Moose On The Loose

The one that never got published until now...

2017-10-05T16:54:00.004+02:00

I was accidentally logged into Blogger and saw the entry that never got published. If you've been following my IG or FB, it would come as no surprises to you. I have (almost completely) abandoned my blog. Not that I lost my writing mojo, I still write..sometimes. Well, if you count as caption writing..is writing. Then yes, I do. I truly miss writing, constructing sentences and playing adjectives and adverbs while enriching my own vocabulary.

About 4.5 years ago, I wrote these...

************

After almost 9 years of blogging, I think this is the hardest and the most emotional entry that I have written. I am meaning to write this sooner but feel that I need time to pour myself into it.

I have a news to break.

My son who is turning 9 months old at the end of this month,

has Down Syndrome.

Yes, you heard or read it correctly. He has an extra chromosome in his 21st chromosome. He has Trisomy 21 or better know as Down Syndrome (DS).

15 hours after he was born, a pediatrician broke the news that she suspected him as a Trisomy 21 case as he has few DS's characteristics such as a single palmar crease (a straight line on his palm) which later turned to be the normal double line, big gap between his big toe (sandal gap), flat nose bridge and hypotonia. We were also told that he has slanted eyes but now that he's bigger, his eyes are those of my husband.

A genetic test was done and the time taken to know the ultimate result was nerve-wrecking. Literally. It took them 15 days to come up with a positive preliminary result. 15 days of which spent staying at the hospital with my son in the NICU. 15 days of uncertainty agony.

I wouldn't lie but for days, I felt the world was crushing on me. The image of a "perfect" child disappeared within minutes. All the dreams that were made shattered. I would cry silently at night (while pumping!) so that I won't wake my husband up.

I know myself too well that I need to be buried with my emotions before I soar.

One I've dealt with my emotions, there is no turning back. What keep me sane during those days were these verses;

How I am doing now? Quite well, alhamdulillah. I did a lot of reading on DS and the support from the government is amazing. My son has been going to physiotherapy session since he was 3 months old. He is doing well too, alhamdulillah. He is healthy without no health complications, so far.

Funny Friday #4

2015-10-23T02:00:00.000+02:00

During our not-so recent trip to Antalya, Turkey, we spent almost 4 hours at the Antalya Zoo. Since Aqil loves animals, we thought that the trip to the zoo would be apt.

Our boy enjoyed his time at the petting zoo before dozing off in the carrier. We were left exploring the zoo by ourselves and read few fun facts on the animals.

By the way, did you know that elephants cannot jump and lion is not a good tree climber? And just like human fingerprints, a zebra's stripe pattern is unique to individual? I am not writing to share about animal's fun facts but a funny story involving zebras.

So, we were walking pass zebras and I asked my husband if he can tell apart which one these two zebras is male or female. In a matter-of-factly manner he answered,

"Oh, I know. You can differentiate them from the stripe pattern. Right?"

To which I stared blankly and replied,

"No. I just look at their genitals. None of them have balls so both of them are female."

That is ladies and gents, how you tell their gender apart.

Amsterdam

2015-08-26T21:48:00.001+02:00

Some say, the past should stay in the past and not worth revisiting but I am not most people. Well, at least in the form of places to travel. I for once revisited Amsterdam.

I had been to Amsterdam in my 20's and boy, I had fun. Before any of you had some funny ideas, my idea of fun didn't involve indulging in smoking "herbal" cigarettes or eating enhanced brownies (though I kinda wish I had). Back then fun is about getting adrenaline rush and one of them is roller coasting at Walibi World. But this post really isn't about visiting the past. It is about our (not so) recent trip to Amsterdam in May 2015.

On the first day upon arrival, we decided to be spontaneous and tried to beat the long queue at Anne Frank's House. I had read the book and was there during my first visit so I wasn't keen because I knew it'll be impossible to get in without prior booking but it was H's first time to Amsterdam so we decided to give it a shot. The queue was too long and let's face it, my son couldn't stay still so we forgo the plan of going in and took a hop-on hop-off boat ride instead. Oh, this trip also wasn't about culture or art so we ditched the museums all together. So, bye Van Gogh, Rembrandt and Vermeer.

Outside Anne Frank's House

I AM STERDAM

And obviously a visit to Amsterdam is incomplete without trip to the famous Keukenhof. You can take shuttle bus from Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and the journey from the airport to Keukenhof takes about 45 minutes.

