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December 31, 2017
December 29, 2017
My baby's high chair is about to be kept so I washed it early this morning. There's a tiny tinge of sadness whenever I put away their baby stuff --- the infant car seat that we used as a rocker, the activity gym, the play pen, their infant clothes, the carrier, and now, this high chair --- thinking that they'll never be an infant again. I thank God for my babies and for His provisions for our little family. Alhamdulillah ❤️ #jaigufamily #AminaMariam #AmreenNurlailah
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December 24, 2017
Best friends forever, ok? 💕 #sisters #AminaMariam #AmreenNurlailah
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December 20, 2017
It'll always be about my f❤️mily. #jaigufamily #Ronsiblings #AminaMariam #AmreenNurlailah 👵🏻👴🏼👱🏼♀️👱🏻👩🏻👨🏻👧🏻👧🏻
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December 6, 2017
...and yet, I haven't even started to shed some postpartum weight. 😏 #AmreenNurlailah #AminaMariam
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December 3, 2017
November 24, 2017
Thankful for every single day. Alhamdulillah 💕 What are you thankful for? #Thanksgiving
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November 22, 2017
November 14, 2017
The Islamic Medical Association of the Philippines (IMAN) envisions to become a community of Muslim physicians who are competent, compassionate, socially responsive, imbued with Islamic teachings and values, united in the promotion of health and well-being, and highly dedicated to the service of fellowmen. We aim to establish a network of Muslim physicians and form linkages with other groups and associations in both medical and non-medical professions; working towards a healthy and progressive Ummah through education, service and empowerment for the greater glory of Allah (swt). Join us! #IMANvisionandmission #IMAN
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November 13, 2017
DFA-DCC UN Day Celebration
The United Nations Day was commemorated early in the DFA-Day Care Center. The actual UN Day falls on October 24 but the Day Care opted to celebrate it earlier to allow the children to rest for the Trick or Treat on the last week of the month. Our family chose to represent Malaysia for convenience. The kids have their mukna custom-made already and both Jabar and I have clothes that make us look Malaysians. Back when we were in Bangkok, we were always mistaken for being either Malays or Indonesians. The Thais were always surprised when I say I'm a Filipino. They're always like: "Philippine? Muslim?". "Yeah, yeah", I told them "we compose a miniscule number in the Catholic nation called the Philippines".
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| L-R: Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Italy, South Korea, USA (Hawaii), Spain, Japan, Turkey, Malaysia and UK. |
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| Faux Malaysian family. LOL. |
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| She's posing, guys. Her posing hands are hidden behind her mukna though. This funny little kid. :D The little boy on the left, Ezel, is half-Turkish. The one on the right, Elijah, is well, Filipino. Hahaha! They're about to leave for China as his mom will be posted there. |
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| May you be the best of friends forever. Ameen. :) |
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| The Stage Mom. |
The kids look sooooo adorably cute in their costumes! And the parents, except us, made an extraordinary effort for their children's costumes. Alright, in fairness to me, I was preparing for the pre-residency training so I didn't have time to even think about the UN Day. I mean, we didn't celebrate the UN Day back when I was in grade school! Haha! All I remember were the FRESH fruits and veggies that my Mom used to painstakingly tie on my clothes during Nutrition Month Parade! I remember the lanzones that falls from my clothes and a classmate behind me picks it up as we were parading around the campus. Haha!
Celebration of the UN Day is a great introduction to the children about the culture of other nations and one major way of boosting their social skills. Kudos to the DFA-DCC for the successful event!
