Love til Jannah

Last Saturday, I attended a so called casual talk (sembang santai) by Ustazah Isfadiah Mohd Dasuki at our surau. I find the topic so simple yet the content presented by her was so profoundly crucial. It is the most basic understanding of what it means to love that brings us to Jannah. 

Below are some of the gist I managed to jot down for our own benefits insyaAllah :

1. How do we love ourselves or how do we know we really love ourselves? It's when we hate to enter hellfire. Meaning to say, whatever actions, decisions, food we choose to eat, and clothes we wear are the reflection of how much we want to enter Jannah and how we show our love towards Allah SWT. Remember, our bodies are not even ours. Our eyes, hands, health are Allah's. She gave one simple analogy: food. Do we eat to fulfil our appetite or to fulfil our bodies' needs? Yes, we might say both but we need to draw the line between eating until we're really full or just what our body needs. It's the same thing when choosing what clothes to wear; either we want to impress our creator or others.
2. How do we know that we have the right love? Or we are actually loving the right thing? It's when that particular love we have reminds us of Allah. It's that love that brings us back to Allah SWT and our Prophet Muhammad SAW. 
3. We have choices in life and please make the right choice. Do not fall prey to our nafsu, people, or syaitan. Remember, we are slaves only to Allah SWT. When we really realise that, then we will have that love which will bring us to Jannah.
4. Our mission and purpose in life has to be clear. It's when some of us who are unclear of our purpose and the reason we're brought to this world that we have all sorts of problems (social problems, to be exact). This is because we tend to be the slaves of nafsu. Pursuing temporary worldly fun for example. Zina, maksiat, and other teens social problems are evidence that we're now facing a big challenge from the younger generation. In short, they do not love themselves. So, betulkan our niat. All the things that we have now, the people that we meet, the challenges we've been through are just tools to meet Allah SWT. To nurture our love towards Allah which eventually will bring us to Jannah.
5. She reminded us to leave things or people that do not bring us closer to Allah. This is because when we love Allah, no matter what we do, we say, we choose, in the end we will find Him at the end of the spectrum. That's because we love ourselves and most importantly we love ourselves because of Allah SWT. 
6. She stressed to love our anak-anak syurga. Our kids are our ultimate amanah. Love them. Use nice words to them. For every good deed, good display of action no matter how small pray for them. Even better, pray in front of them. Let our dua be heard. They're never too young to understand. InsyaAllah they will be the ones that will lead us to Jannah.
7. "Jagalah hak Allah nescaya Allah akan jaga hak kamu". When we pray, be conscious of our deeds (good and bad), instil the values of insaf because in reality, we owe Allah so much. We owe Allah more than we pray to him 5 times a day. Look around. Think of the nikmat that He has given us all these while.

Those above were the gist of her talk. Personally, sangat-sangat terkesan with what she said. InsyaAllah, with what I shared will be of benefits to all of us. Sometimes, we need this kind of reminder to make us be on the right track again. InsyaAllah, love til Jannah :)

By the way, I also had the chance to grab her book ; 365 Tips Didik Anak Gaya Nabi 1 Hari 1 Tip. I urge every parent to have this book because the content is so easy to read and she even provides sahih hadith which are totally relatable to parenting. It will be a good read to us all, insyaAllah.

Our "me time"

We've heard too often about "me time". The minute you become a parent, everything changes. That quiet moment in a coffee shop, the lazy Sunday morning lie in or a cheeky last minute weekend getaway are all distant memories once your little bundle of joy arrives. That said, nothing can replace the sense of love and happiness you experience when you become a parent. All of a sudden, your world is turned upside down. It seems as if your every moment, awake or (rarely!) asleep, is shared with this new little being. "Me time" is like being craved or longed for even if it's just a moment in the shower or a 5 minutes trip to the store. At one point, it's just impossible, don't you think?

My first "me time" was when Luqman was just 3 months plus I think. I needed to get out and be alone for awhile. I seeked refuge at the nail parlour. You see, longing for that moment alone or for some peace and quiet where no-one can find you, does not make you a bad parent, you need to have some time for yourself too in order to recharge and be the best parent and partner you can be. I am sure all of us do have that parent guilt so to speak but having our "me time" is equally important.

