Selamat Hari Raya AidilFitri!

Atuk, Nenek and Cucus, all 6 of them

Selamat Hari Raya AidilFitri to all celebrating! Maaf Zahir dan Batin dari kami sekeluarga.

Potty Training

When a school friend succesfully potty trained her daughter at age almost 2 years, I decided it's Shaqeel's time to be potty trained as well. I have put it off for awhile now but he is going to be 3 in 2 months time, I guess I can't delay it any longer.

So, one Friday, I told Shaqeel you are a big boy, there is no need to be wearing diapers anymore, tell me if you want to poo/pee. I also brought him to the toilet (I bought the potty seat at IKEA) every hour to do his business and constantly ask him if he feels the need to relieve himself.

It surprisingly went without a hitch. So proud of my baby!

Of course, on the first day there were 2 accidents, 1 near-miss incident and 4 underpants change in 5 hours...but all in all, it was not a stressful experience. I think the fact that he is almost 3 makes a difference. He understands things. However, I still put him on diapers at night, can't risk having the mattress wet.

Perhentian Island...

We just came back from Perhentian Island! For the uninitiated, it is located off Trengganu where it hosts the best beaches in Malaysia. Seriously, the island is so beautiful, no words can do justice...

We flew with Airasia to Kota Bharu. Shaqeel was so excited and kept exclaiming "Airplane! Airplane!" Kota Baru airport to the jetty takes about 1 hour by taxi and from the jetty to Perhentian Besar takes about 35minutes. It's a big boat so it's not bumpy at all.

We stayed at Tunabay Resort at Perhentian Besar. Very child friendly resort, 

clean chalet and yummy but pricey food (my only gripe), but what do you expect huh. They need to transport the ingredients by boat from mainland, but how come the seafood is expensive too? 

So so beautiful!

Among the many reasons why I am in love with this resort is because of the corals right at the beach. You don't have to go on a snorkeling trip to enjoy the corals, it's right at your doorstep! The resort is located beside the marine park, so you can see so many colourful fish and corals.

Sighhhh I am so in love with the island...

Shaqeel did not like the water so much and was very clingy to Emil. I really need to send him for swimming lessons soon.

Conclusion, BEST GILA!

Shaqeel's Own Room

Please pardon the flowers, I inherited that

Since the day Shaqeel was born, he has always 90% of the time, slept with us on our bed in our room, in between us. 3 of us, squeezed together, mostly me being squeezed, thank you very much. After much deliberation, (almost 2 months!), I decided that the time has come, the time for Shaqeel to be an independent boy (haha!). Furthermore, from what I read in parenting websites, the best time to separate a child from parent's bed, or to upgrade from cot to bed, is between 2.5 years to 3 years old. Perfect!

And so it began the training for Shaqeel to sleep on his own bed, in his own room...

In preparation, I bought a single bed with a giraffe bed sheet and rearranged the room to make way for the bed. Below is a summary of what has happened so far, bear in mind he has slept through the night since he was 1yr3mo;

Environment: Toilet door ajar, toilet light on, room light off, room door ajar, corridor light on, standing fan volume 1.

Day 1: Put him in bed at 930pm, he gladly climbed up, although I need to lie with him, else he won't sleep. Once he was asleep, I went out of the room (about 1015pm). He woke up at 230am crying, I went to lie with him until he fell asleep, then I left the room (250am). Woke up again at 630am, I did the same until he fell asleep at 645am. Woke up for the day at 8am.

Day 2: Put him in bed at 10pm, no resistance, lie with him. Woke up at 430am, I went and lie with him, then crept out of bed at 450am. He woke up at 7am, climbed up my bed and asked me to "tepi, tepi", he wants to sleep with me. OK.

Day 3: Put him in bed, woke up at 4am, same thing. Woke up for the day at 740am.

Day 4: Put him in bed, woke up at 415am, same thing, I lied with him until he fell asleep.

Day 5: Put him in bed, woke up at 430am, same thing.

So can you see any pattern here? He wakes up at 4 to 430 every morning, crying and looking for me, I had to lie with him until he fell asleep.

Tell me oh mothers who have succeeded, how do I break this? Any tips? Am I doing the right thing by lying down with him until he sleeps?

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Gong Xi Fa Cai to everyone celebrating!

May this dragon year bring all of you good health and abundance wealth!

p/s: Shaqeel in his dragon samfu we bought in Beijing. The picture was taken at Chey's house during her CNY open house.

