MomBloggersPlanet Cutest Baby Smiling Contest

Mombloggersplanet is hosting a cutest baby smiling contest for this month of December. The prizes are from Photobook Malaysia and Alice Wonders. Apart from the wonderful prizes, I just want to share with everyone, a picture of Zaim smiling his special "Zaim's Smile". For more information about the contest do check out the links that I have included below...

Wan Mohamad Zaim

Born: 26th May, 2008

I love to see Zaim smiling because:

- he smiles from the heart

- it's genuine and unpretentious

- it's especially for me

- he would scrunched up his nose and his front teeth would show

- he looks just so adorable and cheeky

As promised, to those mummies who would like to share pictures of their smiling babies, check out this link : ** MomBloggersPlanet contest page ** (before December 15th, 2009).

Mummies who wish to check out what photobook is all about check out this link: ***PhotoBookMalaysia***

Shopaholic mummies who would like to check out an online shopping site that is just wonderful click on this link here: ****AliceWonders****

In the SUN today... Guide to the LRT!

Did you manage to get hold of the Sun this morning, especially fellow LRT commuters like me? If you have 'em, or happens to see them lying around your colleagues desks, turn to page 13. There is this A-Z guide to the LRT, that makes an interesting read.

As a train commuter myself, even though I normally take only the evening trains, it is still bad enough, and I am subjected to the rules and tips of taking the train.

For instance as in the article;

D: Diet. The thinner you are, the better your chances to slip between unsuspecting train-takers to snag that sweet seat. Also if a seat between a very large man and a woman with six bags appears, you can explore unchartered waters and sit between them with ease, and go where no large-sized person had gone before. So very true, plus people in the LRT tend to crowd around the area closest to the door leaving wides spaces in the aisles between the seats and between where the coaches are connected, so if you are slim enought you can go... excuse me can I get through, and happily you can go to those spaces where the air-con is much better and the air is "fresher"!

E: Etiquette. Give your seat up to the pregnant lady or the young mother and trust in karma. What goes around, comes around. Someday the time will come when YOU need the seat and someone will give it to you. Yes, trust in karma. I was pregnant 3 times, and all those 3 times I have taken the train regularly enough to be subjected to either ignorant idiots or just plain blind individuals, big healthy men included!!! And when I say trust in karma, those people better pray hard, because whenever people didn't give up their seat to poor pregnant me, I cursed them like hell inside and pray that one day they will be treated that way too, men or women!! ha!ha!ha! Well, now that I am no longer pregnant I guess I should take that "curse" back, all these pent up feelings and vengence may not be all that good for my karma now. Forgive and forget!

K: Keep your cool. Although you feel like screaming, remind yourself it's only another few stations/stops away. As difficult as it may be to be in a crammed, non-odourless train, it really is worth it. To get to your destination exactly 22 minutes after you have left the station, since you are not subjected to the weather conditions, traffic jam and road hoggers! 

O:OMG that's a HUGE bag. Tuck those enormous bags away or someone will spend half-an-hour with zippers pressed against their backs. Taking a crowded train in the morning is bad enough, but be poked in the back by a potruding weapon disguised as a handbag is just "GAH"!  I must admit that I am guilty of this sometimes especially when I am carrying my "NEVERFULL", but really in my defense, I do not poke people with my bag, I do consciously watch where I am going, and I do say "sorry and excuse me" when I need to squeeze me and my BIG BAG to get to a clear spot. Carrying a big bag is actually also useful when the train is really packed at least I can place my bag next to that "funny" looking person that is giving me bad-vibes breathing in my face who has no decency to turn away a little so that he is not brushing happily next to me, if you catch my drift. So to correct the writer of this article, go on carry your big bag if you must just be a bit more mindful how you carry them in a full train!

S:Spend that mind-numbing hour wisely with any of these activities: daydreaming, meal-planning, cutie-staring (puhless, this is so rare ok, so very rare!), Facebooking, Twittering, or reading. Yeap, pick up a book and watch the journey shorten miraculously. Believe it or not, I have once or twice missed my stop because I was too engrossed in my reading!

Have you heard about this "Running Mom"?

