Travel & adventure

I would like to write a bit about my love for travel & adventure. Which is definitely influence by my parent. Every single school holiday, the whole family will be off to somewhere... No matter FAR or NEAR... that's why when I was younger, I could never understand why NO ONE else go for vacation except for my family although I'm not from a RICH family. I traveled the whole of Malaysia even before I went to high school. Those road trip were just awesome. We would stop by for a swim at some waterfall.

By the time I finished high school, I've traveled to most of our neighboring country. Once SPM was over I flew to INDIA & stayed there for 2 months serving at the Baha'i Lotus Temple. Then volunteered as a teacher in Thailand (a Baha'i school) for 1 month before starting college. All the expenses paid by my parent & the experience are etched forever in my mind. I've learn so much. Being in a country so much POORER than us really make me appreciate what I had at home.

From young, "EDUCATION is the KEY to SUCCESS" & "KNOWLEDGE is POWER" are instill in our mind. But the weird thing is, my parent never check our homework or send us for tuition. They don't even care when I was 3rd.. from last... keke... I still remember although it happen in primary 1. ooo... did I tell you, my parents went to school & told the teachers that I was not supposed to be canned even if I don't answer her correctly or failed in exam. I had the GREATEST MUM I tell you.

And my parent forced send me for Piano Lesson but I stop at Grade 8. I was also in Computer classed. I was the only 1 in primary school who owned a computer (that was in 1986 where the teachers don't even know computer exist). I was so proud to be able to print HUGE banner for school party hehehhee... using dot-matrix-printer le.

Although I get to travel, hav piano & computer lesson but from young I don't have the luxury of buying clothes or other material stuff. I wore mostly hand-me-down. I had to work for extra pocket money. I teach piano lesson & gave English tuition class. That really made us appreciate the value of money & encourage us to think before spending it as it really is HARD EARN MONEY.

I owe everything to my parent. What I am today is all because of them. I love you, Mummy & Daddy!!!

Going nuts for Coconut Juice during pregnancy

I was told by quite a few ppl that drinking coconut juice during the last trimester of pregnancy is good. And coconut juice is said to reduce jaundice in baby. Well, all my siblings have jaundice, and I do hope it does not run in the family.

My dad has been bringing me coconut when he's visiting Kuching. And I order coconut drink whenever possible. I like the cooling feeling when drinking coconut. The cheapest is at Lee's Coffee shop @ Jln Song, only RM2.50 per coconut. Then can enjoy eating the coconut flesh too. At other places, it's usually just a cup of the coconut juice with ice & it taste slightly better bcoz they add sugar lar.

Well, I've been reading on the benefit of drinking coconut, and here I wanna share an article that explained it all:

In many tropical countries, coconuts have long been lauded as having fertility and pregnancy enhancing properties. In India, for example, a woman hoping to conceive will go to her priest for a special coconut; Thai babies receive, as their first solid food, three spoonfuls of soft coconut meat from their priests; a Balinese woman is forbidden to touch a coconut tree for fear she will drain its fertility into her own; and pregnant women from tropical countries consume large amounts of coconut water, hoping to increase their unborn child's strength and vitality.

Folklore aside, there is now scientific evidence of the numerous health benefits of coconuts. While these health-boosting properties extend to everyone, they can be particularly beneficial to pregnant women. Here are some of the amazing ways the coconut can be a pregnant woman's best friend:

o It alleviates vomiting - coconut water has long been used as a remedy for typhoid, malaria and other illness-induced vomiting. Thus, it should also help mitigate a bad case of morning sickness.

o It soothes the stomach - in addition to offering some relief from vomiting, coconut water can quell a queasy tummy and lessen the symptoms of nausea.

o Virgin coconut oil balances blood sugar and controls diabetes - this also helps keep morning sickness in check and offers some protection against gestational diabetes, a potentially dangerous condition common among pregnant women.

o It alkalizes the body - high in potassium, magnesium and other alkalizing minerals, coconut water can help to create an environment more conducive to conception and perhaps even reduce the risk of miscarriage.

o It keeps the body hydrated - nature's "sports drink", coconut water replaces fluids and minerals lost during physical exertion as well as those extra needed to help support pregnancy and expanding blood volume. Dehydration can be particularly threatening during pregnancy.

o It is a mild laxative - drinking moderate amounts of coconut water can help to keep things running smoothly and relieve the constipation so common during pregnancy.

o It cleanses the kidneys and offers protection against UTI's - Urinary Tract Infections are very common during pregnancy and can be dangerous if antibiotics are not used to treat them. Best to avoid them all together!

o It keeps the body cool - with excess weight, progesterone, and anxiety, it's easy to get overheated during pregnancy. Drinking coconut water helps to regulate body temperature and keep you cool.

o It is great for skin - virgin coconut oil can be applied to soothe the dry, itchy skin associated with pregnancy; it may also help to reduce the occurrence of stretch marks; and, when applied to the perineum in the weeks leading up to labor, can help reduce tearing during birth. Coconut water applied to the face helps to clear blackheads and acne that many women experience with the surge of hormones during pregnancy.

o It boosts the immune system - virgin coconut oil is comprised of nearly 50% lauric acid, which has been shown to have antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties. This can help protect a mother-to-be from a host of potentially threatening infections as well as boost her immunity, which is naturally weakened during pregnancy.

o It promotes healthy lactation - the only other significant source of lauric acid is human breast milk. Research has shown that lactating mothers who consume virgin coconut oil and other coconut products have higher levels of lauric and capric acids in their breast milk; this increases its antimicrobial and immune boosting properties, while promoting both brain and bone development in the infant. Since the body stores lauric acid in the adipose tissues, consuming coconut during pregnancy may also help to ensure successful lactation.

