Mel & Sham - Snippets of a Journey

She's Here!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 10:32:00 +0000

Our baby is here!

We named her Asha Helena. She was born on 19 December 2009 at 5.52pm in Sime Darby Medical Centre via normal birth. She weighed 2.79kg. She's just gorgeous!

Both she and I are in doing well and in good health.

I'm dying to write about the entire birth story and post the many photos we've taken! We have so much to share... and share we will, over the next few days.

In the meantime, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU for all your prayers and well wishes throughout my pregnancy and now! Doesn't it feel like we've gone on a journey together? It does to me!

And guess what? The journey isn't over! Watch this space as we share with snippets of our journey into parenthood!

In the meantime, let's rejoice SHE'S HERE!! She's finally hereeee!!

WOO HOOOO!!

Blessed be the Name of the Lord!

Close to Crunch Time

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 10:29:00 +0000

I'm almost 39 weeks pregnant!

Just met my gynae and guess what... an internal exam revealed I'm 2cm dilated! Technically, I'm actually already in labour!

The signs (water bag bursting, a bloody show, contractions) should show within the next few days. My gynae's pretty sure it won't be any later that early next week.

I

can

barely

believe

it!!!

Sham & I will be Papa & Mama in about a week!
And life will never be the same again.

Praise be the LORD!

ps - Please do pray for a safe and easy delivery and a healthy baby.

Pregnancy Updates : Life Changes

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 08:52:00 +0000

Well, it has been a while... but to be honest, life is hardly as fun-filled as it was in my pre-pregnancy days.

Not that I'm complaining - Sham & I couldn't be more grateful for the gift of a baby coming our way! OUR baby....woo hoo!

Truth be told, I'm still battling morning sickness, 7 months on.
But I guess I've learnt to accept it and be grateful for all the blessings in my life.

Considering the constant nausea, Sham & I seldom hang out socially these days or engage in much outdoor activities.

Instead, we spend a lot of time with both our families - having meals at theirs, putting up with them on weekends, etc. I can't be more grateful for the way both our parents have been there for us!

And I can't imagine going through these past 7 months without their constant, loving presence and support.

Indeed, we are blessed!

Sham & I are also bonding tremendously with our little baby!
She kicks, rolls, and moves around a LOT these days so it often looks like my tummy's 'dancing' about sometimes! Too funny!

Sham loves playing his guitar and singing to her and the best part is she'll respond by moving all about!
Sometimes, she kicks a certain part of my tummy and when I tickle the spot, she'll kick again. And on and on we go tickling and kicking, tickling and kicking.
Warms my heart no end and makes ALL the pregnancy pangs worth the while.

We really can't wait to see her - this baby God found us worthy to raise.
We constantly talk about how she'll look, how much fun we're going to have with her, the things we'll teach her, places we'll take her to.

Sometimes as I fall asleep, I close my eyes and imagine what it would be like to see her for the first time, to touch her and smell her!
And how awesome it must be to cuddle her close and feel her warmth - this baby that's ours!! Ours!

Babykins... already we are filled with love for you and await your presence with bated breath!

Pregnancy Update: Belly Shots!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 07:24:00 +0000

Here it is, folks. Me at nearly 7 months... well, 27 weeks to be exact!

And with that, I officially enter my third trimester!

Imaginary Friends :D

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 04:18:00 +0000

I absolutely had to post this funny story from Rocks in My Dryer, a blog I love!

When You've Lost Control of the Imaginary Friends, You've Lost Control

My four-and-a-half-year-old daughter, Corrie, has an imaginary friend named Katie Mexico. Katie lives in our house, joined occasionally by her brother Mel Mexico (he tends to be in and out -- a vagabond imaginary friend, if you will). Katie may be simply a figment of my daughter’s charming imagination, but she is also wearing me out.

(Before I explain further, let me clear up that I am sympathetic to the importance of imaginary friends -- I had one as a child, too. Her name was Tonya, and she wore a dress remarkably similar to that of Scooby Doo’s Daphne. Come to think of it, she was often joined by her brother, Kimmy-ko, who tended to stop by only occasionally. I guess transient imaginary siblings must run in the family.)

