Xmas Pressie!

Thank You Aunty Denni! ;)

Aariz's just love it! Yummy?!!! Huhuhu...

Oh and Aariz got a letter from Santa! Woohoo!

All the way from the North Pole! ;-)

Aariz's such a good boy! ;-)

Merry Xmas & Happy New Year everyone!

Cheers!

Mumbo Bumbo

Thank you Abah (Daddy)!

Last week, Mr.Hubby bought a baby seat for Aariz.

Woohoo! :-)

It’s the world’s 1st and only. BumboTM; A baby seat that REALLY works! As said on the box. :-) 

I’ve been planning to get this for Aariz since he was about 4 months. I have been Google-ing it and checking it out on Gumtree, etc for good deals. I thought it could be an extra hand for me. Especially whenever Aariz decides he needs to have me in front of him at all time. The rocker/seater thingy is kinda helpful but Aariz needs to be strapped on or he would fall over. Such a wiggly boy! (Takleh dok diam! Huhuhu..) And he is usually not too keen on the strap thus would only seat on it for a lil bit. I felt that the BumboTM seat would be better but everytime I mentioned it to Mr.Hubby, he would just ignore me. Huhuhu… Until last week when were browsing in a baby store and saw the BumboTM seat, Mr.Hubby looked interested. After Aariz had a try on the seat, it was a done deal. We did not get the tray as we thought we don’t really need it. Well, maybe later. ;-) Aariz loves it and it is definitely a big help for me and Mr.Hubby. I do try to not seat him in it for too long. So now Aariz can play and roll around on his playmat, sits in his BumboTM seat to watch me eat, cook or hang the wash and stuff, or sit on his rocker and watch his mobile or fishes. So much to keep him occupied. Yeay! Haha! Oh yeah, we bought fishes for Aariz. Friends of ours was kind enough to give us a small bowl/aquarium thingy complete with pebbles, oxygen pump and tubes after watching how excited Aariz was watching their fishes in their huge aquarium at their house last few weeks. Thank you!!! We just had to buy some fishes, fish food and water neutraliser to get rid of the chlorine. I think. Heh…

Oh and a day after Aariz got his BumboTM seat, he got his 6-months-shots. Huhuhu… He cried as the needle went in but he was fine right after. He seemed a bit tired the next morning but was his usual self later in the afternoon. Thank goodness he was not down with a fever or kicked up a fuss as the midwife said some babies would. Alhamdulillah. Aariz’s such a good boy! Hehehe… Aariz also had a check up. He’s all healthy and weighed in at 8.17kg and 71cm long. As for his eczema, we kinda stopped using any soap during his bath. Just water. And we don’t use any cream or baby powder except for the cream our GP prescribed if his eczema flares up. And the basic emollient to moisturise his skin when it’s dry. He still scratches himself though, as well as anything else he feels like scratching! Huhuhu… Oh well, as long as he’s happy. Hee…

Stranger lady: “How old is bubba?”

Me: “He’s 6 months.” (Can’t believe how fast time flies!) :-)

Cheers!

First flight, First fall...

Last week, Sunday (December 4^th), Aariz went on his first flight. Woohoo! It was a very early start to the day. We stayed at a friend’s place in Brisbane the night before. The flight was scheduled for departure at 5.30 am, so we had to be at the airport by 4.30 am. It took about 20-30 minutes to get to the airport from our friend’s so we were all up by 3 am; including Aariz. We tried to be as quiet as we can to keep him asleep but I guess he just didn’t want to miss out. He was smiling and such a good boy upon waking up. But he did fall back to sleep once we got in the car. Huhuhu... So, after Subuh prayers, we were on our way. Salman and Intan dropped us at the airport and help us look after the car. They’ll also be picking us up when we come back the next day. Yeah, it was a pretty short trip. Oh yeah, we were actually going to Canberra. We have to personally hand in our application to register Aariz’s birth and for his Malaysian passport to the High Commission of Malaysia. No, we can’t have it mailed. Ridiculous eh?! Well, that’ll be another story altogether. Heh... 

Anyways, we did not have any checked-in baggage but we did bring along Aariz’s stroller. So, after checking-in using one of the Virgin Australia’s self-check-in machines, we went to the baggage drop-off counter. We were so clueless! Jakun sebenarnye kot... Haha! Mr.Hubby was all ready to check-in the stroller when we were told that we don’t necessarily have to do it then. It turns out we could pass the stroller to the ground crew at the boarding gate as soon as it opens if we wanted to. It’s certainly more convenient so we just got the tag for the stroller and we’re on our way. Brisbane’s domestic terminal was surprisingly quite busy. Not crazy busy as when we got back from Canberra the next evening but I didn’t think anyone else was as crazy as us to get a 5 o’clock in the morning flight. Great minds think alike I guess – cheaper flight tickets save money. Hahaha! We decided to go through security and wait around the boarding hall. We were all over security! Should the stroller be folded and put through the scanner or just wheel it through? Take out the toys on the stroller and put in the tray or just leave them? Carry the baby through or put him in the tray through the scanner?! Hahaha! The last one was made up but yeah it was a bit of a scene. It was as if the security officers have never dealt with passengers with a baby that have their strollers with them. Oh, I was also tested for drugs! Huhuhu... Anyway, all was good. We went to get a bottle of juice, a packet of sandwich and a bottle of water (that costs us a crazy $17! I’ve forgotten how expensive airports can be!). We were thinking of having a bite before boarding, but turns out it was time to board. A crew actually came to us and asked if we could pass the stroller to her (which is nice!) and then we actually got to board the flight straightaway. First ones on board! Woohoo! Haha! I was a bit nervous as I did not read or search the internet to find out how it would be or what to do when on flights with a baby. I just asked my sister, Yan. She told me the crew will have an infant seatbelt for Aariz if it’s a short flight and we could request for a bassinet if it’s a long one. And to have Aariz sucking on something for take-offs and landings meaning me feed Aariz. Huhuhu... True enough, a crew came to me and hand me the infant seatbelt. I’ve never used it before so she showed me how it works. Pretty easy, Aariz’s seatbelt was the same as ours but he’s could be slide onto mine, so it’s like we’re connected, inseparable. Heh... Aariz played a bit and we took photos before taking off. The take-off, was a breeze and Aariz slept all the way through. So did the parents! Huhu... Aariz didn’t wake up until we were truly in the arrival hall in Canberra airport. By the way, what’s with the airport? We were impressed at first because they have a prayer room but then we realized there was no information centre/counter what-so-ever. There was just a Qantas counter and car-hire counters at the arrivals and check-in counters at the departures a level up. That’s it. Huhuhu... But Canberra city was very interesting. Just wish we could stay longer. Hopefully get to tell about our 2 days there later. Anyway, the flight back to Brisbane was busier but Aariz was fine. Slept through the flight and was happy as he can be. He didn’t know though how scary the landing was. It wasn’t smooth at all. I was freaking out! The plane was shaking frantically and it seems like it was out of control. But Alhamdulillah everything was fine. We arrived in Brisbane at 6.30 pm and were at Salman and Intan’s by 8 pm. Crazy traffic! Huhuhu... I didn’t really know what to expect when I thought of flying with Aariz for the first time but now that we’ve done it, I could say it was a good experience for us all. 

