40 Day Party

Lucy is 40 days old today! If she had been born on her due date, her 40 day birthday would have been our wedding anniversary. It ended up being on May Day though, which is almost as good.

It's a Kazakh tradition to have a special party for the baby when she turns 40 days old. Traditionally, the baby and mother would have stayed in the house for the first 39 days after birth, so this is the welcome to the world party where everyone else gets to meet the baby.

I think this is another lovely Kazakh tradition. (That's one of the aspects I love of marrying into Kazakh/Russian culture--new traditions!) The family elder spoons 40 spoon-fulls of salt water over the baby while each member of the family gives her a blessing. Lucy received wonderful blessings: to be healthy, wise, cheerful, lucky, smart, fabulously rich, and surrounded by love.

Lucy was as happy as a mermaid in her new baby tub. She smiled and watched us intently the whole time she was being blessed.

Lucy and Apashka are such a pair, aren't they? It tickled my heart to watch the two of them smile back and forth at each other. (And can you believe Apaskha is our family elder? I think she looks way too young!)

After the blessing bath, someone cuts a lock of the baby's hair to save forever. Karima was a very brave and careful hair cutter! I'm going to put the tiny envelope of Lucy's hair in her baby book. Then the baby is rubbed with sheep fat, or in our case, fancy Swiss baby lotion.

Grammi and Great GranE were able to watch the ceremony from St. Louis over Skype. This was the first time Great GranE got to see Lucy on video chat. I loved being able to show my daughter to my family's matriarch!

Lucy sure is sleeping well after all those blessings and a relaxing evening in her luxurious bath.

Baby Magic

Lucy is getting so much protection! Uncle Malek gave her a hamsa to wear whenever we leave the house to protect her from the evil eye. Great GranE sent a guardian angel medal for her. We pinned them both inside Lucy's sling, so she'll be protected when we're out and about.

Tim's parents made ancestor pancakes for us last night. It's a Kazakh tradtition--once a week they make pancakes for their ancestors, and ask the ancestors to protect all of us. I really love this tradition. Hopefully Alla and Aidar will teach me how to make ancestor pancakes for our new little family while they're here.

Isn't it wonderful that Lucy is being protected through the customs of all these different cultures? She'll be the safest baby ever!