Dear Skyler,

Hi! Mommy's getting even better now. She's able to hobble along unassisted for a longer distance now. Her right hip is still not so good but she can move around without any help so that's a great boost to our morale. :) Daddy can now return the wheelchair to his school. :)

This situation has made Daddy and Mommy more aware of the problems faced by the physically handicapped in Singapore. I'm so much more conscious about the difficulties they face in moving around and how terrible some Singaporeans are in their treatment of these people. There was once Mommy was still in the wheelchair and she had to go to the Ladies. It was occupied and so we had to wait. When the occupant came out, we realised that she was totally able-bodied and had no need to use the toilet designated for the wheelchair-bound.

This is a big issue in Singapore currently because there is this so-called famous/notorious blogger who blogged that she thought it was okay for able-bodied people to use the toilets for the wheelchair bound because they're bigger and more comfortable. Obviously she is not the only one but she's taking a lot of flak for stating this publicly in her blog.

A few years ago, there was also a lot of noise in the media about drivers who parked their cars in the parking lots meant for the handicapped. These were able-bodied people who were too lazy to walk and decided to use the more convenient handicapped lots, thus depriving any handicapped driver from using what is a necessity for him.

Today, the Sunday Times decided to focus on how terribly behaved many young children are. There were many anecdotes about how parents don't bother or don't know how to discipline their own children anymore and how this causes much inconvenience and unhappiness among others in public.

Mommy and Daddy are both praying that you will not be like these kinds of people. We intend to bring you up as a good person. I pray that we don't fail in this. We wouldn't be able to accept it if you are not a good person, Skyler.

You're really moving around a lot in Mommy's womb. Mommy constantly asks Daddy to share in the experience of feeling you move around. It's such a wonderful feeling knowing that you are there and totally healthy and growing well. Sometimes you move so much that it is totally visible through Mommy's tummy! You keep growing well, okay?

Oh! Remember to engage properly, okay? Make things easier for Mommy to help you come out. We hope that you will be able to be born naturally so that Mommy need not go through a Caesarian Section - it's an operation that is quite terrible. It will cause Mommy to take a very long time to recover.

Well, it's a few more weeks before we see you. You take care now. Try to not make things too difficult for Mommy than necessary.

We love you.

Can't wait to see you!

Mommy and Daddy

Hi Skyler,

Mommy's getting better! Dr Wasserman must be doing something right! :)

Bought Mommy a walking frame - a frame that helps a person to walk. Mommy has improved enough to use it very well. She can move all around the house now. I'm SO happy for her.

Skyler, Mommy is really someone that we should always be proud of. Mommy didn't want to let the pain keep her down and she's done more than enough to recover enough to overcome this problem! She's so determined and strong! Daddy is SO PROUD of her and you will be too!

We're going to see Dr Wasserman again to let him continue to help Mommy recover even more so that she doesn't even need to use the walking frame.

Oh! Another person that we are thankful to during this period is Daddy's boss. She is the person that Daddy reports to at work. She has been so understanding and supportive throughout this period of time. She willingly gave Daddy time off to take care of Mommy during this very painful period. Daddy asked her for a few hours off tomorrow so that I could bring Mommy to see Dr Wasserman and she told me to take the whole day off. I feebly suggested that I would come in in the morning and work a couple of hours before going off but she told me not to come in at all! She then reassured Daddy that if she wasn't willing to let me go off she wouldn't have let me. So, it's ok for Daddy to be with Mommy during this time.

You'll get to meet her next year some time. She's a very nice lady. You be nice to her, you hear? :)

Daddy and Mommy love you!

Dear Skyler,

Mommy saw the chiropractor on Friday. He's managed to narrow the cause of Mommy's pain down to what we thought it was - symphisis pubis dysfunction. He will begin to treat it properly tomorrow. He seems to think that he can help Mommy but he didn't seem convincing then because he kept on repeating that he would be able to help. Hmmm... we really hope that he can help!

Daddy has borrowed a wheelchair from school for Mommy to use. It has come in very useful so far. Mommy can move around so much better and Daddy doesn't have to struggle to drag Mommy around on the wheelie chair from our Study. We can even go out - only that Mommy feels much pain and discomfort getting into and out of the car. And Daddy has to keep on lugging the wheelchair in and out of the car as well... :)

We will be seeing Dr Kang tomorrow and we'll see what she has to say about Mommy's condition. After that, we'll see Dr Wasserman, the chiropractor.

You take care, Skyler. You're really sticking yourself out of Mommy's belly all over the place! Hmmm... do you know how much pain you're causing Mommy?

Love you, Baby Girl!

Daddy and Mommy

Dear Skyler,

Mommy's in so much pain. You're not very cooperative. You're in what the doctor calls a breech position i.e. you're in a horizontal position across Mommy's womb. (You're supposed to be head down into the pelvis ready to come out.) Because you're stretching across instead of head down, you're pushing Mommy's pelvic bones horizontally outwards resulting in Mommy's pelvic bones being misaligned. This has resulted in much pain for Mommy.

Mommy can't put any weight on her legs at all without experiencing much pain. She can't even turn around in bed so it makes it very difficult for her to sleep. She can hardly walk. Mommy is very depressed by all this, Skyler.

We know it's not your fault. It's just Daddy wants you to remember that Mommy has gone through a lot just to have you. We love you very very much!

Mommy has managed to find a website that describes what she's experiencing right now. It's the only website that she has managed to find. It seems that many pregnant women in the world experience this to some extent. They have tried many remedies and visiting a chiropractor is one of the best, I think. It's a good thing that Mommy has already been visiting a chiropractor. Mommy has called him and he says that he can treat Mommy.

However, he's a very grouchy man. He nags Mommy a lot. But Mommy has no choice but to go to him in the hope that he can help make the situation better. Well, we'll see if we can get an appointment tomorrow.

Love you!

Daddy and Mommy

Dear Skyler,

We're still trying to decide what your Chinese name should be. We've narrowed it down to a few options but currently "Kai'en" seems to the front runner. "Kai" means Joy and "En" is Grace (as in mercy). Mommy and Daddy see it as the Joy and Grace of God. What do you think of that? Do you like it?

Mommy is really feeling very terrible right now. The pain she is experiencing is quite tremendous. She can hardly walk now without some piercing pain up her leg. Mommy thinks it's because of her pelvis widening so that you will be able to come out when the time comes. Daddy really feels terrible that he can't help Mommy lessen the pain. Once again, I know I sound like a nag, but you must love Mommy lots when you come out, okay? Mommy has gone through so much pain and discomfort for your sake. Don't add to it when you're with us, okay?

Mommy and Daddy are totally thinking of taking care of you ourselves. We love you and we want to bring you up ourselves.

Part of this means that we have to manage without what some people call a confinement nanny. Such a person is supposed to help take care of Mommy and cook for her while she's recovering from having given birth to you. We are thinking of not engaging such a person and Daddy will try his best to take care of both Mommy and you. We've also begun to train Daddy to cook nourishing "confinement" food for Mommy to eat. Daddy sometimes makes a mess of it but he's learning! :)

Daddy is still totally fascinated with your moving around Mommy's belly. Mommy shares this experience with Daddy every chance she gets. Daddy is completely thrilled with feeling you move!

Wow! You're going to be a part of the family, Skyler. We're going to love you so much! Can't wait to see you.

Oh! We're going to see Dr Kang in the morning. Please be cooperative and let her do her ultrasound scan successfully, okay.

We love you.

Daddy and Mommy