10 Must-Haves

Mothers, what were your 10 must-haves when you were pregnant? Here's mine, just for the fun of it :)

1. Kentucky Fried Chicken
I would eat KFC at least once a week. At least! When I try to refrain from eating it, dear husband would come up to me and say "Sayang.. Dapat KFC pon sodap ni!". Haiyo, how to control lah like that?!

2. Oreo
My daily snack. It's no wonder I gained 18 kilos by the end of the pregnancy.


3. BabyCenter.com
The best website for parents and parents-to-be, ever. Enough said.

4. Baby Oil
Used to massage off the killer backache.

5. Air-conditioning
I would get so hot that I often stood naked in front of the AC. After a cold shower. At nighttime!

6. Cocoa Butter Oil & Lotion
I got a lil stretch mark here and there, but imagine how much more I could get if I didn't use any Cocoa Butter oil or lotion throughout the pregnancy. Penat tu nak sapu lotion keliling badan.


Image from Socialitelife.Celebuzz.com

7. Flat Shoes
I salute those pregnant women who can still strut around in high heels! It was flats for me all the way.

8. Leggings
Call me cheap, but there was no way I would spend hundreds of Ringgit on maternity pants. Good thing I have a small frame, so I could fit into normal leggings till the day the baby was born.

9. Breathe Right
I had a bad case of sinus between my 4th to 6th month of pregnancy. Both of my nostrils would get blocked that I had to breathe through my mouth. I tried everything from Vicks to nasal decongestant, but none of them worked. Then I found Breathe Right, and it worked wonders.


10. Husband
My ultimate must have. My dear husband who attended to my needs, patiently entertained my crazy pregnant woman's mood swings, massaged my back every night, called me beautiful even when I resemble a singa tengah kena sawan, and caressed and sweet-talked to my belly endlessly. I can't imagine how difficult it is for those pregnant women who has to go through the whole process without their husbands by their sides.

Hamata, Mom & Baby

I was reading The Star last Saturday when I came across an article by Nicole Tan about Hamata Villa, located in a secluded tourist town in Myanmar border. The pictures caught my eyes.

Images from The Star and Scenery Resort Online

Beautiful, isn't it? Makes me want to have a romantic getaway with the hubster.

To read the article, you can go here.

On a different note, good news for all shopaholic moms out there. Babyland is having a sale until this Sunday, 2nd May 2010. BUT! For those who can contain their splurging urges, you can wait until the 7th to 9th May because that's when the Mom & Baby Expo 2010 is happening at MidValley Megamall. I hope this time it won't be as disappointing as the Motherhood Expo 2010.



Apa lagi? Serbuuuuu!

 

Is That Enough?

Image from Thenovakagency's Blog
I've been getting this a lot ever since the baby started on his solid food, especially when I'm feeding his meals.

"Is that enough?"

Or disapproving looks at the food container/bowl.

And then followed by this when he was done.

"Are you SURE it's enough?"
"He wants more! You're feeding him too little."
"I feel like cooking a whole pot of porridge for him."
"I can see he's losing weight."

Or something along that line.

And without fail, I gave them the same answers.

"Yes, it is enough."
"No, he doesn't need to eat that much."
"Solid foods are complimentary feeding for babies his age."
"His most important food is STILL breastmilk."

Sigh. I know they mean well, and I appreciate their concern. I really do. But I don't want to feel obligated to feed my baby more than he actually needs.

And another thing that makes me tick is when someone happily try to shove junk food/drink down the baby's throat. I mean, come on. Here I am doing research, choosing and making the best food I could for him, and then you go feed him these nonsense? Have a little respect, please. That's all I'm asking.

This is getting really tiring.

How To Lose Your Baby Fat

Image from Fashionverbatim.net

Well, how I did, anyway. Sure, I am definitely no Gisele Bundchen (it is a crime to look that good postpartum!), but I managed to lose those baby fat steadily over the few months. I don't have the discipline to keep up with a strict diet or routine, hence the slow result. But hey, slow result is better than no result, yes? (optimism is the key!)

1. Eat Fat Burning Food
I usually take fat burning food for breakfast or lunch, with the likes of eggs, apples, low fat milk/yogurt, and chilies.

2. Cardiovascular Workout
I do cardio exercise for one hour, at least once a week. But there were times when weeks pass before I paid the gym a visit, hoho.

3. Cut Down On Refined Carbohydrates
I take rice once a day and substitute white bread with wholemeal.

4. Keep Busy

I've always been the type of person who can't sit still. I always find things to do in the house, otherwise I'd feel agitated.

5. Chase The Baby
Now that the baby is crawling, climbing, cruising and throwing tantrums, he is actually giving me free workout at home!

6. Breastfeed The Baby
And, of course, the best calorie burning method EVER. By breastfeeding, your body burns an average of 500 calories per day. Sungguh best!

