Adil Imran - Post Birth

Spent the nights at the hospital with my mom. It was during short sem, so she had few classes and work was a bit flexible. Thank you Mama for temaning me :) Did's was busy with her practical training at Sony Bangi so cannot be my caregiver and penjaga pantang this time around :( Hils spent the night with Aqil at home. That following morning after sending Aqil to nursery, baru he came to the hospital.

Nak buat review sikit about the room. Since the single room was full masa nak admit tu, hubs amek the VIP room. It was nice and spacious. The room itself was big, with bed and adjoining toilet with bath and shower, tv, dresser, sofa bed and chairs. Plus die ade like a living/dining place outside where ade sofa set, dining table and kitchenet with microwave, sink and fridge. Unnecessary things. Bukannya guna sangat pon sume tu. I don't exactly remember the price per night tapinya. But apa yang I tau, sebest mana your room, if you are the patient, you will still feel uncomfortable and tak selesa and longing for your bed at home. I missed my bed dearly masa kena duduk kat hospital haritu. The hospital bed dahla single, nak baring with baby to bfeed   not that comfortable la. Sebab I kena operate, movements masa mula-mula tu agak limited la sikit. Nak pusing kiri kanan pon susah. Huuu~ Orang yang dah pernah kena caesar je faham :(

VIP room at Ampang Puteri maternity ward. Pics courtesy of hubby.

Since I had gone for the operation at night, I had about a night's rest for the drugs to wear off. That morning tu, I woke up feeling my lower body as the night before masa nak tido tu still rasa numb. The nurse and doc advises me to gerak and get out of bed as much as I can to improve blood circulation. By noon, I dah bangun and mandi-manda dah. Alhamdulillah, this time around I recovered pretty quickly from the operation. Doctor and nurses pon impressed. Diorang kata jarang orang 1st day dah boleh bangun jalan-jalan like I did. Maybe because I dah tau what to expect, but I guess the main reason is I nak cepat baik so I can get keluar hospital ASAP. Huhu. That 1st night tu, I slept macam tak sedar diri jugakla cos of the drugs kan. But the following day tu, nak nap sangatla tak selesa. 2nd night pon tido tak nyenyak, I keep on tossing and turning in bed je. Haiih. So cannot wait to go home.

Dulu masa Aqil, I had a morning operation, at 10-ish AM. So I spent the whole day dozing off because of the drugs. I banyak picit the morphine button sebab konon sakit. I used morphine for the painkiller. Malam pon of course la tido lagi la kan sebab dah malam. So the morning after tu, I was sangatlah rimas and badan rasa lemah because I spent like about 24hours terbaring je. Belakang pon rase tak selesa dah macam lekat-lekat kat tilam..eeuuww :p This time, I cuba kuatkan semangat so as not to rely on the morphine so much. Alhamdulillah ok je. Dulu je gedik, sikit-sikit nak picit. Yelaa..kata first time beranak :p So the next time around InshaAllah if ada rezeki for baby number 3, I nak schedule my operation late evening or at night. I think lagi cepat nak recover. That malam tu can rest and sleep. Esoknya can try to slowly bangun and gerak-gerak. Nak turun dari katil the 1st time memang a major step. Kena do it slowly, but once dah bangun from the bed InshaAllah ok. Alhamdulillah my mom also had experience kena caesar so she really understands and banyak bagi tips. Hehe.

I spent 2 days and 2 nights in the hospital. Supposedly can be discharged on Thursday, but on Wednesday tu I asked the doctor if I can go back home. I was uncomfortable duduk lama-lama kat situ. Hospital best if kita jadi visitors je, if jadi patient sebest mana hospital pon, still tak akan best jugak. After the doc examined by wound, I berjaya di let off early. Yeayyy~ I think I can recover much faster at home. Had to wait for quite a bit for them to get the bill ready. Total cost for delivery charges at Ampang Puteri for elective caesarean for 2 days and 2 nights stay at the VIP room was about RM9k plus. Huhu. Because it was an elective c-sect, it was a bit cheaper if compared to emergency c-sect. Dulu masa Aqil, 2 years back it was about RM8k for an emergency c-sect plus kena induce summore.

So on Wednesday evening tu, with the baby in tow, kitorang pon balik lah Wangsa Maju for the sesi berpantang. Decided to berpantang sendiri je at home because senang Aqil nak pegi school pagi-pagi. If from Bangi agak jauh, plus takde siapa pon yang nak jaga I kat Bangi tu, everyone was working. Huhu. Besides, I decided that I will be more comfortable at home. Because ada Aqil, this time around I didn't get to be spoilt like before. It's not just the baby that I had to think of, had to consider Aqil as well.

Dulu masa tengah tunggu baby nak pop out tu, I couldn't help but kept on praying that I would deliver siang and on a weekday masa Aqil kat nursery. Takdela die miss I sangat if I were gone nanti. Pagi pegi nursery, balek-balek dah ada baby dah. Hehe. The whole time masa kat hospital tu, I was missing him badly. Yelah, before this tak pernah separate kan. So because of that, automatically I became stronger both mentally and physically to endure that post birth stage, in the hospital and at home. Kena put in my head nak cepat sihat and baik not only for me, but also for Aqil. Plus, ni bukannya 1st time pon kan. Should be OK taking care of a baby. Kalau dulu, masa dengan Aqil maybe I wasn't as strong as now.

Motherhood really makes you grow up and be more mature (at some level la..sometimes rase kebudak-budakkan tu masih ade..huhu). Alhamdulillah, You made me go through all of this with ease (ease and easy lain ye :p) and with a great support system. I am fully blessed. Of course there were the ups and downs, but the ups definitely over weigh the downs :)

My Precious.
My Double A's.
Big A and Little A ❤

Adil Imran - Birth Story Part II

So there I was, laying on the bed while the nurse pushed me down to the OT. She had quite a time to push and pull the bed with me on it until sampai the OT. The most difficult part masa nak masuk dalam lift. Dalam hati rasa macam nak bangun from the bed and tolong je die. I baring lagila berat kan. Huhu. Anyways, I arrived at the OT quite early. They were still prepping here and there getting things ready. This time the OT room was smaller than masa Aqil's. Masa Aqil dulu, I sampai-sampai je everything was ready. Now, I sempat lah tengok the ins and outs apa orang buat before an operation. Susun-susun scalpels and whatnots, bukak plastic tu bukak plastic ni, susun gauzes ke ape entah. I tengok jelah. Quite busy jugakla diorang nak siap-siap tu. And then the anaesthetist pon came in, Dr Hashim if I'm not mistaken. It was the same doctor as before, mase I had Aqil. Again I knew what to expect but at the same time I was still jittery kecut-kecut perut skit. Hils was still not there :(

