merylwhite1's Journal

Food diary 148
Dec 11 2009 20:34

Today...

Breakfast: muesli and plain yoghurt; 2nds of (peach) yoghurt

Snacks: 2 apples

Lunch: 2 roast chicken, mayo, lettuce, tomato and cucmber sandwiches on wholemeal bread

Snacks: big bowl of banana yoghurt; banana; mandarin

Dinner: chicken and vege curry

Snacks: apple, tomato omelette.

...What a long and tiring day. I was disowned by my sister this morning. I only wish I was kidding. She sent me an email this morning saying she no longer considered herself my sister after a lifetime of self-centered, selfish and rude behaviour on my part.

The strangest part is that she says she has always felt like this and my pregnancy was just "the icing on the cake". Yet, before I told her I was pregnant we were emailing weekly and seemed on very good terms as far as I could tell. Then I told her I was pregnant and all of a sudden I was shut out, she was angry at me and everything kicked off. I do feel like she is being dishonest about why she's so angry. In my view it is my being pregnant that has caused this rift, and for some reason she just won't come out and admit that.

I replied to her email asking why she was angry at me being pregnant (ignoring the rest of it for the time being) and she said this was just an event she could pinpoint, rather than the feelings she had held about me for a long time. Well, in my view, that's no explanation. I didn't follow up any further as at the time I was too upset.

I spent the morning in tears, then started to better after emails from both of my brothers. They both said they don't know what is in her system, but they don't feel the same way as her and are both very happy to be uncles next year. Then I received similar emails from my parents, who are bewildered at this whole mess. Later this afternoon, I had a video call with my mum, dad and one of my brothers. It made me feel so much better. They are all here for me, they still love me and they will always be my family, no matter what my sister might say or do.

Early night for me tonight. I'm feeling drained, sad and a bit bewildered myself.

Food diary 147
Dec 10 2009 20:58

Today...

Breakfast: muesli and yoghurt, 2 bananas, papaya

Snacks: 3 mangosteen, banana, cheese and tomato omelette

Lunch: chicken, corn and vege curry

Snacks: bar of dark chocolate, banana

Dinner: sweet potato, vege and thyme frittata

Snacks: bowl of yoghurt, glass of chocolate milk.

OK, I did go ott on the bananas today... can't believe I managed 4 in one day! But I fell asleep last night thinking about them and woke up this morning with banana on the brain. Oh well, at least they are healthy. And I got loads of calcium in today too.

I am about 15 weeks pregnant now and have put on 7 lbs. This last week I have suddenly put on 3lbs. I'm not sure how that works and I wonder if it's water or real weight. Yes, I have been eating plenty, but I was eating plenty before too and not gaining much of anything. That said, this week my bump has just exploded. It's gone from "just there" to "mini bump" to "bump with bells on". I don't seem to have gained anywhere else just yet but I am certainly sporting a baby bulge that's becoming problematic to hide.

I wish I was in a country where I could show off my bump, but I'm so worried about people's reactions here. So far I have only had comments from strangers "Where's your wedding ring?" (pointing at my bump) and "These girls never know who the father is," (from someone else). Gee thanks. This country is modern and liberal on the surface but it doesn't take much to find a conservative moral undercurrent that still thinks pregnancy outside of marriage is shameful. I am lucky that most of the hotel staff are lovely, but I can't help but wonder what their reactions will be.

Last night I received an email from my mother, addressed to both my sister and I, asking us to write to each other and sort everything out. I emailed my sister today. I didn't apologise but I was as diplomatic as I could be, given how strongly I feel. Now I'm waiting for her reply, a little nervously. If she ignores me like last time, I'll be annoyed again. But if she does reply and is still really angry, I'll be upset. I just need to remember that this is really about her, not me... I need to react calmly so that this whole saga can hopefully wash over.

Food diary 146
Dec 08 2009 21:17

Today...

Breakfast: muesli, yoghurt, 2 bananas

Snack: cheese and tomato omelette

Lunch: 2 roast chicken sandwiches with tomato, lettuce, cucumber and mayo

Snacks: 4 mandarins, bowl of strawberry yoghurt

Dinner: big bowl of Korean braised beef noodle soup with rice noodles and veges

Snacks: 2 pieces of Malay kuih; 2 apples, 2 kiwifruit

Argh!! Wrote a big entry already and then my internet crashed, so this entry will be shorter.

A friend gave us some Malay sweets called kuih (pronounced kway) today so I have been sampling those. Sadly they are just not for me. They are heavy and doughy but at the same time wobbly like they are made with gelatine. They are also very delicately flavoured, so delicately that to my untrained palate they just taste bland! Mac likes them though, so luckily we have someone here to finish them up.

