Slide Show

December 31, 2012

My 2012

Time flies!

It's the last day of 2012 and i was like "Where the hell did the year go?".

Like any other year, 2012 is bittersweet for me;

-started the new year as newlyweds on honeymoon. Hanimun kat Langkawi je pon but it's precious! Head in the cloud to finally call him my husband.
-on the morning of 23/2/12, we found out i was pregnant. It was a happy-but-OMG-are-we-ready-to-be-parents? feeling.
-went to Evanasence concert that night and for the first time, tak melompat kat concert kahkahkah. In fact i kept covering my tummy supaya baby dalam perot tak dengar lagu2 tak berpaedah ni. Konon lah khennn?
-on the 8th week of pregnancy i was hospitalized for what we thought was dengue fever. I had rashes all over my body with fever at the temperature of 40celcius. I was so scared, afraid to lose my baby. Turned out it was viral fever and Alhamdulillah the little one was ok.
-two weeks after i found out i was pregnant, As also found out she's pregnant and we have the same EDD!! 2 bulan pastu, Chuna lak found out she's pregnant! It's exciting to be pregnant along with your close friends. We (especially As & i.. Maybe because of our same-age pregnancy) share the joy and pains of pregnancy together. Layan je bila each other ada cravings makan apa-apa. 
-went to Phuket for a vacation with my best friends and husband (dia sakit time tu tapi degil gak nak gi). Was nice to be with loved ones and soaked in the sun, sea and sand.
-had our second wedding reception in Kuching when i was 4 months pregnant in May. It was tiring but mannnn it was fun! Thanks mama and babah for giving us a beautiful wedding ;)
-finally really get to be in a team where i did the geological part and learn how to build a static model.
-nenek went to Mecca to perform umrah. So happy to see that she's happy
-first time celebrating Aidilfitri as husband and wife! First time jugak ikot in laws ke Sibu and Matu beraya kat kampong FIL. 8 hours trip from Kuching to Sibu, another 2 hours trip to Matu and i was 6 mths preggo. Penat tapi best wooo. I even learnt some Melanau words!
-gave birth to my precious baby boy through an emergency c-section. It was one hell of an experience. Reminding me that Allah is the best planner.
-my husband got a job offer he's been aiming for at an airlines company. It makes me happy seeing him happy with his new job. As for me, of course im happy for the free and discounted air tickets muahaha!


From this...

To this!


Second honeymoon and besties vacay!

Roadtrip to Sibu. Merentas sungai naik feri hokay..

Kawen lagi yeay!

My girls in crime. Nakal sama-sama. Kawen lebih kurang sama. Pregnant sama-sama. Beranak sama-sama.
Good planning!


That's all i can gather from the top of my head.



Wishing all of you a happy, fulfilling and blessed 2013!

Realization

Remember this post where i babbled about Afif's 3D/4D scan?

Here's the comparison:

Catching up on ZZzzzZzZzzZzz..

Yawnnn..

i can't believe how same he looks in and out of the womb!

Sigh..

It's seems like it's only yesterday that i am heavily pregnant with him. Seeing my tummy move dan senget sebelah. Feeling his hiccups twice a day. Not feeling alone because i know that i have him inside of me all the time. His kicks and punches as if to remind me "i'm here mama!". Now dah keluar budaknya. Nak dekat 3 bulan pon haa umurnya. Sometimes i look at him and say "It's YOU that was in there.. Ini rupanya budak kuat menendang ni.."

How time flies.

The next thing i know, he'll be running around the house, going off to school, leaving me for boarding school, off to university across the sea, getting married..

i guess i got carried away.

What i'm trying to say that, i have came to a realization that people grow. This baby in my arms will grow up. He won't stay little and pure. He won't be my baby forever. Now i'm his everything, i'm his favorite person in the whole wide world. There will come a day that he would not need me anymore.

Before that day come, i'm gonna cherish every single moment we share. Kissing him like there's no tomorrow. Hugging him til it feels like i'm gonna crush him. Telling him stories about his mom and dad, atoks and neneks, and everything he wants to know.

Because the dreaded day will come when he's too grown up to run back to mama's ketiak. When i'll no longer be there for him..

December 28, 2012

Happiness is..

..waking up to his smiling face, cooing as if saying "Mama bangun laaa. I wanna play!"

Confinement Lady Review

Haaa engko dah 2 minggu masuk keje baru nak review confinement lady hape kes? Better late than never lah kan?

Most pregnant ladies in KL will surely look for a confinement lady. Ye lah convenient, takyah balik kampung nak suruh mak jaga bagai. As for me yang takda mak ni, memang terpaksa lah amek confinement lady.

i was recommended to Ros Confinement Care by a friend. Aku tengok kawan aku tu pas bersalin slim dan cantik je.. Dia pon beriya-iya memuji Cik Ros ni. Maka percaya lah kat dia. Booked Cik Ros ni masa 5 bulan preggy aritu. Advance sangat khenn?

Started my session with her on the 10th day post-partum. She's right on time. Kol 9am dah sampai. A pleasant woman, sangat keibuan. Kita selalu dengar kalo bersalin secara c-section takleh berurut, bertungku, berbengkung segala. Semua itu disangkal oleh Cik Ros. Dia anak 5, semuanya c-section. Katanya everytime pas bersalin, dia berpantang buat je berurut, bertungku, berbengkung semua tu. Cuma kene start lambat sikit compared to those yang bersalin normal, tempat jahitan takleh disentuh dan si bidan kene pandai cara urutan.

Cik Ros ada sediakan pakej-pakej nya. Korang tengok lah sendiri kat FB dia. For me, i initially took a 2-weeks package but at the end of first week tu dia kata i'm strong enough and recovering well. Tak payah bazir duit upah Cik Ros smpai 2 minggu katanya.

