That's it baby, when you got it, flaunt it. Mel Brooks; The Producers (1968)

Just came back from our monthly check-up with the obgyn.
The appointment was at 9:30am but as usual, we only got in to see the doctor at 11:00am. But quite frankly, we didn’t mind the wait.
We spent it talking, watching TV and reading the various magazines lying about. I spent half of my time surreptitiously sneaking looks at the other pregnant women in the waiting room. Such HUGE tummies...

I’ve observed that there are not many choices for clothes that pregnant women opt for. Most of them wear the standard floral, cotton tie-back thingy that leaves a limp bow perched on their rear. I guess that’s practical… a bow that’s adjustable to one’s girth. Some ladies wear those huge ‘baju kelawar’ garments made of vast satin material, more often than not, in a batik design. Some opt for the staid jubah.

I haven’t gone maternity-shopping yet, so I have no idea what I’ll be wearing once my tummy is too big to slip into my loose-shirts. I should go shopping soon, I suppose. I’m running out of baggy stuff to wear.

So anyway, there we were, sitting on the really comfy sofa, waiting for our turn. It’s gotten rather uncomfortable for me to be sitting still for too long, and I’m getting rather self-conscious about my budding tummy. So it was a great relief when the nurse called us in to see the doctor.

Our obgyn is such a lovely lady.
She’s the most humble doctor I’ve ever met in my life, and a lot of her patients agree with me here. She’s got no airs, she’s has a hilarious sense of humor and she’s always smiling. A very motherly doctor; very pleasant and comforting.

After taking my blood pressure (normal) and asking the standard questions, we got to what Wan and I were both waiting for – seeing our baby.

I lay down on the bed, the nurse smeared me with that really cold gunk and the doctor started the ultrasound scan.

And there it was… A HUGE BABY IN MY TUMMY!!!!

I tell you, both of us had a shock. The last time we went, the baby was barely a little blob on the screen. This time, we could see its head, its legs, its arms, its spine...
People, I HAVE A HUMAN BEING IN MY TUMMY!!!

As you can see, I was very excited.

The baby’s legs were pointed straight up (berlunjur) and its arms were positioned above its head, like it didn’t have a care in the world (as Wan observed, "Macam boss".) Then it started jumping and jerking around.

My eyes nearly popped out of my head.

"It’s moving!!"
"Dia gerok!!"

Said the first-time mother and father.

"Of course, at this stage, the baby will be moving around."

As if to prove the doctor’s point, the baby started moving every few seconds. While the doctor was trying to take its measurement, it continued to jump around the screen, twitching its arms, arching its back (the baby’s got the tiniest spine) and jerking its legs.

"You have a very active baby," said the doctor, laughing. "Very active indeed".

"Macam mak dia," smiled the devoted father.

It never ceases to amaze us; the sight of this little human being that God created for us. And this was the first time we actually see it looking like a baby, with its head and limbs and all. Both Wan and I were holding back tears while giggling like loonies.

And then the doctor pointed out at the screen.

"See that... those are the baby’s fingers... 1,2,3,4,5."

And we looked at the tiny little fingers; all five fingers on its right hand were visible. And at that second, the baby twitched its hand and the fingers moved ever so slightly.

"Heheh... it’s waving at us."

Hello baby. I’m your mom. That’s your dad.
We are so happy to see you.
We can’t wait to see you again next month.
I promise to take all my vitamins and stuff.

You take care, in there.
See you soon!

Pregnant Papa

2006 is a very subur year.

I personally know of 7 people who are pregnant.
And I haven’t included the one’s who are on the blogosphere!

4 of ‘em are my ex-schoolmates.
2 are ex-colleagues.
1 is my cousin.

2006 is a very subur year indeed.

The good thing about this is that I have loads of pregnant-buddies!
You know, friends you can discuss every single detail of upcoming motherhood.

Every single detail of 1st-Trimester ailings and pains.
Every ache, every twinge, every throb.
Every emotional roller-coaster ride.
Every bout of nausea.
Every disgusting detail of the color, texture and taste of one’s vomit.

Hehehe…
It would be decidedly unfair and just plain cruel to discuss all of this with non-pregnant friends.
Kesian mereka.
So it’s nice to have a wide-range of pregnant-buddies.

Among the many things we share, are the first reactions of our beloved husbands.

One husband “burst out crying and sobbed with overwhelming joy”.
Another husband “started giggling like he lost his mind”.
Yet another husband had “blood draining out of his face like he was about to faint dead.”
And another husband who “immediately picked up the phone and called his mom”.
And one who “hugged me and then went out to play golf.”

