Random Thoughts at 3am

Currently doing my mommy duty now - pumping...haha. I'm so sleepy so to avoid any spill due to sleepy head, let's blog. Ahhh just a random thing I have in mind at this hour

1. So many hijab styles nowadays. Good thing though I have never had any nafsu to try the new styles. and hubby loves to see me in Bawal. There's this situation with my bro.We were watching TV when this ads about over-the-top hijab brand appeared. Suddenly he told me 'jangan pakai tudung macam tu.bertingkat2 kaler2 macam badut dah'. hahaha Gituuula hidup surrounded with all boys.No offense ok. 
2. Not sure why but I just bought a manual breastpump. Unimom Mezzo. Will do a review about it once I've used it ok. Bought from PumpOntheGo for RM79 ONLY!
3. My phone's condition is getting critical. Have been postponing to get a new one because budget is tight now. I dont think it can wait. Which phone should I buy?? Hmmm I'm not a gadget freak. I'll be happy as long as the camera is good, can surf the internet, call (no need video call oso can), msg you know the basic apps.hehe
4. Looking around, god this house is so messy.I need extra time in a day to be able to do everything. But I think with extra time I would choose to sleep.hahaah
5. I need my own house. The stuffs are mountaining till my room becomes so suffocating. Aslam you better keep your promise!
6. My heart cringes everytime I see couples together. Be it on Facebook or in reality. When can I have that? =(

Now that's just sad. Should stop now. Bye!

Abdul Muhaimin is 4 month-old now

Assalamualaikum....hehe

Just a quick update. Yesterday, 24/12/13, Min hit 4 month old as a baby. 

My baby boy is growing fast *shed mommyhood tears*

Minmin - a week old. He was still looking reddish.

 Minmin, 4 months old =))) He's grown bigger than the rubber mat.haha

Minmin with Azim, a colleague's baby who was born a week earlier than Min. But Min is definitely bigger in size.hehe

At this age, Min is able to:

• recognises me as his mommy - jyeahh!
• grasp on things and pull them back. Even your face.Love his curious look.hehe
• sing - no kidding.Everytime I sang Twinkle2 Little Star, he would go 'maa,,,maa..'.First language imitation
• Can turn to the side but not flip over. wah ganas gitu bunyi flip over.macam pancake.haha
• hates lying on his back. He would cry non stop till someone picks him up.
• coo, laugh, babble to himself
• put everything he picks up into his mouth.

His food intake has increased also. If you dont direct feed your baby, you sure have this thought. How much milk is enough for my baby?hehe I always had this especially when Min was super fussy. Since a week ago, everytime after feeding he would cry or became fussy. He was taking 3.5oz by the way. So I did another calculation to estimate how much milk he needs:

Weight (lbs) x 2.5

16 x 2.5 = 40 oz

So 40oz divide by how many times he feeds in a day

40/8 = 5oz

So I tried to increase it to 5oz but he vomitted after every feeding (could be a sign of overfeeding) so I tried with 4oz. It went well.

hehehehe

He isnt fussy or cry anymore and he slept 3-4 hours at night. Before this, he woke up every 2 hours. Now mommy got extra time to sleep.

Curious at Ayah's watch.

Grow up and be a hero yea!

Getaway

Being pregnant, giving birth and taking care of a baby have started to take a toll on me. I'm not whining please, I'm just human. I'm exhausted mentally and physically.

I'm tired most of the time. I cant remember the last time I slept through the night since I got pregnant. Pretty much, close to a year now I'm deprived from my beauty sleep.hahaha

I just cannot imagine how things going to be when I started working, in less than a week.

That's why I crave for a little getaway now. I really want to be near the beach, just close my eyes and sleep with ocean breeze gently slapping my face. (Get real Nurul, it's monsoon season now =__=')

A mom can only wish now, right?

Cant wait to return to work. My mind needs to get busy on things that matter.

A pang of sadness

Like other human beings, there would be my low moments when I feel sad, sappy and melancholic. I just want to shut off the world and sleep.

Sleep?? Oh yeah, I have a baby now. It's impossible.

Exclusive Pumping is a booby trap

hahahaah so cute Booby trap.

