Modified Laksa Kedah Samira

Samira...i miss you !!!!!

A few months back...we had a laksa fever...well samira did and it got to me. We were eating laksa almost every other day..if its not at her's and its at mine. Of course the laksa is not as good as those back home, but considering where we are and our degree of laziness of skinning the fish, i think its pretty yumss..
I open my cupboard today and i saw stacks and stacks of mackerel in brine and i immediately thot of.. samira, i can still here her voice " ambik reena..ambik semua, yang nie sudah dapat nanti camner nak buat laksa "..so i took all that they had on the shelf, crazy women!

Samira is not here anymore and everyday when i take my girls for a walk and pass they old flat i get very emotional..bubbles will say " thats hanna's house but hanna goes on the aeroplane already" sedih tak..the dumonts are more like a family then friends to us and we miss them dearly...we even have to look for a new Monoloply partner...unless we can convince Marie and Meshary to play! :).

So before i forget the recipe...i better keep it here :-

1.
4 medium size red onions
2 handful cili kering
belacan
a few cili padi

blend all this together with water enough to cover the ingredients.

2.
6 cans of mackerel in brine
Put everything in the blender with some water and blend.
what i did was blend 3 can til smooth and 3 can abit coarse

3. Then in a pot put the blended cili paste and the blended fish and mix well. Once everything is mixed add water about 3 litre or as u desire kalau nak pekat u can kurangkan the air.Cook in low heat and add a few stalk of daum kesum and bunga kantan ( which is didnt put since i didnt have any in cairo...so what i substitute with a few stalk of mint ) also add a few assam keping.let its boil til cooked.

4. for the toppings - timun, cabbage, red onions, lime, egss all sliced and i also make some crispy kerepek ( 2 tsp plain flour + 1 tsp rice flour + water = mix and fry in hot oil )


This will easily feed 8 to 10 hungry peeps..:)

The danger of crocs

U know how in Malaysia, they put up sign of no crocs by the escalators and how they can be very dangerous? Well they are!!...it almost caught my foot last Friday. Mind you if my crocs was slightly smaller then they were, my foot is probably crushed and bandaged now. I was lucky that they were a little bit big for me.

This is how it happen. I was standing on the escalator and when i was about to step up, my cros got caught and it got caught on the inside of the escalator, i tried to get it out but it was completely stuck. The escalator continued to move till the end and it stop. It was quite embarrassing when everyone had to walk up..hahaha..so i when i finally took my shoes off...this is how it looks like!!...

scary innit...my bubbles wears this shoes everywhere...

completely chewed up..

I was completely freaked out..i was imagining blood spurting out everywhere...it was close. Do be careful when u wear these shoes..i love them they are great to walk and very comfy but they are not for the escalators...the beach...a walk in the park..excellent...escalators..please think twice. Like many of you...i didn't believe it before but just look at the picture...horridkan..

I need a new shoes...:)

Its been a long time since..

Looking at my last entree ...I'm ashamed of myself. Its been 4 months since i wrote anything here and that 4 months passes by like a bee...this year is almost gone. This year by far being the most traumatic year of my life so far. This year i have been tested in different ways..from the promotions,pregnancy,caveman,baby lulu,bubbles and then the job cut...i have 2 months to go in this year and I'm wondering...whats next?could i handle another test? insyallah...

Yes..i have been laid off from work..5 days before hari raya..awesome innit? completely throw my raya off..and if it was not for my family, i think raya will probably be me sleeping it off. It took me a while to realise that i no longer had a job...a job that i love doing despite of the pll i work with..a job that i spend more time with then my own family...a job that i had for almost 7 years almost all of my friends are from the company and i meet caveman through the company...all that is gone when they decided that i was too much of a cost to bear..is this fair? then again...in business its all about the cost isn't it? For days i keep asking myself...didn't i work hard enough?? what could i have done to secure my job?? Was it becoz i was on maternity leave and had a baby?? I don't know, or maybe it was time to move on, maybe it was sign for me to look for something new or change my life since my life seems to have been revolving around work and not the other way around. i believe in faith and if this is where faith takes me...then i accept.

So i have decided that i will take a year off evaluate life and nurture what i have.

I hope its not to late " Selamat Hari Raya & Maaf Zahir Batin " to my love ones..

Baby lulu's 1st meal...

Oct 1, 2009

Baby lulu's 1st solid meal...yumms

happy children

Bubbles has been acting up since baby lulu was born, i asked around and everyone seems to be tell me that its ok..its normal for them to behave like that when the 2nd one comes and that it will be ok soon....my question how soon?

Anyone who knows my daughther, knows that eventhough she is very attached to me..she is also very independent. Since the new baby, she has been very very atttached and very dependent on me and it breaks my heart when i cant give her the time coz i have to sort the lil one. She now merajuk more..sulks..screams more the before and of course it drives me crazy and i get mad and then she gets upsets bla bla bla..i hate to do this...i feel like im nasty mother and it makes me feel very urgggsss..:(.

I was about to go to bed when i saw this email from the baby center pop in my mailbox..: " How to raise a happy child "..just what i needed. before i know bubbles was very very happy now days..i think she feels about sad and sometimes she even says that " im not too happy anymore" can u imagine when your baby says that...i get very sad. Being 3 im not entirely sure is she knows the whole meaning of not so happy but for a 3 yrs old to even utter these words..means something atleast to me that is.

