updated but way behind schedule...

new updates from us...

the miracle of life 2

got to eat my favorite assam laksa

i was craving for something sweet, but spicy with tempting aroma...i can only think of jusco's assam laksa...! it has been our favorites since ages ago, the last time we ate it was 3-4 years back? (that was before imtiaz was born..) i tried madam kwan's assam laksa at alamanda few weeks ago and it was tasteless (from the gastronomic point of view of a pregnant lady)..

so, i tried my luck this time with our favorites at jusco mid valley after we went shopping for some of my pregnancy essential needs...alhamdulillah, i simply loved the taste of it..for me it tasted just right (or was it my tastebud getting better)...

my health is getting better, although at times i felt a bit breathless and easily tired and i can eat well now...i sensed that my weight is gaining sigh...it's ok..i'm pregnant, it's ok to gain some weight, but not too much...

i've updated my pregnancy journey at the miracle of life 2..

Happy 3rd birthday Imtiaz...

Imtiaz and jihan are featured in Majalah Rasa April 2012

my cheeky, little boy turned 3 last week...now he's a big boy already, graduated from being my breastfed baby for 35 months to a macho boy...i managed to wean him off totally for almost a month now...although he occasionally asked for mama's milk, but he knew that he won't get it...

so his Masterchef Aunt baked him an chocolate almond torte as his birthday cake...he loved it so much, eagerly waited for all of us to return home to celebrate his birthday...he was eating the cake full of chocolate frosting diligently that he didn't want to follow his papa to send kakak to mengaji...

we had a few shots of the small celebration but it is still in the SD card...so i put here the photo of the birthday cake...

may you grow up become a good khalifah of Allah and be blessed with good health and iman...

i've updated the miracle of life 2 as well..feel free to drop by...

Imtiaz's birthday cake

updating on the miracle of life 2

feel free to browse through...click on the link below...

week 11- going downhill + 2nd antenatal check up

a new journey begins...

alhamdulillah, i have created another blog the miracle of life 2 to share my pregnancy journey with our 3rd baby...i've made a similar blog when i was pregnant with imtiaz before the miracle of life...

insya allah, i'm going to find time to update all my blogs (i missed blogging and bloghopping)..stay tuned..

Ezani the 1st MasterChef Malaysia...is my own sister...

sorry peeps, i have not been updating the blog since God-Knows-When...

but today i want to share something special with all of you...

Malaysia's very own 1st Masterchef is my sister! yeay for her (and for me)...!

you don't believe me..? her full name is Ezani Farhana Md Monoto and mine Ezura Madiana Md Monoto...we stay in the same house and i used to rumble (and still doing it) into her stuffs and belongings and we still fight with each other...

get to know her better

Facebook: Ezani (Masterchef Malaysia)

twitter: @ezanimonoto

website: www.zestbyezani.com

thank you for supporting her!

sisters fight!

Happy 2nd Birthday, Imtiaz...Penang escapade (part 1)

my macho boy turned 2 last Sunday (yes, the "terrible twos")....we had a wonderful casual celebration at the northern part of Malaysia, at the Pearl of the Orient (Penang)...

Imtiaz is all excited to board on the airplane

Imtiaz and i have been away from home for the past 2 weeks...we spent great time together in Penang as i attended the Breastfeeding Advocacy and Practice Course in Georgetown Penang...my mum followed us there to take care of Imtiaz when i was in the course during daytime... i took my time to breastfeed him during break time and lunch time and sometimes, Imtiaz went up to the 16th floor of Bayview Hotel to have his breastfeeding break with me...

on the trishaw heritage  and food trail

in the evening, once i finished the course for the day, we would stroll along the Penang Road looking for local food for dinner...we even walked to Komtar and took a taxi back to the hotel and some days, Imtiaz would love to get on the trishaw...we had scrumptious selection of local and street food... it was heaven that i gained lots of weight in just 2 weeks..!

