.....tomorrow! Peanut alone has three check-in bags, one cabin bag and one diaper bag. A and I have managed to cram our stuff in one check-in each. Are we prepared for the long journey with this bundle of terror? I am not sure. A knows he can no longer lounge in his seat, flicking channels or read a book or take his own time for a nice long meal. And I know that I can no longer snuggle into A's nook, cozy up and read a Wodehouse book. We will instead be doing what parents of a five month old would do. Listening to Peanut play Baby Einstein Piano, reading Little Spot books to her, singing itsy bitsy spider and rocking her to sleep.
Things Peanut will miss - talking to the monkey, froggy and turtle hanging from the crib mobile. The gold fish hanging from the swing that calms her every night like no one else can ( oh fishy, what are we going to do without you?) and her new activity center that she loves pottering around with these days. Rest of her things are going with her.
As for me, I'll miss the Black Friday sale, holiday lightings, hearing "Santa baby", the festivity in the air, dining at Cheesecake Factory this time of the year and partying on New Year's Eve. I'll miss that where ever I am. More updates from the other side of the globe! Happy holidays!
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
Friday, November 18, 2011
Five months letter
Dear Peanut,
I am starting to wonder if I should still call you Peanut. You are five months old now and much bigger than the peanut you were when you left Wombsville. Touchwood. But I would like to know if there is a nut that is nice and round and plump and juicy. Hmmm? Maybe I should settle for those Minneola oranges. No, no. You please continue to be a juicy Peanut. Forever. You are growing so fast. I miss seeing you stick out your lower lip when you are upset. These days it is just a loud wail. And whatever happened to Ag-hoo? It used to be Ag-hoo all the time. Haven't heard it in a while. Instead, you babble a lot. You talk to the monkey, turtle, froggy and the crocodile hanging from the mobile. You arch your back up, longing to touch them. And when you can't, you have a meltdown. You have befriended Alice and love to chew her long legs. At night when dad puts you to sleep, you love looking at the fishes hanging from the swing mobile. It seems to calm you.
You are such a light sleeper, though. You wake up every two hours night after night. Your dad and I can't wait for you to sleep through the night. The doctor said your gums are swollen and you are teething. Poor you. We like to think that's what is troubling you and do all we can to soothe you. Hope things will get a little clement for you and us.
Right now your most favorite person in this household is me. Not that you have a choice, you know. You have to keep seeing my face all the time. If I run for a quick loo break, you will scream endlessly till I come back. I, unfortunately, cannot bear to let you cry it out. So, these days, I take you with me to the loo.You have me wrapped around your pinkie, ha? You need me even after your dad is back home. He is a little tougher, you see. You act very shy when he comes home from work and scoops you up for a cuddle. Signs of you growing up, no? But you warm up soon and throw around those wide toothless smiles.
When you are quiet, you are busy sucking your toes. You are so flexible, you just pull your feet up to your mouth. That's a new development and you love doing it. May be I should sign you up for Baby Yoga. I can even get you a nice little yoga pant and a teeny tiny yoga mat.
You got an email from your Grandpa a few days back. How cool is that? He and everyone back home can't wait to meet you. So yes, we are going to India for a month's vacation. I have my fingers crossed about taking you on such a loooong journey. If you happen to be a button, I promise you, this is just the beginning. We have a lot more travel on the cards. Places to see, people to meet and cuisines to try. What, ho?
We celebrated your five months birthday last night, by dressing you up like a doll and cutting the cake dad got for you. It is five months, Peanut. Five months of sleepless nights, five months of equally tough days, five months of looking into your eyes and seeing you smile, five months of loving you, five months of motherhood, five months since I read a book or watched TV, five months of trying to lose my baby weight and five months of growing up! And it's only getting better.
Love you,
Mamma.
I am starting to wonder if I should still call you Peanut. You are five months old now and much bigger than the peanut you were when you left Wombsville. Touchwood. But I would like to know if there is a nut that is nice and round and plump and juicy. Hmmm? Maybe I should settle for those Minneola oranges. No, no. You please continue to be a juicy Peanut. Forever. You are growing so fast. I miss seeing you stick out your lower lip when you are upset. These days it is just a loud wail. And whatever happened to Ag-hoo? It used to be Ag-hoo all the time. Haven't heard it in a while. Instead, you babble a lot. You talk to the monkey, turtle, froggy and the crocodile hanging from the mobile. You arch your back up, longing to touch them. And when you can't, you have a meltdown. You have befriended Alice and love to chew her long legs. At night when dad puts you to sleep, you love looking at the fishes hanging from the swing mobile. It seems to calm you.
You are such a light sleeper, though. You wake up every two hours night after night. Your dad and I can't wait for you to sleep through the night. The doctor said your gums are swollen and you are teething. Poor you. We like to think that's what is troubling you and do all we can to soothe you. Hope things will get a little clement for you and us.
Right now your most favorite person in this household is me. Not that you have a choice, you know. You have to keep seeing my face all the time. If I run for a quick loo break, you will scream endlessly till I come back. I, unfortunately, cannot bear to let you cry it out. So, these days, I take you with me to the loo.You have me wrapped around your pinkie, ha? You need me even after your dad is back home. He is a little tougher, you see. You act very shy when he comes home from work and scoops you up for a cuddle. Signs of you growing up, no? But you warm up soon and throw around those wide toothless smiles.
When you are quiet, you are busy sucking your toes. You are so flexible, you just pull your feet up to your mouth. That's a new development and you love doing it. May be I should sign you up for Baby Yoga. I can even get you a nice little yoga pant and a teeny tiny yoga mat.
You got an email from your Grandpa a few days back. How cool is that? He and everyone back home can't wait to meet you. So yes, we are going to India for a month's vacation. I have my fingers crossed about taking you on such a loooong journey. If you happen to be a button, I promise you, this is just the beginning. We have a lot more travel on the cards. Places to see, people to meet and cuisines to try. What, ho?
We celebrated your five months birthday last night, by dressing you up like a doll and cutting the cake dad got for you. It is five months, Peanut. Five months of sleepless nights, five months of equally tough days, five months of looking into your eyes and seeing you smile, five months of loving you, five months of motherhood, five months since I read a book or watched TV, five months of trying to lose my baby weight and five months of growing up! And it's only getting better.
Love you,
Mamma.
Monday, November 14, 2011
An Apple a day keeps poo away
Peanut was four months and one day old when I tried some rice cereal on her. I made it so runny that my mom refused to call it a solid. That thing, she said, can only be fed through a bottle. I would have none of it, you know. I proceeded to tie a bib around Peanut's neck and propped her up against the boppy pillow, while she was busy checking out the monkey on her bib. When I fed her a spoon of the cereal, she pulled a face and pushed it right back out, wondering what on earth is mama feeding me. I tried apple sauce after a week and the same story. She seemed to like the apple sauce more, though. Why wouldn't she? It was so sweet ( I taste everything before feeding her), I would like to call it the Dessert. Having not mastered the spoon, she kept pushing it out and I kept shoving it in and after a while she had finished the entire jar! The next day the said apple sauce had formed a layer of concrete mess in her stomach. Resultantly, baby never pooped. It was past her usual poop time, but no sign. After forty eight hours still no poop. I called mom and filled her up on the story. She suggested some home remedies and in a few minutes , I was treated to some green gooey piece of shit (pun intended)! I thought I would call P's doctor anyway. I was adviced to give her oatmeal cereal. No apples for Peanut anymore. She is the type who gets constipated by apples. Give her fruits starting with P, she said. Prunes, Pear, Plum, Peach. Only green vegetables for her. Peas. Beans. Spinach.
Well, I just thought that Peanut was not ready for solids yet. She used to wake up every night, screaming and crying when passing gas. As all mothers would, I blamed it on the solids. Alright. No solids for another week, I decided.
When she was one week shy of five months, she showed interest in the food I ate, opening her mouth and reaching for the spoon. I tried giving her Pear and was flummoxed at how adeptly she ate from a spoon! As though she'd been doing it all the while.
She loves brown rice cereal. Pear. Prune. And Peach to some extent.
The Lord of the house thinks she's got the food gene from him. And I concede. I don't wanna break his heart, you see. So, yes, I am the picky eater in the family. Bah!
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
Just me and Peanut
What can I say, with just me and Peanut for company, life these days is a blur of events.
So, the grandparents left, bidding Peanut a sorrowful goodbye. Peanut moaned when they walked away with their trolleys in the airport. For a sec I thought she knew they were leaving.That night she cried, cried and cried. These babies are amazing. They can sense the sadness. One has to be chirpy around them. She was fine the next day though.
The happy baby that everyone christened her as is now actually turning into a cry baby. She wakes up every one hour, fussing and crying. She wants to be just held. She's scared her mommy would go away, far from her. As a result the swaddler is back in town. And Peanut is back in her swing. Not that it helps a great deal, just a little.
She won't be alone even for a min during the day either. If mama's not around there will be pouting of lower lip and yelps. So clingy. Resultantly, I have been taking her with me to the loo as well. Gone are the days when a coffee mug and my iPad used to be my sole companions on the throne. Now it is Peanut and her plush monkey. A thinks I should just let her cry it out. I feel she is still too small to be disciplined. So, I now put her in the baby carrier and get around with my work. Like today when I made dosas with her in my pouch. We are after all pink Kangaroos, what?
