Danial and I went to see the only baby boy in the extended extended family; Arazee, baby to Salina and hubby (I'm sorry, I tak tau nama) and little brother to Delaila aka Didi; nephew to Rizal and Liris and cousin to Isabel. We went out after Danial woke up from his nap yesterday. We made a pitstop at Petronas to get some chocolates. Hey! A deal is a deal. I promised Danial that if he's a good boy and take his nap, when he wakes up, we'd get some chocolates at Petronas and he held me to my words.
I only had an address to Salina's place and a rough idea where Taman Bukit Serdang is. Salina says their aparment is behind Techonology Park. That didn't sound so hard to find. Long story short, I spent almost 2 hours looking for the d***ed taman. I almost gave up when it started to rain and Danial was getting a bit restless in the car. Luckily enough, my last shot in the dark scored!
Baby Arazee is beautiful. Makes me want to have another one. At this rate, I don't care if I get another boy. I'll be thrilled as long as the baby is healthy. Note to self, must work harder in 2008 for a baby. 2008 is a good year.
Coming back to baby Arazee. His mommy had a tough time in labour because he was too comfortable in mommy's tummy to come out. The doctor had to pull him out and fractured his shoulder bone in the process. But nothing's serious. He's well on his way to recovery. When we were there, baby hardly made any noise. In fact, he's an absolute angel. He was asleep throughout our visit. Even Didi fell asleep and left Danial to entertain himself. We left just as baby started to cry, probably hungry.
To Salina and family, congratulations on the new addition!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Aidiladha 2007 and Baby Isabel Eryssa
We celebrated hari raya aidiladha yesterday, 20th December 2007 in a very simple way. At first I thought I'd get Azrai and Danial to wear casual clothes on the morning of hari raya. After all, Azrai didn't go to the mosque for the Sembahyang sunat raya. But it just didn't feel right. I guess I still want to do it the old fashion way where pagi raya, you have to wear baju melayu. After all, I tailored Danial's baju melayu this year which cost me a lot. I must have him wear his baju melayu or he won't be able to fit into it six months down the road. So as the self appointed baju organiser of this household, my son and husband were very handsome in their light green baju melayu on the morning of aidiladha.
First stop, balik kampung. And kampung is in Beranang, Negeri Sembilan. For those who strongly feel that the suasana raya is stronger in kampungs, I beg to differ. When we reached my grandmother's house, my dad was still in his t'shirt and kain pelikat which means he hasn't even taken his shower yet. My Mak Su was busy getting food ready, also in her jammy. My Tok pun was inching his way to the bathroom to take his shower. The joke is on me! It certainly don't look nor feel like raya at least at my nenek's house when we got there. One would think we had the day wrong or something.
It was definitely raya because we had rendang, lemang, kuah kacang and nasi impit for breakfast. This time around, the rendang is black and hard. My nenek never wants to listen. But of course, she's the rendang minang expert of the family. How can she listen to the younger generation. The rendang memang can tahan very long. Not because it's cooked properly, but because the daging is so hard from overcooking! And kesian orang macam my Tok who only has false teeth to help him chew. The rendang is a no-no to him. Unless, he wants to test the durability of the false teeth. I bet even the dentures can crack!
Enough with the cattiness. We left kampung after rombong Cik Nah left. Since Nenek Damansara was going out, we went straight to Seputeh to see Datuk. Soosan and twins were there. I had fun tumpang sekaki main-main with the babies. Seronok main dengan babies when they are not yours. When they cry and get cranky, you can give them back to their mother.
We went to Pantai Medical Center after that to see Liris and baby Isabel again before they were discharged from the maternity ward. Liris had a wonderful pregnancy (this is coming from someone who saw Liris a total of 3 times throughout her pregnancy) or at least I was under the impression that she had a good pregnancy and an even better delivery. Her labour pain was quick and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl of 2.88kg at around 8.20am on Wednesday morning, 19th December 2007. I don't have a good picture of baby Isabel yet and when I do, I'll blog a separate entry for her.
Last stop of the day, Bangi. Mak Ot's house. Dinner is taken care off.Trust Mak Ot to put food on the table. She made Laksa Sarawak, sup tulang, macaroni, puding and chocolate cheese cake. Danial had a good 2 hour nap at Mak Ot's place. He was exhausted with all the running around kat kampung with his uncles and aunties. We missed Amat, Epi and Delia as they left before we got there which was OK when I found out that Delia is having chicken pox. Don't want Danial to get it now.
So, that was our hari raya haji activity... Going around visiting and eat, and eat, and eat... Malaysian favorite passtime activity.
First stop, balik kampung. And kampung is in Beranang, Negeri Sembilan. For those who strongly feel that the suasana raya is stronger in kampungs, I beg to differ. When we reached my grandmother's house, my dad was still in his t'shirt and kain pelikat which means he hasn't even taken his shower yet. My Mak Su was busy getting food ready, also in her jammy. My Tok pun was inching his way to the bathroom to take his shower. The joke is on me! It certainly don't look nor feel like raya at least at my nenek's house when we got there. One would think we had the day wrong or something.
It was definitely raya because we had rendang, lemang, kuah kacang and nasi impit for breakfast. This time around, the rendang is black and hard. My nenek never wants to listen. But of course, she's the rendang minang expert of the family. How can she listen to the younger generation. The rendang memang can tahan very long. Not because it's cooked properly, but because the daging is so hard from overcooking! And kesian orang macam my Tok who only has false teeth to help him chew. The rendang is a no-no to him. Unless, he wants to test the durability of the false teeth. I bet even the dentures can crack!
Enough with the cattiness. We left kampung after rombong Cik Nah left. Since Nenek Damansara was going out, we went straight to Seputeh to see Datuk. Soosan and twins were there. I had fun tumpang sekaki main-main with the babies. Seronok main dengan babies when they are not yours. When they cry and get cranky, you can give them back to their mother.
We went to Pantai Medical Center after that to see Liris and baby Isabel again before they were discharged from the maternity ward. Liris had a wonderful pregnancy (this is coming from someone who saw Liris a total of 3 times throughout her pregnancy) or at least I was under the impression that she had a good pregnancy and an even better delivery. Her labour pain was quick and she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl of 2.88kg at around 8.20am on Wednesday morning, 19th December 2007. I don't have a good picture of baby Isabel yet and when I do, I'll blog a separate entry for her.
Last stop of the day, Bangi. Mak Ot's house. Dinner is taken care off.Trust Mak Ot to put food on the table. She made Laksa Sarawak, sup tulang, macaroni, puding and chocolate cheese cake. Danial had a good 2 hour nap at Mak Ot's place. He was exhausted with all the running around kat kampung with his uncles and aunties. We missed Amat, Epi and Delia as they left before we got there which was OK when I found out that Delia is having chicken pox. Don't want Danial to get it now.
So, that was our hari raya haji activity... Going around visiting and eat, and eat, and eat... Malaysian favorite passtime activity.
Sunday, December 16, 2007
Double addition to the Shamsir Clan
This entry is late by almost 2 months. Anyway, here's a very warm welcome to Soosan and Ghaz's bundles of joy; Indah Natasha and Indah Alayna; born on 20th October 2007 at Pantai Medical Centre.
Natasha is one in blue. A very serene and peaceful baby. A beautiful example of a kakak. Alayna is in green. She was smaller when they first came out but in this picture, she looks fuller than Natasha. Demands lots of TLC from mommy and daddy. I keep telling Soosan that how the baby behaves is relative to their delivery. Natasha came out fast and easy and thus, she's peaceful and calm. On the other hand, Alayna made the doctor do some fishing around in mommy's tummy and now she's a bit restless.
Nevertheless, babies are beautiful. I couldn't keep myself away from them for long. I go see them when I can trying not to be in the way of dotting mommy and daddy. Well girls, you'll be seing more of Aunty Rozi and Abang Danial.
Soosan and Ghaz, great job on the twins. The journey of parenthood has just started for you guys. Enjoy every minute of it!
Natasha is one in blue. A very serene and peaceful baby. A beautiful example of a kakak. Alayna is in green. She was smaller when they first came out but in this picture, she looks fuller than Natasha. Demands lots of TLC from mommy and daddy. I keep telling Soosan that how the baby behaves is relative to their delivery. Natasha came out fast and easy and thus, she's peaceful and calm. On the other hand, Alayna made the doctor do some fishing around in mommy's tummy and now she's a bit restless.
Nevertheless, babies are beautiful. I couldn't keep myself away from them for long. I go see them when I can trying not to be in the way of dotting mommy and daddy. Well girls, you'll be seing more of Aunty Rozi and Abang Danial.
Soosan and Ghaz, great job on the twins. The journey of parenthood has just started for you guys. Enjoy every minute of it!
Cheerful Aunty Fauziah
You'd never knew how much you'd missed that someone until that person is gone... Aunty Fauziah passed away on Tuesday afternoon, December 11, 2007 after a long battle with lung cancer. She was surrounded by her children and husband when she drew her last breath.
I remember Aunty as the cheerful person and full of life. Her motherly personality extends to those beyond her brood. She made me welcomed to the Shamsir Clan and shared lots of wisdom. When Danial grows up, I want Danial to know this.
She was a fighter to the very end. For a lady of a small frame, she had the will power of a giant. In a way, with Allah's blessing, she was prepared to face her end of the journey. She made preparation; for herself, as well as her children. Typical of Aunty Fauziah, a perfectionist to the final detail.
Though she's no longer with us physically, I know in my heart that she's with us spiritually. There's a little of Aunty Fauziah in Hazlan, Azhan and Liris; even Batrisha and Sabrina to remind us of her bubbly personality. I know Aunty wants us to remember her that way.
Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas Aunty Fauziah dan semoga dia berada dikalangan umatNya yang beriman, Amin.
I remember Aunty as the cheerful person and full of life. Her motherly personality extends to those beyond her brood. She made me welcomed to the Shamsir Clan and shared lots of wisdom. When Danial grows up, I want Danial to know this.
She was a fighter to the very end. For a lady of a small frame, she had the will power of a giant. In a way, with Allah's blessing, she was prepared to face her end of the journey. She made preparation; for herself, as well as her children. Typical of Aunty Fauziah, a perfectionist to the final detail.
Though she's no longer with us physically, I know in my heart that she's with us spiritually. There's a little of Aunty Fauziah in Hazlan, Azhan and Liris; even Batrisha and Sabrina to remind us of her bubbly personality. I know Aunty wants us to remember her that way.
Semoga Allah mencucuri rahmat ke atas Aunty Fauziah dan semoga dia berada dikalangan umatNya yang beriman, Amin.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
Thank you for being my friend
I was looking forward for today because I have a date with my old girlfriend from uni days, Lynne. She's practically the only friend that I still keep in regular contact with. Though the term 'regular' is very loosely used here. We meet once in a blue moon. Even this date has been planned since before puasa and postponed so many times.We had a good time. We talked about family, relationships, friends, children, careers, and best of all, went down memory lane together from the dreams that we had when we were younger *sigh*, the multi-level business that we got so excited about, the heart-breaks and so much more. This is why meeting old friends is so heart-warming especially when you've gone through a lot of things together. See how we grow from the naive, sweet, young thing to mature, sophisticated woman of the world.
Lynne and me are in fact the total opposites of each other. It started way back in uni. We became friends from a mutual friend, Shaz *wonder what happened to her* and from then on, we became good friends. Lynne's other friends who are more in tuned with her personality, didn't understand why and how we can be friends. But that doesn't matter and didn't stop us from becoming good buddies. Lynne is friendly, I'm aloof; Lynne is soft-spoken, I'm direct; Lynne is stylish, I'm simple; Lynne is dreamy, I have my feet on the ground.
