Aisyah's 3rd Month Visit Update

Aisyah nyer visit last week, but somehow sibuk giler x tertulis2 lg.

OK, ni dia stats Aisyah so far...


Dia skang selsema. Kesian dia.

Semoga cpt sembuh ye sayang?

Hubs Should Really Quit His Job ...

And become a stand-up comedian instead...

IF ...

All of his audiences find him as funny as Aisyah does. He's there doing absolutely nothing and it totally cracked her up. See how she's laughing her head off? Macam budak besar...

Visuals like these totally make me warm and fuzzy inside. Aisyah, you turned 100 days old today, and I thank Allah for allowing me to cherish these mometns with you.

Happy 100th Day Birthday, Baby!

Applying Visa on Aisyah's 3rd Months Birthday

Pagi2 lg smlm kitaorg kuar ke Visa Application Centre utk submit visa application kitaorg. Sebelum tu dah beberapa mlm tido x cukup sbb nak siapkan ALL the documents yg perlu utk wat visa tuh. Bole wat masa Aisyah tido aje, me n Hubs sama2 wat. Dah lama dah collect sket2, tp semlm mmg all out la, sbb x mo tangguh2 dahGiler leceh la, malas nak tulis. Imagine je la yeh kesengsaraan kitaorg tu yeh?

Visa Application Centre ni terletak kat Wisma MCA, kat Jalan Ampang. Tingkat 19, pening kepala aku naik lif. Whoosh! Dia punya security, pergh, ketat giler. Nak masuk dia scan, pas tu ada beberapa pintu security yg hanya guard bole buka utk kita masuk. CCTV jgn citer la. Dtg kena wat appointment, but walk in pon bole gak kalo x ramai sgt. Kena beratur utk scan bag and badan. Pas tu guard yg bg no giliran. Plak tu, bkn bole masuk beramai2. Lps beberapa org keluar, baru la beberapa org dibenarkan masuk at any one time. Tempat wat visa UK ni bersebelahan ngan tempat wat visa US. Masa aku jengok opis sebelah ut, Ya Allah lengang... yg kat UK ni berlambak org. Says anything? ;P

Byk yg dtg ni bakal undergrad aku tgk, sbb parents pon ikut serta. Kalo korg dtg ngan parents, baik dtg sendiri je la, sbb guard akan suruh parents turun tunggu kat lobi. Nasib aku mmg apply utk tiga beranak, so all three bole masuk. Actually, lebih senang, sbb ada baby, so diaper bag tu dia x check sgt. Guard pon bg masuk cpt, sbb takut baby nangis tunggu lama2 kat luar. Hehe... rahmat2...

Efficient gak diorg wat keja. Kitaorg x yah tggu lama2 pon. Tp mmg diaorg scrutinize abis kita nyer dokumen2 tu sblm diorg amik. Pas tu amik biometric data setiap sorg tu, dgn sepuluh2 jari and muka masuk dlm rekod dia. Mesti gile besar dia punya database nak simpan each and every applicants nyer info. Btw, diaorg hanya terima bank draft. Kalo x silap aku, ari tu baca kata bole kasi cash, alih2 x bleh plak. Ke aku konfius ngan buat passport? Ntah la, tp nasib baik kat bawah tu ada Alliance Bank. Kalo x nak Alliance Bank pon, gi Maybank seberang jln kat Ampang Park pon ok. Habis RM 2000 lebih okeh nak wat visa utk 3 beranak nih? Haiyo... harap2 approved tanpa byk songeh la application kitaorg. Visa akan siap dlm 10 working days, Insya Allah...

On the way balik tu, kitaorg singgah Great Eastern Mall, beli baju panas utk baby. Nasib baik ada, susah betul nak cari saiz under 1 year old nih. Dpt la beli gloves and wool hat utk Aisyah. Also beli Long Johns utk dia (bodywarmer). Aku beli gak sepasang Long Johns utk aku sendiri.

