Spinning Ninjas

If you've never lived in a Muslim country, you might not be familiar with the many different levels of veiling that can occur.  The most extreme being where the woman is completely covered in black (we're talking eyes, gloves, everything).  

As an expat and non Muslim living in Egypt, this is a bit shocking at first, I mean how do they see, drive, talk, eat, live their lives?  But like everything else in life, you get used to it over time, and we've affectionately dubbed these women as "ninjas".  The term is not meant to give offense, it's simply referring to the fact that you can see absolutely nothing of their bodies, like a ninja.

While taking a short weekend break at the Red Sea last week, there were two women who came to the pool everyday in a swim version of the ninja suit, complete with sunglasses and baseball hats that matched.  And I couldn't help but giggle as this happened right in front of me one day.  Spinning Ninja!

We had a great time at the Red Sea.  Quincy got to swim in the ocean for the first time, which he seemed to enjoy, just like all other forms of water.  This kid is definitely a water baby.  The fresh breeze and sounds of the water lulled him to sleep easily, making for very happy parents.

School started two weeks late due to the curfew that's been in effect for the last month.  An odd reason to start school late, but at the same time, we've gotten so used to zany things happening here that it hasn't really affected us much.  Except when we head out on Fridays after 6pm and are left scratching our heads because all the restaurants are already closed.  Oh yeah, it's early curfew tonight, better head home and make some macaroni and cheese!  It's a weird combination of feeling like a teenager with a 6 year old's curfew time.

Knowing that this is our last year in Cairo has made things a bit easier.  There's been a growing stress from living in this city for the last 3 years.  Part of it is the craziness that is Cairo, part of it is the fact that we chose a rather difficult time in Egypt's history to be visitors.  And another equally large part is just the fact that Ryan and I are not big city people.  We like mountains, and water and for things to be a bit more quiet and calm.  Unfortunately there's not a lot of that to be found in this bustling place.

So with the decision to look for jobs somewhere else next year has come a feeling of peace.  I'd compare it to the first year here, with less excitement about all the stuff going on around us, but more appreciation for all the quirks Cairo has to offer.  Like our last trip to one of the major supermarkets in City Stars a few weeks ago, where half the shelves were empty and yellow signs hung everywhere, which we finally took the time to read.  Interesting... 

Or the random things you see driving down the road on any given day.

In other news, Q is thriving.  He's three 1/2 months old and has achieved a triumvirate of accomplishments.  Sleeping through the night, rolling over and blowing spit bubbles.  I'm pretty sure the spit bubbles are his favorite part so far.

We call this his Wilt Chamberlain look.  Bringing back the 60's!

Yeah mom, I like ice cream, that's for me right!

We enjoyed a visit from our friend Joseph, and Q got some snuggle time as well as a nice gift from Mariska, a stuffed giraffe that plays lullabies.

He's a pretty happy little guy, but especially when he's in daddy's arms.

It's been interesting having him at school with us, but overall I think it's a real blessing.  I'm able to continue nursing him throughout the day and we both get a chance to see him every once and awhile, which not everyone is lucky enough to be able to do with their baby.  He's very popular, and I'm frequently relieved of mommy duties and told to go away so other people can steal my baby.  It's a pretty sweet arrangement for all of us, even Nick enjoys playing with the kids toys after school.

Life at home has fallen into a pretty predictable pattern of story, bath, boob and then bed.  

We've even created a little play area for Q in the living room.  He doesn't do much with it yet, but we think it will get a lot more use in the next few months.

He's also got his own room now.  Big boy sleeps on his own, which was a little weird for us at first, but also a godsend.  It's so nice not to have to tiptoe to the bathroom in the middle of the night anymore.

All in all, life is pretty fantastic at the moment.  We're happy, healthy, looking forward to our next adventure and have this amazing baby in our lives, who brightens every day with his smiles, squeals and constantly changing personality.  We're busier than ever, and sometimes I feel like a bit of a spinning ninja myself, but I wouldn't have it any other way.

