A post on breastfeeding

Well, come this 31 December, I would have been BF-ing my son, Musa Hashim, for exactly two years -- exclusively for the first six months and supplemented by other nutritious mama-prepared meals for the following 18 months.

Although I wasn't strictly following a no-formula-milk plan, I did have to rely on a particular soy-based brand for those few occasions when my milk supply wasn't enough.

I believe this exercise in BF provided several good outcomes to both me and my son. But one of the most noticeable benefits is that over the past two years, he rarely got sick, and even when he did, it was only for one day and one night at the most. I, too, haven't visited the doctor much since I gave birth to Musa. We both were blessed with good health during this period. My husband, too, has been the beneficiary of much appreciation and gratitude from me, for his constant support, understanding and encouragement.

Due to my experiment in BF, of course, I'm very much interested in the experience of others who have also chosen this path. My research brought me to this great website.

WABA goes to great lengths to ensure that women who BF are protected of their rights. And in their minds, women have the right to BF. It's just that Governments, society, employers, etc. see maternity protection at the workplace -- extended maternity leave, childcare days, breastfeeding breaks, flexible work options -- as a costly burden to them.

In a 2005 speech by our Women's Minister (Shahrizat at the time), she said that her Ministry had conducted a study and found that by just extending maternity leave from the current 60 to 90 days would incur a cost of RM2.7 billion to employers. I was disappointed when she continued by saying, "While the Ministry believe wholeheartedly on the importance of the bonding and nurturing of mothers and newborn babies, we have also to bear in mind that the contribution of women in the labour market is indispensable. Therefore any recommendations to the Government should take into consideration attractive terms for both employers and employees." With those words, she just crumbled down every single effort that her Ministry had previously made in promoting women's maternity benefits, it seems to me.

I think a working mom's contribution to the labour market cannot only be seen by her active participation or early re-entry into the workforce. You've got to consider also that she is nurturing the country's future labour market -- and if she is breastfeeding her infant, she is actually taking steps to ensure that the future workforce is populated by healthy men and women. Isn't that the basis for our 1Malaysia brand and its tagline of "People First, Performance Now"? I mean, how can we perform and be productive if we are not healthy and companies have to face huge absenteeism numbers every day?

Anyway, back to WABA, they've got this great table with a comparative listing of the maternity benefits offered by some 176 countries worldwide. Please click on the image below or the link above.

Not surprisingly, Malaysia is among the several countries offering maternity benefits in the lower brackets -- only about 8.5 weeks (60 days) of paid maternity leave, compared to our nearest island neighbour which provides 16 weeks off to their female staff. At the other end of the scale, we have Norway offering more than 26 weeks of maternity leave paid for by the Government, and fathers entitled to 4 weeks of that.

And studying the chart jolted me into realising that there is such a thing as breastfeeding breaks -- which employers also pay for in most countries! In fact, Cambodia, Laos, Vietnam, are some of our nearest neighbours that offer these initiatives to their female staff.

In Malaysia, well, from my experience, at least, I felt like I had to sneak around at work feeling guilty about taking a BF break to express some milk. However, a thick skin and understanding and supportive supervisor and colleagues made my BF adventures in the office bearable, if not, amusing at times!

Well, I've nearly come to the end of my BF journey...after 2 years, we'll see how it goes. I'm inclined to baby-led weaning actually...but again, we'll see.

More helpful resources on breastfeeding in Malaysia:

SusuIbu.com

Mom's Little Ones

http://www.breastfeeding.com/
http://www.susuanibu-pk.gov.my/

Something on the Women's Summit which advocates Work-Life Balance for working moms -- a great website and if you trawl it, you'll come to know of some of Malaysia's best employers offering family-friendly work policies to working moms, i.e. extended maternity leave, flexible working options, etc. -- Digi, Accenture, Shell Malaysia.

Three artists, three journeys, one show

Travel * NST Online

The article above appeared in the New Straits Times' Travel Times on 1 Dec 2009. Thank you, Kak Putri, for inserting it in!!!

Some fine examples of 1Malaysia

Everyone's been talking about the 1Malaysia concept. It's a pretty clever branding stunt to supposedly reflect the united front of Malaysians. And perhaps deflect attention from other more important or critical things happening in this beloved country.