Sbnarnya, utk bulan Oktober, masih x perlu topi and gloves tuh, tp aku ingat sgt masa aku first gi UK dulu, sbb pertukaran cuaca tu, mmg angin sepoi2 bahasa pon rasa cam dah nak beku. So biar la aku wrap Aisyah lebih sket, even kalo org sana nak ketawa sbb masih autumn and bukannya winter pon aku x kisah. Janji Aisyah warm and comfy, mintak jauh la demam or selsema sbb sejuk. Cuba diaorg yg kat UK plak gi Msia, hah... mcm cacing kepanasan la gamaknya, so jgn mandai2 nak ketawakan org :D

Menyentuh bab beli2 baju nih, ada la sket2 dah wat. Itu hari gi cari jeans utk aku, sbb aku x decent pair pon. Aku ni kan wanita melayu terakhir, asyik pakai baju kurng je. Kat sana mmg x dpt la nak pakai kalo bkn ari raya, sejuk beb! Anywya, dpt la rembat sepasang (nak kena cari lg :P). Sungguh aku x sangka saiz seluar aku sudah melepasi angka umur aku. Wah! sungguh x percaya ngan saiz aku skang. Mmg la aku tahu aku dah besar berbanding dulu, tp x perasan la plak bila masa dah naik saiz nih, tahap malu gaban nak citer nih. Rahsia wokeh saiz aku? Mmg I have lost all the baby weight, tp aku lupa yg body dah x se'tone' dulu. Aiseh, nak kena cari bengkung nih. Ni la bahana pregnancy and the c-section made it even worst. X pe, demi Aisyah, aku redha :)

Oh ya, dekat Great Eastern Mall tu dia punya Nursing / Changing Room sgt2 selesa, roomy n wangi. Ada 2 tempat nappy change, 2 bilik nursing (dlm nursing room ada sofa, end table, mirror), ada sofas di lounge utk bottle fed babies n moms hang out, ada sinki and ada in-room toilet. Also ada aircond, best2. Nmpk mcm x ramai sgt yg guna, so ok la x berebut ngan org lain mcm kat Alamanda ke. Itu je nak ckp, in case ada org nak gi, so jgn takut2 psl x de tempat tukar nappy. (Kalo nak gi wat visa kat Wisma MCA ye, perlu takut, sbb x baby-friendly tempat tu. Mmg x expect pon, sbb very corporate punya tempat kan. Aku terpaksa fed Aisyah kat surau, which had no aircond. Kepanasan tau! huhu).

Ok la, itu aje citer jenjalan semalam. BTW, Aisyah turned 3 months semlm. Ni dia Aisyah yg tgh test pakai wool hat dia.

Tips Untuk Travel With Frozen EBM

Beberapa minggu lepas aku rasa x berapa motivated nak pump susu wat stock. Sebabnya, aku terpikir, aku kan dah nak gi UK, jadi ada byk isu yg menserabutkan kepala relating to EBM. Antaranya:

1. Dgn apa aku transportkan EBM tu semua nanti?

2. Plak kalo EBM tu semua cair dlm perjalanan, kan ke sia2 aje usaha aku selama ni?

3. Better aku BF direct aje la wat masa ni, x yah susah2 beli storage bottles tu lg (botol dah habis wat stock EBM dlm fridge, needed new ones).

4. Nak kena cair n buangkan ke EBM tu before leaving for the UK, then basuh2 storage bottles tu elok2 and pack dlm beg ke? (ruginya!) Kalo mcm tu, x ke buat berat beg aje bawa botol kosong? Better beli kat UK aje nanti botol2 tu, lg murah kot.

5. Bila dah buang stok EBM skang, habis tu kat UK kena start from scratch ke? Mak aiih... dah la masa tu Aisyah makin besar, permintaan susu dia mesti tinggi. Skang pon 4 oz x berapa cukup per feeding session. Mcm mana la aku penuhi demand dia nanti, dgn aku nak start school nya, stress research n stress in settling life kat sana. Ada susu ke?

6. Kalo x buang kan EBM tu, bole ke transport atas flight? Bkn ke ada regulations regarding membawa cecair ke atas kapal terbang? EBM lepas ke?

