HaZe DaZeD

Hewwo!

I promised to write about my Mothers Day celebration in my last entry, rite? So here’s a blow-by-blow recount of last Sunday…

07.00 am - As per usual, my alarm clock a.k.a. Deena woke me up for her morning feeding. I know, I shouldn’t be waking up that early on Mothers Day, but I’m actually glad to do it… It kinda changes me to a morning person, which I never ever was before.

09.00 am - Gave Deena her special weekend bath. I say special coz I bathe her using this medicated Eubos soap coz Deena’s skin is sooo sensitive and prone to rashes. I found that bathing her with that soap twice a week was sufficient (and less pricey, hehe) to keep the rashes at bay. I let her play around in the tub with her little rubber duckies for abit and got her ready.

10.00 am - Hubby treated me to a yummy pancake breakfast! Yum…

11.30 am - After getting Deena and her stuff ready, and getting myself dressed, we went to me moms to drop my Deena off (to play with her aunts) and picked up me mom for her "surprise" mothers day treat. Mom has no clue what me n my sisters had in store for her.. huhu!

12.00 pm - We arrived at our destination: The Royale Spa @ The Royale Bintang Damansara. Although a tad small, the spa looked inviting and had a very nice and calming ambience to it, with its warm lighting and the sound of water trickling from the mini fountain at the front entrance. My mom was pleasantly surprised and eager for her treatment. I booked the Sengkuang package for two especially drawn up for Mothers Day. Me n my sisters split the cost for Mom’s and hubby dearest paid for mine.

The package includes:

* Sengkuang Body Scrub
* Shower / Steambath
* Ear Candle Treatment
* Aromatherapy Massage
* Aroma Eye Pillow Treatment
* Ginger Tea

We were ushered into their twin sharing room and were left to put on their deliciously thick towels. The treatment started with the Sengkuang Body Scrub. The therapists sloughed away and I could feel the dead cells coming off. While the therapists scrubbed away, we had the deliciously calming eye pillow placed on our tired eyes. After the scrub, we were ushered into the steam room. Me and mom had a good mother daughter chat while we sat and sweat. Haven’t had a good talk with me mom for a while, so it was good. 20 minutes later, the therapists asked us to come out and we took turns to take a shower in the shower stall next door. Next was the ear candle. I must admit, I was abit nervous about this coz I’m not comfortable with ppl sticking a burning stick in my ear.. haha. But it turns out to be just fine, albeit a little ticklish, and I was told that this treatment would draw out the toxins in my body into the stick. After that, we had the aromatherapy massage, and the cooling eye pillow was placed on our eyes again. The massage was great, esp when the therapist tackled my tired back and shoulders. It was so relaxing that I would’ve fallen asleep if the massage had lasted longer. All too soon our R&R was over, and we had to get ready to leave.

Of all the treatments, we enjoyed the eye pillow the most. So much so, that my mom decided to buy one to keep at home. We drank our sweet ginger tea, paid our fee, and left to meet the rest of the troops (ie my baby, sisters, hubby, cousin and my maid) at the Curve.

02.45 pm - Met up with the troops at Charms cafe for lunch (courtesy of hubby and my sis Nana). Had a big plate of crispy black pepper kuey teow with seafood that’s to die for and shared a plate of spicy gizzie that was absolutely delish! We ate till we could hardly walk right.. harhar

04.15 pm - After much chomping and phototaking, we disbanded. Mom, my sisters, my cousin and my mom’s maid went home while me, hubby and Deena went on to do some shopping.

06.15 pm - Got parched from all the shopping, so we decided to have a drink at Gloria Jean’s. They’ve just started to re-gain the local interest since they closed shop a few years back. I have to say that they have improved their drinks since the last time they were in business, however they’ve removed the meals from the menu and are focusing on the drinks instead. Which is a pity coz I remember they had fantastic sandwiches and pastas back then. Oh well, they’ll have to up the ante abit coz they’ve got serious competitors such as Starbucks and Coffee Bean.

07.00 pm - Went home, tired but very happy!

Well, that was what happened on my very first Mothers Day as a mom… I hope to have many more such as this in the future! (hint hint to hubby.. hehe!) Till next entry then… toodles!

Note: Pix courtesy of www.jojoba.com.my & www.charms.com.my

Heyya…

I don’t really know why, but lately i’ve been feeling terribly worn out. I can barely keep my eyes open in the office, I drive to and from work in a daze (which is quite dangerous but I just cant help it!), my body aches and my head feels like i’ve been doing cartwheels all day. Last night, I practically passed out from exhaustion at 11pm, and I haven’t put away Deena’s bottles and ironed out my clothes yet! It’s a miracle that I could wake up at around midnight to feed Deena… and even that I did in my sleep. What is wrong with me???

