Independence

Salam Abg Iqie, Abg Afeeq and my princess,

We just celebrated Malaysia's independence day, and in a few day's time, we will celebrate Malaysia's Day. You guys asked Mummy and Daddy if we could go to Dataran Merdeka and watch the whole show. So sorry darlings, Mummy and Daddy knew that there would be thousands of people there and we thought that it would not be a pleasant experience for you guys. We decided to wait for you guys to be a little bit bigger before we take you to the show. But you guys did enjoy the show on the TV. The queen wore red tudung and Rayna liked her :)

At the moment (if you can still remember by the time you read this), Mummy and Daddy are giving you a little bit of independence. You guys are now allowed to play at the playground just the three of you. We don't have to accompany you anymore. It's our way to build trust and let you be more independent. Of course, Abg Iqie will always be told to watch over Abg Afeeq and Rayna. And both of you are always told to listen to Abg Iqie. I truly hope that you guys can depend on each other now and when Mummy and Daddy are no longer around. At the same time, I also hope that you know your boundaries.

When I was your age, I had done a lot of fun things. And I want you guys to have those memories and to remember all of them with fondness. One day, one of you will say "Do you remember when we..." and laugh about it. I want you to have a lot of that. The three of you...

With loads of love always...

Mummy

At the Wee Hours

Dear Abg Iqie, Abg Afeeq and Rayna...

Today, we talked about how you guys wake up almost every morning to go to school over dinner. We laughed when mummy told you how bad you guys were at waking up early. Abg Iqie is always late to school - well... almost every morning :P

Our routine is supposed to be very simple. I wake you guys up, you guys shower, brush teeth, take wudhu and solat subuh. Then do your school bags (if not done yet), then the usual chores - blue bag, towels and water bottles. Yes, it is supposed to be that simple :)

But surprise... surprise... surprise...

Abg Iqie sometimes wake up with "Five more minutes mummy. I'm still sleepy". That is followed with cries of "I want to sleep. Why can't I sleep some more?". After a few threats from Mummy, then only you go to the bathroom. Funny how you used to be the easiest to wake up and the first to complete everything.

It's sometimes very easy to wake up Abg Afeeq. As long as Mummy is the one who wakes you up and escort (more likely walk-hug) you to the bathroom, you are fine most of the times. But you sometimes throw in a few challenges too - like fighting who should shower first, you or Abg Iqie. Then the whole world is turned upside down.

Rayna, so far is the easiest. As long as Mummy is the one who wakes you up and, like Abg Afeeq, walk-hugs you to the bathroom, you are fine. I can just leave you at the bathroom door and know that you will do every thing right.

But... a big but! You guys always forgot to brush your teeth!! OMG... I have to repeat and remind every single morning. And make you go back to the bathroom every time :-)

Then, there's the missing school shirt, school pants and your sekolah agama's samping *rolled eyes* Don't get me started on the water bottles from the previous day(s) that you guys have forgotten to take to the kitchen. Worse... the food container from the previous day(s) *fainted*.

After all the drama in the house, there is the journey down to the car park. If the fight is not about your socks, then it is about your shoes. If it's not about the shoes, then there's always the missing songkok.

I'm going to miss all of them when you guys have all grown up. I wish I could record the drama so that all of us remember what it was like. To remember the morning glory, the trips to school, the lectures that you had with Daddy in the car, etc. etc.

I love you guys so much. Today, we laughed and we had a good time at dinner. And I want to remember that. More importantly, I want you guys to remember...

Till next time, I love you loads...

Mummy

Work for What You Want

Dear Abg Iqie, Abg Afeeq and Rayna...

The three of you sometimes ask Mummy and Daddy why you guys need to do certain things at home. Every school day, the three of you would need to do specific things. Like doing the "blue bag" - putting your shirts and pants in the IKEA shopping bag that we use as your laundry bag, doing the "towels" - putting clean towels in the "blue bag" for you to use at the daycare, and doing the "water bottles" - getting all the water bottles ready for school (two for Abg Iqie, two for Abg Afeeq and one for Rayna for each school).

