Updates

Well, it's been long since I posted about what's up with Anay. There isn't much yet he's never still. Even in his sleep, he keeps on checking once in a while, if there's someone sleeping around him or not. He should not be alone in the room. As he sees some human presence, he peacefully goes back to sleep.

He's a slow one. Of course, I know that. He's yet to get all his teeth. As of today, he has 5 teeth on the top and 2 at the bottom. O Lord, give him the rest soon. He looks good with the bunny toothy smile. Ummya! :)

He has a big head. Even at the time he was born, the doctor said that his head is amongst the bigger ones but nothing abnormal there. I wonder if any mother finds her child imperfect. I love him anyways.

He doesn't speak a lot, at least, nothing legible. He can say 'Mamma', 'Papa' 'Baba' but he won't use it to call out people. He just blabbers it just like any other word. Now, of late, he has started calling me and Tarun. But, But, But..... :P He calls me 'Papa' and him 'Mamma' :D

We're tired of telling him the right ones but he doesn't budge. Perhaps, since I used to ask him to say Papa, whenever he said 'Mamma'. So, I think he must have got muddled then :P

It's funny, it's cute, it's heart-warming. He's always busy doing something. Yet, I cannot say what he does all day. He picks up stuff and tries to steal eyes and throw it out of the balcony. As soon as someone tries to catch him, he runs! At least that's what 'he' thinks he's doing. He still cannot walk properly so when he's trying to run, he's just picking up his feet a bit more higher and walking a little faster than his normal. But, the chances of his falling are higher. :D

He does something which seems like he's dancing but it's a dance I cannot yet categorize in a known dance form. :) Let's just say, it's Anay Dance.

He likes Temptations Chocolate, the only chocolate I like. He also doesn't like Dairy Milk. So, I'm content that he takes something from me. :P He likes to sleep late on weekends, just like me. :P

And, he's become too much a mule. Stubborn like hell. If he wants something, his 'un-un-un' will not stop till you give him that. If you snatch it and keep it away, he'll start wailing till you distract him with something better. And, he doesn't get distracted easily. He would not forget the thing he was asking for till you give something totally new and better. Else, he's persistent with his pursuit. He's cunning to get back to it once he's bored with the second thing.

Also, he's learned how to fool people. He'll bring a bite to your mouth as if to feed you, and as soon as you open your mouth, he would take it away, saying 'achaa!' :D

Idiot! Silly! Bandar!

But,as they say, tedha hai par mera hai! I love him. Totally. :)

20 things a mother should tell her son

The post has been taken from the following link. 

http://www.werdyab.com/2012/04/20-things-mother-should-tell-her-son.html

I found the article too important to let go so sharing the same on my blog, for later read.

20 Things a Mother Should Tell Her Son

1. You will set the tone for the sexual relationship, so don't take something away from her that you can't give back.

2. Play a sport.  It will teach you how to win honorably, lose gracefully, respect authority, work with others, manage your time and stay out of trouble.   And maybe even throw or catch.

3. Use careful aim when you pee.  Somebody's got to clean that up, you know.

4. Save money when you're young because you're going to need it some day.  

5. Allow me to introduce you to the dishwasher, oven, washing machine, iron, vacuum, mop and broom.  Now please go use them.

6. Pray and be a spiritual leader.

7. Don't ever be a bully and don't ever start a fight, but if some idiot clocks you, please defend yourself.

8. Your knowledge and education is something that nobody can take away from you.

9. Treat women kindly.  Forever is a long time to live alone and it's even longer to live with somebody who hates your guts.

10. Take pride in your appearance.

11. Be strong and tender at the same time.

12. A woman can do everything that you can do.  This includes her having a successful career and you changing diapers at 3 A.M.  Mutual respect is the key to a good relationship.

13. "Yes ma'am" and "yes sir" still go a long way.

14. The reason that they're called "private parts" is because they're "private".  Please do not scratch them in public.

15. Peer pressure is a scary thing.  Be a good leader and others will follow.

16. Bringing her flowers for no reason is always a good idea.

17. Be patriotic.

18. Potty humor isn't the only thing that's humorous. 

19. Please choose your spouse wisely.  My daughter-in-law will be the gatekeeper for me spending time with you and my grandchildren.

20. Remember to call your mother because I might be missing you.

Missing Anay :-|

I'm missing Anay too much these days. Passing the day at office is getting so difficult. :(

He's missing his Mom and Mamma misses baby.

