Janice turns 1 - Happy Birthday darling!

My little birthday card to you (Janice Mok Yu En)

I love you Janice, I still remember the day that I held you in my hands at 920am on the 30th of Oct 2008. Mummy might have won by staying closest to you since you were conceived, but I won by being the first to hold on to you! :)

But still all thanks to mummy and her endurance as it was really tough trying to get you to come into this world. Daddy was told that time would past faster if he records the intervals between mummy's each contractions, but after awhile, daddy's little note book was full! Mummy was going through such consistent contractions and for such a long time. Mummy went through so much for you. All daddy could do was say Oh...Ouch each time mummy squeezes daddy's hand.

All was great on that Thursday morning when we finally got to see you, and I believe I speak for mummy as well, it was all worth it, YOU are all worth it!

I can't finish saying how much you mean to me and that you have really brought so much joy and meaning to my life. I would be going to sleep every night knowing that the next day would be filled with so much joy and laughter and also the energy required to play and entertain you. :)

It has been a great year trying to know you more. Communication at the point in time still seems a little unclear and based upon a lot of assumptions. But the times when you say 'Daddy' 'Daddy' is all the communication I need to wake me up every morning to cuddle you.

I hope you have enjoyed your 1st year as much as I did, well if you didn't you most probably won't remember it anyway :)

I love you darling!!! HAPPY 1st BIRTHDAY!!!

Janice my little darling

My dearest little darling, today marks your 3rd month birthday. It has been sometime that we have spent together getting to know more of each other. It seems there is always more to learn and know about you! You are developing each day more and more; more sounds, actions and even demands.

Tonight was a slight scare as you did not fall into your deep sleep after mummy fed you as per the usual nights. But am glad that you are sleeping soundly to your fav music Cannon in D (determined by me) haha. Well, since you don't really have much choice of music right now, I'll call the shots :)

There has been so many nights when i picked you up still in my sleepy mode and I must have scared you with that black face. I kept telling myself it is not easy being you too. And I am still trying to adapt to the fact that I won't have a 6hr sleep for a long time to come. But at the same time still being able to give you the attention and care you deserve in the wee hours of the night. Those are many a times the hardest for me, but in that I am still learning to be patient with different nights that you are going to surprise me with. :)

Regardless of all the lesser sleep and loud cries, I know that you are truly the greatest gift God has ever given and placed in my life. I am still looking forward to the days that I could push you in your pram during my runs and also on the bike with me.

HAPPY 3rd Month Birthday!!!

LOVING YOU LOTS!!!!

More pictures!

Her first yawn? So cute!


Yen doesn't look as tired as I thought she would be


Sophie's first cousin


So cute with her two fingers


The very happy father

Credits for photos: The bro-in-law, James!

From the Baby Center - Fetal development @ 35 weeks

Your baby now weighs about 5.25 pounds/ 2.4 kilograms (Gosh! I was only 5 pounds when I was born!) and measures approximately 18 inches/ 45 centimetres from head to toe. His elbow, foot or head may protrude from your stomach when he stretches and squirms about. Soon, as the wall of your uterus and your abdomen stretch thinner and let in more light, your baby will begin to develop daily activity cycles. This week, your little one is now sporting fingernails and has a fully developed pair of kidneys. His liver can also process some waste products. There's much less amniotic fluid and much more baby in your uterus, which has expanded to a thousand times its original size. You've probably put on between 25 and 30 pounds/ 11 and 13.6 kilograms and your weight gain has hit its peak. Even your belly button has got bigger and has popped outward. You may be feeling breathless now that the top of your uterus is up under your ribs. Try getting down on all fours to take deeper breaths. Although the pressure on your bladder will make the bathroom your second home, don't drink any less water -- your baby needs the fluids. But you may like to cut down on diuretic drinks like tea and coffee, which will make you have to urinate even more often.

The dad to be ....

Check out what the daddy to be was doing over the weekend :) He can't be more excited than this. This has to be blogged to show the little mok when she grows up.

