Hello Twenty13!

Its the first day of 2013. I can't believe the years have flown by so ever quickly. 3 years ago, my son was born in the first few days of 2010. This Friday, he'll be turning 3, Masyaallah. I still remember everything ever so clearly, being pushed on the wheelchair to the labour ward, crying my eyeballs out when the epidural was administered, giggling and napping (and puking - epidural side effects) through the last hour of my pain-free labour process =)

And in the next few days, Ilhan will be THREE. I haven't managed to update my blog in agesssss and sadly missed out documenting the three precious years of growing up. I remember before he was born, my BFF said she couldnt imagine life without her kids. Now I completely understand what she meant. I CANT imagine my life without my son. He's everything and so much more that I cld ever ask for!

But I did ask, kept asking God, for one thing. I prayed for another baby. And alhamdulillah, after many, many, many pregnancy test kits that turned out negative, last October 18th, it was positive =) I was in such shock I broke down the minute the 2nd line appeared (it took forever to appear I swear!). First thing I did (sorry hubs!) was to call the BFF who lives all the way in Indonesia. Sobbing, could barely speak, BFF was frantic. After a while, I finally managed to spit out 3 words "I'm preg nant!"

After I hung up the phone, I was much calmer and whatsapp-ed my husband the news =) 

The funny thing is, that morning, my body kind of sent me a 'signal'. It was going to be a busy day at work and I woke up, couldnt drag myself out of bed and wished I could just lay in bed all day. As I was rolling around in my bed, suddenly I felt some movement in my tummy, it felt similar to a baby kicking in your womb. That was weird. So weird. All day, all I could think of was "I need to take a pregnancy test." After work, I immediately got a test kit and the 2nd line didn't appear. Until like 5 hours later! Ok I'm kidding, probably about 3 minutes later. Damn you cheapo test kit.

I'm beyond happy and above all, incredibly grateful to Allah. Almost 16 weeks along, I pray my lil one will grow and develop healthily and beautifully for the next 5 months. Insyaallah, Ilhan will be an abang this year =)

Who Knew Enfalac Could Make Me Cry

So the inevitable happened... I had but no choice to introduce formula milk to baby Ilhan. I gave in to the dreaded formula milk because...

• I only have sufficient breastmilk to feed but not to express and store
• Therefore it was difficult when I had to work and leave Ihan with my in laws
• So I chose to only go places where I could bring Ilhan along for one whole month
• Until I could not continue avoiding places that I had to be without him
• I tried to prolong it until a week before he turned 6 months old
• and I was both relieved and utterly, truly, terribly distraught when he took his very first bottle so well

Not everyone will understand, but it was painful and I cried as I fed him his first bottle of formula. But thankfully, my BFF Intan told me its OK to cry. Its normal. She cried too... Sigh. Again, one of those things experienced moms wont share until queried.

Its been a week and so far, alhamdulillah Ilhan has been taking both forms of milk equally well. (And gosh, me thinks he has gained considerable weight ever since!)

Enfalac, you've had a big impact on me. But Ive learnt to accept you now, Im cool with you. Just dont take my baby away from me aight!

Halfway to Celebrating his 1st Birthday!

Ilhan turns 6 months today. Wow. WOW. My little baby boy has grown so much. Im proud to share that my lil McDreamy as of now can:

• Roll over. From left to right, right to left. Being on his belly is his favourite position now.
• Almost crawl. And backwards ;p One time I left him on the living room floor, quick visit to the kitchen, and when I came back, he was gone. GONE! I panicked for 5 seconds before I found him on his belly quietly watching the telly IN BETWEEN my sofa seats! 
• Sit up right with very little support.

Since Im at it, I just feel like chronicling Ilhan's developmental milestones....

• At 2 months old, he smiles ALOT and is expressive, he is able to hold his head up steadily, his hand/finger coordination improves and he can bring his thumb to his mouth after weeks of trying, very sensitive during senja, had his first cough (twas so bad tht the nebuliser was prescribed)
• 3 months - he smiles, giggles, laughs ALOT and is super expressive, able to lie on his belly and support his upper body with his arms, interest in toys increase and he drools like a leaking water pipe! He has a reflux problem which went away after a few weeks. I fix his bedtime at 9pm.
• 4 months - he learns how to roll over on his belly but still doesnt know how to roll over on his back ;) his interest in dangly colorful toys escalates and starts to reach out and grab them, he learns how to put his toes in mouth ;p He starts to show signs of teething.
• 5 months - he now has a stronger attachment to me, its hard to leave him behind or will only stop crying when he's in my arms. His curiosity intensifies, loves to hold out his hand and study faces ie korek my mouth and my eyeballs with his tiny fingers. His hair at the back of his head starts to thin a little (its normal i was told). He eyeballs our food! (ready to start on solids!). I introduce formula milk :( (i will write more about this in another post)

I feel sooo blessed that I get to witness Ilhan achieve each and every little milestone firsthand. I honestly cant wait for Ilhan to talk :) until then, many other little milestones to look forward to....

