tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-75768702024-03-14T04:01:24.616+08:00DIAMONDS ARE SHSUYA'S BEST FRIENDSshsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.comBlogger295125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1960621836297002622011-01-07T14:12:00.004+08:002011-01-07T18:15:53.043+08:00My Delusions of Granduer -Ice breaker speechI probably haven't mentioned this before in the blog but I very recently joined the Toastmasters Club in my office. One of the directors used to be a member of Toastmasters in the HQ office in Danbury and wanted to set up one in the Singapore office too. He called for interested members and I did one up. I didn't just join as a member but I am an office-bearing member. *cue for claps for the VP of Membership*<br /><br /><br /><br />In case you are wondering what Toastmasters Club is, it is definitely a bunch of us sitting around toasting our breads and discussing what is the best way to do it. Go google or read more <a href="http://www.toastmasters.org/Members.aspx">here</a><br /><br /><br /><br />Anyway we are having our very first club meeting next Tuesday and as a club officer, along with 2 others, we voluntered to be the very first to give our speeches. The first project is the Ice Breaker and it is meant to be a speech about yourself.<br /><br /><br /><br />I spent 2 days thinking of an angle to approach this topic. It should be easy but I wanted my first speech to be a bang and not just another documentary about my where I was born, where I schooled etc.<br /><br /><br /><br />Its in the final touch-up stage to tighten the language but <a href="http://shsuya.tumblr.com/post/2635346957/my-delusions-of-grandeur-1-ice-breaker">here goes</a> ....<br /><br /><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#000000;"></span>Tell me what you think, won't you ?shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-74589865268223699472010-12-07T16:53:00.002+08:002010-12-07T17:15:26.814+08:00125 + 207 = eeerr ???!!!I have been medically certified to be allergic to Ampicillin and all antibiotics in that family since 1986. However there is a greater allergy I have. An allergy to mathematics.<br /><br />It has gotten so bad that my mind goes into freeze mode whenever a situation arise that requires me to add, subtract, multiply or divide. It is not so much that I am bad at mathematics (I was a below average student in Maths but have never flunk any papers) It is just that my mental ability to process numbers is somehow not developed.<br /><br />My husband calls me plain lazy to think and although deep inside I agree with him, it has become almost a physical thing. My brain goes into freeze mode and I get into a frantic state where I either whip out my mobile to use the calculator when I am alone or look helplessly to my husband to provide the answer (cue “I’m a Barbie girl” song)<br /><br />Part of the reason is perhaps I have never had a good foundation in Maths. When I first started learning Math in school, I always hear everyone around me say “I’ve never been good at Maths” and “Eee I hate Maths. Good luck to you” “So far no one is our family is good at Maths”. It was almost inherent that I kind of self prophesize that I will also be horrid at Maths. I’ve heard of stories where a person hated Maths but because she/he had an exceptionally inspirational teacher who made the subject interesting he/she develop an interest in the subject. Unfortunately I never had such a teacher or role model.<br /><br />More than anything else, I have never had the interest and repeated wrong answers kind of broke my self confidence in the subject and wilted any motivation I had to do well.<br /><br />I once met an ex-classmate who said he was majoring in Mathematics at the Uni. I remember looking at him like he was an alien from outer space and thought to myself, “Why would anyone want to major in Mathematics ? “<br /><br />I realize now that Mathematics is very essential and it is very disadvantageous if we do not have the necessary skills for it. Now that I am a parent, I would very much like to ensure I do not prejudice my child against any set of knowledge. I want them to be the very best they can be and will do anything within my power to provide the necessary environment for them to excel. Which is how I come across Kumon.<br /><br />I have done quite a bit of research into this. I like the methodology for the following reasons<br /><br />a) It starts off the child at a manageable level and allows the child to build their self confidence.<br />b) It is one to one & customised according to the child’s ability, very much similar to the Montessori method which I strongly adhere to.<br />c) It is a daily thing (this has its cons too)<br />d) It instills independent learning and will allow the child to learn to solve problems on their own<br />e) it develops the child’s mental capability and gives them the advantage to master arithmetic, the very basic of a lot of mathematics concepts.<br />f) It is independent of the school syllabus and allows the child to learn concepts beyond those taught at his age in school<br /><br />I have reservations on this methodology because of the following<br />a) It is very tedious, requires lots of repetition in order to achieve mastery and can be very boring for a child with an inquisitive mind.<br />b) It gives the child a inflated sense of confidence when they progress beyond their school level and can bring rise to arrogance and over-confidence & in its worst case scenario, confuses the child when he is taught the same lesson in school<br />c) It kills creativity and can rebound & cause said child to HATE Math (unlikely though, it seems)<br />d) It is expensive and will take a sizable chunk of my disposable income (something I hope the hubby will subsidise) It will be worse when my Muzaffar comes of age to join Kumon classes<br />e) It involves very detailed parent involvement to monitor that the child does his worksheet every day w/o fail and I may drop the ball when work and family commitments comes to the fore. (thinking of family vacation )<br />f) I know that Kumon will be beneficial for Maths but I have my doubts over the English syllabus (more on that later) <br />I have gone for the Parent orientation and like what I see for now. Tonight I will be sending my 4 year old boy for the diagnostic session to see which level he should join.<br /><br />If I may make an unbiased assessment of my son, I would say he is above average but he has a very short attention span. He also thrives on praises and positive encouragement in order to motivate him to do well and take the next step. He is discouraged very easily when he meets a roadblock. I hope that Kumon will give him a head start and his bolstered self confidence will spur him to want to explore and reach his full potential.<br /><br />I have been told that the first 3-6 months is the most difficult as the child needs to get into the routine of doing kumon worksheets daily and resistance is to be expected.<br /><br />I will provide more periodic updates on whether I actually go through with enrolling my Mubarak into Kumon and how he (and I) fare with time.shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-18000489322450110232010-12-07T09:51:00.002+08:002010-12-07T14:14:32.734+08:00The journey to Phone Hell and backOk let me put this straight. I LUURRVEE my phone. As in Love Love Love. I waited forever to get it and once I got it (Thanks to hubby for the birthday gift) the phone and I are inseparable. I take it with me everywhere I go, even to the loo. Yes I am not kidding. I do everything on the phone. - Read my e-books, play angry birds and other useless games, download recipes, check for currency xchange rate online, plan my finances, read the news online, update my twitter and facebook statuses. I use the phone to keep my kids quiet on public transport and long car rides. I even have an anti-mosquito app that I turn on whenever we are back in Malaysia to make sure my kids are not bitten. <br /><br />So imagine my despair and utter despondence when upon my return from celebrating my son’s birthday on 1st Dec, I realized the phone wasn’t on my physical self and was not in any of the bags I was carrying. I turned the car upside down in the hope it had dropped into the crevices and searched all the family members' bag in case it somehow went into theirs. <br /><br />Lucky for me, my husband is not the kind who berates. He could see how dejected I was and consoled me by telling me not to think too much and accept the fact it was gone. He called the operator to suspend my line and arranged for me to collect the replacement SIM card. I did my due diligence and called up the places we went, to see if any kind souls found the phone and reported it to the management. It was a very long shot as I honestly did not expect anyone to do anything else but pocket the phone. After all it was a brand new HTC Desire and was less than 6 months old. <br />Out of the blue on Sunday evening, I received a call from a Miss Asmunah of the Snow City asking if I had visited the premises recently. My heart was beating out of my chest as I waited for what she had to say. It seems she found a phone on the snow slope (no less) and held on to it, hoping the owner will call up the phone or if the owner would come back to claim it. When a few days has passed and the phone was still in the lost and found box, she actually went through my contact list and called up the number listed as “Home”.<br /><br />To say I was over the moon would be a gross understatement. Needless to say within the hour I was over at the Snow City to collect my phone. <br />What impressed me most was that <br />- She could have pocketed the phone but didn’t<br />- She is sure to come across a hundred lost items in a day but she took the effort to follow up to look for the owner of the phone she has found. <br />- She could have left it in the lost and found box to rot or until the grace period is up and then give it to her colleague/kid/ whoever. <br />- My phone has a PIN lock. She actually took out the Sim card, put it in her phone and searched for my Home number. That takes effort. I am not sure I would have gone through all that effort if I was in her place. <br /><br />I thanked her profusely when I met her and took down her details. I was determined to highlight this gesture she has done for me and show my appreciation to her. The very next day I googled all the email addresses of the management of Snow City and sent them an email to highlight what she has done for me.<br /><br />I will be sending a bouquet of flowers and some chocolates to her as well.<br /><br />I reproduce the email below as well as the reply from the management. <br /><br /><em>Dear Sharifah, thanks for taking the time to write and letting us know the incident. We will convey our thanks to Asmunah for what she had done.