deciphering me

welcome home sunshine !

2012-01-25T08:08:00.002+08:00

xoxo

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dian khayla - 5 months progress report

2012-01-20T07:52:00.000+08:00

Dian Khayla at 5 months.

Alhamdulillah, she has mastered the art of rolling over, although she only rolls to her right. Once she's on her tummy, she doesn't roll back. Hehe. She has been trying to lift her butt off the floor, which results in her pushing herself backwards or to the side.

She grabs anything and everything, putting them in her mouth either to lick or bite them. She even licks people's faces !

She is no longer fully breastfed ! *cries tears of blood*

I started supplementing with formula milk since 28 December 2011, because Khayla refuses bottled EBM at times. I couldn't bear to let her starve, so I gave in.

I still feel so awful, feel like I've failed as a mother to provide the best for my baby. :'(
But I guess as long as she's growing up healthily, I should be grateful. Alhamdulillah she nows weighs 7.1 kgs !
She drinks Mamex Gold at the babysitter's, and will breastfeed at night and on weekends. Alhamdulillah she has been adjusting pretty well at the sitter's, after a couple of days of non-stop wailing. Leaving her in the mornings is difficult as she would pout and cry a bit. It amazes me that she can sense I'd be leaving her at such an age.

She loves playing with her feet !

Her legs are getting stronger, and she enjoys her 'standing time'. She can sit up well when supported, and loves to play with her aunties and uncle at home. She is slowly warming up to her Atuk a.k.a Daddy. Hehe. She is quite the talker, and "abababababa, maaamaa," are her usual words. :)

Mummy's lil' girl. :)

xoxo

off to a good start.

2012-01-15T22:52:00.001+08:00

Hello. It's been awhile eh ? I've been busy with work & family. Alhamdulillah, so far 2012 has been kind to me. I've started working as UiTM Shah Alam Health Centre's (first ever) Pharmacist for almost two weeks now. Being the only pharmacist there, I've got a lot to learn about purchasing and pharmacy management.

Khayla is adapting well to her babysitter, Alhamdulillah.

The best news to date is that Mr. Sunshine will be coming back to KL (for good) soon !! Alhamdulillah. We thought it would take months before he could get transferred so this is a pleasant surprise. :-)

I've gotta head to bed now, gotta wake up at 0500 hours tomorrow. Goodnight.

xoxo

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2011 wrap up.

2011-12-31T21:01:00.000+08:00

Hi all !
Linn is taking care of Khayla while I take some time off to give you all a gist on what has happened in my life throughout 2011, like I did last year.

On January 9 this year, Mr. Sunshine and I turned one, Alhamdulillah. My Mr. Sunshine is the best ! :))
I got pregnant (Alhamdulillah) and gained a whopping 16 kgs throughout my pregnancy ! Well I actually found out I was pregnant in December last year but waited after my first trimester to let the cat out of the bag. :)
I turned 27, and as usual Mr Sunshine had some surprises for me. Mr. Sunshine turned 26 this year, and I conveniently forgot to blog about it ! I bought him a HP Pavilion notebook, because his PC was giving him so much trouble. :)
Craved a whole lot of food that weren't available in Terengganu.
The family came over for another visit this year and we had a blast ! ;D
Almost went through a nervous breakdown. Haha.
I made my first curry puff this year ! Hehe.
In June, we found out we were having a baby girl which was due in August. :)
I was warded for a night (and traumatized) due to a fall.
Mr. Sunshine and I had our babymoon in Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi.
I went through 21 hours of labour and gave birth to a beautiful baby girl named Dian Khayla on August 13. Alhamdulillah.
The week after my baby was born, I was offered a job as a pharmacist in UiTM, Alhamdulillah.
Marc and Linn got married ! Alhamdulillah. :))
I got my resignation from KKM and pelepasan dengan izin approved yesterday, Alhamdulillah, and will be reporting for duty in UiTM next Tuesday, InshaAllah.

Alhamdulillah.

This year, I'm ushering in the year 2012 with my family here in Gombak. Mr. Sunshine is in Terengganu because he has to work tomorrow. I miss him tremendously ! Sobs. :(

May 2012 be a better year for all of us, InshaAllah.
Happy New Year everyone ! :)

xoxo

retention.

2011-12-28T17:21:00.000+08:00

Hi, I'm still sad as hell about losing my photos.
Is this a sign that I should quit blogging ?

Mr. Sunshine says that I'm lucky that I still have my written posts, and to lose them is far worse.
I guess he's right.

Oh well.

xoxo

i accidentally deleted all my photos !

2011-12-26T17:19:00.002+08:00

Hello everyone, hope all of you are having a good day.

I'm currently mourning over the fact that I accidentally deleted ALL my photos which were uploaded on my blog. That's 4 years worth of memories ! So far there's no way of recovering them. *nangis*
I'm not exaggerating when I say I'm devastated.

OK bye.

xoxo

what i'll miss.

2011-12-19T15:48:00.000+08:00

I can't believe that in less than a week's time I'll be saying goodbye to Kuala Berang ! I am definitely looking forward to being back in my hometown, but I've gotta admit there are a few things about being in Terengganu that I am gonna miss.

The beach - I love the fact that we're just minutes away from the beach. It just takes a drive by the beach to calm my senses.
Keropok lekor - Trust me, once you've tasted the original keropok lekor from Terengganu, you wouldn't want to even smell the ones back in KL.
Laksam Terengganu - Ahhh, I absolutely love this dish ! I know I am gonna crave this when I get back.
No traffic jam - I guess this goes without saying.
Short distance from workplace - My current workplace is only a 5-minute walk away from where I stay, which is awesome.
Colleagues and friends - I am gonna miss the people I've gotten to know over here; too many to mention here but there's no doubt that I'll be thinking about every single one of you beautiful souls. Sobs.

I've spent two years of my life here and I've learned so much. Before I came here, I've never even knew the existence of the Hulu Terengganu district !
I shall forever treasure all the memories, the good ones and the ~~bad~~ not so good ones. Thank you Allah for the opportunity to learn to be independent (without relatives nearby) and also for all the good & bad experiences I have been blessed with throughout these 2 years.
To all my friends, colleagues and acquaintances from Terengganu, thank you so much for everything !

Here's to new beginnings. InshaAllah.

xoxo

dian khayla - 4 months progress report

2011-12-16T16:25:00.000+08:00

My baby girl is 4 months old already ! Alhamdulillah, and MashaAllah she never fails to amaze me everyday. Khayla currently weighs 6.3 kgs, Alhamdulillah.

She can hold her head up pretty steadily now, and she tends to turn her head to the right, left, up and down to look at EVERYTHING, hence carrying her is a bit of a challenge these days. She's such a curious little baby !

She's also very easily distracted, she would turn to look the second she hears a sound or sees light. And because of that, breastfeeding is not so easy anymore. She can already use her hands to grasp things and she's putting that to full use by grabbing anything that's in her sight (including my hair, ouch !). She seems to be enjoying putting things into her mouth too.

She would beg (read: cry) for us to carry her around the house when she's bored of lying and rolling on her mattress. Yes, she can roll over from lying on her back to the front too, but that talent still needs a little brushing up. Hehe. She almost gave me a heart attack when she rolled off her mattress onto the carpet yesterday morning !

During the past month, she has stopped taking long naps during the day, like she used to. Even when she's in her cradle - she would have 30 to 45-minutes naps, 3 to 4 times a day. But Alhamdulillah she goes to bed earlier these days, around 2300 hours to midnight, and wakes up once or twice for milk.

She gets tickled when we make funny noises or blow at her tummy and neck. But she's also an expert at staring blankly at us when we try to make her smile/laugh. We call that look the "Whatever!" or "That's not funny, Mummy/Ayah!" look, which looks something like the photo below. Hehe.

I think that's about it for this month's update, I can't wait to discover other surprises Dian Khayla has for Mr. Sunshine and I. :))

xoxo

and we're packing.

2011-12-14T10:38:00.003+08:00

I have been on leave for three weeks now, to finish what's left of my annual leave this year.

I am in the midst of packing up and will be moving out of here by the end of next week, InshaAllah. We have stopped sending Khayla to the babysitter since early this month, making me a temporary SAHM. Mum in-law was here last week, so I had a helping hand in getting most of our stuff into boxes, Alhamdulillah.

There are about 10 boxes so far.

As next week approaches, I am slowly starting to feel a bit pensive. It's gonna be tough being apart from Mr. Sunshine. :'( I can only pray that he gets transferred to KL/Selangor ASAP. Ameen.
I've gotta get my emotions in check because I don't want Mr. Sunshine to get all worried because of me. I've gotta be strong !
It must be even harder for Mr. Sunshine, being away from not only his family, but me (cewah !) & Khayla as well. *nangis*

I have spoken to the person in the Ministry of Health's HR department who is in charge of my pelepasan dengan izin and she is trying to speed up the process. I need to report for duty in UiTM in January, by hook or by crook !

I miss Mr. Sunshine already ! Is this normal ??
Sigh.

I shall go sit in one corner and mope until Khayla wakes up.

Bye.

xoxo

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rolling with the homies.

2011-11-30T16:38:00.002+08:00

Hello, here's a quick update on what has been going on during the past week:

I finally got my pelepasan dengan izin application signed. Alhamdulillah. I hope it won't take too long to get processed. I'm gonna bug the people in MOH everyday from now on.
Babysitter's issue has been resolved. Alhamdulillah. I'm still sending Khayla to the same sitter.
Juggling my career along with being a Mummy is exhausting (and stressful). HATS OFF TO ALL YOU SUPERMUMS OUT THERE ! But I'm so thankful for a very supportive and helpful hubby who doesn't mind chipping in on doing some house chores. Alhamdulillah. Mr. Sunshine, I can't thank you enough, so this is for you:

*pretty apt now that they've tripled in size, huh ? Hehe.

Khayla has started to roll over !! We just discovered this new talent of hers two nights ago. I was so excited I recorded it for my your viewing pleasure. Hehe. Well, to be honest there's a recording of her every day in my phone. I'm obsessed !

I'm soooo proud of my baby girl ! She can't roll from her back to the front YET but it's a great start ! :))

Enjoy the rest of the week, everyone ! Bye !

xoxo

dian khayla - 3 months progress report

2011-11-24T15:18:00.001+08:00

Khayla has evolved into a crybaby, since she turned 3 months. A real crybaby ! As you can read in my previous post, even the babysitter has trouble with her excessive crying. Her usual daily sleep time is around 12 to 1 am, and to put her to sleep is a constant struggle. She would cry and cry in between feedings (and some chit chat) for about 3 hours until she falls asleep. We've tried everything; rubbing her tummy with oil, rocking her, changing her diaper, walking around the house while carrying her, patting her to sleep etc etc; but she would just keep on crying until she decides she's sleepy enough to go to bed.
Mr. Sunshine and I even brought her to a man who claims he can help by reading Quranic verses to her. But so far, there's no change. It's worrying.
Some people tell me that she's just the type who loves to cry and it will (hopefully) get better as she gets older.
It can get pretty stressful for both Mr. Sunshine and I especially when we're sleep deprived and tired from work, but we're taking it one day at a time. InshaAllah. Allah does not burden a soul more than it can bear ! :)

Mr. Sunshine shaved her head a month ago. This was how she looked like then.

This is how her head looks like now.

No big difference but her hair is growing, slowly. Hehe.

She can hold her head up for longer periods now, and 'talk' and laugh while she does so (if she's in a good mood).

She does not cry that much anymore when getting dressed. I guess she finally figured out she can't get away from it, hehe. :)

She also enjoys sucking her hands at times. I used to think she was hungry but she would refuse milk, so I'm guessing she just enjoy sucking on them. Oh, and Alhamdulillah, Khayla is still fully breastfed. :)

When she's not crying, hehe, we can leave her on her mattress and she would entertain herself with the telly, laugh at the fan and talk to her dangling toys. :)
She would turn to look whenever we call out her name.

She only gained 500grams in the past month, so she is currently weighing 5.9kgs. As long as she's healthy and not losing weight, I'm happy. :)
In the past week I've noticed that she doesn't sleep as long as she used to when put in her cradle. Not too sure whether that trait's here to stay.

Khayla's currently down with runny nose. Poor baby, she had so much trouble falling asleep last night. :(
She finally dozed off at 0330 hours.

Pray she gets better soon, ok ? Bye !

xoxo

i resign.

2011-11-19T15:52:00.000+08:00

After 90 days of maternity leave and an extra day off, it was back to work for me last Monday. It felt as if it was my first day at work ever !
My memory of how to carry out work tasks were a bit fuzzy that day. Hehe.

I am currently recovering from a hectic past three weeks.
Marc and Linn were solemnized on Friday, November 11th, Alhamdulillah. Lene and I helped with the hantaran preparations. Their solemnization plans were kinda last minute, they got everything done within a month ! Phew ! Long story there, malas nak elaborate.
But Alhamdulillah everything went smoothly, and their reception will be held in February, InshaAllah.

Mr. Sunshine and I. :)

Faira, Aunty Maziey, Lene and I.

Alhamdulillah. Welcome to the family, Linn ! :D

The newlyweds. :)

Family picture - Khayla was getting tired, hehe.

Starting work also meant that I had to send Dian Khayla to a nursery/babysitter. We found a babysitter prior to Aidiladha but didn't have the time to send Khayla over for a 'trial period'. So we started sending Khayla there last Sunday.
I was so fortunate that Lene was still on her hols so she came over to help me with Khayla because Mr. Sunshine was away in Seremban for the whole week.
Surprisingly, leaving Khayla at the babysitter's was not as hard as I thought it would be. I guess all the mental preparation I had been doing worked !
Mental preparation - Repeat after me, "I have no choice, I have to work, and someone else has to take care of my baby. No two ways around it."
Just two days after taking care of Khayla, the babysitter sent me this:

I immediately broke down, my heart was aching to go pick Khayla up immediately. :'(
I can understand that it's not easy looking after Khayla, I'm exhausted everyday. But to give up just after a couple of days is heartbreaking. Sigh.
Since that text message, my mind wasn't at peace. I would go to work in the morning, wishing that it was 1700 hours already so that I can be with my baby again. It's like I'm letting my baby be taken care of by someone who was not sincere. :(

Mr. Sunshine and I are scouting for another sitter, but as at now we haven't found one. So we'd still have to send Khayla to the same person next week.
I'm trying my best not to worry too much. Not easy !

My situation at work is not helping either.
I haven't blogged about this before because I wanted it to be a surprise but looking at how things are right now, I might as well just tell the whole world what's going on. Haha. (fake laugh)
In June, I went for an interview for a Pharmacist post in UiTM and in August, just a week after Khayla was born, they told me I was offered the post in UiTM Shah Alam's Health Centre. Alhamdulillah. Sounds exciting doesn't it ?
Well, it was exciting until the director of the hospital I'm working at refuses to sign my pelepasan dengan izin application.
For those of you who don't get it, I'm working under the Ministry of Health (MOH), so in order to work with UiTM, I have to resign from MOH and if I want my three years of service in the government to be accounted for, I have to apply to be 'released with permission' a.k.a pelepasan dengan izin. I can just resign because resignation does not need anyone's approval but my three years of service will go down the drain.
I signed my resignation letter and pelepasan dengan izin application in early October and it hasn't been signed by her. She (the director) has no power to approve my application, MOH does, but I need her signature as my Ketua Jabatan. Her reason is that I have to complete my compulsory service which is ridiculous to me because I am not trying to run away from completing it, I am trying to continue the service in UiTM. Recently, after pharmacists were allowed to shorten our three-year compulsory service to one, I thought that would make things easier but nooooo, she still insists that I have to complete my compulsory service first. Sigh. It's absurd that after almost two months, my application hasn't even reached MOH yet !
After discussing with Mr. Sunshine and Daddy, I have decided to just resign. Tawar hati dah !
My three month's resignation notice ends on the 31st of December, so I'll start work in UiTM in January, InshaAllah.

I hope I'm doing the right thing, I hope it's what's best for me. Ameen.

Things are so overwhelming for me right now, physically, emotionally and mentally. I'm such a mess ! *nangis*

xoxo

artsy fartsy.