Aqil is almost 3 and yes, I am still babywearing him. With the right carriers you can still carry them as long as you can. In case you are wondering the carry style is rucksack carry and the wrap is Bebe Sachi Meranti. Bebe Sachi is a proud Malaysian brand and both internationally and locally known.

Someone couldn't resist sleepy dust.

Our last day was spent by strolling around various flea markets, the Flower Market, Albert Cuyp Market and going to Vondel Park.

We have been travelling together with Aqil since he was barely 2 months old and the secret to travelling with kids is not to expect much. You wrote the to-do list or itinerary and congratulate yourself even if you made half of the list. Countless pit stops and small breaks are necessary to keep them entertained. I know that my travelling style had evolved significantly for these past few years since I became a mom. Goodbye Deuter & Vaude and hello to Samsonite and Storksak. It is a matter of time till I lug a Trunki with me.

2014-11-10T23:08:00.001+01:00

It's been half a year since my last post.

To be honest, I don't know if the writing mojo will be back. I have been dragging myself to write but every time I sit down in front of the laptop with coffee next to me hoping that it'll at least help me, my mind went blank. My mind is so saturated that sometimes I wish I could get into them and filter it one by one. Words don't flow easily this time around. Hence, I have been writing and deleting this particular paragraph for at least 3 times. I have lost the touch of a writer, or a blogger - if I can still call myself that. I have isolated myself from the blogging world that I have lost touch of who's who and who's still in the game. I don't even know if blogging is still relevant nowadays.

By the end of the last paragraph I guess you can sense that I am writing gibberish. Yes, I am not ashamed to admit that. I don't know what and why I am writing these at almost 11 PM when I should be sleeping next to my darling husband and my baby. Both are fine, alhamdulillah. In fact the three of us are fine, praise to Allah. Aqil turned 2 in September and masya Allah, he had grew up into an active toddler and his antics never fail to amuse me (and suck dry my energy!). I am not complaining for I love to be around him, and I hope vice versa!

I just stared at the screen for 10 minutes just now, figuring what to type next. I guess like everything new in life - I need to take things slow. Writing is like riding a bike - once you are in sync with your body and mind, you will know what to do next.

And the optimistic in me says - here's hoping to many more updates in the future!

Assalammualaikum

2014-04-01T10:20:00.002+02:00

It's been a while isn't it?

Alhamdulillah life is good.

Not sure if I still have any readers left after such a loooooonnggggg hiatus. I do admit that I miss blogging, I miss blog-hopping, I miss reading people's thoughts. I've stopped associating myself with lots of social media lately though I still active on Facebook and Instagram - they're my sanctuary.

Just want to let the (blogging) world that,

I am still around.

Will I ever write again?

Insya Allah, only time will tell.

Funny Friday #3

2013-07-19T10:53:00.001+02:00

Wordless Wednesday #26

2013-07-10T11:19:00.004+02:00

Salam Ramadhan Al-Mubarak!

Happy Birthday and Mother's Day

2013-05-10T10:30:00.001+02:00

We are going for a 10-days trip tomorrow! Yeehoo!! I'm excited and nervous at the same time. Excited because we're going on a cruise trip for 7 days which starts in Rome and going all the way to Sicily (Italy), Greece and Turkey. I'm nervous because Aqil has (finally) started eating and I don't know how I should do it because he has only started on solid for a week and I'm still a newbie when it comes to baby food. But all I know I don't trust instant/jar baby food because I read citric acid is even added to an organic baby food and as far as I know citric acid is a PRESERVATIVE. Call me an extremist but no way I'm putting that into his body this early. Maybe in the future if it's unavoidable but for now, it's a no.

Hence me buying a second hand Beaba babycook and lugging it on board just to make sure his gut is free of preservatives (as for now) and be filled with his mama's nutritious self-prepared puree. I'm very cautious about what goes into his stomach as he has infantile eczema. Sadly he got it from his momma, yo. Though his condition is very very very mild (his dry patches cleared in a week with Moogoo) but I don't wanna chance anything. Better be safe than sorry.

But because of the Beaba, we might have an excess baggage! *cries*

My birthday is coming up this weekend (nak jugak bagitau. HAHA). I've been hinting H with my wishlist i.e. handbags (as a typical woman, what else?) but by the looks of it, he's ignoring it. Damn. According to him, he already bought me a Storksak when we were in London, which can be counted as a handbag slash diaper bag. Oh well, worse come to worst, I'll consider the cruise trip as my birthday (and Mother's day) gift. Ngeh ngeh.

