some good news

I'm really excited... Naief and I will be heading to Memphis this summer! Been trying to work this out for a while now.. hoping fares would be low (since summer is high season for travel in these parts), so I was really beyond belief when we found a low fare a few days ago. :)

Naief has never met my older sis, her fiance, my niece and nephew (and his family), my oldest brother, and he'll get to spend a good two months with my mom. Plus, there's a big wedding planned - my older sis is getting married. :) So that'll be exciting, I'm sure.

I get to leave Bahrain during the hottest part of the year as well, I'm just tickled pink about it. The weather has been hitting 118F the last several days, and heard today that some ppl are saying it could get to 60C (have no idea what that is in F), but sounds way tooooo hot for my blood... so I'm really thankful.

Have been prepping Naief and he knows we're going on a plane and that we'll be meeting all these ppl... he's even practicing the names... :)

On a different note, looks like I could/will be going to work this Sept. My MIL is proposing that I open a play/learning center for 2-3 yr olds and I've agreed to it.. the only thing is... it's all very short notice, nothing is prepared (including the place) and I'm leaving for the summer.. so who will do it??? Get it ready and such? It's already June 1st, so I'm panicking a bit... it all has to be set up (painting, furniture), all material bought, and ready to go before I leave, and MIL is leaving around the 19th of June for holiday and she wants it finished before then. fun fun fun

This is a huge undertaking and assistants have to be hired.. and that's another issue. Finding ppl who will work for the money, that know how to speak English and who will change diapers (that's a big one there).. since most 2 yr olds aren't potty trained. It would be nice to have someone just for that.

and...

I've never done this before. That's the biggest issue for me and, really, it makes me nauseous to think about it all. I taught when I first came to Bahrain and was hugely popular w/ the little ones... and I'm good with kids... so I feel ok about that, but the thoughts of organizing it all, managing it, not losing control of the children, and being able to be creative and imaginative enough for approx 18 kids, every day... I'm worried about. I guess on a positive note, it could help to bring back my creative flow.. which would be nice. I have tons of research to do... printing, tons of administrative work... and on top of it all,

I'm going on holiday and don't want this overshadowing my time. I want quality time with my family with no outside stress weighing me down.... aaaahhhhhh...

fun, fun, fun :)

Here we are

Gosh... it's been almost a week since being in Cali and haven't gotten into an argument w/ my sister one time... okay, maybe a tiny little spat, but it ended quickly, so all is happy on the Jahooni and Um Naief cloud! :)

Naief is still trying to get used to the time change. He's waking up at midnight wanting to play... which last night my sister got us up, played for a while, and he slept until 8:30 this morning!!!! What a relief since he's been waking up at 4:30 and 5 in the morning every day.

We've been spending our days shopping for Christmas presents, stocking stuffers... and even a few things for myself... yeah, how could I not, especially since they're carrying Vera Wang at Kohl's now and her pajamas are to DIE FOR!!!! Oh my gosh, they are sooooo soft... your skin melts in them, believe me!

Stocking stuffers are the hardest to get... I rack my brain trying to come up w/ things to fill stockings, and buying for hubby has always been the hardest for me, but this year... with a little help from my sister, I was able to get things to fill his stocking w/out a problem!

And mentioning stockings, I COULD NOT believe the difference in sizes of the stockings between me and my sister and Hashim's was quite small comparetively speaking (and yes, we're talking about sister jealousy here! ;) ). My mother made me and Hashim stockings two years ago and sent them to us filled w/ goodies, so this year she tells me to bring them w/ me - which I did - and what did my wondering eyes see when I got here, you may ask??!!! My sister's stocking is two sizes bigger than mine!!! Yep! Even the dog's stocking is bigger than mine and hubby's !!! Oh.. and if you know me, that was a no go, so I marched in to my mother and told her right off that that would have to be fixed :)!! So yesterday my momma made me and hubby new stockings!! and now sisterpoo is complaining that mine is bigger than hers! Can you believe it!?? I can... but I laugh because it's been how many years that she's been getting gobs more stocking stuffers than me... matter of fact, there have been years that I haven't even gotten a stocking from my mom... so this is only fair, the way I see it! ;) hehehe AND... found out this morning that she actually measured the stockings last night when one of her friend's was over.... uh huh.... she can hardly stand that my stocking is as big as hers now!!


And... and all of you might figure, I miss my husband a lot. This is the first vacation I've taken w/out him and for it to be such an extended length of time, well... it makes me sad on days... but the daily shopping excursions have helped w/ that somewhat! ;) Altho, I know Hashim is not too happy to hear that! But hey.. I haven't had Christmas w/ my family... well, my sister in about 5 years and ... my mom, well, it's been about 9 or more years, so I see this year as special. Coz who knows when the next time will be that I get to spend the holidays w/ them and such an extended length of time!