Shaqeel Goes To School

Did I tell you Shaqeel now goes to school? Yes, he is now the proud student of Mariah CDC, an Islamic English center at Bukit Antarabangsa. If you remember, I blogged once about this place when I was looking for a place to care for Shaqeel when our maid left.

The picture above shows Shaqeel in his uniform. If he had his way, he would wear jeans to school. He did not want to wear the kopiah at all, although he loves the songkok we bought him for Raya.

Every morning it is a battle to wake him up and bathe him. I need to be more patient, after all it has only been 4 days. A friend suggested he might not have enough sleep so that is the reason he could be cranky, solution is to let him sleep earlier which I'm going to try tonight.

Happy New Year 2012 from Hanoi!

Hey everyone! It's a brand new year 2012 so I'd like to wish all of you a wonderful year ahead. We were onboard Halong Bay cruise to usher in the new year . The cruise was splendid! The weather was really nice averaging 15 degree so it was cool but not to the bones cold.

Shaqeel enjoying the view of Halong Bay

Shaqeel is now 2.5 years old so he is really into running, jumping and exploring so many things, what more being a boy, he has so much energy. I think he was restless being confined in a ship space for 2 days. We had to follow him around and never let him out of sight lest he would jump overboard. Overall, I would give him a 6 for behavior, 10 being the best hehe

I must confess we resorted to candies and ice cream to have some peace (even for 7 minutes) and adult conversation. In the picture above, Shaqeel had to dry his sweater for spilling ice cream and water onto it. It was more of a disciplinary action rather than pleasure/game, but it was obvious he thoroughly enjoyed it.

Which is how I would view life now, to enjoy everything even though it's a chore. Yes, that is my resolution for 2012. And yes, that includes mopping the floor.

Selamat Hari Raya!

Selamat Hari Raya AidilFitri to everyone reading.

Thank you Atuk, Nenek, aunties and uncles for your duit raya,
for you have just contributed to my education fund.

Kisses, Shaqeel.

Selamat Berpuasa

Taken during Majlis Tahlil Shaqeel's Nani

Selamat Berpuasa to all my blog readers.
Jangan lupa bersahur walau hanya seteguk air ya.

Shaqeel Turns 2

Happy 2nd Birthday dear Shaqeel Aidin.
Semoga membesar sebagai anak yang soleh, sentiasa menghormati ibu bapa, sentiasa gembira,
sihat walafiat dan rezeki melimpah ruah.
You can be anything you want to be dear Shaqeel Aidin,
but it has to be within the Islamic boundaries.
Put your mind into it and you can reach great things.
I love you unconditionally.

Shaqeel Conquered The Great Wall!

Shaqeel conquered the Great Wall, woohooooo!

The thought of travelling with a 2 year old who can't sit still for 5 minutes was quite daunting at first, but thankfully Shaqeel behaved well throughout the 6 hours flight. Atuk suggested that we give him cough medicine so he'd sleep throughout the journey which we did not do lah. Somehow, we survived ;)

It was a 5 days vacation for us in which we spent all in Beijing alone. Food was not an issue at all as Beijing's population is 13 million and the 3rd biggest religion is Islam. Halal restaurants are everywhere and I was very relieved it suited my taste. It was also the beginning of summer, hence the weather was not too hot, very similar to Malaysia.

Of course no trip to Beijing is complete without experiencing The Great Wall. We had to climb countless stairs to finally reach a point where I can't feel my legs anymore. I carried Shaqeel up and down and was panting the whole way, all the time thinking how strong I am with additional 12kgs I had to carry. As Mao Zedong have said and depicted below, He Who Does Not Reach The Great Wall Is Not A True Man....and Shaqeel, ladies and gentlemen, is a True Man.

Mao Zedong's handwriting

The highlight of the trip for me was the Summer Palace. I have been obsessed with the life of the Chinese Emperor for quite some time then. I read a lot of historical fiction prior to the trip in which the author beautifully described the majestic palace that I thought, I have to experience it! It was breathtaking, really. No words can do justice to the resplendent architecture, nature and intricate details of the palace.

Lotus flowers at Kunming Lake, Summer Palace

I have only fond memories of Beijing. I recommend this city with 2 thumbs up. All the way to the sky.

Happy Father's Day

On behalf of Shaqeel, I'd like to wish Happy Father's Day to Emil, the father of my child who has been a terrific provider; financially, physically and emotionally.