I Love you my lil McDreamy....

No One Told Me... Let Me Tell You!

Ya know, I am dead curious why mommies fail to mention this, not even a whisper. One important area that never got to see the light of day was the all important - breastfeeding issues. Hubby and I even attended an antenatal class just to equip ourselves with as much info as we possibly could absorb about the pregnancy, labour and parenting, and YET these issues were not brought up. How odd. And a waste of money. (antenatal classes are not very helpful and in my opinion just another way for someone to make a few bucks out of innocent parents!)

Anyhoot, the first few weeks of breastfeeding was challenging for me because:

1. The breast pump that I had was not right for me
Despite having one of the best electric breast pumps, it was so not right for me. In fact, the 'machine' tortured me like hell the first time I used it. Being the 1st time mommy that I was, I actually, for a moment, thought the torture was part and parcel of pumping! My problem - the 'fit' was not right. At all. So the lesson here is: give your pump a test run before baby arrives. It will save you a few tears. Pls note pumping is not supposed to be painful.

Contrary to popular belief, electric pumps arent always the best option. After THREE pumps, I found that the manual pump was the best for me. And its not such a hassle as I thought it'll be.

2. Milk ducts. Blocked. Painful. As hell.
Why the crap did noone mention this??? I was sooo scared and was panicking when it first happened. One day during my confinement, just after nursing Ilhan, I felt an area of my breast harden. Like stone. And it was hurting so bad. I honestly thought I was ill and something was very wrong with me. I called up a lactation consultant and was so relieved to know that my condition was common. COMMON? How come no mommy ever shared this with me?

Nevertheless I was taught to apply warm compress and massage hardened area to unplug those ducts. Massaging with a plastic comb works better. Yep. But for me they only help relieve the pain a little and only Ilhan can unplug it when I nurse him as often as possible on the breast with blocked ducts. And pls note, most likely the same milk ducts will be blocked over and over again for as long as you are lactating. It takes a few hours to 3 days to unplug a blocked duct. What causes them? Google for answer.

3. When your milk supply decreases, you feel sad
In my case, I was depressed and cried by myself at night when Im alone nursing Ilhan. Now I know what menopausal women go thru! A wave of sadness overcomes you. For me, I was sad because I felt I was a failure - failing in providing my son with the one thing he needs most to develop and grow healthily. Yes, there's formula milk, but its not the same, especially for moms like me who cherish the bonding effects of breastfeeding. And its even sadder when certain people dont understand why I was sad and why substituting breastmilk with formula milk is not the answer for me.

But all hope was not lost, which leads to point number 4....

4. There are ways, MANY ways to increase milk supply!
Thank you Nasaruddin sisters!!!! I am forever grateful to them :) These very well-informed sisters shared with me the mannnnnyyy ways you can increase  milk production. There are supplements, jamus, teas and foods you can take to increase milk supply. I tried a jamu - jamu ASI, and it worked! And I only had to take it once to see results. To think I almost gave in to formula milk!

So when I bring these issues up with friends and experienced mommies, generally I get the same response.... "Ohhhh yessss, it happens."

Ya rabbi, why la you didnt tell me.... ;p

Ilhan Lights up My Life in a Million Ways...

But let me share with you 20...

1. The 1st thing he does when he wakes up in the morning is flash me a big smile :)
2. He lets out a hearty chuckle at ALL my attempts to make him laugh, no matter how lame.
3. He farts. Alot. And so loudly. Its soo funny!
4. He pouts and pouts and he is so good at it!
5. He looks at me like Im the most beautiful thing he has ever seen, in the morning (when I look the crappiest) and even when I dont have a smudge of make up on.
6. He steals a loving look at me now and then when Im nursing him.
7. He tries to sing along when I sing to him. Too adorable.
8. And when I sing, he smiles and enjoys it so much I think I might actually be a GOOD singer. Haha.
9. When he poops, its a major event. His pooping face is priceless!

10. He understands how the camera works. He loves and poses for the camera whenever he is in the mood and when he is not he'll just look away.
11. Whenever he is grumpy or in a raging mood (ie screaming at the top of his lungs), all he wants is Mommy - me! Mommy feels soo loved, appreciated and wanted :)
12. He is such a happy baby he smiles at every tom, dick and harry.
13. Listening him cooing gibberish is absolutely precious.
14. Its so nice to cuddle up with him on the bed at bedtime. So precious....
15. Its so nice when he hugs me and lay his tiny lil head on my shoulders when I carry him.
16. Its so fulfilling to see him grow and achieving little developmental milestones everyday.
17. Its lovely to see him light up his Tok's serious face and bring out the kid in Tok :)
18. Its lovely to see him light up his Daddy's face everyday when Daddy comes home from work.
19. No matter what Ive done, what Ive achieved or what I may have failed, he still looks at me with alot of love.
20. Sometimes when Im feeling low or just lost, all Ilhan needs to do is flash me his big toothless smile :) and it works every single time...

