Happy birthday to me!

Saturday 11 June was my birthday. I don't really mind if the day is just like any other day but it would be nice if my husband at least do something for me. Previously he sent me bouquet of flowers twice at the office. Of course i appreciated them because i like flowers. Last year he surprised me with a spa treatment which i didn't expect at all (and i truly enjoyed it). He did once gave me a small picture frame and there was a year he gave me a bathrobe. What i thought at that time was 'at least he remembers and it's the thought that counts'... sincerely, really... no matter how significant or not a gift from him is, i just appreciate that he actually remembers my birthday. That is all matters to me...
 
This year he treated me to a buffet lunch at the revolving restaurant, Seri Angkasa, Menara KL. It was my first time at Menara KL (even my kids have been there on a school excursion) so i was excited. I enjoyed the view and the food. He even braved himself to the pianist for a b'day song dedication (this is common at the restaurant) with a message 'i love you so much'...I know my husband and so for him to do that is not the ordinary him, you know. I guess i am easily charmed by romantic gestures and that's why fate made me married him. He's the opoosite so for him to do it once in while is something precious to me.
We brought Kasyif with us so it was a good outing for all of us. His gift this time? His current IPhone 3Gs as he's upgrading to IPhone 4. You see, i don't mind... As long as he thought of me on my birthday....
What's more special happened the night before.
I was holding my emotions back thinking my husband didn't care about me. He was busy, didn't even ask about my wellbeing (didn't he know that i'm pregnant!), we didn't go out for weekends, no cuddlings. I was frustrated...Is it because i am fat and not attractive? Has he lost interest in me? But i managed not to snap at him and controlled my emotion. Then just before we went to sleep, he wished me 'happy birthday' and told me that he loves me so much and he didn't know how to show that.
In split second, I was healed and hugged him hard. That was all i wanted to hear... Gone all my frustrations and anger... I just need reassurance, like John Gray mentioned in his book. I was possibly a 'wave' that was about to crash.....I was so really glad i didn't snap at him because it was not what i wanted to do to my loving husband.
So now i'm back....happy and contented!...

Lady in waiting_Renewing maid's passport

Took a leave yesterday to settle my maid's passport expiring in Aug 2011. What an experience! Reached the embassy nearly 11 am, there was a long queue for photo taking.

