And the world welcomes Shaura Marissa...

Shaura Marissa was born last Monday on 21 June 2010 1810hrs, weighing at 2.675kg. She shares the same birthday as 30-year-old Daddy Fazlan and 60-year-old Nenek Salmah. What makes this triple celebration interesting, my mum-in-law was 30 when she was pregnant with Fazlan. 30 years on, it's Fazlan's turn to receive his first bundle of joy. Plus...Shaura was born exactly a day after our first wedding anniversary (akad nikah). Yes, we are that lucky ;)

Picture above taken before delivery. No words can describe how I felt when I first held her in my arms. For sure, I'm so going to miss having you inside my tummy, Shaura! Your kicks and hicks made my day, knowing you're alive and safe inside.

Thank you mums and dads, siblings, sis-in-law, friends and colleagues for paying us a visit. 

Thank you Naqiah for this beautiful post. It made me teared...never knew I would have made a difference in someone's life.

Awesome June

Verdict's out. Met my gynae this morning. Baby is going to see the world anytime soon. I'm already 2cm dilated. Am currently in a bloody mess cos The Show has started. Am excited and anxious at the same time.

June's looking really good now with multiple celebrations:

(1) 8 June: Hana Nordin's Birthday
(2) 11 June: Kak Intan's Birthday
(3) 20 June: Father's Day for Abah, Ayah & Fazlan
(4) 20 June: One-year Wedding Anniversary
(5) 21 June: Fazlan's Birthday
(6) 21 June: Mak's Birthday
(7) 21 June: Baby's Arrival (Insya Allah)

Life is awesome. Syukur Alhamdullilah.
Thanks Shasha for this.

And thanks all for your prayers and well wishes.

Template change + Cravings #2, #3 and #4 + Fazlan's surprise gift + The Dollah Kassim Cup

My maternity leave has started (effective 17 June), which is a blessing I must say. I don't know how to describe to you the pain that I'm going through - my stomach feels like a washing machine on full blast, twirling and grinding - it feels like passing motion. It can go on and on for hours and I really do not know what to do other than to hope and pray that everything will be all right.

In a way, this blog has managed to distract me away from the pain. If you notice, I keep on changing the layout from yesterday. No more changes, Zalinah, I would say. But the moment I'm off Photoshop, the pain will start again and my fingers will itch to do more tweaking and add-ons to the header design and blog template.

I don't remember having any cravings during my 1st and 2nd trimesters but come 3rd trimester, there are suddenly so many things that the greedy-me would like to devour like #1 Newton's Chilli Crab (which I've successfully cooked myself), #2 imported mangoes from India (best to get it at Mustafa Centre), #3 Badoque Cafe's Aglio Olio (made a substitute), and the #4 famously fattening Famous Amos cookies below.

It must be a trying period for Fazlan for being the middle person to buy all these stuffs. Being a sweet husband he already is, I can't thank him enough for being there, taking care of my needs and unavoidable wants. He definitely deserves this birthday present that he's been eyeing for the longest time, Adi Pure II TRX FG:

Make me and Baby S proud, Fazlan! I know you can do it.

To those who have no plans this Sunday (20 June), head down to Nanyang Polytechnic stadium for The Dollah Kassim Cup 2010 at 5pm! Support Team Suria! Admission is free!

Read more about the match from Cyberita here:
(1) Tekad Julang Piala
(2) Suria Utamakan Disiplin
(3) Dramatis Bagai Keluarga
(4) Merendah Diri

Check out your favourite artistes - Fauzie Laily, Syed Azmir, Rafaat Hamzah, Shahril Wahid and many more in action! 

Just don't expect the players to be this hot! LOL!

Italian Players in D&G's you-know-what

Stop grinning, girls!

Eating out & not liking it

I don't know what to eat these days. No mood. No appetite. So Fazlan and I went to Joo Chiat for a plate of Mee Rebus and Mee Soto but it wasn't the best that I've tasted so far. Nonetheless, I forced myself to eat else tum tum won't have any food to digest to baby.

As soon as I reached home, I took a quick look at the available ingredients in the fridge. I'm never this fussy, really, but I couldn't help it as the meal wasn't satisfying and I was still hungry. So the next best thing was to cook - but this time, a much simpler dish.

