Wow. Another year has gone by so quickly.


2008 has been a wonderful year for me. A year filled with important milestones.
It's the year I:


... turned 25 (I've always felt "real" adulthood begins at 25, not 21 ;p)
... finally managed to get my dream weight
... got married to the love of my life
... first got pregnant
... gave birth to our first baby

... and some other things that shall not be revealed here :)


It's kind of sad knowing that this year has come to an end. I wish I could rewind all the beautiful moments, but the future is something that I'm looking forward to as well.


Goodbye 2008... and Hello 2009!

Labels: Random Stuff

It was past midnight.


My husband was already fast asleep. The room was silent apart from the air releasing sound of the air-cond. I was sitting on the bed with my nose stuck in a book - New Moon - despite the dimly lit room that came from a table lamp at the corner of our room. I was completely absorbed in the book that I didn't care if the lack of light was bad for my eyesight. Laurent was about to feast on Bella! I had to know what happened next; perhaps just a few more pages before putting the book down.


Then all of a sudden, I felt a sharp pain darted through my body followed with a muffled angry sound. Something was biting and sucking my blood! At that instant I thought of vampires. I screamed "Arghhh!" and that woke my husband up.


"Jangan la gigit mama, sayang", said my husband to Ayra.


Of course it wasn't a bloodsucking vampire. It was my milksucking baby, who was hungry and struggling to latch on for my milk.


I felt silly. Perhaps reading vampire stories at night while breastfeeding isn't a good idea after all ;p

Labels: Random Stuff

Ok, so not only does this little girl has nicely-shaped brows, she also has beautiful nails. It's almost like a mini version of perfectly manicured nails, doncha think? So cute!




But I've trimmed those nails coz Ayra scratched herself (and mommy's breasts too).
Haiyaa....

Labels: Mommyhood and Baby

I have never been so engrossed in a book like I did with Twilight. And it's not even chick-lit or anything fashion-related. I managed to finish reading the book in just one day despite my busy schedule of being a new mommy. It was hard to put the book down that I even read it while breastfeeding my baby (I find that a good way to distract myself from the knife-like pain of sore nipples). I was hesitant to read let alone purchase the book at first, no matter how "best-selling" it was bcoz... well, romance was never my choice of book.




But after watching the movie, I was seriously hooked. I've watched it for more than 5 times now and I am definitely going to watch it again, especially after reading the book. Who would have thought vampires could be that interesting? I can't wait to finish off the other 3 books.


Both movie and books are fast becoming my favorite!


On a side note...


I find myself falling deeply for Edward Cullen bcoz of his intense gaze. The way he stared at Bella - altho a little creepy - was ardently sensual that it gave me goosebumps. And how he protects Bella; that's just so sweeeeet.

Labels: Books

There's something so serene watching a sleeping baby...





And not to mention, fascinating too!








I love watching her sleep :)

Labels: Mommyhood and Baby

I was bitten by a mosquito - right on the tip of my nose.
Of all the places! Grrr.


I look like Rudolph minus the antlers. I wonder if Ayra could recognize her mother....

Labels: Random Stuff

Look what Aunty Leen bought for Lil Ayra...




A Pretty Purple Bouncer, with flowers and hanging butterfly and ladybugs with satin wings!
Can baby girls' stuff get any cuter?



Mommy wants a chair like this too (with hanging shoes and bags maybe ;p)!

Labels: Mommyhood and Baby

Advertorial


I must admit, I am not a techie geek. My lust for cool gadgets is more on the practical side than just merely "wanting to have one" unlike, say, bags. Call me stingy or whatever, but I'd rather spend RM3k on a bag than a mobile phone, which explains why I don't really bother not having the latest cool gadgets like everyone else. The only techie stuff I own are the "essentials" - a laptop, digicam and mobile phone. I don't mind using them for years until they go busted. As long as they're still functioning, I won't feel the need to switch to others even if they're outmoded.


I started owning a mobile phone (Nokia 3310) when I first entered University. Now after about 7 years of mobile phone-usage, I have only been using 4 phones - including the current one that I'm using. That's like 1 phone in every 2 years. Sikit kan? But I realized all 4 phones are of different types: stick/candy bar phone (Nokia 3310), slider phone (Nokia 8800), PDA phone (O2 XDA II) and flip phone (MotoRazr).


