Check up at DDMC...

Abang took me to DDMC to see Uncle Kamal for my check up on Monday (17.10.11). As soon as he picked me up from Batu Caves KTM station, we sped off to Damansara Damai. I was suddenly overexcited over every little single thing... The simplest thing would have me chattering enthusistically, and Abang could hardly catch up. 


We arrived and registered at the counter. I performed my pre-examination routine; peeing on a stick and taking my blood pressure. So far all seems fine. We were 8 numbers away, so we patiently lounged at the waiting area and Abang tuned to the Donald Duck on TV2. I kept bothering him because I just had this abundant energy I need to release! Maybe I was excited at the thought of seeing Aleesya again on the ultrasound... hehehe...


Uncle Kamal finally saw us, and told us the wonderful news of Lin's pregnancy. She is 17 weeks along. In fact, she was in earlier that day. So another Gen3 next year! He told us to attend the Ante-natal class he will be conducting on the 13th of November (if I haven't popped yet, that is!) and join Lin as well. For us, it's FOC!! Yay! Thanks Uncle, you helped us save RM90.


Everything seems to be fine so far with my pregnancy, and Uncle ushered me to the ultrasound machine. Aleesya is so beautiful!! She has all the sharp features of her father. Her head is already making its decent, and is facing outward, towards my belly button. Uncle informed that she is now around 2.5kg, and I should control my sugar intake to avoid the baby becoming too big. Yikes! I glanced over to Abang, and he grinned at me knowingly, looking smug. Ok, fine, I'll control my sweet tooth... But can I have just ONE more Pegaga Dessert Chocolate Nutty Ice Kacang? Pretty please? 


Next, Uncle checked all the baby's vitals and physique, and said she looks fine and in good shape. No cleft or deformity. Alhamdulillah, praise God Almighty... He also checked the remaining amniotic fluid, and said that I have just enough to get through the pregnancy. I have 5 more weeks to go!! 


Lastly, he taught us how to do the 'mengira pergerakan janin'... He gave me a chart, and asked me to record the baby's movement. Daily, until my birth, I am to count Aleesya's movement starting from 9am. After the tenth kick, I can stop the count. If the count does not reach ten by 6pm, then I have to see him. Something could be wrong with her... Ooohhh I hope she kicks me all day then! I'll take the pain...


Before we left his office, he said I am due for another tetanus shot... Ouch, I don't look forward to it, as my last one left my arm sore for a week. I prefer the needle, I just don't like the soreness. It gets in the way of my mobility. He reminded us again on the ante-natal class, and after we salam and thank him, we were ushered to Room 2 by the nurse. There, I got my tetanus shot. OUCH!! The needle prick was painless, but the injection was painful! Abang was with me the entire time... Hehehe... You would have to be there too when Aleesya arrives...


At the counter, after Abang paid for the fees, I received a sample of Anmum baby formula and registered for the (free!) class. We saw Najah and Zul just going into the clinic as we left... We chatted for a while, and after we parted, me and Abang  extended our prayers to them. May they be as blessed as us soon... Amin...  


I was practically jumping up and down excitedly by now and Abang had to anchor me down to earth. He then treated me to Thai food, and I had ikan tiga rasa, ice kacang (after pujuking him, YAY!!), and pulut mangga... YUM!! Thanks Abang, kenyang Aleesya hehehehe...


Next check up at DDMC, 31 October 2011!!

Brace Thyself... More News on KTM...

Today's The Star Online reported that KTM Komuter will refund if train delayed more than 30 minutes. And they said that previously it was two hours, but last year revised to half an hour... And many were unaware... Then my question was why tell us now when you have revised it since last year? And why not improve service, minimize delays, increase trains, etc? Who cares about a refund? We have been waiting for more than half an hour between trains anyway today, without change, so this is not good news... It is in fact ancient news... It does not bring any difference whatsoever... This actually means we could have been riding the trains for FREE all this while... 


KTM Komuter, come back when you have something real to say... If not, stay where you are and remain incompetent... Thank you...


http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2011/10/17/nation/20111017141839&sec=nation

Only the Best from a Government Hospital... (Oh, Hospital Selayang...)

I received a piece of news to which I somehow was unsure in responding. Should I laugh? Should I cry? Should I be in denial? Should I BELIEVE it? Sigh...


My husband went to Hospital Selayang's Urology Department to set an appointment for the ultrasound scan his doctor ordered to determine a more specific image of his kidney stones. After dropping me and Shahnaz off at work, he sped off to the hospital. As usual, parking was a pain, and so was the wait. Well, can't complain there, since we are not describing Prince Court.