November 7, 2017
One of my Facetime sesh with Ina during my #bkkliving days. I miss you, Inakulay. 😢 #jaigufamily
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November 6, 2017
Batch lunch. ❤️ #isanghulingkembotnalang #wheredoigofromhere 😂 #doctormom 👩🏻⚕️
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October 21, 2017
Reflections of a Doctor Mom
My youngest, Amreen, had high-grade fever four days ago accompanied by few maculopapular rashes on her upper extremities and anorexia. She wasn't vomiting nor having a diarrhea but I noticed her stools were soft and mucoid. I only gave her paracetamol and a tepid sponge bath while closely monitoring her fever. On the 2nd day, I brought her to the nearest ER to get her labs done. Her CBC showed plain viral infection which can resolve on its own and be managed at home. She started to throw up her milk and her medications. I hate seeing her weak and irritable and refusing to eat. It tears my heart apart and I feel so anxious thinking it might be something else overlooked by her CBC. So at 2:00 AM yesterday, Jabar and I rushed her to the hospital (the hospital where I gave birth to her, where everyone was nice and calm. Love it here.) after an episode of vomiting and spiking fever.
Being a doctor who knows every step in the ER, the labs and the rationale of the management, I was supposed to be calm. Yes I was, but part of me gets anxious and uneasy every time my daughter cries and I can't tame her. She was dehydrated with poor skin turgor and crying without tears. I can't stand seeing her this way. Her initial CBC in the ER is still a viral picture, so the resident asked me if I will still admit the patient. I opted to admit her for rehydration and to lessen my anxiety and worry.
Here are my reflections while we were at the ER yesterday morning:
1.) There's a valid reason for a mom who brought her child to the ER at 2 in the morning. She's not nag-iinarte lang. Every inquiry of an anxious mom must be addressed properly. Do not judge.
2.) Every single staff in a hospital contributes to the entire hospital experience of a patient, from the security guard who opens the ER door to the nurse manning the triage area and the housekeeping staff. Being courteous and nice is valuable beyond estimation. Kindness must be the universal trait.
3.) Stellar clerks who have lots of repeating questions are annoying. Hahaha! Especially when you were asked the same question by the nurses and residents already. I appreciate the detailed history taking though. Good job, kid!
4.) Pedia residents and clerks should not be doing rounds to non-toxic patients especially during midnight when the baby is fast asleep. Hirap na hirap ako magpatulog nyan tapos gigisingin nyo lang! Hahaha! Really. I'm sure they'd opt to sleep either. Been there done that, 1:00 am rounds to pedia patients during clerkship. Inis na inis pala ang mga nanay sa amin! Why do we do that again?? Lol!
Alhamdulillah Amreen's fever abated now and her appetite is returning. But her body is covered with rashes, she looks so pitiful. Breaks my heart. The attending just had her rounds and her final diagnosis is Roseola infantum and we're bound for discharge today. Yay!
P.S.
I passed the residency qualifying exam of the hospital where I applied and my 2-week pre-res will start tomorrow and here I am in the hospital trying to "study". I'll be starting with a 24-hour duty in the ER so wish me all the best of lucks in the world!!!! Hahahha! Bismillahir rahmaanir raheem.
October 17, 2017
October 16, 2017
October 3, 2017
September 28, 2017
Inakulay
Ina, in Meranao, means mother.
Our generation translated it into grandmother. That’s what I call my maternal
grandma. Ina. Everybody calls her Ina, even those who are not her direct descendants.
I want my children to call me Ina because of the sweetness of its sound. I
named my eldest after her, Mariam, as a tribute to the woman who raised my own
Mom.
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| Ina. |
Ina was known for her kindness and generosity.
Whatever she has, especially food, had to be shared to everyone who comes to
her. She wasn’t rich nor literate, but she has a heart overflowing with love
and a mind full of wisdom.
She took care of almost all her
grandchildren, especially our brood. I’d like to think my Mom was her favorite
child, but Ina didn’t actually favor one over the other. She treated each and
everyone of her children and grandchildren equally.
