2010.03.28 New Beginning

Ciao tutti,
today we finished the moving process,
thanks to all the great friend that help us today,
I'm thrilled to start a new life in this new home ;D

2010.03.24 Wedding Dance

My cousin just upload some picture from my wedding last Summer,
I particularly like these two ;))

2010.03.24 Tag Three!!

Another random tag game ;D

Three names I go by:
1. Seni ---> most people call me by my first name
2. Shi Qi ---> my Chinese name
3. Xiao Qi ---> hubby's like to call me like that

Three jobs I have had:
1. Cashier at school's cafetaria
2. Sandwich maker, still at cafetaria
3. Work at school's pastry. serving and ring the cashier after that.
seems like they are all food related...and yes, I gain lots of weight from working there ;p

Three places I have lived:
other than my beloved hometown at Denpasar Bali...
1. Taipei, Taiwan
2. Beijing, China
3. Seattle, WA. USA

Three favorite drinks:
1. Honey ---> mix honey with ice water...oh so good!!
2. Milk ---> gotta be cold, no likey warm milk
3. Sweet Jasmine Tea ---> preferably warm one, this is Indonesian thing..."teh manis anget"

Three TV shows I watch:
1. Desperate Housewive ---> dark wicked comedy, I'm addicted!!
2. LOST ---> this is the final season...duh!
3. Ugly Betty...hahaha...don't you love her style??!! XD~

Three places I have been:
1. Asia
2. America
3. Australia
2 more continents to go...Europe & Africa ;D

Three places I would like to visit:
1. Italy
2. Egypt
3. Japan

Three favorite old TV shows:
1. Sex & the City ---> I always watch this with my ex roommate, Lulu...I miss you amiga!!
2.
3
don't watch lots of TV show before I move to US, i didn't even watch Friend!!...;p

Three favorite dishes:
1. Nasi Bali
2. Be Guling
3. Seafood at Jimbaran
they are all local food from Bali...oh yumm!! nothing beat 'em!!

Three makeup products I cannot live without:
1. Eyebrow Pencil
2. Eyebrow Powder
3. Eyebrow Mascara...if you read my previous tag game you knew that my eyebrows are close to none...LOL

Three things I'm looking forward too:
1. Move to my new house. going to move everything by the end of this week...so excited!!
2. Have my baby soon. the due date is June 7th, but seems like it's going to be sooner than that
3. Take driving class... @_______@ not really looking forward to do that...but seems like I HAVE to.................

2010.03.21 Baby's Room

On Sunday morning we spend our time to paint the baby's room,
we went to Home Depot to get the paint, they have so much color option...it's overwhelming!!
the one we got here is a pale blue from BEHR called "Wave Crest"
it was the 1st experience for hubby and I to paint the wall ;D
next project is our living room
ps. yes, it is OK for me to paint the wall, since it was a latex paint. oil based paint will be dangerous for it contain lots of toxic.

2010.03.19 Hi Spring!!

Bright Blue Sky,
Beautiful flowers blossoming all over Seattle,
they all make me very happy...Spring is here!!
as I promised, here's the pictures that I took after my hospital visit...enjoy ;))

camera: lumix lx3

2010.03.19 Busy Busy Bees...

Ciao tutti,
as I mention on my previous post, hubby and I just purchased our first home...yay!!
and we are extremely busy now, moving stuff around, not a very convenient thing to do for a pregger ;p
I had a bad bad insomnia and couldn't sleep at all last night, not even a minute! I feel exhausted in the morning, but have to drag myself to get ready to run errands, and boy...what a busy day we had today...!! the busiest I've been in quite a while, my schedule started at 9.30 in the morning. We stop by Starbuck to grab some coffee *decaf-soy-ice-caramel machiatto for me* then our route was like this...
1. IKEA
got some drawers for my new walk-in closet / finally...a king size bed frame...yay!! originally want to purchased a white color, but end up with brown-black / a long table for my make up counter / a new computer desk for hubby / king size blanket: I love how they categorize the blanket by the desired temperature, I pick the coolest one / one set of king size bedding / and some other stuff.
and off course we ate the infamous Ikea Swedish Meatballs...yummm...

