LAMAZE colourful toys

Sebagai first time parent, saya rasa excited sangat nak beli macam-macam barang untuk baby. Kalau pergi kedai barangan baby rasa nak beli semua baju, toys dan barang yang cantik-cantik. My current favourite is baby toy! Salah satu brand toy yang saya suka ialah Lamaze. Toys dia colourful dan workmanship pun sangat berkualiti (I hate sloppy workmanship). Bukan setakat menarik perhatian baby, orang dewasa pun suka dengan toys ni. Saya ada baca banyak review daripada parents dari luar negara berkenaan dengan Lamaze ni. Mostly, baby diorang memang suka sebab warna dia yang terang dan fabrik dia yang bertekstur. Toys Lamaze direka berdasarkan tiga fasa perkembangan bayi iaitu "awakening the senses", "exploring and experimenting", dan "moving and doing". 

Baru-baru ni, saya ada kirim toy Lamaze dari adik saya yang bekerja di Singapore. Dekat sana toys dia lagi banyak pilihan daripada Malaysia. Kat sini saya nak share gambar toys Lamaze yang sangat-sangat comel tu. Yang kat bawah ni nama dia Octivity time. Harga agak mahal which is SGD34.90. Saya pernah jumpa yang ini kat Aeon Sunway. Harga dia cuma RM59.90 macam tu tapi agak lusuh. Mungkin diorang nak clear stok kut.

Yang ini nama dia Octotunes. Tentacles octopus ni ada squeaker yang mengeluarkan bunyi berbeza. Boleh buat lagu twinke-twinkle little star guna squeaker dia. Harga dia SGD39.90. Tu dia!

Katak comel ni adik saya belikan untuk kakak sebab dia memang suka plush toy katak hijau.

Gardenbug ni sesuai dengan small babies untuk  perkembangan tactile dan auditory. Ia boleh menggalakkan baby discover tangan dan kaki diorang. Tapi rugi beli yang ini sebab baby cepat membesar. Nanti dah besar diorang campak je bug ni.

Puppy ni pun comel. Kalau picit hidung dia akan keluar la bunyi comel.

Stretch the Giraffe ni ada rattle dan teether. Sesuai untuk baby yang nak tumbuh gigi. Diorang boleh gigit-gigit. Kaki giraffe yang kurus panjang ni senang untuk baby nak pegang.

Yang ini nama dia Jacque the Peacock. Ada cermin untuk baby pandang muka sendiri. Small babies memang sangat suka pandang reflection diorang dalam cermin.

Akhirnya, adik saya pick tiga Lamaze toys seperti kat bawah ni. Toys dia agak mahal sebab imported dan syarikat dia collaborate dengan psychologist dari Yale University. Total semua ni dalam SGD86.70. Gulp!!Tapi minat punya pasal tak apalah. Harap Hayyan suka toy baru dia.

Next, nak buat nursery Hayyan yang penuh dengan colorful toys. So excited! *giggles*

Every life is precious

A child is the most precious gift we could ever be given in this life. Birth is beautiful, full of miracle and emotional. Don't despair if you are yet to have a child on your own. I always believe that there must be a reason why god doesn't grant everything that we wish for. Like myself, I had a hard time conceiving too and I eventually conceived after 1 year and 8 months trying. God is great and He knows the best time for everything..

Prawn Cakes with Peanut and Lime Dipping Sauce

I must say I am a big fan of My Kitchen Rules (MKR) cooking reality show. In the most recent MKR Australia show, the one and only team from Malaysia and Singapore, Eva and Debra competing with 3 other finalists to win the MKR title. Eva and Debra entered into sudden death round for 3 times but amazingly they survived! The dishes that they prepared using simple ingredients always win the judges heart. I reckon the taste must be incredible. Here is one of the scrumptious recipes that I would like to try. Yummy! *drooling*