I am lucky in the sense that I do get my "me time". You just need to be able to manage it. Sometimes, during weekends I wake up early to have my coffee fix undisturbed with a book in my hand. On a daily basis, I try to get home early from work so I could have at least an hour on my own before I fetch the kids. Besides, monthly meet-ups with my besties are scheduled for another awesome "me time". The most rewarding "me time" if you ask me would be when your husband willingly looks after the kids while you take a short nap upstairs. Nothing beats that!

Now that Luqman and Adeena are older, my husband and I tend to get our "me time" every now and then. Sometimes, I don't know whether to be really thankful or feel guilty for letting them have their weekly sleepovers at their Atok's (granddad and grandma insist!) But I can say that it is such a blessing because my husband and I can have our couple time, do whatever things we have been wanting to do but we couldn't because the kids take so much of our time and attention (ie: sleeping like a log), and just relax; have a time-off from being a parent even if it's just for a day. In short, it's like we're taking care of ourselves now. We've learned to shed off the guilt and the feeling of selfishness because I personally think that it is crucial to create a more balanced, calm and happier life.  

Being a parent often means that our own needs come last, and sometimes that means we completely kick them to the curb. Most of us have been there. But if you don't already do it, try and find guilt-free "me time". Search and crave for it. 

I quote,

  "When you treat yourself well, goodness trickles down into your relationships with your partner, your kids, your friends, and your community. It’s like a big circle of awesomeness."

Raising our children

I came across a video today on 'Raising a newborn in Islam' by Sheikh Shady Alsuleiman, posted by a group I subscribed on Facebook.

It is such a beautiful lecture on parents' responsibilities towards our children which we might already be well aware of, but delivered in such a way that it struck every chord in my body. It made me think hard about what I have done so far to raise my son and which path am I leading him to. 

Subhanallah, such an eye-opener and very inspiring. Makes me want to be better and better for the sake of my children and also to contribute to the upbringing of the ummah in general.

Do have a watch, you will gain more than what you expect, I assure you. Anyway, here are some of the important points that I really like to share from the lecture :

Allah doesn't simply delight us with a beautiful, healthy child, but for us to be responsible of his upbringing, providing him/her to the path of Allah SWT

Behind every great nikmah is a great test. When Allah grant you a child (nikmah), it is to see what you are going to do with him/her (test). Parents are responsible for their children's upbringing, providing them to the path of Allah and seeking His pleasure

The money and time you spent on your family and children are the most well-spent and will definitely benefit their proper upbringing

 Babies are born Islam, but more often than not parents tend to change their children's religion through their upbringing

Children's  greatest role-models are their parents so we must teach them the goodness and the love for Allah SWT and Muhammad SAW so that they grow up knowing about Islam

We need to be more cautious of what we do/say in front of our children than in front of strangers

Let us strive to better ourselves so that we can be great role models to our children, insyaAllah! I pray that our jihad in raising our children the right way will be eased and guided and may Allah be pleased with what we are striving for, ameen!

A day off

I took my first medical leave this year today - as opposed to my resolution not to since I will be on a long leave soon. Well, I believe one should listen to her body, especially when she's pregnant. And I did just that because I didn't think I could survive a day in school today when I was awakened at 5 am.

My stomach was like a volcano waiting to erupt. It was queasy, the sound it made was unpleasant and as a result, many trips to the loo which was annoyingly tiring. I suspected diarrhea. To complete the package, I vomited a few times. By 6 am, my stomach was empty and painful. I was a weak bloated lady by then. That's when I decided I need the day off.

Had my breakfast but my stomach was still doing its somersault. I wanted to eat more but I just can't due to the queasiness. Poor baby. Went to the clinic and doctor told me it was something that I ate. At that time, my stomach was gassy due to not eating. I was shivering at one point, too. 

Drove home while eating (I was too hungry). Reached home, took my medication, breastfed Luqman and together we both dozed off till noon. I felt much better after that, and had lunch that mom prepared and felt even better.

Lesson learnt : Maggi goreng mamak with tempoyak, no matter how delicious, is not good for you; pregnant or not pregnant. 

Oh well, I believe my staying home for today has its hikmah too. Besides resting, at least I got to complete some of my pending work which is just neverending. Alhamdulillah. 

