Stroller Search: SOLVED!

A few weeks back I posted the dilemma of choosing the right car for my baby. Being a first-time mom, I didn't know much about good strollers, for example in terms of weight, folding options and reclining positions. All I know are the basic things and make sure everything is all pretty. Hahaha typical me!

After reading feedback and hearing some suggestions from other people, especially experienced parents, I have narrowed down my search and my choice of stroller must firstly, fit my Myvi car bonnet. Myvi is known to have a compact bonnet thus when I went out the other day to buy the stroller, I drove my car to make sure it compels to the limited space.

Secondly, the stroller must be easy to fold and unfold, especially by me when it comes to events where I'm alone with the baby with no helping hands. My choice of folding position is umbrella fold, so it's compact and easy to handle without having to dismantle any parts.

Thirdly, it should be reasonably lightweight and not exceeding 10kg, or at least can be lifted by me without much pressure and panting for breath. I have a fear for a very light stroller thinking that it could easily collapse when you put your shopping bag/diaper bag by the handle. Yes, I saw one incident like that before and thank God no baby was harmed during that time.

Fourth and finally, the stroller must be easy to manoeuvre and it has approved safety characteristics, this include belt, folding parts, brakes, handles and tyres, just to name a few. The stroller should be just nice for me and husband to handle, and not too big until it blocks my front view. It should have a fully reclining position too, which is suitable to use from birth.

After stating those details, I went ahead and begun my search for the appropriate stroller that meets my core requirements. And after much sweat and tedious search, I finally made up my mind and came home with a Techno XLR from Maclaren.

I bought this stroller at Isetan One Utama. The retail price is rm1600 but currently they have a 40% discount  on most Maclaren models so I got to buy my dream car at RM959 only. Thank God it's still within the budget and doesn't exceed 1k. Still, it can't beat what Nadya and Syima grabbed during the baby carnival at a much cheaper price. They don't have much colors available in store (my fave are purple or pink!). What's left are black & champagne, brown & soft blue and persian red. Red is a total turn off and I never really fancy red strollers whilst the black & champagne color combo is plain dull and not attractive at all. So I opted for the soft blue since it's not too girly and still acceptable by both genders.

The stroller comes with a personal tag, plastic rain cover, quilted removable/washable padded lining and headrest in matching color. The SA was really helpful and taught me a lot about the stroller including its safety mechanism. I spent quite some time learning how to fold and unfold the stroller, what this and that do, test drive the stroller (yes!) including the brakes and all, adjusting handles, removing the covers and so on. And so far, I am satisfied with my purchase because I've been eyeing this stroller for some time and was lucky to be able to grab this during sales period.

On the cons, this stroller isn't really lightweight but it's not that heavy too. I guess it's just an average, weighing at 7kg, I can still lift it up slowly even when I'm heavily 8 months pregnant now. It takes up most of the space in my Myvi bonnet, ngam ngam je muat (I have to throw the packaging box in order to fit the stroller) but you can still stash in 5 shopping bags altogether and place them on top of the stroller so it's no biggie. Apart from this two, I can't really fault this stroller as so far, it's the best.

Now, let's just hope my baby will like the stroller as much as I do!

The Second 3D/4D Scan

I did my previous scan at a clinic in PJ when my baby was at 5 months old and was disappointed after knowing that the sonographer no longer offer her service there. After much thought, we decided to drive all the way from Puchong to Ampang just to do the scan. Yes, it was quite a journey despite being stuck in jam for almost 2-hour! My initial plan is to do the scan when I was at 7 months pregnant but we were too busy and consumed with the house preparation and decided to cancel and do it when the baby reached 8 months. By that time, I was hoping that it's not too late and we still can see the baby clearly.

Our appointment is supposed to be at 12.30pm but we finally managed to reach there only at 2pm. Hahaha! Waited at the reception for almost 40 minutes before my name was called. Jezz apologized for making us wait for quite some time and wasted no time and did her job. The baby was sleeping sideways during the scan and the sonographer had to nudge and pat my tummy to make her move. After a few tries, we finally got to see her face. She's a chubby, for sure and weighing healthily at 2.2kg at that time.

The 2D scan of my baby. Heartbeat is normal and baby is healthy although she's a week bigger from her real age.

