Dont die from shock here ;)

Yes yes.. I know, its been awhile and for that I apologise.. Someone recently asked me for my link and I realised its been over a year since I last wrote, so where am I?

Well our little one arrived alhamdulillah :D our little Musa.. hes a treasure and Im grateful to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) everyday for this gift, seriously I dont know how I coped before.. I love being a mum to him at home :D He has a few health issues and we are scheduled for a little routine op soon that should be in and out over a few days inshaAllah so please make duaa for him.

He arrived a little early just 1 week after I finished work, I had already changed my finish time so if I hadnt my waters would have broken at work!! can you imagine?? Alhamdulillah!! I arrived to the hospital ready for an induction on the Saturday after my waters broke the day before but my contractions began that night so alhamdulillah I wouldnt be induced.. although up until I was getting ready to leave I wasnt sure I was having contractions and completely forgot to tell them on the phone when I was ringing the labour ward to see if we could come in a little later lol.. I was fully dilated and got through the whole thing with no drugs and hubby by my side encouraging me. He told me we had a son as I looked down at him staring up at me with his beautiful almond shaped eyes.. mashaAllah I pray for his protect from Shaytan in this world and for him to walk the path to Jannah in the next world inshaAllah.

Life has certainly changed and I wouldnt have it any other way :D
We are currently trying to plan a trip to Pakistan in February to see his Abus family and Canada in September to see my mum and friends over there.. We have been up to Liverpool to see the rest of my family quite a few times.. its so different being up there now with him, life is just so different.

We are loving our cloth nappies having a few firm favourites in itti bitti, sweet cherry pie cloth and luscious little somethings :) and loving baby wearing too :D I love having him wrapped so close to me and he loves it too alhamdulillah :D

Will try to keep up with you guys more now inshaAllah
Fi amenAllah

Oops

Sorry its taken me so long to write this blog... things have been either pretty crazy my end or Ive been sleeping ;)
So we are now in our last trimester alhamdulillah :) Baby is due in February insha'Allah and me and chilliT (maybe I need to think up a new nickname for him) are very anxiously awaiting the arrival of the little one. We have our reusable nappy stash sorted, I hope :) insha'Allah and clothes and pieces.. we're going to a nearly new sale with the NCT on Saturday so I will be on the look out for a maternity coat (Im sick of not being able to fasten my coats) blackout blinds and anything buggy related to go with the pram we will be getting next year insha'Allah.
I have just today met up with a girl from a facebook birth board.. we are all expecting in the same month, but this lady has more than one in her ;) shes such an inspiration and really makes you grateful for what you have alhamdulillah. It was so nice to get out and meet someone in the same boat as me, currently Im still working (finish January 18th) 12 hour shifts starting at 2am :( with no pregnant ladies around me

We went to the baby show a few weeks ago... it was amazing!!! I was worried that hubby wouldnt enjoy it, but he bought the camera with him and was quite happy there :) he left me to my own devices collecting the freebies when we first got there and was very much as interested in all the stalls as I was masha'Allah. I think it would be useful to go once baby is here too, and then we know what we do need rather than what we might need but I dont think I could cope with going again next year and hubby looked worried at the prospect ;)

So I have finally had my braces taken off too.. it feels soo weird but I love it :) Ive certainly been taking things for granted all these years.. I havent stopped eating into crunchy fruits since I had them off, like apples, plums and pears.. cant wait to get into work on thursday purely to pick at the nuts Ive had on my desk for the last few months :D yummy!!! Just got to get into a routine with them now.. I couldnt really floss properly when I had them on, but have to make more of an effort now :)

Anyways, thats an update of whats going on in our world at the moment... baby is constantly moving around and poking out here there and everywhere, which can be painful at times, but I love feeling the movement :D Hubby just found out hes not entitled to any paternity leave as he started too late :( which is annoying as his work give really good paternity benefit so we have to re think our finances from that perspective, but insha'Allah it will be ok.

