Sunday, July 16, 2006

Week 23



Week 23

I am in my tri semester now and happy about it. Couldn't wait to see our baby who is rolling around inside me and makes strong kicking when I watch movie with high volume. I feel great tho I am big and heavy.

Try to exercise every night bed while watching TV - which is why the pain around my pelvic is less than before, I guess. We had some beautiful summer days and went up to Bymarka to enjoy the sunshine and watch Abigail playing in the lake.

I enjoy cleaning the house trying to get rid of all the rubbish and put away our old stuff to make more space and room. Did some shopping for the house with Caroline and still need more things to make our small apartment nice to live in with 4 people. Still a lot to do.

Had a chance to take Abigail swimming with Intan and Sandra which I really enjoyed. I was lucky at my first pregnancy because I could go swimming regularly from my course which was free, but not this time, I am afraid. It will cost a lot of money. But it's all right, I have enough exercise doing all the work around the house and going out with Abigail.

Need to be carefull with the kind of fish I have. Salmon is good and luckily it's affordable here. Will have less mackrel, which I like a lot.

Read more on this article


What's Going on with Your Body?
You're feeling like a human jungle gym! It’s a rockin’ and rollin’ in there! Since there’s still room to move, that little guy or gal is using it all! Somewhere around now, you may have an internal exam to check your cervix for risk of preterm labor.


What's Going on with Your Baby?
The fetus weighs about 500 grams. If it is born at less than 500 grams, it might survive with disabilities. If it is born weighing over 500 grams, it may be able to survive and thrive.

Friday, June 30, 2006

Week 21 & 22

It's been a nice weather lately and we've been invited for a BBQ with some friends last week. Since then I had sambal more than usual. Eating is one of my problem right now, as I couln'd eat much (even I want to), otherwise I will feel a bit sick afterwards and hard to move because of the full tummy.
Now we are having lunch and dinner earlier so I don't feel so hungry and want to eat much by then. I have to resist the temptation of all that sweet stuff like cookies, cakes and ice cream, it's really hard and sometimes I tell myself that I deserve to have ice cream and cakes in such a warm days... :)

I get use to the need to pee several times a day, and the kicking inside me is getting harder. When I play on the keyboard I can feel the baby reacts and kicks. It's nice to know that the baby can hear your voice and listen to the sound around you. Abigail sings for the baby, too sometimes, tho the kicking is not as hard as when I play on the keyboard.

The other problem is the pain on my hips, I do exercise and take a nap but the pain is still there. Hope it will be getting better later as my body adjusts better with the burden on my back and hips.

The babysitting is over as Celina's mother has finished her course. It's nice to be able to get up late and stay a bit on bed in the morning.

I did some changes in the bedroom and wash the curtain (the first time after three years... he he he). There are still a lot to do and we are thinking of a way to put our room in order with one cot, one double bed and one toddler bed plus the cupboards. It's quite a challenge and make me thinking nights and days!!
Have done some resetting in the living room, which is the least we can do right now. There is plenty of time to do more later, I hope.

I just made a nursing pillow out of an old blanket sheet, just need to buy the cotton or fiber to be put in it. It's nice thinking of holding a new baby on a soft and big puffy pillow.


21 w

Your Baby

Your baby weighs approximately 10.5 ounces and is about 7.2 inches from head to rump and is busy moving within your uterus, surrounded by amniotic fluid.

He or she is learning how its arms and legs move, and using its hands to feel its facial features, which you may be able to see on an ultrasound. Most clinics and hospitals offer to videotape your ultrasound for a nominal charge; it's a great keepsake!




22w

This Pregnant Body

Only a few more weeks and you'll be in the home stretch: your third trimester! In the last few weeks of your second trimester, you are probably feeling a little tired, a little hungry, and a little uncomfortable much of the time. I can only tell you that the joy that your newborn brings will make all of these hurdles of pregnancy seem inconsequential. (You really have to trust me on this one!) If you are having a tough time thinking of what to have for dinner, here are some delicious and nutritious recipes that are so easy to prepare, your partner may even make them (hint, hint)

The baby

Your baby weighs about 11 ounces, measures about 7.6 inches from head to rump, and is growing eyelashes and eyebrows. These two latest developments will be a key method of communicating his or her happiness, frustration, confusion, or interest until he or she can talk.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Only half way more to go...

