Sharifuddin Sisters : Updates

the boys are bathe, fed, and watching that cloudy meatball cartoon for the hundreth time. and their mak is trying not to think too much about due dates and babies comin out of her.

one of the best ways not to think too much about something that's worrying me; is eating. nyum nyum. but i already had lunch so i thought of the next best thing : my sisters.

syimee
syima
syida
azi.

* * *

anugerah artis popular? hihi

haji sharifuddin's puteri bongsu made him (and all of us her elder sisters) proud last week, when she won one of the 3 highly-coveted awards in the recent final year dinner and award night of 5th college UPM.

she won the award that was called the 'tinta harmoni' award, given to only one student who achieved a CGPA of 3.75, and at the same time has contributed significantly in college events and activities.

i'm so proud of my baby sister! go, go azi!


thanks to azi's buddies dylla and bell for the pictures! *smile*

* * *

courtesy of her soul mate nash, syida got to meet her crush on her birthday - stephen rahman hughes, best known for his unforgetable role as hang tuah in the 'puteri gunung ledang' musical. there was this broadway thingy at philharmonic hall klcc and he sang.

sigh. her 'adventure' of getting his signature is a reminscense of my own maniacal tendency to go after my favorite stars to get pictures together and autographs!


among others, i've gotten anuar zain's autograph (of course), the creative genius afdlin shauki, the handsome hans isaac, theater veteran jit murad, our ex-pm pak lah and the best signature of all was from tun mahathir.

total coolness.

* * *

kak long suffiya & baby sis marissa

here are latest pictures of my nephews and nieces taken from my sisters' facebook pages. picture above shows sisters suffiya and marissa - daughters of my younger sis syima. the last time i saw baby marissa was on the 2nd day she was born! that same day i had to go to klia to board a plane back to dubai.

heard that she's much, much chubbier now!

the three H : husna, haqeem & haiqal

and here's my eldest sisters' kiddos - abang long haiqal, abang haqeem, and lil baby sis husna who just turned 2 recently. i can't over how big husna look right now - so ladylike already!

yong is ALSO expecting - yeap! her fourth kid, and abah's 9th grandkid, after my 3rd baby kay.

cucu-cucu haji sharifuddin :

1. muhammad haiqal syahid
   
2. muhammad haqeem syukran
   
3. khaleef
4. suffiya syafeeqah
   
5. nur aisyah husna
6. kahfi
7. marissa marha
   
8. baby kay
9. baby H

all the best for both of us, yong!

* * *

no babies yet, people. and this morning's contraction pain seemed to have ceased completely. we'll see!

Baby Boo : Bila Due Date?

i can't remember my last period, and as a result, the docs can't seem to determine for sure the due date of my 3rd baby delivery. and i met a couple of docs.


did you know that one of them put THIS DAY as my due date? (takkanlah! mesti april tu! takkan cepat sgt) the previous doctors stated mid-april as the due date, but this one particular doc was so confident based on the measurement of the baby.

eventhough she's the only doc who gave that date, it's a possibility that cannot be ignored!

still, she did say that measurement can give false due date too - if your sugar level is high, the baby might appear bigger, and if you have low blood, the baby may be smaller than it should be based on the weeks. correct me if i'm wrong but that's what i understood!

anyways, there's still a few hours left so you never know! but i never heard of ANYONE giving birth exactly ON their due date given by docs.

still, you never know!


was my psycho playing tricks on me, JUST because i knew it's supposed to be my due date - because i felt something LIKE a contraction early this morning. i timed it, and it was consistent only for three rounds. then i went to the toilet, flushed out whatever's necessary - and the pain stopped. haha. bukan lah tu!

but again, you never know!

hmm. personally, i hope he comes after the 3rd, which is the day mr. khairul's mom will come to dubai to supervise my pantang. so baby boy kay, tunggu la opah ko datang dubai! 3 hari je lagi! boleh opah jagakan abang khaleef ngan abang kahfi!

lagi satu, mak nak gi aquaplay lagi bawak abang bila opah datang. mak nak gi birthday party kak falisha lagi kat umah aunty fairus lusa ni. sblom pantang, mak nak makan nasi mandi satu round weekend ni. macam-macam tau! baby duk diam-diam dulu okeh!

more updates in the near hour. waiting on pins and needles!

