Being Pregnant during a Pandemic in 2020, Singapore

2016, Phuket

That was me on a babymoon trip with my girlfriends back in 2016. My first pregnancy. I even went on another babymoon trip with my dear Husband to KL. It was great. Life was great.

Found out I was pregnant with this 2nd one in November 2019. I was super excited as we have been trying after Hud turned 2 years old. It was perfect and just nice as Hud was a c-sect baby and we had to wait 2 years before trying again.

In January 2020, COVID-19 hit Singapore and being a pregnant mama  I was worried. I kept stumbling upon articles on how it can be transmitted via the womb. Then the numbers of infected cases started to rise. I texted my reporting officer if I could stay home, she reassured me there's a business continuity management plan underway. 

We hit DORSCON Orange in February 2020 and we were all placed to work from home. Then things got worse, I decided to place Hud at home even before the schools all around the island shuttered on 7 April 2020. Circuit breaker has begun.

It was a good move. As Hud is still 3 years of age I didnt enforce the Home Based Learning to him and let him enjoy his days. It is hard juggling work and a toddler but I managed. Dear Husband is an essential frontliner so the days without him at home were tough. Hud is now more closer to me and it really makes my heart blooooooom. Hud said I am his bestfriend.

I am 31 weeks now in my third trimester. 59 days to go till my EDD. Decided to stop stressing about cooking and got for me and hubs tingkat for Ramadhan.We have been staying home and we rarely go out.

Germs Are Not for Sharing. Best Behavior^® Series. by Elizabeth Verdick. illustrated by Marieka Heinlen.

I got a book for Hud about germs and he seems to understand why we can't go to the playground or go out leisurely. Sometimes, he would look out the window and say " Mama, playground close cause got germs but mama supermarket open". 

He loves staying home this boy and he likes independent play. He has turned my sofa into a trampoline and our living room is his gym.  He still hates wearing his mask though. I have tried giving him the 3ply kinds and also cloth masks with pikachu cartoon. It's ok as he only goes out when I go for my checkups and he stays in the car as children under 12 years old are not allowed to come. So yeah, I go for my checkups alone.

No doubt our whole life changed drastically, our lifestyle. I miss my siblings and omg I miss my mum so much. I miss my baby nephews Danish, Rahim and Rahman. I have not even met Rahim and Rahman since they were born 2 months ago. We had an online zoom cukur rambut event for them and most of the family attended. It was lovely!

 I still count my blessings everyday. It helps when I list them down.

My silverlinings:

1. Dont need to step out and go to work esp now that I am in 3rd tri. So heavyyyyyyy.

2. I get to see both my husband and Hud more.

3. I managed to get alot of house chore and house deco done.#houseimprovementproject

4. I got to cook for my family with love.

5. My highlight is this: Hud declaring me as his bestfriend. :D

Let's hope all of this will be over soon, and we can reunite with our love ones once again. We may not get to celebrate Ramadhan and Eid together and mosques may be closed, but our unity, love, faith and strenght will help us in these difficult time.

Stay safe, stay healthy and stay home guys.

Love, Huda

Outfit themes

You engaged? Tak tau nak start mana? Read this! - For the budget concious

 Once Amat and I decided to get engaged, I was super excited. All the famous vendors I nak book. I already had the list on top of my head! But before I dived in and did that, I sat down, asked Amat's opinion and explored some options. First things first,

1. Set THE wedding date

Most people would have already decided this before merisik between partners or during merisik. If you just set on a timeline of 2 years at that time, quickly decide on the exact date. A few dates, just in case your fave Mak Andam da fully booked. :P

2. START SAVING! If you have not already.

Kalau mak bapak you all sponsor memang Alhamdulillah. If you are on your own and belom start, tkper start now and go to the next step. IT'S ALL ABOUT THE MONEY SISTER. hahaha!

3. Plan your budget

So what you need to know about me is that: I am not very particular or cerewet in things. To me as long as the thing looks fine, I am okay and pleased with. Honestly, I wasn't like this before. Dulu memang I was too temperamental. I guess some of Amat's chill vibes got passed on to me. (He is too chill, seriously) Or maybe I da tua kot. Orang cakap as we get older we get more relaxed and chill.

