High stress

High stress day. High stress situations humble you and make you really inconvenience others, it also gives you the opportunity to show vulnerability and depend on others. Well I reached that today. Zaky and I woke up at 6:30 this morning. I stepped/ sloshed out of bed. sloshed to Zaky's room. What an awful site, my whole house several inches deep in water, and no husband to wake up to fix it. I rushed down stairs flipped off the power then went upstairs to my neighbors. In tears I told him what I found, woke up the daughter and asked her if she could stay with Zaky. After I changed Zaky and made his breakfast, the dad, and both sisters were down. Dema took Zaky and Darene her dad and Damos their housekeeper, Mark and Bev (our American friends) and the other 2 neighbors in our building, had the whole house clean, carpets out and floors dry by 9am. Zaky refused to sleep and was taken back upstairs, Leayall and Darene went through every room in the house cleaning and tidying (folded socks and cleaned pots, things that had nothing to do with the flood). Our Swiss friend Elizabeth started a fire to dry out the couches. Eventually it will stop raining outside and the carpets will dry. So I am typing this message with an electric borrowed heater and loaned rugs at my feet. Unfortunately the biggest hit were Zaky's books, but thankfully he wont know all his books are warped. Bill called long enough for me to vent and tell him I love him. He is doing very well. He will be speaking at a church on Sunday so please keep him in your prayers.
PS: no pictures!

Clapping fool

He latest trick is clapping when he hears applause on the t.v. He doesn't even see people clapping, just by hearing he will clap. Such the interactive soul. Bill has texted several times, doing well, so far very successful trip. I feel he is very encouraged by the people he is meeting and seeing God's spirit in the people he meets. But very discouraged in the surroundings, and the toll the last 5 years have taken on it. Pregnancy update: dizziness is better the last 2 days, but I am ALWAYS hungry! Carbs are my new best friend. I had a big salad and 2 chocolate croissants for dinner and was satisfied.

Boo Check

Fore note, the pictures above have nothing to do with the letter below. So any how. I miss Bill. I miss him most at night. At night I am alone and hungry and dizzy as all get out. Bill has been so good about giving Zaky his bath. The little man twists and turns in his crib. Tonight I found him sideways with his legs sticking through the bars. Bill is the best at doing Boo checks: going in turning him around and recovering him. i wake him up every time. Bill can completely flip him over and not wake him. I have not heard from Bill today, but yesterday apparently was a very good day, meetings with elders and old friends. Will update you all as I hear.

Who Knew?

Zaky has just about worn threw his first pair of shoes after one month, hope this is not a glimce of the future. Little man likes to climb and crawl everywhere including the paved drives of our neighbors. His soft shoes have torn. So today we went to the cobbler down the road, The shop was closed, he will be gone until next Thursday on vacation to Iraq. Everyone is going to Iraq! Who knew it was such a hot vacation spot. Bill sent a text this morning and arrived into the south safely. Keep the prayers a comin. The picture has nothing to do with what I just wrote : )

1 Year Old!!

The Boo is growing up

He plays by himself so well these days: Good Thing! He was angry as I was putting him to bed today, he normally lays his head on my shoulder and twists my hair in his fingers. Today he pulled my hair, and after I grabbed his hand and said a firm NO, he did it again! Bad Thing! What the heck! He is clapping and being just as cute as ever though. So he is growing up to be like his daddy, he will get away with (maybe not a lot) but will because he is darn cute!

As a side note: Bill was changing Zaky the other day. Zaky was screaming and crying, and Bill said 'I must have done this to my parents" Ha Ha Thought Dave would get a kick out of that!

Babas gone

Ba Ba Ba Ba he says, Ba Ba went on a trip, he'll be back next week. How do you women do it in America with your husband traveling, Zoe, Alicia, soon Rachael. I am tired already and I took him to the airport yesterday. Bill took the camera so there won't be pictures for a while. But it isn't like there have been many lately anyhow. To explain this: morning sickness. I am not throwing up, but dizzy as all get out, and tired! Thankfully the Boo is behaving himself, and when he's not we go outside. So Ba Ba went to Iraq and will be back NEXT Monday. Pray I don't have any sinus headaches between now and then, because there is no one going to be watching the Boo so I can sleep in.

Weaning update

So exciting I am sure you are all just dying to know how it has been going. Well we tried the strawberry milk he drank it the first day, 2nd try not so much, 3rd not at all. This weekend though we discovered a juice mixed with milk. I am putting half water, with a scoop of milk, and a splash of juice. he eats yogurt about everyday, with a scoop of powdered milk in it. I also discovered he likes blended apple with powdered milk (a little dish called calcium surprise). So he is getting the milk here and there. We have been down to one feeding for several days. I think me more then him is not ready to give it up. I am reading in Genesis now, and read Abraham threw a great feast when Isaac was weaned. how funny is that, he must have preferred the breast as well!

Pretty girl

It is usual for me to hear pretty girl, people here believe it to be bad luck to compliment your son. But last week they actually meant it. So it was time to get Zaky's hair cut. Off to Salon Lamise. She had a little fun at first, but afterward he looked like such a big boy.

Weaning update

Well as most of you know my plans to wean Zaky while in America did not pan out like I had planned. Well after consulting my usual pannel of Arab women, advice ranged from rubbing coffee beans on, to giving him a cup with a straw. Well we tried the straw but I am not about to rub coffee on myself, isn't easier to just keep your shirt down I thought! Bill read online about just dropping the feedings, and praying he falls asleep well enough. The same time I heard from several other ladies, not my usuall pannel, their kids never drank milk and they are big adults now. Well lets work on him sleeping without the feeding then worry about him taking outside milk. Friday we started and he fell asllep fine without his 2pm feed, Satuday same. Sunday dropped the 9am, he only slept 30min, but since being jet lagged the longest he had slept all week was 1 hr. Today slept fine with out either. Will keep updates as they come, and will try strawberry milk today! Thank you for your prayers

Oh where oh where have I been

Well all of you reading this know exactly where I have been: eating, watching project runway and the Bachelor with my sister, and eating some more. (We bought a tredmill yesterday! No more excuses) We have been back for a little over a week and adjusted pretty well. It is cold here, usually about the same outside as in, and damp! People thought Zaky was wearing a lot of layers before you should see him now! We have unpacked done all the laundry despite the 4 days of rain, seen the doctor, and visited the nighbors and others. They all missed us, meaning they all missed Zaky. Not to much has changed around here, which is nice. So Zaky updates:
1) He started clapping yesterday
2) Eating well!, and pooping thankfully.
3) Sleeping through the night, and napping is almost close to normal
4) Can climb up to the second step of the latter by himself

The pictures above are of my two jet lagged men, still sleeping at 11am the first day back! The first day back Zaky wouldn't sleep in his bed until about 2am, which was fine, I was in the mood to snuggle.