goodbye 2007...welcome 2008...

time flies so fast....i feel like only yesterday i started my new job...but the fact is, it's already a year....

well, what happened to us in 2007...

• me and hubby got new jobs and we really enjoy our new jobs...well, i got my offer first while hubby was unemployed for about 4 months...but we survived..
• got to go jalan2 in PD, Kuantan, Cameron Highlands, Bukit Tinggi, Melaka...
• celebrated our 3rd wedding anniversary...
• Jihan celebrated her 2nd birthday..
• me and hubby turned 27 this year..
• i started to bake and cook seriously...
• got a new Kenwood Major from my mum...
• our new home in Bukit Mahkota is almost furnished....
• got to learn how to decorate cakes...
• my dad got AMN from Yang Dipertuan Agung...
• we sold our good old Iswara Aeroback...
• my mum bought a new car...
• bought a new Sony handycam....
• tried to toilet- train but unsuccessful...
• i became more health-conscious, started exercising and watch my calories intake...aim to reduce some weight and become more lean...
• i bought a cross-trainer...
• paid our zakat..
• Malaysia celebrated its 50th Independance Day..
• Malaysia had its own Angkasawan...

what else huh..??

anyway, what's going to happen in 2008...?

• me and hubby going to start our masters...me in Masters in Medicine (Family Medicine) and hubby in Masters in Pathology (Microbiology)...these programmes will take about 4 years to finish...
• hubby is going for a laparoscopic choelecystectomy
• Jihan is going to a playgroup programme...
• i'm going to toilet-train Jihan again before i start my masters...
• to go for a honeymoon (just me and hubby) before we start our masters...maybe in Sabah..?
• perhaps an additional family member..? (then i have to extend my masters programme by 6 months..)
• hoping for more salary increment or bonuses next year...
• to repair our dented bumper...(we've been driving a dented car for a year..!)

and we hope for more happy and prosperous events to happen in 2008...let us also pray for world peace...

ALIM Kids Playgroup....

we brought Jihan to ALIM Kids Playgroup preview today at Susuibu.com, Section 9 Bandar Baru Bangi....it's an Islamic- based play and learn program for children 2-4 years old...and it is conducted in English...

Jihan had a wonderful time there, doing some activities with other kids and the teachers....they played, sing along and interacted with each other and did some craft work as well....Jihan was very proactive and participated in the programme fully....she also made some friends....

it's quite difficult to find an appropriate learning programme that suits your child...i found that this programme is fun and beneficial to your children as well the mothers....mothers get to dance and play along with the children as well...

now, Jihan is looking forward to attend the sessions every week....

keep fit!

i entered the room just now and saw my little Jihan was doing exercises on my crosstrainer...!!! wahh!!!!

she always follow me when i'm exercising....doing aerobics, stretching, dancing and using the big GymBall...she loves exercising as well...

it's very good that she is exposed to a healthy lifestyle....being active all the time and at the same time eating healthy food as well...no junk food, please.....

so, keep it up everybody..let's begin this new year with a healthy start!!! keeping fit and stay away from all diseases!!

My Sister's Keeper

i just finished reading this novel by Jodi Picoult...so touching with unexpected ending...

a short synopsis:

Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate - a life and a role that she has never questioned… until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister - and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable… a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life… even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less?

i like the way this novel is written...Jodi Picoult made it interesting by writing each chapter from a character's perspectives and thoughts which made up this story...if i were to be Anna's mother (Sara), i'm not sure if i would do the same thing to save a daughter while sacrificing another one...?

it's surely a page-turner...

potty training...day2,3

well...after a few days of potty train, i made the conclusion that my Jihan is not yet ready and not willing to potty train..but i still continue doing so as practice makes perfect...

i called her to go to her potty every hour but she refused to go...if she did go, she won't take her panty off...she would just sit at her potty for a few seconds and that's it...

another problem is she would hold her rectum and would not poo poo....and that contributed to hard stool and possible constipation....

it is very challenging for us....but at least, she already had the experience on how it actually feels like to pee and how she'd get her panty wet if she peed not inside her potty...so, when i'm back to work, my maid can just continue what i've started and hopefuly she'll get used to it and it'll be over soon....

potty training ...day 1

yeah, i'm on a long leave now...one of the reason being is, i want to potty train Jihan...a very nice potty was bought few months ago...and she loves the potty...

so, yesterday we started our training...she woke up in the morning, had her breakfast and later her bath...i told her that her diapers were already finished and she only had to wear her underwear...at first, she was quite reluctant...then after a while she got used to the idea...

we reminded her every now and then to tell us if she wants to pee...but as expected, the answer was "No"...she was playing with her toys and reading her books....after 1 hour, i brought her to her potty and asked her to sit on it...but she refused to take off her underwear and pretended to pee on the potty...so, no waste product yet in the potty....

later, i went to take my bath and she was left with my maid and my sister downstairs...soon after bath, i heard her crying....and everybody was laughing downstairs....guess what..??she already peed in her underwear..!!!...i wasn't sure if she cried of embarressment or scared of being scolded or what...but i told her that it's okay and we changed her underwear....

later, my cousin came with her kids and the children was playing around together...while we were having our lunch of homemade pizza, Jihan came around and told me, "kencing..kencing.." and her panty was already wet...this time, on her tricycle...so, 2nd time changing of her underwear...

then, it was time to take her nap...i put her back on her diapers and she slept peacefully....

it was a good experience for her but quite a tough work for me and my maid (to clean all her mess)...at the same time, i realized that she refused to poo without her diapers...and later in the evening, she had difficulty to poo due to hard stool...

we bought more panties for her at Carrefour yesterday...and we'll start training again later today and more and more later....

