2011 Reflections - Living with Aisha.

Having a part of your self and soul with you through out a year is really wonderful. I sometimes wish time would go slower so that I can enjoy these moments more. I remember last January, when Aisha was sleeping all day covered in flannels and blankets to keep her warm, waking up only for feeds during day time to make the nights active. And now, here she is, sleeping all night and making my days happier, busier and at times angrier and very tired. She is an active and enthusiastic girl, sending sparks all around the home, touching lives of anybody near her - except strangers.


Lessons I learned:


Be alert 24x7 - I don't think Moms need an explanation for this. Keep an eye on you ovens, gas cylinders, sharp and breakable kitchen utensils, sockets, bathroom doors, windows, chairs, tables, sofas, beds, ... the list never ends.
Have a lot of patience - You will have to watch her (silently, no shouting or whipping) pouring the gravy on the new dress you wanted to wear for the marriage function of your cousin. 
There is nothing unimportant - She has mouthed the tiny bit of paper you threw away.
Enjoy every moment - Hear her giggles when cuddling her - I never wanted those moments to end.
Compliment every good deed - Aisha always feels happy and proud when I say "Good Girl!".
Applause the victories - She wants me to clap her hand when she does anything she has newly learned - standing alone, walking alone, blowing a kiss, ...
Love unconditionally - Borrowing Celine Dion's verses - I never knew a love like this till you.
Hug and kiss often - Give it and get it. I find my sorrows melting away!
Childhood is the best part of your life - Sometimes I wish I could be her once more...
Push away irritating persons - Aisha yells when she is in the company of irritating persons. I wish I could also do it!


Changes in my life:

Cooking and cleaning became faster.
Always multitasking.
Browsing at 1 or 2 am.
Bath time reduced to  5 minutes.
Flexible sleeping time.
Eat healthy food and drink lots of water.
Take care that I don't get too sick to look after Aisha.
Lowered the number of books read.
Changed the priorities of likes and dislikes.
A fat body!!




My dearest little girl,  
One day you will grow up into a little woman, Insha Allah. If you ever come across this blog, I take this moment to tell you that I love you a lot.
I love you. May Allah bless you and gather us together with your brother in Jannah. Ameen.
With Love and Prayers,
Umma. 

Click the image to take part in Reflections.

The Unfriendly Girl.

Aisha is very unfriendly and my hands are aching by carrying her all the time. I just wish there was a remedy for this. I knew she would be unfriendly with the family members for a few days, but never expected it to continue this long! Its been four weeks in India. Well, she loves the young members of the family, but often its only her grandparents who are at home. I think she has perceived that only young people belong to her family, lolz. She loves my SIL and the kids in my family. She never plays alone in the presence of any one except me, and never allows any one to touch her. She stares at any one new in the place when the person is not looking at her and turns away her head when he looks at her. Begins to cry when the person does anything to catch her attention, and soon yells when the person nears her.

She loves it when no one is looking at her, in the bus or any pubic places. Last week, I went to my mom's home to meet my granny and my maternal uncles and aunties. We decided to go by the bus, the most used public transport system in Kerala. She was very much excited to see a lot of people, especially the kids. Usually she sleeps during a major part of the journey, but that day she was very alive and wondering at her surroundings.
The funny part was that she wanted the money from the hands of the conductor and the mobile phones from her co-passengers. She extended her hands to grab them, but nobody understood her intentions. She has learned a knew rule now, 'Money is for Mamma.' Whenever she finds a paper money with anyone, she grabs it from them and gives it to me. Hmmm... not a bad manner, right? One day she will make her Mamma rich! Sometimes I feel ashamed, when she cries for the money, but there is nothing I can do except to let her cry.
And now for some shots -

Watching the ducks eat.

Full freedom!

Looking at Mamma's greeting cards.

Johny...Johny...

Troubles

I hope you will forgive me for not blogging often. I have to tend to Aisha almost all day, and then I have this very very slow laptop. Our laptop is with Hubby and so I'm using another one, which is so slow and the keyboard doesn't work properly at times. Sometimes I get irritated and then stops browsing.