I texted Hubby and told him to call me as soon as he got the date and has settled matters at the hospital. It wasn't long after my text that he called, and that was when my fine Monday was ruined. My husband has received the date for his ultrasound scan appointment... Drum roll please... 17th January 2012...! My husband is peeing blood and in constant pain, and they want to spy those stones when my baby (who is still floating around in my uterus) reaches 2 months of age... So, how do I respond?


I decided that (after wasting valuable time shaking my head in disbelief) the adult thing to do was not blame the hospital entirely. It will only upset me, as my memories flooded back to arwah Bapak's time there as well as Mak's delayed MRI, which detected her cancer. Again, we are not describing Prince Court, therefore, I cannot complain as much as I would the lousy KTM Komuter.


I told my husband, I have no intention to wait until Aleesya has the attention span of 5 minutes to find out if his kidneys are gonna be OK or not. We will continue with our natural remedy as well as ask Uncle Paul and other relatives how to best get rid of the stones. I will also try to look into our Maybank Insurance Policy and see if there is anything that can be done to claim treatment.


As of now, patience is essential for me to keep my own peace of mind... I think I need it more than Hubby...

Mata bertentang mata...

Getting nostalgic all of a sudden. This was the first time I ever saw my husband. I was an emcee with Syafik for Rawana & Laman Etnik at Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS, and there was Raja Hisham Azaham, DFP's sound engineer, fixing my mic. The first thing he ever said to me, his future bride, was, "Jangan takut, mic ni tak makan orang..." I will remember that til the day I die, because I was so intimidated by him. He looked so stern and scary that I couldn't even look at him, for fear his eyes would somehow devour my soul! Ok, I exaggerate. But I am not kidding! He scared the pants off of me the first time I met him. Which got me thinking, how on God's green earth did this picture managed to capture him smiling...?


Abang, were you thinking about how cute I was? Was that why you were smiling? Hehehehe... I love you...

Me talking to the mic, Abang opposite me checking the mic... Hehehe

The Disgrace of Transportation...

Insaf...! How I miss my smooth (albeit the full house most of the times) train rides on the Putra LRT! The service at KTM not only sucks, but everything about the commuters is a reflection that the dark ages are still in Malaysia. 


When I worked at KLCC (sob sob rindu), my primary mode of transportation was the Putra LRT. I never had any major problems. Even if there were, it was on very rare occasions, like when it rained heavily, maintenance or a train broke down. This happened only rarely! The frequency of the trains are also such that the longest you have to wait is 10 minutes. And the convenience was that we could use the Touch N Go service. There are even vending machines for Touch N Go cards at the stations! How cool is that? At the Commuter station, you can't even top up your Touch N Go. 


I now take this wretched transportation service to work. How do I rate it out of 10? Only 0.5... And I think this score is gracious enough because of the ladies' coach... What do I have to complain about? Well, lets go through list... It makes me ponder on the fact what the point of the whole Komuter bullshit was in the first place...


1. Not enough trains... You would think that after a few decades and the not so cheap ticket price, they would have added enough trains to accommodate the thousands of passengers that increase in amount every day...


2. The lousy and unfriendly staff. It is as if their attitude must match the service of the commuters.


3. The long wait. For LRT, the minimum wait is 3-4 minutes. Maximum is 10 minutes. For commuters, the minimum is 30 minutes, the maximum? The sky is the limit. I have once waited for almost over an hour. So if you missed a train? Hahahaha.... 


4. Sardine-like capacity... It seems that rubbing yourself against another passenger has become a normal occurrence in the coaches especially when you are the unlucky ones who board the train at hot spot stations during peak hours. And when you get to KL Sentral, you can hear the uncivilized shouts from right and  left, cursing and shouting at everyone to move in as far as they can. The most sophisticated lady can turn into an ugly wicked witch when faced in this situation. Seriously, it sounded like a third-rate pasar malam from Thailand or something. This happens EVERYDAY... Improvements? When hell freezes over...


5. Normal delays and breakdowns... Oh yes... This is what the KTM Komuter is so famous about since its inception. It is as if they are trying to win an award year after year on who can have the most inefficient service and the most delays and breakdowns for trains... Yup, you win hands down, KTM.


6. The bitterness of the passengers... The awful service of the Komuter itself has pushed the passengers to become a more grouchy and bitter person. This is due to the fact that they don't look forward to ride the train, but they have no choice. So the dissatisfaction they feel for the Komuter is translated into their attitude and thus the courtesy Malaysians are supposedly famous for vanishes once you are on this train. Only a handful with a conscience will surrender their seats to the elderly, the pregnant ladies, the OKU and the more needy ones. Others will only look on shamelessly, thinking to themselves, "I have fought hard for this seat, no way in hell I am giving it up no matter who you are!" And there are also the famous ones, the ones who pretend not to notice that you need a seat by pretending to be fast asleep...


