Iris' Food

If you speak to all devoted mommies out there, food is one of the most important thing to watch out for their babies. I am not particularly good at this. I don't read books or online articles about what food suits babies according to their age, never. I just follow my instinct.

I look at my daughter, see the number of teeth, imagine if I were her at that age, will I be able to take that food. Of course I over-do it at times. Or under-do it. But there were a lot of trial and error involved. There are no hard and fast rule, really. Just what you think is best for your child.

Everything is introduced in stages. Supaya perut tak terkejut. And I started with something very mild and easy to chew and digest.

Below 6 months
Iris was exclusively breastfed until 6months old. When she reached 6 months, it was the fasting month, and I couldn't cope with the milk pumping 3 times a day. I decided to mix with formula milk since she was already passing her 6 months mark. I didn't want to do puasa ganti sebulan. Tak sanggup.... I would have, if she hasn't yet turned 6 months.

6months
Iris started her first solid at 5months and 29 days because the grandma was so eager to put something in her mouth. And of course because she had shown signs of interest in food since she was 5months. She would look at your mouth when you chew your food, look at the spoon as you take it to your mouth, with her mouth open of course. (Google for signs in babies to know if she is ready for solid. Some babies show signs later than this, means she is not ready).

6.5 months to 7 months
Her first solid was fruit puree. Thanks to my bestfriend Ira for making Iris' first apple puree. So we made her banana, apple, honeydew and papaya, and she loved banana the most. She was only on fruit puree for about two weeks, then I started to feed her blended porridge mixed with banana and dates. Not very long after, I introduced her steamed, blended vegetables mixed with her blended porridge. So I had bayam, carrots, potatoes, pumpkins. I have also added sweet potato puree and she loved it so much. Still continuing with fruit puree though, although they were not the main food. So at this stage she was only eating twice a day.

7.5 month to 8 months
Started to introduce her fish. Mostly on salmon. Realised that she loved grilled salmon. And we have been giving her salmon almost everyday. So porridge mixed with salmon and vegetable. We stopped carrots and pumpkin because it caused her skin to be yellowish, carotenosis they call it. But she continued with everything else. And we have added more kinds of vege in her list. She already started to take dinner at this point, so three meals a day.

8 months to 10 months
Introduced chicken to her. Mostly grilled. At 10 months old, we stopped blending her rice, just put more water in her rice and started to introduce egg yolk. Sometimes mommy cooked pasta for her, but she prefers rice.

10 months to 1 year old
I tried to cook lauk for her with kuah so she can eat with her rice. Because at this stage, she eats normal rice that we eat, so I thought some kuah would be nice for her. I never added salt to any of her food. Tried to delay the salt.

1 year old
Started to introduce her red meat. A bit too late some would say. But I just thought red meat is a bit too hard to digest. I don't know. But anyway, at this point, everybody starts giving her little bites from whatever they are eating. So she has developed the sense of taste now. She no longer wants food without salt. She would cry for the food on the adult's table and refused to ear the one in her bowl. So for me, either I let her go hungry, or let her eat adult's food.

At first, I couldn't help it but cried when she rejected my cooking. Either because my cooking is lousy or she refused to take food without salt anymore. Husband comforted me saying that the little salt that we put in our cooking will eventually diluted and spread in the kuah. Berapa banyak sangat la kuah baby tu makan. Which makes sense.

So I have accepted the fact that my baby has grown up and she has well developed her taste bud. Insisting on eating baby food is like letting her go hungry. I know there are ways to make baby food that has good tastes, but I am no chef. I cook following recipes, I can't improvise my cooking to suit babies. I am just lousy at it.

I believe all mothers love their children so much and would like to have the best for their babies. If Iris wants adult food, and if that's what makes her eating, so be it. I tried to preserve feeding babies food (very little salt or no salt at all) to Iris, and I only managed to do it for 1 year. Good enough for me.

As long as you're eating, baby!

My super energetic baby girl modelling Prada shades

 

All of us got sick

I was down with fever on Saturday evening when I was at my in law's house. My MIL and SIL were kind enough to help me look after Imaan while I tried to get some sleep upstairs.

I wanted to go home so badly so that I could leave Imaan with my maid while I get some rest in peace, but since MIL already cooked dinner, we decided to stay back for a while. So my sleep wasn't really a big rest. I was half awake in my sleep worrying about my MIL having to take care of my super 'energetic' baby (Myra advised me not to use the word lasak). And yes, all throughout my sleep I hear 'TANG TANG TANG TANG TANG', Imaan whacking and thumping kakak Khaira's cooking utensils. After dinner, we drove home and I was already feeling sick.

