Holiday Season

The months of November and December seems to go too fast every year.The reasons I can link it to is due to the 2 big holidays in these 2 months and the time off hubby gets.I totally enjoy the last month of the year and the first quarter of the new year,with so many birthdays falling in those months.The only downside of it, the cold weather.I love going to NY city around Christmas time,to see the big tree and feel and hear the nice mood among the thousands of people walking around on the busy roads.

Hubby's sister's family came over during Thanksgiving for a week.Miss D had a blast with her cousins.My SIL's older son,16 told his mom that he wanted to be around Miss D the whole time he was visiting us,that is so sweet of him to say.I can almost forget that I have a daughter,when there are other kids around.She didn't want to do anything with the adults,and jumped,screamed and played hysterically with 4 of her cousins.All much older,but who love to make her the center of attention.

We had a formal Thanksgiving dinner at hubby's cousin's house,we were all made to sit at the table and served every part of the meal by the host.Included clearing our plates!Went shopping the next day with a cousin,leaving the little rascal at home with her gang.All the ladies watched Om Shanthi Om in the theater.Spent the next two evenings eating out and having a relaxing time with family,it was wonderful.

We will be in Atlanta for 2 weeks with my SIL during the beginning of December, since hubby has a project there.I love staying at their house,get along very well with her and she makes delicious desserts,and loves to make them while I am around:-)More than anything,I know D will enjoy every minute with their family.Now,its almost like I don't want to stay by ourselves for the sake of her.I feel like I am depriving her of something,if I don't take her out to be with other people,especially kids.

My Little Wobbly Pumpkin

Halloween being such a big tradition here in the US,we(Indians) are kind of pulled in to the whole celebrations as parents and especially as a new parent.I was excited about it from the last few weeks,because it was my little angel's first Halloween,last year we were in India on vacation.I got her a cute pumpkin costume,with a nice head gear and little orange booties.My concern was if she would wear it at all,she did when I tried it on and then when we took pictures in the studio,but I was waiting to see what would happen on THE day.Well,she could not wait to wear the costume once she saw it before her bath.I wanted to wait for sometime until we were ready to go trick or treating,but she could not wait even for a second,so she happily sat in her costume from early evening.That gave us time to take pictures and video.

The door bell started ringing around 4:30PM onwards and I saw all the little kids dressed in a variety of adorable,cute,scary and some very easy to wear costumes,like this 10 year old boy who was wearing a jean pant, Jets(football team) sweat shirt and a hat and when I asked him what he was,he plainly said "I am dressed as a Jets Fan".I also saw a few complicated costumes,little girls dressed as fairy princess with big decorative wings on their backs and this 8 year old boy who was wearing a nascar costume with a full suit and a car sticking out of his stomach in the front and which extended on the back too!

Miss Pumpkin,hubby and I headed out around 5:30 and went knocking on neighbors doors and started filling the little pumpkin pail with candies.Miss D enjoyed walking around,even though it was not the easiest thing to do in her costume.Once she was handed the pail and started collecting the candies,she did not let go of it even for a second.As it was getting heavier,I offered to help and she refused it right away,pulling the pail towards her.She had it by her side for a good 2 hours or more,holding on to it in her car seat as well,as we drove to our cousin's house.

There she enjoyed the company of her favorite B akka and her friends who were in costumes.All in all,the rolly, polly, wobbly pumpkin had a fun Halloween and for my luck:-) she had only 2 candies out of the many she collected!She kept talking about pumpkin through the night and this morning as soon as she woke up.We had a great evening looking at our little princess growing up,and having her own kind of fun.

Grandma's Visit

Miss D had a fabulous time during her grandma's(hubby's mom)visit the last 3 weeks.She recognized her in a few minutes after seeing her and from then on it was fun,fun and fun for the two of them.She was confused as to how to address her the first few days,the last she had seen her was around 5 months back,when she was not saying a lot of words.She started calling her aunty:-) and it took her about a week to say 'naini' (short for dad's mom in Tamil).From then on every morning as soon as she woke up,I had to tell where 'naini' was,what she was doing.She was happy all day,playing with her.

Her grandma would read to her,built stacks with her,ran behind her,where ever she pulled her to.They would sit by the front door,and get entertained by what is happening outside.Miss D black mailed her by throwing tantrums to get candy everyday,which she never knew existed before !If it was time for her to take a nap or a diaper change,she would run and hide behind her 'naini',which was the cutest.She doesn't do that with her dad,its such an unique relationship they build with their grandparents.She got anything she wanted with her.One day she took her naini's saree and pulled it back and forth all the rooms, rolled around on it,played pikaboo with it and just spent a good 20 mns playing with it.We took some pictures of the two in a portrait studio,to remember this special 3 weeks she spent with her grandma.

I was feeling bad for them on the day she left.She sure missed her grandma,asked a few times in the morning and then again in the evening.It repeated the next day.Thankfully she is not of the age where she knows the separation too well.Hubby and I felt her pinch,and tried to spend more time with her than usual.

We have to understand and accept that its part of our lives now,since we are away from home.The pleasures of spending time with the people we love are limited and we have to make the most of it.Waiting for our India trip early next year,more so to see Miss D with her other grandma(ammama).

Amma.....not Mommy

Miss D:Mommy.......
Me: Not Mommy,call me amma......

After a few minutes....
Miss D: Mommy......
Me: Mommy illey.....amma koopidu(not mommy, call me amma)

This is the scene from morning till night at home form the last one week.

From when she began to say her first words, she has been calling me 'amma' and her dad 'appa'.I was very happy that she called us that and never introduced the word 'mommy', since I really wanted her to call me 'amma'.All of a sudden she picked up the word mommy either from seeing something on tv or from her favorite Bina akka,who calls her mother 'mommy'.She used it on me a few times here and there a few weeks back and I was amazed at how she learnt it on her own and knew what it meant.It was cute.

Then it became more frequent and I started correcting her.From the last one week,all she is calling me is 'mommy'! She has completely stopped saying 'amma'.I correct her every time, she says it for my sake and then goes back to mommy.Sometimes she does not even say it for my sake, just plain refuses to hear me!:-( She gets mad when her dad tries to correct her.An other reason may be that I call my MIL 'maami' ,so she hears a similar sounding word and wants to use it even more.We all try to correct her every single time she uses it, but it does not seem to be going anywhere........

Its not a big deal, amma,mom,mommy,mummy.......they all mean the same and nothing will change between us if she calls me by the other,but somehow I have this thing in my mind that she should call me 'amma'.May be because she has always called me that and I don't want that to change, or may be because I want her to say it in our mother tongue.

General Update

Well,its been way too long since I wrote a post and finally decided to write an update.No specific reason for not writing,just did not give it top priority.Used my 2 hours of free time everyday for catching up on mail etc.Every time I read other blogs and about other babies,I feel bad that I am not writing about my little kutti girl.

She is all 19 months now and has become a big time talker.I see a big change in the last couple of weeks,she has picked up on so many new words and repeats pretty much every thing we say and that makes it a challenge for us,to not utter any 'no no' words in front of her:-)I am totally, totally enjoying this chatter of hers and its so, so entertaining.Her paati(hubby's mom) and her periappa(hubby's brother) are visiting from India for 3 weeks as a sudden plan.She had not seen her paati in almost 5 months,so we were curious to see how she would react.She cried for 2 minutes when she saw them walk in to the room and approached her and soon she was extra comfortable with her paati and started giving her one book after another,asking to be read.So,we think she remembered her very well and in couple of minutes every memory came back to her.