The cooing, gurgling, and giggling continues. Only at increasing decibels these days. She can roll over both sides and sit unsupported for few seconds after which she topples over. Peanut wants to reach out and grab everything that she sees. What's with the curiosity? Touch and feel everything, peep into the fridge or mama's t-shirt, rip any paper that she can get hold of, grab A's nose and pull it to her mouth, open her mouth wide when mama's having her lunch and on it goes. Suddenly she babbles more these days. Stranger anxiety is at its peak. I took her to Tea at Shiv's place the other day. She is usually a happy baby, so I bravely stepped out without a pacifier. Little did I know. Shiv's took her from me as soon as I entered and good lord! I had never heard that wail before. That unconsolable loud wail as if someone just beat her up. She settled after a bit, but then all the girls kept calling her "laddu" and took turns holding her and whoom! Waterworks again. This time she never stopped. I had to run with a wailing baby in my arms, from her house to mine. We live in the same community you see. Later when I told A about it, he burst out laughing saying had someone seen me they would have thought I was kidnapping a baby and called 911. Yeah, right. Laugh your ass off. You too, dear reader. Like someone said ROFLMAO.
So, the grandparents left, bidding Peanut a sorrowful goodbye. Peanut moaned when they walked away with their trolleys in the airport. For a sec I thought she knew they were leaving.That night she cried, cried and cried. These babies are amazing. They can sense the sadness. One has to be chirpy around them. She was fine the next day though.
The happy baby that everyone christened her as is now actually turning into a cry baby. She wakes up every one hour, fussing and crying. She wants to be just held. She's scared her mommy would go away, far from her. As a result the swaddler is back in town. And Peanut is back in her swing. Not that it helps a great deal, just a little.
She won't be alone even for a min during the day either. If mama's not around there will be pouting of lower lip and yelps. So clingy. Resultantly, I have been taking her with me to the loo as well. Gone are the days when a coffee mug and my iPad used to be my sole companions on the throne. Now it is Peanut and her plush monkey. A thinks I should just let her cry it out. I feel she is still too small to be disciplined. So, I now put her in the baby carrier and get around with my work. Like today when I made dosas with her in my pouch. We are after all pink Kangaroos, what?
The cooing, gurgling, and giggling continues. Only at increasing decibels these days. She can roll over both sides and sit unsupported for few seconds after which she topples over. Peanut wants to reach out and grab everything that she sees. What's with the curiosity? Touch and feel everything, peep into the fridge or mama's t-shirt, rip any paper that she can get hold of, grab A's nose and pull it to her mouth, open her mouth wide when mama's having her lunch and on it goes. Suddenly she babbles more these days. Stranger anxiety is at its peak. I took her to Tea at Shiv's place the other day. She is usually a happy baby, so I bravely stepped out without a pacifier. Little did I know. Shiv's took her from me as soon as I entered and good lord! I had never heard that wail before. That unconsolable loud wail as if someone just beat her up. She settled after a bit, but then all the girls kept calling her "laddu" and took turns holding her and whoom! Waterworks again. This time she never stopped. I had to run with a wailing baby in my arms, from her house to mine. We live in the same community you see. Later when I told A about it, he burst out laughing saying had someone seen me they would have thought I was kidnapping a baby and called 911. Yeah, right. Laugh your ass off. You too, dear reader. Like someone said ROFLMAO.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
The rolling milestone
Yay to Peanut for rolling over today! After days of trying and bursting into tears at not being able to take that hand off from under her, today she flipped over like a fish to reach the orange striped tiger. And since then she can't stop doing it. I put her on the bed for a minute and scooted to her room to get an outfit for her. Usually I'll hear yelps for having abandoned her but she was unusually quiet. When I got back after hardly a minute,she had flipped over and was happily playing with a rag doll! The grandparents are delighted as they got to see this act before their leaving the end of this week.
Hmmm.....now I have to keep my eyes open to stop her from rolling off the bed.
Hmmm.....now I have to keep my eyes open to stop her from rolling off the bed.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Of rolling stones and climbing rocks
Just a quick one here- Peanut can now roll-over from tummy to her back. When a toy is kept in front of her, she pushes forward with her stomach and legs to reach for it! When we make a silly face, she laughs loudly. When carried, she climbs my torso with those plump round legs as though she is training to be a rock climber. Did I say that she is sleeping through the night? Well, I take it back. She is back to waking up atleast twice every night. Some nights thrice. Putting her to sleep is still A's task. I wouldn't trade in even for a two week vacation at the Amalfi Coast. And you know how badly I want to do that sometime in life, right? I.so.want.to.do.it.
Monday, October 10, 2011
October....
....means celebrations. Dusshera. Diwali. Halloween. It also is when the leaves turn orange as though illuminated by the sun light and when the show is over, finally Fall. It is when one can't step out without a jacket and the fireplace in the family room comes to life. This time it is a month of anxieties. First, Peanut's four months' shots. I have chewed my nails off, thinking about it. Second, we are thinking of getting her ears pierced. I know, it's just a gunshot. She will hardly feel anything, but I can't help becoming my mother, worrying about how it will go. Such tender ear lobes they are. Third, the grandparents are leaving the end of this month. I don't know how Peanut will react to this separation. Will she bawl when she sees them walking away at the Airport or will she just forget about it? Will she miss them when we get back home? Oh, I don't want to think about it yet. Fourth, should I start solids for Peanut? My sis says I should. I can't wait to either. Let's see what her doctor has to say. Fifth, Peanut's first visit to India next month. I have no clue how we will entertain a five month old in a 20 hour flight. Do you? My heart rises up to my oral cavities when I think about it. What should I pack? Onesies, outfits, hats, diapers, wipes, socks, tights, leggings, soap, baby oil, lotion, shampoo, medicine kit, toys, books, towels, wash cloth, bibs, accessories, blankets, grooming kit and what more? Good lord!
The weekend was spent in shopping for Peanut and her cousins. The shopping cart was loaded to the brim with clothes and accessories. Peanut was a button all day, putting up with her bumbling fumbling parents. On the way back she lost it and had a huge meltdown to get out of the carseat. We were glad to get back home!
The weekend was spent in shopping for Peanut and her cousins. The shopping cart was loaded to the brim with clothes and accessories. Peanut was a button all day, putting up with her bumbling fumbling parents. On the way back she lost it and had a huge meltdown to get out of the carseat. We were glad to get back home!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
A mini celebrity.
Ever since Peanut was born, A's colleagues have been dying to meet her. After much procrastination, I set out today with my mom and dad in tow. It is a forty five min drive, you see. I needed Mom to pacify Peanut in case she decided to bawl until someone took her out of the carseat. And Dad, to read out directions from my phone. Peanut took a nice nap during the drive and cooed and gurgled at A in her usual chirpy fashion. A took us up to his office, while MAD chose to wait in the car.
People fawned over her as if they haven't seen babies before. One wanted to carry her, another wanted to know if she could get Peanut's bangles in her size, one was prepping for a photo shoot with the princess and someone else was making silly faces. Peanut made us proud by flashing her wide toothless grin at everone. She babbled a little and never cried. No pouting of lower lip. They called her a happy baby. A well behaved baby. They loved her attire and accessories. They didn't want to let go of her. Bring her again soon, they said. Oh, sure. Why not?
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Laughs and more
Peanut can now laugh loudly! She was an absolute entertainer when S & P visited over the weekend. Her neck stands upright most of the time and she can sit supported by the boppy. That only means I can shovel some of that gerber stuff down her gullet. *evil laugh* Nah, I'll wait a month more.
The gyming continues, but the love handles on either side of my hip refuse to budge. We are inseparable that way. Peanut is growing love handles too. But those are adorable. Munch worthy. I could eat her for breakfast, lunch and dinner.
The grandparents leave the end of this month and then it is going to be just me and Peanut. All day, every day. A is taking an exam next month and has tuned us out completely. We are non existent while he studies with ear buds plugged in. But, putting Peanut (and me) to sleep is still his job. After tucking us into bed he slips out to study. Life's like that.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Three months letter
Dear Peanut,
At 3 months you are a handfull. You hardly give me any time to write about you. Even now, as am writing this, you are sleeping on me, cuddling my cushy tummy. You prefer this to the plush crib. The crib houses all your toys, plush animals and board books. And I can't stop cribbing about this. I really need to train you to sleep in your crib. Soon, soon.
You love conversing with people. The babble never stops. I call you the chatter box. You take after your grandpa. The flaring of the nose and the Aaaaabyaa....waaaa...byoooo...gooooo...aghoooo....is just so cute. Your dad has recorded all your antics. You will see it some day. You love the play gym. The red ant is your favorite. Anything you grasp in your hand is promptly taken to your mouth and is chewed on. The plush monkey's tail has taken the brunt a million times. You love to be carried around the house. Seriously, you should see my biceps. And, the best of all, you sleep through the night! You are very sweet that way. You still stick your lower lip out when you are upset. You looove balloons. Like me. You play with Whitey during diaper change. There is a Greeny too. Ghanta Singh (the bell used in poojas) comes to my rescue when you are bawling and nothing else can pacify you.