Anyways, I am in need of a new phone bcoz my current phone is showing signs of "breaking down", which is not surprising as I've been using it for almost 3 years (I have once accidentally spilled my Herbalife shake over my phone!). Plus, I work online from home and I need to be constantly connected to the internet especially to check my email when I'm out and about, so I need to get a phone that has internet access. I'm thinking of getting a touch screen phone since I have never used one.


Butttt... the thing with most touch screen phones is they cost an arm and a leg than most normal phones, especially the popular ones. I almost gave up, but when I heard about LG's new touch screen phone - LG KP500, my heart leaps!


Firstly, I love the cool design. I'm always attracted to sleek phones, so that was the first thing that caught my eyes. The LG KP500 has a 3-inch wide full touch screen and auto-rotating display so viewing photos, watching videos and playing games would be easier bcoz everything is bigggger than the ones you see in normal phones. One of the coolest features of this phone (according to my husband) is the Motion Sensor Game, which lets you play realistic game by only turning, flipping and shifting the handset! I don't really play games (unless if there's word games), but it's cool to have that included, no? Besides, it can be used as a "tool" to distract my husband for awhile, while I do my shopping! ;p


On top of that, this phone has all the important features that I'm looking for which includes WAP, Bluetooth, Email, messaging, camera (3.0 MP), video camera, document viewer (MS Word especially) and organizer. This mommy can already imagine herself sauntering around the mall, with a baby in the stroller while checking her emails and whatnot!


Anyways, the LG KP500 comes in 4 stunning colors: Black, Elegant Gold, Anodizing Silver and Vandyke Brown.


I kinda like the Elegant Gold bcoz... well, the name says it. I love the bronze-ish gold color; it's elegant and classy. But I like the Vandyke Brown too. It's like a transmogrification of a Christian Louboutin shoe bcoz of the flash of red at the sides. Fab-ness! (Which color would you go for?)


And wait till you hear the price. The stunning LG KP500 Touch Screen Phone retails for only RM899!
Cool phones under RM1000 = affordable!

Labels: Advertorials, Gadgets, Nuffnang

I received a phone call from Warehouse, The Gardens today informing me about the sale (up to 50%) which starts tomorrow. It ends 4th January next year. I'd still be in confinement lagi masa tu tapi dah nak akhir2...


Is it okay to go out, say, 20+ days after giving birth? Or kena berpantang betul2 44 hari tak bole keluar langsung?

Labels: Sales and Shopping

I found this book while searching for information on Bradley Method, and I would HIGHLY recommend reading it, especially if you're pregnant (or planning to get pregnant) for the first time and you don't know what to expect. This book has helped a lot in changing my perspective about labor and birth; about the true capacity of a female body. It's mind-blowing!


Anyways, back to my labor story.


It all started at around midnight. I was, as usual, had my eyes glued in front of the laptop screen, scheduling some entries for my Sales Blog. My husband on the other hand, was fast asleep. As I was typing away, I felt a menstrual-like cramp. At first I thought it was just another Braxton Hicks' contraction so I just continue doing whatever I was doing at that time. A few minutes later, it came again. And again. And again. I wasn't sure how many minutes apart, so I decided to time it while blogging:


1.42am
1.51am
2.33am
2.44am
3.06am
3.15am
3.26am
3.57am
4.08am
4.14am


At about 4.30am, I decided to go to bed, thinking that I will need the energy if I were to give birth later on that day. But I couldn't sleep. Each contraction was about 10 minutes apart and they became stronger and more intense. I was like, "Is this it?". I know contractions that become stronger and closer together is one of the signs of labor, but I was still unsure whether that was true labor or just a false alarm. It was after all, my first-time experience so I didn't know what to expect. I prayed silently for other signs to come - bloody show or water break - before deciding to go to the hospital. So there I was, lying in bed doing the breathing techniques that was taught during the antenatal class. At about 6ish am, my husband woke up for his Subuh prayer. I told him about my regular contractions and he wanted to go to the hospital right away, but I refused. At least not till I get the absolute labor sign.


