Introducing 'Poppy'

Poppy (I certainly am not sure how it’s supposed to be spelt, but for now, I shall leave it as it is, until AIR learns how to spell and if he decides otherwise) is a brownish stuffed puppy/dog recently added to the ‘family’. The funny thing was, when we first saw it and handed to AIR, he took to it immediately and when we gave him other options, he just didn’t want the others. Not even the more dog-like stuffed dog or the stuffed cat.

I wasn’t even sure why it was called Poppy but out of the blue daddy just went ‘poppy’ to him and so Poppy just stuck. I guess having one as ‘Puppy’ –the hush puppy toy is enough and we shouldn’t confuse the lil’ boy…hence ‘poppy’. Hehehe not very creative but it’s ok la.

Few days later, only did I discover that Poppy has actually got 1 ear and 1 leg longer than the other.

Hahaha….nevermind, it IS still the much loved stuff dog for AIR.So now the other 2 stuffed toys have taken a seat back, though he still does like them, but Poppy have seemed to have won his heart….for now.

Cutest Baby On The Planet 2009

Name: Asrul Irfan Riley

DOB:14th January 2009

MomBloggersPlanet has been running a themed ''Cutest Baby' contest since June 2009. Top winner for each month have automatically qualified for this contest. To make it a round number, MBP have encourage all readers out there to nominate their baby/ies for the remaining 6 slots for this ultimate contest of the year!





For more information on this, please read this.





It's really easy, no theme and no more extra writing...all you have to do is....





Nominate your baby NOW!!



Just follow the steps below and you could grab one of the wonderful prizes.
1. Get the best photo of your baby – ONE picture only!
2. Insert the photo on TOP of your entry. Mention his/her name and date of birth.
3. Write about this contest with title Cutest Baby of the Planet 2009
4. Include a link to this nomination page in your entry
5. Include a link to MomBloggersPlanet in your entry
6. Put the Cutest Baby of the Planet 2009 BANNER on your sidebar (where I can clearly see) with LINK to this page
7. Leave a comment here with link to your blog post (permalink).





For more details, click here.





Now, it's time to rumage through the albums and folders for photos!!

Memories of Marang

On rather short notice, I was asked to go to Marang to issue a permit for site work. I agreed but had to leave on a Sunday. OK la, nevermindla.

I was so kelam kabut that I only remembered that I left my PPE in the office when I was about to reach home on Thursday. Luckily my colleague who was going with me to site was still in the office and she grabbed it for me.

The last I was in Marang was in 2005 when I went there from JB with the JB group of athletes for the annual Kapas-Marang Swimathon. And I didn’t think that this trip, I’d be going anywhere near where I was then.

However, when we were looking for hotels or more precisely Seri Malaysia Hotel, we ended up the same spot the bus dropped us off for breakfast and then on to the ferry to Pulau Kapas. Ahh, it brought back sweet memories. The thought of waking up blurry from the bus being told we were at our destination already and told to go grab breakfast and the journey after to Pulau Kapas.

Flash back to the days which led to the event, which looking back I wondered how on earth I actually agreed to go for it and how I did it. A 6.5km swim through the open sea from Pulau Kapas to Marang. Oh goodness I still remembered there were stages where I felt like after many strokes, I didn’t even move. The strong current was horrible. Looking at the waves yesterday and this morning, it reminded me of THAT very day. But the waves today were worse. Sea was really choppy but the wind was really nice.

Anyway, the days which led to the swimathon were filled with endless swims. Imagine 130laps of swim in the pool….most of the time by lap 40 or 50, I’d have lost count. By that time, I’d resort to time to check my distance. It was pure monotony and it the beginning it was almost torturous. What could you do when you were in the pool? If I was on the treadmill, at least can watch TV, read a book or listen to some songs to keep myself entertained. But in the pool? It was terrible, trying to come up with something to keep myself sane.
After a while I became a familiar face at the Tmn U pool in Skudai. Larkin, though my favourite, wasn’t favourable to me after dark because on one end of the pool, it wasn’t properly lit. Hence, it was kind of scary. So Tmn U it was though slightly more expensive, but nearer and I felt better.

Marang today was viewed differently. We had a superb and really cheap dinner last night amidst strong winds in a sea-fronting restaurant. If the winds were not so strong, we’d have sat outside. But it was so strong that I think if food was served, it’d be blown away almost instantly. Breakfast was also very cheap but funny, Rhu Rendang, about 2km from Marang, where the site exactly was, seems like it has quite strange cooking style. Everything seemed to have ginger added to it. My colleague’s fried rice and kueh teow had ginger, breakfast which included some weird kuih which had green bean and coconut fillings also had ginger and to top it all, currypuff also had ginger. Yes, the regular potato curry in the curry puff had ginger in it. Weird.