Dont know how this artical will help but im gonna read it and see if i can get something out of it...i really do hope that things will get better.I just hope that she knows how much i love her always and forever..

Saya ingat dah dilupa

Sejak kebelakangan nie sayang jarang ada masa untuk diri saya...terutama menulis dalam blog yang yang sudah lamer mengumpul habuk. Di sebabkan esok hari jumaat dan suami saya cuti..boleh la saya lepak sikitkan, saya pun membaca blog kawan kawan saya....meraka semua telah ditag oleh khemy
ya heran kenapa saya tak ditag sekali adakan saya sudah dilupa kan..takkan!!! jadi saya pun memeriksa la khemy punya blog...nasib nama saya ada..dan saya belom die lupa kan..:). Sudah lamer saya tak di tag..kadang kadang saya malas jugak tapi yang ni adalah sangat kelakar...terutama poe punya jawapan no 1. hahahaha..kalau bapak mertua saya dah tido tadi memang saya terguling guling atas karpet saya....control ayu la kan.. chesss..

ini ada lah tag saya..

TAG 1

1. Bekas kekasih saya adalah : saya ada beberapa...semuaya telah habis tarikh luput

2. Saya sedang mendengar : suara org org dlm tv serita pasal rumah

3. Mungkin saya patut: tido sekarang sebab anak sayang boleh bangun bila bila masa lagi

4. Saya suka : tido

5. Sahabat-sahabat baik saya : adalah mereka yang tau bahawa mereka adalah sahabat baik saya

6. Saya tak paham : kenapa org arab suka menekan hon kerata

7. Saya kehilangan : gelang tiffany saya

8. Ramai yang berkata : anak kedua saya rupa macam saya

9. Makna nama saya : cahaya...reena???

10. Cinta itu adalah : buta...?

11. Di suatu tempat, seseorang sedang : makan kebab?

12. Saya akan cuba : untuk membuat tau foo fah minggu ini

13. Ayat SELAMANYA membawa maksud : sampai bila bila

14. Telefon bimbit saya : baru saya dpt hadiah dari suami saya tapi i saya tak reti guna lagi

15. Bila saya terjaga dari tidur : i tgk periksa sama ada anak sayang ok ker tidak pastu saya tido balik

16. Saya paling meluat apabila : di tipu oleh org org kat sini

17. Pesta/Parti adalah : adalah masa masa ketika saya di universiti di england..hari hari adalah pesta

18. Haiwan yang paling comel yang saya pernah temui ialah : anak kucing yang suami saya taknak beli untuk saya

19. Peringkat umur yang paling menyeronokkan bagi saya ialah : semua seronok kecuali ketika saya die utm semarak

20. Hari ini : adalah hari jumaat

21. Malam ini saya akan : tido lambat

22. Esok pula saya akan : bangun awal...lagi

23. Saya betul-betul inginkan : sebuah rumah kecik die tepi pantai

24. Ketika anda lihat wajah anda di hadapan cermin pagi ini : saya tak sempat nak fikir apa apa...anak sayang sedang melalak nak susu

25. Pusat membeli-belah atau arked permainan : kegemaran anak saya

26. Makanan Barat atau Jepun : jepun..saya kempunan

27. Bilik yang terang atau gelap: terang, saya benci menda yang malap malap terutama masa makan.

28. Makanan segera adalah : sesuatu yang saya dah lamer tak makan.

29. Ayat terakhir yang anda katakan pada seseorang : meh tido sini sayang..


Letih saya....ada satu lagi...

TAG 2

1. Apakah perasaan anda sekarang? mengantuk

2. Saya nak makan? sayang masih kenyang

3. Saya tak suka? semua jenis ular

4. Impian saya? anak anak saya menjadi org yang lebih baik dah sempurna dari saya

5. Haiwan yang saya tak suka? semua jenis ular

6. Saya harapkan? saya menjadi anak yang solehah, ibu yang mithali dan isteri yang power hahahaha...ohh dan safeia baik dari batuk

7. Jika boleh putarkan masa? saya takkan ubah apa apa..semua memang sudah ditakdir kan tuhan

8. Saya pada 10 tahun akan datang? entah la..saya tak fikir lagi...

9. Handphone saya adalah sebuah? beban pada saya...kalau boleh saya taknak gune handphone

10. Saya pernah bercinta sebanyak? sekali....kuikuikui

11. Kawan-kawan saya? org paling penting bagi saya selepas keluarga saya

12. Pernah dikhianati? hmmm...belom pernah lagi saya rase

13. Apa yang hendak anda lakukan terhadap orang yang mengkhianati anda? saya akan cakap..terima kasih semoga awak bahagia.

selamat malam......

time is precious

Im sort of having a write's block these days....i actually have alot of things to say but when im on my laptop...its either its not coming out rite or im writting 1/2 way and i gotta run and when i comeback..i dont remember what to write anymore...heres my attempt.

