Closing of 2007

Last day of 2007. 2007 has been a better year than the year before, in some angles, but worse in a way or two. I got promoted in July and got pregnant in August. In July I bought myself a small car and managed to drove it before I got hit by morning sickness. Financially, I have finished paying for 3 loans in 2007 (more like to prepare for 2008 punya expenses actually) and successfully started another one for the car!. Tebby got promoted in July as well (and made me pregnant in August he.. he..). He got an award for getting an MBA (along with some dough that has already been wisely spent for the kids). Kakak finally mastered the art of reading a few months back and got herself an excellent award during her kindy graduation. Iman, despite not being able to communicate yet, started to hum and 'sing' along themes of cartoons. Most importantly, no one got hospitalised this year (as compared to 6-7 times in 2006!). Perhaps the worst for me was not coming to work for like a month and not being able to really work my new post.

Anyway.

As planned we went balik kampung last weekend. Iman had blast of fun ransacking Atok's reban ayam while Kakak got to pillion ride Atok to buy dried corn for the chicken (and later fed the chicken, sampai ayam tak larat nak makan dah!) and stopped by a small river to watch 'orang pancing'.

Iman, mula-mula posing dekat reban ayam katik

pastu, umpan ayam-ayam dengan jagung kering

Iman, dok mengejar ayam

We had small BBQ feast, with tender juicy steaks and chicken wings, bought from Jusco and grilled by Tebby. Meleleh-leleh airliur Iman makan steak pedas but since he loves spicy food, dia telan jugak. Lagi dan lagi!

the beef's grilling. then went chicken wings and sausages on the makeshift grill.

Kakak, Iman, Mokkucu (my sister) and my nephews, Azib and Aqil

Semalam, at 6p.m we departed Temerloh and headed for KL, singgah rumah my SIL in Ukay Perdana for prayers and stopped again at McD's drive-thru for quick dinner. Sampai rumah at 9p.m with aching muscle. In fact the kids refused to get up for nursery today. Letih sangat lah tu.

Oh ya, special thanks to...

My brother & SIL who went to China a few weeks back. He's doing Elken and recently promoted to Diamond Manager. They gave us a tissue box cover with beautiful ribbon embroidery, and the kids got a mandarin-suit each. I heard my brother came back with 8 big bags..


My SIL and biras who performed their hajj and just came back. They gave us a sejadah, glittering with its golden thread, biji tasbih, some pistachios and sweets/chocolates.

Money Matters, Mummy Matters

Alhamdulillah, semalam saya dah buat full settlement personal loan Bank Rakyat. Sebetulnya saya ada sikit masalah dengan loan tu. Tiba-tiba potongan gaji saya stop walhalkan masih ada baki lagi. Bank Rakyat suruh semak dengan bahagian gaji. Bahagian gaji suruh semak dengan Biro Angkasa. Biro Angkasa kata Bank Rakyat suruh buat potongan sampai August 2007 saja. Bank Rakyat pulak kata Biro Angkasa salah input. Habis tu dok tunding sana tunding sini, masalah saya tak selesai jugak. Kebetulannya tinggal lagi 6 bulan aje so saya settlekan sajalah semua. Tak payah pening-pening kepala dengan kerenah diorang nih.

Sementara kat sana tu, saya tengok-tengok jugak rate baru. Eh, for the same loan amount and credit period, kalau ikut rate baru, kurang RM100 dari yang saya bayar. Maknanya jimat RM7,200 tu! Terus teringat satu program 'You Buy We Rent' by Tropical Camel Ranchers. Diorang ada buat kempen di Menara T* baru-baru ni. You buy a cow for RM7,000 and they will do the rest for you. Annually they will give you RM1,500 in return. Kalau lembu tu mati, diorang akan ganti unless kalau mati disebabkan epidemic of disease or banjir. Saya tak pasti full detailnya. Yang saya pasti, saya agak berminat. Anyone knows a lot a bout this or anyone ada join? Boleh share info tak. Nak harap saya pegi jaga lembu tidaklah kan. Maybe I should start dengan sekor. See lah how nanti. Another loan of RM7,000 kot? Sikit je kan tapi saya tak berani nak keluarkan CAPEX banyak sekaligus gitu. Kena spare jugak for time bersalin nanti. We never know what's gonna happen kan. Epidural anyone? Saya tak pernah try. Last time it was RM800 per jab ek? And they say for C-sect nowadays, it can buy you a bomb. Betul ke?

I'll be going back balik kampung esok. My parents merajuk sebab raya tak balik. I have my reasons (Iman was contagiously unwell plus takut banjir naik semula as predicted in the news) but then tau sajalah mak pak kita ni kan. Sensitif. So, kena balik esok before Kakak starts her primary.

Ok, now, the me story now.

I am in my 21st week now but I look like a 6 months pregnant mom. When standing up straight, I can't see my toes anymore. Just b**bs and tummy. Oh, my b***bs still hurt till today. Normal ke? When I squat, I tumble backwards. I waddle and move slowly. Strangely tho, I prefer sleeping on my back with pillows all over as supports, rather on my sides. And Iman seems to have just realized I am carrying someone (or rather something to him). Last week he asked me to lift my shirt to have a look at the bump. He patted rather hard and asked me to dislodge it! Later he (and Kakak) made curious inspection on my belly button (which is almost flat now btw). I am quite casual about that. When the kids want to see my tummy behind the shirt, I show'd them. When Kakak speaks to Little Muhammad, he'd follow suit. When Kakak rubs her hands over my tummy, he does the same. But not when Kakak kisses. He'd just stands away and giggles. Little Muhammad, like always, responds most to Kakak. Kakak even told Little Muhammad how naughty Iman is! I just hope they can be the best of siblings to each other.

Despite my size, I just gained a kg (if the old scale is right) from my pre-pregnancy weight. I lost 3-4kgs during the first 3-4 months. If I take the measurement from where I lost weight, the gain is like 4-5kgs already. See lah what Dr Ashar is going to say. When nearing to duedate while I was with Kakak, Dr Jemilah put me in 'just little carbo' diet. Eat just what you need, she said. No more sebantal roti and 4 boiled eggs, just for breakfast. Yes, I did that. I was an eating machine. By the 7th month, I was bloated and I could eat my meal with a plate placed on my stomach. I did not even need a table. Really. I gained a good 20kg for that and got myself a girl with 3.5kg birthweight. I later shed the gains, much to some people amazement (and irritation as well).

