Firstborn Tag

(First published in FB's Notes on Wednesday)

I was tagged by the lovely Ms. Suri whom I had met via blogging. :)

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED? No, I wanted a baby right away due to the age factor.

2. WHAT was your 2nd choice name or your opposite gender name: We were only mulling over possible names after we found out we're having a girl. Her name evolved from thereon. Only towards the end that one name stuck in our heads and we both agreed to it.

3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS? Excited and humbled!

4. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 30 going on 31.

5. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT? Interesting that you'd asked. There is actually a long story to this, so please bear with me :) . I'd been anxious about getting pregnant ever since tying the knot. After six months of nuptials and still no baby, I tried not to be so hard up for the stork's arrival. In late June, I experienced what akin to a stomach flu and was prescribed some medicine. I had thought I was 'late' because of the antibiotics given to me then.

Again, when 'it' didn't come for what seemed the longest time and the home kit was negative, I went to see two doctors - first, one near to work and later on, one near home. The tests taken in both clinics still turned out negative. The second doctor even told me that some women could mimic pregnancy symptoms when they are so desperate to get pregnant. She suggested I took some pineapple juice to stimulate menstruation. I was crestfallen.

I had contemplated taking the juice when I realised that I slowly grew aversive to coffee. I couldn't bring myself to drink them. Something must be VERY wrong! I LOVE coffee!

Purely out of instinct, I called hubby and asked him to meet me at Twin Towers Medical Centre after work (I had a business meeting in town that day) for another test. We were ushered to the big waiting area until the result was out. The curt male doctor suddenly appeared in front of us and said 'Ah, positive. Come!' No smiling face. Just a matter-of-fact, serious expression. We were first dumbfounded by his contradicting sullen declaration. Then, the word finally sank in. POSITIVE? Alhamdulillah! That was a long, harrowing one-month journey to discovery.

6. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST? I sent a mass sms (text messages) to my parents, siblings and close friends.

7. DID YOU WANT TO FIND OUT THE SEX? Definitely.

8. DUE DATE? Early-to-mid March.

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS? Unlike this second pregnancy, no. But my husband did experience a bout of morning sickness in the first trimester by way of Couvade Syndrome.

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE? A lot of cheese. Kraft cheddar cheese. The block type which I carried around in my handbag!

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST? The smell of coffee, or even the mere mention of it, makes me nauseous.

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD'S SEX? Female.

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX ? No. I love to dress up a girl. All those (floral) dresses, skirts galore. :)

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY? In Malaysia, we use the metric system, so it was 20-23 kg.

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER? Not a normal tradition or custom here.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW? Hence, not applicable.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY? Since I couldn't ascertain my last cycle as a result of #5, my obgyn had to guesstimate my due date. As such, my triple blood test showed a higher risk of Down Syndrome. No words could describe how devastated I had become. My ever aloof obgyn recommended an amniocentesis procedure to confirm for sure the presence of Down Syndrome risk. In spite of the exorbitant price, we decided to go ahead with it primarily for our peace of mind. I was a nervous, emotional wreck for days before and after the procedure. Praise be to Him, everything turned out well. And the upside was that we got to know our baby's sex quite early.

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH? Gleneagles, KL.

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR? Since it was 'unplanned' induced birth, I was in the hospital since 8 pm on Wednesday and the baby only came out at 00:04 on Friday. Sheer exhaustion and stress!

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL? - My other half.

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH? - My other half and a midwife on duty who taught me how to push.

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION? Natural, with assisted vacuum extraction.

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN? Epidural, twice top up.

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH? 2.98 kg.

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ? 12:04 am Friday, 24th February 2006.

26. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER? Sadia Firjani.

27. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY? She's due for her 3rd birthday! *hint, hint*

28. WOULD YOU DO IT AGAIN? I'm currently 22-week pregnant with my second child. :)

Firmly snugged in my arms, seven hours after delivery

25 Random Things.....

As published on FB's notes last night.

I have been tagged. Without further ado, here are mine.

Rules:
Once you've been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it's because I want to know more about you.
(To do this, go to "notes" under tabs on your profile page, paste these instructions in the body of the note, type your 25 random things, tag 25 people (in the right hand corner of the app) then click publish.)



(1) Believe it or not, I am one of the three siblings born in the same year. No, we are not triplets. My eldest sis was born in January whereas my twin and I were born in December. So, three in a year. However, so as to avoid having to explain at length, my mom at times said we're triplets.

(2) Yes, I am one half of a twin. We are supposedly identical twins, but our friends can vouch otherwise. Our personalities are as distinct as the moon and the sun. Probably, we should do a DNA test to check if we're in fact fraternal twins.

