Aydein Turns One! (Part 1)

Last 31st May 2010, as the clock stroke sharp at 3.03pm on Monday afternoon, a sudden realization washed over me -- it has been a year since the very first day I held Aydein in my arms!


The very baby who only weighed 2.75kg has now tripled his weight and grew into someone very handsome, just like his papa! :)

That very night, The Little Family and my siblings went out to celebrate this joyous occasion. Aien and I thought hard as to where to celebrate at first, but settled with Paddington House of Pancakes eventually as we feel that it will be safe for Aydein to indulge himself with a nice plate of pancakes all to himself!


We went through the menu carefully and took a long time determining the best first real birthday meal for Aydein to indulge in, but they all looked delicious!

Eeee! Banyak nya pancakes dekat sini, ma! Confuse lah nak pilih mana!

In the end, we chose Dollar Pancakes, the one that looks best of all. It has more fruits with a scoop of ice cream along with a few coin-sized pancakes. After all, how wrong can you go with pancakes, right? Which baby will be fussy about pancakes anyway?

Apparently, Aydein is one of them! Haha. I am not sure if it was due to his full tummy (because I forgot to inform bibik not to feed him porridge that night) or the taste of the pancakes, but he surely did not really enjoy his meal! In the end, the adults ended up finishing up his DELICIOUS meal for him! Seriously, it was so nice ok! I pon pelik kenape Aydein tak suka! Tsk tsk. Rugi lah birthday boy! :P

Aydein's Dollar Pancakes

Needless to say, I enjoyed each and every bite of my meal. Aien's meal to me, was just an o-kay. But ours were nothing compared to my sister's meal. I tak ingat nama my sister's meal, but it's got a delicious, delicious hotdog on it! Sedap gilaaaa, rasa macam nak switch je! Speaking of which -- I forgot to snap the picture of it!

My Blueberry Pancake meal

Aien's I-forgot-the-name meal

And since it was Aydein's first birthday, we went easy on him for the first time ever. No "NO AYDEIN!" ; just "GO ON AYDEIN!" all the way! :P We let him have his first taste at ice cream and anything he can get his hands on in his bowl full of pancakes & fruits! But since his tummy was (presumably) full, he had fun playing with the food instead and making a mess of the place happily! :P Just this one time, boy, just this one time, ok? :P

The look of a happy birthday boy!

Here's a funny video taken when Aien let he have his first taste at ice cream. Take a look at his "sejuk" face! :P



Although I would have liked it more if Aydein were to enjoy his meal, it was nonetheless still definitely a birthday to remember. :) As for Aydein, sorry baby, mama will make sure you enjoy your meal the next time we go out for a celebration okay? ;)

Aydein squashed in between Pak Lang (left) and Pak Su (right)

Lucky for me, I managed to make it up to Aydein on his birthday bash celebration held last week. He loved each and every bite of his birthday cake!

Mama & Papa : Happy birthday baby! Mmmmwahss!
Aydein : Gosh, you guys! Get off of me already! AAAAAA!

Stay glued for more fun birthday updates tomorrow (or the day after)! :P

xoxo.

Ahmad Aydein Is ONE!

The time is now 3.03PM as I write this and exactly at this point of time last year, I heard the most beautiful sound, more beautiful than Celine Dion's My Heart Will Go On. :P Yes, it was my son Aydein's first cry.

I can still remember the moment vividly in my mind as though it just happened yesterday. The blood and sweat, the mighty painful contraction, the look and smell of Aydein's fresh from the womb. :)

Few seconds after delivery

Sighs. It's been 12 wonderful months and just with a blink of an eye, Aydein is now officially a TODDLER!

