once upon a norza

So ....if things get crazy around you ...let it just stop and get off and smell the roses. You will be so glad you did and guess what? ...they take all the stress from your mind when you focus on them. They are like puppies ...they love you regardless of who you are and what you are feeling. Maybe this thought will add some calm to your life when things seem to get out of hand.

My birthstory of Aisyah is a very short one...nothing like those stories which will send anyone tearing. Found spots of blood while I was peeing one night and off me and hubby went to the hospital. I was already 2cm dilated. My gynae arrived and checked her heartbeat. The result was worrying because heartbeat seemed to be slower. He broke my waterbag and the water was already brown which means the baby has pooped inside. She must be under stress to come out. :p

One condition that may affect a newborn's health is meconium aspiration, also referred to as meconium aspiration syndrome (MAS). Although it can be serious, most cases of MAS are not.

MAS can happen before, during, or after labor and delivery when a newborn inhales (or aspirates) a mixture of meconium and amniotic fluid (the fluid in which the baby floats inside the amniotic sac). Meconium is the baby's first feces, or poop, which is sticky, thick, and dark green and is typically passed in the womb during early pregnancy and again in the first few days after birth.

from kidshealth


By then I was only 5cm dilated and it would be too dangerous for us to wait so off to the operating theatre for an emergency csect. She was out in the real world on 9th Ramadhan, 12/10/05. I didn't anticipate the pain and it felt like someone had stabbed me many times and left me to die. I didn't die, of course. I survived to take up another challenge. To be a mother.


It wasn't easy. Aisyah was constantly crying as a baby and she grew up to be someone whos a tad too sensitive. I like that she's being sensitive but the fact that she whines over anything and everything is a bit annoying at times. I really REALLY hope she will grow out of it as she gets older. She is very particular (I know...like me) and remembers the tiniest details. She can remember very well where she puts her stuff and gets annoyed when I move them.

She can be honest...too honest sometimes that she can just tell that person that she doesn't like him/her. Very embarassing when she does that. *sigh*


She picks up things really fast and had no trouble at school. Her teacher once remarked she's amazed that she can read simple words at 3. I don't know how I did it. I don't believe in flashcards but I did a lot of reading *of almost anything... cereal boxes, bus ads, scraps of bills, etc* with her.

It wasn’t long that I was pregnant with Sarah. I know that it was a tough transition for her who's always been an only child. It took her quite a while to adjust but she is now the best of friends with her adek. Sarah adores her to bits and I am sure Aisyah will be a good sister to her siblings (IF we decide to have more children).


My heart is filled with love for my girls but today's her day. It seems like yesterday that I sat beside her and staring at her in amazement. I still look at her now while she is sleeping, still in utter amazement. Happy 5th birthday, Aisyah. You will always be my baby. (Maybe you'll feel embarassed when I call you that in public 20yrs later...heh)

...is I can put lots and lots of chocolate syrup on my bakes and nobody can complain...well, except the hb is starting to get tired of his wife's choc craze. hehe.

This song is playing in a loop in my head because of a Malay drama series, Matahari, which just ended a couple of days back.

...cos I baked 3x within a month. weird, I know. but it's a good feeling because I got to do something different (and fun!) than photography. Maybe this is becoming a new hobby.

Fight Creative Exhaustion

When you have to be creative on-demand in your day job, things can get very tiring. Adding new creative muscles will help you feel and think differently, especially if they’re in a totally different field. There are lots of benefits to taking up a new art:

1.Feed your need to be creative without worrying about making money.
2.Make creative connections and be exposed to new influences.
3.Take a break from working on a screen.
4.Learn things that’ll influence your day job.

from Creativity Reloaded: Why You Should Try New Creative Activities

Now back to my baking adventure, I did smores brownies.

These brownies have a crunchy graham cracker crust on the bottom and a layer of rich chocolate brownies in the middle, all topped with toasted marshmallows and semi-sweet chocolate chunks. They’re a chocolatey crunchy ooey gooey mess just like real s’mores. You’re going to love them!

from The Craving Chronicles

yes, I LOVE them but the marshmallow part was a real mess and really tricky. The crust didn't stick that well and crumbled (must be a lack of butter) and my brownie is a bit too dry (i like mine chewy!) and not sweet enough (I made the mistake of mixing the flour in first instead of last). I didn't add enuff sugar this time round (only 1/3 cup). Well, the marshmallow balanced the taste of this treat but I gotta use more sugar next time. There will definitely be a next time for this recipe.

Aisyah: "Ibu, can we make cupcakes?"
Me: "Erm, ok."
Aisyah: "Now?"
Me: "This weekend, ok."

So I made choc ganache cupcakes last wkend. I took Ina Garten's recipe for the cupcakes. The choc ganache was adapted from Baking From My Home to Yours by Dorie Greenspan

3 oz semisweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
1 tbs confectioners’ sugar (I didn't add this)
2 tbs unsalted butter

Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of shimmering water.

Stir the butter into the chocolate. Dip the top of the cupcakes into the ganache while giving it a slight twist.

It is quite an easy recipe to follow. The cupcakes are rich, dense & have an intense choc flavor but they were too sweet (must be because of the Hershey's Choc syrup). I put choc chips in some cupcakes and Aisyah sprinkled her batch with rainbow bits...hehe.