She loves to take walks in the development,and name everything on the way and repeat it to her appa after returning.The most exciting thing for her is when she has company of other toddlers,kids,teens.....yup,she can play with older kids.She just becomes crazy happy when she meets her favorite akka(hubby's cousin's daughter),who I will call B akka.They live around 20 minutes away and we meet them every weekend and sometimes during mid week.She has seen her since the very beginning and does not even need me when her B akka is around.

I see how happy she is with people around her at home and especially with her paati.This is what kills me,when I think she is not getting that precious grandparents company all the time.Its so limited,feels like we are denying a big part of her growing up.I am so thankful that we have great neighbors who have kids her age,it is a blessing.I set up a play date with 2 of her friends this coming Monday at my place,looking forward to that.

Well,hoping to write more often.........

Imitation Is The Way Of Life

Miss D is all in to imitation.Anything and everything that one of us do, is bound to be repeated by the little monster.She seems to know very well what happens during a diaper change.I lay her down and take a wet wipe and start cleaning,and if she spots a piece of paper or a wipe she picks it up and starts wiping herself.She loves to run in to the bathroom,which I try to keep closed all the time,while in there tears the toilet paper and nicely drops it in to the toilet.All this is OK and I can see the good that she is learning from it.

This is a tricky one-I am not sure if I should be teaching her to throw stuff in the trash.You know where this is going right........she has thrown her hair clip, some papers which were not trash, her pretty flowery hat and the worst(or the best,what ever way you want to take it) is a silver bowl which I use for pooja! I have caught her in the act every time, so was able to save most of it. Not sure what has gone in there with out my knowledge. I was imagining what would happen if she throws something important, like car keys with which she plays often, or cell phone(well, at least you can call and if you are lucky, hear it ring).Well, the important thing to remember when something is misplaced-look in the trash and I can imagine what an interesting and hygienic experience that would be!!!

She was on her high chair and dropped something and I said 'Oh Oh' and the expression stayed in her mind.Then she would drop something by mistake and say 'oh oh' and this happened a few times.Again on the high chair,she had a few things on her table and a napkin in her hand and said 'oh oh' and I did not notice her dropping anything on the floor and wondered why she said that.After a split second she has a grin on her face and drops the napkin that she was holding !

These kids are way ahead than what we think and things they learn is etched in their minds forever and they can make it work the way they want it to,depending on the situation.I can not stop, but tell the people I am close to every little thing she does and says.Sometimes I feel they may not want to hear everything that I have to say, but the 'mom' in me can't keep to myself the most adorable antics of my little Miss D.

Oooolalaaaaaa Tag

Have been tagged by Poppin for.............well, figure it out readers

Midnight Masala

Too tired and exhausted after the daily routine of doing mundane work around the house, taking care of the kid, cooking, catching up on email,making dinner, feeding.....the list goes on.........
Finally when its bed time, after a little reading, the one and only thing thats on your mind is SLEEP, then go ahead and sleep, comfy and cozy with the comforter on and the fan running with a nice breeze........
An hour into the night, after getting some sleep and having rested a little....wake up to a midnight masala.....works great being a little drowsy, kind of like 'where am I,is it a dream or real' feeling.

*Not going to work with new moms,since the baby's sleep schedule is bound to clash!*

SAHM-Common term in the blog world

I have read many posts on DesiMomz Club on SAHM Vs Working Mom,the differences, what has been the choice with many bloggers, why they chose what they chose, whether they are happy with the decisions etc.I think the question to ask is, if you are happy with your decision and if it is working out fine with the child, the husband and rest of the involved family.

We were a family of 5, my parents and my 2 older brothers.I have spent my entire childhood, with my mom always at home, taking care of us, cooking, helping us with our homework, teaching techniques to remember the difficult math formulas etc.Even though my mom could have gone outside the house and worked, she never did, thinking she would wreck the family order.After a while we got so used to her being at home all the time, even a few years of tuition and a little bit of teaching in a public school,was too much time away from her for the 3 siblings.So, that way we were very,very spoilt:-)

I grew up as not a very career oriented person, may be because I never saw my mom go to work, or may be because it was never in me.Got married at 21 and came to the US and enjoyed the first year with out doing much.Then I did a certificate program taking breaks here and there.Started my first job in 2003, worked for almost 3 years and then decided to plan for a baby.

From the time we started planning for the baby,I wanted to stay at home with my baby after birth until she was around 2 years old.I knew that for sure.This was in order to enjoy the time with the little one, and not go through the whole issue of sending her to day care,and me juggling with a job, the house and the baby.Knowing my mentality, I knew it would be next to impossible.Hubby was supportive of my decision.

I had to quit my job earlier than I thought,in my 6Th month of pregnancy due to a lot of sickness and weight loss until that point.She was born in march of '06 and it has been an amazing experience so far.I can not imagine missing out on all the wonderful things she has been doing and saying and just to have seen her grow from a tiny 6 pound er to a mischievous toddler(18 months).From the last couple of months,I have been getting restless to get back to work, to get back to doing something.I am going to be stressed out as a working mom, I know that, but I still want to be out there working, and not feeling left out once my daughter is out doing her own thing.Bottom of my heart, I am not put up to stay at home 'forever' and it does not make sense in any way to do that.Not only for the money, but just to feel the independence of working and having my own life outside the house and family.

For the most part I enjoy this time with her at home, but there are times when I see and hear about working moms, who are managing everything well and feel left out and feel the need to be on the other side.I know its matter of time before I get out to work.I am glad that I have this choice of staying at home with my little angel for now.

17 Month Update

Looking at my little daughter,and seeing what she has been up to recently is making me write this post.Not that I have been writing regularly,which I would love to but am not able to.....since I hardly get around to check my email and respond.The only time I sit in front of the computer is in the mornings and afternoons when she is napping.I don't like to browse in the evenings or night time when I can spend that time with hubby.

Going back to the reason for this post,I feel Miss D is doing/saying a lot of new things in the past month than any other other time.She has been picking up on almost everything we say.

Vocab:She can say around 15 words.She can immitate sounds of 5 different animals.She knows when to say 'akka' and 'anna'.If she sees food in a book,she tries to take a piece and put it in her mouth:-)She did that with strawberries.

Activity:She can point at different objects in a book when asked,and will say the names of things when pointed to.HORSE still remains her favorite.She climbs anything and everything and does not stop at that,she starts dancing after climbing either the sofa,or the coffee table or the bed.

Sleeping:There is a change in the way she falls asleep,a big one.Does not want to be rocked any more,ya....I can't believe it,I thought I would be rocking her until she went to first grade.She has her milk and lies down on the bed,sucks her thumb,and dozes off slowly turning and tossing.It is a big relief.

