36 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy: Week 36

With a mere 28 days to go (give or take a few), you're almost at the end—and the beginning of your new life. Finish up your final prep by stocking up on diapers, washing the onesies and making sure the nursery is good to go. Then, even if baby comes early, you're still ready. Of course, every new parent feels wildly unprepared regardless of how operational the nursery is, but at least you won't be diaperless!

What You're Thinking:

"One hundred bottles of milk on the wall, one hundred bottles of milk. Take one down, pass it around, 99 bottles of milk on the wall ..."

Your Body:

Just when you think you can't possibly stand another day of your baby kicking your lungs and crowding your stomach, your baby will drop it like it's hot. This process, called lightening, will probably make it easier for you to breathe, but with your baby's head resting directly on your bladder, you'll be breathing all the way to the bathroom.

When your baby drops, you can rest assured that your pregnancy journey will be over within the next few weeks. Make sure to know the many signs and symptoms of labor so that you won't be caught with your pants down (both figuratively and literally).

Your Baby:

Your baby continues to put on weight at about ½ pound each week. This layer of fat will help your baby regulate his body temperature after leaving your climate-controlled womb. In fact, your baby will be 15 percent fat at birth (and you ... well that's another story). Even in the womb, your baby can listen, feel, touch and see. The only thing separating him from living in the outside world is a little thing called the birth canal. Other highlights this week:

His gums are firm with ridges that look somewhat like teeth, though his actual pearly whites won't start breaking through until he's between three months and a year old.

Your baby has definite patterns of sleep and wakefulness—opening his eyes while awake and closing them while sleeping. Your baby will become alert and turn his head toward light and sound just as a newborn would—except when you put on that Celine Dion CD. Then the baby puts his hands up, turns away and gurgles, "Oh no you didn't!"

Your baby is now around 18½ inches long and nearly 6 pounds—just about as big as a breadbox!

36 Weeks Pregnant

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34 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy: Week 34

The nursery is almost done. You've stocked up on diapers. You're ready. And you're waiting. And waiting. And hopefully, if all goes well, you'll be waiting for another six weeks. So don't drive yourself crazy, use this time to enjoy being alone, with friends and with your partner. Because soon it'll be all about baby for a couple of weeks (months, years, whatever), and you'll wish you had this downtime back.

What You're Thinking:

"It's a good thing there is a Starbucks every two blocks because that's how often I need to pee."

Your Body:

You are exhausted from hauling your bod around all day, so why can't you sleep at night? Is it because your bladder keeps crying out to be emptied every 30 minutes? Is it because you haven't been able to find a comfortable sleeping position since week 27? Is it because your mind can't stop making lists of things to do or replaying that shocking video you saw in your birthing classes? Yes, yes, and yes. It might comfort you to know you're not alone. Seventy-five percent of women in their third trimester have trouble sleeping.

Certain sleep positions will help you to be more comfortable and sleep better when you're pregnant. If lying on your back is making you dizzy or lightheaded try
sleeping on your side.

If you feel like bugs are crawling all over your legs in the middle of the night, get your partner to change the sheets. Just kidding. You might have restless leg syndrome, which commonly affects pregnant women. But it's still a good idea to have your mate do some laundry.

Your Baby:

Your baby kind of looks like she's coated in a layer of cream cheese these days. The thick, white substance that protects her skin from pruning in the amniotic fluid is called vernix. When she's born you'll probably see some vernix lingering in her "hard-to-reach" places like under her arms, behind her ears and around her va-jay-jay, if she's a she.. Other news from the womb this week:

The soft fur, lanugo, that covered your baby's body for much of her stay in the womb is now almost completely gone. Your baby begins to develop her own immune system, instead of relying solely on antibodies received through the placenta. This will come in handy when some grubby relative manhandles the baby without washing his hands first.

This week, your baby measures about 17¾ inches, as almost as long as an American Girl Doll (!) and weighs almost 5 pounds, as heavy as a bag of sugar, minus the cup you put in your decaf this morning.

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31 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy: Week 31

You've just entered the single-digit countdown (only nine more weeks to go!). Make a list of what you'd like to do in these final weeks: See the new Oscar-worthy movie, hear your favorite local band, have lunch with your BFF, go on a romantic date with your partner. Whatever it is, do it soon because baby is right around the corner!

What You're Thinking:

"I wonder if that pregnant woman wants to be my friend?"

Your Body:

Your mind may not be anywhere near ready for your baby to arrive but your body is already making preparations. One of the ways it's getting ready is by "practicing" for labor in the form of Braxton Hicks contractions. Luckily, these are generally painless, although somewhat annoying as they can occur frequently (the middle of the night, during an important meeting, while you're trying to focus on Access Hollywood, etc).

Braxton Hicks contractions feel like a sudden tightening of your uterus. This is just a little preview of what real contractions will feel like. They usually start to become noticeable around the eighth month and can become very strong by the end of your pregnancy.

While you can't get rid of Braxton Hicks contractions, there are some things you can do to make yourself more comfortable, like gentle exercise (such as walking) or taking a warm, relaxing bath. Calgon, take me away. ...

Your Baby:

From this week on, your baby will continue to gain around ½ pound a week until shortly before birth (even though it may feel like a whole lot more with every step you take). Other highlights this week:

Due to increasing space constraints, your baby's arms and legs stay drawn up close to the body now, known as the fetal position (oh, so that's where that name came from!). Plus, your baby can now process information from all five senses—so she'll be all set to smell the pureed peas, taste them, feel them as she mashes them into her hair, hear you crack up and then see the flash as you grab the camera to snap picture after picture.

