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.