I wanna quit it all and just be with him. At least for a few months. I sooo want to do it.

Anay's progress

Well, there's so much going on and yet it is all routine.
It's been quite some time since I posted about him but this is exactly the reason why I haven't. Anyways, I must else this time will be lost for me.

Anay has become quite naughty ever since he turned one. We're always looking on what he's upto. Under the dinner table, behind the chairs, running to the doors, he's practically always upto something. And, frankly, am not complaining. This is the most beautiful time of parenthood. The first one year is more silent observation. But now, the child is responding, doing things he wants to do, and learning new things. He wants to touch and feel everything..and more so, 'taste' everything. And somehow he always finds out something wrong or harmful to taste or touch. Just the other day, he was all interested in getting his hand into the AC duct. Phew!

But, people tell me that he's still quite a tame and lovely child, not bothersome, as they many times are.
He's become quite fond of me..nowadays. :) And, it's a lovely feeling...rewarding actually. Tarun is not happy, of course. :P But, he doesn't mind either. He can't complain :D

Am glad. Am glad I took the decision of hiring a maid for the dinner. When I and Tarun returned from our Chandigarh visit (2-day holiday we took without Anay) Anay was only interested in meeting Tarun. He didn't care to see me or come to me at all. With so many others to take care of him, I was only preparing things for him but not feeding him myself. There was no time for me to actually spend and do things with him. That's when I decided I'm going to keep a cook and spend more time with him. And, voila! My decision has paid off.

But now I also feel sad. When I leave for office in the morning, Anay is sleeping. But, when he gets up, folks tell me, that he looks for me. After spending good 2 days with me over the weekend, he was quite cranky in the morning today. Tarun, Mji, Pji...all tried to humor him but nothing seemed to be helping. :( I feel sorry for having to leave him. I don't know if it's just a passing phase and I shudn't think much about him. Or, shud I just quit everything and be with him.

Will wait for God to show me sm way.

For now, the happy memories are that during the day, he keeps coming to me, in between his plays, and would hug my legs. He would hug me and wait for me to pick him up. :) It mostly happens when am busy working in the kitchen. :P I guess he likes to have me around him all the time, whether I am doing sth with him or not, but just be there, within eye-shot.

He also has started enjoying and recognizing Nana-Nani-Mama. He enjoys his stay there and the people just get all goooey-eyed around him. They just can't get enough of him and practically threaten me to come home and visit them, now :D They can't wait for a month to pass.

It's a nice feeling. Happy!

Women

"Women,.... make a man want to shoot himself in the head and be done with it."


This pretty much sums what women do to a man in a relationship, as per a man's perspective. You ask any man whose been in a serious relationship, and he would agree to this. I read this somewhere and really liked it. So, you can take this to be true too. Or, you could go the hard way and figure it out yourself. And, come to the same conclusion :)


But, is that how I, your Mom, would explain the relationship between herself and your father? No. It goes much deeper than this. And I sincerely hope that your dad, despite agreeing with above, would say that I'm the best thing that happened to him. :)


Love is the best emotion, a great support and a continuous fall-back when it happens at the right time, at the right age, to the right person. But, if it goes wrong, as it often does, it leaves a lot of scars to yourself and to all others involved. 


That is why, it's best to let it happen on it's own, at it's own time and pace. Not to go looking for it. I know it's easier said than done. But, when I got married to your Dad, I penned the following lines.
" Love is like a tree which blossoms and grows as long as we both keep watering it."


This means that as long as we both want to be together and wish to keep loving each other, we'll keep making efforts. We'll do whatever it takes to be together, no matter what the odds. But, the moment someone grows out of it and stops watering the love tree, love will fade out and will die one day. 


Since it's a tree which needs continuous or at least periodic attention, it's best to have it once you're settled in life. Perhaps, that's the reason people get married or chose their partners once they are settled in their careers. 


There are lot many ups and downs that come in a relationship. The different expectations, difference in humans make it a big effort to make it work together. But, once you're beyond that point, it's a great support to have. The kind of warmth and freedom you feel, to know that you've someone who understands you, and wouldn't mock you if you cry...it's a precious thing to have. When it is backed with a marriage, the whole society, the world tries to help you deal with it. But, when it's outside the wedlock, you agree to face a lot of it and much more, alone.