This is what happens when babies are left with daddies for too long unattended.

Best in Show

We recently arrived back in Cairo after a few weeks vacation in the states.  And as you may have seen on the news, things are getting down right scary.  There is a lot up in the air right now about our future in Egypt, so I hope you'll forgive me if I ignore the topic altogether and talk about something else.

Every since I found out I was pregnant, I was on the lookout for info on essential baby items.  We face a certain dilemma living abroad in that we don't have access to all the "stuff" like in the states. So if I suddenly realized I needed something when he was 2 weeks old, I wouldn't have a lot of choices.  We'd either have to do without or pay a ridiculous amount of money for something you could get for $10 at Walmart.  Which bugs me....alot.

Now, lets be completely honest there aren't many essential items when it comes to babies besides boobs/bottles, diapers and wipes (no seriously, buy as many wipes as you can carry).  But there are an awful lot of products out there that make having a baby a helluva lot easier.  And when you're focusing on the care of a tiny bundle of pooping/peeing/crying/spitting up/communication impaired joy, you're gonna want some things that make your life easier.  Trust me.

So I scoured the web/books/friends brains etc for the things my little man could possibly need.  And I got a lot of really good ideas, some definite duds and some suggestions that I never even tried because they just sounded dumb.  Seriously, special wipes for your kids boogers?  (If you love those, sorry, but I think they're dumb).  Since I have so many friends who just had babies, are about to have babies or who are trying for babies, I thought I'd share our top ten finds.  Let's call this the Best in Show of baby items from the Cushman family to you.  :)

For the record I am not being paid by any of these companies to advertise their products, but I love them all so much I would gladly help!  (Hint hint product companies, pay me to talk about your stuff)

Here we go, in no particular order....


1.  Aden and Anais Muslin Swaddle Blankets

These blankets are amazing.  You get a four pack from $30-$40 depending on the style you pick.  And they are worth every penny.  So versatile and they hold up really well.  For the week he let us swaddle him, that's what we used to swaddle Quincy.  They are also awesome for tossing over cold toes, laying on the ground for play time, covering car windows when it's too sunny and tossing over a sleeping baby in the rain.  (Yes we have used them for all these things) They're super thin, which is great if you just want a light blanket for a summer baby, or one that gets hot easily.  But they're also really large, so you can fold them into layers if baby needs something warmer. And they've held up marvelously in the washing machine.  I've heard Target sells a version of them, but that they're not the same quality.  Amazon is the way to go for the best price on the good quality ones. Buy some immediately.

2.  Mommy's Bliss Gripe Water

This is a miracle elixir if your baby has gas, and I'm pretty sure all babies go through a bout of gassiness at some point.  For Q it's been the last month and he gets this stuff and gas drops throughout the day, huge difference!  Apparently it helps with teething too, though we haven't reached that milestone yet.  It's cheaper if you buy it on Amazon, but you can get it at Walmart or Target for a bit more if you just want to try.  For Q he'll only take it before he eats, once his belly is full he just spits it all out, and it's not like gas drops where they just take a teeny bit, the regular dose for his age is a full teaspoon, which is a lot of liquid for a 2 month old.  But it's a wonderful natural aid for belly upset.  Seriously, we bought like 8 bottles of it while we were home.

3.  Nosefrida Snot Sucker  

Ok, this one sounds really gross... and if you think about the mechanics of it too much you probably will talk yourself out of it.  But it works really well.  Basically instead of using a traditional bulb syringe to suck snot from the baby's nose, you suck it out with your mouth.  There's no way the snot is getting anywhere near your mouth, there's a long tube and a filter for hygiene.  It works like magic!  Especially when they're itty bitty and their noses are so small.  Q would sound like an old man trying to breathe underwater, one round with this thing and he's breathing easy again.  He doesn't really enjoy it, and as my grandmother said when she saw us do it "It looks like you're sucking his brains out!" but the relief as a parent to know he can breathe again is priceless.  Make sure you get saline drops to put in their nose first!