Confirmation at the doctors

After finding the lines on Saturday, Monday morning came and I booked a confirmation appointment at the Doctors (yes the one who suggested IBS!) for the Wednesday.
I patiently waited for the day to arrive and then set off down the road with Chilli. We waited for quite awhile and I was getting increasing anxious as I was due to be at work the next day so should be sleeping by the time that we were still waiting. I needed this confirmation to go ahead and tell my boss we were expecting so I could be taken off all the duties that are part of my job, the daily stretching, the lifting of 15kg weights and all the other random heavy lifting. Because of this I couldnt very well walk out from the doctors and go home, we found out that apparently her computer had registered me as being seen although she had no idea how that could have happened.
Sat in her room, she recognised me straight away as my other appointment had only been on the Friday, she asked what I was in for. The words failed to come straight away and when they finally did it didnt feel right to be saying 'I think Im pregnant' she looked surprised and asked if this could have been related to the bloated stomach Id been having... yes!! the Dr asked this!! So after the usual congratulations and what not, she did my blood pressure, took my details to book me in at the hospital we wanted and led me outside for some free pregnancy tablets and something called Emma's Diary. The whole appointment took no time at all and I was gutted it was so straightforward... I had expected something a little more.. in hind sight what I had expected was probably my booking appointment lol :D

But there we are, I was now able to tell work and looking back now it doesnt seem like four months ago and now its getting so close it worries me.. Allahu alim :) Please remember us in your duaas girls, and now I think I will be posting in real time :) Now everyone has been told and all is moving well alhamdulillah
JazakAllah khair

Our patter

Ive saved these as drafts to be posted in the future when the news is out to everyone. We got our positive test the end of May and have had trouble keeping it secret ever since :)

Anyways, it all started one Saturday morning, for the past week I had had a bloated stomach and after freaking myself out at the Doctors reading an ovarian cancer leaflet my GP proceeded to tell me my symptoms sounded more like IBS. I already had a feeling I might be pregnant, apart from the bloated stomach I was constantly hungry, constantly eating and constantly listening to the growls from my stomach. I got up and sneaked out the pregnancy test while the husband was busy with something, after obviously reading the best times to do it all. I proceeded :) Im not going into details as Im sure you all know what goes on there! I brushed my teeth while waiting but couldnt help taking peeks :) there was mostly some lines already there... I just needed to figure out from the paperwork what they meant. Apparently I was looking for a vertical line in one window which meant the test was working, check! and in the other window I was looking for a cross of some sort, what did I have? a cross... no hang on, wait there.. these things dont just happen so easily!! Was it correct? 3 months?? Surely that cant be right. 

I calmly walk into the living room where the husband is wandering around looking for something. I ask him, have you seen this? does that look like a cross to you? pointing at the second window. His answer, what is it? 'but does it look like a cross' he frowns, pulls his usual Im confused face and again asks the same question. I want to shout it out to him, but I want to make sure Im not seeing things first. Just tell me, is that a cross?? Yeah I guess so, definitely 2 lines... 'well, this means that we might be pregnant' a huge grin bursts across his face, the same grin I saw the first day we laid eyes on each other, the same grin when I first saw him just before we were to be married.. I know that smile, hes happy :) and he hugs me strongly to tell me he so (a man of few words but many actions my husband!) my heart bursts with emotion and love.

So we decide there and then to take one step at a time and not tell anyone until we see 'it'

Book review

So I wrote a book review for a friend and editor for Aalia magazine and here it is :D enjoy and let me know what you think

Book review of The Midwifes Confession in Aalia magazine

Biking around Richmond Park

So we took a ride to Richmond park last month, a nearly 7 hour ride in total so was a lovely day. The sun was shining as it has been for a few weeks now alhamdulillah :) and here are a few photos I took around there

Some photographical treats from Wales

The mountain biking park

Our bikes, chilaxing and taking in the scenery

Criccieth castle

Our bikes chiaxing half way up Mount Snowdon

The view from the top masha'Allah

Relaxing at the beach

Enjoying the calmness of the waves

Im still here :)

Assalamalikum and hellos to all you lot out there..

so its been far too long as someone mentioned in my last post.. January seems so far away when I got my lower braces put on. I want to blame it on the fact that blogger wont allow me to use a gmail address (which is just silly!) so I wont use blogger on my phone. However, its more than just that! I could come up with a million excuses but instead I will just fill you in on the last four nearly five months.

