Cairo is a vibrant city with the ancient + modern juxtaposed against one another on every corner. Staying with a family has made the experience come alive in an entirely different way – the food is amazing and our host mom Acer has treated us to a variety of local dishes including milookhiyya. Their two girls Noor and Sama are adorable and have been pretending Jude is their baby.
Our first full day was spent at the Egyptian Museum, checking out King Tut’s treasures and learning more about Pharaonic history of the Nile valley. Growing up in the US the pyramids and mysteries of Egypt are frequently spotlighted on the History or Discovery channels… causing a lot of us to develop a fascination from a young age.
Riding on a falooka down the Nile helped to relieve us from the intense heat while getting a different view of Cairo from the boat.
Finally, I thought it’d be interesting to show a street view as it seems there are always people milling around. With nearly 20 million people in Cairo it’s no wonder it feels like it’s a never-ending street party.
You know you’re on a flight headed into the Muslim world when the direction of Mecca + the Ka’aba is perpetually displayed for prayer purposes.
The guy who sat down next to us must’ve thought he drew the short stick – getting stuck next to a baby on a transatlantic flight could be a miserable experience. Thankfully Jude slept 8 hours of our first 12 hour flight, and was his happy-go-lucky self the rest of the time (save for those moments of hunger or sleepiness).
Royal Jordanian offered us a bassinet that connected to the wall in front of us and it was truly wonderful. It enabled us to rock him to sleep & then get to have a safe place for him to rest or play without requiring us to hold him the entire trip.
We brought some formula along to ease the stress, and low and behold, the boy was able to hold it himself!
After the 12 hour flight to Amman + the 2 hour layover at the Queen Alia airport + 2 hour flight to Cairo + crazy drive across town to Mokattum we have finally arrived and are settling in to our host’s home.
We spent the weekend in Chicago for Nick’s brother Perry’s wedding, which was spectacular (truly an understatement). The shindig was fabulous. During the downtime Jude & I hung out in our room at the Holiday Inn. Shout out to Aziz the doorman who always had the best advice + friendliest smile.
Special mommy time
Jude always has so much to say – I can sit & listen to him babble + coo forever
All of Jude’s stuff we smashed in for our trip to Egypt + Jordan
In the end, even after consolidating we still had 2 regular sized backpacks & a roller carry-on. Still, it was nice to know we weren’t going to be checking any bags (at least not until I go shopping while there!).
The papasan swing Nick’s aunts bought us has been a life saver. No joke. Because of this sweet gadget that floats baby Jude side-to-side, I’ve been able to do all kinds of useful things like take a shower and eat breakfast. He has never liked swinging in the traditional forward-to-back position, and I can’t imagine how I would’ve maintained my sanity without those hours he’s spent being rocked by the plastic lamb from heaven. Thank you Fisher-Price. I’d say I owe you, but really, you’ve already been paid.
Until very recently I felt safe plopping him just about anywhere, knowing that even if he wanted to scoot off and find another family it was not possible. Ha! But alas, he is quickly becoming an escape artist capable of rolling around a room and (as I learned the hard way)… wiggling out of his swing. Funny thing is, flipping over must’ve tuckered him out because when I discovered him he was fast asleep, and still swinging.
It’s not like I didn’t know there were straps, it’s just that he never needed them. *sigh* I can officially say: those days are gone.
From now on, he’ll be harnessed in and tied down so I don’t have to worry about him plopping on his perfectly shaped head. (Although, I’m convinced it’d take a pretty big fall for him to even notice since he regularly head-butts me and is never even phased.)
So… my parenting fail can be your child safety reminder to follow the instructions and buckle the babies in.
I recently discovered Jenny, a blogger who posts about weight loss, and I have to tell you that her honesty + transparency has inspired me to get real. Not just with y’all, but with myself. Yes… the weight is coming off at a healthy pace – but I rarely feel comfortable looking at my body. The days of strutting around in a bikini are gone. I won’t even buy a full length mirror.
Pregnancy really did a number on me… and not just physically. I feel less secure and more critical. And trust me, I was already duking it out with myself on the positive self-talk front before everything got all flippy floppy.
All those damn magazines with celebrities showing off their bikini bodies weeks after bringing a child into the world… I’d like to get a stack and burn ‘em. After 40 weeks of incubating my sweet son and 21 weeks of post-partum weight loss, I am left to work with this:
Those aren’t just words.
Those words frame my feelings, my self-worth, my sex drive. I know I’m strong, and I’ll ‘get there’. But sometimes I need to be frail – to be real.
Maybe someone out there can give me an amen?
It’s as if I have to make peace with my body again. No cardio will ever lift my c-section scar or my stretch marks – they’re my baby battle wounds. But… I will fit in my jeans again. I can do the work to make that happen. And, I will find a way to feel sexy again.
In fact, I’m dangerously close to getting back into one of my favorite pair, a size 6. 
Fitting in to a pair of jeans isn’t my only goal… I have much loftier ambitions:
to be nice to myself.
to find happiness at each stage.
to surrender to imperfection.
