Velvet Chronicles

When she has it all...

2012-01-16T23:26:00.000+08:00

You will not believe how backward I am with digital updates now.
Social networking which was MY LIFE!!!
Now it feels like running on the threadmill catching up with the necessary updates and I am still lagging behind.

Rania has been growing up right in front of my eyes and I really do see changes in her.
She is amazing in Mummy's eyes. I see her communicating with me with her body language though my mom thinks I am exaggerating. Rania's my daughter. I know! But then again, I am not trying to prove to anyone anything.
I'm just saying that she IS growing up!

She has grown longer (ok taller.. that's what I meant) and appetite is really increasing that I worry she will be fat (yes, goodness gracious me).

This is her just a week old.

She is 3 and a half weeks now.
That is like almost a month! See how time flies so fast!!!
See what i mean! I am just saying anyway..

Maternity leave is not just solely taking care of the baby.
Of course I get to interact with my little girl very well. yes, no baby talk and doing all those motherly things.
It also means that I am a domestic ~~worker~~ homemaker too. Gone were the days I smell of my YSL perfume.
Now the husband comes back smelling of Rania's S26 mixed with my very own breastmilk.
I do make an effort but Rania just doesn't seem to understand that.

I changed her diaper, feed her so that she is all nice and ready to see her Baba when he comes home and before I know it, she burps all over me.
I sighed and then go,"It's ok.. burp all over mummy as long as you feel ok."

When Baba comes home, he lifts up our little girl and she gives him that Bambi-look.
I smiled, finally able to enjoy my Tim Tams which I had it with me but could not eat.
Go.. go to your Baba.. *phew*

Talking to his little girl, he asked, "How's your day?"
"She cried, eat, sleep and then cry, eat, sleep," I replied, seriously enjoying my chocolate.
"Awwww... that seems like a hard day for you."

Yeah right Baba.
I forgot to tell you about her poo and pee and that she hates water when I shower her and SHE gets me wet.

So you think you can handle motherhood?
Trust me, you just will!

xoxo,

Chronicles of Rania: Her birth story

2012-01-10T15:29:00.000+08:00

Finally, my little girl is asleep, giving me a little bit more time to get on the internet.
In fact, I take a few afternoons to finish writing this up!

So before I continue about the birth story, just a disclaimer that there will be a lot of biological terms used in the blog entry.
In case there are many who are uncomfortable with the post.
*lol*

20th Dec 2011:

It was the routine check up with my gynae at KKH. I was hoping that I was already dilated.
1cm dilation will already make me happy because the first stage of labour will be long but it will already mean that I am on my way to the labour ward.

So the checks went ok. Blood pressure was still high at 137/75. That was the lowest reading after 6 readings.
I did not feel nausea nor was I having headaches.
My last admission to the hospital for a night was because of pre-eclampsia.

So that day, my hopes were dashed when the gynae said,"Kosong ah.. you are not dilated yet."
*sigh*
I was somehow disappointed and expressed to my gynae that I would prefer to have a 2011 baby instead of the actual EDD of 13th January together with the dragon babies, something which I made no secret about it.

She set another appointment on the 29th December to see my progress of dilation.
If else, induced labour was the next option.

That night, I went out with mom and had a dinner date with the husband at F.I.S.H.
A nice quiet dinner, just the two of us.
We headed home after that, not sure when will be the next time we get to date again. I did my Mortada orders while the husband was preparing for work the next day.

A little past midnight, the husband urged me to quit doing my orders and prepare to sleep.
I reluctantly agreed.
The husband was in the loo when I was picking up pillows on the floor when I felt a slight gush of water.
I thought it was my weak bladder giving way so I went to the toilet to 'pee'
I got frustrated that I kept peeing so I decided to shower, washed my hair because I had a gut feeling I may need to head to the hospital.
(Thank God I did because I was really admitted)

21st Dec 2011:

Past midnight, after shower and almost 10 times trying to wipe myself dry, I got frustrated.
The husband also got frustrated with my OCD! *lol* He insisted that I just wore my undies with a pad and see what happens.
Well, I was still 'peeing' alright!

2am, I lay in bed with the husband, waiting for 30 mins, of which we dozed off for a while.
When I woke up, I checked my pad.
Wet with clear colour wetness. My husband told me to smell the pad. He said, if it was the waterbag, it will smell like bleach.

Already comfortable on the bed, reluctantly I smelled my pad.
Then I passed it to the husband to double confirm this.
Yes it was the bleach smell.

I did not want to activate my mom. You know how false alarms are like what-the-hell-i-wasted-everyone's-time.
So I called my aunty who is a midwife in Oman.
Yes, I made a long distance call. She confirmed it was the water bag and advised we headed to the hospital.

The husband asked where was my emergency clothes.
"I wore to the clinic this afternoon."
*lol*
So I asked him where was his. He answered the same thing!
*lol*lol*

That of which I happen to take a photo before we headed out for the gynae check.
I was afraid that on the day I need to head down to the hospital, I will not have time to take a picture.

Well, true enough!

So I grabbed a t-shirt and a maternity pants without bothering to iron.
Went to the kitchen to fix drinks for me and the husband and some butter sugar bread, breathing in and out, trying to take it easy.
Then off we went.

On the way to the hospital, I called my siblings, mom and dad to inform them.
Their anticipation was high already.
But somehow I had the feeling I was in for a long ride and I was right.

3.30am , we checked in into the delivery suite.
I got changed into the white gown, managed to head to the toilet for one last time before they made me pee and thank god I did not shit in the bedpan.
That was the worst ever!

Husband went to sleep. I was in major anxiety that I could not sleep.
I was reading the quran and watching the TV. Facebooking and tweeting that many thought I was wierd.
In labour and doing my social networking.

I was yet to be in labour, yet every moment there was tiring.
The midwives did not allow me to move. I could not get off my bed. Peeing was even on the bed.
At one point of time, I wet my whole bed and I requested that I had a change of sheets and gown.
I wanted to feel dry again.

The midwife I had for that shift was very nice.
She agreed and even allowed me to head to the toilet for a proper pee.

Wooo hooo!!! I did.
When I came out, I felt another gush. Took the hand towels and wiped and guess what?
Bloody show!

Ok yes! we are progressing!

I excused myself very quickly and very quickly I locked myself in the toilet.
Had my big business while I can and then I was confined again.

In between, the husband had some urgent things to settle in the office and I was very upset that his company had little sense of compassion. His phone was ringing non -stop.
So mom stepped in to accompany me with the 'Husband's pass'

Even at 8pm that night, I was not contracting yet and that was after my gynae inserted 2 capsules of prostins at 5am and again at 3pm
It's a long haul that's right. I was only 1cm dilated.

The gynae said that if I am not in labour, by midnight, they will have to get me induced.
From then on, it will be no food and drinks.
*groan*

So no pain till midnight and they got the necessary IVs ready. I got my husband ready, only that he is not nocturnal so ended up sleeping on me. I got myself ready.
Had a few kormas to give me the energy and asked the widwife for a cup of ice for me to chew and hydrate myself.

Yes, I have been spending a lot of time reading and searching on the internet on labour.
Even watched on You Tube to be prepared what was expected.

22nd Dec:

1am, the labour kicked in.. it was bearable until 4am.
At that time, one of the team doctors came in and put her hand in and said she could only stretch my dilation to 2.5 to 3cm.

What?!?!?
After all that pain?

Every 2 minutes I was contracting for 1 minute. It was crazy.
Crazier to wake my husband up because he did not hear me at all!!!
Testing moments I tell you.