4.  Sleep Baby Sleep, by Nicolette Larson

Do you have a baby? About to have a baby?  Want to have a baby? Think you'll ever be in the same room with a baby who is crying inconsolably?  Buy this cd, buy it now.  Buy the album on iTunes or wherever you currently buy music, put it on your phone, tablet, or go the old fashioned route and keep the disc in your car.  This album has real magical powers.  No really, it does.  It doesn't sound like anything with supernatural properties, but for babies it does something.... Definitely a must have, especially in the car when you're stuck in traffic with a screaming baby who you can't feed/console/hold.  Nicolette, if you ever stumble upon my blog, all I can say is thank you, thank you very much.

5.  Bebe Au Lait Nursing Cover

If you plan on nursing, and think you'll ever need to do it in public, this is a wonderful thing to have, unless you're one of those "I whip my boobs out in public no matter whose around" kinda girls.  In which case, good for you.  I on the other hand want a bit of privacy when my tatas are hanging out, and this nursing cover is wonderful.  I've tried several and this one is the best, because it actually stands open by itself.  And if you've never nursed a new born before, the thing everyone fails to mention is that you need both hands to get the baby latched on.  If the cover doesn't stand open by itself you're in this horrible struggle to wrestle a screaming baby onto your boob while keeping the fabric out of the way so you can see.  All the while drawing attention to yourself, which is the whole purpose of the cover in the first place.  Love this thing, take it everywhere.  Definitely cheaper online.  And don't let the pictures scare you, it looks ridiculously big, like a weird apron, but it's the perfect amount of fabric to cover your chest and your tummy.  The corners are made of terry cloth too, which is really nice for cleaning up milky chins.  :)

6.  Beco Gemini Baby Carrier

There are huge debates out there about baby carriers.  Many people love the Ergo, and I was tempted, but after doing some research we went with the Beco and I'm so glad we did.  The main reason being that the baby can face forward when you're carrying them on your chest.  I've also felt the Ergo and the material is much harder.  The Beco is super soft and so easy to use.  Ryan and I can pass the baby back and forth easily with very little adjusting, and we can put him on and take him off by ourselves if the other person isn't there.  The only issue we've had so far was with Q getting too hot in the carrier, but we're toking that up to July, in a heat wave, with a baby who is naturally warm already.  I think in normal temps it will be fine, and it's already held up to a machine washing very well.  

7.  Soothies Gel Pads

This is another one for the breastfeeding mamas.  Pretty straightforward, put em on your nipples when they hurt.  Feels wonderful.  Pop em in the refrigerator for even more soothing power.  I would recommend every new momma buy at least 2 sets so you can always have one in the fridge ready to go.  

8.  Britax B-Agile Stroller

We really like this stroller.  It's very easy to maneuver.  Folds down with one hand, which is super convenient for traveling, and is easy to carry with one hand because it's so light.  We also have the B-Safe car seat which lets us click right into the stroller.  Love, love, love!  

9.  Tiny Love Classic Mobile

For some reason this mobile keeps Quincy completely mesmerized.  From the time he was just a few days old he would stare at it for an hour.  And now that he's older it's even better because he's talking to the little characters, following them with his eyes and moving his whole body in time to the music.  Best of all for us, the music isn't terribly loud or annoying, very easy to block out.  It's a lot larger than I pictured, and the colors are quite garishly bright, but the baby likes it, so who cares.  And when he gets too big for the mobile, the base stays put for a musical crib toy.  Love that it has multiple functions :)

10.  Relax Melodies App 

This App gets turned on every night around 9pm.  It plays white noise which helps Quincy sleep more soundly, blocking out the noises of Ryan and I getting ready for bed (since we're still sharing a room) and it helps me sleep better because it masks all of Quincy's gurgling and grunting throughout the night.  It's a free app you can download on your phone and you can actually build your own sleep melody with the type of white noise you like.  We do River+WhiteNoise+Fan.  :)

Alright, that's it.  The Cushman Best in Show of baby products.  Hope you found it helpful, and if you have something you absolutely love, let me know!  