I-Kids

Yesterday didn't turn out as we planned. We were supposed to go to Aquaria KLCC for our outing but had to forget about it once we reached there.The queue was crazy long! It was neverending. We should have known. It's the public holiday, yes, but I didn't expect it to be that packed. 

I was frustrated and upset because I really wanted Luqman to enjoy watching the sea creatures. I know he would love it and be fascinated with what he'd see. Plus, Luqman was being extra cranky (didn't want to sit in his stroller, throwing tantrums) yesterday so the trip to Aquaria was hoped to calm him down. Of course, God has better plans. It was not our rezeki and we will definitely come again some other day. 

So we quickly thought of Plan B. I mean, we didn't exactly come all the way here and not do something exciting, did we? Besides, we're up to a point where we're too tired to put up with little boy's crankiness which was really really testing *sigh*

Then I remembered a friend posted a picture of her son playing at I-Kids Club Isetan and off we rushed there. Such a life saver! *Thanks El!*

Paid RM15 and Luqman had the time of his life. We, on the other hand, just let him be. Had the best 30 minutes of rest *phewww!*

The play area isn't that big, but it was okay nonetheless. 

 

 Nothing beats seeing the joy on his face :)

Online fraud

My family would know that I don't answer unknown numbers. It is all because of this.

It's been almost 2 years now, and I gotta tell you, those numbers kept on calling from time to time - just to 'follow-up' and trying to con me into paying some more money so that I can so-called continue my insurance policy *roll eyes*

Yes, I still palpitate; I get really scared that I thrash my phone deeper into my handbag to ignore those disturbing calls. And of course, I am one angry lady at the end of the day. I just feel I shouldn't be bothered as such (or anyone who's experiencing a similar situation for that matter). Many times I would get my husband to answer them (he gets irritated with the never ending incoming calls) and let me tell you, these people can be really rude. Like persistent, persuasive rude which makes your heart boil.

Then one fateful day came. An sms came in, one from Maybank, thanking me for a transaction I did. I was absolutely alarmed and I was dumbfounded for a second because no, I did not just complete the aforementioned transaction. Earlier that day, I did one - a monthly routine - to clear my credit card's debts but that's nothing to worry. The latter got me really anxious.

I made calls to Maybank which were, more or less vain attempts. I was frustrated that I wasn't entertained and here I was at the other end of the line, furious and fidgety. I mean, hello, we're not talking about a few ringgits here. It's a few hundreds!

It was not until a few days ago that I managed to get through *phew!* And my case was reported as online fraud. So I was told that I will be getting a replacement and that my old cc will be terminated. And that I will get a refund of the charged fee from Maybank. Alhamdulillah. The best solution, I guess.

The first thing that came to mind was those 'irresponsible people' who kept on calling and I guess they are to be blamed. Apparently, there is now a syndicate (can I call it that?) where 'stubborn' and 'irresponsible' agents who would simply charge one's credit card's account for the insurance renewal policy fee without our consensus. Yes, they do that. And I guess I am one of the unlucky ones. It is saddening and of course frustrating. I get really upset whenever I think about this. I am still baffled at how could this happened. 

Friends and readers, please be wary of such calls. Do not entertain them. We have our rights and they do not have any rights to simply charge us for something that we do not want. Steer away from the conversation politely if you already are and hang up. Trust me, they will be very persistent you have no idea. Three times a curse, so I know. 

To anyone who's working in such company, I am sorry. You guys just lost my trust and respect. Once bitten, twice shy. In my case, thrice. 

May we all be avoided from such fraud in the future.

Hada Labo

Over the years, I have switched from one skincare product to another out of dissatisfaction, boredom or the 2 year itch. This time, it's the itch. I asked around and I was introduced to a brand called Hada Labo by a few friends. (More information here). Upon hearing the name, I went, "Whaatt??" it just sounds so wrong the first time haha I have never heard of it before. Have you?

Apparently, this brand is so well-known and it is a household name in Japan. I read somewhere that in its origin country, Hada Labo products are being sold for every 5 seconds or 5 minutes, I can't remember. Wow, it must be really good that it is always in demand, I thought. I decided to give it a try.

So I bought my first Hada Labo (which means Perfect and Simple) set at Watsons (seriously I didn't know they are being sold there and other major pharmacies all these while) a couple of weeks ago.

