Ramadhan Again!
We are allowed to leave early during Ramadhan. And so by 4.30 sharp, if you come to my office, you would be able to see only my back as I dash out and dodge the crowd in the lift so I could be home early. I would be walking at amputated-cockroach (to steal the writing style of UTHM) speed to be at Raja Chulan monorel station. More elbowing and ass-pinching to get inside the miniature-sized coaches and off I would be to KL Sentral. From there, more pushing, pulling-hair and squeezing to get into Komuter to finally reach the destination where Yamtuan would be waiting for me, armed with three karipaps bought in Shah Alam. We would be rushing to the school/nursery because the teachers want to be home early too kan, pick up the kids and more kecoh-kecoh-kecoh in the car. Once we reach home, Yamtuan would go straight to the kitchen to cook rice, I would be feeding Number Three as I would already be dolly-parton-engorged by then. Then Yamtuan would take over manning the kids while I start cooking. Puasa dishes would be the usual work-day dishes, mostly stir-fry or anything easypeasy, we call it masak lobau.
When iftar time arrives, we would be having tehtarik (his) and teh-o (mine), kurma and karipap (kuih wajib for Yamtuan). After Maghrib, one of us would be feeding the kids while the other takes a shower. Then, I tuck Number Three to bed. Dinner would be at 8.30, maybe, on a good day.
Hectic, I tell you.. But it is actually another typical day in our household. Anak ramai kan Except on other days, we reach home later and all activities will be had later too.
After the kids are asleep, the house is finally quiet except from the blaring noise from the tv set, I go to bed. I hit the bed early, as early as I can. Yamtuan comes to bed late, as late as he can. I have given up trying to get Yamtuan’s attention. The tv wins, everytime, easily.
Alhamdulillah, we get to greet Ramadhan again. Ramadhan means Mak has left us for a year now. Doesn’t feel like a year. Come Syawal it would mean, Abah has left us for 16 years now. It doesn’t feel like 16 years at all, no it doesnt!
God, am I happy it’s Ramadhan! Feels like my parents are near. I hope they are. I am almost certain that they are.
Selamat Ramadhan, everyone!
When iftar time arrives, we would be having tehtarik (his) and teh-o (mine), kurma and karipap (kuih wajib for Yamtuan). After Maghrib, one of us would be feeding the kids while the other takes a shower. Then, I tuck Number Three to bed. Dinner would be at 8.30, maybe, on a good day.
Hectic, I tell you.. But it is actually another typical day in our household. Anak ramai kan Except on other days, we reach home later and all activities will be had later too.
After the kids are asleep, the house is finally quiet except from the blaring noise from the tv set, I go to bed. I hit the bed early, as early as I can. Yamtuan comes to bed late, as late as he can. I have given up trying to get Yamtuan’s attention. The tv wins, everytime, easily.
Alhamdulillah, we get to greet Ramadhan again. Ramadhan means Mak has left us for a year now. Doesn’t feel like a year. Come Syawal it would mean, Abah has left us for 16 years now. It doesn’t feel like 16 years at all, no it doesnt!
God, am I happy it’s Ramadhan! Feels like my parents are near. I hope they are. I am almost certain that they are.
Selamat Ramadhan, everyone!
posted by OOD at 6:21 PM
18 Comments:
Ood,
Oh how I salute ur resolve to cook aat home. If I were without a maid, I asure u my food will either come from my mum's house or the stalls(either way from someone else's kitchen). Kalau boleh nasi pun I nak beli but my DH rather have HOME COOKED rice (even its just rice ehehhehe).
Anyway, Selamat Berpuasa to u and ur family. How's ur production?
Mine has dropped tremendously .... am popping spirulina during sahur like its a st@roid.
Aida - i can only hope that your daily journeys home be fast and safe.
Ood,
Except for kurma, karipap, Teh O and Teh Tarik;your bukak puasa seems very austere by Malaysian Middle Class standard. I wish I could do the same. Just drink, kurma and kuih but dari kecik dah makan macam2,dah tua2 ni susah sket la especially when the kids is in their teens.
Anyway, Happy Ramadan to you and Yamtuan.
Rgds,
KNA
Oh Aida, you are just the person I have been waiting for! My production is okay, I still spurt milk like fountain, but thing is, my little one has acquired the taste for milk formula. There was this one week when my collection was badly affected due to faulty valve. Since she was crying blue-black at school for sustenance, I had to resort to formula. She likes it so much she’s refusing to drink EBM or even straight from me. Mengada-ngada betul. Any idea what to do? My freezer is filled up the wazoo with EBM that she doesn’t want. And I am running out of bottles too. Got supply, no demand, how?
