SuperAtirahGirl's Daily!

After Mishel's afternoon nap

2012-02-02T21:25:00.001+08:00

Mishel baby talk

2012-02-01T02:00:00.000+08:00

Mishel turned 2 months old on 30 January 2012 had a conversation with her papa.

1st anniversary

2012-01-15T01:00:00.000+08:00

as i reflected on our one year of marriage,
i smiled.

it felt like it was just yesterday that i got married to you.
i remembered being anxious, nervous and excited to be married to you.
even though i've known you for 5-6 years,
i couldn't imagine how it was like living under the same roof with you.
now that i am married to you and i know how it is like living with you,
i've learnt to accept and i have no regrets.

our marriage has been fun and educational.
it teaches me to know myself better and work on my weaknesses.
at the same time, our marriage teaches me to know a lot more about you.
with the compromising and patience,
our marriage helps me to grow into a better person.

now that we got Mishel in our lives,
it is going to be more challenging,
but insya'Allah we will cope.
like what you say,
we will be okay as long as we have each other.

i like it that even though we are busy with stuff and didn't have anything to say,
either one of us will say 'i love you' and the other one will acknowledge.
and a while later,
we will say it again to one another.
a cycle of 'i love you-s'.

you know what i like being married to you?
it is the way that you make me feel special.

it is beautiful to have you in my life.
i believe that you are the one who i want to spend with in heaven.
thank you my husband.
to endless years of love and laughter sweetheart!

*ps. you still inspire me and i love you so much.

first weekend of 2012

2012-01-07T19:56:00.005+08:00

have a great weekend!

ready for work?

2012-01-06T11:08:00.000+08:00

so one month from today,
work will resume.
yes, time flies.
it is even faster when i take a 12 weeks maternity leave instead of the 16 weeks.

why 12 weeks you might say?
i would definitely love to have the full 16 weeks straight however let's just say my elders advice me to take 12 weeks first.
i would take the remaining 4 weeks as and when i need to, like going for Mishel's check-up and injections.

so am i ready for work?
i can't believe that my answer is yes!
i can't wait for my brain cells to start working hard.
i have spent months not pushing myself, taking work easy.
now is the time to set a career path for myself and prove my worthiness.
not that i never set a path but i wasn't able to excel due to my pregnancy because i got sick/sleepy often.
in addition pregnant ladies have pregnancy brains.
so i would have to reread some paragraph over and over again.
i remember having to do work but i am super sleepy that in order to keep myself awake, i had to munch on some snacks.
if munching still doesn't help, i would take a power nap on my desk.
it was tough keeping myself awake at work few months back.
but now i am ready to stay awake, stay focus and contribute at work.
i need to be brave to speak up more regularly since my division is dominated by men.
even after 1 year work, i am still adjusting myself to the environment (*note: not work but the environment)
i am not that comfortable maybe because i came from an all girls secondary school and that might have impeded my confidence when talking to men.
a challenge which i will have to work on.

being a career woman doesn't mean that i am going to neglect my parenting role.
i will still be a (caring, loving, concerned, etc) mom to Mishel.
if i can,
i would like to work from home or be a stay at home mommy so that i can monitor Mishel's development, be the first to see Mishel crawl, walk, to hear her first word, etc.
not now, perhaps in the future (*hint hint to my husband)
no more staying late in office, instead go to work earlier.
be back home and spend the rest of my evening with Mishel and husband, that is if i have no committee meetings.
if i do have meetings, i would have to make time for both my daughter and husband.
in order to find balance for both work and family, i need to sacrifice time for myself and definitely sacrifice some of my sleep.
if i think about it,
work is always there, never-ending.
i have to be smart and prioritize it then i will be a happier employee.
jot down the urgent things that needed to be done.
when i am stuck on a particular task, i will take a break and move along to do the next on the list.
afterwhich i will return back to the stuck task and insya'Allah i will find it more manageable.

last but not least and most importantly,
i should never neglect my husband.
we should still go out on dates, movies, dinners, holidays and have quality time together.
we should continue working on our relationship.

when the both of us have a good, positive relationship,

we can help each other grow and enrich each other lives.

on top of that,

our children will grow up in a safe, positive and supportive environment.

insya'Allah, if we have a long life, when our children are all grown up and led their own lives,
we will still have each other for companion.

insya'Allah i will succeed at work with a fresh new physical, mental, spiritual and emotional health!
thanks to pregnancy, Mishel and my husband!

*ps. honey, i miss writing love notes to you.

similarities!

2012-01-05T10:51:00.001+08:00

any similarities?

_____________________________________________________________

i was about to go to sleep when i saw the date on my phone,
5 january.
some bells were ringing in my head but i just couldn't remember.
ahhhh!
that's it!
it was the date where both my husband and i became an item, 6 years ago.
at imm, chicken rice, sudoku and us.

Mishel Aairah's one month!

2012-01-04T12:56:00.000+08:00

a photo taken a few days after birth.

she was on iv.
seeing her hand poked with needle and hooked up to a machine was not a pleasant sight for me.

since it was for her own good, i couldn't help but to let it be.

she also had a tube in her mouth for the first few hours of birth.
apart from seeing her on the first time at the operating theatre for a few minutes, the next time i got to see her was on the 2nd day after i gave birth to her because i was still weak.
during the time that i didn't get to see her, my husband would take lots of photos and videos to show it to me.
he would also share his experience every time he visited his daughter.
listening to him share about our little girl makes me more eager to see her.
my husband even got a chance to feed her after the tube in her mouth was removed.

on the day she got discharged!

her dad role playing as a doctor.

one month later,
the 30th december she turned one month!

she was comfortably sleeping while we were celebrating her first month with my family members and in-laws.

at one month,
she likes to kick, everytime we swaddle her, she would kick until she free herself.
she is able to lift her head if we overturn her.
she is beginning to communicate with us by cooing and holding her gaze at the person in front of her.
she will be attentive when people called out her name and will turn her head towards the voice.
one day while playing with her, i caught her doing a half turn.
she is learning new things every day and i am looking forward for more!

dear Mishel Aairah,
mama and papa are grateful to have you.
soon, you will get to go out with papa and mama together!
we love you dear!
and today you are 5 weeks old sweetheart!

adieu 2011

2011-12-31T18:00:00.000+08:00

syukur alhamdulillah!

2011 has been an exciting year for me.
within a year i have two additional titles to me (an increase in responsibilities),
a wife and a mom.

a summary of what happened in my life for 2011

in january, it was when my father gave my hand in marriage to my beloved fiance and i became a Mrs.

i got to thank my family members for their hard work and effort for making my solemnization and lunch reception a success.

it was nice to see both my husband and i hard work came to life for our dinner reception.

all our planning and discussion didn't go to waste.
marriage life has been educational.
i learnt a lot about myself and my husband.
it teaches me to be more patience, understanding, loving and forgiving.

end january/early february, both my husband and i went to japan for our honeymoon.

it was our first overseas trip alone together and we had an enjoyable time exploring new places, immersing the culture and becoming kids again in universal studios japan, disneyland and disneysea.

in march, i peed on a stick and realised that i was expecting!

it was exciting upon knowing that i was pregnant since both my husband and i love children.
however i was clueless about pregnancy and choosing which gynae.
thank goodness for the internet and forums that educates me weekly about my baby's development and the recommendations of gynaes.
i spent a lot seeing different gynaes and visiting the clinic/hospital because of my morning sickness, usual monthly check-ups and false alarms!
i got sick so often and it wasn't nice.
pregnancy though it was tough was also beautiful.
i got to see changes physically, mentally and emotionally.
one of the pros of pregnancy was i get to eat most of the things and not worrying about being fat.
pregnancy also made my husband and i bond even closer.
most importantly, pregnancy made me understand and experienced how and what my mom feels.

in october, i got confirmed at work after a year of working.
i know i can contribute even more after my maternity leave.
the organization and my colleagues are suitable for me.

november was the month when i gave birth to a baby girl named Mishel Aairah.

after 4 trips to the hospital for false alarms (contractions, water bag leaking),
i was induced on the 28 november because she was overdue.
it was a tough labor having to spend 20 hours without food and eventually i had an emergency c-sect.
the labor pains were something that i couldn't forget.
thankfully my husband was beside me to encourage and help me through.
i am grateful for the gem that the Almighty bestowed my husband and i with.

last but not least, december was when i turned 25.
a quarter of a century and the husband surprised me with a few gifts.
it was the first time spending my birthday with my husband and daughter.

it hasn't been all pleasant events in 2011.
i experienced loss as well,
the passing of my husband's aunt whom i was close with.
she will always be remembered.
and my husband and i also didn't get what we wanted,
like a flat unit after several tries.
even though we had some hard times,
we never despair.

overall, 2011 is a lovely year despite the pregnancy discomfort.
=)
syukur alhamdulillah!
all thanks to the Almighty!

2012 will be filled with challenges and pleasant surprises.
insya'Allah i know i will be alright.

happy new year!
may 2012 brings you more love, laughter and lessons in your life!

what is in the name?

2011-12-21T20:50:00.002+08:00

ever since my husband and i knew that i am pregnant with a girl,
the name hunting began!

we looked through online and books.
there are so many names that we procrastinate our search.
in the end,
we decided to narrow down our search by looking through names that starts with our initials.
M and A.

finally after weeks of searching,
we agreed on Mishel Aairah.

we chose Mishel not because it sounded like "Michelle" but it is because we wanted a unique name for her.
seldom that we heard a malay girl called Mishel.
the meaning of Mishel which is of Arabic origin is light.

for Aairah,
there are several spellings but with the similar meanings.
Airah, Aira, Aaira, Aairah, Ayra, Ayrah.
in the end,
we chose Aairah which is also of Arabic origin which means noble, respectful, respected, honourable.

we had her naming ceremony by my ustaz after 5 days of her birth to bless her.
insya'Allah,
with her upbringing,
she will live up to her name.

Mishel Aairah sweetheart,
98% of the times mama and papa laugh and smile is because of you.
keep on surprising mama and papa with your new moves!
love you baby!

the day i became a mother

2011-12-10T23:09:00.007+08:00

i was already at 40 weeks and my dear baby girl showed no signs of coming out.
i had to be induced on the night of 28th november at 10pm.
there i was at the triage for 2 hours to monitor my contractions and baby's heartbeat.
while i was alone,
listening to my baby's heartbeat,
i thought of food,
especially ebi temaki handroll and the ginger!
when all is good,
i was transferred to the ward pass midnight.
both my husband and i were starving,
while i stayed in the room,
he went down to get food.
thank goodness there was fresh packets of nasi lemak available at 7-11.
we managed to get some rest.
it was around 4.50am,
i felt that my waterbag leaked.
the nurses brought me to the delivery suite at 5am.
my contractions are getting more intense and painful.
i thought i could go through using only the gas,
but the pain got worse.
i decided to have the epidural.
it helped a lot in the pain until i managed to fall asleep.
so my husband and i waited and waited and waited.
doctors after doctors and nurses after nurses came in to check.
it was only at 10pm that i am fully dilated.
the long wait finally ends!
so it was time to push!
i pushed for an hour and there wasn't much progress.
while pushing,
my shoulders hurt a lot perhaps that i've been laying down too much that it got stiff.
i had no more energy to push.
the contractions were too painful.
nurses and several doctors asked me to tried to push.
but i just can't.
i know i can't make it that the next thing to do was csect.

while i was in the operating theater,
i remembered both of my hands were shaking.
i had no control over them.
i wasn't that aware of the surroundings.
i was conscious only when the gynae informed me that everything is over,
and i remembered asking "how's the baby?"
a few minutes later,
a baby was brought in front of me,
nicely wrapped up and she was staring at me quietly.
i couldn't help but to stare back at her big round eyes and kissed her.
while i stared back,
there was a connection that we both shared.
it was a moment that i couldnt forget.
after 9 months,
i manged to meet my baby that i've been carrying in my womb.
syukur alhamdulillah!
she was born at 1.05am and shared the same date with my father, the 30th.

after cleaning me up,
i was being placed in the recovery ward for a while to monitor my condition.
i remembered the nurse was making conversation with me.
and she said "your baby is so cute and pretty"
while she said that,
i had to recalled back the brief moment when i saw my daughter.
which i replied "thank you"

i was being brought back to the room and it was nice to be greeted by my family members.
they had waited since 4pm till 2am for the baby's arrival.
i had to thank them for waiting.
they were really excited for her and concerned about me.
my parents gave me kisses on my forehead and asked how am i before they head home.
i felt like a small girl once again.
the views from my room.
can you spot marina bay sands?

i wasn't able to see my daughter unless i went down to the special care nursery.
the doctors were taking precaution on her as they were afraid if there was any infection since my water bag had leaked for quite some time.
everytime it was visiting hours for the scn,
my husband would go down without fail to meet her daughter.
he would come back with photos and videos of our little one.

it was only after the 2nd day i managed to be mobile that i was able to see my daughter.

with every day that pass,
i was getting better.
and alhamdulillah!
after 5 days being in the hospital,
both mommy and baby were able to be discharged.

i wish to thank those family members, friends and colleagues who came to visit and those who gave gifts, wishes and prayers.
thank you very much!

thank you to my parents, aunt, uncle and in-laws for coming almost every day.
i have to thank my husband especially for helping me a lot and accompanied me during my hospital stay.

thank you honey!
i love you!

hello world!
i am Mishel Aairah Binte Abdul Mutalib!

(taken a few minutes after she was born)

Mishel Aairah sweetheart,
mama will always remember the first time mama laid her eyes on you.
it was love at first sight.
you were staring at mama and mama was staring at you.
for a moment,
mama didn't know what to do.
all mama know is that she felt peaceful.
time stood still.
it was the most beautiful feeling ever.
that feeling will always stay with her.
both mama and papa are really happy to have you.
mama can see that papa face lights up when he sees you.
did you know that papa feed you first before mama?
mama and papa can't get enough of you and love you!

the arrival!

