Epi DeBay Apit

19th November 2004......one of the happiest and proudest days of my life......the birth of my one and only son.....Ahmad Afiq Hilmy aka Apit.

One of the happiest and proudest moments of my life

At the Putrajaya Hospital...his first few days....

The interesting thing was that we knew the exact date of his birthday.....the doctor at the Putrajaya Hospital set that date for the Ceasarian Section, through which Apit was born....just like his two elder sisters.

That was 4 years ago.....he is pretty much a big boy now.....a hand-full though but youshould expect that from a boy like apit.

He reminds me of someone.....Yours Truly!!!.....from eating raw Milo to the Combat games.....from Tom and Jerry to the Transformers to the Incredible Hulk......only that I didn't have Power Rangers when I was growing up......

And he also doesn't seem to have any problem taking a long walk....in fact, he likes walking judging by his body language.

He also adapts well to this different environment (in Dubai).....just like his father...hehehe....

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Rewind back to 4 years ago.....

I was waiting anxiously in the waiting room near the Operating Theatre.....when suddenly I heard this very loud cry.....I thought to myself....it had to be a boy.....The nurse wheeled him out and she opened the blanket.....There it was....a penis (hehe)....and I muttered "Alhamdulillah"....Praise be To Allah.....our prayers had been answered. We had a healthy baby boy. I conveyed the good news to my parents-in-law.....but not before I recited the Adzan in his right ear and the Iqamah in his left ear. Then, I called my parents who were waiting anxiously at home in Kota.

Unfortunately, he had a serious case of jaundice....we had to let him stay at the PICU for a few days before we were able to bring him home......

He was our center of attention.....especially to his sisters....They enjoyed having a small baby to play with......It was a joy watching him grew....and it still is now.....

But, just like any other child growing up.....he's not without any mischief or any unfortunate events associated with him....

* Once, he was locked inside the car when we were stopping at the Gunung Semanggol RnR on our way back from a family vacation.....It was actually self-inflicted....he locked himself in.....It took us almost an hour to get him out....with the help of some good samaritans nd the PLUS people.

* He also had this nasty cut on his brows. He head hit our coffee table table when he fell down while eating some snacks......

* Then he had this severe chicken-pox.....his body was full of those red, itchy, fluid-filled spots....What an unpleasent experience for a small kid.

* Another thing was that he only stop breast-feeding at the age of 3+ we were already in Dubai by then)....which really annoyed me and his mother as well...hehehe....

We held a big kenduri when we had his head shaved (majlis cukur jambul)....It's as a sign of my gratefulness to Allah for granting us our wishes......We slaughtered a cattle....it was really a big affair....just like a wedding reception.....And we did it "kampung style".....almost all the neighbours lent their hands......

A bald-headed Apit....after the kenduri

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Fast forward...4 years later today.....

A big little boy, with an emotion of his own....hehehe.....sensitive, independent, active and a hand-full but still need his mother's cuddling at night.....

Yes.....an MU fan in the making

He has also started to wear the Manchester United jersey that I bought for him for his 2nd birthday.....I'm going to make him an MU fan...like his father, that's for sure.

And to Apit......Have a Great 4th Birthday....I love you....We all love you.....

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PS: Here are some collages of Apit throughout the years (4 years exactly).....enjoy....!!!

Apit: Year 0

Apit: Year 1

Apit: Year 2

Apit: Year 3

Apit: Year 4