tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-49627567445253903512024-03-14T04:28:51.551+08:00Sa'eed, 'Aatikah and Umaamahummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.comBlogger206125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-89743311550530546662011-05-27T14:45:00.005+08:002011-06-01T08:38:24.367+08:00e-Xra: progress so farSo it has probably a month since I started to teach Saeed read BM. Alhamdulillah good progress.<br /><br />He has covered <span style="font-style: italic;">a, ba, ca</span> up till <span style="font-style: italic;">za </span><span>plus <span style="font-style: italic;">nya, nga </span>and<span style="font-style: italic;"> sya</span></span>, plus <span style="font-style: italic;">i and bi. </span>That means he can already read sentences which utilizes those <span style="font-style: italic;">sukukata</span>. For example, he can read '<span style="font-style: italic;">mama ada kaca mata</span>' or '<span style="font-style: italic;">Tasya ada labi-labi</span>'<br /><br />Can't wait to finish the whole module and buy him books for him to practice on :)<br /><br />On another note, we have finally moved to our new apartment. Next question is probably when is the house warming? Hehe...will need to update on that later.ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-40105985516896315442011-05-10T13:46:00.003+08:002011-05-10T14:46:56.810+08:00Review on e-xra<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JGObMSL3iwjk8TbwJh1GhgvrvCQAeRo1sprgzdAE0ToKRN1m-3pTDNDcTzDlK5YwPcsrrtpBvpXnVDGOpOkMQLJBW3bkUm1FDXxlquvHhIf7GDLj0xnE4NnDgr3BZSC20Xh6xLALxlGd/s1600/100520112532.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3JGObMSL3iwjk8TbwJh1GhgvrvCQAeRo1sprgzdAE0ToKRN1m-3pTDNDcTzDlK5YwPcsrrtpBvpXnVDGOpOkMQLJBW3bkUm1FDXxlquvHhIf7GDLj0xnE4NnDgr3BZSC20Xh6xLALxlGd/s320/100520112532.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604960367642393090" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_xPQ0dC86L4k1bokXEnlY6qo98TbpsFcBl97HmL8rO47hyebwMqzx4LAyjAD5cUdtkfy6B2nm7JSGkKe0ZRm1dEay1v2xnf6I10Wpka2zsn4w84cW4sQEBhAW4JzUnCNiNd8LcqmMQNh/s1600/100520112531.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiK_xPQ0dC86L4k1bokXEnlY6qo98TbpsFcBl97HmL8rO47hyebwMqzx4LAyjAD5cUdtkfy6B2nm7JSGkKe0ZRm1dEay1v2xnf6I10Wpka2zsn4w84cW4sQEBhAW4JzUnCNiNd8LcqmMQNh/s320/100520112531.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604960366791353650" border="0" /></a>Recently, a friend of mine introduced this method of teaching kids to read. It's called e-xra, which stands for eclectic express reading approach. The first picture is the cover of the book and the second picture is one of the pages. (I'm not sure what they mean by eclectic in this context).<br /><br />If you are familiar with iqra', this method is exactly like that. So, instead of going B-A 'ba', you just read it as 'ba'. I guess it's similar to sight words method. It seems that Sa'eed also prefers this method because he is used to iqra'.<br /><br />After a section (the 2nd picture is considered one section), there will be some sentences which only utilize the words that the child have learnt. For example, after reaching 'da', there will be simple sentences such as "Baba ada dada".<br /><br />Similar to iqra', you only spend 5 to 10 minutes 'reading' with the child. They can't focus on one thing for too long anyways, and 5 to 10 minutes is sufficient to cover maybe 2 sections. And as you can see, each section mixes up the words, so the child is most probably reading as opposed to memorizing (a problem I encountered by using the Read Easy method).<br /><br />Will try to update as Sa'eed progresses along...<br /><br />By the way, their website is www.e-Xra.com. And you can checkout youtube for some video uploads.ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-57272205868149167542011-05-09T11:15:00.003+08:002011-05-09T11:17:21.344+08:00Pretty in Pink<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOq4oBRgv2AZf0JbCjXeqRZMaLvDz8rTCrDxCwDnpxNpBRzZ5nXzGn338SXD_i_46fE4ytgbeWaa3_WjYhuYVI4Wofk4nfEA4ykTyGCA9C6r1VxGcSjdPQz1q7J483yMGVQ8lfsPbnronP/s1600/080520112511.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOq4oBRgv2AZf0JbCjXeqRZMaLvDz8rTCrDxCwDnpxNpBRzZ5nXzGn338SXD_i_46fE4ytgbeWaa3_WjYhuYVI4Wofk4nfEA4ykTyGCA9C6r1VxGcSjdPQz1q7J483yMGVQ8lfsPbnronP/s320/080520112511.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604549919661492642" border="0" /></a>Umaamah in her new dress...a present from Neyna from Jeddah. Looks very cute on her. Perfect.ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-25440631117042819482011-05-03T11:45:00.004+08:002011-05-03T12:06:54.166+08:00Story about 'AatikahToday I feel like writing a little something about 'Aatikah. She is just so hilarious. A drama queen at times, and can easily switch her 'tap' on and off...(tap meaning cry, not pee..haha).<br /><br />She'll be 3 insyaAllah in October, but I think her vocab is amazing. A little bit pelat, but largely understandable.<br /><br />Everytime I look at her, I'll think about how much she has been through. Last year's surgery went well without a hitch, but still...she wasn't even 2 then.<br /><br />This girl eats a ton and burns it off almost instantly, although not as skinny as her brother, she's still kinda thin for the amount of food and drink she consumes.<br /><br />She has the funniest expressions and willingly obliges to requests on how to pose. As she grows up, 'Aatikah is beginning to like girly things like combing hair for hours, dressing up, play with bears and pretend they are her babies....right down to nursing her bear.<br /><br />I can tell she loves Umaamah to bits, but sometimes she can be a bit too aggressive, totally different from Sa'eed. 'Aatikah's voice can be heard a mile away and she is pretty adamant on what she wants. If she doesn't get it, out comes the bawling and crying.<br /><br />She sometimes live in her own world and can occupy herself with random things. Whenever we're at a family gathering, she doesn't have any qualms on parking her self next to someone with a plate full of food and go 'nak sikit'. Once she gets a morsel of food, she'll go off again to play.<br /><br />Here are some pictures of the girl who wants to be a princess when she grows up...at this age, who doesn't :)<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdIjIY-HfXjMvF-NxeWYcP8C-ouhyphenhyphenCd31FyvpL22FstbgtghqMk7o-Xa7UZRQrLYkN_44y7DXWSczXuYCGzP1jxDtXjyUSFSKBXmz5I8F8m2Y45wSTnviu2uguJVk6N8WiO7_sg-OSRxS/s1600/100420112366.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCdIjIY-HfXjMvF-NxeWYcP8C-ouhyphenhyphenCd31FyvpL22FstbgtghqMk7o-Xa7UZRQrLYkN_44y7DXWSczXuYCGzP1jxDtXjyUSFSKBXmz5I8F8m2Y45wSTnviu2uguJVk6N8WiO7_sg-OSRxS/s320/100420112366.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602331905162341138" border="0" /></a>Muuuuaaaahhh<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6xU19aqTkTjGS43ODzOfEF-lcRXXBtlhcrDwdhV9zdzKxmXRnijRDLuR8mGHKFpccnWHI0wrOUAK5AwMRgMYJASvqlFf0RrYXYgjsb9pwE-PdxQraYav9UNIvcauEBY1VM-TGlKn-Klo/s1600/230420112468.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhX6xU19aqTkTjGS43ODzOfEF-lcRXXBtlhcrDwdhV9zdzKxmXRnijRDLuR8mGHKFpccnWHI0wrOUAK5AwMRgMYJASvqlFf0RrYXYgjsb9pwE-PdxQraYav9UNIvcauEBY1VM-TGlKn-Klo/s320/230420112468.