arlanadya

A Little Happiness

Posted on 28 Dec 201528 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

A package came for me this afternoon. It was a storybook collection from my favorite cartoon characters. The book came all the way from their origin countries.

I have been big fan since many years ago. It was the fifth grade of elementary if I’m not mistaken. A bit forgot how it began, but once it started, I never stop. I have been collecting lots of accesories, eating tools, hanger, notebook, I can’t name it all. It has been very happy everytime I buy something about it.

During my master studies abroad, there were some companions during my leisure time. A hard disk filled with criminal series from le husband, youtubing korean drama and downloading short movies from these cartoom characters. I didn’t felt old enough to watch them for so many times and laughed happily.

I don’t intend to make Langit should love the ganks too. But, she surely will see a lot of things about them at home. When she really likes it too one day, I will be very glad so I have reasons to buy more. Hahaha.

I really love all about these characters. They are warm and funny. I love the neighbourhood where they live. I used to daydream about living in such neighbourhood.

Well, I can’t help writing a special one post just to tell about this thing after receiving the package. Happiness is real when it is shared, isn’t?

So, here it is, I present you, my most favorite constant happiness :

A warm greeting from A hundred-acre wood!

Review

Aston Marina Ancol

Posted on 27 Dec 201529 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

Selalu bingung kalo mau mulai nulis dalam bahasa Indonesia. Oke, ini bukan detail review yang mungkin pada umumnya orang lakukan. Saya cuma mau kasih gambaran dan pendapat saya tentang hotel ini. Untuk gambar boleh liat langsung di webnya Aston Marina. Disini cuma ada ‘kenyataan’ di balik gambar.

Kamar

Kamar yang dipesan dua jenis kamar tipe apartemen. Satu kamar yang isinya dua kamar tidur dan satu kamar satu kamar tidur. Atau mungkin lebih gampangnya satu kaya apartemen studio sedangkan satunya lagi kaya apartemen dua kamar tidur. Tipe apartemen punya keuntungan dengan adanya dapur. Ini jelas untung ketika pergi dengan anak-anak. Apalagi yang masih bayi yang belum bisa bebas makan apa aja.

Kamarnya cukup luas. Area dapur dan kamar tidur ada pembatas tembok. Tempat tidur bisa pilih antara single atau twin bed. Kamar mandi dengan shower, cukup bersih. Buat saya yang agak ‘jijik’an, kalo kemana-mana pasti yang diliat kamar mandi dulu. Waktu buka kamar mandinya agak lega. Setidaknya itu cukup bersih buat saya. Untuk peralatan mandi semua yang standar ada.

Peralatan dapurnya cukup lengkap. Ada dua piring, dua mangkok, dan dua gelas. Sendok, garpu, pisau roti juga ada. Kompornya pakai kompor listrik dua tungku dan juga ada panci stainless steel dua buah. Selain kompor juga ada microwave. Tempat cuci piring juga ada biarpun kecil. Meja makan dua kursi juga ada di dapur. Dapur ini jelas bagian yang paling saya suka.

Hal lain yang ada di kamar ini yaitu ruang tamu kecil di depan dapur. Ada sofa dengan bantal, meja kotak pendek dan satu kursi kecil lainnya. Kamar ini ditulisnya untuk dua orang dewasa. Menurut saya, dua orang dewasa plus satu atau dua anak kecil pun masih oke. Ruang tidurnya luas dan ruang untuk anak bergerak pun cukup.

Interiornya standar dengan beberapa kekurangan sana sini. Seperti lemari di kamar mandi yang ada di bawah wastafel, kayunya udah mengelupas. Tapi, dibanding tempat shower yang jorok, atau wc yang kotor, tempat tidur yang bau apek, lemari kayu ngelupas masih bisa saya tolerir.

Kolam Renang

Ini alesan kedua setelah dapur saya pilih hotel ini. Kolam renang di Aston Marina ini bukan yang luas banget, tapi banyak yang kecil-kecil untuk anak-anak. Ngga ada mainannya atau apa, hanya kolam biasa. Untuk berenang ini, dari awal sebelum pergi saya udah set untuk berenang jam 6. Abis Langit selesai sarapan. Dingin? Ya ngga apa2. Sedikit. Toh ga mau berenang dua jam juga. Saya lebih milih dingin pagi dibanding berenang di kolam yang penuh.