I remember enjoying my “talks” with Tonya, and I remember how much fun it was to have a playmate who operated entirely by the dictates of my own imagination. So when Katie Mexico joined our family, I welcomed her. My daughter lives in a houseful of brothers; it seems natural she would desire a more sisterly companion. I love it that Corrie has an active and precocious imagination. To keep the lines clear, I’ve encouraged Corrie’s creative “Katie play”, while still pointing out that Katie is pretend.

Corrie agrees. “Yes,” she always says, “Katie is a pretend friend.”

But she’s a pretend friend with issues.

Katie is a mischievous little soul, frequently (as I’m told, by my wide-eyed daughter with a flair for the dramatic) pulling stunts Corrie is not allowed to do. Katie uses bad words sometimes (i.e. “shut up” and “stupid”), and she doesn’t clean up her messes. She tends to be bossy, and once she even crossed the street without looking first.

It appears my daughter is not only imaginative, she is clever: she is clearly using Katie as a guinea pig to test her own boundaries. She reports Katie’s mischief to me, to see how I’ll respond. Wanting to communicate to Corrie that our household rules matter to everyone, I’ve been thrust into the unique position of having to scold, correct and otherwise discipline a person who does not actually exist.

Yes, really.

I get eye-to-eye (I think) with Katie Mexico and tell her that she has to play by our rules, or she can’t play with Corrie anymore. Corrie nods self-righteously, for emphasis. I give Katie’s head (I think) a pat, and off the two friends go.

(They don’t prepare you for this stuff in Lamaze class.)

My tough-love strategy has worked: Katie (I’m told) has lately pulled her act together. Corrie and Katie get along beautifully now, holding tea parties and playing hide-and-seek (you can imagine that Katie has a distinct advantage at the latter, being, you know, invisible.) Last week, Katie was evidently struck by a nasty cold. “Can you take her to the imaginary doctor?” Corrie asked. “Yes,” I answered.

It was so pleasant sitting in imaginary traffic, finding an imaginary parking place and paying an imaginary co-pay, I’ve about decided my daughter is onto something after all.

Hmmm, I wonder if Sham & I will ever have to welcome a 'Katie Mexico' into our home?

Pregnancy Update : Guess What?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Mon, 14 Sep 2009 08:38:00 +0000

It's time to shop pink, pink, PINK!!

Cos we're having a GIRL!!!!

Pregnancy Update : The Journey So Far

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Fri, 28 Aug 2009 10:57:00 +0000

Well, I'm at Week 22 now (that's 5.5 months). At my last post, I was at Week 16.

6 weeks have passed. And well... they haven't been easy ones!

Oh I WISH I was one of those women who glowed with pregnancy joy, wore cool, hip maternity clothes that showed off their cute bumps, and enjoyed rosy cheeks and lustrous hair thanks to all the hormones!

But I'm not. Life goes on. I have to move on!

So, yes, I suffered another relapse (details of which I hate to recount) but thanks to medical attention and a LOT of care from Shaman, my folks and my in-laws, I'm recuperating.

AND I am determined not to let this morning sickness get the better of me or cause me any more misery! I want to remember EVERYDAY that this pregnancy is a gift, something both Shaman & I wanted so very much and prayed so very hard for. And I'm almost desperate to enjoy it.

Some updates on my pregnancy so far:-

Weight Gain
Or should I say 'loss'? :) Needless to say, with all the vomiting, not only have I NOT gained wieght, I've lost weight! My gynae isn't too alarmed by this at all. The baby's growing well and that's what really matters!

It is a bummer though, that my baby bump, though it's there, hardly shows :( I can still fit easily into my regular clothes, although I do use maternity tops occasionally. Totally love it's loseness around my belly!

Just can't wait for that bump to start showing!

Food Cravings
Or should I say 'aversions'? :)) There's almost nothing that I crave for and PLENTY that I'm totally avert against. Burgers - YUCK! Steak - NO WAY! Desserts, Cakes, Sweets - BLEAH! Soups, Pies, Pastry - Ewwww!!

So, while planning my diet hasn't exactly been easy, Sham and my folks have been diligently suggesting and buying different types of foods and drinks to keep me constantly hydrated and well nourished.

Baby's Growth
Like I mentioned earlier, my baby's growing well, just well! For this, I'm ever grateful. We did a detailed scan of baby last week and everything's just perfect - every organ, muscle, bone. Praise God.

The best part of the baby growing, is that it's staring to KICK! They're more like flutters actually and I feel them constantly in my belly! Oh how I LOVE 'em flutters! It's feels like my baby's communicating with me and that's just awesome!

