jeedo's

Spoiled...

2008-08-20T18:23:00.000-07:00

Baba Jeeej...

I know it was so hard for you to accept sending us to Amman! I know it's so hard to be away from us at this stage but I'm sure you understand...and I hope you'll realize that it's for the best, for the 3 of us :)

Being in Amman, surrounded by my family has never been more beautiful! When my sisters and brother were holding Mariyah giving her kisses...when I saw mama playing with her calling her tete...when I first saw baba kissing her...it just made me melt...

I can't be more blessed for being here...I love Amman...and once I saw mama waiting for me inside I forgot all about the hardest trip ever...

With a baby and a stroller you get excellent treatment, like you are a VIP...except in Jordan :p but it's ok...I'm finally here...and I'm loving it! Jet lagged of course...but it's going to be alright!!

My Ka3boula kalabizo :D

2008-08-09T23:05:00.000-07:00

Just came from a fund raising party in Fremont...where there was a lot of food and dancing -Arab style party!- , the best part was dancing with my Mariyah, lol, she loves loud music...and dancing!!

It was the first time she behaves when we go out...it's either she is getting used to noises or maybe because I took her furniture -Bouncer- with me :p Something familiar to her :)

All the way to Fremont today, 30 min. drive, the radio was tuned in to her favourite "nonstation"...only loud hissing static!!

It calmed her down, and once I hit the highway she fell asleep enjoying the white noise!
It made me go crazy...but oh well...anything but breaking my heart :D

Our Super Star...

2008-08-05T17:30:00.000-07:00

I took Mariyah to "Picture People" Studio today for a photo shoot! They called her Super Star! She was so calm and classy! Once the shoot started she began to pause nicely and give smiles here and there...The photographer said she is photogenic! Once she was done, my baby burst into tears :s

This isn't the original picture I chose. This is a copy...

I'm supposed to get all the originals soon, and once I do, I will post them here :)

Yesterday was Jeeej's day off, and I was telling him that once we go to Jordan for a visit, I want to go out every single night with him! To movies and restaurants and everywhere fun! There, I have mama to take care of Marmoura...

So he simply asked: wanna go to the movies now?!

lol...

Yup, we did it! Upon Mr. Qwaider's suggestion, we made it to an early show, where the theater was almost empty...and the movie we chose was WALL-E.

It wasn't easy at all having her, she was behaving at the beginning, amused by the big screen and loud sounds, but when she got used to it she started looking for attention...

But we made it :D I haven't been to the movies since end of may...and I missed it! Jeeej goes with his friends every now and then to really loud movies, but as for me, I don't have friends who are into this hobby like me :( If I had, I would have left Mariyah with Jeeej at night...Oh well...

I can wait till I go to Jordan :)

When she cries...

2008-08-03T14:52:00.000-07:00

I don't cry!! Not anymore :D

Flipping!!

2008-08-01T23:29:00.000-07:00

She flipped today!!! She made my day by flipping twice :D

I have been training her to flip from her tummy to her back since she was 6 weeks old...and today she did it!!!

yaaaaaaaaaay:)

I got so excited when she flipped.so she started laughing:D

Mother Size Heart...

2008-07-31T11:57:00.000-07:00

Before she was born, I thought my heart is big enough...full of love to those beautiful people in my life!

But now, I can feel my heart stretching one day after another...becoming bigger and bigger to make her love fit in!

My love for her is growing, With time :)

I am a more understanding mother these days...Now I know what she needs and I hurry to provide her with love and care.

Reading "The Happiest baby on the block" is making me more relaxed and is keeping me away from anxiety! I trust my instinct more and my patience is at it's peak!

As for my previous experience with babies, It never existed! The last time I held a newborn, I was 14 years old! That was 12 years ago, when my brother was born! I remember helping my mom holding him and calming him down...but he was not a sensitive baby like our Little Mariyah...

Mariyah is a very alert baby...she is so sensitive to noises, to lights, to smells and movements...She finds it so hard to calm herself down by herself...

If she is not home she stays awake no matter how sleepy and tired she is! Her eyes stay open and her hands keep moving! She needs attention all the time...I have to keep her close, either by feeding her or holding her...

While at home...it's totally different...It's so quite, and she enjoys her swing, her bouncer and her baby gym! They can keep her awake and calm for a whole hour...but when it's time to sleep, SHE HAS TO BE WRAPPED, and she sleeps only while I'm feeding her or with Jeeej on the rocking chair!

The book made me understand that Mariyah is living the missing 4th trimester...which means that we should provide an atmosphere similar to the womb she stayed in for the 1st 3 trimesters!

The babies world keeps impressing me...at the beginning I felt so bad for not being experienced with babies like many other girls, but now I only feel blessed being able to understand this world with my own baby...She is teaching me so many things and I just keep enjoying her while she is awake...