Kenyataannya kita baru mulai masuk air jam 6.30. Tetep masih sepi. Cuma ada kita bertiga sama satu ibu dan anaknya. Kebanyakan yang pegangin Langit papanya. Sedangkan mami sibuk berenang sendiri sambil sesekali liat-liat. Minusnya, kolam renangnya ngga sebersih yang di foto. Makanya saya juga ngga mau lama-lama. Ini pertama kalinya Langit berenang di kolam betulan. Ngga bisa dibilang seneng juga, seringnya nangis, haha.

Sarapan

Sarapan ada di beberapa tempat di lobi. Ini menurut saya ide bagus karena emang tamunya banyak banget. Menu standar aja. Ada buffet nasi putih dan nasi goreng beserta lauk, bubur ayam, roti, aneka jus, dan ada sarapan western. Bagian sarapan western ini yang paling banyak antriannya. Saya ngga ikut karena males. Yg saya makan nasi goreng, bubur ayam sama roti. Baked potatonya enak dan Langit suka. Saran saya, kalo berniat kesini pas musim libur baiknya turun sarapan jam 8.30-9.00. Sebelum itu suasanya serasa di acara kawinan kebanyakan tamu.

Service

Saya cukup suka sama cara pegawai hotel ini nanggepin komplain. Kaya pas kamar yang satu agak lama belom siap juga kita nelpon berkali-kali setidaknya ngga ada nada nyebelin dari resepsionisnya. Nunggu agak lama sebenernya ngga menyenangkan, tapi akan lebih ngga menyenangkan kalo denger nada yang ngga enak karena kita cukup cerewet nanya kapan kamarnya siap. Dan buat saya wajar sih nanya nanya terus. Emang harusnya sudah masuk kamar setelah check-in. Kalo check out oh ngga boleh juga dilambat-lambatin. Housekeepernya juga ramah dan kita cukup ngerti mereka pasti lagi sibuk banget dengan tamu sebanyak itu. Jadi ya uda lah ya. Satu yang agak ngga nyaman adalah soal lift. Karena hotel ini lantainya cukup banyak, nunggu liftnya lamaa banget. Apalagi kalo mau turun. Sekalinya kebuka, eh penuh.

Kesimpulan

Mungkin itu gambarannya. Kalo ada yang tanya, sesuai ngga sama harganya? Well, itu relatif ya. Kalo buat saya pribadi untuk semalem harga sekitar 750-850, di musim liburan, dengan fasilitas kaya di atas, masih bisa diterima. Tapi, kalo untuk ditanya mau balik lagi ngga, musim liburan atau bukan, saya lebih milih nginep di tempat lain.

Okey, semoga kalo ada yang baca ini bisa bantu buat keputusan buat klik ‘pesan sekarang’ atau ‘batal’ di website pemesanan hotel kalo berniat nginep di sini.

Selamat liburan!

Thoughts

(First) Family Trip : Result

Posted on 26 Dec 201526 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

So, how was the most awaited trip going? Hm, it was fine.

Fine? It sounds like a polite translation of not pleasant, below expectation, and other verbs which describe unsatisfaction.

Well, maybe. I will just tell about an overall situation of the trip.

We arrived at the hotel around 5.10 pm. When we entered the lobby, it was a bit full and fortunately le husband’s brother had done all rooms check-in. So off we went to the 12th floor.

The ‘fine’ started right after I opened the door and saw the pretty messy room. It turned out that only our room that had been ready. While the other one was still being cleaned. Since it is holiday, so the cleaning took longer than usual.

I used to do staycation with my family and one of the excitement moment for me was when we saw the room for the first time. The nice scent, the clean bathroom, and my favorite was the tidy bed.

But, what I saw when we entered the room was messy kitchen, bags everywhere, food opened here and there, and the one that made me want to cry was the messy bed with the people lying there. Totally heart-breaking. Really.

Although it’s not just other people, but still, it was dissapointing. My mood had turned directly to the lowest level seeing the bed being that messy. Exaggerating? Whatever.

