A Beautiful Reminder

My father selalu ingatkan,

"Jangan bongkak. Jangan pandang rendah pada orang yang kita "sangka" tak ikut apa yang diajar agama. Kita tak nampak. Only Allah s.w.t sees everything.
And mana tau, satu hari nanti kalau Allah s.w.t bukak hati dia and bless dia dgn hidayah - mungkin darjat iman dia akan lebih dari kita.
Biar orang nak kata apa kat kita. Kat orang lain. We should always doakan yang terbaik utk orang tu, walaupun syaitan asyik bisik untuk benci orang tu.
InsyaAllah ada ganjaran dia. Mungkin kita tak dapat direct. Mungkin jadik rezeki anak-anak kita. We never know, this things. Just beringat. And always doa yang baik-baik".

Yes, Dad. Thank you.
Sometimes we forget.
Alhamdulillah you'll always be the voice that reminds us.

Matt & Anis

Little Bookworm

We're happy to report that our son loves his books.
InsyaAllah this will be a habit that sticks.

When he's in his playpen, he'll just sit quitely with his books, turning the pages and really concentrating on the colours and textures (most of his books are touchy feely books).
He'll wiggle his fingers of the textured pieces and explore with his palms - and sometimes tongue.

*happy*

Then after awhile, the oral exploration starts. He'll start biting the edges and what-not. :D

As a post-final-finals celebration, Husband took us to get more books for Faris.
We *heart* Kinokuniya.
Got two books today. And ordered two more Usborne books.

Another touchy feely book, this time it's 1 2 3

An AWESOME bath book

*glee*

Bonda/Anis

Sewing

When we were expecting Faris, I wanted something self-made to present to him.
So I took up cross-stitching and made this;


Fast-forward to almost a year later,
I bought some fabric from IKEA
(initially to become his kain bedung but it was too small)
and sewed a pillowcase for him.
It's difficult to find toddler's pillow-sized pillowcases,
thus making one's own is the best solution.

And the end product is;


Yup, those little hands are ever ready to snag anything.

Bonda/Anis

The Unexpected

Husband and I love books.

When Husband reads to Baby Ours, his reactions from within the belly is priceless.
We bought 2 volumes of selected tales from Beatrix Potter.
Bonda wanted more because the stories and illustrations are just delightful.
So Bonda has been searching high and low for this:


An unexpected outing to The Gardens, caused by the heat, led us to Borders.
And it led us to the book.
The last one sitting by its lonesome on the Picture Books shelf in the Children's section.
And it led us to purchasing it.

Bonda and Ayahanda are ecstatic.
More stories to read at night.
Life is grand.

Alhamdulillah. Rezeki.

*glee*
Bonda/Anis

Booboos for Baby Ours

Husband had to pay a quick visit to the department and the library today, so I decided to tag along. Get out of the house. Go for a drive.

It's been awhile since I was back at the University. Nothing much has changed. I don't feel that sense of belonging I used to. But the library - that's a different story. I will always feel at home when it comes to a place where books dwell.

After happily parading Baby Ours (the Little One in the HUGE belly :D), Husband took us to the bookstore to look for some booboos for Baby Ours. Husband bought these:

We want to start reading to him. It'd be a nice way to spend family time. As it is, most nights Baby Ours sleeps to the recitation of the Quran. We feel that this is the one book that is very important to be read to Baby Ours. Some nights we read to him directly. Other nights when Bonda is too tired, we leave the electronic Quran on the belly while we sleep.

Baby Ours' WanChik got him a book/photo album. It's really delightful. There are slots for pictures and columns to tell the stories behind the pictures.


Looking forward to getting more booboos. Since we already have everything we need to prepare for Baby Ours' arrival, and buying too many clothes aren't practical since babies grow up really quickly, books seem to be the best investment.

Happy reading, Anakanda!

Anis/Bonda

Tentang Agama

Aku terpikir tentang agama. Bagaimana mahu didik anak-anak (insyaAllah) kami nanti? Aku masih belajar. Pentingnya mahu belajar kan? Ke tidak cukup? Entah.

Aku tahu Islam bukan setakat solat-puasa-bayar zakat. Aku tahu sebelum apa-apa pun, aqidah kena ada. Kuat. Kena perbetulkan itu dulu.
Aku tahu ihsan kita sesama insan itu penting - biarpun mereka bukan saudara se-Islam.

