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!

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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