Hot Day + Swim Time : Splash!

so long winter, and welcome summer (isn't it supposed to be spring?)

phew, winter is ending and already so hot! isn't it supposed to be nice and cozy, warm but not scorching? we went out for lunch with mr. khairul's mckk senior who's on transit kl-yemen, and came back longing for a cool dip in the pool! panas!

hot!

the boys were super excited especially khaleef. my boys are really water-babies. erm, come to think of it - budak mana yang tak suka main air? hihi.

especially when they have a bapak who's a has-been school swimmer!

kahfi yang perasan big boy!

kahfi obviously needed to be held constantly for safety reasons, but believe me - he didn't want to be held! the kiddy pool was not that deep and he can actually reach the bottom of the pool when standing so berlagak la si kecik tu!

khaleef super excited!

big bro meanwhile had a whale of a time - splashing, thrashing his feet up the water while hands outstretched and holding on the edge of the pool. plus, he said he's a crocodile terrorizing his unsuspecting bapak and lil bro. arrrr!

kahfi grew bolder and insisted on jumping down towards his bapak's outstretched arms; laughing hysterically everytime!

a hot day. a cool dip. brothers at play. under watchful eyes of their mak. with strict supervision from their bapak. it was a perfect afternoon!

swim, swim, splash, splash!

The Day My Husband Visited Mak's Grave

she would have been 53 today.

i miss going to malls looking for the weirdest stuff as a birthday present from her most quirky daughter. i don't buy 'practical gifts' for her - i buy presents she won't even look twice to buy for herself! hihi.

i also especially enjoyed looking for whimsical birthday card for her. one that i really like went like this :

on the cover : "mom, you do such nice things for me all these while that i feel really guilty". and she opens the card and sees this : "..but it's a guilt i can live with! happy birthday, mom!"

this is an excerpt from my very old friendster blog, written a few days after my nikah with the wonderful mr. khairul.

it was my third day of being able to tick the box that says ‘puan‘ instead of ‘cik‘ in forms. yes right after my wedding reception in ipoh.

that morning started out beautifully. we were going to visit mak’s grave. i said to him, "it is the perfect time." i went outside to cut some pandan leaves while he filled a bottle with water.

told mak keh and tokchik who were buzy fixing breakfast in the kitchen. "alhamdulillah. go take some of the roses in your room, pluck out the petals and spread it across the grave later." in perfect utara bm of course! on the way out i picked up two Yaasin and off we went. my husband drove. i showed the way. upon arriving he seemed impressed. "this is one clear, clean and not at all murky and gothic graveyard."

i can see mak’s grave even from the side of the road where we parked our car and a feeling swept over me like waves hitting a lonely beach. i miss mak so much. we walked slowly towards the graves. as i said my salaam to the ahli kubur.

however, i was not the least bit sad; but rather happy to have brought my husband, and glad to be near mak. i was carrying the pandan leaves in one hand, and the tupperware of white rose petals in the other, while my husband held the bottle of water and both Yaasin.

we sat on two of the three stone stools made of bricks right beside mak’s grave. i plucked out little parasitic plants resting on the grave. my husband followed suit. there we were, pulling out little leaves poking out here and there until the surface of mak’s grave has nothing but the white marble stones.

and then we started reciting. my husband’s voice, calm and so beautiful to hear. it was low, and soft - but i heard it. i experienced a sense of serenity as we recited together; slow and steady til the end. it was a most wonderful, rewarding moment especially since we sedekahkan to mak.

upon finishing, i stood up and spread the white rose petals on the grave. we placed the pandan leaves across mak’s grave as we recited the Al-Fatihah and topped it off with pouring the water.

i placed my hand lovingly on mak’s gravestone before leaving her grave as my husband looked on. we walked slowly back to the car, and he took my hand, held it tight - an assurance that he would always be there for me.

our gentle gestures spoke; without uttering a single word.

