9...10...More to do again

Week 9
Alyssa continually changes and grows with each passing day. Her eyebrows are fuller and darker, her eyelashes have started to curl at the ends, and she is starting to lose more hair. I wonder if her hair is going to change at all, but it has been dark brown since she was born. We joke that she looks like Jiddu Wajih with a comb over. I think Alyssa has Shereif's eyes, chin, and ears. She still has my nose, mouth, fingers, and toes. Speaking of fingers and toes, I cut Alyssa's nails for the first time with nail clippers last week. It was scary since I did not want to hurt her, but I waited until she was in a deep sleep. I felt horrible when I cut some skin on her fingertip, but she didn't even wake for a second.

Fun Fact: We receive weekly email updates regarding baby developments. Alyssa is always right on track with her milestones. It's funny to read an email and then see Alyssa do the action that week, or even that same day. Her most recent achievements have been smiling more and cooing all the time. She likes it when daddy and mommy repeat her sounds.

Likes

• Blowing bubbles
• Talking
• Smiling
• "The Itsy, Bitsy Spider"
  

Dislikes

• Not sitting straight in her car seat
• Feeling full
  

Week 10
Alyssa had her 2 month checkup on the day she turned 10 weeks old. Alyssa gained another 3 pounds! She is now 12 lbs, 14 oz (90th percentile) and is 22.75 in long (50th percentile). Her head circumference is 39 cm (50th percentile) so she must take after her mother who is short and has a small head. :) She received an oral immunization as well as 2 shots in her left thigh and 1 in her right thigh. She did not like the taste of the oral medication, but she swallowed it without a peep. When the first needle went in, she was in shock; but the second needle brought on the crying and a loud scream. Alyssa only cried for a few minutes after the last shot, but mommy carried her and made it all feel better. She fell asleep in the car on the way home. I can't believe what a champ she was and how bravely she took all 3 shots. I was very impressed and proud of her!

Fun Fact: Alyssa started taking a vitamin supplement since she is only breastfeeding. It is a dark brown-colored liquid that you administer through a dropper, and it smells horrible. I can't blame Alyssa for not liking it, and I wonder why the drug companies can't make it clear and/or taste/smell better. It stains everything too.

Likes

• Sitting with mommy on the physioball: I tried using the exercise ball one day when Alyssa was being fussy, and she quickly became quiet. I think I might use it more often since she seems to like it and to work on my own posture and quadriceps strength since I need it. :)
• Hearing shhhhhh: When Alyssa is fussy before she falls asleep during the day (no problems at night though), I figured out a method to get her to calm down. As I walk and gently bounce Alyssa around the living room, I pat her bottom with one hand and her back with the other while "shhhh"ing softly. I guess she likes the white noise, but it makes me tired too. I wish I had more hands and a sound machine :)
• Hearing mommy say "WOW" in a really high-pitched voice.

Dislikes

• Immunizations
• Vitamin
  
• Being fussy right before falling asleep for naps
• Mirrors: Alyssa no longer likes looking into the mirror for some reason.
  

Here is a short video of Alyssa smiling. Please excuse my annoying voice.

In memory of...

My Uncle Abdoo, or Al as everyone called him, passed away on July 29th. He was a successful entrepreneur who owned several movie theatres. He was a devoted son who helped take care of my grandfather with my grandmother, a loving brother to 2 sisters and 2 brothers, and a fun uncle who treated his nieces and nephews to movies, popcorn, and candy. I will always have fond memories of visiting him and my grandparents as a little girl at the first movie theatre he owned. Everyone loved Uncle Al and his love for the movies. He would always tell us which movies to see or to skip, and Shereif loved talking to him about business and investments.

I am saddened that Uncle Al never had a chance to meet Alyssa, but I know he will be looking down on her, as well as all of his family and friends, from heaven. He always helped to take care of others, whether family members, friends, or customers; and I know he will continue to do so from above.

He will be missed dearly and has left a legacy. We love you Uncle Al. May you rest in peace and be an inspiration to us all.

7...8...Life is Great

Week 7
Alyssa's friend Reese and her parents, Gwen and Mike, came to visit us on their way to the Outer Banks. It was Alyssa's first sleepover, and she loved meeting the Kost family!

Alyssa likes her play gym, but only for short periods of time. She seems more interested in rattles and is not entertained by the lights as much as we thought she would be. She still does not like her swing or the baby sling, but we hope that will change soon.

