Anastasia will be staying at home with Misrak (our next entry will be all about her) from about 8-2 each day. We've had her coming in 3 times a week for a few hours this summer. So she and Anastasia are well acquainted, they seem to truly enjoy each other, and Randy and I have complete confidence in her. Sometimes, I feel like I should be looking to her to see how to do some things, she's that good!
This Friday, our little family did the Abu Dhabi "Trifecta": we hit three malls in one day! First it was off to Khalidiya to have coffee with a colleague that returned from Canada, then to Marina Mall to go to Ikea, and finally Abu Dhabi Mall because Randy's tutoring job is near there. Three malls sound ridiculous (especially considering I could easily go a year in the US without visiting one)- but does going to 3 different places running errands sound unusual? I don't think so, it's just that here everything is in malls. (Do you hear my rationalizations?!) Anastasia was in her Baby Bjorn most of the time and did a great job- she slept :)
While Randy tutored, I visited with his tutoree's Egyptian family. The youngest girl was amazed that everything Anastasia had was smaller than hers, that she couldn't walk or hold things, and wanted to give her several of her toys. Very cute!! All three sisters and mom fought to hold her, once I was finally done breatfeeding in their parlor. It was really nice to just sit and visit with a non-Western woman: we discussed wedding bands, hair and eye color, American cities vs towns, pharmacy schools, Alexandria and family guests. It ended with an invite for dinner once her huband returns from a trip abroad.
As we have taken Anastasia out and around, we've found her to be a real barrier-breaker. Randy even had coffee with a covered woman- she approached him, and then proceeded to comfort and feed Anastasia as they sat and chatted. Babies always get attention, but people really stare when she's in the Baby Bjorn. Women's looks express thoughts that lead Randy to think he's the best dad ever and onlooking men seem to be shocked and/or mocking him.
Other (old) news: as of her one month visit, Anastasia had gained 2.5 pounds, 3 cm in length and 3 cm in head circumference. This means she's in the 60th percentile for weight, but in about the 10th for length. Short, chunky, but the brain sure is growing!
Here are some of Anastasia's favorite places to stare around the house. She visits them several times daily and they usually quiet her crying for a bit. They seem goofy choices to me, but most do have some pretty strong color contrasts.
And lastly, to celebrate becoming a mother, my approaching 32nd birthday, and to rally myself to get into the back-to-school spirit, I treated myself to a morning at a nearby spa. I had a Morrocan bath, haircut, facial, mani and pedi. The Moroccan bath included getting rubbed down with something slimy to facilitate exfoliation, a good steaming, a brutal rubbing down and finally a massage. Surprisingly to me and the lady abusing me, little dead skin was removed. This resulted in the Phillipino lady saying that my husband was lucky and complimenting me on my cleanliness, but lamenting that unless there's major results, I may not come back.
Although we didn't travel far this summer, it was a big one for us. One that included late mornings, walks to induce labor, books and box sets of TV series to avoid the sweltering heat BA(before Anastasia) and AA early mornings, walks to calm baby, books and box sets of TV series to avoid the sweltering heat. Now only 3 months until we head back to the States for an extended winter holiday with family!!
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