God Bless the Child

Christening outfit

Alyssa was baptized and confirmed at St. Maron's Church on November 29th, 2009. Mommy and Daddy were married by the same priest in the same Church; and, Teta and Jiddu were married in the same Church 34 years ago. Mommy also received the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation at St. Maron's. It is remarkable that 3 generations could be blessed in the same place.

Beginning of Sacrament

Alyssa's special day began with our family meeting at the Church after 11am Mass. The priest and deacon went through the beginning of the ceremony before walking to the "fountain" where Fr. Karam poured holy water on Alyssa's head and made the sign of the cross on her forehead with holy oil. The towel that was used to dry Alyssa's head was returned to us so that we could wring out the holy water and pour it onto the garden. This ritual signifies new life, and the holy water helps the plants to grow and flourish.

Holy water

After the ceremony, we took pictures and then gathered at the reception venue (The Hilton Garden Inn) across the street, which is the same location as Mommy and Daddy's rehearsal dinner. Alyssa gave each family a crystal cross as a favor. She also had an outfit change into her party dress given to her by her Godmother, Great Aunt Rosy. Alyssa's christening outfit, shoes, and bib were also gifts from Great Aunt Rosy. Uncle Joe is Alyssa's Godfather, and he gave an amazing speech in which he remembered those who passed away and could not be with us that day and that Alyssa had a great foundation for a life filled with love because of our amazing family. Alyssa is truly fortunate to have such wonderful godparents, and she gave each of them an engraved photo album and religious figurine as a small token of her appreciation. The album also included the following poem:

As parents, we are chosen by God above.

Godparents are chosen for devotion and love.

Of all the people we admire so much,

It is you who has the spiritual touch.

As you assume this honor of guidance and direction,

Please accept this gift with our love and affection.

Godmother, Great Aunt Rosy and Godfather, Uncle Joe

The proud parents and godparents

Appetizers at the luncheon included tabouleh, kibbi, and spinach pies. Dinner was oven-roasted chicken, garlic mashed potatoes, and green beans and carrots. A chocolate cake with raspberry filling was served for dessert; but, we also had a personalized cassada cake for Alyssa, a wide variety of Middle Eastern pastries, and fruit salad. After Mommy and Daddy cut the cake with Alyssa, Great Aunt Mary Ann gave Alyssa some of the frosting, which she absolutely loved!

The crystal cross favors

The dessert table

Cutting the cake

Eating the frosting

Alyssa was exhausted by the end of the day. She had a great time with our family, and she loved being held by everyone. Thank you to our families who travelled from near and far to celebrate Alyssa's christening and for all of your love, support, and guidance. We are eternally grateful for all that you have done for us and continue to do.

So peaceful

1/2 Year in Review

Wow! We cannot believe that half a year has passed since Alyssa arrived and became a part of our family! Alyssa is 6 months old, and she has changed so much in such a short period of time. We cannot remember what life was like without her, and time is just going by way too fast!

As a newborn, Alyssa used to peck at my shoulder to let me know that she was hungry. We called it "the chicken." Now, she opens her mouth really wide, nuzzles my shoulder, and sometimes sucks on my shirt so we call it "the vampire." She no longer has her other vampire-like tendencies though. The sunshine does not bother her as much, and she sleeps less during the day. Alyssa takes a longer morning nap approximately 2 hours after she wakes up and 1-2 shorter naps in the afternoon to early evening. She still sleeps through the night and loves taking a bath before bedtime. She sits up in her tub and kicks and splashes so much that water gets everywhere.

The Vampire

Alyssa is still wearing Pampers diapers size 2 and now wears 9 month clothing. She has started to wear size 12 month onesies since they seem to run small. We can tell that she is taller, and it looks as though her legs are a little less chubby and much longer. Alyssa's sitting improves with each passing day. She loves to lean forward and even throw herself back, which means that Mommy always has her hands on Alyssa for safety. She grabs large and small objects with improved coordination and control and loves to try to pick up the cross on Mommy's necklace and the ribbons on her play blankets. As a result, her fine motor skills have improved as well as the strength of her hands and neck and back muscles. During tummy time, Alyssa scoots backwards since she pushes up on her arms so well now. She loves to kick her legs, especially her right leg so we call her "Bronco" too.

