A Life Less Ordinary

Hijrah

2011-09-21T18:18:00.001+08:00

Those who followed me on twitter and FB should've known by now.
Alhamdulillah. Allah loves me & gave me the best Ramadhan ever.
I'm utterly impressed with the change that I've seen in skuirtgun and it really is little thing that matters.

On my birthday I prayed and wished that Allah will guide me to be a good Muslim.
After my dearest wished me Happy Birthday we both cried in each other arms and told him,
"I will not ask anything as a birthday present as the changes I've seen in you is truly a blessing and all I ever wanted. From today on I want to be a better Muslim and I hope I'll have your support throughout,"

At 31,birthday present is not something I look forward to. I'm truly blessed with a happy family. Happiness is more precious than anything. He kept apologizing that my birthday present will be arriving late. So I told him,it doesn't matter. All his love for me all these years is the best gift ever. Sheesh why there's tears on the corner of my eye while typing this ;P

A week after raya,the day finally arrived, my precious Redmoon handbag. If you know me and him,you'd know why Redmoon,why not Mulberry,Birkin (haha for real?)or Chanel. Because, that is so not me.

I had THE best celebration with the family and THE best raya. Alhamdulillah

Ramadhan Kareem

2011-08-04T16:30:00.038+08:00

Alhamdulillah, it has been 4 successful days for all three of us. I'm quite amazed on how strong-willed Aresha can be this time around. Less dramatic than last year (read: waking up for sahur) but she managed to pull it off like an adult. She actually eats and drinks less than us to survive till dawn. Wonder how did she gets the energy to go for both schools.

We decided to do it like 2009, just a kurma,drinks & kuih before solat,saving carbs for after. Eating everything in one sitting is a no,no. We didn't lose weight at all last year. Time for a change and also a challenge to create low carb menu.

So nice to feel lighter and being able to do other things including tarawikh when you're not stuffing yourself silly like previous years :)

Sweet dreams are made of these

2011-08-04T07:10:00.001+08:00

ETA December 2011.
His dream. My dream. Our dreams will be coming true end of the year,insyaAllah.
One is expected while I can't really speak for the other as we barely made any preparations for it!
Alhamdulillah,for new adventure/chapter/challenge,in a blink of an eye,we'll be ushering 2012. Bring it on!

El Mexicana!

2011-08-03T16:29:00.001+08:00

I love Mexican food esp anything with tortilla and nachos. Loving the mojito recipe, just omit rum to make it virgin ;)

mojitos, chips, and salsa from rachelchew on Vimeo.

Retro cycle

2011-05-30T15:31:00.001+08:00

Us,way back when ;)

Attack!

2011-04-20T08:03:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah we've successfully reached targeted weight loss in just 3 days. He lost 2kg while I managed to lose 1kg from Pure Protein(PP) diet. PP means just lean meat/poultry/fish/seafood. We had rosemary chicken fillet, steak(thin cheap piece of beef) and balsamic grilled chicken thigh for dinner. AND not to forget 1 1/2 tablespoons of oat bran eaten with plain fat-free yoghurt and for those who can't, sprinkle 'em on your omelette,the way Skuirtgun likes it ;) I've just learnt that it's okay to have it with your favorite fruit flavored fat-free yoghurt(Dukan approved) as long as it's just a small tub a day.
It wasn't easy for me as I'm used to early morning orange juice,fruits & chocolates for snacks,pancakes for tea,well you get the idea. I was literally weak from lack of sugar which quickly subsides on the 3rd day.
On the 2nd day,had to go fill the fridge with more protein and resist on Kenny Rogers sidelines for lunch,only to find myself hungry again after supermarket check-out. Chuka lidako and sashimi never tasted that good though I have to admit, I'm drooling over Zara's sushi which she gobbled up like a pro! ;P
I've promised Juxy et Yani pictures and recipes from my Dukan experience. Guess you girls gotta wait longer as I'm yet to compile those pictures and post it soon k?

Dukan Day 1

2011-04-12T01:34:00.000+08:00

We decided to start Dukan diet today. Check out http://www.dukandiet.com.

What's on the menu today;
Breakfast- omelette + no sugar added orange juice

Lunch- Pari bakar for me and grilled salmon for him

Dinner-Grilled rosemary chicken and fennel shrimp
Oat bran pancake and sprinkled oat bran on fat-free yoghurt for dessert.

Like any diet,we're encouraged to drink at least 1.5litre water and allowed to drink no sugar coffee/tea/diet Coke.

It's okay to have dairy intake such as skimmed milk and no fat cheese

In this attack phase, you should lose at least 1kg in 3 days. Amazing isn't it?

Skatefun

2011-04-12T01:25:00.001+08:00

So we've been skating for a month now and kinda addicted to it. Woke up real early on weekends just to have Putrajaya Challenge Skatepark all for ourselves. We're no pro yet so it's kinda embarrasing to skate in the bowl and pool when there's so many good skaters flock the park in the evenings. Spotted Joe Ipoh and Pa'Din once. Also I do realized the guys are watching me because ,errm I'm a girl?
Aresha now skates with us and from sharing a deck we have 5 decks including a longboard. Thing is I need to master some skills before going on longboard. It's really really nice to sweat that much,soaked our tees for hours and go home feeling oh-so-good!
Gone are the days where weekends spent lazying around and going from malls to malls. We didn't miss that at all. In fact our kids love it as well.
Since last week,we woke up as early at 6.30am on Sunday/Saturday and started skating by 8.00am! It's gonna be a routine from now on. We even plan to skate in Bali in June. Globe skatepark looks awesome!

Reblog

2011-03-01T12:34:00.002+08:00

I must admit I've stopped blogging since discovering twitter. Been a tweety bird,very chirpy one hence not updating anything since last year!
Can't believe it's March already and so much happened the last two months.
Highlight of 2011 so far would be Laneway aka Rainway Fest in Singapore on 29th January where we were soaking wet almost all thru the night but all worth it as we get to see Beach House (Victoria,you rock!),Deerhunter, Holy Fuck! (who claimed themselves as Broken Social Scene),Foals (trés awesome!) and the reason why we stood there shivering The Temper Trap!

I got goosebumps from Dougy Mandagi's falsetos. Feeling so foolish to realize that it was their last tour,even more after knowing that they've been to Indonesia last November,argh! The weather wasn't allowing us to have fun,all dampened by the heavy,non-stop rain complete with mud slides,you name it. Mat salleh jakun je yang enjoy lebih :P
Still regret that I didn't take any picture with him when photo opportunity came as we walk out of Fort Canning. Dougy was standing outside the band's tent ever so willingly to meet fans. If only I wasn't looking like a swamp thing (minus the mud) All I was thinking was to get out of this wet clothes!

So here I am hopefully skateboarding will get me to write regularly. For the past two weeks we've been swapping being mallrats to Putrajaya Skatepark go-er. The kids love it,Aresha been looking forward to go every weekend now :)

Longboard rocks!

2011-03-01T10:53:00.001+08:00

I'm getting a longboard soon and can't wait to able to ride like these girls!

Longboard Girls Crew from Juan Rayos on Vimeo.

I'm NOT pregnant (so don't ask any irrelevant question)

2010-11-15T09:25:00.000+08:00

Random questions from guys (they don't really know me, let's just say, these are acquaintances I've made for quite some time,10 yrs)

'Kak,if you're pregnant,better don't try,might have some effect to your pregnancy' upon husband trying some hologram bangle ;)

No need to argue I just smile.

Recently at IMC's 10th Anniversary party, As asked me, 'pregnant lagi ke?' while signalling at my belly.

Mannnnn! I quickly say NOOOOOO I'm not! He smiled sheepishly knowing that somehow he offended me in some way,heheh.
OMG! It's too obvious isn't it? Am putting too much weight recently and still wearing tight-fitting clothes, tak sedar diri betulll!
Lost merely 2kg in a 6 days stint in HK and quickly reach overweight scale once we return :(
Urgh!

Though I'm secretly happy that it can be mistaken as pregnant belly but it's frustrating that I can't fit most of my size 26 jeans. Pathetic.

What am I waiting for,sit up while blogging is not a too bad idea isn't it? ;)

It Works!

2010-09-29T01:35:00.001+08:00

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

From the Reza's with Love

2010-09-29T01:28:00.001+08:00

Selamat Hari Raya!

Me love you long time!

2010-09-02T08:48:00.001+08:00

Now where would you first heard that phrase? None other than Vietnam!
Strangely the first time we tasted the famous Pho' Bo was in Paris, near rue de Tolbiac in Chinatown.

So,yesterday,skuirtgun told me,he's going to Vietnam for a conference in October,few days after we return from HK. I quickly put on my sweetest smile and asked him, "Can I come along?"
He'll have a room for himself,would be a waste to sleep alone right? ;)

When he broke the news he teased me with "Looks like I'm going to Vietnam before you,"
I was like no wayyyy! I've always wanted to go there! Pretty please!

Come on darling,me love you long time, take me with you, promise I won't spend a single buck (err,not really, I can have all the croissants I want,right?)

We'll see,but I won't give up easily fo' sho' :P

Thirty and loving it!

2010-09-01T08:41:00.001+08:00

He knows how much I love surprises, so he did just that, 2 days in a row!
Well 30 is no biggie, in fact I love who I am now more than who I was in my twenties.
Alhamdulillah I'm blessed with skuirtgun who loves me unconditionally and his joy is to make/see me happy, indefinitely, and two lovely kids I'd love to grow old and be with them :)
I'm overwhelmed with wishes from friends and family all over the world, thanks to the technology and social media.
What more can you ask, thank God for letting me see and experience all this.xoxo

Tokyo Vintage

2010-08-27T07:10:00.003+08:00

Tokyo is a vintage haven! Skuirtgun and I are both vintage lovers, in fact we're kinda obsessed with everything vintage! Well, in his case he's into ol' school choppers, VWs and Vespas and I love vintage clothings ;) I'm not sure why I didn't shop as much when we were in Tokyo, totally regret some of the must haves and vintage Ferragamos that I found there for such (if not bargain) an affordable price.

My prized possessions would be a navy blue vintage dress bought at a flea market for 200yen! Yeah you heard it right, that's probably like RM7! If only I bought that vintage Ferragamo pumps at Koenji's vintage shoes shop, arghh. Menyesal pun tak guna, pfft. If you're into this and don't really have so much time to spend in Tokyo, look no further than Koenji, about 6 stations from Shinjuku, it's a small town full of vintage goods!

If we live in Tokyo we'd vintage snobs but when you live in KL you just gotta adapt, it's not easy to find vintage shoes/clothes without paying ridiculous price here (well, in Japan it's even more ridiculous if you don't know where to look for) I'm contemplating on real vintage Oxford boots/pumps or just a replica from Zara.

Anyway, looks like we're saving up for another vintage hunting in Tokyo rather than that Euro trip then ;)

Boots,heels, all vintage!

now where's my vintage Ferragamo?

He's rockin' the trucker look, Pendleton shirt and trucker cap :)

my Japanese bf ;P

Dust off and move onto our new Chez Reza!