Since ive been back here..time seems to be something very precious..a normal day for me starts at 530 am and ends when everyone goes to bed. Luckily baby lulu usually sleeps a good 5 hrs almost everyday...so thats the only that i have for myself. With bubbles on my tail, baby lulu on my nipss and everything else...my hands are pretty much full the whole day..i even take the laptop to the toilet to check my emails :). The very little time i have..i try to catch up the other things.Thats just with 2 kids...those mothers with 3 , 4 or 6 kids..are truely super mums! Salut...

Life for me since..has been different. These days i look at things alittle differently.. Since i've been married...alhamdulilah things was always good.Everything seems to be fall into places and i pretty much dont have much to complaint about...which made me forget sometimes that things could go bad... Then..out of the blue..bam..something happen and it was a shock for all of us. Of course..all that happenned has all been written in the books..and it was just waiting for its time to drop by.

Now...i believe that everything is possible, the good and the bad is possible. Not that i didnt believe it before, i do..but i strongly believe it. The series of episode that we have been thru in the last 3 months has made me think about life..about my life. Life for me is abit different now...with a recovering husband...a toddlers whos craving for attention and a lil one thats fully depending on me 24hrs its very full on...they are my precious and if the time that i have are all gone for them..then im happy.

Life is precious and what i want to say is probably not coming out rite here coz im bloodly sleeply.

So good nite and sleep tight dont let the bed bugs bite!

Couch Potato...

I so dread confinement period...and i have 26 days to go!  i know..i know..its for my own good but...sigh..not that i hate staying at home..i quite like it but when ure put on a restriction its just bugs me and makes me wanna go out even more..im sure u know that feeling rite?

So what do u do at home for 45 days besides...BF ( breast feeding ) ? well for the last 2 weeks i had a confinement lady over...it was pretty nice to have someone at your feet..well not literally but that's what she is there for..i was only suppose to sit and relax...can i do that??...nope..i just cant.I mean one can only relax so much true? but i do like having massages every other day, that's nice and she was a very good too, she'll put some rose water patches on my eyes..and i just go into la la land. and she does keep me occupied..with the tungku in the morning and in the afternoon then the barut which pretty much restrict your movement hahaha and then the herbal bath etc..so for the last 2 weeks that was my regime and now that she is gone...my afternoon is pretty much free so i have turn to the telly for solitude!!

I've been a total couch potato flipping to astro channel by channel..yes baby lulu in one hand and the remote control in the other. Telly has never been so interesting. In Cairo,i hardly get to watch any TV esp in the last few months so I'm completely lost with the TV programs, these days i get excited with the telly..i even plan my day by it...crazy innit?although i know soon i will get bored of it as the programs starts to rotates again...and then i have to find another fave pass time to kill that 26 days..i think i get caveman to get me some reading materials..hmm any suggestions???

Beauty Shots @ 14 days

( mummy woke me up for this shot )

( Me luv sleeping during the day and waking up at nite....:) )

( finally i got my arms out )

( stretch..stretch )

My take on breast feeding

Just like how I wanted to normal delivery for my 1st born, I wanted the same to be able to breast feed her exclusively. However things took a different twist and I had an unplanned c-section and failed at breast feeding...yup...bubbles was fed with formula since she was at the hospital nurses and PMC being a hardcore breast feeding hospital caveman had to sign a consent paper to allow the nurses to give our hungry baby milk.

I did try...I think I tried very hard but it was not happening for me there was no milk but I still continued to give her my breast alternating with the bottle at every feed until she was 4 months when I surrender and she was exclusively on formula. Those 4 months when anyone asked me what is bubbles on...I would cringe and tell them she is on both formulas and breast then I would get the follow up questions...like ohh why are u giving her formula...u takde susu ke...etc..The worst was...u have big boobs im surprise u don’t have enough milk… urgggghhh when I think of it now...it’s kinda funny but back then it was very depressing, yes naturally a mother should be able to feed her babies naturally but there are some that aren’t so lucky but I was lucky I had a mother that was very understanding and supported me. Thanks ma!

This time around...I did have a normal delivery with the help of the epidural...yes I have totally under estimated normal delivery and yes it was very painful...after 4 hrs of pain I surrendered to the pain reliever...so Salut! to all the mothers that goes thru it without any help :D u are all champions!!!!. After the delivery, I was anxious to put my boobs to the test again, I didn’t put I hopes to high as I knew what happen the last time. This time, I didn’t put lulu on the breast until after  6 hrs after delivery and when I finally get to feed her the pressure was on...Alhamdulillah she seems to like my boobs more the her sister and I got  some help from the nurses at the hospital who constantly comes and check on the breast feeding...I was feeling more comfortable and relaxed...the 3rd day I was ecstatic when I saw milk dots coming out woohooo!!!...I had a good feeling about this....

now 2 weeks after the delivery, still not a latching pro yet,im glad that I have been able to breast feed lulu and she seems quite happy. Although my production is not as big as  big as others and I have to give her more feed to keep her full im grateful on how things are going so far and I hope it will continue to free flow..and I have found a few helping aid to help me pass the time while nursing...watch Grey's Anatomy...ANTM season 12 and listening to the Quran recital on caveman iPhone ( the iPhone is useful after all )  like they say kill to birds with one stone...:D.

