Stress Makes Me Artsy

Stressful week has triggered off my creativity neurons (if there are such neurons haha) This was done during lunch hour while waiting for my husband to pick me up. Anyone interested to have their names in Arabic Kufic Calligraphy, please send the request to my email : nihayah@gmail.com

The price depends on the letter count and design intricacy. ;)

Kisah Hidup

A friend of mine dropped by just now. Remember the entry on a friend who's just given birth? I really pity her because there are species of men who considered wives as servants - the ones who are supposed to do all house chores, the ones who should take care of kids, semualah kiranya.

I told her that wives are not to be treated like servants. In fact, according to Rasulullah pbuh, for those who are able, should provide a helper for the wives, not the other way round. That friend of mine told me that all expenses for her baby solely depending on her. Husband berkira nak beli barang untuk anak sendiri. Hm. It happens everywhere dear. A very common scenario. Owh, I forgot to mention, her husband is an M&E. Imagine gaji ribu riban nak beli baju anak yang membesar pun kedekut. Anak dah umur 2 bulan lebih takkan still nak pakai baju newborn?? Isteri pulak kerja kontrak je. Lagi kesian. Terpaksa keluarkan duit simpanan untuk beli baju anak.

Husband balik rumah, makan, tidur. Anak nangis malam-malam jaga, he's still sleeping and he even scolded the wife for waking him up. In fact bila ada football match pagi-pagi buta eh boleh pulakkkkk bangun tengok tv.

Lucky I'm not married to that kind of man (although nobody's prefect). Kalau tak, mau menaga siang malam pagi petang kerjanya. Stress dapat suami yang tau suruh isteri buat itu ini - very inconsiderate of him because the wife was still in confinement period. Nasib baik tak meroyan. Dahlah jauh dari family. Baru je jadi ibu. Yang baiknya kawan saya ni jenis marah pun diam, sedih nangis sorang-sorang. She kind of regretted she married the guy - but never regret of having the baby (which is a good sign). I'm in no position of giving her advise but I told her to pray to Allah that her husband would have a change of heart.

Punya lah memendam rasa dengan her husband sampai dia cakap dengan her MIL "Mak tengok je anak mak baik, saya ni duduk dengan dia mak. Semua saya buat. Dia tolong pun tidak". And as expected, the MIL just kept quiet. Wow sungguh berbeza dengan pendekatan saya ni. Saya tau menaga je hahah *sembur-sembur api dari mulut*

A reality check for me.

As for me, if you want your kids to be for you, you have to be here for them now, as they grow. And for husbands yang suka melepak dengan kawan-kawan kat kedai kopi.mamak je kerjanya, kawan-kawan bukannya kisah kalau anak kita makan ke tak. Anak sakit ke, bini susah hati tak makan lagi ke. Kadang-kadang kawan-kawan tu belum ada anak or not even married yet, so they don't know how it feels having a family to be taken care of. 

Borak-borak la dengan wife, share about your daily life. Wife bukannya orang gaji or robot. Kalau semua nak harapkan wife, baik bela maid. Tak puas hati boleh marah-marah. Mesralah dengan anak, sebab kalau kita tak turut sama dalam masa anak membesar ni, it actually has psychological impact on them. Tak payah tengok jauh la, myself. My mom was super garang when I was small. So kecik-kecik siap mintak dengan Ayah suruh tukar dengan mak lain sebab MAK GARANG :P. Rupanya it turned out she was stressed up taking care of kids at home and no time for herself. So bila anak dah besar, she got back to work and her angst has lessened hehe.

Esok-esok jangan marah pulak bila anak-anak hantar pergi rumah orang tua.

Just my two cents.

Annoying Anonymous

So I have approved one comment by an anonymous yesterday.

I don't know if the person misinterpreted my entry Going Strong, Insha Allah with these words

"Gaduh, masam muka, nangis, merajuk, cabar-mencabar tu semua asam garam rumahtangga. Saya ni memang mulut jenis lazer, sedang dalam proses mengurangkan tahap 'habanero' ke 'jalapeno' dan seterusnya ke tahap 'cili merah'. Lama tu. Ni tengah demam memang tak larat nak melenting, tapi moody la hehehe..."

Ada saya cakap saya bangga ke? And why mention "wanita kena bertegas dan lembut dalam masa yang sama"? I did write that I am in the process of temper-controlling but then the person cakap saya bangga. Orang yang saya tau bangga kalau laser sorang je : Azwan Ali. 

Come on Anon, jangan malukan other Anons dengan comments like this. People blog because they need to express themselves - in a positive way - rather than beat up people who harass/annoy them . If you don't like what you see, ignore, unfriend and make a mental-note that you are not going to be like others. If you feel you're better than others, show some respect by introducing yourself or at least private message me.

And, some people just do not understand being sarcastic or rhetoric is all about. 

I hate when people say women should be polite and stern at the same time - even being treated harshly. I'm no female-chauvinist but women should have their own stands in living their lives ok. When all is not working, then women should be harsh - that's what happened. If you out there feel that seeing me and reading my entries makes you itch and feel icky, please do not read my blog or befriend me on Facebook. I could be a negative impact on your life, sooner or later - due to your way of conveying message to people is plain annoying.

Thanks for reminding me that I should do a spring clean on my friends list.

Baling batu sembunyi tangan

Manual for Mothers 3.0

English version

Versi Bahasa Malaysia

Kembali bersiaran setelah abandoned the blog for a while sebab Amna kena measles. Ok, I made another manual but mind the typo. Already edited another one but malas nak edit yang ni. Enjoy ye mommies :D

By the way, I you guys came across any of my artwork being plagiarised/copied/derivated, please report to me. It's part of copyright infringement and those people take credit for something they originally didn't do. I made these from scratch and all I want to do is help mommies to understand breastfeeding more :)

Update : dah fix typo error and grammatical error. If ada lagi, please notify me ye :)
and... Bahasa Malaysia version too :D

Amna Demam Lagi

Amna demam huhuhu... Ni dah 2 kali ambik darah within a month. Semalaman tak tidur. 