Eating:She has been a good eater right from the start and has not changed much.A good change is her fruit eating habit,she never used to eat fruits other than a banana once in a while,but from the last couple of weeks she has been eating water melon,strawberries and oranges.Her dad has never been and is still not a good fruit eater,so hoping she does not get that from him:-)

Dancing: I have to make this a separate category,since this girl just LOVES to move her body.It does not have to be an actual song.....it can vary from a mini song from a commercial or a ring tone from a cell phone or any other tune that has some music.Her current favorite is the song 'Tara Rum Pum Pum' from the same movie.

All in all,she is our main source of entertainment & does things the whole day that are way too cute:-)God knows how I would spend my day with out her running around in front of my eyes:-)Love You D !!!

Tagged

I have been tagged by Poppins about when I would judge others.For me,its not an easy thing to write about.Lets see how I do......

I would judge someone if he/she:
# Keeps talking about how every member of their family has studied very well with multiple degrees and how they are doing very well in life.

#Tries to show off desperately the things they do-like gifts they give others.

#Does certain 'bodily actions/sounds' in public,which are strictly supposed to be private.

#Does not respect their parent or not care for them when they most need the support or knowingly give them a hard time,just to make their own lives easy.

#Manipulates others lives/actions on a given day just to make sure that their day turns out the way they want it to.

#Pretends to listen to you while talking,but does not sink in half the information just because they are pre-occupied with some other thing.This is my big one,I will conclude the person has no respect for you and I would feel the same way towards him.You have to be a good listener before you are a good talker.

#Always indirectly asks for compliments,but does not give any to others.

Guess that's all I can do for now......

RD and A1A2's Mom-How about picking up on the tag?

Life As A Nomad

This morning I was counting the number of days we would be at home in the month of July and the number I came up with......9 !!! It started with our Pennsylvania trip for the long weekend during the first week of July.Got back home that Saturday and left the following monday to go and stay at my hubby's cousin's house for 3 days(Hubbs was away on work),got back middle of the week.Left again that sunday night with hubby to give him company during his stay in Hartford.We are heading back home today(after 4 nights),and guess what?yep,we are leaving again this sunday afternoon to Atlanta,to his sister's house and will be back on August 1st !!! So can we officially be called as Nomads,even though we have a single family home of our own?I think so.........

Our stay in Hartford is not bad at all,much better than what I expected.We are staying at a 2 bedroom,2 bath hotel suite,which is similar to or bigger than most apartments I have seen.There is a full furnished kitchen,so I have been making meals for Miss D and some for us too.The weather is nice,so we go out for walks in the evenings,and check out the local action after hubby gets back around 6pm.The best part,no cleaning,no doing the sheets,no worrying about messing up the room.....well,a little;-))

Looking forward to out trip to Atlanta,first because they have moved in to a new house with a nice big swimming pool:-))Best part.Second,to all the help I will get taking care of D,my SIL has two teenage boys and she adores Miss D and would love to hold her 24/7.Third,I am hoping to comfortably leave D in their care and get some time off to ourselves,catch a movie or a nice sit down dinner.

Now the question is -am I enjoying all this traveling or is it too much time away from home,routine and my comfy zone?Yes and no.On a general note,I love to travel,see new places,meet people,enjoy the days of no cooking,cleaning...but at the same time,I will miss my home,and miss my swimming classes,Miss D's Gymboree classes and everything else that happens while we are home.When we were a couple,its a different feeling to be out and not care about where we are.With a kid,its not as easy or may be we take longer to adjust to their routine in a new place than themselves adjusting.I have been packing and unpacking a million times and its no fun.

I am able to do all this since I am a SAHM.Soon Miss D will be ready to go to pre-school and I will hopefully be back in the working world,and will not be as flexible as I am now.So,I should enjoy these carefree days with her and let her enjoy the time with me.

Fun week with 5 other kids

We got together with 5 other couples with kids during the July 4th long weekend.I was so excited about the trip from a long time,since I was going to meet 2 kids whom I had not seen at all and hang out with our friends,which we had not done in a long time.The reason being,everyone was busy getting pregnant and having babies in the year 2006.We met on Tuesday night and drove back home on Saturday.

We had rented an apartment in a resort in a hilly area,nothing much to do,but very scenic.What with so many little ones,we ended up at home most of the time,so the place where we stayed didn't matter.We took a lot of food to cook,especially for the kids.The whole dining table was filled with junk food that everyone brought.We managed to finish most of it !:-)!The adults had a great time,am sure the kids enjoyed too.

Miss D was a little unhappy the night we got there,she slept at the very end of our drive and woke up in a new place,with a whole bunch of new faces looking at her.She kinda freaked out,but was fine the next morning.She enjoyed the rest of the stay,and started playing with an older boy,running behind him and trying to imitate him.She was the only girl among 4 boys:-)You appreciate and enjoy what other kids do only when you have one of your own,at least that has been the case with me.It was so much fun watching all of them run around,pulling each others toys,tugging each others shirts and falling over one and other.

Hope we meet like this often,its a pleasure incomparable to others to see them together.

I hate when I shout

I am writing this with a very bad feeling about myself.I yelled at my little daughter,she cried and went to bed and I can still hear her taking those deep breaths on the monitor,the ones that last much after they stop crying.I yell and the very next second feel terrible about it.Only wish I could hold off just before I am about to loose it and control myself.It happens sometimes,but I catch myself yelling at her once in a while and I HATE myself later.

She had a fun day playing with her second cousin and then spent the evening with her neighbor playmate who is her age.She was very sleepy when I took her upstairs to bed.She's been very unhappy about diaper changes lately and it is a big challenge to change her,especially at night before going to bed.So I was prepared with things to entertain her,and tried to distract her with things which usually would catch her attention,but not tonight.She had a little diaper rash to begin with and I tried hard to sweet talk her while changing and she would not let me do it.Then I yelled,she started to cry and I yelled more and she cried more and more.The work was done,she drank milk while trying to console herself,and dozed off in a few minutes.In the mean time,I almost had tears in my eyes,the poor baby had a diaper rash and was so sleepy and all she wanted was not to be changed.

Hmmm,its all part and parcel of motherhood,raising a child,trying to be a good parent........will feel better once I hug and kiss her in the morning.Waiting to see the cute smile on my darling's face tomorrow.She wakes up every morning by saying "amma" and "appa":-)what more do I want to hear first thing in the morning!

I know when I go.

It happened once,it happened twice,it happened again and now I think ,my almost 16 month old can say 'kakha' when she goes khakha.I am so very proud of that fact.First few times,I thought it was just a coincidence that she said that word and soon after I would have to change her diaper.But she says it as soon as she goes,so it ain't no coincidence,my baby knows :-)I consider this as a step in potty training.

I am making her sit on her potty everyday for a few minutes,but nothing has happened after that one time when she went.I am not breaking my head over it,its not going to happen any time soon,I know.She loves to sit there,for her its 'book' time when she's on the potty,she reaches to the book in the basket as soon as she sits down!

