Eid Preparation

I started making the preprations way back in April 2008. That early huh you said? Well I knew otherwise I wouldn't be able to prepare anything since I would start my confinement in August and with hubby away most of the time and the prospect of having to breastfeed my baby exclusively, we would probably have to use last years' things.
I bought the materials for our traditional attires (2 kebayas for me, for easy breastfeeding, that is) and baju Melayu for hubby and Haakem and sent them off to the tailor/dressmaker in May. They were ready 2 weeks ago. Our theme is purple this year.. well, lilac actually, for the boys.
I shopped for other ready made clothes on 29th August, with hubby and all the kids and Bibik. Since it was a Friday afternoon and still before Ramadhan, we had the place to ourselves, almost. 2 dresses for Millie, a baju kurung and a pantsuit, 2 pantsuits and a dress for Zara, a shirt, a long sleeve T and a pair of slacks for Haakem. Millie also have another unworn baju kurung and dress.
Alhamdulillah... the only thing I am leaving for last minute is Millie's shoes. Zara can wear Millie's old booties/socks... which are still like new. Haakem's already got his chapals, 2 pairs of them. Hubby would have to buy a new songkok for him. This boy has a large head for a boy his age.
I also bought Bibik a pair of Larrie sandals. Not buying her baju raya as last year's was only worn twice. My aunt had the materials for her baju kurung in April and finished sewing them some 2 weeks later.
I received 2 raya goodies hampers. I've also bought 2 types of cookies from the supermarket. We've already stocked on the beef, chicken and the rice to prepare the dishes for the day. Bibik has done the cleaning up of most parts of the house, saving my room until Monday. I have washed the curtains for the sliding door and will change the table cloth too, using some nice old ones. Money packets were filled since 2 weeks ago, for my 13 nephews, nieces and own kids, the bibiks, my mother and my aunt.
So, we are all (almost) for Eid.
Last minute purchases would be the vegetables and fish, as well as Millie's shoes.

Millie's Two on 4th September 2008

A really bossy and pampered little "kakak" this one...Papa's princess

CHRONICLES: 44 Day Old

Jaundice free Zara!!! Mom is over the confinement period too (not that she's been confined... erks...)

CHRONICLES: Zara's One Month Old

We have passed the one month milestone!!! Still slightly jaundiced, Zara is otherwise well and happy.

CHRONICLES: National Day

Zara sleeping through the noise from the National Day Celebration.

CHRONICLES: One Week Old

Zara's umbilical cord stub fell off on 18th August. She was jaundiced from 4 days old but feeding well.

At a week old..... a sleeping angel... BLISS!!!

CHRONICLES: 13th August 2008

Millie turned 2 acording to Hijri calendar today and my only brother Adli is 29, or is it 30?

I was still at the hospital. No heavy bleeding and my bowel movement was fine and I have been wee-weeiing well too. No sign of retained placenta or any fragment and my uterus has contracted well. Baby Zara is doing well too but she wasn't sleeping well when left alone in her cot. My inner thighs were a bit sore and stiff, which must be due to the hour long stretch for the stitching. I walked around the ward alot so as to avoid any cramping and clots.

If my baby's G6PD reading is fine, we would both be discarged by end of the day.

Hubby came at noon and minutes later my colleagues Lyn, G and Ira arrived with presents from the Department. Earlier, I received delivery of a huge basket of roses and fruits from my cousin Noi.

Around 3pm, Dr Ferry came to discuss a few things with me including contraception, which I am going to subject myself to. I have told hubby that we have to stop at 3, considering my age, health, financial and emotional factors. The options I am keen on are ora and implant. Dr Ferry suggested IUCD but having a foreign object inside my private part somehow seems like a daunting idea.

A few more rounds by the doctors, with some specialists including the doctor who I first saw for my GDM, Prof. Zaleha, were in the afternoon. I was informed that I could be discharged. Baby's blood tests were all fine. All the final year students who came to interview me yesterday were surprised when they saw me already with the baby and with no problem considering the GDM and other factors... hahahahah.

Hubby arrived with my mother and Haakem around 5.00pm and I was all packed and changed, ready to go. Hubby's cousin and her daughter came just in time before we left.

After settling our dues, getting all the necessary documents and collecting the medications, we left HUKM and arrived home before Maghrib. It was a great relief to see that Millie was not unhappy.

My youngest aunt and family came to visit. After dinner and prayers, my aunt sent my mother off to Setapak while hubby followed my uncle to his house to bury the placenta.

Alhamdulillah... everything went as planned.....

CHRONICLES: 12th August 2008

After spending an hour in bed, I had my breakfast (I was surprised that I was given yellow noodles despite the fact that I was supposed to be on diet control for the GDM. I was even given sugar sachets for my Milo... hmmmmmm......, which I didn't take of course!)

To my surprise, I started my contractions around 9.30am, which is much earlier then expected. At 10.30am it became stronger that I called hubby asking him to come immediately. Dr Ferry who earlier said that the baby is bigger than 3.5kg started teasing me about C-section). Earlier his supervisor said it would be 3.4kg but baby's head is engaged so I didn't have to worry). Another "specialist" was a bit on the daunting side, having everyone overly worried about my GDM, retained placenta, big baby (she said it is 3.6kg) and possible C-section and/or blood transfusion for the retained placenta problem.... and my age too... she had the cheek to say that "considering her being elderly...." WHAT???? Dr Ferry told me that he would have my membrane ruptured at 12.00.

