Romaine lettuce kid.

Checkup is once a week now.
The one I had on Thursday at Umra took fifty minutes. We took the usual; blood pressure, weight and urine test. I've officially gained TEN kilos since I got pregnant!
Did an ultrasound of the baby and the doctor estimated that Nugget will be about 3.1 to 3.3 kilos at birth!
😱

There I was lying in the bed with my belly out, eyes wide.. thinking that my siblings and I were less than 3 kilos when we were born and Kina's kids were also less than that.
The kind doctor reassured me that it's a normal weight, considering my height and Monkey's.
Also, when I told my sisters, Kina said that all her kids were born at least two weeks ahead of their due date. And yeah, my mom is petit.. just a wee over five feet.
Still.. got me nervous. I don't feel that big, though.

I won't be seeing my nurse at the health clinic for the time being. She said that if Umra is seeing me on the same week as our supposed appointment, I could just skip it since I'm planning to deliver in Umra anyway. She just reminded me that once I give birth, Monkey should come over to the clinic with the letter from the hospital and my pink book to inform them.
We'll talk more on that once we get to that point since I don't really know how's the flow for that one.

I am now suddenly freaking out over losing ten kilos after giving birth!
Yikes!
And I still have some weeks to go.. I will be putting on more weight, still.
Eeep!!
Okay, let's not dwell on this. I doubt it'll be good for me or the baby. We'll let future-W deal with it. Currrent-W is stressing over some other stupid things at the moment.

Like how I've been trying to be productive but always end up curling in bed.
Monkey had done such a good job around the house, cleaning and rearranging the household for my parents and soon, Nugget. He swept and mopped the floor, cleaned the bathroom, washed some previously-hidden kitchenware -- he's been.. incroyable.
All I'm supposed to do now is those tiny little things that I should be able to do, like wipe our old books and put them back in the bookshelf. haihh..

Monkey is on a long ass trip. The longest we've been apart since we got married. Mind you, it's only been two days and it already feels like weeks somehow! Pregnancy is making me extra clingy, perhaps. One more week before I get to see my main man.

Went to the baby expo in Midvalley on Saturday with Dida and my mom. Felt bad for dragging them along but I was SO grateful that they were there. We got there at noon and the crowd was murderous. I had a pretty short list of things to get since I'd went to get the bigger things during the expo in May.
So we got to the first booth, paid for what I'd wanted to get and the promoter said that I needed to wait for an hour -- which was fine, since I'd other booths to hit up so we'll come back.
Second booth had a short queue, which wasn't bad at all and the promoter was pretty attentive and helpful. Didn't take long at all.
Then at the third booth, things didn't make any sense at all.. The line was disorganised and so SO long! Dida said that I could go ahead and queue up, they don't mind waiting.
But I DO!

Told them I needed to cool off. I needed an ice blended.
So we made our way to Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf! hahahhaha!

After the much needed lunch, I made my way back into the expo and queue up at that third booth but with a much calmer attitude. The magic of a caramel ice blended!
While I was in line, Dida had ditched our mom at one of the poles outside with my previous purchase while she offered to collect the item from the first booth.
Anyway, I am happy to say that I pretty much got everything that I think I need for the baby that day!
(Dida so kindly drove me to Mothercare in Subang Parade after we dropped off Mama at home so I could get some bits and bobs that I had set my heart on getting. FYI, the Mothercare store in The Curve and Midvalley Megamall are closed for renovation.. or something.)

As we are approaching August..
I should really start to assemble my hospital bag!
Aaahhhhh.. this is getting SO real by the minute!

Honeydew-sized baby.

We're at the homestretch of this pregnancy and I am having mixed feelings.
Doesn't help that my emotions have been all over the place for the past week.
I blame the stress; of having to do a LOT of things around the house before the baby's arrival.
The guilt of letting Monkey do most of the things around the house because I get so easily tired and sleepy lately.
I am in that nesting mode, but damn it I'd rather be napping than sorting out the rooms!

The smallest room now is a total mess. My parents had brought over the spare mattress from their home for when they're staying over so I've been trying to clear out my closet from the small room to move it into the middle room so they could use it later. Does that make sense, by the way?
Monkey and I have SO many clothes! It makes absolutely NO SENSE when we keep wearing the same things over and over anyway!
We really need to sort that out.