On an other note-yesterday we had a barbeque at our house.There was a little girl,aged 7 or 8 and her favorite second cousin who is much older, but loves to play with her the whole time we meet.Miss D is so happy when there are other people around and loves to get entertained by them.There were 3 other families and I hardly saw Miss D for the whole evening,felt a little weired,but nice.We were in our backyard,enjoying the nice weather and good food being grilled by hubby dear.Then our neighbors sprinkler system went off and Miss D went running right in to the spraying water ! I ran and caught her ,of course she hated me for that.We tried to distract her for a few minutes,but she kept fighting us and running back to the water.So I decided to change her in to her swimsuit,but by the time I put her bottom on,she ran to the water and just before she could get wet,the sprinkler stopped !!! Gosh,she must have thought it was a big scheme that we planned:-)

We didnt want her to think of us as mean,scheming parents.......so we turned the water in the garden hose and she had the time of her life with water being sprayed by her dear cousin.The look on her face by being all wet and water dripping everywhere,was priceless!!!
Picture attached.

A smile is all it takes..............

There was a long silence in my blog world.I was reading other blogs and commenting,but never spent enough time to write my thoughts.While I was away in my own world,Miss D tries to repeat almost everything we try to teach her.She knows to say the word 'Horse' very well and any 4 legged animal is a horse in her eyes.She saw a dog at a friend's house and it became a horse.Any picture of a zebra,giraffe makes her say the word.Now if she hears the name of her cousin,who taught her that word,she has to say 'Horse'.So concluded-Horse is her favorite word of the month !!

Going back to the title:-),I think all parents will agree with me when I say "A smile is all it takes to melt our hearts".It is a little trick they learn from the early days to make us forget everything else in the world and smile back at them.We can be upset,angry,'not in the mood' ,depressed......and the only thing we need to see is those precious little lips move closer to the eye and all those feelings go away,at least momentarily.I can be wild,if she is doing something she is not supposed to and the very next second if I catch her smiling at me,I can not do anything but smile back and hug her.Like,this afternoon I was trying to make her sleep when she was sleepy,but didn't want to sleep.I was rocking her for a long time,she almost dozed off and then started moving around to get up.I was restless and got upset and forced her to sleep,she didn't like it and started crying.So I pacified her and put her on my shoulder,after a couple of minutes she looked at me & gave me the big smile.I felt so bad about what I did,but I know that she forgot in a few seconds and we just hugged and kissed.

So innocent and simple is the mind of a child,they are so upset and mad one minute and the next minute they get over it and move on.The world will be such a better place,if we adults behave in a similar way.There are so many reasons I want to freeze the age my darling daughter is in:
The innocence in everything she does.The sound of all the words she has been saying,so new and so unique.
The way she sucks her thumb and holds on to my shirt with the other hand or when I am in the kitchen doing work,she squats down sucking her thumb and holds on to the end of my pant/pajama.
When we wake up together and I pretend to be sleeping,the way she moves my hand from my face and smiles.
When I pick up her shoes to go out,the way she runs to the stairs to sit on the last stair,for me to put on her shoes.
Small things make her so happy,when I run fast towards her,she has this crazy laugh which sounds adorable.
One of my favorite is all the nice bear hugs and the cute kisses she gives me when I ask her to and when she wants to.
Oh oh,I almost forgot my other favorite,any music she hears and the immediate reaction is to start shaking her butt from left to right and lifting her hands up in the air and dancing.My babe has got her moves!She even came up with this new step of tapping her legs like a salsa:-)!

I know I missed a few points,but if I don't post it now,it will go in to the edit mode for a few more days:-)
The above picture was taken last month.

My life as a working mom

This post is by Poppins of http://babiesanon.blogspot.com

I see a few posts once in a while about working moms. People wonder how we do it all. The answer- we don't. We don't do it all, but we do all we can. We're just as busy and just as involved as a stay at home mom, only our routine looks different. Here's what mine looks like. I'm going to start from when I come back home from work - which is around 6 pm on most days.

6:00 pm: I land from work all eager to see poppin. She does a little war dance and makes all kinds of unintelligible noises
prancing around the room, refusing to let me touch her. It's worth working outside the home just to see this. 5 minutes later, I cannot bear it anymore, so I scoop her up and give her a huge kiss (or many huge kisses) everywhere and start asking her how her day was.

6:15 pm: Our welcome routine over, I listen with half a ear (I'm a bad daughter/DIL) to my mother/MIL. They are usually telling me about their day. I only perk up if they tell me something cute that poppin did, otherwise things like 'Oh the maidservant came late today' etc does not merit my full attention.

6:30 pm: I go into the kitchen and start moving pots and pans around, maybe munch some biscuits, all the time with poppin at my heels watching what I am doing and perhaps hoping for her Mummum. Then I sit down and give her mummum (dinner). She has an early dinner.

6:45 pm: Still eating her dinner, now that the edge has gone off her hunger, poppin starts squirming in her high chair. Out comes my stories of the Thatha who asked the bird to sing, the lion to roar etc. By the time I get through that story and a few of her favourite songs, dinner is done. I pull her down from the chair, wash her mouth and give her 'Akkam' (water)

7:00 pm: Start with dinner preps or help my mil with dinner preps. Poppin is usually spending time with DH at this time. He sometimes combines work with fun by placing her on his lap while they view Mickey/Elmo/barney/Dora etc on his laptop via Google images. Bad daddy :)

7:30 pm: Poppin is thinking that I am spending too much time in the kitchen, so she comes and hugs my legs or tugs at my dress all the time saying 'Mumm-any'. So I carry her, and cook singlehandedly. If MIL is at home, she comes to the rescue and shoos me away from the kitchen saying 'Go spend time with your daughter go !'. Sometimes DH comes to the rescue and takes her to the common area of our apartment where she's playing with the neighbor's kids.

8:00 pm: Dinner done, I sit down with poppin to spend some 'quality time' with her. For half hour we just play, or read. Sometimes I take her down to the lower level where there are some kids or maybe we just go for a walk. Or perhaps to practice climbing up and down the stairs. I also use this time to go to the neighborhood grocery store to pick something up. Poppin loves this me-time. DH is at the gym at this time.

8:30 pm: Time for our dinner now, and poppin loves eating a bit from our plate - adult food does taste more nice. We usually have music on (satellite radio) and we amp up the volume and watch poppin shake her booty. Who needs TV when you have live entertainment?

9:00 pm -10:30 pm: Quality time as family. DH and I let poppin play while we catch up on the day's happenings. Some story telling, some songs, some dancing, some reading. Poppin has a glass of warm milk.

10:30 pm: Time for sleepy land. Poppin goes to sleep, DH and I peep into our respective laptops and then call it a night. Some chatting at the bed before we nod off.

7:00 am : Wake up time for DH and me. I do the morning chores, boil milk, coffee decoction, make oatmeal for DH, fruits/toast for poppin and myself. DH is meanwhile getting ready to go for his long commute to office, has a hurred breakfast and leaves.

8:00 am : Poppin awakes. After some cuddling (it's lovely to cuddle a warm-from-sleep baby), we do the usual struggle of brushing her teeth with her Do-ah (Dora) toothbrush. Then it's her morning milk followed by big job in the potty.

8:30 am: We have breakfast together.

9:00 am: I get ready, go for my bath etc. When MIL is not there, I bathe with poppin. Maybe it will corrupt her to see me in the nude, but hey a girl's got to have her bath right?

9:30 am: Time to leave for office. Regretfully (Ha, who am I kidding?) I either drop her off at my mom's place or just say Bye (when MIL is here). She cheerfully waves bye. It's hard to believe but poppin has NEVER cried when I leave for office, I'm damn lucky so far.