Received one email from a reader asking about exclusive pumping (waves excitedly :p ). I'm not an expert and is still very new in this but I love sharing. Hope this can help as many as possible.

If you choose to become an Eping mom, you have to bear this in mind: Pumping is harder than direct feeding. It's a booby trap because many thought it's the other way round. It takes a lot of commitment and patient and motivation and encouragement. But we are moms right??? We rock the world with our hands.

If you cannot directly feed your baby, you have to decide whether pumping is the best option for you. There shouldnt be 'I'll try' attitude because most likely half way you will give up. You have to have 'I MUST' attitude to be one. For me, I didnt decide to become an EP mom initially. I started pumping without even knowing this group of moms exist. I started out of my common sense that Muhaimin needs the milk. He was fed formula first before my liquid gold, and till today I couldnt erase the guilt I feel in my heart. I've said it and repeated it million times in my head that formula milk is still a form of rezeki but the guilt just wont go away. I hope with Allah's help, I can at least do this till Min reaches 6 months milestone.

That's why, a week into 4 months, I'm still pumping, 6-8 times per day. I still try to directly feed Min once in a while ut he still couldnt latch properly. I hope miracle will happen one day and he can latch like an expert.hehe 

Back to booby trap, pumping is so much harder than direct feeding. Because pumping isnt the same as direct feeding, the stimulation to the breast is also different. I know a mom who feeds her baby directly and she could get up to 10oz in one pumping session. For me, it depends. Sometimes I could get 7-9oz which is super rare hahaha but the usual one is around 4-5 oz. It's not much but enough to keep my baby's tummy happy. and the fact that he gained 1kg every month proves that he received enough milk. Alhamdulillah.

If you decide to be a pumping mom, avoid the word 'try' at all because you'll lose the motivation in the end and say 'i've tried but failed'.

Remember this, pumping means an endless cycle of pumping, storing, heating, feeding, cleaning, sterilizing. You have to follow strictly the pumping schedule to ensure good supply. And if you plan to travel, be prepared to carry extra bags - cooler bag, baby bag, thermos, thermal bag and if possible warmer. I did and sometimes it became soooo stressful. Trust me. I've travelled by plane and on road and so many preparations including mental preparation  needed to be done. You have to have contingency plan if suddenly you are out of hot water to warm the milk and the baby is screaming. and what if suddenly the journey took longer than your ice packs can hold on.Even my mom was stressed looking at what I had to do.hahahahaha



Cooler bag, and beloved warmer. Ran out of hot water while in Brunei. Gigih tak mak? At Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah Mosque. Orang pandang pon mak dah tak peduli.hohoho


 Since the twin girls dont receive natural stimulation from the baby, you have to be extremely careful about your emotion, your food, your health because all these affect the production. I've had few periods of being so stressed that my production plummeted drastically. I took the wrong food, boom! down to 3oz from 5oz. I got sick twice and the result, Min had to be fed formula coz at that time I was down to 1-2oz per pumping session.

BUT!!!

Tho very tiring, it is also very extremely super duper rewarding. To see Muhaimin burped, smiled and gained weight consistently, is the best reward ever.

And this is something new that I just learned 3 weeks ago when Min was down with fever, cough and flu.

Did you know, when a baby under 1-year-old catches cough and flu, there's no medicine for that other than the mom's milk? Adala ubat but it is not advisable to give to a such young age. The baby needs to develop his own immune system to fight the virus with the help of mommy;s milk. At first I didnt believe this. I went to two different doctors, a paeditrician and a doctor from a government clinic. Both told me the same thing. Both doctors didnt prescribe any medicine except for fever and told me to continue breastfeeding Minmin.



MasyaAllah, the power of mommy's milk =)

Again, I need to stress how hard it is to be an EP mom but IT IS NOT IMPOSSIBLE.It takes a lot of commitment and support be it internal and external. Talk to your husband and make sure you receive an endless support from him. Because you will be surprised with the many people who will kill your spirit and will tell you that you will FAIL. I get this even from doctors. Be strong and know you are fighting to give the best for your baby. God will reward you plenty =)

It's rewarding, both seen and unseen. Good luck Mommies!

p/s I still hope Min will latch properly one day. Pray for me ya!

