confinement is OVER!

Alhamdullilah ... finally my confinement is over ... 44 days gone and now there are not so much restrictions as before. Guess my little one knows it too by the looks of his charming smile ... was thinking of putting him in a baby show ... should i???
Now Ahmad will response whenever we talked to him. Sometimes when there was a conversation, he would listen attentively and would open and close his mouth as if he's also in the coversation. He really likes when we called out his name ... he would look for the source and smile in reply. His neck and limbs are strong now. When we carried him, sometimes he would force himself into an upright position with his legs supporting him. Of course we were holding onto him. This is especially so when he's not happy or wants tobe carried about. Also another signal for the carrier to bring him around. Smart huh ... :)

Ahmad & his swing ...

Akhirnya Ahmad dapat tidur didalam buainya ... at first, Ahmad was wide awake ... looking around at his new surroundings. But after a while, sleepiness succumbs and he gave in to slumber ... di rumah Nek Yangnya ada buai ... di rumah Wannya pun akan ada buai ... so looks like i had to do the same for my house too :)

Ahmad is 6 weeks old!

Alhamdullilah ... Ahmad is already 6 weeks old now. Growing stronger each day and everyday, there's always something new. Be it new feeding schedule or response. Now he will respond when his name is called. In fact, both his short and long names ... he will smile or respond with some baby sounds. It's really heartwarming when he responded. Now there are times when he would stayed awake ... up to 3 hours to play. Alhamdullilah, during the day ... he would swing his arms, smiled, laughed and looked around for someone to talk to him.

Sincerely there are times when both Nazzer and I are so tired to take care of him ... with sleepy eyes, we woke up everynight to feed him. But when he smiled and responded, all sleepiness and tiredness disappeared. The beauty of parenthood i suppose ...

Ahmad's chubby cheeks!!!

Kenduri Doa Selamat

Tok Yang & Nek Yang have organised a kenduri doa selamat for me & Tok Yang. But before the kenduri, my god-mommies (Mommy Nur, Mommy Ilah, Mommy Sab) came over & give me a big present all the way from Toys R'Us. It was a cradle swing ... can't wait for Abah to put it together for me. Next in line was the loads of food ... satay to fruit tarts to roti kirai ... so many food for the feast. The best of all when everyone turned up for the kenduri ... Wan, Nek Chu, Aunty, Uncle Gee, Nek Rah, Cik Yah, Cik Man & my member couz ... Syamil! Heheh ... Syamil, tunggu Ahmad besar sikit ye ... nanti kita play together-gether, k ~ Ahmad

Wow ... so many pixs ... so many story. Okay ... first thing first, my Atuk from Malacca came over for the weekend!!! All for me! See ?me & my Atuk. Then Umi & Abah made me put on my first jumper ... nice or not? It's blue & it's all mine ... then more people carried and cried for their photos to be taken ... from top left corner is Uncle Hairi, then Uncle Haizq on the top right ... below is a pix of me & Uncle Hafiz and last but not least, me & Nek Cuk. Hmm ... so many photos of me ... perhaps Umi & Abah should consider charging them for each photo taken with me ... tiring tau ... ~ Ahmad

Kesian Ahmad ... semua nak ambil gambar dengarnya. Celik aje matanya tadi, semua serbu nak ambil gambar. Especially Uncle-unclenya ... Lepas tu Nek Cuk pun sama ... tolong burpkan sempat posing untuk camera. Ish ish ish ... oh ye ... ada gambar baru di Yahoo Photos ...

5 weeks & going on ...

Alhamdullilah, Ahmad is already more than 5 weeks old. He's growing steadily and getting more & more chubbier by the day. See his picture!

14 more days to go

30 days down, 14 more to go. I'm counting down to the last day of my confinement. Bukan apa ... it's just the restriction is slowly getting to me ... when the confinement is over, i will have more freedom in terms of going out and all. Need to go back to school and get my timetable and all. I know ... I know I'm on maternity leave. But I don't want to wait till I return to school in February and having to adjust to the school life while the school term is going on. At least prior to my official day to return to school, I would adjust a bit to the paper work or something. Don't worry ... I'm not going to start work. Just getting to know the school better. During this confirement, I missed out on many gatherings - weddings, baby showers, kenduris, class reunions & all. Don't intend to miss out more.

The end of confinement also bring forward another benefit ... According to Nek Yang, it will be easier to take care of Ahmad once the confinement period is over. Sincerely I'm looking forward to that ... also we can bring Ahmad out ... it'll be nice to bring him out to the mall or relatives' place. Also ... if possible, Ahmad can go to Malacca to see his granpa ... betul tak, Daddy? :)

1 month old!

Today marks a wonderful day. I'm 1 month old!!! See my pixs .... btw like my new romper? See the words 'hey good-looking'? Heheh ... am I a handsome boy or what? Heheh ... too bad, I vomitted on my new shirt and had to change to a new one. ~ Ahmad

SubhanAllah ... 1 month really has passed by and Ahmad has grown well ... definitely 'lebih sihat' since he was borned. Has yet to check his weight ... next month, we shall know, k. Taking care of Ahmad is no small joke. It's not an easy task too ... the night shifts ... the changing routine ... changing diet. And worst of all is when he cries and we are not sure what's wrong. It boils down to trial and error ... is he hungry? is his diaper full? is he too warm? is he cold? ...

Another important thing learnt is that when you can rest ... REST! Rest & sleep are luxuries which I dearly coveted now. Not enough rest + not enough sleep = a grumpy me ... not something I'm proud of.