Amna - 10 Months Young

This was taken on Tuesday, 4th December 2012. Love her cheeky expression! :D

I will definitely miss these moments when she has grown up :')

Well well well... sekarang Amna dah pandai menari! I mean, every time she listens to songs, she'll move her body sideways. Heheheheh~ Hari-hari duk jamu dia dengan "Dumb Ways to Die" hahahahahaa~ Dah boleh panjat katil, tangga, ibu, roving in the walker laju-laju (although I don't really rely on walkers - dangerous), stay put and keep silent bila tengok ibu or ayah solat (good sign) and even senyappp je bila dengar orang zikir or reciting the Quran.

Ibu doakan Amna jadi anak solehah ye :)

Banana Apple Bread Pudding - 9 Months and Above

Semalam bekalkan Amna bread pudding. tak tau lah makan ke tak. Sebab sebenarnya Amna ni tak minat sangat makan pisang. Kadang-kadang dia makan tapi ikut mood lah. So pagi semalam cuba godek-godek recipe sebab dah terbangun awal. So here goes:

Banana Apple Bread Pudding

1 slice of wholegrain bread - cubed (potong 24 hehe)

1/4 of an apple - diced

1/2 of a ripe banana - mashed

1 teaspoon of atta flour

1 egg - beaten
1 teaspoon of water

1 tablespoon of natural yogurt *optional*
Raisins *optional*

How to

1. Add the flour into the beaten egg.
2. Add in the mashed banana and the yogurt, give a quick whisk until mixed thoroughly into a batter.
3. Take the bread cubes then put some into a ramekin, layer it with apple cubes and then the batter.
4. Repeat until finished or as much as needed.
5. Steam for 15-20 minutes or bake at 170'C for 15-20 minutes
6. You can either eat directly with a spoon or slice them up :D

Yummeh! :D

Babywearing - SSC in Action At A Reception

Hahhhhhhhhh...

Got my custom made soft-structured carrier on Monday and I was like menggelupur already - could hardly wait to use it. Went for SKT on Wednesday and On Thursday Mak dropped by the hotel. She tried carrying Amna in the SSC, she likes it very much! Siap offer lagi nak carry heheheh~ Then on Saturday ada reception. Jeng jeng jengggggg...

Sebenarnya Amna baru bangun tidur. :P

After that we went to IKEA. Berjalan-jalan 2 jam lebih tak lenguh pun but then baju Amna already lencun dengan peluh (baju dia material tak serap peluh), so we put her in the stroller. Siap terjumpa Fara and Medcham - siap racun diorang suruh beli and demo on Fahad heheheheh~ *lambai-lambai kat Fara yang tengah menunggu hari je tu :D*

Where did I order the SSC? Get yours today with Erin Adzmi on Facebook (search : Erin Adzmi). Totally worth it! Forget about all the brands (Pognae, Ergo, Snuggbaby etc.) they cost you a bomb! This one, I guarantee saves you a lot and plus, you can choose the pattern you want. Plus, you can change the front cover, head cover, of course with extra ka-ching! :D

I purposely ordered a camouflage pattern - because I like the masculinity shown. Owh even my mom said I was rather keen on army-camouflage-thingy since I was small. Pastu nak encourage my husband to babywear too. Katanya Boba Wrap tu dia tak pandai. Dah ada SSC ni, no more excuses :P

Ok, anyone interested to try this before ordering, please so contact me via this entry. I'll be available around Putrajaya for the mean time.

p/s : sangat seronok bw (babywearing) and still practicing to breastfeed in the SSC :D

Raisins Pancake - 9 Months and Above

Siap! :D

Hah. Petang semalam tak tau nak bagi Amna makan apa. Since tepung atta ada lagi, telur dah beli sepapan, dan black raisins sekotak kecik tu masih tak bukak, maka I got a simple solution : pancake it is.

Worry not. Tak perlu soda bicarbonate bagai. Just whip up the egg until it's fluffy - for fluffy pancake. Mine was like, okay lahhhh... Tapi sebab ada raisins, sedap sebenarnya. Manis tu datang dari raisins hehehe~

So lepas goreng, potong-potong into strip so that Amna senang nak pegang (yes, baby-led weaning katanya haha). Tapi habit anak dara saya seorang ni, kalau dah dapat kat tangan, dia akan sumbattttt je lepas tu kemam. Lepas 2 strips masuk mulut dan berkesudahan di lantai, my husband suapkan dia sikit T____T. BLW lah sangat kan. Takpe. Berusaha lagi ye Ibu! (dan Amna hehe)

Okay, tengah hari ni nak menggelupur cari makanan Amna sebab nak pegi meeting SKT kat KL until Friday. Toodles.

:D

Apple and Prune Jam Sandwich - 9 Months

Ehem ehem. Since Amna refuses to eat mushy foods and she has developed a taste for coarse-textured food, I decided to introduce to her bread. Nope. Not the bleaced-white bread, but the WHOLEGRAIN bread. So this morning, I packed her meal with 

Chunky Apple Jam

1. Cored apples and dice them up.
2. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Add a little bit of cinnamon powder.
4. Store in a jar or air-tight container and keep refrigerated.

Prune Jam

1. Prunes and add a little water.
2. Steam for 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Mash them up.
4. Store in a jar or air-tight container and keep refrigerated.

Sandwich

For someone who eats a lot like Amna (yes, I mean a lot), you need at least 2 slices of wholegrain bread. Remove the crust and keep for another recipe (yes, don't waste). Take a little apple jam and slather on the toast - depends on how much you want. Cut into 4 squares and sandwich them together. You will get 2 small sandwiches with each slice. Repeat with the prune jam :)

Baby Teething Biscuits

Crust leftovers? Turn them into teething biscuits y'all!!!