Well, these things will come when you're seriously in love with the girl. If you're not, please honor me with this one rule which I would like you to follow.
No matter what state you're in, whatever your expectations are from the lady, always remember to respect her. They are more than just sex objects and a show-off for your friends. You maybe immature but your misdeeds/mishandling can shape/de-shape someone's future. And, you don't need to go too far to spoil it. Girls are too tender and their hearts can be broken by just playing with their feelings. You would meet a lot of girls who would show to be very hard and tom-boyish on the face of it, but inside, they all come from the same species. Trust me! 


If you ever are in a situation where you never felt for her but she feels for you, please spare her the sympathies and be honest. Have the courage and be honest and tell her your real feelings. It may hurt her then but she would respect you much much more than if you rather accept her and be dishonest with her.


Anay, I know the post is too short and the topic is too wide. Hope it is a tiny bit useful.


Love,
Mom.

Walk with my son

Anay has started walking almost by himself. Well, it's still almost coz I feel that his balance has not yet strengthened fully and it'll need some more time for him to be called as 'walking'.
On Sunday evening, I took him downstairs for his usual evening outing. Normally, we take him to the swings, get him to take some rides, occasionally sit on bench while he ponders around, and then head back home. All this activity takes around 30 minutes, at max. I know, that's like too less for a kid. But, that's the maximum I can roam around him.
So, this Sunday, I let him roam rather than take him to the swings. And, to my surprise, he didn't go to the swings. He went to the shrubs around...touched their leaves, then walked some more. Went to the badminton area. He would silently look at me, whenever he needed my help, in let's say, climbing the stairs. I don't know how but his body language, his eyes communicate whatever there is for him to say. :) It's a nice feeling. It feels like it's just a mom-son thing, even if it's not. :P
So, I took him around the society. He  went everywhere. He directed the walk and never myself. He picked a feather of a pigeon, watched the birds flying in the sky, looked at the sky-rocketing towers in the society, at the balconies and the under-wears drying there. Basically, everything that makes the world, makes our life.

It seemed like I was showing him the world. It seemed like it was a walk together. I understood what they meant when they said "Best friends are those with whom you don't talk and still it's the best conversation you had". I mean, I never thought that a blabbering person like me could ever understand such  a silent conversation. But, my son brought that experience to me through this walk.

It was really a walk to remember.

To add to the tit-bits happening, Anay has started taking a lot of interest in girls suddenly :P
On multiple occasions he has shown biased nature, inclining towards girls than boys. Isn't it too early, kid?? Well, as they say in hindi "poot ke pair paalne mein nazar aa jate hain".

For the fun for readers, let me put down the instances which have forced us family-members to see that he's actually a lady's man!
1. Me, T and my FIL had gone to dentist. MIL wasn't well so we took Anay along. At the dentist, in the waiting area, FIL was trying to keep him busy with a key-bunch while I and T went on with our doc visit. Anay forcefully takes the keys from FIL, gives it to the lady (in her teens/20s) sitting next. She gives it back to him, he takes it then puts it back on her palm. Does this thrice. Then, she playfully, closes her fist with the keys inside and he gives a nice, lovely smile to her...almost blushing. She smiles and gives it back to him. Next, his boyfriend, sitting next tries to play the same game with Anay. He extends his hand to take the keys. Anay Darling extends his hand to give the keys and with the second hand, shoves off the big-guy's hand. :O Whoa!! Man, you're not just a flirt, you're openly shooing off other guys. Hang On! Your mom is not able to catch up!
2. We were walking at night while Anay was enjoying the swings with MIL and FIL. A girl comes to the swings (around 5 yrs of age). He starts going behind her. Then, takes her hand and starts walking with her. MIL and FIL call him and he doesn't care to listen. When the girl's dad comes and takes him to the swing, he stands and watches behind her, hoping to get her back.

Man!! I know all men are same but wouldn't he take some time and be a boy or just a child before he starts on to become a man!? I don't know if I'm happy to know he's straight or am concerned to know that I know this fact so soon!!?
:)

Take Care Anay. Buckle up Swati Garg! God be with both! :)

Touched, Amused, Surprised and Shocked!