I think my favourite was the pink kuih, which was made of tapioca pearls... I think I liked it because unlike the others it was sweet. Crazy colour though! Anyway they are quite unique so I have a few pictures to show you.

Advent Calendars!
Dec 07 2009 10:34

For Amy

As you can see there is a cardboard door to open for each of the days of December leading up to Christmas. Inside the door is usually another little painting, but you can sometimes get ones with chocolates inside instead.

Food diary 145
Dec 06 2009 21:21

Today...

Breakfast: muesli and fruit yoghurt; seconds of yoghurt; 2 apples

Lunch (out): antipasto platter with fresh bread; fish and vegetables in olive oil

Snacks: packet of chocolate smarties; banana, mango, papaya, 2 kiwifruit in a big fruit salad

Dinner: 2 lamb and leek sausages with buttered couscous, sauteed cabbage and green beans

Dessert/snacks: Christmas pudding with vanilla custard; 3 mandarins

Went out today for the best lunch I've had in ages at an Italian place called Neroteca... very very simple food but so nicely cooked, and a really good platter to start with. I read about the place in Time Out KL and it had a good review, so off we went. It is really hard to find places in KL that serve good, unpretentious "western" food. This city is brilliant if you feel like Indian, Thai, Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian... but try anything claiming to be European and most likely you could do better yourself at home.

Because of this we have a repertoire of about 3 places to go to for weekend lunches, which we normally eat out - and one of them just closed down for renovations! Very happy to have found a new weekend hideaway.

This has been a good weekend so far... steamed ourselves an early Christmas pudding, finally found an advent calendar (in the nick of time!), met friends for afternoon drinks - non-alcoholic for me - then walked around the shops until the sun got low.

ETA: tiny bump pics! Sorry I was not very smiley - was concentrating on holding the camera straight!

Food diary 144
Dec 04 2009 20:58

Today...

Breakfast: muesli, plain yoghurt, 2 apples

Snacks: tomato omelette, 2 pears

Lunch (out): Malay buffet - beef rendang, chilli squid, char kway teow (stir-fried rice-cake strips), stir-fried kai lan with garlic, stir-fried mixed veges

Snacks: 2 pears

Dinner (out): tandoori chicken, 2 pieces of naan, 2 small vege curries, split pea dhal

Went out for two BIG meals today with friends... a lot of food today and I am feeling a bit overstuffed. Oh well, the last few days have been fine foodwise so I am sure one day won't kill me. I haven't put any weight on since about week 7 so it's probably about time anyway.

Haven't felt like writing much lately as I have a lot going on, more rubbish family stuff really so I just feel a bit distracted. The most bothering part is that my sister sent me a short note to say I was uninvited from her wedding (for the crime of getting pregnant at the same time as her) but that she will "think about re-inviting me closer to the time". I just cannot believe how childish she is being, but trying not to rant! Apologies for the lack of journal comments from me lately.

This week I have really started to look pregnant. I am sure people are starting to notice! My bump has suddenly "popped", it wasn't there a few days ago and now it is out and proud. I was having a check-up at the doctors today and I asked if it was a real bump or just bloating. Turns out it is all baby! My boobs are also growing which amuses me as they have never really been a feature before. I am 14 weeks 3 days today. The gender scan is exactly two weeks from tomorrow. I'm already counting down, it's lovely to have something to look forward to as I'm feeling a bit low otherwise.

Hope everyone has a great weekend. xx

Food diary 143
Nov 30 2009 22:41

Today...

Breakfast: muesli, plain yoghurt; 1/2 a mango, apple

Snacks: tomato omelette and another apple

Lunch: another stir-fry with chicken, udon noodles, veges and sweet chilli relish

Snacks: bowl of papaya; 2 passionfruit; 4 pieces of chocolate

Dinner (out): chicken wrap, chickpea salad with an unholy amount of dressing!

Snacks: sliced banana in yoghurt

Argh. M has started looking for jobs overseas again because he thinks he won't earn enough in New Zealand to look after me, Wriggly, and be able to keep paying into an investment account (which he has to keep depositing into monthly until May next year). I hope he doesn't apply for anything. I know money will be very tight but I can't imagine being away from home, family and friends with a tiny baby. I am keen to avoid the pitfalls of postnatal depression and I think being in our home country will help me a lot. We have plans to go overseas again after 12-18 months, so it's not like we will be broke forever. I guess there are pros and cons to both options but I thought we were all decided...

On the plus side, I have a few new books today thanks to a sale at the big bookshop near my house, so it is time for a cup of tea and a read in bed.

Food diary 142
Nov 29 2009 21:15

Today...