4.30am, one of the team doctors came to check my dilation.
"It's only 2cm. Maximum is 2.5cm. I can only help to stretch for you up to 3cm."
And then I felt her stretch my cervix.
So uncomfortable I tell you!

Then my gynae came in at 7am.
3.5cm dilated.
3.5cm?!?!?
"You are very tense and you will take a long time to dilate. I already put in 2 hormone pills for you but you are not dilating."
"What should I do," I asked.
"Take the epidural and then you can rest. Only then your cervix may be able to dilate. Even so, I think by lunch time earliest you will give birth. Else by dinner time but I cannot guarantee."

What?!?!?!?
(yeah.. another 'WHAT' moment)

I was reluctant about the epidural so I asked her,"What do you suggest?"
"I already said."
Wah! So determined one ah!
"Take the epidural," she insisted. "Anything longer, you may not be able to take. You better decide - fast!"

I looked at the husband.
He asked the gynae about the side effects which apparently was brushed off.
He looked at me and said,"I cannot see you in this kind of pain and I think you cannot bear with it any longer."

The husband gave the nurses the green light.
Within 5 minutes, the anesthetics came. A friendly indian guy who was very accomodating to our queries and gave us the assurance that everything is going to be ok.
He even did a new plug for me as the earlier one was already painful and was very attentive that my wrist was already swollen.
Not only that, he was full with humour of which I did not bother to laugh but was nonetheless appreciative of it.
He multitasked very well. Within minutes, he had me signed papers, changed my plug and had the procedure ready.

My machine, inducing the oxytocin was switched off. I was still contracting every other minute.

The epidural jab begun. In between, I had two contractions and I told everyone in the room
"I am contracting!!!!" squeezing the hell of my husband's hands of course.
The anesthetics just said,"Ok ok.. just relax"

Each contraction lasted a minute. It was crazy.
But you know what, it felt good to be squeezing the husband's hands (with his wedding band on).
*lol*
Somehow, it feels better that I am sharing the pain.

By the time the epidural was done, I was in heaven!
"Thank you Doctor Miracle"

The husband confiscated my phone, which he did for the upteenth time at the delivery suite and forced me to sleep.
Bummer!
So I did not have a choice.
All these time, I just find it hard to sleep in the hospital.
It's just me.

By that time, I was already in the delivery suite for 30 hours.
Madness!!
Quietly, I was glad the phone and iPad was confiscated. I managed to get solid 4 hours of sleep with 1 blood pressure check in between at 9am.
Blood pressure stablised.

During the epidural period, I was really much at ease. After 11am, another team doctor came and checked on my dilation.
I was praying to God hoping for at least 5cm dilation. I wanted to give birth by dinner time. Max.
I could not stay in there any longer.

I could see (not feel) her pushing her hand, looked around trying to gauge how much I have dilated.
"Please please," I thought in my head.
"Ok," she said "You are 9cm dilated."
I really could not believe my ears. "9cm?,"I asked. "Are you serious?"
"Yes. We will prepare you for delivery."

Anxiety was kicking in and I was telling myself to breathe.
I refused to be hit with asthma at this time.
So the midwife was rushing in and out of the room preparing everything. How could I not get kancheong?
Seriously!!!!

Then I heard a fart. A loud fart.
I laughed. Anixiety broken.
"B," I asked my husband. "Did you hear that?"
"Yes.. is that the machine?"
"NO! It is your wife farting!! Apparently I am on epidural and I can't feel."
That was when I laughed my arse off.

I imagine the bloody and wet mess I would have made without me knowing.
But my midwife that session was nice. She had me cleaned up and dried up before delivery.

My epidural was reduced.
"Do you feel slight pain?"
"Yes," I lied.
Hell no am I going to feel anymore pain. 7 hours was enough.

So the midwife said,"Ok we practise pushing first ah... Breathe in deep and then push."
Thanks to You Tube, I know I had to push for a long time till I need to catch another breath.
So I did.
Within 3 pushes the baby was already crowning. I was told to stop.

My husband went to see and the first thing he said to me was,"Our baby has hair!!!"
"Have?" I sounded so excited.
If you must know, I was born with no hair and the husband with little hair.
*lol*

1.25pm the gynae came in, took her apron and checked a few things.
My midwife gave me an advise.
"Even if the gynae ask you to keep pushing but you cannot breathe, just break the push ok. No need to listed to her."
I thanked her. It was very valuable.

Everyone went into position.
Husband holding my back. My gynae opening up my right leg and allowing me to put my leg on her waist.
The left leg was held open by anther Senior Nurse.

"Ok ready?" the gynae said. "We wait for the contraction to come. Breathe in now... ok push!"
There I was with my first push. I held my push as long as I can.
Everyone was chanting,"Some more some more.."
I was just focused to hold my breath and push it out.

After the second push I said,"I can't. I think my asthma is coming."
"Push! Once baby is out your asthma is gone."
Wah lau! I thought.
So I pushed for the third time and break my push.

You know how I read about people pushing for 1 to 2 hours and it scared the shit outta me.
So I made sure my mind had it.
The fourth push, I felt the whole thing came out and I let out a huge 'whoah!'

My eyes brimming with tears. My husband looked at me, kissed my forehead and lips.
With tears in his eyes, he said,"That's our baby."
I smiled.
It feels good when my husband does all those things, making me feel appreciated.

Our little Rania was born after 36 weeks and 6 days, on 22nd Dec 2011 at 1.46pm, weighing 2.53kg and 46cm
She became Mummy's and Baba's little pride and joy.

Here are pictures to remember the day.
Special thanks to Rania's Mama i.e. my little sis who excitedly takes pictures of everything for memories.
I love you little sis and you will be the best ~~aunty~~ Mama who Rania will have.

Here are the KKH Facebook Diary as I kept everyone updated :)

I was warded at 4.30pm. Mom was already there.
Moments later, guests streamed in till midnight. The epidural wore off.
I was in so much pain and everyone was in so much excitement.
I could not sleep. I kept asking for painkillers for the perineal pain.

Ice packs did not help much. I could not move.
I felt super lousy.
My perineal pain just went away today after 19 days!
Yes, that is what happens when you take the epidural. But it's still bearable than labour pain, trust me.

Today, Rania is 20 days old and she still amazes me in many ways.
When many warn me about sleepless nights, I thought I can battle it because I am nocturnal.
I could not!!!
Sleepless nights are really a challenge I tell you!!!

More stories of Rania as I go along definitely.
Except for the first few days (because she stayed back for her jaundice), I have diligently taken daily pictures of her.
I want to digest her growing up days.

xoxo,

Will be right back

2011-12-31T00:42:00.000+08:00

I am carried away by the little girl who I have safely delivered on 22nd December.
I am still exhausted.

In fact, I am still healing and it is taking a long time because I refuse to sit still.

A first-time parent and everything is overwhelming.
Insya Allah I will be back soon to blog about the birth story and many experiences and lessons I will love to share.

For now, my focus is to get an afternoon nap.
Apparently, I can never and have not beaten my daughter to it.
The moment I am ready to nap, she will stifle a cry.

Goodness...

And it happens day and night.
Thank God for maternity leave.

xoxo

Did you know? Confessions of an uptown girl

2011-12-19T18:08:00.000+08:00

I cannot remember when was the last time I entered a wet market.
I am serious.
Was it at the age of 14 or 16?
Ok somewhere there.... and here I am turning 30 in 6 months time.

So last weekend morning, the husband brought me out for breakfast at the Ang Mo Kio hawker center and then he led me to the wet market to stock up our refrigerators!
He always wondered how come I never put my feet in the wet market.

