*Rana is at the counter in her large kitchen, rolling out the dough for her special Eid cookies. Once she has it to the right thickness, she picks up the star cookie cutter, and begins to cut out the shapes, humming as she places them in the baking tray.*

*Rami comes into the room*

*He is wearing his signature sweatpants and tank, the 'poor' guy is really too big to wear anything else, but he has a baby blanket slung over his shoulder, a pacifier clip is hanging from his pocket, and he is holding a baby bottle*

Rami: Phew! I finally got him down for his nap!

Rana: *looking up from her cookies* Wow, that took him a lot longer this time! I wonder why?

*Rami shrugs, and heads towards the sink, beginning to clean the bottle*

Rami: I have no idea, but he just stared up at me with those eyes of yours all challenging like, "Really? You think you're going to win this?"

*Rana laughs, and leans over to kiss his shoulder*

Rana: Well thanks for putting him to sleep, I wanted to get a start on my cookies, I'm already out of time!

Rami: *sarcastically* Oh yeah, because you only have a week before Eid!

Rana: Hey! Do you know how many people there are in our family? And how long it takes to make just one batch of cookies? *she punches him in his shoulder* You alone could eat this entire batch right here!

Rami: *nodding as he dries off the bottle* I can, and I plan to!

*Rana smacks him with her dish towel, her brilliant retort on the tip of her tongue, before her phone rings, vibrating from it's place on the non cookie'd side of the counter*

Rana: Will you grab that babe?

Rami: Sure *he walks around the counter, pinching Rana lightly as he goes, causing her to jump and give a squeal of surprise*

Rana: Hey!

*Rami laughs, before looking down at her phone*

Rami: It's your mom. Answer?

Rana: Yes please!

Rami: *lifting the phone to his ear* ASalaaamuAlaiKUM! Yes, yes Rana is here, but she is baking. Mhmm, mhmm, I am not sure, let me ask her. *he pulls the phone away from his ear* You mom wants to know if you got Yahya that stroller she mentioned to you?

Rana: No, but his old stroller is perfectly fine.

Rami: No she didn't bu... *he trails off, before looking down at the phone*

Rana: What happened?

Rami: *laughing* She hung up!

Rana: *surprised* What!?

Rami: I said that you hadn't, and she said 'okay great, bye!'

Rana: Ooh she's going to get it for him! He doesn't need it!

Rami: Yeah well, my Mom is on a frenzy too buying him stuff.

Rana: *groaning* it isn't just them! I've been getting calls all week it seems like, but especially today! Both of our moms, Jenna, Maria, Hind, Hikmah, and Emma *she gives a shake of her head* I don't even want to imagine how many things Emma is getting him!

Rami: Well, it's not only his first Eid, but it's the family's first Eid with the first grand baby slash nephew. So it is kind of a big deal. *he gives a wistful smile* It's my first Eid as a Baba

*Rana smiles up at him*

Rana: I didn't think of it that way. That's true. Our first Eid as our little family. *she tilts her head back, motioning towards him* You come down here!

*He laughs, leaning down to kiss her*

Rami: You need any help with the cookies?

Rana: No, no you don't know how to do it.

Rami: Isn't it just rolling out dough and cutting it with a cookie cutter?

*Rana shoots him such a glare, that he raises his hands into the air, and walks backwards*

Rami: *teasingly* I surrender! *he grins at her, before he settles himself onto the living room couch, picking up the remote.*

*They sit in companionable silence for a half an hour, before Rana's phone rings again.*

Rami: *stretching across the back of the couch to grab her phone* It's Emma. Should I get it?

Rana: Umm, yeah I guess. Put it on speaker so I can talk. *Rami obliges, and a moment later, Emma's chirpy voice is heard ringing through the room*

Emma: Salaam!

Rana: Walaikumsalaam! How're you?

Emma: Good Alhamdulillah! You?

Rana: Great!

Emma: How's my little bug?

*Rana laughs*

Rana: He's good Alhamdulillah, he's sleeping. What's up?

Emma: I was just wondering if you knew what size hat he might wear?

*silence*

Rana: I'm sorry, did you say hat?

Emma: Uh huh.

Rana: Um, what do you mean hat?

Emma: *giving an impatient huff* Like, do you think he would have a small head or a medium head, or does he have a big head like Rami?

Rami: *mouthing to Rana* What?!

