Maid issues

Things are happening at a mad pace now...we are on our final one month countdown to the arrival of Weng weng and I am starting to feel the pressure of motherhood weigh down on me.

No more leisurely weekends surfing the net, waking up at my own time, leisurely browsing trashy magazines and listening to my favorite music. In a month's time, my life will revolve around the little one, scampering to fulfil her every little need.

But a small part of me is hoping that things wouldn't be so bad. Afterall, we have ample help from both sets of parents and have even confirmed our maid last week.

The maid topic seems to be a sensitive one. My in laws already have an Indonesian one whom my father in law absolutely adores. She's smart and efficient but like many other maids, has since grown complacent and lazy. We have a side arrangement where she comes to our place every Saturday morning to do some basic housework (esp ironing) for me. In exchange she gets a small increment and a day off every alternate week. I have started to notice that her work is getting increasingly slipshod and on numerous occasions have spotted her using her mobile phone to make long telephone conversations while doing my housework.

The maid we are engaging from Philippines is called Jessica Simba. She's a single mom with a 2 year old daughter. She wasn't my first pick as I was initially apprehensive about the dubious values of a single parent. However, after conducting a phone interview with her, I found her to be straightforward and refreshingly direct with a mind of her own. It also helps that she has a reasonably good command of English and is pleasant looking. Her concerns are not uncommon among maids and seem to mainly revolve around financial difficulties and getting an off day. I made it very clear to her that I would not be able to give her an off day at least for the first year but would compensate her in lieu. She seemed ok with that. To formally engage her, I had to take a compulsory online maid course (called the Online Foreign Domestic Worker Employers' Orientation Program) through the Singapore Poly website. It was quite informative and straightforward but signing up was such a hassle.

If all goes well, Jessica will arrive by end March, which is perfect timing. We intend to let my mother in law train her for 3 days. I will make it clear that I want Jessica to have minimal contact with the Indonesian maid. The last thing I want is for them to engage in internal politiking.

Our baby room will more or less be ready today. Our baby cabinet from Ikea has just arrived and we have moved our cot in. The next step will be to clean and pack in all the baby stuff e.g. diapers, clothing, toys, wipes and other accessories.

I have been watching my weight very carefully after the mega 3 kilo jump after CNY. My weight has remained relatively unchanged and I am quite happy with that. Our next appointment with Chan is scheduled this coming Thurs.

Weng weng is definitely growing heavier. I have problems getting up from a seating position in the later part of the day (my upper thigh bones hurt) and my left calve sometimes cramps at night. My feet and legs have also become swollen due to water retention. I am also starting to get slight bouts of nausea although they are nothing compared to what I experienced in the first trimester. Quite worried that Weng weng will come out in March as I still have quite alot of office work to clear.

Weng Weng's kicking gets quite maniacal know when I am lying belly up, especially after a meal. My poor innards. I think she will grow up to be a foodie like me.