Women and childbirth

2014 is almost coming to the end. We were tested with massive floods hitting the Pantai Timur and few other states, as well as the recent loss of AA’s plane from Surabaya to Singapore. I no longer have close family members back in Kelantan since the passing of my late grandmother, but seeing my close friends and other people whose family members, their houses and other belongings were badly affected by the flood, it was really heart wrenching. May Allah replaces their losses with something much better, may this trial serves as a lesson to each and everyone of us to reflect ourselves, improves our relationship with Allah and strive to fulfil our dues and be a better servant in every way.

Me and hubby were also shocked to hear the news of his close friend’s wife passing away after giving birth to her 6th child in UK on last Sunday. I hardly know arwah Maria and only met her once during an open house gathering. It definitely will not be easy for the husband, who is a PHD candidate to cope with the loss, what more to raise all their 6 smalls kids ages 9 and under, alone far from his home country. May Allah grants him with enough strength, patience and will to move on with his lives and resume his duties as a father, mother, student and of course hamba kpdNya. For the past 2 days, I’ve been googling on the net about arwah Maria, who is a freelance Muslimah writer and has published lots of articles for SISTERS Magazine (UK), Discovery Magazine (UK) and many more, an advocate for home schooling and natural childbirth. I came across this one nice article by her, titled “Childbirth: Is It God’s Punishment Upon Women?” which you may read via link below.

http://www.onislam.net/english/family/moms-and-dads/480669-childbirth-is-it-gods-punishment-upon-women.html?Dads=

Every childbirth experienced by women is unique and different on its own. There is no way you can expect to experience similar process of childbirth for each of your child. Embrace the journey as much as you can, and leave everything to Allah from the beginning until the end of process. I did not take any pain relievers during my labour process (except during Idlan’s time who was born via c-sect because of breech) just because I wanted to experience and feel the labour pain, just like what my mom had experienced when she gave birth to me and my two other brothers. Some would ask, don’t you fear the pain, is it bearable, how do you cope with it, etc. My answers will always be…Insya Allah, serah je pada Allah, sebab dlm keadaan yg sgt lemah dan sakit tu, mmg tiada siapa pun yg boleh tolong selain Allah. Hubby tolong2 massage pon mmg tak jalan punyerlah hihi (tq Sayang for being there with me, your presence was indeed much needed during those critical hours!)

Talking about fear, some women is so traumatized after a tough childbirth experience. That is why a strong support from husband, family members, friends and surrounding is equally important. So that the mother can continue with her life post the labour process, and enjoy the motherhood experience as what it should be. The level and type of fear that each of us can embrace is also different. For example, I am willing to go through a labor without medication rather than riding a roller coaster! Or probably go for a bungee jumping at Kawarau River as compared to taking a roller coaster. The analogy given may not be identical, but it nevertheless tells us that every person is unique and different on its own. Do not force yourself over the limit or boundary you’ve set, you don’t have to prove to people that you can do everything. In fact none of us is perfect, that’s the fitrah that Allah has determined upon us.

p/s: tomorrow check up 36 weeks, another 3-4 weeks to full term...hurmm sbb tu tulis entry psl childbirth :)

An outing to Muzium Negara

..at 34 weeks hehe. It was hubby n kids' 1st experience to this National Museum. Tix price is RM2 for adult, kids go in for free.

Susu Kambing during pregnancy?

Ada yg kata minum susu kambing masa pregnant boleh elak baby kena jaundice. Disebabkan ketiga2 baby ku sebelum ni mmg kena jaundice, kali ni nekad utk try minum susu kambing n see the result :)

Start minum masa preggie 7mths++..beli brand keluaran Bertam Best Marketing ni masa pegi MAHA aritu. Mula2 beli 2 pack je..perisa original (katanya tiada gula) & strawberry..both sedap minum sejuk! yg stroberi tu mmg sedap ala2 susu kotak dutch lady tu tau.

Now dh order lagi 3 pack..minta dia deliver ke ofis. Kat pack tu dia tulis rm35 for 500g...tapi masa Maha aritu dia kasi rm50 for 2 packs...so kali ni saya nego minta harga yg sama :)

Sape suka susu kambing bole try brand ni..mmg sedap, lemak berkrim n tak berbau.