20W

Fifth Month
As far as your baby is concerned, this month is just like last month, but more so. Your baby is moving around a lot more and growing a lot bigger. By the end of this month, your baby will weigh as much as a pound and be as long as one foot. You are somewhat larger. You are not yet large enough to be uncomfortable, but your size may cause bowel problems, sudden spikes in your heart rate, leg cramps, and a need to nap. Luckily, none of these are particularly challenging: drink more water if you're constipated, don't worry about your thumping heart, take more calcium to battle leg cramps, and rest when you need to. Your baby, too, is becoming quite the nap taker. He or she is now sleeping and waking at regular intervals, and busy listening in to your life while awake. Your baby can hear your heart beating and a muffled version of the sounds outside your uterus. You will be able to feel your baby responding to sounds, now and again. Fine hair, called lanugo, covers your baby's body, as does the creamy vernix that protects your baby's skin from here on out. Almost literally.

Month overview from www.pregnancyweekly.com


The baby's movement is getting stronger and harder. I even can see my belly moves and shakes sometimes.
But I wondered why some friends couldn't see my bump? Lynda asked me once. 'Lasma, can I ask you a question? Are you having a baby?'. I didn't mean to keep it secretly or just tell it to some certain people but I couldn't remember who I have been told to that I'm expecting and hope that the news spreads automatically... (emang orang sini kok nggak cepet ya nyambung lidah... coba deh orang Indonesia, gw cukup ngomong ke satu aja yang bisa dipercaya menyebarkan info, langsung deh seisi kota ini tau semua...). Look at this bump now, I think every body can see that I'm having a baby... Hardy also said that my belly is not so big yet. He must be wrong, look at this bump. Sometimes I need to change clothes for several times just to make it look nicer... :)

Even Abigail can see my round bump. The funny thing is that Abigail said that my belly is a ball. May be because she remembered when once Hardy put a ball in her dress to make her looks like having a bump...
She likes making fun of lots of things these days.
She pretended throwing up, 'Gege untah..' katanya. Padahal nggak.
Once she also said that she is having a baby, too... 'Gege unya bebi di sini (sambil nunjuk perutnya).'

It has been half way, will work on the baby name more. Later on I will need to go through Abigail's baby cloths and see which one I can use for baby boy (if it's a boy..). Yah, nasib anak kedua deh dapet barang warisan kakaknya ya... he he he...

Mencari nama... kenapa kayaknya susah yak..?? Kayaknya mo pilih nama Indonesia atau Batak, tapi kok hampir semuanya sama dengan nama2 teman?? Kalo gak temen gw ya temennya Hardy...

Pusing deh!! Hardy yang awalnya mengklaim gilirannya ngasih nama - karena nama Abigail itu usulan gw - sekarang gak mo pusing2 lagi dan minta gw aja yang ngasih alternatif nama ntar dia yang tentuin....
Tapi gitu giliran dikasih usulan katanya itu nama temanku sekolah lah, nama anak tetangga lah, ato ejekannya si anu lah...
Apa salahnya ya kalo nama anak samaan dengan nama temen... gak mau dianggap niru2 namanya ya...
Lebih 'parahnya' lagi kalo kebetulan calon nama itu sama dengan nama orang tua di keluarga kita (baca: tulang, amngboru, ato ompung). Berkesan kurang sopan, katanya.... Karena memang dalam budaya kita, orangtua tidak boleh dipanggil dengan nama pertamanya atau nama kecilnya. Sehingga kalo nama anak kita sama dengan nama salah seorang dari orang tua kita, ada kesan tak sopan setiap kali kita memanggil nama anak tersebut. Seolah-olah kita mengejek orang tua kita.

Satu sepupu gw terpaksa diganti nama panggilannya oleh salah satu tulang gw karena namanya kebetulan sama dengan nama mertua tulang gw itu. Wah, menyebut nama kecil mertua itu salah satu hal yang tabu, begitulah kira2...