Here's another look at the 1Malaysia concept. The "1" there doesn't really stand for "unity." Forget what the advocates say. Look closely. It's just an apt description of the "me first" attitude/mentality of many Malaysians, politicians and mere citizens alike.

It's the me-first attitude in practise when someone drives straight into a parking spot you've been patiently waiting for and gives you a pretend-blur look as though he really hadn't seen you with your blinking lights on!

Or when someone cuts the queue in front of you as you're standing in line to pay for petrol. And when you tell that person off, he turns to you and blames you for leaving a gap in the queue!

Or the countless examples of road bullies loose on our highways.

1Malaysia is just a superficial branding meant to create warm and fuzzy feelings deep in our hearts about Malaysian pride. It's not gonna happen by slapping on a label, and coming up with a logo and a song about it! (Although, Faizal Tahir does a good job of rocking up a patriotic song!)

Book of memories

The past few weeks have seen me pretty busy on this Book of Memories project. Gosh, it's been a long while since I ever did something like this...I don't even have my Magic Box anymore...it used to be stashed with all kinds of crap...errr, I mean, scrap like papers, ribbons, fancy stickers, magic pens, etc. The box is hidden deep in the ever-growing pile of junk in the store-room, and I fear venturing in there to dig it up because I did that once and came face to face with the most humongous piece of roach there was...ugh!

Anyway, this Book of Memories is a labour of love for me and hubby because it's a gift I'm doing for our 3rd anniversary, which is today. It's 95% complete because I haven't put in the paper-cuts that I did of cute little animals. It was supposed to be ready, but Zane came to my office earlier than expected, so I couldn't finish it. I showed it to him anyway, over lunch today, and he was really surprised. I think he almost teared up, too!

I think he liked this present better than the other one I gave him -- a French Connection shirt which I got on sale yesterday. That one was pretty, too, candy coloured checked shirt. This description makes it sound hideous, but, believe me, it's not as Bangla as it sounds. It's a real nice shirt and the material's really good, too.

Anyway, the Book of Memories documents photos of the special people in our lives, some blog entries I wrote about Zane, some cheesy poems I got off the internet, some very intellectual quotes on love, love letters from the old (and new) days, and other barf-inducing romantic stuff that only a *loving* spouse can ever tolerate.

I really enjoyed going through the old photos we had and selecting the ones I wanted, turning them into black and white, adjusting the brightness and contrast, etc. I was so afraid that the people at the photo shop would ruin the effect I had in mind, but Aunty Florence, to whom I've been going to for photo prints since I was a kid, did a lovely job! She actually went through each photo to make sure they turned out the way I wanted, with shadows, and mood effect, etc.

For the photo album, I went to Cziplee + over at Bangsar and got this handsome chocolate-coloured scrap-book / photo album with beautiful pages in cream. It was from Kolo and cost me about RM95. At the time, gaji belum masuk lagi, so I just closed my eyes and charged it to my card! :P

One of the things I wanted to put in the book was a print of Musa's palm but I was too lazy to get messy with paints, and anyway, how was I gonna explain to Zane about borrowing his acrylics in the middle of the night? Instead, I waited for Musa to fall asleep last night and traced the outline of his left hand. Heheh.

The last thing I need to do now is paste the paper cuts on some of the pages...I found some nice silhouette pictures of animals on the internet, drew them out on some card stock and cut them out with a blade. I think they look adorable, these tiny menagerie of mine. Which is your favourite?

So, do you like my Book of Memories? Bouquets and brickbats welcomed...but please be gentle with the latter! :P

Anyway, Sayang, thank you for loving me so patiently.

Love anthem

I'm going through this spell where I'm feeling very receptive and open to many things. It's not a conscious effort, just that a lot of things seem to be leaving a lasting impression on me -- making me feel things with greater depth, ponder more (some thoughts don't leave me at night), and just...I dunno...can't really describe it.

Feels like the whole universe is holding me even closer these days than before, and I'm just welcoming it all in.

I mean just in this two weeks, I've been smitten by the charmingly acidic Anthony Bourdain, can't seem to get enough of grapefruits and its bitter after-taste (take one each day!), and loving this song.

