Dear Diary, another entry from me. I am trying to type this while systematically cleaning my back so if there are any typos, do excuse me.

Decided to keep Mom company last night. I howled a little and she got up to let me in. Tux had tried to stay in but he got rather restless so Dad shooed him out.

Mom had another CONtraction. The reason why I say CON, is that Mom's been grumbling how they are fake and still hurt. Good thing is it forces her to take it easy now instead of trying to be SuperMom as usual. I thought I should remind her of that.

I slept quietly by her feet and every time she got up to use the bathroom, I'd look up at her and she'd pet me a little before waddling to the bathroom. Poor Mom would sigh, lugging The Furless One in her tummy, petting me once or twice more before going to sleep.

After Dad got up to go to work, Mom got up to use the bathroom and I followed her to make sure she was okay. On the way back, she asked if I wanted to go out to use my bathroom. I pondered by the door and viewed the vultures outside... and decided to stay with Mom for a while longer.

She scurried over the stretch her legs over to Dad's side of the bed. (Actually because I was sleeping below her leg pillow, she'd already usurped his leg side of the bed, but that's another story.) More space for me, I sauntered up closer to her and she happily (but sleepily) petted me for almost half an hour! Ok, I told myself, let Mom rest. So I walked back down a little and watched her doze some more.

Then another CONtraction came and she clutched her belly. Ow, she said and I walked back up to her face, finding the best position I could lie beside her to calm her. She petted me some more and rested some more. I moved down a little to her waist area to watch her and make sure she is okay, and also give her some space. Not that I take up a lot.

She finally decided that she wasn't quite in labour yet and slowly pushed herself off the bed. She sat up and petted me some more. I think I did give her comfort by keeping her company last night. Dad sleeps like a log (and even snored gently) and at least during her bathroom trips, she knows someone is watching over her.

I wonder if she'll cook chicken tonight. :D

Mom's been tired so much lately waiting for The Furless One to be born, so as the eldest in the family, I'll have to step right in and update our blog for us. The other four can't quite type and I think they don't quite understand the repercussions of having a Furless One in the family.

Over the last 14 years, I've seen Aunty P and Aunty B get fat and produce Noisy and Funny-smelling Furless Ones but I guess having one who will be my brother is quite another story (aka it will be staying with us).

Mom had her usual doctor's appointment on Friday. The Furless One's head has engaged, whatever that means. Mom's tooth also chipped off while she ate pork floss on Thursday night and Aunty Shen advised her to get it fixed asap.

That night, Mom had painful contractions (could hear them talking through the door) and she and Dad did some counting thing. In the end, the pain went away and they decided to go to sleep instead.

Mom complains that she gets contractions but they are painless. Isn't that a good thing? No pain? Anyhow, Tux and I (separately, of course) kept her company most of the weekend and last night too just to make sure she is okay. Tux, although tubby and the alpha cat, is quite considerate of his Mom.

Poor Mom wakes up 5-6 times a night. Doesn't help that Dad has started snoring, which wakes her up. She sleeps best (and so do I without the light shining in my eyes) when Dad goes to work. I can't quite imagine carrying about a huge ball in my tummy (but I am sure Tux can - hehe!).

Over the weekend Mom cooked us chicken and dashed some wheatgrass in it too. This led Buffy and Tux to eat some wheatgrass voluntarily too! She also opened a can of Whiskas Chicken and Liver (not terribly palatable) for us. The younger ones liked it but I only could swallow the awful liver taste with some biscuits to chug along with.

A bit of goss to tell you. I think Tux is bulimic. He gorges on his own food and then pukes everything out. This only happens in the morning - maybe it is the wheatgrass. Or he's under pressure by Sam to be thin.

Speaking of that orange boy, Sam can finally climb up to the rafters and get down himself. Mom and Dad spent some time watching him to make sure he wasn't in distress. He seemed quite happy to perch there. Dad even brought Tux (who attempted some pull-ups there and then) to nose Sam but he was quite content to stay there.

As parents do, sometimes they go a little nuts with this bath thing. Dad grabbed Tux and bathed him amid his howls and then Buffy was innocently eating wheatgrass from my bowl when Mom grabbed her for a bath. Sam wisely stayed on the rafters, while Kaku and I hid. We're safe for now.

Piglet Pie's account of her daughter's birth was very encouraging. I bookmarked her eons ago but my trusty pregnant memory forgot about it till now. I'm reading her older entries now for some reassurance.

Without pregnant friends, it can be difficult to go through a pregnancy, particularly a first, alone. Silly things like my tooth cracking for no damned good reason, feeling dizzy in Watson's, unable to find a comfy sleeping position, insomnia, or even people staring at my belly as I waddle past. Few understand that without going through it.

