NZ plus 2

They grow up so fast!

2012-02-10T13:26:00.001+08:00

It's 10th Feb 2012. The girls are both asleep and the hubs is out. I refused to switch on the TV and it's just me and my thoughts..
Nadia asked me this morning if I was going to work so I said no I am on leave and I told her next week I will go back to work. She then said to me 'Nadia sama Sofie tinggal arah Yadu?' I smiled and told her no she will stay here with Aunty Mar.. My maid is scheduled to return tomorrow morning.. I pray that all will go well and she will come back as planned.. Amin Amin..
It's been 3 days side we took Nadia for her haircut and I sometimes take a2nd look at her.. It baffles me how she is so grown up now! My friend says maybe she is all grown up because she is a big sister now.. Maybe.. She is turning 3 I'm a couple of weeks time and I can't wait for her to cut the birthday cake of her dreams!
I saw my second set of Freestyle and it reminded me that I have breastfed Sofiyya for 8 months now.. Maybe I should open the box and use the 2nd set now cos time flies so fast and what if I don't get to use the 2nd set, albeit it being my back up set! hahaha
They grow up so fast! I must enjoy these moments with them.. Must take more photos to capture the moments and write more to capture my thoughts.. Inshallah..
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An afternoon at Starbucks

2012-02-10T09:46:00.001+08:00

Nadia's first Haircut 8Feb2012

2012-02-09T22:58:00.001+08:00

At 2 years and 10 months Nadia had her first haircut at Inspiration Hair Salon, the Mall. She sat in a toy car and watched Barney. And it cost us $12! (Gotta make sure we remember the details cause one day, if she is anything like me in my younger years she will be spending big bucks on her hair! LOL)

During her haircut

After!

Oh and before her haircut we had a late lunch at Swensens!

Group Hug!

Excited to eat her Sundae!

The girls and the Chipmunks!

Asleep in her stroller!

Playdate 6th Feb2012

2012-02-09T22:07:00.001+08:00

We headed to Panaga Club for another playdate and this time Sofiyya came along too..!!

Playing at home with Nenek Boy. Nadia was one when she first played with this and Sofiyya is only 8 months! Tsk tsk!

We are in the process of car seat training her. Half of the time she would ask to be held.. I must preserver and keep on insisting that she stay in her seat..

Sofiyya with Aunty Fina and Abang Danish and Uncle Bob on the background

Look at that happy baby!!

She clearly LOVES being in the water..

My babies and my Baby Daddy

And them in the car, tiduurrrrr... LOL

Mandi Berlawat & Majlis berzikir

2012-02-09T21:55:00.001+08:00

We headed to Telisai on Sunday 5th Feb 2012 to attend TC's Mandi Berlawat and Mika & Mikayla's Majlis Berzikir..

(why do they call the event 'Mandi Berlawat' anyways? Was there an actual Mandi involved?)

Handsome Mika

Our very own Little Miss Katy Perry, Mikayla

Both babies were obedient at first but as the day grew older they both grew tired and started to be cranky. Hehehe

Us and our broods!

Cant wait to see the photos from the official photographer!

Natural and Easy?

2012-02-01T12:24:00.003+08:00

I was reading one of the blogs that i have bookmarked and came across this article about challenges of breastfeeding and i could not agree more..! when you read in books they make it seem like breastfeeding is the most natural thing in the world where the baby will instinctively seek for your nips and suckle.. and especially in the early days when we are tired (and hormotional), we (read: I) cant help but feel defeated when we (read: I) are not able to breastfeed.. I agree completely with the writer that new moms must preserver and get the support she needs from the right people..

Reading on i read how it is quite easy for her to breastfeed in public, now this is a feat that i still cannot do.. I think i am very conscious about this and the fact that Sofiyya now refuse to feed in public cause she will poke her head out and see what is going on, makes it even worse i guess.. So i end up feeding her in the car or bringing along some EBMs in the bottle. I guess it would also help if we have more mummy's room available at public places.. I wish Brunei has good, clean, non-smelly mommy's room like the ones they have in Parkson Miri cause the ones we have here are.... (i'll just leave it at that!!)

opposites

2012-01-31T09:16:00.002+08:00

We received comments on how Nadia and Sofiyya are total opposites and we can't agree more! Nadia does not like taking a bath but Sofiyya LOVES it! Sofie smiles a lot, Nadia does not (especially in public). Nadia is choosy, Sofiyya is not.. Nadia is tiny, Sofiyya is not. HAHA

This is our 4th week staying at the ILs and 1 more week until my maid comes back. I spoke with her agent over there and she says my maid's paperwork are all done and just waiting to come back. Nadia has mentioned her name a couple of times as well. She is well missed by everyone, especially by my Grandmother..

I have long ago lost the number of EBMs I have and even worst now the order in which my EBMs are stored.. Once life goes back to normal I promise I will sort everything out! And this is probably the best time for me to get a standing freezer so then I have no more excuse, and my mother will have her freezer back! haha

Mezah's Wedding

2012-01-30T08:57:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah, my not-so-little cousin is now married! The solemnization was held on Saturday night and reception yesterday morning..

Our Flower girls!

Plus Sofiyya..

Nadia and Dalilah who just turned one!

Smooches!

Sofiyya baru bangun tidur

And then Kaka fell asleep and had to miss the walk down the aisle huhu

Bride and Groom during Adat Basuh Kaki

Sofiyya is 8 months today!

2012-01-30T08:21:00.002+08:00

Dear Sofiyya,

Happy 8 months my little Sofiyya.. Oh how time flies so very fast and in a couple of months' time you will turn a full ONE! Don't grow up too soon baby girl..!

At 8 months, not a single tooth has sprout out and that's just fine cause even now when you decide to bite Mummy's nips, it Hurts!. You learned to move forward although not on all fours yet you are still quite fast! You especially like to crawl towards the end of the bed, giving me a tiny weeny heart attack! haha You can sit quite well and you are also learning to change position from being on your tummy to sitting down.. hehe you have also found some flexibility and you have started to suck on your tiny toes! On occasion i decide to suck your toe for you, you will laugh and giggle your tiny hearts out!

We have started to live at your Yadu & Yaki's and you seem to be adapting well! However you started to put on a show each time before i head out to work in the morning by crying and making a lot of noise and asking to be picked up.. I'm only gone for little while sayang..

I now want to talk to you about the importance of sitting in the car seat my dear cause each time I place you there you wiggle, wiggle and wiggle!!! There is a reason why people invent car seats, its to keep little people like you and Kaka safe in the event of a collision. So baby girl please sit down in your seat..

Ok Mummy has got to go back to work now.. Be a good little girl with your Yadu and Aunty Mamai.. Mummy, Daddy and Kaka Dia loves you!!

xoxo,
Mummy

The JDs are back!!

2012-01-28T12:42:00.001+08:00

After about a year and a half, the JDs are back...!! For a short holiday that is.. Here are photos taken so far (of which i have stolen from friends' FB hahaha)...

Bi-weekly friday lunch with the ladies

And the normally empty 4th chair is filled with Dina!! Hehehe

Dinner at Cheezebox and Carol's bday ambush!

Potluck Dinner at the Mats

The ladies and girls..

The whole gang minus Joe cos he had to take the photo! Haha

34 months

2012-01-25T11:02:00.004+08:00

Dear Nadia,

Happy 34 months baby girl! 2 months short of your 3rd birthday and you have been talking about your party a lot (or i bring the topic up each time you start to be fussy and as a form of distraction LOL). We'll see about it and insyallah if ada rezeki we will have one with bouncers and all ok?

Sorry for not writing to you earlier, its just that work has been a bit busy and we've been quite busy with a lot of things. I think once you reach 3 i will discontinue my monthly letter to you and write as and when i feel like it lah ah? hehehe

We've started living at your Yadu's and Yaki's and I have to say I am very proud with how you handled things. You have not thrown any tantrums or showed signs of being home sick but instead you have embraced it fully! You have went to one of the ladang to pick some kembayau and you fell asleep there! I wished that I was there so I can take a photo!!! You went to visit one of your grannies and your Yadu said you behaved very well and you now also have a good appetite although you seem to request for Maggi ayam alot these days. Not the best choice of food but I am happy either way.

ok not much for me to say and i better get back to doing some work so happy 34 months love! and be good now..

xoxo,
Mummy

What a day it has been..

2012-01-21T23:39:00.001+08:00

Its the weekend and we are staying at my parents.. We started off the day without the Hubs as he has to go to work.. Dia asked where her daddy was and after i told her her daddy is at work she asked me if i have to go to work too.. I guess she thinks when one has to go to work the other one has to too..

I then realised that we forgot to take my cooler box of EBMs out of my car!! Hubs had to send them back here and thank god it was all still cold and some were semi thawed. Decided to place them in my freezer..

The day went about ok, did 2 of my cousin's hantarans.. As we were getting ready to go out and i was about to give Sofiyya her bath i slipped in our toilet and fell down on my bum! Thank god Sofiyya was ok and she didn't hit anything!!

We headed out to Cheezebox to see the gang.. It was so nice to see or friends who are back from the states after being away for one and half years..

On our way home my car decides to act up, AGAIN!!! This is the third time in the last 3 months and given that its CNY weekend no workshops will be open.. And its not like its convenient for Hubs and I to share a car as he has to work odd hours.. I don't know how we are going to manage this..

Sungguh banyak dugaan mu kepada ku Ya Allah.. However i am reminded that Allah tidak akan menduga seseorang lebih dari kemampuan nya.. With that i pray that Allah grant us patience and strength to face these challenges.. Mudahan semua urusan akan di permudahkan dan dugaan akan di tempuh dengan sabarnya.. Amin amin amin..

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Moving forward

2012-01-18T09:22:00.003+08:00

Ola peeps!

Alhamdulillah Sofiyya is now able to move forward however she is not on the full crawl position yet. And she is discovering shadows!! It was so funny how she woke up quite early on Monday morning, turned on to her tummy and started crawling towards the wall where her shadows were. She bumped her head on to the wall, stopped and then moved forward again.. Apparently she did the same thing yesterday but instead of the wall its the edge of the sofa.. har har har

Our care bear!

Remember the movie Little Rascals?

Chilling with mummy at the office on Saturday

Hubs has been working late and leaving early since Sunday and will be for the next 2 weeks..

Poor Nadia fell asleep waiting for her Daddy to come home..

Loves how Dia loves to read.. I pray that this habit will continue on forever!

Nadia and Alya playing one of their many pretend games..

Princess Sofiyya!!

Hantar Berian 18 Dec 2011

2012-01-16T11:02:00.006+08:00

Long over due post!

Cousins and Aunties

This nenek is cool!

Dia and Alya in their Bisaya Outfit

our 2009 babies

We dressed Sofiyya up too!

Sofiyya

SIL getting ready

The inseparable

BIL arriving

And his family

Berian exchange

Family Photo! hehe

My dad came too despite his recent eye surgery.. hehe

One of my fav photo!

ladies going to berziarah

guys' side

We caught Nadia getting her xx number of drink from the cooler!

Yadu

BIL & SIL

Sitting down

2012-01-13T11:11:00.003+08:00

Sofie can now sit down! but of course a couple of times she would topple over, and I would laugh hahaha

Day 4 of being back at the office and here is how much Sofie has taken in (out) and how much i have been able to produce (in) in the past 3 days..

Tuesday; Out 9oz - In 14oz
Wednesday; Out 15oz - In 13.5oz
Thursday; Out 12oz - In 15oz

Alhamdulillah I have been able to make some extras..

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters {by Michael Mitchell}

2012-01-11T16:35:00.002+08:00

Dear Husband,

I stumbled upon this online here and i thought you should read it too..

50 Rules for Dads of Daughters {by Michael Mitchell}

1. Love her mom. Treat her mother with respect, honor, and a big heaping spoonful of public displays of affection. When she grows up, the odds are good she’ll fall in love with and marry someone who treats her much like you treated her mother. Good or bad, that’s just the way it is. I’d prefer good.