"Inside News"

Yep, she is still as squirmy as ever. She starts moving when I lie down, sit down at work and even respond whenever I start singing and praising God. She wakes up and starts her move when I chair prayer, or start to speak a little louder (like praying in prayer meetings). She responds when daddy talks to her and does her moves as he talks, massage my tummy and tries to make out her every limb. She seems to squirm and fall asleep after a bedtime story or a bedtime prayer. She weighs about 1.7kg and falls in the 50th percentile (Praise God she is measuring average sized) and her regular position head down with her spine curled along my left belly and her kickings concentrated on my right. She showed us during the scan last week that she is a she :) and was covering her cheeks up, not wanting to expose her full features. Maintain some form of surprise, she must be thinking. (A friend commented how similar she is with me, don't like to be caught on video) Still we caught bits of her chubby cheeks, a lot more baby fats, pouty lips and some hair on her head. Yup that's the "inside news" for now :)

From the Baby-Center - 31 weeks

Your baby's arms, legs and body continue to fill out -- and they are finally proportional in size to her head. She weighs about 1.5 kilograms and looks more like a newborn. She measures about 41 centimetres from crown to toe. You may notice your baby isn't moving around as much. Don't worry; she's just running out of space in your uterus. As long as you can feel her squirming, you'll know she's just fine. Believe it or not, she still has plenty of growing to do. You can expect her to gain at least 900 grams more before delivery. Your baby's organs are continuing to mature and she is passing water from her bladder: good practice for the urinating she'll do after she's born. Soon you can wonder what your baby is wishing for -- brain scans have shown that fetuses have periods of dream sleep around month eight.
You've probably gained around 1.5 kilograms this month. Gaining 450 grams a week is quite normal during the last trimester as your baby has a final growth spurt before birth. Has your sleep pattern changed? Find out why.

Thoughts of the last lap

10 weeks to go ....

I have just spent the morning replying and sending out emails. I have flagged so many items on my inbox so that i will remember to look at them that i started i have overlooked so many other emails as well. This is what happens when you've just been through sick leave and public holidays. The throat is still hurting like crazy and coughing at night for a big pregnant belly means aching rib cage and totally disturbed sleep. A great training for sure.

Though a great weekend from the getaway, this week has been a whirlwind with the sickness and finding out a not too good blood test result which I will have to head in for further tests. Please pray for us that everything will turn out fine, especially for the little one! But all this jolted to me the need to be more watchful and disciplined in both my diet and exercise. Past 2 months have just been eating out/taking away alot. My used to be cooking almost everyday after work have been rather slackened to probably cooking once a week and having dinners out most of the time. Even if i cook, it's been just a "get-by" mentality and i think taste of food cooked have been just bleugh ... Swollen feet is an indication of lack of proper structured exercise time and rest. A note to self is to cook more (simple and healthy food) and squeeze in some structured exercise regime. I need the same kind of motivation as I would need to develop spiritual disciplines!

The last lap now, I am almost entering into my 30th Week pregnancy. The well-being of the little one almost is determined by me, my diet, my lifestyle (its been so right from the start). The responsibility that suddenly weighed so much. I felt so overwhelmed and the guilt of not 'trying my best' was so overwhelming as well. When I heard about the blood test, i wished i could have rewound the clock back some weeks rather be those extra cautious mom to be, watching the diet, exercising, rest etc. Thank God that He is still putting me back to His perspective. I got to learn to lean on Him more and not blow things out of proportion. Thank God too for a supportive husband who is unceasingly encouraging me despite His own worries too. He revealed yesterday that this whole pregnancy has been quite frightening and a learning curve for him too by taking up the support role. I can imagine how helpless he must have felt when I am in my panic modes or when I was just throwing up everything I took.

HIS Grace is more than sufficient for US. It is such grace where I can know that in OUR weakness, WE can say we're strong.