 

So yeah…breast feeding is not easy ,everyday when i have to wake up at 3 am…and again at 5 am…and my nipples hurts like hell….times like this I get  very tempted to just give her the bottle…temptations ..temptations  temptations   

 

12 Keys to Successful Breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is a process that must be learned by both mother and child. Here are some tips that will help make nursing work for you and your baby: Breastfeeding is Best With rare exceptions, breastfeeding is the ideal method of feeding all infants and should continue through the first year of life or longer, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics. The benefits of breastfeeding over formula feeding include: • lower rates of gastrointestinal disturbances • fewer inner-ear infections • fewer respiratory infections • fewer urinary tract infections • lower incidence of chronic childhood diseases, such as diabetes and cancer. 1. Begin breastfeeding as soon as possible after birth, preferably within an hour. The substance emitted from a mom’s breasts during the first few days following birth (colostrum) is rich in protein and other substances that help fight infection. 2. Try different positions when breastfeeding. Avoid leaning over the baby. Instead, sit back and bring the baby up to breast level. Use pillows for support. 3. Have your baby suckle on as much of the areola as possible. 4. Alternate the breast your baby begins with each time to reduce some of the soreness you may feel. 5. Seek an evaluation of your breastfeeding technique by a trained professional during the first 24 to 48 hours after birth. 6. Feed your baby whenever she shows signs of hunger. It is crucial that infants be fed on demand. 7. Nurse until your baby is satisfied. The fat content of breast milk increases during the suckling session. Let your baby finish the first breast (about 10 to 15 minutes) before offering the second. 8. Burp your baby once or twice during and after each feeding. 9. Avoid pacifiers until breastfeeding has been well established. 10. If possible, breastfeed exclusively during the first six months. Breastfeeding is ideal for your baby’s growth and development. 11. Do not give supplements (water, glucose water, formula, etc.) to your breastfed newborn unless a clear medical reason exists. 12. Your diet plays a crucial role in the success of breastfeeding. A diet based on the four basic food groups is recommended.

Happy Birthday Sayang

( Daddy's princesses

 Yes...whenever there is a birthday ..its her's too my lil fairy princess )

April is a very big month for me...i have heaps of fave peeps that have birthdays on this month...from my FIL...SIL..our two princess..bestie lis...lil niece and of course my darling caveman too...turn a year older last Sunday and for 4 months every year we we get to be the same age :D.

Since I'm on confinement a.k.a house arrest we had his family for lunch...a kari kepala ikan lunch! i haven't had that in while too..yummy.

Happy Birthday Sayang.....Luv Always.

Introducing Nur Arissa Mohammad Sharizal

( Fresh from the oven )

( mummy and baby lulu  moment )

( leaving the hospital )

( nur arissa @ 7 days )

For the last 7 days we have been bombard with the same question by everybody that came to visit the new born..." So whats the baby's name"... " She doesnt have a name yet... we call her baby lulu for now " and 2 days back i got a call from a dear fren in Germany, as we talked the same question came up..." So whats her name? " i said we dont yet..and she laugh..she said its funny how u now have a baby and dont have a name yet where else i who do not have a baby yet already have a name for my future baby..:). When i think about it...thats quite true...alot of pll i know have their baby names set even before they are born...some even before they are married, i think even i did once upon a time...hahahaha...but i dont remember it anymore.
For me at least..its always been difficult to name my babies i always prefer to see them 1st and call them with the name to see if its fits. This time caveman and i had shortlisted 3 names...layla...arissa and iman for baby lulu although eveyone has been calling her lulu ( which i think will stick ! ) we wanted to wait on the 7th day before official naming her at the registra.

So our little buttercup is now called...Nur Arissa Mohammad Sharizal a.k.a baby lulu...

Thank you..

Dear all 

Thank you  for all the warm wishes, pressies and visits, it was really thoughtful and generous.

Alhamdulillah...we have welcomed a new addition to our family....the arrival of a healthy baby girl...baby lulu ( for now  :D ) on the 14th April 2009 weighting at 3.38kg and 51 cm long  delivered at Pantai Medical Center in room 223 by Dr Wong Sum Keong.

We are all back in my parents house to nest for the next 30 days...unfortunately i do not have an official picture of her yet...i don't even know where is my camera at the moment...once we get settled down...the pictures will be up..and hopefully she will have an official name too..

Thanks Poe for being my super spoke person....:).

Muahsss...

EDD : 11 April 2009...count down begins

Its been awhile...yes i know. Too much happened and too much to tell....so I'm gonna leave it at that for now.


The present.....

Alhamdulilah today, we received some good news from the caveman doctor, which lifted a huge load of our shoulder and i reach my full term pregnancy 40 weeks...and where is the baby....???? still in my belly..well as of 1 am 11 April 2009. I guess baby lulu is very comfy in my belly, although im starting to feel her trying to maneuver herself in position and that kinda hurts a little but i was told that the real thing hurts even more...:O. My doctor gave me one more week from today and if she still wants to stay in her mummy's belly...the Dr will have to induce me...on the 18Th April...yep..on bubbles birthday. It will be great to have both my girls on the same way...but i don't know how well bubbles will take it..she is all big on birthdays and having to share it with her sista...hmmmm...we might have a situation :). i guess we shall see......:).