But I will definitely buy something for myself. Something valuable and has significant meaning like gold, for example.

Gold.

Old.

T______________T

To all mothers out there, here's a video on mothers from a child's perspective. Kinda bring me to tears. I have a mother's heart now, I'm allowed to be sappy. Haha.

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!

Deutschland Revisited

2013-04-09T16:45:00.002+02:00

I was organizing the harddisk when I stumbled upon these photos. It's the usual thing that I do whenever I have free time, you know - rearranging stuff. I can't stand when things are not in order and like the Germans, I love my stuff to be in order - alles muss in Ordnung sein. I am denial that I (might) show signs of OCD but believe me, these little things keep me together and sane.

They are mostly pictures taken during our trip back to Germany in mid June 2012. As per mentioned in my previous post, we were there to visit a family friend. It was my first time meeting his family but they treat us indifferently. We were treated with nothing but only warmth and kindness.

It felt good to be back in Germany after I left it in 2008. It truly felt like coming home.

That's his old hostel

Proud products of HS Aalen

I was 20 weeks pregnant

I can safely cross out strawberries picking from my wishlist

Fat and juicy strawberries

Our kind host who treats us like part of their family. We're brothers and sisters in Islam, he said. Masya Allah.

Family photo

And yerp, the cat is ALSO part of the family.

Funny Friday #2

2013-04-05T09:36:00.001+02:00

Mom and Dad were visiting us last week. This was their first trip out of the country (not counting Singapore and Thailand) so naturally they were ecstatic about their experience.

They flew via Thai Airways and on board from KUL-BKK, Mom was seated in front of Lisa Surihani.

Yes, you hear me, Lisa Surihani the actress.

"Masa dalam flight, bantal Mama jatuh. Lisa siap tolong amikkan"

*eyes rolling*

"Lisa was on phone until we were about to take off. Sampai stewardess suruh off phone. Call Yusry la tu"

More eyes rolling. I bet she listened to the whole conversation.

Then she went on telling us about some passengers trying to get Lisa's autograph and photos when they landed in Bangkok.

"Dalam bas nak ke terminal, banyak orang ambik gambar dengan Lisa. Mama saje buat taktau lepas tu tanya sorang budak ni - sape tu (sambil tunjuk Lisa)"

The fellow then answered her,

"Makcik tak kenal ke? Tu la Lisa Surihani, pelakon Malaysia. Famous tu makcik"

Know what my dearest mom replied?

"Sorry la kalau pelakon Malaysia ni makcik tak berapa kenal. Kalau pelakon Korea, makcik kenal"

-_________-"

Mama oh mama!

Our (humble) journey, thus far

2013-04-01T22:31:00.000+02:00

(a long entry waiting ahead)

Bismilllahirrahmanirrahim..

Dah lama nak tulis pasal breastfeeding journey tapi segan nak tulis awal-awal nanti orang cakap, poyo ah kau Moose baru beberapa bulan dah sibuk nak tulis breastfeeding journey bagai. So since I've hit the crucial breastfeeding milestone of 6 months, only now I feel comfortable to write my or rather our humble journey down.

During the seconds when Aqil was born, I was so eager to breastfeed him there and then but unfortunately he had some problems with breathing and was taken to the NICU and I only got to hold him for about 10 minutes. Later that night, we visited him and I still couldn't breastfeed him then because he was on breathing machine and a feeding tube was inserted into his mouth. He was fed with donors milk that night after we signed our consent. The next morning, a midwife came to check on me and taught me how to hand-expressed the milk (marmet). Alhamdulillah, the milk was there and despite a bit clumsy, I managed to hand-expressed about 10ml of the "liquid gold" or colostrum for him. That was his first taste of my milk. His breathing equipment was only taken off on the third day so from day 1, there was no direct feeding. I've tried breastfeeding him on day 4 and because my boobs were engorged, he couldn't latch onto it properly.

To cut the (sad) story short, since he was on feeding tube from day 1, he couldn't latch or rather he didn't know how to latch. Furthermore, he was fed with almost 40-55ml (1.5-2 oz) every 3 hours to maintain his weight and that, leaved him with no room to feel hungry and wanting to "work" for food. I felt very devastated and helpless with the whole situation. Seeing that I struggled to have Aqil latched, a nurse suggested me to use a nipple shield and it worked like magic. He could finally latch on!