4 weeks old

Look at me, I'm 4 weeks old. So fast time flies!!! ~ Ahmad

Umi's first tuam session & JAMU !!!

Today, Umi tuam me for the first time! Heheh ... I kept still so that Umi can tuam me easily. But in my attempt to be a good boy, I peed on Umi ... opps ... terlepas! Sorry Umi ... can't control my bladder yet. ... :P next in line is milk and sleep time. Once again, Umi took my photos while I was sleeping. See how chubby I am now ... who do I look like? ~ Ahmad

Yupe ... today I tuamkan Ahmad for the first time. Was quite worried at first ... all these while it was his Nek Yang who did it. The usual routine would be Nek Yang would bath him followed by tuam session. Then Nazzer or I will apply lotion, minyak, powder before dressing him up. To end it all ... combing my crown. Oh yes, did I mention that Ahmad's hair is slightly brownish :) ... same like me!!!

Okay, back to my first tuam session (am very happy I'm allowed to do it at last) ... everything went great and according to the procedure as taught by Nek Yang ... first the embun-embun then the feet ... He kept still and does not fidget much. Heheh ... I thot he was making it easy for me. But alas ... it turned out that he was peeing. And on me too!!! Oh what to do ... have to proceed and finished up the whole procedure before I can clean myself up. So now I can tuam my own son!!! Need to tuam him till the whole confinement period is over. Oh yes, fyi, tuam is good for infants as it heats the body ... especially those sentitive areas which cannot be cold. There should be another reason. Let me check with my guru first!!!

Oh yes ... guess what! I had to take jamu:\ Sincerely it's not very nice ... but somehow it beats taking tablets or pills. Of course upon finishing the cup of jamu, I had to counter the taste with something nicer ... I'm glad to say that I have conquered the JAMU! Eh ... me makan Ubat Periuk tau ... also I have conquered that ... not to mention the Polleney. The weird tasting things I have to take ... oh well, a mom's gotta do what a mom gotta do!

My next task ... bathing Ahmad

Muhammad Ashraf ...

Kelahiran mu............

Bermula dengan suara tangisan

Alhamdulillah...........

Syukur kehadrat Illahi

Satu penantian yang mendebarkan

Lambang penyatuan dua insan

Membawa sinar seribu harapan

Semua yang ada penuh senyuman

Menarik berkumpul kedua pihak

Penyambung zuriat jenerasi seterusnya

Mohd Ashraf nama dipilih

Satu ketentuan tak perlu diragui

Mohd bersempena pemimpin agung

Ashraf menyumbang kecermerlangan

Ianya realiti bukan pengaruh usang

Hari hari mu bermula kini

Langkah pertama penghijrahan dilalui

Perjalanan jauh akan kau susuri

Apa yang mendatang penuh berduri

Ketabahan dan keimanan menjadi perisai

Bimbingan rohani didada dipenuhi

Bulan mentari kan menemani

Ayah ibu membelai merestui

Kasih sayang tak berbelah bagi

~ ciptaan & salam sayang Atuk Yusof

same as ...

Look ... here's a pix of me when i was 2 days old & here's a pix of Kak Hannis. Don't we look the same? Kata cousins ... btw Abah said that i have Umi's eyes & hair colour. The rest of my features, i followed Abah ~ Ahmad

24 days gone, leaving 20 more confinement days. Wow ... time really flies by really fast. Just last month, I was still pregnant & just finished my D&T proj. Then many wedding invitation cards came to my hand, not to mention via post too. Too bad, i'm still in confinement so i will miss all the weddings & baby showers.

Ahmad wakes up every hour to drink milk last night. Sure was a big change from the usual every 3 hours feeding previously. We are sure that it's not because he was hungry coz while feeding, he fell asleep and refused to continue feeding. We put him down to sleep and he will wake up abt an hour later. This sure put Nazzer & me into a bioclock frenzy change ... so now we need to adjust ourselves again. According to Nek Yang, change of feeding time is normal as long as Ahmad wasn't crying and crying. She assures both of us that things will get better after confinement. I really hope so ... I'm not such a good person at staying up late as most of you guys know ... sleep is a very precious thing to me :) ... think it's time for me to take 40 winks ... i really need it :P

3 weeks old!!!

Wah ... now I'm 21 days old ... 3 weeks old already! See how much I have grown :) Nek Yang commented that my legs and arms are very strong. Strong enough to push the bottle away from my mouth when I do not want to drink anymore. In these photos, I was doing my usual stretching ... gearing up to take the floor once I can start crawling. Better start working out on those limbs :)

That's my dear son. Like what he says ... yes, he is getting stronger and stronger. It was no lies when he pushed the bottle away when he didn't want it anymore. In fact, Ahmad was already pushing himself up when Nek Yang was carrying him in the bath tub during bathing time. Seems like he can't wait to grow up. Nazzer on the other hand ... enjoys making promises to get Playstation or X-Box for Ahmad. It's more like the Abah who wants it more than Ahmad :P

Now ... 21 days gone from 44 days confinement, leaving me with 23 more days. Well ... sincerely, I'm getting a bit restless, staying at home. But when occasion arised when I had to leave the house, my mind was worried about Ahmad who stayed @ home. Sigh ... wonder how it will be in a few weeks time when I get to bring Ahmad out. There are so many things I want to see and get. Especially since I will be starting work on 9th Feb. Need to get myself accustomed to the new environment and teaching life. However, restless I am, I begin to appreciate the time I had @ home. I mean ... getting to laze around & still get paid ... well ... who doesn't want that. Can't imagine how am I going to leave Ahmad when I go to work next year.