Mommy loves you to bits lil Ilhan :)

What's In A Name?

It's been ages since my last post, and there's just sooooo much I wna share I dunno where to begin. Since my baby was born, every time I tell someone my baby's name - Ilhan Moris, I receive about the same response - "wow, mat salleh nya!". So let me start updating my blog by sharing with you that it is definitely not because I perasan mat salleh nor is it because he has mat salleh blood ;p

Moris is actually my mother in law's late father, which makes him my husband's grandfather, and my son's great grandfather. Despite having a very mat salleh name, Datok, as he was fondly called by his cucus, was 100% Malay. Based on his choice of name, Datok's father must be one heck of a cool person!

When my husband introduced me to his family, I found out what a unique surname his mom and her siblings had. It sounded so cool to me...  Nora Moris, Ami Moris, Kay Moris, Faridah Moris :)

Even before we knew the sex of our child, I told Hanif that I would like to name our child after his grandfather, if it was a boy. Not merely because it was a cool name to me, it was also because of all the stories Ive heard about Datok. Datok, I gathered, was an amazing person.

And since we were honouring Hanif's late grandfather, I thought hey, let's honour my late grand father too :) His name was Yeop Adlan. So it was agreed tht if it was a boy, we would name him Adlan Moris. Perfect!

But one fine day, Hanif had a 'bright' idea - we shld include his paternal grandfather's name too!

All I had to do was insist tht we include my maternal grandfather's name to get Hanif change his mind as quickly as he came up with his bright idea. Phew... Otherwise my child's name could have been............ Adlan Hashim Cheah Moris :p

In the end we compromised and chose to stick with just Moris as our kid's 2nd name. (We figured we cld always name our other kids after our late grandfathers.)

And Ive always liked Ilhan. When Hanif came home one day suggesting that name after a string of totally uncool names (like Hamzah. Hellooo... Im not giving birth to an old man. No offense Liza/Linda/Lena) I quickly agreed. Ilhan means precious.

So there, the story behind our son's unique name :) phewwhhh.

The Bun Popped Out of the Oven!

On 4th January 2010 at 8.29am, God sent me a little piece of heaven... an angel... my angel... my son....

My son will be exactly one month old tmrw. Everyday I look at him and I still cant believe this tiny little being with super tiny toes and fingers, came from me.

Actually the thought of him squeezing his way out from me is rather scary. How in the world was that even possible? God is great. He made humans so clever they created..... the epidural.

And thanks to dear 'happy-dural', my labour experience was just how I had hoped it wld be - memorable and most importantly, pain free :)

Everything happened so quickly that Monday morning. But 1st, on Sunday evening....

7.00pm Hubby & I took our own sweet time to drive to Pantai Hospital for a chk up. I had light spottings since Saturday, but wasnt alarmed until my mom in law insisted I get myself checked by my ob/gyn.

7.30pm Nurse wheeled me from the emergency room to the maternity ward. In my mind,"Is this really necessary?" Nurse insists its hospital's procedure after I politely declined to hop onto the wheelchair.

8.00pm Nurses at maternity ward 'inspected' me and said I was not in labour therefore free to leave.. after my ob/gyn's thorough inspection.

9.00pm Ob/gyn arrived, 'inspected' and announced "You are in labour my dear, 2 cm dilated." WHAT???

9.30pm Mean ob/gyn popped my membranes (water bag) with a frightening looking apparatus that is bigger that the thong u use at a BBQ. It was PAINLESS. I sobbed anyways.

12.00am Drip and epidural administered, not after a bout of frantic crying and sobbing. Ive a fear of needles, big time. Do you know how long the epidural needle is? I dont. Hubby says its insanely long and huge.

Funny story: Anesthesist tried to calm me down by saying,"No needles yet girl, no needles..." and at the exact same moment I felt a needle puncturing my spine.

6.30am Nurse inspects me. Ive fully dilated.

7.00am A cheering squad comprising 2 - 4 nurses and my husband screamed,"PUSHHHHHHHHHHH.... very good... PUSHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Because I was completely numb from waist down, I had no idea what I was pushing but I gave 150% at every push anyways. The head nurse/cheer captain reassured me I was doin a good job.

8.00am My ob/gyn arrived. She cld see the baby's head crowning. I pushed one more time and then...

8.29am My son was born....

Welcome to this world... little Ilhan Moris....

Sweet (and Fat) Memories of My 1st Pregnancy Sealed...

.... through a super fun maternity photoshoot hubby arranged as a surprise :)

During this pregnancy, I was constantly surfing the internet - eager to equip myself with every possible baby & parenting knowledge possible. Whilst 'studying', I also snuck a peek at dozens of beautiful portraits of moms-to-be. The photos were so beautifully and artfully taken.. the memories of their beautiful bellies sealed forever in photos. And naturally, I was quietly wishing I could do the same :)

Unknowingly, hubby actually took notice....