2. Always be there. Quality time doesn’t happen without quantity time. Hang out together for no other reason than just to be in each other’s presence. Be genuinely interested in the things that interest her. She needs her dad to be involved in her life at every stage. Don’t just sit idly by while she add years to her… add life to her years.

3. Save the day. She’ll grow up looking for a hero. It might as well be you. She’ll need you to come through for her over and over again throughout her life. Rise to the occasion. Red cape and blue tights optional.

4. Savor every moment you have together. Today she’s crawling around the house in diapers, tomorrow you’re handing her the keys to the car, and before you know it, you’re walking her down the aisle. Some day soon, hanging out with her old man won’t be the bees knees anymore. Life happens pretty fast. You better cherish it while you can.

5. Pray for her. Regularly. Passionately. Continually.

6. Buy her a glove and teach her to throw a baseball. Make her proud to throw like a girl… a girl with a wicked slider.

7. She will fight with her mother. Choose sides wisely.

8. Go ahead. Buy her those pearls.

9. Of course you look silly playing peek-a-boo. You should play anyway.10. Enjoy the wonder of bath time.

11. There will come a day when she asks for a puppy. Don’t over think it. At least one time in her life, just say, “Yes.”

12. It’s never too early to start teaching her about money. She will still probably suck you dry as a teenager… and on her wedding day.

13. Make pancakes in the shape of her age for breakfast on her birthday. In a pinch, donuts with pink sprinkles and a candle will suffice.

14. Buy her a pair of Chucks as soon as she starts walking. She won’t always want to wear matching shoes with her old man.

15. Dance with her. Start when she’s a little girl or even when she’s a baby. Don’t wait ‘til her wedding day.

16. Take her fishing. She will probably squirm more than the worm on your hook. That’s OK.

17. Learn to say no. She may pitch a fit today, but someday you’ll both be glad you stuck to your guns.

18. Tell her she’s beautiful. Say it over and over again. Someday an animated movie or “beauty” magazine will try to convince her otherwise.

19. Teach her to change a flat. A tire without air need not be a major panic inducing event in her life. She’ll still call you crying the first time it happens.

20. Take her camping. Immerse her in the great outdoors. Watch her eyes fill with wonder the first time she sees the beauty of wide open spaces. Leave the iPod at home.

21. Let her hold the wheel. She will always remember when daddy let her drive.

22. She’s as smart as any boy. Make sure she knows that.23. When she learns to give kisses, she will want to plant them all over your face. Encourage this practice.

24. Knowing how to eat sunflower seeds correctly will not help her get into a good college. Teach her anyway.

25. Letting her ride on your shoulders is pure magic. Do it now while you have a strong back and she’s still tiny.

26. It is in her nature to make music. It’s up to you to introduce her to the joy of socks on a wooden floor.

27. If there’s a splash park near your home, take her there often. She will be drawn to the water like a duck to a puddle.

28. She will eagerly await your return home from work in the evenings. Don’t be late.

29. If her mom enrolls her in swim lessons, make sure you get in the pool too. Don’t be intimidated if there are no other dads there. It’s their loss.

30. Never miss her birthday. In ten years she won’t remember the present you gave her. She will remember if you weren’t there.

31. Teach her to roller skate. Watch her confidence soar.

32. Let her roll around in the grass. It’s good for her soul. It’s not bad for yours either.

33. Take her swimsuit shopping. Don’t be afraid to veto some of her choices, but resist the urge to buy her full-body beach pajamas.34. Somewhere between the time she turns three and her sixth birthday, the odds are good that she will ask you to marry her. Let her down gently.

35. She’ll probably want to crawl in bed with you after a nightmare. This is a good thing.

36. Few things in life are more comforting to a crying little girl than her father’s hand. Never forget this.

37. Introduce her to the swings at your local park. She’ll squeal for you to push her higher and faster. Her definition of “higher and faster” is probably not the same as yours. Keep that in mind.

38. When she’s a bit older, your definition of higher and faster will be a lot closer to hers. When that day comes, go ahead… give it all you’ve got.

39. Holding her upside down by the legs while she giggles and screams uncontrollably is great for your biceps. WARNING: She has no concept of muscle fatigue.40. She might ask you to buy her a pony on her birthday. Unless you live on a farm, do not buy her a pony on her birthday. It’s OK to rent one though.41. Take it easy on the presents for her birthday and Christmas. Instead, give her the gift of experiences you can share together.

42. Let her know she can always come home. No matter what.

43. Remember, just like a butterfly, she too will spread her wings and fly some day. Enjoy her caterpillar years.

44. Write her a handwritten letter every year on her birthday. Give them to her when she goes off to college, becomes a mother herself, or when you think she needs them most.

45. Learn to trust her. Gradually give her more freedom as she gets older. She will rise to the expectations you set for her.

46. When in doubt, trust your heart. She already does.

47. When your teenage daughter is upset, learning when to engage and when to back off will add years to YOUR life. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

48. Ice cream covers over a multitude of sins. Know her favorite flavor.

49. This day is coming soon. There’s nothing you can do to be ready for it. The sooner you accept this fact, the easier it will be.

50. Today she’s walking down the driveway to get on the school bus. Tomorrow she’s going off to college. Don’t blink.

maid drama, playdate at TCs and living at the ILs

2012-01-11T11:41:00.005+08:00

So its day 3 of living at the ILs.. My normal commute to work of 20 minutes is now 40-45 minutes.. But I cant complain cause the ILs is taking very good care of our 2 girls. to be honest i was quite worried, not because they will not be able to handle them 2 rowdy girls but rather how will they be able to adapt to the 'new' environment. Alhamdulillah around mid-day yesterday SIL sent me these photos!

My Sofiyya smiling

Nadia and Alya napping together

Syukur alhamdulillah and i continue to pray that the girls will continue to cooperate.. amin!

Oh lemme document about my maid drama! We got back from the ILs on Sunday 18Dec2011 and as i was leaving for work on 19Dec2011 my maid tells me that she was asked to return back to Indonesia because he husband has to undergo surgery. My first reaction was 'banar kah ni' because there has been history of maids lying in order to go home. But after a while we were convinced she was telling the truth so she left in the evening of 27th Dec 2011 and will be coming back on 11 Feb 2012. We gave her 7 weeks out of the 2 months she has requested and also based on my research on google it will take 4-6 weeks for the person to recover. Atu pun she was still pushing for 2 months and i lost it with her! Since she has been back alhamdulillah her husband has shown good progress for recovery and she is currently sorting out her paperwork for returning back to Brunei to continue employment with us.. I pray that all will go smoothly amin!

The Bains, Jais and Zams had a get together at TC's place on 27th Dec 2011. it was good catching up with everyone and I am now looking at the calendar and thinking of when us girls will be able to go out again.. Sometime in Feb ok girls (once my life is back to normal)? hehe

The Zams, The Bains and The Jais

Snow at Empire

2012-01-11T09:55:00.004+08:00

Took the girls to Empire on 23rd Dec 2011 to have a look at the winter wonderland..

posing with the snowman

on the sleigh

With a little bit on 'snow'

Sofie & yours truly

Family photo attempt no 1

Family photo attempt no 2

Mini Getaway 27-28 Dec2011

2012-01-11T09:23:00.005+08:00

We headed to aMIRIka for a mini getaway in the morning of 27th Dec 2011..

We decided to try this out: Sofiyya in her small car seat on my right and Nadia in her car seat on my left! Results: My feeling very cramped but it worked out alright.. hehehe wished we had a bigger car or a van but this would only last for a couple of years and as soon as the girls are gown up i would be able to sit in front and the girls can sit at the back.. hehehe

Checked in Marriot Miri and this is Sofiyya chilling in our big bed! hehehe

Nadia and Sofiyya having a mini swim in the bath tub

Something was so funny!

Sofiyya kuda Kaka!

and in the morning after breakfast we headed to the pool so we can have a real dip in the pool!

Nadia

Daddy and his girls

Sofiyya

It was a very good trip and looking forward to the next time we will be doing this... hehehe

Alya is 3!!

2012-01-07T23:01:00.002+08:00

We have been so busy that i forgot about Alya turning 3!! So before the clock strike 12; wishing Alya a happy happy 3rd birthday! Hope she enjoyed her celebration at home (without us tho huhuhu) and presents from her parents!! Be good now and jgn pepet lagi ah.. Hahaha

After 6 days at the hospital, it feels really really good to be going out.. We took the girls out cause I had a couple of errands to run..

Brunch at CA Mohd cause Dia said she wants some murtabak but in the end didnt take in any :S

Went to Bebeland and Mothercare cause we wanted to look for gowns for my cousin's upcoming wedding.. And as promised we also bought Nadia her 'princess/barbie' dress.. With a promise from her that she'll start to eat up.. (must take photo of her in the dress! She was so proud of it and wore it the whole afternoon!)

Sofiyya got something too! New slippers for her chubby feet! Hehehe

Lunch at KFC cause Nadia says she wants some chips! This time she took about 7 pieces and then said she had a tummy ache.. Can u imagine how frustrated we are with her? Huhu

Alhamdulillah she ate her meal this evening.. Syukur syukur.. Mudahan her appetite keeps up!

Oh seems like i owe this 'memory book' some posts.. Must write or post up photos for the following:
- SIL's wedding- Christmas
- Mini getaway
- Edah's Birthday & New Year's Eve
- maid drama number __
- Snow in Empire
........Okay thats a lot!! Huhuhu

Our January so far..

2012-01-06T21:26:00.001+08:00

1st Jan 2012:
Sofiyya started vomiting at 4am and a couple more times after she takes in milk so around 10am we headed to A&E Tutong Hospital. Because we are afraid of dehydration Dr decides to give her an IV drip and we agreed.

Dr doing routine check up on her and she was not a happy trooper!

Resting at bed 5C

My heart broke into a million pieces when i heard her cry and wished that i can help ease her pain..

Tiny hands

Tired and sad face..

The first and only bottle..

Kaka dropped by for a visit..

Sofiyya sleepy..

She developed a fever in the night..

2nd Jan 2012:

Alhamdulillah in the morning her fever went down and we were granted home leave.. At home however we realize that Nadia developed the same symptoms..

When we got to A&E the Dr decided the same thing so both girls are now admitted at the Pead Ward..

At the prep room waiting for nurses to do routine check up..

We expected Nadia to scream her heart out but she did not! I was a proud mummy..

Nadia when they were drawing some blood..

Nadia in bed 5C & Sofiyya in bed 5D

Both my girls..

3rd Jan 2012:

Nadia on her third and last Bottle of IV drip..

We placed Sofiyya in Kaka Dia's bed..

And look at them playing together..

4th Jan 2012:
Sofiyya was discharged today and i went home to freshen up and send Sofiyya. The intention was for the hubs to look after Nadia at the ward and for me to look after Sofiyya at home. However when i got back to the ward after about an hour, i was greeted with a tear faced Nadia. Apparently she was looking for me and Sofiyya.

Sad faced Nadia..

I was reaching my breaking point at this point (think being at the hospital got to me!) and asked the Dr for home leave and Dr saw how stressed i was and granted it!

5th Jan 2012:
We went to check in to the ward at 8am..

Yours truly & Happy Nadia, that is before she saw the Dr then she started being 'sick' again. We were again granted home leave but had to check back in at 6pm.

Had her favorite Chicken Floss bun from Mum's bakery during her evening check in..

Nadia fell asleep at the bed that evening, waiting for the Dr.

6th Jan 2012:
we again checked in at 8am the next day and alhamdulillah she was finally discharged!

Manja with her Daddy

Eating her bread at the ward, while waiting for her appointment cards, etc.

Getting her to eat anything however is proving to be a challenge! But these cheese sticks, she LOVEs!!!

It was a very difficult, tiring, challenging, frustrating 6 days and i am so very glad that its over!!! We pray that Nadia will get her appetite soon and that both girls will be in good health.

Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers and thanks also to those who dropped by, answered some of my questions, listened to my rants.. Thank you..

