Tuesday 6 July 2010

WELCOME RAYNA "PRINCESS BABY"

Rayna Shazmeen had finally arrived. 25 April 2010 marked another milestone for our family. Welcome Rayna. Abang Iqie calls her Rayna "Princess Baby". He is so affectionate towards her, kissing her every 5 minutes. Afeeq calls out her name and gently pats her every now and then. Thank god there is no showing of jealousy (yet!!).

All of us are adjusting to the life with Rayna around. Me with my breastfeeding and handling 2 older boys. Daddy with 2 older boys. 2 older boys with Rayna around and sharing of attention and affection.

But all in all, we're happy... very very happy!

ieja

Friday 16 April 2010

THE LAST MILE

My Pregnancy
I'm in my last few weeks of my pregnancy. My back hurts like hell and walking (more like waddling..!!) is such a chore. To make things worse, I have deadlines before I go into the labour room... But people at the office have been very kind. I am pampered in so many ways that I feel like kissing everyone of them.

Abang Iqie
He has been an angel. He talks to the baby inside my tummy and sometimes plays doctor whenever I tell him that my tummy hurts. Nowadays, he is obsessed with Ben 10 (Cartoon Network). He can tell you almost all of the names of Ben 10's aliens. He has 4 already in his collection and has been (subtly) persuading us to buy more.

His obsession is contagious. Hubby and I even know the names of all Ben's aliens, and watch all Ben 10 series. With Abang Iqie, we call name them Small Ben 10 (for series that feature Ben 10 when he is 10 years old), and Ben 10 Big or Ben 10 Abang for Ben 10 Alien Force (the succeeded series - when he is a teenager).

When ever we go out, he never misses asking us to buy any of his Ben 10 things. We bought him Ben 10 magazines. He read them every time he goes to bed, reciting all the alien's names and making up his own story when he reads the comic. He even brings his collection to bed, kissing them good night before he closes his eyes. My god... and he's not even 4 yet... I wonder what other obsessions he will have after this.

Abang Iqie now is practising his writing. Although he is yet to recognise the alphabets, he can recite them pretty well... thanks to that ABC song... His counting is also better nowadays. He can count accurately and show it with his fingers. But what he likes the most is colouring... especially after we bought him Ben 10 colouring book!!

Afeeq
Afeeq is still not talking yet. But when persuaded, he can say Abang Iqie (he pronounces it as Bang Chi), Daddy, Ma or Mammm. He's very playful and when ever he wants something, he will drag us with him, make noises and point to the things he wants us to do.

Afeeq's obsession is now the children's song... Old Mc Donald had a Farm, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, and a lot more. He would sit in front of the telly and just shake his body to the music. Sometimes he dances and sings (incomprehensibly) in front of the telly. When we put him to bed, we would sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and he would finish the last word for us.

ieja


Thursday 18 March 2010

ARGGHHHH....

Yes... I know... such a gimmic that I have for the title. But the actual fact - that is what I want to do right now...

THE MAID
She just told me this morning that her relative had arranged for her to go back home this Saturday. WTF...!!!! Without consulting us at all...!! I gave her a piece of my mind, and for the whole day, I was disturbed by phone calls from her relatives, not to apologise, but to confirm that we are sending her to the bus station this Saturday. I've been in a foul mood (so to speak) and I really feel like shouting at her. Haven't she heard of "advanced notice" before????

THE PREGNANCY
I'm in my last month of the preganacy. As much as I'm excited to welcome the new addition to our family, I'm also bothered with the severe pain that I have on my back. It makes it very uncomfortable for me to sit or stand or walk or even sleep. Whenever I need to toss around in bed, I will have to moan and grab the edge of the bed for support. It is that bad. Making it worse, Afeeq usually wakes up 2-3 times at night for his bottle (used to be every 2 hours). And he usually shows his impatience by kicking things around me, and the nearest target would always be ME...!!! And Abang Iqie... he usually asks me to put him to bed and asks for his milk like 20 times before falling asleep (OK I'm exaggerating... may be for like 5 times only...). I have to get up that many times and hold the cup for him. Can you imagine the pain and the effort that I have to make to endure all those?

THE WORK
Last week, I started a project in a big company. The first few days went quite well with all the rapport built between my team and the other team members. But on the last 2 days of the week, the project director and the project manager came to tell me that they had issues with their project sponsor, hence, our team was booted out. They had to "deferred the project until further notice". What a clown... And on last Monday, we cleaned up our workspace.

THE CONCLUSION
Those are some of the things that caused my low blood pressure...!!


ieja


Saturday 6 March 2010

SNIPPETS

I've been neglecting this blog and for the same ol' reason. I'm caught in the web of corporate world. So... what has been going on in my life? Remember my entry on What a Busy January? Well... pretty much the same, but maybe with some more encouraging updates...

