Bismillaah

Alhamdulillaah, it has been 2 weeks since we welcomed Maryam to the family. A friend asked for her birth story, so here it is inshaAllaah.

The birth story is very short because Allaah have made the entire process easy, Alhamdulillaah.

Ibu did not remember when the contraction started since the first ones were very light and just like the regular contractions around the late stages of pregnancy. However, after Zuhr ibu noticed the contractions became regular, but they were like once in every hour. Ibu just ignored them since the EDD was still a week away.

After Asr, the contractions became stronger and closer. Ibu did not tell abah right away nor started to time the contractions, but packing things around the house instead ;). Around 600pm, ibu was pretty sure that labor was just around the corner, told abah about it, and searched the web for infor about 'when to go to the hospital' (ngeh :) ) to make sure it was the right time to go to the hospital (didn't want to wait for long in the hospital..lol). Around 7pm, we got the kids ready and off we hit the road (Alhamdulillaah, earlier that day abah's friend lent his car to us. Muslims friends in LA are very great, mashaAllaah)

Alhamdulillaah, it was saturday and the traffic through the downtown LA was smooth. At 730pm we arrived at the hospital. We went to the 8th floor-maternity section, and registered at 737pm. ibu got into the check-up room and was already at 8cm, Alhamdulillaah. Ibu( and the nurse and the doc) were quite surprised myself, and thankful to Allaah of course! Just minutes earlier ibu were still walking from the parking lot and pushing Adam's stroller into the hospital. The nurse quickly transfered ibu to the labor room. Preparation was done quickly, the doctor broke ibu's water, they hooked me up to the monitor, put an IV(hurt so bad), and at 820pm Maryam came into the world, Alhamdulillaah.

During labor, abah, hajar, and Adam had to wait in the waiting room since kids were not allowed into the labor room. ALhamdulillaah they didnt have to wait for long for 'adik' :). After the nurse cleansed Maryam and clean up the room, my LOs were called into the now-clean-and-neat labor room to meet the new member of the family. Abah,hajar, and adam hang around until around 1030-1100pm before they left..only ibu & maryam stayed :(

Ibu & Maryam were in the hospital for two days(for normal VD) ALhamdulillaah everything was great and everyone was happy and healthy.

bismillaah

Alhamdulillaah, Hajar and Adam are sleeping soundly right now after another whole day of learning and exploring the world around them. Abah is not around for about 1 week because abah is travelling to Chicago and Michigan doing some of the things he loves. Hajar will say, 'Abah pegi kereje' whenever ibu asked her where is abah.

Today they got to go outside and played with an old stroller and bubbles at the backyard. They loved watching airplanes passing by on the sky. LAX is just 45 minutes away, and we could see/hear flights passing by up above quite clearly. Alhamdulillaah a'la kulli haal, LA's airway is very busy with commercial airplanes, and added with lots of helicopters and private jets. They make lots of noise too, but the kids were so excited with the sounds.

Bismillah

Berinteraksi dengan makhluk Allaah

Alhamdulillaah, Hajar dan Adam berpeluang ke L.A ZOO dan alMadina school's Elephant Ride beberapa minggu lepas dan semalam.

Bismillaah

A friend forwarded this to me...and it makes me smile =)
May Allaah bless our mothers and reward them tremendously in this life and the hereafter..

My Mother Taught Me....

by unknown


1. My mother taught me TO APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.
"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

2. My mother taught me RELIGION.
"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

3. My mother taught me about TIME TRAVEL.
"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week!"

4. My mother taught me LOGIC.
"Because I said so, that's why."

5. My mother taught me MORE LOGIC.
"If you fall out of that swing and break your neck, you're not going to the shops with me."

6. My mother taught me FORESIGHT.
"Make sure you wear clean underwear, in case you're in an accident."

7. My mother taught me IRONY
"Keep crying, and I'll give you something to cry about."

8. My mother taught me about the science of OSMOSIS.
"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

9. My mother taught me about CONTORTIONISM.
"Will you look at that dirt on the back of your neck!"

10. My mother taught me about STAMINA.
"You'll sit there until all those sprouts are gone."

11. My mother taught me about WEATHER.
"This room of yours looks as if a tornado went through it."

12. My mother taught me the CIRCLE OF LIFE.
"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out."

13. My mother taught me about BEHAVIOUR MODIFICATION.
"Stop acting like your father!"

14. My mother taught me about ENVY.
"There are millions of less fortunate children in this world who don't have wonderful parents like you do."