Letter to the year!

2012-01-04T21:08:00.001+08:00

Dear 2012,

I know I said earlier to 'Bring it on' but I didnt mean bring it on this bad, this early! First I am maidless and then my Little Sofiyya had to be admitted on the first day if the year and then Kaka Nadia was admitted the next day! Thats 3 in a row and its only the fourth day of the year! So what have you got for me for the next 362 days??
Pls be good to me cause this mama almost lost it this afternoon at the Doctors and Nurses at the ward.. Thanks!

Sincerely,
ME!

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Goodbye 2011, hello 2012

2011-12-31T10:47:00.001+08:00

If i have one word to describe my year it will be.... Bluergh.. Haha yes it has not been a great year, a lot of ups and downs but i cannot be thankful enough fr the blessings that Allah has put on me.. I am also thankful for all the tests that he has granted me for i know that he will not give me a test that i cannot overcome and what does not kill me, makes me stronger..

One of the BIG bumps we had this year was when the Hubs suffered a minor heart attack and had to undergo angioplasty at JPMC. This was back in March, just after Nadia turned 2 and i was 7 months along with Sofiyya. It was an emotional time for me (being pregnant and all LOL) but it has taught us to be more healthy and more pro-active in taking care of ourselves..

A few friends have suffered some losses this year, a grandmother, a new born baby and close friend of mine lost her mother and it was another wake up call for me. I saw how it devastated my friend and i constantly pray that Allah gives her strength to move on. On that note i need to be more healthy and i pray for long life. I want to be able to tell my girls, on their wedding day that they are the most beautiful brides in the world, and to be able to tell them how proud i am when they graduate from Uni.

The highlight of my year was when we welcomed Sofiyya.. Sofiyya was such a happy baby that even when i gave birth to her, in pain, i was still able to laugh.. She was born 30th May 2011 at the first stage labor room at RIPAS (bless the child for not prolonging the pain and decided to come out there and then); 4 years after Her parents' first date. We will now forever remember that date.. Hehe Alhamdulillah, breastfeeding has been fanastic and i was able to build up a significant amount of EBM stock.

Another highlight was when my work babies were finally delivered.. I cried a bucket and i think even colleagues in Korea heard me. Haha i cried because i was sad that i cannot be there (grounded due to pregnancy and on maternity leave) and happy that the project finally completed. I finally went on one of it in Sept! Even now when i see the ship on the horizon i feel happy and proud that i was part of that.. Alhamdulillah..

We ended the year with lots of activities with our family. SIL gr married & went over to limbang for Christmas. Alhamdulillah we got to spend quality time with family members who are based elsewhere and is back to celebrate the end of the year. We significantly missed one family who was unable to come back this year so hopefully, insyallah kalau umur panjang we will get to see them next year. Cant wait for next year when the girls are a bit older! Hehehe

So 2012, what do you have in store for me? I already know that it will be a big, tough and challenging year for me at work. A lot if expectations from a lot of people and some has said that 2012 is the 'make it or break it' year. i pray that I will be guided to conclude the tasks given to me and that i will excel with flying colors. I look forward to watching my 2 girls grow up and to celebrate their birthdays with them. I look forward to another anniversary with my husband and surprise surprise, i look forward to turning 30!! Hahahaha

January is already going to be a tough month as my maid has gone home to attend to her husband and take her leave but insyallah we will preserver..

Instead of going out to celebrate NYE with friends tonight, we will be having a quiet celebration with my family..

So readers, hope you have had a great 2011 and i pray that you will have an even better 2012..

Lots of love,
Mother to 2 beautiful daughters, Nadia & Sofiyya and wife to a loving and generous Husband, Jai..

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Sofiyya is 7months today

2011-12-30T09:37:00.001+08:00

Dear Sofiyya,

Happy 7 months my darling daughter..

A month since you had your meal and alhamdulillah you are taking it in well. A couple of weeks ago we started to introduce lunch to you but because it has made you take in less of your Milk, your Nini Girl told us to stop lunch for now..

You just had your first christmas! Although our christmas is not like how you see it on TV but the essence of it is the same where we spent time with our family. We headed to Limbang to visit your Yantut, and I cant wait for next year when you are a bit older.. Maybe next year we can put up stockings in our room, a little christmas tree and have presents underneath.. Maybe.. Hehe

Your Aunty Mar went home for a short break and because of that there will be some changes in out daily life, for a brief period of time so i hope you an adapt well.. Pray that all goes well for your Aunty so she can come back and look after both of you again..

I have also been on leave and you have been direct feeding on me saja. So we will have to re-introduce you to the bottle again as i will be going back to work in a couple of days time.. Your Daddy and I lovesss Spending time with you and your Kaka however we have to go back to work..

Happy 7 months my baby girl. Mummy, Daddy and Kaka Dia loves you so very very much. Be good now..

Xoxo,
Mummy

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Meals

2011-12-21T17:42:00.002+08:00

Sofiyya seems to be taking in her meals well.. In the mornings and Afternoons she will take in Rice porridge cooked with minced chicken, pumpkin or butternut squash and vegetables. For the past 3 days we have introduced Pumpkin and potato puree for lunch instead of a snack of baby bites and she loves it! On the minus side she only took 3 bottles of EBM instead of the normal 4 or 5..

Our little miss sunshine has discovered her voice! Here is a video of her screaming!! LOL

Sistas Forevah!

2011-12-20T18:12:00.002+08:00

I love how Nadia showers Her baby sister, Sofiyya with many many hugs and kisses! Although sometimes kesian jua Sofiyya cause Nadia would hug her and kiss her even when she is asleep causing Sofiyya to sometime wake up.. Either way i hope and i pray that both of them will remain close forever.. Amin..

Here is a video of them playing together..

My maid received news that her husband had to undergo emergency surgery.. Apparently they tried calling her since Saturday but because we were at the ILs, my maid left her phone at home.. Here we were thinking we can rest easy until d end of the year but instead we have to deal with this.. So off we went looking for a temp maid and we are currently trying to sort out her ticket home.. She will be on leave until her husband recovers, approximately 1 month. We pray that her husband will have a speedy recovery and she will be able to come back here and continue employment with us, as planned. Amin..

Happy 33 months Nadia

2011-12-19T14:52:00.002+08:00

Dear Nadia,

Happy 33 months my darling daughter.. In 3 months time we will celebrate you turning a full 3years old!

Its December and its Mummy's favorite month.. I would normally think that it would be a relaxing month my love, it is the opposite. Your Nenek Boy just had surgery, your Aunty Mamai had a function to celebrate her union with your Uncle Yahya and work has been very hectic for me.. Soon enough it'll be x-mas and then NYE.. We don't know yet what we will do for NYE but I am trying to squeeze in a play date with some of my friends..

I know initially we talked about sending you to school in January however your Daddy and I had a little talk and we also consulted with your Neneks and a couple of our friends but i think we will put off school for you for one more year so you can enjoy playing at home, while you can. Mainly also because you haven't turned a full years old yet..

Alhamdulillah, you have been showing good progress in terms of taking in your meals.. Please keep it up my love and insyallah you will be rewarded.. Oh your obsession with Princesses is now well known and people seem to be calling your Princess Nadia now.. haha

Ok Princess, i have to go back to work now.. Be good, eat your meals and listen to Mummy & Daddy ok.. Love you lots!

xoxo,
Mummy

Dad's Cataract Surgery 15Dec2011

2011-12-15T20:33:00.001+08:00

Hubs, dad, mum & I have had a long long day.. Its the day of my Dad's surgery! This is suppose to be a minor surgery where he is only at the daycare ward but despite that we felt a bit nervous cause with every surgery there are always risks..

He was scheduled to undergo surgery at 10am..

Waiting at the ward

Being given one of many medicated eye drops

Left Eye! (he was unaware of my taking this pic hehe)

We had to wait a long time cause the Doctor who was supposed to perform the surgery had to perform an emergency surgery..

At about 2, my dad was finally being wheeled into the OT

Mum watching my dad being wheeled into the OT

He came out around 3ish..

At the ward and i managed to make him pose for this photo! Haha

Alhamdulillah he was in high spirits and all went well. He has another appointment tomorrow and another one next week.. We just need to make sure that he rest well, does not do any heavy lifting and does not drive!

Tomorrow, Saturday and Sunday will be another long day.. God give me strength and energy.. Amin..

Busy busy december

2011-12-13T10:01:00.001+08:00

We had a fantastic weekend last week! We had a playdate for Nadia at Panaga Club organized by Mr Ichi..

Si Lating!

Playing at the Playground with the twins Aina & Aiesya

Swimming time!

Down the slide with Daddy

With uncle bob

Cleaning up after swimming

Fell asleep during lunch

Its funny how my girls sleep alike! Hahaha

On sunday we headed to the ILs.. Less than a week to go to the function..

I am currently on my 2nd day of course in OGH again and silly me i left my 2nd set of pump yesterday so i had to store my used pump in my cooler and use it again in my afternoon session..

I will be back at work tomorrow and then on leave on Thursday as I will be taking my Father for his eye surgery in RIPAS. Back to work on Friday and then sleepover at the ILs on Saturday to prepare for Sunday function.. Busy busy week ahead..

What my EBM goes through

2011-12-09T18:18:00.001+08:00

As per your request Ummu AMIR (:p)

My EBM goes through a couple stages from being expressed to being given to Sofiyya..

1. After expressing i would chill my EBM at the offuce fridge and as soon as i get home i would transfer it to my EBM bags.

2. Then i would place the chilled EBM in my freezer.

3. When the freezer is full i would then move it to my mum's deep freezer..

3. I would group the EBMs by dates and store it in plastic bag as batches. I must date the plastic bag. I use to store at 30oz per plastic but now i increase it to 60oz per batch, pasal inda bnyk plastic bag! Haha

4. And then i would place the plastic bag in this deep freezer..

I practice 'First in First out' method where the EBMs to br given to Sofie is the oldest. This reduces the risk of expiring EBMs and to throw any out..

5. So my oldest batch of EBM would be placed in this small fridge turn freezer cos its soo cold!! Haha

6. And thats how the 'to be given' stock looks like..

7. My maid would then thaw the EBM in water and then transfer them into Sofie's bottle..

A couple of friends ask why do i keep such a large stock of EBMs. My main motivation for doing so is mainly in case i need to travel, in case i have to work late.. I really don't want to worry if my baby has enough milk or not when i go out..

On a normal day i would bring home an average of 15-18oz ad sofie takes in 15oz so i break even.. Basically i am niw maintaining whatever stock i had before my ML ends..

Oh we started introducing rice, pumpkin and chicken porridge to my little miss happy and its a hit!!

L.O.S.T

2011-12-06T21:32:00.001+08:00

I have officially lost track of the number of EBMs i have in stock! Dont know when is the oldest date, how many oz, don't know how many packets..!! LOST!!

These are my EBMs to be transferred into my mum's deep freezer..

Syukur alhamdulillah atas rezeki yang engkau berikan Ya Allah.. Syukur Alhamdulillah..

Sweet potatoes and Carrot puree does not seem to be a big hit with my Little Miss Happy. She hardly finishes her meals. I guess i should really start to find out if i can batch make rice porridge.. But i have a feeling my mother wouldn't agree with batch make rice porridge..

Oh i love how us women is able to multitask! Sofiyya really really wanted her milk and sleep while we were having dinner so i fed, puts sofie to sleep, ate dinner and had a conversation with the hubs all at one time! If that does not make me a supermom then i dont know what will!! LOL

Monday blues on Sunday night

2011-12-04T19:04:00.004+08:00

Our weekend starts off with the Hubs going on one of his biking expedition on Saturday Morning.. This time they went all the way to Labi.. Mcm siok jua he goes cycling ani, maybe this is a hobby that he and I can do together? hmmm.. Oh us girls stayed home where yours truly spent the whole morning cleaning up! Huhu

In the afternoon we took Sofie to her 6th month appointment..

In the car and sitting in Kaka Dia's car seat. She filled it up quite well too! hehe

This is Sofie after she was vaccinated. Poor baby!

