Gonna see our little gal later!!!

*skips*

ehhh.....?

Sent an email to my big boss cos he's on leave about work. His reply:

"Thanks Juliana. Hope all well with you. Haven't seen you for ages!"

He has been traveling alot this month so had been in and out of office. So yes, i've not seen alot of him. I had to re-check that this email was from him, my President and not from a friend! It's actually quite spooky getting a friendly email from your big boss.. hahah

He must be having one heck of a holiday!

Having said that, both my bosses are very nice. President, Tony... is terrifying though, those no-nonsense tough guy and very sharp. Not much get pass him. Making him happy is challenging. My boss, the COO, Nick.. is a sweetie pie. Easy-going, understanding and encouraging. Both had been extremely kind to me especially during my last pregnancy scare - amnio test.

Tony was the first person i spoke with about the amnio test. I was basically holed up at home after test, didnt talk to anyone except Zack, msged a couple of close friends. Didnt even tell my sis and Godma. So when i went back to work 2 days later, Tony was the first i spoke to about it and embarrassingly, i was feeling quite raw and couldnt control my emotions. And to my utter shock, his eyes went red! He said i was making him cry and chased me out of the room.. haha. Who would have tot such a toughie will have a soft side. And Nick was awesome! When the negative test result was out, i went to announce to him and he said it calls for a celebration and gave me leave to go off work - it was 4.00pm!

And it was later when i found out that they had asked another colleague to keep an eye on me. Twas really thoughtful of them :)

Bosses are pretty cool
just got colleagues from hell, not all thank goodness!
1 or 2 of them are enough to kill.
so that's the trade off... there always is.
if the environment is good, the job sucks.

if the job is good, the environment sucks.

if the job and environment is good, the pay sucks.

nothing's perfect.
oh well.....

my jeans.....

......are officially on sabbatical :(

My man... was so proud of dinner last night so i'm to blog about his masterful culinery skills.. hahah! So i shall start with the fishes he caught yesterday. Sunday was offshore fishing with Uncle Freddy and my fisherman caught these 2 fishes plus a 2kg catfish. He brought home these 2 cos they are good sizes for the 2 of us.

Steamed Red Snapper and Mangrove Jack
how fresh can they get!
we still prefer the taste of wild red snapper.


Stir-fried shabu shabu beef in black pepper sauce with lotsa condiments
Zack is specially proud of this dish.. hahaha.
said just this dish alone cost $7!
ya lah... who ask him to buy such a big tray of shabu shabu beef..
but its okay, i ate to my hearts content :P - it's really nice.


china kailan with scallop oyster sauce

So there... our Sunday night dinner!

....lovingly prepared by my loving hubby *beams*
he even cooked the rice! and it's not hybrid rice! hahahahaa.. :D
while i sat infront of the telly folding the laundry and watching Golden Compass ;)

my man at the stove tonight :)

tonight's menu:
steam fish
stir-fry beef
vegetables sauteed with oyster sauce


*famish!*

:)

It's.... finally raining!!!
sky has been looking threatening for hours and it finally rained!
just got back from grocery shopping and its nice WITHOUT Zack cos i can happily dump anything i want in the basket.. haha. So i got my favourites:

- strawberries
- pear
- yoghurt
- chocolate swirl sara lee cake
- dried mangos
- blood orange juice (Zack's favourite - it's heavy!)

(and right now, i am sitting here wondering why on earth didnt i add 2 tubs of Ben&Jerrys (its on promo at $22 for 2!) and DURIANS!! - the very 2 things Zack always drag me away from!)

more i wanna get but basket was getting too heavy *sigh*
my physical limitation is getting on my nerves at times.
like on friday, Zack picked me up from work and we went to East Coast Park.
Bedok jetty was opened and Zack wanted to go check it out.
just walking that stretch of jetty, i had to stop and rest at least 5 times!
back was aching.. *sigh*
i reckon part of it had to do with our heavy dinner at Kenny Rogers..
my belly was stretched taut with all that food!
anyway... one of the woes for a preggo.

when i was smaller, there were times i'll forget i'm preg and will even run for the bus. Yet now i cant even walk long without stopping. It's a huge change for someone who walks and moves fast. As i get heavier, time seems to tick slower.. guess its nature's way of slowing me down.. haha. At times i feel like an old woman.. like now.

