The future...

Started of my day feeling really happy, even kissed hubby twice in the car !

7th month check up went fine. Water level is good, Dr Heng is happy that we are on the right track.
Alhamdullilah. So far, no heartburn since Ive hit 28 weeks, just feeling a little heavy when I walk. Starting to walk like a panguin. Still refusing to remove my wedding rings from my soon-to-be bloated fingers. It was not too difficult to part with them during my first pregnancy though. Dont tell me this baby is vain ! hur hur....

We managed to visit Azizah and family yesterday night at their “eunos condo” … That flat really like condo lah. Alhamdullilah. Little Habib was cute and hugged her. Phew, he was in his happy mood.

All of the sudden, I think of Little Habib’s future. His school....the school bus....lesser time with him....separate beds .....
Can my parents can cope with looking after him and his adik?
Would I ever have to resort to taking a maid or worse put him in child care ? ( I don’t know why I am so afraid of these 2 words ).

Would I ever have to be a housewife and lose my financial freedom to look after my kids? ( gasp! another scary thought since we are facing another great depression here )
The financial crisis has spread to Europe, and our minister have braised us to face tough times. Time to thightened our belts.
I wonder how we are going to cope with 2nd baby on the way. People say babies brings Rizk, especially baby girls.

And I also think alot about my children's iman. Will they grow up to be good muslims ?
So far, hubby and me are doing alot to introduce solat and the quran in Little Habib's life. We have exposed him to the mosque and majlis maulids and qashidahs eversince he was in my tummy. Little Habib started going to the mosque when he was 4 months old. I still remember bringing him to Masjid Ansar and he layed on the carpet, and Ustaz Hasan Saifouridzal carried him after leading the solat Isyak. You know things like that....
Still, a muslim brother questioned me if I can ever be sure that my children can be people who are on the straight path when they grow up.
Scary! cos I can never be sure.

I took this from Ustaz Yusri's ( Abah Yasir ) blog. Very good entry I find. Noticed, Solat is mentioned in every stage of our children growing up years.

4. Bila isteri dah hamil, kedua suami dan isteri:
- Solat jgn tinggal!
- Baca Zikir/Quran. Sekarang ni ibu2 sibuk nak anak tahu membaca semasa umur masih kecil lagi (2-3 tahun) sehinggakan masa usia 3-4 bulan kandungan, kita dah ajar dia membaca. Kenapa tidak kita banyakkan baca Quran juga? Pasti, impaknya lagi power kan pada anak dalam kandungan? Bila umur 3 tahun mesti dah pandai baca Quran punya! (Saya kena cuba dulu ni!)
5. Bila dah bersalin:
- Solat jangan tinggal lagi! Bukan apa, nilah satu pembudayaan. Jadi anak kita membesar dengan nampak kita bersolat berseorangan atau sama suami/isteri. Mesti dia confuse punya, bila tiap kali solat, eh apasal mak bapak aku bo layan ni?
6. Bila dah besar 3-7 tahun.
- Solat jangan tinggal jugak! Latihlah dia, bertahap-tahap. Mungkin bila dah 5 tahun satu hari satu waktu solat. Tak konsisten pun takpe. 6 tahun 2 waktu, 7 tahun 3 waktu. 8 tahun 4 waktu, 9 tahun 5 waktu. 10 tahun, tak solat baru rotan : )

And so … my happy mood has dwindled to be emotional again and I wish I can cry it out to my hubby whose getting busier with his job now that his senior have assigned him harder task.

Nevermind, I will go to the mosque for zohor prayers later and cry to Allah (swt) my other confidante.

Oh yes, I miss mum too. I so miss her, I so miss the attention I get from her when I was younger and husband-less. I miss our outings and chats. She doesnt know this, I suppose cos I don’t show it to her. She thinks Im so engrossed with my own family that Ive forgotten her. Actually I think about my mum everyday.

Thinking of visiting maqam Habib Nuh this Saturday. I need to seek some solace. I need to visit the Alims. I need to be close to Allah (swt).

Emo Mummy with Heartburn

Totally feeling emotional these days.

Maybe I should change my nick to Emo Mummy.

My second trimester is going to end soon, Insya'allah will move on to 3rd trimester.
For this part of my pregnancy, I have been tested with the waterbag issue, gastric and heartburn.

Gosh, in all heartburn is the worse. I think its call SEBU-SEBU in Malay.

The pain below my chest, makes me curl wherever I am, on the chair, on the floor or in the car and it feels as if my stomach has been twisted and punched and really, I squirm and cringe my face, and all I say is God's name.

Sometimes, I go in and out of consciousness because of the pain. Usually, this last for around 30 mins or so because the pain goes away.

-

Taken from : www.streetdirectory.com/travel_guide/editorials/other/heartburn+relief+during+pregnancy/

Some common symptoms of heartburn

*A burning sensation or pain in the chest

*Backflow into your mouth or throat makes things worse for you

*Belching

*Bloating

*Passing gas

*Headaches

*Nausea

*Burping

*Difficulty in swallowing

Things to avoid

*Spicy and oily food

*Medications which incite the condition of heartburn

*Eating without control

*Skipping your daily meals

*Too much caffeine

*Carbonated drinks

*Smoking*Alcohol

*Overeating

*Citrus fruits

*Ketchup and Vinegar

*Lying down

*Bending over

Remedies

*Sucking on to the clove may relieve you from the acidic influx

*Having a cup of vanilla ice cream or drinking a glass of cold milk can do the trick

*Almonds help in relieving heartburn and having it everyday will help you a lot

*Eating lemon strips mixed in salt helps to prevent heartburn

*Chewing basil leaves every morning also helps

*Eating watermelon and banana would help you cool down

-

More on heartburn : http://www.babycenter.com/0_heartburn-during-pregnancy_242.bc

Its been 3 days straight that I have been hit with heartburn. The food I eat must have contain cilli. Seems that I cant even take a wee bit of cilli. Now, what food does not contain cilli unless those soupy bland food that has no taste. Bahhhh....
Even mum is scared to cook for me these days as her cooking contains lots of cilli. Im being pushed to eat bread or eat at my in-laws. There is always that Patato and Tomato dish at the in laws iftar table. Sobz.... each time I get heartburn, I think of all the sins that I have done in the past and I am thinking that Allah (swt) must be washing these sins away from me....
So much sins I suppose thats why 3 days of heartburn back to back.