So i quickly asked my maid to queue while i went to get the number...2268. At that point, i didn't know how bad it could get. After getting the number i passed by the forms counter and i overheard the forms for renewing passport are out of stock for that day. Luckily i've had mine since last year!
There were lots of people but i still remained cool because sometimes who knows luck might be on your side and things may not be as bad as i would have thought. The waiting area in front of the counter was full with people. I looked around for empty seats and luckily i got one.
And so we started to wait. The number at that time was 2068. 200 more to go! I killed the time by reading Impiana mag, Cosway catalogue that i brought. It still didn't come to my head until i started to feel uneasy/uncomfortable after an hour because the number still hadn't reach 2100. Then i started to do the math.... If the counters opens at 9.00, overall the counters processed about 30/35 forms per hour (9.00 to 11.00 is 2 hours then divide with 68). Taking the lower side, i should expect my number will be called at about 268/30= 8/9 hours after 9am which is around 6pm (after deducting 1 hour lunch break)... only then it started to hit my head that i would be there waiting for the whole of the day!
Then i started to feel emotional... i wanted to blame my husband for getting up late. I positively think if we got there at the opening time, things would not be this bad. Has my husband ever consider of my well being since i got pregnant? Negative thoughts kicked in and i started to get teary. And once i shed a tear, it would not stop. Negative thoughts all the way and i kept wiping away the tears with my tudung.
Until now, i didn't know how did i manage to wait and sit for 8 hours. We didn't go out for lunch, i just didn't have the mood to. It was true, my number was called at about 6.17pm. Then came the next obstacle....
My worry was i don't have enough documentation and i would have to come back. I had background reading via blogs and visited the KBRI website and seemed i should be fine. Until the officer requested for surat nikah since the majikan's IC (my hubby) has different address with my IC! I said i don't have one now so he asked us to fax it to the offfice, now. Errmmm, but he's not at home.... 'then how should i verify that you are married?' We don't have kad nikah....Gosh! Allah! Help me!....
I  don't want to come back here and go through this all over again! Then i remembered i brought a file with all the documents since we applied to get a maid. There was an application form written 'suami/isteri' with our names on it....The officer seemed considerate since he noticed that i'm pregnant (he was rather strict previously). He seek for opinion and accepted the form as supporting document. Alhamdulillah!.. He also forwarded our application to the fast track counter (for elderly, sick, pregnant and with children applicants). The time taken at the counter was rather short, about 20 mins. Then we have to wait at the counter outside the building to collect the passports.
I expected the waiting time is about 1 hour and it was exactly. I was also being emotional while waiting. How could my husband do this me...Why i felt being abandoned....Again, tears were falling and i used my tudung to cover the unwanted tears.
Once the passport collected, I felt so relieved that everything was settled.
Then i had to wait for another hour for my husband to fetch us. We left the embassy at 8.30pm
I hate to wait but this time i managed to wait for 9 1/5 hours. This is a long time since we couldn't do anything except to wait. Actually we could go and take a stroll outside but what is there to see? So my advice is:
1. Come to the embassy early as in 9.00am. If too early, the embassy still hasn't open the gate and you'll have to wait. After 10am is already considered late.
2. Prepare your docs beforehand just in case they have run out of forms. Drop by early and get the forms prior to the real visit. Or forms can be downloaded from the KBRI website. (Formulir_blue form and 3 copies of contracts). They should accept downloaded forms, shouldn't they since all are from their website? I'm not entirely sure because who knows the officers might want to show their authority and still want original forms?
3. It is a requirement now to get an insurance coverage for the maid. I did mine with the Post Office at RM60 for a year coverage. They accept proof of purchase (not necessarily the cover letter)
4. The employer to be present should be the same as the photocopied IC. All this while my hubby has always been the employer. I didn't expect that i can actually put myself as the employer (if my hubby is not present) and save the hassle of proof of marriage. Or you can just bring in marriage cert/baby birth cert/kad nikah etc.
4. Prepare the photocopies beforehand, the line can get very long (if you arrive late):
    - Passport (with pic & signature page)
    - Valid permit
    - Employer's IC (2 copies)
5. The contract period follows the permit not the passport (1 year). The date of
    contract should be date you come to embassy for the renewal.
6. Be polite because in this case, they are the authority! And they can be quite
   authoritarian and you might lose your case if you're impolite.
7. Do background reading from people's experience (blogs) and the KBRI website to give you rough idea what you day at the embassy would be like :-)
This will save you valuable time of 3-4 hours!

It's been a while....

I have totally forgotten about this blog! The last post was on Mar 18th. What happened since then:
Theft
Our house was broken into on 30 Mar. Lost laptop/netbook and some money. No wonder i have abandoned the blog... no access to internet :-(
Luckily, the thieves didn't turn the house upside down and only took what they have aimed. It could have been worse and traumatic. Alhamdulillah and we take it as a reminder to be xtra careful next time. Hubby decided to install the ADT security system.

Shocking news
Surprised! 1st is my brother, Rahimi decided to get engaged. Not that shocking though since we know he has a girlfriend. More of surprised he wants it this year...
Shock! My auntie's husband has another wife  for 3 years without the knowledge of his 1st wife. He's been working in Morroco last 5 years and married a local (colleague). He now has 2 kids with his 2nd marriage.
This is really shocking, even i couldn't sleep over it. Until now, it is still a sensitive issue and my auntie is still trying to get over it (with tears in her eyes)....
Shock! The same auntie, who has a son of 21 years old wanted to get married now! (as in as soon as possible!). She was confronted by the son after the 1st shocking news above (can you imagine her blood pressure going up). This one is rather complicated....The set date is 23 July (less than 2 months from now), her son still studying so no money, husband insists of going back to Morroco anytime now and planning to bring his other wife/kids for the event, she still can't get hold her feelings over what his husband has done to her... Can you imagine the emotional turmoil and the havoc in her head?

Pregnancy
I'm now 23 weeks (half way there) Alhamdulillah! Everything looks under control (except trace of sugar in my urine)! The Dr without doubt said I'm going to have a baby boy. Yeay! Kasyif has a playmate!.... We already bought furniture to prepare for the new arrival from IKEA. Drawers, bookshelf, sofabed for room downstairs and sofa table (this one just to make the house nicer) I have started to think about the birth now... the shopping list, the house, the potraiture session...hehehe....
2 of my brothers already had their babies. Amat first in April (baby girl Nur Asyha Damia, I think). Then Iwan last week (baby girl as well. Still choosing a name but most probably Nurun Nuha). Next in line would be Apis, then Ila and then ME (all in Sept)
 
Rezeki
Alhamudillah! I feel rather at ease at the moment. Thank you Allah!

