***Before & After ***

Just a quick update....

I found this photo yesterday on Daanya's Uncle Joe's phone and seriously could not recognize an who this baby was....am I a bad mother???? :( I was totally dumbfounded as really could not believe that the baby in the picture was my Daanya....She was so tiny...this picture goes back to the days when she was spitting and vomiting. Basically this post is just to prove that she did not gain that much weight since birth till her first month check up....She weighed 3.2kg at birth exactly 7 pounds...Sadly on her first month check up she only weighed 3.7kg which only took a 500grams hike....All this because she was not retaining food including breast milk...

Now, at 2 months...she weighs at a whooping 5.6kg...a vast growth and also development. She is really catching up...I may have to get new clothes for her as her current ones are almost tight fitting on her....hehhehehe...We are so glad that now she is retaining her milk. And demands 2 refill packs of formula a week.hehheheh kesian daddy...but as her Tok Papa said..."Anak nak makan takkan nak sekat" hahhahah true that!!!

But, whatever the size, big or small...Mommy loves you to pieces princess with all my heart and soul!!!(But still, it would be a bonus to pinch your chubby cheeks, and mommy has an obsession with chubby babies!!!Am on a mission!!!)*grins*

***The Meaning of Daanya Ayeesha***

"IDA Scott Taylor wrote: 'Do not look back and grieve over the past, for it is gone, and do not be troubled about the future, for it has yet to come. Live in the present, and make it so beautiful that it will be worth remembering.'"

Wow!!!This tag really got me rekindling the amount of time we took to explore our options and decide on a very suitable name for our baby...As I recall...we started thinking of names for our baby as soon as we know for sure that we were pregnant...I think that was when I was in my 5th week of pregnancy. So many names, so many options...which to choose?I wanted the name to be perfect...At first, if it was a boy, then Hazmy's second name Hazeman would definitely be the choice for the baby's second name...a name that he too would pass down to his boys.hehehhehe berangan!!!Then we thought if it was a girl then what??? Hazmy said to maintain my 2nd name if it was a girl...I thought that would be cool since it is a classic name and we hardly have that anymore now...So there we go thinking and reading and surfing for the perfect Muslim name four our baby. Consequently, from the search, we derive about 3 choices for a baby boy ...they were such nice names...somehow we could not come up with a perfect girl's name...which I thought was really funny because there are so many girl names to choose from but nothing appealed to us and moreover nothing we found suitable to my 2nd name...then out of nowhere I was thinking to myself that maybe this is a sign that I might be getting a boy...hhahahahahahahahha mental!!!!After months and months of searching and waiting should a girl's name come to us which it did not...so we just left it hanging and settled for the boy's name. At 6 months of pregnancy, we found out it was going to be a girl...I panicked literally!!!Exaggerating you say???Well, I really wanted to start talking to my baby while in the tummy therefore it would only be right that I call it by its name right???but mommy and daddy have not yet found a name for our baby girl.....so again we played with names and search and finally gave up...nothing was going to go with MEELA!!!!!!except Luffini! hahahahahahahahahahaha. Then I figured, it does not have to have my name but my baby can also have a classic 2nd name just like her mommy.Now that was an idea to toy with, Hazmy and I thought....I thought it was a good idea...after going through many many resources...my baby's aunty lulul(nurul) said that there is this Welsh name that she likes Dania (Aunty Lulul is half welsh and here is a picture of Aunty Lulul and Daanya) and I instantly loved it....but I thought it has to have a good meaning in Islam so I went through our abundant amount of books on muslim baby names and found the likes of Daniyah, Daniya, Dania which have different meanings but ones that I particularly am not fond of....(fussy right???)So, we decided to go online and to God's will we found Daanya.Yahoooooo!!!!! From then on we started calling the baby in my tummy Daanya....It's perfect!!!Has a modern feel to it....unique in its own right!

For her second name which we decided that it would be classic. The first name that I thought of was Aisha...but I didn't want it to be so direct and so to the point(just go with me here!!!)and then we thought since Meela has a classic Indian ring to it(hey, I am proud of the name!)we found Ayeesha, which also has an Indian-Bollywood flavor...hahhahaha and best of all it is a Muslim name....Perfect yet again!!!Mind me...they have sweet names there in Bollywood....but it is kind of contradicting lar since both of us have Chinese ancestry.But who cares....So there you go.....our angel's name from that point on was going to be Daanya Ayeesha....though I get annoyed when people pronounce it as Daanya Aishah...hahahhahahaha...

