This week.

On Monday, we had a parents teachers meeting at Ashus school. Our first. Since shes only in play school, nothing serious - Just a "Oh we are happy", "you are happy", "good", "bye then"! The teachers gave a potted plant for Ashu. A sun flower seed she had sown and has been watering every day for the past 2 weeks. A tiny shoot with one leaf. So cute. They also gave Ashus port folio. A folder with lots of pictures taken during class, the crafts she has done, a page on how she behaves in class, about her friends, that shes a little shy, that she likes to listen to the other kids and observe, loves puzzles and books, etc... A geek in the making, alright!

On Tuesday, it was match day in Zurich. (France Vs Italy) So roads were closed, traffic diverted, traffic jams and all the works. Reached the school 10 minutes late by which time Ashu had slept. Also, I had made the mistake of telling her the previous day that she ll go to big class from August with different teachers which she did nt like. So she started crying when I left her in the class. That's a first in months! Anyway, Ms.S carried her off and I decided to do some shopping nearby rather than going home and coming back in the bad traffic. Picked her up at 3. She told me that she wants Miss.M and Miss.S as her teachers and does nt want a new teacher. Oh Boy! I said OK and left it at that!

No school on Wednesday. Cooked, cleaned and prepared Ashu for the teddy bear picnic the next day in school and asked her to choose a bear. She chose her care bear.

On Thursday, Hubby was traveling. I made some cucumber sandwiches for the picnic and left for school in the afternoon. Since it was the last day of school and the kindergarten classes were also having picnic, the car park was over flowing. I parked the car in a nearby paid parking lot and walked to the school. We were 9 kids, 5 moms and 2 teachers. Had fun sitting on the grass and chatting with everyone. It was a perfect sunny day. We moms gave the gifts we had bought for the teachers. Ashu gave them the card she made and I took loads of photos. But then, felt really bad because Ashu would nt sing any rhymes during circle time, would nt answer any of the teachers Qs, would nt play with the kids in the play yard, she was either playing on her own or sitting beside me. Only the last 30 mins, she joined the other kids and played in the slide and the swing. Miss M told me not to worry as she usually joins in all the fun and shes being shy because I was there. Strange kid, this one. I really, really like Miss.M. Shes great with the kids. Too bad she would nt be Ashus teacher in Pre K. One of the moms had brought her youngest baby along. Hes 6 months old. Ashu just fell in love with him, gave him her bear, her hat, her snack and was touching him and kissing him and talking to him. It was so nice to see her with a baby. At 3 pm, said good byes to everyone, collected Ashus things from her class and came home dead beat because of the sun and the heat. Hd came home quite late in the night.

I wanted to do something special with just the 3 of us together yesterday but did nt work out. Because technically, it was the last day with just the 3 of us. My mom arrives tonight(Yippeee!) and in less than two weeks, the baby will be here and we will no longer be a family of 3. Sigh! Planning to go out in the evening. But theres loads of shopping and cleaning to do that I don't know if we ll have the time. Well, the thought counts. Speaking of which, I don't think we are going to be a "perfect" family once the baby is here. Whats with wishing "Oh, your family is perfect now" after the second baby arrives? I think we were a pretty perfect family with just Hd and I, then with Ashu too. It was a perfect family when my sis and I were kids and for that matter, I think it was more perfect before I was born! *evil grin* I don't think this baby has to come into this world with the baggage of making my imperfect family perfect! I don't think theres any agenda attached actually. The first child was well, we wanted to see what a baby is actually like and whether we can produce one. Then I did nt want to have another one. Neither did Hd. Hes an only child and he said he did nt miss any sibling and he did nt think Ashu needed a sibling. I was nt too keen either. I thought I would be a better "mom of one" rather than a "mom of two". But once Ashu was 2 1/2, I started telling Hd, "I don't want one. But if you want one, lets just get it over with. I don't want to wait until Im 35". And he was like "I don't want one. But if you want, I am ready!" (Of course you would be dear!) Then we both said what the heck and decided to get pregnant. Because we can. That's all there is to it. So its "We wanted to see what a baby is like and how good are we as parents" if Ashu asks why she came into existence and "Because we can have unprotected sex and no one can question us" to answer baby no 2. And then, they lived happily ever after. The End.

Four more weeks to go.

The other day I was showing Ashu her baby pictures and preparing her for Baby Pinocchio. And I told her "Look Ashu. you did nt have any teeth when you were born. The baby also wont have any". She was really intrigued and pointed the next photo and said, "Look Ma. Theres no tongue either!" And today after a month or so after that incident, she came to me with a worried look and asked "Amma! Will Pinocchio have hands?" Uh,oh! Then I had to reassure her that Pino will have all the body parts intact. Only the teeth will come later. Its tough being a clueless child, I suppose!

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Had a Doctor appointment on Friday and alls well." So your due date is July 3rd! Is 10 am OK for you?", asked the Doc. What? That's all? No more check ups? So the next time I go to the hospital, I ll come back with a baby? Arrrrgh!!!

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As always, last minute panic attacks have struck. I'm so ill prepared. Last pregnancy by this time, the crib was assembled, baby clothes laundered and folded and arranged, diapers bought, hospital bag packed, lists after lists were written and was waiting for my mom. But this time, I'm just waiting for my mom. I'm counting down to my moms arrival on the 20th more than the due date actually! But I'm sure all I ll do after she comes is sit on the couch with my feet up and eat all the goodies she cooks. (If you are reading this post today, "Happy Birthday Mom"!)

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Talking about the crib, listen to this freaky coincidence. We bought a wooden crib in Basel for Ashu and gave it to a friend before we left for India when Ashu was 5 months old. Fast forward 2 and a half years, this friend moved back to India last month and asked if I wanted the crib!! Its really, really freaky because every one of the ten or so friends we had in Basel have moved from that city and these are the only friends who still lived there and almost 3 years later, we are back in Zurich and they are moving back to India and we got the crib back. The crib we chose and bought 2 months before Ashu was due. The first ever DIY Hd did and I knew he would nt go anywhere without my help. The bed Ashu slept on like a baby! Sigh! Its really huge for me because in the last 8 years, I have lived in so many places that theres nothing sentimental I have hung on to. Buy stuff, throw stuff, move to another city, buy stuff, throw stuff,... has been the story of my life. So I'm really thrilled to have the crib back.

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We went to a Lebanese restaurant for dinner on our anniversary. Awesome food. I seem to love Mediterranean cuisine a lot in spite of being a vegetarian. I remember having a great time in Greece, especially the food part. Keep the Pita bread coming and with the Mezze (Salads, dips, olives,...), I'm one happy puppy! Not to mention, the assortment of Baklava for dessert! *drool* Ashu had half a falafel ball, 2 bites of pita bread, one small piece of tomato and one scoop of Vanilla ice cream. Yes, the girl exists purely to torture me. Slowly.

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We ve almost decided on a name for the baby. Actually, Ashu has! We made the mistake of asking if that name was good a couple of months back and she stuck to that name. Now whenever Hd or I come up with a different name, she absolutely refuses to give up that name. "No Amma, I don't like that name. I like ****** only", she says! And this one had the nerve to reveal that name to the house guests who were here last week. Well, at least its not Pinocchio. So I think we ll keep that name. We cant seem to come up with anything else anyway!

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Waiting for the release of Dasavatharam this weekend. If the only Tamil friend here is not interested, then I'm going to watch it alone. It better be worth it!

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Ten Reasons Why I Love You.

1. I know that you will be on my side even if the whole world is against me. How you are still on my side even when we are fighting.