Our friendship stood the test of time. Though we're not as close as we used to be but whenever we get the chance to meet, we can just pick up from where we left before and that's just so cool.
I like old friends because they know how far they can be honest and straight with you. The one thing that I remembered most from our conversation today was the part when Lynne commented that I'm more relaxed in my appearance after I took off my hijab and more so, after I have my son. She added that I used to be more 'jangok' *she used the exact word* when I was wearing tudung before. I guess she's right. I've never been a fashion follower or dress as well as Lynne but over time, I've taken a more relaxed approach on appearance. Maybe I don't have a corporate code to adhere to. People in my profession knows that appearance is one major part of first impression and the only impression that counts is the first. I better be careful not to get too relax, huh Lynne? Thanks for telling it to my face :) Only Lynne can do it with such grace and tact.
Believe it or not, it's already 10 years since we graduated. We've become so different from where we started. I started of as a career-minded, competitive, strong person and I see Lynne as a soft, sweet, and pleasant woman who is happiest being married to her dream-guy and have children. Now, the table has turned the other way around. It's Lynne now who's career-minded and determined to climb the corporate ladder and it's me who's the dotting mom. Corporate image means very little to me. I've left the corporate world for more than 5 years now. I'm glad and thankful that I took my current career path as an independent wealth advisor that gives me the flexibility to juggle my time between work and family. Lynne did say I've mellowed and looked more content now. I guess accepting who I am is the key to it all. I know that there'll always be someone who's better than me, smarter than me, richer than me, have a bigger house than mine, drives a bigger car than me, and a lot more. Enough of trying to outdo other people. I design my own destiny and if I don't like something with my life, all I need to do is do something about it. For now, everything is just dandy.
To my dear, dear friend Lynne, thank you for being the wonderful person that you are. I love you *muahhh!* I pray that you'll always be in my life and may we alway be friends for ever and ever...
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
7 signs that your child loves you...
This was the title of the email sent by BabyCenter.com to me a few days ago. I read the seven signs and smiled when it says your pre-schooler loves you when he comes running to you if he falls or hurt himself. Danial is exactly that. Even then a cut is healed, he still points it to the scar and ask either Azrai and me to fuss over it. He's also looking for approval from us. For instance, earlier, Azrai fetched him from the daycare centre as I have a late appointment. He then took Danial for a haircut at Alamanda. I joined them later for dinner and a quick browse around.
Since we came separately, Danial opted to go home in my car. He even wanted to sit on my lap while driving. When we got home, Azrai gave him a quick bath. He didn't want to put his diaper or clothes on so instead of forcing it onto him, we told him that we're not going to be friends with naughty boys who don't want to wear their jammies and ignored him. He was near to tears and when I check on him and asked him whether he wants to be a good boy and put on his jammy, he immediatly lay down so that I can put his diaper on. He says he wants to be a good boy and be friends with us. After I put on his jammy, he gave me a big hug and say friend. He went out and hug his Babah too. Priceless moments...
Since we came separately, Danial opted to go home in my car. He even wanted to sit on my lap while driving. When we got home, Azrai gave him a quick bath. He didn't want to put his diaper or clothes on so instead of forcing it onto him, we told him that we're not going to be friends with naughty boys who don't want to wear their jammies and ignored him. He was near to tears and when I check on him and asked him whether he wants to be a good boy and put on his jammy, he immediatly lay down so that I can put his diaper on. He says he wants to be a good boy and be friends with us. After I put on his jammy, he gave me a big hug and say friend. He went out and hug his Babah too. Priceless moments...
My Sewing Class
Since Azrai got his mountain bike and plans to kick start his new hobby, I've decided to revive MY hobby. Sometime in July, I've purchased a sewing machine. It comes with 12 months free sewing classes, anytime, seven days a week. I went to a few classes. They thought me how to do free hand embroidery with the machine. I got the trainer to demonstrate and I did the rest a home.
Then, I had a miscarriage, this and that; my sewing machine sat at a corner collecting dust. I bought August project which is baju kurung which I didn't collect until last Sunday. I've been sneaking some time to do the baju kurung. I went to the class on Monday and Ain, the trainer showed me how to take measurements. Next, to draw the pattern on paper, cut it out and transfer it to the cloth. Today, I finished cutting the cloth and had to sew the edges with a special machine that trims the edges off the cloth.
Throughout these two days, Ain the trainer is the person who's in charged of me and my project. I don't know why and how the selection process was made but she seems reluctant to work with me which made it rather difficult for me to warm up to her. Everytime I finish something and call for her to check on my work, she'd look up from whatever thing she's working on and gave me that dark, frumpy look. Then, she'd take her time to put aside her needlework, and seems to drag her feet to come to my aid.
The point is, it's been a long time since I have to work with somebody who's reluctant to work with me. It ruffled my confidence a bit. I take it that I'm a people person and I can get along with people quite easily. Granted that not everybody will love me but I'm generally well-liked. When I'm in this situation, it made me feel uncomfortable. What more, she's the teacher and I'm the student. I forgot how shitty it feels when someone does not welcome your company.
Nevertheless, I started the project and whether you like me or not, I'm going to see it to the end. I gave her the benefit of a doubt that maybe she got off on the wrong side of the bed or she's by nature a frumpy, grumpy person. But then again, I saw her joking and laughing with the other students and trainers. So, what is it about me that gets her nerves up? I'm a pretty independent student. I know how to handle the machine. Ah heck! Who cares! At the end of the day, I'm the paying customer and she's paid to teach me whether she likes it or not. I have patience... and I can be thick skin to ignore her attitude towards me. Maybe she needs time to warm up to people. I have time... I can wait...
Then, I had a miscarriage, this and that; my sewing machine sat at a corner collecting dust. I bought August project which is baju kurung which I didn't collect until last Sunday. I've been sneaking some time to do the baju kurung. I went to the class on Monday and Ain, the trainer showed me how to take measurements. Next, to draw the pattern on paper, cut it out and transfer it to the cloth. Today, I finished cutting the cloth and had to sew the edges with a special machine that trims the edges off the cloth.
Throughout these two days, Ain the trainer is the person who's in charged of me and my project. I don't know why and how the selection process was made but she seems reluctant to work with me which made it rather difficult for me to warm up to her. Everytime I finish something and call for her to check on my work, she'd look up from whatever thing she's working on and gave me that dark, frumpy look. Then, she'd take her time to put aside her needlework, and seems to drag her feet to come to my aid.
The point is, it's been a long time since I have to work with somebody who's reluctant to work with me. It ruffled my confidence a bit. I take it that I'm a people person and I can get along with people quite easily. Granted that not everybody will love me but I'm generally well-liked. When I'm in this situation, it made me feel uncomfortable. What more, she's the teacher and I'm the student. I forgot how shitty it feels when someone does not welcome your company.
Nevertheless, I started the project and whether you like me or not, I'm going to see it to the end. I gave her the benefit of a doubt that maybe she got off on the wrong side of the bed or she's by nature a frumpy, grumpy person. But then again, I saw her joking and laughing with the other students and trainers. So, what is it about me that gets her nerves up? I'm a pretty independent student. I know how to handle the machine. Ah heck! Who cares! At the end of the day, I'm the paying customer and she's paid to teach me whether she likes it or not. I have patience... and I can be thick skin to ignore her attitude towards me. Maybe she needs time to warm up to people. I have time... I can wait...
Sunday, November 04, 2007
Azrai's new toy
Yeay! It's here! Azrai's birthday present this year is a mountain bike. It's a Giant Anthem something 2008 model. My brother, Adik just got back from Taipei today with a big package. Azrai was well prepared. He took Khalid's Toyota Unser for the weekend to pick up his bike. He's been suckered by Khalid to take up mountain biking. Part of the reason is to get some form of exercise. I'm OK with that I guess. But when it comes to doing things, there's no second best for Azrai. He has to go get 'the' bike to start his new hobby. But that's OK too I guess. After all, it's not that he's on a spending spree throughout the year. Plus, it is difficult to come up with a birthday present that he'd trully enjoy. I might as well get him something that he wants than waste money on something that he doesn't need.
In comparison, this is nothing compared to a friend of ours who's searching high and low for a 
superbike that fits his budget. Could it be, the middle age crisis? I'd get Azrai a bicycle any day compared to a Harley, or whatever superbike there is out there.
superbike that fits his budget. Could it be, the middle age crisis? I'd get Azrai a bicycle any day compared to a Harley, or whatever superbike there is out there. Enjoy your new toy hubby dearie.... Kalau jatuh, bangun sendiri yea...
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Hari raya open house
We had our hari raya open house last Saturday, 27th October 2007. Exhausting? Yes but satisfied.... The series of events started with the groceries shopping with Azrai the day before ie. Friday. We went to pasar Chow Kit which has everything under the sun. Before we even started, we had to detour to Azrai's office in Glenmarie as he received an important phone call asking for a revised quotation. If you are self employed like us, you'd understand that every call is important to us and we have to get it done. So, our 10am shopping was moved back to 2pm. Good thing both of us know our way around the pasar and had a shopping list ready so we finished our shopping in just half an hour. This is not the normal grocery shopping for a small household. This is to cater for about 100 pax.
We later went to Setiawangsa to fetch Danial's nenek. Went back to Putrajaya and immediately start on the rendang. The reason why we went all the way to pasar Chow Kit is there's a shop that blends all blendable ingredients needed to cook. So, we don't have to peel the onions and all those petty things. Everything went into the big wok and all we need to do is to stir it occasionally. Cooking made easy thanks to pasar Chow Kit.
The stuff for laksa sarawak was prepared the morning of the open house. We managed to go for Abang Chop's and Kak Haz's open house at Presint 11 at noon. They served Mee sup which was yummy. Compliments to the Chef!
Our open house started at 3pm. The first guests were Aunty Fauziah and Azhan. We didn't expect them to come as Aunty Fauziah called Azrai earlier to say that they won't be coming as she has to go for her radiotherapy. Nevertheless, we're glad that they came anyway. I feel bad for Aunty Fauziah because there's nothing I can offer her. She's a good sport though to come for the sake of getting together.
The starting was slow. Family members first and later on, our neighbours came and followed by friends late in the evening. Danial was enjoying himself all the time that he didn't take his afternoon nap until very much later. He slept at 6pm only to wake up at 9pm. Good thing too because that's when the crowd started to come and we really had our hands full. Danial must be tired because he didn't stir at all when people went up to use the room to pray nor when the other kids sat around him watching the cartoon channel.
The last guest left by 10pm. Food was nearly out. Good thing too since we don't have much storage space to keep any left overs. Good thing that this is a once a year thing. The one day preparation for the one day open house left me with days of cleaning up. To date, I still have pots and pans and utensils and so many other things left uncleared. And I'm guilty as it is not starting work yet after over 2 weeks of hari raya holiday....
We later went to Setiawangsa to fetch Danial's nenek. Went back to Putrajaya and immediately start on the rendang. The reason why we went all the way to pasar Chow Kit is there's a shop that blends all blendable ingredients needed to cook. So, we don't have to peel the onions and all those petty things. Everything went into the big wok and all we need to do is to stir it occasionally. Cooking made easy thanks to pasar Chow Kit.
The stuff for laksa sarawak was prepared the morning of the open house. We managed to go for Abang Chop's and Kak Haz's open house at Presint 11 at noon. They served Mee sup which was yummy. Compliments to the Chef!