You guys then have to rotate the chores, switching the tasks among the three of you. Sometimes, you guys fight about who's turn is it to do the "blue bag" or the "towels". And sometimes Abg Afeeq would throw a tantrum, not wanting to do the "towels". His exact words were "I hate doing towels. Why do I have to do the towels?".

Well guys, Mummy and Daddy want you to learn about "responsibilities". We want you to know that you  sometimes have to be accountable for something. When you fail to do something that other people are depending on you to do, there is a consequence. If one of you fails to put shirts in the "blue bag", then you won't have anything to wear at the daycare. The same goes if one of you does not put in the "towels" in the "blue bag", or do the "water bottles". We want to teach you that when you are a responsibility or when people are counting on you to do something, you have to do it well.

Well, there are more reasons to that. We just hope that you are able to learn from these experiences. You shouldn't expect things to be provided for you and that things are all set for you. You guys must remember to work hard and smart for something that you want.

Mummy and Daddy hope that you will be more responsible when you grow up. And not to be like other Gen Z or the other millennials that we heard so much about - like they deserve everything and that they don't have to work for what they want.

Until next time, yours always,

Mummy

Dear Abg Iqie, Abg Afeeq & Rayna...

Dear Abg Iqie, Abg Afeeq & Rayna...

Mummy and Daddy love you so much. And we want you to know that we are proud of you. Remember that every day of your life.

Not long ago, mummy sat down in a hall listening to one ustaz. He talked about messages that mummy and daddy could write to you guys now for you guys to read when the three of you have all grown up. So this is me, writing my first message to the three of you.

Abg Iqie, you are the eldest. My hope is that you will grow up to be anak yang solleh. I also hope that you will be a great leader to Abg Afeeq and Rayna. If you wonder why I have appointed you to be the Ketua Solat at home, that is the main reason :). You are already a confident boy and you always listen to mummy and daddy well. You are so matured already beyond your age. You are the leader already to Abg Afeeq and Rayna.

Abg Afeeq, you are fun to be around with, and playful too. You get along with other people very easily. My hope is that you will grow up to be a responsible person besides being anak yang solleh. I also hope that you will be someone that people can rely on. You are already a very creative boy. You can design anything you want with your lego and some of them are very impressive. But I hope you would listen to me and daddy more often and mind your words too. But you know what... I love it that you like to kiss me and hug me all the time. And I actually look forward to your phone calls, the ones that you always make in the afternoon when you are at school. You make me feel loved and cherished. I also like it when you always tell me what you want to buy me or give me when you are all grown up, places where you want to take me and all :)

My princess Rayna, you are the brain of the family. It's always a joy to see how you love doing your homework without being asked, and reading your books. I always pray that you will be anak yang sollehah. I actually love it when you always want me to put you to bed - our 5 or 10 minutes bedtime rule before I leave your room. That makes me feel special. Your pre-school teachers said you are very bright and an excellent student. I am very proud of you.

You three are the most precious and important things in mummy and daddy's lives. Remember that we love you so much and that we are proud of you.

Till my next message, yours always,

Mummy

Tidbits of the Three Tots

Abg Iqie is now into computers. But he can only switch it on during weekends. The no-device policy during weekdays still applies.

Afeeq is losing his baby teeth! Two of his front teeth are already missing and he looks funny :P





Rayna can already read - English and Bahasa books. And now she always has a book in her hands.

And me... I had an eye operation with Prof Muhaya about a month ago. And my eyes are now adjusting to the new eyesight. It was a big change for me. I still try to adjust my glasses on my nose although it's not there anymore :P  But I'm getting used to it. Just came back from a follow up meeting with the optometrist and she suggested that I wear glasses only for driving and my eyes would need about six months to adjust. Oh well...

I have also started to cycle indoor. Let's see how that goes...

Ieja

A Comeback After So Many Years

OMG... has it really been two years? My last post was in June 2013. I guess I was not that great at doing something consistently :P

Anyhow, this is a comeback from the grave. A lot has happened and a lot needs to be recorded. Let's just do a summary.

