I-Ya-Ya!

I-ya-ya! I got new toy, Squid The Squeaker! Thank you Mummy!

Tiny Bracelet

Nek Ma bought you your first bracelet for Hari Raya. It is as beautiful and adorable as you are. At first she bought you another bracelet, but it was too big for your tiny little wrist. So she went to another store with Anya looking for a perfect bracelet for you. And here it is a perfect gorgeous bracelet on a gorgeous little girl. It has a loceng too, and it makes wonderful sound when you move your hand. The tiny bracelet fit your wrist perfectly. Thanks to Nek Ma she always wants her girls look beautiful as she is. Iris and bracelet. So small. So beautiful. So perfect.

Iris, be careful!!! Crockie and Ellie want to steal your bracelet!

What Things Cost The Year You Were Born:2008

Money, money, money!!! (Iris-2 months old)

Ramlee Burger Special (With extra cheese and egg) …… RM3.50
House rental …… RM320
29” television …..RM999
Hotel room ……. RM280
One liter of gas …… RM err..changed so many times
Loaf of bread ……. RM0.50
Movie ticket …….. RM8
Theatre ticket …….. RM160
Music CD …….RM4.00 (Bukit Feringgi mari)
Mars bar ……. RM2.90
Postage stamp ……. RM0.40
Haircut …… RM30.00
Tailored baju kurung ….. RM70
Newspaper ….. RM1.20
Coke or Pepsi ….. RM1.90
YOU…Dua puluh sennn!!! Lelong! Lelong!

Sleeping Beauties

While pregnant, I had the hardest time sleeping. I’d wallow around in bed forever just to finally get up, in frustration, and go read or watch 714. I’d often go to bed around 1AM.

No, I’m in bed at 10PM. Then I’m up at midnight. Then asleep at 1AM. Then up at 3, then sleep at 4ish. Then awakened on and off around 7AM. Ok, I’ll get up already! (Ye-lah tu).

Now, I live for naps.

And funny enough, I sleep the best when I’m sleeping with you at my side. Or on top of me. If the position is not to your liking, you kick and scoot until you like it. Then you fall asleep. Then I fall asleep.

Iris And G.G.

You are so lucky to have met your great-grandmother, Che (that’s what I grew up calling her). Everybody calls her by that name; from her own son, your Tok Ba, to her neighbors. So I think it’s time for you to call her G.G. – an ellipsis of Great-Grandmother. She is such a strong and wonderful woman and I think it’s so special to have four generations together and able to enjoy each other. G.G met you for the first time when we arrived at Kok Lanas. She was so excited to see you. She really came alive! She can’t stop smiling and reached out to hold you. She would have played with you for hours if I’d let her. She told people to hold you gently. She hugged you close to her heart. She kept on showing you off to others. She really was beaming with pride. And you are pretty interested with G.G. when you first met for the first time. You were an absolute doll. You kept on touching her face while G.G. smothered you in kisses. It was really sweet.

Iris and G.G.

Great Mother Or Total Sucker?

Heck. I don’t know…

I just can’t stand to hear you scream, which you do a lot.
A LOT. You love to be held.
It sure makes getting things done difficult.
On the upside I’m going to have super buff arms soon.
Some days I have to tote you around for hours.
I know you’ll grow out of this phase soon enough.
Right? RIGHT?

Gorgeous Godmothers

You should thank God for having such self-claimed gorgeous godmothers. And they are Anya, Anyon and Antiq. They are far better than me when handling and totting and rocking you even though they haven’t their own babies yet. They really took care of you while I was doing another important thing – sleeping. And they have special mission on Hari Raya which was asking people to hold you gently. And when there were kids who were so geram to touch you, the three self-claimed gorgeous godmothers will control them. I couldn’t do that afraid that people will see me as not so phat mother, so I left the mission to them, and they did that pretty well.

