“My mother groaned, my father wept, into the dangerous world I leapt.” ― William Blake 

Noah and I, we clicked the first time we saw each other. He, of course looked a bit dazed as to whom I am and why am I shoving my you-know-what to his mouth, teaching him to latch on it. But me, I fell instantly in love. I mean, I have loved him from the moment I knew I was carrying him in me, but the first time I held him in my arms, I fell in love. Head over heel. Told ya, a mother’s love knows no limit, has no capacity. 

Anyways, the birth story. Alhamdulillah, this time around, shorter labour, easier delivery. I told my doctor that I was determine to try for vaginal birth for this baby, which would make it a Vaginal Birth After Caesarean (VBAC), which naturally, comes with more risks. 

Two days before Noah was born, I was admitted for heavy blood show. Pad-soaking heavy, it was quite worrying. So they attached me to the CTG machine for almost the whole night to monitor the baby and did vaginal scan the next morning but everything seemed normal and there was no other labour symptom just yet. Blood show, Braxton Hicks, 1 cm opening but nothing else. They sent me home and I went on a date with the husband the whole day. 

October 18th, at night, I was starting to feel more sharp contractions, lebih sakit dan lebih kerap, and by midnight, rasa dah sakit sangat. My firstborn Hadi was already asleep so we angkut him and sent him off to his Tok’s, not without some drama of course, sebab dia terjaga and wanted to sleep with me. Berjaya lepaskan diri at around 1 a.m. and they immediately admitted me and called my doctor. 

Starting from around 2-3 a.m., the contraction semakin sakit but baru buka 3 cm! 3 cm! Rasa nak meraung when they told me that. Still a long way to go, man. There was no single room that night so I had to share with 4 other heavily pregnant mommies in distress, macam berlawan-lawan mengerang. Sometimes I would remember to change position, berzikir, do the labour breathing and what not, but other times I would just join in the mengerang session (which as we know, was so not helping with the pain sebenarnya!) 

After Subuh, the nurse told the husband that my bukaan was only at around 4 cm and they estimated paling cepat akan beranak petang, so husband went home to mandi etc. By then I was already in so much pain I was determined that I wanted epidural. They asked me to wait for the doctor. The doctor came at around 8 and I was so ready with my script nak request epidural but they checked and I was already fully dilated! How did I go from 4 cm to being fully dilated in only an hour, I do not know! 

So they immediately wheeled me to the labour room, while one of the nurses frantically called the husband and the others telling me to try to push. Tapi sebenarnya takyah suruh sebab masa tu all I want to do is nothing but push, push, push! They coached me and cheered on me and honestly, the delivery process was so quick I can barely recall what happened. Pushed a few times lalu dengarlah tangisan Noah bergempita. I thank God for making the delivery bit quite easy, phewww. Husband arrived 10 minutes after I have given birth, with Hadi and his Tok. 

One day old Noah Rashad. Mad love.

 

I wish I came up with a post-delivery plan for the doctor though; would have loved to have the baby placed on me immediately after he was born, he must have felt really scared without his mommy! He was only sent to my room an hour after that and I was told that they have fed him with formula. Apparently it’s the paed’s practice. Pfftt. One of the nurses even “advised” me that newborn need formula milk, to make sure cukup sihat, kenyang and to minimize jaundice risk. Say what?! I was feeling so much love and gratitude ketika itu so I just held back and said nothing much. So yeah, mental note, next baby, tell them: immediate mommy-baby body contact, and no formula please! 

Noah is 47 days young today and Alhamdulillah, he has been a very easy, fuss free baby from the start. He almost always seems contented, only merengek sikit when he wants milk or diaper change, and wakes up at night only for feeding. MasyaAllah, what have I done to deserve this blessing, I do not know; not a day passed without me thanking Him for Noah, the easy baby that he is (setakat ini! Hehe) 

One thing for sure, Noah certainly lives up to the meaning of his name; my darling peaceful baby :)

“Through the blur, I wondered if I was alone or if other parents felt the same way I did - that everything involving our children was painful in some way. The emotions, whether they were joy, sorrow, love or pride, were so deep and sharp that in the end they left you raw, exposed and yes, in pain. The human heart was not designed to beat outside the human body and yet, each child represented just that - a parent's heart bared, beating forever outside its chest.” ― Debra Ginsberg 

Alhamdulillah, on October 19th, 2013 I gave birth to a perfect little baby boy, another heartbeat of mine. InsyaAllah I shall share the birth story soon. Muhammad Noah Rashad, my peaceful and wise baby, insyaAllah.

"People expect all women to react the same to pregnancy. But anyone who's been around pregnant women knows that it's not all cutesy and sweet. You spaz out and you're angry and you have tantrums." - Keri Russell

If you follow me on Instagram, you'd notice that I've been posting quite a number of pregnancy doodles, because doodling makes me happy and during earlier trimester of my pregnancy, it helped to ease my nausea. Really. Give it a try. Hehe. I'm currently in my third trimester, the 34th week; one minute I'm all full of energy and could probably run the marathon (if the marathon is at a mall, I must add) but the next, I'd feel so heavy and rasa nak baring sepanjang hari. One day I'd be cranky, hot and bothered, and the next day I could be chirpy and quite nice to hang out with all day long. Ha ha ha! What pregnancy does to you. Anyways, here's some of my pregnancy doodles for you:

“I wish I was one of those cute pregnant girls who wear skinny jeans throughout their pregnancies. But I just gain weight.” - Jennifer Garner

 

I feel you, Jennifer. Heh. Hello! I’ve been neglecting this space for too long, I know. How’s Ramadan treating you so far? Alhamdulillah it’s not too bad for me, now at 26 weeks. Managed to only ponteng once and that’s only because I missed sahur and the last I ate was during buka puasa the day before, so I reckoned it would be better for the baby if I skip for the day. Islam does not impose fasting on pregnant and nursing moms anyways; some school of thoughts even believe that pregnant and nursing women shall not fast, and tak perlupun qadha later, cuma bayar fidyah. I am however berpegang pada Imam Shafie’s school of thought that there is rukhsah; you can skip puasa if it is better for you to do so, but you shall pay fidyah and qadha once you are able. Enlighten me if I’m wrong.

Anyways yeah, after puasa, comes raya dan ya, memang menyedihkan misi mencari baju raya in this bumpy situation (geddit? Bumpy?) Heh. Mom made me a cotton maxi dress (she’s the best!) and as at now, that is the only baju raya I have. I’m eyeing the Basic Fatihah dress from Love To Dress but isn’t sure if it is worth my RM160.00. What do you think? Their Royal Iman range seems to be pregnant-friendly as well; the very pregnant Aishah Amin even looks good in it, but the bottom part is too princessy for me I guess.

I like to browse and go blog-hopping cari muslimah maternity style, so I feel like sharing mine here, just to give ideas where to buy maternity clothing if you’re into a more simple look like myself. Although I like the idea of wearing sleeveless dress or tunic with blazer or cardigan, who I am kidding? I’m too lazy for that, and in this hot Malaysian weather? I’d rather not. If you’re looking for pregnant-friendly blouses instead of maternity blouses (sebab boleh pakai semula post-pregnancy), I’d suggest empire-cut blouses with enough gathers to fit your baby bump. Blouses from stretchy material is a good choice too as it stretches to fit your bump.
 

