Here comes our Amalia

She came unannounced
A little bit unexpected really,
but not accidental please
Denise, my Professor, said: "She is not accidental...but more of a gift to us."
She is a great gift indeed
Imagine, she came in a land far away from home
Where her dad was pursuing his so-far-unachieved-childhood-ambition -
that was to study overseas
Where her mom was at first hesitant to follow
Fear of the foreign land perhaps, or
Scared of the bone-chilling cold and her asthma getting worst

Noorul Amalia means the light of ambition
A befitting name indeed
It was the coolness of the winter
that made the two of us closer together
You know what I mean
Her mom carried her without much complication despite of her advancing age (from the American's standard)
Only when the pregnancy was five months there was this problem...
The placenta was sitting right smack on the birth canal
For that her mom had to be scanned monthly
I was forwarned by the attending doctor
that she might have to undergo C section...
But that was just the doctor's words...
At seventh month pregnancy, the placenta moved..
clear away from the birth canal

It was during our second Ramadan that my wife first had her contractions
It was more regular and stronger as breakfast time got closer
Just after breakfast I rushed her to Athen's Regional Medical Center
She was brought into the delivery room as soon as she got there
I was all the time besides her
For the first time in my life I was there when the birth process occurred
For the first time I felt how much she had to endure
For the first time I understood what giving birth was all about to a woman
She came as easy as she was conceived
Petite (from American standard), black and long hair and those eyes...
they were just like doll's (according to an American grandma)

According to US law she was an American citizen...
For that she got free milk all throughout her stay in US...
She was always favourite among many American who came across her
be it grandmas, mothers, and even little girls...
All of them begged us to allow them to hold and cuddle her...
"Look at those eyes, they are like doll's!" famous expression made by her cuddlers

Now, she is lready twelve
Tall, smart and athletic too
She excells in academics as well as athletics
She is a good scorer in netball
She is a great runner in 100 and 200 metres too
She is NOORUL AMALIA...
May Allah bless her with a good life....