What do i get? Everyday dia datang kol 9 pagi. Dia mandikan baby, tuam baby, baby massage and siapkan pakai baju bedung segala. Bila baby dah tido baru dia belai mak baby pulak. Started off with scrub (scrub dia buat on first and seventh day sahaja), mandi air herba, bertungku, urut, tangas, pakai param dan last sekali berbengkung dan pakai pilis. Selesai dia belai-belai badan kita gini, dia gi dapur masakkan makanan pantang untuk tengah hari dan malam sekali. Selepas makan, dia kasi minum air rebusan akar (pahitnya Tuhan saja lah yang tahu). Selesai semua ni dia balik. The whole session usually ends at about 1-2pm.

All the things needed macam minyak urut, param, pilis, air jamu, air mandian akar, etc semua Cik Ros sediakan. Kalau tak beli set bersalin pon takpe. Tapi bahan memasak kene lah sediakan sendiri.

Habis seminggu session dengan dia, i carried on confinement period myself. Makanan pantang Wan masakkan tapi ada lah sekali dua makan KFC, Kenny Rogers hewhewhew. Baby mandikan sendiri. Pantang koboi je aku ni. Bengkung kalo rajin pakai tapi selalunya memang tak pakai lah. Stokin memang tak tanggal. Param and pilis memang aku tak pakai sebab rimas nanti rumah bersepah. Jamu pon tak makan sebab Afif macam kembung kalo aku makan jamu. Cuma minom air rebusan halia Wan buat. Koboi sangat khenn?

Cik Ros datang lagi on day 41-43 untuk buat penutup pantang pulak. Penutup pantang ni buat scrub, massage, tangas kering, and mandi bunga/air susu untuk kembalikan seri katanya. Mintak dia urutkan tutup sikit rahim tu. To be honest i'm not ready for another child anytime soon (tak puas lagi manja-manja ngan Afif) so urut tutup rahim ni adalah one of the ikhtiar lah. Tapi tatau la if Allah has other plan for me kan?

All in all, i'm satisfied with Cik Ros' service. Urut sedap dan segala teknik/ritual ni memang ikot cara orang dolu-dolu. Plus Cik Ros ni adalah bekas nurse. So dia pandai balance kan modern and traditional technique. Lagi lah puas hati apabila i'm back to my pre-pregnancy weight sebelom abes confinement period. Sebenarnya ada lg 1 kg ni susah bebenau nak hilang but i'm not complaining. Maybe that extra 1 kg is comes from Miss Boobies iaitu susu untuk Afif huahua..

If you're interested and wants to contact Cik Ros, quote my name (Teefa or Fifa.. Dia suka panggil aku Fifa haha..). Takde la dapat diskaun tapi tak lah dia pelik siapa lah pandai-pandai rekemen dia ni.. Tidak lah jugak aku dapat komisen. Sharing is caring tak gittew? This is her phone number 012-2437054 and you could also search her on Facebook at ros.confinement@gmail.com
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December 12, 2012

Afif's 2 Month Milestone

Pejam celik pejam celik masuk hari dah 2 bulan umur anak mama. How time flies huh?

Having a baby is definitely life-changing. i thought i know (almost) everything needed to know about having a newborn. Ye lah sebelom beranak dah baca macam-macam buku, Google macam-macam tajuk pasal newborn. Dari kecik pon banyak jaga cousin dan sedara mara kecik. Tapi sebenarnya bila dah rasa sendiri baru lah tau.

Afif's First Month

- Dia paling tak suka kene bedung. Kalo kene bedung je he'll fight his way out of it. Fight his way back to freedom. Prove? There's a video of him at the age of 2-days-young with his right arm out of swaddle, waving in the air. Ada jugak gambar dia masa umur 6 hari tangan genggam ke atas macam celebrate hari merdeka. Haha. Tapi memang dipaksa la bedung. Especially time tido malam.
- Kuat menyusu. Sekali session sampai 45 minit. Sejam kemudian dia lapar lagi. Ye lah, lahir tak cukup minggu. Beratnya pon 2.34kg je. i believe he drinks a lot to grow. Alhamdulillah banyak susu rezeki untuk Afif.
- Start mid of second week, dia suka berjaga malam. Waktu feveret dia adalam 1-4am. If i'm lucky he only cried a little but most nights dia nangis macam kene dera je. Time ni memang menguji kesabaran. He cries and cries but you don't know why and you don't know what to do. Kami laki bini buntu. Kadang rasa nak baling je budak. Best we can do is take turn holding him, baca ayat-ayat Quran, sing to him, nurse him. Nasib baik ada Wan. Dia la banyak tolong bagi tips, tolong tenangkan Afif, tolong jaga Afif bila mama daddy nya dah tak larat.
- Suka tido siang. Kadang tengah mandi pon tido. Sabar je la.
- Paling suka mandi. Time mandi dia confirm senyap sambil muka happy. i think it's because i went swimming and snorkeling in Phuket when i was pregnant with him. Maka terkenan kat dia Huhu.
- Suka senyum dan gelak masa tengah tido. Memang biasa lah baby senyum time tido kan? Tapi dia ni gelak pon boleh. Tapi tak la gelak cam orang tua. Gelak takda gigi pastu tak cukup bunyi. Breathy laugh gitu. Memula ingatkan dia sesak nafas. Rupanya ketawa. Itu lah penghibur hati mama.
- Sebab dia ni kecik orangnya, segala mittens, booties and socks longgar dipakai. Asyik cabut je. Umur 3 minggu camtu baru dapat pakai. Baju pon semua besar macam pakai baju pinjam.
- Tak suka left booby, suka yg kanan je. Nak susu pon memilih dia ni. Ada flavor agaknya susu tu. Haha.
- Suka daddy dia dodoikan. Kalo mama dodoi dia macam tak selesa.

 Day 6. Tangan merdeka.

Second week. Ada satu malam ni rasa macam badan dia panas. Letak Cool Fever pastu okay.

 Bedung pakai kain batik is the best. Kuat, susah dia meronta.

 This was taken at 4am. i was desperately trying to get him to sleep. Dia ngantok tapi lawan mata.
 
 On his first monthsarry!

