My New Hobby

Few months back I attended a wirework workshop organised by the owner of Whimsical N Quirky. And although I had to bring my own cushion to support my back, felt the strain, and went back with sore fingers, I regret not one second of it! Thanks to my friend Mel for introducing it!

I did not continue with the practice, nor did I attended the subsequent workshop. Mainly because my focus was shifted to getting the PMP certification.

Anyway, last Tuesday, I started again. I continue with the tutorial, doing the piece that I did not get to do during the workshop. And after that, I just continue, slowly. Just tonight, I completed another pendant. A bit rough, I might say, but hey… I’m still learning!

I Won!

I have never won any lucky draw contest before… It’s so exciting when I did recently.

Thank you PickADress!

My post here: Pick a Dress Giveaway

I don’t hate you but I don’t have to agree with you

I have stopped myself several times from writing about a certain declaration video which is now the talk of the town. I shall not name it here, because as a Muslim, we should not disclose our brothers’ or sisters’ embarrassment (even if they feel there is nothing to be embarrass about). Suffice to say, I know the person, because we went to the same school.

I don’t hate homosexuals. But I don’t love them neither. Do I have gay friends? Yes, I do. They are nice people, just like any other friends that I have. You see, I only keep nice people as friends. Who in the right mind will befriend not nice people, eh?

Second question, do I have problem knowing someone is gay? Nope. If I do, I will not befriends with them. Simple.

Next question, do I agree on homosexuality? The answer to this is a clear and a simple NO.

Just because you’re friends with some people that have different ideologies, it does not mean you agree with them. You can be friends, but you don’t have to always agree.

When it comes to homosexuality, be it gay or lesbian, Islam has forbid it more than 1400 years ago. If you read about Islam, and the prophets’ histories, you will come across Nabi Luth (Prophet Lot). His people were homosexuals, the men and the women. These people were told to come back to truth and yet they denied themselves the light, and they were prosecuted by Allah SWT. They all died because their land was turned topsy-turvy.

So Allah SWT has decreed long time ago that this practice is forbidden. Why oh why should we say otherwise? In my opinion, we should not be proud of the forbidden things that we do. We all make mistakes for we are humans. But we must always find ways to come back to Him and seek his forgiveness, for He is the most forgiving.

I read the comment from the supporters of the declaration, and I am stumped. I feel so sad, that I cried. Have these people lost their minds? They talk as if religion is of no relation to one’s life. They talk as if they know better than Allah SWT Himself. Aren’t they scared of what might be by challenging the might of Allah SWT?

No, I don’t have problems with people who believe they are homosexuals. Instead I wish, hope and pray that they come to realise that when Allah SWT created them, He created them to be heterosexuals. There are reasons why there are men an women.

“Dan segala sesuatu Kami ciptakan berpasang-pasangan supaya kamu mengingat kebesaran Allah.” (Adz -Dzaariyaat : 49).
“And all that We created is in pairs so that you remember Allah’s greatness” (Adz Dzaariyaat: 49)

"Dan di antara tanda-tanda kekuasaan Nya ialah Dia menciptakan untukmu isteri-isteri dari jenismu sendiri, supaya kamu cenderung dan merasa tenteram kepadanya, dan dijadikannya di antaramu rasa kasih dan sayang” (Ar-Rum: 21)
“And amongst the signs of His greatness, is that He created for you, wives from your own kind, so that you may feel comforted towards her and He create between the two of you love” (Ar-Rum:21)

There are lots of other ayat from the holy Quran Al-Karim that shows Allah SWT created men and women so that they may complement each other in life, in love. And from this union, insyaAllah, a clean and blessed generation shall be borne. How can we deny this truth? It comes from the Quran itself! The holy scripture that should be our guide.

I can only Istighfar and be reminded of my own shortcomings and mistakes and weaknesses. But it does not mean I cannot spell out my distaste of the comments that were given by these people in favour of homosexuality. What is wrong, will remain wrong. What is forbidden will remain forbidden.

They argue that homosexual is not about sex, but it is about love. If that is the truth then look to Allah SWT for the love that you seek. They say straight people do not understand them and always ridicule them, I have to say some people are quick to judge and condemn. But why can’t they look for the straight people who can show and guide them to the right path? In my opinion, anything wrong that we do, and we do not want to leave it behind, it’s all because we love the world more than we love the hereafter, more than we love Allah SWT. It’s the same to women who are not wearing headscarves, because we feel that we might be less pretty in the eyes of humans, when instead we should think of becoming beautiful in the eyes of Allah SWT, masyaAllah. :-( It’s like people who drink alcohol and do not want to stop because they believe they cannot have fun without it and people will say they are not cool, when they should be thinking how to look cool in front of Allah SWT.