2010-08-27T07:02:00.051+08:00

Thanks to Reen, I'm not gonna dwell to my past and let emotions get the best of me.
So that chapter is closed and frankly it wasn't easy to know that apologies is not enough but I got better things to focus on right now.

So what else is new? Two of my girlfriends moved to their new home this year. When will our time come? Hurry 2012 or please let it be earlier than that! it's just freaking 28 units, shouldn't take that long eh?

We've decided (for now) to do the laminated flooring first, followed by the rooftop garden and kitchen. The rest, we'll do it slowly. Already envisioned my kitchen complete with a bench and comfy dining area where we'd all lounge on Sundays, having brunch facing ehemmm, one of our many balconies! Aresha had her own room design in mind, I guess we'll just let her choose then, it's her room anyway. There will be loadsa parties, entertaining and meetings. I wouldn't mind letting the IMG boys have their monthly meetings on our rooftop garden! Bolehla berangan SAMCRO, hehe.

Absolutely love this thekitchn. Even David Lebovitz's is featured here. Still looking for ideas on how our rooftop garden would look like. One's fit for outdoor entertaining and has an onsen + shower!
Mind you ours is a 3-bedroom townhouse. But there's a space for a room at the rooftop (if we make one, of course, a guestroom, perhaps) and I've always want a bath tub,the master bathroom would be wee bit tiny to fit one but it's kinkier to have it outdoor right? ;)

Ok enough of daydreaming for now, shall blog more for ideas and documentation of our new home. Ta!

Ramadhan 2010

2010-08-26T06:52:00.000+08:00

Wow, how fast time flies. Suddenly it's 16th day of Ramadhan.

We're training Aresha to fast the whole day, well uhm I mean full circle, not half-day, not yang yang yok

Alhamdulillah she made it through the till today except for one day when she came home and said she's hungry and straight away grabbed a drink from the fridge without I even have the chance to say no.

That's puasa for a 6yr old. At least she didn't try to curi-curi makan while I'm not looking. Always ask before sipping a drink or a bite on that carrot cake ;)

Normally I'd scream NO but that would be too hard on her isn't it. I don't have to force her to fast she wants to do it herself. That's good enough. She's only 6 and I must say she's really strong for a kid her age. Normally her sahur would be a quarter portion than ours. Wonders how did she managed to not get too hungry by afternoon!

She naps more often since I told her so, to get her off thinking what to eat and counting the hours.

Oh yeah, my brother Erie starts his own business right before Ramadhan so if you're at PARAM in Kelana Jaya, look out for Mr Nasi Ambang, stall no 26. Business is good, syukur. Another stall is at Mutiara Damansara PARAM and right in front of TV3 guardhouse. Cheap yo, RM4.50! Complete meal of rice, serunding, sambal goreng & ayam masak merah. Scrumptious too!

Sadly big sister haven't got the chance to check out herself. Not much a pasar ramadhan frequent. Till this date we've been only to one at Jalan Daud, Kg. Bharu. The rest would be home cooked or mom's/MIL's cooking.

We need to improve on tarawikh though. By the time we retire for the night, we're too lazy/sleepy to do so. Bad excuse, bad bad excuse :(

This year we've prepared early for raya celebration. Got the baju raya sent to the tailor a month before puasa. Aresha got her kasut raya already, still contemplating whether to buy here or online. Got my eyes on those Oxford boots/heels, would it be okay to wear with baju kurung though? At least I got my new hair cut, super easy maintenance (read, no maintenance at all) No need to comb, Nurse Jackie style ;)

Ooh I'll be 30 in 2 days! Also fell on Ramadhan last year. Wow thirty eh, skuirtgun would be so happy we're finally in the same age circle, heheh. He got all sort of plans for me. Even got the prezzie earlier than previous years. Celebration starts early, we'll have dinner on Friday,reminiscence of my last year as a twenty-something. It doesn't matter, no one would believe I'm thirty anyway.

Shall go back to sleep now, this Barney Aresha's watching now is killing me. Cartoon time starts right away after sahur for her this month.

Damnit, I didn't lose any weight at all this year, hmmphh

Last weekend before Ramadhan

2010-08-09T08:54:00.002+08:00

A great last weekend before Ramadhan it was for all of us, hang out with Josh, a New York Times consultant we met at Koenji and his funny half Malaysian, half Japanese friend, 'interesting' North Korean dinner and yesterday picnic with IMG brothers. Love love the stream, especially at this kind weather. Kids loving it too, we're trying to introduce nature to them and appreciate it. Most urban kids don't even know that river exists. Sad eh? But these girls love love mandi sungai ;)

A good start!

Daddy's girls

2010-08-07T14:21:00.001+08:00

I wish I had pictures like these with papa. Well, we did have beautiful pictures together when I was younger. Then again, if only digital camera exists back then.

How can I compare their relationship with mine and papa?

They look forward to daddy coming home everyday while papa had bigger responsibilities to the country and constantly being away from us. But I remember, no matter how 'fierce' he was I'm always his baby girl. He'd come and visit me every chance he could when I was in uni. Fond memories of hanging out and exclusive time together :)

I'm sure he's having a hint of disappointment that I'm no longer his baby girl, now that I'm married. Recently, he asked me & my girls on a roadtrip to Tapah. I have to (with heavy heart) declined as it's on a weekday and skuirtgun couldn't bear sleeping alone :P He understood and told me I made a good choice, to be a good wife, Alhamdulillah.

I wish I could clone myself and be at different places at one time.

I may be near, yet so far but you're always in my heart pa!

Routine X 3

2010-07-28T02:32:00.000+08:00

I love what I found after re-reading. Sometimes at first glance you might misinterpret or misunderstood sentences but quickly get the picture after reading it again. With these two I would be lucky to finish a book, most of 'em are read half-way, quarter-way or sometimes just few lines :P
Been reading before your kids drive you crazy, read this! by Nigel Latta and realized I've been doing some of the tricks/rules wrongly.
First, before even thinking of disciplining kids, you gotta be disciplined first. KEEP the routine until it all seems natural and NEVER give up easily.

So the last two nights, sleep training starts over. Wasn't a smooth stroll as I have big kid and small kid sleeping in the same room and methods explained in the book is quite different for both.
But heck, I gotta make this work right?
So, right after the family's fav SOA on FXHD, milk,brush teeth, diaper changing and wee-wee one after another before we hit the sack.
I'm determine to wean off Zara of boobies before bedtime. That translates to continuously pick her up-put her back to the bed. I even lost count on how many times she tried to climb out but noooooooo, she needs to sleep inside the cot not stealing Aresha's space.
She seems to love head massage, well, more like body massage. Took like 20 minutes before she finally yawned. Her sister however, tried her tricks on
'oh, I'm not sleepy'
'I can't sleep, mommy'
'Can you stay longer?'
right until the ultimatum of not going to school trip, she slept all through the night, without stealing our bed. Alhamdulillah :)

Tonight was much easier for eldest but Zara still resist but surprisingly didn't ask for milk. So, that's a good start. Mommy just need to persevere or else all these effort will go down the drain.
Keep in mind, routine is the way to go. Routine, routine, routine!

Now mommy needs to train herself to sleep earlier but, not until daddy sleeps too!

I heart Tsukiji!

2010-06-29T09:19:00.000+08:00

Tuna leftovers, any takers?

Freshness at it's best all wrapped up in an hour!

Sorry no English name for this but it's the best seafood platter we've ever tasted, only at Tsukiji market ;)

No 1 on my list now, KAISEN-DON! delightful arrays of raw fish, tuna,salmon,white fish, omelette,salmon roe & octopus on top of sticky rice. Miso soup on the side, YUMM!

Que sera sera

2010-06-29T02:34:00.002+08:00

If it's meant to be that it's meant to be.
Not just 'jodoh' but other things as well.
I firmly believe in that.
I used to be have a roomie whom I thought back then was my bff.
Oh we've been thru it all.

But she told me, she's not the 'keep-in touch' person in other words I need to do all the phoning,email and whatnots la.
We travelled together and that kinda worked out as reality check for us.

No we're NOT meant to be bffs.
She couldn't understand how much I have changed being married with children.

So now, we don't even pretend to keep in touch.
Maybe her new gorgeous self is too busy to keep up with my SAHM lifestyle.
Ah, hope you'll have a happy life, Amiin...

14 days of spring/summer :)

2010-06-19T12:40:00.000+08:00

We're home! For a week already and still can't get over the so-called 'honeymoon'
(We're gonna call every trip without the kids as honeymoon from now on :P)

I've never laughed that much in 14 days and it's been the longest time skuirtgun and I spent together since Aresha arrived. So yeah, big deal ;)
No we didn't go to the countryside or enjoy the nature but I'm kinda surprised myself that a metropolitan (don't think anyone would call it romantic as public display of affection is pretty much nowhere in sight here) city can give me the same kind of feeling. Could it be that anywhere alone with him makes all the difference?

I've been worried about the kids pre-trip but when we reached there, my mind kinda focused on this one thing we rarely have. Also they're in very very good hands, and will be going out every weekend with their favorite uncles & aunties :))

Meanwhile here's some pics, we had good times..will write more soon!

The best Mother's Day ever!

2010-05-21T01:35:00.003+08:00

Well, to be honest, all this while I'm more excited to celebrate Mother's Day with my mama & SIL rather than for myself. Yeah, I'm (still) a new mom. 6 years compared to 30/36 years? Apa lah sangat kan?
This year I had almost a week long of celebrations! First it was for my MIL @ Al-Rawsha.
My SIL Ina planned almost 90% of the surprise dinner. Though it didn't turned out as we expected (and minus karaoke-ing with the Reza's :( ) I must say it was a success. We got a sitting room booked and spent 3hrs relaxing & eating gooood food! Alang & Rini came all the way from Melaka for Mak.
What makes it less enjoyable is the presence of the family's so-called Yoko Ono. Sorry, I'm not gonna elaborate on that. The moment she arrived, the fun is just not there anymore, pfffft!

The next day, Skuirtgun was being utterly sweet by taking his girls to Marmalade for brunch. We thought of Delicious at first but they're not serving pancakes that day. Aresha loves pancakes.
I had corncakes with avocado salad while he ordered their 'Hearty Breakfast'. Our eldest princess had wholemeal pancakes served with slices of banana,orange,apple & strawberry. Did I tell you home much she loves maple syrup?
He also surprised me with mini cupcakes for dessert. It's great to be a mother isn't it? Aresha made me 2 cards & kept on wishing "Happy Mother's Day" throughout the day ;)

and the celebration didn't end just there. On Tuesday me & my girls went for 3D2N roadtrip to fetch baby sis, Fara at UiTM Dungun and we had scrumptious lunch at the campus hotel. Fara ordered a huge moist chocolate cake (which only costs us RM35 but OMG, so delicious!) for mama & papa's birthday.

(Sorry pictures are not available, lil' mommy kelam-kabut forgot her cam & still waiting for baby sis to email me from her mobile)

It's been a while since we went on roadtrip and surprisingly it was oh-so much fun! The girls munch all the time when they're not sleeping and we stopped whenever we feel like it.

That sums up my Mother's Day week & the most memorable so far. I'm just lucky I have the best family & in-laws. Oh, I did treat myself with Crabtree & Evelyn Lavender bath set too!

