Nanny-less

I have help from a babysitter to raise and take care of my sunshine Nayra since she was born. I enjoy taking care of nayra by myself but it really helps when I need to have a me-time, girls-night-out with friends or saturday night date with my hubby.

Nayra and Mba Karmi

But she's taking a leave starting today to attend two family weddings back home (she lives in Madiun), and she also has a family, a husband, son and daughter so I don't have the heart to give her only a-week-leave.

I'm actually looking forward to this bonding time with the ever so lively Nayra :) But since my mom is alway out and about, and my hubby's not exactly the baby-hugging-dad type so I'm just hoping Nayra and I are healthy and enjoying this, Bismillah :)

Kissessss XO

Pictures ASAP!

This should not be the way we're going.. Don't you think?

I just went on this blog and scrolled down as to see what I've been posting. I'll be the first to admit I'm not the most updated person in the world when it comes to bloggosphere world (explains the barely standard blog layout), but the least I can do to make this blog bearable is to put in some nice pictures right? So in the spirit of making a better effort, I'll try to post more picts in posts ahead.

Recap of that long weekend? As promised, more captures ;)

Being a good girl in the airplane

Pullman Kuta Hotel Lobby

In the corner of our suite

Potato Head Beach Club

Bebek Tepi Sawah

Nasi Pedas Bu Andhika

Rafting!

Ayana Resort

We were so refreshed there, but odd enough felt beat when we got back in Jakarta. So much for a refreshing vacation haha. Maybe it was because we were seconds away from missing our plane back. We were so late when we got to the airport, we ran for our dear lives to get to departure gate. And with the renovations going on to expand Ngurah Rai International airport, the nearest car drop off seemed like miles away from it. So once our rental ride pulled over, we practically hauled our suitcases and entered the olympic for running marathon (with airport track, that is).

Out of breath, limbs attached but all ache, we got to departure gate and it was the last call to board our plane. Thank God we were clear to board cause my in law, Devin who was vacationing with us had checked us in online the previous week but since Drop Baggage is closed our luggage couldn't go through!!! ;((((
Selflessly, her husband, Iben who was also with us quickly decided to stay and catch the next plane along with our three big suitcases that were clearly unquestionable for us to take. God bless him.

But worst was, once we hopped in the plane, I felt like pleading sorry to all the other passengers but I managed to look down on my feet as I walked to my seat and pretended they didn't scorn at us.

I'm usually the passenger-who-comes-2-hours-before-flight type but that was some experience and it taught us not to mess with flight schedule. Lesson learned.

Happy to relay that long weekend. Let's make 'be punctual (or be early)' our spirit this week :)
Kissessss XO

ordinary tuesday

Long weekend's around the corner Yayy !

For those of you who are involuntarily forced to be workaholic, you can finally take a breather from your routines and do work outs (watch that chair-hugging bum!), get those heels in your spring wish list, watch The Avengers (if you haven't gotten around to it yet, poor thing) and reserve a table in Negev for a dinner for two! Yess, long weekend's never overrated :)

This is a weekend to look up to for ma petite famille too :) - not that we're planning to do anything wild.

Mr. D, my pumpkin pie, me and the ever-faithful babysitter are going to Bali. This is our second time going to this world wide-known paradise in 6 months. Last time was in a December and it was raining a lot we couldn't enjoy the beach eventhough Kute Beach is literally across the road from the hotel we were staying in. Hope we've better luck this time. 

We're going this Friday with Nayra's grandmuff, grandpuff, and aunty Dedev. Her other aunt, aunty Devin and uncle Iben decided to take early leave from their offices and fly tomorrow to Bali, and take a ferry from there headed to Lombok. They're gonna meet us back in Bali on Friday.

Bad news, Nayra and I've still got the cold. But thank God it's nothing serious and we've still got two days to get back into our prime self and enjoy this vacay (fingers crossed :)

On another note, there's this song that's been going on and on in my head. Thanx to one of my bestie who did this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GZNsD0B1KJU&feature=colike for a Charlie Challenge initiated by Dianna Agron, one of the now-not-so glorious Glee casts (how did Glee become so borrrringgg ??)

I love this number my bestie sang, and eventhough I know zero spanish (I have to google the lyrics obviously) I'm sure it's about something sexy and spirited like the flamenco. :D

Hope you enjoy it and add it to your playlist to accompany you through this weekend!
Kissessss XOXO

The rule of expectation

It was a long awaited sunday...