Afif's Second Month

- Still tak suka bedung. Tapi malam memang dibedung sebab kalau tak, dia terperanjat.
- Still kuat nyusu. Mid of sixth week dia dah adjust timing to 2-2.5hours skali. Sebab dipaksa, dia boleh terima left booby jugak.
- Alhamdulillah body clock dia adjust starting from 6th week camtu. Dalam kol 11pm dia tido. Bangun menyusu around kol 1am, 4am and 7am. Bersyukur sangat dapat la mak bapaknya tido malam.
- Most nights tak meragam. Kalau meragam pon awal malam around 8pm. Cecepat mamanya urut perot dengan minyak Yu Yi Cap Limau. Kadang tu kalau kembung, kami bagi Gripe Water.
- Nak tido mesti kene tido atas badan mamanya. These are the moment that i love the most. Rasa dekat dengan dia. Rasa dia sayang sangat kat kita.
- Suka merengek. Kalau tak nyusu dan tak tido, selalunya merengek. Kalau senyap pon, dalam 10 minit camtu. Kalau orang dukung or riba baru la senyap. Cembleng, bahasa jawanya.
- Around 6th week dah pandai ajak borak. Cooing dan membebel bahasa dia. Tapi mata dia tak berapa adjust kat muka kita.
- 7th week pandai sengih-sengih, ajak borak, mata dah fokus kat muka orang and objects. Kalau tengah mood nak main or playtime tu, kene org layan dia. Bila kita stop layan je mesti dia nanges.
- Kami ajar dia pakai pacifier masa umur 7 minggu but he hates it. Ada sekali ni je dia sedut bebetol. Pastu hampeh tanak dah. Buaian pon dibelikan masa 7 weeks. Sebab risau nanti dah start keje Wan yg akan jaga dia (sampai 4 bulan camtu). Jenuh la Wan kalo budak ni asyik nak berdukung je. Tu la belikan buaian untuk senangkan Wan.

..ape lagi eh? Ni je yang terlintas setakat ni. 
Suka tido atas mama. i'm dreading the day he'll be too big for this.

Sleepyhead!

His first makan-makan outing: at Dip n' Dip!

My heartbeat.

 Dah pandai main-main.
 

Being New Parents

Being new parents is sumpahlah penat weh. Yes i love my son, yes it's rewarding but i'm not gonna sugar-coat it. The longest sleep i have is 2.5 hours. As a mom, you have to feed, comfort, dukung, dodoikan, tidokan dia. When you're not tending to the baby you have to pump milk, basuh segala peralatan pump dan botol, and do baby's laundry (i don't trust any other people except hubby and i to do Afif's laundry). Memang susah nak ada masa untuk benda lain. It makes showering feels like a vacation. Takleh imagine camne la nanti ada 2-3 anak lagi.

When your baby cries and you don't know why or how to stop it is the worst feeling ever. You feel frustrated, tired, and at some point, angry. i feel like the worst mom ever. Nasib baik lah tak pernah hilang sabar lagi. Kalau rasa bengang, i'll just hug Afif and say "..and this too, shall pass". That's my mantra.

Worst is when Afif has his growth spurt. Kalau tengah growth spurt tu, sepanjang masa bergayut kat nenen, sepanjang masa menangis. Dah 2 kali dia growth spurt. i'm dreading the next one.

Paling menyampah bila makcik-makcik dan nenek-nenek suruh bagi susu formula. Kononnya anak nanges sebab susu badan tak mengenyangkan. Kononnya sebab tu anak aku kuat sangat nyusu. Itu memang mentality orang dulu-dulu. Diorang tak tau budak formula fed seems to be 'puas' or 'kenyang' adalah sebab susu formula susah nak di-digest. So the tummy needs more time to digest it, making the baby feels full a bit longer. Don't get me wrong. i don't have issue with formula. i know sooner or later i'd have to rely on it. But i'm determine to breastfeed my son until he's 2 years old. Paling kurang pon, setahun la. Selagi ada susu badan dan selagi Afif nak susu badan. So don't bring me down and ask me to formula feed. When i have to, pandai la aku bagi susu formula. Takyah orang suruh-suruh.

All these challenges are bearable when you have a good, understanding, patient partner that is there during these difficult times. i'm so thankful for my husband. We lean on each other. i could not ask for more.

Itu lah antara cabaran yang paling menduga bagi aku lah. At the end of the day, the tiredness, the crying, the kebengangan dgn orang sekeliling - all melts away when i see my baby grows healthily and happily. When i hold him in my arms and realize "He is all mine..". When he smiles and laugh (even just in his sleep). It makes everything worth it.


December 9, 2012

Birth Story #1

WARNING : extremely long post.
Extremely long overdue.

It all started on Sunday, 7/10/2012.

Girlfriends Outing

Pagi-pagi dah bangon sebab excited nak kuar dengan girlfriends iaitu Shaq, Shaf and Nani. Shaf ngidam dimsum. i just wanna eat everything sebelum berpantang 44 hari nanti kononnya.

So we went to Mandarin Oriental for their dimsum. Our first time there (selalunya kami gi Quality Hotel or Sime Darby) and the foods are marvelous! Sayangnya takda buffet. Order ala carte. A bit pricy but definitely worth it (i'm actually drooling while typing this)

Selepas makan-makan, cadangnya nak gi try Dip n' Dip, the new dessert cafe offering all kinds of chocolates dishes. Before leaving the hotel, i went to the toilet and (gasp!) there's blood on my pantyliner. i was freaking out but tried to be cool and act normal around my friends as i don't want them to panic and send me to the hospital. Ye la kalo dah kene gi hospital bila la pulak nak gi Dip n' Dip khennn? Nak tunggu pas pantang tak sanggup eden.

Pastu nak masuk kereta perot dah start sakit period pain. (note: i've been having mild period pain for two weeks that time). Maka terpaksa berterus terang dengan the girls. As expected they freaked out and wanted to take me to PCMC straight away. But i said NO!!! Go to Dip n' Dip first baru gi hospital!! It's my body and it wants chocolate and you have to take me. Haaa begitu lah tahap kecintaan saya kepada coklat.

Called husband dearest and he'll meet me at PCMC.

Labour Room!

Lepas berpuas hati makan kat Dip n' Dip, Shaq and Nani sent me to PCMC. i thought the doctor will just check in the ER tapi rupanya straight away masuk labor room.

i was nervous. The girls are waiting at the waiting area outside the labour room. Husband datang tak lama pastu.