Terus tidur in the car!

My new favorite Display Pic!!! Hehe

Nadia showing off her princess sweets! Refused to share with us! Hmph

We headed to the ILs this morning..

Again asleep in the car! She is filling up the car seat well..

Kaka Nadia sat in the big girl car seat..

Also fell asleep halfway..

Sofiyya had her first taste of being in the walker! And she loved itt!!

On teh way home we stopped by one of the restaurants in Keriam for hi-tea and so i can have thier famous Cucur!

Cucur Pisang(pasal ada cheese atasnya!)

Little Girl managed to get one cucur keladi and in her mouth it goes!

Oh Sofie is now 7.47kg! hehe I have moved her away from pumpkin puree and now she is on to Sweet Potatoes and Carrot Puree.. I now have to start thinking about her next menu... I think Rice Porridge with Fish, Carrots and Broccoli sounds good..! i just need to find out whether I can batch make porridge or not..

Happy 6 months Sofiyya

2011-11-30T11:08:00.001+08:00

Dear Sofie,

Happy 6 months my darling daughter.. You are halfway to turning a full One!

6 months is a big milestone not just for you but for me too.. For you, you are now officially on solids. I know your menu for the past couple of days has been pumpkin and potato puree saja but the reason why i planned it like that is because i want u to get used to it first. Soon enough i will introduce more items.. How do you feel about carrot puree next? Or maybe japanese sweet potato puree?

I know you are just getting used to your jumperoo but soon enough we'll let u sit in a walker. Its like the jumperoo but with wheels..

You turning 6 months also mean that I have achieved my mid term goal of fully breastfeeding you for 6 months. Lets now aim for a full 1 year and then 2 years ok?

Did u know that December is my favorite month of the whole year? I like it best because that's when we get to see our family and friends more. I can't tell you exactly why but we just do! Especially relatives from your daddy's side as they come from far to see your Yantut. So don't be scared if you see a lot of unfamilar faces, they're family..

Ok be a good and cheerful baby that you are. Remember always that Mummy, Daddy abd Kaka Dia loves you so very very much!

xoxo,
Mummy

Salam Ma'al Hijrah

2011-11-29T10:50:00.004+08:00

Happy new year everyone! We hope and prays that the new year brings you more happiness.. Amin..

We slept over at the ILs on Sunday with the intention of helping the ILs out with preparation for an upcoming function..

Nadia enjoying herself in Kaka Alya's pool while waiting for Kaka Alya to come home..

Swimming..

And then when Kaka Alya came home, Sofie wants to join in too..! Haha

In the evening I realized that Nadia was being quiet and a bit feverish.. So we gave her PCM and she went to bed. Then around 10ish she woke up complaining sakit but when we asked sakit apa or mana she didn't tell us where. We started massaging her and soon after she vomitted.. She went back to sleep and midnight she started crying a vomitted again. MIL woke up and massaged her and at this point i wanted to pack up, go home and take her to the A&E.. But given the time i decided against it.

My poor baby

She then went back to sleep and then at 5 she woke up crying and complaining of sakit again.. This time we packed up, dopped by our house to drop of our stuff and little Sofiyya and went to A&E.. The kind the Doctor was on the verge of admitting her at the ward but told us to try and give her some meds and made us promise that should she not improve we have to bring her back where she will be given an IV drip.

Unusually quite and somber Nadia

Around noon Nadia was feeling better where she played with her cousin and then around 4, afetr she took her nap, hubs noticed that she was feeling feverish, again. We gave her PCM again and this time we took my Grandma's words and brought her ber-tawari. When we came to the person's place true enough, she was 'ketaguran'. She might not have seen something but rather clashed.. So we went back home and alhamdulillah as soon as we were in the car she was back to her chatty self. I have to admit that is the first for us and wouldn't even have thought about it until my grandma says so! huhu

What seems to be persistent is her temperature! She was a bit feverish again this morning.. I decided to go to work nonetheless and hopefully she will improve. Told my maid to call me if her temp spikes up..

My cheerful and Alhamdulillah not effected Sofiyya

I also introduced her to Baby Bites! She seems to enjoy it! hehe

Pumpkin & Potato puree

2011-11-26T16:26:00.001+08:00

Is sofie's first meal.. And she took it 3 days short from her turning 6 months..

Before her meal

2 table spoons of the puree and plain water

Woosshyy and squisshyy

It taste....

..not bad really..

She finished half of the batch..

Oh as predicted, mum does not agree to what i intended to give sofie.. Hahaha oh well..

Rolling over

2011-11-25T11:02:00.001+08:00

Even in her sleep!

Hubs was keen on letting her sleep on her tummy but on the other hand was not. Why? Because i read somewhere that babies who sleeps on thier tummy will have a higher risks to SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome).. Nauzubillah.. So back to sleeping on her back!

As much as i would love to cot train my kids i think i value my sleep and rest more so i end up letting them sleep in our bed.. The girls seems to enjoy each other's company. Some nights we can see Kaka hugging Adik or holding Sofie's hands.. And i am sure everyone enjoys my cheerful and well slept self rather than cranky and sleep deprived me! Haha

Soon enough we might need to consider getting a 2nd bed or go japanese ie sleep with just our mattress.. Safety of having 2 kids in our bed will be utmost priority as we do not want to have a repeat of Nadia falling off our bed.. Huhuhu

Weaning

2011-11-23T15:56:00.005+08:00

I am getting quite excited about weaning Sofiyya and introducing her first meal other than Mummy's milk. (I have a feeling I say this now but after a couple of weeks i'll say i miss having me as her main source of food). I went and bought pumpkin as a substitute to butternut squash and carrots.. I intend to batch make pumpkin puree and carrot puree so that it'll be easier for my maid.. Mum have yet to know about my intentions and i already forsee some resistance! hahaha Oh I need to buy tiny containers to put her food in.. So exciting! Can't wait for the weekend now! hehe

Sofie had her first fever on Tuesday. My maid called me up at 3pm while i was at my course and i can sense a bit of panic in her voice. Turns out mum and dad was out and it was just her. Told her to give paracetamol and hubs went home to check on her. Alhamdulillah Sofie is now back to her cheerful self. Told the maid to monitor tho.. Oh don't think she is teething yet cause I don't feel any bumps on her gums but she is biting, chewing and putting everything in her mouth!

6 days to my favorite month of the year, December!!

Another on my list!

2011-11-21T21:14:00.001+08:00

I now can add 'surau' in my list of places that i have done my 'Mummy's Business' in.. I asked the course coordinator and she said she is not sure and i was too lazy to ask the hotel staff..

Nursing cover, pump, cooler box, technice and towels to fill in the void spaces..

I haven't asked my maid in a while but i think Sofie takes in an average of 15oz per day. Today i brought home 17oz so that's an extra 2oz.. Syukur alhamdulillah..

I haven't done a stock check in a while however i jut replenished my mini fridge (turned freezer) with end of August stock.. Mcm batah jua habis my August stock ani.. Slowing down in terms of expressing might be a good idea at this point cause i really reallu really would like to avoid using anything beyond 3 months..

Speaking of stocks i have to add that it is a result of hard work, dedication and many hours spent with my breastpump, not purely because of the breastpump.. I think anyone with the dedication and determination can build up thier own massive stock, insyallah.. The breastpump however plays a big role! So ladies if you are determined and is set on breastfeeding your little bubs, invest in a good pump and set your mind to it!

I'm sure you know by now, mummies who breastfeed thier bubs burns on average 500calories per day!! How awesome is that?? Hehehe

Shedding

2011-11-20T12:17:00.001+08:00

Maybe they did write about this in the pregnancy book i just didn't read it but i hate the fact that i am loosing my hair!! Hair all over tha place!! It really sucks cause i just got over this stafe with Nadia and my hair is starting to re grow..

Sofie has finally mastered turning over to her tummy and back!! The little show off has been turning back and forth in our beb and what's even worse in her sleep!!! Mengigauuu..!!!

This is sofies drooling all over my phone!! Hahaha

Sitting in her bumbo seat!!

Forever my girls!!

Hanging out...

Happy 32 months Nadia

2011-11-19T15:49:00.001+08:00

Dear Nadia,

Happy 32 months my darling daughter..

Last month's letter was an unhappy one.. The day started of like that as well.. You kept on saying no and not listening to what we said, even when all we aske you to do was say Thank You. I had had it, and mind you this was before 8.30am so i placed you in my car and threathen to send and leave you at the beach unless you say 'Thank you'.. It took about 15mins and you finally said it.. I had no chooce but to be stern.. Let this morning be a lesson to you and please remember to always listen to what mummy and daddy says cos otherwise mummy will be upset..

We noticed recently you are back to refusing your meals.. So we decided to take you to your new favorite place to eat, Jolibee! Alhamdulillah you finished 8/10 of the Chicken Joy meal all by yourself.. But darling please jgn everyday ok.. On a daily basis pls take our normal meals ok..

We celebrated kaka momoi's birthday recently and we are very glad and happy to see that you enjoyed the bouncer and pool.. You have started to think about your next birthday party and ypu told us you want a pink princess cake and you want a pink princess outfit..!! Insyallah my love, pray that Allah bless us with more rezeki..

Ok my little princess.. I have to go.. Be a good good girl ok.. Mummy, Daddy & Sofiyya loves you so very very much..

xoxo,
Mummy

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Short and busy week

2011-11-18T18:30:00.001+08:00

My week started with taking my dad for his pre-op appointment at the eye clinic on monday..

Dad during one of his exams.. Insyallah he will undergo his operation mid-december.. Given that the review takes up half a day (mostly waitinggg), i decided to take the whole day off..

We also sent my car to the workshop..

Hubs went to surau kg bebuloh to welcome his uncle who just got back from Haj that evening..

Tuesday started with a meeting that takes up half of the day and the afternoon was spent in front of my PC working on the budget.. Hubs went to his friends' house in the evening to welcome him who also just got back from Haj..

And we took the girls to the tailors to get thier measurements in te afternoon.. It was sofie's first time.. Hehehe

Wednesday was spent in meetings again and in front of the PC! And in the evening Dia & I went to pick hubs at Geotrax in lumut! For the first time we both went out and no whinning on the way..!! Weheeeee.....!

Thursday was spent in a meeting the whole day but on the bright side my car was finally ready to be picked up!

I was such a happy bunny!!

And today was spent hunched in front of my PC, again.. And i Finally had lunch outside the office with ze ladies..

I have been very bad in terms of expressing.. Because i was in a meeting i had no choice but to express at lunch time and only when i got home.. *sigh*

I will be in training on Monday and Tuesday and when my colleague called the venue to ask if there were any rooms available for me to use for my mummy's business they said none.. Found it a bit odd considering it is a hotel! I'll ask again on Monday and if no rooms i'll have to resort to expressing in my car.. Huhuhu i must remember to pack my nursing cover and freeze my technice sheets! If it is not properly frozen it wont work as well..

I am now in bed and looking forward to a relaxing weekend..

Planning excites me

2011-11-12T18:56:00.001+08:00

..be it for a party, or a road trip, a holiday or even a weekend.. Planning excites me!

Sofie will turn 6 months at the end of this month and that is such a big milestone! She will then be able to use the walker and morw importantly we will introduce other food to her, Solids!!! So I have been thinking about what to give her.. Back when it was nadia, she had her first solids at 4months and she had rice cerelac.. I'm thinking of giving Sofie some purees, maybe butternut squash, yam, sweet potato and carrots. Not all together of course..! I intend to give her one type per week so that way we will be able to pinpoint whatever she is allergic to, if any and what she likes the most.. I however must do more research on batch making and storing them as I dont think my maid will be able to make purees.. It'll make life easier for her as well if i just make them in a batch and she can simply pop them in the microwave when is time to feed my little darling..

My happy baby enjoying her new jumperoo..!!

We have also been digging in Dia's old clothes and was so surprised to see that Sofie is able to wear something that Dia wore when she was about 1!!

