Baru

Tidak perlu bermati-matian menunding jari kepada aku.
Aku tau aku bukan malaikat yang tiada nafsu dan hanya mengenali Allah.
Aku pernah meyimpang.
Mungkin terlalu jauh. Mungkin tidak seberapa jaraknya.
Tetapi masih menyimpang.

Kini, aku ingin berubah. Cahaya mata yang telah dianugerahkan oleh Yang Maha Pengasih ini telah merombak jiwa.
Jiwa sebenarnya dirombak apabila ditemukan dengan kekasih yang digelar Suami ini.
Tetapi rombakkannya lebih terasa bila ada si manusia di dalam badan aku ini. Subhanallah. Ini kuasa Allah.

Dulu, boleh dikatakan aku membenci. Ya. Dulu, aku masih menaruh perasaan terhadap kau. Dan kau. Benci itu sejenis perasaan bukan? Makanya, aku masih menaruh perasaan terhadap kau dan dikau.

Tetapi, menjelang tahun baru ini, aku ingin baru.
Dengan bimbingan Allah s.w.t., aku ingin baru.
Aku ingin muntahkan segala kehitaman dalam hati ini.
Tidak berbaloi menyimpan kudis-kudis itu.

Mungkin dulu aku kenal kau dan dikau. Kau dan dikau yang dulu lah yang aku benci.
Tapi itu dulu.
Mungkin seperti aku, kau juga sudah berubah. Atau mahu berubah.
Aku mengaku aku tidak lagi mengenali siapa kau.
Aku tidak mahu.
Tetapi aku berdoa yang Allah s.w.t. ampunkan kita semua.
Dulu kita jahil.

Buat Anakandaku, Bonda ingin berubah - menjadi manusia yang terbaik jasad and nafs ini mampu memikul. Bonda akan doa pada Allah s.w.t. sentiasa untuk membantu Bonda yang lemah ini.

There's too much hate in the world as it is, Our Child. We, your parents (InsyaAllah) would not want to be those who add to it. Blessings that Allah s.w.t. has granted us, and you - our wonderful growing baby, are too precious for us to waste time and energy on hate.

Kami ingin baru.
Happy New Year.

Kami.

The Long Weekend

Every year round Christmas and New Year, there will be a stretch of holidays. What with the school holidays coming to an end and the need for back-to-school shopping, this would be a mad time to leave the comfort of your own home.

Unless...

You reach the store/mall just before they open for business.

Slightly extreme, if you'd ask me but this is the best time of the year to shop. Especially if you're expecting.

We always reach the mall around 9:45am. Doors open at 10am. Ideal time to visit the mall if you have a shopping purpose.

Husband and I decided to buy our own stroller/car seat since there's a good chance the niece would still want to use hers by the time Baby Ours rolls in.

Since everything was on sale, we bought the stroller and a car seat/carrier for less than RM600. That's a great buy considering the stroller is lightweight aluminum and suitable from birth to give or take 4 years old.

The car seat cradles a newborn perfectly and can hold a baby up to 9 months. Pretty big for a car seat/carrier. The niece's was Graco and was only used until she was 3 months or so because it was too small.

All in all, we're very happy with the purchases. The original plan was a budget of RM500 for car seat. And if we do need a stroller, the budget is RM1000 because we always see Graco and Chicco at the stores. Their average pricing is around the thousands. But to have only spent less than RM600 for both is surreal to me. What a save! Thank you, Allah s.w.t for the rezeki and nikmat You have bestowed upon us.

Oh...

Over the weekend, Husband and I practiced folding baby napkins/cloth diapers. It was so much fun. Husband got really good at it. :D

Bonda/Anis

Aaah! The itch!

These past few days have been excruciating in terms of itchiness. The stomach has stretched somewhat and it's sooooooooooooo itchy. I can't scratch, but what I can do is have my hair brush with me at all times and when the need arises, "brush" the itchy area. No direct skin contact though.

I personally don't mind stretch marks. If any, it'll represent a certain milestone in the journey of becoming a mother. A Bonda. Like my mother, insyaAllah one day I can tell my children proudly that they were responsible for the marks on the body. :D Lagipun, kita bukan macam artis kat Hollywood tu nak pakai bikini and such.

