Easy Peasy Chocolate Cake in 5 minutes (and that includes the cooking time!)

I'm not a big fan of cake. So even though I bake cakes on what use to be a daily occasion, I seldom eat my own cakes.

When the craving to suddenly eat something chocolaty kicks in, I remembered seeing the recipe for chocolate mug cake (baked in microwave) in few websites/blogs. And I'm always game for an easy recipe, especially those which does not involve having to haul up my mixer and whatnot ;p

After tweaking here and there, the most perfect recipe for me is :

1) 4 tablespoon of flour + a teenie weenie pinch of soda bicarbonate
(can substitute for self-raising flour if you have those)
2) 2 tablespoon of sugar
3) 3 tablespoon of cocoa powder
4) 1 egg
5) 2 tablespoon of sweetened condensed milk
6) 3 tablespoon of coffee (preferably with creamer)
(I usually use 3-in-1 nescafe)
7) 3 tablespoon of vegetable oil

The method is soooooo easy, even my two-year-old can do it. Dump item 1,2 and 3 together. Give it a good stir. And then dump item 4 until 7, giving it a good stir after each item. Set microwave on high, and pop the mug/bowl in the microwave for two minutes, and voila...your chocolate cake is ready. Top with ice cream, ganache, nuts and serve warm...yummmeeeehhhh...

Second appointment as FPP in Hospital Putrajaya

My second appointment wih Dr Hamidah went well. Although I did have to wait for a while since she's performing an operation.

Its true what pinkertonic and ryyhan said, she'll spend more time with you once you reach towards the end of you pregnancy. She perform the ultrasound scan and Alhamdulillah, everything appears to be in good condition. Dr Hamidah said that it appears that this baby is gonna be slightly smaller than Sara (Yes!! Tak sia-sia control makan).

She also said that this time, they are not going to allow post-date (meaning : if I still haven't give birth by 19th October, I'd have to get induced) and I am somewhat relieved by that. Part of the reason I'm totally okay with being induced is that I'm having difficulty to even walk nowadays. I get tired easily and even walking has become quite a chore.

I gained only 300gm for this past two weeks (What?? Yeah, I don't believe it either). Haha. Probably due to the fact that I haven't been able to eat properly for the last 5 days (remember the annoying wisdom tooth that decided to show up?)

This is latest picture of me (of my tummy actually, my face is too wide nowadays, it would take up the whole desktop ;p) at nine months. Slightly smaller than my previous pregnancy, I must say *pats shoulder* :)

Oh, the other day I totally made a fool of myself...you know how they say that when you're pregnant you have this baby brain (the tendency to become forgetful, fuzzy memories)...hihi...well, they are true (for me at least).

I parked my car in front of a Shell kiosk, locked the door and went inside to buy the chocolate I promised for Sara. I paid for the chocolate and went outside, pressed my car key and CONFIDENTLY opened the car door. I remember thinking "Hmm, the car door handle looks different today"

As I was about to enter the car, I noticed that not only the handle was different, the whole interior was different too. I took a step back and errr....no wonder everything looks different, it was a silver Perodua Myvi while yours truly is driving a silver Hyundai Getz.

Since there are quite a few people around the car (and maybe the owner too *gasp*), I avoid any kind of eye contact and sheepishly said "Oops, tersalah pulak.." and with the tiny shred of dignity I have left, I walked to my car, start the engine and drove away from the embarrassing scene.

Here's a picture of a Myvi door handle and Getz door handle. Even a blind man can feel the difference (and I have been driving my Getz for more than 5 years!!)

On the left is Myvi and the green one is Getz. Image googled.

The pain that woke me up!

I am a very deep sleeper. Fortunately for me, Sara has always been a good sleeper too. I am not the one known to wake up from sleep for whatever reason (my mom always said that a bomb can go off and I'd still be sleeping soundly). Even when I was having contraction during Sara's birth, I drifted in and out of sleep.

However, last two night, when I was soundly sleeping, something woke me up. That something is the excruciating pain on the right side of my jaw (Oh, hi there my lovely wisdom tooth). I grabbed my handphone, and fervently wished that it was already 4 or 5 am. Instead, it was only 1 am. Gaahhhh!!! How am I suppose to deal with this pain for another 7 hours?