We are going out daily these days! Gatherings and picnics...walking in the park or visiting Jeeej at work!

I try to get her tired during the day before she gets me tired at night! Sleeping for 6 and 7 hours at night is helping me a lot during the day...to love her and enjoy her as much as I want :D

7akifadi, Thanks a lot for suggesting this book! il hamdolillah, It's changing my life into a better one, AMAZINGLY!

Ekosaan or Karate Kid?!

2008-07-24T15:48:00.000-07:00

She has a new look now!! She mostly wears pink these days...so people could tell she's a girl :D

We got her this orange m&m suit from Las Vegas, last year! We didn't know what we were going to have...so we chose ORANGE :D and it looks super on her :$

So, not only did she get a hair cut, or her hair shaved...but also her mama -MEEE- has a new look now :p
I lost the 33 lb (15 Kg) I have gained during pregnancy! I am back to my weight when I first got pregnant!!

Ok...I was 176lb (80 Kg) on the 29th of May...and now I am 143 lb (65 Kg) :$

My doctor and the nurses were shocked! But my counselor believes it's due to the depression phase I have been through! Should I be happy I had depression!?

OH YEA! lol

Go Home!!

2008-07-20T14:00:00.000-07:00

Last night my cousin -A mother of 4- called me from Chicago, we were talking about how frustrating it is when you have a crying baby, and she was recommending some solutions...

Then she told me that last year, she took one of her kids to buy him a pair of shoes, when her one year old baby suddenly started crying as if there is no one around listening! My cousin said that at that moment she wished Earth would swallow her! But she just had to get her son the shoes...

One lady there, went to her inside the store, and said loudly: Take your kids and GO HOME!!

My cousin was shocked and nervous at the same time...so she asked: excuse me?! The lady repeated: GO HOME!

My cousin got soooo mad and said: You B****!!! If you have no kids...then too bad! Why don't YOU go home?!

To be honest, if my cousin told me this a year ago, I would have thought: Yea! Why does she take her kids out if she knows they don't behave?!

But yesterday when she told me the story, I got soooo mad at that lady!! I know how hard it is to make a baby calm down...

I went to meet my friend few days ago at the mall, Mariyah was full, clean and quiet...I had few minutes for myself before she started crying so loud! I got so confused! I kept walking her and then lifted her up...held her close to me, and still she was crying... People were staring at me as if I have committed a crime or something :s Some were too nice giving me smiles and coming close by to have a look at her...but most of the people there killed me with their looks I decided to go to one of the fitting rooms to feed her...again she was not hungry! So I simply decided to go back home...and have her cry away from IGNORANT people!

Next time...if she cries..I WON'T leave! I will stay because it is my right to go out and see people..and not to isolate myself from the whole world! Even if I got the worst looks ever!!

I just CAN NOT wait for the book to arrive! "Happiest baby on the block" recommended by 7aki fadi, I read a lot about it already and seems that it's going to be a good help for me to learn how to calm my baby down :)

SHE is wearing MY dress!!

2008-07-16T15:49:00.000-07:00

One of the best surprises ever...is knowing that my mom has kept one of my dresses when I was a baby, so she can give it to me once I have a baby girl of my own :D

She sent it to me with my friend Amal...

Mariyah in her mama's dress!!

Thank you tete Bassoumeh :D We can't wait to see you!!

"How Stylish" lol

WE have the power...

2008-07-14T18:41:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was one of the most tiring days of my life...I was about to collapse! I swear...I could barely do anything around the house...

What made it harder was Jeeej's phone call telling me he will be a couple of hours late at work, which meant continuous suffering for me...

Mariyah woke up really early yesterday having some gas in her stomach, and then took a nap for less than 2 hours! Then she stayed awake from 12 pm until 10:30 pm!! This is not common for babies her age!

Nothing was calming her down except for eating! I mean nothing! I made sure I clean her every now and then, I sang for her, I played with her, I walked her, I fed her and fed her and if anybody saw her eating would have thought she was starving, but she was not...actually she kept spitting every once in a while which means she was full!

When Jeeej came, he calmed her down by rocking her on the chair, and she slept after crying her heart out! Then she woke up after 30 min., crying! I was starting to lose it...She broke my heart, I started crying! Nothing was working!

Then, sometime around 10 pm, Jeeej decided that we have the power over her, she can't beat us! lol...

He wrapped her tightly -she HATES it, so we never do it!- and walked her, then on the rocking chair...she was crying SO LOUD all the time...and then she slept...at 10:30 pm!!!

He made me sleep at the same time...and the best part was waking up after almost 8 hours of continuous sleeping!

I haven't had this luxury -8 hours of sleep- since last February!!
From now on, WRAPPING IS THE BEST AND WE HAVE THE POWER!