(3) I like to eat chicken. I can have it every day. All parts of the chicken are fine, except for liver and gizzard. Given the choice between white and red meat, I'd select the former. Though lately I've been craving a lot of red meat...

(4) I love cats and anything that, according to my warped mind, remotely resembles cats, such as otters, meerkats and ferrets. But never catfish.

(5) I'm not really feminine even though I prefer skirts to pants. Nor am I that masculine in spite of my tough talk and 'sitting' manners.

(6) Sometimes people would remark that I am athletic, which is furthest from the truth. I haven't done any sports for the longest time since the end of high/secondary school. Of course, there were the occasional badminton and other outdoor games, but I am never into sports. I attribute this misconception to my broad shoulders and tall stature.

(7) Due to the lack of interest in sports, I don't find the need to watch any sporting events. The last time I had religiously followed a sporting event was in 2002 and it's the World Cup co-sponsored by Japan and South Korea (I had to look this one up :P ). Marriage life further reinforced this blase attitude towards sports as my spouse also shares the same sentiment.

(8) Speaking of spouse, I'm proudly and happily married to a Sarawakian who is pretty much a metrosexual (Please feel free to google this term). I could have married a typical male chauvinist, but that would insult my intelligence and destroy any shred of self-respect I might have left. Then again, I believe all men are male chauvinists in one form or another, whether they are straight or not. :)

(9) If you don't already know or notice, I am a fairly blunt person. I don't mince my words. Some people find it hard to swallow my tendency of putting a foot in the mouth. I have since learned to brush up on my diplomatic skills.

(10) My favourite colour is anything in the shade of purple. A colour analyst says people who love purple have a lot of pent-up desire. Hmmm.....

(11) I love anything of the floral print. I wouldn't be caught dead wearing a leopard print or anything of its ilk. It's still better off on the animals, methinks.

(12) When I was a little girl, I drew a variety of cartoon-like figures in many interesting outfits. Secretly, I wanted to become a fashion designer. However, my lack of control of brushstrokes and poor school marks in drawing worked against me. So, I live vicariously through my love of everything clothes. No handbags or shoes to make me go gaga. Just clothes in all their glory.

(13) After an awkward adolescent period, I only warmed up to the idea of wearing a skirt toward the second half of college years. Sure, I had to don baju kurung during schooltime, but I never felt comfortable in them. Now, I can't see myself without skirts.

(14) When I was in Form 2 (that would be 9th Grade), my parents hatched a plan to get us out of school early so we would be able to catch the David Copperfield Magic show held in KL. They told the Penyelia Petang (The Afternoon session supervisor) that there's a family emergency in Kampung Bahru. It was exhilarating to see David Copperfield in the flesh.

(15) In Form 3, two friends and I trickled a few drops of 'Minyak Atar' ( or pungent Arabic scented oil) onto the seats of our classmates during the recess. The classroom was percolated with strong, cloying perfume. It's part of our April's Fool prank. To my former unsuspecting peers, please forgive our transgression.

(16) My forehead bears two scars from my childhood - a playground incident and a car accident.

(17) Although my drawing and painting skills are not up to par, I love arts and art history. Among my favourite painters are Monet, Cezanne, Van Gogh and Seurat.

(18) I can't stand anyone who's immoderately vain - the type who cannot be in contact with any shiny or mirror surface lest she or he would check herself or himself for what seems like hours.

(19) Thanks to my mom's side, I am endowed with wavy locks. Once, while waiting for the lift at an old workplace, a middle-aged lady working in HR asked if I recently had a perm job. When I replied matter-of-factly it's all natural, she gave me a blank stare as if I was pulling her leg.

(20) My ancestral line can be traced to Bugis and Jawa on the maternal side and Siam on the paternal side.

(21) I tend to be a 'crankitch' (cranky b***h) if I don't get enough shuteye. Other than that, I'm a pretty pleasant human-being.

(22) I am a coffee junkie. After last year's knee problems though, I am trying to cut down my daily intake. I'm getting old. Crackling bones and all.....

(23) I'd love to travel all over the world if I have the wherewithal. The places I visit must however have potable water and edible food.

(24) While professing an avid interest in writing, I have not done much reading in my adult life. I put it down to my short attention span and sheer procrastination. I have to buck up in order to be half as good as my favourite writers.

(25) I've been described many things by different people. Some say I'm snobby, others say I'm weird, a few funny ones say I'm 'happening'. There are some 'I'm timid', 'I'm brash' and even, 'I'm trying too hard'. What I know is I can be quiet and shy among the extroverts and loquacious, and I can be talkative when I'm nervous or trying to defuse an awkward silence. Most of all, I can be myself among friends and kindred spirits.