The Verdict Is Here

Today was the day of the CB meeting. It was supposed to have lasted until mid-afternoon, but at around 11 a.m., the Dean had called in ET, Abdullah and I into his office.

Uh-oh. This did not look too good. ET had applied to Germany, whilst Abdullah and myself to UK. It was a known fact that the scholarship to UK was totally gone, and if anyone should have the better luck here, it'd be ET through the Europe/USA quota.

If that was the case, it would only make sense that ET was called separately, since her news would be different from those who applied to UK, but the Dean had called all three of us collectively. Which could imply only one thing: We all got rejected.

The wait was pure torture. We had prepared ourselves for the worst. Even the Dean had made us sit down before he let out the news.

WE GOT THE SCHOLARSHIPS!!!

Yes, we heard him right. We got the scholarships. All three of us. ET to Germany, Abdullah to Nottingham U and moi, to Plymouth U.

This is so surreal I can't write anything more than Alhamdulillah Syukur Nikmat!

Everyone, thanks for the constant prayers and well-wishes.

Baby, we're in!

WEEK 22 - INFO UPDATE

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is approximately 7.6 inches and your growing baby weighs about 12.25 ounces now! Your uterus is about 2 cm above your bellybutton and you probably feel comfortably pregnant. Your growing tummy is not yet large enough to get in the way and you should still be able to bend over and sit without much trouble. You might be enjoying your pregnancy more than ever at this point if morning sickness was an issue in the early weeks.

Source:

http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/Pregnancy/calendar/week/22

5th Clinic Visit

Tadi pegi check up ngan Dr Sy. Dah masuk Week 21+ dah aku, Alhamdulillah...

Berat aku, spt biasa, naik another 2 kg, jadinya dah 69.5 kg. BP 110/74. Lain2 semua OK, xde gula dalam air kencing, Fetal heart rate pon OK. Syukur...

Aku dah tahu in advance dah yg aku kena injek Tetanus 1st Dose hari ni. Mmg agak berdebar2 jugak, almaklumlah, siapa suka kena cucuk ngan picagari ni. Paling x best ialah bila Dr Sy godek2 syringe tu, bunyi dia kuar dari plastik tu huh menyeramkan. But again, dgn skill dia yg sgt wonderful tu, aku hardly rasa apa2. Terror sungguh dr Sy bermain ngan jarum ni. Respek ahh...

Aku anticipated some sort of side effect la, demam ke, lenguh ke.. tp Alhamdulillah x de. Yg aku baca kat net ada extreme cases pompuan yg demam, plus ada jugak yg kata sakit sampai x leh angkat lengan or x leh tidur mengiring. Mungkin itu utk extreme cases la kot. Semua org bertindak balas secara lain.

Yg agak ralat sket ialah, bila dah kena cucuk tu, ingatkan dpt la terubat jiwa ngan tgk ultrasound Baby. Rupa2nya Dr Sy kata x yah la, sbb there's nothing to see around this time. Placenta pon dia syak x naik lagi, so what's the point. Huhu... sedihnya aku... sebenarnya ultrasound tu la the highlight of each visit. Mujur la at this point aku dah boleh rasa Baby punya pergerakan, so itu aje la reassurance aku. Kalo x mau jadi basket case aku...

Oh well, until the next visit... got one more tetanus shot to look forward to...

Ngidam Sotong Bakar Jalan Bellamy

Hari ni teringin sgt nak mkn Sotong Bakar Jalan Bellamy, KL. Merepek, kan? Sbb hari ni hari keja n x logik langsung nak gi tghari buta ni.

Tp Hubs pandai carik alternatif. Last2 kitaorg mkn kat ada kedai ikan bakar berdekatan. Ada gak sotong bakar kat situ. Not exactly the same, but boleh la.... wat hilang rasa ngidam tuh

Tangguh Lagi?

Utk pengetahuan semua, ye, mesy CB telah dipinda skali lagi iaitu ke minggu hadapan. Grr!!

Asalnya mmg rasa frust lg, tp Maha Suci Allah, semua tu ada hikmahnya kerana hari ni baru aku dpt offer letter drpd University of Canterbury, NZ. Rupa2nya potential SV aku kat UoC ni x terperasan emel aku tempohari, sbb dah automatically masuk junk mail. Nasib la dia rajin sort trash tuh. Ganazz sungguh spam filter dia, emel aku pon dia letak bawah junk. Chett! Dah la agak susah application ke NZ ni nak dibandingkan ke UK, byk songeh. Semua dokumen nak kena hantar cop commissioner of oath plak dah. But aku bersyukur la sgt, walau pon berbyr gi ke Pesuruhjaya Sumpah, nasib baik dia x demand kena certify true copy dgn Justice of Peace, kalo x lg haru $$$$

Again, the whole process of filling in (yet another) CB forms and photocopying all necessary documents began once more. Letih satu hal, malu pon ada gak sbb org mmg nmpk terang2 apa aku buat. Semua org tahu, ooo.. dia tgh fotostat utk apply PhD oversea. Kang x dpt pegi kang, malu je ... semua org tahu ... ntah la, apa yg penting kena la berusaha. At least org dah tgk aku put a lot effort into it. Kalo x dpt tu, mmg bkn rezeki aku la kan, nak wat camne.