Oh yes ... another piece of news. I just got the keys to my new house in Queenstown. Only moving in next March or so ... need to do some minor reno work in the house. InsyaÁllah, when the house is ready and I have moved in, I will have a simple Open House ... okay ... datang ye :)

murder she wrote ...

Assalamuálaikum semua ... now Ahmad is already 20 days old. Just 1 more day for me to be 3 weeks old. See how big I am now :) Oh yes, Umi & Abah took some photos of me again. On the left, are photos of me when I was stretching. I'm working out my hands and arms now. The other collage are photos of me with Uncle Ji and Hannis. Oh yes, when Aunty checked my baby photo with Hannis's, it turned out that I looked like her. But Nek Yang insisted that I looked like Tok Bak more and more now. Oh well ... he's my grandpa, right!!! Atuk, come back to Singapore lah ... want to compare my face with yours :) ~ Ahmad

Back to me again ... Alhamdullilah, Ahmad no longer has eye discharge. So we need not have to disturb him every now and then to put eye drops into his eyes. Unfortunately pain overtook me last night that I can't take care much of Ahmad. Poor Nazzer has to stay up quite a bit to nurse him. Really hope the pain and inflamation will go away soon. Sometimes, it gets overbearing :\ used to stay away from medicine (especially pills) Now ... no matter how much it is, I still take them (more of forcing myself to) ... be it thru dissolving or chewing them.

Murder shock ... guess most would have heard the news of a Murder case happening right here in my block. Was very shocked when we received the news yesterday from a neighbour. Too many rumours that the story got jumbled up. We ended up waiting for news on TV and we realised the victim was our neighbour. She was a nice lady ... but haven't seen her husband before so I can't comment. This morning, neighbours started congregating, talking about the murder case. It was scary ... knowing that one can lose control and cause grevious hurt to his partner. What's the point of marriage if one ended up being battered like that. SubhanAllah ... everything is in His hands. He is All Knowing.

Visitors ... tuam session ... bathing time!

Yesterday Atuk Isa & family came over to see me. Heheh ... ramai orang datang jumpa Ahmad :) Bila Atuk Isa dukung Ahmad, cucunya marah ... jealous :P Cucunya gang Ahmad yang akan datang. Same year baby!!! Oh ye, ni ada gambar waktu Ahmad dituam oleh Nek Yang. Kesian Nek Yang ... Ahmad kencing waktu Nek Yang dukung Ahmad. Sorry ye, Nek Yang. Oh ye ... lihatlah pusat Ahmad. Kecil aje ... Kaki Ahmad pun kecil aje. Comel ... macam tuannya :) nie gambar Abah ambil waktu nak mandi. Okaylah ... time for mandi!!! ~ Ahmad

Alhamdullilah ... ramai orang dah datang jumpa Ahmad. Ramai juga yang ambil peluang untuk mendukung Ahmad. Semalam Cik Isa sekeluarga datang ... ada yang mengatakan Ahmad rupa macam Tok Bak dia ... ada pula yang kata Ahmad ada rupa macam Nurul Hannis. Kata sekeluarga pe ... mesti ada sikit muka orang sini, orang sana, kan. Rashes Ahmad pun beransur pulih. Hanya tahi matanya yang masih ada. Harus selalu bersihkan matanya dan letakkan eye drops. Marah dia bila letak eye drop ... tetapi yang penting Ahmad makin cerdas, active!!!

As for me, slowly recovering but sudden acute pain above the wound surface. Don't worry, I went to see the doc and he diagnosed that there's internal inflamation (nanah) in the womb. So now I had to be on antibiotics and the pain will subside after 3 days. If not, there will be a minor surgery to remove the nanah. So far, after taking the medication, the pain subside a bit and I can sleep but the pain is still there. Sigh ... according to the doc, 2 out of 10 ceaserian patients will have inflamation. So i guess ... i'm on of the 2 lah. Do pray that the inflamation will subside, Amin. 1 operation is enough for me. Don't like the idea of going through another, be it minor or major :)

me 2 weeks old!!!

Assalamuálaikum semua ... Ahmad sudah 2 weeks old. Today I'm already 15 days old. Very fast time flies. Alhamdullilah ... Ahmad sudah tanggal pusat. Senang hati Nek Yang, Abah, Umi! Atuk, Tok Bak, Wan pun tentu senang hati. Hari ni, Ahmad kena tuam satu badan. Tapi Ahmad diam je ... syiok rasanya. Sedap aje badan :) ~ Ahmad

Alhamdullilah ... Ahmad tali pusat dah tanggal. Jadi Nek Yang boleh tuamkan badannya mengguna daun sireh. Bak kata Ahmad ... dia diam aje ... tak merenget atau radang waktu dituam. Oh ye ... yesterday, Ahmad's pictures taken at the hospital has arrived. Lihatlah gambarnya ... beza tak? The picture collage was taken yesterday when he was exactly 2 weeks old :)

1st day @ work

Today Abah has to go to work. He will only returned home in the evening. Hope Abah clear all his work so that he can return home as soon as possible. In the meantime, Ahmad will stay home with Umi :) ~ Ahmad

After taking 13 days leave to take care of me & Ahmad, Nazzer has finally returned to office today. He said it wasn't easy to go to work as he was used to seeing Ahmad anytime he wants. With him in the office now, he has no access to Ahmad except thru photos and phone calls to check on his beloved son.