2012

2010-05-17T01:37:00.001+08:00

After much consideration, second thoughts & whatnots, we have decided: 'that' townhouse indeed!
Just checked the site yesterday & looks like progress is on its way, yeay!
So we'll have a new postcode in 2012, Insya Allah & I'll have the same headache when it comes to choosing primary school for lil' miss artsy fartsy ;P

On another note, our trip (sans kids) will be less than 12 days away and we have so many things to be done before that.
Sometimes it is much easier to bring them along. Now we still need to pack their bags as well.
Papa kinda worried since Zara is wee bit too clingy with me during the 3D2N roadtrip with them but mama assures him that she'll be fine when I'm not around.
Aresha also will be on her school field trip when we're not around. Luckily my SIL Ina has been so kind to agree on being her chaperon :)

Ok, let me get back on the list so that I won't forget anything. Toodles!

Glee!

2010-05-03T23:52:00.001+08:00

To dance or not to dance? That's the question & time is running out :P
Am sure my two girls would be thrilled to be part of this.
Afterall they're big fans!

Glee Flashmob Dance KL

The one in Seattle is pretty cool, tell me if you can spot a girl about Aresha's age dancing in the crowd, cute!

Girlfriends are forever!

2010-04-23T09:20:00.001+08:00

Y'know what they say, girlfriends are forever (not diamond ok, and I think I've just made that up :P)
Me and Marlia, we go waaaaaay back.
Back in primary school we went to different school (rivalry school though, same school different session), dubbed the best primary school in Kluang. At first she's kinda cynical, because her best friend had a crush on me (or some sort puppy love,whatever you wanna call it, we never date at all!) I remember her giving me a cold glance whenever I pass by her class.
That was standard 6. Oh, I forgot, she's also an athlete, particularly netball, hockey(?) err correct me if I'm wrong darling, hehe. So you get the picture, the popular one ;)

Amazingly, by form 1, we clicked instantly, went to the same school. We were literally inseparable, like sisters! Sleepover, double dates, yang paling tak boleh blah, we wrote to each other almost every day! Crazyyyyyy! So we shared our secrets,gossips, boys we had crush on (like any normal schoolgirl!), sometimes we'd go sulking for days. Man, this is starting to sound like a typical high school series except ours was a rated U (unrated for you overseas readers) version, hehe.

I'm glad that after all these years & separated for a couple of years, we're still the same. Still here for each other and now even our husbands are good friends! (Funnily enough, we both married eldest, footie fan, kinda reserved men)
They also love our children like their own ;) How cool is that?

There's more to write but I'll leave it at here, bottomline is, I just wanna express how lucky I was to have a girlfriend like her :) Here's to many more years of giggles, cries & wonderful memories to come!
<3

Little update after long hiatus

2010-04-14T01:53:00.002+08:00

Been slacking off again. Not so much has happened the past few weeks anyway other than Zara been admitted on 23rd March for high fever which leads to febrile fit :(
It was the longest yet scariest 90 secs of our life which will be written in another entry soon.
Marlia blogged about it here right after she visited us. (thank you darling for being right by our side, you both know we LOVE you right?)

We don't really have so many friends but we know who they are & they're always there for us :)
Zara loves, loves having 'em around during those thoughtful visits.
Surely make us feel loved all those phone calls,smses, do'a & get well wishes!
My family came (that includes my brother, SIL & grandma) & brought laughters with them.

Most of all we thank Allah for blessings and reminder not to take high fever for granted anymore.
We're all prepared with thermoscan now ;)

On another note,I'm all geared up to focus on Aresha's reading lessons. Problem is she can read & thinks she can read.
She thought reading is about making up own words (especially her favorite books).
So, she excel in those books & clueless on other material. She has limited patience on spelling one by one. However there's one trick that works everytime. Spelling info on PHDC channel!
See, wasn't that easy to raise an artist. Understanding that little mind of hers take loadsa patience and mommy ashamed to admit sometimes she ran out of it :(

Haih, this is definitely random update. Am now typing away without specific direction on where the next sentence is heading to.

It's 2am now, off to la-la land! Keeping my fingers crossed that tomorrow will be another entry! xox

So much for au naturel!

2010-03-22T12:00:00.000+08:00

I'm aiming for natural products when it comes to nursing & baby gear so it's not a surprise when Zara chose 'natural' soother!

On another note,there are bound to be bumps & hurdles when introducing new stuff to your baby. I'm ashamed to admit that after two kids, and organic cloth diaper, mommy deliberately infected poor baby with nasty nappy rash!
When using diaper cloth, MUST change immediately when baby poo unless you want to cry a little everytime seeing the 'aftermath' of your 'little' mistake.
That's what I learn last week, thank you for reading!

the young artist

2010-03-03T01:46:00.000+08:00

She has wild imagination and often caught talking to herself.
She could spend hours doodling/drawing/colouring.
We've come to a conclusion that even if she's not going to excel in academic, we'll encourage her to be an artist, in any field she like ;)
Her drawings is beyond the tender age of six.
Darling, by now you already know how proud we are having such a talent in the family.

Mama's birthday

2010-03-03T01:23:00.000+08:00

Last Sunday was mama's birthday. We had early dinner at Al-Rawsha. Didn't actually book a sitting room but since it's still early, we managed to secure a room which is soooo comfy & the kids had so much fun having a private space all to themselves! Missing Fara though, mama kept saying, wishing our youngest sister were there. Loving the red mint tea and the succulent Mandy of course!

Reaching for the stars

2010-02-23T08:54:00.001+08:00

Day 1 completed brilliantly I must say, she's working hard towards her goals ultimately Barbie Rapunzel.
Amazing how 'little' push & motivation leads to positive outcome.
Thanks to Lu, the Beijing-based child counsellor for her advice ;)
Mind you,it's pro-bono and when I ask for help,we've just sat together for 10 minutes!

Will update more on the chart I'm working on, meanwhile I'm loving this!

Next,potty training Zara! Wuhooo!

Kids say the darndest thing ;P

2010-02-22T09:29:00.003+08:00

Was cleaning up the kitchen drawer & found a piece of paper where I scribbled some notes, bet this is at least 2 years old ;)

*As we watch the baby's sonogram
It's a girl!
Now, what's her name?
Girl!
Just girl?
Yes, girl!

*Then, when she realized, baby is a human ;P
What do you want to call her?

Pikachu!

Can I touch the baby?

Mommy, did 'adik' move?

Come, put your hands on my belly!

Wow! She move!

*Going through her old clothes
This is for my sister :D

*She put on her old (fake) wool jacket
I can't get this (her hands) out!
It's too small sayang,
Ok, let's give it to adik!

Nature calling!

2010-02-19T04:05:00.000+08:00

mommy's boys

we're tight alright!

luxury

ciggie break

pure luxury ;)

chef/organizer & her assistants

oozing with deliciousness

Royal Tennenbaum

Riverside rocks!

ever so accommodating host :)

We had fun alright! The best way to spend time with (incomplete) wacky bunch of the Rezas'

Ina did all the hardwork from booking to preparing barbeque. I must say, she did a great job!

Staying up all night playing Twister,cards & Bingo.

Oh man, can't wait to be reunited again, every 2 months, right, Mak? ;)

Later be a stupid girl

2010-02-18T14:39:00.000+08:00

We were watching end credit of a movie with a band & female front playing a song for a wedding.
Aresha danced away in the living room.
So I asked, "Do you want me to send you to a dance class?"

"No,"

"Why not? You can learn ballet..."

"Don't want! Later be a stupid girl!" complete with a grin.

Oh my! What has dancing got to do with being stupid?
Where did she get that idea?

Cats DO NOT cause asthma

2010-02-18T01:17:00.006+08:00

It makes me wonder how did people come out with a theory that cats(fur) causes asthma? I've read blogs and comments that no matter how much they love cats, when baby comes, they would give away their cat(s). It's sad isn't it?

I learnt't the hard way. Pre-baby we had a Kasut, 8 years old female cat, who loves me so much that she'd sleep the same pillow as mine & waited for me to come home everytime! When Aresha arrived, she wants to sleep with her too! Back then I didn't think of asthma, it's just Kasut is an outdoor cat. Her fur were always dusty. Being a new mom, I became paranoid and chased her away. Cats have feelings, this is for real, she left an never came back, used to look for food from the back door but after a while we couldn't even catch a glimpse of her. I feel bad and couldn't forgive myself :(

So, when we move out, the first thing we did was adopt one from SPCA as Aresha's birthday present. She's always been surrounded by cats since she was born and she knew how to take care of 'em at the age of two! Naturally, Bambi( the new cat) slept with her and now goes to school & come home together!

Aresha & Bambi

Eventually from one we have four, even Zara had her own, Tiger, who died before New Year :(
Tiger is much more special, he slept with everyone including guests who stayed with us. Cousin Eyda who came for few hours even remembered how manja he was :) In a stint of 2hrs, Tiger slept with her on the sofabed! When we adopt him from Mak, 2 months after Zara was born, we quickly decided he's gonna be the baby's cat. Little did we know, Tiger loves Zara so much that he lets her do whatever she wants without clawing or scratching her once! Zara would roll over, poke his eyes, most of the time they'd lie down together like brother & sister ;)

Zara & Tiger

It is important to teach your kids how to handle pets. It really pisses me off when the neighbour's kids tried to scare our cats by making doggy sounds "Woof! Woof'. We even saw them trying to step on those felines. The parents would just stood there as if the cats deserved to be treated that way.
One time I heard the other neighbour told a boy she babysits not to touch Bambi, because it's dirty. Oh my! No wonder kids these days treated animals like shit, they were told not to get near let alone keep one!

Kids were born naturally curious & love animals. If you don't like to keep pets please at least educate your children to respect them.

Here's a nice write up on Cats & Kids
also, Ain tweeted about Cats & baby can coexist

To be honest, I think myth on cats causes asthma escalated by cat haters :P

Number ONE!

2010-02-12T01:37:00.000+08:00

Lately I've been bombarded with the same question, every single day.
"Mommy, why you want more than one kid? I want to be the only one!"
I was like 'What?"
And she kept reminding me she's number one and Zara's number two.

Can you see where she's going at? She's numero uno, priority must be given to her. whatever I do, I have to put her first before anything else!
Why do I have to bear with such torment? I mean is it really our fault to plan the 4 year gap?
Come on, you're too young to obviously know that what we did was kinda a mistake?

Oh, don't remind me countless times she knocked her off while running.
"Oops, I didn't see her mommy,"
Of course, she didn't see poor little creature just right above her waist.
To scold or not to scold, to be angry or not to? I mean she's just a sucker for attention, be it constant eye contact or just " Why did you do that?"

I'm sure little sis will grow up to be tough cookie, I mean with that kind of training who wouldn't? And sometimes it hurts to see how she'd get up, and with a wide grin, like nothing happened.

Oh, this is a gentle reminder, do not, I repeat DO NOT say that her sister is cute.
She's the cuter one, baby sis, NOT cute. ;P

It ain't easy peasy, but you'll get through it ;)

2010-02-05T02:40:00.010+08:00

This entry is dedicated to Ain ;) Congrats on your gorgeous baby Mariam!