The trigger for me writing this was when I used my Touch N Go card at the Komuter, thinking to relive the convenience I enjoyed at Putra LRT where I do not have to stand in line for tickets, or in case I don't have change to get the tickets at the vending machine, or simply if I don't have the money that day. Touch N Go would be my lifesaver. Imagine my shock, anger and utter disbelief when I noticed the Touch N Go swipe ripped me off!! It was my second day using the card, and if I did not look at the balance, I would not have noticed that I was ripped off by RM10 for a single ride which was only RM2!! And later that evening when my ride back was supposed to only be RM1, I was charged with RM2. That's it!! I confronted the staff at Batu Caves station and asked if their Touch N Go swipe was faulty. He was very nice but got on my nerve because he kept defending the machine. He even gave instructions on how to go to KL Sentral and complained about my card, and see if they can detect what is at fault with my card. WTF!? I calmly told him (only because he was nice) that my card never encountered any problems, ever, and has been used extensively at toll plazas, Putra LRT and even STAR LRT. He then replied that my card could be 'tiba-tiba rosak kot'. Before I wrestle this guy for the next stupid thing that comes out of his mouth, I just asked him: "Would you advice me not to use my card at Komuter at the moment?" "Hehehe ok ok just stop using first..." Idiot... 


I have got loads more to complain, but lets just take a look at this article, shall we? It shed so much light on KTM's incompetency, as well as reminding people that there is nothing to proud of in KTM Komuter...  
http://standupformalaysia.blogspot.com/2009/07/ktm-komuter-decade-and-half-not-enough.html


So people, avoid this crappy ride if you can... Unfortunately, I can't... But I am reassuring myself that there is a place in heaven for victims of KTM Komuter Berhad...

My night of terror...

Sian my hubby… Maybe I haven’t been sensitive enough to his complaints of pain lately… I was so busy thinking about my own. Well, now I regretted insisting him check his health a lot earlier.

Last week was a gruelling 9-day UiTM Showcase that Abang handled (sound wise). He lacked the sleep, the rest and was forever hauling heavy equipments off and on the stage. Thank God for the crews, but nonetheless, his body was still under duress and a lot or physical stress. In fact, his voice was gone and barely audible due to extreme fatigue. Sigh… I could only watch him as I myself was waddling back and forth trying to precariously balance myself every time I moved.

After the UiTM job, he continued working at the studio back in Selayang. His complaints of body aches and pains got worse. I seriously did not know what to do… He kept ignoring them and said that he would just ride it out. He suspected it could be gout, as his pains seemed similar to Aie’s. He started to limp a bit. Deep down, I know I wouldn’t be able to accept the fact if he were to be diagnosed with gout. I just don’t want to imagine my husband as a sick person. I don’t think I can handle it. To me, he is the healthiest human being alive who God will grace with longevity and happiness… No sickness for him…

Last night, after coming back from the studio, he was in worse pain. Guiltily, I was groggy and hardly noticed he was home. Mind you, I was sneezing the entire day at the office, had sore throat, runny nose, and a fever that came and went. I also skipped dinner because of the lack of appetite, though I managed to force myself to spring clean the house (basically cleaned out my wardrobe, did a few laundries and vacuumed the house). So I was on the brink of exhaustion. Somehow from my on and off slumber, I kept hearing him moaning in pain. I got up and looked for him. He was writhing on the bed. Still groggy, I was deeply concerned but somehow annoyed why he was sick when I am sick… So horrid of me!! I practically scolded him! I can’t believe it, I was a monster… But for the record (and also off the record, for that matter) I would like to blame it on my hormones. Because I refuse to believe I wasn’t sensitive enough last night. And I was not yet fully awake. So yeah, that’s my excuse.

I didn’t want to disturb Aie, so I got dressed, and insisted that I drive him to the hospital. All of a sudden, I heard a painful gagging sound… I rushed to the bathroom and saw that he had spilled his guts all over the bathroom floor. I panicked. This is bad… I just wanted to quickly go to the hospital, but he even tried to clean up the mess with Mr. Muscle. I had to almost scold him again to get him moving. He called Mak to inform Aie or Ajim, as he was worried if anything happened there will be no way I could bear his weight. Thankfully, Ajim drove us. I was thankful for his assistance; because it turned out I couldn’t even push his wheelchair.