2. SLEEP COUNTRY
I'm so happy that finally i got to have a king size bed! pick up the Beautyrest bed. Original price was $950 for the mattress, I ask the sales lady if she can lower the price at all, but the say she can't. hubby suggest that we should check online price, but i want to get the mattress pronto!
then I asked the sales lady if she will match any price from their competitor, long story short, we end up paying $663 + tax for the mattress. that's a huge different!!
note: be a smart shopper, don't hesitate to ask for a better deal ;D

3. HOSPITAL
regular pregnancy check up, since I hit the 28th week, I have to see the doctor every two weeks instead of once a month. Baby is fine, and I will be 8 months pregnant by next week...time does fly so fast!!
after the hospital visit, I took some picture of the blossoming Cherry Blossom near our parking spot. They are incredibly pretty!! I'll upload the picture soon ;)

4. HOME DEPOT
picking a color for baby's room, I pick a very pale blue color. This is our very first experience shopping for paint, after browsing the rack, we couldn't find the color at all...later we learn that they mix the color for us...hahaha ;D
couldn't decide what color to paint the living room, probably sage...???
pink up the painting instruction, because we never did that before ;p
also purchased the rack for the closet, door bell, shower head

5. TARGET
we went to Target that was close to our new place, it's not as busy as the one located at North. and maybe that's why they don't carry lot of stuff...??
need to pick 5 pillows, but only got 2. Also pick up ring for shower curtain, also the shower curtain.

6. BED, BATH & BEYOND
I was already exhausted and can't even remember what did we got...lol

7. NEW HOME
put up the shower curtain, do some cleaning

8. UWAJIMAYA
to grab fast dinner...since we have to go back to the new house, waiting for the Ikea delivery guy

9. HOME
hubby drove me home because i already look like a walking zombie...hahahha...it was 7.30 pm. and I passed out right away...woke up at 9.30 pm and feel extremely sore all over my body. what a long long day!
it's 12.16 am now, and hubby is still at the new house assembling the new furniture...I thank God for a selfless, hard-working hubby, he made this so much easier for me ;)

gotta take shower now and go back to sleep...we have another class to attend at the hospital tomorrow ;D

Important Things To Do For Mom-To-Be

Source: Newborn Care Class

Important things to do before the baby is born,
1. Chose a Pediatrician
don't be shy, ask around for recommendation of a good pediatrician, make sure that the one you choose is affiliated with your insurance company...otherwise it will cost you a fortune! (in US)

2. Child Care
supposed you planning on going back to work, you should start looking for reliable child care, it's never too early to find one, since most of them have a long waiting list! ask around for recommendation. Don't hesitate to check the place, make sure they are clean and safe for your little one.

3. Circumcision
supposed you are having a boy and choose to do so.

4. Cord Blood Banking
it's a very popular procedure where you bank the blood that drawn from the baby's umbilical cord. Supposed you do not choose to bank it, you can always donate them for those who need it. Here the list of the private bank and their price around the globe.

Safe Sleep for Baby

Source: Newborn Care Class

A safe sleep area for baby is not an option, it should be every parent's priority. Sudden Infant Death (SID) is the leading cause of death among the newborn to 1 year old child. The fact is, SID is unpredictable, but here's some safety procedure we can do to reduce the risk.

- the best sleep position for babies is on their back.

- choose for the firm surface / mattress; soft bedding might might cause suffocation hazard.

- do not overheat; easy on the heater.

- check baby's hand and feet for temperature, it should be around 98.6 degree Fahrenheit / 37 degree Celsius, around the same with our own.

- to avoid of being overheated, do not put a hat on baby when they sleep.