<br />Regards<br />Michael Chay<br />Executive Director<br />Snow Venture Pte Ltd.<br /><br />To: hr@snowcity.com.sg; contact@snowcity.com.sg; gohcc@tsparchitects.net; wee_heng_tin@moe.gov.sg; qgimpew@dso.org.sg<br />Cc: asmunah@snowcity.com.sg<br />Subject: A Bouquet of Thanks to Asmunah Selamat<br /><br />Dear All, <br />I wish to express my heartfelt appreciation and thanks to one of your employee, Ms Asmunah Selamat. I am sending this to you to highlight what a gem of an employee she is to your organization and hopefully you will express to her my thanks and recognize the value she has brought to your organization. <br />My family and I visited the Snow City on 1st Dec 2010 for my son’s birthday celebration. We had a marvelous time there and it was only when I reached home that evening that I realized my mobile phone was missing. I had no recollection where I had misplaced it or if it had dropped out from my pocket.<br />I called the Snow City to enquire on 2nd and 3rd Dec 2010 if there was a phone reported as found. It was a longshot enquiry and I was not surprised when the person I spoke to said no phone was found. I had given up all hope and was deeply saddened as the phone was very recently purchased and contained various confidential and personal financial information. <br /><br />Imagine my surprise when on Sunday evening 5th Dec 2010, a lady, Ms Asmunah, called from the Snow City to enquire if I had visited the premise recently and lost something. She said she had been waiting for someone to call the mobile or come to collect the phone but when no one did, she took her own initiative to look through my contacts and called the phone number listed as “HOME”.<br /><br />That was not all that she did. She stayed behind to meet me well after her working hours on the same evening when I came by about 9pm to collect the phone. <br />I acknowledge the effort and initiative she has showed. She could have just as easily pocketed the phone, or dumped it in the lost and found box until someone came looking for it. Her honesty, conscientiousness and great initiative is something I truly appreciate. I hope you as her employer will do the same. <br /><br />Please send my regards to her and I hope you highlight this incident to her. She is not just a model employee but a model human being. <br /><br />I will not hesitate to recommend Snow City to my clients and family members not just because it is an interesting tourist attraction but because of the value of the employees found there. <br /><br />Should you need to reach me, you can call my mobile at XXXXXXX or my number below. <br /><br />Thank you very much. <br />With my best regards,</em>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-84204547275324088942010-11-29T17:12:00.000+08:002010-11-29T17:14:32.806+08:00My firstborn turns 4On Wednesday 1st Dec 2010, my firstborn, Muhamad Mubarak will be turning 4. <br />We will be taking leave on this day and spending the day with him, to celebrate the day he was born, along with all the people he loves. Although it seems that the celebration is for him, in truth a small part of it is for us, the parents. We want to celebrate the day he was gifted to us by Allah s.w.t, two souls who had nothing – no money (well, not much) , no knowledge on how to raise a child other than the little we had read, no clue as to what to except and yeah basically Nothing except lots and lots of love for each other and the firm belief that we are truly blessed to have been awarded this perfect child by Allah s.w.t and that we will do our best to raise him right. <br /><br />I know this is going to sound cliché but honestly it does feel like it was just last year that we had him and we brought him home from the hospital. Of all the things that happened in both my deliveries, the most poignant moment were the trips home from the hospital. <br /><br />I remember vividly every single detail about the journey from getting dressed in the hospital room, saying goodbyes to my Gynae and the wonderful nurses at Glen E, being escorted out of the ward on a wheelchair (hospital procedures) by the hospital staff and waiting at the lobby while the valet brought us the car. I remember carrying the small, precious bundle in my arms, dressed in his best. Most of all, I remember my thoughts lucid and crystal clearly. All the time on the wheelchair and all the way home in the car, I was thinking to myself “OMG, OMG, OMG, Is this real ? Are we going home ? Am I really ready to be a mother? Can the both of us take care of a baby?” <br /><br />Ahh....Memories…. <br /><br />Now as I look at my son, I realized so much has happened since then. He is now a bright young man who is full of sunshine. He is very expressive, articulate and a cheerful child. He is well liked by his teachers and friends and my uncles and aunts as well as the hubby’s uncles and aunts continuously sing praises on how well behaved he is. <br /><br />He is well-rounded, loves Lady Gaga as much as he loves his Asma’ul Husna (and he can recite it well too) He is great at taking care of his brother and relishes any duty given to him to carry out. The best thing about him, he has a sense of humour and is able to see the funny side of things! (something not many people can do) <br /><br />He has a looong way to go and I hope the hubby and I will be around to hold his hand as he makes his way through the meandering roads of his life. <br /> <br />Happy 4th birthday my darling Mubarak. May you succeed in life and make all your dreams and aspirations a reality. Insya’ Allah. Amin.shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-22582026996449917712010-11-25T15:21:00.002+08:002010-11-25T15:25:14.928+08:00Things your Momma should've told you !I got this off this blog http://my2centstoo.blogspot.com Its a list of advise the author is gicing to her two daughters. The kinds of things nobody else will tell you except your mom. And exactly the kinds of things you will need to arm yourself with to face life's curveballs. <br /><br />I am inspired to write my own list for my boys. More on that later.... <br /><br />Meanwhile enjoy ! <br /><br /><em><em>1. You DON'T have to please everyone all the time. You DON'T have to please ANYONE at all, if you don't feel like it. Sure, nice people sometimes do some things for others that make them (others) feel good. I am all for such niceties. But remember - NEVER be forced into doing something, anything for someone if your heart, gut or mind says no. Listen to your "self". I am not condoning selfishness. I am just saying that do not give in to someone's "Good girls make sure their parents/husbands/boyfriends/friends/God/whoever are happy". Remember, a happy and contented self is much better than a happy anyone-else. But diplomacy sure does make life easier - remember that!<br /><br />2. Stand up for yourself. Because no one else will, if you don't. Don't be bullied into doing something you don't want to. If you think what you are offering someone is reasonable and fair, it probably is. If they don't agree, negotiate. But DO. NOT. BE. BULLIED. INTO. SUBMISSION!! It is possible to be pleasant and yet stand your ground. At the same time, never be hesitant in unsheathing your claws when you have to. Sometimes you HAVE to show people what you are really made of in order for them to take you seriously.<br /><br />3. Remember good men don't hit women. They don't terrorize women, humiliate them or coerce them into doing something they don't want to do. There are plenty of good men around. You DON'T have to settle for anyone less than "good". Not even for "good enough". It is better to spend life alone than to put up with an abuser just because "Good" didn't come along. Have the confidence to go on your way alone and I am sure you will find someone who is just right for you. Even if you don't, remember YOU are perfect for you! Remember how your dad loves and respects me. Always remember - you deserve such a partner too. Never settle for anything less.<br /><br />4. Be financially independent. No matter how loving a husband/partner you have and even if you are well taken care of, make sure you have at least one UPDATED skill that can get you gainful employment whenever you need. You never know what curveball life will throw at you next year, next month or next moment. Be prepared. If you WANT to work, never let anyone tell you that good wives or mothers don't. Never let another person dictate whether or not you should work, or where for that matter. There is no blessing greater in this world than to be able to do what you want to do in life. And don't let any idealist tell you that working to "earn money" is inferior to any other goal. Don't let money be your be all, end all. But do make some money. You will realize a healthy bank balance brings along mental peace and allows you to focus on the more important things in life - like family. Don't undervalue money, but don't overvalue it either.<br /><br />5. Take good care of yourselves. Take time out for yourself, no matter how crazy life is and no matter how many responsibilities you have. Even if you are with someone, make sure you take out time for YOU. Alone. Very important for your "self" AND for any relationship. Eat healthy, exercise, be active. Have some hobbies that take you outdoors and allow you to be physically active. Mental agility is good too. Try and strike the balance between the two.<br /><br />6. Be cautious. In unknown locations, uncertain situations and around unknown people. ALWAYS be on your guard! Safety should be a habit, not a "hobby". I cannot stress this enough.<br /><br />7. Learn everything there is to learn to survive AND to live comfortably. Learn what it takes to progress in your professional fields, learn to cook, to sew, to change a flat tire, change a light bulb, repair a fuse, fix a toilet. In short - anything that you might need to do one day. Or earn enough to be able to pay others to do all this for you. But I'd still say knowing how to do all these things is a good idea - then you will know if someone is trying to rip you off by charging, say, 50 bucks to fix a fuse.<br /><br />8. Don't hold regrets and grudges. They poison minds, hearts and relationships. It is a difficult thing to learn. I am still learning it. But I hope you will do a better job of it than me. Talk things out. Don't let a little disagreement fester into a big one. Learn to apologize when it is your fault, but don't be apologetic all the time. Learn when to say "I understand you feel this way, but I think I am right".<br /><br />9. Take a long time to make friends and even longer to end friendships. Remember it is hard to undo the hurt of a mean word or gesture. But also know when to let a relationship go. If it is preying on your mind and being, but going nowhere, you are probably best OUT of it than in.