* * *

later, much later, i asked him, "how do you feel, going to mak’s grave?"

with a slight nanosecond pause, he answered, "..calm."

sigh.

i did not cry at all at the grave. my husband was there. and always will be. God willing.

dont worry. he will take care of me now, mak.

read about my tribute to my mak here.

Al-Fatihah

Hajah Noriza Binti Mohd Anuar

270357 - 311203

Niraku : 24 Hours is Not Enough!

my bestfriend niraku is here. well, was here. we sent her back to the airport last night for her to catch a flight back to malaysia. at the time of writing, i think her nephew poor little baby aatif has to endure his aunty nira's pinches, stiffling hugs and kisses!

...and aunty nira did not forget her 'just10 nephews' in dubai as well! she got 'em lotsa goodies from london!

"thanks aunty nira for the super cool t's from imperial college, london! good luck in your phd!"

~ khaleef and kahfi

* * *

she arrived at my place around 5.30am, and from then on we borak-borak, chit chat, hoo-ha-ing, golek-golek and reminisce till 11 in the morning. well, we haven't seen each other for more than a year!

then she has had enough of me and wanted to sleep off her 6-hour flight from london and the coming 6-hour flight to malaysia. haha. and it doesn't help that khaleef and kahfi kept going in and out of the guest room!

of course, with the little time we had, we took niraku jalan-jalan dubai. special thanks to mr. khairul for being the designated driver and tour-guide! *hugs*

• took her picture at the only 7 star hotel in the world - the burj al-arab. read about it here.
• strolled along dubai creek, with the view of docking dhows (arab boats). click here to see more pictures of the creek when my sisters were here.
• took her to dubai mall, the biggest mall in the world
• took our picture in front of burj khalifa, the tallest building in the world. read about my take on the opening of the tall sky-scrapper here.
• visited the dubai aquarium, the biggest aquarium in the world (eh, ye ke?)

and of course, where else did we have lunch?

i'm a mandi rice freak (read about it here!), and niraku is turning to my dark side of juicy mandi chicken with soft beads of rice accompanied with mild-spicy sambal and a plate of fresh salad! muahaha!

where else but our favorite mandi haunt, al-tawasol!

she had mandi rice the last time she was here, and naturally craved for a plate even this time around. we had mandi rice with chicken, lamb and fish. it was a kenduri mandi!

* * *

it was a friday, and happened to be the final day for bazaar malaysia - sob! sob! so we just took a detour towards the consul general's home to look for nasi tomato and laksa.

ala, minggu ni takde nasi tomato!

it was not as festive as the last time i went, because there seemed to be much less stall open, and much less crowd - but i was still very glad to introduce niraku to member dubai sekepala fida and fairus. (fairus, thanks for the rare hard-to-get-in-dubai tau foo fah and to fida for the sweet, succulent kuih cara! rezeki baby boy!)

niraku bought a yummy laksam (kelantanese-style laksa) from eiyda's stall, and i bought kak sarah's doughnut for khaleef.

we went back home to eat the food, rest, and borak some more before going out for dinner.

* * *

we took her to one of our favorite chinese restaurants, where niraku had laksa (despite the fact that she can make one better, and also going back to malaysia where laksa is in abundant!)

me & my buddy

it was a very short visit, but better than just a 3-4 hour transit. seeing her again brought both of us back to our giddy, giggly schoolgirl days. it was a priceless moment reminiscing about the past, while pondering on the future - gossiping about our other buddies and sharing stories of our family.

for a brief moment, i actually get to have a 'girl talk' in a house full of boys!

with me in dubai, and she in london, without this transit i don't think it's as easy to see each other because we go back to malaysia at different time of the year. i am grateful and will miss her very very much.

perhaps a trip to london, honey? (see you soon, buddy!)

