Monday, December 31, 2018

So long 2018 hello 2019~!

Tomorrow is the first blank page of 365-pages of book,
so I suggest we write a good one.
Another chance for us to get it right, InsyaAllah~~

To sum up this year, in a word, I would choose, COURAGE.
With courage, we strive our best at work, to provide better future for our kids,
With courage, we learned a lot of new things in parenthood to support our kids who are in need of love and attention.
With courage, we finally venture into new chapter of life, which is Daddy going for Master of Public Health,
And with courage, we learn to become better muslims and appreciate everything that Allah has given to us, grab opportunities to help those underprivileged and the sick,
and be grateful with all the blessings and tests He gave us through out the year, and become better person, InsyaAllah~~
My children looking so ecstatic on their birthday party! 
October, November and December are the months of birthdays celebrations for Mommy, Ammar+Marissa and Daddy.
The kids just could not wait any longer.
Just about everyday Ammar will ask, ada birthday party ke mommy?
Harini birthday Ammar and Marissa ke?
24/11/2018 we finally had our annual birthday party at our home
The kids are deep into outer space stuff,
They love space shuttle and trips to International Space Station, and planets and such!
They even requested to see rocket launch at the Kennedy Space Station,
errr... that is in United States, sayang hahaha~!

Oh my gosh!! sayang nak makan!

They have made me so curious until I became the fan of space discovery myself.
I watched space documentaries, and the history of space shuttle (so geek lah mommy!), and got to educate myself that there were few space shuttles ever created and their names were Atlantis, Challenger, Discovery, Endeavour, Columbia and Enterprise.
I even watched the tragedies of Challenger and Columbia and learnt that there were many astronauts who lost their lives in making history to the mankind.
Look how my kids have influenced me on my knowledge of science, good!
Beautiful moments captured
How intriguing!

So, the ultimate space shuttle cake made by our loyal baker, @prettyyummythings,
the inside was red velvet cake, Ammar's n Marissa's favourite!
He even gave us the firework candles, awesome!











"Life is not a problem to be solved, but a reality to be experienced"
"Live life to the fullest, and focus on the positive!"


Mommy just prepared simple Nasik Beriyani with Sambal Udang Galah, and Percik Ayam this time.
Cooked with the help of my adik adik, of course. Prepared fettuccine carbonara for the kids,
and laku keras!
Habis licin, alhamdulillah~~
The kids were all stuffed and so were the parents haha.
Thank you to the Otago clan, my fellowship of the rings; Melor, Azza, Udeq, and Ayuni Zen, Aini Cikhens.
Thanks for making the time to celebrate our kids special day!


You guys will always be in the kids memories as the sporting uncles and aunties who never fail to show up every year for their birthday parties!! Hehe~~


We got the kids big presents this year as they have been in good behaviours, haha
not much dramas.
Ammar has shown tremendous progress and Marissa is getting cheekier each day.
That justified for big presents right!
hehe..actually they seldom ask for toys, whenever we pass Toys R Us he will say bestnya toys tu nak tu nak ni, but when we said, oh belum birthday Ammar n Marissa lagi, and they will say oookayyyy..walaupon buat sad eyes! hahaha,
so yes, you are getting the big presents during your birthdays, don't you worry kids hehe~~
You deserved them!

2018 we spent so much time with the kids, and our families,
Penang, Langkawi, Cameron Highlands, Malacca, Pangkor, Kuching, Malacca Malacca Malacca hahaha,
InsyaAllah next year, we will wait for Daddy's convocation master InsyaAllah and to continue DrPH.
And..maybe an overseas trip next year, wink wink ehhee.
The small family of Najib, Anna, Ammar and little Marissa 
Ammar Haikal, and Marissa Anna,
Semoga membesar sihat, kuat, pandai dan soleh solehah my children sayang.
2019 awaits you and many many many more years to come,
InsyaAllah mommy and daddy will always be there for you,
And praying the best for our family.


Much love,
Mommy n Daddy.

31st December 2018. Hello 2019!


The Anna's kitchen ~~

If I were not a doctor?
I would certainly, yes very certain,
that I would be a CHEF!
haha.
Not sure a good or a mediocre chef, but somehow a chef!
I don't really know why I love cooking, it maybe because the satisfaction you get every time you get to feed your family and friends.
When they love or pretend to swallow everything you cooked, haha.
I think that is what I love most about cooking.

2018, has given me opportunities to try few new things in Anna's kitchen.
Apart from my usual boring children menus,
and my usual Chicken Rice, Nasik Lemak, Nasik Beriani, and countless Grilled Fish, lambs and stuff.
I came to discover Masak Lemak Daging Salai.

