D’s Alarm Clock

 

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Miss Na Kita

I’m sure this was a hectic weekend for many of us. Insha-Allah, I pray mine was meaningfully hectic. We spent Fri night at the mosque for a Perdaus programme (including ‘Umar’s first qiyam.. will blog abt some reflections later) and Sat running raya errands, with iftar and terawih with my family in JB. My weekend ended with an early start to the work week as D dropped me off at the airport at noon on Sunday, and he watched me kiss and smother ‘Umar till he squirmed to get away from my suffocating smooches.

I’m attending meetings in Tagaytay in the Philippines, about 2hrs outside Manila, and will be away from my little nursling for 5D/4N. This would be the longest one yet…. at the tail end of Ramadhan no less. Though this was hard for me to accept at first, alhamdulillah He has kinda eased my heart over the past few weeks…. and as I woke up this morning to a beautiful view of the sun rising above a volcanic lake, I tried to reflect on the hikmah why He sent me here to spend 4 of His precious last 10 nights..

Perhaps… just perhaps… He wants to give me the time and space to do more ibadah during these blessed nights. My Ramadhan evenings have been a battle of fatigue and ‘Umar’s constant need to nurse… and while we manage to do terawih at home or at the mosque every night, perhaps He knew I have been feeling increasingly restless. ‘Umar’s a real darling, but a baby’s a baby, and he constantly seeks your attention. While I try to remind myself that mothering ‘Umar is also an ibadah with many rewards and blessings, I sometimes could not help but feel shortchanged this Ramadhan.. and have been struggling with these feelings. So if I am to try find one hikmah behind this test of being away from ‘Umar, it would be this precious opportunity to spend more time with Him, seeking His comfort and salvation. Alhamdulillah, it was nice to do my ibadah without interruption for the first time this Ramadhan last night, and perhaps this is why He sent me here to spend 4 nights in absolute khusyu’ to Him…

As you can see, I’m trying my best to stay positive. I was a depressed at first, mainly because of my worries for ‘Umar and because I’d miss out praying tarawih in congregation. But I realised it was no use to get depressed over something I have no control over… it’ll only affect my milk supply. Talking about milk supply, this week was particularly difficult for me cos I knew that I wouldn’t be able to leave enough EBM for ‘Umar. But instead of stressing myself out like for previous trips, I decided to redha with the fact that we have to introduce formula to ‘Umar. I left only about 12 6-oz packs of EBM, and ‘Umar needs double that to last 5 days. He has been taking solids pretty well, and have not shown any allergies when introduced to baby biscuits with some milk content. So we tested mixing EBM with formula before I left, and alhamdulillah he was fine.

I was upset at the idea at first, but I comforted myself that its his nutrition that matters, I have fully breastfed him for almost 8 months, and I should be Grateful. I am also syukur that I have enough EBM to ensure that his feeds are always mixed with 1 part EBM and 1 part formula while I’m away. I must say I was secretly pleased when we tried offering him formula only and he refused it. You know, I used to treat formula like poison, only because I’ve read so much of nursing mommies who go down the slippery slope of supplementing their breastfeeding with formula, and eventually suffer from dwindling milk supply. I realised now that its not that formula is bad for baby, its not, but its the threat that it poses to breastmilk production that is more critical. So the important thing is to keep my supply up; as long as I express diligently while I’m away, insha-Allah I can go back to fully breastfeeding him when I’m back. Nursing mommies, you know how I feel best, so please make du’a for me.

Miss na kita… I miss you my little nursling. I know you are in Allah’s good care, and all I du’a for is that you don’t miss me too much. Sleep and eat well mahal ko.

Ibu and 'Umar in JB on Sunday morning...

 

Chubby Paws and Long Lashes

….features that I can claim credit for. With the Grace of our Creator of course!

Thanks F for the pics. They are so lovely you make me want to pick up child photography!