So this morning was a complete chaos. Even though I woke up 15 minutes earlier than usual, I still had to finish off all the leftover chores I didn’t complete yesterday. Luckily I got a spare blouse that didnt need ironing so that sped things up abit. After feeding Deena I got ready for work. Deena started to wail, so I had to lug her around while I got my bags ready to leave (my laptop bag, my breastpump bag AND Deena’s baby bag).. when all of a sudden I realized… Deena had barfed over half of my clean no-need-to-iron blouse. Arrghhh!!! And its already 8.30! I started to freak out, but somehow or the other, I managed to put Deena gently down, dash for the cupboard and start mucking around for a new no-ironing-needed substitute — without screaming or losing my temper! I have to say I’m pretty proud of myself, as most of you who knew me would be too, coz I’m known for my short temper. Despite the rush, the panic and the frustration, I managed to keep my wits together and solve the problem faster than if I had lost it. Hurrah for me!

That said, I was still an extra 15 minutes late for work, and I’m still exhausted. I can still barely keep my eyes open, and its not for lack of trying. I had a relatively light breakfast, walked around as much as I could (without drawing too much attention) and I even made a vitamin C drink to perk me up (am trying to avoid taking coffee unless I really have to). So far, only the drink and writing this blog seem to be mildly working. Thank God tomorrow’s Friday, and I’m a day closer to my much awaited Mothers’ Day treat (courtesy of hubby dearest) huhu. What would that be, u may ask? All in good time my pretties… Just look out for my post-mothers’ day entry! Till then, ciao!

Last week’s been pretty rough on my little family. Last monday, Deena’s been fussing and crying.. At first we thought it was due to separation anxiety (since ive been working), but on Tuesday, she started to vomit. My mom said she vomitted throughout the day, probably due to colic or summat, so I figured a healthy dose of belly rubs using medicated ointments would suffice, but that night, my poor angel started spewing out vomit like a fountain!!! We had to change her 3 times, as well as changing our own clothes, the mattress linens AND scrub the vomit off the sofas and carpets. The whole living room smelled like sour milk.

As for Deena, she couldn’t take any milk coz everytime she drank some, she would vomit twice the amount she drank. By the third and fourth vomit, she was so weak that she could barely open her eyes. On the verge of tears, I wanted to rush Deena to the hospital, but it was almost 2am and the doctors would probably be in at 6 the earliest, and I didn’t want to have to make Deena wait in the waiting room for hours until the Doc showed up. So we decided to let her rest and sleep comfortably at home and take her in first thing the next morning.

The next day Deena looked slightly better. At least there’s a hint of color in her round cheeks compared to her very pale self the night before. She was starting to smile again. But the vomits continued, albeit less cronic that the night before. So we decided to still take her to the hospital. The doc couldnt give her any medication coz it’ll just come up again, so he had no choice but to get my Deena warded and monitored for dehydration. Warded! I thought I misheard the doc, so it didn’t really sink in until the nurse asked me what kind of room we’d like for our child. In disbelief, I followed my husband to the ward level and waited for Deena’s room to be prepared.

After almost an hour of waiting, the doc came over and was surprised that we weren’t attended to yet. He ushered us into the baby’s "prep" room, where they inserted an IV drip into Deena. NOTE: This is NOT something you would ever want to see your baby go through! I almost sobbed when I saw the long needle they were about to stick into my teensy weensy baby. My hubby quickly grabbed and consoled me when Deena cried as the drip flowed into her veins.. I’ve had an IV drip flow in my veins before, during labour, and I know that its painful.. but to have my child experience that… was just too much! I forced myself to look as they stuck the needle in, tied the necessary attachments, put a makeshift foam board under Deena’s arm and wrapped her whole forearm with gauze and tape. By the time the nurses were done, Deena looked like she has a broken arm!!!

So for the whole of that day, Deena had a saline drip attached to her hand. 5 minutes with the drip on her arm, she wanted to shake off the whole contraption by hitting and hitting her arm against my chest — she was SO uncomfortable and restless! When she gave up trying to get it off, she tried to put her hand in her mouth — her favourite thing to do when she’s upset or uncomfy — and instead of getting her fingers in, she whacked her face with her heavily bandaged arm. It was all I could do to entertain her and make her forget about her arm. As the day progressed, she managed to get her free thumb in, resorted to sucking her left hand AND attempted to put the IV appendage into her mouth. By the end of the day, I must’ve looked so haggard that our family members who came over to visit wondered WHO was actually sick!