Thankfully, after maghrib the other room was ready. After it was clear, I did some cleaning to make it a bit closer to the room I was expecting. But still, it was heart-breaking everytime I saw the messy bed. (Bed again? Yeah, bed again and again).

Langit was pretty happy about having a large bed where she can rolled here and there. Also, the spacious room allowed her to walk and fall all the time. Seeing her happily laugh and play cured the bed mood a bit. Bed mood, you read it right.

As I expected, the first time she slept out wouldn’t be too smooth. She woke up several times at night and I kept breastfeeding. She woke up often until 4 am then instead of sleeping longer, she just totally woke up. Another ‘fine’ for me since no sleep extension after subuh.

Breakfast was also fine. Nothing was extraordinary. Having staycation during holiday season should make you expect at the very least the kids crowded. The fact I have one too, this one seemed truly fine.

Well, i think that is all for my ‘fine’ first family trip. For the next ones I think I prefer having the trip with only three of us. Gonna write about the place where we stayed later.

Greeting from my tired body after unpacking. Happy holiday!

Maternité, Past learning, Thoughts

Flash Back Parenting

Posted on 21 Dec 201522 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

Have you ever heard that term?

Nope?

Of course, I haven’t too. Until few minutes before started writing this post. The term just suddenly popped out in my mind. Nothing about new theory, just the term I think suits me best.

I read and heard many kind of parenting concepts these days. Helicopter, simple, reflective, authorative, and so on. All have its own theory. In spite of any terms, I believe every parents can’t be categorized in only one term. I believe each parents are a little bit of this and that. But, it’s likely that they are more into one category than the other ones. Of course, I am one too.

When I reflect along this one year parent Langit, what I have been doing most is flashing back. The way I parent Langit, most decisions made, many of them were according my flash back thinking. Since I can’t ask my role model personally, that’s the best thing I can do. I keep flashing back my mother’s words, actions, values, even the smallest things that she unintentionally did, but taught me lessons as well.

So, that explains lot now why I can’t help writing any posts without my mum being mentioned. Although my relationship with her hadn’t always been good and smooth, but I have been so grateful. Even more grateful because I had the honor to be the one whom she spent her very last days with. Even even more, spent it at the best place on earth. My last hug with her was during thawaf wada’ in front of Ka’bah.

Apart from my mother’s influence, other person whose the influence had some impacts too was my grandmother. My mum’s mother. She was the kindest person for me. She had lovely scent and I loved kissing her a lot. I loved and adored the way she did her prayers. I remembered clearly how I enjoyed doing five times prayer with her. The way she recited the do’a was very calming. The most remarkable trait I remembered about her was cleanliness. Other than kind, she was very very very clean. Oh, and tidy! Her bed, cupboard, every inch in her house was the cleanest.

The origin of my rule about no playing in the bed was from her. Langit is only being on the bed when she is sleeping. Other than that, she should play outside. Actually, le husband is also prohibited. But, yah, it’s negotiable with him.

My grandmother was very good at cooking and … playing cards. Haha! We had this routine family vacation to Cipanas where there was a villa owned by my dad’s workplace. For three days of staying there, what we continously did was playing cards. We only had a break for lunch and pray. Other than that everyone was sitting on the carpet holding cards and bragging the joker they had. And my grandmother was the one who was really eager of playing. All the time. Hahaha. Neskii, I.miss you so much:(

My grandma went in the same year as my mum did. In the same day, same date, by eight months difference. While my mum left on Friday, Nov 30, my grandma went on Friday, March 30. It was one of my biggest regret that I didn’t attend her funeral. I was still in UPM at that time. I was about going home in few days at that time. Received that news, I came home early. On the night before she went, I remembered I couldn’t sleep at all. I was very nervous, anxious, and felt so uneasy all night. I have been always like that when something unpleasant was about going to happen. That time, the answer came at 5 am. When my phone rang and my mom’s name appeared on the monitor, I already knew that it would be the worst news she was going to deliver. I even cried before my mum said anything. As if I knew my grandma had gone already.