It just blows my mind, I can't even describe it! I've heard of the Dave Matthews Band before...especially the song Crash Into Me. But this one, Crush, the Radio City acoustic version, is something else, man!

I love the lyrics, the way DM mouths the words, his tenderness, the urgency in his voice, his little grin, the sensual everything. It's so intoxicating, and he just got all the feelings, all the sensations for love right.

The song's about love, about falling in love, about the fixation with a person, the admiration, the never-wanna-leave-you-for-a-second feeling, etc.

Every line in the song is just amazing. When you were in love, didn't you feel that every thing in the world was amazing? Just like Dave says, "It's crazy, I'm thinking, just knowing that the world is round."

And when you love somebody, you're just "dancing on the ground, am I right side up or upside down? And is this real, or am I dreaming?"

"And I wonder this: could tomorrow be so wondrous as you there sleeping."

And right at the end of the song, it ends with this: "Oh my love, many now hold you, but please, please, just let me, always..."

Wow.

And to think that the song almost didn't make it into their album, Before These Crowded Streets!

My love anthem for hubby and me from now on. Just because the song so reminds me of us.

Thank you, bfm 89.9 for playing this brilliant song for me this very first time today.

And just because I love it so much, here's another version of it.

Art Lesson No. 96

Last night was one of those nights. Good company, good food, good conversations... in a rather unconventional setting with my house a total mess, the studio next door being renovated, and other aspects of life in a mish-mash.

Awie was there to help Zane with his new studio. Then Qalam and Bashir arrived to join us during dinner. Conversation flowed -- mostly about art.

In the midst of tinkling laughter (mine) and clouds of smoke (theirs), Qalam turned to me and asked quietly, "Are you happy here?" But the way he asked it was as though he already knew the answer. I just said, "Yes!" and thanked God for having Zane, Musa, this house, the studio, our art, and even the small things like the garden table Zane made, the pergola, our junk car, the food before us, etc.

We talked about future plans, dreams, artists, and paintings. We talked about their recent Penang trip, Zane's new studio next door, about Musa's painting.

Then, Zane brought out the writeup I did for Lautan Tiga, the upcoming three-man show he's doing with Tuan Azhar and Mie Pak Lah. He asked Qalam to read it. I was horrified! My first reaction was to lunge forward and grab the piece of paper out of Zane's hand. Instead I shrugged my shoulders, put on my infamous poker face, and cringed inside. Let the crit session begin, I thought...

-- because Qalam is such an educated, literate, intellectual person, with deep philosophies, thoughts that never stop running in his head, a keen observer, and has profound perspectives and opinions on many and all things. He's one of the heads in fine art at a local university, he paints, does installation works and sculptures. He's a curator and writes about art. He reads a lot, too -- his house is full of books of every kind -- from bibles to Quran, from classics to children's, from trash to everything else. And that's how I know he's well-read --

So yeah, I felt a little unworthy.

Well, he read it quietly...and worse still, didn't say a word when he finished. Probably trying to think of something nice to say, but coming up with zilch! Oh, God...

Then he came up with this: "Good. You wrote about the artists, their backgrounds, their experience..."

I knew it wasn't a compliment and waited for the inevitable "But..."

But it never came, well not immediately.

About half an hour later, in the midst of talking about something else, he inserted the "But..."!

"Maybe you can explain about their current works. Don't get stuck writing about their biographies because we already know that. But their works, now that's something new, fresh."

Made sense.

Then, another half hour later, he took out one of Zane's abstract works and said: "When the artist has signed his work, he's ready to show it to the public. And that's when you come in as the viewer to interact with the painting. The painting no longer belongs to the artist; it is open for the public to interpret it anyway they want, and the artist has no say already."

Just like how an author can no longer be possessive about her novel once it has been published, marketed and read by readers, I thought.

Then, he took on the stance of a lecturer (because he is one in his day job), and started making an example of Zane's work and how I could write so many things about it.