- using a fan is helping create a good air circulation for the room

- Pacifier is safe even when baby is sleeping, but not recommended for the first month of babies that breastfeed.

- air conditioner is OK for babies.

- soft bedding is suffocation & chocking hazard. they are -but not limited to- : pillow, bumper, stuffed animals. ----> quite surprising to me!! I always though that bumper is a must... ;p
the rails on baby cribs that passed the safety inspection should be close together, therefore, there's no need to use bumpers, there's no way the baby will slipped out of their crib.

- NO loose blanket or comforter; they are tangling hazard for the newborn.

- swaddle your newborn on their crib, choose thinner material during Summer.

- what should be on the crib = firm mattress + fitted sheet + swaddled baby. nothing else.

- keep it as simple (or boring ) as possible to reduce the suffocation, choking and tangling hazard.

2010.03.19 Newborn Care Class

Ciao tutti!
earlier this week, on March 16th, hubby and I attended Newborn Care Class at hospital of our choice, Swedish Hospital in Seattle.
the class was packed!! there was at least a dozen couple taking the class with us,
the instructor, Beth was a mother of two herself.
the class was a 3 hours long class, teach us how to take care our newborn. it was an interesting class that briefly talk about what is safe for our baby, and how to deal with the newborn.
During the session, I was amazed on how little we know about this matter...we learn about lots of interesting fact that never even crossed our mind before.

After taking the class and find it very helpful to me, a first-time parent,
then I decided to start a new topic on my blog...parenting.
I will write the notes I took in class and other information I found online or from books that is related to this topic under Parenting category.
Please note that the main purpose of me doing this is mostly to remind myself of what I learn,
and as always, I love to share it with my friends and readers too ;))

Every couple that was taking the class was assigned with one baby doll on the table,
this was ours, a cute Caucasian baby doll with grey eyes.
they have either white baby doll or brown baby doll...no Asian baby doll...haha
...and we have to treat the doll as it was our own baby. as soon as the class start, no 'babies' were allowed to be on the table, we have to carry it everywhere, even during the break...haha...we took the 'our baby' to starbuck during the break XD~






















other than the interactive lecture, and video in class, we also learn how to bath, dress and change diaper for babies. on each station, they were instruction of 'how to' and Beth, the instructor visited each couple to see how they deal with it.
I got the cutest cloth for my newborn, what a soothing color! ;D

2010.03.17 We Are Heading West!!

yayayayyy...today is a historical day for us,
hubby and I just purchased our first house at West Seattle area!
we are thrilled that we got the house before the baby is born ;))

2010.03.15 I'm NOT Diabetic!!!

Ciao tutti!
as you know, I'm so happy and joyful about my pregnancy,
but there's also a part of it that scared me to the max...and I think that it just fair that i write about them all, hopefully I won't scared you out with this post ;))

Sometimes, during pregnancy, some women will diagnosed with gestational diabetes,
a kind of diabetes that only affect pregnant women.

Around two weeks ago, I got my first test, the procedure was to get one's blood drawn one hour after one's took this super nastily sweet drink. smells like Gatorade, but 5 times sweeter!!
I didn't know that i have to fast for 10-12 hours before taking that drink, and alas! the hospital called my hubby the next day and said that I have a high blood sugar level, and I have to retake the test.
The news stressed me out so much that I got so depressed.
here's the fact, supposed I diagnosed with the gestational diabetes, I should poke my fingers everyday and test my own blood with the special kit.
Here's the fact...needle and blood freak me out. I had a horrendous phobia toward them...and not only that, even scars and bruised made me feel so squeamish!