Here’s myself in The Pop Look Fiffy which stretches to fit your bump. My maternity jeans is from Pumpkin Patch, bought in Oz for only $19.90, super cheap. No heels for me though, I envy you preggers who are still able to strut in your cute heels. These days, these comfy pair of ballerina flats from Hush Puppies are my feet’s best friends.

If you don’t feel like buying maternity jeans/pants, you can always get yourself those stretchy pants and palazzo. Or get one of these belly belts, a simple creation that actually works! My friend Jaja gave hers to me and I’ve been using them for my normal work pants up until now. Showed it to my mom and she was like, “Benda ni pun boleh jual ya? Simple sangat nak buat.” Bukan setakat boleh jual, the combo kit is quite pricey too! But it works, jadi berbaloilah RM70.

The Pop Look tunic, my first ever purchase from them which was a loooooong time ago. Walaupun dah pakai beribu kali, I think it’s still wearable so yeay to the material quality. And fits my bump, so double yeay.

A couple of my East India Company blouses; they have many long sleeve, empire waist blouses FYI. I have a few actually, since Metrojaya carries the brand jadi senang nak membeli. EIC price range is not that murahlah but I usually only buy them when they’re on 40-70% sale. I have another pregnant-friendly blouse from Sommerset Bay which I wear to work dengan tersangatlah kerap but surprisingly I don’t seem to have a picture of me in it. 

Oh MNG carries many pregnant-friendly (and Shariah-compliant) tunic/dress as well! But of course, I only buy them when they're on sale. Cheapskate like that lah.
 

My first maternity blouse for this round of pregnancy. It’s from Summerglitz and adalah affordable. Too bad many of its other pretty blouses don’t seem to fit me. Jadi kalau nak beli, better check the measurement betul-betul ya. Bust area seems to be smaller as most of their blouses are from Taiwan and Korea, so yeah, go figure. 

Other maternity brands that I'd recommend (tried them when I was pregnant with Hadi) are Motherclub and 9 Months. Jusco Scarlet pun quite OK kalau pandai cari, and very affordable too.

Do share your ideas on simple maternity wear that works for you. If you’re into strict maternity fashion, go read 35+ Rules of Pregnancy Fashion - http://www.parenting.com/gallery/35-rules-pregnancy-fashion - but with my limited budget and patience, I’d rather stick with my simple, comfy style. Har har. 


P/S: I think Kate Middleton and Irma Hasmie are public figures with the most flawless maternity style for 2013. Kim Kardashian however should fire her stylist.

 

Boy, n. a noise with dirt on it.

Hadi has decided that hey, now that Mama is in her 2nd trimester, it might be fun to bully her a bit, all in the name of fun. Pfftt. I’m sure it is partly because he is a little boy and little boys are all about mess and hiruk pikuk dan bermain secara ganas melompat menumbuk and all that. OK maybe not all boys. But mine is (when there are no strangers around). And I quite like that he’s a typical boy like that. 

But lately I have the feeling that my boy is just trying to mess with my mind. This morning, after having fun mengecahkan one box of toys I just kemas this Subuh, he went into our bedroom, saw our newly made up bed, he called me up and said, “Mama tengok ni eh” and went on to kecahkan the bed. I felt like weeping. Then he didn’t want the sandwich I made and refused bath time (I was already really tired by then and decided to give up and let MIL’s bibik deal with his breakfast and bath time later). Memanglah, sometimes I’d persevere to instill my superiority but there are days like today, when I was already tired from the moment I woke up; I had to just let go. 

But then, when I merajuk and he realized it, he came over, wanted to salam and hug and gave me sloppy kisses all over my (made-up) face, of course I cair. I’m a mother, my baby’s sweetness is my kryptonite! 

Oh baby boy, I don't understand how one moment you're such a bully, messing with head, and the next a sweetheart, the sweetest boy ever. Please baby, have mercy on your tired Mama :'(

And so, of course I turned to Google for help, and I found this article on Bable.com; 8 Tips for Surviving Pregnancy While Caring for a Toddler and one of the tips given was to Lower Your Standards. Haha thanks ya, but I have long lowered my standard to ‘apa yang termampu’ ever since Hadi was born. It says there that it's okay if the laundry piles up a bit or the dishes sit a little longer. But the thing about laundry and dishes, ia perkara yang ada dan akan bertambah every single day and sooner or later, somebody has got to do it and that person is ME! Har har har. Cry.

You know what? This is normal. Right? Pertamanya, I'm pregnant and hormonal. Keduanya, I’m adapting. From just me to being a wife. From just the two of us to being parents to one. From one child to having more. Semua ini proses adaptasi. And I thank Allah for giving me this chance, to be more, to be better. 

Oh you know what I need? I need a retail therapy. In a haze-free mall. You know, the kind that involves husband’s money and my inner contentment. Yep, I need that. 

(Hey, I knowlah I need to spend more time with Allah. But shopping is nice too)

"No, I am not pregnant. I am fat. And, as the Prime Minister, it's my right to be fat if I want to." 

Guess who said that? It’s Benazir Bhutto. Way to go, girlfriend! But no, I am not just fat, I’m pregnant. And unlike some lucky pregnant women who have supermodel figure with adorable tiny tummy, I am one of those who mengembang bagai johan. Sad but true. High five, Jessica Simpson! Boo, Miranda Kerr! 

When I was pregnant with Hadi, once I reached the 6th month, people started making guesses that I was carrying twins. Yes, that fat. Pfffttt. So thank you girls, you don’t have to actually point out to me that I look fat, because hey, I have mirrors at home! #OverlySensitivePregnantWomanMode :P Hahaha! 

This is me this morning, all fat and happy. Look at my boy; at 3, he’s already half my height! Soon enough I’d have to mendongak to talk to this child of mine, who once lived inside me. Subhanallah :’)

"A mother's love for her child is like nothing else in the world. It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things and crushes down remorselessly all that stands in its path." - Agatha Christie

  

InsyaAllah, do pray for us :) I am currently in my 20th week of pregnancy, all praise to Allah. Doesn’t feel much different from the one with Hadi but with a toddler in tow, this time around is naturally more tiring. You don’t get to nap or rest whenever you want to, because rest assured, the moment you lie down to rest is the exact time your toddler will be asking for food or milk, or bugging you for some toys he couldn’t find, or to read him a book, anything lah. Hehe. Nevertheless it is such a blessing that my current job comes with flexible hours and some other perks; well it should, considering the Boss is the one who knocked me up. Ngeee. 

This pregnancy is not much different, yet emotionally, it is so different in a way that well, I’ve done this before - I’ve been through the pregnancy exhaustion and elation, the excruciating birth pain, the sleepless nights of attending to a helpless newborn, the breastfeeding battle, the joy of shopping for tiny thingies, the precious heavenly smell of a newborn – and I am excited and berdebar at the same time to repeat the process all over again. 