Can you believe its almost June already?? Half way through the year!! SubhanAllah... so whats been going on.. well braces are still on! A few adjustments have been made and Im very pleased with the results so far, so is my orthodontist who says he sees no reason why they shouldnt be off around September as planned :) Alhamdulillah, so Im really praying that it all goes smoothly from now on. I had a few problems last month with the wire sticking into the inside of my mouth, but the wire has been changed to a less flexible one now and my new mouth is coming along nicely :) I just remembered I have some photos of my molds on my phone of my teeth before, maybe Ill upload them later insha'Allah

There hasnt really been anything big happening to be honest, Chilli Tomato has found himself a new job alhamdulillah at Morrisons (supermarket) he starts today, so Im looking forward to seeing how that works out. After his probation he will be earning generally the same amount as his old job, for less hours and there is hardly any commute. 0.8 miles instead of 8 miles alhamdulillah. He rides his new bike, oh yeah, he bought a hybrid bike (mountain bike frame, racer wheels) after buying our mountain bikes purely for work reasons, to work and it takes him about 10minutes if that!! so hes very happy. He realised there is a gym that hes been to before and he liked just next door to his workplace AND there is a mosque around the corner Alhamdulillah!! Hes even more up to actually moving to the area, which would mean closer for me too when Im going to work at 0230... trust me, an extra 5 minutes in bed makes a world of difference!!!

In May we took a family holiday to North Wales, my old next door neighbour has a caravan there and they allowed us to use it for a little while :) It was amazing masha'Allah.. our first proper holiday together away from family :) We climbed Mount Snowdon, went to a mountain bike park, strolled along the beach.. It was quite an active holiday and I was suprised at how refreshed I came away from it all really, Im glad I married this guy partly for the reason that he is so active masha'Allah.. He has opened me up to many experiences since we married in 2009 and Im grateful to Allah (subhana wa ta'ala) for that. We share so many more hobbies now.. I got him into snowboarding and photography and he got me into mountain biking :) prefect combinations masha'Allah

Ive recently bought a kindle (well my mum will tell you she bought it for my birthday but whatever! ;P) and Im in love.. Ive been reading soo much since I got it (feel free to check me out at my Goodreads profile :)
Also, Ive started meal planning :) Im thoroughly enjoying cooking new things (I decided to cook at least 2 new things every plan), our plan is for 2 weeks and its settling into a good routine alhamdulillah.

Insha'Allah when I get a minute free I will upload some photos from whats been happening since I last wrote :) Wish I could upload my instagram photos onto blogger, like you can with facebook and twitter.. would make things good too :D

Anyways, time to get back to work I think.....
Keep commenting :)
Fi amenAllah
Ammena

Brace face

I had my bottom teeth 'braced' this afternoon... I don't think it makes me sound any different, but then i didn't think the top ones did and apparently they did.
This will be me until at least September... They told me 12 months but hey it could be shorter, heres hoping. The top braces have made such a difference in just four months and my orthodontist reckons I'll see the change even quicker on the bottom.
Just wanted to update you on the brace situation

Snowboarding

My new bindings. Picked them up yesterday and im in love. Can't wait to use them :)

Garden fun

Thought i would show you all a photo of the garden while i haven't blogged for awhile :) enjoy because we most definitely are alhandulillah