Our open house started at 3pm. The first guests were Aunty Fauziah and Azhan. We didn't expect them to come as Aunty Fauziah called Azrai earlier to say that they won't be coming as she has to go for her radiotherapy. Nevertheless, we're glad that they came anyway. I feel bad for Aunty Fauziah because there's nothing I can offer her. She's a good sport though to come for the sake of getting together.
The starting was slow. Family members first and later on, our neighbours came and followed by friends late in the evening. Danial was enjoying himself all the time that he didn't take his afternoon nap until very much later. He slept at 6pm only to wake up at 9pm. Good thing too because that's when the crowd started to come and we really had our hands full. Danial must be tired because he didn't stir at all when people went up to use the room to pray nor when the other kids sat around him watching the cartoon channel.
The last guest left by 10pm. Food was nearly out. Good thing too since we don't have much storage space to keep any left overs. Good thing that this is a once a year thing. The one day preparation for the one day open house left me with days of cleaning up. To date, I still have pots and pans and utensils and so many other things left uncleared. And I'm guilty as it is not starting work yet after over 2 weeks of hari raya holiday....
Thursday, October 25, 2007
My Parenting Bible
Or should I say my parenting Quran. Nevertheless, the whole point is I'm so blessed now parenting is not a walk in the dark. There's at least a sketchy routemap to guide along the way that comes in the form of BabyCenter.com. Ever since I found this wonderful website, I've been referring to it throughout my pregnancy and even more so after Danial is born. When you're pregnant, it's just understanding the changes to your body, physically and emotionally. It's more trying now that the baby is growing and has a mind of his own and sometimes you just don't understand why they get upset and stuff. It's a great relief where you can just log into the internet and search for the things you're going through and find ways to handle it the best possible way.
When Danial had a bad case of stomach flu. He couldn't keep his food down and vomitted after a few minutes and threw up his formula and even plain water. Azrai was more upset when he sees Danial in that condition. He was dehydrated and weak after all the vomitting. Azrai would just bundle Danial into the car and go to the nearest hospital given the choice and let the doctor attend to him regardless of the time of the day. I was more prepared to wait out the night with Danial and care for him after looking up the symptoms in BabyCenter. I ruled out appendix as Danial is very young and don't take too much solid food so a common stomach flu can be home treated.
So, when Danial had his tantrum of the year at IKEA recently, I looked it up in the website and mailed Azrai the article. I feel it's just a phase Danial has to go through and We as parents and the adults in this equation must know how to handle it.
This week has been tough sending Danial to the daycare center too. After two weeks holiday, he totally refused to go to school and threw temper tantrums every morning of the week. We're reassured by the caregivers that Danial would stop crying and trashing after he meets with his friends so that's no so bad to us.
I've cut and paste the article about tantrums for the benefit of other moms:
Why it happens
A temper tantrum is the emotional equivalent of a summer storm — sudden and sometimes fierce. One minute you and your child are in a restaurant enjoying your dinner, the next minute he's whimpering, whining, and then screaming at the top of his lungs because his straw is bent. Children between the ages of 1 and 3 are especially prone to such episodes.Though you may worry that you're raising a tyrant, take heart — at this age, it's unlikely that your child is throwing a fit to be manipulative. More likely, he's having a meltdown in response to frustration. Claire B. Kopp, professor of applied developmental psychology at California's Claremont Graduate University, attributes much of the problem to uneven language skills. "Toddlers are beginning to understand a lot more of the words they hear, yet their ability to produce language is so limited," she says. When your child can't express how he feels or what he wants, frustration mounts.
What to do
Don't lose your cool. A tantrum is not a pretty sight. In addition to kicking, screaming, or pounding the floor, your toddler's repertoire may include throwing things, hitting, and even holding his breath to the point of turning blue. When your child is swept up in a tantrum, he's unlikely to listen to reason, though he will respond — negatively — to your yelling or threatening. "I found the more I shouted at Brandon to stop, the wilder he would get," says one mother of a 2-year-old. What worked instead, she discovered, was to just sit down and be with him while he raged.Staying with your child during a tantrum is a good idea. Stomping out of the room — alluring as that may be — can make him feel abandoned. The storm of emotion he's going through can be frightening to him, and he'll appreciate knowing you're nearby. Some experts recommend picking up your child and holding him if it's feasible (i.e., he's not flailing too much), saying he'll find your embrace comforting. But others say it's better to ignore the tantrum until your child calms down, rather than rewarding negative behavior. Through trial and error, you'll learn which approach is right for your child.Remember that you're the adult. No matter how long the tantrum continues, don't give in to unreasonable demands or negotiate with your screaming toddler. It's especially tempting in public to cave in as a way of ending the episode. Try not to worry about what others think — anyone who's a parent has been there before. By conceding, you'll only be teaching your child that throwing a fit is a good way to get what he wants, and setting the stage for future behavior problems. Besides, your child is already frightened by being out of control. The last thing he needs is to feel that you're not in control either.If your child's outburst escalates to the point where he's hitting people or pets, throwing things, or screaming nonstop, pick him up and carry him to a safe place, such as his bedroom. Tell him why he's there ("because you hit Aunt Sally"), and let him know that you'll stay with him until his negative behavior stops. If you're in a public place — a common breeding ground for tantrums — be prepared to leave with your child until he calms down."When my daughter was 2, she had an absolute fit at a restaurant because the plain spaghetti she ordered arrived with chopped parsley on it," recalls one mother. "Although I realized why she was upset, I wasn't about to let her disrupt everyone's dinner. I took her outside until she calmed down."Talk it over afterward. When the storm subsides, hold your child close and talk about what happened. Acknowledge his frustration, and help him put his feelings into words, saying something like, "You were very angry because your food wasn't the way you wanted it." Let him see that once he expresses himself in words, he'll get better results. Say with a smile, "I'm sorry I didn't understand you. Now that you're not screaming, I can find out what you want."Try to head off tantrum-inducing situations. Pay attention to what situations push your child's buttons and plan accordingly. If he falls apart when he's hungry, carry snacks with you. If he has trouble making a transition from one activity to the next, give him a gentle heads-up before a change. Alerting him to the fact that you're about to leave the playground or sit down to dinner ("We're going to eat when you and Daddy are done with your story") gives him a chance to adjust instead of react.Your toddler is grappling with independence, so offer him choices whenever possible. No one likes being told what to do all the time. Saying, "Would you like corn or carrots?" rather than "Eat your corn!" will give him a sense of control. Monitor how often you're saying "no." If you find you're rattling it off routinely, you're probably putting unnecessary stress on both of you. Try to ease up and choose your battles. Would it really wreck your schedule to spend an extra five minutes at the playground? And does anybody really care if your tike wears mismatched mittens?Watch for signs of overstress. Although daily tantrums are a perfectly normal part of the mid-toddler years, you do need to keep an eye out for possible problems. Has there been upheaval in the family? An extremely busy or harried period? Tension between Mom and Dad? All of these can provoke tantrums. If after the age of 30 months your child is still having major tantrums every day, talk to your doctor. If your child is younger than 30 months and has three or four tantrums a day and isn't cooperating with any routines, such as getting dressed or picking up toys, you also may want to seek help. Your doctor can make sure your child has no serious physical or psychological problems and suggest ways to deal with the outbursts. Also, talk to your doctor if your child has frightening breath-holding spells when he gets upset. There's some evidence that this behavior is linked to an iron deficiency.
When Danial had a bad case of stomach flu. He couldn't keep his food down and vomitted after a few minutes and threw up his formula and even plain water. Azrai was more upset when he sees Danial in that condition. He was dehydrated and weak after all the vomitting. Azrai would just bundle Danial into the car and go to the nearest hospital given the choice and let the doctor attend to him regardless of the time of the day. I was more prepared to wait out the night with Danial and care for him after looking up the symptoms in BabyCenter. I ruled out appendix as Danial is very young and don't take too much solid food so a common stomach flu can be home treated.
So, when Danial had his tantrum of the year at IKEA recently, I looked it up in the website and mailed Azrai the article. I feel it's just a phase Danial has to go through and We as parents and the adults in this equation must know how to handle it.
This week has been tough sending Danial to the daycare center too. After two weeks holiday, he totally refused to go to school and threw temper tantrums every morning of the week. We're reassured by the caregivers that Danial would stop crying and trashing after he meets with his friends so that's no so bad to us.
I've cut and paste the article about tantrums for the benefit of other moms:
Why it happens
A temper tantrum is the emotional equivalent of a summer storm — sudden and sometimes fierce. One minute you and your child are in a restaurant enjoying your dinner, the next minute he's whimpering, whining, and then screaming at the top of his lungs because his straw is bent. Children between the ages of 1 and 3 are especially prone to such episodes.Though you may worry that you're raising a tyrant, take heart — at this age, it's unlikely that your child is throwing a fit to be manipulative. More likely, he's having a meltdown in response to frustration. Claire B. Kopp, professor of applied developmental psychology at California's Claremont Graduate University, attributes much of the problem to uneven language skills. "Toddlers are beginning to understand a lot more of the words they hear, yet their ability to produce language is so limited," she says. When your child can't express how he feels or what he wants, frustration mounts.
What to do
Don't lose your cool. A tantrum is not a pretty sight. In addition to kicking, screaming, or pounding the floor, your toddler's repertoire may include throwing things, hitting, and even holding his breath to the point of turning blue. When your child is swept up in a tantrum, he's unlikely to listen to reason, though he will respond — negatively — to your yelling or threatening. "I found the more I shouted at Brandon to stop, the wilder he would get," says one mother of a 2-year-old. What worked instead, she discovered, was to just sit down and be with him while he raged.Staying with your child during a tantrum is a good idea. Stomping out of the room — alluring as that may be — can make him feel abandoned. The storm of emotion he's going through can be frightening to him, and he'll appreciate knowing you're nearby. Some experts recommend picking up your child and holding him if it's feasible (i.e., he's not flailing too much), saying he'll find your embrace comforting. But others say it's better to ignore the tantrum until your child calms down, rather than rewarding negative behavior. Through trial and error, you'll learn which approach is right for your child.Remember that you're the adult. No matter how long the tantrum continues, don't give in to unreasonable demands or negotiate with your screaming toddler. It's especially tempting in public to cave in as a way of ending the episode. Try not to worry about what others think — anyone who's a parent has been there before. By conceding, you'll only be teaching your child that throwing a fit is a good way to get what he wants, and setting the stage for future behavior problems. Besides, your child is already frightened by being out of control. The last thing he needs is to feel that you're not in control either.If your child's outburst escalates to the point where he's hitting people or pets, throwing things, or screaming nonstop, pick him up and carry him to a safe place, such as his bedroom. Tell him why he's there ("because you hit Aunt Sally"), and let him know that you'll stay with him until his negative behavior stops. If you're in a public place — a common breeding ground for tantrums — be prepared to leave with your child until he calms down."When my daughter was 2, she had an absolute fit at a restaurant because the plain spaghetti she ordered arrived with chopped parsley on it," recalls one mother. "Although I realized why she was upset, I wasn't about to let her disrupt everyone's dinner. I took her outside until she calmed down."Talk it over afterward. When the storm subsides, hold your child close and talk about what happened. Acknowledge his frustration, and help him put his feelings into words, saying something like, "You were very angry because your food wasn't the way you wanted it." Let him see that once he expresses himself in words, he'll get better results. Say with a smile, "I'm sorry I didn't understand you. Now that you're not screaming, I can find out what you want."Try to head off tantrum-inducing situations. Pay attention to what situations push your child's buttons and plan accordingly. If he falls apart when he's hungry, carry snacks with you. If he has trouble making a transition from one activity to the next, give him a gentle heads-up before a change. Alerting him to the fact that you're about to leave the playground or sit down to dinner ("We're going to eat when you and Daddy are done with your story") gives him a chance to adjust instead of react.Your toddler is grappling with independence, so offer him choices whenever possible. No one likes being told what to do all the time. Saying, "Would you like corn or carrots?" rather than "Eat your corn!" will give him a sense of control. Monitor how often you're saying "no." If you find you're rattling it off routinely, you're probably putting unnecessary stress on both of you. Try to ease up and choose your battles. Would it really wreck your schedule to spend an extra five minutes at the playground? And does anybody really care if your tike wears mismatched mittens?Watch for signs of overstress. Although daily tantrums are a perfectly normal part of the mid-toddler years, you do need to keep an eye out for possible problems. Has there been upheaval in the family? An extremely busy or harried period? Tension between Mom and Dad? All of these can provoke tantrums. If after the age of 30 months your child is still having major tantrums every day, talk to your doctor. If your child is younger than 30 months and has three or four tantrums a day and isn't cooperating with any routines, such as getting dressed or picking up toys, you also may want to seek help. Your doctor can make sure your child has no serious physical or psychological problems and suggest ways to deal with the outbursts. Also, talk to your doctor if your child has frightening breath-holding spells when he gets upset. There's some evidence that this behavior is linked to an iron deficiency.