Unwell

Hellooooooooooooooo~~~

Aaaa it's good to be back on this one sided space.haha

I have not been well since a week ago. It got worst after we came back from Bintulu. Cough and flu.

This by far, is the worst I have ever had. I couldnt sleep for almost 4 nights because I was coughing non-stop. It was really bad people that every single coughing felt like I was pushing my lungs out. My chest hurt and even my C-sec area hurt as hell.Since I'm the sole milk provider to Min, the doctor prescribed very mild cough syrup for me which I think didnt work at all. I had to endure this for almost a week till I couldnt take it anymore. I was sleep deprived and my abdomen hurt from all the coughing. Started rambling on Twitter and caught my cousin's attention.hahaha She suggested to try lime + honey with a glass of warm water. Heck, she even bought the ingredients for me. Thank you Dieraaaaaa =)))

After consuming them for 2 days, I could feel the difference. My throat became less itchy, so less coughing. My flu started to get better too. Alhamdulillah..

One thing  learnt from this is avoid being sick at all cost. Because I'm a mother now. I have a baby who needs my attention 24/7. It was very frustrating and extremely tiring when I had to handle Minmin yet I had to stay away from him as much as possible.

I'm getting better now. I still cough once in a while and have to clear my nose every now and then. Most importantly, I can kiss my baby as much as I want. For a week, I avoid kissing him because I didnt want to pass the virus to him. You know how hard it is to do so? Extremely.

Sama tak muka kami?heheh taken at Masjid Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Brunei.

I hope my antibody is stronger this time. I cannot get sick.Min needs me!

Soft Structured Baby Carrier - Boba Carrier

Hola peeps!

Gosh, I miss blogging. I miss typing nonsensical stuffs. I miss recording my life.haha

Today I would like to write a review on Boba Carrier, a carrier I was willingly invest for my baby and us.

The story started when I was googling about baby stuffs (currently my favourite thing to do during free time). Somehow I accidentally clicked on one article about baby carrier that stressed on the safety and comfort for both baby and parent. We already had one carrier at that time.

To cut it short, our then carrier was not safe or comfortable for Min. A pang of guilt for carrying Min in that all those time. Apart from that, after every session of carrying Min around with the carrier, B and I would get backache. It's not ergonomic.

My short research brought me to Boba Carrier.

Before that, mom suggested for a ring sling, also from Boba but Min is not ordinary baby. He's heavy.hahaha i dont think i can handle Min with only one shoulder. and I'm pretty sure B WILL NOT USE IT.hahaha So a SSC it is.

So here's my honest review.

1. I.LOVE.IT
2. Ergonomic. Carried Min around for 2 hours but no back pain. Min even slept the whole time.
3. Easy to assemble. I can do it alone without help. 
4. Love the design. B loves it too
5. Comfortable
6. Easy to wash
7. Quality fabric
8. Has small pockets to keep mobile phone or car keys. How convenient!
9. There's a strap at the shoulder to keep my handbag from falling down. Extra point here!
10. When it is not in use, the carrier can be folded into a small pouch. So we dont have to take it off and put it on again. Very super convenient. No picture la pulak...

The only thing I dont really like is the price la.hahaha but think positive, can use it for our next babies too. Insya Allah =))

 

Manual book with pictures!!!! I hate reading long instructions.haha

At the airport waiting for our flight. I can sit comfortably which with our first carrier, impossible to do so.

 

Another feature that I love is it has a hood that can be folded if not in use. Helps to protect the baby from sun and rain. and also when the baby is sleeping. Min was sleeping in that photo =) And also notice how my handbag is secured.hahah no need to sling it anymore.

Jalan-jalan at Bandar Hilir. Min slept the whole time =)

As comparison, this is the first carrier that we bought. We bought if for wayyyy cheaper because at that time, we thought all baby carriers are the same =__=' Membaca jambatan ilmu ye kawan-kawan.

See, see how uncomfortable Min look here. The carrier didnt really support his back and when wearing this, we had to walk like we had a ball in between our thighs.hahahahha With Boba, it wholly supports the baby so the baby's position isnt inclined backwards.

