Exactly one Hijriah year ago, I felt Ryan moving in my tummy. I remember being so excited, I went around telling my colleagues that I finally feel pregnant. Most were happy for me, some thought I was crazy to be pregnant at my age. I must admit, I was insanely happy..
The morning sickness was bad, as with my five previous pregnancies. I usually have to puke before going to my classes. Since the teachers' restroom was too small, and was within the hearing distance of the teachers in the teachers' lounge, I had to make a trip to my special spot behind the Pendidikan Khas buildings to do my thing. Armed with my faithful water bottle, I would descend the stairs by the teachers' lounge, go past the science labs, go around the IT lab, cross the roofed parking lot, walk a little distance over the field and voila.. Then I had to retrace my steps and went up to the 4th floor to my awaiting students of upper and lower 6th formers.
May be it was the up-and-down walking at home and at school, or may be because I couldn't keep my sahur down past Subuh, my weight stayed stagnant at 53.5 kg throughout the Ramadhan last year. Only after 3 weeks of Raya that my weight came slowly up to 55 kg, and increased steadily after that. I was 59.5 kg when Ryan was born on January 14th 2010 (28 Muharram 1431).
I have been calling my baby by his name ever since I knew I was pregnant, which was about a month after I moved to this house. Being bibik-less for more than 3 years, I had an insurmountable task of cleaning and packing things at our rented 2 1/2 -storey house. My mother who lived just across the street came by every afternoon to help out. Kushairy was still living at home so he got to help as well. But still, without the tenacity of an efficient maid, we were barely coping at best. Then on May 1st 2009 - the day Kushairy was offered a place at IIUM - we moved to our present house - after 5 years of renting in Ipoh. Finally, a house of our own - facing a vast field - with no backyard or compound to worry about. When we bought this house in 2006, we wanted a home big enough to house a family with 5 school-age children, with no extra land since neither Daddy nor me were inclined to get our hands dirty with gardening after a full day at the office/ school. And we decided we were through with having maids. Back in Kulim, it was our outdoorsy maid who made sure the surrounding area of our house neat and pleasant.
Then on May 23rd 2009, we sent Kushairy to IIUM.
After that weekend, I was tired all the time. I felt I couldn't wait for the 2-week school break. I thought I was down with a viral flu. We weren't actively planning to have another addition to our family; and yet we weren't actively planning not to have one either. The first thought that came to my mind when I found out I was pregnant with Ryan was how am I going to make the stairs in the house safe for a crawling and walking toddler. We are talking of 40-step stairs here, all the way to the third floor!
Ryan isn't crawling yet.. and Daddy has yet to figure out something about the stairs.. (yup I have since learned to delegate such tasks to Daddy).
I had a friend whose son named Rayyan, born in a Ramadhan month. I liked the name, which means a Heaven door dedicated to those who truly fast. But it was too middle-eastern for my tongue - hence Ryan was a sweeter choice. Daddy has been wanting to name his child Danial since forever; so Ahmad Ryan Danial is a perfect name for our 2nd son - just one letter more than Muhammad Kushairy.
And yes.. Ryan, I'zzah, Dayana, Iman, Maisarah and Kushairy, you were all called by your own name by your mother long before the ob/gynae confirmed your sex - much to your Dad's surprise.