I fall in love with this dish the first time i tried, and I've been spending time to recreate it at home, and voila!!
I have never been a fan of masak lemak, any masak lemak at all.
But for this daging salai masak lemak,
I think the smoky taste of the beef, and coconut milk and spicy bird-eye chillies, give this dish its outstanding taste.
I have tried prepare this dish few times in Anna's kitchen and finally got the taste that I love.
And, of course, a great quality smoke beef is essential for this dish and I found Kuala Pilah smoke beef is the ultimate winner!
Thank you to my bff Nadia aka Mek Nad who would bring the authentic Kuala Pilah smoke beef fresh from her hometown to Anna's kitchen for dinner to-die-for!

I think the most frequent and most wanted dish that I've prepared in Anna's kitchen was undoubtedly this Lala spicy sweet dish!
I discovered Lala after my sister Aida introduced them to me, she is a big fan and I have not tried Lala before. and my, the taste is so distinct, you gotta want more!
After that, it became one of Anna's kitchen favourite dish for 2018 and served to many family and friends since hehhehehe~~

arghh...so yummy!
I think the best part of this dish is the coriander.
You cannot do this dish without it.
I usually put tons of coriander and lurveee the smell!

Seafood galore with bffs, Dr Faridah Hanim and Dr Nurul Amal
Lala pedas 
Recipe:
Tumis crushed garlic(lots of garlic! hehe) + crushed chillies or paste
Masukkan lala (I usually use 1-2kg)
Cook till lala terbukak and keluar air
Masukkan garam sikit, and gula sikit
and lots of coriander (ketumbar)
siap!!

All my friends and family know that I don't really know the quantities of whatever I put in my cooking. Haha~~
You just have to estimate, and practice,
and by the hundred times you done it, you should be a master on how much to put in!

The next new thing in our kitchen for 2018 was Gulai Ketam or Crabs cooked in spicy coconut gravy with tumeric.
Crabs were not really my favourite actually, as they are hard to eat.
I guess you gotta put some efforts to eat them, haha, but being a seafood lover, I could not resist the taste of crabs, the juice when you cook them in that spicy coconut gravy.
By the time you prepare it in your kitchen, the smell will make just about everyone hypersalivating! hahahaha~~ Just how good they are.
And turned out I love them!
I have not tried making chilli crabs and salted egg yolk crabs n such yet, but I am starting with this Gulai Ketam, and it will get better, I promise!hahaha!
Another seafood galore for guests coming to our humble abode.
Spicy sambal udang galah and gulai ketam seen in the pics!
Gulai Ketam
Resepi:
Pound fresh tumeric, shallots, bird-eye chillies
Mix coconut milk together
Put in the crabs, and cook in low to medium heat
Salt to taste, and that's it!!!
(I usually add in a bit of sugar, being Kelantanese you know)

I am not actually a fan of instant noodle.
Yes, because it is not healthy. Ehem ehem. Haha yes it is not!
However, I came across a very tasty Kerabu Megi recently and I just could not resist to try remake it at home.
My nannies love Kerabu Megi, and I kept resisted to do it as it falls under my unhealthy food list, but for this time, I was determined to try recreate the famous thai dish for a challenge!
Haha, takboleh jadi diorg buat sedap, kene try buat sendiri, gitu
Kerabu Megi Anna's kitchen ~~
Resepi:
Kerabu Megi
Cut shallots, tomato, chillies (depends how spicy you prefer), and lots of coriander!
Rebus udang geragau, sotong putih, or anything you want to throw in
Perah air limau nipis
Air gula
Mix them and adjust the taste.
It should be masam, pedas and a little sweet.
Good luck!

Don't you just love good food?...heheh~~

My Udang butter nestum.
My favourite thing to order everytime at the seafood restaurant, and gosh they were expensive!
But now I can make it at home, and taste just the same~~

2019 is just around the corner.
I hope to be given health, wealth and times, and motivation and courage to try more new things, and it will certainly and hopefully be;
-more grilled or oven ideas for fish, chicken and lamb
-will try learn to do own steak and western dishes
-maybe perfecting malay dishes like gulai ayam, kurma, kari and such
-explore exotic dish, hahaha who knows!


Thursday, December 13, 2018

The Najibs and the second half of 2018; Diary of a mother

They do look alike! Don't they?! 3 years apart.
I came to parenting the way most of us do,
knowing nothing and trying to learn everything!
Pregnancy and motherhood are the most beautiful and significantly life-altering events that I have ever experienced. Alhamdulillah~~
Having kids, dragged me, kicking and screaming, from the world of self-absorption.
As a mother,
You have that impulse to wish that no child should ever be hurt, or abused, or hungry or not have opportunities in life.
I got teary just seeing kids got scolded in front of people for silly things,
I got emotional when seeing babies who are sick, and when seeing babies in market or crowded places like pasar malam, because I know they will catch bugs and get sick!
I got angry if I saw kids being abused and could cry for days for them.
It completely change me from who I was before kids.




