http://www.dailymotion.com/user/footprint-s/video/x91ad6_amandinho_people?hmz=7461626d656d626572
This was done on the 10th March.. 29weeks 1 day pregnant and probably one of the most wonderful things I have ever seen. It is amazing what today's technology can actually do. Imagine to be able to see your child in motion and colour inside the womb. Watching him slowly move his fingers, his hands across his face, his feet pushing against my womb was like magic. It really started hitting home that there is a living thing growing inside me.
As for the medical side of things.. our baby is big! 0.5kgs heavier than he should be :-) If he keeps growing on the same curve he will be over 4kgs at birth.. yikes! This means that the expected arrival date (according to the ultrasound) is a week earlier, 15th May, than the gestational calculation, 23rd May.
Thankfully the doctor thinks I will still be okay for natural birth. Interestingly, here it is more common for women (rich Asians or expats) to have cesareans. Most of my students and even friends are surprised to learn that I want a natural birth. I guess in modern times, convenience prevails over tradition.. and setting a date for birth is probably less of a headache (and of course less painful) than waiting for labour. Breastfeeding is the same. Despite all the obvious benefits and for me the special bonding of breastfeeding, most opt for formula feeding from the onset. My Vietnamese friend, who is also pregnant, has a completely different outlook on childbirth - cesarean, formula, nanny taking care of baby - but then again, culture and our differences make life interesting :-)
Tuesday, 10 March 2009
Tuesday, 20 January 2009
Amandio Gabriel Martins
It IS a boy.. despite all my maternal instincts telling me it was a girl (or maybe that was a subconsious wish). We are both delighted.. this ultrasound was done December 18th, the day prior to leaving to Portugal. He (yes, now I can say.. he) was 17wks and three days at the time. This is an 'areal' view and his head, left arm and hand, right leg and part of right arm are visible. VEEERY prominent is his 'member' which truthfully was an image that came up numerous times in dreams and thoughts while adjusting. Not that there was much 'adjusting' to be done of course, I had just been visualising a girl :-) This ultasound was a screening prenatal test for several diseases and deformaties, taking 45 minutes in total, with plenty of prodding and close scrutinisation of all his organs and limbs. No cleft lip.. check, good nucal density.. check, 4 heart chambers.. check ..and so it continued. The next ultrasound will be in a month and will be in 3D!! isn't technology impressive! We have decided to name him Amandio Gabriel Martins. Yeah, I know.. Amandio the THIRD! Thankfully, I do like the name and also am very relieved that it is a rare name in Portuguese too. Of course, Amandio 1st was very chuffed too. Gabriel, because I love the name and also see this baby as a miracle.. so why not a name of an Archangel.. it seems appropriate. Amandinho (as we affectionally called him - diminutive), though unborn, seems to already be the centre of attention.. well, in Portugal anyway. Of course, for my mother he is a big novelty.. the first grandchild.. and me, the pregnant daughter was also a source of constant belly feeling and observing my changing body. Filipe, our nephew spent his days asking what Amandinho was doing at that moment, sleeping? eating? or smothering my belly (him) with kisses. Amandio 2nd is also enjoying feeling his son kicking (quite violently in bed at night), convincing him that we have a future football star on our hands!! The fact that he seems to respond to football games on tv doesn't help matters :-) Amandio does have a very soothing effect on him (both the touch of his hand and sound of his voice). 
Well, 'I' definitely ate for two over the holidays and my latest consultation this week proved as my doctor put it that "the Christmas holidays were GREAT". Erm... four kgs so far in the second trimester.. considering that I should only be putting on around 6kgs (I have five weeks left) it caused a few alarm bells to ring. I did overeat in Portugal and pigged out on all the deserts. I am now under strict orders to cut sugar out of my diet completely, especially in the lead up to a scheduled diabetes test in three weeks. It is actually quite easy.. just knowing that too much sugar can either lead to hypertension (high blood pressure) for me and most importantly either a baby that is too big or malnourished is enough to motivate me. So, I am back to freshly pressed fruit and veg juices and natural yoghurt with pumpkin, oat, flax cereal in the mornings, tuna or broccoli or beetroot salad for lunch, wholegrain bread and egg/cheese/ham for snack and fish/meat and veg for dinner. Thankfully, you can't really see the weight I have put on as it is all concentrated around the belly area and now, slowly.. my breasts (finally.. I was starting to think that an increase in size was all just a myth! :-) Well, I think that is enough baby talk (it does seem to dominate conversations with friends too.. much as I try to focus on other things too.. but it is just all soooo exciting and 'beautiful'.... Will do an update on other subjects this weekend.