Aku belajar yang Rasullullah s.a.w. adalah contoh yang sebaik-baiknya yang kita perlu ikut, tapi tidak sampai meninggikan darjatnya lebih dari Allah s.w.t. Sememangnya hanya Allah s.w.t. yang berhak dipuja. Bersujud kepadaNya.

Tetapi bagaimana hendak didik anak-anak kami jika ada orang (biasanya ahli keluarga juga) yang berkonflik pendapat agamanya.

Aku tahu Prophet Muhammad s.a.w. is the best example. So keluarga aku solat mengikut sunnah. Ada yang berkata aku dan keluarga "sesat" sebab tak ikut mazhab. Beza sangat ke caranya? Bacaannya?

But the question is: kalau sesuatu itu sudah sunnah, kenapa yang masih berprinsip "mazhab trumps the Prophet s.a.w"?

Biasanya, bila agama jadi topik diskusi, the other person akan dismiss aku dengan mengatakan:

a) I sekolah agama dulu, I tau la.
b) Tok nenek dulu buat macam tu, aku ikut la.

Anakanda,
Tentang ilmu, terutamanya berkaitan dengan agama,
kita tak boleh taqlid.
Cari ilmu, berdiskusi -
dengan hati yang terbuka.
Always research facts yang orang kata tu "betul".
Insist on seeing the dalil.
But never ever compromise religion just to "satisfy" masses.

InsyaAllah Anakanda jadi anak yang soleh. Ayahanda and Bonda doakan.

Cinta kamu,
Ayahanda & Bonda.

Precious Knight

Of all the things we've bought for Baby Ours, Our Knight, this excited us most. :D Precious. Bundle sales at Brands Outlet rocks!

Bonda

Music & Baby Ours

Baby Ours is almost 7 months now, in the womb.
He is so healthy and handsome, Alhamdulillah.
Waved a little to Bonda and Ayahanda when doctor scanned him yesterday.
:D
90 days to go, insyaAllah.

Music that often accompanies Bonda whilst doing chores and Baby Ours enjoys (he kicks alot when these singers/bands are playing):

Keane
David Cook
Robbie Williams
Thriving Ivory
Coldplay
Take That (the new regime)
Collective Soul
Hanson
Backstreet Boys <3 style="font-style: italic;">

What a musical baby. :D

Bonda/Anis

Rock with you

Aku cinta sama Kanda.
Aku amat suka hadiah dia buat aku dan Anakanda kami (insyaAllah).
Kalau boleh, aku tak nak turun dari hadiah tu.

Aku suka.
Dinda cinta Kanda.

Rocking chair Kanda hadiahkan.
Selesa.
Menawan.

Sekarang, aku dan Suami suka berebut siapa yang dapat duduk kat rocking chair tu. :D

*Thank you, Ayahanda. We Love You.

Dinda/Bonda.

Our Knight

In a few days, insyaAllah Baby Ours will be 6 months old in the womb.
Alhamdulillah.
MasyaAllah.
Subhanallah.


InsyaAllah, we'll be welcoming a boy.
A son.
Our son.
Our Knight.

*sujud syukur*

Ayahanda & Bonda

We are there

Salaam My Loves.

We are there. We know. And we are blessed InsyaAllah.

Our child.

Our Son.

You are here.

We are too.

We love you.

"Love knows no limitations, save through the confines of the imagination"

Something to chew on.

A most ecstatic Father,
Ayahanda.

Cinta

Cinta itu berbagai.
Beza dari kasih dan sayang.
Cinta.

Ada yang cinta duit.
Ada yang cinta kucing.
Ada yang cinta kereta.

Tapi boleh dikatakan semua orang ada nyawa lain yang dia cinta.
Parents. Spouse. Relatives. Friends. Colleagues.
Dan cinta pada Allah s.w.t.

Cinta kita berbeza.
How we react to it is also different.

Cinta aku buat Allah s.w.t ini baru. Aku terlalu lama dalam gelap. Tapi aku rasa bersyukur yang aku ini diberi peluang untuk mengenali cinta Allah s.w.t. Semua bermula dengan keinginan dalam diri, aku rasa. Jika kita tak nak tolong diri sendiri, siapa lagi yang boleh tolong?

Cinta aku buat kekasih, si dia yang bergelar Suami, tidak terkata. Detik-detik jatuh cinta padanya, tidak terkira. Dia personifikasi cinta dan hikmah dari Allah s.w.t. Terima kasih, Yang Maha Besar, Maha Pemurah dan Maha Pengasih. I am humbled by Your blessings.

