The Stork!!

I haven't been getting my period for over a month and I did the pregnancy test this morning.... POSITIVE!! Based on the gestational calendar, I am 7 weeks pregnant and my EDD is mid August 2008!!!
I am quite worried because I haven't been taking good care of myself. Pray to Allah that all is well..... Millie will be Kakak soon!!!
ALHAMDULILLAH!!!

Eid Adha 1428 20 Dec 2007

Alhamdulillah, I finally performed the aqeeqah for Millie after procastinating for ages!! Mak Yah performed her Qurban and I joined in for the aqeeqah, organised by our qariah's mosque, which is a mere 200m from my condo entrance. With Hubby and Haakem away celebrating in Kelantan, we started the morning of Eid by going to the mosque for Solat Eid at 8.30am, came back home for breakfast and we went back to the mosque at 10.00 am as ours shall be the first to be sacrificed..... 5 cows altogether. A considerably small number. I was thinking that with all the KLites going back to their hometown, the needy and poor in the city are left out and that is why we decided to perform the qurban and aqeeqah in KL. The committee members and the helpers were very efficient, the first animal was slaughtered at around 10.20am (and I was so near the neck that the blood gushing out was splatered onto my feet, sandals, sarong and helm of baju kurung... and my aunty's.

We went back around 10.30 to prepare the table for my mom, sisters and aunt & cousin. They arrived from 11.30 am and the last to go back was my mom and sisters and the kids, after Maghrib prayers. Mak Yah went to collect the beef with the maids. After distributing the meat (and some internal organs) to those who came, I put the rest in the freezer, to be cooked later when the time is right for us to hold the kenduri, insya Allah....

Besides our pulut kuning, nasi himpit, lodeh and sambal tumis telur, we had my mom's lodeh, sambal sotong and rendang daging.

Ten Years Yesterday...............

Exactly 10 years yesterday, Abah passed away... leaving me orphaned. Al-Fatihah for Almarhum Mashudi bin Abdullah.
For those whose dad is still around, hug him more, smooch him more, peck on his cheek more, cook for him more often, watch soccer with him more, ask for his advice more.....

Blue......

I am feeling blue... really.... I cried this morning at work..... I missed my son Haakem terribly.... I tried to swallow it but my emotions took over.... He left for my Hubby's hometown yesterday morning... they left early to attend my sister-in-law's nikah tonight. It was initially scheduled on 21st but they bring it earlier. I am only going on the 21st morning. I have another 4 days to go to be reunited with Haakem. I had tears in my eyes when Millie called for Haakem several times yesterday. I don't know how we are going to cope.... sigh......

I AM 37 TODAY

My Haakem was the first to wish me at 12.00 midnight and second is my chum Jan via sms, followed by Angel, my youngest sister.
In the morning Hubby kissed me and wished Happy Birthday!!
Arriving at the office, my girls G, N and Ira sang for me and gave me a cute frog post it holder!! Sms's from Sam, Syir and more friends messages through Facebook!!! At 4.30pm the department asked me to blow the candles on the cake!! And minutes later, I received a bouquet of red rosees from Jan, Syir and Moon!! THANKS YOU LOT!! I LOVE ALL OF YOU TO BITS!!!

Millie Venturing Into Her Second Year

Unlike Haakem, Millie is really boisterous! She climbs alot, pushes things around, has scratch marks on her face, trashe4s the bin, talks alot and is really really mischievous! She'll wake Hubby up, she'll disturb Haakem's nap... but these 2 boys just will not scold her back.... and... Hubby NEVER agreed to buying baloons (in fact most toys) for Haakem, with Millie..... he'd even wiped off the wet baloons for her little girl!

School Is Resuming Soon!!

New Light Blue Long Sleeve Shirt - checked - size 14, 2 nos.;

New Dark Blue Pants - checked, size 26, 1 only, can still wear this year's;

New Black Canvas Shoes - checked, size 3, 2 pairs;

New white socks - checked, 3 pairs;

New white singlets - checked, 2 nos;

New Colour Pencils Set - checked, set of 48;

New Pencil Case with everything in it - checked;

School Fees (errr... what the Government exempts is not giving much difference) - checked, set aside;

Activity books

Exercise books

Recommended books

Extra Workbooks

School Badges

............ I'm making a mental note to go to haakem's school co-op to get the books and other essentials on the 24th December, when we get back from the Eid break..... the Eid break? I haven't prepared for that Eid either..... gulps??

Back from LIMA and Lumut

insert: me and colleagues in front of the newly named vessel & the view from my room @ City Bayview Langkawi

As scheduled, I was off to LIMA on the first flight on 5th Dec and after a hectic 2 days plus another one extra days for packing the documents and all the stationeries used during the signing ceremonies and meeeting colleagues and foreign business acquaintances at the exhibition halls and arranging for them to be transported back to KL, and doing a bit of shopping (2 bars of Cadbury's, tobacco products for hubby, 2 sarong anak for Haakem, one really sharp Japan made kitchen knife for Mak Yah, a tee-shirt for Bibik and 3 (yes, 3!!) different sized non stick pans..... nothing for me and Millie), I was off from LGK on the last flight on 7th Dec, arriving at 10.35pm. Hubby & Haakem were already there. The airport was really busy!! We stopped for a late supper before driving back home. I straight away unpacked the gifts and they are all excited especially Hubby for whom I also bought the "dapur"/little stoves, for his pipes!

