“sehr sub”

solid food???

Uih. bankrupcy ler bapak kamu kalau makan cenggini

Personally, I think Lana is not quite ready for solid food. But, I hear some remarks (mostly from both my mom & parents in law) which came out in their advice form: “Lana dah boleh makan ni”, “Dah boleh bagi biskut rendam dalam susu”, and one from my husband, “Lana dah nak makan lah” (lagi hebat kan? siap confident je cakap anak dia nak makan dah). What a relieve for me for having 100% of my own choice on subject matter. I DON’T THINK LANA IS READY FOR SOLID, YET!!!

And so, begin the journey of my own little research:asking around other moms and reading from various sites and books. There’s this one site: Baby Center that I really like - been reading it since my pregnancy. So, while I search for information on postpartum hair loss (oh, thankfully, I’m not going bald!!! and so much about old wives tales on “baby kalau air liur meleleh or main air liur (bubbles), confirm rambut mak dia gugur - hehehe.. it’s all hormonal changes. Now I can go around and tell people that!), I looked for “Introducing Solid Foods”. Here’s some cues to look for:

•  Head control. Your baby needs to be able to keep his head in a steady, upright position.
(Ok, Lana does have good head control)

•  Losing the “extrusion reflex.” To keep solid food in his mouth and then swallow it, your baby needs to stop using his tongue to push food out of his mouth.
( See, she is still pushing the bottle’s nipple & pacifier away with her tongue)

•  Sitting well when supported. Even if he’s not quite ready for a highchair, your baby needs to be able to sit upright to swallow well.
(She can sit quite well with support, but the likelihood of her tersembam head first is still high)
•  Chewing motions. Your baby’s mouth and tongue develop in sync with his digestive system. To start solids, he should be able to move food to the back of his mouth and swallow. As he learns to swallow efficiently, you may notice less drooling. He may also be teething around the same time.
(I noticed that 2 days ago, Lana started to have this chewing motions and less drools. But, it’s only 2 days. You can’t just start solid as soon as she knows how to chew, right? I should give her some time to master the skills first. Am I right? My baby is teething!!!)
•  Significant weight gain. Most babies are ready to eat solids when they’ve doubled their birth weight (or weigh about 15 pounds) and are at least 4 months old.
(OK. OK. She was born 2.85kg. She is currently around 6.3kg. And, is 4 months old. But still…)
•  Growing appetite. He seems hungry — even with eight to ten feedings of breast milk or formula a day.
(She feeds more now. Longer feeding time and more volume. I think I have sufficient milk for her)
•  Curiosity about what you’re eating. Your baby may begin eyeing your bowl of rice or reaching for a forkful of fettuccine as it travels from your plate to your mouth.

(haha. This is funny. Just 2 days ago she was eyeing my nasi goreng and she kept looking at me with interest! But she didn’t try to reach for it. Anyway, even when she had started to see better, she had been very interested in looking at food on the table. - tetiba teringat citer sang kancil dengan monyet yang salu aired kat TV dulu-dulu “Jangan monyet, jangan..”)

Erk. 4 out of 7. Hahaha.. I’m giving her more time to settle down. She is not sitting well, yet. That is one of the most important thing. She can’t swallow well if not sitting well. Plus she has not yet lose the extrusion reflex. All the important developments for her to start on solid.

I’m planning to breastfeed her exclusively, at least for 6 months. Need to strengthen her immune system and also creating bond with her. Then, and only then she can make her debut in the solid food department.

Minggu lepas I watched re-run of Oprah. The episode that I watched was the one with people contributing something to the society or and individuals that deserve gifts.

Will-I-Am from Black Eye Peas sponsored 4 kids’ with 4 years scholarships in universities that they chose.

Kenapa kat Malaysia takde show yang boleh jadik medium untuk help orang-orang kaya sponsor students yang tak mampu belajar camtu? I think memang ada orang yang sponsor kot, cuma tak commercialize je.. Tapi.. rasanya dalam 10000 orang, adalah gaknya sorang je yang nak buat camtu.