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602331900137079330" border="0" /></a>Whenever I show this picture to people, they will comment 'She looks so cheeky!'<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkHC3l2OSiG8W3y7z5m2mPR5vsx_5UsmMrKVGLU17YR6Jt4re2C3RBhLl0jcvcmwzmsDzURrG9u3NlM98F70J5JRBSrwH9sERWIh8L7lMt5flmbaYZBKL0GOlXzVLVC-sDxdaIO81i2gp/s1600/300420112483.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitkHC3l2OSiG8W3y7z5m2mPR5vsx_5UsmMrKVGLU17YR6Jt4re2C3RBhLl0jcvcmwzmsDzURrG9u3NlM98F70J5JRBSrwH9sERWIh8L7lMt5flmbaYZBKL0GOlXzVLVC-sDxdaIO81i2gp/s320/300420112483.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602331893115114018" border="0" /></a>Her latest pose...<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRxrKhgfzzk2CCDpXjz5HFJ2TNpwSDSK7LVDfNl5_CB8VANrU2kOZdrH6ytfr9hprvBfQmPGIzUIeCLV9sTPnVFmA0EAcMB3d-doqqDtopPETUeKX0WnZE8MlUZ-YR1VkHT7du11Qit9R/s1600/300420112486.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglRxrKhgfzzk2CCDpXjz5HFJ2TNpwSDSK7LVDfNl5_CB8VANrU2kOZdrH6ytfr9hprvBfQmPGIzUIeCLV9sTPnVFmA0EAcMB3d-doqqDtopPETUeKX0WnZE8MlUZ-YR1VkHT7du11Qit9R/s320/300420112486.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5602331888038053826" border="0" /></a>This was staged, but she's oh so sweet :)<br /></div>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-53294037275544317992011-04-29T13:49:00.003+08:002011-04-29T14:13:23.101+08:00I just noticed.......that the picture I chose for the background of this blog is of Sa'eed when he was at the age where he was learning to walk. Amazing. It has been THAT long since I've changed the background. By saying 'I', I mean my brother...hehe<br /><br />A lot has happened between then and now. And by a lot, I really mean two additional family members. One wants to be a princess when she grows up, and another is rolling away. Hmm...when do babies start crawling anyways? When you have more than one child (and at less than 2 years apart), you kinda tend to not scrutinize their developments. Experience tells that they will eventually get it and not to get stressed out if they don't hit a certain milestone as what the books tell you (betul tak mummy Adam, Imran, Daniel & lil princess?).<br /><br />It's not that I don't care about the younger kids' development, but I guess I know that they will learn it, and we should just enjoy the moment. It's just lovely to see the kids do their own thing, at their own pace. And plus you won't get so worked up and start comparing your kid's development to others. I believe that things like rolling over, crawling, standing up, walking, talking are all being inspired by Allah (but of course you'll know when things need some intervention). It's like a foal learning how to walk 10 minutes after it is born.<br /><br />Once the kids' brain has started to develop further and starts to form rational thought e.g. knows how to make a choice between blue and red toy, then you can slowly start to point them into the right direction like etiquette, ABCs etc. With that, I think I have to set some goals and action plans for the kids. Hopefully we'll be able to reach them.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sa'eed</span><br />Be able to read Malay/English by 5 (he just turned 4)<br />Be able to read Qur'an by 6 (he is beginning Iqra' 2 right now)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">'Aatikah</span><br />Potty trained by 3.5 (she will be 3 in October)<br />Be able to read Malay/English by 5<br />Be able to read Qur'an by 6<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Umaamah</span><br />Honey, you do what you gotta do, we'll discuss your KPIs when you're a bit older ok :)<br /><br /><br />Are these goals too lofty or are they too weak? I remembered learning how to read muqaddam coz I was probably at Standard 1 by then. But I definitely cannot recall how I learned to read.<br /><br />Oh and maybe we should start some organized extracurricular activities like horseback riding or swimming for them. Or perhaps they are too young?ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-73740421112840661302011-04-27T13:03:00.003+08:002011-04-27T13:28:28.555+08:00oh goodnessGreat...a summary post for 2010 and you don't hear from me anymore. And April is almost over (dah file your taxes?). It has been quite an eventful year so far. TWO hospital stays, almost 3 weeks of MC for yours truly here.<br /><br />Very weird...I was healthier (Alhamdulillah) last year when I was carrying Umaamah in my tum. Manage to not get H1N1 although everyone else got it, MC boleh kira sebelah tangan. But this year is a totally different story. Dengan random demamnye, sore throat, conjunctivitis etc. Really need to boost up the immune system.<br /><br />Umaamah is 8 months already and she's currently around 9kg :) These kids are chubby and healthy when they are babies, but once they start moving around, they seem to get taller, eat more, yet don't gain that much weight. 'Aatikah for one was 11kg for the longest time. I think now she's around 12-13 kg and Sa'eed is around 15 kg.<br /><br />'Aatikah alhamdulillah is doing well. But everytime she gets a fever, I get really worried. Need to check those lungs, make sure they're ok. So far so good. She's in high spirits, screams for fun, but can randomly cry for the tiniest reason e.g. Umaamah ter-pull her hair.<br /><br />Sa'eed is such a big brother. Loves his sisters to bits...and apparently I shouldn't have any boys anymore because boys can only be the 'abang', cannot be the 'adik'. He loves to play and entertain Umaamah. And I can tell Umaamah somehow prefers her brother. I think coz 'Aatikah can sometimes be very loud and can't control her strength.<br /><br />In terms of progress in school..alhamdulillah Sa'eed now knows how to pray and also recite the do'as during the different movements e.g. rukuk, sujud etc. He knows his al-Fatihah, can give the iqaamah plus can answer the azan. But he's not too confident in giving the azan. He has also started to read Iqra' book 2. And plus I can trust him to teach the right things to 'Aatikah, coz she's still in the stage of 'main belasah je'.<br /><br />Ok...that's all for now. You can put your bets on when the next updates will come by.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGxRgO2ksR6J3px5WYCnx1PtT-0DJsXPwQSfMnFTEHKDUDQq9WYlPoAJj1dCCbYv22tdmwtUkCVrbZiMn_36emBUKCQ7GtgG4k2aQskEhOgeFR4_lSUsyFNH7_rw6bjPPs3Ka7aCVaL_7/s1600/240420112474.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQGxRgO2ksR6J3px5WYCnx1PtT-0DJsXPwQSfMnFTEHKDUDQq9WYlPoAJj1dCCbYv22tdmwtUkCVrbZiMn_36emBUKCQ7GtgG4k2aQskEhOgeFR4_lSUsyFNH7_rw6bjPPs3Ka7aCVaL_7/s320/240420112474.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600126427833497282" border="0" /></a>The ever smiling Umaamah<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg7zwVrfWu-RdqzUK5GDHA2Lqqd47pjfdQthyphenhyphenm5L0pO1oKDFvqVKENWgj4DeBRmBl34NjgZVWn6MGDfvP1WrczVQyulWRxK3a-XzDUNysoWQQIZ9Jkb6f1TR8aMGVd8NwzCGBOGVL5XZV/s1600/100420112365.