To boob or not to boob?

II'm writing this post while someone sucks on my nipple.  No, I'm not changing my blog into porn, but the next few paragraphs might be uncomfortable for some.  If you have no desire to read about breastfeeding, feel free to skip this one and get back to Facebook.

I've been really excited to breastfeed.  Always knew it was the way I wanted to feed my children, just hoped we'd be able to make it work.  Read the books, articles, even watched a video or two on how to get a good latch. Was a bit worried about how much it might hurt, but figured I was tough enough to work through it.

When the nurse brought Quincy to me in the hospital for the first time, our breastfeeding instructions went like this.

Nurse:  baby hungry

Me:  ok, (hold out my arms to take him)

Nurse:  (looks at me like I'm stupid and points to my shirt)

Me:  oh, alright (start to pull down the neck of my night gown, but obviously not fast enough, as the nurse grabs my boob and lifts it out for me.  She then hands me the baby and once I've got him in position she grabs my nipple, shoves it in his mouth and then puts my hand on my boob so it doesn't block his nose.)

Nurse:  baby breathe (nods at us, then walks away)

Suffice it to say that although our intro to breastfeeding was rather abrupt, Quincy and I seem to be doing pretty well.  Our biggest issue seems to be the fact that my boobs are so large, he could quite literally drown in them.  So strategic placement and a bit of man handling are required every time he nurses.  But overall I'm pretty proud of our success.

The first bump in our journey came when he was about 5 days old.  My milk had come in and all of a sudden he could not be satisfied.  All he wanted to do was nurse every hour.  And since it took him 30 minutes to finish, it felt like all I was doing was whipping out my boobs all day long.  The "day of the boobs" as we have dubbed it was my first (and hopefully last) experience with cluster feedings.  Apparently it's a way to help establish a good milk supply, but holy hell!  It hurts, is absolutely exhausting and led to a sob fest at 2am after 24 hours of non stop nursing, when he was screaming for food, but I knew without a doubt that my boobs had nothing left for him.  Ryan had to give him his first formula bottle while I cried and felt like a failure.

Luckily he went back to a more normal schedule after that night, and I breathed a sigh of relief that we were back on track.  Ha ha ha, silly me.

When we hit the 2 week mark I noticed white spots all over his tongue.  My mom said it was probably just residual milk, but a little voice in my head kept saying "thrush", which I only knew about in very vague terms from conversations with girlfriends with kids.  When the white spots didn't rub off with a cloth I confirmed my suspicions and our journey into thrush hell began.

It's basically a yeast infection in the baby's mouth, probably caused by the antibiotics they put me on after my c-section.  Unfortunately yeast is really hard to get rid of and when you're breastfeeding it can spread to your nipples, which sucks with a capital S.

So little Q is getting special gels in his mouth, special creams for the diaper rash the thrush caused, and bottles if momma's milk since it makes momma cry when he latches on.  He's handling it all pretty well, considering how much pain everything has been causing him.  

It's been hard, really hard.  So much harder than I ever imagined breastfeeding could be.  The lack of sleep from either feeding or pumping every 3 hours.  Fighting the flailing limbs of a little boy that doesn't understand why mommy won't feed him when his hands are in his mouth.  And most of all, the overwhelming feeling of sole responsibility for the sustenance of this child, meaning as long as I plan on feeding him, I'll only ever be able to sleep as long as it takes for him to be hungry again.  Which right now is about 2 hours.

It's been so very hard.  I completely understand why many women choose bottle over boob.  The ease of responsibility, time, more sleep, the list is far longer than I ever imagined.

And yet, as I sit here, looking down into my son's eyes as he contentedly sucks away at my very sore breast, I feel such overwhelming joy, pride, and love.  He can get his food from a bottle, but this is something only I can give to him, and in the grand scope of life's time span, he's not asking for it for very long.

