Summer Days

Summer is here and its hot hot hot. Zakariya is still wearing his hat. He insist on wearing it even with his pajamas. I got him some kiddie sunglasses which at the time seemed like they would fit him. Boy was I wrong, they actually fit me. Last picture if of Zaki at the park. I love yellow on little kids!! Mashallah.

Here is a quick lunch lunch idea for your little ones after a eventful day at the park. Try and change it up and alternate as much as possible so that you are not eating too much of the same thing. This can help prevent food sensitivities from forming.

Brown rice pasta with peas, carrots and broccoli. With a dash of pepper.

A great alternative to wheat pasta is brown rice pasta. It taste great and gives more variety in the diet. Of the eight foods that account for 90% of allergens, wheat is one of them. So consider changing- it up!

Pain during Labor

I have often heard nurses tell women giving birth "they don't call it labor for no reason its hard work."

Indeed it is hard work but no different from many of the other extraordinary things women can accomplish.

If a woman could just trust her ability without someone telling her constantly she needed pain medication than it would never be in the back of her mind in the first place. It is the fear of the pain that makes women give up before she even starts. I am not saying the pain is the same but the effort, determination and hard work required is similar to other things women have done like climbing a mountain, painting a house, cleaning an entire yard.  Think about emergency situations, when car accidents happen, when someone is shot, the people who wait in the ER with a finger in a zip lock bag because of a freak accident. What about those situations? Where is the epidural then?

What often happens is that women do not trust their bodies in those moments that pain seems unmanageable. Its like many things in life that if you are afraid you may not succeed, chances are that you will not. 1/3 of the body's ability to heal depends on your thoughts.

When the pain is managed well, with the help of a Doula or other experienced support people than the focus of the labor is less on the pain and more on how to make the woman as comfortable as possible, practicing positive affirmations and staying in the comfort of your own home until it is really time to go to the hospital. You would be surprise to learn that labor pain is so different when it is natural not medically induced. The body does beautifully when trusted and when it is given its right and ability to birth on its own.

Looking back at your own experience what do you think helped managed your discomforts during labor?

Happy Friday!

While in London we stopped by Hamleys Toy Shop. There are five floors in the store, each floor representing a special interested. We opted to check out the Educative play, Boys and Toddler areas.

I really wanted to purchase something for Zaki but could not bring myself to justify the prices! I picked up a mini replica of a double decker bus, it was for £8 which amounts to $12.26 Canadian. I kept thinking the trip to the toy store was special enough in itself. So Alhumdulillah we walked out purchasing nothing and my little guy seemed satisfied as well.

Disclaimer- gifts from Grandparents don't count- those were beyond my control and against my wishes- literally! Zaki can wait until Eid to see those.

The best part about this toy shop was the live demonstrations. The environment was really interactive and we were able to test out some of the toys. The kids and even the adults were having a blast!

By the way- if anyone is interested... there is a life sized baby elephant available for £1,500. Hamleys will ship anywhere around the world. Just saying ;)

Happy Friday and Jummah Mubarak! Don't forget to read Kahf today. Please remember my family and I in your prayers.

Rescue 911- Sibling delivers baby

I know some parents to be hesitant to talk to their children about pregnancy or birth. After watching this episode, I absolutely applaud the couple for educating their children enough to make informed decisions- something even adults lack when it comes to labor and delivery. Of course a child does not need to know everything... but it doesn't hurt to know the basics. Especially given age and maturity. Growing up my parents never spoke about these sort of things. I thought babies came from the hospital. As if it was some sort of store you simply walked into, shopped around and left with the cutest baby.

Now times are different. Children outsmart their parents to no end. If parents are okay with their children learning about guns and violence through movies and video games, its hard for me to understand why birth or breastfeeding is kept such a secret... Birth is normal. Birth is natural. Birth is not a sexual thing.

While I don't think there will be many of us whose other children help deliver our babies, I think its a great blessing that they would be sensitive enough to understand or even remotely respect what their Mothers have been through. 

This little man is my hero and I absolutely love the attachment he has to his little sister. Subhanallah, I think it has something to do with the fact that he was the first one to hold her. I have seen a lot of deliveries and let me honestly tell you, he is more calm and pulled together than some of the Fathers I have seen ;)

Tea & Crumpets

Alhumdulillah we are back. So where was I?

Having tea and crumpets with these people of course. 

Okay  not really. But, I was in their neck of the woods. We had a family reunion in London, England. It was so much fun, Alhumdulillah a much needed vacay!

More pictures and details to come later. For now, who was able to attend the Journey Of Faith conference this year? Did anyone get to check out the Mothers room? What a nice way to accommodate mothers-- its about time conference organizers!