Life with baby Faree'ah

My little rabbit / Faree'ah is 16 weeks +, hitting her 4th month birthday in less than 2 weeks time. I have acquired a new routine once baby have arrived, and the best thing is I will have to keep adapting to new routines according to her development. No longer is Faree'ah sleeping all day and waking all night (first few weeks) or sleeping almost all the time (month 1/2). Now she's awake longer, though her nap time is rather frequent; as is her breastfeeding session. 

Faree'ah can laugh now, and it is amazing when you see your child laugh. Makes you feel warm all over. I never believed my friends when they say however dog-tired they are, when they see their child all the tiredness is gone. But its true. All she need is to smile, and your day is o-kay. Blessing from Allah.

In this slower pace of life I wondered what I can do/teach little Faree'ah; I have not decided whether I want to introduce her to any flashcard or such 'educational' material yet. Anyway some things that I am learning to do:

•  Dignified treatment of babies: yes please. At their most vulnerable years, when they depend on us for a lot of things, I learn about respecting babies. i.e. when changing a soil diaper, I try not to comment on the smell, say things like 'ewww' or turn my face the other way. It a way to build trust with our child, "when I am most vulnerable, I can trust someone to be there for me, or laugh at me." I learn this during intense labour, lying there on the hospital bed, and the nurse emptying my bladder with a tube. Just as I expected a dignified treatment then, I try to treat my baby the same way.
• Open communication: I'm still learning this, especially to a not-yet responsive baby. I tell her when I'm picking her up, what I'm doing to her, what I'm thinking etc. One-its language exposure. Two- its practice for me as a parent, to talk to my child.
• Not feeling the need to entertain my baby; I trust that she is independent in this sense, she knows how to be happy herself. 
• I am learning the basic duaa's so I can teach her as well. 

Faree'ah is teaching me many things as well. The most important things perhaps. 

• Love
• Respect
• Joy
• Smile more often 

:) to be continued..