Picture taken just before I left for work earlier today

Seriously, rasa happy pon ada, sedeh pon ada -- because Aydein is no longer considered as a baby! Nanti tak lama masuk kindergarten. Pastu tak lama masuk school. Pastu tak lama masuk University. Pastu tak lama, ada girlfriend. Pastu nanti mama jadik No. 2. Pastu tak lama Aydein kawen! Tinggal mama & papa mengadap each other. Sobs sobs. :(

Eh, ni tak bole jadik ni. Mama & papa kena carik adik-adik-adik utk Aydein ni! :P

Anyway, at 12 months, Aydein has achieved all the standard milestones for babies at his age, except for walking. Hehe. He babbles so freaking much these days however, so I'm guessing the old wives tale is right - babies who are fast at talking will usually be slow at walking. :P But who cares lah. As long as Aydein is growing healthily, I am a happy mum! ;)

Oh just a short update -- Aydein has started to climb down the bed/sofas/elevated surface on his own since few weeks back, but I had no chance to update. So here's a clip of him climbing down the bed in the guest room all by himself at 11 months ++! :)



And before I end this entry, I would like to sing a song especially for my baby Aydein and it goes something like this :

Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday to Aydein
Happy birthday to you!

HAPPY 1ST BIRTHDAY, AYDEIN SWEETHEART! MAMA & PAPA LOVE YOU TO BITS! XOXOXO. :D

Little Sweet Surprises

Ever since I was a kid, I have always wondered how is it like to celebrate Christmas? To be hanging little socks at the fireplace, to be decorating Christmas Tree with little glittering ornaments, and of course, to be receiving gifts under the Christmas Tree from Santa Claus!

I must have behaved really well despite the horrible week I went through last week because Santa paid notice to my curiosity and sent me his buddy all the way from Sans Francisco, to let me experience a gist of Christmas fun!

Like a girl waiting anxiously for her gifts, I sat in front of Santa Aien as he unloaded the many, many gifts he brought for everyone all the way from San Francisco from his big, heavy trunk. I waited patiently as he showed me the gift he got for Aydein ..


As well as something for my elder sister, brothers, parents, his parents, his siblings, his nephews, his nieces, even his colleagues -- just like a Santa!

Then, after what seemed like eternity, he finally revealed the few little surprises he got for me! I glowed immediately :P

He got me something for me to wear..

And matching tees for the Little Family..

He got me something for me to leave myself richly scented..

Also something for me to use in the kitchen..


He got me something to put on the fridge..

And last but not least, he got me something that totally took my breath away. He got me..

A STYLISH COACH HANDBAG (with a matching purse) ! :) :)

He knew that I have always wanted a chic Coach handbag to add to my designer's handbag collection, and much to my surprise, my dream came true that very night! :D

Husband, if you're reading this, thank you so much for the wonderful and beautiful gifts! Next up -- Louis Vuitton and Prada, yeah? :D

Husbandless For A Week

It feels like forever since I last updated this blog. It also feels like forever since I last saw my husband!

You see, the company where I work with believe in development "outside of the box". That is why, the company encourages the employees to go abroad and learn a lot of new things from the people outside Malaysia. It helps opening up the horizon you see.

That is why, my husband and his friend Shankar (who is also my colleague) were both sent to San Francisco, United States for a week to attend one of Google's biggest events called Google I/O. To find out more about the event, you can click on the link provided.

Aien at Google I/O conference, San Francisco.

I was supposed to follow my husband, initially. Heck, the first thing I said when he broke the news to me was, "CAN I COME WITH YOU?!". Haha. And we did think of the possibility. But after much thoughts and considerations, we figured that it's best for me to stay home since the cost incurred to bring Aydein and I along is quite costly. Besides, what would Aydein and I do when they both go to the conference? Sit in the hotel and do nothing? It would be a waste! So Aien promised to take Aydein and I to a nice vacation real soon to make up for this trip instead -- which makes even more sense to me. :) I mean, baiklah bila dah spend banyak2; use it to the fullest kan! Kalau setakat nak duduk hotel je, baik tapayah. Membazir je. Betol tak? (ayat nak sedapkan hati ni hahaha) :D

Aien checking in his luggage at the airport

We reached the airport at 4.00am in the morning. Poor Aydein was also dragged to the airport just because his papa wants the last few hours with him.