Morning Sickness
It's hasn't left me yet but I never stop hoping. I'll have great days without ANY nausea, am able to go to work and actually perform, go shopping, get my nails done, hangout with Sham and then the next day BAM! everything just falls apart and I'm well... getting sick all over again.

But like I said, after 5.5 months, I've decided enough is enough. The morning sickness may weaken my body, but it ain't gonna weaken my mind! And how am I gonna make that happen? More on that in my next post!

"Strength does not come from physical capacity.

It comes from an indomitable will."

~ Mahatma Gandhi

On Moving On... And Staying the Same!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 03:36:00 +0000

We had a great time Friday night. Sham & I had our friends from church over for a (very) late housewarming party.
We didn't want to bother with sorting dinner out, so we catered.
Turned out to be a great idea cos we got to spend all our time talking and chatting and laughing and catching up with everyone.

We all met about 8 years ago, as singles or newly weds. The subject of conversations then were the latest movies, weekend plans, career ambitions, holiday destinations, etc.

NOW... here we were, all gathered together with pregnant bellies, diaper bags, toys stuffed into handbags, toddlers at the hip, talking about baby bearing, child-raising, home renovations, recipes, etc.

Yup, time flies. And boy, I can't believe how we've grown.... to people with serious responsiblities!! Us! We could hardly believe it ourselves.

What is great though (and a huge relief) is knowing that some things... don't change!
Like our ability to make each other laugh loud and crazy and have an AWESOME fun time together!

And for that, I shout a loud and hearty 'AMEN'!

Pregnancy Update : Getting Fit

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Wed, 29 Jul 2009 09:03:00 +0000

Before being pregnant, I took weekly squash lessons and did kickboxing.
I loved the intensity of both sports and the workout it gave me and always felt so energized afterwards!
Both sports are a big no-no now since the plenty hip movements involved aren't good for the me or the baby.

So aside from some swimming I've started at the Club, some minor housework and the occasional walk around the neighbourhood with Sham, I've more or less been a lazy bum!!
Definitely high-time for some exercise!

So last night, I started Pregnancy Fit Ball classes at FitFor2 in Bangsar Village and I must say, I loved every minute of it!
Not only was it cleverly designed to greatly benefit expectant mothers, it was fun too. For a good hour, we bounced, stretched, marched and even got on all fours!
According to my instructor and all that I've been reading, the work out does help to ease delivery... so here's hoping!

Either way, I felt super fine after so this mama-to-be's definitely going back for more!

Lookalikes?

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Tue, 21 Jul 2009 02:29:00 +0000

Isn't it weird how Sham & I kinda look alike?

Well, weird in an endearing sort of way, I guess! :)

Our First Anniversay

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 02:55:00 +0000

A weekend getaway, to the beach perhaps, candle-light dinners, evening strolls, mind-blowing sex - all the stuff a great first wedding anniversary celebration is made of!

Not for Sham & I though... no, siree! Not for us!

I wasn't exactly in the best of health but Sham insisted we go away somewhere, just to get away from it all. So off we drove to nearby Ipoh and stayed at the pretty classy Indulgence Restaurant and Living. Everything about the place was fantastic.

But I got sick and Sham spent the whole time selflessly caring for me. No candle-light dinners, no evening strolls, no mind-blowing sex.

So it may not have been the anniversary celebration of my dreams, but I returned home rested in the certainty that my marriage was made in heaven. That my husband and I were hand picked for each other by Jesus. Beyond any doubt, we are each others' best friend, each others' anchor.

And well, isn't that romance enough? :)

A Piece of Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 02:07:00 +0000

They say a garden is a piece on heaven on earth. So Sham & I are really lucky to have our own little 'piece of heaven' in our home- one we've badly neglected of late though, what with recent preoccupations and all!

So yesterday evening, with much resolve, we put our gloves on and began work!

I couldn't believe how much weeds there were. For a good two hours, we got on our knees and tugged and pulled and ended up filling 4 big garbage bags full of weeds! Phew, what a task!

With the new plants we planted, and all the weeds out of the way, things are looking much better now. There's more colour and some sense of neatness. Well worth the effort, I guess! Now to find the time to sit at our patio and enjoy the view!

Pregnancy Update : How We Announced It

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 02:00:00 +0000

Sham & I got both our families together for dinner about a week after our third positive pregnancy test (we had to be really, REALLY sure before getting everyone excited!).