That night I felt really cold. I left daddy and baby in the room and went to sleep at the hall alone. After two hours, I went back in the room because it was Imaan's feeding time. She still wakes up for feeding, you all! And she wants my boobies, you all!

She doesn't cry for milk at night honestly. She just starts to suck her thumb so hard while still have her eyes shut. And I cant bear the sound of it, I will start to pull her thumb out and she will automatically open her mouth and look for my boobs, eyes close. So that's how it is every night.

And when times like this, when mommy is really really really sick, I don't get a time off from feeding my baby. That's a job with no MC allowed. With my throbbing head, I forced myself to wake up and feed her. At that time, I super wished that my hubby has boobs with milk too. A little pat on the knee and sometimes on my arms was all he could give me..well ok la.. an acknowledgement. And he continued to snore. Hmm... thank you husband for the acknowledgement. Teehee...

On my second night being sick, I decided to send Imaan to sleep with bibik. Night after night I contemplate, well everytime when I fall sick, I will contemplate the same thing, and I end up letting her sleep with me. But that second night, I couldn't, not because I didn't want to feed her at night, but because I didn't want her to get my virus. So I did, sent her to bibik.

At 3a.m bibik knocked my door. She was crying for me. Her eyes were wide open and I quickly held her and I realised that her body was so warm already. It was too late to save her. Well I guess it is inevitable.

Suddenly my fever just gone with the wind the moment I learned my baby has caught the virus. Now I gotta be strong for her. I can't fall sick. The mind telling the body. I gotta be strong for her.

So I continue to nurse her and I swear she suckles the boobie all night until my back aches. My milk is the best medicine I can give you. The mind telling the body again.

When the day comes, her temperature goes down and goes up again the second night. I tried to cool her down with warm towel but she just kept on crying and screaming and refusing the towel. I cried too. At 1.30am, we brought her to Alam Medic and doctor inserted medicine through her butt.

Temperature went down after that. And she slept better after taking that medicine.

Daddy pun jatuh sakit the next day. But strong daddy recovered after a whole day rest.

This is the third night, Imaan with mild fever. She is still an active baby nevertheless. How I love her strength.

I hope she gets well soon. If the fever still does not subside, tomorrow will be the fourth night, and I must go to the hospital to get her blood checked for dengue.

At this point, teringat anak boss yang sedang terlantar comma di SDMC for 10 days now because of AVM. Arif Fikri, kuatkan semangat dan semoga cepat sembuh dan kembali kepada mama dan papa. Ameen.


Rasulullah s.a.w bersabda:

"Tidaklah seorang muslim tertimpa suatu penyakit dan sejenisnya, melainkan Allah akan mengugurkan bersamanya dosa-dosanya seperti pohon yang mengugurkan daun-daunnya."
(H.R. Bukhari dan Muslim)

Imaan Iris turns 1 party

My baby turned one on 26 Dec 2013. It was a working day so we decided to have a small family celebration at home. We bought a simple blueberry cheesecake from King's because she loves cheese and blueberry.

Mommy, Daddy and Imaan

 

Our little family

My in laws came for the celebration. My bestfriend Latiff and family gave a surprise visit and Aunty Maria, mom's bestfriend also dropped by because she is staying nearby. It was nice of her to wait until 10.48pm because that was the actual time Imaan was delivered into the world, and she happened to there at the hospital waiting for me.

Iris and Lily, two beautiful flowers in my life, messing up their cakes

The actual birthday party was held on 28 December 2013, Saturday at my parents' house in Bukit Jelutong. Attended by over 90 guests of close family and friends, I was honoured to have them spending their precious time with us celebrating our daughter's first birthday.

I didn't plan for any birthday themes, I thought while she is still 1 year old, she won't understand anything, I just wanted to have a simple old-skool kinda birthday that I used to have when I was little. No fancy theme, no fancy games, no fantastic decorations. Konon-konon nak reminisce zaman kita kecik kecik dulu, very old-skool la konon.

Tapi still jugak nak buat some minor décor. We DIY everything, hasil tangan mommy and daddy.

The very humble DIY décor. I love the photos of Imaan from three different faces of her. When she was 2 week, 3 months and 10 months old.

 

Seven tables for family and friends

 

DIY centrepiece on each table. Walaupon quality tak berapa nak elok, mommy and daddy take pride in all these handmade décor and ideas.

For candy table, we didn't have much candies on it, silap sebab tak make orders. Just assumed Wondermilk bukak...sekali tutup daaaa that morning... so had to go to few places to get the few things on the candy table.