By now, your baby's lungs are the only system not fully mature. And by mature, we're not saying that the rest of your baby's systems are mature enough to be out past 10 PM with the neighborhood hooligan, just that her lungs need a little bit more time to bake before they can kick it in the outside world.

Your baby weighs about 3½ pounds and measures a little over 16 inches, about the same length as that miniskirt you used to wear (and will again someday!).

31 Weeks Pregnant

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Syakirah's first single bed *SOB*

It was bound to happen. My baby is getting too big to sleep with her Ayah and Mama. We've been considering getting her a proper children's bed before the new baby comes. One that won't break our budget. Thank you, IKEA, for your timely promotion tee-hee.

Product info here

The bed frame plus guard rail (and bed base, of course) cost RM179. The mattress is sold separately. Oh, and the bed sheets too - duh, me! And the even better news is, it all fit into our compact Myvi car - hooray! I think it only took like 30 - 45 minutes for Baybe to install it? Not too bad, considering how my husband is not exactly the D-I-Y type.

Syakirah was really excited about her new bed. She loved it! The only problem is, she still wants to sleep with me. But not on our bed. She would never make it that easy for me. She wants me to come and sleep with her on her new bed. My 7-month pregnant self cramped on small bed with my 2-year toddler tucked in my arms *SIGH* It's a work in progress. It's only her second night.

This is her taking an afternoon nap, poor thing...

I still wake up in the middle of the night, slightly panicked, when I don't see her sleeping next to me. I miss cuddling her when she sleeps. I think the separation is probably harder on me than it is on her. How will I ever survive her first day of school when the time comes?

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I'm trying to download Supernatu.. I mean, work here!

Bandwidth Test by TraceRT.ORG:

Your current bandwidth reading is:


75.80kbps

28.8 kbps	dial-up
33.6 kbps	dial-up
53.3 kbps	dial-up
56 kbps	ISDN
75.8 kbps	YOU
128 kbps	ISDN
384 kbps	DSL
768 kbps	DSL
1000 kbps	DSL
1500 kbps	DSL/T1/Cable Modem

Isn't it bad enough that I have to work with a web-based CRM solution now? *SIGH*

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Nobody panic!

I've been having intense Braxton-Hicks contractions since yesterday, a couple of them last night included severe back pains. This morning, when I drove to work, I think that my baby has dropped. This happened twice when I was pregnant with my daughter, the dropping bit, I mean, at about 7 months as well. I had to see a midwife to fix the baby position since it was too early and made it quite painful for me to walk and drive.

O-kay. So no panicking just yet.

...

Erm, what now?

P/S: You'd think that after doing this the second time 'round, I'd be better at this.

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30 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy: Week 30

Now is about the time you'll start your childbirth classes. You might be thinking of skipping them (as in, "What I don't know can't hurt me"), but we're here to tell you that what you don't know will hurt anyway ... so you might as well go. Going to Baby University is not unlike cramming for a very important test. And since this particular test is often a "pop quiz," it pays to be prepared early.

What You're Thinking:

"Wait a minute. The size of what is going to come out something that's the size of what?! Are you kidding me?"

Your Body:

As much as you're enjoying gaining weight like a sumo wrestler and being swollen from head to toe (We jest, we jest!), there are reasons to pay close attention to both your weight gain and any swelling you're experiencing. Preeclampsia, or toxemia, is a serious, potentially fatal condition that occurs in a small percentage of pregnancies. It's extremely important that pregnant women recognize the signs and contact their health-care provider immediately if one or more of the symptoms are present.

While preeclampsia is potentially very dangerous, when properly treated it can be managed. Watch your body carefully for signs of preeclampsia, which can include extreme swelling, headaches and/or sudden weight gain. At your appointments, your doctor will keep an eye on your blood pressure, which can also be a tip-off. While it's worth it to pay close attention to your symptoms, you probably shouldn't lose sleep worrying about preeclampsia. Just focus on taking good care of yourself and your baby.

Another mortifying but significantly less serious side effect of pregnancy is the sudden budding of hemorrhoids on your tush. Don't be embarrassed. Swollen blood vessels "down there" are common during pregnancy. If they're itchy or painful, try soaking in a sitz bath or soothe yourself with witch hazel pads (you'll want to load up on those for after baby is born as well). Talk to your doc before using any medication.

Your Baby:

Big news for baby's brain this week: It's starting to wrinkle and fold and looks like something that grew in the back of your fridge. This is due to the rapid growth of your little genius's brain cells. Other highlights this week:

Fingernails and toenails are finally finished—causing his or her parents great fear and anguish the first time they try to cut those little daggers (it gets easier, we promise)! Plus, the bone marrow is completely in charge of red-blood-cell production now. Trust us, this is a good thing.

Baby is starting to shed his lanugo—the downy hair that was covering his skin. Now that he's chubbier and better able to regulate his body temp, he doesn't need to sport a fur coat 24/7.

"I spy an umbilical cord and the inside of my mom's uterus!" When your baby is awake, his eyes are now wide open and he's whittling away the hours looking around, checking out his rather dark, limited environs.

Your baby hasn't gained much weight or height this week, as most of his energy's been channeled to the brain. He weighs about 3 pounds and is approximately 15.5 inches long, about the size of London, not the city, Britney Spears' Yorkie terrier. Of course your baby is less hairy and way cuter!

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I couldn't help myself!

I was supposed to only be 'window shopping', but darn these adorable baby rompers! No more clothes shopping for the new baby, I promise. For now... Mwahahahahaha!