2011-12-05T22:47:00.000+08:00

still a waiting game

2011-11-22T11:20:00.006+08:00

here i am blogging away on a tuesday morning,
the 22nd of November which is my mother-in-law's birthday.
happy birthday Mak!

i am left a month more to my quarter of a century.
i have friends and family members whose birthday fall on the 22nd on different months except for March, April, May, June, July and August.
any of my readers birthday fall on 22nd of the above months?
let me know!

still on 22nd, a baby girl make her entrance today!
my primary school classmate, Mustika delivered her baby girl.
congrats Mommy!
you have a new hobby now; smelling your little one!
hehe!

for myself,
i have yet to deliver and it is 4 days to my edd.
i would read up multiple websites on signs of labor, getting ready for labor, etc.
keep asking my mom and aunt about the pain.
been having (painful) contractions.
been squeezing my husband's hand several times.
sometimes it is confusing to differentiate the pain.
not sure whether i am hungry or having heartburn or stomachache.
went to the hospital triage twice thinking it was time but nay, it is just not time.
baby MA is still comfortable discovering inside my womb.
since she is not out yet,
waking up to every single day is exciting because i don't know when she wants to surprise us.

my old baby cot is all set with mattress, pillows, blanket and 2 soft toys.
last week was my husband and i first time to purchase pampers (what an experience!)
toiletries basket has been filled with medicated oils, powder, cologne, etc.
the pram is still inside the box.
baby clothes have been washed.
mom has been knitting shoes, dresses and hats for her.
all the above just to welcome our little one.
insya'Allah soon we will welcome her.

sweetheart,
mama and papa are already on standby mode.
it doesn't matter whether you want to come out in the day or in the wee hours of the morning,
both of us will be there to greet you.
=)
mama and papa have tried to convince you to come out,
we will try again (maybe bribe you again this time)
hehe!
we love you sweetheart!

the wait

2011-11-12T08:51:00.003+08:00

dear sweetheart,
the wait is making me bored and nervous.
at least if you are out,
I can hold you, cuddle you, see you and admire you.
for now,
I have nothing much to do but to just wait.

actually,
perhaps I am also afraid to go through the labour pain.
the longer I wait,
the nervous I get.
for example,
in school,
if you have an examination,
you wished that you can finish the paper asap followed by a huge sigh of relief!
that is how I am feeling right now.

just like preparing for an exam,
most of us would burn the midnight oil.
for pregnant moms,
we also burn the midnight oil because most of us won't be able to sleep.
we are kept awake.

sweetheart,
mama knows that the womb is a very comfortable place to be in because it protects you from a lot of things.
however you can't be in there for too long.
the world is also a nice place to be but you will need religion, guidance, values, moral to help you because it is more challenging than the womb.
mama and papa will help you.
=)
alrighty,
mama is getting sleepy now and will be taking her nap.
papa has been calling mama while he's at work just to ask whether mama is experiencing pains.
he really can't wait to have you in his life.
see you (real) soon little one!

this is it!

2011-11-08T22:56:00.000+08:00

with the days getting nearer,
i have more difficulties moving around with my big tummy.
braxton hicks contractions are getting more frequent.
my legs are getting tired maybe due to my excess weight.
been going to the toilet often.
more stretchmarks appear.
i get tired easily.
my appetite has been really good.
that after i eat,
i will get sleepy.
this last few days are really getting uncomfortable.

looking on the bright side,
insya'Allah
i will have her for 2 weeks or so in my womb.
we hit the 37 weeks (which is considered as full term) last friday.
so now it is a waiting game as she is able to come out anytime.

i've been having some pains and read up on labour articles for assurance.
lower back, abdomen, pelvic pain.
for once i've forgotten how menstrual cramps felt like.
it is quite scary in this stage because i might interpret the pain differently.

people has been giving me advice to walk a lot as it might help with the delivery.
but for this stage now,
my legs especially my soles and thighs feel as if they can collapse anytime.
on top of that,
my back will ache if i walk too much now.

i have to sacrifice meetings and events for the past few months to rest.
my energy levels is never full,
normally 25% left.

for my baby's preparation,
we have shifted some stuff in my room to make space for her.
=)
over the weekend,
my husband and i went shopping to get more of her things.
we bought mattress to fit into my old baby cot, bedding set, diaper bag, breast pump, bottles and others.
can say that we are ready for her arrival.

still on the topic of preparation,
finally! i have packed my hospital bag!
searched through several pregnancy websites on what items to pack.

i have to give credit to my husband.
i feel guilty that i have been really moody lately, getting irritated easily but he has been really calm to console and put me to ease.
thank you honey.

relatives have been asking me "are you scared for labour?"
actually,
i am trying not to worry about it now.
maybe when the time comes,
i will get frighten by the pain.
one thing that will reassure me is that:
"if He brings me to it, He will brings through it"
insya'Allah.

sweetheart,
soon you will get to see mama and papa!
=D
every day papa and mama talk about you, talk to you.
mama and papa are thankful for you.
do mama a favor can?
can you come out easily and fast?
hehe!
love you baby!

will you give up your seat?

2011-11-01T22:51:00.000+08:00

with a protruding tummy,
taking public transport is no longer a hassle.
=)
alhamdulillah,
kind people have been offering their seats for me.
getting a seat in the mrt is much more easier than the bus,
maybe because of the reserved seats.

however,
i do feel guilty at times when some of them offer me their seats.
there were several instances,
elderly women gave up their seats to me.
i felt helpless and of course refused,
but they insisted.
once in the bus,
a man who sat near the window stand up and offer me his seat,
what truly touched me was that he is disabled.
there were 2 capable men who saw me but pretended not to see/ignored me.

today,
on the way to work,
i had to stand.
a few bus stops throughout the journey,
a man who stood beside me tapped on another man who was seated down engrossed with his ipad and said "please give your seat to her" while pointing to me.
that man who had to give up his seat looked at me and stand up.

to those who had given up their seats to me,
thank you for keeping me and my baby safe.
god bless you!

a seat really helps me to rest my tired legs from carrying the weight and catch up with my sleep.
sometimes when i stand,
i get a little clumsy and i might lose my balance.

of course my journey in the public transport hasn't been that nice,
few months back,
some thought i have a belly so no seats were given.
so ladies who are pregnant right now,
be patient,
soon, you will get big enough that people will offer you their seats.
=)

don't despair,
there are still considerate people around.
they will be putting on a smile on your face.
=)

baby prep

2011-10-30T13:36:00.000+08:00

so with less than a month left,

my husband and i did as much as we can to prepare ourselves.

we remind each other whether we have done this, that, etc.

yesterday,

my husband and i attended an event "maybe baby - at the movies" since i won a pair of tickets.

i had to say that the talk from mr lau was informative.

we managed to get useful tips about finances, spending our time, etc.

one thing that i brought back was PALM.

before buying anything,

he advise us to PALM.

is it possible to

P - postpone

A- already have

L- less expensive

M- maybe not necessary

it is tempting for us as first time parents to get new things for our baby, sometimes in excess but with PALM,

it helps us to save, think and buy only those that we need.

so about the previous dilemma i had regarding the baby cot,

we decided not to buy a new one since we can make do with my old one.

he also shared with us the various finances sites that can assist us when we have children.

eg, baby bonus, tax rebate, etc.

if you are thinking of having a child or going to become a proud parent,

you can click on the site below to get some information.

recently,

i just got back in touch with one of my long lost hobby.
reading.

it has been years, perhaps after my uni days that i've stopped reading a book.

there was a day that i had 2 hours to waste while waiting for my husband.

so i figured out why not waste it at a bookstore.

i did and randomly looked around for pregnancy books.

flipped several books open to glance through,

briefly read about labour, etc.

until i came across the book below.

brain rules for baby.

the way it was written got me engrossed.

it was interesting at how he gives advice on parenting.

i managed to read about 2 chapters till it was time to meet my husband.

i didn't buy it that time since i was still contemplating.

the next day pass,

and i still think about that book.

that is when i knew i had to get the book.

i did and i finished reading it few days back.

i think the book is useful for parents-to-be to have an idea on how to raise a smart and happy child from zero to five.

the writer gave a lot of research and experiments to give examples (it brought me back to my psychology days because some of the names and experiments ring a bell).

the book is easy to understand and follow through.

after reading a part of the book,

i gave warning to my family that my child is not allowed to watch tv when she is less than 2 years old, instead encouraged them to talk and have direct interactions with her.

i shared with my husband about some of tips the writer gave about becoming a father.

i laughed at how the writer wrote about how a young boy tried to lied to his father.

it is a highly recommended book.

not only that we prepare for the worldly aspect for our child,

my husband on his own accord asks his experienced elders about what to do when the baby is being born,

in the islamic way.

aqiqah, cuckur rambut, azan, iqama, etc.

no amount of preparations will be ready for my newborn but at least we did.

sweetheart,

like most parents out there,

both mama and papa wants the best for you.

mama hope one day,

perhaps in your teenage years,

when you disagree with us,

you will see and know why.

of course, we will also have your interest at heart because both mama and papa were once young.

you will teach us to be better persons.

we love you very much!

see you pretty soon!

about a month to go!

2011-10-27T13:03:00.002+08:00

now that i am approaching week 36 of pregnancy,
i am left with 30 days as of today.

how do i feel?

ahhh.
let me give you an example.
how do you feel when you wear a tight top?
breathless and uncomfortable right?
well,
that is how i am feeling right now for my tummy.
breathless, uncomfortable and so tight.

my sleep is getting shorter and by the time i have to wake up for work,
i am sleepy.
to get into a comfortable position to sleep is getting harder.
my husband had to push/pull me if i need to turn to my left or right.
on top of that, my tummy aches.
my walking steps are smaller and slower now.
at times, it hurts to walk.
i have to go to the toilet often now.
her movements are getting intense that i had to say "ouch, ouch, ouch" out loud.

if i could,
i would like to lay all day on the bed.
haha!

it is okay since it is the last sprint!

currently,
i am in a dilemma.
i have my old baby cot which i use when i was a baby,
so it is about 25 years old.
of course the condition is not that good but still usable.
it is something sentimental to me.
but yesterday when my husband and i walked around,
he was interested to get a baby cot.
i am torn.
of course having a new one would be nice but at the same time i don't want to hurt my mom's feelings as well since she took the trouble to dig it out from the store room and maintain it.
talked to her about it,
she is fine with us getting a new cot but i sense a little bit of disappointment.
so now i am still deciding.

away from the dilemma,
i have applied for my maternity leave.

next week will be my last week to take a break from work.
looking forward to resting at home instead of travelling to work.
can start preparing the emergency bag as well.

will be having a checkup and a scan on monday,
hopefully all is good.
need to start booking for the ward as well.

sweetheart,
enjoy yourself in mama's womb while it lasts!
soon mama and papa will be expecting your cries and mama can't wait to have you on her chest.
papa will be more interested to look at you all night long rather than looking at mama.
you will be papa's new love!
papa said that we are prepared to have you.
mama agreed with him.
=)
both of us are waiting (im)patiently for you!

one of my happiest day!

2011-10-23T22:07:00.001+08:00

last friday,
i was about to have my lunch when my phone vibrated and it was from my husband!
how glad i was to hear from him!
he called to inform me that he was done with the camp and heading home.

when i reached home,
my mother-in-law teased me about how early i came home because i can't wait to see and greet my husband.
haha.
she was right.

it was one of my happiest day when i got to see him.
one word to describe it,
thankful.
i missed him so much.

we went on sharing what happened during the week and had dates.
it was nice.
even though it is a little tough for me to move around now,
i don't want to miss the opportunity to go on dates with my husband before our baby is out.
having our couple time is crucial to know that we are still in love with one another.

honey,
when we first get to know one another,
i thought you are someone who i will get to know briefly.
i didn't expect my life to change.
i didn't know that life can be this wonderful.
thank you for choosing me to be your wife and the mother to your children.
thank you for adding laughter to my life, showering me with your love, entertaining me. calming me down and all the other things that you do.
thank you for being the best partner that i could have.

i got only the Almighty to thank.
alhamdulillah.

you're always with me

2011-10-19T13:52:00.001+08:00

as the rain started to pour outside,
i listened to katy perry's thinking of you.
and i regretted.
the lyrics made me realised that i know i've found the one.
there's no other man that can make me feel how he does.

i started to miss him.
my eyes are getting a little moist.

how i miss your scent and your laughter.
how i miss clapping our hands to switch off the lights.
how i miss catching you smiling to yourself if you are watching a sweet movie.
how i miss going out with you.
how i miss holding your hands and see you sleep.
how i miss you rubbing my tummy and talking to M.
hearing you say "love you" was the best thing that happened to me last night.
you're always with me honey.

love,
your wife.

it has been a year

2011-10-18T13:35:00.001+08:00

today,
the 18 october marks 1 year of working in SC.
alhamdulillah.
it has been good so far.
i can see a career in here in the long run.
insya'Allah.
this organization saw through my wedding and soon my firstborn.
i know i am able to contribute more and at the same time,
this organization helps to develop me.

i still remembered that i rejected this job offer when the HR called me because at that time, i was working in another company for only 3 months.
after much consideration,
i called the HR back and informed that i am still interested.
and alhamdulillah after 2 interviews,
i got in.

i didn't have much working experience but i always believe that where ever you are working at,
it is the attitude that matters.

to many years ahead!

things are not that bad after all

2011-10-17T13:47:00.000+08:00

the day before my husband went for his 5 days camp,
we were talking about how we're gonna miss each other, etc.

one conversation we had to appease me,
he said "honey, technically it is only 3 days."
which i replied with a "huh?"
he went on explaining "i will still see you on monday before i go off and i will get to see you again on friday when i am back. so it is only tuesday, wednesday and thursday that i won't get to see you and baby M."
me "oh ya you're right!"

so it's not that bad after all.
3 days only.

i woke up early today to drive him to work.
as we parted,
there is a tinge of sadness.
i thought about,
i won't be able to disturb and tease him.
i won't be able to whine to him.
i won't be able to laugh with him.
i won't be able to share stories with him.
i won't be able to listen to his stories.

but as i recalled back about what he said regarding the 3 days,
i felt much better.
=)

sweetheart,
you will keep mama accompany and make mama laugh!
=D
bonding time!

away from him

2011-10-13T13:41:00.001+08:00

come next week,
i will have my sisters to sleep beside me because my husband will be away for a camp that lasts for 5 days.
this is our first time being apart from each other after being married,
something that i am not looking forward to.
i am going to miss him.
let's see how do i cope without him.

i remembered in 2008,
when i had a cultural trip to japan for ten days,
i cried.
and he told me that his eyes were watery when he sent me off.
he had prepared for me an a3 notebook filled with activities to accompany me throughout my 10 days there.
every day,
i look forward to reading it and see what activities was in store for me.
some were lyrics from songs.
i find the gesture sweet.

i took a long look at the photo above.
how i wish to be this thin again after giving birth.

every morning, reading the book prepared by him.

some of the activites he had for me.

now,
what will happen next week?

to add on,
he won't be able to have any communication device with him.
*sighs*
my phone will be quiet.
this is worse than the japan's cultural trip because at least back then i can still send text, email to him.
i still remembered how excited i was when there was an email from him.
my whole body was shaking while reading it.
i was really very happy to received an email from him.
next week,
total silence, no news from him for 5 days.
perhaps our telepathy can still work though we are far apart.
=)

it is scary thinking about it.
will i be okay?
will he miss me like how i miss him?
can baby M distract me from thinking about him?
or will baby M make me think and miss him more?
please let time pass by extra quickly next week.

honey,
i look forward to your hugs, stories and laughing with you at the end of 5 days.
at the end of the day,
i will express my misses for you to baby M.
she will miss you too.
stay safe while you are there.
i love you.

from the husband

2011-10-12T21:57:00.002+08:00

"Its been a memorable birthday. The best birthday gift has been the inclusion of both of you in my life :)"

"Thank you honey for the gifts. They exemplified the true purpose of gifts, for it's meaning and not monetary :) also, appreciate all your efforts in planning though with baby m with you!!!"