I still am not quite sure how things are gonna work out – will Hadi cooperate? With a newborn’s constant obsession with boobies’ milk, how do I make sure Hadi won’t feel neglected? Will I be tired all the time? Will our tiny home be comfy enough for all the four of us? Now that I will have two khalifahs entrusted by Allah, should I quit my office job and work from home so that I can watch my babies grow up before my eyes? With Hadi’s need for my ketiak, how is the sleeping arrangement gonna be? Do I pantang at my mom’s place or just settle at my own abode and borrow MIL’s bibik for a month? I still have half away to go to think about all this anyway. Right now, I shall enjoy this pregnancy and pray to the Almighty; sempurnakan dan permudahkanlah, Ya Rabb. 

One thing for sure, it is true what they say, that a woman does not know her capacity to love until she has a child and that is how I feel with my Hadi. And now I’m feeling the immediate and growing love for this cantaloupe-size baby growing and kicking inside me. That’s the awesome thing about a mother’s love, there’s always room for more :')

"Nothing prepares you for motherhood. Suddenly there's all this responsibility and no room for failure." - Amy Mastura, Women's Weekly May 2010

I am 40 weeks and 3 days pregnant today. How fun is that? Kah kah.

I admit that it does get frustrating. Tak sabar tau nak jumpa dan peluk gomol budak montel ini. But I keep reminding myself to be thankful to Allah that I am still healthily pregnant, the baby is all montel and doing great, and myself, despite my larger-than-life tummy, is feeling emotionally and physically fine. Alhamdulillah to that :)

But yeah, larger-than-life tummy equals discomfort, keletihan and you feel in the blank lah.

We went to the doctor today and were told that I am nowhere close to labour. Air ketuban masih banyak, baby’s head is not yet engaged and he is still gaining weight, and of course lah, my cervix has yet to dilate. It’s like he’s taking his own sweet time and having the time of his life in his mummy’s tummy! Selesa sangat ya, sayang? Kah kah kah.

Anyways, if this continues until next Monday, invasive procedures would be involved lah nampaknya and I redha sajalah if kena induced or potong. As long as both of us akan sihat dan selamat. But until then, all I have to do is relax and monitor the baby’s movements.

So yeah, do pray for us, darling readers!

Well, the thing about being overdue is your tummy gets bigger by the day. I’ve got this maternity blouse that used to be so besar that it looked like baju pinjam on me last month, but was so ketat when I wore it yesterday. And people stare! They really stare! As if I’m carrying a time bomb that would explode any seconds or as if my air ketuban would meleleh mengalir secara tiba-tiba. Kah kah. I don’t blame them though. I am big, really.

And do not let me start on the unnecessary comments. Do not let me start. Haish.

Hey why do I sound so irritable? I’m not! Really I’m not. OK, I did break down and cried my heart out yesterday sebab tak sempat jumpa my gynae and had to reschedule my appointment. Agak psiko ya. Kah kah you should see the shocked look on my husband’s face when I suddenly broke down meraung macam kena tumbuk. Entah kenapa. To be safe, lets blame it all on the hormone. Ngeh. I’m human after all. But yeah, most of the time, I actually do feel great!

Great. But very anxious. Hey, I’m human after all.

"Childbirth is more admirable than conquest, more amazing than self-defense,
and as courageous as either one" - Gloria Steinem

39 weeks and 3 days today.
About time, my little one, about time.

Do pray for us, good people :)

“If men got pregnant: Maternity leave would last for two years with full pay.”

I just don’t get it why some people feel the need to make unnecessary derogatory comments like, “Besarnya perut kau. Chubby betul kau sejak pregnant ni. Takut aku tengok,” or “Kenapa aku tengok perut kau kecil sangat? Tak normal betul. Makanlah banyak sikit, kesian baby.” Haish. Either way pun, these types of people will never be pleased, ada saja tak kena. Susah-susah saja nak reka komen menyakitkan hati. Doakanlah saja aku. If you have nothing nice to say to me, you should just keep your comments to yourself, thank you very much.

I know most people meant well, but I’m not really a fan of unsolicited advice. I mean, kalau advice suruh makan kurma, baca Al-Quran, take vitamins regularly, itu tak apa. Ini advice jenis nak melawan tak puas hati dengan keputusan yang aku buat.

Like when I told this ‘senior’ friend of mine about my decision to bersalin in JB but go back to Banting for pantang; punyalah banyak dia membebel against that decision. I know she meant well, tapi sebelum aku buat decision, tentulah aku dah fikir all the pros and cons, dah tanya my mom and other experienced moms, dah read a lot bla bla bla. Tak perlulah aku nak justify my decision to semua orang kan? Aku bukan Darjah 6. Haish.

I’m generally OK with belly-touching by family members, friends or even acquaintances angkat kening. But strangers?! That’s a whole new level of weird-lah. But apparently the girl from the music store we went to yesterday thought it was an OK thing to do; she touched my belly in a poking sort of way and asked, “Kembar ke, kak?” Terkejut aku dengan sentuhan orang asing. But I managed a small chuckle, said “Taklah” and lari away from her. Awkward!

Belly-touching oleh suami adalah halal, dibenarkan dan disukai. Ngeee.

Excuse my toxic ramblings. Like I’ve tweeted earlier, I’m feeling strangely hot and bothered today. And so so berat sometimes. Kepala got headache some more. And yeah, it is not helping that I am swamped with berlambak-lambak-lambak cases to work on before I leave for my maternity leave. Seriously berlambak. Haish. Tapi semua itu my responsibility, I know, and I’ll do my best to finish off what I can. But with kerenah Court yang beyond my control, colleagues tak faham bahasa yang nak taichi more cases to me, irritating demanding clients; sometimes aku tak boleh tahanlah. Tapi cuba untuk tidak crack under pressure sebab aku bukan kacang. Jadi aku perlulah membebel. Layankan saja aku, boleh?

But yeah, I know I am blessed. I have to admit that. Tapi kadang-kadang memang aku perlu ingatkan diri aku tentang itu. Yes, I am tired and I feel like throwing semua files ini ke bawah sana and just sleep, tapi aku perlu ingatkan diri to be thankful that I have a job to call my own and thus, some monies to spend on my baby. Sure, I am tired and sometimes I feel like nak mengamuk but I am thankful for the support and love of the people all around me; my darling husband, my beloved family and in-laws, and of course my best friends.

[Special shout out to Far and Ayin yang terlalu selalu terpaksa layan kerenah aku. Kah kah]

But above all, although I am tired and berat and tak selesa almost all the time, I am thankful that I am 38 weeks pregnant and masyaAllah, in just days or weeks, I’ll be holding my son in my very own arms insyaAllah and I know every single thing that I bitched about in this entry won’t matter anymore. I know it will be worth it. Without a doubt.

Saat bintang tak mampu lagi berdendang
Saat malam menjadi terlalu dingin
Hingga pagi tak seindah biasanya

Siti Nurhaliza pernah berlagu tentang hidup yang seindah biasa. Saya juga pernah menulis tentang betapa saya suka hari-hari yang seindah biasa. Ada orang kata keadaan biasa sangat membosankan; rutin harian tanpa cabaran, melalui hari tanpa perubahan. Itu betul juga.

Tapi bayangkan kalau suatu hari, keadaan biasa kita dirampas dari kita tanpa rela.