I just had to include a pic of my other babies.. Alex and Rafael, Sandra and Antonio's beautiful children :-)
And.. today Amandinho is 5months and 2 weeks old.
Saturday, 6 December 2008
New Home
Things have returned to 'normal' and the airports are back up and running and the backlog of flights lessening. Thai Airways is sueing the PAD party for huge losses. The court ruled against the government which had to stand down (though they just shuffled things around and most of the party are now a part of the care-taker government. Names for a new PM are being put forward and general elections will probably only be held next year. By no means is the unrest over though as the divide between rich and poor is still very tangible... we wait with bated breath. The King celebrated his 81st birthday yesterday but was too sick to give his customary birthday speech. Circulating rumours make him out to be weakened by bronchitis, despite media claims that he only has a cough and slight fever. Again.. we wait with bated breath...
On the home front, last night was our first dinner party with five friends. This encouraged me to make the house homey and unpack more boxes. The desk and tv stand I had designed arrived two days ago, which made a big change to our sitting room. I will let the pictures speak for themselves :-)
Our xmas tree is up, filling in an empty corner quite nicely. We are both counting down the days until the 19th for the next ultrasound and our flight home to Portugal.
Tuesday, 2 December 2008
Judiciary Coup?
Could the situation in Thailand escalate into a French or Russian revolution? The royalty/elite against the proletariat? Lets hope not and that the normally peaceful Thais won't let things reach the point of civil war. However, things are certainly shaping up that way with the royalist PAD backed by businessmen and old Bangkok elite on one side and the PPP with the poor rural, middle class and educated nouveau riche families on the other. Though the PAD have allowed the 88 empty airplanes to leave the airports, there are still 350,000 passengers stranded in BKK. The fact that they abandoned their posts and live broadcast on PAD TV at the Government House (where they allegedly had access to stocks of counterfeit money) may also have seemed like a step in the right direction... but it was soon clear that these protesters were only relocated to the airports to strenghten their position.
So, what happened of the governments plans to deploy the police, navy and airforce to regain control of the airports? Well, the police chief was fired ( it is speculated that he refused to carry out this task) and a new chief appointed. Frankly, his attempt of sending 100 policemen to disperse a crowd of 10,000 angry protesters was feeble and a joke. The army still refused to collaborate with the government in the interest of national security and to rescue a flailing economy. I have learned that the protesters are being paid 500-800 Baht per day (10-15euro) and the security guards up to 1,500 (30 euro). This is a considerable amount of money and pick up trucks full of people are arriving from poor areas to profit from the situation. An absolute absurdity is that the main charity organisation (founded by the Queen - which further supports claims that the royal family is sympathetic to the PAD) are sending blankets and flasks of hot food to the 'poor' protesters as the cold nights are setting in.
The new development is the involvement of the Constitution Court. The PPP government, (whether or not it was an election free of bribery and rigging votes is unclear - though possible as it IS Thailand afterall) is comprised of a coalition of three parties. The smaller of the three, Chart Thai, has been facing charges of corruption in the election process. Despite the fact that the hearing still has a bit to go and over 100 witnesses still haven't given their testimonies, due to the political crisis (and possible pressure from the elite) the courts decided to wrap up the trial and give a ruling in the next few days. It also seems that they are going to rule on the other two parties without there ever having been a defense trial for them. Naturally, this has greatly angered the PPP (red) supporters, thousands of which, led by a new group UDD (United front of Democracy against Dictatorship), have gathered around the City Hall to prevent the judges from entering the building, prompting a decision to relocate the summation session to the Supreme Administrative Court. If the court hands down its expected decision on electoral fraud charges, this would ultimately lead to the dissolution of all three parties. Hence, a Judiciary Coup!! I guess, better than a military one but still the whole thing smells bad - on both sides. The biggest irony is that the military, who have been unbelievably resistant to do their duties in protecting national security at the airports, have become fully involved at City Hall and have been assigned to keep the 'reds' in check and prevent clashes between both groups! This to me reinforces suspicions that once again, the monarchy support the PAD, probably in an effort to remain in power as loyalty towards them among the educated classes has been waning over the past few years.