A Buddy from London

sekarang jam menunjukkan pukul 12 tengah malam. sahabat saya niraku akan tiba lagi tiga jam.

dia terbang dari london, transit di dubai untuk 24 jam, dan kembali terbang ke tanahair tercinta malaysia untuk bertemu mak, kakak, adik perempuan dan yang paling dia nak jumpa ialah anak sedara dia aatif yang baru lahir baru beberapa bulan!

sungguh tak sabar tunggu dia sampai!

saya dan niraku di historical dubai bastakiya sewaktu dia transit di dubai tahun lepas!

kami bersahabat sejak di darjah 6, bila kami ditukarkan ke kelas yang sama. sebelum itu, kami berlainan kelas. saya kenal dia pada nama je masa tu sebab niraku memang popular - maklumlah, ahli sukan hebat di sekolah waktu itu!

tapi detik bersejarah kami mula bersahabat tu jadi masa perhimpunan - masa tu kami sama-sama bertugas sebagai pengawas, dan sedang berdiri di barisan paling belakang. saya ingat sangat masa tu cikgu bertugas mengumumkan yang projek 'buddy system' bermula minggu itu, dan kami dikehendaki mencari seorang 'buddy'.

tugas 'buddy' ni untuk mengingatkan masing-masing untuk menyiapkan kerja rumah, membuang sampah di tempat yang betul - ape-ape je lah yang mematuhi undang-undang sekolah.

memandangkan kami kebetulan berdiri bersebelahan, saya pilih dia, dan dia pilih saya. dan kami pun jadi 'buddy' hari itu, dan hari-hari seterusnya - kawan ketawa dan menangis.

* * *

tahun lepas pun dia ade transit di dubai. tahun lepas pun dia datang masa saya mengandungkan kahfi. tahun lepas dia datang kejap je pun dah best.

kali ni mesti best jugak.

24 jam je pun jadi lah!

Baby Boo : Boy or Girl?

thought of keeping this on the hush hush till the day the little kay finally comes. however, meeting friends here and there in dubai proved that mr khairul was the one who can't keep a secret!

a conversation with someone would go like this :

cik kak : syigim, boy ke girl?

me : ooo, surprise! hihi.

cik kak : tu, khairul dah kasitau tadi!

me : laaaa..! ye ke? ish, dia ni!

boy or girl?

alright.

if you must know, i will tell you.

...that khaleef will have *his own room after all!

* for full story of what that sentence has to do with the gender of the baby, refer to this posting here!

Baby Boo : The Nesting Ground

i'm preparing the nest!

BABY CLOTHINGS

...starting with the boys' clothings!

1. remove khaleef's clothes to upper drawer
2. remove kahfi's clothes from baby basket to middle drawer
3. compile, wash, hang to dry and fold khaleef and kahfi's baby clothes, napkins mittens and booties for incoming baby kay

khaleef's t-shirts, pajamas, jeans, socks and such are kept in the cupboard in the guest room, in the middle section of the cupboard. now that lil bro kahfi's stuff is going there as well, i removed khaleef's clothes up a level to make room for kahfi's stuff.

before this, i kept kahfi's stuff in a basket placed near his crib. now, his clothes are 'promoted' to be placed together with big bro's stuff in the guest room.

the basket is being prep up for the incoming baby kay! itty bitty pajamas, rompers, mittens and booties too! minyak telon, baby powder, rash lotion and the works! oh, i even korek-korek and found their old baby pillows, bolster and mat - those need to be washed too!

in the meantime, rasa nak print je this baby check-list from my just10 buddy anneeza - click here for full list!

* * *

BABY COT

next, is the crib or baby cot!

we're proud to use the one that we have been using for khaleef, and kahfi! still in good condition, and have not been in use since we came back from malaysia last year. since then, both boys had been sleeping on the same single bed which is pushed close to ours.

there had been 'accidents' or overlapping feet on stomach, or hand on face and 360 degree turning as they slept hihi but so far all is well!

* * *

BABY STROLLER

after this, the baby car seat and the stroller! (honey, you balik keja kang you gi korek bilik stor for the stuff ye).

last time we use to bring out two strollers - the smaller one for kahfi, and the bigger one for khaleef because sometimes he sleeps in the car and becomes too grumpy to walk when we've arrived at our destination.

the brothers in their respective strollers!

however, since few months back, we haven't been using the bigger stroller, because i want khaleef to get use to not having any stroller to sit (or sleep) on! now, if he sleeps on the way, we wake him up a few minutes before arriving. we kept him up with 'interesting' conversations on the cars and bikes we see on the street, or we sing a song. works most of the time!

