MENA pregnancy/baby/parenting thread

[Staashi 371]

We both use "bubba" as a nickname, which sounds a lot like baba, so I'm sure it will get confusing!

Adam has always slept in the car, but the most we've driven is a half hour. I'll let y'all know how it goes!

He's not grabbing his toys yet, not enough control. He does swat at them though. I have some toys to put on the car seat - thanks for the reminder! I also got a cute mirror with a monkey on it. He'll probably stare at that for a good while...

Jenn, happy travels! I hope it goes well.

[Jenn! 918]

Jenn, happy travels! I hope it goes well.

Thanks, S!

Adam got this book for Christmas (it has both English and Arabic): http://www.amazon.com/Guess-Much-Love-Arab...h/dp/1854309889

When I came home today it was out, so I think Wadi was reading it to him, awwww.

[~ Karima ~ 0]

Ayman calls Simo daddy and Simo replies with "weldi". But then he also called him Simo today cause he hears me calling him that. Lol

Jenn, I have traveled back and forth from Atlanta to Birmingham about every 2-3 weeks since Ayman was born. Most of those trips alone and he did fine. When he was smaller he always slept, but as he got older I would time my trips for naptime or night time. If he woke I always made sure I had a bottle, plenty of pacis and a box of toys next to him to play with. Ayman is a very good traveler. Im sure you will do fine.

Edited January 16, 2010 by ~ Karima ~

[AlHayatZween 2]

My husband calls the baby Daddy. I don't know why He doesn't refer to himself as anything, but I refer to him as Daddy, so we'll just wait and see what the baby decides to call him.

My husband does this, too... In fact, he calls me daddy, too, sometimes... i don't know, we have issues chez nous.

[zahrasalem 114]

Hi I just wanted to join in the great topic........I have a 5 year old dtr Aminah from my previous marriage........she is my first and I admit I wasn't very good at keeping in her own room/bed, she always fussed so much, so I always ended up giving in an let her sleep with me. It did let me get my sleep, but I knew I should have been better at keeping her in her own room at night.

Ahmed is still in AP (34 days today), but we want to have a baby right away, so as soon as he gets here, insha'allah very soon, we hope to have good news to share before long

Ahmed is also very insistant on NO co-sleeping like I did with Aminah, which I know is best for the baby and for us, so since he will be the stronger one in this subject, I hope it will help me to be stronger too.

[HLM 1]

We want to speak arabic at home with him, but I always forget and end up speaking english to him -becoz my husband and I speak english to eachother- so I end up saying daddy to him. I want him to call his father baba.

Hope he sleeps. Rayan usually does, especially if the road is bumpy. He doesn't like stoplights. He had one episode where he was overtired and cried for the last stretch despite nursing breaks, but I may try swaddling his arms if that happens again -- that still comforts him. These days, I velcro a musical toy bar to the handle of his car seat and he plays with that, and I attach a mirror to the back seat so we can see each other. Both seem to help. I remember that Adam is talking to his toys. Is he also grasping them?

We have this miror with toys hanging on the headrest facing him. He loves it and his father gets to see him thru the car middle mirror so its really useful.

Hi I just wanted to join in the great topic........I have a 5 year old dtr Aminah from my previous marriage........she is my first and I admit I wasn't very good at keeping in her own room/bed, she always fussed so much, so I always ended up giving in an let her sleep with me. It did let me get my sleep, but I knew I should have been better at keeping her in her own room at night.

Ahmed is still in AP (34 days today), but we want to have a baby right away, so as soon as he gets here, insha'allah very soon, we hope to have good news to share before long

Ahmed is also very insistant on NO co-sleeping like I did with Aminah, which I know is best for the baby and for us, so since he will be the stronger one in this subject, I hope it will help me to be stronger too.

My son is 3 months and we have been co-sleeping - i love it like u said easier for me also so cute watching him sleep-, only yesterday I started putting him in his bed in his room, he doesnt mind, may be becoz he is still very young to even notice lol

[Berber Mama 5]

My husband does this, too... In fact, he calls me daddy, too, sometimes... i don't know, we have issues chez nous.

Lol, this is too cute. I remember when I started calling my husband daddy, he said "what's that?" at least the first one hundred times.

[Berber Mama 5]

We want to speak arabic at home with him, but I always forget and end up speaking english to him -becoz my husband and I speak english to eachother- so I end up saying daddy to him. I want him to call his father baba.

We have this miror with toys hanging on the headrest facing him. He loves it and his father gets to see him thru the car middle mirror so its really useful.

My son is 3 months and we have been co-sleeping - i love it like u said easier for me also so cute watching him sleep-, only yesterday I started putting him in his bed in his room, he doesnt mind, may be becoz he is still very young to even notice lol

We are having the co-sleeping problem right now too. I started sleeping with Mehdi when he was 13 months old because he started waking up again during the night like every 2-3 hours. I was so exhausted from being pregnant that I just put him in our bed so that I could comfort him back to sleep. My husband said that the bed was too cramped with him in there cause Mehdi sleeps sideways and puts his feet in his face, etc. so he moved into the guest bed. He has been asking me for the past few weeks when I'm gonna make Mehdi start sleeping in his bed again so that he can come back and each time I say that I'm gonna start that night and then me and Mehdi go to bed and he goes to his bed. I feel so guilty!