Basically, my family eats out every day, every time.
Our tapao food to work is very simple. We buy pre-cooked shrimps and fillet fish for our porridge from the supermarket.
Frozen chicken from the supermarket.
So the husband taught me around the wet market and I felt super amused with myself.

Thank you husband nonetheless for the experience.
I am growing up aren't I?
(Though its a little late. But better late than never)

Just a quick update, I am contracting very often now.
Maybe 1 big contraction every hour and smaller contractions along the way.
I am scheduled for my check up tomorrow but I am hoping that Rania can wait a little while till this weekend.
Her Yayee will be back from Bangkok and her Baba will be on long leave due to Christmas and New Year.

Plus, I have yet to get my guest room ready for Mummy and my Lil' Sis to come and stay over.
Hang in there sister!
Give your mummy a breather ok.

xoxo,

For Mortada Fans

2011-12-19T00:38:00.001+08:00

Facebook is really being such a pain.
I am not sure why the new pictures are not published and the comments are intermittently seen.

For those who have been waiting for the latest launch for the Mortada, wait no longer.
I have uploaded the full range of new arrivals.
Designs are great but they are really limited. Each design comes in no more than 50 pcs if we are lucky and truth is, I am unable to cater to that quantity with you ladies sometimes!

Yes, I do work with the sole supplier in Singapore and he trusts that I am able to take in a lot of orders, thanks to you ladies so we are planning to bring in more pieces per design.
So let us pray okies.

Here are the designs which are really limited.
I literally scooped up whatever that is there so there is no more left.
The next shipment will be a new batch of designs.

Limited edition pieces are going for $17.

S4975 (picture below)

S4976 (picture below)

S4977 (picture below)

S4978 (picture below)

S4979 (picture below)

Other new pieces at our good ol' $15

S4980 (picture below)

S4981 (picture below)

S4982 (picture below)

S4983 (picture below)

S4984 (picture below)

S4985 (picture below)

S4986 (picture below)

S4987 (picture below)

Stocks are really limited and since I may just be giving birth anytime, the husband has voluntered to help me pack the orders and send them to Singpost.
My mom, dad and little sister have worked over the weekend packing the hundreds of pieces of Mortada and I spent some time tagging the model number so the husband will just need to grab and pack.

Our prices are inclusive of normal postage charges.
For orders, if you are unable to see them on facebook, please email me directly at hercloset@live.com

4 days to full term.
I am anxious. My contractions are on an average every 3 hours.
Bearable cramping contractions.

xoxo,

The Move

2011-12-15T11:37:00.001+08:00

I teared upteenth time writing this post.
I have been shifting my things over to my very own house since months back.
Yet, the husband and I did not move in - until recently that is.

I officially moved out and grew up on 4th December.
It was a planned move. I wanted to do it after my Mom & Lil Sis came back from Europe.
I did it after my Lil' Sister's birthday a few days before that.

It was a date contemplated and postponed many times.
We received our keys on 31st Aug. The date we were looking forward to and so excited about.

Till today, there is no full occupancy to the 4 blocks of flats from Park Central.
Residents are still renovating which I find it super absurd.
The reason why the husband and I bought a DBSS (design-build-and-sell-scheme) was because we did not want to take any renovation loan to do up the house.

For DBSS units, a lot of things are done for you.
Toilets are done with fittings and sinks.
Kitchen done, also with fittings and sinks.
Flooring done and depending on the developer for various DBSS. Our living room flooring is a homogenous 60 by 60 tiles and room floor are laminated.
All of our 3 rooms are fixed with wardrobes and inverter air cons.
Heater is fixed. Gas fixed.

Basically it is really a move in condition.
The only thing I hate about my house is that there is a balcony outside my living room and my master bedroom which I think is really a waste of space.

I am not saying that there is not much to spend.
There still is.
We spent almost $10k on our washing machine, dryer, refrigerator, carpets, sofa, dining tables, bed, sheets and the miscellaneous that drains your pockets without you realising it.

The husband and I have yet to fix curtains and blinds. We have yet to fix grills in our home.
A lot of our guests fear to stand outside our balcony and see the beautiful view on the 26th floor.

Night view from my living room balcony

Our lights at home only uses bulbs for now because I have an irritating neighbour downstairs who wants a quiet flat and I cannot do any drilling even before 10pm.
They have sent a police to my house once and they came up once. Both times were at about 10pm and I was having guests over.

One more time, I will sue them for disturbing MY privacy.
Because it is not past 11pm and plus it is echo-y because there are still a lot of homes vacant.
If they send the police to my place again, I make sure the police come and sit through my gathering and decide if we are really noisy.

So anyway, I do have neighbours (front, back, left, right) who renovate their houses.
They hack their flooring. They tear down the wardrobes which is already there. They redo their kitchen cabinets.
If that was the spending power I had, I would have bought an old flat, larger space and renovate it MY way.
Sometimes, I really wonder what they are thinking.

Truthfully, I have a very simple home. Nothing fantastic nor over the top - except my bed which I find it very challenging to get out from.
Oh, and that alhamdulillah there is always enough food to entertain guests any time.
Other than that, it is cosy enough and that is sufficient for me and the husband.

So anyway, it was a teary departure for me and for my mom and sis.
Here was what my sister tweeted the day before.

The night I left my mom's place, I took 2 hours to say goodbye.
I ~~teared~~ cried like a little girl and in between my mom said,"Intan (my name @ home), you are pregnant and have a child in you. You will be a mother soon."

I ended up only crying harder.

It was hard to leave the house I have been staying in there for 21 years.
Of course it was emotional!
My mom and sis did get emotional too.. I really hate being away from them.
Of course I enjoy my privacy and the things I get to do with the husband but I am always comforted with the fact that I am near them if they need anything or any help.

Many said we are only few minutes away if we drive.
Some said there is always the telephone.
But it is and never the same.

I spent some time with mom alone, hugging each other on the bed and it is kinda funny cos Rania shares the hug from mom.
But who cares. Reality was setting in. I was moving out.
I grew up for almost 30 years kissing my mom good night before I sleep.
I spent years talking to her in her room before I go to sleep.

I spent my entire life sleeping with my sister (minus a year)
I spent half of my life teasing her when I wake up and she is still asleep, irritating her because I cannot get back to sleep and she can still sleep like a log.
I spent my life with my sister in the room, sharing stories about both men and women (hot, naughty and nice). She will introduce me to new house music.
We will talk about our shopping. About clothes we bought and can share and eventually clothes which are pregnant-friendly.

So it was really a major shift for me.
Mega shift.
The husband waited for me downstairs till he fell asleep.

Soon after I left home, my Lil Sis' tweeted

I was tearing all night, non-stop!

Subsequently my sms-es to mom that night.

I took leave the next day to spend time with mom.
I guess all of us were in shock and reality could not sink in that we are living separately.
Even the Lil' Sis who finishes work super late made time for us.

Today, my house is slowly filling up.
I have started to get my hands busy in the kitchen, of which my husband has been enjoying every meal and it is amazing because I have never cooked before this.
I am getting used to my house and getting a hang of the independence.

But little did anyone know, I still call my mother ALL the time.
I try to have lunches with my Lil' Sister.
I call my mom before I sleep to wish her good night.
The three of us still sms each other in the middle of the night to say how much we are thinking of each other and how much we are missing each other.

Almost 2 weeks and it is still tough.

For example, today I woke up at 7am only to see the sms from my mummy at 4.30am saying she is missing me at that hour.
How can I not miss home?

p.s: I am not sure if I am the only one feeling so emotional. Or is it that all daughters feel like I do. Maybe it is the hormones.

xoxo,

Brand new Crocs For Sale

2011-12-14T13:12:00.000+08:00

My feet was swelling so terribly that I wanted to look for new pairs of shoes for my last trimester.
Fit Flops are the best because the cushion is great.
But I was looking for shoes which I could wear to work.