So there, my Kentang & Lobak Kicap served with fresh salad, crispy Cucur Udang and refreshing lemonade. Simple food never tasted this good :)

Recipe #2: Chilli Crab

I’ve been wanting to blog about the new recipe which I've gotten from the Internet but I'm too preoccupied with work right now. Yes, I'm back to my second home – the office – for 3 days now and have been re-adapting myself to the fast-paced working environment. It's not easy, I tell you. My office is not conducive for preggers, located at far end, with no lift but flights of stairs and winding slopes. But I’m loving every minute at work as I get to put on my thinking cap again and meet my lovely colleagues. You tend to forget things when you're pregnant (it's normal, you can google about it if you don't trust me). I even forget the guy’s name who's taking over my place during my 4-month maternity leave. And yesterday, I actually tapped my EZ link card, meant for public transport, to exit from my workplace :S

I guess, the DHA pills I which I take religiously have all gone to baby – not that I’m complaining. I really hope she’ll turn out fine and hopefully smart. Amin!

Back to the recipe...I had the kitchen to myself as Mak and Ayah were away last weekend. So I took the opportunity to improve on my cooking and try something more adventurous, my all-time favourite Chilli Crab. Yes, the dish that Singapore and Malaysia have been claiming theirs. Tsk. Itu pun mau gado ka? You can read more about the food fight here.

Here's the recipe (serves 2):

Ingredients (You can get all these from NTUC for S$16)
(1) 1 big blue crab, steamed until the outer shell turns reddish
(2) 3 inch ginger, minced (about 3 tablespoons)
(3) 4 fresh chillies, seeded and minced
(4) 1 small red onion, minced
(5) 1 tablespoon of black soy sauce
(6) Half cup plain tomato sauce
(7) Half cup chilli sauce
(8) 1 tablespoon sugar
(9) 2 teaspoons salt
(10) 2 teaspoons cornstarch
(11) 2 eggs beaten
(12) 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro, chopped
(13) 1 scallion, thinly sliced

Method:
(1) Heat oil and fry garlic, ginger, chilli and onion until fragrant.
(2) Add soy sauce and stir-fry several seconds.
(3) Add steamed crab and stir-fry.
(4) Stir in tomato and chilli sauce, sugar, salt, pepper and 1 cup of water. Bring to boil, then reduce heat to low and simmer. Stir frequently, until crab meat is fully cooked, about 3 to 4 minutes.
(5) In a small bowl, whisk together cornstarch and 2 tablespoons of water. Stir into crab mixture until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.
(6) Stir in eggs and simmer until sauce thickens, about 1 minute.



There you go! A satisfying dish, served with Thai rice on banana leaf! Heaven!

Recipe #1: Chilli, Lemon and Parsley Linguine

My craving for Badoque Cafe's Aglio Olio was so bad that I decided to cook a substitute dish - Chilli, Lemon and Parsley Linguine to ease my craving. I don't blame baby cos Badoque really provides big and quality servings at no additional service charge and GST (government tax). Too good to be true? Check out their website to find out more. The place's highly recommended for a yummylicious treat with friends and loved ones that doesn't burn a hole in your pocket. And no, Badoque's management does not pay me to say this.

Now, back to Chilli, Lemon and Parsley Linguine...

Armed with "yakin mau lebih" confidence but no experience in Italian cuisine, my meal with a mission started at 1pm yesterday. I was lucky Raudaa was on off-in-lieu and was able to accompany me to NTUC (Joo Chiat branch) to buy the ingredients. We took nearly 2 hours to find the things we need. Trust me, it was pretty chaotic, not because we were not prepared on the list of things to buy, but the outlet's product placement and assortment are all over the place. Sorry NTUC for saying this. I still love you nevertheless, for your aircon and value-for-money items cos I always get cheated when I'm at Geylang's wet market. Tsk.

Preparing the ingredients was pretty smooth and easy. I'm sure if I get to practice everyday, I will only get better and the food, tastier.

The outcome - ta-daa! A fulfilling lunch for three!



It definitely tastes better with Parmesan Cheese and deep-fried chicken drumlets. A bit of carbohydrate won't harm your weight and will ensure you and your loved ones are sufficiently fed!



