Week 36 Pregnancy #2 Update with Baby Calysta

I'm in my ninth month of pregnancy!

A little over 36 weeks now, that means 1 more week to the official full term and another 2-3 more weeks before she's here with us! I can't wait & I feel nervous too!

The emotional feeling I'm currently experiencing being a second time mum is I feel like in my ninth month of my pregnancy, every moment I spend with baby boy is too precious but short.. The time will finally come when he's not going to be the only one in my heart.. I feel guilty because I'm soon going to be shared. I'm nervous and wonder how on earth I could love my 2nd child as much as I love him.. I didn't touch my belly as much as I touched EJ when I was pregnant with him, I didn't talk to her as much as I was pregnant with EJ and I didn't read to her either but I read to EJ when he was in my belly.. But I know things will change when she's finally here, I will fall in love over and over again :)

Pregnancy is so far so good, I don't have any complaints at all :) I can eat well, I can walk well & I can actually sleep well (so far I can sleep like a baby, wake up twice or more to pee but I can sleep back soundly) BUT for the past one week, it was terrible.. I didn't sleep well at all, not because of the pregnancy causing me sleepless nights but it was my 18 month old boy...

My 18 month old was sick and diagnosed with walking pneumonia caused by mycoplasma bacterial. He was having high fever, nausea with vomiting, cough, flu & cold and for the past one week, I was so worried and couldn't sleep at all (I had to wake up every hour to check his temperature). I was so scared! This thing + pregnancy hormones + pressure I received from the old folks when my baby boy was sick just broke me down. I kept on crying & crying (I know it's silly but who can blame a hormonal pregnant woman?) And I just felt so upset! One whole week of upsetness!

My baby boy is currently recovering & he's doing pretty good now (still under observation but absolutely so much better) and so my mood is! I'm feeling better too! At least, I can smile & laugh now, no longer a sad cloud!

Anyway, life isn't always smooth, isn't? Although I have comfortable pregnancy #2 but there's nothing can stop me from being sad & upset, right?

I'm grateful that my joints, back, wrists, knees are not sore or painful at all (it was painful during my first pregnancy at 36 weeks) and most importantly, I'm still comfortable being my self, the 36 week pregnant me! :)

I noticed at 36 weeks pregnant, Braxton hicks contractions come more frequently now but it lasts for 1 second only. Not painful but uncomfortable. The feeling is like tightening in my belly and this contractions are only noticeable to me when I stand up or walk. I can't feel it when I sit down!

Baby Cal's movements & kicks are still pretty much the same pattern, she still loves her favorite spot which is on my right side and she loves to hang around my right ribs. Luckily when she's around my ribs, it doesn't hurt at all.. I just felt like someone is poking & shifting my right arm :) I can also feel her legs/arms/elbows/ankles/don't-know-what-it's poking out of my skin and it felt funny & sharp :)

Talking about craving, it's weird that I started to love chocolate bar with almonds so much.. And it started at 35 weeks pregnant. Chocolate is now my comfort food! I have never loved or appreciated chocolates like the way I appreciate it now.. I just have craving for chocolates! Before I got pregnant and before 35 weeks of pregnancy, chocolates were never in my mind but now, I just can't stop thinking of chocolates (almost) all the time =.=' Girl's craving?

Next appointment is next week at 37 weeks and I'm curious how much she has grown! and how much I have grown too, arghh!

After shedding so much tears this week (Silly me, it's not even that big pressure!) I think it's time to be happy back, what else can bring happiness to a woman except retail therapy? I bought this super pretty pom pom dress for Calysta. Normally, pom pom dress can cause itchiness & discomfort but this one is super soft & comfortable, so Calysta will definitely look lovely in this dress (this size is for 6 months old). She already has so many dresses and this should be the last piece I bought! (although I doubt so! Retail therapy for baby girl is indeed a therapy!)

Baby bump comparison at 36 weeks.. 1st pregnancy/baby boy vs 2nd pregnancy/baby girl.. I can't see the difference though, both baby bumps are pretty much the same shape but I think baby boy was a little higher, fuller & sharper.. And baby girl is a little lower and rounder :)

 Here's my round bump at 36 weeks!