Rana: *suppressing the urge to laugh as she ignores her husband* Um, Emma honey, I'm not sure honestly. I've never... *she holds back another laugh* measured my son's head...

Emma: *sighing dramatically* Okay, I'll just keep the receipt then, and we can switch it out if it doesn't fit. Thanks!

Rana: Woah! Wait! What are you buying him now?!

Emma: Oh! It's a surprise!

Rana: Emma, hon, he really doesn't need all these gifts!

*silence*

Emma: I'll talk to you later, bye!

*Rana sighs as Rami hangs up the phone*

Rana: How many presents does one little baby need!? We haven't even factored in our gifts to him yet!

Rami: *scowling* I do NOT have a big head!

***
*The next day finds Rana back in the kitchen working on more cookies. Unfortunately for her, Rami, in his anger towards Emma calling him a bighead, a term Rana had often called him in their childhood, had eaten about twenty cookies, so she had a lot to make up for! Fortunately, he was at work, and wouldn't try to steal any more before she could hide them!*

Rana: *to Yahya who is resting in his playpen in the dining room, playing with his hanging toys and babbling quietly to himself* Alright, let's see how many your Mama can make before your lunchtime!

*Before she can even pour the flour into the bowl however, her phone rings, and as 'Jen' flashes across the screen, she swipes 'answer'*

Rana: Hello?

Jen: AsalamuAlaikum!

Rana: Walaikumasalaam! How're you dear?

Jen: Alhamdulillah I'm good! How're you and the baby?

Rana: Good Alhamdulillah. What's up?

Jen: I'm calling because I was wondering if Yahya has a playpen?

Rana: Um, yes. Rami made him one.

Jen: *her voice getting slightly muffled as she obviously takes the phone away from her mouth to talk to someone else* See, I told you he had one!

*Rana can hear Hud's voice murmur a reply, before Jen comes back*

Jen: Did you get him that stroller we were talking about?

Rana: My Mom is getting it I think, but really he doesn't nee...

Jen: *talking to Hudayfah again* Your Mom is getting it.

Rana: Jen!

Jenna: Yes dear?

Rana: Really, you don't have to get anything!

Jenna: *in confusion* I don't understand?

Rana: Oh Jenna!

Jenna: *ignoring her sister to listen to Hudayfah again* Rana, does he have a swing?

*Rana gives a resigned laugh*

Rana: No, he doesn't have a swing.

*Jenna gives a happy squeal*

Jenna: Great! I'll talk to you later habibti!

Rana: Okay, say Salaam to Hudayfah for me.

*Once she has hung up the phone, she heads over to her son, and leans down, kissing him on the head*

Rana: Look at you! The main attraction! *she gives a laugh as Yahya grabs a lock of her hair, and he begins to tug it as he jumps up and down* Okay honey, don't pull it out! *once she has extracted her hair, she kisses him again* All I want is a happy Eid!

***
*The rest of the day, Rana has to take many more calls, all of them relating to Yahya and his Eid gits. One from her mother, one from Rami's mother, one from her Aunt Dania, and sixteen from Emma. By the time Rami comes home from work, she had been close to tears!*

Rami: *coming into the house* Honeybee?

Rana: *looking up from where she is laying across the couch reading* Hi sweetie! *she sits up, and stretches forward as he comes towards her, grabbing his face in her hands, and kissing him*

Rami: *slightly surprised* Well! What a welcome! Thank you!

Rana: *laughing* You're welcome.

Rami: *heading into the kitchen to get a glass of water* Where have you been though?

Rana: *scrunching her nose in confusion* Huh? I've been home all day.

Rami: *taking a drink* Oh. Well I've been trying to call you for the past hour, I wanted to know if you wanted me to pick up dinner.

Rana: Thanks but I already cooked. *she runs her fingers through her hair in agitation* And I was getting too frustrated with all of the people calling! Especially my mom and Emma! They were driving me crazy! *her voice rises in a slight wail a the end of 'crazy'*

Rami: Well, I guess that explains why your phone is in the flour box? *he lifts it out, and she laughs*

Rana: Just be thankful I had the common sense to put it in a plastic bag first! Otherwise I could have really ruined my phone and the flour!

Rami: *handing her the phone* Why didn't you just put it in a drawer? *he raises an eyebrow* Or um, turn it off?