And so it was arranged on one breezy and sunny Saturday afternoon and I was beyond excited about the maternity shoot! The shoot was done by the same group of photogs who covered our wedding reception. Thanks Aiza & An (of TheLittleBigShots) for the beautiful photos.

Here are a few shots to share (out of 700!).

Love, thank you for this little surprise :) *hugs*

Baby Shower #2

To be honest, I never expected anyone to throw me a baby shower. What more two.. It cld have been THREE if not for hubby's intervention!

Ida & Sumayya, I know about the 'secret' shower you guys were planning ;p You both are so sweet... When Hanif broke the 'secret', I was super touched. I really really appreciate the thought babes :)

I feel so blessed for having thoughtful friends like Sumayya & Ida. And even more so for having a friend like one Intan Juliana. I LOVE this woman to bits! This particular BFF of mine resides alllllllllllllll the way in Bandung with her beautiful family and yet, took the initiative to organise a breathtakingly beautiful baby shower with the help of another super creative, close friend of mine, Annie.

When these two ladies combine, THIS materialised.....

 Annie spent the entire night before, 'baking' this diaper cake using a step by step guide off the internet! I love it and will not even dream of dismantling it Babe! It's gonna be a permanent fixture in my baby's room :)

Mommy2b's special dining setting!

My superfriends ~ Intan & Annie. Yes, the host and co-host didnt observe the theme cos they were very busy putting the shower together ;p

It was a beautiful, Christmas-y blue+green+white themed shower....


With my lovely girlfriends :)

My girlfriends brought lovely gifts and I appreciate and love each and everyone of them. Thank you so much for putting so much thought into each gift. Hanif is equally overwhelmed (and having a fun time messing about his son's new toys!).

I also had a surprise guest, a shocking surprise, when my cousin - Hanum who lives in London showed up! I wld have probably fallen off my chair when Hanum showed up at the shower if Cik Intan Juliana did not 'accidentally' blurt out this piece of info earlier that day. But I WAS 150% totally shocked when Intan accidentally blabbed that Hanum was attending the shower. So when I finally saw Hanum, I had to put up an award-winning performance, which she did not fall for at all, haha. It was that bad eyy Hanum ;p But thank you so much for being part of the shower, I really really really am so happy that you were there.

Thank you Annie for designing and personalising the whole party for me ~ I love each and every one of them!! We should start a party planning company together! Thanks for inviting 'professional photog' aka Raflis too... My guests kagum kejap, haha....

Raf, thanks for capturing beautiful moments of my shower :)

Thanks to everyone of you ~ Liza, Linda, Wani, Suzie, She, Jaja, Tsar, Ida, Shue, Hayza, Aya and Lil Sarah and Lil Qalisha ~ who crawled thru the horrible traffic jam leading to I Utama, who circled the parking area a gazzillion times from the new wing to the old wing to find a parking spot, who marched all the way from the old wing to the new wing in HIGH heels ~ just to attend my lil shower.

And again, lastly but definitely not the least, THANK YOU Intan for organising a beautiful shower for me and for being a great friend... A truly wonderful friend... She did not only took care of the shower, she brought soo many gifts for my baby! Siap dgn jamu, minyak and cream baby Indo-mali, haha. I am so blessed :) Lap u lots Babes, muah!

Baby Shower #1

Baby Shower Commitee
She had a tough time finding a date but pulled it all beautifully together aka Chief Organiser: Neena Zaid
Decorating and diaper cake pro aka Creative Director: Didie Zubir

Baby Shower Guests
My favourite girls from Media Prima aka 2-Legged Guests: Shai, Anne, Miya, Nani, Crystal, Cheryl & Juju (Juju, you're Azrin's wife, so that makes you part of Media Prima lah)
Adorable offsprings of a few of my 2-legged guests aka Mini Guests: Ilhan, Ilyas & Rakim
Everyone's favourite kitty aka Special 4-Legged Guest: Orange the Kitten
One & only thorn amongst the roses aka Bapak Ilhan & Ilyas: Azrin ;)

Baby Shower Details
Date: December 11, 2009
Venue: Bianco, Damansara Perdana
Theme: Stripey-pipey people
Food: Italian. And lotsa yummy long, stringy candy I've not seen or had in my life!

Mommy2B says....

• Thank you Neena for organising such a sweet baby shower for me and my baby! I swear I feel super touched from the day the 'secret baby shower' was accidentally revealed sampai lah hari ni, terharu tak sudah. U r a sweetheart! Thank you for all the effort, I appreciate it so much!


• Thank you Didie for injecting creative ideas to the shower and for 'sponsoring' the prizes for the games ;) You have to take me to the place you found all the stuff for the shower! Ke-creative-an anda tak dapat disangkal lagi :)


• Thank you Anne for adding a twinkle touch to the welcome table (kan? hehe). Again, you look pretty from any angle!