2011-11-09T20:13:00.002+08:00

Pardon my absence. Am super busy!

Will update as soon as I get the chance to.

xoxo

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kiss from a rose.

2011-10-28T09:20:00.000+08:00

I was 10 when I first heard this song. 17 years have passed and it still gives me goosebumps every single time I listen to it.

xoxo

sos ! ebm distress !

2011-10-27T15:21:00.001+08:00

Starting tomorrow, I will be traveling around for the next two weeks. Mr. Sunshine, Dian Khayla and I will be heading to Kerteh tomorrow afternoon, as Mr. Sunshine has an exhibition to prepare for and handle on Saturday (29th).
We'll be spending the night at Gombak (yay !) on Saturday and leave for Malacca on Sunday. Mr. Sunshine has a 4-day convention and we're tagging along with hopes of getting to do a bit of sightseeing along the way. Also because we're planning to head back to Batu Pahat after Mr. Sunshine is done with his convention.
Then it's back to Gombak on Saturday (5th) for Raya Haji, after spending three nights in Batu Pahat. After that, I'll be staying back in Gombak, while Mr. Sunshine goes back to Kuala Berang on the 7th (Monday) and comes back to Gombak on the 10th (Thursday), for an important family event which is happening on Friday, the 11th, InshaAllah.
We'll be saying hi to Kuala Berang on Saturday, the 12th.
And I start work on the following Monday !

Oh boy, I'm panting from just typing all of that !
Not that I needed to write down every detail, but I wanted to ! Hah.

Now, my primary concern is how I'm gonna squeeze the task of stocking up my freezer with my EBM into all that traveling.
Mr Sunshine and I only have a one-door fridge here in Kuala Berang, hence, sad to say, the ones that I have stored in the freezer are definitely going to waste. Sobs !
Hopefully I can still save the ones I placed below the freezer by carrying them along in a cooler bag.
I have no idea how to make sure I have enough EBM for Khayla once I start work, now that I have to hop from one place to another in this crucial last two weeks. :(

Help !

xoxo

the chronicles of my weight (gain).

2011-10-23T15:01:00.000+08:00

Khayla has been asleep since 1300 hours just now.
I have managed to freshen up, express milk, have lunch, perform my Zuhur prayers and tidy up the house a little. I've tried going back to bed but my eyes just won't shut.
Since I have nothing better to do, I thought I'd put up a post on my pre and post pregnancy weight fluctuations. Narcissistic, much ?

I am gonna file this post under my 'notes to self' label to remind me that I still have a few kilos to shed and not to overeat like tak sedar diri. :)

Before I got hitched, my weight was around 54 to 55 kgs, which was considered normal for my height. I've always been curvy, blessed with (huge) boobs and (huge) hips. My other body parts are considerably smaller, which is why I think a number of people wouldn't believe me when I told them I weighed 54kgs. There were even some who thought I weighed 10 kgs lighter !
But as Oprah puts it, it's not about the number on the scale, ......okay so I forgot the rest of the quote but you get the picture, don't you ? Haha.

Moving on !

1. I got married in January 2010 and I lost 2kgs for my wedding.

January 2010 - 52 kgs

2. By November 2010, I gained back the 2kgs I lost. Hehe.

November 2010 - 54 kgs

3. In March 2011, and at 16 weeks pregnant, I had already gained 3kgs.

March 2011, 16 weeks pregnant - 57 kgs

4. The weight was steadily piling on as the weeks progressed.

April 2011, 20 weeks pregnant - 59.5 kgs

5. May 2011 - There was just no stopping me at that time. I was happily putting on 5 kgs within a month ! The nurses at my antenatal clinic wasn't so pleased. Hehe.

May 2011, 24 weeks pregnant - 64.5 kgs

6. In June 2011, my weight skyrocketed, again !

June 2011, 28 weeks pregnant - 68 kgs

7. July 2011 - I just couldn't stop getting fatter. Haha. But by this time, the weight increment was slower than the previous two months. Phew !

July 2011, 32 weeks - 69.5 kgs

8. In August 2011, it dawned on me that I had gained about 16 kgs throughout my pregnancy ! Woahhhh !

August 2011, 32 weeks - 70.5 kgs

9. About a month after I delivered my precious baby Dian Khayla, I only managed to shed about 7 kgs off ! *nangis*

September 2011, 3 weeks post-partum - 63 kgs

10. To date, I have lost a total of 10kgs, and I still need to lose another 6 kgs to get to my pre-pregnancy weight.

October 2011, 2 months post-partum - 59 kgs

I've got around 2 inches to lose around my hips in order for me to fit into most of my old baju kurungs a.k.a my work clothes. If I don't lose 'em, looks like Mr. Sunshine's gotta take me on a shopping spree ! Hehe.

I'm lucky I can still squeeze myself into a couple of baju kurungs, because I had a wedding to attend yesterday.
Here's to hoping I get to say goodbye to my extra kilos, soon !

xoxo

dian khayla - 2 months progress report

2011-10-19T13:23:00.003+08:00

Khayla now weighs a whopping 5.4 kgs.

She didn't get her immunization shots during her 2 months check up because the vaccines were out of stock. The clinic's gonna give us a call when they've replenished their stocks. I'm still thinking whether it's necessary to bring Khayla to a private clinic to get jabbed.

These days, we get a lot of gurgling, cooing, ooohs and aaahhhs from her along with lots of smiles and if we're lucky we can get a cute laugh out of her.

She can lift her head up for short periods while she's lying on her tummy.

I've also noticed that she can stay focused on objects and people (and the telly !) for a longer extent of time.

She still enjoys her bath time and still wails when we try to get her dressed no matter how hard we try to distract her.
Alhamdulillah, she's still fully breastfed, and I am (very, VERY) slowly stocking my freezer up with my EBM.

Mr. Sunshine and I have decided to get her an electric cradle. Khayla sleeps better and longer in the cradle during the day which has resulted in her being less cranky and fussy, Alhamdulillah. Not to mention, more time for me to catch up on much needed sleep, complete house chores, express milk, and eat at a slower pace to avoid indigestion. Hehe.
However, I don't use the cradle to put her to sleep at night, and if I do put her in it during the day, it's only when she's almost asleep, just to give the nudge she needs to sleep soundly.
I don't want her to depend on the cradle to fall asleep.

We have also tried giving her an orthodontic pacifier to calm her at times. She refused to suck on it the first few times, but is slowly getting used to it.
I know some parents would be against the idea of giving their child a pacifier, but I also know a number of parents who have successfully raised their children while using a pacifier with no problems at all. Plus, it's not like she's sucking on it 24 hours a day, and I would always offer her my breasts first. :)
Everything has their advantages and disadvantages. What's best for one baby might not be suitable for another.

I can't believe it has been 2 months already ! Alhamdulillah. :)

xoxo

decisions, decisions, decisions.

2011-10-17T20:55:00.000+08:00

I have a couple of important decisions to make.
I am praying for a sign to let me make the right ones.
Ameen.

xoxo

babies don't really need to bathe, right ?

2011-10-12T21:48:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone. I'm writing from my hotel room in Sutera Inn, Kota Bharu where I'm accompanying Mr. Sunshine who's attending a course here.
This would be our first stay at a hotel with Dian Khayla, and I have been adjusting the air-cond temperature every two minutes (yes, exactly two minutes) because I'm worried that she'll freeze or fall sick.
Another worry is that how am I gonna bathe Khayla tomorrow morning. Most of the people I've asked have told me I could use the sink, but I have little confidence in my abilities to bathe her in such a small space.

How lah ?

We're fortunate that the room they provided us with comes with one queen-sized bed plus a twin-sized one. I'm planning to put Dian Khayla to sleep on the twin-sized bed, surrounded by lots of pillows so she won't roll and fall off the bed. Choy !
She can't exactly 'roll' yet lah kan, but there have been a few mornings on which I have woken up to find her head not on her pillow anymore and her legs and butt were off her mattress !
It's a good thing we're all sleeping on the floor at home. Hehe.

I'm such a worry wart.

There's a peculiar stench in this room. Hmm.

xoxo

and it's down to the three of us

2011-10-07T16:28:00.000+08:00

I am back in Kuala Berang with Mr Sunshine and Dian Khayla.

Mr Sunshine started work last Wednesday which means I have been left alone at home during the day with Khayla for two days already.

It's just you and me, baby. :)

Khayla has not been sleeping much during the day for the past two weeks (about half an hour at a time and a maximum of 1.5 hours in total), but she has been sleeping for longer stretches at night (3-4 hours). This is a total opposite from how she was a month ago when she would sleep soundly during the day and have trouble going to bed at night, Alhamdulillah. However, without anyone around during the day, it can get pretty hectic because I have to squeeze eating, bathing, house chores etc within her short naps. Not easy !

I am still trying to adapt to the daily lack of sleep and panda eyes that come with taking care of a baby. I think I'm starting to look something like this now..

Tetap maintain comel ok. Hehe.

Mr. Sunshine stopped in Kuantan on our way back to Terengganu last Sunday and Khayla had her first official (brief) outing !
She was awake and enjoyed sightseeing while Mr Sunshine carried her around Berjaya Megamall but dozed off as soon as our Kenny Rogers' meals arrived, as if she was giving her parents a chance to eat together, peacefully. Hehe. Oh, but not before she was fed. It was my first time breastfeeding in public and I managed to be discreet about it, thanks to my hijab and nursing blouse I bought from Autumnz. :)

Khayla, asleep in Kenny Rogers. :)

Speaking of breastfeeding, I've encountered a few humps in my breastfeeding journey. Hyperlactation (only in my left breast), just to name one. Khayla frequently has a difficult time feeding comfortably due to that. She's also the type who wants to be fed at frequent intervals, so it can get pretty exhausting for me. Overfeeding and reflux has been an occasional problem for us, because it comes with projectile vomiting. How can you not panic when your one month old's vomit 'flies' almost half a meter across the room and comes out through her nose too ?

I am hoping to be able to exclusively breastfeed Khayla for at least 6 months, even better if I can continue to do so until she's two, InshaAllah.
But I haven't started to store any expressed breast milk (EBM) yet, so that's definitely a cause for worry for me !
I tried expressing my milk last week while we were in Gombak and had trouble trying to give Khayla the milk through a bottle. She refused the bottle if I was the one holding it, but was drinking fine for two days when Lene fed her. So far, I haven't tried again. But I know I will have to real soon ! I'm currently trying to find time to express milk when I am alone at home with Khayla, but without any success. Gulp.

Gotta stay positive !

My maternity leave ends in about a month's time and we haven't found a babysitter yet. Mr Sunshine and I better do something about this, pronto !
I cannot imagine having to leave my baby with someone else. Sobs. :(
I have no idea where to start when it comes to searching for a babysitter here in Kuala Berang. :(

Gotta stay positive !

Who am I trying to kid, those who know me well know that optimism and I don't go hand in hand. Hehe.

I am aware that this whole post is about Khayla, but at the moment there's nothing interesting going on in my life except for her, so please bear with me. Hehe.

Have a good weekend, everyone. Bye !

xoxo

and i'm free !

2011-09-26T13:19:00.001+08:00

Day 45.
Confinement is over, baby !
Alhamdulillah.

I am back in Gombak. Home sweet home. Nothing feels better than being back here. It would be great if Mr. Sunshine could be here with me, but this is good enough. Alhamdulillah.

On our way back to Gombak from Batu Pahat. :)

My confinement period was not as bad as I thought it would be. Maybe because my mum in-law wasn't so strict and I wasn't so strict on myself either ! Haha.

Diet - I had fish on most days, which is an achievement for someone who is not a fan of fish. I am more of a chicken person. Now that the confinement period is over, I am thinking of staying away from fish dishes for a year. Haha. I had to stay away from 'cooling' food (I still don't understand this concept of heaty and cooling food) and food that will make my episiotomy wound itch. I was supposed to limit my fluid intake, but I found that ridiculous, how can I breastfeed and avoid constipation without drinking sufficient water ? So I chugged down at least 2 liters of water a day.

Urut - I was actually looking forward to this part of the confinement only to realize that it is not pleasant at all ! It was super painful ! I wasn't excited about the following urut sessions.

Bengkung - I quite enjoyed being wrapped in a bengkung. The only problem I had with it was having to remove and put it back on when I go to the toilet. I am still wearing my bengkung now. :)

Param and pilis - Hate them. Full stop.

Socks - I took them off everytime I went to bed. I like to rub my feet against each other before I go to bed, so wearing socks was out of the question. Haha.

So far I have lost only about 9 kgs. I have 7 kgs more to lose to get to my pre pregnancy weight. Right now it's looking like an impossible feat.

Baby Dian Khayla is doing good, Alhamdulillah. She's still fully breastfed and at her one month check up, she weighed 4.2 kgs.

Khayla after her one month check up.

She almost lost her voice a couple of days ago which I think is due to all the crying she has been doing. She is the type of baby who really, really cries with all her heart. Hehe.
She smiles and laugh occasionally, loves her bath time but hates having to put on her clothes after that. She usually sleeps through the day and stays up through the night. Except for these past few days where she had no trouble going to bed at night because she was awake most of the time in the day.
Today might be different, because she's asleep now.

Motherhood (and breastfeeding !) is challenging. But I feel blessed for every single second of it. Alhamdulillah.

Khayla's awake, gotta go now, bye !

xoxo

confinement blues.

2011-09-03T21:27:00.001+08:00

Day 22 of confinement.
I am halfway through ! Alhamdulillah.
Mr. Sunshine is back in Kuala Berang as he starts work tomorrow, so it's me and Khayla at my in-laws.
I have got to admit that I'm not coping so well emotionally.
I think it's partly due to the lack of sleep which every new parent is bound to experience with a newborn.
I have been so accustomed to getting at least 7 hours of sleep every night before this, so adapting to 1 to 2 hours of sleep is tough !
Khayla is not the only baby in this house, because I have also had my share of crying spells. Sometimes I just break down for no obvious reason. Exhaustion maybe ?
It's painful not to have Mr Sunshine by my side because he is the one who has been my rock, comforting and consoling me without fail, rubs my back when I am nursing Khayla in the middle of the night, hugs me the minute he sees tears in my eyes and of course he is my partner in putting Khayla to sleep. :'(
Mr. Sunshine, if you're reading this, I miss you and I need you. *nangis*

I know I should be grateful to have my in-laws here taking care of me and trust me, I am ! But I am sure wives out there would understand how it is like being away from your husbands. Especially in times like these.

I hope I don't end up with post-partum depression.

22 days old Dian Khayla is doing good, Alhamdulillah.
She feeds, poops, pees, cries and sleeps every day. Hehe.

This year is my first year celebrating Eid as a mother, Alhamdulillah. I had to borrow my sister in-law's baju kurung this year as I foolishly didn't get one for myself (and Mr. Sunshine) and also because I can't fit into the one I brought from Kuala Berang.
Daddy, Marc, Lene and Linn came over on the third day of Eid and spent half a day here. :)
Here are a few of my Eid snapshots.

Khayla with Atuk ! ;)

Khayla with her Uncle and Aunts. :)

My awesome in-laws. :)

My everything. :)

I pray for the strength to get through the days ahead. Ameen.
I need to stay strong for Khayla.

GOTTA

STAY

POSITIVE !

*nangis*

xoxo

aidilfitri 1432H.

2011-08-29T19:42:00.000+08:00

Salam Aidilfitri, Maaf Zahir & Batin everyone !
Have a safe, joyous & blessed Eid. :)

And a very Happy 54th Merdeka day Malaysians ! :D

Love from Mr Sunshine, baby Khayla & I.

xoxo

sixty one.

2011-08-26T00:35:00.007+08:00

Happy 61st Birthday Mummy.

Tomorrow will mark 5 years since you left us.
Al-Fatihah.