It's been quite some time since I posted. A lot has been happening but I just didn't feel like writing. Pinterest and DIY has caught my fancy these days :)
Anay is 1 year old now. His birthday went fine. Not as great as I expected but fine. Perhaps, too much scheming spoils the fun.
Anyways, ever since Anay's birthday has crossed, and ever since he's started walking, he's become one heck of a child to parent. God! He's totally un-put-down-able. He is always on the move.
He doesn't mind going in dark, empty rooms. He wants to touch and feel every thing in the house. He knows if he points to an object, people understand he wants that, and give in to his demands. He walks, he falls, he gets up, walks again.
Too much activity. I ask him often "Anay, what were you doing for the past one year? And, what has got into you now!?" :D
But, it's fun. It's fun to watch him. It's heart-warming to see him all around and full of things.

There are lot of petty small things he's been doing.
1. When I return home from office, I have a habit of touching parents' feet. I do that everyday. I never thought Anay noticed. But, as children notice everything, he did too. He saw me come in the house, he kept playing. He saw me touch mom's and amma's feet. He walks towards me, leaving his play, and gets down to my feet and touched them with both his hands. And, then he looks up, smiling. Ohh God! The feeling, the moment, is totally inexplicable. Totally Totally Godly. :)
2. Anay has taken to keys. He's so obsessed with them that he wants one whenever he sees one. He loves the crankling sound they make. He knows where the key hanger is. He would come to you, get into your arms, and point to the key hanger. He'll keep making 'ummmm'-'ummmm' till you give him one. The 'ummm's keep increasing in intensity from want to demand to anger. Phew!! So much for a one year old. He won't let you do whatever you're doing till you fulfill his demand. It's never a request. Damn, how do people discipline kids. For now, I find it totally impossible to deter him from something. If he wants something, he wants it, and you cannot deviate him.
3. He's realized that spoon and bowl make sound together. Now, he comes into the kitchen and asks for one to play with. I mean, you would think that how can a 1-yr old who cannot speak, ask for something so specific. Wait till you have one. You'll understand that they can pretty well do that. Amazing communication skills they have.
4. He's learnt to say 'No'. Not exactly speak out 'No' but to shake his head and do a 'no'. Initially, I thought he enjoys my hair waving, coz he started doing it when I got a hair cut. But, now I realize that he sees me doing a 'no' with my head shaking, so much, that he's learnt that early. :D Now, when I try to teach him to say yes by nodding his head, he refuses to learn that. Another tool in his arsenal to tell that he doesn't want to eat something. I'm having a tough time feeding him. :-|
5. Now, since he enjoys playing with keys and keep playing with them for hours, he plays with them and leaves them anywhere in the house. Now, then it gets difficult to find them. So, FIL tries to take it from them. He politely asks Anay to give them to him. He puts his hand forward hoping that Anay will keep the keys into his hand. Now, this smart ass, what he does is, puts the keys into GrandPa's hand and quickly snatches it away. :) He's given and he's not given. How do kids get so smart!?? I would expect a kid to not give the key and run away with it. Or, ignore the request. But, putting into his hand, holding the fingers tightly so that GrandPa cannot close the fist, and snatching away the key...this is totally unfathomable for me. :-O

Swati Garg - Better fasten your seat belts. You have one heck of a ride ahead.

Thumak chalat moro kanhaa

And Anay starts to walk. :)
To put a safe date on exactly when he started to walk, I'll say, 20 March'2012. Almost a fortnight before his 1st birthday.
He had been trying to walk since quite some time now. Almost immediately after he stepped into his 11th month, he started persistently trying to walk. He would hold on to things and try to walk...holding walls, doors, sofa handles, anything he could cling on to. But, he wanted to walk than crawl.
Then, he started standing up and stepping 1-2 steps, then he would fall. He fell a lot but kept trying. Nobody pushed him to walk, he felt like doing it himself.
And, then I remember, Bhawna didi was home with kids. I had returned from office. It was Tuesday and I had my con-call with my US manager. And, the moment my MIL opened the gate, I saw him coming towards me, from a distance, walking, peeling with laughter. He was so absorbed in playing and laughing and enjoying with kids, that he forgot he had to fall while walking. :) :) And, he walked almost the whole distance from the Dining Table to the Drawing Room. And then he fell. :D Ohh my baby! I can keep running the tape in my mind over n over. Beautiful moment for me. And, I remember thinking of Tarun. Thinking how he would be so over-joyed on seeing him walking. Tarun was most eager to see him walking.
But, as kids are naughty, Anay took a complete day more to show Tarun that he had learnt walking. I never mentioned to Tarun that I had already seen him. When the next day he saw Anay walking and was out of breath, telling me, I told him that I saw him yesterday. And then, my sweety was disappointed that he got to see  it a complete day later than me. Hahahaha! But, all these moments are so sweet and cherished for me. Joys of my life. Simple joys of life.
Now, it's been almost a week since Anay has started to walk. He has gained more balance to his feet and falls much lesser.
Ohh! Did I mention that when Anay started to walk, he shrugged off my hand himself. As if saying "Mom, I can walk, you don't need to walk me now". :)