Oh, I need to go to CIMB now to pay for my excess tax. See you all later. Have a nice weekend.

Kita Hanya Merancang..

Setelah sekian lama, saya update blog masakan saya. Ada a few recipe yang dimasukkan. Bolehlah melawat di my-pancake-life.

Saya tak jadi ke Langkawi. Perancangan dari seawal Julai 2007 tak dapat dilaksanakan. Kita hanya merancang, yang selebihnya ketentuan Allah kan. Saya dijadualkan terbang ke sana pada 23/12/2007. Booking tiket, accomodation semua dah buat. Iman pulak tak sihat lebih kurang seminggu. Tak sampai hati saya nak tinggalkan dia. Bukan 2 atau 3 hari tapi 6 hari. Mujur ada kawan se ofis tolong carikan orang yang sudi menggantikan tempat saya. Last2 minute gitu, susah juga. Kena pulak time2 orang bercuti menghabiskan annual leave. Dan kebanyakkannya dah ada perancangan sendiri. Dah book percutian months in advance. Takkan nak kensel pulak kan.

Makanya, in short, kursus tersebut saya tak hadir. Hajat nak shopping pun dibatalkan. Sebenarnya dah terlanjur ke sana tu, saya nak top up Corelle Souffle Blue saya dan menggantikan skillet/pan yang lama-lama tu dengan Maxim/Tefal. Maybe some crystal bowls or even matching cutleries with my pinggan mangkuk. Mungkin juga dah ada niat melencong gitu, saya tak dapat pegi. Apa pun, alhamdulillah Iman dah sihat sekarang. Kebetulan pula sekarang ni dalam proses nak tutup akaun. Agak sibuk di ofis.

Namun begitu *ehem*, sekembalinya Tebby dari kerja last week, dengan cerianya dia menyampaikan bahawa di Amcorp Mall ada jual pinggan-mangkuk dengan design yang memang saya idam-idamkan. Putih polos dengan bentuk 4 atau 3 segi atau berbiku2. Kira modern design lah. Tengahari tadi, kami ke sana dan memborong a few. Not really a few lahhh.. about 17pcs at RM189.09. Bukan setakat yang 4 atau 3 segi, yang lonjong pun ada juga. Items yang saya beli semuanya at 70% discount. Sib baik hari ni bawak ViVa so limited space. Kalau bawak Optra, harus saya borong jugak yang lain-lain! Sampaikan saya terfikir-fikir kot2 ada jemputan kawin, boleh saya belikan sebagai hadiah. Cantik-cantik. Ada candle holder (a set of 3) with long handle of different height, memang saya suka betul. Tapi mengenangkan anak-anak saya yang suka explore benda-benda macam tu, apatah lagi kaca, saya batalkan saja niat tu.

So, meh tengok gambar pinggan mangkuk baru saya..

the squares. deep and shallow. i like!

the deep triangles. i also like!

the rectangles.

the ovals (oblongs?)
paling bawah tu sesuai untuk buat pie or custard.
yang tengah tu not too shallow and not too deep.

atas sekali ada resemblence cam bath-tub, but I like!

Kakak Is Going To School - Money Matters

Kakak, striking a pose with free cotton-candy and elina (a character from Mermaidia)

Oh yes, I got myself a lemon squeezer and an egg slicer

Now I know, when preparing for 'balik ke sekolah' thingy, why some parents, to the extend, make loans solely for that. We've spent almost 1/2 a grand already so far for Kakak. That excludes the lists of fees and things to be settled during her orientation on 2nd January 2008. And that also exlcudes things and fees for sekolah agama. Unlike my belly, our wallets are thinning and we're flipping our accounts but my spirits and hopes are not. After all, this is not like buying stuffs that you don't need. And I've waited almost 7 years for this.

Of course I'm still worried. Like I mentioned in previous entry - the what if's and would she's but after lots of prayers, I guess that heavy feeling has lighten up a bit. Like Kaklong Syikin advised me, doa whenever we have the chance, not just while we're on prayer mats. I've made sure of the arrangement with Atfal pertaining to sending and fetching her to-fro primary school and the arrangement with bus operator for her sekolah agama in the noon. Kakak herself made progress in reading Bahasa Melayu and English. I'm trying to sharpen her Math now. I got her a new pair of telekung to nurture the spiritual side of her. I may probably be sending her to sekolah agama as well for fadhu ain, unless we can find an ustaz/ustazah who can come to our house for that purpose. I am worried about her asthma, among all. If she pushes herself too hard, she'd turn pale and you can see her obvious tireness written all over her face. I have also arrange the one thing I hate doing, basuh kasut sekolah, to be under Tebby's portfolio. With my expanding stomach, it is so not possible to squat down and do the thing. Tebby did suggested the sink but with my persistence, it would, still, be under his care hu hu. We are also thinking about the washing machine tho! Anyone does this? Jangan sampai disebabkan sepasang kasut sekolah budak darjah 1, rosak mesin basuhku. Mind you, we have a 13kg load washing machine! I hope by darjah 2, she can do that herself.

We have to brace ourselves with a later nightly retirement/early morning start to ensure she gets good breakfast as well as a good lunch-box. Especially in the first few months where she still doesn't know the value of money and how to do 'transactions' in the canteen. I've warned her not to buy (when she knows how to) all those junks and soda and I hope she'd stick to that. Those, could, trigger her asthma. Ah, don't let me start with school homework. I hope we'd all be energetic enough to deal with those, plus the new baby coming. And no more dilly-dallying pertaining to laundry. Kang ada yang tak cukup stok baju sekolah!

Anyway, just for sharing purpose, here's the list of what we've bought so far.. For those who has 6yo, this maybe a 'framework' for you to ponder upon for the next 12 months (and start piggy-banking!).

1) Baju kurung putih Canggih 2@ 17.90 each

2) Baju kurung putih Professor 2@ 25.90 each

3) Kain biru Canggih 2@ 25.90 each

4) Kain biru Professor 1@ 32.90 each

:: Professor offerings are considerably more expensive than Canggih but we bought some anyway, for comparison of quality

:: I have to shorten her kain a bit. She has pot-belly so kena beli kain yang besar sikit he he. Hence the extra length

5. Camisole 4@ 5.90 each

6. Socks, pack of 3, 2@ 9.90 each

:: They say, buy the ones with sole in black. So I did.

