Poppy and I were at the travel fair in Suntec and Marina Square a couple of weekends ago.
Sadly, there were no East USA, Europe or Japan tickets available for the dates of our choice. Out of desperation, we gave the agent our travel dates and budget, and they managed to find tickets to Australia. And since the package they had for Melbourne was only 5D4N, we combined it with the Sydney package to make it 10D8N in total. And so, Melbourne and Sydney, it will be!
It's been a couple of mad weeks. Mad busy, that is.
Had a scary episode at the Alexandra Hospital, when Poppy complained of severe pain and blood in his urine. After 2 tormenting hours at the A&E, Poppy was told that one of his kidneys was swollen due to blockage by cyst and is severely dehydrated. He was ordered to finish a 2-litre jug of water before being discharged, and has to return for checks tomorrow. He has since been obediently taking his fluids daily. Hopefully, all's well for tomorrow's check-up.
On another note, my project for this semester has commenced again. I have started preparing bits of it, since I will be away for almost two weeks, in hope of returning to less work load (wishful thinking!).
August 16, 2012
August 03, 2012
The Only Constant Is Change
There's tonnes of changes going on everyday.
While I am regaining back most of my appetite and energy, my tummy is getting bigger and tiring me out easily (but, of course!). By the end of a work day, I'd be dead beat and would hog Poppy's "Seat of the House" - the chaise lounge. Compared to a couple of weeks ago, I'm sleeping more soundly at night now although BB is conscientiously bobbing away in the tummy. I'd be too fatigued to wake up at night to go to the toilet, and even if I'm parched, I'd rather not wake up either.
Well, bodily changes are not the only challenges. The mister's fickle-mindedness is also making me peeved at times.
We've made the arrangements for the Port Dickson trip later this month. However, on one of our dinners with Jessica and Adrian, they tried to persuade us into going Europe with them and assured him that it is perfectly safe for preggers to travel. Poppy was apparently convinced that we should have what Jess calls a "Babymoon", but I'm not into the idea of scurrying through half of Europe in just 10days with my big tummy. So it's decided that we will cancel our Port Dickson trip and head to the States again. With less than 3 weeks to the commencement of our leave, we have yet to make any travel arrangements or booking at all! Thank goodness a couple of travel agencies will be holding a pre-NATAS travel show at Suntec this weekend. Without even an idea of where exactly we want to go - East or West America, hopefully, we can get a F&E package of our choice in time. It's all such a rush and I've yet to make a list of things to do/see/buy!
While I am regaining back most of my appetite and energy, my tummy is getting bigger and tiring me out easily (but, of course!). By the end of a work day, I'd be dead beat and would hog Poppy's "Seat of the House" - the chaise lounge. Compared to a couple of weeks ago, I'm sleeping more soundly at night now although BB is conscientiously bobbing away in the tummy. I'd be too fatigued to wake up at night to go to the toilet, and even if I'm parched, I'd rather not wake up either.
Well, bodily changes are not the only challenges. The mister's fickle-mindedness is also making me peeved at times.
We've made the arrangements for the Port Dickson trip later this month. However, on one of our dinners with Jessica and Adrian, they tried to persuade us into going Europe with them and assured him that it is perfectly safe for preggers to travel. Poppy was apparently convinced that we should have what Jess calls a "Babymoon", but I'm not into the idea of scurrying through half of Europe in just 10days with my big tummy. So it's decided that we will cancel our Port Dickson trip and head to the States again. With less than 3 weeks to the commencement of our leave, we have yet to make any travel arrangements or booking at all! Thank goodness a couple of travel agencies will be holding a pre-NATAS travel show at Suntec this weekend. Without even an idea of where exactly we want to go - East or West America, hopefully, we can get a F&E package of our choice in time. It's all such a rush and I've yet to make a list of things to do/see/buy!
July 24, 2012
Shoppeh!
Had our detailed scan at Raffles Hospital on Saturday and all's well. The sonographer and gynaes (Dr. KK Chow and Dr. Ben) assured us that BB is healthy and of good size.Yay. And, it's confirmed that we've got ourselves a 小龙女 (Dragon Princess)!
