Six Years of Marriage

Last Saturday (29 March) was our sixth anniversary. We decided to go out on a date and Maisarah was left (I don't like using this word when it involves Maisarah) with my mum and aunty. Bear in mind, we kept on checking our cellphone throughout the day incase my mom called and we needed to rush home to Maisarah.

We decided to go to The Cur(ve (we're actually kind of fed up with OU and Mid*Valley) and then walk over to Cine*leisure to see if there are any movies worth watching. Secretly (well not secret as I did voice it out to Shah), I wanted to see "27 Dresses" but I know that it's not Shah's kind of movie. Amazingly, when we arrived at the ticket counter, Shah told me to get tickets for the 11 am show of "27 Dresses". That's what Shah always does for me and that's his way of expressing his love to me I guess. Anyway, the lady at the counter suggested some seats which she showed to us on the screen and mumbled some words which we obviously didn't quite hear. We just said 'OK' and at the same time wondered why were the seats located in one of four rows coloured differently from all the other rows. Our confusions were answered when we went in to the theatre and found that we aught tickets for the couples seat. Quite romantic since we were on a date on our anniversary. But Shah being Shah doeasn't like to do those openly lovey dovey acts so we sat like 2 people being angry at each other at a movie theatre. I thought the movie was romantic. I had a few 'aww..so sweet' moments when I turned to my right and saw Shah making funny faces to tease me. So jahat!!! He likes to do that and he actually nails it every time I have that 'aww..so sweet' feeling throughout any romantic movies that we watch together.
After the movie, we had lunch at To*ny Ro*ma's. We shared the shrimp starter. Then Shah had the chicken wings starter as his main meal while I had the pan seared salmon with mashed potatoes and coleslaw. I told Shah I wanted to snap pictures of the food as momentoes of our anniversary. But once the food arrived we were so hungry we gobbled half of it before remembering about taking pictures. Our sort-of-romantic lunch and happy feelings were slightly dashed when I received a work-related phone call which then caused Shah to make two more phonecalls relating to work. This brought our minds back to the thought of us having to work the next day (a Sunday I might add) and the impending accreditation visit on Monday and Tuesday. I'll post about this later.

Back to the anniversary date, once lunch (and it's interruption) was over, we stopped at a few stalls at the Flea Market and then went to Mother*care and Bor*ders. We bought a dress at the flea market for a tenner and a Mother*care teather for Maisarah. Then at Bor*ders we bought two books and two sets of flashcards for Maisarah too. We didn't get anything for ourselves. I have a feeling from now whenever we got out together we'll always end up buying more things for the little Princess then ourselves. We headed home at around 3 pm as we missed Maisarah and I was starting to ache from engorgement.

That was how we spent our anniversary and I totally enjoyed it. I really miss the times we used to go out as a couple without a care in the world. Now that Maisarah is here, we still can do this but not as often as we used to. Maybe both of us should set a date once every one or two months and do have some quality time with each other and no one else. Truthfully, I didn't expect us doing anything special this year as we sort of had a row a few days earlier. It's not uncommon for us to have a row once in a while and I'm sure most happily married couples go through these too. Life is not always happy and full of sunshine. There must be one or two (maybe more) cloudy or even sotrmy days. We just need to always keep the faith and try to mend things as soon as possible. I know that we are not perfect and I for sure need to always remind myself that I must think before I speak and work extra hard at being a good wife to Shah and mummy to Maisarah.

Busy month

The last few weeks has been very hectic for me. We're currently going through the accreditation process for the engineering programmes at Uni*en and the report needed to be sent to the accreditation panel today. That's why I have yet to put an entry in here. Everyday of the last 2 weeks was spent finishing the report and compiling all the info. Finally, last Friday we managed to print and bind it.

Inspite all that I still managed to find time to express milk for my cute and chubby baby. Luckily Shah's classes finish at 7pm on 3 out of the 5 week days so I manage to wind down after 5:30 pm and continue expressing to meet Maisarah's daily intake of 20 oz per day. Although since the last 2 weeks of February Maisarah has started to drink less. Normally, before I leave for work I will nurse her and according to my mum she will then spend the morning sleeping and drinking only 2-4 oz of milk. Then during the afternoon she will drink about 8-10 oz more. So in total, she's been drinking about 12-14 oz per day for the last 2 weeks. When this first happened, Shah and I panicked a little and went to buy different teats and alternative feeding devices (feeder cup and a bottle with a spoon at the end) thinking she was having nipple confusion. But my mum said that Maisarah still didn't want to drink a lot even with the different teat. But I found that Maisarah now started to drink more at night. So I guess she is reverse cycling. This is ever since Maisarah started to co-sleep with Shah and I and she has easy access to her milk factory. I don't mind her co-sleeping with us as this means that I wont have to get up to feed her every night and I can continue sleeping while she feeds. Another plus point is that since she is drinking less than 20 oz, the extra expressed milk can be added to my frozen stock for use on 'rainy' days. I'm so worried that I'll be sent to any team-building course and I can't bring Maisarah along.