We got everyone together at LaRisata in Damansara Heights and Sham made the grand announcement halfway through dinner. I must say, we didn't exactly get the first reactions we expected - shouts of glee, table thumping and crazy prancing all over the restaurant. What we did get were more like stumped gazes and glazed, blur looks from our folks - you know, the kind that said 'you kids know how to make babies??' LOL!

But when the shocked subsided and the reality finally set it, there were smiles all around and hearty congratulations! Everyone toasted to the upcoming next generation! I more or less spent the rest of the night answering a million questions -'When are you due? Do you have a gynae in mind? Are you on folic acid yet? Are you sure you've stopped drinking Coca Cola?' Gosh!

Needless to say, everyone's excited about the impending arrival!

Here's a picture of me and a soon-to-be great grandmother, my maternal grandma, Nana. We were debating a suitable name for the baby to call her... Nanny? Nono? Nan? Gigi Nan? None of them sound right, somehow. Hmmm... what do you think?

It's A Red Ribbon Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Thu, 09 Jul 2009 03:05:00 +0000

Sham's birthday fell right in the middle of this episode, so I wasn't able to plan anything elaborate or fancy or spend much time shoppping for that perfect present.

But because he is wonderful and good and kind and I love him so, I still did want to give him something special :)

So I was really glad when I came across this super cool website while surfing the web one day - a company called Red Ribbon Days. The first ever of its kind in Malaysia, the Red Ribbon team puts together and sells pretty unique gifts - not the material kind, but experiences and outings that suit every occasion, taste and budget.

There's loads of fun stuff like pilot lessons for a day, body massage for two, cooking lessons, romantics meals, cruise trips, cupcake making lessons, flying fox outings, batik printing lessons and oh so much more! There's absolutely something for everyone!

Picking a gift for Sham wasn't easy and I finally settled for the ATV Waterfall Adventure for Two. Sham and a friend get to experience the fun and adventure of exploring a rainforest right up to a waterfall on an ATV bike! Ooooh I would so go with him if I could!

Anyway, I got the team at Red Ribbon to have my gift delivered to our house early on a Sunday morning, the eve of his birthday. They showed up right on time with a big red box, wrapped with - you guessed it - a big red ribbon, tied to big red baloons and Sham's gift voucher inside. It was a surprise and it worked! Still in his PJs and groggy eyed, Sham was totally excited about his gift and can't wait for his big adventure!

The best part is, it was all so easy! Red Ribbon organizes everything - from the planning right up until the delivery. You just have to pick an experience and your preferred mode of delivery and pay for it! The team does everything else. Very cool! Definitely something I'll be trying again.

Pregnancy Update : Morning Sickness!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:22:00 +0000