Happy Birthday Ami!
We celebrated Ami's birthday on Tuesday, 23rd October 2007, a day earlier than his actual birthday as he has other plans on that day. It rained thoughout the day. I was relieved when the sun finally came out from the clouds later late in the afternoon.
Danial's atuk and nenek came early to help with the barbeque. We invited Mak Ot and family. Nenek brought baked macaroni. I made nasi goreng, garlic bread and salad. I bought Ami a cheese birthday cake from Secret Recipe for desert and we also have fruits.
Mak Ot and family came around 8.30pm and the makan-makan starts. Mak Ot brought desert, custard pudding and the all time favorite chocolate cake. The table was full. Good thing Amen and Nor came and help with the food as well.
Happy birthday Ami from all of us. We love you!
Sunday, October 21, 2007
New arrival
Announcing the new arrival of Soosan and Ghaz's twin girls on Saturday, 20th October 2007 (bersamaan 8 Shawal 1428). We were having breakfast at our usual mamak spot with Danial when Azrai got the sms from Ghaz. Both or should I say, all three mother and daughters are doing OK. I think its expected for twins to be born prematurely and to have to spend some time in incubators and ICU so I take it that they're OK.
By the way, it's also our hari raya day after 6 days of puasa enam. The celebration started yesterday when we broke fast at Kelana Jaya Seafood. It's all Maria Tunku Sabri's fault. Both of us was watching Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan teasers on TV and immediately we know what we want to have for dinner. That lady sure knows how to make food looks good.
Back to Soosan and twins. I made a CD of surah-surah for ibu dan anak which consist of Al-fatihah, Yaseen, Maryam and Yusuf for Soosan while Danial took his midday nap. I also have pati ikan haruan for Soosan. It helps with the healing of the surgery. We went to Alamanda to get something for the girls and had late lunch at McDonalds. We're so used to fasting that we hesitated to eat before realising that it's OK to eat.
It was raining cats and dogs as we got to the Sungai Besi Highway and the traffic was pretty bad. I don't know whether it's because of the rain or it's because people are going out for hari raya open houses. Good thing Danial is a good little traveller. He did all his running around in Alamanda and recharges his batteries with pocket naps when he's in the car. Afterall, what can a 2 year old preschooler do in a car after 10 minutes of fidgetting around? I guess it pays to plan my travelling when Danial was younger where we go out as he's about to take his nap, after feeding and changing; all comfortable and nice. The only drawback that we have to go through now is Danial's refusal to sit in the child seat. He'd scream and tries to undo to seatbelt and get out of the seat. It's not easy to ignore him now that his vocabulary has improved tremendously and he'd asked us to let him out. So, we've been bending the rule a bit by letting him sit with me in the front seat. He loves it when I cuddle him as he doze off with his stuffed toy, Koko covering his face.
True to form, as we reached Pantai Medical Centre, Danial woke up all refreshed and set to go. We bumped into Liris and Rizal at the lobby. They were about to leave. Liris' bump looks quite small for a December baby but then again, Liris is petite. If the doctor says she's on track, then, size doesn't matter anyway. And it's a girl. Kesian Danial. He's going to be left out when all the cousins his age starts playing with dolls and cooking set and he doesn't have a sparring partner to do his Ultraman stunts.
We saw new parents, Ghaz and Soosan. Aunty Zizah and Yem was there too. Soosan looks quite comfortable as she has half a tube of epidural to mask the pain. Good luck to her when she's off that. Been there done that. We couldn't see the twins yet as they're in ICU for a few days. Nevermind, we'll see them soon enough.
We left after an hour there. Dzareen and Aunty Norizah came to visit as well. Made a quick stop to IKEA to get something for Karim and Alfa's baby boy. It was on the last leg, Danial got upset when we didn't hand him the camera. He was kicking and screaming. I set him down becaus he didn't want to calm down. He was rolling all over the place and made quite a scene. Now I know why the call it the Terrible Two. Parents be prepared. I had to pick him up against his will and he was trashing all the way. There was a bed near the cashier and I put him down there. He was still crying. Fortunately, there was a nice lady who came and offered Danial some chocolates. He stop almost immediately! It's like the lady found the switch to turn off his tantrums. I was so grateful to her. As Danial calms down and munch his treat, the lady's husband and her two year old came over. She said her son throws temper tantrums as bad as Danial and the way to calm him down is to offer them treats. So, we learned something new today. To always keep some biscuits and chocolate handy in case of temper tantrums.
We went to Karim and Alfa's hari raya open house. Danial was having a field day there. There're some boys running around. He didn't have to get permission to join in the fun, he just join the troop. The cute thing about him is when other kids were having fun, they normally forget to eat. But not my little boy. He'd stop occasionally and take a few strands of spagetti and sets off again. At least I know that he's having fun and a full stomach too.
We also taught Danial our names. He calls Azrai, "Ajai" and me, "Oji". He's quite good at pronouncing his full name too. When asked, he'd say "Aniel" and you have to ask "Aniel apa?" and he'd cheekily reply, "Aniel Ajik". Like in the Bond movies, "My name is Bond, James Bond".
Anyway, to Soosan and Ghaz, congratulations for the arrival of your bundles of joy. Your lives would definitely change from now on. What's more for a first timer, you guys have twins. It's double the joy and double the other stuff as well. We have one, Danial alone and it's a whole lot of things we have to deal with. Just as we thought we had the hang of things, new things would arise and changes the equilibrium. It's a continuous learning process. When Danial was small, I thought it was so tough taking care of him. Breastfeeding, changing diapers, etc. and I don't understand and what more believe when people who came to visit, kept saying enjoy him when he's small and that it's the easiest time to take care of him as he sleeps most of the time. Only now, looking back I can trully appreciate the truth of it all. It's not going to get any easier as they grow older as I initially thought. It gets tougher and tougher. Parenting is no walk in the park. But with God's grace, we'll always rise to the occasion, no matter what they are. I think parenting is more of a hike. There's hills and valleys. Along the way, we have to stop, smell the roses, enjoy the scenery, appreciate the beauty, live in the moment; and when you reach your destination, you know it's worth it. Always...
By the way, it's also our hari raya day after 6 days of puasa enam. The celebration started yesterday when we broke fast at Kelana Jaya Seafood. It's all Maria Tunku Sabri's fault. Both of us was watching Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan teasers on TV and immediately we know what we want to have for dinner. That lady sure knows how to make food looks good.
Back to Soosan and twins. I made a CD of surah-surah for ibu dan anak which consist of Al-fatihah, Yaseen, Maryam and Yusuf for Soosan while Danial took his midday nap. I also have pati ikan haruan for Soosan. It helps with the healing of the surgery. We went to Alamanda to get something for the girls and had late lunch at McDonalds. We're so used to fasting that we hesitated to eat before realising that it's OK to eat.
It was raining cats and dogs as we got to the Sungai Besi Highway and the traffic was pretty bad. I don't know whether it's because of the rain or it's because people are going out for hari raya open houses. Good thing Danial is a good little traveller. He did all his running around in Alamanda and recharges his batteries with pocket naps when he's in the car. Afterall, what can a 2 year old preschooler do in a car after 10 minutes of fidgetting around? I guess it pays to plan my travelling when Danial was younger where we go out as he's about to take his nap, after feeding and changing; all comfortable and nice. The only drawback that we have to go through now is Danial's refusal to sit in the child seat. He'd scream and tries to undo to seatbelt and get out of the seat. It's not easy to ignore him now that his vocabulary has improved tremendously and he'd asked us to let him out. So, we've been bending the rule a bit by letting him sit with me in the front seat. He loves it when I cuddle him as he doze off with his stuffed toy, Koko covering his face.
True to form, as we reached Pantai Medical Centre, Danial woke up all refreshed and set to go. We bumped into Liris and Rizal at the lobby. They were about to leave. Liris' bump looks quite small for a December baby but then again, Liris is petite. If the doctor says she's on track, then, size doesn't matter anyway. And it's a girl. Kesian Danial. He's going to be left out when all the cousins his age starts playing with dolls and cooking set and he doesn't have a sparring partner to do his Ultraman stunts.
We saw new parents, Ghaz and Soosan. Aunty Zizah and Yem was there too. Soosan looks quite comfortable as she has half a tube of epidural to mask the pain. Good luck to her when she's off that. Been there done that. We couldn't see the twins yet as they're in ICU for a few days. Nevermind, we'll see them soon enough.
We left after an hour there. Dzareen and Aunty Norizah came to visit as well. Made a quick stop to IKEA to get something for Karim and Alfa's baby boy. It was on the last leg, Danial got upset when we didn't hand him the camera. He was kicking and screaming. I set him down becaus he didn't want to calm down. He was rolling all over the place and made quite a scene. Now I know why the call it the Terrible Two. Parents be prepared. I had to pick him up against his will and he was trashing all the way. There was a bed near the cashier and I put him down there. He was still crying. Fortunately, there was a nice lady who came and offered Danial some chocolates. He stop almost immediately! It's like the lady found the switch to turn off his tantrums. I was so grateful to her. As Danial calms down and munch his treat, the lady's husband and her two year old came over. She said her son throws temper tantrums as bad as Danial and the way to calm him down is to offer them treats. So, we learned something new today. To always keep some biscuits and chocolate handy in case of temper tantrums.
We went to Karim and Alfa's hari raya open house. Danial was having a field day there. There're some boys running around. He didn't have to get permission to join in the fun, he just join the troop. The cute thing about him is when other kids were having fun, they normally forget to eat. But not my little boy. He'd stop occasionally and take a few strands of spagetti and sets off again. At least I know that he's having fun and a full stomach too.
We also taught Danial our names. He calls Azrai, "Ajai" and me, "Oji". He's quite good at pronouncing his full name too. When asked, he'd say "Aniel" and you have to ask "Aniel apa?" and he'd cheekily reply, "Aniel Ajik". Like in the Bond movies, "My name is Bond, James Bond".