Since breastfeeding especially the act of sucking takes a lot of preemie's energy and because of that, our breastfeeding session was kept to a maximum of 30 minutes. The rest, he was fed via tube with the milk that I pumped out. To be honest, when he was at the hospital, because of the amount that was assigned for him, there were times when I couldn't meet up his demand. Remember that we signed the consent letter for donor's milk? I innocently thought that even if I couldn't meet his demand, he will still be on breast milk from the donors. I was shocked when I found out that he was already fed with formula milk after he was moved from the intensive care room to the intermediate care room. Don't get me wrong, there is absolutely nothing wrong with formula milk but it was more like a regret towards the hospital of not informing us of the act.

Since that day, something inside of me snapped. I felt like I failed to provide the best for my baby. I've become borderline obsessed with pumping that I pumped every 2-3 hours instead of 3-4 hours. I'd wake up in the middle of the night to do power pumping. I also tried out every possible milk boosters just for the sake if they could increase the milk production. Dates, red dates & longan tea, nursing tea, milk, cheese, white radish - you name it, I've tried it. Orang cakap usaha itu datang dari pelbagai cara and I was doing every thing that I possibly can. It was draining out my energy but I ignored it because I was partly blaming myself that earlier on I chose to sleep rather than pumping out and my son had to take the consequences and had to drink FM. I didn't mean to offend anyone because this was more of my inner battle coupled with frustration, anger and postpartum hormone imbalance back then.

Breastfriend at the hospital

When he was discharged from the hospital, he was still on the feeding tube and we opted for a home hospital care whereby the nurses will visit and monitor his progress for 2 weeks. I was still pumping and breastfeeding him using the nipple shield. After 2 weeks the tube was taken out and I was finally feeding him directly with the help of the nipple shield. Again alhamdulillah, despite reading the disadvantages of using nipple shield and what it can do to your milk supply, I've never experienced any dropping or shortage of supply. Probably because I don't pump so much (so I didn't know the volume) and just concentrate on direct feeding since I'm a SAHM.

Breastfriend at home

So, when he was about 3 months old, I've decided that probably it was time to wean him off from the shields. There is nothing wrong using the shields but it can be quite a hassle when you're out and NIP. The first few days were frustrating and yes, there were times when I felt like giving up, broke down, stressed out and cry but luckily I didn't. I am just too stubborn to quit. One of the things that you should know about me is that, I must finish what I've started. Winners never quit, I always say to myself.

Then one day, he taken me by surprised by latching on perfectly! I was (and still am) a proud mama. From then on, he latched like a pro and I've never been any prouder and grateful. And we enjoy our breastfeeding journey even more from then on. Even though we've hit 6 months, since he was born prematurely, his adjusted age is only 5 months so technically I still have another month to go before I started to introduce solid food to him. But honestly, I don't feel any pressure to do so. I'm just not ready to introduce solid to him but of course, we'll see how it goes later.

Breastfeeding is a natural process but for some people it may take a lot of work. Our breastfeeding journey was/is a roller coaster of emotions. It takes a lot of perseverance, determination, courage, discipline, patience and doa to come to where we are now. This is such a humbling experience to me and in a way it teaches me that sometimes, you gotta have faith in yourself and your baby as both of you are in it - together as a team. (dah bunyi macam tagline MLM pun ada gak. Kahkah)

Alhamdulillah, we've come so far and like every one else, I'd hope to continue this journey for another 1.5 years.

Yeah, boys (and breastfeeding) rule!

Insya Allah.

Til then, happy breastfeeding!

Kuasa Cucu

2013-03-21T09:58:00.000+01:00

When I gave birth unexpectedly in September, my mom wanted to come here together with MIL and SIL but due to her own reasons, she never did make it. This time around, after countless times Skype-ing with Aqil, she's determine to come and is tagging my father along.

They're arriving on this coming Sunday.

I mean, how can you not come when you see this face?

PDA - public display of adorableness

Oh God, I AM becoming those moms who constantly upload their kid(s) photos on any thinkable social media. Shoot me now.

Mom and Dad get to meet their grandson. And I get to meet this,

Hello KFC, it's been a while!

p/s: Dengar cerita KFC's mashed potato konon dibuat dengan tahi minyak ayam? Jangan tabur fitnah Cik Salmah. Baca entry Huda ni dulu.