Adil Imran - Day 3

The anaesthetist borak-borak with orang sekeliling tanya doctor dah sampai ke belom die dah nak cucuk dah ni. He was very talkative and cheery. Die takot if he started, doctor sampai lambat and then the drug will wear off. Uihh. Lagilah takot I mendengarnya. But he was only joking and kidding around. From what I heard, it seemed that Dr Ariza was in KLCC and was running a bit late because jalan jammed. From waiting and listening to them talking I also got to know that Dr Ariza's house is only like 5mins away from Ampang Puteri, near Kayu and Petronas kat belakang hospital ni. Hehe. Takde keje, I dengar jela ape diorang borak-borak tu. It was nearing 8 oclock, Dr Hashim pon dah nak start. First, he connected me to an IV thingy and kena tunggu that 1 bag of ubat habes masuk dulu. After that, he instructed me to sit up. Die letak antiseptic kot benda yang color brown-brown tu on my back and started to find a nerve to cucuk at my spine as I was having spinal anaesthetic. It was quite easy to cucuk me. And as I remembered from Aqil's time dulu it was a bit uncomfortable, sakit sikit lah. I saw the doc prepping the needle and macam takot je tgk the needle tu..panjang. But Alhamdulillah I have high pain tolerance and am not that afraid of needles. After the doc was done, I pon baring balik. In an instant, my legs started feeling tingly and not long after I couldn't feel them dah.

At 8pm, Hils was still not there yet. I dah start risau. Dulu, he was with me mase nk wheel me down to the OT. But this time, since tadi die hantar Aqil, the nurse dah jalan dulu. Did he know that he was supposed to come down and teman me here? Dia tau ke nak pegi mana? Huhu. With Hils, most of the things you kena double check and ingatkan dia, plus him and directions are not exactly BFFs. I dah sedih-sedih dah ingatkan he wasn't coming. Told one of the nurses to panggilkan the husband. But not long after, in he came...all scrubbed up...wearing a scrub in orange complete with an orange scrub cap. Nampak macam escape convict or even a clown pon ada :p My heart melted and I was relieved. Naseb baek dear hubby tau nak kene temankan I :) Everyone was wearing either blue or green, die je orange. If I had a phone with me, I would snap a pic of him. Hahah.

Pic courtesy of mr google.

So in hubs came and sat down at the stool near my head while holding my hand yang telah dilentangkan wide apart. Dr Ariza pon arrived moments later and she was ready to get down to business. Sempat buat lawak lagi tanya betul ke ni patient die sambil taking a peek at my face. Takot terpotong salah orang :p A screen was put up at my neck so I wouldn't get to see what's going on down below. I kept asking Hils for updates but die pon macam takot nak tengok sangat. All he could see was a lot of blood. Dulu masa Aqil, I asked him to take photos in the OT but apparently takde pon. He said he doesn't like blood or the sight of it. Tengok cerita gory boleh pulak. This time around I asked him to take videos. Just hold up the camera kat tempat perut tu. Die taknak tengok pon takpe. I yang teringin nak tengok what was happening. But this time, better la sikit, got 1 pic in the OT which I already posted in a previous post. Jadilaa..huhu.

Dr Ariza was doing her thing when as expected, tiba-tiba je baby dah keluar..tak rasa apa pon. At 8.13pm, Adil Imran was born. This time I get to see him as the place where they attended to the baby was in my line of sight. After the baby came, Hils then followed the baby and doctor somewhere while Dr Ariza stitched me up. In the OT, I was feeling a bit queasy. Kepala rasa berat and macam pening-pening sikit. Like when you go for a sauna or jacuzzi. Maybe it was because this time, they put kind of like a heater thingy under the sheets near my neck tu. Diorang tanye I sejuk tak and I said yes so tula diorang letak heater tu. But the direct heat tu made me feel uncomfortable and pening-pening and queasy. After all was done, I did recovery at the OT instead of the recovery room and watched while they cleaned up. Watched apa yang boleh while terbaring like that. After a while, they then wheeled me back to my room.

By the time I was wheeled back to my room, it was about 9pm. Hils family was already there. Aqil tengok je I terbaring like that macam tak tau what was happening. My family was on the way. They were all waiting to see the baby.  After my family arrived, baby pon sampai. Everyone kerumun around the baby. At that time I was shivering a bit. Sejuk. My teeth were chattering. My mom said I kena bentan sikit. But I was shivering uncontrollably. After like half an hour like that and from the help from a hot water bottle baru I ok and stopped shivering. Huhu. I rase ok je but orang lain yang macam risau-risau. So around 10 something they all went back. I wanted Hils to spend the night but nanti Aqil macam mana kan. So my mom spent the night. Baby pon with me since I breastfeed, baby kena rooming in. At that time, my waist down was still numb and I couldn't feel a thing. My mom yang kena bring the baby to me to bfeed. I am blessed to have very supportive families, Alhamdulillah. Thank you all~

Blast from the past: Aqil Rafiq - Birth Story

Adil Imran - Birth Story Part I

It's been 3 months plus since I gave birth. This time around it feels my memories of Adil's birth was kind of a haze. I blame it on being under anaesthetic twice. Dulu can blame it on pregnancy brain...not anymore. Huhu. Anyway, before I forget, here's a recap. Nanti Adil dah besar he can baca..hopefully this blog will still exist lah. Haha.

On Monday, 25th June 2012, I came in for my regular check up. Since I did the MRI scan before and it determined that my pelvic bone was capable of VBAC, Dr Ariza said I might have to be induced by the end of that week to quicken things up. I was 39 weeks along that week. After doing consultation at her desk, it was time for the ultrasound next. Scan punye scan, it seemed that the baby's approximate weight was 3.8kg. After wiping my tummy from the gel thingy, Dr Ariza said in a grave tone "Okay, we have to talk." Dalam hati "O-oh~". After I got down from the table/tempat baring, we sat back down at the desk.