Candy table, we had choclairs, sumi jelly, marshmellows, subway cookies, cheese tarts and fruit tarts from King's

DIY door gifts for babies (on the left) and kids (on the right). For babies we just have babies biscuits and rattle. For kids, we had blower, rattle, mask, twisties, mentos, cloud 9, Apollo waffle. Nak old skool sangat, amek kau, Apollo waffle masa kita kecik-kecik punya snacks.

 

 

For cakes, I actually just wanted the same kinda cake that I had when I was 1, a plain white vanilla butter cake in the shape of 1. So I asked my mom to order this cake for me, pretty sure she remembered my first birthday cake. I didn't expect to see clowns, skittles and bendera Malaysia on the cake, but whatever... hahah I don't want to be fussy about it. It's just a birthday party, the most important thing is we had our families and friends attending the party.

 



Imaan's birthday cake ordered from Aunty Noraini, PJ Sek 1. Very nice cake, I love it. 1.5kg cake for rm100.

My Korean princess, style in hanbok, brought by MIL from korea. 

 

Mommy helped Imaan to blow the candle

 

Mommy and Daddy helped to cut the cake

 

With some of my girlfriends. Been friends for 17 years. Missing from the picture, Ashik, Dyla and Myra.

The dragon babies, Adam, Sharleez, Imaan and Lily

 

My little family

 

Birthday presents, whee Alhamdulillah

 

 

The hanbok very hot, changed to her CottonOn dress that is so super comfy, and she is sleepy already towards the end

 

 

I don't have photos of the food. We catered for mee curry, popiah goring pedas and seri muka, cordial drink, bubur kacang hijau and teh tarik. We also had homemade nasi lemak, pasta Bolognese, and egg sandwhiches.

Overall, I love everything about the party, and I was so grateful to have our families and friends gathered together for this very special day.

Imaan Iris, doa mommy, semoga baby menjadi anak yang baik dan solehah dunia akhirat. Ameen.

Preparing Iris' First Birthday Party

OK now I have some nice quiet time at the office to plan for the little girl's birthday party. It's year end, and nothing is moving at year end. Well I can't do this at home as she will start to want to take my pen, shuffle with the papers, and pressing on my laptop.

Theme party
As much as I love to attend themed event, it gives me ideas of what to wear to the event, really, I am not gonna set any theme for this birthday party. Reason is I just want to reminisce MY first birthday party, not that I remember anything, but I want Iris to have the same kind of first birthday that I had 30 years ago. Simple white birthday cake with the shape of 1. It's all about what mummy wants, haven't you learnt anything when you had your wedding day? hahaha

Food
Half home-cooked and half catered. I am not cooking anything, if you ever wonder. I have my super maids and mama who is going to do all that.

Decorations
OK this is the part that I am worried about. I have no theme, hence I don't know how to decorate other than balloons. I am no artist hence my hands are not good with home-made creative decorations. And my husband will not approve of ordering decoration set online.

OK I give way because she is just 1 year old, she wouldn't understand anything anyway (I hope when she grows up she won't kill me when she sees my friends' babies birthday party, with themes and fantastic decorations). Please, understand my intention, babeh! I  will let you choose your own theme when you are big enough to know what you'd like to have for your party (jangan mintak buat birthday party dalam istana udah!)

My humble preparation for my girl

Mommy sangat excited sambil sambil tu teringat time skarang ni, 1 year ago, I was helplessly serba tak kene dok MC kat umah menanti ketibaan tuan puteri dari syurga. 

Iris going to turn ONE

My little Iris is turning one this Boxing Day.

 

 

 

I have seen a lot of little progress in her. Like waving goodbye when she hears the word ‘bye bye’,

like pat on her head when she hears the word ‘pusing’  (means headache in indon) or ‘sakit’,

like stretch her head over to me when I say ‘sayang mommy’,

or dance witlessly when you tell her ‘buat lagi, buat lagi’, 

when she picks up something and you say ‘bagi mommy’ she willingly pass it on to you,

and oh when she dances to any music, even when you recite, surah al-fatihah,

She also knows the difference between fake remote control and the real one, and she could tell if the real one you give her is without battery,

She knows what to press when she holds any remote control, and started to look at the fan/tv to see the changes she had done, whether she changed the channel or she off the fan/aircond,

Oh seriously, there are a lot more.

But the little big things I always tell others are that she has not started to walk nor she has started to talk. And I always tell others how she is always enthusiastic or excited or over energetic about things (lasak).