When I was 12 I saw my aunt breastfeeding her baby and I was 'Yuck! That is so outdated!' If I were to have a baby, bottle is the way to go.

Little that I know, I'm very much a (self-proclaimed) breastfeeding nazi now. It all changed after we went to Ante-natal class by Jennifer from Jenlia Maternal Services. She opened my eyes on how important breastfeeding for babies (and mommies too!) I went from zero to pro-breastfeeding.

It's all in your mind, she kept telling us. If you WANT & DETERMINE to do it, YOU can! It's a myth that your boobies are too small, you're producing insufficient milk yada, yada, yada. You've got to get it your head, 'I want to do this, for as long as baby needs it' (2 years, max!) Be prepared, sometimes it's your loved ones that becomes obstacle in your effort of breastfeeding exclusively.

Tell them, you want to do this, no matter how hard it looks ;)

Breastfeeding is NOT easy. Especially the first week. I didn't have any problem the first night with Aresha. She latched on like a pro the first time but wasn't the same for Zara. I had the worst first night with her. She cried all night, I'm literally drained out from all the sucking & not being able to sleep a wink! Please bear in mind that the first 3 days only colostrum came out. Your baby might not be satisfied with the yellowish,thick liquid but they have to suck it all out before the milk came in.

To be honest I almost quit the first time when Aresha bit my nipple. Excruciating pain, bleeding & close to mastitis. I broke down in tears and refused to nurse from that side but that's not helping either. Engorgement is waaay more painful! We bought Medela nipple shield which didn't help much but when you get through that phase, it will be a second nature ;) That only lasted few days, it's not the baby's fault, you just gotta latch on properly. Make sure the baby open her mouth as wide as she can before shoving your boobies, voila!

To think that if you've breastfed for 2 years, it will be a walk in the park for the second one, is also not quite entirely the case for me. Zara bit the same nipple Aresha did 4 years ago till bled, ouch! But this time I'm prepared. If that happens to you, apply few drops of breastmilk & let it dry. Insya- Allah in a couple of days it will be as good as new ;) Also when your boobies engorged (in my case because I can't bear the pain to let her feed after the bleeding) try ice cold lettuce leaves as an instant reliever. Just place it on your boobs & you'll feel much better ;)

The first week is also crucial to just feed as much as the baby needs (feed on demand) Be it in the middle of the night, or just half & hour after the last feed. This is to enhance your milk supply because your body send a signal to produce milk when baby drinks frequently. I know one of the pantang (a big no, no) is NOT drinking too much water, if it means that you have to sneak in 2 litres everyday, DO it! That's what skuirtgun did with Aresha. Luckily mom & atuk totally understand after that & they always make sure I have enough supply. Read more on how to increase your milk here. Snack frequently, hot milo & 2pcs of cream crackers an hour before & after feeding would help tremendously.

That's just the first week, more tips coming soon!

At 4 months, we took her backpacking, no bottles needed,

meal on-the -go!

In the bus from Suvarnabhumi Airport to Bangkok.

Oh btw, I found these links very useful ;)
Babycenter & La Leche League

Better late than never!

2010-02-04T17:26:00.000+08:00

I've always wanted to use cloth diaper but didn't start immediately after Zara's born until she's ONE!

Went to a shop in Bangsar Village & give Gro baby a try, as expected she did no 2 the first time!

It's quite easy actually, just remove the soil, don't worry about the stain.

Once you wash it (machine wash,hot) it will be gone!

So I've just got 2 sets & extra 2 soakers. She'll be disposable diaper-free starting from..... tonight!

Thank you uncle, you've just made my day!

2010-02-01T08:31:00.000+08:00

Before reading further, please note that this entry is no way indicating that I'm not in favor of certain ethnic group but merely a frustration over things that I've experienced while shopping at JJ Maluri.

This is not the first but second over the span of 2 years.
Went to shop for groceries, MIL, SIL, moi et mes enfants. Came totally prepared with trolleys from the carpark. Since it's 31st, we ordered our Baskin Robbins ice-cream first, carts parked outside. Some idiot stole one of them, MIL suspected a family who's waiting for their order as well.

I'm like WTH but not wanting to make a fuss, look for another outside.
Saw one being emptied and asked politely " Can I have this?"
Guess what? All I got is ," Sure, I've waited for it!"

D'oh! How would I know that you've waited for it, it looks like you're a family of that lady!
I'm really pissed! I mean how rude is that?
I was just asking, can't you just reply with,
"Sorry, I've waited for this," Spare your sarcasm please!

I'm not gonna tell ya where he came from, definitely one of those rumah haram!
If I were his 'kind' I'm sure he wouldn't be using that tone. Pfft!

I've never encountered such experience in OU (well anywhere in Damansara to be exact), not even at Pasar Pudu! Only in JJ, and last night I was hit twice. They roll their eyes, even when all I did was asking politely.

Oh yeah, the food & drink promoters (that offers samples on weekends) only gives out to their own people, whenever Aresha wants one, we gotta ask and wait.

I love this country, where sometimes I've been treated like illegals :P

Put a smile on your face

2010-01-29T02:53:00.000+08:00

The death of eldest teacher's mom, reminded me that it's been more than two weeks since we last visited mama & papa. Since New Year to be exact. You don't know what you got till it's gone. To be honest, while witnessing the whole funeral process/juggling with two kids inside surau, keeping their voice down & abstaining Zara from flipping my baju kurung in public, I feel extremely guilty for not visiting them more often. Two weeks! What was I thinking?

I couldn't even sleep last night, other than the heat, I kept saying to myself " I could never forgive myself if mama's gone and it only takes 40 mins drive!"
I cried in my sleep, no joke!

The looks on mama & papa's faces to see us this morning is just priceless! Their faces lit up, smiling from ear to ear ;)

Such a joy to see their grandchildren et moi arriving. A million dollar couldn't match that.

Six!

2010-01-26T02:27:00.004+08:00

So The Killers didn't become a part of our Anniversary celebration, boohoo! Unforeseen circumstances forced them to cancel Asian Tour BUT will continue doing Aussie, bah!

We've traded roadtrip to SG, Zam-Zam Murtabak, Badoque Cafe, meeting my SG girls, eye candy at Orchard, queuing to get the best spot of our stage front tix & having a blast at the gig with calm, yet private night out with our girls ;) I must admit it wasn't as fun, still bummed & in disbelief (yeah I'm bitter, so what?) but it's a blessing in disguise.

The kids had so much fun tho', Zara especially enjoyed her two feet wandering around the mall. Aresha being a big sister, carefully keeping an eye on her sister, wanted to hold her hand but the trigger happy baby sis refused to!

Anywhere with my loved ones makes me complete. And I did get to show-off my new purse! (Well, not really, by the time we finish, even the mall is about to close)

Being in the arms of my dearest & girls would be the celebratory dance for this year, yayyy!

Anniversary comes early!

2010-01-20T00:16:00.004+08:00

We'll turn six this Friday & look what I've got?
A custom made tri-fold wallet from One Too Many!

Skuirtgun helped me out with narrowing it down on the elements to choose from for my very own wallet.
Wasn't easy for him as it took days to find the perfect design.

This is just beautiful, the detailing inside and out, perfect stitching & I'm loving the silk lining inside ;)
It took two months to get here, well, it's handmade & worth every wait/penny!

Thank you dear, for the perfect gift, now let's get one for you as well ;)

>

Love

2010-01-19T01:54:00.002+08:00

Aresha is super-obsessive over her mommy recently.
She insist that I'm hers/ the sister is not cute/she's the only one who loves me..err I thought we've gone over this phase already?
She loves her sister, no doubt but cringe everytime someone else pays too much attention on Zara.
Oh, the drama!
'tis shall pass, hopefully soon!

Meanwhile here's my fav pics from last year ;)

Killer stare

Yayy weekend!

2010-01-12T00:34:00.005+08:00

Weekend with my girls is always so much fun!
The laugh, the gossip & the new friend Syamil.
Also found out that someone's trying to avoid me, a shocker but couldn't care less anyway :P
Miss Reen, thank you for 2 days of giggles ;)

Time flies ;)

2010-01-11T23:08:00.004+08:00

Look how fast they've grown!
Zara started to walk about a month ago & didn't stop ever since!
She's like our Energizer bunny, roaming around the house exploring with her own two feet ;)

Goodbye Tiger, you'll be sorely missed!

2010-01-06T22:51:00.006+08:00

2009 has been a great year that ended on a sad note :(
Our beloved Tiger, broke his leg & suspected crushed one of his vital organ that leads to internal bleeding.
It was an accident, hit & run.

Skuirtgun told me Tiger literally drag himself to our door with whatever lives he still has (obviously he didn't have nine) looking around the house (most probably searching for Zara)
Over the phone, I could hear Tiger calling out, not wanting to be alone :(

We have 4 cats and this one is like no other. He sleeps with people. It could be me, Zara, my sister or guests who slept over. Definitely a part of the family.

He died 12.55am, under my kitchen.

Yesterday I thought I saw him in front of our car. Couldn't be.Just the thought of his OTT manjaness makes me sad.

Darling, we all miss you, RIP.

What we did before the year ends

2009-12-31T23:34:00.006+08:00

Dine

Shopping!

Picnic

Bonding

What if...

2009-11-11T12:55:00.002+08:00

This is a conversation that I had w/ darling skuirtgun last night.

'What if Aresha decides to travel alone when she grows up? Will u let her?"
He said, "No, not alone" without hesitation.

'If she's going with a friend/ Zara/ boyfriend?'
" Yes, but no boyfriend!'

"Ah, she'll eventually meet a guy along the way ..."

As if we didn't go through that phase my dear :P

I know it's too early to be discussing about possibilities that our girls might venture out on their own but secretly I want them to explore the world. Just like my bffs Ratna & Reen did ;)

I've hosted brave, young, smart girls before & they sure know how to take care of themselves.

All the kids' need is a sense of pride/dignity in themselves & their homeland.
So they will go & realize nothing compares to our beloved country & proud to be who they are!

That also means mom & dad can go on our motorcycle RTW! Ahh how long would that be? 15 years from now? ;P

Jealous much?

2009-11-04T17:30:00.004+08:00

I'm truly baffled.
This happened last 2 yrs I think when out of the blue this anonymous commented that life is NOT all about family, love & food!

Ok, what is so wrong about it?
This person judged me from my pictures, thinks she's holier-than-thou.

Do i have to post pictures donning telekung?

Thank you for your 'gentle' reminder.
Berdakwah mestilah betul caranya.
If you compose your words nicely I would really appreciate it and might as well change.

I'm sorry that I love my family very much & really cares about what I put in me & my family's mouth. Ooops am I? NOT!

Aresha & Zara's Double Birthday Bash

2009-11-04T02:21:00.000+08:00

Come & join us for one day Birthday Carnival!

Aresha & Zara's Double Birthday Bash

Click above to RSVP

see you there!

2009-09-08T12:00:00.003+08:00

How fast time flies, less than two weeks before Aidilfitri!
We've got all the basics covered. Kids' baju kurung sent to u'an (as always), ours were considered done(will be wearing the ones made for Alang's wedding) Got my shoes last week, the house is almost squeaky clean thanks to dear's latest toy Karcher water pressure washer ;)

Phewww! We've never been this organized! Always last minute prep. We even got our raya open hse date ready!