It was a non stop crying day for me. I cried all day. I went home the next day and still couldn’t stop crying. Even crying more when I landed and le husband picked me up at the airport then sent me to my grandma’s house. It was crying all the way. Knew that I was no longer able to see her and even didn’t have a chance to say goodbye properly was heart-breaking.

Then, maybe this post should be called Flash back parent and grandparent-ing.

Today is happened to be December 22. It’s a mother day in Indonesia. So, this one suits that well. Happy mother’s day to both greatest mothers in my life. I love you both so much. One of my biggest desire is hoping that I am able to be at least as good as both of you, as a person and a mother as well.

Ah, of course, Happy mother’s day too, dear me. (Keep trying hard to) be a great one too!

I will.

Favorite things, Maternité

Family Trip : Introductions

Posted on 20 Dec 201521 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

There’s always the first time for everything. In few days insya Allah, we’re having our first family trip together. Yes, after a year since Langit came, we finally will go somewhere. Where to?

Abroad? No.

Out of town? No.

Oh!then Puncak or Bogor? Still no:)

We’re having staycation in Jakarta. Just for one night only,hehehe.

Since le husband is fully booked during holiday and all weekends, one night is already good enough. Even with that, we’ll be going after he finished his shift and the day after we go home, he will have another shift. No complaints, though. Hm, actually,the complaints had been done already.

The hotel we choose to stay has to be the one with kids pool. The very first purpose of this staycation is to try Langit’s new swimsuit. She has never been near to swimming pool anymore after a nightmare in one of the famous baby spa near home. Having such a lazy mommy like me just make another reason why she hasn’t been swimming since then.

This also will be Langit’s first night out. She has never been sleeping out of her crib before. Even in my bed. It’s not that I don’t allow her, but she really can’t sleep well unless it’s on her crib. So, this one is also another trial.

Other than Langit herself, this trip will be my first too with a little kid. So, I am having a higher level of fussiness than the usual. No matter what people said, told me to be more flexible since it’s holiday and I should enjoy it, I still won’t go easy with this.

I couldn’t be relax if I don’t prepare well. Or too well. Having experience a lot of family vacations with my family in the past, I learned how my mum prepared everything in details.

Well, sorry if this one sounds boring, but I guess I can’t talk about anything without having my mom mentioned.

We, my family, have this one habit that some people think this is a bit weird : having breakfast before subuh. So we’re just like doing sahur everyday. Before subuh prayer, we have warmed our tummy with a glass of tea or coffee and a piece of bread, or slice of cake, or one piece of fried banana, just anything.

We brought this one daily habit also when we traveled. Although we mostly stayed in a hotel with breakfast included, we also brought our own sachet drinks like instant coffee, chocolate drink, or teh tarik and a loaf of bread or any kind of cake.

Other than that, basic cutlery were also joined us. We brought five tupperware plates, five plastic glasses, and several spoons. Why? When we traveled too long, we couldn’t keep eating outside. After several day, we would surrender and choose to eat rice and abon instead. Of course, Abon was another compulsory thing to be brought.

As the cutlery was going on holiday too, we also brought a wash dishes soap, the brush, and the napkin to dry the dishes. Sounds rempong enough? Wait, you haven’t heard the most important one.

It’s travel cooker. The most must-have item during traveling. Our old travel cooker has been traveling to many places, domestic and abroad. Much more than my self do. It has been to England, France, Austria, Hongkong, Malaysia, Singapore, and its very last trip was Saudi Arabia during Hajj 2013.

We used this to cook rice or noodles, boiling egg or water, or heating any fluid we want to eat. I survived my master abroad by using this everyday to cook rice. If you travel often, you should consider to buy one.

Then, what about now? Again, my most prepared area is about Langit’s meal. I plan to bring her own food. Since we’ll stay at a apartment hotel room which has kitchen inside, I don’t think travel cooker is needed this time. But, let’s see later.

I’ve been preparing Langit’s stuff and mine eventhough it’s still few days to go. My brain has never been stop thinking about anything. Vacation preparations are surely one of the most exciting part of holiday.

So, that’s my long introduction about family trip. Hopefully, this most awaited trip will go smoothly. Amiiin!

See you on the next updates!