I think there is a blessing in disguised that baby lulu is still in my belly..there is a few things that we need to do before she comes..like getting her bed ready, her bathing stuff and preparing her room alittle. This time i swap my wicked purple walls to a calmer shade of brown so that it will look bigger...my not soo big room will now have to room 4 peeps now...:). I know...alot of you must be thinking that all this should be done by now.. to be honest, the last 3 weeks was has been very busy,i feel bad myself for not having it done so this time it has to be done in the next few days..no more excuse mummy!!!

So the count down begins........will keep it posted!

to print or not to print....

Before bubbles was born, i told myself that i will take loads of pictures and print them instead of having them on digital copy. But that never happened...having everything digital these days makes it easy to just store on a hard disk and then u forget to print them. She is almost 3 nows and i haven't printed any of her pictures...so u can imagine how many pictures and albums i need...sigh!.

So lastnite out of boredom, bubbles sleeping..and the rig is not drilling yet. I opened all the folders that has her pictures in it and begin to classify them, she had a lot of pictures...even then, i still didn't think i took enuff esp when she was a baby ...shame on me.

After 3 hrs of looking at her pictures...i managed to come down to 980 pictures that i want to print, that is allot to print innit?...if each copy is $1...then i will need to pay $980 ...crap!. I mean...if it was done regular like how it was suppose to be..I'm sure it will not feel allot but now...that's seems like a lot of money to spend on.

I wonder how much they charge here for a copy hmmmm......i remember in sitiawan it use to be 0.45 cent a piece....dead cheap!.

I should do it anyway...its long over due, and hopefully now i will have time to print the regular...for bubbles and her adek...:D.

What do you guys do....??...do u print your pictures these days???

Times...like this i which there is no digital camera...just plain oldskool...manual camera!

Recap...

After my last entree....nothing much happened, i managed to get a few things sorted out, the girls furniture is ordered, clothes for donation is ready...(although not being delivered yet )...the floor pll completely scrubbed my floor ( ...if u didn't know...we had a floor issue and they had to take everything and put everything back in and polish it off..conclusion...my house is a dust state!!! ).

Caveman left for Malaysia truly Asia on Sunday...and i miss him terribly. I wish i was home with him..

One of my bestie is coming to tomorrow...Yup!...Eddie and his mum will flying in tomorrow to accompany me and bubbles while daddy is away....appreciate it babe!!! really do....waiting for that assam! for the other two bestie....next time it will be your turn!!! Caveman is worried that i might pop while is gone!

My almost 9 moths belly..is huge and heavy...and my belly has a fan...Mashael she's been very fascinated with my belly and constantly kissing and wanting you lift my shirt up to feel it...so cute, i wonder how she would react when the baby comes out??

Bubbles...has a name for the baby....adek's name is baby Lulu...where she gets this from..beats me! i have 4 names shortlisted so far..

Still not sleeping well...except from yesterday, slept like a baby from 12 to 6 am...must be Marie's delis lamb shank that did the trick!!

And yes.....Thursday will me my last day at work.....off for my maternity leave!!! ....phewwwwwwww..don't be hating.....:D

insomnia...

I haven't been able to sleep since yesterday....and its 5am now. I went to bed at 1040 feeling really tired but when i close my eyes...they just don't wanna go to sleep...arghhhhh!!!!!...this been going on for 2 days now...today was the worst. I have tired everything....every possible position...every pillow i can get around the house...even tried to sleep in front of the telly...didn't help much.

Why?? why?? why??...when i finally i have no more reason to stay up...i cant sleep!!

feeling...really tired now.....:(

its over..."doing the chicken dance"

finally....i ended my months of misery yesterday at 330pm.

I finally presented my project to the bosses and got a thumbs up!!...yippee. Although i thot i would be more ecstatic after it was done...the feeling was just slumber. Of course i was happy but i think i was more relieved then happy and it still haven't hit me yet that I'm am finally the so-called "General Field Engineer" after years of trying to put it off, i cant believe i stayed this long in the company never thot i will get to this stage....alhamdulilah...maybe rezeki anak.

Since August, i was working on it, loads of sleepless nites...loads or headache and flu's and not to forget arguments..its finally done in one afternoon...doesn't seems to balance does it...well i guess it never does.  Now, i can concentrate on the "nunu" (that's what they call babies here..nunu) and prepare myself for the big day...mind u i still have a list of things that i haven't done from my " list of things to do before April".

now...its time to trash all the papers away...i managed to collect a lot of paper during since August..and its taking over my bookshelf...and yes..i can read again...super!