You lie on the boppy when I read to you.The very hungry caterpillar continues to fascinate you. So does brown bear, brown bear and Spot. Grandparents are absolutely entertained by you. Everytime you see someone, you flash that million dollar smile! The more we see it, the more we want to see. Day by day you are becoming more like how your dad wanted you to be. My looks and his brains. I know, he can be mean sometimes. Actually, you are a nice blend of me and him. You can hold your head up most of the time. But when it plops and hits my shoulder you have a meltdown. You are trying hard to roll over and cry in frustration when your hand comes in the way. Anger. You certainly have both our genes in that department.
We got a Tiramisu cake for your third month completion. Made rasmalai at home and dined at Taj Palace.
Finally, I got this letter done in haste. Don't grow up so fast. Else, we will have to think of a brother or sister for you. What do you say? Would you like a playmate?
Love,
Mama.
Ball game!
Peanut's first ball game at 12 weeks! She was a button the whole evening. Was happy to sit in the baby carrier and turn her lil head around taking in the world around her. She cooed and smiled at all those who fawned over her. She got more attention from everyone at the stadium than poor Mariners!
Friday, September 2, 2011
Oh and we are back!
The little person at home has me on my toes all day. So busy that I missed recording all the fun and life as such. And all I can do now (while Peanut is napping on A) is a bullet post. A highly disorganized one at that.
- Peanut had her two months Pediatrician visit. Not too impressed by her current doc, I decided to try a different one, so we made an appointment with Woodinville Pediatrics. She was going to get her shots, so one can imagine my state. I was a nervous wreck. I still fail to understand how someone can have the heart to poke each of her cute plump thighs with a needle!? With my heart hammering in my throat, we reached the doctor's office. Upon taking her out of her car seat, we discovered to our horror that Peanut's diaper failed to do its job. Her pink frock was covered in holy crap, while she was gurgling awayas though all was well. A handled the messy situation deftly by almost emptying the box of wipes that was lying in the room. Within few minutes Peanut was smelling of roses. She only cried a little when she was poked and was quickly pacified by a bottle. But like her mom she never forgets anything easily. She kept remembering the pokes and was sticking her lower lip out the rest of the day.
- Her sleep schedule was haywire the next week. She would wake up at 5:00 am, take a dozen cat naps each lasting five or ten minutes and fall sleep at 6:00 pm. Her lack of sleep has made me cranky and ill tempered. I can hardly find some time to comb my hair. If I step out on the deck in the backyard, I am sure the bluebird will bring tiny twigs and drop them on my head, in its attempt to build a cozy little nest.
- As if to treat her to something nice after the horrid shots, we took her to the Zoo :P. Yep, it was more for us. The trail was bumpy, so she couldn't sleep in her stroller and was super cranky. She demanded to be fed every half hour. We couldn't wait to get back home after six hours in the Zoo with a nutty Peanut. All the animals were drowsy after their lunch at noon. It felt great to be a kid again, squealing delightedly at the Giraffee, Kangaroo, Lion, Leapord, et al.
- Beach bums by nature, we took Peanut to the beach at Luther Burbank park the following weekend. It was a beautiful day and the water was not very cold either. We had a ball. Peanut loved the water as well. The sound of waves calms her.
- The book gene has been successfully passed on. Bring on the Very hungry Caterpillar, Fuzzy Bee, Brown Bear Brown Bear and you have a happy baby!
Friday, August 5, 2011
Baby's swing and our first lunch out
The fact that the weekend is just around the corner and last weekend's story hasn't been blogged about yet has driven me to sit and get done with it. That, and the fact that Peanut is fast asleep in her swing. Yes! That's the first of the bullet points bursting through the seams of my thinking hat. One of our friends offered a Fisher Price Ocean Wonders swing that's like new. Now, Peanut is a very light sleeper. I plan to do a separate post on her fussiness to sleep and how she wakes up every few hours, puts on her cranky pants and refuses to go back to sleep. As a result, her parents are sleep deprived, tired and snappy. The curious cat in me wanted to know if this was normal behavior for a six week old and so I logged into Baby Center's birth club where parents of other six week olds talked about how much their babies love the swing and sleep for hours in it. So when Christina asked us to be there at 10 am, which is an insanely early hour in this household given the nightly wakings, feedings and swaddling Peanut to sleep, we dropped all plans of sleeping in on a Saturday morning. We set of, the three of us (God, even a few days back we were still the two of us) sans grandparents, all the way to Burien to pick up the said swing. It was the first time we were out on our own, without any help in tow.
On the way we wanted to pick up a wine bottle for her, so Peanut and I stayed in the car while A scurried into Fred Meyer and came out a with an expensive wine and an an even expensive tote. Peanut slept like a sleeping beauty all through the drive. It was when we parked outside her house that she woke up and decided to bawl loudly, demanding to be fed right then. I then did the inevitable - I plonked myself on the couch, lifted my t-shirt and began feeding Peanut while C's dog Buddy stared at me all the while with his tongue hanging out. The things babies make us do! After a few minutes she was content. Much cooing and gurgling pursued. And then the wide, silly toothless grin. That alone makes me want to have another one.
The next inevitable thing I did was to feed her in the same style again in the waiting room of the auto detail workshop while we waited for our car to be vacuumed and washed. And even changed her diaper right there as there was no changing table in the loo. I never thought I would be comfortable BFing in public. But hey, that's what happens when you have babies. You will become one of those mothers you once dreaded.
And then we had our first lunch out with Peanut. In fact first lunch out (other than the picnics) since she was born. I was a little skeptical about how it would go. Long, elaborate weekend lunches are thing of past. We can only afford to eat at places where the service is quick and it is okay to have a wailing infant with you. You know, she is very loud and clear when she wants something. Like if she wants to get out of the carseat, she will proceed to scream at the top of her lungs until one gets her out. And then the only thing that will console her is to snuggle into Mama and suckle. At that point we would have to abandon the lunch and scamper to the car and fall at her feet to keep her quiet. Thankfully nothing of that sort happened. Peanut continued napping in her carseat and we had an unhurried lunch of Falafel gyros and mint tea at Mr.Gyro. In the evening we took her to Houghton Beach Park for a mini picnic. It was a weekend of many firsts.
On the way we wanted to pick up a wine bottle for her, so Peanut and I stayed in the car while A scurried into Fred Meyer and came out a with an expensive wine and an an even expensive tote. Peanut slept like a sleeping beauty all through the drive. It was when we parked outside her house that she woke up and decided to bawl loudly, demanding to be fed right then. I then did the inevitable - I plonked myself on the couch, lifted my t-shirt and began feeding Peanut while C's dog Buddy stared at me all the while with his tongue hanging out. The things babies make us do! After a few minutes she was content. Much cooing and gurgling pursued. And then the wide, silly toothless grin. That alone makes me want to have another one.
The next inevitable thing I did was to feed her in the same style again in the waiting room of the auto detail workshop while we waited for our car to be vacuumed and washed. And even changed her diaper right there as there was no changing table in the loo. I never thought I would be comfortable BFing in public. But hey, that's what happens when you have babies. You will become one of those mothers you once dreaded.
And then we had our first lunch out with Peanut. In fact first lunch out (other than the picnics) since she was born. I was a little skeptical about how it would go. Long, elaborate weekend lunches are thing of past. We can only afford to eat at places where the service is quick and it is okay to have a wailing infant with you. You know, she is very loud and clear when she wants something. Like if she wants to get out of the carseat, she will proceed to scream at the top of her lungs until one gets her out. And then the only thing that will console her is to snuggle into Mama and suckle. At that point we would have to abandon the lunch and scamper to the car and fall at her feet to keep her quiet. Thankfully nothing of that sort happened. Peanut continued napping in her carseat and we had an unhurried lunch of Falafel gyros and mint tea at Mr.Gyro. In the evening we took her to Houghton Beach Park for a mini picnic. It was a weekend of many firsts.
Thursday, August 4, 2011
The Intense 2011 Concierto
A was at the Indian stores one day when he saw posters for the Intense 2011 Atif Aslam concert. He was all fired up when he shared the news with me.
A: "Let's do it. We should go."
Me: "But what about Peanut? I can't leave her and go so far for so long...."
A: "Mom & Dad will take care of her. Once they leave we won't be able to do such things."
Me: "What if she cries for me? She always wants to feed to fall asleep."
A: "They will manage....don't worry too much."
Me: "She'll know when am not around....."
A: "Don't be silly....she won't know anything. Let's go and have fun."
