I love long weekends. It's a much welcomed respite considering "leave is a privilege and not a right" but if it really is, then you can probably start asking why the general rule allows us 3.5 days off for every month of work.  (and to whom it may concern -- what are you doing here and why are you even reading this?). This long weekend is all the more welcome considering that this is after two grueling weeks of being trampled over at work for multiple reasons: problematic personnel, frustrating administrative arrangements and ad hoc stuff that has pretty much defined my work (and husband's). Today is also my son's half birthday, hehe. And a replacement public holiday in conjunction with the Prophet's birthday (PBUH). Being a working pumping mom, I tend to struggle with finding a safe, comfortable space to pump. Which reminds me... I should share this story. My first one was for a week-long workshop on GO and FR which was in October. Despite the fact...

Hi, y'all. For some personal reasons I had to keep my blog under the radar for an indefinite until a few things were resolved in my life before starting work. (Also because my son is bad at napping at home during weekends so I cannot really blog properly hehehe) It all began with a helper drama towards the end of my maternity leave.  Long story made short, I don't have a helper. Short story made long, my helper pretty much made me (and my husband indirectly) look like horrible and incompetent employers. Funny enough, she'd like to work with me again but that I should also understand her situation. What situation exactly? God knows. So many times I insisted on telling her to tell me if she has any concerns but she insisted she was fine. Then somehow came the part where she was hearing voices and right there I knew I had to let this one go. That part was the last straw; I was already stressed out dealing with adjusting to being a mother and having a place of my own and ...

This post was written sometime towards the end of my leave (end of August to early September) I don't know about you guys, but I have to say that my life pre-baby/pre-marriage was really a blast . For one, you don't simply ship a kampong girl to live in the United States for six years to study. I was born and raised in Brunei my entire life, then as it happened I was given the opportunity to be abroad.  Like everyone else, tertiary education period is a very formative time in my life that helped shape my principles and beliefs about life. Having graduated from University of Michigan - Ann Arbor and Georgetown University for graduate school, I took my endeavors at school seriously, because towards the end of graduate school I was at risk of failing my program entirely-- not even halfway into the first semester of grad school and already I wanted to purposely quit so I could go home. -_- Sometime before graduating from Georgetown I remember succumbing to the idea that perha...

Woah. What has happened for the past two months? A few things: little one cooking in the oven to its divinely specified time for a few weeks, 24-hour labor, postpartum adjustments, baby blues (A LOT OF TEARS) and postnatal treatment. I've shared my birth story on Birthlings here -- feel free to have a read and do share your birth story here if you are willing to! I actually have a few things to write about postpartum days... when I do have the time I'll write about them. By the way, did you expect your little one/s to take up ALMOST all of your time in a day? I didn't. *sheepish smile*

Not sure if this post is coincidental with the third installment of my "Pregnancy Chronicles, but I have decided to dedicate the third "Pregnancy Chronicles" for my third trimester adventures. In a nutshell-ish manner, of course. 1) (More!) Physical Changes. Let's start with that ballooning body that literally everyone who sees you knows well you are SOOOO pregnant. Many close friends of ours know that husband and I decided to keep this first pregnancy on the down low until little one arrives earthside, as evidence shows (or doesn't show lol) on our social media at least. As much as I enjoy the shock factor this baby brings to so many people, there is no way I can hide this wherever I go, haha. My pet peeve? When people I/we don't even meet on a frequent/daily basis start asking /interrogating me/us about it... without any consideration to convey congratulatory wishes. "When are you due?" "How far along are you?" And this one...

I talked to a lot of mothers (my own mommy included of course) just to hear their pregnancy stories. Not surprisingly, pregnancy is just like individuals: it is different from one person to another. The common denominator? There is always bound to be some challenge. A very good friend of mine experienced hyperemesis gravidarum in the first trimester which meant her sustenance came in the form of IV drip for a few days. An acquaintance talked about smooth sailing pregnancy with the occasional cravings. Others recall severe fatigue, food aversions and cravings. At 31 weeks, I still struggle with coming to accept that the weight gain is supposed to happen. How could I not? In the past few months, I have gained almost 10 kgs and if I don’t watch what I eat, I will have to say goodbye to my weight allowance. I might even have to part with my pre-pregnancy outfits! That thought scares me. Despite this, my dearest husband thinks that for someone 31 weeks pregnant I look rather fit. Gotta ...