My own husband blinked a couple of times, then pumped his fists in the air and went “Yes! I’m a virile M.A.N!”
(Say it in Malay, and you’ll know how amusing this was)

*sigh*
Men – They’re just like ASTRO.
Macam-macam ada…

Pregnancy is a test of character.
Not just ours, but our respective partners.

Their patience in tolerating our erratic mood-swings.
Their zeal in fulfilling our every whims and fancies.
Their fortitude in facing our whines and groans as we endure physical discomfort.
Their resilience in witnessing our nasty bouts of nausea and persistent vomiting.
Their self-control in the emotional first viewing of the baby during ultrasound.

A friend of mine has a husband who is more excited about the baby than she is. He reads pregnancy books, he knows exactly what’s going on in her tummy every single week, he tells her what to eat and what not to eat. It’s awfully sweet, really.

Another friend has a husband who suddenly works overtime all the time. He’s fervently making and saving money as he has suddenly felt the heavy responsibility of fatherhood and wishes to give his child everything money can buy.

One husband spends his TV-time with his ear pressed against his wife's tummy, "listening for the baby" even though the wife is only 3 weeks pregnant.

Another husband comes home from work every day with a ‘little something’ for the baby. One day it’s a pair of powder-blue booties, another day it’s a Mickey Mouse rattle and the next day, it’s a fluffy pink teddy bear.

It’s no wonder that a baby is said to strengthen and fortify the love between husband and wife.

How can you not love to death the tough-guy you married when he does such adorable things like that?

May the gods grant you all things which your heart desires, and may they give you a husband and a home and gracious concord, for there is nothing greater and better than this -when a husband and wife keep a household in oneness of mind, a great woe to their enemies and joy to their friends, and win high renown.
Homer (800 BC - 700 BC), The Odyssey

[me.ngi.dam] to crave, to long for, to yearn

I just had my first craving.
My first ‘mengidam’.
Quite an intense one which got me Googling for images of the item.
And my poor husband is frustrated because he can’t fulfill it for me…

I had a yearning for a fresh, hot Krispy Kreme doughnut.

*sigh*

After I forced that out of my head,
(“Silly woman. Macam takder benda lain ko nak mengidam!”)
I had ANOTHER craving.
Again it was intense, and again I resorted to Google.

Thank goodness there’s a Subway outlet in One Utama…

This afternoon, I’ll be wolfing down a foot-long seafood sub.

Can’t wait!

So, now I know that this whole mengidam thing is for real.
To those ladies who are scoffing right now and saying “Ah, mengidam ni ngada-ngada jer”,
I say “You tak mengidam? Good for you. But butt out of MY idamans, ok.”

Pregnancy is unique to each individual.
Some women are fortunate not to experience morning sickness
(Again, good for you, but butt out of MY nausea, ok)

I never thought I’d have a yearning for food.
Especially since the past few weeks I’ve been too nauseous to even think of eating.

But this mengidam thing is for real.
I actually wrote an e-mail to the Krispy Kreme website, asking them when they’ll be opening an outlet here in Malaysia.

There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning, and yearning.
Christopher Morley (1890 - 1957)

Worry is a misuse of imagination. Dan Zadra

I’m such a worrywart these days.

I worry I’m not eating enough.
I’ve no appetite to speak of. And sometimes, even the THOUGHT of food makes me nauseous. Aren't I supposed to be GAINING weight instead of losing it?

I worry I’m eating the wrong thing.
If unmarried women eat pineapples and drink 7-up after forbidden sex in order to induce a miscarriage, should I be avoiding these items?

I worry I’m not eating enough of the right thing.
In the 1st trimester, we’re supposed to have a lot of folic acid, hence the little pills my obgyn gave me.
But there’s a lot of folic acid in green veges too, but I’m not eating enough of that.
Should I then double my dose of folic acid supplements?

I worry about moving too much.
Every time I so much as move a little higher than ground level (i.e. climb a chair), I hear volleys of protest and remonstrations.
If I get a little hyper and start skipping (yes, yes, I know I’m old), I’ll hear the usual “Stop that! You’re pregnant!”.
We even have an aunt who, each time she sees us, she’ll remind us to ‘puasa’. “Pegang tangan jer... peluk jer... jangan lebih-lebih”.

I worry about moving too little.
My mom tells me I shouldn’t be lounging around so much (“Nanti baby malas”). And I wouldn’t want a lethargic baby.
I want a healthy, bouncy baby.
But I’M not allowed to bounce these days.

*sigh*

That's the secret to life... replace one worry with another....
Charles M. Schulz (1922 - 2000), Charlie Brown