He's Here!!!

Our sweet baby boy is finally here! Yesterday – March 26^th, 2003, at 1:58am. Tuesday morning, Rabia called saying that her blood pressure had shot up, so the doctors decided to induce labor. Her water broke around 12, and I saw one last appointment at work and then ran home. Rabia said Dr. Aranas said the baby would arrive by 8, which turns out was a “joke” and Rabia wanted mama there, so we left around 3. Went to the hospitaI, nothing was going on. Mama, Humera, and I went to Applebee’s, back to the hospital, then to Rabia’s house (Humera had to leave and go back to Atlanta), because the ETA was midnight-1am. At 2:09, my cell phone started ringing. It was Najeeb, who was very happy and excited, saying the baby had arrived. I was completely disoriented, and thought that my cell phone was having a birthday 😂 Mama says I kept saying “Mash’Allah” but I remember nothing. Mama told me to rest for a little while, then we would go, but she was all restless. My mind felt completely inoperational, and I had no idea how I was going to drag myself to the hospital, and I wasn’t sure if Rabia expected us to. Then, at 2:28, Najeeb calls back, still sounding excited, and said he was calling to make sure I woke up, because I sounded sleepy before. Then he said “the baby wants to see his Sadia Khala”, and he put the phone to the baby, who was crying – it was such a sweet sound! I was wide awake then!

Mama and I got there around 3:15, and Rabia looked like she’d been beaten, and she was holding out baby (Aidan?) He is the sweetest, most angelic, most well-behaved, most adorable, purest baby ever. An hour after his birth, and he barely cried. Every once in a while, he would start, but then stop immediately. And he has the softest, silkiest cheeks. He had long nails, which Rabia clipped later that day. He was awake the hour we were there, but was pretty much sleeping the rest of the day. Every once in a while he’d mewl, then stop. He kept half-smiling during the day. At one point, I was holding him and he started hiccupping. Mama read Azan into his ear – I was supposed to do it, but got stage fright!

I came back to Atlanta yesterday evening. Last night whenever I closed my eyes, I saw the baby’s sweet sleeping face. I called mama today, and he was sleeping in her lap. Rabia and the baby were released this morning. He’s 7 lbs, 1 oz., and 20 inches long.

It was very unreal – I couldn’t believe that he was ours, that we could take him home and everything. And Rabia has a son!