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEg7zwVrfWu-RdqzUK5GDHA2Lqqd47pjfdQthyphenhyphenm5L0pO1oKDFvqVKENWgj4DeBRmBl34NjgZVWn6MGDfvP1WrczVQyulWRxK3a-XzDUNysoWQQIZ9Jkb6f1TR8aMGVd8NwzCGBOGVL5XZV/s320/100420112365.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600126424499643570" border="0" /></a>Sa'eed and 'Aatikah doing what also I dunno<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWF7lohXf3V70bsBm1TP_mK2HSh-ZbkViPr-k8gQZTOzg6dsHMFIluL4UwwgsOrzJZWWZzMtA-M4rGG23XZ1zqH6DZk_bQJ-Ml4qWJKQ5zUMAOzzkUSLQBZht9eb-7Lah22u9gNvmYuOD/s1600/100420112364.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVWF7lohXf3V70bsBm1TP_mK2HSh-ZbkViPr-k8gQZTOzg6dsHMFIluL4UwwgsOrzJZWWZzMtA-M4rGG23XZ1zqH6DZk_bQJ-Ml4qWJKQ5zUMAOzzkUSLQBZht9eb-7Lah22u9gNvmYuOD/s320/100420112364.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600126423319368242" border="0" /></a>Having a good laugh...<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3UnUhpFaqY_aqWCMNrUERO8afVaEZ_TdZZVKg10bdN1WNoFH7onyi-ZC_GnzctMxP04imHTBkw0KZrvWwklSf0dZUuAg7drGouSxBl1DMFyjlnt9wONh95ovl_Mg74qYJNQJt0irssSC/s1600/220420112467.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV3UnUhpFaqY_aqWCMNrUERO8afVaEZ_TdZZVKg10bdN1WNoFH7onyi-ZC_GnzctMxP04imHTBkw0KZrvWwklSf0dZUuAg7drGouSxBl1DMFyjlnt9wONh95ovl_Mg74qYJNQJt0irssSC/s320/220420112467.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600126416406038450" border="0" /></a>Yepp...Umaamah can join in the fun already. Please excuse the not so decent Habib Jewels catalogue...<br /></div>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-43929164327592165042011-01-05T14:01:00.004+08:002011-01-05T14:28:52.866+08:00Welcome, 2011Goodbye 2010...<br /><br />Alhamdulillah we survived:<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjya8Gn7VZUdOIutKSe_-DfB34m9SAcif1ihjjNMurY4d5HNqJ6Yvcx1yEFcBcEd7IBhIJ5QS9fwU78gvQE9Mvchpwr7Vo9DL_pMIIOmsen8RLe0TEcfAjLjcQFLwXV-E0_vqs25JBNBvXu/s1600/11032010454.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjya8Gn7VZUdOIutKSe_-DfB34m9SAcif1ihjjNMurY4d5HNqJ6Yvcx1yEFcBcEd7IBhIJ5QS9fwU78gvQE9Mvchpwr7Vo9DL_pMIIOmsen8RLe0TEcfAjLjcQFLwXV-E0_vqs25JBNBvXu/s320/11032010454.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558583393455317650" border="0" /></a>H1N1 (3 out of 4)<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAdpzPh8WvJOnPtgdpa3WVVKzm6AIXQlkEciYHOhpE6t1jiLOWV_LtYRb4C-VYy2zMv2GVZbdXuXOsehT-AIm_iALtd2ZEbKgQWpltpHEOFDTaE5-D86m-MG1qnjJHzCg-oVEyj2HxbCW/s1600/02082010788.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxAdpzPh8WvJOnPtgdpa3WVVKzm6AIXQlkEciYHOhpE6t1jiLOWV_LtYRb4C-VYy2zMv2GVZbdXuXOsehT-AIm_iALtd2ZEbKgQWpltpHEOFDTaE5-D86m-MG1qnjJHzCg-oVEyj2HxbCW/s320/02082010788.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558582229462646434" border="0" /></a>Pneumonia + surgery (17 days in the hospital!)<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdE4AjRWgP4wS2EAMiaT8gO6knT6HjiSPkz9-YrVa9aQ76gDGyMKJeImVSwsmh-1i9gYjlt3XRtvPfuuJ4773wf-z_J6VNirvIgXh7O3UoRFBOi8yko2HX4azY4JWyWwiL-9vFT1FdyFT/s1600/19082010847.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUdE4AjRWgP4wS2EAMiaT8gO6knT6HjiSPkz9-YrVa9aQ76gDGyMKJeImVSwsmh-1i9gYjlt3XRtvPfuuJ4773wf-z_J6VNirvIgXh7O3UoRFBOi8yko2HX4azY4JWyWwiL-9vFT1FdyFT/s320/19082010847.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558582222132907474" border="0" /></a>Birth of Umaamah (alhamdulillah shortest birth and stay in hospital)<br /></div><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GYM2u_RZv7qkh4ESeeZaZMHWHl0AsGKmLRSHwLTNN_XUsJPfyVzIpp9o9agrBA019EUApNyoKp_nhJnhpTUK2iyK2cCM2Qm23Msay2tfRzXQ_jsV9GEE2hYezjyEISApJHm3p5DdCmAE/s1600/300920101676.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7GYM2u_RZv7qkh4ESeeZaZMHWHl0AsGKmLRSHwLTNN_XUsJPfyVzIpp9o9agrBA019EUApNyoKp_nhJnhpTUK2iyK2cCM2Qm23Msay2tfRzXQ_jsV9GEE2hYezjyEISApJHm3p5DdCmAE/s320/300920101676.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558583393109307554" border="0" /></a>Broken leg (boys will be boys...)<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gRHIbDbg41kgaiz2n8xvC6Tb-G_VKeqw2vykpD1lyxiMufO9_Dcscy02pTfhpsbr5jqijuohhrcs991oIvXJCkM3nmPumzbKhxRZe3kwOD7UijiT1i7g3vcPahBNljZin-oA0a0txYwO/s1600/300920101710.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gRHIbDbg41kgaiz2n8xvC6Tb-G_VKeqw2vykpD1lyxiMufO9_Dcscy02pTfhpsbr5jqijuohhrcs991oIvXJCkM3nmPumzbKhxRZe3kwOD7UijiT1i7g3vcPahBNljZin-oA0a0txYwO/s320/300920101710.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558582222513857618" border="0" /></a>HFMD (2 out of 5)<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwC5AgkUa_1iI_Rqqq7Frib38U08gaSGNcsV4W-upEoYOGaFGlQ89rsVKLjY_lHK9u5xQdoeAY5UK34g5jDpeJbv7aoiJ9Z93fK6eo-RBEM83Lm_D7Qx7qfi0ioudgAZ1e9pmMyultaax/s1600/281120101968.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqwC5AgkUa_1iI_Rqqq7Frib38U08gaSGNcsV4W-upEoYOGaFGlQ89rsVKLjY_lHK9u5xQdoeAY5UK34g5jDpeJbv7aoiJ9Z93fK6eo-RBEM83Lm_D7Qx7qfi0ioudgAZ1e9pmMyultaax/s320/281120101968.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558582218783758866" border="0" /></a>Abah-less for 45 days (Sa'eed: Abah saya pergi ibadah haji!)<br /><br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAYnJ9XvAh60nnbV7M4976C858YOh9HCDIgvUwT8f4ryzDs66-3BNFCDTwugGfEANacHOUm1tRz2WOby0rZqIr3ZIvV_Wz6SNglm5BC4bbKAT7fXpjNQAuXh1VVX2d3ldcS7wLyrMIAWw/s1600/201120101939.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGAYnJ9XvAh60nnbV7M4976C858YOh9HCDIgvUwT8f4ryzDs66-3BNFCDTwugGfEANacHOUm1tRz2WOby0rZqIr3ZIvV_Wz6SNglm5BC4bbKAT7fXpjNQAuXh1VVX2d3ldcS7wLyrMIAWw/s320/201120101939.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558582215481711954" border="0" /></a>Chicken pox (1 out of 5, but was passed to to'mi and fitrah...oops)<br /></div><br />And 2011 is off with a bang...we just received our apartment keys and are currently planning renovations etc...exciting times ahead :)ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-70318723268752659472010-12-17T11:00:00.003+08:002010-12-17T11:02:37.884+08:00A cause to celebrateLast night was epic.<br /><br />He finally did it.<br /><br />Sa'eed pooped in the toilet bowl.<br /><br />In two rounds.<br /><br />The first round was a small little piece.<br /><br />The second round was the rest of what was in his intestines.<br /><br />Definitely proud of him :)<br /><br />Never knew I'd be praying for a person to be able to pee and poo in the toilet, but I did.<br /><br />Alhamdulillah.<br /><br />(Hopefully he won't accidentally pee or poo in his underwear anymore)ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-65890754935353134812010-11-10T10:17:00.003+08:002010-11-10T10:20:04.926+08:00WahahahaOh my goodness!<br /><br />Have totally forgotten to update this blog...<br /><br />Well...life is hectic, as usual...Mr Husband is off for Hajj for 45 days and I am left with the kids. So you can imagine what it is like. But alhamdulillah I'm still sane :)<br /><br />Oh yes...found this cool website: Bright Star Kids. They sell all kinds of labels and such. I tried ordering from them. Will update you once I get the products. Made labels for the kids' clothes since all 3 go to nursery...don't want to get their clothes all mixed up.ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-42792519789722119962010-08-24T13:25:00.002+08:002010-08-24T13:34:39.492+08:00Umaamah bint Mohamad ZaidSorry to disappoint, but this time around we only managed to find a name with double vowels, but without any apostrophes.<br /><br />Now, who is Umaamah?<br /><br />She was the daughter of Zainab and the grand daughter of Rasulullah s.a.w. She was also featured in the hadeeth about Rasulullah s.a.w. carrying his grandchild while praying.<br /><br />With Sa'eed, it wasn't hard to decide coz it was almost a given since Sa'eed ibn Zayd was one of the Sahaabah promised paradise. 'Aatikah was Sa'eed's sister, so that wasn't hard either. Deciding the name for #3 was somewhat challenging because we didn't really know what to put.<br /><br />Anyways, Alhamdulillah Umaamah's jaundice is quite mild and she doesn't need to be admitted to get phototherapy. Not sure how come this time around the jaundice isn't that high (not that I'm not thankful), but it could be that I was drinking goat's milk (but of course Allah willed it that way) towards the end of my pregnancy. Allahua'lam...you can try it out.ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-78886714394250893072010-08-21T18:56:00.004+08:002010-08-22T10:34:53.830+08:00Number 3 is here :)Bear with me, she doesn't have a name yet..hehe..insyaAllah a name will be given on the 7th day, which is this Monday. <div><br /></div><div>She was born on Tuesday, 17th August, weighing at 3.69 kg. The heaviest one yet! Oh boy, they just keep getting bigger. Alhamdulillah, as was predicted and advised by my wonderful gynae, this 3rd delivery could be very quick. Especially since my 3 pregnancies are close together. </div><div><br /></div><div>On Monday, I went to the office as usual to wrap up a few things. Felt some contractions the whole day, but they were irregular and not painful. Left the office slightly earlier because the mild contractions didn't really go away. Better to not be stuck in the commute home, in case the contractions got stronger.</div><div><br /></div><div>Reached home, went to Pasar Ramadan, had iftar and went to get a CTG at the hospital just to confirm whether the contractions are real or just Braxton Hicks ones. From the CTG, the nurse said that I only had really mild ones, but when she checked, I was already 4 cm dilated. So, it was best to get admitted.</div><div><br /></div><div>Later my mother in law and sister in law came to the hospital to get the 2 kids, in case I did go into labor. Slept soundly that night except for when the nurse came in to do another CTG at around 1 am. Continued sleeping till I was woken up by more painful contractions at around 4 am. Waited a bit and called the nurse. She checked and said that I was 4-5cm dilated. I thought, Oh, same thing when I came in...could take a while. Then she took me to the labor room.</div><div><br /></div><div>Got a shot of pentadine and the contractions got stronger. By this time, it was probably close to 5 am. Poor husband didn't get a chance to have his sahur. Only had a chug of plain water. The contractions kept getting stronger and the nurse kept telling me to focus on breathing in the gas, coz dr isn't here yet. At around 5.3oam she checked me again and lo and behold, I was already 8 cm. Dr still isn't here and the nurse was getting slightly agitated. </div><div> </div><div>Then I started to feel even stronger contractions and could actually feel the baby's head going way down. Told the nurse baby's coming out! And she said, focus on the gas! hahaha</div><div> </div><div>In the nick of time my Dr came in the labor room and sap sap sap, baby was out at 6.02am :)</div><div> </div><div>Alhamdulillah, was discharged the next day and hopefully baby's jaundice isn't that high...not another day in the hospital, please...</div><div> </div>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-71224141855518513252010-08-16T10:38:00.003+08:002010-08-16T11:03:04.066+08:00How do you know...when a blog has been abandoned?<br /><br />Answer: When your child has gone thru a surgery and the blog lacks updates on it..haha.<br /><br />But I did update my fb and twitter frequently with her updates. Anyways, alhamdulillah 'Aatikah was discharged last Tuesday, just a day prior to 1st of Ramadan. And the damage done? Around RM32k. Alhamdulillah company insurance took care of this.<br /><br />All I can say it, 'Aatikah sure is a trooper. Of course she cries, but all in all, very obliging and doesnt complain much. She was pricked for the iv line multiple times, even had to do it on her right foot because her hands were swollen from the antibiotics in the drip. And even then her foot also got swollen after a few days.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0NP8bsyBj385ra0ufh1pBGUAcNxCbKUkEEz5gvX_hM55O8dFTfUFcRMAhidr50vEd4VEK70jQr5ucwSDF2UslHW1VLFOpPQwvUd3pL88J2obc2-UQfDQWrjVMnFOn8DfjKopRxrYVS2N/s1600/02082010788.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0NP8bsyBj385ra0ufh1pBGUAcNxCbKUkEEz5gvX_hM55O8dFTfUFcRMAhidr50vEd4VEK70jQr5ucwSDF2UslHW1VLFOpPQwvUd3pL88J2obc2-UQfDQWrjVMnFOn8DfjKopRxrYVS2N/s320/02082010788.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505832450495727218" border="0" /></a><br />I think the most upsetting part for me was when the pediatric surgeon came over to explain about her 2nd xray and ctscan after about a week of antibiotics. He said that it has gotten slightly worse since she was admitted and that he had to do the surgery that afternoon. He showed the xrays and ctscan and explained everything in detail; what is going on in her body, why the surgery needs to be done etc. Husband wasn't around at that time and I was really trying hard to hold back the tears. Once I went back to the room, the flood gates opened. I was crying while cuddling and holding her. 'Aatikah was probably just looking at me, wondering what in the world is wrong with me.<br /><br />Then after the surgery she was put in the ICU for observation. Hubby escorted her to the OT and was there when she got out. The surgeon showed what was taken out, and hubby described it to be really nasty. All the fluid, phlegm and even clumps of dead tissue all in 2 jars.<br /><br />She spent two days in the ICU and hubby and I took turns taking care of her. But at night it was hubby's turn since they didn't have a proper bed and I was already heavily pregnant. At one point I guess the anesthetics wore off and she started to feel the pain, even tho she was on pain killers. She started to sweat and cringe and cry...until the nurse came over and increased the dosage of her pain killers. Then she slowly drifted to sleep.<br /><br />All in all, we spent slightly more than 2 weeks in the hospital. The first week was to treat her with antibiotics, which didn't work. Then one more week after the surgery because she was still feverish, which is an indication that the infection is still there. After many types of antibiotics, her fever finally subsided and she was allowed to go home after being fever free for about 2 days and after her Dr changed her medications to oral ones instead of being administered via the iv line.<br /><br />Tremendous changes could be seen once she was fever free. She started to eat well and was more active. Had to let her loose outside of the room for her to run around.