Then we also need to do some more shopping for the baby and my parents! I mean, my parents hadn't actually asked for anything, but they're going to stay over and help out without me actually asking, so the least I could do is prepare the rooms and their basic amenities.
As for the baby stuff.. Monkey will be outstation at the end of this month so I'll be flying solo (again!) to the baby expo. pfft! Not too crazy about that after the stupid incident where I fell near a staircase earlier this month.

It was embarrassing, really. I was in Bangsar, going down the short steps while looking around for my Uber and not holding on to the handrail. (I normally just.. don't -- bacterias, ick!) Then at the last step I somehow sort of lost my footing and fell to my knees! People were looking, but none came to help. Then again, I got up so fast and pretty much immediately saw my Uber and walked towards it. Kinda funny, kinda grateful. Kinda painful too where my knees got most of the impact and I somehow grazed the top of my foot.
I got a little worried for a while but Nugget kicked me as if nothing happened, so we're fine..

Monkey kinda banned me from going out alone after that. Not sure if he's serious but Dida approved of the ban. pfft!

Anyway, I'm at Week 35. Kinda nuts when I think about it! Where did all the time went?! To think that babies will be fine if they were born on the 36th week. Not sure if I'll be fine, though! Good God, I hope Nugget will let me enjoy the kicks for a couple more weeks. I really do feel that I will miss that the most. Even though it can get uncomfortable at times.
Funny thing is, Nugget really acts up when there's just me; kicking and stretching like there's no tomorrow. But as soon as Monkey or someone else puts their hand over my belly, Nugget will immediately stop! Or kick a little less.
Seriously.. this cheeky baby..

I am definitely feeling.. large.
Not fat, though. Although I have gained nine kilograms since I got pregnant! I pray that I'll be able to shed them off once Nugget is born.

Recently I went to get a 5D scan of the baby. Not that there's any NEED for it. To be honest, I feel like Nugget has been getting scanned so so much, it's really unnecessary. But I am extra.. I wanted a 5D print of the baby..
If/when I get pregnant again in the future, I'll probably have a scan for that first time when I find out, NT scan in week eleven or twelve, detailed scan around week twenty-four and then perhaps a 5D when the baby is around week thirty**. I mean, of course.. I've been getting so many scans throughout this pregnancy because I get my check-ups in two places. The government clinic had wanted to keep a close eye on me as I'd been a smoker while Umra's procedure basically scans patients in every visit.
I do hope that there really isn't any effect on the baby from getting so many ultrasounds!

**I got mine at Week 33. Personally, I went there to get a clear picture of Nugget's tiny face for the journal I'm writing. It's not advisable to go so late during the pregnancy as the baby will be too large and crammed in the womb, so you might not be able to see the baby's face clearly. I got mine alright. Then again Nugget was just about 2.5kg then.

I dread the idea of going back to work.
Still not missing it!
A friend (who isn't in the biz) wondered how I manage to not miss it even a bit. Told her that I miss the perks of shopping outside. And my own money, of course. heehee. But I don't miss the job. I really don't.
Don't get me wrong, the job isn't boring. But if I could find something else where I don't have to sit all day, be around my family more and still keep my livelihood as it was, I'll happily quit from being a cabin crew.

Anak tak lahir lagi, dah terkena dah syndrom mak mak..

I don't know..
Perhaps I'll change my mind once I hear Nugget's first cry. heh. I am SO looking forward to actually hold the baby and just bond.. but at the same time I'm afraid of not wanting to ever let 'em go.
I hope I'll be fine. I hope we'll all be fine..

I should probably start packing my hospital bag. Maybe I'll do that next week. I'm in no rush. I don't think Nugget is too.

I feel like I'm coming down with something. Just the other day I was thinking to myself that I'd been relatively healthy throughout this pregnancy. Not a single flu or sniffles. Well, I kinda sorta did sometime during the first trimester but it wasn't enough for me to consider even taking a Panadol and it probably lasted just two days. I do remember taking warm water with honey for a couple of times and felt fine after. Never sick enough to report to my nurse or doctor.
Anyway.. my point is, I've been feeling kinda crappy this past two days! Like.. the heck? I'd been so proud and impressed to the point that I wish I could've high-fived lil' Nugget! But I am currently having some sort of a sore throat and a little dry cough. Still not enough to report to my nurse or doctor, but it's uncomfortable.
Hoping it'll go away soon.