Allah is so Great, he took you away in the month of August and has blessed me with my beautiful baby Khayla in this very same month too.
She was actually due yesterday, a day before your birthday. :)

I want you to know that I miss you even more these days, with the birth of Khayla, and Raya just around the corner. All around the same time of your birthday and the anniversary of your passing. :'(
When I was going through the pains of delivering Khayla, my thoughts and prayers were always of you.
I am reminded of you when I stare at Khayla.
I think I am stuck with the baby blues because there are times tears would just fall down my cheeks for no reason at all.
Oh how I wish you were still around to see how amazing your granddaughter is.
She may look demure, but wait until you hear her cry !
It's not easy putting her to sleep at night. But Daddy told me, "You won't know the meaning of patience until you have a child."
I wish you were around to give me tips and advice and help me bring up my daughter to be a beautiful person inside and out, just like you.
No matter how great my in-laws are, deep down inside, I still wish I could be with you during this period of confinement.
I am not gonna lie, it's pretty tough putting on a strong face when my insides are all in bits and pieces. But I know it's another phase I have to go through.

I wish I was as strong as you.

I miss you Mummy.
Al-Fatihah.

Ramadhan blessing: Having a mum and sisters in-law who would go the extra mile just to take care of me during confinement. Alhamdulillah.

xoxo

the birth of dian khayla.

2011-08-22T21:43:00.003+08:00

As some of you may already know, it all started with the bloody show on August 11th (Thursday).

It turned out to be a bloody long show.
I kept on bleeding the whole day that day.
At around 1300 hours that same day, I felt a gush of fluid coming out, but when I checked it was still mucus and a blob of blood.
I figured that it was about time I checked into the hospital.
We left for Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu at around 1420 hours and reached about an hour later.
I was advised to go straight to the admissions room, where there so many other expectant mothers waiting.
Can you take a guess what time I managed to get myself examined by the doctor ?
At 2200 hours !!
I was in the room waiting, with blood coming out of me, for MORE THAN SIX HOURS !!
Poor Mr. Sunshine who had to wait outside during the whole process. I got to accompany him during berbuka time in the car. (My last McDonald's meal before confinement !)
Ridiculous tak ?
Ok ok I won't start complaining.
Anyway, when the doctor finally did the VE on me, I found out that I wasn't dilated yet and by using a speculum (OUCH !), she didn't find any 'pool of liqua' indicating that I am not leaking amniotic fluid.
I was admitted that night.

Friday, August 12, 2011.

I had trouble sleeping the night before due to on and off cramps. No contractions, but there was still blood tinged mucus present.
Mum in-law arrived by bus from Batu Pahat that morning at 0630 hours.
I might have soaked about half a pad with blood since admission. I had blobs of blood coming out too, whenever I went to pee.

0830 hours
A junior medical officer came to see me and told me that the blobs of blood was normal. He thinks that I can be allowed to go home that day and might only be going into labour in about 3 days time but he needed to discuss with a more senior colleague first.
He even told me that there was no problem with me wanting to go back to Batu Pahat that day to deliver my baby.

0930 hours
The same medical officer came along with another senior female doctor who told me I needed to stay another night just for observation.

1120 hours
I was lying on my side, replying smses from friends when I felt fluid gushing out down there. I sat up straight, and fluid was still gushing out.
Then only it occurred to me that my waterbag had broke ! I immediately walked to the nurses' counter and told me what had happened and a few minutes later a medical officer performed another VE and a speculum test (double OUCH !!). It was confirmed, I was leaking amniotic fluid and my cervix was 1 cm dilated.

1300 hours
I wet my bed with my amniotic fluid. Thought things like that only happened in movies.
Contractions were about an hour apart. Pain was bearable.

2230 hours
My contractions were getting more and more painful, and they were 10 minutes apart. I was literally shivering in pain. A nurse performed another VE on me only to find that my cervix was STILL only 1 cm dilated ! I immediately broke down into tears and had to call Mr. Sunshine to come in for awhile. I just couldn't comprehend how it could only be 1 cm dilated after hours of pain that has been getting more intense !

Saturday, August 13, 2011

0250 hours
My painful contractions which kept me awake were about 5 minutes apart by now. I was quivering in pain, reciting the Surah Kursi and doa Nabi Yunus over and over again.

0348 hours
A VE was done, my cervix was 4 cm dilated. The nurses told me they're gonna wheel me into the labour room once I was 5 cm dilated. I was given a glycerin (Ravin) enema to empty my bowels. The nurses understood that I was in a lot of pain that they gave me the number to their counter in front and told me to call them when the pain gets worse.
I couldn't imagine the pain getting any worse than that.

0430 hours
My contractions were getting unbearable. I called up the nurses, and to my relief, I was already 5 cm dilated. I texted Mr. Sunshine (who was waiting outside the whole time) and told him to get ready as I will be entering the labour room soon.

0500 hours-0830 hours
Mr. Sunshine was with me in the labour room. I was screaming in pain. Yes, I screamed and apparently I was the loudest in the room, according to Mr. Sunshine. Haha. I was twisting and turning on the bed which made it difficult for the doctors and nurses to get a stable heartbeat from the baby. They needed to know that the baby was alright before injecting me with any analgesics. I was already 6 cm dilated so it was too late for an epidural.
They injected me with Pethidine, a narcotic analgesic, which didn't work at all for me. It just made me a bit groggy.
As a last resort, one of the nurses passed a nitrous oxide gas mask to Mr. Sunshine and told him to give it to me whenever I had my contractions. That worked better for me, although the pain was still excruciating !

0830 hours
I seriously felt like emptying my bowel, and I kept telling Mr. Sunshine that I couldn't stand it anymore, I am gonna poop ! The nurse checked me and I was already 10 cm dilated ! Finally !

0855 hours - 0859 hours
She gave me instructions on how to push (which I could barely hear because I was high on Pethidine, haha). But I gave it a shot nevertheless, and I could hear the nurse telling Mr Sunshine to take a peek at the baby's head which was crowning. She told me to push again, after performing an episiotomy, and with all my heart I pushedddddddd !
And out came my little precious gem !
And with that, all the pain disappeared.
The nurse held her up and asked me to identify the sex of my baby, before cutting the umbilical cord and placing my baby on my chest.
Usually this is the moment where mothers cry at the sight of their newborns, right ? And you would expect a crybaby like me to wail, right ?
Believe it or not, I didn't shed a tear ! I was so exhausted, I just smiled. Haha.
Mr. Sunshine held baby Khayla and recited the azan. It was such a beautiful picture ! :)

Alhamdulillah, Khayla and I were discharged from the hospital the following Sunday afternoon and made our way back to Batu Pahat with Mr. Sunshine and mum in-law on Monday morning. :)

Am currently at my in-laws, and will be staying here until the end of my confinement period, InshaAllah.

I'll leave you all with a photo of our baby Khayla at 5 days old.

Ramadhan blessing: Having Mr. Sunshine here with me for the first half of my confinement period. Alhamdulillah.

xoxo

and her name is...

2011-08-19T00:01:00.005+08:00

Dian Khayla binti Mohd Syafiq

Dian - "Light, Cahaya"

Khayla - "Beautiful, Cantik"

My Beautiful Light with her Ayah a.k.a Mr. Sunshine. :)

Ramadhan blessing: Seeing my daughter smile in her sleep. Subhanallah. :)

xoxo

hello everyone..

2011-08-15T05:46:00.002+08:00

..I have finally arrived !

After 21 hours of labour and 4-minutes of pushing (my Mummy's awesome !), Mummy has safely delivered me into this world !
I was born at Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah, Kuala Terengganu at exactly 0859 hours, weighing 2.56 kilograms (I know, I'm pretty tiny, so I guess all that weight Mummy gained was hers after all, haha !) and I was a champion because I pooped and peed immediately after I popped out !
Ayah has told Mummy to wait until he announces my name 'officially' (his exact words), but Mummy is so anxious to let everyone know, she keeps asking Ayah every 5 minutes, "Bila boleh bagi tahu niiiii ??"

As much that I am excited to grow up, at the time being I am focusing on keeping Mummy awake all night to feed me. Nyums.
Until next time, bye !

xoxo (Mummy says this means hugs and kisses)

week 38 update.

2011-08-11T10:35:00.001+08:00

I have just entered my 38th week of pregnancy. Alhamdulillah...

...and I think I just lost my mucus plug.

Menstrual-like cramps accompanied my sleep last night, and when I woke up to prepare sahur at about 0440 hours, I noticed blood-tinged mucus on my pantyliner. TMI, sorry, haha.
I panicked for a bit and woke Mr. Sunshine up, but then continued to prepare our sahur.
We had sardine sandwiches.

I panicked when I realized that I hadn't washed the baby's bedsheet, pillow & bolster cases, so I immediately put them to wash after sahur.
I changed my pantyliner for Subuh prayers and after that, told Mr. Sunshine to get some sleep, just in case I had to go into labour soon.

As for me, I wasn't experiencing any pain, just slight menstrual-like discomfort, but I was sweating out of nervousness, and I couldn't go back to sleep ! I texted Lene to let her know what's going on.

Then at around 0640 hours, I remember that I haven't charged my camera's battery. How to take photos of my baby ?? Haha. So of course, I put my camera battery to charge.

At 0730 hours, I went to the hospital, punched in for work and went straight to the maternity ward. The nurse did a vaginal exam (VE) on me, and told me I wasn't dilated yet. "Baru buka sebesar tip of the finger." was what she said. So I chose to go home first, and was given the day off by my boss. Mr. Sunshine is here with me, he took an emergency leave.

By the way, the VE was an unpleasant experience. Hehe.

So here I am, at home. I've told Daddy, mum in-law, and my best friends and they're all praying for me. :)

Feeling pretty sleepy right now. I've noticed painless irregular contractions, but they could be Braxton Hicks. So I'm just gonna wait until my waterbag ruptures or when I get more frequent (and painful) contractions.
I could be like a fellow blogger, Dina, who had her bloody show last Saturday, yet still no sign of labour progressing until now.

I'm just praying, and waiting.
Pray for me ya ! :)

Ramadhan blessing: Celebrating 13 years of beautiful friendship with my best friend, Akhir. MashaAllah.

xoxo

lizard dreams.

2011-08-08T06:56:00.002+08:00

Good morning everyone. :)
It's another beautiful Ramadhan morning !

Since it's just the two of us, sahur for Mr. Sunshine and I have always been simple. I would either fry some rice, fry eggs and sausages or make french toast etc etc.
This morning I made chocolate chip pancakes. :)

Fasting was a bit of a challenge for me yesterday, I felt extremely weak and by the time I got back home from work, I was literally shaking and had to lie down.
What's amazing was that Mini Mel was super active the whole day yesterday.
It's as though she was telling me that she's alright and giving me strength to continue fasting. :)
And that's what I did. Alhamdulillah.

Last night as I was wiping my face before going to bed, a baby lizard jumped on my arms ! I pushed it off and it landed on my towel. I assumed it was there the whole while and I was the one 'invading its territory'. I vigorously shook my towel, but it didn't budge for a good one minute or so. When it finally did, images of it crawling into my ears, nose and other body cavities of mine haunted me.
I had trouble falling asleep !

This morning I hesitated for a bit before touching my towel.
Now that I think about it, I think I'm gonna put it to wash. Hmm.

Mr. Sunshine came home with a surprise yesterday.

A Sweet Cherry SCR7 Carrier Carseat !
Wheee !
He has been scouting for a baby carseat/stroller for quite some time now. :)
Thank you sayang !
Now let's pray our baby will have no problems adjusting to being in the seat. Hehe.

Ramadhan blessing: Still having the energy to go to work and not have gastric attacks. Alhamdulillah.

xoxo

partiality.

2011-08-06T21:38:00.000+08:00

Thank you Allah for giving me the strength to fast for the past 6 days.
So far there hasn't been any fainting spells, only occasional dizziness which go away if I sit or lie down.

Yesterday was the last Friday that I had to work before I give birth. No more working on the weekends ! Woohoo !
We welcomed two new Pharmacists to the hospital last week, one Provisionally Registered Pharmacist (PRP) and one Fully Registered Pharmacist (FRP).
Reshuffling of current posts is in the works.
I haven't really figured out how I feel about all the changes.
Hmm.

If all goes well, I'm hoping I get to go back to Gombak for at least one night before heading back to Batu Pahat before my EDD. Daddy agrees that it's a good idea to break the trip into two, so that we can rest in between.
Apart from that, I really want a chance to break fast with Daddy, Marc & Lene, since I didn't have the chance to do so last year. :(

Uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions are quite common these days.
I can only imagine how real contractions feel like.

The weekend's almost over for me, sigh ! Gotta get my mind ready for work tomorrow.
Bye.

Ramadhan blessing: The appreciative smile I get from Mr. Sunshine's when he's stuffed with the food I cook for berbuka.

xoxo

tainted.

2011-08-05T06:34:00.001+08:00

And whoever is patient and forgives - indeed, that is of the matters [requiring] determination. (Ash-Shuraa 42:43)

Ramadhan blessing: Performing jama'ah prayers with Mr. Sunshine. Alhamdulillah.

xoxo

90/60.

2011-08-01T15:16:00.000+08:00

Well, my 1st day of fasting is going ok so far. Alhamdulillah.
It might be due to the fact that I took the day off today.
The real challenge of fasting would be tomorrow.

To start things, thought I'd share a picture of me which Mr. Sunshine took this morning. :)

A sleep-deprived me at 36 weeks and 5 days. :)

I had my weekly antenatal checkup this morning and my blood pressure was on the low side, 90/60mmHg.
It was probably a result of staying up too late last night.
Lack of sleep = exhaustion.

Mr. Sunshine and I had pizza, pasta & chicken wings from Pizza Hut for dinner plus a few slices of Sarawak layer cake for dessert last night, so we decided to just have something to drink for sahur.
I have always been used to not eating and only drinking plain water for sahur, but this morning I had milk, since milk has been my staple breakfast for the past 9 months. :)

I don't usually have dates for sahur or berbuka. But this year, because of how good they are for baby and I, I have vowed to try to incorporate dates into my diet, however distasteful they are to me. :p
Mr. Sunshine bought Chocodates, which are dates covered with chocolate and almonds replacing the seeds of the dates.

I think it's an awesome alternative for people (who don't fancy dates) like me. :)

Oooooh, guess what arrived in the mail yesterday ?

.........
.....
...

My post natal set and tummy binder (bengkung) !

Bought from Kak Engku.

After considering online reviews and advice from friends and family, I've opted for the post natal set from Nona Roguy. I don't know whether I'd be able to follow through with the whole set but it's worth a try. :)

These arrived too..

From FabulousMom. :)

And as you can see, I've chosen the Spectra 3 breast pump (with the extra breast shield set for dual pumping). I gave the pump a try last night, it's not as noisy as I had expected it to be. I can't comment on it's milk expression efficiency yet though. Hehe.

Mr Sunshine has disallowed me from cooking, hence I haven't got a clue what we'll be having for berbuka today. I am more than willing to prepare a berbuka meal for us, but I guess not today.

Just a few more hours to go, I can do it !

Ramadhan blessing: Listening to the heartbeat of my baby through a fetal doppler. Subhanallah.

xoxo

ramadhan 1432H.

2011-08-01T00:21:00.001+08:00

Salam Ramadhan everyone !

I'm hoping I will be able to fast smoothly along with the rest of you, well that is until Mini Mel says hello. Ameen.

Happy fasting, let's get busy collecting pahalas. :)

xoxo

week 36 update.

2011-07-28T23:21:00.002+08:00

Woah, time sure flies !
Alhamdulillah.

At 9 months pregnant, I am having a hard time keeping my cool. I've gotta admit I am more nervous than excited.

Thanks Google Images !

I have noticed that my belly has dropped slightly, which means that Mini Mel's is slowly making her way down my pelvis.
This must be the reason I have been experiencing persistent menstrual like cramps along with lower back pains. Walking gets slightly uncomfortable at times. I have to adjust to walking at a slower pace than usual. Mr. Sunshine would be happy to hear this because he keeps asking me why I need to walk so fast everyday. Err, I am just a natural 'fast walker' ?

Baby squirms a lot.
Mummy pees a lot.
Haha. Ok, not funny.

I am far from having the burst of energy a.k.a 'nesting instinct' some expectant mums are said to acquire around this time. Instead I feel like I am getting lazier as the days go by. If only I could laze around at home these days. But I know that's just unhealthy and I need to keep moving especially during this last month of pregnancy, and that's what I plan to (try to) do. InshaAllah. :)

Thanks Google Images !