Ood,
what a turn of events.... the only thing I can think of is to stop formula and get her to accept EBM again. I know its hard esp with the tears and all. Do not let the carers at school deal with it, they'd give up easily. u'd have to, try it during the weekend. This is what happened to my daughter (no1) and by the time she was 4 1/2mos she was off EBM already.
My dilemma is my son detests the taste of formula but I do not produce enough for his everyday feeds anymore. Its now down to kais pagi makan pagi. Stock in freezer dwindling to one day feed only arrggghhhhh Wish we could trade places, me with a child who prefers formula (cos my son is 14mos already)and u with one who wants EBM.
Oh by the way, one thing u could do is to try eating highly flavoured stuff, esp things tha taste like milk, like vanilla yogurt and sweet stuff. Take durian even ehehhehe it will give EBM more flavour. Some kids prefer flavour.
Its not as pronounced as found in formula but it could help. I hope it does.
All the best.
Aida - tell me how it turns out. Meanwhile I'll consult my lact. consultant for advice.
Madam Ooody and Family,.
Selamat Menyambut Ramadhan Al Mubarak.
However,
Parton-esque Ramblings Make
My Mind Murki-er. Uhuks..
Aiseymann,.ish, issh korang sikit pahala hari nii..
Ehem, assalamualaikum mommie's,
Sorry mencelah, but I think I can help...
Aida,
Does spirulina really helps to boost up milk production?
Did you know eating a bowl of oatmeal for breakfast each morning is a frequently heard recommendation for increasing milk supply. Try eating anything made with oat including instant oat meal or oat cookies..
Kak Ood,
I tumpang simpati, my son too have problems with EBM. He would rather get it fresh. What my parents does is wait until he's really hungry and only then he'll accept the EBM. Itu pun not everyday... Hope thinks turn for the better for the both of us.. Take care
SELAMAT BERPUASA!!
Ood,
Bulan pose ni janganlah citer susu cap junjung. Rasa teringin pulak!
Rgds,
KNA
Ood,
May i just comment on lys' comment.
(Lys, I do everything that I can to produce enough for my lil man, oatmeal, soy milk, spirulina and anything else anyone can recommend. The fact is that I work in a very stressful environment and stress can detrimentlly effect production. ANd I hardly get any rest during my work hours, as u know rest and relaxation will help u produce better. And I can say that my spirulina consumption does help (during Ramadhan) as our bodies are low in energy, it helps boost energy to produce milk. Milk production is a state of mind and body.
I hope that helps Lys).
Aida - looking forward to not work
kudos to you for striving to give your family a homecooked meal even though macam cockroach with one leg lost (eh betul ke?). Insya-Allah akan di balas berganda-ganda. :)
re: bf-ing, ye lah, I rasa you kena try stop formula totally. When he's hungry he'll take whatever he can get. It'll be tough at first, tapi sekejap aje. nanti will go back to previous routine.
Re: Aida, I think you're right abt the stress factor. I had more milk after I quit my job compared to when I was working. Meanwhile, try to find a way to destress lah.. take extra 5 minutes after solat to ber-tafakkur (or 'meditate' as the westerners say), cuba get a bit more of the morning sun everyday (for the feel-good factor).
Good Luck!
Masyallah Ood! Your current life seems so hectic that I get goosebumps reading it! Reminds me so much of my younger days, hehe.
Ramadhan Kareem sis!
hi
tak semua orang berani nak mencelah berhimpit2 potong que bila menaiki tren tak kiralah komuter,putra,monorel atau star. tapi dengan kelebihan yang ada pada awak perkara yang nampak berserabut dah jadi macam biasa.so kalaulah awak selalu di platfom 5 kl sentral jeling2lah kat cctv kat situ kerana saya selalu ada kat situ untuk memberi keselesaan kepada pengguna seperti awak.
selamat berpuasa untuk awak dan keluarga
Salam Odd.
Isy, letihnya, memula nail LRT, lepas tu naik train pulak...sampai rumah nak kena masak lagi...cobaan betulkan?....tak pe, bulan nilah nak collect pahala (insyaallah)
Sedihkan, bulan puasa, yang di kasehi telah pergi, bagi Auntie, terkenangkan arwah ayah...kalau bulan puasa, rajin betul dia membakar ikan guna arang.... :-(
Selamat berbuka.