I Covet Thee..

You know what.. the thing is, I feel like I haven't been splurging for myself for SO long that now whenever I see something remotely nice, I'd make a mental note of it and they're suddenly on my wishlist.
I just threw out a bunch of makeup (yes, I know I said I was going to blog about that whole ordeal, believe me it's coming, but it's turning out to be so looong that I got bored mid way so I had to put that aside for a bit) but here I am.. wanting.. coveting some more makeup.

Let's start off with some new things by NARS, because who will I be if I don't start out with them? heh.

Here we have the new Powermatte Lip Pigment which is a matte liquid lipstick by Nars. I mean, most of you probably know my obsession with Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick by now, so when I got word that Nars had came out with a liquid lipstick, you know.. I am just going to have to try it!

By the way, Sephora Malaysia finally has the new shades of the KVD liquid lipsticks and lip pencils! I'm torn.. I'm torn..

Nars also released a special Velvet Matte Lip Pencil set for Nordstrom. There are two sets of four limited edition shades; Mustang comes with four red, bold shades while Tribulation has four nude, neutral shades. Now, do I need four almost similar shades of matte lipsticks? Of course not, but that doesn't stop me from WANTING them, does it? hahahha!

Then I don't know how, or why Hourglass always ends up in my wishlist, but I saw the Confession Ultra Slim High Intensity refillable lipstick and I just want it. Obviously it's the packaging, but damn! hahahha! Perhaps I'm attracted to them because they seem as dangerous as Christian Louboutin's lipsticks but I know I can never justify buying those!
Hourglass on the other hand, seem achievable. We'll see how it goes. I still have my thoughts on the GIRL Lip Stylos.

The fact that I threw out a couple of palettes while I was spring cleaning (you'll know once I finish the post I promised..) means that I now have room for some new palettes! (yayy!)
I was sort of on a palette no-buy and I've been pretty good so far. I mean, last year I only bought that NARS Jetsetter face palette if I remember correctly.

Since I've been keen on warm tones, it's only natural that I'd be drawn to the new Urban Decay Naked Heat palette! But my eyes aren't only drawn to that palette..
I am also eyeing the new Marc Jacobs Eye-conic Multi-finish eyeshadow palette in Scandalust.

I think they're both equally gorgeous and if the new Marc Jacobs palettes are anything like the ones they've had before, I reckon they're going to feel really awesome. There will be a price difference, I'm sure but I'm pretty keen on trying out something new!

No idea if I'll ever get to put away my wishlists. The things that are on my previous wishlist are still very much on the list! In a way I am proud for not going out immediately and get anything and everything that I want. It's almost like I can now prioritise! HAHAHAHA!

Oh well, I do see myself splurging some bits when I'm finally going back to work. It's kind of a psychological thing. Like those times in school days, you'll be excited about going back to school after the long holidays when you know you've got a spanking new pair of white shoes and new coloured pens and stationeries, right?
I will be needing that kind of incentive after this long of a break from work..

The Third Trimester.

Well. I suppose what's annoying about the third trimester is having to keep track of the baby's movements and kicks. Or at least there's a page in the pink book where expectant mothers are supposed to jot down baby's ten movements from 9 AM, and we should be alarmed if we couldn't feel those ten kicks in the span of twelve hours. (9 AM 'til 9 PM basically.)

But.. I mean.. during the fasting month.. I only fall asleep after suhur.. I can't be expected to wake up at nine just to count Nugget's kicks! huhuu..
It's fine, though.. Nugget basically kicks a little extra around 3 PM and 5 PM. Probably kicking me to get some food but it's fine.

I've been preferring sitting down or standing than laying down anywhere. Turning my body in any way was getting hard. Between the size of my belly and the aches and pains I've been having, turning to my side, or getting out of bed has been a feat.