I tried so hard to blink back tears after Aien waved bye-bye, but as soon as my brother teased me by singing one weird Malay song that goes something like "janganlah kau menangis...", my tears fell down my cheeks almost instantly! Ntah apa apa je, I know. After all, it's only for a week! But I dont know. We've never been separated this long kot. Sighs. Now I wonder how my friend Anne and my elder sister Sarah do it! The same goes to my other friends Nuurill & Irin whose nature of jobs need them to go abroad every now and then. Seriously, you guys have my vote for the strong ladies of the year!

But anyways, as expected, Aydein was not his usual self the first night of Aien's absence. He was rather cranky. So I called Aien and put him on loudspeaker for Aydein to hear but it still didn't help. Nothing like papa's very own smell eh? So I did the only thing I know to soothe him -- my teetotheteetees. And that managed to lull him to sleep. Poor Aydein, he must have sensed his papa's absence!

Papa can you take me with you? I promise I'll stay very quiet in this luggage!

But Aydein is a strong boy. The next day, he was back to his normal self once again! :) As for his mama, ooh his mama went through quite a lot more! If normally his mama would be driven to work and here and there, this time, his mama had to take the trains (yes, commuter AND monorail) and walk a thousand miles just to reach the office! And this is what his mama has to go through every single day since the past 1 week!


And that's not even half as bad! Needless to say, it was exhausting. SO exhausting that his mama lost 2 kilos! Yes people, I actually lost 2 kilos after only 4 days of braving through the rain, crowd and more smelly crowd! It was a nightmare, I tell you. Such a nightmare that I really felt like collapsing on the fourth day, and was not fit to go to office last Friday (the fifth day). Yes it was that bad.

Not that I did not want to drive to office, it's just the traffic there that makes me want to hurl. It's not worth it. The traffic there is always, always bumper to bumper. And people will honk at you for no reason at all! It's so bloody annoying. But then again, it's Jalan Raja Chulan, what do you expect?

Yes, it has been tough without Aien around. Luckily I had my sweethearts around to keep me company for the first few days :)

my siblings ; mmmwahs!

So how come they can all be at my place at one time? Simply because they can! My brother Raqib from USM Penang, is now doing his internship in RTM. He will be staying at my place for the next 2 months. My elder sister Sarah, is now doing her Masters in HUKM/HKL. Oh and she just passed her exam -- congratulations again sister! Thanks for the Zanmai Sushi treat the other day! :D And my youngest brother Hakim, is now struggling to finish his second year in Kolej Universiti Islam Antarabangsa, Gombak. We've always had this strong bond with each other despite the age gap, so during this so-called hard time of mine, they were all there to offer me support. Thanks loves!

But on top of all, I am glad that today will be my last day to go through the hell as I will be picking up my dear husband at the airport that is estimated to touch down at 9.30pm tonight!

So hello husband, goodbye stinky trains!

INVITATION : AYDEIN IS TURNING ONE!

A year full of blessings, happiness & fun.

Come join us celebrate as Aydein turns one!

click on picture for larger view

Come join us for some birthday fun!
RSVP online by June 1st at www.ahmadaydein.com

Sweet Surprises

I was in the office, working on a transaction with headphones on my head when my colleague Syikin tapped me on my forearm. I turned around to see a lady with something in her hands. She said, "Err, Thara?"

I nodded a Yes and she handed me something. Look what just arrived for me at the office today!


Yes, a bouquet of beautiful red & pink daisies! Err, gerberas to be exact. :)

I was speechless for a moment. Why would anyone wanna give me flowers at this time of year? Why would I even receive any? After all :

#1 : I am married. With a kid.
#2 : My birthday has passed.
#3 : Valentine's Day is way, way over.

