Treading water, I think

The Mad Hatter’s advice was to begin from the beginning, but if you’re not sure where things began, then sometimes it’s best to jump right in to the middle.

So we’re in week three of real-time operations, we’re processing contracts and visas for three more therapists and trying to juggle parent meetings, the waiting list, recruitment, questions about expansion, etc.  My head is spinning.  On the plus side, the rest of me is doing the same in a tiny, heated, ladies-only gem of a pool ten minutes from my house, and while week three of operations in a newly launched business might seem like a ridiculous time to take up a luxurious new hobby, I’m swimming moreso out of necessity than anything else. Alhamdulillah, I am 19 weeks pregnant now.  SubhanAllah, my back is in agony.  I cannot sit, stand, or lay down for more than a few minutes at a time.  I ice my back daily or suffer the stabbing, burning, aching consequences, and I have to swim in order to maintain some semblance of fitness that doesn’t make my knee worse and helps to take the pressure off of the rest of me.  I can’t sit on a dining chair for more than ten minutes at a time, but hey, I can float!

Another unexpected side-effect of not being able to sit is not being able to work (or hey, blog!) properly.  Right now, the computer and I are reclining on the sofa in a position that’s tolerable for my back but likely to give me carpal tunnel syndrome.  Usually, I work standing up at the dining table (it’s a tall dining table) or sitting on an exercise ball at my desk.  Usually, I have to call it quits after about half an hour to go stretch or lay down or ice my back.  Hurts to drive, hurts to work, and surprise surprise, these days I am doing an extra whole lot of both driving and working.  I had to end a meeting early last week because I just could not sit down at the office’s conference table any longer, and the table was too low to stand at.  I’m weeks behind in both work and email, but Alhamdulillah, I’m ok.  I’m in deep water but I haven’t drowned yet.

*sigh*

There are so many things that come up that I want to blog about, but because I can’t, they get forgotten.  Just today I was watching Khalid and Iman “hide” in a tent, giggling and eating apples, and it was a shock to me- all of a sudden, I realized that I had two kids, almost 5 and 3, and that I would have another one soon.  They’re growing so fast, life is changing so fast, and where my life was once a to-do list, now it’s looks more like a whole bunch of flowcharts all loosely held together by a tired-looking paper clip holding an icepack to its back.  We have rent coming up, school fees to pay, admission to set up for next year’s school and some KG’s are full all the way until 2012!  Parents call me every day asking when their therapists will arrive, pending projects are inquired about and I’m sure more than one colleague has heard the audible ‘whack’ of me slapping my forehead when reminded of a project that I just forgot to do.  Eeek!

But I’m not complaining.  I’m… sharing.  Yes.  I’m not asking to have this removed from me, I’m just marveling at how busy I am now versus how busy I was before, and how I sometimes wish I wasn’t quite so busy.  So yeah.  The blogs might be a little scare here and there, and the updates few and far in between, but I’m still here, I’m still alive, and I’m still running around like a chicken with my head cut off.

By Abez, the end.

Abez

Abez is a 50% white, 50% Pakistani, and 100% Muslim. She is also chronically ill and terminally awesome. She is the ever-lovin Momma of: - Khalid, a special little boy with autism - Iman, a special little girl with especially big hair -Musfira, an especially devious baby Spoiler, Abez is also Zeba Khan on Muslimmatters.org.

  1. Imaan

    as salaamu `alaykum 🙂

    May Allah bless you… ameen. Love your zeal and chicken-madness 🙂 Can’t wait to see you, Crayon and gang… will I get to see Owl? Didn’t really get to chat with her the last time… Give my best to her please 🙂

  2. Zari

    Subhanallah…. may Allah ta’ala make it easier for you.

    Just thought this might be beneficial to you (not to offend you by any means):

    Narrated Ali: Fatima went to the Prophet complaining about the bad effect of the stone hand-mill on her hand. She heard that the Prophet had received a few slave girls. But (when she came there) she did not find him, so she mentioned her problem to ‘Aisha. When the Prophet came, ‘Aisha informed him about that. ‘Ali added, “So the Prophet came to us when we had gone to bed. We wanted to get up (on his arrival) but he said, ‘Stay where you are.” Then he came and sat between me and her and I felt the coldness of his feet on my abdomen. He said, “Shall I direct you to something better than what you have requested? When you go to bed say ‘Subhan Allah’ thirty-three times, ‘Alhamdulillah’ thirty three times, and Allahu Akbar’ thirty four times, for that is better for you than a servant.” Sahih Bukhari: Volume 7, Book 64, Number 274

  3. HijabiMommy

    So good to hear from you again. Hope your back feels better soon, Insha’allah. I had the worst back pain during my second pregnancy. Aside from meds, icing is the next best option. Insha’allah you feel better soon and all the kinks work themselves out in the business end of things.

  4. Rukhpar Mor

    I hope your back feels better soon, InshAllah.

    There is this icy-hot patch that my mom sometimes uses and it makes the pain more manageable.

  5. danielle

    Al Hamdulillah you have reappeared!!! Was worrying about you there for a while but it is great to know that you still have your sense of humor intact and are living through life’s blessings and tests. SubhanAllah!!! Dont forget i am here if you need work related help! (I will just keep asking dont worry :))

  6. Mona

    hope the back gets better soon, babe. i know you’re crazy busy but i’ll try and call you today so we can catch up. it’s been a while, hasn’t it?!

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