Bugaboo Bee

2013-03-06T11:40:00.000+01:00

We are still in Oslo, in case you're wondering about the lack of updates. Because our visas (Aqil & I) are delayed, we didn't go back to Malaysia last month as we planned. We don't know how long we're going to stay here though but technically H's (training) contract is going to end in April but he has been (verbally) asked to stay til September. Problem is, his contract hasn't been renewed so we're pretty much left hanging.

Since there might be a possibility returning home sooner than we thought, H and I decided to sell our Brio pram. We loved it and it has been nothing but wonderful (esp. on snow) to use but let's face it, it's not exactly the kind of pram what would fit into a small sized cars we own back home. So with mixed feelings and heavy heart, he advertised it on Finn.no, a Norwegian trading website similar to Mudah.my.

We thought that it would take some time for us to get a buyer but a day later, 2 potential buyers were interested and wanna see it right away! We were quite surprised when a buyer wanted to buy it right away. We didn't even buy a replacement stroller yet! After negotiating, the buyer agreed to hold the purchase until the weekend.

We've been eyeing for few strollers for quite some time and one that struck the most to us is the ever stylish Bugaboo Bee. H likes it so much that he cannot stop thinking about it since he first saw it. Hehe. This time around, we want a stroller that:

lightweight and compact when fold
the seat can face forward and back (the main criteria that I look for!)
fully reclinable
easy to maneuver

Bugaboo Bee has all that except the seat cannot be 180 degree reclinable. Another cons is that, the wheels are small and it can be quite a hassle in (thick) snow but it's now March and most of the snow (in Oslo) is melting by now and we're living in a city so snow isn't as thick as it is in outskirt areas.

We were in awe with Bugaboo Bee Neon limited edition with its black frame, neon green wheels and navy blue canvas with neon green trimming but the price is JUST SO RIDICULOUS! We're cheapo so we stick to the normal edition.

So we tested and paid. And before we know it, ta-da ada budak kecik dah rasmi. Kehkeh.

And the verdict? As much as I miss the Brio (the large storage compartment actually) when it comes to handling, nothing beats this one. It's super easy to steer (I've been to off-road walks with my friends from moms group and trust me, it handles rough terrain quite well), small in size and lightweight. It might not be as sturdy as Brio but that mainly due to its small size. We were in a bus one day and it can swerve to one side if the bus driver is driving roughly but that's small issue because you're not supposed to leave the stroller and your baby unattended anyway.

Out of 5 stars, I'd give this stroller a 4.5. Half because the storage compartment isn't big and you have to access it from front.

Susah nak sumbat barang shopping, tau?

Funny Friday #1

2013-02-22T19:27:00.003+01:00

We went out for our usual weekend outing and stopped waiting for the traffic light turning green before crossing the road. While walking, I was complaining to H that the snow on the side walks weren't properly shoveled and de-iced (if there is such word) that being the usual clumsy me, I almost slipped and fell off.

"Hish, diorang ni tak letak garam ke kat pediatrician walk ni. Boleh kena saman ni. I almost jatuh tadi, you know"

H laughed out loud for a while before returning to his usual grammar-nazi self and replied;

"It's pedestarian walk sayang, not pediatrician walk"

To my defense, I blamed the weather. My tongue was numb from the cold.

Body Talk

2013-02-15T10:45:00.004+01:00

So yesterday was Valentine's Day. Not that we were celebrating it or anything but 3 years ago, we were engaged on the day and suddenly I was feeling nostalgic when looking back at all our engagement photos and reminiscing the good time (and how skinny I was back then!). I think I weighed about 50+ kg kot masa tu. I just joined the gym and man, I was loving my body. Not bonny skinny but toned skinny.

Now sure if you get the drift but for short, my body was hot la. HAHAHA. Perasan.

Don't hate me. Peace no war. HAHA

Yes, it WAS. Now I feel like a blob. Sad.

I still look skinny and I already got my pre-pregnancy weight back but really, for someone who just gained 6-7 kg during the pregnancy, it wasn't that hard. I lost all the pregnancy weight 1 month into confinement and I wasn't doing anything particular. I eat like nobody's business and hungry all the time because I'm breastfeeding. I even jokingly told my husband that I eat more now than when I was pregnant. It's the truth, really. No kidding there. Breastfeeding moms can attest to this.

I would love to start exercising again to tone the body but it's winter (alasan!) so I can't jog. Besides, Aqil is fully on the breasts so I can't leave him with anyone since we don't bottle-trained him because of personal reasons (will blog more about this but I don't know when). The only exercise that I'm doing is walking and if you live without your own transportation, you are bound to do it, a lot. And it's free, so yay!

