RSS
Container Icon

Pages

One Woman's Hate, Another Woman's Story - Infertility


Most of the time, I am happy. I struggled but I am happy. I have been struggling with infertility for years now but I try to see the sunshine in each day being child-less. Recently I came upon this post "liked" by one of my Facebook friends that struck me deeply. The person posting this status said that she "hated" young couple who said they are planning to delay having children. My question is why you want to hate? Is another girl's life your own to take care of or yours to direct?

In the post she boldly said she hated the 3 to 4 years delay and also she said she can't stand ladies conceiving at the later age of 30's and above and the crying when they got problem later years of trying to conceive and the children being still very small when they are getting old. 

My answer is DO NOT JUDGE.

WHY?

I am 33 this years, I got married at the age of 27, we jumped right into having baby soon after but years passed and we weren't given the chance of having a child of our own! We seek fertility treatments the second year of our marriage when we realized that it ain't as easy as we thought it would be. I remembered the needles and injections, the countless amount of medicines and morning and night pills, the patches, the rushing to the gynae's office as we sat together with other happy pregnant couples hoping someday it would be us, the ovulation kit and calendar, the scoping at the doctor, the timed intercourse every month that almost killed our romance, the stress and the tears and not mentioning the money we spend.

When people asked everytime we meet "when is the children coming?" "why not have children now?" what do we say? When people kept poking into our matter offering tonnes and tonnes of advice from why not try IVF to adoptions to pray harder you must have sinned, what do we say? We say what was required to keep these nosy mouths shut! 
The answer : "We are not planning to have children or it is still early to have children" with a wide smile holding back tears. We tried being truthful about our situations but majority of people do not understand the struggle we are going through, the battles we fought with this monster called "Infertility" that messed not only with your ability to have children but with your minds, emotions even our values as a woman.  

I believe "dearie" Esther, whoever you are with your 208 friends who liked your post, you are not someone who walked this road paved with dark clouds and uncertainty called Infertility, because if you are or had been through this journey, you will not be as judgmental as you are with your hate. You would have been more understanding, more kind, offering encouragement instead of hate. Next time if you post something remember everyone got their reasons for being that way, try to understand them before spitting out words like that to fellow women out there. We girls, ladies and women need to empower one another not hate. 

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

New Family Member - Yoshi Boo Chan

We always love animals but never really thought about getting a dog until NOW. We know that dogs are adorable, be it big or small but we also heard of the challenges that comes with keeping them healthy and happy. It took us some time before committing ourselves to making this big decision. We planned this after finally decided to get one. We started getting information from internet and also books before deciding the breed of the puppy we are to get. We got so overwhelmed with the information at times and put it aside for months and then we will be back thinking how good it is if we got a dog right now. 

Finally we decided and we are off to find the right dog for our family. We searched for a few months and we found Yoshi Boo Chan. He is a three months old long coated chihuahua boy. Just like any new dog owner who read too much hence expected too much, our first few weeks with Yoshi wasn't quite enjoyable because we were still teaching him the right place to go potty, he was bitey due to teething, he got into everything and anything around the house and the worst part was, he whined and cried whole day and whole night if we were to leave him alone for a while (Even for a few minutes to go get shower). I watched all these YouTube video showing how these dogs get it the first time they were thought to "sit" or "down" and got disappointed when Yoshi didn't even get what I was saying for a few days. There are thoughts about giving up as well but we did not. I was a nervous wreck for the first few weeks, that was the first time I ever been that way. I called my husband every hour to complain and he was online with me at all times. I cried and broke down a few times too many in front of my husband. He never gave up, he told me to hang on because everything will be alright even though he doesn't know the way to solve the problem. 

Many months had passed ever since that day. I am glad today that I hang on to my husband and to my faith in God. I prayed and was ever closer to God during these trying time. Just like many websites said "Do not give up!" I now stand with all the dogs owners and said "Do not give up, it will be worth it." 

Here you go our lovely fur-baby (He is not so baby anymore! Just got neutered two weeks ago).


   

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Latest Trend : Adult Coloring Books




My-oh-my, this is something that when I know existed makes me jumped with joy! Adult Coloring Books, I am not ashamed to confess I am one of those adults that still goes to the stores to get some "more" complicated children coloring book for myself. When this is made available I can't even help myself, I got to have all of them (if it is even possible). Here I am reviewing one by one, which I find interesting and which is just moderate. I have more coming so this is sort of just Part 1.