Alhamdulillah so far, my feet and legs are appearing slightly larger than usual but they're not edematous and there are no signs of stretch marks on my belly. YET.
It's either I'm blessed with really thick skin or the fact that I have been religiously applying olive oil on my belly since I found out I was preggers is working.
But then again, I might be speaking too soon.

I don't think we're allowed to have jeweleries on us in the labour room, so instead of waiting until the last minute and risk misplacing them, I have just removed both my engagement and wedding rings. Well, my fingers have also puffed up a bit so it's better that I removed them now rather than having trouble removing them later on.
I just hope they'd still fit me after the delivery. Hehe.

I have more or less one month to go ! InshaAllah.

"There is no deity except You; exalted are You. Indeed, I have been of the wrongdoers." (Al-Anbya' 21:87)

xoxo

on how to make a mushroom omelette.

2011-07-23T21:58:00.001+08:00

Last weekend, Mr. Sunshine and I had mushroom omelette sandwiches for dinner. I made pasta for lunch that day so we were pretty stuffed.

Daddy makes THE BEST mushroom omelette.
And he obviously knows he does.
I sent a text message to Daddy asking for tips on how to make a good mushroom omelette and he replied with the whole recipe. Haha.

And this is how my mushroom omelette looked like:

Not very appealing huh ?
Mr Sunshine thought it was delicious and went back for seconds, but I would rather have Daddy make some for me. Hehe.

xoxo

send someone to love me.

2011-07-22T14:52:00.003+08:00

Mr Sunshine and I went shopping for baby stuff yesterday after work. Bought a couple more pairs of baby clothes, a baby bathing tub, a bedding set, disposable diapers and a few other necessities.
I was pretty excited and surprisingly energized that there were even times I was the one telling Mr. Sunshine to rest and wait for me while I walked up and down the staircase of the departmental store looking for stuff. But of course he wouldn't leave me to do all that walking on my own. Hehe.
It's no surprise that all that energy I had fizzled just after 2 hours of shopping. Hehe.

There are some other things that I am planning to get before giving birth:
(All images are from Google Images)

1) A breast pump.

As I intend to breastfeed my baby exclusively, I wanted to get a dual pump. But considering the cost, I have decided to go with a single electric pump, the Medela Swing. The only problem or question that I have with a single pump is, will my other breast leak milk while I am pumping ? If it does, then wouldn't it be a total waste ? Should I get a cheaper manual pump to pump both sides ? *pening*

The main reasons that I have chosen Medela Swing is because of its 2 Phase Expression Technology, similar to Freestyle which has garnered so much positive reviews. Plus it can operate on batteries too, which I think would come in handy if I happen to be stuck in a jam or whenever there's a blackout. Hehe.

2) Nursing bras

I've only bought one pair of these so I definitely need more.

3) A nursing pillow.

I consider this a necessity because I am prone to have back pains and sore arms etc etc. Prevention is always better than cure. :D

I sure hope whatever we have purchased for Mini Mel is enough at least until I finish my confinement period.
Speaking of which, I will be in Batu Pahat after I give birth, InshaAllah. Mum in-law will be taking care of me and baby during my confinement. As much as I want to give birth in KL, near Daddy, Marc and Marlene, it's best that I deliver my baby as near as possible to my in-laws. Hence, Batu Pahat would be the wisest choice.
I've been having my good share of sleepless nights about this. I have never stayed over at my in-laws without Mr. Sunshine and that's something I've gotta prepare myself for because I can't expect Mr. Sunshine to take a whole month's leave to stay with me. He obviously has to go back to work.
Now don't take this the wrong way, my in-laws are great, but being away from Mr Sunshine (and Daddy, Marc & Lene) while I deal with postpartum pain, and the pressures of adjusting to being a new mum is something I am not sure I am capable enough to deal with. :(

I know it's all for the best, for both baby and I.
I hope the one week leave before my EDD will be approved.
I hope I get to go back in time to deliver my baby in Batu Pahat.
Ameen.

But at the end of the day, we can only plan. InshaAllah.

xoxo

out of sorts.

2011-07-20T21:03:00.000+08:00

Credits to Google Images.

xoxo

did they hear that ?

2011-07-18T20:50:00.000+08:00

I am finding it hard to put into words how I am feeling right now.
It's the sucky after-feeling of when you've maxed out your energy meter by building up so much anxiety for something.
It's how your heart just can't stop keeping still after that something ends, yet your mind's just blank.

I'm not making sense, aren't I ?

xoxo

guess who's next !

2011-07-16T10:25:00.001+08:00

Alhamdulillah, my bestie Diana has given birth to a healthy baby boy last night, 10 days earlier from her estimated due date (EDD) ! Alhamdulillah.
I am super happy ! I am sooooo proud of her !

I was on pins and needles waiting for good news since she told me she was on the way to the hospital three nights ago.

Congratulations to her & hubby, Hanan ! Yay !

not being able to meet you for the past year is unacceptable.

2011-07-13T08:00:00.000+08:00

I miss you so very much. :'(

One year is just too long, toooooo long ! *nangis*

xoxo

50 Things You Need to Know About Marital Relationships

2011-07-09T11:07:00.000+08:00

Excerpted from Al Maghrib Institute’s “Fiqh of Love” seminar with Shaykh Waleed Basyouni.

I came across this quite some time ago, felt that it's worth sharing. :)

1. Great relationships don’t just happen; they are created. You have to work at it.
2. If your job takes all of your best energy, your marriage will suffer.
3. One of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse is your own happiness.
4. It is possible to love and hate someone at the same time.
5. When you complain about your spouse to your friends, remember that their feedback can be distorted.
6. The only rules in your marriage are those you both choose to agree with.
7. It is not conflict that destroys marriage; it is the cold, smoldering resentment that you hold for a long time.
8. It’s not what you’ve got, it’s what you do with what you have.
9. If you think you are too good for your spouse, think again.
10. Growing up in a happy household doesn’t ensure a happy marriage, or vice versa.
11. It’s never too late to repair damaged trust.
12. The real issue is usually not the one you are arguing about.
13. Love isn’t just a feeling; it is expressed through our actions.
14. Expectations set us up for disappointment and resentment.
15. Arguments cannot be avoided, but destructive arguments can be avoided.
16. One of the greatest gifts you can give your spouse is focused attention.
17. Even people with happy marriages sometimes worry that they married the wrong person.
18. Your spouse cannot rescue you from unhappiness, but they can help you rescue yourself.
19. The cost of a lie is far greater than any advantage you gain from speaking it.
20. Your opinion is not necessarily the truth.
21. Trust takes years to establish and moments to destroy.
22. Guilt-tripping won’t get you what you really want.
23. Don’t neglect your friends.
24. If you think, “You are not the person I married,” you are probably right.
25. Resisting the temptation to prove your point will win you a lot of points.
26. Generosity of spirit is the foundation of a good marriage.
27. If your spouse is being defensive, you might be giving them reasons to be like that.
28. Marriage isn’t 50/50; it’s 100/100.
29. You can pay now or pay later, but the later you pay, the more interest and penalties you acquire.
30. Marriage requires sacrifice, but your benefits outweigh your costs.
31. Forgiveness isn’t a one-time event; it’s a continous process.
32. Accepting the challenges of marriage will shape you into a better person.
33. Creating a marriage is like launching a rocket: once it clears the pull of gravity, it takes much less energy to sustain the flight.
34. A successful marriage has more to do with how you deal with your current reality than with what you’ve experienced in the past.
35. Don’t keep feelings of gratitude to yourself.
36. There is no greater eloquence than the silence of real listening.
37. One of the greatest questions to ask your spouse is “How best can I love you?”
38. Marriage can stay fresh over time.
39. Assumptions are fine as long as you check them before acting upon them.
40. Intention may not be the only thing, but it is the most important thing.
41. Good sex won’t make your marriage, but it’ll help.
42. Privacy won’t hurt your marriage, but secrecy will.
43. Possessiveness and jealousy are born out of fear, not love.
44. Authenticity is contagious and habit-forming.
45. If your spouse thinks something is important, then it is.
46. Marriage never outgrows the need for romance.
47. The sparkle of a new relationship is always temporary.
48. There is violence in silence when it’s used as a weapon.
49. It’s better to focus on what you can do to make things right, then what your partner did to make things wrong.
50. If you think marriage counseling is too expensive, try divorce.

xoxo

week 32 update.

2011-07-03T21:00:00.000+08:00

Baby's kicks and movements are getting stronger. Alhamdulillah. It occasionally feels like an adult punching me in the tummy. Ouch.
The doctor told me that my baby's head is already engaged, according to the ultrasound scan she did on me. But she also said there's a possibility of the baby flipping back up. But Mummy's baby is a good girl, isn't she ?
I am nauseous most of the time. No vomiting so far, just nausea.
Heartburn and gastrointestinal reflux are two things I need to deal with everyday. I have been trying to avoid spicy food, but am having quite a tough time staying away from chocolates !
I pee 35646797897787824 times a day.
I get breathless easily these days.
I get tired easily too. Hehe.

Alhamdulillah, I have no major complaints because I know what I am going through is normal for most pregnant women. :)

And oh, I would like to thank those who gave feedback on my hospital bag checklist post. All your comments were very helpful, thank you so much ! ;)

xoxo

our babymoon.

2011-07-01T18:27:00.001+08:00

Hello everyone.
It's July !
As we enter the second half of 2011, it's good that we take some time to reflect on how we've spent the past six months, and work on a plan to make the following six months even better !
InshaAllah. :)

Mr. Sunshine and I capped off June by going on a one-night babymoon. :)

A babymoon is a vacation taken by a couple that is expecting a baby in order to allow the couple to enjoy a final trip together before the many sleepless nights that usually accompany a newborn baby. source

Where did we go ?
Colmar Tropicale, Bukit Tinggi !

My reviews on the resort ?
The room we got was just ok lah. Not too shabby, but the television reception was terrible, the bed was creaking, and flushing the toilet was a chore for me. It wasn't as chilly as I expected it to be, except when it rained.
In my opinion, the food was overpriced but tasted good lah.
The surroundings were picturesque ! There wasn't really anything much to do except to enjoy the scenery, just perfect for anyone who just want to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city and relax.
Enough babbling, here are some photos we snapped during our stay. :)

I think this fountain symbolizes fertility. Correct me if I am wrong. :)

Mr. Sunshine posing at the entrance of the resort. :)

Mr. Sunshine checking on the baby. Hehe.

We shared a bowl of chicken soup for dinner.

Along with a large Calzone pizza.

Look at the cheeeeeeeesseeeeeee ! I would like to think that's the culprit which made us fall asleep for three good hours immediately after dinner. Hehe.

Me at breakfast. Don't be fooled by the minute amount of food. I already had Nasi Lemak before that. Hee.

And I washed everything down with a huge slice of yummy bread pudding !

We stopped at the Animal Park on our way back, where we got to feed cute bunnies !

Feeding rabbits is ticklish !

I have just entered my 32nd week of pregnancy ! Alhamdulillah.
Am praying that the next 8 weeks or so will go well, InshaAllah. Ameen. :)

xoxo

it doesn't take much to make me happy.

2011-06-28T22:16:00.000+08:00

This is a lazy post.

Mr. Sunshine, Marlene and I had the privilege to attend the beautiful wedding of Trevor & Judith last weekend. :)
It was definitely a night to remember and I was thrilled to be able to meet friends I haven't seen in almost a year !

Didn't get to take a picture with both the bride and groom, but here's one with the gorgeous bride ! :)

Paul, Lene and I. :)

Sunshine ! :)

My beautiful sister.

With the ever so lovely Felicia ! :)

The whole family had steak at Uptown Damansara the night before. :)

With Cuppacakes for dessert !

THE BEST red velvet cupcake !

We stuffed ourselves and goofed around during lunch at Cozy House, Ampang Park.

I got to satisfy my cravings for Nando's when I met up with Diana for lunch. We're due exactly a month apart !

Mr. Sunshine was a happy man with his Subway sandwich. :)

Nothing beats having breakfast with my darling Annisa. :)

End of lazy post.
Goodnight.

xoxo

she's almost 2 kilos now !

2011-06-21T21:18:00.001+08:00

anx·i·e·ty [ang-zahy-i-tee]
–noun, plural -ties.
1. distress or uneasiness of mind caused by fear of danger or misfortune: He felt anxiety about the possible loss of his job.
2. earnest but tense desire; eagerness: He had a keen anxiety to succeed in his work.
3. Psychiatry . a state of apprehension and psychic tension occurring in some forms of mental disorder. source

At 30 weeks pregnant, I am plagued with anxiety 24-7.

I am starting have second thoughts about delivering my baby in a government hospital, no thanks to my brief yet traumatizing (haha) maternity ward admission last week.

I doubt I am capable to withstand the pain which comes along with labour. I have a wayyy low pain threshold.
I am afraid that I would not be able to stop myself from screaming in pain and the nurses/doctor would get annoyed and angry at me and I would get depressed and that would lead to me not having enough energy to push and...............................

I am unsure whether I have it in me to be a good mother. I have never been good with babies. I don't even know the proper way to hold a newborn ! *gasps*
Don't get me wrong, I love babies, but I have never actually had to take care of one.

Ok, I should stop over-thinking things.

But these concerns of mine are normal, right ? RIGHHHHTTTTTT ??

.......................................
......................
.........
....
..

Mr. Sunshine has been away in Kelantan since yesterday and will only be back this Thursday, InshaAllah. As he goes on these work trips pretty often, I have gotten quite used to staying home alone.
This time around, I am slightly nervous, especially because my hospital bag is only halfway ready. We have packed all of the baby's necessities but as far as my essentials are concerned, there are a few more things I need to add in the bag.

Baby's clothes washed and dried. This is just to show how cute and tiny they are !! Hehe.

My Hospital Bag checklist

Baby's essentials
7 pieces of disposable diapers DONE
2 pairs of rompers DONE
1 pair of long sleeved top & bottom DONE
1 bottle of telon oil DONE
I pack of baby wipes DONE
1 piece of a hooded baby towel DONE
1 piece of a hooded baby blanket DONE
2 sets of mittens & booties DONE
1 set of baby toiletries DONE
1 piece of baby binder (I wonder if I should pack more) DONE
3 pieces of washcloths DONE

Mummy's essentials
2 pairs of blouses -
1 pair of socks DONE
2 pieces of kain batik DONE
3 pieces of nursing bras
1 pack of disposable panties (not too sure whether this will be enough) DONE
Toiletries - cleanser, toothbrush, toothpaste DONE except for my cleanser.
1 Towel DONE
1 pack of maternity pads (I packed my normal sanitary pads) DONE
1 pack of disposable breast pads DONE
1 sweater - I can't fit any of my sweaters anymore ! Haha.
1 instant hijab
Surah Yasin
Antenatal checkup record book

Apparently I should have been done with the packing and the bag should be in the trunk of my car or somewhere near my house door, you know, just in case. *starts to panic*

I should give my back & head a rest right now before I hurt myself.
Goodnight.

xoxo

smelly jackfruit.

2011-06-16T23:36:00.001+08:00

I slipped and fell on my butt yesterday morning.

Yes, this is not a joke.
I fell like a smelly jackfruit (nangka busuk). Hah take that, direct translation ! Hehe.

It was actually the second time it had happened within the past 3 months. And both times, it happened at the same spot here at home.
The difference this time is, my back hurt longer than it did before and the pain intensified as the hours passed. As I was also worried about how Mini Mel was doing after the fall, I decided to get myself checked.
I was not bleeding and neither did I have any other sort of discomfort but the doctor told me I had to be admitted for monitoring purposes.
I did not refuse admission this time around because I knew it wasn't only for my sake but for my baby's sake too.