The doc said that the baby has been progressing relatively well in terms of weight. From the scan she also showed that my uterus wall has been thinning at the place of the previous scar. She said that I can go for normal delivery but there are risks if I get induced as my baby is quite big and because I had underwent a c-sect before, there was a possibility of uterine rupture. This could be fatal for the baby. If tak induce and tunggu baby keluar dengan sendirinya, takut by then baby lagi besar and this could cause further stress and strain to the uterus. She asked how I wanted to proceed. To be honest, I pon don't know how I should proceed. I asked on what her suggestion was and she said she would like to opt for an elective caesar. Nak be persistent sangat nak go for normal delivery, I pon takotla jugak cos the risks are there. But yang penting, baby dapat keluar dengan selamatnya. So we then decided to go for an elective lower segment caesarean section (EL LSCS). The proposed date was on that Thursday, 28th June. 3 days to get myself ready. Huhu. Before going back tu, Dr Ariza asked if baby still gerak-gerak as usual ke tak. I said tak sangat because I can rarely feel him kicking and moving like before. Maybe because die dah snug in my belly kot. Before ni, memang I can feel every kick and movements because baby memang kuat kick unlike Aqil dulu. So doc advised to go do a CTG first before going back.

3 days before delivery. HU-ugeee!!~ Tak larat dah nak bawak perut. Brought the baby book everywhere to prep myself up. Nervous~ 

So after meeting with the doc tu, we went to the Labour Ward of Ampang Puteri to do the CTG. The labour room was comfy. Had to lie down for about half an hour for the reading. By that time it was 3-something PM. Nurse then came in to take the readings and then told me to wait for a while for the doctor's orders. Hilmi was by my side the whole time. We talked about our foiled attempt to make the baby come out on that Monday by jalan-jalan the whole day Sunday at The Curve yang tak membuahkan hasil. Huhu. It was our first time bawak Aqil to the movies tengok Madagascar 3. Aqil slept like half and hour into the movie kot. Went with KakLong and family and Dina and Dalila. Sempatlah makan kat Manhattan Fish Market before kena berpantang. Later met up with the parent in-laws and stayed there sampai malam. Little did we know that it was our final outing just the 3 of us. Lepas ni dah jadi empat :)

@Thanks Dina for the polaroid :)

At about 4 something, Dr Ariza came in. She said that from the CTG results, it looks that I've been having some severe contractions. I was like "Eh, ye ke? Tak rase pon..tak rase sakit pon." but takkan la the machine salah pulak kan. So the doc said since I'm having contractions now, to prevent from anything bad happening she suggested to do the operation today. Alamak~ So sudden. Doctor cakap just nak tunggu a slot for the OT, maybe sometime later in the evening. Late petang maybe 6 or 7pm. Double alamak. I was so not ready. Huhu. Called family members on the update. I was nervous. Even though dah second time around and I know what to expect, I was still nervous because I was caught by surprise at the abruptness and timing. So there I was waiting anxiously in the labour room while wearing the sexy operation baju. At 6 something Hils went to fetch Aqil at nursery. Good thing everything is nearby. Hils family arrived after work, nearing 7 like that. After Maghrib around 7.30pm, the nurse came in to wheel me down to the OT. Hils went out to take Aqil to his family. It all happened so quick. Didn't have the time to remind Hils to come down to the OT with me. I just have to assume he knew la that I wanted him in there. Before tu, while waiting dah sesi bermaafan dah. Huhu.

Macam panjang la pulak....to be continued later...

Baby is here!

Alhamdulillah...all is well.

So much to write about.

So much to let out.

So much on my mind.

Huuuuuuuuuuuuu~~~

*deep breaths*

Meanwhile.....

Welcome to the world baby Adil :)

Assalamualaikum

Fresh from the oven..pic taken by H in the OT.

22 weeks

Alhamdulillah, I'm in my 22 weeks of pregnancy now. Things are going ok.

Just went for a check up this afternoon. Alhamdullillah, everything with the baby is fine. Got to know its gender. Jengjengjeng~ It looks like Aqil with have a brother which he can play ball with. Hehe. I know some people like keeping their baby's gender unknown until they deliver but it's exciting la to me to know if you're carrying a boy or a girl :) Now I can shop for cute baby boys stuff...hihi. Adah will be disappointed..shes hoping for a girl so that she can play dressup with the baby. She even looks at baby girls dresses when I bring her out shopping. Relax la Adah. InshaAllah the time will come for Aqil to have a sister :p Of course its ideal la to have a girl, but looking at the ultrasound just now..I can't help but see the similarities of the baby and Aqil. Their heads are about the same size and shape..besar and bulattt je. And from the body shape of the baby pn nampak macam same. Soo cute..Alhamdulillah~ Besides, I'll be the only girl in the house so I can manja more. Haha. Dengan baby pn nak curi attention :p Anyway, here's the ultrasound pic.

Went to try out a new clinic and doctor to find alternatives besides Ampang Puteri and since Dr Ariza's on leave for umrah. After googling, I decided to go to Klinik Pakar Wanita Medina in Taman Melati. Plus you can just walk in to see the doctor...selalunye you have to make appointment first. This clinic has great reviews but the waiting period is very long. I selalu pass by this clinic if nak pergi dinner at Rumah Thai. It's only a few doors down. Usually in the evenings I'll find that the clinic is packed. Back then I didn't know what the fuss was about. I registered at 2pm..I was the 5th person in line to see the doc. Doctor wasn't in yet so I went for lunch around there and even sempat pegi CC for an hour before going back to the clinic. Got called at around 5pm. Lame jugak for 5 person..but the nurse says the doctor jumpe patients for abt half an hour each. Agak lama la jugak. Boley balek rumah dulu :p 

Once I saw the doctor only then I knew what the fuss was about and why the long queue. The doctors name is Dr Marsita Mansor. She's very nice. Islamic (one of the key points in me finding the right doc). Has a lot of experience. She's pro breastfeeding. She does the ultrasound lama. Slalu dapat tengok baby kejap je. But with her puas dapat tgk baby lama gerak2 dalam perut. She charges RM80 though for the ultrasound, at Ampang Puteri only RM40. But mahal maybe because scan lama and because can see 3D scan sekali kot. From what I know, only certified sonographers je boley buat 3D/4D scan ni. Her consultation is also very thorough. I feel really comfortable with her. She reminds me of MokDe my aunty sket. Hehe. I went for consultation with her for about 30-40mins. Lama jugak but rase sekejap je. Normally with Dr Ariza for normal checkup tu, I'll see her for 10-15mins je. But I like both doctors nevertheless.

I still dunno yet on where as to deliver. If with Dr Marsita, she's attached with Tropicana Medical Center but the charges there mcm lebey kurang same with Prince Court je. Huhu. She pn advices against that, buat ape bayar mahal2 but doctor same je. If go for checkups with her at her clinic, when its time to deliver, she'll asks us to go to Kohilal Medical Center in Melawati. I've heard of Kohilal before but never seen it before. After googling baru tau. Macam agak sceptical because of the appearance..but never judge a book by its cover no? Ermm. There's not much info on Kohilal so susah nk buat research. Takut je if there are any complications will they be well equipped? Doc best..but tempat agak was-was. Price wise memang Kohilal ni cheaper la than Ampang Puteri, 1k plus for normal delivery and around 6k plus for c-sect. At Ampang Puteri harga bersalin dia RM2650 for the single bed normal delivery package. Back then in 2010 when I had Aqil for c-sect kene about RM8k plus (induce, emergency c-sect). Quite pricey, that's why I'm looking for alternatives. Anyway, still contemplating. Anyone else knows where to deliver? Huhu.