I decided to buy the small trial pack first to see how it works on my skin. My choice was the moisturizing set, which consists of the three bottles of skincare regime; facial wash, lotion (toner) and milk (mosturizer). It costed RM19.90. They have other sets too. Whitening set is among of them.

So what do I think of it?

It is perfect, alhamdulillah! After only 4 days, I can already feel the difference it made on my skin. It felt mosturized all the time, even when I woke up in the morning. The soft-textured cream absorbs well and it doesn't leave my skin oily, like most creams did. I have naturally oily skin, so this is such a good improvement! Plus, they are non-fragrant, which is a plus point. A friend who is also a user said it repairs her pores and her skin improves.

I am really really satisfied with this product. Every day I just can't wait to pamper myself with a touch of Hada Labo because I know my skin will be taken care of. Will definitely continue using this and I am recommending it to you too, if you're looking for a new skincare product.

It's perfect and simple! :)

Bukit Gambang Resort & Water Park

On the 9th-10th November, we made our way to Bukit Gambang Resort and Water Park for my husband's Family Day. My sister tagged along. We missed the one held last year, so we decided not to this time. We're all excited as it would also be a family excursion.

The journey was smooth, alhamdulillah, with rain pouring occasionally. Luqman slept most of the time so I got to rest my eyes, too.

I had no idea how this place would look like (didn't bother to google) or where exactly it is, so I was anxious. When we arrived, I was relieved. It wasn't so bad after all. But the ground on which the whole place is built is still bare with many constructions going on. A Night Safari is opening soon, so they are working hard on completing the place I guess.

We arrived around 3-ish, so we filled our stomach with the lunch buffet provided. By then, we were all already tired and couldn't wait to check-in into our rooms only to be faced with a very unpleasant experience which I am not going to disclose. I don't know if it was the resort's service to be blamed or it's just the bad timing and circumstance we're put under, but it definitely made me fumed. Just thinking about it makes me emotional already.

Anyway, we finally checked in to our apartment (about 2 hours later perhaps?) which was the Carribean Bay Suites Resort Accommodation. It's a 2-bedroom apartment with a private balcony.

*click here for pictures*

We rested for a while, changed and decided to join the activities held at the field but it suddenly rained so we just stayed in and got ready for that night's family dinner at the grand ballroom.

The theme for the night was Red and Black. Everyone was dressed to the nines according to the colour code, in the hopes of winning the best-dressed award I suppose. The food was just okay. Apart from that, we were entertained by that comedian who hosted Warung Kita and that actor Razali Hussin (I hope I got it right) who acts in Tiara.

I guess the kids were the ones who enjoyed themselves much. We missed the lucky draw's grand prize, though, which was a Samsung Galaxy Note II & Galaxy Tab. As for little Luqman, he was soundly asleep despite the noise.

The next day, it was out in the sun day! We were all geared up for the fun in the water so after breakfast, we hopped on the mini train that took us to the water park which was just a 3-minute drive from the lobby.

As expected, the place was already crowded with so many people. I forgot that it was not just us, but there were 3 or 4 other companies who also had their Family Day there. Plus, the public, so you could imagine the suffocation.

The whole place isn't that big if compared to Sunway Lagoon. Again, of

course, Sunway Lagoon is definitely an unfair comparison due to its years of establishment, but it's an okay alternative.

I am not really a fan of water park due to hygienic purposes so I didn't let Luqman be in the water that long. Around 11-ish, we left but not before collecting our packed lunch. We decided to leave early as we had a wedding to head to on our way back.

In case you're wondering, there are other outdoor activities that one can do here like paintball, flying fox and obstacle courses. There is even a horse carriage ride if you feel like having a mini detour around the place.

All in all, I had a great time. Will I come back again? Probably not. Been here, done that. If it's not for this Family Day, I guess we wouldn't have made our way here at all. Can't wait to see how the Night Safari will turn out to be though.

For Muslimah

As far as I remember, I haven't been going to the hair salon for God knows how long. When I was studying, I had my friends to be my hairstylist. At home, my mum willingly provides free service. And I am happy like that.

But recently, I have been feeling the need to pamper myself with a good hair wash and a hair cut. This pregnancy makes me want to chop my hair so badly to clear my head. 

Been going to Empire to this one hair salon (because it has a closed room for ladies but it is always full so every time I had to put it on hold first). Worst comes to worst, I'll just wait for my mum to come back and let her cut my hair.