*She just stares at him for a few moments, her lower lip wobbling*

Rana: *her voice rising to a high pitch* I'VE MADE ONE HUNDRED COOKIES TODAY AND I'M SO TIRED! Excuse me for not thinking logically!

***
*EID DAY*

*It is Eid day and the Sulayman and Yousef families and their extensions, have gone to Eid prayer, have had their traditional breakfasts and visiting and giving the presents with their parents, and now the 'kids' are gathering together at Rami and Rana's house for their own Eid celebration.*

*Rana is already stressing out, because Yahya has received an abundance of presents from her parents, Rami's parents, Jenna's parents, her Aunt Dania and her husband, and her Uncle Zaid and his wife, and the others will be there any minute, no doubt with many more in tow*

Rami: *coming into the room* Are you sure this looks okay?

Rana: *slightly annoyed* for the millionth time today, yes. You look wonderful. You're the perfect picture of male beauty.

Rami: *tugging at his collar* Sorry honeybee, I'm not trying to be annoying. I'm just not used to wearing sleeves *he begins to move his arms around, before folding the sleeves up to his elbows* I feel so constricted!

*As Rami usually has to have his outfits custom made for special occasions since he has trouble finding shirts with sleeves that he can wear, for this Eid he is wearing a long sleeved green thobe that has black and light green stitching along the collar and sleeves*

Rana: Sorry I snapped at you, I am just stressing out a little bit.

*Rami smiles, and pulls her into a hug, dropping a kiss on her head*

Rami: Honey, don't stress out. So what if he gets a lot of gifts? Just let the family enjoy it, you enjoy it, and while he won't even remember it, he's going to get a lot of nice things!

Rana: True. I just don't want him to become a spoiled brat!

Rami: In Shaa Allah we won't let him! But let him enjoy it while he has no concept of what *he makes air quotes* 'things' are!

*They both glance over at Yahya who is sitting in his new stroller, gifted to him by his maternal grandparents, and is reaching upwards playing with the new movable toy tray gifted to him by his paternal grandparents, and he is humming to himself happily*

*Before Rana can say much more, the doorbell rings, and for the next twenty minutes the house is alive and buzzing with loud happiness and laughter and joyful hugs and exclamations and cookie and other sweets eating.*

Rana: Oh my!

*She has just gotten a glimpse of Emma, who has flounced into the house dragging a literal wagon, laden with brightly wrapped and decorated presents behind her*

Emma: Salaam everyone! Eid Mubarak! *she gives Rana a hug, before dragging her wagon across the foyer into the family room, where everyone else is gathered*

Rana: *pushing Yahya's stroller* Emma! My goodness, that's a lot of presents!

Emma: *pushing her scarf back from falling down over her eyes* We have a lot of people in the family! *she goes around, hugging everyone else that she is able to, and once she comes up to Jafar, she pulls up short, and they both grin, and kind of awkwardly stammer out a greeting, Jafar blushing furiously*

Sami: *muttering to his sister* I can't wait until they get married. Five months is way too long to endure more of them staring at each other and blushing!

*Rana laughs, before taking a seat on the couch in between her brother and husband. In addition to Emma, Jafar, and Sami, Hudayfah and Jenna were there also. So were Muhsin, Maria, Farris, Hikmah, Hind, and Rana's other cousins Lujayne, Lea, and Maya, her Aunt Dania's daughters. They all talk for another half hour before they debate whether to eat or do presents first.*

*Emma's excited squeals decide for them*

*HALF AN HOUR LATER*

*There is wrapping paper, ribbons, colored tissue paper, cards, bows, and other random gift things strew all about the room, presents upon presents are stacked in piles all around, and everyone is eagerly examining their new gifts, and talking excitedly with one another.*

*Yahya is still sitting in his new stroller, but he is now sucking on a new Elmo pacifier, he has new adorable sneakers on his feet which he is occasionally kicking up and down, and is dressed in a new mini thobe. On his head is a new kufi, (Alhamdulillah he doesn't have a big head!), and his attention is captivated by a whole bunch of new toys strewn across his stroller tray. Surrounding his stroller is his new swing, a new changing table, a new diaper pail, a new interactive playing station and a set of interactive baby toys, a set of Sesame Street and Dragon Tales DVDs, and the list goes on*

*He is still receiving gifts*

*Rami has lost feeling in his hand from how hard Rana is grasping it!*

*As Rana lifts the adorable pair of overalls from yet another gift bag Emma had gotten for her son, and everyone says 'awww' she laughs, before thanking Emma, and setting it on the ground with the other things.*

Hind: Those are so cute! Where did you find them!?