Are we there, yet?

Wonder what's in front of me...

Heading home people!

Too much back-light?! Huhuhu...

Tak nak duduk diam!

Ready for take-off! Hehehe...

Aariz’s first flight was something we knew would happened weeks before when we booked the tickets and all but the next thing that happened, I did not see this coming at all. Aariz had his first fall Saturday night (really hope it’s the last too!). He fell off the bed! Luckily our room has built in carpets, quite thick comfy ones. Huhuhu... Nonetheless, the moment seeing him face-down on the carpet after the fall was a sight I would remember forever. I don’t think I could forget! Never leave a baby that has learned to roll over on the bed by himself. Lesson learned; unfortunately the hard way for me! I’ve just bathed Aariz and he was all wrapped in his towel. I was about to dress him when I realized I did not have his clothes. So, I went to grab it. I was sure that I left him in the middle of the bed but as I turned around having his PJs in my hand, I heard Aariz cried and saw him on the floor. Mr.Hubby was frying out some squids when this happened but he came running towards Aariz just as I did. Both of us were frantically checking Aariz for any scratch or bruise or anything and trying to figure out if he’s in pain anywhere on his body. After a cuddle and my boobies, Aariz was all calm and gave us a smile. He then played a bit like his usual self and went to sleep not long after. I was still a bit shaky later that night and even thinking about it as I write this, I feel so bad and wished I was more careful. Mr.Hubby and I sometimes asked ourselves and tried to imagine how Aariz managed to roll over in a blink of an eye and fell. We also wished it didn’t happen but I guess there’s nothing we can do about it now. Thank God Aariz’s fine and we’ll definitely be more careful and always have Aariz supervised. InsyaAllah. 

A week it was. 

Cheers!

Kring kringgg

Check out my new phone, everyone!! ;-)

Yes, we finally did bought a toy mobile phone for Aariz. Well, Mr.Hubby did. It was on sale at Woolies.  It says "Hello!" when you flip it open and "Goodbye!" when you close it. It has a mouse, cat or dog display and buttons that play sounds or short tunes. OKlah... Aariz did push the buttons and he keep flipping the phone open and close at one time. Unintentionally?! Huhuhu... Well, the toy is supposedly for 6 months+ babies but Aariz will turn 6 months in 2 weeks. Should be fine, right? Oh yeah, we got him a teething thingy too.

New toy! Let us see what we can do with it...

The blue flower/ring thingy - teething thingy...

As with everything else, I'll need to have a taste! ;-)

Cheers!

PS: Call me at 22749-32-2883! Hehehe...

rolling over

It was November 6th when Aariz first rolled over onto his tummy. Then he didn't do it again till about over a week later. Can't believe I forgot when the actual day was but that day was Aariz's rolling over day! Mr.Hubby and I were so excited! We were cheering him on each time he rolled over but then of course we had to help him roll over onto his back again. Yeah, still not able to do it. Well, he did a few times roll over from his tummy onto his back by himself a few times, but he also managed to bump his head a little then. Huhuhu..

Apart from rolling over, he's been reaching for everything and putting anything he can grab into his mouth for a while now. Even his toes! Also, what is it with mobile phones and remote controls, eh?!!! Been thinking of buying one of each for Aariz. The toy that is but at the moment, it's like at the bottom of the list. We might end up not getting either one. Huhuhu...

He still can't sit by himself. I just read that it'll probably happen when his about 6-7 months. Aariz is sitting with support. There are times when he would not want to lie down but sit upright instead. Lucky we have this rocker/sitter thingy. Aariz would usually sit there for a fair bit and play on his own. :-)

I think Aariz's developments are generally spot on. He'll turn 6 months on December 16th. Hope he continues to grow strong and healthy. And be a happy baby! :-) InsyaAllah.

Check me out! ;-)

Cheers!

Bad Mama!

Bled Aariz's finger.