I am humbled by this test.

I seriously need his attention.
Maybe ... he loves the car more than me...yeah told you I'm super emotional. Maybe Syawal will bring him closer to me...

For the baby's sake, I have been reading the Quran. Oh wait, shouldn't it ONLY be for Allah's sake.... ?

Little Habib is going through a phase giving me some free time at night.

He does not want to go home with us. He wants to sleep with his Dada and Dadi. I miss him lah but because of the heartburn, my parents always tells me to leave him at their place.

So I have time to read the Quran at night.

Currently reading Surah Luqman. Will move to Surah Muhammad next.

Insya'allah.

Surah Maryam

Alhamdullilah, I have been reading this surah, at least a page a time almost everyday. Not able to attend too much majlis ilmu this time unlike the 1st pregnancy.

I have also been reunited with Ratib Alhadad. Alhamdillilah. I remember reading the ratib alot during my 1st pregnancy.

I have also been reunited with my diary, a book I kept in 2006 when I was pregnant with my son. Those days, I didnt have a blog, so I penned my thoughts. Its amazing going back in the past, reading how me and hubby fought about our son's name and how I was worried about hubby if I were to go back and do confinement at my mum's place. Turns out, all became well and we coped well with the changes in our lives. Back then, I was not so Tired as I am now.

Maybe Allah (swt) has made my 2nd pregnancy a little harder than the first one as he wants me to be doing more ibadah. Maybe Allah (swt) wants me to be stronger so that when adik comes, I will be used to it.

Its already September. Once Syawal comes in October, it would mean 2 more months.

I am still trying to spend as much time with my son before adik comes, hoping he will adjust well to not getting much attention from us, hoping he will love his adik and I am still praying to have an easy birth with no epidural or ceasarian. Its ramadhan, its the best time to make doa. Insya'allah.

24 Weeks check Up...

Alhamdullilah, I just had my 24th week check up.

That means I should be around 6mths pregnant. Baby moves well and growing well.

So cute seeing Adik in the scan. Adik seems independant. Its just my instinct. Adik looks adorable and Adik must be super sweet cos Ive been told my sugar level is high ! haha....

Water bag didnt leak which was my major concern since I had a bad cough a few weeks ago, However, again DR Heng says water level still looked too much and recommends me the same advise such as more rest and less sweets.

Hubby was NOT there for me during the check up as he was caught out with work. Only Allah (swt) knows how I felt when I saw all the other couples with their hubbys next to them. I felt so alone..so alone with adik. I felt as if only I am happy with this pregnancy. I felt like protecting adik, but I dont know how I was going to do that.
Me is an Emotional Mummy. I tried to distract these thoughts by doing zikrullah.

Its the month of Ramadhan, hubby is caught up with solat Terawih. I cant blame him.
Its seems, I seldom get a chance to sit and talk to him. By the time he comes back from Terawih, I am already asleep. I dont know how to tell him. I dont know if he will understand or just tell me to tawakkal.
I wish to write him a letter, explaining my condition but Im too busy with work. Very Tired with work.

At this point, my only confidante is Ummu Mukhtaar. Last night, alone while it rained outside, I recited Surah Maryam while exchanging smsed with her.
Today, She has sent me some links on my condition. It may be called Polyhydramnios.

Its can get really serious, and the more I read, the more scared I feel !! ( maybe I should stop reading these things cos it really makes me more worried ...why didnt my gynea mention any of this to me ? All she said was sugar level, premature labour, rest.....)

My water level last checked was 20.2cm. It says hear that Polyhydramnios is around 24cm. So does that mean Im at the mild end ?

I do suffer alot of the symptoms like breathlessness and tummy that is so thight, it stretches and is shiny. Once on the way back from Masjid Alkaff, I was so breathless in the car, I thought it was time for labour !! thats how bad it was.

Meantime, Im really wondering how do I get more rest. How ???

Quitting my job is out of the question, and going on early maternity leave is a waste as I would prefer to have more time with the baby after giving birth.

I do feel guilty when I leave Little Habib at my parents house and as for asking for my hubby's help, Im the type who wont ask if not offered, abit sensitive lah..heh.

The only time I do ask for help is when Ive gone bonkers with the chores load that I really become bonkers, but I hate it when that happens and I know hubby hates it too.

I really dont know what to do. I dont think Habib Abbas accepts visitors during fasting month and how am I going to ask him for air doa ? I think I will keep on reading surah Maryam at the same time recite Ratib.

I am at a loss... I am close to tears and I do hope to get more understanding from my other half. Insya'allah. ( pls pray for me and the baby.... )


Polyhydramnios: Too Much Amniotic Fluid

When a woman has polyhydramnios, the level of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby is too high. To understand how this can affect your health and the health of your baby, it's helpful to first understand the role amniotic fluid plays in a healthy pregnancy.

What You Need to Know About Amniotic Fluid

The amniotic fluid that surrounds your baby plays an important role in your baby's growth and development. This clear-colored liquid protects the baby and provides it with fluids. Your baby breathes this fluid into its lungs and swallows it. This helps your baby's lungs and digestive system grow strong. Your amniotic fluid also allows the baby to move around, which helps it to develop its muscles and bones.

The amniotic sac that contains your baby begins to form about 12 days after conception. Amniotic fluid begins to form at that time, too. In the early weeks of pregnancy, amniotic fluid is mainly made up of water supplied by the mother. After about 12 weeks, your baby's urine makes up most of the fluid.

The amount of amniotic fluid increases until about 28-32 weeks of pregnancy. At that time you have about 1 quart of fluid. After that time, the level stays about the same until about 37-40 weeks, when your baby is considered full-term. After that, the level begins to decrease.

What You Need to Know About Polyhydramnios

Polyhydramnios (too much amniotic fluid) occurs in about 2 out of 100 of pregnancies. Most cases are mild and result from a slow buildup of excess fluid in the second half of pregnancy. But in a few cases, fluid builds up as early as the 16th week of pregnancy. This usually leads to very early delivery.