So, the $35 pp tickets (read non-refundable) were purchased a week before and we were living in hope that Peanut would be a darling and not trouble her grandparents too much. On Friday the 29th of July, the day of the concert, I gave Peanut a bath, dressed her up in her sleeper, expressed BM, and put her to sleep. I then slathered moisturiser on self, slapped on some lipstick, rooted my closet for an outfit that would fit the new sized me and slipped out of the house with A. We were on a date! Yet, all I could talk about was Peanut. We reached the arena a good thirty minutes early. We are not related to Late Lateef, see. But Atif is. The doors were yet to open and gathered there were young, slim, cool looking dudes and dudettes from all over India. That would have been us six years before, I mumbled. No, we look much better, retorted A, who is still the same size or even a couple of inches leaner than he used to be. To kill time, we tried to guess which part of India each bunch was from. The flashy clothed, jazzy jewelery laden men were from the north! Delhi/UP, to be precise. The turbaned ones from Punjab and so on. Finally, at 8:30 pm the doors opened. We had good seats. The arena was more empty than full. The concert itself was mediocre. I had great expectations. The audio was so muffled that I could hardly hear any of the jokes the compere was trying to crack, if you could call them that. Bhumika absconded and we were forced to watch an Indian Idol perform. Then came Anushka Manchanda. She has a good voice but could hardly sing to tune. Finally, Atif. Much roaring and applause ensued. It was very disappointing to hear him experiment with his original scores. They sounded horrible. I missed carrying my ear buds. The $70 could have very well been spent on a wine tasting tour. Except that I can't drink wine. Or any alcoholic beverage for that matter.
We got back home at half past midnight and Peanut had just then woken up for a feed. I was glad to be back. I enjoyed the company; the concert, not so much. I then resolved not to leave Peanut and go to a concert again that is hardly rocking. I would rather rock her to sleep.
A: "Let's do it. We should go."
Me: "But what about Peanut? I can't leave her and go so far for so long...."
A: "Mom & Dad will take care of her. Once they leave we won't be able to do such things."
Me: "What if she cries for me? She always wants to feed to fall asleep."
A: "They will manage....don't worry too much."
Me: "She'll know when am not around....."
A: "Don't be silly....she won't know anything. Let's go and have fun."
So, the $35 pp tickets (read non-refundable) were purchased a week before and we were living in hope that Peanut would be a darling and not trouble her grandparents too much. On Friday the 29th of July, the day of the concert, I gave Peanut a bath, dressed her up in her sleeper, expressed BM, and put her to sleep. I then slathered moisturiser on self, slapped on some lipstick, rooted my closet for an outfit that would fit the new sized me and slipped out of the house with A. We were on a date! Yet, all I could talk about was Peanut. We reached the arena a good thirty minutes early. We are not related to Late Lateef, see. But Atif is. The doors were yet to open and gathered there were young, slim, cool looking dudes and dudettes from all over India. That would have been us six years before, I mumbled. No, we look much better, retorted A, who is still the same size or even a couple of inches leaner than he used to be. To kill time, we tried to guess which part of India each bunch was from. The flashy clothed, jazzy jewelery laden men were from the north! Delhi/UP, to be precise. The turbaned ones from Punjab and so on. Finally, at 8:30 pm the doors opened. We had good seats. The arena was more empty than full. The concert itself was mediocre. I had great expectations. The audio was so muffled that I could hardly hear any of the jokes the compere was trying to crack, if you could call them that. Bhumika absconded and we were forced to watch an Indian Idol perform. Then came Anushka Manchanda. She has a good voice but could hardly sing to tune. Finally, Atif. Much roaring and applause ensued. It was very disappointing to hear him experiment with his original scores. They sounded horrible. I missed carrying my ear buds. The $70 could have very well been spent on a wine tasting tour. Except that I can't drink wine. Or any alcoholic beverage for that matter.
We got back home at half past midnight and Peanut had just then woken up for a feed. I was glad to be back. I enjoyed the company; the concert, not so much. I then resolved not to leave Peanut and go to a concert again that is hardly rocking. I would rather rock her to sleep.
Monday, August 1, 2011
Tummy trouble
It started when Peanut was exactly a month old. The incessant screaming and crying, as if she were possessed by a demon, at sharp 10:30, night after night, as though she were hooked to some celestial clock. It would go on for an hour, until she pooed. No amount of walking, rocking or massaging would console her. A and I were horrified. Constipation was our first guess. A quick, frantic flip through the Bible What to Expect that First Year saw A was driving to Fred Meyer to get a bottle of prune juice. Apparently a teaspoon of Prune juice in an ounce of EBM will do the deed. In the meantime, the Grandparents suggested home remedies. First, Castor oil was massaged around her belly button. This will do it, they said. Next, the bitter, slightly pungent Gutti was shoveled down her gullet amidst ear splitting protests from her (and me, at the torture my baby was subjected to) and after an hour's struggle and a few stinking digestive exclamations later she had her bowel movement. What a relief! Crap covered Peanut was given a bath and put to sleep, while A thanked the Almighty and proceeded to celebrate with a Mack n Jack.
We were boggled when the screaming and crying started precisely at 10:30 the next night. It was starting to become a nightly thing, when I decided to call her Pediatrician. When I blurted out the entire story to the blockheaded nurse, half expecting her to panic, she shrugged it of, saying "Yeah, it happens...it's normal...their digestive system is developing... it will go away". I wanted to sit on her, except that we were on the phone. When I pestered for some medication, she suggested an ounce of Peppermint or Chamomile tea twice a day. What about gas drops, I queried. "Hmmm...you can try them. They won't help, it's just waste of money", was her nonchalant reply. I thought it was highly uncanny to give a one month old infant, tea. Peppermint or Chamomile at that. Especially when the same will cause projectile vomiting by her mother. Yet, driven by desperation, I promptly called A and asked him to get some Peppermint tea bags on his way back from work. We continued giving tea twice a day as suggested by the nurse. To make it better for my baby I added some honey to it. Thankfully, Peanut gulped down the tea without fussing, making A walk away with the she-takes-after-me look. Mylicon drops was given to her after every feeding. We also gave Gripe water. After a week of greenish black poo, things started looking up. Back to mustard yellow poop thrice a day. No crying or screaming. Just an occasional yelp when trying to push the gas out. The nurse was right after all. It did go away. But boy, whatta week it was.
We were boggled when the screaming and crying started precisely at 10:30 the next night. It was starting to become a nightly thing, when I decided to call her Pediatrician. When I blurted out the entire story to the blockheaded nurse, half expecting her to panic, she shrugged it of, saying "Yeah, it happens...it's normal...their digestive system is developing... it will go away". I wanted to sit on her, except that we were on the phone. When I pestered for some medication, she suggested an ounce of Peppermint or Chamomile tea twice a day. What about gas drops, I queried. "Hmmm...you can try them. They won't help, it's just waste of money", was her nonchalant reply. I thought it was highly uncanny to give a one month old infant, tea. Peppermint or Chamomile at that. Especially when the same will cause projectile vomiting by her mother. Yet, driven by desperation, I promptly called A and asked him to get some Peppermint tea bags on his way back from work. We continued giving tea twice a day as suggested by the nurse. To make it better for my baby I added some honey to it. Thankfully, Peanut gulped down the tea without fussing, making A walk away with the she-takes-after-me look. Mylicon drops was given to her after every feeding. We also gave Gripe water. After a week of greenish black poo, things started looking up. Back to mustard yellow poop thrice a day. No crying or screaming. Just an occasional yelp when trying to push the gas out. The nurse was right after all. It did go away. But boy, whatta week it was.
Friday, July 22, 2011
One month letter
Dear Peanut,
Your first outing was to the temple. You hate being confined in the car seat and I hate to see you struggle once we strap you in. But once the car starts moving you are fast asleep, while I pray desperately that we don't get stopped by any red lights. I wish I could just have you on my lap or in a snugli through out the drive, but that's not allowed here. That just won't work in this country, cupcake. It will get better once you grow a little bigger. I baked a fruit cake for your first month birthday. We dolled you up in a cute pink onesie, matching booties and a headband. You looked so pretty. Everyone says you look like your Dad. Only I think it's not fair. Humph. But you look so sweet that I just don't care. You are my darling, whatever it be.
When we put you on a mat, you move your legs as if you're riding a bicycle and pack punches with your hands while gurgling, cooing and sometimes even grunting all the while. You have started grasping things with your hands. Usually, my necklace or your daddy's t-shirt. When I hold you close to my face, you stare at my face for a whole minute or so and look into my eyes while making a cute 'O' with your goldfish mouth. You can even hold up your head for a few seconds! Milestones galore.
It has been a month of love and laughter. Memorable times. And, we too are growing up with you!
Love,
Mamma.
It feels like just yesterday when you landed in our arms, looking around with your wee eyes wondering who are these people and where in the world am I. And now, you are a month old! You are no longer a newborn (though newborn size is still a little big on you). It has been the quickest month of our lives.
Life has changed. How, you ask? The waking hours are spent with you. For you. Feeding, diaper changing, rocking you to sleep, bathing and dressing you up, playing with you, calming you when you are howling, is what we do these days, in a repeated fashion all day and night. Despite all the stress and sleeplessness, I really don't know what's invigorating about this whole mommy business. May be it's the gorgeous, toothless, all-gums, just-for-me smile that you flashed at me when I peered into your eyes. I am smitten.
You are a sleeping beauty during the day and some sort of a nocturnal bird as night falls. We take turns in walking and rocking you to sleep while you are busy fighting it by forcefully opening your eyelids, wailing and demanding to suckle. You fall asleep on my lap while suckling and when I try to switch you to the bed you are back up again. More walking and rocking follows. Even the drop of a pin is enough to wake you up. Sometimes I sing "Come little baby come to me...." in my most horrendous voice and yet, you seem to love it and listen with big eyes, eventually falling asleep. You are a music lover, no doubt.