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Supernatural Season 5 Episode 1: Sympathy For The Devil

Supernatural season 5 kicked off with a BANG, if I do say so myself. If I was being totally honest with myself, I would probably admit that I've been looking forward to this season premiere more that even *GASP* the premiere of Heroes itself. The first episode promises to answer some very important questions like..

.. how will Lucifer's arrival be heralded?
.. will Castiel survive his encounter with an arc angel?
.. how will Sam deal with his demon blood addiction now that Ruby is gone?
.. will Sam and Dean's relationship be altered by Sam's betrayal?
.. what does Heaven intend to do with Dean now that they (grudgingly) have him on their side?

I have suddenly realized how weird and other-worldly all of this might sound to those who have missed Season 4. Yes, it is as controversial as it sounds, but I prefer to think of it as a mere work of fiction and nothing I see on the show will shake my own personal faith. Except maybe Dean and Sam in a shower scene... together. As in together.. together.

*cough*cough*

Moving on.

SPOILER ALERT!!!

I wasn't sure what I expected when Lucifer escaped from Hell, but... did I hear the sound of a car engine in all that noise? After a while, it made sense that there would be a bright light instead of black smoke coming out of the erm, tunnel thingy made of the demon Lilith's blood? Lucifer is an angel after all. A fact that we keep being reminded of a few times in the episode, actually.

Things were looking pretty bad for the boys actually. It certainly didn't look like they were going to make it out of there alive without any divine intervention.

*silence*

Ehem! I said, it certainly didn't look like they were going to make it out of there alive without any divine intervention.

Beat. Thank you.

Cut scene and the boys were suddenly on an flight that was showing a cartoon featuring the Devil himself. Co-incidence or who ever that put them there had a wicked sense of humor?

*cue Twilight Zone theme song*

How did the boys end up on that flight? It looked like economy class seating, but still! Who saved them? Was it Castiel? How did Castiel escaped his own inevitable doom from the arc angel who was protecting TheProphet!Chuck? It looked like the plane was going to crash but the next thing we know, Dean and Sam were safely behind the wheels of the Impala. Huh?

*end Twilight Zone theme song*

They drive over to Chuck's only to find out that Castiel didn't survive his encounter and that his molar tooth was stuck in Chuck's hair. Gross! The smug Zachariah, Castiel's former supervisor, shows up with two angel henchmen. Dean uses his noodle (and blood) and sends the angels away.

True to form, the boys hide out in a sleazy motel. Sam tries to apologize but Dean brushes him off. Same 'ol, same 'ol.

This scene caused me to burst out laughing. We can see a girl intently sitting in front of computer, writing.. fan fiction? And not just any fan fiction.. a slash fiction! Oh, and a clavicle is collar bone is classified as a flat bone that makes up part of the shoulder girdle, in case you were wondering. Why on earth is Sam caressing Dean's clavicle, woman, when he can be caressing elsewhere?! Moving on.

Now we see the girl, Becky, receiving an incoming call from Chuck. Apparently, she is his biggest fan. Chuck asks says he is being watched and asks her to deliver a message to Dean and Sam. It didn't take her much to believe that the boys were non-fictional characters, did it?

Becky shows up at the motel to deliver the message. The entire scene is priceless! Now, if I had just discovered that my favorite fictional characters were real and get to meet them live, I wonder if I would sound as crazy as her?

Sam: *awkward* Becky, can you quit touching me?
Becky: *eyes closed and continues to touch* No.
Dean: *is pissed*

Bobby shows up and we find out that Chuck's message meant that the sword of Michael was somewhere here on earth and it was up to them to find and use it to kill Lucifer. Easy peasy.

Bobby says some things to Sam that was seriously out of character. Sam leaves to do some research elsewhere. Is nobody else's mental alarm ringing by now?

Dean figures out the location of the sword of Michel. All in one episode? Mental alarms ringing louder.

Oh, Bobby is possessed. Figures. Meg is back. Figures too. Why can't Sam have normal, non demon ex-girlfriends anyway?

Some demon ass kicking and side trip to the ER later, the boys are at the location where the sword of Michael is supposedly located. The boys found a couple of dead demons on the floor. They also found ThatSmugBastard!Zachariah waiting for them. The angels had sent Chuck a false vision in order to lure Dean and Sam there.

Question: Why?
Answer: Because the boys have the sword.
Question: They do?
Answer: Yup. Apparently, Dean is the sword of Michael.
Question: Huh?
Answer: I know *rolleyes*

It turns out that Dean is the future vessel for the arc angel, Michael himself. Can't say I blame anybody for trying to literally get under Dean's skin, but I digress. Since angels are such known bureaucrats and have more red tapes that most government agencies I have ever seen, it seems that they need the vessel's consent before being able to co-habituate. Predictably, Deans says no. Also predictably, ThatSmugBastard!Zachariah thinks he can bully Dean freakin' Winchester into anything. Bah!

Castiel shows up *wa-hey!*, inclusive of lost molar tooth and all, and saves the day. We find out that Lucifer is circling his chosen vessel, Nick, whose wife and infant son was murdered by someone breaking into their home.

I can understand why the title of the episode is named as such. We not only feel sympathy for Nick and his loss, we also feel a bit sorry for the Devil himself.


Stop right there. I don't mean that the Devil is just misunderstood. I am sure that he is plenty badass in his own way. But I like how Lucifer's character was written for this show. After all, the Devil does not need to lie, as he points it out himself. He truly believes in what he is doing, and by that I also mean that he truly believes that all human should be dead.