Polyhydramnios is diagnosed with ultrasound. Medical experts do not fully understand what causes this condition. In 2 out 3 cases, the cause is not known. Here are two of the best-known causes:

Birth defects in the baby that affect the ability to swallow.
Normally, when the fetus swallows, the level of amniotic fluid goes down a bit. This helps to balance out the increase in fluid caused by fetal urination.

Heart defects in the baby.
Women with diabetes are at increased risk for polyhydramnios. But they have fewer complications from polyhydramnios than women without diabetes.
Women with mild polyhydramnios may have few symptoms. Women with more severe cases may have discomfort in the belly and breathing problems. That's because the buildup of fluids causes the uterus to crowd the lungs and the organs in the belly.

Preterm rupture of the membranes (breaks or tears in the sac that holds the amniotic fluid; also called PROM)

Umbilical cord accidents

Polyhydramnios may also raise the risk of pregnancy complications, including:
Preterm delivery
Placental abruption (the placenta peels away from the uterine wall before delivery)
Poor growth of the fetus
Stillbirth
Cesarean delivery
Severe bleeding by the mother after delivery

How can you tell if you have polyhydramnios?

Advertisement Polyhydramnios usually starts from about the 30th week of pregnancy.
You may feel that your tummy is getting too large too quickly and that your skin is stretched and shiny. You might feel so breathless that it is hard to climb a flight of stairs.

Other symptoms include abdominal pain, severe heartburn and constipation, swollen legs and varicose veins.

When your midwife or doctor carries out an examination, you will appear to be "large for dates". They may find it difficult to feel your baby or hear his heartbeat because there is so much fluid around him. Ultrasound scanning can confirm the diagnosis of polyhydramnios. The sonographer will measure the amount of fluid in four areas around your baby to work out your Amniotic Fluid Index (AFI).

If you have an AFI of more than 24 centimetres then you have polyhydramnios. The greater the AFI, the more severe the problem is.

What causes polyhydramnios?

It can be difficult to find out the cause of polyhydramnios and, sometimes, no cause can be found. Sometimes the extra fluid is due to a problem with the baby, or with the placenta or with you, the mother.

Possible causes include:
• Having diabetes, where your blood sugar levels are not well controlled. Your baby's urine output increases and this in turn increases the volume of amniotic fluid.

• Being pregnant with twins. There may be a particular problem if the babies are identical (monozygotic).

• Infections that affect your baby, such as rubella, cytomegalovirus, toxoplasmosis and syphilis, may be associated with polyhydramnios.

• A congenital problem with the baby occurs in about 20 per cent of cases of polyhydramnios. There may be a blockage in the oesophagus (swallowing tube), meaning that he cannot swallow the amniotic fluid and control the amount of it around him. It may also be a sign that the baby has a problem with his central nervous system, or with his heart or kidneys.

• Sometimes, polyhydramnios is associated with babies who have chromosomal abnormalities, such as Down's or Edward's syndrome.

• In very rare cases, the placenta may have developed a tumour or there may be a problem with the arteries in the umbilical cord resulting in polyhydramnios. However, it is important to remember that most women with polyhydramnios go on to have healthy babies, particularly if the condition is mild.

How is polyhydramnios managed?

If you are not known to have diabetes, you will be given a glucose tolerance test to check your blood sugar levels. If these are high, you may be referred to a diabetes specialist who can get your blood sugar levels down. This will reduce the amount of fluid.

There are other laboratory tests for investigating polyhydramnios if it is thought that it might be due to infection.

In the last two months of pregnancy, you will have regular appointments at the antenatal clinic to keep a check on your progress. Depending on the cause of the extra fluid, you may be prescribed a drug which reduces the amount of urine the baby produces. In severe cases, it may be possible to drain some of the amniotic fluid to reduce the volume. This can reduce the risk of you going into premature labour or the placenta starting to come away from the wall of the uterus.

However, there is a balancing act with this technique - taking too much fluid out also increases the risk of the placenta coming away and there are other risks, such as infection and bleeding as well.

Instead, in most cases your doctor and midwife will advise you to rest as much as possible.
This may mean starting your maternity leave early. Even with rest, because your uterus is so swollen, you may go into labour prematurely.

Your midwife will explain the signs of premature labour to you so you can contact the hospital immediately if your waters break or you start having contractions.

What will happen when it comes to the birth?

About one in five women with polyhydramnios go into labour and give birth early because the uterus simply cannot hold the baby and all the extra fluid any longer.

It's important to get to hospital as quickly as you can if you are in labour before 37 weeks. Ring the delivery suite and tell them what's happening. If there's no-one to take you to hospital, phone for an ambulance. If it is known that your baby has a problem, you will be booked to deliver at a Regional Referral Centre where they have the best facilities for looking after poorly babies. Even if your baby seems fine, and you don't have to go to a specialist hospital, you will be very carefully monitored during labour. This is for a number of reasons.

The extra fluid in the uterus makes it difficult for your baby to settle head down into the pelvis. So if your waters break, there is a danger that the umbilical cord will be pulled down into the vagina in front of his head. If this happens, you may need an emergency caesarean section.

There is a risk of the placenta coming away early if the uterus suddenly shrinks as the amniotic fluid is released. You're also at an increased risk of haemorrhage after the baby is born.

If you have diabetes and your baby has grown very large, your midwife will be watching to make sure that the baby moves down steadily through your pelvis and doesn't get stuck. Occasionally the shoulder can become caught when a big baby descends. If this happens to you, an obstetrician will be called and will help you get into a position that frees the baby in most cases. Find out more about big babies.

Sometimes it might be suggested in advance that you have a planned caesarean section ("elective caesarean"). This may be the case if you are carrying twins, if your baby is lying across your uterus (transverse lie) or won't settle into any particular position (unstable lie) or if he is thought to be very large.

What are the best ways to cope with polyhydramnios?