* * *

baby clothes, baby cot and stroller.

ok, ape lagi?

Beautiful Blogger Award

dah lama tak dapat award! hihi.

this one is from a new-found blogger friend dbalkis. thanks! receiving this means i have to list out 7 things about myself, and tag 7 more new-found blogger friends!

(apsal 7 je?)


ok lah. 7 pun 7 lah!

7 stuff about me that you should know :

1. i'm married to penang boy mr. khairul, and i have 2 sons - 4 year old khaleef and 1 year old kahfi, plus another kay coming!
2. my major field of study was language and literature
3. i love reading, writing, singing and collecting (refer to #6), also disney cartoons and chinese-style cooking
   
4. i am obsessive about color coordination, or some kind of coordination (big to small, or shapes, or types, or shades of color). books on the shelf, clothes hang to dry, or clothes hang in closet
5. i do not like anything coffee, and taugeh, and blind flying cockroaches
6. i am a collector. tissue napkins, paper serviettes, drink stirrer, lanyard, theater booklets, theme park maps, hotel keycards, bookmarks and chopsticks. i'm a sucker for these things!
7. i was born and raised in ipoh with my other 4 sisters, got married and lived in KL, and now staying in dubai

* * *

i happily tag these 7 new-found bloggirls - new friends made through blogging, and new blogs found through friendship!

1. kak norisa - yong's old schoolmate, dah kenal lama but baru hari ni tau dia ade blog!
2. ica - knew her for the past few weeks only, seems new in blogging world (judging from number of posts) but already i enjoyed her style of writing very much
3. nadiah - a sweetie who blogs from nebraska. it's a joy to follow the progress of her little princess!
4. kak nur - another one blogging from faraway - new zealand! i admire her as a blogger who makes use of her time and priceless experience at a foreign land
   
5. cik ma/azma - stationed in abu dhabi, technically my neighbour lah! hihi. glad we met during the bazaar malaysia
6. hanz - another gem of a blog. love her style, and content of writing
7. this is for my current basi-blogger-buddies (hihi) kak arin, anneeza, fida, fairus, aisha and sape-sape yang rasa dia bootiful blogger hihi.
   

* * *

cousins at play : kahfi & husna, taken when we went back to msia last year

taking an itty bitty space to wish my cute chubby wubby niece nuna or nur aisyah husna, a HAPPY BIRTHDAY! born 2 years ago, technically she and kahfi are the same age, spaced by 9 months!

husna is

• yong's only girl (so far) and 3rd child
• expecting a baby brother or baby sister
  
• abah's second grand-daughter, and 4th cucu
• so cute!!!
  

happy birthday again - with BIG love from aunty gim, uncle khairul, cousins abang khaleef and kahfi!

Baby's Comin? What to Pack for Hosp?

my due date is drawing near. eventhough it's my third pregnancy, it's hard to ignore the the anxiety and suspense!

yesterday i packed my little mickey mouse luggage bag for must-bring stuff to the hospital. this is my list, cross-reference to the one made by my dear friend kak arin. i remember she put up a list of important items to bring to the hospital once you're experiencing labor pains. read her full list here!

kain batik
this was first on her list, which never would cross my mind! twice pregnant, and during both times i just relied on the cutesy hospital gown (bright yellow with little pink and blue flowers tau! hihi). she reasoned well - kain batik does provide the most comfort especially if we go through surgery. i'll just add this in, just in case!

speaking of comfort, don't forget a pair of thick socks! air-cond hospital sejuk! also, bring along a comfy top and pants/abaya that you'll wear when you're discharged from the hospital.

breastfeeding bra
also an important must-bring to facilitate breastfeeding. in addition of course all your necessary undergarments. i brought along breast pads as well. and while you're at it, don't forget the nipple gel to keep your nipple from cracking!

pads
yes! definitely! like kak arin stated, hospitals do provide their own maternity pads, but some women are just comfortable wearing a brand their used to - well, we wear it every month! so i bought the normal sanitary pads - a super-long-with-wings! ha, kalau bocor jugak tak tau lah!

toiletries
kak arin listed it all - tooth brush, colgate, powder, shower cream - "..kang pas mandi tak berseri lak muka." she added. hihi.