I did this when he was 2 weeks old. Well, it was definitely unintentional. It was my second attempt in clipping his fingernails and halfway through, I cut his finger instead. PANIC!!! The blood just kept flowing and so did my tears! Huhuhu... Mr. Hubby tried his hardest to calm me done but to no avail. I finally went knocking on our neighbour's door, Noeline and after a big hug and "oh, bubba's gonna be fine!" from her, I stopped crying and so did the blood. I guess it's just something to do with having an experienced mum comforting you and my hormones were definitely everywhere then. It took me a while to have the courage to trim Aariz's fingernails again. Nowadays, I'm always extra careful eventhough I've done it lots of time. Something good did came out of the incident, eh?!

Let Aariz fall asleep on me breasts.

Eat. Play. Sleep.

That's how it should be done. We went pretty well for the first 3 months, but as Aariz grew bigger I started to slack. Okay, I was probably too tired or too lazy. Not good, eh?! Can't help it though!  It is a big no-no here to let the baby fall asleep on your breasts. They say it'll be hard for the mother on the long run. So how?!!

Aariz sleeps with us on the bed.

And because of the above, sometimes Aariz ends up in bed with Mr.Hubby and I. Co-sleeping. I know, Aariz should be in his own cot. But again, it's just so much easier to put him back to sleep by giving him some "love" and I can get to sleep right away too. Huhuhu...

Aariz has no routine

I kinda know when he wakes up in the morning, when he'll have a very dirty nappy, when he'll want to have his morning nap and when he's hungry. But other than that, I usually just go with the flow. Or he'll go with my flow if I bring him to Uni with me. Huhuhu... Oh yeah, he'll usually goes to sleep around 7-8pm. Usually on my breasts. Hhmmm...

Fail to cut dairy off my diet.

We thought one of the reason for Aariz's eczema is he's dairy intolerance. Honestly, I didn't stop consuming dairy based food entirely. I only managed not to eat cheese and milk. I still can't resist a piece or two cadbury chocolate, milo with a teaspoon of condensed milk or ice cream once in a while! *sigh* Mr.Hubby reckons the eczema is just something that will pass as Aariz grew, and has nothing to do with what I eat. I really hope so. For now, Aariz's eczema is under control but it's still there. The red patches of rash on his arms and thighs, and tiny red dots on his cheeks and chest; sometimes they get really red while you can't really notice them other times. But I just can't help feeling bad for Aariz as I look at other babies that have clear, no rash what-so-ever skin though. :-(

Itchy Scratchy

I guess the eczema could be itchy, but we really hope it's not too bad and scratching is just a really bad habit of Aariz's and that it will soon pass. Aariz keep scratching himself vigorously sometimes. It used to be the scalp but nowadays it's the face and arms. Usually when he's asleep. We feel like people would think we're abusing him when they see Aariz's scars! I've been trimming his fingernails and smoothing any rough edges evert other day. What more can I do?

Woke up one morning and saw this. *sigh*

I hope I'm doing a good job anyways. Some say do what suits you and bubba the best. Well, I sure do hope for the best!

A rare recent photo of decent me and my lil boy. ;-)

Cheers!

White Policy

Immigration Nation: The Secret History of Us on SBS One.

Interesting.

Now I know why there's so many Europeans living in Australia; they've been here for more than 50 years! Quoted from SBS's website of the second episode of this documentary; "The Second World War had far reaching effects on the history of the ‘Immigration Nation’. With no Asian migrants allowed and the pool of available Britons decreasing, Australia faced a crisis. Not only were there fears that Australia couldn’t defend itself, experts also believed the country would not grow economically without more people. So the nation’s first ever Immigration Minister, Arthur Calwell, made a momentous decision to bring in non-British European immigrants for the first time." I missed the first episode last week. Planning to watch it online someday. I was intrigued to watch the documentary after coming across the trailer

on TV. Go on! Watch the trailer. You know you wanna. ;-)

It gave a great insight on things Mr. Hubby and I thought couldn't have happened. And towards the end of the second episode, we also learned that Julia Gillard, Australia's current Prime Minister was originally from Wales. She was 4 years old when she came to Australia with her family and they were processed by an immigration officer that was interviewed in the second episode of Immigration Nation.

I am learning all the time! ;-)

Cheers!

A day too late!

Can't believe I missed the 11.11.11 day! Huhuhu... Well, we didn't feel like recharging our prepaid internet account hence no internet at home and I didn't make it to Uni yesterday. So, there goes an entry for 11.11.11. Haha! Anyways, hope everyone had a good day and I heard my cousin's wedding went well. Alhamdulillah.

This will be a quick entry. Just finish some work in the lab after some shopping at BigW and heading home soon. 

Whatcha looking at?! ;-)

Cheers!

PS: Aariz is now 7.4kg and 6.6cm! Woohoo! :-)

a birth and a wedding

A month? Really? I must be so busy! NOT! Hahaha! Well, I am quite busy but I do have some free time. Although, when I'm actually free, there was always something else more interesting for me to do than writing an entry on my blog; like sleeping, watch DVDs, read other people's blog or do nothing! Heh...

Well, since my last entry, my sister-in-law (Mr. Hubby's younger sister) gave birth to a gorgeous baby girl on the 14th of October. Nur Aryssa Zahra weighed at 3.78kg. Almost the same weight as Aariz when he was born! She's the cutest! What I noticed first and foremost; the eyebrows! We couldn't really see Aariz's eyebrows until recently and they are still no match for Zahra's. Can't wait to have a cuddle! Errr...it'll be a while though. Huhuhu...

My cousin's getting married in about 2 weeks and I'm going to miss it! NO!!! Huhuhu... I've been having dreams of my aunty, Aunty Mona, the groom's mother. More than once! No dreams of my cousin, the person that's getting married but had dreams of Aunty Mona with my mom, Aunty Mona with Tina and Nona (groom's sisters) and some other family members. Homesick? Maybe. Or I must really want to be home for the wedding. It's the first in their family and all of them are always around for my siblings and I when we got married. Nak balik! Hahaha! Oh well, I'm sure it's going to be great and best wishes to the bride and groom. 