So I ordered this online and chose a size which was my pre-pregnancy size.
Bad choice.

I was unable to fit this.
Apparently, my feet grew 2 sizes during prenancy. Worse, one feet larger than the other.
So I graduated from size 6 to size 8.

These shoes are really comfortable.
Selling price in Singapore is $106.95 and I am willing to let it go for $90 with delivery to your home.

The reason why I purchased it online is because in Singapore, they only sell the black colour but I have it both in black and brown.

It is really a pretty choice, only that my feet is unable to fit into it.
The husband told me to hold on to this, in case my feet goes back to the original size.

I asked around, but many said chances are unlikely.
*sigh*
I was very upset.... so fat hope for me.

Here are the details you would like to know:

Item Name: Wrapped Mary Jane
Details: suede nubuck upper, beautiful stitching detail, and the signature comfort of Crocs.
Plus points: Odor - resistant, lightweight, Ergonomic (your feet can walk for hours!)
Size: W6

Colours available: Brown and Black.

To purchase, please email me at nuramima@hotmail.com
Otherwise, you can PM me on Facebook or leave behind a comment :)

Note: Items are authentic and comes with original boxes and tags.

Thank you ladies!

xoxo

Counting down....

2011-12-13T12:15:00.001+08:00

It is back to work for me after a night in the hospital and 4 days of Medical Leave.
I picked up Lil' Sis from home and she entertained me with this video.

Please tell me that this is super adorable!!!

I am gathering all the pictures and stories that I have been lagging for the longest time ever!
I am feeling a little perked up today (though I am not sure for how long or how many hours..) but will get things going.

Her Closet has new things interesting too.. It just had to be at the time when my Lil' Girl is coming out.
But I will not shy away because I really believe that this is God's works.

I remember being very afraid of labour and I am very thankful that there are many ladies out there who share real and solid truth of labour and birth.
I prefer the ugly pictures so if anything comes prettier, I take that as a bonus.
Keeping the expectations low I would say...

Today, I am tired.
Tired of feeling scared of child birth that I stopped thinking about it (maybe until the contractions start to appear again)
I am tired of cleaning up my house.
I am really exhausted. I facebook-ed to see if this was normal.

I have been getting dizzy spells. Nausea.
It feels like I am going through the first trimester with a third trimester body.
Onset of labour.

So finally the emergency bag is already ready and sitting in our tiny car's boot.
All it needed was a wake up call during my admission to the hospital recently that the emergency bag needs to be ready.
Pronto.

Funny thing was I had my things ready.
I had Rania's things ready.
But I forgot all about the husband's things.

*lol*

My Little Girl is actually due on 13th January 2012.
But it seems like the baby has dropped and fully engaged into my pelvic bone now. Contractions are already occurring though most times I do not feel it.
The doc and nurses are quite puzzled and a part of me hope that my threshold for pain is superb!

So it seems that this cutie may come out earlier than the machines expected.
She will turn 37 weeks on 23rd December so it may possibly be a X'mas or New Year baby even.

I remember (what it feels like not too long ago) during my honeymoon in Krabi, I was quite resistant to get pregnant.
I wanted to have some time with the husband after the wedding.
We did not have a great dating time during our courting and engagement days you know.

Honeymoon was awesome cos we did not do too many things, especially it was the monsoon season.
A week there passed so slow that you really enjoy every bit of it.
Doing nothing but just to stare at the husband's face.

Awesomely, I captured this moment

I remember reading out loud to the husband:

“Having a baby is like getting a tattoo on your face. You really need to be certain it's what you want before you commit.”

Yes, this quote is from Elizabeth Gilbert in 'Eat, Pray, Love'

The husband turn to me and said,"Nonsense! Go throw away the book."
He is more of a kid-lover than I am and I am always declaring that, because it is true.

As the date nears, I remember this again and again and telling myself,"Damn, the tattoo is really going to be stuck on my face."
37th week i.e full term is only 10 days away and I still do not know how to feel bringing a Little Girl into this harsh world.

Next check up is in a week's time.
I have been doing a lot of squatting and my pelvic bone has really widened!
Whatever as long the birth is easier for me.

You know like how I have heard those aunties saying always say,
"Alah, I beranak senang jer.. macam batuk ajer keluar. Cepat!"
("Giving birth is easy... you cough and the baby comes out.")

Makcik betul tak sayang pipi.

I have also heard stories of first time mothers saying their labour is less than hour.
Of course I didn't roll my eyes in front of her. Neither did I say what I wanted to.

On top of that, I have tons of people saying how big I am.
That whenever, they see me, its like they are so amazed seeing an elephant walking into a room.
Sometimes I don't know how to explain that I may have a huge placenta and that I was born with backside and hips meant to give birth to a football team.
Then it is not worth explaining. I never like to explain.

They thought my Lil' Girl was big.
Adoi! Choi! Touch wood they call it. phui phui phui...

At 29 weeks she was 1.1kg
At 32 weeks she was 1.9kg
Her last check up at 35 weeks was 2.4kg.

Mummy is hoping you just tip a little past 3kg ok.
Max!
Don't come out so big please because you are a girl!

Husband always warned me that I am pregnant so must be careful not to say anything hurtful anyone.
So I do is smile smile smile and laugh laugh laugh, visualising myself urut dada in my head.

Sheeesh!
I find that so nonsensical.
Pregnant women are blardy hormonal you know and we have to put up with such?!?!?
I cannot understand why people cannot say anything nice and soothing.
It really doesn't hurt you know. It really doesn't.
Then I found out that some people just find it hard to.

xoxo,

You have been missed!

2011-12-09T15:08:00.000+08:00

I missed blogging.
I missed Facebooking.
I missed my story telling times on the internet

I missed working on my laptop.
I missed typing away because it always makes me feel productive.

I missed being on my two feet and being active.
I missed getting things done.

I will update soon. I do not think I can ever be away for too long.
I miss Social Media. Facebook and Twitter was highly abandoned by me.

Will definitely be back - and hopefully soon!

p.s: My Lil' Rania is not out yet. She has been a good girl, only too comfy that she didn't move much.
She somehow knows that her mummy is not comfortable in the hospital that she coorperated with the machines and tests!
I get to see my 35th week today. Alhamdulillah.

xoxo,

#3 - Love Letters from You to Me with Marina K Ishmel

2011-12-02T15:57:00.000+08:00

"Salam sis,
Sorry for this surprise email. Jus curious do you wear tudung during working hrs. :)
How is the response from the management? ... Hope this won't disturb ya.."

Yes, it is true that you see pictures of me with the hijab and then without the hijab flying around on Facebook and the blog.
This is really a long story and I hope I did not bore her!

*lol*

Salam sis,

Truth is I do not. I always start going to a new company without wearing the hijab and then I will evaluate the situation.
Previously in my IBM days, I wore the hijab after 1 year in the industry.

This time around in Microsoft, I have not put on the hijab after almost 2 years in my department. Maybe it is because of the situation I am feeling in the office and the nature of people I have to work with. So its really a situation of 'masuk kandang kambing mengembek and masuk kandang lembu menguak'

My outside life is also very private with a lot of people in the office, unless they read my blog. None of my colleagues, except my Director is on my personal Facebook.

There is constantly a part of me that tries to avoid the hiring management discounting me of my credibility in the workforce despite the qualifications. So for me, my priority jobscope and salary scale. The least I can do for my parents who have educated me is to get a good job with good salary.