7.30 am
Blood-tinged mucus. Yes! I was in true labor after all. Hubby quickly took his shower; I just brushed my teeth and washed my face. I was excited and jittery all at the same time and wasn't sure if it's really happening. I'm gonna meet my little one soon! Thank God we managed to pack the hospital + baby bags a day before.


8.00 am
Grabbed some breakfast at McD drive-thru. I had Sausage McMuffin with Egg and told my husband that the next time I get to eat it again is after a month+'s time. Hubby just laughed.


8.10 am
Hubby forgot to bring his laptop, so balik rumah kejap. I recited Surah Yasin sambil diselang-seli with breathing on the way to the hospital. Contractions come and go, and they were getting stronger each time.


8.30 am
Arrived at the hospital. We were led to the labor room and I got changed into a labor outfit. The nurse checked whatever it was that needed checking and did the Cardiotocography (CTG). Everything is normal, Alhamdulillah. I had breakfast - again.


9ish am
My OB (Dr. Khamsiah) came in. I was already 5cm dilated. Another 5cm to go, which means a few more hours. I didn't know what to do, so I recited Al-Ma'thurat while waiting for the next thing to happen.


11.00 am
Had early lunch. I was 7cm dilated and the contractions were stronger than everrr! My husband coached me with the breathing technique... Breathe in. Hold. Breathe out.



I lost track what time it was. I think it was almost 2pm. Contractions came every 2 minutes like tidal waves and I could not concentrate on my breathing anymore. My husband kept on reminding me that the pain of contraction is for the cervix to dilate so just surrender and don't fight it. He recited a few surah lepas tu tiup kat my face. I could smell the fish curry he ate for lunch but didn't care. In fact it felt nice and I told him to keep on doing it. He also massaged my lower back and somehow that helped to ease the pain. My MIL came inside the labor room too, patting me and told me everything is going to be alright.


I felt a slight leakage. My waters have broken. The midwife came in. I was fully dilated now. I told her I feel like taking a dump and she said it was time to push. So I pushed with all my might and boy it felt soooo gooood, I could do it all day! The pain went away instantly. I wasn't sure if I was doing it right (bcoz seriously macam meneran nak buang air besar jer) but the midwife and my OB kept on saying "Okay sayang, push lagi. Pandai dia push.. Dah nampak rambut baby... lagi sikit..." and after a few big pushes, out came the baby's head!


3.34 pm
Sharifah Ayra Adelia was born :)
Yup, that's her name.


My husband managed to snap pictures of the whole birthing process of our baby, from the "crowning" moment...



...right until she was cleaned!



He had the honor of cutting the umbilical cord too. My husband who witnessed the whole birthing process said it was so interesting, like watching the Discovery Channel! I wish we had it on tape.


The next day, I was discharged but we decided to readmit to the hospital later in the evening bcoz there was nobody at home. My family was still in Amsterdam. So we were just lodging at the hospital for 3 more days. Rasa best pulak duduk hospital! ;p


Syukur Alhamdulillah, everything went on smoothly.


Anyway, Sharifah Ayra Adelia means "respectable and righteous".

Labels: Mommyhood and Baby, Pregnancy

Hariz saw his mama holding a baby and he wanna say hello!

Labels: Family/Friends

:)

I promise I will update more. As of now, I need to get ready for berurut and whatnot.



p/s: Thank you for all the wishes everyone!
p/s/s: Her name will be announced soon, when the meaning is 100% confirmed.

Labels: Mommyhood and Baby

Dear Pink Stilettos readers,


Alhamdulillah after about 7 hours in labor room, my lovely wife has safely given birth to a healthy baby girl (2.8kg) at 3.34pm today - December 6th 2008 via normal delivery (no epidurals, no drugs - she's a super mommy!) at An-Nur Specialist Hospital, Bandar Baru Bangi. Both mommy and baby are doing fine.


She will get back to blogging in a few days' time, insyaAllah.


-MZ-

My husband and I spent almost the whole day yesterday - from 10am to 5pm - to spruce up our chaotic room, which includes vacuuming the carpet, sweeping and mopping the floor, wiping and cleaning the windows, bed, table, chairs...




....and yeap, decluttering my closet!