For me ... it's another day to stay at home. 13 days have gone, leaving 31 confinement days left. It's still a long way to go before I can go out on my own. Sincerely missing my freedom and independence. Used to be the one getting the toiletries and medication from the pharmacy. Now, Nazzer has to do it. It's true what they say about parenthood. It's when both partners take up new and additional roles ... often covering up for the other.

grandparents all away ... :(

Today Tok Bak & Wan are going to Qatar ... with Atuk in Malacca ... that means all my grandparents are all away ... Hope Tok Bak, Wan & Atuk are healthy and think of me often. If anyone of you can come back earlier, please do :) ~ Ahmad


Yupe, Bak is returning to Qatar to work and Mak and Atiqah are accompanying him. Since I'm in confinement, I'm not able to send them off. Wishing them safe flight and travel and health while away. Daddy, you must take care too ... don't overwork yourself till you fall ill. Your grandson wants to meet you ... must take photos with you :)

my morning beauty sleep ... ssh ....

After a nice bath in the morning, breakfast and fussing by Nek Yang, Umi & Abah ... here I am, lying in my comfy cot, having my beauty sleep :) Don't be envious of me ... I'm a growing boy so I need ample sleep ... ~ Ahmad

Alhamdullilah, Ahmad did not make much fuss last night during his feeding time. Think his rashes are slowly going away. Also his eye discharge is not as bad as yesterday. Need to clean his "sepet" eyes. But only in his sleep as he's quite active and strong. He can move his body and hands quite aggresively for a young infant :)

Oh yes ... as the title stated ... Ahmad has gained weight. His weight at birth was 2.845kg. When the doc weigh him yesterday, Ahmad was 3.3kg. Alhamdullilah ... he gained 0.5kg in matter of 10 days :)

Nappy rash :/

Ahmad kept crying and crying the whole morning, sending us into frenzy as we are not sure what's the cause of his distress. It was an emotional torture ... seeing your child crying and we are helpless as we don't know what to do.

We went thru the whole motion of checking if he wants water or milk and lastly checking his diapers. Poor Ahmad ... he got a bad case of nappy rash! We rushed to the doc and was given antiseptic and cream for his rash. We also get eye drops for him as he has lots of eye discharge. It was quite scary ... sincerely. But the doc reassured us that the eye discharge is a normal phenomenom among babies.

Rest assure that Ahmad is doing well and returning back to his cheerful self once again. Amin ... pray for his quick recovery. Amin ...

my many looks

my many different looks - handsome, right???

1 week old ...

Today, Ahmad is 1 week old! See how he is now ... looking more and more like his dad :) Alhamdullilah ... he's now very spunky and very strong. Likes lotion being applied on his skin and clean nappies :)

Alhamdullilah, seems like he's putting on a bit of weight. Also his daddy has managed to find the correct teats for Ahmad. Tried it out just now and alhamdullilah, he's fine with it. In fact, today he's been very good today.

1st Visit to Doc's

Yesterday was Ahmad's first visit to Dr Heng, his doc. Guess for what??? His first HEP B jab. Also he's my gynae too :) see Ahmad with his doc :)

Ahmad is 6 days old and alhamdullilah, growing stronger and stronger each day. He has his preferences already. He likes the bottle nipples from the hospital more than the ones we got for him. So can you imagine the panic we went through when he refused to drink! Ish ... we tried everything till the thought of trying out another teat. Now we know ... coincidentally, i brought back all the bottles and teats. So for now we have some backup till we get another teat which Ahmad prefers.

Newest Addition!!!

Newest addition to Nazzer & Haslinda's family - Muhammad Ashraf Bin Mohammed Nazzer!!!

Safely delivered to little Ahmad on 17 November 2005 @ 1131 hrs @ East Shore Hospital :) borned onto this world at a weight of 2.845kg & height of 50cm

Had to do a C-section due to some complications & now learning the ropes of parenthood. Phew ... not an easy job. But as my hubby says ...

price of baby cot --> $100++, price of baby toiletries --> $50++

price of little Ahmad's smiling at you --> PRICELESS!!!

Siti Sofea

Kecil molek keletah orangnya
Pintar bijak lagi manja
Pengarang jantung buah hati
Ibarat lilin dimalam hari
Siti Sofia begitulah nama diberi
Mengambil sempena orang yang dah lama pergi
Dalam keluarga cucu ketujoh
Menjadi penawar penghilang keruh
Akan kesunyian ketika tiada
Tetapi ada menjadi huru hara
Nakal dan degil sifat semula jadi
Tetapi pandai mengambil hati
Buat merajuk menjadi pasti
Supaya ketangan semua yang dihajati
Namun hakikat harus ditepati
Jangan sehingga merosak sendiri
Teguh amanah jati diri
Sifat mulia harus dipunyai
Orang tua harus dihormati
Agar selamat dimana pergi

(Khas untok anak sedara kesayangan - Kelipkelip)

2nd day @ Outram

Officially reporting to Outram Sec today. Had an action workplan meeting the whole morning, followed by lunch and another 2 meetings with the respective departments. Got a choice of desk either in the staff room or D&T room ... guess where I choose ... D&T room. Much nearer to the workshops as compared to the staff room. It's the next block.

Overall impression ... well, lots of things to adapt to, learn. And to make it challenging is that I will be part of the school staff but will be away on 3 months maternity leave. So far, not intending to take unpaid child care leave. If I come in the school calendar too late, it will be quite a task to catch up. D&T workshops are in the midst of renovations ... to make it more conducive for the students and the academic structure is different from my prac sch. Well, no 2 schools are alike. So far so good. Kind of homing in ... bit, bit. Will be getting stuff and move in slowly.

