Parenting.. the cycle continues.. September 28, 2007

I think the best thing about parenting is how simply it makes you a child all over again.

 No, I’m not talking about how childishly we create chocolate moustache on each other while baking brownies. Neither am I talking about the sillyness while painting our hands orange to make marks all over my college binder, nor am I talking about rolling down the slope in our backyard with this sense of carefree-ness.

What I’m talking about is the mental aspect. The part where you tell your child ‘You’re so cute, I wanna eat you!’ and his innocent concern is: ‘but then mein finish ho jaoon ga’. (but then i’d be finished)

Or when you’re sitting in the car and Eesa yells out ‘Baba go faster, the moon is catching us!!’.

Because those statements give you a sudden deja-vu, of a time when you were a child and you asked your dad the exact same question. And in that moment, when your baby repeats the exact same thing, you know exactly what is going on in your child’s mind because your mind has travelled off to that same space some twenty or so odd years ago.

The potty tales.. September 20, 2007

As Eesa’s imagination grows wilder, his desire to explore the world intensifies as well. As with most boys, the human secretions fascinate Eesa to no end.

 Babycentre had warned me that around 35mths, toddlers get very interested in the difference between gender anatomy. About a week ago, he was very inquisitive to find out where in the noonoo does the pee actually come out from. =P

Forwarding to last night, after flushing the pot after his nightly pee, Eesa placed both his hands on the seat and tried to duck under to see something.

Not wanting to hinder his desire to explore, I controlled my laughter to ask him what he was looking for. Mind you, the sight of him with his head almost in the pot was hillariously disgusting.

He turned around around and asked innocently. ‘Where is the water coming from?’

I pointed to the holes in the pot. Not satisifed, he asked:

‘But why does the pot eat potty?’.

Hmm, now WHY does it?!

3 & counting.. September 15, 2007

This Ramadan counted our third year with Eesoo mashaAllah. SubhanAllah, I know I’ve said it enough times but its crazy how time is just flying right by us. I still remember the anxiety I felt about him not coming out early, going into labour almost a week late, bringing home this tiny lil bundle with absolutely no idea (but lots of instincts) about what to do and SubhanAllah, now he’s a 3 year old preschooler!! MashaAllah. (He officially turns three in about a month, on the 15th of Oct, but islamically, he turned three on the first Ramadan).

Eesa and Freesia share the cutest bond ever mashaAllah. Eesa usually lies down with his head on my tummy for his afternoon nap and Freesia, instinctly starts kicking and moving around. Eesa cant stop laughing because he thinks the baby is kissing him. Sometimes while walking my tummy bumps into his face and he burst out laughing coz he thinks the baby just hugged him. At other times, he just puts his hands on my tummy and tells me she’s kissing him – although i can’t feel a thing! Alhamdolillah, its most adorable!

Pregnancy wise, Alhamdolillah everything seems to be going ok. My diabetes test came out a little off during the last appointment, so we will be going for another couple of tests on Monday and Wednesday inshaAllah. Hopefully everything will be well inshaAllah.

Ramadan this year has been really tough since I’m missing the craziness of my family during suhoor alot. It seems forever since the last time I kept and opened my fasts with my family. The effort we had to put into waking Nayma up for suhoor only to have her sleep talk during suhoor or Shaima’s random mood swings about food etc etc Alhamdolillah, I cant complain though. As a family our own, opening fasts together gives me a sense of an inexplanable inner well being. I love trying out new recipes and cooking up stuff my mum used to make when we were kids. I often call up my aunts in LA or London just to get recipes off them (coz of the time difference at iftar time with my mum). Yesterday I made this yoghurt dish that I totally associate with my mom and Alhamdolillah, Imran loved it and asked me to make it for the iftars at Alfalah(our mosque). InshaAllah, I will be trying my hand at cholay(chick peas) and ghogni(black beans) soon.

I’ll be trying to fast as much as I can this year, since I’ve learnt that catching up is TOUGH. Within the last year, I’ve had to catch up almost three years’ worth of fasts and it was excruciatingly trying!

Theres so much I want to write about, but I’m at a loss for words. Theres been sooo many things going around us (physically and emotionally) that I’d be writing out a book if I were to start. Here are two pics of Eesoo from this month:

Busy 6th month.. September 4, 2007

Alhamdolillah, during my entire pregnancy, the month of August has been the fastest yet. Firstly our move, then our very first house guests who stayed with us for two weeks, a wedding the family, CNE/Ontario place Muslim day and then Maryam/Zahid’s move.

I think the most exciting beyond our move must be having my cousin over and the wedding in the family. Much of our extended family had gathered over from all over for the weekend and we had a great time playing taboo and just bumming around together in general. I also managed to fit into my wedding outfit (which is what i wore for the wedding) and took some snaps on Aisha’s cellphone. They’re without hijab but inshaAllah ill try to put them up with a password soon iA.

Have I mentioned how much I love our new place mashaAllah? Alhamdolillah it feels surreal. I can’t wait to welcome our new family member in december inshaAllah. I’ve been spending the last little while trying to figure out her nursery inshaAllah. Hopefully it should be done soon.

My college reopens this monday inhsaAllah. Freesia will be here before the semester ends but i’m hoping to get nursery help from the professors before hand, requesting to either bring her with me for the last month or to allow me to hand in my stuff electronically. Lets see how that goes iA. Everything suddenly seems soooo close!!

Eesoo, my peesoo, has been monkeying around as ever. MashaAllah he’s been upto the craziest stuff lately. Alhamdolillah our homeschooling has been going pretty well so far, inshaAllah he will soon be learning how to read and i cant wait for that stage! please make dua’a everything goes well with that!!

Btw, does any one know any home remedies for stretch marks?? thnx!