Aladdin, the Musical

another musical theatre for us, but this time with Jihan...yeay!!! we thought it was a good idea to expose her with another type of entertainment that she can enjoys with the family....furthermore, it's a children's musical theatre...

so, off we went to Istana Budaya, bought the ticket (RM 30 for adult and RM 15 for children + tax), and they actually do not allow children below 4 to enter the theatre....but i just bought the ticket...furthermore, Jihan looks like a big child....

i was quite worry though if they are really strict and really do not allow us to enter and watch the show....while waiting to enter the hall, we saw many other parents with smaller kids (babies, actually) than Jihan....

phew, luckily we passed through the door...and we prayed that Jihan would behave well throughout the show...alhamdulillah, Jihan's behaviour was not disappointing...she sat on her papa's lap and once a while on her ownseat and really enjoyed the show...when the lights went off or when there was a loud bang, she closed her eyes and peeped through her little fingers....

the show was good, Jihan and the other children were enjoying themselves seeing the actors/actresses (who were mostly children as well)....and the other children were behaving themselves too, no loud cry and such like what we usually heard in the cinema (like what i usually experienced)...

overall, we enjoyed ourselves too...and we bumped into Faizal Ismail (FBI - HotFM), he plays a role as the Jin, and he was very friendly....but we didn't get to take photo with him as we were too stunned...hahaha...!!! he shaked hands with my hubby....

so, hurry and catch the show, it ends on 18th December...!

a good night sleep...

Jihan tends to sleep late at night nowadays...she'll make herself busy playing with her toys, reading her books and watching TV...(yeah, i know it's not good for kids to stay up late at night but that's the only quality time she spends with us...)

yesterday, i brought her up to the bedroom (she has been sleeping with her Makngah since Makngah came home)....i told her to lie down on the mattress and watch her favourite Astro Ceria channel....while in then meantime, i took my shower (after cycling 10km before that)....after shower, i went back to her room and saw she was fast asleep on the sofa....so, i carried her to her mattress and covered her with her blanket....i left the room and went to read my novel...

after a few minutes, i heard her cried...i rushed to her room and my sister was comforting her....she had a bad dream, i supposed...i cuddled her and comfort her but it took some time for her to calm down...my hubby said, she forgot to recite her prayer before sleeping that's why she had the nightmare....(usually, my hubby would recite the prayer with her but yesterday he was preoccupied watching CSI)

anyway, Jihan never fails to brush her teeth before sleep and would eventually sleep when we switch off the lights and while she watches the TV and seldomly after she was fed with a bottle of milk...and she would sleep peacefully throughout the night....and we would have a good night sleep too....

making friends...

my dear Jihan is very friendly...she loves making friends with other children even with adults...we were in Kuantan for a short vacation last weekend and we visited the Mini Zoo in Taman Teruntum....

she really enjoyed herself watching the animals and making friend with our photgrapher, Ramzi...

after strolling around, we stopped by at a stall to have some refreshment....at a table nearby, sat a young lady with her daughter who is about 8 years old..Jihan went to her table and said "Hai" to them...luckily, both of them accepted her greetings and had a very friendly chat with Jihan...(I missed taking their photos together because i was too busy eating my rojak)

Jihan also played with the big girl for a while before saying goodbye to each other....

she loves companions from other people that are other than us...she offers her warm friendship to others and she behaves well with them...no hitting each other, no pushing each other , no fighting over toys with them....

look alike...? (part 3)

I'm so happy and elated when i found out about this!!!

look alike...? (part 2)

then i found this...i'm relieved....phew...!

look alike...???

am i frustrated, depressed, shocked with this revelation...????

1st family vacation....

this was during her first vacation

buckle up in her carseat

a lot of emotional (and physical) changes involved after my baby was borned....i was glad that i was only 3 kg heavier from my pre pregnancy weight (but it gradually increases after i stopped breastfeeding when Jihan was 6 months but now i'm serious about shedding off a few kg that i gained within the last 1 year...argghhh!!)....plus the lack of sleep, the pain and agony to handle the tiny creature that has just come out from your womb....it was a mixed feelings actually...the first few weeks is the most critical condition for the mother....good social support is very important to the mothers as to prevent post natal depression (thank god i didn't suffer from this)

the fact is, i was very happy with my newborn baby at that time and i was coping quite well adapting to a new life....after confinement, i started working...then a new kind of stress emerged...i was a bit physically and mentally imbalance and exhausted....at one point, i decided to take a few days leave and plan an impromptu family vacation....(the first one for Jihan, who was 4 months old at that time)

it was during fasting month and we went East Coast...i buckled Jihan up in her carseat and she behaved very well...she loves travelling in the car...i had to wake her up to breastfeed her...now we have to pack an extra bag (plus others) for Jihan's clothes and stuff...luckily she was still breastfeeding at that time so no need to pack a whole basket of milk powder and bottles and sterilizer, etc....we packed 2 bags for her- 1 containing her clothes and another 1 containing her diapers and some toys...other accessories for her include baby hat ( which she hated wering it)and a few toiletteries...we always stuff her stroller inside the car boot in case we need them...