I tossed and turned, drank water and try the "its-all-in-your-mind" therapy. Pfftt. Nothing seems to work. And when nothing works, what do you do? Turn to Him, of course. I perform solat sunat and felt calmer afterward. The pain does not magically subside, but it became manageable.

I took the whole day off yesterday and thought of going to the clinic, but I'm sure they'll only give me some painkillers and antibiotics (which I'm not planning on consuming, since I'm afraid it might affect the baby). BUT, I might go today if the condition got worse.

Having your wisdom tooth appear towards the end of your pregnancy is NOT FUN! It does however, take my mind away from the impending delivery.

Set Asas Pengurusan Uri

I am fairly sure that every Muslim knows that placenta (uri) have to be managed properly, so I will not blog about that here...however, what I wanted to share is : Did you know that nowadays people sell a set specifically to manage the uri (the Islamic way?). The first thing that popped into my mind is "Why didn't they do this sooner?" Hehe...

Anyway, I bought mine at mypermatahati.com at RM35.00 only. Inside the set is salt, tamarind, a clay pot, white cloth and latex glove. All the necessary things to help us dispose and manage the uri properly.

On a side note, a friend in the office who have the same due date as mine have already given birth...and looking at the maternity ticker above, I have less than 20 days!

Perineal Massage

Note : This is going to be a slightly "uncomfortable" topic, so may I suggest to those who have low tolerance of human anatomy, particularly in the "southern region" to please kindly leave this page ;p

I've heard about perineal massage from Suzie's blog. I followed the link back to Diah's blog and reading her experience, I'm sold. (she popped out a 4.1kg baby without the need for episiotomy).

Back during my first pregnancy, I somewhat shy away reading all the related material on the actual giving birth procedure because the more I read, the more I felt nervous, scared and all those negative feelings. This time, I'm proud to say that I am more open in reading the related material BUT I still haven't had the guts to look at the pictures/videos of people giving birth.

Okay, enough babbling...here is some info on perineal massage (copied from here)

What is perineal massage?

Perineal massage is the gentle stretching and massaging of the perineum (skin between the anus and vagina) during the last few weeks of pregnancy. This has been shown to reduce the incidence of episiotomy and perineal tears during childbirth.

Why does perineal massage work?

Perineal massage does not "lengthen" the tissues of the perineum. However, it does increase the stretch in two ways.

First, perineal massage is done with a cold pressed oil, which lubricates the tissue making it softer, more supple and improving is flexibility. This makes it easier for the tissues to stretch as the baby is born.

Second, perineal massage familiarizes the mother with the stretching sensations she will feel as the baby is born. This helps her learn to keep her perineal area relaxed during the stretching of crowning which can help prevent tears.

How do I do it?

Perineal massage can be done by the mother or her partner. The mother should be in a comfortable place, sitting or reclining in a way that gives access to the skin around the vagina. It can be done for up to 10 minutes a day during the last four weeks of pregnancy.

• Wash hands thoroughly. Ensure there are no sharp or long nails that may scratch the mother.
• Locate the perineum, directly below the vagina. It is the skin between the vagina and the anus. Apply some cold pressed and pure oil (such as olive oil) to this skin.
• Place the thumbs at the base of the vagina, allowing them the slide inside the vagina (to about the first joint) moving some oil with them.
• Using gentle but firm pressure, move the thumbs from the base of the vagina up the side walls as if you were making a "U".
• Return the thumbs to the base of the vagina, and repeat procedure.
• As the mother becomes more comfortable with the stretch, you may increase the amount you stretch the skin.

As for me, I've started doing the perineal massage two weeks ago and am hoping for the best (please...no more episiotomy). BUT, the thing with routine and me, we seldom see eye to eye. I've only done this massage for four times...(probably the same amount as applying anti-stretchmark cream on my tummy throughout these 9 months).

Note to self : Kalau tau je, tapi pemalas nak buat, tak guna ok!!
Self answered back : ok, ok...lepas ni tiap-tiap malam buat..