The midwife seluk (Sakit okay kene seluk) and found out i was 1cm dialated. i was like "Macam ni je ke sakit nak beranak.. Macam period pain je.." The hooked me on the CTG to monitor contraction. i had mild contraction every 20 minutes. Seriously i felt fine. Sakit cam period pain je. So i told the midwife i wanna go home. Taknak beranak lagi. Then she said "You dah macam in labour. Doctor suruh you warded for observation"

i was given steroid shots as a precautionary step. Kalau terberanak, i'd be having premature baby (time tu 36++ weeks) so the steroid will mature baby's lungs.

i ended up warded for 3 days, given two shots of steroid. Second day, the contraction dah tak regular. So third day, on 9/10/12 ( Tuesday )  i was permitted to go home.

Gaaahaha buat malu je false alarm. Pasni i swear if i have bleeding close to EDD i'll just shut up sampai lah datang real contraction or air ketuban pecah.

The Real Labor

The next day, which is Wednesday night, lagi sakit pulak period pain. By this time i know already period pain means contraction. Tapi buat bodoh je la walaupon nak tido tak berapa lena. Baru 37 weeks weh. i really didn't think i'm gonna beranak soon.

At 3.15am (Thursday) tetiba terjaga dari tido sebab sakit sangat perot. Try tido balik tak boleh. i sat up pastu rasa macam basah sket kat area va-jay-jay. Ingatkan aku terkencing, sebab ngantok sangat, try tido balik. Pastu tak sedap hati nak gi toilet la nak shishi. Bila bangun je, berjeburrr air keluar. My water broke! Mr. Chenta was in the bathroom at that time and i was like "Bibibbbbbbbb... Bibibbbbb!! My water broke!!!". Terus la kelam kabut laki bini.

Mr. Chenta ajak gi hospital and i was like "Noooo!! What if false alarm lagi?" (which is silly of me. Water breaking means you're in labor!). "It's okay bb. Jom tido.." i said bravely. Pas pakai maternity pad kononnya nak tido lah. Takda maknanya berjejeran air ketuban tu keluar. Last-last terpaksa la gi hospital.

Reached hospital around 4.15am. Terus masuk labour room (again). i was 2cm dilated. Midwife tu kata "Haaa.. ni bebetol nak beranak!" Hooked on to CTG. Regular contraction about 8 minutes apart. Sakit la jugak tapi tak lah tahap sakit nak mati. Midwife tanya nak epidural tak. i was in doubt. Nak ke tanak eh? Last-last aku cakap "Bearable lagi. Nanti kalau tak tahan sangat saya mintak lah.."

Sepanjang contraction tu sempat lagi baca surah Maryam, surah Yassin, makan-makan, bergurau dengan suami, gelak-gelak, amek gambar dan took a short nap. i'm glad to have a few hours to spend alone with my husband. We're excited but definitely nervous. Mr. Chenta even felt a bit nauseous. Muahaha..

Last pose as a child-less couple.

 Sempat laki aku baca mags & tido haa..

At around 9am Dr. Tan Yiap Hong (the replacement Ob/Gyn because Dr. Aziz is not around for 2 weeks can you believe it??) came and check up on me. Surprisingly i was still 2cm dialated. And then dia berkerut-kerut tengok CTG graph tu.

And then he said "You're still 2cm dilated which normally is not a problem. But baby's heart beat is low. Now it's 80. Normally minimum should be 110. We have no choice. Kene ceaser lah.."

Kami laki bini terkejut gila. Berderau darah time tu. In my head i was screaming "This is not part of the plannnn!" Dr. Tan explained that serviks tak bukak, with this low heart beat baby boleh lemas. Dengan berat hati, terpaksa pasrah je kene bedah. The worst thing is that my husband can't be in the operation thater coz it's an emergency c-section. Lagi lah rasa nak meraung je. Tapi keraskan hati buat-buat macho tahan nanges.

Emergency C-Section

Part kene usung pi OT tu aku rasa paling drama. Macam dalam drama tv. Mr. Chenta jalan sebelah katil, his face looked worried. Thousands of thoughts ran through my mind. Selamat kah anak aku nanti? OMG will i be fattttt? Coz selalunya orang beranak c-sect akan jadi gemok susah nak turun badan. Lagi nak meraung fikir pasal tu.

Around 10am masuk OT. Mr. Chenta dihalau keluar. i was prepped for epidural. Hamagad sakit ok dia masukkan epidural tu. Rasa macam electric shock down my spine. Pastu terus takleh gerak kaki dah. My body felt numb eventhough sebenarnya epi tu affect lower body je. Terlantar atas katil bedah tu teringat masa bedah tikus dalam kelas Biology form 5. Ini agaknya perasaan tikus tu.

i can't see the whole procedure sebab ada curtain diorang letak. i'm glad they did. Mau aku pengsan tengok diri sendiri kene toreh. Tapi masa kene bedah tu agak emosi. Coz i felt so alone. i just want my husband to be there.

At 10.36am (bak kata dalam report baby tu lah) keluar lah my Little Hero. Doctor tu kata "Your baby is here!" But i can't hear anything.. 2 saat pastu aku dengar dia tersedak-sedak pastu meraung. That was the most beautiful sound i have ever heard in my life. Sebak gilaa woo.. Again, i feel like crying but sebab saya macho, tahan je la. Nanges dalam hati katanya.

Then i heard the doctors gasp and said a few medical terms and something like "This is the first time we have this here!". Cuak aku. Apsal anak aku? Ada yang tak kene kah? But i didn't dare ask. i don't wanna find out.

A few minutes after that my baby was brought to me. Tapi sedih takleh pegang dia. i kissed him then he was brought away to the nursery to be cleaned. Aku still terlentang kat situ. Kene jahit balik.

At around 11am the whole procedure finished. Time tu menggigil kesejukan - side effect of epidural. Stay jap kat area OT tu for God-knows-what kol 11.30am camtu baru diusung masuk dalam bilik. Thank God Mr. Chenta was there waiting for me anxiously but still smiling.

