FB obsessions

So we all know that the latest obsession is Facebook. And also the latest obsession in Facebook is Farmville. And yes I am a part of all of that obsession.

I noticed a whole lot of people farming from their status updates. I for one have no patients to play FB games. Games like scrabble which was a big hit did not stir any interest either. But since LOADS of people were playing FV, I thought I give it a shot. And I was HOOKED soon after. I now have a cool estate sized farm with a barn, a quaint little cottage and a farm house.

Then came the next obsession Cafe World! Again I was curious cos everyone was playing it. Now I am hooked too! Though my cafe is still very small, it is a cosy little diner :)

Now I am trying to figure out how to print screen on the mac so I cam post some pictures of them!

21 weeks!

Its 21 weeks this week! Time flies, but it feels darn slow for me. One more week til the end of the 5^th month of pregnancy.

So how have I been feeling? Overall, great! Very happy and excited with what's to come. Looking forward to a brand new life.

My back is beginning to ache though. And I am started to FEEL heavy, especially when I am going up the stairs. My knees feel swollen why I try to squat and I think my calves are looking thicker than they usually are. My tummy don't seem to be that much bigger, then again it is different everyday. Sometimes I feel like its really huge, sometimes I wonder why it is so small.

I can feel the baby move! It feels like flutters in my tummy. Sometimes I feel tiny poking. Especially after I eat. Its so much fun. I wish I could feel more of it though. I wish hubby can feel it too. Right now I can only feel it on the inside, but not from the outside.

As for cravings, I have not craved for anything in particular yet. So far, I do feel some cravings for watermelons and oranges! Thank goodness for a healthy craving! I also do look for chocolate fudge sundae from Mc Donalds as well as brownie ice-cream from American Chilli's which I did not get to have yet. My appetite has not increased much. I am still eating the usual amount. I am liberal with my carbs, but I am conscious about empty calories and high fat stuff like deep fried food and things that is cooked with lots of oil and coconut milk.

I am still at one cup of coffee a day and lots of clear liquid. Not much juice or anything like that. And I do take my pre-natal supplements at night.

I am yet to take more tummy shots!! I took some at the beginning of month 5, where there was actually a more prominent bump. I MUST make it a point to take one every month from now on! OK, I did manage to get some during the first trimester, though not periodically.

I still have not gotten any baby stuff yet apart from the nursery furniture. I've got to get cracking on that one too or else I will have too much to buy towards the end. We still have not decided on what stroller to get but we have narrowed it down to a quinny. Its either a zap or a buzz. But whichever it is, the cabrio fix has to come first so we can take baby home in the car :) How exciting!!

This Is It!

Two nights ago we went to the MJ This Is It movie at the cinema. I am not a big fan of MJ, but because its MJ, of course I’d go!

I was absolutely gobsmacked with the whole movie. It was basically a documentary type of programme, with recordings of the This Is It’s final dress rehearsal and all the hard work and passion that went into it. I was thinking to myself, my goodness, at MJ’s age, he is so passionate, energetic, still has the moves, definitely still has the voice and what a down to earth guy. He goes into the tiniest detail with the musicans, making sure the dynamics is to what he wants, he works the moves with his dancers and he is there at the shoots for the video in the background. It was so superb. I was captivated, amazed and had a new love for MJ.

Best of all, he treated his crew, his dancers and everyone with respect. He knows what he wants, he was a perfectionist, but he did it respectfully.

He loves the environment. He is probably the only artist I know who promotes saving the environment, and he was passionate about it.

20 weeks pregnant!

I’ve made it to the halfway mark!

How do I feel? I still feel great! I am actually feeling heavier. I can feel myself needing to “heave” myself up the stairs, although I’ve only gained 6kgs. I really should be doing more exercise but in the evenings I just want to go home and relax infront of the TV. I’ve not been to my yoga classes since last 2 weeks because I find that I get very tired after that when I come home. I hope to resume soon. The other solution is to get a yoga DVD and do it at the comfort of my own home!

I can feel a “flutter” in my tummy now, although the doctor told me that I won’t be feeling anything until a week later. But we can’t feel any movement from outside the tummy because when hubby puts his hand on my belly, he can’t feel anything although I can.