Scooting off the blanket

The Bronco practicing her screams
(Warning: You might want to turn your volume down)

Alyssa says many different consonant and vowel sounds, and she loves to change the inflection of her voice when she is happy. She has also started to combine sounds and loves when we imitate her "screams."She knows when we leave the room and gets sad when we are gone for long periods of time. She has a big smile on her face when we return though.

Since Alyssa continues to change each month, we have compiled a list of her characteristics and attributes that we think are similar to Mommy and Daddy:

Like Mommy

1. Hair
2. Eyelashes
   
3. Nose
4. Mouth
5. Fingers (except thumbs)
6. Legs (knees and cankles) :)
   
7. Shyness
8. Eats slowly

Like Daddy

1. Eyes
2. Ears
3. Chin
4. Cheeks
5. Thumbs
6. Toes
7. Morning person
8. Smile

Here is what we have been up to the past month:

Alyssa had her first taste of rice cereal for dinner early in the month. She did not eat very much, but she opened her mouth for each bite. Since she was showing signs of being hungry (e.g., looking intently at Mommy's oatmeal bars and opening her mouth really wide when she was hungry and we were eating), we decided to start her on solids. More cereal was probably on her bib than in her mouth, but we will never forget Alyssa's facial expressions and Shereif's ability to make airplane noises for the spoon to fly into her mouth. Alyssa tried green beans for the first time too as we ate Thanksgiving dinner. She likes her green vegetables more than the cereal, which is a good sign. When she is particularly hungry, she puts both hands up and shakes them while leaning forward with her mouth open. She definitely loves food, but she takes her time eating during most meals.

First taste of cereal

Alyssa had her ears pierced by the pediatrician. At the appointment, she weighed 18 pounds, 11 ounces (almost another 3 pounds since her last weigh-in) with her clothes on. Alyssa received gold studs, and Mommy cannot wait to have her wear lots of different earrings after a few months. Teta Odie bought her emerald earrings, Alyssa's birthstone, when she born; and we know they are going to look adorable on her.

Newly pierced ears!

We went to Shereif's friend's birthday party. Everyone thought Alyssa was well-behaved and wanted to hold her.

We travelled to Cleveland for the second time with Alyssa. We went for Thanksgiving and loved spending time with our families. Daddy went to Columbus for work so Alyssa and Mommy stayed with Teta and Jiddu while he was away. They had fun visiting family and friends and having visitors too. Hena and Ahmad and Aunt Lina and Aunt Nana visited. We visited Aunt Mouna and great grandma and great grandpa. Alyssa also had a play date with Reese, Maggie, and Isabella.

Alyssa was baptized in Cleveland. More details about her special day to follow in another post...

Alyssa had her 6 month appointment when we returned from Cleveland. She weighed 18 pounds, 8 ounces (90th percentile), was 27 in. long (90th percentile), and her head circumference was 41.4 cm. The doctor was impressed with her measurements and told us to continue working with Alyssa on sitting and standing. He also recommended starting her on oatmeal. Alyssa received 3 immunizations (and an oral vaccination) and the first booster of the H1N1 vaccine. Mommy and Daddy received the vaccines too before Alyssa turned 6 months since she was too young at the time.
Likes:
Baths
Eating
Sleeping
Toys and books that make noise
Songs (especially The Itsy Bitsy Spider, the Alphabet, Patty Cake, and Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star)

Reading and listening to her Elmo book from cousins Christopher and Sarah

Dislikes:
Small clothes
Being alone
Getting her face wiped, especially if the towel is cold

LIVE at 5

Alyssa is 5 months old! Just as the leaves are changing colors, Alyssa is changing and growing every day. We cannot believe all that she is doing and has learned in just four short weeks!

