A message

I guess it's true when they say the test of good manners is through patience. 

I, of all people, know that I am the least patient person alive. I have my temper, if I may add and it is a blessing that I married my husband who is cooler than I am. 

Anyway, yesterday turned out to be a very testing day. After what had happened, I am starting to think that maybe, just maybe God doesn't want me to have so much fun on my own. I believe it held its own blessings (yesterday's happenings).

I was totally on cloud nine when I finally managed to steal some time to go for a mini vacation to the pedicure after what seemed like eons I have been there. My husband was sporting enough to look after the kids. I was like a happy kid slurping on ice cream.

Only, what should be a one hour trip lasted up to a good 3 hours. *sigh*

I ended up stressed despite being totally peace and calm. How ironic.

First, I had to endure an excruciating long payment at the express counter just because one irresponsible lady decided to queue at the express counter with her whole load of shopping trolley. Very Malaysian? You bet. Didn't want to budge after being told. Stubborn? Maybe. But her daughter should have taken a more responsible action by moving to the said lane. Pissed me off big time. 

When finally finished with my quick payment, dashed out to the autopay machine only to discover that I didn't have the bloody ticket with me. Checked my handbag so many times I think people might have noticed how depressed  I looked. It struck me as weird coz it was there in that compartment when I was at the nail salon. And it was gone when I needed it. 

Hurried to the nail salon again, only to be greeted with sad news. It wasn't there. I didn't drop it. Well, of course. Then where had it gone? My heart just sank and all I could think about was why? I was totally exasperated you have no idea. 

Anyway to cut things short, my husband came to the rescue yadayadayada... and I was sooooo happy to zoom back to my MIL's place to greet my kids only to be trapped in a traffic jam because a bus decided to break down there and then. 

My breasts were starting to engorge, I was getting restless and it took me one more happening to see me burst. I was in a terrible state yesterday. I went out hoping to enjoy myself but in the end I wished I didn't. 

*SIGH*

Vented out to my friends and one of the responses caught my attention. It was of course easier said than done and one would probably say it is easy for her to say coz it didn't happen to her . But, it holds so much truth.

"You can choose what your reaction to be. And of course, you can choose not to be affected by what happened.  There is indeed some blessings in disguise".

Spot on. In the end, I recited the zikr and calm myself down. 

The blessings? Well, yeah I got to be on my own for a good three hours away from the kids. Wasn't that what I wanted? 

And of course, God is sending me a message only I know what it is.

A short note

Salaam and hello earthlings,

I have been away for too long, I know. It wasn't intentional to leave this site dusty, let alone abandoning it absolutely. 

I have been ... busy? Yes, I was and still am. Busy living my life, not virtually.

Family is my priority. My dear kids are always hanging onto me, leaving me with no time to blog entirely.

As for my job, well, what can I say? So far, it's been okay. I am trying hard to keep my head above water, on top of everything else.

Our new abode is another story. Been living on our own for almost 6 months now. Tough, hands down. But you learn independence all the same. Tiring, yes. Exhausted more like it. Burnt out at times. And we've lost a few kilos, if I may add.

I have a lot - like, really a lot to tell. Until we have secured ourselves a decent internet plan, my presence here might be minimal. I just don't fancy updating from my mobile. Satisfaction not guaranteed.

As for now, it feels so good to be typing away (courtesy of my parent's wifi) and this short update will suffice for now. In case you're wondering, we are doing more than fine alhamdulillah.

"I am too blessed to be stressed"

Absolutely.

Till we meet again,

 Us, recently

Touched

Ever since we moved into our new place, everyday is an adventure. I, for the most part looked forward to a new day eagerly at the same time dreading it. With my current status as a stay-at-home mum, one can only imagine the things I go through every single day with my kids. While I am grateful that I get to be with them 24/7, there are times when I feel like hiding in my room and be oblivious to any crying. Still, I am truly grateful and blessed to be in their presence whenever I am needed. Definitely helps me forget about work, which if you ask me, a subject better not discussed. SAHM seems more appealing in every aspect.