<br /><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnGYu8p9sziZv-pX5re5nXUpZSWF-biryVV6H2Q-WQYRwJJdwfOXhyQqBF8-7tSUqm4VCnboWHIRGSnyU8g89K1CCAzhlZFv-ab5Nq-_efC5UJ0QCYg-60tL4qG_OQS2Mo8YAvEb0m71V/s1600/09082010826.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisnGYu8p9sziZv-pX5re5nXUpZSWF-biryVV6H2Q-WQYRwJJdwfOXhyQqBF8-7tSUqm4VCnboWHIRGSnyU8g89K1CCAzhlZFv-ab5Nq-_efC5UJ0QCYg-60tL4qG_OQS2Mo8YAvEb0m71V/s320/09082010826.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5505832447101453826" border="0" /></a><br />All that is left from this episode are the scars on her left torso. The long gash is about 3 inches long and that is where the Dr did the incision during surgery. The bottom scar is for the chest tube which was left attached post surgery to drain off excess fluid, if any.<br /><br />And all I can say is, Alhamdulillah!ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-70412834281052347172010-07-31T16:55:00.005+08:002010-07-31T23:24:36.424+08:00Here we are...We are currently in the hospital. We have been here for a week now and we expect to spend a week more here. I update my facebook and twitter (ummisaeed) more frequently on what is going. <div><br /></div><div>In a nutshell, 'Aatikah was admitted due to lung infection and pneumonia. Here's a chronicle of what happened.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday, 20th July: 'Aatikah and Sa'eed both were feverish, temperature wasn't that high.</div><div><br /></div><div>Wednesday, 21st: Still feverish at night, but were active as usual</div><div><br /></div><div>Thursday, 22nd: Both getting better</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday, 23rd: Teacher called from the nursery, said that 'Aatikah had really high fever. Went to the clinic after work and was told that it was viral fever.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday, 24th: Went back to Bangi as 'Aatikah looked better...but didn't really want to eat. When she ate in the afternoon, vomited everything out later in the evening.</div><div><br /></div><div>Sunday, 25th: Vomited again in the morning around Subuh time. By this time her lips and hands were blue-black and she was shivering. Temperature was about 39 degrees. We went straight to a hospital in Bangi and did a blood test.</div><div>Results weren't good...her white cell count was super high and her hemoglobin was slightly low.</div><div>Went straight to D*SH to get her admitted.</div><div>Paediatrician saw 'Aatikah in the ward and thought that her liver was enlarged and her lung didn't sound normal. Recommended for an ultrasound and an xray the next day.</div><div><br /></div><div>Monday, 26th: Did the ultrasound - enlarged spleen and fluid could be seen in the left lung</div><div>Xray (To'ki and Tokmi took her in the xray room0 - showed that about 90% of her lung has some kind of infection. Right lung was totally clear. Started antibiotics right away.</div><div><br /></div><div>Tuesday - Friday, 27th -30th: 'Aatikah still feverish in around 39 degrees. </div><div>Sa'eed was feverish too. Did a blood test and showed that he also had an infection. Was admitted, but not as serious as 'Aatikah. Started antibiotics right away.</div><div><br /></div><div>Friday, 30th: Did a ctscan. Showed that fluid was still accumulated between the lung and rib cage. Fluid has probably 'hardened'. Was referred to Dr Razak, the pediatric surgeon. Decided to have the surgery after Friday prayers.</div><div>Coughed up nasty sputum.</div><div>Surgery was to remove the fluid and abscess formed...surgery started at around 2.30pm and successfully ended at 4.30pm.</div><div>Hubby saw what was removed and he said it was ugly. A mixture of blood, abscess and lumps of abscess. </div><div>Dr said that some of the lung tissue was already dead due to the infection. Probably started to get infected about 4-6 weeks ago. </div><div>'Aatikah placed in the ICU for observation.</div><div><br /></div><div>Saturday, 31st July: Alhamdulillah recovering well. Started to eat a bit of porridge. Husband and I taking turns to be in the ICU with her.</div>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-23539595280335778292010-06-14T14:28:00.001+08:002010-06-14T14:31:34.233+08:00A picture is worth...some words<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7Xe_89LDC0VUZbRdZ1q_RJ9bqmMizWg1qtwVwKnVCxx1r393WTr6y25HtW7QyWNg9VFy_sZ0FMaU4dswhC5KV2rNcMrtn5Myx6bY-UhLCqV8F4l3FkbpqJS3wlYe696IP6LKw1N3u8Wz/s1600/11062010644.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-7Xe_89LDC0VUZbRdZ1q_RJ9bqmMizWg1qtwVwKnVCxx1r393WTr6y25HtW7QyWNg9VFy_sZ0FMaU4dswhC5KV2rNcMrtn5Myx6bY-UhLCqV8F4l3FkbpqJS3wlYe696IP6LKw1N3u8Wz/s320/11062010644.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5482512864520652562" border="0" /></a>While looking at the above picture on my phone...<br /><br />Sa'eed: Ummi...adik marah<br /><br />Ummi: Adik marah siapa?<br /><br />Sa'eed: Adik marah Sa'eed....ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-29348334841430096872010-06-09T10:49:00.001+08:002010-06-09T10:49:20.822+08:00When is enough really enough?<span xmlns=''><p>Hmm…I'm beginning to like writing from Microsoft Word. I think the idea flows better because I'm not constricted to the little itty bitty box in the blogger dashboard. Plus, I think I type faster too when I use Word…heh…perasaan je kot. <br /></p><p>Anyways, work is kinda laid back this week because so many people are out of the office. Nak buat kerja pun terbantut. As I'm skimming thru random people's blog, ideas for my own blog start to appear. I can update you guys on every minute detail of my life and my children's life. But I don't think I'll ever get to that level. Not that I don't want too…but some things ought to be private. It really surprises me how some people can divulge so much un-needed information of their life on their blog. I make exceptions for updates on babies and toddlers, because even updating on their first poop is cute!<br /></p><p>Oh I digress…there are blogs out there of people showing every single item they bought on their shopping sprees. And of course these people aren't the people who shop at Tesco, amik gambar sayur utk update. But these people are probably the socialites…their guilty pleasures are the Chanels, Guccis and Ferragamos (mine is a simple RM1 cone ice cream from McD). It's nice to see that people can afford those things (which then answer my question to who in the world shops at designer boutiques in KLCC?). But as I look through what they buy, I thought…when is enough really enough?<br /></p><p>Some people survive on less than RM1000 a month and they are fine and dandy. Their kids go to school, they have enough to eat…in other words, they're content. Then there are people who claim to not have any money even when they earn RM8000 a month…and they don't even have kids! I've also seen blogs of people earning upwards of RM20,000 through MLM, with their car funds and free vacations etc. Sapa tak jeles memang weng la…but then again…when is enough really enough?