Until, one fateful day, I was in the car and I saw this huge shop sign :

 

 You could imagine how my heart leaped. A strictly muslimah salon! How come I've never seen this before? 

So today, I made my way there. Oklah. Of course, it's not APT or Vidal Sassoon but it's okay if you feel like having a decent haircut or hair wash. I am pretty satisfied with the service and I might pay them a second visit. For a haircut and hair wash, I was charged RM40. The ambiance and overall deco are satisfactory, too. The staffs and owner are friendly people from Sungai Petani, Kedah. This salon is their third branch and they just opened it in September so no wonder I didn't really notice it although I frequent the route.

So to Klang muslimahs or others within the vicinity, you can make your way here if you feel like pampering your hair. It's in Bukit Tinggi (ok, I don't know the exact address). If you're coming from the Federal Highway drive straight following the Banting signboard, but upon seeing a fly-over after the Andalas traffic light, keep left and make a u-turn under the fly-over and turn left into the shop houses facing the main road. Search for this shop sign, you won't miss it.

Alternatively, if you're from KESAS or Banting, just drive all the way pass Aeon Bukit Tinggi until you see Premiere Hotel and Tesco on your left. Keep left and after the traffic light, make a left turning into the row of shop houses facing the main road. Search for this salon.

Or you can call the numbers advertised.

11 months

Luqman turns 11 months today, alhamdulillah. He is almost a toddler, yeay!

The days leading to today, I can see that he has started to make his biggest strides toward independence *tear* His most noticeable progress is toward walking and at 11 months, Luqman has walked many steps on his own! Alhamdulillah. He becomes so fascinated with his new accomplishment that it is impossible to just let him sit still.  

Having said that, he still finds crawling is easier and quicker that we have to constantly keep an eye on him as he will 'disappear'. And his favourite spot is to crawl up the stairs. Sometimes we just let him be (with supervision of course) because this kind of 'play' helps him to coordinate his use of arms, eyes and legs. 

He babbles a lot, too, which I find really cute :) We try to let him to familiarize with a lot of words that he will be hearing often like 'Sit down', 'drink', 'give Umi', 'clap' (for every accomplishment he makes), our names, 'Bismillahirrahmanirahim' (to let him know it is his meal time) so that he will know how to make the associations later.  So far, he is progressing well. Oh and he knows 'hi' and 'bye' too.

 Perhaps I need to make him go through more picture books with me. I don't think he is not interested, it is just that sometimes he can't sit still. When he does, he seems to like it. Will try again and again and instil his love for books too :)

Ahh, my little boy is going through a fast-paced development that it is overwhelming at times. Now that it's the holidays, I am enjoying and loving every second spent. Soon, he is going to be a big brother and I hope I will be able to concentrate on him too as much as I will on his younger sibling. I want to witness all his developments and accomplishments. And I want him to know that our love and attention will always be there for him. 

This is because I realise that he has somewhat become a little clingy than usual, like he knows he is getting a sibling soon. There are days when he refuses to be separated with me, he gets cranky, and only wants to be held. It worries me at one point, but hubby said it's his phase. Babies, too, have feelings, and that he actually may fear separation from me, like he foresees his days of dependency is coming to an end once the baby is born. 

Anyway, I can't wait to chart more progresses the first 12 months will bring!

Lesson Study

Recently many countries have reported improved teaching and learning through the implementation of the Lesson Study approach. Through Lesson Study, teachers improve by collaboratively planning, teaching, observing and using thoughtful reflections of live research lessons.

Lesson Study (LS) has its origins in Japan. It was perhaps Japan's unintentional best kept secret of its best practices particularly of its Mathematics teachers until the 1990's.

I had the opportunity to go for a day course on this last year and carried it out with other English teachers who are teaching the same form. That time, it was only English, Science and Mathematics subjects were involved. Subject teachers were persuaded to set-up their Lesson Study group in school and pursue this project twice a year to the Form 2 students only. This year, to disseminate and popularize Lesson Study, this methodology has to be carried out by all subject teachers in school to all forms twice (that's what we've been told and ordered to do).

This is how it works :

Subject teachers will have to sit down together and discuss/decide on a topic/subject matter that they want to focus. Then, together they will come up with a suitable lesson plan and Teacher A will carry it out in her class while being observed by the other 2 teachers.

