Hot water and towels

Safety pins, flip flops, loo rolls, hair bobbles, porridge…think, THINK, what else do I need?
Am I packing my overnight maternity bag? Nah, not five months early - if that’s the case you all may as well start boiling pan loads of water and get the bundles of towels ready. I never did figure out why they do that in the movies. My brother reckons it’s to distract the men and keep them busy while the woman gets on with the real work ;-)

Anywaaaay, back to my list. It is for the JIMAS conference (check it out www.jimas.org) which folks is less than a week away. Take a deep breath through your nose, and you will smell the sweet fragrance of peace and tranquillity in the form of JIMAS.

Last year I embarked upon my maiden voyage on board the ‘JIMAS express’ feeling very exited and curious after the hype I had heard. So off I went, Tookh under my arm, and sleeping bag in tow.

What followed bought in its path an almost tangible sense of peace, calm and safety. From the talks; to the novelty of leaving my room unlocked; to the beautiful surroundings; to the funny hubble bubble of the longest food queues; to the quirky little market stalls, it was a breath of pure fresh air. Boy did I need it. Prior to going, I felt as though as I was suffocating. I had lost momentum, and felt lost. Allah bought me respite in the best way.

Tookh loved it, he loved the atmosphere, he loved the crèche, and the whole environment Alhumdulillah. I think it did him a lot of good too. He also recognised me in a niqab (a veil for the face). I tried it for the first time and found I could wear it there and feel at home, and enjoy it. While I occasionally wear it, I don’t wear it permanently, so somewhere like JIMAS is the perfect place to be able to wear one.

I remember one evening, standing outside in the cool warmth, staring at the moon. In its serene enormity it left me in awe. I remember feeling so safe, as though I were in a different dimension altogether. I wondered if a moment like that would ever come again.

It was coming home that was gut wrenching. I wasn’t prepared for what it would do to me. It wasn’t till the day was done, I was back home, and put my overtired Tookh to bed, that I realised it was just me and my empty home devoid of noise and the completion it needed. The following few days were hard, to say the least. After almost four days being surrounded by such kind, gentle pleasant Muslim brothers and sisters, I felt very alone.

I guess looking back, it was more than a conference; it was education, dawah, a break, and a refuge. It was a crucial time in which I could recharge the ole brain cell, and think about what I needed, which direction I was heading for, and question my progress.

This time I am armed. I have safety pins (which I always manage to lose) for my hijabs, a few cents put aside for some nice perfume oil I saw and snorted last time, but didn’t have enough money left to buy - only for your benefit though hubby dear ;-). As part of my arsenal, I’m also taking snacks and munchies, lots of toiletries and general conveniences like my Hawaiian crunch muesli…

So, on the Perrep front as he prepares for his first JIMAS, things are Alhumdulillah well.
I feel Perrep flutter inside me from time to time, but only if it’s quiet, and I concentrate. I feel a lot less sick, and the bump is beginning to protrude through my jilbab (Islamic dress) when the wind blows against me.

I’m sure Tookh knows subconsciously and probably won’t blink when we tell him insha’Allah. He knows to be careful around me, and has been given instructions from hubby to pre-emptively attack if he sees me doing anything strenuous. Masha’Allah he is my little sweetpea and I know how much he has been aching for a sibling. We’ve had a journey me and this Tookh hand in hand, may Allah bless him with all that is good.

Perrep Progress:

Week 16: Perrep has grown to about 6 inches in length and weighs about 3 ½ oz. Perrep is able to move around a great deal, although it is difficult to feel these movements at present.

There is a growth of fine hair, known as lanugo, all over Perrep’s body.

The placenta is now completely developed.

Oh man, I had my first cup of tea very hesitantly this week. We stopped at a café whilst shopping, and my bro brought me a cuppa. I’m a known tea-aholic, but went right off the stuff three months ago. Anyway, I didn’t wretch at the sight of it, and while it didn’t taste as wonderful as it usually did, it was passable.
Woohoo, slowly but surely tea will insha’Allah be an integral part of my life once more…

Week 17: Perrep now weighs about 5 oz and the reproductive organs are fully formed. Perrep passes water containing waste products every 40-45 minutes. A lot of this passes through my placenta, and into my circulation. This is excreted through urine and sweat.

No wonder I have to get up to go the bathroom all the time.
Alhumdulillah I feel I have some energy now and my emotional state seems to be back to normal too. Looking back, I have often felt weary, sensitive or just plain angry on a few occasions for no apparent reason. The difficult part is trying to keep it under wraps and not fly into some hulkish tantrum at everyone. I guess you will have to ask poor hubby how I did on that score.
Oh, and hubby, don’t get too comfy, hormones will rage again at the end, muhahaa.

Weeks 18-19: Perrep now weighs 11oz, between now and the 20th week I may become more aware of Perrep’s movements. Perrep can move quite freely within the amniotic sac, and is lying in salt water which gives extra buoyancy. The wall of my uterus is springy, so Perrep can push against it and bounce off it.

Lol I want to have a go. Sounds like proper fun. Perrep is on a funky little ride called ‘The Womb’. Imagine something like that at Alton Towers…ok maybe not.