1. Lay them on a baking tray. 
2. Toast them at 160'C for 15 minutes.

Crispy and suitable for kids 8 months and above. Remember to store in an air-tight container. Everytime you're busy in the kitchen and need to keep your baby busy as well, give her the finger biscuits. Cheap and healthy :D

I'm thinking of introducing Amna to fish soon. Dalam fridge ada ikan kembung and ikan kerisi. Baru-baru ni dah start memasak balik kat rumah for dinner (I hope it rains everyday so that my husband could take care of Amna while I'm cooking - he'll be busy playing football after work). Lauk wajib everyday ialah anything-masak-tomato. Sebab? If masak sup, mestilah nak yang pedas-pedas sikit kan? Heheheh~ Until then :D

Hmmm...

Baru je lepas call seorang kawan yang masih dalam pantang. Dia berpantang kat rumah sendiri (mak dia takde, tinggal ayah dan nenek je kat kampung). So dalam dia berpantang sendiri ni, dia terpaksa memasak untuk anak-anak buah yang datang melepak kat rumah dia (anak buah her husband). I was like "What??!!"

Dia tengah stress. Top up dengan formula milk sebab katanya susu tak cukup. I tried convincing her that susu ibu memang cukup, cuma kena jangan stress je. Yela, mana nak jaga anak lagi, anak-anak sedara lagi...

I think somehow suami dia ni kena orang reason out sikit. I mean, why the heck nak suruh isteri dalam pantang memasak untuk anak-anak buah pulak kan? Kalau nak suruh teman wife takpela, makanan semua dah tersedia. Tapi ni suruh masak pulak.

Kot ye pun baik dengan anak sedara, perlu ke sampai macam ni sekali? Saya rela pantang sorang-sorang kot dari diganggu gini gaya.

Nasihat saya pada kawan saya tu, bersabarlah dan call me if she needs anything. Simpatinya... :'(

Jadi, peringatan untuk diri sendiri ni. Walaupun kadang2 di mata kita suami ni banyak kekurangan, tapi ada jugak suami-suami lain yang kekurangannya teramatlah obvious. Bersyukur dengan apa yang ada. Kita pun bukannya perfect kan :)

Kamelia - Kay Ames

Kamelia

Arranged :)

See, I have this unexplainable liking towards Kufic calligraphy (perhaps it's easier to arrange - NOTTTT). So I made these for a friend.

Ingat senang ke nak arrange? It took me two days to figure everything out. Kalau tengok dalam files tu penuh dengan trials hehehehe... Depending on a person's name, some names are very easy to deal with. Haritu buat chop mohor. Ada orang janji macam-macam, dah 2 bulan takde dengar khabar berita pun. Gini la nasib kalau freelance. T____T

Manual for Mothers 2.0

Heyyyy kembali lagi... Malas nak cakap banyak. The cough has affected the mood and the hands as well haha. Here's another manual on How to Supply the EBM Stock to the Nursery and the Babysitter :D

I made a little correction over there, some of you would notice.
Typo and grammatical error is very common of me now. Adoi.

So, I purposely put the signature as watermark because some of the mommies actually edited my previous manuals and turned them into theirs instead. Bukan kedekut ilmu, but hey, intellectual property okay. Ingat senang ke nak melukis + edit semua-semua ni? 

Have fun sharing the knowledge, but do acknowledge the person who's behind the info that you are sharing. That's why we have Copyrights Act kan?

Going Strong, Insha Allah

Hey heyyyyy~

Masuk ofis harini. Batuk masih melengking-lengking. Tengah nak bersiap ke ofis sambil angkut bakul and cooler box Amna, salam husband, and husband cakap

"Happy 2nd Anniversary Sayang!"

"Esokla Abang".

"Hari la. 20 haribulan kan?"

Laaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa...???? Macam mana boleh saya tersilap tarikh ni?! (at the same time terus bukak fridge betulkan date on milk liners haha). Tu la, demam punya pasal, habis semua ke laut. Nak berharap lebih harini, let's not. 

Gaduh, masam muka, nangis, merajuk, cabar-mencabar tu semua asam garam rumahtangga. Saya ni memang mulut jenis lazer, sedang dalam proses mengurangkan tahap 'habanero' ke 'jalapeno' dan seterusnya ke tahap 'cili merah'. Lama tu. Ni tengah demam memang tak larat nak melenting, tapi moody la hehehe...

Ok. Saya request nak makan Ayam Penyet! So petang ni Abang jangan main bola ye! :P

Baby Style Kuih Keria - 9 Months and Above

Yeaaaa... Harini MC. Demam since Friday, on and off. Sudahnya doc suruh pegi buat blood test. Haih. Aci tak nak ngelat bab ni? Leceh sebenarnya uhuk uhuk. Bukan takut tau.

Dalam duk batuk melengking-lengking ni, sempatla buatkan keria untuk Amna. Senang sangat. :D

Bukan susah nak sediakan makanan berkhasiat untuk anak. Sambil-sambil masak makanan kita tu, buatlah untuk anak sekali. Cuma takde garam dan gula je. :)

Ok, nak fetch Amna. Sakit-sakit ni perlu hantar Amna ke nursery sebab tak larat nak jaga dia, pagi tadi sakit kepala sangat. Until then :D

Aiming For 2 Years

Amna is almost 10 months old, and I am still blessed with enough milk supply until now. The stock is roughly around 800oz - as I keep on pumping religiously - no matter what people say, or others would've might given up already.

What I really want people to understand is, I am trying very hard to make sure Amna is fully breastfed, until she's 2. And during this period, I cannot tolerate people who keep on telling me that breastfeeding is hard, so little time to pump, etc. For me, if you just don't feel like breastfeeding, do not coax others into doing so. It's part of Sunnah, and the best food for the baby - I am trying very hard of accomplishing both.