Hopefully once the weather is a bit warmer, we or I can go to parks for a walk. It's nicer to go to parks when it's not freezing cold and the ground is not laced with snow and ice. And I don't have to frantically look for cafe/deli/restaurant if Aqil suddenly wakes up for milk because I can nurse him there and then. Oslo is practically a breastfeeding friendly place so you won't get stared at if you are NiP. So, another yay!

Tell me - how do you mommies, lose the pregnancy weight?

Sex Symbol

2013-02-04T09:00:00.000+01:00

(source)

As per the hospital's regulations, after I delivered I had to stay at the postpartum ward for 3 days. On the second day postpartum, a middle age midwife came to me for the usual routine check up i.e. taking blood pressure, check the uterus etc. I commented on how engorged my breasts were and since Aqil was in NICU and hand-expressing technique didn't work well with me, I requested for a breast pump.

She then said, "You must've felt like Dolly Parton with those engorged boobs"

I laughed hard and she lent me an Ameda hospital grade pump and then happily showed me how it works.

She also shared her breastfeeding tips based on her successful experience. All her 3 children were breastfed. I still remember one of the things that she said to me;

"From now on, your boobs are no longer a sex symbol. They're now food for your baby"

And yerp, that's how I think Aqil sees me now - a source of food and comfort.

Wordless Wednesday #25

2013-01-23T13:15:00.001+01:00

Too Much To Do, Too Little Time

2013-01-22T18:53:00.000+01:00

Last week H got home and broke the news that his training contract will not be extended and we have to go back in April. It was like dropping an atomic bomb and I was silent for a while. I mean, I know that we'll be back for good soon but soon is not in April. Soon in my mind is at least at the end of 2013 or at least half a year more.

But soon is approaching us sooner than we thought.

Then it got me thinking that I haven't explore Norway enough. We've never been outside Oslo except for the weekend retreat in April last year. Other than that, nada. We haven't seen aurora borealis and never been to Bergen. They say when you're visiting Norway, there are things that you MUST do and those two are on the list.

Putting Norway aside, I still haven't had enough of Europe. There are European countries that I haven't visited. Denmark, Brussels, Croatia, Hungary, Portugal just to name a few. And we always tell ourselves that we must return back to Istanbul and London, two places that we've fallen in love so much.

If everything is going according to what H said, I have about 70 days to enjoy my life here.

It's just like what people say - too much to do, too little time.

Makcik Urut

2013-01-12T21:59:00.000+01:00

We are probably going back to Malaysia end of February, not yet for good but maybe for a week or two. Since I didn't undergo a "proper" confinement period after the delivery, I'm looking forward to have a "berurut" session later. My mom has been pestering me to have one and like every mom, she is so concern of my postpartum well being since I did not do any of the usual bengkung, tangas, urut and tungku. Ok, I did berbengkung but putting on and off the bengkung itself was such a hassle so I decided to skip it after 4 days of wearing it. Sebab tu perut masih macam pregnant women in their first trimester. Padan muka aku.

So, I am in search of a makcik urut. I don't know anyone and need help if any of you can recommend me one. I don't have any specific criteria but she has to be:

affordable
mobile & can come to the house
well-experienced in postpartum massage

If not then I'll probably have to resort to Tanamera's confinement service since that's the only option that I know. I need to make the arrangement now because of the short period of our stay and I know that you have to spend at least 3 consecutive days for the massage and being me, I need to plan a schedule.

HELP!

Happy New Year

2013-01-01T22:46:00.001+01:00

It's only 10.45pm here in Oslo so technically we're still on 1st January 2013. To keep the blog's tradition going, (recap on 2011, 2010, 2009) let's do a recap on what it has been for me during 2012.

In January I moved to Oslo, got knocked up, traveled to Spain in May and Germany in June, gave birth to a wonderful baby boy in September and from then on, the journey to motherhood begins.

Sekian.

*bunyi cengkerik*

HAHA

Oklah disebabkan kemalasan melanda and I'm actually lost for words, I'm gonna let the pictures do the talking.

January

Made the biggest decision of my life and moved to Oslo, Norway to be with the love of my life. The first couple of weeks were the hardest because it was a transition period from used to work to unemployed. Went snow sledging for the first time with H and his friends and had so much fun.