snacks
kak arin listed milo and biscuits as 'standby' snacks - and i agree. imagine getting up to breastfeed few times in the night, and feeling a grumbling in your tummy, with nothing to eat! a few bite of biscuits or bread and a hot drink would be very handy!

some hospital provides a lot of meals from breakfast to supper so you'll feel full by the end of the day. however, remember that this hospital bag is all for the just-in-cases!

handphone, extra top-up card and charger
oh-so-very-important! not only to spread the good news, but also to communicate with your other half! both times, the first on our must-call-first list are my eldest sister yong, and mr. khairul's parents to inform them of a safe and sound delivery.

extra top-ups is of course always, always useful - even if you ended up not using it. especially now that i'm in dubai, i'm sure i'll be needing more than a 100dhs just for phonecalls to malaysia!

and once you have your handphone, and extra credit too - it'd be so awfully frustrating to forget the handphone charger! hp ade, credit berlambak tapi tak boleh call pulak, receive pun tak boleh! so remember these 3 items that go together!

reading material
another important item for me. very. both times alhamdulillah we managed to get a private room with my own tv - but curling up with a good book while breastfeeding my baby is so satisfying! hihi.

knowing this, both times after delivery, mr. khairul would surprise me with a new terry pratchett book because he knows that's what i would like to have with me to pass the time. a paperback is better since it's lighter and easier to flip, while holding the baby with your other hand!

my personal choice would be a light reading from the 'reduced shakespeare company' (hillarious!) or any 'agatha christie'. my favorite of course would be any 'terry pratchett' - his story is always funny and witty - easy reading!

camera and battery charger
with facebook picture file and many moms having blogs - a picture of your newborn is almost mandatory - that not having it makes you a misfit, an outcast - people will look at you funny - "haaa? tak amik gamba satu pun?" so this is another of my must-bring!

however, during these times, a handphone camera would be adequate - click, and send mms to anyone you like. in fact, right after he came out, it was just a click, and kahfi's babyface is engraved in my handphone at 10 mins old!

* * *

how about stuff for your little newborn?

newborn clothings, booties and mittens, including barut
so far, i never brought barut - pasal baby kecik sangat, nak barut pun takut-takut! haha. but i do bring a few newborn clothings - a few old ones from khaleef and kahfi, and one brand new. why few olds and one new?

the baby can wear the old ones while in the hospital. newborns are usually tightly wrapped around with the hospital napkins and blankets anyway, so the guests coming to visit won't see the cute hello kitty or thomas and friends on your baby's rompers anyway! hihi.

the brand new one - is for when the baby is finally discharged from the hospital, and on the way home. it's a special occasion, it's an auspicious day! so the baby needs to look his/her best! hihi.

so far, i never had to use the old clothes, because the hospital provide the baby clothings during my stay at the hospital, but i find that the brand new baby clothes really 'festive' when the time comes!

blanket and towel
yes, to wrap the baby when the time comes to bring him/her home, or to be used while in the hospital.

pampers
newborn ones! yes, hospital do provide their own, but again, sometimes you're just comfortable knowing you have a brand that you trust and have been using.

* * *

my dear friend kak arin also pushed a little reminder for dads because he is our partner in crime, our PA, our driver, our midwife - our pillar of strength! check out her list here.

packing - check! mommies better do this - dads usually have no ideas what goes where and kept where so it's safe to do this yourself!

handphone - check! it's best if you remember YOUR handphone and charger, and he remembers HIS handphone plus making sure it's fully charged with a lot of credit!

minyak kereta - this is one that i never thought of but equally important, right? what if you're in the middle of labor, pain and all - and the car won't start or you had to endure a stop at a nearby gas station - tensen!

kena kuat - yes, mr. khairul is alhamdulillah, strong both physically and emotionally. he let me squeeze his hand as hard as i needed to.

plus, to make me feel at ease during the painful labor, he made stupid jokes about the day we met and how he fell in love (ok, ramai-ramai say awwww.. haha)

he was so emotionally strong that i remember dia casually bersembang dengan doc lagi while he's stitching me up - with all the blood and gore! ceh!