I wish I have them sooner?!
That was obviously beyond my control.
We waited for three years before we finally have Ammar Haikal.
As usual everyone's asking when when when like I can dictate when will I get pregnant, haha. people.
So I gave birth to Ammar when I was 29 years old.
And he is a great kid.
He had 5 hospital admissions for Pneumonia from age 4,5,6,7,8 months of life! That was monthly admission! Nasty taska bugs!
Gosh I could not describe how devastated I felt that time. How helpless I was.
The most severe was at the last admission where he required intensive care almost needing intubation and was warded 9 days during his first Eid in 2014.
That was the most difficult time and we are the first time parents.
We both doctors with experience, but with our child, we became just like other parents.
Worried and worried. Tears and rain.
I still get traumatized when I picture him on the HDU bed with those wires and oxygen mask n all.
I still got teary everytime I walk by the taska that he stayed for 5 months before we finally found a nanny to stay at our home to help caring for Ammar.

Ammar with his friends at kindy with his teacher Sha. 
These events might have lead to his current developmental delay. So the paeds said.
But that does not change our love to him.
He has speech issues, communication and fine motor delay, but he is catching up.
We have spent 2018 getting him to get all the help that he needed, and all the support that is available for him, and Alhamdulillah, he is making great progress.
He is surrounded by the people who love him, the teachers that care about him just like any other kid.
He went to speech, occupational therapist, play therapist and not to mention holiday therapies hahaha. What more important is that you bond with your children. 
Not the expensive therapies, but the love that you are giving to them. Despite the difference, the hardship, the people that stare, the relatives who talk and never understand their role in supporting special needs kid, don't waste time getting emotional, just assume they have no awareness and lack of education and you just be tough and become stronger. 
So yes, being a parent.
You learn about strengths you never know you had, 
and dealing with fears you did not know existed!
So you have no option to be sissies,
You have to sacrifice and grow up!

Mommy Anna, daughter Anna and son Ammar during EidulAdha 2018
One important thing in a happy family is undoubtedly a happy mother.
You gotta be happy to raise happy kids.
You gotta be positive and take everything in a positive way.
If you are miserable,
If you are angry and tired,
A miserable mother will make a home one living hell, this is no joke, haha.


I don't know who said this,
but there really are places in the heart you don't even know exist until you love a child.
This is so true, for me, I have never know that anyone could love another human being, this much,
just like how I feel, towards my children.
It is beautiful. Alhamdulillah for this opportunity.




I looked on childrearing not only as a work of love, and duty, but as a profession that was fully interesting and challenging as any honourable profession in the world and one demanded the best that I could bring to it.
As a medical doctor, who is in time for pursuing master and specialties,
and has passion in research and contributing more towards medicine, I have my dreams,
But I have to weigh pros and cons. I have to support my husband for his Master of Public Health before I pursue mine.
I make the call and postpone my studies for now, I have to say not because I have children.
But because I want to enjoy motherhood before they dont need my hugs, my kisses, my caress, my full attention anymore. Before they outgrown my lap.
I don't want to miss that. (I am not saying that those who pursue missed the time with their children, they have their own ways)
I am just having the time of my life, getting back home in time, making dinner for my little family,
Dancing in front of TV for Thomas and Friends series with my children,
Enjoy being silly and have time to teach Ammar, and spend time playing PlayDoh with Marissa,
caring for them and just having fun!
I will one day pursue my career, I don't care if I will be 38 or even 40 at that time,
I am not in race.
I am who I am best at right now, a mother.

"When you make a decision to have a child, you are also making the decision to take responsibility for that child. You don't abandon your obligation as a parent, just because you have 'other plans' "

Hari Raya AidilAdha 2018 in Putrajaya

The best security blanket a child can have is parents who love each other.
I am truly grateful for this loving husband.
I have known him for 13 years now and married to him for nearly 9 years now, and not once he raised his voice to me.
His words are always comforting and positive, and calming and make me feel safe.
We grow wiser together and I love his passion towards our family, children and medicine.
He is so husband material, and I am truly blessed for that, alhamdulillah~~
Looking back, I have never thought of meeting my soul mate in Friendster (like Facebook today!) and and to have met such a great guy for a husband and a father to my children, in this millenia, is truly magical. for me.
I pray that we will be given opportunities, health and wealth to raise our children, to see them grow, and succeed in life insyaAllah.
I also pray that we will have the opportunities to contribute more to the society in making the world a better place. ( so much for public health! hahaha)
10th November 2005-my first time meeting my future husband that time, in KLIA.
I am more than glad to have found the courage to step out of the
plane and met him that day!

The Najibs, during Floria Putrajaya 2018



Gotta make time.