Nick eventually gives his consent. We can only shiver in anticipation at what this would mean.

Back at the hospital, Bobby finds out that he will never walk again. ThatSmugBastard!Zachariah keeping his word to Dean? In the parking lot later, Sam asks Dean if there is something that Dean would like to say to him.


Dean admits that he is having a hard time to "forgive and forget" Sam's betrayal, that Sam chose a demon over his own brother. Sam finds out that there is nothing he can do to make things right and can only hope that one day, maybe, Dean will learn to trust him again.

Overall? Definitely 4.5 out 5. Just for that weird Twilight Zone moment. It felt a bit rushed and surreal.

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Damn you, Murphy!

Of course the electricity just had to go off the moment I turn off the Snooze button on my alarm. Which meant that I had to take a shower in freezing water and dress in the dark.

I hate you, Murphy.

Oh, and I WIKI-ed Murphy's Law just for the sake of it.

Murphy's law is an adage that broadly states: "Anything that can go wrong will go wrong."

Source here

And here comes the loudnoisyinsane vacuum. Right on cue, Murphy.

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Dude, where's my toes?

Before I even begin, I would like to point out that I am fully aware that the title of my post is grammatically incorrect. The correct term should be "Dude, where ARE my toes?" but since that doesn't sound quite as catchy, let's just ignore it shall we?

Anyways, yesterday, after coming back from Dr Ahmad, Baybe suddenly said, "Eh, jom gi IKEA nak?"

We've been looking for a new wardrobe for Syakirah and a dresser for the baby. Neither has to be as pretty as it is functional, but if we can find a balance between the 2 and throw in cheap as well, what the hey! We've been to Cavenzi and some other random furniture stores around Cheras, thinking maybe we could save on the delivery charge if we get it close enough to home. We even went to IKEA, like a couple of weeks back, only to find a decent 5-drawer dresser priced at only RM112 to be temporarily out of stock. Bummer.

Since I was sadly under dressed, I convinced Baybe to stop at the house first so me and Syakirah (or is it Syakirah and I?) can change. I no longer even try to get my husband to dress appropriately for different occasions. It's just a lost cause. It was almost 3pm when we left the house so we had to rush to make it back for berbuka later.

My daughter was in a hyper mood as soon as we got there and I foresaw that there might have been a few broken pieces of furniture lying behind her wake. For further prove of this, I will get the photos Baybe took of Syakirah terrorizing IKEA in his phone to upload later. Fortunately, I was gladly wrong and there were no (permanent) damages done. What? I swear those shoe prints on the wall will come right off after a few wipes!

And there it was, like a diamond in the rough...


There was just one thing. Even dismantled, the length of the package was 180cm long. *SIGH* Times like these I wished we drove an MPV and not a teeny, tiny Perodua MyVi. It just didn't make sense to pay an additional RM65 for delivery and 5% of item price for installation. The plan was to come back later that night with my dad's Toyota Unser. Genius!

This is me trying to find my toes while waiting for Baybe to bring the car over.

I look like I just ate the car. At least, the sepia tones make look bulky and artistic LOL

Oh, and missing my baby girl right now. Was having a bad day at work when Baybe sent this video to me via MMS. This video makes me smile ^____^

Author's Note: The quality of the images might be sub-par due to issues with my Adobe Photoshop portable. Oh well, beggars can't be choosers.

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28 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy: Week 28

You may have given a passing thought to what the new member of the household will be like (and by "passing thought" we mean obsessive rumination). Will she be a good sleeper? Will he draw on the furniture with a Sharpie? Get an inside scoop by pumping your own parents for information on how you and your partner were as kids: how much you weighed at birth, your first words the first time you cut off all of Barbie's hair. ... Your parents will get misty at the memories and you may, too. Maybe out of hope for the future, maybe out of fear for your leather sofa.

What You're Thinking:

"Billions of people have children and figure it out. So I must be able to do it too, right? Right! Right?"

Your Body:

Woohoo! You have hit the third trimester mark, so add another notch to your belt (both figuratively and literally).

If your early blood workup showed that you are Rh negative, you'll need to get a shot of RhoGAM, or Rh immunoglobulin, this week. The shot prevents potential complications in a future baby you may carry if that baby is Rh positive. Your Rh status doesn't matter when it comes to this baby, but you'll want to get the shot in case you're planning on having more bambinos.

If your baby is born with Rh-positive blood (because Papa chipped in an Rh-positive gene), you'll be given another dose of RhoGAM after you deliver to make sure everything will be good to go for any future pregnancies.

If your glucose screening test came back positive, your doc will probably want to give you a glucose tolerance test some time soon. The test—for gestational diabetes—involves some dietary changes in the days leading up to it (more carbs!) and a longer visit to the doc on the day of the test (it's a three-hour test instead of the one-hour one you took the first time). And it's another chance to load up on that yummy glucose cocktail—shaken, not stirred! If you do end up testing positive for gestational diabetes, your doctor will probably put you on a super-healthy diet for the remainder of your pregnancy.

Your Baby

As the Big Day nears, your baby is getting ready to go towards the light at the end of the tunnel (the tunnel being the birth canal, the light being the one the doctor is shining directly into it so she can see what the heck she's doing). Other highlights this week:

Your baby's eyes are partially open now and can blink. Truly superior babies can actually wink. (OK, there is no way to prove that, but it's fun to imagine, no?) Your baby can also now become a shiny, happy person as she has begun having rapid eye movement (Get it? REM? Shiny, happy person?? We'll be here all week.)