 

Tiramisu & Tagine Iftar

I think I got a bit carried away today. I tried 3 new recipes for one meal! For iftar no less, means I couldn’t taste anything before serving them at the dinner table. Sounds like a recipe for disaster.. the pun totally intended!

#1: Tiramisu

First I tried F’s tiramisu recipe.. cos as a chocolate and coffee lover, it seems like the perfect indulgence for iftar! I must say I was also inspired by Nan’s tiramisu mis-adventures. Heh. Umar *tried* to help me with the whisking… I was too tired to haul out the electric mixer so I entertained Umar with the wonderful sounds and sight of beating the eggs with my hands. He stopped playing just to stare at me making all the noise.. hehe. He of course, insisted on participating.

It looked pretty, but I think I went abit too far with the coffee.. so my tiramisu was more soggy and caffeine-laded than it should be. I missed what F wrote about “briefly” dipping the ladyfingers in the coffee mixture. Oh well, maybe next try. Its easy enough to do for Eid parties insyaAllah!

#2: Moroccan Mutton Tagine

This was only the second time I cooked using the tagine that we brought home all the way for Morocco. And like the last time, it took a special guest to motivate me to attempt another tagine recipe. Its not that you are not worth it Abang, its just that something that takes 3 hours to cook should feed more than our household of 3! After the successful chicken and olives tagine when we had M over, this time I attempted mutton tagine. Here’s how it looked like at the start of the 3hrs.

The preparations are really quite easy, and the assembling is my favourite part of all. I layered sliced carrots, marinated cubed mutton, chopped tomatoes, potato wedges, lemon pulp and olives in that order, season generously with ras el hanout (a spice mix I bought in Morocco, and apparently an aphrosidiac!), a sprinkle of coriander leaves, and then pour stock, with a few threads of saffron, over the whole dish . Leave it to simmer for 3 hours, and the smell will just bring your neighbours knocking at your door. Sounds simple ay? It is. Serve with crustry bread.

I didn’t have the chance to take a pic of the finished product.. it was served as soon as it left the hob!

#3 Moutabel – Spicy Aubergine Dip

Another item I didn’t take any photos of. This was a delight to make cos it was so easy to make. Pics and recipe another time insha’Allah. I found the tahini at Jason’s.. and used our regular terung. It turned out very well.. hubby and MIL loved it. Yeay no more buying this ready-made at Cold Storage at $7 a pop.

Last but not least… my pretty salad. This wasn’t a virgin attempt, but don’t think I’ve blogged about it so if you’re thinking of a delicious healthy side dish, here’s a simple one to impress. I learnt how to dress up a salad from F, with homemade dressing and lovely toppings. This was store-packed salad dressed with my own balsamic vignarette, topped with turkey bacon, dried cranberries and grated pecorino romano cheese. Thanks F for widening my repertoire of sides!

 

Allah is Al Khaliq

I found another precious gem at Darul Bookshop! This is ‘Umar’s first Islamic board book (all his other books are hardcover but with soft pages inside) and its really quite lovely! Its from the Bismillah Early Learners series by IQRA Foundation, which introduces young children to concepts such as colors, letters, shapes, and numbers through positive Islamic themes. Abstract concepts of Islamic belief and morals are presented in a simple and personal manner that children will be able to relate to. This book about colours reinforces Allah as the creator of the beautiful and wonderful things we have around us in this world. Its a sturdy, colourful book, in a handy size for toddlers… we love it!

 

The Baby and The Mac

I love it when D and I are home to catch Umar cross a developmental milestone, alhamdulillah! Yesterday, we watched Umar’s first (army) crawl at 7 and a half months…

Nothing else could make him move as quickly! His source of motivation is no surprise; considering Ibu used to balance her pretty powerbook on her very pregnant belly, my little Umar is one Mac native

P.S. Yes F I bought him the Babylegs! Must keep those thunder thighs out of sight from biting adults!

 

So You Think You Can Stand?