But when it's finally here, somehow things turned out worse than expected...

OH NOOOOO !

GOD, I've been neglecting this blog for wayyy tooo longgg! We've got billions of catching up to do! First things first. What year is it? Oh, I only missed two years of writing. So prepare for a full-on blogpost with 2011 and 2012 highlights! *drumrolllll*
Nahh, just kidding :p lucky for you, I'm not gonna bore you w details and dreadful, longggg post today hehe. Well at least...not today. But I do want to press the rewind button, just a minute or two for a start :)

In early 2011 I apparently wrote something out of habit in my notepad's cell for this blog. Later I realize it must've been my one of many ways to share and channel my overwhelming gratitude. Soo, care to a flashback? :) 

"My little kickboxer I told you about, has stepped her tiny (or judging from the size of her, her not so tiny) feet onto this world!! And it's hard to put in writing what I'm feeling right now but here goes my best. I'm overwhelmed by happiness, I feel blissful and grateful every second of every day, I feel like the room lights up when I look at that adorable face with those plump cheeks, I feel overjoyed even when I change her diapers, and I still marvel at how God put both my face and my better half's on that tiny (or again, not so tiny) face ♥♥ Alhamd she's the daughter I've been waiting for.." 

Until this day, that's still what I'm feeling. What changes is... Her ! These are the photos of her in her early months, up until month 3.

Nayra's Akikah

Nayra Sarah Dharmawan

Our little family, The Dharmawan :)

So that is SHE. The love of my life.... (and ppssstttt.. my very personal doll :) Forgive me for being such a proud mom, but don't you just wanna kidnap her, make a new birth certificate and claim her your own?? hhehehee

I've always wanted a baby girl first, cause aside from the dressing-up part I think I'm more prepared to raise a girl. I've always been somewhat girly, soo.. yeah. I like to dress nayra like I dress myself, and I loveee matching outfits! haha Nayra who was born on a Saturday, Dec 18th 2010 is now 16 months old, and she runs, dances, plays, calls everybody "mama" (cause that's the only word she's able to say.. for now), and she sure knows how to put on a show. Once she dances, she wants the world to see so she does it in front of everyone. Once she's done showing her moves to me, she goes and looks for her dad or drag my mom by the hand (who's busy cooking) to make them sit and watch her doing her thing haha.

On a friend's daughter's birthday party -
Aryaduta Hotel

Mama and Nayra

YESSSS, I can talk about her forever! But I think it's enough for a back-from-the-dead blog. See you around!
Kissessss XO

Eat Pray Love

Aside from the rich and witty writings, turns out this book written by Elizabeth Gilbert herself also has the best insights and the most inspirational sentences. I've already highlighted a few and here's one of them.

Taken from Book One- Italy:
"..when you sense a faint potentiality for happiness after such dark times you must grab on to the ankles of that happiness and not let go until it drags you face-first out of the dirt. This is not selfishness but obligation.

You were given life; it is your duty (and also your entitlement as a human being) to find something beautiful within life, no matter how slight."
-Eat Pray Love

Kissessss =D

two months back and two months ahead

wow, it's been two months since i last wrote here.

but hey, who said i would be an industrious blogger?

i'm simply too busy playing with my little kickboxer. (haha i know i'm such a snob)

well i just dropped in to say hi, and maybe let out a tiny anxiety about what i would face in less than 2 months. you know, giving birth. my baby. and everything. justtt a teeny bit.

or maybe not that teeny.

i'm still in this phase of evading any pictures of giving birth from entering my mind. i try not to think about it. not until i really have to. i'm eight months along now, and i still have a few weeks to spare, right.

ok enough about mommy-thingy.

i am in the middle of reading eat pray love by elizabeth gilbert. i'm such a slow reader but so far, i think i kinda like it. i kinda understand her writing style (not that i'm a writer . i wish haha) or maybe i kinda understand elizabeth (the main character) cause she's a true cancer just like myself.

i'm still in book one-italy now, and can barely wait till i get to book three which as you all know happens to capture the beautiful island and tradition of Bali, Indonesia.

oh i'm yawning now. i really should go to bed. i'll see u in the next post!

Kissessss XO