Thoughts

Relationship Skill

Posted on 16 Dec 201516 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

The famous Multiples Intelligences Theory by Howard Gardner stated that everyone has intelligences in different areas. Now, it has already been up to nine items consist of verbal-linguistic, mathematical logical, visual-spacial, bodily-kinesthetic, intrapersonal, interpersonal, musical, naturalistic, and spiritual.
When I read about this theory at the first time, I directly knew my strongest one was Intrapersonal. While my weakest one was the other side, Interpersonal.

I’ve never been really good at socializing. Yet I still manage having several social medias. But, all of those things don’t require me to have direct interactions. Not face to face. It makes me uncomfortable being with unfamiliar people.

When it comes to relationship, I found it’s been hard. Even until now. I was so easy to feel uneasy when knowing someone was approaching. It was even more and more uncomfortable when they were taking real actions. Bah. The only thing I felt most comfortable was having one-sided crush where I only had to deal with my own feeling. Sad but true.

When it comes to marriage, it feels even harder. I found several (or maybe many) times that it sucked to let your feeling depended on other’s action. You couldn’t help expecting more from someone you’re married to. From those tiny unimportant things until the crucial ones. Then maybe that what makes some marriages fail.
We tend to be dissapointed by the person we care about much. The more you care then the more you’ll be dissapointed.

After three years of marriage, other than being in love with someone you’re married to, there’s another skill that one requires to master : managing expectations. I am still pretty far from good about that. I am still the one who brags more about what I have been done and what the other side hasn’t been done. The one who tends to forget the good things from the other, yet seem remember too well about herself.

Currently feel a bit tired of several things and also missing few things from the old days. When two people unites, it supposes they will have more, won’t they? I don’t know why I (currently) feel losing more.

Thus, I (currently) really try hard to get those things that make me happy back. The routine morning exercise, the sunnah fasting, a proper time to enjoy myself. That’s the only thing I can do since yah, the best thing you can rely on is yourself.

Taking care people can be so exhausting. Especially for a selfish person like me. Even more, when it is very least appreciated. Yes, I do expect appreciation. I am not that kind and generous. Sorry.

Maybe I am just the ungrateful, the hard to please, not sincere, and other not nice things to name. But really, nice has never been my middle name. I find it’s harder pretend to be nice. I am allowing my self to be judged unpleasantly since like this blog tagline said :

You know my stories. Not what I have been going through.

Sigh. Such a harsh post in this gloomy day. Then, have a gloomier day, dear you!

Langit Senja, Maternité

The Thirteenth Month

Posted on 14 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

The month post is back!

Well, I don’t know if a month can bring so many differences in one little child. Langit has acquired lots of new abilities which are pretty surprising for me. In a goos way, of course.

She is getting better and better in walking. Before this, she preferred crawling to go from one spot to another, even the shortest distance. Recently, she starts walking like from kitchen to the terrace. For some short distances she can walk few steps by herself. Although she still hold on to something , yet it’s a very good progress.

Another one is using her hands to express something like shake hand and waving. I have been teaching her about shake hand and kiss the back of others’ hand. So, my sentence has been ” shake hand, salim”. Out of nowhere, after lots of training, now she really understand if someone give the hand in front of her, she directly took the hand and doing ‘salim’. Haha, good girl!

About talking, she is able to say like ma ma ma ma or ba ba ba and ya ya ya and other several sounds that I am not really sure what. Sowry baby, I am no good in interpreting toddler talks.

Other thing that also seems new is reading a book. These days, whenever I put her in the play yard,she will take one the book there. I put one board book for number 1-10, A Very Hungry Caterpilar, and a folded Winnie The Pooh book. And what makes it funny is the way she opens and reads the book seriously. I once fell asleep on the couch for few minutes. Suddenly woke up and panicked since it was very quiet. I thought she was being somewhere unsafe and no sound heard. Then I saw her on the play yard. Quietly reading while half sleeping and leaning on the big pillow. Like a boss.

When it comes to feeding, haha, we’re doing well and unwell. She starts being pickier about what kind of taste that she will happily eat. Too sweet or just sour will make the food stay forever in her mouth, while too spicy will end up on the floor. My patience and treshold on feeding has surely been very much upgraded, until I saw her spill out the food out of her mouth right. It felt so much worse than seeing her keeping the food on her mouth too long. Big sigh. Feeding is still a big issue for me.