Fun Fact: Alyssa has officially outgrown Pampers newborn diapers! We tried using the size 1 diapers, but they are too long on her so we are still using the Huggies newborn diapers since they seem to run big. I am sure Alyssa will be ready to wear size 1 diapers soon though since she is growing so much. I just wish the larger diapers had the "wetness indicator" like the newborn ones. In addition, Alyssa is outgrowing her newborn clothes and Gerber 0-3 month onesies. Gerber clothing seems to run small, and the other brands in the same size seem wide on Alyssa but fit her length. We can't believe our little girl is growing up so fast already!


Likes

• Reese, Auntie Gwen, Uncle Mike
• Bouncer chair: Alyssa cannot get enough of her bouncer chair. She prefers to take naps in it now rather than sleep in the pack-n-play.
• Cooing: Alyssa loves to "talk" to us, and we love to listen to all of the sounds she makes! She especially likes to talk to mommy when she is eating.
• Alyssa likes to put her hands on her face, especially when she is sleeping and eating. She seems to use her left hand more often, and it is cute to see her little hand pressed against her cheek as if she is thinking about something.
  

Dislikes

• Gas
• Too much sun: We joke that babies are like vampires since they suck when they are hungry, and they hate being in direct sunlight when awake. Alyssa always flinches and turns her head away when we come down the stairs in the morning and the sun is shining through the windows.
  

Week 8
Alyssa is 2 months old! She has been sleeping for 6-7 hour stretches of time at night for the past couple weeks. She is getting so long that she can almost touch both sides of the bassinet with her body, and she is starting to wear size 3 month clothing. We have been using the humidifier at night for the past week to help with her sinus congestion, and it seems to be working.

The Kosts came for another visit on their way home from the OBX, and Shereif has been traveling out of town the past month for a few days at a time for work. Alyssa misses her daddy when he is gone, but he showers her with hugs and kisses when he gets home.

Fun Fact: We have learned the reason for each of Alyssa's different cries. Her hungry cry is a loud, high-pitched, and constant cry while her cry for a diaper change sounds like "Nee, Nee." She also makes a short, loud sound when she has gas while eating. I know at the moment that she makes it that she needs to be burped, which she pretty much does herself since she kicks her feet and "stands up" straight to get it out.

Likes

• Walks in the stroller
• Water: Alyssa always loves to take baths, and she loved listening to kids playing in the community pool. We think that she is going to love going to the pool next summer and learning to swim.
  

Dislikes

• Being sleepy: She seems to get cranky when she is really tired and fights it.
• Gas and burps
• Daddy being gone

5...6...Picking up new tricks

Week 5
Alyssa keeps getting so big. We bought 2 large boxes of newborn diapers (hoping they would last us a long time), and Alyssa is quickly outgrowing them. I remember when we brought her home from the hospital and the tabs on the diapers could almost overlap in the center since she was so tiny. Now, we can barely close the tabs around her chubby little legs. One neighbor commented that Alyssa's legs look like the turkey legs they sell at Disneyland. She is our little butterball.

My parents, brothers, Aunt Rosy, Aunt Maggie, and Uncle Nazih came to visit for the 4th of July. They loved meeting Alyssa, and we had a great time even though their visit was so short.

Fun Fact: Alyssa's new tricks include tracking objects, licking (or sticking her tongue out at us), and smiling more often. We finally caught the end of one of her gorgeous smiles with the camera. She is especially happy in the mornings after her diaper change and feeding. I love when her smiles are so big that her eyes close and her nose scrunches up.

Likes

• Making noises
• Smiles
• Her Teta Odie, Jiddu Wajih, Uncle Joe, Uncle Pat, Great Aunt Rosy, Great Aunt Maggie, and Great Uncle Nazih
  

Dislikes

• Gas: I must have eaten something that did not agree with Alyssa's stomach because she was very fussy. Her burps are extremely loud, but cute.
• Not moving: Alyssa loves to be held upright and walk around.
• 
• 

Week 6
Alyssa is 1.5 months old and is smiling so much now! She loves to smile back at us and has started to make cooing noises. She also has increased neck and upper body strength as she loves to push up when we hold her. It is hard to hold her sometimes since she is so strong and wiggles around so much. Alyssa tried out her swing for the first time and enjoyed it for only a few minutes before getting restless. I think she prefers vibrations to the swinging motion.