I have to break the habit though before the new baby gets here cause I can't have two babies in the bed with me. I swore that I would never co-sleep and here I am kicking myself for it.

[Berber Mama 5]

Thanks, S!

Adam got this book for Christmas (it has both English and Arabic): http://www.amazon.com/Guess-Much-Love-Arab...h/dp/1854309889

When I came home today it was out, so I think Wadi was reading it to him, awwww.

How cute! Adam is adorable, btw.

[caybee 21]

We want to speak arabic at home with him, but I always forget and end up speaking english to him -becoz my husband and I speak english to eachother- so I end up saying daddy to him. I want him to call his father baba.

We have this miror with toys hanging on the headrest facing him. He loves it and his father gets to see him thru the car middle mirror so its really useful.

My son is 3 months and we have been co-sleeping - i love it like u said easier for me also so cute watching him sleep-, only yesterday I started putting him in his bed in his room, he doesnt mind, may be becoz he is still very young to even notice lol

My husband also forgets to speak Darija to Rayan. I try to remind him. But he's home alone with him in the mornings, and he puts his family on webcam and mic, so I hope he's getting used to the sounds. He also plays a lot Arabic music and has the Arabic sports announcers on.

I wonder if we have the same mirror Ours is a Fisher Price, Precious Planet I think, with sort of a net at the top and little stuffed animals dangling from it.

We have coslept almost from the beginning, since I realized that I could actually get some rest that way. We have a cosleeper bassinet attached to the side of the bed, but for a while it was easier just to pull him from that into our bed when he wanted to nurse in the middle of the night. Trouble is hubby ended up moving out of our double bed for a while because it was just too small and dangerous for the three of us. I've finally figured out a comfortable way to nurse him while he's in the bassinet. It's to my left, so I sort of lean my upper body into it, rest my left upper arm above Rayan's head (the mattress is only about four inches lower than ours), rest my head on my hand or forearm, and he nurses from my left side. Most of my body is on the bed, so I won't fall in. I've fallen asleep in that position before, and it's not a good sleeping position, but it works for nursing without waking Rayan up completely, and hubby's back in our bed again.

Thanks, S!

Adam got this book for Christmas (it has both English and Arabic): http://www.amazon.com/Guess-Much-Love-Arab...h/dp/1854309889

When I came home today it was out, so I think Wadi was reading it to him, awwww.

Awww I think I'll order this one!

[Berber Mama 5]

My husband also forgets to speak Darija to Rayan. I try to remind him. But he's home alone with him in the mornings, and he puts his family on webcam and mic, so I hope he's getting used to the sounds. He also plays a lot Arabic music and has the Arabic sports announcers on.

I wonder if we have the same mirror Ours is a Fisher Price, Precious Planet I think, with sort of a net at the top and little stuffed animals dangling from it.

We have coslept almost from the beginning, since I realized that I could actually get some rest that way. We have a cosleeper bassinet attached to the side of the bed, but for a while it was easier just to pull him from that into our bed when he wanted to nurse in the middle of the night. Trouble is hubby ended up moving out of our double bed for a while because it was just too small and dangerous for the three of us. I've finally figured out a comfortable way to nurse him while he's in the bassinet. It's to my left, so I sort of lean my upper body into it, rest my left upper arm above Rayan's head (the mattress is only about four inches lower than ours), rest my head on my hand or forearm, and he nurses from my left side. Most of my body is on the bed, so I won't fall in. I've fallen asleep in that position before, and it's not a good sleeping position, but it works for nursing without waking Rayan up completely, and hubby's back in our bed again.

Awww I think I'll order this one!

I think I need to get one of those with the new baby. I'm having a repeat c-section. I remember how hard it was to get out of the bed during the night when the baby cried the first week after the surgery. I couldn't get into a sitting position from laying down without hurting my incision. I would have to roll myself off onto the floor and then pull myself up into a standing position with the bed.

[MrsAmera 41]

Whoa lady you are tough! I had my kids via ummm not C-section lol (I don't want to say traditionally!) and that first week I was a hurting unit - no way would I have been moving to get that little critter - he had to be delivered to me!

Co-sleeping, we don't/didn't do it. Little guy was in our bedroom for a little while but in his bassinet and then moved to his crib and room around 2 months. Our biggest struggle was getting mommied out and my husband feeling like the 5th wheel over the kids. We had a rough patch after our youngest. A lot of ppl like co-sleeping but for me/us nuh uh...

[sandinista! 1,816]

my family cracks me up when they try to use every little bit of arabic they know around ayah. i think it's sweet that even they will try to make an effort.

[sandinista! 1,816]

aww, i take it the waterpark was a smashing success, given that huge grin on zaid's face. he looks like he's a having a great time!

[sandinista! 1,816]

I think I need to get one of those with the new baby. I'm having a repeat c-section. I remember how hard it was to get out of the bed during the night when the baby cried the first week after the surgery. I couldn't get into a sitting position from laying down without hurting my incision. I would have to roll myself off onto the floor and then pull myself up into a standing position with the bed.

sometimes, a firm pillow pressed up nice and snug to your abdomen can help you get out of bed a little less painfully. i used this trick a lot to help patients get out of bed post-surgery, as well as for myself, and it really can help.