Almost there & the countdown really begins now!

What does a newborn need? Must Haves for Baby Calysta

Hello

I was thinking whether to blog about baby essentials especially for newborn or not, because there are quite many baby websites listing about baby must haves for the first year. Then, I decided to share with fellow mommies here because I really think these are all what I need the most and also this writing is also for my own record, you know, in case I got pregnant again many years later and I need to start over again preparing baby stuff, at least I will know what to buy (although it's very less likely for me wanting to get pregnant again after many years, even if I want #3, I will try it within 2 years time frame, I'm not that young anymore haha... but who knows 'accident or something' haha..)

Newborn Clothing:

1) Swaddle (Traditional cloth type ~ I have like 7 pcs, please invest on Aden & Anais Muslin Swaddle)
2) Instant Swaddle (I have like 7 pcs ~ find it easy to wear on baby at night & easier for diaper change too)
3) Romper Pajamas ~ 6 pcs
4) Socks & Mittens ~ I have like 20 socks & 20 mittens because these get lost easily)
5) Wash Cloth & handkerchief ~ more than 20 pcs ~ find it very useful to clean baby face, body & hair during bath time and also can be used as newborn bibs during feeding & for mouth cleaning too)
6) Hat ~ 2 is enough
7) Baby shirt/short sleeve ~ button-down type ~ I have 14 pcs ~ I need many because baby vomits milk all the time
8) Long pants ~ 7 is enough ~ seldom use it though because newborn will be swaddled anyway to keep her warm & long pants are not that needed
9) Baby shirt/long sleeve ~ button-down type ~ 7 is enough ~ not that needed too because again newborn is swaddled all the time, so without wearing long sleeve, she's warm enough!
10) Romper ~ 4-5 pcs ~ not that needed because it can be a little hard to wear this type of romper on newborn baby & thus hard to take off too ~ however it's great for photo taking :D
11) Disposable Diapers ~ my favorite is Merries ~ do invest in newborn size 1 pack first to see if it fits and size S 3-4 packs
12) Cloth Diapers ~ I have 2 types ~ one is like Japanese Sumo pants (very traditional type) for newborn and another one is a modern cloth diaper. The green one as shown in the pic is great for baby aged 1 month and above, this one size cloth diaper can be worn by infants & toddlers. Check out Moo Moo Kow brand! Cloth diaper is a must because baby does get bum rashes quite frequently. My son wore cloth diaper when he had bum rashes ~ I have 12 cloth diapers with inserts!

Add: 1) Some pretty outing outfits, baby Cal has 2 dresses for 0-3 months and the rest are 3-6 months and 6 months onwards. Check out Baby Calysta's outfits/dresses here

2) Bibs ~ I have many but I normally will use bibs after baby is starting solid foods

And don't forget:

1) Bed Sheets ~ for your baby cot ~ 2 is enough!
2) Towels ~ I have 4, yes I need a few because baby pees on towel all the time ~ especially after bath
3) Mattress Protector ~ to prevent mattress getting wet
4) Baby Cloth Sling ~ it's a must for me, I prefer to wear baby sling when my baby is still a newborn and after 4 months old or when her head is firm and steady, I can definitely upgrade to baby carrier
5) Baby Cot Bumper ~ I don't need this as I'm using Playpen

Blankets:

1) Wearable Blanket ~ a must for me ~ I'm too paranoid normal blanket could suffocate baby at night when we don't supervise our baby, plus baby does kick blanket away every time
2) Normal Blanket ~ for afternoon nap ~ when I'm supervising the baby or not sleeping, and to make sure the blanket won't cover her face

Baby Care Essentials:

1) Changing Mat
2) Baby Wipes (I love Pigeon)
3) Spray Water Bottle (I use water to clean baby's bum after using baby wipes to prevent rashes, using baby wipes without rinsing can cause rashes)
4) Diaper Cream (I'm happy with Bepanthen or Desitin but prefer Bepanthen more as the texture is lighter)
5) Sterile Cotton (one small pack costs like $1 and I have like more than 30 packs, newborn must use sterile cotton. It can be used to clean newborn's eyes, face, ears, bum, etc
6) 2 in 1 Hair & Body Shampoo (I love organic brands like California Baby or Gaia and please use only organic hair & body shampoo for newborn as newborn's skin & scalp can be very sensitive)
7) Tummy Oil (either Ru Yee Oil or Minyak Telon, but I prefer Minyak Telon as it's mild/not so hot on baby's thin skin, but it's individual preference)
8) Body Lotion (This time I will try Mustela, I hope it's good!)
9) Aveeno Eczema Cream (I swear this cream is so good when baby has rashes on face, my 18 month old son is still using this when he has rough skin on his face & within 1-2 days, his face is back to baby-smooth-face)

Optional: Baby Massage Oil ~ I seldom use it though, but I have one sample bottle ^^

Please don't forget to buy anti-bacterial hand sanitizer ~ I put one in my room, one in living room and another one in the kitchen. When you have a newborn, you or other family members have to make sure hands are clean before touching the baby

Other Baby Care Products:
 
1) Nail Clipper/Scissor ~ I heard Pigeon brand is good
2) Nail Trimmer ~ Zoli Brand is really good, it's battery operated nail trimmer
3) Braun Digital Thermometer ~ Get the ear type, it's more accurate, easy to read & quicker, expensive but it's a good investment
4) Pigeon Hand & Mouth Wipes ~ A must to have, especially when we are outside, baby vomits a lot!
5) Hair Brush & Comb
6) Nose Aspirator ~ it's to suck the mucus out of baby's nose when baby is having flu. Mine is battery operated, Graco brand, just bought & never tried this before, I hope it's good!
7) Cotton Bud ~ to clean baby's ears (please do not clean inside!)
8) Mouth Wipes ~ you can use either clean wet cloth or My Dentist Choice Tooth Tissue (which can be used from birth up to toddler) to clean baby's tongue & gums. Mothercare offers similar product too. It's really individual preference. My mum & mil use Chinese Medicine Powder to clean newborn's mouth. They said it can prevent baby from being spooked (Well, I don't know about this too! Old Generation belief!)
9) Alcohol Wipes ~ it's to clean newborn's belly button when umbilical cord hasn't fallen off. You can get that from pharmacies
10) Medicine Syringe ~ Please invest on this A LOT! I bought 1 whole box (I think more than 50 pcs). This medicine syringe is a one time use & it's used to feed liquid medicine to infants or toddlers. Do expect that infants or toddlers can get fever after immunization and do prepare to feed them liquid paracetamol as prescribed by PD
11) Fever Patch ~ for fever ~ Pigeon brand is suitable for infants & toddlers

Diaper Bag is a must! ~ choose a light weight one! Mine is from Okiedog with lots of compartments inside! Awesome!

If you decide to bottle feed your baby, you may need:
 
1) Milk Powder Container ~ not only it's good for travelling but I also use this container on daily basis ~ you know sometimes you remind your helper, husband or mil to wash hands before making baby formula but they can forget or too busy or perhaps get distracted by baby cry, this milk powder container is the perfect solution without worrying milk powder would get contaminated or something! No wash hand, not too worry!
2) Baby Bottles ~ My son is using Avents and this time, my daughter will be using Comotomo (I heard it's a very good breastfeeding bottle and although I hope she would just latch on instead of using bottles)
3) Hot Water Thermos
4) Bottle Cleanser & Brush ~ Tollyjoy is the best

If you have decided to breastfeed, you may read my post on breastfeeding essentials here (breastfeeding stuff I prepared so far)

 

Item/s I won't buy:

1) Pacifier ~ the reason is I don't want my baby to get addicted to it plus I heard pacifier can change mouth shape & teeth structure, so I don't want to risk it ~ I want my baby to have beautiful smile in the future!
2) Pillow ~ just don't like the idea that it could suffocate my baby if baby left unattended
3) Baby Exersaucer ~ no good for baby legs' development

Other items I own: (most of these are from my son, passing down to my baby girl)
 