The meaning you ask????Well here goes...I have made the search then at several Muslim websites for baby names...See whether I can link it here.

***Daanya*** - Gift of God, Beautiful (This site was a big help!!!)
***Ayeesha*** - Life,Vivaciousness, Living Prosperous and also Youngest wife of
Prophet Muhammad(S.A.W). Derived from Aaeesha.

There is also this other website that holds the meaning of Ayeesha in Indian as I mentioned. It states that Ayeesha comes from the Indian word which means, "Unknown."and it also has a numerological meaning that says:

"people with this name tend to be natural leaders, self-sufficient, and ambitious. They generally want to make their own decisions in life and are not afraid to take charge or manage a situation. It is important for them to avoid extremes of bossiness or shyness. They tend to be too impulsive. Professionally, they can be successful in political leadership, celebrity status, or as a small business owner."


Kinda like me!!!!minus the business owner part...huhu!

One more thing, the spelling mattered too!!!hahahhaha you all must think I am CRAYZEH!!!! My name is spelled Luffini Meela...therefore I thought it would be cool for Daanya to have that repetition in letters in her name too, hence Daanya Ayeesha...get it????hahahhahahahahahahahahahhahahahahahahahahhahahahhahahaha....

Oh just a note....My dad did come up with variations to baby Daanya's name and asked me to consider...like Rania (queen rania????) and zania(like zany???) hahhaha no way!!!though I do think Queen Rania is beautiful!!!

You are right babyboon...so exhausting!!!Just to get and find the perfect name!!!Imagine what our parents went through for ours....but in the end, I am proud of the name we chose for her...hopefully the next one would be a brother to her...cause we have pre-chosen baby boy names in stock to pick from. Maybe 6,7 years down the line for the next one....ye ker????*angelic smile*
Ok....let me put things straight here...most of the people I know are not yet preggie and some are waiting to burst hehehhehe...so I am only going to tag one person that I know of whose due date is almost up....so rynn, do it when you already got a name for the little bump ok....

Instructions :
**Start Copy**Proposition: What is the meaning of your kid’s name?Requirements: write about what or how or why you giving the name to your kids.Quantity: FIVE PEOPLE.

Tag Mode:1st - You leave their blog and post link and add to the list below.2nd - Let the blogger you want to tag know they been tagged by comment in their blog or etc.


Judy - Meaning of the name TERRY

Shannon - Meaning of the Kiddo’s name

Yvonne - The Meaning of Ryan’s Name

Nadia - Meaning of lil’ tyke’s name

Nina - Meaning of Gibran Zayd

***5.6kg***

"What A frightening thing is the human, a mass of gages, and dials, and registers, but we can read only a few and those perhaps not accurately." -- John Steinbeck

We took Daanya for her 2-month jab yesterday...I was all excited!!Hhahahahah....I never get excited about going to the clinic before this but this time I was excited only because we want Daanya to improve in term of weight because she was not doing so well since birth to her first month due to her vomiting and spitting.But all is well....our little angel is now consuming better and spitting out less...and vomits only when she is too full...Praise to Allah, at her check-up yesterday she now weighs 5.6kg...yahooooo!!!!I wanted to jump ecstatically immediately right there at the doctor's office....honestly!!!! The doctor used to tell us that if her weight does not increase then we might have to resort to other alternatives to make her retain food....and I was a nervous wreck since then.Now, I feel so much better...the paed told me that ideally infants are supposed to gain an increment of 100 grams a week...a total of 400g a month...She was weighing at 3.7kg during her first month check-up and this 5.6kg is really a hike of more than 400grams and wooshhhh I felt a pang of relief instantaneously....wow!!!I know I know some of you are probably wondering if I am obsessed with obese and chubby babies....hahhahah YES I AM!!!!!hehhehehe. I think they are cuter the chubbier they get!!!I know...mental kan????hahhahahah.