Being a person who is well-known of hard-headed, I adamantly want to make sure I achieve my target - by hook or by crook, or at least die in trying to do so. I cannot compromise with people who actually think breastfeeding is as simple as pushing a button and hell yeah - there goes the milk gushing out of the pipe. NO. I've gone through what other mothers went through - engorged breasts, the-ever-famous-misconception-of no milk during confinement period, stressed up times, etc. Too much for me, as a first-time mother.

I have no problem going all the hassle early in the morning just to prepare milk to the nursery (even sometimes I keep on babbling about this - I just needed support), or even cook homemade meal for Amna, but then sometimes I need people to tolerate and do the same for Amna. I have sisters who keep on asking if they could feed Amna with carbonated drinks, cookies, all-mother-loads-of-sugars-and-junks, I will just simply flip and say a big fat "NO" and spend some time preaching to them about the healthy foods.

At first, some might feel too much chores to do in the morning, but once it's a routine, you'll just get used to it and go with the flow.

Why did I have this entry? It's a SELF REMINDER if I ever got frustrated or feel like giving up - I will read this entry and remember all those hard times I've gone through for my breastfeeding journey.

Breastfeeding is your children's right. Give them the best. :)

If you don't like the concept of breastfeeding, keep giving your children formula milk and let me be.

Amna - 9 Months Young :D

Alhamdulillah...

Time really flies. It seems just like yesterday I had nearly 12 hours labour pain and gave birth to her. Awww... Ibu's little girl is growing up so soon! :')

Ibu doakan yang baik-baik semuanya :)

Lepas demam haritu Amna dah tak nak makan mushy food. Nanny dia cakap Amna buat-buat muntah. Wah pandai ye drama.

So esok bekalkan roti whole grain Gardenia letak apple puree (kononnya apple jam) and prune puree (prune jam hehe). Nak buat tutorial kemudian2 la kan sebab tadi baru siap. Esok toast sikit kasi garing. Kulit tu jangan buang, bila dah potong tu, bakar dalam oven jadi finger biscuits. Letak dalam bekas kedap udara. Tak membazir hehehee... Elok untuk baby yang tengah teething. Eh, tapi Amna dah ada 4 batang gigi. Takpe, orang-orang tua cakap 'asah gigi' :P

The 29th Birthday

Ok. It was yesterday. Not like the previous years, I was able to jot down on those memorable days. Not this year. I was too busy with Amna who's down with fever. Alhamdulillah she's ok today but still refuses to be left alone even for a second. Siap terpaksa ambik darah - takut dengue wuhuhuhu...

This year:

A wife, still. Alhamdulillah..

A mother to Nayla Amna

Own a car that bears my name :D

Better position - naik pangkat.

What's next?

Planning to get myself a house or further my studies :)

Celebrate lambat pun takpe kan? Ok, I need venti-sized Chocolate Caramel from Starbucks. Anyone nak belanja? Heheheheheee~

p/s : Next year dah 30? Wah wahhh... Ok, next year baru fikir nak tambah family member :P

Persiapan Pulang ke Kampung

Hohhhh... Salam Eidul Adha!

Tiba-tiba baru teringat pasal balik kampung. Amna's food! Saya telah berkira-kira bahawa bubur nasi dan oat beliau masih banyak berbaki. Jadi, tiada masalah. 

Tapi setelah belek-belek deep freezer semalam, banyak bahan dah takde. Adoi. Nak test telur memanglah baru sekali test. Minggu ni akan test 2 kali dengan 1 tablespoon egg yolk. Ok, tak susah pun nak cari telur kat KT. Antara perkakasan nak bawak balik kampung:

1. Steamer. Highly important. Senang nak steam apa-apa yang patut.
2. Frozen cubes rice and oats.
3. Uncooked rolled oats. *optional*
4. Banana. Tak payah masak. Cubit-cubit je bagi makan masa dalam kereta.
5. Already cut papaya. Berjehek takde orang nak makan dalam fridge huhu.
6. Frozen peas
7. Kurma (perhaps kena puree siap-siap supaya senang)
8. Plum puree
9. Yogurt *optional*
10. Raisins
11. Chicken stock. Hoh. Mau tak penting ni.
12. Bowls and spoon - ok, Amna ada 1 bowl je. Lain-lain semua bekas brand Tupperware :P
13. Bib - nanti habis baju raya comot sana sini.

Buah-buah lain bolehla beli kat KT macam apples, etc. Ok ibu, pagi Khamis sila menggelupur siapkan bekal untuk Amna seperti biasa (minus EBM yayyyy - save stock hehehe) 3 meals dan bekalan air masak secukupnya supaya beliau tak mengamuk kelaparan.

I'm thinking of introducing her to potatoes. Owh well, malam karang boleh pow Encik Rezal untuk beli keperluan dapur yayyyyy~!!!

Time to lunch. Perut bunyi-bunyi dan neeeeedddd to go to the toilet badly :P

Wash Thy Hands

The reason I posted this entry :

Tengah basuh tangan kat sink then I saw someone got out of the cubicle without making a pit stop at the sink. Maknanya apa?

Okay... Don't tell me to think positively etc. The only positive of that situation is : I am positive that the person did not wash her hands after going to the toilet.

*insert bunyi cliche cerita hantu di sini - bila hantu dah dekat*

Saya bukanlah orang yang paling bersih dalam dunia. But, every time I went to the toilet and getting my 'business' done (be it no. 1 or no. 2), membasuh tangan adalah dikategorikan "TANPA GAGAL" or "WITHOUT FAIL". Walaupun selepas ke toilet, saya nak ke surau ke apa, basuh tangan dah jatuh hukum WAJIB.