• Thank you Miya & Neena for blindfolding me and walking me all the way to Bianco dgn selamat! Ive never been blindfolded before. Pandai korang kelentong ek!


• Thank you Shai for the snuggle nest! My hubby especially is so happy with your gift (he's the one who's been eyeing that baby item!)


• Thank you Nani, Miya, Crystal & Anne for the cool, handmade card! And for the rockin' diaper cake set with baby blue rattlers, teether, pacifier, pacifier clip, bottle and blankie. We love it!


• Thank you Cheryl for the musical mobile, its so sweet :) My heart just melted when I first heard the lullaby from the mobile...


• Thank you Juju & Azrin for the cool storage organiser. Looking for the right spot to hang it! Thank you both also for all the tips and advice you shared with me about parenthood :)


• Thank you Neena for the super cute, super complete bedding set! Sangatlah comel! My baby now has 3 sets of pillows, yei.


• Thank you Didie in advance for the USA-mari gift :) whatever it is, Im sure I'll love it!


• Thank you Nani for capturing beautiful pictures of my shower. I love every shot!


• Thank you Rakim, Ilhan & Ilyas for all your aksi acrobat dan comel :)


• Thanks Orange for dropping by my sweet shower - your adorable presence was a present for me!
  
• Much love for all of you :)

A Prayer

Bismillahhirrahmannirahim...

Dear God,

The past eight months have been alhamdulillah, an amazing experience for me. I have enjoyed and still enjoying every baby kick, every ultrasound scan, every loving gesture from hubby, all the attention and concern of family and friends and even every kind gesture from strangers.

Thank you for blessing me with good health and a complication-free pregnancy - making my first experience quite a breeze for me and my husband. Thank you for protecting my unborn child from complications, for allowing him to grow and develop safely, steadily and healthily within my womb.

May you bless our first born with kindness, intelligence, wisdom and compassion. I pray he will grow up to be a loving, caring, hardworking, thoughtful, respectful, generous, well-mannered, talented and a handsome young gentleman :)

And God, I know I'm asking for alot, but may I add - I pray that the labour process will be quick and complication-free (pain-free too, can?). Annnnnd please help my dear husband to be emotionally and mentally prepared and strong throughout the birthing process. Yes, he insist he's game for it. But I'm not sure if he really really really knows what's in store for him in the labour room when the time comes...

Ultimately, I pray that Hanif & I will be able to nurture and raise our child to the best of our abilities whilst lending each other loving support and encouragement every day, along the way...

Amin.

One of my favourite, meaningful songs, enjoy...

The 3rd Trimester Saga: Part Deux

The last trimester of my pregnancy has been the most challenging. Let me share with you why....

1. U can forget about sashaying across the room or around malls. I now waddle waddle waddle around. Much like a penguin ;) I've been trying to avoid the waddling gait for as long as I could but when you're carrying a 2 kg baby in your tummy and additional 12 kgs of fluids and fat and God knows what else, it's the only way to strut ;p
2. Again because of the extra kilos I'm carrying, my backache has become increasingly intense. Feels like my back's gonna break sometimes... Despite all the spa sessions and bidan visits, no massage or 'miracle' oils can ease the pain.
3. Because my baby has placed himself in the birthing position, all the pressure has introduced new soreness and discomfort around the groin and pelvic area. This means: shifting from left to right or vice versa when you're trying to sleep is rather... difficult. OK -painful.
4. As mentioned before, my feet has swollen so much I can't fit into any of my shoes. And I can't be bothered to buy new ones cos its 4-6 weeks before I deliver, after which my feet will go back to its normal size (i HOPE!).
5. I've developed pregnancy-induced rashes on my feet and hands. Yikes. So itchy man.....
6. My nose is red and kembang. Why laaa.....? My sister said my nose situation is not as bad as hers. Haha. Yes, I remember your extremely kembang nose Kakak!



My Rudolf Red Nose ;) With Dura at her Hen Nite Party last Dec 5th


7. My skin produces enough oil daily to fry an egg. Thus face always looks oily no matter how much loose powder I cover my skin with. People keep telling me I'm a glowing mommy2b. Must be all the oil ;p
8. Because of the excessive oil production, my skin breaks out oh so horribly. I miss my blemish/pimple/problem-free pre-pregnancy skin. See you again after I give birth?

The 3rd Trimester Saga

Who would have thought, time flies when you're pregnant. I feel that it was just a couple of months ago I watched my test stick flash 2 lines before my eyes - and now I'm 33 weeks along and at least 3 weeks before I POP!

According to my ob/gyn's calculation, I'm expected to deliver on January 23. Earlier, I actually believed that I might deliver later than that, cos it seemed like a trend amongst new mommies to be overdue lately. But my gut instinct changed after my bout with excruciating pelvic pain a few weeks ago. The pain was too much for me to handle so much so I had to miss my final gig on WHI before I go on maternity leave (sedih...).