Here's the recipe (serves 2-3):

Ingredients
(1) 250g linguine, boiled till soft
(2) Grated zest of 1 lemon
(3) Half cup lemon juice
(4) Chopped parsley
(5) 2 red and 2 green chillies combined, finely chopped
(6) 6 tbsp olive oil
(7) 30g butter
(8) 1 clove garlic
(9) Salt and pepper to taste

Simple, isn't it?

Method:
(1) Heat up olive oil in a pan and add in butter to melt.
(2) Fry garlic in the pan briefly, then add chilli and fry again for a few seconds.
(3) Add in cooked linguine, lemon zest and juice as well as parsley. Toss to coat and heat through, then serve.

Have fun in trying out the recipe and happy cooking!

Counting down

It seems like yesterday that I blogged about how I hate facing the new day in view of my dreadful morning sickness during the first 5 months of pregnancy.



Now that it's over, I bought many things in preparation for baby’s arrival. But first, I would like to thank my sister, Kak Aidah and sister-in-law, Kak Rozi for the clothes and other necessities that are given/loaned to me. Ibu & Abah, for constantly checking on me if I have popped. Fazlan, for the Babymoon trip and treats. Mak, for your daily meals and laundry help. Ayah, for driving me to places. Reha and Humairah, for the maternity wear and loose clothing. Fana, for the cutesy baby outfit and lil’ notes and gifts to cheer me up. Wani A, for the constant reminder on to-do list. Wani O and Azlan, for the useful pregnancy books. Raudha and Filzah, for the pre-baby photoshoot. My ex-boss, Rina, for accompanying me to Mother Care and Kiddy Palace - an eye-opening shopping trip indeed. Netty and Luk, for the videocam to capture baby’s arrival. Wilson, for purchasing the wide angle lens on my behalf. Haddad, for the black diary to upkeep baby’s progress. Hyrul, Nezar, Raudaa, for constantly reminding that I should rest and not move too much. Zurr, for taking up the extra responsibility at work. Elly, for keeping in mind what I want from the company (Psst! It's Avent bottles and sterilizer - don't get me the same product ok :p). And family and friends, especially those at Twitterverse, for your prayers when I’m down with premature signs of contractions and high fever.

You make my day! :)

It’s 37 weeks and counting, people!
I just can’t wait to hold and cuddle her.

To-do list tomorrow...

Spoke to Reha and Wani this afternoon. Suddenly reality kicks in.
I need to get all these stuffs before the arrival of mini-me.




Btw I filled my time today by reading these interesting books. No doubt there are some obvious grammatical mistakes but the beautiful illustrations make up for it. Fyi, the multimedia book store at Masjid Kassim is having a nationwide discount (up to 50%) on all books from now till 6 June. Do check it out.

What telah happened?

I've been wanting to take pre-baby pixs for the longest time but I never had the time. Now that I have all the time in the world (at home, rotting, waiting for baby to come out), I can barely last 10 mins of walking, what more vigorous activities.

How like that? :(

Baby Talk

I don't know whether I should feel excited, scared, nervous or all of the above. With a baby in tow, I know life will never be the same again - changing diapers, attending to her needs, making her sleep, help her burp etc.

My gynae predicted that I will pop earlier than expected. Thing is he'll be on hols from 1-6 June. Should anything happen within this period (touch wood!), Dr Tony Tan (not to be confused with the famed minister) will come to my rescue. Yeah, the handsome man below with the red bow. Huhu.

Pregnant & confused

Sometimes I’m beginning to wonder if it is my fault – that I actually gave the correct date when I first missed my period. Baby wants out but doctor says no. So I’m on pills now to stop the contractions from recurring.

I want nature to take its course. Baby is now 2.3kg – a healthy weight. I’m gaining additional 6kg, much to my delight, as colleagues keep on comparing my tummy with other pregnant colleagues, whose tummies are way bigger than mine. I’m sure I heard it right – doc reminded me again and again that I should eat for one, not two. I know of friends who put on 15kg-20kg. Yes, that’s a lot of weight. We all know it’s easier to gain than to lose. Glad I’m on the safe side.

Fazlan is now making changes to Baby’s second name. He wants the second name to follow the first letter of his first name “M”. Guess I have to start all over again.