However, am pretty much sad that Ramadhan will be over soon :(
Frankly, if we eat regularly just like this, we'd maintain healthy weight.
We were pretty much disciplined when it comes to solat. Never miss Any Subuh! (thanks to sahur)

Hopefully we'll be able to keep the routine, insya Allah!

Off to more chores & cookie baking!

Salam Aidilfitri!

Ramadhan ya Ramadhan!

2009-08-25T02:06:00.004+08:00

It feels so serene when Aresha joined us for tarawikh.
She patiently followed us and smiled all through all the rakaat while Zara looking excitedly/amused to see her big sis in telekung!

She also decided to wake up for sahur and already learnt to fast half day!
That's my girl! ;)

As mentioned last Ramadhan, I always look forward for this time of the year to solat together, cook delish juadah for iftar, dear to be home early & now training Aresha the basic essentials of fasting.

Tried new recipe today, deep fried minced chicken+crabstick wontons.
To my surprise both my darlings loved it to bits!
Our iftar is quite simple, rice meals are reserved for sahur.
We only splurged on weekends when having it together with the family.
Last weekend at mak's was like a buffet spread. End up bloating!
Nothing beats buka puasa with the whole Rezas!

This weekend mama invited us over plus I'll throw a bday/buka puasa get-together for my close friends!
Yeay!

What's on the menu? Surprise, surprise!

Island getaway :)

2009-08-13T02:35:00.003+08:00

We've been packing since few hours ago and even before we finish I have to go through an article on bringing frozen expressed milk boarding the plane.

There will be a possibility that I might have to dump it all.
There goes hours of hard work and a month supply of milk! What a waste!

I hope I'll be able to pull my best smile and not to get too emotional over this issue.

Lately I've been thinking too much and lash out for tiny little mistake Aresha made.
Not happy with how I'm handling stress and in dire of a short break before coming home fresh and ready for more parenting challenges

Told Aresha way beforehand and preparing her with the transition of staying with Tok Ma.
Mom stayed for few nights to familiarize with the kids.

I was more excited hotel hunting 30 days ago than going tomorrow.
My girls were extremely clingy and 'manja' when I put them to sleep, 4 hours ago.
It's as if they're not letting me go :(
Ah, maybe leaving the kids behind is not as easy as I thought.

Am sure they'll be just fine, i will be fine, definitely ;)

Boys gone wild!

2009-08-06T14:40:00.005+08:00

No, no this entry is not a review on a porn vid :P
Don't hold your breath ok?

It's rare to find young boys with such enthusiasm and passionate about life, travels and culture exchange.
Especially locals who thinks they need to compete (read colleague, friends, even family!)

I'm lucky to find such rare gems in Dimaz, Andrei Budiman & Riva ;)

These boys are from Bandung, initially, we met exactly a year ago, while I was preggy with Zara at Dago Atas to be exact.

Andrei is now a famous writer.
Travellous has made me teary eyed and sucked in his humble journey to Europe.
Check out http://travellous.blogspot.com
That's only half the book. I already felt I knew him for years!

These boys are exceptional, sad to see them leave so early, even Zara felt at ease instantly!

This is what I look for in CS, pure fun, no booze needed!
Kayanya mabuk minum teh tarik yaaa gitu!

I heart them!

2009-07-15T01:11:00.004+08:00

It's not always that all of us three could hang out together.
Normally, just me & Nad or Ain et moi

This time we didn't plan much ahead, exchanging smses a week earlier, voila!
Last Saturday we were reunited!

So much has changed, physically & also emotionally ;)

I'm glad that Nad is moving to greener pasture now (believe me, you're doing great now!)
Ain also has her own great news which I won't elaborate until she post in her blog ;)
(Updated: She finally got transferred back to HKL on Monday, hooray!)

We didn't actually walk around, just moving from a cafe to another (which annoyed Aresha until she settled for pen & papers)
So much to talk about, luckily Zara slept most of the time.

Promised each other that we would do this more often, let's catch a movie next okay?

To be honest, it was a really short get-together. I already miss them when the day is over.

Babes, so glad that we found each other & become bffs after all these years!

YOU made it all worth it ;)

2009-07-10T01:37:00.003+08:00

No matter how long & tiring my day was, these two babies of mine never make me regret on the choice that I made almost 6 years ago.
How can a simple chuckle, laughter, cheekiness & simple answer overcome the need to have a huge paycheck?

Mama asked me, "Don't you miss working?"
To be honest ma, I don't.
Not even a single bit.

Watching them grow right in front of my eyes is the biggest salary one could ever ask for ;)
Aresha knows when I'm pissed (with her). Her damage control would be.
"I'm sorry mommy, Aresha sayang mommy sangat," followed by a hug.
Now, at that age i didn't know how to pujuk my mother!
She didn't know either.
It was a spontaneous act of love :)

Graceful failure

2009-07-05T13:07:00.003+08:00

'If the kids are united, they will never be divided!'

Sham '69 sure got it right to the bone ;)

The so-called event we tried to organize wasn't as successful as we hope for, blergh!

Lack of publicity and too much conspiracy over unnecessary stuffs.

We're just NOT ready to hold such events until we finally unite and get the right people to work together.
No hidden agenda, please. This is a non-profit organization. If we choose to be transparent, then, for God's sake, be transparent.

That aside, I am utterly baffled when it comes to people who thinks that being a SAHM is not as important as some professional job.
Please, if you're not a mother, just reserve your impression/ comments/assumption later when you have your gossip sessions with your friends. Don't be so insensitive. The world does NOT revolve around you.

Yeah, thank you. This is my rants/delayed update :P

Family getaway

2009-06-07T03:29:00.003+08:00

We've just returned from a hellish bus ride from Kuala Besut early Wednesday morning.
I couldn't sleep the first three hours wondering if we could make it in one piece or be in the frontpage of national newspaper :P

Wedding went smoothly and KB has opened my eyes, truly new experience, everything is so different here, takes a while to adapt.

The family getaway was freakin' awesome! Imagine having siblings and spouses together for 3D/2N!
Private yacht and snorkel instructor!
Not to forget the food! If only we have fridge and microwave oven!

Of course, there's always someone who thinks he can do better, but screw them :P
We had so much fun and so much tanned!

Too many pics to choose from, will upload soon!

If only the 'real world' is that beautiful ;)

KISS!

2009-05-19T16:59:00.001+08:00

Skuirtgun tweeted me on this new release ;)
He'll get it for me, yippee yeay!

Goes matchy-matchy with my el-cheapo Kiss tee.

I'm walking on clouds now~

wolekom!

2009-05-19T02:44:00.005+08:00

Aresha cracked me up this evening.
I handed her slices of orange, her favorite fruit btw.
She forgot to say thanks.

I reminded her, " Did you forget something?'

"Oh, Thank you, mommy,WOLEKOM!"

I was like, 'Assalamulaikum' correcting her la konon.

Then I realized, she meant "Welcome"
LOL! Kids say the darndest thing, don't they? ;)

2009-05-18T16:04:00.002+08:00

Too many things so little time!
May seems to pass oh so rapidly!
We have family wedding and getaway scheduled end of the month till early June ;)

Quite occupied with the CS City Attack Fest meetings and whatnots.

Did managed to check out Tenderfist + Homogenic and catch up with bff Ain :) Awesome!
Haven't met her since Lekman's @ Annexe! Waaaay too long!
Sorry darl you almost become my personal doctor pulak, teehee!
Loving ur new look!

Skuirtgun was being so sweet to let me stay till the wee hours ;)

I had so much fun just chit chatting accompanied by all these talented musicians.
Next time, Nad should join us, right, Ain?

Tweet & market view

2009-04-30T14:36:00.004+08:00

I think I've tweeted about feeling trés content since I got my fridge fully restocked!
Went Pasar Pudu (by far the best wetmarket ever! Even Chef Wan said so!)
spent RM100 for bags full of fresh crabs, big prawns aka udang galah, tilapia merah, tomatoes, squid, etc. So satisfying and I should bring my camera next time!

I'm only motivated to experiment and cook fancy stuffs when i have everything in the fridge, so far we had eggplant pizzas, all made from scratch, tonight we'll be having chili crab and maybe buttered prawn along with zucchini and eggplant tempura, yummm!

I guess i have a new passion, reviewing markets!
When we were in Europe i spent hours @ Barcelona Merkat and Portobello....
Now where do i start?

Hyped!

2009-04-27T11:29:00.002+08:00

Gone are my gloomy days I'm now ready for a new challenge.
Something big is coming....
That will be announced..... by the end of this week!

I'm keeping myself busy bee, with the chores the weekly menu, tutoring and sometimes babysitting (not my kids, :P, the neighbour's kids)

Last Saturday we checked out dear's new office. Bigger space to give way for Mr. CD!
Minimalize yet chic. I think he's loving his new job, though it needs time to familiarize with ;)

So much for nothing

2009-04-16T23:31:00.002+08:00

Friends advised me to not get affected by this.
I tried.

Why can't they leave me alone?

Politics is just everywhere.

I don't wanna get sucked in.

From now on, ignorance is bliss.
It will remain that way I'm afraid.

Friends and dearest, you know who you are thank you for being my pillar of strength.

That aside, i love the fact that Nad is glowing ;-)
We met for quick lunch and she's prettier than ever!
Babe, I'm happy for you!

Newborn are just beautiful :)

2009-04-08T11:02:00.003+08:00

Congratulations to Renee & Josh on the birth of Maxence aka Taco
Beautiful baby :)

Home birth which I wish I could.
The comfort of own bed and surroundings, ahhh!

Now that makes me feel like having another baby, but wait! Zara needs me, but I'm absolutely sure she's not gonna be the last ;)

The sisters I love :-)

2009-04-04T03:15:00.003+08:00

What a joy to have these two girls :))

Aresha adores her sister with a hint of 'geramness'
Look at her expression, she would pinch Zara's cheeks as if she's a doll!

They're gonna be bff, like any sisters would ;)

Hosting & loving it!

2009-04-04T02:45:00.003+08:00

It's been a while since we last hosted, January that is!

So, having new baby doesn't stop us from doing so, apparently!

We had fun times with Mads & Sarah, look @ the dinner they made for us, yumm!
even our cats loves her, sleeps with her every nite!

Our previous hosts in BKK & Barcelona is coming, next week & June, yeay!

Saturday nite out

2009-04-01T21:54:00.003+08:00

I'm just hopeless when it comes to updating this blog.
H.o.p.e.l.e.s.s

Talk about hopeless, the supposedly thirty minutes Walk of Hope didn't go as scheduled, lasted only for ten minutes and the organizer had a brilliant idea lighting up the candle in a papercup. VERY environmental friendly.

We wasted our time there quickly redeemed by girly,cheesy naan session. I had two of those heavenly naan btw.
A CS couple joined us a petite Greek guy & his Lithuanian wife. They are just soooo enthusiastic telling us stories and jokes.
A lesbian joke that I only find funny when he explained it to me, lol!
And i wish i knew about Oxfam when we were in UK.
They both made it easy for us to have a conversation.
I didn't take any pictures, i'd be the last to upload anyway, but girls,my R's you guys made my day!