For Hospital Selayang and its usual snail-paced service we have been accustomed to, last night was quite fast. We arrived at 2am, and were home by 4am. After triage, the doctor gave Abang an injection of painkillers to relieve him of his pain. We didn’t have to wait long before the doctor called his name. We didn’t even have to wait for the number. The doctor was really nice and courteous, which is lacking nowadays in government hospitals, especially at this hour. She said she was new there, so she was quite unsure of protocols and whatnots. She was kind to Abang and expressed genuine concern over his obvious pain. She asked thoroughly and asked for a urine test. While waiting for the result of the urine test, the doctor requested an X-Ray as she suspected stones in his kidney. Again, we didn’t have to wait long until the doctor called us again and gave us the results. There was blood present in the urine which indicated stones in his kidney, although the X-Ray did not pick it up. She passed a letter she has written, which will refer him to the Urology Department, where a more specific scan will pick up details in his kidney. The doctor also revealed that he had urinary tract infection, but can be cured with antibiotics. She also prescribed some painkillers (Tramadol) and medicines for his nausea along with a reminder to drink lots of fluid but no to coffee and tea (maybe that was why he threw up just now because I smelled coffee from his vomit). But apart from that, he can rest up at home. Yay! I can bring my hubby home!

After thanking the kind doctor and picking up the medicines, Ajim drove us home. The painkiller shot from earlier had almost knocked Abang out completely, so I helped him to bed immediately after arriving home. I tried to coax him to eat the medicines, but he was already fast asleep. I watched him for a long time trying to fall asleep racking with guilt from earlier. I wasn’t myself as I myself was unwell and hormonal. Sian Abang… I promise I will take care of you tonight and devote 200% of my love and attention to your well-being… I love you… We love you… Me and Aleesya love you…

Shopping for Aleesya! (Round 1)

My own Po from Kung Fu Panda!

 After over 10 years of just browsing and looking longingly at baby's stuff at Jusco and baby shops, I finally did baby shopping of my own! For my own baby! Yippee!! Thanks Abang for taking me to Mom's Care and Jusco at Midvalley Megamall last night.

We have already received some giveaways and some gifts for Aleesya from our family, but we still have much to get! So I started by preparing a list, a more thorough list. Me and Abang prepared one a few months ago, but they were not prepared by professional parents, instead we were both over eager parents-to-be who just jotted down anything that came to mind. Aie advised us that we will only utilize half of the stuff most first time parents bought for their first born, and ended up paying a king's ransom for it. 


So I talked to a few experts (Maz and Fad from work, thanks gals!) and came up with the list! Some of the stuff on it I already have, but the rest I just couldn't wait to get! So I checked out cot, as Abang has already assembled the Sweet Cherry baby cot I bought Nuqman back then. Aleesya pinjam ye, Nuqman... Batu tungku for Mummy is at Mama's house... And after we checked off a few more things we already have, we were set to shop! But of course, this was the first of many trips to come. We just completed Round 1...


Without even the thought of dinner on our minds, we went straight to Mum's Care after parking at P2 South Court of Midvalley Megamall. Abang's friend Isla from Radio Island band, told him that we can get good stuff there as his own wife works there. Abang called her up and she awaited for us to arrive and immediately imparted her vast knowledge on what we can get the baby. We were definitely very jakun looking at everything. I mean, it's not that we were complete ignorant fools. We have browsed a few times at Jusco but never got around to buying. Now, when we were finally gonna buy, we did not know where to start! Thanks to Isla's wife, we did not look like kids at a candy store for the first time. She helped us through, and this are the things we got at Mum's Care:

Cutest booties ever!

• First Year BPA Free Baby Feeding Bottles 3 pack
• First Year Double Scrubber Bottle Brush
• First Year Deluxe Nail Clipper with Magnifier
• Bumble Bee Travel Mattress Set
• Bumble Bee Pink Booties Socks
• 2-in-1 Pink Bath Towels
• 2 piece set Long Sleeve and Long Pants Pink/White (2 sets)
• Striped Pink Bunny Hooded Blanket
• Bumble Bee 100% Cotton Receiving Blankets -  3 pieces
• and a Mum's Care Membership Club free!!!

