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My big girl…

She is a chatterbox..Every time,I ask her, ” Can you be quiet for sometime?” she tells me,”No! I can’t…because I am one of those people who talk!” 🙂

She loves singing.We got her a Leap Pad and she keeps making videos of herself singing.

She loves dressing up.Whenever we have to go out,she needs to try on a couple of tops before finalising her final outfit..I don’t call her a diva for nothing!

She is learning new words,every single day.She had a bigger vocabulary than I had at 10! When she hears a new word,she wants to know what it means and uses it in the right context,right away!

She looks so much like I did at 5…I see her talking or smiling..and I am reminded of my childhood pictures:)

She is a brat sometimes..throwing tantrums-everytime we enter a shop..She nags and pesters and nags some more for something silly..something that she won’t even remember the next day.

She loves her sister dearly and though sometimes she is rough with her,she is quick to jump to her defense ,when we pretend to be angry with the baby..or pretend to be too tired and want to give the baby away.

She is getting closer to her dad..more than ever..they team up,make plans in whispers..they are as thick as thieves!

She is starting formal school next week and I have butterflies in my stomach. I know she will have lots of fun and she will rock there..but..I still worry,whether she will eat her lunch,whether she will have friends there…

I leave you with a pic

Told you she is a diva!

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Jan Birthday presents


Now that the Jan Birthday girls have opened their presents..I can share them here..


I found plain wooden pen holders from Spotlight and then transformed them into these gorgeous things,using decoupage technique,scrapbooking paper,crafting glue,buttons,stickers,ribbons! It was my first time doing decoupage..and I am thinking..why did I wait so long to try it. I am so glad,my friends liked their gifts!

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Weekend’s here!

Wow!This week went by so quickly.I can’t believe we are nearly in the last week of this month..1st month of the new year is getting over…Babushka starts school on 3rd February..I can’t decide if I am happy or sad.While I happy that I will get one-on-one time with Babychino,I am also sad about being away from Babs for the whole day.Ah! the Joys of motherhood- the guilt never leaves you!
This year,one of my resolutions is to lose weight..YES again! I have started walking..and I am proud to tell you that I have religiously gone for a walk every single day..if I can’t go for a walk,I make sure..there is some incidental stroll in the mall happening!
We have been going crazy shoe shopping for Babushka’s school.. yes,you read it right.They asked for leather shoes..and the first time,we went-we couldn’t find any girl shoes in heer size.We bought a pair of black runners with laces and came back.The next time we went-we found some girl shoes with buckles(I think they are called Mary Janes!)-Bought two pairs of those..One cheap,one expensive.I found her size and just bought some -just in case I don’t find it anywhere else.
The next day,we headed out again for some more shoe shopping..this time,I found her size in back to school sale..I bought two pairs AGAIN! These were also Mary Janes..So we now had 1 pair of runners and 4 pairs of Mary Janes!
Two days later,I went and returned the expensive Mary Janes…and while window-shopping,I found Mary Janes with Velcro straps- just right for my little girl-who has trouble with laces and buckles!!And there I found runner with Velcro straps too..So,I bought a pair of each!! LOL! So now we have 2 good Mary Janes and 1 good pair of runners.AND Now,I need to go return 3 pairs of shoes!I hope they don’t BAN me from the store!
While the craziness reigns in the Suburban house,one baby has been diligently trying to crawl..YES..thats right..BabyChino is trying to crawl..She has so far taken 2-3 steps(?) …a couple times..While its exciting,I am left wondering-WHY so soon? OK..I will go and catch some sleep now,before the BabyChino wakes up for her night snack..I swear..I am in a permanenet sleep deficit these days..BabyC wakes up atleast 3 times,at night and Babs wakes up sharp at 8.She then,sneaks out and watches TV on a low volume..but mother’s guilt doesn’t let me sleep much longer..Oh well….I better get going! More later..
Much love,
Suburban Mumma!

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Crafts,cooking..etc..

Hi everyone,
I hope 2012 is treating you well. Yet again,I promise to blog more often and keep this site fresh and active..2012 is making a new woman out of me..and I am hoping,I will keep this up.
So,some of my new year resolutions are..
The first one -eating healthy and home cooked.. avoiding processed food as much as possible.Last year,because of the pregnancy,my being sick and pregnant,new baby..everything just led to more and more eat-out.So,weekly menu plans are back-they have been in place from the very first day of the year..I hope we can stick to it,for the rest of the year!

The second one is-crafting more .. Last year was pretty dull craft-wise as well. This year,I want to craft more.I intend to try out a few new techniques,a few new crafts..pick up some new hobbies.

Logo credits-Josie
The extra crafting will come in handy,considering I signed up for an year-long birthday exchange on Ravelry!Yup,you read it right!
There are 22 of us and we’ll be sending gifts to every person on her birthday.The last time I got so many presents was on my 23rd birthday-when my sister gave me 23 presents 🙂 Anyway,I mailed out the puffies for the January birthday girls and I can’t wait to share here what I made for them..more importantly can’t wait for the Birthday girls to get their presents!
I will share pics here,as soon as they receive the parcels..
Hope you are having a good year!!