7. Kalo lps pon, mesti berat gile frozen EBM ni. Botak la nak byr overweight luggage... huhu

.. dan mcm2 lg la yg negatif. Last2, aku pikir, x leh jd ni. Kena tanya pakar nih. Makin lama aku pendam rasa negatif gini, makin malas aku dibuatnya utk mengepam. Tau2 kang kering plak susu sbb dah x de motivasi. Aku pon book appointment ngan Puan Rita Rahayu tu (Lactation Expert) kat kedai Moms Little Ones tu la.

Man, was I glad I had that chat with her. Lps explaining masalah aku, dia terus provide suggestion and possible solutions. Jgn buang EBM2 tu skang, and jgn rasa down, nnt effect pengeluaran susu, kata dia. Skang nih, nak naik flight bole bawa EBM, either as hand luggage or through baggage bawah. But remember to declare it first before checking in. Kalo ada masalah, cite apa yg tertulis dlm TSA Policy (Transportation Security Administration). Bawak aje printout, tunjuk kat org kaunter yg check-in. Mau gaduh lg kalu, panggil sama itu manager la. Hehe...

"TSA is also modifying the rules associated with carrying breast milk through security checkpoints. Mothers flying with, and now without, their child will be permitted to bring breast milk in quantities greater than three ounces as long as it is declared for inspection at the security checkpoint. Breast milk is in the same category as liquid medications. Now, a mother flying without her child will be able to bring breast milk through the checkpoint, provided it is declared prior to screening."

Lagi kata dia, setakat UK, flight dlm 12 jam tu, dia dah biasa transport EBM. X cair kalo kena caranya. Tips dia:

1. Get a good insulated cooler bag utk pastikan susu x cair

2. Line it with high quality ice packs (at least kena cover perimeter of the beg from the inside, atas, bawah and letak lg ice packs in between rows of EBM dlm beg

3. Use storage bottles yg tahan (MLO pon ok). Bekas plastik dadih/disposable liner bags adalah sgt2 x disarankan, sbb masa angkut2 bag tu nnt gerenti pecah bekas tu, menyebabkan susu melimpah dalam beg.

4. As soon as touchdown, masuk terus freezer. Dari Heathrow ke tempat aku tu nnt, bole tahan lg, coz dah sejuk2 gitu cuaca kat sana nanti. Kalo cair sket2, it's OK lg, bcoz susu ibu ni sgt2 susah nak basi/rosak. Tips: kalo baby reject, then jgn guna. Otherwise, it's still OK

5. Kalo x nak kena caj extra weight, carry it as a hand luggage, terus free of charge. Get a cooler bag with wheels utk tarik beg tu bg mengelakkan proses angkat mengangkat.

6. Kalo terpaksa masuk cargo jugak, all the better, coz dlm cargo mmg freezing bila dah kat atas nnt. So EBM lg tahan lama. But make sure wrap bag tu (ala, yg wrap guna mcm saran wrap yg pusing laju2 kat KLIA tu) for extra protection in case rough handling.

Insya Allah la, kata dia. Aku happy sgt dgr penerangan dia nih. Dah x perlu la aku was2 utk membuat stok. Dia suggest beli cooler bag cap 'Compass' yg ada wheels yg dia jual. Aku godek2, mcm best.

Features dia: polyester, with nylon panels. Insulated cooler with clear, removable lining. Retractable handle. Front pocket. Side handles. Bungee bag cord in top lid with cord. Setakat masuk 60 botol tu, relax aje (Aku pon x de 60 botol lg skang, so kena pump lebih dah la skang). Harga: RM 129. Rupa dia lebih kurg mcm ni (tp bkn exactly, x jumpa plak gambarnya).

So aku pon beli la. Lagi aku beli MLO ice packs (6 packs - utk 3 packs = RM27 ) and 1 sheet of Techni Ice (RM 30) utk keep the EBM cool. Kat umah dah ada 3 ice packs tu, so tgk la camne nanti, cukup kot.

Kerana storage bottles aku dah habis, aku beli lg some more yg Twin Packs gitu (RM59.90). Kan dah x de ragu2 lg utk wat stok ... hehe..