There are some people who insists that they should wear the hijab and stand by that principle that rezeki di tangan Tuhan. I respect those who view it that way. However, at the end of the day, they need to bear in mind that there are mouths to feed and bills to pay. But truthfully each is it to its own.

If you are planning to wear the hijab to work, you may want to consider 2 things:
1. Whether it is an MNC or SME. SMEs are more flexible with outlooks
2. Whether you will have to go out and see clients, work with events and so on because there are indeed some HR which do not prefer hijab ladies to be fronting occassions as such.

Some ladies i know will speak to their bosses first before they wear the hijab into office.
I did try once but was rejected. So things like this happen.

My pre-pregnancy office days are dressed in pants, long sleeve shirts (sometimes folded up) but the hijab will be in the handbag for after office hours, though there are times it is left at home.
My husband does not emphasize on hijab. To him, akhlak first then hijab.

So in that sense I am lucky to have the huband's blessings and he leaves the decision in my hands.

xoxo

It's December alright!

2011-12-01T14:14:00.001+08:00

Yes, I remember writing a blog post on Hello November and now we have reached December.
That is how fast I feel my time has passed.

It means mom & Lil' Sis have gone and returned from their 2 week holiday in Europe.
It means that this weekend I will permanently move over to my new house, though it is not fully furnished or we have yet to unpack. In fact, we are still packing from my mom's house.
I have 21 years of things to pack.

It also means that Rania has reached her 34th week mark and my tummy keep bumming into everyone everywhere I turn.
It too means that she has 3 more weeks to go before she is full term.
I have been alert with my body and starting to see signs of pre-labour and it is really fun to engage these kind of conversations with the husband.

He told my parents that he saw pregnancy in a different light now.
The miracles of God and the joy, pain and agony that he see me go through.

I have been very forgetful lately.
I do not know where I put anything and everything.
The husband is very patient with me and I really cannot be more thankful.

I will forget my phone when I drop off somewhere that he will have to park the car and look for me instinctively.
I will forget that he needs something from downstairs and when he asks for it, it is not in my hand.
I will forget that I left some things behind and he will drive at 1AM to look for it for me while I ransacked the whole room and clean up at the same hour, something which they said was the "nesting instinct"
I even forget my meetings!!!

I swear I feel very shitty with myself.
Not helping that my maid is boiling my blood all the time. It is really pointless having her around if she cannot help and pretend blur and at the end of the day, I do a better job on my own.

Shitty, angry, frustrated and I will just burst out because I have been a very prompt person.
Snappy, agile, multi-tasker and quick witted.
In short, I was in control.
In perfect control!

Today, if I read Business Times, I probably take 1.5 times longer to complete and article.
I feel like banging my head on the wall, forcing it to think.
Not wanting to blame myself, I got frustrated with pregnancy though I kept telling God that Rania is a gift I will uphold my responsibility.

There are nights where I am so tired but hate to sleep because I am so immobile.
Sleeping on sides hurt my back. There is no more the 3-point turn which I whined about making.
It is now a 5-point turn and each turn hurts.
Each turn, the husband will need to support my back. Each time i get up, the husband will need to reach out his hands to me to pull me up.

I have friends who told me,"Mima you make me scared of pregnancy after all you wrote on the blog. I start to disbelief whatever the rest of the women wrote about how beautiful pregnancy is."
I laughed.

It feels good that I can get messages across but I knew I had to be fair.
"Some have had easier pregnancies than me. I was excited about pregnancy until reality hit me so maybe those ladies who may be in my position were just brainwashing themselves so they can go through it. But you know what? You HAVE TO try it!"
I am that cocky!

My feet has been swelling like crazy. More on the left side.
So we were out to find more comfy shoes for me.

Look at the number of pairs I have to try before I come to the perfect size.

Thanks to the husband who sponsored 2 pairs of Crocs. My first 2 pairs ever.

Still, the only shoes which can make me walk for miles will be Fit Flops! I swear!
And you can never have enough Fit Flops!

Still, the crocs will come in handy when I have given birth and I need to take care of Rania.
I MISS MY GOD DAMN HEELS!!!
(of course I miss my body)
Trust me the only one who is complaining is me and never the husband.

May Allah bless him and the marriage that we have today.
I really really really cannot be anymore thankful.

Up next will be Love Letter #3 and our staycation (a very new word to me) at Marina Bay Sands for our 1st year wedding anniversary.

p/s: Hope you truly enjoyed my whining! <3 xoxo

#2 - Love Letters from You to Me with Nurshahida Ar

2011-11-25T13:30:00.000+08:00

From: Nurshahida Ar

"Hi mima.. Remember me? U ate my piece of cake masa u buat hijab class.. Anyway jus to share.. Masa I pregnant my first one pun I have e same feelings. I'm small but baby 3.5kg. Rabak I tau!! Haha. U must tell ur Hubby to put on the gas mask bila the pain is about to come. U inhale until the pain goes away u take out the mask.Don keep on inhaling e gas tau, Blh mabuk n muntah. That will make u even more sick.Don worry u'll be fine, Insyaallah. Banyak kan baca u will be stronger than u can ever imagine.."

Yes, I do remember this sweet lady from one of the hijab classes I conducted at Al-Falah mosque last year!

Here we go:

Hi Shahida!
Yes, i do remember you.. hwo can i forget such a petite soft spoken lady!!! Yes you are very small.

Some ladies told me that the gas is very drying to the throat and that we cannot eat and drink during labour oso. I am fixing this brain to go without epidural and gas. Some advised me to baca surah Alam Nasrah during labour. My aunty who is a midwife in Oman told me to keep eating korma cos the arabs there did that and they don't need stitches!!! Imagine that!
But then again, I really do not know my threshold and the husband thinks I am too pampered to even have a threshold. I am just going to put my mind to it. My only concern is my asthma. I hope it doesnt get triggered when my Lil' Rania is coming out.

Then again, I know many women who would love to go through labour over and over again.
Thank you for the kind advise. I will share this with the husband!
*hugs*

xoxo

Dream a lil' dream of me

2011-11-23T12:11:00.001+08:00

For those who have been through pregnancy, they may have encountered what I have been for the past few months.
Dreams.
Really wierd dreams.

I remember my dreams very vividly. I think that is how active my brain is.
And I have succumbed myself to read a lot about dreams for the past many years.
I try to understand the science and even experimented in controlling my own dreams.

Old wives' tales says that when you fly high, it is a good dream.
And when you crash and fall or just fall, it is a sign that something unfavourable will happen.
There has been a lot of study of dream interpretation and it is very interesting to understand how they interpreted it so far.

Psychologically, you can control the dream.
For example, my angsty self will come through dreams whenever I dream of some anal robbers.
I can fire guns. I can sprint and really whack that idiot.

In times when I dream of ghosts, I can feel myself focusing to the One seeking for His help to protect me.
And I really mean concentrating.
Reading through Ayat Kursi till the ghost come really face to face with me, I will scream my zikirs (though it comes out muffled) till I am jolted from my sleep.

When I see myself looking down from a tall building, the brain will just say no and then the eyes will look up.

During pregnancy, especially in the third trimester, I dream a lot about my marriage.
Some which made me cry in the middle of the night and the husband waking me up and cuddling up to give me the sense of assurance.
It was not about dreams where my husband cheated on me but dreams of women throwing themselves on my husband.
Every wife will say,"my husband is not that sort."

Even I will say that!
But my past years of growing up in my early 20-s, I mingled with a little too many men from school and previous work places, from the young to the old to know how they are like.
I have seen not all kinds but many sorts of chameleons.

That aside, I am a true advocate of a happy marriage and I am really happy for those women and more for men who posted up pictures of their happy times together in blogs or facebook and even twitter.

