Nazhan's Milestone: 18th & 19th months

Nazhan dah masuk umur 20 months pun minggu lepas tapi mommy baru terhegeh-hegeh nak update about his achievement during his 18th and 19th months old age.

(1) Physical Milestones
love to run, sampaikan sensei dia cakap dia asyik berlari je dalam kelas.
may go up stairs by himself, but he'll need some help on the way down. tapi kalau nak suruh dia panjat tangga dari ground floor sampai ke tingkat 5 *umah kitorang*, jenuh kena tunggu.
Feed self with spoon and fork, tak nak makan kalau mommy/daddy suapkan.

=- makan temaki sushi yang mommy buat comot2 je -=

Brush teeth with help
wear his own diapers / training pants / pants with little help
Positioned his body photogenically and well aware of a camera. Memang makin pandai bergaya, nampak kamera hala kat muka dia je terus lentok kepala + senget2 badan + strike 'peace' sign dengan jari telunjuk

=- posing kepala senget macam yang mommy selalu ajar -=

(2) Mental milestones
fussy on the type of food to eat, asyik nak makan sushi , udon, anggur & strawberry
understood the act of going to toilet every one hour for his potty session
like to be read to, thus mommy/daddy must read him books before bedtime or whenever he asked for it

=- boleh baca ABC upside down, hebat tak? eheh -=

(3) Verbal & Communication Skills
able to name several part of his body
able to say these words such as apple, banana, ball, car, cat, dog, fish, one, star, moon, badak, hippo, nak

= video: Nazhan showing parts of his body -=

(4) Social changes
dah tak jealous sangat bila mommy riba baby lain, *apakah Nazhan dah sedia nak ada adik? uhuk3x*

=- suka sangat dengan bau baby baru lahir, wangi -=

pretend playing with his teddy bear. He'll shake hands, hugs and kiss the teddy. Pretend play like this is a great example of imitation, and a sign that Nazhan is learning to empathize with others.
Very affectionate with mommy & daddy. He likes to sit on lap and cuddle because he knows it's a time when he has our undivided attention.

=- asyik nak beriba dengan mommy & berdukung dengan daddy -=

On another story, malam tadi Nazhan tiba2 berkelakuan 'pelik'. Masa I tengah masak, around pukul 10mlm gitu, dia main bola kat depan pintu bilik dia (merangkap pintu bilik tempat menjemur baju di musim winter ni). Tiba2 masa dia nak ambil bola yang jatuh betul2 depan pintu bilik tu, dia menangis ketakutan. Kita boleh beza kan macamana tangisan anak yang lapar, yang ngada2 or tengah takut. He made several attempt to pick up the ball but end up dia give up dan menangis ketakutan each time dia dekat dengan pintu bilik tu.


Bila I nak tidurkan dia, asyik nangis je walaupun dah menyusu beberapa kali. Bila I tengok dalam mata dia, Nazhan renung semula mata I tanpa berkelip. Selalunya kalau I renung mata dia, Nazhan akan stop nangis tapi malam tadi dia tak takut dengan I dan balas balik renungan I. Bila I alih badan dia, mata di asyik tengok kat pintu sliding door bilik kami je. I dah cuak, terus tutup mata dia dengan tangan I ..pastu tiba2 dia gelak sorang2. Kalau nak kata mengigau mata dia masih duk merenung siling bilik tak berkelip. Haisy, terus I suruh hubby pasang surah Al-Baqarah sebab dah ada rasa seram. Tak lama lepas tu, dia tidur nyenyak sampai pagi...tapi I yang tak dapat nak tidur nyenyak sebab duk fikir bukan2 dah.. aiseh!.


Pagi tadi hubby cakap maybe Nazhan berkelakuan 'pelik' malam tadi sebab letih di bawa shopping ke Costco petang semalam dan jugak letih bermain dengan aktifnya petang tu masa kat rumah Kak Nora. OK, I memang boleh terima alasan letih tu sebab tu dia berkelakuan 'pelik' masa nak tidur, tapi apa pulak explanation untuk tangisan ketakutan dia masa main bola sorang2 depan pintu bilik tu?. Wooooossssssshh, errrrr takperlah..I tak nak tahu kot apa sebabnya uhuhuhu.