the journey was good but it takes time for Jihan to adapt to a new environment (the hotel room)...she cried loudly when she was in the elevator...but after a few try, she got on well...

it was a memorable vacation for us...it was only the 3 of us...it was time to strengthen the bond between us and for us to spend more time with our lovely Jihan...

tips on planning your first vacation (with baby):

• go to a place that are accessible to health centre



• choose the environment that is almost similar to your home



• plan for a short vacation (2-3 days)



• pack your stuffs as well as your baby's stuff 1 day before the journey



• make a checklist on what to bring



• pack some of your baby's favourite toys as well



• if your baby is bottlefed, bring along the bottle sterilizer or sterilizing tablets (do not compromise hygiene for the sake of your little ones)



• if you plan to go to the swimming pool/beach, bring along sunscreen for babies and babies floaties



• bring extra clothing as she/he might puke or dirty the clothes accidentally



• do not cramp the car with unnecessary stuffs/toys



• bring a stroller/pram along



• minimize the amount of baggage (if possible)



• drive safely and carefully



• buckle up your baby in her carseat



• make sure the ventilation is good inside your car (not so hot or not so cold)



• enjoy yourself and make your baby enjoy herself too!

sweet tooth...

i remember when my Jihan had her first tooth...she was about 7 -8 months...it was the the lower central incisors...they emerged one by one...then it stopped...for quite some time...i started to worry and asked my dentist why the other teeth have not erupted yet...she said not to worry, in fact i should be thankful because the later they come out, the later they'll get dental carries....

we waited quite long for the other teeth to come out...when she was almost 1 year old, then the upper central incisors emerged...by then she had 4 teeth...we didn't give her foods that were hard and difficult to chew as she only had her gums to chew on the food.....

when she was about 15 months then she had most of her teeth erupted...by then she ate almost everything...

we have no problems to care for Jihan's teeth...we started brushing her soft gums when she was about 4 months....when she got bigger, we bought her her own toothbrush and toothpaste...and now, she is able to brush her own teeth....twice a day...and she really loves it...

besides that, we do not introduce chocolates and sweets to her...once a while, she got to taste them but those sweet foods are not in her dietary plans....and she never had a taste of carbonated drinks...that can promote dental carries if your child indulges into them...

it is not difficult to care for the little one's teeth....avoid sweet foods and instill the habit of good dental hygiene in them since young....by starting early, your baby will become used to having his teeth cleaned and hopefully, you will avoid future problems with brushing...

also avoid acidic, sugary or fizzy drinks especially between meals, at bedtime or during the night as a comforter..tooth decay can occur if a baby has long and frequent exposure to sugary drinks given in a bottle...if possible avoid night feeding where the bottle is stucked at your baby's mouth for a long time....

a wisdom tooth story (part 2)

after almost 1 week suffering from the terrible ache, it finally subsides today...i went to dental department yesterday and had my OPG done...

my OPG

that's my OPG...can you see the wisdom tooth and the right side? that's actually my left lower wisdom tooth which is laying almost horizontal...it's pushing all the other teeth for it to come out..but still it cannot come out because of the overlying gum..the root actually is very near to the one of the dental nerves, that's why it is causing so much pain when it is inflammed and swollen as it compresses the nerve...while the right side being very vertical which make it easier to come out, but still cannot come out because of the overlying gum and soft tissue...so far it is sitting there quietly and i hope it will just stay there and be good!

so, that is the real situation...so what will happen now is i'm praying and hoping that i won't get another attack...and i hope they will call me earlier to have a minor oral surgery to remove the tooth!

so today, i started to eat normal food again (i have been depending on Nesvita 3 in 1 for the past few days) and able to consult my patients (though i restricted my conversations with them as it still give some pain when i talk too much)....

a wisdom tooth story...

impacted wisdom tooth

ouch!!! oh, hai...! i'm in no mood to do anything today...i've been trying to let myself out of this hot and stuffy environment for God-knows how long....as far as i remember, i've been in here for ages...and i remained still and quiet without disturbing others..but for the past one year or so, i thought it'll be nice if i can venture what is outside there...so, i thought i wanted to peep around and that was when i started pushing myself to the surface...

well, i managed to peep a little bit...i got to see my other friends out there...before this, i can only hear their voices...but is not that good though...i cannot squeeze myself back in...i cannot stand all the food debris got stuck in between me and my home..and it tend to be smelly...yucks!!

when my home got covered with the dirty food debris, it will become so ugly and dirty...i cannot sweep them away...but i feel great when i got a very nice bath with Oral B shampoo cleaning me and swept the dirty things away...sometimes, when i throw my tantrum, my home swelled up and trapped me...and i felt stuck and stuffy...

it has been a few days that i am not feeling that good...my home is swelling up and i becames stuffy and i tried to push myself to the surface more and more...luckily i don't have any fever...and some of my friends out there also complained of uneasiness with my home swelling up...

just now i heard someone talking about me...they were discussing of throwing me out for good!!!!! oh, no!!!! that's not good for me...i'm losing my friends and where will i be sent to..?? but they thought of doing it later because it's going to be a painful thing to do and it is expensive...but they somehow can get it done for free as well...oh, i don't know.....if they want to throw me out, i will hold tight to my lovely home and call my friends to hold my hands not to let me go....!