After the lesson, the 3 teachers will get together to discuss and analyse the lesson and teaching techniques, and make revision of the lesson plan, activities and materials. Some parts, materials or teaching techniques will need to be adopted or adapted according to students' proficiency.The revised lesson plan will then be carried out by Teacher B in her class (of different proficiency level) and the others will observe her. Observations will be discussed during the second meeting and adjustments will be done to the lesson plan and materials as well as teaching techniques.

Teacher C will then carry out the newly revised lesson plan in her class and will be observed by the other teachers. Once it's done, all teachers will sit down together again and reflect on the whole approach and analyse the strengths and weaknesses.

So what do I think of this?

Frankly, I had significant reservations even before the process started. The first thing that came to mind was the time issue. Our group had to find a really suitable time when everyone is free to sit down and discuss. It did not help that the school is continuously having all sorts of programs that we had a hard time finding a day to slot in our Lesson Study.

Then it was the issue of sitting together; teachers who have never worked together in terms of teaching now have to sit and work towards a common goal. It was very unlikely to me. However, as we slowly worked we were getting to know each other and somehow we all shared the same frustrations and dreams for our students despite our differences.

Eventually all that was sorted out and last year, our Lesson Study Group (form 2) was the pioneer in our school. It was indeed a very refreshing experience and personally I kinda like it.

Personally, our execution is better this year as we are more well-informed of this and we know better of what to do. Similarly, we stick to the topic of SVA (Subject-Verb Agreement) as that is an area which most of our students have problems with. And students seem to enjoy it too as most parts of the lesson are student-centred. The fact that there are another 2 teachers in the class with them helped them to focus.

I am actually very happy and delighted to be part of this Lesson Study project as I learnt a lot from observing. It made me think deeper of my own methodology and ways to improve them. Overall, it promoted a collaborative culture that enhances our professional collegial bonds with our colleagues; and it allowed and encouraged us to prepare better student based activities. Of course, having said all that this will not be successful if every teacher is not sporting or open enough to listen to comments and accept helpful suggestions. And most importantly, teachers must be ready to embrace this methodology and be involved.

Quoting a teacher's words :

"Clearly, the value of lesson study is primarily in its process, the creating, the professional dialogue and in looking at a broader picture of what we do as teachers"

Indeed.

Stay Fit Stay Healthy

This is actually my sister's final year project.

Together with her team, I think they are doing a fantastic job; from its planning,looking for sponsors, and the struggles she had to endure as a Project Manager. I am surprised they managed to secure Kevin Zahri y'all! And also the fact that he is willing to be part of this event, I am sure my sister and her team can never be grateful enough.

So, feel free to join her and the rest on the date and venue stated.

For the RM6 spent, I am sure it will be worth it.

Come on, let's stay fit and stay healthy!

CM5

Alhamdulillah, I have registered myself for this wonderful webcast program by Celebrate Mercy.

Didn't get to do so the last time, so I grabbed the chance as soon as I was informed of it this time around.

I am just so excited to be part of a program where there will be great speakers speaking of our beloved Prophet SAW in conjunction with Ramadhan.

Come, let us all join this and benefit from it insyaAllah!

"Convey this message, even if but one sentence."
- The Prophet Muhammad [peace be upon him]

breast or bottle?

In 5 days, it will mark the 6th month that I am breastfeeding Luqman. Looking back, I would never have thought that I would ace this. Alhamdulillah, He has given me the rizkh to nurse my son and he is growing healthily. Alhamdulillah, too, that Luqman doesn't seem to have problems with bottle-feeding during the time I am at work.

Both methods of feeding go well with him, and they both have their pros and cons.

Generally, breastfeeding (bf) mothers will agree when I say bf is very convenient. It really is. The milk is available whenever the baby is hungry and no preparation is needed. Night feedings are as simple as scooping your baby and settling comfortably in whatever position you wish to nurse him/her. An outing will not be a hassle as there would be no preparation for bottles, expressed breast milk (ebm) and warmer.

With breastfeeding, I take pride in being able to take care of my baby by giving him what he needs most - his milk. The baby becomes part of us and the physical closeness is very strong. I love it that I can notice every little roll of his fat and feel so proud.