If you are like me, stuck in a department of 12, with a quarter of them involved in either Marathon, Triathlon, Iron Man, Power Man whatever events that involve insanely lengthy amount of time running, swimming and biking either in one event or not, you would not have missed knowing the fact that there was this Standard Chartered Kl Marathon last Sunday. Of course these 3 guys, out of 4 in my department participated! Jamil in the 42 km, Zailan in 21km and Azlan the 10 km. I bet had Dzuong not just had a baby, and the first one at that, he might have also done the 5km one at least.

Anyhow, since none of these guys have a blog, at least not that I'm aware of, I'm sorry I cannot direct you to their blogs. However, I wish to direct you to a Lady Runner, whom I got to know from Zailan and from time to time, I would check on her blog to see some interesting updates. She has blogged beautifully about her experience last Sunday that I am compelled to share it with all who cares to read especially to those, like me could never ever fathom to do whatever that she does, run in marathons i.e to run that far that long. Not once in a lifetime, but many many times in many many events!!! She is quite a popular blogger/running-mom and has been featured in newspaper articles too. So check it out... Running Mom Blog.

Oh by the way, well done to Jamil, Zailan and Azlan for completing the run and still made it to work on Monday!!!

Are you really that attached to your phone that...

you'd buy these bags??? Cell phone bags for the ultimate phone addicts!!! Muahahaha!!! These are real handbags selling at US$100 for the clutch, and US$250 for the tote! There is a pocket with a clear touch pad friendly plastic window so that you can see messages and perform simple functions.

Pictures and article from my fav website... Bagsnob.

90/10 Principle of Stephen Covey

Here’s something interesting that was forwarded to all of us from our boss. Just wanted to share this:

Discover the 90/10 Principle. It will change your life :

(at least the way you react to situations).

What is this principle?

10% of life is made up of what happens to you. 90% of life is decided by how you react. What does this mean? We really have no control over 10% of what happens to us. We cannot stop the car from breaking down. The plane will be late arriving, which throws our whole schedule off. A driver may cut us off in traffic. We have no control over this 10%. The other 90% is different. You determine the other 90%. How? By your reaction. You cannot control a red light., but you can control your reaction. Don't let people fool you; YOU can control how you react. Let's take an example. You are eating breakfast with your family. Your daughter knocks over a cup of coffee onto your business shirt. You have no control over what just what happened. What happens when the next will be determined by how you react. You curse. You harshly scold your daughter for knocking the cup over. She breaks down in tears. After scolding her, you turn to your spouse and criticize her for placing the cup too close to the edge of the table. A short verbal battle follows. You storm upstairs and change your shirt Back downstairs, you find your daughter has been too busy crying to finish breakfast and get ready for school. She misses the bus. Your spouse must leave immediately for work. You rush to the car and drive your daughter to school. Because you are late, you drive 40 miles an hour in a 30 mph speed limit. After a 15-minute delay and throwing $60 traffic fine away, you arrive at school. Your daughter runs into the building without saying goodbye. After arriving at the office 20 minutes late, you find you forgot your briefcase. Your day has started terrible. As it continues, it seems to get worse and worse. You look forward to coming home, When you arrive home, you find small wedge in your relationship with your spouse and daughter. Why? Because of how you reacted in the morning. Why did you have a bad day?

A) Did the coffee cause it?

B) Did your daughter cause it?

C) Did the policeman cause it?

D) Did you cause it?

The answer is "D".

You had no control over what happened with the coffee. How you reacted in those 5 seconds is what caused your bad day. Here is what could have and should have happened. Coffee splashes over you. Your daughter is about to cry. You gently say," It's ok honey, you just need, to be more careful next time". Grabbing a towel you rush upstairs. After grabbing a new shirt and your briefcase, you come back down in time to look through the window and see your child getting on the bus. She turns and waves. You arrive 5 minutes early and cheerfully greet the staff. Your boss comments on how good the day you are having. Notice the difference? Two different scenarios.

Both started the same.

Both ended different.

Why? Because of how you REACTED. You really do not have any control over 10% of what happens. The other 90% was determined by your reaction.

Here are some ways to apply the 90/10 principle.