9:30 am-5:30 pm : I'm at office, reading blogs in mini breaks, chatting with my colleagues, drinking yucky office coffee, calling a few times home. And I do some work in between:-)

Poppin meanwhile, has had her bath and food and sleeps for a good 2-2.5 hours in the afternoon. When she wakes up, and eats some snacks, she heads to the park and plays for an hour, before welcoming me home.

If I have to get nitpicky, here's a breakdown of the number of hours I spend with poppin (Not counting the night)

Time spent with me: 8:00-9:30 and 6:00-10:30. Total: 6 hours.

Time spent with her grandma (Not counting her afternoon nap): 9:30-1:00 and 3:30-6:00. Total: 6 hours.

Not bad huh? This not counting the days DH or I work from home.

Neighbors,Neighbors !

We are enjoying the pleasure of having neighbors only from the last 3 years after moving to our own house.In the apartment where we lived before,it was a rare moment to see someone,let alone have a conversation.Now,we got double lucky to have a neighborhood filled with kids of all ages.We realize how important it is for kids to have other kids to play with,only after seeing how much Miss D enjoys the company.

The neighbor who lives opposite to ours is a family with a 3 year old son and 16 month old daughter.We have become close friends,and have spent a few evenings at each others house.We chit chat when we meet outside(now that the weather is nice),and look at the kids having fun on their own.Next door,there are 3 kids -a girl and 2 boys.The kids have not got together yet,no one Miss D's age or closer,but am sure it will be fun anyways.Since we never had the opportunity to enjoy the 'friendly neighborhood' before in the apartment,it gives me a very happy and a satisfying feeling to see it happen now.The timing could not have been better,with our little girl enjoying all of it.

In India,while we grew up,it was taken for granted that we would always,round the clock have neighbor kids to play with.In the US,it is a privilege if your kids have friends living close by.Back home in India,our house was one of the 4 houses inside the same compound(common outdoor entrance and exit) and I had 2 close girl friends that I grew up with during my school days and part of my college life.One girl is 2 years older to me and the other, a year younger.We were best of friends and spent every part of the day together,other than when we 'had' to be away.We had tremendous fun and also competed with each other on the day of Deepavali(festival) every year,as to who would wake up first,get ready and burst crackers.Those were the most fun filled,guilt free,carefree days of my life.The saddest part was when both the girls had to move out to another town,far,far away since their dads had jobs that took them to those places.

Getting back to the present,I wish this closeness in the neighborhood continues and we find good friendly neighbors where ever we go,and our little Miss D has her own set of buddies.

8 Things You Don't Know About Me Either!

So MDM has tagged me to write 8 things about me people don't know... hmmm...

1. I am quite particular about punctuality - I don't know how I developed this habit, but I get very irritable if I arrive somewhere late. It just bothers me to no end - especially if I have been delayed due to other people. Aaargh.. makes me want to pull my hair out!

2. I am pretty lazy :) I could spend an entire day doing absolutely nothing and not feel bad about it either. But gone are the days when I could just sit around on my fat **** and bum around.

3. I am very bad at talking about my feelings - especially if I am upset or angry. I just internalize it and never speak up. I let it go or I let it fester for ages.

4. I would say I am generally a shy person - at least that's what I think - not sure if I come across as shy? I hope that my son doesn't pick up this trait from me - I hope he is like his dad who is definitely not shy!!

5. I LOVE to eat - I love everything there is to love about food (especially desserts) - eating out, cooking, watching food programes, buying stuff for the kitchn ... I guess that is why ever since I remember I have been battling with 'those last 10lbs' :) I only actually started to like cooking after I left home. Living at home with my parents.. well I had my mum to do the cooking (who is a fabulous cook) so I never took an interest. Now, I collect recipe books (mostly to look at the pictures :) but I love to try out new dishes whenever I can.

6. I am a Chartered Accountant (equivalent to a CPA). I spent 3.5 years slogging my guts out for this qualification and since then my career has had nothing to do with accountancy! (I don't even do our taxes at home - my husband, the engineer, does them).

7. I am very indecisive. I take forever to make a decision - big or small! (This includes ordering off a menu!!)

8. I hate shopping (for myself) - but I can browse for ages in kitchen stores and now baby shops. Maybe this has something to do with #7 above.

Wow - that was surprisingly difficult to come up with these 8 things :)

How much TV is too much TV?

Do you allow your kids to watch television?How long do they watch?Miss D's pediatrician suggested no TV until 2 years.I have been letting her watch some TV during early afternoon,and sometimes while eating her lunch.I get 'escape time' while see watches,which is a big help when I have to do other work around the house.But I dont feel good most of the times when I let her watch TV.It is one of the biggest addictions for the kids at a young age.Thankfully she loves to look at books and be read to,so we read her a lot of books.She also plays on her own with her toys,for sometime in the mornings and evenings.

She used to watch only when I turn on her channel,now,she takes the remote and hands it to one of us and kinda starts whining,for us to turn on her channel.Soon,she will start asking verbally to do it and before we realize she will figure out how to do it all by herself ! I am sure we will try all the tactics,like 'No TV,until you eat your food,no TV until you finish your work,no TV until I tell you to watch'.But the question is,how much should we restrict them from an early age,the age where they still can not understand if we tell them 'No TV'.......

The toddler shows that come on TV are educative and informative,so in one way it is a learning tool.Miss D loves 'Blues Clues' ,her other favorite is 'Dora The Explorer'.She has a selective liking even among those cartoon shows,the other shows dont hold her interest for too long.

We,as parents try to balance their lives in the best way that we can....but always wonder what is right and what is wrong....more so with the first child(I assume).

Behold,here comes Potty Training !

Yes,Miss D has been sitting on a 3-in-1 cushy,comfy potty every morning from the last 4 days.I consider it as one of the big milestones when they can tell that 'its time to go':-)She sits there all happy,its like a new toy for her.I've been reading a book to keep her entertained for a while.Its all in the family,we all read something while on the P:-)

Today was the first occurrence,well, a kind of an occurrence.She was sitting on the potty and then got up,and while still in the bathroom,started peeing on the mat,and I made her sit on the potty immediately and the rest continued in the potty.But still,I was all smiles and very proud that the Potty Training has officially begun.Brought out the camera and captured it for the record !

It is going to be a long procedure,hopefully not too long.So what are your stories of potty training.Would be nice to get some tips on it.

What is a good age gap?

I am sure this is one of the common topics on the mommy blogosphere, but always an interesting one to talk about.I read a few blogs on 'To have or not to have' the second baby and the one thing I am sure about is this-I definitely want to have a second baby.But the question that will linger around in my mind until we finally make a decision,is, when to have the second?I have a daughter,she's 15 months.

There is no easy answer,I know....but am hoping to get some thoughts on the pros and cons on a small age gap versus a big age gap between siblings.

When the age difference is less,they make great playmates.You dont have to keep in the look out for playdates and others to play with.Especially true if they are of the same gender.But it takes a lot to care for 2 young kids,more so if the older is still in diapers and not able to eat and sleep on her own.When the mentioned milestones are achieved, is a good time to have the second,in my opinion.

Have heard people say-'Makes it easy in one way to go through the early years in one shot,with both kids'.Only moms who have done this,know if its true or false.