maybe, that's the fate of me...i've nowhere to go now...i wait and i wait for my destiny...i don't decide for my own destiny...but they do - the HUMAN!


yeah, that's the story of my wisdom tooth, to be exact - the left lower wisdom tooth...the right-sided one has been good, it has not decided to come out...i can't decide yet what to do..luckily it is not infected...just impacted...this is worst than wearing a braces!!!!! arghhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

Chicago, The Musical

my cousin called a few days ago inviting me for a musical show (ChicagoThe Musical- the original was played by Reene Zelweger and Catherine Zeta Jones) on Deepavali Day at Kuala Lumpur Convenction Centre...she had 2 tickets cost RM 180 each and wanted to give them to me as she could not go and watch the show...(wow!!!) i had several times turned down her offer previously (including The King and I the musical where they got to have a tea with the actors before the show...sigh..!)

i immediately called my hubby asking him whether he wants to go or not and he said yes..! (yahooo!!)

so we went yesterday quite early (leaving Jihan with atuk and wan) and were wandering around at the KLCC and my hubby bought himself a new perfume, i bought myslef an Anuar Zain latest CD (at last!) and bought Jihan a pair of nighties...

then off we went to the show...the crowd was good...we got the centre seats but it was on the upper tier...the view was quite far but ok lah..

the last time i watched these kind of entertainments was many years ago....when i was in from 2...most of them were held at MATIC Jalan Ampang.... for hubby, it was his first time, so he was quite excited...

the show was good...the music was nicely arranged and had soul in it...their voices were marvellous and their dancing and acting were just perfect...everybody sang and danced and mostly to the fast number.....i cannot compare to the local setting because i missed watching P Ramlee the musical recently...

i should thank my cousin for giving us the free tickets! yeah, more free tickets next time huh?

Jihan pandai....

my dear Jihan is getting matured each day...she tries to be independent in everything she does...she tries to wear her own shoes, she doesn't want others to feed her during meal times, she wants to switch on or off the lights by her own, on or off the aircond and so on...she will simply say, "Jihan pandai...." and won't let us do it for her...

though there are things that she still doesnt like doing such as going to the toilet to poo-poo and she-she, take her own tricycle if it got stucked, throw a tantrum when her demands are not met....but i think she grows up very fast...

i saw her videos captured shen she was younger...she was witty, funny and adorable...and she thought very smartly as well...

nowadays, she is a star...she can imitate any advertisement or characters that she sees on the TV and that really entertains us...

she is also very friendly and know how to bring about herself when she is at other places...

sometimes, we just cannot underestimate our kids...they mature in their own way even though we don't really teach them how to do it...they see and enjoy their life and learn through them by day to day experience....that's why the right exposure is needed at this age for a good interpersonal development...watch what the children see on TV and put them in the right environment so that they'll be nourished with the good attitudes...

friends and family gathering (hari raya gathering)

we had the gathering last weekend at our home in Bukit Mahkota....i planned to upload the photos in the fotopages but their server is down again...

sneak preview....

PHOTOS UPLOADED @ OUR FOTOPAGES

the Day when i had her...and the story goes on...

23rd June 2005

i think the time has come...! i realized i had show at 11.00pm . that evening, me, asrul and zizie went to bangi (dahlia's house) to settle the SPA forms. late that evening, i managed to bake an apple crumble cake (actually, the baby was the one who really wants it). anyway, mild contraction started at about 1 am(24/6/05).

24th June 2005

so, lafter subuh we went to hukm ...had ctg done ( which was reactive), and VE (vaginal examination)....it was damn painful when VE was done...(all this while i simply like to VE patients...) and i was so frustrated to find out that i was only 1 cm dilated....DR ask me to go home first and wait for the contraction to get stronger.

when reached home , the contraction seized, mum said it was a false alarm, but the bloody show was heavier...! the contraction started back at 3 pm after eating nasi baryani and was getting regular n stronger since then (2:10).

at 6 pm i couldn't bear the pain anymore...so, we went back to HUKM...had CTG done....and VE..wah!! at 7 pm already 3 cm and DR said, "let's make u a mommy tonight.." and he did stretch and swipe (S&S) to make it bigger....! it was damn painful and i stopped him as he wanted to make it till 5 cm...!so dilated to 4 cm (save 1 hour!).

he called Prof J for his consent to do ARM (artificial rupture of membrane - break the waterbag) and sent me to the labour room at 8pm. at the labour room...the birthing suite was nice (room no 4), the nurses were very kind...Prof J came at 8.20pm, repeat the VE (still 4 cm) and ordered pitocin after epidural is done...and i waited for the anaesthetist to come for the epidural...in the mean time, the nurse offered me Enthonox (gas for pain relief) but it didn't work that well..(asrul's hand was full with nail marks!!)

At last Dr O (the anaesthetist MO) came at 9.20 pm, set the epidural catheter in and VOILA!! the contraction pain was gone....! so, i managed to get some sleep from 9.45pm till 10.30pm while Asrul ate his dinner outside the labour room with mak n abah..epidural is really a wonder...a real gift to women in labour!!i really love it!!!

i realized that my uterus was hyperstimulating at 10.30 pm and some sort of pain can be felt at the anus, vagina..the sacroiliac joint was tearing up and the lumbosacral region was pulled apart...!!! felt like pushing already but it was too early!!! the nurse came by at 11.00 pm and i told her that i was hyperstimulating..she did the VE and to my surprise she told me that i was already fully!!..she asked me to slowly bear down so that the head will come down just in time for Prof J to arrive to conduct the delivery...