Sounds like a very satisfied husband! =)

love you sweetheart!

daddy-to-be 28th birthday!

2011-10-11T02:00:00.000+08:00

my husband turns 28 today,

the 11th october 2011!

this year is our first time celebrating as a married couple.

alhamdulillah!

honestly,

i ran out of ideas of what to do for his birthday.

i had to do some research and generate my creative brain cells to think.

i managed to come up with some plans weeks before and i had a tough time to keep it to myself.

i am too excited to let him know.

in the end,

i did revealed about 15% of his birthday plans and gave 2 of his birthday gifts a day earlier.

one of his birthday gifts include the below.

a journal and stickers.

want to guess what it is?

it has dates and months!

yes, a 2012 organizer!

every end of the year,

i noticed that it has been hard for him to find a nice cover for a full page day organizer.

normally that you find in stores are those weekly organizer.

so for the 1st birthday gift,

i decided to make an organizer for him.

when i presented the organizer to him,

he was pleased with it!

he mentioned that it is a touching gift.

yes, all those dates, months and days are handwritten.

and i add personal touch to special days!

even a public holiday countdown.

and the other surprise was:

i slotted in 2 tickets to the lion king musical in the organizer!

so while flipping through the pages,

he found the tickets and started grinning away!

we had watched the lion king in march.

because it was so good,

my husband did suggest to me that he wanted to watch it again.

but i didn't really agree as the tickets that he bought earlier, cat 2 tickets were ex but the seats were good.

centre, 4th row from the stage.

so i told him why waste money again?

we could use the money into our baby fund.

after much thought,

he dropped the idea of watching it again.

since i panic that i didn't have much idea for his birthday,

i decided to get the tickets to the lion king again.

cat 2 tickets, centre, 4th row from the stage.

i really felt the hole in my pocket while making the purchase.

but since it is his birthday and i know this will make him happy,

i don't mind.

he got what he wished for!

we still enjoyed the lion king musical the second time round!

on the eve of his birthday,

we had dinner at straits kitchen (third birthday gift).

it has been years since we last visited the place.

the first dish that we had was naan, tandoori chicken and butter chicken!

followed by chinese styled fried rice, crab, rojak and i lose tracked of what else we ate.
we ate to our heart's content.

while we were resting for our last few rounds,

i decided to hand him his fourth birthday gift.

look at his excited face!

'i made a present for daddy'

busy looking at the other stuff.

a daddy-to-be kit!

since he is going to be a father,

he needs to be familiar with the stuff below.

haha!

baby's romper

pampers!

decorated the box with baby stickers and ribbon.

happy 28th birthday honey!

i hope you enjoyed your 28th birthday celebration with me and baby M!

to many, many more birthday celebrations in the future!

keep on making me laugh!

i am still very much in love with you.

baby M loves you too papa!

ps. there will be an updated version on this post.

; )

*updated*

so today he went to work as usual.

but i already planned something for him once he came back.

2nd last surprise for him was a birthday cake.

we had a celebration over at my parents' place together with his parents.

making his wishes!

and he came home to this!

since he has the daddy-to-be kit,

he can aspire to become the

'daddy no 1 in training'

hehe!

*phew*

thank goodness all went on smoothly!

alhamdulillah!

it has been great being married to you honey!

happy becoming 28 once again sweetheart!

this year is gonna be special because you'll be a dad!

i know you will be the best dad to our child(ren)!

thank you for showering me with your love, care and concern.

i love you.

*hugs&tickles&kisses*

countdowns

2011-10-07T22:38:00.002+08:00

as of today,
according to my expected date of delivery,
i am left with 50 days.
not sure whether she wants us to welcome her earlier or later.

4 more days to my husband's 28th.
2 more days to his birthday celebration.
=)
he keeps asking me about the plans and i am trying my hard not to spill anything.

still on countdown,
i remembered i was counting down to my wedding day last year.
how excited i was to change my status and to spend the rest of my life with my husband.

insya'Allah,
in time to come,
i will have a countdown to having our first house!
to furnish our house and make it a home.
that will be exciting!

and more countdowns to having more children.
=)

while i am busy counting down with things in life,
i should also remind myself that the Almighty is counting down the days till i return back to Him.
if only we knew when is our time on earth is up,
most of us will live and view life in a different way.

so always be thankful that you get to experience life this far.
=)

surprise of the day!

2011-10-06T16:29:00.002+08:00

this morning,
i surprised myself when i looked myself in the mirror.

i know that there are stretch marks on my hips and the side of my stomach.
it is one of the expected things to happen when one is pregnant.
but i forget all about my butt,
until i see it in the mirror today.

lines all over my butt.
i shrieked!
it's more to a laughter kinda shriek.
i didn't know how to feel.
helpless maybe.
like there's nothing much that i can do about it.
my husband who was there take a look at it and said "yes honey, those are stretch marks."
all i could do is to shake my head, smile and go on with my life.
=)

honestly,
i am not really bothered by the stretch marks because i know it will be happening.
it is just that i wasn't aware of how rapid it develops.

stretch marks, morning sickness, pain, aches, and those uncomfortable things related to pregnancy,
i am still thankful to the Almighty.
to be given the chance to go through pregnancy,
and insya'Allah motherhood.

to be mentally prepared for the final journey,
i am filling my time with reading different articles on giving birth and sharing it with my husband.

sweetheart,
just for you,
mama has to go through pain, physical body changes, hormonal changes and discomfort.
while papa has to encourage mama, tahan her whining, fulfill mama's cravings, help mama out, talk to you and many other things.
it is not easy but mama and papa never give up.
we are determine to have you.
we are ready to shower you with our love, M.

for now,
it is an exciting and anxious wait for both mama and papa!
=)

changes

2011-10-05T18:03:00.000+08:00

came across a website that might change me when i have a baby.

(from babycenter.com)

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body ... finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby's pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

some of the changes that might happen is already happening to me.
what initiate the changes?
the love for your child.

i am afraid that i will be protective of her,
too protective till the point that i spoilt her.
hopefully that won't happen.
because in life,
there must be a balance.
i have to keep reminding myself that there's always a limit.

sweetheart,
you're a god's gift to mama and papa.
never feel that you're not important because throughout the months mama is carrying you,
you're the one that makes mama and papa laugh,
you're the one that makes mama and papa closer.
you're the one that mama and papa worried about whenever mama is sick.
when you are older,
we might have our differences but always remember that both mama and papa are trying our very best to guide you in life.

mama and papa will fill our home with love,
while you (and your future siblings) will make it alive with your laughter.

being pregnant part xiii

2011-10-04T17:27:00.001+08:00

there are several things that i am grateful for in this entry.

alhamdulillah that our baby is already 8 months.
that october is already here.
that i am recovering well from the food poisoning and early contractions that got me admitted to the hospital.
that i got confirmed and promoted at work.
that my boss, colleagues and organization understand my situation.

there are still more things to be thankful for.

last wednesday afternoon,
i felt bloated and uneasy.
but i didn't think much.
i thought it is the usual 'pregnancy sickness' that i had to go endure.
as time pass by,
i got sicker and eventually vomited.
i prepared several plastic bags in my bag just in case i vomited on my way back.
true enough,
the plastic bags came in handy.

even after alighting from the bus,
i had to vomit.
even after 4 times of vomiting,
i still think that it was the usual 'pregnancy sickness'.
until i got home and i became weak and kept on vomiting.
i vomited at least 10 times.
it was awful.
the pain i felt on my stomach was unbearable.
that was when i thought of the food that i ate for breakfast at work.
nasi lemak.
it is either the rice or the sambal that gave me the food poisoning.

together with my in-laws, my husband and i went to the hospital,
i was in my pyjamas and i cant even bothered to change because i was too weak and in pain.
at that time,
i thought of death because i thought i couldn't make it.
i never been this sick.

the doctor detected regular contractions on the graph and that may lead to preterm delivery.
so i had to be observed and given lots of medicine to control the contractions and pain.
that night was the first time my husband and i entered the delivery suite.
i remembered that i was given 2 painful jabs on my thighs to mature the baby's lungs in case she decides to come out.
it was scary actually not knowing what will happen to me,
whether the baby will come out, etc.
alhamdulillah,
i got better.

i had to stay for 2 days for observations and given 14 days of hospitalization leave.
i will only resume work the day after my husband's birthday.
that is another thing to be grateful for.
throughout the days and night i was there,
my husband was there to see me rest and accompany me.
he encouraged and entertained me.
i really appreciate him.

having experienced regular contractions,
i only wish that i will have a fast and safe delivery when the time comes.
insya'Allah.

since i had some free time,
i did some changes to my blog.
well,
it is time for a change.
=)

sweetheart,
sorry that mama put you in some stress few days back.
both mama and papa are glad that you are fine.
you are left with 7 weeks or so!
=)
you are moving more forcefully right now.
and for 2 days straight mama felt your hiccups,
papa too!
both mama and papa cant help it but to laugh.
we love you so much baby!

of birthday and pregnant XII

2011-09-23T13:18:00.005+08:00

since his birthday is just next month,
and i already have some plans for him,
i asked him which was the memorable birthday for him.

he replied "the one we had dinner under the stars"
a-hah!
he was refering to this post.

i have to agree with him.
it was physically challenging and required lots of planning,
like what to bring, how many to bring, shopping for things, will the food get cold, etc.
i had to bring my grandma in the day to survey the area.
glad that he liked it.

this year,
not so physically demanding.
something simple and full of surprises!
i just like to see his surprised-and-i-am-very-happy-kinda reactions.
especially the gifts!
he knows that it is hard for me to keep surprises and he keeps asking for hints.
i am very tempted to share but have to control myself.
i always get excited when it comes to surprises.
a few more weeks!

baby,
papa will definitely be happy with the gifts/surprise.
thank you for accompanying mama to buy random stuff for papa.
it is a secret between us okay?
and baby,
papa will always remember his 28th birthday because insya'Allah, you will be papa's post birthday gift!
=D

just yesterday mama laughed to herself because you were having hiccups.
how did you managed in there?
and soon you're making mama's belly button to pop out.
mama has been feeling tired and sleepy lately, when she can find time,
she will rest to catch up with her breath and sleep.
mama has started to have round ligament pain which has to slow her while walking,
sometimes painful for her to walk.
mama still reads about your weekly progress, papa too.
your name has been chosen and both mama and papa like the meanings.
we've been calling you by your name,
mama is sure that by now you know what it is.
=)
time will pass by very fast and soon mama and papa will get to see, hold, smell, kiss, care and love you!
stay happy in mama's womb sweetheart!

being pregnant part XI

2011-09-15T13:15:00.000+08:00

the third trimester 'nightmare' has begun!
for the past 2 days i have been having trouble sleeping and i can foresee that it will continue.
it seems that with my growing tummy,
i have difficulties getting up from bed.
now, i have to get up either from my left or right.
i will spend most of the time getting into a comfortable position to sleep.
my tummy feels very tight and i get breathless.
my shirts seems to get smaller that i had to resort to wearing my husband's shirts.
waking up for toilet break has resumed.
everything don't feel right.
the pimples have started to pop up!
even though i had to go through this bumpy-yet-going-to-end-race,
my husband is the one who make it easier for me,
he teased me whenever i had a tough time getting out of bed, my weird sleeping position, etc. and i couldn't help not to be angry but to laugh together with him.

talking about my husband,
today is our 8th months of marriage.
alhamdulillah.
it has been great and it couldn't be better.
there are times when we do get mad with each other but there's that something to make us fine back.
marriage makes us more tolerant of each other and we share more happiness.

just yesterday while i was searching for his white hair,
he laid close to my tummy and while rubbing my tummy he sang a song for our little girl with his creative-on-the-spot-lyrics.
she kicked and he felt her movements!
i have to admit it did sound nice.
such a nice family bonding session.

since he had a lot of work to settle,
he had to continue his work at home.
when i managed to catch up on my sleep,
he had to do his work.
but i know that he comes over to me and asked me questions like whether i want water, whether i want to go to the toilet, or at times tease me, and give a kiss my forehead.
i know he is trying to make me comfortable.
but most of the times when he asked,
i didn't reply him because i am too tired to do so.
at times i do get mad at him for spending too much time at work but at the same time, he does make time for me.
his actions shows.
so i couldn't stay angry at him for long.

back to our little fella,
yesterday we had our monthly check up at the hospital and all looks good.
insya'Allah i will go for natural delivery.
epidural or not will be decided on that day.

sweetheart,
mama knows you are enjoying yourself inside her womb.
soon you will be introduced to the world,
don't be afraid to come out okay?
papa and mama will be welcoming you.
=)
insya'Allah you will be able to celebrate mama and papa's 1st anniversary together!

being pregnant part X

2011-09-13T13:05:00.003+08:00

every week i lost count of how many times i look through the calender to count her progress.
i will flip through the rest of the months briefly except for november.
yes,
that is the month when our little fella is due.

as i look at the month of november,
there are a couple of dates that attracted me.
my husband is born on the 11th oct while i, on the 22nd dec.
so with our little fella due on november would be nice.

below is a list of perfect (due) dates in november.