If someone says something negative about you, don't be a sponge. Let the attack roll off like water on glass. You don't have to let the negative comment affect you! React properly and it will not ruin your day. A wrong reaction could result in losing a friend, being fired, getting stressed out etc. How do you react if someone cuts you off in traffic? Do you lose your temper? Pound on the steering wheel? Do you curse? Does your blood pressure skyrocket? Do you try and bump them? WHO CARES if you arrive ten seconds later at work ? Why let the cars ruin your drive? Remember the 90/10 principle, and do not worry about it. You are told you lost your job. Why lose sleep and get irritated? It will work out. Use your worrying energy and time into finding another job. The plane is late; it is going to mangle your schedule for the day. Why take out your frustration on the flight attendant? She has no control over what is going on. Use your time to study, get to know the other passenger. Why get stressed out? It will just make things worse. Now you know the 90-10 principle. Apply it and you will be amazed at the results. You will lose nothing if you try it. The 90-10 principle is incredible. Very few know and apply this principle. The result? Millions of people are suffering from undeserved stress, trials, problems and heartache. We all must understand and apply the 90/10 principle.

40 Tips for a better life in 2009.

I know it is already the end of March, so the 1st quarter of the year is gone. Are you having a good year so far? Perhaps it is still not to late to ponder on this 40 tips that I stumbled upon in this lovely blog http://zaitulchantel.blogspot.com/2009/02/40-tips-for-better-life-in-2009.html

1. Take a 10-30 minute walk every day. And while you walk, smile . It is the ultimate anti-depressant.

2. Sit in silence for at least 10 minutes each day.. Buy a lock if you have to.

3. Buy a DVR and tape your late night shows and get more sleep .

4. When you wake up in the morning complete the following statement, 'My purpose is to ___ today.'

5. Live with the 3 E's -- Energy, Enthusiasm, and Empathy .

6. Play more games and read more books than you did in 2008.

7. Make time to practice meditation, yoga, tai chi, and prayer . They provide us with daily fuel for our busy lives.

8. Spend time with people over the age of 70 and under the age of 6.

9. Dream more while you are awake.

10. Eat more foods that grow on trees and plants and eat less food that is manufactured in plants.

11. Drink green tea and plenty of warm water. Eat blueberries, wild Alaskan salmon, broccoli, almonds & walnuts.

12. Try to make at least three people smile each day.

13. Clear clutter from your house, your car, your desk and let new and flowing energy into your life.

14. Don't waste your precious energy on gossip, energy vampires, issues of the past, negative thoughts or things you cannot control. Instead invest your energy in the positive present moment.

15. Realize that life is a school and you are here to learn . Problems are simply part of the curriculum that appear and fade away like algebra class but the lessons you learn will last a lifetime.

16 . Eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a college kid with a maxed out charge card.

17. Smile and laugh more . It will keep the energy vampires away.

18. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

19. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

20. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

21. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree..

22. Make peace with your past so it won't spoil the present.

23. Don't compare your life to others'. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

24. No one is in charge of your happiness except you.

25. Frame every so-called disaster with these words: 'In five years, will this matter?'

26. Forgive everyone for everything.

27. What other people think of you is none of your business.

28. GOD heals almost everything.

29. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

30. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends will.Stay in touch.

31. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

32. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

33 . The best is yet to come.

34. No matter how you feel , get up, dress up and show up.

35. Do the right thing!

36 .Call your family often.

37. Each night before you go to bed complete the following statements: I amthankful for _____. Today I accomplished _____.

38. Remember that you are too blessed to be stressed .

39. Enjoy the ride. Remember this is not Disney World and you certainly don't want a fast pass. You only have one ride through life so make the most of it and enjoy the ride.

40. Please Forward this to everyone you care about.May your troubles be less,May your blessings be more,May nothing but happiness come through your door!

Moving On

Yes, unfortunately I am still on the subject. This time I would like to share with you a website that deals with Coping Emotionally after a Miscarriage. You can either directly go to the website at http://www.womens-health.co.uk/miscarr.htm or, just read on as I have pasted the article here for your quick reading.