The 4D image of her. The umbilical cord is somewhere near her face but thank God it doesn't blocked the view. We even saw her stretched out her body and yawning during the process. My baby is a sleepyhead!

As usual, we paid RM100 for the scan and received a CD containing clips of her movements and few selected pictures, plus a print-out of her 4D image. We always like Jezz's service which is very warm and friendly. Recommended!

Toiletries For Baby

There are a lot of baby care products in the market out there and sometimes, it gives me headache in choosing what's good (if not best) for my baby. Since I'm a first time mom, I received many suggestions from friends saying that newborns should use organics products during their early years since their skin is very delicate and prone to itchiness and rashes.

I'm tempted to use organics products for my baby then, and decided to just buy them online seeing that I no longer able to roam the malls like I used to before. Fatigue caught me most of the time, especially during this last trimester. So it's best if I just stay at home and wait for the items to be delivered to me safely.

Okay, back to the topic.

Most organics products, especially for newborns are quite expensive. But I went ahead and for the time being, I just bought the trial pack to see whether the products are suitable for my baby or not. Yeah, buying trial/travel pack doesn't cost you much and at least, it didn't go to waste if the products don't suit your baby. As for my baby, I bought two brands for her after some recommendations from friends.

The well-known Buds organics for baby. These aren't actually for newborns, they have another range targeted specially to newborns but I guess these would do since they were made for infants. This set is priced at RM39.90 consisting of cleanser, cream and nappy cream.

Bubchen is originated from Germany, a recommended products from dermatologists and is widely used in Europe. These products were made from natural ingredients. This travel pack is priced at RM12.90 inclusive of nappy cream, shampoo, baby bath and lotion.

I bought all these at Little Whiz and received the products the next day after payment. What a relief because I have finally settled the baby toiletries dilemma and one of these can finally go into her hospital bag.

Pupsik Studio Nursing Cover

It's payday today but I couldn't do much shopping now seeing that the car roadtax is due by end of this month. How can I forget about such thing??!!! Now, I have to shop moderately and thank God most of the baby's items are settled.

I plan to fully breastfeed my baby and that explains why I've been googling online for a decent yet stylish nursing cover. It's still early I know but I'd like to be prepared. Oh, talking about preparation, I haven't even start doing the hospital bag and I'm at 8 months now. Gasps!

Ok, let's forget about the hospital bag for the time being. We'll talk about that some other time, in another post.

Anyhoo, upon searching online I noticed most nursing covers sold at the market are the standard plain colored ponchos. I don't like ponchos. If I want a poncho, I'd better buy a cheap and pretty RM10 pashmina anywhere and wrap it around my chest as my nursing cover. Duh!

Then I went to Mothercare Alamanda and found Pupsik Studio nursing cover in bright hues and design. Pupsik Studio is based in Singapore. Apart from nursing cover, they also have baby carrier and baby beansprout pillow, just to name a few. The nursing cover is priced at RM99 but I want to buy it at cheaper price and found a few websites selling them but in a very limited design. Well, it's better than nothing, right?

Some of the designs available for nursing cover. These are preeettyyyyyyyyy!!!

The features of the nursing cover

Okay, here are our local websites which sell Pupsik Studio nursing cover, just a few ringgits cheaper than retail price, if they're on sale.

The Babyshop

The Cubbees

Little Whiz

Little Whiz is currently offering a really good deal of Pupsik Studio nursing cover, only at RM89.10. Too bad, they are currently out of stock. Sedihhhhhhhh! But I will definitely grab one once they restock them. *grins*

Survey: Confinement Lady

I was chatting on WhatsApp with my friend the other day, just changing mommies stories since we're both pregnant at the same time. Then she asked me about my confinement lady and to tell you the truth, I haven't given a slightest thought about it yet and she was horrified. You see, I'm due to deliver my baby on July, most probably during the fasting period and the thought of having no one to come over and take care of me during the confinement period because most of the tukang urut declined to serve during fasting month is simply unimaginable. Yes, after that conversation finished, I was totally mortified.

My mom is a full-time housewife but she has my two other siblings who are still in school and needs to be taken care of. Plus, I want to have my post natal rest at the comfort of my own house, not at my parent's because I can't stand my cats anymore (yeah, evil!) and my husband will feel at ease if we're in our own pod.