This one I have here is called "Coloring Book For Grown-Ups : Discovering Your Inner Creative". Initially when I was browsing it, I thought it was pretty amazing because they got like a lot of different motives, shapes and patterns for coloring. After receiving this book (I bought them mainly online from MPH Malaysia) I found out that the ones they put online for browsing are the only interesting ones out of the over 150 pages. There are too many darkened motives like the one I showed above. Plus some of the pages and patterns are just cut short abruptly and it is not even the edge of the page yet. The only thing great about this book is that the pages are quite thick so you could actually use markers and water colors on it. I find the work of this author so-so as of compare to other coloring books I bought. Overall if you ran out of things to color (in which you won't) only consider buying this. I wouldn't get this if I didnt buy it online! *Peace*


The second one here is called the "Secret Garden An Inky Treasure Hunt and Coloring Book" This is a best-seller for a reason. I do not even have to review why I love this, I believe that everyone who shrieked with joy after discovering adult coloring books existed is to go buy this one. It has a lot of carefully thought out motives, patterns and flowers for us to color and be lost in our very own garden. Truly a book worth the wait (I waited for a month for it). The pages are made of good quality thick papers, so I can erase when I color them wrongly and also paint them with magic color, markers, sharpie and water colors. The only thing I find challenging is there are pages that says "Draw here" or "Add in your own" or "Fill in with more" this are the words that makes me go "ah-oh". The reason I love painting and coloring is because I CAN'T draw! Not at all! I can color and paint but drawing? (Hmmm remembering the days when my mom used to do all my drawings for me during my primary and secondary school years.) I certainly can't get my mom to draw them in for me this time! Isn't it! (Or maybe... errr maybe NOT). I will get to drawing "something" in and then I will surely show the damage I've done when I finally gathered the courage to do it. So for those who loves coloring do not let that small details bothers you. We can still color around the pages and not draw them. Anyway this is a book worth buying and "waiting". Go ahead!


So here I am signing off this time because I am going to go into my Secret Garden and do some damage to it. Till then! Happy coloring.
   


  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Turt Kids' New Thing and Food


It has been some time since my last update, what have I been up to? Painting! I have found something new I am good at. (Good at is a bit exaggerating, let's put it this way "Something I enjoyed and could do"). That aside because we are not here to talk about painting but will put up a post once it is done.

All I post about nowadays is about our turt kids. They are doing fine! One year and 1 month old. They had grown so much, now I can do Throwback Thursday or whatever they call it, to when they were only "the old Malaysian 50 cents" coin size (The current coin size is just way too small). They are now approximately bigger than 6 centimeters and will continue to grow! So here are some turtle stuff that I bought for them.

UVB light : It is crucial to have UVB lighting other than heating lamp for these cheekies, I got this really good brand from a shop. It is less than 150 ringgit but I am glad I could find them. Their replacement bulb is about 50 ringgit. As they grew they begin to shed a bit more slow and hence there are patches of retained scutes on their shell, tried feeding them blueberry but wasn't that popular with Donatella. Glad that Raphael took the blueberries greedily and loved it, as usual Raphael eats everything and poops a lot while Donatella is still a very picky eater. I put up the UVB light for Raphael and he is still very uncertain, he takes a longer time to explore and get used to new things, so he is not up there on his dock as much as I wanted him to. Anyway I do hope that it will helped him to shed much effectively.

ExoTerra Aquatic Turtle diet : I always mix food that I feed them with. I was glad to find Mazuri some months ago but then the seller said he is not restocking them due to low demand (Red eared slider care in Malaysia is not popular! Many still have the perception that they need very less water and a log in the middle. You feed them whatever low grade food and they will be happy to eat it and if they grow too big you can just "release" them in the water nearby! Malaysia Boleh!) Back to Mazuri, I am now still looking to get them if anyone knows where to get Mazuri Aquatic Turtle Meal please let me know! I will be very grateful for that!!! Usually the second best is Reptomin, I get them when I am back in KL but here in Johor is not that easy. I had been to a few shops and they do not carry! There are even shop people who threw some shades on me when I said I don't want those "any brand" food and the reply I get is "You feed them expansive things?! Not required! This will do! All customers buy those" (Pointing to China made dodgy looking package tubs of food) So I managed to find this Exo Terra onesand will let them try to see if they like it (Well highly likely they will) and also the shop do sell ZooMed food, I will get that one later. This one cost about 60 ringgit and I can't wait to share with them some new food! 

So here we are, my long winded turtle stuff post! Happy September! Ahhhhhh.....      

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Things I Hate.....

They said do not complaint, count your blessings and all the things that makes you roll your eyes. There are times when I couldn't help but seethe with anger and sit in one corner waiting for it to pass! Hence I got a brilliant idea (As of now I think it is brilliant! I might regret this) to write down all the things I Hate! Instead of "My Favorite Things" I am doing just the opposite. Maybe I will start another list of "My Favorite Things"! With that said hereby start the list of uselessness that perhaps will become comical in many years to come or a disaster that comes biting my behind! Anyway here we go!

