Helpful Shaqeel

I'm so lucky I have such a hardworking son. He helps me around the house without being asked.

He loves to sort the books....

He also helps to rearrange the DVDs....

He even does a bit of gardening!

Thank you Shaqeel! In future if you give me all sorts of excuses when I ask you to help me around the house, I will show you these pictures to remind you how helpful you were when you were a kid.

Or, shall I show you the picture of me in the labor room? ;)

New Cousin!

Presenting Shaqeel's newest baby cousin, Muhammad Aiman Iman born 8/9/10, K Yen's baby. She has got 3 boys. Beat that!

Baby Aiman :*

Story behind his name. Brother no 1, Adam, gave the first name, Aiman. Brother no 2, Rizzqin, gave the second name, Iman. Nasib baik the names they chose are decent ones. Kalau depa pilih nama Chandler?

Picnic at KLCC Park

This morning I woke up as early as I could possibly be on a Sunday, for a picnic with my sisters and the kids. Shaqeel was still fast asleep when I woke him up, one thing that I don't normally do on normal circumstances. But today is different. We are going on a picnic, Shaqeel!

These are what we had for food this morning. K Yen made meehoon. Riri and Pipi made homemade pizza and cupcakes. I brought drummets and drinks. Milo for the kids.

The pizza was quite impressive, I must say. The crust could be softer though. Maybe the dough needs more water? Or it needs more flour? Ahh, what do I know. I've never made pizza before. I don't even have an oven.

Anyway, the kids had fun at the park. All hell breaks lose! They ran everywhere, climbed everything, shouted like crazy...so much fun! Tiring too for us adults, but luckily we had a babysitter around..

Mak Su giving equal treatment to Adam and Emma

Ahh, can't live without you, MakSu! ;)

Eat, Play, Sleep

When life is only about having fun!

This is Shaqeel's routine everyday ( Time is approximate. He's not a robot! )

8am : Shaqeel wakes up. Including weekends (I wish he would sleep in so I get to sleep in too. ) Anyway, he'll have his breakfast and then it's bath time. Very into water now.

9am : Shaqeel's play time. He has 3 boxes full of toys. One box for each level of our house.

1130am: Shaqeel's nap time. Usually he sleeps about 1 to 1.5 hr, depending on his mood.

1pm: Shaqeel's lunch. It's always rice with fish/beef/chicken and veggies. Usually it's carrots or sawi. Should be more creative and introduce other food but selalu terlupa when buying groceries. Maybe ABC pasta?

130pm: More play time for him.

4pm: Nap time again. Usually a short one. Half hour and he's done.

430pm: Play time again. In between, he snacks on biscuits or fruits (usually banana). When Emil comes back from work around 5 to 6pm, he'll point at his shoes to Emil indicating that he wants to go out for a walk. That explains the tahi lalat kat kaki Shaqeel. Suka jalan.

630pm: Shaqeel's dinner. Usually the same thing he had for lunch. Then, it's bath time.

930pm: Ahh, finally Shaqeel is done for the day and ready to dream. I still nurse him to sleep. Tell me, how do I break this habit? Or is it too late? Am I doomed?

Meanwhile, as I'm busy climbing the corporate ladder and chasing deadlines at the office, everyday he wakes up and all he does is eat, play and sleep. How fun it is to be Shaqeel, huh?

Bath Time

I am proud to announce that Shaqeel now loves water! Yay Shaqeel! And Yay Me too! :)

I didn't do anything actually. It happened suddenly. One night he was still wailing when I took off his shirts. The next morning, he suddenly loved it! Maybe he overcame his fear in his dreams hehe




I didn't want to jinx it by telling the whole world about this but I think it's safe now. He has been consistently loving bath time for almost 2 weeks now, it's such a relief!

I'm lovin it!

But, the crying still persists. Now, Shaqeel cries his lungs out every time bath time ends :)

Mandi Sungai

Emil's father was a member of Patikan, the MCKK class of 60 boys. Every 3 months or so (if I'm not mistaken), they will organize a get together among themselves for their class reunion and family gathering.




So, last two weeks, the get together was held in Janda Baik (Why would anyone ever name this place that?) One of the old boy has a wonderful wooden house with lawn as huge as a football field. It was located right by a small river. Just perfect!




I jumped at this opportunity to go because firstly, it was in Janda Baik and I want to bring Shaqeel to mandi sungai :)

Secondly, I love this tradition that they made it a point to gather a few times a year for casual meet ups and I want to be a part of it.

And thirdly, I love the network! These are all MCKK boys who were groomed to be someone back in the 60s. Who knows which power figure I might bump into right?

Shaqeel: Networking

Anyway, I had a good time that weekend. Shaqeel behaved well and seemed to really enjoy the cool river. The food was good. The weather was just nice and breezy.




Now, the question is, where do I send Shaqeel to school?

Shaqeel's Beach Holiday

One week after raya, we went for a short beach holiday to Pulau Redang. We spent 3 days 2 nights at Redang Beach Resort. Fairly a nice place with reasonable price considering the condition. But the beach... The beach! It was really exceptional! Clear water, blue sky, white sand and with just the perfect company....it was fabulous!