<br /><br />10. Be competitive. Healthy competition builds character. Don't let the pacifists tell you that participation is good enough. Participation is good but winning, or trying to win, is better. I don't mean to tell you that your efforts are worthless if you don't win. What I mean to tell you is put in your 100% efforts and then some more. If you win, good, if not at least you know you tried your best.<br /><br />11. Love each other unconditionally. A sister (sibling) is our first and ever lasting best friend. Sure you will have differences. Who doesn't? But learn to resolve those differences amicably. In the end, when your dad and I are gone, you will only have each other to lean on.</em></em>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-89208635870601938212010-11-25T14:57:00.001+08:002010-11-25T15:19:21.506+08:00Sibling loveIt has been long since I put down thought to paper and really there has been too many things going on in my life that I have hardly had the time to blog. Ok that’s an excuse. Truth is, any chance I get away from the kids I have been playing games on my HTC . Angry birds, WordUp you name I have it. <br /><br />Anyway I wanted to share a little about siblings love. I am the only one from my mother and I have not truly felt any feeling of sibling love or rivalry, Which is why I am adamant about my Mubarak not being an only, lonely child, like I was. <br />As a child, I was always aware that I am an only child. Sure I had siblings from my dad’s earlier marriage but they were so old and distant they were as good as aunts and uncles. <br /><br />I am always in awe of this great love between siblings. I feel a twinge of jealousy when my mother meets up with her sister and they huddle close together in a room and whisper. I feel lonely when I see my cousin and her brother share an inside joke on their parents. Of course, there are times I feel sorry for them when they have to share their toys /books (FYI, I hate sharing! That word shld never have been invented) and I secretly gloat about being an only child when my cousin or friend has to give in to a younger sibling just because and they scream “IT’S NOT FAIR! THAT’S MINE!!” <br /><br />Still, I thought being an only child was no fun and I am glad that I am now the proud mother of 2 boys ! <br /><br />My husband and I try to inculcate sibling love right from the beginning. We tell the elder that his first best friend should be his brother and that no matter what he should always priorities his brother. We will tell the younger one the same when he understands the concept. <br /><br /> At 4 and 18 months. It is really too early to see if they have developed a lifelong sibling bond but we are happy with what we see so far. Whenever the younger one is being disciplined, the elder one will rush in with a hug and will try to soothe n placate him with a toy or food. Out of the blue while they are playing, the younger one will suddenly stop, turn to his elder brother and give him a loving hug which is reciprocated eagerly. <br />I also like how, despite having playmates his age, my elder will ask his younger brother to join in the fun. Whenever I ask the younger one to join me for a short bout of reading or when I call him to have his dinner, he will pull his elder bro along. <br /><br />Of course this has its embarrassing moments too. Once while my mother and sister –in-law brought the elder out for some shopping, a lady shopper commented on how smart (mouth) my boy was and gave him a toy and a $2 note. (I don’t know why ppl give money to strangers’ kids but that is another post altogether) Instantaneously, he asked the lady, “what about my brother ? Where is his ? “ Ooops !<br /><br />I have a distant relative who has 5 kids and the siblings are super close. They do everything together and now , even though they are each married and with their own families, they are still very close and always make it a point to meet up at least once a week. I would very much for my kids to be like that and I have on numerous occasions asked the mother what does she do to instill this great bond between them. She says she does not have any particular formula other than making the elder one personally responsible for the next one and that participating in family event is a must and is non-negotiable. Simple? Sounds very simple but actually implementing it will not be so easy, I think.shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-69481310736322836442008-06-18T07:16:00.000+08:002008-06-18T13:20:13.845+08:00Its My Birthday Party!!!Ok I have always loved my birthday coz the Don always makes me feel like a queen... what with the flowers, cake, dinner and the bday gift but I certainly did not expect my new colleagues to give me a "surprise" birthday party !! <p></p> <p>I knew they ordered in food because I saw the delivery guy arrived and I knew there was a cake coz I met the cake-buyer in the lift in the morning with her huge bag. She had this "Pleze let there be a hole so I can disappear look" and I really felt so sorry for her and guilty that I didn't mention anything about the cake. But I certainly didn't expect such a big spread!! They ordered enough for an army !! And the way they celebrated my birthday was sooo very extravagant !!! </p> <p>I was on the phone when I received an Instant Message that the Country Manager (CM)wanted to see me in the conference room. I peeked from outside and the room was dark so I knew something was up. I entered the room cautiously and inside was my CM in the dark holding a birthday cake with lighted candles and my other colleagues all came in after me to sing me a birthday song. Now THAT was a big surprise !! *flashback to my last birthday party when I was 7 years old* <a href="http://shsuya.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFiTjwoKCsAAABIEIzQ1"></a><img class="alignleft" style="WIDTH: 173px; HEIGHT: 150px; " height="192" src="http://images.shsuya.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFiTqgoKCsAAABGWFKA1/BeeHoon.jpg?et=aMesqF%2BJov7HRCNvpnki4w&nmid=0" width="138" border="0"><img class="alignleft" style="WIDTH: 171px; HEIGHT: 158px; " height="125" src="http://images.shsuya.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFiTjwoKCsAAABIEIzQ1/golden%20pillow.jpg?et=5msaQY5qBkX2iAYx0ZyQ8g&nmid=0" width="219" border="0"><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://shsuya.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFiVugoKCsAAAC39tVY1"></a></span></span></span> <p><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><img class="alignleft" style="WIDTH: 146px; HEIGHT: 155px; " height="118" src="http://images.shsuya.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFiVrwoKCsAAADOCVYw1/ChocolateCake.jpg?et=CAiFsoClgxQxdptTGkYydw&nmid=0" width="208" border="0"><a href="http://shsuya.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFiVugoKCsAAAC39tVY1"></a></span></span></span></p><a href="http://shsuya.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFiVrwoKCsAAADOCVYw1"></a> <p></p> <p></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><a href="http://shsuya.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/SFiV9AoKCsAAADwLUT41"></a></span></span></span> </p> <p><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><img class="alignmiddleb" src="http://images.shsuya.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/SFiaZQoKCsAAAAdPWYc1/bdayflwr2.jpg?et=klRrmQrnPAlusSrENlI6eg&nmid=0" border="0">And when I got home, I received another surprise. My birthday bouquet of a dozen pink roses plus that one essential red rose !!! </span></span></span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto">Now that for that bday gift I've been waiting for....... hehe</span></span></span></p> <p><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto"><span class="insertedphoto">Ain't birthdays the best !!!!</span></span></span></p></p><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-83430889059247208402008-02-11T07:50:00.000+08:002008-02-11T15:13:39.994+08:00Don't Wake Me Up Sweetheart Sleep Tight !<P><SPAN class=insertedphoto><SPAN class=insertedphoto><SPAN class=insertedphoto><SPAN class=insertedphoto><A href="http://shsuya.multiply.com/photos/hi-res/upload/R6-rQwoKCsAAAEPDoKw1"><IMG class=alignmiddleb src="http://images.shsuya.multiply.com/image/1/photos/upload/300x300/R6-rQwoKCsAAAEPDoKw1/nightshift3.jpg?et=QeUmH4y3vXWHDI%2Bn%2B%2Co2AQ&nmid=" border=0></A></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></SPAN></P> <P>Mubarak has not woke up for a night feeding ever since he was barely a month old. I have been enjoying uninterrupted sleep almost since forever.. that is ..until last week. Mubarak is not eating as much as he used to and as a result, is drinking a lot more milk than normal. Unfortunately this also means that he now wakes up at 3 in the morning and screams for milk. I have never had to wake up in the middle of the night and considering I was breastfeeding until recently, we do not have any milk making facilities in the bedroom. So, it's a real nightmare having to wake up in the middle of the night, make the trip to the kitchen and having to do it real fast since he is crying for milk at the top of his voice. </P> <P>Most nights, it is his Abah who has to make the trip to the kitchen so last night, we decided to bring in a small flask, tepid water and milk filled bottles into the bedroom so that we did not have to make the dreaded trip to the kitchen. When he woke up promptly at 3am, I trudged to the milk station and made Mubarak's nightly cap. Strangely he took one sip, took the bottle out of his mouth and shook his head (all the while still sleeping) I kept insisting and he kept shaking his head. Thinking he has changed his mind, I left him in his cot and continued sleeping. Barely a few mins later he screamed bloody murder again and this time despite many attempts by his Abah to give him milk, he also refused. Out of desperation for sleep, I offered him breast milk instead. At 6am he woke up again asking for milk. Clearly the breast milk was not filling enough. Again he refused the milk when his Abah gave it to him. Suddenly his Abah realised why. Instead of filling the hot water and tepid water into the bottle with the pre-measured milk, I had poured the water into a nearly empty bottle - the bottle Mubarak had finished before he fell asleep. No wonder he refused the milk. It was 99.9% water and 0.1% milk residue. In my sleepiness stupor, I must have mistakenly poured it into the wrong bottle. </P> <P>Umi is so so so sorry Darling. I promise not to do it again. From now on I will make sure ONLY ABAH WAKES UP TO MAKE YOUR MILK IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT!!