I got a comment from a friend of mine, Niniek. She gave me a link for baby big smile contest. Well, The price is only a small gift but the participation is more meaningful for her childhood experience.
This is the picture that I submitted for the contest. This was taken when we all went to support her Papa for “Hair For Hope 2013″ Charity event. The contest started on 5th May 2013 and will be ended by 11th May 2013. The announcement of the winner will be by 12th May 2013.

Cerise’s Big Smile

I was a very hot, humid, and sunny day. It was 1st May 2013. But, she smile and laugh playfully when her Papa play with her. And thanks to uncle Anggi who snapped the pictures for us.
And thanks to Uncle Joon who gave us a great family picture using his new Polaroid camera.

HApPy DaY aHeAd!!!

^.^

My mom was accompanying me sleeping that day. She asked “is that the baby’s laughter?”. Mom woke up once she heard the laughter while my baby was still sleeping. It’s really amazing to witness such moments in a motherhood life.

^.^

At first, the gynae told me that I won’t deliver the baby early as the baby has not engaged yet. I’m ok with that as I want my baby to be born in 2013 as per estimated. 29th Dec 2012 @ about 5 pm plus, me and my hubby went to mall for shopping for about 4 hours and everything was just like before with false alarm, pressures to go to toilet for few times, and a little bit of weight pressure from my baby on my lower abdominal part.

10 pm, we reached home. I took warm shower and washed my hair. We enjoyed some movies as there were a lot of free channel til 2nd Jan 2013. @ Midnight, it started to make me to go to toilet more and more, again and again…hhooorrghh… about 2 am (30th Dec 2012), it started to be more complicated. I could feel a little bit of pain, slowly but sure. My hubz made a call to the hospital to consult via phone. They suggested me to go down for observation. I took some times to observe myself 1st til about 4 am plus, the pain came more frequent and more painful.  We did not sleep at all that night. I told my hubz to bring me to hospital for observation then as I could not take it anymore. I was thinking of bringing my make up along… ^.^

We reached hospital about 5 am. The nurse told me that I was 1.5cm dilated and then “Ooo…I didn’t bring my make up”.. The nurse made me bowel til cleeaarrr!!!

7 am – I was 2cm dilated and epidural was given as per my request, and it’s really a happy-dural. I could sleep for some times.

9 am – My gynae came and told me that I was 4cm dilated and I could have vaginal delivery.

My hubz went home to shower and bring some necessary things, I told him to bring my eyebrow liner along as well. I could not ask for more as he does not know those things. Oh yeah, and a wool thread for tying her leg once she was born.

11 am – I was 7cm dilated.

About 1-2 pm, I was 9cm dilated.

3 pm –  I was told that I was 10cm dilated and ready to push. The nurse asked me to practice pushing before calling the gynae.

I did not even know that the gynae broke my water bag and did a lot of things down there when I was 4cm dilated til my hubz asked the nurse about the water bag.

Practicing the push for about almost 2 hours really made me tired.. Hubz could see my baby’s head with full of hair when the nurse showed him. I took some oxygen to keep my baby’s heart beat stabil. Finally, the nurse called my gynae. She used vacuum, cut down there, and 2 nurses helped on pushing my tummy on the right and left side… It was soooo painful even it was with epidural. And… finally, I heard my baby’s 1st cry!!! And I cried too, It was so painful (on my tummy). I was so excited to see my baby but the nurse was cleaning her and taking care of her before giving her to me. I felt everything took so long when my baby was still not on my hands yet.

But soon, I got her!! yay!!… I was pushed to my ward and enjoyed my time with my baby, I did not feel I was in a hospital. I feel home everywhere as long as I’m with my baby.

Hubz stay with me that night in the hospital. I could not sleep in the night. I made a call to the nurse and ask her to bring my baby to my room even she is sleeping. Yay!! my baby was in my room in awhile!!

Staying 2 nights in the hospital and ready to go home… What an experience.

Day by day passed…. A lot of smiles and cries from the baby in the middle of the night, but I did not feel tired at all.

4th Jan 2013 - 1st visit to the pediatrician, The PD said her neck is so strong!! yay!! strong lady-to-be.

6th Jan 2013 – Her umbilical cord dropped!! She is getting bigger and bigger!! ^.^

I’m still struggling with breast milk now but I top it up with formula until I could be a milk factory!!

This is the happiest moment for moms to steal a baby kiss while she’s sleeping!!

^.^

Another pelvis examination by the Gynae. My baby’s head is down but it’s still not engaged yet.

It’s kinda scary that I have to be poked every week… Uuurrgghh… but it’s allright.