She could climb the stairs up to the second level and she could go down the stairs herself, backward of course, after I taught her to go down to her cot from my bed backward and legs down first, she does that at every split level she sees.

She can’t sit still for more than 5 seconds, she has very short level of concentration on any things

She doesn’t like books or cartoons

A very small size baby, considering she has big fat parents

I always whine and I seem concerned that Iris has not progressed like some babies her age. 

Truth is,

I am not worried at all.

I know that babies grow at their own pace. I just love telling others how my baby has not reached her big milestones, it may sound like I am complaining, but fact is, deep down I am proud that I have something to tell others and that my baby is different.  

I am proud that I have such a beautiful lasak daughter and I will cherish this moment before she starts to walk and talk. To me, she is smart in her own way and I am so very proud of every little progress I see in her. She melts my heart in her many beautiful ways.

The birth of my first child

A quick summary of the whole labour thingy.

4 Dec 2012, I went to see Dr Siti, she did the vaginal examination and told me that I was already 3cm dilating. But I was then at my 36 weeks plus, which was at the borderline of being a term baby. She advised me to rest at home and continue with my weekly checkup, but straight away come to the labour room if I am feeling the contraction or if there is any blood show or if the waterbag burst. Read the story here.

12 Dec 2012, I went to see Dr Delaila, because Dr Siti was on vacation for 2 weeks plus. My baby was still not engaged then. I was still only 3 cm dilated. Read the story here.

20 Dec 2012, my 39th week checkup with Dr Delaila, she then confirmed that my baby has engaged. But still, I feel very normal. No signs of labour at all. Read the story here.

 26 Dec 2012, Dr Siti's back to the clinic, and it was my 40th week checkup appointment. Dr Siti was so surprised to see me still around. She checked I was still 3cm dialted, percaya tak?? It has been 3 weeks of only 3 cm opening? But only this time, I was fully effaced. 3 weeks ago, the dinding was still tebal. So she said since sudah fully effaced and already dilated, and I am already 1 day overdue (already term), she said she wouldn't want to wait long. Takut baby berak dalam perut. So she suggested to induce the baby out.

I was admitted to the labour room straight, that time it was 11am. I was asked if I wanted to eat anything first, I refused because I just had my breakfast at 8am earlier, little did I know that I was not gonna allowed to take any food once I enter the labour room.

Ini adalah labour room di SDMC.

At 12pm we started with CTG scan, dengar baby's heartbeat and monitor the contraction. After about half an hour the midwife came in and told me that the reading doesn't look fantastic. My baby's heartbeat was at sleeping pattern. It could be two things, either she was really sleeping, or it could be some kind of a complication (I really can't remember what was the scenario, I was too panic to focus on what she was saying) that requires me to do a c-sec. Doctor Siti advised me to take a walk for about 45 minutes and re-do the CTG scan, and thank god, the reading was back to normal. Meanwhile...still no contraction.

The midwife gave me ubat untuk berak. Sesuatu cecair yang di pancutkan ke dalam bontot. OK, tak perlu la  nak describe it, tapi effect dia... huh, within 2 minutes. Terasa kosong perut lepas tu. Dr Siti came by and checked my opening. It was already 4cm. Ntah kenapa kali ni, dia seluk terasa amat sakit. She then pecahkan air ketuban. Terasa air yang keluar tu sangat warm. Terasa macam tahan kencing selama seminggu and finally terkencing dalam seluar. Camtu la rasanya. Then, it was time to induce, masuk macam drip air slowly, killing me hour by hour.

Well, memula tu ada rasa contraction tapi tak la sakit sangat, tapi lama-lama...... I think start sakit sangat masa pukul 4pm onwards. Camne rasa sakit contraction? Macam period pain, tapi the intensity is 200 times more than normal period pain, indescribable. And it gets more and more intensed by the hour.

I remembered the midwife gave me a few options on pain management. And if I want to take those, I have to request before the cervix dilated to 6cm. At first, I was contemplating, I know some people who went through labour without taking any pain killer. My sister in law is one of them. So to me, probably the pain is bearable, so I planned to go without anything. TETAPI, at 5cm dilation, memang tak tahan, sakit dia tuhan je tahu. I was lack of oxygen, they had to give me some breathing assistance. My baby's heartbeat was going low and low everytime the contraction comes. Hubby got to remind me to breathe in so that my baby could also breathe. But I was lack of oxygen, I couldnt breathe in, I felt so warm in the labour room, I was sweating, I thought I was gonna die.