15. My mother taught me WISDOM.
"When you get to be my age, you'll understand."

16. My mother taught me about ANTICIPATION.
"Just wait until we get home."

17. My mother taught me about RECEIVING.
"You are going to get it when you get home!"

18. My mother taught me MEDICAL SCIENCE.
"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze that way."

19. My mother taught me ESP.
"Put your sweater on; don't you think I know when you are cold?"

20. My mother taught me HUMOUR.
"When that lawn mower cuts off your toes, don't come running to me."

21. My mother taught me HOW TO BECOME AN ADULT.
"If you don't eat your vegetables, you'll never grow up."

22. My mother taught me GENETICS.
"You're just like your father."

23. My mother taught me about ROOTS.
"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

:And my favorite

24. My mother taught me about JUSTICE.
"One day you'll have kids, and I hope they turn out just like you

Bismillaah

Alhamdulillaah, Hajar and Adam went to Islamic Institute of Orange County!!! where Sheikh Muhammad ibn Faqih serves as the imaam. Abah went to the lecture, Hajar and Adam went to the nursery =)

MashaAllaah, the masjid is very beautiful, but the community is even more beautiful. Lots of people, friendly faces, and we've met a few Malaysians( we've met in an alMaghrib class and several Malaysian events before)

Hajar and Adam were very happy to meet many friends of their ages. They've made friends and got into the playing groups pretty fast, mashaAllaah. Ibu was quite impressed at the progress since at first, ibu was worrying they couldnt make friends easily due to staying at home exclusively =).

Alhamdulillaah, the decision to brave through Los Angeles' super busy freeways on a Friday night really well worth it.

Oh, and these are pictures from our trip to Islamic Center of SoCal, near downtown LA last week.(no pics from the IIOC trip yet)

bismillaah

Ahad lepas, kami pergi ke big Sunday di SC Islamic Center. Hajar dan Adam seronok dapat jalan-jalan keluar, berjumpa kawan, dapat main di play ground, dan join solat jemaah =). Ada ramai orang yang datang untuk menyokong aktiviti Islamic center dengan membeli barangan dan makanan di booths yang ada. Buku-buku di bookstore pun ada diskaun 20%. Alhamdulillaah. Tapi, matahari terik dan cuaca agak panas berbanding biasa.

Alhamdulillaah, sekarang Hajar dalam proses potty training =), Adam belum reti lagi tapi kekadang dia pun nak tiru kakak.

Los Angeles sudah mula terasa bahang musim panas....

Bismillaah

ceria, gembira
senyum dan ketawa

berlari, terjatuh
kulit tercalar dan menangis

dipujuk, diam
dan tenang kembali

proses belajar dan mengenal
membesar dan dewasa

Kids love bubbles


and lots of other things...

Home Made

bismillaah

2 weeks without abah with us, Hajar would ask 'mana abah?' everyday. I am sure Adam was wondering the same thing, too but didnt know how to ask :).

MashaAllaah, It was very cute to see them 'talked' with abah on the phone. They were holding the phone correctly while sharing their stories with abah. Adam would do his baby talks, and we were trying hard to figure out what he was saying. They would pass the phone to ibu once they were done and tired of talking :)

Ibu took them for walks a few times, and during the sunny days, but when Ibu didnt feel like walking away from home, we just spent few minutes outside. Hajar and Adam love running around, enjoying the sunshine and fresh air, and picking up small, wild flowers!

Alhamdulillaah, 2 weeks went by very quickly. Abah has completed his jaulah murabbi for this round. InshaAllaah more to come, and hopefully Hajar and Adam will learn to appreciate this experience.

bismillaah

Alhamdulillaah a'la kulli haal, hajar n adam kena cucuk vaksin lagi. Nak buat selected vaccination tak habis study lagi pros dan cons nya. jadi, ikut arahan state of california saja. sekarang hajar dan adam bawah cdhp, child development & health program(klu x silap). Dua-duanya 'very loud', bak kata para nurses dan doctors.

Lepas dari klinik, bawa Hajar dan Adam jalan-jalan di luar sikit untuk hilangkan 'sedih' kena cucuk.
Alhamdulillaah, tak demam dan moga Allaah berikan kesihatan dan kekuatan rohani dan fizikal kepada Hajar dan Adam, dan semua umat Islam..Ameen.

bismillaah


Alhamdulillaah, dah dua minggu ni(hari Ahad) Hajar dan Adam dapat join Sunday School(Nursery) di Islamic Center of Southern California kat Vermont Avenue & 4th street. Minggu first tu naik zipcar, tp yg baru-baru ni kitorang try naik metro, bas panjang dan besar, kadang-kadang nampak macam lrt train.

Hajar dan Adam tentunya seronok dapat jalan-jalan, jumpa kawan, dan dapat main di playground. Hajar dapat main tricycle dan Adam seronok main papan(plastik?) gelongsor. MashaAllaah, cuaca di LA pun cerah.