Oh Boy! My Man! :)

Determined Anay

There's a adage in Hindi, "poot-kapoot ke pair paalne mein dikhayi de jate hain

Anay has not just inherited his Dad's looks, he has inherited his temper and  his determination too. Tarun is quite adamant when he decides on something. And no one can deter him if he's decided on it.
Anay watches TV like a lost world. Even if you wave your hand in front of his eyes, he'll just move around your hand, but not take his eyes off it. It's quite amazing to watch him do that.

One day Tarun decided this cannot be allowed any further. So, while Anay was lost in watching TV, Tarun started bringing a sofa pillow in front of his eyes. Anay moved above the pillow, or moved the pillow aside, every time Tarun did it. Tarun did it almost 7-8 times and Anay persisted all this while. Amazing is to see Anay's patience and perseverance too. :) :P

Then, Tarun got tired and he moved Anay to face him directly. Tarun tried to scare him with probing eyes, you know, the angry eyes. And, Anay just kept looking at him. And, probed into Tarun's eyes straight. As if, scaring him back. :D

I can never forget the look , I can never forget the episode.

Somehow, it makes me think that Anay will turn out to be a focused person and a difficult child to budge :)

Comparison, Competition and Balance

The world nowadays is marred with lot of vices. And, as a kid, the worst of it, that you will face, is comparison and competition. People, both parents and kids, are running crazily behind things just because everyone else is doing it. It's wrong.
I was born in an environment where competition and comparison was a way of life. I know it's consequences and I know it's damages. The idea behind telling a child about competition is because it puts pressure on the child to do better. Peer Pressure. I'm still working on getting rid of the scars.

I.. would rather like you to do things naturally. I want you to feel driven for things and not pushed for them. If you do something, do it because 'you' 'want' to do it. Don't do it because someone else is doing it. And, don't do it because you have to do it.
Of course, there are things which you will have to do because that's part of our culture or society. And, trust me, if things happen my way, I'll allow you the freedom to question those and take your decisions there too. But, that will happen when the time comes. When you're mature enough to make your decisions. But, till then, you'll have to trust your parents.

Competition these days is growing like tsunami. It is engulfing and destroying everyone in its tides. As you grow up, you'll see children preparing for Engineering Entrance Exams right from Class 6th. That is the kind of preparation that has already started!! God knows by the time you get into school, they would have created programs for kids in Nursery too! Phew! I wonder what it will be like for 'your' kids :P

Honey, enjoy your life. Enjoy the present. Leave the future to itself. Have goals if you really want something. Prepare for it. But before that, know the life, know the world, look at the beautiful world 'God' created. Not just the one 'Man' created. The songs of birds, the love of a mother for her child, the colors of the flowers, the dew in the morning, the first sunshine, the cool breeze, the twinkling stars at the night. The purity. Follow your passion, Follow your heart. Understand what you want to do in life.Don't be like your mother, who is 27 and still searching for what her real passion is :) :D Be like her to not stop searching for it, as long as it may take!

I must mention here, life is about maintaining a balance. At every point in your life, you'll have to maintain a balance. When you're a kid, you'll have to do your homework and you would want to go playing too. Keep a balance. When you grow up, you would have work of office and you would want to spend time with your family too. Keep the balance. If you learn to keep the balance from childhood, you'll not face a problem handling it later in life. Prioritize things and then follow the schedule you made for yourself. A certain amount of discipline doesn't just brings success, it brings more happiness too.

Follow that and live your life king size. I'm there to fend for it. No, I don't want you to be a brat or an irresponsible child. Be responsible for your actions. If you have done something, stand up for it. Don't be a coward and lie to get away from the results. Owe up to them and never regret what you did. When you do that, you will never do anything that you've to hide from anyone. But other than that, do everything that your heart tells you to do. If you think it's right, don't think about what others' right is. If you think doing something is more important than attending an examination, then do it. Explain it to me later and son, I'll understand!