Kenapa kat Malaysia lebih suke buat rancangan mintak simpati derma orang lain? Pi lawat2 umah orang miskin, tolong bersihkan umah, bagi beras, susu, gula, dan barang-barang makanan lain. Padahal tengok orang2 miskin tu macam sihat jek, masih boleh bekerja untuk cari makan sendiri. Kenapa orang-orang yang mampu tu tak tolong orang-orang yang tak mampu tu untuk dapatkan kerja yang boleh menampung hidup mereka? Kalau diaorang takde skills, kenapa tak sponsor mereka go into training yang boleh develop their skills?

Kenapa? Adakah lebih senang bagi makanan? “Oh, at least, I’ve contributed something”. Kenapa contribute something yang tak long lasting? Kalau train mereka, get them jobs, bukankah mereka boleh cari makan sendiri? A skill that can last them a lifetime.

Kenapa Malaysia lebih suke bagi ikan daripada pancing? Memanglah ikan lebih murah, tapi, rasanya lebih berbaloi bagi pancing kan? With the money, they can send their kids to college, get a good education - the kids can be useful to the family and country.

Saya berangan-angan, if I get to see a Menteri, or lagi bagus Perdana Menteri, I think, I’d like to pose these questions to him.

Dah ramai orang kaya kat Malaysia ni.. Dulu-dulu kite belajar, buat essay bahas American lebih individualistic while Asian lebih collectivist. Tapi, nape Americans tu yang sebok2 nak bersedekah jariah kat community? Kalo ada pun orang kat Malaysia ni yang celik akal buat baik camtu, I think they are under-appreciated.

Tapi kalo show gossip2, music2, Malaysia tak nak kalah. Buat show ujibakat nyanyi. Kenapa takde show yang ujibakat kecekalan? Endurance? Achievement? Ada…tapi semua mesti berkaitan dengan music atau lakonanlah.

Kenapa?

Now, how can we change this?

John Gray kata, men go into caves when they find themselves dealing with difficulties.

John Gray juga kata, women’s mood is like waves - sometimes they soar high above the surface, other times the sink to the lowest bottom of the sea.

John Gray kata, when given problems, men tend to have the need to solve them.

John Gray kata lagi, during difficulties, women tend to talk - not for the listener to help solve the problem, but merely to listen.

SAPE YANG PINJAM BUKU “MEN ARE FROM MARS, WOMEN ARE FROM VENUS” BY JOHN GRAY SAYA??? TOLONG LER PULANG.

I miss my book..

Oh NO!

Now that my little kookaburra has finally settle down, I find myself doing chores more relax than I used to. I have finally learned to do the chores around Lana’s schedule.

Did I just enjoy cooking just now? ho ho ho. Never knew I’d be blessed with this kind of feeling. Didn’t I say I’m so not into cooking?! What has just happened here? Although it is one hell of satisfaction when my dearest husband eat all the food I cook, regardless. (Or ke sebab dia lapar sangat?)

Lana is now 6.2kg, at 4 months old. I know that the longer I stay at home, the harder for us to send her to nursery. No separation anxiety, please..

Oh, please me, don’t get too complacent now. Don’t.

I should have written this down in my previous entry of October Review, but it is a whole different story that I want to put my 2 cents into.

While I was in Gurun last week, I heard a news that sadden me entirely. I’ve never experience it, but I understand how it is to lose something that we dearly hope for.

Hajar had a miscarriage. I know it broke her heart as much as I know she really wants a baby.

I also heard another news, a cousin of mine (by marriage) also miscarried her twins, about 2 to 3 months along. Now, that is double heartbreak, right?

I know that there are a lot of things that may cause miscarriage, but I’d like to highlight smoking. Both of the women are second-hand smokers. Both of their husbands smoke intensively. No offense to smokers - even mine is one, too. Smoking may be a risk factor to miscarriage. Smokers might have been somewhat immune to the poisonous smokes of cigarettes, but the effects it has on second hand smokers are a lot worse.

I am quite lucky as my husband does not smoke when I am around him (although I do wish he quits entirely) and the reassurance in the form of “Tak..” everytime I ask if he just smokes. I gave him the benefit of the doubts.