7. School bag 1@ 42.90 each

:: She chosed the one with Powerpuff prints. Tebby tried to sway her to no-cartoon, saying grown-ups don't use cartoon-ed bag anymore. She told us, as a-matter-of-factly that, those transit sisters and brothers at Atfal Sayang still use Barbie, Princesses's and Power Rangers thingy. What more there was to argue, huh?

8. Tudung putih 4@ 4.41 each

:: As advised, we bought tudungs of elastic material to make sure they stay on her head easily. I have to adjust the opening tho, kena buka sikit jahitan.

9. Serkup 5@ 1.50 each

10. Telekung 1@ 22.00 each

11. Kasut sekolah 2@ 27.99 each

:: To top-up her existing only pair that she'd worn for the past 2 years to Atfal Excel

12. Kapur kasut, pack of 3, @5.99 each

13. Stationeries + botol air Rubbermaid, all@ 66.74

:: I bought spares as advised. Extra rubbers, rulers, sharpeners, pencil colors, pencil bags. The spares alone, occupy a shoe box almost to the brim.

We still have an item or two to be bought. Raincoat, lunch box and kain hijau among all.

I pray to Allah everything will go on smoothly, for Kakak and for us too.

Dendang Perantau

Salam Aidil Adha dari kami sekeluarga. Buat pertama kalinya dalam 33 tahun hidup saya, saya tak beraya di samping keluarga di kampung. Time bujang dulu, sure balik kampung saya punya. Bila dah kawin, alternate dengan kampung Tebby. Janji kat kampung, tak kisahlah kampung siapa. Tahun ni, disebabkan masalah-masalah yang tak dapat dielakkan, rancangan kami beraya di kampung saya di Temerloh terpaksa dibatalkan. Antaranya sebab banjir. Walaupun air yang menenggelamkan parts of the kampung dah surut dan cars can go in and out, dengarnya Jumaat ni akan bermula 2nd wave banjir. Lagipun Iman masih tak berapa sihat, kotnya terperangkap nanti, satu hal pulak. Tebby pulak terpaksa bekerja esok sebab dan ambik cuti kecemasan masa Iman sakit bari-baru ni. Kiranya kena ganti baliklah nih.

Untuk juadah pagi raya (sob sob), kami buat Nasi Minyak lengkap dengan Gulai Dagingnya. Ada sikit agar-agar telur 'Nnesang Kerek' dan sebekas kuih bahulu. Cukuplah untuk kami anak-beranak. Surau sementara di area rumah kami pun ada buat sembahyang sunat raya.

Tebby kata eloklah namakan hidangan ni 'Nasi Minyak Dendang Perantau'. Kalau raya puasa, harus banjir nih!

Yang ini pulak bakal dikorbankan pagi-pagi Jumaat (esok). Ada unta sekor, lembu 4 ekor. Unta dengan lembu-lembu ni memang jadi attraction kat budak-budak sini. Maklumkan budak KL, ada yang tak boleh beza kerbau dengan lembu. Tension agaknya unta dengan lembu-lembu tu dok kena kerumun. Anak-anak saya (kakak terutamanya) tak terkecuali. Dia tau esok unta dengan lembu-lembu tu kena sembelih so dia nak jugak (tak boleh tidak) pegi buat 'lawatan terakhir'. Dah lah hari pulak hujan. Kenalah kami naik kereta ke tempat lepak binatang-binatang tu (padahalkan dekat amat). Janji dia puas hati. Elok jugak hari hujan sebab rupanya dia dah plan nak pegi peluk cium unta tu! Dek sebab hujan, kami tengok dari dalam kereta je.

Salah seekor lembu yang akan dikorbankan esok.

She Reads!

Kakak dah lancar membaca. Alhamdulillah. Sejak-sejak pandai ni, habis semua buku-buku cerita bahasa melayu (yang di rumah) dibacanya. Kebetulan hari ni di Menara T* ada jualan. Banyaklah gerai-gerai, termasuklah gerai menjual buku kanak-kanak. When I was small, eventhough my father was a teacher, he somehow did not give encouragement for me to read. Except for a few books of Tamar Jalis that he bought when I was around 11 or 12. He taught Malay literature so among others I read Ranjau Sepanjang Jalan, Seluang Menodak Baung and Salina. My first English storybook was Bimbo & Topsy by Enid Blyton. As of now, I seldom read. A habit which I need to change. Budak-budak ni more inclined to 'do as i do' and not 'do as i say' kan. So, to instill that habit, I first need to nurture that habit within myself first.

Back to Kakak, not wanting to dampen her new-found interest, saya pun memborong buku-buku cerita. 4 set semuanya. Satu set ada 4 buku, maknanya ada 16 buku cerita. At RM50.00. Kira macam starter set lah ni. I am planning to buy encylopaedia but still could not find the suitable ones, nor do I have the budget at this point. But InsyaAllah, one day.

Oh ya, tonight alone, she has read 2 books already. Good girl!

Short Notes

Just a few short notes. Busy banget. Kerja bertimbun atas meja. Meeting bersusun. Next week dah nak start cuti Raya Haji, sambung kursus di Langkawi seminggu then ambik leave sebab Kakak start Primary 1. So I'll be away from the office from 19/12/2007 and will be back on 3/1/2008.

[1] Iman demam. Panas! His temperature ranging from 38d to 40d! (sapa tau kat mana jual Braun thermometer earcap? jenuh cari kat farmasi tak jumpa2 lagi ni) One moment he's well and main cam biasa. The next dia punya panas sampai dia menggigil-gigil. Usually he'd refused blanket tapi sebab dia rasa sejuk sangat, dia biarkan saja kami bungkus dia. Lots of sponging and medicine already. If demam still persists until Sunday, we'll go to APSH for blood-test.

[2] Kampung saya banjir! It's been awhile since the last time kena banjir besar cam gitu. Mak saya kata air dah sampai tangga dapur (maknanya dah teruk lah tu sbb rumah saya ni atas bukit jugek). Kampung sebelah dah start dapat ration beras and canned food. Electricity dah kena cut-off dah pun. Sib baik we can still communicate via phone and mobile.