"At first glance, this looks like an abstract work. But then, you can see that it has elements of a landscape painting, which is natural because we know that that is what Zane 'suka buat; dia punye suka.' The warm swirls of colour here -- they look like a sun. The lines here suggest growth, ferns growing. The central colours here are perhaps the jungle. And everything is on a horizontal plane, suggesting some kind of landscape.

"The whole feel of the painting is very 1980s...the colours chosen, the content. During the 80s, Malaysians, and a lot of artists were obsessed with budaya, kebangsaan, trying to find their Malaysian identity. In that context, perhaps the ferns here represent Zane's own ideas of identity, of his kemelayuan."

He had a lot to say, but he took his time saying it. I'm glad that despite feeling a little inferior about my writing, I was able to put those feelings aside and be open to what he had to say. I think in terms of writing on art, he could be my mentor. He suggested that I take up a course on art history, and Zane was all for it, too.

So this turned up to be a long post because I don't want to forget it. Last night was a wonderful moment. One of those things that you just never planned for. And even though my life is full of glaring imperfections, I'm glad that with Zane in my life, and all the things that come along with him, I am able to appreciate the more enriching aspects of my existence in this world.

Serendipity

Sometimes in life, we stumble upon something we never set out to find...and yet, it finds us.

This morning, I had packed quiche for my breakfast into an Ikea tupperware. The plastic storage had some unfamiliar symbols on the bottom, so I wasn't sure if I could pop it into the micrwave for re-heating.

I tried googling "ikea microwave oven safe symbol" and that got me to a blog kept by an American wife/mom/grandma who, from the looks of it, loves journaling, scrapbooking, quilting and making crafts. She posted an Emily Dickinson poem which I just melted for. Read it and just relish the words on the tongue. This makes me wish I had studied literature in college.

I love the first and last line of the poem.

I Dwell in Possibility
by Emily Dickinson

I dwell in Possibility –
A fairer House than Prose –
More numerous of Windows –
Superior – for Doors –

Of Chambers as the Cedars –
Impregnable of eye –
And for an everlasting Roof
The Gambrels of the Sky –

Of Visitors – the fairest –
For Occupation – This –
The spreading wide my narrow Hands

To gather Paradise.

And now, some words on the concept of serendipity (also taken off her blog):

"Serendipity visits all of our lives at some point. You begin by going left, take a sudden right and find yourself someplace unexpected. Sure, some people know almost from childhood the path that they will take and map it out. Most of us, however, are a little softer in the life plan department. You think: This is the thing I will do, then encounter something unexpected and find yourself in a new place altogether."

Linda Richards

"Serendipity can be developed, as an attitude of the mind and as a quality of the spirit. It can energize and excite our lives and give us balance between structure and spontaneity, between flat, fixed firmness and free, fun flexibility. It can allow us to “get there” and to “enjoy the journey” at the same time. It can tap us into a higher, clearer reality andinject joy into what is no longer the routine.

On a more serious note, serendipity of the spirit can be an attitude whereby our lives become divinely guided rather than self structured. Serendipity of the spirit can become the connecting bridge betweenour goals and God’s will."

Richard Eyre

By the way, the movie of the same name, starring John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale, was and still is one of my favourite romantic date movies!

So folks, sometimes in life, we stumble upon something we never set out to find...and yet, it finds us. While what we've been searching for all our lives, remains elusive.

I still have no clue what that darn Ikea symbol means!

Moses and Mama

No doubt, mornings are the best...although sometimes Moses wakes me up a little too early for my liking! But that's my private time with him, while everyone else is still sleeping.

After a month being away from work and staying home with my hubby and son, I am now back at the office full-time. It's a tough adjustment because I keep thinking of these two precious guys in my life and our home life. I miss them very much when I am at the office.

My days are usually alike -- Moses and I wake up at the crack of dawn, and we roll about. He'll ask for "buah" or "bish" (biscuit). We watch TV (Cubeez and Krayon on Channel 552 because we can't afford the Cartoon Network!). We read. Then at 7:30 or 8 am, we go down and I make breakfast (he loves omelettes or bread and cheese).

He really takes after me in the way he brings food up to his nose for a sniff. Hubby says that's exactly what I do, too! I guess, for me, eating is something you need to engage with all your senses, especially your sense of smell. (Just the other day, during the mid-autumn festival, a neighbour came to Moses bearing a piece of durian. I was horrified because I didn't want him to take such a rich fruit at this age. Fortunately, Moses sniffed at it, didn't like the smell one bit and turned up his nose at it! Haha!).