If you are very breathless:

• get plenty of rest
• keep everything that you need for the daytime downstairs
• do household chores in small bursts and don't worry if they take you far longer than usual
• accept all offers of help

You may also find that you have heartburn because your uterus is pushing against your stomach:

• eat small amounts regularly

• don't lie down after a meal or eat just before going to bed

• avoid food and drinks that can make heartburn worse, such as fatty foods, coffee and alcohol • sleep well propped up in bed

• you can get an antacid prescription from your doctor

You're likely to feel very anxious as well as very large:

• Get as much information as you can. Go to antenatal classes as soon as possible, rather than waiting until the end of pregnancy.

• Try and distract yourself. If you don't want to be seen in public because you are self-conscious about your size, invite friends to your house. Get hold of the DVDs you've been thinking of watching for ages, and enjoy them!

• Contact an organisation such as the National Childbirth Trust and ask if they know of someone who has had polyhydramnios who you can talk to through their experiences register.
• If you have any new symptoms, or your existing symptoms become worse, telephone your midwife immediately, or go straight to the hospital.

AIF ! ... Ahlan Wasahlan Ya Ramadhan.

AIF !! .... Last Friday before Ramadhan greets us.

Been a fast week. Tomorrow, hubby and me have a full day of outing planned for Little Habib. We feel its only right, cos once Ramadhan starts, insya'allah, Hubby will concentrate on Solat Terawih at night, so father and son will have less time together...

Last year, we brought Little Habib to Masjid Abdul Razak@ Jalan Ismail with us along for Terawih. Abdul FIT, our car, was a big convenience to us.
Hubby would picked us up at home when the Jemaah stops for a short break after 12 Rakaats to recite Qashidah and then we go to the mosque together. So Little Habib was known as "half time boy"... But this year, we cant do this as Masjid Abdul Razak in still on renovation. To my knowledge, no other mosque in the eat side stops for a break at 12 Rakaats to sing Qashidah kan....

I will attempt to fast insya'allah... I dont know how Im going to do this as my baby seems to want to eat alot and my appetite is rather good. You see, Im always opening to fridge to see whats there for me to munch. Hee3.

Ummu Mukhtaar have advise me these to help gain some energy. You may find it useful too.

For Sahur, Begin with dates or sweet drinks like Milo

Followed by the Sahur food

and then another sweet food like dates again.

During Iftar, drink warm water and of course more dates. Insya'allah you will not tire out easily.

*Not recommended for Daibetics.

So insya'allah.... hopefully with lots of dates, (we take Kurma Syafawi)..you know its super sweet kan, I will be able to have energy this ramadhan.

Ramadhan Mubarak to all my love ones and to readers of this blog. May Allah Bless us with abudance of Rahmats, accept our fast and other good deeds, Forgive our Sins and Bestow us with the honour of meeting the night of Lailatul Qadar and gaining the blessings of it. Ameen Ya Rabb.


Innallàha wa malâikatahû yusallûna 'alan-nabiyy, yâ ayyuhalladhîna âmanû sallû alayhi wa sallimû taslîmâ. (Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.) 33:56

Whats In a Name ?

1. Im excited for the New Maternity Benefits that our PM have revealed during the National Day Rally. But when will it be implemented? I hope its immediate cos if its in 2009, than I might just miss out on it. I truly welcome the additional month of paid maternity leave. It will be good for mothers planning to breastfeed their babies.

2. We have decided to affectionately call Little Habib "Abang " and our second child "Adik ". Insya'allah. I did suggest " Akhi " and " Ukhti " but suggestion was rejected by hubby who thinks I may be going overboard with this whole speak Arabic thing.

In the first place, we are NOT Arabs, we are Indian/Malay mix.

Secondly, he prefers "Mak and Ayah" to "Ummi and Abah" but to my insistence, he relented. Thirdly, hubby thinks, our son is already lucky to get the title " Little Habib" because his Ummi ( yours truly ) has self proclaimed it in her blog shamelessly, when "Habib" are only reserved for men from the Ahli Bait Descendants... Hur hur hur....(sticks out tougue cheekily ..)

3. The name for the baby is seemingly confirm although it may be too early, and I have asked my dear hubby to see if he wants to find another name. ( gatal right ?) ...haha...
Yeah, this time it so easy, no fights as I am thankful so dont want to fight over the names.

Even before we knew the gender, we have said that if its a Boy, the name will have to be one of the Companions of the Prophet name to match our first born name. So its either Abu Bakar, Omar , Muadz, Bilal , Ali, Osman , Anas, Abdul Rahman, Hamzah etc.

If its a girl, now, this was the long discussion part but concluded easily. Hubby dismissed any fanciful modern and 2 names for her. ( boringlah my hubby tapi oklah, i half setuju, dia kata nanti write in exam paper very long anak kita terkial kial tulis...dramatic kan ?? )...

Meaning, my suggestion for Aishah Sofea, Nauratul Insyirah, Mira Edora, Wardina Sofea have all been rejected and there wont even be any consideration as Hubby wants a name which is short, only 1 name and most importantly, holds a high significant meaning in Islamic history. Period !

So as you can guess, it will be old school, either Aishah, Khadijah, Mariam , Fatimah , Asiyah etc. Hubby strongly wanted Hajar or Siti Hajar as if any of you know my hubby's name, it does sounds alike right ? The S and H are letters that start our names and Hajar is the wife of Prophet Ibrahim (a.s) who ran between Safar Marwah 7 times in search of water for her son Prophet Ismail (a.s). But I disagree on this one since Hajar is the name of a pretty lady of caucasion look whom I once saw pouring her problems to hubby. Oh Grow up lah Naz.! ( Ok easy for you to say kan )... you weren't a newlywed fuming silently looking at them both! So obviously I dont want hubby to think of Hajar, so....it CANNOT be Hajar! Hee hee...

Anyway, hubby suggested another name. Nice, sweet, old school but it reminds us of good things Islamic wise, so to avoid Hubby suggesting Hajar again, I willingly agree to this name. Lagipun, when i look at the spelling, it really reminds me of Little Habib's name, so there is a connection between brother and sister.

So thats how its goes. Now I just have pray for a smooth 4 month and to have a smooth delivery and a healthy baby. Ameen !

To each its own, I say but for me, have to listen to the hubby lah, kasi face abit. Berkat. Hee3.. : ))

Girl or Boy, we already have a name. Alhamdullilah.