Bkk, Burapa & a lot of love!

2009-02-21T03:01:00.007+08:00

Just came back last Tuesday from much deserving break .
He had to finish his previous year annual leave.
Burapa Bike Week '09 coincides with V day, what can I say, perfect timing!

Last year we went sans fille , this time with deux filles in tow :)

Well, fun isn't "the" word, I'd be lying if I say that it's not tiring, but definitely worth every sweat seeing Aresha enjoying every bits (especially the hostel part) & Zara's beautiful smile, every morning (and everytime we retire from all the shopping & sightseeing)

We never celebrated V- day , however dear was being so sweet & oh sooooo romantic by getting me a bouquet of roses (which I proudly brought home in one piece, ha!) when he went out on his own to get us coffee & snacks :)

Ok, enough of that, heres' some snippets of our first family holiday with Zara :)

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The day he got" Mark"ed!

2009-01-19T16:32:00.004+08:00

Someone smiling from ear to ear yesterday :)
We saw this at the boutique before raya and now he's wearing it to work!

It wasn't an easy decision to make but in the end it makes us all happy.

*and that's a rare smile from him, my Reza hardly smile on camera ;)

Ladies day & cheese naan

2009-01-11T17:29:00.001+08:00

What is more sinful than chocolat?
Cheese naan! And it is not just ordinary cheese , it's mozzarella!
Worth every single cent ok!

It tastes even yummier when you're having it with these two lovely ladies, mes amies Reen & Ratna (hey that's double R!)

Reen came all the way with ERL, all feverish and couldn't even taste tht delicious bread but that doesn't stop us from having a good laugh.
That is also the first time meeting Ratna with her oh-so-lovely dread (sadly also the last as she shaved it off few days later, still looking gorgeous tho!)

Dear was being so nice to let me have my so-called ladies nite.
He took care of the babes which I must say,an excellent job.
Both girls smells even better than before I left them, lol!

Thanks to R & R for making it happen & the other R for being such a sweetie :)

I don't wanna go to school!

2009-01-08T10:59:00.003+08:00

She slept late and woke up cranky this morning.

Refusing to go to school and get into her uniform.

That little drama queen made daddy woke up and talk into her.

Holiday doesn't work.

Her fav Kit Kat bar doesn't work either.

She said 'Aresha nak buang baju, nak gunting'

' Tak nak sekolah!'

All because of she didn't get enough sleep.

I took her hand, we're 5 minutes late.

As soon as we reached the school gate she pulled my hand, so I carry her.

Cikgu Anita smiled as she saw us, it must be pretty normal scenario for her.

10 minutes in front of classroom door. After a while she gave in but the teacher has to carry her pulak this time :P

Oh well...

So much for 2009

2009-01-07T11:53:00.006+08:00

Aresha now goes to kindy and sleeps in her own room.
She turned into a big girl in just one day.
She found her strength to go through ear piercing (after 2 attempts prior to this where she ran away as she saw the gun)
And now, she plays with my FB status and uploaded pics from my iPod without me noticing! Arghh!

After 3 days going to kindy she told me "Why didn't the teacher teach me ABC mommy?"
Wonder why? She wants to learn how to read so that she can email and play FB!
Okay, that's scary, right?
She just turned 4 two months ago and might want to have her own FB profile soon!
I'm so not ready for this!

On another note,Zara smiles a lot and wants to to sit so that she can watch tv and look around. And that's her, fell asleep while watching telly :P
She has such a beautiful smile and loves to talk (babble or whatever you call it)
The last few days she's been asking us to pick her up and sit on our lap, smart girl.
I was fooled twice, when I thought that she cries for milk but no, no she just want me to hold her for a while and gave me a huge smile right after that.
Morning feeds are quite easy, she didn't wake up after her last feed (or she fell asleep when nobody picks her up, perhaps?) and knowing that daddy usually take her outta the cot, she'd rather want us to play with her than mommy's milk! That just happened 2 days ago, and no matter how sleepy we are, we just can't resist her cooing that adorable chubby face :)

Les chats de Chez Reza - starring April & Bambina

2009-01-05T17:10:00.002+08:00

Pictures taken by her 'sister' Aresha ;)

Deux les enfants

2009-01-01T16:46:00.000+08:00

Reza's @ KL Bike Week

2008-12-29T15:09:00.004+08:00

We spent the holidays @ MATIC for KL inaugural Bike Week. bbjnm,,Zara didn't make a fuss at all and she impresses everyone by not crying in discomfort and she could even sleep in the midst of loud music and sunny, hot weather!
It was a successfully well-organized event, albeit some minor glitches in how they conduct the best bike contest.
Here's looking forward for another bike week, next year!

Zara in IMG booth

Of returning home and adjusting life with two kids

2008-12-06T12:50:00.005+08:00

Yeah, I'm back home last Saturday, which actually was my 39th day of confinement, but i broke all the pantang that day haha.
We went to celebrate Mak's bday at Chilli's MV.
So I drank glasses of iced cold fruit juices, heaven!
That's what I miss the most.
If mama knew she'd be screaming on top of her lungs, heheh

It wasn't easy, being home with these two, alone.
I didn't even got the chance to clean up!
But managed to cook on Wednesday and Thursday.
Simple stuffs lah, chicken soup and thank God for mama's frozen rendang!

Zara loves to hang on my boobs. she drinks a bit then fell asleep and wakes up 30 minutes later. Aiyoh tiring!

She's still having difficulties to breathe,especially at night (but not to worry, we've checked with the paed, she's ok it's just the mucous stuck in her nose and diaphragm) and that reflux is something that's bothering me now.
After feeding, she keeps milk in her mouth, and vomits it out if she's not lying down in the right position. What a waste of milk!Hehe.

Today she's bottlefed for the first time,she made a funny face when sucking the teat for the first time, but happily finishing the hole bottle. I'm storing milk to get ready to catch Jens Lekman this Tuesday. Yeehaa!

We're off to shop for some baby stuffs, Salam Aidiladha!

meanwhile here's pics of our first roadtrip to Malacca with Zara

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Zara has arrived!

2008-11-21T13:43:00.004+08:00

She was born on the 22nd October 8.12 am, 3.74 kg
Labour pain started at 4.30am and when we arrived at the hospital 2 hours later, i'm already 8cm dilated!

All is well in Reza's hood, waiting for the confinement to end next Saturday, yeay!

Zara is gaining weight rapidly and a no fuss baby :)

Bring it on, contractions!

2008-10-14T13:29:00.002+08:00

I bet if anyone could, they would skip contractions and go straight for labour.
Contractions could last for hours or maybe days, strangely this time around I want it so badly so that I can be done and over with it, lol!

No sign of real contractions so far, only Braxton-Hicks which I have been through for the last 2 months. It's hard to walk around with this huge belly, not to mention getting up from sitting position and lying down. I'm dreading my 3am bathroom routine, strangely enough I have to get up twice in the middle of the nite!

Hopefully this time it won't be overdue like Aresha (11 days! Must be some miscalculation, somewhere) Can't wait to see the little one. I've been reading over and over again on labour signs and wondering when is the bloody show?

I think it's been two nights in a row that I dreamt of having contractions when in reality there was none :(

I guess it's better for me to keep myself busy again, though frankly, I'm not in the mood of cooking anything fancy. Got a tub of cream cheese in the fridge, whip up some brownies perhaps?

Eid 2008

2008-10-07T07:30:00.006+08:00

A meaningful raya indeed for me other than being heavily pregnant like previous four years, Aresha now understands wht's duit raya is all about,LOL! Coming from family who has now moved to the city, I just love celebrating at dear's kampung tho it's only 45 minutes drive away. The tradition of feasting with raya delicacies like ketupat, ala-ala,rendang kerang etc on the eve of raya is what everyone's looking fwd to. This year we even kacau dodol!

It's so much fun seeing Aresha running around the compound, freely and frankly we don't even have to keep an eye on her, she refuse to stay with us and kept herself busy going up and down the stairs playing with her little makciks and pakciks!
I guess living in the city has forbidden her to roam freely and this is the only time she could enjoy the real meaning of freedom!

My MIL has kindly sewn 2 cotton baju kurungs which she loves and so looking forward to wear for raya. And she even thought the baby would come on hari raya itself, haha! Not that early, darling!

I just love being surrounded by Faizal's family, they're so warm and fun to be with. My family is quite small and to spend raya with a huuuuuge family is just perfect!

we spent the first raya, well for the first time, the boys woke up late and barely made it in time for Eid prayers. Then the teary bermaafan session and of course visiting sessions to aunties and uncles houses. Stuffed ourselves silly with food, oh glorious food, kuih raya and gallons of carbonated drinks!

2nd day. mak's siblings came with their children and grandchildren and we all cook nasi ayam plus Makcik Shimi brought her famous laksa penang, yummm! Another food fest!
Some miscommunication lead us to only start beraya around 6pm and we managed to make it till Banting and arrived in Jeram midnight!

As for the 3rd day, went to Kalumpang to our favorite cousins home only to be greeted with Mak Utih's yummy cooking :)
I bet I must have gained kilos but who cares right? Despite hardly able to move around and swollen feet, I managed to celebrate this raya in style, lol!

Then off to Shah Alam where the family and my Cik Nab are waiting(not to forget mama's famous nasi beriyani) ooh la, la!
Though we only catch up fpr few hours this year we promised to visit her in Tapah and couldn't wait for next year to gather again.

Raya in kampung and town is like a world's apart. You can see every houses in kampung are filled with families and cars coming in and out, it feels so meriah, to see all those pelita lighting up, and they never failed to serve us with food, tonnes of it unlike open houses in the city where sometimes, food is not even enough!
It's ironic that kampung people are more generous than city dwellers eh?

I witness a scene of papa calling his friends asking whether they're home to visit but it's sad to hear that most aren't and we now have to make appointment to come for raya? Kids don't come to collect their duit raya in stranger's houses anymore and if there's no open house, nobody would come to your house, a normal scenario these days.

Enough of my ramblings, I'm ready to give birth anytime as I had fulfilled al my raya cravings! I'm just too heavy to walk around now, literally dragging my swollen feet ;)

In the meantime, enjoy our raya pics!

Revolusi '48

2008-09-23T16:17:00.004+08:00

After the award winning,some-called it controversial Sepuluh Tahun Sebelum Merdeka here comes the sequel, Revolusi '48.

Will be screening at Annexe, Central Market on the 20th October 2008.

false alarm

2008-09-13T00:46:00.003+08:00

Last night, well, right after I'm done with preparing buka puasa dish, I had a really bad backache, not the usual ones this time it stretches all the way to my lower back. It's unbearable and baby is moving oh so actively, it feels like she's doing a somersault in there. Baby, you're not helping :P

We were thinking, is this a contraction? Oh dear, so totally not prepared for early labor.
I want to feast on those yummylicious raya delicacies, at least the first 3 days.
My hospital bag is not ready yet, baby clothes are not washed, my confinement bag pun tak ready.