</P> <P> </P><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-2664752719654536072008-01-28T17:14:00.000+08:002008-01-28T23:07:01.951+08:00Breakthrough link between asthma and breast milk<P><STRONG><EM><FONT color=#3366ff>"In a paper published online on Sunday by the journal Nature Medicine, a National Institute for Health and Medical Research (Inserm) team exposed lactating mice to airborne dust containing ovalbumin, a well-known asthma allergen that is found in egg whites.The mother mice transmitted the allergen to their newborn through the milk, helping the offspring to develop an immunological tolerance to the irritant.The tolerance was induced thanks to the presence of TGF beta, an important signalling protein, in the breast milk.Breastfed mice whose mother had been exposed to ovalbumin were far less likely to develop wheezing, airway mucus and other asthma symptoms than non-breastfed counterparts." <A href="http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080128/tts-health-disease-asthma-c1b2fc3.html?printer=1">more...</A></FONT></EM></STRONG></P> <P>One of the major reasons I insisted on breastfeeding Mubarak and Insya'allah all my children is because I would like to try my best to ensure my children do not suffer asthma like I do. While the other benefits of breastfeeding like increased immunity etc are more widely known, the theory that breastfed babies were unlikely to inherit asthma has never been really proven. In fact there are some research that suggest the contrary. Still, I am convinced that breastfeeding has benefits far beyond what has been discovered. If it says so in the Quran and Hadis, no amount of studies and research with whatever results can convince me otherwise. </P> <P>I'm glad to say that I have reached my initial goal of fully breastfeeding for the first 6 months. I thought my downfall was sure to happen when I started work and had to pump at work but despite the difficulties, I survived. My next goal was to continue fully breastfeeding for the next 6 months and while I fell short by one month when I started partial formula at 11 months, I must say I am very proud of what I have achieved. At the present moment, I am still partially breastfeeding Mubarak and insya'allah I will continue until he reach 24 months, the recommended breastfeeding duration in Islam. He no longer breastfeeds for hunger and nutrition but more for comfort. Nothing is more blissfull to me when I walk in the door from work than to find him running to greet me at the door and asking for his milk. Even if he just finished his 180ml bottle a few minutes earlier. He may not be able to express himself in words yet but his actions is enough to tell me he misses me and want to be close to me. </P> <P>The additional benefits that come with breastfeeding is also truly remarkable. I thought it was just my good luck that Mubarak is an easy to care for child. He very rarely falls ill, has great self-confidence and sleeps through the night. Until my aunt (who breastfed all her 6 children to 2 years) told me that breastfed children are usually easier to care for. Well, let's hope its true for all of my children as well. Insya'allah. </P><!-- multiply:no_crosspost --><p class='multiply:no_crosspost'></p>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-20341659328854815792007-03-25T21:19:00.000+08:002007-03-26T01:53:07.491+08:00HELP!!! I'm losing it!!!I was warned both by the books and by my mother that there will be major hair falling post partum but I paid no heed to it. I mistakenly thought since my hair keeps falling anyway prior to pregnancy it won't make much of a diff. Besides, during pregnancy my hair was almost shampoo commercial quality and when I combed my hair not a single one ends up on the floor or the comb. I guess I was lulled into believing that the situation will remain permanent especially when even 2 months after delivery my hair was still in prime condition.<br /><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/hairfalling.jpg" /><br /><br />But now, 3 and a half month after baby it has started happening. Its horrendous!!! When I comb my hair, it falls out in clumps, when I wake up in the morning, my whole pillow is full of hair!!! And the floor.... I have to sweep twice a day just so that I can remain sane and not get on my hands and knees to pick up every hair I see. And lets not even mention the shower drain. That's a major chore to clear every single time I take a bath.<br /><br />Despite all the books I have read that discusses this phenomenon and all the old wives tale I hear from all the makciks, the first day it happened to me, I had visions of myself balding and in need of chemotheraphy (Ok I know its the chemo that causes hair fall but I can't help but associate hair falling with chemo and cancer) Nauzubillah min zalik.<br /><br />Apparently its called postpartum telogen effluvium and it happens to most women about 3 months after delivery. It seems that its normal to shed about 100 hair a day and during pregnancy since you don't shed much hair due to hormones, at some point those hair will have to be shed anyway to make room for new hair. But must it all fall at the same time??? Uurrgghh !!!<br /><br />It totally doesn't help either that my boy is at a stage where he is super curious and super active and every so often I find him holding fistfuls of my hair and I frantically try to clear it before he plunges his fingers into his mouth.<br /><br />I have been told that the situation should clear up within 3 to six months. It is almost guaranteed that by the time my lil' hero is a year I will stop shedding hair like a shaggy dog but that's way to long to suffer, if you ask me. Till then, if I greet you at the door with a shower cap please don't be alarmed. You have been warned!shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-72802098844652663112007-02-26T16:47:00.000+08:002007-02-27T21:33:08.329+08:00The Post-Baby World<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDWr1QhaY6i19j2pPUAlNfiZIi6zvbVzJ4ri_Jkl5DWhCeZITb4T2SHGLUuVeGRbk6gZM4BZV_BOkBLs3hB0j9iUn3rHWoXlqeDb3CY467uaTSOWl0zOpjZmToUFV-N-ScmAg/s1600-h/Photo-0435.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036199782714239218" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwDWr1QhaY6i19j2pPUAlNfiZIi6zvbVzJ4ri_Jkl5DWhCeZITb4T2SHGLUuVeGRbk6gZM4BZV_BOkBLs3hB0j9iUn3rHWoXlqeDb3CY467uaTSOWl0zOpjZmToUFV-N-ScmAg/s320/Photo-0435.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>It's been a loong while huh? Lotsa things happened and so many pics were taken but I guess I lost the urge to blog. I'd rather watch the steady rhythm of my son's breathing while he is sleeping than to blog about what has transpired in my life. But today with The Don away on reservist and MM sleeping the day away I guess I'll drop a line or two.<br /><br />Oh yeah his reservist sucks!!! 2 days in camp n 2 days off for two weeks is quite hard for someone like me who has spend very few nights away from him. Especially since MM's arrival. When he's home I'm like Helen Mirren (The Queen, for those of you who don't watch the Oscars) He bathes MM in the mornings and evenings, change all his pampers, puts him to sleep and even does his fair share of the housework. All I do is provide the milk supply when it is needed and cook, of course. He even wakes up in the middle of the night to burp his son when I'm done feeding him. So you bet I miss him like crazy when he's on reservist! he he<br /><br />The Don is as considerate as husbands could ever be. He knows that being at home, all I do all day is entertain that lil' munchkin so when he's home he takes over and lets me take a break and do my thing. He even insisted I go out with my gal frens and have some "single time" while he takes care of MM.<br /><br />Its amazing how having the little one totally changes our perspective. The Don and I used to hit the movies whenever a good movie hits our shores and we're never home on weekends and public holidays, always with a plan up our sleeves, usually involving a road trip. But recently, we're more than contented staying home, playing with our son and watching DVD marathons. At most, we'd hit the parks in the late afternoons to let MM get some sun and make a pitstop at the malls to get some baby supplies. And if I never gave a glance at supermarket adverts in the papers then, now I go through them diligently looking for any promotion for MM's pampers. (We recently bought about 3 mths supply of Pampers since they were going for 2 packs @$35 instead of $24 each)<br /><br />We do try to make sure we have our couple time. It certainly helps that my mom is staying with us (and thank God for the invention of breast pumps) because almost nightly, The Don and I will sneak out for some late night shopping or supper. But almost always, we both want to rush home although neither of us will ever admit it. The power this tiny chap has on us is unbelievable!!!<br /><br />But I'm thankful that MM is fuss free (so far n Insya'allah will always be) He started sleeping through the night even before he was 1 mth old and when I started introducing the bottle when he turned 2 mths, he took to it like fish to water. (Mcm da biasa plak die minum botol) He hardly cries and I can leave him to play on his own while I cook / eat / whatever. Even when he was down with flu last month, he wasn't cranky and was his usual chirpy self. And when we went back to Pahang last month (7 hrs car ride to and another 7hrs car ride back) he slept the whole way!!!! Alhamdulillah. </div><div></div><div></div><div>MM will turn 3 mths tomorrow but you'd never guess his real age if u were to meet him. He acknowledges people he recognizes around him by smiling at them, has loud and noisy "conversations" with whoever willing to engage him and absolutely refuses to lie down or be carried horizontally if he were not nursing, prefering to sit up straight instead. I could leave him on his own for hours with his mobile as he just loves those dangling noisy toys. ok ok I could go on forever....... </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>Its just amazing how the world has seemed to change for The Don and me with the arrival of our munchkin. Suddenly nothing matters more than this gem we have been awarded with. </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>BTW have you heard the age-old question of Who would you save first in a ship wreckage - your spouse or your child? Suddenly the question seems so stupid. I'd save my son in a heartbeat and I certainly don't expect anything less from The Don. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1168009059550173402007-01-05T22:19:00.000+08:002007-01-05T22:57:39.786+08:00Grab, Snatch & RUN!!!!!!Today I felt a feeling I have never felt before. I have always read the description of feeling "your stomach turn inside out" but since I can't imagine what that felt like, I dismiss it as an author's fanciful way with words. Today I knew exactly what it felt like to have my stomach turn inside out.