Experienced my first swollen feet some nights ago. Thought to myself.. "this is it; goodbye tiny feet." (I'm a size UK 4, believe it or not.) Then I woke up the next day with my feet looking as normal as ever. Feels like it might be because I had been in the car for too long the previous day. Hubs and I had spent four hours lounging at his friend's house then spent three hours travelling back from Kuantan.
Swollen feet was alarming. It didn't feel like anything at all but they looked.. SO weird! Kinda reminded me of an elephant's foot! hahahahha!
I showed them to Monkey and he too was amused.

My ninth check up at the health clinic at Week 31(ish) took two hours. Got there a little after nine AM and spent most my time there just waiting for my number. It took almost an hour before I got my number called to get my Hb checked and my urine tested.

Took another fifty minutes before my nurse saw me and called me to come into the nurses' room -- and basically cut the queue, actually! hahahha! She said she didn't know the two ladies that are supposed to be ahead of me.. hahahha! Suppose it was unfair, but still it amused me.

Anyway, she reminded me to have a balanced diet and a little extra extra since my Hb hadn't increased since my last visit. As per normal, she then carried on with measuring the fundal height (she measured my belly to check the height of my uterus to see the foetal growth,) and checked on baby's heartbeat which came out normal.

Check up in Umra went on like every other check up except that they did a vaginal swab of my discharge to get them tested for any unwanted bacterias that could affect the baby.
Not sure if this gets done at the government health clinic (I'll check with my nurse the next time I see her, if I remember it!) but apparently it's quite a common test that gets done on an expectant mother as she gets closer to her due date.

I'm getting my check up every two weeks now that I've past Week 30 of pregnancy. Honestly I find it annoying to have to get to the clinic/hospital every so often! hahahha!
At least my visits are getting shorter though. Took just a little over an hour at the health clinic the other day. (Pretty sure because my "appointment" was set at ten AM anyways.) I was also really stoked that my Hb spiked since the last visit. Probably because Ramadhan was over so at least I've been eating normally again. (Hadn't really increased on those leafy greens, cockles and internal organs that were supposed to help with increasing the red blood cells! heehee)

Interestingly though, I'd gained 1.6 kg in the span of fifteen days! I mean, third trimester is really when the baby just gets beefed up before popping out, but 1.6! That seemed a LOT!

My check-ups just got really shorter these days. There isn't much to do once I get to see the doctor or nurse. My check up in Umra at Week 34 didn't even take half an hour! I got there at 11:35AM, paid our bill at 11:57! It was really quick. Just did the routine weight, BP and urine then have a little scan of the baby.

Then my most recent check-up at the health clinic took almost two hours -- because of the wait, really. Just like the previous check-up. We talked about baby's movements, my Hb; since it dropped again, nothing much. I feel like most times I'm there we'd chat about random little things that I observe around the clinic.
By the way, I forgot to ask my nurse about the vaginal swab in government clinics. *smacks forehead*

Note on third trimester:
1. It's annoying to track baby's movement, honestly. Annoying when you take it really seriously and truly jot down the time of baby's tenth movement. I honestly didn't start my time at 9:00 AM as I was supposed to, but I know my baby. Nugget's always most active around the same time so I wasn't worried.
Honestly I don't think it's TOO important to get your time "right" as long as you are aware of the baby's movement. You should know when the baby hadn't moved for a while or moving too too much. It's good that the baby is active, but there's that concern for their umbilical cord to get tangled around them if they moved too much.
2. As much as my Hb worries me, my nurse isn't too bothered it seemed. Said that my Hb seemed to be playing around the same numbers and it hadn't dropped to the point of "worry" just yet. She mentioned that a woman lost about 400 to 500 ml of blood during labour so if my Hb had dropped to anywhere around eight or nine, then we all should worry! hahaha

Alright, I don't think there will be a "second part" of my third trimester. I will still share some bits of what's left of this pregnancy, though. I'm just not going to compile it like I have done here and throughout this pregnancy series, if we could call it that.
Leave me a comment if you have any questions -- that you think I could answer. hahahaha

Oooh.. my feelings are all over the place right now!

Insta-stories.

Basically, here's what's coming in the next couple of days.. (--or weeks..?)

(In case the video doesn't show on your browser, as it didn't on mine 😓 it's my Instagram Stories of me trashing some of my beloved makeup..)

What's In My Handbag?

-- pregnancy edition!