Every contraction hubby had to remind me "Breathe in sayang, baby's heartbeat is dropping", and when I hear that, I gathered my strength to breathe, ntah dari mana semangat tu datang, just for my baby. At 5cm dilation, I asked the midwife to cucuk my bontot with Pethidine (which only relief 20% of the pain). Oh, tak rasa macam amik pain killer langsung. Masih sakit kay. Dia cuma bagi khayal and tido jer kot. Tapi bila contraction datang.... huh! Betul-betul rasa macam nyawa kat hujung tanduk, seriously, I am not exaggerating. Rasa nak mati tu bukan sebab sakit contraction tu, by the way, jangan salah sangka, rasa nak mati tu datangnya daripada tak cukup oxygen, bila takleh nak tarik nafas, tu yang rasa nak mati tu.

Berkali-kali jugak la, midwife datang untuk seluk vagina nak tengok berapa cm dah bukak. Lepas 6cm onwards, sakit contraction makin menjadi-jadi. Somewhere along the way, the midwife gave me the laughing gas, I didn't ask for it though. Dia bagi, amik je la. Sedut gas ni memang best. I would say relief jugak la sakit contraction yang semakin teruk tu.

Midwife kept asking me "Ada rasa nak terberak tak? Kalau ada rasa nak terberak panggil ok?" And everytime contraction comes, hubby kept on asking "Ada rasa nak terberak tak?" Sebenarnya memang ada rasa nak terberak dah 2-3 jam yang lalu dah, I dont understand apekah maksud nak terberak tu. So when they kept asking while I was in pain, seriously rasa nak penampar je sapa yang tanya tu.

Finally at 10pm, I heard the midwife said "9.5cm bukak, panggil doctor jap eh.." OMG, it's time! AND, surprisingly at that very moment, hilang terus rasa sakit contraction. Although the contraction reading tu semakin tinggi, tapi memang tak sakit, yang rasa hanya rasa nak terberak! Oh, ini maksudnya nak terberak, macam ada sesuatu nak terkeluar dari bawah ni yang sangat keras.

Dr Siti came in, together with 3 other midwives and my husband, semua suruh I push push push. Everytime ada contraction, I have to teran sekuat hati. To be honest, I wasn't doing very well in the beginning. Each contraction boleh tarik nafas and teran sebanyak 3 long ones. Tapi I could only do two times. Hey, dont blame me. I had lack of oxygen, and my last meal was 14 hours ago. Mana ada tenaga beb! They kept on saying "Teran macam nak berak keras" and hubby said I actually shouted (I dont remember though) "Mana ada berak keras sangat macam niiiiiii!!!!???"

Dr Siti told me that if I don't do it right baby will be suffocated sebab kepala baby asyik keluar bila teran then masuk balik when I inhale, What they want is kepala baby to keluar and tak masuk-masuk dah, so I had to do it fast and take every chance I have on every contraction. Mendengar kan baby akan suffocate, sekali lagi, semangat yang datang ntah dari mana kuat balik. Maka teran la aku like there's no tomorrow. Doctor also performed episiotomy, untuk besarkan lubang nak keluarkan kepala baby, and dia potong tu tak rasa pon, walaupun dengar bunyi gunting tu.

Teran punya teran, tetiba at 10.48pm terasa perut kempis dari selalu and ada rasa sesuatu yang sangat panas placed on my tummy. It was the baby, and she was purple. Ya Allah... did I almost lose her because I had no energy to push her out. Oh God, Alhamdulillah.. dia selamat dikeluarkan jugak. Syukur, ya Allah....

Doctor asked my hubby if he wanted to cut the tali pusat, and he said yes. Dia potong tali pusat tu while she was on me, although I don't remember that scene. Then they took her away untuk cuci segala.

Introducing little Imaan Iris Binti Muhamad Shazali, weighed 3.4kg. Lepas cuci, she was no more purple. She was as white as snow, lips as red as blood, I swear she was the most beautiful thing I had ever seen in my life.

Then doctor keluarkan uri pulak dari perut together with apa-apa saja benda yang telah bersarang dalam perut ni selama 9 bulan. I dont know about other people but to me, keluarkan uri ni agak sakit la, sebab doktor tu seluk masuk dalam vagina untuk tarik keluar. After that, doctor jahit potongan tadi. but before that dia inject local anesthetic kat peha, so tak rasa la sakit menjahit tu. Terasa sangat lega lepas tu.

Then they put Iris on my chest tapi she did not latch on straight away. I had the privilege to hold her for a while, before they took her to the nursery to warm her up.

I was changed to a single bedded room at about 1am. That was the longest night in my life.

Syukur...ya Allah. May you be everything that your name spells out. Be faithful and be the iris of my eyes forever...