Nak yang mane? :p

Breastpump Review

I've been using Medela Swing for the past year now. And so far it hasn't disappointed me one bit. So here's a little review on the breastpump's that I've used and the one that's on my wishlist in the future. Hehe :p

Medela Mini-E

This pump is okay for an electronic pump. The downside, like I've said before is the noise. It makes a terribly noisy sound..like a lawn mower. The suction is okay, the Swing's suction is better. The breastshield is quite hard..plastic. Have to provide 4 AA batteries if you're using it on the go (I usually use it in the car).

Medela Mini-E. Bought at Mom's Care, Ampang Point for RM469.

Medela Swing

Better than the Mini-E. Suction is better. Has two suction modes, stimulation phase to stimulate let-down reflex and then the expression phase where the pump moves to slower speed as the milk begin to flow. Much much quieter than the Mini-E. Has SoftFit breastshields (I swear by this...not too hard on the breasts) for massaging comfort. Uses 4 AA batteries for on the go.

Medela Swing. Bought at First Few Years, The Curve for RM669.

Pureen Manual Breastpump

I bought this because I left my pumping bag at home when I balek kampung for Hari Raya last year. Huhu. Eventhough I had Aqil with me, I still had bengkak susu because Aqil didn't drink much. Had to buy a pump jugak..didn't succeed much with expressing it by hand. 

Pureen Manual Breastpump. Bought at JJ Bandaran Melaka for about RM50.

My first time using a manual pump. I had trouble with it. Tangan jadi lenguh. Just used it twice kot. It took like 30mins to get about 3-4oz. Whereas if I use the Swing, I can get 15oz. The breastshield is plastic, keras. I thought that it would be silent, but it still makes a squishy noise when I pump. But I guess this pump will help tone your arms kot, die punye concept same macam hand exersice thingamajig macam kat bawah ni :p

 

Medela Freestyle

This one here is on my wishlist bile ada rezeki for adik Aqil nanti.

Medela Freestyle. Costs from around RM1500. There are good deals if you buy online..have to survey. In stores, the cheapest I've come across is at First Few Years, The Curve for RM1699.

It's wonderful features include:

• Daily use · double pump · electric (double pump so it will cut in half your pumping time)
• True pumping mobility with hands-free option. (I think this is one of the most convenient features in a pump..imagine, you can do a whole lot because its hands-free)
• Rechargeable battery and ultra-lightweight motor. Optional 12V vehicle lighter adapter available. (No need for AA batteries anymore, die ade rechargeable batteries mcm camera punye tu)
• Easy interaction with digital display, memory, timer and backlight.
• More milk in less time with 2-Phase Expression® technology when pumping at Maximum Comfort Vacuum™.
• Everything mom needs in a convenient bag - perfect for active moms.
• Use hands-free with most top-flap nursing bras including Medela nursing bras and camisoles.
• Double pumping kit features SoftFit™ breastshields for massaging comfort.

**drools**

Ahh..someday Inshaallah~ Hehe.

There are also many other models of breastpumps in the market, Avent, Spectra and whatnot. I haven't tried Avent's breastpump so I'm a bit biased with Medela and from what I read I think Medela is the best :p Prior to buying a breastpump I guess you should need to do some research first and see which one will suits you the most. Here are some tips on buying a breastpump:

1. Choose a breastpump that best suit your needs. If you're a stay at home mom, chances are you don't need a high-end electric pump because your baby will be with you most of the time. Instead you may want to opt for a manual pump which is cheaper in price.
2. Read up reviews and do your research on the internet on the breastpumps that are in the market and that you intend to buy. Ask around friends that has been using that particular pump that you are eying on.
3. Ask many questions about the breastpump before purchase. Get the sales assistant to show you how to operate the pump (hear for any noises..whether its loud or not :p). Ask whether the pump has a warranty or not. Sometimes, the motor can have some problems after a while and its good to know that there is a warranty handy.
4. And lastly, buy within your means and don't splurge.

Happy pumping ladies~

Pumping Working Mom

Breastfeeding for a working mom could be a bit distracting and time consuming. For me, I had to pump 3 times a day. Had to wake up extra early to pump once before going to work. Then once again at work and then another one before going in for bed. It takes about 30-45mins for a pumping session. At work, I usually pump after lunch, around 2.30pm and then solat. I would be like MIA for about an hour or so. Huhu. Around 3.30pm I pon muncul balek kat office. Buat-buat keje sket and then opppss..dah nak kene balek dah. That was my routine until Aqil was about 10months. Now I only pump like once (rarely twice) a day and the pumping sessions are like short..only 15mins or so.

Back then, I can get like 12oz of milk per pumping session, 3 times a day. That means around 36oz of milk per day. Aqil only needed 10-12oz of milk for nursery. You can imagine la I had excess. My freezer was full..all the storage bottles were used up. I had plenty of milk. But now, I really have to struggle to even get 10oz per day. And now since Aqil's a bit bigger he needs about 14oz at nursery. Haiihhh.

Since I sit at a cubicle and not have my own room, I had to go pump at a small room inside the kilang's clinic. It's a small room, meant for nursing mothers. Has a chair, power supply and a mini fridge to keep BM. Good thing its a mother-friendly-workplace. Usually I do a bit of reading while pumping...one time, I even had a gossip session with Nad in here while I pump. Hehe.

Fridge yang buruk tetapi banyak berjase :p

I mentioned in my previous post that I had the Medela Mini-E. For me it was an okay pump la except for the sound. It sounded like a motorboat or even a lawn mower. Man..that pump was noisy and I mean very very noisy. Before going back to work from my maternity leave, I decided to buy another pump. After a few surveys, I bought the Medela Swing. Wanted the Medela Freestyle but it costs far too much (RM1600+) for a breastpump. T_T  Let's see la..if ada rezeki beli for the next round plak..hehe.

