Brotzeit, German Bier Bar & Restaurant

So, my botak friend told me about this new babi restaurant that recently opened during one of our, now, rare kopi sessions. He was telling me about how popular the place was and how everyone was heading over there for makans.

Where was it? At midvalley, near where Chilli's restaurant was.

So last Friday, the husband and I were deciding what to eat for lunch, while we were out with a friend. He suggested the coffee shop in Batai, Damansara Heights. I was like, let's go somewhere nicer to eat, since it was his birthday after all, which was when I remembered Brotzeit, which my botak friend had talked about.

Seems convenient enough, since we wanted to check out the Baby Expo that was going on in MV as well.

Headed over to MV and directions to the restaurant that was given was, near Starbucks. Yes - it was the same row as where Starbucks was, but No - it's not very near there, it's actually almost all the way to the other end of the row from Starbucks.

Approached it and was pleased that it looked like a nice open kinda pub. It's actually a German beer place. Ordered the recommended spicy bacon pizza. There were also lunch specials on and for RM19++ you could get a starter (choice of soup or green garden salad) and a main. Or for RM28++ you could add a third course of dessert. We had 2 lunch specials, one of which was the meatloaf as the main and the other was a farmer's platter of 2 sausages, mash potato, saurkraut and crispy pork. I was hungry, so I also added the bacon spread to the order.

A must try on the menu. My! The spicy bacon pizza certainly did not disappoint! It lived up to its expectations and the bacon spread was really yummy too! Came with 2 kinds of bread. yum yum! I could have just had the pizza and the bacon spread. But the meatloaf was tasty with the sunny side up egg. And the sausage platter was pretty good too, although I had preference for one of the sausages over the other - the one with the cheese inside. Yummmm.... :)

The verdict: Yes! Would definitely go back again. Also asked about them doing take aways for dinner, which they do!

We didn't finish the pizza, so here's the leftover. It was too good to go to waste and was pretty sure my sister would enjoy a taste of it!

yeah - it's a square pizza... so tasty... am feeling the craving for it now! 

Contest update

Blackberry Torch Celcom nuffnang contest - didn't win. buggaaa...

saw the winning posts... looks like mine only! cheh

Overhead - The Berries Talking....

Credits:

Have to remember to thank Jason Mumbles for the screenshot I stole above! Thank you! Thank you! Sorry, I had to crop out your watermark as well, cause I couldn't fit the image into the image of the phone. But, what a great review about the Blackberry OS6. Definitely seals the decision to get the Torch! So envy that you got to get a set from Maxis for your review *green eyes with envy*

So, nuffnang, my last plea for a free phone is based on pity factor. See the picture of my crackberry above? :( Been bearing with it for so long, a free Torch would rank you tops of my mostest favouritest! Please please, pretty please with a cherry on top! 

I think that's it. 

Pretty please!!!!! 

If Only....

.... this was possible?!

Stumbled across this when I was searching for breastfeeding articles. Read all about a man's attempt to lactate here. 

Motherhood....

I've heard some people say that motherhood is a journey, rather than a destination. Such wisdom - I totally agree, having just embarked on this journey. And my journey has been more of a transformation process...

Firstly, during pregnancy, my body slowly but surely grew into that of a whale-like proportions. Anyone who's ever been pregnant will attest to the fact that once your belly starts growing, you start to feel like a beached whale. Well, what did you expect with the extra 12-15kgs? And that is just the healthy weight gain that is recommended for a normal pregnancy. What about those who end up putting on more than than the recommended weight gain? You end up needing help getting out of bed, getting up from sitting on the floor (for whatever reason, you have decided to plonk your big whale-sized arse on the floor), having trouble putting on a pair sneakers on your own and even have issues with soaping your feet properly in the shower. Just to make sure you have no problems visualising what I am trying to say:

▲ beached humpback whale

The next stage of my transformation took the form of a lactating cow. In the first month, I was either feeding or pumping milk. That took precedence over washing my face, eating my meals, washing myself and making myself look decent. True story!

Baby was feeding once every 2 hours. And 2 hourly intervals were counted from the start of the feed before. So with baby on the breast for 30-45 mins, that leaves very little time in between feeds to do all those things I said in the paragraph above. At nights, we decided to give her feeds via bottle, since it was faster than feeding direct. And I woke up every 3 hours to express milk instead. During each pumping session, I was basically trying to squeeze every last drop of precious milk out to feed bub. And I mean, literally, squeeze. Coz after being on the pump (think if I remember correctly, it was about 20 minutes each side), I would express by hand just to get those last few drops out that usually escaped the pump. And when you're only getting 1-2oz of milk after 20 minutes on the pump, you start to have a new appreciation for the term "liquid gold".

