Fun Packed Thursday
Who knew?
Who knew when we got up this morning what kind of day we would have? Our sweet daughter in law has been up most of the night with our sweet grandson, who is a little confused about day and night and other things. He was also a little bit jaundiced, so we wanted to take him in to the pediatrician, and at the same time, AdventureMan and I needed to get a H1N1 shot (Swine flu vaccine) which is recommended for all people in contact with precious new little babies.
We were confronted with the worlds “easiest” car seat, and trying to get the base installed. After a couple phone calls (and a rescheduling of our appointment) we got the car seat firmly established, and discovered little Grandson LOVES sleeping in his car seat. Who knew?
Our good friend and realtor lady comes by after lunch to help us write up two contracts – one buying, one selling – and it took hours, with three people in three different phone conversations at one time getting it all glued together.
During all this, our son gets a text message: the government offices in Pensacola will all be closed tomorrow for a SNOW day. A snow day in Pensacola! Pensacola, FLORIDA. LLOOLLLL!
Now, it is late afternoon, AdventureMan is back with little grandson, son and daughter in law are trying to get a little sleep – ah! remember those days of early parenthood? The effects of sleep deprivation?
We feel so blessed to be here at this time, to be able to help our son and his wife.
I was telling my daughter in law about how it works in Qatar, and how it works in some cases still, in Kuwait. When a woman has a baby, her husband takes her to the hospital, but he is not allowed in labor and delivery. If a woman has someone with her, it might be her Mom, or her sisters, or an aunt. She is expected to be very vocal, and the L&D ward is noisy with women vocalizing their “discomfort.”
The baby is born, and all the women’s family and friends visit. A family often brings big tankards of tea and coffee to the hospital, and little cups, to serve to all the visitors. A new mother can entertain, literally, dozens or even hundreds of visitors, because a hospital visit is expected.
When it comes time to go home, the woman and baby go to her parent’s home, where they take care of her and the baby for forty days. The husband visits, and he and his wife can play with the baby but the woman stays in bed most of the time while her family takes care of her and the baby. At the end of the forty days, the wife and baby go back home with her husband.
We agreed, that is a great way of doing things. A new Mother needs a lot of help. A new baby is kind of a shock; you can’t really tell anyone ahead of time what it is like to bring your first baby home.
It’s been a long day – and it isn’t even over.
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The best thing is you get to help with the baby but have none of those sleep deprivation stuff!
In Q8 up until mid 1990’s, the wife after giving birth would stay a little while in the hospital where no one is expeceted to visit… then when she goes back to her parents house for her 40 day period of nefas, she wears her best dressing gown, have her bed somewhere near the entrance of the house, and all throughout the 40 days people would come and go… you must serve them little baby take aways and elegant chocolate… infact my mom insisted on having a Nefas room build in the first floor just off the reception of the house complete with an ensuite bathroom for when her 3 daughters give birth and visitors come… that was before q8y people cut that custom into 2-3 days at the hospital reception and thats it…
ooh and many many q8y’s have their husbands in the delivery rooms, sometimes their sisters who video tape the whole gruesome thing :S
and in Q8 you have to feed the mother in her 40 days some herbs that are disgusting and some certain food that are even more disgusting… Lohoom o something else and you don’t dare say no
Also there is a massage thing called Tardeed… something about hitting the abdomen of the woman over and over so it goes back to normal or something … i am not sure i have never seen one buti have heard about it…
Danderma, you, and this blog comment, are the reason I keep blogging. You made my day. I learned so much, and have a new word – Nefas – that I didn’t know before.
AdventureMan read your comment too, and we both wished we had met you before you left Kuwait. You are an extraordinary young woman. Thank you for teaching us all so much. I had no idea.
Chinese customs would let the mother to stay in bed for 30 days as well and eat all kinds of weird food too.
intlxpatr ;
One of the worst things Media has done is to propagate the Idea of women to be alone with their newborn child to “Bond” with the child . What a load of bull .
Young mothers need all the help they can get in this time of their lives . The only bond the Media should promote is the real Bond , James Bond .
Adventure Man , You have been quiet i see , Yalla I want to hear those lullabyes all the way back here in Kuwait . louder Louder.
It seems you got your new house , am i correct . congratulations
Polar Panda, thank you for your information!
Daggero, I think it really IS important for the Mom and Dad and baby to bond, and I think that happens best in a loving and supportive environment. . . you are right, the young parents need a lot of help! Having a newborn in the house is plain hard work, complicated by sleep deprivation. AdventureMan and I just feel so BLESSED to be able to be a part of all this.
No, we do not have a contract on a house yet. We are dealing with the sellers from hell. They don’t seem to realize it is a buyer’s market. We have been in negotiation for DAYS now, and it is still not settled. Aaarrgh!
AdventureMan sings to him in German. Tell me, are there any Kuwait songs specially for babies? I wish you would teach him a couple Arabic baby songs. π