We spent 2 whole days in the hospital, and yet the doc still couldn’t really tell what was causing my precious to vomit so much. Her blood test was fine and her urine test was ok. Although her vomiting ceased, my Deena looked pale and somewhat skinnier from the ordeal. Fortunately, she was back to her playful, active self again. The only thing that was off was Deena’s sudden sniffles.

Just when I thought I could breathe easy, that weekend my husband got the flu. On saturday, we thought it wasn’t that bad so we went out to spend the day at KLCC. My baby’s first trip to KLCC turned out to be not such a good idea coz it rained cats, dogs and cows on the way, which worsened hubby’s flu. The next day, he came down with a hi fever, a very bad cold and sore throat. I’ve not seen him that miserable for a long time! Just proves that people who seldom get sick usually gets a really bad deal once they DO get sick. Hubby’s flu n fever didn’t subside for another 2 days, and altho he might deny it, methinks his sniffles are still bugging him to this day.

So as I said, its been a pretty rough week for us. I just hope this weekend turns out better. till then, ciao!

Heyya!

Happy April Fool’s Day peeps!! (Or perhaps not-so-happy for all of you who’ve been tricked today, huhu ;P)

I’m writing this while sitting in my brand new office in PJ Oldtown, trying to kill time while I wait for the network technician guy to come and hook up my laptop to the office network system (yeah, I’m actually writing this entry on notepad and plan to upload it once I’m online — pathetic, eh?).

Its just that first days at a new job in a new office is never easy. Trust me, I know. You don’t have much to do yet, your "spot" in the office is pretty much non-existent (my desk is due to be delivered sometime this week), and your new colleagues eye you suspiciously from head to toe (or in my case, they pretend to ignore me harhar). If you’re lucky enough to get friendly co-workers, then hurrah for you!

I’ve had my share of fun, friendly colleagues while working with HSBC & eCosway, but since moving from big international companies to smaller, local firms, the friendliness factor seem to shrink too. Heck, nobody even invited me to join them for lunch today, so I was left to fend for myself. But hey, I’m a big girl and I can find food when I’m hungry. Its just… its the thought that counts really. Without such bonding rituals such as lunch, the office will be just another cold, boring place you spend 9 hours of your life at everyday.

But all’s good. I count my blessings. At least I have a job to go to, right? At least I’ll be earning my own two cents that I can spend at will. Even if it means eating lunch alone. Even if it means working in a makeshift workstation in the office’s teenie weenie meeting room. And as much as I miss my old friends in HSBC and eCosway and our mad fun times together, those jobs could never have given me the flexibility I need to raise my family, and at the moment, I can’t imagine anything more important than that.

That said, the toughest part of working at the moment is being away from my Deena. I miss her too much! And methinks she misses her mommie too, since my mom called at 11 this morning to say that Deena was crying and fussing all morning *sigh*. I just can’t wait to get home now.. Just 3 more hours to go!!! So till next entry… ciao peeps!

Hello again!

I just realized that I haven’t posted any entries in here since August 2007! Blimey, that’s like more than half a year ago… Time really does fly when you’ve got major changes in your life. So here’s a crash course on the recent events that has happened in the past 7 months…

1. Labour

For those who have been following my entries, you would know that I was preggers for most of last year. I was this really anxious mommie-to-be sporting a humongous belly where a little tap dancer cum kickboxer was happily living in. After 41 weeks of pregnancy, my little angel was finally born. Yep, she was born a week later than my due date, much to the chagrin of my doctor, family and of course, concerned friends. I had to tolerate weeks of "Are you in labour yet?" and "When is your baby gonna pop out?". Don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for the concern and attention, but it was slowly turning me into an anxiously freaked out woman. I was getting more and more worried that at 40 weeks, the contractions were pretty much non-existent. The only upside to all this was the fact that I managed to go to ALL of my cousin Akmal’s wedding receptions and my best buddy’s wedding in one piece, hehe.