Today’s worse, Gynae couldn’t find out if i could go for natural vaginal birth cos I wasn’t cooperative during the examination ~.~  Gynae was looking for my pelvis bone which is kinda ticklish and a little bit painful down there. So, gotta go for pelvis bone x-ray on next thursday. Meanwhile, we are thinking of having C-Section if the X-ray is not safe. But this X-ray is safe for the baby and I will be given a jacket to protect the baby as well.

Maybe I gotta squat more to make the pelvis bone open. Though, I have been squatting a lot since 1st trimester cos of the houseworks to do. But maybe need more squatting and brisk walk as per advised by the Gynae. It’s just kinda strange cos I have felt the baby touching the pelvis area quite often and there is menses-like pain as well everyday.

Hmmm… we’ll give a deep though about it… ~.`

She Needs More Shoes for Shopping Spree with her Mama?

Finally, I got it done on 14th Dec 2012. I was busy sewing dining chair cover sheets but my heart was not there. My heart was calling me to to this for my baby every seconds. So I stopped sewing the dining chair cover sheet for a while and get this done since i have bought the material.

Frankly speaking, I took the sample from a website. And this is my 1st try sewing baby’s shoes. The material is made of 100% wool and these are her mama’s handmade!!!. It’s gonna be very comfortable and will look good on her cute feet. I’m going to put these on her little feet for Chinese New Year shopping spree!!!

I’m really crazy about her shoes!!!… Gonna make more.. and some dresses as well?? Why not..

My heart is really hers since the 1st time i felt her inside me!!.

^.^

Coming Home Shoes

I have just finished doing this shoes last night after figuring it out many times coz I have never done it before. Since it was for trial but seems comfy for her, I only use acrylic material and planning to make a 100% wool material again soon. ^.* But hope somebody can help me to buy the wool since i’m tired enough or maybe i have to force myself to go to city to get it, no matter what.

Planned to attach some ribbon on them but it seems better when it look simple so I decided not put any ribbons. Though it is only knitting, I’m happy for the result and looked at it for such a long time last night. For crocheting, hhmmmm, i need more effort…

My Baby will be going home for the first time wearing her mama’s handmade shoes!! ^.^

~To be Continued to My Next Posting~

28th Nov 2012.

It has been about 8 months and I’m in 35 weeks now. Waiting nervously for the new love of my life to be delivered. EDD is 4 Jan 2013. All mothers must have gone through so many ups and downs for the sake of feeling the real mother’s love later after delivery. But it’s alright. All the downs part will subsides when you feel the baby is kicking.

27th Nov 2012, bi-weekly visit to gynecologist. Everything is alright but i complained a lot. I had the worst constipation in my life after taking the iron. But I told the gynae that i’m starting to take beef, liver, and milk as well as the iron made so constipated. The gynae checked if i got hemorrhoids, fortunately not. I’m clear of this painful thing. What a relieve. But, got scolded by her cos I used enema to get it out ~.~ I really had no choice. I had been crying day and night, could not even pee… hix.

Now I know how does leg cramp feel like. Since pregnant, I had 6 times leg cramp when sleeping in the evening. It made me scream. But, the lovely papa helped to massage it. At first few times, he massaged the feet (which were the wrong part) instead of my calf cos i only had it on my calf. The next few times, I told him that it was only the calf part. hohoho…

Beside those, I have a lot of Braxton Hicks almost everyday for about more than a month already. It’s kinda scary thing. All mothers to be could even thing that it is a contraction. But it’s really amazing to feel this precious baby kicking from inside of me everyday and almost every seconds (Does she need not to sleep??).

3rd Dec 2012.

Felt a lot of her movement like practicing martial art inside me. She is even pressing down there most of the time and the pain made me walk like a snail… hehehe… Managed to record few video of her practicing martial art inside me. It’s so amazing.. wonderful…

I dreamed about having bleeding last night but it seems alright. Maybe it’s the sign that the baby is coming out to see her mommy and the world… aahh.. and her papa..

4th Dec 2012.

Dreaming almost every night again now. Last night I even dreamt about having soooo much money.. millions.. ouuu.. it’s so good to a lot of money… Hehehe..

Well.. Everyday and night I feel like searching for the best spot for my nesting. It’s like almost the whole house is not comfy at all. But, It’s the home, i have to make it my nest. Her kicks has become so common but i would miss it when she stops kicking.

5th Dec 2012.

My handmade mattress cover sheet

I just finished this mattress cover sheet last night. My baby is going to sleep on her mama’s handmade mattress cover sheet and handmade mattress. But the mattress is in progress ^.*

Hope this will make her really feel good day and night but not lazy. My mama had made a new blanket for her too, and she will be bringing it when i’m delivering my baby.