Breastfeed is still going well, Alhamdulillah. She also starts having UHT milk daily. Not much, just 100 ml maximum. Maybe not a lot of people know about this so I often heard babies are having allergy toward UHT milk. I thought like that too at first, since after taking it several times, Langit slept unwell. It turned out that, for the beginning, it is recommended to mix it with water first. UHT alone is too heavy for the baby who has never tasted any milk other than breastmilk. We call it ‘mahteg’ here. After mixing it with water and heat it before drinking, Langit seems enjoying it well. She only wants drinking it through glass. Not a sippy cup or bottle. The real glass. Me happy. No need to wash bottle and its printilan.

Guess that’s all for now. We’ll see you next month, hopefully with more new advance updates Insya Allah.
Au revoir!

Maternité, Thoughts

The Golden Rule

Posted on 3 Dec 20153 Dec 2015 by arlanadya

My mum once said I have always been someone who go with the rules. And I almost agree. I 95% live by the rules and schedules actually.

That explains a lot why I almost never skipped any classes during school, courses, and everything I joined. It gives me assurance to have certain schedule each day and knowing what to do, then be prepared for it.

That also explains why I don’t love surprises. Even for birthday gift. I prefer saying it in advance what I really want as presents. No money wasted for something I don’t like or need. Both parties are happy, aren’t they?

It goes same when we talked about seeing someone. As I do to my birthday presents, I have been already set and firm about what kind of man that I really want to date. I set the criteria first. I don’t do trial and error. Not when it deals with someone feeling.

That again explains a lot why I didn’t date anyone, except le husband. Yep, no ex-boyfriend(s). Haha. You’re lucky, Yobo. I rejected straight away those ones who once or more than once, asked me for dating, simply because I was so sure that my brain and heart were not compatible with theirs.

Since the very first time I received that kind of declarations back in junior high, I rejected it (almost) all. I had someone I liked before le husband so I didn’t feel I had to deal with others. I am pretty good at doing multitasking, except this kind of task.

I wouldn’t waste my time to take care someone’s feeling just because I couldn’t say no so I wouldn’t hurt him. I think liking someone is one’s right, but how we will get the response is not ours. It’s the other party’s right and we have to deal with it.

Another thing is, I almost never change my first answer. Once I say no, you can be sure it will be no forever. Of course it goes same with yes. Although I might change to no in the middle, it’s actually always been yes. In the end, it must be a yes.

This post is dedicated for little daughter. We might have lots of different opinions about many things, dear. But, can you spare me this one thing?

Don’t deal with someone’s feeling when you know right away you won’t be good with him.

How do you know?

Your brain and heart will directly recognize whether what he has will be compatible with yours or not.

Trust them.

And of course, trust me.

Maternité, Thoughts

(Being a Geographically) A Single Parent

Posted on 2 Dec 201515 Aug 2025 by arlanadya

Having a baby whose father is currently doing residency makes one often feels like a single parent.
If someone ask me which group of mother I belong to, I am a full time mom and housewife and part time teacher. I decided to quit school job since it must be done in the morning. With all these baby stuff to do almost alone, it seems impossible for me to work in the morning. My hands are full enough.

Taking care three men and a baby are not something easy to deal with,but it’s still doable, with half sanity. But, when the time it feels very hard, I can’t help feeling angry with the situation. Of course, it’s le husband who will have to listen to my complaints. Who else?

Mostly, le husband is absence at the maximum of 15 days per month. The most stressful one I have been going through was the second month after Langit came and le husband had out of town shift for a month. I faced EVERYTHING alone. The tiring growth spurt, stayed awake all night long until morning, the anxiety of pediatrician visit, while at the same time, took care the other stuff at home. I decided to go back working after second month. It just added up my tasks and often drove me crazy. But, having no income from both of us in a month, merely survived by the saving, it made me even crazier. Beside, doing other thing outside home, at least it helped me to breath for awhile.

Even after one year, there are times I feel so stuffy. Especially after feeding started. It’s getting more and more work to do. When someone asked me about hiring some helps, it wasn’t that I won’t. But , I just can’t. For many reasons that I won’t discuss here. So, it is actually my own choice too dealing with all these craziness alone.