The following day, we headed over to Baby Expo 2012 and Takashimaya Baby Fair. Had lunchie at Tonkichi before proceeding to burn our pockets.
Our loot for the day includes:
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The following day, we headed over to Baby Expo 2012 and Takashimaya Baby Fair. Had lunchie at Tonkichi before proceeding to burn our pockets.
Our loot for the day includes:
Washcloth set from Gerber's
A baby bath towel
A footed romper
A mitten, sock and cap set
4 pairs of mittens
2 pairs of socks
... all from Carter's
(Sorry, too lazy for pictures)
Philips Avent Bundle which consists of :
125ml PP Bottle (twin pack)
260ml PP Bottle (twin pack)
Huggies Baby Wipes
Avent Orthodontic Soothies (twin pack)
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Avent Spout Cup (340ml 18m+)
And also, the big ticket items...
SO CUTE RIGHT!
July 11, 2012
We Need A Holiday!
Work has been crazy for Poppy. And although I'm given a lighter load after my return to office, re-adapting to working hours and commuting on public transport hasn't been easy on my gradually laterally expanding body.
Since I've still got 4 extra days of leave to clear before I go on maternity leave in November/December, plus another S$400 worth of flexi benefits to utilize by year-end, we decided to go on a short getaway. Poppy was contemplating making a trip to Taiwan or Bangkok. I preferred not to take any flights and was inclined to have a eat-sleep-do-nothing staycation in one of the resorts in Sentosa or Hotel Fort Canning.
Poppy had many court sessions to prepare and attend, and we ended up delaying the decision, only to find out most resorts in Sentosa have sold out. A last minute agreement had us end up with Grand Lexis Resort in Port Dickson. Rooms come with a private pool in the room, so I can do my reading and tanning by the pool the whole day, yay!
This may well be our final trip before BB's invasion arrival, so it's a good time to let our hair down before we pull all of it off in a few months' time. Haa.
July 04, 2012
Quick update
And, so we didn't manage to find out baby's gender in the recent gynae visit.
In any case, we've decided to go color-neutral and buy some of the essentials first. Wilson and Phoebe will be passing us lots of unused stuff like reusable cloth diapers, newborn apparels, and a Cloud B Gentle Giraffe. Meanwhile Alex has kindly offered us his used infant car seat (we figured there's no need to buy one since it's only usable up to 9 months), and Veron is giving us her used baby cot. Thank you, lovely people!
So, our first payable big ticket item is the stroller. After much research (done by Poppy, of course), we're going for the Quinny Zapp Xtra. We agreed not to get reds, pinks, or blues, so Graphic Purple it shall be. Thereafter, we will probably get a Maxi-Cosi Priori XP Car Seat when baby turns 9 months.
In any case, we've decided to go color-neutral and buy some of the essentials first. Wilson and Phoebe will be passing us lots of unused stuff like reusable cloth diapers, newborn apparels, and a Cloud B Gentle Giraffe. Meanwhile Alex has kindly offered us his used infant car seat (we figured there's no need to buy one since it's only usable up to 9 months), and Veron is giving us her used baby cot. Thank you, lovely people!
So, our first payable big ticket item is the stroller. After much research (done by Poppy, of course), we're going for the Quinny Zapp Xtra. We agreed not to get reds, pinks, or blues, so Graphic Purple it shall be. Thereafter, we will probably get a Maxi-Cosi Priori XP Car Seat when baby turns 9 months.
Ok, now on to hunt for antenatal classes on Poppy's request. Ho hum.
Update (24-Jul-2012): We have changed our Zapp Xtra to the Rebel Red version and got the Maxi Cosi Priori XP in Pumpkin! Muahahah!
June 28, 2012
Expecting the Unexpected
Wow, it's been 4 months since I last posted.
Applied and was accepted into the Bachelor of Arts in English Language and Literature. And, Poppy and I, started planning our USA trip. Yay! Had a wonderful trip with Poppy to Bangkok - met up with Mossu for sight-seeing, non-stop massage, street food hunting and drinking lots of coconut juice all day long! But of course, the fun only lasted for 5 days.