We even had girls’ sleepover with Anya and Anyon. And I remembered one night when you cried for milk, we heard a spooky sound outside the house. Anyon said she heard someone was walking suspiciously and she was sure that was a burglar. We were so petrified to get out from the room and told Nek Ma and Tok Ba, so we kept quiet. The only person who wasn’t care and kept on screaming was you! The three of us kept blinking in the dark and prayed so hard wishing that the sunshine rises earlier than before. Even though I was the eldest and worst I am now a mummy, still I can’t get rid of fear of housebreak. And the morning came and we told Nek Ma and Tok Ba what had happened last night and they have checked it out and they founded that was actually the goat for your aqiqah which his feet has been tangled by the rope. And he was struggled last night and we misconstrued it for a burglar. Oh what a thought! Shame on us.

That was one of memorable memories with your godmothers. You actually are having many more self-claimed gorgeous godmothers; Anasha, Anmama, Anmimi, Antiah, Anlia and more Ans. And they are all self-claimed gorgeous godmothers…

Anyon, Anya, Antiq (aren't they gorgeous?)

Our Adventure

We’ve never been through this before, and it is definitely a challenge. Figuring out sleeping patterns, allergies, food preferences. I even did not eat or come close to budu my favorite sauce, afraid that our baby might have stomach ache. You would think that these little things would come with a “How To” Manual, but instead we are left on our own to figure it all out. You always ask me to give our baby my best milk, although she just wants a hug. We make mistakes, we keep trying. It’s what parenting is all about. But another thing that I adore you is that you are so confident, and I hope I have that confidence too. Yeah, I know it grows within time. You are comfortable holding Iris and rocking her to sleep. You are more than willing to give her a bottle or change her diaper. I so appreciate the father you are to Iris. We are all blessed. You make us laugh, you keep us calm, and you relax us. I think you are an amazing father and there isn’t another person that I would want on this adventure called “Parenting.” I just want you.

I just want you. Yes, you.

One Month

You are a month old already and the time has just flown by. You’ve already changed a lot in these few weeks. You slept almost all day when we first brought you home, but you are staying awake more and more now. You are very alert and turn your head to see bright lights and you love to have people talk to you. Thanks to Tok Ba who is your number one fan and of course his favorite line is “Tok Ba tengok Iris ni ome ome ome ni”, and Bapak of course your true friend and his favorite line would be “Ini Bapak” and he would repeat it hundred times . And you yawn a lot and I think these few pictures are proofs that you are a true yawner but quite the charmer. You are such a little sweetheart and we love you so much!

Yawn

Yawnnnn!!!

Yawn...

Yawnnn!!

Your First Hari Raya

This year’s Hari Raya was the best Hari Raya to all of us. Having you has made everybody’s Hari Raya was merrier than before. We celebrated at Tok Ba and Nek Ma’s house since I was still in confinement. Like the previous Hari Raya, all of my aunties and uncles from Paka and KL and Kok Lanas gathered at your grandparent’s home sweet home.

Never did I fail to have myself a new pair of baju raya. But this year, with a big change of my vital stats, I only wore last year’s baju raya. Thank God I still can wear that brown baju kurung Pahang. But then I avenged by making you your first baju raya. Okay let me be true, Nek Sue sewed you that beautiful dress, but hey, I did paste the flowers, okay. I even matched it with an adorable head wreath. I really had a little fun with your outfit project. You still look absolutely adorable despite the wreath. And here is the story of your first Hari Raya.

So cantik!

The day started with the morning breakfast from my naturally sterilized milk. Then you have your bath given by Nek Ma and Anya and I tried to dress you up with your gorgeous Hari Raya off white gown, but you refused. Seriously I didn’t have any Plan B because I didn’t buy you any girl’s Hari Raya’s dress, so you ended up wearing that boyish Timberland’s outfit. Poor Iris. But Anya and I still tried so hard to make you look like our Iris to our very irises, so then we put on the head wreath on your little head. And as you can see in this picture you couldn’t wait to get it off your bald, little head!

Put it off my head!!!

Everybody’s favorite activity on Hari Raya is definitely the photography session. But to my disappointment, Bapak wasn’t in this year’s Hari Raya photos since he was scheduled on-call on Hari Raya’s eve and arrived at Tok Ba and Nek Ma’s house at lunch hour, so we can still have photo together. So here are the 2008 Hari Raya’s photos.

Happy Raya!

Am I beautiful?

Bapak, Mummy and Iris

Family!

I am proud to say that this year’s Hari Raya is unquestionably everybody’s favorite since they have a new face in their photos, and it is definitely you!