So, I checked into the maternity ward here (at the hospital I am working at) yesterday afternoon. The ward has a strict policy which disallows anyone to accompany the patients in the ward outside visiting hours so that means I was left alone the whole night. Mr. Sunshine got to see me for about 5 minutes yesterday evening because he couldn't get off work early. :(
But Alhamdulillah, everything turned out normal with Mini Mel, my back pain became more bearable, and I was allowed home this morning.
All in all, it was not a pleasant one night's stay (from sweating all night because the fan was too far, to painful looks on the faces of the other patients who were experiencing contractions to the soft screams of women in labour !!), but am extremely grateful that everything's alright. Alhamdulillah.
I honestly take my hats off to the women who could go through all that labour pain ALONE.
I can cry just at the thought of it !
Boy, am I glad to be home with Mr. Sunshine.

Note to self: Tak payah nak jalan laju-laju sangat lah bila perut dah besar ini !

Let's move on to less despairing updates.
Mr. Sunshine and I made a trip to Kota Bharu, Kelantan last weekend to attend a friend's wedding kenduri. We stayed at Tune Hotel, Kota Bharu which is located just a stone's throw away from KB Mall. The room we got smelled of cigarette despite it being a non-smoking room, but other than that we were pretty pleased with it.
I made a mistake in purchasing 24-hours credit for the air cond & telly, we spent less than half of the time in our room ! Lesson learned.

We did some shopping for baby stuff while we were there, had breakfast with Zana (who's currently working in Hospital Tanah Merah) and paid a visit to my ex-colleague, Ina and her 8-month old daughter. :)

Our King Sized bed.

We were lazy to bring our towels & toiletries so we purchased the towel+toiletries set !

Contents of the toiletries set.

We wasted more than 12 hours credit ! :(

The highlight of our trip for me was of course, KENNY ROGERS !!! :D

At our UiTM mates, Izza & Bob's kenduri. Congrats again you two !! :D

That's all for tonight I guess.
Before I end, I'll leave you all with this.

Goodnight !

xoxo

i need a good eye cream.

2011-06-14T18:51:00.000+08:00

It's only Tuesday but I feel as though I have been working non-stop for weeks. Ok, so I'm exaggerating, but I am feeling extremely exhausted !

This is probably to be expected as I am entering my third trimester, Alhamdulillah.
The familiar exhaustion that I had to go through during my first trimester is coming back to haunt me. A good night's sleep is pretty difficult to get these days, not only because of my expanding belly, but also because I need to wake up to pee a few times throughout the whole night.

My tired eyes are making me look so old.

Maybe I shouldn't stay in front of my laptop for too long, eh ?

Ok bye.

xoxo

mr sunshine and i have an announcement to make...

2011-06-04T20:47:00.000+08:00

InshaAllah.
Alhamdulillah.
Masha'Allah.
:)

xoxo

sung kang is delicious.

2011-06-02T21:21:00.000+08:00

I don't enjoy leaving my blog idle for so long whenever my last post is a negative one.
I feel as though it leaves a bad impression on myself.

I'm doing much better emotionally right now, Alhamdulillah.
Apart from praying, Mr. Sunshine, Akey and my family are a good source of comfort. :)
Mr. Sunshine took me out for an impromptu movie marathon date last Saturday. We watched Kung Fu Panda 2 and Fast Five.
In my opinion, the sequel to Kung Fu Panda was better than the original film. I was laughing like a kid throughout the whole movie ! Baby seemed to be having a blast in my uterus too, kicking, punching and squirming from the beginning to the end of the movie. Haha.
At first I thought he/she was disturbed by all the noise coming from outside but the exact opposite happened when we were watching Fast Five.
Baby behaved really well, only kicked twice as if he/she knew the movie was not suitable for below 18 year-olds. Hehe.

Baby Po is so adorable ! And always hungry (like me, haha) !

Speaking of always being hungry, I found out that my weight had shot up another 3.5 kgs in the span of two weeks (!!!) during my antenatal checkup last Monday.
It's really weird because I weighed myself at home before I went to the checkup, and I was so sure I weighed 1 kilo less than what it showed on the weighing scale at the clinic. Not that it's a major difference, but it's still a difference. :p
Hence, I have to go through another MOGT test next week, get my blood pressure checked every other day again, and get my blood checked for signs of pre-eclampsia. :(
My previous MOGT test came out normal, Alhamdulillah. So far, everything's looking normal, except for my weight !

The doctor did an ultrasound on me to check the baby's estimated weight and the condition/amount of my amniotic fluid. Baby's weighing around 1.3 kilos right now - which is normal for 27 weeks - and there were no abnormalities with my amniotic fluid.

So, what does that leave us with ?
My butt is the sole culprit of my weight gain ! Ok boobs too, but a*** is huger. Hehe.

Moi at 27 weeks. :)

I'm praying I don't end up with gestational diabetes or pre-eclampsia or any other complications. Ameen.

I think it's best I give my back a rest already.
Goodnight everyone. :)

xoxo

"you're the worst."

2011-05-28T11:41:00.000+08:00

You know you need a rescue when the mere fact that you're suffering from constipation makes you feel like a total failure.

It's just preposterous how a few snide remarks can leave you feeling miserable for so long.

xoxo

of pasta and curry puffs.

2011-05-26T16:28:00.079+08:00

At the beginning of this week, I had this great plan of writing about my cooking escapades last weekend but this week has been so Awful (yes, with a capital A) that it sucked all of the positive energy out of me. Not that I had tonnes of it to begin with, anyway.

Praise Allah that this week's almost over, and as a tribute to that, I'm gonna post up a few pictures from last weekend. Hehe.

1. Mr Sunshine and I purchased a Midea portable air-conditioner to place in our bedroom last Thursday.

Not to be mistaken for an air cooler !

My nights are no longer sweat-filled ! Woohoo !

2. Mr. Sunshine requested that I cook ayam masak lemak cili padi again last Friday. According to him, it's his favourite home cooked dish. :)

From left: Oregano omelette (haha), bendi goreng belacan & ayam masak lemak cili padi. Simple but satiating. :p

3. I was having cravings for pasta for the whole of last week so I made Fettucine Bolognese for lunch on Saturday.

Burp !

4. Saturday afternoon also witnessed me at my very first attempt at making curry puffs.

The pastry didn't taste as good as I would have wanted it to, but Mr. Sunshine loved the beef & potatoes filling I made. He ate the filling leftovers with bread. :)

My far from beautiful curry puffs. :D

I had planned to bring some to the office but since they didn't turn out super delicious, I was ashamed to do so. Haha.

But syukur for a husband who appreciates and loves my cooking. Hehe. :p

Ok bye.

xoxo

who do you think you are ?

2011-05-23T07:23:00.000+08:00

Good morning.
I was awaken earlier than usual this morning, because I dozed off just after 2100 hours last night.
Mr. Sunshine was not even back from his futsal game at the time.

I felt so drained, albeit yesterday being the only first day of my working week. I had trouble sleeping the night before.
In addition to that, I came back from work, with tears in my eyes. And continued to cry until I fell asleep. :''(

Initially, I thought I knew for sure why I was bawling my eyes out, but as the night progressed, I was confused.
I was aware I should not let her words get to me, but I did.
So I ended up questioning myself. Doubting myself. I was overwhelmed. Last night was just so messed up.
Sigh.

But today is a new day, so I shall try to leave the past behind and brace myself for what's ahead !
Sound believable enough ? Haha.

Have a good week everyone !

xoxo

i am craving for...

2011-05-18T20:53:00.001+08:00

Nando's Hot Peri peri Quarter Chicken set. Photo credits to Google Images.

Koryowon's Bulgogi Jungsik.

Carl's Junior's Chili Cheese Fries.

Wondermilk's cupcakes.

Swensen's Frosted Chocolate Malt.

Swensen's Chicken Baked Rice.

Murni's Carbonara pasta. Photo credits to Google Images.

Whisk's Macarons.

Sri Gombak's Spicy Pan Mee. Photo credits to Google Images.


IKEA Meatballs. Photo credits to Google Images.

xoxo

week 26 update.

2011-05-17T21:12:00.001+08:00

I had to go for another checkup yesterday because of my abnormal weight gain last month. They reviewed my blood pressure levels I took every other day which were normal, Alhamdulillah, and weighed me again.
I was very nervous because I just spent the last weekend stuffing myself with food at Mr Sunshine's hometown.
But Alhamdulillah, I only gained 1 kilogram over the past two weeks. Hehe. I'm allowed to gain 0.5 kilos per week ok.

There were trace amounts of albumin (protein) in my urine, and I was told to increase my fluid intake. I did cut down my water intake that day as I was traveling back from Batu Pahat and did not want to stop to pee every five minutes. :p
Other expectant mothers, please do not follow in my footsteps, it's very important to stay well hydrated while traveling !
If only the nurse knew how much water I drink on a daily basis, I bring a 1.6 L water bottle to work and I finish the whole bottle every day !

So far no stretch marks have appeared (YET) anywhere on my belly. And my belly button is still an innie. It's not gonna stay that way for too long I think.

I have been getting numerous questions on the gender of Mini Mel. Hehe. Sorry to let you all down but even Mr. Sunshine and I are still playing the guessing game ourselves.
I have also been receiving guesses on the gender based on how my belly and waist looks like. Apparently my belly is looking like I am carrying a girl, but the fact that I still have a tapered waist indicates that I am carrying a boy.
Ah, let's not forget that because I easily perspire a lot, I might be carrying a boy. Hehe. Macam-macam kan ? It's fun though, to listen to all the different opinions.

Mr Sunshine and I have not started buying any baby stuff. Not a single thing.
From what I know, my hospital bag should be ready as I enter my third trimester just in case Mini Mel decides to make an early appearance. My third trimester is only 2 weeks away !
Do any of you have any tips on shopping for baby stuff ? I have heard that (do correct me if I am wrong):

I should not get too many newborn-sized clothing because babies grow fast.
Purchasing things like a stroller or a car seat can be done after delivery.
It's worth it to invest in a good breast pump if you plan to breastfeed exclusively.

That is all. I'm lucky (and thankful !) Diana shared her baby stuff checklist with me, so I basically copied hers with very minimal editing, being the lazy person that I am. Hehe.

I guess I need to do some serious researching on baby stuff prices !
Ok bye.

xoxo

silly pancakes.

2011-05-17T17:39:00.022+08:00

Hello all !

Mr. Sunshine and I spent our last weekend in his hometown. We arrived safely in Kuala Berang yesterday afternoon and made it in time for my antenatal checkup.
Our time in Batu Pahat was spent mostly on eating !
But sadly, because we were too busy enjoying all the food that we forgot to take photos of them. The only food photo we took was of mum in-law's 'lempeng bodoh' as she calls it but I beg to differ, it was simply delicious, eaten with her equally delicious sambal tumis. Yums !

Don't let its simple appearance fool you, it's SUPER SEDAP !

The highlight of my weekend was when mum in-law along with my sisters in-law cooked up a Raya feast for moi last Sunday ! Mr. Sunshine told his mum that I was craving for Raya food last month. There was nasi impit, chicken rendang, lodeh gravy and peanut gravy !
I had seconds and thirds, for sure. Hehe. YUMMY !!
Thank you so much mak & adik-adik ! ;D

Here are a few photos from the weekend. :)

Mr. Sunshine treated his mum & dad to a steamboat dinner to celebrate Mother's Day, Father's Day AND Teacher's Day ! Hehe.

Early morning before leaving to Kota Tinggi for a wedding.

At Kota Tinggi

The heat today is causing me to itch and perspire (heavily) all over. So uncomfortable lah. :(

xoxo

my mummy is beautiful.

2011-05-07T20:59:00.003+08:00

Dearest Mummy,

It's been a while since I wrote to you.
I am aware that every time I do write, it'll be a long-winded sad and mushy post.
This time around I am gonna make an effort to keep it as chirpy as I can. :)
Because tomorrow is Mother's Day and no matter how emotionally disturbed I am right now, I know you would want me to ~~try~~ to be happy.

A couple of days ago, I was craving for your fruit cake. I did not go out to look for just any other fruit cake because I knew I would be disappointed.
In my eyes, no one bakes as good as you. No one cooks like you do.
It's funny because there are moments that the thought of calling you to ask you about how to cook something crosses my mind and then only it hits me that you're no longer around.
But it's ok Mummy, according to Mr Sunshine, I have been doing an ok job in keeping his tummy filled with good food. :)

I am 6 months pregnant now, Alhamdulillah.
Being pregnant makes me think of you even more. Makes me wonder about how you dealt with all your pregnancies. Did you get backaches or sore heels ? Did you go through morning sickness ? How did you feel when you felt my first kick ? How were your labor experiences ?
I'd have to admit that I get frustrated sometimes because I have so many personal questions on pregnancy that I want to ask you.
But I am blessed to have an awesome mum in-law and friends who I can turn to for answers. The internet has helped me tremendously too. :)

Mummy, I am gonna be okay, right ?

Now this wasn't so bad, wasn't it ?
I miss you, Mummy.
Al-Fatihah.

To my beautiful mum in-law all you gorgeous mothers out there, Happy Mother's Day. :)

xoxo

right here waiting.

2011-05-05T19:07:00.029+08:00

The title has nothing to do with the rest of this post. It's just that I've had Richard Marx's Right Here Waiting on repeat in my car for a couple of days now. Sure brings back good childhood memories when I used to imagine that Daddy's golf tournament trophies were my microphones to sing. :p

I am watching the Top 5 contestants of American Idol sing their heart out while I am typing this.
I told myself I would stop watching if Casey Abrams fails to be in the Top 5 but I am weak (not much of a surprise ha). After being a fan of the show for the past 10 seasons, I just can't refrain myself from turning on the telly at 6:05 pm every Thursdays & Fridays.

I took leave last Monday & Tuesday because Daddy, Marc, Lene and Linn came over to visit Mr. Sunshine and I. They arrived safely, Alhamdulillah, on Saturday evening just as I was starting to prepare the Soto I had planned to serve them for dinner. Lene & Linn were the first to comment on how big my belly is right now. Hehe.
Fair enough lah kan, the last time they met me in person was 3 months ago during Faizal & Dee's wedding when I was still in my first trimester.
Lene was particularly amazed at the size of my breasts. Hahaha. Ok TMI, sorry.

Marc, Marlene and Linn helped out in the kitchen with the making of the bergedils and Mr. Sunshine fried the suhun and helped me to shred the chicken flesh into strips. :)
I'm glad all of them enjoyed my home cooked Soto. Marc even suggested I open a soto stall, hehe. But then again, they were all starving when dinner was served. :p

Our Sunday morning started with Mr Sunshine buying us Nasi Kerabu for breakfast. After that, we took our own sweet time to get ready for our trip to Kenyir Lake. We didn't go on any boat rides this time around, we decided to just enjoy the scenery and snap photos. :)
We spent the rest of Sunday afternoon at home where I taught the girls how to make the infamous batik cake with Marie biscuits.

If you're wondering why they were laughing, it was because Daddy was trying to suck in his tummy. Hehe.

Marc helped too !

Just in case anyone didn't know how the batik cake looked like.

Mr Sunshine was kind enough to lend a hand in the kitchen when I was preparing dinner that evening. The soles of my heels hurts when I stand for too long (thanks to the huge amount of weight I have gained), so he actually brought in a chair for me to sit while I cook. Hehe.

Awww ! Hehe.

On Monday morning after a breakfast of home cooked fried rice and mihun, we drove to Pasar Payang where we went on a hunt for fish keropok.

Can you feel their excitement ? Ok let me rephrase that, can you feel Linn's excitement ? Hehehe.

We drove to Kelulut with hopes of enjoying fried keropok lekor and fresh coconut water for tea after a stop at the Tengku Tengah Zaharah Mosque a.k.a the Floating Mosque (Masjid Terapung), but much to my disappointment, they were only catering for takeaway that day. So we adjourned to Kampung Losong for some keropok lekor.

It was obvious that Marc was starving. :p

Pandak Beach was our next stop, which is where we chose to relax & enjoy our A&W Rootbeer Floats. Daddy deserves a treat once in awhile. :)

Daddy walked a couple of meters away from us just to stand and enjoy his float. :p

Love !

And our final destination for the day was Payang Serai Restaurant in KT, where Marc & Linn treated us to a scrumptious seafood dinner in conjunction with my birthday last week. :D

The food was delicious and the price was pretty reasonable. Thank you so much Marc & Linn !!