I have beautiful
memories with Ina growing up. Her generation is the last of the Meranaos who were not influenced by the Western culture. She chew betel nuts even though she only had few teeth left. She sung bayok (Meranao songs) and tells us pananaroon (Meranao riddles) and thutol (tales). I am familiar with Meranao folklore because of her. I loved
sleeping beside her to listen to her bedtime stories, tales of Sulutan Sa Agama Niyog, Bantugen and the Royal Land of Bumbaran, Amomowai (the monkey), Arata Wata, Omacaan and Ola Thangila. She had a particular way of massaging my hair
and scalp (kapaninisik) that puts me into deep sleep. I am familiar with
weaving Meranao cloth (ka-awl, but I've never done it myself) because I saw her do it with passion. The intricacy of
her langkit was one of a kind. We still have her awl-awla (wooden weaving machine)
because she said she wants to go back to it once she regains strength.
My parents owe their ascendance
to the peak of their career to Ina. She promised to help my Mom with the
triplets when my father received the approval of his study grant overseas. The triplets
were three months old then. She was illiterate (with Western education, she can
read the Arabic script though) hence she pushed all her nine children to earn an education. All nine children are all professionals, my mom being the second
child. All our success, we owe it to her.
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| Four generations. Glad I have this photo to show my daughter, Amina Mariam. c. December 2015 |
She had a beautiful death. So
beautiful that every living Muslim would ask Allah to die in such a manner. She
wasn’t sick, she was just old and weak in her late 80s. She just finished her
ablution in preparation for salaatul ‘asr when she fell unconscious on her bed, without any complain of chest pain or dizziness. My aunt, who was tasked to take care of her, called for help and Ina was
immediately rushed to the nearby hospital.
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| Hajja Mariam Ayo-Maruhom and Amina Mariam. Ina was chewing betel nut. December 2015 |
Ya Allah, thank You for the
beautiful life of Ina. Thank You that You made her our grandmother. Thank You
for the beautiful memories with her. I have many stories about her to tell my children
when they grow up, in shaa Allah. We pray that Allah grant her a beautiful abode in Paradise and may we all be united in the hereafter. Ameen.
After four months, we finally got a glimpse of Pagimanan*, my grandmother's house at Lilod Madaya. It looks burnt but at least it wasn't directly hit by an airstrike and it is still intact. It breaks my heart thinking that Marawi's gone and so as my grandma. 😢 #MarawiMyHome *Pagimanan means a place where there is peace of mind. So ironic now.
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September 22, 2017
September 19, 2017
September 17, 2017
My 9-month old #AmreenNurlailah is greeting y'all a flowery Sunday! 💐🌹🌸🌺 She's enjoying the independence she got from scooting and crawling and exploring everything that gets into her hands. This little miss is a bit snob though. Her smile's worth a few thousand dollars. Definitely didn't get it from her Ina. 🙄😝
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September 7, 2017
September 5, 2017
Leap Of Faith
I'm currently staring at my residency application form that I will be submitting in a few days together with my other academic credentials. I prepared myself for this --- emotionally (and intellectually? Nah. I don't think I've reviewed enough. I'm actually panicking!). I'm hyperventilating by the mere thought of residency. Now the most important question to ponder on: am I ready to sacrifice precious moments with my daughters for the advancement of my career, for honing the craft I've worked hard for all my life?
The blank application form is staring right back at me as if nodding in affirmation. Not too long ago, I made a decision that changed my life. I --- a provincial girl who never left her comfort zone --- took a big leap of faith and chose to spend a year of internship at an institution where all brilliant minds in the Philippine medical field meet. Considering I wasn't on the topmost of my class, I wasn't sure if I will get accepted. A year later, I finished my medical internship with grace and pride and eventually passed the medical board exam.
I'm at it again. It's different now though because as I will be holed up the next three years of my life in the hospital, I will not only be sacrificing my personal social life but I have two daughters and a husband who will bear the consequences of my frequent absence in their lives.
I ask myself this, WILL IT BE WORTH IT?
It is difficult now, but perhaps, my family will thank me in the future for treading this path, for making this crucial decision.