View from our apartment's window on the arrival day

Snow sledging at Frognerseteren

February

We found out that I was pregnant! I was already a week late when I did the UPT and was over the moon when I was tested positive. We kept the news from most of our friends, even from our closest not until I reached second trimester but our parents knew it 5 minutes later. Haha.

March

Can't remember what happened in March but nothing much interesting to blog about. Oh, I had my first pregnancy check-up at week 10 and Alhamdulillah had a easy breezy first trimester.

April

Broke the news to blog-sphere that I was pregnant and was overwhelmed with all the warm wishes. You guys are the best! Went for the Company's skiing trip to Norefjell over the weekend. I was almost 13 weeks pregnant and because of that I couldn't join the fun.

My bump was pretty small and wasn't showing much during this time. Gosh, I miss being pregnant.

May

Traveled to the Andalusia region in Spain. Been wanting to travel to Spain for as long as I could remember. I was 18 weeks pregnant and Alhamdulillah, during the travel period, I had so much energy that even I was surprised. (Travelogue on Spain can be read here)

June

Took up knitting to kill boredom. Went to Aalen & Stuttgart, Germany to do some shopping for the baby.

July

Went back to Malaysia, tanah tumpahnya darahku for about a month and had a blast. Asyik makan, makan & makan je kerjanya.

August

Celebrated Eid di perantauan after 5 years. Entered third trimester and thought that I still have about 3 months to go but boy, I was wrong. Haha

September

Gave birth to Aqil Qays on 29.9.12 at mere 35 weeks. Terkejut beruk kau. Haha. The birth itself was a wonderful experience and alhamdulillah I had a fairly easy birth but because he was born early he was treated in NICU for 15 days. It was a nightmare and I was glad that it was over. I was grateful that I have a wonderful husband because if you give me all the money in the world, I won't go back to that 15 days period.

NEVER.

Nasib baik aku ni bukan mudah lemah semangat kalau tak dah lama gila meroyan oi.

October

The day Aqil was discharged from the hospital was the happiest day of my life! The first week was huru-hara & I was so sleep deprived dan maka bermulalah kes pengabaian blog kesayangan. HAHA.

November & December

Jaga anak. HAHA. Dasar pemalas kau Moose. Oh yeah, we celebrated our second anniversary!

Well, to summarize it all, 2012 has been a good year. It was more meaningful with the arrival of our beloved son and I was so surprised that after all the years of doubting myself, I actually had it in me - the maternal instinct. Hehe. Guess Yaya (and everyone else) was right. When the time comes, you'll know.

So goodbye 2012 and thanks for being such a wonderful year. Here's to another wonderful year, 2013!

Magic In a Jar

2012-12-31T11:17:00.000+01:00

I rarely do a product review but whenever I did, they are usually the ones that I personally used and loved. And at the moment, I'm in love with this amazing product from Earth Mama Angel Baby that I coined "magic in a jar" because it truly is - magic.

Image via Earth Mama Angel Baby

EMAB Angel Baby Bottom Balm is a life saver and I have been using it for Aqil from nappy rashes, "ruam susu" to even scratches on the face from his tiny long fingernails. Sometimes I even put the balm for no reason just because I love the refreshing antiseptic smell of tea tree oil. I'm a weirdo, I know.

When he was about 3 weeks old, I noticed that he had acne-like rashes all over his face and neck. Although the nurses said that it's normal for babies to have rashes when they were born, but being the first timer & over concern mother that I was (still am!), I decided to put on a small amount of the balm onto his skin and wallah - rashes gone in 2-3 days. Here, in cases of nappy rash, the nurses would advice you to put on zinc oxide but the thing with zinc oxide is that, it'll leave a whitish residue on his skin that I hate seeing and it is hard to get them off. One of the things that I love about the balm, it won't leave any residue. It's like the baby skin absorbs the goodness of it.

If you're concern on putting chemical-laden creams/lotion on baby's delicate skin - fret not, this balm is 100% organic and even recommended by hospitals. It's gentle to the skin and with the 100% natural ingredients, you know that they got your baby's back, literally. Say no to steroid based creams!

Now that you're convinced, where can you get them? I bought mine at Bee Little and so far, they offer the best price for all the EMAB products that they sell. Besides having the best price (that I found so far) in town, their service is also fast and convenient. You just gotta love a seller like that. For 60 ml, Bee Little is selling it for only RM38 (RRP: RM49.90). The price may seems on the high side but trust me, a little application goes a long way. After 3 months of usage, the balm doesn't look like it had been used. Tak luak lagi pun dalam bekas tu. I think 60 ml can last at least for another 3 months or so. So it's worth the money.

