Imran Turns Two

My darling Imran…on this day on 28/7…

Can’t believe two years has flown by since the day I first laid my eyes on you and carried you in my arms. You’re growing up so fast, my boy, awe-ing us every single day with new words to add to your vocabulary. You interchange between calling us Mama and Papa to Mummy and Daddy occasionally as that’s what you learned through your nursery rhymes. You can now count from 1-20 (although you forget some numbers in between at times) and can recite the alphabets from A-Z complete with the phonics related to each alphabet (on occasion, you forget some but that’s okay) J You know your shapes, colours and have such a strong love for animals, knowing more animal names than we could think of including the sound that they make. You dramatize every nursery rhyme and cartoon you watch, you little entertainer. You love to create and build bricks, blocks and tiles and love to topple them over too. You also enjoy arranging things around the house and these activities can occupy you for minutes (yes, minutes!). You name everything around you as you see them and it’s incredibly enlightening seeing and hearing you name and recognize and verbalize everything you see. It brightens our hearts to see you play every day and seeing just how happy you are. We have made countless memories together in these two years and here’s to many, many more of these awesome moments and memories for us all. Never a dull moment with you, darling.

We celebrated your 2^nd birthday Old McDonald style as Mama and Papa tried hard to recreate that farm feel at home for your birthday party. We were so thrilled to see how excited you were when you saw all the familiar animals and farm scenes surrounding you. Everyone was so happy to see just how happy you were with all your toys, and, of course, those who gave you animals for your present were elated when you kept on playing with their presents. Wishing you a very special and happy birthday my darling and insha-Allah there’ll be many many more to come.

Mid Year Check on Goals

Okay, so at the beginning of the year I had set myself these goals:-

1. Read 30 books this year;
2. Exercise at least once a week;
3. Declutter at least on a semi-annual basis; and
4. Start the 52 week money challenge and adopt better financial habits.

Since we've past 30th June, I thought it rather timely to check where I'm at. Needless to say, I'm nowhere near some of these goals...hahaha....

1. I've only read 5 books to date. In my defense, they're extremely THICK books, but I'll try to amp up on my reading in the second half of the year to at least meet my goals halfway.

2. I started doing once-a-week pilates classes at Pilatique combined with a few sessions of Youtube home workouts in a week, then I stopped over Ramadhan. Guess I better start kick-starting this to regain my energy levels and become a healthier, fitter me.

3. I threw away some old and never-worn stuff, so think I'm doing okay with goal #3.

4. Hmm...I didn't exactly save per the 52 week money challenge, but I did save a few hundreds here and there on a monthly basis, so I guess I'm okay here too, but I can certainly do better. My new financial goal is actually to start clearing off my credit card debt one at a time. So hopefully, that can be done by end of the year.

Everyone Always Looks So Nice and Stylish

As we're travelling to Jakarta whilst we're strolling around KLIA2 with tot in tow, my sis who came along with us mentioned how nice and stylish everyone else always looks at the airport, whilst we're always travelling so casually and have an incredibly relaxed fashion sense. Pre-baby days, I may have been able to pull off travelling slightly in style, but post-baby? Haha....seriously not gonna happen. Having an active toddler like Imran means I gotta dress in comfort and be able to sprint into action at any time since he's forever toddling off somewhere and doing something which will potentially set my heart racing. Further, since I donned the hijab, I have so much more things to pack and packing for a toddler ain't light either, so despite staying up nights to plan various stylish outfits to don for every event or trip, I normally almost always settle with comfortable sneakers, a pair of comfy pants or jeans and a comfy top. Yes, I'm such a mummy. 

Family Trip to Jakarta

Post Eid, we travelled to Jakarta for a 3D2N trip with our little toddler. Ambitious, I know. Anyway, since its just a short flight, we figured whaddaheck. Imran was happy enough to go out. But started screaming his lungs out when we were in the cab waiting for his Papa to come in, Once the cab moved, he was fine again. 

At the airport, he was fine up till the last checkpoint at the boarding gate when he started screaming again as he didn't want to go any further beyond that point. Somehow, miraculously, we got him in the plane. Then he slept for the first leg of the journey.