FAMILY

I cannot be happier! Those three rascals are basically growing so fast. Iqie is now 9 years old, Afeeq 7 and Rayna 5. They are like everything to me... my air to breathe and my light in darkness. My heart could just explode with so much love for them. I could go on, but I think you get the message. And they talk non-stop. 

Iqie is much more inquisitive than before. His questions range from science to religion. I am sometimes amazed at the questions that come out of his mouth. From "who is Najib?" and "how does GST affect us?" to "what is metal?" and "how do they make glasses?" kind of questions. And a lot more... And he still cries easily. May Allah bless him. He has a soft and kind heart. Quite obedient. I guess him being a prefect helps.

Afeeq is jovial. The happy-go-lucky kid. He's the kind that people come for fun or to make them feel good. He's always bursting with energy, moving non-stop. Highly inquisitive as well in an active sort of way. He can get away with not doing anything at all when everyone else is busting their butts. Highly creative. He can make up his own games and create anything that is out of this world with his Lego. A softer side of him - he likes me to hug and kiss him. He likes me to hold him. He's also the kind that will tell you that you are being too hard on him (I get that a lot from him). I learned that I need to treat him as an equal.

Rayna is the princess in the house. She's active and not too girly (thank god). She looks tough and highly competitive in a positive way. Of course all parents say that :P. To public, she is soft spoken and doesn't talk much. Her teachers commented that she does her own things at school and doesn't seem to be interested in other kids. What does that really mean? But with us, she just can't stop talking. She's also a hugger. Big hugs, small hugs, you name it. She can just go behind you and hold you tight. 


WORK
I guess things could have not been better. After I've got my heart "broken" by my last employer, I'm now with a more shariah-compliant organisation. Alhamdulillah... I guess I'm heading towards the right direction. All in all, it took me three years to come into full circle of what I intended to become. I guess you can call it a calling, but I've been given the chance.

That's it for now I guess. 

Liza

Abang Iqie's School Orientation

My baby is going to school already? Abang Iqie was all excited this morning. He was going to his primary school for his standard one orientation. Awwwww... he's a big boy already... He's going to Sekolah Kebangsaan Danau Kota.

With Daddy

Waiting to do an assessment

I still think he's too small to go to school

Well.. I think he'll do just fine!

 I was a bit worried at first about him being alone at school. But he was being his usual self, chippy and all excited. Been counting the days when he could actually go to this new school. 

The orientation was OK. The headmaster was talking about the learning experiences that the standard one students will most likely go through, like having to buy own food at the canteen, missing pencils, going on the school bus, etc. I guess those will be the adventures that Abang Iqie will be having. And I'm pretty sure that he will enjoy every single bit of them :)

I'm so proud of my son... today, he was not a boy anymore. He is now my little man...

I feel like crying now... :P

ieja

My Journey Thus Far

I have been blessed with a lot of things. But one thing that I'm really really greatful for is my family. Abang Iqie is five, Abang Afeeq is three, and Rayna is one and a half years old. And I just celebrated my 6th wedding anniversary.

We're now paying close attention to Abang Iqie's reading and writing skills. He gets Maths and doesn't need much guidance. But he thinks reading and writing are a nuisance. Whenever the car stops, I would always ask him to spell whatever words we could see. Be it a billboard, names of shops or advertisments. Some letters still slipped his memory, and he has to recite his ABC to remember them. But on different occassions, that doesn't seem to be a problem. Is he practising selective memory like me? I sure hope not. But with a bit of encouragement (by that I mean a little bit of scolding and threatening and bribing), he seems to be on the right track. And I have to make sure that his memory lapses are not a permenant thing ;)

I also notice that Abang Iqie is a bit like 'by the book' type of kid. He listens to us when we reason with him. And we when set rules, he abides although he would try to get his way around them sometimes.