Anyway, to Soosan and Ghaz, congratulations for the arrival of your bundles of joy. Your lives would definitely change from now on. What's more for a first timer, you guys have twins. It's double the joy and double the other stuff as well. We have one, Danial alone and it's a whole lot of things we have to deal with. Just as we thought we had the hang of things, new things would arise and changes the equilibrium. It's a continuous learning process. When Danial was small, I thought it was so tough taking care of him. Breastfeeding, changing diapers, etc. and I don't understand and what more believe when people who came to visit, kept saying enjoy him when he's small and that it's the easiest time to take care of him as he sleeps most of the time. Only now, looking back I can trully appreciate the truth of it all. It's not going to get any easier as they grow older as I initially thought. It gets tougher and tougher. Parenting is no walk in the park. But with God's grace, we'll always rise to the occasion, no matter what they are. I think parenting is more of a hike. There's hills and valleys. Along the way, we have to stop, smell the roses, enjoy the scenery, appreciate the beauty, live in the moment; and when you reach your destination, you know it's worth it. Always...
Monday, October 15, 2007
Hari Raya 2008
Hari Raya falls on Saturday 13th October 2007. We arrived late at kampung and spend the night there so that we can have an early start. Everybody was up by 7am except for Danial. He slept on the way to kampung and when we got to kampung he woke up and stayed up when everybody else have gone to sleep until 2am. Eventually he got up and I got him ready to wear his baju raya. Sepasang dengan Babah, light green baju melayu.
It's a pretty quiet hari raya. We almost made our way back to KL to celebrate raya with my inlaws before the first delegation came. It's Nekcik and family. I have a lot of cousins my son's age and Danial has a lot of uncle and aunties to play with. Though they don't really understand each other, that doesn't stop them from playing with each other. The hyper active ones are Pak Idi's son and daughter. They don't walk but run all over the place. That suits Danial just fine as he likes running around too. Maybe he's going to grow up becoming a marathon runner like his uncle Boy.
Speaking of Uncle Boy. After sembahyang raya, I made a quick call to Boy. He was busy preparing dinner for some friends. I passed the phone to Atuk but the second Atuk heard Boy's voice, he broke down and cried. My heart went to him. He's very sensitive now. I don't know, maybe he feels that his end is near and he's physically fragile. I'm furious with the way Nenek and Mak Su treats Atuk. Like an outcast. Pak Long and Papa treat atuk better than Mak Su when they are his step sons.
Boy spoke to everybody. I feel like knocking those who ask Boy when is he coming back to Malaysia. I'm sorry Boy. They just never learn. There's a million and one things you can talk about or ask instead of that question. I know Boy is tired of it. It's good that he's much wiser and able to handle the question.
Back to our hari raya. We left for KL to celebrate with my inlaws, Danial's paternal grandparents. Kak Rozian and kids brought Nenek Damansara to Seputeh where Datuk is. We had lunch and Danial was gettng good at salam and wishing everybody "Selamat Hari Raya, Mana Duit Raya" with an outstretched hand. He also made sure to give whatever angpow or green packets that he received to either his babah or me. Good boy :-)
Nenek Damansara wasn't feeling to good so instead of beraya with us, we sent her back home to Damansara. We then went to Aunty Norizah's house. Danial was asleep, tired from all the running around in the morning. It started to rain heavily so we lepak there for quite a while until the rain stops. Danial woke up and had a bath and change of clothes before we continue the hari raya.
Last stop was Tok Gombak's house.
It's a pretty quiet hari raya. We almost made our way back to KL to celebrate raya with my inlaws before the first delegation came. It's Nekcik and family. I have a lot of cousins my son's age and Danial has a lot of uncle and aunties to play with. Though they don't really understand each other, that doesn't stop them from playing with each other. The hyper active ones are Pak Idi's son and daughter. They don't walk but run all over the place. That suits Danial just fine as he likes running around too. Maybe he's going to grow up becoming a marathon runner like his uncle Boy.
Speaking of Uncle Boy. After sembahyang raya, I made a quick call to Boy. He was busy preparing dinner for some friends. I passed the phone to Atuk but the second Atuk heard Boy's voice, he broke down and cried. My heart went to him. He's very sensitive now. I don't know, maybe he feels that his end is near and he's physically fragile. I'm furious with the way Nenek and Mak Su treats Atuk. Like an outcast. Pak Long and Papa treat atuk better than Mak Su when they are his step sons.
Boy spoke to everybody. I feel like knocking those who ask Boy when is he coming back to Malaysia. I'm sorry Boy. They just never learn. There's a million and one things you can talk about or ask instead of that question. I know Boy is tired of it. It's good that he's much wiser and able to handle the question.
Back to our hari raya. We left for KL to celebrate with my inlaws, Danial's paternal grandparents. Kak Rozian and kids brought Nenek Damansara to Seputeh where Datuk is. We had lunch and Danial was gettng good at salam and wishing everybody "Selamat Hari Raya, Mana Duit Raya" with an outstretched hand. He also made sure to give whatever angpow or green packets that he received to either his babah or me. Good boy :-)
Nenek Damansara wasn't feeling to good so instead of beraya with us, we sent her back home to Damansara. We then went to Aunty Norizah's house. Danial was asleep, tired from all the running around in the morning. It started to rain heavily so we lepak there for quite a while until the rain stops. Danial woke up and had a bath and change of clothes before we continue the hari raya.
Last stop was Tok Gombak's house.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
First Malaysian in space
We were glued on tv watching Malaysia's first astronout lifting off to the International Space Station from Baikaonur Cosmodrome at exactly 9.21pm (Malaysia time). It was exciting, heart-warming and a proud moment for us to watch history in the making. Danial was a little bit distracting. He couldn't sit still and was all over the place trying to get our attention. When I saw Dr. Sheikh Muzaphar from the camera in the capsule, I imagine how proud I'd be if it was Danial there. I bet his mom is overwhelmed with pride. Ah, the dreams all moms have for their child. To be the best they can ever be. It was like dejavu where I bet a lot of Malaysians, those who didn't go terawih, are glued to their tv set to watch this momentous event. It's like all Americans back in 1969, watching their astronouts land on the moon. To Dr. Sheikh Muzaphar, congratulations! You make us Malaysians proud that we have our own Malaysian in space. Dr. Faiz, your time will come to be in space. Hopefully, you don't have to wait long. In the thick of excitement of watching the space shuttle go into orbit after a successful lift-off, my son, Danial Raziq, launched himself to dreamland. Sweet dreams my son...
Friday, September 21, 2007
Danial's 2nd Birthday
My little angel is 2 years old! It seems like it was just yesterday that I brought him home from the hospital. (Cliche') Anyway, as promised, I planned to spend the day with Danial. Azrai had to go to work but that's OK. At least one of us is earning of keep for the day.
I took Danial to see Dr. Chan for his 2 year old immunization shot; Hepatitis A. He took it well, no sweat. My little hero. Then, we dropped by at Wan Ot's house in Bangi for a short visit. Danial got a present from Wan Ot and family and he was making a real mess too.
I took him home to get him to take a nap before the celebration later but it turned out that he was playing all the time while I have my nap. Sometimes you just wonder where do they get all their energy to play all day. I spent half a day with Danial and I was exhausted.
Since he didn't want his nap, I gave him a quick bath and change him for a night out to celebrate his birthday. Just the three of us this year. That way, it's safe. Nobody can spoil it for us. OK, before I start spoiling this blog and curse somebody, I better not go there. Happy thoughts Rozi...
Back to the story, I took Danial on the ERL to meet Azrai in KL. We wanted to go to Midvalley so that we can get Danial his birthday present at Toys'r'Us. I've chosen to break fast at Chili's after watching a tv show; Jalan-Jalan Cari Makan hosted by Maria Tunku Sabri. I was salivating watching her gobble up some serious stuff they serve there in Chili's. It was a good choice too if I may say so myself as kids under 12 eat for free; and on top of that, the drinks are bottomless. The best possible arrangement especially during Ramadhan.
We enjoyed the food. As for the birthday boy, he's happy wherever he goes as long as we're there with him. He's good at keeping himself entertained as well with the complementary balloon given to him while we have our dinner. He's the best!
So, the highlight of the evening was to go to Toys'r'Us to get him his birthday present. Personally, I think the highlight is more for us than him. He is still too young to start asking us to get him toys. He's happy with whatever that we give to him, even if it's just an empty coke bottle. We were the ones who're having a tough time deciding what to get for him that can keep him occupied for hours. In the end, we got him some buiding blocks and his first set of Lego. I grew up with Lego and I strongly feel that Danial can explore his imagination with his Lego set.
He was excited with his new toys that he insist on carrying them on his own and got really cranky when we took it away from him. He was way tired as it was way past him bedtime and he didn't get much naptime during the day. My little man dozed off in the car as we headed home... A perfect ending for his 2nd birthday.
To my darling Danial, Happy birthday my sweet child. I pray that all good things come your way and may you have the best that life can offer you. Mama loves you always.
Monday, August 27, 2007
Floria 2007 Putrajaya
Danial and I have been cooped up at home as Azrai has to go to office to clear some stuff before he move to his new office. So, it's been pretty boring and after Azrai came home yesterday, I asked him to take us to Floria 2007. We know it was a flower festival. Nothng much there except flowers, flowers and more flowers but at least it got us out of the house for a while.
Danial was already bathed and in his PJs going around the exhibition ground. Azrai and I were casually dressed that I'm happy to stand behind the camera and leave Danial as the subject matter.
Sunday, August 26, 2007
Sleeping in his own bed
We've been busy getting Danial's room ready for him since last week. Azrai and I painted the room light blue fit for our little prince and bought his own bed at IKEA.
Yesterday, the aircon man came to fix the aircon in Danial's room. We spent the afternoon putting together Danial's new bed. Danial helped around of course, just like Bob the Builder.
His room is still bare. We haven't put up any finishing touches yet. So after dinner and a long trip back home, I put Danial in his bed next to his favorite toy and lots of pillows around him. He slept soundly through the night.
Now, he's taking his nap in his room. I've drawn together the curtains and switched on the aircon. He's been asleep for a hour now. How my little boy has grown. It felt like yesterday that I brought him home from the hospital and now he's sleeping in his own room. Soon enough, he won't me let me enter his room...
Yesterday, the aircon man came to fix the aircon in Danial's room. We spent the afternoon putting together Danial's new bed. Danial helped around of course, just like Bob the Builder.
His room is still bare. We haven't put up any finishing touches yet. So after dinner and a long trip back home, I put Danial in his bed next to his favorite toy and lots of pillows around him. He slept soundly through the night.
Now, he's taking his nap in his room. I've drawn together the curtains and switched on the aircon. He's been asleep for a hour now. How my little boy has grown. It felt like yesterday that I brought him home from the hospital and now he's sleeping in his own room. Soon enough, he won't me let me enter his room...
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
Now that she's gone...
I had some spotting this morning while I was getting ready for work. So, Azrai rushed me to Sunway Medical to see a gynae. I actually scheduled an appointment this coming saturday to have my first ultrasound and perhaps hear my baby's first heartbeat.
We saw Dr. Noor'Aini. She did a scan. We saw the sac but she said it's too small for an 8 weeks pregnancy and the shape is not right either. Instead of being more round and smooth, it looked like a crumpled, out of air beach ball. As for heartbeat, there was none...
Dr. Noor'Aini said I had a 'missed abortion' where the foetus stopped growing at 6 weeks (as that's was the size of the sac) most probably due by chromosome abnormality. She said there's nothing we can do even if we had come to see her sooner. It will just confirm that the foetus has not grown since 6 weeks.