Dear smokers, if it’s not for yourself, please quit for your loved ones.

For your devoted innocent wives. Let them have you for the rest of their lives. Let them be able to enjoy your company in healthy forms, growing old together.

For your unborn babies. Give them chance to experience 9 months journey in the safe womb. Give them chance to hear your first voice of Azan or Qamat or a simple hi.

For your little fairies and pixies that are growing up each day. Give them clean air to breathe, give them more chances to live longer. Give them chance to grow up and enjoy seeing you and their mommy happily together (and alive!).

For your parents who are not supposed to bury their sons.

If you think you can’t quit, you are so wrong. If you think smoking gives you energy and ideas, try quitting and see if you’ll become one without any. If smoking makes you look smarter or richer or more elegant, try to see into the future when you lie on hospital beds with wires around you while you struggle for a breath of air - do you smarter, richer or elegant then? You say you love her, you love them, how far would you go to prove that you truly do? Would love means growing old and letting your wives care for you 24/7 as you no longer able to do it yourself because of your ailments? Would love means letting your children missing out on enjoying a good evening walk with you because you are bedridden? Would love means leaving your family entirely while you make your way to the afterworld?

It’s all in your hand. Quit for your own good. Quit so that your family have more love to share with you.

p/s: My husband first response over my graphic effects of smoking would be “Jangan la mintak yang bukan2″. That usually quieten me down. But it can never stop me from thinking about it. I know law of attractions, but I also know about action and its effect. You can’t hide from the inevitable, yes, everyone dies. But at least by not being a smoker, you eliminate some of the possible heartbroken death causes.

Don’t let people say this about you: Cigarettes make him history.

Daisies surrounded by fluttering butterflies

Pink ribbons with cute little buttons

Baby girls with their little charming smiles

All dressed up in dresses for special functions

Bright red trucks with shining gold horns

Blue and white stripes in horizontal and vertical

Baby boys with smart suits to be worn

Showing off their strong features of physical

Little coos of goo goo and ga gas

Not forgetting their out cry of wah wahs!

Insisting for attention from papa and mama

Not forgetting from grandpa and grandma

They smile and laugh at your funny antics

Looking forward to your off the key tunes

But watch out if they do not like your mimics

You’ll end up feeling more like a dunce

Everytime you feel like going shopping

You’ll end up buying everything for little her and him

Looks like there will be no more new dresses for evenings

Or even new shirts for the father to look prim

Your mind wanders to a whole new dimension in life

Of the whereabouts of being  parents whom are true

Looking at your little ones will make you want to thrive

Just to ensure they will never feel blue

I’ll be on the watch outs for robots and trains

While you will be looking at dolls in prams that are tiny

We’ll both have the same thoughts in our brain

How we really wish we could buy everything that we see

I love the way we feel when we hear them burp

Or the way they look at us after their nursing

We’ll smile at them and they’ll make us feel superb

Their eyes shining ever so brightly and twinkling

Alhamdulillah we were given this chance

To embrace motherhood with cute little ones

Now is the phase that sometimes feel like we’re in a trance

With reality of life fading in the background

Pink little outfits and mostly white basic wears

Just for your little Lana in her own adorable glory

White and mostly blue for his everyday care

For my own little Aslan and his own mighty story

Happy Birthday to my dear hot momma

A little gift of words for your belated happy moment

Hope it will bring a smile and feelings of love drama

As embarking on motherhood is actually the real best present!

Lots of tender thoughts and love from us in the East

Not forgetting prayers of all good bliss

Take care of your family in the West as it is

Because you’re really doing a great job, never forget this.!

By my Poem Fairy. for my birthday.

I am currently reading tips on bottle feeding. I’m planning to start working soon, so in lieu with that, I need Lana to learn how to bottle feed (again!). I started her to bottle feed as soon as she was 1 month plus. Read that introducing baby to bottle when baby is less than a month will cause nipple confusion. It was so hard to get Lana to establish the bottle feed. She cried and refused, but after about 2 weeks of training, she was able to do it. I feed her from bottle during the day and continue to breastfeed her at night.