At the point where we are in our lives,it is hard to make a decision...........so,will give it more time,rack my brains a little longer and see how it goes.

Eight Things About Me You Dont Know

I have been tagged by Poppin and I will try to come up with the 8 things with great difficulty.I am always stumped when it comes to writing about myself.Here is the list:

1.I admire myself a lot in the mirror when I wear skimpy clothes and tell myself 'I do look pretty sexy in these clothes'.

2.I am a big time day dreamer,Pisceans are supposed to be(even though i dont believe in zodiac signs).I can go on and on and on day dreaming about various things that I cant get in life or havent done in life yet.....can do it before falling asleep at night,while driving(yes,driving! but havent gotten into any accidents yet:-),in the shower.....list goes on.

3.It is an extremely difficult task for me to tell someone that I am upset with them(except my hubby,used to be hard before but not after Miss D's entry in our life).I can act as if nothing is wrong,but in my mind it will be bothering me.I am slowly trying to change that.

4.I am a clean freak when it comes to my kitchen counter and stove area.I keep wiping with a wet cloth every few minutes as I am cooking.While there are pots and pans of hot food cooking on different burners,I clean inbetween burners.

5.I can not go without eating all 3 meals in a day.I HAVE to eat some filling bfast,good lunch and a good dinner.

6.I loved to show off my tummy throughout my pregnancy,there was not a single day when I would hide it with a dupatta or loose clothing or baggy shirts.I wanted the whole world to know that I am pregnant.

7.I really really enjoy and love getting compliments from anyone and everyone.Can be a stranger on the road,I dont care...I love the feeling.Am sure lot of us do,but I wait for it from the people I am close to.On a similar note,I love surprises-small,big...I'll take anything.

8.I am obsessed about returning calls immediately,I have to do it right away....if not I can not continue with anything else peacefully.

Well,thats it.....had to do a lot of thinking for this! But thanks Poppin for making me think about myself:-)

Here are a few people I would like to tag:
A1A2's Mom
RD
Anyone else who happen to read this..........

Doctors Know It All?

Do doctors know it all?How far should we go in assuming what they say is what it is?I am writing this after speaking to a friend of mine,who took her son to his 12 month visit and the pediatrician noticed his ears being a little red and prescribed antibiotics right away,for ear infection.There was no other symptoms.We were discussing as to whether we are being paranoid about it or is it genuine to worry about it.(Sorry to use your situation with out your permission,my friend)We always end up questioning the diagnosis,but in most cases end up following their directions.

This is in no offense to the doctors out there.Am sure they do the best they can.But when it comes to your baby,especially the first one,everything being a new experience,we are always on the watch out.When Miss D was 5 months old(now 14.5 months),her pediatrician noticed that the head circumference had increased suddenly from the previous visit.She suggested a CAT scan of the head.Just to be on the safer side.Hmm,I didnt know what to say,thought to myself -a CAT scan for a 5 month old!?

We were at the hospital for the scan and the doctor there told us that the best way to do it is to make her sleep,so she can stay still during the scan.The other option was to sedate her,which should be the last resort.I prayed to God that she would doze off while I nursed her and she did.Then we were in the scan room,and she was under the machine and Miss D's dad and I held hands and crossed our fingers that she would not wake up(in which case,we would have to sedate her to do the scan).It took less than a minute and was done and we were relieved !!But the whole situation was scary,even though I didnt say it out loud.

The results were normal and it was only a little extra fluid,which would balance out as she grows and not effect her in any way.The final normal result is what we want,but at the beginning of it all,we question the doctor's diagnosis and wonder if we should go through with the whole procedure.

So far we have been happy with her pediatrician,seems confident of what she says and does.

There is a book by Jerome Groopman-How Doctors Think.I have browsed through it,seemed very interesting.It talks about the forces and the thought process behind the decisions that the doctors make.How they are right most of the times but also err at crucial moments with catastrophic consequences.Would like to read it one day.

Disclaimer:This post is in no offense to any doctors.

Can you hear the bell?

This post is by Poppins of http://babiesanon.blogspot.com

I used to be obsessed about poppin meeting her milestones. We all are I guess. But since poppin was born premature, I used to obsess more than normal about her milestones, always on the lookout for some disability. And I remembered this funny incident that I thought I should share.

When poppin was 4 months old, baby center said that she 'should turn her head to the source of sound'. But she didn't. Immediately, I got frantic. I tried clapping, calling her name, etc but nope. Madam would not give me the time of the day. So I called DH. He came running from work (can you believe it) and we thought poppin was deaf. My mom tried to interject some calm into the proceedings but soon she got caught up with our anxieties.

We knew poppin was responding by smiling when we made funny noises, but we thought that maybe she was lip reading. Finally we rang a bell close to her ear multiple times. Till she once deigned to look up at it. Phew ! We were nervous wrecks by then. I still don't remember how we resolved our fears, but it just goes to show that sometimes too much information can also be a dangerous thing.

Nowadays I hardly read those milestone emails that I get. I just go by my gut instinct. I know that those milestones are only an indication of the age by which an average baby would reach them, and we all know that our little ones are just NOT average :-) !

Name Change

Why the name change of my blog name, you ask? Well it panned out like this, PP (pati parmeshwar) and I were having a chat, and of course I mentioned this blog and all the amazing stuff that I read whenever I am browsing, and my own contribution so far to the baby blog, and of the things we usually write about and discuss. So he goes, so is this about only new babies and new moms, and I reply no, its for all moms with kid/s who just like to write and express themselves...He pondered about it for some time ( 2 seconds) and pat came the question, so by calling yourself Arnav's mom are you saying that A1 is not as important to you as A2, just because he is the baby doesn't mean that A1 should not be also a topic or part of your blogs....I considered this, and you know what I thought he is right...both kids deserve equal attention and care, so therefore the name change...I know you guys out there with one kid probably will be thinking what the heck is she talking about, but believe me, when the second baby comes into the picture, you will be pulled in different directions on a daily basis...I wonder how other moms deal with these issues...

Amma,My Dear Amma !

I have been reading such beautiful posts on moms & motherhood and was contemplating whether to write my own.Then decided,how can I not,when I have been blessed with such a wonderful mother.Seeing words like love,affection,dedication,sacrifice,hardworking........only one title fits all of it,a beautiful one-MOTHER.I think most mothers will agree with me that the true meaning of motherhood is understood completely only when one becomes a mom.As kids and adults(before becoming a mom),we take our mother for granted.Moms can do,will do and should do everything needed by the family.There is no thought about how much of effort goes in to it,until you start doing all that yourself.It is very true in my case.

Dedication is written all over my mom.She keeps doing for the family without once asking anything in return.I ask her,how can you be so selfless.Nothing stops her from her duties to her sons,daughters-in-law and her husband.My mom's father was ill for a month and passed away in February this year.After all the ceremonies ended the day he died,she was talking to me on the phone.We talked about everything for a while and then she is thinking aloud to me and worrying about what to make for dinner.I said,stop.Dont think about anything else ,other than yourself.Even if everything else comes down in front of her eyes ,she will only think of her duties to her family.

I wrote to her once saying " I would be lucky if I am able to be a mother to my child,a little of what she is to my brothers and I".