Alyssa has outgrown Pampers and Huggies diapers size 1 and Huggies diapers size 1-2. She is wearing Pampers size 2 now, which fit her very well. She is still wearing 6 month clothing , but has started to wear a few outfits that are size 6-9 months. She loves wearing her warm, fall clothes and her Halo sleep sack at night as well as her Bundle Me blanket in the car seat.

Alyssa has more head control and focuses on the face of the person holding her (probably because her vision has improved so much). She loves to sit and pull forward, and she can sit unassisted for 15+ seconds with only her hands for support. She will even pull forward and sit up during her baths, and she loves to splash like crazy now. Alyssa also loves to reach for toys in the play gym and has started to turn her body to reach higher. She has mastered reaching for toys during tummy time, and we cannot wait for her to roll over since she looks like she is about to as she pushes up with both arms. She is too smart for her own good though because she will pull the blanket toward her to bring the toys closer rather than rolling over to get them. She grasps toys with more control and even uses her fingers to hold smaller objects. She used to grab her feet and toes only during diaper changes, but she loves to hold her feet whenever she can now. She also likes to grab Mommy's glasses, necklace, and hair and loves to hold onto and look at Mommy's watch.


Alyssa still folds her hands and sucks on them, and she still sleeps with both hands behind her head and each leg to the side (which is the same position when she gets startled). Alyssa has discovered that she can speak louder. We love listening to her "talk," but we know her playful screams will only get louder as she gets older. She has the hiccups less often, but still gets them quite a bit and gurgles and "spits" all the time so she has started to wear bibs. Alyssa also started playing in the exersaucer given to her by Aunt Gwen, Uncle Mike, and Reese. She was hesitant at first, but absolutely loves it now and plays in it every morning as Mommy gets ready.

Here is what we have been up to the past month (which was a lot):

We visited a local Pumpkin Patch with our friends. It was the first time each of us had visited a pumpkin patch, and it was extra special to have done it together. It was also the first time Alyssa sat in the stroller without the car seat. We took lots of pictures by the pumpkins, hay, and corn maze since it was such a beautiful, sunny day. We cannot wait for next year to ride the tractors and hayride together as a family.

Alyssa had a play date with her friend Mary. Mommy watched Mary for a few hours, and she and Alyssa had a great time. Alyssa was such a good girl and shared all of her toys.

We celebrated Mommy's birthday by travelling 2 hours to Blowing Rock, NC with friends. We ate lunch, visited the mountains, went shopping at local shops and an outlet mall, and ate dinner. We learned that the winds blowing against the rock formations cause it to snow upside-down.

We met some friends for lunch and shopping at the local Farmer's Market. We bought some delicious apples and looked at all the different kinds of squash. It was the first time Alyssa was in the stroller with the Bundle Me blanket. It kept her extremely warm on a cold day.

Alyssa dressed up as a pumpkin for our development's Halloween Parade and party. Alyssa had fun seeing all of the neighborhood kids dressed up in their costumes. We also took Alyssa trick-or-treating to a few of the neighbors' homes before the Fergusons came over for dinner and we passed out candy. Alyssa didn't mind that we ate her candy though.

Likes:
BebePod seat
Squeaky toys
Mommy's watch
Peek-a-boo
Splashing in the bath tub
Exersaucer
Blowing raspberries
Laughing: Alyssa is laughing more often now. She especially loves to laugh at Daddy's funny facial expressions and the party favors that unravel as you blow into them.

Dislikes:
Being tired and hungry
Getting nails trimmed
When the car stops at red lights and stop signs: Alyssa gets impatient when the car stops and always wants to be moving.