Monster in my room..mummy

Nope...this is not a valentines entree, IM not a valentines fan plus..caveman thot that valentine's day was on the 8th Feb..heheheh and he still thinks its on the 8th...its hilarious..so to those who does celebrate the over-rated Valentine's day...Happy valentine's day...:)

so whats with the title...hmmm..this is the story. Bubbles has been sleeping on her own in her room for ages now...no problems..tuck her in..read a book...tepuk sikit..and she is in dreamland...sometimes she does wakes up in the middle of the night to drink, its very dry here, but after that she goes back to bed and wakes up around 7nish. Lately, esp since we have been back from KL she hasn't been sleeping well...its was ok for the 1st one week ( she was probably too tired and still recuperating from the vacation ) but then it started....screaming for me around 2 to 3am in the morning and refuse to go back to bed. She would get off her bed and jump to our room and sleep...soundly till morning and she doesn't even asked for milk or water.

lastnite...i had a terrible cough and back ache...and really cant be asked to wake up in the morning, just wanted to have a good nite sleep til morning. Unfortunately...just as i was about to sleep...i heard bubbles...calling me. I waited for almost 15 mins...but didn't seems to stop her. So i went to her room and asked her whats wrong..she said..' I want to sleep in mummy's room..I'm scared'..'scared of what safeia'...'I'm scared of monster'...' there is no monster...go back to sleep..'..'nooo..i want to sleep with you'...to tired to argue, i picked her up and put her to sleep besides me...and of course i cant get any sleep coz bubbles tido sangat buas...i have to watch her legs all the time.

This morning,i asked her again..where was the monster? she said the monster has gone home..hmmm...funny innit? she had a similar incident when we were in Samira's and Hadrien's place in Sart...apparently she had befriended a fren in the room we were staying..but she was not scared or anything..in fact she was quite happy talking etc...and her fren never leaves the room...he stays under the sink in the room....maybe it was casper's cousin.:)..freaked out samira alittle..:P.

To be honest, im not that worried..i think its normal for kids to go thru with a phase like this since i have asked a few parents...but whats disturbing is that...bubbles jumping in on our bed everrynite...and me having to fight with her legs everynite...sigh!!!..i need to sleep....

Craving...

i have been craving for ..guess what?....air sirap? funny innit, now i know how it feels to really crave on something.On monday, i was at home..resting..i ate...i drank..and i finished a tub of baskin robbins ice cream a whole tub!...after all that i was still not satisfied..no matter how much i ate and drank, i feel that something is not right, somehow i sort of forgotten about it until i was about to sleep....then i had this weird taste on my mouth...of sirap! BANG!!!...i knew that was i was missing today....i really wanted a big cawan of air sirap. I told caveman...of course he laugh his head off...what kind of craving is this...

- the conversation...

me: sayang...i want air sirap, please...
caveman: what?? maner nak dpt malam malam buta nie...esok i carik k?
me :..noooooo...u tak boleh carik here..u have to make it. i did it before...
caveman : huh...how to buat?
me : u letak air, gula, daun pandan and red coloring...
caveman : issshkk...thats like minum air gula..nanti u diabetic nanti how...?
me : but i want!!!!..i want ..i want it!!...i need it.
caveman : hahahahahahahaha....noooo im not gonna make u any.

( and he was out of the room and then i few mins later i heard the him talking in malay to someone...i presume samira..asking her about the air sirap...and then my front door was open and shut....5 mins later..it was open again..and pots and spoon bangin....hehhee...me sleeping in bed with a smile..i think im gonna get my sirap..:)...then i heard him walking to the room....me: pretending to sleep ...:))

caveman : sayang..wake up..nie air sirap you..
me: still pretending to be sleepy with a big smile...yeay!!....u love me dont u...hehehehe...but...hmm..i want it in a big cawan..my blue cawan with alot of ice.
caveman : but u sakit u cannot drink ice..
me:..sulking...( he walked back to the kitchen and fix it )
caveman : nah...happy?
me : glup...glup....happy. Terima kasih sayang....i lap you
caveman : 'kiss' ... thats it no more ok...nanti diabetic kang.
me : :)

i woke up in the morning with tainted red lips...happy...and big pot of air sirap! hahahahaha...and u know what i didnt want any of it anymore...:)

meeting expectation....

i have been off work for 2 days now...was under the weather, the cough and flu finally brought me down+ bubbles also had fever+ my maid apparently was hit by a car......hows thats!...anyway..things are looking better today,still coughing did some studying + bubbles is up and running and back in kinder & maid is returning to work tomorrow and same goes to me. Since Sunday i haven't checked my office mails, and today i had a feeling that there will be an email about my appraisals...yes its the appraisal time of the year, and since caveman told me about his today...i had a strong feeling that mine will be in the email...and true enough my "meeting expectation" appraisal is in waiting for my comment by 13Th of Feb.

Am i satisfied with " meeting expectation" hmmm..generally and in normal circumstances i don't give a "toot", since school, i hate the grading system, A, B, C, D..are just evil letters that are used to categorise ppl. So to me coz a grade is a grade, in school u can be an A person but been given a F becoz u screw up in one exam! and at work your bosses never really know what u do anyway but expected something out of this world with very little support and resources but this year appraisal hit me hard why becoz, i think i worked hard and harder then i should, to deserve "meeting expectation" and the fact that two bosses that wrote me the appraisal cant even spell out my name properly makes me wander, if they don't even know how my name is spelt correctly after all the emails that they have been getting for me which i usually don't get any reply until 2 or 3 emails, would they know i did at work and how is my performance evaluated?...my direct boss doesn't even shows up til 3pm on a good day ( on a bad day...u can't even see him for days ) and i do 1/2 of this work most of the time plus I'm getting everything sorted for him like a little secretary...i work long hours to make sure things are OK...i was working 7 days a week for 4 months before he actually consider giving me a day off a week ( excuse was ..." ohh i didn't know u were working 7 days a week"..are u out of your "tooting mind" )...with all this sacrifices, and in end am a " meeting expectation" without a reasonable reason? sigh.......