And here is the strongest reason why I bought a new carrier.

 

The first picture resembles our first carrier. And to think that Min was carried in that a few times...and he's a boy some more....ouch! So Mommy gotta do something to protect our future generation.if you know what I mean.....hahahahaah

B and I love going out, we love travelling and seeing places. That's why we need a good carrier because we dont plan to leave Min when we go around.haha at 3 months, Min has gone to many places including Brunei. Next year InsyaAllah we plan to go somewhere further but the destination has yet to be decided.

I hope this so not detailed review helps you in some ways.

Min is 7.3kg now. It is impossible to hand carry him without any carrier. Hurts my arms...boo hoo

Aku pun tak sure apa aku makan sampai Min membesar bagaikan juara.hahah he's not that chubby though, but he's tall which none B or me are.hmmmm....

post yang kelam kabut.hahaha

Home Sweet Home

Though I miss home, I miss even more seeing my two heroes together. Allah, cepatkanlah proses untuk kami tinggal bersama.

I miss you so much Hubby =(

First Passport Photo

Hi peeps.
Min is still having the flu and still coughing but getting better.his immune system is working hard to fight the virus. A fighter this baby because he is still active and cheerful like usual.hehw
Anyway yesterday B and I went to take his passport photo at a studio. Next week my parents will fly over to fetch us to take us back to Melaka. But before that, we plan to go to Brunei as Abah wants to have his KLMJ moment there.yeay another road trip!
At the studio,the uncle there helped to.hold Min. The photographer had trouble taking a good photo because Min wiggled all the time. And he was super interested to suck his fists and when we stopped him he drooled pulakkk =____='
Many snapshots were taken but this might be the best one: with drool attached from his mouth down to his shirt. =____='
We had apologize to the uncle because the kid blazer that Min was wearing were covered with drool.hahahah

Sick Day 2

It's the second day now. Min is not feverish but he still coughs and having flu. I really really want to have all those coz it pains to see him so gloomy today.

This morning we brought him to a government clinic.despite the massive crowd, i was very happy that we made the visit. The doctor was kind enough to answer all the questions fromo this worried new mommy.hehe there's nothing to be worried about. Just keep monitoring Min.

I couldnt sleep well last night though Min was sleeping soundly. I kept getting awake just to check on him, to check whether he's still breathing (Y.Y). Alhamdulillah he's fine.

He's a bit cranky today. Be strong little hero. Mommy and Ayah will always be with you.

Mommy loves you very much!

3rd jab

Got his 3rd jab today. Slight fever and flu. Be strong my hero!

Alhamdulillah, Min is 3 month-old now. Time definitely wasnt flying for me.haha It's more fun to play with him now as he responds well. He chuckles,giggles and wiggles during play time.

Highlight of being a mother at this stage? Whenever he sees me or heard my voice,he smiles instantly!!Definitely worth every sleepless nights since he was born.haha

Apart from that, Min loves Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Baa Baaa Black Sheep.ehe very handy when he was cranky or needs to be entertained.

The only not so fun thing is  that i'm starting to lose hair. I first noticed this about a few days ago where i could spot my hair on Min. His head, body, blanket, swaddle. Dont wanna check the floor.too scared to face reality.haha

I love being a mom!

Howdy

Hola peeps. How are you people? Aaaaa i miss blogging. Currently still in Bintulu. Will fly home again in 2 weeks.hehe

What else eh? Oh been putting on housewife cap since few days ago. I cooked,cleaned the house,did the laundry, baby sit Minmin...aaa pretty much the housechores la...boy was I tired. Phewww.

Some of you might not know but after being married for 1 1/2 year,it's my first time doing everything on my own.haha very tiring but totally worth it. Cant wait for 3 of us to live together like a normal family.

mini me

Hi, this is me carrying my mini me. 

We will fly to Bintulu later today. 

Will come home in 2 weeks. 

Once in Bintulu kehnot bloh.

Wait for me okeh!