It took me awhile to decide which ones to let go, which ones to keep (which explains why baru sekarang nak start kemas2 bilik) bcoz I kinda feel I still need/want them eventho I haven't been wearing them for ages. But then I read this article on how to declutter your wardrobe and it helps a lot!


So I piled up all my clothes into 3 separate piles - want, unsure and unwanted:

Labels: Sales and Shopping

As I entered Warehouse boutique, I was greeted by the familiar faces of the two Sales Assistants - the guy and the girl. The guy looked at my belly with an extremely surprised face that I thought I had accidentally revealed my bare belly to the public or something, and then he went like, "Ehhh...dah ada perut!? Dah pregnant ker?"


Just last week my sister and I went to Warehouse and he was there, and I'm pretty sure my belly was just as obvious. But before I could answer, the girl said "Bukan la.. ni kakak. Yang lagi sorang tu adik".


Righttt...


Anyways, the only reason I wanted to go to the Warehouse Private Sale was to get this Kimono top, which I think might fit my pregnant belly. But unfortunately, it's not available here. Oh well.




There were a few tops that caught my eyes (all of 'em on sale), but none fits me - or at least my belly. After trying on 3 tops, I gave up. I don't want to get bigger sizes bcoz it would be a waste of money as my due date is just around the corner.


So I ended up buying a Faux Snake Metallic Patchwork clutch. At least I know I could wear it, pregnant or not. ;p


Each Warehouse Privilege Card member who made a purchase was given Bobbi Brown vouchers. Nothing much; just some samples to be redeemed and a one-on-one makeup lesson which expires at the end of next month.




I'm in need of a new makeup look. I think my face lacks of color. Maybe I should go.

Labels: Sales and Shopping

(This is a 48-hour sticky post, scroll down for updates!)



I am one of the lucky bloggers who were invited by Nuffnang to attend a food tasting session at Italiannies The Gardens a few weekends ago! *beaming*


There were 5 bloggers altogether including yours truly:







We were seated at a table called "The Godfather's Table". According to Jocelyn, the Marketing Executive of Chaswood Resources Sdn Bhd (the company that owns Italiannies) who entertained us that day, every Italiannies outlet has only one of this table. It's the biggest table available here and it can seat 10 persons at a time, so next time if you wanna have a family event or function at Italiannies, you can request for that table! (Can I have my baby shower here? LOL, kidding ;p).





Okay, let's move on to the food.


One of the new specialties that Italiannies is having is the Bowls of Pasta. You can choose 4 out of 10 different pasta for a mere RM29.90!



I am a sucker for pasta so having a variety of different pasta in a single serving is just what I've always wanted. I've seen some pizza promotion where you can choose 2 different toppings on one pizza, and I wondered why they can't do the same for pasta... and ta-daah! My prayers were answered. Italiannies has come up with this brilliant Bowls of Pasta idea. After all, one kind is never enough, no? And you can choose not only 2, but 4 pasta! Plus, you can share it with your partner/friend as the food at Italiannies are all meant for sharing.


They've added some new items in their menu as well which we had the honor to taste, so let's see what we had!


As usual while waiting for the food to arrive, we were served these complimentary breads dipped in olive oil and balsamic vinegar (we didn't dip our breads tho).






The first food arrived! We had 2 appetizers:








Next came the Lamb Shank.



This tender and juicy lamb shank is braised with medley of herbs, red peppers and tomatoes, drenched in brown sauce. It comes with a side dish of creamy mashed potatoes to complete it.




Now here comes the best part of all - the pasta! There are TEN of them, and they are:



1) Angel Hair Pomodoro
Angel hair pasta with chopped red tomatoes and sauteed with garlic in a light tomato basil sauce.


2) Chicken Lasagna
Layers of lasagna pasta, creamy cheese sauce, marinara sauce with melted mozzarella cheese and baked until golden brown.


3) Classic Carbonara
Fettuccine pasta tossed in light parmesan cream sauce with smoked beef bacon and fresh button mushrooms.


4) Chili Shrimp
Lightly sauteed shrimp with dried chilies and garlic over linguine.





5) Chicken & Mushroom
Shiitake mushrooms sauteed with chili chicken tossed with cherry tomatoes and rocket lettuce. Served with spaghetti.