My sister has a dog and it's been a difficult task in getting Naief used to him. If I sit Naief down on the floor, the dog is usually all over him... not being mean or anything, just wanting to lick him and it scares Naief a bit, so he usually cries and doesn't want to do anything but be held, which is hard for me. He's also not particularly keen on being held or watched by my mom... crying when I leave the room and when I left to get gas the other day, he went into a complete crying fit, and then when I took a shower, my mom thought she was gonna have a panic attack because of the way he started acting.... so that's been hard, to say the least. I feel like I have a siamese twin and it makes it hard to do anything... but I'm trying to see it as a good thing and know that soon enough he won't even want me to hold him... but it's hard.

Anyway... this has been our time in a quick nutshell. We have a dinner party to go to this weekend, so I'll be making a pie to take - one of my favorites - and then I'm gonna do some baking over the next several days... making some Christmas cookies, brownies and such. The nice thing about here is that they have ready-made pie shells, which is nice. Never tried them, but have heard their just as good as the real thing, so I'm gonna give 'em a whirl this time around.

Happy shopping everyone... and Happy Eid to everyone in Bahrain!

Miss you Hashim!

soon enough

Tomorrow is the big day... we'll be leaving home at around 11 p.m. to head to the airport w/ our flight taking off at about 2:00 a.m. I'm pretty much packed... just getting the last few odds and ends ready and making sure or trying to make sure that I haven't forgotten anything.... and for some reason, I keep forgetting to get my socks out. I always tend to forget to pack socks.

My nerves have calmed pretty much, thank goodness. We pick up Naief's visa to the UK tomorrow, so I'm hoping that when we go thru immigration here in Bahrain, there won't be a problem. I'm taking his birth certificates, a letter from Hashim stating that it's okay for me to be traveling w/ the baby (alone), and I hope that about covers it. I won't be pulling out his American passport, unless needed, until we get on American soil... except at the airline's counter here in Bahrain... so it's my hope that it's smooth sailing at all points.

Gave Naief the sleeping meds last night to try them out. They made him hyper for about an hour 1/2 and then he fell asleep. Slept this morning until about 7 and took two bottles while asleep, which I thought was great. I was afraid they'd knock him out to the point that it was like he was in a coma, but it was very mild. I'm not for drugging the baby or anything, but since this is the first time to fly w/ him and because he hates to sit in one place for longer than 2 mins., it seems, and because I'm a bit of a nervous wreck w/ the thought of not being able to handle him by myself, I decided to go w/ the med. And really, I'm glad I have. I think it'll be perfect ... it'll let him sleep soundly and will allow me to get a little rest myself.

I'm thrilled to be going. Can't hardly wait. Packing is killing me though. I never know what to take, what not to take and wind up taking things I never wear. I promised myself I wouldn't do that again this time, but wouldn't ya know it, I am. But... I'm hoping that as tomorrow comes upon me, I'll have some type of revelation and know exactly what is needed! yeah, right.... but at least I can be dream...

My friend, S, will be having her baby in Feb., actually her due date is 2 days prior to Naief's birthday. I'm thrilled for her, but sad because I won't be here for it. I can't wait to hear the good news and to come back to see her sweet little baby! My sister and all her friends in Cali do this thing where they take food to all their new momma friends, and I'm gonna start that tradition here starting w/ S. Never realized how much something like that can help until having my own baby. My MIL sent food to us for weeks after the birth and it was so needed. It's nice to not have to worry about cooking, especially when you're tired and have a million other things on your mind!

I saw Henry yesterday. It warmed my heart to see that he's alive and doing well. My FIL has taken on two more of these birds and I'm really wanting to set them free. I told Hashim today that I want to become a caped crusader and set all these caged birds free!!! Imagine... seems like a crazy idea but I'm just the one to do it!! :) One of my blog friends, Jane, made an interesting point about caged birds. She said something like, "If God had intended for birds not to fly, He wouldn't have given them wings" or "If God had intended for birds to be caged, He wouldn't have given them wings". I so agree w/ this and will never buy another caged bird. Now, if I could only get my in-laws to see it this way!

And that's about it for me. I'm tired - need to sleep but can't because of my nerves - and am so anxious that I leave tomorrow that I'm beside myself. Today we were driving around Bahrain and I actually got sad. For as much as I think I don't like it here (on days), I really have fallen in love w/ Bahrain! Can you believe I'm saying this?!! The people are really good here... so many times, out of the blue, people will start talking to me about the baby. I get smiles from mothers and complete strangers, and just a general positive vibe from people who don't know me but love babies. It's a good feeling and it's nice to be experiencing it! And Naief loves the attention! And wouldn't you know it, but I can honestly say I'm gonna miss my FIL and MIL! Yes, pick yourself up off the floor, it's true! :)

another one bites the dust!