Oh dear, just got message that my daddy has gotten medication from the company's doc. Hmm ... Daddy, if you are reading this, please do drink lots of water. Refrain from peanuts or anything oily for the time being, k ... you wanna be strong and healthy for your little grandchild, right. Do take really good care of yourself...

Bashful graduation!!!

This is one of my nieces ... the second one in fact. She just graduated from K2 yesterday @ Kampung Ubi CC. Hehehe ... isn't she cute? Actually she should have been Snow White, right? Hahah ... me think so. It was quite an interesting event with 6 years olds, dancing to the groove of 'Asmara Dana'. These kindergarten kids sure can dance ... not to mention act well too ... inborne talents ...

For the next 2 years, 2 more nieces & cousin will graduate from Kindergarten. So more concerts to look forward to. Hopefully with my little one in tow. Btw news ... Nazzer & I are getting a place @ Queenstown. It's a resale flat, right opposite Queenstown MRT Station. Now, we are waiting for the owners to move out and give us the key. As to us moving in, well ... there will be some reno to do so most prob, arnd Feb next year. Don't worry ... will have a home warming gathering for you guys ...

Okie-dokey ... had quite a morning this morning, kept vomitting and vomitting & feeling under the weather a bit. So me turn in now ... mummyhas out

1st week of Syawal

Subhan'Allah, a week has passed so fast. Can't believe it's already 2nd week of Raya :) 1 week gone, full of happenings. To sum it all up, this year I still go jalan raya though with my family only. Haven't go to any pal's place as yet. NIE is officially over with the final submission of my project and folio last Monday. Huge, huge relief!!! Phew!!! Alhamdullilah :) Schedule is quite tight with the NIE enrichment programme which I had to attend. Alhamdullilah, had the day off yesterday and get to meet up with my P & VP of my new school, Outram Sec Sch.

In short, the meeting was very short though I was quite amazed at the size of the school. It's on a hill and the school spans over 6 blocks, one of which houses a swimming pool and another classrooms up to 6 storeys. Quite a new building and they did it up quite nicely though the VP advised that one should use the elevator as the stairs are a killer. Out of the meeting, I get to know that I will be teaching both D&T and Maths. Alhamdullilah ... don't think I get to teach Maths in my former school. Also I will be doing other subjects like CME and all. So it sounds like I will be getting a form class. My P and VP were quite quick thinkers ... they already asked for which CCA and committee group I will prefer. I ended up taking up Robotics and being in student welfare. Any tips or info on these 2 areas are greatly appreciated. As for my maternity leave, I have to check with HQ. Need to check out options available. Nur, any ideas or info on this???

As to my current condition, I'm still around. Thot it was time last weekend, but alas little one is still very happy inside and did not come out. So now, I'm just going ahead with the motion, attending the enrichment programme and going out if required. Today is no exception. Have a CME module to attend, whole day affair. Likewise for the next 2 days, then weekend is mine before I officially belong to Outram Sec Sch on 14 Nov. Can't wait to have my very own desk. Hopefully I am able to report to school then. Amin ...

Okie-dokey ... think dah masuk Subuh so I better go ahead with my prayers. Can't sleep well tonight. Had aches all over my body, ended up waking up much earlier than expected.

Mummyhas out ...

Eidilfitri ...

Salam everyone!!! The clock just chimed 12 midnight, marking the 4th day of Syawal. I'm still pregnant, delivery not in sight as yet. But first and foremost, congrats to little Nur Ireshah who was delivered on the 1st day of Syawal, Raya Baby of parents Seri & Shah!!! Congrats! Insya'Allah, Nazzer & I will join the club soon, Amin ... just for your info, me now stationed @ the east while waiting for the 'right time' to deliver little Ahmad.

Posting is out already. Me posted to Outram Secondary, still doing D&T and Maths. In fact, quite a number of us are posted to different schools this time. No longer our prac school. So for me, it's new environment, new surroundings, new people. And this time, accessibility is a challenge. Hmm ... need to scout the area prior to my reporting.

NIE days are over, left only the enrichment prog and the final submission of the artefact and folio. Pixs coming up soon :) once everything is cleared.

Salam Eidilfitri!!!

10 fingers I arranged,

Seeking your forgiveness for my past mistakes,

10 fingers I arranged,

Seeking your Halalness for my food & drinks,

10 fingers I arranged,

Wishing you Allah's blessings,

10 fingers I arranged,

Wishing you a beautiful Salam Eidilfitri with your loved ones!

New shoes or Old shoes?

Wow ... started with 28 days of fasting ahead of us. Now with only a few more hours left to go. Time has really gone by very fast. Last Friday is the last official day @ NIE. Unofficially I have finished my PGDE course. Now, what's left to do is to attend all these enrichment programmes like NE, CME & more. Now there's a break in between so here I am ... waiting for the printer queue to be less crowded before I q up for my print-outs.

Wow ... tomorrow is actually Raya. Just realised I haven't got my Raya shoes or even bag for that matter. So does my hubby. Now ... if I decide to get a pair of shoes ... it will be a question of what shoes to buy, where to buy and all that. Sheesh ... seriously not in the mood to shop. Think I will dig out my old shoes (worrying thot ... these oldies have heels so it might wreck havoc on my back :\) To buy new shoes or not to buy?

