Born with teeth

I was reading an article on the progress of my pregnancy from babycenter and I found this:

"Only one in every 2,000 babies is born with a tooth."

How about a baby born with two teeth?:). Has anyone ever heard a baby born with two teeth, and what does the statistic show?

Hehe, mom never got tired of telling the story of how diffucult it was for her, but I always think that I'm just special *perasan*.

Just a filler post!

We saw Eiffel Tower

I did another check-up and brought Bea1 and Bea2 with me. I decided not to go through the suspence of not knowing the sex of the baby (like I did with Bea3) but asked the doc to just show it to me and let me do the guessing game.

She did it right away, upong getting the image, she said it was an easy one. I edited the pic here, red arrows show both legs, "Standing tall (white arrow) is Eiffel Tower" she said. I would not possibly make a mistake, she added. Can you see it already?.

Amidst excitement, I could not believe it first. "Am I thinking the right thing?", I asked. She said, "Yes...". I almost yelled "BOY!!!!"

I said I just saw an image of the male genital of a friend's baby boy, I was expecting an obvious roundish scrotum. She said, when it matures (no idea what she meant), scrotum would be obvious. What we saw was the penis...hehe. Now, gartblue we are equel;).

Of course, I wanted to share with hubby the first thing, but he would not be in the office today and is without a handphone. Just smsed to a friend, after we're done with laughing and giggling about it, I invited her to join us to the Ikea. The problem with us is, she has the money but no time while I have the time but no money;).

Anyway, at Ikea I just let the girls play as much as the wanted at the kids' showroom. I just could not help it, I was smiling ear to ear. Started to dream about turning the study into my boy's room. While I'm in between the Kritter (sp?) or the white Minnen for the girls, Kura would be perfect for the boy. Well, it may take another 4-5 years before he can have his own room, what else can I do in Ikea except dreaming.

I just felt fuzzy wuzzy that I just got to share the news to everybody. Another sms to 2 friends.

Not yet born, but already brings so much joy!

And that kind of feeling also prevented me from thinking straight. I was easily succumbed to Bea1's plea for kitchen toys. Not one, but all 3 of dinner, baking and pot/pan sets. She must have gotten tired of playing with the real thing from the kitchen.

Well, only a few days ago, I told hubby that I was tired of losing my things from the kitchen. I just made the girls promise not to play with the glass plates/cups (why must they made them out of glass?) when Bea3 is around.

That's another scan of the baby, can you see his hand at the top and the face on the left. He is waving to us!

Petua awet muda

Well, firstly I don't know how to translate it in English but they are some practise by the old folks and then inherited to the young ones, to keep one stays youthful. No, it does not involve magical potion, just some things you do in everyday life to 'delay' the signs of aging.

I've been doing some, not as much as I was younger. I'm just sharing, but I have no idea if they work. I do cause they just suit me. But before that, for many years, everywhere I go people said I look younger than my age. I was mistaken as a first year student while I was doing my PhD. I went to the UK when I was 28, but my flatmate thought I was 16. He then laughed his head off when I admitted (proudly) that I was still a virgin, well that's another story. He was a nice guy and we got along well. Even now, people still think I'm a student. Well, it could only be the way I carry myself, the way I behave etc.

Anyway, here are some of the petua. You may have heard about them, or are practising them

1. Ice is a no-no
I don't really like ice in my drinks. I would have a sharp uncomfortable feeling at the side of my head. Been avoiding for many years till I got married. I didn't like spicy food, but I got influenced by hubby and now I can tolerate a little cold drink, to eliminate some strong spicy taste on my tongue. Maybe with only one or two cubes ice.
You know Aida Rahim (now Radzwill), the actress. She mentioned she did not take ice, I used to like her and to me she is 'hot'. Can you believe she is in her 50s now.

2. No drinks right after meal or while eating
Been doing this since I was a teenager. The reason is, I'm a big eater. And when I eat a lot, top it up later with drinks I just feel bloated. I wait for at least half an hour.
A little bit of change now. When I started dating and eat out a lot, it sound a bit weird when I said I didn't want any drink. After a while, I just gave up, ordered and drank only a bit.
And I used to eat very slowly, so as soon as kids came into the picture, that's history. Sometimes, no time to chew, swallow right away and I need water to wash the food down. You know what I mean. But I still find it uncomfortable and avoid drinking right away whenever I got the chance.
Well, anyway, this is not exactly for youthful look but for flat tummy. Well, I always have flat tummy even after 3rd child. To me, it is only logical that thin people come with flat tummy. But some friends insist, it is not necesserily so.
Don't ask me if the above works as I just don't know.

3. No pillow under the head
I just didn't need one. I love pillows around my arms and legs, at my back but not under the head. That also changed after marriage. Having a sleep partner, I love snuggle close to him, my head either on his chest or his arm.
I heard from a friend's father, who swore that it was his secret. And he really looked young and smart to me.

4. No fruit right after meal
People tend to have fruits as dessert. I read somewhere to get the most out of fruits (important for youthful look, so they say), we should not eat right away after heavy meals especially if they come with a lot of carbo. Something to do with the reaction in the different type of sugar. I don't know the detail. They said the best is around an hour before or after the meal.
I love juicy fruits, and for the same reason as Number 2, I don't take fruit right away too.