Then after breakfast, we wake Ayah up and take walks around the block, visit the neighbours, go to Uncle's house and look at the fish in his pond, go for bike rides around the neighbourhood. Then it's time for Moses' bath, milk and morning nap.

While he's napping, we make lunch. He loves potatoes, fish, chicken and takes leafy veggies (Good boy!). His favourite is when I make kurma ayam. He just gobbles it up!

Moses is usually up by noon. He eats, rides his little car; gets on his horsie, Chief; we play some baby songs on the computer. Then he naps again around 2:30 or 3 pm.

In the evenings, we go for walks around the neighbourhood again, play some football, visit the neighbours, have tea (pancakes, more bread, fruits, etc.)

Evenings are quiet times. We have dinner, read books, watch some cartoons, turn on Oasis channel and listen to the doas, then tuck him in to bed.

Current thoughts

1. Pavilion KL has plenty of baby rooms, but no baby-friendly activities/corner.

2. Raya is just a few days away, but why don't I feel excited about it anymore? And don't tell me I'm not trying coz this year, I bought a baju kurung for myself and Denmark cookies (Thanks, Shake, for the latter)

3. My neighbour's Rottweiler is driving me nuts with the barking.

4. I think we are celebrating Raya in PJ...*yay*

5. Still waiting for the delivery of my much-anticipated car...what is taking so long???

6. So craving for the Pho Hoa Vietnamese noodles at The Curve.

7. Bought more books for Musa -- Dr. Seuss series and Where the Wild Things Are

8. A stray cat has adopted us out of the blue...we named him Shepherd.

9. Trying to re-read Cloud Atlas but the going is very slow.

10. Puasa penuh ke tahun ni???

My anchored heart

Dug this up from one of my old journals when I had all the time in the world and wrote ever so religiously.

Reading this again, it reminds me of the feelings of longing I must have had at the time...very much in love at the time kot...haha

Anchored heart
you've waited long
moored by the bay of a thousand dreams.

I'll cradle you in Neptune's arms
drink his dreams
but tenderly.

Anchored heart
don't bleed to death
don't drown at the bottom of the sea

Wait for the passing of these starless nights
for my ship to come
and sail away with me.

Like father like son

As I'm writing this, hubby is painting in the garage...well, sketching is more like it because tonight he decided to do a black and white charcoal figure drawing of a fisherman he met on his trip to the east coast.

His fingers hold the piece of black drawing tool with a certain sureness, and his hand moves back and forth in light caresses, colouring the shadows in.

It's funny that he's not the only artist in this house tonight. Lately, we've discovered another artist in the making. Our little Moses.

He didn't take after my writing it seems. Maybe because I'm hardly at it when he's around, so he can't mimic me. But he sure loves his colour pencils, magic inks, his Ayah's brushes, paints and canvas!

Every morning, he would tug at his dad's shirt and demand to be picked up and taken to the paintings where he would proceed to give "instructions" to my husband of which brush to pick up, which colour to use and exactly which spot to paint!

Aiyoh!

Just this week, Zane gave him a little canvas to paint, squeezed out some acrylics onto a palette and handed him a brush. Zane tried to guide his hands but he wouldn't have anything of that! He pushed Zane's hand away, quite determined to do it all by himself. Oh my, already asserting his independence, this little one!

This was Musa's very first piece of artwork at 19 months. Pretty amazing!

He did it all by himself -- dabbing colour to brush, transferring to canvas in his own strokes, painting the places he wanted to paint. Zane only helped him sign his name.

It's called "Er-there" because that's his favourite word...as in:

-- "Musa, where's your painting?"

-- "Er-there" (pointing to his masterpiece)

Haha!

Musa at 19 months

Musa just turned 19 months yesterday. He is a real handful! Climbing everywhere these days, painting canvases, just like his dad, sweeping the front-yard like his bibik, putts the golf ball like his Tok Papa, kicks the ball like a real pro, and is just basically, the light of everyone's lives!