Rutin pagi yang biasa, kita dikejutkan dengan penggera untuk bergegas bersiap ke pejabat. Tapi bayangkan di satu pagi yang hening, tiba-tiba rumah bergegar, kepala berpusing dan kita nampak depan mata sendiri batu-batu rumah kita menjadi serpih-serpih kecil dan kita hanya berjaya lari keluar sehelai sepinggang, tanpa harta tanpa keluarga.

Bayangkan suatu hari kita ke pejabat untuk melunaskan tanggungjawab harian yang membosankan demi sedikit ganjaran di hujung bulan. Kemudian kita dipanggil orang atasan untuk dikhabarkan bahawa khidmat kita tak diperlukan lagi. Ya, memang kebanyakan masanya kita menyampah dengan kerja, tapi bagaimana kalau kita tiba-tiba kehilangannya?

Keadaan biasanya, selepas waktu kerja keluar bersama isteri untuk makan malam. Tapi malam itu, ketika sedang tunggu isteri tiba, ada panggilan telefon, beritahu isteri terlibat dalam kemalangan. Makan malam yang selama ini sungguh rutin dan membosankan itu bukankah lebih baik dari semalaman resah di hospital, menanti khabar berita tentang keadaan isteri yang parah.

Kadang-kadang memang kita bayangkan kehidupan lain yang lebih menyeronokkan yang mungkin boleh kita kecapi. Kadang-kadang memang akan ada rasa untuk lari jauh bawa diri dari rutin harian yang semakin hari semakin membosankan. Kita lihat laman milik orang lain, kita nampak betapa segar menghijaunya rumput mereka.

Memang bagus punya impian untuk ada rumput yang lebih hijau. Tapi saya kira, kita perlu sentiasa hargai dan syukuri keadaan-keadaan biasa dalam hidup kita.

Sebab kalau hilang tiba-tiba semuanya, bagaimana?

Tak lama lagi saya akan hilang sedikit dari keadaan biasa saya. Saya yakin selepas ini, hidup saya akan berubah sepenuhnya. Tidak boleh lagi bangun pagi pada waktu saya sendiri. Tidak boleh lagi buat keputusan berlandaskan semata-mata keperluan diri. Tidak boleh lagi merancang hari mengikut kehendak sesuka hati.

Saya yakin saya akan belajar erti sebenar meletakkan orang lain lebih dari kepentingan diri. Lalu saya yakin saya akan hilang serba sedikit keadaan biasa hidup saya.

Tapi untuk dia, saya yakin saya akan lakukan dengan ikhlas sepenuh jiwa.

“It was the tiniest thing I ever decided to put my whole life into.” - Terri Guillemets

Eh eh budak ini. Berat sungguh sejak akhir-akhir ini. Oh sudah 36 minggu rupanya kamu. Memanglah sepatutnya sudah semakin berat. Memanglah sepatutnya kamu sudah perlahan-lahan menjatuhkan diri ke bawah, bersedia untuk perlahan-lahan keluar melihat dunia. Berdebar, gentar, tidak sabar; rasa yang sungguh bercampur-baur, tak dapat terkata.

36 minggu itu bersamaan dengan 9 bulan. 9 bulan itu bersamaan dengan bayi hampir matang. Bayi matang itu bersamaan dengan kesaratan kandungan. Kesaratan kandungan itu bersamaan dengan masa yang hampir tiba untuk bayi melihat dunia. Masa yang hampir tiba itu bersamaan dengan merangkul bayi di dalam pelukan akhirnya.

Alhamdulillah, besar sungguh kuasa Yang Esa. We’ve made it this far, Little One. Tidak sabar mahu merangkul kamu dalam pelukan :)



NOTA: Gambar oleh Reza Afandy (Fotografi Jujur), iaitu adik saya yang baru selesai belajar untuk jadi arkitek, juga merupakan pemain gitar untuk kugiran indie Objek Bulat, juga merupakan jurugambar upahan. Macam mana dia bahagikan masa, itu saya tidak tahu. Sekian.

Ada beberapa lagi gambar di sini ya, tuan-tuan dan puan-puan :)

A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for.

Gasp! 34 weeks pregnant! Anxious. Berat. Mengah. Terkedek-kedek. Excited. Kalut. Penat. Bulat. Lembab. Berdebar. *Cue Twilight Zone music*

Alhamdulillah. Both baby and I are doing OK and as I am typing this, the baby sedang aktif melakukan senaman malam. Stretch away and poke mommy all you want, babe. I’m all yours.

Mari bercakap tentang barangan bayi. Yeay! Basic stuffs for the baby are mostly ready, alhamdulillah. Baby cot putih suci dan baby-blue bassinet telah selamat di rumah Ibu. Eh bukan saya yang tamak ya. Ibu saya yang tamak. Kah kah. Baru ada one bedding set for the cot, which reminds me, Aussino baby bedding is on 50% sale! Mahu! Baik, bertenanglah.

I think baju for the baby should be enough for the time being. Mengikut saranan ibu-ibu berpengalaman, I tried to not go crazy on baby clothing sebab yeah, babies grow up fast and I have masa yang panjang untuk menggila. Kah kah. Inipun jadi banyak sebab sudah ramai manusia pemurah. Terima kasih, kalian!

Baby swaddle, receiving blanket, nursing pillow, towels, wash cloth, baby care and grooming essentials; all bought. Ordered and paid for an Avent sling diaper bag online dan tiba-tiba Wahida & Hazri pun gave us a diaper bag. So we have two now, yeay! I know sterilizer and warmer are not that important tapi rasa mahu, boleh kan? So I bought the Little Bean set from Jaja.

Baby toiletries and all the boring basic stuffs (yawn) like diapers, feeding bottles, milk storage bottles, maternity pads for me, changing mat, baby laundry detergent; all bought.

The Husband saw the baby laundry detergent and commented, “They are making a lot of money out of this baby industry”. Kah kah. Memang betulpun. Laundry detergent pun mengada-ngada mahu beli yang istimewa. Nasib baik tak mengada tahap nak beli organic stuffs saja. Ngeh.

Baby baskets yang comel (for the baby stuffs) juga Ibu telah beli secara teruja. Maybe after pantanglah we’ll go get a small cabinet for our place. As an organizational freak, basket, storage bag/box, cabinet are considered as very essential, harap maklum.

Ibu sudah siap jahit bengkung untuk cucu beliau. Kemudian beliau dengan bangga MMS gambar bengkung tersebut dengan ucapan tidak sabar mahu lilit cucu beliau. Haha. Kemudian Bapa komen, “Muat ke cucu saya guna bengkung ini?” dengan indication bahawa anak saya montel sebab saya sungguh montel sekarang. Cheist!

Stroller and car seat, checked. Hadiah kasih sayang dari ibu bapa yang comel tersebut. Stroller and car seat were the first stuffs we bought sebenarnya. Both in black, uber-cool they are. Heh.

We have yet to buy the baby carrier or sling; tunggu dululah rasanya. And I think I’d rather buy the carrier and not the sling, supaya bapa bayi montel akan boleh membawa bayi montel ini. Ini kerana saya boleh kerat jarilah kalau bapa bayi montel itu sanggup compromise his manly image to use the sling. Kah kah. Or maybe I’ll get both. Amboi cita-cita.