Shop at Namdaemun Market and our first Korean Meal

Gituuuuhhhhh panjang title.haha

After we settled with check-in, our tour guide let us rest for a while before heading to Namdaemun. First day oredi brought us to shop, had to be very frugal.hoho


We joined another Malaysian family to the market as a big group. The feeling of meeting another malaysians fella in a stranger land was indescribable.hehe

Namdaemun Market as stated in our itinerary:

"No introduction is needed,this is the place where you can find almost everything that you need especially clothes,key chain,kimchi and brooch.Tourist come here everyday to spend their money as the price here is very reasonable and the choices are variety"

This place is hugeeee. If you are a brooch lover, this place will make you go nuts! I didnt though. Bought a few only for SIL and my mom.

 

Home stuffs

 

Get your souvenirs here because I was told if you buy it from other place, the price is slightly different. That bulk that B was holding cost 10k Won = RM30. Mahal jugok le sebenau eh

The unni who was super nice to us =). When she noticed that I was pregnant, she got even excited.haha

Here is like our Jalan Masjid India, KL.

Regret not buying any those cute clothes for Min. We were just told about Min's gender before we left for Seoul, scared the gender might change so we didnt by any.boo hoo Amik gambar saje laaa

Very cheap here compared to Malaysia. We shopped this junks on the last night we were there, just to spend the remaining moolah.Junks coz I havent used them at all.haha

It was the uncle who offered to take picture with him. He's selling I love Korea shirt.haha he knows a lil bit of bahasa melayu like murah, 10 ringgit...

I noticed the ajuhmma here cooked every where.hoho maybe because it was cold, they had steamboat even at open space like this.

At first glance, he looked like that red-haired guy from 2pm.hahah this is a stall selling a sort of cake made of rice flour. Made on the spot youu. Diorang pintal doh tu sampai jadi halus pastu buat kuih. eh tah caner nak explain hahah. I think he saw me covering my head, he instantly said 'halal, halal' haha

Again, very sporting seoul folks =)

Shopped for Kpop poster for le sister. forgot the price oredi. This is one of the many shops selling idol stuffs. so if you are into korean idols, you'd go crazy!

Now, after spending some moneyhhh, it's time to eat.

At the subway station. I was really exhausted and was very moody. Didnt sleep and had to walk miles to the destination. I was pregnant remember? and oh not to forget, hadnt eaten since we arrived in Seoul...


Yeayy finally, fooooddddddddddddddddd!

Green tea. kat sini toksahla carik teh tarik ka, juice ka. Semua tu carik kat coffee shop. Kedai makan dia hidang green tea/ air kosong.

Simple but extremely sedappp! That kimchi, nothing like what i've tasted in Malaysia. Sedap gilerrr!

Ala-ala sambal sotong kitewww

 

This post got super long. Pardon all the grammar and tunggang-langgangness. I dont have the time to edit. hoho

Min Diesel

Alhamdulillah, Minmin was born with thick black hair.

 

Fresh from Mommy's oven =)

 

We had been searching for people to shave his head to a baldy coz we were to chicken to do it ourselves.hahaha Apart from it being a sunnah to Muslim, I really wanted to see him bald at least once in his lifetime. Coz who knows he might decide to keep long hair for the rest of his life.hehehe

Anyhoo, since we chicken-ed out, Minmin lived with his thick black hair till a few days ago.

He was sort of cranky one late afternoon. So when Mom told me she wanted to go get a haircut at our kampung hair salon, I insisted to tag along. Just to let him breath fresh since he was confined in the house for almost a week already.

The auntie recognised me straight away because I was her regular customer before I started working. Nampak tak tak mampu gi salon mahal??hahah She was a bit surprised that I am married and brought a baby to her salon. Needless to say, she was instantly hooked to Minmin. Gewamm auntie tau!

After Mom got her haircut, the auntie came to Min and stroked his hair. THen she asked

'Kau tamau kasi komando ka?'

I was blur. Komando? Botak? oooo

So I explained to her our trouble. She let out a small laugh then said 'Aku boleh buat maa...semua baby kat sini aku buat"

So, cut story short, Min is a baldy now. As much as I love and miss his hair, I have to say he is much cuter being a baldy.hahahah

Few hours before.....

and now...

Why mommy whyyyyyyy????? hahah

And today...

 

Yo, I'm Min Diesel =)