Baby Boo : Contraction!

at the time of writing, it's 4.30am dubai time, and i've been awake since 3.45am. it's the contraction pain again!

basically, contractions feel like cramping, or a tightening sensation that waves across your abdomen. it's one of the early signs of labor. it's different for every woman, and can be very uncomfortable!

i used my nokia stopwatch to time the pain :

1st pain - 1min 20sec
6min 29sec apart

2nd pain - 1min 7sec
5min 30sec apart

3rd pain - 31sec je?
9mins 11sec apart?!

4th pain - 1min 3 sec
7mins 34sec apart

5th pain - 1min 0sec
7mins 45sec apart

6th pain - 59sec
5mins 59sec apart

then i woke him up. "honey, i dah rasa sakit lah. i'm timing now."

without opening his eyes, without a pause, without a single hint of gelabahness, he replied, "ok, time lagi." krohh..krohh..krohh...

la sambung tido!

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more news in the next hour. watch this space!

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!

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!

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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?

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.

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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!

Kay Girl or Kay Boy?

yes, we're expecting the third one any time soon. and i already know whether it'll be a 'bin or binti khairul!' shocking, or expected? hihi.

but before i reveal the gender, here are some well-wishes via facebook that i would like to keep in memory...thanks everyone!

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so will the boys get a baby sister or a baby brother?

kahfi & khaleef busyuk tak mandi lagi

i will tell you a story first :

we just bought a home in the shah alam, right before finding out that we have to move to dubai. it's so sad that it's ready to be occupied, but we're all the way here. my abah is taking care of it for the time being and i just can't wait to go back to malaysia for good to furnish that house!

well, in that house, i have designated two rooms upstairs for my kids. and i told khaleef this :

"if the baby is a girl, then you would have to share a room with kahfi, because the girl would have a room for herself. however, if the baby is a boy, then kahfi has to share a room with the baby boy, so you could have a room all to yourself because you're the big brother."

now, the question is - will khaleef has his own room, or does he need to share? find out in another posting! nyeh nyeh!

Baby On Board!

somebody in my tummy is doing kungfu. or ballet dancing. yeah you! buat tak tau pulak. hihi. don't get me wrong - it's my third time, and i'm still loving the kicking and wacha-ing inside. though it feels funny, and hurts some of the time, and man, it does one heck of a push on my bladder - but i'm still enjoying it!

you know this is just part of the baby being a part of you!

and speaking of babies, i've got two lovely new pwincesses to update today. though they've been born months ago, i got their latest picture just recently.

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baby aliah, with mommy syu and bro hakeem

the first cutie is aliah insyirah, born 19 december 2009 to proud umi and baba syu and nazrul, and big bro hakeem. syu is my long-time skoolmate and fellow just10 buddy.

i know it's been too overdue, but here's a hefty congratulations to your 'newborn' girl - you have a pair now, syu!

sleep, my darling aliah insyirah!

hmm...since wani's baby is the last just10 juniors, does that mean aliah is the first just10 juniors fasa II? hihi.

read her mummy's experience of having her in her blog - click here!

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with kak arin & her bambam zara, and omera's mak - liyana in july last year when i came back to malaysia

here's the next pwincess - and oh, get ready for one of the most classical names i've heard in a long time - omera sakinah, born 14 january 2010.

her mak, liyana was my malaysia hall melbourne housemate, a bubbly person, always teasing and laughing. oh, and she's a great cook as well!

she is also a very talented tukang jahit, having sewn bags, wallets, purses and many more - under her own brand name. check out her site here!

little omera sakinah

liyana, i know it has been a long wait before the arrival of omera sakinah, and how happy i was even knowing that you were pregnant. cherish her like your best artwork!

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taking this opportunity also to say hey hi hello wassup to few moms-to-be : an already basi mom (haha 4th child, maa!), a mom awaiting her 2nd born, and a first-time mommy!

my eldest sis is also expecting! yong will welcome her 4th child sometime end of this year, so my abah will welcome 2 granchildren, insyaAllah - making the number to be 9! wah, sonok abah nak dapat cucu ke-8 and ke-9!

another just10 buddy anneeza is also expecting - her 2nd one - which is a great big deal since she had strongly and patiently managed to beat all odds and faced few challenges. if all goes well, my 3rd baby and anneeza's will be the 2nd and 3rd just10 junior fasa II! insyaAllah!

newlywed officemate haida is currently enjoying her surirumah status in china, following her husband - just like me. and her latest news is that there's gonna be three of them in china soon! congrats a bunch, and enjoy motherhood!

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sigh. babies babies babies. so, when are YOU planning on coming out?

Yes, We're Expecting The Third Kay!

okay. i'll clear things up once and for all.

for those of you looking at my pictures and wondering - no, i'm not fat. well, not THAT fat. well, yes - baby-fat. oh, heck - i'm expecting!

funny when most of my dubai friends had just found out about this during the recent birthday bash for kahfi. some noticed my tummy, and some found out when chit-chatting with mr. khairul's mom - when she said she'd be coming again in april for the pantang, they were all surprise - pantang apanye? la...pregnant?!

since this is already our third baby kay, we were just having fun keeping it on the hush hush all this while!

* * *

terlebih excited first-time mommy pregnant with khaleef

it was a blast when i was pregnant with khaleef - i had absolutely no morning sickness, no wek-wek at any time of the day, and just slightly woozy occasionally. my sugar level and blood pressure was okay and there were no swelling of the feet or cheek. (or rather, any 'swellingness' detected on my cheek are a natural part of my chubbyness!)

my only crave was satay ayam. it was satay, satay, satay all the time. and also, everyday - and i mean, everyday i would take lauk ikan keli with my nasi bungkus. every single day at work.

i would explain my cravings as a sudden need to eat one particular food, and nothing else. but my craving wasn't so cronic - some mommies-to-be MUST have a particular food simply because they CANNOT eat any other food or they'll vomit!

oh, but i do remember always getting very sleepy for a large portion of the day...

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pregnant with kahfi, in dubai with best pal niraku when she visited

having kahfi was an entirely different adventure! not only did i experience my first, and really bad series of 'morning, day and night' sickness - but during my 5th month onwards i was left alone with my first-born khaleef as mr. khairul flew to dubai first to settle our visa, housing and such in preparation before we follow.

i remember having the most painful backpain (i almost thought i had lost the baby!) in the middle of the night, for more than an hour - with noone around but little khaleef who was just 2 years old.

with kahfi, i craved for indian food. curries. mamak fried chicken. popadom. the works. haha. it's weird that he turns out to have a very chinese look! hihi.

* * *

latest shot of the fat lady - third time's the charm!

with khaleef i didn't have morning sickness, while with kahfi that's all i had - and it was bad! however, during this third pregnancy, i experienced just a lil bit of morning sickness - so it was kind off in the middle ground.

since i'm in dubai, the word 'craving' itself doesn't mean much - because when you're away in another country, far from the nasi lemak, goreng pisang, char kuey teow, roti canai and durian - you'd be craving no matter what!

i guess during the last raya i had an 'urge' to eat laksa. i will put this as craving, because normally, i don't even care for laksa. not much of a fan. so when i suddenly feel like eating laksa - i guess it must be the baby! alhamdulillah, the very next day i remember two invites to open house - and the hostess made laksa! so two laksa meals on the same day - memang rezeki baby!

* * *

khaleef, then kahfi - and now our third kay is coming soon. heck, 'soon' IS the word! no need to remind us that! but everything happens for a reason, and we just thank Allah for this huge rezeki that we're being given.

maybe dubai is the place for us to build our family, before coming home to malaysia for good and settling down...