Anyways,the doctor said she is doing fine...her muscle tone is tremendously good....her reflexes are also good...except that she has yet to lift her head when the doc pulled her hands...but that is fine the doctor said...all in due time...heartbeat also very good...all in all...a healthy baby!!!However I do get the occasional concerns about what I would do when she gets sick or gets down with the flu or something like that....Therefore I praise mommies that are strong and collected and knows exactly what to do in times when their babies need them the most...I feel that you prove to your babies how dependable you are as a mommy when faced with dire situations and when their mommies know exactly what to do here, is where they would know that they are always in good hands.So salute to Nina...for being so strong and so together for baby Gib...remember that mommies stick together.I am here if you need to vent!!!

So, Daanya got her 2 month jab yesterday...wow!!! It took a while for the doctor to prepare the shot...I think because it is 6 in 1....with all the technical names that I just cannot pronounce...hahhahaha...but the doctor was so good and thorough with her...the moment the needle went in Daanya cried and the needle came out she stopped..."Good girl" mommy said...I was sooo proud of my little one...She took it like a pro!!!hehhehehe...or maybe her thigh protected her from severe pain!!!hahhahaha..her thighs are now double in size compared to last month...so cute! After the shot, she went back to her usual cheery self....coos and gagas all the way to opah's house (hazmy's mom's) where I left her for the rest of the day while I went to get some alone time...but that is a different story...

I was a proud mommy yesterday...especially now that I've embarked on motherhood independently at our own place, hopefully on the right footing...now I am less worried of spits and vomits. I just cannot wait when she is not too fragile to take out on outings. Right now, she does have her "meragam"s and have had 2 incidents where she was literally kena "tarik" which scared the living daylights out of me. You see I don't know how far is this true but it might have some truth to it....malays especially those of the older generation, they believe that babies are able to see to the extent what we adults cannot see...yes, by this I mean those spiritual beings that wanders around us....the elders claim that newborns have this sweet smell that they really like...and there is the good ones and bad ones...the good ones only wants to play with your baby...that is when you sometimes see your baby smile and laugh even when you are not playing with them...but the bad ones....hence the name lar...don't want to go into that...anyways, after two incidents of Daanya literally being "tarik"ed in front of my eyes...asked this spiritual master to scan if anything is disturbing her and he said there is but not teruk he said....but it was good enough to make me scared. Therefore, I am going to ask Hazmy to call this master and scan all houses of each parents and also the new one we are moving into...I've heard so many stories and I really do not want anything to harm my baby....so, we have taken proper precautions and so far after almost a week in our place, she is more peaceful and sleeps better...but I do take precautionary actions like not taking her out till late and bring her home either before dusk or after maghrib prayers. Still keeping my fingers crossed though....still want to give it some time before we really take her out....but for now, the current arrangement will have to do.

Oh, Daanya sleeps throught he night now...We put her down at 12 midnight and she wakes up at 7 or 8am for her milk...hhehehhe hopes she keeps this up even when I start going to work...I could use the sleep time....

So there it is...Daanya's 2 month update...I get so excited just thinking what will her next development be....hehehheh...in the mean time...I am also concentrating on losing the baby weights and getting back into my pre-pregnancy clothes...so far so good...manages to lose 20kgs already and another 10 will do me good...insyaAllah.

***I've Been Tagged Again***

1. Name movies that you have seen more than 10 times
*The Wedding Planner

*A Walk to remember

*Sabrina

*Only You

*Enough

*Selena

*Pretty Woman

*Legends of the Fall

*Practical Magic

*You got Mail

*When A Man loves a Woman

*When Harry Met Sally

*Sleepless in Seattle

*Braveheart

2. Name a movie that you have seen multiple times in the theater

3. Name actors & actresses that would make you more inclined to see a movie

Definitely Julia Roberts, Meg Ryan, Sandy Bullock and Brad Pitt

4. Name an actor that would make you less likely to see a movie

Will Ferrell (hahahha sama la rynn)

5. Name a movie that you can do a quote from
I think the all famous Jerry McGuire “You complete me” and “Show me the Moneyyyyyy”

6. Name a movie musical that you know the lyrics to all songs featured
Ya lar…it has got to be The sound of music…

7. Name a movie that you would recommend everyone to see
I think I would recommend “The Lake House” the one with Sandra Bullock and Keanu Reeves….what can I say??? I am a sucker for romantic movies…

8. Name an actor that started in another medium but has surprised you with his/her performance.
I’ll get back to u on this!!!