Your first outing was to the temple. You hate being confined in the car seat and I hate to see you struggle once we strap you in. But once the car starts moving you are fast asleep, while I pray desperately that we don't get stopped by any red lights. I wish I could just have you on my lap or in a snugli through out the drive, but that's not allowed here. That just won't work in this country, cupcake. It will get better once you grow a little bigger. I baked a fruit cake for your first month birthday. We dolled you up in a cute pink onesie, matching booties and a headband. You looked so pretty. Everyone says you look like your Dad. Only I think it's not fair. Humph. But you look so sweet that I just don't care. You are my darling, whatever it be.
When we put you on a mat, you move your legs as if you're riding a bicycle and pack punches with your hands while gurgling, cooing and sometimes even grunting all the while. You have started grasping things with your hands. Usually, my necklace or your daddy's t-shirt. When I hold you close to my face, you stare at my face for a whole minute or so and look into my eyes while making a cute 'O' with your goldfish mouth. You can even hold up your head for a few seconds! Milestones galore.
It has been a month of love and laughter. Memorable times. And, we too are growing up with you!
Love,
Mamma.
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Peanut Tales
More about Peanut...
Peanut loves the water. She never cries during her bath. Although she lets out tiny yelps and sometimes bawls loudly when we start taking her clothes off, she calms down instantly the moment we slowly dunk her in the warm water of her bath tub. May be she relates it to her once uterine home and the amniotic fluid she was floating in. She becomes quiet and seems to enjoy every minute of her bath time without even a whimper.
She hates the diaper changing time. Or to be precise, hates the cold wet wipes. The moment A takes her to the changing table and starts unbuttoning her sleeper, she starts screaming so loudly that I fear it might sometimes wake up the dead.
Her ears are so sharp (touch wood) that even the drop of a pin or the rustle of a blanket can cause her teeny tiny eyes to open and look around as if saying, "What was that? I am trying to sleep here!" A and I only communicate in whispers. He calls my mobile these days as the sound of the land line ringing can wake up the sleepy head.
At 5 pm, we give her a bath, apply some baby oil on her, splash some powder, comb her soft hair with a brush, put fresh diaper on and doll her up in her onesie, after which she is all set to greet her tired dad as he trudges into the house, while a goo laden, tired mommy with sweat dribbling from her forehead longs to get into the shower.
Not even a month old and her wardrobe is getting bigger than mine. She is a proud owner of half a dozen sleepers, eight onesies, half a dozen dresses, a few hats, mitts and booties. Oh, and the hair accessories! Plus the playard and bouncer from her grandparents, tons of clothes from Then aunty, Disney princess bath tub from Pooja aunty and boat loads of blankets and clothes from A's friends.
When she is awake and not feeding, she wants to suckle all the time. Pacifier is avoided at all times except when she throws a crying fit during diaper change. She loves to snuggle into me and keep suckling until she nods off. She likes dad's belly much better than her crib ;-)
Her cheeks are getting juicier and A wants to put it between two slices of bread and wolf it down. Now, I have to keep an eye out!
Peanut loves the water. She never cries during her bath. Although she lets out tiny yelps and sometimes bawls loudly when we start taking her clothes off, she calms down instantly the moment we slowly dunk her in the warm water of her bath tub. May be she relates it to her once uterine home and the amniotic fluid she was floating in. She becomes quiet and seems to enjoy every minute of her bath time without even a whimper.
She hates the diaper changing time. Or to be precise, hates the cold wet wipes. The moment A takes her to the changing table and starts unbuttoning her sleeper, she starts screaming so loudly that I fear it might sometimes wake up the dead.
Her ears are so sharp (touch wood) that even the drop of a pin or the rustle of a blanket can cause her teeny tiny eyes to open and look around as if saying, "What was that? I am trying to sleep here!" A and I only communicate in whispers. He calls my mobile these days as the sound of the land line ringing can wake up the sleepy head.
At 5 pm, we give her a bath, apply some baby oil on her, splash some powder, comb her soft hair with a brush, put fresh diaper on and doll her up in her onesie, after which she is all set to greet her tired dad as he trudges into the house, while a goo laden, tired mommy with sweat dribbling from her forehead longs to get into the shower.
Not even a month old and her wardrobe is getting bigger than mine. She is a proud owner of half a dozen sleepers, eight onesies, half a dozen dresses, a few hats, mitts and booties. Oh, and the hair accessories! Plus the playard and bouncer from her grandparents, tons of clothes from Then aunty, Disney princess bath tub from Pooja aunty and boat loads of blankets and clothes from A's friends.
When she is awake and not feeding, she wants to suckle all the time. Pacifier is avoided at all times except when she throws a crying fit during diaper change. She loves to snuggle into me and keep suckling until she nods off. She likes dad's belly much better than her crib ;-)
Her cheeks are getting juicier and A wants to put it between two slices of bread and wolf it down. Now, I have to keep an eye out!
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Updates from the house of a bratty Peanut
On the 27th of June, A and I celebrated half a dozen years of being together. We woke up exhausted after a long night with a cranky Peanut, not even remembering that exactly six years ago we tied the knot on this day. In the pre-Peanut era, we would have been in Hawaii, watching the sunset and sipping a Mai Tai or sailing in the Puget Sound waters of Seattle, or having a five course extravagant dinner at some classy restaurant. This time around, we were attending to Her brattiness and were happy to do so. A vanilla cake with raspberry mousse filling and chocolate butter cream frosting was ordered from Central Market, bearing the lines "Happy Anniversary! Welcome Peanut!!" We gave Peanut her first bath after the umbilical cord stump fell off and dressed her up in a pretty flowery dress with a cute flower headband and cut the cake with her. Sometimes, it is the little things in life that matter most. We were creating memories for a lifetime.
Ever since A got back to work, taking care of Peanut during the day has been a real challenge. Once Peanut wakes up at around 6:45 am, I feed her and then bottle feed her, change her diaper and hand her over to her grandpa who then proceeds to compose songs instantaneously from the top of his mind and sings and rocks her to sleep. Just when he is about to put her in her crib, she would wake up scowling. Grandpa would then rush to me asking for more milk to be fed. By the time the bottle is given to him, Peanut brings the roof down with her screams. A harried Grandma, who's busy in the kitchen would scramble up the stairs panting wondering what we were up to. The moment she takes Peanut from a relieved Grandpa, she (I mean Peanut, not Grandma) would turn into the sweetest pea on earth, making Grandma wonder what the hungama was all about.
To make things worse, the 4th of July fireworks has agitated Peanut no bounds. She has been cranky and crying. Putting her to sleep is so exhaustive, what with all the rocking, walking and patting!
Some things that have changed -
*Sigh, I finally get to finish this post after a week! *
Ever since A got back to work, taking care of Peanut during the day has been a real challenge. Once Peanut wakes up at around 6:45 am, I feed her and then bottle feed her, change her diaper and hand her over to her grandpa who then proceeds to compose songs instantaneously from the top of his mind and sings and rocks her to sleep. Just when he is about to put her in her crib, she would wake up scowling. Grandpa would then rush to me asking for more milk to be fed. By the time the bottle is given to him, Peanut brings the roof down with her screams. A harried Grandma, who's busy in the kitchen would scramble up the stairs panting wondering what we were up to. The moment she takes Peanut from a relieved Grandpa, she (I mean Peanut, not Grandma) would turn into the sweetest pea on earth, making Grandma wonder what the hungama was all about.
To make things worse, the 4th of July fireworks has agitated Peanut no bounds. She has been cranky and crying. Putting her to sleep is so exhaustive, what with all the rocking, walking and patting!
Some things that have changed -
- A and I communicate in whispers to each other. In fact G & G have learnt to do the same.
- We tip toe into the room and root around for whatever we were looking for, in the dark.
- We take turns eating. Eating together while watching TV is a thing of the past. It is what only couples do.
- Movies? Haven't seen one in three weeks.
*Sigh, I finally get to finish this post after a week! *
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Sleep. Feed. Poop.
Peanut spends most of the day and night sleeping. I don't want to jinx it; the truth is that she has been a sweet baby so far. All have warned me that the worse is yet to come. I cross my fingers as each day goes by smoothly.
She wakes up every four hours for her feed. The sound of her smacking her lips is an indication that she is awake and ready for a feed. We first take her to the changing station to change her diaper. The whole process wakes her up from her half asleep state and she becomes cranky and impatient for milk. I first feed her. If she is cranky after having her fill, we give her a little formula. The formula kind of knocks her out most of the time. A then swaddles her and we take turns in walking up and down, rocking her to sleep. We put her in her crib or have her next to us on our bed and doze off with her. I am still amazed at how she wakes up every four hours as if she has a preset alarm clock embedded in her.
She sometimes smiles in her sleep and at other times sticks her lower lip out and makes a crying face. It is all too cute to watch. When she is awake and trying to sleep, she makes funny faces. I am curious to know what babies think or what's going on in her head. She loves it when I cozy her up in blankets and cuddle her close to me.