Thank you for being a hands on Dad, always helping me to clean Shaqeel's poo so I can keep my manicured fingers clean, take him out for a walk while I stay home and put my feet up, read him warrior educational books so he learns as a man he has to protect his family, putting him to sleep by just telling him to sleep (seriously, Emil just has to say "Sleep" and Shaqeel will close his eyes and eventually drifts to slumberland) .... and so much more! You have been a great family man so please keep it up hehehe

We didn't do anything special to celebrate Father's Day because I didn't get special treatment either on Mother's Day haha! Emil hinted initially asking whether we are going to do something but I said Shaqeel has no income so he can't treat you to dinner or buy you gifts. Anyway, what started as hints eventually became straight on requests to have a father's day celebration. Well, I relented and cooked him a mean Kari Kepala Ikan for dinner which is really one of his favorite dish.

So yeah, Happy Father's Day to all fathers out there. Irresponsible fathers not included.

Zoo Negara Adventure

We spent last weekend on a Zoo Negara trip looking at animals and such. That was my second time I think. The first time I went was 10 years ago but the zoo looked the same though.

It was quite big. We spent about 3 hours leisurely strolling around the zoo. I thought it was too long already but apparently, Riri spent 7 hours in Singapore Zoo?! Gotta admire her browsing skills.


Shaqeel was indifferent most of the time. I guess he still can't appreciate the animals yet. I, on the other hand, was excited! The lions and crocodiles were the most intimidating. I love the giraffes the most. Am inspired to find giraffe prints for baju raya. The crocodiles remind me I need to save up for my first exotic croc skin handbag hehehe....

Anyway, the zoo is so close to where we live and plus the affordable fee, we definitely will visit again.

Help Found

Shaqeel hard at work

So, we were maidless about a month before we finally found a suitable one thorugh my confinement lady. This new maid is fantastic with Shaqeel. She says she is late 30s but come on, she can't fool me with those wrinkles. I think she's more like mid 40s but it really doesn't matter. Shaqeel likes her! Which is great.

One time, I was just about to leave home with Shaqeel for dinner. He already had his shoes on and we were at the door when the maid called out for him. Shaqeel turned around, walked towards the maid and then salam her and said good-byes.

She talks a lot with Shaqeel too. One time, I heard Shaqeel sort of singing "Burung Kakak Tuaaaaa" which is definitely the maid's teaching. He can also continue counting. For example if we say "satu", he will respond "dua" If we say "three", he will respond "four". Sigh, my baby's all grown up. It won't be long before he excels in Algebra, with Atuk's tuition of course.

Anyway, all I'm saying is I have come to appreciate this help I get around the house. It is so much easier for me to just spend time and laze around with my husband and son when I don't have to bother about cleaning, mopping, washing etc.

Ahh..an entry just for the maid.

Never in a million years would you expect that from me, now would you?

Shaqeel Goes To Nursery

Shaqeel has been under the care of the maid when we go to work ever since he was born. However, the maid left us last week (which deserves an entry of its own), so since then, I have been sending Shaqeel to a kindy/daycare nearby our house.

I surveyed 3 different daycares in Bukit Antarabangsa area and finally decided on Mariah Development Center in Taman Bukit Jaya. It operates in 3 houses (which makes it very big), has a swimming pool, English speaking teachers and most importantly it is an Islamic center (the reason I'm sold). I get a good positive vibe when I first enquired about this place from Principal Mariah.

It has been 5 days now. My morning routine has changed. The moment I open my eyes, my work starts. I bathe and get ready, prepare Shaqeel's bag, bathe and dress him, give him milk, prepare breakfast, eat breakfast and by this time I want to sleep again! I know I know, it doesn't sound too tiring but please bear in mind I did never ending house chores the day before and I work full time too! It doesn't help either that I like my house spotless.

I am actively looking for a maid now. Honestly, it would be the best solution for me right now. I don't have to worry about house chores and could use the precious time to spend it with my boys instead. Ahh..but I digress....

So anyway, after 5 days, Shaqeel still cries in the morning when I send him to kindy. The moment he sees the Green house, he will cry. Kesian sungguh. Breaks my heart, really. According to the teachers, he cried only the first few minutes and will soon join in the other kids. It's such a relief to know.

I hope Shaqeel is in good hands. I trust my instincts. It's a blessing in disguise that my maid left actually. I realized keeping the house clean is very tiring. Taking care of an active boy is equally tiring. Shaqeel can learn to make friends. Mommy will always be there for Shaqeel. But maids however, come and go.....

