New laptop

Leo and I finally got around to buying a new laptop after talking about it for ages. We were actually forced into it because the old one ran out of memory and then stopped functioning when the internet was on.

Our new computer is an Acer Aspire 4935G. We got a good deal on it and some nice bundled software from the university. Part of the bundle was Adobe Creative Suite. I have always wanted it but never bought it because of the price (almost $1000 in Singapore dollars). I also love that the keyboard on my new computer is so large. It bettered my typing enormously. The third thing I love is the speed and memory. The old computer took three minutes to boot up and was constantly giving messages that virtual memory is low.

The last thing I love is that Leo is here to go shopping with me. He is really good at keeping track of all the stats when comparison shopping. It was 10 times easier buying this computer than my previous one.

Baby registry

Some people asked whether I was going to set up a baby registry. I said no but it was mostly because I didn't think there was one in Singapore. Most Asians tend to give cash in red envelopes, not physical gifts.

However, last night I found one that is great for people in the US. You can pay by credit card (note prices are in Singapore dollars -- they will be lower in US$) and the items will be delivered to me. The only drawback is that there is a limited selection of things to choose from.

Check out our choices at www.babywishes.com.sg. Search using "Dara" or "Leo Siaw".

Dara and baby at 25 weeks

Leo snapped this picture of me on the Vivocity outdoor deck. Not a bad setting, especially since Vivocity is a shopping mall!

I look much more pregnant if viewed from a side angle, but my eyes were closed in that photo.

More baby news

Everything has started progressing much more rapidly. I look at the photos in my last blog and I feel like they were taken several months ago instead of just last month. Here's an update:

• I'm showing now. I occasionally get seats offered to me on the bus.
• Leo and I found out that we are having a baby girl.
• We have a short list of 4 English names, but we are still working on the Chinese name. Rest assured, non-Mandarin speakers -- we will choose one that you can pronounce.
• I finally felt my baby move during a pre-natal massage two weeks. I was wondering if something was wrong because I couldn't feel the baby move. I guess she likes massages. I signed up for a package so she can get one every two weeks.
• Leo and I met with the obstetrician last Thursday. She's American and used to practice in Tacoma (a city very near Seattle for the non-NWers). It was a bit odd to speak to another American who doesn't teach English. She spoke very fast and changed topics with only a little warning.

Leo and I are going to the Botanic Garden for a free concert Sunday evening. I'll ask him to take a picture of me to post on the blog.