The other day she cried and cried for no apparent reason. I fed her but that was not it. A then gave her some formula thinking she may be hungry, but no, that was not it either. We swaddled her thinking she may be cold, but no. We then tried to rock her to sleep, but she was letting out an ear splitting scream and I was starting to panic. Then it struck me. Diaper! Well, she had pooped. Plenty at that. I was so horrified at having made my baby sleep on a pile of sh$t all the while. How could it have not struck me before? Once we changed her diaper she was quiet. Sigh, we still have to learn to troubleshoot faster.
How are we coping? A still manages to watch In the Arena and the unimpressive comedy shows ( Conan, are you reading this?) and I manage to blog and tweet when am not feeding or pumping or rocking my baby. I can't wait to put her in my sling and head out for a walk.
She wakes up every four hours for her feed. The sound of her smacking her lips is an indication that she is awake and ready for a feed. We first take her to the changing station to change her diaper. The whole process wakes her up from her half asleep state and she becomes cranky and impatient for milk. I first feed her. If she is cranky after having her fill, we give her a little formula. The formula kind of knocks her out most of the time. A then swaddles her and we take turns in walking up and down, rocking her to sleep. We put her in her crib or have her next to us on our bed and doze off with her. I am still amazed at how she wakes up every four hours as if she has a preset alarm clock embedded in her.
She sometimes smiles in her sleep and at other times sticks her lower lip out and makes a crying face. It is all too cute to watch. When she is awake and trying to sleep, she makes funny faces. I am curious to know what babies think or what's going on in her head. She loves it when I cozy her up in blankets and cuddle her close to me.
The other day she cried and cried for no apparent reason. I fed her but that was not it. A then gave her some formula thinking she may be hungry, but no, that was not it either. We swaddled her thinking she may be cold, but no. We then tried to rock her to sleep, but she was letting out an ear splitting scream and I was starting to panic. Then it struck me. Diaper! Well, she had pooped. Plenty at that. I was so horrified at having made my baby sleep on a pile of sh$t all the while. How could it have not struck me before? Once we changed her diaper she was quiet. Sigh, we still have to learn to troubleshoot faster.
How are we coping? A still manages to watch In the Arena and the unimpressive comedy shows ( Conan, are you reading this?) and I manage to blog and tweet when am not feeding or pumping or rocking my baby. I can't wait to put her in my sling and head out for a walk.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Peanut is here!!
I started this blog when I was pregnant with Peanut, with an intense desire to share with the world of the impending addition to the family. Blind superstition kept me from making my blog public. Finally, D-day arrived. The stork delivered our Anniversary present a week earlier, making it a lovely Father's Day gift. Peanut entered our world on June 17th 2011. A and I are absolutely delighted at being a happy threesome with little Peanut filling our life and thoughts with love and laughter. Oh, what joy. What excitement. The little person we dubbed "Peanut" (she was as tiny and cute as a Peanut) in our first ultrasound at ten weeks, made a grand entry blowing spit bubbles at us.
The feelings I went through were just too many. I was overjoyed when I heard her first loud cry. When I first saw her as the doctor lowered the curtain for me to take a quick look, my jaw dropped. OMG!! She is so tiny and oh so cute, I exclaimed to A who was standing next to me, engrossed in capturing her on his video camera. I was elated when everyone around me were showering me with congratulations. A brought a neatly swaddled Peanut over to me and I pecked her soft-as-a-petal cheek. I felt pride at the beautiful being that A and I had created. I felt thankful to God for bestowing us with the most precious gift possible. A and I held hands and looked at each other and smiled. We are now complete. What more can one ask for?
How as our life changed? Well, sleep is rarer than the blue moon. Any spare time we have is usually reserved for cat naps. Burp is a much awaited event. A and I can now change diapers at supersonic speed. We are usually terrified at carrying teeny tiny babies, but have adapted like fish in water. I am still recovering from a blasted c-section and A takes care of me and Peanut. He has mastered the art of swaddling her so well that he sometimes manages to suffocate her. I love how she deftly pulls out her hand after he has struggled and finally succeeded in pinning it down under the blanket. Dad and daughter are bonding pretty well. He sometimes even finger feeds her. He cuddles her when she is cold and showers her with kisses. He runs errands and cleans up the house every now and then. The last one week was a bliss having him around. Next week he is off to work and am not sure how I will cope. My parents are here. So, let's see how that goes.
The feelings I went through were just too many. I was overjoyed when I heard her first loud cry. When I first saw her as the doctor lowered the curtain for me to take a quick look, my jaw dropped. OMG!! She is so tiny and oh so cute, I exclaimed to A who was standing next to me, engrossed in capturing her on his video camera. I was elated when everyone around me were showering me with congratulations. A brought a neatly swaddled Peanut over to me and I pecked her soft-as-a-petal cheek. I felt pride at the beautiful being that A and I had created. I felt thankful to God for bestowing us with the most precious gift possible. A and I held hands and looked at each other and smiled. We are now complete. What more can one ask for?
How as our life changed? Well, sleep is rarer than the blue moon. Any spare time we have is usually reserved for cat naps. Burp is a much awaited event. A and I can now change diapers at supersonic speed. We are usually terrified at carrying teeny tiny babies, but have adapted like fish in water. I am still recovering from a blasted c-section and A takes care of me and Peanut. He has mastered the art of swaddling her so well that he sometimes manages to suffocate her. I love how she deftly pulls out her hand after he has struggled and finally succeeded in pinning it down under the blanket. Dad and daughter are bonding pretty well. He sometimes even finger feeds her. He cuddles her when she is cold and showers her with kisses. He runs errands and cleans up the house every now and then. The last one week was a bliss having him around. Next week he is off to work and am not sure how I will cope. My parents are here. So, let's see how that goes.
Monday, June 13, 2011
Are we there yet?
June 13th 2011-
I am so close to the finish line. Baby Center app says 2 weeks and 4 days left. Yes, 18 days. But am getting very restless and am ready to have the baby. Now. My friends want to know if the baby is here already. One pings me on Facebook, wondering how am doing. Let us know the good news soon, she says. Another calls me. Let's go for a night out before the little one gets here, she pleads. Sigh, I wish I had the energy to put on a shiny lipstick and a sparkling dress with my favorite espadrilles and just hang out.
I missed the U2 concert happening right here, in Seattle. Some goofhead said all the noise in the amphitheater will bring on labor. It scared the sh*! out of me and I chickened out. Now I am starting to think if I should have indeed gone. May be it would have helped bring on labor. Damn these coulda, woulda, shoulda.
In other news, the lion and elephant have taken their positions on the yellow wall in Peanut's room. The crib and mattress have been delivered. So have the bath tub, diaper depot, changing table and the changing pad. Diapers need to be ordered. We plan to get the stroller after Peanut is here. And the diaper bag will be here tomorrow.
Hopefully my next post will be about introducing Peanut to the whole world!
I am so close to the finish line. Baby Center app says 2 weeks and 4 days left. Yes, 18 days. But am getting very restless and am ready to have the baby. Now. My friends want to know if the baby is here already. One pings me on Facebook, wondering how am doing. Let us know the good news soon, she says. Another calls me. Let's go for a night out before the little one gets here, she pleads. Sigh, I wish I had the energy to put on a shiny lipstick and a sparkling dress with my favorite espadrilles and just hang out.
I missed the U2 concert happening right here, in Seattle. Some goofhead said all the noise in the amphitheater will bring on labor. It scared the sh*! out of me and I chickened out. Now I am starting to think if I should have indeed gone. May be it would have helped bring on labor. Damn these coulda, woulda, shoulda.
In other news, the lion and elephant have taken their positions on the yellow wall in Peanut's room. The crib and mattress have been delivered. So have the bath tub, diaper depot, changing table and the changing pad. Diapers need to be ordered. We plan to get the stroller after Peanut is here. And the diaper bag will be here tomorrow.
Hopefully my next post will be about introducing Peanut to the whole world!
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
The waiting game
May 31st -
Peanut is now four weeks and three days away from making an entry into the big, bad world. I am excited to see and hold her, but am not sure I will ever be ready. I am so huge. You have absolutely no idea how much I can eat these days. I eat twice of what A eats at every meal. I can't keep my hands off sweets. Laddus, Kaju Katli, Jalebi and what have you. Peanut will account for just eight pounds of the forty that I have gained. The rest of the year will most likely be spent at the gym and hot yoga sessions. I feel uncomfortable carrying a basketball 24/7. I can't sit for too long. I can't stand for too long. I feel restless and weird. Sigh.
On the bright side, Peanut's room has got a new makeover. The Memorial Day weekend was spent in painting the wall a bright golden yellow. Just one wall. A is now an adept painter, like I said in one of my tweets. Last evening we ordered chaat to go from Apna Bazaar and headed to Houghton Beach Park for a light picnic. It was bright and a warm(ish) day. The evening before last was spent doing groceries and a walk along the beach at Marsh Park. And, we ordered a crib. So, yes. Things are looking up :)
Peanut is now four weeks and three days away from making an entry into the big, bad world. I am excited to see and hold her, but am not sure I will ever be ready. I am so huge. You have absolutely no idea how much I can eat these days. I eat twice of what A eats at every meal. I can't keep my hands off sweets. Laddus, Kaju Katli, Jalebi and what have you. Peanut will account for just eight pounds of the forty that I have gained. The rest of the year will most likely be spent at the gym and hot yoga sessions. I feel uncomfortable carrying a basketball 24/7. I can't sit for too long. I can't stand for too long. I feel restless and weird. Sigh.