Application of baby oil before bed is mandatory to relieve the itch. I try to apply it everytime after bath time, but too lazy. Others recommend Palmer's Cocoa Butter cream for stretch marks. I can't stand the smell. So, I opt for Johnson's baby oil instead. It omits a nice, comforting smell, even when you sweat.

Went to see Baby Ours. Healthy, Alhamdulillah. Quiet though. Not as fidgety as the last doctor's visit. Sleeping probably. But baby did twitch and waved the arms a little. Asked the doctor if baby was a boy or girl, but the position baby was in made it impossible for doctor to tell. Shy baby. Sat all curled.

Maybe next time...

Aaaaaahhhhhhh.... it's sooooooooooooo iiiiiitttttttccchhyyyyy! *scratches with brush*

Anis

Chance

Got up this morning with the sole intention of going grocery shopping. No more veggies to cook. Fabric softener is out. So is the cooking oil as well as some other miscellaneous household items.

But...

Fell asleep after our usual breakfast and pillow talk after Subuh prayers. Woke up late morning. By the time it was time to go out, baby and I were already famished. Ayahanda too. :P

After lunch, headed off to the grocer's. Too many people shopping last minute for what I presume to be Christmas dinner tonight. No trolleys were insight. So, there goes that plan...

Decided to walk around and scout for baby car seats/strollers at Anakku. By chance, by blessed, beautiful chance, there on the self, staring at us...

CARE Deluxe Baby Monitor; Bunny version.
Original price: RM289.90
Price on sale: RM180

That is a huge difference. It was even the design we wanted. Everywhere we go, there's only the Teddy version - a version our niece already has.

Alhamdulillah, rezeki kami sekeluarga. :))))

Was bummed at first about not being able to go grocery shopping since today is one of those good days where all I want to do is walk. But the baby monitor made up for everything. :))))

Mothers and expectant mothers (and everyone who loves shopping for baby siblings, cousins, nieces and nephews), kalau ada masa and rezeki, this is the time to shop for your darling little ones...

Anis

Salaam My Family...

Salaam, and be at ease, for through Allah's Grace alone, can we find, and dwell, in the comfort we provide for each other.

Today, Ayahanda had his first class EVER, of the new semester. It was an enjoyable feeling, to meet and greet new hopefuls, intent on their intentions of furthering themselves.

Ayahanda managed to find your Uncle Saudara and Auntie AHJ at HS Cafe today. As always, Ayahanda's heart was overjoyed at seeing them well, and in apparent good health. Ayahanda mentions this momentous moment, for the simple reason of conveying a wisdom Ayahanda acquired from Uncle Saudara. It was a conversation, stimulated by Ayahanda, concerning the purpose of commencing any occasion with Al- Fatihah, and yet not culminating said events with a similar recitation. Uncle Saudara forwards that Al- Fatihah (of which the root word is fataha, meaning 'open') acts as an initial first step towards beginning any functions, and not to recite Al- Fatihah at the end of it, probably negating the action in a paradoxical loop. In short, Al- Fatihah is an opener, not a closer. Tasbir Kifarah is more suited to bring closure to events, as it generally implies 'closing'.

Ayahanda would venture that to begin any function with Al- Fatihah is to take a step forward in beseeching The Almighty for His Blessed Tidings. Maybe...

Also, Ayhanda is please to mentioned that Anakanda was making his / her presence known to Bonda. As Ayahanda rubbed the 'carriage', You were content. As Ayahanda and Bonda began in our concluding our 'Daily Five' (cursed E! channel...), Bonda said that You were comforted by Ayahanda's presence, and missed Ayahanda.

Heartily, Ayahanda, with tears welling in his tools to see Bonda and You, began the Iqamah.

Good night, My All. My Spirit. May Allah bless our lives with joy incarnate, for the path we are about to tread, as One.

Ayahanda
(Matthekage kalau nak maintain glamour...)

Heavy belly and Spendings

Husband's new semester begins today. Both for work and classes. Got settled into the classes and lecturers already. Now waiting to meet the new students at work. InsyaAllah this semester will be as good or better than the last.

Head hurts a lot lately. Maybe I've been lying down too much, but I don't have the strength to do much else. People say I should exercise. I try to. I do house chores. They expect me to take walks. I don't want to push myself. Not yet.

I haven't gotten used to this bulging belly. It's heeeeaaavvvy. But Mother would always say I haven't seen anything yet. I would get BIGGER, insyaAllah.