Time's up! The lil boy needs me! Hehehe.. 

Cheers!

Going bananas!

Bananas are back in town! Huhuhu... It's been a while since I've had a banana. Since Cyclone Yasi struck Far North Queensland and destroyed acres of banana plantations last February, banana prices skyrocketed. They were at one time $13/kg. Crazy! Mr. Hubby and I love bananas but we'd only buy 2-4 pieces of bananas i.e. 1 or 2 piece each when we really really feel like having. But that's now in the past. :-) Banana supplies will increase starting end of this month promising a drop in their prices. There's more information at this Australian Bananas website.

I came across this article on health benefits of bananas.

Cool Bananas!

And yeah, check out this cool costume from this blog.

Eczema and Me

The last 2 weeks have been - all about Aariz. Hold on. Hasn't it always been about Aariz since he was born?! Huhuhu... Well, the last 2 weeks was more intense I guess. I was and still am obsessed about Aariz's eczema. Yes. Eczema. *Sigh* I burst into tears the other day while dressing Aariz up after his bath but I'm now less worried and annoyed on seeing my lil boy covered with patches of red and not-so-nice-looking rash (which turns out to be eczema) all around his body, and his cheek and ears are all red. It started with what we thought as milk rash around his face when he was about 8 weeks. I was frantically wiping his face especially near the mouth and cheek with warm damp cloth after every feed but it got worse. When we took him for his 2-month shot, his cheeks were bright red and a bit dry and scaly. I knew something was wrong and the doctor said it's probably infant eczema which is pretty common. He gave us a cream which later I found out was steroid base cream. It did clear up the rash in 1-2 days. But after that, the rashes came back and haven't gone away (yet!) ever since. It even spread all over Aariz's body; shoulders, arms, chest, tummy, thighs, calves and yesterday, his back; patches of coin shaped rash. I've been reading a lot on the internet; I need to stop before I go crazy! Haha! I decided to meet with the baby nurse at the Chemist just 15 minutes walk from where we live last Tuesday. We talked a bit about how Aariz and me are doing, etc and then she straightaway asked me about Aariz's rash. She had a look at all the rashes on Aariz and said that from her experience (Aariz's rashes are scaly and dry, and he has cradle cap), it looks like Aariz could have an allergic reaction of some sort to food and it could be milk protein a.k.a dairy products Although the nurse did say it could be something else as Aariz doesn't always have tummy upsets, never experienced diarrhea, his poo is only sometimes green and he's gaining weight pretty well. Oh yeah, at 14 weeks, Aariz is now 6.8kg and he's 63cm long. The nurse gave me some contacts of skin and allergic specialists for me to refer to later if things doesn't get better. But in the meantime, because Aariz is fully breastfeeding, my diet needs to change. So,  I'm cutting off all dairy for the next 2-3 weeks. I really hope Aariz's eczema gets better with this change of diet and that Aariz will grow out of this dairy intolerance (if he actually is) and the eczema. InsyaAllah. I didn't really want to talk about Aariz's eczema at first. I guess I kinda think I don't want to 'attract' it even more but I just had to get it out of my system. It's killing me from the inside!!! Huhuhu! Apart from the eczema, Aariz is growing up strong and healthy. He feeds and sleeps well, and cooing and smiling and laughing a lot. He has discovered his hands for quite some time now; staring at them and shoving them in his mouth. He also learned to scratch himself (thanks to the eczema) which made him bleed sometimes resulting in me putting mittens on him again recently especially when he sleeps (how fast do the nails grow?!!). Mr. Hubby prefer not to have the mittens on because the mittens do get yucky with Aariz's saliva! Huhuhu... His legs are getting stronger everyday. He could kick and kick and actually move himself without realizing it. He is also able to lift up his bum pretty high when he's lying down. He'll have tummy time and he just keep his head up for ages. Aariz likes to play by himself at times; he gets all restless and starts to cry when me or Mr. Hubby's cuddling him but once we put him down on his playmat, he stops crying and starts playing. How cool is that?!! But don't get me wrong, he does have his clingy, I-want-to-be-on-your-lap and unsettled times. Aariz also loves when we read to him. Provided he's in the mood. ;-)  He loves his cars mobile on his cot and talks to it sometimes! ;-) I still can't help watching him every chance I have. I guess I'm not just obsessed with Aariz's eczema, I'm obsessed with Aariz, eh??!!! Heh...

Hhmmm... as for my studies; I sometimes feel like giving up. :-( Don't worry. It's just a feeling. I'm currently lacking motivation and some moral support. Well, Mr. Hubby and everyone in the lab are very understanding, supportive and helpful. But not having the same vibe from your own supervisor, it just gets to me. I don't expect her to e-mail me everyday and give words of encouragements and stuff, but I sure don't appreciate her talking negative things to people about me behind my back. I'm not sure if it's intentional or not but the people that she talks to, talks to me too. Why wouldn't she discuss with me directly? *sigh* Half of me wants to prove her wrong but half of me feels like I'd rather stay home and not go to Uni and do any work. Rebellious eh??!!! I know, I know. I should work even harder and prove her wrong; having a baby does not stop someone from finishing her PhD. I am at the moment getting some things done i.e. progress report, literature review, ordering lab stuff, reading, etc even if I'm not working in the lab all the time. Do I need to explain myself? *sigh* Hopefully I'll get over this unmotivated phase A.S.A.P!