Gotta go lie down now.. might have strained my back a little just now.


Be back with more photos..
i'm so behind on my photo blogging!

last night was a sad night for me.....

cos that was when i took out my naval ring :(

i've kept it on for as long as i could...
cos i know once it's out, it'll never go back on again.
my belly button will never look the same.. even after giving birth :(

as my naval is becoming an 'outie', there's no escaping it *sigh*
Zack has been bugging me for ages.
my Ob has been saying, "this has to come off soon." at every appt.

so last night.. Zack hastily took a photo for me
(i declared i wouldn't take it off until he take a shot for me)
and gleefully took it off.
*sobs*


goodbye naval ring....
this was the naval ring Zack surprised me so very long ago.
it had a heart dangling extension which had dropped off :(

oh.. i managed to dig up the post in Oct 2005 about him surprising me with this naval ring!
http://papinabasket.blogspot.com/2005/10/chauffeur-and-present.html


i'm sad... so sad..

*heartbroken*

So the most amazingly shocking thing happened to me yesterday.

Ant gave me a treat at SAGE!

ok i know i blogged about it ydae but it didnt register in my skull prior to dinner. I heard of Sage but didnt realise it's quite costly!

Well, i'm thoroughly shocked cos Ant is not exactly known for his generousity.. hehe. But i'm touched.. immensely so :) He was grumbling away how expensive it is (he picked the place mind u!) and that he is not even having sex after.. ahahaha!

Once again, my little girl tickled her tastebuds with FRENCH Cuisine! What a lucky girl!

Some mini appetisier they serve together with bread.. like amuse bouche.
It's a tomato puree concoction. A tad too sour for my liking..

But i absolutely LOVE the bread with olive oil and balsamic vinegar - to die for! We whacked 3 baskets of bread.. haha! Ant conveniantly used me as an excuse.. "She is pregnant so eats alot." Very clever ah...

My Soup...

Seafood Bouillabaisse
Traditional seafood bouillabaisse with monk fish, tiger prawns and shellfish, saffron and garlic rouille on crouton

It's nice but i prefer the clearer version i had in Venice. Venetian fish soup is the ult! Let me try finding the recipe and get Ant to cook it for me.. haha! I actually came across one but the ingredients needed proved too daunting and tedious for me.

My Main...

Duck Confit
Duck leg confit on a Savoy cabbage parcel stuffed with a fricassee of field mushroom, and foie gras, potato puree and Pommery mustard jus

It is SERIOUSLY GOOD! The duck is so tender (airflown from France so the skin is thicker), and i love the mustard jus! I was happily enjoying my duck until Ant took it upon himself to inform me that the duck was cooked with fats.. lotsa it... thanks ah :S

Ant's Pork Cheek and Loin...

This new dish is not on the menu yet and cooked specially for him (so imagine how big his head was!). I passed on this cos i promised Zack i wouldnt eat pork. Despite Ant's many evil urges on how i can have that and not tell Zack. See? I kept my word and remain honest to my hubby! Anyway.. portion was tiny and i'm happy with my duck confit! :P

After dinner we popped into the kitchen to say hi to the chefs. Ant's friend Ali is one of the chefs so we got 10% off! The kitchen certainly looked cosy and fun but really crowded with 7-8 chefs in that small confined space. I'm quite amazed the chefs were all pretty young!

I treated Ant for dessert at some fancy chocolate place. Nothing interesting to blog about.. dessert was so-so. We should have gone to Bakerzinn and have that orgasmic chocolate fondue!

Crap.. i'm getting really hungry doing up this post... and might be having some serious chocolate craving :S

Zack bought me donuts to cheer me up.
Ant is picking me up and treating me dinner at Sage.

I'm blessed :)

I should leave work behind and bounce back to my happy self.
The next few days will be full of battles but the evenings are mine to enjoy and i blardee WILL even if it kills me. For my little girl's sake, i must let go, smile and be happy.


