The last 24 hours....

So...

The grandparents left for India yesterday afternoon!

Miss R went to the airport to drop them and cried buckets of tears coz she wanted to go to India with them and had to be forced to come back home. Dealt with her somber mood until bedtime.

Mr R, the softie, has had high fever - 104F, since they left. Hubby and I kept a close watch on him all night long - we did bath, sponges, medicines. He got checked by his pediatrician and it looks like a viral fever so far. He is still running 102+F....hoping it comes down by tomorrow.

A close friend's dad passed away this morning. She was in a mess before taking her flight to India this evening. I sacrificed 45 mins during my lunch hour to meet her and provide much needed hugs and strength. I packed her bags, gave her lunch, took codes to access her house, and ensured she had her passport/cash/phone in her purse before she took off with a friend for the airport.

The grandparents reached Dubai and did FaceTime with us (they had a lovely flight). The scene unfolded like this: grandma was crying, grandpa was crying, Mr R was inconsolable, forgetting to breathe in between his sobs and saying "nana nana nana", Miss R was about to cry but put up a brave face to tell her "nani" to stop crying.....I could only handle it for 4-5 mins before hanging up. Too much heartache on both ends!!!!

Hubby's manager is being a pain in the A$$. She is an old woman who does not have kids. She does not understand what our daily struggles are. He is very stressed as he had to take the day off today. We had no choice though - the son was running 103+F in the morning at 7am when he typically leaves for work. We had not slept much through the night, and we had to get the daughter ready for her school. I was more worried of the chills and heavy breathing that the little one had all night, and needed him with me in case we needed x-rays or tests. He tells me they are jealous of the 6-week bonding leave he recently took. Well, its a State of CA benefit for which the State pays us (pennies, but still something) and I don't understand why it is causing so much grief. And, it was planned well in advance.

With two children so young, parents need flexibility. I don't know how we can manage if our managers and employers don't understand that. I have 3+ weeks of vacation left for this year, and I have saved it precisely for such times. I am taking time off tomorrow to be with the sick kiddo. Hubby also has time off banked in reserve for such times, but its still an issue if he takes it. And he is not allowed to work from home either. So can you suggest what we can do?

The clothes from the dryer are occupying the guest bedroom. The sink is filled with dishes that need cleaning. There is fresh food for all of us, but no appetite. The sun is behind the clouds, making it a boring dull day.

The grandparents have been gone for only 24 hours, but our lives have turned upside down in that short time! {sigh}

PS: I have a lot of drafted posts - must do a week-long marathon to get them all published :)!

My biggest fan

Today morning, she said "Mom, your earrings look like Candy".

Last week, she said "Mumma, your shoes are so cute."

The week before, she said "Mummy, I love your dress".

At bedtime, she invariably says "Mumma I love you sooooooooo much".

Every morning, she wants to put lip-guard and a dash of my body spray. She says "Mumma I want to look just like you :)".

When I cook her favorite meal, she says "Mumma, this is yummy in R's tummy".

When I occasionally find time to blow dry and style my hair, she says "Mumma your hair is so straight, I like it so much". I always reciprocate "you have beautiful curls".

Hubby leaves early for work, and I used to miss him in the mornings when I got ready. There was no one to comment on my appearance. But now, I look forward to dressing up and wait for a compliment from the kiddo :).

Often, after she sleeps, I will kiss her. More than once. And often, she smiles at me in her sleep. She knows I'm there, and she loves the touch. Her favorite thing to do is sleep on my arm, cuddled into my body, gently being massaged, and being kissed once she drifts into deep sleep.

She loves to give tighty-tight hugs.

I love having a child who loves to express, and makes me feel so good, every single day.

I am grateful, and I am blessed, to have her as my daughter (and my biggest fan). Love you betu!!!!

Post #300

Last year, on this day, I was lugging around a 40-week pregnant belly (yep, my due date was 9/9), wondering why this baby was making me wait soooooooo much (especially after the doctor had confidently told me the baby will be early)!. My curiosity about having a son or daughter was at its peak, and I was also very anxious about the whole labor and delivery process, along with establishing a good breastfeeding relationship with this new baby.

Well, he arrived just a few days later (we are celebrating his first birthday this week :)), labor was tough but I had an amazing birth experience, and he was a champ at nursing. I could not have asked for more, and I'm very grateful!

This year has been a learning experience for us. It has been the toughest on the daughter - she loves him, she hates him, she really has a lot of conflicting and uncertain emotions running through her. We have been mostly patient, understanding, and sensitive - but there have been times (more often than I would have liked) when we have had to be strict and discipline her.

Overall, though, however it happened, I'm glad she got a sibling. I cannot think of even one moment where I have felt that this was a bad idea, for any of us.

And the baby - well, he has stayed true to his name - the ever peaceful one. He is the calm in our everyday stormy life. He patiently bears all the tantrums, whining, and hitting from his big sister. If and when he expresses his angry or frustrated emotions,we know that things have gone beyond a certain limit - and we can't help but melt away and simply cuddle him and hug him tight - he's a true man in that sense, very very strong from outside, but a softie from within.

She is my drama queen and he is my warrior of peace!

This last weekend - they were both sick. The daughter came home from school with 103.5F fever, and the son came down with a stomach bug. We don't have parents right now with us (although they are coming back for his birthday this week - yay :)), but thanks to our friend A, we got by. It was not easy, but it was alright. They are better now, and I hope they stay that way.

I was looking through a few saved drafts this past weekend, and realized this would be Post #300. So I had to pen down a new, latest one. 300 posts - WOW! I never thought I would get here any day. It's been so effortless. I only write when I really feel like it (except for the marathon I did as a challenge), and I have also managed to keep this place hidden from most of the people I interact with in real life.

I cannot stand all the attention most bloggers seek on every little thing they write (nothing wrong with it, just not my cup of coffee :P). I also do not like to take part in contests, or publicize my posts on social media. I often wonder about the privacy aspects of putting up pictures of my kids online, and sharing my life....but so far, except for one instance when a person I knew was stalking me, I have not felt the need to stop sharing here.

Hubby's 6-week bonding leave comes to an end tomorrow. He now truly appreciates the role of home-makers who tirelessly work day and night to keep the house running and keep the family well fed and happy. I hope he values the lessons he learnt as they were invaluable. This time given to him to just be home with the son was truly a gift.

Over the labor day long weekend, I made a last minute plan to go to the Sonoma Coast. I got hotel reservations right by the bay for one night, and also managed to take a friend and her lovely family along with us. We had a blast - we spent time at the beach on both days (even though the Pacific was COLD, the sand was warm)....kids made sand castles, flew kites, fed the birds, ran around, had FUN! On our evening walk, we spotted seals and dolphins. We saw lots of ranches with cows and sheep on the way. We saw beautiful vistas along HWY1, on a stretch I had not explored before - I returned home so happy and content. On the drive back, we saw gorgeous double rainbows (end to end) in the fields by the freeway.

The son had his first minor fall (from the hotel bed) and got a bruise. His ped said "oh it was a matter of when, not if" when we went for a follow-up. The daughter got lost for a few minutes when she was pretending to hide and we could not find her. I went to the jacuzzi at night, only to be called 5 mins later by the hubby who could not put either kid to bed - haha. So the trip was eventful as well :)!

So that's pretty much a snapshot of what's going on at my end. How about you? Anything fun happening in your lives?

Ending the post with some pictures....hope you like them :)