Dealing Emotionally with Miscarriage

Suffering from a miscarriage or

stillbirth can be very traumatic. Not only is it taxing on you physically, but emotionally as well. While a woman’s body can heal and recover relatively quickly from a miscarriage, emotionally, the healing process can take much longer. Although many women do not want to deal with their feelings after a pregnancy loss, facing them can help you pull through and emerge a stronger person.

The Grieving Process

As with any loss, it is normal for couples to feel grief after a miscarriage. Unfortunately, far too often, outwardly displaying signs of grief is seen as a sign of weakness, causing some to be tempted to bottle up this emotion. Though you may want to appear emotionally strong to those around you, it is important to keep in mind that entering a grieving period after a significant loss is a perfectly normal human emotion.
There is no specific amount of time that a couple is expected to grieve after a pregnancy loss. How long a woman and her partner mourn for will vary from couple to couple and is not dictated by the length of a pregnancy. Whether you had an early miscarriage or stillbirth, the pain can be equally acute. Only you will know how long you need to grieve for.

Moving Past the Grief

Grief is not the only emotion associated with miscarriages. Other typical emotions reported by woman who have lost a pregnancy include depression, loneliness and isolation. Although these feelings are perfectly normal, if you are having troubles coping day to day because of your emotions, you may want to make an appointment with your health care provider. When your emotions begin to interfere with your daily activities, it can be a sign of major depression, a health issue that requires professional attention.

Another common emotional response to a spontaneous abortion is self-blame. Many women often feel that if only they had done something differently, if only they hadn’t had that glass of wine before they found out they were pregnant, they wouldn’t have miscarried. These thoughts can ring in your mind for weeks, making it even harder to get over your loss.

Miscarriage can also cause a woman to feel intense anger and jealousy towards other women, even friends, who are pregnant. While these emotions can be appalling, they will eventually pass and fade.

The Male Side

Miscarriages can make men nervous to talk to their partners. Not only are they upset about the loss, but also they are grieving for their partner. As a result, you may find that your partner is reluctant to broach the topic, fearful that he may upset you. Be honest with your partner; if you are not ready to openly discuss the loss with him, say so. But don’t forget to also let him know when you do want to talk.
After a miscarriage, a couple’s relationship can become noticeably strained. Dealing with such a significant loss can cause individuals to turn inwards and away from each. Yet, this is when you each need each other the most, for support and for a shoulder to cry on. Discussing your feelings after a miscarriage is often difficult for couples, but it is necessary. If you find that there is too much stress on your relationship right now, seeking out couples counseling can help you work through your grief as well as improve the communication between you and your partner.

Finding Support

Your friends and family are one of your best sources to find the support you need during this difficult time. Unfortunately, sometimes those that you want the most support from are the ones that make the situation worse by ignoring it. Though this can lead to feelings of hurt and anger, perhaps even causing you to withdraw from those closest to you, try to keep in mind that perhaps they are avoiding the topic for fear of upsetting you. Like your partner, it is important to be honest with your friends and family, letting them know when you do and when you don’t want to talk about your miscarriage.
Another great place to turn to after a miscarriage is a support group. Talking with other women and couples who are also dealing with the aftermath of a miscarriage can breakdown those feelings of isolation and loneliness. Alternatively, speaking with a professional therapist one-on-one can help you come to terms with your loss.

Coping Tips

Here are some tips that may be useful in helping you deal with your miscarriage:

Write it Down: Journal writing is an excellent method for people to air out their emotions. Because a journal is private, you can be honest with yourself and your thoughts, allowing yourself to reflect on just what it is that you are feeling. Furthermore, studies have found that writing in a journal can actually speed up the recovery period during sad times.

Set Some Rules: It can be difficult for your friends and family to know whether you feel comfortable hearing about other women’s pregnancies and pregnancy losses. To help yourself and those around you feel better and more at ease, make it clear which topics, if any, are off limits with you.

Go Away: If you don’t feel ready to face the world right after your miscarriage, then don’t. Take some time off of work to focus on yourself. If you can, arrange for your partner to also have some free time so you can be together.

Remember: Finding a special way to commemorate your child can turn a negative situation into a positive one, helping you to let go of your grief. Some parents choose to hold a memorial service while others decide to plant a tree in a local park or their backyard. Some even choose to write about their experience or create a website in order to help others.