I've not felt this low in a long time..

some things are just unbelievable...

Father tried to sell "Slumdog Millionaire" girl

it takes all sorts.

*disgusted*

Stroller shopping!!!

we're going stroller shopping today!
quick one while Zack is feeding his fishys

there are 2 warehouse baby stores: Baby Hyperstore and Baby Kingdom at Kaki Bukit and we're checking them out :P

we've been looking at a particular brand so if we find it at a good discount, we might just get it! I gotta rein Zack in cos he saw an Orbit stroller at $1.7k and he was actually interested!! :S Said our daughter must have the best! She definitely do NOT need a stroller that turns 360 degrees.. hahaha.

Gotta ciao!
my king wants Arnolds at Pasir Ris...
hai... so unhealthy...

update from preggo

i'm tired.. so tired.
how can sitting down be so tiring?
but on a happy note...
....WE'RE 25 WEEKS NOW! *beams*

2 weeks to the end of the 2nd trimester!
also the end of the 'honeymoon' trimester.
soon.. i'll be more tired, having more aches, getting the chubs! (i oredi am!)
but our little princess will be growing bigger and stronger and getting ready for her grand entrance!

Zack is getting so excited as the days go by... it's so cute!

as we watch my belly get bigger, we are filled with anticipation and wonder..

(and me.. a slight growing sense of panic.. haha)
everynight we will lie in bed and talk about our little gal
and he will talk to her just to feel her kick or squirm :)
she is incredibly responsive to him its amazing!
see.. not even born yet she already knows how to win daddy's heart..haha

The other night he was going on about how she will be the apple of his eye.. hehe. Told him he better not spoil her rotten (which i'm sure he will!) and he said if she is anything like her mummy.. he'll be such a pushover. Stubborn yet get her way with doleful eyes and wiley tricks. Hey... i where got like that! bleh.. *pout*

Can't wait for our 3D scan and he was wondering how our gal will look like.. haha
oh i got a list already!
EYES: mine, or his left eye
NOSE: mine
SMILE: his

LIPS: mine, plump lips are nice on gals.. but hmmm.. his also nice
TEETH: his definitely - his teeth is perfect, they are straight and both rows meet! It's disgusting!
FACESHAPE: hmmm.. either but mine is oval which is the perfect faceshape so to speak. His also nice..
CHIN: his, sharp!

:D

He was amused and went, "you think you can just pick and choose is it?" hhahahha.. Well, we can always send God a wish-list and see what he gives us at the end :P

I dont think i'll ever forget how happy he looked last night as we talked about our little one. Grinning from ear to ear. As he kissed my belly, he had this sheer joy and amazement on his face and said, "I still can't believe we're having a girl." :)

Believe it Daddy! We have a beautiful daughter in the making :)

So here's mummy and little princess at 24 weeks...

Let's play ball!

at 24weeks..

more belly pics at: http://www.ourlittlesweetbean.blogspot.com/

Zack and i have decided on the names for our little princess! Some closer friends know already, they have to know first ;) And i will be making an official announcement shortly so stay tune!

(come to think of it, this post should belong to the other blog!)

An ANGEL blessed me today :)

today is a rough day at work
but i'm not gonna talk about it
once i leave the office, it stays put there
but i sure will rant to Zack later.. haha

despite the rough tumultuous events of today, i did have a wonderful start

Zack and i left home a tad behind schedule and i was grumbling to him how i'll be late cos i needed to draw money. And he was like, "Don't waste time go and draw money." I was like, "Huh? with $4 in my wallet.. i NEED to draw money." He mentioned it twice and i found it strange and hmmm... fishy. I checked my wallet and lo and behold.. there was a crisp blue note!!! (He knows i'm running low and he provides :)) Hollars: I have the sweetest hubby in the whole wide world!!! :)

and that's not all...

He was off early and wanted to go fishing. He got the fishing urge.. haha. He went earlier so he will be home early too. As we are not meeting for dinner, he asked me to go home with my sis (who works near me) and had already asked Andrew to send me home :) My nose prickled when i heard it.. the details he thought of and arrangement made just to make sure i get home safely.