I spent ages yesterday doing research and speaking to my students (who thankfully are very open and well travelled/educated) to figure out what it is that the PAD want exactly. The first thing is that they want the PM to step down in order to break all ties with former PM Thaksin. In addition, from what I understand, each province has 3 seats in parliament. Instead of each parliament member being elected by the public as is usual in a democracy, the PAD want to reserve only one seat for general election and members in the other two seats would be assigned by a group of university professors, businessmen, doctors and lawyers. The justification being that the uneducated poor (which make up the majority of voters) are too easily led and too ignorant to choose what is best for the economy. Perhaps there is an element of truth here but it screams semi -dictatorship as two thirds of all power would rest in the hands of upper-class society. Such an imbalance of power could only lead to future unrest.
The question is, would it be best for all parties to accept the judiciary's authority, dismantle the government and give the power back to the people and hold a new general election? This may be the only way to quell the uprising.. I just hope that all this can be done fairly....and not a new version of the 'same same'. I hate seeing this beautiful country in such turmoil. One thing is for sure, Thailand will not come out unscathed from this political impasse. Another hope is that we can fly home for Christmas on the 19th!
Lets take the rare celestial configuration of the crescent moon, Venus and Jupiter which formed the shape of a 'smiley face' seen in Bangkok last night as a good omen for the Land of Smiles.
So, what happened of the governments plans to deploy the police, navy and airforce to regain control of the airports? Well, the police chief was fired ( it is speculated that he refused to carry out this task) and a new chief appointed. Frankly, his attempt of sending 100 policemen to disperse a crowd of 10,000 angry protesters was feeble and a joke. The army still refused to collaborate with the government in the interest of national security and to rescue a flailing economy. I have learned that the protesters are being paid 500-800 Baht per day (10-15euro) and the security guards up to 1,500 (30 euro). This is a considerable amount of money and pick up trucks full of people are arriving from poor areas to profit from the situation. An absolute absurdity is that the main charity organisation (founded by the Queen - which further supports claims that the royal family is sympathetic to the PAD) are sending blankets and flasks of hot food to the 'poor' protesters as the cold nights are setting in.
The new development is the involvement of the Constitution Court. The PPP government, (whether or not it was an election free of bribery and rigging votes is unclear - though possible as it IS Thailand afterall) is comprised of a coalition of three parties. The smaller of the three, Chart Thai, has been facing charges of corruption in the election process. Despite the fact that the hearing still has a bit to go and over 100 witnesses still haven't given their testimonies, due to the political crisis (and possible pressure from the elite) the courts decided to wrap up the trial and give a ruling in the next few days. It also seems that they are going to rule on the other two parties without there ever having been a defense trial for them. Naturally, this has greatly angered the PPP (red) supporters, thousands of which, led by a new group UDD (United front of Democracy against Dictatorship), have gathered around the City Hall to prevent the judges from entering the building, prompting a decision to relocate the summation session to the Supreme Administrative Court. If the court hands down its expected decision on electoral fraud charges, this would ultimately lead to the dissolution of all three parties. Hence, a Judiciary Coup!! I guess, better than a military one but still the whole thing smells bad - on both sides. The biggest irony is that the military, who have been unbelievably resistant to do their duties in protecting national security at the airports, have become fully involved at City Hall and have been assigned to keep the 'reds' in check and prevent clashes between both groups! This to me reinforces suspicions that once again, the monarchy support the PAD, probably in an effort to remain in power as loyalty towards them among the educated classes has been waning over the past few years.
I spent ages yesterday doing research and speaking to my students (who thankfully are very open and well travelled/educated) to figure out what it is that the PAD want exactly. The first thing is that they want the PM to step down in order to break all ties with former PM Thaksin. In addition, from what I understand, each province has 3 seats in parliament. Instead of each parliament member being elected by the public as is usual in a democracy, the PAD want to reserve only one seat for general election and members in the other two seats would be assigned by a group of university professors, businessmen, doctors and lawyers. The justification being that the uneducated poor (which make up the majority of voters) are too easily led and too ignorant to choose what is best for the economy. Perhaps there is an element of truth here but it screams semi -dictatorship as two thirds of all power would rest in the hands of upper-class society. Such an imbalance of power could only lead to future unrest.