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Happy New Year!


Wish you all a very Happy 2012!May this year bring all things nice..lots of love,luck,prosperity your way!!

Here’s the blog review for 2011

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for this blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Syndey Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 8,500 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 3 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

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5th Month

Hii Ananya,

You are 5 months old  young now..and you are a rock star! You are such a smiley fun baby to be around. Everyone in your sister’s Kinder used to call you smiley! Some of my mum friends said,they have never seen another baby who always smiles.And you did change that impression on the last day.. by screaming when one of them looked at you and said hello..Boy! you cried and cried and cried…I think you were startled and didn’t know what was  happening.

Oh my Laddu..yes,darling.. that name is stuck with you.. you know why?I love your perfectly round face..and those baby kisses that you shower me with give me such a heady sugar rush… So how can I call you anything else,but Laddu!! So,my dear Laddu..you are sitting up.. well you started sitting up sometime in your 4th month and now you can sit up straight without any support.. Its so funny..when you first started sitting up,you didn’t want to lie down..Even when you were half awake and half asleep.. you wanted to sit up and cried till I didn’t prop you up!

You know, you were trying to grab our spoons and food with both your hands..1-2 days before your 5th month birthday.. Yes,you were…you watched hungrily when I was holding you and eating..We went Berry picking and you grabbed my hand that was holding the strawberry,with both your hands and tried to take a bite! The next time,we were at a cafe and you yelled and screamed and grunted.. because you wanted to taste what we were eating!!! You naughty naughty baby..So we decided to start you on solids.Well,I decided and your sister excitedly agreed..and Papa,well he was out-numbered..so he agreed too.

We did a little ceremony and you were fed your first official solid food..Rice cereal to be precise and you loved it..you gobbled it up..we tried it again the next day and you were happy to eat… but then you had too full a tummy and had trouble sleeping.So, we have put the solids away for a while.. We’ll try again in a couple of weeks on a half-filled tummy 🙂

And Missy,yet again,I have to ask you..WHAT IS YOUR HURRY?? You are trying tummy and butt pushups..trying to crawl away,are you?? Well ..well.. there is no escaping this crazy family.. we are stuck with each other for life..So,relax..slow down..and remain my little baby..a little while longer..OTHERWISE I swear,I will wrap you  up in a bubble wrap 😀

Love you loads …Monkey… Lots and lots.. and lots…

Kisses n cuddles

Mumma!

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8 years

Yesterday SD and I completed 8 years of married bliss..:) YES-8 years!!

The first year was mostly a mixed bag..more bleh..than bliss.. but we made it…:) It is during that year that I understood what my friends and relatives said about-When you get married, it doesn’t matter whether is arranged or love! The first year was difficult..and why not,we were getting used to living with each other-instead of just meeting,sharing a meal and going back to our own homes. Even if we had a fight on a date,we knew,there was just limited time and we would just quickly make up and make the most of the date.. But,when we were living together.. we had all the time..and egos reared up their ugly heads.But we made it…we got through it!!:D We lived in 4 places,across 3 countries during the first year of marriage(SD lived in 5,across 4 countries-because he went away on a business trip-that got extended and extended again!)

The second year was better than the first but not great. There were some bad months of family trouble..which even spilled over into the third year..The family troubles did make it hard for our new marriage..but it also made our bond stronger..we went through phases where we were at loggerheads and then there were phases,where we didn’t care about anyone else,but us..:) We moved again just before our second Anniversary..another time,we moved countries.

The third year had its share of family trouble,that spilled over from the second.. but by then we were a teeny bit smarter and didn’t let all that get in our relationship.We decided to tackle those,when they presented themselves-which was very frequently..but we would put the phone down,and get in the car and go for a long drive..driving silently,till the tempests in hearts and minds settled..and then we would be alright..The third year brought to us,the sweet news of my first pregnancy…and we were on top of the world.That year we moved twice and on our third Anniversary-I was pregnant and starving and he was overworked and we managed to get a take-out just before our favorite restaurant closed their kitchen..Yes! he didn’t get home till 10.00pm that night!

The fourth year saw us as new parents.And you know what?That teeny-tiny bundle of love just made us glued to each other like never before.We made it through the sleepless nights,teething troubles,health problems-both his and mine-smiling:) I swear..I am not kidding. The fourth year also saw us welcoming our families in our homes..for the love of a grandchild,is bait enough for the grandparents to take those long flight. And we moved yet again that year…:) just once!

The fifth year started with a milestone..when we first left India,we got on that plane as a newly married couple..we got on a plane to go to India- only this time,we were new parents and were proudly holding our love and joy,our 9 month old.The fifth year was nice..except our families had to go through terrible times on account of health and work..and both the times,our circumstances left us,feeling terribly helpless and tied down. Things got better as the year ended.We moved countries that year and again on the anniversary day,SD was working late and we managed to get a take-out just before closing time!