We think ‘Umar may be one of those babies who progress to walking without even crawling much first, cos lately he just loves being on his feet! He hasn’t even started crawling but he will always be looking out for things that can help him prop himself up to a standing position. The fun thing is that he is not afraid of falling…. we’d let him go and he’ll stand for 2 secs before we catch him tumbling down, and he’d be giggling! Boys will be boys!

Here he is at his play area, which was my project last month, “Sponsored” by Ikea, save for the animal circus removable stickers which were from Taka I’m proud of me.

 

Ramadhan Reflections

Over last weekend, Umar caught the sniffles, and a nasty little cough, so I had to take child sick leave on Monday. It is only the second time he has fallen sick, but it was still awful to watch him so weak, not the usual smiling laughing sweet little boy. But alhamdulillah, I think its true what they say about breastfed babies; though they do fall sick like other children, the symptoms are milder and they recover faster. He’s all better now alhamdulillah, his usual active self. I think perhaps it was his way of helping me delay my first day as a working nursing fasting mom…

Cos the truth was, I was quite exhausted. The other truth was, I was a little bit nervous about Ramadhan, and how I would cope as a working nursing fasting mom. So I was relieved when Ramadhan started on a weekend, then I’d just be a nursing fasting mom…. even then the weekend was exhausting. But alhamdulillah, managed to carry myself through so far, with no apparent impact on milk supply. On the first day of Ramadhan, D was tickled when he heard my tummy growling just as the day passed noon. He told me I’m like a kid. Indeed, I did feel like a kid, especially when I gave a whoop of joy when the Maghrib adhan was finally heard and I can finally enjoy a glass of much needed water.

But syukur syukur syukur alhamdulillah, in spite of being a nursing mom, fasting this Ramadhan has been so much easier on me than the last. Last Ramadhan, I was 6 months pregnant and found it terribly difficult to fast. Day after day I felt guilty whenever I had to break my fast, even though exemptions are accorded to pregnant women. Tarawihs were also a struggle, what with my heartburn and swollen feet. I had to keep reminding myself Ramadhan as a mom would be even busier and tougher, so that kept me going.

And I was right, it is definitely busier and more tiring. Since Umar fell sick, and then I fell sick (and still recovering) we haven’t been able to go to the mosque for tarawih. We’ve been doing them at home, which has been intimate and restful. But insyaAllah, hope to resume going to the mosque tonight. I look forward to listening to the mesmerising voice of the Qari (recitor); and the eloquence of their duas at the end. There’s just something about joining the congregation… I always feel the overwhelming sense of belonging; standing there after a long day of fasting and increased consciousness; with fellow brothers and sisters; knowing we may be strangers by all means but somehow there is the thin thread of Imaan that runs across all of us.

All in all, it has been a reflective first week of Ramadhan for me. And I know this sacred month will pass only too quickly. Too quickly. I’ve had some challenges at work lately, and that, coupled with Umar’s cranky nights and my own sickly self, my energy is sapped, and I’m not doing as much ibadah as I should be. I have to keep reminding myself that I am incredibly blessed, and for this I should find time to show my Gratefulness to Him. It is only my first Ramadhan as a mother; and I know I have many more to come; considering the fact that I would like to have more children (insyaAllah). I have a renewed awe for sisters I know with multiple young children, who can actually find the time to *consistently* do more ibadah, read, and reflect exclusively. I have found it to be hard for me to do so, and I only have one baby. Just one.

Macam betul je ‘Umar nak read du’a with Ayah.. heh. I hope he du’a that Allah bless his Ibu with more strength and determination. Cos I must. try. harder. I must take the opportunity of this blessed month to incorporate my routine for the rest of year and beyond. After all, Ramadhan is supposed to be the spiritual battle ground that helps us modify our behavior for the long haul. In my more ambitious times, my younger days, I would list pages of things I would like to accomplish for this post-Ramadhan year. But for now, I will content myself with trying to stretch my day a little more… do a little bit more, and establish my working-nursing mom ibadah routine that is both manageable and purposeful. I take comfort in D’s reminder a long time ago, that even the mundane becomes sacred when you do it for Him. So amidst the nursing-pumping-mothering-wife(ing) I better cherish all that has been blessed to me and enjoy my soon-will-be-a-grown-up baby before I look back at this amazingly hectic time wistfully; wishing I had appreciated it while I could…