<br /><br />Today I watch my precious boy being given his 1st month vaccination the hepaptitis 2nd jab at Baby Bear clinic. I was chatting animatedly with the doctor about Double M's input and output levels and was feeling just fine but as soon as the doc retrieved his syringe and placed it on his table in front of me, I swear my stomach and intestines did a backflip. He asked me to hold Double M on my lap while he administered the jab on his thigh. Somewhere inside my heart and head, I seriously considered getting up and leaving the clinic. I felt I was surrendering my child to be slaughtered (mentang mentang musim Aidiladha) For the record, Double M let out a loud squeal as the doc inserted the needle in his thigh but as soon as I carried him, he promptly fell asleep as if nothing happened.<br /><br />I know it sounds silly (as I know my single friends will be rolling their eyes and sighing in disbelief that this friend of theirs have lost her mind and is a bucketful of emotions now) and even I didn't know I will feel this way. I am usually a hardy person and is not easily intimidated by any bloody show. (and to think there was hardly any blood just now. What if there were?) Perhaps it's a mother's protective instincts or am I just being a paranoid mom? I wonder how I'll make it through seeing my son being circumsized next month. Let's just hope I don't grab, snatch and run. <br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4641/235/1600/741093/inject.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/4641/235/320/610236/inject.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1166676072101497282006-12-21T12:09:00.000+08:002007-01-01T22:08:10.693+08:00Moo Moo Here... Moo Moo There.....Have you any idea how frustrating it is to wake up every day, look through the papers, see all the advertisements of the year-end sales, Christmas sales, warehouse sales, member sales, scrutinise till my eyes glaze over then realise I'm still in confinement and I'm stuck at home for at least 2 more weeks?????? (In case you are wondering yes I am pantang-ing very strictly. No leaving the house except for doctor's appointments only) That does not include the multitude of sale brochures and invites I get in the mail!!! AAAARRRGGHHHH !!!! Why did I ever wanted a December baby???? My next child I will plan for an October baby so that by Dec, I'd be past confinement but still be on maternity leave. By then I'd have a accumulation of my pay and plus my bonus I'd be in prime position for shopping. I guess I'd be the first woman planning my family according to the shopping calendar. WAIT!!!!!! Did I say NEXT CHILD????? OOooppps that was totally not the opening para I wanted to write but well.......<br /><br />Today marks a month since we have been blessed with the arrival of Double M. And also a month since I have been breastfeeding him exclusively. I have always been determined to breastfeed my children, probably as soon as I found out I wasn't breastfed as a child. I always wondered if I would have been so sickly with asthma as a child if I had been breastfed.<br /><br />My breastfeeding "adventure" started relatively fuss-free. My gynae is pro total bf and totally encouraged our decision. We had the baby room in with us all the time and The Don joked that we were robbing Double M's chances of getting to know the girls in the nursery. The nurses were all bf-trained so they helped with the latching on when I had intial problems.<br /><br />Things were prety smooth from there. There were moments of tears definitely, especially in the middle of the night when the baby refuses to latch (I called in an LC for a house visit to check on my latching technique just to be sure) and when his drop in birth weight was so apparent I feared he was malnourished. (he has since gained his birth weight and more) The lowest point of my breasfeeding adventure was last week when a blocked duct had me shivvery and feverish for two whole days and my breast was like a red, hot throbbing brick. My mother panicked looking at me in that state but alhamdulillah with lots of feedings, the situation resolved on its own without the need to stop or suspend breastfeeding. It certainly helped that we have a very co-operative baby and that I have an abundant milk supply Alhamdulillah. He hardly cries and is an efficient drinker. As early as the end of the first week, he was already sleeping through the night with his last feeding at 1am and the next one at 6.30am or so. <br /><br />I must say reading on breastfeeding during my pregnancy has helped me a lot in anticipating and resolving problems when they arised. (the best of which is this <a href="http://www.amazon.com/How-Breasts-Saved-World-Misadventures/dp/1592284035" target="blank">one</a>) But no amount of reading beats having a supportive husband who shares your determination with as much grit and committment. There were times when I feared my son wasn't getting enough milk, and suggested we supplement him with formula but The Don resisted and encouraged me not to give up. It was also a huge help when my two aunts (one has 5 kids the other has 6 and ALL their kids were exclusively breastfed till the age of 2)came to visit from Malaysia and stayed almost a week each. Their tips and pointers could have filled a book. (P.S Did you know that you could be watching tv in one room and your child could be sleeping in another but you would know when your child will be awake even before he cries out as your breasts would start to tingle. Amazing huh?)<br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/notanyoldcow.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br /><br />Ok enough of my cow story. Now here's another cow story. The Don is arranging for the aqiqah of his son in Pahang at my uncle's. And while usually people slaughter goats (2 for boys 1 for girl) The Don wants to slaughter a cow instead. So together with a few other cousin's children aqiqah, a cow will be downed on 20th January 2007. My uncle is handling all the details of the kenduri that will be held. So far, we heard there will be another cukur rambut for Double M and 500 people have been invited and tents will be erected all along the road leading to my uncle's house. *rolls eyes* Trust my uncle to hold to hold the ceremony with such grandosity. <br /><br />So till my next update .Moooooooooooooshsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1165839431472435582006-12-11T20:13:00.000+08:002006-12-20T15:22:52.383+08:00How Baby Muhamad Came To This World....I felt a sharp stabbing pain on my lower abdomen that radiated to my back that jolted me out of my sleep. Immediately I wondered "Is this it?" I laid awake staring at the ceiling trying to recall if there is anything I haven't put in my e-bag. 10 mins later, the same pain appeared again. I woke The Don up and told him excitedly .. "we're gonna see Baby Muhamad soon"<br /><br />THAT was how I envision how my labour will start but it didn't happen that way at all......<br /><br />I was due for my weekly checkup on Friday 1st Dec. We did the routine checks the VE (yikes!!) and the scanning. Everything seemed as per normal at first then suddenly Dr Yang said that my amniotic fluid was low - dangerously low. She said there could be two possibilities - one, my water bag had leaked without me realising it or two, the baby had consumed the water. Either way, hardly any water could be seen in the scan and the doc brought rise the possibility that the baby had passed out meconium into the womb and this could be potentionally hazardous to him. She said I will have to be induced to deliver that very same day. <br /><br />It took a few mins for her words to register. I was shell-shocked and very very afraid. No I wasn't afraid of the pain (well ok, a little) but I was afraid of being induced. I have heard and read of numerous birth experiences of women being induced to deliver but since the medication couldn't cause dilation the women had to be go through a c-sect eventually. That was my greatest fear! I was so hell-bent on delivering naturally without any medical intervention but apparently this was not to be.<br /><br />I was very reluctant to be induced and kept asking what are the alternatives for me. I suggested we came back the next day to check the amniotic fluid level again. Dr Yang, being the cautious doctor she is, repeatedly cautioned me against waiting too long to make a decision since the baby could already be in danger. I was still reluctant and asked for a CTG first to see if the baby was in distress. The doc made it very obvious I was being very unwise. She asked me pointedly if I thought it was worth it to wait another day and suffer the risks after carrying the baby for 9 months. I couldn't answer her. While her nurses got the CTG machine ready, she asked me to seriously reconsider and cautioned that if I still refused her recommendation, she will make me sign a AMA (against medical advice) notice.<br /><br />By then I was crying buckets. I seriously didn't want to jeorpadise the baby's health. But I also didn't want to go through an operation. The Don hugged me tight and asked me to think things through carefully. He asked me to have faith and realise that things have been pre-ordained. If the baby was meant to be delivered via a c-sect, there is nothing we can do to prevent it anyway. So its best to just listen to the expert and leave the rest to Allah S.W.T. Realising the futileness of my resistance, I agreed to go ahead and arrangements were made to admit me into the labour ward immediately. Meanwhile I called Umi, my MIL and sms-ed my legion of girl friends to update them.<br /><br />I was quite surprised by the opulence of the labour ward in Gleneagles Hospital. There was an Osim massage chair in the room, (for the husbands. how unfair!!!) vending machines, various magazines, cable tv etc. But nothing surprised me more than the level of service we were shown. As soon as I was shown to the Delivery Suite No 3, one by one the nurses came to introduce themselves and explain in detail the procedures. Even the Assistant Director of Nursing came and extended a warm welcome. I was strapped to the CTG machine and the nurse explained what the graph meant. Then Dr Yang came to break my water bag and to put in the drip of syntocin to induce the contractions. <strong>Time Check: 1.30pm.