Both Amat and I had the same thing in mind for our wedding. We want a beautiful wedding BUT we want it to be affordable. By affordable, I don't mean by booking all the cheapest quotations but prioritizing on what you want to spend more on and what you are willing to sacrifice to get something less.

Having girlfriends who are married also helps in budget planning. I asked my girlfriends roughly how much they paid for their wedding vendors. I  only asked my close girlfriends because some may not want to share so easily. If not just start emailing some vendors and ask for quotations to give yourself an idea of the costs.

So I downloaded this template from Microsoft Excel and roughly decided on our budget for each vendor on an amount that we are comfortable with.What I love the most about this budget planner is it can as quoted:

Identify Overspending and Summarize Your Wedding Budget

The left hand side of the worksheet displays sections with a summary of your budget with categories, estimated expenses, actual expenditure, and a section to help you analyze how much you might be overspending on certain items.

I edited it according to Malay wedding logistics. There are tons more budget planners online you can use and it really helps alot in keeping focus and not overspend.

Personally, Amat and I don't want to spend excessively just for a day of event. I agree that this is probably those one in a lifetime thing but we cherish more of being together rather than let an event dictate our way of showcasing our love.

 But of course, for weddings to each their own kan? Ikot citarasa masing2. Kalau you nak fefeeling princess saved by your knight in shining armour with 7k castle deco, WHY NOT kalau mampu. Kalau you nak a simple close-knit wedding at a Masjid and no bersanding. WHY NOT kalau mahu. No sarcasm meant here.

When planning just remember in putting down a number that is realistic. Plan within what you can save within the timeline to your wedding day.

4. Do your research and shortlist your vendors

Choose a few that you like and blast away asking for quotations. They would usually ask for your wedding date to check their availabilty. So in your query, leave your name, contact no. or email and your wedding date. Most vendors don't reply if you don't have a date. Some won't release their packages if they are fully booked too.

Don't forget to check for promotions on their online pages or expo fair special price to get the best deals.

5. Book your vendors ASAP

Research on when are your vendors/tok kadi/venue e.t.c are open for booking and mark your calendars! Banyak benefit book siang2!

1. Wedding vendors are known for increasing their price every year. So siapa cepat dia dapat murah!
2. You get to snag your fave photographer or caterer or kompang group e.t.c
3. You can relax jack and focus on saving and just waiting for the day

6. Plan your Agenda

Get on Microsoft Doc and plan your wedding day agenda. Ensure that all vendors are accounted for by an I/C. Fine tune the details: select your bridesmaid, your I/Cs all the nitty gritty details. every single one. If you are unsure, get opinions from your vendors. They have done tons of weddings, they usually give really great advice on the flow of a wedding day.

I didn't go in much detail because I believe everyone have different taste and wants in their wedding. So this is just a rough guide. Hope this helps!

Have a smooth sailing journey BTBS!!!!!

The happiness series #1

Be sincere. Save yourself from future disappointments.

Silence is better than drama

The thing about sharing the deepest darkest side of you is - you share it in high confidence. You received sound reasoning from your confidante. So you try. You try to listen to the advice of what you thought of someone who would know how to handle the situation better. Someone whom you felt know yourself better than you. You let yourself have some time for change. To leave the bad element behind.

 

However, deep down you know that this person is not in your shoes. This person did not walk through the dark tunnel of your life. This person does not have your scars. You know yourself better. You need time to wash away that black stain.

 

So is it betrayal when your confidante decided to share your stain with other people in an attempt to 'help'?

Image

 

 I don't need to be made a mockery out of your judgemental minds.

 

My silence today is an indication that you have crossed the line.

 

 

#AHengagement

All my life I've always wondered who would be my knight in shining armour. I've always wondered if I would ever settle down.

Well... at 23, I've found my Forever guys and....

We got engaged!

02-03-2014

Da basi berape bulan but it's been an unbelievable journey every since and... I can't wait for akad already!

So with that said, I shall blog about my wedding prep here! I've eyed a few vendors that I'm interested in and I'm really hyped to get started.

2016 will be amazing!

xoxo,
Huda

Meet the lady.

Salam Sisters!
I have not blogged properly in a long while and I have decided to revive this space.

Im really excited for this mini project because I have been wanting a space to share my thoughts and just daily activities.  Im not counting on followers but Insya Allah, this space would be beneficial for you and me. AMIN.

Allahu Akram.