"i saw our son!" he exclaimed. "Tadi naik lif dengan dia.. He opened his eyes. Kecik-kecik pandai bukak mata! He was looking at me.."

Waiting for Afif to be brought back to us felt like a lifetime. Berkali-kali aku tanya "Mana Afif?".. Dua kali aku suruh laki aku tanya nurse lama lagi ke dia kat nursery.. i was anxious. Mungkin sebab terkenang apa doctors tu berborak dalam OT tadi. Dalam kol 12.30pm camtu baru dia masuk bilik. Mr. Chenta azan dan iqamatkan. Syahdu gilaa time tu. Sebak. Then i breastfed him for the first time ever. Alhamdulillah ada colostrum and Afif latched on excellently for a first timer.

Later that afternoon Dr. Tan came to check up on me. Rupanya yang diorang kecoh dalam OT tu tadi sebab tali pusat Afif adalah sangat pendek and at that point, dah nak terputus. Patut lah susah nak buka serviks tu. Sebab dia tak boleh turun to trigger the opening. "We're lucky that we decided to ceasar quickly. Tadi kalau lambat sikit, tak tau la apa jadi.." he said. Alhamdulillah. (Wan pon kata masa dia basuh uri, memang pendek tali pusat. Sejengkal camtu je..)

Post operation, tak rasa apa-apa sebab kaki still numb. Rasa penat and emotionally drained. Rasa tak berguna coz bila Afif nanges nak susu, i can't get him myself. Kene Mr. Chenta angkat kasi kat aku. Petang tu bius hilang, baru start rasa sakit. At that point i felt like "Cukuplahhhh.. Tanak ngandung dah.." Nurse suruh duduk atas katil for the rest of the day. Takleh bangun dulu. That night, i broke down and cried to my hesband. The whole day was overwheling.. Dah tahan nanges dari pagi haaa hamek ko terus meroyan mlm tu. Baru lega rasa..

Shaf came at around 2pm. Mak and Maksu dia pon datang. Later that afternoon Shaq came. Linda, Butet, Wan and  Redha pon datang..

Esoknya baru boleh bangun. i walked around the room to exercise my legs. Tapi sakit la jugak takleh tunduk and gerak laju.My crazy colleagues pon datang. penuh gak lah bilik. Thanks to As, Pip, Pijot, Feena, Niza, Ogy, Anna, Zarith, Mariah, Amal, Hazman, Sherry, Sue-mae, Yu he, Yoga, Lina, Tim, In, Jiah, Zatil and sesapa lagi yang terlepas nama. Diorang ni semua datang on second day. Thanks for the hadiahs. Tatau dah which hadiah is from which one of you but we really appreciate it.

 Some of the gang.

Thanks jugak to Faiz + Shila, Hazwan + Myra, Nadiia + partner, Chuna + Mael, families, dan semua yang datang melawat.

Warded for 4 days. Dapat balik rumah on Sunday. Alhamdulillah Afif takda kuning. Even the doctor was amazed. "Apa you buat haaa baby takda kuning langsung. Selalu babies yang almost premature ni teruk kuning nya.."

That was my Labor + Ceasarean experience. It definitely took us by surprise but Allah is the best planner. 



November 7, 2012

Day 28: Afif on the Bottle!

Today is the first time i breastpump. It also marks the day we tried to feed Afif using the bottle.

First attempt did not work. He seemed confused when the teat is in his mouth. Pastu nanges lalu pusing-pusing kepala cari nenen mamanya. Kesian. Mamanya pon bagi la susu badan.

Later in the evening hubby and i tried again. He kinda refused at first. We dropped a few drop of milk in his mouth. Gradually, he accepted and began to suck. Lepas tu dia minom smpai la abes 1oz. Pastu hubby tarik botol takot perot kecik dia takleh terima banyak-banyak susu.

Truthfully, saya berasa agak sedih dan emo sebab what if he likes the bottle more that he wouldnt want to direct breastfeed? What if he doesnt need me anymore? Sedih bila fikir camtu. But this is for the best. Better ajar dia guna botol dari sekarang. Nanti senang mama nk gi kerja. Daddy pon suka coz dah ada chance nak feed the baby. Bonding katanya.




October 30, 2012

Not-so-surprise Baby Shower!

The last weekend before becoming a mom is a memorable one for me.

That weekend was especially dedicated to girlfriends. i had this feeling that i HAVE to go out with my girlfriends because God knows if that will be my last outing with them before i have kids.

So on Saturday i went out with Linda. It turned out to be a surprise baby shower party for In (expecting her second child and only found out she's pregnant when she's 5 months along!) and i.

Sweet gilaaaaa diorang ni. Memula Jia and In amek aku kat rumah (kat situ dah kantoi something is up sebab janji Linda yang nak amek) pastu si Jia ni konon nak culik orang, tapi taktau jalan. Last-last aku yang tunjuk jalan gi Lake Garden muahaha.

And there they were; Linda, Lina, Tim, and a picnic spread complete with baby shower decorations, cake, lotsa foods (pizza, berbotol fruit juices dan beraneka buah-buahan). Walaupon tau dah memang ada surprise party, but seeing all the efforts they put in membuatkan aku rasa terharu nak nanges. Tapi mak maintain cool nok. Gila dilabel pompuan hormonal kalo nak berair mata disini.

Kami berdua di crown-kan (In pon terkejot dia di-celebrate sebab dia pon one of the shower planner. Muahaha) siap ada sash. Pastu bermula lah acara makan-makan. Best gila sebab picnic style. Completely different from the usual makan-dekat-restaurant celebration.

Nah tengok gamba yang di-snap kat phone. Gambar lain kat kamera diorang hihi.

Si perancang dan penculiks.

Foods!

 Mak-mak buyong yang diraikan

36 weeks 4 days preggo.
One of the last photos of me being pregnant with Afif!
*dicurik dari Instagram In. hehe*

To Linda, Lina, Jia, In, Tim, and Ahya..
Seriously you made the end of my pregnancy memorable. Aku sangat-sangat terharu dengan effort korang. Thanks yang tak terhingga. Sayang korang banyak-banyak!