Unfortunately for Shaqeel though, he was a bit feverish the whole time we were there. He did not seem to enjoy himself as much as I wanted him to. Oh well, there is always next time..

Till another beach holiday...

Salam Ramadhan

Salam Ramadhan to all my blog readers.
Semoga kita semua dapat menjalani ibadah puasa dengan sempurna.

p/s: Jangan tergoda dengan milo Shaqeel ;)

Benjol di Dahi Jendul

Most kids love water right? Well, mine doesn't. In fact, I think he hates it. The moment I take off his clothes in front of the bathroom door, he sensed that it is bath time and he will start to cry!

I have tried all kinds of bathing; mandi dalam besen, in the bathtub, shower. Lap badan pun nangis! I have also incorporated some tools like rubber duckies but he still does not enjoy it.

Shaqeel yang benjol sebab jatuh waktu mandi :'(

Maybe I'll bring him swimming and see what happens....

My Toddler Walks Now :)

Shaqeel took his first independent steps about 3 weeks ago. Crawling was still his favorite mode of transportation then.

Now, he has quite mastered the art of walking. He wants to walk all over the place, walaupun terkedek-kedek. Soooo cute!

Shaqeel Hits the BIG 1 !!

Yeay, my baby is 1 ! Syukur pada Tuhan for giving me this opportunity to become a mother to such a perfect baby :) It has been one year of watching Shaqeel grow up in front of me. Mommy doa supaya Shaqeel sentiasa gembira dalam kehidupan Shaqeel, ok baby?

What initially planned to be an intimate family do turned into a medium sized party including friends. We hosted a get together session at our house to celebrate Shaqeel's milestone of turning 1. We had home cooked food ; laksa johor, roti jala and kari ayam for the guests.

Thank you to all who came and for the presents too. Till next birthday!

p/s: Save duit Emil tak payah beli mainan for 1 year hehe

Spot the Similarities

Shaqeel's favorite pose lately. I wonder where he gets this from?

Shaqeel Went to Sibu!

Last weekend, we went to Sibu, Sarawak to attend my best friend's wedding. There were about 30 people in the same flight wanting to see Alan making an honest woman out of Chey Chey hehe

Congratulations both of you!

We stayed at RH hotel since the reception was also held there. Our room had the view of Sungai Rejang, the longest river in Malaysia. The color of the river reminds me of teh tarik...

I wonder whether Bujang Senang was swimming behind us

We also did some sightseeing in Sibu. It's quite a small town but the houses there are like mansions! They've got huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge lawns! I hope one day I have that too. I want to plant my own veggies and bela ayam so I can get fresh eggs everyday :)

Fresh chicken at the market..literally

All in all, it was a good weekend break with Emil and Shaqeel and also my best gals!

Me and my gals

Shaqeel and Nani

In loving memory of Shaqeel's Nani, Nor Azian bt Idris (1943 - 2010)
Al-Fatihah

Picture of a Baby, Deep In Thought

Deep in thought

I really love this photo of Shaqeel.
This was taken at a birthday party of Emil's colleague's daughter.

Shaqeel and Milk

I have been fortunate enough to be able to nurse Shaqeel from birth right up to this point of his life. Shaqeel is almost 10 months old today and he has been enjoying nothing but yummy milk from Mommy ;p

I am experiencing first hand the wonderful effects of breast milk. Shaqeel is a very healthy baby, Alhamdulillah. He has not had a fever once. He breezed through teething (OK lah, baru je 2). When we vacationed to London and Paris when Shaqeel was 5 months old, I didn't have to lug around his bottles and feeding system. Very convenient!

Christmas in Paris

Having said that, I don’t belong to a breastfeeding club either. I don’t understand breastfeeding mothers who criticize other mothers who do not breastfeed due to whatever reasons they choose not to. I don’t understand breastfeeding mothers who are so passionate about nursing that they judge and put down formula feeding mothers. Sure, breast milk is best, but formula is good too! To each mother, her own ya.

For me, I absolutely love the time I spend nursing Shaqeel. It's a bonding moment shared only by me and Shaqeel. The way he looks at me with his big round eyes, the way his hand hugs my body and tickles me and sometimes slaps his little hands on my chest, the way it is the only thing that comforts him like no other... Ahhhhhhh its just the sweetest!

Mwahssssssss

I’ve been diligently pumping milk since I started work 8 months ago. Always at 11am and 3pm, plus minus 15 minutes. I would excuse myself from a meeting to pump when the time comes. I’ve even perfected the art of pumping while driving hehe.

However, since I’ve started this new job that requires me to travel within Klang Valley a lot, I’ve not been as disciplined as before. I would still pump twice during the day, but the result of this inconsistency has depleted the production by a lot. Hmm....

Jadi, apakah motif cerita di atas? Adakah untuk meng-justify to myself that I want to stop pumping? Actually, yes! Hehehehe.. I give myself until Shaqeel turns 1. Then my plan is to feed him formula milk and susu lembu but also to continue nursing whenever Shaqeel is with me until he’s 2 years old, InsyaAllah.....

