Happiest 2nd birthday to my firstborn, Iryss.
Iryss had a small celebration at school with a Secret Recipe cake (chocolate indulgence, always)
and we prepared two packs of Koko Crunch and a box of chocolate milk for all her schoolmates.
We also prepared a piece of @bungawan tudung for each of her teachers.
If you know me well enough,
you know I love celebrations!
I love preparing for the door gifts, food and everything.
But I told myself not to overdo anything this year because
last year was a huge celebration.
Simplicity at its best,
and, most importantly, pocket-friendly.
Iryss has grown to be such a kind and clever girl.
She understands most of the words we say; she can say most basic words, like,
"Mine!"
"No!"
"Please...."
"Thank you!"
"Tasheh (Terima Kasih)"
"Together, sama-sama"
"Share"
"Sakit ke?"
"Nak makan"
"Eat"
"Mama buat apa tu?"
My favourite of all,
"Aww thank you, mama!"
When she thanks you with an aww at the beginning,
it means she's really appreciative of your gestures.
And yes, I still breastfeed her at night.
She's a girl with a stance.
She knows what she wants,
she's always certain about her choice, and she always sticks to what she believes in.
For example, this one morning, when she saw her Abah was praying on my prayer mat
while she was half-awake, she said,
"Abah! Tu mama punya! Abah, stop. Abah, pray outside!"
Because I always pray in the room, my husband sometimes prays in the hall cause I usually have assignments to settle and I have to shut the door, or else Iryss would not let me focus.
When I tripped or accidentally injured myself,
Iryss would come to me with so much love and empathy,
"Mama sakit ke? Iryss hug. Iryss kiss. (Ke)siannn, Mama"
She's super caring. She's the best firstborn I could ever ask for.
I thank Allah every day, every night, for lending me Iryss in this world.
I make dua to Allah, so I can spend more time with her in this world,
and may Allah reunite us again in heaven.
For everything she does, she reminds me that she's mirroring us.
The way we speak, the way we behave, everything.
She's mirroring us, the parents, every kid she meets at her school, her teachers, and her surroundings.
She's mirroring her environment.
We as parents, as much as we want to protect her from all the evil in this world,
we can only do our best.
This a gentle reminder for myself,
to protect, guide and always be there for my Iryss.
Iryss, if you ever encounter my blog when you know how to read and surf the net,
please know that I love you so so much!
