My Pregnancy Journal (Part 1) ~ Zahra's Eyes

Hellooo...

It's nearly 11pm in Jakarta. Yup, I left Ireland for good last year, and now I'm back in Jakarta. Don't ask me about the weather here. It's still the same hot and shiny weather! I keep air conditioners on almost all the time, so all good :D

I'm writing this post while sitting upward, trying not to press my belly. It's getting bigger from day to day. Yes, I and my husband are expecting our first child, Alhamdulillah :) We are so grateful and excited! There will be a new family member coming soon, inshaAllah. <3

The pregnancy is entering the 29th week now (just entering the 8th month!). The due date is predicted to be in the middle of December this year, inshaAllah. The title of this post states that this is the first part of my pregnancy journal, so it might sound too late, 29th week pregnant and I'm writing this journal just now? :D I can write all my excuses here, but who cares? Let's just say I wasn't in the mood to update my blog :P

Since this is my first pregnancy, I cannot compare this experience with anything in the past. Everything I've felt during this time is completely new for me :) People say that in the first trimester (month 1 to 3), a pregnant woman will have series of morning sicknesses, but not me. During the first trimester, I barely had one. It was just a very mild discomfort in my belly; so mild that I was thinking "Is there really a baby in there?" :D

I didn't experience ngidam either. "Ngidam" is the term where the mother-to-be is craving for something (usually a certain food or beverage) so badly. "It's what the baby wants", that's what they say, "You have to fulfil it. Otherwise, the baby will be born drooling." Errr... not sure about that. :D Of course I want to eat or drink something during my pregnancy, but I think it's just simply what I want. If my hubby can find it, I'm happy. Otherwise, I'm fine too. He can still find it for me the next day, no problem. So, it's not "ngidam", is it? hehe..

During the second trimester (month 4 to 6), the discomfort in my belly couldn't be said "mild" anymore. It was quite bad, yet I didn't throw up frequently (only once as far as I remember). Since I felt fine, I agreed to go to my family hometown in Aceh for celebrating Eid al-Fitri. Aceh, located in the Sumatera Island, is the westernmost province in Indonesia. I, my hubby, my father, and brother went to Aceh by car. We spent 3 days and 4 nights on the road. Can you imagine how tiring the trip was? (It really was!) I threw up a few times, not because of my pregnancy, but because of the snake-shape road here and there. However, I was so grateful that I was still fine.

In Aceh, we got a chance not only to visit our family, but also to enjoy the Weh Island (the westernmost point of Indonesia) with its georgeous and beautifuuullll beaches and view all around!! (I'll write an article about the Weh Island later on this blog, inshaAllah). Moreover, we also visited some important sites in Banda Aceh to recall the huge Tsunami happening in Aceh in 2004. The impact of the disaster was unbelievable! However, the recovery has been going on successfully, Alhamdulillah! (I'll write about this as well later, inshaAllah). We enjoyed our time in Aceh and back in Jakarta safely. The most important thing is that the baby in my belly is sound and healthy during and after the long holiday. :)

Now I'm in the third trimester (month 7 onward), and the most frequent question asked to me is "Is it a boy or a girl?" We don't know yet. We'll have it checked next month, inshaAllah. However, we have a feeling that it might be a boy. It's not just a mere guess, but based on a few observations :D My pregnancy has been smooth so far: rare sickness, rare/no ngidam, etc. Many people say that if that is the case (very smooth and quite comfortable), it is a great chance that the baby is a boy. Also, there is one thing that makes us quite sure that it's a boy, but I don't want to write it here :P Whichever it is, either boy or girl, we feel sooo grateful (Alhamdulillahi Rabbil'alamin), and are looking forward to the arrival of our first baby :) May he/she be born safe, sound, and healthy (Ameen YRA). We can't wait to meet you, sweety! :) :*

source of the picture: http://islam.ru/en/sites/default/files/imagecache/post_img_300_226/img/story/2011/11/pregnent.jpeg.