Thursday, October 07, 2010
Aditri Ariella Om
Now let's proceed with Aditri's birth story…
My contractions had been increasing over the last week, but having had 2 previous hospital admissions, with one being a false labour, I was determined to “get it right” the next time I made a trip to the hospital
Monday morning the 7th of June- i woke up at 8 am with light contractions. I was so used to it by now, I simply passed it off as Braxton hicks. I had an appointment with the midwife later that morning so I got dressed and went about the daily household chores.I silently rejoiced when the contractions got more frequent and intense but I didn't make a big hoo haa out of it like I had previously, raising everyones hopes.I was determined to get it right this time. By noon though the intensity had increased I kept reassuring myself that I could wait a little longer for the contractions to get more regular... I waited and waited til midnight. Took a nice warm shower, checked the pregnancy bag & camera and then waited for Alvin to get dressed and take me to the hospital. At 1230am on 8th June 2008 we arrived at Blekinge Sjukhuset.
The contractions were 10-20 minutes apart but still bearable. I was ushered into a room and was hooked onto the cardiotocogram(CTG), knowing this would last at least several hours, we made ourselves comfortable...
The midwife in-charge;Giselle Tham the same lady who delivered Aaren :) came in, introduced herself and we started chatting and successfully distracting me from the pain.she did an internal test and announced that I was doing very well, 5 cm dilated! It really sounded too good to be true.
I handed her my birth plan and she took it to her room to look thru it leaving Alvin and me in the room. Alvin began taking pictures and we chatted away. He was making me laugh thru my contractions trying his best to ensure that I remained distracted. He kept telling me how brave I was, that men are not cut out for labour, that god chose women after himself to be able to bring a life into this world... :) isn't he the sweetest!!!
We had just begun to discuss the birth plan. It was close to 130am.Giselle came in and asked if I'd like to have the membranes ruptured or if I'll like to let nature take it's own course. I chose to speed things up. She ruptured my water bag and told me that the contractions are going to be more frequent and intense
I told Alvin I'll practise the first pain relief option at 230am. Having something to look forward to made me hang on and I tolerated the pain while looking at the clock waiting for 230am.I used the yoga ball to move from side to side, swaying my hips to reduce the pain and tried walking with support..all this when the only source of relief was a supply of Entonox(laughing gas) I felt high! when the contractions were at their peak, nothing seemed to be able to ‘take the edge’ off it.
Was I regretting not having an epidural? No! I was determined and I knew that no matter how painful, I'll eventually get thru it. I had already made a mental note never to use epidural.. Not with the first,not now..
Experience of a Lifetime
The next few minutes were the most happening! My contractions soon increased in frequency, reaching a stage where a second contraction would mount before the first had completely subsided. The Entonox only helped regulate my deep breathing.My hubby and midwife offered lots of comfort thru words. “Breathe in deeply”,"you're doing great", "you're almost there" etc.
Giselle did an internal examination. Announcing that I was already 10 cm dilated and we could now proceed! She immediately called for 2 other midwives. One of whom wad a student from stockholm (I had consented for her to be present at my delivery – after all, she has to practice to master)
Giselle was probably the most consistent in offering words of encouragement and comfort.I know Alvin was tensed and was trying so hard not to show it. Afterall, it came as a surprise to him when he was asked to put on gloves and get ready to receive. Little did he know that he was about to deliver our baby in a few seconds.
God Bless the Midwife
Finally, my midwife propped me up with some pillows, positioning me for delivery. Despite the pain, I could not help but marvel at God’s amazing design of the human body. Having no epidural to numb my sensation, I could tell exactly when to push and was surprised that it was easier than expected. Each contraction helped to propel my little baby from the womb out into the world, and the pain seemed to have a very specific purpose now. It all seemed to fall into place, the body doing what it needed to do to complete this miracle of life.
After the 2nd push my hands were directed so that I could feel her crowning.I felt lots of hair! Alvin was instructed while I pushed. (i will get him to blog on this part) 6 pushes later, I hear Ariella's cries. A very happy man who had just delivered his daughter came over excitedly with her in his arms
I never needed an episiotomy,no tears...nothing! I remember a feeling of immense relief and release when Ariella fully emerged from the womb at 340am She cried immediately at birth and was placed on my chest after her cord was cut by her daddy.