It definitely wasn't what is depicted in the picture below:

Well, for starters, I didn't have a double pump. Secondly, my pump doesn't do handsfree. Thirdly, I also held a mirror so I could see the milk coming out. So definitely did not have any free hands to hold a liptstick to the face. 

Then came the 2nd month of baby's life. Freedom! Confinement was over and it was time for me to rejoin life outside the house. With a body that was still carrying a lot of pregnancy weight and water, hair that was constantly tied up because I felt sweaty all the time and feet that were still too big to fit any of my pre-pregnancy shoes, I ended up looking like the maid everytime we went out as a family. My husband was dressed nicely. The baby was dressed as cute as button. And I felt like the maid in my ill-fitting, in between sized clothes while I flip flopped around the mall with them. :( 

And so the motherhood transformation journey continues....

Panic Alert

Been awhile since my last post. Have so many things I wanna blog about but not enough time.. nor sleep! That's because baby has gotten a lot more active, staying awake longer, so spending more time entertaining her. And my 'free time' while she's asleep have been spent doing i-dunno-what! So just a quick post now before I go wake her up for her morning bath.

As a new mom traveling the motherhood road for the first time, it's like experiencing the world with a new perspective. When we go out now, we have an extra bag for baby's diaper stuff, we have one less seat in the car because of the baby car seat and less space in the boot because her stroller is there. So since we've started braving the world outside the home abit more, we're also learning how to navigate our frequently visited shopping malls for baby friendly areas - nursing rooms (these are almost non-existent in Malaysia) and diaper change places. SO.... imagine new mom, out with baby, nervous when she cries in public, I found this rather amusing when I was looking to change baby's diaper at Bangsar Shopping Complex:

A PANIC BUTTON right next to the baby changing station?!! hahaha... wondered who would come running if you pressed it in panic while trying to change your baby!

Breaking out the Onesies...

So it's been slightly over a month since baby came into our lives and the confinement lady who had been helping me take care of baby had come and gone. :(

Anyways, I was asking her when we should start putting baby in onesies - which I seem to have so many of, thanks to gifts from people :). Baby had only been in tops that open up in front because slipping clothes over her head would have been too difficult for anyone handling a newborn. She said after she's a month old when her neck is stronger... so there I was, going through her closet for the onesies after she turned a month old and to my horror - some of them were already too small for her! aiyo! they couldn't go over her big head. hehe... so started bringing out the other ones that said 0-3 months old so that they don't outgrow all her pretty clothes.

Here's the fashionista on parade:

Label: Mon Caramel

Long sleeved romper with matching long pants for the night

Label: Pumpkin Patch

Stripey short sleeved onesie with matching yellow mittens and socks

This was my koko's so looking a bit like a boy boy here

Label: Roca Wear

Purple puff sleeved onesie with pink mittens

How cute do I look? 

Label: Baby Biz

Red 3/4 sleeved romper

This is a bit too small for me already - see how there's only 1 button used?

Label: DKNY Baby

2 Piece long sleeved side buttoned top and long pants

Looking mega comfortable here

Label: Mothercare

Short sleeved onesie

Only got 1 photo of me in this since I was already crying for milk

Label: Baby Biz

Purple long sleeved romper 

You can't see it in the photo but it says '100% Adorable' on the front

Label: Carter's

Pink short sleeved onesie

Daddy couldn't stop saying "just too cute" the whole day 

That's all for now... will have more fashion updates at another time....  :)

You Know You're Breastfeeding When...

1. you indiscrimately grab your breasts.... not in a sexual way, to check which boob has more milk....
2. you search your wardrobe for a top to wear that would allow you whip your boobs in the least time possible...and they aren't for your other half's benefit....
3. you look at a the pacifier not as a saviour but as a rival to your breastfeeding efforts.... 
4. you are "baby-trained", ie you wake up at about feeding time waiting for baby to wake up eventhough you haven't had quite enough sleep yet
5. new parts of your body hurt/tingle, that didn't before, when you touch cold water...
6. you say 'BF' and you don't mean bestfriend...
7. you shriek in the bathroom when your "faucets" turn on...
8. you understand where the expression "crying over spilt milk" comes from and it's not just an expression anymore... 
9. the amount of poop in your baby's diaper gives you a sense achievement - telling you that she had a good feed on the breast earlier....
10. you wonder if there was anyone else who might walk in through the door while you were nursing... don't people knock anymore?!

But it's all worth it....

Sleep Deprivation Is...

When you can't figure out if you used liquid body wash or shampoo on your hair while in the shower.. hurm....

She's Here....