Thank God for Mr. Hubby! I'm lucky he's him. He puts up with my constant whining with Aariz's eczema and never gives up in making me go to the lab, even when he's so tired after work. I need to pay more attention to him. I just recently knew that he gets bullied at work sometimes. He didn't tell me earlier as he doesn't want to worry me. Racism - Muslim. I guess I just got used to it. Mr. Hubby seems to have too. Oh well, we just can't let those people get to us, eh? I know Aariz is Mr. Hubby's biggest motivation and that both of us must always be happy and provide a positive environment for Aariz to grow healthily; physically, mentally and emotionally. And as long as we have each other, it's all that matters. I love him!

I have photos of Aariz's eczema but couldn't really be bothered to upload it. So, here's a reading link and photos (although Aariz's not that bad), if you're curious. I now leave you with a comic strip below;

Huhuhu...

Cheers!

Fish Surrogate ;-)

I'm on the verge of breaking down.

I guess I'm just so tired and there's so much in my mind.

 Now that Mr. Hubby's working and he's usually so tired after work, I ended up doing almost everything. Too much. So overwhelming. I supposed I just need time to get use to things. But seriously, I need help! Huhuhu...

Anyways, I am now at Uni with Aariz. We've been here since 12 noon. We're at the Graduate centre at the moment and Aariz's sleeping. I went to a research talk earlier. It was so nice! It has been a while since I attended any kind of seminars/talks, etc. Glad I did that. The talk was so interesting and worth the bus ride to Uni. ;-) Germ cell transplantation in marine fish or in simpler terms, surrogate breeding technology in fish. So relieved that I can still understand and enjoy what the speaker presented! Hahaha!



Random cartoon from http://www.auburn.edu/~mathest/nufs2000.html. Hehe.. 

Denni watched over Aariz while I went for the talk. I was a bit nervous to leave him with Denni for a whole hour, but all's good! Alhamdulillah. :-)

Well, need to go pray before Aariz wakes up.

Till next time.

Cheers!

Wait a bit, we'll get there soon...

Dear Aariz,

Mama have no idea when you'll be reading this or whether you'll be reading this at all, but Mama will just write it anyway. It's Saturday morning and Mama's in the lab. Yes, working in the lab on a supposedly off-day. Well, now that your Abah (Mr. Hubby) has started working, Monday to Friday, from 6.30am to 2pm or sometimes even later, Mama hasn't been in the lab that much. But things are going to change soon! I'm going to bring you to Uni on some weekdays, have Abah pick you up on the way home from work so Mama can go in the lab after, and Mama will also be working on weekends. InsyaAllah. That's the plan at the moment before we could actually afford a proper babysitter/childcare for you.

I miss you!!! Yes, that is probably why I'm writing to you while waiting for my agarose gel to solidify. I'm going to run some DNA samples after. You know this, you've been doing this with me for the past 9 months or so! ;-)

I don't have much time so I'll just go straight to the point;

I'm almost there in achieving my dream of having  a PhD degree. So, wait a bit dear, and you'll have all my attention and love after this. Don't get me wrong; I love you to bits and you and Abah are all I can think of and my world basically revolves 99% around the two of you, but for the time being, Mama will be dragging you all around the place, reading and studying while I feed you, leave you alone to play while I reply my work emails or do some other stuff, and have you be taken care by Abah or someone else while I work in the lab. Sometimes Mama will be under pressure and you might feel the stress but I will always pray we'll manage to get through anything in one piece. InsyaAllah. You might be confused and it could be overwhelming at times but it will make you stronger. You are now such a good boy and sometimes Mama and Abah think you actually understand our situation. You don't make a fuss if we both could not play with you all the time and it's just so easy to take care of you; day and night. You know there's only the three of us and the occasional friends of Mama and Abah here in the Sunshine Coast; so you make the best of what we've got. 

Thank you my love.

I have to go now. The sooner I get my work done, the sooner I can go home and be with you and Abah. I love you, son. :-)

Yours always,

   Mama

Eid; Home Away...

Blogging on Eid ul-Fitr???

Well, my two boys are taking their nap so I figured I'll blog a short one.

We initially thought Eid is going to be on Wednesday, August 31st. We've been referring to the Sunny Coast's Muslim Organisation's (MOSC) website for the Eid's announcement and as of last night, it seems that we'll still be fasting today. Plus I think muslims in Brissy are celebrating Eid tomorrow according to UQ's Muslim Student Association's website. 

So, I woke up at 4am this morning still hoping for new updates i.e. Eid is going to be celebrated today but there were no new announcements. I told Mr. Hubby and prepared some food for our pre-dawn meal. Mr. Hubby was not happy at all (he wanted to celebrate Eid the same day as everyone in Malaysia). He went right back to bed after quickly having his meal. After Subuh (dawn) prayers, I was on Facebook for a bit and then decided to have another look at the MOSC's website. What do you know?! A new update. Sunny Coast will be celebrating Eid today. Yippee!!! RAYE!!! Huhuhu... But then I quickly realized I haven't cooked our ketupat nasi (segera jekk..huhuhu), ketupat palas, rendang and kuah kacang (peanut sauce). Oh No!! Panic! Panic! Hahaha! Well, the Eid prayers starts at 6.45am and it was 5.15am then. About an hour to prepare all the ingredients, cook everything, shower, get Aariz ready and make our way to Mooloolaba State School's hall (where the prayers will take place); did I managed to get all done? Not quite. Huhuhu... I eventually ended up cooking the rendang after the Eid prayers. Luckily Mr. Hubby was around. He took care of getting Aariz ready. I do wish he had woken up earlier and helped with the cooking. I woke him up and told him it's Eid today after all but he would not wake up until 6am. He later then told me that he was happy it's Eid but then realized we don't have any 'Eid food" to eat so he couldn't be bothered waking up. Hurmmm... No comment. Huhuhu... Anyways, all turned out well. We made it just in time for the prayers. We even picked up a muslim friend of mine from Uni, Moti, along the way. Aariz was such a good boy! He was awake while I was praying, cooing and making noises but did not cry or made a fuss. In fact he was such a good boy all throughout the gathering. :-)) After the prayers, we had some sweets (cakes & cookies from Bosnia, Afghan, Bangladesh, and other Arabs), drinks and even chips. We brought the cookies we made; Almond London cookies. Yes, we both made it last Sunday. :-)

After the Eid prayers, we went straight home. By 8.30am, we started cooking the rendang. I've prepared and cooked everything else but Mr. Hubby won't eat until the rendang is cooked. So we had hot milo and ate rempeyek and almond london cookies whilst cooking. Aariz? He slept. Too tired I guess. He was kinda woken up by us earlier this morning while we were changing him into his new Eid clothes.