2. How you like to learn and grow in this relationship. How you constantly tune into my needs and satisfy them. How you are just so perfect. For me.

3. I will always, always remember the time you got me that beautiful necklace for my birthday 6 years back but without the matching ear rings and then told me, we can go and get the ear rings later in the evening if I like the necklace as the store policy is against returning ear rings. How thoughtful was that! And I loved you more since the necklace was just perfect. I realize now that these little things are which make or break a relationship. And come what may, "We ll always have the Necklace". :) Well, at least I ll have it! (and the matching earrings!)

4. That you have let me believe that your family is more important to you than work and given a chance you would spend your day with us than at work. It might or might not be true and honestly I don't care. I just need that reassurance and I'm glad you know that.

5. I love you the most for letting me win a futile argument because it means so much to me to have the last word. I can get away with stuff like, "Because I say so", "Because I am carrying your child", "Just because",... and you indulge me. Thank you so much for being the bigger person in this relationship. I know its a lot of hard work and it would ve killed me by now if I were at it.

6. That I don't have to think twice before telling you something. The biggest reason why I love you has to be this one. Calling you a moron, myself a fatso, our daughter a genius, my sister bossy, my Bil hen pecked, my mom horrible, my dad a jerk, your parents loony bins, ... and lets not even go near our friends. (yes, bloggers included! ;) OK now the whole world knows but then we have more dirt on them than these, don't we? One person I don't have to pretend with. Ever. Ah, the bliss!

7. Ashus puppy dog devotion to you only makes me love you more, if that's possible.

8. That it took me less than 10 minutes to write this list.

I ll stop this list with eight things. For now.

Happy 8th Anniversary, Darling! :)

Bose, the Boss!

Did I tell you I got an iTouch from the husband for my birthday in March? Since we were in the US then and Hd was leaving back to Zurich a week before my birthday, he took me to the Apple store and let me choose an iPod. Of course I fell in love with the iTouch as soon as I saw it and I wanted that or nothing! Its as cool as it comes, I tell ya. Love it! Yes, this is my first iPod. Hd got an used iPod(bought it from my sis) a couple of years back and somehow I never bonded with it as much as I did with my 1 Gig MP3 player. The trusty player helped me through the boredom of breastfeeding Ashu 24/7, three years back. So I thought that iTouch would be ideal for the coming months. Then Hd with his mastermind kept ordering this and that from Amazon sitting in Zurich and a package a day was arriving at our door steps with my sisters name there! A beautiful leather pouch for the iTouch one day, a language translator the next, then a Digi cam lens protector, some Digital photography books and then came one more package. I knew about it of course but was discouraging Hd but he went ahead and bought it anyway. A Bose Headphone (the one in the picture) is what Im talking about. It looks bulky but light weight and when I opened it from the package and tested it, I knew for sure that I was never going to give it to Hd!! All my favorite songs sound even more fantastic now and the way the music surrounds me and the way I can appreciate every single musical instrument which is a part of the song is truly bliss! Hd is mighty annoyed that I ve stolen it from him even though I was the one who did nt want him to buy it in the first place. Hey, a girl cant change her mind or what!

Currently, Jodha Akbar and Guru are on non stop loop! Oh God, how can I describe the feeling. Its 10 pm. Ashu is in deep sleep in her room, Hd is busy with some office work and Im lying on the bed in the darkened room with just the music surrounding me. Occasionally, the baby kicks and reminds me that Im not entirely alone! And then my mind goes on a tangent and I start to look forward for the months of feeding the baby when the baby will actually be kicking me from the outside. The moment is just precious.

If only I can lose some weight post partum with my innumerable (mentally) choreographed moves for the Mayya Mayya song from Guru, life will be just perfect. I think I can be at the Elpitical for hours if I have this song on repeat. Got to hit the gym as soon as possible. Crossing fingers.

Now for some bashing. Why would Harris Jayaraj make Bombay Jayashree and Madhushree sing the same song and release them both in the album? Pachai Kili Muthu Charam was released sometime last year and I have heard the songs hundreds of times so far. But with Bose now, every little mistake is glaringly obvious. Unakul Naane is truly amazing when Jayashree sings it and annoying as hell when Madhushree sings it. Wont a Music Director realize that? What was the whole point? Did he have something against Madhushree? I definitely think so. Every "vaa" (sollavaa, allavaa, paarthidavaa, ...) sounds like a question when Jayashree sings it which is what it should be and is like "Vaa" (come) when Madhu sings it which is just annoying like hell!!(solla VAA, alla VAA, paarthida VAA,...) I mean theres a huge difference between "Ranamum Then Allavaa" and "Ranamum Then Alla VAA", no? I cant help but remember that old Bhagyaraj movie where the Hindi Teacher is trying to teach Hindi to that friend of Bagyarajs ("Ek Gaaon mein ek Kisaan...") and in frustration bangs the students head and beats the hell out of him because he cant learn one sentence properly after all those classes. I feel the Hindi teachers pain. (Madhushree thalai la naalu kuttu kutti, nangu nangu nu nalla nokkanum pola irukku!) On a good note, how fabulous is that song "Karu karu Vizhigalaal". Why am I not surprised that Karthik is one of the singers! *drool*

And I also realized that my most favorite movie album is "Mudhal Mariyaadhai". I know! I am surprised too! The movie is 25 years old, I guess. But what great songs. What great lyrics! The thing I like most about it is that you cant take these set of songs and use them for any other movie. Unlike movies today where the songs are totally interchangeable with any other movie. Of any other genre even! Every song of Mudhal Mariyaadhai is just so apt for that particular scene and the lyrics are as if they are part of the screenplay. I never thought I would rave about Bharathiraja, Ilayaraja and Vairamuthu so much especially for the same movie! The trio truly rocked. And the singers Malaysia Vasudevan and S Janaki. They just created magic. Of course, the entire credit goes to the cast. If not for Sivaji Ganesan, this movie would have never worked for me! Comparing this to Kizhakku Seemaiyile where the music(AR Rehman) was great, the lyrics too and the same Bharathiraja as the Director. And great acting too. But somehow Vijayakumar did nt do justice.(But Napolean rocked though!) Sivaji would have taken the movie to a different level, no? According to me, Devar Magan would nt have been Devar Megan without Sivaji even though its a Kamal movie. By the way, I either like a movie or dont. I dont care whether I like the actor or not! On that note, I have made up my mind that I like Ilayarajas music better than Rahmans. But I like Rahman better than Ilayaraja.(If that makes sense!) And thats the reason, celebrities should nt give too many interviews. It totally affects a fans impression of them irrespective of how great their work is. In a good way and bad! It should nt be that way but hey, its not a fair world. If it was, would PR be such a thriving business? ;)

Notes for Husband.

Hd,

So I'm 34 weeks pregnant and the d day is arriving fast. You know that far, don't you? This time around I'm more scared about the home front than the hospital front. I'm going to be in the hospital at least for 5 nights. That means, its just going to be Ashu and you at home. I'm sure if Ashu was old enough to understand the enormity of it, she would get herself admitted in the hospital bed next to mine. But the poor child does nt have a clue. Anyway, I dont want to be unfair. I can leave with absolutely no instructions and I know you can manage Ashu and the house just fine. Only not my way! After all, when have you ever "listened" to my instructions? But this time, Im writing them all down. Because, these are the little things which mean a lot to our baby girl. Her world is going to turn upside down in a month or so and for the first time in her life, her mom is going to be away in the night. So lets try to make this easier for her, shall we?