:)

We're excited to take pre-baby pixs together.
Recommendation from Lis...her bf, the photog.

Am thinking the venue for the photoshoot.
Any suggestions?

Craving #1: Chilli Crab

My weird cravings for food started about a month ago.
Just posting the pictures here so that I remember :)




Venue: Chai Chee Seafood Restaurant, along Changi Road
Verdict: Not as good as Newton's but good enough to satisfy my craving

Linner = Lunch + Dinner

Ever since I'm pregnant, I have lots of weird weird cravings like Thosai and Japanese noodles, Udon. :S

Cerewet betul baby ni!
Baby, don't bully Mummy ok!
Mummy very tired to find the food you want. :(

Mungkin kalau nasib ku berbeza, aku tak mampu menilaikan dikau...

I'm feeling sentimental after typing the last entry. The only song that I can relate to right now is M.Nasir's Nur Nilam Sari. Beautifully composed and written, it's M.Nasir's song dedication to his daughter after his first wife's passing. Nur Nilam Sari must be around 11 years of age, judging from the year the album was produced.

Click & enjoy the beauty of a poetically written Malay song!
Sesungguhnya, jiwa aku (masih) jiwa rock.
Peace.



Tajuk/Lirik Lagu: Nur Nilam Sari
Penyanyi: Awie, Search
Album: Bikin Wilayah (1998)
Komposer/Lirik: M.Nasir / Allahyarham Loloq

Pinjam sinarmu Nur Nilam Sari
Buatku merempuhi malam
Kabus berlabuh bagaikan awan
Mengaburi penglihatan
Menyekat maksud di sempadan
Redup yang ku pasangkan angan

Sekadar berhasrat
Berlindung dalam lena
Pejamkan mata untuk
Ku lupakan sengsara
Berapa kerdipan
Melaraskan jiwa
Menyusuk ke arah asalku

Senyumanmu satu azimat
Buat diriku yang hina
Manusia terpinggir hidup melara
Tak pernah kenal erti bahagia
Namun ku masih gembira
Bagiku rahmat semuanya
Oh mungkin kalau nasib ku berbeza
Aku tak mampu
Menilaikan dikau

Aku berani
Berani aku
Katakan dirimu itu
Dewi kayangan

I'm officially an owl

Having a blog is a good way to de-stress. Especially now that I can't really sleep at night, at least there's an avenue for me to pen my thoughts. I can't keep up with my journal even though I have this liking of smelling fresh papers. It's weird, I know. But my handwriting gets really untidy when I'm tired and wiping off the mistakes with liquid paper is so yesterday! Having a blog is cost effective. You save the trees and you do not need to buy stationaries that contain unknown chemicals that may be harmful to your health.

To those who asked, I've counted the exact no. of weeks. Baby is 20 weeks old and is actively kicking. That's the reason I can't sleep early. I just can't help it. But, I'm not complaining. Having nearly lost her, I tend to appreciate the little things in life. You win some, you lose some. And there's a price to pay when you 'win' something. It's called sacrifice :)

Up next...pictures of supper, thanks to hubby for being so understanding. For the record, I finished my plate of Beef Bolognaise for the first time.




I feel the kicks. There she goes again...

Fiesta Suria, 30 Jan @ East Coast Park

To those who came to Fiesta Suria...A BIG THANK YOU! It means so much to the channel. And it definitely means a lot to me. Thanks DuaM for coordinating the event. Thanks to my boss Reha for the understanding and my team mates, Zuraidah and Abdillah who took over my duty and making sure everything was well taken of. It was a trying period for me ~ I was on 1-week medical leave due to some pregnancy complications. I'm thankful to God that I'm fine now. Glad that baby is also doing well ~ literally, alive and kicking! :)

Many thanks to Hana, Shida, Shasha, Dyla, Mamahanita, Marina, Riz, Yati, Ariff PM, Raudha, Makcik Marpoah, Izaar, Luk, Netty, media friends, online friends (including the respective artistes' fan clubs) and viewers for dropping by and contributing to the success of the event! We had 10,000 visitors that day!!! Woohoooo!!!

No words can describe how much it means to us...

























Media release of Fiesta Suria can be found here: http://suria10.mediacorptv.sg