Hello November!

The clock ticks very fast and without realizing we enter into November already. I can still remember we (read: the Nz gals minus our hubs) were so busy doing our last minute checks before we finally flew to the land of the middle earth, on this November two years ago. November last year I was so busy with my back-to-back pitching while at the same time attending the umrah course and tried to finish reading the book, so that I am well-prep for the spiritual journey. Alhamdulillah everything turns out well, though I had a very bad stomach cramping on the 1^st day we landed on the Holy land, the very same day we completed our 1^st umrah wajib. Frankly I couldn’t remember the details now, blame it to my laziness, I should’ve documented my journey right after I got back to Malaysia.

But a lot of things happened after that, I went to Terengganu for our GPMM retreat 4 days after I came back, then come January 2017 I moved to a new unit and tried to cope with new things and responsibilities, Idlan went to a boarding school, well so many other things happen that somehow change the routine and environment within our little family. Go visit Idlan every alternate week (I cooked nasi lemak sotong/ayam goreng rempah each time we visit him, sweet tak mama haha), listen to the arguments between the middle and younger brother each time they berebut the handphone, Irfan with his new-found sentences and non-stop questions which at times made me amazed with his milestones, hubby busy with his weekend training, I got a pneumonia for a week+ after we came back from Langkawi that made me went to the clinic twice for nebulizer (while hub was away from home, sedih ok) and just two days ago I got a jab due to severe senggugut pain that I had for the first time in my life (so tragic that I thought I had a fibroid or cyst kind of thing, or maybe the IUD got displaced and moved to a wrong position, and the pain and contraction was so severe mcm sakit nak bersalin that I couldn’t do anything for the whole day except lying down on the bed on a supposed-to-be nice weekend). 

So that’s what happened and is currently happening in 2017, and pejam celik now we’re in November already. Idlan has done with his final exam, alhamdulillah he did it quite well this time, as compared to his 1^st term. ‘Well’ does not means he got a straight As (he got D for Maths ok, turun menjunam from a B that almost made me screamed at the phone when he made the revelations that day haha) but he recorded a major improvement nonetheless, which was a huge relief. At least we knew that he’s happy, he’s on track, he’s coping well, and he loves staying there. His hafazan is also very well on-track, now on the 10^th juzuk. Alhamdulillah Allah terangkan hati dia and eases his journey to become a huffaz. So for what he has achieved thus far, I always tell myself that I must not complaint when he didn’t get top 10 in class, or scored straight As in the final exam. His challenge as ‘budak tahfiz’ is tougher, and I just adore his spirit and perseverance in pursuing this. Moga terus istikhomah anakku :)

Irfan Faris is also doing very well in his speech department. Some may not knew that he once saw a speech therapist, has attended a few therapy session before I slowly (read: purposely) start postponing his session and finally decided to disappear just like that because he has shown major improvements and a mother instinct told me that he doesn’t need one anymore. Allow me to recall few of his sentences that made us laugh, or even mad at him. That tiring moment when we ‘hiked’ uphill towards the famous Sky Bridge in Langkawi and stopped few times to catch some air while complaining penatnyaaa, he uttered ‘kenapalah korang penat ni, Irfan tak penat pon!’ Well he tak penat simply because myself and idlan yg bergilir2 dukung dia dlm hutan tuh, ofcoz dia tak penat mendaki!! And there was another moment when Idlan and the other brothers walked fast ahead of him inside the Oriental Village, obviously he was left behind and suddenly he screamed….”abang-abang tunggulah Irfan, abang-abang janganlah laju sangat!” I was like OMG how on earth he got that kata ganda ‘abang-abang’..bijaknya :p So that’s my Irfan, my miracle boy who once fought for life due to severe laryngomalacia.

my cheekiest lil' monster

Ok don't be fooled with that sad-looking face, he's not tired at all trust me!

the middle and younger brother, they can become best friends and turn into rival in split seconds!

Now u know siapa yg letih, tgk muka si abang yg mencuka tuh :p

Irfan has taught us a lot of things, that hardship won’t last, sadness won’t last, and that nothing lasts in this world. Time shall passed that one day you’ll be thankful to Allah for things or challenges that happened to you. Insya Allah with His will.

So now we have less than two months till we parted with 2017 and welcome 2018. I foresee this whole week the middle and younger brother must be busy sharing and comparing their final exam results, my mom is busy preparing some simple hantaran for my adik’s engagement day next two weeks, come Dec we’ll be going to Legoland and Melaka (again!) to celebrate though the results are not out yet (thanks to their mama yg sgt baik hati janji macam2 before exam :p) and soon after 2017 is over.

Alhamdulillah for everything Ya Allah. I am thankful for all the good things that happened to me and my little family. May tomorrow be better than today, may we always remember you and do not neglect our obligations, and may we always be grateful for all the rezeki and nikmat that you have conferred upon us. Amin ya rabbal alamin.

our obligatory shot - hotel's mirror!

