Sunshine turned 3 weeks old yesterday!!Time flies! It seems like yesterday that we went to the hospital and got her home.. First week home is a blur in my mind..Lack of sleep..midnight feedings..doctors’ visits… feeling disoriented , getting teary-eyed at anything and everything..loss of appetite.. feeling extremely hungry.crazy crazy days.
The second week home saw us settling into a routine slowly. Atya (my aunt) visited us for a few days.While she was there, we compared parenting style-yeah .. yeah I know I am a brand new first time mom.. but come on..I have my own ideas about raising my child.Anyhow, I will discuss that in another post.This post is about Sunshine turning 3 weeks old.
3 weeks old and 3 milestones-
* We took Sunshine out for her first Official outing,yesterday. Not doctor’s visit… not mom’s mommy- shopping… but an actual outing to a Persian restaurant.I don’t remember being so anxious in a restaurant ever.The reason- I didn’t want SS to wake up with a messy diaper. I was brave enough to take her out but not brave enough to take her to a public restroom.Thankfully ,she slept through the entire meal..and woke up just before dessert. We got our desserts to-go.
P.S. MM, as I write this..I remembered you took Beanie baby out soon after you C-sec too.. Way to go gal!I went back and read your post…and remembered something similar…will post about it soon.
*SS smiled for the first time!! And NO! it was not GAS! And NO!she was not sleeping!! She was wide awake. I was singing ‘Ole Mac.Donald’ and a non-stop rap of other rhymes and songs…(Yeah …I am that mom!) DH came and stood behind us and started talking to her. And She SMILED!!Yayyyy she looked at him and smiled. It was the sweetest smile ever. I had read just yesterday about babies smiling by the time they complete the first month.I just didn’t expect it to be so soon. DH repeated the same baby-gaga again.. and she smiled again. Now, I wanted it on camera. DH got the camera and repeated the same words again.. And she graced us with yet another smile!!! SS, darling you made mamma-papa so happy today!
* SS got her first massage. Ever since SS was born, everyone has been telling me , how we would have been pampered if we were in India..Daily massages for SS and me.. My granny tells me that every time I talk to her.How she wishes I was in India.. how she would have massaged her great-grand-daughter.. I feel so bad every time someone says that..be it my granny or some aunt or some other relative. I was waiting for her cord to fall and then I was going to start her massages..So her cord dropped on Monday evening but her belly button was still not dry. Today it seemed dry and closed.. So, we had a massage session.. Mom& daughter-pamper session , with dad looking on. . She cried when we started,relaxing little by little.. by the time I got to her back, she was so chilled out, she had this peaceful expression on her face! Hence proved, SS loves a good back rub!
And she sleeps….
Last three nights,Aadya had a lot of trouble falling asleep and eventually when she did fall asleep, she had trouble staying asleep.
We took turns holding her, rocking her.. talking to her, singing , but nothing worked.
DH suggested changing her swaddling blanket, and I did.I even changed her outfit. That helped a little but she woke up again in a short while.
After countless diaper checks and changes, feedings, burping and the works, we were at our wits ends.
I held her close.. The more she cried, the closer to tears I got. Finally I started kissing her face.. and she started nuzzling too.. and … she loved having mommy’s cheek so close to her own..That’s how my little angel slept.. Cheek to cheek .
She loves sleeping like that.. She wants to stay that way till she doesn’t drift off the sleep.And then I finally put her in her crib.
DH grabbed his camera and clicked a snap.
When I saw the snap,I got so emotional ..( yes! again!) Even after all these years of being together, DH is still amazed at how easily I cry.
Everyday with Aadya is a new lesson..It is so amazing, this little person, just 20 inches tall and 20 day old means so much to me..This little love of mine, trusts me so much.. my touch is so comforting to her.. I don’t have words to write my feelings for her.Everyday she gives her mom’s life a new meaning.. something new to pen down and something sweet to shed a tear or two about.
Aadya’s mom
That’s my new title.
We were at her Pediatrician’s office and I wanted to ask something to the nurse,before leaving. And the receptionist called out to her- Wendy, Aadya’s mom wants to ask you something!
Aadya’s mom..It sounded so natural.