My placenta was delivered and shown to me. The midwives explained it's function and how the baby was within. I could still feel my uterus contracting intermittently, but knew this was normal and expected.
I forgot about all the pain and exhaustion as soon as I got a glimpse of her. After she suckled on my breasts she cuddled up and fell asleep as I just looked on at the product of our love: Aditri Ariella Om
Alvin called home and informed mummy who in turn told our relatives back in Singapore.
Ariella never left my side after that. We were served our Fika (Fika is both Swedish noun that roughly means "to drink coffee," usually accompanied by something sweet)
Within the hour, We were transferred to a post natal ward for recuperation and bonding. I quickly showered and got dressed in my home clothes.after which, Alvin went back home and brought Aaren and my mum for a visit.
Mum was so excited to see her grand daughter. She is very afraid to carry new borns but when she saw Ariella who wad 4.32kg and 52cm tall holding her head steady, she was amazed and carried her. Aaren was playing with his dad and me, not noticing his little sister :) We were to stay there for 2 days. But Ariella had to be kept in the hospital, under observation for the next 5 days due to a suspected infection. Alvin and I stayed in as I had to breastfeed. On the 4th day, Sunday the 12th June, Alvin drive to Copenhagen to pick papa and Chandini up.they came straight to the hospital on reaching karlskrona to see our little gal.
Ariella’s story doesn’t end here, it merely begins. Our lives have been turned upside-down with her arrival, but we treasure her as a gift from God. All stories must end somewhere, and this is where we will leave it, for now.
Friday, May 07, 2010
"Semper Amemus" -our love is forever
We couldn't possibly have known when we began our married life how entwined our lives would become
in our journey as husband and wife. With every year and each passing day you manage to say "I Love You" in so many different ways. May our anniversary remind us, as we start the year anew, that we share a special happiness life gives to just a few...
It's amazing how time flies. It's been 7 whole years since I got to know my sweetheart and we've been married legally for 5 years now!
4th May 2005 we registered our marriage. It's a great date because we share the same anniversary as another very loving and cute couple- my parents! They've been blissfully married for a whopping 33 years now and are a very good example to us :)
My sweetheart had been busy all week preparing stuff for a function at work. He managed to however bring Aaren and me out on a nice dinner to the new sports bar in town -Stars & Stripes, all revamped, brand new and with a beautiful ambience.. It was previously known as O'Learys. We enjoyed a nice dinner, I had Beckham's grilled Salmon with key lime, Aaren had a sausage bun with fries from the kids menu and Alvin had some BBq ribs. Unfortunately I didn't bring my mobile phone and couldn't take snaps of the cute moments where daddy dearest was being fed pop corn by his lil angel :) it sure was a moment to remember.
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday, April 30, 2010
News updates
No. In case you were wondering like everyone else, we were not affected by the Iceland's volcanic ash. Maybe other parts of Sweden but not where we reside. :)
I'm in the last league of my pregnancy!
This is the end of week 34. 3 more weeks to full term and It'll be safe to deliver anytime after may 19th...
Well that's still some time away.
Next weekend is what I'm looking forward to... My mum will be here!!! I'm so excited I can hardly wait.
I can't wait to see how Aaren will take to her or how he and she will bond, the new things Aaren will pick up from her and it's just so lovely to see the grandparent pampering the grandchild... My mum isn't one who spoils a child. She's quite a disciplinarian and I'm looking forward to seeing a more disciplined lil boy. Most of all I'm looking forward to being a child again ;)
Aaren is 18 months old and is picking up words very fast. He's able to clearly say words like bicycle, ice cream, chocolate, milk, cake,pear, apples, butterfly and so many others. He's growing fast and learning even faster. He has begun to repeat things I tell him... "Please sit down" is one of his favourite phrases!
I tried potty training him but I couldn't follow thru due to my big tummy so it's on hold right now. But he has learnt to say pee pee and pop poo, potty and yucks because I keep repeating it..he is able to remove his diapers when he soils them.I'm sure he'll pick it up once I'm fully into training him...