Psssssttt: semalam pergi shopping kat Costco semata2 sebab I nak beli Macaroons , tp hubby cakap macaroons yang I buat lagi sedap. Kembanggg kempis hidung yang dah sedia kembang ini ngeeeee.

Asyik jalan2 je, study ke makan angin?

I selalu dapat komen dari kawan2 yang baca blog ni bertanyakan pasal kekerapan aktiviti jalan2 kami sekeluarga. Ye lah, every week ada je I update entry untuk segment Travel & Living tu kan. Asyik berjalan je, gi Jepun untuk study ke untuk makan angin diorang neh?


Entry hari ni I nak bagitahu lah secrets untuk aktiviti jalan2 kami sekeluarga yang membolehkan I update entry untuk segment Travel & Living tu setiap minggu.

(1) 3 places in 1 day --> 3 entries for Travel & Living

What you don't really know is that we actually went to few places in a day but I update the entry according to the place and not the date. Get what I mean? Contohnya macam entry Mandi bogel di Hyotan Onsen, "Neraka" Dunia di Beppu dan Hop on a Gondola at Beppu Ropeway tu, kitorang gi sana masa cuti new year hari tu (Kat Jepun ni, cuti new year start dari 28 Dec - 4th Jan) dan sebenarnya kitorang gi tempat2 tu pada hari yang sama je, tapi sebab I update dalam 3 entry berbeza..nampak macam kitorang gi hari lain2 la. But if u pay attention on our clothes, u might get the idea yang kitorang memang gi pada hari yang sama je pon hehe.


Kalau u all perasan, I jarang nak tulis tarikh bila I gi tempat2 tu sebabnya I selalu lambat nak update entry untuk jalan2. The fact is kitorang sebenarnya gi kat tempat tu few weeks ago, tapi lepas 2-3minggu baru I update ceritanya kat blog. Tapi kalau I bagitau tarikh I pergi tempat2 tu dah jadi macam entry tu agak lapuk la pulak, dah berzaman baru nak update ngeeeee.


(2) Spent quality time with family

For the past 2 months I always have to attend classes on Saturday. Kalau ikut kebiasaanya, kami akan jalan2 hari Sabtu dan lepak2 berehat kat rumah hari Ahad. Since I ada kelas hari Sabtu, Nazhan have to stay at home with his daddy and it kills me coz in a way both of them have to sacrifice their jalan2 time on Saturday and go jalan2 on Sunday when we should just resting at home on Sunday.


Dah la hari2 biasa Nazhan spent his time at his nursery from 9 a.m - 6 p.m (9 hours) from Monday to Friday. Bila balik rumah, main2 kejap and by 10 p.m he will go to bed. Tugas ambik Nazhan pulak hubby & I gilir2; if hari ni I ambik, esoknya hubby pulak ambik. Kalau hari yang hubby ambik, I balik lambat sikit lah dari lab i.e around 8 p.m gitu and vice versa. Overall, Nazhan only spent about 4-5 hours a day with mommy or daddy.

=- life as a grad student. source: PHD comics -=

If kitorang kat Malaysia, rasanya kitorang tak lah rasa bersalah sangat sebab ada family members yang lain kan. At least, once in a month ke, leh balik kampung untuk jumpa nenek & atuk. Tak pun, uncles and aunties Nazhan leh datang jumpa dia dan main2 dengan dia on weekend. Tapi kat sini, the only person that Nazhan have are hubby & I, sebab tu kami sedaya upaya berusaha untuk bawak Nazhan jalan2 dan keluar dari rumah so that dia taklah rasa keseorangan sangat.