Maybe my mom did a good job by reading Cinderella, Snow White and even Rapunzel to me when I was younger.
The downside was that it creates insecurity for me, which was why I took my time to settle down.
While I love my financial independance, spending was my vice and I was not ready to share that independence with anyone else.

But I gave it all up for marriage and my wedding was my last luxurious spluge.
Today, I really enjoy my own marriage. Something I work damn hard for.
From saving the cash to going through the obstacles of the engagement and even to the nitty gritty of the wedding event.

I saw the beauty of marriage with my own eyes and felt it in my soul.
No marriage is easy but I am very thankful that I am riding through the waves with my husband.
He plays his role as a husband and I as a wife. Of course we give in sometimes and take from each other.
But at the end of the day, it is each other's hands we would like to hold, each other faces we will like to see, smelling each other, each other's voices we want to hear and definitely each other who we want to talk to at any time.

Our 5 senses.

In any marriage, despite of the rough times you have with your spouse, I believe in keeping it within the 4 walls and I really respect couples who do.
I do not believe in tainting the image of your spouse, just to get sympathy votes and only maybe because we may not get our way.
To me, its a betrayal of your spouse's dignity, especially when you end up sleeping in the same bed with him/her.
Ok, that is my principle which you can always beg to differ.

Today, my maid came into my room saying my husband was trying to call me.
I woke up and saw 10 missed calls. Yes, 10 missed calls!
I apologised profusely and told him I was having another of those nightmares.
He is very calm about it because I have prepped him that I will be having these kind of dreams during pregnancy.
It was definitely the hormones.

Though he did not need to, he sent me a BBM.
"I love you. Remember that."

That was all I need. My day took a different turn.
I love you too.

xoxo,

Light of my life!

2011-11-21T14:37:00.001+08:00

A trip down to the supermarket over the weekend was really gleeful.
I got my variety of fruits.
Avocado, huge crunchy chinese pears, watermelon.

I am in love with Rock Melon but I saw that it $10.90 a fruit.
I wasn't sure if that was a rip off so I decided against it.

At the checkout counter, I saw the Energiser Booklite and I remembered how the husband always tells me to switch on the lights when I read at night.
It's ridiculously impossible you see.
Firstly, he cannot sleep with the lights on and our bedside lights are yellow, hence not bright enough.
Next, he will always be reminding me when he is half-asleep so I bet he has no sense of consiousness when he said that.

I admit I squinted my eyes a little when I was reading in the poorly lit room.
But you know what?
This is awesome!

It clips on my laptop so I could do some blogging when I just feel like typing away.
Yes, my brain can still be very active at night.

or even read in the dark!

Yes, I did mention I read more often now. It's a good feeling because I don't feel very brain-dead lying in bed resting my back.
Third trimester is challenging in its own way.
My little girl is pressing on my bladder that I will ~~run~~ scramble to the toilet in the middle of the night. The back is screaming as if it will break.

I cannot raise my legs whenever the back is aching now.

That's because raising my legs will result in the tummy getting in the way between me and the laptop!!

Plus did you know that pregnant women are the ugliest when they eat?
Ok for those who disagree, I am willing to admit it.
That's because the tummy will be catching all the crumbs and it is never a pleasant sight!!

I always apologise to the husband but as usual, he always think I am fretting over the petty.

xoxo,

Here's to us!

2011-11-20T03:37:00.001+08:00

A little more than a year ago, some of these girls may have bitched each other's back if one happened to knock the other off not watching her steps.
That was a possibility alright.

But you know what?
Thank God that didn't happen because a little more than a year ago, some of these girls met for the first time.
And because of schedules, there was very little time for them to gel together.
It's either they really hit off or they were doing it for me.

Yes, I am talking about my bridesmaids.
Sue was holidaying in China and came back just days before my wedding.
Can you imagine we already had pre-wedding rehearsals on the wedding march, song selections, finalising the outfits.
She truly went through a crash course.

I can fondly remember her being the only one coming over to my suite the night before my nikah with her heels!
"I need to practice the dance moves with heels!"

*lol*

What was really amazing was that the girls cliqued instantenously!!
It was a group with diversed characters and went grouped together, they are seriously the bunch you want to see in your wedding too.

After the wedding, all of us went back to our daily schedules.
Anita was travelling, Haya was back in school, Shikin was busy fishing and with her 2 kids, Sue was always busy (though life took a great turn for her after that!), Zaidah was trying to finish her Masters and teaching at the same time, my little sister was only meeting clients and clinching her dollars and cents.
I was busy focusing on pregnancy.

So when everyone have pretty settled down and realised that mid Nov to Dec will be another packed period for us, we decided to have awesome dinner before I gave birth.
It was the first time Anita saw me pregnant! Sue/Zaidah/Haya just saw me bigger.
*lol*

You cannot imagine the laughs we had.
We were noisy but it was really unavoidable. The simultaneously wacky things that comes out from Shikin, Anita & Haya were just non stop!

It did not have to be at the end of the evening that our cheeks were sore.
It was sore 30 mins after we gathered and remained that way through the night.

For the wonderful bridesmaid set-up my Lil' Sister arranged.
For the year that has passed since we had loads of fun.
For the laughters that we share and are super priceless.
For the title you continue give yourselves till this day a.k.a the bridesmaids, despite 1 year of being married.

and

For much more love, laughter, joy and being there.

It is indeed a sisterhood we found among ourselves didn't we?
Here is to us and many more years to come!

xoxo,

#1 - Love Letters from You to Me with Adilah Aziz

2011-11-16T01:30:00.000+08:00

From: Adilah Aziz

"Assalamualaikum. I would like to enquire. The way u wear ur inner scarf, u can make the curved shape at the forehead. Makes the face look a lil slender. I bought abt the same inner, it goes flat on the forehead! Then if I were to wear a shawl, my face will look round. Are there diff types of inner scarfs? Mine actually looks the same as urs."

Trust me, Adilah is not the only one who sends me a such a question. I have replied to many messages of the same nature.

Did you know that I really admire women who can show their full face wearing the hijab?

Can show off their nice eyebrows and properly done up eyeshadow.

It cannot work for me - especially now that I am pregnant and chubbier.

But even during my pre-pregnancy days, I was covering up half of my cheek because I inherited my dad's awesome genes.

His strong jawline.

So when I am chubby, I hide the cheeks.
When my face is quite chiseled, I hide my jaw.

"salam sis,
My inner scarf are all flat with the sole purpose to hold up hair. hehehe.
The trick is to bring the whole shawl/hijab forward. Cover half the eyebrow so that it hides half of the cheek.
If you notice, that is how i wear my hijab too! Give it a shot :)"
I do not really know how to explain it though I did show them how during my past hijab classes.
But try it.
The look suits me. It may suit you too!

xoxo

Be kind to Singaporeans

2011-11-15T12:38:00.000+08:00

On Sunday, Dr Yaa'cob Ibrahim kicked off the Singapore Kindness move by giving away yellow daisies to those who have shown any form of kindness.

In his words:

"I think generally Singaporeans don't wake up every morning to become rude. I think with the hustle and bustle of life, sometimes we forget (to be gracious)."

I wanted to laugh my arse off.

Sure they do not wake up to become rude. They may still be dreaming, or worse it is in their blood I must say.

He continued,

"Whether or not we have arrived, I don't think so, but I think we have improved. You see reports of acts of kindness by people in the trains, in the lifts, HDB blocks and there are a lot of people out there doing volunteer work."

No, I don't think we have even improved.

The netizens are not kind to mothers and the elderly. I have heard this before and I am experiencing it now.

As such, I hate taking trains. But then again, who am I to comment.