Abang Afeeq is still enjoying his play time a lot, especially now that Mummy and Daddy don't seem to pressure him to do any homework yet. Well... That time will come my darling. He's a bit cheeky, always trying to cook up something funny. But he can also be notorious especially if he is provoked, and if things don't exactly go his way. At the same time, he's a darling. Always says 'I love you' when you least expect it. He's a cheeky and tough Mummy's boy. And he reminds me a lot of myself :))

Although Rayna is only one and a half years old, she's more advanced than her two bros. She's very independent. She won't allow me putting on her shirt and pants after shower. She wants to do it herself, and blind me, she can! She can also eat on her own. She can understand us perfectly. Whenever she has poohed in her diaper, she would come to me and tell me that she had poohed. When I tell her to shower, automatically, she would take off her pants and shirt and head to the bathroom. She then would take the stool, place it right in front of the wash basin, demand for her toothbrush, and brush her own teeth. Of course I have to brush her teeth all over again. Once that is done, she would put back the stool where it belongs and enter the shower area. She would also shampoo herself, rub her tummy with the shower gel including her feet, and rinse herself.

Rayna has also started to utter words that we can understand. I can even have a decent conversation with her about simple things. Her obsession nowadays is cats. Whenever she sees one, she would follow and would want to kiss it. That doesn't happen to just live cats, but to pictures of cats too, on books or on the phones.

I guess these are the things that really make me feel blessed! Alhamdulillah.

Ieja

The iFamily

I think I'm very much a gadget person. I'm not a freak who has to own all the latest tech that the world has to offer, but I am very much interested in playing, discovering and most importantly having technology in my hand.

Hubby (after much persuasion) and I bought an iPhone 4 each. That was a year ago exactly on my birthday. Mine was a birthday present from him :)) and I can't thank him enough. So, that was the turning point for us. I have always been stupefied by the Internet, having it on the go enhanced my obsession. And Hubby was really making fully use of everything the phone and the Internet have got to offer.

A year later today, we still have no complaints. In fact, we converted some people who were on the less-smart phones, or on Androids to iPhone. Even my boss hahaha...! And we're branching out... This year, for my birthday, I bought myself an iPad 2 - as a "birthday gift" to myself. And for Abang Iqie's birthday, he earned himself an iPod. Aaaahh... the joy that we saw in his face when he got his iPod - priceless. But Mummy and Daddy were RM700 poorer hahahha... But of course, before he could get his hands on the iPod, he had to promise us a lot of things. Among other:

1. He cannot play with Mummy and Daddy's iPhone anymore
2. He cannot play with Mummy's iPad
3. He must do his homework before he can play with his iPod
4. He must share his iPod with Afeeq
5. He must listen to Mummy and Daddy if he wants to play with his iPod

And amazingly, he actually abides by those rules until today! 


We're now thinking of what we could give Afeeq to make it equal to him...


ieja

Happy Birthday Afeeq - 07 Oct 2011

We celebrated Afeeq's birthday on 07 October 2011. Happy Birthday Afeeq. Mummy, Daddy, Abang Iqie and Rayna love you so much. It was a low key event (our family events this year seem to be all low key..). We bought a number of goodie bags for the "school" for Afeeq to give to all of his friends, bought him a birthday present which much to our liking seems to be his favourite thing so far, and lastly sang him the song for him to blow his candles. Afeeq is now 3 years old.

A happy face...

Getting started..

Now let's talk about his birthday present. We asked him what he wanted for his birthday, and his simple answer was "car". But with little guidance from his big brother (well... we have established that his big brother is a big fan of Ben 10), his "car" sort of expanded to "Ben 10 car". But we were not fooled... so we bought him his very own wall-mounted Hot Wheels racing track!! And he loved it so much that he didn't want to go to sleep that night...

So Daddy - the Handyman demonstrated his skills to the kids and mounted everything on the wall. I must say that it was pretty clever, whoever invented this toy must be a genius! It took Daddy not even half an hour to assemble everything. And the kids just couldn't wait to start racing. But poor Abang Iqie... since it was Afeeq's birthday present, he got to play first and he was given the priority of course. But Abang Iqie was a sport and understood things well.

