Maternity Portraits#2 - Part 2: Family

This is Part 2: Family of the Maternity Portraits#2. (Click to view Part 1: Big Belly)

We managed to capture some photos when Shern 'decided' to join us for some shots every 5 minutes or so.
Let's start off with a photo of the 3 of us. Ohh, should I say 4 coz there is Lil Bub inside my belly. =)

29 July 2012
Hubby, 32...me, 30...Shern, 37 mths

Cuddling time with Daddy. Look at how Shern stuck out his tongue on the left photo.

A photo of Shern with dearest Pho-pho on the left.
On the right is Shern and his upside-down photos. He kept wanting to do these 'upside-down' poses.

 More upside down poses with us.

Another one.

And lastly, a photo of us 4+1 !

Photo Credits - Chew Win Win / 3Quarters Studio

Maternity Portraits#2 - Part 1: Big Belly

About 2 weeks ago, I had my Maternity Portraits taken.
This time, instead of doing it at home like what we did the first time, we went to Win Win's studio.  

It was not easy this time because now there is Shern. He is like a monkey jumping around. So it was difficult to get him to pose with us. So we just let it be. We just enjoyed ourselves in the studio and did not force Shern to pose here and there.
While we take some individual and couple shots together with the baby, Shern went to the other room and played with Pho-pho. And once a while, he would peep at us in the room and joined us in the photoshoot. So that was when we managed to take some shots with him.

But he was like doing 'now you see, now you don't!' kinda act.
After a couple of shots, he would be gone. And then he would come in again 5 minutes later. ;)

Anyway, taking Maternity Portraits for me is a must. Is something for me to look back on when Lil Bub is no longer inside my belly. ;)

Maternity Portrait - Week 32 -29 July 2012

Love the lighting of this photo. It makes my belly looks so rounded.

Posing with hubby. 

I changed into a long maxi dress. Love this dress, very comfy.
My belly looks much bigger here.

Side views of my belly.

Hubby listening and feeling Lil Bub's kicks and punches

Love this photo of Shern looking into my belly.

A Happy Family of 3 + 1 :=)

We also managed to take some photos of the family, without focusing on my big belly. Look out for more photos in Part 2: Family and Part 3: Shern.

Photo Credits - Chew Win Win / 3Quarters Studio

Shern @ Penang Buddhist Association (PBA)

6 August 2012 (which is the 19^th Day of 6 Lunar Month) is the Enlightenment Day of Guan Yin (Avalokitesgvara).
Ok, we didn't know about it if not for my FIL. He is a member of the PBA and he goes there for prayers often.
Hubby and I are not a very spiritual people, but we still believe that giving our kids some form of spiritual believe is good for them, as they will guide them into the right path morally.

So during special days like Wesak, we will bring Shern to PBA. I like PBA because of the airy and serene ambience. It is not so chaotic like other places of worship.

Anyway, we brought Shern to PBA again today.

Penang Buddhist Association

Shern likes the Guan Yin pond.

6 August 2012

This is the free vegetarian brunch he had. The pao from Ah-Kong and the vegetarian fried noodles. 

Shern's favorite activity there, is to put the money into the many charity boxes there.
I told him that these money is to 'help other people', 'build schools for other children', 'let sick-sick people go see doctor'. 

And I told him that by praying, Buddha will bless Yiu-Shern.
Shern then say, 'Buddha, please bless Yiu-Shern, Mummy, Daddy, Baby,'
'Buddha please bless pho-pho, Ah-Kong, A-Ma,',....and the list goes on for all the people he remembers, including his teachers. =)

(Jia Li, he also asked Buddha to bless you!)

Bless your kind big heart, my little boy! ;)

Me @ 33 Weeks, or is it 36 Weeks?

My Belly @ Week 33 - 2 August 2012

This is my belly at 33 weeks, which is about 8 mths preggy.
But according to the size of the fetus (based on yesterday's ultrasound), Lil Bub is about 36 weeks, which means my belly is about the size of a 9 months old pregnant woman.
Ahh...don't worry. I myself is confused too on how big I really am!

Anyway, all I know is that I know I am big. I feel I am big. My big belly is giving me backache now.
But I can still do everything. I walk fine. I can still squat, I can still bathe Shern. I can still wiggle my body, though now I can't touch my toes.

And speaking of toes, this week, my feet starts to swell, though not a lot yet.
I remembered at only 31 weeks, the swelling of my feet and fingers during my first pregnancy with Shern was way more than now.
This is how my slightly swollen feet looks like now. Btw, I love the blue colour of bedsheets. Ain't it a lovely blue? :)

My Slightly Swollen Feet @ Week 33 - 2 Aug 2012

Lil Bub is very, very active. He wiggles in my tummy all the time. He seems to be dancing inside, or wait a minute, maybe he is doing Taekwando or something.