Just like how I sincerely asked my girlfriend,"How come we do not have HFMD during our time?"

Her reply?

"Because that time no PRC."

*lol*

The hindsight is that we have to deal with Pinoys & PRCs. Not to mention the Indonesians of which we have little social problem with them except that they are spoilt rich brats and makes equally a lot of noise.

Don't blame Singaporeans' tolerance level. Importing them in was never our option of a booming economy.

And in Marine Parade GRC, I also saw in the news SM Goh Chok Tong picking up litter.

I was surprised, only to hear someone behind me said,"I can't believe we paid him so much to do that kind of job."

How can I not roll n the floor laughing?

Halfway through

2011-11-14T11:10:00.001+08:00

First, my mom and sister are currently in Europe.
London, Lisbon and Paris.

It's only been 3 days and I am missing them like crazy.
I admitted to the husband that I will have a tough time adapting to staying in my own house because my mind will still be where I grew up for the past 21 years.
I can adapt pretty well in a new working or social environment. I am not sure though if I am able to adapt to this one.

My Saturday was pretty much used up to attend weddings since morning.
By the time we reached SG from a wedding in Johor, my 2 men (husband and dad) had dinner at CMK.
They were feasting on the thosai and prata!!!
(ok, me included!)

Sunday was dead tiring but I am proud that I managed to keep within my own timeline.
Remember I mentioned that it is time to get the house ready so that me and the husband can move in end of this month?
(like finally, looking at the fact that we got our keys in August!)

So here was what me, the husband and daddy were busy with

in a weather like this

The maid helped me with scraping off paint from the floor and giving a first mop.
I did the final mopping and vacuuming and still - SATISFACTION!
At the end of the day, all of us were satisfied.
Of course with my pregnancy condition, no one allowed me to carry the heavy boxes so I was navigating where they should be placed :)

Dad helped a lot!
He acid wash the guest toilet and it's sparking clean! He helped clean Rania's nursery too!

We managed to finish cleaning up the house on the same day, ending it all a little past midnight.
After which they followed me for my Filet O' Fish fix (with extra tartar), despite being so exhausted and daddy had a flight to catch this morning.
*lol*
But hell yeah was I cramping at my back and my legs, lugging around the huge tummy!

The house is good to welcome guests now.
Except that the husband needs to fix up the lights in the house. Today we just plugged in the bulbs first.
*lol*

Plus, we need to get some interim curtains before I decide whether I would like to go for curtains or blinds or curtains and blinds. More importantly, I would like to do up my grills before parents will little kids get freaked out with my house.
Lastly it will be fixing some timber decking at my balcony.
But I think there is still time since we are not celebrating Christmas anyway.

I need to prioritise the little time I have.
After this, it is time to fix up the emergency bag!

I am way behind in my blog posts!
So many things I wanted to yak about and will do just that in a couple of days.
Plus, I will update the interim look of the house in due time.

To my ladies who are awaiting their postages, I am really sorry for the delay.
Will update everyone soon! :)

xoxo,

30 weeks & Pregnancy Myths

2011-11-10T15:15:00.001+08:00

I have not been very diligent in taking pictures of the expanding tummy because that is me now.
Once I get home, I will sit down and really I do not know what I do.
Suddenly it always close to midnight and I know it because the husband will be nagging at me to shower and head to sleep.

So here is picture of me (and the husband) at 30 weeks.

Taken outside out KL serviced apartment while checking out during Hari Raya Haji long weekend.
I will be 8 months next week.
Time flies.. time really flies...

I am constantly thirsty, like OMG!! Even during shower, I just feel like walking out and grabbing a glass of cold water.
Maybe I have been hungry most times that I forgot to drink.
But really, the thirst is immense. Recommended amount to drink is 1 litre but I can really double that.

Truth is I am beginning not to be much of a food fan now.
But I surely am a fruit fan.
Just gimme any kinds of fruits and I will gulp it down.
Of course the cold ones will be great and most times i will pick fruits over food.
Still the husband will make me eat some carbo because I am currently very susceptible to indigestion now.
I will have 2 to 4 packets of Gaviscon in my bag at any time.

So I have been munching down apples, chinese pears, watermelons and papaya.
That is excluding the carrot and tomato juice the maid makes for me in the morning.
(whenever she feels like it - *grrr*)

Anyway, I stumbled upon the gender myths of pregnancy and you know what.. i am really confused now.

The reason why myths will predict why i am carrying a boy:
- You didn't experience morning sickness in early pregnancy
- Your baby's heart rate is less than 140 beats per minute
- You are carrying the extra weight out front
- Your belly looks like a basketball
- Your areolas have darkened considerably
- You are craving salty or sour foods
- Dad-to-be is gaining weight, right along with you
- Pregnancy has you looking better than ever (oh so many said.. so ok la to shiok sendiri a bit kan)
- Your urine is bright yellow in color
- Your nose is spreading

And here are the reasons why I should be carrying a girl:
- You are carrying the weight in your hips and rear
- Your left breast is larger than your right breast
- You are carrying high
- Your belly looks like a watermelon
- You are craving sweets
- You are craving fruit
- You crave orange juice
- You don't look quite as good as normal during pregnancy (yes i do have my horrid days)
- You are moodier than usual during pregnancy (errrr.. recently yes.. very angsty AT TIMES)
- Your face breaks out more than usual
- Your breasts have really blossomed!
- You hang your wedding ring over your belly and it moves in a circle
- You add your age at the time of conception and the number for the month you conceived and the sum is an odd number

Still chances is that it will still be a girl but I did speak to Lil' Rania to open her legs up the next check up which will be in 2 weeks time.
Another detailed scan to make sure that she is growing perfectly well.
And also to make sure that she really has no balls you know!
*lol*

In any case, the husband and I have figured out a male name for Rania, should our little baby come out a blooming boy.
I just hope that he does not respond to Rania.

xoxo,

Introduction: Love Letters from You to Me

2011-11-09T15:55:00.000+08:00

I do get emails or private messages from ladies who reads (and good to know that they enjoy) Velvet Chronicles.
It is really amazing how words (four-letter word, five-letter word, three-letter word or whatever) can touch people's hearts and lives. How they can feel you and what you write.

The power of language. It is amazing!
Which is why I thought of creating this segment called the 'Love Letters from You to Me'

Truth is, these ladies really underestimated their power of sending me sweet little notes about pregnancy, sharing with me their experiences which is sometimes more valuable than reading from books.
The reason why I call it Love Letters is also because I never received a nasty email.
*lol*

If it comes by, so be it.
I still appreciate the time they try to invest writing to me. I honestly find it very hard to reply to the ladies. When the body is feeling great and very hyped, I can reply almost instantenously.
But when the body is very tired or I just feel like putting all my gadgets aside or I just want to stare up to the ceiling, I will take a longer time to response.

Bottom line is that, I DO respond because I appreciate efforts from anyone, whether it is for me or for someone else.

So yes, I decided not to let it go to waste and will be sharing these love letters with you.
Their letters to me and my responses to them. You may get a tip or two from what these ladies are asking and probably you were just too shy to ask me, despite knowing that I seriously do not bite.

Now, here is the more serious part.
I will be ripping a lovely picture of you from Facebook (if i can get my hands on it) and put it together with your letters to me.

At least we all will know who is the lovely reader and writer.
Yes, it is a community I am trying to build.
Feminist community!
*muahahaha*

And really I will not sabotage you with what I think is a 'not-nice' picture.
So if you have a preferred picture, do send it to me and if you do wish to have your picture potrayed or letters published, do let me know.
I will respect your decision 101%

So till I get very (and I really mean very) strong objections, I should have this going on pretty soon.
:)

Till we catch up!

xoxo,

Did you know?