So, when homosexuals say that being gay or lesbian is not about choice, they should be reminded that they do have the choice. Like the women who are not wearing headscarves, like the people who drinks alcohol. It’s a matter of choice.

I am a human, I make mistakes too. And writing this post does not mean I’m preaching or being holier-than-thou, for I am a sinner too. I’m writing this in hope that Allah SWT will shine upon me His Nur and guidance, shower me with his rahmat for I may become a better person in time, insyaAllah. Our main objective in life should be to see Him in Husnul Khatimah.

People always say that if you hang about with those who are smelly, you will become smelly too. And if you hang around those who wear perfumes, the scent will brush on you too. I shall put it in a more modern perspective. You go to clubs, eventhough you don’t drink or don’t smoke, you come out smelling like ashes and liquor still. You go to masjeed, even if you’re dozing off during the sermon, you come out smelling nice or like minyak attar if the pakcik next to you wear it. ;-)

I believe I have said enough. Just a reminder to myself, my family and my friends, not to be advocates of things which are already forbidden by Allah SWT. I remind myself to always seek His forgiveness in any way I can, any time while I’m still breathing. For once He calls my name, there is nothing more I can do, but answer His call. May we always be under His guidance and rahmat, insyaAllah.

It’s Here!

TO MY HUSBAND,

HAPPY FIRST ANNIVERSARY!

I adore you, I love you

May we keep adoring and loving each other for more years to come!

And here’s to having more of our wishes and dreams come true as we journey through this sea of life together.

 

p.s: image was googled.

It’s Been A Year!

Tonight, one year ago, I was doing last minute preparation for the big day. Sharky was with me, making sure the room is ready. We put on the bed sheet, decorated the side table, tied ribbons to the flimsy drapes, etc. Downstairs, my aunties are doing things that I cannot remember now. I remember going down and being asked to go to bed. But I was too hyped to go to sleep. It’s the turning point. I wrote a blog post while waiting for my wedding bouquet to arrive: Last one before tomorrow.

Tonight, a year later, I am 32 weeks pregnant with our first child, The Hubby is watching movie on his laptop, and I’m feeling mellow again. Ha ha ha… In one year that we’ve been together, so many things have happened, we learn (still are!) each others’ quirkiness, all of which my sincere hope, bringing us even much closer together. We have our differences, but nobody said anything about agreeing on everything once you’re husband and wife, right? We keep our individuality no matter what.

A year later, watching television these days, I’m watching it with my motherhood cap on. There are so many things that I have to do to ensure my child reap the benefits and learn from the negativities. I thought I’d be those cool moms where everything is A-okay, but I guess it’s like what The Hubby said, “Mothers mean business, Fathers mean fun”. Ha ha ha… I don’t know where he got that. But I guess, between the two of us, I’ll be the sour plum. But I reverently hope that whatever I do or say, I’ll be educating my child and not building walls between us.

A year ago, I had goose bumps every time I think about the next day. Tonight, I’m getting goose bumps thinking of what lies ahead in less than two months. I pray that everything will go smoothly and both of us will be healthy. There are still things to buy for The Baby’s arrival. We’ll do it soon. I am yet to pack my hospital bag. Maybe I should do it this weekend.

So, in this post, I’d like to thank all my family members who worked really hard making my special day happened in the most special way. Special thanks to Sharky for being there for me, right by my side, giving words of encouragement and jokes that I could not remember now. Also thanks to Cindy for being there while I was preparing for my reception ceremony and agreeing with my choice of accessories and hairstyle instead of the mak andam’s.

I truly have a charmed life. Things are not always smooth but it always turn out right. To my beloved husband, I love you with all my heart. Here’s to our first year together, darling. May there’ll be more to come.

Don’t Mind The Fat

Okay, I have to be honest. I am in now way, FAT, eventhough I’m going into my 32nd week now. Yes, I have gained weight and maybe a little extra fat deposit here and there, but I am a long way from being overweight. All my excess are sort of accounted for.