Fun Fact: We are starting to notice different traits that Alyssa possesses that are similar to our own characteristics. She always folds her hands in front of her like me, and she loves to bury her head when sleeping like Shereif. She is also a "morning person" like her daddy, and she seems to be very patient (during diaper changes and baths) like her mommy. It's fun to watch her personality develop.

Likes

• Being held in strange positions: Alyssa will always reposition herself in the most awkward ways when someone is holding her. She loves to throw her head back and have her neck bent all the way down. She does not look comfortable at all, but sleeps soundly like that.
• Stretching: Alyssa's stretches are so big, and she makes grunting sounds during them.
• Baths
  

Dislikes

• Stuffy nose: Alyssa has been congested for the past few days. I hate that it makes it harder for her to breathe, but her "whistles" and boogers are cute.
  
• Spitting up
• Being cold
• 

3...4...So Much More

Week 3
Shereif's parents came to visit and to meet Alyssa. They think that she looks like me, and my family thinks she resembles my younger brother and I when we were little. The neighbors, however, think that Alyssa looks like Shereif. I think she has features from the both of us, but she is constantly changing and growing so fast.

Fun Fact: Alyssa's birth announcement was in various newspapers this week. We submitted the information to the local paper, but other newspapers also published her birth. One even had all of our information, such as our ages and address, which is a bit scary.

Likes:

• Getting dressed: Alyssa is so patient with us when we dress her. She seems to like wearing different outfits, and I have a feeling she is going to love playing dress up when she is older.
• Hearing "Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star"
• Getting burped
• Rides in the stroller
• Bouncer: Alyssa used her bouncer chair for the first time and loved the vibrations.
  

Dislikes:

• Cold Monster
• Having to wait to eat
  
• "Blow-outs:" Alyssa had her first major diaper emergency. While eating, she had a large blow-out that got on Mommy, the pillow, and herself. It has happened a few times since, and we cannot help but laugh that we find her bowel movements so cute. We never thought that we would talk about them so much either.
  

Week 4
Happy Father's Day! Alyssa surprised daddy with a card and tie (the first of many yet to come). Shereif loved spending the whole day with his daughter for his first Father's Day.

Alyssa had her 1 month check-up and passed with flying colors. She now weighs 9 lbs, 12 oz. which impressed the doctor. He joked that I must be feeding her buttermilk. Alyssa's head circumference is 36.7 cm, and she is now 21.5 inches long. She has grown so much, and she measured above average in everything! We are still amazed with Alyssa's neck strength since she is able to hold her head up when we carry her. She loves looking around and up at us.

Fun Fact: Alyssa's smiles melt our hearts. The first few weeks consisted of "gas smiles," but now she smiles when we laugh and when she is content after eating and sleeping. They are wide, toothless grins that we absolutely love!

Likes:

• Getting hair brushed
• Different sounds from musical toys
• Daddy's songs that he makes up and sings to her
• Being put in the Baby Bjorn carrier: We went to the neighbor's first birthday party, and Shereif carried her in it. She slept through the entire party even though music was playing and tons of people were being loud.
  

Dislikes:

• Gas
• Not being held
• Dirty diapers
• Cold wipes

1...2...Look What Alyssa Can Do

Week 1
The first few days home with Alyssa were difficult, but my mom helped tremendously. We could not have done it without her, and we will forever be grateful to her for all the help, love, and support she gave us. Alyssa slept through most of the first week, but she quickly became acclimated to her new home as well as to the bassinet at night and pack-n-play during the day. She had her first sponge bath at home as well as her first appointment with the pediatrician where we found out that her head circumference was 34 cm. Even from the time she was born, Alyssa has shown really good neck muscle strength. We are amazed at how much she is able to lift her head.

Fun Fact: Alyssa was born at approximately the same time I was born (10:27am vs. 10:06am), and we both weighed about the same at birth.

Likes:

• Teta singing Arabic songs to her
• Being held and walking around
• Sleeping (A LOT)
• Sponge baths
• Car rides
• Rattles
  

Dislikes:

• Getting belly button cleaned with alcohol
• Diaper changes
• Cold monster: We came up with this since Alyssa likes to sleep so much and has to be kept awake during feedings with a cold washcloth rubbed on her arms, stomach, and feet.
• Car seat: She hates the shoulder straps; but, once in, she loves riding in the car

Week 2
Alyssa became a better eater and more alert when she was awake. Alyssa's umbilical cord fell off, and she has an innie belly button just like mommy and daddy. She received her first manicure from Teta and was sad when grandma left to go back to Cleveland.