Her eyes have color now, too. It may not be the color she ultimately ends up with, especially if they're light gray or blue. The eyes typically don't settle on a final hue until nine months after baby is born. So when your mother-in-law says that the baby has her eyes, you can politely inform her that they'll most likely change soon. Sorry.

Your babe is downright chubby compared to a few weeks ago. She is about 15 inches long, about the length of an amusement park cinnamon-sugar-coated churro (yum!), and weighs 2 to 3 pounds.

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Fall's 50 Sexiest Returning Male Stars by Buddy TV

To view the complete list, go HERE

Here are the only ones that matter. Well, to me anyways...

#47 Eddie Cahill
CSI: NY
Yeay for Det. Don Flack! Now if only Carmine Would make the list. Mmmm. Go Brokeback Crimelab!



#36 Matt Lanter
90210
Bad boy Liam


#28 Misha Collins
Supernatural
It's nice that an angel of the Lord can make the cut too


#23 George Eads
CSI
Hey, where's Grissom? Wadday mean he's not hot??!!



#14 Jared Padalecki
Supernatural
Now, now, Jared. At least you and Jensen are both on the list.



#10 Adam Rodriguez
CSI: Miami
Why is this man not shirtless in this picture?



#7 Ryan Eggold
90210
The only reason 90210 is better than Gossip Girl


#6 Chace Crawford
Gossip Girl
Yeah, I know he's too pretty but getting back with Blair (for a while) suited him


#5 Milo Ventimiglia
Heroes
It's that crooked smile that does it for me



#3 Ed Westwick
Gossip Girl
Damn, that mother-Chucker!



#2 Jensen Ackles
Supernatural
Oh, how I heart you, Jensen. Let me count the ways! P.S. He would be #1 if I had my way



#1 Joshua Jackson
Fringe
I'm still in love with Charlie Conway from the movie Mighty Ducks. So sue me.

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27 Weeks Pregnant

Your Pregnancy: Week 27

The light at the end of the tunnel is growing brighter for both you and your baby. With only 13 weeks left (give or take a couple of days), it's time to enjoy the ride because it's getting shorter. (This is the point on the roller coaster where you throw your arms in the air and wail like there's no tomorrow. Wee!)

What You're Thinking:

"Why does everyone turn and look at me when the Commodore's song "Brick House" comes on the radio?"

Your Body:

As anxious as you are to evict your tenant so you can snuggle with the little bugger, he or she still needs a few more months in the protection of your womb.

Pay careful attention to your body and watch for the symptoms of labor. Premature babies have a much higher risk of illness and even death due to low birth weight and underdevelopment, so if you see signs, contact your doctor.

If you think you might be in premature labor, try drinking several glasses of water and lying down on your left side. While doing this, feel your stomach for contractions, which will make your uterus hard like your forehead. Doing simple things like cutting out caffeine and eating right can prevent premature labor.

Your Baby:

Baby's lungs and immune system are maturing this week as baby prepares for his grand entrance. If he were born today he would have an 85 percent chance of surviving as his lungs are capable of breathing air (with medical assistance, of course). Other exciting developments:

Baby's done a lot of growing over the past few months. His length has more than doubled in the past 15 weeks! And that's not the only thing growing—baby's brain tissue and neurons are all developing at a rapid pace. His brain waves are now firing away just like those of a newborn baby. If baby is a he, his testes will have completely descended at this point.

Your baby now weighs in at approximately 14½ inches and just over 2 pounds, or about the size of that roast you made last time your in-laws were in town. (OK, the baby is the size of that roast you meant to cook before you decided that ordering Chinese was a much better idea.)

27 Weeks Pregnant

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And it's gonna be... *drumroll please*

Went for a checkup yesterday. These checkups bore me but, oh well. Since it's my first one with HUKM, they had to scan me first.

So, trying to be all casual like, I asked, "... dah nampak ke boy atau girl? (can you see if it's a boy or a girl?)"

And the ultrasound technician (?) oh so casually said, "Nampak macam boy (looks like a boy)."

Not being fully satisfied with all the casual-ness, after finishing up at HUKM, we went to a private O&G clinic to do another scan. Apparently it's quite clear... and it's going to be a boy ^____^

Yes. That is exactly how I knew it was a boy LOL

Alhamdulillah. Now Syakirah will have a baby brother to play with. And I can start buying all those cute little sweater vests and hoodies I've been eyeing for months! Mwahahahahahaha!!!!!

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Holy irritation, Batman!!

I'm feeling irritated.

Ongoing political issues in the workplace is making me feel less than comfortable coming to work and having to pretend that I don't notice what's going on. I mean, I've seen some nasty piece of sh*t in my time, but this one has got to be worst. It p****es me off just to think about it, even if I am not the ones directly involved. Heck, what am I saying? With a management that thinks that they are running a military camp, it involves everyone! And I quote, "This is not a democracy. We are running a military camp." Oh, and be careful not to "... play with office politics. You can get burned." *SIGH* What else can I say but to "... use your brain, dogs**t".

And personal issues are... well, personal. I rarely spout private and emotional cr*p online, and I doubt that is going to change now. For the record, I believe I am doing a commendable job of being tolerant about this whole mess. I haven't lost my head once, at least not yet. G-oooo me!

None of this is without a price though. I am more stressed these days and becoming mentally exhausted. Sometimes I can just stare ahead and not see what I'm looking at. My brain is working overtime (unpaid!) trying to find a solution. At this rate, I'll probably find the answer to world peace before I can solve my own problems.