Of course, my husband's return from work is always eagerly anticipated too. After a long, sweaty and tiring day with the kids clinging onto me, his presence gives me a breather. Bibik helps a lot too, I may add, but nothing beats having your spouse with you helping out with the kids. It warms the heart.

Staying on our own also means we have to manage our finance wisely. As we stayed with my parents before, we saved quite a lot in terms of our household expenditures which in turn helped us in our savings. But trust me, moving houses requires a lot and it (quite)burnt a hole in our pockets *tsk!* (so being a SAHM remains a wishful thinking).

These 2 months I could say that we spent quite a lot which got me into a worrying state. Payday is 3 weeks away and obviously to me it is such a long time to wait. Honestly, I am trying to stay away from any mall visits (hehe) because I can't just stroll happily without at least spending a bit (even if it's just a regular cup of Chatime). Yes, I am saving myself up to that extent which my husband thought a little bit extreme on my part. Sad, but true. Money flows like water, I tell you!

Then one night, seeing the worried look on my face (even when I don't say it aloud) he said,

"Don't you worry. Leave everything to me. I will take care of it. You just concentrate on the kids and breastfeeding Adeena ok?"

Huaaaaaa. Suddenly my eyes went watery I couldn't speak.

Touched. So very touched.

The big and the small

Moving out

After 3 years, we are finally moving out from my parents' house tomorrow to our own place. As for me, it will be me fending on my own after 28 years of living under the same roof as my parents. Emotional much? You bet!

For years I am so used to having my mum save the day if anything goes wrong (even after having 2 kids) because she is always around. I am so used to having my siblings around for immediate help. And I am so used to seeing my dad goes to work and always home to greet him back. 

Mostly, they won't be able to see the two little munchkins on a daily basis now. It is something that needs a little getting used to. Likewise, I need to get used to not having my family around like always *sobs*

I guess it's about time (orang lain dah lama dah duduk sendiri hehe). 

But for me, us moving out, is something big. It marks a whole new life waiting and a journey of raising our family ourselves. In our home.

Tomorrow, may everything be eased.

 Our place, alhamdulillah :)

Click click!

Nowadays, I am pretty sure that everyone is on Instagram. One by one is slowly joining the bandwagon of 'instagramming' their lives which I don't have problems with. I find it quite fun looking at people's lives through moments captured. Like they say, a picture is worth a thousand words, which Instagram successfully serves its purpose - snap a picture and post! Fast and fun.

I don't have an account and I don't think I would create one anytime soon. On the other hand, I might. You know, just for fun. 

But for now, I think I'll just stick to Facebook and Blogger for fun, beautiful moment sharing :)

Babywearing

 When we knew that another baby is coming soon, I decided that I want to try babywearing (BW) her. The thought of having to stuff our bonet with two strollers gives us headache not to mention such a hassle.

So I did some reading and asked friends who are babywearing their babies. Let me tell you there are just soooo many types of BW that I am just so lost as to which should I get. The designs and colours are just too cute and pretty that I got tempted, forgetting that practicality is what I am looking for.

Finally, I decided on a wrap; MOBY wrap. 

MOBY is derived from MOther + baBy, for the feeling of closeness and connection between mother and baby. The first thing that made me attracted to MOBY is how neat the wrap is and how secure the baby looks in it. So I got a friend to get me one.

Only, trying it on is not as easy as the instructional booklet says it is!! Grrrr! Getting started on the simple and quick wrap technique was, to me, energy draining (still dalam pantang so not so energetic) and I was sweating all the way through. The end product of my first wrapping was lousy and terrible-looking. There's no way a baby can be put in there. Heck, I think Adeena, if she can speak, would say "Errr Umi, you're carrying me in there? No thanks!"