The step-by-step assembly of the track

So happy to see those faces playing together. It makes you wish for the moments to last. I just hope that the three of them realise how they are loved and cherished by their Mummy and Daddy. I also want them to know  that their Mummy and Daddy would do anything for them.

And finally...

So kids... if you read this, please know that you are our everything...

Now, Abang Iqie has started to make his wishlist for his birthday... and some outrageous items have popped up in the list...

ieja

 

My Last Birthday :P

I have forgotten to write about my birthday :P Can you imagine that? To tell you the truth, I myself almost forgot that it was my birthday until Hubby suggested that we took a day off  from work.

It was on 28 Sep. And after a while I didn't expect anything special anymore, except from Hubby of course. I didn't expect anyone else to wish me frankly.

But I was pleased to see that my family and a lot of my friends did wish me. It made me feel that I was part of that 'relationship' with them. Of course most of the wishes were in the FB (what else could I expect). One pleasant surprise was a phone call from my best friend, and it was when I was putting my daughter to bed. The phone call could not be prolonged. But I was nevertheless very happy.

Our ritual for birthday dictates that all birthday wish and present must be done and given at the dot of 12.00 am. This year was no exception. And after much hinting, I've got myself a Baby G watch which was already out of production. Thanks a zillion Hubby. I know you've gone through almost hell finding the present :)) Now the ball is in my court - the challenge to find you that perfect birthday gift...

Iqie made me a card - with the help of those in his 'school'. We bought a cake, we sang the song and all of them (not me, but Iqie, Afeeq and Rayna) blew the candles and feast on the cake.

It was a low key event, but a very meaningful one for me... Until next year...

*I can't believe I'm 36 already*

ieja

ALMOST THE WHOLE FAMILY IS SICK

Hubby and I have been infected... We suffer from an eye infection. I got hit the worse, my eyes are swollen, all puffy and viciously red. And we got it all from Abang Iqie...

3 days back Iqie's left eye was a bit swollen and we could see some discharge in his eye. We went to the pharmacy and bought him an ointment. That worked fine for him and he was OK the next day. 2 days ago, Hubby and I were complaining to each other that our left eyes were ichy and that there were some discharge. And *poooof* it was only a few hours after that that our left eyes were all red and mine swollen. Funny that we were infected on the left eye first only, then the other one.

So, yesterday morning, we dropped both Abang Iqie and Afeeq at "school" and off we went to the clinic. We were positively identified infected by the doctor. She prescribed us with the medication although mine is a bit different from Hubby as I told her that I'm pregnant. She gave us an eye drop, eye cream and some pills for my swollen eye and ichiness for Hubby. We were given a 2-day sick leave each and if our eyes are still red on the third day, we would still need to be inspected by her again and... more days of sick leave... hmmm... a movie would be nice...

One thing I admire about Hubby is that he is very discipline when it comes to medicine taking. Unlike me, I will try to avoid consuming anything that is labeled as medicine or tablets or pills or whatever! Anyone who knows me well knows that I have this "phobia" thingy about medicines especially tablets/pills. My best friend once had to cut a paracetamol into four and put each piece in a banana for me to swallow when I had a fever! I love her for that...!!!

So, this time around, Hubby is the one monitoring my medication. I just have to lie down on the sofa or the bed, and he does the eye drops for me. I love you sayang...!!

ieja

SNIPPETS

OF ABANG IQIE

Abang Iqie can now converse quite well. He understands what we tell him most of the time. Having a conversation with him nowadays is a fun thing for me and hubby. The way he expresses himself with the limited words that he can utter sometimes make us laugh.

"What dat Mummy?"

"Mummy play wit Iqie, pleassssss"

"WOW... Daddy car fast..."

He can even sing all his favourite rhymes, like "Old McDonald Had a Farm", "Ba Ba Black Sheep", "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star", "The Wheels on the Bus", "Mary Had a Little Lamb", and many more. We sometimes hear him humming while playing. He can even sing Barney's "I Love You, You Love Me" song. And that's the funny part...