THINGS I HATE

  1. Television! (Nothing winds me up like a terrible show. ie. crying out loud Chinese series. Generally just anything to do with television) 
  2. Those who do not wipe down their machines after use at the gym.
  3. Those who blast their music on the phone speaker during workout as if there is nobody else in the gym! (ANNOYING!! Your jam is not my jam girl!!) 
  4. Those who do not book the badminton court but still play like it's their time! (Dare to ask us to wait or join along! Puhles!) 
  5. Pee in the pool! (The pool is not your private one and it is not a toilet! Can you not release yourself in it?! I bet that if it is your private pool you wouldn't do that!) 
  6. Shoes that bites. (Ouch)
  7. Sleeping on my own when hubby is away. 
  8. When people kept asking us about having children. (It's been many years now, don't you get it?!)

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

New Year! 2015

Happy New Year indeed! We count our blessings and gathered strength as we jumped over challenges in 2014! We faced our share of hurdles as we ride the highs of life together as man and wife! 

Counting our blessings.

  1. Family 
    • Thank God for blessing us with strong families bond! As we can always enjoy wonderful meals and chats together. We can always called a family gathering and we will have laughs with both sides, my mom and sister and also my father in law and sis in law! We can always gather around the same tables and chat! 
    This is family card game time! Debate to the ever personal rules of UNO!
    My sis in law in the camera woman! 
  2. Good Health and a better body! 
    • It is a blessing to have good health and glad to say that we got through 2014 with healthy bodies and love for one and all. And on the good side while getting healthy I lost almost 14 kilograms! That I am proud to say hard work paid off and it is all thanks to my hubby's motivation and encouragement even though at time I feel like giving up! 
  3. New addition to the family
    • We adopted our turt turt kids! Yeah! Hubby got them for me as a surprise birthday gift and now they have been a part of Care-a-Lot Kingdom for 6 months, they had grown so big and ever stunting and doing new tricks. They kept me and hubby entertained and we just love them!
    • A basking turtle is a happy turtle they said! This is Lapeal and Dona on their daily basking routine.

  4. Overseas Trips
    • Prague
    • Seems like just yesterday we were packing for our trip to Eastern Europe and now is just a sweet memory! We ventured to a different part of Europe this year. We got to see Czech, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria again! I love Austria! Thank God for blessing us to be able to see the world and enjoy various cultures and ways of lives! 
    • We went to Bandung, Indonesia as well for a short trip away. It was the variance of two world! We were in Europe two months earlier and then we went to Indonesia! Nonetheless we had fun together! 
  5. Reconnected with old time friends and making new ones! 
    • This is the year of meetings and meals with so many old friends of ours! We are thankful for the people who after all these years still called us their friends! After so many years (three to be precise) I finally made friends in Johor! Thank God for that! 
  6. New devices
    • The king's royal device! I got mine too! Not in the picture it is a 6 Plus!
    • Although not something that is extra-ordinary! People get devices all the time! For us it is different! We don't like changing phones and stuff all the time but 2014 had been a year of blessings! We thank God for blessing us with phones and also a tablet! Yeah! Considering that up to last month I am still holding my faithful old phone! Also thank God for blessing us in order for us to get a new smartphone for my mom! Now my mom is Internet powered! 
  7. Discovering myself
  8. Well top is my basil and mint plant that is growing very abundantly!
    Below is the baby Chinese kale that got destroyed by pest! I am starting new ones!
    So hope we got some Chinese kale for dinner soon!
    • Well I discovered a new hobby! Gardening! I used to think I do not have green fingers and that gardening are boring but ever since I started doing them! I find great joy in seeing them grow and also of course I face my share of failures in being first time vegetable gardener! My baby kale was eaten clean by pest! (No problem we will get it settled! Hubby created a made shift net to keep pest away from juicing young seedlings!)
  9. A strong bond as best of friends
    • I thank God everyday that I marry my best friend! And I believe I could said the same for hubby! Remembering the night when he wakes with a straight look on his face, he said "You know love, you are my best friend!" 

Our challenges and strength to jump them!
We had our hard times as well but we pray for strength to jump over them!
  1. Baby plans got delayed!
    • We are still queuing for our turns and pray unceasingly that God will hear our prayers and delay them no more! It wasn't the waiting that hurts but it was the questions thrown by non-relevant parties that sucks! Eg. relatives and friends who play no part in raising kids we will have except for MYR50 ang-pows (Red Packets for Chinese New Year). The whys and you are not getting any younger that we kept hearing that made life difficult! Do they even understand the challenges we face? The refuge we seek? The process we are undergoing? NOPE! They werent there when the needles poke and the blood were drawn! So please do not pressed us! Well yeah! If they do understand they will not ask and they will most certainly understand the process we are going! After all if we explain they will think something is wrong with me or with hubby! People said ignore them long enough and they will go away! Trust me they don't! Anyway our faith is stronger! We will triumph through 2015 and we too are hoping for good news! But we can be thankful that my mom and my father in law are very understanding and they never press us and always waiting by the side for any good news! NEVER once did they questions things like irrelevant people do!
  2. Business venture
    • Yeah! My sis and I ventured into business about Q3 of the year and it didn't panned out well! We were without business for a long time and when we do have them it was minimal! The competitor was childish and always out to bad name us and to sabotage us! This strained my relationship with my sister as well as she is staying with us here in Johor, but now all is well! We made cleared everything and I am glad that it made my relationship with my sister even stronger! Thank God for protecting them! Family relationship is indeed more important than money! No doubt! And through this whole time, hubby stood by me when I cried, laughed, lost hopes and found them again!
       