Alhamdulillaah, yang paling penting, Hajar dan Adam dapat menyaksikan sendiri kemeriahan komuniti Muslim berkumpul bersama, dan belajar bahawa masjid tu sebagai pusat komuniti melakukan pelbagai macam aktiviti, bukan terhad kepada solat jemaah sahaja.

MashaAllaah, komuniti Muslim di sini sedang berusaha untuk membeli bangunan bersebelahan Islamic center yang akan dilelong. Asalnya bangunan tu pusat pameran Chevrolet, tapi sekarang dah ditutup. Jadi, sekiranya berjaya membeli bangunan tersebut, Islamic center akan dikembangkan lagi inshaAllaah. Banyak perancangan yang diorang buat, May Allaah facilitate it, Allaahumma ameen.

bismillaah

fajr
Hajar dan Adam bangun
main sampai pagi
mandi
main lagi
sarapan
main lagi
kalau penat Adam qailullaah
kalau penat Hajar duduk berehat-rehat saja

zuhr
kadang-kadang ikut 'Allaahuakbar', rukuk dan sujud
kadang-kadang ikut dari awal sampai tengah
kadang-kadang terus bermain saja
makan tengahari
main lagi

sambil bermain, belajar
sambil belajar, bermain
sambil bermain, membesar
sambil membesar, memerhati

anak-anak kecil cepat menangkap dan mengingat
dari ABCs, 1,2,3 sampailah Allaahuakbar, bismillaah, alhamdulillaah dan I look I see
apa saja yang didengarinya, akan sentiasa disebut-sebut kemudian
dan Hajar dan Adam, terus berlari...

bismillaah

Alhamdulillaah, Hajar dan Adam ke muktamar, jumpa banyak kawan, antaranya rumaisa dan muhsin. Tapi Hajar dan Adam aak kekok untuk bergaul dengan ramai orang yang asing.A'la kulli haal, Hajar dan Adam gembira dapat travelling bersama ibu dan abah untuk menghadiri majlis ilmu nun di Houston, Texas.

Hari ini, Hajar dan Adam pergi ke klinik lagi untuk mendengar keputusan pemeriksaan darah dan x-ray Adam tempoh hari. Hampir tiga jam menunggu di klinik, tapi doktor tak bercakap banyak mengenai keputusan tersebut disebabkan keputusan x-ray dari hospital belum dihantar lagi. Doktor cuma cakap diorang 'terpaksa' offer treatment, tapi kami boleh tolak sebab Adam dah dapat BCG di Malaysia.

Balik dari klinik, Hajar tercari-cari 'pakcik' yang datang singgah ke L.A dalam tour mereka keliling negeri2 sebelah west ini selepas menghadiri muktamar. Ada satu rombongan dari Minnesota dan mereka singgah selama 2 hari di sini.Jazakumullaahu khaeer kerana sudi menjadi tetamu kami. Hajar dan Adam dalam segan-segan mendekati pakcik-pakcik. Hari ini, mereka bertolak ke San Diego, dan pastinya Hajar tercari-cari "pakcik yan dah 'ilan'".

bismillaah

Alhamdulillaah, last week ibu has finished with the exams and we went to the hospital to get Adam's blood test and chest x-ray done. Adam got positive TB skin test earlier(which is normal for Asian/Malaysian babies since they've got BCG after birth), some people in the hospital told abah that Adam should not get the skin test because it will for sure be positive. The peds should just refer us to the x-ray instead. Btw, we've refused the test on Hajar, so she didnt have to go through the routine..only Adam(poor Adam). MashaAllah, that day was a rainy day, and the street was a very busy,big one way street with limited parking. The ones that were available had broken meter. so Hajar and ibu just sat and waited in the car for abah and Adam. It was a very long wait. Abah was tired, but abah told ibu that Adam was very happy playing around with things around him in the hospital, but Adam got a bandage on his arm where his blood was drawn into a 'big' vial.

As soon as Adam got into his seat, he grabbed a cookie and his blankie(tuala busuk), and soon fell asleep. Apparently he was very tired too.

After that, we went to masjid Umar and Hajar was very eager pointing at the Masjid and telling everyone that it was 'tempat se-ma-yang'. MashaAllah, Hajar was very happy to get into the masjid.

As a reward for everybody =), we went to Toko Rame, an Indonesian restaurant, afterwards. This Toko Rame is very special because not only it serves only HALAL foods(no wines whatsoever), it only takes cash!(no credit card = no riba'). The owner is also a practicing muslim, wears proper hijab etc. At one time during ramadhan, we even saw the waiter reciting Qur'an while waiting for customers. Earlier, we've googled for a Malaysian restaurant in the area which also serves Halal foods. Fortunately, Abah took the time to browse through their menus and found variety of wines and alcohol offered at the very end of the list. So, we've decided to go to Toko Rame, simple and mashaAllaah, offers variety of delicious Indonesian cuisines.