both of us even went on a trishaw tour to the heritage places with some of my course mates...we had lovely time trailing along the heritage places, not forgetting tasting some good food along the tour...Imtiaz even made friend with the trishaw man and was really enjoying himself on the tour...

imtiaz was all tired after the trishaw tour

i carried Imtiaz in the soft-structured carrier and he loved being in it...he enjoyed watching all kind of transports while we were strolling along the busy road of Georgetown...

with the technologies nowadays, we were able to stay connected with Jihan and papa through phone calls and Skype...Imtiaz was so excited seeing them on Skype video calls... Imtiaz had his books and favourite cars with him, but i think he missed home and his other toys too...while at the hotel, he loved taking his bath in the bathtub too...

there are more exciting stories in Penang, which i will update in the second part of this lovely escapade (when the family reunited later and had a wonderful journey together..)

men in ladies' coach..?

i must congratulate KTM Berhad for their initiatives of introducing the Ladies' Coach for KTM Komuter services, which started the operation in April last year...to tell you the truth, i have not been using its services for quite some time now, but i'm glad that this effort benefits many ladies out there who use KTM Komuter as their main public transport, to ensure a comfortable and safe journey and reducing the risk of sexual harassment in a congested environment..

unfortunately, many are still unaware about this privilege are for ladies and boys below the age of 12, accompanied by a female guardian/relative...why is this so..?

my dear husband had such experience when he boarded the KTM Komuter some time last year from Bandar Tasik Selatan to KL Sentral for a seminar (after so many years not using it services)... it was at peak hours...the station was sardine-packed with passengers who waited to board the commuter...obviously, you can't even see the area where the ground is painted in pink, stating that's the area where the Ladies' Coach would have stopped...when the commuter arrived, the door opened and everybody rushed to the coach..and my husband just followed the crowd...when he was inside the coach, then he realized that he was in the Ladies' Coach..and all ladies were looking at him and few other foreigner men who was together in that coach...there were voices expressing their dissatisfaction and frustration with these selfish men on board...(they thought my husband was a foreigner as well, by looking at his look...so they thought my husband couldn't understand Malay)... 

yes, my husband felt embarrassed and got off the Ladies' Coach at the next station and hopped on to the adjacent coach, which was the normal coach...the other foreigners remain on the Ladies' Coach..

according to my husband, pity him that he didn't know that that was the Ladies' Coach...he couldn't see the special stickers attached on the door, which was obviously hidden when the door opened to let the passengers in and out..and that particular commuter he boarded did not paint an extraordinary colour for the Ladies' Coach, thus making a "first timer" like him unaware and confused about the special coach...KTM Berhad also claimed they have special pink poles and banners at the designated area at the station, but that was not clearly visible during peak hours...

i agree that some men are just being ignorance and become the opportunists here, enjoying their ride in the Ladies' Coach because it is less packed and more comfortable...hopefully, KTM Berhad will make the Ladies' Coach more significant from afar, to create less confusion among the passengers...and to men out there, please make yourself aware of this special privilege and put them into practical...and my dear hubby, he will never board the commuter again... ; )

Happy New year 2011 - Lucky Draw Winner of Canon EOS 1000D

happy new year everyone! how did you start your new year this time round? alhamdulillah, we started ours with a bang...unexpectedly, i was announced as one of the lucky draw winner of Canon EOS 1000D by myflippix, our favourite photobook company....

we've started photobooking recently and have been enjoying photobooking with myflippix...the winning entry was produced by my dear hubby and we didn't expect that that number will be selected as one of the 3 lucky winners to win a canon DSLR..

i am really thankful and happy for this gift...thanks myflippix ; )

for 2011, i'm hoping to be more diligent and hardworking, stop procrastinating, more knowledgeable, an excellent wife to my husband and a fantastic mother to my children, to pass my Part 2 MMed (Family Medicine) in November 2011 and have an enjoyable moments with my loved ones...

insya Allah, i'm praying too for the peace and harmony among all mankind, a good health and iman for me, my family and friends...may Allah bless our good deeds and intention in 2011 and reward us in the hereafter...

