The Day My Daughter Turned Two

Zara turned two on the 9th November 2008 at 4 pm. Since it coincided with the kenduri aqiqah that we've planned for so long, we decided to throw in a birthday bash as well.




My darling Zara,

Your journey into the world was a short one compared to your brother's. It took me seven hours to push you through and Alhamdulillah, after all the hard labor with the help of epidural, you finally came.

MasyaAllah! I never could imagine that Allah could have bestowed upon us any greater gift other than you and Zareef. Looking at your full pink lips, dainty fingers and rosy pink complexion, Mommy was totally blown away.


Alhamdulillah, looking after you during your baby days was pretty smooth sailing.

Through breastfeeding, you quickly became a true Michelin baby, all cute and chubby with irresistible cheeks that tend to be pinched by unsolicited fingers.

Your physical developments were always spot on and sometimes even well ahead of the milestones that I religiously followed on BabyCenter.com


You started teething when you were just three months old. By the time you were a year old, you had your full set of teeth.


You rolled over when you were just three, crawled at five, stood up and cruised at seven and by the time you were 10, you were already walking steadily. You really blew me away with your amazing achievements.


I remembered how excited your Daddy and I were when we knew we were having a girl. Syukur Alhamdulillah. When I related the happy news to your Atok and Nenek, they didn't believe it especially Atok. Siap suruh pegi scan lagi sekali.



We did, numerous times till my gynae exasperatedly ask me "Why don't you believe me?". All I can say is, it's just too good to be true.


But now that we have you, you have brought us so much joy and happiness. I feel that our nuclear family is finally complete and I wouldn't trade it for the world or designer bags even.


It took us awhile to choose your name. Daddy and I wanted you to have similar initials as your brother. So, armed with books and an Arabic dictionary (you're lucky your Daddy reads Arabic), we finally decided on Zahra Ilana which means 'Kecantikan yang nyata' or as I would prefer to put it 'Outstanding Beauty', InsyaAllah.


You are my baby and always be. Your magical laughter has never failed to ease my stresses away. In fact, they are music to my ears. I am at my happiest when I hear you gurgling with your twinkling eyes and laughing even to the slightest peek-a-boo


One area that remain a mystery is your hair or the lack of it. When other babies were going for haircuts and shaves at six, you made do without either and survived for the whole two years. It gives me pain whenever people complimented what a cute baby boy you were despite being dressed from head to toe in pinks and purples complete with frills and the likes. Buta ke apa??!!


However, thanks to olive oil which the carers at your daycare perseveringly rubbed on your head every time you went for a visit, your hair finally grew. From short wispy fine ones to shoulder length curls and bangs.

Now that your vocabulary has grown, it's very had to stop you from talking non-stop. But why dear child, do you clam up in the presence of others, may I ask?


I love you with all my heart darling. I would move heaven and earth if it meant protecting you from all things evil and bad. Like I've repeatedly said in your brother's birthday post, I'll say it again here. I would even beg, borrow and steal for you. That's how much I love you.


Happy 2nd birthday my darling. May all your wishes come true. I pray that you'll be the doting daughter that I hope you'll be and grow up to be a beautiful, wonderful and solehah lady. Amin...

Love you till the power of infinity,

Mommy.

When I Can't Think Of A Title To This Post

I read with horror the news of carnage in Mumbai, India on NST's front page. I pray that no Malaysians where hurt what more killed in the despicable shooting. Tell me, where lies the logic of shooting aimlessly hundreds of civilians when their anger were aimed at the government? What further pissess me is that they (the militants) were doing it all in the name of Islam.

What the fish??!!

Islam did not teach us to kill innocent bystanders. So now, again, Muslims as a whole have been tagged as monsters, killers and terrorists. Yang buatnya berapa orang je. Yang dapat nama semua.

Marah betul aku!

I've just came across a blog that criticizes other blogs to the EXTREME! When I say extreme, it is cringing-cannot believe my eyes-harsh-bad after taste worthy. Yes, I know some people do brag about themselves, their kids, their lifestyle, they wealth, their spouses but does that give you the right to lash and attack them front, back, left, right and center? You choose to read their writings and then you trash them back in your own space. What amazes me is that this blog has HUGE following! People who support and enjoys reading this kind of horrible and hurtful writing.

My first thought was WHY? Has people become so jaded and heartless that they feel it's their right to comment every single thing that's being written in a totally twisted, condemning and freakish manner?

And those who support these hurtful writings, don't you guys have a heart? What if it was your piece that's being torn into pieces? What if it is someone that you love dearly and close to your heart? Tak sakit hati ke?

Come on people. Have a heart. A kind one at it.

My Ass Is Itching

Or if you'd prefer to translate it into BM "Bontot aku gatal" :)

Why is it itchy? Or what am I itching for?

I'm itching to get away. I'm itching for cold weather, bleak grey skies, short daytimes and sub-zero temperatures.

In short, I'm missing Lboro A LOT!

And it does not help that I've been going through my old posts a few years back and reminiscing every single event that happened while I was there.

Truth be told, I'm wishing we are there instead of here.

Ye, aku jenis orang yang prefer hujan emas di negeri orang. Camno?

What The Fish??

I've been trying to upload Zareef's and Zara's aqiqah and birthday pictures to Facebook as well as here but all have been in vain. It gets so frustrating especially when I've uploaded 60 pictures but after waiting for 20 minutes, the message that I got was "Upload Failed". Huahhh!!! Menangis okay!!!

Not once, not twice but numerous times till I've lost count. Tiba2 baru teringat, the photographer used a DSLR which has a 10 MP. Alahhh.. kena resize la pulak. Malas betul aku!

Anyway, I'll save a post on that joyful event for another day. Right now, I'm not in the mood to do the tedious job of resizing all 382 pictures.

On another note, I don't know whether to put it as 'Cuti-Cuti Malaysia' or 'Penat Ikut Suami Bekerja'. I think I'll put it as both.

We just got back from Melaka after a 3D2N stay at Bayview Hotel. So while B worked, I spent time at the pool with Zareef and Zara when it wasn't raining. And no, I didn't get to stuff my face with delicious seafood at Serkam. Tak sempat. However, we did manage to go up the Menara Taming Sari and get a bird's eye view of Bandar Melaka, drive through Jonker Street like seven or eight times (sesat punya pasal plus the town has a one-way system) which was more than I bargained for and ate asam pedas yang sedap menjilat jari hehhehe!

I've just finished washing and hanging our clothes that we brought back, managed to cook baked meatball pasta and pack another set of clothes, toiletries, food and swimming apparatus for our trip to PD tomorrow. It'll be another 3D2N stay but I'm looking forward to this work-getaway because I love beaches and we'll be staying here. So the place itself is something to be excited about. I hope it won't rain as much so that the kids and I will get to spend most of our time at the beach while B whiles his time in some boring meetings.

So, my dear friends who have been enquiring, this explains my long absence from the barrage of emails that has been going back and forth in my inbox and also from posting anything interesting here.

By the by, we just got THE official letter from PPD Petaling Utara regarding Zareef's school for next year. Syukur Alhamdulillah, he'll be going to PU2 instead of Pulau Meranti. Lega hati Mummy! Waduuhhhsss... ini baru nak masuk Tahun 1 dah kena buat surat rayuan bagai. Belum nak masuk good schools for Form 1 then Pre-U then Uni. By that time, Mummy here will be going bald from all the worrying and sleepless nights with regard to her children's education.

But for now, let me enjoy my weekend at this place before I have to worry about things that need worrying about.