BUT, that does not mean I don’t feel inferior when I look at my non-pregnant friends. The thing that always come to my mind is whether or not I will successfully go back to my previous shape and weight. And that’s when I start to move my butt and do some stretching exercise. Ha ha ha…

One thing for sure, people are saying breastfeeding will help you to lose all the pregnancy fat. I saw one friend the other day, delivered her baby few months back and yeah, she’s slim alright. But she has always been this skinny girl even before she got married. She did sort of plump up while she was pregnant, so I guess it’s proven that breastfeeding does help.

Anyway, weight gain, is part of being pregnant. As long as you’re eating right, you’ll be fine. And make sure you drink lots and lots of water. It is troublesome to be visiting the johns every fifteen minutes or so, but it will help to reduce swelling and lethargy. This I can attest to. My feet do not swell and I can still fit into my regular strappy FLAT sandal.

One more thing, start wearing flats early in your pregnancy. It helps to avoid back aches and leg pain. Wear loose clothing early, regardless what people might say. But the extra space makes you feel more comfortable and since our body temperature is higher than normal, it helps to cool us down.

Urrmm… I guess that’s it for now. Flu is making me sleepy and a little slower than usual. At work now. But I guess, I’ll be going home early.

The Result

Today, 7 Muharram 1432H, I cleared the PMP Certification Exam. Alhamdulillah!

Only Allah SWT know how scared and anxious I was to click the “End Exam” button to submit all the answers. As I waited for the score to be computed, my heart was beating so fast, The Baby was tensed too! I was torn between watching the screen and closing my eyes. When the confirmation screen appeared, I was still a bit flustered that I had to read the confirmation again and again.

“CONGRATULATIONS!” it said. And I could not stop saying grace. Almost cried in fact. I feel so relieved as well as elated.

So, I am now a certified PMP. Time to update the resume? Ha ha ha…

Pick a Dress Giveaway

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Contest ends: 20 December 2010

The Baby is Growing Healthily

This morning we went for our check-up. I am almost 31 weeks now. The Baby is now 1.9kg! Doctor said The Baby should be around 2.9kg on delivery day. She, the doctor, advised me to control my sugar intake. I admitted to her that I’ve been eating a lot of ice cream recently (Baskin Robbin’s White Winter Chocolate…. It’s heavenly) because I have been feeling weird taste in my mouth. And apparently sweet stuff; read: ice cream, eliminates it! She mentioned that it’s okay of the baby is small, between 2.6kg to 2.8kg; easier for the baby, easier for the mommy. She asked whether I purposely want a big 3kg plus baby. Ha ha ha… Well, so far, the record showed; from my mother and my cousin, all their babies are 3.5kg and above! Personally I do no have any target for the baby’s weight, but I’d prefer it to be less than 3kg… :-) Let The Baby grow fatter and bigger once it’s delivered, yeah?

So, today I received a new prescription. ObiminPluz. I was a little confused in the beginning because there was no more folic acid prescribed. But apparently ObiminPluz has sufficient amount of folic in it. It also contain fish oil and DHA supplement. So, all in one, no need to buy extra! Read more on this multivitamin here: Obimin Pluz. So, I believe, combined with good balanced diet, everything should be okay, insyaAllah.

Today, the doctor confirmed again The Baby’s gender. So, would you like to guess? All baby stuff that we have purchased so far are in whites or neutral colours. My child, be it boy or girl, will have fun with colours. He he he…

We went to see the Labour Room and the Maternity Ward after the check-up. I like what I saw. And since the doctor and I are in the same page when it comes to episiotomy and epidural, I could not be happier. Alhamdulillah. There is a reason why we had the scare in the beginning which directed us to Tawakal Hospital after that. And there is a reason why I immediately chose Dr. Siti Zaleha from the list. And I believe these are the blessings in disguise. I have a healthy and easy pregnancy so far which I am so thankful for. I hope the easy journey will continue until delivery and after. InsyaAllah. Please pray for me as well my friends.

Last week, I had a studio photoshoot. Well, home-studio. And with my personal photographer; The Hubby. We had fun. I’m big. And round. And this is one of those pictures taken:

 

Of course, the idea of standing on the scale is mine. :-p I am now 71 – 72kg. Ten kg extra from before pregnancy. I was working hard to reduce my weight into the 50s earlier this year. Ha ha ha… But did not make it before The Baby decided to join us. So, once the pregnancy is confirmed, there are no more weight loss targets. I just want to be healthy and just making sure I don’t balloon up too much. So far, doctor says it’s normal and healthy, so I am happy.