11 Dec 2012

Yay!!! just get the mattress done… ^.^

~ To be Continued to My Next Posting~

One of the famous food in Bagan Siapi-api. A lot of people there how to make it but it is fading along the time and some of the youngsters may not be really interested on this type of food recipes.

Made of yam with savory ingredients and mouth watering everyone in the morning. This is usually prepared during the night before and cook it for breakfast.

Well, here is just a bit sharing of my mom’s recipe, well my mom likes to estimate the ingredients, so couldn’t really get the exact measuring.

- About less than 1kg or about almost 2 big grapefruit size of yam, peel, clean, and cut it into big chunks and boil it till soft. Separate the water and keep the water for later use if you put too much flour.

- Use a mortar or clean glass bottle filled with water if you don’t have mortar to mash it while it’s still hot.

- Put about 10-15 spoonful of tapioca flour, 1 teaspoonful of salt, and mix them well while it’s still warm. And let it cool.

- Divide the dough and make a small long dough with about 1.5cm for the diameter.

- Cut it into small chunks.

- Roll them all into small cute ball ^.^

Oi – Yam Ball

- You can keep it in the fridge for over night and cover it (actually it’s recommended to keep it in the fridge 1st).

- Boil water, put all the yam balls into the boiling water until it’s floating, quickly drain it. Yeah!! Quickly, once it’s floating!!

- Put about 1-2 spoonful of extra olive oil, fried shallot, and chopped chinese celery.

- Serve on plate with floss of pan grilled (without oil) He-bi (dried shrimp) or we call it He-bi Hu (grounded dried shrimp), Fried shallot, a lot a lot of peanut powder (non sweetened), Chili (1/3 teaspoon of grind chili with garlic, add-in 1 lime, and 2-3 teaspoon of sugar, 1 spoonful of light soya sauce, and water, make it very watery about half or 1 bowl, then add-in more sugar and light soya sauce if it is not sweet and salty enough for you), chopped chinese celery.

- You can even pack it for breakfast at office if you no enough time to eat it at home ^.^

Oi – Yam Ball

Yummy..

Happy Trying !!!!

Here is the ingredients and methods:

- About 25-30cm long of tapioca, grate it and separate it into 2 equal amount.

- Soak 1 whole chunk of palm sugar in hot water, filter it when mixing it into the tapioca lower layer.

- Add-in half teaspoon of salt, mix them well.

- Layer it on a baking pan, steam it for about 10 minutes.

Tapioka Cake – Lower Layer

And here is for the upper layer:

- Cut 8-10 pandan leaves, put into the blender and grind it, squeeze, and filter it to get the panda leaves water and then add-in to the rest of the grated tapioca.

- Add-in half teaspoon of salt, about 2-3 teaspoonful of sugar (i usually use raw sugar).

- Mix them well and put it on top of the lower layer that has been steamed for 10 minutes.

- Steam for another 15 minutes.

- Let it cold and cut it.

- You may have it light pan fried before eating or just eat it like that. YUMMMY!!!!

Tapioca Cake – Upper Layer

Muax,

Happy trying.

- Large Size of Cabbage

- Rock Salt

- Water

- 1 White Radish, cut into thin horizontal strands

- 1 Bunch of Green Onions, cut into about 3-4cm

- 1 Clove of Garlic, peeled and finely minced

- About Thumb-size of Ginger, peeled and finely minced

- 1/4 cup of Korean Fish Sauce

- 1 Tablespoon of Sugar

- About 1 Cup (or more if you like it) of Korean Chili Powder

Methods:

Cut the cabbage into 4 part, put it onto a very big bowl or even a pail. Apply the rock salt on every layer of the cabbage leaves, put the water into it until it completely cover the cabbage and spread the rest of the salt on the top of it. Cover up for about 6 hours of overnight.

Then, Rinse it until clean and use your hand to press-dry it. And let it dry on a filter about 2-3 hours. Meanwhile, prepare the green onions. Wash and dry it as well, you can dry it together with the cabbage at the same time.

After both dry, mix well the white radish, green onions, garlic, ginger, fish sauce, sugar, and chili powder. Apply this beautiful color moisturizer mixture on each layer of the pretty cabbage ^.^ and keep it in an airtight container for 3-4 days on the cool and no-direct sun floor. And then keep it in a refrigerator for about 3-4 days before consuming.

You will be able to see some water come out from the cabbage and last but not least, “QC”. It tastes sour, hot, and a bit salty with mouthwatering temptation.

For your imagination @.@

kimchi steps

Enjoy !!!