Just wanted to let you guys know, in the third picture, baby Freesia is mashaAllah yawning and thats a lil bubble coming out of her mouth.
SubhanAllah.
My lil’ Freesia.. July 21, 2007
Today was our appointment at Credit Valley Hospital’s imaging department for our first ultrasound this pregnancy. I dressed up for our lil date, it was a special day for all of us.
Walking into the clinic was a moment that I will cherish forever, inshaAllah. It was a complete deja vu! The butterflies in me tummy, were fluttering just as ardently as they did when I went for Eesa’s ultrasound. It was those some emotions, those intense prayers for a healthy baby – and not to forget the bladder threatening to burst!
At the reception, the lady told us that Eesa could not go in for the entire session – he could come in once the technician was done taking the pictures of the vital organs and their measurements etc. So Imo and Eesoo waited outside while I went in. Alhamdolillah, my technician was an Iraqi lady – Hala and we bonded instantly. As soon as I entered, I told her that I am not leaving until I have two things: 1) The gender and 2) TONS of pictures. Kindly enough, she promised me both!!
I am so glad, we had Hala. She took the time to patiently answer my questions and before we knew it, we were exchanging stories about our first ultrasounds ever, the experience of having the first born, etc etc. SubhanAllah such is motherhood – it connects you so deeply with people without the usual need to go through the slow turtle paced ‘getting to know you’ stage!
Anyhow, during the entire process, my freesia kept mooning us with her bum. I think she was making sure that we are positive about her gender.. lol. Hala kept pointing to cute lil stuff like her tiny feet etc. The entire appointment had my heart pounding restlessly – I couldnt wait to meet her personally inshaAllah. At some points, while I’d have Hala poking deep into my bladder, I’d have tears running down my cheek and Hala would giggle and knowingly say, ‘Soon!’. hehe. InshaAllah.
Finally when Imo and Eesoo came in, they were as astounded by their first meeting as I was. Both of them had this huge grin on their faces. Eesa couldn’t stop laughing at the constant rhythmic beat of her heartbeat.
We pointed the baby out to Eesa and said ‘She’s your lil sister’.
“Sister, kya hota hai?’ He responded.
Such a cutie he is. MashaAllah I love him to bitsy and pray that this transition for him to be a big bro is easy inshaAllah.
I think I’m going to burst just thinking about how much love a woman could possibly entail within her soul - To be able to expense it not only on her spouse, AND not one but two kids too!!!
Pictures to follow inshaAllah!! 
Please continue to remember us in your dua’as!
Reading.. July 19, 2007
I think one of the most rewarding moments of mommyhood are those where you see your efforts bear fruit.
Last night as we were going through our routine dua’as, he started reciting the first two ayahs of Surah baqara. Most of the surah’s he knows are coz I’ve been reciting them to him before we sleep each night. But I’VE NEVER made him learn surah baqara, its just something Imo and I recite while cooking or something and we also listen to it often in the car as well. But subhanAllah, it was astounding to see him randomly recite it. I’ll try and record it the next time he recites it inshaAllah.
Secondly, tonight, as we were laying down to sleep, he pulled out his favourite book of alphabets by Little Leap. Only this time, he insisted that it would be him reading it out to me. It was an effort to hold back my laughter while watching him narrate back my expressions with added twists and dramatization to the tales.
Eeso0o, you’re the best! =)
‘Birth Jewelry’ or the ‘Push Present’.. July 12, 2007
I had a VERY interesting chat with an old acquaintance of mine last week. This person, ’J', has a 14 mth old and has just embarked 5 weeks into the baby way journey again. MashaAllah.
During our conversation, J mentioned how she’s already looking into push presents from now (she’s only 5 wks pregnant) for her next delivery. After listening to her for a good 3 minutes or so, I politely told her that I’m just not into jewelry and specifically, push presents. Appalled, she went on to inform me that its cute tradition and ofcourse, ‘our right‘ for having endured so much. Later, she went on to tell me that she wasnt happy with the point five carat diamond pendant she recieved for her last baby, she wanted a $4k (or was it $6k?!?!) bracelet this time around. It was a whole lot of ‘me, me, me’ before I managed to steer the conversation away.