1st pit stop, before reaching to that 'precious' Sky Bridge..haha

Movie review : Ola Bola

I'm not really a football fan, but Ola Bola seriously worth viewing. Lots of lesson learned, morales n values to be remembered as we embrace our lives.
These are some of my favourite quotes:
- lift up your dreams way up high
- lift up your goals up to the sky
- dont be afraid, dont surrender
- lets win together, lets lose together
- dont worry, i cover you.

Ok byk lg sebenarnya tp x larat nk tulis, but to be frank, this is by far the best movie i've ever watched. Its not really a Malay movie per se, its actually a symbol of unity across diff races, diff religions. Cried few times sbb sedih dgn jerit perih yg dialami org miskin, how they struggle to live their life,  mmg rasa insaf (mujur irfan tdo 3/4 throughout, dpt mama amik feel haha)

Bawalah anak2 menonton, bagus sgt to boost their spirit. Mengajar anak to strive for their best in whatever endeavours they are pursuing. I hope Idlan got some of the essential messages n remember them by heart. Its not about football, its about everything in life, things we're facing thru every single day.

Lets not dwell further. Pls go watch. You wont regret. Promise. Lagi best dr Avengers, star wars dan seangkatan dgnnya. Jgn marah peminat Marvel sekalian 😃 Oh Bront Palarae mmg hebat sgt, patut menang Best Actor Award.

Oh yes Irfan did well for his 1st cinema experience😃 pasnih bole bwk tgk Boboiboy the Movie plak 😃

Monday run

Tried to make it a routine for once a week. Usually we settled at 2km only. Jadikla drpd x exercise langsung kan hiksss

Hv a blast Monday peeps! KL ppl must be smiling from ears to ears as we gonna enjoy 3 times no-working-on-Monday 😃😃

Free Photobook 6x6

Tried my level best to finish up the project before 12th Jan. Deadline lagik haha!

Why sounds so dramatic? Bec photobook is giving away free voucher for softcover 6x6 pb. Yes its free, and i've never had this size before. So teruja nk collect seketul as kenangan.

Berusahalah! Demi memories terindah :)

#throwback 2015

2015 has been a challenging year, for our family. Things that happened has really become an eye-opener, for me and hubs. It was a long journey, a rollercoaster ride, moments that i wish i can write them off of my mind.

It all began in March.

12th March - Irfan was first diagnosed with Laryngomalacia. A severe one.
31st March - his first op. 3 weeks in PICU. Continuously on breathing machine and NG tube for feeding. He was then transferred to a normal ward. My already hectic life turned into nightmares. Sleep-deprivation, mentally and physically exhausted. I looked far worst than a bibik so to speak.
Early June - his 2nd op.
End June - He finally discharged from PPUM, after a 3-mth hospital stay. Our most dreadest moments in life..so far.

and the rest is history.

I don't wish to recap the details, as reminiscing all those moments are really painful. It brings tears to my eyes, each time the memory kicks in. It brings tears to my eyes, each time i accidentally flip the old pictures of him, wearing that oxygen mask, that feeding tube, all those wires around his body, etc. And because of that i don't dare reading my old blog entries, mostly written when i was in hospital, with him.

Those are the past, and now he is thriving well, though not 100% fully outgrow his LM. He still has another 1 minor op awaiting, soon.

I am leaving everything to Allah. For He is the best of planner, not matter how perfect our plan is.
I need to be positive, remain strong, and have faith in Him, always believing that whatever happen is the best that Allah has planned and arranged for us. Insya Allah.

On the other note, 2015 has been a great year for us as well. Idlan and Firas ended their schooling years pretty well, and we made it to NZ, yeay!

I hope 2015 has been a good year for you guys as well.
and lets strive for a better year in 2016...amin.

opss my #throwback is pretty short don't u think?
well some things are better kept to ourselves.

------------------------------------------------------
After 3 mths of maternity leave, followed with a 7-mth unpaid leave, i am nervous about going back into office this Monday. Now where did i throw my mouse?????

Pool time!

His 2nd 'hydrotherapy' cum chilling session with abg2 at Precint 16's pool. We now no longer bring him to physiotherapy at PPUM since he cried all the way throughout the session, hence physio relax2 dgn mama abah jelah :)

I happened to know fr a friend that swimming is a very good therapy for childs with developmental delay, low muscle tones and even works best for adults who suffered fr certain types of injury that requires physiotherapy. As for the child, swimming prolly can help them to strengthen their muscles, improves their motor skills, and also help to increase their weight gain.

Irfan so far seems to enjoy the water, but after an hr or so he will start to cry and wanted to go out of the pool. Surely it was tiring but u had fun most of the time aren't u??

Oh did i mention that until today he still didn't roll in front of me or hubby, but will do it in front of his abg Idlan? Idlan acah2 sikit pun dia dah pusing. Tapi mama lepak tepi dia lebih sejam langsung taknak pusing! Frust betul ok. Tak tau nk acah and encourage mcm mana dh. Mmg adik kesayangan abg long betul nihh :)

Planetarium Negara

@ 36 weeks.