The question is, would it be best for all parties to accept the judiciary's authority, dismantle the government and give the power back to the people and hold a new general election? This may be the only way to quell the uprising.. I just hope that all this can be done fairly....and not a new version of the 'same same'. I hate seeing this beautiful country in such turmoil. One thing is for sure, Thailand will not come out unscathed from this political impasse. Another hope is that we can fly home for Christmas on the 19th!
Lets take the rare celestial configuration of the crescent moon, Venus and Jupiter which formed the shape of a 'smiley face' seen in Bangkok last night as a good omen for the Land of Smiles.
Friday, 28 November 2008
Reds vs Yellows
The whole situation in Thailand is infuriating! I can't believe that the royalist PAD (anti-government - yellow t-shirts) blockaded all access routes and stormed the airports. Insolence! and pure stupidity! Of course, people should be allowed to protest and voice their opinions (though in this case most of the active supporters are urban poor and being paid by the rich elite and businessmen - without really knowing why, except to say that the 'government is corrupt'). Hello!! The PPP government (red t-shirts) was elected democratically and has only been in power for less than a year! Besides, corruption will always be present in Thai culture.. well, it will take time to eradicate this. The only concern that is genuine is its ties to Thaksin (the PM is Thaksin's brother-in-law), who though a very smart businessman and certainly has done a lot of good for the poor in rural areas with his populist policies (shaking the power of the Thai elite - hence, their hatred of him), is unfortunately blemished with his human rights violations, abuse of power and nepotism corruption as well as his arrogance (not a positive trait among the more demure Thais). My frustration lies in the fact that the government has tolerated this to happen... That in my mind shows cowardness and uncertainty. Not once has the PM confidently spoken to the local and international community, putting people at ease with what they plan to do to bring the situation under control. They should have reacted immediately by removing the protesters by force if necessary, and getting the police involved from the beginning. They have finally woken up and ordered the air force and navy to clear the protestors and return things to normal. We'll see.
Why not the army? Well, that is complicated.. the army answers to the King, not the government - one of the underlying reasons why it is difficult to establish a democracy here I think. They have too much power. Somchai PM has done well not to submit to the army's demands for him to step down in order to restore peace. I have no idea and it is too early to tell whether or not he makes a good leader, but dismantling governments because of the protests of a group of financially well backed (paid thugs and poor urban families) who unlawfully try to economically detroy the country, will and should never result in a democracy. There are always people on different sides with different opinions - bloody hell, that is the definition of democracy. The irony being that this group calls themselves the PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy).. what they have shown so far is that their definition of democracy is only if they are in power. However, it is very difficult to judge the situation and both sides are clearly at fault. The lack of assertion from the PM is certainly instigating a lot of this unrest in my opinion. There is also so much more behind this than meets the eye (grey areas - both historically and culturally, possibly the ease of swaying the uneducated poor (on both sides) - and even conflict within the Royal family). Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure.. what the PAD did was irresponsible and will negatively effect the tourism industry and this of course has obvious implications on the economy. In a way, I am almost glad for Thailand that it only made the top headlines for two days, with the terrible events in Mumbai taking precedence. Being a bit out of the exaggerated claws of the western media may calm things down in terms of tarnishing Thailand's image abroad. Naturally, life is the same as ever, we are not effected by these events as all violence and disruptions are very localised in areas near the Government House and unfortunately, now the airports. Despite the Coup rumours yesterday and workers being sent home early, nothing happened. So no need to worry :-)
This is a great article which voices a lot of my views on this: http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=132344 Inept under Siege
To have some clear answers check:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7584005.stm
