to baby #2: 20 weeks

yikes! we're half way there already.

 

we had our 19 weeks scan at the beginning of the week. your daddy and i decided not to find out your gender the day we had our 12 weeks scan. we wanted it to be a surprise and the suspense is really killing me.

 

on our way to the scan,  i suggested to daddy that we should just cut the crap and find out now so we can be more prepared in terms of getting stuff ready for your arrival but on second thought i decided against it. afterall, we've waited 20 weeks, what's another 20 weeks? the wait will be worth it when dr Ford yell out 'it's a girl' or 'it's a boy' when you arrive. for now,  i'll just continue to imagine what you are,  whether you'll be born with a full head dark hair like your brother,  whether you'll look like your brother who looks like a spitting image of me or would you look like your daddy?  from the 3D images the sonographer showed us,  you looked like you might have a sharper and longer face compared to your brother. i said to daddy looking at the 3D image, i think you look like him. he thinks i'm crazy.

 

i can feel more and more of your movements these days. all the little flutters are very reassuring and i enjoyed every single one of them. i'm looking forward to the next 20 weeks as you grow bigger and when your movements become more visible on my bump. i think your brother might enjoy it too.

 

before i became pregnant with you,  i always thought the second pregnancy is not going to feel as special as the first one. after all, i've been there and have a fair idea of what to expect for the three trimesters. but i was wrong. maybe because i know this would be my last pregnancy and also learning from past experience how quickly the due date comes around i try my best to savour every moment i'm pregnant with you. every moment except for the ones when i was really sick in the first trimester.

 

the reality of caring for a newborn and meeting the demands of an active toddler has finally dawn on me. i'm both excited to have a newborn in my arms again and sad that i won't be able to give 100% of my attention to either you or your brother. nevertheless,  it's going to be a challenge both emotionally and physically at the beginning but it won't last forever. i believe we need new challenges in our lives every now and then to make life more interesting and to learn and grow too.

to baby #2: 17 weeks

can't believe i'm 17 weeks pregnant with you already baby #2. we've been talking to your brother a lot about you. most mornings when we have time, i'd ask him to give you a kiss and i would remind him that when you arrive, he will have to give you cuddles, love you and share his toys with you. so far, he's been quite happy to tell us he would share his toys with you but i wonder if he knows what sharing means. 

i'm slowly getting my energy back and am able to do a little bit more with your brother your poor brother has been spending a lot of time on the iPad. hopefully we can go to the park a bit more before the weather gets too cold.  

i didn't believe it when i heard that no two pregnancies are the same. surely it's the same body doing the same thing, i'd feel that same. but no. this time, it definitely feels different. i had such as easy run when i was pregnant with your brother. i probably had 2 days in my entire pregnancy where i had really bad morning sickness . i thought about food most of the time and had such a good appetite. 

as for you, it was the opposite. i had the worst morning sickness for most of the first trimester and i still get them on and off. i have no cravings and my appetite isn't great. i eat when i'm hungry so that i don't feel sick. most days when i'm hungry, i struggle to think of what i wanna eat and by the time i finally decided on what to eat, i'm so hungry that i feel sick. 

we had another appointment with Dr Ford last week. we couldn't really get a good view of you because you were lying in a rather awkward position. Dr Ford said you must have been quite comfortable though lying on your tummy on the placenta. you looked so cute in that position. it was hard for Dr Ford to get a good crown to rump measurement of you to measure your growth but he managed to measure your head and you are measuring the right size for your due date. i was very happy with the appointment. partly because i got to see you again and listen to your heartbeat, but it's also because i found out there is a prescription drug that is safe for me to take for my motion sickness. i can get on a plane! we thought the earliest we could go to Malaysia to visit grandma, yi yi and Jinn would be after you were born and at least 3 months old but now, we can go soon! i was so excited when Dr Ford handed me the prescription. and yes, we've booked our tickets already. hopefully i won't be too big at the time and the flight would not be too unbearable. daddy will have to deal with your brother on the plane because i'd be too drowsy. 

to baby #2: 13 weeks

written on 9 February 2014

as we finished week 13, i am starting to feel less nausea and my energy is finally coming back. i haven't had to take any anti nausea medications since Monday which is a good sign. 

i've read that i will be able to feel your movement earlier this time around given it is my second pregnancy and i did. i'm not sure if it is you but i could feel your movement in my tummy the entire day today. the first time i felt your brother's movement was when i was 15 weeks pregnant with him. 

my appetite is slowly coming back so is my taste bud. as weird as it sounds, when i was busy working in the office today, i could taste Spam in my mouth. i think i'll have to get some Spam this weekend!! 

//me and my 13 weeks bump//

to baby #2: 10 weeks

written on 22 January 2014

today couldn't come any sooner. after seeing you for the first time at the dating scan two weeks ago, i've been counting down the days till today when i have my first appointment with Dr Ford. knowing from when i had your brother, i know Dr Ford would do a quick scan for me to check on your size, your growth and your heartbeat. and he did. he even printed a scan photo of you for me for keepsake. 

i was very relieved when the monitor came on and i could see you kicking and bouncing up and down as Dr Ford tried to measure your heartbeat. you didn't stay still for him long enough to measure your heart rate the first time but he got it eventually. your heart is currently beating at 172 bpm. he assured me that you are growing at a healthy rate. 

this week, the morning sickness (or all day sickness) is slowly easing away. my appetite is still not great and my tastebud is still somewhat bland but knowing that you're settling well in my tummy is all that matters. oh, this bump of mine is getting quite obvious and i'm struggling to fit into my normal work clothes and i don't think i can get away with telling people i've had too much to eat for any longer.