Alas, at 41 weeks, the contractions did come, slowly but surely. At first, I didn’t understand what all the hype on labour pains were about, coz at first it felt pretty mild, slightly uncomfortable and only a couple of times a day. Then, as the week wore on, it became more frequent and more painful, so much so that there were moments when I couldn’t even catch my breath. But I continued to go out, walk around, do some last minute shopping and such (Yeah I was taking the "lasakness" to a whole new level.. harhar). On 2nd Dec, I celebrated my 1st wedding anniversary with my hubby, despite the fact that the contractions were like 30-20 mins apart. People were amazed that I managed to have a celebratory supper at Bakerzin that night. I guess Bakerzin’s sinfully delicious chocolate souffle finally did the trick, coz that night I couldn’t sleep a wink. The contractions were unbearable to say the least. I held on as long as I could, and by 5 am, my hubby finally persuaded me to go to the hospital (I was still trying to avoid going to the hospital — Yeah, I was THAT scared of giving birth!)

Since I was 1 week overdue already, my doc decided to induce the labour. Without going into much detail, lemme just say that that was the longest and most agonizing 6 hours of my life (Those who have given birth before will know what I’m talking about). However, despite the drugs the doc gave me to keep me drowsy (so that I wont feel the pain as much — yeah right!) my little angel’s head just wont go down the birth canal. That’s when the doc suspected that something’s amiss, and ordered an emergency c-section operation. Emotions were running high, and I couldn’t help but cry of disappointment. I so wanted a normal delivery, but life’s like that I guess… You can’t always have what you want. I thank God that I had my level-headed hubby and my soothing mom beside me the whole way. So in the end, we welcomed our brand new 3.05 kg baby girl into this world after 30 mins on the operating table. As it turns out, her umbilical cord was wrapped around her tiny little neck! Thank God my doc ordered the operation when she did, otherwise I dunno what might’ve happened to my wide-eyed angel. And even though I had to go through hours of labour pain only to finally have my baby delivered by c-sect, the pure joy of holding my anniversary baby, Nurwafa’ Irdeena in my arms for the first time made it all feel worthwhile. Sounds cliche’, I know, but its true…

2. Birthday

My birthday was on the 18th November, before I gave birth, but I thought that it’s better to dish out the baby news first.. ahaks. So, my birthday was on a Sunday, and as usual, I normally spend it with my family.. Last year however, was the first time I’m spending my birthday as a married woman so it was quite a big deal. So, on the eve of my birthday, my mom, sisters, hubby and I had a sort-of surprise dinner at Manhattan Fish Market (my choice of course, I remember I had a craving for fish that day.. harhar). My mom bought me the cutest birthday cake that was small in size yet rich in chocolatey goodness (just the way I like it!). The next day, d-day, I woke up to 2 huge boxes of delicious bday cupcakes my hubby ordered. I’ve always wanted those fancy cupcakes for my birthday!

After gobbling down some cupcakes, I rather reluctantly had to follow me mom’s request to attend a family meeting at my aunt’s place on her behalf regarding my cousin Akmal’s wedding prep. We got there a little late, and almost everyone was there. Surprise, surprise, my mom was there too, and all of a sudden I saw 2 huge cakes being sneaked out of the kitchen. I was called out onto the patio where everyone was gathered (including my uncle whose birthday was on the 17th). As they sang happy birthday, I couldn’t help but have this goofy smile plastered on my face. I haven’t had this many family members for my birthday since I was in primary school! It was absolute fun! After the meeting, my hubby took me for a walk in the Putrajaya park to watch the sunset. It was very romantic, albeit the fact that my feet were killing me (I was 9 months pregnant then ;P). We then had a beautiful dinner at Sri Ayuthia @Alamanda. We had butter fried softshell crabs and such. Yum! 

3. Confinement

After months of eating whatever I want and whenever I want it, confinement seemed like absolute torture. But I was determined to stick to the rules as much as I can, and so there were weeks and weeks of boring fish dishes and warm water. I get scolded for walking too fast, scuffling without socks or even walking in general, as I was told that women in confinement are supposed to just eat, sleep, and feed my baby. I was banned from reading as it could cause headaches, and from drinking too much water as it would cause my veins to swell up (huh??). Most of these "pantang larang" seem pretty ridiculous to me, but I was powereless to object as I’ve got people watching over me left and right. Also, it WAS for my own good. I’m not complaining–I’m super grateful for all the care given, but being an up-and-about person, eating and sleeping all day is simply exhausting. Not to mention the baby blues, the crazy fever attacks and adjusting to breastfeeding. Pretty stressful, despite sitting on my butt for 44 days! So you can imagine the joy of sitting in starbucks for a huge mug of hazelnut hot chocolate the day I "graduated" from confinement.. hehe.