<br /></p><p>I don't want to be poor, but I don't want to be rich either. I think content is what I'm looking for. Am I contented? Alhamdulillah so far so good. We can afford some of the nice things, even though we cut back on things like eating out, but when we do really eat out, it's probably something we can appreciate more. Sometimes we treat our families for dinner…and that's always nice because dah berapa kali our parents treat us for breakfast, lunch or dinner kan…We have one car for the family, and that's enough…although with 3 kids in kids, it is expected kena squeeze squeeze sikit. But I don't think we need an MPV or a bigger car. <br /></p><p>But really, what is my point? I guess I don't really have a point. I'm just thinking and writing. Think about it. You might make a million bucks today and can afford all the ridiculously nice things in life. No one's stopping you to earn that million bucks. But what values are you teaching your kids? How long will that million bucks last? What happens if it's no longer there? Heh…macam intro org jual insurance tak?<br /></p><p>To Sa'eed and 'Aatikah (and future siblings insyaAllah)…don't expect to get a free ride in life. Spend on necessities and don't be bothered with designer items etc. They're nice to have, but you don't need it to survive. And dream on if you expect your parents to fund everything for you. Loan boleh. </p></span>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-63850691539806868912010-06-09T10:14:00.001+08:002010-06-09T10:14:55.910+08:00Sa’eed the Teacher<span xmlns=''><p>If they're not fighting over something, Sa'eed and 'Aatikah can be good friends. And recently Sa'eed started to 'teach' 'Aatikah random things. Once at their grandparents' house, Sa'eed was teaching 'Aatikah the word 'ice-cream'.<br /></p><p>Sa'eed: ICE-CREAM<br /></p><p>'Aatikah: keeem<br /></p><p>Sa'eed: ICE-CREAAAAM<br /></p><p>'Aatikah: keeeeeeem<br /></p><p>Sa'eed: ICE-CREAM nah (lah)…bukan uncle hakeeeem<br /></p><p>'Aatikah: keeeeem<br/><br /> </p><p>And then yesterday, Sa'eed was showing how to put the animals printed on velcro onto his brand new book.<br /></p><p>Sa'eed: Ni colour apa? Reddd<br /></p><p>'Aatikah: eddddd…- while trying to stick the velcro thing onto the page<br /></p><p>Sa'eed: Bukan letak samtu (camtu), seni nah (camni lah) – and shows 'Aatikah how to do it<br /></p><p>And 'Aatikah willingly obliges. <br/><br/><br/>Sometimes Sa'eed will think he knows what's best for his sister. Last night I made a small cup of milo for the both of them. Sa'eed is usually contented with one cup, but 'Aatikah sometimes likes to have more. So she would come find me in the kitchen and ask for more. Sa'eed will then follow her from behind…<br /></p><p>'Aatikah: Nak agi – while handing the cup to me<br /></p><p>Sa'eed: Ummi…dah sukup (cukup) kan…kan…kan…ummi…sukup kan satu…adik tak payah!<br/><br /> </p><p>And the latest word that Sa'eed thought 'Aatikah is GOM-MOK (gemuk)….haiyaaa..</p></span>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-67598929510651052292010-06-08T14:31:00.002+08:002010-06-08T14:32:48.612+08:00The night visitors<span xmlns=""><p>Last Sunday night, Rizal and his crew came over to maktok's house for a visit. So, it was him, Nafisah, Adam, Imran, Daniel and the maid. Add myself, Mr Hubby, maktok, Sa'eed and 'Aatikah and you get yourself 6 adults, 5 toddlers plus 1 (ke 2?) yet to be born babies. The adults as usual were sitting around talking and getting updated with the latest news and gossips. And the kids…oh the kids! They played and played and played till everyone was nice and sweaty. See…kids CAN get exercise indoors too.<br /></p><p>I think that night the kids' names were called every other second because they were either fighting over toys, jumping to close to Daniel or wrestling too hard. Imagine Adam and Sa'eed wrestling! Hahaha…if you don't know Adam, he's a tall and big 4 year old boy (as the majority of my side of the family was once upon a time) and Sa'eed is this tall and skinny 3 year old boy (some of the luckier ones on my side of the family were like Sa'eed). But it was all good fun…no one was pushed to the ground and no one got a smack down…so it's all good. Plus, it's good for Sa'eed…builds character! Of course sometimes it might get out of hand and we'd tell them to calm down and take a breather.<br /></p><p>At one point Sa'eed and Imran was climbing and jumping off the sofa and 'Aatikah wanted to join in. The maid put some cushions on the floor so that no one got hurt. But this 'Aatikah is too gung ho and ended up landing head first. She looked like someone diving into a pool. I held my breath, waiting to see what happens next. While picking herself up, she was laughing non-stop like that was the best thing that ever happened to her. Of course she went ahead and climbed the chair again.<br /></p><p>Daniel the cutie pie was mostly minding his own business and amused himself with whatever toys he could get. He was contented playing on his own, but once or twice he cried because someone accidentally stepped on him. 'Aatikah played with him for a while, but I guess she wanted to play with the big boys. Sometimes it got quite petrifying to see this little girl trying her might to fight for toys with them or to join them in playing gaduh-gaduh.<br /></p><p>The more popular toys that night were the ride-ons and a multicoloured train. Everyone would want it if someone was holding it. But no one wanted to play with it if it was sitting there on its own…until someone comes to play with it. So fights mostly revolved around those things.<br /></p><p>I think the kids gelled well together because Adam even asked permission from his mommy to keep Sa'eed…haha. The night ended with a bang…literally, coz the front door slammed on Imran's itty bitty fingers when they left. So kesian, he cried his eyes out.<br /></p><p>All in all…you guys should come more often!<br /></p></span>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-77625748373594297852010-06-07T16:45:00.005+08:002010-06-07T16:48:46.973+08:00Potty training....Me: Sa'eed, ummi nak pergi toilet kejap ok.<br /><br />Sa'eed: Ummi, Sa'eed nak kencing.<br /><br />Me: Ok jom...<br /><br />Put him on the toilet bowl and wait for him to do his business...<br /><br />Sa'eed starts huffing and puffing and groaning<br /><br />Sa'eed: Ala....tak de kencing lah.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">*slap forehead*</span><br /><br />All in all, I think he's getting better at peeing in the toilet. But the #2 part is proving to be a bit more difficult. I have a feeling he waits to be diapered at night to poop. Haiya, bila la nak berani to leave him diaperless at night??ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-38637003472392481662010-06-02T11:59:00.003+08:002010-06-02T12:23:32.380+08:00Happenings...Last week was awesome. Filled with celebrations and family get togethers.<br /><br />On Tuesday we celebrated my mother-in-law's birthday at Subak, Sg Penchala. The food was ok, but nothing to shout about. Then on Thursday we went to Ruz Aladdin for a surprise dinner for my mother-in-law...heh...it was a surprise alright!