Hanif took me to see my ob/gyn that very day and was slapped with a RM150 medical bill only to discover all I needed was Panadol! According to my doc, my baby's head was comfortably resting on my left pelvis which contributed to the pain. Baby is on his way to put himself in his birthing position! Doc also added,"Kepala baby besar...." Haha.

Well Panadol did not work at all, so I endured the pain up to a point I've become numb to the feeling. A number of my friends who shared the same experience told me it's a sign that I might deliver earlier than expected - some as early as 36 weeks. Hmm... if I do deliver at 36 weeks, it'll be Xmas day! Honestly, I'm rather excited about that thought cos 1. I really can't wait to see my son :), 2. my darling BFF Intan will be back from Bandung then, 3. my super excited bro-in-law Hafiz will be back from UK then (he's been bugging me to pop before he returns to the UK in Jan), 4. my son will be the best Xmas present I've ever had!

There are other telling signs that are making me believe I might be delivering early:

1. My feet has swollen beyond recognition. They have increased a size or two - I can't fit into any of my pretty shoes. It now looks either like 1. I've pumped air into each of my foot in hopes that these 'balloons' will help me float up to the sky or 2. I swapped my feet with the marshmallow man. My sister told me when her feet ballooned up like mine, she gave birth soon after that.
2. I experience Braxton-Hicks contractions every now and then. It takes me by surprise every single time, stops me in my tracks so abruptly that sometimes strangers almost crash behind me at malls ;)
3. The pressure on my pelvic floor muscles is quite intense. Feels like my baby can't wait to make his grand entrance!

So, let's just wait and see when this baby decides when he'd like to finally see the world.... see me, his mommy :)

My son sucking his thumb.. Can you see??

A Weekend of Boat Rides & Black Outs

Most of my friends and family members thought I was crazy when I told them I was accompanying Hanif to Sabah on a business trip - when I'm already 8 months along! Well, 1. I don't fancy the idea of being apart from Hanif for 3 days (yes, even for THREE days), 2. I've had a pretty healthy pregnancy so far alhamdulillah and 3. the resort Hanif was booked in looked way too gorgeous for me to miss !

We left for Kota Kinabalu on Raya Haji itself. At the airport, I was waiting for an airline staff to request for my doctor's certificate (proclaiming that I was fit to travel). Strangely, not a single airline staff queried about the state of my pregnancy, bringing me to a conclusion - they must think I'm just fat! Mind you - I'm EIGHT months along! And when I was very very sure of my 'fat' assumption, an airline crew finally noticed my burgeoning belly just before we boarded the plane and requested for my doc's letter. So, I DO look pregnant. To a FEW people.

When we arrived in KK, we were quickly whisked to the jetty where we were to board a speed boat to get to Gaya Island where the resort is. Hanif was more nervous about the boat ride than I was - he had his hand on my belly, just in case ;p But thankfully, the boat ride was a smooth one. Well done my lil one - we survived a 2-hour plane and 20-minute boat ride!

The Bunga Raya Resort, which just opened its doors last August, is indeed beautiful. And our beachfront villa, just lovely, and aptly named - The Sweetheart :) But despite being a 5-star resort, imagine my horror when my villa blacked out the 1st night - and I was all alone! I swear I just froze and stood on the same spot for a good 5 minutes - figuring out what I should or CAN do in pitch darkness. I wanted to call Hanif, someone, anyone! But I couldn't remember where I placed my handphone. But then again, that will be a futile effort cos did I mention that the island is so remote that there is NO telco coverage! So I 'raba' my way to the room's phone, and had to figure out where the hell the '0' button I needed to dial to connect myself to the reception. Took me two attempts. Not bad.. Mind you it had a million buttons on it! Just FYI, the black out lasted for about 10-15mins. AND was a recurring event - no less than 3 times throughout our 3 day stay there... sigh...

Keeping one eye shut to the resort's unstable power supply (and food.. gosh the food... ), everything else was great - I had the best massage Ive ever experienced at their spa (kudos to their masseuse) and the resort's staff were helpful, efficient and friendly. Obviously, the resort also took note of guests from the CIMB group who came accompanied by their spouse or family. Fully aware that Hanif left early in the morning for his full-day meeting, the observant resort staff left a nice basket of muffins and orange juice, just for me out on my balcony. Then after a hearty breakfast, they whisked all of us (who were not there for work) to its sister resort to check out the beach, the view and its eco marine park. Nice...

Ive not taken alot of pictures lately and I had not realised how BIG I've grown! After taking a few shots around the island, I must say - Gosh, Im HUGE. My feet, my arms (!!!) and my cheeks... sigh. Hanif says I'm not. He's just being nice ;p

Anyhoot, my lil one behaved very well throughout our stay. Good boy... But this will be the last of holidays before I pop as I'm quickly approaching my delivery date. Also, I've got a feeling that I might be delivering earlier than expected... Xmas perhaps? Well, that's another blog post :)

It's time to say Goodbye

I'm 25 weeks along into my pregnancy and it's been quite a journey. But from all of my experiences throughout this significant phase of my life so far, surprisingly its not the monster appetite Ive developed from this pregnancy, nor is the amusing changes my body is going through that has affected me to the core.