My Medela Swing yang banyak berjasa~

So before going to work, I have to pack:

1. pump
2. extra bottles (around 4 or 5 4oz bottles)
3. marker and masking tape (to label the bottles)
4. power cord
5. chargeable batteries (just in case need to use it somewhere without power supply)
6. cooler bag

I put them all in my 'Pump Bag'. So I bawak my laptop bag and my Pump Bag. Dah tak bawak my handbag dah since I selalu kena tegur dengan pakcik-pakcik tanya why I bawak banyak sangat bag, nak balek kampung ke..lalala. Biar jela kan nak bawak berapa banyak bag pon. Diorang guys tak payah bawak bag pon if tak bawak laptop home. Senang je. Huhu.

I had all kinds of challenges while breastfeeding. But I keep on at it for the sake of the baby. Only NOW i know why syurga di bawah tapak kaki ibu. Its not like kita tak tahu how much our mothers have done for us..how much they sacrificed to take care of us..but you really wont know unless you have the first hand experience. Trust me. Thank you Mama for all that you've done~

The Breastfeeding Challenge

I came across a few hurdles and challenges along the way while breastfeeding. The first day I had Aqil, I tried my first attempt to BF. Being a first time mom and all, unfortunately it wasn't a success. I didn't get Aqil to latch on properly. The nurses had to teach and guide me a few times. I read brochures and stuff on breastfeeding but theory and practical is way way different. Aqil only got a little bit of milk for like maybe a few seconds and then dah tak dapat dah. And then had to call the nurse to show how to BF properly, once die tunjuk and Aqil dpt minum she left and then when I moved sikit ke terlari alignment sket...susah nk masuk balek and continue. Haiihhh. Those first few days were challenging and I was a bit depressed since tak pandai nak BF. The nurses told me to hand express or pump milk and then give it to the baby in a tiny cup (to avoid nipple confusion).

I took about nearly 2 weeks to get the hang of breastfeeding. I was so grateful when I finally got the hang of it. Two weeks to get the hang of it but about 2 months to really master all the tricks and techniques. To master all the positions, it took about 6  months kot. Huhu. But Alhamdulillah, I managed to overcome that hurdle. I thought Aqil didn't know how to suck or latch on properly padahal it was me who got the angles all wrong. Haiihh. This obstacle passed, hopefully I won't have any problems with anak-anak yang seterusnya.

Back then, I also didn't know that your breasts could get engorged. And when it does...MY GOD it hurts!! To think back, I was so naive. I didn't know that if you don't empty your milk about the same rate as when you produce, the milk ducts can get clogged and the breasts will get engorged. I thought die macam paip...when baby minum, die turn on, when baby tak minum die turn off la. I didn't know that you cant control the kepala paip tu. Huhu. And I was one of the fortunate mothers who had plenty of milk supply. I just couldn't get it out as fast as I had it in because of my  BF techniques and latching problem above. Imagine my surprise, when the first night tu I saket because of bengkak susu. I asked my mom in despair, why didn't she ever mention about this. before...about that it could get engorged and stuff, she looked at me with muke yang kesiankan anak die and thought that I already knew about this beforehand. I didn't know how I could miss this part out and not forsee it coming. I never came across it in books I was reading or even websites (maybe I was scimping through?) Bad days I tell you. I would never want to wish it upon anyone else. Sakettt~

Had to go to the hospital's nursery and had a nurse show me how to hand express milk. Lega la sikit. I'm glad that the hospital was breastfeeding friendly. Gained lots of advice from the nurses. Told my mom that I needed a breastpump. I thought I could put off buying it and only need it when I go back to work. But as circumstances shows, I needed it pronto~

Medela Mini Electric Breast Pump

My mom bought me a Medela Mini-E pump that night jugak. Thank you mama. That was my first pump and it helped me a LOT. It was so easy to pump milk and not let it get engorged. The first few days were spent with pumping. Aqil was fed on and off. Had to keep on trying and trying many many many times to breastfeed him for a session. Sangat penat. Aqil dapat minum sekejap..terlepas..and then kene keep on trying and trying lagi sampai dapat balek. Haiihh. If tak dapat jugak just bagi Aqil minum through the cup. Kesian je tengok die tak dapat nak breastfeed fully. Huhu.

I felt like a terrible mom. Breastfeeding should come naturally to all moms kan patutnye? Kata dah jadi emak...patut pandaila. Haihh. What more stress from people who kept giving this advice la and that advice and then looking on while I tried to breastfeed. Stress okay~ Maybe because of the added stress, lagila tak boley-boley nak menyusu. Ideally, you should BF in a peaceful state of mind...preferably somewhere quiet without any distractions. Breastfeeding should be a zen-like experience where the mom gets to bond with the baby.

I was wayyy off course with breastfeeding. I thought it would be easy breezy. Everyone made it look like it was sooo easy. People say it comes naturally. Thats why I didn't put much thought on this and assumed that I too would find it a piece of cake. Boy was i W.R.O.N.G. Big time!! I never knew breastfeeding would be THIS challenging. And this is only the tip of the iceberg, there were a few bumps and glitches along the way too but that's for another time..I'll write about it later :p

Got MILK?

Aqil is now 1 year and 1 month old. Alhamdulillah, I got to breastfeed him fully..until recently that is. Unfortunately, my silk supply has been lower than usual. Don't know if whether its because I haven't been pumping constantly or whether its because Aqil memang dah besar and my body knows that its time for Aqil to not depend on my milk. Sedeylaa. I couldn't produce enough milk for my baby dah. Huhu. Now I have a tin of soymilk ready at nursery whenever my BM is not enough.

I thought Aqil would be picky since he has been on BM all this while, but kakak nursery tu kata Aqil okay je minum the soymilk. I was quite anxious jugakla nak bagi die susu apa.  I read yang baby ni sometimes memilih susu, some susu kene, some tak kena dengan baby..so have to pilih betul-betul. I don't want to give him cow's milk so decided on soymilk since dulu my mom pon gave Adah that mase kecik. Bought Isomil yang for 1 year and above. I haven't tried giving him the soymilk myself though :p Let's just keep the soymilk for nursery jela ye Aqil? When with mama you can have mama's milk.

 

Before being pregnant lagi, I knew that I wanted to breastfeed my baby exclusively because I know that mother's milk is the best milk ever. Cewwah. Back then I knew that it can boost the baby's immune system and breastmilk die ikut demand and supply and die punye nutrition tu adapts to your baby's needs as they grow. Basically what I knew macam tu jela :p Since my mom also used to BF all her kids, no wonder that I wanted to do the same kan?