Here it goes...

1. I know that you know the breakfast routine, even a visually challenged person would know that by now, but let me go through it once more. She does nt want her milk as soon as she wakes up. Give her some time. And ever since she started drinking from that silver tumbler, theres this small routine you ve to follow. Pour half of the milk from the big plastic cup to the small tumbler. Only after she finishes every drop, should you pour again. But not all. You should leave a teeny bit of milk in the plastic cup so that she herself can pour that milk to her tumbler. Pour everything and she ll cry foul. Leave a lot and she ll complain that its too heavy for her to pour! And once shes done, she ll drop the plastic cup in the sink and keep the silver tumbler gently on the counter so that not to dent it. Yes, I taught her that. And she actually listens. And theres a lesson for you right there!

2. For your information, she cant drink milk, juice, eat a banana, an egg, toast, cereal,... all in the span of an hour. Unlike some people! *rolling eyes* So give a decent interval before asking her to eat the next thing.

3. Yes she can use the bathroom by herself when she wants to pee and would nt let us help. But sometimes when shes in a hurry, she will ask us to come and help her, afraid that she ll have an accident. That's your cue to throw the laptop and run to her. Unlike me, shes not saying that "just" to get your attention!

4. She loves bath time and has an elaborate routine with her bath toys. Its an honor if she invites you into her imaginary world of ocean animals. Indulge her. And she neatly puts the toys back in their place after her bath. So that's one job less for you. After the bath, she prostrates before Lord Krishna and sings along a short prayer. Then she puts some viboodhi on her forehead and expects you to bend down so that she can put some on your forehead too. Accept it. Even if you have nt had your bath yet.

5. Her school would be closed for summer soon. So no school routine to learn, you lucky sod!

6. Give her a notice period. Don't do anything abruptly. Tell her that that's the last book you are going to read before beginning it. She understands better that way. (Try this with me at your own risk, though!)

7. She will regularly remove the clothes of all her dolls and nag you to no end to dress them up again. Its an easy thing even you can do it! Except for one doll. That doll has to be dressed in an order. Panties first, dress next and then the shoes. But leave the Velcro strap of the dress undone. She ll do it herself. Do it any other way and be ready to face her wrath. Hey don't look at me! Her doll, her rules!

8. When in doubt, ask her. No shame in it! Even if you want to know where the "pottu kadalai" (fried gram dal) is. Yes, she knows.

9. She knows her outdoor clothes from her indoor ones. Don't try to mix and match. She knows I hate that! So should you. And I ll find out too when you guys visit me in the hospital. Duh!

10. And last but not least, don't you dare call me while I'm the hospital and ask where the Mustard seeds are or where Ashus hat is. That's the worst thing you could do.

I ll stop here although the list could go on. I know you would rather be by my side and leave her with a friend knowing how you held my hands while I was delivering the placenta instead of taking pictures of Ashu soon after she was born. But I would be more at peace if you were with her than me. Of course, my mom is coming in a month and all these are just in case I go into labor before she arrives. But if its later, then you better get your behind to the hospital and take care of this baby. Instructions to take care of me will come to you automatically once you go through the familiar pain of me squeezing your fingers to pulp.

Good Luck.

Much Love,
B o o.

I remember writing this post about a fight with Hd and in the comment section I went on to say that our fights are getting shorter and shorter after the baby. Well, its now official that Ashu is no more a baby. And we are back to the usual these days. The one thing I do when we fight is deprive Hd of any information and sooner or later he has to come to me to beg for some info. Alas, I ve lost that privilege now thanks to my talkative daughter. So he comes back from work today and I give him a cold shoulder. Ashu as usual jumps with joy seeing her dad and they both ignore me. Goes on to say, "Amma did nt make mammam. I had pasta for lunch" when Hd asks her what she ate! Then lifts my shirt and feels the baby kicking and asks her dad to come and touch my tummy! Goes on to tell him about "our" day! There goes my strategy of withholding information out of the window. The man who would have apologized by now has nt even turned to my side yet. Instead both had their dinner together(He got us take away dinner as we had planned before the fight. That's another score for him!) and are reading books now. Sucks! Well, at least theres another baby due. But I'm sure Ashu would nt miss a detail even then! Its ONLY trouble when they grow up, I tell you.

Say "Cheese"!

Last minute planning and on Saturday morning we hit the road. Destination - Gruyères (pronounced as groo-yehr), the town famous for its Cheese. We reached the town in the afternoon. As the town center is car free, we parked the car on the foot hills and walked the 10 minutes trek stopping and staring at the cows grazing. When we reached the town, it was as if we traveled back in time and reached a medieval town. I have never seen such a picturesque town anywhere in my life. The pocket size town is so pretty overlooking the castle on one side and snow covered mountains on the other. Cute little souvenir shops, hotels and restaurants line this French speaking town. Our hotel was right in the middle of the main street and after a short rest and lunch, we walked to the 13th century Castle, Chateau de Gruyeres, one of the most prestigious in Switzerland. Ashu was in full form and enjoyed the tour but was a little upset that there were no Kings or Queens! The view from the Castle walls is breath-taking and theres a pretty little garden too. We took our time soaking in the views and walked back to the town center. We sat in a Restaurant Terrace and ate ice cream, the perfect thing to do on such a sunny day. I tried the town speciality, Ice cream with Meringue and Cream. Bliss! Theres a beautiful church behind the Castle and a small play area for kids. While Hd and Ashu were in the play area, I walked to the church clicking away photos. It was so peaceful inside the church and since it was almost 8 pm, there was no one inside. It was a surreal experience. There is a cemetery behind the church and a beautiful view of the castle and a narrow road leading to the woods. To stand there alone was so spooky. In a good way, of course. Father and daughter joined me a bit later and we walked back to our Hotel and called it a night.

Ever since I told her that we would visit a Cheese factory in Gruyeres, Ashu was super excited and was asking every hour if we were going to the Cheese Factory. So as soon as we finished breakfast, we checked out of the hotel and headed for the Cheese factory. (Oh, I almost forgot. Since Sunday was Mothers day, Ashu wished me Happy Mothers Day as soon as I got up and gave me a Mothers day special goodie bag from The Body Shop. Hd remembered after all! ;) We reached La Maison du Gruyère which is in Pringy, a 10 minute drive from Gruyeres. We took an audio tour where the cow(!), Cherry, explained us everything about Cheese making and what makes the Gruyeres cheese so special. We saw huge amounts of milk being churned and also the cellar where the cheese is stored. We got free samples too. Did you know it takes about 400 litres of milk to make 34 Kg of Cheese? That the Gruyeres cheese is so special because the cows there eat lot of herbs which grow on the hills? It was really cute to listen to Cherry talking! ;) It was lunch time by the end of the tour and we decided to try the restaurant adjoining the factory. We sat outside and ordered, what else, but Fondue of course! We dipped bread and potatoes in the melting cheese and gobbled them up thus justifying our trip to Gruyeres. The strawberry Frappe I had for dessert and the Vanilla ice cream Ashu had were also heavenly. Cherry has every reason to be proud of being a cow in the Gruyeres region! ;)

As if this is nt enough, we visited a Chocolate factory next. The Caillers Chocolate factory in Broc. Unlike the Lindt Factory in Zurich, you can actually see part of the chocolate making process and the tour is really good. Theres a 20 minute movie made in the 60s reliving the factory history, then a tour where you see the raw materials, the machines, the moulds, ... and at last, the sampling of course. Ashu had one piece in her mouth and one in her hand and was quite surprised when I asked her to take one more! I had three in my hands, you see! ;) When I was a kid, all I ever wanted to do was go to a chocolate factory and eat as much chocolate as possible. And here I was and could nt even eat two pieces! And Ashu of course, like kids of these generation, does nt know what a treat it is to eat two candies back to back or finish a whole bar of chocolate on ones own. Sad! I missed the child me.