AIF ! ...Cough and Lesson Learnt !

Alhamdullilah, Its Friday.

Ramadhan is coming and spiritually Im not prepared at all.

The cough has gotten worse. Been coughing so badly before I sleep, that all I can mutter is Allah…Allah…Allah…. Luckily, Little Habib is away is KL visiting my brother, so he dosnt get to see his Ummi lying in bed, like that. He understands my feelings. When he see me cry, he says in a soft willowy voice, “ Ummi Cryyyy”. When he sees me sick, he goes “ Ummi sickkkkk” Heh..cute kan budak budak.

I cough phlegm with blood for the past few mornings. Today, the DR gave me antibiotics. My lungs have some stubborn bacteria that’s why my chest feels itchy and I need to cough. I pray that it will go away by next Friday so that I can attend the talk by Shaykh Hisham, If not, Massy will write down notes for me to read.

Its really tiring coughing and coughing non stop and incontinence. You know Bloggy, I was prepared to find adult diapers to wear but Alhamdullilah, found this pads specially for Bladder weakness at the pharmacy. Thank GOD ! Now I wont have to wet my pants no more. The brand is Poise and its simply a thicker version of the normal maxi.

Tomorrow nite, is Malam Nispu Sya’aban…Malam doa kita tidak akan ditolak. Malam Pintu Langit dibuka. The night our report book are being brought up and new ones will replace. I will be at home. I cant go to any majlis cos Im coughing. Hubby, you know lah will be at the "Briyani Dam" Masjid.

Anyway, this week, Ive learnt a valuable lesson.

Ive learnt to stick to my own group of friends, those who love ilmu, those who love going to the mosque, those who fear Allah (swt). I tried to mix with some people who are not on the same path as me and I got flamed. All I wanted was to pass some good influence, yet I was gossiped, accused and insulted. Cant blame that. It was my fault. Just not careful enough. But Im cool. I smiled. I wish to thank them for the pahala that they have donated to me.

Went to Sis Muna’s Warrior blog to seek solace last night, and this was what I found..Something, which I was looking for but didn’t know what.

How to be closer to Allah ( Part 3 )
"It is best to separate yourself from people who do not believe in what you believe, who do not do what you do, and who are against your faith. Yet at the same time you should not think badly of them or condemn them for what they are. Your intention in ignoring them should be that you prefer the company of believers. Spend your time in remembering, glorifying, and worshipping Allah instead of being with them."

I am thankful I have friends who are believers, fellow Islamic Bloggers, the halaqah sisters , my masjid friends, my "Ustaz’s wife" friends , my "hubby’s friends" wives. I love them eventhough I dont see them often, or some of them, I havent even met but the love is strong. Guess I shall stick to them or if not, be on my own.
That’s better than having to face insulting words.

Innallàha wa malâikatahû yusallûna 'alan-nabiyy, yâ ayyuhalladhîna âmanû sallû alayhi wa sallimû taslîmâ. (Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.) 33:56

Little Habib @ Ba'alwie Mosque

Dosent' he looks grown up and handsome here ??? ( Awww... hee hee puji anak sendiri hor...)

Ah tasbih lah nak ' semoga menjadi ahli ibadah dah suka bersama para-para solehin.

Little Habib has been sooo naughty these days. I am not incline to belive in the "Terrible 2" phrase but seems that there might be some truth in it !

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Mum, sis and us went to Masjid Ba'alwie last Saturday morning, National Day to solat Dhuha, and drink the air perigi. As usual, took some time to roam the mosque and soak in the serene atmosphere. After that, drove to Takashimaya to buy things for Adik from the Baby Fair. OK, I spent within my budget.

Mum went to Taka and bought Little Habib 2 branded tee-shirt for Hari Raya, Burburry and Raphl Lauren. Gosh, she didnt have to do that cos she's not working and whatever $$ we give her, she spends it on our son. So thankful, yet feels indebted to her. But really, we dont buy him branded stuff, so it does feels akward when other people does it.

Mum says its OK, might be her last year alive .... scares me alot lah.

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Am on MC today, planning to rest ....

Been on MC since yesterday.

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Had terrible Asthma attack since last Sunday, went to GP for the nabuliser.

I suspect this asthma is caused by my tiredness.

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Monday morning, still breathless, went to GP again, this time was given Prednisolone Steriods.

SMSed DR Bal whose in Turkey right now..check if its ok to take steriods during mid pregnancy.

DR Bal advise necessary to take it, as acute asthma is worse during pregnancy and it will have little effect on the fetus.

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Monday Night - after resting for the whole day, my face became pale, breathless, could not even move, parents worried so they advised me me to go to A&E CGH. There were practically going to carry me there if I refused.

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Hubby came back ard 6.30, took me there after magrib. We were there from 8pm to nearly midnight. Went through Nabuliser twice, waited in the waiting area in between seeing the DR who checked me twice.

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In the end, decided not to get admitted but to rest at home. Beds there were full anyway.

Feeling guilty cos I have not been to work since last Friday but still I need to think of the baby. If my health is bad, it might affect the baby kan...No Choice !

*

Today, feels less chesty, taking steriods with my ventolin inhaler and cough mixture. Will have plenty of rest after this cos Im still tired as asthma attacks are tiring. Those who have asthma will know the feeling. Lethargic.

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Planning to back to work tomorrow, need to face the battle of pending workload. Oh nooo.

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Not to mention at this stage of the pregnancy, whenever I cough, incontinence sets in, so its been really scary cos Im hoping the water is NOT from my waterbag but just urine. Its getting so bad that Im using sanitary pads for the moment! I dont recall going through this during my first pregnancy.

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The second one has been hard for me, but Insya'allah will go through it one step at a time. I put my trust in GOD and whatever happens, Im certain, Allah knows best...

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Insya'Allah.

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Wasallam.

FA Scan

Various scans took during the FA scan...

Alhamdullilah, hubby and me went to Paragon Medical Centre to have the FA scan yesterday. Glad we both were able to get leave to go through this together.

Orchard was really crowded, but too bad, I didnt get to do any shopping cos I was feeling tired. Taka is having a Baby fair these 2 weeks, would be really good if I can just drop by to borong those baby stuff that I need.