Model pose

4 Months, 4ever more to go

Alyssa has grown so much over the past few weeks! She is now wearing 6 month clothing and has outgrown all of her 3 month outfits and shoes. Alyssa takes baths in the tub without the hammock because she is too big to fit in it, and her nails are growing so fast that we have to cut them twice a week. Her hair seems to be slightly lighter in color in the front, and her eyebrows are growing in even more now. Everyone seems to think that she has Daddy's eyes, ears, and smile and Mommy's nose, mouth, and hair. We have various nicknames for Alyssa, but our favorite ones include the following: Habeebti (Arabic for "my love"), NaNussa (Arabic for "cutie"), Alysussa (made up, but sounds similar to the Arabic word for "cap"), Sweetheart, and Squiggly Wiggly (because she is always kicking and moving around).

The outfit that Alyssa wore when she first came home from the hospital finally fits perfectly.

Alyssa has started to giggle and laugh (which we absolutely love) and always has a smile on her face. When she does get upset, however, she reveals the cutest pout as she protrudes her lower lip before starting to cry. She seems to get startled easily, but loves to listen to different sounds and to be outside. Alyssa has also learned to lean forward and to sit up with some assistance. She tries to pull toys towards her to put most in her mouth, and she has found her hands and loves to suck on them too. It's amazing to see her reach up for toys and to interact more on the play gym and with her toy bars. She is developing a strong personality as she grunts when she is trying hard to reach for things. She has always "stood" when we hold her up on our laps; and her neck, back, and hands are getting stronger every day. We love that we can hold her with one arm and pick her up from under her arms, which makes things easier. She now holds on to Mommy and still loves to kick and move around a lot (as evidenced by her worn out socks and the feet of her sleep-n-plays).

The Pout...right before the Shout Out


Laughing on Mommy's childhood bed

We have settled into a routine for the most part. Alyssa has been sleeping in her crib in her own room and goes to bed around 7:30pm and sleeps through the night. She always sleeps with both hands behind her head, which is adorable. She usually wakes up around 7am and takes 2 short naps in the morning and 1 nap in the afternoon. We try to go for a walk each day, and Alyssa loves to look around and always be mobile.

Here is what we have been up to the past month...

Alyssa and Mommy attended our neighbor's 7th birthday party and met Belle from Beauty and the Beast. Even though Alyssa is too young to have her makeup, hair, and nails done, she enjoyed watching the other girls play dress up and have a magic tea party.

Alyssa had her first professional pictures taken. She loved the camera!

Alyssa met Rob, Amber, and Baby Connor who was born two months after Alyssa. Daddy made sure that Connor kept his distance from Alyssa though.

We celebrated Daddy's 30th birthday (by going out for dinner at a restaurant for the first time) and our 3rd Anniversary (but our first as a family of 3)!

We travelled to Cleveland to visit family and friends for the Labor Day weekend. It was Alyssa's first road trip and her first time travelling to another state. It was also the first time Alyssa was in the car at night, but she handled the 10 hour car ride (which usually took us 7-8 hours) very well. She met MANY of Mommy and Daddy's relatives and also was introduced to Great Grandma and Great Grandpa for the first time. She especially loved meeting cousins Ramsey, Waseem, and Ranya as well as Great Aunt Mary Ann and cousins Christopher and Sarah who said that they would teach Alyssa how to play soccer when she gets bigger.

Alyssa attended church services at St. Maron's (where Mommy and Daddy got married) for the first time for Uncle Al's 40 Day Mass. We are looking forward to having Alyssa baptized there soon.

Alyssa had her 4 month well visit. She now weighs 15 lbs, 14 oz (90th percentile), which is 3 pounds more than her last visit (and seems to be a trend for her for each visit). Her length is 25 inches (75th percentile), and her head circumference is 41.4 cm (75th percentile). The doctor was once again impressed with her measurements, and Alyssa is continuing to grow very well. She received her second round of immunizations and only cried for a couple minutes after the shots again. The doctor discussed starting solids soon, and we cannot wait to have Alyssa try her first taste of cereal, vegetables, and fruit in the coming months.

Talking


Likes:
Bath time
Tummy Time: Alyssa loves to look at all the colorful animals on her play mat.
Blowing bubbles
Talking
Toys and objects that make sounds: Alyssa loves to listen to the phone as we push the buttons to dial numbers.
Clicking noises: Alyssa loves when we make clicking noises with our tongues in varying pitches.
Swing: Alyssa actually does not mind sitting in her swing now.