With all that in mind, pregnant women would be nuts not to go for coconuts!

Some updates

wow... it has been a looooooooooooong time since I update this blog. I don't update Project 365 here anymore, as I find that using facebook is easier. So head on over to my facebook's photo for Project 365 if you are interested.

Well, I'm now in my gestational week 33, another 7 weeks to go, but it's quite common for baby to pop-out at 2 to 3 week earlier. I hope everything will go smoothly when the time come.

I'll like to recap the "happenings" of these few months here as I surely will forget most of the detail :P

After celebrating our 10th year anniversary of togetherness (21 Aug 09), we decided that the time is right for us to try for a baby. What with news of impending increment & promotions, the timing was just perfect. I know I know $$ is not everything, but a person like me think quite a lot & with those extra $$ I'm more comfortable bringing a BB into this world. I want BB to enjoy a good childhood. We are READY for the challenge.

I was pretty busy during the month of September as the project that I'm working on since June is closing on the release date which is on OCT. Since June, I've been working weekends & goin back home late slaving for this project.

Before even my period due date, I was feeling different. My boobs were sore. I started to vomit a bit after taking a sip of water in the morning. But surely I'm just over thinking this too much. We have just started to try, how can so fast got result?? So I ignored it at 1st. And I wanted to finish all the "work related task" at my hand 1st. And finished it I did. I was prepared for the pregnancy test. My period was 1 week late.

So on the 10th of Oct, picked up a home pregnancy kit test from guardian. was pretty excited but scared at the same time too...

2 pink lines meant we ARE pregnant!!! Hubby was really happy & beaming with joy. He have been waiting for this moment for a long time. Can't believe all this is happening... so fast!

Went for my 1st checked up at KPJ on the 17th Oct. I choose KPJ as it's so near to our home, very convenient. After the normal BP & Urine test, we saw bb for the 1st time on the monitor. At 8 weeks, we only saw a bean like shape thingy, 0.867 cm in length. But we could hear baby's heartbeat... beating very fast... must be excited too hehehhe. After hearing the heartbeat, I'm finally able to accept that a BABY is really GROWING inside me.

Starting from pregnancy week 10 onwards, I was suffering from morning sickness... BAD morning sickness. But hubby said it's more appropriate to call it ALL DAY SICKNESS as I vomit all day long. After every meal I'll start to feel bad. Then I would have to rush to the toilet. Mr. Toilet & I dated for almost 10 weeks. Was eating in small portion as I get full easily, but gets hungry soon after. Hubby was complaining I was making him FAT as he had to finish what I cannot eat muahahahah... Plain water make me sick too so Ribena & I became good friends.

By pregnancy week 20, I was feeling so much better already. I can finally enjoy my food. And I don't have to eat in small portion anymore. I'm BACK to my normal eating routine. SO HAPPY! By now, doctor can determine the sex of the baby. As it was a momentous event, Hubby took leave and went for the doctor's check-up with me on the 12th Jan 2010. During the scanning, doc showed us baby's head, spine, leg, buttock... it's very visible now. So happy that BB looks healthy. As baby was proudly showing us the view of the cute ass, we don't know whether BB's a flower or a bird. Then the doc suddenly shake the tummy to move the baby, and sure enough the baby move and the doc pointed to us a little birdie...

Have been feeling slight movement from BB, more like a funny wriggling sensation in the tummy. It was weird at 1st. But now I imagine BB waving at me! Took the Glucose Tolerance Test, pass with flying colors :) had to fast for 12 hours & drank 1 full cup of sugar water yaks.

Pregnancy Week 24 (8th Feb 2019), I'm now ~62 Kg, gained 7 kg in total (from starting of pregnancy). Enjoying too much food I think muahhaha bcoz my tummy is showing a slight hump only. My arm & thigh are PACK with FAT... sigh. Baby's strong flying kicks can be felt by hubby. But usually BB will stay quiet once hubby place his hand over my tummy.

Pregnancy Week 28 (10th Mar 2010), I've gained 2 kg in 1 month. Am now 64 kg. Hubby called me Jabba the Hutt! Tummy size has increased a lot... in the 3rd trimester now. Seeing the doc every 2 weeks. After doc measured BB's head, tummy and limbs, he said that BB is at a healthy weight of 1 kg. Finding a comfortable sleeping position is getting very hard. The many trips to the bathroom at night is really tiring. Bought some BB's clothes at Anakku @ Greenheight. Hubby is placing a lot of importance on exercise so we hav been goin for walks in the park ~15 to 20 minutes of moderate fast walking.

Pregnancy week 32 (7th Apr 2010), I'm now 66.5 kg (gained 2.5kg in a month). BB now weight ~1.8kg. Doc said he will be ~3kg during birth. Once, BB held wild gymnastic parties, now BB's movement has become slower, such as elbow & knees, I think the space has become cramped. BB is very aware of the surrounding. If music is loud, BB will start to dance :) especially when I watch America Idol. Sometimes I can feel BB having hiccups. Took another Glucose Tolerance Test, pass with flying colors again :) :) :)

Now at pregnancy week 33, I'm getting very excited to meet BB. With 7 weeks to go, I pray to God we can have a smooth sailing journey.