When Hubby and I speak to him, we always say "YOU" - referring to him. He takes it that "YOU" means "IQIE". Whenever we say "Mummy / Daddy carry YOU", he takes it as "Mummy / Daddy carry IQIE". So, when he wants us to carry him, he says "Mummy, carry YOU, pleasss..." hehehheeee... Funny how kids perceive things that are said to them. Another one is the word "park". We always reverse park the car. So we say, "Mummy park the car". So when Iqie is on his electric bike and he wants to reverse it, he says, "Iqie park bike". Even when we reverse the car he would say, "Mummy park car".

The case with the word "YOU" extends to Iqie's singing. Sometimes when he wants to close his eyes to sleep, he would hug either Hubby or me and sing Barney's "I Love You, You Love Me" song. But in his case, he cleverly changes the lyric to this:

I love you...

YOU love MUMMY... -> which means IQIE love Mummy :)

We are happy family...

With a great big hug and a kiss from me to you -> funny how this is not changed ;)

Won't you say you love me too...

Another development that we see in Iqie is that he now can recite his ABC and his doa whenever he wants to eat (ever so loudly...). And most importantly, he seems to be connecting with Afeeq more. He plays with him and involves him more in his activities at home.

OF AFEEQ

Afeeq is now 11 months old. He has 4 teeth so far, 2 upper and 2 lower. He's very active and just can't sit still. He crawls everywhere. He's now beginning to take a step or two whenever we're around him. But he's still a little bit scared.

In the house, he is the one who makes a lot of mess. He knows where the toys and the CDs are. So, whenever we leave him alone, he would crawl to the toy box and the CD box and BANG... the whole floor is covered with toys, CDs, books, etc.

Hmmmm... I am still amazed at how fast these 2 have grown...

ieja

OF ABANG IQIE

My eldest son - Iqie is 2 years and 3 months old. He's very active and likes to play with his toy cars a lot. He's quite talkative... well... compared to his cousin sister who is 3 weeks older then him.

So far, we managed to use English (I would say 95%) when we talk to him. And he understands us very well. We also managed to chart his progress in terms of his speech development on videos. Looking back at how he grows from one-word speech to two-word speech and now three-word speech or more - he amazes us. It's amazing how children pick up when we put effort in teaching them things.

At one stage, Iqie would just point his finger and say "there... there..." if he wanted to go to the living room or if he wanted me to go somewhere. After some time he acquired more words and would say "Mummy... there...". Then "Mummy... there... telly". Then "Iqie watch telly". He would also say things like "Mummy go there eat", "Daddy vroom car". But my all time favourite - "Afeeq... no..." when Afeeq puts his fingers in his mouth, and "Good boy Afeeq..." when Afeeq takes out his fingers out of his mouth. He says it ever so lovingly... it makes me melt...

With his understanding of his Mummy and Daddy's conversation, we can't actually say "go out" sparingly. He will pick it up and will quickly reply "Iqie go out... there" pointing at the front door and immediately taking off his pants and shirt (expecting us to change him). Hubby and I really have to use those two words carefully. Otherwise, we'll end up walking him around the house...

ieja

ABANG IQIE AND ADIK AFEEQ (2)

Afeeq is now 4 months old. How time files. After going back to work, I have been kept busy with all the work and deliverables for the project I'm in. Sometimes, I feel guilty for not paying enough attention to both Iqie and Afeeq... and to Hubby too. But somehow, I try my best to make it up to them. I have my ways ;)

But what I want to record here is how surprise I am with Iqie. His love for his little brother is very obvious. Every night before he goes to sleep, he will lie beside Afeeq and kiss him on his cheek. And that is not enough to him. He then will "salam" his little brother's hand (not once, but many many times I tell you!) and kiss him again on the face (not just the cheek anymore). He will then place his face really near to Afeeq, before going to sleep - holding Afeeq's hand. I am touched at his display of love towards his little brother.