Saya belum beli satu apapun toys untuk bayi montel ini. My Kindred Spirit got me the baby gym mat as a baby shower gift and Dod and Elin each got me permainan bayi (but can only be used when the baby reaches 3 months old) Maybe later lah I’ll beli. Bukan essentials, kan kan? Maybe the baby can just skip all the kids toys and go straight to battling his dad on PS3. Kah kah. But maybe not God of War III sebab ganas sangat. Ngeee.

Sebenarnya banyak lagi perkara tak beli lagi. And one most important thing that I have yet to decide on: BREAST PUMP! Oh my, oh my, help me, experienced mommies!

Petang tadi saya obsess dengan pencarian the perfect breast pump (“bwezpam”). What then would constitute a perfect bwezpam? Hassle free, mobility, tidak menyakitkan, tidak terlampau bising dan apa yang sangat penting, kawan-kawan? Ya betul. Affordable!

While the definition of affordability may vary among people, affordable to me is definitely not Medela Freestyle. Kah kah. Initially I have decided on Spectra 3 (after eliminating all bwezpam above the price of RM500); read some good reviews and it is fairly affordable at RM300 plus.

But being true to my fickle nature, of course I have to change my mind every 4 hours. Haha. Makin banyak reviews yang dibaca / pendapat yang diperoleh sebenarnya makin memeningkan. And now I’m considering Medela Mini Electric or Medela Swing. OK help! Tolong beri pendapat anda (untuk peningkan saya lagi).

And while you’re at that, maybe you can also suggest the best set penjagaan bersalin. And keep in mind that ‘the best’ must also be affordable. Kah kah kah.

34 weeks, baby! Gotta pack the hospital bags soon!

We are all angels with only one wing. We can fly only embracing each other.

It started out as a mundane Saturday morning; woke up early for his uncle’s majlis aqad, picked up the in laws, witnessed the aqad and yada yada yada. You know, mundane lah. Setelah selesai by noon, I was sweating profusely and couldn’t wait to get home, take a shower, change into something comfy and just chill and do nothing. Man, was I surprised.

Aku buka pintu rumah and there they were. My girls. Throwing me a surprise baby shower. And I couldn’t help but screamed my lung out, I swear I must have pissed off some sleeping neighbours. The husband said aku jerit macam rumah kena masuk perompak. Far’s baby son Umar siap menangis, mungkin terkejut dengan pekikan nyaring aku. Kah kah. But really, I was shocked macam apa! Kemudian biasalah perempuan drama jiwa lemah lembut, teruslah menangis teresak-esak sebab terharu.

Inilah perempuan busuk berpeluh baru balik kenduri yang dikejutkan oleh kawan-kawan kesayangan beliau. Look, almost everyone was there! Elin, Mazia and Amy. Dod and Naem, from Shah Alam. Ana who flew from KL with her baby daughter Alysha. And my Kindred Spirit, Far, all the way from Terengganu. The only two yang tak dapat hadir were Aniz who is still in confinement, and Jaja, whose daughter was down with fever. Cepat cakap, siapa yang tak terharu kalau macam ini, siapa?!

Apparently they have been planning this for about a month or so. And Hubby was part of the scheme. Funny how I did not have any idea about this langsung! It was truly an awesome, pleasant surprise. Thank you so much, girls. And you too, Hubby. You guys are the best! OK enough with the bebelan and on to some pictures.

OK here’s another one of the above shot, now with Far and her son ready.

Then I changed into something comfy dan lebih menepati tema. Tudung adalah semata-mata bagi tujuan bergambar. Kah kah kah.

How time flies. Tiba-tiba kami sudah/bakal punya anak/anak saudara. Terasa sungguh dewasa. Bukankah baru semalam kami were a bunch of teenagers berhingus di sekolah undang-undang?

Game time! The girls prepared some games with pressies. Fun fun fun time!

Ini pertandingan Teka Saiz Perut AM menggunakan benang.

Mazia won and got the pressie from Far. Elin got second place dan dapat hadiah from Naem. Far kalah teruk sebab dia ingat aku gajah agaknya, punyalah panjang benang dia potong. Cheist.

Ini pemenang game tulis-tulis. Something like the Boggle game; I give you 1 word and you’d have to derive more words from it, which naturally is my favourite. Too bad I couldn’t participate. Kah kah. The word was Iskandar (Far’s son’s second name) and Dod and Amy won the game!

Then we played movie charade. That’s Amy the shy game host.

Hubby (still clad in his baju melayu from the majlis aqad) joined in and did some dancing motion. Nasib baiklah ada wife dia boleh teka pergerakan dia and guessed the movie Shall We Dance lalu memenangi pusingan itu. But our team lost it to Dod’s team. They were good. Heh.

Kemudian majlis pemberian hadiah! My little one got a lot of pressies from his aunties! Tengok, masih dalam perut sudah disayangi sebegini. Hehehe. Say thank you to your aunties, little one.

Suka suka suka baju comel. Can’t wait to dress him up dalam baju-baju comel ini.

The rest of the day, we talked and laughed like there’s no tomorrow. Oh and eat as well, thanks to Elin yang sediakan and tempah all the yummy foods. Thanks to you girls yang sanggup datang dari jauh. Terima kasih sebab susah-payah plan the shower, I know planning and mengumpul semua orang is a hard work sebab semua orang ada commitment masing-masing nowadays. Seriously terharu, tak tipu punya. Thank you!!!

It was definitely one of the highlights of my 2010. Awesome, awesome day. Aku tidur senyum semalam dan bermimpi rainbow and butterflies. Ngeh. Thank you for everything, darlings.

You guys rock my world!

"Feeling fat lasts nine months but the joy of becoming a mom lasts forever"

Alhamdulillah. 29 weeks. Another 11 to go.

Tolong doakan saya dan budak dalam perut ya, kawan-kawan :)

OF JOHOR SPECIALIST: So yeah, I've made up my mind; Dr Hafetz Ahmad of Johor Specialist it is. Yesterday was my first visit and I have to say that I am rather impressed with the service there. Staffs and nurses semuanya were polite, helpful and they always greet you with ‘Assalamualaikum’ and a smile. The place was not too stuffy, parking was easy to find, semuanya bersih and even the pharmacist and cashier sangat cekap dan berhemah.

OF WHY I CHANGED MY GYNAE: And I like my new gynae! Yeay! Not that there was anything wrong with my previous gynae, Dr. Ng, but I decided untuk bertukar doctor hanya kerana mahu meneran in a hospital with undoubtedly better facilities (if compared to a specialist clinic that is).

OF MY NEW GYNAE: Dr. Hafetz was thorough with the ultrasound; he explained everything to me, taught me beberapa self-examination, and was very patient and informative with every question that I had. He even told me to come up with a set of questions before my next visit.

OF MUMMY & BABY: Alhamdulillah everything seems to be fine, with both mummy and baby. Mummy has gained 14 kg! Kah kah. I tak adalah makan dengan dasyatpun. Junk foods and what not tak minat, chocolate pun tak mengidam sangat, but what the heck, terlebih juga berat. Haha. Tak tahulah macam mana nak get rid of all the lemaks and berat itu nanti but yeah, jangan semakkan kepala, one thing at a time ya. Itu kita fikirkan kemudian. Ngeh.

Oh have I told you that I'm carrying a boy?! Yes, it's a boy, insyaAllah!