Mudah2an sih generasi sekarang gak sekaku orang tempo doeloe lagi ya... nama pertamanya Abigail aja Yosefa, untung nyokap gw gak komplen, padahal nama ompung gw dari nyokap Yosef (Oooopsss!!), gak sama persis sih ya... tapi kali kalo orang dulu itu gak boleh ya!

Sebaliknya bagi orang di sini, memberi nama anak 'after' orang tua (kakek, nenek, om, tante) merupakan suatu kehormatan bagi orang tua tersebut. Sering kali cucu dan kakek mempunyai nama yang sama. Budaya orang di sini juga beda banget dengan budaya kita, tak perlu ada embel Pak, Bu, Oom, Tante, Mbak, Mas, Kak, Bang... Semua dipanggil sesuai dengan nama pertamanya. Jadi gak ada masalah dianggap gak sopan kalo manggil orang tua dengan nama kecilnya. Memang sih, orang di sini namanya ya itu-itu juga... Kalo gak Gunnar, Ole, Ivar, Egil, Knut, Kristian buat yang cowok ato buat cewek yang mungkin lebih bervariasi - tapi tetep itu2 juga, Sigrid, Kristin, Birgitta, Britt, Inger... Jauh lebih bervariasi deh nama orang di Indonesia.

Pantes aja ada orang yang kreatif ngadain sayembara nama buat anaknya ya... he he he... boleh juga tuh idenya!! Tapi rasanya makin pusing juga ya,... makin banyak pilihan, makin banyak pusingnya ya... :) Tapi fun juga sih ya... So, siapa nama si ucok atau si butet ini?? It's gonna be really fun finding it out!!

Thursday, June 08, 2006

3rd visit to the doctor

19W 5d

I'm 58,2 kg, blood pressure: 103/56. Good shape :)

Just waited for 15 minutes in the waiting room, which was nice.
The check-up went quickly. I have no complaints at all. Everything is fine.

My bump is getting bigger and I need to pee more often. Sometimes every 15 minutes. It's quite disturbing especially if I'm in the middle of watching movie with no commercial or when I'm going out for a long time. The first thing to do is always going to the restroom... luckily, it's easy to find it everywhere.

I really enjoy eating, I like asian veggie like 'sayur sawi', 'kangkung' and 'kacang panjang' a lot. Ikan bakar is one of our favourite dish right now; and still ikan teri sambal balado. Thinking a lot of 'sayur asem' right now, I'm going to make it soon. Sayangnya, nggak ada melinjo ...

I like this 'rødbit salat', mackrel, cheese and jam.

Have a glass of milk with my multivitamin before going to bed.

Just read that hot dog is one food that can be harmfull during pregnancy, as well as feta unless it's well cooked. Hmmm ...

Read more on this article

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

2nd Ultra Sound - It's a ......



19W 5d

At 11 am today, Hardy and I went to the hospital for Ultra Sound Check up. Luckily, we got our turn just in 15 minutes.

Astri has been so kind to do the babysitting. Abigail and Celina were ok when I left them playing with Akhtar.

Thank's God, everything is ok. All the organs looked clearer than the first visit. The size is normal, heart, cidney, brain, other organs and the placenta.

The baby moved around all the time, sucking its finger and played with its legs. Hardy said that it is like him... just judge from his black and white profile picture... he he he... ok, we'll see soon...

We have been told by the midwife that it's a baby boy, and it would be great if it is right. A baby brother for Abigail. Oooo what shall I name him??

What a challenge to have a baby boy in our home soon...

Sunday, June 04, 2006

Growing Everyday

19W 2d

Need to keep up with the exercise... feel some pain on my hips. Most of the time I sleep on my right side. The bump is getting bigger everyday, my zipper broke a few days ago when I tried to zip up my black favourite trousers last Thursday...
Felt just want to buy new trousers and we went to the city to do some shopping on Saturday (didn't know that the shops were closed at 3 pm because of the 'pinse aften'). I found a nice trouser but I changed my mind of buying it... I still have some trousers left from my first pregnancy I can wear.
The baby inside is getting stronger. Can feel the kicking more often and harder. I think the baby is kick-boxing in here...
Like balado ikan teri so much... have tomatoes these days, too...
It's so gloomy, rainy and cold lately. Hope the sun is coming out soon so I can have a walk to get rid of this pain.