Coincidentally while surfing my regular list of blog haunts, I spent some extra time reading older posts at Daddytypes today. (Its been my fave blog haunt this pregnancy. I often stop by there and appreciate the straightlaced, comical and technical approach daddies employ to childrearing). I digress.
As I was reading some of the older posts, I came across this and this. For those who are new to this concept, birth jewelry or a push present is typically “a way to commemorate and celebrate the beauty–and hard work and sacrifice–of a woman bringing a new life into your world”. It is being currently debated whether women with children born through c-sections should now demand ‘cut presents’.
As with almost everything else in North America, we tend to overrate and dramatize pregnancy and childbirth. Where other women in the world are delivering in subhumane conditions, often simply because they dont have the money to bear hospital costs, we’re worried about what our push/cut present should be.
I won’t undermine the choice of a man to gift his woman with a gift – birth or no birth. But the whole idea of women demanding or even expecting a birth present bugs me. For the record, my parents gifted my grandmas each time all three of us were born, but not because it was a trend, symbol or an expectation from either of my grandmums. Rather it was a happy occassion for both of them to share with the other most important ppl in their lives – and i love my mum for that, because instead of revolving everything around herself (as is the characteristic of an individualistic society like ours), she chose to involve others in her celebration instead.
My beef with the entire concept of a push/cut present is that it makes pregnancy sound as though I’m going through the most traumatic 9 months of my life with an even more horrific ending (while he’s happily partying away) and so therefore, its payback time.
Self centred again.
Pregnancy is not easy. Delivery isnt easy either.
Agreed.
However, as tough as they both are, I dont want to undermine the hardships (and joys!) that Imo is sharing with me each day. For all the extra workload I’ve dumped on him, from washing the bathroom to cooking to helping with Eesa, it certainly must be hard for him. For all the times when I’m cosily sleeping in while he’s working endless hours, I’m grateful to him for taking on the extra load so I dont have to get up for work while battling nausea bouts every morning! Above everything, having a baby is a privilege and a gift above everything else.
Imo, your presence around us is more valuable than any bracelet I, or our children, would ever carry on our wrist!
But, honey, if you really, really want to gift me with something dont let me hold you back!
Bring on the diaper changes instead;)
Toddling away.. July 11, 2007
Eesa’s toddled away for a vacation at daadis. It’s her last few days in TO before she jets off for a month long vacation in Pakistan so she requested that Eesoo stay with her for the remaining few days. I dont know who’s more upset about her leaving, Eesa or daadi. Eesa grabs onto daadi’s hand super tight whenever she mentions she’s leaving. Meanwhile, daadi has tears running down her eyes while she’s telling him to behave while she’s gone. Such a cute bond they share, mashaAllah. May Allah swt keep it this way forever, ameen.
Eesoo’s doing well alhamdolillah. His 33 mth babycentre report says its time for his toddler tantrums to reduce and for him to be getting into his new booster seat. We switched over to a booster approx 5 week ago when his shoulder reached the designated mark. I always thought the best place for the carseats were behind the passenger side so if the driver is driving, he can actually reach over and assisst the baby. Meanwhile, babycentre mentions that the safest place is actually behind the drivers seat… VERY interesting! I would have assumed the centre seat would have been then next best option because the baby cant get hurt from collision on either doors. weird!
This past weekend, imran’s fam spent sat night at our place. we stayed up playing family feud till fajr and then everyone except the phoppos went to the zoo. we stayed back and did a little bit of our packing and then phoppos wanted to check out the flea market in Brock so we drove over. Afterwards we met everyone at Cafe sinai for dinner *drools*.
Monday we went over to Jack darling park where Eesa had a ball at the splash pad. Although the water was super cold and he was shivering, yet, he refused to come out. Finally, he saw a bug in the water and that convinced him that its time to get out. The guys had a nice time playing catch n all as well.
Tuesday, we took off to see the american falls, take the tour there and then to do some baby shopping. Nothing much just a couple of newborn outfits for a girl (no I dont know the gender YET, just incase:P), some baby lotion/baby wash, cotton maternity top and some toys for eesoo peesoo.
Thats the general update from my end:D