We plan to have another photo shoot after my exam next week. So, Sarcy!!! When do you want to do yours?

KPJ Selangor Specialist Antenatal Class

Fee: RM80 per couple
Time: 9:00am to 6:00pm
Instructor: Pn. Faridah Abd Majid
Meals: 2 Milo breaks and lunch

Syllabus:

• Care During Pregnancy
• Diet & Pregnancy
• Pain Relief During Labour
• Process of Labour
• Care of Newborn
• Exercise During Pregnancy
• Breathing Technique During Labour – Lamaze Technique
• Importance of Breastfeeding and Breastfeeding Techniques
• Bathing of Baby
• Tour of Labour Room and Post Natal Ward

It was a great session I would say. I have learned quite a few new things. Especially the Lamaze breathing techniques. If you have done yoga before, you would see the similarity with yoga breathing exercise. The breathing technique is to enable the woman in labour to control the pain instead of being controlled by pain. Obviously it will not eliminate the pain, but it will help to relax the muscle and slow down your heart rate to induce overall relaxation.

I am still skeptical about episiotomy. Yes, I can understand the logic behind the action, the reason they are doing it. But I also belief that our body is well equipped to adjust to the changes. Of course, there will be circumstance where assistance is needed especially if the baby is big. I guess, this is the reason why episiotomy is considered necessary. Anyway, the jury is still out for me on this matter. I will discuss it with my doctor and ask her opinion.

As for pain relief, this to me is really up to the individual. Everyone’s pain threshold is different. None of us are the same. Our mother had to endure it because the option might not be available at that time. Nowadays, we can opt for it if we want to. There are circumstance where epidural is absolutely necessary, maybe because the woman had some medical history relating to pain. One cannot judge another for choosing to use pain relief. For this one, unless it is really necessary for me to use it, I will do it drug free, insyaAllah. May He give me the strength and patience.

Breastfeeding. Well, even in the class they say every woman CAN breastfeed their babies. I personally feel that you will only know the truth when you experience it yourself. I have few friends who has difficulty in breastfeeding their babies. But I don’t see they bond lesser with their babies. Granted, breastfeeding seems to be closer in a sense between the mother and the baby. But, hey, there are lots of ways to bond, right? You just have to find the best way for you and your baby. :-)

And there is such thing as baby massage to create the bonding. Although there was not enough time for us to be guided during the class for this, the participants are given a CD produced by Johnson’s Baby on step-by-step guide to perform infant massage. I have watched the video and I belief everyone can do this. Including the fathers!

This is my first antenatal class, therefore I cannot say that it’s the best in town. What I can say though is that for the fee that we paid, it’s worth every ringgit! I believe The Hubby and I have learned a lot. And as The Hubby said, “I cannot unsee what I have seen”. The materials were provided with clarity and Q&A session is handled well. We were also very fortunate that Pn.Faridah is willing to share beyond the training materials. She suggested few recipes to try during pregnancy as well as when the baby starts to eat solid food. How to get your child to eat everything and how you can create variety in your everyday meal.

Owh, two videos were shown; the birth process sans the sound, and the breastfeeding techniques.

So, obviously I recommend people to go to antenatal class. And if you do choose this class in KPJ Selangor Specialist, I can say you will not regret it. :-) Besides, any new knowledge is a gem to our beings, right?

ps: It’s a good idea to go with your spouse. Because, they will be the ones who will guide you during labour on the things you learnt in the class; that is… if they don’t collapse first! ;-)

Yeay! Alhamdulillah!

Yesterday morning, I received this in my mailbox:

This is the email that I’ve been waiting since the start of the week. And instead of a week of wait, it was about three days after the package arrived in the US.

Yes friends, I have decided to take up the professional certification exam for Project Management. I see this as a way to improve myself, my opportunities. I attended the class over the weekend some time last month, and immediately applied for the credential approvals to seat for the exam. Although approved, I was selected to participate in the audit process. I had the sinking feeling when I received the notification email, and my heart has been beating extra fast since then.

But yesterday morning, I breathed a sigh of relieved, now that I can schedule my exam. I immediately book a place yesterday, and Alhamdulillah there was a seat available this month. I am now cramming. I have not stopped studying even though I had to be audited. Now is just continuing what I have done so far, and hopefully everything will come out great at the end of the exam.

The exam is less than two weeks. Wish me luck my friends!