We had plans to go to Moleson village from here but when we reached the place, it started raining. Ashu was also sleeping so we decided to head back to Zurich. One minute it was bright and sunny and the next, there was a hail storm! We were cruising around 100 kmph in the highway and it felt as if a truck load of pebbles were hitting the car. The noise, the storm, the speed, the zero visibility, cars stopping or slowing down,... it was scary to say the least. Luckily we were able to stop just under a bridge on the shoulder and most of the cars stopped in the shoulder too. I have never witnessed such a hailstorm before and it was hard to believe my own eyes. Some of the hails were as big as an ice cube! With Ashu sleeping through it all, Hd and I holding hands and talking and listening to music, it was surely an experience I ll never forget in my life. The storm lasted for 45 minutes and even then, the rain did nt stop. We headed for the nearest rest area for a break and reached Zurich safely late evening. A perfect weekend trip with just the three of us after a very long time.

Its so refreshing to see places with a kid, I have to admit. If it were just Hd and me, Im sure we would have just rushed through the sights, taken customary photos and would be in a hurry to go to the next place in our check list. But with Ashu, it was wonderful. She pretended she was a mouse and ran through the maze like garden at the Castle. She stopped to watch the cows grazing and worried about them when she saw the flies sitting on them. She actually stopped to smell the flowers. She looked at the old cannon at the castle and asked if it was a telescope! She asked who the bad boys were who had tied Jesus' hands when we went to the Church and wondered if his wounds healed fast! She asked if the cows eat the cheese! She exclaimed loudly, "Amma when I woke up today, we were in a hotel room and not in our Zurich house" in an absolutely cute way. She kept the cocoa bean as a souvenir when the chocolate factory guide gave her one and cherished it more than the free chocolate. ("Amma keep this cocoa bean. Don't eat it OK?", she warned me. Ah, how well my daughter knows her mother!) And she was so happy to be back home too. We were away hardly for 36 hours but I could see how much she missed home. Its good to know shes not ready to fly the nest. Yet.

Ashu attends a Party.

Last Sunday was a friends daughters Birthday. S also turned three a week after Ashu. Since S came to Ashus party, Ashu was all excited to attend S's party, cut cake, blow candles,... We were talking about the party all the time and she was in her excellent behaviour all through the week! But there was a slight catch. My friend had invited only kids to the party. Since shes a good friend of mine, she suggested I stay back if Ashu wants me to. So I was contemplating. Ashu has never attended a party or a play date without me and has never stayed in a friends house even for a couple of hours so far. But I wanted to try. We ve to begin somewhere and S's party seemed to be the right place to start since Ashu knows S and S's mom quite well. So I prepared her, telling her that the party was only for kids and I ll drop her and pick her up later. She did nt care as long as she went to the party. So on Sunday, we dropped her at 3 pm at S's house and had to linger for a while, waiting for another friend who was supposed to join us. Ashu ran to S's room, started playing with the toys there with the other kids and did nt even come to us once. Then after 30 mins, once the other friend arrived, I said bye to Ashu and we left.

Fast forward 2 hours and we went back to their place in time for cake cutting. Ashu came and hugged me and wanted to go to the bathroom. As soon as she sat on the seat, she started talking. "I played, I fell down from the chair, bit my tongue, Aunty gave sugar, I cried, I cried some more, I did nt eat Pizza, I ate cheese,..." and she said she had fun. Phew! That's one milestone crossed! Later, I cross checked with my friend and yes, she fell down, cried, ate sugar,... Not bad, huh? My little parrot can actually tell me about her day. I mean she tells me stuff about school too but I have to prod her and ask the right questions to get answers from her. No so this time. While our dear daughter was having fun, Hd and I hit a nearby mall, held hands while walking, window shopped, shared an ice cream cone and talked. All the while, I felt as if I had forgotten something. "Oh God, where is Ashu", my brain screamed involuntarily many times. I guess once you are a mother, theres no going back.

Confessions of a Fat Mommy.

I'm telling you first hand, being a fat mom is so much better than a fat single or a fat wife. Here's why.

1. For once, all the attention is on the kid. And even though its physically impossible, you can hide behind His/Her cuteness and disappear.

2. Being overweight is taken for granted after a child. People are going to be surprised only if you are thin.

3. You can take all your shopping frustrations and spend them with a vengeance on shopping for the kid. "Do you have this in a small size" - At last the question you always wanted to ask can be asked and you don't even have to lose a single pound!

4. As soon as you find out that the chic shop you just entered has nothing your size, you can slyly move to the children's section and actually buy something instead of coming out of the shop with an embarrassed expression and as if the whole worlds watching you.

5. And if you are big busted like me, you would have experienced the most annoying thing. Your boobs acting like a bib and trapping every crumb and morsel of what you are eating. (What? It never happens to you? Well, me neither. ;) And the chest area of your black top looks like a lint factory! Worry not. Here comes the kid to rescue. Blame it all on the kid "S/he cant even eat a biscuit without rubbing it all on me" statement works like a charm every time. Go on and try it.

6. If your kid is nt chubby and is all skeleton and bones, all the more good. A thin child is more worrisome for the aunties and uncles than a fat mom.

7. And nothing works like self-flagellation. "S/he is not eating anything. How much ever I try to fatten her up, I'm the one who is gaining weight. What am I to do?" will be duly met with "Don't worry. You need the energy to run behind a child and you ll lose the weight in no time". Bingo!

8. Unlike earlier, you don't have to spend so much time agonizing over what to wear for a party. People don't care about you as long as you are on time and have dressed up the kid in something cute! I mean, even your stained shirt can be blamed on the kid, right?

9. If you find yourself having exhausted all the above excuses, its time you get pregnant again!

10. And last but not least, think about this. If you are this fat in spite of taking care of a child 24/7 and spending so much energy, how much more overweight you would actually be without the kid? Scary, I know! ;)

*Off I go to give an extra hug to Ashu.*

Party time.

As always, the birthday just flew away before I could blink. First year was celebrated with all the hoopla, Second year was quiet with just the 3 of us and a visit to the zoo and this year, just some close friends who came home. With 14 adults and 6 kids, we all had our share of fun. We ordered Pizza. But I felt so guilty that I was nt making anything for my little girls birthday party that I ended up making Garlic Bread, Aloo Chole Chaat, Salad and Kulfi for dessert. And I just barely pulled it off as even this tired me out completely and I spent the whole day yesterday lying in bed! And of course, I totally forgot to take the huge bowl of salad out of the fridge for the party so ended up eating salad for breakfast, lunch, snack and dinner yesterday!! ;)

It was a colorful party as it did nt have a theme. Flowery "Happy Birthday" Banner and pink and white decorations. Colorful balloons. A few Dora decorations left over from last years party(the one my sister threw in the US). I also made Paper crowns for the kids. Since I had only white and blue sheets, the crowns were well.. blue and white! :) Ashu stamped the crowns with Mickey Mouse, Minnie,.. stamps in pink and blue colors because we had stamp pads only in those colors! I had bought some gift bags from the US which had beautiful illustrations of children's stories - Jack and the bean stalk, Goldilocks, etc... So those were used for return gift bags which contained a Mickey Mouse puzzle and a small bag with assortment of cookies and chocolates. I also printed out some coloring pages and tied the pages together to make it like a book and threw in a pack of Winnie the Pooh crayons as well which kept the kids occupied for like five whole minutes! ;) And most importantly, the cake. It was a chocolate cake with yellow frosting with animal fondants. Ashu asked for a crocodile, elephant, penguin, dog, cat and a lion. So they were there. The party could nt be any more uncoordinated!! (Do I pass, Kiran?)