berdoa - this part that kak arin wrote make me sebak. isk isk. you can click the link and read what she wrote in her own words.

cool bapak with his first-born khaleef

this is another interesting list i found in the net. click here for full list.

bring a little piece of home
dads can help make the hospital room a little friendlier and warm with family pictures. i remember when i was in painful labor with khaleef, mr. khairul took out a picture of me and mak which i always kept in my handbag and placed it on my side. that was really one of his sweetest moments! love you!

distract mom
again, back to mr. khairul's 'talent' for bad comic timing haha - during the labor pain, he would reminisce the first time he saw me, and how he fell in love - and he added his story with silly jokes - yes, it distracted me from the pain, even for a little while!

provide focus
everytime the contraction pain peaked, obviously my grasp of his hand tightened. mr. khairul would just coach me through it, telling me that eventhough he can't feel the pain, but he knew when the pain heightened and subsided from the way i held his hand. from there he could just follow my experience, while helping me go through it!

relax
kalao bapak pun gelabah, maknye yang nak beranak tu triple gelabah! good for me, mr. khairul is one relaxed dude (walaupun gelabah kat dalam!).

take the abuse
this is a funny one - imagine wife in labor, and the husband asking where she put the handphone charger. when the wife lashes at the husband, husbands must remember it's not intentional - it's the contraction pain speaking! honey, sorry in advance, ye? hihi.

* * *

well, that's about it. anything else i'm forgetting? do share! and while you're at it, doakan semua ok for me on my delivery date ya! i repeat - 3rd pregnancy and i'm still very, very nervous!

Aku Sebuah Blog

cuba bayangkan kamu sepasang kasut. ceritakan riwayat hidup kamu dalam satu karangan bertajuk 'Aku Sepasang Kasut' tidak lebih dari 80 perkataan.

sounds familiar?

karangan autobiografi right? i enjoy writing this type of karangan. something surreal, original and make-believe. often during UPSR, PMR or SPM, i seldom (almost never, actually!) choose something factual to write about. i almost always choose a karangan about something i could just fashion from the depths of my imagination.

i was thinking about this type of writing, and how i could write about a blog's point of view for my latest article on mombloggersplanet. wanna go inside a blog's head? click the picture to read!



these days do the kids still need to write this kind of karangan? if yes, perhaps, rather than 'aku sebatang pen' or 'aku sebuah kereta', it's probably 'aku sebuah konsul x-box' or 'aku sebuah tetikus' or 'aku sebuah telefon bimbit'! hihi.

A Curious Book & Asperger Syndrome

i'm sure many of you have read this best-selling book 'the curious incident of the dog in the night time', and i found it to be so good that i wonder why haven't i read it sooner! it's written as if from the point of view of a teen with asperger syndrome.

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i've met a boy with asperger syndrome.

Asperger syndrome is a form of autism, which is a lifelong disability that affects how a person makes sense of the world, processes information and relates to other people.
~ click here for source.

i think there are many forms of autism, and asperger syndrom is one of it. and while other kids with autism has withdrawal symptoms (refused to talk or interact with other people altogether) kids with asperger syndrom can talk and talk and talk, BUT the kid's speech is more like a lecture rather than a conversation, because they are not interesting in having conversations.

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these are some of the facts on kids with asperger syndrome, paraphrased the way in understand it, from this site:

• good with things around them but poor in interpreting human relationships
• intense focus on something they really like; a particular toy, machine or hobby
• conversations with people are often one-sided as they're not interested in feedback
• eye contact is not understood or made use of
• the kid may seem to be cold and uncaring but it is not deliberate. he does not think about others and cannot understand the social graces that keep society functioning
• parents must play a huge role in teaching them social skills when they act inappropriately
• kids with asperger syndrome prefer routine and structure and can become irritable and distressed if the unexpected happens that changes that routine
• things are interpreted very literally, meaning that sarcasm, playful teasing and figures of speech are not understood.
• it's difficult for them to generalize - for eg: if they were told not to hit kids in school, they might think it's fine to hit kids at the mall because it's NOT school