OF 4D SCAN: We did the 4D scan and masyaAllah, sungguh hebatnya teknologi! For those who have been asking perbezaan antara 3D scan and 4D scan, here’s what my gynae told me: In a 4D scan, we get to view the baby in a 3 dimension picture in what they call ‘real time’, as in ‘what you see is what you get’. Whereas in a 3D scan, we merely get a reconstructed still picture, i.e. beberapa gambar dikumpul and reconstructed to create one good one.

It means in 4D scan, we get to view the baby in 3 dimensional image as he moves and enables us to view the other parts of the babies in a 3 dimensional image rather than the conventional 2 dimensional black and white images. Phew that was a mouthful! Maaf if I got it wrong but this is what I gathered from Dr. Hafetz’s explanation.

OF MY 4D SCAN: The 4D scan cost me RM70, which is rather murah if compared to other places in KL dan tak perlupun ribut-ribut untuk book in advance sebab the equipment memang tersedia in Dr. Hafetz's clinic. Very convenient. Haha the capturing of the baby's face was a challenge at first, sebab the baby asyik main-main tutup buka tutup buka his face, teasing me, macam main peek-a-boo. Naughty boy. Hehe. We had to cucuk-cucuk him and geletek here and there and finally he gave in and showed his mummy his lovely little face and I almost cried out of joy.

So here’s our little boy. Subhanallah, the most perfect picture I’ve ever seen in my life. I can’t wait to hold you in my arms, my little one :) 11 weeks to go.

“Everything grows rounder and wider and weirder, and I sit here in the middle of it all and wonder who in the world you will turn out to be” - Carrie Fisher

Minggu ke-28. Bulan ke-7. Trimester ke-3. Terima kasih, Allah.

Buncitan perut perempuan ini semakin ketara. Beberapa orang tiba-tiba terkejut tanya, “You’re pregnant?!” Kah kah. Apa? Ingat perempuan ini menggemuk tak tentu hala tiba-tiba? Mereka kata, tiba-tiba ada bonjolan, sebelum ini nampak seperti normal saja. Kelakar betul.

Antara aktiviti yang menerbitkan seksa ialah bersujud. Ataupun hendak bangun dari bersila. Juga mencangkung. Ya, perut ini telah memberat kerana budak dalam perut semakin menembam.

Stretch marks adalah igauan ngeri, ya? Setakat ini, perut perempuan ini merekah dengan sekata. Kesannya kelihatan di tengah saja. Cantiklah. Tapi itu setakat inilah. Budak dalam perut ini masih ada 2 bulan untuk membesar dan menyebabkan kesan ketara kepada perut mulus ibunya. Tapi tidak adil, Ibu tak pernah ada stretch marks walau sedikitpun dari kedua-dua pregnancies dia. Sampai sekarang kulit dia putih mulus bergaya. Some women are so lucky.

Tendangan manja dari dalam semakin bertenaga. Kadang-kadang ada tarian dan upacara putar-memutar badan juga. Oh satu lagi, budak dalam perut suka membuat regangan badan dan mewujudkan benjolan-benjolan comel di perut. Sungguh kelakar. Lebih kelakar bila semua ini buatkan perempuan ini ketawa dan bercakap seorang diri. Semua ini juga belum pernah gagal menerbitkan rasa kagum dengan kuasa Yang Esa.

Masih ada kepahitan mulut sekali-sekala. Buah-buahan adalah kawan baik perempuan ini. Dia gembira betul sebab musim kaum Cina beraya; limau Mandarin di sana sini. Limau Mandarin manis-manis masam yang disejukkan dalam peti ais adalah kawan utama perempuan ini. Nasib baik tidak ada heartburn yang ketara. Jarang sekalilah ada dan mudah-mudahan tak akan ada. Rugi betul kalau tak dapat nikmati buah-buahan citrus kan?

Kaki mengejang. Tumit terseliuh. Tangan mengebas. Itu perkara biasalah! Ujian Tuhan yang terpaksa dialami hampir setiap hari. Ya perempuan ini sudah minum susu, minum soya, makan calcium tablets; tapi ini masih berlaku. Mungkin juga kerana perempuan ini peminat penghawa dingin. Dan air ais. Tapi tak apalah, apalah sangat ujian kecil ini jika bandingkan dengan kejadian magis budak dalam perut, bukankah?

Betullah perempuan ini peminat penghawa dingin. Sebabnya perempuan ini cepat panas sekarang. Penghawa dingin dan kipas adalah kewajiban dalam hidup. Ibu kata itu perkara biasa. Mengandung memang panas. Buku juga kata. Rimas betullah kalau cuaca melekit panas. Mengada-ngada? Ada orang kerja membanting padi tengah panas masa mengandung, tau!

Perempuan ini masih bertenaga lagi. Kalau ajak shopping, masih boleh berjalan berjam-jam tanpa tumpas. Kalau ajak keluar minum-minum tengah malam, tentu juga masih boleh. Dengar cerita, masuk bulan kelapan, barulah akan terasa betul penat lelah mengandung. Tak apa, tak apa. Hadapi ia bila ia tiba. One thing at a time ya.

Tapi kadang-kadang agak sukar untuk tidur malam-malam. Entah kenapa. Mungkin budak dalam perut mahu beri hint apa akan berlaku di masa hadapan. Haha. Ya, budak ini aktif bertenaga bergerak ceria menjelang tengah malam. Kemudian akan menyebabkan perempuan ini tergolek kanan kiri. Kemudian perlu ke tandas. Kemudian tak boleh tidur. Semalam sampai 3.30 pagi masih belum tidur. Lalu ajak suami pillow talk dan natijahnya, dua-dua ke pejabat dengan mata merah. Lalu perempuan ini sedikit letih dan teramat mengantuk sekarang.

Belum selesai membeli barang keperluan budak dalam perut. Survey dulu. Tentu mahukan terbaik untuk budak dalam perut tapi perlulah bersesuaian dengan bajet. Kalaulah the sky is the limit kan. Tapi alhamdulillah, setakat ini telah dapatkan yang baik-baik saja untuk budak ini. Orang kata, perlu selesai beli sebelum bulan kelapan, sebab by then sudah tidak bertenaga. Tapi online shopping kan ada. At your fingertips saja, beb!

Ya, perempuan ini belum buat keputusan mahu mengeluarkan budak dalam perut ini di mana. Suami kata, sebut nama calon-calon specialist terlibat dan tunggu keputusan dari dalam; yang mana menghasilkan tendangan paling kuat, maksudnya yang itulah yang budak dalam perut pilih. Kah kah kah. Apakah bakal ibubapa berperangai sebegini?

Minggu ke-28. Bulan ke-7. Trimester ke-3. Terima kasih, Allah :)

Oh ya! Itu gambar perempuan ini yang diketik pagi ini, ketika telah lewat ke pejabat. Kah kah.

Q: The more pregnant I get, the more often strangers smile at me. Why?
A: 'Cause you're fatter than they are.

One of the most memorable well wishes I have gotten from friends and families since I got pregnant has got to be from brand-new-mummy, Asni. She told me to just enjoy my pregnancy sebab “Allah kan ada.” So true, kan? :) Kita hanya boleh berusaha untuk jaga diri dan kandungan sebaik mungkin dan seterusnya perlulah bergantung pada Dia.