There are two types of people in this world. For the first group, everything just comes easy to them. They're just born lucky and everything is handed to them on a silver platter - almost. And then there's people like me. I have to work hard for whatever I want. Everything is an uphill battle and sometimes all I want to do is raise a little white flag and give up. Ahhh, but if only I have the luxury to surrender...

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Pregnancy and the H1N1 Influenza

Pregnant women especially in their third trimester are at very high risk of the complications that are seen with H1N1 influenza.

One out of three pregnant women that develop H1N1 flu have been hospitalized with severe respiratory problems. Deaths have also been reported in otherwise normal healthy pregnant women. To make matters worse both the normal seasonal flu and H1N1 influenza can occur at the same time with serious results.

As our children go back to school the transmission of H1N1 flu is expected to increase. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and pediatric health care organizations have urged pregnant women to take important steps in preventing influenza and if flu symptoms develop to seek early treatment.

What you need to know to try and protect yourself and your baby:

• Stay informed about H1N1 flu
• If you have symptoms similar to influenza contact your physician immediately.
• If you have had close exposure to a person with influenza notify your physician
• Use frequent hand washing techniques and sterile wipes
• Avoid contact with any individuals that have flu-like symptoms
• If one of your family members has flu-like symptoms, try to arrange for someone else to care for them.
• Consider all flu like symptoms as if they are from H1N1 influenza and get treatment. The CDC has advised that you should be treated even before lab tests have confirmed you have H1N1 Flu.

What if I think I have been exposed to H1N1 flu?
Call your doctor immediately, so they can start you on the antiviral medicine called Oseltamivir. Oseltamivir is a pregnancy category C drug, reflecting that clinical studies have not been done to assess the safety of their use during pregnancy. No adverse events have been shown to be caused by oseltamivir among women who received these agents during pregnancy or among infants who were exposed while in utero.

If you have been exposed, but no flu symptoms have developed your physician will give you one Oseltamivir pill each day for ten days. If you have symptoms you will receive two pills each day for five days. This treatment plan is currently effective for both prevention of H1N1 influenza and the reduction of flu severity if started within 48 hours of the initial symptoms.

Seasonal flu vaccine is now available and the vaccine for H1N1 will be available late October. All pregnant women should receive both the H1N1 and seasonal flu vaccines. ACOG recommends the inactivated flu vaccines for all pregnant women at anytime during your pregnancy. The H1N1 vaccine is free.

Follow the CDC's H1N1 influenza during pregnancy web site for up-to-date information.

Source here

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Rafeah Buang - Bila Takbir Bergema

This is my favorite Hari Raya song of ALL time. It just wouldn't be the same without this song... Sing it with me now. You know you want to!

Dengar-dengar itu bedok telah berbunyi
Sebulan puasa tamatlah hari ini
Lekaslah adikku hiaskan rumahmu
Biar serba baru untuk para tamu

Jangan kau lupa ketupat di dapur
Rendang di kuali jangan biar hangus
Cuba lihat itu kanak-kanak berlari
Di halaman rumah bermain bunga api

Bangunlah anakku pakai baju baru
Kawanmu semua telahpun menunggu
Dapatkan ayahanda sujud di kakinya
Serta jangan lupa nindamu kedua

Kita bermaaf dengan keikhlasan
Moga bertambah rahmat dari Tuhan
Dengar-dengar itu takbir sedang bergema
Hening dan mulia di pagi hari raya

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Pengumuman Puasa 2009

Selamat menunaikan ibadah puasa kepada semua warga Muslim.

Happy Ramadhan to all Muslims.

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Fuck road-bully-big-ass-truck-drivers that make me cry so early in the morning!!!

Had car trouble this morning. Was already late for work. Then while driving to work, this big truck, y'know like a trailer thing, kept following really damn close behind me. So close that there was condensation on the back window!!

Since I was late, of course the highway was already congested. The *dogshit of a truck kept honking me every time the car in front of me literally moves 2 inches and flashing his headlights. Like, hel-llo??? Kept tailgating me half the way to work. I was so pissed that I rolled down my window and showed him the finger. I don't care how high up he was in the cab of his truck, if he didn't see it, then he's a blind fucker as well as a nose picker. Yeah, I saw what you were doing, asshole!!!

Now, it's quite hard to actually piss me off. I'm quite mellow these days. But by the time my anger boiled over, tears were already streaming down my face. Damn my tear-duct for being wired directly to my anger-valve whatever thingy. I was crying so hard that I had to stop by the side of the road. Good thing I did too. I could barely see where I was going.

Darn hormones. *SIGH*

Updated!

I spent my anger making this at work. At least, it amuses my officemates LOL

* excerpt from "Use your brain, dogshit" quote that has been in popular circulation in my office since yesterday.

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Married life...

I got this in my email this morning. It made me shed a tear or six, so I thought I'd share it here...

When I got home that night as my wife served dinner, I held her hand and said, I've got something to tell you. She sat down and ate quietly. Again I observed the hurt in her eyes.

Suddenly I didn't know how to open my mouth. But I had to let her know what I was thinking. I want a divorce.. I raised the topic calmly.

She didn't seem to be annoyed by my words, instead she asked me softly, why?
I avoided her question. This made her angry.. She threw away the chopsticks and shouted at me, you are not a man! That night, we didn't talk to each other. She was weeping. I knew she wanted to find out what had happened to our marriage. But I could hardly give her a satisfactory answer; she had lost my heart to Dew. I didn't love her anymore. I just pitied her!