It's not the big flashy stuff but little thoughtful things like these that makes me fall in love all over again :)

i'm on leave!!!

i can't remember the last time i took leave just to bum around.. doing nothing! Never had the luxury of that.. first my precious leave was for holidays, then house, wedding, next honeymoon etc.. so i always had to ration them carefully. And if i'm left with a blessed few days, i'd carry them forward to the next year. But my current coy don't allow leave to be c/f therefore i gotta clear them!

So now i'm home.. but Zack is off to work :(
He is running solo today and calling all the shots so i had been trying to persuade him to let his trainees off early today - so he could come home early.. haha. But he said this week is very crucial for them cos it's their test week. Precisely why he should let them off early (say 3pm) so they can go home and self-study right??

i got plans for today.
HOUSECHORING.

but it's still early and i'm feeling pretty drowsy.
maybe a short nap is in order for now.. hehe.
anyway i woke up pretty early considering our late night last night.
preggos need all the sleep noe so little jewel can grow well :D

7.11pm
done with most of the chores!
wanted to cook dinner but running alil late and Zack was hungry..
so he's buying dinner home :P
might as well as i'm feeling a tad tired too..

oh Zacky's home!
brb....


why does she gotta pop up again?

as much as i like her.. some distance will be nice..
it's hitting a tad too close to home now..
sometimes, i dont understand why people do the things they do..

i got new shoes! *grins*

today i told Zack i really really got no shoes for the wedding tomorrow..
so we caught a movie at TM so i can go find a pair and also buy a bolster.
i couldnt find a comfortable position last night and kept tossing and turning..
then Zack gave me his bolster and it helped!
our bed is getting cramped!

see my pretty new shoes :)

my darling bought them for me *muaks* :)
he had NEVER been so helpful in my shoe hunts..
get my size from the saleslady..
even bent down to take my shoes off!
when i decided to get them, took them to the cashier and paid for them!
whoa~
i told him he cant pay for them..
i'm not a superstitious person but this is the only thing i tend to pay attention to.. that is to not buy shoes for your partner lest they run away from you.. hahahaha.. silly i know :P
and he was like, "with a big belly, where can you run to?"
hey hey Mister.. big belly preggos can be attractive okay ;P
anyway, screw it... and he bought them for me :)

but... *sigh* the heels are so low..
that's the only height he allows me to wear :(
in any case, i'm waiting out to see if my feet will expand.
then i'll get more shoes.
some preggo's feet will go up a shoe size (permanently!) during the 5th - 6th mth..
i'm waiting til the end of my 2nd tri which is in 3 weeks.
so we'll see til then..

alrighty i'll hit the sack now..
sweetdreams~

where's my jagabee?!!!

A BIG FAT RAT ATE MY JAGABEE!!!!

*sniffs*

my nose is gonna peel tomorrow *groans*
all that sneezing and stuffiness is gonna make me pay :(
*sigh* i caught a cold......
just sneezed a big one and my little girl is not liking it..
she is protesting with her elbows and feet now.. haha.. :)
how can anything so small be sooo cute! *muaks* :)

with puffy eyes and rudolf's nose, i managed to survive through work today..
just one more day tomorrow and i'm due for my 4-day break!
hang in there ju!
*chants* just one more day.. one more day..
meanwhile, i'm dousing myself with water and fruits
no meds this time.. no drugs is going in me.
i never like taking meds from young, to the frustration of my mum.
"i'm letting my body fight it" i always tell her.
yeah i was quite a handful back then.. haha

so i have a more pressing issue at hand to fret about..
and that's my outfit for Rachel & Boon Leong's wedding this sun!
i was getting dismay cos i cant find anything nice enough
when you are sporting a big tummy, it's hard to find an outfit.
especially when i'm not keen on maternity wear..
i still can get away with my usual clothes.
unless its the necessity of maternity work pants.
so i'm always on the lookout for normal day clothes which i can still wear after pregnancy.

but guess what i found at the back of my wardrobe???
a lovely slinky wool dress!!!
its figure hugging which emphasizes my belly bump
tried it on and yes.. it still fits!!!
i better wear it now while it does! i dunno how much longer i have!
at one month to my 3rd trimester *beams*..
i'm bracing myself for the puffiness and all things awful..