Ashu wore a pretty pink frock which my in laws had given her last year. She was all excited about the party but when the guests started arriving and gave her the gifts, she refused to take it from them and turned her head and ran away. So I had to shamelessly accept gifts on her behalf! How much ever I pleaded her to, she did nt accept one gift! I don't understand this one! She was running around and playing with the kids but got really sleepy by 8 pm. Thankfully we wound up around 9.30. But of course, she was nt sleepy anymore as we were opening gifts. She has received loads of nice and interesting gifts. I always end up giving books or puzzles or clothes for the kids. So it was nice to see that there are actually interesting toys too! Like the Dora blocks, a small toy bath tub with pumping action and all(!!), clock, etc...

We had bought a laptop for Ashu in the US. I knew Ashu would like it but did nt know that she would fall in love with it! She saw one when we went to Sundars house last month and Junior generously shared hers with Ashu and she was hooked. That's when we decided to buy one for Ashus birthday. When we gave it to her yesterday afternoon, she was all teeth. She figured out the ABC game, some mouse game, tunes, etc... all by herself and started playing with it. Did nt keep it down even for minute. Then for the first time in her life, she asked for the laptop before going to sleep and hugged it to sleep!! She has never even hugged me to sleep, for crying out loud! All of yesterday, she was playing with it and I suspect shes *this* close to saying Google! Because she says things like "Amma, let me open my laptop and find out how to put these Dora blocks", "Amma, let me open my laptop and ask where my puzzle is", etc... And shes also avenging us for the torture we committed by not letting her touch our laptops for the past 3 years! She says "This is my laptop. Don't touch it!", "Im doing office work Appa. Don't talk to me", etc... Lets see how long this love lasts!

My sis and bil bought her the five disc DVD boxed set of the complete series of Planet Earth. We are half way through the first DVD and needless to say, its AMAZING. Ashu is talking about how the white wolf chased and hunted the baby caribou and ate it like a bad boy to anyone who would listen while Hd is wondering what a caribou is! I just read that the US version of this series is narrated by Sigourney Weaver. Thank God this DVD is not. I cant listen to anyone other than David Attenborough when it comes to these wildlife programmes. What a voice!

So thus ended another year. Sigh! And now she is 1,2,3 years old!

ps.
Thank you each and every one of you for the warm wishes you sent Ashu's way. Shes blessed to have all of you in her life.

27.04.2008

My Dearest,

How can time freeze and fly at the same time? I feel your twos has just gone in a blur but so much has happened in this year that I also feel it has been years since you turned two! The first thing that comes to my mind is school. You started day care just after you turned two and hated it. I hated sending you too, if it means anything to you. Thankfully, the India trip happened and once we came back to Zurich after a fun filled two months with the grand parents, you started play school and after a shaky start, you started liking it. You cant believe what a relief that was to me. Even today, Im crossing my fingers while dropping you at school. I know parents relive their childhood through their children but please do not make me go through this. My time is over, get it?

Two trips to the US happened this year, one after your 2nd Birthday and another one just before your 3rd. Your Aunt and Uncle are of course the only direct relatives you have and its only natural that you think the world of them. But I got to say I am so grateful to you for the love you shower on them. It makes us sisters bond more and also lets me watch TV in peace while you are pestering your Aunt to tell her a story while shes working from home! And the funny thing is, she does! And you do know that you have got her twisted around your little finger, you cheeky you! I see that sly smile of yours and how you run to her while I am scolding you for something you did. It does lighten my mood when you do that but Im also telling myself "Wait till you get home, you brat!" So be afraid my dear, very afraid! Ask your V Thatha if I am lying. For all the running I did to escape your Thathas wrath, it did nt do me any good once we were home. And how can I not mention the grand parents? You have to prefix their names even while talking to them and you only call them as V Thatha, S Thatha, R Paati and P Paati. You are a natural and you charm their pants off no matter what you do. Yeah, your paternal grandma does make you work a little more harder but let me assure you that its totally worth it. You got to make it for your mother who has miserably failed in that department. ;)

So we spent this year too without a night away from each other. That makes it 3 years in a row and the suspense is killing me. May be the night you are going to be a big sister? Oh, the thought makes me excited and scared at the same time. But don't worry if you see me screaming dear. You ll understand one day. Im sure nothing is going to change in three decades when it comes to child birth. Billions will be spent on producing an artificial uterus, sperm from women, cloning and probably a 20 blade razor for men for that ever elusive clean shave but labor pain will always be just that. Laborious P.A.I.N. And if this scares you then stay away from boys. And Men.

Until seven months back, your dad and I were nt even thinking about a second child and even the thought of making you a big sister was heart breaking. How can someone so small and fragile can become a BIG sis? How can you, the apple of my eye, become one of my eyes? How much ever we say that we want two kids so that they can grow together and have each other for the rest of their lives, its just one of the reasons. Not THE reason. I mean, lets face it! Would I have even shared the same bed with your dad if you were nt the angel that you are? Whatever shortcomings the guy has, he sure produced a good kid! I know its not from my side of the genes! So you are the sole reason dear. I don't mind another baby if shes going to be anything like you. How many times have I wondered aloud that I wish time froze and you remain the baby you are so that I can cherish those precious moments a little more. Well, my wish has come true now and come July, Im going to relive everything again. Yes, its a little scary. But then I have got you now, have nt I? You are the living example that I am a good mother. So far. And I am sure you are going to be an awesome sister. Yes, you wont hear it for another twenty or so years. But you ll thank me one day when you throw a baby shower for your sister along with 60 strangers! ;)

The bestest thing about you is your acceptance. Be it a chocolate or a lollipop, going out or coming back home, saying bye to your father or to your grand parents, leaving India or Zurich, leaving a park or a play area, wearing a pant or a skirt, switching off the TV or brushing your teeth,... You just accept whatever I say. Of course, everything flies out of the window when you are sleepy or hungry and you are totally fussy about food, but then pigs don't fly! And you are nt a robot! I am realistic if not anything else. I can totally understand that you can make my life hell if you want to but you choose not to. You know how proud that makes me feel? The other day while I was in the kitchen making lunch, as always you opened one of the cup boards and started playing with the plastic bowls. And as always you asked where the small red jar was. Usually, I would say Im using it and you would want it and I would repeat that I using it and you would let go after the umpteenth time. But this time, I was totally impatient and not to mention hungry and as soon as you asked me where the small jar was, I knew what was coming and said in an angry tone, "I am using it and Im not going to give it to you Ashu. So dont pester me OK?" And you said, "Thats OK Amma. I wont ask again. You use it and give it to me later after you finish with it ok? I don't want it now". You said it in such a polite and nice tone that I was so ashamed of myself. Don't you ever do that to me again, OK? That really shows me in a bad light!

Happy Birthday my little Darling! I love you. Thanks for being who you are and especially for making me what I am today.

Love,
Amma.

All set for the Oscar Speech.