1. OF OUR NEW RIDE
In my last entry, I mentioed that we had postponed our search for the right ride. Well... because of a few reasons. But we made up our mind last 2 weeks to just go ahead with it and cross our fingers... So, we marched to a Honda showroom near Jalan Genting Kelang, and gnawed at the new Stream. Hubby was as excited as I was. Then, we made our choice and submitted whatever was necessary. And alhamdulillah, a few days ago, we were informed that everything went well and that we would be getting our new ride in 2 months' time...YuHoOoOOoOooooooOooOoOo..!!

2. OF OUR HELPER
Things have been good with the new helper although she still insists on going home. Abang Iqie and Afeeq have got used to having her around, so we don't have much tantrum from both of them around the house nowadays. But to get her home is very challenging indeed as the agent doesn't want to pick up our calls anymore. I've left thousands missed calls and numerous texts on her mobile. She just doesn't want to pick up, answer our calls, or reply our texts. What kind of person does that? We don't want to send our helper back on her own - she doesn't know her way around. We also don't want to be responsible if anything happens to her when she's alone travelling back home. Most importantly, we want a replacement before we send her back home. Hey... I'm due next month and we're going to move to the new house soon... what do you expect..!!

3. OF OUR NEW HOUSE
We've been to the new house a couple of times now, and we have started to buy the things needed for the renovation. We're going to get some other things this weekend too. I guess the renovation work will start soon. And I just hope that the house will be ready before I deliver my new baby... Crossing my fingers...!!

4. OF MY PREGNANCY
I'm in my final trimester now and due in mid of April, which is next month!! Hmmm... the anticipation...!!! Sometimes I just wish that this could be over as soon as possible. I have severe back pain and my blood pressure has dropped to 50. The doctor said that I could fall flat unconscious on the floor anytime if I'm not careful. I've had contractions, and yesterday morning was the longest and most painful one I got. That reminded me of what I would have to go through on D-DAY... Arghhhhhhhh...!!! Please pray for my safe delivery...

ieja


Friday 5 February 2010

UPDATES ON "WHAT A BUSY JANUARY"

Just some updates on what I had posted in my entry What a Busy January.

  1. We've got my SuperEK back from the workshop. All shiny at the back... but all scratchy at the front :) And we're still proceeding with the plan of spraying it black or grey...
  2. We have decided to drop the Stream that we found. After looking at our immediate financial needs, we would be doing the renovation first (among other reasons of course). Then, move into the new house before I actually deliver so that my confinement will be at the new house. Time is the essence here... so we have to renovate fast as I'm in my 3rd trimester already...
  3. The new helper has made up her mind - she wants to go home even if we have't got a replacement from the agent... What can I say... She wanted to go home ASAP... Like that's going to happen with Chinese New Year around the corner. We're definitely not going to send her home. The agent would have to collect her...
  4. We have collected our keys to the new home :) So the updates are the same as No. 1 hehehhee... renovation first, then move in, then deliver baby, then confinement, then house warming party perhaps??
  5. So far work is manageable. I've got one of my best friends to work with me... hahahhaaa... see how it goes... Since Chinese New Year is just around the corner, I can have my long rest...
ieja


WHAT I HAVE INSTALLED FOR 2010

Just a short entry to remind myself what I want to do this year.

I had reflected in my entry (The End of the Year - 2009) that there was one part of my life that I really wanted to focus and improve on. This year is going to be it... I have started to do it since early this year. And I pray really hard that this new positive change in me will last... Amin!

I have also set my mind to read at least 6 books this year, be it for entertainment or self development. I have started with a storybook a few days ago. I have to guilty admit that I actually bought that book when I was in Singapore last year. But I know myself... once I'm hooked, that's it..!! And last night just proved it... I slept at 5.30 am because I just couldn't put down the book. Now, I'm having a major headache... serves me right...!!! *sigh* I wish I could do the same with "Blue Ocean Strategy" which I was supposed to finish years ago... I abandoned the book after a few chapters..!!

There are actually other things that I want to achieve this year, but I'll let those 2 to be the main focus. The rest are just work-related and socially-related matters. I'll get to pen them down one of these days...

ieja


Friday 22 January 2010

WHAT A BUSY JANUARY

It's only January and I've already worked my ass out. I'm tired and mentally exhausted. There were and are so many things happening within this month alone.


