~ Hello ~

August is a hectic month and somehow full of challenges.. I'm going to update in stages whatever happened in this month hopefully by tomorrow. It's too late for me to even write this short update.. See ya!

~ 2 Events In A Day ~

I'm not an important person in office, I say that because I rarely involve as a committee member in any of the events conducted. Lucky me and I prefer it that way in order for me to concentrate with my daily job as an assessor so I can leave office on time to be with family. This time around luck was not with me, I was on the registration committee both for Family Day and Malam Hasil and it was quite hectic because I could only finalize everything once attendance list was confirmed which meant on the D-Day itself. Anyhow all ended well. Not so many pictures were taken since I was mostly at the registration table and chasing Ammar everywhere!

At the registration table since 7.30am

Ammar - anak terbiar hari tuh..

The mess after the launching but a good scene for posers like us 

Managed to join Sukaneka!

My responsibility to my son even when busy..

At our table

Arrival shot - not following the theme exactly

A solo shot 

Mother and son

Love of my life!

Note: By the way these 2 events happened on 23rd July 2011

~ Angkara Pediasure ~

I had an emotional breakdown last couple of weeks which led me to my biggest fear, low supply of milk. Hubby and I brought Ammar to a pediatric appointment to follow up his low iron condition cum monthly visit. Ammar is doing okay with his iron ntake but on the other hand the doctor was quite worried about Ammar's growth due to his almost static weight gain for the past several months plus his low appetite and being a picky eater. I told him Ammar is still a fully breastfed toddler but the doctor asked me back, "Are you sure your milk is enough for him? He is growing fast and surely it is not enough for him, I suggest you give him Pediasure and you won't be worried about what other nutrients that he needs. I give you some samples and you can try them!"

They were just simple sentences but I was holding back tears in front of the doctor. Yes I was taken aback by the statement, clearly he is not a pro breastfeeding pediatrician but what surprised me more was ME. To be honest, deep down inside I had to admit that I thought he was right. I have been having several episodes of seriously low supply of milk during the past several months especially after Ammar turned one and during my menses. Still, I could provide him enough with day-to-day fresh EBM even without being able to stock up my frozen EBM.

I was so down but after a long discussion with hubby we agreed to give Pediasure a try, 1-2 bottles during the day after he finish 3 bottles of EBM. On the next day, I left Ammar with only 3 bottles and hoped that he would try Pediasure later in the late afternoon. Surprisingly Ammar was doing fine with only 3 bottles of EBM and rejected Pediasure while I struggled to pump at office with no letdown reflex. I got a total 6 oz (usually I will bring back home 10-12oz) from my 3-4 pumping sessions and the problem continues for several days. There were times when I just got only drops of milk per session, the worst record in 19 months! This formula milk has been haunting me and led to pressure, hence, giving me trouble to express milk as usual. See? How milk production is really affected by mindset! Damn!

My mom tried giving Ammar Pediasure for several days but he completely rejected the milk (we tried Anmum too but to no avail) and because of that he starting to eat more. Bravo son! Cut the story short, we stopped trying and Ammar is now okay with 3 bottles of EBM. I notice his appetite is getting better, Alhamdullilah. In some sort of way I believe God answered my prayer to prolong this breastfeeding journey that I have been on. I don't want to put high hope but I aim to reach 20th month, if succeeded then continue to 21st month and so on and on until I successfully breasfeed him for 2 years. InsyaAllah..

Note to myself: I always equip myself with a lot of reading regarding breastfeeding yet I was so naive to be sucked into this 'breast milk is not enough' myth. I know a toddler's diet shouldn't be full on milk but majorly consist of solid food but I still think my breast milk is the reason Ammar is not gaining enough weight. I also know that a breastfed toddler's growth chart is totally different from a normal toddler who is formula fed, I know almost everything and I've read tonnes of articles before but sadly I panicked by just the simplest comments from someone who does not really support breastfeeding (something common that I should expect in this journey). I should have known better, trust my gut and trust my knowledge!

Note to others: Negative comments / statements clearly had shaken my confidence in breastfeeding. Speaking from me who is already breastfeeding for 19 months, I'm sure these negative comments can crush all hope and confidence in new mommies who wished to fully breastfeed their babies. So peeps, please equip yourselves with info as much as you can, knowledge can do wonder and will help you a lot! The least you can do is read all info from the lactation experts such as Pn. Suraya and Pn Farah. Good luck in your breastfeeding journey! For me, I know I have the best and the worst experiences so far but I still have 5 more months to go!

Footnote to those who doesn't know: EBM is expressed breast milk <-- susu perah la tu :)

~ 3D2N Vacation ~

I almost forgot to update about our family vacation in Cameron last 2 weeks. It was almost a last minute decision but we loved it, the much needed rest and fun for the family. Furthermore, Nora Elena fever was still high during that time so there is nothing wrong if we opted for the romantic getaway, right? Cold = Romantic, get it?! Owh, by the way it was our 3rd trip to Cameron and since we loves it so much, it might be considered as our future annual trip! Nothing much to say, here are some photos during our vacation on the high land..

Tea Time!

Hotel Lobby

I still think Century Pines is better..

Tea Plantation

Mother and son..

Chillax!

Garden

Freezing!

Last Day..

Nora Elena fever!

Hmm..

~ An Irrestible Disease ~

Nora Elena has ended with a bang! I was much affected by the series so did another 2.7 millions viewers <-- rating on the last episode. It was a happy ending yet I found the last romantic scene crammed to the last minutes. I would be happier if there were more romantic scenes towards the end. I'm gonna miss Seth the most.. sob.. sob..

Lelaki yang meruntun jiwaku.. chewahhh!

Refused to be recovered from Nora Elena fever, I decided to start reading Kasih Yang Suci that I got last week. In my opinion the story line on TV is much better but Seth and Nora's characters in the book are the best. If our country allows 18SX on tv, I will drool over the hot scenes adapted from the book!

I realized my big crush is not only on Seth but also for Aaron Aziz. So I went to watch KL Ganster and it was superb! I admit he is a very good actor, so I'm gonna watch Stanza Cinta every Sunday night starting tomorrow. I definitely will watch his upcoming movie, Ombak Rindu <-- a true confession  from a person who has skepticism about malay dramas / movies.. Ohhhh Aaron, you are so handsome!

Macam best kan?!

By the way, I'm still hype that one of my tweets (@EclassRahman) about Nora Elena has been quoted into an article by GUA. It's not a big deal but as a fan of the drama  / Aaron I feel very appreciated that my obsession is being noticed.

In a conclusion, Nora Elena is a disease and Aaron Aziz is the virus! It's the first time in my life I feel happy to be infected and caught by this disease!