Susuibu.com Lactation Consultant

MAHA 2010

we went to the recent MAHA 2010 for the first time...our aim was to bring the kids to see live farm animals and trying out some good popular foods...shopping for goods was very down the list ; )

anyway, we arrived quite early at around 9.45 am, the weather was just great and there were already many people marching towards the venue...we managed to get a good parking spot, but still had to walk up and it was a good exercise...

posing with the cow

our first spot was the farm area...we got a ride on the RapidKL bus and the kids were so excited to go on the bus..this was the first experience for Imtiaz...he was extremely excited and cannot stop humming the sound of the bus while on it...

we went to see the cows and goats and sheep and i took this opportunity to introduce to Imtiaz all these animals...Jihan, even though she knows all the animals by looking at their pictures in books, sometimes she got it mixed up when seeing it live in front of her eyes...so i corrected her and she was amazed when she saw the big cows and buffaloes (not like the ones she saw during Korban recently)...

yummilicious roast lamb

next we filled our gastronomic needs with roast lamb...it was so succulent! the kids got to see some chicks and chickens, ducks and ducklings, rabbits, turkey and  geese too..we went to see some of the producst exhibition as well..then back on the bus ride to the main exhibition halls...and the kids loved the bus ride so much..

at the main exhibition halls, we marched our way to the Popular Food Stalls...crowd of peoples have started to arrive and filled most of the corners of the large MAEPS area...we tasted nasi kerabu, mee rebus, cendol, murtabak singapore and murtabak mengkasar...boy, our stomachs were full with yummilicious food!

then we made our way to one of the exhibition halls but got out after a while because the kids were already exhausted...before heading home Jihan bargained to get some balloons...so a Hello Kitty balloon for her and Upin Ipin balloon for Imtiaz...

the weather was getting hotter but still lots of people started arriving...MAHA was a great place for the whole family...learning, shopping and trying out good food all under one roof...

Imtiaz in his sling while munching beef balls

we brought Imtiaz stroller along and he behaved well while in it..when he fell asleep, we put him in the stroller so that he could have a somehow comfortable nap...but when he was up and about, we let him to be on his feet, especially in a less crowded area...or else he would be in his MiniMonkey sling with me...Jihan took the opportunity to sit in the stroller while Imtiaz was in the sling...

tired Imtiaz

it was a tiring day for all of us, even though we didn't explore the whole area...luckily the kids got stroller to ride on and a sling to hop on, so they were less tired than we were...

am I a normal parent?

just finished reading "Am I A Normal Parent?" by Sara Dimerman...i really want to know if i am a normal parent...

this book is a therapy for the mind and soul for parents...i thoroughly enjoyed reading this and every parent should read it...this is the definitive guide to figuring out what's normal for parents in the 21st century...Am I a Normal Parent? will allow you to evaluate how you fit into what is most typical and will reaasure you that you are not alone in your worries...it also addresses feeling guilty about losing patience, being angry and not spending enough time with your children...this book also touches on how culture, upbringing and external influences affect your parenting way...

i am really fascinated with the author believes what NORMAL is...NORMAL is an acronym for No One Really Marches Alone.... even if you are in a situation where you think or feel is not normal, comfort yourself by knowing that somewhere out there, another parent is feeling, thinking and behaving just like you....

this book is deeply comforting to mothers like me who suffers the guilt and anxiety that woven into the parenting experience...it is very reassuring, not preachy, yet thoughtful and insightful, and best of all it is written in a humorous way...!

after reading this, i assure you that i am still a normal parent..!

going green- cloth padding

my stash

yeah, Let's Go Green! it's definitely time to make a paradigm shift if we want to save our world...long live Mother Nature...