October 20, 2012

Meet Afif Haiqal!

Alhamdulillah.

At 10.36am, October 11, 2012 on a Thursday i have officially became a mom.

i gave birth to a tiny but definitely healthy baby boy (2.34 kg!). He decided to come three weeks early. It was unexpected.

People, meet my son, Afif Haiqal bin Mohd Idzwan Asyraff.


 Will update my birth story later. Ni Afif dah start rengek-rengek. Ok Bye.


October 7, 2012

Parentcraft / Antenatal Class at PCMC

September 22, 2012. For the first time ever hubster and i went to antenatal class at PCMC. First time parents-to-be khennn, wajib lah excited nak gi kelas beranak ni.

The programme started at 8.15am until 5pm. Like always, we're late. Sampai kol 8.30am, kelas dah start. Because the first talk is about nutrient in pregnancy, Mr. Chenta and i took our time pergi breakfast dulu (breakfast provided). Being almost 9 months pregnant, macam dah terlambat je nak tau foods dos and don'ts in pregnancy and besides, the info are the same with what we can read in books and the internet. Kol 8.45am baru masuk kelas and kami duduk depan sekali sebab tu je seat yang ada.

Flow of the programme:

Registration & Breakfast

Eating Your Way through Pregnancy
We missed half of it. The talk is really basic. Boleh je baca dalam buku.

Breastfeeding
i was looking forward to this particular subject because people say breastfeeding is hard for first time moms. The speaker is very experienced. She speaks from experience, not reading through the slideshow. Demo with baby dolls and a breast model helps us to understand further. And boy, i'm so glad we sat on the front row. Senang nampak segala demo. After this talk, hubster dah tau segala term colustrum, hind milk and fore milk and know the challenges of breastfeeding. Tak payah susah-susah aku nak explain heheh.

Newborn Hearing Screening
Apparently there are a small percentage of baby born with hearing problems. The babies may not be entirely deaf, but might have some degree of hearing loss. This talk explains about the test conducted for newborn and what can be done to mitigate hearing loss. Good to know that all babies born at PCMC will go through hearing test  for early detection. This subject is new to me because tak pernah la pulak come across this subject in pregnancy books or Google. Mintak dijauhkan.

Pain Management
i need to know about this so badddd! To be honest, i still don't know nak amek epidural ke tak time beranak nanti. Rasa cam tak nak. Konon nak merasa the beauty of labour pain. At the same time i'm thinking "What if it's unbearable that i'll instantly die coz of the pain? What if nyesal nanti kalo tak amek?" and instantly i wanna opt for epidural. Aaaahhh.. What to choose? The anasthetist explained the different method of pain management; laughing gas, injection kat buntut, epidural, spinal, etc.. Dia tunjuk jugak camne perform epidural, tulang mana affected, the pros and cons of each method.

Baby Bath and Baby Massage
i didn't know there are so many steps to bathe a baby! i always see my nenek/makcik mandikan budak cam senang je. Now i'm paranoid about how slippery the baby will be. And the baby massage! i thought gosok-gosok manja je budak tu. Rupanya ada jugak steps and points dia. An eye opener though i'm sure i'm not gonna follow the steps 100%.

Antenatal Care/Labour & Delivery/Puerperium
Haaaa kelas ni konfem la eye opener gak kan. i've read books and articles about this but trust me, it's not the same with an actual doctor explaining the details to you.

Exercise in Pregnancy/Breathing and Relaxation Exercise/Pelvic Floor in Pregnancy
Breathing class! Selalu tengok dalam movie omputih orang kalo nak bersalin mesti bernafas yang over. Pastu kalau baca kat buku camne la nak tau betul ke tak teknik kite tu kan? i love this class because hubby and wifey work together. Dia demo stretching exercise good for pregnancy and ease labour, how to breathe during the contraction (bukaan 1-7cm lain cara nafas, 8-10cm lain pulak nafas dia), etc. Mr. Chenta and i were laughing throughout the entire breathing exercise coz we know we look ridiculous.

Labour Room/Ward Tour
Lastly at about 4.30pm, we were brought to visit labour rooms and the wards. Best gila PCMC punya labour room ada tv, wifi, toilet, etc. Kalo lama sakit siap boleh tengok movie lagi. Tingkap dia pulak ada view KL. i warned Mr. Chenta to make sure the curtains are shut when i give birth. Tak pasal-pasal orang kat condo depan tu dapat free show (eventhough the windows are heavily tinted.. Paranoid jugak hokey!)

All in all, i'm so glad we went for this class. The fee of RM250/couple might be a bit pricey compared to what other hospitals offer but dah alang-alang bersalin kat situ, it's best we go there. Yes, some information can be obtained from books and internet but going to antenatal class means involving your babydaddy in the process. Dah la laki aku malas baca buku. So it's a good experience laughing at ourselves and being in awe about baby and pregnancy related stuff.

There were 26 couples in the class so it was pretty crowded. i really do advice you to sit in the front row! At first i was dreading it but Mr. Chenta insisted we sit in front. True enough, neither of us fell asleep during the talk (let's be honest, talks tend to drift you to sleep no matter how interesting the subject is), we got to see everything clearly and have more interaction with the speakers. Kalau dok belakang confirm laki aku yang terkenal sebab tido dalam kelas time skolah akan berdengkur kembali.

The foods provided were delish (breakfast so-so, lunch sedap, tea break sedap!). Parking, surau, toilet segala dekat dengan kelas. The speakers are well experienced in their respective fields. Tapi rasanya goodie bag dia kureng sikit. i expected to get samples of diapers, wipes, and other baby stuff. Instead there are brochures about stem cell, samples of baby and mother skincare, CDs on baby bathing and massage, a magazine and two boxes of dates.. But it's okay. My friends say we'll get a truckload of freebies lepas bersalin nanti. Muahaha.

 The goodie bag

The content.

p/s: At last week's checkup doctor said i could give birth in one-two weeks time. Scared!


October 1, 2012

Crazy Chocolate Cravings

For the past few days i've been having chocolate cravings. It all started when i see pictures of Dip n' Dip's many variety of chocolate dishes.