Thursday, June 01, 2006

More pillows, please...

18W 6d

Got an appointment with midwife on July 25.
I feel some pain on my hip.
Need more pillows and need a proper position when sitting and sleeping.
The weather is getting worst... windy and rainy.

Saturday, May 27, 2006

Teri Goreng

18W 1d

It’s a day to grief. An earthquake hit Yogjakarta early this morning.
Felt more kicking and movements. Most of them were in my right side tummy.
Mostly in the morning and evening. It was the most amazing feeling you ever had. Love ‘balado udang’ and ‘teri goreng’ these days.
Fed up with grilled chicken.
Tried to eat less rice but more veggie. Missed the multivitamin for 2 days…

Tuesday, May 23, 2006

More check-ups

17W 4d

Rang the health center (helsastasjon) to set up an appointment with the midwife.
It's not a must to go to midwife for your pregnancy check-up here, you can just go to you doctor if you like. Just feel like want to experience the check up with midwife. Need to wait for them to call me back for several days.

Saturday, May 20, 2006

Sleep tight

17W 1d

Walked for 25 minutes to Moholt student housing for the Indonesians gathering. Made ‘balado udang’ and ‘es teler’. Had ‘soto ayam’, ‘sayur lodeh’ and ‘tempe goreng’. Love them all.
Couldn't button up my trouser anymore and couldn't hide the bump anymore.
Thanks to Egil, Tetty and Angling who offered us a lift going home.
Felt great and enjoyed the ‘take-home tempe’. Work-out a lot, ate a lot and hope to get a good sleep tonight.

Monday, May 15, 2006

My 1st Ultra Sound Check Up, it's a ...

15W 3d !!

Had an Ultra Sound check up this morning. All of us, Hardy, Abigail and I went togehter. It was quite long waiting for my turn. It was about 40 minutes or so, but there was a corner for children to play so Abigail didn't get bored.

Asked the midwife whether it's ok to take Abigail in ; on the letter it says that it's not allowed to bring kids :( no problem, she said.
All of us got to see our little tiny new member to our family. It might be difficult for Abigail to recognize the baby, but hopefully she understands seeing the moving 'white thing' on the screen.

To my surprise, it was too young, too early, said the midwife. I am in my 16 week and 1 day pregnancy right now, not 18 weeks as predicted before. Ok, may be there is some miscalculations with my period or something.

I need another check up in the next 3 weeks. Everything looked fine, except she couldn't see the heart's chamber clearly and other organs. The baby moved around, kicking and turning up and down, sucking its finger and moved its hands and feet.

Hardy was a bit worried when he heard the word 'for ung' and thought that the baby is too small. While the midwife meant 'too early'. Hopefully the baby is doing fine and healthy.

Well, we asked whether it's a boy or a girl... it's better keep it in secret for a while and wait for another 3 weeks to make sure. The most important thing is that baby is healty and ok, right?!!

Thinking a lot about baby names. So excited...!!

Old due date: October 13, 2006
New due date: October 30, 2006

Sunday, May 07, 2006

Temptation

17W 2d

It’s a wonderful Sunday. Warm and shiny. Went to church and International Sunday where they had food festival and cultural shows. Had pizza for lunch, rice and grilled chicken (again) for dinner. And ice cream. Hardy just bought a pack of yummy ice cream. Oh, resist the temptation, Lasma…don’t want to gain too much weight, but it is ice cream… everybody loves ice cream.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

My 2nd Visit To The Doctor

16W 6d


Everything is all right. I am 57,4 kg, blood pressure: 106/61. No need for iron tablet, said the doctor.
A bit crossed for waiting too long to get my turn, which supposed to be at 09.10. He forgot, I guess, but it's understandable. Nice old guy... I knew him since my first pregnancy. He sometimes acts funny. Forgets the scale of my womb or my blood pressure... :) A nice one, too. He is so patient listening to my poor norwegian, too... and kindly correct my language.
Managed to play outside with Abigail and Celina. Ate well and took a nap.
I felt great all the day long.