Why not the army? Well, that is complicated.. the army answers to the King, not the government - one of the underlying reasons why it is difficult to establish a democracy here I think. They have too much power. Somchai PM has done well not to submit to the army's demands for him to step down in order to restore peace. I have no idea and it is too early to tell whether or not he makes a good leader, but dismantling governments because of the protests of a group of financially well backed (paid thugs and poor urban families) who unlawfully try to economically detroy the country, will and should never result in a democracy. There are always people on different sides with different opinions - bloody hell, that is the definition of democracy. The irony being that this group calls themselves the PAD (People's Alliance for Democracy).. what they have shown so far is that their definition of democracy is only if they are in power. However, it is very difficult to judge the situation and both sides are clearly at fault. The lack of assertion from the PM is certainly instigating a lot of this unrest in my opinion. There is also so much more behind this than meets the eye (grey areas - both historically and culturally, possibly the ease of swaying the uneducated poor (on both sides) - and even conflict within the Royal family). Only time will tell, but one thing is for sure.. what the PAD did was irresponsible and will negatively effect the tourism industry and this of course has obvious implications on the economy. In a way, I am almost glad for Thailand that it only made the top headlines for two days, with the terrible events in Mumbai taking precedence. Being a bit out of the exaggerated claws of the western media may calm things down in terms of tarnishing Thailand's image abroad. Naturally, life is the same as ever, we are not effected by these events as all violence and disruptions are very localised in areas near the Government House and unfortunately, now the airports. Despite the Coup rumours yesterday and workers being sent home early, nothing happened. So no need to worry :-)This is a great article which voices a lot of my views on this: http://www.bangkokpost.com/topstories/topstories.php?id=132344 Inept under Siege
To have some clear answers check:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7584005.stm
The Move etc
Gosh it really has been a while this time. Things have been hectic this past month. We moved house (30-10-08).. from an apartment to a townhouse in a compound with security and pool. A professional moving company packed everything for us and I was under strict orders not to lift anything (at that stage I was still under 3 months). You know me .. though I did
sit back a lot, I couldn't not be involved - and spent the week prior to the move organising things, giving old clothes/things to our maid, sorting out dvds, paperwork etc. Then, when we arrived at the house.. my maid and I unpacked everything (well, except for books, dvds, paperwork, teaching material.. as we don't have a desk or bookcases yet). That took quite a few days. then dealing with the hassles of discovering that there was no hot water in the kitchen and bathtub, leakages in the bathroom, no plugs in the right places, getting handymen in, trying to communicate with a non-forthcoming landlady who has never dealt with expat tenants before.. lead to a little pregnancy scare. I lost some blood and had severe bloating and cramping. Being alone (Amandio was in Vietname and I didn't wan't to scare him needlessly) I went to the hospital (which was another fight with the nurse who wanted me to wait til the next morning- my doctor had gone home for the day) and saw another fertility specialist who, after a full examination and ultrasound, told me that the baby was fine. I had just stopped my progesterone inserts a few days earlier and he thought that this may have caused a blood vessel to burst in my cervix and also upset my digestive tract. A big sigh of relief (called Amandio then) but the whole experience was actually very empowering really. I felt responsible for someone (that I had to fight for without any support) for the first time in ages - I started understanding that what it will be like to be a parent.. in times of trouble, you can't think, just have to go for it, act.. follow your instincts and fight all the obstacles .I know, many of you warned to make sure I really do nothing.. it is a hard exercise but also good for me and overall I have had to let go my control over many things and allow myself to be looked after (I love all the pampering too though). My resistance always being, 'there are so many women who are pregnant and do all the normal things (imagining them 
walking up and down Amsterdamer stairs with shopping), continue working etc'. Of course, IVF is different though and certainly more risky, expensive and the probability of it being successful is low. I do feel blessed and I am thanking my lucky stars in many ways; amazed that it worked the first time and that there was no miscarriage with all the things I have done - My rationale behind this is that this baby really wants and is fighting to be a part of this family. I haven't really suffered from any nausea (only slightly - causing my maid to believe that it is going to be a boy, according to Thai superstition) and on the whole this is quite an easy pregancy - now 14.5 weeks and not having another ultrasound (this will be our 6th) until the 19th December. Tiredness is the only thing that plagues me butI have restarted working, teaching one private student at home three afternoons a week and 10 hours at the school on average per week. This is quite doable but in the event I feel exhausted, it is fortunately no problem to cancel and reschedule classes.