I remember every time that someone introduced me as my dad’s daughter..or DH’s wife..I always felt a little .. how should I put it..miffed??? I always felt that I have my own identity and why should I be introduced as some one’s wife or daughter.. why not just as me, the person. But somehow, when I was addressed as Aadya’s mom ,it just made me feel so good..made me feel like a complete person and yet again, made me so emotional.
Thank you, baby girl, for making me a mom.. Thank you for completing my life!Thank you for completing me!
Two of my close friends,( you guys know who you are) told me that I am so motherly..Yes,I am..it just feels like the perfect job for me.. my baby doll was the only thing lacking in my life.
Here’s to mommyhood.. and hoping to enjoy every second of it!
Some sweet memories
So, I never got around to writing everything about my pregnancy.. Baby SS came early.. A good lesson for mommy- Babies wait for no-one!
But my pregnancy journal wouldn’t be complete without these sweet memories-
Baby SS gets hiccups-
It was sometime after lunchtime. I was lying down on the couch,reading a book. And suddenly i thought I felt heartbeats in my tummy. HUH?? whats going on? Immediately I googled it.. and found out that Baby SS was having hiccups!! hehee Hiccups.. My baby ,standing on her head and having hiccups..It was so funny and special! I called up DH at work and told him immediately. He asked me how I knew.. I told him what was happening and he googled it too.I had my 24 weeks visit that day and we reconfirmed it with the doctor too.She would have hiccups for 20-30 mins at a time.. and that continues even now!
Dad feels his baby kick-
Ever since I felt the first fluttering I wanted DH to experience it too. And he was looking forward to it too.So, every time the baby started kicking, I would grab his hand and put it on my belly.. but either he couldn’t feel anything or the baby would stop kicking! So, one night after dinner.. We were still sitting at the table, chatting and she started to kick.. I grabbed his hand and put it on my belly, yet again. only this time in my rush, i pressed a little hard.And she kicked him hard!!! He had a stiff neck that day! but that kick made him forget that.. He hugged me so tight..We both had tears in our eyes!
Inside-Outside-
After that first introductory kick..dad was really excited.Whenever we were sitting ,relaxed and baby was moving, he would ask me to keep his hand where i felt the kicks. And when I guided him to the right spot, he would pat there.. and if SS was in an indulgent mood she would oblige by kicking back and playing with her dad.
Here’s Aadya!
Newest Mom on the blogs-Part-2
Finally,I got around to post part 2 of my birth story.DH is out grocery shopping and Baby SS is sleeping.
So, sometime between the final decision and the actual surgery,I was examined by at least 3 nurses and 2 doctors. And then the Anaesthesiologist came to talk to me and explained everything and asked me if i had any questions.Uh, Yes I did! One of my high school teachers had gone into a Coma due to a wrongly administered Spinal and I was nervous and just needed a reassurance or something to calm my nerves. So, I asked him what were the chances of something like that happening. And he tells me.. Sure you can die. I wont lie to you. This is a hospital, anything can happen! WOW Thanks for being so brutally honest. I looked at DH and DH at me!
So, I decided that if i am going to die.. i will die , talking.. even if I am flat on my back and with an opened up belly! And yes I hated him!
Fast forward to OR-
I insisted on walking to the OR,my last pregnant walk for a while. And I did it as gracefully as possible. Anyone who has worn a hospital gown will know what i mean. Anyway, I got my spinal and was prepped for the delivery.DH came and took a seat near my head. And we were chatting, Dr. giving us a blow by blow description of each step. It was like a dream.I felt like an outsider watching someone else’s life. I asked for Oxygen! LOL!I was feeling dizzy and seeing stars.. The Anaesthesiologist asked me if I saw Brittany Spears..I said no Indian stars. By then I had softened towards him. he gave me O2 candy!!hehehe
OK Dad, get your camera ready! Huh? already? “yes! we are going to get the baby out!”
DH stood up, to take a peak behind the curtain and he had this enthralled look on his face!
At exactly 8.33pm-“Welcome Baby Girl Aadya !” said the Dr.Is she ok? I asked “She is perfect!”said the Dr.