Ingredients
·         250g white fish fillets, roughly chopped
·         500g green prawns, peeled, deveined, roughly chopped
·         2 tbs fish sauce
·         1 tsp rice flour
·         1 egg
·         2 spring onions, thinly sliced
·         4 kaffir lime leaves, spine removed, roughly chopped
·         2 tbs vegetable oil
·          
RED CURRY PASTE
·         2 tsp coriander seeds, roasted
·         1 tsp cumin seeds, roasted
·         2 tsp white peppercorns
·         ½ tsp ground mace
·         15 dried red chillies, soaked in hot water for 30 minutes, deseeded, roughly chopped
·         2 eschalots, roughly chopped
·         12 garlic gloves
·         2 lemongrass stalks, white part only, thinly sliced
·         1cm-piece galangal, chopped
·         4 coriander roots, chopped
·         1 tbs finely grated lime zest
·         2 tsp salt
·         2 tsp shrimp paste, roasted

PEANUT & LIME DIPPING SAUCE
·         110g (½ cup) caster sugar
·         2 limes, juiced
·         2 tbs fish sauce
·         1 long red chilli, thinly sliced
·         ½ Lebanese cucumber, deseeded, finely diced
·         2 tbs finely chopped roasted peanuts

Method
1.      To make curry paste, Using a mortar and pestle, grind coriander, cumin and peppercorns to a paste. Place in a small food processor with remaining ingredients and process until a smooth paste forms. Set aside.
2.      Place fish, prawns, reserved curry paste, fish sauce, flour and egg in a food processor. Process to combine, then transfer mixture to a bowl. Using a large metal spoon, mix in onion and lime leaves.
3.      Using wet hands, divide mixture into 12 equal portions, then shape each into 1cm-thick patties.
4.      Heat oil in a medium frying pan over medium heat. Cook patties, in batches, for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden. Remove with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towel.
5.      To make dipping sauce, stir sugar and 60ml (¼ cup) water in a small saucepan for 1-2 minutes or until sugar dissolves. Cool, then stir in remaining ingredients.
6.      Serve prawn cakes with dipping sauce to the side.


Image and recipe courtesy of MKR Australia

My pregnancy journey (part 2)

Selepas insiden suspect ectopic tu, aku rasa lega yg teramat sangat sebab akhirnya pregnancy aku normal. Aku continue check-up kat Dr Hamid Arshat sampai 5 bulan pastu dalam masa yang sama buat buku merah kat klinik kesihatan. Buat check-up kt klinik gomen free tu yang best. Sepanjang pregnant takde masalah sangat. Cuma masa first 3 bulan tu mulut rasa payau so tak selera nak makan. Term medical panggil rasa payau tu metallic taste. Nasib aku mmg untung sebab takde rasa pening and loya, cuma pagi2 muntah lepas gosok gigi.

Finally due date pun sampai. Patutnya bersalin 20 May 2015 tapi entah kenapa baby nye tak nak kluar sampai la 41 minggu. So doc pun induce pakai belon. Induce pun bukak 4cm je terus masuk labour room. Doc pecah air ketuban pastu dah start contraction. Lama jugak bertarung sampai 5 jam. Akhirnya baby boy seberat 3.74kg pun keluar pukul 3.10pm, 28 May 2015. Fuhh lega….

Ini dia si kecik..

Comel tak saya? baru first time tengok dunia ni. Sebelum ni duduk dalam perut ibu je

nangis pun kuat

aww...that is my favorite smile :-) 

btw, nama baby ku Hayyan Rifqy. Hayyan bermaksud kehidupan, Rifqy maksudnya lemah lembut :-) hayyan turns 3 months now.