4. Motherhood

The most beautiful and challenging feat I have ever done in my life. I never imagined that this tiny person with a toothless grin and a cry louder than a banshee could make me love her no matter how much she pooped or how loud she cried or if she keeps me up all night. My mom was right;–She usually is–You can never understand how much you can love someone until you become a mother. It surpasses your love for work, your hubby or even yourself. You wanna kill that stupid mosquito that bit her. You wanna give that person who dared to say anything bad about your child a bloody nose. No other baby is as perfect as yours. It is the ultimate love. And I’m savouring every minute of it, good or bad. So much so, that I took an extended leave from work life just to make sure I can give my daughter the best that I could. But of course, I can only do so much…

And so, next month I will start my new job as an exec in a property firm in PJ Oldtown. I dont know what to expect, but I hope for only the best. It’s gonna be tougher now, but God willing, our little family will prevail. So till my next entry… adiou!

Wow… its raining cats, dogs and cows out there this afternoon… The sound of thunder and raindrops pounding on my office window kinda puts me in the mood to write, so I guess it’s prolly the best time to tell u bout the last 2 fun nights I’ve had…

Last Tuesday night, my hubby’s friends invited us to join them for a movie… And them being former media arts students in MMU, I guess I’m not surprised that these successful career men actually invited us to watch an animation feature, Ratatouille (Rat-a-too-ee). After all, it was a Pixar movie. I couldn’t help but feel excited to see what Pixar’s latest masterpiece would be like. Plus, the story’s set in the heart of Paris, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and one of my favourites.. hehe.

[OK this is the point for movie-spoiler-haters to stop reading.. *wink*]

So basically the story revolves around a rat named Remy in France. Now this rat isn’t ur average rat, it has a weird fascination and talent for gourmet food and the culinary arts. This doesn’t sit well with his family of garbage-eating rodents, and he quickly became an outcast. But that doesn’t stop Remy from idolizing the best chef in all of France, Gusteau. One day, in a bizarre turn of events, Remy ended up separated from his clan and ended up in — you guessed it — Gusteau’s own infamous restaurant’s sewer system.

Realizing his dreams were coming true, Remy sneaked into Gusteau’s kitchen. Everything there dazzled him. He then got caught while he was trying to fix a soup that a timid new garbage boy, Linguini, had accidentally ruined and was sent off to be killed. However, Linguini realized that this rat can cook and HE can’t, so to ensure his job at Gusteau’s, they became allies and formed a plan to survive in the Gusteau kitchen. After a lot of hilarious mishaps and near-disasters, Linguini (and Remy) quickly became famous for their new recipes, much to the chagrin of Chef Skinner, the chef in charge at Gusteau’s.

The ultimate test came when the most feared and revered food critic in all of Paris decided to put Linguini’s food to the test. Despite Skinner’s sabotages and the rest of Gusteau’s kitchen crew walking away at the last minute, Remy and Linguini managed to get rave reviews when they served ‘Ratatouille’ to the critic, with the help of Remy’s long lost rodent friends. Remy and Linguini became the best of friends and finally became famous in their own right, without the shadow of Gusteau’s former glory.

What I loved about this movie: The beautiful artwork of Paris city and the expressive expressions on each and every rodent and human character. The storyline was superb, the funnies made me laugh till my belly ached, the character and hair animation was top notch, the morale was there, and the food made me wanna go to Paris and dine my lil heart out! It was close to perfect — it had adventure, humour, romance and action — but unfortunately, the main characters’ French accents leaves much to be desired. I guess the movie makers wanted the main dialogue to be easily understood, but it somehow takes away a tad of the movie’s ‘frenchness’. That said, Ratatouille is probably one of my favourites from Pixar, and it’s main moral – “Everyone can cook” teaches us that you cannot let what others’ perception of you deter you from achieving your dreams and being what you want to be. Even the little angel in my belly liked the movie coz he/she was busy doing backflips the whole time.. hehehe

[Movie-spoiler-haters can continue reading beyond this point... ahaks!]

Last night, my hubby took me to see the fireworks competition in Putrajaya. We met up with a couple of my hubby’s friends, most of them photographers, and joined the heavy stream of cars headed for Putrajaya. But instead of watching it at the actual competition site per se, we found ourselves a lovely spot by the lake in front of the Sri Putri school.

