Adios 2012!

Wow - the year has almost come to an end (couple of hours left for us here in California)....

It started with us finding out on New Years Day that our daughter was going to have a little brother or sister.....I think we panicked and started worrying more than being overjoyed at first.....after we told our family and friends, we relaxed and eagerly looked forward to our newest addition....

And we were blessed with this little guy - so so precious!

I'm still sick, so making this a short post....but thank you for all those who follow my blog and comment regularly - Ramesh, Agnes, Andrew, Deana, Zeena, Gauri, Sriram (and more).....I write because I enjoy it so much and find it extremely therapeutic....and this blog is not publicized to my family or friends or people on networking sites....but all of you who read and comment are terrific people (with amazing blogs) that I consider my friends in real life. I hope to meet all of you some day. Thank you for your support and love!

This is my 84th published post this year....exactly the same as last year.....I hope to cross the 100 mark in 2013....fingers crossed!

Paulo Coelho wrote yesterday - "2013: the first year of the rest of my life"....here's wishing all of you and your loved ones a happy, healthy and blessed 2013!

Holidays 2012 - a photo post

I've been meaning to post a few pictures from the last couple weeks of fun times we've had, but everyone in the house is sick, especially the baby who is just miserable.....so I could not find the time, until now that is :).

We had a full house over the Christmas break - mum n dad are here, and sister was visiting with her hubby. The daughter loved all the Christmas lights in the neighborhood as well as a couple other places that we took her to. She got wonderful gifts - a train table that we set up for her on Christmas Eve and a personalized big sister book with lots of fun stuff inside.

We also got a family photoshoot done - didn't spend much time at the studio coz the baby was cranky, but it's going to be a while before we are all under one roof again, so I wanted a memory of that.

The daughter fell sick on Christmas eve, and she was very miserable and cranky. But the baby was okay, so we got him dressed up in his Christmas outfit. I clicked some pictures and did a comparison of both their first Christmas outfit pictures :)....ain't they both so cute and precious :)? and don't they look so alike?

At the studio, they were both very un-cooperative....so we only managed a few shots of both of them...none smiling, but memorable nevertheless....

We had lots of fun moments at home. We did shopping, packing, repacking, cooking/baking, a nice dinner outside, and loads of playtime with both the kids. Maasa-Maasi took the daughter out one morning to a new pretend-play place in town...she had so much fun, didn't want to come back.....I think that's where she brought the virus from and got the whole house sick, including herself!

This is the baby doing tummy time on the bed with me....

He then did potty so I had to change him....but before I put his clothes on, I clicked a picture of his chubbiness.....

 The baby is blessed - grandparents entertain him every minute he is awake.....

This is the daughter on her recliner chair.....taking part in the conversations happening at home....she looks so grown up!

And this is her doing the "Sai Baba" pose upon request....

She dressed up to visit the pretend play center with her maasa-maasi, and wanted to wear naani's bindi....

 And this is both of them...listening to Mozart tunes in the crib.....they both find it very calming.....

We clicked a few pictures of the Christmas lights....

The daughter is very much into gymnastics - I can't believe how tall she is....

I caught the son smiling away in his rocker chair a few times....

And I'll end the post here.....there's tons of pictures but I'm totally under the weather today - fever, headache, earache, runny nose, and cough.....and it's so cold outside.....I have not felt this way in quite some time so I will get some much needed rest!

Happy Holidays!

Weekending

The last few weekends were filled with activities....garba (3 times), pumpkin patch outing, Halloween trick or treat events (4 of them), apple hill visit, etc - it involved lots of dressing up....driving around town.....clicking pictures.....resulting in happy times and happy memories.

The daughter absolutely loves garba now....she dances to garba tunes every morning and evening in the house....she keeps singing "Sanedo Sanedo lal lal Sanedo" all day.....and this mumma of hers could not be happier to see her daughter share her passion for garba :)!

Here are some pictures from our various outings....

For our annual pumpkin patch outing, we picked a small local pumpkin farm.....the kiddo at first did not like being there....but after the hay ride she warmed up and liked the place....she did not seem too interested in petting the animals or the pony ride....

We went for Garba 3 times.....by the third outing, she was hooked....the music, the colorful outfits, the dancing in circles, sanedo, chhuk chhuk gaadi for kids - she loved it all....