Dislikes:
Being hungry and tired
Tight socks and clothing
Not being able to go out or move around
Immunizations, especially the taste of the oral vaccine

Reading


Exxxxcellent

Tummy Time with my bear

It's sunny in NC

Our Little Lady is getting so big!


Stylish

The first laughs caught on camera

Numerology

I am not one to read horoscopes or to believe in fortune-telling or numerology, but I have always loved math. I have a tendency to think about numbers (e.g., license plates, codes, birthdays) and have experienced a few strange events regarding numbers in my life.

For example,
1. My birthday is 10/11, which is 1+0=1.
2. I have always lived in a house with the numbers 6 and 4 in the address. I lived on 4406 Baintree, 604 Sturbridge, and 694 Affirmed.
3. My cell phone numbers and home phone numbers have all had the numbers 6 and 4 in them too.
4. For most of the sports I played in elementary and high school, my uniform number was 6 or
13.
5. Our wedding anniversary is 9/3/06, which is 9-3=6.
6. Our due date when we first found out that we were pregnant was 6/3/09, which is
similar to our anniversary date (in reverse order) and 6+3=9.
7. Alyssa was born on May 27, 2009, which is 5/27/09 or 5+2=7 and 2+7=9.
8. Alyssa was born at 10:27am--the minute number is the same number as the day of her birth,
the 27th of May.

Maybe I should play the lottery with some of these numbers since they have all brought me happiness and will hopefully bring us good luck (even though 6 is supposed to be an unlucky number). What do you think?

11...12...(What rhymes with 12?!)

Week 11
Alyssa's daddy came back after being in San Diego for work last week. She missed him very much, and he could not stop staring at her and holding her when he arrived home. Alyssa has found her hands and loves to look at her left hand and suck on the right one. I have noticed a very light brown circle on her upper forehead and one on the back of her upper right thigh. I think they might be birthmarks, but we will wait to see. Alyssa has angel kisses on her left eyebrow, the back of her head, and on her back. They will fade over time, but I like to think that she is being looked after by the angels above.

We attended our neighbor's 4th birthday party at the city park, which has the oldest carousel. Shereif and I rode it with Alyssa, but she slept the entire time. We plan to go next summer and ride more of the rides with her.

Alyssa saw Uncle Joe, Teta, and Jiddu on the computer and heard their voices. It was a fun time, and we hope to do it more often so that we can all see each other.

Fun Fact: Alyssa's movements are becoming more coordinated and smoother. She still loves to kick and throw her arms around, but she has started to push things away and wrap her fingers around mommy and daddy. She loves the play gym more now and has hit her favorite rattle on it a few times because she reaches her arms up. Her neck strength and head control are improving greatly as she is able to look around without having her head always supported.

Likes

• Her hands
• Butterfly, ARC, and elephant rattles
• Bouncing on the exercise ball
  

Dislikes

• Being tired
• Dirty diapers
  

Week 12
Alyssa is 3 months old! We have a tradition of taking her picture on her "birthday" at exactly 10:27am, the time that she was born. She is always so patient with me as I take her picture, but she always stops what she is doing when I try to record her movements or sounds. She is "talking" more and loves to hear us make high-pitched sounds and funny faces.

Fun Fact: The neighbors and their 8 month old daughter Mary came over one night, and Alyssa could not stop staring at Mary. Mary loved to tickle Alyssa's feet and Alyssa smiled at her new friend. We look forward to many more play dates with the girls and love taking Alyssa out to see lots of people. In addition to running errands and attending all the birthday parties this summer, we took Alyssa to Church for the first time. She loves the music, but gets agitated when it stops.

Likes

• Elephant and toucan rattles on play gym
  
• Baths: Alyssa loves the water, and I think she knows that it is bath time when she hears the water running. She also cries some times when we finish bathing her and take her out.
• Church music
  

Dislikes

• Getting out of the tub
• Gas