I've been ditching my trusted Rebecca Minkoff Mini M.A.C for a slightly larger bag since probably March, I wanna say. With the amount of things that I was carrying -- or wanted to carry, my Mini M.A.C simply couldn't handle it.

So I began my quest, searching for the right sized bag that I wouldn't hate carrying. I had considered getting one of the diaper bags that I'd been reading up on, but they were way too big for pre-baby. I was very keen to get one of those Longchamp that had the shoulder strap, but hey.. I'm on unpaid leave so I shouldn't be spending Monkey's hard-earned cash willy-nilly! hahahha.

Then one day Mumu brought me out to Pyramid and we randomly went into the Converse store and saw this black PU leather shoulder bag.
It looked super simple. It has a pocket slip in front, and a zippered main compartment.

Didn't take long for me to decide to just get it. I knew I could fit my pink book in it somehow and that's good enough for me! The size was right, also it was on offer that day so I got it for RM90! bahhahaha I'm cheap!
Well, it suit its purpose and though carrying a Converse bag immediately reminds me of my time in high school, I have no complains!

So we'll start from what I have in the front pocket;

I've got my pink book -- which isn't there everyday, but it was on the day that I took the pictures for this entry. I have it in a clear plastic folder so it wouldn't get wet in case water gets to it somehow.
Then I have a hotel writing pad, in case I'd like to jot down some stuff. Shopping lists, most of the time.
That red thing is a bluetooth remote for taking photos with your phone. Not that I whip it out a lot but I've had plenty of times when I'm without it but wished that I had.
I've got an old, faded and tangled long necklace that I got from Lovisa.
A Dolly Dim Sum voucher that I should've used when I was there just few days ago with a friend, but forgotten that I had it with me.
A Shah Alam parking booklet so hubs and I don't get fined during our check-ups in Umra, and random.. SO random stirrers from Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf and fruit-fork thingamajig that I'd trashed as soon as I was done taking the pictures for this entry.

On to the things that are in the main compartment. Let's start with the "beauty" bits;

Monkey bought me a few packs of wet wipes in case I needed to wipe down toilet seats while I'm outside, and in that small Kate Spade jewellery pouch is where I keep the actual girly things.

That samurai thing is actually one of those stainless steel mirrors.
The non-make up bits are Soap & Glory anti-bacterial hand gel in the Sugar Crush scent, ReNu rewetting eyedrops, and another super random thing that I just happen to carry; a March Harriet minifigure from the Lego Batman Movie.
As for the actual make up, I am still carrying way too many lipsticks for one handbag! I've got Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Matte-Lip in Chocco Berry, Shu Uemura Supreme Matte lipstick in PK376, Maybelline Color Drama lipstick in Pink So Chic and NARS Matte Lip Pencil in Bahama, Provocative Red and Dragon Girl. Three of Nars.. Of course.

Practical things! My customised Touch 'N Go card that Dida made me and Nina a while back  heh. My extremely battered Rebecca Minkoff small purse where I keep my money. And two card holders from Fossil that holds my IDs, insurance card and bank cards while the one by Kate Spade holds my memberships and point cards.

Some bits that I can't categorise; I have a slim Lenovo powerbank that I've probably just used twice since I changed phones. I'm mostly carrying it in case Monkey needs to recharge his phone now. Then there's a hotel pen, my Rayban, a split cable for headphones.. in case I'm pulling a "Begin Again" scene with Monkey. hahahha!
A lighter!.. a force of habit. heh
And a foldable shopping bag I got for free from buying some Origins skincare. Well, my shopping bag changes every so often. Previously I was carrying one from Lululemon but I just had to threw that out after an incident I had carrying rendang from Dida's place. Tried to wash it, but that totally ruined the bag. It was upsetting.. I loved that bag!

Now on to the things that made this a pregnant lady's bag;

My Joseph Joseph water bottle because I'm supposed to drink three litres of water a day.. hah! I try.. I try.. (haven't succeeded as yet, unfortunately.)
A bag of Farley's Rusk cookies, because why not? I love the taste! hahahaha! A small ziploc bag of dates and raisins.. because basically, I'd hate to go hungry or thirsty.
Lastly, I have some back up Iberet because I HATE being outside then suddenly remember that I hadn't taken my supplements. Usually happens when Monkey and I were at his mom's place in Puncak Alam.