OH. MY. GOD. is all I have been saying over and over again from the time I got up. Yaada Yaada called up first thing in the morning and began to shout at me for posting the blog and then going to blissfully sleep while the whole group was trying to undo what I did. A huge apology for my reckless behaviour. What else can I blame other than my childhood where I always had to do something rebellious and reckless to draw attention away from an over shadowing sister! ;) But man, did it feel good to read all your comments first thing in the morning complimenting me in the smarts department! ;) It was totally worth losing sleep over! Of course, Hd could nt understand why I was smiling like I have just won million bucks! :) Well, what does he know?

Thanks seems to be such a poor word to use right now. But Thanks Guys. You don't know how much this means to me. While the cat and mouse game was fun with a big F last night, when I saw the website today, I just died and went to heaven.

MayG - Where were you all this while? Though I know you from the comments you have left in my blog, you did nt have a blog until a couple of months back, did you? And to think you had a major hand in all this just blows me away. You are truly an amazing person. I salute!

The Riddlers! Where do I begin? Altoid, Gauri, Kiran and Sue - Whenever we meet, a drink/cofee/lunch/dinner/dessert or all of the above is on m, Deal? I was rolling on the floor laughing when I went to Sunitas blog and read the clue for Monas Blog. Gangster Ajit just called out to me "Mona Darling" and I swear I could hear his voice! Just because we are preggies, we don't want to be left out. We want our own riddles too! We demand it! So don your thinking hat again and come up with something, OK? Pretty please?

Suki darling - Your message for the moms was the most touching for me. You don't know how valuable it is. And I cant help but think how juvenile I was when I was your age! (Ah, darn! There I go. Its the beginning of my end. "When I was your age" indeed!) Whatever are you doing hanging around these baby blogs? :)

Timepass - Seeing the picture of Goddess Gharbarakshambikai unexpectedly amidst the other messages gave me goosebumps. My moms from that village and we believe our family is blessed because of this Deity. I have been to the temple loads of times when I was a child, with HD after we got married, while pregnant with Ashu and also when Ashu was a baby. So your message was extra special to me. Big Hug!

Tharini and Gauri - Hugs, hugs and more hugs to both of you for this wonderful, wonderful idea and boy, am I glad you are my friends! Where were you guys when I was in college? ;)

Dipali, Usha and Eves Lungs - Aadarsh Pranaams/Namaskarams. That you took time for us lot means so much to me. I truly hope that when I am at the place where you are now, with the same dignity. Its great to hang out with you guys, not to mention it makes us feel younger! ;)

Prema - I should have guessed you were involved in this too when I saw your comment. If I am the prime minister, you are the president lady!

Yaada Yaada and Utbt - Traitors both of you. One would nt even acknowledge that I was burning midnight oil to solve the riddle and go and ask how Ashu is doing! Who cares? And the other blood traitor, the one who cant keep a secret, who told the entire bay area that I was pregnant the minute I broke the news to her, who has always shared EVERYTHING with me would nt even help me when I asked her if it was 2As mom or 2Bs mom her riddle was referring to! True Death Eaters to the bone, both of them! And am I proud or what? ;)

And thanks each one of you. Will leave a comment in the shower blog. At this rate, my thank you speech will never end!

And whoever came up with that phrase??? Have nt heard of short logins and passwords? I shudder to think what if all 65 of you had decided to post the riddles! Thank god for small mercies! ;)

And you mom Trios - Poppins, Kodi and Moppet are going to be child prodigies and so are their siblings what with your code cracking abilities! I just filled in the blanks and without your excel sheets, I would nt have known where to begin! And the return rhymes are so cute, Maggie. Is there anything you guys CANT do? :)

And wow, the surprises dont seem to end. Thanks a bunch, DDMom. (Details later after the other MTBs join in!) It sure is a "keeper"! ;) Awesome idea. So what next? :))

ps.
And when can we join the discussion group? We want more dirt and theres also one on one thanking and bashing to be done!

Links:
Desi Girls Oscar Speech.
Poppins Moms Oscar Speech.
Moppets Moms Oscar Speech.
Kodis Moms Oscar Speech.
Lavs
Random Vignettes
Something to Say

So this is what is happening.

You guys seriously underestimated us curious cats, folks! Moppets Mom and Kodis Mom made excel sheets. Poppins Mom put together an impressive first draft and I sort of filled in the gaps. And with the ever enthu Lavs, heres our list of bloggers who are part of this FAIR GAME. Of course, we have to go a long way on the anagram and cracking the code. But we are happy with what we have achieved so far and can only be amazed by all the planning you guys have done and pulled this thing off. Hats off to you, really! And you thought I ll quit this soon and go to sleep. Sorry Kodis Mom, did some sleuthing on my own and figured we got the order a little wrong. Shobana has atlast posted. Tharini, Altoid and Anitha (Nikkis Mom) have rightly guessed our power and refrained from posting. The wimps! If only, I could keep my eyes open with match sticks and wait for them to post. But alas, the time zone plays the villain. (Drafted this post at 12 midnight and went to sleep)

2.00 AM - Ok, I am up for my loo break and the laptop found its way into my lap. After what seems like hours, I am almost there. Take it from here Kodis Mom. And once you go to sleep, Moppets Mom and Poppins Mom can take over. I am seriously tempted to crack the login and password using this phrase. But let me be a good girl and wait until tomorrow and conform to the protocol. Alright, Gauri? ;)

1. Utbt to Shobana - T
2. Shobana to Suki - H
3. Suki to DDMom - E
4. DDMom to Sujatha - S
5. Sujatha to altoid - Blank
6. Altoid to ?
7.Collection of Stars to Cee Kay - O
8. Cee Kay to Upsilamba - R
9.Upsi to Sunita - K
10.Sunita to Monica - A
11. Mona to Yaadayaada - R
12. YY to AA Mom - R
13. AA Mom to Kiran - Blank
14. Kiran to Daisy - I
15. Daisy to Mnamma - V
16. Mnamma to Asha - E
17. Asha to Choxbox - T
18. Choxbox to Tharini - Blank
19.Tharini - ?
20 Noon to Nisha - P
21. Nisha to Dot Mom - I
22. dot Mom to Birds Eye View - N
23. BEV to Trishna - K (The one with 6 blogs is Trishna. This really made us sweat. I formed the word then figured it!)
24.Trishna to Anitha - O
25.Anitha to ?
26Gauri to K3 - R
27. K3 to MM - B
28. Mad Momma - blank (Gotta be Ro based on the word. But Im not convinced.)
29.Rohini to Mummyjaan - L
30.Mummyjaan to CW - U
31.CW to Amrita - E
32.Amrita to Sue - G (Sue has a design blog with hubby. Duh!)
33.sue to Aargee - E
34. Aargee to Itchy - E
35 Itchy to Parul - I
36 PArul to Msytic Margarita - F
37 Mystic to Orchid - O
38 Orchid to Aditis Album - N
39 Aditis album - ?
40. Dipali to Yashodara - L (Nut as in Peanut? How did we miss this obvious clue and went in for the nutty siblings?)
41. Yashodara to nosh n reh - blank
42. noshreh to Silent one - Y
43. silent one to - W (Does Suki come here and Shobana points to someone else? Im stumped.)
44. Dee to Sahithis Mom- K
45. Sahithis Mom to Eves Lungs - blank
46.Eves Lungs to Compulsive Dreamer - N
47.CD to Rayshma - blank
48.Rayshma to Broom - E
49.Broom - W

The Stork Arrivet(h) Pink Or Blue Gee If Only W(e) Knew

Over and out. Will get up in the morning if Im still alive to celebrate! And would bow and touch all your feet if that was possible. Long time since I had so much fun! You guys are the best and I cant wait to see the site. And who ARE the riddlers? Awesome work!