Hats off to all the mothers who are working hard everyday to do their duties towards their kids and family.

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY !!!

This Week-Going Good

I realize as I pass each day with my growing daughter,that I have to take one week at a time and not go beyond that.What I mean is,if this week is a good week,then be happy and not think of a million things for the future.I have a bad habit(if you can call it that) of worrying about and planning the next hour,day,week,month,year.......Its good and bad in its own way.So I hope to follow what I wrote in the first sentence of this paragraph.

This week turned out to be very good-first we are all in good health.Second,Miss D's dada was supposed to travel on work and stay over night out of the house and he ended up doing day trips instead.So I am very happy.I HATE it when he's away,not only that its hard for me to take care of Miss D the whole day,but it just gets boring with out him around the house.We are a family who do things together pretty much all the time.We hardly go out on our own,except during week day mornings when I take her out sometimes.We have been that way as a couple,always doing things together.It is not good in a way,I have realized....we depend on each other too much,that's brings it to why I hate when he travels.We still have our few 'alone' times,while sitting in front of the computer,reading a book,when I volunteer on weekends.

So,I can not ask for more this week-my hubby is home with us:-)

Has your week been perfect,good or better than what you thought it would be?

Far Away Family

This is about a topic close to my heart......was inspired after reading Orchid's post on Family.I have always felt that children grow up different when they are far away from their family(grandparents,cousins,aunts,uncles).The kind of love,attention and affection that they get from their grandparents is very different from the parents.Thathas and paatis(in Tamil for grandparents) let the kids do anything and everything and go on to become their secret buddies,hiding the mischiefs from the parent.It is a kind of relationship which can not be shared by any other.

My niece would happily spend the entire weekend with my mom ,who becomes a child with her and does and acts just the way my niece wants her to.She would stop doing everything around the house and will sit and play with her.I would love for my daughter to get that kind of a 'play patner'.We,as parents can never give them so much,due to various constraints- time,patience,other responsibility which takes over priority.

I will always feel bad that Miss D is missing out on so much fun by not knowing and playing with her cousins and not getting that endless, abundant love from her grand parents.We are depriving them of those precious relationships in life,which are such important building blocks.But these are the choices that we make and have to face the challenges that come with it.

I am thankful that my pumpkin enjoyed the last 5 months with my mother-in-law.She would read to her,fold the clothes from the dryer for Miss D to mess it up,then fold it again so that Miss D would mess it up all over again:-)She would just spend the entire morning,by hanging around next to her grandma.These are the moments that we have to cherish and hold on to close to our hearts.

Going back to the beginning.........

Thought I will write about how it all started.My wisdom tooth was bothering me for a long time and I had scheduled an extraction.Wondering why I am talking about my tooth......I dread anything that has to do with my teeth,I hate to sit on the dentist's chair ! They had to sedate me in order to extract the tooth and that could not be done if I was pregnant.I was waiting for the phone call from my obstetrician the morning of the appointment and crossing my fingers that I would be pregnant,mostly because I wanted to be and partly so that I would not have to go through that horrendous extraction !Then,my gynec gave the best news of my life!

I enjoyed most of my pregnancy,except for a few weeks of sickness.I loved the attention from everyone,loved the feeling of a life inside me and loved to show of my tummy:-) Miss D's dada and I did not want to find out the gender of the baby and all I was hoping for was a healthy baby.The pain started around midnight after a nice dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.She was born the next day( oh,didnt mention earlier,I secretly wanted a girl,but never dreamt about how she would look or how she would be)Here, I had in my arms,a beautiful gray eyed healthy baby with bright red lips and nice shiny black hair.

I was working until my 6th month of pregnancy and quit,feeling very ready to stay home and take care of my little one.A year in to my little girl's life,here I am waiting to get back to the work life.Why is the grass always greener on the other side?I thought I would be fine as a 'stay at home' mom,but apparently I am finding out thats not the case.I need the life outside,meet other people,have a carrier.....but the irony is ,I know I will complain of how busy life gets when I have to juggle between work,home and kid.Hmm,why are we not satisfied with the current situation and always want the other side??I love taking care of my little love,seeing her face as soon as she wakes up with her eyes half open,chase her around the house in only her diapers......pick her up and soothe her when she has a fall........but I want it with my life outside.Is that a very selfish thought?

Well,I guess there is no easy answer......but definitely helps to write down what I feel.

My new life with the walking baby....

Yes,Yes,Yes !!! My baby is walking very well,up and down the house,all day long :-) We always talk about when is she going to walk,she's standing without support,oh she'll walk in a few weeks etc.....when they finally do it,it seems like they are experts in it and have always been walking.I am enjoying the first few weeks of this ,its adorable when they keep those baby steps. Miss D is very cautious in what ever she does,so when she thinks she's loosing balance,she does this gymnast kind of act,where they would move their body on a vault sideways to prevent from falling.Hmm,I cant believe that my baby girl is ready to face the world walking on her own !

I say 'my new life' since my MIL was with us from the last few months,she left 2 days back.Miss D was very cranky,clingy and uncomfortable the whole of yesterday,and I am pretty sure it was due to the absence she felt.I felt bad,since she would not know how to express the emotion ,but knows that she is missing her.Its a matter of time I know,before she gets used to it.Well,its always nice to have someone at home,and always hard to get used the life otherwise.But looking forward to the independent life again,with our little family:-)

Second baby syndrome

Thanks MDM for inviting me to this blog....Being a mom the second time around was surprisingly a whole new experience all again. I had imagined that having had a kid already would make things more of a cake walk for me...can't say that it has. Arnav (I'll call him A2) as a baby is so much more active than his brother (A1), and yes, that's something that my husband and I always end up doing- compare what the younger one was doing and think back to what our first son used to do...and most of the times we don't seem to remember...Being a second sibling of the same sex myself (I have an older sister) I can imagine why some parents probably don't have the same amount of excitement and anticipation when they have a second child of the same sex...and I was determined to make this experience special, to not take things for granted and I think its working, because I seem to cherish these moments a lot and in some ways is a replay of the things that A1 used to do, but so different and makes us as parents appreciate them all the more! Oh well..

A2 wants to do whatever his brother does, they just keep each other so busy, till of course the fighting starts! A1 got a musical keyboard for his 4th Day, and I think A2 plays with it more! He especially likes to use the microphone and starts cooing and talking in it the moment he has it..hm , that should probably tell me something about how talkative he is going to be...if he's not playing, he's following me around, crawling on all fours like a puppy..especially after I get him from the baby-sitters and get home and trying to cook or something, there he is near my feet, or near the cabinets, pulling out stuff (which reminds me, have to childproof them) or gets into the dishwasher and the pantry!
But all in all, its such a joy to see his face, smiling and waiting when I go to pick him up, that I feel all the pain and troubles we go through are worth it!

Current Favorite....Books !

Hi there moms ! This is in response to Poppins " Little Reader" on .All I can talk about now is how much Miss D loves to be read to.As soon as I read about Poppin, I can only imagine if Miss D and Poppin get together ....we need a whole library of children's books to satisfy them:-)

I have never been big on books from before,but always wanted to be a "reader".I would get books/novels from the library,read a few chapters and then get distracted with other things in my life and the book would just sit there on the shelf.Recently I am totally in to books -fiction mainly and have been reading everyday.I can see the real interest in reading now.With Miss D,I have been reading to her from when she was around 6 months,an aunt of mine gifted her Thoma's "Blue Train, Green Train" which is her all time favorite.She can not get enough of this book.It talks about how both the trains take turns in their daily routine of carrying goods-toys,mail,boxes of stuff etc.