Take her picture ! Take her picture!! I am telling DH and he is still in a daze, looking at his daughter. I am pulling his hand.. and he doesn’t react.. TAKE A PICTURE!! Finally the doc told him.. “Dad you better take a picture.. don’t mess with mommy at this time!”
LOL!And at that very moment she cried! Aww that was music to my ears.That jolted him to his senses and he started clicking furiously.. and then,they took her away..to clean and weigh her. His eyes followed his daughter..and the next thing I know is that his hand had slipped out of mine. He was no longer at his position by my head.. but was standing by his daughter’s side. So easy it is to slip into daddy shoes..
I had to wait a while longer before i got to see my princess.. DH was so in awe of her..He held her up for me to see – he just didn’t realise that all i saw of her was the blanket.. everything else was hidden behind her dad- showering her with kisses. The nurse had to tell him 4 times that it was time to go to the nursery.. he just didn’t seem to hear!He was not ready to let go. Finally I told him.. its OK, you go with her.. and off they went,without a backward glance!! The new twosome!My darling and our darling daughter!
Newest Mom on the blogs! Part-1
I spent two days in bed(March 28th & 29th).I was cramping so badly..I was sure something was wrong. I called up the nurse and she thought it meant that my cervix was thinning and that i would go into labour soon.How soon is any one’s guess!
So,I waited. Come Friday morning,March 30th and the cramping is worse.Baby SS was also moving less.I called up the nurse again, and she said if she didn’t move 4 times in the next hour , then to go to Labour & Delivery. And she moved.
So,We just went for the scheduled NST. DH got stuck at work again and I lost my temper.I ranted and raved while he just calmly kept driving and when I stopped ranting he asks me if i want to attend a potluck with his colleagues!!That triggered another round of ranting!
Fast-Forward to L&D:
Baby SS was still moving less,NST readings were not satisfactory and so I had to stay longer.Then, they performed the biophysical profile test and she was still not moving much.
So,they decided to have me stay longer.At around 6.00pm,the nurse tried to stimulate the baby to move.. and boy did she move! I felt like there were 10 babies in my tummy for that1 minute.She moved ,her heart rate accelerated and then just like that it started to drop.The nurse called the doctor on call.DH was watching TV oblivious to all this..I yelled at him to check what was happening,he saw and ran out to get the nurse.. while i am holding my breath .. The baby’s heart rate had dropped to 60 .They put me on oxygen and that helped her a little. The nurses kept asking me if i felt the contractions but i didn’t feel any. They decided I had to stay back..I asked them how long and the doctor said..till you deliver the baby. And silly me is thinking.. “OH my God! What am I going to do in a hospital for two more weeks!!” Must have been high on oxygen or preoccupied with thoughts of yummy Dosas at our favorite local restaurant!! DH asked her are you talking of delivering tonight..She said yes.Then started the process of undressing and examining and more examining. I was checked by at least 3 nurses and 2 doctors .As it turned out I was 2 Cm dilated but the baby was not reacting well to contractions.They gave us time to consider if we wanted to wait or looking at the situation go in for C-sec.We decided to go for a C-sec as Baby SS was more important than anything else.At 7.00pm, the doctor came back and told us that she could start the delivery at 8.00
DH rushed home to grab the camera..Yes! our bags were in the car but Camera was at home!He lit a lamp,prayed.. while I spoke to my dad and shocked the daylights out of him.He was just getting ready to have his morning cup of tea when I called.He went and lit a lamp too.
They took me in at 8.00 .DH had just arrived, by the time he changed into his scrubs, I was already numb from belly button down.
More- in next post..
P.S.-I decided to go ahead and post this.. I have already saved this as a draft countless number of times..adding from one word to 1 line each time..
Is it them … Or
….. is it just me?
Or is just the latest in-thing to not think before speaking?
So, I have had some troubles with my pregnancy, but nothing that was never a precedent with another mom-t0-be.
What prompted me to write this post was- Oh well, idle mind. I have been cramping and so am in bed reflecting upon the last few months and among other things was reminded of some people’s not so thoughtful comments. Like, take this couple for example. The husband is DH’s colleague and team mate. So, every time we have to rush to the ER or when DH had to take leave of absence, when I was on bed rest, he had to inform this guy.So, his lovely wife calls me up, while I am still on bed rest and asks me, ‘Oh i heard you are on bed rest’ and even before I can answer, goes on to say- ‘So, what’s the latest complication??’