Now, because my milk supply is low..it's like kais pagi makan pagi, kais petang makan petang.  Sometimes tu I even needed to squeeze in a pumping session before sending Aqil to nursery just to get enough milk for nursery that day. Because  of this, my boobs are also returning back to normal...and I'm glad. It's not as big and as full as after delivery.  I feel like my boobs are mines now and no longer a vending machine. Sometimes I feel like I'm a bit selfish in this way. Huhu.  But although I feel that tiny inkling of a feeling like maybe its time to let Aqil go, I can't go down without a fight kan? I need to do something to increase my milk supply.  People say drinking a lot of water helps increase your milk supply as you need lots of liquid to produce more liquid (milk). I thought of buying Fenugreek herb supplement also la. It can also help milk supply. Will pop into GNC to cari. Tried finding it at Guardian and Watsons but takde. Hope this will help Inshaallah~

 

I tried going to forums to cari 'when is it time to stop pumping milk to your baby?' but macam takde topic on that. I mean if you still have milk supply, takkan still nak kene pump until your baby is 2 years old eh? Is there a certain age or you just know depending on your milk supply tu when to stop? Hurmm~

Aqil Rafiq - Post Birth

I didn't get to see my baby in the OT. I only heard him cry. Hilmi said while he was away, he azankan the baby and watched the pediatrician clean the baby and did the Apgar test. By this time I was wheeled back to my room. Hilmi soon came after.I still didn't believe that the surgery happened soo fast. All it took was like 15mins kot. Because I had local anaesthetic, I couldn't move much and was needed to lie down je. Felt a bit groggy too..don't know whether from the anaesthesia or from the morphin which I keep on pressing whenever I feel sakit. Tak larat nak buat apa-apa, so Hilmi made the calls and told our families and friends that mom and baby is safe and sound. Alhamdulillah the hardest part is over. Thank you for everyone's doa and well wishes :)

The morphine-drip-machine thingy.

My parents and Didi came during lunch to check on me and the baby. They are now proud Atuk and Nenek and a MakDee. Around 1pm only did I get to see my baby.

 Hello world~ Welcome to the world Aqil Rafiq Ahmad Zulhilmi :)

You are so peaceful in your sleep.

Awake and ready for the camera :)

Only now do I get to hold you :)

First time granparents...first time mom~

Even when I'm away on maternity leave, I get this view from my window (after zooming in of course) :p

Love you Aqil~ May you grow up to be a good Muslim, a soleh boy with a kind heart, helpful and compassionate to others, wise and intelligent to brave the world as a good khalifah of Allah..inshaAllah~

Aqil Rafiq - Birth Story

I've been posting a lot of posts on Aqil lately. I haven't had the chance to blog since Aqil came along. I just hope that I remembered each moment correctly. Pregnancy, giving birth and motherhood is one of the biggest life-changing experience that one can endure. Once you turn MAK, you'll never turn back..hehe.

Okay..so where did I left off. Hurm..okay. I was scheduled to be induced on Friday morning 14th May 2010 because my baby at that time was not moving as frequently as the doctor would have liked. Throughout the 9months, I was having some sort of trouble determining if my baby just kicked or moved ke apa. I never could do the self-check thingy in the pregnancy record book where you jot down how many times the baby moved in 1 day. Either I memang oblivious and tak perasaan if the baby moves or either my perut tebal sangat (aka I have lemak perut soo thick yang sampai tak rase baby gerak-gerak) or the amniotic fluid in my tummy ni macam banyak sangat. I don't know la why but because of that I rarely feel my baby moving. Of coursela sometimes I would feel him kicking or moving, usually at night when I'm in bed getting ready to sleep but during the day..amatla jarang. I think Aqil was a night owl, only awake and active at night..nocturnal habis la :p Voiced my concerns to the doctor but alhamdulillah after doing the ultrasound and checking and stuff the baby looks healthy.

So anyway, I think nearing 9 months, the baby should have been more active kot..but to avoid any complications, Dr Ariza decided to have me induced 2 weeks early.

So we told the family that I will be warded early Friday morning. Did last minute preparing stuff, repacked the hospital bag, last minute reading and birth exercises, last minute eating and such before kena berpantang. Hohoh. So at around 3 am Friday morning tu, with Hilmi in tow, I checked in to Ampang Puteri. Checked in ke? Admitted myself? Anyway..I registered at the Emergency Unit with the doctor's letter for admission yang die dah bagi since week 36 if not mistaken in case things happened sooner than expected.

Was put in an 8 person room because the single rooms were fully occupied. I thought since I was scheduled to be warded that morning, I expected that they had a room ready or the single rooms would be available since I stated that I wanted a single room earlier that Monday. I don't know la..maybe I should have confirmed before coming ke apa or memang the room arrangements macam tu based on a first come first serve basis..I didn't know. It was my first time being admitted into hospital. After deliver baru dapat yang single room punye. I wasn't happy because yang for the 8-bed room ni, you can't have your husband to teman you. I mean can you imagine? Sorang-sorang not knowing what to expect. Huhuuu T_T

Anyway, after I was shown to my room (Hilmi was still with me, but couldn't stay for long), the nurses did their thing..check up and stuff and induced me. The inducing part was not pretty. I assumed they would give me a shot or I would have to have to telan a pill or something but boy was I wrong. So after I was induced, the contractions started. And my-oh-my was I in for a treat!! Between a c-section and a contraction, contractions are the most painful. T_T

How to describe the feeling of a contraction eh? Hurmm. The feeling..it was intense, painful. It feels like your insides are trying to scrunch up into this teeny weeny ball. Its like your perut  tu..dalam dia is like a sponge and someone is squeezing with all their might with their fist, letting it go, then squeezing again. At the same time, your insides macam mencucuk-cucuk. It was sakit..I guess macam menstrual cramps but times that by a thousand gazillion kot. All I wanted to do was bring up my knees and baring in a curl up position. 

Because all this time I was connected to a CTG machine to check the baby's heartbeat, I moved and wriggled quite a lot in bed to tahan the sakit (at this time I was alone, Hilmi went back home to rest and after Subuh he'll come back). And because of that, i think the CTG readings wasn't as 'pretty' as the nurses would liked it to be. I think me wriggling and struggling in bed made the readings lari-lari because the thingy connected to the CTG pon kinda lari-lari from my tummy. Had to redo taking the baby's readings a few times la jugak. My bad I wriggled and moved so much. Huhu.