Saya balik rumah before pegang Amna mesti basuh tangan! Walaupun dari nursery dah pegang dia kan. Seboleh-boleh nak basuh tangan jugakkkk. Bukan. Saya bukan OCD. Tapi saya tak nak anak saya kena penyakit hasil sentuhan 'ajaib' saya - iaitu dengan tidak membasuh tangan.

Susah sangat ke basuh tangan? Bukan kena mandi pun, kan?

Mentally Challenged Society

Owhhh... Kemarahan dah sejuk baru nak menaip kekdahnyaaaa...

Haritu dahla super busy.

(tipuuuu... kalau busy takkan boleh reply comment kat FB kan *suara dalam fikiran* - diam kau conscience! Suka hati akula nak buat apa :P). Buatnya pulak kat satu group ni orang dah merapu-rapu tanya soalan yang sama, pastu yang tak relevant pun tanya jugak...

Someone asked what is power pumping.

I replied "Aaaa... Itu gunanya search button kat atas nun. Try search kat files. Or google *insert smiley face here*".

And guess what she replied back?

"Alaaa... bagitau laa.."

Budaya apakah masyarakat kita ni??? Semua nak spoon-fed. Tau nak semua depan mata.

So I kinda mengamuk and posted on my status

"Suruh carik kat files pun malas. Facebook je reti. Mencari maklumat langsung tak reti. Baik campak je laptop/tablet/handphone canggih manggih tu ke laut. Duh." 

Dah siap bagi link. Tak tau lah kalau tak reti click link jugak. Memang nak kena pukul kot.

Baik tak payah jadi mak kalau serba serbi tak reti. 

I just cannot brain this.

Living in the IT-savvy world makes you look beyond dumb if you do not know what the hell is GOOGLE. Okay, perhaps not all are using Google. But then, you could alwas use the search method, any other ways you prefer. Everything is at your fingertips these days.

Anak orang asli di ceruk sana pun pandai guna Internet. Inikan pulak kau yang ada Facebook yang hari-hari update. Jangan tipulah kata takde masa nak buat bacaan ilmiah. Bohong semua tu. Sampai bila-bila pun lah tak akan maju kalau harap Facebook je reti. Malu la wei mak aku umur 55 tahun pun terer search kindergarten songs online (mostly on Youtube hehe).

Dahlah. Kalau layan orang no-brainer macam ni, lagi sakit hati, baik aku makan chocolate. :D

Bila Si Dia Berpergian

Ok, Encik Rezalman offshore dah masuk hari kelima, tapi saya baru nak update. Sebab? Busyyyyyyy...

Semalam nyaris-nyaris lambat ambik Amna kat nursery sebab tiba-tiba kena masuk meeting (masa saya melarikan diri tu, meeting tak habis lagi. Pengarah nak diorang bentang today katanyaaaaa). Pagi tadi pulak bangun lambat... Biasanya bangun pukul 5.30am, sekali dekat nak pukul 6.30am baru bangun. Cik Kinah ada pun tengokkk je kita bangun lambat. Bukan nak kejut. Cis.

Menggelupurlah saya ambik frozen puree cubes masukkan dalam steamer. Harini bekalkan Amna 3 meals.

Clockwise : Upper right - sweet potato + chicken stock
Below - apple + carrots + broccoli
Upper left - baby peas + oats + chicken stock

Breakfast : Baby peas + oats + chicken stock

Lunch : Sweet potato + chicken stock

Afternoon snack : Apple + carrots + broccoli

Untuk mommies, breakfast adalah sangat penting untuk anak-anak, sama penting macam untuk orang dewasa. Sebab tu, dinasihatkan bagi chilled EBM or fresh EBM pagi-pagi and solid yang mengandungi carbohydrates - membekalkan tenaga untuk sepanjang hari :D

So bila balik, makan prune yogurt lagi. :P

Today baru start 3 meals kat taska. And today also I introduced baby peas for the first time. Sebab bila balik tu dia dah macam menggelupur lapar. Tu yang kesian takut lambat balik dan disuap benda bukan-bukan, baiklah saya ambil precautious step kannn :D *or sebenarnya dia menggelupur bila tengok ibu saje haha*. So saya steam siap-siap semuanya dan bungkus dalam towel supaya tak mencairkan susu-susu yang dibekalkan dalam cooler box itu. Memangla patutnya saya beli thermos untuk makanan. Tapi macam mahallll... remember I mentioned sebijik harga RM22 besar tapak tangan? Yesss memang sangat tempting untuk membeli. Tapiiiii Encik Rezal takde, tak boleh nak mengepow. Lambat laun kena beli jugak. Senangkan kerja nannies yang yang ramai budak tu. Wuhuhuhuuu... *boleh pergi Alamanda lunch karang. Muahahahahaa*

Eh jap. Lupa nak buat review pasal baby peas. Sedappppp... Rasa creamy. Sangat sesuai untuk buat peas soup. Kalau ibu suka, pastinya Amna suka. Miahahahaha...

p/s : Bibi, I beli brand Baby Peas Watties jugak. Kalau you belek belakang tu ingredients dia peas je. Yang sugar semua tu dia punya maklumat nutrition :D

Sunday At The Zoo!

Hoi hoi hoiiiiiii~!!!

When's the last time you went to the zoo? I was 12 then. Rombongan sekolah kekdahnyaaa...