</strong> She said she would expect me to deliver earliest by 6am the next day. I was a bag of nerves but since I didn't feel any pain (yet)I busied myself reading the magazines and sms-ing non-stop to Joyah, Nyonya, M and Esah. Truly I am lucky to have them as friends. Their constant company and encouragement during those difficult moments will be something I hold close to my heart forever. I was forbidded to consume anything other than water but I was starving like mad since all I had since morning was a lousy slice of bread. The Don smuggled in butter croissants from Delifrance downstairs and I had snatches of his seafood sandwich downed with air zam zam and air selusoh prepared by my grandmother. By 4pm, my mother was already waiting anxiously outside the labour ward despite both The Don and me telling her that it will be a long wait. She was joined later by The Don's parents and sister.<br /><br />The pain didn't kick in until much later. By 5pm, the pain was akin to a low level menstrual cramps. Dr Yang came to check on me. I was already dilated to 5cm. She said my fears were totally unfounded. My body seemed to react very well to the syntocin and we can expect to see our son by 2-3 am. She offered pethidine to me and cautioned me to ask for the epi (if I needed it) before I reach 7cm dilation. I refused both. I had acquainted myself with all the side effects of the available pain relief and was grittily determined not to take any of them. By 7 pm, the pain was quite horrendous but still manageable and I was @ 7cm. <br /><br />Just when I thought "hey labour's not as painful as I thought" the pain came on full throttle. I had this great urge to start pushing and told the nurse. The nurse explained that I should not push yet since the baby has not engaged and pushing will just exhaust the little energy I have left. My mouth recited the doa from Surah Al-Anbiya ayat 87 non-stop as my grandmother thought me. There were moments when the pain clouded my mind completely and I mouthed everything from doa makan to doa tidur to doa buka puasa. The Don then held my hand and recited the doa so that I just followed. That was much needed comic relief in the midst of all that gut-wrenching pain. Till this day The Don sometimes teases me about reciting the doa buka puasa. <br />7pm onwards was the worst part of the labour. The nurses repeatedly suggested I take the ethonox gas to help me relax and conserve some of my energy. I declined but they set it up anyway. I took one puff and found it completely useless although the nurses said I didn't breathe in properly. The Don took over and took a few puffs and he said he was on cloud nine!!! Despite the excrutiating pain, I couldn't help but laugh.<br /><br />Anyway by 10, I was @ 10cm, Dr Yang came promptly and with 4 pushes, out came Muhamad Mubarak at 10.53pm weighing 3.475kg, the Don's and I first born and our pride and joy, Insya'Allah. Despite the doctor's fears, Muhamad Mubarak was 100% healthy and had not passed meconium as suspected. He just wanted a headstart of 14 days into this world. <br /><br />His Abah recited the Azan and Qamat into his ears so that the sweet words of Allah are the first words he will hear and also did the tahnik with the kurma we had prepared. As I still needed to be kept for observation, he was wheeled out onto the delivery suite lobby into the anxious hands of his maternal grandmother, both his paternal grandfather and grandmother and his paternal aunt who had been waiting for hours outside for his arrival. <br /><br />With no pain relief whatsoever, I went through labour au naturel the way I think it was meant to be felt. It was a hell of an experience but when my son was placed on my chest as soon as he was born, I felt like I was in heaven. <br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/MuhdMubarak004.jpg" width="300" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1165294606584788192006-12-05T12:26:00.000+08:002006-12-07T23:09:48.460+08:00Psst! He's here...*Sweeps cobwebs and wipes dust away* Cough! Cough! Gasp! *chokes*<br /><br />Just to let you all know that the owner of this blog has recently gone thru a major life experience. <br /><br />On behalf of Mr & Mrs Don, I take this opportunity to announce the arrival of their little bundle of joy - <strong><em>Muhamad Mubarak</em></strong> aka Don Jr.<br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/DSCF0980.jpg" width="250" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br />**Photo taken barely an hour after his arrival into the world**<br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/DSC00610.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br />**Photo taken by Ummi Lis on 4th Dec 2006**<br /><br />Mode: Normal delivery<br />Date & ATA: 1st Dec 2006, 2253hrs<br />Weight: 3.475kg<br />Length: 51cm<br /><br />Ummi & Abah are currently very busy and fully occupied with their new duties that come along with their newly acquired (management) positions. =)<br /><br /><strong>CONGRATULATIONS!!!</strong><br /><br /><br />Signing off,<br /><em>~Aunty Lisa~</em>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1164007616823935162006-11-20T13:56:00.000+08:002006-11-20T16:05:21.106+08:00Pre Baby Romantic RendezvousI think I mentioned 3-4 weeks back to the Don casually that maybe we should take some time to spend alone, just the two of us since after the baby's arrival, we'd surely have less time for each other. It was just that. A casual remark but I should have known the Don better. He immediately made plans. 19th Nov was his birthday but instead of me coming up with the surprise he surprised me instead. The night before his birthday, he suddenly brought me to our favourite hotel and checked us both in. Apparently he made reservations weeks in advance already. And to think I had no plans at all for his birthday. No cake! no surprise nothing! (I was broke from too much online shopping for baby stuff) I did however volunteer to pay for his new PDA but that will have to wait till I get my paycheck!!!! hehe <br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/o2pda.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br /><br />Anyway the hotel stay was splendid. One whole night of romance with not a care in the world. The room wasn't as big as ours at home and the bed was only a fraction of the comfort of our own bed but what a big difference a change of setting can bring. No more thoughts of "What else haven't I put in my e-bag?" and no more getting up in the middle of the night thinking what else we haven't bought for baby? (ok so now you know I'm a paranoid!) <br /><br />And what a tremendous way to spend these few days of couplehood left before we become a family of three.shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1162264303389224372006-10-31T09:10:00.000+08:002006-10-31T12:51:02.643+08:00Raya Wishes Fulfilled!!!I approach raya this year with somewhat apprehension. My first worry was finding clothes that will fit me for Raya, then I started worrying about getting raya-worthy (read: bling-bling) shoes and ditching the boring totally flat totally black Bonia pumps I have been wearing the whole of my pregnancy. And then came the anxiety that this raya won't be much of a raya since I won't have enough energy to bake any cookies and won't make it through the normally 6 hour car ride to Pahang, Malaysia to meet my relatives there. (it normally takes 6 hours to get there but could possibly stretch to 10 hours due to massive jam) <br /><br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/blackabaya.jpg" align="left" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a> I'm happy to say that with the exeption of the last wish, everything else was fulfilled! *grin* Rummaging through my cupboard I realised I have a black beaded abaya (arab robe) Umi bought for me when she went for Haj two years back. It's long and flowy and way too big for me when she bought it so it has remained stashed away literally untouched in my cupboard. But with my now egg-shaped tummy, it looks just nice for me. All I needed to do was get a matching black baju melayu for the Don and we're ready for Hari Raya!!! One problem solved! I fell in love with another similiar abaya in red with very intricate sequin detailing at the most unlikeliest of places - the Geylang bazaar (and very cheap too!!) and voila! My baju raya problem was solved. <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/redsequin.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br /><br />Despite being like ayam-kena-sembelih for most of the Ramadhan, I found Herculean strength in the last two weeks to make my usual die-die-must-do raya favourites of cornflakes honey and pineapple tarts and even baked biskut suji & pistachio butter cookies. (although I was under strict instructions from the Don to only make for personal consumption and stop being Mrs Santa Clause!) And my dear friend M baked for me my favourite Choc Chip Walnut Cookies !!!! <br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/pista.jpg" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/suji.jpg" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/chocchipcookies.jpg" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br /><br />This year's raya was special in its own way, I guess. One especially touching gesture was when my father-in-law went to the midnight lelong at the Geylang Bazaar and bought for me a whole stash of "kuih tunjuk" (ready made cookies) as he thought I was too pregnant to make my own cookies. Among the ones he bought were the much talked about kuih tembikai and mama carries. <a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/Biskut-Tembikai.jpg" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/mamacarrie-1.jpg" width="150" height="150" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br /><br />So from the worry of no kuih, I think I ended up with more kuih than last year raya. Hehe.<br /><br />I was quite dissapointed though that we didn't manage to travel to Pahang. This year's raya was less special since I didn't get to feel the "kampung atmosphere" and eat my favourite lemang and rendang but with my heartburns, inability to sit for long due to the vigorous movements of Baby Muhammad, and hearing the horror stories from my cousins being in 20 hour drive to get from Kota Bahru to KL (normally 8hrs) and my uncle in 6 hour drives from Kuantan to KL (it's normally 2hrs), I guess we made the right decision. After all, we have a whole lifetime of rayas to go back to Pahang for. Insya'allah.shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1160556313946005132006-10-11T15:55:00.000+08:002006-10-11T17:03:41.596+08:00Ramadhan With A Difference!!!!I felt very different this time last year. I looked forward like an eager beaver last year to the fasting month not just because it was the first time I would be breaking fast with The Don as his wife but also because it was the chance for me to hone my culinary skills with new recipes come weekends. And Ramadhan was bliss what with the times we went for Terawih prayers at Ba'alwie and the many many times we went around Geylang and Town looking for new household stuff & clothes for Hari Raya.