Within this precious 6 months, I've come to understand that friendships are not forever, even if you are the BFF of all BFFs, even when you've shared your entire teenage/college years together maneuvering our way around our parents (translation: occasional lying), sweating it out at exams, bickering about boyfriends, bitching about girlfriends, having the time of our lives, discovering life....

Within the span of my pregnancy so far, I've had to let go - no, lost - a friend. Or two. Of my dearest, closest friends. I owe this to the entirely different paradigms of life each of us are at this present moment. While I'm carefully harvesting this precious being within me which will make its way into this world next year, my dearest friends are respectively busy with her newfound purpose in life and the other is still figuring out, or shall I say fighting for her 'happily ever after'. I don't see why we can't all still be in each other's lives despite the differences in environment, and in opinions. I know I can...

I miss both of them, truly. And it breaks my heart to decide that I do not want both of them in my life at all anymore. I can't bear to continue being upset, sad or disappointed at your choices of action when it comes to our friendship. I have a lil boy on the way, and I don't need both of you to take that joy away from me.

Friends warned me that when you have a child, your world changes entirely and it will never be the same again. This is very true, only that I didn't have to wait for my baby to be born before my life started to change. I will probably be losing two of the funnest, funniest and craziest friends, but I bet my life on it that everything will be even more amazing and meaningful when my son arrives...

To both of my former friends, all the best in your future endeavors, may God bless both of you with what you've been in search of all these while.

Oral-B... dgn 7 manfaat pergigian...

Yep, that was the tagline I had to repeat, over and over and over again......

Nevertheless, the 2-day Oral-B Cross Action Pro Health 30 sec capsule and WHI sponsored segment shoot was a great experience! Shoot was done before and during the fasting month at 2 separate locations.

Truly enjoyed working with the entire crew and loved my make up artist - Coco, who made my skin look flawless (when its sooo not at the mo!) and my Chinese eyes, for once, not disappear into 2 unflattering narrow lines ;)

You may catch the 30 sec Oral-B capsule on TV3, ntv7, 8TV and TV9 from Oct 1 onwards :)

A warm & big THANK YOU to my dear producers and Oral-B for the opportunity and priceless experience!

Day 1 - 30 sec capsule shoot

Coco, she looks like Ayumi Hamasaki doesnt she?

Day 2 of shoot during the fasting month

Ingat, bukan satu tapi tujuh manfaat pergigian! ;p

In the holy month of Ramadan....

1. I started to feel my lil one's movements

It started off as gentle flutters, just like how experienced mommies described it to me - like butterflies fluttering about your belly :) I was initially quite nervous to experience my baby's 1st movements cause I couldn't imagine how it would be. When it first started, I was at TV3 getting ready for an episode of WHI. I wasn't sure what it was initially cause you could actually confuse it with... well, gas ( ;p ) but when it happened more frequently, I knew it was my lil one wriggling around. Baby's gentle wriggling has now turned into stronger nudges which can catch me by surprise sometimes. To describe it more accurately, it feels like short but rapid drumming in my tummy ;p

2. They say God blesses expectant parents with alot of rezeki...

Which is soo true! Hanif is doing well, alhamdulillah... And after my Oral-B gig, I received another TVC offer. This time it was from Taj Mahal Rice. The shoot was fun, quick and simple - done during the fasting month but I'm not complaining. I was paid a handsome fee :)

Kiddin around during the shoot ;)

3. I managed to fast the entire month...

Save for the 3 days I had a full-day shoot ;p I'm rather proud of myself as I think it's quite an achievement considering I was super reluctant to fast at all initially. Thanks to Hanif's ugutan ( - he ugut kalau nak raya kat Ipoh kena puasa!) I attempted to fast and found that it was not as hard as I thought it would be. It was actually a breeze! Although I was worried that it might effect my baby, I fasted anyways as so many experienced moms said it was certainly OK to fast. And they were right :)

4. We found out we are expecting a BOY!

Yes! and my baby's 'boyhood' was so obvious the moment my OB/GYN scanned my belly, way to go my boy! Haha. Hanif and I giggled and laughed the entire session, we were so amused with our son. He had his legs spread wide open for all the world to see! So damn cute! But kesian my parents, this will be their fourth grandson. Perhaps my sister can contribute a granddaughter for them, mehehe *wink wink wink* My in-laws are thrilled regardless of the baby's sex as this will be the their 1st grandchild and Hanif's grandmother's 1st great-grandchild! How cool is that? After analysing my baby's scan, my smart brother said,"It could be a finger he stuck in between his legs!"

Can you see his 'boyhood'? :)

Mommy & Daddy Went to Paradise....

