I finally bought these and made these...

I have been avoiding doing patchwork before. Just because i did not have a cutter set. Yes, all this while I have been cutting the squares / rectangles for bag making using Mr. scissors. To me having a cutter was not as essential as having a scissors. You still get to cut. But it takes an extra step before you get to cut. Need to trace the measurement one by one on to your fabric before you cut. With a cutter & a grid ruler, you save time because you can measure & cut at the same time.

After much hesitation & resistance, I finally decided to go for it. And I'm very happy I made the purchase. (Thanks to my PIC who never seemed to stop convincing me that it was time for me to have one hehehe). The first thing I made was a couple of potholders for a friend's wedding. It was my first potholders too. Have always wanted to make one for myself. But haven't come around to making one yet. These potholders almost didn't make it to the wedding hehehe..

Oh..and i made a matching card to go with my gift. Love it!

I'm off to play with my cutter now. Later....

Love note : Have you join Itsy Doodles Giveaway? If you haven't, click here :)

Happy 1st Birthday Umair Akif!

picture credit to google image

Around this time, same date last year, i was waiting for my turn to see my O&G, Dr. Fatimah. It was on the 6th day of Syawal 1430. I was not due until another 2 weks plus. Akif was supposed to be due in mid Oct 2009. However during the check-up, I was already 4cm dilated. Immediately I was sent to the labour room. Skipping the in labour part, Umair Akif was safely delivered at 4.23pm on the same day.

Now, one year later, Umair Akif is one unstoppable little explorer! He started cruising at 10 months and were already running at 11 months. He also loves to wrestle with his elder brothers. And He loves to eat too. Tak boleh tengok orang goyang mulut, tup!tup! terus ada kat sebelah.Pandai minta pula tu. Kalau tak dapat...will sure to cry one hehehe.. He has even had his first taste of durian- which brought pleasure to his Ayah because Ayah is the only one in our little family who eats the king of fruits. Yup! My two elder sons and I don't eat durians.

This picture was taken this morning. 

He is giving others 'that' look..as if were we going to take away his biscuits.

Akif 's birthday also means our breastfeeding journey has successfully reached the 1 year mark. Half accomplished, another half to go. It has been a wonderful experience & journey so far. It took a lot of patience, determination, sacrifice and a lot of help for us to get this far. Alhamdulillah! Looking forward to more wonderful breastfeeding moments....

More pictures will be added later. Have yet to decide on the flavour for his birthday cake. Any suggestions? The birthday boy can yet eat the cake anyway.  Maybe just a taste. His two brothers have suggested a few flavours that THEY like though hehehe..

If you like Roselle, do you think you would like Roseola too?

I don't think so. Apa ke benda nye tu..some of you might wonder. Nama kain ke? Designer fabric Spring/Summer 2010 collection?..

None of the above. By definition.. Roseola (roseola infantum) is a mild illness caused by a virus. It is generally harmless and is most common in children 6 months to 2 years of age. It is rare after age 4. Please go here and here for more info on the illness.

Why am i writting about this? Because sweet little Akif has got it. He was down with a fever last weekend. I  mentioned that in my earlier post. He recovered from the fever on Monday. I thought it was because of his upper front teeth coming out. Then today, when he woke up from his nap, red spots had started to appear. I first noticed those that were on his face. I was thinking...why la he looks so 'comot'. Then..my motherly instinct told me to lift up his romper. Red spots were all over his chest & back.

I didn't panicked. Hakimi had Roseola once. And 2 years back, both Hakimi & Hafiy had chicken pox. Just to be sure, i took Akif to see the Doctor. After waiting for an hour, we finally get to see her. I was told not to worry as Akif is already on his way to recovery. The red rash should disappear in a day or two. Alhamdulillah. Imagine waiting for an hour with 3 bored & restless boys...Super mami had to put on her super hero suit today. Mission accomplished without mami having to use her weapons. Good cooperation boys!

On my way back from the clinic, i received an SMS from Rozi. Ajak pi Kamdar esok. With 'teary' heart, sob!sob! had to give it a pass. Terima kasih daun keladi, Lain kali ajak la lagi...

Baby walker is no no for ME...

The news was tragic.
I knew about it while blogwalking to Ayu's blog

A 7 months old baby died after falling off / along with his walker at his babysitter's.
Worst...the babysitter didn't not take any immediate action prior to the fall.
The baby was taken for examination only 4 hours later.
You can read about it here.

I have never owned a baby walker.
Not with my first baby...nor the second or the third.
It is considered a mommy 'helper' for some especially when your lil one starts to crawl. 
Even though i don't owned any, my baby, my eldest did had his ride on a walker. At his babysitter's.
I never liked the idea..but, one can't be too fussy. Especially when the babysitter is good at taking care of your child / children, right?  Just had to pray that things like that never happen to your baby. And Alhamdulillah,it didn't.