Maka sempat la aku submit one more application before the meeting begins, which means skang aku submit 2 ke UK (Plymouth n Sheffield) and satu ke New Zealand (Canterbury). Letak byk2 eggs dlm byk2 basket, kata omputih. Mencuba nasib la katakan. Harap2nya peluang tu lebih cerah la nnt, Insya Allah...

FariDilla's Big Day

Selamat Pengantin Baru buat Farid n Dilla!

Semoga Cinta yg Disemai Kekal Abadi...

P/S: This week aku n Hubs ke Klang lagi utk majlis Farid nih :) Pengantin dia sama cantek sama padan. Lauk yg dihidangkan amat best, paling best kot utk kenduri2 yg aku pernah pergi. Sungguh x muak mcm kebanyakan nasi2 minyak/nasi bukhari/ nasi beriyani lainnya. Siap nak tambah tp Hubs x bg. Hubs kata, nnt dia belikan aku nasi bungkus lain kat tgh jln. Selera org berbadan dua agaknya, sungguh bole memalukan diri sendiri :P

WEEK 21 - INFO UPDATE

Your baby will be getting much larger during the second half of your pregnancy. Your baby's crown-to-rump length at this time is 7.2 inches and she weighs approximately 10.5 ounces. Your growing baby is about the size of a large banana. You should be able to feel your uterus about a half of an inch above your navel. Your weight gain so far will be around 10 to 15 pounds. As your baby begins to lay down more fat, your weight will also increase. During the next 10 weeks, you will gain about half of the total gain for your entire pregnancy. Strangers can now tell that you are pregnant! You might notice an increase in appetite because you need 500 more calories a day to support your charged up metabolism.

Source:

http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/Pregnancy/calendar/week/21

Half Way There!

Tahniah buat Sake and Ummu yang telah menyambut kehadiran cahaya mata lelaki mereka seberat 2.65 kg mlm semlm di Hospital Pakar An-Nur, Bangi. Masa Sake bgtau semlm, aku n Hubs dah x sempat pergi, sbb dia bgtau pon dah dekat Maghrib. Hari ni Sake call lagi, bgtau diorg stay lg semalaman, sbb baby kena jaundice, so kalo nak dtg melawat, silakanlah.

Mengenangkan Sake ni mmg dah kira cam best bud aku, maka aku gagahkan diri utk pergi juga melawat. Bkn aku x nak, in fact, bab2 melawat org bersalin ni dulu aku la org yg paling teruja, tp aku still ada lg saki baki trauma sbb pernah wat D&C kat An-Nur. Bkn salah dari segi treatment ke apa, but just the whole place tu membuatkan aku teringat2 dan terbyg2 episod yg menyedihkan dlm hidup aku tahun lps. Pulak tu, a few days before peristiwa itu, aku gi melawat member baik yg baru sahaja menimang cahaya mata kat Hospital Putrajaya, only to find out later that I had miscarried. So please understand aku punya irrational fear of melawat org bersalin ni.

As I said, fear x fear, itu benda yg lps and Sake is a good friend of mine, and we must live in the present. Plak tu kawan kita tgh happy, and mmg kita pon tumpang happy sama. So dgn sokongan Hubs dpt lah aku cari kekuatan utk menjejakkan kaki semula di tempat bersejarah itu. And Alhamdulillah, x de la mencabar mana sgt, especially bila dah berjumpa dan mendengar penuh khusyuk si ibu muda tu menceritakan pengalaman bersalin. Cuma berdebar sket2 je masa lalu depan Operation Theatre, teringat waktu kena sorong ngan trolley dulu before the procedure was done. Eii... ngeri.

Sake tanya how far along I was, to which I replied dah 20 weeks plus. Ah... dah half way through, kata dia. Bole plak aku x perasan ek. 20 weeks down, 20 weeks to go. Rasa cam skjp je masa berlalu. Lps solat Maghrib kat situ, kitaorg pon beransur pulang. Sayangnya x dpt nak cuit2 baby Sake sbb dia kena phototherapy kat nursery. Kesian... Semoga cpt baik and the new family of three dpt cpt2 balik umah n start a happy life of their own :)

KWSPee Pee

Tghari td aku ikut Hubs gi KWSP masa lunch time utk submit permohonan nak kuarkan Akaun 2 utk membiayai kos pinjaman perumahan. Mak aiiihhh... ramai nya manusia. Nak pengsan aku. Plak tu barisan beratur sungguh pjg. Terpaksa la kami bersabar beratur.