Hubby left to Dubai and Aisha   is making my days hectic by being very unsociable and unfriendly. She cries at the sight of everyone - her grandparents, uncles, aunties and neighbours, and I have to carry her always. She is also missing her Dad very  much, mostly at night when she gets to bed. She makes a lot of fuss!
Aisha got sick again, and the doc said that may due to her low iron level in her blood. He has also asked me to take a TB skin test or the mantoux test and a chest x-ray.  Low iron means low immunity. I'm giving her iron syrup, but that brings constipation. I have stop the syrup for a day or two, and then starts it again. She also doesn't eat anything and has got thinner. Worrying about her a lot.

Sunshine and shadows surprise her.

Christmas cake.

Coconut flower.

Sea shell necklace.

Some good news too. Aisha has developed her linguistic skills a lot, masha Allah, now she can say some words including Thank you. But the problem is that she uses it when she gives something to somebody, when we say Thank you to her. She has also learned the name of a lot of things, she points to the items when we say the name. 

Thats for now and hope I can see you all very soon, Insha allah.

What is Aisha up to?

Aisha is taking her first steps, MashaAllah!!! This is a moment to be happy and proud! My little girl has started walking. I'm patiently waiting for the day when she will run behind me.

And now for her daily activities.

Praying with Mom.

Playing hide and seek

Playing with Pussy.

'Helping' Mom cut the veggies.

Climbing staircase.

The sky was my limit, and with modern science, I can  go  beyond that!!!

Visiting Family.

We went to stay at my home* for one day, before hubby left.

In her new dress bought by her uncles, my brothers.

Toys bought by my brothers to pamper her.

At hubby's home**, riding a cycle with her grandpa.

(** Hubby's home: In Kerala, India, when we get married we go to our hubby's home where his family consisting of his parents, brothers and sisters stay.
*My home: Where my parents and my brothers and their wives live. We stay at both places.)

Animal Friends.

Aisha is very excited to see so many animals around the place, from mosquitoes to cows. She has also learned the name of a few of them, like butterfly, crow and cat. 

Feeding the goat.

 We went to visit friends and relatives, and every one had at-least one pet in their house. Aisha was thrilled, she cooed, babbled and laughed out loud when she saw these animals.

Mother hen and chicks.

Aisha loves the cry of the squirrel, and points her fingers to the mango-tree where she found the squirrel for the first time.

Pussy.

 Pussy is a friendly cat at our home and is Aisha's best friend, comes to her when she calls. Feeding Aisha is easier when Pussy is around her to play with her.

Hope she will hold them one day.

The crow comes to pick up waste from vegetables, fruits, fish and meat. Aisha shouts when she sees one.

Swing

Grandparents have many ways to please their grandchildren and this is one of them.

Grandpa had the swing all set and ready for Aisha when she came home. 

Going Home.

Its been long since I signed into my account to take a look at what is happening around. Well, we are in India now, and it took a while to get settled down. The trip was almost fine, Alhamdulillah. Aisha cried hard during take-off, when she felt hungry and sleepy. The air-hostess has advised me not to feed her during take-off and landing. So I had a terrible time during take-off. Hubby was there, but there was little or nothing we could do except to let her cry. Soon she slept.

At the food court in Sharjah Airport.

Standing alone at the prayer room

We were not able to book a seat on the Dubai based Emirates airline from Dubai to Kochin, so we had to opt for other airlines. Emirates is a good carrier. We decided to take the Jet Airlines, an Indian based airlines company, from Sharjah to kochin. It is cheap but their service is very bad compared to Emirates. Well, with what we payed, the service was good.
Aisha woke up only when we got out of the airport. FIL was there waiting for us. He came to hug his granddaughter but Aisha was very unsociable and close-mouthed. She stared at him when he was not looking at her, and looked away when he looked at her.
At home, Aisha felt more uneasy with Granny and our house maid running to take her and hug her. She kept quite or cried in their presence and laughs and plays when its only the three of us.

Home.

By the end of the day, with Aisha on my shoulders all time, my hands are aching!

Snaps.

Climbing On The Bed.

Running around.

Just a moment to take a breath.

Weeding the compound.