Time sure flies when you're having a good time, and before we knew it, it was already Tuesday and they had to leave for Gombak. I woke up pretty early as I had my monthly antenatal checkup scheduled that morning during which I had to drink 75 grams of glucose but more on that later lah.
I was so touched to see this when I got back home from my checkup.

Sobs.

We said our goodbyes after having lunch at KFC, Kuala Berang.
As usual, I just had to cry after that. :p
It was great having the family over. We had a fabulous time although Manchester United lost to Arsenal (arghhh !). Hehe.

One for the road. :)

Moving on to what happened at my antenatal checkup last Tuesday morning. It was also the day I had to take the MOGTT test as mentioned in this previous post of mine (click, please).
It started out with the nurse drawing out 2 mls of my blood prior to me drinking 75 grams of glucose mixed with water. Then I had to wait for 2 whole hours before they would draw another 2 mls of blood out of me. As for other usual glucose tests, I had to fast starting from 10 pm the previous night.
While waiting, I went through the routine monthly checkup which consists of checking my weight, blood pressure, fundal height and urine for ketones. This time around I got to hear my baby's heart beat through something which I think is a doppler. It was amazing ! MashaAllah. :)

The other amazing thing is that I found out that I had gained a good 5 kilograms over the past month. 5 KILOS !!!
As a result, the doctor told me to get my blood pressure checked every other day (starting today) since I already had the MOGTT test done. Yikes. Blood pressure was normal today, Alhamdulillah.
I'm pretty worried about my weight gain pattern, I don't want to end up with gestational diabetes or any other complications related to excessive weight gain in pregnancy. :(
Mintak dijauhkan. Ameen.

All the other test results came out normal, Alhamdulillah, but I'll only get my MOGTT results after 2 weeks. I think I'll be living in fear until then. :(
Oh, I also received my first dose of the anti tetanus toxoid vaccine that day. My left arm is still sore from the injection. The second dose will be at the end of this month, InshaAllah.

Baby's movements are getting stronger by the day. Alhamdulillah. Sometimes I wonder what he/she is doing in there. Hehe.
Mr. Sunshine is able to feel the kicks and movements from the outside already, Alhamdulillah. Lene felt some movements too ! :)

Now for a closer photo of my belly at 24 weeks (6 months) and 10 kilos heavier !

Ta-da ! Huge kan ? And my Daddy's so comel. ;D

Before I end, I have a note for my family in reply to what they left on my whiteboard.

Dearest Daddy, Marc, Marlene & Linn,

Thank you so much for driving all the way here to pay Mr Sunshine and I a visit. We truly appreciate the company and good times you spent with us ! Please do come again. Please. Please. Pleeeeeeaaasssssee ! :D

Love,
Syafiq & Melissa

Until my next post, bye !

xoxo

27 on the 27th.

2011-04-28T22:08:00.000+08:00

I'm exhausted so I'm just gonna post up pictures tonight.

You never fail to surprise me. Thank you sayang ! :)

Alhamdulillah, another year older and wiser (I hope) !
Thanks a million for all the birthday wishes and kind thoughts. :D

Goodnight !

xoxo

table file ?

2011-04-22T17:15:00.001+08:00

For the first time in history,*drumroll please* I have managed to complete ALL the tasks from work that I brought home, on the first day of my weekend ! Alhamdulillah. YAYYYYY !!
I should stop doubting myself.
Ok let's not get ahead of ourselves, hehe.

I deserve a treat.
Dum tee dum tee dum....
*skips to the kitchen*

xoxo

additional time.

2011-04-22T14:39:00.001+08:00

Personally, I would not be happy to be compared to 'The Abominable One'. But we all have our preferences.
When you're not getting on almost everyone's nerves, I actually feel sorry for you.

So much for letting us believe that you have turned over a new leaf.

xoxo

the halfway mark.

2011-04-16T09:05:00.021+08:00

Good morning everyone.
Happy Saturday !

Mr Sunshine and I spent half of yesterday cleaning up the house and the both of us are sneezing like mad now. So you can just imagine the amount of dust we had to deal with yesterday. Bear in mind, we're only halfway done !
Today will be my day of rest. The only chore I am gonna allow myself to do is cook.
Mr. Sunshine seemed enthusiastic about continuing the cleaning up process, so I am gonna let him do his thing. Hehe.

The both of us were in Kuantan last week from April 5th to the 8th because I had to attend an Antithrombotic Conference. I was fortunate enough to have Mr. Sunshine with me because I could not imagine traveling alone to Kuantan. While I was attending the conference, Mr. Sunshine lazed around in our hotel room. :)
I don't know whether I have mentioned this before, but I love Kuantan ! Since I started working in Terengganu, being in Kuantan always seemed like the next best thing to being back in KL. I love the fact that it has shopping complexes, cinemas and most importantly food that my taste buds do not repulse.
I can't help it, Terengganu food and I, we don't do well together. Hehe.
I HAD NASI LEMAK FOR THREE DAYS IN A ROW while I was there.
That's how happy I felt about getting to savor SPICY (instead of sweet) ANCHOVIES (instead of fish) sambal with my coconut milk rice.

Oh this is one of life's simple pleasures. *drools*

And then, to be able to eat delicious fried squid which were not fried with banana fritters' batter.

Thank you so much to Dollah and Cha for treating us to this. :)

I also got my Starbucks Chocolate Cream Chip Frappucino fix, and treated myself to two scoops of my favourite Baskin Robbins' Pralines and Cream, which I finished on my own, thank you.

I can't remember the other flavour I chose, but yums !

Mr Sunshine and I were able to make time to watch World Invasion: Battle Los Angeles and Just Go With It which we enjoyed very much. *smiles from ear to ear*

Thank you so much sayang !

I was a very happy (and stuffed) woman while we were in Kuantan. Hehe.

A week has passed since those happy days. Haha so drama.
It has been a super hectic and stressful week for me. I know I need to cut down on the stress levels for the sake of 'Mini Mel', as Felicia puts it, but I just don't know how.
Is that good enough of an excuse ? *bats eyelids*

To add to all the stress, I think I am down with pregnancy brain. I forget things wayyyy too easily. There has been a few occasions in which I open my browser with intentions of searching for something, but by the time my browser loads (a few seconds only !), I just seemed to have forgotten what I wanted to do ! That's bad, right ?

Oh, and I am a huge emotional wreck.
I know, I know, I am always an emotional wreck but this is WORSE, I tell you.
Yesterday, while I was preparing lunch, I could not find my blender's stirrer (Is that what you call the plastic thing you put through the hole on top of a blender ? Do correct me if I am wrong), so I started to weep. Yes.
I just cried and cried while slicing my carrots and chillies etc etc. It's not one of those situations that I would usually cry about !
It's funny now that I think about it. Hehe.
I feel bad for Mr. Sunshine, having to put up with my erratic pregnancy mood swings. I know I am just testing his patience. :(
When I turned to Google to find out whether these unnecessary crying sessions are normal, I was relieved to know that there are many expectant mothers out there who are in the same boat. Hehe.

So far, this morning's looking good, Alhamdulillah.
I'm gonna end this post with a latest photo of me, 5 1/2 kilos heavier at 20 weeks. :)

Ok bye !

xoxo

wind.

2011-04-11T00:18:00.002+08:00

Akibat hanya memakan biskut dan sekeping roti pada waktu tengahari tadi, Encik Matahari (Mr. Sunshine) terpaksa menadah muntah saya dengan kedua belah tangannya di dalam kereta pada waktu petang kerana ketandusan (?) beg plastik. Mujur terdapat senaskhah suratkhabar yang dapat dicapai dalam masa terdekat untuk menadah episod muntah yang berlangsung selama lebih kurang 1 minit itu.

Terima kasih Encik Matahari. Tak kisah lah kalau awak tadah tangan tu kerana hendak melindungi kereta kesayangan awak, saya tahu awak sayang saya !

Pengajaran hari ini: Sila makan pada selang waktu yang sepatutnya.

xoxo

this my laziest weekend to date.

2011-04-02T18:53:00.001+08:00

All I did was sleep, sleep and SLEEP.
I am now experiencing the after-effects of too much sleep, which is a pulsating headache.
Serves me right, I guess.

Mr Sunshine, being the usual darling he is, cleaned up the whole kitchen today ! Thank you sayang ! My husband is awesome. :)
I am excited to start cooking again ! I am even craving my own sambal kentang. Haha.
I have not been utilizing the kitchen since my morning sickness took over me.
Since I have only vomited twice this week, I think I can handle cooking.

My next antenatal checkup is this Monday. I am anxious about how that's gonna turn out.

xoxo

of quickening and a growing belly.

2011-03-26T20:09:00.004+08:00

At around 17 weeks, I have started to feel my baby's movements from the outside. Alhamdulillah. They feel like butterflies fluttering in my stomach !
MashaAllah, it's such an amazing feeling and at times I feel like my little one is reassuring me that he/she is doing a-okay. Alhamdulillah. :)
Mr Sunshine has not been able to feel these movements yet as they're not quite strong. I can't wait for the time he gets to feel what I feel !
I believe the pregnancy term for the first baby movements that an expectant mother can feel is quickening.

Alhamdulillah, as at today, there's no more bleeding or spotting to worry about. I actually refused to be admitted on Wednesday and I admit I was kinda worried I made the wrong decision. But, Alhamdulillah, so far so good. I know I've still gotta be careful, no heavy chores or walking too fast.
My belly seemed to have gone through a sudden growth spurt in the past week and everyone can notice it already.

My belly at 18 weeks.

I need to get new outfits for work, I don't know how long more my baju kurungs will fit me.

Noor treated Matun, Miah and I to Secret Recipe after work on Thursday. Matun brought her 4-month old baby, Muhaimin who was soooo adorable ! All of us have to wear white scarves until April 29 in respect of the passing of our King's mother, Almarhum Tengku Ampuan Bariah.

Matun, baby Muhaimin & Noor. Thanks so much Noor !

Miah and I with baby Muhaimin. :)

I had the Spaghetti and (burnt) Meatballs which was okay lah. I also had a slice of the Marble Cheesecake and an Orange & Apricot Slushie to wash all of that down.

Spaghetti and (burnt) Meatballs.

There's something wrong with my laptop screen, it looks like this sometimes.

Anyone knows why ? I think it's a connection problem, but I could be wrong. Hmm.

I have been getting extremely forgetful lately. I have to rely on my phone reminders all the time.

Mr Sunshine and I initially took leave this weekend to travel back to Batu Pahat but because of the circumstances pertaining to my health, we decided to postpone the traveling to another time.
Baby & Mummy's health first ! :)

My Modified Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (MOGTT) is scheduled in early May but I am already so nervous. For those of you who don't know what the test is all about, it's a test to determine whether or not you have diabetes. Or in my case, gestational diabetes. I am so worried ! Firstly because Daddy is diabetic, and secondly because of my huge sweet tooth !
Argh, nerve-wrecking !
Hope for the best, hope for the best.

It's dinner time. Bye !

xoxo

we need more pepperonis.

2011-03-18T20:03:00.000+08:00

This shot was actually from a few weeks ago. I ordered my favourite Pepperoni Delight pizza from the Pizza Hut outlet at Giant, Kuala Terengganu and I was extremely dissatisfied with the amount of pepperoni pieces that were on it.
Look at the slice on the furthest right, there's only ONE piece of pepperoni ! So stingy, kan ?
They might as well change the name to Pizza Dough Delight pizza.

xoxo

so lonesome for you.

2011-03-17T17:09:00.000+08:00

My medical leave has been extended until today. So that's a total of 5 days of leave, 7 if you add the weekend, but I'm working this weekend so it will be only 5 days for me.
I fell sick in the middle of the week, with an awful sore throat and flu. I am OK now, Alhamdulillah. Asam Jawa juice works wonders !
A week of medical leave might help me physically, but it's done almost nothing for me emotionally.
I don't think I'll be traveling back to Gombak anytime soon. :(
People keep telling me that I shouldn't be so stressed up because I am expecting. Some things are definitely easier said than done.

It has been raining non stop over here in Kuala Berang.
My heart has been as gloomy as the weather.

I am so blessed to have my Sunshine here with me. Alhamdulillah.

xoxo

i am 16, going on 17...

2011-03-14T21:29:00.001+08:00

...weeks, that is. Alhamdulillah. :)

I have been on medical leave yesterday and today.
I bled a bit down there so the doctor did an ultrasound on me, and Alhamdulillah she saw that my baby's heart was beating normally, placenta was in a good position (read: not low lying) and told me there should be no major problems, InshaAllah. Was told to rest and don't move around too much which was a piece of cake for a lazy bum like me. Hehe.
The bleeding might have been due to the excessive walking Mr Sunshine and I did on Saturday (details later).

I am currently experiencing slight pain and I don't know whether that's any cause for worry. Sometimes it feels as though my uterus is gonna fall out. As absurd as that may sound, that IS how I feel, so I keep holding my tummy to make that doesn't really happen. Am I crazy ? :S

I can't help it but I am worried sick.
It's back to work tomorrow, so we'll see how that goes.
Dear baby, please don't make Mummy worry, ok ?

Now to what happened on Saturday...
I have been wanting to have pancakes for quite some time now, and the only place I know that has them is McDonald's, so Mr. Sunshine and I planned to take a drive to KT on Saturday morning to have breakfast. We ordered the Family Breakfast Box. I had the Hotcakes, Mr. Sunshine had the Big Breakfast and we shared the Sausage McMuffin with Egg. :)

Add

Our heavy Saturday breakfast !

My Hotcakes. :D

Since we were already in town, we decided to get my car serviced as well. We didn't have an appointment, so we had to wait in turn. It was a FOUR hours wait !

We took a walk to check out the other shops around the service centre area. It wasn't a real long walk, but I felt exhausted. Talk about lack of stamina !

At the service centre. Bored. Hehe.

After my car was ready, we drove to Giant to do a some groceries shopping and to Terengganu Trade Centre to visit the PIKOM PC Fair. I was feeling a bit dizzy at that time, wasn't too sure why.
We stopped by Secret Recipe for an early dinner before heading home. I ordered the usual Chicken Cordon Bleu and Mr. Sunshine tried the Pan-Grilled Dory in Lobster Sauce.

YUMMY !

Mr Sunshine's dish arrived a bit late and by the time I realized I did not get a picture of it, it was happily traveling down his digestive system. :p

At the end of that Saturday, I was so worn out and my lower abdomen was hurting. Hence, the story above.

As for my morning sickness, I have not been vomiting much these days, Alhamdulillah. But am still nauseated after meals, and after brushing my teeth. Certain odours still make me wanna throw up.
Guess what I bought to help ease the urge to vomit after brushing my teeth ?

Kodomo Lion Strawberry toothpaste ! Haha.

Hehehe.

I have gained a good 3 kilograms, much to the shock of the nurses during my latest monthly checkup. I know I am supposed to gain weight but probably not that drastically ? In my defense, I am just making up for all the throwing up and food I did not get to eat during my first trimester !
Oh, and for those of you wondering how (fat) I look like now, here's a snapshot of me from last Saturday. :)

Me, 4 months pregnant. :)

P.S: My thoughts and prayers go out to everyone in Japan affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

xoxo

did you miss me ?

2011-03-05T11:44:00.003+08:00

Hello blogosphere !

Pardon my absence for almost 2 months.
I am not sure whether anyone is still reading this space, but I can assure you that I have valid reasons for the lack of updates. :)

Remember my hospital admission in December ?
Well, after that, my days have been preoccupied with adjusting myself to aches, excessive bloating and burping and extreme exhaustion because the actual diagnosis at the time was...

If that's not clear enough for you, prior to that, I had a couple, no wait, a few of these...

Paranoid, much ?

Yes, people, I am expecting. Alhamdulillah. :)

Mr Sunshine and I agreed to keep the good news hush-hush until I have passed my first trimester and I have ! Alhamdulillah.

I am currently entering my 16th week of pregnancy. Alhamdulillah.