  1. We met with an accident... yesss... it was my beloved SuperEK. A lady driver banged us from the back. Since we have sold Hubby's car, my SuperEK is the only means of transport that we have while waiting for our Stream to come to reality. The bumper was dented and the bonet couldn't be opened. The car is now in the workhop. We're now car-less and at the moment using a Kancil Turbo courtesy of my brother in-law ;) Thanks Ayah Chik and Aunty Su... To make things worst, I lost our car's registration card. The insurance needed that for a third party claim. Argghhh... I had to take a day leave to go to the police station to report the loss and then to the Road Department to have a new registration card made. At the end, the Department didn't even need the police report I made *sigh*


  2. We've found the Stream that we wanted (well... actuall what Hubby wanted..!!). Although I haven't seen this Stream before, but of course I trust his judgement. We've seen RSZ, but that was out of our financial range. We can if we want to, but I prefer the comfortable financial life that I have now (alhamdulillah) to be able to afford most of the things I want... I don't want to cut corners just to get that bloody model. And to make our choice of Stream ours, we - particularly I - had to go through all the trouble of dealing with the banks and what not... You just can't imagine I had to go through...


  3. We also had a new helper. She was supposed to come early of the month, but the agent in Kelantan didn't inform us that she was not coming. We had actually told Iqie and Afeeq's "school" that we would not be sending them anymore... You can imagine how embarrassed I was when I had to tell them that Iqie and Afeeq would have to go to "school" for a few more weeks. Finally, the helper came a few days ago at the break of dawn. Language is still a barrier between me and her (her Kelantanese accent is very strong). I'm not surprised if Iqie didn't speak a word to her on the first and the second day hehehee... But what makes me pissed is that on the first night and the second night, she kept on stressing that she was not used to be away from home and that she was worried about her 70++ old grand mother (in her own words she said she was scared if the granny died while she was away..!!). And later told me that she wanted to go back home once a month...!!! WTF... When I said that it was not possible because of the journey and all... she asked me to find a replacement...!!! THAT'S IT...!!! And calling her agent in Kelantan proves to be patience-testing...


  4. We also have got a letter from the developer saying that we can move into our new house. But we have to pay more than RM 1K to them for the late interest payment. Of course we would not stay silent as it was not our fault at all. So, yours truly had taken the effort to call the bank's lawyer, wrote a very long "nice" letter to them asking them to pay for it. My last conversation with the lawyer in-charged confirmed that they would settle the amount. But when are they going to do that... that is another story. So we have made a plan to go collect our keys this coming Tuesday. Good luck to us...!! And not to mention that now we have to think of the renovation that we need to do before moving in...


  5. Work has been very stressful. I had to work late most of the nights for the past few weeks because of a big bid and presentation to one of the Ministries. It was a proposal to train the primary English teachers. We had to work with a group of New Zealanders and the 7-hour time difference "really helped". But I was highly praised by the NZ team and the presentation went very very well. I just don't care what is going to be the outcome of it anymore...

Well... those were and are the things that I have to go through this January. I didn't even have the chance to further reflect 2009 and write down my 2010's resolution... I will have to make time for that.

ieja

Sunday 17 January 2010

I HATE SMOKERS...!!!


I hate smokers..!! I hate them... I hate them... I hate them...!!!

YESSS... I hate smokers... I think they are inconsiderate b*****ds, selfish peices of trash. I think they are just like a natural waste that should not be let exist in this world...

Look at me... you moron...!! I'm pregnant... Smoke your life short somewhere else...!!!

Wednesday 6 January 2010

NEW YEAR - NEW ME?

Well... new year came and went and I didn't even realise it. It's not as significant as when I was in my 20s, or before I have children. No wonder people always say that your priority changes when you get married and have children. Have my priorities changed? I believe so...

In my previous entries I had voiced out my aspirations in life and what I want to achieve in the years to come. I once told a good friend that I wanted to be a CEO one day, and that I want to run my own company. Is this still valid? Frankly, I don't know. But those are some of what I want to achieve in my life. But to achieve those goals, I would have to make sacrifices, like my priorities, time and energy. I would have to be work-focus. If I were to pursue those goals, how would I divide my time and energy between work and family. Can I have it all..?

I'm selfish... that I have to admit. I want it all... (ahhhh... Bon Jovi's song rings in my mind... heheheh). I want a lot of things (don't we all..??). I want (1) a good job with high pay, (2) to live in my dream house at the location that I prefer (3) to spend as much time as I want with Hubby and the children, (4) to drive a car that makes car enthusiasts jealous of me (5) to have a doctorate attached to my name (6) to be able to travel anytime anywhere. And of course a lot of other things... If I were to list them down, I would need 3 days to do so...

But the bottomline is... am I enjoying life and make the best of everything? The answer is YES... I'm enjoying my life now with its ups and downs. Throw any hurdles to me and I'll make each one of them a lesson in life - to be shared and reflected from time to time. Someone told me before - life is hard enough without us making it harder...

ieja