In the morning, around 9am macam tu, Dr Ariza came and did her rounds. I was only about 2-3cm's dilated. She said the baby's heartbeat was staggered and not so strong so she suggested to do an emergency c-sect in fear of the baby's safety. Dalam hati, I was a bit disappointed because I wanted to deliver normally. I was also disappointed at myself for moving and wriggling so much during the CTG. If only I hadn't move as much maybe the readings would be better and I wouldn't have to go for a c-sect. But at the same time, the doctor had a point. I guess she knows waaaayyy better than I do and I wouldn't want anything bad happen to my baby. So c-sect it is~

A while later around 9.45am macam tu, the nurses came and  to take me to the OT.  I was asked to lie down on the bed while they wheeled me. Eeeekkk..takuuutt~ At this time I started to recite doa's and anything to keep my jitters down. Hilmi also get to tag along to the OT and watch and take pictures. (Hilmi isn't the snapping-pictures kinda guy so I didn't get any pictures pon in the OT. Huhu. Next time, I should just ask him to take a video of the whole process instead. I wanted to watch and see how it goes.)

So when we reached the OT, Hilmi was off somewhere getting scrubbed in. The OT was brightly lit and all I can remember was WOW putihnya~ If you watch Greys Anatomy kan the OT macam gelap and dark and they have like a spotlight on the patient. But here, the room was brightly lit and had 'Hellllooooo Good Morning~' chirpy kinda feel to it. Maybe because they had the radio on to what station entah..hot.fm kot..I wasn't paying that much attention.

After a while, I was aksed to sit up on the operating table and then the anaesthetist came and cucuk my tulang belakang. I had spinal anaesthetic. After that I lied down, and then the nurses kot strapped down both my hands. Dr Ariza and Hilmi then came in. It all happened so quickly. I didn't feel a thing pon. With a Bismillah, Dr Ariza did an incision (I of course didn't feel a thing...I wouldn't have known that she already started if  not for the Bismillah :p). Seconds after that, another person came and tekan-tekan my perut to get the baby out (yang ni orang ni buat macam ganas sikit..rase macam tumbuk perut je...that one I feel) and seconds later..I heard the baby crying. Alhamdulillah. Dr Ariza said Assalamualaikum to the baby and welcomed him into the world.. No words could describe how I felt at that time laying there motionless. Hilmi said he had to go somewhere with the baby. I heard the baby being taken away and crying in the distance. Dr Ariza said that she wanted to sew the cut. While she did her stuff, I lay there, still not believing everything in spite what happened. Everything happened sooo fast. This was all surreal.  Alhamdulillah, on that day, Friday the 14th, May 2010 at exactly 10.13am, my baby was born and I've finally became a mom :)

Aqil Rafiq - The Pregnancy Part II

Continued from last post...

2-3 months

I was feeling quite normal. Have to eat at the right time and not skip meals. I was eating in between meals quite a lot too. My appetite was back to normal or maybe slightly higher. I would go down to the cafe for tea and buy kuihs or/and ice cream or/and fruits. Heheh. Nasib baik cafe kat bawah and kerja kilang so ade banyak shift breaks..I think I turun for all shift breaks kot :p Didn't really spread the news except to close friends and family. I was still in the early stages of pregnancy and didn't want to jinx it.

Morning sickness started to kick in. But for me it wasn't in the mornings. It was in the evenings after I came back from work. Tak sempat nak sampai rumah from work, I was a regular visitor of JJ AU2's toilet since that was the only clean and respectable toilet that I would allow myself to throw up in. Since dulu I have this 'perut masuk angin' complications. Sometimes I didn't know I threw up because of perut masuk angin or because of my pregnancy.

4 months

Went for my first Ante-natal Checkup. Surveyed a few hospitals for my delivery nanti. Considered An-Nur or Az-Zahrah Bangi because I like the Islamic environment...they pasang zikir or bacaan al-Quran while at the labour room. Last time I checked, it costs around RM2200 - 2400. But since I live in Wangsa Maju and work in Ulu Kelang, I decided to go for hospitals nearby takut apa-apa. Looked up Ampang Puteri Specialist Hospital and their delivery packages aren't bad la..around RM2700 for normal delivery. Masa ni we just harap-harap tak kene c-sect, tak tau berape..lari budget nanti :p Supposedly every pregnant mothers need to register their pregnancy at Klinik Kesihatan kerajaan and do at least 1 checkup there but I didn't and did the first ante natal with Dr Ariza of Ampang Puteri. She reminded me of my mom, was quite comfortable with her being my O&G doctor. Was given iron, folic acid and calcium supplements for the mom and baby.

5 months

Got to know the baby's gender after doing the ultra sound. Alhamdulillah it's a BOY~ I've always wanted my first born to be a boy..yeayyy :)

Picture of his legs and in-betweens..from angle bawah.

His head sama besar with his body :p

Cravings: Laksa kedah. The best would be Laksa Kedah at Sekyen 4 Tambahan Bangi. Sanggup tu pegi cari. Yums~ Weird craving lain takde..thank God :p Walking long distances..even to the carpark from my office was becoming a hassle and very tiring..but was needed as a daily form of exercise.

My feet started swelling and bloating due to water retention. I was getting restless at night as finding the right position to sleep was a hassle. Sakit belakang also started to kick in. Weight wise, masa ni dah start to be directly proportional to the months. Haiih. Masa first 2 months tu je kot macam ada turun sikit because tak lalu sangat nak makan.

6 months

This is where the 'fun' starts. Heheh. Because I was carrying a boy, and because it was my first pregnancy, the male fetal DNA could act as a skin irritant to the mom. Kiranya DNA baby boy is somewhat incompatible with DNA perempuan mak die. This usually affects the mom if its a first pregnancy and the baby is a boy. I guess I'm the lucky 1% yang gets affected with this. Huhu. So what I got was skin irritations..and rashes...plus the weather was really hot at that time. Had to pasang air-cond kat rumah just because of that. Some say it was 'pembawaan budak'. Anyway..because of that I asked the doctor if I could work from home as going out and getting ready for work was becoming quite uncomfortable for me. Duduk rumah senang..I can wear the most comfiest PJ's and tshirt. Fortunately, my bosses were very understanding and allowed me to work from home till I deliver. Luckily, doing programming doesn't need you to come to the office to get the work done :p

Did a 3D scan around this time.

The pictures were a bit 'alien-ish'. Tapi Subhanallah..even dalam perut, kita dah boleh tengok baby..how he looks like. Can't wait to see the baby.

7 months

My 'evening sickness' gradually stopped. I would only throw up if I didn't watch what I was eating and biar my perut masuk angin.

Started buying and getting things ready for the baby. Shopping for baby stuff was what I like most :) Re-read the baby books to make sure that I will be well prepared. Agak takutla to go into labour. Huhu.

8 months

Counting the days bila la nak keluar baby ni. Tak sabar rasenye. Tak sabar to see my little bundle of joy. Tak sabar nak keluarkan baby yg besar and berat ini from my tummy. My perut started to keras and expand rase macam boleh meletup anytime. Started to feel the braxton hicks contraction at about this time.