Tapi sampai skarang tak sempat gi Dip n' Dip. Sobs.

To compensate for it, my husband has been feeding me with chocolate milk, Flakes, Crunchy, Magnum ice cream.. Tengah malam pon dia keluar mencari kat 7-11.

Today, after lunch sanggup beratur panjang-panjang kat Aunty Anne's nak beli Eclair Stix. Imagine soft pretzel sticks dipped in melted milk chocolate.. It's orgasmic OMG!

Have to control la these cravings. Kang tak pasal-pasal kene diabetes.


P/s: lepas makan Eclair Stix terus muak. Maksudnya dah puas la chocolate cravings. Pasni ntah la crave apa pulak :D


September 27, 2012

Mimpi

Minggu ni banyak betol mimpi beranak/berkaitan nak beranak.

One dream i saw my baby, berselaput dan berdarah atas cleaning table kat labour room tu. Selamat dilahirkan. Semalam mimpi gi check-up, doc kata dah 7cm dialated but i dont feel any pain. Terus masuk labour room tunggu beranak.

Most dreams menunjukkan senangnya beranak. Cuakkkk sebab mimpi kan selalu terbalik?

Maybe i think too much.

P/s: i know mimpi adalah mainan syaiton but i couldn't help being scared!
P/s lagi: adakah perlu air selusuh? Ada orang kata syirik, ada pendapat kata tak. For me bergantung pada niat. Kalau takde pon, cukup sekadar amalkan solat hajat, berdoa di mudahkan and amalkan ayat-ayat Quran insyaAllah ok.
September 20, 2012

Mixed Emotion

Anxious

i'm at the stage where i think about labour and childbirth every freaking second of the day.

Will my water break? Will i be able to have vaginal delivery? Will the contraction hurt? How much will it hurt? Will i die in the process? What if i need C-section? Will my "tuttt" tear? Will i be one of those unlucky women who were in labour for more than 24 hours?

These and lotsa other questions in my head.

Last night i fell asleep. Almost immediately i dreamt that i'm in labour, on a hospital bed. Nobody's around but my husband. It was painful, but not painful enough to make me cry and i remember thinking "Kalau camni je sakit beranak, insyaAllah i'll be okay..". i was pushing and pushing and pushing..

Then i woke up.

It felt so real. Instantly my hands reach for my tummy, so glad that my tummy is still big and round and the baby is kicking. Most importantly, no contractions whatsoever..yet!

IT'S FREAKY, THAT DREAM!

Excited

Despite freaking out about childbirth, i can't wait to see my baby boy (insyaAllah a boy!). i secretly hope he'll come out 2-3 weeks earlier than EDD. My EDD is on November 2, 2012 but to anyone who asks, i'd say i'll give birth in mid-late October. Kata-kata itu adalah doa bukan?

i can't wait to breastfeed him, hold him in my arms, see hubster holding him, force hubster clean his poo, see his first smile.. i know we'll be facing sleepless nights, pounding heads, frustration when the baby cries for God-knows-what reasons. Not to mention sore boobs, painful bottom, makanan tak sedap tengah pantang.. But it'll be worth it. That's what most parents say la. Hehe. So baby, please come out fast!

Vain

Call me vain, but in all of these baby stuff, i can't help but think will i ever get rid of all these pregnancy weight and get my pre-pregnancy body back? i've been listening to my friends whining about their stubborn bodies who can't seem to lose those pounds even after breastfeeding, dieting, exercising, corset, and supplements. But i have also witnessed friends who effortlessly bounced back to their old self (some are even skinnier) simply by just breastfeeding. i desperately pray that i belong to the latter group.i desperately NEED to belong to the latter group!

A little more update : we'll be attending the Parentcraft/Antenatal Class this coming Saturday (excited!). Current weight gain at 34 weeks is a whooping 9kgs! i'm officially in the 6 Series category now :(
September 6, 2012

Smooth Sailing Second Trimester

i'm well into my third trimester. The things that come with third trimester (hello heart palpitations, back pain, fatigue, constipation OMG!) make me miss the second trimester so much.

My second trimester experience in a glance:

- still had morning sickness up until week 24 but it wasn't as bad as in first trimester. Loya-loya tu confirm lah tapi tak lah muntah pagi petang siang malam. Huhu

- felt more energetic! Siap babymoon+girly vacay ke Phuket lagi. Island hopping, snorkeling, semua dibuatnya.. That was when i'm in week 13. Baruuuu ja graduate first trimester. Agak penat. Ada jugak lah risau (hotel atas bukit, bayangkan naik tangga yang tinggi.. Adalah 100 anak tangga camtu.. Cuak la jugak kalo penat sangat apa-apa jadi..) but all went well Alhamdulillah!

Babymoon + girlfriends gateaway in Phuket!

- Excited shopping barang baby dan baju mamanya. Hoiii.. Masuk je minggu ke 16 segala kedai baby dimasuk, survey-survey, beli yang mampu.

- Sempat kahwin skali lagi! In my case, our Kuching wedding reception. Ohoiii.. Penat okeh kerja kawen masa mengandong. Kepada adik-adik diluar sana, kalau majlis kahwin belah perempuan dan lelaki adalah jauh jaraknya (in our case, 5 months apart) silalah merancang keluarga jangan termengandong dulu.

- Back pain started at about 24 weeks. Sakit tulang paling bawah sebelum tulang punggung tu, especially kalau duduk lama kat opis. Every half an hour gi jalan-jalan tawaf keliling opis untuk stretch kononnya.

- Selera makan adalah tidak wujud sampai lah week 25 camtu. Makan asal kenyang dan tak lapar je. Lepas 25 weeks baru okay.

- Siang energetic, lepas office hour terus melepet. Paling best kol 10pm dah tertido. No more insomnia weehooo!

- Orang kata dah ada pregnancy glow. Ntah la tang mana glow nya tapi jerawat pupus, bibir tak pucat dah. Glow la kononnya tu.