I think i am very close to loosing track of how many EBMs i have.. Huhuhu

Life is so different..

2011-11-11T15:28:00.001+08:00

I had a reflection moment a couple of nights ago on how my life has drastically changed eversince i had Nadia.. Of course when we first found out i was preggors we were beyond excited!! Knowing me i had to immediately think of logistics and things to prepare.. The number of things to buy was overwhelming and alhamdulillah we managed to stick to the list. When i was done with the preparations, i started to think about labor but i told myself 'I'll deal with it when i comes' and choose to brush it off..

At one point i remember feeling very scared.. I was scared that i will become a bad mother or being the clumsy self that i am i was sacred thati will drop my child on its head. I was scared that i will not be able to breastfeed. But mostly i was scared of what type of mom i would be. I thought i would become the overly possesive and controlling mum that would lose my footing and give in each time my child throws a tantrum..

My journey as a mom has been.. Okay.. (I think!! Haha) i guess what i am trying to say to new mums out there, its ok to feel scared.. Its ok to think 'can i do this?'.. Its perfectly normal i think..

What's important, especially at the begining is the support system.. I had my mum, my SILs, my aunts, my cousins and my husband as my support system and they were fantastic!! At the very begining when we first got home when i was not as mobile, they would help me bathe Nadia, wash bottles and pumps, etc.. The key is to know when to ask for help.. And i guess its also knowing not to step over the line.. Haha

Ok i'm rambling!! Have a great weekend everyone!!

Our Aidil Adha 2011

2011-11-07T20:10:00.001+08:00

Its that time of the year again and this time around my mum and grandmother decided to participate in the ibadah korban.. So off we went to the mosque to witness and help out.. We also brought Nadia along..

We thought she will be scared but she was instead very curious.. Asked tons of question and some i had to really think how i want to answer..

The sacrifice

My brothers and some relatives skinning the Cow

Hubs helping to carry the leg

My mom cutting the meat into smaller pieces

SIL and aunties

Nadia..!!!

We left Little Sofiyya at home

We went to Geotrax for a little makan in the afternoon but did not take any photo.. Huhu

Sofie asleep in the car..

As you can see it has been a busy busy weekend and time very well spent with the family..

However i have not done a couple of errands i promised myself i would do! And on the BFing side we have been giving Sofie EBMs and I have not been replenishing.. So i must get off my bum and be good..!!

Momoi's 6th Birthday

2011-11-07T18:54:00.001+08:00

Birthday celebrations was held at our place on Saturday 5th Nov 2011..

What the girls has been waiting for.. Hahaha

The pool was not even filled terus main!!

My Little Princess

My Happy Baby and I

The feature wall and the goody bags

Birthday girl!!

Hello Kitty cake!!

Cake cutting

With her birthday presents

Poor Ariesya was so tired..

Sofie too

The first thing Momoi did first thing the next morning was open up her presents!

These 2 were the first in the bouncers

Sofie joined in the fun too..!!!

Nadia was playing in the bouncers for about 3.5hrs and this was taken 30 mins after she got out..! Tanned and super tired..

2011-11-06T21:16:00.001+08:00

We went over to TC's place friday afternoon for a doa selamat.. Syukur alhamdulillah both babies are now home..

L-R: Mikayla & Mika (17Aug2011); Sofiyya (30May2011); Ariesya (23Oct2010) & Nadia (19Mar2009)

Now this is a photo to print and frame up..!!

Hubs was watching Moto GP where 3 drivers just fell down. Hubs asked Nadia if he can buy a bike like the ones on TV. She first said yes then hubs said 'inda takut Daddy gugur kah?', she then paused and said 'inda inda, bali basikal saja, basikal inda gugur..' LOL

Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha everyone..

Dear body, what's up with you??

2011-11-02T20:28:00.001+08:00

I have been trying to include a lot of veggies in my diet, telling myself i MUST eat the greens.. (my mum would be so proud if she reads this cause she blames all of my illness and ailments on lack of veggies in my diet! seriously!! Muscle pain after exercising pun she says because i dont eat veggies!)

You would think my body would take it in well But what i is weird is that it seems like my body is... Having a reaction to this change in diet! First i fell down the stairs at work on Thursday resulting in an HSE report being raised. Too much fibre makes me loose my balance? Then i had a skin infection around my mouth and i thought it was the prawn i had with the kolo mee.. And now i am having Kuligata..!! Been sartching myself the whole day an it has not subsided..!!

Is my immune system so low that i am prone to all of this!! Or is this my body detoxifying itself, getting rid itself from all the toxins??

*scratch scratch scratch*

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November already?!?

2011-11-01T17:05:00.001+08:00

During the first week of my coming back to work I found myself being very bored and i wished I had something to do.. I think its been 2 months since i am back an i found myself buried deep with things to do..! Had a late night yesterday and i am hoping and praying that i will be able to go home on time today..

I had a mini EBM crisis/scare over the weekend.. As i was replenishing my mini fridge i realised there was one plastic bag full of July stock from 21st July. Given that some have gone beyond 3 months, i was skeptical on whether i will be able to use it or not! Can u imagine if i had to throw away 143oz!!! So checked with some friends and googled, i came to the conclusion that it can be used as it was stored it in a deep freezer.. I told my maid to check on smell or texture before she gives them to sofie tho and according to my Sifu, if the milk is no longer viable, the baby should automatically reject it.. So yeah i am now on a campaign to finish up my july stock..

Oh silly me came to work leaving one part of the membrane at home! Had to drive home to pick it up..! As i was driving home i thought i should open up my 'just in case' FS so i can have one set at the office and not make the same mistake again..!! Maybe i should...

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Ariesya's first birthday party

2011-11-01T16:49:00.001+08:00

We went to Ariesya's birthday party last Sunday!!

Nadia's hair done by My SIL

Birthday banner

Goody bar!

She had her face painted

Taiming lagi tu inda mau lihat camera

BB & I

Birthday girl and her parents!!

Happy birthday Ariesya!!! I look forward to watching you walk!! See you saturday night little munchkin!!! xoxo

Happy 5 months Sofiyya

2011-10-30T21:46:00.001+08:00

Dear Sofie,

Late last night i held you in my arms and you opened your eyes for about 15 seconds and it reminds me of a moment you and I had shortly after i delivered you, 5 months ago.. It showed me how time flies by so very quickly.. Happy 5 months Cheeks!!

A couple of weeks back we noticed you are quite attached to me. It became more apparent in the past couple of days so i have been telling you that you need to grow up and be the good little girl you are cause there will be times when Mummy has to work a little bit late or be away from you for a couple of days. Alhamdulillah, you have showed improvement last night when i had to attend a dinner. You were well behaved and not at all fussy.. Well done my sayang..

1 more months and you will begin taking in solids.. Are you excited? Well i can tell you, I am! I can't wait to start planning your meals for you and buy you your first spoon and plate.. For now drink up on Mummy's milk.. Insyallah there is more where that came from and insyallah lets both work towards the 2 year mark ok?

Ok i better go now.. Gd night my darling daughter.. Mummy, Daddy and Kaka Dia loves you a lot.. Be good now..

Xoxo,
Mummy

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First sleepover

2011-10-24T09:23:00.001+08:00

After nearly 5 months, finally a sleepover at the IL's place! I was initially worried about the volume of items we are going to bring along.. I came up with a list and despite my trying to be efficient we left my hubs' medications at home! Thank god BIL was willing to go over to our place to pk it up for us hehehe

Baby box and toiletries for te kids and the big bag for the parents! Of course we have FM and bottle bag in front for Dia.. Hehe

Before going over to the ILs, we went out for lunch at FDL!

Aunty pijah came too!!

Eksyen-eksyen tidur

Still sleeping?

Ahaaaaa...!

Ok this time banar2 sleeping already hehehe see how this 2 tiny people dominates our bed? Hmph!

My manja!

Hello!

Cheerful kaka

We then headed home cause we had a wedding to attend to..

Vain skejap!

Afternoon playtime!

Anjai, Dia and I headed to Lumut to Geotrax

Santai..

So yeah, thats our weekend!! Hehehe

I finally did my stock check and apparently my not expressing over the weekend, when i go out for a hort period of time and sofie consumes 2-3oz only, does have an impact on my stock. About a month or 3 weeks ago i had 1058oz and last sat i had 1034oz.. Felt a bit sad but i think it works out fine as the oldest ebm i have is a couple of days shy from being expired, 1st Aug 2011.. (i dont like using ebm that is more than 3 months, despot keeeping it in a deep freezer) I just gotta make sure stovk does not dwindle down too many too fast!

Happy 31 months Nadia

2011-10-23T20:56:00.001+08:00

Dear Nadia,

Each day before i leave the house for work i always kiss you good bye, tells u i love you and remind you to be a good girl.. Even when i finish writing my letters to you i always say be good..

Instead of being a good, obidient girl i know you are, you instead turn into a mean and naughty girl when your cousins are around. You pick fights, rushing and fighting to get or use whatever items your cousin are using or playing with and what is even worse is that you bite them or push them.. I have always restrained myself from getting mad or losing my temper but my dear you are getting out of hand. You have crossed the line..

People say that when a child is two, that is the most challenging time for a parent and indeed it has been for both your daddy and I. Please my darling, please be good! Please stop picking fights with people and please, please, PLEASE dont hurt others..

Be good my little darling.. Be the good girl i know you are.. mummy daddy and sofiyya loves you so very very much!!

Xoxo,
Mummy

Dear child, if you read this sometime in the future and you remember both daddy and i being cross with you, please remember that we love you! And we are only doing it to teach you right from wrong..

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Back to normal

2011-10-20T09:29:00.001+08:00

My expressing schedule has been quite erratic at the begining of the week. On monday i expressed at 6am, 12noon and at 9pm. Oh the agony of not expressing for more than 8hrs!

On Tuesday i expressed at 6am and 3pm! I was actually prepared to express onboard the vessel as i did not want a repeat of Monday but due to tight schedule and no delay on the train i expressed when i got home. So i am glad to be back at the office and back to normal schedule and comfortable, airconditioned room.. My colleagues are now so used o my expressing so they just stay in the room while i do my deed.. LOL i need to buy an extra nursing/pumping cover lah for decency purposes LOL

Oh and i still dont know how much EBM i have.. Huhuhu so i will have to make time this weekend.. Huhuhu

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MV Amali

2011-10-19T15:38:00.001+08:00

I finally met my work baby on 17 Oct 2011..!

Well i cant take pictures of the ship from outside as BLNG is a restricted area and no mobile phones or cameras are allowed so i'll just show you whats inside the beautiful vessel. And yes i snuck my phone in my backpack LOL

My passes for 17.10.2011

My first meal onboard: sweet sour fish and fried rice

Dessert: creme caramel

Photo from the bridge with Bubuk on the background

Also from the bridge, taken at 6.30pm. We only left the jetty at 7.30 that evening.

Turns out little Sofiyya had a hard time with my not being around. She refused to be coaxed by her daddy and refused to sleep.. You have to get used to this little sofie cos there will be days when i have to work late.. Huhu

Good day for a ship visit 18 Oct 2011

Port side

Starboard side

Ahead and astern

Reminder to all muslims onboard

The galley team onboard did a fantastoc job at preparing the food for our visitors! I am impressed and they impressed our vip visitors too..

I had a fantastic experience onboard and wad very well fed, as you can see! Hehehe

Happy 35th hubs!!

2011-10-19T15:31:00.001+08:00

Birthday wishes goes out to my dear husband and father to my children.. Thank you for always being there for the girls and I. You are doing such a good job keeping fit and healthy but most especially at keeping the ciggies away.. We love you so very very much and hope you have a smashing birthday!!

Happy birthday again Love!

Supply and demand

2011-10-12T21:44:00.001+08:00

My maid reported to me a couple of days back that sofie's milk consumption has increased from an average of 12oz per day to 15oz.. I was surprised and very thankful but my mind went straight to 'am i bringing home enough ebm?'. And the answer is syukur alhamdulillah yes.. I bring home an average of 18oz per day and if sofie takes in 15oz, i still made a profit of 3oz..