 

Like Ayah, Like ‘Umar

 

First Tarawih… Of Many, Hopefully! InsyaAllah

‘Umar’s first tarawih was sweetly uneventful alhamdulillah. I was rather nervous about bringing him to the mosque but syukur alhamdulillah he was such a cooperative baby. He played quietly with his toys right through Isya’ and my rawatibs, and then started swatting at my head every time I did the sujud after the first 4 raka’at of tarawih. I must admit it was a challenge mantaining khusyuk! I had to pick him up in between prayers but alhamdulillah he was never fussy and would go back to playing with his toys when I put him down. Somewhere after 8 raka’ats he wanted to nurse to sleep, and so I missed 4 raka’ats. But it paid off cos Umar fell asleep quickly and lay sprawled on the carpet for the rest of the prayers, only waking up when I was doing my witr subhanAllah!

Oh bless us with this precious opportunity every night Ya Kareem, and may you help us instill in our little boy the love for Your mosques, the Quran, and for Your Ramadhan… insyaAllah ameen

 

Bitten by the Baby Book Bug

My Amazon baby books purchases arrived! Alhamdulillah, only after 2.5weeks! Umar’s little library is slowly filling up.

I am falling in love with children’s literature, and I hope I’m infecting Umar with it cos he is such an attentive baby when we read to him. I know I raved about it before, but now that my baby book hysteria is over (I stopped buying!) and I’m a little less impressionable, I thought its timely to write a post to share this love with other mommies. Here are some reasons why I am so passionate about children’s lit:

• I discovered that there is such a thing as GREAT children’s books. I used to think that kiddies books are kiddies books. Just buy the cheapest you find, as long as they have alphabets, and numbers. But my girlfriends gave Umar a basket of really good baby books when he was born, and we used them at first only because we wanted to start a bedtime routine. When we realised Umar loves being read to, and I browsed around for more books, I realised that there’s a lot of bad stuff out there. Charlotte Mason called it twaddle. It’s books that talk down to kids, or offer no room for imagination, push a particular agenda or use negative scolding phrases as a lousy excuse for humour. So I started reading up on recommended titles, and have been hooked since!

• Early reading sets the foundation for a love relationship with books, and can foster a healthy spirit as a lifelong learner. Its not about turning your child into a bookworm, far from that. Its about instilling the love for reading and learning. The parent-child bonding that reading promotes is also just magical. For working moms like me I really look forward to these moments. I just love how his eyes light up and he sits still when we open a book and place on his lap.

• There’s something about quality children’s literature that sets it apart as a work of art – the creatively crafted illustrations, the brilliant word choice, the magical plots invented by brilliant minds. Good children’s literature should pass the test of adults and kids alike. Like how one book moved my Big Nutbrown Hare to tears, I’m sure it will also touch the heart of my Little Nutbrown Hare as he grows up insyaAllah…

• Quality children’s literature grows with your child in a way that toys can’t. Children love repetition, and it wouldn’t bore them if you read the same book night after night. As they grow up, they also react differently to the same books, as they start to understand the actions and stories. I tried the same books that Umar seem to enjoy with Husna, and she takes so much delight in them! She just wouldn’t let me stop reading! Quite exhausting but its so fun reading to toddlers!

Where do I get the reading list from? Mostly through googling “recommended baby and toddler books” and various “lists” compiled by other parents on Amazon. Then I’d spend hours at Kino looking for the titles and seeing which ones catch my fancy. I ordered some of the more pricey “box sets” on Amazon, together with parenting books which are way cheaper. But for individual titles, Kino is not that much more expensive than Amazon after including shipping fees.