Anakanda....inilah pesanan Ayahanda

Anakanda...............Linda!
Terlalu banyak kalimah ingin Ayahanda persembahkan
Untuk Anakanada menyaring lagu kehidupan
Izinkan Ayahanda bermula menyemat dodoi pesanan
Agar Ayahanda tidak dipasung rantai sesalan
Meski pun Anakanda pernah berkata
"Ayahanda....Anakanda tak faham apa yang Ayahanda bicarakan"
"Ayahanda.....Anakanda masih kecil lagi!"

Anakanda...............Linda!
Usah lupakan hadiah sepersalinan pakaian budi
Telah pun Ayahanda serahkan pada setiap ulang tahun kelahiran mu
Mengapa disimpan dalam kamar sendiri
Sarungkan saban hari pada wajah juga peribadi
Sungguh.....Anakanada ketrampilan berseri
Bawalah pemberian Ayahanda ini
Ketika nanti Anakanda mahu menjelajah duniawi

Anakanda...............Linda!
Lihatlah sekeliling rona lautan luas kehidupan
Ombak memukul pantai ketenangan
Gelombang membadai tampa pamitan
Acap kali juga ribut meragut indahnya taman laut
Ayahanda bimbang bahtera Anakanda karam
Andainya sauh lambat dilabuhkan
Atau khilaf menduga karang

Anakanda...............Linda!
Memang Anakanda masih kain putih lagi
Sayugia itulah Ayahanda berperi peri
Tak mengapa jika barangkali Anakanda belum cukup mengerti
Tetapi.....dodoi ini sudah terpahat
Kejap berakar umbi dilaman sanubari
Pumpun Anakanda sehalus terlukis
Anakanda puteri ratna nilam.....inilah pesan Ayahanda!

Baby shopping done? Hope so ...

This is the latest pix of me and dearest hubby. Can see my tummy? Hehehe ... also here's the teddy which dearest hubby got for me. Cute huh ... hahah ... it's really sweet of him to get me the teddy :) very comfy too when placed on my tummy. Very secure feeling ...

Okay ... today is Tuesday also Deepavali. One public holiday down ... one more day of fasting and one more day to Eid. SubhanAllah ... time really flies this time. So what do I do today ... nothing much except perhaps the final shopping for little Ahmad. Bought his diapers and infant hat. They are so cute huh ... hahah ... going to a kids' department, baby section ... I can spend hours there just checking out the clothes and baby accessories. They are so ... erm ... what's the word? Irrestible!!! Now I can understand why my pal, Nur, was a frequent shopper at these kids store. I can't resist them now :)

Okie-dokey ... today is the last day of Terawih ... tomorrow will be another hectic day for some of us. I had to attend National Education Seminar :\ then assist in whatever ways I can with my tummy in preparing the house for Eid. Most importantly ... my hubby & I plead for your forgiveness should we offend any one of you in the past. We plead for you to halalkan our food and drinks. We thank you for your advises, assistance and guidance ... Last but not least, Salam Eidilfitri to you & dearest loved ones. May Allah guide us all & bless us all. Amin

Bak's back

project done, baby is progressing well ... to top it all up, Bak is back and Daddy is returning next week. Soon all little Ahmad's grandparents will be around!!! Alhamdullilah ...

Bak reached Singapore on Friday afternoon and was soon engulfed (literally) by his granddaughters. They simply could not lose sight of him. If they realised that their grandpa is not around, they will start looking around and asking for him :) they sure misses him. Little Ahmad on the other hand, started kicking quite furiously ever since he heard his 'Wan' and 'Tok Bak' conversing when breaking fast. Wow ... he sure know his grandparents. Can't wait till my dad is in town and let Little Ahmad hear his voice. The previous time he heard his grandpa's voice, he kicked and kicked. Can you imagine next week? Hmm ... Sure backing myself up when the whole family gathered together.

Yesterday, courtesy of my bro-in-law, all of us were treated to a delightful buffet iftar @ Cafe Vienna. Heheh ... bring back fond, fond memories for me and hubby. From steamed rice, to sushi, kebab ... oh my, the bread and butter pudding is a hit with me. It's so heavenly. Subhan'Allah ... I'm thankful for the meal. There was simply so much food. And to top it up, Zubir was there too with his zambus, playing music for us. Wah ... what else can I ask for? This is the second time I saw him performed live and third time meeting him. And he was sweet ... Aah ... it was a nice day yesterday. It ended up with me getting a teddy bear from hubby dearest ... I can't resist the beanie toys ... really. Got a classic teddy ... hahah ... well ... baby wants a teddy bear, right ... (ahah ... baby or mummy??? winks)

Will add the photos in soon ... once I can get hold of my lap top. Meanwhile ... have a wonderful iftar and wonderful week ahead. It's going to be Raya soon ...

Product done ... baby's visit

Alhamdullilah ... finally completed my D&T project yesterday. Would not be to do it without several classmates' help. Really, really grateful to them for their assistance and care. Not forgetting too the technicians ... they really watch out for me in my final few weeks of pregnancy. Now left the project & personal folio, artefact write up. Not going to work much today ... today is day for me to rest. Really needed it ... woke up feeling nauseous and ended vomitting.

Today is another visit to the docs. Alhamdullilah ... baby is gaining weight, though I only gained 0.1 kg. Hahah ... bringing my weight to 47.5 kg. I know, i know ... it's not much. But the most important thing is that my baby is fine and growing well. Doc is pleased with the baby's progress. According to him, baby is not engaged yet ... meaning that the baby is not in the final position before delivery. So there's still time. But baby is getting there ... sleeping is not an easy task. Have to sleep on my side ... so you can imagine how sore I would be in the morning. But it's the last leg of the race ... just hanging on in there for dear baby ...