Bayi 9 Bulan Mati Tercekik Bebola Ikan

Source: Harian Metro

TAMPIN: Seorang bayi lelaki berusia sembilan bulan maut dipercayai akibat tercekik bebola ikan di sebuah taman asuhan kanak-kanak (taska) di Jalan Cantik di sini, pagi semalam.

Dalam kejadian kira-kira jam 9 pagi, mangsa, Wan Nur Alif Wan Arif Fadhla terpaksa dikejarkan ke Hospital Tampin kira-kira 50 meter dari taska itu untuk mendapatkan rawatan. Bagaimanapun, dia disahkan meninggal dunia sejurus tiba.

Sumber berkata, mangsa yang juga anak bongsu daripada dua beradik dihantar ke taska berkenaan oleh ibunya yang bertugas sebagai guru di sebuah sekolah di sini, kira-kira jam 7.30 pagi untuk dijaga pengasuh berikutan ibu dan bapanya bekerja.

“Bayi itu tiba-tiba tercekik bebola ikan sebesar ibu jari yang dibelah dua menyebabkan dia terjatuh sejurus selepas itu."

“Pengasuh yang menyedari kejadian itu membawa mangsa ke Hospital Tampin untuk mendapatkan rawatan, tetapi disahkan sudah meninggal dunia,” katanya di sini, semalam.

Difahamkan, pihak berkuasa mengenal pasti bagaimana bayi itu boleh tercekik bebola ikan yang menjadi antara menu makanan pagi di taska itu, semalam.

Sementara itu, bapa mangsa, Wan Arif Fadhla Wan Yusof, 41, ketika ditemui di perkarangan Hospital Tampin, berkata dia menyedari kejadian itu selepas dihubungi isterinya kira-kira jam 11.15 pagi memaklumkan kejadian menimpa bayi mereka.

“Saya terima panggilan daripada isteri (Nur Azita Ibrahim, 31,) memberitahu tubuh anak kami dalam keadaan kebiru-biruan dan sudah dihantar ke hospital untuk menerima rawatan.

“Sebaik tiba, pihak hospital memaklumkan anak saya sudah meninggal dunia kerana tidak dapat bernafas akibat tercekik bebola ikan,” katanya kakitangan Jabatan Penerangan Daerah Rembau itu.

Dia kesal dengan kecuaian pengasuh terbabit menyediakan sarapan bercampur bahan sebesar ibu jari dan diberikan kepada bayi sekecil anaknya.

Katanya, jenazah anaknya dibawa pulang ke kampung asalnya di Marang, Terengganu untuk dikebumikan.

Berikutan itu, Wan Arif Fadhla membuat laporan di Balai Polis Tampin kira-kira jam 12 tengah hari.

Sementara, Ketua Polis Daerah Tampin, Superintendan Wooi Hooi Cheng ketika dihubungi mengesahkan menerima laporan kejadian.

Menurutnya, polis sudah membuka kertas siasatan dan akan memanggil pengusaha taska terbabit untuk merakamkan keterangan.

Seorang pegawai Jabatan Kebajikan Masyarakat (JKM) Daerah ketika dihubungi, berkata pihaknya akan menjalankan siasatan bagi mengetahui punca kejadian itu.

Katanya, mengikut rekod JKM, walaupun taska terbabit sudah beroperasi sejak beberapa lama, pihak pengurusan baru saja memohon untuk didaftarkan dan kini masih dalam proses.

---

What were they thinking serving fish balls to babies?! And as big as a thumb?? Oh dear God. That poor baby. That poor parents. My heart goes out to them.

This is exactly why I always remind myself, it's not so bad to not being able to go shopping every month like I used to when I had a job. At least now I get to take care of the baby myself, instead of leaving him with a babysitter or at a daycare.

*sigh* I feel so angry and upset.

Babyland and Avocado

My favourite place to get baby's essentials has got to be Babyland in SS2, Petaling Jaya. I would go there with a purpose to get just disposable diapers, but would end up with toys, rusks, clothes, socks, bibs and whatnot an hour later. It's a sickness, I tell you. And what made me like this place even more is that there's a small fruit stall just below the store. The fruits are fresh and prices are reasonable. Today, I got 3 avocados for just RM10. Now that is awesome.

I've been meaning to introduce avocado into the baby's diet, but I held off the intention (until today) because it is quite pricey just to get a piece. Preparing the avocado is super easy as you don't need to steam/bake/blend, therefore making it a great to-go meal.


The 3 avocados bought for RM10, posing nicely on the cutting board before getting sacrificed for the baby.




Slice, de-pit, and scoop out the "meat".



The rest of the slices are kept in a zip-lock bag to be frozen.



Before serving, mash with a fork.


The verdict? A yay all the way!

Reference: Avocado For Your Baby

It Is A Pain

Image from OhMalaysia

It is a pain to see,
you came into this world just to be killed or left to die.

It is a pain to know,
you were abandoned and not getting all the attention,
love and care that you need and deserve.

It is a pain to imagine,
all the pain that you went or will go through in your life.

It is a pain to not understand,
how can humans be so heartless.

I shed my tears for you, sweet innocent ones.