The scan was done by a radiographer. Glad I took this scan eventhough I found it costly. Various scans were done on Baby's spine, heart, stomach. Made sure baby has 2 kidneys, check on the bladder, umbilical cord, placenta, confirmed baby's sex again, ensure brains OK.

Fingers, toes .. yes there is 5 of each. Face, eyes, nose and lips to ensure no cleft lips.... Alhamdullilah, sangat bersyukur, all of these checks are negative of any signs of deformities. Amazing the technology.

Yes, water level is high. The DR was called in, very nice and "rich" looking DR. She explained that the normal water level is 15-20cm, and my waterlevel is 20.2 so thats just slightly above the normal level. The Good news is that water will decrease as the weeks go by.

The Bad news is there is a danger of premature labour. She's hoping nothing before 31st week. Ya'Allah....only you can determined that. Im praying to go full term all the way. Insya'allah....

DR advise to rest more. No strenuous activities to press on the waterbag such as you know what. And of cos, my gynea is to follow up on the water level.

So we waited 1/2 hr before we got the results and scans and took the train back since our car was in the workshop for a total wash. Yes a total wash to get rid of the longkang smell and remove the sarang lipas ! A car is a BIG Ni'mat to me but Alhamdullilah, there is an increase of commuters giving up seats for me.

So thats it... now I just have to TRY and rest more. Dont Know how Im going to do that since Im literally doing all the housework myself and my son is getting more and more active and inquisitive....but this is just a minor test. I must be strong.

20 Weeks Check up ...

Turns out, no one accompanied me to see adik yesterday for my 5th month check up.

The nurse at Eastern Specialist Clinic had called me to inform me to come earlier at 5.30pm as my dear gynea had to attend to some mummies on labour at night.

Hubby could not leave early as he was busy in the office, and since hubby was not going, Little Habib could not come with me to see adik in the scan as well.

Surprisingly, the clinic was near empty as not all the night appointment mummies could make it earlier, and I breezed through the queue within 5 minutes. Gynea greeted me chirpyly and she says its just me and her cos my hubby was not around. We did the scan.

I went there feeling happy and strong, cos Im in my 20th week and usually the 5th mth check up would be pretty much routined. However, little did I expect to hear some uncomfortable comments from DR Heng.

During the scan, Gynea noticed that I have excessive water in my waterbag. Ok so what does that mean ? Cos during my first pregnancy, I had too little water which was dangerous and was made to stay in bed for a few days as fatique can cause the water in the waterbag level to be low.

Gynea explained that it can be dangerous because the waterbag if too full, can leak or burst and at 20 weeks, definitely, it would be too soon for the baby to come out. Yeah, some mummies give birth at 31 weeks, but thats ok as they have reach 7 months, thus the babies will be Pre-Mature babies. But to come out at just 20 weeks or so is just too early, risky and dangerous.
Nauzubillah Min Zaliq, I am really scared now cos I really dont wish to have a pre-mature baby let alone a baby out before the 30 week.

Gynea noticed that I have alot of fluids in my tummy because I have been taking sweet things like Durians, Mangoes, Gassy drinks , tea , coffee , chocolate , ice creame. Gosh... she was right. I AM guilty of gulping these down as seems that my taste buds this time only wanted sweet things. And these sweet things are whats causing the water to be retain as the sugar level was too high. Gynea was also concerned if I have a family history of Diabetes... which I do on my dad's maternal side. So now Im on a Diabetic Diet which is very much food - unsweetened and plain water only. Also dont squat down or let Little Habib bang on my tummy, cos I have to try to avoid pressing on the tummy. Hmm. OK I'll Try.

Another bad news was that the blood test I took last month, shows - low level of blood. So now Im on Iron Tablets besides calcium, fish oil and multivits.

You know, Im really worried, but I can only follow my gynes instruction now, no more soft drinks, chocs , durians, mangoes and drink only plain water. And of cos, I can only tawakkal that adik will come out safely when the time is right and not anything earlier cos I really love adik already.
Still adik is an amanah from Allah and I know that adik is NOT mine. Ok do I make sense here ?

Gynea also encouraged me to do an FA scan... which Im going tomorrow at Paragon. This is an optional scan to check baby's lungs, hearts and limbs whic I actually opted out as I wanted to save cost but since now that water in waterbag is excessive, its really recommended that I go, so that will be $120.00 off my savings for now.

Im really praying hard the results of this FA Scan will be clear of any worries and bad news. I just want my baby to be healthy. I said that from day 1, tak kisah girl or boy asalkan healthy. ( Ya'Allah... I seek your protection. )

I guess...now you know why I look 7 months preggy eventhough Im only 5 mths now. Not because the baby is big, but because I have lots and lots of fluids in the waterbag.

Adik, Ummi didnt have a good look at you yesterday as Ummi was more concern of what Dr Heng was telling me. But Dr Heng said that your active in the sac and growing well.

Alhamdullilah. We are halfway there.

Current weight at 20 weeks : 57Kg
Weight at 16 weeks : 54kg


قُل لَّن يُصِيبَنَا إِلاَّ مَا كَتَبَ اللّهُ لَنَا هُوَ مَوْلاَنَا وَعَلَى اللّهِ فَلْيَتَوَكَّلِ الْمُؤْمِنُونَ
٥١)

Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): "Tidak sekali-kali akan menimpa kami sesuatu pun melainkan apa yang telah ditetapkan Allah bagi kami. Dia lah Pelindung yang menyelamatkan kami, dan (dengan kepercayaan itu) maka kepada Allah jualah hendaknya orang-orang yang beriman bertawakal". (At Taubah : 51)

The Lift...

I was blogging about how terrible I feel and whining and whining how I want some ME time.... but in the end, I deleted everything cos "ME time" just sounds so selfish to me. I guess there are just some things that I can only tell my hubby or to our creator Allah (swt).

At this moment, I regret dressing shabbily on a Monday, it just worsens the Monday Blues. My back is aching, calves strained , brain tired and emotionally drained. Insya'allah, tomorrow will be a better day.