On the bright side, Peanut's room has got a new makeover. The Memorial Day weekend was spent in painting the wall a bright golden yellow. Just one wall. A is now an adept painter, like I said in one of my tweets. Last evening we ordered chaat to go from Apna Bazaar and headed to Houghton Beach Park for a light picnic. It was bright and a warm(ish) day. The evening before last was spent doing groceries and a walk along the beach at Marsh Park. And, we ordered a crib. So, yes. Things are looking up :)
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
I am not fat, am pregnant!
May 11, 2011
Saturday night saw us driving to Queen Anne for Apoo's birthday bash. Food, banter and wii bit of fun. Samosas were yummy. Dates stuffed with goat cheese, anyone? I so loved it. We took with us a bottle of Lost Sonnet Meritage 2007 Napa Valley Red Wine. As I waddled in with the basket ball tummy, I was swooped by one and all in many hugs and cheers. "Congratulations!", "How far are you?" and when I said I am due next month, hands were slapped to mouths and gasps were let out. And then there was the "Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?" , " Have you thought of a name?", "Are you ready?", blah blah.
The thing that really zapped me was the fact that Peanut already has a friend in two year old Samara. Not even out yet and she's making friends! I think she will be a social butterfly. I can't imagine how, given how reserved both A and I are. At a party when someone approaches us for small talk, we are the types who would take a forkful of spaghetti and promptly stuff it in our mouths and chew and chew while waiting for the poor chap to go befriend someone else. Gah! No, we are not so bad. But we are happy to be in our own little world. Peanut's arrival is bound to make huge changes. Time to strap on the seat belts and enjoy the ride!
Saturday night saw us driving to Queen Anne for Apoo's birthday bash. Food, banter and wii bit of fun. Samosas were yummy. Dates stuffed with goat cheese, anyone? I so loved it. We took with us a bottle of Lost Sonnet Meritage 2007 Napa Valley Red Wine. As I waddled in with the basket ball tummy, I was swooped by one and all in many hugs and cheers. "Congratulations!", "How far are you?" and when I said I am due next month, hands were slapped to mouths and gasps were let out. And then there was the "Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?" , " Have you thought of a name?", "Are you ready?", blah blah.
The thing that really zapped me was the fact that Peanut already has a friend in two year old Samara. Not even out yet and she's making friends! I think she will be a social butterfly. I can't imagine how, given how reserved both A and I are. At a party when someone approaches us for small talk, we are the types who would take a forkful of spaghetti and promptly stuff it in our mouths and chew and chew while waiting for the poor chap to go befriend someone else. Gah! No, we are not so bad. But we are happy to be in our own little world. Peanut's arrival is bound to make huge changes. Time to strap on the seat belts and enjoy the ride!
Monday, May 16, 2011
What's bugging me
I am running around with split ends and hair that's grown denser than the Amazonian forests. I am in dire need of a hair cut. Darn these old wives tales! It seems one shouldn't cut their hair while pregnant. Consquences are not mentioned. How convenient. I guess am just the type of person who doesn't believe in such tales and yet is scared to do otherwise. Sigh.
Telling a pregnant woman that she hardly looks pregnant when she is just six weeks away from delivering might not sound like a compliment. Especially for a nutcase like me who has been told that her baby is small, it causes room for worry.
M (smiling) : Wow....you hardly look pregnant!
Me : What? Really?
M : Well, you manage to hide it well...
Whatever that means.
On the sunny side, Peanut has a lot of hair. I can't wait to pretty her up with the head bands I've ordered for her.
Telling a pregnant woman that she hardly looks pregnant when she is just six weeks away from delivering might not sound like a compliment. Especially for a nutcase like me who has been told that her baby is small, it causes room for worry.
M (smiling) : Wow....you hardly look pregnant!
Me : What? Really?
M : Well, you manage to hide it well...
Whatever that means.
On the sunny side, Peanut has a lot of hair. I can't wait to pretty her up with the head bands I've ordered for her.
Friday, May 13, 2011
The customary birthday post
May 13th
This bull is now 31 years young! The day was full of surprises. First, A took the day off. We had talked about it a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't think he would. As always, these are days when pressure builds up on A to outdo my prep for his B'day. The poor chap squeals and scampers around in the manner of a mouse that's just entered the confines of a mousetrap.
The evening before, he never turned up home till 6:45. I was pretty sure he was at CM hunting for a cake and a card. When he finally did come home, I implishly asked him to put the cake in the frig. He appeared to be very nonchalant, guffawed and said, "What cake? There is nothing to put in the frig." And, he also told me not to build castles in the air. Well, I believed him. On the D day, we woke up late. While having breakfast I spotted the cute little envelope from Hallmark on the kitchen island.
It was all very colorful, cute and comical. I have a thing for cards. Yeah, I do. Well, some things just don't change, do they?
Before heading out for lunch I was ready to cut the cake. (I just realised that I don't have a picture of the cake.) It was a small chocolate cake, just right for two people. When setting the table to do the deed, I happened to spot my other surprise in a Sephora bag. Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne! I slapped my hand to my mouth and let out a squeal. The man had actually taken some time off from work to go all the way to Sephora! Not just that, from there he took the light rail to ID to get to Speciality's Cafe & Bakery to get my cake and a chocolate dessert. He even popped into Starbucks and got me a Tiramisu lollipop with a coffee bean on top! Man, did he outdo me!
After a lunch of Shawarma and Zahara at Mediterranean Kitchen, we went to Home Depot to collect some paint samples for Peanut's room. We picked a few shades of yellows and oranges. In the evening I had my doc visit. We saw Peanut. She is a little small but healthy. I am surprised the extra protien is not helping much. I hope she comes out safe and sound.
We then drove to West Seattle for dinner at a Latin restaurant and lounge called Mission. Jalapenos stuffed with cheese and Mexican chocolate, anyone? Very yummy. And they had the same fantastic rellenos I had at Palm Beach on a vacation. Surprise after surprise. Could the day get any better?
This bull is now 31 years young! The day was full of surprises. First, A took the day off. We had talked about it a couple of weeks ago, but I didn't think he would. As always, these are days when pressure builds up on A to outdo my prep for his B'day. The poor chap squeals and scampers around in the manner of a mouse that's just entered the confines of a mousetrap.
The evening before, he never turned up home till 6:45. I was pretty sure he was at CM hunting for a cake and a card. When he finally did come home, I implishly asked him to put the cake in the frig. He appeared to be very nonchalant, guffawed and said, "What cake? There is nothing to put in the frig." And, he also told me not to build castles in the air. Well, I believed him. On the D day, we woke up late. While having breakfast I spotted the cute little envelope from Hallmark on the kitchen island.
It was all very colorful, cute and comical. I have a thing for cards. Yeah, I do. Well, some things just don't change, do they?
Before heading out for lunch I was ready to cut the cake. (I just realised that I don't have a picture of the cake.) It was a small chocolate cake, just right for two people. When setting the table to do the deed, I happened to spot my other surprise in a Sephora bag. Yves Saint Laurent Parisienne! I slapped my hand to my mouth and let out a squeal. The man had actually taken some time off from work to go all the way to Sephora! Not just that, from there he took the light rail to ID to get to Speciality's Cafe & Bakery to get my cake and a chocolate dessert. He even popped into Starbucks and got me a Tiramisu lollipop with a coffee bean on top! Man, did he outdo me!
After a lunch of Shawarma and Zahara at Mediterranean Kitchen, we went to Home Depot to collect some paint samples for Peanut's room. We picked a few shades of yellows and oranges. In the evening I had my doc visit. We saw Peanut. She is a little small but healthy. I am surprised the extra protien is not helping much. I hope she comes out safe and sound.
We then drove to West Seattle for dinner at a Latin restaurant and lounge called Mission. Jalapenos stuffed with cheese and Mexican chocolate, anyone? Very yummy. And they had the same fantastic rellenos I had at Palm Beach on a vacation. Surprise after surprise. Could the day get any better?
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
I am not fat, am pregnant!
May 11, 2011
Saturday night saw us driving to Queen Anne for Apoo's birthday bash. Food, banter and wii bit of fun. Samosas were yummy. Dates stuffed with goat cheese, anyone? I so loved it. We took with us a bottle of Lost Sonnet Meritage 2007 Napa Valley Red Wine. As I waddled in with the basket ball tummy, I was swooped by one and all in many hugs and cheers. "Congratulations!", "How far are you?" and when I said I am due next month, hands were slapped to mouths and gasps were let out. And then there was the "Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?" , " Have you thought of a name?", "Are you ready?", blah blah.