Disney baby playpen

Ni mengada namanya. Baby cot si abang yg berwarna putih still elok lagi sebenarnya. Tapi sbb simpan bwh katil, berat nk bwk turun ke bilik bawah dan malas nk assemble, timbul lah idea beli playpen nih.

Comel kan color dia? price display tu inclusive of buggy. So bertambahla lagi koleksi stroller/buggy kami. Now dah ada color merah, purple, oren, biru hijau dan kuning. Hubby ckp simpan dulu buggy ni...kira ni buggy utk ke nz nnt hiksss

Trip Jeju-Seoul Day 6: Namsan Seoul Tower

Day 6 bermula dgn aktiviti sopping oleh kaum wanita, manakala hubby dgn sportingnya tunggu di apartment dgn kanak2. Mmg malas nak angkut bebudak tu masuk beli kain...sure depa kebosanan nanti. Disebabkan malas nk jalan menapak ke subway, aku, umi dan unda naik cab ke Dongdaemun Market (tambang 5.3k won). Hujan renyai2 plak pagi tu, so perjalanan kami agak slow dan terbatas. Kami beli kain Korean satin yg takdelah mahal sgt, dan kain chiffon utk buat shawl (tapi sampai skarang tak hantar2 ke tailor lagik!!). Dongdaemun mkt ni sgtla besar, ada beberapa tingkat (tak igt) dan menjual pelbagai jenis benda dari peralatan dapur, cadar, comforter, souvenir, kain, etc. Memang besar giler, cuma floor yg jual kain agak mengecewakan sbb byk seller yg cuma tunjukkan sample2 kain yg sudah dipotong (exactly mcm kat Guangzhou), bukan kain yg dlm gelung2 kayu tuh. Depa buat begitu maybe sebab space kedai yg limited, dan satu lagi sebab kain2 yg byk tu depa simpan kat tpt lain (stor/warehouse). Oh kain lace pon tak byk choice, baikla soping lace kat Bandung or KL jer hehe.

Dari Dongdaemun, kami naik cab pegi ke Gwanjang Market sbb org kata kat sini byk jual kain cotton. Tpt ni mcm style ala2 Pengkalan Kubur or Rantau Panjang, Kelantan...bukan dlm bangunan bertingkat2 mcm Dongdaemun tadi tuh. Kain cotton mmg byk, semua dah siap potong 4mtr dan disusun bertingkat2...again mmg susah nak jumpa kain yg belum dipotong dalam gelung2 kayu. Kebanyakan kain cotton dijual pd harga 10k won sepasang...ada yg cun, ada yg biasa2 jer. Selain cotton, ada juga dijual hanbok, apron, brg2 souvenir, craft, etc. Hampir setengah hari jugakla spent masa dekat both market, then terus tahan cab blk ke hotel...kesian bila mengenangkan si abah dan bebudak yg tunggu kami di hotel..sure depa kebosanan :p

Lunch hari tu, kami ke Muree Restaurant di Itaewon, kemudian pergi ke Seoul Mosque dan War Museum. Ni saya akan ceritakan dlm entry yg lain. Dari War Museum, kami ke Namsan Seoul Tower...hari mmg dah agak lewat...rasanya kami sampai di Namsan dlm 6pm++..memang dah hampir gelap.

Entry fee Namsan Tower:

Adult 8.5k won, kids 5.5k won

Sempat jugak beli fridge magnet kat Namsan Tower..price agak murah jugak. 4pcs/pack baru 3k won. Sementara nak tunggu malam (konon nk tgk view waktu siang dan malam dr atas tower) kami pekena churros, coffee dan bun kat cafe atas tuh. Harga mmg cekik darah lah kan hehe. Churros 3pcs = 9k won yer!

bersedia panjat Namsan

kami x beli pon love padlock nih..mahal okey

five of us...tapi rupanya dah berenam time nih :p

wajah2 kesayangan mama :)

hari baru lepas stop hujan, so cuaca tersangatla sejuk dan windy. Dinasihatkan bwk jaket especially kalo dtg waktu malam

Namsan Tower pada waktu malam..sejuk ke tulang hitam rasa!

Majlis Konvokesyen Tadika Nur Addin 2014

Firas dah tamat tadika! Aduhai besar dah anak mama nih. Risau bukan main taun depan nk masuk school kena angkat beg berat..dah la kurus mamat ni..cian dia!