I can't seem to bring myself to shop anymore. Sayang nak spend money. I know these are items we need or eventually will need but I just want to spread out the spending, so as to not spend a big sum of money at one go.

January we need to get the little baby essentials. I have a long list.

February insyaAllah getting the crib. MIL offered to chip in. Alhamdulillah.

March need to get car seat that can cradle the baby instead of only sitting the baby upright. Then, we'll save on baby carrier. Niece has one. Brand; Elego. Should Google that.

Between now and the estimated date of delivery (EDD), we need to get playsuits and sleepsuits. Susahnya nak carik (yang cantik-cantik)!

See why I'm so reluctant to spend so much at one go?!

On top of lazing around and minimal house chores, I started cooking again. It's so good to eat at home. Take-outs are so bland. And unhealthy. You don't know how much of what they put in the food. Especially Ajinomoto. Sheesh!

I miss Mother and Father. Hope they'll come home soon.

Anis

Christmas shopping

Husband went on a shopping spree today. It's not really Christmas shopping but since it's around Christmas time, everything is on sale.

Mom's Care has this huge sale (and not to mention a baby fair at One Utama. Nak peggggiiiii!) so Husband and I decided that this would be a great time to get some items.

Everything was 30% off or so. Husband had his heart set on the First Few Years tub and the Fisher Price soother. We finally got both, Alhamdulillah. Rezeki Anakanda, Alhamdulillah... InsyaAllah.

Mother bought Anakanda more hooded towels and baby blankets (that doubles as a bedung and a towel). They, too, were on sale. Four pieces for only RM50. Crazy!

Bonda will be lulled to sleep by the soother tonight. :))))

Alhamdulillah, MasyaAllah. Rezeki and nikmat from Allah s.w.t.

Humbled,
Anis

Pictures for You

Once Ayahanda is bitten by the reading bug, there isn't much Bonda can do to pry him away from the book. Not that Bonda wants to. It's Ayahanda's leisure time, reading and lounging with us next to him.

So, to make the most of the time Bonda has with Ayahanda, Bonda likes to doodle with oil pastels. These are some of the results, and they are all for you, our Dearest One. We love you. Hope the colours will bring you comfort and familiarity.


This doodle represents certain significant items and the meaning behind it. One day insyaAllah, Ayahanda and Bonda will share the meaning and "inside jokes" each doodle represents.


This is Bonda's doodle of (or attempt of) a crescent moon to signify our first trimester. Ayahanda and Bonda pasted pictures of your first 14 weeks inside the womb. You are so cute, we can't resist. :D

More doodles to come (since the reading bug hasn't loosen it's grip over Ayahanda). Just for you and Ayahanda. Enjoy, my Loves.

Bonda.

It's All So Quiet... Shhh!

Internet is quiet. Friends and family blog less.

The TV world is quiet. Nothing until January. ;(

The house is quiet. Everyone's tired from the whole week of going out, shopping for the house and baby before Mother leaves this weekend.

It'd be quieter still next week. Dreading it. But it's inevitable.

Quiet.

Tapi...

*suara hati ingin keluar*
Kami tak perlu wangmu.
Kami bahagia.
Kalau ikhlas hendak diberi, kami terima dengan berlipat-lipat kasihnya.
Tapi jika wang dijadikan syarat, maka simpanlah wangmu itu.
Kami bersyukur dan bahagia dengan nikmat yang Allah s.w.t. berikan kepada kami, walaupun dimatamu ia hanya sebatang kara.

*Hah. Puas.*

Now, everything is quiet again.

Except...

...the little cheekiness that keeps kicking me on the inside every time he/she is hungry.
:D

Bonda

Rest, rest and rest some more

Morning chores always leave me drained by 7:30am.
Sort laundry. Tidy up last night's dishes. Feed fish and cats. Do laundry.
Itu je.
We start usually after Subuh prayers.
But an hour and a half later, I find myself crawling towards the bed for some shut-eye.
I would wake up around 10am only to feel sleepy again after lunch.
Before Asr, I would always steal half an hour or so and nap.
Sometimes I take longer on rainy days. :D

All I do is sleep. It feels so peaceful.
I can feel the tummy getting heavier.
And bigger.
InsyaAllah baby's growth progress is excellent.