Her other favorite book is about Curious George,who is her best buddy too.She has his stuffed toy, whom she loves and adores and the amount of hugs and kisses he gets from her......hmm, let me just say that we are not that lucky.She has these loving conversations with him every time she sees him.Other books in her collection is Dora,Five Little Monkeys,Vinny The Pooh.I try to read to her every day before she goes to bed at night and before her afternoon nap.

Other than books,she seems to react to music very well.She has a set of 60 nursery rhymes which is her all time favorite,by all time I really mean all time.She's been listening to it from when she was around 4 months old and she still loves it ! Its our saving grace during long drives,as soon as the CD in on,she's lost in her own world of musical bliss.At home,when she hears any kind of music,her immediate reaction is to start shaking her booty !:-)! Does not matter what kind,any thing that she thinks is dance worthy(which is very wide range).She can dance standing,sitting,crawling and also while sitting in her car seat-shakes her head and neck.

Hope books and music entertain her for a long time..........

Sleep Story of Miss D - posting on behalf of MDM..

Thought this would be better off as a post....

God!Talk about sleep time struggles,I just went through one now!She's in a phase where ,even though she's very sleepy and wants to doze off,she tries hard to stay awake and makes the whole procedure a long ordeal.It happens sometimes in the afternoon too.

She was a perfect sleeper for a long time,at the end of her 3rd month,she started sleeping through the night(10:30-8)Not a single sound during the night.She used to sleep in her crib,which is next to our bed up to 10 months.After our India trip,everything changed,not blaming the place ,but the fact that she would sleep next to us while we were there.

Then she went through jet lag,and fell sick with cold and so she was next to us for a while.After which I started putting her in the crib,she would promptly wake up around 3am,start crying.I would put her next to us and she would be ok after that.It would happen every time she was in the crib.Right now,we have the crib sort of attached to our bed on one side.She has been sleeping ok, if she wakes up,I pat her back to sleep without getting up.Probably the best option now,since she's not between us and I dont have to get up,pick her up and pat her back to sleep.

Well,its always going through phases with kids.When you think you have settled down in one,every thing changes and you have to find a solution for the next!

All I can hope for now,is,for her to sleep through the night without waking up.After which,I will try to move the crib away from the bed,and then worry about moving the crib to another room.

MDM

Sleep Training: One step forwards. two steps backwards

I write at my own blog too and I recently posted poppin's sleep story here.
I thought that maybe I could post an update on that here..

Sleep Training is not going so well. My poppin made a decent start towards independence but suddenly decided that she wants to go back to being my baby. Since I had succesfully managed to pat her to sleep lying next to her, I thought it was time for me to take the big step.

I put her in the crib when she was sleepy and told her calmly that it was time to sleep. She put her head on the pillow for about 2 seconds. Then she stood up and clutching the railings, she started to play.

I kept reminding her that it was time to sleep. Everytime I said that, she would put her head down but spring back up a few minutes later. I left the room twice, but she cried so hard that I returned since I was trying to do this without CIO.

This went on for about an hour and a half (I checked the time because I know that sometimes, it feels like forever, but it isnt). Finally she started to cry loudly and I knew that she was extremely sleepy. I kept humming and making encouraging sounds but she would have none of it. She kept standing up and crying out for me. At one time she made to puke but she didnt.

Eventually I gave in, and picked her up. She put her head on my lap and went to sleep instantly. I don't know if that is the end of the road for my sleep training . Right now, I'm too anxious to get it done and she's not ready I guess. Will probably try again in a few weeks..

What are your sleep stories?

1st of many birthdays...

Thanks for inviting me to contribute to your blog MDM!!

Today is my son's first birthday. I can't seem to say that enough times. Just reading that sentence makes me feel so wonderful. I had started off with such expectations and hope once upon a time - wanting a baby so badly - I never thought I would see this day! And here I am, I have a gorgeous son and I have had one year with him already! Time really flies - especially when I think back to the day he was born - it feels like yesterday!!

You are so right MDM, about how your child expresses their love for you - and it's different to how they behave with their dads. Kanay sleeps with us and in the mornings, he has started to give me a soggy kiss on my lips in the mornings and putting his head on my chest. It is so cute but he doesn't kiss his dad like that. I love the way he behaves with me - it definitely makes me feel special. I wish he would be the same with his dad... but then again.. maybe not!! Just kidding :)

He was also sick the last few days, with a terrible temperature that lasted a couple of days. During that time, he absolutely refused to go anyone else but me. He just wanted to sit in my lap and be cuddled and comforted. This was the sickest that I have seen him (which hasn't been too often, thank God). It got to a point where I couldn't even go to the restroom without him having a crying fit because I handed him off to his dad for 2 minutes. At times like this, I begin to understand what it means to be a mum! Thankfully he is almost better, just in time for his birthday.

Well, I'm off to get ready and help my son blow out his first candle :)

Runny Nose and Puffy Eyes

Yup,Miss D has a cold.She does not fall sick too often,thank God !But the times she does,I feel so bad for her....when we adults go through it,we can at least crib,complain and talk about it to others as if it is the highlight of the day.All they can do is try to ignore it and carry on with their usual mischief(which I'm sure is better than what we do).We were at someones house on saturday and the little boy there had a cold and I didnt know whether to be paranoid or just let the kids play together.I ended up being paranoid,pulling her away from the toys he was playing with etc.To what extent can we avoid all this?Well,right now all I can hope for is her quick recovery.

Children express their love in such wonderful ways,it brings tears in my eyes.Yesterday we were having dinner at a restaurant and she was on her high chair and kept pulling my hand now and then and would rest her face on my fist by holding it with both her hands.It was such an adorable gesture, I loved it!There are so many things that Miss D does with me,which she wouldnt with others and it makes me feel so special.Sometimes I think it would be nice if she did with her dad too,but at the same time I think its cute since she does it only with me:-)Am I being mean?

MDM

Hey Poppins,great to hear from you ! I read lot of your posts.I made mine public too,that way I can share it/get ideas from lot more mommies.I love the nick name Poppins.It reminds me of my childhood-I used to love the fruit flavored poppins:-)!!

Excited about sharing our stories.

Miss D Mom(MDM)

Great Idea

Hey that's a great idea MissDMom. Thanks for inviting me to contribute. What a coincidence that I have also started blogging (check out http://www.babiesanon.blogspot.com)
but that's a public blog. Maybe I can cross post here. I liked the part where you said you became a mom the day you found out you were pregnant, that was so sweet, and so so true.

First Blog

Hello hard working moms out there!!! I became a mom on july 8th 2005,not the day she was born,but when I found out I was pregnant.She was born on march 1st 2006.We knew we were headed in a good direction the second we saw her.Disha("direction") is her name.About 95% of the words that I utter everyday is about Miss D(as I love to call her),so why not I start writing some down and share it with other moms who would want to share their everyday stories.