So I have to act fast and knowing that I have merely one month to seal the deal with a potential confinement lady, I've been searching high and low and asked my cousin/friends for numbers of their previous confinement lady. My requirement is simple. The lady should be able to take care of me and baby and preparing the food for me as well. Not necessarily to be lived-in but daily basis is most welcomed. And so far, here's what I got:

IREE Touch: Post Natal Home Care Services, Wellness & Beauty Care

They are more towards spa-like treatment and they're using Tanamera products for the post natal care. Currently they have 3 packages available, ranging from stay-in confinement nanny, traditional home nursing and clinical home nursing. They are usually fully booked months ahead. Located in Bandar Puteri, Puchong, please contact the friendly owner, Kak Ida at 012-2816016 for pricing and availability.

Jemari Tradisional

Located in Shah Alam, they have 3 packages to choose from. From stay-in nanny to the basic package. Please refer to their website for price listing and packages available or you can directly contact the owner, Kak Ita at 012-2431966 for details.

Kak Hawa (016-7353757)
I got her contact from my cousin. I was at the very last minute when I called her and she is almost fully booked for the month of July. Poor me. But she tried to slot me in her schedule tho and sadly, I can only hire her for a week if I happen to deliver on the estimated date. She will stay with you for the whole duration and will cook for you and care for the baby as well. Please contact her for availability.

After contacting the above candidates, I decided to go for Kak Hawa because of her experience, good reference and feedback and the rate is affordable. IREE Touch was so busy and I only received their quotation after 4 days asking for it! Whilst Jemari Tradisional's quotation is a bit off my budget. Hahaha! Now the confinement lady is secured I can now breathe. Phewwwwww!!!! One thing is finally settled.

Survey: Stroller

I'm planning to buy a stroller after the baby is born but whenever I see my checklist and there's still a thing or two that haven't been crossed off the list really bug me. So this time around, I decided to buy a stroller before the baby pops out, just because.

What I need in a stroller is it must be a four-wheeler, reclining position is suitable from newborn, compact and lightweight. Yes, we just have Myvi and Saga as our mode of daily transport so a stroller that doesn't take up so much space is highly considered. And I know we love travelling and going out so much, so a light, hassle-free stroller is our top priority. But most of all, the price must be affordable and if possible, it costs less than 1k. Hahaha yeah, cheapo me!

So I came out with a few shortlisted candidates for our potential stroller. Cewah!

Maclaren Quest Sport Stroller in Carmine Rose

Baby Cottage

RM599 (free shipping)

Halford Zuzz 4 & Babio Modular System

Fabulous Mom

RM876 (self pick-up is preferred to save on shipping cost)

Maclaren Quest Special Cath Kidston Pushchair - Spray Flowers

Kiddicare

RM1095 (I asked a friend in UK for conversion + shipping)

Halford Fliplite - Turquoise

Motherkidz

RM319

Okay, I need to make up my mind and can start purchase a stroller next week because it's payday! Yeay!

My Pregnancy Progress: 7 Months

I'm entering the first month of my third trimester now. I feel all excited about it, seeing that the due date is slowly approaching and I can't wait to meet my baby. The nurse has taught to me to count the baby's movements during the whole 12-hour duration as well and I noticed that the baby is so active, she completes her 10 times kick-count usually around 2-6pm.

The baby's movement record

Starting from this month onwards, I have to go for antenatal check-up twice a month. The first check-up went well and for the first time ever during my whole pregnancy months, I gained weight more than it was supposed to. Weighing at 65kg, I'm currently at an extra 1.2kg from the ideal weight. Because of this, I'm scheduled to go for MGTT appointment during the second check-up later in the middle of this month. Akhirnya, kena minum air gula jugak. Hopefully everything is okay and I can consume the whole glass of glucose without fail. Heheh.

As for my progression, there's nothing much changed during this first half of my 7 months pregnancy this time, except:

• Fatigue is killing me. I'm too lazy to even walk out of the house (shopping, walking, driving etc) and I can't do much chores now, or else I'll get soooooooooo tired and really cranky afterwards. 
• With the belly growing (so does the baby inside), I have a serious problem to sleep at night now. I've tried every position possible to make myself comfortable in bed but none is working. The result, I'll get sleepless nights everyday and can only sleep after 3am, after being so tired in finding my comfort zone.
• I'll get back pain if I sit and watch tv or driving for some time. I have to support my back with a cushion but that doesn't help much actually so I just have to bear with it.
• I started to feel pain around my lower rib cage. I'm not sure what causes this, but I assumed the baby's growing and she doesn't have much space inside me to turn around and it affects me as well.
• My body temperature is rising a notch now, or so I think. I'm always sweating and feeling hot, and my body is constantly warm. I even sweat a bucket at night. Our current hot weather doesn't help much either.
• I always have the urge to urinate most of the time now. Even sneezing can cause me leaking now. Yeah. Hahaha! To avoid multiple trips to the toilet during night time, I avoid drinking water after 11pm if possible. 