Started throwing up again these past few days.
There are A LOT of things we think Anakanda doesn't like.
Chicken. Hot dogs. Nasi Kandar. Char Kuey Teow. (But Kuey Teow Goreng, no hal. Pelik)
I eat any of these, everything will come rushing back out.
Haih.
What is Bonda gonna to eat now, Baby Ours?

Sleepy Bonda

Wardrobe: Check, Bedding : Check!

Alhamdulillah more things are being crossed off the "To-get" list. Managed to get a drawer/wardrobe for Little Knight/Grace. InsyaAllah, ada rezeki, we'll be getting another one. It's one of those plastic drawers they sell at Giant but the make is nice and it has a safety lock on the drawers. Good baby-proofing. It's big, but not too bulky. Hence it saves a lot of space in the room.

And bedding. Oh, the bedding. The joy we got from purchasing the bedding. We bought Safe N Sound's Frog bedding coordinates. Which is extremely adorable. And it was on sale. At Robinson's. :D RM168 for a 5 piece bedding set is AMAZING. They even threw in not one, but two bolsters! Happy days, as Jamie Oliver would say.


Managed to shop for some baby stuff at Brands Outlet. They have the best clothes there. But you have to be patient. Since semua pun jual lambak aje, kena sabar mengorek sampai the bottom of the pile to find the perfect size/nice ones.

InsyaAllah Husband and I will be trying nappies on the baby instead of solely depending on disposable diapers. Mother advised we should since I had severe nappy rash issues when I was a baby. She said we might not know whose diaper compatibility genes baby might inherit. So, we should be prepared. Have a mix of cloth diapers and disposable diapers. We might save a lot in the long run.

Tropicana Medical Center is now open. Husband and I cannot wait to check out the place and see if they have any labour packages that might suit us. It's just 2 minutes away from home and it would be super if we could deliver the baby there, insyaAllah.

Happy Mama Hippo,
Anis

Bonda's Wants

Latest craving to hit me is the dire want for a bedding set. Multiple if possible.

Paradise 4 Piece Bedding Set

Eddie Bauer Teddy Bear Bedding Set

Jungle Babies Bedding Set <--- Bonda's favourite Arctic Babies Bedding Set

So far, haven't found one (that exists in Malaysia) that is to our liking. Saw one set at Choo! Choo! Train but the set, which consists of crib bumper, bed sheet and quilt, costs RM700. *whistles* Bonda and Ayahanda pun tak pernah tidur on sheets as expensive as that.

Hopefully, we can go tengok-tengok some more baby stuff sometime before the weekend. I hate going out on weekends. Although we don't have a crib yet, I just REALLY want to get a bedding set. I suppose it's one of those cravings.

Anis.

In Our Place

Over the years, Husband and I have "claimed" some places as "Ours". Mainly because we like it there and that it's always just the two of us.

1. Pizza Uno
Center Point, Bandar Utama

This place will always be ours. From the 'courting', to birthdays, to craving days... it's always Uno.

2. Taiwan House
Ampang Point, Ampang.

For the quick lunches before Husband has to rush back to work, Taiwan House has served us well.

3. Homst
Dataran Sunway, Kota Damansara

When we first moved to Kota Damansara, we didn't know of the good food joints. Homst was one of the first and it never disappoints.

4. Siam 62
Palm Spring Damansara

For a good tom yam and sweet and sour chicken on a rainy weekend evening, Siam 62 was our retreat. Good, warm food.

5. WENDY'S
Sunway Pyramid/Giant, Kota Damansara

Other burger joints have never satisfied that burger appetite like Wendy's. We'd always make the trip for their 1/4 pounders.

** This entry was prompted by the sudden hunger that mommy and baby are experiencing. :D

Very random thoughts

*Happy dah dapat J.K Rowling's Tales of Beedle the Bard. Cannot wait to read it.

*Letih sangat hari ni. Tummy keras. Maybe baby pun letih. Spent the last hour in IKANO whilst mom and the others shopped for groceries in a wheelchair Hubby-bi rented from the mall. Wheee!