Try it and I'm sure you'll love it as much as I do.

Dearest Husband

2012-12-25T14:44:00.001+01:00

"The best love is the kind that awakens the soul and makes us reach for more, that plants a fire in our hearts and brings peace to our minds, and that's what you've given me. That's what I hope to give to you forever. I love you." - The Notebook

Happy second anniversary Husband. Here's to many happy years to come.

Nursing In Public

2012-12-18T10:38:00.000+01:00

Never ever I've thought that I would neglect my blog this long but being a new mom requires much of my attention and energy so I need to prioritize.

Semenjak dua menjak ni topik nursing in public (NIP) memang hot eh? I know the issue was triggered by a blogger tapi aku malas nak kisah sebab to each their own, right? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion dan kalau orang tak setuju, buat apa kita bermati-matian membangkang?

It's getting cold here and last week the temperature hit -16C, I know crazy, right! So out of curiosity, I posted some time ago on International Mothers and Babies Group Oslo (IMOBAGO) about nursing in public.

Aren't these ladies lovely coming up with such great solutions? You feel like hugging each and every one of them after reading those comments.

As I mentioned in the comment above, mothers in Malaysia are considered lucky because most of the shopping malls provide nursing room for mothers' convenience. Here, nursing mothers have to be more creative, you know, what's with the cold weather and lack of nursing rooms.

I was very anxious of the thought of nursing in public initially. A lot of things are going through my mind from covering the aurat to what position should I hold my son. I need to use the nursing pillow every time I breastfeed so the thought of being out of your comfort zone really scares the shit out of me.

Last month, when we went to Stockholm to register my son at the Malaysian Embassy, I was borderline nauseous because I know that at some point I have to do it, I have to NIP and it scares me. We were in the train to the airport when it happened. My son woke up and wanted milk. I am lucky because he is not a big crier so that gives me enough time to not panic and prep. Well, it wasn't t as scary as I thought it would be! Of course it was bit awkward with me constantly adjusting with holding position and all but yes - I can do this, I said to myself.

It was then the beginning of NIP for me. Ever since, I had NIP on the plane, at the airports, in the cafes, in shopping centers, you named it, I did it all without using any nursing cover or poncho. For me, the key point to a successful NIP is a supportive husband. He would be a watchman for me and help me to cover the aurat if it shows but most of the time I would wear a nursing friendly attire so that it won't be such a hassle. I enjoy my time and nursing in public is no longer a scary thing to me anymore

So tell me, how is your NIP experience?

Secret Baby Language

2012-11-22T16:49:00.000+01:00

My husband discovered an amazing video on YouTube yesterday that might save your time and energy when handling your baby. I don't know if some of you have heard of it before but I think it's worth sharing here.

It's called Dunstan baby language and was discovered by Priscilla Dunstan, an amazing lady gifted with an acoustic photographic memory. She claimed that all babies in the world speak the same language through their cries and convey their needs through it.

After watching the video astonishingly, Aqil's cries meet exactly as being described. I now can distinguish his needs based on his cries. He rarely cries without reason and whenever he cries, I know something is wrong so using the Dunstan language, I can respond to his needs faster and better.

It's awesome, isn't it?

Supposedly Your Birth Day

2012-11-04T01:08:00.001+01:00

This entry was meant to be published on 1/11 tapi semenjak jadi mak budak ni blog agak sedikit terabai maka lantaklah labu.

Dear Son,

It's amazing how time flies. Five weeks ago, your father and I were wondering how it would feel having you around when the day finally comes. Truthfully, I can't even remember how it feels not having you around. Ok I lied, mommy used to have enough sleep. Hehe. But that doesn't matter but I guess you already knew that or else I won't be waking up almost every hour to cater your needs.

Yes, the first couple weeks of your life were hectic. It broke my heart to see tubes and wires attached all over your tiny yet strong body. But you, my feisty little dragon braved it all.

We couldn't thank Allah enough.

Now here you are, with your cheeky and tiny self, lighten and brighten up our day, every single day without fail. And did you know that today is supposedly your birth day?

I guess even you can't wait to meet us.

Happy 33 days old, Aqil Qays.

Love, hugs and kisses;

Mama