Which could only be for one reason, and one reason only .. I read the card, and sure enough, what was initially a puzzled frown, turned into a smile, which soon turned into a big, big grin! I was so touched, and so overwhelmed with happiness, that I only managed to whisper a gentle "Awwwwwww. Thank you guys" to the office.


Yes, my colleagues from Loveclients gifted me with a bouquet of flowers (with chocolates!) for Mother's Day! How thoughtful of them kan? I was definitely so touched! :) :) Thanks guys (especially to the 2 masterminds -- Syikin & Fareeza!). I really, really appreciate it! XOXOXOXO! :)

Thinking about the past, I used to wonder, between the demands of work, personal interests, household errands and children activities -- how did my mum do it all? But she still does it all and she does it with a smile, and a heart overflowing with love.

Being a mum myself, I know now being a mum is not an easy glamorous task, as some may think. It's more than that, much more than that.

That is why, last Mother's Day, during my monthly visit to my parents' place in Penang, I decided to surprise my mum with a little gift. Nothing much, just something to light up her day :) As soon as she sat down on the chair, all sweaty and tired from cooking, I went to the dry kitchen and took out the little something, just to carve a smile on her face. I said, "Mak, I got something for you! Happy mother's day!"

And that precious smile that soon turned into a delighted "aww thank you!" squeal, is priceless. SO priceless that I was proud of myself for bringing back the cupcakes all the way from KL just for my mum. It was worth it. Definitely worth it. :)

My superwoman. I love you, mak.

So here's to all mums around the world that are constantly juggling and balancing so many roles of life with such grace -- you're special!

Attention All ENFALAC A+ Babies

If you are an avid reader of my blog, you would know from my previous entry that Aydein is an Enfalac A+ baby since a few months after he was born, due to my poor milk supply.

I was so crushed to learn that I had to supplement him with formula that I made a vow to myself to provide him with the best possible alternatives just so he can thrive as steadily and healthily like other breastfed babies. That explains why I do not mind going through all the extra troubles to get him all the good ingredients to put in his homemade porridge, as well as the variety of fruits to be pureed for his daily meal -- to make up for the frustration of not being able to exclusively breastfeed my baby.

Anyway, I can still remember it vividly in my mind -- the very first thing I asked Dr Angelina (Aydein's paed) when she was done examining Aydein one day was, "Doctor, if you could recommend, what is the best formula milk available in the market for my baby?" Immediately she answered, "Enfalac. But make sure it's Enfalac A+ because it contains all the essential things that are needed for a baby's growth like, Triple ProGard, DHA & ARA, Dwiserat as well as Zinc & Vitamin A," From then on, besides breastmilk, Enfalac A+ has been Aydein's main source of nutrition since.

But of course, not all good things in life come for free. Enfalac for example, is actually quite costly compared to other formula brands. Which is why, it is important for all of you Enfalac fans out there to know that, Meads Johnson will be increasing ALL of their Enfa formulas price by 9% next month -- Enfalac A+ included!

You see, everytime I go back to Penang to visit my parents, I will make sure that I bring back 4 boxes of Enfalac A+ from this shop named Miki Babyland because one box of Enfalac A+ which can cost me RM58.90 in KL, can be gotten for only RM53.90 in Penang!

Anyway, I happened to be at the right shop at the right time when an official from Meads Johnson told me about this very info. According to him, the price was supposed to increase in May due to the new packaging and nutrition added, but "thanks to" production problem or something, they had no choice but to bring it forward to next month. Hurray hurray!

So without hesitating, I grabbed not 4, but 6 boxes of Enfalac A+ from that shop to bring back to KL! :D

oh another box is hidden! :P

Imagine how much I have saved and could be saving starting next month on wards! So for all you Enfa fans out there, it's time that you rush to the nearest shop and "borong" as much as you can. That price won't last forever, so hurry now before it's too late!

Ok now I sound like an unofficial Enfa formulas promoter.