Some of our favourite books so far… (write-ups not my own, save the last one):

Brown Bear by Bill Martin Jr & Eric Carle
The gentle rhyming and gorgeous, tissue-paper collage illustrations in this classic picture book make it a dog-eared favorite on many children’s bookshelves. On each page, we meet a new animal who nudges us onward to discover which creature will show up next: “Blue Horse, Blue Horse, What do you see? I see a green frog looking at me.” This pattern is repeated over and over, until the pre-reader can chime in with the reader, easily predicting the next rhyme. One thing readers might not predict, however, is just what kinds of funny characters will make an appearance at the denouement! Children on the verge of reading learn best with plenty of identifiable images and rhythmic repetition. Eric Carle’s good-humored style and colorful, bold illustrations have earned him a prominent place in the children’s book hall of fame.

The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle
“In the light of the moon a little egg lay on a leaf.” So begins Eric Carle’s modern classic, The Very Hungry Caterpillar. This five-by-four-inch miniature edition is truly tiny, with tiny type, but it is a nice size for small hands to hold and flip through the pictures. Despite its diminished state, the book is complete in every detail, following the ravenous caterpillar’s path as he eats his way through one apple (and the pages of the book itself) on Monday, two pears on Tuesday, three plums on Wednesday, and so on, through cherry pie and sausage–until he is really fat and has a stomachache. And no doubt you know what happens next! Kids love butterfly metamorphosis stories, and this popular favorite teaches counting and the days of the week, too.

The Going to Bed Book by Sandra Boynton
For a little one who is reluctant to go to bed, sometimes a silly book is just the ticket. And when it comes to silly books, Sandra Boynton is the undisputed queen. In The Going to Bed Book, an ark full of animals watches the sun go down and then prepares for bed. They take a bath (“in one big tub”), find pajamas, brush their teeth, do exercises up on deck (imagine an elephant jumping rope, a moose lifting weights, and a pig doing handstands), and finally say good night. The moon is high. The sea is deep. They rock and rock and rock to sleep. Boynton’s inimitable animal characters have graced the pages of picture books over the years. She has an extraordinary knack for knowing what appeals to small children: simple rhymes, goofy animals in goofy settings, and sweet, comforting stories. This book, along with her many other board-book titles (Moo, Baa, La La La!, But Not the Hippopotamus, and others) will surely remain a favorite.

Guess How Much I Love You by Sam McBratney
All children want reassurance that their parents’ love runs wide and deep. In Guess How Much I Love You, a young rabbit named Little Nutbrown Hare thinks he’s found a way to measure the boundaries of love. In a heartwarming twist on the “I-can-do-anything-you-can-do-better” theme, Little Nutbrown Hare goes through a series of declarations regarding the breadth of his love for Big Nutbrown Hare. But even when his feelings stretch as long as his arms, or as high as his hops, Little Nutbrown Hare is fondly one-upped by the elder rabbit’s more expansive love. Anita Jeram’s illustrations are bound to elicit an “aw” from even the sternest of readers; these loving rabbits are expressive, endearing, and never cloying. In turn, Sam McBratney tells a simple bedtime story of sweet familial love with humor, insight, and a delightful surprise at the end. Children and parents will love snuggling up for this one–a treat to be read again and again, just before the lights are turned out.

Allah Gave Me Two Hands and Feet, and others in the Allah the Maker Series
Umar’s first book from this series was from Aunty Farhan, and I loved it so much that since then I have swiped clean all the books in the series from the shelves of Darul Bookshop (I have suggested that they order more, and they called me to say it should be re-stocked in 2 months. Wardah Books has some too, but at almost twice the price). These series are wonderful accounts of the 5 senses given to us by Allah, which can be explored endlessly with young children. I love the one Farhan gave best; this book explores the sense of touch, from feeling water tickling toes at the beach to standing “on my feet, in the cold and the heat” to thank Allah in prayer “for my life, every day!”

There are really too many to list, but these are the ones that we have been enjoying most so I’ll stop here. Happy Reading moms, and Happy Ramadhan!