Pressies from home

Pressies from home
Originally uploaded by kelvin and chia yen

Thank you Popo, Aunty Vicky and Jiajia, and uncle Clement too~ Feel so loved even though i am still nicely snuggled in my mummy's womb :) Uncle Clement was the Santa Claus who brought all these gifts over from Singapore, majority from Popo of course who will be my fave shopping companion when i grow up! Thank Youuuuu :)

From the Baby Center - Week 26

Measuring your baby from top to toe with his legs extended, he is about 35.6 centimetres. He weighs a little more than 760 grams. Your baby's eyes begin to open around now. Response to sound grows more consistent toward the end of the seventh month, when the network of nerves to the ear is complete. He also continues to take small breaths and although he's only breathing in water and not air, it's still good practice for when he's born. Since your baby is now growing so fast, and brain development is so intense at this stage, your nutrition is very important. Continue to eat a well-balanced diet that includes plenty of grains and vegetables. Fibre-rich foods, including whole-grain breads and cereals, lentils and brown rice are high in vitamin B and help fend off constipation.

Squirmy little bun

The little bun in me has been moving and squirming around. She woke me up this morning with her power kicks and held her movements long enough for me to fiddle with the lumps she made all around my tummy. It was pretty fun playing with her as usually she only wakes up and kick around when i get to office, never that early. And today she seems to be on a high because she is doing her stunts almost throughout the day!

But gosh, I sure need my beauty sleep because i am totally zombified with the amount of time spent waking up in the middle of the night trying to get myself in comfortable positions and visiting the loo. I wonder how I will cope with motherhood and night feeds!

On a lighter note :)

The previous post may sound really 'heavy'. But hey, whoever who read it, don't get too worried. I am still ok :) Life's still good and I am enjoying the best part of pregnancy - Bonding with the little one inside. What's better is that Kel is having a great time talking and spending time with the little bub at night too. He read a bedtime story and she kicked and kicked. We caught a show (Get smart) the other night with Rach, totally hilarious and the bub seemed to enjoying herself too. that 2 hrs, she moved non stop and i even managed to feel this little bump as she pressed herself against the surface of my tummy. So ticklish.

Apart from that, i celebrated my 28th Birthday last week and is looking forward to a nice dinner with some of the girls in my unit tonight (can't wait, my tummy's howling and growling). I am putting on weight as predicted by all pregnancy books. I've lost my chin (i think) and the new hair cut is making my face look round. According to some friends, i waddle when i walk and sometimes the pain from my back, pelvis and legs keeps me awake at night.

We've been kept busy trying to source things for the bub (advice given by many moms are to get most things ready now before I get too BIG), shift things around the house to plan for the new arrival and for the next few weeks will be busy with outreach and students' orientation, then our units' getaway. Kel is also kep busy every night trying to get me into comfortable positions, stretching and massaging and getting me my night snacks of mostly milk and on one occasion, slices of cheese cut into heart shapes. Pictures below were taken after my trip to the hospital for the routined check up. Bub is growing well, and heartbeat is as steady as a horse gallop across the field.

Week 23

It's been a fascinating time for both of us to look at our little one's movement every single night before we knock out. It looks as though we are staring into some crystal ball (except that it's my growing belly) waiting for some nudges and twitches. My tummy looks interesting and strange suddenly as if someone was poking a stick from the inside. Many times even when I am working, i can see from the corner of my eye my blouse or my scarf suddenly "moving", and sometimes I get a shock as if someone really did nudge me from outside only to discover that it's the little one having a ball of her time (I think ... unless she is protesting about something).

Nevertheless, we are definitely enjoying this time of bonding, especially for Kel who has been trying so hard (and patiently) trying to wait for movements and responses. We have been praying that God will help us to really bond through this time and He answered the prayers within a few days! There was one night when Kel got a little impatient (and cheeky) waiting and decided to do what he termed as creating an earthquake by shaking my belly and tickling me. Baby actually responded by kicking immediately! From then on, it doesn't take long for Kel to spot and feel her every little movement.