Getting through my first trimester was no easy feat, I was constantly exhausted, felt as if I was running a marathon the whole day. Even waking up from sleep was dreadful, I always felt as if my energy was emptied while I was asleep. I was looking pale day in day out, much to the amusement of my boss who called me a 'mayat berjalan' (walking corpse) and the worry of my other colleagues.
Spending time in front of the computer/laptop gave me a headache, so that explains why I wasn't tweeting, blogging or 'Facebooking'. :)

My sense of smell was terribly heightened, the slightest sniff of food (yes, food !), rubbish or any stench made me nauseous and sent me running to the toilet to throw up. I couldn't even stand the smell of my hair conditioner, Mr. Sunshine's shampoo and my laundry detergent. Brushing my teeth was not pleasant too.
I lived solely on bread for one month because everything else (and their odour) seemed to make me wanna vomit. I have not been cooking (poor Mr. Sunshine) for the same reasons.
I had a bitter taste that lingered in my mouth the whole day so I had to suck on sweets every now and then.
My tummy was uncomfortable most of the time, I was bloated and burping every minute. Some nights I would have trouble sleeping because of the bloating.

Things were not so rosy in the emotions department too. In the first few weeks after I found out I was pregnant, Daddy was hospitalised and I felt soooo dejected. Along with stress at work, I felt like I couldn't handle all of it. In my second and third month of pregnancy, I would sometimes cry because I felt helpless that I couldn't do anything about my appetite and my energy. I was worried my baby wasn't getting enough nutrients. But all is good now, Alhamdulillah.

Ah, and the pregnancy hormones have caused my face to break out ! Pimples here and there, and everywhere !

As for my ovarian cyst, the check up I went for in January revealed no cyst. YAY ! Alhamdulilah. But they did see this...

That's my little one at 10 weeks ! Alhamdulillah. :)

I am currently actually still going through all of the symptoms above but I think they're beginning to wane. I hope.
These days, lack of sleep is a norm because I have to wake up to pee once or twice in the middle of the night, every night.

I lost weight after my first trimester, due to all the vomiting and lack of food.
But I am slowly trying to eat properly and I can see the weight adding up fast. My clothes are getting a bit snug. :)
For the first time in my life, I am not worried about gaining weight ! Ha !

The only trouble is, most of the food I feel like eating is in KL/Gombak. My pregnancy taste buds is not adapting to the food here too well. Hehe. How lah ?

As for reading materials, I only have Heidi Murkoff's What to Expect When You're Expecting suggested by a couple of friends including my best friend, Diana who is ALSO pregnant !! We're only 4 weeks apart with our pregnancy, how exciting ! :D

I am really blessed to have Mr Sunshine with me right here, he has been my rock, offering words of comfort whenever I was feeling blue. He has been doing the laundry, and cleaning up the house and even cooks once in a while, the whole time I have been down with morning sickness. Alhamdulillah.
Thank you sooo much sayang !
I tell our baby everyday about how sweet his/her ayah is, tau ? :D

Why is it called morning sickness when it actually lasts the whole day ? So misleading, kan !
I have been very antisocial for the past two months. Apart from the fatigue, I wanted to avoid any outside odour that would make me vomit.

I am hoping to be able to go out a bit more after this. :)

I hope my experience won't scare anyone who is planning to have a baby, hehe. Every woman goes through it differently, I have a friend who had a very, very smooth sailing pregnancy with no vomiting, no nothing at all. :)
And I am in no way complaining, just sharing. Alhamdulillah. :)

Hopefully, everything goes well. InshaAllah. Ameen.
Ok bye !

xoxo

baby, we're one !

2011-01-09T00:01:00.003+08:00

Alhamdulillah.

Thank you for 365 days of blissful married life, my Sunshine !
Let's pray for another 365 x 1000 days more. InshaAllah. :)
Love you sangat banyak !

Oh oh, this one's for you. :D

P.S: I sense another vacation around the corner, could my instincts be fooling me sayang ? Hehe.

xoxo

week one.

2011-01-08T21:42:00.006+08:00

Mr Sunshine and I kicked of the New Year watching awesome fireworks.....

....in our dreams.
Hehe.
As usual, I was fast asleep on New Year's eve night as I had to work the next day.
(But I think even if I did not have to work on New Year's day, I would still have dozed off by 2200 hours.)
Nevertheless, my New Year's day was special.
Mr Sunshine surprised me with a buffet supper at Permai Inn, Kuala Terengganu !
He kept telling me that we were going to a 'special' place but being the joker he is, I didn't take his word for it. I was not dressed up to dine at a hotel !
Supper was so-so but we got to watch Manchester United beat West Brom 2-1 while dining so I won't complain. :D

Thank you for the New Year's Day supper, Sunshine ! ;)

The first week of January was hectic, with year-end returns to complete and the boss' endless commands (and demands) to obey and oblige to. I think it was getting too much for my body as I fell sick by the end of the week.
I was down with severe abdominal pain along with fever and cough last Thursday, landing me in bed the whole day ! :(
The pain subsided as night time approached but the fever stayed on until yesterday night.
I am feeling so much better today, Alhamdulillah.
I have to be better for work tomorrow, I predict another ~~stressful~~ hectic week.

Oh, and today I chopped off my no-longer-manageable waist length hair ! I look like this now..

Well, minus the gorgeous face. Hehe.

How did you start your 2011 ? I'm sure it was fabulous ! :D

Goodnight everyone !

xoxo

happy 2011 !

2011-01-01T00:01:00.000+08:00

Here's wishing everyone a fantastic 2011 !!

From Mr Sunshine and I. ;)

xoxo

2010 wrap up.

2010-12-30T21:20:00.000+08:00

Hello.
Don't worry, I'm in an okay mood right now, so this won't be another 'emo' post. Hehe. :p
In about a day's time we'd be ushering in the year 2011 !
Alhamdulillah, I can say that 2010 has been a good year albeit it having some minor setbacks.
Since I am in such good spirits tonight I'm gonna list down a summary of my happenings in 2010. :D

The highlight of the year for me is of course my marriage to the most awesome husband a woman can ever ask for ! (Ini bukan bodek ye. Hehe.) Alhamdulillah. Mr Sunshine's wonderful family who welcomed me into their family with open arms is a true blessing for me. Alhamdulillah. :D
Mr Sunshine and I went for our first honeymoon in Langkawi this year. It was an unforgettable trip ! Reminiscing about it still gives me butterlies in my tummy. *blushes*
I have gained 4 kilograms since I got hitched ! But Mr Sunshine says I'm "tetap comel !". Haha.
My family came to visit Mr Sunshine and I here in Terengganu in February and we had a blast !
Dealt with a few health issues of my own.
Marc graduated, was a management trainee for half a year and is now a working man ! Alhamdulillah. :)
I turned 26 this year and Mr Sunshine surprised me with something I have always wanted ! We also made time for a short but fun trip to Genting, Kuantan and Cherating for my birthday ! ;D
Got roasted.
Mr Sunshine and I enjoyed the company of my in-laws when they came over in June. :D
Cried like a baby when Brazil lost to the Netherlands during the World Cup ! Argh, I'm still so tak puas hati !
Had the best weekend ever !
Lost a friend.
Made a few new ones. Hello Mel ! Hello Eka ! *waves frantically*
I got confirmed this year too. Alhamdulillah.
Gobbled up almost all of our delicious Raya cookies before Raya. Hehe.
Mr Sunshine and I celebrated our first Raya as husband and wife and boy, it was an amazing experience. :)
Watched a movie at the Terengganu's first TGVcineplex, in Mesra Mall, Kerteh which just opened the week before. :D
I had a hard time accepting the fact that Mr Sunshine and I were gonna have to stay here in Terengganu longer than I had expected to.
Mr Sunshine turned 25 ! My gift for him was not as extravagant as his was for me, which made it not blog worthy. Sobs.
Annisa and I went for a splendid mini getaway here in Terengganu.
Daddy was warded for a week due to pneumonia. :(
And the latest good news, Lene passed her driving examination yesterday !! Yay !

Whether good or bad, I am grateful for everything that I have been blessed with, this year. Alhamdulillah.

As for resolutions, since I successfully achieved my ONLY resolution I made for this year (haha), I am gonna go ahead and make one for next year.
For 2011, I want to BE A BETTER CLINICAL PHARMACIST, which means I have to pull up my socks and stop making excuses for myself.
All this while, I have actually been stressing over my own incompetency (and laziness). Sad, but true.
Let's see how it goes next year, eh ? InshaAllah.

What are your 2011 resolutions ?

Since New Year's Day is not a public holiday for us here in Terengganu, and I will be working this weekend ( and on January 1st), Mr Sunshine and I will be celebrating the new year in our humble abode, just the two of us. InshaAllah. :)

Have a good weekend everyone ! :D

xoxo

i feel like quitting my job.

2010-12-26T11:45:00.003+08:00

Seriously, that's how I have been feeling for the past two weeks.
Mr Sunshine has received two text messages from me telling that, "Saya seriously nak berhenti kerja !" while I was at work.
I don't know what has gotten into me, but lately I have not been able to handle all the stress at work so well.
It could be due to the recent going ons in my life, with Daddy being unwell, with the distracting pain I have been enduring and of course, work itself.

Even one minuscule thought about work can make me soooo tensed up, I get worried that I might go crazy.
Take this morning for example, I woke up and work was the first thing that crossed my mind, I felt all the muscles in my body tighten while I stared at the ceiling trying to calm myself down.

I can burst into tears any time right now.

I'm happy for those of you who are at peace with your respective jobs and love doing it day in day out but I just can't say the same for myself.

I do not know how long I can go on faking smiles.

P.S: THANK YOU ALL FOR ALL YOU KIND THOUGHTS AND WELL WISHES HERE, ON FACEBOOK OR THROUGH THE PHONE ! YOU GUYS ARE AWESOME ! YES, I MEAN YOU ! ;D

xoxo

of hospital admissions.

2010-12-24T20:54:00.001+08:00

I can't believe it's Friday already !
Alhamdulillah, Daddy was discharged from Selayang Hospital last Wednesday. From what Marc and Marlene told me and from Daddy's voice through the phone, he's looking/sounding much better. Alhamdulillah.
Poor Daddy, he had to spend a week in the hospital ! He had a hard time accepting the fact that he was down with pneumonia. :(
Thank you to all the doctors and nurses who attended to Daddy and thank you to all relatives and friends who took time to come and visit him. :)
Much love to Marc and Marlene for taking turns to accompany Daddy throughout his nights in the hospital. &hearts:
Marlene was there on most nights, and Marc and I slept over for one night each only as we had work commitments.

This was taken last Saturday. Poor Daddy. :(

On that very same Wednesday on which Daddy was discharged, I was referred and admitted to Hospital Sultanah Nur Zahirah (HSNZ), Kuala Terengganu for a persistent lower abdominal pain I have been having for the past three weeks or so. The doctors in my hospital referred me to HSNZ because they found something abnormal on the ultrasound image they carried out on me. At that moment, I was already crying because I was terrified of what I might find out.
I was fortunate to get a comfortable room in the first class ward, and Mr Sunshine spent the night with me. :)

Me in my oversized hospital clothes.

Mr Sunshine getting real comfy on the couch in my room.

I had to go through a pelvic exam, using a speculum (very uncomfortable !) and a bimanual one. They told me my cervix was normal, Alhamdulillah. Then I had to go through a transvaginal scan, which is how they detected that I had a 2.7cm x 2.7 cm cyst in my right ovary. :'(
I was discharged yesterday because I did not complain of any pain. Well actually, I was in slight pain but I did not let the doctors/nurses know because I did not want to spend another night there !
I have an appointment with the O & G clinic in a month's time, to see whether the cyst is getting bigger and whether it's benign or malignant. I hope everything goes well, Ameen.

I need to learn to not get worked up over things so easily. Not healthy, not healthy !

Since I am told to get lots of rest, Mr Sunshine has disallowed me from doing ANYTHING. No house chores at all ! He did the laundry, he went out to buy food for us, and he's currently cleaning up the house.
I definitely have THE BEST husband in the whole wide world ! Alhamdulillah. ;D

December has been pretty rough for the whole family. :(
I'm hoping the new year will be better. Ameen.

Happy Christmas and happy holidays to all ! ;D

xoxo

of trials.

2010-12-18T21:39:00.001+08:00

Daddy has been warded in Selayang Hospital since last Wednesday night.
These past few days have been very difficult and exhausting for the whole family.
We're all hoping and praying he fully recovers and gets back to being cute old Daddy.

However trying the times may be, I am thankful for all the little things that Allah has blessed us with.

xoxo

of feeling dispirited.

2010-12-09T22:52:00.000+08:00

Daddy has been ill for more than a week now.

That, and a multitude of other things crowding my thoughts explains the lack of inspiration to blog about anything.

Ok bye.

xoxo

because this is my one and only life.

2010-11-25T19:01:00.002+08:00

I can count with my fingers the number of times I have gone out for lunch with my colleagues here. I usually walk back home to pray and/or take a short nap and/or surf the web during lunch time. And I have been doing so for the past 1 year for a couple of reasons. Reason number 1 being that, I don't eat lunch on most days (of my life, hehe). Another reason is because I have always considered me being here in Terengganu as something ephemeral, and the only purpose I'm here is to work and work and work. And the only thing I look forward to everyday is to go back home to Gombak.

This afternoon my boss had this to say to me when I refused to go along with her and my colleagues for lunch, "Awak kena keluar lah kadang-kadang, baru ceria sikit. Ini asyik fikir nak balik je, mana tak sedih."
Of course I had a rebuttal to that, but only now it occurred to me that she could be right.
I realized that I have been going through my days, not really appreciating them. Instead, I pass my days by looking to the future, constantly looking at the calendar, thinking of the next time I would be able to go home and be with my family and friends, or when will I finally get to transfer out of here.
I keep thinking that life would be better when I'm out of here. But I forgot to notice that my life is now, it's happening now, whether I am loving it or not.
I really need to start living in the present. Enjoy now.
I should neither dwell in the past, nor overthink what's ahead.

This might sound a tad ambitious coming from someone like me.
But I plan to try my very best. :)

"This is my one and only life, And its a great and terrible and short and endless thing, and none of us come out of it alive." Holly Kennedy (P.S I Love You, 2007).

xoxo

of sacrifices.

2010-11-19T23:16:00.065+08:00

I have to work tomorrow but I am still awake, forcing myself to blog about how my Raya Haji/Korban went.
When we talk about Raya Korban, the thought about slaughtering an animal to commemorate and remember Prophet Ibrahim's trials comes to mind. It is also sometimes associated with making sacrifices in our lives, either big or small.
I have to say that this year's Eid-ul-Adha saw me making a big sacrifice which was agreeing to spend only ONE night in Gombak. :(
These past few days were kinda bumpy for both Mr Sunshine and I.
We left Kuala Berang at about 0620 hours on Tuesday morning, hoping to reach Gombak by lunch time. About 15 minutes into our drive, our car hit a hole and two of our left tyres were punctured ! We initially thought we lost only the front tyre, but while replacing it Mr Sunshine realized that the rear one was losing air too !

Sweater's on.

Sweater's off.

Poor Mr Sunshine. :(

So we drove very, very, very slowly with our hazard lights on, looking for a tyre shop. Luckily enough there was one about half an hour from where we hit the hole. Alhamdulillah. But it opened at 0900 hours, and it was only 0730 hours. We decided to have breakfast at a stall nearby and wait for the shop to open.
Mr Sunshine had to fork out almost RM500 for both tyres. We're fortunate he had extra cash on him, but the cash was actually meant for paying Mak for the kerepek orders we had asked her to help get.
The sport rims were also dented, so we knew we were gonna have to fork out more money to get them fixed.
Dugaan betul. :'(

Oh well, enough of all the sad news, I was really happy to get to be back in Gombak even it was only for a night.
Mr Sunshine drove Daddy, Lene and I to Empire Shopping Gallery Subang where I treated them to dinner at Serai Empire. :)
We chose to go there as Marc's office was just around the corner so he would not have any trouble joining us after work. Dinner was good. Mr Sunshine, Marc and I ordered the Serai Platter, Lene had the Nasi Kerabu and Daddy had the Middle Eastern Medley. To top all of that, we shared a Berry Pavlova ! Oh nyums !