9. Have you ever seen a movie in a drive-in? If so, which one?
There is none in Malaysia…*sob*

10. Ever made out at a movie?
Haihhhhhhh….nothing better to do arrr???…

11. Name a movie that you keep meaning to see but just have not yet gotten around to it
DreamGirls..I was just too bloated to go anywhere…

12. Ever walked out from a movie?
Once…but I just cannot remember the name…*Go Figure*

13. Name a movie that made you cry in the theater.

Armageddon….Really did not want Bruce to die…hehehehe

14. What was the last movie you saw in the theater?
Curse of the Golden Flower…..it was bad…didn’t want this the be the one but it is…

15. What is your favourite/preferred genre of a movie?
Romantic Sob stories and also Romantic Comedies

16. What was the first movie you remember seeing in the theater?
Ace Ventura, Pet Detective….wow!!!that was sooooooo long ago….

17. What movie do you wish you had never seen?
Wag the Dog…hahhahahahhaha don’t ask!!!

18. What is the weirdest movie you enjoyed?
Little Nicky…hahahahhahha

19. What is the scariest movie you have ever seen?
Scarry Movie…hahahhahahahaha

20. What is the funniest movie you have ever seen?
Robin Hood – Men in tights…hehehhehehe I remember this one!!!

***Liberation***

"Henry James once wrote: 'Be not afraid of life. Believe that life is worth living, and your belief will help create the fact.'"

I pray to God to give me strength, help me be strong on this road I travel on, when I am lost and lonely please find me for my journey's just begun.............

I chose to give this posting the title "Liberation" due to a few reasons in which I want to express and to some extent vent in this posting. Therefore I pray for God to give me His guidance....