Sometime after Raya, Lana started to refuse bottle. And this time, it was harder to train her. She rather chew the bottle’s nipple (sometimes to an hour) than sucking on it. Sometime, she even falls asleep - still no suckling. Then, we had to travel here and there, which means, consistency is compromised - with her crankiness plus I don’t want to go through the hassle of feeding her with bottle and hear her cries everytime I do it (oh, plus the staring of people - most of the time, I’m afraid they’ll say things like “Doesn’t she see that her baby does not want the bottle?” or “What kind of a mother that force her baby to drink from bottle even when she refused?”) .

I have tried everything I read - except the ‘ask somebody else to bottle-feed the baby and mother should not be in the room’. The only somebody else at home is my husband. But the fact that he is always (most of the time) not at home or is always too tired to handle the feed or cave in after a only a few trials (dengan alasan tak sampai hati), I failed to do that. On weekends pulak, since Raya, we were never really at home. And the only weekend that we were home - Lana had a cold, hence the beginning of her bottle refusal.

I keep hoping and praying and of course trying.

Lately, I’ve found myself unable to sit quietly and review my current life. Since Lana, things have been moving so fast. Not that I detest it, I just missed reflecting myself.

In this short moment I have, I’d like to do just that.

Early this month, we spent some quiet raya time at home. No guest whatsoever. Oh, sorry, we did have Syiefa, Nadia & Jimi coming over for a short visit. Ok lah, Syiefa staying overnight to do her presentation prep also. That’s about all.

My parents came on the first weekend. We spent a whole day beraya. It started with Muq’s colleagues’ open house in Melawati. Lana was cranky. Her nappy rash got worse. Kak Mas advised using cloth nappy at home to ease the rashes. I spent most of the visit in Kak Mas’s room comforting Lana. But I did get to talk to Kak Mas’s mother, who is in her 70s but looking young and healthy (The secret to that, she said, was to eat right). Kak Mas’s daughter looks like an angel - she inherits the look from her mommy and her grandma (I can see).

Then, as it reached noon, we went back home (the traffic was awful! - semua orang nak gi open house gaknye). Changed car and load ourselves into my dad’s. Next stop was Kak Eika’s 7 bedroom bungalow in Kota Warisan. I ate Laksa Sarawak (yummy yummy yummy) and a really satisfying chocolate cake (damn, meleleh air liur teringatkan kek tu). Lana was ok there. She even slept for awhile. Then, we headed to Klang, Pak Be’s house. I tried bathing Lana, and she wailed for no reason!!! I spent most of the time comforting her (again) and at last, Muq got her to sleep. We ate Mee Kari, but I didn’t enjoy it because I was already tired putting up with Lana’s crankiness.

From Klang, we went to USJ Heights, Pak Joy’s house. Turned out that it was Zuhier’s 20th birthday, so we get to eat his cheese cake with oats! It was Mak Ujie who advised me that Vaseline is great for nappy rash. It was completely gone after 3 days! Note to self: Don’t forget to thank her. Had a peek at Zulaikha’s luxurious room! Lana is having something like that. hehe..one can dream kan.. Lana was crying again but Kak Aisyah, Zulhairie’s nanny did her magic.

Our last stop was Kepong, visiting Mak Azie and family. Met Zaid and 9 months pregger Hasni. They had their baby girl yesterday, named Nur Irdina.

Last Wednesday, we had our journey home to Gurun. Muq’s brother’s wedding. Lana was a doll. She laughed and smiled at everybody. She is a people person, I can tell. It was tiring, though.

And the first day at home, I had Barotrauma. Sigh.

Lana is now a master of meniarap! Hahaha..

Aaah.. A few minutes to spend for myself.

While little Lana is asleep, I might as well start packing for our Gurun escapade (ceh, escapade konon.. that’s what you get when you rarely travel – use journeys of balik kampung as substitute for traveling – I’m not pathetic, just using the surrounding and situation as well as I can).