R does not like to wear dresses or Indian outfits at all - her favorite outfit to don is her pajamas or shorts with tees....so for this girl to willingly put on her chaniya choli that matched mine perfectly and let her dad take our picture is like winning the jackpot....these pictures are even more precious for that reason.....

My little man stayed home this year....we managed to dress him up for a few minutes at home and click these pictures....he is too little to be comfortable in such outfits and started crying right away, so I didn't even try to get him to smile or make him sit upright in his carseat (which I usually do to get him to pose).....but hey, this is good enough for this year :)

The same thing happened with Halloween....we tried to put on an outfit and he was so uncomfortable....I could not even get him to stop crying......he had several choices of borrowed outfits, out of which I tried putting on a robot one. Maybe after a week or so I will try again and see if he co-operates :).....

The daughter dressed up as Snow White - and we hit our second jackpot when she fell in love with her dress. She wore it for all her trick or treat outings......and enjoyed looting all the candy.....out of all her loot, she enjoys munching on her N&M's the most :)!

R's camera "happy face" below - if you say you want a picture so give me your happy face, you get this - LOL!

We also managed to go to Apple Hill for our annual apple picking outing.....the last few years mom and dad have always been here with us and they enjoy it more than we do. This year we went to an organic farm (after all, apples are part of the dirty dozen) and it was a good decision....the farm is small, and well managed. It was not crowded, and it did not have any other marketing distractions that other popular farms do. Here are a few pictures.....

That's all for now.....gearing up for the baby's first Diwali and the holiday season here!

So...howz it going :)?

Sorry for the disappearing act from this space....a newborn's entry into the toddler's kingdom has created much-expected chaos and we are struggling to figure out our new normal :)!

Our pretty-much-potty-trained toddler has regressed....badly. As per the expert (her ped), it's one of her ways to steal attention from the baby. But it has caused the maximum amount of disruption in our lives. She is terribly cranky and keeps on screaming all day, all evening. We do whatever we can to help her go potty, but she just does not co-operate. Finally, as of last week, we have figured out a solution to her constipation issues....and sadly, it involves her not using the potty at all. She needs to forget that going to potty is an issue, or that its painful...before we try to train her again.

She is also down this weekend with a bad case of fever - we still don't know if its viral, or strep, or something else. But the fever has not broken yet - its hovering around 102-103F and the little girl is visibly miserable. She is getting all the TLC(= attention) she needs and we are hoping that the virus runs its course by tonight and she has a better (= fever-free or low grade fever) day tomorrow.

My postpartum pain is finally gone. I had a lot of it this time around. After the daughter was born, I was up on my feet after a week or so. With the son, it took almost a month. I'm fine now, but I dealt with many days and nights of almost-unbearable pain. During that time, my only focus was on breastfeeding the baby. Thankfully, that did not get affected...and we have established a good nursing routine for both of us. Milk supply issues have not cropped up yet as well....and that's a relief! When this tiny little human's existence depends entirely on you, its always frightening....

Other than this, it's been fun :). The baby is loved by everyone - even his big sister. She gives him zillions of kisses everyday....she is gentle with him....she loves it when he smiles at her.....she likes watching his diaper changes and massages and baths. She's dealing with a roller-coaster of emotions but she only shows her best side to her little brother...and I'm quite in awe of that!

The baby is simply adorable....a sweet sweet blessing in our lives. I love newborns....even though caring for them is exhausting, the joy they bring is unparalleled! He has started cooing when he sees familiar faces. He adores his big sister and whenever she is nearby and he can hear her voice, he starts smiling and turns his head towards her. He smiles, a LOT - when awake and while asleep - and we all love it. We have started his massage and bathing routine - usually mom massages him and I do the bath.....its simply the most relaxing time of my day.

The baby is already a month old...can you believe it? Time is flying by so quickly. It's been a much different (= better) month this time around than with the daughter. We've had fewer visitors (and for a change, I'm thankful for it).....the people who really care have been there for us, and I'm grateful for that. I am so much more in control of myself (= my emotions) with respect to handling every aspect of a newborn....I had so much anxiety and stress with the daughter. For months, I worried if I was providing her with enough breast milk. This time, I know I am....and I am so relieved about that aspect.

I've found time to host a gathering for my mommy group.....this picture below is of Gen2.0 kids (my mommy group has all kids my daughter's age).....

I've gone for a nice relaxing massage and I'm going for another one this week....

I've taken the daughter for a train ride festival that happened in town recently....