I have officially lost track of the number of EBMs i have so i must make it a point and make the time to do my stock check.. Huhuhu

A couple of friends ask what i do or eat to make my BM production high. I take no supplements.. Its like economics, when there is a high demand, the supply would be high too.. The demand is of course our baby's BM intake and in order to increase 'demand', we need to empty out our Bs, often and to remain constant with it. Sometimes when we express, results are dissapointing. Dont! Dont be dissapointed, just remember that your bs are now mre stimulated and if you keep it up insyallah in a couple of days supply will increase too.. I dont know if u guys get me.. LOL but i hope you do..

Oh and the other key thing is tp keep POSITIVE, insyallah..

Her 59th birthday

2011-10-10T07:57:00.001+08:00

We had a small celebration at home during lunch yesterday..

Her beautiful cake!

Happy birthday mum!

Birthday girl admiring her cake hehe

Something really amused my mum..

With all their grandchildren and brother number 1..

We pray for a long and healty life.. Amin..

Our Saturday 8 Oct 2011

2011-10-09T09:30:00.001+08:00

Headed to te clinic first thing kn the morning and we were quite nervous.. Alhamdulillah Nadia is out of the underweight dangerzone and is now 11.9kg. We just need to make sure she keeps up her food intake.. Sofie is now 6.75kg, didnt gain as muh as the months before but she is well above the green line.. Phew!!

Napping at Yadu's & Yaki's

While Kaka was getting her nails done by her Yadu..

Pink nails!!

The service at this branch stinks!!

Mummy's business

2011-10-06T10:52:00.001+08:00

This is how I managed my 'Mummy Business' for the past 3 days..

Tools of the trade if you may say: Cooler box & Breast pump..

My morning session produce

Lining up my cooler box and place my produce inside.

On top of my produce, I place another layer of Technice sheet and then use a towel lagi on top.. When I travel I use newspaper cause it's lighter..

I am glad to back at the office today, not only because I can wake up the normal hours I wake up and less travel distance but also because I don't have to bring my heavy cooler box..

Tired!

2011-10-04T20:09:00.001+08:00

I think the commute is getting to me. I leave the house at 6.30am and arrive at my destination around 7.15.. I guess it's waking up extra early.. It's funny cause I have been a commuter my whole life! Its just that since nov, the commute has been shorter..

I normally make it a point to always tell the girls that I am going to work each morning and wave bye to them but because its too early, I decided to just let them sleep some more.. I feel a bit sad but... So I look forward to coming home and kissing them! Hehe

On the first day I expressed once at BAPSLH and by the time I got home I was engorged and in pain! So today I decided I will not have a repeat of yesterday and expressed twice..! Thank god for technice as the normal ice packs would not last the whole day..

The course has been very interesting so far.. Looking forward to the final day tomorrow..

Turning over

2011-10-02T16:39:00.001+08:00

Mummy to Sofie: can you show mummy how you turned from your tummy to your back again?

Sofie: ok I'll try..

Here we go..

Almost there..

There!!

Boy! That was hardwork!! Phew!

I did it mummy!!!

Checklist

2011-09-30T10:02:00.001+08:00

Here's my checklist!
1. Call HLD and ask for a room - Done!
2. Cooler
3. Technice sheets & icepacks
4. Newspaper/towel to fill in the void space in my cooler
5. Nursing cover
6. F&B for the commute :)

I think it's best that I express once at HLD and once when I get home because there is no freezer to chill/freeze my EBM.

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Happy 4 months Sofie

2011-09-30T08:38:00.001+08:00

Dear Sofie,

Happy 4 months cheeks!

You have gone quite a few in the past month. Circumcision being one of them and we are all very proud of you. Your cried for about 2 minutes and resumed as if everything is normal. You now have your own passport and taking the photos were fun! Too bad you were not smiling in the final photo. We have also gone to your Yantut’s place in Bidang, Twice! We are very glad and happy that you have finally met her.. She carried you and checked your ‘ubun-ubun’ about 20 times.. Not because she likes feeling your head but because she has Alzheimer’s. Alzheimer is a diseases that makes one forget.. Which is also why she asked if you were a girl or a boy about 20 times too! At one point, she even asked who I was..! LOL

You have now learned to turn from your back to your tummy..! the first time you did it on your own was at your Yantut’s place last weekend! Weheee… and you also beginning to bertimang! Haha Good girl anak mummy eh!

How do you feel about eating? I personally would like to wait until you are 6 months but your nini girl has been saying that we should give you once you turn 4 months! I know we have done the same with Kaka Dia then but I am hoping you will stick to just my BM for another 2 months.. lets see how it goes ok? Hopefully your nini girl can drop the topic.. hehehe

Ok I better go back to work now.. happy 4 months my love! Mummy, daddy and kaka Dia loves you!

Xoxo,

Mummy

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6 months ciggie free

2011-09-29T09:46:00.001+08:00

I feel like a proud Mama today! It has been 6 months since the hubs had his last ciggie!! Congrats my love and keep up the good job..

Now that the energy expo has concluded, it's time for me to look at the budgets!! We have new premise to look at, a new templete to do and it is slightly driving me up the wall!! Gah!!

I am however looking forward to going on my course in HLD seria. Its a 3 day course and I need to find out if they have a mummy's room available for me to do my mummy's business.. I think I better take my door sign with me! LOL

A mummy shared this link and the author, a fellow BFing mum shared how she manage her stock.. Fantastic idea and maybe something that I can do in the future hehehe www.sarakids.com/blog/?m=201101

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Happy belated 30 months Nadia

2011-09-28T10:10:00.001+08:00

Dear Nadia,

Sorry for not writing to you sooner. Work was been very hectic last week and I am sure you know as I left home very early and come home late. Nonetheless the Expo went well and I am glad that it only lasted 3 days.. so Happy 30 months my darling daughter..

At the last clinic appointment, the nurse told us that they were very concerned about your weight gain rate. It’s not gaining as much and it is supposed to. They suspect that you are not getting enough calories as you are supposed to. So baby girl, please eat up ok..

We went over to your Yantut’s place twice for the last 2 weekends and we are very very happy that you have rid yourself of your shyness. The last time we were there after the trip from KK, it took us half a day to coax you and you refuse to be more than 3 feet away from either Mummy or Daddy.

Ok I better get back to work now.. Lots to do.. Love you lots!!

Xoxo

Mummy

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It's a wrap!

2011-09-25T16:14:00.001+08:00

Brunei Energy Expo 2011 is wrapped! Glad that it went well and glad that it's over!

We went over to see hubs' grandmother again over the weekend and this time we spent a longer time there as the ILs was also there..

Sofie asleep in her car seat while..

Her other older cousins played..

I have decided not to express during the weekend and only direct feed sofiyya, unless of course I go out without my little darling.. Why? Cause I have reached my 1000oz mark.. Hehe

I read in a certain group, someone wrote that sekiranya a mom is able to express bnyk2, her dugaan will be diff compared to a mum who is only able to express 'kais pagi mkn pagi, kais ptg'. That person went on to write maybe her dugaan will be the freezer door was improperly latched causing all the EBMs to melt.. I pray, pray and PRAY that doesn't happen.. Nauzubillah... Mudahan that doesn't happen to me huhu

Happy 3 years BLOG!!

2011-09-21T21:30:00.001+08:00

Total number of post: 598.. I congratulate myself for keeping this up for this long but I guess when you have a good thing going why stop it right..

On a topic that I talk about a lot I am very happy and proud to announce (announce Tia lagiiiii) that my EBM stock has reached the 1000 mark. 1034oz in total.. Syukur alhamdulillah.. Sofie takes an average of 12oz per day and I produce an average of 18oz.. Should there be a need for me to travel, I will no longer worry if there is enough EBM for Sofie.. Cos I remember when I went on one of my business trips whih last about 8 days, by the time
I came home we were left with 18oz of EBMs left.. My mum was ready to give Nadia FM should they run out f EBMs.. So syukur Alhamdulillah atas rezeki mu ya Allah..

Had a very erratic pumping schedule for the past 3 days tho cause we were busy preparing for the Brunei Energy Expo.. I am lucky that my office is 5mins away cause I couldn't find a room to express anywhere.. I will be there for the next 2 days so I must explore and discover rooms to be used, otherwise express in the car or rush back to the office.. Here are some snapshots of our booth.. I am very happy that the booth turned out well and we received many positive comments..

Sp do drop by if you are in the area.. Answer our quiz and you will get a prize, try and beat the time set on our simulator game, you will also get a prize..

Sofie meets her Yantut

2011-09-19T20:15:00.001+08:00

We got news last week that Hubs' grandmother was not feeling too well so we headed to Limbang on Sunday for a short visit..

The very first entry in her passport

They finally met!!! Hehe

Dia, sofie and their Yantut

We pray her health will improve and live a very long life so our kids will be able to enjoy her Company and repetitive questions (she has Alzheimer's)..

I taught Dia how to work my pocket camera and she can't seem to stop clicking away. Here is one of the (better) photos she took.. LOL

Both girls seem to have caught the sniffles, Dia also having caught the cough bug.. Hopefully both of them gets better cos we intend to have another trip to Limbang over the weekend..

Circumsized

2011-09-19T08:59:00.001+08:00

Alhamdulillah, my chubby cheeks has gone through the circumcision ritual.. She cried but only for a little while..

Seconds before the deed was done

After the deed was done!!

Dia asked me 'apa sunat mami?' LOL

Sign's up

2011-09-16T16:50:00.001+08:00

Passport

2011-09-16T11:00:00.001+08:00

Guess who has her own passport now?? Hehe

Cannot wait.... Hehe

900

2011-09-13T20:08:00.001+08:00

I finished my stock check and I have 953oz!! Didn't think I would reach 900 so yeayyyy!! Syukur alhamdulillah..

Funny thing happened at the office this morning. I was happily expressing then someone tried opening the pantry door so I said 'there's someone inside' then the handle moved again and I said same thing again, in an obvious annoyed voice. Turns out it was our MD!!! Hahaha so he has now discovered my 'mummy business' LOL

Expressing under my nursing cover (sorry, vain sikit!! Hehe)

10 days of expressing twice daily at the office.. I would bring home an average of 18oz per day while sofie would take in an average of 12oz while I am away.. I also try and make sure I express at least once daily during the weekend, producing about 6oz.. That way I make sure that I still produce 6oz extra than when sofie actually takes in.. They say your Bs will cater to your baby's needs ie produce how much the baby will take so by making sure I express over the weekend, I am tricking my Bs into thinking that sofie needs more (are you following me or am I just rambling? lol)

Little sofiyya has a habit of waking up around 5-5.30am, smiling, giggling and playing! Siok pulang cos she and I will have our play time in the dark but sometimes mummy is so sleepy still haha 2 days ago she even woke her kaka up!

...

2011-09-12T11:47:00.001+08:00

Halfway through counting my EBMs and not sure if I have reached 900oz yet.. Must make sure I finish checking tonight.. So anyways while I was expressing my mum made a comment (again) on how I should slow down my expressing. I am sure she is worried about storage space but my concern is rarer making sure there is no expired EBM in my stock.. I have yet to pin point the earliest EBM I have but I know that the ones in the mini fridge are all June and told my maid to finish those up first.. (MUST FINISH STOCK CHECK)

We had a fantastic weekend! Sofie had another check up and she is now 6.2kg. She had another jab and polio drop.. She cried for a bit but was ok after a few minutes + hugs and kisses by the Mummy.. Next weekend: circumcision for my little darling..

Nadia on the other hand..... We forgot that she had an appointment when she was 2yrs and 3 months!! Horror!! So we had the consultation on sat.. Her weight is now becoming a big problem.. It is not increasing as well as the months before and nurse said she might not be taking in enough calories.. Huhuhu hopefully her weight will increase before the next appointment which is in a months time cos otherwise she will be referred to the dietician..

