Friday, January 27, 2012

Believe


Credit:favim.com

Sunshine!

I love you girls!

You are my sunshine
My only sunshine
You make me happy
When the skies are grey
You'll never know dear
How much I love you
So please don't take
My sunshine away

Photo credit to: Antisha :)

Ditch the nappy!

Let us call an end for a nappy changing! Yes, Iris consistently dry all day and night! Surely it is a great achievement for her. She keeps telling everyone she does not wear diapers anymore. And I keep repeating the good news and praising her in front of people that concerned and I let Iris heard the conversation so that she will feel special. I have mentioned her achievement while talking to my husband over the phone and made an excited tone "Bapak!!! Iris dah tak payah pakai pampers tidur malam-malam!! Iris is a big girl dah!" She grinned and repeated the same tone when she told the story to the people around her.

I was skeptical at first when she told me she did not want to use diaper anymore. Yes, she does not use diaper during daytime for almost 6 months, but nighttime is quite challenging for me and her. I have to wake her up when she has the urge to. So I guess I need to wait for several months to make her bladder fully mastered this process. But she had convinced me "Mummy, Iris dah tak payah pampers. Iris kencing dalam toilet." And I let her, and she proved me wrong. After a week training, I think I can call an end to this nappy thing. But of course I need to prepare myself for any accidents that might occur. I need to keep in mind that this is a grown-up skill so mastering this process surely take time.

Iris, you are 3 years and 5 months and officially potty trained. Iris, you must feel proud of yourself!

My Little Dragon

Iesha and Anya

Friday, January 20, 2012

Colors of Rainbow


Iesha's night t-shirts

Notes: I didn't realize I made a rainbow out of Iesha's night t-shirts!

Happy Thought

All children are artists - Pablo Picasso

My children talents deserve a post here. These are the few drawings by Iris. I am unsure where did she learn to draw these fine arts. I normally sitting down with her and Iesha for couple of minutes to draw, and I never draw human figurines as I thought she won't be able to draw such a complex drawing, I meant for her age. So, most of the times I just scribble and draw simple things like flowers, clouds or sun. But here are what she drew:

Mummy by Iris Adeena

That is me! Can you see the small details of my fingers and that stiff and straight hair? But I didn't get the message of the dots on my face, for I do not have zits that much. Perhaps Constantin Brancusi is true "Don't look for obscure formulas or mystery in my work. It is pure joy that I offer you."

Dinosaur by Iris Adeena

Of course these drawings deserve to be sticked on the fridge. I need to be more observant, so I can help my children to expand her abilities. I need and have to spend more time with them because I believe these early years of the children (1-6 yo) are the most crucial time for them to grow and learn. These are the great time to encourage questions, to explore their talents and ideas and to teach them faith and almost everything.

Mummy-turned-sun by Iris Adeena

Bapak by Iris Adeena

And here are scribbles by Iesha. Her arts are more mysterious, so let them be. Quoted Francis Bacon "The job of the artist is always to deepen the mystery."

Mystery by Iesha Aafreen

Mystery 2 by Iesha Aafreen

Thursday, January 19, 2012

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Random Parenting Tips

Here are the random tips from child proofing home to duplicating things. This is necessary for you to have a safe and sound home; and to be a scream-free mother.

1. Furniture
Use a leather couch instead of fabric. So if your children get their milk spilt, all you need to do is wipe the couch. Easy.

Use a non-fabric floormat. Keyword: no fabric oriented house. You can even allow your child to play with their rubber ducks on this kind of mat. All you need to do is mop after that scream.

Two queen sized beds, so every one can sleep like a baby. This is the concept of co-sleeping. And make sure you have lots of pillows so that they won't argue over it. One bed for the mother, one for the father; so the children will have a guardian each. Well, most of the times I have three with me, leaving alone the father on one bed. (Unfair!)

Child stool so that they can wash their hands by themselves.

2. Playroom

You need a room for them to play. Yes, a room. If you do not have enough room for the guests, you may allow them to use this room. Entertain the guests with Lego, stuffed animals and play believe toys.

Teach the children to put back the toys in their places, so it will make your life easier. Keyword: discipline.

Feed them with puzzles, books, boxes of toys. And love.

A dustbin of bears.

3. Duplicate EVERY things.

Pillows.

Cups.

Plant pots.

4. Bathroom

You need to have lots of rubber ducks, rubber elephants, rubber lions, rubber zoos. Keyword: Lots of, rubbers.

You need to have lots of shower creams and shampoos as well, for them to play transferring and play believe scouring the toilet. Buy cheap shower creams and shampoos (so you won't regret) so that they can spill them out in one bath time. All you have to do afterwards is teach them feeling, "Mummy sedih, shampoo Mummy dah habis. Macam mana Mummy nak shampoo rambut Mummy?" They will promise you they will not do it again, which the promise only last for 5 minutes and yes, don't go for steep creams.

