Babies and stuffed zucchini

A few weeks ago Jiries' brother Isam's daughter Rawan decided she was going to have her twins through induced labor. I have watched her tummy get increasingly huge over the last couple of months so it is really exciting for me to be here when the babies are born. It seemed like the day would never come, but it did, and the other night Jiries got a call from his brother that she would be giving birth soon. We raced to the hospital and found dozens of family members hanging around on the sidewalk. I went in with Tata Huda to visit Rawan and see how she was doing; I'm pretty sure I never want to have children, ever, after seeing the pain she was in. I told her she was brave and that it would be over soon, and then she had a contraction and it was painful just to watch. The doctor came in and shooed us out. The hospital itself was a small lobby room with a short hallway and about 5 or 6 rooms.

I stood on the sidewalk with Jiries and Tata Huda talking to family members for a while until we found out that it wouldn't be another hour until the babies were born. After short deliberation Jiries and I decided to duck out to grab dinner. We went to a nearby restaurant and just as we were finishing Isam called and said the first baby had been born. By the time we got back to the hospital both babies were in the incubator and there was a large crowd of people there to see them and to congratulate Rawan and her husband Issa. When we saw the babies from the other side of a glass wall Tata Huda sang that congratulatory song that I have heard at many different occasions- I don't really know how to describe it but an older woman always sings it and they pretty much say "Mabrouk" (congratulatons) over and over again; the way they pitch their voice is kind of haunting but it is very unique and fascinating.


We pushed through the crowd in Rawan's hospital room to see how she was doing. I asked her if all the people were bothering her, without hesitation she said "Yes!!!"... I can't even imagine what she was going through at the time, after having two babies only a few minutes earlier! I later found out that she went home that night, and her immediate family gathered for a traditional celebration in which they slaughtered a goat in her honor. We went to her place yesterday to see her and the babies, and they are all in great shape. Rawan is tired but very happy, and her husband is thrilled as well. He was beaming the whole afternoon while we were there. The twins are girls named Julie and Jewel (confusing, I know). I am so happy for her that it is finally over, I know how nervous and excited she was. I myself am excited to see the babies grow over the next couples months while I am here.

Happy father:

People hanging out on the sidewalk, waiting:




Rusha, Rawan's sister:



On a completely different note, today I learned how to make kousa mahshey, which is my favorite Arabic food so far. Kousa is Arabic for zucchini, and mahshey means stuffed (with rice and meat). Jiries showed me how to hollow out the zucchini and then Tata Huda showed me what to do with the rice and how to stuff the hollow zucchini. It turned out delicious! (yes, Mom, I actually cooked! Believe it or not) I can also make a mean salad; if I make it and people come over Tata Huda forces them to eat it, it's pretty funny.





Hot hot hot:

Finished product:


Jiries wants me to say that I forced him to take this picture, but I can tell you for sure there was no force used. Even the gas station attendant laughed when he saw me taking the picture.