Why I never like the idea of putting a baby in a walker?
* It is not safe
* Babies who are not yet able to sit on their own, should never be put on a walker. It does not help them to sit & pressure are being put on their back
* It does not help babies to walk early. My babies did fine without the help of a walker. Both started walking after their first birthday ( at this point of writting, Akif can yet walk. He's only 8 months old^^)
 Read more about why walkers are not safe here, here and here.

I prefer my baby to roam freely...and explore - with supervision that is. Let them learn to sit, walk on their own, when they are ready. I'm not judging anyone here. Every parents wants the best for their children & I'm sure that each decision is made after considering many related / necessary factors. And i respect that.

So, if you do put your child on a walker, just be sure to always have someone looking after them. And remember, safety first!

Love note: What is your opinion on this matter?

Teeth - Latch - Pain

Do you see them? His lower incisors surfacing?
As much as i love my busuk masam..lately i dread every time he wants to nurse.
Before he latches, he will first take a bite.
Despite the unforgettable pain, i enjoy every moment nursing Akif.
Praying that may the moment lasts for as long as it can.

Love Note : What do you do when your baby bites when he latches?

Susuibu 2nd Support Group Meeting : Myths in Breastfeeding

Joined my first SGM last Sunday. Excited sangat caused i got to meet many BF mommies. Exchanging stories & experiences.

Though the topic was Myths in Breastfeeding, the discussion was more on how to manage the myths. Byk sgt myth..antaranya banyak sangat pam akan menyebabkan susu kering, bayi lelaki lebih kuat minum dari bayi perempuan, susu breast kanan makanan dan susu breast kiri minuman, BM kalau tak diminum terlalu lama ( atau tak pam out) akan masam dll. Normally this myths comes from our elder i.e grandmother, mother, mother in law. So to simply answer without knowing the right facts would make make it hard especially for new mothers. Coincidently, an experinced mommy has written about all the myths she could think of. To read about them, please visit ibufarish's blog here and here.

Here are the pictures at the SGM..

Group Mama Kamariah

Mommies who came

Liza of Snuggbaby representing Malaysian Babyweares explaining on the Safety in babywearing

Mommies from the MBW

Demo on how to wear the Wrap

Can't wait for the next SGM :)

Jom kita pergi ramai-ramai...

Natural Parenting

Natural parenting...a new nurturing concept yg saya pertama kali tahu through MommyLuna's blog.

Natural Parenting is about exploring gentle, instinctive and attachment parenting methods by avoiding common products and customs designed to separate us from our offspring and choosing more organic, instinctive and attached parenting techniques such as breastfeeding, babywearing, cosleeping, homeschooling and elimination communication.
(quoted from http://parenting.amuchbetterway.com/).


Looking at myself..apa je yg saya buat yg in line dgn natural parenting? Let see..
1. Breastfeeding - Have been doing that for 3 months now (well..almost ;) ) . Love every single moment of it!

2. Babywearing - I have an RS pouch a.k.a kain gendong komersil hehe. Dah pakai beberapa kali bila outing dgn anak-anak. Belum boleh adapt sepenuhnya sebab everytime pakai, after sometime mesti sakit bahu. I'm sure i have put it on correctly..(coz it had free tutorials from youtube heheh). Maybe..after banyak-banyak kali nanti..oklah kot, kan?

However, will not say no to stroller coz to me..once the baby gets bigger (and heavier) it is much comfortable for him to sit on a stroller especially when he wants to nap during outings.

3.Co-sleeping- Started this with my 2nd son. and now sambung dengan 3rd son. Easy for night feedings. Mula-mula memang takut in case terpenyekkan baby. But then, as mommies, even in our sleep,i think unconciously kita tahu baby ada disebelah kita so..insyaAllah tak terjadi kes tergolek atas baby.

4. Homeschooling - Tak la banyak tapi..rasanya semua yg kita ajar anak kita di rumah..from how to play to how to talk, eat, recognize ABC & 123, mengaji, doa, solat, self hygiene, manners and so on..di kira homeschooling lah jugak. Cuma saya masih hantar ke playschool/preschool/sekolah untuk expose kan mereka kepada formal learning, utk berkawan dan juga for them to gain more knowledge coz as parents, i too have my limitations to teach all that my children need to know.

Tu je lah kot. Apa-apa pun, do what ever you feel is right for you& your children. Tak perlu nak mengikut orang lain / 'trend' semasa dalam parenting unless memang baik untuk semua. There's no right or wrong in parenting. Trying to be the best parent makes you the best parents. Everyday...every child..is a new experience. So..bereksperimentasilah dgn kehidupan anda!