So my comment to this appraisal is ......Terima Kasih.

10 things i need to do by April...

this is what happens when ure stuck on the graveyard shift with nothing to do, your mind started to wonder and u come up with silly things. Usually i do my shifts from home esp when there is no operations running, but today we have 3 rigs working...however they all idle tonite...but i still have to be here...bummer!.I was here since 3pm today, was suppose to go home and come back for my shift at 9 pm, when imy driver left me...arghhh! to make things less complicated i decided that i will just stay on til 9pm.
its 00:00am...and i still have 8 hrs to go of nothingness...how happening can this be...ohh so very happening!! i just spend 5 hrs googling for bedroom ideas for bubbles and the baby, reading nonsense on the net, update my blog, walking around in my tiny little office to stretch my legs..its too cold to go outside, ate 1/2 of my not soo yummy dinner and i have come up with a list of things that i need to do befor April....

1. spring clean my wardrobe - this is long over due, i still have stuff that i had since like 10 yrs ago like tops that are way to small...bras and undies that need to be trash along time ago..jeans that i cant even put my thighs in ( i soo love my jeans....i think ill keep them ..:O) and stuff that i know shouldnt be in my wardrobe anymore. A fren told me that she was collecting clothes to donate to the GAZA , i think its just perfect timing to do this now. It will be hard...but i think its time to depart besides...it gives me more space for some new clothes..hahahaha

2. Get on with my so called promotion - elaborate..NOT!

3. Learn how to make Sugee Cake - i had this during deepavali at my BIL's frens house...and it was delis..how can i not know this cake exist??...anyone have a good recipe for this cake....hand it over please :)

4. Choose paint,furniture and decorate the kids room - i just found out that the carpenter needs at least 2 months to get it done...arghhhh need to finalize what i need and order them soon!!!...

check this out :http://www.potterybarnkids.com/room/rom/romgir/romgirpuk/index.cfm

5. Looked for bubbles baby clothes and put them a side for the new baby.

6. Make a list of things to buy list for the baby

7. Start the walking regime daily for 30 mins - i think one of the reason im having such terrible back pain is due of lack of exercise.When i was carrying bubbles, i was walking and going up and down the stairs at work while now, im just sitting on my bum all day for 12 hrs and plus i swam everyday til i was 8 months....which i think help in a way.

8. Read Skinny Bitch - Bun in the Oven

9. Find a name for the baby - any suggestions are welcome....thank you very much! :)

10. Get some rest while trying to finish all of the above in time.................:)

Skinny Bitch - Bun in the Oven

My darling...actually got this book for me..suprise suprise!never would i imagine that he would get me a book, 1st...he doesn't browse in bookstores looking for books except from the travel section...2nd...doesnt care much for books....3rd...hates reading books except the newspapers ( totaly the opposite of me..i hate the papers !! ).

So when he told me he got me a present yesterday, i was estatic..and when he told me it was a book...i was over the moon and scared, in my head.." i wonder what book he got me" coz im pretty sure he hasnt got a clue what books i read.

Guess what he got me..a pregnancy book...awwww soo sweet, i haven't never heard about this book before its like a series of book called " Skinny Bitch" the one i got is " Skinny Bitch - Bun in the oven"

I have yet to read but checking out in amazon.com, this book has mix reviews...some luv it and some thinks its a horrible to be reading while being pregnant!... lets just hope ill finish it off before the baby comes :)



Thanks sweatheart...it was very thotful...Muahsss

They are back!!

Took the day off yesterday to pick up bubbles and caveman from the airport...one week without them seems soo long and im glad they are back.I can see that bubbles misses me, i need to be with her all the time, when she doesnt sees me, she will come looking for me which is soo sweet...mummy..mummy..where are you?..i abseloutely love it when she says this..so for one day, it was only mummy..mummy that..mummy this..:)...bliss!

unfortunately i had to work nights again til next week and today i only saw a bubbles for a few hours sigh...missing her again...belom habis rindu lagi. I called caveman awhile ago to check on her...she's already in bed, i guess 1st day at school after a super long break knock her off. Even im little tired today,i woke up at 2am this morning to pee and i had this terrible pain on my back and i couldnt go back to sleep,had to wake caveman up to rub my back which help alittle and i finally snooze off again and by 6am i was up again, coz bubbles hd gotten up already.

Im finding it hard to sleep these days, its funny sometimes i find my leg numb from being under my other leg...huge hippo legs..:). I read that the best position to sleep in during pregnancy is by sleeping on your left side, its good for you and the baby. I usually try to sleep this was but im such a flipper that when i wake up in the morning im never on the same position hehehhehe, sometimes even on my back which is not the recommended position..so i was told.I know this will not get any better as i get bigger and bigger...need to find a way to sleep and yeah...the gums are bleeding again...sigh!! 2 more months to go....

10 Pregnancy Sleep Tips

Drink up! Drink plenty of fluids during the day, but cut down before bedtime to minimize frequent nighttime urination.