Me back ...

Wow ... I have been away for 3 days. Last post was on Monday and now is Thursday. Well ... nothing much has happened except that I was tied up with my electronics and plastic project. Here are some snapshots of my project so far after 3 days working in the workshop. Tomorrow looks set for another day in the workshop again ... well ... good news is that the project is extended to 7 November together with submission of the folio. So effectively I still have another week to go. Not feasible though. I have enrichment courses (full day events) and not forgetting too, Deepavali and Raya!!! Also, the backaches and tummy pains are coming though not at a regular intervals. Need to be careful though. So giving myself till next Monday to complete everything. Pray for me, k ...

Ooo ... I heard thunder. It will be a cool night tonight. Oh dear ... now it's pouring heaving. Hope everyone got home safely after terawih tonight. Amin ...

D&T all the way now

Final essay completed. Just left to be submitted tomorrow. Now what's left is the Design & Technology stuff. Been working on the paper work ... printing, cutting, pasting and sketching things, my folio is growing and growing. Alhamdullilah ... the research part will be on-going so now head onto choosing the final design, proposed production plan, production plan and critical dimensioning and all. Heheh D&T jargons. At least for the next few days.

Just got news!!! I'm an aunt again. My couz in Malaysia has just given birth. Now, me got the blues again. Everyone is holding their babies. I can only hug myself to hold mine :\ ... oh well, at least I can still enjoy the privilleges of being offered seats in public transport though sometimes it did not materialise. People will just daze and look in one direction when here I am ...HELLO ... hanging on for dear life amidst the crowds. But to those who gave up their seats for pregnant ladies like me ... you guys are such a dear. To those who don't, well ... some of them, it could unintentional so they are not at fault for not being observant. But for those who intentionally looked away so they can save their seats ... well ... it's your choice. Who knows ... there's always something called 'Pay It Forward'.

To Go or Not To Go?

Final week of school!!! And there are 1 essay to do, 1 folio to do, 1 product to produce and it's all over! There's NO more counselling class today so NO class!!! Should I go to school and start on my product production OR work on my folio and get all the circuit diagrams, design ideas, materials for my project and get to stay @ home? On the other, let's go for the latter. Did not much work over the weekend. Somehow I'm not very productive on weekends. So it's better for me to start being productive today and 'piah' all the way till Friday. Just hope my back does not act up on me again =\ Backaches are often occurances now and slight pain in the lower abdomen. To sleep nowadays seemed like a tricky issue. I need to have pillows below my tummy and behind my back. And sleeping on my back is no longer a pleasure I have. Usually I will be breatheless and had to turn to my sides. So in the morning, one side will be sore. Have to remind myself that this is the last stretch =) It will be nice huh ... if my baby is a Raya baby =) then my dad need not have to travel up and down and save the trouble of relatives visiting twice. My dad-in-law will also have a longer time to spend with his grandchild before he returns to Qatar again. Well ... I can just buzz and ponder and hope ... in the end, only HE will decide when is the best time for my child to come. May HE protect my child from harm and may HE protect me during my last stage and during childbirth. Amin! May HE guide Nazzer and I towards building our family life and enrich us with blessings and guidance. May HE guide us towards being good parents and good persons. Amin!!!

Morning call to prayers

The morning call to prayers is different compared to the normal ones we heard. In comparison to Maghrib azan. For Maghrib, people are waiting anxiously in anticipation for the time when one can break fast. But for Subuh, it's very rare for the major proportion of people to wait for the call to prayers. In fact, hearing the azan in the morning is somehow different. It's more in touch with one's soul. Not sure if anyone can understand this. But it's humbling feeling ... one can hear the beauty of the call to prayers ...

Packing me bag ...

Another round of shopping. Hopefully the final round. For myself in preps for little Ahmad. Need to start packing my baggie now.

Wow, finally in my 36 weeks ... final 4 weeks. By next week, I should be on standby. As in serious standby!!! So first to-do ... get all that's required (should be checked!), second to-do ... pack bag (on-going process), third to-do ... continue life as per normal (which means working on my projects), fourth to-do, when it's time to go, it's time to go.

3 signs of time to deliver
1. water bag burst
2. continuous contractions (5 contractions within 10 mins)
3. bleeding

Hahah ... better put my school pals on alert too. Who knows, some of them might need to send me to the hospital :)

Princess & the Pea

It's Friday once again. Today is the last day of our wood work ... finally my first aid cabinet is completed. Will add the pix of the final product in. Now, time for folio work ... need lots of design ideas and finally work on the product itself. Also 1 more last essay to do. Dateline for essay is next Tuesday. Btw if anyone of you come across cute baby or toddlers stuff ... containers and such while surfing, do me a favour, can? Drop me a mail with the URL. Need some design ideas for my product. Target group is school children below the age of 12.

Baby news ... I have backaches. Thought at first it was due to my long hours sitting and working on my essay. But since it has been around for the last 3 nights ... guess it's due to the pregnancy. Simple reason is the additional weight i'm carrying in front is adding pressure to my back. Even when sleep, the pain doesn't elude or disappear. To counter the pain, i had to put a baby pillow under my back. Hahah ... felt like the princess in the Princess and the Pea. Very delicate back ... Asked my sis-in-law about it. Her reply was that it's any time soon. Hmm ... I better start packing. Can you believe it? I have not start packing yet. Tomorrow need to get some stuff then time to pack it all in. That's all for now ...