Too tired!! New Eid clothes apecially mailed from Malaysia. Thank you Mak Tok!

We finally had our Eid breakfast around 10am.

Clockwise from top left; almond london cookies. ketupat nasi and ketupat palas (rice and glutinous rice), rendang daging and kuah kacang. 

Not much for more than enough for us. Alhamdulillah.

Oh yeah, not forgetting Mr. Hubby's rempeyek/tempeyek.

Rice flour, tapioca flour, cumin, coriander, nuts and anchovies combined into a batter and deep fried. :-) They are crispy and make a yummy snack! 

 

So, we've just had Skype sessions with both our families in Malaysia. A bit teary talking to Mr. Hubby's family. Sedih wooo...huhuhu... Too chaotic in my family home to even feel sad; 14 kids screaming, playing and running around. Miss them all so much!!!

We are planning to visit a friend of mine and his family in Maroochydore in a bit. (Beraye la lebih kurang...hehehe...). He's from Bangladesh and is lecturing part-time in Uni while waiting for his PhD's thesis being reviewed.

I guess I should be getting ready. Need to feed Aariz as well.

Lastly,

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri to all my family, friends and everyone.

Mohon ampun dan maaf, zahir dan batin dan minta halalkan makan minum kami sekeluarga.

Eid Mubarak!

 Hugs and kisses from us at the Sunny Coast!

Cheers!

dESsErTs~

I love food!

:-)

Our family gatherings are always accompanied with a great feast. It's not so much about the amount of food we have, but it's more of the various types of dishes and delicacies.

My late Granma was a legend! Old traditional savoury dishes and cakes, to Western food; she can make it all. Most of the time without referring to any written recipes. It's all in her head. And the taste is always spot on! Ahhh...feels hungry just thinking of all the food she has cooked! Huhuhu... Nowadays, her talent lives in her daughters and the many grandchildren she has. It's not too much for me to say that all of my sisters and girl cousins can cook very well. Some better than others, but all of them can cook deliciously especially if they put their mind to it! Hehehe... ;-)

As for me, I can only say that I can cook well what I like to eat most. And when I'm in the mood for it. Haha!

Since Mr. Hubby moved here with me, he's been doing most of the cooking. He has become quite a good cook now. The thing is with him is that he likes to try out recipes and does it well. The food he cooks are always yummy. Although, he only likes to cook and try out savoury dishes (with the exception of his Mom's custard pudding!). 

Custard pudding by Mr. Hubby few weeks ago.. :-)

Mr. Hubby loves sweet stuff but after trying to make a chocolate cake few weeks ago (that didn't really taste as good as he'd hoped), he decided that he'll leave the sweet-dessert-making to me. 

I love desserts!

There is always room for dessert! ;-)

Being a student here, eating out is seldom an option. Even in buying cakes, pastries, etc. I usually buy them as a reward for myself. ;-) Now with Mr. Hubby around, I kinda started to make them myself more often. Especially with the many cooking shows here in Oz, I can never resist trying out new so called easy-do it yourself-dessert-recipes. Plus, they always look so yummy!!! Most of the time they are a success; while some ended up rotting in the fridge. Huhuhu... Now that Ramadan is here, Mr. Hubby have been craving for Malay cakes and desserts (kuih-muih Melayu!!!). I love them too but back home, it's just so easy to find them being sold everywhere especially during Ramadan. Hence, I never really thought of making them myself. We usually break our fast with a piece of date fruit and some sweet stuff before having the main meal. Since the start of fasting, Mr. Hubby wanted to have kuih labu (pumpkin dessert), kuih keria (it's like donut but made with sweet potato), cucur badak (no idea how to explain so here's a link. heh...), keledek goreng (sweet potato fritters) and egg tarts. Guess what?! I've made them all!! Woohooo!!! Here are some photos of them as proof! Hahaha!

Kuih labu

Steamed to perfection.. Hahaha!

Doesn't look like the usual egg tart but ok lah...hehehe...

Ok.. Ok... only photos of 2 of the kuih. Well, it's because the others were so good, they didn't make it on camera!!! Hehehe! (Perasan!!!)

We went looking for egg tarts around Sunshine Plaza but there were only jam tarts and custard tarts. Woolies did have Portuguese egg tart but for $2.40 each, Mr. Hubby didn't think it was worth it. He's not the type of person who'll go pass each cafe/bakery to look for something unless he really wants it. Therefore, I felt obligated to do something and decided to make him some egg tarts. Despite the lack of experience in making pastries and proper pastry making utensils, I found an easy recipe of egg tart and had a go. It was a disaster! Huhuhu.. Well, not a total disaster; they taste good but not pretty at all! Hahaha!

As for the Kuih labu, Mr. Hubby loves it so much! He first tasted it on our wedding. My mom made it for the main table. She first made it as one of the gifts to Mr. Hubby during our engagement. Mr. Hubby didn't get a taste but everyone else in his family did and loved it.