After the clinic we all headed to JPMC cod hubs had a blood test then went to curry house for brunch.. We also went to town to see the tour de Brunei cyclist cross the finish line and after that headed to toys r us.. Nadia is beginning to like that place and seems to want everything she sees!! Must make it a point NOT to take her there often LOL

Sunday was spent hari raya visiting and also celebrating Adam's 4th birthday!! Great weekend but unfortunately Sunday night I had pain on my right lower abdomen.. Mum reckons 'terturun peranakan' cos of our outings.. Huhuhu

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Fixed lock

2011-09-08T09:38:00.001+08:00

Day 4 of Being back at work and yeap, work is piling up really quickly hoho

The girls has been a blessing! Nadia does not throw a fit when I leave for work but she'll say something about what I am wearing like baju kurung kah, the color kah, heels kah.. Mum and maid seems to be handling having to care for 2 instead of 1 ok and this time around mum is very hands on with Sofie unlike back then with Nadia.. For the past 2 days Dia napped with her Nini Boy.. And sofie two nights ago refused to sleep in her cot, leaving me looking like panda cos I kept on placing her in the cot and soothing her when she cries.. Oh I think my nini missed me Kali cause when I saw her 2 days ago she asked me where I was working. Maybe she was expecting me to come home during lunch Kali.. Hehe

Oh and this is where I express. Lock at our pantry door is finally fixed.. I must now laminate my sign to be placed on the door.. Hehehe

Back at work

2011-09-06T17:54:00.001+08:00

I promised myself that I will not cry when I go back to work but I lied. I cried a bucket! I cried as I was handing the girls over to my mum. I cried when I told Nadia to look after Sofiyya. I cried as I drove away from my house. Not as dramatic as before pulang. LOL Nadia did ask an odd question to me before I went off.. she asked if I was going to wear my heels and whether it was the black one.. LOL

Hari Raya celebration has been great so far with the exception of Nadia catching the tummy bug. My poor darling puked 9 times on 4th day of Syawal.. Alhamdulillah she has since then improved a lot. I have also caught the bug and was down with fever last time. Alhamdulillah I have also improved.. Since my grandmother is now staying with us, hari raya ia much much livelier and busier.. Which is why I have not had the time to blog or even post up photos..

I expressed for the first time at the office yesterday and was struggling to find a room to do the deed in. Not because there was no room but rather, the lock on the pantry door does not latch on properly. I ended up going to the 2nd floor and today I brought in my nursing cover as an extra cover while I pump. I have yet to find the best timing to express. I initially wanted to express at 6am, 11am and then 4pm however I just have so much to do in the morning when I wake up. So in order not to be late to work, I express at 9 am and at 2.30pm. Alhamdulillah yesterday I brought home 19oz of EBMS and Sofie took in 16oz so I made 30z extra. Today I will be bringing home 18oz of EBMs. Syukur Alhamdulillah.. I must make time to sort out my stock over the weekend..

Work has so far been.. boring.. basically with project completed, mcm nothing much for me to do.. my colleague said I am speaking too soon pulang katanya cos boss has a few things in mind for me already hoho I am also sitting at a new (smaller) desk due to office reshuffling and there are significantly new people at the office.. Remembering their names would be a hard one for me.. LOL

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Happy 3 months Sofiyya

2011-08-30T18:03:00.001+08:00

Dear Sofie,

You are 3 months today!! And it is consequently my last day if maternity leave which means I will go back to work soon (Monday to be exact cause I managed to get approval for one day).. When it was your Kaka back then I cried a bucket when I went back to work and I pray that I will not have to go trough that this time around.. I also pray that you will be a good girl that you are while I am away, take your milk from your bottle and listen to Aunty and Nenek Girl.. I am merely going to work and once I am done for the day rest assured that I will rush home to be with you and your kaka..

Today also marks the end of ramadhan and tomorrow you will experience your first syawal or more popularly known as Hari Raya.. We will be doing a lot of visiting so I hope you are ok with that.. And we will also be receiving lots of visitors.. You will get to meet a lot of new people and I am sure you will get loss if hugs and kisses.. Be good and be patient cause they do that because they find you cute and adorable (that you are!!!) and also because they love you..

Oh once this hari raya madness is over you will have to go through circumcision.. I will not lie, it will hurt! Be strong my sayang and rest assured the pain will go away.. Mummy and Nenek Girl will be there to hold you..

Happy 3 months my happy baby and selamat hari raya.. Mummy, Daddy and Kaka Dia loves you lots and lots and lots!!

xoxo,
Mummy

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Lost!

2011-08-28T13:26:00.001+08:00

In order to make way for stuff for Hari Raya, my dad moved a container full of EBMs from the freezer to the mini fridge.. I now have officially lost count of the number of EBMs in stock! Gahhhh!!! I hope that by the time raya is over and I have time to recount my ebms, I will by then reach 900oz!! Aminn.. I look forward to be pleasantly surprised then..

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2011 Sungkai Outing No 7

2011-08-27T22:15:00.001+08:00

Was at the Atrium, Empire Hotel and Country Club with 2 group of friends.. We were sitting with my friends and next to our table was the husband's friends.. LOL

With my friends

Birthday cuppies frm my cousin Alai..

I also got a surprise birthday cake from my cousin and husband's friends!! LOL

I love you guys too!!! Hehe

Anjai, Dia and yours truly

Danish, Ain and Nadia

Group photo before we all head home..

I had such a great evening and wouldn't have it any other way!!

Losing track

2011-08-25T23:49:00.001+08:00

It was just last week when I moved 60oz of EBMs in the mini fridge and my maid tells me it's all finished.. Of course this is because I have been going out a lot, Miri, Iftar outside, etc.. So I went and moved 110oz this evening.. As soon as I was done with the whole thing I realized I lost track of the oldest EBM in my stock pile.. Gah! I'll sort all of this out after the raya madness is done then.. Stock currently stands at 860oz.. Can't say this enough but syukur alhamdulillah and thank you Allah for the constant BM production..

Speaking of raya, we have been quite busy preparing the house and food.. Had an early trip to the market this morning..

Dia looking at the animals for sale..

Made some honey cornflakes.. Will continue tomorrow insyallah..

Speaking of raya, have u paid for your Zakat? Hehehe

I am on my last week if maternity leave.. Hohoho

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Miri trip 23.08.11

2011-08-25T22:24:00.001+08:00

Dia and I went to Miri with my parents for a quick shopping trip.. I was quite nervous going on the trip without the hubs cause I was not sure if I can handle Dia all by myself.. But style alhamdulillah, Dia behaved very well and my parents was a huge help with her.. It was a very VERY good trip and I seriously forgot how fun it was shopping with my dad.. Hehehe

Otw to Miri

Practically no queue at the border

My dad pushing Nadia around in her stroller

My little darling fell asleep while we were shopping..

Nadia sitting between the Neneks!!

2011 Sungkai Outing No 6

2011-08-25T22:17:00.001+08:00

Is at Tanda Kasih with hubs friend.. It was impromptu but good nonetheless..

Yummy Nasi Ayam!!

Dia playing with angkel baby bob! LOL

29 on 21st August 2011

2011-08-22T21:55:00.001+08:00

I am 29!! The last year in my twenties!! Huhuhu

Nadia, Hubs and I went off to BSB to run a couple of errands..

And we saw this along the tutong muara highway..

We stopped by Toys R Us and Nadia and Hubs bought toys!

We have our normal BBQ to celebrate my and brother no 3's birthday

Sofie

Candle blowing ceremony

Ze cake!!

My girls and I

I would like to thank everyone fir their greetings and well wishes.. Thanks everyone!! And to the hubs, thanks for a wonderful day.. Love u and the girls so very very much!!

2011 Sungkai Outing No 5

2011-08-22T03:59:00.001+08:00

Was at Season's restaurant with the hubs' friends.. We unfortunately did not take much photos.. Huhu

But before we went to seasons we went to visit Apple, Orange and the new Mummy..

Beaming mummy with her first drop of colostrum..!

Apple!!

Only parents were allowed inside the ward

The rest of us had to visit from the viewing gallery.. Dia told her daddy ada baby damit hehehe

Nadia made some new friends!

BB, Ariesya, Tracey, yours truly and Nadia

Happy 29 months

2011-08-20T19:31:00.001+08:00

Dear Nadia,

Happy 29 months my darling daughter and I'm sorry for not writing to you yesterday.. We had quite a few to do hence why..

You have 2 new friends nicknamed Apple and Orange. We went to visit them yesterday but u only got to see Apple. When u saw Apple the first thing you said to us was 'baby damit'.. Yeap you are indeed right, she is small.. That's because she was born at 34 weeks, unlike u and Adik, you were born at 40 weeks.. Don't worry, they will grow up to be big and strong too and you will one day be their big sister.

My maternity leave is about to end soon which means I will have to go back to work.. What I hope is that you will be a good girl not make a fuss cause Aunty Mar and Nini Girl will have to look after Sofie too.. And I also hope that you I'll help nini and Aunty look after Sofie..

A couple of days I asked you if you were fasting and you said no. I then asked you why you are not fasting and your reply was 'Pasal Dia kanak-kanak, inda boleh puasa' I laughed my hats off hearing you say that.. The other say after watching the movie 'sekali lagi' or cerita Amy u call it, u put your forehead on your Daddy's and said 'Ani bercinta-cinta ni'.. I don't know where u learn all these things from but it clearly showed us how you are all grown up..

Syawal will be here in less than 2 weeks which means we will have visitors dropping by our place and like wise we will be visiting to family and friends too.. Please remember to mind your manners and remember to Salam everyone..

Be good now my sayang.. Mummy, Daddy and Sofie love you heaps!

xoxo,
Mummy

800

2011-08-18T23:15:00.001+08:00

Syukur alhamdulillah, I have reached the 800oz mark! (pats myself on the back)

This is how I keep track of my stock..

This is my 3 containers in my mum's deep freezer.. The bottom blue container stores 140oz, the upper blue container stores 160oz and the red container stores 60oz..

This is my freezer in my room!

(kedepatan Ada ice cream LOL)

And this is my small fridge in downstairs where my maid takes the oldest EBM to give to Sofie. The oldest in this fridge is 21st June 2011.. This fridge is so cold that even if I place the frozen EBM in the normal area, it doesn't thaw.. So this become another freezer for me and also the reason why I told the hubs not to buy me the freezer yet..

(pls excuse my mum's samosa and pau lol)

Once I am back to work I would have to increase the amount of EBM I store in this mini fridge so I that I will only do my housekeeping i.e. transferring oldest EBM to be used in this fridge and storing newest EBM in freezer once a week..

I wrote a couple of days ago my FS was acting up. Happy to report that my FS is fully restored! So my spare FS remains in it's box hehehe

Hari raya is in 2 weeks time and I should really start planning this shenanigan!! Huhuhu

Apple & Orange

2011-08-17T22:11:00.001+08:00

Syukur alhamdulillah, my dear dear bestie has given birth to a beautiful baby boy and girl. Baby boy nicknamed Orange weighs at 1.9kg and Baby Girl nicknamed Apple weighs at 1.01kg.. Both babies are in SCBU ad hopefully both will gain weight and be well enough to be discharged and go home soon.. Mummy looks very well and Daddy is just brimming with happiness!! Me? I can't seem to wipe the smile on my face!!

Baby Apple

Baby Orange

Congrats again dear friend! Words cannot express how happy I am for you! Will drop by for another visit soon!!

2011 Sungkai Outing no 4

2011-08-17T20:26:00.001+08:00

Was held at iLotus on 16.8.11 with hubs' friends..

2011 Sungkai outing no 3

2011-08-16T11:29:00.001+08:00

Was at Swensen with Stargazers..

Nadia while waiting for our food

Cheeks came too!

With Aunty Budeh and Uncle Jam

All of us minus hubs and some babies

Surprise cake!! Thanks girls xx

Nadia and I

Conversations.. And Aunty Adeey playing with Sofiyya

Looking forward to see photos from a10's SLR!! Upload soon plssss.. And thank you again for the cake!!!

