June 25, 2009

Today is my baby's 10 week-a-versary!! Happy birthday to her! Time flies so fast when you are raising an increasingly cute babe!

Though today was great because it was Ayla's milestone, unfortunately, it also turned out to be a sad day for other reasons - the death of Michael Jackson and Farah Fawcett - but more on that

 later.

So, we've been in Pittsburgh post-Baba about 3-4 days now enjoying time with Chacha Fu, Poppy, and Dadoo. Fu is recovering from back surgery so he's home these days. They are all enjoying spending quality time with Ayla - she is truly receiving the star treatment. 

When he comes home, Poppy occasionally takes Ayla outside around the neighborhood- sometimes he holds her and sometimes he puts her in the stroller. Ayla seems to really enjoy going out in the evenings when the sun is down and there is a cool breeze. Poppy has got the winning move with Ayla down pat - she loves when you hold her against your chest so

 that her head can rest on your shoulder and you walk around with her. 

Mommy Azra loves spending time with Ayla. She showers her with kisses; talks to her; and gives her cute little nicknames. She loves holding her even while doing chores. As a daycare nanny, Mommy has the magic touch with children. 

Chacha Fu - though taking it easy these days - tries to do as much as possible with Ayla. He holds her in his lap and talks to her. And, he tries to walk around with her though she is pushing the weight limit that he is allowed to hold these days! 

The family is also busy planning Ayla's Aqeeqah for Sunday, June 28. As mentioned in my previous post, we visited Bismillah restaurant to check out their food and prices. We decided to go with them. After calling family friends throughout the week, Mommy and Poppy visited the restaurant on Wednesday to put in the order. On Tuesday, Mommy and I went to Papermart to buy decorations for the event. I wanted to stick to the baby girl theme so I suggested metallic pink and baby pink paper plates, balloons, and other decor. Most of the decor was metallic pink - in my opinion, an upgrade over the regular baby pink. We had Ayla with us on the trip. 

She was sleeping on my shoulder - oblivious to the fact that we were shopping for her big party :) Ayla stayed asleep for awhile until she needed food. I tried to feed her in the car but it was hard because I had to feed her without the direct sunlight hitting her (it was!) so then, we went home. 

I'm really looking forward to the Aqeeqah! Still not over the fact that we have a precious little baby, I can't wait for the community to welcome Ayla. The fact that this is going to be her Islamic "welcome celebration" is something to really look forward to. Soon after Ayla was born, we made a lamb sacrifice in Pakistan so during the Aqeeqah, we will celebrate with great food and great friends!

Although the day started off wonderfully with Ayla's milestone, it ended as a sad day. Soon after noon EST, the news broke that Farah Fawcett had died of cancer. The news stations began covering the story that she had died, when a few hours later, it was reported that Michael Jackson had fallen into a coma. Before it really hit any one, it was announced that he had died. As the news started to soak in for me, I gradually became more and more sad. Over the last 15 years or so, I had felt that America was focusing on this music icon's weaknesses rather than his genius and abilities leaving the singer depressed in the later years of his life. It is likely that this depression had something to do with his death. The tragedy is that Michael's death would bring him the love that he needed in life. For me, he was a post-civil rights African-American hero who did not allow the color of his skin to be a barrier rather, transcending any limitations due to his color and bringing joy to millions of people in the world. I, along with countless others, grew up listening and dancing to his music and now, with his passing, feel all grown up. I hope Ayla will grow up listening to his music.

To mark the moment, we videotaped Ayla and took pictures of her with MJ coverage in the background so that she will later be able to know what she was doing when he died. Ayla is about 2 1/2 months old at the time of MJ's death and her father was a little over 7 months old when another music icon died, Elvis Presley.

Until later,

Saadia