Despite the fact that we had to park illegally by the roadside with hundreds of other people, trudge down the slope by the road towards the lake and squeeze through the never-ending hedges by the lake, the view and ambience of our selected spot was absolutely perfect. Sure, it’s far away from the main arena, and my bum ached from sitting on the hard ground, but we got a great view of the lake, the brightly lit bridges, the soft night breeze, and most importantly, a full view of the fireworks amidst the Putrajaya skyline. Definitely worth roughing it out, even with my round belly. I only wished we were abit more prepared, u know, like bringing a picnic mat, some food or even a little cushion for my aching bum and back. At least it would help ease the aches and pains abit… huhu.

Anywayz, the bunch of us got to enjoy about 20 minutes’ worth of fantastic fireworks. And I really mean fantastic! I’ve been to KLCC and such to watch fireworks during Merdeka and New Years, but this definitely takes the cake. The fireworks looked like gorgeous blooming flowers, rockets shooting to the sky and even like fishes jumping into the water… certainly not the average display u see during New Years! To those who haven’t had the chance to go yet, make the time to do so! Don’t miss this once in a lifetime opportunity to witness the excitement with your friends and family… I know my hubby and I got some good photos… InsyaAllah, if I have time (and if I get the photos from my hubby) I’ll post em up in my site… So till then… ciao peeps!

As I sit here in the office, my work all done and not much left for me to do, I find my thoughts wander to the little one in doing backflips (I imagine ;P) in my tummy. 6 months along, I can’t help but wonder what he/she will look like, if the baby will be healthy, virtuous, intelligent and what the future will hold for my little precious. I know that this is my first child, and I can only do what I can, but I really hope its the very best for my child. Even though I haven’t had that much experience in life, I can’t help but feel the following song to be perfect for my little one…

———————————————————————————-

"My Wish" by Rascal Flatts

I hope the days come easy and the moments pass slow,
And each road leads you where you want to go,
And if you’re faced with a choice, and you have to choose,
I hope you choose the one that means the most to you.
And if one door opens to another door closed,
I hope you keep on walkin’ ’til you find the window,
If it’s cold outside,
Show the world the warmth of your smile,
But more than anything, more than anything,

I hope you never look back, but ya never forget,
All the ones who love you, in the place you left,
I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,
And you help somebody every chance you get,
Oh, you find God’s grace, in every mistake,
And always give more then you take.

But more than anything, Yeah, and more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,
your dreams stay big, your worries stay small,
You never need to carry more than you can hold,
and while you’re out there getting where you’re getting to,
I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,
Yeah, this, is my wish.

This is my wish
I hope you know somebody loves you
May all your dreams stay big
(Repeat)
(Chorus)

———————————————————————————-

Yeah, I guess I can only wish for the best for the future for now… Hoping against hope that everything goes well for our little family. And just think.. its only a little over 100 days to go before my big day! So till next entry… cheerio!

Heyya! Just wanted to share a very rare experience with you… Yesterday, as I realised that my fuel tank was almost empty, I decided to drop by the Caltex station near my office in Paramount Garden to fuel up. Now, I’ve been to this station many times before since it’s only a 2 shakes away from my office, so I guess I’m pretty much a familiar face to the 3 regular staff there (a malay guy, a malay girl and an old Indian man who mans the pumps).

I have to say, this particular station is one of the friendliest I’ve ever been to. There would always be warm smiles and friendly greetings everytime I go there. But yesterday, as I was about to get out of my car to pay at the counter for my gas, the old Indian man I call “Uncle” hurried over to my door and the following conversation commenced:

“Mau brapa, adik?”

“Hello Uncle, RM30 jelah”

“Ok!”

And as I was about to step out of the car, he looked at my round belly and said:

“Takpe takpe. Ini macam tak boleh keluar bayar” (referring to my very pregnant state) “Takpe, saya pegi bayar…” (smiles)

I was so surprised I only managed to smile and mutter a thank you as I passed him the cash and he hurried over to the counter. I know its common courtesy to be nice to pregnant women, and some of you might think that this is nothing much to blog about; but to be honest, I’ve hardly ever had the privilege of such an experience. In an era where people hardly ever smile, let alone hold a door open for the disabled, the elderly or the pregnant, its so refreshing to see that some people still practise chivalry and courteousness. Somehow, this old man’s kindness almost makes up for all the rude and inconsiderate LRT & monorail commuters I’ve encountered while I was working with eCosway @KL.

So let this be a lesson to us, that it’s never too late to change and be courteous to one another. No matter how old, how rich or how busy you may be, it’s never too difficult to be kind. Always remember, a small good deed can go a really long way. I know that I’m inspired to do better! I can only hope you experience some eye-opening kindness in your life the way I had. Btw, I’ve already considered this station as the best Caltex with the best customer services, hehe. What can I say, a friendly smile goes a long way for me. On that note, keep on smilin’ peeps!