I've already applied for the baby's passport.....(and we are starting to make plans for India...I'm so excited :)).....

I've managed to watch a few movies at home....

I've also managed to finish reading 4 books in the last month....

I make dinner for the family everyday - on the menu today are lettuce wraps with tofu, zucchini, bell pepper, ground peanuts, etc....my time in the kitchen is also one of my favorite and relaxing time of my day....

I've sorted through the many hand-me-down clothes that we got for the baby....and he now has his wardrobe set for pretty much his entire first year of life....(I have awesome friends and neighbors).....

I've enjoyed all my nursing sessions with him - day or night - and I've slept with him on my chest as much as I can.....(it's the BESTEST feeling in the world).....

And we've all spent loads and loads of quality time as a family.....cherishing the sweet blessing of a new baby in our lives....

So...how have you all been :)?

Backyard pool fun

Everyone around us knows that R is a water baby, so she got a backyard pool as a birthday gift from her maamu H and maami P, who are one of her favorites :). I love these people, coz they did not gift us just a kiddie pool - it's big enough for 5 adults to sit and enjoy, along with the kids :)!

We kept waiting for the right day with the right temperature to inflate and fill it in - but that perfect day never came. So last Saturday, we decided to give it a go. I was napping with R and when I woke up, dad and hubby had set it all up! It was a chilly day. We added a grand total of 5 hot water buckets to the ~200 gallon chilled water that was already filled in, and jumped right in :)! Those buckets did nothing to the water temperature (as you may have guessed already ;)). It was COLD, but it was SO much fun!

R did not want to come out - hubby also joined us after some time....and we had a blast. We did Facetime with R's maasi-maasa in San Diego and they were jealous that they were not there in the pool, enjoying with us!

When we finally got out, we were all freezing! Mom gave R a hot bath, but she was still shivering, and asked for the fireplace to be turned on....and promptly sat by it for a few minutes to warm up. For those who know her well, this is a sight to behold, coz its so rare :)

Had it been any other new outdoor activity that we asked the kiddo to try, she would have refused considering how chilly it was. But she will never say NO to water or ice, even if its freezing cold! Yes, this is the kiddo, who, when we landed on a glacier in Alaska and sat her down for a minute, was the first one to start eating ice and smile while doing so - she was not even a year old at that time! I can't wait to take her skiing/snowboarding!

She has doubled her age!

A letter to my daughter, on her second birthday:

When I look into your eyes
It's like watching the night sky
Or a beautiful sunrise
There's so much they hold
And just like them old stars
I see that you've come so far
To be right where you are
How old is your soul?

This song by Jason Mraz is one of the latest radio hits.....and these lyrics seem to partially convey how I feel about you. You made me a mommy, and I am grateful that you have given me the best two years of my life till date. Happy 2nd birthday my precious child.....let's take a short trip down the memory lane and recap the past 12 months:

We started off your second year with celebrations. We had a grand birthday party with so many family members, cousins, friends, and loved ones around. You were spoilt rotten with lots of gifts. You learnt to walk, and went from taking wobbly steps to running to jumping with both feet high up in the air. Now when we go for walks, you walk along with daddy and mommy, while continuously telling us "No walking on the road" :)! We've hardly used the stroller all year....infact, we don't even carry it with us on trips anymore! Our favorite spot to walk to is the top of the hill right outside our community, where we enjoy watching a fantastic sunset all year round!

You started going to daycare....you call your caregiver your other mumma....and she rightly deserves it. I don't know what we would do without her presence in our lives. It was a rough transition for all of us.....it took us more than a couple months to get you adjusted, but over time, we have found this safe haven for you, where you are loved, nurtured, fed and have found playmates to keep you happy and busy all morning. You take a good solid nap (3+ hours) in the afternoon, and daddy is always waiting for you as soon as you wake up to bring you home.

Our evenings are always full of fun - we go for walks, we go to parks (splash parks in summer are a huge hit), we go to the museum or library or zoo, we go to our neighbors' houses to play, we go to your maamu's or maasi's houses to socialize, or we just stay home and do fun stuff. Bath time is your favorite.....we always do long baths....and you enjoy them to the fullest.

Bedtime is probably the worst for you, but best for mommy and daddy. It's when you let your guard down, and talk to us about your day. It's when you practice your vocabulary, or your singing. It's when we read books all cuddled up together. I am so glad we co-sleep, coz I could not survive without all the cuddling and snuggling at night.