And while you’re at that, remember to enjoy the 9 months of thrill and fun. And I definitely enjoy this Funny Pregnancy Do’s and Don’ts by Lisa Russell. Sangat comel OK!


How to Announce Your Pregnancy: Do call family and friends to invite them over for the good news. Don't post a picture of your urine stick on your Facebook status.

Kah kah. It’s always funny when you see pictures of DIY pregnancy sticks, mostly posted on Facebook and blogs. I personally think it is kinda yucky to parade my stick to the world but hey, it’s called freedom of expression, people! If you think it’s cool, tak apalah, buat sajalah. Heheh.


How to Exercise During Pregnancy: Do enjoy gentle activities like swimming and prenatal yoga, with the counsel of your caregiver. Don't take up skydiving, cave diving or bull riding.

The only time I exercise ialah ketika berlari ke sana-sini di Mahkamah dan berjalan-jalan di shopping malls. So yeah, skydiving is definitely not in my book. Hahaha.

26 weeks pregnant; happily bulat and healthy :)

How to Plan for Delivery: Do take a childbirth preparation course and write up a birth plan. Don't get stoned on the way to the hospital.

I don’t even know nak bersalin di mana! Reading Anayasmin’s experience of giving birth in Australia buat saya rasa teringin mahu dapatkan that kind of treatment tapi tak mungkinlah ada di Malaysia ini, except maybe in PCMC. And PCMC, my friend, is out of our budget. Ngeh. Kalaulah saya kerja dengan big companies like PETRONAS and what not, kan? Huhu. OK I still have another 3 months untuk berfikir and decide. Jadi, kawan-kawan and readers who have had experience of giving birth in JB (yes I plan to bersalin here and later go back to KL for pantang), please give me some input, will you? Thank you!


How to Include the Baby's Father in the Pregnancy: Do invite him to the ultrasound and fill him in on details of baby's growth, your crazy hormonal dreams and funky food cravings. Don't make him wear one of those empathy bellies or beat him in his sleep, just so he knows how it feels.

Kah kah beat him in his sleep. Good one. Lisa Russell is so damn funny. My man occasionally accompany me to my antenatal visit tapi taklah setiap kali sebab I usually schedule my visits on weekday mornings. Tapi bila sekali-sekala yang dia ikut, memang rasa sangat the difference, you know, to be sharing the joy and what not. Priceless lah. But no, I will not beat him in his sleep. Unless maybe if he snores excruciatingly loud. Kah kah. Tak, tak, dosa.


How to Stay Hydrated During Pregnancy: Do drink a sensible amount of water, milk and juices. Don't wear the baseball cap with the built-in beer cans.

Beer does not count, ya tuan-tuan dan puan-puan. Ngeh.


How to Announce the Baby's Birth: Do call or email your friends and family over the next few days, sharing the baby's vital statistics and listening to more unsolicited advice. Don't send everyone in your cellphone address book a copy of baby's first picture--emerging from the birth canal.

Kah kah kah kah kah kah. Imagine receiving MMS of baby emerging out of your friend! “Hey friends, that’s Abdul emerging out of my va-ge-ge. He’s adorable beyond words! Oh and yeah, there’s a peek of my va-ge-ge” Note to self: Don’t.


So take note, fellow mummy-to-be(s): Do go ahead and post pictures of urine stick if you think it’s cute to do so. Do not take up skydiving! Do make plan for delivery. Do include your husband in the highs of lows of pregnancy. Do make sure to stay hydrated. And do not announce the baby’s arrival in the yuckiest way one could imagine. Ngeee. Have a good day, all!

What's that on the telly?
It's an angel sent from God
Growing in my belly
Like a sweet pea in a pod!
- Melissa Hatcher

Is it normal to feel clumsy during pregnancy? Yes. Unfortunately, feeling graceful and dexterous isn't part of the pregnancy package. You'll probably feel clumsiest in the last trimester, but this feeling subsides after delivery. Clumsiness should come as no surprise if you consider what your body's going through: you're carrying more weight; your centre of gravity has changed with your growing uterus; your fingers, toes, and other joints are all loosening due to pregnancy hormones. You may even experience numbness and weakness in your arms as your posture changes.

Oh my Tuhan! That explains a lot! I am used to myself being cemerkap but I have been clumsy yang teramat sangat lately, even I can’t stand my own clumsiness.

Apparently, it has everything to do with the pregnancy!

I have lost count of how many pinggan dan cawan I broke. Or how many times my lengan or kaki or kepala bumped into something when I could have avoided them. Or how many times I almost trip tanpa sebab musabab. Or how many scarves and blouses I stained from the simplest tasks of makan dan minum. Or how many typos I tweeted. Ngeee.

It’s the pregnancy! Phew! Thank you, Baby Centre! For making me feel better I guess. Ngeh.

Look! I even stayed away from Arman, because I was afraid that I might break or drop him or something. Kah kah kah. No lah. I was selesema a bit, so it’s better for me not to infect the 8-days-old cutie pie or Aniz would putus sahabat dengan I. Ngeh.

So yeah, the question is, can I do anything to overcome this awkwardness? Sadly the answer is NO. Simply knowing that you're not as coordinated as usual helps. Watch out for wet, icy or uneven surfaces when walking and don't carry anything that you can't safely drop. And remember, clumsiness is only a temporary, pregnancy-related condition. (If you still feel clumsy after pregnancy, you can blame it on new baby fatigue but after that, well, you're on your own!)

You better be careful whenever you’re around me, people. Words of precaution: I am so tired from work today that I might break something later. Be afraid, be very afraid.

“You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely suggests that you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby emerging from her at that moment.” - Dave Barry in ‘Things That It Took Me 50 Years to Learn’

50 Reasons to Be Glad You're Pregnant (Source: Babycentre.com)

1 Relishing the early weeks when only you and your partner know your special secret – Oh so true! We managed to keep mum about it (indulging only family and close friends with the news) for quite sometime and it was kind of fun. Haha. As a matter of fact, most of my staffs baru saja semalam dikhabarkan tentang my pregnancy. They have been suspecting of course, what’s with the bulging tummy and kekembangan tubuh, but not until yesterday, one of them finally came forward dan bertanya secara berani. Kah kah.

2 Knowing you've got nine whole months to plan, dream and fantasise.

3 Choosing maternity clothes; they've never been more practical or more sexy – True! I even had to curb my enthusiasm in maternity stuffs shopping knowing that hanya akan pakai beberapa bulan saja. Rugilah kan. Siapa ada pre-loved nak sedekah, dialukan. Hehe.

4 Now you've got the perfect excuse to pamper yourself; spending hours in a scented bath, enjoying a massage or rubbing soothing lotions into your growing bump – Which reminds me, I should stop being pemalas and start using the stretch mark cream more religiously, as per Far's constant reminders.

5 Maternity rights in the UK are getting better all the time. You can take up to 52 weeks off work, and if you are eligible for statutory maternity pay, you get the first six weeks on 90 per cent of your pay – 52 weeks off work? Are you for real? 2 bulan (with full maternity pay) pun dah cukup menggembirakan. Apatah lagi jika 13 bulan! OK, albeit not getting full pay, but still get paid lah kan? Syok seh!