More about the subject m/c : MISCARRIAGE

I thought I'd surf the web to find out more about what I just went through and perhaps find some suggestions as how to move on after this experience. Found some good websites regarding the subject matter. I attached here some snapshots about it, unless you have gone through it, I guess you never bothered to find out more about it.

This is something from http://www.questdiagnostics.com:

I am, oops I mean I was in my 4-5th week of conception, so it's the very early stage in the 1st trimester. My Dr. concluded that I do not require D&C. Even though I have heard the negative effects of D&C, I do have a little ningling doubt whether my miscarriage is complete and my uterus is utterly clean. After reading through this article, I feel confident that I'm ok.

Have a read through... could be useful to you one day, I mean not that I'm wishing you go through what I did, at least you have some information should a close friend or a relative is going through a m/c.

What is a miscarriage?

A miscarriage is the loss of a pregnancy during the first 20 weeks. (After 20 weeks, pregnancy loss is known as a stillbirth.)

The natural miscarriage process can take days to weeks. Common signs of a miscarriage can include vaginal bleeding; pain in the abdomen, lower back, or pelvis; or passing fetal tissue from the vagina. Bleeding may be light or heavy and constant or irregular. It can sometimes be difficult to know whether light bleeding is a sign of miscarriage. When bleeding is accompanied by pain, however, the likelihood of a miscarriage is high.

What should I do if I am or might be miscarrying? What are the risks of not calling a health professional?

If you have miscarriage symptoms, call your doctor or nurse-midwife immediately. Going without medical care or advice increases your risk of complications. Your health professional will want to be sure that you:

Are not losing too much blood or developing an infection.
Do not have signs of an ectopic pregnancy, which can be life-threatening and requires emergency surgery to remove the embryo or fetus.
Are not at risk of Rh sensitization, which may be dangerous to a fetus in your next pregnancy. If your blood type is Rh-negative and your partner's is Rh-positive, you will need preventive treatment.

For more information, see the topic Rh Sensitization During Pregnancy.

How is a miscarriage treated?

Although there is no treatment to reverse a miscarriage, there are several treatment options for preventing complications. Depending on your condition, you may be able to choose:

1) Watchful waiting and close medical observation, known as expectant management, as the miscarriage progresses over several days or weeks.
2) Medicine to complete the miscarriage process, known as medical management.
3) Surgical treatment with dilation and curettage (D&C) or vacuum aspiration to complete the miscarriage process.

If your health professional has confirmed that your first-trimester or early second-trimester miscarriage is complete and all tissue has passed from your uterus, expect the bleeding to taper off within a week or so. Unless you develop a fever or heavy bleeding, you will not need follow-up treatment. Your health professional may, however, want to see you sometime during the next month.

If you are miscarrying and do not have signs of infection or severe bleeding, there is little risk involved in medically supervised watching and waiting (expectant management).

If you are miscarrying, are bleeding heavily (using one or more sanitary pads per hour), have severe pain, or have a fever of about 100°F (37.8°C) or higher, you are at significant risk of life-threatening blood loss or infection if you are not treated. See a doctor immediately.

If you need more information, see the topic Miscarriage.

Your choices are to:
Try watching and waiting (expectant management) for up to 4 weeks, to see whether the miscarriage resolves naturally over time.
Use medicine that is likely to cause the uterus to empty.
Have a surgical procedure that clears the uterus.
The decision about whether to have treatment to complete a miscarriage takes into account your personal feelings and the medical facts.

Deciding about treatment:

Reasons to try watchful waiting (expectant management)
You are stable and have no fever or heavy bleeding.
You are miscarrying in the first trimester.
You have ready access to emergency health care services.
Are there other reasons that you might want to try watchful waiting?

Reasons not to try watchful waiting (expectant management)

You are not comfortable with the idea of waiting for days or weeks until the miscarriage ends on its own.
You are bleeding severely.
You have signs of infection, such as.
A fever of around 100°F (37.8°C) or higher.
Moderate to severe abdominal pain or cramping.
Smelly vaginal discharge.
Are there other reasons that you might not want to try watchful waiting?