Almost halfway through Ramadhan

2011-08-14T22:59:00.001+08:00

Tomorrow marks the 14th day in the holy month of Ramadhan.. Halfway through and it also means that I have about 2 weeks of maternity leave left.. I am supposed to go back to work on 31st August.. I think the sighting of the moon will be held on 30th (right?) so if they do sight the moon, I'll go back to work after the hari raya holidays and if they don't, I'll be back to work for 1 day and then go on the hari raya holidays.. So how do I feel about all going back to work after 13 weeks of being away? NERVOUS!! I already know that things will be different cause there are now expats in our office, operation dept in full operation, more people and there has been an office reshuffling ad I have a new desk..! So yeahhh.. In terms of leaving my 2 girls for the whole day, we have been practicing leaving sofie with my mum and maid downstairs for half a day (part of our bottle training) and she seems ok with it.. I hope Dia will be ok with me going back to work and i hope I will not cry a bucket like I did the last time around hahaha

When I went back to work after having Nadia I had a million questions in my head.. Running through my checklist below:

1. How many EBMs do I need to prepare for Sofie? - we did a dry run and she took 12oz from 9-5.
2. Do I need to defreeze the ebms and transfer to bottles in the morning? - with my current maid, I don't need to do this as she is fully capable in defreezing and transferring the ebms into the bottles.. She even know that it's best to prepare extra! All I need to do is move ebms into the small fridge downstairs. :D
3. What time should I express? - As part of my routine I shall continue to express when I wake up, 11am and 4pm..
4. Where to express? - because we don't have a mummy's room, I shall express in our pantry.. At least our pantry is nicer now and has proper ventilation compared to our old office.. I intend to print a small sign that says 'mommy inside' to indicate to my colleagues that I am doing my mummy thing inside..
5. Do I store in ebm bags and freeze immediately or transfer in ebm bags when I get home? - I used to freeze immediately in the old office but I think this time around I'll just chill the ebms and transfer and freeze it when I get home.. Office distance is afterall shorter..

Speaking of expressing my FS is currently acting up.. While I was expressing a couple of days ago the battery accidentally fell out of the machine thingy and ever since then it has been blinking battery with one bar sign.. And it doesn't seem to charge up.. Reading online it says that the battery is resetting itself so I should charge it for 18-24 hrs.. Been doing it and hopefully the problem goes away.. I know I have a spare FS but soo sayang!! Huhuhu

We started to stop using mittens on Sofie cause we notice her trying to put her hand in her mouth hehe

Mitten-less

Lawan cakap sama Daddy

We headed to the ILs place today..

Headed back to the ILs

Dia and Uncle Eboy

Chilling at the foyer

Sofie and Yaki

2011 Sungkai Outing No 2

2011-08-13T17:27:00.001+08:00

It's our annual pot luck sungkai at the Lees!!

Nadia playing masak-masak.. This is such an awesome toy that Nadia comes back home and started playing with our pots and pans at home.. Must buy her one of these too..!

While Sofie naps peacefully..

After sungkai, having great conversation around the dinning table

Nadia and Adam

With Ayang

Sofie with Sam & Rozman

Lovely dessert!!

Cradle cap and fungal infection

2011-08-08T23:03:00.001+08:00

.. According to Dr Yew of TK Chann are two very good friends and they are currently visiting Chubby Cheeks! I remember Dia had a similar ailment when she was about a month old but Sofie's is worse :(( we went away with Candacort so hopefully the infection goes away very quickly..

We took Cheeks out and used the baby carrier and glad to see the she seem to enjoy herself.. Unlike Missy, she cried a bucket the first time we used the carrier on her.. LOL

We went back to the ILs on Sunday.. It's always fun to look at Dia and Alya play.. The conversation they have are so funny and they are so grown up now.. We asked each of them if they wanted to go to school, both said yes and Missy can't seem to stop talking about it now.. Saw some kids at the clinic earlier and she told us 'Dia school pakai skirt kan?'

Eating marshmallow

Dunno why they were lying on the floor like this but there were slot of giggles coming from this two cheeky girls!

We are still struggling in terms of bottle training Sofiyya and mum is getting agitated.. Huhuhu I hope and pray that Cheeks get over this phase..

Bottle training with Kaka

Despite being such a big girl Missy here insists that she use the bath tub when it's her turn to mandi.. She has clearly outgrown the tub.. Huhu

2011 Sungkai Outing No 1

2011-08-08T11:00:00.001+08:00

Was at millennium restaurant with the Zams on Saturday, 6th August 2011

Nursing and fasting

2011-08-07T04:38:00.001+08:00

This is the third year of nursing and fasting.. I was reading up just to refresh my memories on the effects of fasting on BM and most research concludes that fasting has no effect on the macronutrients in a mothers BM content and consequently it has no effects on growth and weight in the infants who consume those BM.. For that reason and also the fact that I do not want to miss out and have to qadha at a later stage, I decided to fast 3 yrs ago.. I had concerns whether I would be producing enough BM with lack of food intake but experience has shown me that there would be a decrease in production but milk would still be enough for the infant and alhamdulillah mengenyangkan both Nadia back then and sofiyya now.. Our Bs afterall cater to the needs of each children.. Currently I am still able to make 'extras' as I continue to express at midnight and in the morning when I wake up..

How does fasting and nursing effect me? I get hungry faster!! So what I try to do these days is eat as much as I can and drink liquids as much as I can! Sahur is also known as my mengasak time where I eat eat eat! And as for liquids, I drink at least a glass glass of water after each directfeed session, at least 3 glasses during Iftar and Sahur and many many glasses in between.. I had a crazy thought last night: 'wouldn't it be great if I can just IV drip them liquids in my body?' I told you it's a crazy thought! So what I do now is drink different types of drinks so i don't get bored of just water..

This is again just my practice and other mums out there may choose to not fast and nurse. Nursing and pregnant mothers are afterall allowed to not fast, so long as they repay the fast and pay fidyah..

My darling daughters decides to wake up and accompany us during sahur..

Oh took Chubby Cheeks to her appointment yesterday and she now weighs 5.205kg, 57.5cm in height.. Big growth spurt this month!! Alhamdulillah

FS galore!!

2011-08-05T04:21:00.001+08:00

My current FS has been very goo to me but Because I only have one breast pump, I decided to go and purchase a second pump.. This pump will act as my 'just in case' and will only be used if my current pump is starting to act up.. Thought hard and long about which pump to buy and I finally go back to my trusted Medela Freestyle!!

I, along with 3 other people placed an order and it finally arrived yesterday!! Hehee

And just in time too cause H just gave birth to a bouncing baby boy (Congrats babe!!!) and T will welcome her babies in less than 2 weeks time (can't wait!!).. Hehe

Nadia saying: waaah banyak nyaaa LOL

A million thanks to D & J for helping me ship the items here!! We an our babies are very grateful for your help!

And thank you for the baju for Dia & Sofie!! Love it!!

Nadia thought she was going to the beach! LOL

Positivity

2011-08-04T12:05:00.001+08:00

We noticed since sunday sofiyya has been showing signs of rejecting her bottle.. This of course got us very worried cos I have less than a month left.. So we started strict bottle feeding again yesterday.. I let my Maid train her at first but after listening to 'kenapa inda mau ni?' 'dulu mau jua' 'eh inda ia mau' I took over!! I got so pissed and annoyed with her negativity!! So I decided to keep training sofiyya downstairs and let her get my dose of positivity by saying these sort of words loudly, making sure se hears me! 'c'mon sofiyya' 'pandai pakai bottle ni' 'good girl'..! These positivity nay sound annoying to some people but I believe those negative phrase mcm doa bah!! Ish!!

Oh today is day 2 and I asked my maid and she said sofiyya is well.. I just need to make sure I keep up the bottle feeding during the day constantly.. Oh it also means that I spend more time with my FS now..

So how has fasting and nursing been so far? Been ok, ebm supply remains high and good production but my tummy will start grumbling at around 10am huhuhu

Potty training Nadia is going well, less and less accidents. Key is to remind her to go to the toilet to pee.. Oh Dia developed a habit of snacking on cheese! I figure that's a good habit no?

My Cheeky Monkey and I during our sungkai run

Chubby cheeks on first of ramadhan

Happy breastfeeding week!

2011-08-01T15:04:00.001+08:00

Selamat berpuasa everyone!!

Stock check: 720oz
I am running out of freezer space and today is day 2 of me slowing down in terms of expressing.. I normally express twice or thrice per day, expressing when I wake up especially but I now resort to expressing one side per day only and skipping the early morning session.. I'm kinda sad but slowing down is what I have to do until I finally buy another freezer huhuhu once I do then I shall revv up time spent with my FS again LOL

It got me thinking about when I shall express during ramadhan and I think I shall do it after sahur..

happy breastfeeding week to everyone!!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Saturday 30th July 2011

2011-07-31T16:20:00.001+08:00

Daddy's little girl during lunch at country patch with Aunty Siti

Back at home and commemorating sofie's 2nd month

Nadia, Sofie & Yours Truly

Blowing ze candles

In the evening we headed to my aunty's place for our tahlil and birthday celebration for April, May, June and July celebrants! One of the celebrants include my niece, Syaza!

The birthday girl requested this birthday cake

And the birthday girl wearing her birthday gift from us! Glad we could grant her wishes hehehe

The sighting of the moon will be held tonight and so I take this opportunity to wish everyone selamat berpuasa and welcome back ramadahan al- Kareem.. Alhamdulillah di pertemukan semula dengan bulan yang mulia ini..

Oh I now have 1 month of maternity leave left.. Hohoho

Sofiyya: 2 months

2011-07-30T07:43:00.001+08:00

Dear Sofie,

Happy 2 months chubby cheeks!!

I can't believe that it has been 2 months! Back when it was Kaka Dia, I was already back to work by now so we have to be thankful that I the Gov't extended the maternity leave from 56 days to 105 days.. And as of now I have exactly one more month left before I have to go back to work..

In that respect I have been leaving you behind when we go out and letting you stay with Nenek Girl and Aunty Mar as part of my training.. So far you have been good but the last couple of days you have scared them a bit cause you cried quite hard. Dunno why you did that but I sure hope you were just pulling a joke on them and not because you were being picky and looking for me.. You have also so far taken your bottle well so I hope you keep up the good job!

We have also gone back to cot training you.. So far it has been good and I hope this arrangement keeps up..

We have taken you out in the evening a couple of times and one time we took you out the whole day! You behaved so well!! Speaking of which we have a function tonight over at Nenek Besar's place and I hope you behave well..

Ok baby girl, Mummy better go and prepare your bath now.. Mummy, Daddy and Kaka Dia loves you.. Be good now my sayang..

xoxo,
Mummy

Dry skin and potty training (again!)

2011-07-29T11:31:00.001+08:00

My poor Sofiyya has very dry skin now and it's just concentrated on her forehead and face.. At first red spots appeared on her face and after a couple of days her skin started to peel.. If the spots and dry skin were to appear all over the body I figured it is something she is allergic to like bath cream but its just on her face so I assume that it's just baby acne.. She used to use QV and I have now changed it to Eubos.. And have also started to apply QV moisturizing cream on the effected area.. Hopefully it will get better soon..

Sofiyya is growing into her clothes more quickly compared to Nadia when she was Sofie's age.. Oh and she also smiles a lot more!

Oh I am back to potty training Nadia again..! So far it has been good, with some accidents of course so I have resorted to letting her wear a dress so that it'll be easier for her to take her undies and go do her business..

iBreastfeed..

2011-07-26T19:34:00.001+08:00

..is an app that I recently downloaded on my phone..

It provides mummies guides on breastfeeding..

It also helps mummies records activities of their babies..

I mainly record my expressing activities and the picture above shows that I have so far expressed 19oz from 1am to 1pm.. Good tracking tool!

App is sponsored by Medela and it's free!!! So fellow breastfeeding mummies and future ones, what are you waiting for..? *tee hee*