02-11-2011 - my grandma's birthday
11-11-2011 - one month after my husband birthday
12-11-2011 - a mixture of 1 and 2
20-11-2011 - an easy date to remember the year she is born
21-11-2011 - a mixture of 2 and 1
22-11-2011 - my mother-in-law's birthday and one month before my birthday

my edd is a few days later than 22nd november.

i can only hope and plan but it is the Almighty who decides when she will come out and experience life on earth.
just as long she is healthy and hopefully there will not be complications when it is time!

talking on dates,
i have less than a month to plan for my husband's birthday.
still striking out ideas and writing new ones.
hmmm.

over the weekend,
i had a conversation regarding children with one lady during a kenduri.
i have to agree with her that it is only when you are pregnant you will tend to treasure your parents more, especially your mother.
it is true,
that is how i felt.
i feel more connected to my mom.
the pains, aches, uncomfortable things she had to pull through during pregnancy.
when you are older,
it will be the heartaches and headaches you give her.
the lady shared with me her experience while giving birth,
she said that she forgot about the pain when she got to see and hear her child.
she added that when her children are bigger,
she still scold them harshly but will regret her actions.
the love of a mother i guess.
a mother's love is true but at times a mother does not really know how to show and convey her love.

for fathers,
i guess they will be protective of their daughters,
just like mine.
and i can see that from my husband as well who is a father-to-be to our baby girl.
fathers can be loving when they want to and strict when they have to.
somehow i feel having a child will change an adult perception of themselves.

sweetheart,
mama, papa and our families are looking forward to welcome you!
you will be greeted with a lot of hugs, kisses, laughters, smiles, teasing and tickles!
=)
we will get to see you tomorrow for our check up!
i can't imagine your reaction next time when you are in your teens and you read mama's blog.
guess you will be squirming.
well i hope mama's blog will help you understand mama better.
=)
never shoo either mama or papa away,
talk to us,
find ways to communicate with us,
we will always be there for you, to listen to you.
keep on making papa and mama smile sweetheart,
till the rest of our lives.

3rd day of our honeymoon!

2011-09-10T23:39:00.001+08:00

for the third day of our honeymoon, we travelled from osaka to kyoto via the bullet train.

one thing that i can't forget about osaka was that the place was soooooo cold!

not only that it was cold, it was very windy as well!

even after a few layers of clothings, i can still feel it.

we stayed 1 day in kyoto so that we can have more time spent in tokyo.

packing our stuff and getting ready to head out from the hotel!
once we reached kyoto, we walked with our luggages in search for a particular ryokan.ahhh yes, how can i forget?it was when we were in search for the ryokan,through the streets that we managed to witness snow!it was our first time being able to see snow!=)
it was squeezy and the price is much more expensive compared to a hotel but the reason why we wanted to stay in a ryokan is to experience how it is like. once we checked in, we head out to explore the streets! kyoto is known for their traditional houses. my husband taking photos of himself and kids while i went shopping. our journey back to the ryokan.

the next upcoming posts will be about tokyo!

being pregnant part IX

2011-09-07T19:42:00.002+08:00

*giggles*
today, 80 days and counting down!
today, also we did a 3d scan of her!

the 3d scan of hers wasn't an easy one.
our appointment was at 0800hrs,
we were twenty minutes late,
so we had to wait.

not long after,
it was our turn.
we went into the room,
showed my tummy,
the sonographer squeezed the jelly-like substance onto my tummy and started to look for our little girl using the ultrasound machine.
unfortunately,
she was comfortably facing down.
we can't see her face.
the sonographer advised us to have our breakfast, walk around, talk to her and come back about an hour later.
so we did just that,
had breakfast, walk around, talk to her and come back.
we really talked to her asking her to face up so that we can see her.
i felt some movements,
so i supposed she was responding.

the second time we went into the room,
i was a little unsure how she was positioned however i felt a glimpse of hope.
so i laid down,
showed my tummy and went through the same procedure again.
to our dismay,
she wasn't facing up.
she turned slightly and only can see 1/4 of her face.
in my heart, i was like "whaatttttt?"she is still not facing up?"
so i asked the sonographer if there is any advice to make her turn.
she replied "bonding" and gave us a last chance,
if not we have to make another appointment.
she asked us to come back 30 minutes later.
i was cracking my head.
how am i supposed to ask a baby in my womb to bond and listen to me?
i woke up super early today hoping to see her yet she is facing down.
what can i do?

i kept rubbing my tummy trying to make her uncomfortable.
my husband and i were really out of our wits.
so we walked around and went into stores to look at things.
A-HAH!
that's when we decided to bribe her!
we told her that we are buying some babywear and cute socks for her,
so be a good girl and face up so mama and papa can see her.

before 30 minutes is up,
my husband had to bend down to my tummy to sweet-talk and convinced her.
while i was complaining to her saying that we had to wake up early just for her, etc.
i added that she is taking a photo soon so must face up.
throughout the conversation,
there were some movements,
but i wasn't sure whether she is facing up.

so we went into the room the third time with not much hope.
this time round,
alhamdulillah!
she was facing up!
we can see her face!
both of us were delighted!
even though she was sleeping,
when we first saw her face,
both my husband and i started beaming.
it was such a nice feeling to get to see her.
i am sure my husband felt that special feeling that i felt.
it was truly beautiful.

the sonographer took a few shots of her.
my husband and i just glued our eyes to the screen to see our little fella.
and we were figuring out whose looks she has.

here she is at 28 weeks sleeping with her right hand resting on her face.

another view of her.

we spent about 20 odd minutes looking at her before our time is up.
we really had a great time seeing her and can't wait to see her every single day.

sweetheart,
you were very cheeky.
did you turn because mama and papa bought you stuff?
or did you turn because papa convinced you to?
or did you turn because you're a good girl?
or did you turn because you don't want mama to complain and be upset?
or did you turn because god asked you to?
whatever it is,
we are thankful that you faced upwards.
thank you sweetheart.
mama and papa will be staring at your photos every day now.
we both love you and always talk to you.
sweetheart,
you will never be alone with mama and papa around.
=)

honeymoon edition (1st & 2nd day)

2011-09-05T23:56:00.001+08:00

finally, i found a way to share our honeymoon photos.

we chose japan as our honeymoon destination as my husband missed the culture there and both of us want to be kids again!but seriously, i wanted to travel somewhere further but with my motion sickness, i am afraid that i couldn't cope.so 8 hours flight is long enough for me. we went japan before with his parents but we didn't really have a long stay and explore much. so we make a point to travel to 3 different areas in japan.osaka, kyoto and tokyo. these were taken on the 1st and 2nd day of our trip together.we took a midnight flight to tokyo followed by a bullet train to osaka. i slept almost throughout the journey.maybe because i didn't have a good sleep the night before and i took the drowsy motion sickness pills.it really helped me not to vomit and it made us to have a pleasant journey. we passed through some areas which were snowing (however i was asleep, so my husband took quite a number of photos) we stayed in Hotel Kintetsu Universal City which was nearby to Universal Studios Japan.we bought our tickets the day before fearing it will be sold out the next day.when night comes,we explored around our hotel.it was really, really cold! the next day!all set for a day of fun! as you can see from the photos,Universal Studios Japan is much, much bigger compared to USS. there are also more attractions.such a pity that the shows are in japanese language and we don't comprehend it.nevertheless,we had fun with the rides and being able to experience something new!

why did you smile before you sleep?

2011-09-05T13:43:00.002+08:00

being pregnant makes me a light sleeper.
i kept waking up to see whether my husband is done with work, or to look at the time or to see whether my husband is asleep, or wake my husband up for toilet break.

yesterday,
i happened to wake up when my husband was about to sleep and i found him smiling to himself without him knowing that i saw him smiling.
until he saw my eyes wide open.
he always get a shocked whenever i have my eyes wide open while he thinks i am asleep.

so today morning i asked him.
why did my husband smiled to himself before he sleeps?

"because he sees you peacefully asleep and is thankful for being given the opportunity to see it :)"

alamak sayang,
how can i not love you?
those laughters we shared are moments i treasured.
you make my pregnancy much more easier to cope.
thank you honey for loving me.

baby,
rest assured that papa is going to try to be the best daddy for you,
just like how he was to mama,the best husband.
mama will definitely work hard to be the best mummy to you!
papa really enjoys talking to you and rubbing my tummy.
be one of the best children for papa and mama okay?
=)

raya 2011 with my husband II

2011-09-04T19:28:00.003+08:00

2nd round of visiting!

over at mama in's house.

ended the night with a cheeseburger!

a very happy mom-to-be!

today was just a simple day.
my husband brought me out to eat japanaese food at hei sushi and we had some good quality time catching up.

dear baby,
mama and papa will see you this wednesday!
even though we both have to wake up extra early, we wouldn't mind because we are excited!
keep making mama's tummy vibrate whenever she sits/lay down!

being pregnant VIII

2011-09-02T13:47:00.002+08:00

we have reached the third trimester today!
means that she is 28 weeks or 7 months.
alhamdulillah!

i didn’t really have a good start to my third trimester.
last night i was very cranky, complaining about how lethargic and sleepy i was to my husband.
it was really bad that i can’t stop whining.
maybe that is how the pregnancy hormones get to me.
until i laid on the bed, my husband who were busy with his work came over to me and gently patted my head.
with the most calming and convincing voice, he said “honey, you are going to be in the third trimester tomorrow, these are the effects. it was like how you managed to overcome your first trimester. third trimester will be the same. cheer up okay? it is the final stretch, soon it will be over.” while smiling at me throughout and ended the conversation with a peck.

the words might not make sense at that moment because i was almost unconscious but hearing his voice was comforting.
seeing him smiling at me and patting my head made me calm and secured.
i felt asleep right after that.
thank god for my husband.

just 2 days ago,
i had a severe cramp on my lower right of my tummy to a point that every step that i made hurts.
it lasted for an hour.
i even got ready for work but it was too painful that my husband advised me to rest.
my husband who is very busy had to take urgent leave to keep me accompany and bring me to see the gynae.
i was touched by his actions because i know he had a lot to settle but yet he made time for me.
upon reaching kk hospital, the nurse said that they will monitor the baby’s heartbeat and contractions before the gynae gets to see me.
i had to lay down while the nurse strapped a heartbeat monitor to my tummy.
it felt good to hear her heartbeat,
i smiled to myself while wondering what she is doing in my womb
she was quite active that the nurse had to change the position of the heartbeat monitor several times.
thank god it wasn’t anything serious.
it was a round ligament pain.
now it is getting better.

sweetheart,
mama sensed your excitement in turning 7 months.
you have been playing in my womb since last night.
there were a couple of times papa asked you not to kick mama so hard because it was a little painful.
when mama wanted to count your heartbeat when she had to see the gynae,
you always change your position.
shy is it?
or were you being cheeky and play with mama?
keep on making discovery in mama's womb baby!
did you know that you are always a topic of papa and mama's conversation every day?
maybe you already know because by now you can recognize mama and papa voices!
=)
love you sweetheart!

raya 2011 with my husband

2011-08-31T23:27:00.000+08:00

selamat hari raya!
maaf zahir dan batin!

celebrating raya this year is different from the other years.
this year marked the first raya of being married.
alhamdulillah,
it has been beautiful.
having my lifelong partner to do things together.
like discussing how much to give,
what baju to wear,
who to visit,
spring cleaning together,
laughing together!

ramadhan this year was also a nice experience!
we wake up for sahur together and eat with our eyes half closed,
iftar most of the times together.
it is nice being married.

my usual routine of staying at home on the first day of raya has changed to visiting my elders and his.
never in my whole life i placed in so much effort to look good for the first day of raya.
haha!

at my parents'

it was my dad's birthday as well!
happy birthday pa!
i love you as much as you love me!
stay happy always!

my sister with her cheeky smile.

my husband must be wondering why do i have a lot of things to say.

taken by my father,
no wonder the quality.
haha.

visited nenek!

almost at 7 months!

haha!
betul-betul nak raya this year!
doesn't matter whether i am pregnant or not!

my mom, dad, mom-in-law and aunt commented about my shoes.
but alhamdulillah,
i managed to balance myself and have my husband to support me.
been 7 months since i wore heels!
while shopping for shoes,
i wanted to get comfortable flats.
buttttt,
visualing how it will look like on my baju that is too long might not be a good idea.
i will be sweeping the floor instead.
somehow heels are more attractive,
so i decided to give in.

sweetheart,
here is your dearest mama and papa!

insya'Allah,
next year you will be in the photo!
with matching clothes as us!
at one of the house we visited,
there was a baby girl who was about 2 weeks old,
she was so cute!
papa can't help it but to stare at her and at the same time i get kicks from you.
maybe you're jealous.
hehe!
don't worry okay?
papa reassured you that he loves only you (and mama as well, and your future siblings)
seeing the baby girl yesterday makes both papa and mama can't wait to hold you!
we will give you all the love we have!
=)

of photos and sleep

2011-08-27T20:18:00.004+08:00

i am a huge fan of procrastinating that after 7 months of marriage,
i went to the photo shop to print my wedding dinner photos.
i was planning to do a photo book as well.
well, that can wait a little longer.
=)
you can find the photos here
looking through the photos and videos bring me sweet memories.