Social Calendar All Packed Up!

Shaqeel is only 9 months old but he already gets invited to parties hehehe. His social calendar is so busy nowadays, he has parties to attend every other week.

Well, Shaqeel himself is turning 1 in 2 months time. I still haven't finalized anything for his own party yet. Shall it be a kids party or a get together for family and friends? Our house or our favorite restaurant or a kids' venue? If at home, do I cook or cater? I'm leaning heavily towards a very intimate do actually but this is after all his first birthday! Hmm...

Shaqeel dah besar dah.. Tak mau nangis nangis lagi kay sayang..

Anyway, while Shaqeel turns 1, Mommy turns 30!

Busy Baby

Shaqeel is sooooo active nowadays. Which is a good thing, though. He doesn't sit still for long, so when Shaqeel is busy, I am busy too! I'm always running around after him. I wonder how K Yen does it.

Often times, he will be crawling all over the house and putting everything into his mouth. Then, while busy chatting and blabbering, he'll pull himself to stand at any furniture possible.

Such a challenge to dress him nowadays

Just this evening, I was cooking his porridge, he decided that he doesn't like how I arrange the kitchen..

Please Mommy, this jar should be at the top rack

However, when he's sleeping, the house is too quiet and peaceful and I'll often wish he wakes up soon. But once he's awake and starts keeping me busy again, I hope Shaqeel goes right back to sleep :p

Tido ala katak

Happy Mother's Day!

This year, I've added Mother's Day to my celebration list :) However, since Shaqeel is still a baby, I won't be getting any handmade cards or crafts yet. Maybe another 4 years time.

So, in consideration of his age and skills, the perfect Mother's Day gift you can give me, Shaqeel, is for you to sleep from 8pm until 8am tomorrow straight without asking for susu kay...Mwahhsssssss

Shaqeel who is now so active!

Running For A Cause

I've registered for the Standard Chartered KL Marathon 2010 under the Run For A Cause challenge (10km) inspired by Riri. My chosen cause is MAKNA (Majlis Kanser Nasional) simply because all my moms have it.

Please click the link below and help to donate for me to run for my cause. Thank you everyone.

http://www.kl-marathon.com/Users/runner_profile/23336

9 Months Checkup

Last Saturday, we went for Shaqeel's 9 months follow up checkup with his paed at Pantai Hosp. His previous checkup was in January when he was 6 months for the immunization jab. He weighed 7.23kg then. He weighs 7.4kg now.

200g increase in 3 months!

Shaqeel actually has a very good appetite. I started him on solids when he was almost 6 months old. I've been feeding him porridge with meat/chicken/fish and broccoli/carrot for lunch and dinner. Sometimes, he snacks on bananas or apples. Well balanced diet, I think.

Anyway, the Dr asked to increase his milk intake. Babies below 1 year old gets most of their nutrients from milk and the objective of introducing solids is mainly to let them experience different taste and texture.

So she suggested that I may want to supplement Shaqeel with formula milk. The reason was because breast milk is low in iron so he might not get enough nutrients from breast milk alone. Formula is sure to contain all the iron babies need.

Anyone got any ideas?

Keeping Fit

I have been stuck at my current weight for so long now. However, I'm not telling exactly how much in case you are wondering :p Tension sungguh tak kurus kurus ke pre pregnancy weight lagi. I have only 3 kgs to go but why is it so hard?!

So, in my attempt to reduce the inches and fit into my old body-hugging-tight tops, I've started walking/running again around the neighbourhood. I take Shaqeel with me most of the time. Shaqeel will be on the stroller and I'll walk briskly enough to produce some sweat. A lot actually. Usually it'll take me 30 mins to walk around the neighbourhood and I've estimated it to be around 3km. Not bad, huh.

After doing this for 3 times a week for 3 weeks now, I do feel great! Apart from sweating and working towards achieving my old weight, this walking around has inspired me. I've gathered some ideas on how to renovate our house and now, I only have Emil to convince....

A Visit to KL Bird Park

We went to KL Bird Park 2 weekends ago with Nani, Uncle Shahreel and Aunty Finaz. That was my first time to the Bird Park and boy, was it huge! The worker there told us that it usually takes about 1.5 hour to 2 hours walk to fully explore the place. I survived only 1 hour 15 mins hehe

Why so serious, baby?

It was quite impressive, I must say. There were varieties of colourful birds and well explained too. Shaqeel is still young to appreciate the different birds but I think he did have fun looking at the colours, trees and the people.

Save me Mommy!

What's In A Name

Shaqeel means Handsome. Aidin means Intelligent. All together, I've got a handsome and intelligent son, just like the father :)

Handsome, tapi comot sikit

We actually toyed with the idea of Shaqeel Imran or Shaqeel Haziq. Well, Aidin won.

Intelligent boy, trying to work the toy

Anddddd, I've got just the perfect name for a daughter, if Allah will bless me one. If not, then I'll still keep that and impose it to Shaqeel to name his daughter my perfect daughter's name huhu. Cannot reveal here, nanti orang tiru :p