On the wayyyyy~

Ibu yang sangat excited sebenarnya nak pergi Zoo Negara. kebetulan nak hantar Cuda pindah barang kat rumah sewa dia area Ukay perdana, jadi kami pun berhoyeah-hoyeah ke Zoo Negara after lunch hahahah~ So, pagi-pagi dah siapkan breakfast and bekal lunch for Amna : broccoli + oats + chicken stock (breakfast) and oats + apple + sweet potato + chicken stock. Kita orang tua ni mesti macam akan bertanya balik "Broccoli?? Kesian budak tu". No. Broccoli bila steam sedap sebenarnya. Nak suruh anak makan sayur, kena la creative. Nak bagi bayam pulak lepas ni :D

Ok, kitorang bertolak lambat, dalam pukul 11am. Alhamdulillah, cuaca redup hala ke mendung. Barang Cuda penuh bonet kereta. Ada orang tu degil. Katanya saya kedekut sebab tak nak bagi naik kereta saya. Saya cakap bukannya kedekut, tapi barang-barang tu nanti tak muat. Orang tu insisted jugak. Dah masuk-masuk barang separuh, barula dia cakap "Eh, tak muat la..." *muka tak bersalah*. Saya dengan Cuda dah sound-sound bertepek-tepek sebab orang tu degil kannnn (okay, orang tu offshore, balik nanti dia baca la kot haha). So selesai pindahkan barang kat Ukay Perdana, we headed to a restaurant for lunch. Makan kat Taman Permata je pun. Amna had her lunch as well. Ibu bawak bekal remember? :D Then off we went to the zoo.

Entrance to the zoo.
Monyok sebab baru bangun tido. Kena ambik feel dulu :P

Dah dapat ticket! Payung adalah perlu takut hujan :P

Ok, first sekali nak complain pasal the price of the tickets = RM20 for MyKad Holders and RM6 for MyKid holders (3-12 years). Apeheyyy maheiiii bebenoo??? Luckily Amna tak payah bayar. Masuk-masuk tu lekatkan sticker wristband (ticket) then kitorang pun jalan-jalan... 

Amna sibuk tengok air. Orang nak kenalkan dengan binatang.
-___-"

"Look Amna! Giraffe!"
*Ibu yang over haha*

Apa agaknya Amna fikir?

Takde perasaan tengok gajah. Adoi.

Ostriches

Amna lebih suka tenung air sebenarnya. Memang tak layan sangat binatang-binatang ni. Ada ke kat tempat air mencurah tu jugak yang dia berkenan. Dia suka tengok air terjun. Small fountain pun dia tengokkk je... Then, dalam 10 minit berjalan, Amna mengantuk lalu tertidur dalam stroller -___-". Tinggallah Ayah, Ibu and Cuda je berjalan-jalan tengok binatang. Suasana redup memangla sedap nak tidur kan. Takde kipas pun dia belasah je tidur. Haiii anakkuuuu...

Mata kuyu...

...a minute later...

Hujan rintik-rintik time kitorang kat Birds Aviary. Kejap je. Dalam 10 minit dah berhenti. Amna masih tidur. Kitorang pun berjalan la dalam tu...

At the Birds Aviary.
Ambik gambo dalam stroller jela.
Tuannya dah berlayar.

Harapkan pegar, pegar makan padi.
Bukan pagar tau.
Inilah ayam pegar yang makan padi tu.
(dulu ejaan jawi sama je)

Sapi bali kalau tak silap

Capybara.
Tikus terbesar di dunia.
Yang ni size lagi besar dari Amna.

Unta la ya ente!
Tajaan AmBank - nama pun mascott diorang kannnn

Round sekerat jalan... lepas 30 minit tidur, Amna pun bangun terpisat-pisat masa kat Ape Centre. Takdela pulak dia nak susu. Senyappp je. Sibuk nak minum air mineral dari botol. Air dalam sippy cup dia tak nak. Husband dah mengeluh penat. Haih, orang yang main bola tiap-tiap petang cakap penat? Biar benar ni? Ibu tak habis jalan lagi. So last resort, kitorang beli tiket tram. Pun naik tram. Round sampai hujung, jumpa kedai. Terus borong beli air walaupun sedia maklum air mahal, segala-galanya mahal di situ.

Jangan tanya chimpanzee ni tengah buat apa

Eh dah bangun tido! :P

Senyuman manisssss :D

Reptiles area.
Amna tengok tortoises atau sebenarnya dia tengok air je :P

Gambar atas tram tak sempat ambik banyak sebab battery camera dah nak kong. Okaylaaaa, not bad for the experience. Tunggu Amna besar sikit, bawak pergi petting zoo. Lagi best kot. Ni semua duk dalam kandang, satu pun tak boleh pegang. Ada animal show, tapi sebab ramai sangat, kitorang pegi aquarium. Sambil-sambil lalu tu tengok penguin. Penguin duk dalam tu ada aircond okehhhh heheheh~

Naik tram wooottttt~!!
My husband berangan nak beli tram, senang nak bawak jalan-jalan sebab pakai battery je :P

Sekian weekend kami. Malam tu semua terbongkang tidur sebab penat sangat :P

Less Word Saturday

Bergaya

Sengih control

Boy friend baru Cip Ana heheheh~

Senyum :>

Makan bubur Ibu buat :)

Amna - 8 Months Old

Senyum sopan :P

Macam-macam ragam dah anak Ibu ni... Semalam genap 8 bulan dah. And still fully breastfeed. Alhamdulillah....

Habits yang saya perasan lately:

1. Kalau tak dapat benda yang dia nak dengan cepat akan bunyi "Ughhhhh!!! Ughhhh!!!"
2. Suka nangis olok-olok bila nampak ibu. Nangis mesti mata tu berkelip-kelip tapi air mata takde -konon mintak kesian hehehhee
3. Sibuk nak main laptop Ayah. Siap boleh panjat bantal dan tergolek-golek (sebab belum pandai berdiri sendiri).  Dari jauh merangkak semata-mata nak main laptop. Gigihhhhh jugak sampailah putus asa. Baru la time tu nak nangis kalau tak dapat heheheheh~
4. Merangkak ke tempat yang takde karpet. Dia suka sangat duk atas lantai sambil tepuk-tepuk lantai. Ke ibu kena beli gendang lepas ni?
5. Dah pandai senyum tak payah bersuruh bila tengok camera dan handphone. Alololoooo... camwhore sungguh anakku ini!
6. Suka buku/magazine/printed papers/anything that is paper-based. Sebab? Bila koyak tu ada bunyi srapppp!!! Dah habis koyakkan magazine ibu, ammmm... masuk mulut. Masa tu la ibu tergolek-golek nak tarik cebisan kertas kat tangan Amna. Woh.
7. Suka sangat menyusu sambil dalam keadaan meniarap/separa berdiri/menonggeng. Pastu kaki gedek-gedek macam naik kuda. Hahahaha~
8. Dah pandai main-main rambut Ibu. Tunggu rambut sendiri tumbuh panjang lambat lagi huhu...
9. Tertarik pada telefon kaler oren tu. Sebab? Boleh tarik wayar. Bahaya ni. Kena simpan semua kasi tinggi sikit dari capaian beliau :P