[3] Regarding item [2], I think I should have alternative plan for Raya Haji. We had planned to go back to my kampung but if like this, how can kan. Zarid dah bawak resepi Nasi Beryani (ala-ala Restoren Insaf). Manalah tau kot2 kena beraya kat KL kan, at least I already have something to cook nanti.

Okie dokie. Bye for now.

Kisah Anak-Anak

She's back! Safe and sound, in one piece (albeit that she lost her telekung) and she told us she had a good time during Kem Anak Soleh. I'm glad she did. Alhamdulillah, Allah granted my doa to make things easy for us all. Yang herannya, when I asked her to help me do something, she answered with 'yes boss'. Dia kata cikgu suruh..

Sedar tak sedar I'm in my 19th weeks already. In a few days, it's going to be 20, which means I'm half way through already. If you ask, the more birth I give, the more frightened of labor I become. Perhaps because I know what to expect already. Perhaps Iman's birth, tho a lot shorter than Kakak's, was a lot more painful. I did beg for C-sect for that matter, actually! After hearing other people's experience, I'm glad Dr Jemilah turned deaf ears on that and instead encouraged me to push and push and push. I am praying this time around for an easier birth and a calmer baby.

I haven't done any preparations for Little Muhammad yet at this point. Perhaps I should start little by little. I've checked and could not find all the mittens and booties and baby clothing. Perhaps I've loaned them but could not remember to who (hey, it's been more than 3 years already!). All that are left semua sudah buruk. Getah seluar pun dah loose semuanya. Most are Kakak's, so it's been more like almost 7 years already, what do you expect kan.. Thank God all the bulky items are intact - play-pen (this, is especially important when I have another 2 kids around!!), baby seat, car seat, stroller, tub. Yes, I do plan to breastfeed for the first month. 2nd month I probably should start expressing and feed Little Muhammad EBM. I have had really hard time with Iman to wean him off my teats last time. Maybe sbb lambat sangat train dia kot. Ada sapa yang guna Avent bottle/food warmer? Thinking of buying one.

Little Muhammad seems to like Kakak and Iman very much. At the sound of his sister and brother, he'd move about. Kakak seems to be developing some kind of bond with Little Muhammad already (she pats my tummy and talks to her baby brother) whereas Iman is still oblivious to my expanding tummy and the fact that another baby is coming. Last weekend, Kakak read aloud a storybook near me and Little Muhammad went moving and kicking until Kakak stopped. Ummi fell asleep. Ala-ala bedtime story pulak. Bukan maknya baca kat anak, anaknya yang baca kat mak!

Letting Go - Lesson 1

Call me one pathetic mother. I think I am.

Last 2 weeks (while on MC), I got a call from Atfal asking me whether to let Kakak join their 'Kem Anak Soleh'. I happily agreed before I got to know, among others, she'll have to stay overnight in school. Away from me. I retreated my agreement and asked for sometime to think over. Even when I have not decided if she's going or not, I have started worrying. What if she cries at night. Would she be able to get up as early as 5.30a.m. for morning prayer. Would she be able to go through a day without TV? Who would she go to, to wish 'Good night, I love you'. All the what if's and would she's...

Tebby is taking it like any father or rather man would. He told me, for God's sake
1) it's just one night
2) her school is less than 5 minutes drive away (if he drives)
3) she's 6 years-old
4) lots of her friends will attend as well
5) not that she's never been separated from us

So, I decided to let her. Filled in the form and attached the fee.... And sent her this morning. Can't wait to pick her up tomorrow.

Come to think of it, I think I won't let her to go to boarding school, when she grows up, and if she gets the offer. Except if she insists, kot. And I'm gonna cry buckets 2 weeks before, and after. And maybe each time school holidays end. True, that is so like aeon in future, but I can do my thinking now. Right?

No wonder parents are so picky when it comes to their daughter choice of husband. As our religion teaches us, once a daughter gets married, her priority will be her husband but for a son, it remains the mother. So, the right choice is, undoubtedly crucial huh.

Kakak is going to start her Primary 1 on the 3rd January 2008. I am planning to take a week leave. Or even a month or two if I could actually. The 'veteran' mothers in my office said, '2 hari je dah cukup. Nanti budak tu yang suruh kita balik'. I just can't help it. Pathetic, am I not?

Black Beauty

At last, I bought a camera yesterday to replace my 4.0 mpixel Kodak which I started using 3 years ago. However I sidetracked from the original plan from Canon/Nikon and settled for a slim and sleek Olympus FE280 and saved some hundreds from my original budget. The features and specs can be read here.

Mine is black. I likee. Haven't got the chance to try it out yet. Not even the chance to charge the battery. Maybe tonight.

Surviving The Hike In Prices - Do We?

Went to Tesco Kajang for groceries last Sunday. It's not that I really wanted to go after just recovering from viral fever but have literally almost nothing in spare. So had to go. Like always, I was praying the kids would behave while we do our shopping. Bribed Iman with 2 cheap matchbox cars and he stayed in the cart all the way through. Thank God! As for Kakak, we kept her busy with the shopping list.

But that was not the point. We gawked to see the hike in prices. For example Iman's 6-in-a-pack Dutch Lady Choc Milk is priced at RM7.80. They used to be RM5.++ and we used to consider RM6.++ as mahal already. The formula Iman used to feed on is priced at almost RM70. It used to be much much cheaper back then. Same goes to Kakak's Enfagrow. I thought of buying some Italian Herbs but when I saw it was tagged at RM8.90 (I used to buy similar herbs from the same brand at around RM7.++ before), I decided to just forget about it. Kraft stick-cheese is sold at RM8.00 per pack of 6. Dedulu it was around RM6.++ ajek kalau tak silap so the kids had to settle with that usual slice ones only. And with RM100 in your hands at a wet market, you don't get much as before, don't you think? Aiyohh... And I haven't started on price increase on kiddy's education these days (yet). I have long forgetten about branded things for myself. Except for my Biotherm perhaps :P. Perhaps the only consolation we got that day was a RM3+.++ red Huggies for Iman. (We once bought that same pack for almost RM60.00 years ago!)

But I'm sticking with my Canon, just in case you are wondering!