Little did I know, less that a month from the day all the good things happened, I was to face the most horrendous 6 weeks' leave of my life. Hospitalization leave, that is. Lost 9KG of my most treasured weight, took jabs and was on 2 packets of drip. All I did, and all I could do was alternate between barfing and laying on the bed/couch the entire day.
As terrible as it was for me, it wasn't easy for Mommy and Poppy. On one of the nights when Poppy came over to visit me, he said he wished he was the one suffering instead of me. Aww... Nevertheless, the "1st phase of fun" as Desi calls it, started to diminish from 14 weeks onwards. That was when I returned to work, submitted the withdrawal from my Bachelor's degree (sad!), and I think we may just have to kiss our travel plans goodbye.
Now at 16 weeks and 5 days, in spite of occasional puking, most of my appetite has returned. Sadly, the same can't be said of my weight, which fluctuates in the range of 39KG and 41KG.
Yes, as you'd have guessed by now, I am pregnant with our 'Little Ma'.
February 22, 2012
Balmoral Bakery
Got my weekly supply of cake treat from my favorite Balmoral Bakery yesterday, after dinner at Sunset. Poppy's been uber nice, and has been reminding me to get my cake fix every other day... sometimes, he volunteers to buy it for me.
I chanced upon this quaint confectionery during one of my visits to the vet with Custard. And I've been their loyal customer since. Every time I have their butter cream cake, it reminds of Custard. But of course, the great taste's one of the main reasons I kept going back for more.
I've been recommending it to all my friends, and I thought I should introduce them here as well. A little history from one of the contributers at Hungrygowhere.com...
Balmoral Bakery is a spin off from the original pair of Steak and Bakery restaurants at Holland Village from the 60s, Balmoral and Kingsford. These two were side by side each other at the vacant land, just next to the Fosters Cafe, balanced on a slope that descended from Holland Road down to the Lorong Mambong area. Both restaurants were forced to relocate when Holland Road had to been widened. Balmoral Steak restaurant went and joined up with Sloane Court hotel (great steaks too) and the bakery went to Clementi to revive the "Ah Koh" tradition. This tradition stems from the Hainanese and Foo chow workers who served the British Armed forces and prepared food and bakery items suitable for their palate. FYI, Holland Village was THE place for British, Aussie and NZ soldiers stationed at Portsdown and elsewhere for their Wednesday (afternoon) and weekend shopping. Unlike today, Holland Village was an Ang Moh area, with soldiers and expats mingling freely. Local Singaporeans when to Chinatown and Hill Street for their shopping.
Food: This is a takeaway bakery with no places to sit. Curry puffs were the traditional flake type, quite different from the Old Chang Kee, A1, Tip Top and Malay Epok. This is the English type of curry puff, prepared with butter (now margarine) and layer after layer of pastry filled with curry chicken and minced beef. This was the original curry puff I ate until the OCK came along. OCK was a one man stall next to Rex. Also bought their kaya and chocolate fudge rolls - better value than the curry puff, each at $4.50 per long (1m roll of cake and filling. Added triangular apple pie and walnut cake to complete the dessert menu. Also sell French crusty loaf.
Ambience: The design reminds me of the Balmoral steak house with its wooden (simulated) beams, from the Shakespearen era. Chilled counters and great smells complete the ambience. If they aircon the place, it would be like a cake stall in England.
My favorite, of course, being the butter cream cake - my weekly dose
And also the "Cake with Cream Centre" (I call it the "Butterfly Cakey"). Much similar to OChacha's "Matcha Cotton" (S$2.90), but only at, S$1.20, a fraction of the price.
I chanced upon this quaint confectionery during one of my visits to the vet with Custard. And I've been their loyal customer since. Every time I have their butter cream cake, it reminds of Custard. But of course, the great taste's one of the main reasons I kept going back for more.
I've been recommending it to all my friends, and I thought I should introduce them here as well. A little history from one of the contributers at Hungrygowhere.com...