6 You can join an antenatal class and find a whole new bunch of friends – I have yet to check out my gynae’s antenatal class pamphlet. Do I really have to go?

7 For once in your life you need to get heavier; pregnancy is Nature's way of making you feel good about putting on weight – Yeay! Indeed, indeed.

8 If this is your first baby, enjoy the next nine months sleeping late at weekends: you won't get many chances later on – Semua experienced mommies telah nasihatkan saya tentang ini. Life will definitely change 100% after the baby arrives.

9 At last you've got the bosom you've always wanted, which means you also have…

10 ...a great excuse to buy lots of pretty new bras – I don’t think I need, ermmm, bigger, ermmm you know. Ngeh. And I definitely do not appreciate the fact that I need to keluarkan duit for new bras! Huwaaaa! Bra bukan benda murah OK. Especially good ones. Huh.

11 From now on and until your baby is a year old, you can get free dental treatment - phone your dentist now! – In UK saja kan? The only time I dapat enjoy free dental was back in UiTM dan menyesal sebab tak guna sepenuhnya. No, the firm I work with doesn’t cover dental. No, not even maternity. Sila bersyukur jika company anda cover all these, ya.

12 At last you'll have something more than potplants and cats to care for and nurture! 13 Suddenly you'll find you're getting lots of extra attention from parents, aunts and uncles, not to mention your partner.

14 You may find you develop a closer relationship with sisters, cousins or friends who are parents themselves. Congratulations, you've just won free admission to the parents' club!

15 Telling your mum, dad, sister, brother, aunt, dog the good news and watching their faces light up. - Sungguh benarlah!

16 New talents! Whether it's knitting bootees or assembling a flat-pack cot, you'll suddenly find yourself trying out all sorts of new skills – Erk. This does not apply to me pun? Should I take up knitting now that I’m pregnant? Untuk buat socks and what not for my baby? Haha. Nanti nak knit socks, jadi topi. Keh keh. Tak berbakat.

17 Suddenly you'll feel a new appreciation for your own mother and all she went through having you – Sekali lagi, sungguh benar. Sungguh.

18 Decorating the nursery: one of the most exciting things you'll ever do – Kedengaran sungguh seronok! If you have the budget, that is. Tak apalah, berdikit-dikitlah kan?

19 Feeling those first fluttering kicks and thinking, 'Is that what I think it is? Or is it just wind?' – Hehe I even had to check with Ayin and a few websites sebab macam nak pastikan, adakah aku yang gassy ataukah this is it? And once you know, you know.

20 Feeling OK for sending your partner out for chicken tikka masala followed by double-choc chip ice cream – OK, sungguh merembeskan air liur.

21 Your parents digging out your old cot or pram, which they've kept safely all this time 'just in case' – Haha this is so mat salleh. Orang Melayu selalunya akan hands down benda-benda macam ini to relatives/friends. So no, I don’t have any off those memorabilia except for this teddy bear I had since I was 2. Yes, I still have the teddy with me back at my parents’ place. Lusuh dah dia. Hehe.

22 Going for healthy walks with your partner and getting fresh air in your lungs because it's good for you and good for your baby – Reading this buat saya rasa nak ajak encik itu bersiar-siar di Kebun Bunga pagi Sabtu ini. Are you up for it, Hubby?

23 Enjoying the extra-vivid dreams you get in late pregnancy - and laughing about them with your friends.

24 Feeling a little pair of heels prodding under your diaphragm and knowing you'll soon be meeting the little person they belong to! - Betul betul betul. For the first time semalam, I can actually nampak the tendangan. You know, macam perut berombak dan ditolak dari dalam. Sungguh kuat kamu yang di dalam itu! Terkekek-kekek saya ketawa. Hehe.

25 Choosing baby clothes - or just phoning round for all the catalogues, leafing through them and planning what you're going to buy – I know this is the best part. But not yet. Baru nak masuk 6 bulan. Tunggu ya, sabar dulu, wahai hati.

26 Writing a pregnancy diary for your baby to read in the future – Selalu berangan nak buat this sort of diary bila pregnant tapi bila dah pregnant, jadi malas!

27 Getting someone to take photos of you smiling over your enormous bump so that, one day, you can look back and be amazed you were ever that size. 28 Finding out how many people there are out there ready to care for you: doctors, nurses, midwives, health visitors, breastfeeding counsellors. 29 Lying in bed with your partner's arms around you and your bump, knowing that love has created a new life. 30 Enjoying indulgences, such as evenings out, weekends away and anything else you might not be able to do so easily once the baby arrives. 31 Knowing that from now on, whatever happens, you'll never be bored again.

32 Making new friends whenever you go shopping - everyone has a pregnancy story to share – Ada sekali nak beli maternity working blouse at Mother Club, the salesperson was also pregnant. Tiba-tiba jadi gembira berbual bersama. Hehe.

33 You can spend whole evenings debating whether to call your baby Hermione or Cleopatra, Fritz or Stanley – Erk definitely not Stanley. Sila imagine Stanley Akademi Fantasia. Tidak! Kah kah kah. Apalah dosa Stanley.

34 Imagining what he or she will look like. Your sweet little ears, of course, and his sexy eyes! 35 Dreaming about, "My daughter/son the prime minister/pop star/brain surgeon."

36 Looking at your growing bump in the mirror and realising there's a person in there! – Never fails to bring a smile!

37 Making out a squirmy outline on the ultrasound monitor. Asking for the pic to take home and pinning it up next to your work station, or just keeping it in your bag to sneak looks at – I have them stored in a nice box back home. Maybe I’ll do a scrapbook out of them one day. Maybe. Ngeh.

38 The expression on your partner's face as he sees the test strip turn blue, looks at your growing bump or feels the baby kicking – He has yet to feel the kick. Kenapa entah. The baby akan tiba-tiba diamkan diri setiap kalipun. Tengah aktif, tiba-tiba I suruh the husband try rasa, the baby will stop. Teasing the father perhaps. Kah kah.

39 Buying that first little cuddly toy for your baby, not somebody else's. 40 Making that phone call to your partner to tell him that - we're off, labour has started. 41 Trying out all those exercises you learned at antenatal class and finding out that they actually work! 42 Being held and supported throughout a contraction by your partner/midwife/labour companion and knowing that you can trust them totally. 43 Finding out, as the contractions get tough, that your repertoire of swear words is far more extensive than you ever realised! 44 Making an informed choice about pain relief and finding that it's right for you at that stage in labour. 45 That huge rush of pleasure and relief when, suddenly, all the pain and effort stops. 46 Looking into your newborn's eyes and falling utterly in love. 47 Watching your partner kiss the midwife, the doctor, cleaning lady, delivery man and anyone else he can find because his joy and pride are overwhelming.

48 Opening a bottle of bubbly to celebrate, whatever the time of day or night – OK don’t. Haha. Go sujud syukur instead.

49 Making all those phone calls to announce the arrival. Telling everyone the news and hearing the excitement in their voices.

50 Waking up to see your baby sleeping next to you and thinking, 'Wow! This is real. I'm a mum!' – Aaaaawh I can’t wait. Semoga Allah memperkenankan kemahuan ini. Please oh please, pray for me and my little one, dear sweet readers :)