Both Hajar and Adam went to sleep earlier tonight. They might got tired of playing all day round, in and out the warm,cozy bedroom and the cold,freezing kitchen. They had just finished siblings fight before going to bed =). Adam 'accidentally' dropped the sipper cup on kakak's face and hit and hurt Hajar's lips. Both babies cried and eventually went to sleep.

InshaAllaah, we are planning to join the Muktamar in Texas and will start the journey on the day after tomorrow. Please make dua that Allaah make it easy on us with safe journey and return.

bismillaah

Semalam Hajar dan Adam ke 'klinik kesihatan' untuk imunisasi seterusnya. Alhamdulillaah masing-masing dapat satu cucuk dan Adam tidak anemic.

Hajar dah cam bilik suntikan tu sebab masuk je bilik tu, Hajar start kata 'takmau' dan 'sakit'. Kena bersungguh-sungguh pujuk dan pegang dia. Tapi, teknologi jarum suntikan untuk kanak-kanak dah makin canggih, nurse tu cucuk tapi Ibu macam tak nampak pun jarumnya. Memang pantas, bukan macam kebiasaannya kita nampak jarum yang tajam dan panjang tu cucuk ke muscle dan fluid dipicit keluar. Ambil masa beberapa saat. Tapi, semalam dalam sesaat dua jer, mashaAllaah.

Adam lambat sikit nak kenal bilik suntikan tu. Bila seluar kena londeh, baru dia start menangis. Tapi, sebaik jer nurse habis cucuk, Adam okay balik. Cumanya, by that time, Adam dah mula mengantuk.

bismillaah

it's this time of the year...los angeles menjadi sejuk

Alhamdulillaah a'la kulli haal, rasa sangat sejuk hari ini. Hajar dan Adam kena selesema. Beberapa hari ni agak payah untuk bernafas dengan selesa disebabkan mucus yang likat dan penuh di rongga hidung. Sekali-sekala, Adam terpaksa dibantu untuk mengeluarkan mucus dari hidungnya. Tapi, Adam tak suka sangat dengan pump tu, dan akan menangis sekuat hati sebaik nampak pump mucus. Hajar lebih suka jadi 'big sister', dia buang/hembus mucus sendiri dan tak memerlukan pump tu. Tapi, masa tidur sedikit Vicks dapat memberi mereka sedikit keselesaan, Alhamdulillaah.

Hari Ahad yang sejuk ni, los angeles diselubungi jerebu asap tebal dari kebakaran yang berlaku di sekitar sini. Angin kencang menjadikan api merebak dengan cepat, dengan izin Allaah. Banyak rumah terbakar, dan maknanya ramai yang kehilangan tempat tinggal. Allaah tarik nikmat? diberikan ujian? menduga ketabahan? Hanya Allaah yang tahu.

bismillaah

when everyday is an explore race day ...

you will see toys and books and boxes and bottles and other things scattered all over the floor
just minutes after you put all in their respective places

kids climbing on every possible places: chairs, bed, desks, boxes
kids 'writing' on papers and walls
kids tearing papers from books and magazines

you will hear every cabinets door being opened and shut
and babies crying whenever they are told to stop doing it

they just love to explore
to discover and to learn every possible new things
sometimes they dont event want to sleep
for playing and learning are so much more interesting

and when they do fall asleep
the room feels so quiet
obviously missing the kids to start their exploration again...

bismillaah

flu shots, balloons, and a football

Alhamdulillaah last wednesday Hajar and Adam got to 'jalan-jalan' to the campus. Ibu n Abah went to get the free flu shots during the "Boo the Flu" campaign. The weather was nice and the crowd was moderate. No long lines and long waits.

Fortunately, there were several events going on at the same time. There were booths of free foods and goodies, and also the marching band perfomance for the homecoming promotion(it was almost over by the time we arrived, so Hajar and Adam didnt have to hear all the loud noises).

A very nice student gave Adam his mini football and Adam grabbed the ball right away! So cute, mashaAllaah. Hajar got lots of balloons with the Trojan's colors - yellow(goldish?) and red- that Abah took from the stage after the homecoming intro-mini-perfomance was over. Another father also took a group of balloons for his baby. So there we went with a double stroller with colorful big balloons attached. It sure was a head-turning!

After that, we went to the library to borrow some books. Hajar and Adam got the chance to get off the stroller and walked and played around a bench outside of the library. They laughed and played happily. Then, we walked home and made a stop at Taco Bell(for the first time :P).

Alhamdulillaah, Hajar and Adam were happy to have a wonderful day outside and got some balloons and foods and drinks and toy.