The guys engaging in a serious conversation about, hm, cars.

Daddy, Lene and I. :)

The Serai Platter.

The Nasi Kerabu.

The Middle Eastern Medley. The lamb shank was so delicious !

This is Daddy trying to take a bit from the Berry Pavlova before I got to take a photo of it. Lene and I screamed, "Noooo !" Hahaha.

If we didn't scream, I would not have gotten to show you this. *drools*

My brother, fresh from his first day as a Marketing Executive ! ;)

On the morning of Eid, after Mr Sunshine repaired his rims (and was more than RM100 poorer), he drove us to Shah Alam for lunch.

Daddy had his hands full entertaining his grandkids.

Daddy had his hands REALLY full entertaining his grandkids. Hehe.

The ever adorable Alya. :)

We left for Batu Pahat after dinner at around 2030 hours that same day and reached just before midnight. All of Mr Sunshine's siblings were around this time. :)
Since yesterday and today were not holidays in Johor, my parents in-law had to work, so we had less time to spend with them. :(

One big happy family, at dinner. :)

And today we're back here in Kuala Berang.
Although I wish I had more time to spend in our hometowns, but I have work commitments, and I shouldn't be complaining because this is my rezeki. :)

My eyes are tearing and my back hurts, my body is sending me signals to tell me that it's exhausted.
Goodnight everyone ! ;)

aidiladha 1431H

2010-11-15T23:09:00.002+08:00

I was supposed to go to bed at 2100 hours just now but the 1 hour I put aside for packing turned into more than a 2-hour thingy because Marc & Lene called me every 5 minutes to check on how to set up the new wireless router they just bought.
They called me on the house phone so every time it rang I had to run from my bedroom to the living room to pick it up. I think I got enough exercise by just doing that. :p
Managed to help them through it and now I feel like an IT expert. Hahaha.
Kak Siti, Kak Liza, Abang Atan, Marc & I chipped in to get Daddy a new Acer notebook, I can imagine him being so excited about it especially after not being able to go online for so long because his PC had gone kaput.
Lene told me that Daddy had asked her, "Kalau wifi boleh wireless ke dik ?" Hehehe so cute lah my Daddy !
I'd be seeing all of them tomorrow ! InshaAllah. It has been two months since we've last been home. :(
Mr Sunshine and I plan to leave as early as possible, so I gotta get enough sleep because I get really cranky when I don't.
Goodnight everyone !
Salam Aidiladha. :)
xoxo

a terengganu getaway.

2010-11-13T22:41:00.003+08:00

Annisa spent the Deepavali weekend here in Terengganu. It was something that we had planned since June, but due to work and our conflicting schedules, she was only able to make a trip here this month.
I have Mr Sunshine to thank for giving me permission to stay and spend time with her while she was around. :)
I drove to pick her up from the airport on Thursday night and it was my first time driving there on my own from where I stay. I was obviously excited about seeing her but I was also very nervous about driving her around since I am not really familiar with the roads in KT.
I am so used to being driven around KT. Hehe.
I was also worried about the weather as the monsoon season had just started.

But it did not turn out that bad, as a matter of fact I think I did a pretty good job being a tour guide. Hehe.
We checked in at Primula Parkroyal Beach Resort, Batu Burok. After checking in and freshening up, we headed to A&W Batu Burok to have waffles. It suddenly started raining heavily. And I will never forget what happened after that. We were sitting opposite each other, we had already finished eating and were talking when I noticed water flowing towards us. Ann saw the look on my face, turned her head back and looked at me."BANJIR !
Ok, so actually the first thought that came to my head was TSUNAMI ! since we were by the beach and faces of my loved ones started flashing in front of me one by one. Haha talk about overreacting !
I freaked out, and we jumped off our seats. The staff there were pretty relaxed about the whole thing, even when we saw a little snake in the flowing water, the manager just stepped on it to kill it ! That must be something they go through on a regular basis ?
We ran out of the place, the water outside was up until our calves ! Ann was calm enough to drive us back to hotel and luckily enough we managed to find a parking spot which was not in the basement level. Alhamdulillah, we were back safe in our hotel room, on higher ground. :)

The beautiful Sultan Mahmud Airport. :)

On Friday morning after a hearty breakfast, I drove us to Mesra Mall, Kerteh which was about two hours away from KT. We had initially planned to watch a movie but decided it would be a waste of time (we wanted to talk more rather than sit in a cinema for a couple of hours). So, we just walked and lazed around the mall.
We spent most of our time in Starbucks exchanging updates on our lives.

The view as soon as we step out of our hotel floor lift.

The view from where we had breakfast.

Sleepy me at breakfast.

Focus, Melissa, focus.

Mesra Mall !

The lovely Annisa ! :D

My Starbucks Ad. :p

In the evening, on our way back to KT, it rained again. Allah was so kind to us that day because when we stopped by Teluk Bidara, Dungun, the rain stopped !
Ann's face was lit up the whole time we were by the beautiful beach. Me, on the other hand was acting like an old grumpy lady, giving her disapproving stares whenever she wanted to go nearer to the water. Haha.
FYI (for those who don't already know), I absolutely love beaches but I am petrified of the sea especially at this time of the year. And I can't swim. :)

I was not lying when I said I loved beaches.

I would not go near that rock with those huge waves hitting it.

After an enjoyable time at the beach, we headed to drop by the picturesque Tanjong Jara Resort, Dungun to snap photos and use their ladies room. Hehe. The place was so divine, we were hesitant to leave. We made ourselves at home, really wished we could have spent a night there, but that would burn a gigantic hole through our pockets. Hehe.

The entrance.

We reached KT just after Isya', we walked around Dataran Shahbandar and Bukit Puteri before having a late dinner at the Waterfront.

The night market had just ended when we arrived.

The Tengku Zaharah Mosque a.k.a Masjid Terapung.

A replica of the historical Batu Bersurat.

The following morning, we skipped the hotel's buffet breakfast and stayed in our room to talk and listen to oldies on Ann's notebook. We checked out just before 1100 hours and headed straight to a shoe shop to find myself a comfortable pair of sandals as the ones I brought were a pain in my huge a***. I got myself a pair of comfy and pretty Fuschia coloured Scholl sandals ! Then we had brunch at Pizza Hut and gave the delicious Extreme Cheesy Pizza a try.
We walked around Chinatown and Pulau Warisan where they were having a fishing contest. We were annoyed at the men who were staring at us as though they've just seen ghosts and making weird sounds while they were at it to attract our attention. Ergh.
The people here stare. A lot.

Chinatown !

How pretty is this building ?

Notice the dark clouds above ?

Ann having a blast !

Me feeling rather unstable on this thing. Please take note of my pretty fuschia sandals. Haha.

Well, we got over that and I drove us to Taman Tamadun Islam, then Masjid Kristal and then State Museum.

Yes, my a*** is that huge, thanks. :)

Ann with her Taman Tamadun Islam passport.

The Crystal Mosque.

There was an exhibition on venomous animals at the museum but it was nothing fantastic.

Terengganu state museum.

Ann loves snakes !

We made a stop at Losong for some keropok lekor.

I drove us back to Kuala Berang to pick Mr Sunshine up so that I won't have to drive home alone at night after dropping off Annisa at the airport.
The three of us then headed to Riyaz Heritage Resort, Marina and Spa, Pulau Duyong for dinner at The Verandah. That was the third time Mr Sunshine and I dined there, but we never actually got beautiful shots like these:

Cantik takkkk ?

My chaperon for the night. Hehe.

After two days of being excited tourists, we sent Ann off at about 2100 hours that night. :(
All in all we had a superb time ! It was a much needed break for Ann and myself. Alhamdulillah.

All photos credits to Annisa's super camera. :)

But that's not it, I have more great news to share !
Marc will start working at Sime Darby Foods effective November 16 ! Alhamdulillah. :)
I know I will be sounding like a broken record but I am super proud of him !!! :D

Ok, I've gotta get ready for bed. Gotta work tomorrow.
Enjoy your Sunday, people !

xoxo

conjuncture.

2010-11-11T20:20:00.000+08:00

I found out about something today.
Something that's really hard for me to digest.
Sigh.

xoxo

hello world wide web !

2010-11-07T10:48:00.001+08:00

Ah hello, I'm back.
But nope, we still have not received our modem and we're still stuck with the one the store gave us to use but I finally got it to work (read: got a TM guy to come over to get it done).

I'm also back from spending the whole weekend with my bestie, Annisa. She came all the way to Terengganu for a holiday with me. We had such a good time ! I can't wait for her to upload them so that I can steal them. Hehe. Will blog more about my weekend soon. :)

Mr Sunshine turned 25 last week. :)

I hope you liked the gift I got you sayang. We'll go for a holiday next year, InshaAllah, ok ?
I love you so banyak !

I am gonna express my dissatisfaction with the service provided by bakery in town from which I bought Mr Sunshine's cake. Secret Recipe was just too far.
The girl actually misspelled "Sunshine" when I clearly jotted down the word on a piece of paper and all she had to do was copy it. "Ehh salah !", I shrieked, and to my disbelief she just calmly wiped the mistake up with a piece of cardboard and rewrote on it. Did not do a really good job on that too !
She had got to be kidding me, I thought.
She just proceeded to pack the cake and since I was not in a confrontational mood, I just paid for it and left with a heavy heart. :(

Can you see the part where the pink cream is smudged ? :(

Oh well, it still tasted alright.

xoxo

i miss having a stable internet connection.

2010-11-03T19:55:00.001+08:00

We still have not received our modem back yet.
Last Saturday, they gave us one of their modem to use while waiting for ours to be delivered from KL, but I can't seem to get it to work. Somehow the http://192.168.1.1 link is just not working for me. Anyone has any idea why ?

I thought I had nothing to worry about as I had my Celcom Broadband modem, but it is super slow 99.9% of the time.
It takes more than 5 minutes to access my email. Other websites take forever to load. SUPER SLOW LAH !!

I've got loads to tell and photos to upload but I guess I'd have to wait until I get a stable internet connection.
Until then, bye.

xoxo

i don't want to be here.

2010-10-26T21:13:00.001+08:00

Our modem decided to die on us last Sunday, so I'm blogging from my phone again.
We'll get a replacement modem by Saturday. Well that's what the guy at the IT store told Mr Sunshine.
No stable internet connection = no blog hopping = no Facebooking = no tweeting.
I was on medical leave yesterday and today because of this persistent headache that has been bugging me. For these past two days, I have been popping analgesics, rubbing axe oil all over my head and oversleeping.
I overslept to the extent I missed a call from my colleague this morning who wanted to check if I could come in to work today as her uncle passed away.
I only found out about it late this afternoon after I woke up. I'm feeling quite terrible now thanks to that. :'(
I have so much on my mind right now, but since I'm having my menses, I think it's just my hormones taking me for a ride.
So I'll keep my thoughts to myself.
xoxo

birthday gift dilemma.

2010-10-22T10:59:00.001+08:00

I finally received payment for the claims I made in August. Alhamdulillah.
I have promised myself that I will use some of that money to pay my income zakat (alms) for this year.

October will be ending in a little more than a week's time.
And November happens to be a super special month because three VVIM (very, very important men) in my life were born in November !
Daddy and Mr Sunshine share the same birth date on November 1st (but arwah Atok registered Daddy's birth a day after), and Marc's birthday is on November 26 !

After what Mr Sunshine did for me for my birthday (you can check it out here and here), he definitely set the bar pretty high for me.
Frankly, I don't think I can ever top what he did, knowing that I suck when it comes to surprises or getting gifts for people. :'(
I already got him one of the few gifts I am planning to get, but I have a feeling he already knows what it is and he will just pretend to act surprised when he gets it. Hehe. Kan awak, kan kan kan ?
But at the end of the day, it's the thought that counts and it's not a competition of who gets who the best gift right ?
Ok, I am obviously consoling myself here.

One of my besties, Annisa is planning to make a trip here early next month and I am so excited. Although she won't be staying over at my place but the thought of having someone I'm close to near to me for a weekend is just nice. She also happens to be a November baby ! ;D

Note to self: Don't touch eyes after slicing cili padi.
Ouch.

xoxo

weird

2010-10-21T16:27:00.002+08:00

I dislike the feeling I have when I wake up after having a weird dream, especially when it involves people who are no longer in my life (either dead or alive).

Last night was weird.

My lappie has developed a habit of turning itself off without warning, and now I can't seem to use my wireless connection function. I'm back to using the good old cable to go online.
My lappie has gone weird on me.

Word of the day: Weird.

Marc is done wit his Management Trainee stint at Sime Darby. But so far there is no news of him or the others being absorbed, so we'll just have to pray, wait and see. I really hope he gets it. InshaAllah.

I am quite pleased with myself for actually following through with my vow to start making up my fasts as early as I can. So far I have managed to make up for 11 days which leaves me with another 5 more.
If all goes well, after today, I'd be left with 4 days !

I'm having this weird pain at my body's right lower quadrant. Hmm.

I am totally aware that this is a weird and boring post.

xoxo

of supplications.

2010-10-20T21:50:00.001+08:00

"Bila ALLAH makbulkan doamu, maka dia menyayangimu,

Bila DIA lambat makbulkan doamu, maka DIA ingin mengujimu,

Bila DIA tidak makbulkan doamu, maka DIA merancang sesuatu terbaik untukmu

Oleh itu, sentiasalah bersangka baik pada ALLAH dalam apa jua keadaan...kerana kasih sayang ALLAH itu mendahului kemurkaanNya"

Wallahu'alam.

xoxo

this is for you, mr sunshine.

2010-10-19T22:06:00.002+08:00

Just for being you. ♥

[Chorus]
Sometimes love comes around
(love comes around love comes around)
and it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
(knocks you down)
Sometimes love comes around
(love comes around)
and it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
(knocks you down)

I never thought I’d be in love like this
When I look at you my mind goes on a trip
Then you came in and knocked me on my face
Feels like in I’m in a race
but I already won first place

I never thought I’d fall for you as hard as I did
(as hard as I did, yeah)
You got me thinkin bout our life our house and kids (yeah)
Every mornin I look at you and smile
cause boy you came around and you knocked me down.. knocked me down

[Chorus]
Sometimes love comes around
(love comes around love comes around)
and it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
(knocks you down)
Sometimes love comes around
(love comes around)
and it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
(knocks you down)

Say u gotta put the good with the bad, happy and the sad
So will u bring a better future than I had in the past
oh Cause, I don’t wanna make the same mistakes I did
I don’t wanna fall back on my face again
Whoaa, whoaaa
I’ll admit it, I was scared to answer love's call
Whoaa, whoaaa
and if it hits better make it worth the fall

(When it comes around)

[Chorus]
Sometimes love comes around
(love comes around)
and it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
(knocks you down)
Sometimes love comes around
(love comes around)
and it knocks you down
Just get back up
When it knocks you down
(knocks you down)

xoxo

pharmacy unit aidilfitri feast.

2010-10-15T11:35:00.004+08:00

It's the weekend again. I'm hoping this weekend will be better for me in the emotions department.

Although it sort of kicked off with me screwing up at work, I'm trying to look past that and learn from it.

I am currently in the middle of doing our laundry, just dried out one batch of clothes and now waiting for another batch to be washed. I thank God for the washing machine existence.

Anyway, I just wanted to share a few snapshots from our Pharmacy Unit's Aidilfitri feast we organised last week.

We had a few cakes which were all finished before I got to taste them. Hehe.

Other mouth watering desserts we served. The one on the right was prepared by Noor ! It's so delicious I tell you.

We had a bowl of tapai (fermented glutinous rice) which was a hit too.

The Nasi Beriyani we ran out of when guests were still pouring in.

A Raya Feast would not be complete without ketupat and rendang. They usually have ketupat palas for Raya over here.

Our guests. That's Matun smiling so cutely on the right.

L-R: Noor, my ex-boss Kak Nadya, Me, Dr Nadia (the doctor in charge of the male ward which I am in charge of too) and Dr Nik Fauzilah.

The Director of our hospital having a go at our laksa.

Lastly, but not least a photo of the hosts, the pharmacists, Matun, Noor and I. :)

Ok this is making me really hungry.

xoxo