Bf makes me feel confident and it is evident in the way I carry myself as a bf mum. I am not shy to talk about it and let them know how I truly support bf. It also has turned into a self-fulfilling prophecy.



As a breastfeeding mum, it makes me be more careful about what I eat and drink as what I consume will be transmitted to my baby. This way, too, I get to maintain a balanced diet :) In case you forget, bf also helps a woman to get back to her pre-pregnancy weight (it did to me) - what a physical advantage!

Although bf can be confining, I'd like to take that as one of the challenges with a solution - patience. It teaches me to be persistent and resistant to any negativity that might break my determination in bf.

As for bottle-feeding, it definitely gives me mobility and I don't have to worry much when I leave him for work. If I am too tired to bf, bottle-feeding relieves me and it gives my husband and other family members to bond with my baby.



Of course, bottle-feeding using EBM requires a careful handling from thawing, warming, and cleaning the bottles. To me, this type of nursing is more difficult as it requires time and it is a nuisance making bottles. Besides, some babies face nipple confusion that once they're bottle-fed, they refuse to feed directly.

However, as a working mum, I can't avoid bottle-feeding. It helps me to still breastfeed using my EBM for the feedings that I will miss. Bottle-feeding also helps mothers whose babies refuse to direct feed and still continue bf. Wonderful isn't it?

Breastfeeding does not mean that babies drink directly from the mother only. Babies drinking from the bottle filled with their mothers' EBM are also called bf. So, in praise of breast and bottle, babies can thrive on either one of them.

My baby thrives on my milk :) And be proud that your baby thrives on yours too.

Breastfeeding is in vogue :)

*pictures from google*

stylo mylo

This has got to be my favourite so far!

Love the colour combination (so far only Mylo caters to individual taste and colour preference) and how it has that forward and rear facing feature.



You know how much I love pram/ stroller that is bassinet-like, so Mylo definitely has my vote. However, looking at the price tag almost made my eyes bulged! It is RM3180 - ni pun dah best price and only for a few days.

Anyway, ours is more or less the same like Mylo. It's from Sweet Cherry, the SCR9 model. It is way way waayyy cheaper than Mylo.




This is actually a new one as Graco seems a little small and confining for Luqman. This is more spacious and Luqman can sleep with whatever style he wishes haha



Plus, it is easy to handle. The only complain would be the storage compartment which is quite small as compared to Graco. Now, we have to bring a smaller baby bag which can fit in there :)



Will get the seat pad for a more comfortable 'nest' :)

-Posted using BlogPress

3M

All these while, we have been going to a tukang urut/confinement lady whenever we need a good refreshing massage. Nearing her 70s, she is strong for her age and I have always loved her strong grip. I managed to book her for my postnatal massage right after I delivered. However, I didn't get to complete the final massage towards the end of my confinement as she's busy with more demands of postnatal care all over.

I badly need a good massage as my body starts to ache and I need a proper closure.

Then I remember a message from a then DEMC homecare nurse informing me of her current job as a private homecare nurse who offers postnatal care. I decided to give her a call and give it a try.

I did not regret it at all!!

As I am very very satisfied with their (she is doing this with another lady who used to be a DEMC homecare nurse but has retired) service, I would like to promote them.

The 3M - Melawat Merawat Mengurut

I had them come over for two days ( today was the final day) to massage me and bertungku. Before they start, they will check your blood pressure and the massage that followed? It was so so good! And yes, dua dua sekali urut serentak. Ahhh, I felt like a princess. Urutan sedap, slow and lama. Almost 2 hours and I fell asleep while being massaged.

As they were nurses, you can ask all kinds of questions that's bothering you, anything related to postnatal care, and health. They have answers. Not to mention, they are very motherly and friendly so you won't feel shy or hesitant to share anything with them.




Besides postnatal care, they also offer baby care and as you can read from above low quality picture, rawatan luka pembedahan & luka pesakit kencing manis is also offered.

They cover Klang, Shah Alam and Subang areas. Should you live in areas not mentioned, try giving Kak Anita a call. An arrangement could be made.
If you feel like having just another massage (not necessarily only after you have given birth) you can contact them, too. I know I will!

Posted using BlogPress

baby language

Not too long ago, there was this rave about a video posted, reposted and shared on Facebook. Every mum and mothers-to-be seem to be fascinated about it. I was among one of them.