Majlis Konvokesyen seperti tahun2 lepas berlangsung di Jade Hills Resort Club berdekatan dgn rumah kami. Kali ni majlis tamat lewat sgt dlm 1.30pm gitu, aduhh penat sgt rasa, kids pon dah restless dan lapar...mama plak sampai migrain dibuatnya.



Majlis dimulakan dgn bacaan Surah Al Insan oleh Firas dan 3 org kawan2 dia. Teringat masa zmn Idlan dulu, dia baca sorang2 atas stage Surah Al Luqman.




dah lupa ni persembahan apa :p




Ammar...dpt anugerah Matematik Terbaik 4 Tahun :)




senyum lebar kat pakcik official photographer of the day




Firas...dpt Anugerah Matematik Terbaik 6 Tahun...mcm berjanji plak derang berdua kuikui




Persembahan aerobik budak2 4 Tahun





Choral speaking budak2 6 tahun




selesai berarak dan naik ke pentas dgn jubah konvo mereka!




penyampaian gambar konvo dan sijil tamat graduasi tadika :)




Kanak2 6 tahun Tadika Nur Addin...alhamdulillah




dgn abg Idlan..muka dah monyok kepenatan time nih..lapar pon yer jugak!!




bersama Cikgu Niza..pengetua Addin




bersama cikgu2 tadika




dah boleh tersenyum lebar..sbb dah order makanan :)





Ammar yg tgh menangis and cranky sbb baru lepas bergaduh dgn kawan dia + lapar + penat huhu



Hari Anugerah SKLA 2014

Minggu terakhir persekolahan yang penuh dgn aktiviti sekolah anak-anak. Bermula dgn majlis anugerah Kafa (tapi ibu bapa tidak dijemput hehe), diikuti majlis anugerah di sekolah kebangsaan, dan akhir sekali majlis konvokesyen Firas yang berlangsung kelmarin. Alhamdulillah pengakhiran yang cemerlang buat anak2, moga mereka terus cemerlang di dunia dan juga akhirat. Paling penting moga pencapaian akademik kamu semua terus seiring dgn sahsiah yg baik, iman dan amal yer anak2 mama sekalian!



Majlis di SKLA




'Kelebihan' jadi pengawas, kena keras tugas sebelum majlis berlangsung kuikui




Alhamdulillah, abg Idlan naik pentas tahun nih :)




yg tengah tu besfren Idlan..nama pun lebih kurang Farhan Afham, sama2 naik stage tahun nih. Tahun lepas sama2 tak dpt naik stage hehe. Mereka berkawan rapat since darjah 2, geng taman, geng bola sepak, geng ilangkan kunci locker di i-City sampai kena denda bayar RM50 minggu lepas...erkkk geram betul mama!




selfie 3 beranak. Adik2 tak dpt dtg sbb bz praktis utk konvo.



Review: Vistana Hotel Penang

We had a chance to stay at Vistana Hotel Penang for 4d3n accompanying my hubby for his annual conference. Vistana is one of the conference's panel hotel, and because of its close location from the Penang International Airport (10 minutes) and USM (where the conference is held) we chose to stay here.

The hotel is located in the vicinity of Bukit Jambul, Penang, within close proximity to business and leisure environments. There is complimentary transfer services operate daily from the hotel to the Queensbay Mall (7 minutes), which we took on our 2nd day for a quick shot on Big Hero 6 movie..what a breeze hihi. Finding good eatery places is pretty easy, there are several restaurants located nearby the hotel such as the Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar (about 5 min walking distance), Zul's burger, food courts, malay restaurant, etc. 

The room has been refurbished recently if i were not mistaken, hence the better overall look. We stayed in executive deluxe room with two single beds. Beds are comfy however is rather small (not a super single size bed) for the 5 of us. Toilet is nice, housekeeping service is tip-top, hotel staffs are very nice n friendly. There is free wifi (speed is quite ok) all over the hotel, as well as 2 laptops provided at the hotel lobby for guests' convenience. Rate per night is RM250++ incl breakfast (however this is a conference rate). 

Overall, 4/5 for this hotel in terms of location, room condition, service, rate, etc.

Original Penang Kayu Nasi Kandar

Terletak di Bukit Jambul, right behind our hotel (Vistana Hotel). First day aritu time lunch tgk queue panjang giler...dahsyat org Penang ni mmg hantu nasi kandaq kotsss.