Millie woke up at 2am and I breastfed her... and she's back to sleep in no time. She has been a little angel with no trouble at all for the past 3 days. And she finished off her milk ration, of course.

My boss gave us the Saturday off, so I spent the weekends tidying up, catching up on my sleeping and of course doing the laundry.

Monday was work as usual. Tuesday was another travelling day. I pushed off to Lumut at 9.00am with hubby who is so kind to drive me to Lumut these days... Some road blocks starting at the Jalan Duta exit to Parliament House... poor commuters from outside KL had to queue (from the North, the jam started from Jalan Parlimen, way back to before the Jalan Duta toll plaza!! Mad!!). We arrived at 1.00pm and after the jama' prayers, I went for the 3 hour meeting. Some stupid ship project manager has sent out a notice of termination without checking with the rest of the team and we had to rectify his mistakes!! Argh!!!

At 5.30pm, we pushed off from the office and had tea (delectable cheese naan with lamb curry) at the nearby food joint. We shopped for those dried seafood which Lumut is famous for. Stocking up on my kitchen supplies, of course.

It was raining the whole way. We stopped at Ulu Bernam for prayers and arrived back home around 10.00pm. Tired but satisfied. I had a great time driving with Hubby. We reminisced about old times, old friends... difficult times......

Busy Mama, Bored Papa, Two Energetic Kids & Calm Atuk

It has been a while since I last post on this blog. I didn't realise how time flies. It has been a really busy two weeks and alot has happened.
Haakem has been spending his weekdays mornings going to the school library and adding up books read for his Nilam Programme. I would walk him to the school gate and leave him under the Senior Teacher's care (with her daughter Masyitah who is Haakem's classmate) and he would spend around 3 hours in the library. At around 12.30 he will walk back home with Masyitah and have lunch prepared by my aunt (Atuk aka Mak Yah). After Zuhur prayers and various rounds of fooling around with Millie and catfights among themselves, Haakem and Masyitah would go swimming and/or play badminton. At 4.30 Masyitah would leave with her mother. Haakem would have his nap after Asr prayer and get up for Maghrib prayer, either alone or with us (if I arrive home by then). He had a bout of cold and cough last week and after taking his medication from our family doctor, he is recovering but I told him to abstain from swimming for a while.
Millie is enjoying walking around the house and along the corridor. She now refuses to take pureed/mashed food and is eating rice, fish (boiled/steamed/soup) and vegetables soup. Her favourite snack is boiled macaroni and fruits and keropok ikan. She talks on the phone quite a lot and I make it a point to call her from the office at least twice a day!! She too caught the cold and we brought her to the clinic this morning.
My father-in-law and his brother came to stay with us for 5 days during the first week of school holidays. Haakem had fun with them especially going to the mosque almost every night. Atuk did almost all the cooking of breakfast, lunch, tea and dinner for them except on my non-working days/times! Haven't been the perfect daughter-in-law. Hubby brought them visiting other relatives most of his free time.
Atuk is also down with cold and cough for the past 4 days. But apart from her Mondays & Thursdays fasting, which she has to miss, Atuk is doing her things as usual. The doctor checked her BP this morning and we were pleasantly surprised, 120/70. She's been on her BP controlling medication for a few years now and alhamdulillah she's well in control. I always make sure to collect her medication every month and that she (and the rest of the family) is consuming low cholesterol food.
Papa is still bored .... he does some freelance consultation works now and is spending most of his free time playing golf. He is suffering from gastric/peptic ulcer and some goon told him to abstain from all food except bread and milk. I told him that is nonsensical and if he doesn't want to listen to me he might as well get a proper advice from our family doctor. In essence, what the doctor said is repetition of what I already told him.
Me? Has been bogged down with meetings, negotiations, finalisation and preparation of documents to be signed during LIMA 07..... only 5 days to go for the signing ceremonies. I have been coming home late (always after Maghrib and at times Isya') for the past 4 weeks. Saturdays are also spent at the office. I'll be flying off for Langkawi on-board the 8.00 o'clock flight on 5th Dec. and be flying back to KL on the last flight, 7th Dec. I won't be staying long unlike previous LIMA's because I do not want to leave Millie for more than 2 nights. At first I was coming back on the 6th but have to extend my stay to accommodate more signing ceremonies!!
But I managed to sneak out during lunch hours yesterday to get myself a new blouse and 2 pairs of pants from Isetan Lot 10 sale. And also visit my clerk at the HKL who gave birth to a stillborn baby girl yesterday morning. It's sad... and the fact that we have known that the baby was not going to survive since about 4 months ago, did not help at all.... I hope she'll cope well with the mental and emotional burden.
Oh yes, I also went for a half day seminar on Companies Act last week besides making travel arrangements to go back to Papa's hometown in Tumpat this Hari Raya Haji. My sister in law is getting married so the whole family (my side) is also going!!