! Can you imagine we are now in the "New Year" O-ready! :) Time flies!..... I know I've been saying this like for the hundred times already but I still couldn't believe it is happening. In a few more weeks, I'll be meeting my sweetie little man soon. Just can't wait! :) Still a bit nervous though when I think about all the labour pain etc. etc.

Now, let's recap on what I've achieved so far in 2009:

1. To go to USA - esp. to see New York & Los Angeles >> Will have to KIV this at the moment! Still it is on my list for the year to come.

2. To go to Mt. Fuji >> Been there & done that! It was really wonderful to be able to go back again! :)

3. To re-start my own family. Need God's blessing on this.... >> Thank God for His percious blessings on this.

4. To wake up at 7.30 am so that I can go for my morning walk and sleep at 10 p.m. >>We did manage to do it as often as possible and it was really nice to be able to smell the morning air and see the morning sun.

5. To start baking more variety of cakes - pandan, choco, orange, butter & make cookies! :) >> I did start off with baking a few cakes e.g. pandan cake & chocolate cake... though it was not 100% successful but I'm pleased with it. Clearly I need more training in baking. Will try again when I have time! ;-)

6. Less scolding... (if my hubby still naughty I will sure scold so don't start hubby.... :P) >> Still need hubby co-operations on this! :P

7. Learn more about photography & get the business started!!! :) >> Well, I did learn more about photography and took more photos on every occassions esp. in hubby's events... but the business side is not possible for now.

8. Buy a wide-angle lens ;-) >> Got it! Thanks to my dear

hubby for the pressie... !

9. Help creating a new website for hubby >> Working-in-progress. Stay tuned! :)

10. Live a happier life than in 2008! :D >> Well, what could I say... it was much more than I ask for. Thank you dear Jesus for the blessings in our life.

Hmmm... Looks like I've accomplished most of my 2009 resolutions. ^-^ Now, it's time to make a "NEW" year resolutions for 2010! Let's see:-

1. I know last year I did blog more than 2008, and this year I wish I could keep it up with more entries this year. **Finger crossed** I know my dear little sweetie pie will occupy most of my time when the time comes... but let's try to break the 2009 record shall we! :D

2. Try to cook more often at home esp. from Monday to Friday... also try to cook new dishes/recipes if possible

3. Take more photos of my dear little sweetie pie

4. Go for morning walk with baby & daddy everyday @ 7.30 a.m.

5. Go to church every Sunday if possible

6. Go for a break with hubby to Hokkaido or anywhere we haven't been before... hopefully somewhere which has four seasons :)

7. Spend more time talking & reading to my dear baby

8. Learn how to bake cupcakes & cookies at least this year... and with proper deco

9. Be happier and in 2009... I know this may be too much but I intend to keep myself and my new family (yup, I'm expecting to receive my new bundle of joy very soon) happy all the time :)

10. Eat healthy & stay healthy

Lastly, I hope everyone had a great start to the new year and that you are sticking to your new year resolution. May your New Year be the best ever, filled with love, peace, hopes and dreams!

Have a good weekend! :)

Adios 2009

Well, X'mas is officially over and now we will be bidding farewell to the year 2009 very soon! I hope that you'd a wonderful 2009 (despite the economy climate) and looking forward to another fun & exiciting year in 2010.

As for me, this year has been a very fulfilling and special year for me... though there's ups and downs in my life (there's where we learnt from it), I'm glad and thankful to the Al'mighty Lord for His blessings and for His continuous support and guidance in everything I do.

Also, I'm thankful to my darling hubby for his TLC. It has been a very challenging year for both of us. Nevertheless, I wish that we will continue to believe and have faith in Him, our Saviour, our God. Looking forward to many more wonderful years with you my sweetie pie! :) Remember the 3 D's you told me - Discipline, Determinations & Desire (to success)!

Now, I have to make my goal list for 2010.... So, see you next year folks! Hope you had fun celebrating New Year's eve tonite! :)