First thing first – count the days we are going to stay:

Thursday – Friday – Saturday – Sunday

Which means, at least 3 pairs of night & day clothes. Double everything for Lana (in case of barfing or pooping tragedy). Then, we need nice presentable clothes for visiting relatives (in case) – at least 2 blouses, including matching headscarf. A pair of jeans for each of us (excluding Lana) – which we will be wearing on Thursday. A pair of slack for each of us – for formal occasion (in case). 3 t-shirts & at least 1 pair of trainer & 1 pair of comfy seluar tido. Not to forget enough undergarments, too! 3 towels and a pair of sleeping sock for me.

Lana will need twice of everything. Oooh..can’t hardly wait to put on the pink dress we bought for her for the kenduri, with matching pink socks and hairband. She’ll look fab. Note to self: Do not forget to take pictures. Loads of napkin – we have upgraded small towel to napkin to be used to wipe barf & the non-stop flow of saliva. Note to self: keep reminding Muq to buy strawberry. Loads of socks to match her attire.

That’s just clothes. Moving on to toiletries.

For me: Facial wash, shampoo, body wash (oh, I left it there already, good), Rexona, perfume, moisturizer, eyeliner, lipstick, my ZA, toothbrush, a stack of carefree, comb, breast pump.

For Muq: Listerine, floss, deodorant, perfume, toothbrush. (yeah, men travel light)

For Lana: body wash, shampoo, Vaseline, baby oil (one for day, one for night), wipes, a whole pack of diapers, hair brush, cotton buds, her meds, feeding bottle, breast milk container (hopefully she can get back to her bottle routine by then), nasal aspirator, bip, nail clipper, changing mat, pillow, blanket. (hey, turn out babies have more essentials than women!)

Then, I need to pack Lana’s traveling bag.

10 diapers. A pair of bodysuit & socks. 2 barf napkins which will also be a double for her chewie & play thing. Tigger for when she gets bored. Wipes. Nursing cover. Hand sanitizer.

OK. Did I left anything out? Urrrmmm.. I don’t think so. Well, if there is, buy it there je lah.

Uh-oh, Lana is waking up!

Cheez.. I sure use up the time well. (in which part did I use for myself, then?)

If I am a tree, my roots have surely gone deep. Strong winds might not be able to uproot me. My bark would be comfy enough for little boy or girl to rest on. My leaves would make a good shade.

If I am a cat, I might make it to The Guiness Book of Record for being the oldest cat alive albeit failing senses.

If I am a book, my pages would have turned yellow. I smell like an old book (duh!). My edges would be dog-eared, my spine have cracks. I might have been read at least 10 times by my proud owner (hehe..).

If I am a building, I might have been repainted at least 9 times. My walls would have million cracks being repaired. In some nook or cranny, mosses accompany me, spreading silently. My roof might have served millions of birds as one of the best accommodations.

I am 27.

I am a person. I have helped taken care 4 siblings (in some way or another). I have lost my grandparents. I have a degree. I have just attained a master degree. I have had work 3 jobs. I was able to buy things for my parents. I have lived alone and enjoyed it. I have met some good friends to keep. I have somehow made some people jealous of me (which make me realize that at some point, I am a success. Haha). I have lost some friends over stupid things. My bank account have hit bottom (no surprise there). I have paid my meal with ‘syilling’s. I married a man with big dreams and good plans - a truly McNaught man (a bonus for me for getting one like that!). I went through 9 good months of pregnancy. I have had a breathtaking experience of childbirth. Had one little angel to cuddle to.

I am 27. There are so many things that I have not had the chance to own and to do. So many places I want to see. So many flavors I have yet to taste. So many hearts that I have yet to touch.

I am 27, and I hope I can live another 27 (and more!) so that I can serve the people I love, so that I can help those that needed it, so that I can achieve my goals and dreams (both, in this world and the afterlife).

I turned 27 on 26^th September 2009. I had a Baskin Robbins cake for the first time!

Footnote: My gracious thanks to hubby (for the cake! And everything else you did), to my beloved family who made it a must to give me nicely wrapped presents, to my friends who took trouble to wish me & also gave gifts.