why me??? here my hair is already thin... not like i can stand to even lose a few strands, but low and behold, my hormones are shifting and my hair has started to fall out. i sorta thought it might slow down by now, but it seems to be getting worse. a friend of mine who had her baby 2 mths before me, started losing hair at 4 mths, and told me it was coming out in the handfuls, but she has lush, thick hair... but she still panicked. now... i am. her dr. gave her some stuff for it, i'm maybe wanting some of this! ;)

well, my sister has left on a 9 day vacation to Yosemite National Park. i'm totally wanting to go. i wish i was there to go w/ them. she took katelyn camping at nine mths, in the freezing cold and she loved it! the pictures are adorable.... i think naief would really love it. well... maybe the next time. since they go every year and have a nice, big camping trailer now.... we could all tag along for a very enjoyable trip. now... only if me and the sis could stand 9 days together! ;) :0

i've decided to take a vacation to the States some time very soon. it's just gonna be me and baby traveling. i'm a bit terrified. i say that loosely, because i'm strong and know i can handle it, but there are pieces of it that sorta just freak me out. for one, do i take a stroller or carry him in a backpack type of harness while waiting for the flight, during layover and such. do i get an extra seat for him and put his car seat in the chair or do we get only one seat and he sits in my lap the entire time? do i get benadryl for the flight so that he can sleep or will it make him hyper, like some children? do i rely on natural physics and let him fall asleep on his own... because he has a tendency to cry when i'm putting him down until he falls asleep and sometimes it's fierce crying, so i can imagine what the other passengers (the ones w/out children - who have never had children) might be bothered.

should i care?!! it is my little one after all. i heard some time back where some airline made a woman get off the flight w/ her child because she/he kept saying "bye bye plane" or something and the stewardess got mad about it, complained, and they were made to get off.

imagine! i would throw a major ass fit. i have a temper.... i can only imagine it flaring at a time like that. i'd probably be barred from ever flying w/ that airline again! ;)

i'm also concerned about the layover and carrying the baby for that long on my back. if i don't take a stroller, then if he started getting cranky, i'd have to carry him in my arms... but hey, we could always find a nice place to sit down, relax and play until it was time for our flight.

and what about feeding him? you have to take all your bottles, formula and they can't give you sterilized water for the bottle... but they can warm water for you. which is cool... and would work nicely. and then i think about changing. some airlines have bathrooms equipped w/ changes tables on the doors, so that would be helpful. how about boredom and the fact that he wouldn't be able to move basically, other than around on my lap. i wonder how he'd handle that. would he cry a lot??

i'm also trying to debate about when i'd travel. my aunt, whom i haven't seen in .... gosh, since i was a teenager, is gonna be in Calif. to visit my mom in early sept., and i'd love to see her. but, then that means i'd have to leave at the start of Ramadan and wouldn't be able to spend Ramadan and Eid w/ the family and extended family, which is important to hubby, and it would basically be the baby's first holiday... and pictures would have to go in the baby book!! :)

so, if i stay thru, then i miss my aunt, but that always means i can stay thru two holidays. Halloween and thanksgiving. both are ones that i love. i think it would be great to take the baby in a little costume out w/ his 7 yr old cousin. gosh... how fun would that be! and then thanksgiving, well... it's been forever since i spent that holiday w/ my family. i think the last time was when my sister was just dating her husband... some 11 years ago! i'd look at coming back before Christmas... because have to put up a tree and decorations for the baby's first Christmas... and can't miss that w/ my husband. altho, i'd dearly love to have that w/ my family. but that would mean w/out my husband.... and since he's very important and our family life together has change drastically and is as important... i feel it only right to come back and do the whole thing here!

aaahhhh... the baby's first Christmas! :) altho, he won't remember it, there will be tons of pictures... and it'll be really nice. he'll love the paper... just like the cats! ;)

naief is cutting his upper teeth and has been having such pain w/ them. he wants to bite on everything and so he should. i give him as much as possible to satisfy that need, and on occasion have given him a finger, which i only regret when he bites down super hard ....

he's walking now in his walker. i take him downstairs w/ me in the mornings and while i'm doing dishes, cleaning and such, he walks around squealing at the cats and babbling non-stop. i love this time. he gives me kisses now when i ask for them... ok, not every time, but at the best times. his hair is growing in... and GUESS WHAT???!!!!! it's blond! everyone's amazed and, you know, when he was born that was the first thing i told hashim, "he has blond hair"... but then, it was dark.... but now, it's blond. so so cute.

we saw my husband's aunt the other day at Geant and she told us that hashim had blond hair when he was little. hashim had told me this already but i refused to believe it. she told me that her son, who was w/ her, had also had blond hair.... and his hair was now a dark brown. hashim's is really dark... basically brownish/black... so i figure that when naief reaches 7 or 8, his hair will start to turn darker. i was born w/ white blond hair.... and kept it until i started getting around that age... but it was always dark blond or dishwater blond, as it's called, until in my 30s. now, it seems that most of it is turning grey, so i dye it whatever color i want! :)

anyway... that's about it. except, the baby is crawling full scale now and gets everywhere fast. he's starting to pull himself up, but hasn't accomplished it... so i know there are many things to be done here. i've already started moving things so that he can't get to it. he also wants to eat most things we're eating and insists on drinking bottled water, when i'm drinking it. he LOVES it. it's cute to watch.

that's about it. i've been super busy.... now i see why they say that motherhood is the hardest job on the planet. it's nice though because he's getting bigger and it's easier to get things done. i can only imagine how it'll be once he starts to walk. cleaning and running after him... well, i can think of a really great benefit... might finally lose the baby fat! :)

sweet day and sweet dreams!