Overdue as usual, tapi raya kan sebulan. *chuckles* Hope you guys had a great Eid with family and friends.
Our days leading up to Eid were relatively uneventful. Despite being maidless (helper balik raya for her yearly holiday), I managed to take two days off before Eid for a facial plus manicure/pedicure. Dragged the kids with me and had to give them gadgets to keep them occupied. The fact that I managed to sleep throughout my mask was a sure sign that they behaved really really well! Iftar and sahur were purchased from various pasar ramadhans. Aiden pun dah big enough to help me with house chores - dah boleh harap to basuh pinggan, jemur kain, lipat baju (pants only!) and siram pokok.
Alhamdulillah, I also managed to tunaikan our nazar to donate a sum of money to anak-anak yatim. With the help of a neighbour, we bought Happy Meals and gave duit raya to the kids, while the balance went to the upkeep of the children’s home. Even though I wasn’t there physically, I certainly hope apa yang kami niatkan made their day.
 |
| Menunaikan nazar. |
I was so so so very tempted to buy baju raya - rambang mata with the various designs and discounts too. But the fact that I don’t know how much I will slim down post pregnancy (I certainly hope I’ll go back to my original size *cries*), terus tak jadi nak beli walaupun jari gian jer nak click the Add to Cart button. Instead, I went crazy over the FashionValet sale with Duck scarves (cos you know, my head won’t grow bigger)! Handbags were also calling out to me but I’m eyeing something quite special but pricey - so I decided to sell some of my handbags on consignment to ease my finances for the next handbag. Other than that, my brother’s kontena finally arrived so that eased my shopping temptations oh so slightly. What did I get? A diaper bag, baby swing and Trunki for baby AY, solar lights for Hubby and of course - the latest addition (and hopefully final) to my kitchen countertop... my KitchenAid diamond blender!
 |
| My handbags on consignment - they placed it on the floor jer! *amused* |
 |
| Check out those Fashionvalet shopping bags! |
 |
| After all the analysis on diaper bags, my Jujube BFF is finally here. |
 |
| Current situation on my kitchen countertop. |
Did I mention my craving for lemang periuk kera??? Just a few days before Eid, I saw some photos of it on Instagram and started salivating for some. The last (and only) time I tried it was in Cherating Kuantan, and upon memory the lemang was super lembut and lemak bersantan - it was even good to be eaten on its own! Posted my kempunan and so so many people stepped forward to suggest locations to purchase, and even some offered their Raya lemang orders to me. Awwww I was so very touched. In the end, I went with one of the suggested Instagram pages who was willing to still take my last minute order, and tadaaaa... kempunan resolved! Honestly this is the first time in this pregnancy that I’ve felt a craving for something. Usually anything goes for me, as long as it's Melayu food (no steaks, Western salads or even barbecued food for me)!
 |
| Thanks to Husna for accommodating my last minute request. Two thumbs up for her lemang periuk kera and daging dendeng. |
Talking about the pregnancy, Alhamdulillah baby AY is growing well and according to her week age. Despite puasa penuh, I was honestly struggling between fasting and the pregnancy, and even at the tail end of Ramadhan I started losing my appetite and felt as if I didn’t eat as much as I usually did. Hence I gained less than 1kg from the last month’s checkup! (I typically gain ~3kg per month.) But even thought I didn’t gain much weight, my tummy has ballooned so much - I only discovered the sheer size of it when I was trying to shave. Thankfully I am still able to see my toes! *giggles* Baby AY is approximately 770gm now, and her latest scan showed a very prominent nose! Hidung macam Abang Aiden agaknya... can’t wait for her to arrive in our arms!
 |
| Check out that nose! |
I digress. Back to Raya stories! We headed for Teluk Intan the day before Eid. All of my sister-in-laws beraya in Teluk Intan this year, so it was wonderful to get everyone under the same roof. Unfortunately, I wasn’t much help in the kitchen - blame it on the pregnancy. *sigh* We all also managed to have one last moreh/supper before Eid at McDonalds Teluk Intan (possibly the most happening place in town). The durian McFlurry was soooooo good. Absolutely worth the price tag. Siap sendawa durian lagi!
The morning of Eid, we got dressed and then discovered that we were the only ones not in biru (lebih muda)! Apparently my MIL changed the colour scheme two weeks before Eid. But in retrospect looking at photos, I think our peachy outfits certainly stood out from the pale blue everyone else was wearing.
 |
| Balik kampung macam nak pindah rumah. And a group photo of our last supper at McDonalds! |
 |
| Official 2018 Eid photo. |
 |
| Peach versus light blue. |
We left Teluk Intan on the second day of Eid and headed to Ipoh to visit my stepmother and step siblings. Headed straight home that very same night and found myself doing already doing laundry on day three of Eid! Surprisingly, not many open houses invitations this year - which is just as well, since I don't have that many outfits to accommodate my bulging belly. *sigh*
Last weekend, I managed to host my stepmother and stepsister at our humble home. Despite being maidless, I served Nasi Arab (of course beli!!!) and some homemade ayam kuzi and rendang that my helper had thoughtfully made ahead and frozen in case of impromptu visits just like this one. (Loveeeee my helper to death!)
 |
| One of the few outfits that I could still squeeze into. And Aiden and Ian posing with their cousin. |
 |
| Nasi Arab spread. |
Last but certainly not least, I'll close this blogpost with how the kids spent their duit raya. This year, Aiden was really adamant about spending his duit raya to his whim and fancies. I was having none of it, so we negotiated to a mutual agreement that half of his money goes to the bank while he has control of the other half. Ian, of course followed suit. Monkey see monkey do!
They pestered me for a trip to ToysRUs daily, and I finally relented. Imagined my shock at the price of the Minecraft set that Aiden chose. But a deal is a deal, and I allowed him to purchase it since it was still within the budget he had. But seriously, those are crazy pricey figurines!
I think that should summarize my past few weeks. Looking forward to my helper coming back home this weekend, so that I can stop juggling house chores and work at the same time. I am really feeling the heat at the office, especially when I have important meetings to attend and a team to manage. *sigh* I miss my laidback days in Upstream!!!
Here's hoping that you guys have a good Syawal ahead. Until next time, take care!
