Wednesday, October 21, 2009

10th Month Old Milestone


Here is another update on ayman:

Child's Age
Mastered Skills (most kids can do)

Emerging Skills (half of kids can do)

Advanced Skills (a few kids can do)
10 month• Waves goodbye
• Picks things up with
pincer grasp
Crawls well, with belly off the ground
• Says "mama" and "dada" to the correct parent
• Indicates wants with gestures
Stands alone for a couple of seconds
• Puts objects into a container


PS: Ayman can stand alone for a few seconds and put objects into a container .. he calls me mamamamamama.... blabbers alot ... espcially vocalizing .. tatata sound .. mamamama sound .. and of course screaming and yelling :-)



Information taken from www.babycenter.com

Wednesday, October 14, 2009

Is it normal : Life as a mom

-the article is taken from www.babycenter.com

Is it normal to lose hair after giving birth?


Expert Answers

Sandra Johnson, dermatologist
All new moms experience hair loss, though some lose more than others.

Here's why it happens. During pregnancy, changes in your hormone levels cause your hair to stay in a resting phase for longer, so you lose less hair on a daily basis. (You may have noticed that your hair seemed thicker than usual.)

After you've given birth and your hormones have settled down — usually at about 12 weeks after delivery — more hair shifts into a shedding phase. You may be alarmed to find hair coming out by the handful.

Normally, you lose about 100 to 125 hairs a day, but after delivery, you may be losing about 500 a day. This can be very disturbing, but try not to worry too much — you won't go bald!

There's little you can do about the shedding, other than to be patient. The shedding tends to be most noticeable when you're shampooing or brushing your hair, so you may find that shampooing less frequently or letting your hair dry naturally instead of brushing and blow-drying helps slow the loss.

On the other hand, it's going to fall out at some point, and you might prefer that it happen in private. Regular washing and brushing may help you avoid leaving a trail of shedding hair behind you all day. Try using a thickening shampoo if you feel your locks are getting too thin.

You may notice fine "baby" hair growing along your hairline at the top of your forehead once the shedding phase has ended. Having bangs can do a lot to camouflage this wispy new growth while it's growing out.

Within another six months or so, your hair should be back to its normal pre-pregnancy thickness, but you may find that the texture of your hair is never exactly the same. It may be wavier or straighter or more dry or oily than it was before pregnancy. This is probably due to the hormonal upheaval you've just been through.

If the hair loss doesn't seem to be slowing and you're still losing lots of hair six or so months after delivery, check in with a dermatologist or your healthcare provider. It may be a sign that you're low on iron, which is not entirely uncommon for new moms.

Is it normal not to want sex after having a baby?

Is it normal not to want sex after the birth of a baby, and how long will this feeling last?

Expert Answers

Laura Fijolek McKain, ob-gyn
It's normal to have a decreased sex drive after giving birth. This feeling can last for months. In one study of postpartum women, 20 percent had little or no desire for sex three months after delivery, and another 21 percent had a complete loss of desire or aversion to sexual activity.

A number of factors contribute to these feelings. First, your sex drive has to compete with the overwhelming fatigue that results from taking care of a newborn. New babies are demanding. They require round-the-clock attention and a great deal of physical contact. This can be both physically and emotionally draining. When you finally have a moment to yourself, you may need a break from intense physical attachment, making sex low on your list of priorities.

Second, your body is healing from the ordeal of labor and delivery. Major hormonal shifts are taking place that can make you feel off balance. You may also worry that intercourse will be painful, and for many women, the first sexual encounters after childbirth are uncomfortable. Also, your body is still recovering from giving birth, and you may not feel as attractive as usual. These feelings can have a dramatic impact your body image and make you feel less sexy and desirable.

Third, you may consciously or subconsciously fear becoming pregnant again. Evolution may help explain this. In nature, mother animals rarely mate when they're busy rearing their young. Their bodies just wouldn't be up to the additional burden of another pregnancy. The same may be true of women.

The good news is that most women report that this decrease in libido is temporary. With time and patience, you and your partner can rebuild a satisfying sexual relationship.

Is it normal to feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for my new baby?

I feel overwhelmed by the responsibility of caring for my new baby. Is this normal?

Expert Answers

Edward Christophersen, clinical psychologist
Yes, absolutely. Between the physical and emotional changes you're going through and the increased responsibility, it's not surprising that you feel this way. Also, the desire to do everything "right" puts a great deal of pressure on a new parent. As you become more comfortable with tasks like feeding, diapering, and bathing your baby, you'll probably feel more confident and in control.

Try and take things one day at a time, and find support. Talk to another parent, a friend, or a family member about what you're feeling. Also, find some time for yourself — even something as small as a brief walk around the neighborhood or an uninterrupted bath can help you cope with stress. If you're still overwhelmed by the end of the first month or so, it could be a sign of postpartum depression. Make an appointment with your doctor to talk things through and get some help.