Semoga jadi anak yang solehah ye Amna. Ibu doakan yang terbaik :)

Plum Yogurt For Snack - Constipation Remedy

Sejak Amna constipated ni kan, hari-hari saya bekalkan dia dengan apa saja puree, tapi mesti tambah yogurt and plum puree.

So, semalam beliau telah poopoo dengan jayanya - 3 kali!. Nampak sangat dah tak poopoo banyak hari. But this time dia tak nangis. Dia relax saje, tapi aksi meneran tu ada la sikit - di ceruk sofa. Penuh gaya katanya... Teringat Pa cakap dulu tiap kali saya nak poopoo, saya menyorok belakang pintu heheheheeee...

Macam mana nak buat prune puree?? Kacang sangat. Owh, nasihat saya, dapatkan prune yang tiada bahan pengawet. Sunsweet punya ada pengawet dan additives, walaupun katanya vitamin C, still, considered as additive la kan. Jadi make sure tengok dulu ingredients kat belakang - prune semata-mata. Nak beli fresh, agak payah nak jumpa kat Malaysia ni yang organic (Tesco ada, but nak pergi jauhla pulak kan hehe), so saya beli yang dried pitted prunes kat Cold Storage je.

Steps :

1. Steam prunes with a little bit of water for 10 minutes
2. Mash the prunes until the consistency is to your liking.
3. Ready to eat. 

Pagi petang siang malam duk sumbat Amna dengan prunes and yogurt. Malam semalam - snack prune yogurt. Yogurt tu pun make sure full cream, NO additives or low fat or salt or anything. Just natural yogurt. Saya beli brand Farm Fresh hehehe~ Kacau-kacau dengan prune puree bagi dia makan, jangan panaskan pulak. Kang habis live active cultures yang bagus untuk perut tu. Surprisingly Amna suka sangat! Sampai kena buat second batch. Bukan Amna je yang suka, ibu punnnn hahahaha! Habis berlemoih mulut. Orang bagi sudu kosong je, dia tak puas hati, nangis la apa lagi :P

Credit to Maghfarah Che Mansor
Ini la dia yogurt tu. Make sure you baby pass the 4-days rule tu ye.
Jangan bagi terus banyak-banyak pulak.

Hari ini Amna dah 8 bulan! So boleh introduce sikit-sikit ayam, I'll start with chicken stock that I made last week! Dah frozen siap-siap hehehehe~ Lepas ni bolehla nak masak bubur or oat, bekalkan dengan soup, so boleh dilute dengan bubur tu la kot. Ni yang terasa nak beli food feeder - snack in between meals.

Dah pandai sangat posing.
Asal nampak camera je semedang sengih.
Owh, kelihatan Ayahnya berbaju oren melepek di belakang :P

Aaaa.... Omnomnomnomnomnommmm

Gambar pagi tadi on the way sending her to the nursery.
Silau. Pakai spek hitam gituuu :D

Berkerak hidung, tapi marah sangat bila orang suik hidung dia :P
(ok, gigi Ibu nampak macam gigi rabbit)

Today saya bekalkan 2 jenis (biasanya 2-2 bekas benda yang sama hehe) - oat + yogurt + dates and pumpkin + yogurt + prunes. Next week boleh intro benda lain pulak lah kan. Boring pulak asyik tengok makan benda sama je.

Husband ada bagitau maybe nak pegi Zoo Negara this week. Alang-alang nak hantar Cuda (my sister in-law) pindah ke UK Perdana, bolehla melencong terus. Jadi, persiapan makanan untuk Amna perlu ada! Nak bawah thermos makanan macam "Amboiii... kau sorang yang kononnya masak untuk anak kau." Plus penuh nanti shopping bag kat bawah stroller Amna tu. Dah survey vacuum flask, tapi harga untuk bekas sebesar tapak tangan ialah RM22!!! T____T. Tersedak kejap tengok.

Things I will buy for next recipe is:

1. Atta flour (try nak buat lempeng kekdahnya hehe - Amna kan dah ada gigi)
2. Telur (nak intro egg yolk sesudu this weekend)
3. Cheese! (boleh buat broccoli + cheese + yogurt) ok, ibu yang terliur.
4. Black raisins (or boleh mintak free je dengan Mak kan kan kannnn :P)
5. Tomatoes (nak buat homemade tomato puree - boleh masak pasta pasni haha)

Banyak je recipes for baby 8 months ni. Mommies, tryla usha blog Maghfarah tu. Boleh alter recipes kalau dah takde idea sangat. 

p/s : Bibi, baby 6 bulan sekali sehari je makan, so no problem. Dia takkan boring. Heheheh~ kalau dah namanya 4-days rule tu, sempat sangat Aliya masuk 7 bulan boleh makan campur-campur puree heheheh~

Penangan Oatmeal

Sejak intro oats to Amna this week, she started to show symptoms of .... constipation.

Awal-awal haritu buat oat cair, lepastu nanny dia complain cakap bubur cair. Ok, the next day Tuesday I didn't add water to the oatmeal tu. Steam je, and campur pumpkin.