Anyway, back to the accreditaion process, we've got about 3 weeks before the panel comes for their visit. Within this 3 months, we've got to gather all the evidence and information written in the report for them to scrutinize and view if needed. So lots of things needs to be done. I guess until the end of the month, I'll still continue to run around like a headless chicken (well, maybe not up to that extend). I must make sure I will keep to my pumping schedule (8am, 1:30pm and 5:30pm). I had to cut down my pumping sessions from 4 to 3 times due to the workload. Hope this will not affect my breastmilk supply.

Hmm...I seem to notice that whenever I start off entries, I tend to revert back to Maisarah or my quest to breastfeed her. I guess from now on most of my entries will be this way. I hope this will not be a bore. I started this blog as a journal of my life with Shah. But I guess this will evolve as my role changes from a wife-cum-PhD-student to a wife-cum-career-woman and now a wife-cum-mother-cum-career-woman. I also hope this blog becomes a journal of my breastfeeding journey.

Barney on Maisarah!
Originally uploaded by ABumbleBee.

Before I end, I've got to put a note here that Maisarah has successfully turned (is this the proper English word for 'meniarap'??)!! Last night, Shah and I were talking while I was about to pray Maghrib. At that time, Maisarah was laying face up on the bed and was grumbling for one of us to pick her up. Whenever, she's angry or frustrated she will try to turn but everytime she will only be able to half-turn her body but not her head. Last night, in her furstration she was able to turn all the way to her right, lift her head and free her left hand from under her body. Luckily the camera was nearby, so we managed to capture this. I'll try to upload the picture and video soon. We're so happy we managed to capture her turning. She also can now laugh when we make funny noises or 'agah' her. I need to get this on video too. Maybe it's not a bad idea to invest on a camcorder soon. Anyway, all these things that Maisarah does makes all the morning sickness I had to endure worthwhile.

The Princess is now 3 months ...

Exactly 3 months today our little princess came into our lives.

First outing
Originally uploaded by ABumbleBee.

Updates on Maisarah

• Weight: 5.91kg, height: 59.5 cm, head circumference: 42 cm (my baby is growing up fast and for sure she'll be taller than me later on)


• She can now smile and laugh. Every time I smile and acknowledge her, she will surely smile back.


• She is loving her cot mobile. She keeps looking at all the animals going round and round. She is also very attentive to the music (selection from Bach, Mozart and Bethoven). When she is very excited, she will make noises at the animals.


• She is also starting to turn. My mum says she turned once but from what I've seen she's 80% there. Just need to get her head up and free her bottom hand. She does this especially when she is frustrated and wants to be picked up.


• Her neck is very strong now. The doctor pulled her hands to get her up from lying position and her head followed.


• She is bald now! On 24th January my mum and dad shaved off her hair while Shah and I were at work. Kesian anak mummy! But her hair has started to grow back. I wonder how it will be.

She certainly has brought lots of changes. Some we've managed to tackle with ease and some we're still learning to handle.

Sleep

I no longer need lots of sleep and am easily awakened by Maisarah's slightest whimper. My beauty sleep which usually can not be less than 8 hours uninterrupted has been reduced to roughly about 4-5 hours with interrutions in between. But the beauty of life is that Allah has planned it such that any woman will adapt to the changes brought on by motherhood (I think!). And now that I have started working, I've been getting more sleep ever since I've mastered the skill of nursing while lying down.

Workwise

Yes, I've started working for almost 4 weeks now and have managed to still exclusively breastfeed Maisarah. I'm now bestfriends with my Av*ent I*sis iQ Uno pump. In order to keep up with Maisarah's appetite of 4 oz of milk every 2-3 hours or so, I need to pump 4 times at work (one more than the normal 3 times recommended by most lactation consultants and websites on expressing at work). This is mainly because we are now commuting from PJ and we have to leave home at 6:30 am and arrive back home at 7:30 pm. So, I'm away from Maisarah for almost 13 hours every day and during this time she consumes about 20 oz total of milk. Every day, I managed to pump almost 16-18 oz at the office and this will be followed by another pumping session at home after Maisarah has gone off to sleep. I've also mastered the art of writing emails and reading while pumping at work to make sure I get my work done for the day. Lucky for me I have no classes this semester and am free from teaching until July. So I'm only left with research, consultany and management work. I'll only stat teaching in July and by then Maisarah will be 6 months. I pray to Allah that I can continue to exclusively breastfeed Maisarah till she is 2 years old.

Couch Potato no more

I used to be a TV addict. Always in front of the telly watching movies on HOB, Cinemax and star Movies and TV series like Heroes, House, CSI, not to miss reality shows like American Idol and One in a Million. Now, with Maisarah, I'm no longer watching all these. By the time I reach home from work, I need to freshen up, pray and eat quickly before nursing Maisarah and putting her to sleep. She usually sleeps at 9:30 or 10 pm. Then I go on to pump a bit more before going to the kitchen to wash and strilise all the pumping equipments and feeding bottles and preparing all the things needed to bring to the office the next day. I fnish all this at around 11 pm and then only go to bed. Weekends is the only time left for me to watch a bit of TV.

Outings

First ride
Originally uploaded by ABumbleBee.