December

so peeps... its December, the end of the year, and nearly time for our holidays... there is little snow in Canada at the moment so Im semi praying for a big dump but not too much on the roads (I can but wish) Ive picked out the new bindings that I want, although they wont look good with my current board Im hoping to change that for the next season insha'Allah. We cant wait to go over.. I have a big bag in the house full of little presents for my mum, her husband and a few friends over there.... I cant wait to show Chilli all the places I used to eat at, share new things with him and discover old things once again. I do miss Canada, but currently Im not in the mood to move again so for the time being its just holidays :) My mum is coming over to the UK the end of next year insha'Allah so there will be no family holiday next year (not including the 12 days at the end of this holiday!) so we can do what we want.. there are many places we would like to visit around Europe so insha'Allah we can have some local fun :D
My braces are going great alhamdulillah. I just noticed yesterday a little gap inbetween my two front teeth at the top.. which is a massive step considering the number of years the one tooth has been behind the other ;) So Im excited for my next appointment and then when Im back in January I will be getting the bottom set on, which Im not really looking forward to but needs must :D

New times

Assalamalikum
Its been awhile and not much has changed. Im still without my bottom braces and my orthodontist it leaving them off until we come back from Canada. I don't mind that but now im worried that things will take longer as far as my teeth are concerned. Allahu alim.
I have a sleek new phone which im writing to you all on now and i have to say i love it. Its the Samsung galaxy S2 :) I've got all the apps on here that i had on my iphone and im just waiting for the case i bought to turn up. Then i can take off this screen cover that i have to try and look around in order to see the screen. The amazing things about this phone have to be the screen size (4.3') the graphics and colours and the sheer speed of the processor. So lets see how this publishes this blog ;)
We had our two year anniversary yesterday, i can't believe how much things have changed over that time. Not just with us but with my families, ok my mum, acceptance of ny husband in her life alhamdulillah. We are really looking forward to going to Canada in December, just over a months time :D
Well that's all that's going on at the moment so ill leave it there and.im going to see how the settings are on here
Peace and salams
Ammena

Holidays

So the holiday season is approaching, and before anyone jumps on me about how haram it is to celebrate Xmas I wasnt talking about that!! We are going on holiday :D again its a family holiday thing, we are visiting my Mum in Canada for the New Year but its a holiday and Im very much looking forward to it.

It will be Chilli's first real snow holiday and hes very excited to be trying out snowboarding when we go over :) Hes been excessively checking prices and updates on all the different types of boards, bindings and boots.. I swear, he knows more than me, while I dont claim to know everything and Im not amazing on my board Ive been on a board probably 3 seasons and I love it :) I dont love the timings between seasons as I feel I forget many things but then it all feels new once more when I get on the slopes. I love it!!

Ive been trying to 'organise' our 23 days over there in Canada so I know how much money we need to save up for all the little things we want to do. At the moment we have 7 trips to the slopes, which means lift passes and maybe a few rentals for hubby.. and 5 days at a ski resort which I am super excited about.. although Im not really looking forward to having to share a room with my mum and her husband!! Allahu alim... it doesnt sound like she expects us to be together 24/7.. things its about time she realises that I have my own family now and Im not just her 'baby' grrr

Things at work are up and down, Im working with a new girl who's command of the English language isnt very good which causes more work and more problems for me really. Its times like this that I wish I didnt have to work, but Allahu alim.. I enjoy the week off that I get even if I do have to live with 12+ hour shifts :)

Thats really all thats happening on my side at the moment.. teeth have settled down alot alhamdulillah, I have stained elastics which are neon yellow at the moment thanks to Mr Tumeric :D but I enjoyed the curries :) Oh yes, Ive been making alot more desi food lately much to Chilli's delight which included aloo queema, aloo gobi and aubergine curry (I cant remember the name)

Onwards and Upwards
Peace and Assalamalikum,
Ammena

Braces

So this is me at the moment



I've had it on for a week now. I wasn't expecting a miracle but I don't seem to be seeing any difference. I was talked into getting ceramic brackets after my orthodontist told me they don't make a difference for time and they can be tightened just as much as the metal brackets. I've had one curry and no staining so far :)
I haven't had any massive pains with my teeth apart from some tenderness when I bite on certain teeth. However, I have been feeling like certain teeth are loose and woobly. Part of my gum has opened up a little bit which I assume is from the tooth moving and it isn't as bad as it was when I first had them on so alhamdulillah. I was thinking to give them a ring and see if it's anything to worry about.
Insha'Allah my next appointment is November 4th so next update then :)

