Moms to-be about town

Alhamdulillah for girl friends, what would you do without them? I have so much to be thankful for when it comes to Waj, asides the fact that she was the one who match-made for me and Z, she's also my senior in the maternity hierarchy - she has an adorable tyrant-in-the-making son AA and another baby due next month InshaAllah. Some weeks my gestational senior, she's one good ear to turn to when it comes to sharing pregnancy woes, aches, concerns and joys. Also the perfect partner when it comes to catharsis and a general unburdening of the oft ungrateful species we agreed to for life - our husbands. But this is just about two moms to-be and their adventures about town.

Waj kind of cheated on me, she tempted me into marrying Z, suggesting how great it would be for us two to be house-wives and have fun in town once I was here, just like the good old days excepts we'd be mistresses of our time...Bliss. But then she shifted a whole hour's drive away to RAK and now her visits to town are when she's due for her routine ante-natal visits and our meetings are limited to the time I usually accompany her to the hospital. It was fine early one but now I have a whole lot of reservations about her driving when nearing full term but that's her choice and it's difficult to reason with the woman.

Last time Waj came over, we took a cab, went to the doctor, she'd left AA with her mom in RAK and was in no mood to waste the visit, so to speak...we decided to have a nice girlie-time and went to a salon for haircuts and facials, had lunch, window-shopped and came home for a heart to heart on husband behaviorisms (Her husband and mine are friends and have so many 'husbandly' traits in common they might as well be twins, but then all men are similar husbands). Good day.

Yesterday was more fun than last time. We did not have an assasination unfolding before our eyes on TV to end the fun-filled day.

Waj is nearing her full-term and I've just started my last trimester, we both look like waddling aunties, quite a sight. We started our day with a visit to the doctor, then had nice aloo parathas for brunch - the weather is so rainy these days - then went over to Mr. Bakers for desserts, all before noon. If people did a double take seeing us both cavorting as best as our conditions would allow, I didn't notice. I would later in teh day.

She hadn't slept a wink all night and I'd gotten up before dawn after being kicked awake by the footballer-wannabe inside me, we were both weary and tired to our bones, in fact we've stopped sharing our aches and pains, it's a given we'd be aching all over any and all the time. We only talk about it when it gets worse than usual, achey has become a permanent condition of being. We should have headed home and rested but Waj had a better idea, we'd go to Mega Mall and get a nice massage. We'd tried it once earlier, Waj and I, and liked it so much that in a fit of magnanimity we called over our husbands and sent them in for half an hour's bliss.

The massage place was full and we had to wait 40 minutes for teh next slots to be available, we were in a mall and earlier the wait would've been nothing, but no amount of imagination can descibe the crest-fallen look two weary, tired, aching-all-over moms to-be sported on their faces. So we thought we'd while away the time visiting the numerous baby clothes shops near-by, some of them having sales signs. How is it that all shops have the cutest girl outfits and so limited options for girls? And whoever said you had to dress up boys in blue and girls in pink all the time? And how come a teensy weensy bit of clothing costs the same as a grown up's outfit? But nothing beats the excitement of shopping for baby clothes, I should know. By the time our li'l one arrives, I think I'd have gotten something from all baby shops around town...and that's when I'm being practical about buying for the kid! How can you NOT buy that cute little tee and polo shirt and matching socks? But I digress. Waj and I were trudging along shops, commenting how the shops wares were not that great a catch and lamenting that the mall had taken away all benches where we could rest awhile. There were still 25 minutes to kill and we had not the slightest energy to do any part of the mall. We entered a cafe thinking to buy a bottle of water and then theinking what next to do. The cashier had one look at us, did a double take and was all flustered...and concerned...please be seated, he urged us, then...'you'd be more comfortable on the couch.' Waj said he looked at her bump when suggesting the couch. She found it embarassing, I thought it was hilarious, how quickly he jumped to our side and made sure we were seated comfortably before asking for our order...just a bottle of water! It was fun, taking such blatant advantage of our conditions, in fact the advantage was given to us. People all over, I think find it fascinating to see a 'bump' and start speculating over when the baby would be due and it's gender. It's also strange how you start noticing all those pregnant women around you, and li'l babes being carried around, and prams and push-chairs...things you never noticed earlier.

We rested on the couch, drank water and laughed over the incident. I think the cashier had one look at us both and thought there'd be one of those TV/movie moments where he'd have to call a cab to rush us to the hospital. The problem was, I, Waj's companion, was myself in not much of a position to assist her should her time come. It was funny.

Some moments later we got a call from the massage place and went over. At first we thought we'd get the head and neck massage we'd got earlier, but once seated in the soothing environ I wasn't keen to get out any time soon, we changed to the Divine massage lasting a whole blissful one hour! The masseuse touched our spines and we were ready to crash...I think they both saw our states and felt our knotted muscles because they touched us and asked if it pained in the back...'oh, it aches all over,' we replied in unison. One absolutely relaxing hour of being attended to...all aches and pains kneaded away, starting from the back to shoulders and neck and head, ending on the feet...absolute bliss...I'd have slept if I didn't fear I'd miss out on experiencing the massage. We were all set to sleep on their recliners after our time ended...but all good things come to and end, so we readied to head home amidst chatters from both the masseuse on our conditions, guess-work on our terms and gender of the baby. Earlier I'd have thought it too prying, now I realise that people just enjoy talking about new life. I know I like sharing movement news and what new thing AA learnt the day...

We rushed home, not wanting to waste the massage. It became a mantra, let's not waste the massage, go home and rest. Even the weather in its wet, wintry glory could not tempt us to drive around and enjoy it. Home, home, home, rest, rest, rest...Fit end to a day about town. Husbands and their familiar refrains...that we are fresh and all active when we're with our girl friends, was to be addressed later. But first, the rest, the two Moms to-be had had a great day about town.