And when you grow up, show the world your true colors. Show them it doesn't matter if you got 100/100 in Maths or Chemistry. What is needed is a clear vision and a passion for the things that actually matter. Be an example that life is not about cramming text books. It's about learning from the world on a day-to-day basis and then dealing with it on the world's conditions.And, making your rules for the world to follow, later!

Go Tiger!!

Letters to you, my cub

Dear Anay,

I've often read about letters that people write to their kids, when they come to know that they are about to die in some time, due to some terminal-illness. I don't have any such illness. At least I know of none as yet...but I want to write letters to you, Anay. The way my life is going, the way things are shaping up, I am no more sure that I would be able to rear you the way I always wanted to.

You would find it odd but ever since I was very small (around 6-7 yrs of age, perhaps), I had opinions or thoughts on how my parents were behaving with me, and how 'I' would behave with my child, once I have him/her. :P This may sound fine to you coz u r listening to your mother, but for anyone else, it would be a funny thought. Maybe you will laugh too if you read this after growing up! :) Nobody, perhaps, thinks of children till the time they actually have them. I did. I used to. Whether it was good or bad, I don't know. That's what I was. That's what made me what I am today. Whatever that is.

I want to share the real 'me' with you. The Mom that you see when you grow up and the mom that has actually given birth to you are very different. Why do I say that? Because circumstances, society, and life changes people a lot. Your beliefs, your understanding of the world, your priorities keep changing. So will I and so will mine. Things I have believed in so far in my life, are becoming meaningless to me now. I know the reason is because I'm more maturer now. I'm growing up, rather growing old. I'm trying to mingle in the world. I'm trying to adjust to the life that everyone else lives, for the sake of my family.

I never did initially.

I lived by my heart. All my life. That's the life I consider as 'mine'. I never regretted anything I did my life. I always took them as a learning.  If I couldn't find any learning, I just took it that I will understand it in due course of time, but I will. I used to listen to my heart a lot. This made me very different from other people. This made me 'me'. But now, I've started losing it. I feel that I'm losing that innocence, I'm losing that heart.

But before the world changes me, and before everything is lost, I want to write these letters to you to tell you, what my heart felt. Because ,somewhere within me, I still believe that my heart was right and the world is wrong.

When I know that was right then why am I changing? The ways of heart are individualistic. They only think of oneself. But, life after marriage is mutual. Your wishes, your dreams, your decisions are all mutual. They are taken as best for your family.  In doing this, sometimes, one own's will has to be forsaken. And this is not something forced on anyone, this is a mutual decision taken by the two people who agree to get married. They agree to set forth on a path for their lives, where they will do anything needed to stay afloat and yet, stay together. If for that, it needs anyone of them to let go of some of their personal wishes, they will. And, each one of them does that happily. Because staying with each other is most important in their lives now. That's the beauty of love and marriage.

.

Stand, Walk, Run

Now Anay has only one ambition in front of him - to walk. :D
He's totally unstoppable these days. He hasn't been able to stand or walk properly right now but he constantly keeps trying. Whatever amount he can walk, crawl, he uses it to his maximum ability, to reach to new objects.
He's able to stand up with the help of stuff, like table, chair etc so he would use those and stand up and start reaching out to objects on top of it. The dressing tables and the drawers are all reachable targets now for him.
You need to keep a constant check on where he might be.
He's started crawling beneath the dining table and the chairs. You lose sight of him for a minute and you would have lost him totally. Then, you keep looking. Coz, right now, he can't respond. If you call out his name, he'll look towards you but he won't come to you. So, if you don't see in his direction, you don't know where to find him.
Just the other day, he went running behind something and Mji was in the other room. By the time, she came to the Drawing room, he was nowhere. She called out to him but of course, he won't answer! So, she looked everywhere to find him sitting and waiting for her, behind the Sofa!
Phew!
It's fun and it's scary. :)
He is so happy when he can stand for a short span of few seconds. He looks at us for approval and happiness. And, are we happy!? His Dad is always overjoyed whenever he sees him standing by himself for even 3 seconds. For me, the fun has faded a bit but I still feel happy. But, not as much as him. :)

He's also realized that switches are for starting and shutting the fans and the lights. Two days ago, we got a switch board fitted near the bed as it was more convenient. Now, we feel like it was a big mistake. Every time Anay is on the bed, he can't wait to reach to the switch board. Now, since the board is at the side of bed, there are fair chances that he would fall off the bed if we leave him unnoticed. God!! You can never be enough cautious with kids.
Now, when he falls or hits himself, I don't even worry as much.