I had trouble sleeping too! Went to bed at 12.30am endless shifting sides and when dear came in @ 2.30 am, I'm still wide awake!
The movements are just so strong that whatever position I tried, failed miserably. I guess there isn't much space left, so even the slightest movement felt like a poke from the inside.

This could be just Braxton-Hicks contractions and now I'm kinda used to stomach tightening routine. 5 more weeks to go, please stay in mommy's tummy till it's time ok?

Let's see how it goes tomorrow, could be my last check up with Dr B before transferring to a govt. hospital.

I don't know why I feel like going to mamak and had some drinks tonight. Waiting for my dear to finish installing his carburetor for the 5th time, hmpphh!

cloth vs disposable diapers

2008-09-05T11:03:00.004+08:00

being an aspiring environmentalist (well, try to recycle as much at least) I'm drawn to articles written in Parents magazine where they have discussion over cloth diapers.

These are unlike the cloth diapers our parents used to put on us, complete with safety pin and plastic covers.
Cloth diapers are so cute and you'll help saving the environment as well :)

14 reasons why you should be using (or at least considering using) cloth diapers

1-Keeps Baby Dry
Baby is comfortable and less cranky due to diaper discomfort. Happy baby equals happy mommy and daddy.

2-Incredible Diaper Savings
You can save thousands of dollars over the course of three years - more if you use the same for a second child. Plus, you won't be spending money on expensive diaper rash creams, diaper pail liners or wasting gas running to the store each week to buy diapers. The savings really add up!

3-Eliminates / Treats Diaper Rash
No more costly trips to the pediatrician and no more goopy, sticky ointments and butt pastes. Yuck.

4-Healthy for our Environment
Millions and millions of diapers end up in our landfills each year. You can do your part by making this world a better place for your baby by ditching disposables and opting for cloth diapers. It is 100% reusable. No waste and no constantly buying expensive diaper refills like some of the hybrid cloth/disposable options.

4-Adjustable Sizes
Cloth diapers grow with your baby due to its unique multiple snap placements. You can adjust each to snugly fit your baby's waist and legs.

5-No Messy or Wet Leaks
enable you to customize the absorbency, so you don't have to worry about leaky diapers. The free microterry insert provided with each is super absorbent; and if your baby is a heavy wetter, simply stuff two inserts or another absorbent material inside the pocket. Also, designed with reinforced leg casings to ensure no messes escape.

6-Stays Beautiful Wash after Wash
stay beautiful wash after wash. No pilling or fraying nor staining.

7-Leg Casings!
What are Leg Casings? That's our slang for encased leg elastic which exist not for aesthetic measures but to double as mock "leg dams" to serve as assurance that everything will stay where it is supposed to be. No leaks. No mess. No fleece to "poke" back in the diaper.

8-Durable Diapers
made with high tech fabrics that are easy to wash and care for. They are durable enough to last wash after wash and last through multiple children, saving you money and offering you peace of mind.

9-Super Trim Fit
Traditional cloth diapers can be bulky. Plus, the adjustable snaps allow the baby to fit snuggly around BOTH your baby's waist and legs. No mores sagging pants!

10-Easy to Use
Simply stuff 'em and they are ready to go! A favorite of daycares, grandmas and even dads! FuzziBunz™ were invented by a mom who didn't have time to mess with hard-to-use diapers and who wanted something that was easy to use, easy to wash and easy on the eyes.

11-High Sanitation Standards
developed so that there would be no need for swirling, dunking, spraying or soaking diapers. The two part pocket system ensures your diapers get super clean. Plus, you will spend less time washing, bleaching, sunning or doing all of that "old fashioned" stuff grandma used to do to her diapers. And best of all, it always look clean wash after wash.

12-Quick Drying
The two part pocket system not only is a breeze to clean but also dries in a flash, lowering your energy bill.

13-Maximum Comfort for Baby
You will have satisfaction that your baby is totally comfortable . Only super soft polar fleece touches your baby's skin. There are no pins to poke, no Velcro to scratch or stick and no crunchy plastic pants to rub against your baby's delicate skin. Because your baby is in diapers every day for three years, you want to make sure those three years are spent in comfort.

14-Stylish
Your baby will be the most stylish baby on the block. come in more than 20 colors and designs. From bubblegum pink to lime green.

Ramadhan 1429

2008-09-04T22:34:00.003+08:00

I always love this time of the year, and Ramadhan knocked on our door, just like four years ago, we're expecting a child after Aidilfitri.

Aresha was born 11 days overdue on the 5th of Syawal and this baby EDD is 16 days after Syawal. If she decides to come out early, maybe 7th October is the best as daddy were born tht day :)
Whatever you choose darling, Mommy hopes that there will no complication and the labor will be as smooth as your sister's.

Mommy and daddy haven't decided on where to deliver the little sister. We're crossing out private practices as government hospitals aren't that bad at all (and cheap too!) From the previous scan, baby is in the right position and our gynae told us that nothing to worry and I'll be able to give birth naturally :) Yeay! So it's either Ampang Hospital (which we haven't tried yet and still reading reviews about it) or Putrajaya again (which we love , the midwives are so efficient!)

This Ramadhan feels so serene and peaceful and I'm trying my best to respect the holy month. So gone are the sleeveless dresses and I vowed not to miss any prayers. Sadly I can't be going to terawikh this time time around as my feet is already swollen and it hurts even to just walk around the house doing the chores :( We settled for doing it at home once in a while.
It's been 4 days of home cooked food, starting with iftar with my family @ mom's new home,
Curry mee, pastry puffs & popiah basah, yumm!

The next day I cooked Hainan Chicken rice (which is an absolute fav of my dearest) and seri muka from the neighbour :)
Followed by nasi lemak & burger Malaysia - managed to get Aresha to help out exchange juadah with my two neighbours

And today, we decided not to have rice anymore, mee hailam & cucur udang & delish curry puffs from Makcik Noor- i tell you it's the best, better than IKEA's

Ah, talk about rezeki Ramadhan, proud to say that we didn't buy any food from bazaar Ramadhan, yet!

wish everyday would be this good, we didn't indulge so much on food , eating moderately and more focused on ibadat rather that hanging out.

That also reminds me when puasa ends, we'll be anxiously anticipating the 2nd baby. I already dreamt of giving birth and felt quite nervous though I can say been there, done that this time around, but labor is not a walk in the park, the contractions that I endure alone last time still vividly playing on continuos mode in my head. Tho it took only 15 minutes to push Aresha out, the pain is unbearable and Faizal told me I look like a mad woman while doing it, lol!

Thanks to friends who already wish me well and praying that this will go easily on me :) Really appreciate it.

I'm baking brownies for dear's potluck tomorrow, hopefully it will turn out fab!

Toodles!

on being 28

2008-09-01T11:20:00.002+08:00

Despite having a really bad fever 3 days before turning 28, I had a wonderful anniversaire!
Age is just a number and it seems like it's only yesterday that I was a naive 17 year old girl and look where I am now, almost a mother of two!

I used to think birthday prezzies are a must have, (read something I anticipate to get on my bday) but not anymore. I received birthday wishes from all over (thanks to CS) , it makes me feel loved :) work wonders to get me back on my feet after 3 dreadful day & night of bedrest.

My dearest Faizal took 2 days leave to care for me, sleepless nights of constantly sponging me, doing all the houseworks. Thank you darling, you don't know how much that means to me :)

And yesterday we went out to get my birthday prezzie, which is still a secret ;) hopefully will get it before raya *fingers crossed*
Already bought 3 dresses for a bargain, so I'm content for now, yeay!

Today, we're going to have iftar with my family, including the new SIL but minus my youngest sis :(
Going to bring my signature pastry puff which reminds me, I have to make the filling now, till then Salam Ramadhan al-Mubarak!

spring cleaning in summertime

2008-07-14T13:07:00.005+08:00

I have three months before my EDD to make sure the house is spotless.
Been procrastinating for quite sometime (oh well, blame it on the pregnancy)
We have to make room for the kids.
That means the double decker bed from the landlord has to be disassembled and stashed in the store room.

We thought of moving out to a new place once our contract ended but last night after having a discussion, we decided to stay for another year and save for our 2nd house's downpayment(For those who wonder why 2nd, please don't make me explain, buat sakit hati je :P)

Goal for 2009, to be financially independent, that is to clear all the credit card debts and save for our next holiday and the house.

Okay, back to spring cleaning.

Things to be done:

1- Kids' bedroom
Not much to buy just new bedsheets, mattress (note: must be girly and pink),curtain and some shelves for toys and books

2-Kitchen
Buy new rack for the stoves, major cleaning up - that is dear's task, hehe

3- Rearrange and tidy up the storage room
to make room for the double decker bedframe, and other stuffs that we rarely use.

4- maintain the cleanliness of the house especially the living room
that means Aresha's toys has to be in her room not laying around anymore

The list is not that long but we only have few months to make sure everything's ready . I often get backaches now so I wouldn't be much help in the future.
Started with things I could do own my own while dear's at work.

I'm surprised that suddenly I got this energy to do everything, though I'm quite worried that I push myself too hard.

Managed to clean up the guest room (which will converted to the kids' room soon), and we agreed on spending 30 minutes everyday to clean the storage room, so it is 25% done now :)

We're quite pleased with the progress and hope to meet the deadline (before Ramadhan)
By that time I might not be able to do much anymore.

Now, I gotta go and finish vacuuming the living room, 2 cats + one toddler = countless time of vacuuming everyday!

Courtesy

2008-07-07T11:47:00.002+08:00

It's sad that we're becoming a nation of selfish and discourteous.
Why such a statement?

I've experienced it myself last night.
Aresha and I took LRT from Masjid Jamek (as our bus stopped @Puduraya)
It was 10.30pm.
LRT was packed like a sardine can, I was standing near a pole and kept on reminding Aresha to hold on to one.

Then at KLCC station more people got in and we front of the seats that clearly stated for pregnant women, women with child, elderly etc. I kept glancing on the sign and looking at the faces of people who sat there, nobody offered me a seat. Okay, expected.

Last time I got a seat, was when Carolina (a Cser from Argentina) asked a girl to get up for this pregnant lady. It works and the girl smiled sheepishly(more like stupidly for being so ignorant)

To be honest, I don't really need a seat but after a while, Aresha made a fuss and whine saying that she's tired. A 3 1/2 year old toddler couldn't endure 20 minutes train ride, anybody could see that, but hey! Everybody just pretend they didn't hear her or see her crying! Maybe they thought 'why the hell is the pregnant lady and her daughter took this train? I'm not giving up my seat!' There's this lady who kept glancing at me, but her ass is too heavy kot?

Seriously, I vow to teach Aresha common courtesy. I'm not saying that their parents didn't taught them well, but sometimes we forgot the importance of being polite and courteous.

Maybe I don't look pregnant? I'm just a fat lady with a huge tummy.
I don't deserve a seat.
or
Maybe I should just stay home since I'm pregnant.

And we still call ourselves rakyat Malaysia 'berbudi bahasa and bersopan santun'?
Wow!

Monthly getaway

2008-07-03T11:32:00.004+08:00

I didn't realize I was travelling to neigbouring countries every month since April.
First it was Phuket, then short weekend visit to S'pore in May(which coincides with Great S'pore Sale but everything is too expensive even after discount!) Last 2 weeks we were in Bandung for 4 days (sans Aresha,and I don't feel that guilty anymore, though I kept thinking about her all the time!) and tomorrow we're off to Hatyai!