Fun Fact: We learned that Pampers and Huggies diapers have color change indicators on them so that you know when the baby has soiled his/her diaper. We didn't catch this until the second week (probably around diaper #100). I tell myself it was due to sleep deprivation.

Likes:

• No more alcohol swabs needed to clean her belly button
  
• Baths: She loves getting baths in the infant tub and seems content in the water.
• Stroller: We took Alyssa out for a ride in the stroller for the first time. Many of the neighbors came out to see her and to finally meet her. Despite it being around 88 degrees in the evening, she didn't cry or seem uncomfortable at all.

Dislikes:

• Diaper changes
• Cold monster (still)
• Gas
• Tummy time
  

The Big Day Revisited

Two weeks ago (has it been that long?) on Tuesday, May 26th, I had another prenatal appointment in the afternoon. I was already dilated and effaced, and the doctor thought that I would be ready to have our baby very soon since I was fullterm. I was admitted to the hospital that night for monitoring into a spacious labor and delivery suite. Shereif spent the night with me on the couch and brought me a delicious sandwich to eat as my "last" meal, and we watched the Cavs game until we fell asleep. I was having contractions throughout the night and did not get much sleep, but by 6am on Wednesday, May 27th the contractions were extremely close together. I wanted to have as natural of a birth as possible (but was not opposed to an epidural :) and experienced the contractions for approximately 4 hours before I felt the need to start pushing. I had just got out of bed to use the physioball to help with the pain when I felt the overwhelming desire to start pushing. The nurses and Shereif helped me back to bed and coached me through the contractions and pushes until Alyssa arrived at 10:27am. Shereif cut the cord and watched as Alyssa was taken to the incubator in our room after being placed on me. She cried a little, and Shereif stayed with her as she was checked and even taken to the nursery for her bath.

It is difficult to remember the exact times of everything that happened since it all happened so fast (relatively speaking). I remember the nurses all giving me high-fives for having a natural birth and accidentally kicking the doctor at one point when my foot fell out of the stirrup. As the doctor was about to break my water, it broke on its own as I yelled out "oh no" too.

After the delivery, I was moved to a postpartum room, which was a very small room in the BirthPlace. Shereif and I spent the next 2 nights there with Alyssa. The nurses constantly commented on how cute Alyssa was and how long her eyelashes are. They were all jealous of them, and I hope she inherited Shereif's long eyelashes. The 2 days spent in the hospital with Alyssa went by extremely fast. We ate surprisingly good hospital food and met with numerous nurses, the lactation consultant, doctors, administrators, and a few of our neighbors who visited. Shereif changed Alyssa's very first dirty diaper, which surprised the nurses. He did a great job even though it was his first diaper change too. We were discharged Friday afternoon on May 29th after Shereif picked my mom up from the airport. It was an emotional welcome as my mom met Alyssa for the first time.

I will never forget leaving the hospital. Volunteers arrive to take the mothers to the parking lot in a wheelchair. We waited about an hour for our pick-up people because they got lost. The 2 volunteers we were assigned were an elderly woman and an even more elderly man. The man pushed me in the wheelchair, which was a scary thought considering we probably weighed more than he did. As he, Alyssa, and I got on the elevator, he forgot to hold the door open for my mom, Shereif, and the other volunteer who was pushing a cart with our belongings. I just sat in the wheelchair holding Alyssa and watching the door close on them. We went down 3 floors when another couple came on the elevator and back up 3 floors to see my mom and Shereif again. Since the elevator was full, we had to go back down and finally met everyone on the first floor since they had taken another elevator. We were dropped off at the entrance of the hospital and Shereif got the car. We had some trouble getting Alyssa into her carseat, but everything worked out in the end. I held her head the whole way home. We were ecstatic to bring her home and were surprised by all the decorations on the house from the neighbors to celebrate Alyssa's arrival.
The first few days were the hardest. Each passing day and week gets better though and we are enamored by how much love we have for another person who has only been with us for 14 days. It feels like Alyssa has been a part of our family for much longer than that, and I can't wait to see what the future holds for all of us.