I guess that's part of being a boy's mom. You ought to get used to this! :)

Did I mention that he loves to walk with his walker? He even tries to turn it at corners but can't do it as yet :)
Also, we play hide-n-seek with him. :D We call out to him and hide in one of the rooms and he comes running-while-crawling all over. It's our favorite play these days. We get tired of it but he doesn't. :D

Maturing up :P

Anay has crossed his 10 months and is now going towards his 11th. Ever since he crossed the 3rd Feb date, he has started understanding so much. You can see it on his face. He understands if you throw a ball at him and wait for him to do the same. Papaji played it with him and we have a nice video of doing the same with him. Papaji was making sounds like "Aaa" when throwing the ball, so you can see him making sounds too when throwing the ball. Yesterday, I pressed my palms on his cheeks and brought them down. Then I took his hands and did the same to my cheeks. Then, he did that again. Later, when Tarun was playing with him and did that to him, he repeated it to Tarun back. :) Tarun was overwhelmed. :)
Simple moments, Blissful moments.
If mom-dad are having a cozy moment, then he would leave everything aside and jump in the middle. :D
If someone is going out the gate, he'll rush to the gate to go out. He doesn't cry though, so that's good part about it.
When anyone of us four returns from outside, we have to pick him up without any delay. Without waiting to keep my bags, I must take him into arms else he would freak out.
AND, he's a true man. He dozes off when we take him to a mall. He, on the contrary, keeps wide awake when he take him to the park. He feels lost when mom n amma are getting ready for a party. He seems like "I fail to understand what's the fuss about?!". This is the kinda look he gives me. When I get all dressed up, and ask him. "Anay, mummy kaisi lag rahi hai.", he'll give me a look and then start looking elsewhere, as if he doesn't care or as if he doesn't recognize. God! It's fun and funny at the same time.
Yesterday, we all were out for getting some bathroom fittings, so we all were engrossed in what mirror to chose, he got so tired of it, he started mumbling to himself. When no one paid attention, he started talking loudly. Then, you can't ignore. Then, you have to leave everything and rush to get him his food.
The other day, Mji was trying to feed him daal-chawal. He wasn't eating. She said "bataun abhi" and he started shouting to her, in a further louder tone. God, kids!
Till now, he can;t speak a word, yet he is most heard. I wonder what he'll do when he actually starts speaking.
:P :)

More wounds :(

Anay has started getting very naughty. He wants to be up and around all the time now. He's completed 10 months today.
A few days ago, Mji was preparing some milk and biscuit for him. She had heated the milk with him in her hands. She just placed him in his high-chair so that she could dip the biscuit into the milk, break it and then feed him. In this short span of time, with her standing right next to him, he stood up in the chair, lost his balance and fell, right to the ground, with his head hitting the floor, at back.
I was gone to change clothes. I had just returned from office. And, when he fell, I had just came out. I saw him falling. The fall kept playing in my head for ennumerous times in these past days. It gives me jitters every time I remember it. My head gets dizzy whenever I think of  it. It's like I'm experiencing the fall every time.
Well, nothing much happened to Anay. Thank God for that. He cried for a minute. And, then got dizzy. He wanted to sleep. But, Mji said this is the time they faint. So, you should keep them awake whenever anything like this happens. So, we took him down in the open. We rushed to the nearest doctor, just to be sure, everything was fine, with him. But, unfortunately, the doctor was out of station.
Anyways, we contacted our pediatrician, who lives a little far from our house. He asked us the regular symptoms and said, everything's fine. So, we relaxed. But, it will remain as a nightmare.

Yesterday, he was on his way to another accident but we saved it in time. He has this walker (the three tyred walker, that's better for kids, these days). He loves it totally. So, anytime he sees it, he holds it and wants to walk. But, he's not practiced enough to walk with it, single-handedly. So, I usually make it a point to keep it away from his reach, whenever we're not playing with it. Yesterday, Pji accidentally left it on the ground and forgot. He rushed to it and had already started walking when I saw him. Thank God, I saw it in time. Can't take another one so soon.

I know kids keep falling, keep getting bruised. But, honey pie, you're still too small. Please, give mamma some more time to be prepared for all this.
I need to be very careful now. Very Very careful.
God, be with me! And more with him!!