So bloggy, let me tell you one of the more interesting happenings of the last weekend. Yeah, there were many, but this one takes the cake - My dear son got trapped in the lift albeit for a split second.

Yeah..I know...Gasp.... Can you imagine my fear or even his ?

I read from a fellow sister's blog not too long ago about how her boy got trapped in a lift alone and the lift went up and her boy was like 6 years old, but still he cried. That was scary enough.

Well, It happened when we were going out of my in law's flat to go home that afternoon. MIL and hubby were outside the narrow corridor talking. Hubby at the same time was tying his shoe lace.

Little Habib had his shoes on before he stepped out of the flat, and he dash along the corridor to the lift landing on the same floor cos he was already familiar with the area.

I was slowly walking out of the flat with my tummy in tow, and FIL was behind me looking at all of us leaving.

Just then, I saw Little Habib running to the lift lobby very fast, and in my heart, I just felt something not right, as if we would be so unlucky and the lift door would be OPEN for him to enter. My instinct told me to rush and I rush to my boy while the others were oblivious to what happen and chatting.

As soon as I reach the lift landing, I saw the door close, I didnt get to see who is in the lift but I cant find Little Habib outside of the lift area !!!! ( this lift is an old , non upgraded kind of life with no openings to see who is inside )

So he must be inside right ?! I suddenly remember Kak Sri's boy, and I screamed " Abang!!! " and press the lift button.

The lift door was going up, but it jerked.....and the door opened....Little Habib was already screaming in tears with is hands up in the air like he was hysterical. I rushed in to hug him and then he quietened down upon the sight of me. Alhamdullilah, OH Allah, I cant be more thankful.

I was so lost for words, when hubby, FIL and MIL came rushing.

The sickening funny part is when they realised that Little Habib was safe, they all smile, laugh and thought how cute he was to explore the lift alone. Of cos, I did not find it funny, too lost for words, heart beating so fast and all I could do was stare hard at my son for being so mischievous to go in the lift alone and how I took it for granted to not hold on to him. I guess, such is the feeling only an UMMI would feel.

I mean, I was angry with myself for giving him the trust to be on his own without holding on to him, but I'm the one pregnant and slow here. And kids beings kids....

So this is definitely a lesson for me. We, parents, learn something new everyday as our child grows.

Just when you think he is so cute, he can really make my breath stop for a second.
*shakes head and trying to smile*

Beginning to prepare...

16 weeks, 6 days -- Fetal sonogram image from a pregnany site that I surfed.

Been feeling butterflies in my tummy... movements...fluttering... thats early... For my 1st Pregnancy, I felt movements starting at 20 weeks.
Are you tickling Ummi with your tiny little fingers baby ? ; )

Today marks a new resolution. I will try my best to eat only healthy food. Unlike my first pregnancy where I was very health cautious, and I cringe whenever I see a pregnant lady drink COKE, this time round, Im being the irresponsible Ummi whose snacking on chips, drinking gassy drinks and taking in preserved mangoes.

My boss's secretary who is a health freak, keeps sending me MSN messages to stop snacking when she sees me crunching on sour cream chips. She kept telling me to think of the baby. Ok, I realised, Ive gone overboard with the "I crave for junk food excuse" and its time I start thinking of the little one inside me. What was I thinking right...?
Hence this morning, Im having carrot juice, tuna toast and dates. For lunch, I will have Yong Tau Fu soup with lots of veggies. Insya'allah..I will try for baby's sake...although it seems abit late.

Im also concern if the food I eat will cause baby to get Jaundice... Little Habib was a tinge of Yellow especially at the white of his eyes, but with sunning in the morning, it disappeared after a few days. I love carrots, tomatoes , curry , chocolates.... will these food cause Jaundice? hmmm....Better read up on it.

By the way, I welcome second hand baby stuff which are in good condition. Mittens, Booties, baby wipes , rattles, new born clothes, breast pads etc . Not that Im "sengkek" to buy them which I will, but why waste something which is still good right, and Im not so particular as long as its still clean and can be re-use kan.

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Hubby and me have been trying to 'prepare' our son for another sibling. We tell him that there is a baby in my tummy and the baby is his adik. He will point to my tummy when you tell him "where is adik?" but if you ask him "nak adik tak?" he will shake his head... entah if he understands or not. Yesterday, we brought him to ESH to visit our relative who just gave birth. When Little Habib was asked to kiss baby Sarah, he made the 'scared' gesture. He was scared of the baby! Timid boy lah he.

Its a Monday... busy week cos insya'allah, Im planning a small doa selamat for my son this weekend. Wish I can invite all my friends but I cant cos Im holding it at my place and I dont have manpower to help clean up and me being preggy will slow down my cleaning speed. So I guess, its just close family for now. Hope the majlis goes well and Little Habib will not be cranky as he is the star of the show.

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p/s, what is Twitter anyway? I noticed I have 2 followers. Will my followers received sms on their mobile on what I post on Twitter? If like that, I better not sms anything uninteresting kan... lets see if I can get use to twittering. hee..

AIF ! ... 16 Weeks

Alhamdullilah, Its a Friday...

entah kenapa, feeling layu nah niari. Rasa rindu sangat pada anakku yang tersayang. Hanya hati seorang Ibu yang berkerja sepenuh masa sahaja yang boleh memahami perasaan ku. Kalau lah aku boleh dapat balik sekarang, akan ku lari balik untuk memelok anak ku.
Semakin nak dapat adik, semakin manja si Little Habib ni...Sekarang kalau tidur, mesti di atas badan ku, sakit jugak rasanya kalau perut ku dihempap....

haha..ok ok...what am I babbling?? ...seriously I miss my boy! .... he is turning 2 very soon and getting smarter. Eh cepat eh 2 tahun...rasa macam it was just yesterday that DR Heng told me that baby will be induced out and I panicked. Come to think of it, inducing went well for me.

Little Habib can form 2 words sentence like " Abah Car " or " Cut Hair " or " Go Park "...alahai..I guess this is the cute stage.... he also loves playing his toys.... pagi/petang/malam toys ..... and dah senang nak bawak dia keluar cos he can tell us he wants to mamam ( makan ) or Bumbum ( sleep ) or Yak ( pass motion ). I have been cuddling him alot, so has hubby... entah eh.. maybe cos we feel that once the baby comes ( Insya'allah ), less attention will be given to our little Habib?