2nd day aku pegi tapau ngn bebudak. Kuar awal sket, so queue kejap je. Lauk mmg byk variety, standard ns kandar la kari je dh brape jenis. Kami beli 1 nasi putih, 1 nasi beriyani. Lauk pulak amik seketul ayam madu, seketul ayam kicap dan seketul sotong kari. Then order 1 teh ais dan 1 milo ais. Total RM27.40. Bunyi mcm mahal kan? erkkk ntahlah..konfem lg mahal dr makan nasi biasa kat Pak Yob food court di ofisku hehe. Taste wise mmg sedap la..tp nak kata sedap kebabom tu idaklah..maybe sbb aku bukan peminat tegar ns kandar kot..x reti nk judge.

Anyway utk lunch arini buat pertama kali kami order Kfc delivery. Bell boy hotel pun tersenyum2 bila tgk motor kfc sampai tadi. Quite efficient..kejap je dh sampai. Delivery charges pun cuma RM3...paling best sos cheezy wedges dia letak asing dr wedges tu, so mmg byk giler dia kasik dlm sebekas whipped potato tuh :))

Apa pun yg pasti ada 1 restoran melayu belakang hotel ni mmg best. dah 2x kami dinner di sini..char kuew tiow dia sedap yg amats, tomyam dan sup tulang dia pon kawww. Nanti ku snap pic restoran kalo sempat ok.

Trip Jeju-Seoul Day 5 : Namsangol Hanok Village

Baru lepas teman kids mandi pool..berendam sampai sejam setengah..naik mengantuk dibuatnya! Oh before that kami pegi gym kejap. Mama naik treadmill for few minutes je dah naik semput...lama dah tak exercise, otot2 sumer rasa lenguh haishhh

Ok jom sambung citer Seoul. Hari ke-5 kami decide utk pergi ke Namsangol Hanok Village. Naik subway..dan perlu jln mendaki bukit utk sampai ke entrance village nih. Sedikit explanation tentang hanok village taken from wikipedia as below:

Namsangol Hanok Village, also known as "A Village of Traditional Houses in the Namsan Valley", is a Korean village located in the area of Pil-dongneighborhood in Jung-gu, a central district of Seoul, South Korea where hanok (한옥) or Korean traditional houses have been restored to preserve the original atmosphere of the area. This village has five restored traditional Korean houses and a pavilion, a pond and a time capsule, which make it a perfect spot to take a walk. 

Directions

Subway  Chungmuro Station (Seoul Subway Line 3 & 4), Exit 4. Walk along Hanongmaeul-gil st. for 5 minutes. Admission Fees Free Closed Every Tuesday (However, if Tuesday is a holiday, the next day is closed.)

Ada satu lagi hanok village yg glamer di Seoul iaitu Buckhon Hanok Village. Yang ni mmg live village, maknanya mmg org2 masih tinggal di kawasan ini, kiranya bukan lah tempat khas utk melawat. Kalau nak dtg sini, make sure tak boleh bising2..nnt kena komplen dek tuan rumah yg duduk di kawasan tersebut :p Kat sini jugak korang boleh melawat Sanggojae, rumah yg digunakan utk shooting drama 'Personal Taste'...tapi kami tak pegi ke sini sbb tahu byk kena mendaki..kawasan dia agak hilly, sure penat hihi

 Replika King Sejong yg terletak di Gwanghamun Square

yang tengah tu Afif, anak bujang si Aini

 OK dah sampai. Hujan renyai2 masa kami berjalan utk sampai ke sini...so perjalanan agak perlahan

 pintu gerbang ke hanok village

rupa dlm hanok...area living hall tak silap

 Seoul Tower from afar

 tempayan2 yg digunakan utk menyimpan sayuran tradisional org Korea i.e. kimchi

 antara tradisional hanok houses yg dibina semula..utk memberi gambaran tentang kehidupan org Korea pd zaman dahulu

 ok serius dah lupa ni ape

 pintu yg memisahkan antara sebuah rumah hanok dgn yg lain

Kami stuck di sini for few minutes sbb hujan turun makin lebat pagi tuh. Nek umi dan bebudak semua tak masuk dlm kawasan traditional houses nih. Semua pakat tunggu je dekat pondok berdekatan entrance village ni.