Making Coconut oil for Aisha.

Well, I'm leaving my home country to join my husband in Dubai. Its been one year since I came here when I became 5 months pregnant. Now Aisha is 8 months old. Leaving with Aisha makes my packing more difficult. I need to take her food, her oil for massaging her, her medicines in case she get any diseases and her dresses and other utensils.
My mom has started making virgin coconut oil for Aisha. She cuts four or five coconuts, grates it and squeezes out the milk. She then boils it until the oil gets extracted and the thick residue is sedimented.

Grated cocnut

Cocnut milk

Coconut milk boiled until the oil gets extracted.

Aisha's cocnut oil.

Two bottles of oil is made - one for her hair and the other for her skin or body. For her hair, my Mom puts the flower, flame of the wood (Ixora Coccinea) in the oil when boiling. For the body oil, she adds turmeric.

Flame of the wood.

Flame of the wood flower is good to cool down the head and get a good sleep. It also protects skin from diseases.

Turmeric

Turmeric, as all of us know, is very good for the skin. It increases complexion, fights fungal and bacterial infections, smoothers the skin and stops unwanted hair growth on face etc.

Cradles

You know what? Aisha never cries when she wakes up from her sleep, i.e, if she is in a good mood. She wakes up, and then starts her play. She poos and pees in her cradle, and never makes a sound. When I peep from the kitchen, to see if she is sleeping ok, she will be busy licking the cloth of her cradle!
In India, we use a clothe cradle, which is tied with a rope to a hook on the roof. Babies love sleeping in it, as they get a feel of their mother's womb inside it. I put Aisha in it during her day time nap, and at night, I put her near to me so that she gets her Mom's warmth. Another advantage of this cradle is that I donot have to worry of Aisha falling from the cot.

Aisha's cradle

Sleeping in her cradle.

Woke up!

Aisha loves it when I swing the cradle for her, she laughs and kicks, if not sleepy. If sleepy, she just lays still and sleeps with a soft lullaby from me.

200 Days

Aisha has completed 200 days. Hmm... big girl. Now she will reach 300, then 1 year, 2 years,... Soon to school and then to college. She will get married and I'll become a grandma, right? Ha ha ha ha. Just day dreams.

My tiny little bug just 200 days

Her eating habits have improved, partially because I have become more expert in weaning and partially because she has become more hungry. Now I know how much she needs, so I cook accordingly. The funny thing is she doesn't like to drink water in her feeding bottle. She wants to drink it in a glass, as we drink. May be she is declaring that she is not a baby any more. And yeah, she won't eat if the food is given in a metal spoon. She needs her white plastic spoon that comes with the weaning bottle. So many rules and regulations!!
Aisha sleeps alright now. She doesn't pee at night, that is from around 9 pm to 7 am. And so the first thing she does in the morning is peeing and pooing. That makes my days and nights easier, as I don't have to worry about it.
She has become more social now, making everyone who passes her take her. When my cousins come home, she shouts and laughs loud to get their attention. When they look at her, she stamps her little feet, which means "Take me!". If they do not pay attention to her, she screams her lungs out. She loves gents more than ladies, 'coz she knows that gents will go out.

More Worries!!

Today Aisha fell from the cot. I swear I'll never ever sleep with Aisha on a cot again (well, until she grows and stops rolling over).  I was sleeping and she rolled over, under my feet and fell down! I was sad. The saddest part is, everyone said there's more to come! Oh, I wish this was the first and last fall of Aisha. I know kids will fall a lot before they learn to walk.
I was slumbering, at around 6 or 6:30 am. I was hearing Aisha's sound, but I woke up only when I heard her fall! I wish I have not slept when she was awake.
Alhamdulillah, Aisha is fine. Thanks God for your protection. But now on, I'm more worried about her. In the kitchen, she rolls over and reaches for vessels, bottles and utensils that are kept in the lower drawer. I should be more careful from now on.

In a bad mood.

Worries...

When I was pregnant and in hospital with all tensions of the cord problem, I wished it was all over, so that I could have a day without worries. But now, my worries had doubled, or tripled? Well, not tripled, but multiplied by many umpteen times. I stare in the dark, not knowing what to do. Is it normal?
When Aisha laughs, I'm worried - will too much laughing make her sick? When she doesn't laugh, I'm again worried. Why is she not laughing? Isn't she happy to see me? Am I a bad mom? Questions go on and on.
As any mom, when Aisha cries, again I'm worried. But when she doesn't cry, again I'm worried! Sometimes, when her nappy is wet, she doesn't cry. Usually she screams. Likewise, sometimes she doesn't cry when she is hungry. Keeps quiet and stays still. I get worried why she is so still. I start putting her on potty, feeding her etc.
I'm worried about her present, future and everything. I'm worried when she doesn't eat, when she coughs, sneezes, vomits,... In short, I worry about Aisha all time.
My question is, are you too like this? Or is it because I'm a first time mom? Or am I abnormal?

6 Months.

Aisha turned half-a-year yesterday. Wow! Isn't that great? I remember the day Hamdu mon turned 6 months old, I was very sad. Alhamdulillah, Allah gave me a rainbow and now she has turned 6 months. How fast time flies!

Six Months Old

Aisha has started rolling over, which makes my days messier and her days eventful. She rolls over to pull the curtains, under the cot to pull the bed sheet, near the staircase to lick the staircase pillar. She screams at the top of her voice, and laughs loud. She makes sound to get attention from others. Loves her grandpa, my dad-in-law very much that she jumps with joy at when she hears his voice. When in our bed, she stares at the door to see if someone is coming to pick her up. She smiles at everyone who smiles or talks to her. Her potty practice is almost on the way to the end, she makes some sounds or cries when she wants to pee. She pees in her potty twice in her sleep at night. She has started her semi solid food, kunnan kaya, a special variety banana powder given to infants in kerala and ragi (finger millet), both cooked with a teaspoon of coconut milk or a drop of ghee. She eats well if she is in good mood, that is if she is hungry and not sleepy. Else she eats only half of what I made and spits (sprays) half of what I give her. Weaning is really tough!

She knows it when I end feeding her, when I give her water from the cup. She starts to get up from my lap, starts rolling over and sprays the water all over my face!

Hair Cuts

After 2nd Hair Cut...(25/1/11)

After 3rd Hair cut (8/3/11)

After 4th Hair Cut, yesterday.

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