Maybe it's not meant to be. And it's nature's way of eliminating defects. Dr. Noor'Aini suggested that we go for a second scan to confirm things up before doing D&C; just to give the peace of mind and not to second guess our decision. I'm scheduled for the procedure next week. I suppose it gives us time for a proper closure.
I felt numb but not overly upset. It is sad not to be pregnant but I fully understand why it happened. I don't think I have the strength, patience nor financial means to care for a baby that most probably have complication if the pregnancy continues with chromosome abnormality and God knows that and saves me the heart-ache. I can deal with my miscarriage now but it'll be a life-long battle if the baby came less than perfect.
The one consolation I keep reminding myself is at least I have Danial. This means we get to spoil him a little bit longer. We had just finish painting Danial's room a couple of days before the misfortune happened. We want him to start sleeping in his room now that he's almost 2.
Last night, while getting Danial ready for bed, I told him that his "Dik Baby" is no longer in mama's tummy. I asked him to say goodbye to his Dik Baby and he kissed my tummy and gave it a pat. It was sweet of him. I do hope we'd be able to give Danial a little brother or sister to play with one day.
We saw Dr. Noor'Aini. She did a scan. We saw the sac but she said it's too small for an 8 weeks pregnancy and the shape is not right either. Instead of being more round and smooth, it looked like a crumpled, out of air beach ball. As for heartbeat, there was none...
Dr. Noor'Aini said I had a 'missed abortion' where the foetus stopped growing at 6 weeks (as that's was the size of the sac) most probably due by chromosome abnormality. She said there's nothing we can do even if we had come to see her sooner. It will just confirm that the foetus has not grown since 6 weeks.
Maybe it's not meant to be. And it's nature's way of eliminating defects. Dr. Noor'Aini suggested that we go for a second scan to confirm things up before doing D&C; just to give the peace of mind and not to second guess our decision. I'm scheduled for the procedure next week. I suppose it gives us time for a proper closure.
I felt numb but not overly upset. It is sad not to be pregnant but I fully understand why it happened. I don't think I have the strength, patience nor financial means to care for a baby that most probably have complication if the pregnancy continues with chromosome abnormality and God knows that and saves me the heart-ache. I can deal with my miscarriage now but it'll be a life-long battle if the baby came less than perfect.
The one consolation I keep reminding myself is at least I have Danial. This means we get to spoil him a little bit longer. We had just finish painting Danial's room a couple of days before the misfortune happened. We want him to start sleeping in his room now that he's almost 2.
Last night, while getting Danial ready for bed, I told him that his "Dik Baby" is no longer in mama's tummy. I asked him to say goodbye to his Dik Baby and he kissed my tummy and gave it a pat. It was sweet of him. I do hope we'd be able to give Danial a little brother or sister to play with one day.
Saturday, August 18, 2007
A day at the zoo
We took Danial to the National Zoo (Zoo Negara) last weekend. There was this ad on tv where the kids in a kindy was imitating animal sounds. One in particular was a tiger. So, Danial has been growling like a tiger even since and we thought we'd introduced him to a real life one at the zoo.
We headed to the zoo straight after breakfast at our regular mamak joint. The weather was nice. Not too hot. Danial didn't have to pay to enter the zoo as he's under 3.
We managed to catch the elephant show as we entered the zoo. Danial was really excited and he didn't want to sit in the stroller at all. He ran all over the place.
We spent only 2 hours in the zoo. Danial was getting tired but refused to take a rest. So, we headed out to nenek's place to freshen up.
We headed to the zoo straight after breakfast at our regular mamak joint. The weather was nice. Not too hot. Danial didn't have to pay to enter the zoo as he's under 3.
We managed to catch the elephant show as we entered the zoo. Danial was really excited and he didn't want to sit in the stroller at all. He ran all over the place.
We spent only 2 hours in the zoo. Danial was getting tired but refused to take a rest. So, we headed out to nenek's place to freshen up.
Standing on the side
I was reading my brother's blog a few days ago and even got the chance to chat with him with Google Talk. He's now into triathlon and just finish his first half marathon last weekend. His blog entry on the triathlon was in great detail that I got tired just reading it.
My brother turned out to be a better blogger than I am. He blogs more frequently than I do and he covers a wide range of topics of things that are going on in his life. When I read his blog I feel that he trully embraces life. He doesn't let life passes him by. He makes the most of it; which puts me to shame. I have lots of wants and goals in life but I haven't actually gotten my hands dirty in getting them. There's still a long list of things I want to do which I haven't taken off my to do list.
But that is looking at the glass half empty. I may not be a marathon runner but I'm proud of the things I've achieved over the years. One of my biggest accomplishment is being a mom. Having Danial is the greatest thing I've ever wanted. And soon, our family will be blessed with another miracle.
So, I guess I'm alright after all. Not everybody can be a marathon runner. I'm content to standing on the side, cheering for my brother when I get the chance to see him in action.
My brother turned out to be a better blogger than I am. He blogs more frequently than I do and he covers a wide range of topics of things that are going on in his life. When I read his blog I feel that he trully embraces life. He doesn't let life passes him by. He makes the most of it; which puts me to shame. I have lots of wants and goals in life but I haven't actually gotten my hands dirty in getting them. There's still a long list of things I want to do which I haven't taken off my to do list.
But that is looking at the glass half empty. I may not be a marathon runner but I'm proud of the things I've achieved over the years. One of my biggest accomplishment is being a mom. Having Danial is the greatest thing I've ever wanted. And soon, our family will be blessed with another miracle.
So, I guess I'm alright after all. Not everybody can be a marathon runner. I'm content to standing on the side, cheering for my brother when I get the chance to see him in action.
Wednesday, August 15, 2007
My new toy
Azrai went to Singapore yesterday for work and got me my new Sony VIAO TZ series. It's smaller than an A4 paper with a screen measurement of 11.1 inches. Light as a feather; well not exactly, it's light as a packet of sugar. Azrai got back at almost 1.30am last night and like a kid with a new toy; I was tinkering with my new notebook and had to force myself to sleep at 4.30 in the morning.
The deal is make me more rajin for work! Well, I'm very motivated to go to work now and put my new toy to test.
The deal is make me more rajin for work! Well, I'm very motivated to go to work now and put my new toy to test.
I'm pregnant!
Alhamdulillah, rezeki bulan Rejab. Middle of July to be exact, I was pretty busy with my unit trust business. Infact, the first day of Rejab, Azrai and I were in JB doing our sales calls. It was a fruitful day for me on top of the fact that I was fasting that day. Azrai wasn't so lucky; he got food poisoning and was practically sleeping on the bathroom floor half of the night after feasting on ikan bakar and lala. Guess the lala wasn't so fresh. The odd thing was, I ate the same thing and I was OK. I admit I didn't eat as much as Azrai did. Maybe my stomach is stronger or maybe his stomach isn't as strong as it used to be.
Anyway, after fasting here and there the first few days of Rejab, I noticed that I should be due for my period already. I thought I'd just continue fasting till get my period but got to calculating the lapse since my last day of period. What do you know, I was three days late. It got my hopes up. Azraididn't want me to jump onto any ideas yet and casually remarked that I might be late due to the fact that I've been fasting and it might upset my cycle. He told me to give it a few more days before I take the home pregnancy test. But, the curiousity was killing me. I had to know and I went out and got myself the test kit. Took the test and it turned out POSITIVE! I was overjoyed!
The internet pregnancy calculator estimated that I was 5 weeks pregnant at that time. So, I waited a couple more days before I went to the GP to take another test. Again, it turned out POSITIVE! The EDD for this baby is 1st of April 2008. All I need to do is to take it easy these few weeks until I passed my first trimester.
This time, I'm going to enjoy my pregnancy. I'm going to take it a day at a time. Being pregnant for the second time, I kinda know what to expect. And touch wood, I don't get any morning sickness. In fact, my symptoms are very minimal. Initially, I loss appetite. That's why I was looking forward to fasting as I can go through a day without any hunger pangs. Only recently my appetite came back and I can eat almost anything. I've got sweet tooth too.
Though I ought to take it easy. This time around, I'm not as lazy as I was when I was pregnant with Danial. I couldn't stand looking at dirty things or mess. When my request to get my car washed fell on deaf ears, I took the task of doing it myself and went the extra mile with vacuuming the interiors as well.
So in my To Do list, I've to recall all Danial's stuff that I've loan out to people. Not that urgent but it's good to put a note to follow up later.
Anyway, after fasting here and there the first few days of Rejab, I noticed that I should be due for my period already. I thought I'd just continue fasting till get my period but got to calculating the lapse since my last day of period. What do you know, I was three days late. It got my hopes up. Azraididn't want me to jump onto any ideas yet and casually remarked that I might be late due to the fact that I've been fasting and it might upset my cycle. He told me to give it a few more days before I take the home pregnancy test. But, the curiousity was killing me. I had to know and I went out and got myself the test kit. Took the test and it turned out POSITIVE! I was overjoyed!
The internet pregnancy calculator estimated that I was 5 weeks pregnant at that time. So, I waited a couple more days before I went to the GP to take another test. Again, it turned out POSITIVE! The EDD for this baby is 1st of April 2008. All I need to do is to take it easy these few weeks until I passed my first trimester.
This time, I'm going to enjoy my pregnancy. I'm going to take it a day at a time. Being pregnant for the second time, I kinda know what to expect. And touch wood, I don't get any morning sickness. In fact, my symptoms are very minimal. Initially, I loss appetite. That's why I was looking forward to fasting as I can go through a day without any hunger pangs. Only recently my appetite came back and I can eat almost anything. I've got sweet tooth too.
Though I ought to take it easy. This time around, I'm not as lazy as I was when I was pregnant with Danial. I couldn't stand looking at dirty things or mess. When my request to get my car washed fell on deaf ears, I took the task of doing it myself and went the extra mile with vacuuming the interiors as well.
So in my To Do list, I've to recall all Danial's stuff that I've loan out to people. Not that urgent but it's good to put a note to follow up later.
Friday, June 29, 2007
Two down, one to go
Danial has been clean for two months and now it starting again. It started with a runny nose, then some occasional coughs before it got worse. Good thing my calendar was clear this week. I took him to Dr. Chan last Tuesday as a precaution hoping that he'd get better in time for our trip to Kuching today. But then, before he gets any better, he got worse first and got a fever on Wednesday and yesterday, he's already wheezing. Dr. Chan has to put Danial on nebulizer both morning and evening. We stock up on his fever, coughs, flu, phlegm, antibiotics and what not for the trip.
Azrai isn't any better too. He's been working too hard these past few weeks and I think the body couldn't take it any more. He's coughing now which is not good for Danial to be around him. But it's hard to stop Danial from getting his Babah time when he hasn't got enough of it.
Now both Danial and Azrai are fast asleep outside in the family area. Somehow or rather, when any of us get sick, that's the place we'd rather be than the bedroom. I have to be strong for them. Can't afford to get sick and make it a threesome. My throat is feeling scratchy. I was hoping that this trip to Kuching is a break that everybody needs but maybe it's a little bit too late.
Azrai isn't any better too. He's been working too hard these past few weeks and I think the body couldn't take it any more. He's coughing now which is not good for Danial to be around him. But it's hard to stop Danial from getting his Babah time when he hasn't got enough of it.
Now both Danial and Azrai are fast asleep outside in the family area. Somehow or rather, when any of us get sick, that's the place we'd rather be than the bedroom. I have to be strong for them. Can't afford to get sick and make it a threesome. My throat is feeling scratchy. I was hoping that this trip to Kuching is a break that everybody needs but maybe it's a little bit too late.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Happy Birthday Nenek and Happy Father's Day
Nenek's birthday falls on Father's day but since Ami has to work on Sunday, we took Nenek and 'Kok' (Danial's pronunciation of 'Tok') out for lunch at IZZI, Bukit Bintang. Lunch was OK-OK ajelah.