There is a certain glee in figuring out a puzzle or looking at a piece of work completed (and looking aligned) that only the nitpicky like me comprehend. I attained both tonight, meddling with a CMS program for work and finally getting it to do what I want.

Sometimes I wonder if the feeling of unaccomplishment is the cause of my insomnia. Well, in this case, hormones too.

The kids are restless. Tux is staring at me now rather alarmed. It's almost as if they recognise the Whiskers canned food I just bought (Salmon and Chicken, manufactured in Australia) and are just waiting for me to open one... hmm...

Lots of scattered thoughts tonight.

I am glad I finished quite a bit of work, pivotal even. Acknowledging great work, I also wrote a fan letter to the developers of Monster Pets. That game sure is addictive! On impulse I started from scratch again to experiment with some new Monsters. New team: Beavoru, Flamo (my fave), Batula, and Cong (who grows a carrot later as I recall).

Right now I really need some sleep while BB is quietly napping. I have another appointment tomorrow morning to see Dr Y again. BB's been kicking me non-stop and pretty hard too. Oh dang, he just woke up... Everytime I mention it, his Dad beams and says, my strong boy.

Boy's sitting at my feet now, blinking gently at me. Soon he'll have another brother, albeit furless, to love and care for him. :D

Yep there's tons of work to clear before I go on maternity leave but the rest of the time it's a waiting game.

I've been trying to distract myself from feeling:

* Perpetually nauseous OR hungry
* Like my lower back muscles are dead
* Like BB is trying to kick a hole to escape
* Like my tummy is going to explode
* Hot all the time
* Sleepless
* Heavy as hell
* Irritable

So the stuff I've been doing are:

* Playing Monster Pets on my phone
* Nurture intention to finish a few paintings
* Waddling around and stretching
* Reading parenting books
* Reading pregnancy books
* Pondering wisdom of bringing child into world
* Talking to child
* Rubbing tummy hoping to induce labour
* Soliciting massages from hubby
* Soliciting cats for sympathy
* Packing birth bag
* Searching for baby clothes on Ebay

Kaku's tail region looks a lot better. Fur appears to be growing back and she's been a lot more sociable (running with the rest of the wolves) and looking more at me with affection, as well as soliciting more pets from me. :D

Had 3 bouts of spotting yesterday. I went into prep mode, packing more card games and photos for the hospital. Decided I was going to approach birth with the serenity of a dove. I will soon meet my son. Of course, it also meant that I wouldn't be able to eat much so I chomped down more fish fingers and the rest of the lapis cake.

As Hubs was in the gym, I called my Mom. She freaked a little and called back 3 times, interrogating the Hub, and ended up buying more baby stuff from Robinsons: electric breast pump (boobs, ya better behave!), bed cot, and some breast pads - probably more but she didn't tell me.

The Hub was calm as a monk. He explained to me three times (a lot of threes today) that usually MTBs with brown spotting were examined and then sent him till their water burst and contractions were every 10 minutes. But he did rub my back and legs for over an hour.

I relented to Mom's concerns and called the Labour Ward today. The guy who picked up the phone said, brown spotting, no worries. Only if you see red, then do you come in.

Anyhoo, my bag is packed - I seem to add more things every day. Ground Boy's meds for 4 months already. Petted all the kids in case Mom disappears. Kaku is getting closer to me now (oddly enough vet visits seem to bring her closer to me). The itchiness seems to have gone and the fur around her tail is growing back.

BB's been restlessly kicking. I think he's inherited my impatience. Hehe!

Brought Kaku to see Dr E today and he suspects she may have an allergic reaction to fur mites hence the incessant licking and nipping of her tail and genital area which must have itched like hell.

He took 5 bunches of fur and located a fur mite for me to see.

Treatment: an injection to ease the itch and Frontline plus a flea/tick bath for Kaku. Frontline plus flea/tick bath for all other cats. We'll see if the treatment works.

Dr E said that previously in cases of fur loss, alopecia was suspected but now, allergies to insect bites may be the cause instead.

As for Boy, Dr E advised that if Boy doesn't take the vet visits too well, no point stressing him unless there is weight loss, vomitting, or diarrhoea. He'll still be treated with his current meds even if he is found to have kidney disease.

He reassured me that there was no cause for worry about toxo and roundworm since all FiveCats are indoors-only. He did say to be safe, I should wash my hands after petting any of them.

I appreciated his advice on everything and thanked him profusely. He's truly the best (great bedside manner, kind, patient, methodical, well-read, and thorough) vet I have ever met. I think the FiveCats and us are fortunate to have found him.

Kaku seemed better on the way home. Probably the itching stopped and the injection was making her a little drowsy. But aside from the initial panic of getting into the carrier and then later being in the exam room, she accepted gladly my cheek scratch and sayang when in the car and carrier.