So for me, it's worth it.  The boob is here to stay as long as he'll take it.  Well to a certain extent.  I'm not judging, but I won't be joining the lady on Time magazines cover still nursing little Q when he's old enough to get a part time job. Sorry buddy, but that's just how things are.  Something tells me he'll be just fine. :)

Photo dump

It will probably come as no surprise that this week's photo dump consists entirely of baby pictures.  I knew my focus would be pulled from other things, but I didn't truly realize how much "the baby" takes over every minute of every day.  How it can suddenly be noon and I haven't done a thing for myself yet, because there were so many things to do for him.  Luckily my mom has been visiting, which means an extra set of hands to help with laundry and cleaning and midnight baby rocking.  I can't imagine what zombies Ryan and I would be without her here in these first few weeks.

Anyway, back to the pictures... I know that's all you're here for.  :)

Is there anything better than a baby sleeping on your chest?

Loves his mobile, will lay in the crib cooing over it for an hour.

Learning to enjoy bath time!

Thanks for the onesie great grandma, it fits perfectly!  

My feet are as long as my shins!  I'm gonna be a tall boy.  

Chilling with grandma.

Uncle nick finally held me!  :)

Opening my eyes more and more every day!  

I'm so cute, people can't stop kissing me... It gets kind of annoying when I'm trying to sleep.

The story of Q

Quincy Memphis Cushman came into the world on 6/6/2013, weighing 6.8 lbs, and measuring 19 inches.  Ryan and I have a son.  I still can't believe it.

It's been almost 2 weeks now since Quincy was born, and I know I should write down the experience of his birth before I forget the details... wow, that is so surreal, my son is almost 2 weeks old.  This post is long, and might feel a bit disjointed since the little man keeps interrupting me wanting boob.  It's taken me several tries to get it all down.

Ryan and I got up the morning of June 6th and grabbed the last few things we would need for the hospital.  I was having a scheduled c-section because of the baby's position, so we just needed to be there around 10am.  You have to bring everything you'll need because the hospital here doesn't provide everything we're used to in the states.  Like towels, bathroom toiletries, diapers, wipes, clothes for the baby, even bottled water.  Luckily we were forewarned of all this beforehand, otherwise it would have been a bit of a shock.  All the same, it felt a bit like being a nomad packing up camp to move elsewhere with all our bags, pillows, blankets and the car seat.

I'd been warned that he probably wouldn't actually be born until the late afternoon, because, come on, this is Egypt.  The land where things rarely ever happen on time.

So when we were taken to our room, we started settling in, planning on having to wait awhile before our doctor arrived and "the show" would begin. About 20 min later, we were being introduced to the anesthesiologist, given a run down of what the epidural would be like, and then wham bam, things took off.  Dr. May arrived and made sure we were comfortable with everything, and the next thing I knew a nurse was in the room practically yanking my clothes off and getting me settled in a gown on the wheel chair. They decided at this exact moment to switch our rooms, so Ryan was put into a mad scramble to move all our belongings, grab the camera and baby clothes and catch up with us.

I was wheeled through 2 sets of lobbies, which was really weird as I was basically naked in a little robe, but all the little old women smiled at me saying, Mabrouk!  (Congratulations)  I felt like I was on a parade route.

When we arrived in the OR, I was wheeled past a room where there was already a surgery going on.  I could see "stuff" so I looked away and tried to convince myself that there would be a bit more privacy during my surgery.  They parked me in the middle of the hallway where I sat for about 15 minutes listening to a little boy on a gurney crying.  At this point my nerves were starting to get a bit shaken.  I had no idea where Ryan was, no idea where or when they were taking me and listening to a little boy pleading in Arabic wasn't helping.

Finally they brought me into another room and had me sit on the table while they prepped the epidural. This was the part I was dreading the most because I knew it might hurt and I really wanted Ryan to be there to hold my hand. He arrived just as they were getting started and stood in the corner while they rolled me forward and started with the needles.  It wasn't pleasant, and I definitely was a bit startled by the feeling of the medicine going in, but overall it wasn't horrible, and the nurse positioning me was very comforting.  They laid me down on the crucifix and started putting sensors and gadgets all over my arms and chest.  Ryan was now sitting by my head and holding my hand.  The room filled with people and activity as my legs went dead, and that's when the problems started.