My pregnancy journey (part 1)

My pregnancy experience has been magical. I and hubby have been waiting for almost 2 years for the baby. After one year trying, we decided to seek for consultation from O&G specialist. At first, we went to see the specialist at KPJ Damansara. To my surprise, the doctor diagnosed me with ovarian cyst on my left ovary. I was stunned. This might be the cause of my inability to conceive. The cost to remove the cyst in KPJ is very expensive so I seek for cheaper place to perform the surgery. After searching around, I finally managed to set an appointment with a renowned Gynae in Malaysia, Dr. Hamid Arshat. After series of appointment, I was scheduled for a surgery to remove the 7cm dermoid cyst. 3 months after surgical intervention, I got pregnant! I was in disbelief!

I have a significant concern on my pregnancy. I had brown spotting for few days after positive UPT. Some source says it resulted from implantation bleeding. Others quoted the possibility of threatened miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy. I can’t stop myself from worrying too much. It was excruciating! To confirm on my pregnancy, I scheduled an appointment with a Gynae in Assunta Hospital. The doctor performed blood work and transvaginal scan. Small gestational sac seen. Based on my last day of menstruation, the gestational age of pregnancy is 4 weeks.

We went home after the appointment and the doctor will call if anything goes wrong with the blood work. I was so nervous. What if the hospital number appears on my hand phone screen in the next hour? I can’t bear to hear any bad news after having tough times to conceive. Well guess what, my phone rang. The doctor told me my beta hCG (pregnancy hormone) is too high for 4 weeks! Beta hCG reading was at 4000 which is way too high for early pregnancy! At this stage, the hCG levels should be around 400. It means mine was 10 times higher! Doctor said I might have an ectopic pregnancy and I need admission if the hormone doesn’t doubling in 2 days. The sac that he seen might be pseudo sac and the brown discharge that I was getting might be from rupture of the tube. I spent my days on the weekend crying L

After two days, I came back to Assunta to get another blood work done. The beta hCG was measured at 10,000. The amount has doubled but abnormally high. I was admitted in the same day at Klang Hospital to be monitored closely. My beta hCG keeps increasing like crazy but I don’t exhibit any symptom like cramping or pain but I had brown discharge on-and-off. Finally, the doctor decided to perform laparoscopy to remove my tube. It means I can never get pregnant again because my left ovary is no longer functioning (because of the cyst) while my right tube has to be removed. That was the saddest moment ever in my life. The nurse prepared me for the operation by putting me in OT gown and started intravenous drip. I feel like I’m on death row…

Before entering the OT, the doctor performed final ultrasound scan to see if there’s a positive development. If the sac is developing means I have a viable pregnancy. I keep my finger crossed for miracle to happen. Guess what? The sac looked bigger than before!! And there was a tiny embryo inside the sac!! I feel like I come back to life after been dead. I can’t describe how happy I was, my life is shining like it’s new! I was discharged straight after 5 days in the hospital. I survived my journey through the valley of sorrows…

My tiny angel

I tied the knot!

The wedding took place on 15 December 2012 in my hometown. It was indeed a significant and memorable event in my life. I can't deny I have mixed feelings about this; excited+stress+exhausted but I made it through. Dealing with working+studying+marriage is challenging but I enjoyed every bit of it.

Solemnization photo

My elder sister in red blouse

Reception dress

Marriage is beautiful! Marriage is about sharing everything with your partner. The key to long lasting marriage is always accept each other's strengths and weaknesses. Don't expect perfection from your partner because it requires more time than any other relationship. At times, both of you made mistakes so forgive, forget and move on.

Salam Ramadhan

Hai hai!

Dah lama saya tak update blog ni. Actually, blog ni assignment yg saya perlu buat untuk satu subjek mass comm. FYI, saya tgh buat degree part time in PR so dari biar blog ni tak aktif baik sambung je kan. Boleh tulis diari ke atau berkongsi kisah suka dan duka ke. Lagipun blog ni akan kekal kat sini dan saya boleh mengimbau kenangan bila dah tua nanti :-D Apa2 pun saya nak ucapkan salam Ramadhan kepada semua yang beragama Islam. Semoga Ramadhan kali ini memberi berkat kepada kita semua. Selamat berpuasa!