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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