This isn't a pretty post. But I've decided to share something personal and close to my heart - a recent difficult experience in my life.
Easily disgusted readers, you may back off now...
~~~~

My spirit is weak.... fighting back tears as I write this...
Truly a time of trial and testing for me.
Can't wait for it to pass.

Clinging to this verse
"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness"2 Corinthians 12:9

- Excerpt from an email sent to my girlfriend, Brinda, sometime in May 2009.

A time of trial and testing - that is truly what the months of May, June and early July were for me. It was the 2nd and 3rd months of my pregnancy - weeks 6 to 13.

I suffered what is medically known as hyperemesis gravidarum or severe morning sickness.

It hit me suddenly and challenged me in every way - physically, mentally and emotionally.

What initially started as slight nausea grew into severe nausea, to infrequent vomiting, to frequent vomiting, to constant vomiting, to glued-to-a-toilet bowl/plastic bag-puking-my-guts-out-vomiting. It was just... horrid.

I was constantly dehydrated, my lips were permanently chapped and dry, my skin scaly. I lost 5 kgs and was thinner than I'd been in years (and not in a good way!)
I couldn't keep anything in.... I puked even when I hadn't eaten anything!
I was always hungry and knew not whether to eat just to quell the hunger pangs only to throw up later, or to not eat and and suffer the gastric pains (along with nausea waves).

I was physically very, very weak and bed-ridden. I couldn't drive, leave the house, go out in public, go to work or move around very much.
There were times when I couldn't talk or move my head because the nausea waves were so severe, a slight movement who trigger a vomit bout.

Three times, I was so dehydrated, I had to be admitted into a hospital and put on drips.
The third time, only last week, I was so weak from an all-day vomit spree, I was driven to the ER at 1 in the morning. I was so far gone, I barely remember anything that took place at the ER.

I have since been discharged and am living with my parents, temporarily.
Under their care, I am slowly thriving and regaining my strength.

This whole experience has been a true test, both mentally and emotionally.
Physical weakness affects the mind and spirit, I now know.
There were many times, after lying in bed for hours and unable to attend to my own needs, I'd find myself drifting off into an almost zombie-like state. Like my mind was slowly slipping away to some place scary... like I was slowly going insane!
It took all of my will and presence of mind to get a grip of myself and come back to reality.

I also found myself constantly in tears.... mostly tears of frustration at being unable to live life fully, tears of fear, worry and anxiety.

I am now entering Week 14 of my pregnancy.
Things are much better now though I can't say for sure if the morning sickness is completely over. I can only hope it is.

This experience, like all tough experiences, has thought me much. Lessons I would never have otherwise learnt - a compassion for the sick, a deep gratitude for my health, my energy and my strength. It has taught me that sometimes I need to slow down a little and appreciate the simple things in life - flowers in bloom, the breeze, a kind word, the sound of children laughing...and much, much more.

I don't know for sure if this experience has made me a better person, but I'm willing to bet it has.

And for that, I'm ever grateful and humbled.

Europe Holiday 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 08:22:00 +0000

Sometime during the end of March, Sham & I went on a 3-week holiday to Europe. We spent time in the UK, Switzerland and Germany.

It was a wonderful, wonderful time (Yes, it was at this holiday that our child was conceived. We made good use of our time there, you see)

We met up with old friends, made some new ones, had a 3-day stay at the beautiful Lake District, went on a 5 day road trip to northern England, took long, leisurely walks around the lovely lakes of Geneva and tried all sorts of different delicacies at different places.

Oh we had a ball - a holiday we'll look back at with great joy in the years to come!

Here are some pictures.

We're Back With NEWS!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Fri, 03 Jul 2009 08:17:00 +0000

Well, it has been long. I have no excuses. Apologies all around.

Much has been happening in our lives. I'll tell of them all in stages here.
So stay tuned.
Yes, Sham & Mel are back... and we're here to stay!

The biggest news Sham & I have to share is.... we're pregnant!

I'm 14 weeks into my pregnancy now and boy what a ride it's been so far!
But I'll write more about my very eventful first trimester later on.

For now, Sham & I and our families are just delighted with the news.
Most of all, we're SO grateful to God for blessing us with this gift and we're totally looking forward to this next phase of our lives as parents.

Our baby... our firstborn (WOW!) is due late December and we just can't wait to see him/her. Watch this space!

The Lazy Wife's Dinner

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 04:21:00 +0000

If I may say so myself, I'm actually a pretty okay cook.

Granted, I may not yet know the difference between fennel and fenugreek, understand if meat and fish curry powder really does produce difference tastes, or see why I need to distinct between green & red chilies, but well, I can whip up some fairly decent Indian dishes for my husband and I.

Indian cooking is a LOT of work though and there are days when the I abhor even the thought of chopping 1 more garlic or slicing 1 more onion! And on these days, I thank God for the the genius who invented instant pizza. More specifically, the genius who invented this!

Introducing the lazy wife's easy dinner - Dr Oetker's Ristorante Pizza!