come on,

wedding is a day every girl look forward to!

most of the girls have been planning since young!

i spent my whole saturday rejuvenating at my parents' home since my husband is busy at work.
my sleep for the past few weeks has been distracted.
since i can't sleep alone,
i have to wait for my husband return.
however this few weeks he has been busy so i have to wait a little longer.
most of the times,
i felt asleep while waiting.
when he comes back,
i would give him a smile,
try to hold a conversation and back to sleep.
it is seldom that i feel refresh the next day.
so it is only the weekends that i have the luxury to sleep in longer.

even though he has been busy with work,

i find it sweet that at times he made time for me,

like going home for less than an hour to see me and have a chat with her little girl before heading back to work.

and i can't help it but to blush when he praises me.

the little girl in my womb turned 27 weeks yesterday.

both of us will be entering the 3rd trimester next week!

so fast!

i am still enjoying my 2nd trimester!

i had a dream today,

of a baby girl.

she was so adorable.

that dream makes me want to have my little girl in my arms real fast.

i can't wait to smell her,

there is something about baby's scent that makes you addicted.

i think now she has learnt to coordinate her movements,

in the past i can only feel her movements at one side of my tummy but now i can feel her movements at 2 different areas at the same time.

she also make vibrations in my tummy by giving consecutive kicks/punches!

good progress baby!

and at times i know she is in a uncomfortable position.

funny la!

can't help it that i had to laugh but at the same time,

pity her that she had to move herself again to make herself comfortable.

baby,

come next week,

you will get to gain more weight!

mama and papa are really excited to be your parents!

being pregnant VII

2011-08-24T23:50:00.002+08:00

it was just an ordinary 7th of july, a thursday.
I woke up, get up for work and go to work.
nothing special until it was about 5 plus in the evening while I was doing my work.
what happened?
my tummy felt funny,
like big bubbles moving,
weird, tingling feeling.
something that i felt for the first time.
it was then i realized that i can feel her movements for the very first time!
it felt like someone is tickling me from inside,
i couldn't help but to laugh and smile to myself.
even my colleagues thought i was nuts and asked why am i laughing to myself.
i felt grateful.
the moment i experienced was beautiful.
i called my husband straight away to inform him,
he was very happy for me,
he could sense my excitement with my high pitched tone.

i couldn't contained my happiness!
i remembered calling my mom up to share her the news.
=)
every time when i read on the weekly updates,
i would get a little upset because it would tell me that i can feel the baby's movements between certain weeks.
i have been hoping that she will make her presence felt.
at the same time,
wondering how is it like.
having to wait for a few weeks,
i forget all about it.
so when she made her little kicks felt,
i was caught by surprise!

ever since the 7th of july,
i've been feeling her kicks, punches, movements every day.
some days, she got extra energy to make strong, violent moves that got me shocked.
monitoring her constant kicks/punches,
i can sort of tell when is her active time.
because by now she must already develop a sleeping pattern.
i must say that she will definitely make both my husband and i wake up in the middle of the night.
one of the few sacrifices we have to make.
=)

it was only about a week later that my husband managed to feel her kicks when he touched my tummy.
i remembered once we were in the movies and he felt her movements that he grinned!
he reminded me of me when i first felt her.
surprised and happy!

sweetheart,
keep on making mama smile and surprise her with your movement.
mama loves it!
do you feel warmer when papa's hand is on mama's tummy?
hehe!
papa always praise you for being a good girl in keeping mama accompany whenever he is busy.
every day papa will try to feel your kicks/punches/stunts and still be amazed.
mama feels like you are trying to tell her something whenever she feels you and she will rub her tummy to communicate to you.
it is beautiful sweetheart,
the feelings that you gives both mama and papa.
Subhan'Allah.
=)

being pregnant VI

2011-08-22T20:51:00.002+08:00

so this is my first time being pregnant and to fast during ramadhan.
it was a little tough in the beginning but alhamdulillah,
i still managed.
there were days that i am so sleepy that i have to struggle to keep awake while at work.
there were days that i got very hungry that i almost told my husband that i couldn't make it.
there were days that i craved for kaya toast and a cup of tea in the morning,
because that is what i have normally for breakfast.
i had to distract myself not to think, crave for food.
there were days that i felt weak and giddy.
there were days my little angel kicks me so hard and it makes me wonder whether she is hungry.
i had to convince and sweet talk to her.
quite challenging indeed.

one thing that is certain,
i ate a lot during buka and reminded myself to drink plain water to keep myself hydrated.

so raya is just next week,
and i have to make some changes.
like,
i can no longer wear heels since i am afraid that i couldnt balance myself.
i have yet to get a comfortable shoes, will look around for it soon.
ever since i got pregnant i seldom put in effort to look good,
more like can't be bothered.
i dont even put on contact lenses.
so raya time,
must put in a little more effort.
my husband got for me my baju raya days back and we will be hunting for one more.
not much to wear with a big tummy.
on a serious note,
i no longer wake up to face my parents and siblings like how i used to.
this year raya i will have a husband to seek forgiveness to.
my raya routine would be very different this year.
let just hope that i wont be having the aches and discomfort during raya,
if not i wouldnt have the mood.
one thing i look forward to house visiting is kuih raya!
=)

august pass by quickly and i am sure september is going to be the same.
and so do october and november.
=)

as a gift to ourselves,
we bought a device to hear her heartbeat and movements.
but when we got it,
it was way too early for us to listen,
we were definitely disappointed.
so just few days ago,
we tried on the device and with patience,
we managed to hear faint beatings and movements!
alhamdulillah!
=)

dear sweetheart,
mama and papa always look forward to see the gynae monthly because it is one step nearer to you!
whenever papa talks to you through my tummy, he is like talking to a lover,
so sweet and manja.
remind mama of her papa whenever he talks to her.
i guess sweetheart you are going to be a daddy's girl.
mama loves you also but mama can be a little fierce and naggy!
haha!
dont tell me i dont warn you baby!

being pregnant V

2011-08-18T13:24:00.003+08:00

100 days as of today is your expected date of delivery!
and today is mama and papa 215 days of marriage.
=D

time flies and soon insya'Allah we will have a little girl in our arms to shower her with love.
just last night, my husband asked "how honey? you're going to be a mother soon"
all I can reply him is a smile,
the sweetest smile.
I know deep inside I always wanted a big family.
this is the beginning.
alhamdulillah.

this week has been tough for my husband family and I.
my husband's lovely aunt has left us.
she was one of the sweetest, sincere, strong lady that I knew of.
even though, she was sick, she still continued to help us out for our wedding preparations.
she was the one who accompanied us to get my engagement ring.
the one who helped me choose and design my wedding dress.
the one who was there when we picked our wedding costumes.
I remembered of the constant phone calls I had with her to give me advice.
I can say that I am close to her.
I can never forget her and the things she had done for me and my husband.
only her memories are left and I never told her that I love her.
may Allah swt bless her soul.

being pregnant part IV

2011-08-12T18:30:00.004+08:00

few weeks after being pregnant,
family members and friends started to ask me,
"do you know the gender yet?"

as much as i wanted to know,
during that time,
it was still too early to figure out.

there was a post earlier regarding a question that i kept asking.
the question was "a boy or a girl?"
actually the answer does not really matter me,
well,
maybe 49% girl and 51% boy.
haha.
just as long my baby is healthy, normal, obedient, respectful and a servant of the Almighty.

my in-laws were hoping for a boy since they can be a little rough when playing with him.
while my parents do not really mind.

i caught myself thinking of the pros and cons of having a boy or a girl.
girl can dress her up, tie her hair.
girl is more sociable so she can keep me accompany.
but the troublesome part is if she is older,
i will need to bring her to the toilet to accompany her and making sure she pee or do her business correctly.

for boy,
one advantage is that my husband would have to accompany him most of the times to the toilet.
=)
haha!

my husband,
as much as he said he does not really mind,
i knew he was hoping for a boy so that he can play soccer, games, etc with him.

there was one time when i dreamt of a cute baby girl.
i dreamt that i was holding her and i forget most of the dream.

so when the day comes for us to check the gender,
we were very excited!
i am expecting with papa's little princess!
=D
i knew my husband was very happy as well,
his face lit up!

so ever since we got to know our baby's gender,
we can so call start to shop for her.
but till now,
we only got her a stroller, a playmat, diaper changing mat and less than 10 clothings.
our elders advised us not to buy too much because it will be a wastage since baby outgrow their clothes very fast and my aunt will be giving away her daughter clothes.
so soon, we will need to go shopping for her oilments, pampers, powder, cream, etc.

i experienced my first leg cramp today in the middle of the night.
it was a sharp pain that i had to scream.
i was surprised that my husband knew what to do when i had the leg cramp.
he pushed my sole and the pain was gone.
impressive!
the second happened after sahur when he was sleeping peacefully,
he heard me scream,
got up immediately,
pushed my sole again to ease the pain.
luckily my husband knew what to do and never complain that i disturb his sleep.
hehe!

baby,
today,
the 12th august,
you turn 25 weeks!
few more weeks we will get to see your facial features using the 3d ultrasound scan!
did you feel papa's warmth everytime he rub my tummy and has his nose rubbed on my tummy while talking to you?
even though he is busy,
he always make time to talk to his little princess.
just by having you baby,
you have change our lifestyle, in a good way.
syukur alhamdulillah.
=)

being pregnant part III

2011-08-09T10:57:00.003+08:00

I guess when good days are here, those dark gloomy days became faint.
Being in the 2nd trimester has been smooth sailing that sometimes, i don't even feel pregnant which makes me forget how bad my morning sickness in the 1st trimester were.

My husband and I had to go to the gynae several times for my morning sickness.
Since I couldn't cope well with MS, I had to use up a lot of leave and mc.
I had to go back to my mom's house so that she could take care of me while my husband is at work.
There is always a plastic bag in my bag in case I vomit while I am out.
I remember trying to control not to vomit in the bus on the to work that I had to keep on swallowing my saliva and control my breathing.
When days were so bad, whatever food I ate, would immediately come out.
While I am sitting still, my head is spinning and it feels heavy.
I had heartburn as well.
I never been so sick in my life before.
I almost forget how it feels to be normal again.
To ease the pain, either my mom or my husband would massaged my head, neck, shoulders and back.
As much as I dislike MS,
I always look forward to seeing the gynae because it means that I get to see my baby and hear the heartbeat!
That keeps me close to our little fella.
=)

I am grateful that my MS has disappeared!
Things are getting brighter now.
However, I might said it too fast.
Because I read from pregnancy reviews that the 3rd trimester isn't going to be easy.
Good luck to me!

Dear baby,
during that tough period,
to get me through the journey,
I keep looking at your ultrasound photo.
You, sweetheart gives me a reason to be strong to endure the pain.
Both papa and mama pray to Allah swt to make me feel better.
Mama read up more on pregnancy and always look forward for you to turn a week old.
Your papa always gives mama hugs, kisses and enjoys making mama laugh.
Papa also likes rubbing mama's tummy to talk to you and ask you to work with mama to make her better.
We are very happy to have you!
Both of us love you very much!

being pregnant part II

2011-08-07T22:20:00.005+08:00

continued....

As I saw the spot of blood, I didn't know how to react.
I went straight out from the toilet and informed my husband.
Of course, I was worried.

Throughout the day, I searched for another gynae and when evening comes,
I went to check despite my husband reassured me that there wasn't anything to worry about.
The gynae searched for my baby and we managed to see the little fella.
I was relieved.
Syukur Alhamdulillah.

Morning sickness didn't hit me until I was about 7 weeks pregnant.
I started to feel nauseous and eventually the vomiting followed on.

I remembered during one of the weekend, I felt really low.
I was complaining to my husband how I felt.
I felt FAT, unattractive, lousy and weak.
Thank god for my husband!
He consoled me and without any hesitation, he brought me out to shop for new clothes for my new grown body.
I couldn't be happier!
=D

The next weekend,
I was eating push pop and it chipped my tooth.
Sigh. I was really devastated.
I told my husband and he brought me to the dentist to get it fixed.

There were many other things that my husband did that I can't thanked him enough.
He is really reassuring and supportive.

My first pregnancy has been tough.
However it is good news because it means that the baby is striving.

This pregnancy makes me realized how much suffering a mother has to go through.
I am grateful for the chance to be pregnant.

On the 10 June 2011,
my husband and I were anxious!
Because it was the day we got to know the gender of our baby.
=)
we got no preferences, as long that our baby is healthy.

Throughout the past few months, a lot of things has been changing.

My appetite.
All those vomiting has made me lose weight.
It was horrible when I've tried eating and the next moment, it came out.
But as I got better,
Alhamdulillah I managed to gain back the weight that I lost.
Now I surprised myself at the amount of food I am eating.
One incident was I finished the whole LARGE murtabak.
Never in my life that I am able to finish it by myself.
Next, eating 2 plates of nasi ayam penyet.
Ish ish ish.

My energy level.
All I wanted to do is to sleep/rest!
It is a struggle to keep myself awake while at work.
Before the fasting month,
I keep munching on food.
Everytime it is lunch time,
I will squeeze in some nap time.
Everytime I feel like blogging,
the bed seems to be a better choice.

My body.
Fats have been accumulating ever since I am pregnant.
Given time,
I've learnt to accept it.
I don't mind being fat for my baby.

The bond between my husband and I.
Alhamdulillah, we are still going strong and blissful.
Both of us are excited at the arrival of our first born.
We are constantly looking out for things that is essential for our baby.
=)
We have thought of a name for our little fella and both of our parents are fine with the name.

Now that we have a few more months till your arrival,
Mama will try to blog as much as she can to remind her of the beautiful experience she has when she is expecting you.
=)

being pregnant

2011-05-24T11:21:00.001+08:00

As most of you have knew it,
i am making it official on my blog.

Being Pregnant!
Starring Nurul Atirah
&
Co-starring Abdul Mutalib!