Here's me at 7 month:

Me and baby bump growing healthily and happily

And currently I'm re-reading books from Dr. Miriam Stoppard. I've bought these during my first trimester, soon after I found out I was expecting. Being a first time mother, I'm curious about pregnancy, body changing and anything related to it. I love books by Dr. Miriam Stoppard because they are colourful, lots of graphical reference and the info is complete, as for me.

I bought these at Popular Bookstore in Sunway Pyramid. The last copy at that time!

As for my wellness (and so does the baby), apart from the daily intake of milk and multivitamins, I started to consume NeuroGain during this third trimester. I know I hardly eat healthily and follow the staple diet for pregnant moms, so I make up for it with these supplements. Friends and doctors suggested Neurogain during the seventh month as the baby's brain started to develop this time and the fish oil is rich in DHA to help the growth of her brain cells.

I bought Neurogain at Watson in Alamanda for RM51

Oh, tak sabarnye nak minum air gula! Bluekkkkkkk!

DIY: Ikea LACK Side Table Project

How to transform this plain Ikea LACK side table:

Into this?

It's fairly simple actually. All you need is a LACK table (duh!), hammer, nail, boxes of thumb tacks, ruler and pencil.

Not in the picture is the ruler and pencil. I forgot to snap them.

First step: You gotta make holes using the nail. Make sure not to dig deep into the compressed wood or you'll end up with a big hole and can't fit the thumb tacks. I used a 1cm method for each hole. Draw a straight line along the edge of the table first. Then, mark a spot where the holes would be. Using a nail and hammer, make a hole with 1cm apart from each other.

The holes for the thumb tacks.

Second step: With holes all ready, fill them up with your thumb tacks. Make sure they are all straight and in line. You can find thumb tacks at any stationery store or DIY outlets. As for me, I bought them at ACE Hardware. I used Unicorn thumb tacks. They are durable. But any kind of thumb tacks (cheaper!) would do. Just make sure they are not rusty and don't bend much when you use your hammer.

The holes, ready to be inserted with thumb tacks.

Roughly, I used about 6 1/2 boxes of unicorn thumb tacks for a table. I spent about 4 hours of tedious work to finish this. It's not perfect because it's handmade but as long as they're cost saving, I don't mind. And here's the final outcome of the table in a good, working order.

I just need to revamp the table because it's still in good condition and needs a little refurbishment. This table has served me good and it's a waste to just throw it out. So a simple art work on it will do to restore its glory. Hahaha. Now, the table is back in action eventho it's darn cheap.

The Laundry Job

This week I'll be entering 30 weeks, and I guess this is just the right time for me to start doing the laundry for the little tot. It's better to be prepared, right? Just in case some unexpected events occur, at least most of the baby's stuff is settled and ready.

I thought I've bought a lot of clothes for the baby's arrival but it soon turned out that it wasn't that many anyway, well according to me. But hubby thinks they are more than enough and can lasts her whole early months wearing it everyday. Ok fine.

The whole laundry process took two days to finish, from the smallest ones to the biggest stuff. I did two rounds of washing each day. So all in all, there were four rounds of washing for two days in a row. I was flat, seriously, seeing that I wasn't as fit as before. Mind you, I did the laundry with the help of washing machine but still, the job tires me as hell. I'm just glad I did the laundry earlier because I can't imagine doing the job at 8 months, I'm sure will surrender even before started. Hehehe.

The first round: I gathered all the whites (clothes, mittens, towels, etc) in order to separate them with the colored clothes and wash them first. At this point of time, I was still all giddy and excited with the tiny clothes. Hahaha.

The second round: I started off with the colored clothes and that includes pants, tights, dress, etc. The weather was freaking hot at that time and I can't bear the heat. So I wasn't in the mood at all for pictures.