sit back a lot, I couldn't not be involved - and spent the week prior to the move organising things, giving old clothes/things to our maid, sorting out dvds, paperwork etc. Then, when we arrived at the house.. my maid and I unpacked everything (well, except for books, dvds, paperwork, teaching material.. as we don't have a desk or bookcases yet). That took quite a few days. then dealing with the hassles of discovering that there was no hot water in the kitchen and bathtub, leakages in the bathroom, no plugs in the right places, getting handymen in, trying to communicate with a non-forthcoming landlady who has never dealt with expat tenants before.. lead to a little pregnancy scare. I lost some blood and had severe bloating and cramping. Being alone (Amandio was in Vietname and I didn't wan't to scare him needlessly) I went to the hospital (which was another fight with the nurse who wanted me to wait til the next morning- my doctor had gone home for the day) and saw another fertility specialist who, after a full examination and ultrasound, told me that the baby was fine. I had just stopped my progesterone inserts a few days earlier and he thought that this may have caused a blood vessel to burst in my cervix and also upset my digestive tract. A big sigh of relief (called Amandio then) but the whole experience was actually very empowering really. I felt responsible for someone (that I had to fight for without any support) for the first time in ages - I started understanding that what it will be like to be a parent.. in times of trouble, you can't think, just have to go for it, act.. follow your instincts and fight all the obstacles .I know, many of you warned to make sure I really do nothing.. it is a hard exercise but also good for me and overall I have had to let go my control over many things and allow myself to be looked after (I love all the pampering too though). My resistance always being, 'there are so many women who are pregnant and do all the normal things (imagining them 
walking up and down Amsterdamer stairs with shopping), continue working etc'. Of course, IVF is different though and certainly more risky, expensive and the probability of it being successful is low. I do feel blessed and I am thanking my lucky stars in many ways; amazed that it worked the first time and that there was no miscarriage with all the things I have done - My rationale behind this is that this baby really wants and is fighting to be a part of this family. I haven't really suffered from any nausea (only slightly - causing my maid to believe that it is going to be a boy, according to Thai superstition) and on the whole this is quite an easy pregancy - now 14.5 weeks and not having another ultrasound (this will be our 6th) until the 19th December. Tiredness is the only thing that plagues me butI have restarted working, teaching one private student at home three afternoons a week and 10 hours at the school on average per week. This is quite doable but in the event I feel exhausted, it is fortunately no problem to cancel and reschedule classes. 
Luckily, Tracie and her four year old, Pierce stayed with us as she looked for a primary teaching job in Thailand, eventually finding one in Phuket. It was great having an old friend around to chat to and laugh with, who also made sure that I didn't overexert myself. Having a child in the house was also a delight and brought much needed life (along with the hundreds of plants I have been buying to this unlived in house. We still have a long way to go but I am very relaxed about it and of course am trying to make it homely without spending all too much.. hence all the plants :-)Saturday, 25 October 2008
Ultrasound 3
This week was actually quite busy and I had two days of almost normal activity. Last Sunday in the market looking for furniture for the new house, I found this amazing shop that makes teak furniture in asian, classic, western and modern styles. After leafing through reams of catalogues, my eyes rested on a Chinese style tv stand. Naturally, I had to make some alterations to make it slightly more original and functional (hide away wires, fit DVDs into the square drawers etc). Since then I have also designed my own desk and am looking forward to going there to see if what I imagine on paper is at all possible in reality. Work has also been slowly mou
nting up again.. my private now comes three afternoons a week and I have done a few mornings at the school to cover for sick teachers or do testing. My time is also taken up with marking SAC essays.. which truthfully are driving me up the wall. Yes, this does mean that I am feeling good. My nausea has more or less disappeared, though I did vomit one night this week while brushing my teeth! Well, it was after a really nice birthday dinner with some friends. I think the combination of heavy rich Indian food and eating late was the cause which was then triggered by the taste of strong toothpaste and a toothbrush near the back of my throat.. lol.. details ;-) The house is also ready for us to move in and the landlady already gave us the key. Huge disappointment with the sitting room floor though. A 'professional' tile cleaning company decided to put some chemicals on the floor, which instead of removing the stains as I had requested, stripped the colour and shine leaving the floor dull with even more grey patches. Deposits and first month's rent paid two weeks from moving in there isn't much that can be done. It was good practise for me not to get panicky and pedantic about it (for the pregnancy) so I had to let it go. Hope that our carpets will do the trick. Our elderly Thai landlady also (out of the goodness of her heart) bought us a dining table and chairs as we had requested. You can imagine the shock when I saw a round marble topped gaudy Chinese table with opulant carvings of ribbons and flowers painted in gold. This of course complete with eight chairs in similar style. The table top has a 'lazy daisy' (turn centre) which doesn't leave much room for western sized plates. Best intentions of course.. she paid 2,000 euros for it. All I wanted was a simple teak rectangular (all my table cloths are in this shape) table with either wooden or fabric chairs. I have seen beautiful dining table sets for 800 euros. Well, I really can't live with a table that looks like it belongs in an old fashioned palace, particularly next to our beautiful modern dark wood kitchen... so for now we are keeping the table and buying our own chairs. Hopefully a tablecloth will do the trick or we will eventually buy our own.