Syukur Alhamdulillah!

yes, the both of us are expecting a baby.
girl or boy, it is still early now.
have to wait a couple of weeks till we know the gender of our little fella.

i didn't really have a smooth sailing start ever since i knew i was pregnant.
morning sickness hits me bad, real bad that i have to keep seeing the doctor/gynae for medicine to make me fine to function at work.
there were several instances that i break down because of the pain and the hormonal changes.
nevertheless, my husband is always there for me to console me, encourages me and pamper me to reassure me that i am strong enough to go through this pregnancy.
everytime i complained of a pain, he would try to find a medicine that is suitable for pregnant women.

i suspect that i am pregnant when my period didn't came and i've been feeling really lethargic.
so one night, i asked my husband who were on the way home from work to get a pregnancy kit just to check.
he replied "are you sure honey?"
"yes honey, just to check"
the reason why he asked whether i am certain to check was because he didn't want us to be disappointed with the results since both of us think that we are ready to have one.

before i get my hands on the pregnancy kit,
i surf the net to read up on signs of being pregnant.
most of the signs were happening to me.
that makes me even more anxious to check!

when i get my hands on the pregnancy kit,
i read the instructions making sure i understand it.
as much as i want it to be positive,
i try not to put my hopes too high.

the wait wasn't really a long wait.
within 1-2 mins,
i get to know the results.
it was positive!
i wasn't sure whether i was smiling but deep inside i knew i am grateful and very happy.

during that time,
my husband was doing his work at home.
i came up to him with the stick and instruction booklet hidden at my waist and said "honey".
he looked at me and i tooked out the stick and instruction booklet and handed it to him.

he looked at the stick and refer to the results.
he was in disbelief!
he kept asking me whether i did it properly, etc.
finally i said "yes honey, i am pregnant".
he gave me a smile and i knew he was as happy and excited as me.

the next day,
i remember calling up several women's clinic to make an appointment but most of them are full.
i managed to find one and in the evening,
we went to see a gynae.
the gynae used the ultrasound scan to locate our baby.
to our dismay,
we didn't get to see our little fella.
the gynae ensure us that the little fella is still very small and in very early stage.
and confirmed that i am pregnant.

we went home and told my in-laws the good news and made a call to my parents as well.
Alhamdulillah they are pleased with the news.

the next morning,
i woke up to find a tiny spot of blood on my panty.

to be continued.....

a question

2011-05-20T13:46:00.002+08:00

there is a question that i've been asking myself and i've been daydreaming.

soon, the question will be answered.

wanting to update

2011-05-02T17:48:00.000+08:00

I've been wanting to update but I haven't been feeling well.
basically, I've been resting.

minor updates:
the henna on my fingers has gone, except for those on my toenails.
didn't go out much since I'm sick.
I've been sick for quite sometimes that I forget how it feels to be well again.
the cowboys from the amazing race were eliminated :(
more sleep is needed

honey,
I look forward to your hug when you get back from work.
=)

our wedding video

2011-04-17T19:00:00.000+08:00

finally,
after 3 months,
we got our wedding video.

yesterday morning,
my husband and i woke up watching it.

it is sentimental and the video brought me 3 months back,
the day we tied the knot and our lunch reception.

i didn't really blog properly about how i felt when i got married.

that fateful day,
i had mixed feelings.
i felt sad and at the same time very happy.
sad to 'leave' my family.
in the sense that i wont be able to spend most of my time with them.
i wont be sharing much laughter with them,
annoy them with my questions,
tease them and be the noisy one at home.
my dad told my sister after the solemnization when they were alone,
"i feel sad giving away your sister. i wont be spending much time with her."
that explained why he teared during sanding when it was time to salam him.
i never see him cried so much.
it was really touching and i know he loves me very much and wants the best for me.
he even teared when my husband salam him.
the video shows clearly that he cried and seeing that makes me tear.
apart from him,
of course my mom and grandma cried as well.

but at the same time,
i felt happy.
finally,
after 5 years together,
my husband and i got married.
he means so much to me,
the one that i share my happiness, sadness, laughter, jokes and tears with.
i never thought that love is beautiful.
because of his love,
i inspire to do more.

being married means i can have my own family and inculcate them the values that my elderly taught me.

i know marriage is not easy.
i still remember in my uni class,
a lecturer told us that certain percentage of married couples divorce within 5 years of marriage due to various causes and problems.
it is a sad news but it is happening now.
which is why i will always hold to the naib kadi's words about the roles of a husband, wife and what you want your marriage to be, ie. filled with happiness, peace, etc.
that is the drive to avoid us from falling apart.
marriage is about making it work.
and of course,
to have the Almighty's blessing.

alhamdulillah,
marriage life has been good.

honey,
everytime you sleep, i caress your hair and talk to god.
only He knows how much you meant to me.

love is

2011-04-10T22:30:00.002+08:00

and so i participate in another contest.

taken from nuffnang

at first sight it was interesting.
but there was a time i was thinking to myself "aiyah, don't need to think so much la, no need to take part"
really, i was thinking of skipping it.
what changed my mind?
the deadline.
they extended the deadline and somehow i can't resist.
and it doesn't help that i enjoyed blogging about love.

my answer

one fine day,
i received a call that i won the second prize for the contest.
i was really delighted!

yesterday,
was the prize presentation.

an ipod nano.
=)

with my husband.

alhamdulillah.
looking through my years,
i have won a lot.
and it all comes from the Almighty.
one thing i have to share,
you need to put in effort to win.

honey,
you've been my motivation for my answers.
thank you for loving me.
i know you are as excited as me!

a lesson to be learn

2011-04-07T23:31:00.002+08:00

i spent tonight watching beauty and the beast.
i love that movie and belle is my favourite princess amongst the other disney princesses.
it's a children movie and even though it is cartoon,
it teaches us about love.

love for a father and love for a man.

belle loves her father that she is willing to stay in the castle to save her father.
really brave and sweet of her to do that.
we, as daughters or sons,
what have we done to show our love to our fathers?
just saying the word 'i love you' is one way to let him know you appreciate him.
maybe spend some time with him.

given time in the movie,
belle and beast fall in love with one another.
could belle loves beast if he was still arrogant, rude and scary?
doubt so.
beast learnt to change, control his temper and be romantic.
his efforts paid off,
belle doesn't mind his outlook,
instead she fell in love with beast's character.

some say,
you can't change a person if you love him or her.
i say,
love can change a person.
=)
what i learnt was love makes one a better person.

and of course,
love needs effort to work.
=)

honey,
i am very much in love with you.
thank you for inspiring me to be a better person.

husband does remember dates

2011-03-31T08:32:00.005+08:00

who says husband don't remember dates/days well?

yesterday morning conversation:
my husband asked me "honey, do you know what date is it?"
I answered him "it's the 30th, a wednesday" and at the same time think hard whether there is any special occasion.
giving up, I added on "nothing special honey, what day is it today then?"
he gave me a quick response "it's the 30th! we're watching the lion king tonight!"
"OH YA AH!"

another incident,
he smsed me "honey, do you know what day is it today?"
that day was a monday,
so I replied, "a monday honey, got what ah?"
in a few seconds I've received a reply, "it's monday and it means amazing race!"

I am starting to lose touch with the dates and days.
my husband is remembering the dates and days better than I am.
need to catch up with him.
=)

so yesterday night,
we went to watch the lion king musical.
even before we got married,
he already got us the tickets.
he told me in November perhaps, "honey, make your 30th march free. a surprise for you."
both of us were surprised at how near our seats were to the stage.

back to the musical,
it was fantastic!
great props, singers, characters.
highly recommended!
it was very entertaining throughout.

honey,
you made me smile like a fool again.
I can't wait.

Alhamdulillah

2011-03-25T22:57:00.002+08:00

smile and believe,
endure and have faith,
you will see, think and feel.

honey,
how ah?
hahaha!

as I lay and ponder

2011-03-23T23:59:00.003+08:00

as I lay on the bed,
i ponder and at the same time be thankful.

life is beautiful.

honey,
such a pleasant surprise!
keep on making me laugh!

honeymoon I

2011-03-21T20:10:00.005+08:00

we are glad and thankful that we managed to travel safely for our honeymoon.
the trip to japan was my third time and his second.
our japan trip was fun thanks to the theme parks!
we were kids once again!
we really enjoyed ourselves exploring universal studios japan, tokyo disneyland and disneysea.

this post will be about our day 1 in japan, osaka.

while waiting to board in.

i dislike being in a plane.
i feel constraint and my muscles get tensed.
and i will get giddy and vomit.
however,
to counter that,
i ate the motion sickness pills,
the ones that make me drowsy.
and guess what?
i didn't even wake up to eat my meals on the plane (untung la my husband, he got to eat my portion :p)
i slept throughout the 8 hrs flight without feeling giddy.

upon reaching narita airport,
we got our jr rail pass which means we get to travel without having to buy the tickets if we are travelling by jr lines.

but we need a ticket for the bullet train because it is reserved seatings.

the interior of the bullet train.

we got the pancakes that we were craving for!

througout the train journey,
i slept 3/4 of it,
i think it was because of the motion sickness pills.
while i was sleeping,
my husband took photos of the scenery.

on the journey,
we past by one area in japan that was snowing.

it was our first time seeing real snow!

another area which was not snowing.

one more station!

at shin-osaka station.

bbbbbrrrrrrrr!
it was very very very cold!
less than 13 degree!

we were a little early to check in to our hotel room,
and since there was a booth that sells the universal studios japan's tickets,
we got them a day earlier!

at night,
we went to explore around.

stay tuned to our next day in universal studios!
=D

chinese new year garden party

2011-03-20T23:57:00.003+08:00

one month ago,
my husband and i were invited for the chinese new year garden party at the istana.
it was his first time while i've been there for about 3 times.
last year,
i rememeber attending it with my sister and cousin.
2010 chinese new year garden party

basically,
we go there,
makan-makan,
see-see and look out for the ministers and ideally take photos with them.
however, if you want to take photos with them,
just be prepared to queue.
apart from that,
we walked around the lawn several times to meet up with other grassroots leaders that i know.

just some random shots

my husband managed to get a good shot of me shaking hands with our pm.

hahaha!
i am a little rounder in the photo below.

blame it on food, laughter and my husband.
=)

honey,
swimming with the kids were funny!
"hey girls!"

Real Love is all about...

2011-03-16T23:05:00.006+08:00

Real Love is all about believing that the love my partner and I shared is true.

How do I believe that it is true love?

I have come up with a list of words to show that it is true.

R.E.A.L L.O.V.E

Reminisce the good ol' days
We have plenty of good ol' days to smile and at times chuckle when I reminisce of them. When one of us is angry, we try our very best to think of the good times we spend together. Somehow after reminiscing, you will find that the argument is not worth it.

Experience the journey of life together
This is about making the commitment to hold on and go through thick and thin together. Never give up even though it is tough. We celebrate and enjoy the good times while we have to be strong during the hard times.

Attractive
I asked my partner the reasons why he is attracted to me. It is not mainly because of looks but because of my character. He admired my character. With that in mind, I maintain my character that makes him attracted to me.

Life enhancement
My partner gives me the motivation to improve myself. He supports me in whatever I do and never fails to encourage me.

Laugh
We laugh a lot! We like to give each other lame jokes and do funny movements just to make the other laugh. I believe that laughter makes us closer.

Observe
To know my partner better, I observe what he likes, dislikes, the way he reacts and many more. With the observations, I do things and surprise him with the things he likes. I try my very best not to do things that he dislikes.

Voice out
In a relationship, there are bound to be arguments. Instead of bottling up our unhappiness, we voice it out. It helps to us to understand why we feel that way and work our differences.

Engage
This is about giving our fullest attention when the both of us are doing activities together. Basically, to enjoy each other company.

One of the memorable moment I have was during my 24th birthday celebration.

After giving me flowers, bring me to lunch and the Singapore Flyer, I thought we are just going to end our night by watching a movie.

It was about 8pm when he gave me a blindfold to cover my eyes while he drove me somewhere.
He led me to a place with the blindfold on, going up small steps and walk through a shaky bridge.
I can feel the breeze and I am sure we are near the sea.
There and then I knew that we were in Sentosa.

After about 8 minutes walk, we had to go up a staircase before we came to a stop.
He asked me to wait for a little while. He took out his phone to play a song. He gave me a quick peck and said "Honey, you know that I always love you."

Finally, he gave me the green light to take the blindfold off. When I did, I turned around and saw him on his knee with a ring. The words came from him was "will you marry me?"

Then slowly my mind started to digest. He is proposing to me again but this time with a diamond ring! I have no idea how to react but to cry and hug him and said "yes!"

He asked me to turn around and from the tower that I am standing, I can see it so clearly. I saw huge letters that spelled out 'MARRY ME' .

I was really surprised by it.

Lightsticks to illuminate the words.

Prior to this proposal, I have another proposal in 2009.

It was doing one event held by Marriage Central.

We were supposed to write love notes to our partner.

In his love note, he proposed to me. =)

Now, we are 2 months blissfully married to one another.

Real love makes me grow and be thankful.

our first attempt of baking waffles!

2011-03-14T19:14:00.003+08:00

we had a simple saturday and as night comes,
we had a mission.

we wanted to make belgian waffles!
we searched for several recipes and compared.
after deciding on one,
we went shopping for the ingredients.
my husband who never bake before kept on asking me about the ingredients,
what is it?
what is the difference between x and y?
haha.
a neverending list of questions.

it was our first time baking together and it was fun.
we had a lot of laughter!

finally,
i have the reason to put on the apron.
haha!

pardon my face.
it was late at night.

it was my husband first ever time to bake!

he was really happy being able to sift the flour, beat the eggs, etc.
and he asked a lot more questions.
like, why should we do this? what's the reasons, etc.
haha!
curious i must say!

from standing position,
we sat down.
haha!

prepared with iced drink for him.

our first attempt!

the end product!
topped with vanilla ice cream, whipped cream and colourful sprinkles!

i had my parents-in-law to try.
=)
and my mom-on-law encourages us to bake more often.

honey,
eating it with you and discussing of ways to improve was nice.
i am proud of you!

happy iwd!