For the record...I was brave enough today to cut her nails! For the 1st time :p
Jeeej did it the 1st time, just like changing her and cleaning her and bathing her and everything else:p

I Treasure...

2008-07-12T14:49:00.000-07:00

The moment I hold my baby against my chest, Where she folds her arms and rests her chin on them and then looks up to my face...

When our eyes lock, I can't help but smile and take a deep breath...Is this for real?!

Then I start praying...

May Allah SWT fill your life with love, joy and happiness...

I love you Mariyah !

Surprising Baba...

2008-07-08T18:29:00.000-07:00

Last week, Me and Mariyah surprised Baba Jeeej at work! She was wearing something cute, and Jeeej got excited about her visit,,,he started showing her off to his friends and managers :D

She was behaving, so Jeeej suggested we go out for lunch together since it was his break hour...

He was being so nice, putting her on his lap while eating so that I can enjoy my meal...and then she surprised him again by pooping on his dress pants :D

I don't know...Was it my fault being unable to put a diaper correctly around her butt...or was it her being so excited and in the mood of surprising her baba again and again.....

Girl in BLUE :)

2008-07-04T20:25:00.001-07:00

The QwaiderS on MAZAJ FM!!!!!!!!!

2008-07-01T23:00:00.000-07:00

Did you hear it on Mazaj FM?!?! just a while ago!! Now is this for real!? I just heard the interview with Mr. Qwaider and his Mrs!! They have just announced their wedding date and details!!! loooooooool...

But why on mazaj?! Why not on their blogs!?!? Pleeeeeeeeeeez Qwaider, can I tell who the bride is?!

I'm so excited for you guys!!

It's Funny...

2008-06-29T10:22:00.000-07:00

How when Mariyah is awake and so demanding I keep praying she goes to sleep ASAP...so that I can rest and have some "ME" time...

While when she is sleeping I miss her so bad that I keep checking on her and then wake her up "by mistake"!!

She is one month old today!! I can't believe it...

SssshhhhhhhHhhh! Say Mashallah ;)

2008-06-27T22:11:00.000-07:00

We are back from Auburn...We had a great time
and Jeeej took a break from us, a whole week!
Just what we all needed!

Life...Upside Down!

2008-06-18T11:15:00.000-07:00

Tummy time for Mariyah!

Mama once told me that the hardest part of the motherhood's journey is the last month of pregnancy and the 1st after delivery...So far, it's true...

For a while I started to believe that I am having postpartum depression...It all started with me crying whenever I hear her cry, and then crying because of the silliest mishaps happening around! It got worse once Jeeej went back to work after his 2 weeks off! I'm cooling down now...I'm sure it's all hormones and I will get over this all soon inshallah...

The fact that mama couldn't be here with me doubled my crying! I once woke her up at 1 am her time sobbing...asking her to do her best and come over here right away...but the very next day we talked and laughed about it!

I need a vacation! Sometime off!

I'm heading North tomorrow! I will be away from home for a week...We both will miss Jeeej so much! But we all need this...

I hope I will be able to relax and take it easy:) No laptop, no phone calls...nothing!

The Three of Us...

2008-06-05T20:07:00.000-07:00

Thank you Uncle Laz :) xoxo

05.29.05--->05.29.08!

2008-06-01T15:56:00.000-07:00

Few Hours Old! Mariyah, 7.7 lb and 19.5"

Yes, she made it on time...Allah SWT answered my prayers...I wanted her to arrive on the very same day Jeeej surprised me by showing up at university after few months of getting to know each other online :) That was year 2005, a very special day! And now The thought of it doubles the happiness!

On Thursday, I woke up sometime around 5 am, and I looked at my long nails and thought: "what if she arrives today?! I won't have time to cut them! I should do it now, or else they are going to scratch her body!! " so I did...and later on evening time 9:16 pm Mariyah was born !

It was Jeeej's day off...A beatuful one!!
we went to have breakfast at some nice old cafe in down town Saratoga, and we had an appointment with the midwife...we wanted to do grocery shopping and laundry too...but couldn't make it...

It was amazing...I can't describe my feelings...it's so magically emotional...and When I first saw her, I started singing for her...and held her tight :D Hamdillah...I'm soooo blessed...

I thank my parents and siblings for being patient...for their support and love from far away! It was hard and still is not to have each one of them hold her whenever they want...One day they will inshallah :)

I thank my in-laws for their advices and support all along the way ...

I thank my midwife Veronica who made my delivery easier and simpler, just by having her with me encouraging me til the end! and all the nurses, especially the muslim ones who took extra care of me :$

I thank all my friends the virtual and non virtual who have expressed their love and support...either by the sweet comments on my blog and by e mails...or by gifts and special advices...