ok now..
dress - check
next prob - SHOES!!!!!

i'm trying to convince Zack to let me wear my heels but he refused *pout*
told him i'll be clinging on to him all day like creepers on a vine and wouldnt have a hairline chance of falling.. but instead my pleas fell on dead ears.. *sigh* Nevermind.. i still have 3 days to turn on my megawatt charm.

gosh it's past 12.30am!
gotta hit the sack!
night and sweetdreams~

90 shots more to upload!
i'll finish them off later..
now i'll go take a nice nap..
a cool room, cosy bed and warm hub to snuggle up with.
we're going to catch 'Confessions of a Shopaholic' later!
and Zack said he is going to buy me a bolster..
i've been using his to get comfortable and grumble when he takes it back.. haha
and he's taking me for steak at this italian/nepalese cafe at Toa Payoh!
it's cheap and good food - a must try!

crap... isn't it too early for my back to start aching? :(

SO I'M BACK!

been back for 4 days but had been really busy with stuff..
work has been hectic these days and after 3 days of leave.. *shake head*

had an awesome night with the gals last night!
didnt come home til 4am.. hehe.
and Zack was grumbling that i left him all alone at home.. haha.
yeah... like how he left me at home tonight to go fishing *bleh!*
but i get to enjoy some me-time!
like come online and catch up with stuff for hours on end.
which i dun usually do when he's home.. we'll usually be doing something together.
with his shift, time together is more precious.
but now that he is done with his level 4 course - which he graduated with flying colors i must proudly add *beams* Top 4 in class u noe *smirk*, he is off torturing the new level 2 trainees.. hah. I love it when he goes to lecture cos that means office hours :P

tonight is his night out and my night in.
so i'm here trying to load up the pics of our holiday.
sadly i never got further than picture no. 4 *sheepish*
cos i got distracted with this other folder on the desktop.. namely: Pics 2004

i went down ole memory lane - to 4.5 years back.
gosh.. we were so achingly young and in love!
now we are OLD and in love.. hahahha...
it brought back many smiles and memories :)
time flies.. it really does.
we were only like 23, 24 years old then.

let's go back in time and see what happened in year 2004!

YEAR 2004: July - December

Our first few pictures.. just few days after i graciously agreed to be his girlfriend.. haha







pappe eyeing on my scrunchie.. she loves scrunchies!


i gotta remind him every night to wash his dentures.. tsk tsk


Zack playing with Pappe..
trying to win my heart by cosying up with my dog - i know *winks*

OUR 1st HOLIDAY: KRABI
like 2 weeks after we started part- towing.
booked it way before when we were still friends..
see how he trapped me??? by enticing me to holiday with him!






Pranang Cave! ;)






ooohhhhhhh..... we still remember the handsome angmo with the puppy!


will i be this slim again? *sigh*wistful*


we were so sun-kissed!


so Krabi was where i bought this necklace....
i wore it the other day and couldnt remember where did i buy it from.
check out Zack's old sony ericsson phone.

An afternoon at my place...
Zack came to pick me up to go somewhere, cant remember where though..



we were so tan! :P

10 AUGUST - My Birthday!
Zack brought me to dinner at Original Sins - Meditarranean food - awesome!




and bought me a Solvil et Titus watch - the one i wanted!

it's funny how on my birthday 4 years later (2008)
he brought me out to dinner and also bought me a watch!

Original Sins vs Jaan
Solvil et Titus vs Omega

:P






*giggles*

AT THE AIRPORT WITH THE GALS!
4 years after we are still hanging out at the airport! hahah


the things gals do in the toilet!





jo just got her license and drove her dad's big green merc.
we still remember it's green.. haha

CROWN OF THORNS LAST GIG AT MARINA SOUTH
this is Zack's band! his childhood friends.. with Fu going all the way back to kindy!






ZACK'S FIRST BIKE!
it's a Scrambler.
despite its hard seat, i love it!


OUR 2nd HOLIDAY: KL / GENTING



Zack loves this pic :)


oh how i miss the cool weather!