Is it normal to miss the freedom I had before becoming a mother?

I'm thrilled about having my son, but I miss the freedom I had before I became a mother and feel overwhelmed with the responsibilities of parenthood. Is this normal?

Expert Answers

Karen Kleiman, therapist
Life changes after a baby is born. Roles shift, hormones rage, chores multiply, finances alter. Having a baby challenges your sense of control, leaving you feeling depleted and overwhelmed. You also lose some of your freedom, which can be particularly difficult for many women.

Parenthood is overwhelming because no mother ever thinks she has enough time, help, training, money, or emotional support. This can leave moms feeling trapped, bored, resentful, depressed, irritable, or angry. All of these feelings are normal.

What can you do about them? Identify which parts of your "old life" you miss. Make a list and be very specific — write out "I miss spending time with my best friend" or "I miss staying up late and going out." Come up with as many things as you can and jot each one down, even those that seem silly to you, such as "I miss going out for pizza on Friday night."

The more things you include in the list, the easier it'll be for you to pinpoint exactly how you're feeling. When you're finished, go over each item on the list with your partner or a close friend. See how you can add one or two back into your schedule and then make a point of scheduling the activities. All of these things need not be lost forever.

This exercise really does work. It's a way of taking charge of your life again — and regaining control is essential to reclaiming your sense of balance.

Once you become aware of the things you miss, you'll be able to give yourself permission to feel the loss without feeling anxious or resentful. After all, losses are a necessary part of major life changes, and you may soon find that some of these losses pave the way for new joys and experiences.

Remember, having a baby doesn't mean giving up all the things you enjoy. It's important to take care of you, too. If you still feel unsettled, you may want to talk to other moms about how they're handling their loss of freedom or see a therapist so you can better identify ways to adjust.

Is it normal that I like being a stay-at-home mom but miss my job, too?



Expert Answers

Karen Kleiman, therapist
Your ambivalence is quite common, but it's understandable if you find it upsetting to feel this way. It can be really hard to want two things at once. Life is a series of trade-offs — sometimes we have to give up important things (such as a job) in favor of other choices that are equally important (staying home with your baby).

It's natural to miss your job. Working was a big part of your life before you became a parent. On the job, you were likely recognized, appreciated, and even thanked for your hard work. You probably miss seeing co-workers, clients, customers, and others with whom you had important relationships.

Now that you're at home with your son, try to incorporate some activities that satisfy the needs your job fulfilled. For instance, build in time for adult conversation, intellectual stimulation, and contact with colleagues.

Talk to other stay-at-home parents about how you feel — you may find that many of them are experiencing the same emotions. If you don't know many other stay-at-home parents yet, reach out by joining a playgroup, an activity class, or a club such as a local mothers' group. It can help to share your feelings with others in the same situation.

If you're bored at home, take a class or develop a skill or interest. It may even lead to a source of additional income in the future. Many stay-at-home parents develop a home-based business or take on part-time work as their child gets older, and you can start laying the groundwork for this now, even with tiny steps.

As your child gets older, you may also want to volunteer at his school and find other ways to get involved in your community. Whatever you decide to do, don't feel guilty about pursuing your own interests. You won't be denying your son. You'll be enriching yourself, which is always a good thing for a parent to do!

Monday, October 12, 2009

A sigh of relief : Thank God its over !!!!

After months of preparation and weeks staying back (Me) .. team member lain .. stay back masa 1 minggu sebelum robe collection. At last, the convocation was over and done with ...

kenapa I cakap I stayed back for weeks whereas my other team members stayed back seminggu sebelum convo? Kalau nak cerita panjang lebar, memang ada yang rasa kena tikam depan - belakang so I malas nak cerita lebih-lebih. Biarkan lah ... mereka dengan kepandaian dan kebijaksanaan mereka. Aku sanggup sacrifice cuti raya ... balik raya buat kerja .. cuti sehari je ... kerja bawak balik rumah ... team aku??? yg sepatutnya tak beraya tp batang idung tak nampak .. katanya merajuk .. duduk di bilik technician je... yg sorang lagi sibuk beraya di Ganu. Tak apalah ... I know I did something good! Mmg lah it all happened due to team work but if bukan aku yg kerah/arah/marah/tunjuk .. I really don't know what will happen ...hu hu hu. Aku banyak pendam ni .. tu yg terkeluar dalam blog juga ... tak apalah .. but whatever it is .. i really do appreciate my team's work.. and also raiza yg sepatutnya jaga robe je .. tp sanggup temankan sampai 3 pagi menyusun brg brg convo. Stressssssss!!!

Lesson Learnt:

1) Communicate more
2) Listen to instructions
3) Know your responsibilities
4) Check List is important
5) Manage your part time staff well
6) Complacency is a risk!
7) Be timely ... ni janji nak datang lepas isyak tapi timbul 12.30 am. Apa cerita?
8) Check and check and recheck your work!
9) Prioritize your work. Hari Raya Gathering lagi penting ke? preparation lagi penting?