The third round: The next day I woke up early in order to finish the heaps of clothes left to be washed. For this time, I washed all the big ones like blankets, wraps and napkins. Thank God none of the colored clothes were discoloured or else, I'll have a hell of a time doing a second wash and mourn after the mess.

The fourth round: For the last round (finally!), I washed off all the smallest items (mittens, booties, hankies, socks, bibs, etc). I was dead tired at this time and finally hubby lent a helping hand and he sorted out the items to be dried out. I just can't bear looking at all the tiny mini things already. Dizzy!

The weather was all dry and hot for these past few days. In a way, it helps the drying process faster. Haha! Now comes the part where the folding and storing took place. I was eager to count how many clothes does the baby own but in the end, I lost track and was too lazy to recount and just assume, her clothes are more than enough for her first three months.

Okayyyyyy, I personally think that's a lot. But I know I really should buy more because most of these are for 0-3/0-6 months. Babies grow so fast and I'm sure my baby is no exception too, thus I should stock up more on 6 months and above before she outgrows her current clothes. Oh wells, that can wait when she's out later I guess.

On the other hand, the storage box for my baby arrived the other day from Macy. It's actually a compensation gift from them because they messed up my order and the reproduction of it took FOREVER to be ready. And finally, both items arrived safely at my house. I can't be more than happy for this. Rezeki baby...

A white fabric storage box. I stashed all the baby's items in here first before it comes to full use. And I just need to put on the bears. They are my collection and they should be passed down to my kid.

The 70s inspired mirror and drawer set (with lots of with dramas before arrival) for my dining area. This set is hugeeeeeeeee in real life and we both love its vintage-y appeal.

Shopping: My Theraphy

I have a gazillion posts waiting to be published in this blog actually but lately, time is taking its toll on me. Apart that I'm being extremely lazy to compose for my blog, I wasn't feeling very well too. Boohoo!

Wait, is it just me or the weather is really, extremely hot lately? Being at 7 months now, I really can't bear the heat and sweat most of the time, even at night. :(

Ok, back to the story. Since it was freaking hot all week, we, I meant me and hubby, decided to go to some colder place to skip the humidity. No no no, we didn't go to Genting if that's what you're thinking of. We can just think of malls and somewhere near and finally headed to Alamanda after haven't been there for quite some time. I just realized that they have a few of new tenants added to the list. As usual, I decided to have a look at the Mothercare outlet. My initial plan is to buy some baby stuffs according to the checklist, seeing that it's almost complete and decided to just wait until next week. But the tempatation is high and I ought to purchase at least a thing for the baby.

Finally I bought the Aden+Anais swaddle blanket. In a set of four, priced at RM109. Been eyeing this for quite sometime from One Baby World and the last time I went to their website to purchase, the items were all sold out. Frustrated you know because they sell these very cheap! So I vented my addiction to Mothercare for the swaddle wraps. They have a selection of prints to choose from and I decided to take the blue colored dots, stars and stripes, because IMHO, the others are plain boring.

Changing pad for the baby. I just bought a cheap one, after a recommendation from my dear cousin. Priced at RM40. I wanted to grab this since their GP Sale, but was hesitated to buy at first because I've bought the normal, square changing mat for the baby already. But heck, who cares since I'm easily influenced and bought this in the end. Hihihi.

Since I started working after a loooooooooooong break, I noticed that I can't fit into my working pants anymore, of course. I'm working with a uniformed agency and it's hard to find pants in navy color. Thus I decided to still wear my old pants with the help of belly belt, where it expands the waistline so I don't feel snuggish around the tummy area and can still wear my other normal pants/jeans with ease. I bought this at Little Whiz, discounted price at RM71.90. Howeverrrrrrrr, I just found a cheaper option at My Baby Shop, selling this at RM63.92. Grrrrrrrr!!!

Oh oh oh, on a totally unrelated news, I came home to my small soon-to-be garden and just realized that the carpet grass has grown into full force from the last time we planted them. Happy!

This is what it looks like before.

And this is what happened after I rigorously water them everyday without fail.

Okay, now it'll take prolly 3 months (or more) for the grass to fully covered the soil. I wish I have my mom's green hands. Everything she touches grows into beauty. My next plan, to grow some lavenders along the border. Wish me luck!