2011-03-08T00:00:00.002+08:00

come on ladies,
enjoy yourself!
bring your sisters, bestfriends, girlfriends, moms out!
go out to shop!
for ice cream / coffee!
for catching up!
whatever it is,
celebrate the day we all share in common!

even though you have to go through the cramps every month, stock up on the pads,
keep your mood in check, cry for no reason, get insecure about your own body, put on a bra, etc, etc, etc!
be thankful that you're a woman.
because we women,
have a wider circle of support.
we share our stories,
we care about one another,
we can understand how other ladies feel.
there are so many other things to be thankful for.

today is the day when you can reflect about your achievement and not only you will be proud of yourself but all the other ladies will be proud of you as well!

well done ladies!

CF Tien

2011-03-04T22:39:00.004+08:00

the last photographer we had was,
CF Tien Pro Photo
they provide live wifi photo coverage and instant prints!
live wifi means that once the camera has snapped,
the photo will instantly appear on the projector screen for all the guests to see.
on top of that,
we took the 500 instant card size prints.

we decided to engage him because we wanted the guests to be entertained and have something memorable to bring back.
they won't be bored sitting down because they get to see photos of other guests.

his photos are very nice.
all the photos in this post are the ones he captured.

candid

we took only a few outdoor shoots since we were busy welcoming the guests.

with the yec members.

with my poly classmates and her daughter.

our first entrance.

each of the expression is priceless.

this photo makes me stare for a few seconds longer.
because apart from the cute (cheeky) flowergirls,
it gives me a sense of happiness.

with my husband colleague

haha!

the printing station where they print out the card size photographs.

laughing about our video.

my parents.

our parents.

they had fun while we changed our outfit.

our second entrance.

the kids had a fun time pressing the gun.

speech.

a speech by me, look at my grandma.
handkerchief all ready.

cake cutting!

haha! macam-macam la budak-budak ni.

sing song!

speech by my cousin, insyirah.

speech by his lovely aunt and cousin.

the tears that came from the speeches.

photobooth candid shot!

if you need to know more about the photographers,
feel free to ask me.
=)

honey,
that night was magical.

did you know?

2011-03-04T13:45:00.002+08:00

did you know?

every single day i think of you?
i am very happy being with you?
you ease my pain?
i love being close to you?
my phone messages are filled with yours?
at times i laughed to myself recalling of some funny things that you did?
i always pray for someone to sweep me off my feet and you came along?
that i am a whole better person with you?
you made me want to achieve much more?
i will always support you?
when i think of us, i feel calm?
i enjoyed you making me laugh?
when i make a decision, i factor you in it because you're my husband?
i like teasing you?
i like staring on the ring on my finger?
i am thankful for you?
how much you mean to me?
i like it when you kiss my forehead?
i like it when we make up after arguments?
you make me so comfortable?
i enjoyed singing with you in the car?
i pray for our future?

i will always love you?

my husband,
you are my true love.

irahman photography

2011-03-02T00:13:00.010+08:00

the second photographer(s) we had was a husband and wife team.
from Irahman Photography

Shyairah and Rahman.
she was my junior in primary school and my schoolmates in poly.
we keep in touch through facebook and found out that they took wedding photos as well.
so discussed with my husband and we engaged them.
=)
a very easy to work with couple.
they know what we wanted and we are very pleased with the photos.
the photos in this post were taken by them.

the flowergirls rehearsing how to throw the flowers,
to guide them was his lovely aunt.

my mom and the decor lady, kak jannah at the photobooth.

the 2 flowergirls smiling for the photobooth photos.

my husband and i together with my sister, the maid of honor.

an outdoor photograph with my yec mates.

our first entrance.

guests queuing for their dinner.

the lead singer of jentayu.

my dad kissing my cousin, the flowergirl.

i was excited to look at the screen for our video.

heading to change our outfit.

performance to keep the guests entertained while having their dinner.

our second entrance.

cake cutting session!

my sisters and her friend attentively watching the wedding montage.

my husband had to sing,
fly me to the moon.
which at some point,
i joined in to sing-a-long.

performance by his cousins,
they managed to get some of the guests to dance.

the speech by my maid of honor.

with my siblings, cousins, friends.

with my mak andam from weddingku gallery.

with the boys from jentayu!
thanks guys!

my nenek,
the one who always wants the best for me.

thank you nenek.

smile for the camera!

Shy and Rahman,
thank you for the amazing photos which capture the guests and our expression.
=)

honey,
at times,
i still think that i am in a dreamland.
because alhamdullilah,
things has been wonderful.

happy anniversary ma and pa!

2011-03-01T23:57:00.002+08:00

Happy 25th Anniversary dear ma and pa!
i love both of you very much!
thank you for bringing me into this world.

though i know marriage is never easy,
both of you braved together those hardships and celebrate those good times.

i still remember when i was younger,
pa, you always give kisses to ma and that makes me 'eewwww'
but as i grow older,
i know that is important to keep your love alive.

i am very happy to see both of you sharing stories to one another and making each other laugh.
i hope your marriage lasts till syurga and filled with the Almighty's blessing.
amin.

photobooth shots!

2011-02-28T23:02:00.005+08:00

if you read my past posts,
we engaged 3 photographers for our dinner reception.
and i am glad that it paid off!
the feedback we got from the guests was that they really had fun and on top of the wedding favor,
they got to bring back 2 different kind of photos.

one of the photographer that we engaged was
My Fotobooth

the 2 flower girls!

with my mak andam.

my parents and sisters!

my siblings and cousins!

mama, papa, mama in, papa 2!

his cousins!

for more photos,
Mutalib & Atirah's Wedding Dinner

the vendor was very good!
they really did what we wanted.
they did quite a number of design for the backdrop and the card and let us choose.
however,
we didn't really like it and they redesign again for us.
=)
good customer service!

will post an entry about the other 2 photographers soon!

honey,
stars!
honey stars!
=D

wedding favors

2011-02-28T21:06:00.004+08:00

wedding favors was one of the difficult things that we had to choose from.
in the end,
we chose something that is practical.

we bought 'thank you' stickers from
pack everything

they were having sale and it was a good buy!
=)

since it was an outdoor wedding,
and not knowing the weather,
we got fans as our wedding favors.

we were just walking around looking for wedding favors.
we went into shop A and i wanted to get it since i thought they were already selling it at a good price.
however,
i have to thank the partner for stopping me.
because we walked around kampung java,
and we came across the same fan (but different packaging) and it is only one-quarter of the price shop A quote us!
wooooo!
we managed to save a lot!

the wedding favor did came into handy because for a moment on our dinner day,
it was hot and humid.
and our guests automatically take out the fan and use it.
but thankfully,
it rained for a short while and it got windy at night.
=)

diy photoshop!

2011-02-23T19:00:00.006+08:00

with photoshop,
we did our own signages, programme and table names!
and design our instant prints as well!

this was how our signages looked like.
we have directions for the guests so that they won't get lost.

the table name and the programme which was rolled up.

the programme sheets in 2 different ribbons.

the programme

printed on tracing paper

we had wifi photography that includes instant card prints.
for the card design,
they emailed me the below.

i didn't like the design.
and so i asked if i could design myself.
they said yes,
and i come up with the below.
which they replied "very nice!"

and so it was used for the instant prints.
=D

i really enjoyed myself being in front of the computer and play around with the font, brushes, layers, colours etc.
thank god for the photoshop module in poly.
=)

so ladies,
don't be afraid to design your own stuff.
go ahead and experiment with it.
good luck!

making it alive

2011-02-21T13:14:00.001+08:00

this entry will give you a rough idea how our outdoor dinner reception was.
photos are taken from any sources that i can find.

the tentage,
we had ample space for 200 guests.

setting up.

the stage (almost done)
my husband and i went down early morning to check on things.

70% completed!

90% completed!

100% completed!

the entrance for guests to walk through.

sideview of the entrance and reception.

the red carpet surrounded with orchids.

guests mingling around at the reception area.

the guests start to come in.

the stage

the centerpiece on both sides.

chandelier

buffet area.

the bride and groom's table

the cake.

2 projectors at each side for the instant wifi photography,
which is once the photographer has taken your photo,
it will be shown on the screen instantly.

when night comes,

the guests were having a ball of a time.

definitely more photos coming up!
=D

honey,
that night was surreal and having you beside me smiling to me was a dream come true.

why chinese garden?

2011-02-19T09:01:00.001+08:00

while planning for our dinner reception,
my husband and i first discuss what we wanted and envision how it would be like.
first topic to discuss was the venue.
we had attended quite a number of wedding dinner receptions in hotels ballrooms and we find that it's pretty much the same thing.
the reason why we wanted an outdoor wedding reception is because we wanted something different and wanted to be close to nature.

we researched online on the suitable outdoor places to hold a wedding and list the pros and cons.
like the accessibility,
the carparks,
the toilets,
the number of people it can hold,
the scenery around it,
the uniqueness of the place.

we had a couple of places in mind however after a dicussion with our elders,
we had to find new places.

so i remember going to streetdb.com to search for the map with greens.
because greens can either represent parks or forested areas.
i zoomed in to the west area and saw a huge portion of greens.
it's chinese and japanese garden.
proposed the places to my husband but he knows nothing of it,
i too know nothing of the places.
even though i travel past the places almost every day,
i never went to the 2 gardens before.

one day,
we brought along our elders to recce the places.
it was our first time going to the gardens.
we went to the japanese garden first,
but we are not really attracted to the place.
so chinese garden was next.
upon entering the entrance,
we were welcome by a bridge,
that itself made an impression.
while walking pass the bridge,

we went around to look for a suitable venue for 200 pax dinner,
and we came across the dragon and phoenix court.
instantly,
my husband and i agreed that this is the place.
his parents sort of wanted us to hold it in a hotel ballroom,
but when they recce with us and saw the dragon and phoenix court,
they agreed that it is the perfect place.

basically,
it is a hard court that is surrounded by beautiful scenery.

it oversees the lake.

from the place,
you will get to see the twin pagodas.

on the other side,
you will get to see the stone boat.

furthermore,
the place is quiet and not much people walked pass so it gives us our privacy.

accessibility - checked!
there is an mrt station called chinese garden which stops in front of the garden.
it would take about 10 mins to walk to the court.
as they walk,
they will get to see some other scenery in the chinese garden.

carparks - checked!
plenty of carpark to go around.
it will take about 5 mins to walk to the court.

toilets - checked!
at the stone boat,
there are toilets and it's clean!

the number of people it can hold - checked!
more than 200 pax!

the scenery around it - checked!
beautiful scenery that gives you a sense of calmness.

the uniqueness of the place - checked!
there is only one chinese garden that has pagodas!

upon agreeing,
i checked out the jtc's website to booked on the venue.
it is quite afforable.
it is $500 per day,
but we need to book one day in advance for the tentage to set up ($50),
and a day later to dismantle the tentage ($50),
for the service and conservancy charges($100).
plus 7% gst.
so total $749 for our venue.

another reason why we chose chinese garden was because if you take the trains,
it is commonly heard,
but have people visited it? (unless you went for the lanterns festival)
so we wanted our guests to explore the gardens.
=D

so from the venue,
we set our theme and get things that will sync in to the garden.

the upcoming posts will be how we get vendors to transform the place!

sanding preview!

2011-02-17T23:40:00.000+08:00

sneak preview of our sanding day,
the 16th of January 2011.

honey,
just now while we were doing our interviews for our wedding video,
your answers amazed me.
i know you meant every single word that you said.

honey,
i am beyond grateful for having you in my life and being my companion till old age.
amin.

either this or that

2011-02-17T13:53:00.004+08:00

i hope tonight i will be able to blog why we chose chinese garden for our dinner reception,
that is if i have the time.

if i need more sleep,
i will just show sneak preview of our sanding day.

shall see how is the situation tonight.
=)

sneak preview on nikah day

2011-02-16T23:44:00.008+08:00

take a break from our dinner reception,
sneak preview of our solemnization day!

honey,
i never leave you and us out from my prayers.

our handmade cards

2011-02-14T23:00:00.005+08:00

our dinner reception cards!
we diy because we wanted something unique that have a personal touch.
have you ever received an invitation card that is diy?

in the beginning we went through different inivitation cards so that we have something in mind like how we wanted ours to be.
afterwhich we head down to 'made with love' and 'papermarket' at ps to hunt for the materials.
both of them are scrapbooking shops and have a lots of things, pretty and useful things.

after seeing the materials,
we have to make adjustments to our initial cards that we wanted because it might not be feasible.
at the shops we were discussing, brainstorming ideas and comparing prices.

once we got our materials,
we experimented with it,
placed it sideways,
added this, that.

we then search of invitation wordings that are suitable for our cards and theme.

eventually,
we came to a conclusion.

we made about 200 of the cards.

the cards background are of different designs.
we also bought a punching thingy for the edge of our cards.

we stamped the gold flowery designs.

on the back,
we had either love quotes stickers or rub ons.

to set people in the mood. =)

we stamped the products with our names.

for the envelopes,
we added an already designed scotch tape at the bottom.

we ended our product with a seal of two hearts.
it was like the olden days when they used wax to seal it.

though it was a little tiring,
it was a good opportunity for us to brainstorm ideas and work together.

honey,
it was a good experience isn't it?
it was nice to make decisions together.
=)

happy one month of marriage!

2011-02-14T18:03:00.002+08:00

just in my previous post i was blogging about flowers names for the table cards,
and i myself was surprised.

it was just after lunch time when i was talking to my colleague regarding work.
my colleague got distracted and started looking behind me,
so i turned around to see why he was distracted.

i saw a man talking to a lady,
suddenly,
my named was called.
"Atirah"
which i replied "yes here"
"flowers for you"

i can feel my face turned red when the man walked towards my desk.
afterwhich, he handed me a big bouquet of red and white roses.
and something to sign on.
i asked "who is it from?"
he replied "there's a card"

by then,
my colleagues were already teasing me.

i took out the card,
and smiled upon reading "To my dearest wife, I love you! Thank you for being the sunshine in my life."

