Boy or Girl? DON'T TELL US! - Part 5

25 June 2008 | sila | | Family Pics
 

Technically, in the U.S. healthcare system, we would be done with ultrasounds and see the baby for real when (s)he is born. However, at last week's checkup, the doctor thought the baby might be large so we were sent to get an extra ultrasound to get a baseline of the estimated size of the baby. Not to mention, we have a history of high birth weights in both our families (Vin was 10 lb 3 oz - 4.5 kg, and Yope was 9 lbs and has a big head!). This morning we went for the ultrasound.

Here's the news. As of this morning, the estimated weight of the baby in utero is 8 lb 4 oz (+/- 15 oz). So the range right now is 7 lb 5 oz to 9 lb 3 oz (3.3-4.2 kg). This is NOT the estimated birth weight, mind you. This is the estimated weight of the baby as of TODAY. And we have 3 weeks left according to one count, and almost 4 weeks left according to another date that the doctor gave us. So. When I called a couple of friends to tell them about the size of the baby as of today, and how much time is left, both of them independently of each other, told me "Sila, don't be a hero".

We go back to the doctor this Friday (check ups are now weekly) and will discuss what the options are to safely have this projected-to-be-large baby. We came back from the ultrasound today, just laughing like maniacs about the fact that a) baby is healthy and will have a healthy, strong birth weight, and b) OMG it's no joke, we could be having a 10 lb baby!!! May I just say, those of you who have assured me that delivery isn't so bad - were your babies 10 pounders? That's 4.5 kgs or more. If not, then I don't want to hear it!!

But enough ranting - we'll figure it out, and god willing, the baby will be in our arms safely one way or another. We got some more pictures of the baby though - however, the caveat is that this far advanced, the pictures are actually not as clear as the last pictures were (not counting the 3D ultrasound pictures).

* Mouse over for captions

Face pressed up against the uterus wall
 

The Layout Goes South

23 June 2008 | Hisham | | Hishgraphics.com
 

I've been trying to code the CSS file for the weblog all morning. I woke up and thought, how nice it would be if the site was optimised to a width of 1024 pixels.

So I tinkered. And after altering and jury-rigging a bit of code here and a snippet of script there in the CSS file, I have arrived at a temporary solution before I needed to stop working on it.

Here's how it looks like using three different browser types on a 1200px by 800px screen:

Firefox 2.0.0.14

Firefox

Safari 3.1

Safari

and finally... Internet Explorer 7.0 (sigh)

IE

The left column is still there. It's just overlaid by the centre column. I shall return to fix this for IE users.

 

Dreadwind Rising: A Blog Upgrade

22 June 2008 | Hisham | | Hishgraphics.com
 

Many, many months after the latest version of Pivot had been released, and remember that this weblog uses the Pivot content management system to... manage its content, Hishgraphics blog has finally been upgraded.

It was for a very long time running on version 1.30 codenamed "Arcee". As of yesterday, this blog has been upgraded to version 1.40.5 codenamed "Dreadwind".

It feels great performing the upgrade manually - uploading files individually and rebuilding everything - instead of using some automatic upgrade application. After about 4 man hours or so, it's back in business.

Not that it really matters for the regular visitors of the blog, but there you go.

As a behind-the-scenes bonus, here are some pop-up images of the administration interface:

Overview
Entries
Manage Media - Thumbnails
 

Thirty Six Weeks

18 June 2008 | sila | | Family Pics
 

Another two weeks have passed, and again, I have grown like crazy. I feel like I should have a man with a top hat standing around yelling "Come one, come all!! Witness the amazing growing Sila!!!! Limited engagement!!!"

What more can I say but look!

Whoa, nelly!
 

Top Incisors Have Been Extracted

18 June 2008 | Hisham | | Family Pics
 

For the second time, Irfan visited the dentist with two loose upper incisors.

According to the dentist, it would hurt to pull them out directly unlike before.

So without further adieu the doctor brandished a needle which was epic in size. Irfan took it all in stride and within five minutes the two teeth were out of there. Irfan bit on the gauze to stop the bleeding, but when asked if it hurt, he just smiled and shook his head.

What a trooper.

