22 July 2011, by Dannie Cho
Looking forward
I had come home for a change of clothes and was putting on my shoes and saw my brother-in-law also preparing to leave the house.
“Hey, where are you going? I’m headed to Tampines Mall. Want a ride?”
“Nah, it’s okay. Thanks. What are you going to Tampines Mall for?”
“Gonna watch Harry Potter. With another girl!”
“What? Why are you not going with my sis?”
“Cos she’s too fat to go with me.”
“HAHAHA… You’re so mean! Get out of my house!”
The conversation was completely tongue-in-cheek, of course. No need to get worked up on behalf of Yi Lin. We’ve had similar conversations and she knows by my grin when I say it, then I’m still completely besotted by her. We’re really the ‘sticky’ couple and are seldom apart. She KNOWS that I would much rather have went for the movie with her. And that’s true! No offence to my wonderful date for the night, but she was really second choice after Yi Lin. It just so happens that my 35-week pregnant wife is really not interested in being stuck in a cinema chair for 2-3 hours to watch a movie any more.
That being said, it does bring to mind that Colette is finally due in another 5 weeks! Finally, finally, finally! While I understand that things will never be exactly the same again, there are some things that I’m looking forward to when baby’s out. Here is my list of 7 things to look forward to when the baby pops – 7 things that are not directly related to the baby at all!
1) Travel
The wife and I love to travel. Having friends along is a bonus. While travel is still off the cards for the first few months after Colette is born, we are hoping to organise a nice trip together with our best friends to some idyllic resort next year. Palawan (in Philippines, not Sentosa) sounds good. Hopefully, we have some friends who agree!
2) Exercise
One of the things that the wife and I really enjoyed together in the earlier years of our marriage was to blade (in-line skating, if you want to be fanatical about it) along East Coast over the weekend. I am looking forward to the time when we are able to blade while pushing a stroller. Dangerous? Maybe. But I think we won’t be doing the entire stretch from Fort Road to the National Service Resort and Country Club and back anymore. The little knolls along that route might be deadly. We’ll just find a nice, quiet flat stretch to exercise. To that end, I guess I will be enduring my too-tight pants for a little while more, even though they are being stretched to the max now!
3) Naked Hugs and Special Hugs
The wife and I have special rituals that bring us a tremendous sense of well-being. In the mornings, after our showers, before we put on our clothes, we will always, always hug each other. I guess it’s our non-verbal way of saying,”Another day has begun, and I am so happy to begin it with you. By the way, I really love pressing your naked body to mine.” That’s why it’s called the Naked Hug.
The Special Hug applies when we are lying in bed, either before dropping off to sleep, or in the morning when we wake, and are just snoozing in bed. First, I stick my arm straight under her neck, right against the edge of her pillow. Then, she turns her body towards me, her left arm sticking out between her body and the mattress, her right arm encircling my torso under my left arm. Her right thigh drops on my right thigh. I hug her with both my arms and plonk my left thigh over her right hip. The final effect is this pretzel-like twining of our bodies. The Special Hug s so comfortable to both of us that we can drop off to sleep in this position. We disengage after awhile, of course. Otherwise the perspiration accumulates. Eugh.
The Naked Hug has not been the same, and the Special Hug has not been available for some time now, since the bump starting showing in the early months of pregnancy. I want them back!
4) A sexier body to look at
Look, men are visual creatures, okay? Give a man pictures of a woman when she’s pregnant and when she’s not pregnant, and and ask him which is hotter? You and I both know what the answer will be.
But more so than that, a post-pregnant body will be slimmer and yet the boobs will still be deliciously big. And I don’t have to worry about the humping being too vigorous any more! Woot!
5) No more tok-tok-toking
We got this Baby Plus tok-tok thing that is supposed to help stimulate brain development of the baby while she’s still in the womb. Sometimes, it hypnotises me to sleep. Other times, it just makes it more difficult to settle in at night. Anyway, it would be great for the Tok-tok thing to be finally retired.
6) Lower consumption of electricity
The wife has, in recent weeks, taken to switching the air-conditioning on whenever she’s home. We attribute this to the rise in body temperature that brought about the saying ‘having a bun in the oven’. Key word – oven. While I do enjoy the luxury of basking in nice, cool air, I am, at heart, a fanboy 🙂
7) Knowing who I’m referring to
So often nowadays, I find myself patting Yi Lin’s swollen belly and whispering, “I love you, baby.” Then I wonder. ‘Baby’ is a term of endearment the wife and I use on each other. So, when I pat Yi Lin’s belly and say those words, am I talking to Yi Lin or to the baby? It probably really doesn’t matter and I am referring to both of them anyway, but I do so like being precise in saying what I mean, and meaning what I say.
There you have it! My list of 7 things to look forward to.
So, little Colette Cho, I’m waiting for you to come out. Looking forward to it! But don’t rush, okay? Proper development in the womb is more important. I love you, baby.
Posted on : July 22, 2011
Filed under : Mums- & Dads-to-be
3 Comments
Dannie
August 11th, 2011 at 1:50 pm
Jesz: Yeah, those humps are really a bit of a worry. I think we’ll probably just stick to the less crowded and flatter ends at both sides of East Coast Park. In the meantime, I have the sneaking suspicion that our blades will just fall apart immediately after we put them on. Unused for too long! 🙁
jesz
July 27th, 2011 at 3:42 pm
I blade the same stretch as u guys & also thought of bringin the stroller along but nvr got to it – scared of speedster, un-negotiable hump, cyclist etc & my elder is hitting 5 soon *hahaha
Wish u guys can indulge in it after colette’s out… =)
Holly
July 26th, 2011 at 2:50 pm
Awww, so tweet 🙂