Apa-apa pun .. the event was a success. Tengah tunggu pics from AEAB ... will put it up when its ready.

ps: I am glad that next year somebody else will take over my job. Errr ... bukan ke tahun lepas I said the same thing and I ended up taking over half way?????

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Pagi-pagi dah buat my mood swings Hi and Low

Been quite busy for sometime now .. normally i would've logged on to my blog and check emails at night etc... but this week and last week was very hectic. I didn't even make it to pay my phone bill on time and lo and behold .. telephone got barred on Tuesday night !!! Tensionnya!!! Some of my customer's and would be agent's smses were left untouched and unanswered. Even my husband's smsess were not answered and it got him worried as he is still in India awaiting the aproval of his new work visa. Up until today, masih tak berkesempatan to pay my bills. I have been busy with the preparation of the convocation. Dua .. tiga hari juga la balik 11 malam .. tidur di office.. penat yang teramat. I am hoping for the best and hoping no hiccups this year!!!

Today I just want to share about an email I received from a customer. Selalunya, I akan dapat request to purchase barang and customer request suruh hantar barang ASAP supaya cepat dapat. Normally, I relented .. the last request customer pernah minta was hantar VS Body Mists .. sebelum dia balik raya! Dan mmg minggu tu adalah minggu terakhir sebelum raya!!! Kita ni jual barang .. we try to make our customer happy.. alhamdulillah I have a handful of returning customers and some customers yg i got was from word of mouth because i don't really promote my product on the web.

So silap le saya entertain request customer ni .. I know I was damn busy . I know I don't have alot of time at hand due to my work but I tried .. customer bank in duit on 6/10 .. minta hantar ASAP sebelum dia outstation siap suruh hantar before collection time. 6/10 juga nak dihantar .. macam mana ni? Voice over nak kena monitor .. i can't leave my subordinates ..tak sempat .. Okay la I tried 7/10 dah dalam perjalanan ke post office .. dapat call dari abah .. kena patah balik ambil my daughter .. so tak jadi lagi then the whole afternoon busy with rehersal. Dalam hati nekad .. esok kena pos sebab customer nak keluar dah.. So 8/10 masuk office check email .. malas nak cerita pasal email yg dihantar oleh that customer. Kiranya dia tak puas hati sebab saya lambat respond her sms and email. Lastly, ada pula cakap kalau I tak deliver as promise nak report as fraud case. WTF! That was my first initial respond. Dia ingat kita ni budak hingusan ke? Masa ni je la .. yg I screwed up my timeline .. masa ni la I got this kind of customer. Selama I am in this business, inilah manusia pertama yg complain macam ni... I was really .. really down. So I told one of my friend who has an online business dan mmg berpengalaman.. i asked her whether she ever encountered such customer .. my friend kata .. ada .. lagi teruk pun ada.. sj nak menjatuhkan business kita.

So after discussing with this friend of mine .. dia tanya .. Kak Liz tak set terms and condition for shipping ke? I said .. there's no specified time frame.. Some product ambil masa sebulan lebih .. some 1 week. Customer I tahu .. kalau barang tak ada .. i akan order and i takkan ambil duit booking sebab kita business ni is based on trust. Bila barang sampai Malaysia baru I minta customer bank in... So ni I delay 1 hari je utk antar bukannya seminggu or sebulan!.. dah siap hantar email pasal fraud la .. hak sebagai customer la .. Just because I screwed up because I was so damn busy! Kita bukannya nak dia faham situasi kita .. tp belum apa-apa dah mcm mcm pulak di emailnya. I pernah bayar barang RM 34.00 from ebay and masa shipping sepatutnya 3 hari tp I tunggu sampai 2 minggu pun aku tak adalah hantar email macam perempuan ni? Kita berhemah~!Kita tanya secara elok .. orang akan jawab secara elok. So from now on .. I no longer entertain ASAP deliveries.. my deliveries will be made only on Friday for each week. If customer tak sanggup tunggu .. boleh cari shop lain. Rezeki yang Allah berikan ada di mana-mana. You don't like how I manage things .. then don't buy from me...

Ni part time business je .. gaji I kalau you nak tahu is 4 kali ganda kalau banding dgn untung business yg I buat la.. I tak hadap sgt duit business ni .. its more about love to do business .. seronok .. having the passion .. to share things that I love ... I love Sareees ... I love Salwar Khameez materials...I love Pashmina Shawls .. I love Liz Claireborn .. and I love Victoria Secret. Thats why i set up the blogshop .. bukannya I berbusiness untung lipat ganda utk bagi makan anak-anak!

Today is really a screwed up day for me. I dah hantar pun cosmetic case tu ... and I hope that would be the first and the last stuff yg that lady will buy from me .. She can go to other blogshop la..

Thanks to Doris and Raiza for giving me the encouragement and suggestions!