Balmoral Bakery is a spin off from the original pair of Steak and Bakery restaurants at Holland Village from the 60s, Balmoral and Kingsford. These two were side by side each other at the vacant land, just next to the Fosters Cafe, balanced on a slope that descended from Holland Road down to the Lorong Mambong area. Both restaurants were forced to relocate when Holland Road had to been widened. Balmoral Steak restaurant went and joined up with Sloane Court hotel (great steaks too) and the bakery went to Clementi to revive the "Ah Koh" tradition. This tradition stems from the Hainanese and Foo chow workers who served the British Armed forces and prepared food and bakery items suitable for their palate. FYI, Holland Village was THE place for British, Aussie and NZ soldiers stationed at Portsdown and elsewhere for their Wednesday (afternoon) and weekend shopping. Unlike today, Holland Village was an Ang Moh area, with soldiers and expats mingling freely. Local Singaporeans when to Chinatown and Hill Street for their shopping.
Food: This is a takeaway bakery with no places to sit. Curry puffs were the traditional flake type, quite different from the Old Chang Kee, A1, Tip Top and Malay Epok. This is the English type of curry puff, prepared with butter (now margarine) and layer after layer of pastry filled with curry chicken and minced beef. This was the original curry puff I ate until the OCK came along. OCK was a one man stall next to Rex. Also bought their kaya and chocolate fudge rolls - better value than the curry puff, each at $4.50 per long (1m roll of cake and filling. Added triangular apple pie and walnut cake to complete the dessert menu. Also sell French crusty loaf.
Ambience: The design reminds me of the Balmoral steak house with its wooden (simulated) beams, from the Shakespearen era. Chilled counters and great smells complete the ambience. If they aircon the place, it would be like a cake stall in England.
My favorite, of course, being the butter cream cake - my weekly dose
And also the "Cake with Cream Centre" (I call it the "Butterfly Cakey"). Much similar to OChacha's "Matcha Cotton" (S$2.90), but only at, S$1.20, a fraction of the price.
Picture courtesy of ladyironchef
Haven't had my fix from Rich & Good, another of my fave, recently. But when I do, I'll post some pix here.
You may also read more about Balmoral Bakery from ladyironchef's review here
February 09, 2012
December 21, 2011
Short Trips
We're finally going back to Bangkok after missing it for a year. Seems like Poppy has gotten over his trauma of "too-much-of-Bangkok".
Wanted to do the trip for my birthday, but unlikely that my leave will be granted so we're bringing it forward to March instead. February will be reserved for the Mister's Genting getaway after unsuccessful plans for Japan. Not feeling up to much travel for the year, so we're spending a little more on this trip. Accommodation-wise, we'll be staying at Shanghai Mansion Boutique Hotel and Grand Diamond Plaza Suites this time 'round.
Very much glad we don't have to lug our loot around because we're taking a suite at Grand Diamond, just beside the Platinum Mall, for the second half of the trip. And looking forward to chillaxing at the pretty Mu Dan suite at Shanghai Mansion and tucking in to the yummies in Yaowaraj for the first couple of days.
The suite room at Shanghai Mansion
The suite room at Grand Diamond Plaza Suites
Oh, i miss Bangkok. Hope everything's peaceful and well throughout the trip.
Wanted to do the trip for my birthday, but unlikely that my leave will be granted so we're bringing it forward to March instead. February will be reserved for the Mister's Genting getaway after unsuccessful plans for Japan. Not feeling up to much travel for the year, so we're spending a little more on this trip. Accommodation-wise, we'll be staying at Shanghai Mansion Boutique Hotel and Grand Diamond Plaza Suites this time 'round.
Very much glad we don't have to lug our loot around because we're taking a suite at Grand Diamond, just beside the Platinum Mall, for the second half of the trip. And looking forward to chillaxing at the pretty Mu Dan suite at Shanghai Mansion and tucking in to the yummies in Yaowaraj for the first couple of days.
The suite room at Grand Diamond Plaza Suites
Oh, i miss Bangkok. Hope everything's peaceful and well throughout the trip.
December 17, 2011
Fantasyland
Had our D&D at Shangri-La hotel's Island Ballroom last night.
The first time our department is dressing up and we snagged the Best Dressed Table, Best Dressed Female, Top 3 Best Dressed Male awards!
Not forgetting, 3rd Prize for Best Christmas Decoration competition held earlier in the month.
众神云集 together with Danny aka King Tut
With ET (Athena) and GL (Perseus)
With Saul and AS (Hera)
So much fun, we're gonna do it again next year!
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