He's got at least 10 teeth now, eating like a grown-up, and loves to read. Right now, we're reading Pak Latif Mohidin's Sungai Mekong. He loves it when I chant it out loud and giggles when i over-dramatise the words! I hope he will learn to love poetry like his mama.

The other day, he was sitting with his Ayah, watching TV. He suddenly got up from his Ayah's lap and plonked his butt on the floor next to his dad. He started to lean back against the sofa and accidentally hit his head. He didn't cry, but rubbed the back of his head forlornly. We puffed up some cushions so he could lean back comfortably. He looked so pleased with himself when he was able to do that. I bet he feels like a real adult!

That's my little Cappy! Happy birthday, sayang!

Saving David Mitchell

"If God made each minute last six months I'd be middle aged by breakfast and
dead by the time I got on the school bus"

I'm currently reading Black Swan Green by David Mitchell. I had been eyeing the book for quite some time and finally got it...well nicked it, more like. It's so shameful, I know, but I just could.not.resist. Not when it comes to books. I'd beg, borrow and steal.

Actually, it wasn't my first, either. In my student days, I would "borrow" books from the school library and not return them. People would lend me books, and if I really liked them (like Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird), I would keep 'em. So yeah, don't lend me books, people. Ever.

Actually, in my defence, I also decline from borrowing other people's books even when they insist. I don't want to be tempted to keep them and be banished from friendshiphood with my best buds.

But Black Swan Green was just calling out to me from this apartment show unit I was at...they had so many copies of it lying around as "decor" I knew nobody was going to read it...or miss it. So I just...slipped one into my bag and sauntered off innocently.

I think of it as my good deed to Mitchell. He is an excellent writer. Again, like my previous read, this, too, is about childhood. Specifically, Jason Taylor's in the 80s when Brit punk rock ruled (the story starts out with Human League's "Don't You Want Me" thumping out dead loud from sister Julia's room, can't you just hear it!).

There is anguish about being a social retard, about wanting to be cool without looking like you're trying too hard, about denying your love for poetry because you're afraid people will think you're gay, and yes, there's also that teenage lust...

"His fingers undid the buttons up her lavender dress one at a time
from her knees to her sunburnt neck."

Oh, and that Danish pastry episode out in the field with Dawn Madden was steamy!

David Mitchell should be read -- not just be made into living room decor! So there!

Kuala Lumpur on a weekday lunch break

Was at Ampang Park yesterday during lunchtime, accompanying Sylvan to the clinic. While she was getting her x-ray done on her knees, I walked around and window shopped for a bit. The experience made me realise that really I haven't been getting out enough these past few months!

I was ecstatic just being out and about again sans hubby and baby, in the thick of the KL crowd. I saw some cute-looking people, business-attired executives, trendy shoppers, foreigners looking lost and bewildered, etc. It was nice to be back in society for a bit.

I saw the trend of clothes these days...lots of maxis and retro stuff...I wish I could pull off the look. I think I need some colour in my wardrobe. Since I've been reading a lot of blogs by Swedish designers, I find that I really dig their style. It's very wintry and autumnal, if there are such words...Their style is a little kooky in the way they wear the red leather maryjanes, the polka-dotted top, the patterned skirt. It's all very quirky and interesting.

I made just one purchase yesterday at the music store. I wanted to get Meet Uncle Hussin for myself but they didn't have it so I brought back an original Michael Franks compilation of love songs.

If you have a blank stare on your face right now, I don't blame you. I didn't know him from Adam either until I met my hubby. During our courting days, he tried to get me to like his brand of music (Bill Withers, Zain Azman and Michael Franks).

While I happily accepted Bill and Zain, I wasn't particularly keen on Michael. His popsicle toes and cookie jar songs (yes, there is an older song by that same name!) were too "geli" for me to absorb. His voice is too "gatal," I told my Zane. Even till now, it makes me shiver involuntarily to listen to them.

But last night, when I gave him this simple present, his eyes lit up and he was really happy. He looked at the CD cover while singing the song titles out loud one by one. It's nice to surprise him once in a while for all the things he has done for me and all the sacrifices. Especially, when he had spent the whole afternoon clearing up the havoc from the storm and his body was aching from all the chopping and hacking he had to do on the tree.