....as do girlfriends ;)

Jalan Jalan CNY

Since CNY falls 2 days before weekend, it was a long 4 days holiday for us. We took this chance to go on a trip, so Riri the organizer decided that we should go to Ipoh.

We started our journey on the CNY day itself (Thursday), but not without stopping for homemade breakfast at Sungai Buloh first.

Riri masak sambal daging

Traffic was fairly smooth along the highway, although we took 3 hours to reach Ipoh which is only 157km from KL! Can't drive too fast because Pops was with us hehe. We stayed at Grand Homestay Ipoh located at Taman Tawas Idaman, a newly done Semi-D which could accomodate all us 8 adults and 5 kids comfortably. All the rooms are equipped with aircond, attached bathroom complete with water heater, kitchen with cooking facilities and reasonably priced too.

Right after we checked in and freshened up, we went to Lost world of Tambun which is about 15 mins away. It is a water park similar to Sunway Lagoon, but it has so much more. There's petting zoo, hotspring, tiger valley etc.

The next day, on the way back we stopped at Kellies Castle, Batu Gajah about 20mins from Ipoh town. It was originally built by an English man for his family, but it was halfway completed as he died during the construction due to an illness.

It is a 4 storey high castle with a magnificent view of Banjaran Titiwangsa from the rooftop.

Overlooking Banjaran Titiwangsa from the rooftop

So yeah, that's it. We reached KL about 630pm and went straight to Ampang Point for dinner ;)

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Gong Xi Fa Cai to all my Chinese readers!
May this Rabbit year bring all of you happiness, wealth and great health.

p/s: This picture was taken during our CNY celebration with my SIL's family.
Shaqeel looks too cute in his samfu.

While Mom and Dad Were Away....

For the first time in Shaqeel's life, he did not get to smell me before he goes to sleep for one whole week. He was under the care of his Mak Chak (Emil's sister) the 2nd week of December while we were away swimming in the Dead Sea. One would think, Shaqeel who is so manja and had never spent a night apart from his mother would be having a hard time, right?

It turned out, he behaved quite the opposite.

The first night was the toughest. He woke up at 1am, crying till way past 3am, missing my smell I suppose. After much coaxing and a bottle of milk, he finally fell asleep. The next morning he woke up like nothing had happened and everything, as far as Shaqeel is concerned, was back to normal.

Mak Chak brought Shaqeel to a visit a lot of interesting places when we were gone. In that 8 days he spent at Mak Chak's house, Shaqeel managed to cover the KL Zoo at Taman Melawati and Aquaria at KLCC. Mak Chak has a big lawn, enough for Shaqeel to explore for days without ever getting bored. He also managed to squeeze a little bit of badminton with the cousins.

Ahhhhhh I missed Shaqeel like crazy that whole week! I kept looking at his pictures and videos on my phone. Although, I have to admit, I had soooo much fun just me and Emil...And 8 hrs of uninterrupted sleep too hehehe. Dare I say, sometimes I even forgot I am a mother!

Well, holiday's over and it's time to get back to my baby. When we came to pick Shaqeel up after we reached KL, everything was normal. No crying, no shouting, no wailing. I carried him and we went about our activities like I was never gone. I remember thinking how independent my boy is, he did not seem to mind I was not at home, adjusted really well at Mak Chak's house. Which then prompted my mind to plan where and when my next vacation is sans Shaqeel haha!

Anyway, I spoke too soon. Right after I carried him, there was no putting him down ever! He was extra whiny, extra manja, I could not be out of sight else he would wail until he saw me.

My manja boy is backkkkk!!!

As much as I had a fantastic time vacationing with my husband, just the two of us, it was great to be back to care for Shaqeel again. Next vacation, I promise I will bring you along ok, Shaqeel.

And for the record, that's a promise which I have kept. Refer previous entry on KL city break haha!

KL City Break

We went for a KL city break last week where we checked in to Westin for the weekend. The hotel is strategically located right in front of Pavillion, my second favorite shopping mall in the world ( My favorite is Ampang Point hehe )

It was a very relaxing weekend. We just lazed the days away. Sleep, eat, swim, eat, sleep, eat. That's about it!

It was a great way to unwind. Chilling and relaxing by the pool with resort-like ambience, but still be in the heart of the city if it gets too boring. Anyway, I had a really wonderful time I've proposed to Emil we do this once a month. He hasn't agreed though.

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? ;)