Later, Danial gets to play with some of Mama, Uncle Boy and Ami's old toys and he likes them more than the new toys we got him. It's true what they say, "They don't make toys like they used too".
Check out Uncle Boy's old toy car.
Thursday, May 10, 2007
What else can go wrong?
There's a time when everything is going against you. It first started last week. Azrai lost his notebook during friday prayers. Not only did they take the notebook, but his two workbags, God knows why. The bigger heartache is the information in the notebook and the important documents in the bags.
Later, over the weekend, Azrai was ill with high fever. I suspected that he has Denggi after clearing the backyard a couple of days back. I tried to help him fight the fever by making him drink lots of water throughout the day. He lost appetite, his temperature was high the whole time and he was feeling lousy. I was at wits end and on Monday, Azrai wanted to go to the hospital. Long story short, he was admitted to Sunway Medical Center for observation.
On Tuesday, after checking in on Azrai at the hospital, I went to Yap Kwan Seng to send a cheque to someone. It was midday and the road was busy as usual. Traffic was slow to a point that the car was crawling instead of moving. Despite all that, some idiot managed to hit my car from behind! Under the heat, with the insufferable traffic and an idiot for a driver behind me. That's just it! My rear bumper was dislodged if nothing else is broken. I took the idiot's details and agreed to get it fixed tomorrow. On top of that, I had to make a police report. The way the police here does it, I have to make the report all the way at cawangan trafik Jalan Bandar when there's a police station nearby at Tun Razak. Can't they make my life more difficult?
So today, I have to send the car to get it fixed. Hung around at Sunway Medical Center in Azrai's ward while waiting for the car to be ready. I hope this is the end of the series of unfortunate events for us. I do hope things would get better from now on. It was nice of Adik to take emergency leave and be there for Danial and me at home. He even fetched Danial from the nursery yesterday when I was late. Can't wait for Azrai to get better and come home. Adik will be flying again tomorrow. It'll be pretty lonely for us to be home alone...
Later, over the weekend, Azrai was ill with high fever. I suspected that he has Denggi after clearing the backyard a couple of days back. I tried to help him fight the fever by making him drink lots of water throughout the day. He lost appetite, his temperature was high the whole time and he was feeling lousy. I was at wits end and on Monday, Azrai wanted to go to the hospital. Long story short, he was admitted to Sunway Medical Center for observation.
On Tuesday, after checking in on Azrai at the hospital, I went to Yap Kwan Seng to send a cheque to someone. It was midday and the road was busy as usual. Traffic was slow to a point that the car was crawling instead of moving. Despite all that, some idiot managed to hit my car from behind! Under the heat, with the insufferable traffic and an idiot for a driver behind me. That's just it! My rear bumper was dislodged if nothing else is broken. I took the idiot's details and agreed to get it fixed tomorrow. On top of that, I had to make a police report. The way the police here does it, I have to make the report all the way at cawangan trafik Jalan Bandar when there's a police station nearby at Tun Razak. Can't they make my life more difficult?
So today, I have to send the car to get it fixed. Hung around at Sunway Medical Center in Azrai's ward while waiting for the car to be ready. I hope this is the end of the series of unfortunate events for us. I do hope things would get better from now on. It was nice of Adik to take emergency leave and be there for Danial and me at home. He even fetched Danial from the nursery yesterday when I was late. Can't wait for Azrai to get better and come home. Adik will be flying again tomorrow. It'll be pretty lonely for us to be home alone...
Wednesday, May 02, 2007
Counting our blessings
I rarely get to see Danial interacts with other kids although we send him to a daycare centre. I take it that it's normal for kids Danial's age to accomplish things that he has accomplished. After seeing him earlier tonight at Dzareen's birthday get together, I am amazed at my little boy. He's trully my little miracle. And before I forget, Happy birthday Dzareen 
. We'll skip the age part. After all, it's just a number.
Back to counting my blessings. I'm thankful that I have Danial to begin with. I'd be miserable if I didn't have him. And to add to the joy, he's going to get more cousins to play with from Liris and Rizal; and Soosan and Ghaz
. It's double trouble for Soosan and Ghaz as they're expecting 
. Well, good luck to all of them. I had my ups and downs during my pregnancy. I vaguely remember the bad turns but fondly recalls the miracle of pregnancy. The sweetest memories of getting the good news from the doctor, listening to Danial's first heart beats, looking at Danial's development through ultrasound imaging, his first kick, and lots more. How I wish I'm pregnant again.
Secondly, I'm thankful that Azrai is a loving husband and a hands on dad
. He took the emotional roller coaster ride with me through my pregnancy. He's my pillar of strength. He started as a novice but quickly mastered the skills of being a dad. He didn't have much choice I supposed with Danial being so tiny and me still recovering from ceasarian. I don't think I've ever met a more hands on dad than Azrai. He bathed Danial when he very little and until now they take their bath together. He's on diaper duty the minute he steps into the house. He spoils Danial when Danial wants to go out and play. He's everything Danial and I could ever ask for. He's a super dad! 
And then, I'm thankful that Danial is a smart kid
. I bet every parent would say that about their children. I've always notice that Danial has a charming personality. He's friendly and eager to interact with people. Just take tonight for example. He was pleasant to everybody. He shakes hands with everybody. He danced to the belly dancing tune 
. He was playing with his 3 year old cousin. Somehow or rather they understand each other with their baby talk. He kissed those who offered their cheeks to him 
. In short, he's my little man and he's my baby. I must have done something right.
. We'll skip the age part. After all, it's just a number.Back to counting my blessings. I'm thankful that I have Danial to begin with. I'd be miserable if I didn't have him. And to add to the joy, he's going to get more cousins to play with from Liris and Rizal; and Soosan and Ghaz
. It's double trouble for Soosan and Ghaz as they're expecting . Well, good luck to all of them. I had my ups and downs during my pregnancy. I vaguely remember the bad turns but fondly recalls the miracle of pregnancy. The sweetest memories of getting the good news from the doctor, listening to Danial's first heart beats, looking at Danial's development through ultrasound imaging, his first kick, and lots more. How I wish I'm pregnant again.Secondly, I'm thankful that Azrai is a loving husband and a hands on dad
. He took the emotional roller coaster ride with me through my pregnancy. He's my pillar of strength. He started as a novice but quickly mastered the skills of being a dad. He didn't have much choice I supposed with Danial being so tiny and me still recovering from ceasarian. I don't think I've ever met a more hands on dad than Azrai. He bathed Danial when he very little and until now they take their bath together. He's on diaper duty the minute he steps into the house. He spoils Danial when Danial wants to go out and play. He's everything Danial and I could ever ask for. He's a super dad! And then, I'm thankful that Danial is a smart kid
. I bet every parent would say that about their children. I've always notice that Danial has a charming personality. He's friendly and eager to interact with people. Just take tonight for example. He was pleasant to everybody. He shakes hands with everybody. He danced to the belly dancing tune . He was playing with his 3 year old cousin. Somehow or rather they understand each other with their baby talk. He kissed those who offered their cheeks to him . In short, he's my little man and he's my baby. I must have done something right.Sunday, April 08, 2007
Birthdays in March
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Danial had two invitations to birthday parties last month. The first one was Rania's 3rd birthday party held in Kelab Darul Ehsan, Ampang. Rania is Nor'aini's princess. It a neat party complete with a kid's entertainer that made all sorts of stuff with the balloon. Picture shows Danial with his mouth stuffed with fries holding his balloon sword.The second birthday party was Danial's second cousin, Adam's 1st birthday party held at his granny's house also in Ampang. There were more grown ups than kids. Plus, the birthday boy is too little to enjoy his birthday party anyway. The best time of all was when they set up the bubble machine and it started blowing bubbles. That kept the kids occupied for a while chasing after the bubbles. Reminds me of SpongeBob SquarePants with his bubble blowing hobby.
To both Adam and Rania, happy birthday guys! and many more to come...
Monday, February 26, 2007
Our 5th Anniversary
It was a Friday, just like any other day. We started the day as usual; gave Danial his bath, fed him and sent him to the nursery. I was on my way to the office when my dearest husband called me to wish me "Happy Anniversary!". Gosh! What day is this? My God! I forgot my anniversary. You would have thought that 02.02.02 is the easiest date to remember yet I completely forgot about it. Azrai just remembered when he saw the date on the his staff's leave application. We're both as bad. I guess we're both occupied ('ok-ku-pai-yed' as in the NST advertisement) with Danial so much so that it slipped our minds.
How time flies... 5 years in holy matrimony. I can't imagine my life without Azrai and Danial. We had our ups and downs. Alhamdulillah, there were more ups than downs. Lots of good times together and many more to come, Insya'Allah. Next, a baby brother or sister for Danial.
How time flies... 5 years in holy matrimony. I can't imagine my life without Azrai and Danial. We had our ups and downs. Alhamdulillah, there were more ups than downs. Lots of good times together and many more to come, Insya'Allah. Next, a baby brother or sister for Danial.
Another hospital stay
My throat was really itchy on the last day in Hong Kong. All the Strepsils in the world didn't help ease the sore throat. I was coughing my lungs out. Yet, on the last day, we took Danial on a last minute explore walk to Harbour City, destination: Toys R Us. After hours in Toys R Us, we got Danial a Bob The Builder toy named Scrambler; hoping that it will keep Danial occupied in the plane later.
We went to a record shop and that's where I had my little accident. The steps were small and I wasn't so I slipped as we were about to leave the shop. Luckily, I didn't sprain my ankle too badly. Azrai didn't see me fall. He saw me sitting at the steps, he thought I was tired from all the walking that we did.
It was a really tiring holiday. What with the bad throat and now with a sore ankle; I was just glad that we're going home. I needed a holiday from this holiday! At the airport, it took ages to check in. There were long queues at the imigration counters and we just made it to the gate by the time they were calling for boarding. It was a full flight home so Azrai got separated from us. Good thing the guy sitting next to me was willing to swap seats with Azrai so that we can seat together. I don't think he'd welcome the thought of sitting next to a restless toddler for 3 hours and 40 minutes.
Danial settled down a bit and slept after take off. Azrai practically had to feed me when they served dinner as Danial was sleeping in my arms. I had Strepsils overdose as I continuously suck on them one after another to stop me from coughing and my ankle started to throb.
Finally, we touched down in KLIA. Got our baggage and took the ERL back to Putrajaya. At that point, I was already feverish from the fatique. Azrai was a darling and took care of everything.
The next day, I was coughing away like mad and had a fever. Azrai asked me to see the doctor but I was too sick to go on my own so I took some Panadol and more cough drops and some rest; hoping that I'd get better soon. I didn't and on Sunday, Danial too cought the cold bug. He was sneezing and coughing. Azrai had to take us both to see the doctor.
On Monday, I went to Setiawangsa with Danial so that PapaTok and Nenek can help with Danial. Danial's temperature was high and it subsided when he took the medication; but it went up again as the medication wore off. We went back to Putrajaya in the evening with Danial burning up. I gave him his medication but the reaction was slower this time; his temperature was still high; 39 degrees Celcius. It was serious; so we took him to Putrajaya Hospital Emergency only to see a waiting hall full of sick people and baby. Danial was given a yellow card which means semi-critical patient. It says on the board that yellow card patients get to go in immediately or 15 minutes waiting period. I saw another baby with high temperature and a yellow card and asked the mom how long has she been waiting and she said she's been waiting for more than 2 hours! I don't have to tell you the murderous look on the patients holding a green card (non-critical). With that, we decided to take Danial home as his temperature has come down.