11.20, Prof Jamil arrived...he was also surprised with my excellent progress...he thought that i will only deliver after 2 am...anyway, i started pushing at 11.20pm....after putting all the efforts and hardwork, my baby girl is finally delivered at 11.44 pm.....!!!

aLHAMDULILLAH...the epidural was a miracle..i did not even realize that i had an episiotomy! and stitching was fine...no pain felt!

the first thing that was so obvious about her was her glowing big pair of eyes...!! she weighed 3.18 kg, with the length of 53 cm and head circumference of 34 cm...APGAR score was 9 at 1st minutes and 10 at 5 minutes....she was a wonderful and great, healthy, cute-looking baby... i'm a mommy now...!!! forgot all about the pain coz i have a lovely princess that enlightened our lives now...

then, begins all the excitement and the determination to breastfeed my baby...as a 1st time mother, it was a very difficult moment...to get the baby properly latched, with no milk being secreted yet for the first 3days...and the breasts getting engorged like a shining watermelon (haiyaa!)

my milk started to established on the 3rd day after i got a good massage from the mak bidan...at that time, i was delightful and excited and alhamdulillah seeing my milk spurting out and Jihan excitedly gulping every drop of milk...but then i started to have cracke nipples (ouchhh!)....so , i bought a nipple protecter to wear it temporarily, and applied the nipple cream as well..alhamdulillah, i didn't have problem with moral support...everybody encouraged fully breastfeeding and my parents were excited telling their colleagues that i fully breastfeed my Jihan...

when starting to work (1st time working experience in life - as a houseman), alhamdulillah Allah made it easier for me to express the milk..and i invested quite a lot (RM) to fully breastfeed my Jihan for at least 6 months( and Allah grants my wishes- maybe for the next baby i hope to breastfeed him longer to save money on formula milk)..i bought an expensive breastpump but it was worth it...i can continue using it for the next baby as well..

like the experience of beinig pregnant, giving birth and breastfeeding and taking care of my baby (even though my confinement period was quite stressful- i had a bleeding haemorrhoid)..i want to experience that again and again, insya allah...may Allah, bless us with many children who can contribute towards the ummah and nation...

acute abdomen (part 3) - laparoscopic cholecystectomy

so, hubby is confirmed to have cholelithiasis (stones in gallbladder)...he went to see the surgeon to see what can be done (eventhough we know that surgery is the definitive treatment)...he waited for quite some time in the clinic waiting for his queue...finally he got to see the surgeon and it was a coincidence that he saw our former lecturer, Mr Jun...

Mr Jun set a date for the elective surgery - laparoscopic cholecystectomy...it will be somewhere in January 2008...it is still 3 months away, so dear hubby really has to take care of himself not to let the stones causing obstruction in the biliary tree which can cause acute infection of the gallbladder...

dear hubby has a mixed emotion...he is actually worried about the surgery...it is not an open abdomen surgery...it's going to be 4 incisions on the abdomen to insert a camera and the apparatus to cut and remove the gallbladder...the recovery period is also quick and hospital stays can be shortened as well...on the other side, he cannot wait to have the surgery as he could not bear the pain anymore (if it ever happen again)...

so, we pray that he will not have anymore pain and the surgery will go on smoothly...in the mean time, i have to restrict my cooking method to the non oily type...

acute abdomen (part 2)

alhamdulillah, my husband is well and pain-free for the past few days....i am just so scared when he was to have the pain again...!! we hate to go through all the hassle at the emergency department....(we cannot store all medications at home, especially the injections type, even though we are doctors..)

my hubby went to work early today as he has to queue to get his ultrasound abdomen done...at 11 am, he called me at work telling me that he is confirmed to have multiple calculi (stones) in his gallbladder...that causes him to have the pain when the calculi got stuck at the biliary tree....

now we already know the diagnosis....so, i referred him to a hepatobilary surgeon and scheduled for an appointment within these few days....

probably he needs an operation soon (laparoscopic cholecystectomy) to remove his gallbladder which contains the calculi, because he experiences all the pain....hopefully he'll get it done before his exam....in the meanwhile, he is more careful in selecting his food now...which is good!

angkasawan part 3 (he has landed....)

alhamdulillah, our first Malaysian in space, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor has safely landed in Soyuz with 2 other Russian astronauts yesterday....although, it landed 300 + km away from it's proposed landing area, which created a tense moment for us who waited eagerly, alhamdulillah all of them were safe and sound...

this has mark another outstanding achievement for the Malaysians and we are so proud of this moment....!

CONGRATULATIONS, DR SHEIKH MUSZAPHAR!!! YOU ARE ALREADY A RECOGNIZED COSMONAUT...GET READY TO BECOME AN ORTHOPAEDIC SURGEON SOON...!!! GOOD LUCK!!