anyway...they scheduled me for another test on the following week, and this time I have to fast for 12 hours before taking the special drink.
oh boy! fasting was horrible, especially I always got hungry at night...I was starving, and was so nervous about the test that I couldn't sleep at all the night before my 2nd test.
long story short, we went to the family clinic at 8 am in the morning to get my test done.
they drawn my blood for 4 times. once before i took the special drink, then once every hour after that for 3 times.
both my arms still bruised from the needle >,<

soooooooooooooo...today the clinic call hubby again to tell him the result. *i change my contact number to hubby's cellphone because I was too nervous to get any news, I was scared if it going to be a bad news...*
and yesssss, the result is: I'm not having gestational diabetes!! I'm so happy now, finally can feel relax...thank God!! ;D

2010.03.13 28th Week

I'm on my 28th week of pregnancy now,
and it means...buh-bye to the energetic 2nd trimester, and hello to the heavy 3rd trimester!
bebe is growing so much, he pressing my stomach, so i can't eat as much anymore,
get full so easily. Then i notice that my tummy is smaller than 2 weeks ago...haha.
and also, the fatigue from the 1st trimester came back, i feel tired all the time.
Maybe it's nature way to let my body rest as much as i could, before the steepness night with bebe came in couple months ;)
and also, during the ultrasound session we had few days ago, the sonographer told us that the baby's head is down already...good position for the labor. I'm excited and nervous at the same time! XD~

2010.03.12 My Mini Me

Ciao tutti,
I'm super duper happy!!
at the 28th week of pregnancy, hubby and I finally can see what's our baby looks like ;)
we went to a private ultrasound company, BabyPictureUltrasound around Bellevue area.
During the ultrasound session, our baby moves so much that the sonographer said, "I haven't seen a baby this active for a while! what a wild boy...he uses so much energy, no wonder you always hungry!!" lol...

anyway, here's our little bundle of joy...
he got my nose and my lips too...a boy version of my mini me ;)

he does lots of gesture with his chubby little fingers
muscular bebe...haha
bebe having headache...??
don't take my picture please...
that's my pinky ;)
and that is...my cute little ear!
he finally let us see his face...
baby boy! ;D
now we can't wait to see him on June!! ;))

2010.03.12 40 Beauty Tag

Tag! Tag! Tag!!!
Actually no one tag me...really!! haha,
but I saw this tag on some of the blog, it looks fun, so...here's my answer ;D

TAG - 40 Beauty Questions

SKINCARE

-How many times do you wash your face daily?
Twice.
One in the morning, trying to use a gentle cleanser because it can be drying in Winter. now I'm trying to finish my L'occitane Ultra Rich Foaming Cleanser. it's so gentle and i love the smell of the creamy shea butter. but the texture is super runny that it get so messy right after i open the container...duh!
At Night, I'll start with my Shu Uemura's cleansing oil for the oily skin *the cute pink one* then, continue with scrub. Some of the scrub are...Estee Lauder's Sparkling Clean...L'oreal Skin Genesis *got it on sale...lol* yah, i just like to try different stuff. Sometimes I even use hubby's facewash...just because i'm bored with my own ;p

-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
I have combination sensitive skin.
combination here is not like oily on the T-zone only...but also at the cheeks area. so the only dry parts are the edges of my face. and it's also sensitive, i got redness around my nose and chin area. Especially now that I'm pregnant.

-What is your current facial wash?
on my sink: L'occitane Ultra Rich Foaming Cleanser, Biore Warming Anti Bleackhead Cream Cleanser (not the easiest to use!)
inside my shower: Estee Lauder's Sparkling Clean, L'oreal Skin Genesis, Skin Food Honey Black Sugar Scrub...i think that's the name, the label peel off already...haha

-Do you exfoliate?
yes

-What brand do you use?
i mention all of them already ;p

-What moisturizer do you use?
I'll start with Estee Lauder Advace Night Repair Serum, then slather one of this: Laneige Star White series, Bliss The Youth As We Know It (love the smell!!) or Cetaphil.

-Do you have freckles?
I start having some on my cheekbones...and my pregnancy made it looks more prominent. I also have it all over my arms, it doesn't bother me at all.