Looking forward to my maternity leave....

1st trimester new experience

This time, the pregnancy definitely feels different from previous. I felt so so tired and my belly got so gassy. The hungry part is about the same as when i carried Kasyif except this time round, i watch what i eat. I don't just barge to whatever i see or whatever i want. I make sure to eat more fruits and include oat in my diet. I still take only 1/2 or less rice not because i'm afraid that i'll get fat but because i don't feel like eating rice too much. Maybe because i'm already used to it even before i was pregnant.

Hormones kicked in
I had dreams and mostly kinky dreams! I thought it was inappropriate and blaming myself for having kinky thoughts that lead to such kinky dreams. It won't be good for the baby.... But wait, as far as i can remember, i was busy thinking about preparing myself and the house for the newborn. I was worried and checked out the Baby Center website. I was relieved! It was just the hormones.....

Apart from dreams, i also had difficulty to sleep through the night. I always found myself awake around 2-3 am and it was hard to get back to sleep. Although it was a good time to perform solat 'tahjud' and other solat sunat, i was too tired to do anything. I felt like i was 8 months pregnant at that time.

Apparently, these are normal during the 1st trimester according to Baby Center but i didn't have such experience from my previous pregnancies. Alhamdulillah, the dreams and tiredness have started to subside. I really can't wait the 2nd trimester and enjoy being pregnant.

I'm pregnant!

I tested on Sat 29 Jan. The odd thing was the signs that i got the day before.....

'I think i might be pregnant..' was what i said to my friends at lunch on Friday. I was just saying without giving it a thought and i said it because i was particularly hungry at that time. Not because i really thought that i might be pregnant. Once that came out from my mouth, i was like "Why did i ever say that?"......

Then, i got the news that my sister in law is pregnant, didn't really expect it so i called my mum on that Friday afternoon. While we were talking, my mum asked me "Are you pregnant too?"... I was like "Of course not! I called to ask about Iza!" then laughed. As i was laughing, i thought "why does my mum think that i'm pregnant? And it was the 2nd 'pregnancy' word i've heard.

I didn't think i was pregnant because i was trying to lose weight. I planned to get pregnant only around May after the weight management program where i could still go for the Sabah trip in October (5 month preggy is still allowed to fly, rite?!)

Allah itu lebih berkuasa menentukan segala-galanya. I really didn't expect a double line on the home pregnancy test kit. I tested just before i go to sleep (balik kampung Perlis that night).

And the hormones already started to kick in that very next morning! The same night i had a dream that my husband had another wife. I was giggling imagining my parents receiving the news the 5th grandchild for 2011 is on the way. I also cried and sobbed because i couldn't go to Sabah and to watch the excitement of my kids boarding the plane. Never had a high emotional rush like this before.....


Alhamdulillah, rezeki yang Allah SWT berikan kepada kami. Wish for a baby boy to accompany Kasyif.
So my future posts will be all about pregnancy!... :-)

Happy but not that happy

I was so happy last weekend because i've lost about 1kg. However, this week i was not really following the diet (no/low carbo). I had 1 1/2 nasi lemak for lunch, biscuits with tea for break today. I was quite good yesterday for exercising during lunch. And i did some crunches and lower body exercises this morning.
It just came to me when talking to colleagues during lunch. I have a problem with my bowel movement (the Bizzy Body consultant mentioned that to me too). I should detox my body in order to get better result on my weight loss programme.

I have to read more on this. Detox is new to me :-)

2011

I'm rather reluctant that 2011 is here. I've had a week holiday and i'm still in a holiday mood. Today the busy routine starts as kids start to go school. Today is my 2nd daughter 1st day at school. I want to take pics of her but my camera lost its charger, my handphone camera producing bad pictures.

As for me, i want to be focused in 2011:

1. enrich my kids with learning experiences
2. excel in work and contribute greatly in the area of costing
3. lose weight and be fit by March (before getting pregnant)
4. buy furniture/furnishing for the house
5. treat myself with accessories and new clothes
6. consistent with blogging

Hope everything will go as planned....Insyaallah...