Went out for the last time for Mother's Day dinner on 9th May 2010. Had dinner at Sg. Buloh with Hilmi's family and then later to Tarbush with mine's. It was a busy weekend. That Monday, had ante-natal checkup ..doctor did a CTG to check the baby's heartbeat. It was normal but when the doctor asked if the baby moved a lot..i said no. From what I noticed, my baby kurang sikit gerak-gerak dalam perut. People say die banyak tido je like mom die. But the doctor didn't want to take any chances, so she decided to have me induced that Friday and go into labour to avoid any complications. I will be in my 38 weeks..time to get that baby out~ Eeeek~

I will continue on the next post for the birth story...sekian :p

Aqil Rafiq - The Pregnancy Part I

It's been about approximately 1 year and 2 weeks since I became a mom. It has been an overwhelming experience..full of ups and downs. Thankfully I have my hubby, family and friends by my side each step of the way. Thank u all~ I couldn't have done it without everyone:) After about 1 year baru I can breath sikit and seem to get hold of things...or so I thought la :p

Since I have been 'preoccupied' before this, I haven't shared the birth story of Aqil Rafiq yet. Maybe I need to write some intro on my pregnancy first before going into the birth story. I might as well jot it down here for future references..for myself or for anyone of you readers who are reading :p Plus..people have been asking the million dollar question.."Bile Aqil nak dapat adik?"

So here goes..right from the start...(its going to be a long one..layankan aje my mood nak tulis ok :p)..

I had a fairly ok..somewhat regular pregnancy experience...Alhamdulillah. Mom and baby was healthy and I was just counting down the months till my expected due date (EDD) 28th of May 2010.

1st month

I expected something was up as I was easily tired. I get back from work..did Maghrib prayer and while waiting for dinner I was already fast asleep. My work schedule remained the same and yet I was too tired to even have dinner and would be sound asleep by 7.30pm. I thought I was not feeling well and would just bertahan for a while. This happened for about a week. The idea that I might be pregnant did came popping up in my head. Uh-oh. We talked about this a few times but there was never a conclusion about how we would take things. Questions would always be left hanging as we thought we would still have time to think this through.Well..I guess not. Anyway..I decided to buy a self pregnancy test while we were at Midvalley waiting to watch a movie. Bought it at Guardian and I felt all grown up while browsing through the pregnancy kits to find out which one is the most reliable while reading the instruction on the back of the box on how to use etc. First time experience katakan. Haha.

I chose this one...the Dip 'N' Tell Midstream Pregnancy Test. Didn't know that pregnancy tests ada banyak jenis and cost this much...ingatkan murah je :p Chose the not-so-cheap and not-so-expensive one costs around RM20 kot..ada yang lagi mahal..even yang digital pon ada. But I will just pee on it anyway..buat apa mahal-mahal..if it turns out negative lagi la membazir.

All throughout the movie tu I coudn't wait to get home and do the test. Unfortunately, we got home late at night and only the next morning before work was I able to do the test...aaaaannndddd...it turns out.....

Double line....all at once a mixed of feelings came rushing in...unprepared...scared...excited...happy...tak percaye..but all in all...Alhamdulillah~ I'm going to be a mom..yeayyy~ :)

Went to the clinic later to confirm it and I was about 3-4 weeks pregnant. Still early. From what I remembered during the 1st month tu..my appetite was low (tak penah-penahnyee :p).

I guess I'll continue later. I have up to 9 months to keep on rambling about :p

Aqil Rafiq turns 1 :)

A year ago...Aqil Rafiq Ahmad Zulhilmi was born. Happy Birthday Aqil~ :)

Time flies ever sooo fast. I rarely have the time to blog but for this special occasion, this entry is for you Aqil~

Mama loves you~
x0x0

Guess who's back?

It's been so long since my last post. December 2008. Hohoh. Eclipse will even be coming out soon this summer.

I'm having a lazy Saturday afternoon (which I'm lovin' it by the way) so I thought of updating this blog. I've made some changes to the layouts. I love playing with layouts and interfaces...any job opportunities out there anywhere? Heheh :p

Well...since its been so0o0o lo0o0oonggg...soooo0o0 much have happened. So here's a recap:

• First thing's first...I'm no longer a misses...I'm a MRS now. Been married for 8 months 1 week 3 days according to this anniversary ticker down here :)

Married life so far has been great. Of course there are the ups and downs...we still argue sometimes and then there's the occasional merajuking here and there..life is not always peachy..but at the end of the day..I'm grateful that I've found my other half.

It wasn't planned and we didn't know each other for that long but by a year of getting to know each other we got married. Many people often ask how we met and all since me having met someone came out of the blue. What more deciding to get married and all :p Well, to those who didn't know. I met Hilmi for the very first time on August 31st, 2008. I was driving my sister to her friend's house for a kenduri. It turned out that my sister's friend had a brother and that brother was Hilmi. We got to know each other there and things just started to fall into place. We had some sort of chemistry going on and I was very comfortable around him. One thing led to another and on July 24th, 2009 we got married. Alhamdulillah for all the blessings~ I'd better stop before I get too mushy. Hilmi's not here and I miss him :p

• Anyway, soon after came graduation. After 4 long years of studying, I graduated. Alhamdulillah. Oh how I miss the good old studying days. Now I know that it is so0o0o true when people say that student life is the best phase of your life. Nothing to worry about but just studying. But I guess all of us have to grow up. We can't be stuck in that phase forever right?

• I'm also currently working now. Last month was my 1 year anniversary with from the company. 1 year has been ever so short come to think of it. I currently live nearby my office. It's only a 5-10 minutes drive which I love compared to the 1 jammed-packed-hour going through MRR2 from Bangi :p Having our own place is also an experience and I love playing house :)

• Oh..and last but not least..I'm currently pregnant. About 7 months. 2 more months to go InshaAllah. The Doc says its a boy :) Hopefully things will go well for the pregnancy and birth. Ameen~

Here's my baby bump. Doesn't quite look like a baby bump does it? Looks like I had too much to eat more like it :p Will try to get better pictures next time.

Well, thats that. Looks like I rambled quite a lot here. Hurm. I'm going through soo0o much with the pregnancy and all. It is indeed a life experience. I feel like I need to record things down. Heheh. Hopefully, I'll write more in my next entry. Looks like my blog will turn into a mommy baby blog. I'm growing up~ Aaaaaaaaahhh~ Yikes~ Heheh :p

"to be happy means learning to let go of expectations from yourself or from other people"