Parking at Ampang Park -- RM3
Michael Franks CD -- RM47
Look on hubby's face -- priceless!

Fibroids

I went in for my fibroids treatment on Tuesday at the University Hospital. It's a non-invasive procedure that is being introduced in Malaysia for the first time (it's been used in Europe and US on a few hundred people, successfully).

It's called many things -- ablation, MRI-guided focused ultra-sound and at UH, it's called hi-fu (not sure if that's how it's spelled, though).

During the procedure, I had to lie belly-down on an MRI machine for almost four hours while a focused heat was targeted at my large uterine fibroid. There was also some cramping sensation inside my abdomen...almost like labour contractions!

The bad news is I have to go in for a second treatment in early March...I'm so not looking forward to it but it's the only appealing option for me right now.

Toddling around

Musa started walking his first few tentative steps on 9 February, and has since been toddling around in ways described as either mabuk (drunk) or orangutan!

Haha...The baby has become a toddler! It's a major milestone...one that I thought he would achieve later this year looking at his very cautious and "scaredy-cat" disposition. But he has surprised us this time.

He really seems to enjoy this new-found freedom. He loves to walk at every opportunity, sometimes never tiring of the circles he makes. We cheer him on, regardless, and baby him when he takes a fall and cries.

He walks with his hands up high, trying for balance. And he is fast...zipping here and there almost precariously.

It's time to look for shoes. I was attracted to this brand called papayayas but it wasn't easy pulling them on him. We finally went for a treehouse sandal that was easy to strap on. We may look at bubblegummers later.

Up next, potty training!

Storm

The storm on Tuesday left our house in a mess.

The cherry tree was badly damaged. The winds must have been extremely strong because when we came home, the branches were twisted everywhere, and most of the leaves had dropped!

Zainal's large paintings at the front and his heavy easels toppled. One piece of large painting got torn.

Upstairs, the master bedroom was wet. The mattress was set. The sofa was wet. The Sarawak mat was wet.

Yesterday, Zane chopped most of the cherry tree down. It was a sad sight.

Water

Right now, this is where I want to be.

Just off to the sea. Sink my feet deep in the sand. Feel the breath of wind on my face. Inhale. Exhale. Whoop for joy. Jump, run and sing.

Everytime I look at islands or beaches, I just wish i had a magic wand that would take me there immediately.

Lazy weekend

The past few weekends -- Chinese New Year and Federal Territory Day -- passed in bliss for our little family. We didn't make plans to go anywhere except to stay home.

Though my mornings started very early (thanks to Moses being an early riser), I enjoyed our time together pushing him in his stroller looking for birds and eating cherries picked straight from our tree. Moses would alert us to any passing airplane by shooting his arm straight up in the air the minute he heard one...that boy is so alert and now I know where the word boy-sterous comes from!

Breakfasts were simple, but long-drawn out affairs under our little cherry-tree pergola, with sun spots flickering through and dancing on the old, wooden table. Zane had re-arranged the furniture so that now we are sitting on his hand-made two-seater rather than on Ikea stools. The leaves of the cherry tree provide excellent shade and the plants creeping up the wooden columns and beams of our pergola are beautiful to look at.

I made French toast, scrambled eggs and banana pancakes (all in mini sizes so that Moses could partake as well), and enjoyed beautiful breakfasts with coffee in our pajamas. Sometimes, Zane would join me if he woke up earlier, other times, it was Moses, me and Mr. Bill Bryson (I haven't finished his life and times yet).

We had guitar sessions with Zane, bike-riding with Moses, sniffed our neighbour's flowers, ate cherries, papaya, Chinese New Year oranges, took lots of photos for memories.

The weather was cloudy, sunny and raining in turns which promoted a kind of laziness in all of us. Afternoon naps in the master bedroom upstairs was nice cuddling up with hubby and Moses.

One evening, we bundled up everyone and went to the farmer's market for fresh produce. On fish alone, Zane spent almost RM70...but boy, did we bring back a huge bounty!

This is what weekends should be...and there's one more long weekend to look forward to on Thaipusam!

Happiness!