My confinement ended just early last week...Phewwww!!! 44 days was a total drag!!!Everything was so limited and controlled...Somehow I thank God that I decided to spend it at my parents' where the house is spacious enough to move around rather than the apartment we are staying in...I tell you I would have gone mad!!! Despite all that, I am so thankful and grateful for all the extra hands helping me with Daanya. Right from the early 2 week vormitting and did not put on any significant weight since birth to this point where she is taking in 5 oz of milk and outgrowing her newborn attires...Before anything, I want to thank baba and mama for putting in so much time,energy and also money for Daanya. My parents actually bought a whole new set of feeding bottles (Dr. Brown) for Daanya replacing the Avents I bought because Daanya was colicky and the Avents somehow made it worse. I know it said reduced colic...but with Dr. Brown somehow she got better....I guess reduced colic and anti-colic really does make a difference!!!Beats the hell out of me.. *shudder* Back to my rambling...Thank you Baba for supporting Daanya's few trips to the child clinic. Mama, I cannot thank you enough for all the help and advice on taking care of the baby, nagging me to exercise and also going all out to make sure that I get back my good health, the medicines and jamu also the uruts....most of all Thank you so much for your much needed support so that I keep my sanity and maintain my rationality the first few weeks when I was at my lowest of lows....I guess nobody would understand better than you knowing that you too have been through situations as similar as mine when you gave birth to me only I know my petty problems are nowhere compared to what you have been through then. However I am so grateful to have a mother like you...we may have our differences but still my life would be zilch without your TLC. Next of all I would like to express my gratitude to my siblings...Without their help, I probably wouldn't even bathe during the day!!!hahahaha...Thank you for entertaining Daanya...Uncle Joe for being her babysitter every morning while mummy gets her uruts...Uncle adik for just making her laugh and Aunty Anja for cleaning her poopies...hehehhehe!!!Most of all thank you to the family for allowing me to establish a pattern with her...I have to admit it was tough at first doing everything all at once...not knowing which to accomplish first, not knowing how to get things done, ever wondering if I would ever have and find time for myself ever again....Now, I am able to work and operate around her schedule...though sometimes it is hard to even get just a little bit of time...but I am content...I would rather spend it with her anytime. Though my 44 days are over...I can sense that there are still alot to work at...numero uno is getting back that prepregnancy figure!!! Due to postpartum blues and a mild depression...my breastmilk somehow dried up...therefore my wish to lose weight through breastfeeding is now entirely out of the question :( I was very lucky that my mama is also a health freak...therefore I was able to slowly pick up on mild post-natal exercises that is safe within the first few weeks after pregnancy. My mom put me on a strict 'pantang' diet... so much so that I started craving the things that I usually eat when I was pregnant...especially her asam pedas!!!!!!!However there are things I learnt during confinement....Firstly, I learnt that nothing can replace a mothers' love and a mothers' touch. I truly think that without my mama I would be at a total lost as to what is ok and what is not...be it in taking care of me as well as the baby. Secondly, there is so many don'ts in taking care of a little child. They cannot be too cold neither to warm. Hygene is a virtue!!! Babies are very hygenic beings...Whenever Daanya poops.. she will be so cranky if we don't clean her right after....but she does the funniest thing...when she's sleepy, she can excuse her poopied diaper....but somehow she only sleeps for a short time due to it....Thirdly, you have to constantly maintain your relationship with your husband. Communication is so so crucial at this point especially when you are constantly at awe at your new arrival...chances are you might neglect the relationship. I refuse to let that happen to me. Though I wish I could've altered the circumstances at the early part of my confinement. With all that has taken place, I have resolute to come up with a system so that everybody can be happy.I am still thinking of the pros and cons thoroughly. Only thing now is to talk to hazmy and see whether he would agree...Back to communicating...Tok Sha has reminded me before that, once the baby comes it is always important to have at least one day in the week as a date week for just you and your husband.She stressed that this is very important...and I do agree with her....So again I need to come up with a system that works and see whether in the long run it would do us good.Fourthly, I now value the meaning of family. I see that with just the existence of a little baby, a family could actually become stronger and work together. Amazing!!!! When Daanya was around, Mama and Baba was so close...they argued less...hehhehe funny lar their antics!!! Family is very important and I really want that for Daanya..that is why at the end of the day, it is important for Hazmy and I to keep on talking...and be happy. So, I celebrate this liberation from confinement proud that I have learnt so much and know that I have the loving support of those dear to me. The confinement period was such a hurdle for me to cross...so many events took place, so many major decisions being made, so many turning points, alot of maturing up happened...alot on my part lar...now I have non other as my priority except hubby, daanya and both families..my own and in-laws.

I also celebrate the freedom of now having my own child, my own family and able to live independently. Begin a new chapter in our lives. Now our lives would revolve around Daanya and I cannot wait to see how well that will turn out...especially with the grandparental units...all three of them...I can see that now our lives will be more of bringing Daanya over to their houses for visits and squeezing trips to the hair salon, or facials or shopping and lepak sessions in the schedule.How is that going to work??? Oh Lordy!!!! I guess we'll figure it out along the way...Funny!!! the word 'System' keeps ringing in my head!!! ahahahhahaha...I now somehow consider myself finally an adult and I celebrate that feeling of liberation...or is it really imprisonment???alarr...it is always good to be an adult kan?? that moment when you are 21....it was as though the world is your oyster!!!everything is ready for you to explore!! But it isn't the same as having given birth to your own child and finally ready to start living as a family that makes you feel really emancipated. *sigh* huh??? why the sigh??? where did that came from??? hhahahahah...

All in all, I cannot wait to finally begin this new life with hubby and Daanya. I have always imagined the day where one day when we have our own child and how we would operate. I hope that my decision to take a maid was not a wrong one. Though having the extra help would actually do me, hubby and relationship some good. Having help from my MIL's maid was very very relieving...therefore I do hope that this new maid would aid in all the everyday workings of our household. Finally, I want to have that sort of life as you see in TV although it is impossible but I would like to achieve that...to got for that perfection!!! I hope to get the loving support of my husband in order to do that...for him to trust my judgements and decisions whatever I will make along the way. I would also like to possibly mend all ties with either my parents as well as my in laws...to start fresh...but only if they allow us to have the kind of living that we opt for our little family. Let us make our own mistakes and live our own lives...and I promise never to exclude any parties!All for this little angel!!! Here's one her just learning to suck the finger....boy!!!She learns and abosrbs things so fast!!!