Mundan

Tomorrow, it's Anay's mundan ceremony. Ever since he was born, I've seen him with hair. Somehow it is scaring me to see him all bald. I know it must be just a couple of days till he remains that and he'll regrow them soon enough (hope so!!). But, it is still a scary feeling.
When his hair had grown a little bit too much, I had put a rubber band on his hair to control them. But, even then, the change in his hair style made him loo so naughty, so clever, I removed the rubber band soon. I would rather put the clip at a side than make a fountain pony on the top of his head. 
If such a slight change can irk me so much, how will I handle it tomorrow.
God, be with me!

His first wound

Yesterday night, he was playing in our bed.

We have got an extended wooden wall stretched around our bed to stop him from falling. He likes to play with that fence. Hold it and stand up. He would stand and then fall back on bed when he gets tired.

Yesterday, he fell and his forehead hit the fence. He has hurt his head many times, but every time it has been slight. When kids play, they tend to get hurt once in a while. And, he's in that age when he'll just not sit still. He has to keep doing something or the other. He wouldn't stay in your lap or arms. He just wants to get out and do something on his own. He is so fierce at it that he will force himself out of your hold, if he wants to. So, we had let him be and stretched the fence. (It's installed through hinges so we can remove it when we wish to, and stretch it at night.)

Yesterday, when he hurt himself, he cried loud, he cried for long. His crying, I've still got okay with. But, the wound. Ohhh! The wound hit me hard. I can't explain how much it was hurting me. The hit left him with a blue scar on his forehead. My MIL and FIL kept calming me down while tending to him. But, it felt like nothing could console me. I couldn't stop the tears. I couldn't stop the hurt it was causing me.

They say that the scar will go away in a day or two. And, it will not hurt him coz we've put the machine oil on it, which is considered best for such wounds. But, I think it'll take me more than that to heal.

This has been his second major wound in this one month. Last time, in Hyderabad, I had fallen with him in my arms. And, his head had hit the lift's pavement. Straight on his head. Ohh! Everything had gone blur in front of my eyes. I had forgotten my wound. I just knew he's hurt. It's great that the people around us were so caring that they helped us right away. But, a wound is a wound. And, when it is on your child's body rather than yours, trust me, it hurts ten times more. I can understand it now.

I remember when I had snipped his nail a bit more while cutting his nails. He hadn't cried or anything but I felt jitters for almost 10 minutes.

I better get used to it. Now, with him growing up, such things are normal. Let's see how long it takes me to get normal to them. God, now I know, why they call it blood relations and what they mean by motherly love. More than the blood, it's a piece of my soul running in him. Before he feels anything, I feel it. And, it's not vice versa.

Nani visit

Since it was shut-down time for me, I and Anay went to my Mom's place. The plan was to spend the entire holidays there but we had to return home early. All in all, we spent 4 days there and 3 days back home. 


This was a revelation time for me. Anay has started recognizing people and places. He was so cranky and insecure at mom's place. The moment we reached there, he got fevicol glued to me .Literally. He just wouldn't leave me. If he's sitting and playing, and someone enters the door, he starts crying. He wants to be in his mother's arms and feel safe. He created havoc before he went to sleep. He would cry so hard, so loud and only in my arms. One night it so happened that I rocked him to sleep in my lap, and the moment I put him down on bed, he would wake up and start crying. He did thrice. Then, he didn't stop crying for almost 30 minutes. Then, when Pranshu came, distracted him, played with him, he calmed down and got busy playing. It was mad. I was so tired and so drained out by the end of it, I couldn't even keep awake to wait for him to sleep again. He just kept playing by my side on the bed while I slept. Then he slept in around half-n-hour or so.


When Tarun came on Wednesday to take us back home, he wouldn't stay calm even in his arms. He wanted me. It would have been nice a feeling in normal circumstances, but I was so damn tired in the past 4 days, of holding him in my arms all the time, or cradling him to sleep while he howled and cried loud, that I was all the more sad to see that he wasn't comfortable with Tarun. I was dreadful that if this continues, what will I do. My back was aching so much that I came to know of joints in my spine, that I never knew of. Everything was aching in me.


Anyways, thankfully, he only took some time before getting easy again. When we returned home, he took some time before getting easy with Amma-Baba and then got back to his normal. Now, he does need me off and on but doesn't just stick to me all the time. So, it's a happy feeling for me. An amazing feeling now to see him drooling his love over me. Falling on me to sleep again, when awake in the middle of his sleep. Circling his body around me. :)


Bliss!