- I'm using my iPhone as I go :)

Its been too long

... I apologise for not keeping up with this blog, but let me tell you all that I am reading each and every blog that changes in my blogroll :) Ive been very busy with work, we have recently moved onto proper shifts after 2 people left the company so now Im back working Thursday, Friday, Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday followed by a week off. A week off?? Thats alright! I hear you all say but let me get it out that I work 12 hour shifts starting around 2am. Yes, you read right!! 0200!!! So, do I now deserve that week off?? I think so!! Previously I was pretty much working Monday - Friday.. same start time, same length of shift.... so you can see why I havent been updating.. plus Ive just (yesterday masha'Allah) finished all my fasts, thats my make up fasts from Ramadhan and my Shaawal fasts... so I was coming home from work about 4pm, getting straight in bed and sleeping until hubby went for Asr, then I would stay up until Maghrib, eat and then sleep until it was time to get up for work.. so when I was home I was generally sleeping. Ok enough of the sympathy vote lets get on to a proper blog :D

What can I tell you about??? well there are two major things going on in my life at the moment, one is that Im getting braces fitted on September 30th.. top and bottom.. and the other is that we are planning for our next holiday in December to Canada.. Lets discuss my braces seeing as they are happening first and that the holiday planning is actually starting to give me a headache.

So I should have gotten braces a long time ago.. when I under 10 my dentist decided to take out a shed load of teeth (12 in total) to give my mouth room so I wouldnt need braces. When I was about to leave for university at the grand old age of 19 I went to a dental hospital in Liverpool who told me because I was going away to study (Bradford) that it was best to get it all sorted out there as I would need monthly adjustments. Who in their right mind thinks about dentists when they are living the life of freedom at uni?? WHO?? Needless to say I didnt get them!! I did have my top 2 wisdom teeth removed in a hospital in Liverpool before I moved to Canada though.

Upon arriving in Canada the dentist told me I needed braces, really??!! but first I needed my bottom 2 wisdom teeth out! WTH!! Then I moved again (yeh what can I say.. Im a wanderer) and of course it took me another 18 months to get myself an appointment. At this appointment the orthodontist felt compelled to make me feel even worse about my smile by asking would I contemplate jaw surgery as my jaw is slightly lobsided. .and even took a photo to prove it to me! All that and THEN he slapped me with the $6000 fee for those horrible metal things that make everyone feel like a kid. I mentioned to him I was thinking of leaving Canada with in the year (deja-vu eh!) to which he told me to get it sorted over there.

The funny thing is that I really dont mind going to the dentist, Ive been going every 6 months since I was small.. Ive even recently just got hubby on the bandwagon (after no-shows since he came over here in 2007!)  Its just these braces that are like a thorn in my side... so anyways, in June 2010 my dentist made a comment about them and the fact that her husband (my orthodontist) is starting clinics at my dentist. I love my dentist, shes so cool and down to earth so I thought why not and her husband is exactly the same, although I wouldnt give as much emotional comments to and I definately wouldnt ask HIM if I can breastfeed while wearing braces (dont ask!) Anyways, he gave me a consultation and sent out a letter detailing what needed to be done, the options and the cost. I just recently found the letter after looking for the details.. to my surprise in my head I had 18 months worth of treatment.. whereas the letter says approximately 12 months which makes me happy. I know, I know it depends on how my teeth react but the less time, even if it is an approximation, is better in my books.

So now Im undecided as to what type to get, my options are metal or ceramic brackets.. yeh not much option but there are so many different opinions out there I dont know who to listen to. Ive read that ceramic brackets arent as strong and therefore delay treatment, that they stain with tea, curry and other dyed foodstuffs, that its only the elastic that stains, that the metal is extremely painful against the inside of your lips... so much stuff to read to make this decision :(

But alhamdulillah, Im just glad that Im finally going to get this done and have a smile to be proud of insha'Allah

Al-Quran

Assalamalikum dear sisters in Islam (and everyone else reading)