Two front teeth
 

All This Has Happened Before

16 June 2008 | Hisham | | Misc Sci-Fi, TV
 

Bill and SaulThis is it.

This is the home stretch.

For the humans on the brink of extinction and traveling across the stars looking for a new home in Battlestar Galactica, the end is near. As viewers, we have arrived at the fourth and final season’s mid-season break. 10 more episodes before it’s all over.

Will it be a happy end? Will they finally find the 13th tribe on the lost colony of Earth? Will the Cylons annihilate the last forty thousand human beings of the Twelve Colonies before they arrive at their destination?Viper Mark II

Trying to formulate a good theory on what will be revealed in the series finale next year is probably a futile effort, but I’m going to attempt it anyway. I have a theory that’s been percolating in my mind since the 3rd season of the show.

This discussion will have SPOILERS. So stay away if you’ve not seen up to “Revelations”. However the conclusion at the end of this entry is conjecture and speculation and not any sort of a spoiler.

If I get it right, yay me.

Else, oh well.

 

Not So Jolly Green Giant - An Incredible Hulk Review

12 June 2008 | Hisham | | Comics, Movie Review
 

Holy crap! It's Bill Bixby's Zombie!The new movie from Marvel Studios entitled The Incredible Hulk has been released. The movie is about a man who has been altered by an overdose of gamma radiation causing him to transform into the nine feet tall, green-skinned monstrous creature known as the Hulk.

The movie is directed by Louis Leterrier and stars Academy Award winning actor Edward Norton as Bruce Banner, Liv Tyler as Betty Ross, William Hurt as General "Thunderbolt" Ross, Tim Roth as Emil Blonsky and Tim Blake Nelson as Samuel Sterns. Ty Burrell also makes an appearance as psychiatrist Dr. Leonard Samson.

Oh, who am I kidding. This isn't really a review for the unwashed masses.

This is me hulking out comic book geek style over an awesome comic book-turned-movie, which is in my opinion, a hundred times better than the 2003 Ang Lee movie only entitled Hulk which I first saw when it was shown on TV3 last week.

I fell asleep before the end. But that Hulk is really bright green though. Really bright green.

Beyond this point, SPOILERS shall patrol the streets. You have been warned.

 

Thirty Four Weeks

04 June 2008 | sila | | Family Pics
 

OK, I know I usually do an update on the belly progress every four weeks, but now in the last few weeks of the third trimester, it seems like it's growing exponentially. I think my belly is growing on a daily basis! Check it out!

Lookit how big I am!
Seriously!

The thing is, in the last 3 weeks I only gained 2 1/2 lbs! But it sure feels like I grew much bigger. How about some more thoughts on pregnancy:

1) Remember the large pot-bellied men question I had from the Halfway Mark? Now a follow up question: What fills it to make it so big? I mean, right now I'm filled to the brim with baby+amniotic sac+amniotic fluid and all kinds of stuff so I swish when I move around. What about the large pot-bellied men? What's in there? How does it feel? Does it swish?

2) I referred to the belly as my "large-tight-1-pack-abs" at work today and got some laughs.

3) Baby is very actively kicking. Likes very much to kick me in the ribs or wedge a foot or arm under the lowest rib all the live-long day so that I feel him/her with every movement, both of which results in what feels like bruised and tender ribs by bedtime.

4) We went to our first childbirth preparation class last night - it was fun/scary/interesting/informative all rolled in one.

Doctor says baby is progressing well, as expected. Wish us luck for the next 6 weeks! :-)

 

This One's For the English-speaking Non-Malaysian Readers

02 June 2008 | Hisham | | Food, Humour
 

... all 3 or so of them.

Uh.... right.
 

It's Still The Milage - A Kingdom of the Crystal Skull Review

01 June 2008 | Hisham | | Movie Review
 

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull shows that Henry Jones, Junior has been busy for the last 19 years as it's now 1957. Has it been almost 20 years since Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? Man, I feel old.

Apart from giving a straight review, this movie requires a bit of dissecting and we shall now dissect in SPOILER territory.

SPOILERS! Avert your eyes, like this Russian chap below! Indy's helping him avert his eyes, even.

This seems to be an unfinished FX shot