let's see how green is our family now...i'm breastfeeding, Imtiaz is cloth diapering, we bring our reusable shopping bags on no plastic bag day (occasionally, if we remember what day it is, sigh), we signed up for e-billing for bank statements and phone bills, Jihan uses recycle papers to draw or write her stuffs, we grow our own vegetables/ulam, we make our own Roselle cordial, hmmm, what else..?

and recently, i've been cloth padding fully during my last menstrual cycle...to start with, i bought 3 night pads, 8 regular pads and 4 panty liners from various brands...i had mamapatch, momiji, fussybutt moonbow and sweetprettystuff...

at first, i was nervous it would leak and i doubt its absorbency and messiness...lucky my 1st day menses fell on a holiday, so there's no need for me to anticipate any possible embarrassing moments in public...

my first day experience, well, not bad at all...i really like the feeling of having something soft down there with no feeling of wetness at all (like the one that i feel with disposable pads usually)...plus, there was no itchiness or urticaria developed at the contact area...there was no leaking and handling it was a breeze...

what i did was wash thoroughly the soiled pads with running water until there water ran clear and there was no stain on the pad...well, if the stain did not come off, i soaked it overnight with a tiny amount of detergent...and the next morning, i tossed it together with Imtiaz's cloth diapers and let the washing machine do its job...

for the heavy days, i tend to use about 5-6 pads per day and on lighter days, 3-4 pads per day...the washed pads were very clean with no stains visible and the cloth stayed like new...

if i'm on the go, i bring along a small wetbag to stuff in the used pad that has been washed with water...i definitely like the pretty prints on the pads..it makes my period day happy...and saves my pocket too....

lesson learnt...

cartoon googled

yesterday, i was on leave, yet i had to attend to some important matters in the afternoon and later in the evening catching up with my best friend, Dahlia for dinner...

i had to leave the kids at home and they followed their wan and atok to an engagement party in the afternooon...before leaving, as usual, i nursed my thirsty dinosaur... and throughout the afternoon to late evening, i did not express my breast milk...

returned home, i nursed Imtiaz as usual and throughout the night as he demanded..and this morning i felt a pain lump on the left breast and pain on the nipple...i checked for any crack nipple but i found another milk bleb...gosh, that caused the pain and possibly causing a blocked milk duct...

so, i guess i have to self-remedy...i nursed Imtiaz frequently on the affected side and kept on massaging the painful lump...in the shower, i immersed the whole breast in a mug of warm water and massaged the painful lump towards  the bleb/nipple (ouch!)...

it helped but didn't solve the problem...the milk flowed through the bleb but did not burst opened the bleb...so, i took a sterile needle, gently stuck it into the bleb and milk oozed from it....phew..!! then i massaged the lump towards the bleb and more milk flowed..quickly i called Imtiaz to nurse and he did a wonderful job sucking all the milk out and relieving the blocked duct...

alhamdulillah, it's now better...

i thought, my milk production is not that heavenly much like before (as Imtiaz is already 20 months old now) but it can cause significant problem when i did not empty my breasts for about 5 hours yesterday....that's why i still pump at work twice a day - for stimulation and also to prevent such things to happen...i will never, ever leave Imtiaz again for a significant long duration without any intervention..

i'm listed on ILCA

i've been a member of the International Lactation Consultant Association (ILCA) for the past 1 year... ILCA, is the professional association for International Board Certified Lactation Consultants (IBCLCs) and other health care professionals who care for breastfeeding families.... their vision is a worldwide network of lactation professionals.... their mission is to advance the profession of lactation consulting worldwide through leadership, advocacy, professional development and research...

and now, as an IBCLC, i am listed in the Find a Lactation Consultant (FALC) Directory.. i'm proud to be part of ILCA..hoping to get a scholarship and attend the annual ILCA conference soon...in the meanwhile, to make a lactation profession well-known and established in Malaysia...