Rushing off to the furniture store to purchase a bureau for our bedroom, having lunch at Quizno’s.  I didn’t sleep early that night at all dispite everyone’s good advice.  I made a pack of 15 min. blueberry muffins as I figured it would be my last meal indefinitely.  We were running late as usual.  It was still dark when we left none-the-less.  I remember Mehmet panicing because he thought they’d say we came too late, there are no free beds, come back tomorrow… lol.  Awww…. I’ve been looking back over pictures this whole week.

Where did the year go? Does Tasneem even know she’s been here a whole year?  Does she have any idea that a year ago she wasn’t in our arms, running our lives!!  That we had a life before her??  No, all she knows is she’s here now and we’re her family.  

It has been a fantastic year!  Our new place where we’ve become so attached with these fabulous memories. I am so tired, it’s so late.  She sleeps so innocently in the bedroom.  She’s playful and demanding, loving and connected.  Lol, we’ve survived our first year as parents, now would you look at that!

Just had to contemplate on that a little.

For the past 11 months I’ve realized that my camera, my screensavers, my usernames etc.  all reflect my shift into Motherhood.  iPhoto on my computer is completely jammed with pictures of our little bug Tasneem.  Mehmet and I usually only appear in photo’s as if we’re guests lol.  Happily though we had a pretty full and eventful 3 years prior that to look back on and remanice.  There will be more too insallah.  We’re pretty happy right now securing our bond as a family of three.  Tasneem seem’s really happy too.

Believe it or not her 1st birthday is approaching.  I absolutely can’t believe it.  I can go back to my labour like it was yesterday, my pregnancy, her first days home.  Now she’s yaking to us and herself.  Listening and not listening to our whims and guides.  Walking around with her arms flared up in the air like she’s a scary monster.  If she’s doing something she’s not suppose to be doing and she sees you see her…  she grabs and throw’s like a thief trying to fill their bag up with the goods before they get away at the last moment. She’s crazy friendly with people and is a doll full of smiles.

She was 18lbs at her last appointment in June.  She’s slim and tall.  Don’t know where she gets her golden hair from.  Everyone who knew me as a baby says she looks like me.  I see it too.  I tell Mehmet maybe it’ll be him next time.  He’s not too worried tho, he thinks she’s beautiful.

As for us, well, the second half of 2008 has snuck up on us.  We were coasting through the Spring and thought Summer would be a bit more relaxing.  September is almost upon us and Ramadan will be here! Last year I couldn’t fast because I was breast feeding so I missed out.  For this reason I guess I can’t wait to be able to take part this year.  It’ll be a bit different with Tasneem as I probably won’t be able to go out every night for iftar (break fast) but I’ll squeeze in what I can.

We have minor hopes of going to Turkey in October.  It saddens me a lot that my in-laws have not seen their first grandchild yet.  Especially too that Tasneem doesn’t know them.  We’re not sure yet because we have a jewelery show in the middle of the month and then big hopes of going on the Hajj pilgrimage in December.  How our schedule got so full suddenly I don’t know!!  We may have to put off Turkey until January, but then I was hoping to job search by then.  

Other special news in our family, Mehmet’s sister Ilke and her husband Akin had a baby boy last week Wednesday!!!  Tasneem’s first cousin.  They were having some issues thinking of names so we haven’t heard the verdict yet.  As of the beginning of this week they were begging us to email suggestions.  I have at least 10 names lined up that I LOVE so I can’t imagine why she’s having a hard time.  Doesn’t every girl have a diary entry to look back on of favourite baby names?!?!  I hope it’s something I can pronounce in any case.

We’ve been trying to spend as much time at the beach as our schedule will allow so here are a couple of the latest pictures to share.  Tasneem is definitely an island girl.    That girl loves water!  Forget a picnic on the beach.  She will find her own way down to the water and if you don’t catch her she’ll be gone.  For us, we better go prepared to jump right in and tire her out lol.  Who’s the boss in this family do you think?!