* * *

the boy i met is 18, and enjoys the company of much younger kids than teens his own age. his mother said he hates loud noises, and still plays with toy guns when noone's watching.

the moment i met him, he did speak to me, friendly and warm but without eye-contact. most of the time, he prefered talking to khaleef. he spoke perfect english, and his mother said he only spoke malay with his grandmother.

his mother said eventhough he's relatively slow in learning, he has made a lot of progress in terms of social interaction. i agree. if she didn't tell me he has asperger syndrome, i would think he's like any other teenager - in fact, while other teens might keep to themselves, act cool while with adults and malas nak layan budak-budak, he was friendly, curious and great with kids.

now, imagine reading a book written by a boy with asperger syndrome - and you find yourself in a world where 'seeing four yellow cars in a row means it's a black day' sounds logical. if you think that's weird, than think about how you wake up with a 'bad-hair-day' -

sees four yellow cars - black day
hair all over the place - bad day

same logic!


this is one of the most straightforward yet quirky, fantastic books i've read in awhile.

15 year-old christopher boone has asperger syndrome and sees the world in his own special way, weird to some, but totally logic when you think about it. he hates yellow and brown, but loves red - and will completely stop eating if the food on his plate touches each other - like mash potato terkena tomato ketchup or something like that.

he hates being touched, so the only way his mom and dad 'hug' him is just to put up their hand and spread it like a fan, and touch him like that.

he stated that everything he wrote in the book is the truth, because he doesn't lie. and it's not because he's a good person, or that he knows lying is wrong - it's simply because telling something that really happens is so much more easier than telling something that did not.

logic kan?

one day he found his neighbour's dog - dead, probably murdered! since he loves dogs, then-on began his 'adventure' in solving the mystery. to do this, he must go out of his comfort zone, he must interact with strangers and he must do all sorts that he feels are impossible for someone with asperger syndrome.

imagine reading about this 'adventure' from the point of view of an autistic teen. fascinating!

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if you are curious about kids with asperger syndrome and how they see the world, stories with easy-to-digest language and simple words then pick up this book. funny, silly, sad and cheerful at the same time - you can't put it down!

Kay Boys : Indoor & Outdoor

indoor, or outdoor - kiddos need a little space to roam free, or rather, a LOT of space - to exercise their mind and muscles, and just to be kids!

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with mickey mouse clubhouse on cable tv, disney animations on dvds, kick-ass naruto on x-box and interactive games via the internet, i'm glad that my boys can still have fun even without the usage of electricity!

messy? sure! noisy? definitely! but i remember when i was little, i turned over the sofa and draped bed sheet over it, to become a haunted house, and mak never said a word. she let us have our own world, created through our own imagination.

asal takde benda pecah, i let my boys have the same experience too!


khaleef the big bro of course runs the show, and little bro just tagged along. the sofa would be a pirate ship, or the carpet can be a race course, and under the coffee table is a clubhouse full of toys.

one time it was the stroller. flip and flap, suddenly it's a race car. vroom vroom they went!

wonder what kahfi is saying to big bro khaleef?

* * *

i admit these days i'm too tired to take the boys out. really tired. i feel so fat! especially since i know i have to chase after kahfi if i let him 'escape' in his boots and new-found talent for running!

so if you hear, "khaleef! take kahfi!" or "khaleef! stop kahfi!" or "khaleef! tu kahfi tu!" - that's me!


this was taken just few hours earlier, when i took the boys out at their usual football space right at the back of our apartment. it's really nice - walled area, spacious and safe.


we just spent less than an hour there. too hot, and their mak is too tired already! oh well, at least the boys have their few moments out in the open!

* * *

too bad we're currently staying in an apartment without trees right outside. khaleef would enjoy climbing trees.

back in my ipoh house, we have this mango tree in our lawn. when i was little, i would climb without a care in the world. sometimes i lay down newspaper and just sit there, pretending it's a tree-house. tapi tak boleh duk lama-lama. ade kerengga ngan nyamuk!

when i go back to ipoh and look at the tree, i can't imagine i was that little - because the tree is so short! hihi.

now i just have to remember not to freak out when my boys climb trees - because i did it too when i was little, and survived!