Shern Loves to Sing

I downloaded some kiddie songs in our Ipad and Shern loves them. They are not the usual nursery rhymes/children songs. It is actually an e-book which tells the story, but they have a short song before every story.

I managed to record two of the songs which he likes quite recently.

Story: The Princess and the Frog
Song: Icky Frog

Story: Gingerbread Man
Song: Gingerbread Man

You can download this app in your ipad or iphone.
With the free version, you only have a few songs and stories. If you want more, you need to pay.

How Am I Going to Push This Big Fella Out?

I just got home from the gynae visit this morning.
This is 'Lil Bub's face. You can see his chubby cheeks here. He is facing sideways. 

31 July 2012 - week 33 - 'Lil Bub's face, sideway

According to my gestation week, I should be about 33 weeks preggy. But 'Lil Bub decided to be a big baby and according to the ultrasound scans, he is about 36 weeks in size averagely. Which means that he is 2-3 weeks bigger than my gestation week. Fuyoh!

31 July 2012 - week 33 - 'Lil Bub is 36 weeks averagely in size

However, the weighing scale says I am 57.4kg, which means I gained about ~7kg thus far, which is not a lot for a pregnant woman. So does this means 'Lil Bub is gobbling up all the food I eat? *grin

Anyway, Dr. Eric says since I am waiting for spontaneous birth and VBAC, there is no need to worry. Just let nature takes its course. Baby will come out when he is ready.
But doc asked me to be prepared 'coz 'Lil Bub may come out 2-3 weeks earlier, so I may be delivering beginning of September. Geez!

Yiu-Shern - 37 Months

It has been a few months since I last updated Shern's development milestones. So here it is...

29 July 2012 - 37 months (photo by Win Win)

Birthday
In a blink of an eye, my little baby is no more a baby. Some says 3yo is still called toddler. Some says is preschooler. Anyhow, all I know is that my little boy is no more a baby.
He celebrated his 3yo birthday 3 times last month. Once at home on his real day, 2nd time a mini party at home with relatives, and the 3rd time in his playschool with his fiends.


Playschool
Shern started going to playschool consistently after his initial crying episode. He is now enjoying school and could name me a few of his friends' names in school.
But then he is such a dawdle every morning before playschool. He dawdles his way through breakfast and changing into his school uniform. Maybe because he doesn't know how to read the time/clock yet, so the mummy is the only one getting all 'kin cheong', but he is all lackadaisical because he doesn't even know he is late!


Potty Training
Shern is now fully potty-trained, as in pee and poo, but only during the day. From his playschool, he learned to say this every time he wants to pee:
                "Mummy, may I go to the toilet please"
                Then I must answer "Yes, you may"
Very polite and nice.

But the problem is everytime I need to go to the toilet I need to say this too:
                 "Yiu-Shern, may I go to the toilet please"
                Then he will answer "Yes, you may"


Weight
Shern is very small-sized. His grandma calls him cili padi. He only weighs 13.5kg. His weight lingers around this for more than half a year or so already.
For me is OK as long as he eats and he is healthy. I have been underweight all my life too ;)


Pacifier
This is a thing I have a headache with. I don't know how to wean him off the pacifier. As of now, he only takes his pacifier when he sleeps or in the car, and not at other times. But if I allow, he would have sucked his pacifier the whole day.
I introduced the pacifier to him when he was a few months old because if I don't, he would be stuck to my boobs 24/7. I believe if I didn't, he would be stuck to my boobs even until now.
And now I can't wean him off the pacifier completely. How?



Speech
Shern's speech is very good. He uses words I don't even know he knows. Such as 'Thomas is a silly engine'. And when he plays with his train in the hse, he will shout 'All aboard'!
I guess he learns it from the DVD or youtube.


Food
These 2 months, Shern has turned into a muslim or something. He doesn't take meat. No pork or chicken. hahaha. Luckily he still takes fish n prawns and his favourite is fish balls and eggs.
He can eat fishballs and eggs with rice every day and he will be so happy!


Tantrums
Shern has his 'naik gila' episodes. About once a week, I think. Because of a small matter, he sometimes throws a gigantic tantrum and cries and whines for so long, that he doesn't even know what he wants anymore.
This is the time when Shern test my patience. Sometimes I do talk to him patiently, when he gets too much, a spank on his leg or hand is what he gets.