The sixth year was pretty tame compared to the rest of the years..Actually it was pretty laid back..We made the most of what we had and enjoyed ourselves and our baby 🙂 AND NO there were no moves that year-we only changed houses!!:) Family visited again that year and I ended up going to India alone with Babushka.That was the first time,since Babushka’s arrival that we lived apart for 2 months! All in all,it was a good year..great even!

The seventh year saw us getting ready to go one step ahead in game of parenthood..:) Yes,just before our 7th anniversary,we found out that I was pregnant with Babychino:)More family visits that year:) And no moves.We went back to India again as a family and SD changed jobs.That year was the first time,he went away on a business trip..He did weekly flybacks and it was weird not having him come home every night and he felt lost not having his favorite girls to cuddle..That was when we realised how you can take your spouse for granted:) I was too sick,on our anniversary that year,so we just stayed in watched movies:)

The eighth year saw us waiting for a new baby..SD went through phases of being extremely stressed out and irritable,like he was last time..and then there were phases of extreme care and concern.There were moments when I came this close to killing him..but then picking up my pregnant bulk,pushing Babushka away from my growing bulk was too much effort..And then how could I deny Babychino the pleasure of being loved by her dad..And ..and.. how could I let SD go without him changing a few poopy diapers..So, he survived..and I survived..and we got our beautiful baby girl..:) The eight year zoomed by and we spent our 8th Anniversary,frantically buying Christmas presents for our precious girls. Yes!we left it to the last minute..but that’s besides the point..I remember,when in the pre-baby days..it was all about eating out, indulging each other..and this year..we didn’t even get cards for each other..In the evening,we went to our favorite restaurant for dinner and it was closed..:( We were starving by the time we got to our next choice..It was on the other side of town..I am hoping this means that another move is on the cards…Thats another story that we ate till we burst-literally..!!I have not pigged out so much in a long long time!!
Lets see what the ninth year has in store for us…
Eight years,8 places,2 babies,1 receding hair-line(his!),one expanded waist-line(mine!),hugs and tears,love and laughter,food(OH!yes..there has to be food!),joys and sorrow… all added and subtracted,its been a good run..Despite our differences(oh!yes we are like chalk and cheese!),the bonds that we formed,the vows that we took all those years back are still going strong…I hope the years to come are kind to us:)
Happy Anniversary,SD !

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Yet again..

Yet again,life got on top of me.I really dunno where the time goes these days.EVERY single day,I think of you guys,I think of updating the blog.. but….
First things first,thanks for all the hand holding,everyone.I got the CT scan done and the results are … lets just say,I need to see a surgeon.There is a 4cm cyst in my spleen. Given that the spleen itself is 10cm long,4 cm cyst,seems big.So,I see the surgeon before Christmas and then,we’ll know more.If I require a surgery then,I think I will just pack my bags and go to my dad’s. Anyway,we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.
We are down to the last school term for Babushka..and it has been a great last term,filled with lots of activities and fun-days. They even went had an excursion to the zoo.SD wasn’t too crazy about her going alone..For days together,he kept asking me,”How could you leave her alone??” I finally asked him to take the day off and go with her,since babies weren’t allowed and there is no way,I was dragging a 4 mo just so we could follow the Kinder group at a safe distance!!I played the I-am-her-mother card and she went to the zoo and she had a blast.She is still talking about it and its been 4 days!
Babushka is so quick to talk and so witty.At the zoo, the teacher was putting name tags on everyone,with the school address and number,facing forward.And this cheeky monkey tells the teacher,”No,No Jane,you cannot put it like this-how will the animals know our names?”and before poor stunned Jane could answer,she says,”OK then,Never mind,we’ll just flip it over and show it to our favorite animals.”Jane was still speechless,the other parents had a nice laugh!
Babychino is busy growing up..She is now sitting up.Yes!Already(knock on the wood now!) a couple nights back,after her massage,I sat her up and was rubbing her back and she first lifted one hand off the floor,tentatively..then the other..She is trying to lift herself,when she is lying down.but,if you prop her up,she stays like that for a good while. She is suddenly interested in colors and I think her favorite color is yellow! She likes to grab EVERYTHING! All this is fun,but she gets mad,if I move away from her 10 cm radius! She pretends to cry!!YES!Pretends to cry..just keeps looking at the ceiling and makes these wailing sounds…and when we go close to her,she smiles!!!
Speaking of smiles,everyone at Babushka’s kinder have nicknamed her ‘Smiley’..Lately,SD and I have been looking at our girls and then saying,to each other,who would have thought?..I get that thought quite often,when we are having a nice peaceful moment…all of us laughing at something Babuska said or Babychino did…it was nice when SD mentioned feeling that way too.Its nice to know after so many years together,that we still feel the same way. In less than 2 weeks,we’ll be celebrating our eighth anniversary together. When I look at the girls,I really feel.. when we were going through hard times in our relationship,because SD’s parents weren’t agreeing.. a kid was probably the last thing on our minds..and we got past that.. and now we have two of our own!!Blows me away completely:D
I guess,I’ll stop here for now..Will be back with more soon..till then..
Take care,my lovelies..