Uhhh, wait lemme think of a new one!Like I am fabricating these troubles.
Then she goes on to say-‘we haven’t been out anywhere ,even on the long weekend we stayed in.So think we’ll visit you this weekend.’
I say- ‘Yeah sure we’ll meet up. But lets do it some other weekend, I am not up to it.’
She Says- ‘Oh don’t worry about it,we’ll come over and help ourselves to tea/coffee whatever we like. As it is my kids are sick and I need to take them out somewhere.’
I say-‘ My doctor told me about this RSV virus, which affects kids during these months and it wont be a good idea to take your kids out if they are already sick.
She says-‘ Ohh Indian kids have great immunity.they are not like the kids born here!!’
Hello!!! I am pregnant, on bed rest, in the last few weeks of my pregnancy, why would you want to expose me and my baby to a deadly virus, just so you can go out.
Now, don’t get me wrong! I am a gracious host and love entertaining and I love kids, have always loved them.My home has always been an open playground for all my friends kids. Before I got married, My dad would come home every evening to a living room full of kids books, scattered toys and at least 3 kids. And, I was a teacher. So, I thoroughly enjoy kids. But these kids make me nervous. More because of the fact that their parents just don’t stop them. they think its the hosts’ responsibility to take care of their home and belongings and also take care of the kids.
Anyway, for some reason, they couldn’t make it that weekend, and haven’t called back either. But every time DH has to take me to my OB’s office ( and now its twice a week because of my Gestational Diabetes), the husband never fails to comment on how his wife just had one trouble through out the pregnancy and that was labor pain.
Oh come on, every pregnancy is different and are we keeping scores? Ultimately what matters is that the baby should be healthy and safe.
May be my patience is running out with such people or may I am just becoming anti-social. For as long as I can remember, I have been taught to respect other peoples feelings,being polite and courteous towards others and last but not the least-‘ If you cannot say something nice, Don’t say it at all!’
Am I over-reacting or asking for too much?
My american Maid!
My Home looks beautiful.Its spic and span and I challenge you to find even a speck of dirt! And the Credit goes to – NOT me , but my American maid.
Since I left my beautiful country , crossed the 7 seas and started a new life, I had forgotten the luxury of having a maid. The wonderful person who came every morning like clockwork and did the dishes, the laundry, the dusting and cleaning. OH, that beautiful peal of the door bell, announcing her arrival that should have been music to my ears, but I took for granted. Then we moved here. And I remembered and appreciated her so much every day- When I was doing the dishes, When I was sweeping the floor, when I was lugging piles of dirty laundry to the common laundry two floors down.
This continued for the last 2 years.Then,I went home for a vacation and got thoroughly pampered by Soni.Soni is a girl of 20-22, who worked full-time at my dad’s place. She would come in at 8.00 every morning and make breakfast and tea for everyone. Then she would pack lunches for my dad and sister and then get on with her daily chores . Since I was visiting, she took it upon herself to pamper me. And everyday she had a new mid-morning snack for me, which I devoured shamelessly. She would clean the house from top to bottom,my dad’s house being a duplex with two terraces. And she would also do the laundry! And not to forget, the fabulous meals that she cooked for us. 2 months of this is enough to make a normal person insanely lazy. Well, anyway,I came back to reality as soon as my flight landed and I came home. Then it was back to cooking, cleaning, laundry and the works. There was no Soni here.
Fast forward to about 10 months later and you’ll see a heavily pregnant me and DH struggling to cope up with all the chores that I cannot do anymore- cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming the carpets, and the likes. Anyway, we gave up trying to do everything ourselves and called the cleaning service.We tried two different ones and if I was happy with the first one, I am exhilarated with the second one.They were in today and did a fabulous job.Though I must admit,it was awkward to sit and watch someone else work in my home. And I don’t even feel a tad bit guilty to say that my home has never been cleaner.And the tulips that I bought 2 days back have bloomed and are adding to the beauty of this beautiful home!