Mengidam

mulut rasa cam nak makan kek..
tangan rasa cam nak beli camera..

hari ni jugak! camno? agak2 kalo guna alasan mengidam Tebby layan tak?
(Nota - suami saya is a very practical man.. cam tak makan jek alasan ngidam tu..)

UPDATE AS AT 4/12/2007
Nope. I did not get those. Neither the cake nor the camera (yet). Tebby had to wait for his boss and we left a bit too late to go shopping. Ended up stopping at Pantai Dalam tapau-ing some Nasi Lemak singgit and some fried chicken for dinner.

Dengue It Is Not, Viral It Is

Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah.
Alhamdulillah.

Despite both arms blue-and-black (from the poking for blood), both tests for dengue came out -ve. It was just a viral fever. It leaves me with muscle pain (still) tho the fever has subsided already. I mailed my boss for another 2 days leave so I can just rest and recovered as much as i can. It made us worried like h*** for the past few days. Bukannya boleh bukak perut and see the wellbeing of little Muhammad kan. Oh ya, Tebby commented yesterday, do we really want to name him Ali? So let's just call the unborn baby little Muhammad for now.

Anyway.

I told Tebby I am buying a new digicam and he seems agreeable to that. I am selling my Kodak for RM200 to my sister and am going to use that to knock-off the cost later. I have Canon Power-Shot in mind but still not too sure. Maybe Olympus or Nikon. This time I don't really look for sleek design but more for the functions so I can end up with superb indoor and night shoots. (habislah suamiku, dia pakai direct point-and-shoot pun tak berapa lulus lagi!). Who knows I may end up with a DLSR one day. Tebby knows a person whose camera apparatus cost even more than my ViVa! Like they say, the more professional the photographer are, the bigger thier equipments.

Oh btw. Kepada yang bekerja sesama untuk t*, sudahkah anda siapkan 360d dan juga DOA? 360d is an evaluation done by our superior, subordinate as well as peers on ourselves so next time you want to have a spat with your colleague - think again. And know what, I have 12 people to evaluate for 360d! Zarid... tak aci.. dia dapat 5 jek. I've done my DOA yesterday. Since I added my little fella ViVa as an asset, the form had to be signed and stamped by a commisioner of oath. Since we need to declare ones of our spouse as well, form Tebby pun kena jugek. Lucky us, we found one in Ampang yesterday after my blood-test. RM4.00 each.

Apart from seeing the commisioner of oath yesterday, we went to Ampang Point for lunch and a little 'look around'. Had simple lunch at 'Octopus'. It surprises me at times, eventho I am pregnant, I have small appetite (but my belly look as if I've eaten like 2 plates for lunch and another 2 for dinner. some people commented - twin eh?...). Then we proceeded to Royel but bought nothing. Went to UFO and found a long alas kaki that I've been looking for, for so long. For RM15.90 each, I greedily bought 4! If not for Tebby, the poor store-guy might have had to cart off my loot to the car himself. He.. he.. I wanted the table cloth, the runner, more alas kaki, and pillow cases etc. A trip to Guardian for some ear-cap (for thermometer) ended with me buying vitamins for the kids and belly butter. Mana nak cari ear-cap for Braun ni? 2 kedai kami pegi, seme takde. And our Ampang Point trip ended up with Tebby buying me a double scoop from Baskin Robbin. We carefully packed the spoons and wrapper and tossed those directly into the refuse-box back home (now, we don't want Kakak to get to know anything about it and started nagging and whining about it, do we? - panjang ceritanya nanti)

ps I want to openly thank Tebby who timed his hphone every 2 hours to check on me for the past few days. Who woke up and sponged me and made sure I took the medications as prescribed. Who prepared a container of plain water just-within-reach to ensure I took enough fluid to flush off whatever aliens I have in my body. I am one lucky women eh?

Of UTI, Fever and Baby No 3

I thought i'd be okay after the 4th month but just after I happily announced I am 16+ weeks pregnant and recovering, i am tested again.

Last friday after a hearty lunch at Secret Recipe, i felt a numb pain right under my belly and it was getting stronger. Called up Tebby and we took an early leave and left for clinic. I had UTI (Uterine Track Infection) and there was some protein detected. The GP felt like there was a swell but he was not sure. I was prescribed with amoxilyn and some paracetamols. The next 2 days was worse. I could not stand up straight. If i tried to, I felt sharp pain (cam tu rasa orang lepas bersalin C-sect kot.. ngeri..). I walked like a humpback, slowly waddling my way like an old lady. Other than me, Iman was the 2nd most affected. GP told me not to dukung him anymore since he weights more than a gas tank does (go try lifting - you'll know). It was quite hard since I am his almost everything. Telling him not mintak dukung is like telling newly-weds not to have sex. So to speak! But we're getting there. Not the sex part. This morning he, unexpectedly walked to the car and got himself in without much hussle.

Anyway, on Sunday before bed I started to feel like having a fever. At wee hours, I woke up to throbbing pain in my head and pain at my back and shoulders, followed by a high fever. I had no choice but to take leave. I was worried about the baby more than for myself. I've constantly been on medication since months ago and i just hope it won't be affected. As if sensing my worries, I felt it kicking the first time. Maybe telling me not to worry too much. Tebby went to a seminar in Hilton. At lunch he worriedly called and asked me to change into proper attire and off we went to APSH to see Dr Ashar. Dengue is what we're afraid of. What more with a little human being inside me. Did a blood test and am expecting a call on the result today. This Wednesday, I need to go for another round of blood test since this dengue thing is very dynamic in nature.

The baby is doing fine. Last time we saw it actively kicking and floating like a cosmonout. Yesterday it lied on his front with his bottom jutting out. Occasionally turning towards us after being nudged by Dr Ashar. He's in the right size with his age, maybe a day bigger than it should. And who wants to challenge one's motherly instinct? The baby refused to move further after much nudging so we had the scanning done from his bottom. Wallaa.. we clearly saw the little-jon-and-the-twins. I knew all along it was going to be a boy. To be frank I had wanted another girl but another boy would be just as fine. We even have a name planned already. It's not final yet (I have Muhammad Soleh and Muhammad Abdullah in mind as well but I shall leave that final options to the father) but Muhammad Ali will be likely. My rule of naming - simple with good meaning or the name sahabat nabi. But most importantly, simple. Name that I can call in full.