It’s the beginning of a new week, and some interesting things happened last week and in the last 2 weekends. As I said in my previous entry, I was gonna go for my 6^th-month checkup last Friday (3^rd Aug), but I really only managed to get to the clinic the following Monday. That Friday was abit of a rush, and as my regular doctor would only be available till 6pm, we decided to go on that Saturday morning. Unfortunately when we did get there, the doc was just leaving for an urgent meeting. Ah.. what luck. And I was so looking forward to seeing my baby (via ultrasound) again after 2 months of wondering how he/she has grown. I couldn’t help but feel extremely disappointed… and the healthy dose of pregnancy hormones made me feel extra upset. Luckily I’ve got an angel of a husband who managed to put a smile back on my face…

That weekend was good, despite the non-existent monthly chkup. Went to Jln TAR Saturday evening with me mom and sisters. I got my sister a lovely silk fabric for her graduation dress, as her birthday-cum-graduation present. After visiting almost 8 shops (yes, I kid u not) that day, we managed to get one she really liked. Despite the fact that my feet were killing me and walking became an unbearable feat, I wouldn’t say the outing was a total disappointment. At least I managed to window-shop for some baby necessities, and got some expert advice from me mom. I didn’t realize how clueless I was about baby things until I actually had to ask my mom to explain how a “bouncinett” can affect the baby. But I believe my cluelessness is forgiven, since this is my first baby, after all… hehe.

Sunday evening, my husband and I continued our search for the right baby stuff to buy at KLCC. We figured since we had a bunch of Isetan vouchers about to expire soon, we might as well use ‘em for baby stuff. At least it would lessen the monetary burden most first-time parents have to bear. Though we expected the prices to be considerably higher than the ones I saw in Jln TAR, we figured it would be a tad cheaper than normal now, what with the Shopping Carnival and all. Or so we thought! The stuff we saw in Isetan was all imported branded items, so the prices were OFF THE CHARTS! I got the shock of my life when I saw that they were selling bottle sterilizers for 500 smackaroos and baby strollers going for almost RM2k. Our plan to use our vouchers that day was quickly dampened with every price tag we saw. Despite that, the cute baby things were too nifty and cool that we can’t help but check out its functions and feel the luxurious materials they were built with. Looks like my little angel will have to make do with lesser-branded things with a less-heart-attack-causing price tag!

Well, with all the walking over the weekends, u can imagine what my feet look like lah. Swelling like nobody’s business. Last week went pretty normally, with a slight hiccup at work due to an over-reacting old boss and a bunch of back-stabbing nosy pokers. Got terribly miffed, but I told myself that I would just keep cool and bide my time till it’s time to leave this hell-hole of a company with the significant workload that they have no idea I’m currently doing and a work system that only I can understand.. HAH! We’ll see who gets the last laugh then… *snickers*

Last weekend pretty much made up for the lousy work week. My family and I went for a roadtrip to Penang to attend my mom’s cousin’s wedding. As usual, weddings on my mom’s side of the family were filled with robust family members with hearty laughs and friendly banter, no matter what age you are. People are always so pleased to see you, and u can go for hours without hearing a hint of sarcastic remark, jests excluded of course. As per family custom, the bride and groom were garbed in glittery Arabic wedding attire. I myself had a difficult time finding something to wear to the wedding, since I’ve not been able to wear a baju kurung or any traditional formal dress for months now. I finally got together an acceptable get-up of my mom’s kimono-ish long tunic top (that she designed herself, btw) and a surprisingly matching pair of maternity pants I had. Definitely something I can wear again in the future upcoming wedding invitations I have ahead..

Other than that, the whole Penang trip was filled with food, food and more food. For me, its Char Kuey Teow (CKT) galore! I had a plate of CKT with huge prawns on Friday night for supper and 2 plates of the best CKT I’ve ever had on Saturday for dinner. Don’t worry, I did my exercise after dinner by going for a window-shoppping-walkathon at the night market at Batu Feringghi.. ;P As expected, by the time we got to our apartment, we could barely stand… huhu. The next day, we had some Penang nasik kandar before we left for KL. Luckily for me, I wasn’t the designated driver… coz I dozed off for almost half the journey home.. My little munchkin in my tummy will definitely put on his/her baby fat with this foodalicious trip! Hehehe.

Well, methinks that’s enuff for now. Will update when I can… and as my sister always say… Toodles!