We have done a lot of traveling this year - and I am so glad that you enjoy all the trips. We have gone to San Diego, LA, Bay Area, Mexico, Hawaii, Yosemite, and many other interesting places within the country. You absolutely loved all the beaches in Hawaii, and you surprised me with all the walking in Yosemite. It is still your favorite park of all, and whenever we ask you which park you want to visit, you promptly say "Yosemite" :). It is the first National Park your mumma visited in the US, and she holds it close to her heart....so its only natural that you are fond of that place as much as your mumma.

One huge thing that has been relieving for me is that you love both your mommy and daddy equally. This was not the case during your first year, and it was only natural for things to be that way, mainly because of all the bonding time I got with you during our nursing sessions, as well as the 9 months of leave I had to just be with you. You also heavily depended on nana-nani for most of your daily needs, and although daddy was part of your life, you did not get as much 1:1 time with him. This year has been remarkably different....you and daddy have the strongest bond that I could have ever imagined, and I am so very happy to see that. You miss him in the mornings when he is not home, and you don't sleep at night without having him by our side. He takes you everywhere....he brings loads and loads of books for you from the library.....he gives you a bath everyday.....he wakes up at night to change your diaper and brings you a bottle of warm milk early in the morning....he showers you with hugs and kisses all the time.....you've got him hooked!

You have quite a striking personality at this young age. Your smile is no doubt infectious. The curls in your hair are gorgeous. Your vocabulary is mind blowing. Your passion for books is endearing. You love nature - flowers, grass, trees, birds, insects, moon, starts, sunsets, beaches, parks. You are a complete water baby - bubbles, water balloons, swim classes, splash park outings, getting drenched in the backyard - it is something that you could live for....I really wish we had a pool in our backyard for you to enjoy everyday. You are very stubborn, but very sensitive too. I see glimpses of both our personalities in you.....and although some of it terrifies me, I think you are growing up to be a wise humble compassionate soul.

Between music and dance, I think you have more passion for music. You love the piano, know how to sing saregamapa, you can sing poems and songs and even phrases in different falsettos, and you love all the music videos we play for you on the laptop. With dance, I don't see you as a natural....even though you know many moves and can move in tune with the music. Your daddy has an amazing voice and sings so well....I hope you will too. Every child is an artist....the problem is how to remain one as you grow up, and I will do my best to retain the little artist in you - always!

You are going to be a big sister very soon.....and I am so thrilled and excited for you to have a sibling to grow up and share your life with (and bitch about us when times comes ;)). I know you will have a rough few weeks during the transition, but when I think and look at the long term picture, I only envision lots and lots of happy and fun times ahead for you and your beebee! You may at times feel that you are not loved enough....but the greatest thing about love is - there is always room for more! I cannot wait to expand our hearts and welcome your beebee into our lives!

You are very blessed in your life, my precious sweetheart! So many people love you, and care for you, and willingly spend quality time to just play and be with you. Both your grandparents, maasi/maasa, foi, adaa, and your three first cousins adore and love you. Your mommy and daddy are not perfect parents, but they try in infinite ways to be the best they could be for you.

Here is a lullaby, which I chanced upon the internet, that I would like to dedicate to you today:

Mother's Song
a Traditional Lullaby

My heart is like a fountain true
That flows and flows with love to you.
As chirps the lark unto the tree
...So chirps my pretty babe to me.

There's not a rose where'er I seek,
As comely as my baby's cheek.
There's not a comb of honey-bee,
So full of sweets as babe to me.

There's not a star that shines on high,
Is brighter than my baby's eye.
There's not a boat upon the sea,
Can dance as baby does to me.

No silk was ever spun so fine
As is the hair of baby mine.
My baby smells more sweet to me
Than smells in spring the elder tree.

A little fish swims in the well,
So in my heart does baby dwell.
A little flower blows on the tree,
My baby is the flower to me.

The Queen has sceptre, crown and ball,
You are my sceptre, crown and all.
For all her robes of royal silk,
More fair your skin, as white as milk.

Ten thousand parks where deer do run,
Ten thousand roses in the sun,
Ten thousand pearls beneath the sea,
My babe more precious is to me.

I wish you a very happy, healthy, adventurous, fun and blessed year ahead my betu.....this mumma of yours loves you truly, madly, deeply :)!

Gazillions of hugz and kisses to you my love....wish you a Happy Happy Birthday!