Bath time.

We have got a huge bathroom at our home in Dubai (compared to the bathrooms in India) making Aisha's bath time real fun. She can roll around, slither, crawl etc etc. I massage her with oil and then put her on a long plastic sheet for about 10 to 20 minutes, and she plays until ready for the bath, on the condition that I sing to her. For me, she is the only audience who enjoys my singing, and for her, Mamma is the best singer she have heard! So both of us enjoy the bath time.  Aisha has got her bathroom toys, a hippo, a duck and a rattle. But she also wants the soap box, cup, oil-bottle and shampoo-bottle. I have to run around to keep her away from those.

Hippo and ducky.

Her teether rattle, now her bathroom toy.

The play ground bathroom.

Oil massage for hippo and duck!

Ready for the bath.

After her oil massage, I wash hubby's hand-wash only clothes, and then take her to the bath tray. She enjoys her bath too, but for me, I have to take extra energy to keep her still. She becomes very much excited, trying to hold the cup, grab the soap and jump into the water filled basin. By the time I finish, I'll be bent down with back pain.

To Dubai.

All set up for the trip.

We (myself, FIL, MIL and Aisha) started at 2 pm from hubby's home, after lunch. I didn't take my lunch as usual, while going long distances. After a one hour drive, we stooped at my home to say good-bye to my mom and dad. From there to my maternal home, to meet my granny, aunties, uncles and cousin. We spent one hour there, changing and feeding Aisha. I gave her an egg yolk, which was a big mistake. The flight was at 9 pm, so we have to reach airport at 6 pm. So we departed from there at 4:45 pm. On our way to Calicut Airport, we got into a big traffic block at Kondotty. The one hour drive to the airport thus took 1 and half hour to reach there. The moment we reached airport, Aisha started vomiting. She vomited four or five times and we had to call a doctor. He checked her, and suggested taking an injection if she vomits again. Thank God, she didn't vomit after that. Thanks to the 'Swagat Sewa' in the Airport, I didn't have to worry about checking in and all other formalities. The staff of the Swagat Sewa ( = welcome service in Malayalam) filled up the forms, helped in screening the luggages etc. Special thanks to Emirates Airline staff too for giving me a front seat. At the emigration queue, the lady infront asked me to go straight to the counter. A big thanks to her too.

At the lounge, I went to the child care room to feed Aisha. There were a lot of Moms, and we shared our experiences as Moms. There was a bed and a cradle in the room, a thumbs up for the airport staff and a thumbs down to the airport staff for not putting an extra counter at emigration, screening and security check for families with babies. With the family first rule of the Emirates Airlines, I was the first one to get into the aircraft. Aisha was a little annoyed at having to sit for a long time, and she cried during taking off and landing. After take off, she slept. The air-hostess provided a bassinet and a blanket for Aisha. Aisha slept till we reached Dubai International Airport, DIA.

Our arrival time was 11:50 pm (UAE time). I got a stroller for Aisha and as soon as I put her in it, she woke up.  She was very excited and ebullient, shouting and cooing at the people around. I think the lights and reflective pillars of the airport fascinated her. Within half an hour we got out of the airport. DH was waiting for us. Aisha was happy to see him, she laughed and jumped at him. I was a little tensed about it, if Aisha didn't got familiar with her dad, baba, chachi and deedi, I would have been in trouble. But she never had any unfamiliarity. She mingled with them easily and joyfully. We reached home at 1 am.

It been around one year (15 days less) since I left this place, our home in Dubai. Hmmm... Nothing's changed. All I wanted was a cool place to sleep, but, first, I have to put Aisha to sleep. She played a little with her dad, baba and chahci (of course, Z deedi was sleeping) and then a bath and to sleep - between mom and dad!http://www.lucylovesaustralia.com/

Eight Months old.

Aisha stayed in my tummy for eight months. And now, out of my tummy for eight months. How fast time flies! Aisha has grown into a sweet little naughty girl now. Rolling all around the place, grabbing everything she can reach. She rolls under the chair or table and kicks it making the opposite leg to smash on her head. And then she screams! I take her back to a safe place from where she rolls again and repeats the same action!

And yes, Aisha has started biting everything she gets. I don't know if her teething is on the way but she gives me pain when I breast feed her.

Trying to eat a Water Apple (Chambakka).

Biting an unripe guava.

Play time.

Rain rain go away, little Aisha wants to go out!

I've started giving cooked vegetables to Aisha. But on one condition, the veggies are home-grown. Thanks to my parents, uncles, aunties and in-laws for growing veggies in their garden. I get bottle-gourd, a variety of spinach, bitter-gourd, ladies finger and peas. I also got ripe banana from a far relative. Among the fruits I give her mango, jack-fruit, guava and water apple, everything grown at my home. And thanks to our landlord in Dubai, we get good dates from him. So, all organic food for Aisha. The finger millet I was giving her was cultivated at mu Aunty's (mom's sis) farm and the special variety banana powder was from another Aunty's (dad's sis) farm. I plan to give her an egg yolk, may be after 10 to 15 days, and that too I bought from my dad's cousin. He has hens with him, and feeds them with organic food only, with no feeds bought from markets and no hormone injections. I know this all-organic food system won't last long, because once in Dubai, I have no other option. Well, something is better than nothing!