-Do you use eye cream?
off course! i have two of them, one is located on top of my sink...Strivectin. and the other is Hylexin. Both are quite pricey eye cream, but I pay nothing for them, I redeemed them with my Sephora beauty point. came with great size! like almost original size...oh, how i LOVE Sephora!!! x3

-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
o yeah...during my teenage year, my skin was horrible. small acne all over my face, but i rarely got a big one. And during my early pregnancy, the 1st trimester, it came back to me...oh so scary! but now it's all gone. But sometimes i still got some occasional small acne.
I use Kate Somerville's Eradicate to banish them. usually gone in 1 or 2 days

-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
I tried my friend's...oh so drying!!!

MAKE-UP

-What foundation do you use?
YSL Teint Resist #02 Blond ---> great match to my skin
MUFE HD Foundation #110 ---> a little bit pink
BE Foundation in Fair ---> never failed me
and I also have compact foundations for on the go.

-How about concealer?
Eve Pearl Salmon Concealer in Light
MAC Select Cover Up NC20
MUFE Camouflage Cream Palette #1

-Do you know your undertone color?
pinkish...like those little piglets...oink!! however, my body's skin is more yellowish than my face.

-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
love it! love it! love it! check out my various falsie review here ;)

-Did you know that you are supposed to change your mascara every 3 months?
yes!

-What brand of mascara do you use?
Mostly drug store brand, I don't splurge on high-end brand mascara anymore (used to love Helena Rubinstein mascaras!)...doesnt do much on my short lashes.
my fav are...
L'oreal Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara...imho it's better than Dejavu Fiberwig
L'oreal Voluminous
Cover Girl Lash Blash...much better than its rival, Maybelline Collosal
Rimmel Sexy Curves

I also have some Dior & Estee Lauder mascaras...the free sample...haha ;p

-Sephora or MAC?
Sephora all the way!! I love the huge selection, love the beauty point! the generous bonus, the birthday gift for member...everything that MAC don't offer!

-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
nope

-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
Brushes, Sponges, Eyelash Curler

-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes, love love love UDPP & BE Prime Time

-For the face?
MUFE HD, the blue one. use it sometimes if i remember...haha

-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
MAC Pigment in Jardin Aires! I even use it on my Valentine night, 2 years in a row!! also use it a lot everyday. For highlighter, MAC Pigment in Vanilla

-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
pencil, liquid, gel

-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
sometimes, when I'm in hurry...lol

-What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?
it's LOVE! the colors are so vibrant. but i pressed them into compact, so it's easier to use and less messy. I don't use them straight from the container, too much spills.

-Do you use mineral makeup?
yes, devoted to BE

-What is your favorite lipstick?
NARS in Schiap. it's a vibrant hot pink...it boost my mood!! sometimes I apply it as normal lipstick, sometimes I use it as lipstain.
I was wearing it on my birthday too!

-How about lipgloss?
MAC Plushglass in Ample Pink is definitely the winner. I use it on daily basis.

-What is your favorite blush to use?
MAC in Tenderling / Shu Uemura in M Pink 32E
they are sheer and fool-proof, even when i apply them in hurry, i won't look like clown / look like i just got slapped

-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
once. it was Bobbi Brown shimmer brick in Pink Quartz...i missed out the limited edition even, and now they bring it back to their collection!! hahaha

-Do you like drugstore makeup?
love it! Asian drug store brand are super cute and have better quality than here...(US)
here's some picture of them during my visit to Taipei last summer...i miss them already! ;D






















-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
yup

-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
yes, i want to take bridal make up class. i just love it!! ;))

-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
only if I'm in rush...usually end up in funky looking falsie...hahah

-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
tattoed-looking eyebrows...it just looks too old

-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I like neutral. but also love hot pink lipstick and purple eyeliner ;))

-Which celebrity always has great make up?
I think Hillary Duff has great make up...and no, I'm not her fan...