Do not check your computers – it’s working just fine. It’s just me again, back from my disappearing act. For how long, I dunno, just know that I’m here for the here and now. Was pretty busy the past few months, with work and personal life. I have lots to ramble on about, just didn’t have the time or energy to do it. But after much prodding from my hubby, cousins and frens, as well as the lack of things to do at work lately, I’ve decided to make a come-back. Just so u know. Hehe

So here’s a brief run-thru: I got married, went for a wonderful honeymoon in Bali (no details please!), got chicken pox (I know! Great timing, right?), found a house to rent, and were slowly moving in bit by bit in between visiting our many relatives and work, found out that the house was a big disappointment, began to get my own clients at work, closed a couple of deals, got involved with my school alumni’s (batch ‘97) 10-year reunion dinner committee, went to for a holiday in Phuket, took part in a treasure hunt expedition to Cameron Highlands and lots of other misadventures…

Quite a few things happened around me, too. Some are happy, some sad. A few of my cousins got married, which was great fun, coz I love helping out with the planning and events. My youngest sister got 4 flat (straight A’s) for her last semester and both of my sisters are graduating this year (I am so proud of them both!). Oh and not to forget, my 2 best friends have safely delivered beautiful babies, so I have a brand new baby bunkin nephew, Adham and a baby munchkin niece, Zara. Sadly though, my mom left the company she was with out of disappointment, which was tough on all of us, and one of my good friends went through a difficult time in her married life that resulted in a divorce. But I guess everything happens for a reason, and I hope that everything that my friends and family went through was for the best.

But what I really wanted to share with my fellow loyal readers is some wonderful news… Alhamdulillah, I’m pregnant with my first child! Some of you might’ve figured it out if u had seen my latest photos or read my bulletins once in a while. I’m so bloomin’ excited! My husband lagi pulak, he’s convinced that we’re having a boy, despite the fact that my baby’s a very shy angel… My parents, sisters and in-laws are pleased as peaches, and my close friends can’t help but become my pregnancy advisors… hehe.

I am now coming to 6 months pregnant (Yep, I told u I was busy with a lot of things going on in my life!). It’s been one really interesting, awkward, exciting and wonderful rollercoaster ride. I went from months of morning sickness (I dunno WHY they call it morning sickness, when its really morning, noon & night!) to seeing my belly blow up to amazing sizes, to swollen feet and uncomfortable, sleepless nights to feeling my beloved baby kicking and dancing in my tummy. In between, going to monthly checkups was prolly one of the highlights throughout the pregnancy. To be perfectly honest, there’s only a few moments in life that really take your breath away, and I believe I have gone through quite a few of them this year. They are:

• Getting married
• Seeing those fateful double lines on the pregnancy kit
• Seeing your baby for the first time during ultrasound
• Feeling your baby move and kick for the first time

I know that most of them happened after conceiving, but really, is there anything more miraculous than bringing a baby into this world? Despite the aches and pains, I’ve never felt so blessed. Every time I think about my baby, or feel its movements, or see my husband kiss and talk to my belly, I can’t help but feel a delicious warmth go through me, indefinitely putting a smile on my face. Yeah, I’ve been fed a healthy dose of motherly instincts, that’s for sure… J

But I’m not going into the next phase of my life with my eyes closed. I know that bringing a baby into this world is hard work, and a huge responsibility. You’re not only responsible for yourself and your husband anymore, but for a helpless young life who will depend on you for its life, happiness and future. That’s no easy task, and I’m scared as hell. I question myself on my ability to be a good mother to my child everyday. I worry if I can set the right example for him/her, when I’m so flawed myself. I worry if I would be a good wife when I need to juggle motherhood, a husband, managing a household AND work at the same time. I get hives just thinking about it! I guess that’s why God says heaven is at the bottom of a mother’s heels… coz as each day goes by, I realize how tough being a mother is going to be. It makes me appreciate my mom even more, and I believe she’s more of a superwoman everyday, being a single mother and all.

But I guess all this is part and parcel of life, and there’s no turning back now. All I can hope for is some help and guidance along the way, and ultimately some support from my husband, family and friends. You guys will be there for me, wont you?

Well, think that’s enough for now. Am heading out for lunch with my good friend, haven’t had a good ol’ b*tchin’ session with her for eons. Both of us have major events looming ahead, and I guess it’d be nice to spill it to someone who cares for once. Later today, I might be dropping by the clinic for a short check up and to get a referral letter for the hospital. Will tell you how it goes… So till then, ciao peeps!