Overall! 2014 has been great to us and we look forward to an even better 2015! 
Happy New Year! 




  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS

Turt Kids Adventure to Cameron Highlands

We went for our road trip to Cameron Highlands about two weeks ago! We were thinking bout something like K.K seafood vacay but then we changed it last minute before booking to Cameron instead because if we were to take the airplane we will not be able to bring our turt kids along. After thinking for a little while we decided on Care-a-Lot road trip! That will be ideal to bring the boys and the two naughty ones together.... Ideal... 

We started to search for the right way to transport these naughties in a car. Many sites we found online discouraged us from bringing them along. But there are a list of suggestions for those who insist to bring their adorable ones along. So we read that carefully and were on our way to a wonderful time. This was basically how we transported them. We are blessed to be in hot sunny Malaysia so there was no need to worry about keeping the temperature right for them as we drove to our destination. The journey took us 6 hours, we stopped occasionally to mist them and also gave them water to drink and play in but overall was just fun! They were moving about making lots of noise and enjoying themselves. Halfway through the journey, Lapael (right side) pooped and make a mess out of it (we didn't feed them in the morning and even let them pooped before starting journey! Still Lapael is a poop machine)... We had to scrub it up later. 



Cameron gets very cold at night, it is cooling in the morning and in the afternoon if it doesn't rain the temperature would be just nice. It was rainy when we got there, we get sunshine in the morning and it poured in the afternoon dropping the temperature to cold at night. No worries we are prepared for these things. This is when we arrived, quickly we sent them into nice warm water for a swim! Brought Dona girl girl's favorite rock for her to play and before minutes she was at it. Swimming up and down, in and out of her rock! Raphael just continue swimming and produced more poop! 


We fed them in their normal tub (forgot to capture the pics) and served them their favorite romaine lettuce for them to munch and kept them occupied while we cooked dinner in our steamboat pot! Thinking about the steamboat pot makes my mouth water! Lovely. When we are done, we just set them up for the night. 



Yes! We brought the heat lamp and also hot pack to keep them warm. Alright I was all maternal instinct ON! I fell asleep to them walking about in the tub loudly and woke up in the middle of the night to check on them and changed their hot pack so that they remain warm! Well nonetheless these kids knew how to make themselves at home. I woke up to find Dona sleeping while Raphael basking full length underneath the light! I was worried about them but thank God, He had made them intelligent creatures and they adapted just fine! When morning came, we let them roamed free in the room because we took the large room and it was just spacious and nice! 

Here is Dona doing her Brave Girl roaming. (Towel on the floor to keep them warm)
Here is Raphael "Lapeal" free-styling in the living hall area.
(Raphael: Human! Can I have some privacy to roam please?) 

We let them roamed free in the later part of every morning where there were sunlight but we kept our on eyes on them to make sure they did not get into those spots where we couldn't retrieve them (e.g: underneath the bed or fridge) and also to ensure they do not fight. Thank God they were naughty, cheeky and healthy throughout the trip and I bet they enjoyed it a lot. We arrived home and they have fallen asleep as usual. We have to gently wake them up and carry them back home. Dona threw a fit and refuse to eat but she is back to normal the next day chomping on her pallets and romaine lettuce. As usual Raphael were his normal self as we fed him and put him back into his home. There he is in his tank doing his normal favorite pose the super "turtboy" pose...
  


It is all about preferences. Just like some said it is better to leave them at home, while some ppl even set up temporary kiddie pool for them to play in during vacation (we are going to try that next time when we go to hotter places). It is up to us to gauge whether what is ok and what is not and to provide the best of environment for them. For those who prefer a no hassle vacation, then you can send them for boarding or we call it pet hotel here in Malaysia or leave them with a relative who are willing to feed and take care of them during your absence. As for us, we are bringing them along because it is fun when we go together on a holiday. Peace and love from Carebears family!

Ít's about Love, Food, B.Boys and Turt Kids..
It's tea-time hangout with the boys! Steam "man-tou" and corn!
See the steamer at the back! Oh yeah! We bought whole lot more! 
   

  • Digg
  • Del.icio.us
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • RSS