Keep moving. Exercise regularly for optimum health, and to improve circulation (thus reducing nighttime leg cramps). Avoid exercising late in the day--exercise releases adrenaline into your body which can keep you awake at night.

Reduce stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety are key culprits in preventing a good night's sleep. Remember that worrying won't help you, but talking about your problems will. Find a friend or a professional who can listen and help you if there are issues in your life that are causing you to worry or feel upset.

Get into a routine. If you establish a consistent, soothing, and comforting evening routine you'll be able to relax and drift off to sleep with more ease. As bedtime approaches try a few soothing rituals like drinking a cup of caffeine-free tea or hot milk, reading a chapter of a pleasant book, taking a warm shower using fragrant shower gel, getting a shoulder massage, or having your hair gently brushed.

Get into position. During the third trimester, sleep on your left side to allow for the best blood flow to the fetus and to your uterus and kidneys. Avoid lying flat on your back for a long period of time.

Keep heartburn at bay. To prevent heartburn, don't recline until 1-2 hours after a meal. If heartburn is a problem, sleep with your head elevated on pillows. Also, avoid spicy, acidic (such as tomato products), or fried foods as they may worsen symptoms.

Nap during the day. If you're not getting enough rest at night, take a nap to help reduce fatigue. Find a quiet spot, and relax even if only for a half-hour nap.

Support your body. Use a special pregnancy body pillow or a regular pillow to support your body. For comfort, try sleeping on your side with one pillow under your knee and another under your belly.

Watch your diet. Completely eliminate caffeine and alcohol to prevent insomnia. If nausea is a problem for you, try eating frequent bland snacks (like crackers) throughout the day. Keeping your stomach slightly full helps keep nausea at bay. Eat a well-balanced diet. Not only is this crucial for you and your baby's health, but getting the necessary nutrients will help keep you feeling satisfied and less prone to major nighttime "snack attacks" that may contribute to restlessness and insomnia when you go to sleep.

Get help. See your doctor for advice if insomnia persists. Now more than ever it's important to get the rest you need!

2 1/2 months and counting....

Many still are clueless about me currently expecting our 2nd baby.The last trip back home, has stirred some confusion and shocked a few....is she fat??...is she pregnant??? how come we didn't know..? questions questions questions .It was not our intention to keep is hush hush...why would we but due to the fact that i was ' lost in space' for the last 5 months i guess we did forget to spread the news to the world...:).To those who still probably did not know....yes we are expecting and I'm currently in my 26 weeks..how time flies. It seems like it was only yesterday, when i was sitting on the loo nervously peeing waiting for the lines on the stick between my legs to appear. Voila...two pink lines....suddenly  the same rush of happiness and shock i felt 3 yrs ago when i found out that i was pregnant with bubbles on the rig. Nonetheless....we are very grateful and excited, even bubbles is excited with her 'adek' in my belly.After having bubbles, this time i wanted to try to put on the minimal weight a pregnant should....but guess what after being on vac for 5 weeks..it was all down hill...from the chocolaty crepe du nutella and bread in Paris and the delis Belgian waffle plus the food in KL...i packed up 4 kilo in 5 weeks...just when i thot i was doing so well, anyway as long as the baby is grown fine that's all that matters...mummy will just have to pay a visit to Dr.Kurus again...hehehehehe...i honestly do not know how some women can just stay so fit and only gain the weight on the belly and stay stretch marks free...some women are just lucky that way...I'm a victim of stretch marks...this time around as much as i buttered my belly with cream...i still have them...and i have given up..!!! just trying to maintain it as it is.....the joy of being pregnant aye...:)

Bubbles never had a baby room, she didn't even have a own crib...it was a loan from my dear cuz. This time around we want to make it proper..a proper baby room and I'm pretty excited about that. I haven't bought anything yet for the newcomer, bubbles still have some stuff that we be use esp her baby clothes and toys.Apparently setting up a baby room is not easy, there is themes...color schemes etc....i wish there is IKEA in Cairo. I think IKEA has excellent stuff to the kids at affordable price..i esp like the tots bed that can expand as they grow and the sheets are so cute!

Have to start putting my thinking caps soon!!!!

flying solo

yesterday, i had to leave KL to comeback to Cairo after 5 weeks of being away...but this time it was allot harder as i had to leave caveman and my dearest bubbles behind. She handled it pretty well...much better then what i had expected, i expected that she will want to cling to me and want to come and say....'mummy...i want to come with you' like she always say when i want to go out..but last night...it was as if she knew it will be hard for me to leave her she put her best behaviour for me..thank you sayang for making it easy for mummy...:).
being with her for the last 5 weeks was superb, in 5 weeks i watch my bubbles grow up...from barney to princess and Barbie Mariposa....yes Mariposa is her thing now..and everything must be pink...typical!.Thanks to her Tokma for getting her the Mariposa dress..this is one dress she doesn't want to take off!. She is up with new tricks and getting cheekier day by day and she could eat 3 j&co donuts in one sitting....even i can't!

I had a blast with her...this one week without her will not be easy. I walked in the flat this morning alone..and it feels so sad and when i saw her bedroom with her books and toys, it was not easy..sigh!..6 more days.....i cant wait to see them again, this is one deal i don't want to do again.

miss you sayang....