Breakfast: muesli with milk; mango

Lunch (out): beef noodle soup with lots of lime, mint, coriander and beansprouts

Snacks: 2 apples, 3 pieces of chocolate, 2 bowls of yoghurt

Dinner: braised lamb shank + veges with buttered couscous

Snacks: 2 passionfruit, but will have a bigger snack later

I have been eating more meat lately. You are supposed to get more protein when you're pregnant so I have been eating either eggs, meat or both every day. It's quite a change from a couple of years ago, when I used to be a very occasional meat-eater, but I don't feel at all unhealthy. It must also be good for my iron count!

We are still spending all day talking about names. We've decided to go with either Callan or Soren if it's a boy. I am thrilled because I love unusual names but never thought Mac would like either of them - both my suggestions. Our girl's shortlist is: Arden, Oriella, Nolita, Lyra and Mieko (mee-ay-ko). I realise these names are all a bit odd-ball and won't be to everyone's tastes, but I do think they look stranger in a big list than they will when we have just chosen one!

Arden and Lyra are probably my favourites. Arden is Welsh and means "eagle valley", and Lyra is Greek and means "lyre of Orpheus" - the Greek poet and singer. Mieko was MacLean's pick: it means "prosperous" in Japanese. None of the names we picked for the meaning, we just like how they sound. Nolita actually means "unwilling" which is not a great moniker, but I think it sounds pretty, in English at least.

Three weeks to go until we can find out what we're having.

Food diary 141
Nov 28 2009 21:17

Today...

1st Breakfast: slice of buttered toast with marmite; 2 passionfruit

2nd Breakfast: cheese and tomato omelette; 2 passionfruit

3rd Breakfast/Elevenses: muesli and plain yoghurt

Lunch: roast chicken and gravy with stoemp (potato, carrot, garlic, cream & thyme puree) and buttered veges

Snacks: 2 Chinese fragrant pears; apple; bowl of steamed veges with tomato chilli relish

Dinner: lamb Turkish kebab and a side salad

Snack: bowl of yoghurt with chopped dates.

Outdid myself on the breakfast front today! Well, we had to get up early as had the first appointment in the morning for the ultrasound scan so I had a quick breakfast at 6am. Then I had my second breakfast when we got home again at 9.30am... Got hungry again and had a third breakfast at 11am - lucky as we didn't end up eating lunch until 3pm. We had a quick dinner tonight at a Turkish kebab house and it seemed surprisingly healthy, given what a bad rap kebabs get.

Anyway, enough about food... the scan was wonderful! I had begun to convince myself that all would not be well but the baby is alive, happy, and active. We have decided that he/she has graduated from Bean and is now called Wriggly, in honour of the gymnastics on display at the scan. The obstetrician had to chase Wriggly around my uterus with the ultrasound pen in order to keep transmitting images!

The scan showed the baby as 13 weeks and 6 days old, however the doctor advised us to keep to our original dates (13 weeks 4 days) for the time being. Wriggly had a nuchal fold test done (they measure the thickness of fluid at the back of the neck) and is low risk for Down's Syndrome. This was what I expected but it is still nice to have it confirmed. Our next scan is on the 19th of December, when we are going to find out if it's a boy or a girl - can't wait! Still having monthly scans because of my medical history but so, so happy and relieved that everything is going well and I am finally safely out of the first trimester.

Here's Wriggly!

Food diary 140
Nov 27 2009 19:59

Today...

Snack: banana (got up not long before lunch)

Lunch (out): cup of veggie soup; turkey in a German laugen baguette with salad, tomato, gherkins, onion and lots of honey mustard mayo

Snacks: big tomato and spinach omelette; banana; 2 apples

Dinner: smoked chicken and new potato salad with romaine lettuce, tomato, spring onion, cucumber and balsamic vinaigrette

Snacks: pear; 32g packet of chocolate smarties; thinking about making a sandwich soon

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Well, no thanksgiving for me but I did eat turkey, does that count? Had a nice surprise today - it is actually a public holiday today here too, but for totally different reasons. Today is the traditional day of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca for Muslims, so everyone gets a day off to pray to Mecca. I didn't realise until last night that Mac was going to have today off work so my plans to have a more organised day, get up in a timely manner and cook lunch went straight out the window!

Oh well it was lovely to have an extra day out together... Sticky, hot and humid as always but we did do a lot of walking, eating, shopping and talking about the baby. I ate really well but probably could do with some more calcium in there, don't imagine there is too much in chocolate smarties.

I have an ultrasound scan appointment tomorrow at 8am. I am nervous but also hopeful. This is the first appointment we will have been to together and I am keen for Mac to see the bean jumping around and waving at him! I will be 13 weeks and 4 days tomorrow so providing everything is going ok there should be plenty to see.

Hope everyone had a lovely day and enjoyed those Thanksgiving feasts for me - your descriptions all made me hungry!