99 stalks of white and red roses to celebrate our one month of marriage.

the white roses shaped into a heart.

i called my husband to thanked him,
but he pretended to act surprise.
haha.
he was laughing at me when i told him my reaction.
and i asked him "honey, it's very big, i don't know how to go back"
his replied was "take a cab" followed by laughter.

on the way to work in the morning,
i was just thinking to myself,
wouldn't it be nice to have flowers delivered to me at my office?
but i doubt my husband would do such things.

they say,
becareful what you wished for.

honey,
i wish to grow old with you blissfully,
strolling on the beach, enjoying each other company and seeing our grandchildren laughing and teasing us.
insyaAllah.
amin.

layout and table names

2011-02-14T13:15:00.001+08:00

when one thinks of garden,
one might think of plants, peaceful environment, flowers, etc.
which was why we had our table named after flowers instead of numbers,
so that it can sync nicely with our outdoor garden theme.

luckily my horticulture knowledge didn't go to waste,
i managed to think for 20 flowering plants.
=)
for brides to be,
some others themes for the tables can be colours, location, countries, etc.

we had our layout arranged in a way that no one will be left out,
everyone of them will be able to see the stage (the gray box in the centre).

Zinnia.
i was the one who chose the colours, letterings, design and print the flower cards (with my husband's inputs)

Anthurium.
the floral arrangement was done by me, just 5 hours before the event.
since i had to do my make-up and hair,
i managed to do 5 out of the 20 table arrangements.
while the others were done by my relatives.

Hibiscus
the piece of rolled paper was our programme list so that the guests will have an idea what will be happening throughout the dinner.

Mimosa
our kind cousins, my sister and her friend helped to rolled it neatly and tied it with a ribbon.

Orchid
as you can see for the floral arrangement,
we used a plastic vase which you can get at fifty cents.
to let it look nicer and blend with my colour theme,
we placed ribbons at the perimeter.

Sunflower

tomorrow will be a month since i got married,
honestly,
it can't get any better.
it has been great.
marriage made us somehow more loving to one another.
=)
alhamdulillah.

honey,
i like it after our prayers,
after i salam your hand,
you gave me a kiss on my forehead.
i feel love whenever you do that.

another sneak preview!

2011-02-11T13:15:00.005+08:00

everytime i see my dinner photos,
it makes me excited and it makes me want to share the photos with my readers.
however,
with the extremely huge file size and so many of them,
it hinders me.

slowly but surely i will put up photos here.
=)
will try to compile those photos taken from the guests as well.

insyaAllah,
in the few upcoming posts to come,
i will share the things that we d-i-y.

people might think that our wedding dinner is an expensive affair.
however,
it is untrue.
before any planning occurs,
we set our budget first,
then prioritize on things we would like to spend more on.
our dinner overall cost is slightly cheaper than those held at hotel's ballroom.
it may not be grand or too fancy,
that doesn't matter.
because that wedding was how we wanted ours to be.
what is important was that the guests enjoyed themselves.
=D

one of our diy.
we had guests name on dry leaves.

the flowergirls rehearsing how to throw the flowers.

the groom (my husband) doing some last minute checks.

welcoming the guests.

dr. amy khor signing on the 'guestbook',

which was a photoframe.

our first entrance.

performances.

the parents of the bride and groom,

mak, abah, mama and papa.

alhamdulillah that our families can get along.

honey,
remember this in times of sadness, angry, happiness,
that i love you very much.

we are really pleased!

2011-02-10T01:50:00.002+08:00

after weeks of waiting!
the photos are ready.
all of it!

solemnization
sanding (lunch reception)
and
dinner reception!

we are really pleased with the outcome,
especially for our dinner reception.
the photos were able to express emotions very well.

when i went through the photos,
i was brought back to the 3 days that we had our ceremony.
it gave me a sense of happiness, calmness and gratefulness,
such a beautiful feeling.

a sneak preview of our wedding dinner reception.

more photos to be up (soon! i hope)

honey,
our wedding dinner,
which was our first project together,
turns out to be sucessful.
alhamdullilah.
=D
all those disagreements, cards making, recce, researching, budget constraints, liasoning with the different vendors and many others things we went through were paid off.
i couldn't ask for more.

2 sets of photos tonight!

2011-02-09T13:40:00.002+08:00

been wanting to update however time and my body doesn't permit.
will try my very best to update my blog tonight!

i will be receiving 2 sets of photos tonight!
one from the nikah and sanding photographer.
the other from the dinner reception.
can't wait! can't wait!

every day that pass,
i never fail to think of that 3 days.

dear husband,
one of the words to describe our marriage life is funny.
you made me laugh every day and that cause me to put on weight.
haha!

we are back!

2011-02-05T11:57:00.002+08:00

we are back from our adventurous honeymoon!
=D

will share about our diy dinner reception cards soon!
=)

overwhelmed with happiness

2011-01-30T20:13:00.002+08:00

here I am in a ryokan in Japan with my husband for our honeymoon.
it has been great!
just that it's cold.
5 days more to go.

being married has been good.
somehow things change ever since we got married.
alhamdulillah in a good way.

one of the challenges of being married has to be addressing my in-laws, mak and abah.
it was definitely awkward in the beginning.
but after one week, I've got used to it.

haha.
my husband has just made me laugh.

it is nice to have someone to make me laugh more than once a day.

and yet he made me laugh again.

honey,
you are my other half.
I am grateful for you.

I love you then,
I love you now,
and I love you forever.

we are married!

2011-01-26T18:39:00.005+08:00

our love video.

our love story

photos will be up once i grab hold of them!
=D

meanwhile enjoy some funshots!

alhamdulillah

2011-01-19T07:33:00.002+08:00

alhamdulillah.

i am now a wife.

will update in proper soon.

stay tuned!

website

2010-12-25T22:10:00.001+08:00

the 2nd proposal

2010-12-25T21:17:00.004+08:00

i had a splendid surprise on my 24th birthday!
=)

the partner came over to fetch me and hand me a bouquet of flowers!

afterwhich, we had a delicious lunch at the rice table!

it was really very nice.
as usual,
i've requested for sliced onions.
haha!

to kill time for the next surprise,
we went on the singapore flyer!

it was about 8pm when he gave me a blindfold to cover my eyes while he drove me somewhere.
he led me to a place with the blindfold on,
going up steps and through a shaky bridge.
there and then i knew that i was in sentosa.
after about 8 mins walk,
we came to a stop.
i can feel the breeze and i am sure we are near the sea.
he took out his phone to play a song.
he gave me a quick peck and said "honey, you know that i always love you"
finally,
he gave me the green light to take the blindfold off.
when i did,
i turned around and saw him on his knee with a box.
and the words came from him "will you marry me?"
then slowly my mind started to digest.
he is proposing to me again but this time with a diamond ring!
i have no idea how to react but to cry and hug him and said "yes"
he said turn around,
which i did and saw huge letters that spelled out 'MARRY ME'
from the tower,
i can see it so clearly.
i was really surprised by it.

upclose with the words!

it was my sister and her boyfriend who helped the partner to arrange the light sticks.
=)
at the end of the bridge,
my sister and her boyfriend surprised me with a cake.

the ring.

we ended our night by watching a show in gold class.

thank you honey for planning my last single birthday.
=)

prior to this proposal,
i have another proposal last year.

it was doing one event held by marriage central.

we were supposed to write appreciation notes to our partner.

and in his appreciation note,
he proposed to me.
=)

honey,
no words can expressed how happy i was that day.
i love you and look forward to be your wife and a mother to your children.

1 more month!

2010-12-15T10:17:00.000+08:00

a year gone

2010-12-05T20:28:00.003+08:00

it has been a year...

happy 1 year of engagement honey!

soon,
the time will come.

the past 2 weeks

2010-11-20T02:10:00.000+08:00

it has already been 2 weeks since i last update my blog.

life has been good, alhamdulillah.
things are sort of on track.
i can't wait to share a handful of things to you guys!
=)

as of now,
i can say we are 70% ready.

the more i think about the day,
i realised,
it is not about looking good and smiling for the cameras,
not about how expensive nor how grand your wedding is.

it is about the warm feeling i will get from my families and friends when i change my status.
it is a celebration that people are happy for us and wish us the best for marriage's challenges.
it's the people that matters and in advance,
i would like to say thank you for those who will be coming.
it marks a journey for the both of us to start a family,
to build one that will guide us closer to the Almighty (Amin).

we will be attending our pre-marriage courses next week and i hope with the skills and knowledge we will be learning, it can enhance our relationship.

honeymoon is still not confirmed though we thought bali will be a nice place for us to explore.
we shall think of somewhere, again =)

apart from the wedding,
so many others things have been happening.
=)

my december schedule is crazy!
with birthdays, appointments, meetings, weddings!
busy is good!

it has already been years,
yet i still enjoy your company and being together with you.

updates on the day.

2010-11-06T13:17:00.005+08:00

yesterday the 05-11-10 was our 11th month of engagement!
which means we have less than 3 months to the big day!

the days left are crucial for us to make decisions.

just yesterday,
i had confirmed on the wedding dress,
a gift from the partner.
it was hard picking out the cloths.
but for the dress design,
i already have something in mind after flipping through so many brides magazines.
only at the end of the month i will get to see the final results.

it was yesterday as well that we choose the colours for our room.
=)
the bed was chosen weeks back and one thing we like about it is the size.
haha!

my lunch reception cards are ready.
=)
however our dinner reception cards are not ready yet.
soon!

just 2 days back we met up with the people who are doing our decor for our dinner reception.
even though we have decided not to have a dais and she has yet to do any decor at our venue,
from the way she described how she is going to decorate the place,
the partner and i were impressed.
we have decided on our theme.
it is a garden theme.
=)

today,
there's appointment to meet one of the photographers for the dinner.
i am not going to spill it here.
hehe.
and perhaps search for our wedding favors.

our wedding costumes have been picked out.
4 pairs in total.
it was hard to choose what i would like to wear with so many choices.
but with the help of the partner's aunt,
we managed to pick 4 that i'm happy with.
=)
the final fitting will be nearer to the date.

honestly,
it is stressful handling it by ourselves.
but i know it will be worth it.

dinner programme are nicely done.
an event from 1730hrs to 2130hrs.
=)

somehow planning for the day has consumed me.
at times,
i forget the main reason for the day,
which is be thankful to the Almighty for the man i am going to settle my life with.

syukur alhamdulillah.

when spongebob says goodbye

2010-10-27T23:23:00.000+08:00

this comes a little too late,
about a week later.

it was when spongebob said goodbye to the plant.

because after 3 months,
i've moved to somewhere else.

one area of my old desk.

a good experience.
=)

so many things are happening that i don't have the time to update.

what matters is,
i'm happy and grateful.
=)

honey,
more things to settle!
thanks for keeping me in check and calming me down.
=)

busy schedule

2010-10-20T23:45:00.001+08:00

things are getting into places now.
decisions have been made.
and more decisions coming up real soon!

colours for lunch reception checked!
cards for lunch reception (ma, pa and grandma chose for me) checked!
bed (the size that we wanted) checked!
prototype invitation cards for dinner reception checked!
programme for dinner reception almost checked!
guest list for dinner reception checked!
guest list for lunch reception NOT checked!
and the list goes on and on and onnnnnnn.
=)

while we are busy preparing,
the time will soon zoom pass without us realizing.

one thing for sure,
i am enjoying this process.

honey,
we will get through anything,
together.
you, me and something that bond us,
love.

what is it?

2010-10-15T09:15:00.001+08:00

free tickets?

2010-10-13T16:53:00.000+08:00

i'm thinking whether i should invite 2 lucky readers to my dinner reception. should i?

happy 27th birthday sweetheart!

2010-10-11T22:21:00.003+08:00

2 days celebration for the partner for his 27th.
=)
within the 2 days,
we had so much laughter, smiles, assurance and love.

i am glad that he enjoyed the surprised that i've planned for him.

we had our first try at f.i.s.h. and the food was so good!

i think we might go there again really soon!

one of the surprise was,
a book.
i gave him an islamic book of verses regarding a leader.
and i think that is pretty useful for him.
because i know the partner can lead.
that book can be something he will refer to when he's down with challenges.
in a way,
the book serves to boost his self-esteem.
=)

for today,

i was pretty nervous.
i was finding for the perfect timing to give him his second present.

so while we were waiting for our lunch,
i took a box and gave it to him.
and the reaction he gave me was a moment that i can never forget.
from the look of his face, his gestures and the way his eyes sparkle afterwhich a smile appears,
i know he really likes it.

just like last year,

i gave him a pen.
he wasted no time taking his bag and took out his last year present.
=)
just that this year present is better.
haha!
he tried it straight away,
reminded me of a small kid who just received a toy.

as a norm,
i have a note for him.

and honey,
i don't have to think so much of what to write.
the words just flow out of me and i meant every word i wrote.

reading his note.

the note and pens i got for him.

when i first saw the pens,
i knew it was a perfect gift for him.
=)
and i'm glad it was.

happy birthday honey!
i hope i can help to bring you to greater heights because i know you are capable of it.
your 26th was wonderful and i can't help but to be happy and proud of you.
your 27th is gonna be more interesting!

we ended our night by having dinner with both of our families.

without you knowing,
you make me smile in times when i panic, angry, upset, irritated.
you didn't know that.

honey,
the love i have for you is going to make you grow.

i ♥ you.

27 birthday

2010-10-11T00:00:00.000+08:00

congratulations

2010-10-07T23:55:00.004+08:00

congratulations honey!

one perfect photo of him throwing his mortarboard.
=)

finally,
the both of us are done with school!

no words can express how i feel when you received your scroll.

i will always be supporting you to achieve your dreams hun.

♥,
your fiancee.

Nanyang halloween night

2010-10-06T12:47:00.002+08:00

instead of the usual childrens' day celebration,
i decided to propose a halloween night for them!

it's our first Nanyang Halloween Night!

the children will get to express themselves with their costumes!
on top of that, they will go trick or treating in the neighbourhood to get sweets!
=)

imagine how cute the children will look in their costumes!