Looks like I'm pushing myself to the limit eh? Backaches doesn't stop me from long-haul bus ride. Heck, I used to ride on Faizal's Springer till 9 months when I was preggy with Aresha! But I do get tired easily compared to the last one. However when we were in Bandung last time, I didn't feel exhausted at all from walking and shopping (typical , woman!) until we get home and couldn't get up the whole day!

Strangely enough we only bought a shirt for the baby. Aresha on the other hand got herself a whole lotta dresses, skirts, even a hat! I went gaga over toddler clothes but err infant clothes didn't attract my attention. Don't ask me why, I just don't fell like buying.
Maybe because there are hands-me-down from Aresha, it will be a totally different scenario if this is our first.

I love Bandung people, well generally Indonesian. Made friends with Csers from Bandung and Jakarta. They were so nice to send me back to the hotel :)
Not to forget the staffs at Rip Curl's clearance sale @ Chiwalk. They were so excited to know that I came from KL, the best customer service I've ever had in my entire life!

What I love the most of Bandung (which explains why Jakarta people always flock Bandung during weekends) is the cheap food, strawberry juice!, romantic cafes and restaurants at the hilltop.

Will definitely coming back for more next year. My Bandung friends had already offered to take me around exploring Bandung (other than FO's of course!)

Cravings

2008-06-10T16:36:00.004+08:00

Strangely, I have cravings for traditional kuihs. It was kuih bakar kemboja the last few weeks which I only managed to indulge at mama's place (not homemade but her friend brought, sedap gile!)
Yesterday I wanted cekodok pisang
Okay laugh all you want, at least it's not those unthinkable food.

I've satisfied my cravings over cekodok this morning.
Funny thing about this mengidam is that after few bites you'll realize tht is is not tasty or more like had enough of it :P

Don't know what else I want to eat next, but a nice bowl of cendol would be great ;)

girls day out!

2008-06-09T17:42:00.003+08:00

Went out with Nad for banana leaf lunch, of course the cheeky little Aresha came along.

We passed through a toy fare at Bangsar Village and she made a scene refusing to follow us to the restaurant.
Refuse to sit
Refuse to eat

Okay whatever, we're both hungry and after a while she came to me and eat rice at the corner of my banana leaf ;)

Oh yeah she spilled a half-full cup of milo. And no, we didn't get it refilled, bahhh!

It was fun anyway spending time chit-chatting at Starbucks, Aresha is just so 'perasan'.
Look at how she pose :P

Alang's engagement

2008-05-26T17:25:00.000+08:00

We have a new addition in the family (next year insya Allah)
Alang just got engaged last month 26th May in Bangi.
It was a short and sweet ceremony, filled with laughter and joy :)
Rini's side wasn't very fussy and they already agreed beforehand on the syarat-syarat.

I rarely go to engagement ceremony and this is one is just perfect.
We are excited to welcome Rini to the family as she's such a nice girl and got along with us really well.

Here's looking forward to go to Kota Bharu next year and experience the wedding Kelantan style!

Our future sis-in-law

us with newly-engaged couple (note how tall is the younger brother?)

The Reza's family of 5 boys, mak and spouses

of weddings and baju kurungs

2008-05-21T01:22:00.006+08:00

Oh wow, it's exactly a month since I last updated my blog, this is insane!
Well, I'm just too lazy to get my fat ass upstairs, and rather glued to the tv all day to be exact.
But now even lying down for few minutes causing me backache and leg cramps!
Is that a sign for me to get myself busy? Haha.
Sign or not, I'll just do whatever I feel like doing. hehe

Good news, hematoma is completely gone (what a relief),alhamdulillah :) baby is growing accordingly and healthily.
I'm trying not to eat so much to avoid ballooning like my previous pregnancy, stick to the healthy food, vitamins and milk!

I got my brother-in-law's engagement this weekend and already bought a nice traditional kerongsang for the kebaya(which I can still fit it but to my horror, I can't even do the zippers! There goes my RM55!

So what should I do now,less than 4 days, I desperately need a new sarong.
Dear just laughed at me silly,
'Cannot fit in already?'
You're not helping at all my dear.

Now I got Ajeep's wedding at the end of the month and more than 5 kain to send to tailor.
What's the most flattering design for a very pregnant mommy (by then, Erie's wedding in August)

Ok, I'm not gonna blab, off to bed now. Hope that I'll find solutions soon!

Back from hols!

2008-04-21T00:33:00.004+08:00

Sorry peeps, forgot to tell y'all that we were in Phuket (Patong to be exact) from 10th to 15th April.

Still on holiday mode, Aresha couldn't get enough of the beach (not to mention her 'someone' push her in the water incident, seram!)

We all came back with a 'nice' tan,haha!

Aresha is the most tanned of all, looks more like a real island girl.

Funnily enough I didn't get anything for myself, Phuket is just too expensive compared to Bangkok (:P)
If you count my one-piece Triumph swimsuit that I got for THB 399 (which is a steal and I got it on my last day in Patong, damn!)
That's the only thing tht I got for miself.

Aresha came back with 2 dresses, Hello Kitty belt and Princess nightie (which we hated, but she is a princess, she always get what she wants)

It was too short for dear as he arrived a day later and rode home a day earlier. No fun without him :(

I actually felt empty and lonely when he left on the 14th morning. I think I shed some tears, missing him terribly.
Err forgive my sentimentalness here ;) I'm a hopeless romantic, did I tell you tht?
We exchanged texts (thank God for 12Call prepaid) saying how much we miss each other.

I finally drag myself out to Jungceylon, for retail therapy and daily dose of Green Spot Lime.

37 back in business!

2008-04-03T00:38:00.003+08:00

Last Sunday our kitchen is back in business.
Went to JJ to buy all the ingredients and voila! that very night we had homemade fries and jumbo hot dog for dinner.

Yeay!

And I haven't stopped cooking ever since, breakfast , lunch, dinner.

Healthy, home cook for my loved ones :)

We had stuffed omelette for breakfast.
Chicken fajitas w/ warm tortilla complete with tomato salsa - Monday
Fish and chips - Tuesday
Spaghetti bolognese w/caesar's salad - tonite

We have to make do of this menu since I get heartburn easily from spices.
Aresha couldn't get enough of mommy's spaghetti (she call it 'fata') made me smile from ear to ear.

Of course, my dearest is the happiest person on earth and he wouldn't mind doing the dishes, yippee!

Alamak, we're out of flour to make pizza, what's for dinner tomorrow?

p/s: No pics at the moment, not that I didn't take any, as of now I'm online only when dear's home, why?
My harddisk went kaput!

"V" for Vambutan

2008-03-27T02:38:00.005+08:00

Aresha has strange pelatness she'd pronounce words started with R with V.

Vambutan = Rambutan
Vabina = Ribena

Where did she get that I don't know and even though I tried to correct her everytime, she refuse to follow.

Poor Aresha , mommy is so cranky these days that I can't tolerate her being disobedient to me, Aiyoh! I feel guilty everytime I scolded her. She'd quickly say sorry( which melts my heart) and the past few days (or maybe I just realize this) she'd say
"Aresha sayang mommy" countless times (followed with a huge hug)

She's very loving and becoming very manja with her daddy.
Whenever daddy's home she'll sit on his lap and watch tv , 80's rock videos (her favorite, KISS), pandai beli jiwa!

Last night after dinner, she said
'let's lepak, Aresha nak tgk cinta (=cerita, over-generalizing movies and footie match) Adebayor'
Mentioning the only player she knew. Hehe
She knows what daddy loves, and enjoy even watching footie with him :)

Last few hours, while having dinner, she purposely said she wants to poo poo and wee wee because she's tired and wants to sleep. I had to quickly finish my meal, only to find out that she tricked us this time.
Btw, she sleeps early now, alhamdulillah :)

I'm doing okay now, still resting whenever I could though so much chores piling up now, and almost sick of eating out.
Told dear, give it another one or two weeks, tak boleh tahan eating out.
He quickly replied" Can't wait!" Cheh!

Emm craving for fajitas, plan to shop for items needed to make 'em this weekend. Saw Martha made easy guacamole this morning, yumm!

Bun in the oven

2008-03-20T03:14:00.004+08:00

I was on bed rest the last few weeks.
Nauseous, fatigue and it's been almost a month that our dapur tak berasap(read I didn't cook at all)

I guess most of my closest friends and family already knew that I am pregnant.
As Dr B said 9 weeks 5 days (yes we switch from Dr A to Dr B)

This pregnancy is DIFFERENT.
with Aresha my morning sickness is only 2 weeks but this baby, don't even let me go to the kitchen even the smell of fried eggs would make me nauseous.

Dear has to put up with me, he has to cook his own breakfast and we now eat out almost every single day.

Last Monday nite, 9pm I bleed and we all went panic.
Out of the blue I felt like having my period again, which is impossible, right?

Too late to go to the gynae, we decided to wait till tomorrow.
I texted Ain, she replied early in the morning.

It is called threatened miscarriege.

We had the ultrasound scan and to be honest we already prepared for the worst.
Maybe not our rezeki this time.

I'm having subchorionic hematoma, bleeding at some part of the placenta.

You can see it from the scan, there's a huge hole in my placenta.

Alhamdulillah the fetus is growing healthily and we can hear the heartbeat.
What a relief! Even Aresha saw her sibling as she called it sleeping baby.

I was given a hormone and it's funny to see Aresha's reaction when the doctor put the needle in my arms. She seems so furious like 'what the hell is he doing to my mommy?'

And I'm now on duphaston for few weeks and scheduled for another checkup in 2 weeks time.

We just hope that we can get through the whole pregnancy without any complication.

I was told to have plenty of rest.

So, there goes my first entry on the second pregnancy.

I'm off to rest now, talk to y'all soon!

Off to grandma's

2008-03-03T14:10:00.002+08:00

Aresha and I will be spending the night at my mom's and the next day we're off to Segamat to visit my grandma(papa's side)
It's been a while, I remember eating her specialty, for breakfastputu piring, fluffy , tasty and yellow unlike KL ones :P
Sadly she didn't make it anymore (use to sell though)Sometimes the old methods are the best. She tumbuk her own flour mixture, hard work and she just don't have the energy for that anymore :(

But I've already learnt to make her other specialty kuih bakar kemboja, yumm!

I'm old school, lol!

Alternative nation?

2008-02-25T18:15:00.004+08:00

It's interesting tht living in this area made us unofficially subscribed to the alternative party campaign bulletin. 8 full pages of thought-provoking, somehow to good to be true(propagandha?)
I like their ideas anyway

What the ALTERNATIVE would do for the ppl (I can only speak for Selangor but no doubt the flyer would be applicable to all over Malaysia, Peninsular at least)

Health (this is the best part of the manifesto)

- 90 days of maternity leave
- 14 days paternity leave (this is heaven!)
- 30 days leave for wives who recently lost their husband
- free medical for 65 years and above

More to come! But if they could realize the 4 above I would vote for them, no hesitation at all.

Don't be like NATO, you get wht I mean right?