-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
eyebrow pencil!! my eyebrows are almost bald, ok...and I looks confused with that kind of eyebrows...hahahah

-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
NO!! not leaving my house without doing my eyebrows...nonono!!

-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
I look ok...but at the same time look funny with my-almost-bald-eyebrows...duh! how many times should i write about this...haha

-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
gotta say MAC, totally love their pigments!! and the huge color selections

-What do you think of Makeup?
An addicted & expensive hobby

2010.03.10 Puppies!!

Few weeks ago i posted an entry about my new puppies in Bali,
and finally i got their picture from my cousin ;D

Pretty and the little pups...Pretty looks kinda crazy / high here...LOL
2 black pups like the dad *looks like rats @_@*, and one brown pup like Pretty
the triplets, looks so soft and fragile ;)

2010.03.07 The Joy of Shopping

finally, at the end of my 28th week pregnancy, I start shopping again!
but it wasn't my ordinary shopping spree, but it was baby stuff ;D
even that baby boy's selection was much smaller than baby girl's stuff,
nonetheless, it was a joyful bliss x3
baby boy's clothing were mostly in blue, brown and green hues,
with cute animals printing / design, so cute!! ;D

2010.03.07 Pregnancy & Shopping

I love shopping!!
but during my pregnancy, i didn't shop a lot, and it is wise to do so.
some of the reason are:
1. I won't keep this pregnancy body shape for a long time
2. Seriously, it is hard to find any cute pregnancy clothes!! no kidding...
3. Pregnancy clothes are mad expensive

so...why would i spend a fortune on expensive-not-so-cute-clothes that i can only wear for a short time period ;p
I'm on my early third trimester now, and still can fit into my pre-pregnancy clothes, i was surprise that i can still wear my Lulu Lemon gym clothes too!
but off course I CANNOT fit to some of my pre-pregnancy clothes too...
I was trying to slip on my purple top yesterday, and it was stuck around my chest...I can't pull it off at all, and hubby had to come to the rescue! LOL
seriously...I don't feel that I'm that big, but the pictures never lie...hahaha

26th week & 27th week in my pre-pregnancy clothes ;D

So, since my body shape is keep changing, it is inevitable for me to get myself some of the pregnancy clothes, you'll be surprise of how little I shop during this pregnancy ;D
let me list the pregnancy clothes that I purchased so far,
* 1 pair of pants
* 2 pairs of leggings
* 2 pairs of pantyhose
* 1 shirt...ah, and few bras! that was the first thing i got before shop for the other stuff...haha

and off course I have to haul myself some good skin care to prevent stretch mark! the book said that stretch mark is inevitable for some people, but my friends that been pregnant before were swear by Palmer's Cocoa Butter.

newest additional stuff for my pregnancy skin care regime, been using this two for 3 weeks now, and loving it! ;D

2010.03.07 Up & Down

Ciao tutti!
how was your week? i hate to admit that mine was kinda blah and boring...
why??
because I broke my food processor, therefore i can't cook for the whole week...boo!
and why do i need food processor to cook?
because, I've been so into cooking Indonesian food, especially Balinese food that need lots and lots of spices and herbs to cook, sometimes it up to 12 different types, oh yum!!
I enjoy the variation of the spices, and also enjoy spending a lot of time in my kitchen, andd...also enjoy the complicated process. And I do realize that most of the time I tend to cook rather complicated dish. I don't really cook simple stuff. A weird preference, I know ;p

ok, enough about me ranting about my broken food processor. oh, by the way, yes, I was the one who broke it, off course. I put the blade upside down... >,<

fun thing happened during my week ---> i was throwing baby shower for my dear friend, lots of people came and have good time together ;D

2010.02.28 Cherry Blossom

it's early Spring here in Seattle, the Cherry blossom is blossoming every where...so pink...so pretty...a perfect time to play with my new camera ;D