Taking care this baby for a year makes me realize how hard to raise a single little baby. I wonder how the real single parents out there do it alone. It makes me become less judgmental. And less lazier to give unnecessary comments about how ones parent their children. I believe every mother has been tired enough without having more judgements from others.

Is all that hard?

Nope.

I have been going through this first year with lots of little helps that matter. Helps from the visible ones and the invisible ones. For that, I have been so grateful. Langit won’t do this well without all those helps.

I really hope to be granted more patience and endurance to face for more years to come. More challenges to overcome and hopefully passing all the exams with flying colors. Amin.

Breath in, breath out, FIGHTING!!

Langit Senja, Maternité, Thoughts

The First Amazing Year

Posted on 27 Nov 201527 Apr 2022 by arlanadya

Alhamdulillah. Woohooo!

Say cheers to the first year!!!

If there were a CV needed for parenting job, I would surely put this one on the achievements box : Going through the first year safe and sound.

Being a mother for only a year might be nothing for others who have been on this bussiness longer. But for me, safely landed at this first year is another greatest journey I’ve ever had other than the Hajj with my mum.

It isn’t surely one without any bumps or turbulences. There were a lot, for sure. But, Alhamdulillah, all three passengers are well. Very well.

It made me reflect a lot about my mother. It made me missing her even more. Having your mother beside you, once you become a mother yourself is a blessing. Although it’s not always rainbow, still it’s very much a big deal. A presence always be better than an absence.

It made me wonder how she was doing well with three of us while I often feel one is more than enough. It made me really want to meet her more and tell her about many things inside my head like these ones above :

I’d like to tell her how hard it has been since she’s gone.

How I have been taking care of everything that she once did, which are a lot and not easy sometimes.

Other than that, I would also brag her about something which I think I have been doing good.

Tell her about how I proudly breastfeed Langit in spite of the hardships, one year and still counting.

Tell her about how I endure feeding which I dislike three times a day and no matter what, I won’t give up.

Tell her Alhamdulillah Langit has been healthy, hasn’t tasted any medecine because of an illness, and she grows up well. She must be very happy if she were here. My daughter is a cute one, mom.

Tell her, I have been doing okay with le husband. Although, the turbulences are many but still tolerable.

Other thing is I want to apologize.
Apologize to her for any hardships she had been going through because of me.

Last, I want to thank her for raising me very well. I really hope I will do as good as her.

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To the birthday girl,

Heyho, Baby! I really have so much to say. I don’t think a blogpost can cover it all.

I won’t tell any false sweet words just because it’s your birthday. Because all things happened on this first year are not all sweets. But, one thing I can say for sure, you have been very good to me. Very much better than I have been to you. It broke my heart when I remembered those times whenever I yelled, shouted, and being angry to you. Yes, I was (still) very far from good. Sorry.

You have been doing good in everything. You nailed almost every milestones. You didn’t give me that GTM phase like other baby did in feeding, you kept being healthy and didn’t let me spend more money on the pediatrician others than the vaccine shots you should have. You seem to understand very well since daddy is still doing his residency, money matters to us. You’re being healthy along this first year is such a big help to your parents.

You’re surely growing up fast. From that tiny little baby that I even too scare to hold and now you are becoming this big girl that I often feel too heavy to hold (for a long period of time). You sit, crawl, babbling, grabbing things, clapping hands and so many little things that you do that make me happy. You even start walking one or two steps before you’re really turning one! Me is very proud of you.

Beyond those achievements that you do, I am really lucky just to have you. I’ve never been learning so much more than this first year together with you. I really thank you for that.

Well, guess it will be too long if I keep writing everything here. Let’s just wrap it, shall we?

Happiest birthday, Langit Senja Almakirana. I wish you health and happiness throughout your life. Hope you keep growing well, be kind and tough. May Allah protects you wherever you are.

I hope I will be granted enough time to raise you well. Amin.

Much love,

Mommy.

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“There is no other job more physically and emotionally taxing than parenting on the first year”
(What to Expect the First Year)

Toddler years, bring it on!