Zoey K: I woke up like this

The extended circuit breaker is really stressing me out. It seems like my gender reveal "party" might be jeopardised. So far the vendors whom I am working with can't give me affirmatives that the show will go on...Sigh. This just means I probably have to come out with more creative way to surprise the Hubs without him knowing hmm.

On a side note, we got new lovelies for the ears. Personally, I love this series of photos on Zoey K. It is quite different from the usual style I go for...but I should always try new things out. Even for the try-outs, I literally did them in bed and hence the title :P

1. Coral ($25)

This is a very unique set and there is every reason to love this. The stud are pearl bits so wear it the other way round, you get 2 earrings instead of one. The highlights are nonetheless still the natural dried flowers. There is a lot of variety and it is so difficult to pick a fav (others that caught my eye include the Leaf, Summer and Late Autumn). I settled for coral because the turquoise colour was unique and I might want to feature it in another shoot. Hehe. So I shall not ramble too much here. 

2. French Romantic Pearl Stud Earrings ($19)

My fascination with pearls have been growing in my twenties. And this piece is gorgeous. It is like big mother pearl being surrounded by little baby pearls. Generally, the pearl pieces from Zoey K.  are very classy. From experience, pearls look good both small and big, but if you want people mistake your fakes for reals, go for small pearls because natural pearls usually ain't that big and juicy hehe. But for me, I like my fakes big because the designs are usually more intricate and impossible to get at jewellery shops. 

I can go on and on about pearls. Lol, hit me up if you are a pearl fanatic or are looking to invest in some nice pearls (that are not from the typical jeweller) cos I have made some purchases at the last jewellery fair so I think I have quite a sense now on who's good for the overseas retailers. Ciao~~~

First Time Mum: Useful Support Groups/ Apps

Really wanted to do more this weekend, but exhaustion has unfortunately struck me. Since I am too drained to delve into anything deeper, I will share something lighter this weekend. As a first time mum, I relied on some support group/ app to go through bad days like this and I thought I will share it here :D

1. Telegram Private Chat

So this is the group which the hubs always call them a cult. I found them on a forum and apparently there is a group for each delivery month. My group is quite chatty and talks about healthy topics (heard some groups talk about sex and complains about their husbands all day). Generally, we compare symptoms, share good news and dish out advise (for experienced mums). Sometimes, the Mums also share when they received bad news from their gynae and other women would comfort them. 

Hubs thinks I am overly active and involved with a group of women I don't even know. But the thing is when I was going through rough morning sickness, this was the group that "understood". My friends didn't go through as bad pukes as me. And this was the group that was patient enough to keep comforting me. To return the kindness of my virtual pals, I also do try to be there as often as possible, particularly for mums going through a bad day (because I have been through it and knows how shitty it is like). 

2. 280 Days

This was the first app I used to track my pregnancy during the first trimester (recommended by the cult too). I downloaded it simply because it was cute and it was the closest interaction we had to the baby. The Hubs also downloaded the app so he could monitor my journals which I filled in quite religiously and he could also send "customised" encouraging message.

Apart from the cute icons of the babies which would change movement everytime you refresh the page, this app didn't hold much use. I soon moved on to the Asian Parent App which had a bigger community and had a whole library of food that could be taken during pregnancy etc. which I thought was a lot more useful. 

3. The Asian Parent App

As of now, this is my more frequently used app cos there is a lot more going on. Apart from the pregnancy tracker, there are polls, articles and libraries of facts to tap on. And you get points which you can use to redeem stuff. But between you and me, the stuff ain't that attractive and it is very hard to accumulate to a substantial amount. 

This app was also recommended by the cult. In fact, the cult also introduced an app that can measure/ track the fetus' heartbeat. Personally, I think placing the phone at the tummy just didn't seem smart so I didn't download it. So far, I just feel my tummy for movements (which Hubs say they are not baby but my gas rolling about in the tummy) Oh wells...but call it a mummy's instinct but I am pretty sure some of them are made my little one trying to connect with me :D

Update: Managed to redeem quite a decent set of toothpaste and mouthwash from Mama's Choice. Will be packing it into my hospital bag. :D 

The Art of Swaddling

Honestly, motherhood during COVID is tough. As a first time parent, I had wanted to attend some prenatal classes to help me through this journey. Now, it is just simply self-learning with limited support. Most of the things I have learnt about new borns are either from the vendors or online and this is why I decided no matter how shitty I feel, I will write down every nibble of information I got because it probably can help another mum-to-be out there.

So today, I thought I will share with you all I have learnt about swaddling. Initially, when the Hubs and I came across this, we were a bit bewildered as to why would a new born want to sleep with restricted movements? I mean hasn't you been confined in a womb for 9+ months? Now that you escape from it, wouldn't you want all the freedom in the world?!?

So the Hub and I did a silly experiment, he "swaddled" me up in our comforter to let me experience it myself. And I concluded it was rather comfy and secure, though warm. I would think when swaddled a new born would feel like it is still in the womb, letting it feel safe. On further research, swaddling is also supposed to help restrict movements from the baby so it doesn't accidentally suffocate itself by its blanket. 

But swaddling with a cloth is really like doing some origami and I doubt the impatient woman in me will be able to swaddle a soft newborn when it is born. This was when I decided I need to find a simpler alternative. I was surfing through Bambino and came across their swaddles.

The swaddle-up ($55.90) looks like a little onesie. The Hubs and I picked this colour cos we thought it looked like a dog bone HAHAHA. If you want something fuss-free, this is a easy solution. Just put baby in and zip it up. I was quite thankful that the material was really soft and breezy. Because the Hubs and I can't take humidity and warm weather very well so we don't really expect baby to be too different from me and the Hubs. 

We are also extremly pleased that the material was quite stretchy. Reason being, the little one seems to be on the bigger side (despite making me puke and all, it is getting quite a bit or just sucking nutrients off me) >_< But actually we don't need that big a piece because most babies stop swadling by 2 months (or when they start wanting to flip). The baby can be suffocated if it accidentally flip on its tummy!

Apart from the swaddles we saw, Bambino also hold other babies' needs and mummies' wants. We also received milestone cards ($19.90)...Whee. This is definitely more if a mummy's want. I thought it was cute if we could document baby's journey. There are even a notes section at the back to jot down fun facts of our little one. I have repacked the cards so that I won't fumble when our little one presents itself. 

If you are into simple, classy designs, these milestone cards would be up your alley. Looking at the cards, I was quite inspired to also make a welcome card for our baby. Hehe. Now that it is the circuit breaker, I just might be able to squeeze out some time for handicraft. :D