My three other kids

Okay so everyone's been wondering about how my other kids are taking to baby Izani.

Sorry for the bad lighting. Taufik put the baby by the window to prevent jaundice

Well, what can I say, they just love the baby to bits.
Everyone wants to hold the baby (which I do not allow), and they're always kissing him. I wipe their noses before they kiss him, though. And make sure they wash their hands coz god knows where those grubby fingers have been.
They have lots of questions.
Like

"is that the straw where he gets food when he was in your tummy?" pointing to the umbilical cord
"does it hurt?" while I was breastfeeding
"why doesn't he look at me?" when they see him open his eyes but don't look directly at them
"do you know how to take care of him? I think we need a nurse" when the baby cries.
"was I this little?" when they compare the size of their hands and feet.

Last night Izani had the hiccups and the kids were laughing at each and every hiccup.

"His head is so small, but his face is so big!!" Anis commented.
"He looks like he's drunk" Ilham said.
"tee hee he's so funny" Ihsan remarked.

Anis, of course, is the one who dotes on her baby brother the most. She is the one who runs downstairs (or sometimes yells from upstairs) that the baby is crying when I'm doing stuff downstairs.
She would stand by the changing table everytime I change Izani's diapers and ask if she could help opening the diaper, handing me wet-wipes and giving the ocassional commentary on the different odors, saying "Eyewww that is gross" at appropriate times.
While I'm bathing Izani, Anis is the official towel holder.
And she's the one who powders him (and powders herself in the process).
And she insists to be the one who combs his hair. Her favourite style is the front-comb. You know.. just like the way George Michael did his hair when he made his second comeback.

If the baby cries, and I'm busy doing something else, Anis would be the first one to sit by him, stroke his hair and say "It's okay, baby...it's okay.."
Sometimes she'd tell him stories.
She kisses him A LOT.
Baby Izani just lets her do anything she wants to him..

HOWEVER, Anis is acting extra whiny since the baby got home. She cries very easily, especially when we scold her for doing something wrong. Instead of asking for things nicely, sometimes she cries and whines instead, as if she expects us to say no. I think she just wants attention and is feeling a little bit insecure about her ability to get our attention. So we try not to make her feel like she's being loved less now that the baby is here.
Taufik took 30 minutes after lunch today to play with the jigsaw puzzle with her. She was so happy :). I think she will be happier when her grandmother gets here, coz then there will be an extra person who would pay attention to her.

My mom will be arriving in Bahrain at 1am tomorrow. Taufik will be leaving here at midnight to drive to Bahrain airport to pick her up. They'll arrive home at 3am, we estimate. I'm sure she'll be really jet-lagged and tired, so I'll let her rest for a bit.
I'm actually abit apprehensive about her visit.
She just got back from Seattle helping out my youngest sister with her baby, and from what I heard so far, she has been worrying about how my youngest sister is handling it alone with her new baby. I am afriad if she will still be thinking about my youngest sister when she gets here. I am afraid of what she would think when she comes here and sees me all hunky dory and acting like I'm super-woman.
Would she be angry at me for taking her away from someone who she feels needed her more? Would she think it is selfish of me to have brought her here to help me out, when I am actually capable of taking care of myself?
Maybe I am being apprehensive for no reason. And this is not a good state of mind to be in at the start of the visit.
Relax. Have an open mind. Things will be just fine.. Maybe she will enjoy being here after all. Maybe I am delusional about being able to take care of everything myself. Maybe she'll see that she *is* needed here, and she won't feel so bad about leaving Seattle so soon.
Insya-Allah.

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There's a new post on Baby Izani's Blog, by the way.