It is called the Dunstan Baby Language video - a discovery made by Priscilla Dunstan about the 5 universal baby language that babies used to communicate with adults.

In this video, which was recorded during one of the episodes on Oprah Winfrey Show, it revealed the secret of baby talk.

In that video, Dunstan discussed 5 words and what they meant :

1. Neh - hungy
2. Owh - sleepy
3. Heh - discomfort
4. Eh - burp
5. Eair - lower gas

Before I had Luqman, I told myself that I had to give it a try and experiment it. I was and still am amazed at such discovery and how true they are.

The first word I alerted myself to was Eh. Luqman made that just a few minutes after he had his feeding and I literally referred to my notes to see what it meant. I scooped him up and patted his back a few times and he was quiet! And he burped right after, alhamdulillah!

The most common words that Luqman utter are Neh, Heh and Eh. Let's just say that I hung on to the notes for a few days before I could totally master the maening of every word. Everything was easy after a while.

It is such a breeze now that I know what's bothering Luqman and I get to attend to his needs.

Have a look at the video here if you haven't already (sorry, I can't seem to upload the video I don't know why)

bersih

Have you ever heard of the saying "If you want to know how tidy or clean a person is, go have a look at his toilet"?

Well, I can't remember who told me this exactly but it has been stuck in my head ever since. It has made me become so conscious and aware of how I manage my toilet because I have this thought that everybody knows the saying back then. And I definitely have a face to safe.

Has it never occurred to you why everytime someone visits your house the first place they pay a visit is your toilet? Because your toilet can tell so many about you as an individual. I get so nervous everytime we have guests coming - especially the elders (nak nak lagi yang macam kepoh2 kan) - and then asking to go to the toilet because I know they don't just answer the call of nature.

Call me paranoid but come on, we all have our own reservations everytime we enter someone's toilet, right?

So what are you waiting for? Go clean yours!

Occasional boredom

I am allowing myself to be bored because I seriously cannot find anything interesting or better to do. Besides, waiting is making me anxious day by day, (when I should be relaxing myself) so yes, I am just going to do nothing.

Only it is not that easy.

As it turns out, it is something impossible to do! For many of us, our lives are filled with so many stimuli and responsibilities that it is impossible for us to just sit still and do nothing, much less relax even for a few minutes. True much?

"People are no longer human beings. We should be called human doings"

I guess we all should learn to relax - there's a difference between that and hours of laziness - with the first of just 'being' rather than 'doing', don't you think?

Like I said, it was difficult because I am so used to doing things every second that I struggle to relax (like really really relax). For many of us, we allow our body to relax, but not the mind. Our bodies are idle but not the mind. We are constantly thinking, working our minds that in retrospect, we are not actually relaxing at all. True isn't it?

I have been spending so much time at home, I dont't think there was ever a time that I truly relax, be at peace, allowing my mind and body to rest. Many times, I would think what's going to happen next, what am I going to do when I'm done with this or that, when I am going to complete this or that chore, or what's for dessert even, once I am done with dinner. We are constantly thinking, pushing our minds to work unconsciously. I am sure everyone's been through this one way or another.

"The beauty of doing nothing is that it teaches you to clear your mind and relax. It allows your mind the freedom 'to not know'.... and it takes enormous pressure off you..."

Great! Let's be bored once in a while :)

(Excerpts are taken from The Big Book of Small Stuff - quite an interesting read! )

senyum

"Your teeth is not aurah, so SMILE"

How true!

I actually smiled to myself upon reading this quote which I came across somewhere, I forgot.

It is one most effortless act yet when doing so, we will be rewarded with pahala. It's charity, it's free. It's sunnah. Prophet Muhammad S.A.W said,

"Smiling in the face of your brother is charity (Sadaqa)"
(Jami Tirmidhi)

Even Rasulullah SAW used to smile the most, why can't we?

Abdullah ibn Haarith, radi Allahu 'anhu, said,

"I have never seen anyone who smiled more than Allah's Messenger."
(Jami Tirmidhi)

We don't lose any by moving those muscles on our face, in fact we gain more.

A smile beautifies our face. The smallest distance between two people is smile. A smile begets a smile and so on. It is infectious. And the world will smile back at you.

So lose that frown and smile as a step to following the sunnah :)

Pictures are from Google