Hello 2015! May this year becomes a better year for all of us, in whatever undertakings we are pursuing or wishing.

We officially kicked off our new year by having nasi lemak with fried chicken that morning, later dropped by at my father’s house to send off some nasi lemak for him (my mom and brother went away for umrah, that leaves my father alone in KL) and an hour later proceed to Planetarium Negara located in Jalan Perdana. Just like Muzium Negara, this is hubby and kids’ first visit to this place.

Entrance to the exhibition hall is free. There are scheduled shows at its theatre on an hourly basis which airing different short movies. We decided to tour the exhibition hall first and later catch the 2pm show (konon show paling menarik as recommended by the girl at the ticket counter).

The exhibition hall is not that big. You can basically complete the tour within an hour. Kids particularly enjoyed the Anti Gravity Room very much. There are sections which featured how astronauts live inside their spaceship (a toilet bowl to settle their bowel movement, a jacket which they can just slot in themselves and sleep in upright position, etc).

inside the Anti Gravity Room. Lepas keluar Abah and Idlan pening pala...sbb rasa badan pusing2 dlm tuh. Mama mmg tak masuk langsung..dah agak mesti pening pala nanti hehe

tempat tidur astronaut

ehemm...dgn abg sheikh muzaphar :)

Balai Cerap. Boleh tgk view KL..kalo malam baru cantik kots

Nek umi dah sampai Stonehenge kat UK...kami sampai Stonehenge kat KL jer la hiksss

We were done with the tour around 12.30pm, decided to stroll down the hill towards Muzium Kesenian Islam to kill our time before the 2pm show. Much to our surprise adult tix is selling at RM14! Uh uh tak jadikla masuk hoho. We passed by the Masjid Negara, bought some kebab n nuggets from the street hawkers and later climbed up the hilly path back towards the Planetarium. What a painful journey I’d say! Di tengah kepanasan, di waktu perut sarat, di waktu tgh lapar…uhh ala2 mendaki Seongsan Ilchubong pon ada malangnya cuaca panas dan kami berada di Malaysia, bukan obersea haha.

The much awaited show is just so-so. Firas dozed off few minutes after the show had started. It was very educational that I think only older kids like Idlan can appreciate it. The show explained about each planet in our solar system, which I bet Ammar didn’t understand even the gist of it hehe. The show lasted for about 40 minutes, of which myself occasionally terlelap dlm teater yg sejuk gelap tuh…mak penat ok panjat turun naik bukit tadi! Anyway tix price for the show is RM6 (adult) and RM4 (child). 

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.

Petrosains Science Festival

 Yesterday, the whole clan went for an outing to Petrosains in conjunction with the Petrosains Science Festival. Kids had so much fun and so did us! (despite the cramped leg and aching all over of course hikss). We boarded a giant cup throughout a dark tunnel to go to the Petrosains exhibition hall entrance, there was a Dinasour uttering the same song that we heard about 5 yrs ago when we first entered the Petrosains, kids got to do lots of activities such as sand digging, car racing, watching a role play show featuring Turtles, Shark and pirates as well as a Dinasour 3D movie, wall painting using a real paint nearby the Esplanade area and what excites them most is that they got to bring back some free gifts after completing the activities.

We bought a family package tix that costs us RM30 (2 adults, 2 kids) and paid additional RM5 for Ammar. Kids below 2 yo enters for free. We then had a quick lunch at Signatures food court at Level 3 (ohh I just heart their westerns…lasagna, burgers or its pasta mmg super delish!) and later went back to enter the Petrosains Galleria. Nothing much over there, lucky we got free tickets from TM Rewards by ‘Like’ its Facebook page. Nonetheless kids enjoyed their 'sesi tembak-menembak' time using the 'Nerf' pistol over n over again for nearly half an hour..naik letih tunggu derang habis tembak :p Si abang siap mengayat "kalo dpt no 1 boleh tak dpt hadiah pistol Nerf?" erkkkkk

Demo - the art of balancing

sand digging using a digger

 

 

Kids get ready n standby at Station 1 for a Turtle Show

Male and female turtles

 

teknik bayang2

 

budak ni sibuk nak conquer the whole screen. mcm baca mantra jerk gaya :p

abah and his butterflies

at the oil platform. getting ready with a special uniform and a pair of shoes for emergency self rescue

 

getting down a hole direct to the sea!

 

 

cuba tgk gigi cantik takkk? hishhh

 

at the Esplanade area nearby the fountain...wall painting

 

Ammar pon join skali...first time pegang brush :)

 

bubye KLCC. Parking mahal giler okeh RM20 for 6 hours!

 

souvenirs sand art! Mlm tu jugak derang buat.

 proud with his creation...tapi abang Idlan yg tolong buat sebenarnya hihi