Acute abdomen

we had a wonderful Raya this time....it's the first time after 3 years of marriage and working, that me and hubby celebrated Raya together and really enjoyed ourselves meeting relatives and friends....in 2005, hubby had to work during Hari Raya and for the next 3 consecutive days, so only me and Jihan went back to my parents' kampung...in 2006, we only spent 2 days of Raya together as hubby already starts working on the 3rd Raya....this year, although i have to be oncalled on the 2nd Raya, we still can enjoy our Raya holidays as we had quite a long holidays after that until the 6th Raya...

as usual, my dear hubby who simply loves eating, will eat just anything on the table....unfortunately, not all things end in a good way...on the 2nd Raya, while i was oncall, we managed to get some late lunch at Nando's and later went to my aunt's house to eat some soto...my hubby ate quite a lot....later that night, he complained of right hypochondrium pain and it was quite constant...after giving him some medications and ointment, the pain was still there....it was the similar type of pain he had during fasting month when he ate a lot, but at that time the pain resolved by itself...so that night, i ended up bringing him to the hospital for an injection....alhamdulillah, the pain resolved and he managed to get a good night sleep and we travelled to Batu Pahat the next day to see the rest of the families there...

we planned to do an ultrasound on him to see whether he has some stones suck at his biliary tree (the pain was highly suggestive of biliary colic)...but it's still during raya holiday, no radiology MO to do the scan...so, 2 days ago, my mum cooked some lontong and as usual we ate a lot...unfortunately, my hubby had the same type of pain that night....he was profusely sweating bearing the pain....and we ended up in the hospital again...after a few injections and few blood tests (which were normal), my hubby felt better and was discharged home....

he needs to get the ultrasound done fast to see whether is it the stone that causing him all the pain or is it something else, then we need to refer him to appropriate specialty...in the meanwhile, i have to control his food intake...no oily food and not too much of food per meal...because if lots of oily food is consumed, more bile is excreted to digest the oil and probably the stone (if it is there at the gallbladder or biliary tree) will get obstructed and will cause pain (biliary colic)....

we pray that it is not something sinister and may he recover fast and be in good health always....

Angkasawan (part 2)

taken from our camera on our TV

we were glued to the TV set on the night of Aidilfitri to see our hero, Malaysia's first angkasawan, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar in space....it's the time for Soyuz to dock with the International Space Centre (ISS)....we waited from 9.30pm till almost 1.00am just to see him LIVE FROM SPACE!!!...

it was a wonderful feeling to see him safe and sound and he was trying very hard to adapt to the zero gravity environment....

he'll be conducting 4 experiments in space and is scheduled to be back on October 21st...

ALL THE BEST AND SELAMAT HARI RAYA TO YOU, OUR ANGKASAWAN...

Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri...

it's the 2nd day of Aidilfitri but i'm on standby call....we had a great celebration yesterday with lots of delicacies to enjoy....Jihan really loves eating "tutupat" yesterday...tomorrow me and hubby will join Jihan and my parents at Batu Pahat, to continue the celebration of Aidilfitri...!

Angkasawan..!!!

today is D-Day ,we Malaysian have been eagerly waiting for...the launching of Souyuz Spacecraft to ISS carrying the first Malaysian astronaut to space, Dr Sheikh Muszaphar Shukor....

everyone in Malaysia is very proud with this achievement and we are praying hard for the safety of Dr Sheikh Muszaphar on board...

Dr Sheikh Muszaphar is a medical officer in HUKM (where we work) but personally i haven't bump into him at work...my sister met him when she ate at his restaurant , Rebung in Bangsar...he is a nice man and i am so proud and glad that the fact that he is a from a medical profession that can make such an achievement...

my dear Jihan, has learn a new word yesterday.."Angkasawan"...she can pronounce the word very well....and probably one day she would become the first lady astronaut from Malaysia...she loves watching channel 588 Astro to see the Angkasawan....

we will surely wait for the moment today to see Dr Sheikh Muszaphar to space...

Angkasawan Malaysia Boleh!!!!

hari raya excitement...

our homemade cookies on the shelf

Jihan is so excited to celebrate hari raya this year....she is more mature and begins to understand the excitement of hari raya....

she loves watching the hari raya advertisement and can say the word "ketupat" when she sees one...(but she pronounces it as "tutupat") but this year, we are not going to make ketupat like the previous year as there will be a change of menu this year...we plan to make chicken soto with nasi bukhari and moroccan lamb on hari raya day...anyway, Jihan will definitely eat some "tutupat" when we go back to kampung later....

we already bought our baju kurung and baju melayu for papa...this year, we will be dressed in green...a few dresses for Jihan and some older dresses that still look like new...papa has already bought his shirts recently and i already got a new sandal and handbag to stuff Jihan's duit raya...

we will be going back to my parents hometown in Negeri Sembilan on the 1st raya, then i have to travel back to KL because of my oncall then to Batu Pahat on the 3rd Raya...Jihan and the others will go straight to Batu Pahat on the 2nd raya...

hopefully, all of us will have a safe journey back to kampung...drive cafefully.....