With a deep sense of guilt, I drafted a divorce agreement which stated that she could own our house, our car, and 30% stake of my company.

She glanced at it and then tore it into pieces. The woman who had spent ten years of her life with me had become a stranger. I felt sorry for her wasted time, resources and energy but I could not take back what I had said for I loved Dew so dearly. Finally she cried loudly in front of me, which was what I had expected to see. To me her cry was actually a kind of release. The idea of divorce which had obsessed me for several weeks seemed to be firmer and clearer now.

The next day, I came back home very late and found her writing something at the table. I didn't have supper but went straight to sleep and fell asleep very fast because I was tired after an eventful day with Dew.

When I woke up, she was still there at the table writing. I just did not care so I turned over and was asleep again.

In the morning she presented her divorce conditions: she didn't want anything from me, but needed a month's notice before the divorce.
She requested that in that one month we both struggle to live as normal a life as possible. Her reasons were simple: our son had his exams in a month's time and she didn't want to disrupt him with our broken marriage.

This was agreeable to me. But she had something more, she asked me to recall how I had carried her into out bridal room on our wedding day.

She requested that everyday for the month's duration I carry her out of our bedroom to the front door ever morning. I thought she was going crazy. Just to make our last days together bearable I accepted her odd request.

I told Dew about my wife's divorce conditions... She laughed loudly and thought it was absurd. No matter what tricks she applies, she has to face the divorce, she said scornfully..

My wife and I hadn't had any body contact since my divorce intention was explicitly expressed. So when I carried her out on the first day, we both appeared clumsy. Our son clapped behind us, daddy is holding mummy in his arms. His words brought me a sense of pain. From the bedroom to the sitting room, then to the door, I walked over ten meters with her in my arms. She closed her eyes and said softly; don't tell our son about the divorce. I nodded, feeling somewhat upset. I put her down outside the door. She went to wait for the bus to work. I drove alone to the office.

On the second day, both of us acted much more easily. She leaned on my chest. I could smell the fragrance of her blouse. I realized that I hadn't looked at this woman carefully for a long time.. I realized she was not young any more. There were fine wrinkles on her face, her hair was graying! Our marriage had taken its toll on her. For a minute I wondered what I had done to her.

On the fourth day, when I lifted her up, I felt a sense of intimacy returning. This was the woman who had given ten years of her life to me.

On the fifth and sixth day, I realized that our sense of intimacy was growing again. I didn't tell Dew about this. It became easier to carry her as the month slipped by. Perhaps the everyday workout made me stronger.

She was choosing what to wear one morning. She tried on quite a few dresses but could not find a suitable one. Then she sighed, all my dresses have grown bigger. I suddenly realized that she had grown so thin, that was the reason why I could carry her more easily.

Suddenly it hit me... she had buried so much pain and bitterness in her heart. Subconsciously I reached out and touched her head.

Our son came in at the moment and said, Dad, it's time to carry mum out. To him, seeing his father carrying his mother out had become an essential part of his life. My wife gestured to our son to come closer and hugged him tightly. I turned my face away because I was afraid I might change my mind at this last minute. I then held her in my arms, walking from the bedroom, through the sitting room, to the hallway. Her hand surrounded my neck softly and naturally. I held her body tightly; it was just like our wedding day.

But her much lighter weight made me sad. On the last day, when I held her in my arms I could hardly move a step. Our son had gone to school. I held her tightly and said, I hadn't noticed that our life lacked intimacy.

I drove to office.... jumped out of the car swiftly without locking the door. I was afraid any delay would make me change my mind... I walked upstairs. Dew opened the door and I said to her, Sorry, Dew, I do not want the divorce anymore.

She looked at me, astonished, and then touched my forehead. Do you have a fever? She said. I moved her hand off my head. Sorry, Dew, I said, I won't divorce. My marriage life was boring probably because she and I didn't value the details of our lives, not because we didn't love each other any more. Now I realize that since I carried her into my home on our wedding day I am supposed to hold her until death do us apart.

Dew seemed to suddenly wake up. She gave me a loud slap and then slammed the door and burst into tears. I walked downstairs and drove away.

At the floral shop on the way, I ordered a bouquet of flowers for my wife. The salesgirl asked me what to write on the card. I smiled and wrote, I'll carry you out every morning until death do us apart.

That evening I arrived home, flowers in my hands, a smile on my face, I run up stairs, only to find my wife in the bed - dead.


The small details of your lives are what really matter in a relationship. It is not the mansion, the car, property, the money in the bank, blah..blah..blah. These create an environment conducive for happiness but cannot give happiness in themselves. So find time to be your spouse's friend and do those little things for each other that build intimacy. Do have a real happy marriage!

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Oooh... see the pretty colors

Just goes to show that beauty can come in all shapes and sizes... and location as well. I took this photo in the female toilet on my floor! LOL

The cleaning lady a.k.a amah is really artistic, no??

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Kaizen method

The Kaizen method of continuous incremental improvements is an originally Japanese management concept for incremental (gradual, continuous) change (improvement). K. is actually a way of life philosophy, assuming that every aspect of our life deserves to be constantly improved. The Kaizen philosophy lies behind many Japanese management concepts such as Total Quality Control, Quality Control circles, small group activities, labor relations. Key elements of Kaizen are quality, effort, involvement of all employees, willingness to change, and communication.


Japanese companies distinguish between innovation (radical) and Kaizen (continuous). K. means literally: change (kai) to become good (zen).

