Hijabification

Age: 11 weeks
Weight: 14lbs 9oz
Length: 25 inches
Head circumference: 16.5 inches

Mashallah! Alhamdulillah he is in good health. He received several immunizations today, including DTaP which is known to have unpleasant reactions in babies. He is slightly whiny/cranky, but has been given baby tylenol as a preventative measure. I could not watch him get the injections. My husband had to hold him still. He was so cute and quiet, and when the needle went in, he let out a horrific cry- which was followed by a pause (you know that hysteria type pause when they shake), then continued to howl. Oh my poor baby. I was choking back the tears.

Yesterday I laid him on his tummy (awake) to see what he would do, and he kept his head up high, and then turned himself halfway over! Mashaallah! He is drooling excessively and keeps licking his gums. Its super cute. Maybe teething is just starting, I hear it comes and goes, and takes quite a while (months).

Thank you Allah subhana wa ta'ala, for this most precious baby boy. I love him infinitely.

Assalamu alaykum ladies & germs:


Greetings and salutations. My husband and I just had the BEST weekend! We attended the Islamic Circle of North America 2008 Convention in Hartford, Connecticut. MashALLAH what a wonderful experience it was! From the moment we stepped foot in the parking garage, we were surrounded by Muslims from all walks of life, for the same purpose!


The program was CHOCK full of talks, lectures, slide shows, and informational booths. There were so many choices, that we had to pick what was most interesting to us (it was almost overwhelming with the plethora of choices available to us). Friday and Saturday, every hour on the hour, there was something new being offered in one of the TWENTY conference rooms available! I mean, I just can't convey to you, how massive this was. There easily had to be at least 5,000 (yes- five thousand) Muslims present. We brought iBaby with us, and mashaallah he was SO good. We dragged him around 14hrs each day on Friday and Saturday, and he never made a peep unless he was hungry.....even the noise didn't bother him. Well- I take that back. He screamed bloody murder when he heard the adhan! I think it was way to loud for his tender little ears, so I just made sure I boogied out of the main hall when it was coming.


A large part of this conference was dedicated to sisters, and sadly I just did not have a chance to investigate, as there were so many others things to do. The highlights for me were talks and lectures given by the following individuals:


Yahiya Emerick

Dr. Jeffrey Lang

Shaykh Yusuf Estes

Imam Siraj Wahhaj

Shaykh Mokhtar Maghraoui

Chaplain Yusuf Lee




The knowledge, peace, thoughtfulness and love for Allah swt was so clear in the hearts of these brothers. I walked away with a boost in my iman and having learned something new. For me, the biggest benefit I received from this weekend was understanding and accepting the Qadr of Allah.... I had been going through some stuff prior to this trip, and something Sh. Mokhtar said has not left me....I dont remember his exact words, but in essence it taught me to change my thinking and that when I see something that I long for myself, to say "Alhamdulillah for what Allah swt has given this individual, and may Allah grant the same for me".


So of course, you are wondering what I was longing for- and I don't want anyone to think it was something material, sooooooo here goes, for the last time, as I promise to no longer revisit this issue: breastfeeding. It has been the #1 disappointment of my life. Every time I would see a woman nursing a child, it would move me to tears and I wished I could do the same.....iBaby is almost 11 weeks old now, and I have decided to stop trying. I truly believe it is Qadr Allah swt. Allah says that with hardship comes ease,so I am trusting that Ive done all that I can, and since alhamdulillah iBaby is healthy and thriving, I ought to just leave it alone.


The Bazaar was OFF THE HOOK! This was a bonus. There had to be at least 200 vendors there, in a flea market like setting, all from popular websites you and I have probably shopped on. There were Jilbabs, hijabs, abayas, and niqabs for sale as far as the eye could see! There were entire book stores that catered to children and adults (oh man-I found some really great things for iBaby that include but are not limited too a mini prayer rug, kufi and his "first quran"). My husband and I found some great books, AND I got a stash of hijabs and pins that ought to last me a long while.


I met sisters from all over the world and I loved every minute of it. This truly was a family oriented event- so i wasn't worried that iBaby was going to cry or have an explosive bowel movement. I was panicked about changing his diaper in public if need be, and it only happened once. The line for the ladies room was TOO long, so I found a discreet corner and draped a blanket over his stroller so no one could see his business LOL. I brought these diaper sacs that conceal odor, for moments like these. I also had to pump milk in my car (gotta love technology), that was a bit of a positional challenge! Did I feel like a pack mule for this trip? You betcha, but it was worth every bit of aggravation.