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI, MAAF ZAHIR BATIN

fussy eaters...

some kids are known to be fussy eaters...some can just stuff anything inside their mouth...alhamdulillah, Jihan so far has no problem to eat just anything that we give her....but some parents have to deal with this problem with their children and sometimes that they don't know what to do...

when your baby start weaning (it is recommended to start weaning at the age of 6 months), start with something simple...something that has 1 ingredient....for example vegetable/fruit puree....try it for 1 meal first and if tolerable increase to 2 meals per day....continue giving breastmilk/formula milk...adn continue giving the same ingredient for 3-4 days to look out for allergic reaction....if everything goes well, change to other ingredients/flavours....let your baby experience different type of food and taste...it's ok if your baby only takes 3-4 spoonful of food....their stomach is just as big as an egg...

when your baby is about 8-9 months, you can mix 2-3 ingredients in the meal...maybe a serving of porridge with fish and vegetables....the procedure is similar....and look out for allergic reaction...do not introduce egg yet, as it has higher risk of developing allergic reaction in your child...maybe now your child might eat 2-3 times per day...

usually, when your child is older, the higher the chance of your child to become a fussy eater...they love to play and sometimes are preoccupied with it and forget to eat....this is when the creativity of the parents comes in....

you can be creative in creating your children's food....cut the food in funny shapes, arrange them in a beautiful plate and create a happy meals time with them....they love to eat when you eat along with them....

it works for me....Jihan loves the funny and colourful ingredients on her plate...and if your child drinks more milk than eating his meal, you need to cut down on his milk intake to 2-3 times per day....it is easier to drink milk and this will make them lazy to eat....

Child Kidnap Trick

i got this from drNo's blog..... PLEASE READ AND SHARE IT WITH OTHERS TOO FOR THE BENEFITS OF OUR CHILDREN!!

if this situation ever happen to me, i will surely scream and scream and cry and cry like a mad woman...may Allah protect us from all the dangers and hazards out there...

Thu Sep 27, 2007 5:25 pm (PST)
Subject: Child Kidnap Trick in Carrefour, JB

Even if you do not have little kids, pass this one on to everyone you can
think of. You never know who you might save by sending this e-maiil. Please, take
the time and forward this to any friend who has children & grandchildren!
Thanks!

Wanted to share something that happened today while shopping at Carrefour.
A mother was leaning over looking for meat and turned around to find her 4 years
old daughter was missing. I was standing there right beside her, and she was
calling her daughter with no luck.

I asked a man who worked at Carrefour to announce it over the loud-speaker.
He did, and left me, he immediately walked right past me when I asked and went
to a pole where there was a phone. He made an announcement for all the doors and
gates to be locked, a code something.So they locked all the doors at once.

This took all of 3 minutes after I asked the guy to do this. They found the
little girl 5 minutes later in a bathroom stall drugged. Her head was half
shaved, and she was dressed in her underwear with a bag of clothes, a razor, and
wig sitting on the floor beside her, to make her look different.

Whoever this person was, took the little girl, brought her into the
bathroom, shaved half her head, and undressed her in a matter of less than 10
minutes. This makes me shake to no end.

Please keep a close eye on your kids when in big places where it's easy for
you to get separated like Shopping Malls. It only took a few minutes to do all
of that. Another 5 minutes and she would have been out the door. I am still in
shock that some sick person could do this, let alone in a matter of minutes. The
days are over when our little ones could run rampant all over the place and
nothing worse would happen then them annoying people.

The little girl is fine. Thank God for fast workers who didn't take any
chances.

the thrill of cooking for your family...

i am thankful that i've been given a good and promising job this year as a trainee lecturer in a family mediine department....i do a 8 to 5 job at the clinic with once a while oncall at the low risk birth centre ....and i have more time to spend with my beloved ones...but i'll definitely miss this opportunity again next year once i enrol into the masters programme...anyway, i will make use of the time i have now to the fullest...

so this ramadhan, i cook almost everyday, i venture into different dishes each day...we rarely buy dishes at the pasar ramdhan except for a few kuih and drinks...but the main dish, i always cook for my family...and they love them very much...

i gain the satisfaction when they eat everything i cook ( of course they taste very good)...in a way, i only cook the best ingredients and i can minimize the usage of salt, oil and other unhealthy stuffs in my dishes....thus promote a good healthy eating habits in the family...during my consultation in the clinic, i always advice on healthy diet so i have to make it into my own practice as well...

in previous ramadhan, our table was full of bought dishes...but this year most of them are homecooked dishes....

wonderful recipes @ my other blog

am i ready for potty training..?

last weekend, we bought a VCD "Elmo's Potty Time" and a storybook on potty training for Jihan..we wanted to introduce to her about potty and toilet usage before she undergo a proper potty training later...

she loves watching the VCD "Elmo's Potty Time"... it is quite interesting and funny and she seems to understand the purpose of potty and toilet... then, the storybook is also very interesting and she kept saying, "friend go to toilet, go to toilet.." ... and when i asked her, "Jihan wants to go to toilet..?" she replied, "no!"



it's ok if she is not ready yet...but yesterday, my maid told me that Jihan asked her to go to the toilet with her but she already poo poo in her pampers....



i'm planning to take a long leave end of this year to potty train her...probably she'll be ready by that time...