That's all I can think of now. Again, don't know if they work. Just sharing.

And no, I won't put up a pic here, for you to decide if I really look young for my age. Anyway, I always think the kids and hubby, too sometimes can add up wrinkles on my face faster now.

Thanks for reading;). I should be working, really!

How'd you do it?

That's the most frequent question thrown to me lately. Especially when people get to know about the new pregnancy. And in the circle of people working in the same field, when they get to know about the newly-approved research grant and another pending one. And I'm still maidless, by choice though;). Well, the cloth dryer is a life-saver, and we could not really be bothered with unfolded laundry.

But normally, I would simply say "I just do it!" Hehe just like the Nike slogan.

But I blog this, just to give an example of how I take one day at a time and what a wonderful husband I have.

Yesterday, I was totally running around, up and down a few stair cases, had a test for the student, on my feet most of the time on my 2-inch heels. A professor said that I didn't look good to him, and asked if I was having a morning sickness. I said "Noooo, not at all...I'm just very busy, that's all" and laughed.

After work, more walking to the Pasar Malam, but I thought to myself, I would not be cooking. I could if I forced myself, but that one Kelantanese stall is just so good. Everybody in the family likes the food.

After dinner, I was totally konked out by 9.30 pm. But on and off I was disturbed by Bea3 searching nen-nen, followed by Bea2, who asked to be pat, and later for nen-nen. A few times, I tried to wake up, as I just dumped everything that I bought in the sink. Opened my eyes a few times to the sound of jumping, laughing, squeeling kids. Later, with half-opened eyes, in then a dark room I saw Bea3 in another pyjama, hubby reading the Yassin with a torchlight, with all 3 kids surrounding him, I could tell they were having 'fun' without me.

After that, it was just quiet except for Bea2 trying to have a conversation with me. I talked to her about school, think in my sleep I asked her to go to sleep. I said I would wake up to cook "Bubur jagung". I was serious about that, but my body just refused.

I finally woke up at 3 am, went to the kitchen and found all fish, squids, vege and fruits in the fridge already. And the trash had been brought out. Smiling, I crawled back to the warm and nice bed. That Bubur jagung can wait!

No Peter and Jane, and Iqra for Bea1 last night, not much singing with Bea2 and talking with hubby but I woke up refreshed and ready to take another day. I actually was singing when ironing hubby's shirt. And tonight, it is back to our routine. Sup Kepala Ikan Merah for dinner, followed by Bubur jagung and the usual stuffs we do.

That's how I (or we) do it;) . Think I should scrap the words "superwoman wannabe" in my profile, don't think it fits me.

Quake in Padang

I was at a workshop in UKM the whole day, talked to a few people about my research and how I was looking forward to a fieldtrip (with the whole clan in tow, of course) to Padang and Bukittinggi, hopefully in the middle of the year.

Driving back, I heard over the radio how a quake sent shivers to a lot of people in high-rise buildings here and a huge casualty it has caused so far as it was on the land. The report only said the location was in West Sumatera.

In the office, I immediately checked the Star online, nothing. Are they this slow always. Went o USGS (I should get registered with them to get the instant message on quake etc soon). It was only 30 km deep. The location is only 50km NNE of Padang, and that is near Bukittinggi*gulp*.

Now, scared of aftershocks pulak!

Anyway, the prediction of the scientists so far is just true. After being 'silence' for some time, it struck again, first with a huge one on the Boxing Day of 2004, what follows would be aftershocks or individual new ones.

Pics I took today!

We were a bit out of routine this morning. Normally Bea1 plays with some computer games, Bea2 plays anything that she likes in my office while I feed them breakfast. Today, I left the nasi lemak in the car. While I read through an important email, the kids played golf on my carpeted floor;).

We ate the Nasi Lemak in the car, we were very late but I didn't care. Later we sang our heart out, following an Arabic song that I don't have a clue of who the singer is, and the title. It is a CD that hubby bought.

Later, I bid them goodbye at the school gate. I felt a bit of sadness, but I smiled when I saw Bea1's hand reached out for Bea2's and they walked hand in hand. I prayed that they would have fun in school, while I with a Prof, an Associate Prof and two students got to go to Serdang to search for some white, powdery thingy that we call volcanic ash somewhere along a highway there. I also prayed I would not be late to fetch them during lunchtime.

The next pic is of some ash, quite boring with naked eyes but what follows the pics of the same thing, only a few tiny grain of it, but under a microscope. I marvel at the technology that enable us to see this, it never fails to amaze me that findings show this ash was flown from Sumatera some 75,000 years ago, but I keep on having one image in my head. An expression of a elderly man in Padang Sanai. He was initially keen to know more, when I asked his permission to get some 'soil' from his 'bendang' or padifield. The expression on his face changed right after I mentioned that we believe his 'soil' is originated from Indonesia, and I sensed "Eh, engkau ni dah melalut la" when I mentioned the age.

Well, it is a small challenge of being a geologist.

That's it, just to release the urge to blog while I know I just should not;)