Learning for my son, I make it a routine to kiss both Abang and Adik before they go to sleep. I also pray that this display of love and affection will not stop and that it will continue until both of them grow up.

ieja

ABANG IQIE & ADIK AFEEQ

Ever since Afeeq was born, we have been trying to get Iqie off my breasts ;). I read somewhere that it is advisable for Muslim mothers to stop breastfeeding their children when they are already 2 years old. Iqie celebrated his 2nd birthday on 01 November 08 - a few weeks after Afeeq was born.

Trying to stop Iqie proved to be strategically difficult. He would scream and shout "nenen" (his word for breast milk) if he was deprived of his daily doses. He would not stop until something was done, and he really sounded like an ambulance or a high pitch broken record. Not only that, he would compete with Afeeq to get to the source. He wouldn't push Afeeq away, instead, he would go for the second opening. The victim would be me... manhandling two children at the same time. It was like having to breastfeed twins... As a result, Afeeq would always be the losing party - having to be diverted to formula and bottle.

Serious effort to stop Iqie (and to give more attention to Afeeq) started 2 weeks ago. Someone suggested a substance called "jadam" - it tastes bitter. But after serious consideration, Hubby and I decided against it. Instead, a better alternative was given by one of my sisters - to use coffee powder and rub it on the source of Iqie's affection.

The first week was hell... Iqie cried and threw tantrums. We had to face sleepless nights as he would wake up several times and cried for me. I would try to distract him by showing the coffee powder. He didn't like the taste of it... Thus, louder cries and more shouts of "nenen".

Psychologically, we thought that Iqie's suckling helped him doze off. Depriving him that meant he had nothing to occupy him to put him to sleep. So we gave him our cellphones to play with. He would listen to the music and watch the videos that we have in our cellphones till his eyes couldn't take it. Once he decided that it was enough, he would put our phones down, adjust his position and close his eyes. Then that was it - he would be asleep.

Now, after a few weeks practising that, Iqie is accustomed to us putting him to bed with something to play with. To help him doze off, Afeeq must be placed beside him so that he has a company. He rarely wakes up in the middle of the night too. But when he does, he doesn't ask for "nenen" anymore. Instead, I would take him to the kitchen for a glass of fresh milk and he would go back to sleep immediately after that with me holding his hand.

So, lately, we have quite peaceful nights and Afeeq is now not on bottle anymore when I'm around.

ieja

YOU ARE MY SUNSHINE

You are my sunshine my only sunshine

You make me happy when skies are grey
You'll never know dear how much I love you
So please don't take my sunshine away

That's the song given and sung to me by Hubby. But when my son was born, that song (without we even realising it) was passed on to him. He is our sunshine. I realise that I haven't written about him in my blog and I guess it's high time I opened my private life to (just a little bit) to this cyberworld. Not for others to take a peek, but more for him (when he knows how to use the Internet that is) to read what his Mommy had written about him here...

During my pregnancy with Iqie (his full name is Rifqie Shaqirin), Hubby and I were eager. We recorded every development and kept all the scanned pictures. We read a lot of materials and subscribe to a few newsletters. As first timers, we had a lot of questions and worries, but alhamdulillah there was no complication or whatsoever during the pregnancy. The delivery though was a bit tough. I had to spend 2 nights before Iqie was born due to low amniotic fluid (oligohydramnios). Then, I was in the delivery room for 6 hours before he finally decided to come out. The doctor had to use forcep delivery to help him out. But he was OK, crying his lungs out demonstrating his vocal power. The rest was history.

As he grew up, Hubby and I were fascinated by what a child can do to you as parents. All of a sudden, you have this midget to look after (I had a few pets before, but that was different...), how we had to adjust our lifestyle, financial arrangements and a lot more to suit him. In some way, I even put my career on hold for a while... And all these were done out of love... We had pictures of him taken (Flickr) and videos recorded for almost every occasion (YouTube).

Now, he is almost two. And we are still fascinated with his development (well... as first timers I guess...) and with ourselves as well. So far... we haven't screwed up... hhehehe (not yet maybe). But with what's to come... there will be a lot of other things to learn and discover for us as parents and for him.

My concern now is how is he going to take on a job as a big brother when his little brother is born...

ieja