Rattatouille.....

we just came back from Mines Shopping Centre after a movie treat, "Rattatouille"...it's Jihan's first movie watching at a cinema....

we went there quite early where most of the shops were not opened yet...we bought the ticket, booked our seats very near to the aisle, just in case we have to leave early if Jihan throw her tantrum...we told Jihan that she is going to watch a "big cartoon" and she agreed to that and she really wanted to see a "big cartoon"...

so, the show is scheduled at 12.10pm...so we went strolling around the mall...we wanted to go on the boat cruise but the services won't start until 11.30....gosh....so, instead we watched the big fishes swimming around the canal...

then we gave Jihan her lunch before the movie, 1/2 of tuna sandwich..we sat in front of a guy boutique where they played a very energetic song...Jihan was eating her sandwich while dancing in front of the shop...she really enjoyed herself...

then it's time for the movie, Rattatoulle....we went in and i kept telling Jihan that she is going to watch a "big cartoon"....i was worried that she might just freak out when she enters the dim cinema...

she sat on her papa's lap and watch the cartoon quietly...she didn't make a lot of fuss and seemed enjoying herself though she looked sleepy...about 3/4 of the show, she fell asleep.....and she woke up 20 minutes later to enjoy the last few part of show....

we were ready to leave when it finished but they were still showing the name of casts, producer, bla, bla....and Jihan said, "not finished yet...want to see big cartoon"....so we sat there for a while and when almost everybody has gone out, so we made our move...

and she can pronounce it right, "rattatoooeeee..."

and she definitely wants to see more "big cartoons" after this....

tips: breastfeeding in Ramadhan...

How to maintain a good supply of breastmilk in fasting month:

• drink a lot of water and soup during the night


• take kurma (dates) frequently


• express your breastmilk as usual at workplace and breastfeed directly when you are at home


• stay calm, do not become stress at work


• take sufficient amount of carbohydrate (do not afraid of getting fat during fasting month as you'll burn more calories than other people when you breastfeed)


• eat a lot of green vegetables


• have a good pre dawn meal and drink a lot of water/nutritious drink


• do a lot of good deeds during Ramadhan and pray so that you'll produce sufficient breastmilk for your little ones

Ramadhan al mubarak....

when she was a baby...

alhamdulillah, the holy month of ramadhan is here again...may Allah give us His blessing to do good deeds in this month and hopefully we can upgrade ourselves to be a better Muslim, insya Allah...

i remeber that i was pregnant in my 1st trimester during ramadhan in 2004....luckily i did not have bad morning sickness so i was able to fast the whole fasting month...but i was quite lethargic compared to other fasting months...

this is my 3rd ramadhan after Jihan was born...the first one was when she was still fully breastfed...at that time, i was struggling to maintain my breastmilk supply...i took a lot of drink and soup during the whole night so that i can produce similar amount of breastmilk the next day...alhamdulillah, my breastmilk was able to maintain its production...some people experience a major decrease in production during fasting month but i did not...but just imagine how full my stomach was during that time, due to excessive fluid intake....

this year, Jihan is 2 year and 3 months old at ramadhan....she still doesn't understand why we can't eat during the day..but she loves breaking fast with us...she eats quite a lot these day...and she even asks for rice for supper....

may we be in good health this year so that we can fast and pray and do more good deeds

during this ramadhan....

Malaysia...

Jihan is still in her merdeka spirit!! she would definitely say out loud MERDEKA if she sees the Malaysian flag...

today, we went to the new Tesco Cheras, she saw a very big Malaysian flag and she said, "MERDEKA MALAYSIA"

Wow!! i was quite surprised when she uttered the word "Malaysia"...

then, i taught her, "Jihan, where do you stay?"...she answered, "Malaysia..."....

what a smart kid....

a good eating habit...

we went to midvalley megamall in the evening and planned to have dinner there today....after strolling along the mall, we decided to ate at Manhattan's Fishmarket....

my dear Jihan was so excited to have dinner there...she said she would like to eat rice today...

my hubby ordered garlic butter mussels and fish and chips while i ordered for jihan fish nuggets with calamari rings and rice (Big Boat)....she sat at her high chair sensibly and had a wonderful chat with us...

when the food arrived, i scooped some rice and fish nuggets onto her plate...she simply loved dipping the fish nuggets into the tartar sauce and i alternately fed her with some rice...to my surprise, she ate quite a lot though...almost half of the rice and 3 pieces of big fish nuggets....and this time, she behaved quite well...not throwing any tantrum at all...even when we had finished our food, she was still eating hers...

and there was less food on the floor as well....most of it went into her mouth...i observed her tiny fingers picking up the nugget chunks and she has a very good fine motor movement....

this was a very good meal times at a public place...i admit it that it's not easy to have a proper meal when you have a baby or a toddler to attend to...i have had a few episodes of having bad meal times when my Jihan would threw a tantrum and wouldn't sit still and finish her food...and we would take turns to eat and to attend to Jihan....

as parents, we need to make sure that our children have a good eating habit at home and at public places because that reflects their personalities and how actually the parents had educate their children....

MERDEKA!!!!

yeah, MERDEKA!!!!.....Malaysia is celebrating its 50th independance day today....! i'm so proud to be a Malaysian....i have a year+ experience in Manchester in 1992 when i was a kid...an exciting experience but i really missed Malaysia at that time...especially the food...nothing is better than home...

my dear daughter , who is currently 2 year+, is very excited upon seeing Malaysian flag....she calls the flag as "merdeka"....and when she sees any advertisement with Malaysian flag and people saying out loud "merdeka", she will join the excitement as well...she will ask for her flag and starts dancing with it....she might be too small to understand the meaning of Merdeka, but it's good that she has instill the value inside her...

as Malaysians, we should treasure the meaning of Merdeka in many ways....it can be implied in our daily life as well....what we had achieved today is due to the achievements in the past....work hard today to harvest a good quality of grains in the future....

MERDEKA!!!