Since I left my beautiful country , crossed the 7 seas and started a new life, I had forgotten the luxury of having a maid. The wonderful person who came every morning like clockwork and did the dishes, the laundry, the dusting and cleaning. OH, that beautiful peal of the door bell, announcing her arrival that should have been music to my ears, but I took for granted. Then we moved here. And I remembered and appreciated her so much every day- When I was doing the dishes, When I was sweeping the floor, when I was lugging piles of dirty laundry to the common laundry two floors down.
This continued for the last 2 years.Then,I went home for a vacation and got thoroughly pampered by Soni.Soni is a girl of 20-22, who worked full-time at my dad’s place. She would come in at 8.00 every morning and make breakfast and tea for everyone. Then she would pack lunches for my dad and sister and then get on with her daily chores . Since I was visiting, she took it upon herself to pamper me. And everyday she had a new mid-morning snack for me, which I devoured shamelessly. She would clean the house from top to bottom,my dad’s house being a duplex with two terraces. And she would also do the laundry! And not to forget, the fabulous meals that she cooked for us. 2 months of this is enough to make a normal person insanely lazy. Well, anyway,I came back to reality as soon as my flight landed and I came home. Then it was back to cooking, cleaning, laundry and the works. There was no Soni here.
Fast forward to about 10 months later and you’ll see a heavily pregnant me and DH struggling to cope up with all the chores that I cannot do anymore- cleaning the bathrooms, vacuuming the carpets, and the likes. Anyway, we gave up trying to do everything ourselves and called the cleaning service.We tried two different ones and if I was happy with the first one, I am exhilarated with the second one.They were in today and did a fabulous job.Though I must admit,it was awkward to sit and watch someone else work in my home. And I don’t even feel a tad bit guilty to say that my home has never been cleaner.And the tulips that I bought 2 days back have bloomed and are adding to the beauty of this beautiful home!
Baby SS- Your Crib is waiting for you
2 weeks back, as it dawned on me that I would be completing 36 weeks soon , I knew it was time to set up a crib for baby SS. Everyone was telling me that its going to be anytime after that and apparently, I took it literally. That could be one of the reasons for my disappointment and impatience.Anyway, back to the crib- so, we had start from the very beginning and that was choosing the crib. Now we had been looking at cribs for months and had also picked out a favorite. But the trouble was getting the crib home. The crib that we liked was beautiful. But,it was also Big and heavy. And DH didn’t have lifting buddies to carry it home from the parking lot. And the stores were charging exorbitant delivery charges. So, our search for the perfect crib was still on.
That’s when my friend Pooja came to the rescue. I came to know Pooja through a pregnancy website.She is also due in April .What is so great about our friendship is we met as strangers, exchanged emails and as our pregnancies progressed we have come to be good friends. I wish our friendship continues to grow. So, Pooja suggested that I look at the crib that she picked up for her baby from Babies’R’us and we went and checked it out and we loved it. So, there it was.. Our perfect crib. We had probably seen that crib during our previous trips to BRU , but just never saw it in the color and finish that we liked. And that day, there it was. Just waiting for us. We even picked up the perfect bedding set to go with it and set it up when we came home.
That’s when my friend Pooja came to the rescue. I came to know Pooja through a pregnancy website.She is also due in April .What is so great about our friendship is we met as strangers, exchanged emails and as our pregnancies progressed we have come to be good friends. I wish our friendship continues to grow. So, Pooja suggested that I look at the crib that she picked up for her baby from Babies’R’us and we went and checked it out and we loved it. So, there it was.. Our perfect crib. We had probably seen that crib during our previous trips to BRU , but just never saw it in the color and finish that we liked. And that day, there it was. Just waiting for us. We even picked up the perfect bedding set to go with it and set it up when we came home.
So, the crib is ready, waiting for Baby SS to arrive and grace it.
But looking at the empty crib makes me yearn for Baby SS even more. Every time I enter our bedroom,yes , I plan to room her in for the first few months( or forever), and see the crib , I wonder if I left SS somewhere unattended and then I look at my belly and remember that she is fine, safely snuggled inside.
15 Marbles 