Another item yg beli ialah MAM anti colic bottle (RM 31.80), sbb mak aku mintak. Dia kata, masa dia jaga Aisyah kat umah, kdg2 cam x cukup tgn nak tend baby lg, nak basuh/sterilize botol lg in between feeds tu. Kalo beli dua bole la dia gilir2, x la terkejar2 dia nak basuh. Translation: aku la basuh masa dah balik keja nnt - hehe. So aku pon beli la lagi satu. Plus, better ada dua pon, sbb Aisyah x mo terima botol lain. Kalo satu hilang, ada lg satu. Kalo x de spare, naya jek...

Pembelian aku secara borong ni telah memberikan aku 2 item free - cooler bag kecil and also pacifier brand MAM. Aku happy sgt, sbb bila try2 dekat Aisyah, dia nak plak pacifier tu. Selama ni mmg dah jenuh beli puting, bermcm2 shape- olive, symmetrical, orthodontics, cherry, dan bermcm2 brand - anakku, pigeon, cap ayam, tp semua x jalan. Alih2 yg imported brand UK ni dia terima plak dgn senang hati. Mungkin design nipple dia tu serasi ngan Aisyah. Haish.. high maintenance plak anak aku nih... Jgn mcm tu anak oii... Ibu n Ayah bukan la org berada pon ... Sket2 x pe hehe...

In conclusion, I'm a happy bunny. Doakan la semuga niat suci murni aku nak continue BF Aisyah sampai cukup masanya yg hak ni dimakbulkan Allah. Aku dah cuba yg teerbaik dgn meng'invest' dlm benda2 yg dirasakan perlu, harap2 nya berjaya la ek? And if you are like me, travelling but with an intention to carry your frozen EBM with you, jgn gusar. It is possible :)

A BFP, An MC & A Delivery

Breathe, I'm not the one with the BFP (Big Fat Positive). It so happened yesterday I met a friend who confided in me that his wife is expecting. Or at least he thought she was, since they got their BFP last night and wanted to be sure that they had read the results right. Sure enough, I told him that if there were two lines, than she's almost 99% pregnant, as it's very very rare to have a false positive. I congratulated him and wished him and his wife a happy and healthy pregnancy.

Not long after, I found out a wife of another friend had a MC (miscarriage) just recently, after being pregnant for only 8 short weeks. Although it had happened a while back, the news had shocked me, as I was late in finding out as I was away on maternity leave for ages. My condolences to the family and hopefully they get through the grieving process well.

Later in the evening, I went to visit my buddy Yzma, who had given birth on Sep, 11, 2008 to a 3.89 kg baby boy at the Kajang Speacialist Hospital. My, my, her baby is a 90 grams heavier than Aisyah, and it is no wonder she had to have surgery to get him out. Mother is doing well. However, baby isn't so, as he is under phototherapy treatment for jaundice. I am happy for them on the safe delivery, and pray that their baby gets well soon. I definately know how tiring and hard these early times are,and I wished Yzma to be steadfast and patient with her breastfeeding efforts with a jaundiced baby (very, very difficult!)

At the end of the day, as I pondered upon the three isolated events that happened to friends around me, I felt as if I had relived everything in my journey to baby. I've gone through the joy and shock of discovering a BFP (heck, TWO BFPs if you count the one I miscarried), I've dealt with the sorrow and grief that followed my miscarriage, and I've been blessed to have experienced the safe birth of my baby, only to feel very upset and anxious later when she was diagnosed with breastmilk jaundice. Really, having gone through all these, I can say to each and every one of my three friends that I know EXACTLY what you are going through. And I pray them all well, through the easy and tough times. I guess this is the hikmah of everything that had happened to me previously; God gives me more understanding and empathy for others and what they are going through.

And as the night falls, I stare into the eyes of my Aisyah Nurzahirah, I could feel my love for her blossomed ten thousands times more. Indeed, it was a long journey to baby, but it was a beautiful one, and I look forward to continue this journey with baby with each passing day ....