(3) Once in a lifetime opportunity

It's not that we have the chance to be in foreign countries selalu kan. In fact I was feeling a little bit menyesal that I didn't update my blogs regularly when I was in Munich and Madrid for my master studies. Banyak dah tempat2 yang I pergi masa kat sana yang I dah lupa apa nama tempat tu. Even nama tempat2 yang I selalu pergi tiap2 hari macam kat city center dan shopping malls pun I dah lupa. Sebab tu I decided to update regularly on the places that we've been visiting here in Japan so that few years after this, I could still recall the nice moments that we've spent at those places.

=- life as a grad student. source: PHD comics -=

(4) Sharing is caring

Masa muda belia remaja dulu, I suka baja majalah REMAJA. Kat dalam tu ada segmen untuk orang2 yang jalan2 kat oversea bercerita pasal tempat2 yang diorang gi jalan2. Masa baca tu, I berangan yang one day I pun akan jadi macam diorang, gi jalan2 kat oversea then dapat cerita kat orang lain pasal tu. Dalam kes I ni, bukannya I jadi travel writer kat mana2 magazine pun but at least I get to share my travel experience with readers of my blog, fair enough rite?.


It's a nice feeling when someone come to you/commented on your entry by saying "thank you for posting this, tak dapat pergi sana..dapat tengok gambar pun jadi lah". Tak kisahlah orang tu ikhlas ke tak cakap gitu or just nak ambik hati I or just nak tulis komen kat blog I, tapi perasaan yang I dah sedikit sebanyak berkongsi info dengan orang2 yang baca blog ni buat I rasa gembira gitu. That's why entry untuk jalan2 kat blog ni biasanya memang panjang berjela sebab I seboleh2nya nak masukkan info2 pasal tempat tu *yang I copy paste kat internet* and elaborate the info based on my experience.

I really hope that orang yang baca entry kat segment Travel & Living akan dapat info pasal tempat tu dan at the same time dapat menyelami perasaan berada kat tempat tu jugak. At least I help some of you in saving moneys on buying the travel guide books.

=- source: praized -=

(5) Tahi lalat di kaki

I don't know whether the theory that says "orang ada tahi lalat di tapak kaki kuat berjalan" is verified true or not. But in my case I believe this theory is undoubtedly TRUE. I ada tahi lalat di tapak kaki and ever since I am kids, I love to jalan2.


Masa kecik pun memang asyik berjalan sana sini je dengan my family dan peel ni terbawak2 sampai lah dah ada anak sendiri ni. Nazhan pun macam dah faham peel mommy & daddy ni and he seems to enjoy this activity of jalan2 also. Ada sesetengah baby mungkin tak suka bila jalan2, dan meragam and sometime jatuh sakit tapi Nazhan ni boleh di katakan membesar dalam transport dari baby lagi.


Sejak Umur 17 hari mommy dah bawak round park *sampai kena kacau dengan hantu*, umur 2 bulan lebih dah naik flight gi Tokyo ber2 dengan daddy,umur 4 bulan - 8 bulan naik turun train hari2 dengan mommy nak gi nursery, umur 5 bulan dah naik flight balik Malaysia, umur 10 bulan naik flight gi Hong Kong, umur 1thn 3 bulan naik flight gi Korea, umur 1 thn 6 bulan naik kereta 13jam gi Tokyo, dan banyak lagi lah. Alhamdulillah, jarang2 sangat Nazhan mengamuk masa jalan2 kecuali bila dia tak sihat je, other than that Nazhan memang akan enjoy trip jalan2 dan well behaved sepanjang perjalanan *which most of the time dia tidur je pon sebenarnya eheh*.

=- source: lord of design -=

Errrr, I guess above all of these reasons that I've stated here..the most associated reason for those regular update in the Travel & Living segment is mainly because the three of us memang ada tahi lalat kat kaki kot!. Ngeeeeee.

=- source: photofurl -=

Pssssttt: u all suka baca entry jalan2 tu pendek dan padat OR panjang2 dan penuh info sekali?