Kuih labu as one of the engagement gift. Mama decorated it with chewy candies. :-)

The recipe was passed from my late Granma to my mom and my mom will usually make it for special occasions. When she heard Mr. Hubby's family loves it, she decided to make it for our wedding. Mr. Hubby was bugging me to make it as pumpkins are currently in season. I first tried making it in ramekins. The pumpkin we saw then was huge! I chopped the pumpkin in cubes and place them in ramekins, poured the egg + palm sugar + coconut milk custardy mixture and steamed it for about 45 minutes. It was a success! :-) So, when we saw these cute lil pumpkins at a fruit shop recently, we just knew it's a must to try making the kuih labu using them. Before I tried making it the first time around, I did not know the measurements. I know what goes into the mixture but have no idea how much. I remembered asking my mom for the recipe and she said, "sukatannya agak-agaklah..". She told me to roughly estimate the measurement of the ingredients according to how big the pumpkin used. So yeah, I seek Google for help. Huhuhu... One thing that I found out about this dessert whilst browsing the internet; it's actually a traditional Thai dessert (Phak Thong Sa Ka Yah). Learn something new each day, eh?!

So, about 2 more weeks of fasting to go. I bet Mr. Hubby will want some other kuih and so will I! Hehehe... Hhmmm... I think I'm going to ask Mr. Hubby to make the custard pudding for breaking fast today. ;-)

Cheers!

My dear Aariz

Two months have past so quickly yet it also feels like we've had Aariz forever! Hehehe... 

As always, I've been wanting to post an entry more often but have come to realize that some things are just not meant to be. Haha! 

It's two weeks into Ramadan, I've started to go to Uni, Mr. Hubby had an interview for a job and Aariz's not that tiny anymore! ;-)

Anyways, here are some photos of us three (most of them are Aariz's) since the birth.

At the birthing suite...

Fresh from the oven...

A day old. Still so tiny!!!

One of the first car rides in the capsule. (Thanks MAY!!!) ;)

Too cute!!! I can't fit in this anymore, Aunty Vicki..huhuhu.. ;)

Me and my cars... :)

Bath time! Errr...

Is that a smile?!

Enough with the phone already, Dad!

Obviously, we can't get enough of him. There are heaps more photos of him but don't worry, I won't post them all in here. Enough is enough! For today at least. Hehehe... 

Till next time!

Heh...

Cheers!

Random thoughts and the fasting month

While waiting for my finishing high-school exams (SPM; something like O-levels), I stayed home, learned to cook (particularly for my brother who at that time recently started working in JB), cleaned, did laundry (ironing clothes particularly for my dear brother..huhuh..), learned to drive and basically just being an unpaid housekeeper; which I don’t really mind. I did feel like looking for a job but my dad was not too keen on the idea. So, for about 5 months, I was at home almost all the time (I miss home!!!Huhuhu...). During that time, I had one of the biggest fights with my mum. Growing up, I didn’t really remember much of her playing her role as a mum. Maybe because I was always with my aunty (my mum’s younger sister) that lived with us since I could remember, and there was also my late Granma and Grandpa. But when my Grandpa died, my aunty got married and my Granma decided to move out of our house, my mum was taking care of the household. By then, I was in my teens. Whenever I come home from boarding school and help out with the chores or did what mum asked me to do, nothing I did was ever good enough for her. Everything I did was wrong and that I should have done better. I guess the occasional telling-me-off by my mum was bearable but when I was faced with it 24/7, I broke down. I couldn’t really remember what actually happened (selective memory?!) but I could tell you, it was a big DRAMA! Started with an argument that went on and on; then we both cried and I ended up not coming out of my room for almost 2 days. What happened next? I couldn’t remember either but being my mum, she’d probably acted as if nothing had happened and I’d just forget about it. The thing is with my mum and maybe the whole of my family, we lack in comforting skills towards each other (I think! But we are getting better! Heh..); especially using words. Communication problems? Maybe. I know I’m not good in handling confrontations and still have some communication issues especially with people I love the most. We might show it more with our actions (I know, action speaks louder than words) but sometimes a simple Sorry or I love you is all that is needed; for me at least. I guess I have to forgive and forget and not take anything my mum said or did personally because she is after all my mum. And also, she has bipolar disorder. Initially, she was diagnosed as a Schizophrenic but about 4 years ago, the doctors said its bipolar disorder. So yeah, that’s a whole different story altogether. Have I accepted this fact and know how to deal with it? Getting there.

Yesterday my mum called from Bali (she’s staying with my sister, Yan for 2 weeks). She asked me if we’re coming home for Eid. (I really wish we are!) I told her it’s unlikely that we’re coming home as baby Aariz hasn’t got his passport and we need to go to Canberra to get it done (No, we can’t apply by post anymore. The Malaysian High Commissioner in Canberra wouldn’t accept it.). Ultimately, it’s all about the money. *Sigh* Flight tickets to Canberra, application fees, flight tickets home; we are barely making it at the moment with what we have. No luck yet with Mr. Hubby getting a job. Our savings pretty much gone, and we have no idea how to sustain the things we have back home. It’s not much but we just don’t have it. But we’re still being positive, hopeful and dreaming that one morning when we wake up, we have thousands of dollars in our bank accounts!!! (If not both, at least one of us. Heh!) And, the money’s legit!! Haha!

Anyways, today is the start of Ramadhan; the fasting month. Woohooo! I’ve always loved Ramadhan and hopefully will always do. Although this year, I’m a bit worried about breastfeeding a 6-week-old baby boy and fasting for 12 hours. Really hoping I’m up for it, InshaAllah. Oh yeah, the baby boy; he’s doing very well. He’s now weighing at 5.1kg and he’s 57cm long (or is it tall?), started to smile and making lots of cute noises. Hhmmm... I need to blog more, eh??!!! Huhuhu.. Aariz’s basically what keeps me going everyday and Mr. Hubby too. Mr. Hubby’s getting pretty frustrated and a little bit depressed. I feel bad and somewhat responsible for him but there’s not much I could really do. I just keep praying hard and try to be there for him. Luckily there’s Aariz that would make Mr. Hubby smile and laugh anytime of the day. I really need to keep in mind that we are still very blessed in many ways. Alhamdulillah.. Time for Subuh prayers now.