1) Baby Bottle Sterilizer (I use it every day, to me, it's very useful & a time saving product, instead of boiling bottles)
2) Bath Tub (A must!)
3) Car Seat (Seldom Use)
4) Stroller (A must!)
5) Baby Swing (Very Useful)
6) Baby Hammock aka yao lan (Very Useful too for my first born)
7) Baby Shoes (for non-walking infants, shoes are not needed, but I did own a few pairs for my first born, so he could look 'cool')
8) Baby Carrier (Very Useful, I love Ergo Baby)
9) High Chair (Absolutely! After 6 months)
10) Play Gym (I have one, but not really needed as I seldom use it)
11) Books & Toys & Teething Toys (all passing down from my toddler son)
12) Baby Walker (my son used this when he was 6 months old and above but I did make sure that he only used baby walker for max 10-15 minutes then he had to take a break)

Btw, for baby swing, I bought this Fisher-Price 4 in 1, I find it sophisticated, can be used from newborn to toddler :)

Check out here to take a look on my simple nursery for my baby girl and here for my maternity/nursing clothes

I hope I have already mentioned everything here and please excuse me if I have forgotten one or two items (I'm pregnant and I have pregnant brains too! LOL) Most of the stuff here are left over from my toddler son and some stuff they will both be sharing and I hope this post can be useful to first time mums-to-be. I'm no expert though, everything is just based on my own experience as a soon to be second time mum.

~Netty~

 

Baby Girl Clothing Haul, Lots of Dresses!

I guess this is one of the most exciting posts I've ever written.. What else can be more exciting than buying & showcasing princess's dresses?
 
At 30 weeks pregnant, Calysta's clothes are 100% complete, all the way from newborn until 12 months old.. I know I may sound a little early to collect baby clothes up to 12 months old, that's the way too early, right? But who can blame me when baby girl's clothes, headbands and accessories are just the way too adorable to resist?
 
The way I think is like this, just grab & buy it when the deal is good and the dress is pretty, it doesn't matter if the size is too big right now, baby grows up very quickly and she will eventually have the chance to wear it even it's a year later heheheee...
 
I think I have already spoilt this girl before she's even born because she has so many clothes and dresses, not mentioning so many pretty hair clips and hair bands :) And I make sure I buy her quality clothes from brands like Carter's (Oh Gosh, I can't believe I purchased so many Carter's dresses & rompers for her), Oshkosh, Mothercare, Ralph Lauren (only 1 dress though), Baby Gap (mostly rompers), Pumpkin Patch, Fox Baby and a few overseas brands.
 
I know many people would tell me "but baby grows up so quickly..."
 
Yes I know that though, but I always believe a girl no matter how young deserves to be treated like a princess.. She deserves to get dressed prettily and by dressing up properly and nicely since young, she will eventually grow up and become one fine young lady :) It will also influence the way she dresses up when she grows up :)
 
My mother loved to dress me up when I was a little and she would dress me up in pretty dresses whenever we went out for family outings. The dresses she bought me were so pretty and wearing those dresses made me feel like "I'm one special little princess.." Thus I felt so much better about myself :) And I want my daughter to feel that way too.. I want her to feel special since young :)
 
Plus I think Calysta will be my only daughter (that's why she's pretty spoilt), don't know why I have this feeling that my 3rd baby (if I have one) will be another boy.. After that, my ovaries will be officially retire. It's a very strong feeling lingered around for so long, so let's see! :D
 
I'm a very girly girl and I love dresses so much. My wardrobe has more dresses than tops and I only have 2 long jeans pants (I'm not a big fan of denim, long jeans, etc). Being a super girly girl, it made me naturally wanting a baby girl since young so I could dress her up in my own girly style and so when I found out I was pregnant with a baby girl, I was over the moon! And I couldn't wait to start shopping her stuff!
 