It's just great, I tell ya! They come in 6 different topping and with a thin crust, most of which we've tried and are YUMMY! And considering that it IS fast food, it's actually pretty healthy too! And filling. And DELICIOUS. And so easy to prepare. And DELICIOUS. And cooks really fast too. And SO.VERY.DELICIOUS!

It's an absolute life saver!

P.S. - Mums, if you're reading this, we have this nothing more than twice a month, I swear!

Our Langkawi Getaway

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Tue, 17 Feb 2009 01:02:00 +0000

So Sham & I decided to utilize our free stay and flew to Langkawi last weekend.

I must say, the Berjaya Beach and Spa Resort, Langkawi is a great place to stay! We were lucky, it wasn't very crowded the weekend we were there. We were told, the place the place gets SO crowded sometimes, it looks like a circus!

So thank goodness for our good timing!

We were treated with excellent service the moment we arrived. Everyone was so friendly and helpful. I was very impressed.

Oh and they actually upgraded our room from the already fabulous Premier Chalet on Water, to the Executive Suite on Water!

Here are some photos of our stay...

It was a short but very memorable stay... one of many, many we plan to take!

Our First Valentines

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 11:04:00 +0000

So I got flowers and a teddy bear this Valentines.

But it was my husband taking my car to the mechanic and getting my spare tyre sorted, without me asking, that totally won my heart.

That, and the pink helium baloon my brother-in-law pinched from some restaurant to give me.

It's always, always the little things that matter :)

My Favourite Girls

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Sat, 14 Feb 2009 10:46:00 +0000

This photo is of me and my favourite girls, taken over Christmas at our place, when we had them over for dinner with their significant others.

Life has taken us to different phases in life and to different parts of the world and we don't get to meet as much as we'd like to, but when we do, it's like not a day has passed since our last meet.

Except that we're older, better, stronger... and still connected by values that bind us, the laughter that sustains us, and this fabulous bond of sisterhood that feeds us.

I love you, gals!

The Goat Farm

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 03:24:00 +0000

Two of my ex-uni mates, a very entrepreneurial couple, recently decided to invest in the goat business. Apparently a lot of money was to be made in goat meat! They'd bought a goat farm in Kuala Selangor some months back and have been asking us to come visit for ages.

So, just before Christmas, Sham & I took some of our friends and siblings there for a visit.

Man oh man... what fun we had! I'd never been to a goat farm before, so everything was so new! My friend, Anand, took us on the grand tour around the farm. I thought it was all so cool - the baby goats, the mummy goats, the big papa goat, goat houses, goat food! He explained the mating process, the birthing process, the milking process, the grazing, the feeding, the buying and selling. Apparently, a lot of work goes into producing the perfect goat!

Anand got his workers to prepare our lunch at the farm and they cooked up a feast! Chicken, wild boar, vege, dhal, all fried, cooked and grilled to perfection! Yummm!

It was such a swell time! To be so close to nature, surrounded by tall trees and with friends you love the most is simply... bliss!

Happy New Year!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Thu, 08 Jan 2009 02:28:00 +0000

Hey all!
A Belated Happy New Year to all our readers!

The last two weeks of 2008 were hectic and fun, filled with family, food and friends, as I'm sure was yours! There was Christmas eve mass, the New Years Eve's do, parties at ours, parties at friends of ours, exchanging of presents, the visiting of relatives, and food and more food!

It was our first Christmas together and definitely one to remember :)

Here's what Sham got me

And here's what I got him

Oh and here's a (bad) picture of our crib!

The Building of the Crib

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 03:35:00 +0000

The husband is busying himself making our very first Christmas crib!

Growing up, at Christmas, my mum would get my brothers to build our crib, rather than use the same store-purchased one every year. I remember, my brother, Adrian, was pretty good at making them. One year, he made a pretty impressive one with wood and nails and dried leaves and all... and even equipped it with a little bulb, creating a warm glow around the crib at night time.

Sham & I thought it would a good idea to start the same tradition in our home too. I went out and bought the figurines, even the cows and the sheep, and Sham started work on the crib.

It's half done. He's planning on completing it this weekend. So watch this space to see what our very first crib will look like!

The Luckiest Day of My Life!

noreply@blogger.com (Mel & Sham) — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 03:20:00 +0000

Look where I won us a 3D2N stay at!!

Thanks to a Spin and Win promotion by Ralph Lauren, Sham & I get to stay at the Berjaya Beach Resort and Spa, Langkawi for free! And at the Premier Chalet on Water, no less!

Now if you know me, you know this doesn't happen everyday! I've never won a thing in my life! Not even a lucky draw!

Not to mention, this win came after a string of free gifts I had already been given!

You see, I'd purchased two Ralph Lauren cologne for both our dads for Christmas. The very nice sales lady gave me 3 free sample perfumes and a free travel bag! She then gave me a RM10 gift voucher to use with my next purchase AND told me I had the chance to 'spin the wheel' - twice! So I did. I won a Ralph Lauren perfume with my first spin, and the trip with my second!

I would have pranced around in glee, but well... I was too much in shock to react! I mean, my arms were filled with freebies all in a span of 30 minutes!

Am I lucky or am I lucky?

Thank goodness I decided to get the dads cologne for Christmas, and not socks!!