Update: The Right List with the Links. Thanks to some super sleuthing by Poppins Mom, Maggie and Kodis Mom.

1. Utbt to Shobana - T

2. Shobana to Suki - H

3. Suki to DDMom - E

4. DDMom to Sujatha - S

5. Sujatha to Altoid - Blank

6. Altoid to Collection of Stars - T

7. Collection of Stars to Cee Kay - O

8. Cee Kay to Upsilamba - R

9. Upsilamba to Sunita - K

10. Sunita to Monica - A

11. Mona to Yaadayaada - R

12. Yaadayaada to AA Mom - R

13. AA Mom to Kiran - Blank

14. Kiran to Daisy - I

15. Daisy to Mnamma - V

16. Mnamma to Asha - E

17. Asha to Choxbox - T

18. Choxbox to Tharini - Blank

19. Tharini - Noon - H

20. Noon to Nisha - P

21. Nisha to Dot Mom - I

22. Dot Mom to Birds Eye View - N

23. Birds Eye View to Trishna - K

24. Trishna to Anitha - O

25. Anitha to Gauri - Blank

26. Gauri to K3 - R

27. K3 to Rohini - B

28. Rohini to Mummyjaan - L

29. Mummyjaan to Chronic Worrior - U

30. Chronic Worrior to Amrita - E

31. Amrita to MayG - G

32. MayG to Mad Momma - E

33. Mad Momma to Aargee - Blank

34. Aargee to Itching to Write - E

35. Itchy to Parul - I

36. Parul to Mystic Margarita - F

37. Mystic Margarita to Orchid - O

38. Orchid to Dipali - N

39. Dipali to YonEarthNot - L

40. YonEarthNot to NoshnReh - Blank

41. NoshnReh to Silent One - Y

42. Silent One to Sue - W

43. Sue to Dee - E

44. Dee to Sahithis Mom- K

45. Sahithis Mom to Eves Lungs - Blank

46. Eves Lungs to Compulsive Dreamer - N

47. Compulsive Dreamer to Rayshma - blank

48. Rayshma to Broom - E

49. Broom - W

WHAT IS HAPPENING HERE?

At last count,

Parul
Itchy
Cee Kay
Birds Eye View
Nisha
Mona
Kiran
Gauri
Noon
Sunita
Y
Sue
Asha
Daisy
Broom

and any others I might have left out are playing FAIR GAME and driving me crazy!

So far, I have figured out that MTBs are Mother To Bes. Have I got that right, folks? And is it an online shower for the all the Preggies? If so, I am begging to be invited to the said blog. Happy? Please do so before I go bald. And if its nothing to do with me and I have put my big foot in my mouth thinking that the whole world revolves around me, I dont care! Just let me know. So that I can go make lunch and get my kid ready for school without refreshing Brooms page every 2 seconds.

By the way, I landed on Brooms blog first. Boy, was that confusing! So who started all this? Some brain, I tell ya! Come on, out with it.

Updating the list:
Sujatha
Sahithis Mom
Eves Lungs

Miss. Know-It-All.

So I was in school waiting to pick up Ashu. I was 10 minutes early and saw the kids playing in the yard. I did nt know how Ashu would react if she sees me, so I hid behind a car and was watching her. Another mom joined me and we both were talking and watching the kids. Then the teachers took the kids inside and they all came out 10 minutes later. I strapped Ashu in her car seat and was on the way home when Ashu asked, "Amma, what were you doing while I was in the School?" Wondering how thoughtful my darling little daughter is, I replied, "I was reading a book, Ashu." "No Amma! You were talking to an aunty. I saw you". "What? When did you see me?" "I saw you from the garden. You were talking to that aunty". Can you believe the cheek of her? I did nt even notice her noticing me. She has quietly gone inside and then has the cheek to ask me what I was doing in the first place to cross check. Kids! I'm sure my MIL will be so proud of her!! Its all in the genes, I tell ya! ;)

****

After we found out that the baby is a girl, I told Ashu that the Doctor has told me that the baby is a girl and to choose a girl name for the baby since Pinocchio is a boy name. But she refused. Later, I talked to her again and asked if Pinky and Pingu is OK? So she tells me, "Pinky is OK amma. But I will take care of Pinocchio. Put Pino in the cycle and go to school. Give Pino milk and hug Pino. I wont do anything for Pinky." If you mean it my dear, I don't even mind naming the baby Pinocchio officially! And do you see how very successfully she put an end to that debate?

****
One day she got curious and asked me, "Amma, your tummy will come out when Pinocchio comes out?" So I told her, No, the doctor will take the baby out of my tummy.
My sister who was with us in the room asked Ashu, "How will the baby come out Ashu?"
"From the hole."
What hole?
Ammas hole.
Wheres Ammas hole?
Inside Ammas pants.
Of course, I butted in and put a stop to this conversation before aunt and niece started pointing to certain parts! But how in the hell these kids infer all this? And the thing is even if I was given a million chances, I would nt have guessed what Ashu was going to say. Kids these days! Know-it-alls, all of them!

****
Yet another day when she was being really cute, I asked her as I have done a million times before, "Shall I eat you up Ashu? You are so cute!" As always, she screamed, NO!! I asked her why not.
So she says, "Dont eat me Amma. Because I am real". (Naan Nijam)
"You are real? Not a doll?", asked I.
"No amma, I am real".
"No you are not. You are a doll Ashu".
"No amma. I am not a doll. I am real".
"How do you know you are not a doll like the dolls you play with?"
"Like Appa is real, like Amma is real, I am also real" says she!
I am speechless, of course!

****

Back to School.

After the really long break, Ashu is going to school without a fuss. There! I thought I would never utter that statement in my life! Before the US trip, she used to cry even after a 3 day break. So I was really worried how shes going to cope after the 6 weeks vacation especially after having so much fun being with her grand parents, uncle and aunt. I was talking about school, her teachers and friends all the time during the vacation and made sure she did nt forget anything. But then, I really wonder how much what we do and say matters. I suspect that these kids have made up their minds about EVERYTHING even while in the womb and are only playing along as if its all in the parenting! Parents like lawyers only exist to find loop holes in the already sound system and make things worse! Ok, enough gyaan for the day.

Anyway, I was almost in tears on Monday expecting the worse when I went to drop her at school. But of course, she went into her classroom excitedly, said bye to me and held hands with Miss.M. I came out disbelieving my own eyes. She chattered non stop when I picked her up about all the things she did in school. Miss M even said that she mentioned Pinocchio in class. Well, whatddayaknow?! The whole week was perfect. Due to the jet lag, she was getting up very late in the morning and so she was nt sleepy in the afternoons while going to school. That really helped. But shes back to her usual routine now and lets see how this week goes. One can never take anything for granted especially when one is a parent, is it not?

The Pregnancy Diaries.

Is it just in Switzerland? I never had to be with a full bladder for the ultrasounds. In fact, every time I go for a check up/ultrasound, the first thing I am asked to do is to use the restroom.

There are wide screen plasma TVs hung on the wall where you get to see the avocado size baby sneezing in 3D. In color. (More like Sepia tone, actually!)

Not the Zurich hospital, but the hospital in Basel where I went for pre natal check ups and labor last time is a beautiful place. The lobbies are like that of a 5 star hotel, the facilities first rate, very good care and very friendly Midwives and Doctors. They are nt fluent in English but they try. Though the current hospital is not as huge as the previous one, I am satisfied with the care so far. I hope the labor rooms are good too.