From the Baby Center

Fetal development - 22 weeks pregnant
Written for BabyCenter Australia Approved by the BabyCenter Australia Medical Advisory

The baby now weighs about 430 grams, measures nearly just over 27 centimetres long from crown to heel, and is proportioned like a newborn, albeit a thinner version since her baby fat hasn't yet developed. Although she's getting heavier every day, her skin still appears wrinkled because she needs to gain more weight. The lips are distinct and the eyes are formed, though the iris (the coloured part of the eye) still lacks pigment. The pancreas, essential in the production of hormones, is developing steadily. Even this early, the first signs of teeth appear in the form of tooth buds beneath the gum line. Before you know it, your baby will be born, and soon after, her first teeth will come through. You've probably gained between 5.4 and 6.8 kilograms. Starting now, you'll begin to put on weight more steadily, averaging about 225 grams per week. You may crave certain foods and you may notice an increased (but not bloody) vaginal discharge. Both are a normal part of being pregnant.

Happy Birthday!

Happy Birthday!
Originally uploaded by kelvin and chia yen

- CLICK ON THE PIC FOR MORE PHOTOS -
I made up the Birthday Celebration by bringing Kel to Redcliff and Scarborough area for lunch. It was his first time there and he loves it! The seafood teppanyaki was yummylicious and there was a seafood stall there that stocks heaps of nice seafood, only that because I couldn't eat and gobble all the raw stuff, we gave it a miss, promising each other that we'll be back :) that place was only about 30-40 mins drive away from where we live and there are so many nice quiet beaches, parks and picnic areas there. Open spaces, nice view and clear (cold) waters. We were so excited just talking how nice it would be if Ailing, James and Sophie were around and how we would really enjoy the company and how they would enjoy the relaxing atmosphere and open spaces. We enjoyed just watching little girls running to their daddies and how we're so looking forward to see our little one and promised to make it a point to bring our kid out to the outdoors and sunshine and not merely get 'sucked' into the routines since we both love outdoors so much. We took a short walk along the beach and the jetty, had ice cream and talked and talked. It was such a nice 3-4 hours spent.

A side note here ... Kel managaged to feel the little bub for his first time last night! He was soooo happy and wanted the little one to do more stints but she only decided to give daddy a little preview of herself :)

20 Weeks

20 Weeks
Originally uploaded by kelvin and chia yen

Fetal development - 20 weeks pregnant
Written for BabyCenter Australia
Approved by the BabyCenter Australia Medical Advisory Board

Your baby measures about 6.5 inches/ 16.5 centimetres from crown to rump and is steadily gaining weight. A whitish coat of a slick, fatty substance called vernix caseosa begins to cover your baby and protects the skin during its long immersion in amniotic fluid. It also eases delivery. The baby's swallowing more this week, good practice for the digestive system. After your baby takes in amniotic fluid, his body absorbs the water in the liquid and moves the rest into the large bowel.

Ok. Here's me, trying to hold on to the heavy tummy. I was a real monster over the weekend, feeling hungry perpetually, so I think I literally ate up everything in sight. We were blessed with a really good seafood buffet dinner at the Versace Hotel and that dinner came in at the right time to feed the hungry monster. And oh! We went for a detailed Morphology Scan on Friday. Bub's growth is great, and we were amazed at how detailed things could get, from specific measurements of everything body parts (internal and external) you can think of, we could even see the blood circulation. There were 3D pictures of the face plus we got to take home a DVD of the whole entire session. As many would guess from both Kel and my active (for me, was the past!) nature, the little one was wriggling, somersaulting, waving, flipping for the whole entire time. It sure frustrated the sonographer who was trying so hard to get detailed measurements of everything. I had to flip from left to right to get the bub to move to right positions, and even had to walk up and down the stairs to get bub to the right places too. I laid on the bed for scan till i got nauseas and giddy, breaking out with cold sweat. End of the session, I was dead beat and fell asleep on the bed as I was waiting for the report to be printed out! But verdict: It was all worthwhile, we were thrilled to see our dancing little one (oh God please let her get the dad's sense of rhythm) and she revealed her gender to us too. (though there could be still a small teeny weeny chance that the scan be inaccurate). So yes, we've got a little bubby princess in the making :)

On another note, I am so thankful that the morning (all day) sickness has subsided. Though backaches and other strains come alongside with the growth of the bump, at least most other things can almost go back to normal. Ministry is a lot easier when you are not wanting to throw up in front of people. It is not as emotional draining to try to focus on different things and I cook most of the meals now. One new adjustment I had to make! I keep forgetting of the weight I am carrying and often get carried away jumping up and down during praise and worship and on Sunday, I almost felt like the bump was going to drop!