Monday, May 01, 2006

Stay fit

16W 3d

It’s holiday. Relax!
No croissant anymore. Back to the normal breakfast menu.
Today I had toast, with chocolate, banana and cheese. Can eat more and more of them.
Try to do some exercise in the evening to stay fit. Started with multivitamin today.

Friday, April 28, 2006

Si Ompung, datanglah dikau!!

16W

Rang 'orang Siantar dan orang Medan' and chatted with 'inang' and 'mama'.
Told them that I feel much better than what I felt with my first pregnancy. They know how bad it was with Abigail. Stayed in the room for hours, for days... so many throw-ups... even in the middle of the night. Luckily Hardy was there and being a very good 'servant' to me.

I asked one of them to come over when the baby is coming. There will be a lot of works with the baby and Abigail, especially for the first three months. At least that what we experienced with Abigail. Not to mention Hardy's work at the end of his contract. We really need help this time. No one else to ask for help - please, ompung datang sinilah...

My mom was very happy and will get things sorted out for her visit.

Yes... !! Looking forward to your coming!!

Monday, April 24, 2006

Back to normal ...

11W 3d

I felt great and managed to get back to the kitchen and did all the cooking again. I love grilled-chicken and rice. Felt hungry all the time. I had bread with cheese or liver paste, fruit or paprika for breakfast and lunch, warm dish for dinner, at 4 pm. Felt a bit sick whenever I filled my tummy too late….

The first day for me to take care of Celina, it was fun. I took Celina and Abigail to the playground and I read while they were playing. The weather was wonderful with lots of sunshine. Managed to take a nap for an hour. Felt great all the day long.

Saturday, April 15, 2006

BBQ Day

10W 1d

BBQ at Intan’s and I had lots kind ‘sate’ today, ‘sate ayam’, ‘sate kambing’ , with ‘bumbu kacang, padang and kecap’, yummy… sausages, tempe, bakwan and rice for the first time after being pregnant. Hardy was a bit worried about how I would stand the smell of the food but nothing happened. I felt great all the day. The ambassador with her family was there and had a talk with all of us. Went home early at about 4 pm and took home some food. What a day… felt tired but happy…. No more sickness I hope.

Monday, April 10, 2006

Hurra...

9W 3d

It’s holiday and Astri gathered the other moms to come by. Intan and Sandra, Ninik with Kristian and Oda, Leni with Shania and Yasmin and Nancy with Samuel. It was nice to have them here, and surprisingly I felt great even when I smelt the potatos being baked. Abigail was very happy to have so many of friends to play with. And what really made me happy was the ‘rujak’ by Astri. Love them and saved them for the next few days!
Felt great until the evening and no throw-up for to day. Hurrah! I hope that’s the sign that the sickness will be over really soon. Hurra...

Thursday, March 30, 2006

First visit to the doctor

7W 6d

It’s my first visit to the doctor. I am 55 kg, with blood pressure 104/66 … I lost a couple of kilograms in the last three weeks. I’m in my 11th week already, hoping to get over this sickness soon. Got my blood taken and urine checked. Then, normal check-up to see how my womb is. Everything is fine and normal. My doctor set up an appointment with the hospital for my ultra sound check up when I’m in the 18th week. That’s the regular procedure for pregnant mother in this country. Mothers and kids are very well treated here.
Everything is taken care of, you just need to ask for the first appointment with the doctor after you got pregnant. The rest is all arranged. You will get the next appointment with the doctor or midwife for every month, an appointment for ultrasound check-up when you are in the 18th week (or more when necessary) and will have registered at the hospital so they are ready for you at the time you deliver the baby. The best part is all with no costs. Imagine how it is back there in Indonesia. Having a baby means being prepared for both more efforts and costs. But still, having a baby is a blessing.

Monday, March 27, 2006

Need some air!

Managed to take Abigail to the playground today, she missed her friend and got bored being at home all this time… The snow is still thick, the stroller felt so heavy, took me more time than usual to get to the playground, and I couldn't stand not to throw up when I got there. I have forced myself to go out more often and get some fresh air and have some exercise as well. It helped a lot but still feel sick and tired… No rice please, no warm dishes… spinach soup is ok, tough… Feel that all my trousers are so tight.