Neways, that was Marang....and I wonder when will be my next Kapas-Marang Swim. It was my first so-called cross the open sea swim. Desaru swim, although in the open sea, it was just 2 rounds of a short 750m into the sea. You don't get the 'effects' of open sea or the feeling at certain points when you're all alone 'floating/swimming' in the vast ocean. It is scary but also fun at the same time :)

Now with baby in tow, I may think twice before plunging in the the deep waters of the ocean.....

Antics

It’s amusing when we play with him now. He’s really entertaining. Other than the fact that he sometimes refuses to sleep, when he’s already so sleepy, otherwise he’s just a very happy baby. Thank God.

Now he entertains my mum by blowing his toy trumpet. He will do it with a ‘suck and blow’ action. It’s funny how he puffs up his cheeks and then blows it all out, with all his might. At 5-6 months old, he didn’t take interest in the piano. Now sit him in front of the piano and he will bang away.

He imitates almost everything we teach him. He ‘sayang’ the cat in the picture book but not the peacock. (that we didn’t teach, we only thought him to identify) He has two of those Jusco bears, 1 small vibrating bear and 1 slightly larger Farley bear but sheds its fur. He’s taken no interest in the Jusco bears but loves to ‘sayang’ the small vibrating bear and the bear which is shedding fur. So now, the bear shedding fur is kept away from him. He loves the really tiny Garfield soft toy too. I wonder where he learnt to ‘sayang’ the toys….

His antics are really cute. To us, at least. hehe

Dinner, Diaper, Shopping...

The day we went out unprepared, was the day baby decided to test us.

Hubby was so confident. We were going for dinner and grocery shopping last night with my mum and I asked if everything for baby was packed. Since I was the last one home, hubby usually would’ve prepared the bag. He told me it wasn’t necessary as he’s just eaten. However, I packed his milk and bottle and pacifier in case he wanted to sleep. Usually his next diaper change would be almost 10-11 pm. So I just packed that bottle, taking hubby’s words that everything else is a-OK.

Upon reaching the makan place, I noticed his diaper was quite full. Another hour, should be ok, I thought. Unfortunately, after dinner, when hubby took him to wash his hands, he realized his nappy has leaked. Boy oh boy! And part of his romper already wet.

So off we went to buy diaper and new baju la. We were at the hypermart so baju choices were not great. The ones we wanted – no size. So ended up with one big diaper pack and one baju, paid and changed immediately, tang tu jugak. Then grocery shopping continued.

The best part of it all – as we checked out, the already opened diaper pack (we took the free sample to use but the main package still intact), was not even queried by the cashier. Not observant at all. Didn’t even ask to check the receipt or ask how come we didn’t put it on the checkout counter. If I really didn’t pay for it, I could’ve walked away with that diaper pack.And then, as we walked off from the cashier, I realized we paid RM25.20 for a pack of Ngan Yin groundnuts. My goodness. Checked with the cashier and was told to go to customer service to get the refund. Apparently when scanned, it was RM25.20….so a complete refund was made. Now, if I haven’t checked the receipt….

News....

When’s the right time to break the news?

The Nursery Ran Away!

Looks like this blog has been really neglected. When I went to Fong’s blog I realized it’s been 3 weeks since my last update. Aiyo….actually I do miss blogging…

Nothing much has happened, actually not really….many things have happened but it just seemed not that interesting. Haha I just don’t know what I’m rambling about.

One week ago, the nursery sort of ‘absconded’. Yeah, the person running the nursery was without help. For perhaps almost one month plus. Since November to be exact. She claimed she will be getting help in December, cos in end Nov, a different lady was there for a couple of days, but unfortunately December came and the lady was not there. So hubby and I decided that we should look elsewhere. One person with 3 babies and 4 toddlers (3-5 year olds) is not easy. I’ve seen the toddlers who were eager to help, but that’s just not right.

AIR is happy there….he enjoys the presence of the husband of that lady…and he seems to be doing fine. We were reluctant to move him away but I think it calls for the best move.

Ok, the story was about the absconding. Hehehe so I was away at site one Monday slightly more than a week back and suddenly at night, going for dinner I receive an sms saying the lady has fallen and hurt herself and will not be able to run the nursery the next day. Called hubby and we were both left in a lurch. Thank God my aunt was available and she took him in the next day. And for the next 2 days. On Tuesday, I sent a text message to both the lady and her husband but no replies. Called the lady on her handphone and it was switched off. Call the husband and it wasn’t answered. And I thought to myself that this is getting suspicious.
All I wanted to know was when will the nursery be operational again and how was that lady. So I asked hubby to call the next day and by now, the husband’s phone was also switched off. Crap!

We were due to go back to Penang for the long weekend, and mum has made arrangements to come over to help temporarily. Thank God.

And almost one week later, two days ago, hubby called the husband one night and he answered. Now he says the decision will only be made in another couple of days and if they nursery will cease operation, they will refund. Yesterday evening the husband called me and told me that they will resume operations on Wednesday. His wife is still not able to run the show but he has solicited his sister’s help to assist.

And we still hang on the decision to shift to a different nursery. We’re beginning to lose trust in them.