I wonder what its gonna be like..being a mother of 2 little kids ? Hmm ......

I hope to breastfeed my 2nd one too. I pray that some members of my family will support breastfeeding and not secretly give my baby Formula milk when Im asleep!!!

Also praying it will be easier for the baby to sleep at night since little Habib only learn to sleep at night after nearly 3 months after I gave birth, just before my maternity leave ended. Alhamdullilah....I hope to be able to handle the baby more independently like bathing it. When it was little Habib's time, my mum bathed him for the first 2 months..I did try once in a while...

Need to make lots of Doa lah, I better start on that soon. For now, Ive been praying for a smooth natural delivery, again without epidural or c-section..Me is really scared of needles, I'd rather tahan the pain....well Allah (swt) knows best......

Alhamdullilah, Ive hit 16 weeks. Gynea check up on Wed nite confirmed the sex of the baby. Alhamdullilah... aku bersyukur. We roughly have an idea of the name. I'll dedicate one post on that later on.. Choosing names are so fun..

I wonder if its too early to buy infant/baby stuff... we have an idea of which pram we want. I think I would need to get:
- breast milk storage bottles and a milk warmer. My Madela pump should be still in working condition. Have to try and plug it in and see if the engine works or not. Hmm what else....
- Tukang Urut ( Must get contact from Ummu Mukhtaar )
guess I need to write a list of what I need for the baby and also stuff like things to pack in maternity bag... gosh, Im going through this phase again.. It feels so funny and nice.

Gynea says my baby is doing well. She took my blood test, the compulsory one... I wont be taking the Down Syndrome Test ( nauzubillah ) or the foetal scanning at East Shore Hospital. Trying to save money and so we Tawakkal. I didnt take it for Little Habib's time too.

2nd Trimester. Headaches / Migraines seems to be gone. Nausea gone. Appetite big. ( i wonder how will it be comes Ramadhan ).
Current discomforts are terrible back aches ( might be getting a support belt ...maybe ), Incontinence ( irratating when I have wudhuk ), Sleepy ( wish i can just sleep and sleep like sleeping beauty...hee )

I keep thinking of the future..what is it gonna be like, having to divide my attention to 2 children. Hmm Insya'allah... hope me and hubby can manage. Hubby seems to finally welcome this baby. He's been talking to me about how our challenges will be like and how we can try and cope and how he hopes this baby looks like him too !
Ehhh no fair lah, bagi lah chance, since Little Habib looks like him kan.. hehe... Tapi takpelah, asalkan sihat, soleh , taqwa , bijak ....

*smiles*

Oklah, its after 2pm. Im gonna make my way to the masjid for zohor...

Love you baby. Ummi.love.you..... ; )

Innallàha wa malâikatahû yusallûna 'alan-nabiyy, yâ ayyuhalladhîna âmanû sallû alayhi wa sallimû taslîmâ. (Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.) 33:56

AIF ! ...

Alhamdullilah, Its Friday !!

Eurocup 2008? Sigh...lost interest as the team I supported isnt playing well at all.... Well, we supported France cos according to hubster, France Team got alot of Muslim players.... thats y...haiz..without Zidane, its just isnt the same.

Officially, I am in my 2nd trimesters.... wuhoooo.... alhamdullilah, tapi kan Y eh I still get the headaches? Check high blood and its normal. My expanding tummy is neither here nor there..can see but cannot see..some commuters in the train stare at it (hard).... cos they dont know if im preggy or fat! haha..

Over the past week, I have been battling my inner demons and trying my best to curb my temper. Entahlah, it could be the headaches that Ive been getting thats turning me into this monster. Yes, Ive noticed even though I was in denial.

Its just that because of the headaches, I get frustrated with whatever that doesn't go right, and who else can I bang my anger on except my dear hubby? I cant show my colleagues, my parents or my son a moody face...so hubby gets the effects of my headaches, and I know it isn't fair to him at all, but somehow, I cant help myself.

Anyway, things are better after hubby counseled me many times on how he wish his wife remains soft and patient and he brought up Saidatina Khadijah (Radiallah anha) as an example that all wives should follow.

Masya'allah...I felt so ashamed when he said that. Hubby is the type who can be very patient but when he speaks his mind, gosh, its precise!
Insya'allah, I will smile and be patient and respect my hubby more from now on. Entahlah, nak kata "pembawaan bayi", I haven't got a clue as well if there's really such a thing.

Meanwhile, since we were free last weekend as Little Habib went on holiday, we took the opportunity of going shopping while GSS was still on. All for our toddler. We needed to revamp his room abit in order to encourage him to be more comfortable in his room rather than ours. So we made a little play and study corner for him. Cantik tak ? I find it cosy as well as colourful for little kids.

We bought the table and chairs from Ikea, and put some story books on it. Now I can teach him A B C here.....

Some storage toy box and a rug from Ikea too.

His old mattress was terribly hard, so we bought him a new mattress. We got a good deal from Arrow Furnishing.

Good quality and less than a thousand bucks. Yay.. 'Cheap and Good'.. that's my motto.... Initially, I wanted to change his bed to a single bed, but since the Queen size bed was still in good condition, and our No 2 ( insya'allah ) can share a bed with his/her brother till they are abit older, so why not, we just kept the bed, change the mattress and bought some cosy soft pillows from Ikea.

My parents bought him this motorised harley toy motorbike from KL for just RM170.00.

Gosh, how did they fit it in the car? Little Habib posing like a fierce biker....

Huh, nanti dah besar, Ummi tak encourage belajar moto tau... Tapi Abah says he is all for it.." learn learn learn all you can ! " he says.....

Posing again ?..... Nah, it was a candid shot..hehe....

Innallàha wa malâikatahû yusallûna 'alan-nabiyy, yâ ayyuhalladhîna âmanû sallû alayhi wa sallimû taslîmâ. (Allah and His angels send blessings on the Prophet: O ye that believe! Send ye blessings on him, and salute him with all respect.) 33:56