He has always been very attached to his daddy but nowadays it has taken a whole new meaning. He skips his naps just to be with his papa and at night he wouldn't sleep without him. I have more than half the bed to myself cuz the boy will cuddle up nicely with his dad at the other corner:) he loves spending time with his papa and the word papa from Aaren's mouth sounds sooo sweet! They even dress alike when possible... I just watch them both while a tingle warms my heart. I love u both!
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday, March 26, 2010
Sweet tooth
Banana walnut cakes and scones are baked almost every week so this time along with them, I tried a simple sponge cake. I have 2 tubs of cream cheese so I decided to do a cream cheese filling instead of butter cream. I dusted some cocoa powder for a little more flavour! I made a thin layer, divided in into halves and had only 4 slices instead of a whole lot.
-- Post From My iPhone
Thursday, March 18, 2010
IndoChinese Fried Rice
Chinese because it has soy sauce. Indie because it has corriander & chilli powder in it :) a simple dinner for it's vegetarian but I added sausages to my Husbands plate as he always likes something on the side.
-- Post From My iPhone
Simple Sweet Scones
Yesterday I went for my Glucose Test in Centrum early in the morning on an empty stomach. I had to gulp down a whole glass of syrup! Yes it was super sweet and not in a good way.2 hours of waiting got me really hungry! After that we went to have breakfast at "Waynes Coffee" I had coffee instead of hot chocolate. Been crazy over caffeine lately. Alvin and I shared some savoury chicken sandwich.
We walked around centrum- H&M basically. Alvin did shopping for both himself and Aaren. Unfortunately I didn't see anything worth buying. Then a short walk to Bokia but sadly I couldn't find any Novels worth reading either!
Just two shops away from Bokia, there is a cafe. Emily had brought me to Siesta Cafe during my last pregnancy and introduced me to this really yummy cake. I still dunno what it's called but it seems only this particular cafe has it. I couldn't resist so I went and got myself 2 slices of cake and a scone.
Today, I felt like having scones again... Filling but light and not much sugar or guilt involved. It took me 1/2 an hour from measuring ingredients to putting the first bite in my mouth. Unimaginably fast and yummy :) and the ingredients are always available in the house!
You can have it with your choice of jam, butter or cheese :) best enjoyed warm. Can be frozen and stored away for up to 2 weeks. Simply reheat in microwave at high for 1 minute!
-- Post From My iPhone
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
A Lunch Date
I had a friend over for lunch today. It didn't take me more than 1.5 hours to prepare these:
This was lunch for Alvin as well so I had to prepare it by 1130am. It had to be stored away in the oven and i didn't secure the foil tight enough thus it got a little dry :( the aloo ki tikki was okay just a tad bit too salty for my liking. I don't think anyone can go wrong with Raita so yeah... A simple hearty lunch.
When you have good company time flies and today was no exception. We chatted away til 5plus and then it was time for exchanging good byes.., til the next time :)
-- Post From My iPhone
28 Weeks
This pregnancy seems to just glide by. I remember with Aaren I was waiting anxiously for the first trimester to be over and with baby number 2,I'm already in the third trimester!
Yesterday at 1305hrs, after we came back from a nice walk... Hardly 3km but it took me an hour. I enjoyed every bit of it. It was great feeling the sun on my face.
Looking at the ducks and seagulls and swans! Beautiful I tell ya!
Alvin went off to get us some take away lunch and I fed aaren some choc cereal and sat down with a big glass of water.
My tummy tightened and the sides of my tummy felt a familiar pressure... A pain I remember going thru in my first pregnancy... Only then it was when I was in labour. I was panicking! I was having contractions and this early? At 28 weeks!!
I called the emergency number and was directed to the delivery ward. The midwife I spoke to asked me about my symptoms and said it'll be best if I could come for a check up.
They hooked up a machine on me to monitor the contractions & Baby's heart rate. They did a cervix check to ensure that the contractions were not altering it in anyway. An ultrasound to check on our baby, her position and the amount of amniotic fluid. Also if the placenta was fine and intact. Baby has already assumed the head down position and was moving actively.