This is Mummyhas ... out

Counseling Essay over!!!

Finally I have completed my dreaded counseling essay! Phew ... it's not easy to think up of your own case study let alone discussing about your approaches and all that. Alhamdullilah ... submit this during 3.30 class and the burden is off. Started writing the outline last week but somehow to string it all together was not easy. Working on weekends was not very productive. Left with no choice and putting my heart & mind to it ... tada ... 25 pages essay. Wow ... it's been quite a while since I wrote an essay that long. Even in uni times ... reports can be long but there are figures, experiment findings & tables to add. This counseling essay are just words, words & more words. Printed out ... filed it up ... all set to go. Can heave a sigh of relief as now I can concentrate on my folio which submission date is pushed to 7th Nov. Hmm ... but anything can happen in Nov so now I have to work more closely with my tutor ... to make sure everything is in before I pop.

Oh ... time for Quick Bites

1 500 words essay left on What it means to be a teacher

1 cabinet left ... putting on the hinges, door knob, cleaning up ...

1 artefact ... designs, ideas ...

1 folio ... working on it :)

15 days of fasting ... alhamdullilah ...

14 days away from Eidilfitri

8 days left at NIE ...

36 weeks pregnant ... wow, entering the final stretch of the long run. Pant, pant ...

Treasure hunting, anyone???

Ini harta siapa yang punya?
Ini harta Mohammad Ashraf yang punya!!!

Here lies Ahmad's treasure chest which will house all his cute little clothes, pampers, toiletries and all. Heheh ... very cute, huh. Bought it @ Ikea. So many ideas & so many things I would love to buy ... but little Ahmad comes first. So here it is ... made of cloth so it's light. It has holes for ventilation ... so you can ensure that there's proper air flow. Cool huh! Kids nowadays are so lucky.

1 Big Family Buka Puasa Session

When Azan is heard, all tucked in. Alhamdullilah, today marked 12 Ramadhan. Everyone is healthy and well ... with smiles as plates passed around. What's for breaking fast??? Steak, karipap, roti prata ... much, much more. Simple yet stomach-filling :)

Next comes the limelight - all girls doned in their finest or should I say brightest colours. See the pixs ... before and after photo shoots!!! The delights shown on the girls' faces when Anjang brought out the lighted sticks for them to play around with. What else ... the lights went out and colours came alive!!!

Mirror, mirror on the wall ... who's the fairest of us all?

Of course ... my little niece. Heheh ... my first try at editing photos! But that's not the point!!! Isn't she a dear? When Nazzer & I brought her out, people would thought she's oud daughter. Guess what ... she emulate Nazzer's childhood behaviour too ... Wanna know what are they? Ssshhhh ....

Doc's Visit

This is the monitor showing little Ahmad's head. It's not very clear ... the scanned photo I have was of his liver which I will put in when I get hold of a scanner. Here the gynae is showing us the circumference and all, explaining the medical terms.

Last visit to the doc's, I gained 2 kg. This time, I only gained 0.2 kg. Total weight gained this far is 8.2 kg. Little Ahmad is estimated to weigh 1.93 kg. My little one is so small and tiny. Doc kept saying baby is small, baby is small. Got me so worried ... so down. Also, the expected date is 26 Nov. Not 16 as I predicted. Well, as Nazzer put it, doc cannot predict the actual date, right. Down and this time a double whammer ... i was hoping that the doc would say it's possible that my due date is 16 Nov. Somehow seeing other moms carrying their little ones in their arms, make me yearn to hold my own. Can't wait for the little one to come ...

Back to my weight gain ... sincerely I was hoping that I would gained another 2 kg. But 0.2 kg ... it's far, far below my expectations. Doc said it can be due to my fasting. He doesn't refrain me from fasting but advise me to supplement myself during sahur and buka. Sincerely, after fasting and break fast, do you really eat a lot? I found myself eating less and less ... as in the stomach has been trained to consume only what is required. Perhaps my tummy did not consume enough. This brought upon to another thought ... will I have enough strength when the baby matures @ 37 weeks. That's 2 weeks away. Will I??? Will my fasting affect my baby's health or my health after giving birth ... ? No one can actually say a definite answer. Only me, myself. Now thoughts of my little one not having enough water in his water bag ... MasyaÁllah, it's enough to chill my morning.

So now when I break fast, I need to consume more ... food and water intake. When I sahur, I need to do the same too. Not just for me, but most importantly for little Ahmad.

All for Little Ahmad ...

Hehehe ... the fruits of our shopping trip to Baby's Kingdom last Saturday. The rare times when I can get Nazzer to go out shopping ... and we shop for 2 hours ... just for little Ahmad.

Here lies little Ahmad's bedlinen, bottle steriliser, milk warmers, bath tub, safety mattres, baby grooming set, carrier, hooded blanket, pacifiers. What's left in the shopping list ... toiletries. Well, that will be another shopping trip. Anyone wanna join?

Opps, mail just came in or more like I just noticed my mails. One of which is the enrichment programme immediately after the last day in NIE. Phew ... they sure line up the programme for us. Each day, there's a talk, induction programme and all. And guess what ... we are going to visit the Civil Defence Academy, NIE's neighbour. All lined up till 11 Nov. Hmm ... will that date be too near my due date? Tomorrow we shall know when we visit the gynae. Mummy Has out ...