I started to feel a heaviness in my chest, and it was getting hard to breathe.  Then the nausea hit and suddenly I was throwing up all over my right shoulder.  I don't remember much of that moment except a feeling of panic that something was horribly wrong, and worrying that they were going to put me under entirely. Ryan says they started pumping me with shots and put me on oxygen. As soon as the nausea abated and they'd cleaned me up I had stabbing pain in my shoulder muscles.  My face was behind the oxygen mask, so I had to squeeze Ryan's hand and get him to get their attention.  The pain was overwhelming, like a charlie horse spasm all across my trapezius muscles.  At this point my heart rate and blood pressure went crazy so they stopped the surgery to get me settled.  The nurse started rubbing one side of my shoulder while Ryan rubbed the other, and after a few min everything kicked in and I felt much better, so they got back to business.

It was the most surreal experience of my life to lie there while they pulled and pushed on my belly.  I could hear the doctors and nurses talking in Arabic, Ryan telling me everything was fine and that I was doing great.  After what felt like a very long time, the doctor told me I would be feeling a lot of pressure.  And that's when someone on the other side of the curtain went to work.  I have no idea who that person was, but they earned their salary that day.  It felt like they basically climbed up on the table and started jumping up and down on the top of my belly.  There was so much grunting and groaning it would probably have been really funny if it hadn't been happening to me.  Nothing hurt, but it felt like it was taking a long time.  

And then I heard this thin little wail.

It floated around the room to my ears and I immediately started to cry.  The doctors told Ryan to start taking pictures and everyone on the other side of the curtain started telling us congratulations.  The first thing Ryan said was "He's got a lot of dark hair, honey".  And I cried even harder.

The pediatrician was in the room and Ryan said they started sucking little Q dry and rubbing him down.  I couldn't see anything and they were finishing the surgery, so all I could do was lie there and listen to him cry, listen to people's congratulations.  But what I really wanted more than anything was to see my baby.

They told us Quincy needed to go to the nursery for a little while for observation because his lungs still had a lot of fluid in them, which was perfectly normal for a cesarian delivery.  But that we wouldn't see him for a few hours.  I was a bit heart broken over this, but wanted him to be looked after.  So we stayed in the OR for the next 30 min or so while they stitched me up, and cleaned me off.  When everything was finished and they were ready to take me to recovery, my doctor asked me how I was doing and what I thought of the baby. I started to cry again.  Apparently I'm a big ol' cry baby.

Ryan explained that I still hadn't gotten to see him, and she rattled something in Arabic and 2 minutes later, Ryan came by my side holding the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen.  All I saw at first was this massive crown of black hair.  He was everything and nothing like I'd imagined he would be.  I got to touch his cheek and kiss his fingers before they had to take him away again, but it felt like a gigantic weight was off my chest because I'd finally seen my baby.  That creature that had been inside me for so long was finally real, finally here.

The next two days at the hospital were a blur of pain, crying (both Q and me), beautiful moments holding my baby, oddly intimate experiences as the nurses "tended" to me, and exhaustion while trying to recover from surgery and take care of a tiny little baby.

I still can't believe he's here.  It feels like I've known him my whole life, like he's always been here, just hanging out in the back of my mind.  I can't get over his long toes and fingers that look exactly like Ryan's.  Or how his entire back is covered in a soft fuzz like a little bunny.  He already has so much personality.  Loves to have his hands by his face, curled up like he's a boxer. He's obstinate and very determined to have things his way, and his strength astounds me. Ryan and I are constantly looking at each other and asking, should a 10 day old baby be able to... roll onto his side, push his butt into the air, throw his head back, kick with such force?  His faces are incredibly diverse, especially when he's sleeping.  And he loves to snuggle.

He's our little man.  Our baby Q.  And we love him very much.  Don't worry muggles, we haven't seen any evidence of dark magic yet.  :)