Hop on a Gondola at Beppu Ropeway

Ropeway is a conveyance that transports passengers or freight in carriers suspended from cables and supported by a series of towers. As for this week travel & living segment in Yatie Chomeyl's blog, I'll bring u to a ride on Kintetsu Beppu Ropeway, located in the Aso-Kujyu National Park in Beppu, Oita.

=- pemandangan dari kaki gunung -=

Beppu Ropeway is used as a mode of transportation to go up the Mount Tsurumi (Tsurumidake), a mountain standing behind Beppu Hot Spring. The mountain is most famous as one of the few hard rime sights in Kyushu. It was the only ropeway in the world to link a vertical distance of 792 meters. The ticket fee for round trip journey is 1400yen (RM 52) per adult.

=- Gondola, Beppu Ropeway -=


=- pemandangan dari dalam gondola, half way to the top of the mountain -=

The gondola can accommodate about 101 passengers and will take you up to the top of Mt. Tsurumi from Kogen Station in about 10 minutes.

=- letih nak berdiri, terpaksa duduk tepi nenek -=


=- daddy & Nazhan kena berdiri dalam gondola -=

This mountain entertains tourist throughout the year with the cherry blossoms in spring, the splendid night view of the city in summer, the scarlet-tinged autumn leaves and the beautiful snow scenery in winter.

=- cantik kan pemandangan dari atas puncak gunung -=

Nazhan has just fell asleep when we arrived to that place. Thus, we need to bring along his stroller all the way to the top of the mountain. While mommy & daddy were posing for the camera, he was enjoying his baby sleep in his stroller.

=- posing ber2 masa Nazhan tidur -=

=- Nazhan menyorok dalam kantung kangaroo kat stroller dia -=

It was quiet difficult to push the strollers through the thick snow as the tire is not convenient enough on a snowy path. Hubby has to put in extra strength to push Nazhan's stroller all the way on top of the mountain and still Nazhan was not bothered by the pushing things going around him at all.

=- terpaksa tolak stroller Nazhan kat jalan berliku2 belakang tu -=

=- bersungguh2 daddy tolak stroller Nazhan -=

Knowing that Nazhan is passionate about snow, I deliberately wakes him up from his sleep. Good thing is that he wasn't being cranky at all even though his baby sleep has been interrupted by mommy.

=- muka blur baru bangun tidur terkejut tengok salji kat sekeliling -=

Once awake, he was surprised to see the amount of snow surrounding him, and without wasting anymore precious time...he quickly dive into the snow hehe.

=- mula2 je pakai glove, pastu sengaja cabut glove sebab nak pegang salji -=

A rich natural environment spreads before your eyes at Tsurumidake, one of the 300 most beautiful mountains in Japan, with attractive seasonal features. Since we went there during the winter season, we get to experience the rime ice in winter on top of the mountain.

=- sejuk pung*ung duduk atas salji -=

From the mountain top, we enjoy a sweeping view before our eyes that includes Beppu City, Beppu Bay, and Kuju mountain range. The weather on that day was quiet nice and sunny, so we get to see the magnificent view all the way to Shikoku as well.

=- abaikan view kat depan, tp fokus on view yg cantik kat belakang tu -=

The temperature on top of the mountain is 0°C so we don't really want to spent lot of time there as it is freezing-ly cold for hubby & I. The only person who can adapt the temperature well is Nazhan as he seems to be holding the snow barehanded.

=- Termometer gergasi tunjuk bacaan 0°C -=

After a while, we went down the Mt Tsurumi and went for another ride inside the big gondola of Beppu Ropeway. This place is listed in Beppu - Attractions & Must See by VirtualTourist. If you happen to visit Beppu, then don't forget to visit this site and enjoy the view as much as we already did!.


# Info gathered from : beppu city, explore japan, wikipedia

Pssssttt: minggu lepas dah berjaya naik gunung untuk main ski, nanti I update untuk next entry pulak la ye..sape sudi tunggggguuuuuuuuuuuu, i lebiu eheh.