<br /><br />This year Ramadhan & Raya is much much more subdued. Apart from the obvious ie: the inability to splurge since the baby is on the way (bye bye new curtains and the new dining table!), I have also very very limited energy. (Did I mention I feel like I swallowed a watermelon?) Looks like there will be minimal baking this year (just the usual pineapple tarts and cornflakes cookies which The Don loves to bits) and very minimal shopping (hur! hur!) <br /><br />So far we've been to the Kg Glam Bazaar once (and trust me there is no need to go there again!) and once to Geylang. I might need to go to Geylang one more time since both The Don and I didn't find any clothes we fancy the first time. But I guess that will be it. Usually 4 trips is the absolute minimum for me. OOhh I'm such a goody girl this year!<br /><br />Usually I reach home from work less than an hour before breaking fast and after a whole day in the office, all I have the energy for is a short 15 min nap before I start preparing for breaking fast. (Thank god for Umi cooking if not we'd probably eat take-out or fried rice/noodle every single day! hehe!) After Maghrib, The Don usually leaves for the mosque alone. Before you know it, its the end of the day and then its bedtime before we have to wake up for sahur. <br /><br />I do make an effort to cook on weekends however but instead of my zest to try out new recipes, I usually stick to the tried and tested. One reason is that since I have been pregnant, my tastebuds have somewhat changed. Everything tastes tasteless to me and when I cook, I tend to overdo the salt bit. There have been many times when The Don takes one bite then spit it out again hehehe. As a result this fasting month, I become overly cautious when I cook and refrain from trying out anything new in case it turns out disastrous. <br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/1600/salt.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/320/salt.png" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Still, I managed to cook some of the Don's and mine favourites. <br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/rostedchix.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br />Roasted Chicken<br /><a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v332/shsuya/soto.jpg" border="0" alt="Photobucket - Video and Image Hosting"></a><br />Mee Soto<br /><br />What shall I cook this weekend? Let's see... Roti Jala ?? hhhmmmm......I wonder what Ramadhan and Raya will mean for us next year when we have a kid in tow. More grande than last year maybe ? I guess we'll have to wait and see.....shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1159416603504251552006-09-28T12:09:00.000+08:002006-09-28T13:18:24.373+08:00ALL HAIL THE QUEEN!!!I mentioned in passing yesterday on our way home last night that it's been some time since I had a good bowl of hot piping laksa and immediately The Don suggested we get some after he comes back from his Terawih prayers in Ba'alwie. To say I was delighted would be a gross understatement. Such is the advantage of being pregnant. My every wish is a command. hehe. <br /><br />I haven't had much cravings other than the usual choc bar and/or Haagen Daaz's ice cream and even then it has never been the way some pregger mom describe their cravings to me. It seems when they crave for something, they can almost taste the food in their mouths already and could scream bloody murder if they don't get it instantly. So far I haven't had one of those. For me, I just suddenly think of something and wished it was available but just in case I don't get it I doubt I would mind for long. <br /><br />So we made our way to West Coast food centre, the nearest place I could think of that had a decent bowl of laksa at that time of the night. When we reached the car park, we realised that almost all of the stalls were closed. Probably it was cleaning day or something. I didn't say a word but my face must have given myself away. I think my face turned a shade of grey when I realised I wasn't gonna get my laksa.<br /><br />The Don turned the car around and sped to Haig Rd. With the Hari Raya Bazaar there, he figured the stalls must still be open even though it was already 10.30pm. I was quite hesitant honestly. I didn't want to go all the way there only to be dissapointed again. I'd rather go home and go another day or even eat something else. Lucky for me, the stall was open and I finally had my big bowl of piping hot laksa. <br /><br />It was a big portion and truly sumptious! The laksa tasted alright although it was quite oily. The lady was generous with her ingredients though (we were possibly her last customers anyway!) and I gorged myself silly with them. When I was done, the Don smiled at me. I must have been a sight! Never have I been so satisfied with a bowl of laksa than I was last night.<br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/1600/laksa1.0.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/320/laksa1.0.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br /><img src="http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B00032HD14.01-A3CDPEGSIQM61V._SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg" align="right"><br />Two nights before it was Haagen Daaz ice cream. I called The Don as he was leaving the mosque and begged him to drop by a petrol kiosk or 7-11 to get my big tub of ice cream. I wanted anything chocolate but all they had were other stuff so I settled for Macadamia Brittle. I ended up eating half the tub alone. hehe <br /><br />Such are the idiosyncracies of the pregnant lady. Thank God for indulging husbands!shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1159172595397534832006-09-25T14:05:00.000+08:002006-09-25T17:00:29.073+08:00One Down!!Phew! Managed to make it through the first day of fasting without a glitch. I was quite worried since I can't seem to go by 4 hours without eating something. My usual intake of food was usually in the morning before I leave for office at 7.30am, lunch at 12noon, somthing to munch at 5pm and then dinner latest by 8pm. If I'm late or miss a meal I will feel quesy and puke. Undoubtedly I was quite worried and wondered if I could make it through this fasting month. A quick check with some of my friends who went through the holy month of Ramadhan in the state of pregnancy showed they were relatively unscathed and I was determined to make it through somehow too. Besides, just thinking about the sheer no of days of fasting I will have to repay is enough to steel my resolve even more. Hehe<br /><br />I kept myself very busy the whole day in an effort to keep my mind away from food and hunger pangs. Baby Muhammad's first piece of furniture, a dresser, arrived in the morning and I busied myself lining the drawers with scented baby blue lining, folding and re-folding and re-folding his cute cute teeny weeny baby clothes then decided that I wanted to hang them instead. Fickle huh? <br /><br />I have amassed quite a selection of clothes. I started buying as soon as I knew it was gonna be a boy and I haven't stopped since. I re-discovered online shopping and went CRAZY!! Those I couldn't get them to ship here to Singapore (like <a href="http://www.gap.com/browse/division.do?cid=6344" target="blank">Baby Gap</a>), I managed to find someone who knew someone in the States who would get it and send it to me. And I found this small inconspicuous shop near my office (thanks to fellow forummers) that sell lothes imported in bulk at nearly wholesale prices. And my dearest sister-in-law went to HK last month and bought for her soon-to-arrive nephew over a dozen Baby Gap, Carters and Osh Kosh b'Gosh clothes from new born right up till 12 months. Baby Muhammad is sure a lucky boy to have such a generous aunt ain't he? So I spent quite an afternoon tucking away his clothes in the new walnut dresser to while away my time. And before I knew it, it was already nearly evening and I didn't once think of food. (why do I feel like a 5 year old trying to fast a full day for the first time?)<br /><br />So one down and Insyallah 29 more to go.shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1158659088788420902006-09-19T17:25:00.000+08:002006-09-21T17:49:44.163+08:00AHMAD ALBAB CAN?The Abah (as the Don shall henceforth be called) and I have been having this tug-of-war regarding the naming of our bebe. He wants it as simple as they come (one word name like his) while I insist there must be either Ahmad or Muhammad in the name (as is the tradition in my family), followed by another name of our choice. As a compromise (his idea of a compromise that is) he suggests just having the name Muhammad. While the name itself has the best meaning one could ask for, there is a high possibility that the name will be shortened to Mamat or worst Mat(Urrggh!!) Besides, my nephew whose full name is Syed Muhammad Abdul Hamid is already called by the name Muhammad. So I guess thats OUT! OUT! OUT! (phew!)<br /><br />So after numerous books of names and countless websites of baby names, we are still at the drawing board, clueless, exasperated and running out of steam. Obviously we haven't been addressing our bebe with any name yet and I think its so sad. A name will make our conversations so much more intimate. And besides, I heard from a recent mother that her child already recognized her name at birth and turned her head as they said out her name. If only we could speed up with this naming process. <br /><br />To be honest I have a few choice names that I have always thought was nice. But the one who says he should have more say since after all the bebe's name will be linked to his has not given me a final answer. He keeps saying he is still thinking about it and will get back to me soon. Maybe I should give him a due date huh? No names by a certain date then its my choice!!!! *evil laugh*<br /><br />Whenever I get exasperated and I pile on the pressure on him to choose a name he will make light of the issue and say "Alah susah susah kalau da keluar nanti takde nama kita kasi lah nama Ahmad Albab!" Boleh gitu!!!!!<br /><br />Anyway since at least his first name is confirmed, we have decided to call him Baby Muhammad for the time being. At least until his choosy daddy can decide on a name for him. Now our conversations (is one person talking and the other kicking constitutes a conversation?) are so much more interesting. And judging from his kicks, I think he likes his name. (ok ok my imagination!) <br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/1600/babyname.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/320/babyname.