<br /><br />Then on Saturday we went to Ancasa Suites in PD and stayed there for a night. I totally loved the place...although I couldn't do any activities. But I think we should go there again so that I can go jet skiing and banana boat-ing. The crew initially wanted to try out the banana boat, but it rained after breakfast, so the gals plus my father-in-law went karaokeing. Sa'eed and 'Aatikah went there too, but I took 'Aatikah up after a while because she started to act up. And I was told that Sa'eed eventually slept through the karaoke session....gila hebat...dengan suara sumbang2 pun boleh tido...haha.<br /><br />On another note, 'Aatikah's eczema is acting up. I think it was the seafood in PD. Currently I'm using Efficort on the more serious spots and Ezerra on the not so serious spots. Yesterday she wasn't scratching like crazy anymore, but we'll see.<br /><br />Sa'eed on the other hand is a bit degil nak pee in the toilet. Yesterday I saw that he was fidgeting around, keeping his pee in. Even when I asked whether he wanted to pee, he said no. I offered to carry him to the bathroom, and he said no. Before sleeping, I said to him, you'd better go to the bathroom, and he said no. I dragged him there and he started crying and he didn't want to pull his pants down. While crying, of course la terbabas and he started peeing on the bathroom floor....and it was a lot too!<br /><br />Right after that he was all smiley and I asked, next time kencing kat mana? Toilet, came his reply. Pandai pun! But I have no idea why he refused earlier on.<br /><br />Aaah....what a weak update...no time no time!ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-18129648950104276142010-05-24T09:56:00.003+08:002010-05-24T10:14:27.394+08:00ProgressYesterday Sa'eed went diaperless at home and it was quite a success. Apart from the berak terbabas incident....heh. Every 5 minutes I would ask him if he wanted to use the bathroom. Every time he would answer no. And if I attempted to drag him to the bathroom, he'd stiffen his body.<br /><br />So I thought...can he really tell me when he wants to pee?<br /><br />He had his morning shower at around 8.30 am. I started to cook lunch at around 10.30 am. By that time, he hasn't gone to the bathroom yet, so I was getting worried. Then suddenly at around 11 am, he came to the kitchen naked with a worried face.<br /><br />He wanted to pee! So berlari lah ummi dia angkat Sa'eed pergi bathroom. Nasib baik tak terbabas.<br /><br />After that I kept on asking whether he wanted to do his big business. He kept saying no. But I think at around 12 or so, when I asked, he said 'dah!' hahahaha...so you can guess that we spent a long time in the bathroom cleaning up.<br /><br />I still keep him diapered at night. But the goal is to be diaperless before baby #3 comes...boleh kan , Sa'eed :)<br /><br />Oh and this you just got to see...Left the two of them to watch National Geographic. After 5 minutes, I went to see what they were up to because I couldn't here any shouting or cries. I was pleasantly surprised to see this...<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1CoxrVqGbMAA2F-ROie3H1f_LaF4MQqJW4A5vhTiaw86bo_OKkDYWged48qVW0b4iApVb3DdVrLy5iWPXU6E5VBV6DnH2yZ4eO9WMr_GBIgWvBUhz6f30uzzmZa5yjcWykSQwYB_BYLr/s1600/23052010629.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb1CoxrVqGbMAA2F-ROie3H1f_LaF4MQqJW4A5vhTiaw86bo_OKkDYWged48qVW0b4iApVb3DdVrLy5iWPXU6E5VBV6DnH2yZ4eO9WMr_GBIgWvBUhz6f30uzzmZa5yjcWykSQwYB_BYLr/s320/23052010629.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474653061220781458" border="0" /></a>'Aatikah getting comfortable....<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G4sjpnaUZXxTZy7ABwukOqUk7Cy4cxoeq5lK4hyShM043T6tzPJuBj7YUiBK9v5APL42B5yxZt2uI3c0ZZ6FPE37BwtAixuuZWBnVpls-l7o9HTcc61RuOWi-6-ZNYiI-BuICUQJKEfR/s1600/23052010630.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-G4sjpnaUZXxTZy7ABwukOqUk7Cy4cxoeq5lK4hyShM043T6tzPJuBj7YUiBK9v5APL42B5yxZt2uI3c0ZZ6FPE37BwtAixuuZWBnVpls-l7o9HTcc61RuOWi-6-ZNYiI-BuICUQJKEfR/s320/23052010630.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5474653066785447426" border="0" /></a>But not for long!<br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Haha...Sa'eed started to squeeze her cheeks. I'm just glad he didn't push her off his lap...<br /></div></div>ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-76719091234354000882010-05-20T11:46:00.003+08:002010-05-20T12:00:36.642+08:00oh by the way...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxNM02djHuUVmWwjdmFp39Vu-oco41If0YwYIUIyoLKTQ2uYXjY9yiX1Z22pM-0YaozJN9Bo7VZ3-31GidAqptZ39t6rd9DTjqaNwIh9lztHc11wgROxljTA0ROJAk9t4g27gR46GqOdr/s1600/baby3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 226px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCxNM02djHuUVmWwjdmFp39Vu-oco41If0YwYIUIyoLKTQ2uYXjY9yiX1Z22pM-0YaozJN9Bo7VZ3-31GidAqptZ39t6rd9DTjqaNwIh9lztHc11wgROxljTA0ROJAk9t4g27gR46GqOdr/s320/baby3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473193727945710194" border="0" /></a><br />It completely slipped my mind. I haven't really made a formal announcement that baby #3 is on the way. My EDD is insyaAllah on 31st August, towards the end of Ramadhan.<br /><br />Sa'eed and 'Aatikah both were born slightly before 'Asr, in the same labour room and with the same nurses. I wonder how it will be this time around. Sa'eed was 2 weeks early, born on a Saturday and 'Aatikah was right on time, on a Thursday. In both cases, I didn't even realize that I had gone into labour, not until my Dr checked. The contractions were painful as he**, so don't even ask if it hurts! Thank goodness Mr Hubby was there with me both times.<br /><br />Both times we had to stay an extra one week in the hospital because the babies developed jaundice. This time I'm experimenting with goats' milk. Someone said that it can help with jaundice, so I drink about 400mls of it everyday. But it's not cheap ok! I dunno, we'll see k.<br /><br />And when the kids were bigger, both had their own set of challenges (e.g. Sa'eed slept all the time, 'Aatikah wouldn't sleep; Sa'eed pooped day and night, 'Aatikah only does it during the day). And each one has their own quirks and personality.<br /><br />I wonder how baby #3 will be. And as usual, we'll only scramble to find a name after she is born...jeng jeng...a girl?ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-31818118553295988992010-05-20T09:06:00.003+08:002010-05-20T09:36:32.066+08:00Conversations<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9Xj6mO9OF342h2yq5MtdIyVqrRRKuCM4lmF_dIEoP3sNHsjl2bc86qLnFEOYw4JLh6QsL4Q6Ixf57Yzsu4wt9_hC-ge0zSE4oxawNDtLwqEa4x4BKwt_9pu7_vx5deKKF_O2dDhvujj6/s1600/03042010551.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr9Xj6mO9OF342h2yq5MtdIyVqrRRKuCM4lmF_dIEoP3sNHsjl2bc86qLnFEOYw4JLh6QsL4Q6Ixf57Yzsu4wt9_hC-ge0zSE4oxawNDtLwqEa4x4BKwt_9pu7_vx5deKKF_O2dDhvujj6/s320/03042010551.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473156794592251234" border="0" /></a>Best buds...sometimes<br /><br /></div>The kids are getting smarter by the day and some of the things they do or say really surprises me sometimes.<br /><br />As I am further along in this pregnancy, I always tell them that there's a baby in the tummy. 