*Aku bangga aku Melayu (walaupun ramai Melayu di dunia ni yang menyebabkan kita malu nak mengaku kita Melayu). Walaupun ada campur darah Cina (on maternal grandmother's side, Mongolian blood, to be exact), generally aku Melayu. Aku bangga sebab itu aku. Darah aku. Aku tak kisah insyaAllah anak kami ni lagi tinggi percentage Melayu dia. Aku harap bila dia dah besar nanti dia pun akan bangga. Tapi jangan la bangga sampai gila darjat dan bangsa. Itu dah mengarut.

*Ramai yang berkata, jangan menyesal atas apa yang dah jadi. Perkara-perkara itu yang membentuk kita yang kita kenal pada saat ini. Aku tak setuju. Kalau tiada kesal, tiada taubat. Kalau tiasa kesal, mungkin maknanya kita belum belajar betul-betul dari apa yang dah jadi. I have a few regrets. Ones that I sometimes wish never happened and wonder if I can learn a lesson another way. Aku ada regrets. Tapi tak semestinya aku masih berpegang pada regrets tu.
Aku dah lama lepas kan kau, wahai bintik-bintik hitam zaman silamku. Allah s.w.t. Maha Mengetahui. Dan disebabkan kau, wahai Regrets, aku berdoa Allah s.w.t mengampunkan aku. Hanya Dia yang berkuasa untuk mengampunkan sesiapa.

*Aku tak percaya minum soya, anak keluar berkulit putih. Aku rasa kelakar bila orang nasihatkan aku kalau nak baby jadi putih, minum soya. Paling penting, aku tak kisah baby aku kulitnya cerah ke, gelap ke. Dia cinta hati kami. Allah s.w.t's blessing. Kami berdoa cukup sifatnya dan sempurna segala satunya.

*Aku tak kisah sangat beli barang-barang baby yang mahal. Macam crib yang kami nak tu about RM900. Fisher Price Aquarium bath tub is about RM230. InsyaAllah kalau ada rezeki, this is not the only pregnancy/baby were planning to have. Kalau ada rezeki, sure nak cahaya mata lagi. Mungkin anak 2 atau 3. InsyaAllah. Jadi, barang-barang tu guarantee akan guna lagi. It's an investment, not a splurge - is what I think.

*Banyak nya thoughts. Pening dah sekarang. And I find myself thinking a lot in Malay. :D

Random Anis

Macam Org Baru Keluar Hutan

Pagi tadi kami sekeluarga pergi ke Giant, Kota Damansara. Baru bukak kat belakang rumah. Naik kereta tak sampai 2 minit dah kat dalam parking lot tempat tu.

Kitorg betul-betul macam orang baru first time keluar dari hutan masuk bandar. "Oooh... tengok tu. Ada kedai so-so". "Wah, kat sini pun ada this-and-this store". Kelakar. Memang kalau orang lain pandang kitorg masa tu mesti ingat kita ni dari kampung ulu mana entah.

Tapi yang paling buat aku menjerit dan sangat happy, kat Giant, Kota Damansara ada WENDY'S. Aku dah la mengidam Wendy's. Sekarang dah tak payah drive jauh-jauh sampai ke Sunway Pyramid. Belakang rumah dah ada. Nak makan hari-hari pun boleh.

Excitement orang pregnant macam ni la agaknya. Pasal pergi Giant yang ada Wendy's pun nak taruk dalam blog. :))))

Anis (Si Luncai yang baru keluar dari hutan rimba, kawan dengan kala jengking.)

A wonderful start to December

Alhamdulillah. December begins with a wonderful note.

Went out with the family today. One of the rare days that I'm up for going out. Headed for Gardens, Mid Valley. We love that place. It's very peaceful. Away from the pushing-and-shoving-out-of-towners visiting KL for the school holidays.

Robinson's is the place to shop for baby stuff. The selection is wonderful. Not so much their clothes, but the accessories. Mom (and Dad) bought Little Knight/Grace a rocker. The First Years' Gentle Glide Portable Glider. I am very much in love with it. Alhamdulillah. Rezeki baby.

Got 4 pieces of receiving blankets and 5 terry cloth baby towels for the low, low price of RM60. I didn't think twice before grabbing it. Where else can you get blankets and towels for that price. Total. ;)

Husband got his examination results today. He wonderfully passed with flying colours. Very proud of him. *Bonda (and on behalf of anakanda) pats Ayahanda on the back*

A wonderful start to the end of the year. Alhamdulillah. InsyaAllah.
Anis.