Emma: The baby Gap! I wanted to buy them all!

Maria: I want to know where you found that thobe! It's so cute!

*As the ladies begin the chatter again, and Hudayfah brings over one of the platters of cookies, Rami gives his wife's hand an affectionate squeeze. He isn't too sure why she is stressing so much about it! He was loving all of his son's new things! Maybe he would wait to show Rana the new rocking horse he had gotten Yahya...*

*Finally, as Emma has given the last of her gifts to Yahya, and it seems there is no more bags or packages for him, Rana gives a sigh of relief.*

Jenna: *watching Yahya focusing intently on his toys* He just looks so adorable in that kufi!

Sami: I have to go get my phone from the kitchen and take a picture of him. I'll be right back.

Emma: *glancing around the room, and pausing as she spots something* Oh wait! There is one more thing here for Yahya! *she picks up an envelope, and hands it to Rana, who forces herself to keep the smile on her face* I wonder who it is from!

Rana: Oh wow! Let's see! *she opens the envelope, and pulls out the paper, beginning to read* A donation has been made on behalf of Yahya Rami Abdul Hadi to help begin building Masjid ArRahman. In Shaa Allah this will be counted as Sadaqah Jaariyah.*

*Silence descends upon the room as they all realize the impact and importance of this gift, and Rana's eyes begin to fill with tears. She had been stressing for what felt like forever, worrying that her son was going to turn into a spoiled brat, but as she looked around now, all she saw was love. People who loved him so much, and were so happy and grateful to have him in their lives, they wanted to shower him with attention and love, and make sure that he was taken care of, now, and in the hereafter*

*And she didn't have a single doubt in her mind who had gotten Yahya this gift, even before she saw the signature at the bottom*

*Before Sami was even fully back into the room, she was hugging him*

***
*LATER THAT NIGHT*

*The last of the guests have just left after eating their dinner, playing some games, and having some fun, and Rana is just glad to be able to finally relax. She goes into the family room followed by Rami, Yahya in her arms*

Rami: Do you think he has any idea at all what is going on? *he ruffles his son's hair, before running a hand down Rana's back*

Rana: I don't think so. But I think the stimulation and all the excitement has been a lot for him!

*Rami laughs*

Rami: He has been staring wide eyed with those blue eyes of his all day!

Rana: *putting Yahya down in the middle of all of his new toys before sitting down behind him* Let's see what he goes for first! Emma was positive that he was going to gravitate towards the red toys!

*They watch Yahya as he examines the things around him, bouncing up and down slightly, before he pitches forward, reaching. Rana helps him settle down into a crawling position, keeping her hands hovering around him as he was still new to crawling and sometimes fell flat on his face, and they watch as he heads forward, reaching*

*Suddenly Rami bursts out laughing, and Rana groans as Yahya surpasses all of his new toys, and grabs a stray red ribbon that had been wrapped around one of his gifts*

Rami: *laughing* well at least Emma was right about the red! *he laughs again at his wife's glare, before leaning forward and kissing her*

*She relents, her glare melting into a smile*

Rana: By the way, what's that giant box in the garage?

*Rami's eyes widen in alarm, for he had decided to wait until the next day to give Yahya his present, once his wife's stress levels had gone down!*

Rami: Ummm...

Rana: *realization dawning on her* Rami! Did you buy him a present? That big!? What is it even!?

Rami: It's a bouncy rocking horse!

Rana: Rami! He doesn't need it!

Rami: Well he doesn't need a lot of things! But it is Yahya's first Eid! Let me have this!

*She rolls her eyes, before stifling a smile, biting down on her lip*

Rami: What?

Rana: I might have gotten him a mini car that he can ride. I bought it months ago though, and I was planning on taking it back after all the crazy stuff happened, *she gives him a sheepish smile* It's hidden in the basement.

*Rami laughs loudly, before sliding onto the ground next to them, and giving her another kiss*

Rami: Well, I won't stress about it if you won't. Eid Mubarak honeybee!

Rana: *smiling* Deal. Eid Mubarak habibi!