The head is now on the right hand side and you can see four (thankfully) white dots which are the limbs (arms and legs).
Today was our third ultrasound and once again everything was rosy. Our baby has doubled in size 2.97cm which corresponds to 9 weeks 6 days, meaning that it is one day bigger/older than it actually is (9wks 5days). It's heart rate is still as fast as it should be - 185bpm and most excitingly it has four limbs, a brain developing in the cranium (thanks to all the folic acid), the correct thickness of skin behind the neck (screening for Down Syndrome) and has even started boogying!! Restless little thing didn't stop moving.. bending and swaying :-) The doctor is very pleased and is confident that we are no longer at risk. Having said that he did warn us not to have sex (orgasms) yet.. until 3 months (that'll be almost 5 months without it.. don't think I have every abstained for that long!! Well, all for a great cause). He has okayed our trip to Portugal for christmas and doesn't foresee any complications. We won't get to know the sex until around 18 weeks.. I was hoping to tell the family as a christmas surprise.. but it'll have to wait until January more than
likely. Our next ultrasound (they will no longer be vaginal and be through the belly instead) is in three weeks.. which will take us over the the crucial three month mark. I have to say, I feel wonderful and very confident. The only side effect I am having is tiredness which is easy to deal with. I consider myself lucky to be having such an easy pregnancy - well, considering the financial, physical and emotional strain we had to go through to actually get pregnant.. perhaps this is deserved :-) I still find myself counting my lucky stars that this has worked on our first IVF attempt.. a miracle in my eyes!
Today was our third ultrasound and once again everything was rosy. Our baby has doubled in size 2.97cm which corresponds to 9 weeks 6 days, meaning that it is one day bigger/older than it actually is (9wks 5days). It's heart rate is still as fast as it should be - 185bpm and most excitingly it has four limbs, a brain developing in the cranium (thanks to all the folic acid), the correct thickness of skin behind the neck (screening for Down Syndrome) and has even started boogying!! Restless little thing didn't stop moving.. bending and swaying :-) The doctor is very pleased and is confident that we are no longer at risk. Having said that he did warn us not to have sex (orgasms) yet.. until 3 months (that'll be almost 5 months without it.. don't think I have every abstained for that long!! Well, all for a great cause). He has okayed our trip to Portugal for christmas and doesn't foresee any complications. We won't get to know the sex until around 18 weeks.. I was hoping to tell the family as a christmas surprise.. but it'll have to wait until January more than
likely. Our next ultrasound (they will no longer be vaginal and be through the belly instead) is in three weeks.. which will take us over the the crucial three month mark. I have to say, I feel wonderful and very confident. The only side effect I am having is tiredness which is easy to deal with. I consider myself lucky to be having such an easy pregnancy - well, considering the financial, physical and emotional strain we had to go through to actually get pregnant.. perhaps this is deserved :-) I still find myself counting my lucky stars that this has worked on our first IVF attempt.. a miracle in my eyes!Saturday, 11 October 2008
Heartbeat!!
Look how much bigger everything has become! Now, 1.37cms. You can see the head on the top.. looks a bit like a bean ;-)
Heartbeat.. 159 per minute! Feeling so happy.. everything finally feels real. I can start to believe that there is actually a live baby in there. Relief and joy prevail.Walking down the hospital corridor after the ultrasound, emotions of sheer relief and happiness welled up, spilling tears over my cheeks. Amandio had his arm wrapped tightly around me - people who saw it must have thought that we had received some bad news.. but they were tears of happiness. I suddenly felt like I could finally trust everything. Hearing the baby's heartbeat had a profound impact on both of us. Amandio has become even more protective of me (tenderly placing a hand over my belly to secure the baby when we drive over bumps - as happens every second minute here on these streets!!) and he too feels confident. He can't tear his eyes away from children in restaurants, commenting on their actions.. he has even adopted a little gecko that has been living in our bathroom, feeding it ants! So, all is well - relaxing....
Tuesday, 7 October 2008
Updates: normal?
