Baby, Ramadan, and Epiphany

Well, well, well, look who decided to blog! After a long hiatus I have come to the conclusion that I need to blog. This is my outlet. My writing is my salvation. Far before "blogging" was the craze, I had wrote poetry and journals. This is what I do.

Ramadan. Ramadan was great. I did not fast because I am nursing and am exempt. However Muslims who do not fast are obligated to feed a person for ever fast day missed. I kept pretty busy preparing meals for my family and the fasters at the Masjid (but mostly for my husband, who of course does not count in my 30 feedings. I was just attempting to be a good wife.) Lots of studying and no TV for the most part was beneficial. Ramadan is a time of worship, reflection, and repentance for over 1 billion Muslims around the world.

Baby. Ruki would be the main reason I have not blogged in three months. She has become so demanding. I found myself down at times during Ramadan because while my husband was studying, I was just trying to catch up with our daughter, whether it was a feeding, a mouth inspection (she eats everything!) or just trying to entertain the little monster. In Ramadans past, I would usually go to the park and stay for hours just reading the Quran or some type of educational literature. Now I can barely put aside the time to pray, much less read.

Epiphany. One day at masjid when everyone was praying and I was nursing my Ruki in the back, I realized that I had missed the point. I looked at my wonderful daughter and realized that she is my little blessing and taking care of her will increase my faith, not diminish it. Before doing many day to day things, Muslims say a short prayer, "In the name of Allah, Most merciful, Most Beneficent." I learned that God is a loving and forgiving God.

The Prophet Muhammad said, "Paradise lies at the feet of the mother". With this, I understand that being a mother is a great responsibility and privilege that is not bestowed upon every woman. Now I must go because my eight month old is screaming and crying to get out her high chair!

Vaccinations Anyone?

Okay, I'm usually a total hippie- I eat tofu, wear long colorful skirts, and am an advid listener of Public Radio. So naturally, I am very skepticle of the whole immunization/vaccination process. I have spent many nights surfing the web, reading articles to support the argument against vaccinations. I even talked it over with my cousin- we'll call her Candice- whom I look up to when it comes to all matters of parenting. Candice is 88% vegan, stunting long beautiful dreds and is a firm believer in breastfeeding her children far into toddlerhood. She has not vaccinated her two oldest children, however being the wise woman she is, she told me it is a very personal decision and gave me a few references to do the research on my own.

Needless to say, after hearing alarming statistics of very healthy non-vaccinated children and their unhealthy doped-up, vaccinated counterparts, I was well on my way to bucking the system and going needle free for my little one. The first thing that probably popped into your mind was AUTISM, and while this was definately a main motivator, it was not what tipped me over the edge. It was reading that the number of immunizations given to American children has almost trpled in the past 25 years. With no preceeding epedemic to warrant this excess, I concluded it must have been the greed of major pharmeceutical companies. Then an unexpected turn . . .

My grandmother came all the way across the country from Philadelphia to visit me and her newborn great-granddaughter when she was just five days old. I told her I had already opted out on the Hep B shot in the hospital and I planned on continuing the trend. She ajusted her glasses and gazed out reminiscently and began to recall stories of children in the 1930s dying left and right of whooping cough and diptheria. She said many days she heard news of so-and-so being hospitalized at the tender age of 5 or 6 of these incurable and possibly fatal diseases. Then she told me of her own bout with the measles as an adult- pure hell- just the thought of it made her grimace. She didin't give me advice one way or the other, but I knew in my heart that I would take the subject a lot more serious.

I am no doctor. I am no scholar. I am just a parent who loves my child and would do anything to protect her. From one parent to another I urge you to consider this from all angles and May GOD have Mercy on us ALL.

This website has helped me a great deal. www.generationrescue.org