Sesudah amik no giliran, kami pon duduk menunggu le. Tiba2 tu plak terasa pundi kencing sudah berisi benar. Alamak, lately ni mmg kalo nak gi toilet mmg x leh budget2, time terasa je nak terkucil tu, time tu la kena pegi. Wahh... panik juga nih. Dah la baru lps makan, lagi la, tangki baru diisi. Melilau mata aku mencari kot ada public toilet kat dlm KWSP, tp x de la plak. Mungkin kat belakang tp utk staf aje agaknya.

Nak best lg, Baby plak duk berenjut dan melompat sakan dalam perut aku. Mungkin Baby ingat bladder yg penuh itu adalah trampoline utk dia bermain. Haishhh... x bole jd ni. Mau nya aku ter'pee-pee' dekat sini, kelam kabut pejabat KWSP nih.

Dlm aku dok menahan2 tu, giliran kami pon tiba. Malangnya, x cukup satu item kena fotostat extra. Maka terpaksa la kami ke kedai berdekatan utk fotostat. Mujur la x jauh, sebelah je. By that time aku dah x tahan, terus tanya org kedai fotostat tu, ad toilet x kat blkg yg bole aku tumpang. Dia kata OK aje terus aku pegi. Masa tu x pikir dah malu ke tidak (kat situ semua pekerja fotostat lelaki), toilet tu bersih ke tidak (sememangnya tidak bersih n hancing banget), bahaya ke tidak (memandangkan aku ni perempuan yg lemah tumpang toilet nun jauh di belakang kedai), or even ada letak kamera ke apa ke dlm toilet (it sure looked dodgy and possible).

Peringatan utk diri sendiri n semua pregnant women yg lainnya: Please, please, please buang air kecik dulu sebelum bergerak ke mana2. Nanti menyusahkan diri sendiri huhu ... percaya lah!

cartoon from: http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com/calendar/week15

WEEK 20 - INFO UPDATE

Congratulations! This week marks the half way point of your pregnancy. It has been 18 weeks since the date of conception and your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.6 to 6.4 inches. The fetus weighs about 9 ounces and your belly definitely has an obvious bulge. Your baby's skin begins to thicken this week and will develop four layers. Scalp hair and toenails are beginning to form at this point. Hair can also be seen on the upper lip and eyebrows.

Source:

http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/Pregnancy/calendar/week/20

Sepanjang Cuti Raya Cina

The remaining of the week cam x de prekembangan terbaru sgt. Mostly bcoz tgh cuti raya Cina. But one thing la, this week, I received the offer letter from University of Sheffield, so tgh cpt2 isi borang CB one more time, atas nasihat my Dean.

Also, I kept bugging potential SV dekat University of Canterbury, NZ utk balas e-mel aku. Ntah kenapa dlm 2,3 hari ni bila kita nak cpt, dia x jawab. X tau sama ada dia tgh out station ke mmg x nak layan aku. Itu hari beriya2 discussed potential project using Gamelan. Hebat tu, UoC, ada Gamelan team. Tp setakat yg aku survey2 web dia, aku yakin diaorg pakai Gamelan Bali / Jawa, dan bkn nya Gamelan Terengganu yang pentatonic scale spt yg aku biasa main tu.

Anyway, reply UoC sblm ni dah jauh lebih better drpd University of Waikato, NZ yg menyepi tanpa berita. Cheh, konon ada MOU dgn Fakulti aku, tp bole dia buat derkkk... plak bila application masuk. Huh.

Bertukar topik sket. On Saturday aku gi kenduri member aku yg merupakan Mantan Timbalan Presiden 1, Majlis Tertinggi Mahasiswa Kolej 14 dulu. Terkenang zaman muda dolu2... huh syahdu....

Janji nak gi ngan Sake n wife, tp diaorg lmbt by one hour so kitaorg bertolak dulu keh keh keh. Tp agaknya Sake ni tahu jln shortcut, x pon dia speed giler2 sbb bila sampai kat Klang tu, lebih kurg sama aje waktu nye. Maka naik lah kami berempat (ke berenam? sbb masing2 tgh pregnant time tuh) ke atas dewan tempat majlis meraikan mempelai itu diadakan.

Ada amik gambar ngan pasangan pengantin tp dekat PC lg satu. Asyik la alasan malas kan. Nanti la bila aku rajin aku edit kan semula entry ni n masukkan gmbr kitaorg. Sake kata perut aku yg baru 5 bulan itu dah lebih kurg sama ngan wife dia yg tgh tggu hari. Ye ke? Psl aku pendek n berisi kot nmpk cam tu?

Ok to my friend yg kawen tu, Selamat Pengantin Baru, Semoga Bahagia Hingga ke Akhir Hayat!