OUR FIRST MID-AUTUMN FESTIVAL TOGETHER @ PUNGGOL PARK
and bought lantern!

see how skinny he was! 66kg!
he was taking his level 2 course then and was incredibly stressed up, lost weight.. my poor baby.. (yeah now he is stressing his trainees.. haha)





A HOME-COOKED MEAL
if i'm not wrong, it was the last meal at my sis's before i moved up to Godma's.


MY NEW ROOM!
moved up to Godma's house and Zack moved in with me :)


ZACK SOLD OFF HIS DECKS
he used to spin at clubs.. was called DJ Detone :P




ZACK BAKED ME A BANANA WALNUT CAKE! *beams*


SLUMBER PARTY!!!
the girls came over for a stayover!
i baked brownies and we had it with vanilla ice-cream and had a nice pigout.





the brownie + ice-cream teamed up as Jane's bday cake :P

later in the night.. SY, Jo and i huddled under the cover in the room and caught a horror korean flick! SY screamed the loudest.. hahahha
YY and Jane didnt want to watch and was sleeping in the next room.. cowards! hehe

Oh i remembered Zack was away for a week for some training. And i was delighted when he called me to tell he was able to book out that weekend. He came back that night at around midnight and we slept in Godma's room.. hehe :)

the gals slept in the other rooms. Good thing Godma fully furnished all the rooms.. haha. They woke up early the next day for church.
Jo was the hardest to wake! :P

it was too fun!!!
maybe we can do one at my humble abode again! But i only got a sofa bed and sofa for them to sleep.. haha.

PIXIE CAME TO STAY!
she is sooooo sweet!




ZACK'S SNEAK SHOT OF ME SLEEPING WITH A BOOK IN HAND..
he gets really amused by it... bleh!


another sneak shot...
this was at his home in hougang.
fell asleep while waiting for him.


ZACK'S ACCIDENT..
finger got injured and required 6 stitches!



it was after work and i was already at Punggol and walking home when he zalled me..
told me he was at SGH and i immediately rushed to the hospital.
was so worried and found him sitting and waiting to be stitched up.
was torn between scolding him and hugging him..
he on the other hand seemed more fascinated with his wound :S

this happened on the night before he was due to sell off his bike.

ZACK'S SECOND BIKE
it's a Phantom - Cruiser road bike
the best comfy of all his 3 bikes.


HAPPY 24th BIRTHDAY DARLING!
i baked him a cake!
not on his actual bday cos he was on some isle having OBS training.
funnily we were just talking about his OBS training just now. I was wearing the OBS t-shirt he bought me (there arent many t-shirts i can wear these days.. haha) and we were talking about how fit and tough he was after OBS. It was like hugging a wall! And his 6 pecs were so defined even when he lie down. Luckily i took a pic cos i knew i wouldnt ever see that again.. hehe.. but sorry, for private viewing only ;) And he was so tanned.... *swoon*




KERRY AND I @ COY'S D&D - SENTOSA JETTY
i was the organiser that year.. it was so fun planning it!


MY DARLING PAPPE IN MY WARDROBE
she loves it inside... *squeeze her tight tight*


ME & NORA :)


whoa.. that's quite a walk!
in a mere 6 months...
things got more exciting in the years after :)
now i'm wondering what my upcoming years will be like..
looking at the little bundle inside my tummy.. i'm sure it'll be filled with joy :)
we sure have come a long way :)

alrighty.. it's getting late and i should read a lil then hit the sack.
need to lie down too.. back's starting to ache :(
i've not recovered my sleep from yesterday's late night.
cos my dear hubby woke me up at 12.30pm today!

woooo.. little gal is squirming inside now!
my tummy is taking on bumpy shapes.. haha.
she must be missing daddy's voice.
she is really daddy's little girl.. all Zack gotta do is talk to her and she will start kicking around.. seriously! She recognises his voice.. its so cool!

okay i'm gonna go lie down and talk to my gal :)
and blowing some good luck dust over to Zack so he'll catch more fishes..
so far he had caught one.
hoping he'll come home early..
somehow i'm missing him tonight...

have a good sunday tomorrow folks!