Life is slowly reestablishing itself. Not to give you a false impression.. the baby and crossing of fingers and toes that it is developing as it should be is always first and foremost on my mind. Last week was a time for socialising: a romantic Italian dinner with Amandio, Sunday brunch with our portuguese friend, staff dinner with work (see photos), Morrocon dinner with friends. Thankfully, I can still eat. My 'morning sickness' is non existant in the mornings and only rears its sickly head late afternoons and evenings. Though I haven't actually thrown up, I have come close many times. Those who know me well, know of my aversion to vomiting and how I will avoid and prevent it at all costs, despite the knowledge that it can help
me feel better at times. The nausea is similar to what I get when I am really hungry (shaky, irritated, hot, dizzy and queasy) so my first reaction is to get something to eat. This sometimes helps... Eating has become less of what I feel like having but more what the baby needs. For instance, I met Amandio for lunch yesterday and we had lunch in an organic restaurant which is famed for its paninis (I am a huge fan). However, I sensibly chose vegetable soup and salmon (when does one ever really 'want' salmon?). I can't stand the smell of garlic anymore and after eating an egg a day for a week (good source of protein) my stomach turns at even the thought of them. Broccoli, an all time favourite vegetable, is another one that I overate and have become 'allergic' to. Oatmeal porridge has become my latest obsession.. we will see how long it takes for me to turn off it.I started back at work yesterday teaching only two students (10am-12)... very relaxed. It feels great to be back in the office though being up and active that early did make me look a bit unsightly when I met all my colleagues. They were polite enough not to say it at the time, but the look of concern made it obvious and the tactful.. you are looking perkier now.. at the end of my lesson. Only teaching these girls every second day is great and also gives me time to teach a private student at home on the days I am off. A nice slow introduction back into the land of work.
The move is fast approaching and we are already busying ourselves with organising and, my favourite, throwing away things as well as getting removal companies in to give quotes. We have decided that we want them to pack our things too, which hopefully will make it all stress free. Unfortunately, asking them to unpack is futile seeing as we don't really have the furniture yet to do that. Therefore, we have been spending the past few days pouring through catalogues for shelving units, tv stands and desks. I think that a trip to Chatuchak market is in store ;-)
Right, I'm off to the pool to read 'Empress Orchid by Anchee Min' and get a bit of vitamin D in the morning sun.
Saturday, 27 September 2008
1st Ultrasound
LOL.. can you spot the 'yolk'? (look for the faint circular outline in the left of the gestational sac? (big black dot) - erm... that is supposed to be our baby).What was a very stressful morning turned out to be an even weirder afternoon. Seeing the gestational sac on the monitor during the ultrasound.. IN MY UTERUS and not in my fallopian tube... didn't give me the sense of relief I was expecting. Amandio felt the same. On hindsight we both think that it has something to do with the fact that it was ONE and not twins. Strange that, I guess we had already become accustomed to the idea of twins and this in a way seemed like a let down. Silly really, it was only a possibility of twins anyway. To be honest, twins would have posed a challenge, both financially, in terms of our lifestyle and soon to be three storey home. This way we can focus all our energy on one spirit.. slightly less confusing too.
Naturally, we are overjoyed that there don't seem to be any complications so far and we even faintly spotted the circular 'yolk' (the new christened name for our baby! LOL) on the left corner of the sac. The ultrasound and size of the sac, which is full of fluid for the growing baby 'yolk', determined that we are now five weeks and 4/5 days pregnant. Our next ultrasound is on 11 October to hopefully see our 'yolk' more clearly. Also, I have decided to go back to work and do three hours maximum of teaching per day (I will request an easier course with few students). Our move will also get some attention now, starting with phone calls to removal companies on Monday. Life continues and we lovingly allow the 'yolk' to grow ;-)
Naturally, we are overjoyed that there don't seem to be any complications so far and we even faintly spotted the circular 'yolk' (the new christened name for our baby! LOL) on the left corner of the sac. The ultrasound and size of the sac, which is full of fluid for the growing baby 'yolk', determined that we are now five weeks and 4/5 days pregnant. Our next ultrasound is on 11 October to hopefully see our 'yolk' more clearly. Also, I have decided to go back to work and do three hours maximum of teaching per day (I will request an easier course with few students). Our move will also get some attention now, starting with phone calls to removal companies on Monday. Life continues and we lovingly allow the 'yolk' to grow ;-)
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