I dont know how many of you would routinely check my recitation chart page on here but if you do then you will see that I have just changed my 'blue' surah because... yes you guessed it, Ive learnt a new surah masha'Allah. Surah Al-Qariah has now been added to my list of known surahs alhamdulillah. I finally bit the bullet and started it after a push from a few sisters and the guilt within myself to not have done anything about my memorisation in so long and not really doing much different for Ramadhan due to my work schedule.
I already knew the first three verses from similar verses in shorter surahs and as I have already admitted I was very nervous about facing this 11 verse surah. Its the longest surah I know.. the longest beforehand has been surah al-humazah at 9 verses. It was a daunting task but the good thing was there wasnt too many hard letters (you non arabic speakers know the ones Im talking about!! that ayn and ghayn!) alhamdulillah.
With knowing those first few verses I think I had it in my head the rest might be as easy but then I also had it in my head that because they were easy enough the rest would be an enormous problem.
Anyways, about a week ago I was sorting out the apps on my iphone and needed to log into my old laptop, since getting married we tend to use my husbands massive 19' screen laptop for everything. I turned it on and started playing about with some things, it was then that I came across the software I had been using awhile ago for my memorisation from the ImaanStar website. Its initially to learn juz 30 but then you can download the rest of the Quran in sections, even from a few different recitors, there are also books to download (which I just realised) I found it very useful then and was very excited so I downloaded it onto my husbands computer. You make a profile and then add all the surahs you know off by heart to the sidebar to see at a glance, then you can choose the next surah, there is arabic and a transliteration, the option to repeat each verse a number of times, to give a pause inbetween repeats, to repeat the whole surah after it has finished and many other things. Masha'Allah I love it and I pray for the rewards to be given to the makers of this program insha'Allah.
So yes, Ive learnt my new surah... yay me :) Im at work at the moment, but I cant wait to get home to colour the star in on my chart on the fridge :D how old am I again? ;)

Peace and salams
Ammena

Chosen

So I've decided (with a little help from Chilli Tomato) that I will be wearing the kameez from the previous post for our dinner out for Eid teamed with white trousers and a white shayla/yellow underscarf mix :) I do love the detailing on this kameez so I'm very happy.
As for Eid salah I decided I didn't want anything to flashy because, well that isn't me. Also when I do wear my outfits here I get the feeling that I'm being looked at as trying too hard to fit in with my husbands culture. When in truth the clothes (less in your face than mostly worn) and the food are the only things I have taken on :) anyways I also wanted to wear the full outfit ie the shalwaar too :) so this is what I will be wearing for Eid salah insha'Allah :)


- I'm using my iPhone as I go :)

Eid outfit options

My mayoon outfit from Pakistan celebrations. Ok, so I have already worn it but I love that this was the first celebration outfit that I wore to fit in with my in-laws culture and traditions. The down side is the scarf I would wear would probably cover up the majority of the hand stitched design and also the pants are very thin. I don't know if they are see through thin but I think too thin for British weather, even if we are in august.



Opinions anybody??

- I'm using my iPhone as I go :)

Nisaab levels and quesions

For many of us, Ramadan is the time to pay Zakat. Given the current record high prices of gold and silver, below are the Nisab levels:

* Nisab for Gold = £2,825 (£2,168 last year)

* Nisab for Silver = £459 (£233 last year)

Nisab is the minimum amount of savings and assets that a Muslim has to possess in order for them to be obliged to give Zakat. According to the Shari'ah the nisab for gold is 84.7 grams while the nisab for silver is 592.9 grams. Gold and silver nisab levels quoted above are based on spot prices on 10th August 2011, and are subject to change.

Reliance of the Traveller is a classical manual of Islamic law by Ahmad ibn Naqib al-Misri (rh) which states that the nisab for silver should be used for monetary balances. Since this results in a lower nisab level more Zakat is payable, which is better for the poor. 

Only Allah knows best and from Him alone is success.

So Im confused.. say you have £1000 in savings and 100g of gold... what zakat should you pay? Seeing as the level for money is stated above and the level for gold is 84.7g.. so you add the two together? how can you add a weight and a price? Please help....