This website also has a table to show the comparison of miscarriage treatment options. I am not able to succesfully copy the table in the same format in this blog posts, so hope some of the information above helps and for more please revert to the mentioned website.

Slow Down Culture

What you are about to read is something that was forwarded to our whole dept from our boss.

Pretty ironic coming from you Razzi, he!he! please remember this article you sent us, the next time you are creeping up my desk to check on my progress for a particular project. :-) Peace!

An interesting reflection: Slow Down Culture.

It's been 18 years since I joined Volvo, a Swedish company. Working for them has proven to be an interesting experience. Any project here takes 2 years to be finalized, even if the idea is simple and brilliant. It's a rule.Globalized processes have caused in us (all over the world) a general sense of searching for immediate results. Therefore, we have come to posses a need to see immediate results. This contrasts greatly with the slow movements of the Swedish. They, on the other hand, debate, debate, debate, hold numerous meetings and work with a slowdown scheme. At the end, thisalways yields better results.

Some information before we proceed:

1.Sweden is about the size of San Pablo, a state in Brazil.

2.Sweden has 2 million inhabitants.

3.Stockholm, has 500,000 people.

4.Volvo, Scania, Ericsson, Electrolux, are some of its renowned companies
5.Volvo supplies NASA.

The first time I was in Sweden, one of my colleagues picked me up at the hotel every morning. It was September, bit cold and snowy. We would arrive early at the company and he would park far away from the entrance (2000 employees drive their car to work). The first day, I didn't say anything, either the second or third.

One morning I asked, "Do you have a fixed parking space? I've noticed we park far from the entrance even when thereare no other cars in the lot." To which he replied, "Since we're here early we'll have time to walk, and whoever gets in late will be late and need a place closer to the door. Don't you think?” Imagine my face.

Nowadays, there's a movement in Europe name Slow Food. This movement establishes that people should eat and drink slowly, with enough time to taste their food, spend time with the family, friends, without rushing. Slow Food is the antithesis of its counterpart: the spirit of Fast Food and what it stands for as a lifestyle. Slow Food is the basis for a bigger movement called Slow Europe, which was recently mentioned by Business Week.Basically, the movement questions the sense of "hurry" and "craziness" generated by globalization, fueled by the desire of "having in quantity"(life status) versus "having with quality": "life quality" or the "quality of being".

Some interesting stats- again:

French people, even though they work 35 hours per week, are more productive than Americans or British.
Germans have established 28.8 hour workweeks and have seen their productivity been driven up by 20%.

This “slow attitude” has attracted the US' attention, the most avid pupils of the fast and the "do it now!" school of thought.This no-rush attitude doesn't represent doing less or having a lower productivity. It means working and doing things with greater quality, productivity, perfection, with attention to detail and less stress. It means reestablishing family values, friends, free and leisure time. Taking the "now", present and concrete, versus the "global", undefined and anonymous.

It means appreciating every human being’s essential values through the simplicity of living. It stands for a less coercive work environment, happier, lighter and more productive where humans enjoy doing what they know best how to do. It's time to stop and think on how companies need to develop serious quality without rushing : this will increase productivity and the quality of products and services, without losing the essence of spirit.

In the movie, Scent of a Woman, there's a scene where Al Pacino asks a girl to dance and she replies, "I can't, my boyfriend will be here any minute now". To which Al responds, "A life is lived in an instant". Then they dance to a tango.

Many of us live our lives trying to catch up with time, but the irony is we only catch up with it when we die of a heart attack or in a car accident rushing to be on time. Others are so anxious of living the future that they forget to live the present, which is the only time that truly exists. We all have equal time throughout the world. No one has more or less. The difference lies in how each one of us does with our time. We need to live each moment. As John Lennon said, "Life is what happens to you while you're busy making other plans".

Congratulations for reading till the end of this message. There are many who would have stopped in the middle so as not to waste time in this globalized world.

Now wasn't that a beautiful and meaningful article. Makes you just sigh, and say if only everyone can practice this culture especially those rushing for the only one seat in the LRT in the morning to work or those cramming to be in the fastest moving lane on the MRR2. Hhhhhuuuuhhh!! Double, triple sigh!