Afterwards it was a matter of catching all the cats to Frontline them. Kaku was first, barely out of the carrier when I daubed her neck. Tux was next, while his Dad carried him. Buffy as well. Boy, I sneaked up on him, talked to him soothingly and daubed his neck. He didn't even realise what happened. Sam was elusive. I managed to grab him gently and his Dad carried him as I daubed him too. :D Mission accomplished!

When we returned from dinner, we spotted Kaku lying atop the dryer. She looked happy and peaceful. Later, she made an appearance at the top of the stairs leading to the bathroom. Their Dad fed them supper and we all turned in for the night (till I got up from insomnia again... but that's another story).

I woke up pleasantly surprised to find Boy in the room with me. He'd apparently asked to be let in when his Dad left for work.

He meowed and walked up to my face when he realised I was up. Still groggy, I petted him a bit and dozed off again. The gentle child walked back to my feet and had a nap.

Later, when I stirred, he got up and walked over again for a pet. I obliged. Then he leapt off and meowed some. I figured he needed to pee and let him outside where Sam waited to chase him.

Now he dozes on his couch head, undisturbed.

Tuxie has found a new fave afternoon nap spot. It is in the innermost sanctum of Level 2, Kitty House. :D

Last night, we made a new kitty home for the cats to play in. 6 Ikea boxes stacked with holes cut out of them. The kids loved it! :D Tuxie and Buffy even played inside while we were making the boxes. Later, the rest came to imvestigate. Buffy successfully fought off Sam, winning the top spot (see photo below) while Tux was happy to just traverse the tunnels. :) Today they continue their adventures!

Buffy rules the roost!



Tuxie doesn't know his own weight



Or does he? :p

Slept sporadically last night again. A new campaign idea woke me up and I had to get up and write it down.

Last night, Boy decided he wanted to sleep in the bedroom. He'd been seemingly needy lately so I relented. I held open the door to let him decide with one foot halting Sam from even considering coming in. In the face of Tux sitting there by the door and Sam wanting to enter, he walked in.

As usual, I got a bowl of fresh water for him then petted him some before trying to find a comfy position to sleep. He followed me to the bathroom, only to reassure himself I was still there and I wondered then if he was concerned about me (he stared at my huge tummy) or if he was just feeling insecure.

He meowed some and I petted him where he lay, by my feet. I talked to him soothingly and he purred non-stop. Perhaps I had been neglecting him the past few days. The occasional chase down the hallway by the 3 Naughties has not helped. After quite a while, I got a little sleepy and hugged him goodnight.

This time surprisingly, he stayed put. Normally he'd settle down between his Dad's legs (he moves less at night) on his blanket and sleep there. But in the haze of trying to sleep, I felt him walk up to my side and lean against my shoulder. He has never ever done this before!

I turned and petted him. It was a lovely feeling, like my own child sleeping beside me. :) He purred and purred, but as all cats do, he finally tired of the attention and walked slightly down to my waist level and slept there instead. :D That, too, is a first.

In between getting up and running to the loo, as all third trimester mothers do, I spotted him awake and even sitting up once. Eventually he settled back to his spot by my feet, finding a nice head rest where the blanket curled.

Come morning, he followed me to the bathroom and rubbed himself against the door and the stool. I sensed he was ready to leave the bedroom, and walked to the bedroom door. He followed. I opened the door (and there was Tuxie) and Boy pondered for a moment before exiting.

I got up early (unusually) and jotted down my campaign idea and plan. When done, I decided to check on the cats. First, I scanned through the two vet books I had to try and explain Boy and Kaku's strange behaviours and manifestations recently.

Kaku's bare bottom was most likely psychogenic although I spotted two red spots which could have been her nipping herself. I snapped several photos, to her chagrin, and true to form, she began grooming her tail as if to prove me right.

Boy was surprisingly spritely this morning. He leapt all the way from the washing machine to the fridge to the top of the dryer to swat a fly. :D I was so proud of him. Of course, Sam got annoyed, leapt up to the fridge where Boy finally stepped down to, sniffed and nosed him.

Boy leapt from the fridge to the counter (I am so proud of his dexterity!) only to be met by Tux, jumped down and was chased by a naughty Tux and Buffy. I followed, chastising them. At the very least, he is still in good shape and all the attention-seeking may be no more a product of stress from the 3 Naughties trying to establish hierarchy.

I watched him poo earlier when he awoke and then watched him pee again after the chase (or was it before?). Pee amount and colour (and density) appeared normal, although he does take a little longer than the rest.

Their Dad is reluctant to send the grumpy high strung pair (Boy and Kaku) to the vet's. I made him promise to read the 2 vet books I have and properly examine them. He agreed. Ah well, time now for me to visit my doctor for BB's 36 week appointment.