I woke up at 5am in the morning only to find Danial's having a fever again. This time, we took him to Sunway Medical Centre thinking that it's nearer to Putrajaya and more convenient for us. Unfortunately, they were full and there was no bed so they administered medication for Danial and sent us off. We didn't bother to check with SJMC as SMC just sent a patient there when SJMC confirmed that they have 1 bed for the patient. We went to Ampang Puteri. They sponge-bathed Danial as he was burning up. He has to be put on drips and by 7am, we're in the ward. This time it's 633 along with two other toddlers.
Long story short, Danial's fever spiked in the next few days and Dr. Lim had to changed his antibiotics twice before the second one managed to keep the fever down. We stayed until Friday when Danial's temperature has stabilized. Nenek and PapaTok were great sports taking turns visiting Danial and bringing lunch and dinner for me. I learned that Danial wasn't the only one who readmitted to the hospital. The other toddler; Haris was discharged for a day only to come back the next day with diorhea. As for me, I wanted rest, I got it. In fact, it's a hospital rest with Danial.
Our stuff from Hong Kong was still lying around in the living hall, untouched just the way we left it when we got home. After 5 years of marriage and a son, I don't expect anybody to clear them away for me. At least Azrai did the laundry and tidy up the house a little bit. Both of us are fully aware that with a toddler that keeps picking up things on the floor, we have to keep a certain level of cleanliness around the house; especially after the food poisoning episode. It's tough not having a domestic help but I guess somehow or rather, we'll manage. We've always have.
We went to a record shop and that's where I had my little accident. The steps were small and I wasn't so I slipped as we were about to leave the shop. Luckily, I didn't sprain my ankle too badly. Azrai didn't see me fall. He saw me sitting at the steps, he thought I was tired from all the walking that we did.
It was a really tiring holiday. What with the bad throat and now with a sore ankle; I was just glad that we're going home. I needed a holiday from this holiday! At the airport, it took ages to check in. There were long queues at the imigration counters and we just made it to the gate by the time they were calling for boarding. It was a full flight home so Azrai got separated from us. Good thing the guy sitting next to me was willing to swap seats with Azrai so that we can seat together. I don't think he'd welcome the thought of sitting next to a restless toddler for 3 hours and 40 minutes.
Danial settled down a bit and slept after take off. Azrai practically had to feed me when they served dinner as Danial was sleeping in my arms. I had Strepsils overdose as I continuously suck on them one after another to stop me from coughing and my ankle started to throb.
Finally, we touched down in KLIA. Got our baggage and took the ERL back to Putrajaya. At that point, I was already feverish from the fatique. Azrai was a darling and took care of everything.
The next day, I was coughing away like mad and had a fever. Azrai asked me to see the doctor but I was too sick to go on my own so I took some Panadol and more cough drops and some rest; hoping that I'd get better soon. I didn't and on Sunday, Danial too cought the cold bug. He was sneezing and coughing. Azrai had to take us both to see the doctor.
On Monday, I went to Setiawangsa with Danial so that PapaTok and Nenek can help with Danial. Danial's temperature was high and it subsided when he took the medication; but it went up again as the medication wore off. We went back to Putrajaya in the evening with Danial burning up. I gave him his medication but the reaction was slower this time; his temperature was still high; 39 degrees Celcius. It was serious; so we took him to Putrajaya Hospital Emergency only to see a waiting hall full of sick people and baby. Danial was given a yellow card which means semi-critical patient. It says on the board that yellow card patients get to go in immediately or 15 minutes waiting period. I saw another baby with high temperature and a yellow card and asked the mom how long has she been waiting and she said she's been waiting for more than 2 hours! I don't have to tell you the murderous look on the patients holding a green card (non-critical). With that, we decided to take Danial home as his temperature has come down.
I woke up at 5am in the morning only to find Danial's having a fever again. This time, we took him to Sunway Medical Centre thinking that it's nearer to Putrajaya and more convenient for us. Unfortunately, they were full and there was no bed so they administered medication for Danial and sent us off. We didn't bother to check with SJMC as SMC just sent a patient there when SJMC confirmed that they have 1 bed for the patient. We went to Ampang Puteri. They sponge-bathed Danial as he was burning up. He has to be put on drips and by 7am, we're in the ward. This time it's 633 along with two other toddlers.
Long story short, Danial's fever spiked in the next few days and Dr. Lim had to changed his antibiotics twice before the second one managed to keep the fever down. We stayed until Friday when Danial's temperature has stabilized. Nenek and PapaTok were great sports taking turns visiting Danial and bringing lunch and dinner for me. I learned that Danial wasn't the only one who readmitted to the hospital. The other toddler; Haris was discharged for a day only to come back the next day with diorhea. As for me, I wanted rest, I got it. In fact, it's a hospital rest with Danial.
Our stuff from Hong Kong was still lying around in the living hall, untouched just the way we left it when we got home. After 5 years of marriage and a son, I don't expect anybody to clear them away for me. At least Azrai did the laundry and tidy up the house a little bit. Both of us are fully aware that with a toddler that keeps picking up things on the floor, we have to keep a certain level of cleanliness around the house; especially after the food poisoning episode. It's tough not having a domestic help but I guess somehow or rather, we'll manage. We've always have.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Hong Kong Disneyland
We went to Hong Kong and Shenzhen courtesy of Alliance Unit Trust from 5th February to 9th February 2007. The highlight of the trip was a one day excursion to Hong Kong Disneyland. Danial's first Disneyland. Infact, Danial's first overseas trip. We had a good time there. There's limited rides which Danial can go on. Basically kiddie rides. Here's a picture of us with Buzz Lightyear. We only got Buzz because there wasn't a long queue yet after Buzz's toilet break and we made a dash for it. We didn't bother to take pictures with the other Disney characters as the queue were long.
Friday, February 02, 2007
Admitted to the hospital
No sooner did I recover from my tonsilitis, Danial started vomitting on Friday, January 26th. I didn't send Danial to daycare that day and he stayed with me at home instead.
He was OK in the morning, taking his food. He first started vomitting after his late lunch of Apple Sauce. I thought the sourness of the Apple Sauce didn't agree with Danial's stomach and didn't give it much thought.
Since he vomitted his lunch, I gave him a bottle of his baby formula in the early evening only to have him puked all over me after the bottle. When Azrai got home from work, we took Danial to Dr. Chan. Dr. Chan says there's a virus going around that causes vomitting and diorhea. So, we went home with the medication. At midnight, Danial took another bottle of formula only to vomit again. He couldn't keep his food down. Worried, we bundled him up and took him to Ampang Puteri at midnight.
He was admitted and given drips. The picture looks like Danial has a broken arm but it's the way to put drip into a baby. He's faithful companion, Ty-ty (now Danial insists on calling him Kakar) is always with him. I had to stay with him at the hospital of course and we stayed for 5 days as Danial developed diorhea and a fever following the vomit episodes.
It's no fun to be in the hospital with a sore throat (after tonsilities) and a toddler that keeps soiling his diaper every half an hour. Azrai is a wonderful father and he took over whenever he comes in to visit and stayed on until Danial sleeps at night. Danial became very clingy and didn't want to sleep in the cot and slept with me all the time. He was dehydrated and tired and he slept a lot. Good thing too because he's hooked up to the drip and can't move around too much. It proved to be a challenged when he was getting better and becoming his old self again. We had to ask the nurse to unhook the drip from Danial, let him play for a bit and hook it up again when he goes to sleep.
I am glad that we get to go home after the 5th day. We all have to get well before the trip to Hong Kong. That'll be another entry.
Monday, January 22, 2007
Bangkok New Consultant's Convention
Hey, guess what? I qualified for MAA Bangkok New Consultant's Convention (18th to 20th January 2007) and that marked my first trip for 2007; Destination: Bangkok of course. Let me pat my own shoulder. Good job!
Well, it was free and easy. Good thing my room-mate was a seasoned traveller too and she's the adventurous type. So, I followed her lead. It's indeed a shopping haven here in Bangkok. I've come to accept the fact that I'm a lousy shopper. I am however an established window shopper. The other qualifiers shopped till they dropped and had to get new bags to bring their new things back home. I came with one bag and went home with the same bag.
That's my picture infront of the Reclining Buddha. I came home with a bad case of tonsilitis. Something must have disagreed with me in Bangkok. Maybe it's the tomyam. I had fever but was well enough to go to Aunty Zizah's birthday lunch at Victoria Station on Sunday, the day after I got back from Bangkok. Happy Birthday Aunty Zizah!
Sunday, January 14, 2007
My poor baby...
Just when you thought that you've hit rock bottom, something happened. I was feeling lousy this week; having some sniffles. It could be the weather nowadays. A couple of days later, Danial started to heat up. I thought he could have got it from me. I thought maybe a rest at home could fix it so I didn't send Danial to daycare on Monday. Tuesday, we discovered some spots on Danial's knees, elbows, toes and hands so we went to Dr. Chan after sending the car for servicing.
Dr. Chan confirmed that Danial has Hand, Foot and Mouth Desease though God knows how he could have got it in the first place. It could have been the daycare, it could have been the guests at Soosan's house where we went for lunch last Saturday, heck! it could have been me giving him all the smooches. So, no daycare for Danial for a week until the symptoms subside.
That means, no work for me for a week. How can I be thinking of work when my poor baby is uncomfortable. Dr. Chan did say that that the bumps are not itchy. It was horrible though. I felt sorry for Danial having to go through this. His Papa Tok says it's part of growing up.
Danial lost his appetite along the week due to the ulcers in his mouth. I gave him formula in the afternoon to supplement his lunch and gave him Gerber baby food. It took a lot of coaxing to get him to eat. He was making a mess with food too when he sneezes with his mouth full. He's cranky which really test my patience with him. But I'd rather be the one who handles him than anyone else in the world as if I can lose my patience with him, imagine what other people might do to him if they lost their.
However, the worst is over. He's recovering. His appetite is back. He's back to his cheeky self and naps well during the day. Hopefully, he'll be fully recovered by next week, good enough to go back to daycare and I can start working on my investors' portfolios. I have a lot of work overdue, it's not even funny.
Dr. Chan confirmed that Danial has Hand, Foot and Mouth Desease though God knows how he could have got it in the first place. It could have been the daycare, it could have been the guests at Soosan's house where we went for lunch last Saturday, heck! it could have been me giving him all the smooches. So, no daycare for Danial for a week until the symptoms subside.
That means, no work for me for a week. How can I be thinking of work when my poor baby is uncomfortable. Dr. Chan did say that that the bumps are not itchy. It was horrible though. I felt sorry for Danial having to go through this. His Papa Tok says it's part of growing up.
Danial lost his appetite along the week due to the ulcers in his mouth. I gave him formula in the afternoon to supplement his lunch and gave him Gerber baby food. It took a lot of coaxing to get him to eat. He was making a mess with food too when he sneezes with his mouth full. He's cranky which really test my patience with him. But I'd rather be the one who handles him than anyone else in the world as if I can lose my patience with him, imagine what other people might do to him if they lost their.
However, the worst is over. He's recovering. His appetite is back. He's back to his cheeky self and naps well during the day. Hopefully, he'll be fully recovered by next week, good enough to go back to daycare and I can start working on my investors' portfolios. I have a lot of work overdue, it's not even funny.
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