Halfway through, he woke up and then started to whine endlessly due to cabin pressure. Luckily and syukur alhamdulilah, it was just soft whining and he was trying hard to utilize his own coping mechanisms to soothe himself.

We had to line up for a bit for the cab, which we then took to our hotel, Hotel Indonesia Kempinski, which is centrally located and neighbours to Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia. The ride was uneventful as Jakarta was uncharacteristically jam-free, given its Eid and city-folks have travelled back to celebrate Eid with their families.

We checked into our beautiful room, which Imran certainly appreciated and he went straight to the tub and requested to bathe. Once he's all showered and fresh, we brought him to Grand Indonesia for lunch and for an outing. Unlike in Malaysia though, he doesn't seem to have an appreciation for the malls in Jakarta, hence for that day and over the whole entire trip, he wanted to stay in the room, hence, I was also stuck in the room. I thank heavens that I had booked a luxe hotel at which we can happily relax in 5 star style.

Each time we attempted taking him out to the malls, he'd scream his lungs out and Zach and I would end up in a brawl with each other as we're trying to calm him down and calm our stress points down as well. So on the second day, we gave up trying and I had ordered room service instead for lunch for myself and Imran whilst Zach tours around the shops.

Imran was awake the whole entire flight back to KL. Luckily he was a contented toddler, having been fed tons of milk to calm his nerves and reduce air pressure on his ears.

So that was our Jakarta trip. I didn't venture out much but must admit that despite being stuck in the room the whole entire time, it actually turned out to be quite the relaxing break for me, spent well with my son. Though there were some challenges and stress points to the point that made Zach swear off travelling until Imran understands public decorum and is able to cope better, think that's just part and parcel of travelling with a toddler. So, here's to, hopefully, a bigger and better trip with Imran next time round. One lesson learnt is to keep trips extremely relaxing and not be ambitious for city tours and ventures as it really would not come to fruition with a little tot in tow.

2016 Ramadhan and Aidilfitri

We spent the whole Ramadhan at my parents’ house simply because it’s more convenient to do so. We don’t have a maid, hence the whole preparing for sahur, and Zach away at the mosque from maghrib all the way to after terawih prayers is just too much for us to handle on our own. Lame excuse, but that’s us. Bahahahaha. It’s also way more awesome and lively to be buka puasa with many people rather than just us three. The major and perhaps main reason is we need lots and lots of help to manage Imran. Bahahahahhaa.

At the start of Ramadhan, I had all kinds of ambitious dreams and goals. I wanted to pray on time, terawih daily without fail, recite the quran daily, teach Imran about Islam or at least alif, ba, ta…bahahaha, wear baju kurung for the whole month. Some I manage to achive, some…..sigh…here goes another round of lame excuses….I was just too drained on some nights and could barely open my eyes after isyak that I missed out on terawih and sometimes the quran recital. I was bummed that I didn’t manage to achieve my Ramadhan yet again. Feel somewhat like a lesser Muslim. But, there were some good things as well, I had alhamdulilah managed to teach Imran bits and pieces of the jawi and in his own way, he is azan-ing every night when he hears the maghrib azan. So, at this point, I can only continue striving towards the achievement of my goals and hopefully, someday, one day, I can achieve all those goals. InshaAllah.

My sis, Nanny and I managed to bake loads of cookies and cakes this year, and I guess that also made us closer. Well that and the whole bunking in together for the full Ramadhan as Imran wants to sleep with Nanny and me. Hence, since Zach pretty much lives at the mosque during Ramadhan, we’re living the sisterhood dream. Bahahahahaha.

My raya was as usual, eventful. House after house, visiting my in-laws’ and their whole entire family network from 11 am to 10 pm. Wahhhh…..so dead tired by the end of day. Second day was slightly more subdued but still eventful with streams of family and friends visiting from noon to about 5 pm.

Then we pack…..for Jakarta………Jakarta, here we come!!!

Selamat Hari Raya and Maaf Zahir Batin from myself, Zach and Imran. Muahz.