She eats absolutely everything I offer her.  It think her favourite fruit combo is pear and blueberry.  Tonight she sat on my lap sucking the juice out of a slice of pineapple.  But at 8 months she still does not have any teeth.  

Besides that she’s known her name forever.  Know’s her Baba by name because I’ve been teaching her every time he comes in or out etc.  My name however she does not know because Mehmet has not done the same. None-the-less I’m still her favourite person without a doubt.

In the past I never imagined I’d be able to stay at home and devote so much time to any of my children the way I’ve been so blessed to with Tasneem.  I know nothing could replace the attention she gets from both of us.  This time is irretrievable and so essential.  In the future should we live to see it, no doubt it will effect the bond we have as mother and daughter.  

Here are some pictures taken in the last month… yet so much changes in a matter of days there are even more recent ones I have not uploaded onto the computer yet.   Enjoy!

1. You finally stop to smell the roses, because your baby is in your arms.

2. Where you once believed you were fearless, you now find yourself afraid.

3. The sacrifices you thought you made to have a child no longer seem like sacrifices.

4. You respect your body … finally.

5. You respect your parents and love them in a new way.

6. You find that your baby’s pain feels much worse than your own.

7. You believe once again in the things you believed in as a child.

8. You lose touch with the people in your life whom you should have banished years ago.

9. Your heart breaks much more easily.

10. You think of someone else 234,836,178,976 times a day.

11. Every day is a surprise.

12. Bodily functions are no longer repulsive. In fact, they please you. (Hooray for poop!)

13. You look at your baby in the mirror instead of yourself.

14. You become a morning person.

15. Your love becomes limitless, a superhuman power.

Hopefully by the time she begins to know her name, at least those mentioned above would have mastered it. I’ve considered travelling with little business cards that have her name (first AND last) written out so people can take them home like study cards to memorize.

When asked what her name is, I state : TAS-NEEM. The various replies I get include:

Tashneem (the most popular)
Tashmeen
Tashmeem
Taznem….

You get the picture. I didn’t intend to have my daughter subject to such torture.

I’ll get to her middle name another day!

By the way Kristy… remember we had that discussion about the “wipe warmer”? I wish to rethink my position on it’s uselessness! Although polling a couple friends on the “do I need or not” items pre-baby. I thought, and agreed with a few that this item is a waste of money. BUT, sleeping in air-condition, the wipes end up cold on the skin and she really doesn’t appreciate it.

I doubt that I would actually buy one even so but I definitely can see now why someone might consider it.

I’m not sure how long it takes for a baby’s eye’s to change to their permanent colour. I’d have thought by now her eye colour would been determined. Maybe it is in fact, it’s just that it’s such an odd colour I still feel like it must still be in the transition stage. But dark blue/grey is an eye colour right?!

Time is of the essence, there’s not much of it left over to what we’d call “spare time”. It’s Ramadan as well so there’s no shortness of activity in our house (even though I’m not fasting this year). Mehmet and his sweet tooth bellow for cakes and various other sugary concoctions. I oblidge because I enjoy baking so much. Not good for our diet tho, although Ramadan is such a sweet time it’s towards a worthy cause.

I hear her stiring. The rainy weather has messed up her (my) schedule. It was so dark today I think she thought night came early and she went to sleep. I got a little nap in because I’m sure tonight will probably not be as easy and calm as nights usually are. After all, you can’t expect a baby to sleep all day and night!

Hopefully I’ll be in time to time to update you on her progress. Stay tuned for some pictures and perhaps even a video (if I can manage it) soon!

Right now she has slept most of the day, had her fill of milk and is leisurely enjoying her swing as I surf the net. She’s sooo good! Mehmet and I talk all day of making a meal out of her hehe.

Oh, I’m detecting that the novelty of the swing is wearing off… Mum has been called. Ciao!