And that's all there is in my bag!
Sorry the photos are kinda crap. Could've taken them again but it was getting really warm on the balcony where I was taking these photos and I just couldn't stand it for too long. hahahha!

Emotions running wild.

I wasn't really surprised that I'll be such a mess emotionally throughout this experience.
I mean, I don't exactly trust my feelings even before I got pregnant. But some days, I get a little overwhelmed that it's almost embarrassing.

These days I find that I cry to love songs.
I mean.. come on!
I used to get melancholic when I hear really sad songs. They really spoke to my soul. Happy, love songs are just.. fine, to me. I appreciate them all the same, made me smile sometimes.. but I don't cry to them!

Lately though.. I can't even sing along to these happy love songs!!!!
Everytime I start, my voice gets stuck in my throat, then my eyes start to water. If I try to push through, it'll just turn on the waterworks for a full minute.
(eg. Sara Bareilles - I Choose You)

I don't even understand it, but I just somehow get incredibly overwhelmed. SO overwhelmed that only tears could get me through, apparently.
Surprisingly sad songs doesn't affect me in any way anymore. hahahha!

To splurge.. or not?

I am the type of person who likes having back-ups. More so of my favourite things.
When it comes to beauty, I find that there are only a few things that I refuse to skip out on.

Since I haven't had to put on a full face of make-up for a while now, it just got even more obvious when it comes to what I NEED and what I don't really care for.
It may not come as a surprise, but what I need are eyebrows! I don't step out of the house without them. I can ignore my dark circles.. and my pale lips..  but I simply cannot ignore my barely-there eyebrows.

So here's a little story. I haven't been with my favourite Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz for monthhsss now. I've tried Benefit's Precisely, My Brow and was not entirely impressed. Loved the colour of Shade 3 but I feel like it ran out too fast. I found an unused In2It brow pencil that I used to LOVE so much (a back-up that I never got around to use, go figure!) but I think it had went bad because a spot popped up in my brows the very next day! hahahha

I've also tried the brow pencil by Anastasia but I feel like it is waay too pigmented for my liking and I  really do prefer a thin nib for my brows.
Recently I've used up the brow pencil by It Cosmetics and similarly to Anastasia's brow pencil, it's very pigmented and most of the time I'd end up with harsh brows -- for something out of a pencil. Also, the spoolie at the end was not that great.

Currently I am using my Tarte Amazonian Clay brow mousse -- that is about three years old and incredibly dried up. hahahha! I am feeling super stingy at the moment, can you see?
I do worry that it's going to give me a pimple to my already sensitive skin since I've been pregnant so I have been contemplating to just go ahead and repurchase a Brow Wiz. Oh, how I miss it.

Then as I was going through my make-up collection, somehow I found an Urban Decay Brow Beater still new in box! When the hell did I bought that, I had no idea! hahahha! Made me feel a little better for not having to fork out RM100 on a brow pencil -- also thankful for my silly habit for keeping back-ups of things. hehe.
Now the question remains.. will this back-up give me a pimple? hahahha!! Guess we'll find out in a couple of days. Suppose if it does I'll just bit the bullet and purchase a Brow Wiz. Hopefully I won't have to, though. I have other things on an actual list that I need to get.

God knows how glad I am to have a brow pencil at hand, though! The brow mousse was fine, but if ever I'm travelling (like I was in Kuantan -- when I found out that the It Cosmetics pencil had come to its end!) I much prefer a thin-nib pencil that has a spoolie on its other end.

I am currently staring at my makeup collection.. thinking that I should really have a clear out very soon. (Apart from finally washing ALL of my brushes!) I reckon I haven't used most of them for over six months. I know I need to throw out a couple of mascaras. Probably get rid some of my lippies too. Wish I knew how I could clean NARS' packaging! Mine are all sticky and dusty.. ick!

The other day I found out that my skin shade has changed. I was putting on concealer and two that I have was waayy too yellow on me!
I probably need to buy a whole set of my base makeup when I go back to work in a few months.
Kinda excited.. kinda sad..
Mostly sad that I have to say goodbye to some makeup in the next few days.

I mean.. I really shouldn't still be holding on to the Nars palette that I got in 2013.. right?