6) Shrimp Linguine
Linguine pasta with sauteed shrimp and served with marinara sauce.


7) Chicken Coronation
Grilled chicken tossed with sliced apples, raisins and mayonnaise with chilled shell pasta.


8) Fussili Pesto and Mushrooms
Pan-seared shiitake mushrooms served over chilled fussili basil pesto pasta.





9) Salmon & Lemon Aioli
Baked salmon flakes tossed with chilled lemon aioli mayonnaise and baby spinach over shell pasta.


10) Clams & Beef Bacon
Beef bacon strips sauteed with fresh clams, onions and clam broth. Served over fettuccine.


Phew. That's loads of pasta in one go!


It's kind of hard to pick only 4 out of 10 pasta after tasting all of them, but if I were to choose, it would be hmmm.... Chicken Coronation, Chicken & Mushrooms, Shrimp Linguine, and Classic Carbonara. My husband loves tomato-based pasta so the Angel Hair Pomodoro and Shrimp Linguine top his choice.




Annddd finally for dessert, we were served this:

Labels: Advertorials, Food and Recipes, Nuffnang

The private sale is on the 4th. My husband will be on leave starting on that day.
It's a sign!


Honey, can we go? *batting eyelashes*

Labels: Sales and Shopping

Just when I thought I don't have anything fab to wear, I found a Ted Baker top (tag still attached) hidden among other clothes while decluttering my closet. It's a fab sapphire blue tunic with bishop sleeves that I bought a few months back but haven't got the chance to wear it bcoz I don't have a matching scarf to go with it. I have 7 different shades of blueish scarfs but none goes with the top. And I thought I have enough blue scarfs already. Hmmphh.


So I decided to wear that top today and borrowed my sister's blueish-purple scarf that she bought a day before yesterday bcoz the color suits well with it. I was happy. Finally, something fab to wear! I've been wearing the same tops over and over and over again and I'm so sick of them. So I took her scarf, went down to Bibik's room and ironed it. Then I went to my room, wore my serkup and was about to wear that scarf when suddenly... poof~ the scarf disappeared! Or at least I cannot remember where I put it. The last thing I remembered was ironing it. I was like totally blank. But I'm pretty sure I put it on my bed...or somewhere in my room. I mean, logically it must be in my room! Where else could it be?


I frantically searched the whole room and also Bibik's room but there was no sign of it. Pelik betul. I even checked the living room, dining hall and kitchen just in case terletak situ (although it's highly unlikely bcoz I know I went straight to my room right after ironing it). I asked Wani and Bibik if they saw the scarf but nope. I was so tensed up by that time. But I decided to relax; had my breakfast shake while checking my email, hoping that if I calmed down I would gain back my "lost memory". I even took a few deep breaths just like my hubby always tell me whenever I can't find my things bcoz lepas tu mesti jumpa. But not this time - after 15 minutes or so, I still couldn't find it nor remember where I put it! Geram nyaa!! I know forgetfulness during pregnancy is common, but this is beyond forgetfulness! Things can't disappear just like that! Hishh...


So in the end, I changed into a different top - the top that I would always wear when I'm in the "I-don't-know-what-to-wear" state. I'm sure you have your own "I-don't-know-what-to-wear" top too. It's the top that you would always end up wearing whenever you're out of baju to wear. Boring kan?


As for the scarf, it's still missing.
Hantu mana la yang amik...



p/s: My family is going for a holiday in Amsterdam tonight, leaving us the married ones! Eeeee....tak aciii! ;p

Labels: Fashion

The other day when I was madly craving for those mini desserts, Leen buzzed me ajak lunch sama - at TGI Friday's! Ape lagi, yours truly jumped at the chance. It was supposed to be girlfriends + sisters' day out, but Hanis and Fadd couldn't make it, so it was just the 3 of us - including Wani. My hubby joined later on after work.


We were starving to death and decided nak makan baaaanyak giler! And it's all on Leen. Thanks mucho dear! *kiss kiss*

Labels: Food and Recipes

I've updated my Sales Blog with a few more tops.
Check it out, ladies! :)

Labels: Sales and Shopping