My Little Feet

Leila was deeply sleeping while I am busy with all-in-a-day's work and a pleasant view stopped me from my day errands and paused for a while, took my camera and enjoyed shooting her little feet that are peeking at me. Seven months ago, these feet are kicking inside me and oh how I loved that feeling since she first kicked. During the last trimester, she was kicking everytime DH (Dear Hubby) is around, every time he comes home from work and she hears his voice, she is greeting him with kicks. He then talked to her "where is my little foot?, How's my little foot?" Her right foot was just below my ribs and the form was very obvious. At times like this, makes me realize how fast she is growing. Now she loves biting her foot.

Now, I love smelling her tiny little feet.. Yeah, I'm enjoying it while I still can... before they get smelly! Lols.

Looking back.. here's a repost from multiply..

... ON BEING PREGGY ....

It has been an amazing journey for the last 8 months being preggy. It's a lifetime experience on all corners of my life and most of all being loaded with responsibilities laid ahead of me and the challenges of parenting. All these can wait until the time when I will be a mother, and this brings me back to being pregnant for the first time. As the old saying goes "You will never understand your mother unless you become one" the same thing goes with being pregnant. And I do agree, you will never understand a pregnant woman unless you become pregnant yourself.

Though I've never grown up in a normal life with a mother figure at home coz Mom died when I was five, I've had a lot of things in my mind like what should I be as a mother or what should I don't want to be. The society had been my laboratory. Observing how somebody's son or daughter end up with such a misery because of luck of parental guidance or how somebody's son/daughter could be successful even against all the odds financially, and loads of other examples that I can pick randomly around me. Having these things in mind, I can put aside the matter of parenting and focus on where I am now.

Firstly, I appreciate my hubby for all his support on this amazing 9-month journey, (1 month to go). I'm so thankful that he had been very supportive emotionally. I relied on him on all the anxieties I had during the first trimester, bearing with me with all the mood swings that goes up and down like a roller coaster ride.

Having the thought of this little creature inside me will change our lives forever had brought us closer than ever. So, I would say "we are pregnant" rather than saying "I am pregnant" as he had been an amazing father-to-be. We are enjoying being pregnant and now he is unbelievably close to baby. She recognizes his voice when he is talking to her, his massage and his body temperature when he touches or massages my belly, she seems to be excited, flickering, punching or kicking, or somersaulting inside me. I think it's because I've been playing his recorded voice message for baby when he is not around. Somehow, they bonded together.

Looking back on how it has been, I can't sum up everything but I'll try to enumerate what I've learned.

1. I learned to appreciate my body more and more with the growing bump. Looking at the mirror would tell me how much she had grown and I cant be prouder with a bigger belly each week.

2. My likings on food is not my priority anymore but I have to consider the health benefits as well as its dangers for the growing fetus. I am not eating smoked salmon (which is my favorite), Soft cheeses / smelly cheeses (another favorite), avoiding cakes which I crave from time to time.

3. I've never been swimming more often than before but now with with my big bump, I can do 8 laps and enjoyed swimming than ever before. I think its safer than walking in the streets, but I do walk a lot with extra care. For the sake of exercise.

4. I learned how to monitor my sugar level as I had developed gestational diabetes, which is common during pregnancy. So I have to dig in what is GD and found out that the pancreas is not secreting much insulin during pregnancy because of high level of hormone "relaxin" which relaxes or reduces the function of pancreas, and that there is less insulin causes diabetes coz its the one responsible for breaking up sugars that we take. Even if I didn't had much sugary foods, I have developed diabetes. Hence, I have to cut down my intake of sugar than my normal diet, which includes cutting on fruits. I thought fruits are good during pregnancy but too much of it could accumulate sugar badly. therefore, a slice of fruit, not 2, not 3, but just a slice is enough and should be taken with a meal. Before I was snacking on 2 bananas or 2 oranges when I'm hungry coz I thought I needed vitamin C. I have to admit, I was completely wrong about that! Okay, Now I know, and it's good to know!

4. The Aches!!!!! Headaches for the first trimester, my left wrist is aching occationally, backache when I'm not walking or swimming, so I have to exercise to minimize backaches and avoid long sitting, leg cramps during dawn, but I learned that putting a pillow inbetween my legs at night and taking calcium before sleeping reduces cramps, and it works well with me, thankfully, now I'm not having leg cramps anymore.

5. Varicose veins are becoming unbeareable, I can't stand that long in stationary and have to elevate my legs up whenvever possible.

6. Sleeping is becoming more and more difficult as baby is moving in the middle of the night waking me up. Even lying down on bed at night and getting up in the morning is not that easy anymore as my bump is quite heavy now. I have to move very slowly like a crawling worm. Sleeping on one side is more comfy than lying flat but I have to shift from one side to another.

By far, that's what I've been dealing with and as they say each woman has a unique pregnancy experience.



Looking on what I love the most, I have as much to say as well.
1. I love my bump! Love the flickering movement from the very first kick until now. We kept on guessing which one is the baby's bum or limbs or arms everytime my tummy waves with her movement. Which one is a kick, or a punch? or maybe she is just showing her bum!


2. I love hubby doing massage on my bump and as he talks to baby, its like this baby is driving us crazy!!! I love him kissing my tummy and loving him more each day.

3. I love it when almost everybody is saying to me "you take care" even a stranger would say such lovely words and offer some hefty help.

4. I love shopping for baby!!! Preparing for her arrival is such a thrill. I get tempted to grab some lovely pink clothes, her beddings, bottles, toys, etc.

5. The more I appreciate mothers that I see around carrying their babies.


6. I love day dreaming what she would look like, if she gets my eyes or hubby's, or I wished she will get dad's hair coz I dont like mine, or she might get my fingernails and go crazy with day dreaming on the looks, but most of all dreaming of raising her as a composed well rounded person, or she'll be as genius as her dad or would she speaks eloquently.



As far as knowledge on being pregnant is concern, we didnt had experience before so, we had pregnancy books to read and research on the net, but despite all these, we are still not confident of ourselfves, so we enrolled ourselves to "Parent Craft" classes, in which we were taught on some issues concerning pregnancy, what to expect during birth, breathing techniques and positioning for birth as well as breastfeeding. But we will keep on learning as we get there, atleast to have an idea on what to do wouln't leave us like idiots, but would diffinitely help us get there and coping with it makes easy.