Other than that, Thank God, things have been great. He has really been looking after us and Kel has been a real sweet one too!

From the Baby Center @ 16 weeks

*@ 16 weeks 2 days ... ok discount the bad lighting and my posture. I am really starting to feel like a whale.

Your baby is now about the size of an avocado (11.6 centimetres long from crown to rump and weighing 100 grams). In the next three weeks he'll go through a tremendous growth spurt, doubling his weight and adding centimetres to his length. In or out of the womb, babies are playful creatures. Yours may already have discovered his first toy -- the umbilical cord -- which he'll enjoy pulling and grabbing. Sometimes he may even clutch it so tight that less oxygen gets through, but don't worry -- he doesn't hold onto it long enough to harm himself. The circulatory system and urinary tract are in full working order, and he's inhaling and exhaling amniotic fluid through his lungs.

A little galloping horse

We finally heard the little buddy's heart beat on Friday! It sounded like a little galloping horse almost double the speed of a normal adult heartbeat. We were just grinning from ear to ear and I had strange thoughts of wanting to put that little doppler thing into my bag so that we could try hear it ourselves everyday :) That must be one of the most exciting part of pregnancy so far, when the little one made himself (we don't know the gender yet - 'him' used generically) real to us; a turning point from just the endless toilet trips to throw up and for Kel only visually seeing my tummy become haha fatter and rounder each day. We can't wait for the next ultra sound and feel the flutters and kicks! (how I wish we could just peep into the belly through the belly button or something, like a little window but that's so anti-climax i know...)

From the Baby Center @ 15 weeks

You may not know it when it happens, but your tiny tenant frequently gets the hiccups, which babies master before breathing. Babies don't make any sound because their trachea is filled with fluid rather than air. Although you've probably gained between 2.2 - 4.5 kilograms, the fetus weighs in at around only 70 grams. It is 11 centimetres long, crown to rump. Legs are growing longer than the arms now, fingernails are fully formed and all the joints and limbs can move. You may be able to find out the gender of your baby by ultrasound now, since the external genitals may be developed enough that the ultrasound technician can tell you if you're going to have a boy or a girl. If the idea of having a baby seems so remote, nothing makes it feel more real than feeling your baby move for the first time. Most mums-to-be discern movement (called quickening) between 16 and 20 weeks. If you've been pregnant before, you'll feel things earlier rather than later. What you may first think is a rumbling stomach may be your baby doing some back flips. [I am still pretty sure it's my hunger rumblings ... ] Make note of when you first start feeling the baby and tell your midwife at your next visit. This middle stage of pregnancy is a good time to start exercising.

From the Baby Center

Fetal development - 12 weeks pregnant
URL: www.babycenter.com.au/pregnancy/fetaldevelopment/12weeks/

Your baby's face is beginning to look more human, even though she is only about 5.5cms long from her crown to her rump and weighs 14 grams. The eyes, which started out on the sides of the head, have moved closer together. The ears are almost in their normal position on the side of the head. The liver is making bile and the kidneys are secreting urine in the bladder. The fetus squirms if your abdomen is prodded, although you cannot yet feel movement. Fetal nerve cells have been multiplying rapidly and synapses (neurological connections in your brain) are forming. The fetus has acquired more reflexes: touching the palms makes the fingers close, touching the soles of the feet makes the toes curl down and touching the eyelids makes the eye muscles clench.
Your midwife can now feel the top of the uterus, also known as the fundus, low in the abdomen. As you enter the second trimester, you may find yourself donning looser, less restrictive clothing. Soon you won't be able to fit into your regular clothes any more. You may now find that once the "sickness" feeling has passed, your appetite returns.

• Note: Experts say every baby develops differently -- even in utero. These fetal development pages are designed to give a general idea of how a fetus grows in the womb.