Check out what the Indian Mommies are upto at indianmommies.blogspot.com

October 26, 2008

This Diwali.

Inspired by YY, I managed to make this. Came out pretty good. Diwali Bakshanam under 10 minutes! Whowuddathunkit! Had people over for dinner tonight. In between nursing Antu and feeding Ashu and all the cooking and cleaning and making the kids sleep - hardly spoke two words with the guests. Whats the point, I ask! And Diwali on a Monday. Sigh! Ashu has a bad cold so dont know if she ll be going to school tomorrow. If only Hd can take off from work tomorrow, we all can sleep the day off! Whats Diwali without all the noise of bursting crackers anyway! Diwali used to be all about the "pudhu dress" back then. The charm is gone now since every shopping spree is about clothes these days! But the poor dad of mine bought all of us diwali clothes when he arrived last month. A pink(!) Tee shirt for Hd, some funky outfits for Ashu, a double XL(ahem!) salwar for me and some cute frocks for Antu. So gotta make do and pretend as if its a special day for Ashus sake. After all, first Diwali for Antu too. Since we were in India then, Ashus first was a blast! Poor Antu! Us second borns are always neglected. Anyway, Happy Deepavali, Folks! You have a good one.

October 22, 2008

Finally, we are now Four.

So dad left on Friday. The husband was travelling on work so I had to go to the airport to drop dad dragging the two kids along. I hate coming back to an empty house and was cursing Hd to hell and back ever since he told that he was travelling. Anyway, Friday morning - Ashu started getting upset. I had a lump in my throat and was controlling myself from bursting into tears. My dad was distracting himself doing the last minute things and Antu was blissfully smiling and cooing. Around noon, we got ready to leave. Ashu would nt wear her shoes or her jacket and started crying. "Let Thatha be here only, Ma. Don't go back to India, Thatha. Stay here and play with me ALL the time, Thatha", she kept repeating. I tried to explain to her that hes going back to his house, that his tickets are "finished", the police wont allow him to stay and all the crap but she would nt buy any of that. "What do you want to do, Ashu? Tell me. He has to go, OK?", I said very much annoyed. "I don't know what to do, Ma. But I don't want him to go", she replied equally annoyed. I just picked her shoes and jacket and went out of the house carrying Antu in her car seat. Ashu followed with tears and my dad picked her up and tried to explain. But she started sobbing again. "I understand you are upset , Ashu. I'm upset too. Its OK. You ll be OK soon. Wear your shoes now", I said. She cried even harder. "Do you want a lollipop, Ashu?" I asked. She nodded yes. "Then wear your shoes", I said and strapped her in the car. She was licking the lollipop happily and we reached the airport, checked in, left my dad at the gate, waved him goodbye, came back to the car, settled in and came back home. To an empty home. Now, wheres my lollipop? :(

October 13, 2008

Just Shoot Me.

A valuable advice for parents of single child who are planning to have a second one.

Keep talking in hushed tones,
Never raise your voice.
Even better, do NOT introduce talking to your child at all. You can do it once the second one comes along. Whats the hurry anyway?


OK, now for the reason.
I was feeding Antu in our bedroom with the door shut. After a loooooooong session, she was just about to doze off. I knew she would sleep at least for two hours and I was already planning which chore to finish first once she slept off. (Doing the dishes or folding the laundry - which is less mind numbing? Hmm... That a toughie!) Exactly then, Ashu opens the door with a bang and screams "Look Mommy!" and scares the bejeezes out of Antu. And Antu does three things at the same time - Bites me HARD, lets out an ear piercing scream and starts suckling again. All for what? To show some stupid blocks. If only I had nt given birth to this specimen! I managed a "Good job, Ashu. Now shut the door and go back to your room and play. Amma will come in a few minutes" with a fake smile while what I really really wanted to do was wring her neck and tell her, "Big deal! So you know how to build blocks! Now get out!"

On that note, is there anything more tortureous than an almost asleep baby waking up?

ps.
For others - do not have a second one. Or the first.

October 06, 2008

Just Tired.

No time to blog since my mom left. Not that I could nt squeeze some time to type but I just could nt gather my thoughts. Felt like my brain was cluttered.

So my dad arrived a week before my mom left. And hes leaving back to India in 10 days. When he came home from the airport, Ashu was thrilled. She held his hand and took him to our bedroom and showed him a sleeping Antu all excitedly. My dad told us later that he thought that Ashu was going to show him a toy or something and he had totally FORGOTTEN that Antu existed. He did nt ask about Antu to Hd from the airport till home. Since my sis was here that time, we all reminded Dad to be nice to Antu as well and not to spend every minute with just Ashu, the love of his life! And what has happened now? Hes spending every minute with ANTU!! She quietens down immediately if my dad picks her up, goes to sleep faster if he rocks her, saves her best smiles and giggles for him, ... and hes in love. Again.

Is nt it ironic that the man I feared when I was a child is now telling my child, "I cant give you candy. Your mom will scold me"! Revenge is oh so sweet! ;)

Ashus school is going well. We just drop her off at the gate from our car and she goes in with a teacher. So cool. But shes very unpredictable at home. One day, she ll skip to school and another day, she ll refuse to go to school. But thats just a regular kid for you.

Antu is 3 months old and is doing fine. She almost rolled over today. She just has to pull her hand out and she ll be there. My dad, Ashu and I stood around her and cheered, clapped and video taped and made a merry celebration when she was attempting to roll over today. I became misty eyed and all! But then, damn the hormones, Im getting misty eyed even while peeling potatoes. The poor, poor potatoes! *bawl*


The fun things apart, do you know whats the best time of the day for me? When both the kids are sleeping. Its just so exhausting spending every minute with them and for them. Hds job is not so hectic, Ashu goes to school for half a day and shes mostly good when shes home, Antu sleeps and feeds like a dream and to top it all, my dads here to give me a hand whenever I want. And still, its EXHAUSTING. After Ashu goes to school and its just Antu, I think "This is doable. I just have to feed, change and make her sleep. This is nt so bad". And when Antu is asleep or with my dad or Hd and Im reading a book with Ashu, Im like "Its fun to be with Ashu and do things. Why was I feeling so exhausted with just her before Antu?" But put the said infant and the child together and I go mad. To quote one of my favorite bloggers, "Adhi Bayangaramulu"!!
baby growth

babies