After I found out "it's a girl" I started my early shopping at 20 weeks pregnant. I bought her stuff a little by a little.. I didn't rush at all.. Mostly, I bought online! I grabbed whatever good deals I saw and within 2 months time, I have completed everything :)
 
I would say I'm pretty lucky to be able to complete Calysta's stuff 2 months before she's here.. If I haven't done so, I wonder how could I continue on shopping while I'm on strict home rest due to premature labor risk?
 
Thanks God, everything is complete now, I just need to wash, organize, set up her nursery and buy additional stuff I may need for my confinement, I'm all set! :)
 
In fact, I bought her baby care products before I even found out her gender. I started buying stuff except her clothes at 3 months pregnant.. I started early because I wanted to get prepared well at my 2nd trimester, so I could enjoy & relax more at my 3rd trimester. I know how hard it is to do baby shopping at 3rd trimester while carrying a big baby bump around.. Learned that from my 1st pregnancy and I regretted to buy EJ's stuff at almost 8 months pregnant.. I was so tired and couldn't walk too much.. Ended up buying EJ's stuff from strictly 1-2 baby stores. So this time round, I'm super well & better prepared!
 
I will show you more when I'm done with washing & organizing baby stuff ~ hopefully able to share some information with fellow mommies-to-be what you need to buy and what you don't need and what are baby essentials when you are expecting your little one. I hope to be able to get everything set and done before 36 weeks :)
 
Here I'm sharing with you clothes & dresses I bought for Calysta.. I have more than this but I keep it in her closet and will let her wear it (and show you too) when she's older enough! These are mostly my favorites. Basic stuff and those hands down clothes from EJ (neutral colors), I won't show it here.. (because it's not girly enough, hahaa..)
 
Her style will be very girly and princessey with floral & ribbon head accessories :)
 
This princess romper with matching tutu skirt is too pretty. Can't resist it, so I bought 4 different designs (with different sizes)

Love floral dresses so much, my favorite is the top left from Carter's

 The top left is from Ralph Lauren and so far one of my favorites :)

Super comfortable dresses from Carter's (top left) and can be worn at home too  

 

Cute Owl Rompers

Baby Hoodies, denims and summer slippers for baby (3 months plus)

More rompers :)

Ah, this one is my favorite, a pretty pink denim dress from Oshkosh.. I mean it's denim but pink? It's absolutely too adorable not to get this one!

More dresses from Carter's.. I love Carter's brand because the material is very comfortable, the cotton quality is good, yet it doesn't feel hot at all.. Very suitable for hot weather like Singapore. Plus it's so suitable as home & play wear :)

 

More casual & home wear from Carter's. Dresses are not only pretty (I super adore the pretty soft color and design) but it's super comfy too (cooling material) I reckon Baby Cal will look adorable at home every day :)

Sneak peak of her closet. I mostly hang clothes from 0-6 months and from 6-12 months, I organize & put inside cloth bags I bought from Daiso (will show you more how I organize her stuff when I finish washing & organizing)

 

More dresses ~ top left floral dress is from Fox Baby, top right is my favorite white dress from Pumpkin Patch (very pretty & flowy with floral lace design), left middle is from Mothercare (baby pink dress) & Carter's (hot pink cardigan), right bottom blue floral dress is from Oshkosh Baby and bottom right is all from Carter's (3 dresses & 1 legging)

 

I love floral & ribbon hair clips.. These are designed for newborn and young babies, thus the clips will not hurt baby's scalp and it's super comfortable to wear :)

Pretty head bands from newborn onwards.. These are also very super comfortable and I hope Calysta doesn't mind this on her head.. I heard some baby girls mind. But I think even she does mind, it's alright I will keep this for her to wear when she's older.. I can absolutely work something out, like using it to tie ponytail hair perhaps?

Matching booties & mittens ~ all in pink color (because mommy loves pink, hahaha...)

Cute floral hat from Mothercare and some cute socks I bought from baby Expo

Finally a pair of ballet shoes for newborn from Mothercare. Absolutely pretty!

 

That's about it, meanwhile I have to stop my retail therapy for my daughter now! She has more than enough! But seriously can I resist one pretty dress? I doubt so! :D

P/S: I order Carter's clothes from US website through a local seller here, you can email me in private if you wanna know how I place my order :)