After ringing Aleesya's stuff up, we asked Sheila (Isla's wife) to care for our purchases at the store while we run off to Jusco to get more baby's essentials. Thought of dinner still eluded us. We were that excited! But Abang had to slow down for my sake because my tummy kept doing that uncomfortable Braxton Hicks contractions. Long story short, we finally got to the baby's section and again, we were clueless as where to start. But here is what we got:

• Tenderly Hankerchief Towel - 4 pieces
• Pureen Napkin Rash Cream
• Tollyjoy Napkins - 10 pieces
• Pureen Wipes 2 x 200
• Pureen Travel Baby Wipes
• Pureen Kiddi Wash Detergent
• Tolljoy Baby Suit
• Pureen Pride & Joy Baby Suit
• Pureen Pride & Joy Short Sleeve & Short Pants x 2
• Pigeon White Long Sleeve and Long Pants Rompers
• Anakku  Booties, Mittens and Hat Set
• Pureen Pride & Joy Booties and Mittens x 3
• Baby Binders (with strings)
• Nursing Pads (for Mummy)
• Pureen Cotton Buds

My God, a lot of Pureen in our bags... Anyway, we were so happy that on the way home I insisted I sit with everything in front. Of course I couldn't fit. And I kept looking inside the plastic bags as if if I won't see it again. When we got home (after our overdue dinner at Brahim Maju) it was near midnight. Abang was in pain already as his back has been giving him hell for quite some time. I paid more to attention to the baby's stuff than I did him! Sorry Abang... Anyway, I laid out everything nicely on the couch and begin snapping away! So many pink stuff. I didn't want to become those typical mums who bought pink stuff just because their baby is a girl, but it looks like I have been cursed as well. Before going to bed, I separated everything and put aside what needs to be laundered and what needs to be put away. I put the mattress in the cot, and filled up the baby's bag (courtesy of Shahnaz) with a small packet of 8 diapers and traveling baby wipes. As soon as I have washed Aleesya's baby wear, I will prepare her bag ready for the hospital. And my bag needs packing too!

Abang promised to get me the First Year Breast Pump before I return to work after confinement (yay!). And as I have mentioned, this was the first round... Round 2 will commence soon (no money no talk, ma...)!! More pink stuff!!!

False alarm...

Throughout last night, I have been having painful cramps that come and go. My belly would harden and tighten every now and then, and that scared me. I thought I was going into early labour as I guessed they were contractions. But when they did not progress into frequent and more painful episodes, I decided that they must have been the infamous Braxton Hicks contractions. I must have triggered them by walking too much and too far. 


It looks like I will have to take it easy for a while. But I cannot help the walking. As I walk to the KTM Commuter station from work, I guess unless my water breaks then I will just hail a cab. In the meantime, my swollen elephant-feet will have to hang in there... Mummy is sorry, Aleesya, you must be uncomfortable in there... Mummy loves you...

Dear Aleesya...

Dear Aleesya, our precious princess,

It's been 7 trying months since Mummy and Bapak are patiently awaiting your arrival. We have been through hell and back again. There were many ups and downs, and Alhamdulillah, God showed us that there is a light at the end of the tunnel for all our worries…. And that light is you!

With your growing cuteness and rapid development in Mummy’s tummy, Bapak and Mummy are always ecstatic when you give Mummy a kick, a punch, a tickle, a whirl, a nudge or any form of movement you choose to deliver. During the times when Mummy would turn on her favourite music, tune to the mp3 Al-Quran, or when Bapak sings to you over Mummy’s rounded belly, you would be doing flips and flops! Mummy hopes they are of joy or happiness… Because we noticed that you are most responsive to music and sounds… truly you are your father’s daughter. J

Aleesya darling,

We have two more months before we finally meet you. Truthfully, Mummy always grieved to Bapak that Mummy is nervous about meeting you for the first time. Mummy has waited for you all her life, and to finally meet you will probably be nerve-wrecking to her. So we are occupying ourselves with the preparation of your arrival. Things are a bit hectic and tough outside the comfort of your warm cocoon, but we are managing it. Bapak is a real trooper, and he is the pillar of Mummy’s strength, apart from God Almighty. Mummy would have crumbled without him. You will love Bapak immensely, and Mummy knows you will be proud of him as he will never let any harm come to you and Mummy.

My precious Aleesya,

We are so excited and anxious to meet you next month that we have been listing your essentials over and over again. Mummy finally got some professional help (from her friends who are moms!) and has the perfect list already. We are going shopping tonight or tomorrow night, and we are most happy…

Aleesya sayang,

Please pray along with Bapak and Mummy that the last two months are uneventful. Mummy promises that Mummy will take the utmost care in ensuring you are healthy until Uncle Kamal helps deliver you into the world. Bapak also promises that he will do his best making sure his two girls are doing great. Yes, Mummy has a hard time sleeping and constantly gets back and tummy pains, but Mummy knows it will all be worth it when we finally see you.

This is only the beginning of our lifelong adventure together, and with the guidance from Allah SWT, Bapak and Mummy promise to try our best in making our princess’ life a happy one.

We love you, darling…  


Lots of love,
Bapak and Mummy