Anyway, I didn't give up. Tried and tried and tried until I finally got a hang of all those wrapping and I decided it's time to put the baby in. It was scary at first because I was worried that Adeena's limbs might be hurt and that she won't be supported right.

I gave it a try, anyway. 

 

So what do you think? I thought I aced it for a first-timer. Need to practice more and get us used to this type of hug hold.

And then I might get another Soft Structured Carrier when she grows bigger ;)

mother of two

Being a mother of two so far is...well, to be honest, a little bit of everything. 

 

It's been only 31 days and I am trying my level best to cope with the sleeping pattern, nursing both my babies, dealing with instantaneous crying to name a few. Emotionally wise, let's just say that I have to constantly remind myself that I am better than this. They say patience is part of Iman without nothing. 

Being the mum makes me feel very important as my babies rely on me so much despite having the dad around. He doesn't breastfeed, if you know what I mean. The attachment is definitely stronger. I am not complaining, no, but it does take its toll at times, like how (very) exhausted I'll become and the only wish is to get enough sleep (wishful thinking?)

 

Luqman, being the elder sibling at such a young age, well, what can I say? He is such a darling and he seems to know that he now has a sister. There is never a day that passes without him not planting sloppy kisses all over Adeena's face. Her cot is where he heads to everytime he wakes up. Sometimes I feel bad not being able to attend to his needs all the time as Adeena is the priority for now. Yes, he does throw tantrums as a result (that's the unbearable part, really) but I am so thankful that I have my husband and my family to calm him down and to attend to him when I couldn't.

 

Adeena, on the other hand, is not a difficult baby to take care of. Being a baby that she is, she only cries when she's hungry, needs cuddling and diaper change. And for that I am so grateful and relieved. It's just that her jaundice is prolonged and her reading was quite high after a few days of life that made caring for her a bit tough as we had to constantly frequent the hospital for her blood to be taken. Alhamdulillah, she is all fine now. 

 

On top of everything, I can say that I have the best support system one can ever asked for. My husband is such a gem. My family (mum especially) has been the greatest help that I don't know what I would do or become if she's not around. Tak tertanggung rasanya *sobs*

 

So,yes, being a mother of two has just starting to reveal its challenges.

 

Here's to another 13 more days of confinement and a joyful parenting journey ahead, amin!

Our star is here

Alhamdulillah, I gave birth to a healthy baby girl 20 days ago. Unlike her brother, little girl decided to greet the world a day earlier from her expected due date. 

So on the 8th of April 2013, after 5 hours of enduring labour pain, our little star was born at 5.28 a.m. 

 The feeling was definitely overwhelming as it was a different labour experience altogether. Alhamdulillah, I can never be more grateful for an ultimate gift mashaAllah!

Meet Soraya Adeena, everyone. 

Soraya (name of a star); Adeena (deen;pious)

May the name befit her and may she grow to become a beautiful star that shines brightly with the deen as her guidance insyaAllah!

 Big brother Luqman can never get enough of Adeena, for sure. Alhamdulillah he shows profound affection at such a young age. May he become the protective and good brother we hope he would be, amin!

 

And here they are, captured, a few hours after out of the womb. We thought they are a spitting image of each other. Well, pretty much.

Can't believe I am now a mother of TWO!

Selesai!

Alhamdulillah, my brother-in-law's solemnization went well last Sunday. So, Mak's three 'stooges' are officially off the market. Selesai! :)

It was definitely a looked forward event as this is the last wedding for the family and also one that's pretty much emotional as my late father-in-law wasn't around to witness this. I am sure he would be as excited as we are welcoming a new addition to the family.

Anyway, some pictures to feast your eyes; all taken by various individuals :

 

Upon arrival

 The three siblings - before the akad

After the akad; bride and groom, the hantarans and dais

Our extended family

One for the album :)

I am just so happy and relieved to be able to be part of this. I prayed hard that I wILL still be around this weekend for the majlis bertandang and not at home berpantang :) Definitely do not want to miss the fun.