The foundation of the Kaizen method consists of 5 founding elements:

1. Teamwork
2. Personal discipline
3. Improved morale
4. Quality circles
   
5. Suggestions for improvement

Out of this foundation, three key factors in K. arise:

• Elimination of waste (muda) and inefficiency
• The Kaizen five-S framework for good housekeeping:

i - Seiri (tidiness)
ii - Seiton (orderliness)
iii - Seiso (cleanliness)
iv - Seiketsu (standardized clean-up)
v - Shitsuke (discipline)

• Standardization

When to apply the Kaizen philosophy?
Although it is difficult to give generic advice it is clear that it fits well in incremental change situations that require long-term change and in collective cultures. More individual cultures that are more focused on short-term success are often more conducive to concepts such as Business Process Reengineering.

*SIGH* Yes, boss. Baik, boss. Paham boss...

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Jimmy Choo is all Malaysian

World famous shoe designer Datuk Jimmy Choo has been named the personal advisor and ambassador to Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Source here

Go Datuk Jimmy Choo!


“I love my country. At the end of the day, I’m a Malaysian, and I want to tell people about Malaysia.”



Now isn't that a breath of fresh air as opposed to hearing about opposition political rallies that ruined a lot of people's shopping last weekend? Not that I completely forgo my shopping itinerary, rather, not that my mother completely for her shopping itinerary while I tagged along... we just moved our choice of destination to Nilai 3 instead.

But seriously folks, and I realize that when I created this blog I didn't want to make it a venue for me to post my political views since there are already so many "political-savvy" people out there *sarcastic tone*, just this once, I want to make an exception.

I realize that people will have different views about running this country. That it, until they start running it themselves and start making their own mistakes. Thus, when the sh*t has hit the fan, they will simply shrug and say, "Oh, but Kampung Buah Pala should fall under the federal government's responsibility and not the state government's responsibility..." [insert more whining and finger pointing here]

No matter who we went out and voted for in the last election, we all did it in the hopes of a better future for ourselves, our loved ones, and our fellow countrymen. How is this a better future when we can barely leave the house without being in constant fear of being harmed by those who think that what they are doing is "protecting" us? My personal experience of these kind of rallies a couple of years back did anything but made me feel safe in such a large and hostile crowd. I don't deny that part of those mob, are only there to address their own personal grieves against the current government, who have so wronged them that they and their loved on are being dragged out in the street in the middle of the night! Oh, that doesn't happen in our country? How about inequality and oppression in such a way that most Malaysians end up living in poverty on the streets? No? That barely happens??

Then... what on earth are we still fighting for if not for the personal gains of others who cheerfully pull the strings from the comfort of their air conditioned lairs?

It's so easy to get worked up over a few carefully written speeches, but never forget that your mistakes are your own... and so are the repercussions.

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Remember...

REMEMBER me when I am gone away,
Gone far away into the silent land;
When you can no more hold me by the hand,

Nor I half turn to go yet turning stay.

Remember me when no more day by day
You tell me of our future that you plann'd:
Only remember me; you understand

It will be late to counsel then or pray.

Yet if you should forget me for a while
And afterwards remember, do not grieve:
For if the darkness and corruption leave
A vestige of the thoughts that once I had,

Better by far you should forget and smile
Than that you should remember and be sad.

by Christina Rossetti

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Yasmin laid to rest

Yasmin laid to rest

Shared via AddThis

Words cannot describe the extent of our loss at her passing. Al-Fatihah.

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Director Yasmin suffers a stroke, stable after brain surgery

Director Yasmin suffers a stroke, stable after brain surgery

Shared via AddThis

I managed to catch the news last night and heard about this. I was stunned and instantly felt really sad to hear that such a tragic thing could happen to such a good person.

I have always admired her work. I think I first noticed her after I watched the Petronas Hari Raya commercial, Forgiving, in which she won Malaysia Video Awards for Best Director (1999). I burst into tears the first time I saw it on TV. Even watching it now, I get teary-eyed and all choked up.

Yasmin Ahmad has a way of looking into the essence of the human spirit and making us see it through her eyes. In the harshness that is the world today, it is her vision of how the world could be that reminds us that there is still beauty left, lurking in the most uncommon of places, a person's heart.

It is a sad day and all my prayers and good thoughts go out to Yasmin and her family.

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I have upgraded to Adobe Photoshop CS3... finally! LOL

Yeah, I know I'm a couple of years too late. People are all raving about the new Photoshop CS4, but being the traditionalist (translation: too set in my ways to learn the new tips and tricks) that I am, I'm only starting to use CS3 now. Even that is out of desperation due to erm, certain restrictions in the work environment. Not that the management will be too understanding if I open PS at full screen while making Supernatural icons, but hey! I have to find something to do so I don't go insane after 12 hours of FB-ing.

Apparently there are 2 versions of Adobe PS, Standard and Extended. Which one was the one I downloa... *cough*cough* I mean, purchased again? Yeah, probably just the standard. I might upgrade later, if I feel that the features here aren't enough.

I'll be exploring the features within the next available free time that I have. In the mean time, here are the not so new features in Adobe Photoshop CS3...

• User Interface Improvements
  
• Smart Filters
  
• Automatic Layer Alignment and Blending
• Quick Selection Tool and Refine Edge Dialog
  
• Camera Raw Improvements
• Clone Source Palette and Cloning Preview
• Adobe Bridge CS3 Improvements
• Black and White Adjustment Command
  
• Improved Curves Adjustment
• Improved Print Window
  

Source here.

I see a few of my favourite tools are getting updates.. cloning, curves... Well, I'm off to explore and experiment folks!

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