As for Kakak, looks like she'll be Tebby's only princess. When told the baby is going to be a boy, she look a bit frustrated but a moment later she told us she would love to hold the baby once he's out in the world. And Ummi is going to have 2 boys by her side. I just hope he's getting Tebby's O+ blood type (the other 2 have my B+). I'd better start coaching Iman to share his collection of hotwheels with his brother!

see the baby in action. shying away from us

Keluhan Ibu Bekerja

Came back home at almost 10p.m last night after a lenghty meeting. Itu pun after I asked permission from my GM to go back before the meeting ended (thanks boss). At the rate we were going, they might have ended at midnight (I'll check this out later). The meeting was supposedly start at 4.30p.m but as usual, it started later. Yesterday it was almost 5.15p.m (office hours ends at 5.30p.m here). Started with the usual yada-yada (non-related things) and proceeded to the real agenda almost at 6p.m. Never mind if they do not want to go back early to their family, but I do.

Picked the kids later than promised. As expected, both came out dengan muncung panjang sedepa. Not long after getting herself in the car, Kakak burst into tears and later sobs (dia memang drama queen sikit but yesterday was real, I myself was hurt with my own doing but what else can I do). She choosed to sit close to me (instead of sitting at the other end and looked outside like she normally does) while Iman sat on my lap quietly (instead of standing up on the seat and did funny acts like he normally does) Sampai rumah I postpone what I need to do for myself like mandi or kemas beg nursery and spent the time melayan diorang tengok TV and main-main. Lepas tengok mood diorang dah improve, barulah pegi mandi and sembahyang Isya'. For bed, I let her picked where she wanted to sleep. And it was Tebby on her left, me on her right and Iman on my right.

If given a solid, steady financial well-being, I'd choose the kids over my career. Really. At the moment, we still can't afford to live like we do now should I quit working. Probably we can, with some adjustments but with another baby coming and Iman is going to start his play-school next year, that shall have to wait.

Short Notes

• Iman was down with fever since after Kakak's graduation on last Thursday. His temperature shoot up to even 40d. (As expected the father was the most affected and lost his appetite altogether). Chicken pox? We did not see any spots (yet?). Mintak-mintak cepat baik lah anak ummi yang sorang ni.
  
• Kakak's graduation? I reserve an entry solely for that one. Later.
  
• Tebby is invited for an award presentation ceremony at the end of this month. Something for scoring in his MBA. I asked if I am invited as well (by virtue of being a spouse) but with the kids, kalau ceremony dalam dewan hak kena duduk dendiam ni, I'd better forget it lah kot.
  
• Me? I tipped on a scale last Friday while waiting for Iman's turn at Dr Nasir's. It seems I've gained like 2.5kg since my last check-up and I have another 2 weeks before seeing Dr Ashar. Whoaaa!!! Average that up and... 5kg in a month? I maybe slim and trim but I have to caution myself. For the past 2 pregnancies, most of the things I ate went to the babies. Kakak came in at 3.5kg and Iman 3.3kg. I hope no further than 3.5kg.
  
• My course in Langkawi is postponed (again). More time to save some dough for another set of Corelle huh.
  
  

Our Own Angkasawati

Uhh.. we have an aspiring astronout at home! I knew Kakak had this pre-science thingy at Atfal but little did I expect that she knows quite a lot. She has the whole concept of Milky Way in mind, so to speak. She knows which planet is the biggest, smallest, nearest and furthest from the sun and the most beautiful one. She comments on comet and asteroid. And to add her own spice to that, she also includes alien. So she and Tebby had good times exploring things over the net while discussing things and I quietly browsed my errr... Impiana magazine. Dahlah muka diorang tu sepesen. In short she takes a lot after Tebby. Perhaps she just gets my gender only he.. he..

Oh, btw, she even asked if she can board the rocket someday and sees the stars from near and perhaps lands her feet on the moon.
To that we said - Kakak kena jadi yang paling sangat pandai, baru boleh naik roket. Macam abang tu. (Note - 'yang paling sangat' -> her expression of something extreme)

And to that, she replied (after minutes of thinking hard) - Kalau gitu boleh tak kita beli teropong je dulu.

Yahh,... if she continues to show interest in such thing and old and wise enough to handle the thing, we may buy that in future (flipped all buku account to see how much more we need he.. he.. -> long way to go)

Here goes some photos of her Milky Way. Note that alien space-ship. Also note the last photo, the whole thing is dedicated to Tebby. It seems I am excluded from their space mission this time around.

Anyway.

We picked up her report cards, books and school work from Atfal last Saturday. She did so-so lah. Scoring an overall of about 80%. She needs to strengthen her Math and most importantly - her CONCENTRATION. Both my kids lack this. Her teacher commented that, IF she can concentrate, she would have been very good in learning. Both my kids just can't sit still. Even when they watch TV, they do it while pacing back and forth and walk along the perimeter of our living room (much to our irritation actually).

This Friday is going to be her last kindy day. We have applied a day leave on Thursday to attend her Graduation Day and Concert. We've missed that for the past 2 years (1st year we were busy with office work, 2nd year she was warded sbb demam). Now she's having a mild fever and we just hope she'll recover by then. She's all excited to go. Same go with me and Tebby.

Would it be too much if I shed tears on her graduation day? Her kindy graduation?....

[Birthday] [Tea Party] [False Alarm] [Open House]

[IMAN IS 3!]
He turned 3 last Saturday (3/11/2007). Unfortunately I was too tired and was not too well to prepare anything. Not even cakes or party packs to be shared with his kindy friends. I'll try to figure out something later, InsyaAllah. Happy 3rd Birthday Iman sayang!
(He had fever that night until mid Sunday -> poor young man!)

[A LITTLE GARDEN-TEA-PARTY]
We had Saleh & his friend (the guys that turned our lawn into a little garden) over to do a bit of maintenance of our little lawn on Sunday. Since it was still Syawal, we invited them for a little tea and some cookies and cakes after they've done with their work. After they left, the kids took over and had some fun. Since it was outdoor, I did not really mind the spills and bits and pieces and how Iman dipped his hands many-many times in the 'air basuh tangan' served. And later immitated how Tebby sponged his body the night before.