The thing that really zapped me was the fact that Peanut already has a friend in two year old Samara. Not even out yet and she's making friends! I think she will be a social butterfly. I can't imagine how, given how reserved both A and I are. At a party when someone approaches us for small talk, we are the types who would take a forkful of spaghetti and promptly stuff it in our mouths and chew and chew while waiting for the poor chap to go befriend someone else. Gah! No, we are not so bad. But we are happy to be in our own little world. Peanut's arrival is bound to make huge changes. Time to strap on the seat belts and enjoy the ride!
Saturday night saw us driving to Queen Anne for Apoo's birthday bash. Food, banter and wii bit of fun. Samosas were yummy. Dates stuffed with goat cheese, anyone? I so loved it. We took with us a bottle of Lost Sonnet Meritage 2007 Napa Valley Red Wine. As I waddled in with the basket ball tummy, I was swooped by one and all in many hugs and cheers. "Congratulations!", "How far are you?" and when I said I am due next month, hands were slapped to mouths and gasps were let out. And then there was the "Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?" , " Have you thought of a name?", "Are you ready?", blah blah.
The thing that really zapped me was the fact that Peanut already has a friend in two year old Samara. Not even out yet and she's making friends! I think she will be a social butterfly. I can't imagine how, given how reserved both A and I are. At a party when someone approaches us for small talk, we are the types who would take a forkful of spaghetti and promptly stuff it in our mouths and chew and chew while waiting for the poor chap to go befriend someone else. Gah! No, we are not so bad. But we are happy to be in our own little world. Peanut's arrival is bound to make huge changes. Time to strap on the seat belts and enjoy the ride!
I am not fat, am pregnant!
May 11, 2011
Saturday night saw us driving to Queen Anne for Apoo's birthday bash. Food, banter and wii bit of fun. Samosas were yummy. Dates stuffed with goat cheese, anyone? I so loved it. We took with us a bottle of Lost Sonnet Meritage 2007 Napa Valley Red Wine. As I waddled in with the basket ball tummy, I was swooped by one and all in many hugs and cheers. "Congratulations!", "How far are you?" and when I said I am due next month, hands were slapped to mouths and gasps were let out. And then there was the "Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?" , " Have you thought of a name?", "Are you ready?", blah blah.
The thing that really zapped me was the fact that Peanut already has a friend in two year old Samara. Not even out yet and she's making friends! I think she will be a social butterfly. I can't imagine how, given how reserved both A and I are. At a party when someone approaches us for small talk, we are the types who would take a forkful of spaghetti and promptly stuff it in our mouths and chew and chew while waiting for the poor chap to go befriend someone else. Gah! No, we are not so bad. But we are happy to be in our own little world. Peanut's arrival is bound to make huge changes. Time to strap on the seat belts and enjoy the ride!
Saturday night saw us driving to Queen Anne for Apoo's birthday bash. Food, banter and wii bit of fun. Samosas were yummy. Dates stuffed with goat cheese, anyone? I so loved it. We took with us a bottle of Lost Sonnet Meritage 2007 Napa Valley Red Wine. As I waddled in with the basket ball tummy, I was swooped by one and all in many hugs and cheers. "Congratulations!", "How far are you?" and when I said I am due next month, hands were slapped to mouths and gasps were let out. And then there was the "Do you know if it is a boy or a girl?" , " Have you thought of a name?", "Are you ready?", blah blah.
The thing that really zapped me was the fact that Peanut already has a friend in two year old Samara. Not even out yet and she's making friends! I think she will be a social butterfly. I can't imagine how, given how reserved both A and I are. At a party when someone approaches us for small talk, we are the types who would take a forkful of spaghetti and promptly stuff it in our mouths and chew and chew while waiting for the poor chap to go befriend someone else. Gah! No, we are not so bad. But we are happy to be in our own little world. Peanut's arrival is bound to make huge changes. Time to strap on the seat belts and enjoy the ride!
Monday, May 9, 2011
Preparing for Peanut
May 9th - Now that I am 32 weeks pregnant, all I can think about is Peanut and the things she will need as a tiny pea in the pod. I have been surfing the web for inspirations, collecting bits and pieces from all over. I chanced upon this alphabet wall the other day and have not been able to get it off my mind since.
I love the colors and I have to work out a way to somehow include this in the Jungle themed nursery that I have chosen for Peanut. I don't want anything too babyish. I want something that will grow with her. I have got the Nojo Jungle Babies crib bedding set, together with the wall border and decals. On a recent trip to BRU, I picked up a wooden Lion and Elephant wall hanging. A wants to paint one of the walls with a bright, bold color. We bumped into this website that offers a really cool color visulaizer, that lets you upload a picture of the room you want to paint and try out the different colors from the palette. I love this virtual world where one can let their imagination run wild and undo them at any point without much blemish.
I ordered a few pretty headbands today, from here. I got myself a sling from here. We do have an Infantino baby carrier but hey, the sling was an awesome deal. It was free! I just had to pay for the shipping. I still have a lot of things to shop for. My family lives in another country and my friends are not the type to throw me a baby shower and pamper me with gifts. That explains why I haven't registered anywhere. I wanted to wait untill I completed 32 weeks to start preparing for the tiny person around whom our life is all set to revolve in the next few weeks. From now every weekend will be spent hopping in and out of different stores. The excitement has begun!
I love the colors and I have to work out a way to somehow include this in the Jungle themed nursery that I have chosen for Peanut. I don't want anything too babyish. I want something that will grow with her. I have got the Nojo Jungle Babies crib bedding set, together with the wall border and decals. On a recent trip to BRU, I picked up a wooden Lion and Elephant wall hanging. A wants to paint one of the walls with a bright, bold color. We bumped into this website that offers a really cool color visulaizer, that lets you upload a picture of the room you want to paint and try out the different colors from the palette. I love this virtual world where one can let their imagination run wild and undo them at any point without much blemish.
I ordered a few pretty headbands today, from here. I got myself a sling from here. We do have an Infantino baby carrier but hey, the sling was an awesome deal. It was free! I just had to pay for the shipping. I still have a lot of things to shop for. My family lives in another country and my friends are not the type to throw me a baby shower and pamper me with gifts. That explains why I haven't registered anywhere. I wanted to wait untill I completed 32 weeks to start preparing for the tiny person around whom our life is all set to revolve in the next few weeks. From now every weekend will be spent hopping in and out of different stores. The excitement has begun!
Thursday, April 14, 2011
In the home stretch
Sometime in the third week of October 2010, I got a "double line" on the home pregnancy test. I was five weeks then. The last twenty five weeks seemed to have whizzed by at times and at other times, was crawling like a snail. I quit work at sixteen weeks. It was not my choice, but I was forced to take the hundred day break. What did I do during these twenty five weeks?
- In November, I had been to two Diwali parties. Lots of food and gupshup. As I was only six weeks I was not showing yet and my ethnic Indian clothes fit me so well. My friend K was leaving Seattle for good. I went to her farewell as well. And some days before Diwali, K and I had one last lunch at Petra Mediterranean Bistro. We had a horrible snow day before Thanksgiving and A was caught in the snow storm. It took him six hours to reach home. The Thanksgiving Shopping! I managed to wake up early and go rummage the shelves of various stores. We got our Samsung Galaxy - S at Best Busy and had lunch at Pabla, Renton.
- December - The holiday season. There was a lot of eating out. I had my first appointment with my OBGYN. We saw little Peanut for the first time. She was as tiny as a peanut and that's how the name came to be. We didn't know it was a "she" until later. We flew to San Francisco for a week. A happened to have some vacation time that had to be used up. Boy, that was so much fun. We ate, roamed, had lots of fun and were hungry for more. We explored every corner of SFO like we never did before. Napa Valley. Sonoma. Berkeley. San Jose. Mountain View. Stanford. Downtown. In Trip Advisor's language, we are now Destination Experts. *puffs up like a toad* We were back in Seattle for the New Year's Eve. We had dinner at Habesha, an Ethiopian restaurant and called it an early night. I was thirteen weeks by then and exhaustion was kicking in.
- January - New Year's Day lunch was at Cafe Oh! India. Then came A's birthday. He didn't want a cake. So I got an assortment of desserts from Whole Foods. I had made dinner reservations at Sutra. We shared a table with a couple from the Bay Area. We brought home the big book shelf from my work place. Jan 10th was my last day at work. We were invited to dinner at Satish's place. We came to know it was a "she". I started with my prenatal yoga. I read, read and read like there was no tomorrow. It was sometime this month that I discovered a new found love for Wodehouse. Shivani invited us to spend a week with her at Vancouver, but we couldn't go because of my Visa issues.
- February - Shivan's birthday lunch at Frida's. I presented her a cook book. Pooja called us over for some Punjabi Aloo parantha. Valentine's Day dinner was at home, for a change. A got me a long stemmed rose and strawberries dipped in chocolate. Shivani, Pooja and I had a girls' night out. We dined at What the Pho and slept over at Pooja's. Sometime end of this month, the World Cup fever started.
- March - The whole of March was spent catching up with World Cup. We and other friends gathered at Satish's place for every match. Potluck dinner, watch match all night, have breakfast and leave the next morning. I ordered Indian style Chinese dinner from Punita.
- April - I announced my pregnancy to Shivani and the rest. Shivani's daughter's birthday was at Chuckee Cheese. Had an awesome dinner and a movie date with A. Dinner was at Frida's and the movie was Hanna.
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