Exploring Our Children’s Potentials

>> Went for another check-up and my total weight gain is (… drum rolling …) 7.2kg!

(READ: Over the past 2 weeks, I only gained ONE kg and hey … I really have been napping for at least an hour almost everyday)

>> The baby is now 2.5kg though, which is good for his gestational age.

And so now, I’m kinda telling myself that it’s okay if I’ve only gained 7.2kg so far, because it means by the time the baby’s due, I would have gained at least 9kg (right?), AND the baby would be 3kg at the VERY least (right?).

I would assume too that it’d be easier to deliver this 2nd baby since Anya was 3.97kg (read: the ‘exit way’ is kinda well prepared for baby no.2. Hehe.)

Aaaaannyway, did you know that one of my sis (I have 3 older sisters) gained a total of 14kg (her first daughter was 3.99kg) AND then, when she got pregnant the 2nd time, she gained only 7kg! (the baby was 3.89kg!)

And oh, quite a few people also told me that the 2nd time we get pregnant, we usually gain ‘not as much as the 1st time’ because we’re busy with the 1st kid.

Oh well … just trying to cheer myself up with some facts here …

Over these past few weeks I’m more keen on ‘relaxed’ playtime with Anya (for obvious reasons).

For any activities that require more ‘physical strength’, I’d leave it to her daddy. You know, stuff like jumping and hopping around or playing ‘koala-bear’ (where she hugs one of your legs and you’d then start walking around). I just don’t have the energy for such play. And Anya knows it, though she still occasionally tries her luck while giggling away.

And so nowadays, we spend time together doing stuff like:

>> reading books together (yeah … I visit the neighbourhood library more often now!)

>> Anya telling ME what the storybook is about (while I lay on the bed and relax)

>> playing ‘hairdresser’ (where Anya is the hairdresser of course! Now this is an excellent one because I get to nap for a few minutes while she washes and dries my hair, combs and puts hairclips on me! Hehe.)

>> Doodling. Either she doodles or I draw something and she takes a guess at what it is. Right now I’m teaching her different shapes in English (rectangle, circle, oval, etc) and so this doodling activity is also a great way to spend with your kid, especially if you’re VERY pregnant and need to relax!

Anyway, here’s Anya’s drawing … of ME! Hehe.

I personally am not a believer of old wives’ tales.

But I guess for my one particular case, the common saying: your tummy will be ‘sharp’ if you’re carrying a baby boy, instead of ’roundish like a ball’ is true (?)

Yeah … I guess it’s kinda weird that from the front, I just … don’t look pregnant!

>> Li’l Anya took this photo (this time round, she got my tummy in the shot, but only half of my head. Hehe.) I did some touch-ups on the photo though …

>> Started home delivery (dinner for two) some 2 weeks ago. Didn’t like the food and I changed my caterer when the ‘trial delivery period’ was over.

Sigh. I don’t have much of a choice since I just can’t bring myself to cook anything. It’s weird. I’m simply NOT in the mood for cooking (read: meals for me & hubby) throughout this 2nd pregnancy!

>> Hubby’s overseas for a few days on business trip. Hiks.

I was browsing my old photo collection and saw some of our old traveling ones. Aahh … it brought back sooo many sweet memories.

Frankly right now, with a toddler and a newborn coming very very soon, it’s just not possible to travel like the old days (other than to our hometown, Jakarta, that is).

If we’re talking about going to places like Hong Kong, we have to wait for at least another 2 years or so, I guess. And personally, for obvious reasons, I’m not into bringing kids below 4 years old on plane trips that take more than 8 hours.

I definitely have NO regrets having kids though. They’re such a blessing and if I were to choose (between having to travel a lot and having kids), I’d choose the second. Without a doubt.

I do however wish I can have more uninterrupted twosome moments though. Like going to the movies or a quick stroll down the park. Just me and my hubby.

The thing is, our families are all in Jakarta. And we can’t just leave our kids at our friends’ place since they’re all busy with their own kids (and THEIR families are not in Singapore too, to help out and stuff).

Secondly, to me … Singapore is somehow associated with busy-ness. AND work. Lots of people are still at work after 7pm and even on Saturdays! And so when I think of living in Singapore, it’s hard to imagine a ‘laid-back’ and relaxed lifestyle, simply because … that’s just not the style of living here.

Oh well, whatever it is … I think couples need to make time for each other. If a stroll down the park is not possible, a nice long chat just before bedtime IS.

I guess it all comes down to the efforts the couple makes to freshen up their relationship.

And I know it’s often not easy when we’re generally so absorbed with our daily routine and busyness. Kids. Work. Babies. Bills to pay. House chores. But it’s never too hard or too late to start trying.

I know I need to.

I always like to take photos of Anya being ‘next to something’ so I have a direct comparison.

When she’s a baby, I took photos of her next to my pillow (so I can see how tiny she actually was!), and how she got ‘longer’ than the pillow in just a few months!.

And in the photo above, she’s standing next to her folded pram. Soon she’ll be much taller, but then I have these photos to remind me of the days when she’s only as high as the pram. Her toddler days.

*smile*

PS: Photos were taken using my Ericsson P800 (the resolution’s not good, but it’s quite handy to have).

Wilson and I have been pretty busy with work lately and I feel I haven’t been spending much ‘quality’ time with Anya. Not as much as I’d like to, anyway.

I mean, we are together during meal time, bath time, storytime before bed, etc … but I’d love to do more activities together. Like, creative arts and crafts Stuff.

And so today, we finally did it. We did some craft stuff, right after her afternoon nap!

I did the cutting, and Anya did the glueing (with some help from Mommy) and colouring (no help from me here!).

And it was good fun! We both enjoyed our time together. And what’s best is that we got away from children TV programmes!

I’ve noticed that once you have kids, it’s more challenging to keep your schedule as planned.

Like when everyone’s ready to leave the house at 4.30pm, and the baby suddenly vomits.

Or when it’s the kid’s bedtime and your laundry is done, waiting to be taken out of the washing machine, but the kid somehow just WON’T go to sleep.

After you have kids, I also find that keeping the house sparkling clean and neat all the time is a challenge too. To keep the kitchen always greaseless and spotless. To get the laundry done in time. To have everything neatly placed.

What works best for me (and Wilson) so far is that we take on a more relaxed approach to such situations.

When we both are too exhausted to wash the dishes in the sink and it’s already 1am, we just leave the washing up till the next morning.

Or when I see the dirty laundry pile BUT I just can’t attend to it right away, , then I’d just leave it as it is. Of course I would love to get the housework done all the time, AND in time, but sometimes, I just can’t.

I learn that trying to be super in everything, and trying to manage every single aspect in life perfectly, will eventually drain our energy. Leaving us feeling desperate and stressed out.

And I guess, acknowledging that we can’t always be perfect and that things may not always be the way ‘we want it to be’ can in fact leave us feeling somewhat ‘happier’ as a Mom and a Wife. As a normal person.