Perhaps that are the random tips from me. For those who haven't a maid or helper to clean up your house, trust me, these tips help.

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

I have three girls.

One to prepare the meal.

One to fold the clothes.

One to scrub the toilet.

11.11.11

The Prophet Muhammad (SAW) said, "Marry the loving and fertile because through you, I will compete with the nations for superiority in numbers."-Abu Dawood-

Not sure which, either I'm fertile or following the Sunnah, I have you, my third baby girl. Yes you, Iyra Alveena.

You were born on November 11, 2011, only 9 minutes to 11PM. Yes, I am a number lover, thanks Allah for another great birthday date. But million thanks to You for this new bundle of joy. I need to be true for you to remember my girl, that I didn't expect you in my womb because my life was very frenzied and I didn't expect that many excellent swimmers of Bapak will unite with my egg. I was busy preparing myself with the study things and adjusted to my new life as a student. And I got you in me.

It wasn't easy for me though. With a new rented house to adjust, and the two small princesses to pamper and yell, with cooking skill to enhance (since we didn't have Anya or Yon to help with the meals), with a new neighborhood, gosh it wasn't easy. For the first few months, I suffered bad days and I'm sorry dear I didn't mean to harm you. I haven't consumed myself with good food for you. I didn't talk too much to you or dance with you while you were in me. I'm sorry Vee.

Apart of the bad days, you grew. I can feel your kicks, your hiccups, and your summersaults. And again, you love to stay in your favorite position, which I most scared; the breech position just like your Kak Iesha. I tried so many ways to get you turn your head and so I can have normal delivery, but yes, I might be the Queen, but you set the rule. So I didn't want to argue with the experts anymore, this time I agreed to rather follow what they had set up to me, a Caesarean on 15th of November. On a red book, you were about to see the world on 27th November; 2 weeks earlier than the expected due date.

The story is there for me to tell. I was having a plain Friday with my beloved at Nek Ma's house. I told Bapak that I needed a check up since my tummy was hard as a rock since Subuh. And so Bapak got all our things readied and had my wish filled. I longed for Tutti Fruity ice cream. While Bapak performed Solat Jumaat, I was in the car filling my tummy with the ice cream. Thought we had a good day that day, didn't we, Vee?

The hard tummy made me admitted to the HUSM. OK, I need to be true again. I wanted to deliver you on that date. With the help of hard tummy and a good script and prayers from all, we managed to get through the OT that day on 10.30PM. I thought we wouldn't get the date, but after performed Solat Isya', I was asked by the nurse to get into that blue dress. I still remember the doctor said to me "You sapu minyak selusuh tu kenapa? You memang nak tarikh hari ni ye?". Whoopsie, she well read my mind. But I managed to get to her "Eh, I tak percaya minyak-minyak ni, mother I yang kasi, I sapu je-lah." And I remembered what I texted Bapak "No matter what, She nak Ceaser hari ni jugak."

And there we went. You were so easy to take out. I still remember I was half paralyzed at 10.40PM, and 5 minutes and so, you then were crying your heart out. Yes, some might say it was a C-sec, so it sure is speedy, but not with my second daughter, Iesha, when I saw the team was quite struggling to take her out. Did you hear the great verses Bapak recited for you? I hope you'll be a good girl.

Oh, what a lovely girl you are. Your weight was 2.97kg and; a girl. Welcome to the new world, Iyra Alveena.


A girl.

Saturday, January 14, 2012

The Sisters

Sister's love

What's the good of news if you haven't a sister to share it?-Jenny DeVries

To have a loving relationship with a sister is not simply to have a buddy or a confident; it is to have a soul mate for life.-Victoria Secunda

Sisters are most probably the most competitive relationship within the family, but once sisters are grown, it becomes the strongest relationship.-Margaret Mead

Of two sisters, one is always the watcher, one the dancer.-Loiuse Gluck

New Baby in The House!

Our respectable noble friend, Iyra Alveena.

Yes, meet our newborn. Oh, what a comeback!

The Hand

"The hands are the instruments of man's intelligence."-Maria Montessori

I am a true believer of breastfeeding, co-sleeping, and mitten-free baby (is there?). I'd like my baby to explore the world with her very own hands. Yes, I've made a mistake before when I put mittens to my first daughter when she was small. Perhaps it was my inner thought told me that her hands cannot bear with the coldness, even it was 50 degree surrounded her. And so now I need to correct my previous mistake, for now I'm not putting the mittens on the baby's hands. Err, but whose hands are that, anyway?