My parents came to the US for their third time on May 7th this year. The weekend they came was an amazing weekend. My sister and her fiance came over to our home from LA, and my close friend P drove from the bay area. On Saturday, we were all busy preparing for my baby shower on Sunday May 9th. We also had a surprise ultrasound appt. booked for mom-dad to see the baby on Saturday afternoon.
After lunch and my yoga class on Saturday, we headed for the ultrasound appointment. We could see the baby's face and a lot of her antics inside my tummy. We got some cool 3D pictures and a video to bring back with us. Mom-dad and others were thrilled to see her for the first time :)!
Sunday was a triple bonanza...it was my mom's birthday, Mothers' Day here in US, and my baby shower. We had a small puja at home with the ladies in the morning, and then headed over to our close friends Harish-Deepika's home for the baby shower lunch. Everyone who was invited showed up on time, and the party was a huge success. We played a couple games after the cake-cutting and lunch...and everyone who was present participated.
I came away from the party with a feeling of content and a huge sigh of relief. It all went as planned, and more than anything, we were all happy and had so much fun.
I also felt very loved that day. As I reflected upon the weekend later, I realized that I am surrounded by so many people who genuinely care for me, and love me. Some of these people (apart from my family) have been there for me through many of my difficult times, and have never hesitated to offer help when I needed it or asked for it. Also, they have never made me feel obligated for what they have done. I truly cherish these relationships and feel very blessed.
In the days and weeks leading up to my parents arrival, we had spent a lot of time getting the house ready for them, as well as preparing for the baby shower function. I tend to be a detail oriented person, and don't like last minute panic situations. This time around, because of my physical condition, I could not do much by myself, so I had to rely on help. And I must say I was not disappointed at all.
Another few weeks and the much awaited baby will be here. Life will be so different, so exciting, so much more fun :).
The long weekend from May12-May16, 2010
Right after a sooper busy Mothers Day weekend, we had another busier weekend planned. This one involved air travel, which I had not done since I got pregnant. So I was a little nervous about how I would feel.
My younger sister was graduating with an MS in Molecular Microbiology and Immunology from USC in LA on May 12, and my close friend P was graduating with a doctorate in Electrical Engineering from Binghamton University, upstate NY on May 15.
I had taken couple days off to attend these graduations and be able to travel. On May 12, we got ready in time to leave for the airport, and on our way found out that the flight was delayed. The ride to the airport was filled with anxiety, frustration, disappointment, and phone calls. I was trying to find alternative flights that could get us into LA area by noon or 1pm, so that we would not miss the graduation. My parents had come all the way from India to attend it, and it would be a huge letdown if we missed it because of a flight delay.
On reaching the airport and looking at the various flight options, we decided to stick with our original flight. Hubby let the pilot and air hostesses know that we were running late for a graduation, and they provided some good humor during the flight announcements by making graduation announcements to all the passengers :). I survived the flight okay as well.
After the flight delay and horrible traffic through downtown LA, we finally made it in time at the venue. The graduation ceremony was a blast. My sister got hooded on stage by her department chair, and got her degree and we were able to see her walk down the red carpet and click some good pictures. Mom-dad and I felt extremely proud of her achievements. It was great to see her get her second Masters' Degree. She has been the youngest in our house, and we have watched her grow up so closely. This was a moment to cherish!
The second ceremony at the USC main campus was also good, but the place was too crowded and hot. We got out from there as quickly as we could.
The flights into Binghamton, NY were surprisingly comfortable. I got front seats on both the flights, and my friend P came on time to receive us (which is rare). The entire time we spent in Binghamton - meeting P's college friends, getting him ready for the commencement, attending the actual ceremony and clicking pictures, shopping in a frenzy at the university bookstore, Indian buffet dinner back at our hotel, a tour of the campus and P's apartments around the next day morning, etc - everything was just perfect. I was so happy just to be able to make it there at this stage of my pregnancy. And I also felt very blessed to not have any health concerns due to the travel.
I flew back home Sunday night and went to bed feeling so content, so blessed. A lot of times you plan things for so long, and they don't work out for some reason. Sometimes they do, but you hit roadblocks. And sometimes, they work out just perfect. Each experience is a blessing, and teaches you so many things.
These moments and occasions of my life will be cherished forever. The memories have made a permanent place in my mind, and heart!
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