Yes, in shaa Allah, it will be worth it.
Bismillahir rahmaanir raheem.
September 3, 2017
Checking out the controversial female Oble by Ferdinand Cacnio. #UPLift #iwishthehusbandtakesabetterangle
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August 30, 2017
We're raising a defiant abstract artist right here. 😂😂😂 #AminaMariam
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August 28, 2017
O ano Ai, may napala ka sa kakaaral mo ng geometric theories and postulates nung highschool? Nag-summer class ka pa dahil jan. Hahaha! 😂🕘#broughtmebacktoSTCdays #provethatthesetwolinesareparallel #provethatthisisanacuteangle #number1isgiven #hanggangGivenlangangsagotko #SirMagno #MaamAman #iloveSTC #tatakSTC
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August 26, 2017
Yam's Thanksgiving Merienda
My firstborn, Yamyam, turned two years old last week. Good thing it was a holiday on her actual birthday (August 21) because there was a typhoon and my little girl was having a high-grade fever. My husband was also slumped in bed with fever and chills. It was a horrible day for me. Thank God for our little Amreen who's being a ray of sunshine for her stressed mom. Lol!
Jabar and I are resolved to not celebrating birthdays with a huge party. We were not raised that way but the society we live in, especially among us Meranaos, adapted to the Western influence of putting up birthday parties. Last year, when Yamyam turned a year old, we brought her to Ocean Park Manila and had a sumptuous dinner with my siblings. A simple gesture of gratitude to The Maker who gave us the gift of a beautiful child.
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| Amina Mariam. |
As our family is embattled by the ongoing Marawi siege, and after both kids and husband had bouts of viral infection, I feel I am more compelled to give a thanksgiving merienda to be grateful for everything we are blessed with in spite of the crisis we are going through. It was nothing grand. The husband and I grabbed layers of pizza and a bucket of chicken and a dedication cake to share with our DFA-DCC family whose presence in our lives is a major blessing itself.
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| As the "party" was about to start, the husband was called for a meeting. Hence his absence in this photo. |
Jabar and I grew up in big families where playing outdoors with our cousins and neighbors was a major part of growing up. We were never brought to playhouses (we don't have that in the 90's, I guess) or in curated parks (there was none in Marawi, haha). We used to head out of our house and climb trees and play kanggagalawanga, patintero, batir-lata and everything that involves running and shouting. Haha! Jabar and I had beautiful childhood memories in Taraka and Marawi, respectively. This time, we live in the part of the metro that is quite inaccessible to an open space where our children can play and just be kids. Hello, Manila don't have parks save for Luneta and the La Mesa Ecopark in Farview! We don't live close to our families either whose children they can play with. We're quite isolated and I don't allow my children to play gadgets or watch TV all day long. Considering how play being a major part of a child's growth and development, I feel sad for them having no one to play with. That's where the DFA-Day Care Center saved us. I am so grateful that my husband's office have this facility for their kids!
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| Twinning dress c/o their Babu Nasheba. |
Jabar used to bring Yamyam in the DCC once a week. Now that Amreen is quite big enough to play with the other kids, we're bringing her too! Yes, I go with them three times a week which means going to the office is now a family affair! Haha! Alhamdulillah. We are eternally grateful to the teachers and to the teacher aides for being very accommodating and welcoming. Even my children's yaya looks forward to going to DFA every other day since she has also formed a friendship with the other yayas.
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| Teacher Coleen and the kids. |
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| The birthday girl was bugnutin on that day. Her unusual self. |
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| Teacher Faye and the kids about to sing a birthday song to Yamyam. |
It was a very simple merienda to give thanks and as a reminder that we should always count our blessings and to choose to look at the brighter side of every situation. In spite of everything, I am so blessed to have my daughters and my husband beside me. We are grateful for our good health and for the beautiful people surrounding us. Alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah, alhamdulillah.
Happy 2nd birthday, my love!
August 25, 2017
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