[FALSE ALARM]

Too soon for me, I can't even feel the contractions yet! After Asar yesterday, an emergency alarm went off. I was like 'alamakk!!'. We've just been in the new building for 2 months and we were not briefed of the safety procedure yet. Not knowing what else to do, I, along with the others, took the stairs.. right from the 14th Floor until we reached Ground. It was raining heavily outside so we flocked then cramped ourselves in the lobby. Barely 15 minutes later we were instructed to go back to our offices, without any explanation what-so-ever. At that time, people were still 'arriving'. I later heard rumors that the alarm went blaring by mistake. No wonder there was no BOMBA, ambulance and what-and-who should've been there. SMS-ed Tebby. His reply? ** Boleh! As in 'Malaysia Boleh', if you still don't get it.


[OPEN HOUSE]
Thanks for those who invited us. We could only managed one. Tebby's friend in Ampang Saujana. They were buddies since their UMIST days. Later another buddy joined and from the look of it, they had lots of fun. Menu included roast lamb, laksa johor (i had 2 servings), soto, fruits and some cold and hot drinks. Did not take much lamb - takut pening kepala yang sememangnya sedia pening. Those friends whose house that we couldn't make it, really sorry. Health did not (mine and Iman) permit us doing so.

Babies..

[BABY 1]
Went for regular antenatal check-up yesterday. We left home just a little bit later than we usually do to work, so that the kids did not suspect that we were going somewhere else. Tebby was on leave and I was on my way to get an MC. Had a fever of 37.9d the night before, accompanied by nasty coughing and blocked nose. I even took 1/2 day off the 2-days (Mon & Tue) training I attended in Jalan Gurney. Could not tahan anymore. One time I was shivering cold, the next feverish hot.

Anyway.

Despite I am not eating well and vomit regularly (still), the baby is growing as it should be. And despite the fact that I am already wearing my maternity-wear at 13 weeks due to big bump I have, there's only one baby. During scanning, it was actively moving. The features are already defined. We could tell the head, the body, the hands, the legs and its backbone. It was moving about, hands flailing, legs kicking. When it touches my uterus wall, the momentum was almost like one of cosmonaught in space. And my motherly instinct strongly tells me, most probabyly it's going to be another boy this time around. And from the look of it, it has wide forehead like the rest of its siblings. I guess it runs in the family!

As for me, it seems I haven't even gained back the weight I had lost in the past 2 months. I eat poorly, I dislike the taste of milk, I can't take plain water and I eat small portion of lunch and if I'm lucky, dinner occasionally stays in my stomach. For that Dr Ashar prescibed me with 6 things. Put aside 2 medications for selsema and demam, I have 4 types to gulp down everyday, as to ascertain I have all the vitamins and nutritions I should for me and the baby.


I have small pimples, especially on my forehead. By stating 'especially', it means I have them all over my face. My skin gets oily and I have stopped using mosturiser altogether. I hate the smell of my perfume and I don't like to powder my face. I put on lipstick once in a while only. Luckily I still have my clothing coordinated or else I'll look like a lost clown. A boy huh?

I bought a pair of new sandals after being nagged by K Nor and Zarid, my colleagues. These are going to be part of my wardrobe till I give birth. Non-slip and comfy.

[BABY 2]
Iman tried to terjun tiruk from our dining table last few days. He left Tebby screaming and me throwing away whatever I have in my hands into the kitchen sink (I was doing the dishes that time). I managed to catch him just in time and my heart was thumping madly as if I had just ended a 100m running race. With him, there's never a dull moment. Like my MIL had with Tebby when he was small. He's almost 3 now. Still wakes up for milk at night. Loves choc-roll and absolutely adores me. Despite being an active boy, he still wants 'dukung' whenever in public. And despite me being pregnant, I still 'dukung' him. And despite Kakak's 'aaa aaa nanti ada baby ummi tak dukung iman lagi dahhh,... aaa... aaaa... tak tau...' he still 'sits' comfortably while Tebby or me panting for breath. He's more than 15kg. Imagine carrying a small cooking-gas tank, it's easier to put things into picture.

The photo below snapped before we dived into plates of steak at nearby steak-corner. Iman is a mini-me, male version, so they say.


[BABY 3]
Kakak will end her kindy in matter of a couple of weeks from now. And in no time she's gonna start her primary. When asked about her kindy exam, which is running this week, she confidently told us she could answer all except for just one question. We'll see about that during the Parents Day on this coming 10th, shall we. I am still ding-dong-ing on whether to send her to sekolah agama next year. I am thinking of postponing it till she's in Primary 2 but Tebby doesn't seem to agree. Despite being in the era of superkids, somehow, I want my kids to take things slowly. I don't want to rush things too much that they do not get the chance to be themselves, kids. Maybe I'll change my mind later after she's in Primary. As for Kakak herself, she just can't wait to start art class. Drawing to be exact. So like the father.

Photo below of Kakak, oblivious to me snapping this. Daydreaming about life in castle. Too much Barbie movies I guess.


[BABY 4]
The biggest and oldest baby I have. (Baby yang ini kalau merajuk.. lagi susah woo nak pujuk..). He just started another blog. If you compare, his writing differs from mine. He loves movies (which I seldom enjoy), he loves reading (he does more on educational and intellect reading, while I savor Impiana, Anjung Seri and the likes. Tengok gambar je banyak, bacanya tidak!). I hope he'll keep the momentum going. Unlike the first blog he had. He himself could not even remember the blog tittle.

And when I'm having a fever, be sure he's gonna sponge me even at the wee hours in the morning!

On Prolonged Morning Sickness

It's 2.30a.m. and I can't sleep. I did slept from 9.30p.m (or so) after a dose of paracetamol, ubat batuk and ubat selsema. Woke up to a grumbling in my stomach from hunger at almost 2.00a.m. Tried to get back to sleep but to no avail. Popped up a handful of Herseys and gulped down some chocolate milk. Tho the hunger slowly going away, I am still very much awake.

My morning sickness is persistenly, still here. As the name goes, it hits me the most in the morning. I'd be all pening and meloya-loya (spelling?) until almost noon. And as the sun descends, it'd all came back, leaving me too tired to even play with the kids. Among the 3, this one really takes a toll on me. I had hope by the end of my 1st trimester (I am now in my 13th week already), it'd all go away but I guess Allah decides to test me a little bit longer. Thanks to Tebby, who minds the kids. Dinner, playtime, TVtime, Q&A sessions. Thanks yang, I really appreciate that.