Ramadan Mubarak!

Cheers!

PS: Have I had an entry on Bipolar disorder?

Wonders of Life~

Speechless.

That's what I'd say if someone asked me to describe childbirth in one word.

Yes, the bun has come out of the oven. :-)

He was 3.8 kg, 50 cm long with 34cm head circumference. The day was Thursday, June 16th and he popped out at 7.36 pm at the Nambour General Hospital's birthsuite no. 5. Heh...

I was a tiny bit overdue; 41 weeks + 1 and had earlier scheduled for an induction. The Doctor was happy to do it sooner rather than later considering the fact that I'm also diabetic. So, I called NGH's birthsuite at 6.30 am to check if they are not busy to have me (which they are not and we had to drag ourselves out of bed! huhuhu...) and Mr. Hubby and me were at the birthsuite assessment room by 8 am. I was attended by a midwife and the doctor came and induced me by 9 am. He stucked a tape thingy to ripened the cervix so it'll be ready for contraction and birth. The midwife told us we'd probably be at the wards overnight and still no sign of labour. I might also have to be further induced with prostaglandin gel and finally the drip if I'm not in labour still. So yeah, we kinda thought it's going to take at least 24 hours before the baby comes. But the unexpected happened. I started to have back pains within 1/2 an hour of the induction. It was a pretty dull ache but it was there. We were sent to the maternity ward and we just waited. The pain did get more intense as the day progresses and by 6.30 pm, I was a wrecked. I vomitted a great amount of water and few minutes after, I felt a gush of water coming out of me. I felt like I wet the bed. And I was definitely in a lot of pain. The pain comes and goes and I guess that was the contractions. As it was becoming more intense and more frequent, the attending midwives decided to send me to the birthsuite. As soon as I got to the birthsuite, the contractions were unbearable. I was leaning forward on the side of the bed and rocking my hips side to side to relieve the pain. Haley, the midwife that was responsible for me checked my opening and she was in shocked to see the baby's head! Hah! Then, it was chaos as Haley did not expect that at all and wasn't really prepared. I was so ready to push and after probably 3-4 times of intense pushing, our lil un was born. Alhamdulillah. What a relief!

The end.

NOT! 

Hehehe...

It's just the beginning. ;-)

The proud daddy!

Haley, our wonderful midwife.

Thank you everyone for all the prayers, support and well wishes. We really appreciate it!

Lots of love, Azif, Wa and baby Aariz.

Will definitely try to update again soon.

Cheers!

Not quite there yet~

My initial due date was 13 June. 

Then they say it's 8 June. 

Today is 9 June. 

Technically I'm 40 weeks + 1. 

Yes, the "bun" is still cooking. ;-)

Hope all goes well.

http://comicpregnancy.blogspot.com/ ;-)

Cheers!

A good night's sleep? What does that mean?

Huhuhu... it's getting harder and harder to get a really good night's sleep for me nowadays. Mr. Hubby said some nights he did see me sleeping soundly and even snores at times (I snore?!!!!) but I don't really feel like it when I wake up. Although, I guess there are mornings that I do feel better than others; have more energy, feeling awake and not feeling tired and sleepy still. I didn't sleep till probably about 3 last night. Trying to drag myself up from bed at 7 this morning. Err.. Not going to happen! I need to get some labwork done for goodness sake! *sigh* 

Did some reading this morning though and washing. Mr. Hubby cooked and now at the Friday prayers. He attempted to cook Osso buco that takes 2 hours to cook. I'm hungry! Heh... Will have lunch when he comes home in a bit. In the mean time, I thought I'd blog a bit while waiting.

Whose are these???? Hihihi...

The girls from Micro lab in Uni organized a baby shower for me last week and it was a surprised! I totally fell for it. I even got a bit teary. Huhuhu... It was a very simple one. Lunch and pressies. 

The girls had each of the pressies individually wrapped! 

 Almost everyone from the lab joined in; Eva, Chrissy, Tara, Nikki, Aycan, Amberlee, Emma and Jazz. Thank you so much, girls!!! You've all been wonderful. Not just for the baby shower but for being so nice, caring, supportive and helpful from the moment you knew I was pregnant. 

Ysanne couldn't make it for the shower but she had been planning and working on a wonderful gift for months. Mr Hubby loves it and was all excited about it as he couldn't stop smiling whilst looking at it and he immediately posted a photo on his Facebook wall.

Handmade patchwork blanket... Thanks Ysanne!

Nubia also dropped by our place early last week and got something for the lil un. It was from her, Ana (Nubia's sister) and their family. There was also a handmade card made by her mum. Thank you!!!

Nappy Cake! ;-)

I think we have everything covered in terms of the lil un's clothes, etc. I have been looking for baby mittens for a while now. We have a few but some are I feel too big for newborns so I wanted to get more. I've been to all the big stores; Target, K-Mart, Big W, etc but couldn't find them. And finally, I found them at Woolies yesterday! I was so excited! OMG! I got excited for having find baby mittens?! Haha! Anyways, hope they'll fit out lil un perfectly. 

Too cute! Should I buy more? Hhmmm...

 I am now in my 38th week and people say it's anytime now. Hhmmm... honestly, I feel like I'm not totally prepared for what's coming. Is that normal? Huhuhu... 

Anyways, I'm sure we'll be fine. ;-)

Cheers!