Selamat Berpuasa :)
Dear Ood,
Taking the opportunity to wish u & your family a blessed Ramadhan. Definitely, with u running around and doing so very many Mithali chores, you won't be facing the problem of 'some people' who actually gains weight during Ramadhan. Anak sapa la tu...
You take care, now.
hellow girlfriend!!
n3t3k ni memang mencabar!
i am at a point where i just sumbat whatever my fancy without regard to the consequential effect to my breastmilk, there are times when my son wud make a funny face when he's nursing,macam muko loyo ko, masam ko ntah lah, tapi dia telan juga. no choice kan?
che abang has been persuading me to wean my baby off nenen. apsal agak eh? but my baby hates bottles, apa lagi formula.
i am still enjoying the intimacy with the baby. rasa best je jadi mak.alhamdulillah.
on television, it wins in my household as well. kesian, penat cari jeroki...
pbbbfttthh!
ON BREASTFEEDING
aida & lys,
for increasing milk supply, i cheated a bit. I went to clinic and got the anti-sickness pills. You know the type usually prescribed to pregnant moms in the first trimester? Those pills go to the brain nd make the body produces the necessary hormones for milk supply. It works. I went to two clinice and both doctors recommend the same pill. If it is save for pregnant moms, it should be safe for lactating moms too. Check with your doctor.
things are improving with my little one now. She's ok drinking from me but still doesnt like EBM. Ok lah, eventually i will wean her off formula.
Thanks for the tips, comrades!
nazrah leopolis,
i cant thank God enough for the gift of breastmilk! Am i glad to be born a mammal! hehehe..
It helps me bond with my kids although it makes me 'dis-bond' a bit from their father. Doesnt matter, he has the tv to make it up. KAN?
Bro KNA,
maybe i am not Malaysian Mid-Class standard? Maybe i am more the Malaysian Working Class standard? It's not that we dont get tempted with the colourful offerings of Pasar Ramadhan, it is just that we've been let down many times. Tak sedap lah, basi lah...
Bro Jo,
selamat puasa to you and the whole troop of yours too! Selamat kempiskan perut! Yey!
Bro Jo and Bro KNA,
i beg your Parton! Korang pahala mikir bukan2. Pegi berbuka lah hah!
Elisataufik,
i must stress, my homecooked meal is REALLY as simple as simple can be. But my family is easy to please. Yamtuan's happy with lauk lemak fucuk, and my kids think i fry the best telur dadar ever.
As for the BF, it is not quite easy because my baby goes to the nursery. When they say, she fusses a lot and doesnt want EBM, i cant exactly do much. But there's light at the end of the tunnel.I will probably quit working by year end and become a fulltime mom, like you! I hope it will be as rewarding as how you always describe it to be!
Dr House,
hectic isnt it? Cant wait for the kids to grow up, i say, But i suppose, when that day arrives and things get quiet, i probably will be lost and start wishing they wouldnt grow up so fast!
Selamat Ramadhan to you and the whole family!
Encik komengshark,
hari-hari saya ada di Platform 5. Lepas ni saya akan berdiri di bawah kamera dan memberi isyarat jari supaya Encik nampak saya. Encik umumkanlah pada semua, tak perlu berebut-rebut. Komuter bukan macam Putra tak ada driver. Beraturlah! Penat tau kena penyet-penyet setiap hari.
auntiyan,
sedih tak boleh nak ungkap, auntie. Hilang takkan boleh diganti. Setiap hari mohon dapat jumpa dalam mimpi pon jadilah. Sekejap pon jadilah. Rindu. Macam2 nak cerita pada dia!
Moga sama-sama kita dapat terus bersabar, sampai lah hari kita dapat jumpa dia semula, kalau ada izin dari Nya.
Noha sistah!
selamat berpuasa! Semoga amal diberkati, pahala berliatganda dan berat badan turun jua adanya!
Tigress,
anak sapa lah agaknya ya? Anak pakcik Othman ni, dah kena tanya anak-anak, ada baby lagi sorang ke dalam perut? Macam adaaaaaa je.
that DESPITE the many chores. Kalau tak agaknya macam ada baby kembar.
You have a blessed and tummy-trimming Ramadhan too!!
Ood,
I am very familiar with those hormone pills. I have them too, but I will not resort to them unless I have to (this time around I still have a full pack) and I agree they do work well. Alhamdulillah.
Am jealous to hear that u may quit work and be a full time mom.... I want that too.
Aida.
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