Thank god everything was fine and after all the checks I was free to go... I am having contractions according to the midwife but since it's not effacing the cervix so there is no cause for concern.
With strict instructions to get as much bed rest as I could and not lift any heavy stuff I was sent home. Those 2 hours that I was there, all I could do was pray and hope that I don't go into early labour. It's way too early... At least another 9-10 weeks. So baby dear hang in there, we're awaiting your arrival but there still is alot of growing and developing to do inside...
-- Post From My iPhone
Friday, March 12, 2010
Claypot Chicken Rice
Yet another simple and quick one pot meal. A complete nutritional one with grains, shitake mushrooms, chicken bits and seasonings.I added a chicken sausage as substitute to the Chinese sausage. Garnished with spring onions because Colours do make a dish more appealing so I use herbs and garnishes in my daily cooking!
The chicken breast meat was marinated with sesame oil, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, a dash of salt & pepper and cornflour. I had to cook the chicken and mushrooms til 1/2 done before combining it with the rice which was 1/2 way thru the cooking process.
I sauteed some garlic together with the washed and drained rice then added a lil dark and light soy sauce and a dash of pepper.
By the time the rice finished it's cooking process, the chicken that I had added on top of it was cooked, tender, juicy & succulent
I didn't use a claypot. Cooked it in the conventional rice cooker and i still got pretty good results! The smoky flavour with burnt bits :)
-- Post From My iPhone
My very own recipe: Egg Biryani
I hate being clueless about what to cook so each night before I tuck in, I plan the next days' meal.
Last night I pondered hard and long but I couldn't come up with anything. I knew I needed to use up the 2 cartons of 15 eggs each before they expire.
I was over zealeous and had asked Alvin to stock up on my baking supplies so that I can bake whenever I want. Unfortunately the guilt caught up with me and I decided to stay clear of the fatty, sugary stuff which isn't just empty calories but also something that's gonna haunt me after my delivery.
I woke up this morning and started off with chopping the basic ingredients that are required by almost every Indian dish- onions, tomatoes, chillies and some Ginger & garlic paste. Corriander & mint leaves for garnishing
Lazy me is always thinking of cutting down on work these days- a one pot meal is what I need... Eggs, rice all in the same dish. Biryani! That's it I'll make egg biryani I decided.
When one thinks of Biryani, the things that immediately come to mind are- rich, mughalai, orangy tints, nuts& raisins, basmati and aromatic!
So to begin off with Aroma, I heated a little oil in a heavy bottomed pan, added cinnamon, cloves and cardamom. Once the aroma filled the air, I added all the chopped veges and stirred ocassionally. I also added in some of my garnishings and some raisins. I didn't want to use water as the base for my gravy cuz it'll be too bland. I did think of milk but then it's too watery so I went ahead and added half a cup of yoghurt.
To spice things up, I added some garam masala, chilli powder and a little turmeric powder and salt. while this simmered, I took another pot, added water, cumin seeds and a little oil and put it to boil. I washed and drained the basmati rice and added it to the boiling water allowing it to cook till it was 3/4 done.
I then drained the rice and kept it aside.I oiled one of my Pyrex glass dishes, lined a layer of rice, added the sliced hard boiled eggs, topped it with a little gravy and repeated the process till all the gravy and rice was used up.
I covered they dish with aluminium foil and put it to bake in a preheated oven at 200 degs for 10 mins.
Remove, garnish and serve hot!
I didn't expect much from it... So long it was edible would have been good.
Alvin and I really loved the flavours. Very distinct. Not only was it light and fluffy, you could taste every component in it. The sweetness from the raisins, the tinge of sourness from the yoghurt, the fresh Mint and corriander. It was really delicious!
Alvin said and I quote " each time you try to create your own or modify another recipe instead of following it, the results are always much better!" now you know what keeps me experimenting ;) having someone appreciate your efforts and give constructive feedback.
This one was so spontaneous and it came out really yummy. It's going to my one pot meals favourites folder!
Anyway all I used were the Pyrex ware and 2 small pots. All the washing is done and my food is conveniently stored in the pyrexware which will be the only thing I have to wash before bed tonight hee!!!
-- Post From My iPhone