Pregnancy Joke

X de menda nak di blogkan. Mari kita bergelak ketawa dgn lawak2 pregnancy yg ada kebenarannya.

Q. Should I have a baby after 35?
A. No, 35 children is enough.

Q. Since I became pregnant, my breasts, rear-end, and even my feet have grown. Is there anything that gets smaller during pregnancy?
A. Yes, your bladder.

Q. What is the most common pregnancy craving?
A. For men to be the ones who get pregnant.

Q. What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A. Childbirth.

Q. The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
A. 'Cause you're fatter than they are.

Q. How long is the average woman in labor?
A. Whatever she says, divided by two.

Q. My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A. Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.

Q. When is the best time to get an epidural?
A. Right after you find out you're pregnant.

Q. Where is the best place to store breast milk?
A. In your breasts.

Q. Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?

A. Yes, pregnancy.

More jokes can be found here

Kenduri Kawen Member

Tghari td kitaorg gi kenduri member aku dekat Dewan DBP, KL. Pasangan mempelai ni kengkawan aku masa degree, in fact the bride tu aku kenal sejak dari sekolah rendah lg, dari darjah 4 sampai la darjah 6 before we all membawak haluan masing2 di alam sekolah menengah. So aku mmg dah psg niat awal2 lg nak pegi majlis diaorg tuh.

Walau bagaimanapun, aku agak berdebar nak gi majlis ni coz I have nothing to wear! Aku x tahu la acceptable ke x kalo pakai baju maternity ngan skirt maternity masuk majlis org. I have always been a Baju Kurung girl so aku jarang rasa self-conscious masuk majlis apa2 pon, bcoz it's the safest option, baik utk dinner, conference, meeting, etc, unless event tu event kena pegi aerobik ke, then baru la aku rasa mcm kambing masuk kandang gajah.

Aku bawak la satu selendang manik2 ni yg matching ngan baju turqoise aku tu, konon2 nak buat jd shawl / accessory tambahan, tp aku rasa nmpk cam stupid plak. Last2 I ditched the selendang.

Then timbul isu kasut. Dah la selama aku pregnant ni aku pakai sandal Scholl yg sepasang itu baik ke tempat kerja mahu pun ke pasar malam. Comfy whaat... So nak gi kenduri x kan nak maintain yg tu kot? I dug a pair of black shoes out of the rak kasut and found a decent pair. Sebab kaki aku dah sembab, susah bebenor nak masuk, jadi aku pon berkaki ayam la dlm keta sehingga la aku sampai ke destinasi, baru la terak2 kaki bg masuk juga dlm kasut tu. Cheh... nak melaram punya pasal.

Mcm mana la artis2 Hollywood ni still maintain bergaya even tgh2 sarat pregnant? And check out those heels!!!

WEEK 19 - INFO UPDATE

Your baby's crown-to-rump length is 5.2 to 6 inches this week. Your baby weighs approximately 7 ounces and will increase its weight more than 15 times between now and birth! Most women can feel their uterus about a half of an inch below their bellybutton at this point of pregnancy. If you turn to the side, you can really tell that your body is changing! Most women have gained up to 14 pounds now and only 7 ounces of that is your baby! The placenta weighs about 6 ounces and the amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby weighs 11 ounces. Your breasts have increased in weight by 6 ounces each and the uterus has grown to 11 ounces! You may be gaining weight in places other than your abdomen and this may be affecting your posture and sleeping habits.

Source:
http://www.i-am-pregnant.com/Pregnancy/calendar/week/19

This Is Goign to Be Our New Home, Baby!

Late 2005, Hubs and I bought a house. We learnt two weeks ago that the house is all done and ready, but it wasn't until today that Hubs and I finally had the opportunity to get the keys and signed all the necessary paperworks.

Of course Hubs and I were beyond ecstatic when we first turned open the key to our house. It was built just as it had been showcased. Although a major scrubbing and cleaning session was clearly in order, we were very, very, very happy to say the least. This was going to be our home sweet home. And I couldn't help but sending a mental message to baby saying, 'Baby, this is our house!'

After taking a complete tour for the very first time, I called Yzma to ask for some pointers and tips on moving into a brand new home, and she was more than happy to offer plenty. It was not long ago that she and her husband had completed their own renovation projects and moved into their new house, so everything was still fresh in her mind.

As it was, both Yzma and her husband were having lunch somewhere not far from where our new neighbourhood was, so we invited them over to stop by. When they got here, Faizal, Yzma's husband, gave a lot of pointers on what to-do and what-not-to-do later on when we decided to renovate, clean and move in. Just listening to the list made me tired. It sounded like a lot of work!

Maybe, just maybe, this was the hikmah if I never got that scholarship. Ahh... life is going to be good either way, Alhamdulillah........