.... for 4 days, lil one. It was your first ever plane ride :)

We've both been to Bali before but our 2nd trip there was extra special because you accompanied us to this enchanting island. Just to share with you lil one, while Daddy was snoozing all the way to the airport, Mommy quietly prayed that our holiday will be perfect - a happy, beautiful and joyful one. I said my prayers whilst watching the dark sky slowly painting itself a lovely shade of yellow and orange. I couldn't help but smile all the way to the airport...

The villa's supir was patiently waiting and waving a large signboard with Mommy's name on it at the arrival gate, somehow only Aunty Suzie caught sight of it ;p And when we reached our villa, Mommy was not dissapointed at all. In fact Mommy was sooo excited to be there because it surpassed anything and everything that I imagined it would be!

All in all lil one, Mommy believe Mommy's prayers were answered because it was indeed one of the best holidays I've been on.... I can't wait for you to be born and take you on holidays with us...

You were about 16 weeks, lil one. And this is how big Mommy's belly was at this stage. Cute kan ;)

Mommy & Daddy jiwang kejap watching the sunset near Ku De Ta....

Mommy took this photo to remind myself how I look like when I was carrying you this far along :)

Daddy flashing a very rare wide smile (cos he doesnt like to take photographs, tapi beria nak beli digital photo frame...)

With mommy's good friends - Aunty Suzie and Uncle Aen at Kintamani. Be very nice to them and they will shower you with lots of designer stuff ;D

Daddy says he will make a pool like this for you to swim in, kan Daddy????? Mehehehe. Mommy not asking for much, just a lil villa like this, that's all ;)

Yoga-ta believe me....

.... yoga is absolutely fabulous, even when you're preggers :)

I haven't fully utilised my yoga mat ever since Yoga Zone unceremoniously 'shut down' last year. Now that I'm expecting, it was such a great excuse to start yoga again! After patiently waiting for my 1st trimester to pass, I happily enrolled myself at BeYoga.

Although there are a few yoga studios much closer to where I live, I INSIST on BeYoga because of one Ms Ninie Ahmad. Ninie is a good friend of mine and also one of my greatest life inspirations. The instructors at Be, besides Ninie are also a few of the very best in town. So... how can I NOT drive allllll the way to Damansara Perdana just to twist and bend myself into a healthy mommy-to-be :)

I've been enjoying my pre-natal yoga classes with other fellow mommies-to-be every Wednesday and Sunday. I fold, stretch and bend into various pregger-safe yoga positions because I believe I should do all that I can to keep my body healthy for my baby. Also, I hope delivery will be a breeze if I excercise enough, hehe. Oh and I pray that my body will (pleeeeeeeasssssse) bounce back into shape after my delivery. As quickly as one Ms Jessica Alba (she swears it was because of yoga!).

Happiness Rushing Through My Veins :)

Soo many reasons to be happy... Let me count my blessings...

1. I feel incredibly lucky to be able to quit my full-time job and focus all my time on things and activities I enjoy :)
2. I love that I don't have to peer down my bedroom window every morning and be envious of those having a relaxing early morning swim/dip :)
3. I love being able to stay at home and catch Oprah on the Hallmark channel every morning after my husband leaves for work.
4. I love meeting friends over lunch and never have to rush back to the office!
5. I love strolling around Ikea. On a weekday. During office hours. I guess all the women I see at Ikea during this period are as lucky as I am :)
6. I love my job as a presenter :D Check in at 9am and check out by 1pm. Bliss...
7. I love that I don't have to hate Mondays anymore.
8. I love adding baby items to my 'wish list' on Amazon.com. They have amazing baby stuff!
9. I love that I'm not experiencing any morning sickness (so far!). Pregnancy has been quite a breeze... ;)
10. I love being in my 2nd trimester! I've never felt happier! My energy's back. My appetite is back to normal.
11. I love seeing people's reaction when they find out I'm expecting :)
12. I love reading my husband's blog about being a daddy-to-be. Never fails to bring a tear to my eye each time I read it.
13. I love that I can throw a tantrum and hubby understands it's them crazy hormones! He knows exactly how to handle me :)
14. I enjoy predicting my baby's sex from all sorts of quizzes, charts and old wive's tales. Although, we'll find out next month, I just cannot wait!
15. I enjoy all the extra hugs and cuddles I get from my hubby at bedtime. (We used to playfully fight who should get the last hug before we drift to sleep, but now, Mummy wins ;) )
16. I enjoy imagining my baby's silhoutte in my tummy.
17. I enjoy imagining the moments when I first set eyes on my first child.
18. I love seeing Hanif coo-ing to our child in my tummy.
19. I LOVE THAT I'M BLESSED WITH A HUSBAND WHO MADE ALL OF THE ABOVE POSSIBLE :)
20. Finally, I feel blessed that Hanif & I murah rezeki. Syukur Alhamdulillah... May Allah bless all of you with love and happiness :)