2011-11-06T00:00:00.000+08:00

Did you know that you can never go wrong when you have rendang lembu with kuah lemak?
Best eaten with omelette or sambal goreng!

Give it a shot!

Happy lunching and wishing all my muslim readers a Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha.
*kisses*

xoxo,

Movie Preview: Tower Heist

2011-11-04T14:39:00.001+08:00

Thank you again OMY for the movie preview.
I was so excited to catch this one actually.
Tower Heist.

I mean who wouldn't?
They have your 2 popular comedians in the movie.

This time around, I was able to bring the husband along for the movie preview since his students were done with their 'O' Level maths paper.
Yay!
And he was pretty excited too.. getting to watch a free movie.
*lol*

So when we have collected our tickets, here we were all prepped up!

Drinks. Popcorns. Nachos. The husband.
My movie essentials!

Movie Synopsis:

Josh Kovacs (Stiller) has managed one of the most luxurious and well-secured residences in New York City for more than a decade. Under his watchful eye, nothing goes undetected. In the swankiest unit atop Josh's building, Wall Street titan Arthur Shaw (Alan Alda) is under house arrest after being caught stealing two billion from his investors. The hardest hit among those he defrauded? The tower staffers whose pensions he was entrusted to manage.

Trust me, the show is more about suspense than hilarious.
I was squeezing the husband's hands tight and he was laughng at my facial expressions.
*lol*

I was amazed with the storyline of the work culture. Something which no one has ever seen.
The idealistic work environment.
It is movie to enjoy though I was hoping to laugh my teeth out.

Here is the trailer, in case you would like to consider catching it!

It's probably 6.5 popcorns out of 10 for me though the husband rated it an 8.
It is not just a story about robbery. It is their payback time.

Thank you OMY for the wonderful evening!

We really did enjoy it!
*muacks*

xoxo,

Hello November

2011-11-02T04:11:00.000+08:00

Hello November.

I have touched my the number 3 of my pregnancy journey.
Yes 30 weeks and I cannot believe that even I am turning 30 in a few months time (though in May)
I think the anxiety of giving birth is kicking in but I am brainwashing myself that I have a mighty threshold for pain.

Oh well.. we see how it goes.

But I told the husband that if my waterbag breaks, we shall look at each other and laugh and head down to the hospital.
Yeah, something I need to do for myself before I get a panic attack which will be accompanied by the asthma.

My wonderful marriage turns 1 in November.
God knows where the time has gone to but nonetheless, I thank Him for the time I get to spend with my husband.
The happy times. The romantic times and of course we do have our rough patches.
Arguements if you prefer it to be called.
But the rough patches are really nothing compared to the engagement days and I am very happy at how our relationship evolved and matured.

I love it that we are so comfortable with each other and the companion have been enjoyable.
Above all that, my wedding day is still very vivid in my head.

The time I signed the agreement to be his wife.

He took his vow and promised my dad to take care of his little girl

He has not failed his duty a bit.

I can still remember right after he opened my veil, he said,"You are beautiful."
I swear for once it was a sheepish smile.
(yes, else my smile to him will always be the tak-tau-malu-smile)

And you can see from my face, how content I was that day.
My heart swelled, sprung and burst all at the same time.

November will be the month I need to focus.
Focus to get my butt off my bed and get some ground work going.

My house is still stranded with boxes and only the paint and some furniture in since we got our keys.
Thanks to the horrid asthma which made me phobic to head to my own house again.
I am giving myself 30 days to finish off where I started.

I need to have Rania's nursery ready and of course I am looking forward to furnishing my house, especially my love nest (aka the master bedroom)
It will not be fully furnished but we know it will be a comfy place for us.

I am pretty much surrounded by people who keep tabs of who carries what handbag, wears what shoes, buys which house, those who compares the size of their houses and how they furnished it.
It really makes me sick in the stomach when they ask when will my open house be.

There will be no open house.

I refused to clean the mess after I took a lot of effort cleaning the house to move in.
I know they would like to compare house furnishings and really see what my house is really like.
But I am not the kind of person who gives in to people like this and really I am not putting myself on the pedestal.

I'm a realist. Period.

Anyone's last comment, if they cannot find any is 'Oh.. she's a rich man's daughter.'
I will just smile.

There is no need to stand up for myself and neither any compulsion for anyone to know.
Of course, those who would love to come to my house (in fact I have invited a few) to play the Xbox Kinect or visit the baby or have tea and coffee or just a chit chat sesssion, me and the husband is more than happy to welcome you.

Many who have come to briefly take a look, loves the view of my house.

From my master bedroom

The husband caught sunset from the balcony

It is breathtaking for us.
I cannot wait to start cleaning up my house.

xoxo

October Feast

2011-11-01T15:26:00.002+08:00

The husband has been very busy for the past 2 to 3 weeks and even through the weekends.
This weekend too but he has been awesomely attentive to my clingy needs.
I am only clingy during pregnancy. The most clingy I have been to anyone in my life.
Mom said it is because I am carrying a little girl.

Nonetheless. mom is very appreciative of the time she has with me when the husband is busy.
It is probably the times I get to catch up with her. I enjoy it when Dad is around too.
He will join me and mom after work.
It will be the same thing different day.

Dinner. Walk around. Coffee. Talk.
That is my family's lifestyle.

And me being me, I will take this opportunity to try out new places or keep going to where it is nice to eat.
For the past 2 weeks, I have this craze with choc chip scones served at TCC.

Sure I can make my own scones but I am in no mood to bake.
I am only in the mood to eat.
*lol*

Mom enjoys the raisin scones and with mom, she gives me face to share a little bit of her Coke Light.
Or half a cup of coffee or maybe a teeny weeny cup.
Anything for her to see the glee on my face.
In that sense, the husband is very strict with me because he will constantly worry when I am sick.

Of course I do not take full advantage because the husband can just smell it you know!
So maybe a small glass of coke and 2 glasses of warm water.
You know that kinda thing.

So here were our tea sessions. Scooting off from work, hitching a ride with the husband to get to town.

Its awesome.
The chit chats though I blame on technology that we both get distracted with our gadgets.

Mom is a Facebook addict. Maybe because it is the only social media platform she is knowledgable to.
I am replying to my emails, orders, queries, facebook and more with Twitter.
The husband's messages and picking up Lil' Sister's calls.

Yes, my phone is busier than I am.

I do have my own tea sessions while waiting for the husband to finish off his appointments.

I did sacrifice a little bit of time from Her Closet only because I am unable to travel to import in my things over.
This sacrifice, though impacted the dollars and cents, I picked up again my favourite pastime.

Reading.

I am back to reading books and I have more time to pick up the newspaper and read my favourite Business Times.
The husband is pretty contented with it.
He thinks I need to slow down a little.
Oh well... its not a choice actually. The situtation forces me to.

I will soon have to juggle more things in a couple more months. My head is already pre-planning a lot of things and Insya Allah will unveil it from time to time (which I always do but not sure if anyone notices it)

xoxo.

What would you do?

2011-10-31T22:19:00.000+08:00

I came home and went to the refrigerator to grab my bag of prunes.

The source I rely on now for my constipation woes.
I didn't think it'll work but it sure did.

I was so stunned when I picked it up.
My maid cut a resealable bag?!?!
And when I asked her, she laughed.
*grrrrrr*

She's not paying enough attention to the things she's doing. Tons of my clothes are either missing or decolourised and I just ignored it.

Remember I tweeted about my white bra which became blue?
Guess what!?!?!
I don't even know where it is now.

Sigh..