Do you know what also impressed me? The youth! A large part of this conference was also dedicated to young Muslims, and it was great! It was so refreshing to see young Muslims practicing and really taking their iman seriously. Since I reverted to Islam at 32, i don't know what it's like to be a Muslim teenager in the west. I am certain it is a huge challenge, and I commend these young people for doing their best.


Saturday night my husband and I attended and entertainment gathering that featured The Travelers AND Baba Ali!!!!! Do you know who Baba Ali is? He is the comedian behind Ummah Films that you've probably seen on YouTube. If you haven't seen him, look him up on YouTube, Im sure you will get a good laugh!


Total strangers would stop us frequently to check out iBaby and make dua for him. During a lecture, I was feeding him, and when it was time to burp him, I put him over my shoulder, and he was just looking around and cooing at the ladies and children behind me. When he opened his mouth to coo, and a giant burp came out LOL and all the children giggled; it tickled me pink!


So there you have it, a watered down version of my wonderful weekend. I hope inshaallah we go again next year AND I hope some of you will go too. I believe ICNA has chapters all over the USA. Check out ICNA.org !

Nope- I'm not talking about religion folks; if you can bear it, I am talking about my son! I experienced seriously extreme cuteness tonight:

I swaddled iBaby in his stretchy receiving blanket, put him down to sleep in his bassinet and left the room. About 15 minutes later, I walked back in, and peeked.....my little chubbykins had one arm out with his fist in his mouth, and when he made eye contact with me, he let out a big happy coo, with a giant smile.

That's it, nothing major to the general public, but it made my heart burst.

Assalamu alaykum.

Assalamu alaykum all :)

Alhamdulillah it's been 9 1/2 weeks since iBaby has graced us with his arrival. In about two weeks, I will be returning to work, full-time, in the evening. My heart is breaking, as he is getting cuter each day, and now he has a repertoire of tricks at bedtime, that I will miss, five nights a week. I'm not worried for his well being, as he will be home with Baaba who is in amazing father, and who will give him so much TLC inshaallah.

I'm just feeling deflated/sad/heartache for being away from him. I cannot work days- because then iBaby would be in daycare 9 hours a day, and I am not willing to do that.

My God. Mashaallah he is so soft and sweet. His legs are chubby and cute. He's very calm and easy going- and loves to smile, coo and make baby noises. Four days ago, he found his hands and now they are in his mouth frequently. Sometimes I put him down for a nap, and when I walk back into the room, I hear him sucking. He still loves to be swaddled at night, and when I'm all finished wrapping him, he gives me a huge gummy grin and loves to be cuddled. We then head to the rocking chair for some quiet time. He stays awake and just looks at me, and I feel like I'm the best thing ever. I will miss this.

So, what I want to know is: how do you all cope with returning to work? Do you have a strategy for getting things done at home, as your time is limited? How do you juggle your husbands, and children and your own needs? Does anyone have any helpful hints that you would like to share? Even your smallest tip or idea could be helpful...

Alhamdulillah for the opportunity to work. Alhamdulillah for my education and skill that allows me to help provide. Alhamdulillah for a hard working husband ( and outstanding father to our son) who will begin graduate school in September. Alhamdulillah for our healthy baby boy, and may Allah swt protect him always.

Oh. My. Goodness.

SubhanAllah.

My baby giggled at me today. A full on, primal, unrefined belly giggle- accompanied by giant smile. It lasted only for a nanosecond- enough to make me go absolutely insane with joy and pride.

I think I kissed him a thousand times as a result of his giggle.

I can now identify his different cries most of the time (hungry is distinctly different from tired, and tired is very different from "I need attention"), and now when he cries, real tears come out.

iBaby has also learned to suck on his forearms, hands and fingers in a pinch. LOL.

I just got a rocking chair; we love it.

Tomorrow is my last post-partum check up. I will miss this chapter in my life so much! My OB/GYN is the best. I will bring iBaby with me. This should be interesting since I havent ventured out alone, with him, without help yet, unless I go for a walk. My appointment is at noon, so inshaallah I should wake up at 7am LOL. It will take me that long to get ready.

How will I ever return to work without a broken heart?

Ya Allah, please help me deal.

Mashaallah:

He smiles.
He coos.
He always kicks with his chubby left leg first.
He tries to communicate with me.
11 lbs. 8 oz.
He knows his Mama and Baaba
Tonight he went to sleep at 10:30pm!
Mamma's gonna get some shut-eye!

May Allah continue to bless his little heart, his little life, his innocent soul, Ameen.

Night night.