- Orang kata lagi baby bump adalah kecik. Dah 6 lebih bulan baru perut jelas kelihatan. Kalau naik LRT, jarang sangat la orang bagi duduk. Mula-mula rasa seronok gak orang dok kata kurus lah, perot kecik lah. Tapi bila dah hari-hari dengar orang cakap camtu (siap kata aku diet lagi.. Ko hengat aku bengap ke ngandong-ngandong nak diet?) rasa sedih because i feel like i'm not doing/eating enough for my baby. Alhamdulillah monthly check-up doc kata baby saya sihat, in fact, he's a few days bigger than actual age. Baru lah lega. Lantak pi la orang lain kata apa. Lagipon kan memang kalau first baby perot kecik? (tapi sekarang perot saya dah besar weehooo)





September 3, 2012

Baby Checklist!


OMG!

i can't imagine that i'm in my 31 week almost 32 weeks already. 9 8 more weeks (or less if he decides to surprise us) and i'll be holding our son in my arms!

This is surreal.

Anyway, i thought it'd be fun if i could list down things i already have/bought and things that i need..


Clothes:

i believe i'm well sorted in this department. Sejak dari 20 weeks da start beli sikit2 time sale (or when there are cute lil' things i thought my baby can't exist without). Not to mention a bag full of used baby clothes my aunt gave me.. Alhamdulillah. Tak semestinya semua kene beli baru kan? Si suami dah suruh stop beli baju budak!

Long sleeve/short sleeve/sleeveless rompers Checked! Around 50pcs of these, size 0-9 mths.

Sleepsuits  Checked!

Bootees/Socks Checked! 6 pairs excluding the hands-me-down. Tak cukup nanti leh beli online. Muahaha!

Scratch mittens Checked! 10 pairs excluding the hands-me-down.

Hats Checked! 2 helai cukup ke?

Receiving blankets & swaddle Checked! I especially ADORE the JJ Cole swaddles..

Barut Checked! I think we got about 15 of these, all hands-me-down from my lil' cousins.

Baby laundry detergent Checked! 

Drawer/Wardrobe for clothes In progress. Lepas kemas2 bilik baru decide which kind we need.


Feeding:

Alhamdulillah almost 100% ready. Did i miss anything apart from listed below?
 

Breast pump Checked! Remember this post? Heee..

Feeding bottles + teats Checked! A set of 4 newborn bottles from Avent and 2 Tommee Tippee.

Storage bottles + storage bags Checked! 8 bottles plus 25 bags for a start.

Sterilizer Checked! We decided to soak in hot water plus sterilizer pill as people say the sterilizer machine is not really useful.

Bottle & teat brush Checked!

Bottle/food warmer Not buying i guess. See how la when baby comes..

Bib Checked! We got 6 pcs.

Burp cloths Checked!

Bottle drying rack Checked!

Bottle cleanser Checked!



Bathing/Baby Care:

Bath tub Checked! i can't believe these plastic tubs costs more than RM50! We ended up buying at Ikea's for RM20.

Baby shampoo/baby bath Checked! i bought Bubchen's travel pack. Try dulu kalau baby ok and tak allergic baru beli besar.

Baby lotion/oil Checked!

Diaper rash cream Will buy! Which brand is good? Anyone tried the Earth Mama Angel Baby cream? Checked! got in a set of Bud's Newborn travel kit

Cotton buds Checked!

Cotton balls What are these for? Checked!

Hooded towels + towels Checked! 1 hooded towel and 2 non-hooded ones.

Changing mat Checked!

Baby wipes Checked!

Brush & comb Checked!

Nasal aspirator Do we really need this? Please help!

Baby nail clipper Checked!

Thermometer Checked!

Disposable diapers Checked!

Minyak telon Checked!


Beddings:

Baby crib Still deciding whether or not to buy. My aunt gave us a baby cot/playpen but i really want a wooden new one!

Mattress (latex) Will buy once we decided on the baby crib.

Blankets Checked! We have 3.

Bedding sets Checked! Got a set from Aussino for RM99, normal price was RM349. Good buy heh? i also bought a seperate quilt (for golek-golek) and bantal karipap from a lady in Kuantan. Will review once i got it.

Mosquito net for crib Will buy! Checked!

Baby bouncer/rocker Is this useful? Do we need these from newborn or can we wait until baby is 3 months old? i really like Bright Starts Rock in the Park Rocker. So cuteeeee...

Travel:

Part travel ni adalah masalah sikit. We still haven't bought the stroller and car seat. Hubster and i want to be really sure because these two things are expensive. Tanak tersalah beli lak nanti. We decided stroller tak rushing sangat. Lepas baby lahir pon still boleh beli. Car seat memang kene beli cepat sebab nanti nak balik dari spital nak letak baby kat mana? Tak selamat woooo pangku. Diaper bag pon still in survey. Hehe.

Stroller Undecided whether to buy before or after Lil' Munchkin arrives.

Car seat Will buy soon!

Baby sling\carrier If we have a stroller, do we need this? Kalau beli stroller lambat of course la kene beli..

Diaper bag + travel changing mat Need to buy soon! Checked! A Carter set of two bags bought from Supermak Shop

Head support cushion for stroller Pending on stroller



For Mommy:

Disposable/washable breast pads Checked!

Nursing bras Pending. Tunggu final size nanti. Muahaha.

Nipple cream Checked! Bought Lansinoh because of good review. Harap-harap okay lah.

Maternity pads Checked!

Nipple shields Perlu kah? Help!

Set berpantang Checked! Nona Roguy paling banyak di-rekemen maka Nona Roguy lah akan dicuba.

Confinement lady Checked! i have booked a makcik berpantang setelah di-rekemen oleh kawan. Harap-harap lah okay dan mudah kurus kembali. Amin. 

Warm socks i have a few. Kene beli lagi 1-2 pasang. Boleh ke pakai ankle socks pegi gym tu? Checked!

Indoor slipper Checked!

Nursing tops Pending

Disposable briefs Checked!

Bengkung  Checked! Confinement lady kata dia sediakan. But i'll buy/make another one for when her 2-weeks service finishes.


That's all i got in my list. Did i leave anything out? Do i need anything more? Help!