I finally bought a whole lot of furniture from Ikea for the nursery. This includes a chest of drawers, a changing station and a storage shelf. We will be getting the cot at Baby Jaya because the quality seems a whole lot better. We wanted to get the one at Mothercare, but its just too expensive and the bedding has to be bought at Mothercare only due to the size of the mattress. It is almost 3 inches larger than the usual ones.

I am taking time to relax and enjoy my quiet time as I know when the baby comes, I won’t be getting much of it.

Appetite wise, I don’t feel any hungrier than I usually do. I don’t have any cravings either! I find that I can’t eat that much because small amounts makes me so full that I feel like throwing up.

We’ve also registered for our prenatal class at PCMC. Can’t wait to go!

So all in all, everything is going well. Hopefully this continues til the baby comes.

On organizational improvement

Once in a while I do like to write a serious post. So here goes…

For once I start off Monday morning happy and not stressed. I was a bit nervous and apprehensive about this move in the beginning, although in theory I know its good for me, exposure and development wise, but from my previous experience of a horrifying political environment, my guards are up when it comes to change.

Working for a world leading chemical company sure is different and there are lots to learn from them. Being in a different company also makes you realize, The Company should not boast being all that great. Learning and improving is a continuous process and one should never overlook that.

I would admit that The Company, business wise, it is sound, robust and aggressive. It makes good and bad decisions like any other company/ company leaders would.

Where The Company has failed, is its manpower planning. Management of talent is of prime importance. There are great talents within the company. They very capable, knowledgeable, strong in stamina, has drive and most of all loyalty. However much one put in, one usually expects some sort of appreciation. No matter how small, or how insignificant. This is one of the important human elements that The Company takes for granted. I’ve had many discussions with people who have left The Company, mostly supposedly seeking greener pastures. In my personal opinion, they are probably seeking some peace of mind. A place where they can conductively and constructively perform and contribute. Many of them had cited that its not that they want to leave, they are “forced” to leave due to the unbearable working environment.

I also had previously contemplated leaving, however instincts told me to hang on, although I was under a lot of stress and was very unhappy. I had a feeling that I should think it through. One might think, why put into so much thought into this? Why put so much hope or all your eggs into this (organization) basket? Well, there is a lot to lose. One thing this (messed up) organization can offer is job security. And its package is quite lucrative. It is even more lucrative for this who are lucky enough to ride the upside of the wave. The high flyers.

So, what is the downside? It is unbearable politics. I know politics are present in many if not all organizations. But if you intend to stay for the long haul, this disturbing work environment gets to you personally. The other is lack of appreciation and poor job fit. Good talents are placed in the wrong places where they are unhappy but forced to perform. The other thing is that the organization is forced to take its many scholars back into the workforce. This has lead to over staff and poor utilization of manpower.

Now with current drastic measures on cutting down of manpower, the organization is in chaos, as implementation was poor and drastic. People are taking desperate measures to survive, acting on personal interest rather than for the company.

I hope resolutions are found.

Sunday could have been....

spent boogeying to Beyonce's tunes at Stadium Bukit Jalil. I was sooo looking forward to it. I even planned what to wear and some of my friends had planned a car boot party before the concert starts. I can't believe it is postponed or cancelled even.

Oh poooooohhhhh!!

On eating at 5 months pregnant

One would have thought that I would be stuffing my face by now with a ginormouse appetite. Sadly, I am not. Sadly, I don't have that much of an appetite. Somehow, I can fit very little into my tummy! A small meal fills me up completely and I feel like throwing up. No wonder the books advise us to eat small meals a day.

So since I can't eat much, an trying to maximise on eating healthy. Trying to incorporate as much healthy fruits and vegetables. Less fried and fatty stuff. Certainly less junk food.

Weekend plans

This weekend we have a BBQ planned with some friends. Can't wait! Its a pot luck and we've been planning it for weeks. We are bringing mash potatoes because it is hubby's signature dish and is a big fav at every BBQ party.

Besides that I have a bit of shopping to do for the nursery. Got to get cracking on the furniture at least. Or at the very least, a chest of drawers to put little things that I might pick up along the way eg towels, swaddles, bibs, socks..... so excited!