They weren't comforting at all except for one Chinese male doctor (Dr. Tan). I started walking around the ward.

Hubby arrived around 11.30am and started to massage my back. At 12.00 no doctor came and the contractions got stronger and more regular by 1.00pm that I asked hubby to walk me to the nurses' station and I asked the doctor for a VE. I saw a note on the notice board that I shall have my membrane ruptured at 2.00pm. I was only 3cm opened and was told to walk some more and came back at 2.00pm.

I was sitting in bed with hubby massaging my back and reciting prayers for me, when at 2.15 pm I heard a small thud from inside me. I got up and lo and nehold!! My membrane ruptured and I was leaking a lot!!! Hubby called the nurse and I was wheelchaired to the exam room. I was in real pain!!

VE by Dr Tan showed 5 cm and he inserted the speculum to enable him to check the membrane. All cleared.They called the labour room to prepare to receive me. The clock showed 2.25pm. I was going to be transferred to another bed to be pushed to the labour room when I felt a strong urge to poop. Hubby came in to assist Dr Tan to carry me to the bed!!! The baby's head was almost out but I was told to hold and lay on my side while being pushed FI speed to the labour room. I was told to push seconds after being transferred to the delivery bed. Seconds later, my little baby girl is out at 2.33pm. 5 minutes after being examined...

I asked them to be extra careful with my placenta and Allah's will allowed it to be delivered complete. Alhamdulillah... I told them to check several times though. It was a 700g placenta.

Hubby was there all the way and after they cleaned baby up, hubby recited the azan and was told to wait outside while they stitched me. I was stitched by an Iranian Dr Rozita and SN Azizah, and the examining doctor was an Iranian Dr Justin. I started breastfeeding my baby during the stitching, assisted by the nurse. At 3,30pm they finished cleaning me up and hubby came in for our bonding session. I had my Milo and some biscuits. Baby's weight is 3.2kg and Apgar score was 9/10, just like Millie's. Haakem's was 8/10 for I had difficulty pushing him.

At 5.00pm I was wheeled to the ward. Hubby went back to fetch members of my household. At 6.00pm I went the ladies to wee-wee and changed to my own sanitary towels. My close friend Izah arrived at 6.00pm with her daughter, and I was at the nurses' station chatting with the doctor. She asked it I have given birth and looked at my (smaller) tummy and was suprised that I was already walking around.

My aunt, Bibik, Millie and Haakem arrivd at 6.30pm and Hubby performed the tahnik (belah mulut) supervised by aunt, with the mashed date and zamzam water.

By Maghrib they left and I cleaned baby's wee and poo.

CHRONICLES: 11th & 12th (am) August 2008

Hubby is home today. I have planned to register at HUKM O&G Centre after Asr and admitted after Maghrib. I wanted to go to the office as usual but during the day I changed the plan as we had an almost sleepless night, spending time comforting Millie, who were sobbing and crying profusely several times throughout the night while she was breastfed. In fact she has been sobbing like that for the past few weeks. I believed it was due to either her havng to stop her breastfeeding having reached her second birthday (Hijri, on 13th Aug) or feeling blue fearing that Mama and Papa would love her less because of the new arrival in the family.
We had to console her and cried ourselves too.....
So, hubby and Haakem sent me to the office at around 3.00pm, spending almost an hour cleaning up my mailbox, responding to mails, switching off my auto reply, discussing a few things with my boss, last minute briefing on my assignments to be delegated to others, meeting a few close frineds and collecting some documents and stuff.
We were at HUKMN around 4.00pm but was told that I could not register first and warded later. I decided to do everything after Isya' prayer, then. We went to Maluri Jusco to get a new digital camera. I settled for Nikon Coolpix P50, which is on sale with some extras thrown in. We had some fillet o fish, fries and drinks at McD after which we went home for Asr prayer. I brastfed Millie, thinking that it would be her last.
After praying Maghrib together, I couldn't content myself and cried after my hubby finished his du'a. We sought forgiveness from one another and promised praying for each other and that all will be fine.
I took pictures of the kids and hubby with the brand new camera... hohohoho.... At 8.39 I did my Isya' prayer and got ready for HUKM.
I had a quiet small talk with Millie, telling her that I was going to the hospital to have her little baby girl and will be back very soon. She was okay about it. I kissed her and Haakem and sought forgiveness and prayers from my aunt and Bibik.
Registration went smoothly. By 10pm I was already settled at my bed no. 19 at Delima Ward (I thought it was Zamrud ward as that was labelled on my bedside table and bed) and changed into my hospital attire and started smsing everyone.
The nurse came for my BP and BSP and later for baby's heartbeat reading. The first doctor came at 10.30pm and later at 2.30am for my pre-natal card and further questions. Wht the hell did they have to ask questions, which answers are all in the card and the file?
I continued smsing until I ran out of battery and later discovered that the handphone could not be charged. DARN??? I smsd hubby asking him to let me use one of his hp.
I slept at around 4.00am only to be woken up at 5.30am for more readings. I asked the nurse when do they usually insert the medication for IOL and she said at 7.00am so I decided to stay in bed until 6.30am before getting up for my Subuh prayers but the doctor came at 6.20am for more interviews and straight away took me to the exam room to have the pessary inserted. Bad Omen? I missed my prayers........ I had half a pessary inserted and I was confident that I would only start contractions after Asr.
I had to stay in bed for another hour. Had my breakfast and went to the ladies a few times.