Ushering in the year of the Ox

It's the first day of Chinese/Lunar New Year today where Chinese all over the world ushered in the year of the Ox and bade farewell to the year of the Rat. The New Year celebration is typically a family affair - family members would travel miles just to eat the reunion dinner together on the eve of the New Year. This has been the case for us the past few years but as we're restricted in our traveling by our advanced pregnancy this year, we stayed back in Singapore and planned on having Mickey D for a few days (as most local eateries would be closed for a few days here).  Thankfully, a kind souled friend invited us to her family's reunion dinner. As her brother is a chef, we were treated to a wonderful feast of Cantonese cuisine.

With the passing of the baton from the Rat to the Ox, it will also mean that our little boy will be born in the year of the Ox and hence, an Ox (Brian is a Rooster while I'm a Monkey). Brian was earlier a little concerned that he'd be born early and end up as a Rat. Not that he buys into any of the superstitions about these Zodiac animals but it just doesn't sound right to be a Rat! 

The next few weeks will see us anxiously anticipating the birth of Craig... it's so exciting and scary at the same time. Meanwhile, I've been working from home and will do so till I deliver.  

Mandarin oranges are commonly exchanged and served during the Chinese New Year celebration as the Chinese name for the oranges, "kum," sounds like the word for gold. Hence, it's good luck to exchange "gold"! 

Baby shower II

Ladies at our church gave us a baby shower last Saturday. It was a lot of fun as some of the mothers recall their experiences with labor and birth. As always, no meeting is complete without the accompaniment of some good food. From apple crumble to Cantonese glutinous rice, there was plenty of food for everyone.

Apart from the sea of words of wisdom (and warning!) from the ladies, they also presented us with a baby crib and a changing table plus a few other cute baby necessities. Thank you, dear friends, for your love!

A humorous moment (Pix credit: Lisa Mok) 

Both of us (the book shelf and I) are all bent out of shape carrying a load beyond us! 

(Pix credit: Lisa Mok)

Running out of space

This week saw me, I'Ching, entering the 34th week of pregnancy. That means, Craig's arrival is drawing very near! As he is going through a growth spurt at this stage, he is also running out of space to move around inside me. I can feel almost every single movement he makes - some more uncomfortable (even painful!) than others! We have found that he is usually more active in the evening and at night - hmmm... Sleep is increasingly elusive for me as I toss and turn for the right and comfortable position.

We finally got the hospital bag ready and for now, we're just marking time! While physically I'm definitely ready, I think both Brian and I are still not quite prepared  mentally and  emotionally. I guess no one can be a 100% ready to be  parent.

Thank you again for all who prayed for my mom. She is doing quite well though it'll be at least nine months before she can walk again. My dad has been quite a trooper in the way he has handled the whole situation and in the manner that he has been taking care of my mom. God is good.  

Mom and dad at Christmas in Kuala Lumpur:

Update on my mom: Healing

It's been almost a week since I had the scare of my life with my mom. She is presently still in the hospital though we expect her to be home by mid-week.  Subsequent to the earlier observation, the doctor also found a hairline fracture on one side of her hipbone and her sternum. There's nothing that the doctor can do for these except for them to heal naturally.

She is still in a lot of pain - her ligaments and muscles are all hurting from the impact of the hit. Physiotherapists have been trying to get her started on physiotherapy but the both times they tried, she blacked out due to the pain. We all know that my mom has a very high threshold for pain - so it must be extremely painful for her to faint from it!

While it will take months before she is mobile again, we are constantly thankful that her life was not threatened. As it was a hit and run incident, there is also no closure to the tragedy and we believe that it's affected her somewhat. We are thankful to all who prayed for her and who have been so concerned. Please continue to pray for a speedy recovery - physically and emotionally.