Cinta aku buat seorang yang belum pernah aku jumpa ini sangat dahsyat. Bayangkan, kau tidak kenal mahluk ini. Tapi cinta padanya menggunung lebih dari apa yang kau sangka kau mampu merasa. Anakanda kami. InsyaAllah. Cinta Bonda dan Ayahanda terlalu dahsyat buat mu untuk Bonda ketik kunci-kunci huruf disini.

Cinta itu berbagai.
Cinta itu berbeza.
Tapi sungguh,
Cinta itu hebat.

Anis.

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.

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...)

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.

Heartbeats

We saw our Little One's heartbeat today.
Subhanallah. MasyaAllah.
It was the most beautiful flickering, white dot I've ever seen.
Steady. Fluttering. Strong.
That's our 7 weeks and 4 days Little Embryo.

Allah s.w.t is Great. Mighty.
We are truly blessed.
We are very grateful to Him.
Alhamdulillah.

Our hearts swell with so much pride and happiness, it seems World Peace is possible.
I love you, Ayahanda.
I love you, Little One.

Bonda.

Little Embryo

Baby mine,
Bonda and Ayahanda love you very much.
Lekat elok-elok ya.
You take your time. We'll be right here, InsyaAllah.

Listen to your Ayahanda.
Every night, he loves to have a chat with you, sometimes sing.
Listen, ya. He is wise. And gong. :D
A very valuable combination.

Despite the occasional turmoil and evil,
this world is actually a beautiful place.
And insyaAllah, it'll be even more so when you arrive.
Bonda knows you'll be beautiful in every way.
Because you have a part of your Ayahanda in you.

Don't mind people if they have something unintelligent to say about you.
Or your Ayahanda and Bonda.
We love you already now that you're just our little embryo.
Imagine how much we'll love, insyaAllah when you're you.
People can say that you'll be a dark baby ke, have your Bonda's very pronounce and disturbingly visible chin ke,
Be ganas ke, Won't like to mandi ke,
Biar.
You are you.
We love you.
You are perfect in every way that Allah s.w.t has created you.
Unintelligent people like them can go fly kites.

So baby mine,
Our knight/Our grace,
Lekat elok-elok ya.
We love you.

InsyaAllah we'll see how you're doing in there, next week.

Bonda

A Tale of Three Hearts...

Salaam to you, Our precious. The one Allah has agreed is our due. The one to save the world. You.

Know that we caught wind of your descent barely a week ago. The experience has been surreal, to say the least.

In the deepest recess of my heart, I want nothing but the absolute best for you. All that Allah deems worthy of you, me, your Bonda. Your family. Yours.

In my heart also dwells the DRAGON. This Dragon shakes my foundation with uncertainties. I am plagued by abnormalities of the soul. I choose not to suffer betrayers, and yet I allow myself to be consumed by their treachery. I want none of this to touch you, Ember of Life.

You are pure. I, your Ayahanda, am not. Yet.

I vow to you, and to your Bonda, Lifegiver herself, and more importantly to Allah The Almighty, that I shall cleanse myself of all ridicule and cancer that the world has enough of, and start giving off better things. Feelings. Sentiments. Good-will. Regardless of its essence, nay, NATURE, I opt to be the best for You, and your Bonda.

I choose to do so, because We Love You, and in order to prepare you in facing this poodoo of a world, we need to make sure You are surrounded by all that is good and pure. That's the word. PURE. All of You is pure. You deserve nothing less.

Forgive Your Ayahanda his failings and shortcomings then, for they are his toys growing up, and they have such a hold on him.

No matter.

For You, I'll do anything. With Your Bonda by my side, I can do anything. Be anything. Even the best. For YOU.

We look forward to you brightening the grass this side of Heaven.

Before any other- Thank You.
Alongside Bonda- We Love You.

To Our Unborn Child, whom We Love to pieces, and cherish beyond all mortal ties.

Be strong. Be steadfast. Be kind. Be the one to rise to the occasion, and Rise to lead. To aid. To inspire. You have it in you, to be first and foremost, A True Muslim, one who does not shy away from his Islamic roots, instead embracing them. One proud to be pure of blood, a mixture of all that course through the land, hating no other, loving all. One blessed with the knowledge that Identity is not everything, but merely a lamp that guides angels to your doorsteps, who will knock upon the door of your heart, asking permission to seek you and visit you, all in order to please the Will of Allah.

Be that Man. Be that Woman. Be You. We are always here to offer you guidance, and a shoulder or two. We are here. And we are waiting.

And of said Dragon, I'll keep you posted.

Ayahanda