Time for dates with husband.
This includes sneaking out for movies haha. (usually Friday evening after work!)
We will find time to go for dates in fancy cafe or just Seoul Garden in boring Alamanda.
Gotta make time for the kids of course, everyday they will screamm yayy mommy balik daddy balik when our car reached home.
We always take them to KLCC playground during weekend to let loose all the energy haha.
And this year, we decided that they are ready for some patriotic event, which was the National Day!







Celebration of National Independence Day witnessed by the duo
And we were right, they were stunned by everything there.
The armies, the assets, the people, the song, yes the song.
They became obsessed with Malaysia song by Faizal Tahir and we had to listen as well as sing along that song for months! (Faizal Tahir sang the song live in Putrajaya that day)
And they forced us to circle around the concert area coz Faizal Tahir sang that night live also, hahaha.
Yes, August till October, it was all about Faizal Tahir songs!
Humming and singing Starfeather, Buta, Malaysia, Sayang...my kids were so into Faizal Tahir that time, and of course he is our favourite singer too.
Marissa and Ammar would act out like in Sayang video,
and will hug and kiss us just like in the video of lagu Sayang, and said, mommy dia sayang dia, daddy dia sayang dia, macam mommy sayang ammar sayang maysa, hahaha., so adorable la!

Came October, and Encik Lebah partially surprised me (he was the one who were surprised when he saw the dates for the holiday actually the weekend before his exam! haha) by getting us booked in flight to Kuching, Sarawak!
Yes, Sarawak has a lot of memories of us together.
We spent the our engagement months there and of course the honeymoon years of marriage were all in Sarawak.
I guess, it is always good to have a walk down the memory lane, gituuu.
We stayed at the Grand Magherita Hotel, and I have to say that it was a great stay.
Don't be fooled by the outside look of that hotel, haha, and what more was that the location.
Just in front the cat statues, and along the river, where we keep on repeating naik bot to kuih lapis, and round the bridge and all.
Went to seafood topspot of course and just having fun with the children.
Running around the waterfront.
Catch up session with bestie, Dr Faridah Hanim.
It was a nice getaway, thank you husband.
And he got almost full mark for his statistic exam after that weekend full of fun and conversation about biostatistics hahaha. yes, berkat bawak isteri anak jalan2 keh, hehehe.



Marissa Anna and M Ammar Haikal at the Wonderboom cafe, Kuching, October 2018

Marissa came as a big surprise for us, coz I thought we would have to wait for maybe longer this time to have a second baby.
And alhamdulillah~~ we are blessed with a little girl.
Initially we were to name her only Marissa Humaira, but I went thru complications for this second cesarean, so she maybe and most likely will be our last child.
So I gotta put Anna as her middle name, hahahaha.
I have to. I mean, kamon, she was in me for 9 months!
She gotta be my little Anna.hehe~~

She is demonstrating "SAYANG DADDY", mommy is so jealous!!!
Marissa Anna Humaira,
a complete opposite of her brother.
She has an outgoing extrovert persona, with cheekiness and drama.
She is more of a diva.
Just like mommy! hahahhaa~~
Encik Lebah said, why you have to add Anna in the middle, she is so just like you, suka merajuk, drama drama hahahahah.
She is so manja. She would cry like a baby and demanded for 'tiup' if she stumbled on anything.
She would kacau2 her brother and made it look like she is the victim hahaha
She is her brother best girl. and best friend.
Sayang Marissa!
The hearts that go walking outside my body ehhehe
Back to should I have them (the children) sooner?
I would say YES.
YES big time. if only I could decide on that hahaha,

I think, and of course, medically, having children sooner will definitely reduce your risk of having complications in pregnancy and delivery.
And, and pregnancy during the 30s is actually more tiring and eventful than when you are in your 20s.
To add to that,
the sooner you have children, the lesser the worries,
the merrier the house,
and life is short,
don't postpone motherhood,
if you don't have any issues,
then I would suggest you go for it!!

Motherhood is amazing, and you have no idea, until there's a life growing inside of you.



Come November and we were given opportunity to see Ammar Haikal performed Dikir Barat with friends at his school's graduation ceremony in front of media and hundreds!
Even Siti Nurhaliza, Estranged were there, how cool was that, mommy melopong hahaha.
We were impressed, I mean, where were we when 5 years old? haha. main pasir??
It was an achievement.
He was so happy and that what matters the most to me. He looked like he enjoyed it so much and had fun performing.
Well done!
Mommy and Daddy are always proud of you, son.
We pray the best for the years to come,InsyaAllah~~


The Najibs during our regular evening stroll at the park, taking time to feed some hungry fish! hahaha
So yeah, that was 2018 in a glance.
2018 has been amazing to us.
We worked hard this year, for our career, for our children, and family.
It was not a smooth journey but we manage to pull it thru, alhamdulillah~~
and always be positive.
We have to remind ourselves on that everytime.
and count our blessings!