Our Amazing, Wonderful, Hilarious Poloo

19th: I took Aden outside, and he practically lay horizontal in my arms to stare at the yellow grass. I sat down with him, and he crunched his fingers in it, over and over – I think he doesn’t understand why it replaces the carpet anywhere. Mama and I had to go to a mehndi, and Humera said while we were gone he spent 45 minutes cooing at the remote control in mama’s room. He plays with it until he smacks himself in the head, then he looks up, stunned, with his beautiful eyes all big and round. Aden’s no longer fascinated by my hair ☹ but is obsessed with glasses – if anyone’s wearing them, his mission of the moment is to get close enough to snatch them off, play with them for a while, then fling them aside. He also, when sitting in his megasaucer, raises bended arms level with his shoulders, and just wobbles, like he’s trying to stand on his own – it’s SO CUTE! I had gone to buy a car with Najeeb, and when I got back they started packing up to leave. I had a pounding headache. A...

9th: Today, Aden grabbed hold of a toy and he STOOD UP. He’s brilliant. And then he put the ball in the top of the toy where it goes, because he’s a genius! 20th: Aden was here last weekend, and I’m going to pick them up again on Wednesday 😊 Last weekend, they were here Friday to Sunday, and I was exhausted – he’s quite the adorable handful. He reaches his arms for us now, usually when we reach for him but, on the rare occasion, sometimes spontaneously. Usually only while in the megasaucer though. He really enjoys the megasaucer – stares at the gee-gaws on it with such concentration, as though he’s a Nobel scientist studying his experiments. I LOVE when he turns the steering wheel, because it’s such an older kid thing to do. There’s one figure on the saucer, a red-headed boy who plays nursery tunes when pushed, that Aden won’t even look at. Even when we push it to make it play music, he’ll give it a cursory glance then very decidedly turn his back on it! He now shrieks “m...

2nd: I’m going to Columbus tomorrow to babysit my sweet poloo. Shoaib kept kissing my latest framed pic of Aden. We all need Aden to stay sane! Little baby has NO idea. Rabia said he’s definitely recognizing some words, like ami, abu, baby food – starts leaning towards the high chair when he hears that! He also enjoys twirling around in his bungee, and sliding side to side. Can’t wait to see him!! 16th: Last weekend, our sweet cuddly darling was here. I picked them up on Wednesday. He’s SO CUTE that we now talk about him at least 10 times a day. Shoaib stole my framed pic of Aden for the weekend, and kept kissing and talking to it. Shoaib said at one point he’d been holding Aden and started mouthing off to Rabia, so Aden twists around and starts smacking his hands upside Shoaib’s head 😂 Humera says she was sitting with him at the computer, and he started to reach for the keyboard, so she lowered his hands onto his lap and he politely kept them there for the rest of the time. I...

11th:  I don’t even know where to begin describing Aden’s cuteness. My hair was wet when they arrived, and he just stared and stared, and then lightly ran his pudgy fingers through it. He played with the helium balloon we had for Humera’s birthday party, and kept hitting it against his head and blinking rapidly. He also loved the really crinkly silver wrapping paper we had. Mama had been waiting all week to show him her bougainvillea, which is blooming beautifully, and she ran outside with him almost as soon as they arrived! Rabia put him in the cutest clothes, and at one point we realized that the pocket of his shirt was full of drool. He’s such a sweetheart, that even when he’s tired and cranky, he gives us beautiful sweet smiles, just like daddy used to 😊 I had gone to the Atlanta Greek Festival with my friends, and Rabia said if I brought her Greek chicken she’d name me primary guardian of Aden in her will 🥰 14th:  He was here, then gone in a blink of an eye ☹ Ou...

7th: Aden now blows raspberries, rubs our hair against his face in laad, and is generally adorable. 11th: Rabia said that when Aden woke up this morning, he didn’t cry, but kept hitting his hand on her face until she woke up, then gave her one of those beautiful innocent smiles. 21st: This weekend was another Aden-based one, and he’s SO CUTE that it’s now really painful to watch him go. He’s now at the age where he enjoys playing silly baby games with us. And he talks so much, and when he’s feeling ladla he shrieks at the top of his lungs while curling his mouth in an adorable “O”. He also revolves his feet in opposite directions, like he’s conducting an orchestra, and his thumbs are indescribably cute, and he can sit on his own for short spurts of time. I would just lie next to him and baby talk back, and he was sooo happy! Mama says he talks to me the most 😊 and seems to recognize me and her more, probably because of our many trips to Columbus. 29th: Aden does so many c...

6th: Our sweet baby doll was here for a week, and I’m already missing his warm cuddliness. Rabia was out a lot, and he mostly stayed calm and happy but would sometimes get fussy, at which point we'd all panic 😂 He is fat and beautiful – dimply elbows and knees, round little toes, pudgy thighs, and perfect hands. His big toe is insane – it can probably control the universe. It has to be seen to be understood. He looks at us and smiles, and he adores mama (as well he should!) When we take off his diaper, he waves his feet around so much – I was leaning over him today and he put both feet on each side of my face – so cute 😊 He has a Kick N Play that he loves, and I always sing along – he LOVES Bingo. Can’t stand how cute he is. After he leaves, I always hear phantom baby shrieks around the house (that wasn’t meant to sound spooky!) We had given Shoaib a going-away (to UGA) tailgate party, and the piece de resistance was Aden, dressed in red UGA shorts and a t-shirt that read ...

1st: Rabia was here last weekend, and then out a lot, so we had lots of poloo time. By far the most amazingly adorable Aden moment for me – mama was sitting holding him in the chair and a half, and I was sitting across the room. Aden seemed to be staring at me, although he had been fussy just a moment before. I walked towards the kitchen, and he started craning his head to watch me, so I came running back, and sat right near him. He started, smiled, then – TWICE – raised his arm and clenched fist towards me, as if reaching for me!! Which he hasn’t done before, with anyone! It’s just so amazing that we can have these amazingly beautiful babies that are related by blood to daddy ❤ 15th: Went to Columbus on Thursday. As soon as we went to his bouncer, Aden starts sending spectacular smiles our way. He now focuses on everyone around him, and keeps sticking out and rolling his tongue (because he’s teething.) Mama and I went nuts when we saw him, and I think eventually freaked him out too!...