'Aatikah would usually just kiss and bump her head on my tummy, but Sa'eed, being more vocal nowadays, would ask random things about the baby. His usual question would be 'baby tengah buat apa (what is baby doing)? And I'd answer him by saying 'baby tengah tido (baby is sleeping).<br /><br />Then he'd ask 'dah tutup lampu (have you switched off the lights)?' if I said yes, he'd ask 'siapa tutup lampu (who switched off the lights)?' And for him, it would be a different person switching off the lights. Sometimes it would be Aunty Sheya, sometimes it would be Chu Teah and sometimes it would be me. If I answer no, he'd tell me to switch it off because baby wants to sleep.<br /><br />Last night while we were seated on the floor and having dinner (I was feeding 'Aatikah), Sa'eed sat next to me (he finished eating already) and started talking about his day. He said that he had a fight with his cousin. I asked him how did they fight? And he said that they were kicking each other, while showing to me how they kicked. Then 'Aatikah joined in the conversation by saying 'haaa....paaap paaap' and beating her chicken on the plate at the same time. The chicken, by the way was mine, and she took it off my plate without me noticing while I was talking to Sa'eed.<br /><br />Later that night, Sa'eed was asking about his Neyna (grandmother) and he wanted to call her up. So he handed me my phone and asked me to call her. First, I called the house. The phone rang, but no one picked it up. I told Sa'eed 'takde orang lah (no one's there)' and he said 'adaaaa....tunggu kejap (there is...wait a while)! So we waited and waited and no one picked up. Then I tried her cellphone and she picked up.<br /><br />The conversation was really funny. He wanted to show her his car and shirt and pants and toys, but of course she couldn't see them. And his voice gets ultra soft whenever he's on the phone. But nontheless, a big improvement from the days when he would run away whenever anyone handed him the phone and he hears a voice coming out from the phone.<br /><br />Oh and last night, 'Aatikah slept through the night! Hopefully it's for the long term and not just a one time thing.ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-60119991887172986522010-05-14T10:35:00.002+08:002010-05-14T10:40:53.037+08:00Bitten!Oh my, I knew this would happen sooner or later.<br /><br />On Wednesday Sa'eed came home and said that he was bitten by someone in school. He showed me the teeth marks on his left hand. Kesian dia...<br /><br />The next day he didn't want to go to school. I asked him why not? And he said, takut kena gigit...lagi la kesian dengar. But of course I insisted he went because I don't want it to be a habit for him to get to stay at home whenever there's a little bit of trouble.<br /><br />When hubby asked his teachers, they said that it was because the kids were fighting over a toy. So I guess Sa'eed lost...Oh I hope he doesn't resort to biting his sister whenever they fight over things!ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-12306346512351293052010-05-10T11:38:00.002+08:002010-05-10T12:17:52.935+08:00Report Card DayThe kids' school had a meet the teachers' day this past weekend. I think it's good coz even tho they are a nursery, they keep close records of the kids' progress. And some of the things mentioned about the kids can be surprising...in a good way.<br /><br />Sa'eed:<br />Although it took him 2 months to adjust to the school, he has made tremendous progress. He is one of the more active students who participate in class. He will be among the first ones to answer the teacher's questions and will also ask questions. Besides that, for a boy, he understands instructions during arts & crafts and does the tasks well. He did a mother's day card for me and at first I thought the flower drawn on the back of the card was by one of the teachers, but it turned out that he did it all by himself.<br /><br />He already knows his alphabets, numbers, phonics, colours, shapes and sizes. Sa'eed also doesn't talk non-stop like most kids, but he will only talk when he answers questions or when he wants to ask a question...as the teacher put it, he doesn't talk pointlessly. But what surprised me was the fact that he's the only student that hasn't gotten a time-out...haha, at home, his name get called at least once a minute, usually because he likes to disturb his sister!<br /><br />His developmental areas include remembering instructions (has to be reminded a lot of times) and being more assertive (he gets bullied quite a bit coz other kids know he won't fight back, but Sa'eed knows to call his teacher if he's in trouble). He also needs to learn to share.<br /><br />'Aatikah:<br />She's a bit more reserved, especially in a crowd of people. But she has a best friend already. This girl, Natrah, who is about her age is her best bud. They always sit together and will be yakking away in their own language. 'Aatikah also loves to use the pen and scribble or draw. I also noticed that she can hold the pencil/pen properly. For her age, I think it's quite awesome. Besides that, she also joins some of Sa'eed's class and can follow what the bigger kids are doing.<br /><br />Oh, but the best part is that she sleeps a lot! haha....naptime at school is usually from 1 to 3.30 pm, but she will usually sleep past that. Takpe, sleeping is good for brain development..enjoy it while you can, hun.<br /><br />Sa'eed and 'Aatikah:<br />I asked the teachers, how are the kids' relationship in school. And their answer? Sa'eed is a regular big brother. He calls the teacher if someone is picking on 'Aatikah (because he's not exactly bouncer material...heh) and will never forget 'Aatikah during meal times.<br /><br />All in all, I think the kids are making good progress in school...alhamdulillah :)ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4962756744525390351.post-44121546512378330092010-05-06T13:13:00.003+08:002010-05-06T14:20:06.607+08:00Kiddies....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP9-hGf4OTiiDERoz9ti9u4rzuYn_58EZe8O8RYLoAEiR9P_MyhmDBO6zI6GdTIudOJyBUyK4wE_rx56DLrqn_qVlpkT4ay4oZIjaj5Xg_ZINT8_pepM7Ghlu8XXQuxkkVNCDVeGpEy9s/s1600/30042010591.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQP9-hGf4OTiiDERoz9ti9u4rzuYn_58EZe8O8RYLoAEiR9P_MyhmDBO6zI6GdTIudOJyBUyK4wE_rx56DLrqn_qVlpkT4ay4oZIjaj5Xg_ZINT8_pepM7Ghlu8XXQuxkkVNCDVeGpEy9s/s320/30042010591.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5468022110297435282" border="0" /></a><br />When they are not at each others throats, they get along pretty well. If one cries, the other one will try to soothe him/her. It's pretty sweet to see. But when they fight, oh my goodness, expect an orchestra of tears to start.<br /><br />Sa'eed's favourite sentence is now What is this? But he says it as What a this? And he also developed an attachment to his trains. Hari hari pun nak baju train dia yang satu tu.<br /><br />Anyways, this post doesn't have much point to it. I just wanted to put up a picture of the kids coz some people miss them :)ummi sa'eedhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00580564041310132659noreply@blogger.com2