Lots of things happened in the past week but office tasks left me with no time. There was office Raya's celebration (which I missed - was on MC that day), Atfal Raya's celebration (which I also missed, Kakak went with Tebby only, not to frustrate her excitement, so to speak). We did not go to any of the open-houses or open-offices that we were invited to last weekend as well. And I totally forgot that this week Kakak is sitting for her final and last kindy exam before the real schooling starts next year.

I guess I'd better try to get some more sleep now. Hope thatI'd be better tomorrow onwards.

Salam Syawal

We were back in KL yesterday. Except Kakak, who had (still is) great time at my parents' and decided to stay back. She'll be back with my brother this weekend. Sampaikan semalam call pun tak berapa nak bercakap, busy bebenor.

Cadangnya nak start keje today but Atfal still tutup so dok rumah mengemas and membasuh kain. Punyalah menimbun, habis semua pagar depan dengan belakang! Jiran-jiran pun masih belum ramai yang balik. Senyap sunyi aje. Jiran kiri, kanan dan belakang pun masih belum habis beraya di kampung masing-masing. Tebby dah start keje dah.

Eid was celebrated sederhana in both Tebby's and my kampung. Takdelah pegi ziarah banyak sangat pun, kecuali sedara-mara terdekat. With Iman, susah sikit nak ke sana-sini. Faham-faham sajalah dia tu. Hari Raya pertama, MIL buat Nasi Beryani, kedua pulak bakar sate. Hari Raya ketiga, Nasi Lemak sebelum kami 4 beranak berangkat ke Temerloh. Singgah di Muktafibillah dan sempat lunch di rumah mak sedara Tebby. Dapat makan lidah goreng, sedap! Kami sampai di Temerloh dalam pukul 5pm gitu. Esoknya ke Jerantut rumah bapak saudara (adik my father). Seronok dengar cerita diorang masa kecik-kecik dulu. Sedar tak sedar dah 3 jam kami kat situ. Sempatlah makan Mihun Soto yang lazat. Malamnya ke rumah Abang Long saya di bandar Temerloh. Mihun Sup pulak. Keesokannya kami ke Bentong, rumah adik mak saya. Makan Mi Kari dan nasi berlauk bagai. Hari Khamis sebelum bertolak ke KL, ke rumah mak sedara saya. Kakak dan Iman terus serbu reban ayam kat belakang rumah, adeh. Iman langsung tak naik ke rumah, dok berlari kat laman sampailah kami balik. Collection duit raya anak-anak so-so lah. Saya pun tak nak diorang ni ada perception yang duit raya tu as vital part of Eid celebration. Yang nyatanya akan saya bank-in ke Tabung Haji masing-masing. Jangan tak tau Tebby masih dapat duit raya dari Along (my eldest SIL).

Saya pulak masih loya-loya dan muntah-muntah. Dah masuk 11 weeks dah. Perut pun dah membulat. Yang berbezanya sekarang, selera makan saya dah mula naik. Kalau kena dengan lauknya, mau bertambah-tambah saya makan. Hari tu kat kampung, lauknya cuma sup ayam, ikan goreng dan sambal tempoyak. Pehh... sib baik nasi dalam periuk dah habis. Esoknya pulak, dek sebab saya nak sangat makan pisang goreng, mak saya gorengkan pisang semangkuk besar. Apalagi, dekat 1/2 mangkuk tu saya sorang aje yang makan. Tapi kalau tak kena gayanya, apa pun depan mata, saya usik sikit aje. Bab makan waktu mengandung ni saya kena hati-hati sikit, takut anak jadi besar. Waktu bersalinkan Kakak, Dr Jemilah dah warning saya, baby paling besar saya boleh bersalin normal mungkin pada takat 3.5kg saja (which is birthweight Kakak).

Salam Syawal dari saya....

Salam Aidil Fitri dari Ummi Sekeluarga

Salam Aidil Fitri
Maaf Zahir & Batin
dari Abah, Ummi, Athirah & Iman (& baby)

[1] Kami akan pulang ke Temerloh malam esok selepas Isya'. Pagi Khamis akan bertolak ke Kuala Terengganu sehingga 3 Eid. Sambung raya di Temerloh sampai Khamis 6 Eid dan masuk kerja pada 22 Oktober.

[2] Doakan perjalanan kami dipermudah dan diselamatkan. Same to you all, semoga semuanya selamat dan diberkati.

23 Ramadhan 1428H

I'm on mc again. I've worked for 3 straights days this week (which is a record since kena muntah2 nih) and semalam I felt giddy. It turned out that my BP dropped to 90/60. So I brokefast and got 2 days of mc. Just when I thought I felt a bit better sahur tadi, kena lak c*r*t. Sampai pukul 8.30a.m. ni ha, dah 5 kali. Maybe kena berbuka jugak ni kang sebab kaki pun dah lembek dah nih. Saya akan start bercuti Khamis depan, maknanya ada lagi 3 hari bekerja. Kalau saya kerja 3 hari full next week, maknanya sepanjang Ramadhan tahun ni, saya cuma bekerja 7 hari saja..... rekod tu. Saya mintak doa banyak-banyak that I'll be well after raya nih.

Anyway.

Remember our Laman Project? It took them 3 days to finish-off from cleaning and clearing stage to eventually install a wood-deck. All done and all paid for already. Tebby and I are simple people so we want a simple concept. Afterall, the kids still need some space to run on without having to go into bushes. Nothing too much. We conveyed what we want as well as our budget. In the end we have a lawnful of green phillipines grass, 2 kembojas, a shrub of yellow irises, some purple crawlers, 2 spikey plant (I don't know their real names), some pebbles, stepping stones and 3 railway sleepers. On the other side, we have 3 bushes of dual-tone plants, some pebbles and green green grass. And yes, a 8x9 wood-deck made of resak wood. What's missing are garden bench and a table as well as a tempayan. Ni kena tunggu budget lain nih. Balik kampung kidnap tempayan Wan saya boleh? Oh, the concept? The Landscape Architect said it's Modern Tropica. After they were done with their job, kami pulak susun pokok-pokok dalam pasu yang sedia ada tu. 1/2 hari je cukuplah, flat terus.....

So sharing a few photos right from the beginning until it is done.

Other photos can be viewed here.