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />And talking about kicking, Baby Muhammad sure loves to kick! And he sure finds very "interesting" times to practise his kicks. Without fail every morning I will be jolted out of bed by 6.30am by his kicks and very very late at night when we are getting to bed. My mother tries endlessly to rub my tummy and speak to her grandson hoping to feel his kick but not once has he given his granny any leeway. But when his father puts his hand on my belly, no matter how lightly, he will immediately respond. What a daddy's boy!<br /><br />Now if only his Abah will give his boy a proper name! *sigh*shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1158123393877533472006-09-13T12:20:00.000+08:002006-09-13T12:56:33.966+08:00The Start Of The Baby Boom......By some magical stroke of luck, all the married reservist guys of Don's KINS unit are all expecting their first bundle of joys. It felt like just months ago when we girls were discussing which caterer to take for our weddings and which mak andam is no good and then we're all pregnant!! hehehe <br /><br />Anyway the first to go POP was Jariah aka Mrs Din at 12.53am last night. She had quite a difficult pregnancy throughout her 9 months but Alhamdulillah her ordeal is now over and Jariah & Din are the proud parents of their lil' princess Nur Ratna Juita. I bet she's a cutie. Will post her pics as soon as I go down to see her. CONGRATULATIONS JA & DIN!!!!<br /><br />Next probably will be Yanz & Farhana next month and then Insya'allah ours in Dec, followed by Rahman & Dayana sometime next year. Berderet deret anak anak Troopers ni nampaknye. <br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/1600/BABYINAROW.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/400/BABYINAROW.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a>shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1157440813133737282006-09-05T14:56:00.000+08:002006-09-05T16:33:03.123+08:00You Little Pain In The .......LEFT!!!!Looking at myself in the mirror recently, I am reminded of the days in my childhood candor when I would blow up a balloon and put it under my t-shirt, pretending I was pregnant. I would walk like a duck animatedly, feet apart and body bent backwards, hand holding my back. I used to wonder what it will be like for me to be pregnant. Well now I know. Hehe. But I do not walk like a duck ok! Just a small teeny weeny little waddle...maybe like a cute penguin (as my 2 "dear" friends so love to call me)<br /><br />Our lil' bundle of joy has started making his presence felt. If he started with little whizzies and nudges the last 2 months, now he gives me the full on kick at various times of the day and night! He has a tendency to lodge himself into a corner on my left causing me discomfort and sometimes even pain. Numerous attempts on my part to soothe him away into another position with gentle rubbing always end up with even more movement and more pain. So much so that occasionally I have problems getting to sleep and can even be awaken in the middle of the night by his vigorous movements. But when the Don puts his hand on the spot and speaks gently to his son, our baby immmediately moves away, giving me much needed relief and sleep! Initially I put it down to coincidence but after a while, it seems only his father could make him do anything I wanted him to. Looks like he's gonna a daddy's boy huh? <br /><br />Its real amazing to see every time The Don puts his hand on my tummy, I will feel a movement at that exact spot, every time! Needless to say the Don is thrilled beyond words that his son is so responsive to him. He has yet to feel the full on kick, the kind that makes the skin moves like it has a life on its own but he sure is getting excited. Now he addresses all his sms-es to both of us instead of just to me. And has started speaking in the plural form when he talks to me. Hhhmm looks like soon he will just start talking to his son instead of to me. heheheshsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1156754030245228252006-08-28T14:49:00.000+08:002006-08-29T11:35:28.986+08:00<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/1600/teeth.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/320/teeth.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />This pregnancy is really going weird. I didn't get any of the usual symptoms every other pregnant lady seems to complain about - the nausea, the headaches, the backaches, the joint pains - but I have this instead --> Pregnancy Gingivitis!!! Of all the things and of all the times!!!! *sigh* Well I guess you've got to be tested one way or the other huh? <br /><br /><em>Starting about the second month of and continuing for the rest of the pregnancy, hormone changes affect the gums or gingiva. The gingiva is much more susceptible to irritation from plaque (soft) or calculus (hard) deposits on the teeth. An exaggerated inflammatory response can result in mild redness or gingivitis, to swelling of the gingiva between the teeth. These swellings are painless, but do bleed easily. Most pregnant women experience some form of inflamed gums even with good dental hygiene. Additionally, looseness of the teeth may be noticed, especially in the third trimester. These gingival changes usually reverse after the baby is born.</em> <strong>- Source American Pregnancy Association </strong><br /><br />The gums on my upper left wisdom tooth seem to be bleeding and swollen and everytime I try to chew food on that side I feel pain. The gums have transcended downwards over my teeth and it hurts!! But I guess the pain is nothing compared to some of the other pregnancy ailments. So I guess I'll grin and bear it and maybe visit a dentist this weekend. No X-rays and no drugs for me so I guess there is very little a dentist could do anyway. <br /><br /><a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/1600/mangosteen.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/320/mangosteen.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Oh on another note, there is a fruit fair of sorts just in front of my office. There are 2 huge stalls selling all kinds of fruits from durians to those gigantic mangoes to huge dragon fruits. But somehow the mangosteens they sell are puny and look half rotten. I keep passing by the stalls hoping fresh new stock will come but I haven had such luck. Then last night as we were watching that shameless girl Ina bare her soul on RTM1, my parents in law came with my absolute absolute favourite fruit - Mangosteens!!! They must have read my mind!!!!! <br /><br />Needless to say I gorge on them till my throat is sore. Hehe. There are about 10 more left but I better keep them away before I fall sick.shsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7576870.post-1156395162659717652006-08-24T12:32:00.000+08:002006-08-24T15:49:33.606+08:00The Unveiling<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/1600/babyscan.gif"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/4641/235/320/babyscan.gif" border="0" alt="" /></a><br /><br />Since the beginning of my pregnancy, everyone has been taking potshots at whether its gonna be a girl or a boy. My sister guessed it was a girl simply because she wanted her daughter to have a friend. My Umi, my mother-in-law as well as as The Don's sister said I looked cheerful and "berseri-seri' (although I certainly felt like a dishrag in the early days) so they said it's gonna be a girl. My father-in-law, whom I never expected to participate in such guessing games, confidently announced it was gonna be a grandson for him. The Don and I reserved our opinions to ourselves although way before I knew I was pregnant, The Don had a dream he was carrying our baby boy. (needless to say his dream freaked me out BAD!!) I was ok with either gender actually although when I went shopping I couldn't help wishing it was a girl when I saw all the beautiful dresses and accessories I could buy if I had a daughter. hehe. <br /><br />Mathematically speaking (cheh wah! like real aje aku ni!) the probability of our child being a boy was pretty high considering that the Don came from a family of three brothers and one sister and most of his uncles and aunts all had similiar family models. (out of 5 children 4 would be boys!) I am an only child of my mom so no stats there although my dad's side tended to produce quite an even number of girls and boys (I have 8 nieces and 9 nephews!) (confused? never mind!) <br /><br />Our doc tried to see the gender as early as in our 4th month of pregnancy but our baby was sitting cross legged (sungguh sopan anak aku!) so we left none the wiser. At the next checkup when we did the 3D scan (oh if u are pregnant (or your spouse) do go for the 3D scan!! Its expensive but oh so worth every single cent! The wonders of technology!!!!!) The doctor picked up upon a tiny weeny bit of flesh between his legs and she immediately announced it was a boy. You should have seen the smug on The Don's face!! As we walked out of the Doc's room, he gloated about how his paternal instincts were already up and running. Yada..yada..yada...hehe. Oh and gloat too was what our child's grandfather did, telling my MIL and SIL that they were so so so wrong!! (let's just hope the gloating gene is NOT hereditary!) <br /><br />Umi however chose not to believe the doc until after the detailed scan we just did last week. Up till then, she still harboured hopes that it was gonna be a girl because she had set her sights on some pretty dresses at Mothercare and so wanted to buy them. Well it was doubly confirmed that it's gonna be a boy so Umi said "never mind..Next one!" (eerrmm...I'm still not sure how I'll get through this one so let's leave talk about 2nd granddchildren til perhaps many many years down the road!) <br /><br />The unveiling of the sex was marked by great euphoria by everyone around us. Especially ME!!! As soon as we knew the gender (the first time) I went on a shopping spree. At last after many many weeks of going round and round the baby dept not knowing what & which to buy (pink or blue?) Finally I had a whole new purpose to my shopping life. Ok when you think about it, it doesn't quite make sense to buy all things blue since these things are gonna be used by our subsequent children who might be girls but whatever! .. let's worry about subsequent children later. hehe. (Besides, who says boys have to wear blue right? Metrosexual pink anyone? The Don will scream bloody murder if I dress his son in pink and lets him play with Barbie dolls, that I'm 100%sure!) <br /><br />I have great wonder about people who chose not to know the sex of their child. I mean I respect their personal decision but why not make use of technology when you can? Well.. to each their own I guess. Perhaps The Don and I are just not the kind who likes suprises. <br /><br />PS: The doctor better not be wrong or else I'll ask her for a refund of all the blue stuff I have bought! heheeshsuyahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347532940467465120noreply@blogger.com7