Masuk hari Rabu, Amna masih lagi tak poo poo. Last sekali poo poo hari Isnin. Aih. Parah ni. Lunch hour Rabu tu jugak cari prune kat Alamanda. Kat Carrefour ada Sunsweet and another brand. Tu pun ada preservative. Terus ke ColdStorage - memang dijamin ada organic food. Cari-cari, ada laaa pitted dried prune. Senang hati beli. Harga RM9.29.

Malam tu jugak bagi steam prunes dan dilute dengan air. Bagi Amna makan macam tu je. Lepas makan tu terus buat senaman basikal dan urut-urut area tummy. Jumaat, terus bekalkan pumpkin + prunes. Tengah hari lunch hour Jumaat tu dah beli plum, yogurt and sweet potatoes. Balik tu, tanya nanny dia berak tak. Jawapan : Masih lagi belum. Pasrah jela kan. Amna takde pulak macam tak selesa ke apa. Relax je Amna. Ibu and Ayah pulak gabra.

Petang tu sambil tengok tv, husband belum balik dari main bola. Amna dah lain macam. Nak kata nangis tak nangis. Pastu check diaper, oooo... Poopoo rupanya. Tapi agak seksa la tengok dia tu. Tak biasala katakan. Biasa melambak. Ni ketul-ketul :P.

Kesian gila tengok dia tarik nafas dalam-dalam. Sampai bunyi "Eeeeeekkk" gitu. Amna nangis mintak moral support. Sambil-sambil tunggu dia poopoo, saya pun dukung dia bawak pegi jalan-jalan dalam rumah. Senyap je. Pastu duduk sambil bersandar tu. Dahi Amna siap ada peluh lagi. Macam nak terperosok mata dia tengah poopoo. Nak gelak pun ada. Pastu bila Rezal balik dari main bola, got her nappy changed. Dia pun bergolek-golek happy main atas mattress sambil tengok tv.

Malam tu the husband pegi pasar malam, I was left alone with Amna. She made the same sound again. Bunyi tarik nafas dalam-dalam. Quickly I carried her and duduk bersandar kat sofa. Intai-intai (korang akan terbiasa punya intai diaper anak esok-esok ehehehhe) Oooooo... poopoo... Berusaha betul dia. Kesian sangat-sangat. Sambil tenangkan Amna and urut belakang bagi dia rasa selesa. Tak lama lepas tu, dia ok sikit, pergi tukar nappy dia. Lepas je tukar nappy. Eh, macam tak pernah sembelit je. Suka hati habis. Heheheheh~ 

Sunday lunch, bagi Amna makan oat + yogurt + prune. Ready jela kan sebab Amna tak poopoo lagi. Adoi.

Ini ibu pulak perut memulas-mulas sebab makan plum. Baik, esok ibu bekalkan puree plum. Hahahahahha~

Oatmeal Porridge for Amna (6-7 Months Old)

Oats!!!

Gigihnyaaa ibu buat puree yang boleh bertahan dalam ermm... 2-3 minggu (sebab Amna dah makan 2 kali sehari heheh). Broccoli, apples (dah nak habis), pumpkin and carrots. Masak oat pulak slow cooker.

How to choose your oats? It is best to choose rolled oats - minimum process as possible or kalau takde sangat, boleh guna steel cut oats - tapi dah kurang sikitla zat dia. Then, soak a cup of oats in a bowl of water with a teaspoon of lemon juice or apple cider vinegar, or apa2 la yang fruit-based acid (saya pernah guna limau nipis hehe). Why do we soak our cereals? (rice, oats, etc.) Sebabnya, phytic acid within the cereal can contribute to allergies and hard to digest, especially for baby's tummy. So usually soak around 8-24 hours. Lepastu baru masak. I tried last night. Heheheh~

I bought this at Carrefour
Source : DF Natural Concept

So how do I cook my oats/rice porridge? Slow cook it is. Sape larat nak tunggu berjam-jam sampai jadi bubur oiiii... So, the night before I put the oats and a bowl of water dalam slow cooker, esok pagi, TADAAAA~!!! Dah siap. tak payah blend, tapis terus masuk dalam bekas, so tinggallah segala kulit yang rupa macam dedak tu kat strainer. Tunggu kacau dengan puree berlambak dalam deep freezer tu je heheheee... Suka!

Frozen oats for the whole week :D

Puree apples, broccoli, carrots, oatmeal and pumpkin.
Tidak dilupakan stock EBM :D
Nak penuh dah DF ^___^
(perhaps boleh recce DF yang lebih besar? hohoho)

Bored with the same old school oatmeal porridge for your babies? Fret not. Boleh tambah dengan puree sayur ke, fruits ke. What you can do :

1. oatmeal + pumpkin + broccoli (6-7 months)
2. oatmeal + banana (6-7 months)
3. oatmeal + apples + carrot (6-7 months)
4. oatmeal + dates + green peas (6-7 months)
5. oatmeal + black raisins (6-7 months)
6. oatmeal + homemade vege/chicken stock + green vege (8 months and above)
7. And the list goes on. Owh, provided that all the ingredients have passed the 4-days rule :D

Kalau untuk ibu yang boleh makan macam-macam ni, saya suka buat mushroom soup + oats = kenyang lebih lama. Tak suka mushroom soup? Saya pernah je buat oat tomyam. Hohohoiiii makan bertambah-tambah pulak tu. Senang je, beli paste tomyam sedia tu, tambah air panas, kacau je oats. Tapi ni instant oats  la kan. Baby kena makan rolled oats.

Can't wait to introduce chicken once she's 8 months old! Nak buat frozen chicken stock pulak. Panaskan dan masukkan dalam oat/rice porridge nanti. 10 months boleh try intro telur sikit-sikit pulak :D

Stock EBM dari bulan Julai.
Susun dalam tray, senang sikit nak handle. Hehehheee~
Abaikan those yang jatuh bergelimpangan.