I thank Jeeej for not fainting in the delivery room and for holding my hand the whole time over there...and for looking into my eyes sending me positive energy til we met Mariyah :)

I'm not sleeping well these days...not sleeping at all...I wish I can read blogs and leave comments, just like the old days...but I'm just exhausted with some health problems...It's temporary inshallah, and everything will get back to normal one day and soon inshallah!

The first time I left a post saying that I'm in Labor, it was a false alarm...I was sooo confused, I didn't want to delete it, I couldn't reply to other people's prayers...but I read them all and I thank you all...every single one who left me a comment since we announced pregnancy!! Beautiful days...and what's coming is even more beautiful inshallah:D

Princess Mariyah...3 days old!

By the way...I was telling Maioush today that whenever I hear Mariyah crying, I just start crying with her! Her voice and unique sound she makes when she cries breaks my heart :( Just the thought of it makes me shiver !!

Is that normal?! Will I get over this?! Is it that funny?! Then why couldn't Maioush just stop laughing about it?! :s

MARIYAH is here

2008-05-29T23:03:00.000-07:00

We didn't expect to wait for so long to have her arrive! but when we heard the news, the wait was worth it. God bless your hearts, Nido, Jihad & beautiful Mariyah. We miss you now more than any time before. She arrived exactly three years after you and Jihad first met. This is the fruit of a special couple, so special to all those who love you. We will wait for your safe arrival home.
Hugs, kisses, hugs, kisses...

Mama, Baba, Nour, Rana, Mimi & Ward

in LABOR!

2008-05-26T01:27:00.000-07:00

Pray for me:) Pray for my baby...Pray for us!

I love you all!!

Indiana Jones "Must See"!

2008-05-24T11:23:00.000-07:00

Could it be the last movie we watch before the baby's arrival?! We were waiting for a good -in theaters- movie to watch before it's too late...and it was Indiana Jones, Last night.

It was the first Indiana Jones for me to watch...I don't know why! Jeeej promised to rent the earlier ones for me :) I enjoyed the movie a lot.

The place was PACKED, the only seats we found were really close to the screen, but it was worth it :D

I feel I want to go out and have fun every single night now...
Yesterday many parents and teachers were surprised that I still go to work, but why not?!

The end of the year program for the school is going to be on June the 1st, I would love to have the baby before this date but at the same time it would be really nice to attend to see the kids celebrating and the parents gathering! It might be my last day at work...like FOREVER!

Allah SWT only knows what's coming next! As for me, I JUST CAN'T WAIT...

Hamdillah for everything :)

Yesterday, May 23rd, Sarah was born in Amman, and Demetri -my baby's 3rd cousin- was born here in CA. and I'm still waiting :)

Sarah...

2008-05-22T23:51:00.000-07:00

My best friend gave birth to baby Sarah, on this blessed Friday morning in Amman!

My heart is dancing for her...I don't think I will be able to sleep tonight! Can't wait to see her pictures and then see her in her Mommy's hand, soon in Amman inshallah :)

Allah Kareeem!!

She was supposed to give birth after me, but her baby was in a hurry to meet her lovely parents!

This is beautiful...hamdillah!!

8 days to go for me Inshallah :D

Summer's Pesto Sauce...

2008-05-21T19:42:00.000-07:00

I never knew that Pesto sauce can be made out of spinach! When I had my training at Villa Toscana restaurant, we only used basil.

I saw the recipe on Summer's cooking blog and I wanted to try it. I always like to cook using whatever I have in my kitchen. Since I always have spinach, and rarely basil, I decided to give it a try!

I didn't prepare the pasta yet. I'm waiting for Jeeej to come back home and have it with me! I hope he comes back soon or else he wont find anything for dinner! That's how good it is!

Thanks Summer...I love your cooking blog...and by the way...two days ago, I added some cinnamon to my green beans stew and it tasted much better :D

By Choice, ONLY!

2008-05-18T15:44:00.000-07:00

The other day, I decided to do some work out, despite the fact that it's painful these days! So we walked a lot and did some shopping in the morning...then swam for about an hour. We had some friends over for dinner...Jeeej cooked a huge turkey!

And then along with our friends, we walked again...I was still enjoying it!

When it was time to come back home, it was sometime around 11 pm, and the nice surprise waiting for us was "Elevator out of order, use the stairs"!!

We live on the 6th floor...so that was a BIG nightmare! It was not easy at all...I fell asleep right away after such a long day...but in the morning, it was like mission impossible to get out of bed :(

They fixed the elevator, but still, it jumps once it's door closes and once it lands! It is starting to scare me big time! I'd rather stay home if I'm alone, better than getting stuck in the elevator or having to use the stairs if it was out of order when I get back home :s

I like to choose the type of exercising and the timing...especially these days! It just scares me...