The hospital is very close to home. Hd was held in a meeting during the last check up and I drove to the hospital by myself along with Ashu in less than 10 minutes without getting lost! That's a first! :)

Ashu sat near me on the bed when the Doctor was doing the ultrasound and screamed "Pinocchio baby" as soon as the baby appeared on the screen. "Look at the head Amma", she chipped in. The Doctor was quite amused. May be I should take her into the labor room instead of Hd. She sure seems to know a lot more than him!!

I gained about 7 kilos during the last pregnancy and promptly lost the same the very day I delivered the baby. Its another issue that I gained around 10 kilos in the next year!! The trend has been similar so far. I lost some weight in the first trimester and started gaining in the second. Of course, I am overweight enough to carry quadruplets! But we are just talking about pregnancy weight gain, are nt we?

I threw up only once during the last pregnancy and that was when the plane I was traveling on landed in Zurich from Barcelona. Hd was also in the verge of getting sick because of the turbulent flight, so no blaming my pregnancy then. And this time while coming back from San Diego by car. Blame it on the over ripen banana that Ashu was eating. Ewww....

Other similarities:
Snow Sledging while pregnant - Check
A long haul flight to India/US and back to Swiss - Check
Sight seeing to Barcelona/Mexico - Check
Planes, Trains and Automobiles - Check, check and check. (And this time, a ship too.)
6 weeks of pampering with Moms food - Check
Cramps in the calf muscle while sleeping - Check
And oh, Girl baby - Check! :)

We are Home.

Arrived safely in Zurich three days back and still unpacking. At the SFO airport, Ashu hugged, kissed and waved bye bye to thatha, paati, perima and peripa and walked into our gate without a glance backwards. I was the one on my tippy toes, waving to them and mouthing byes byes with a heavy heart. After all, Im the one who has to cope with the little devil once we land! We slept through our flight and got up only just before landing in London. We were in a three seater and the man sitting by the window commented how cute Ashu is and said that little girls make the best companions. When Ashu sang the alphabet song, he asked "she already knows her ABCs?" What more could a mother ask for? :)

As soon as we landed in London, Ashu wanted to know where her father was. I told her we were in London and have to take another flight to Zurich. So she says "Amma, lets see the Queen and get a present for Appa". (Reason: Hd got her a pencil box and a paddington bear from his last trip to London. And of course, the pussy cat went to London to visit the QUEEN. Get it?) Even though its supposed to be a short flight, there was a delay and we were stranded in the runway for more than an hour and I just could nt wait to get home. As luck would have it, there was this unsmiling guy sitting near Ashu this time and gave her a stink eye when she dropped her stuffed bear near his shoe. Well, it takes all sorts! We both were exhausted by the time we landed in Zurich. Hd was standing on the other side of the glass wall near the baggage area and Ashu did a tribal dance seeing him. I went to get some assistance to collect my bags. Within 10 minutes, we were out and were group hugging and then stuffing the huge suitcases in our small car. 30 minutes later, home sweet home! We are still not out of jet lag. Ashus school reopens after the Easter break tomorrow and hope everything goes well. Its raining birthday parties here and got 3 parties to attend from next week. Got to plan Ashus party too. Life goes on...

Update on Ashu at 2 Years and 11 Months.

Yes, my baby girl is just one month short of the Big Three.

And the biggest update is of course that shes going to be a big sister very soon. To another baby girl. YES, we found out that its a GIRL yesterday when I had an ultrasound done here. My sister had accompanied me for the ultrasound and we both were grinning like idiots when the Dr said its a girl. It was a very, very special moment to share with my sister.

Ashu is in denial that Pinocchio is a girl. When I asked her to pick a girl name for the baby, she said "I thought its a boy amma. I cant choose a girl name. Lets call the baby Pinocchio only". (Naan Boy nu ninaichunten. Ennaala girl name solla mudiyalai. Pinocchio ne koopidalaam) She said it in a very sad and disappointed tone. Just you wait, Ashu! Sisters rule! :)

As always, shes the happiest when we shes amidst her grand parents, aunt and uncle. My mom takes care of the food department. My dad tells her stories, takes her out for walks and gardening. Pema and Pepa do everything in between. The other day my sister was asking her how much she likes all of us. And out of the blue, Ashu started rating us. She gave 11 for Pepa and Paati. 10 for Hd and me. 5 for Pema, Thatha and Pinocchio. Oh, 5 for her brand new doll "Santhu". (A gift from Chula!)

Yesterday, she found my Bils tripod standing in a corner and started taking imaginary photos with it. She would say 1,2,3,4 and make a click sound and press a circular button in the tripod. She asked my dad to model for her and gave him loads of instructions. Sit, stand, lie down on this towel, ... Then she brought an empty cup and said shes going to throw water on his head. "It will look beautiful, Thatha" was her explanation. So my dad pretended that he was cold and asked her to take the picture fast as the camera was rolling. "I have put the camera in pause", came the reply. From then on, my dad just shut up and listened to her!

One minute, shes sharing toys and playing peacefully with other kids, the next minute shes fighting over a toy and screaming her lungs out. Its really getting on my nerves. But then, I cant do much other than distracting her and solving the problem temporarily. How much ever I lecture her, the minute shes sleepy or hungry, she throws the worst tantrums. Chula is both her best friend and worst enemy. Shes all buddy buddy one minute and the next, she does nt want to give her a hug. We all had gone to the Childrens Discovery museum the other day. Ashu had fun. But towards the end, the museum had a new temporary entertainment for a few minutes when Ashu and Chula were wrestling on the floor fighting for the same block even though there were hundreds of identical blocks there!! Nevertheless, its great to see them bond. My mom and Utbts mom went to school together in a small town. My Sis and Utbt went to college together. My Bil and Utbts husband were colleagues for a while. I am of course the (not so)little sister Utbt never had. (Are nt I, dear?:) And now, Chula and Ashu. Wow, that makes me feel so.... OLD!

I have always wondered how mothers can be so blind when it came to their kids. How can they let their kids treat them badly and still love them? How it seems as if the kids can never hurt them? How they can still love their kids the same irrespective of everything they do? (And its all based on how badly I treat my own mother.) And I have got my answer. Ashu says stuff like "You go Amma. Im playing with Thatha." "You go to Zurich Amma. I ll be in the US with Pema." "You go away Amma, I ll go to India with Paati." And it does nt hurt one bit as I thought it would. And then suddenly, she comes running out of a room calling "Amma, Amma" and gives me a hug. Then runs back to the room to continue playing. Its such a wonderful feeling to be loved like that. So pure. So "in the moment". I ll always remember the twos as the "terrific twos" just for moments as precious as these. Hit me with the Three, Girl. I'm all yours! :)

Busy doing nothing.

Social life in Bay Area is hectic. I am more busy here than Zurich and Bangalore put together. There are always parties to attend, Athais visiting, a grahapravesam to dress up, friends dropping in, calling up college friends who live in the US, cousins to visit, restaurants to check out...

On Saturday, there was a pot luck dinner at Sundars place. Loved their newly done up house. His older daughter was being the perfect little hostess. Such a sweet little thing. The Little one was very quiet and observant. I wonder if Sundar is making up things in his blog about the kids! There were at least 8 bloggers including me. I was all teeth to meet the Blog Celebrity Balaji of Bbthots. Did you buy my "acting cool" part, Balaji? ;)

Thanks for all your lovely wishes folks! Updates on pregnancy and Ashu coming up soon.