As most of parents know, going out now is not as easy as it used to be. Lots of preparation is needed. Maisarah's first outing was on the 9th February to The Cur*ve. She sat in her baby carrier/stroller for the first hour or so. Then she was hungry so I took her to the Baby Care room and fed her. The Baby Care room at The Cur*ve is so nice. The room has a section for baby changing and 2 private rooms for breastfeeding. Anyway, after feeding and changing Maisarah, we continued to walk around. By this time Maisarah was no longer sitting in her stroller but is being carried by Shah. after 2 hours at The Cur*ve we decided to go home as Maisarah was cranky and wanted her nap.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/abumblebee/2278021015/
Originally uploaded by ABumbleBee.


Baby Care Room
Originally uploaded by ABumbleBee.

Her 2nd outing was last Saturday to Midv*alley and The Gar*dens. This time we brought along my sister (Mama Ya to Maisarah) and my mum (Baba to Maisarah). We also brought with us a baby carrier for Shah to wear just incase Maisarah was bored sitting in her stroller. True enough after 1/2 an hour in her stroller, Maisarah wanted to get out. So Shah carried her in the baby carrier and within an hour she was fast asleep. I guess, we'll be making more use of the baby carrier than the stroller from now on. This time Maisarah's was out for about 5 hours. One interesting find at Ise*tan at The Gardens is their Nursery Room which is much nicer than the one in The Cur*ve. It's more spacious and even has a microwave to heat up baby food. (I guess you must have figured out that I now go crazy whenever we find a Baby Changing Room.) Pictures of this outing is in my sisters camera. I'll try and get hold of them soon to upload here.

Well, I guess that's some of the changes that I can remember. Even so, words cannot describe the love and happiness Maisarah has brought into our lives. I miss her so much at work and can't get enough of her smile. I wish I can stay at home with her everyday!

Not so good...

...the internet connection at my mum's house that is.

That's why I've been sending posts via email and have not been able to update the ticker up above! I've already made a new 1'st birthday ticker for Maisarah but I can't change my layout. What more upload any pictures of Maisarah. Just have to wait until I get back to work later this month to do all that. Luckily I won;t be having any classes until July. Weehooo!!

Although, talking about getting back to work, I can't believe my maternity leave will end in 2 weeks. How am I going to be away from Maisarah???

Got to continue later. Maisarah just woke up and wants her feed.

Maisarah's First Month

These are the things that has happened during Maisarah's first month:

 

21 Nov. - Maisarah ventured out of the hospital and into the open world. She took her forst car ride from the hospital in Bangi back to my mum's place in PJ.

 

23 Nov. - First visit to the pediatrician in SJ*MC to for a jaundice review. Maisarah's blood was drawn for the first time from her tiny foot to check for the bilirubin level. She was all quite when her blood ws taken but right after she cried. Poor baby! We found out that her bilirubin level was 188 which is on the high side (safe level from 0 - 200). So the doctor wanted her to come for another check in 3 days time.

 

26 Nov. - Maisarah is 1 week old. Second jaundice review. Her bilirubin level rose to 198. Doctor said this might be due to breastfeeding as it can cause prolonged jaundice which might only subside earliest after Maisarah is 3 weeks old. So she said just keep on breastfeeding Maisarah and if we are still worried then come back for bilirubin check after Maisarah is 3 weeks.

 

30 Nov. - another visit to SJ*MC because Maisarah's eyes had some rashes with white spots. It started a few days earlier but I initially though it was milk rash since it was red in colour. But once it started to have white spots I became worried. Doctor said it was septic spots due to some germs so she prescribed antibiotic and eye cream. It cleared after about 1 week.

 

28 Nov to 1 Dec - Shah had to go to Sung*kai a team building session. So Mummy was left with Maisarah. Nothing big happened just that Maisarah started to feed more (every one to one half hours). But luckily her night time feeds are about 3 hours apart.

 

7 to 9 Dec - Maisarah's abah had to go to PD for a top-level management workshop. So it was just Mummy and Maisarah again.

 

19 Dec - Maisarah is now 1 month old! We went to SJ*MC for her one-month check up and 2nd Hepatitis B jab. Poor Maisarah cried when the doctor gave the jab. But the cries stopped once she got her feed :)!

 

In terms for physical development, during her first month Maisarah can already (taken from Babycentre.co.uk):

• Hold her head up - especially done when I hold her on my shoulder to burp her after a feed.
• Exploring arms and legs - i'm not sue of this yet, but I think  she is aware of them now.
• Learning to soothe herself - by sucking her mittens when she doesn't get her feeds. I'm sure she'd be sucking her thumb if the mittens were taken off.
• Babytalking - she surely makes noises when she's trying to attract our attention especially when she is lying in her cot and wants me to feed her.
• Baby listens and enjoys music - never tried this out yet. But I do put on the Quran for her to listen to.
• Eyes can track objects now - sometimes. Hopefully her ability to track objects will get better soon.

Maisarah likes to make noises when she sleeps. Sometimes we hear her sighing or make giggle-like sounds which is so cute. Anyway, for pictures of Maisarah, you an go to her fotopage. Stay tuned for her second month update!