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Weekend Lunch/Brunch

WOW!I did it again..let this blog sit unattended..for so long.I try,I really try to keep up..I take pictures after cooking every interesting dish-old/new.I plan about writing stuff here.. but these days time is like sand..it just slips through my fingers..and I don’t even know when.
I hope you all have been well and I hope at least some of you are still reading:)
Over the last few months(read when I was pregnant and after little A was born!),weekend Brunch is just something we grab outside..Mc.Donalds,Nandos or some Indian restaurant…and that’s about it.And by evening,we are all hungry,tired and not satisfied..And tonight as I was cooking dinner,I was reminiscing the weekends of my childhood.
Isn’t it funny how most of our childhood memories have something related to food associated with them? I guess,its because our moms put in a a lot of effort in making sure there was fresh food on the table,for every single meal.Also,restaurants were few and far and eating-out was a rare treat.Seriously,our generation eats out so much,there is nothing exciting about it.
So, not to digress, the weekend Lunch menu while I was growing up was-
either a wholesome full-bodied chicken curry with rice and fresh rotis,a nice salad on the side.
OR
Chole(Chickpea curry) or Rajma(Kidney Beans curry) with Rice,fresh rotis and yogurt and salad
OR
Chinese style chicken chili and fried rice
OR
Fish Fry with Daal-rice
OR
Any non-veg curry with rice and roti.

And I really want to bring back real food to the table. Most nights I cook dinner that lasts us for next days lunch too..But,I want the weekend menu to be something different,quick and fresh..And I am looking for ideas.Would you please be kind enough to leave me a note and tell me what your weekend meals are like?

random

5

That’s my new favorite number:) Do you know why? Well,lemme show you:
Babushka’s Shrug

Babushka’s Canvas shoes

My Canvas shoes

These cute tees for Babushka(pic courtesy-google images)

All the things in the pictures costed me $5 each. Not only this,I found cute everyday Rompers for Babychino,for $5 each.
This post may also be titled- Why I love driving ๐Ÿ™‚ Now,I can go to the stores at leisure(read-when Babushka is at Kinder),browse peacefully(read-when SD is not breathing down my neck,asking me to hurry up and stick to the LIST)..well,I love these little bargains:) Don’t you?

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I’ve been tagged :)

WHAT WAS YOUR:

1. Last beverage : A home-made Mocha

2. Last phone call : Husband

3. Last text message : One of my mum-friends from Aadya’s Kinder

4.Last song : Chammak Challo

5. Last time you cried : an hour back,while watching a movie

HAVE YOU EVER:

6. Dated someone twice : yes and married him too!

7. Been cheated on : NO

8. Kissed someone & regretted it : nah-uh!

9. Lost someone special : My mom

10. Been depressed : oh,yes!

11. Been drunk and threw up : LOL! No didn’t throw up..just got a little happy:)

LIST THREE FAVORITE COLORS:

12.Red,Blue,Purple

SINCE LAST YEAR (2010), HAVE YOU:

15. Made a new friend : yes:)

16. Fallen out of love : Nope..still going strong..hate him at times,but still madly in love!

17. Laughed until you cried : Don’t remember when

18. Met someone who changed you : Yes-gave birth to her!

19. Found out who your true friends were : Absolutely!

20. Found out someone was talking about you : No

21. Kissed anyone on your FB friendโ€™s list : Yes,sure!

GENERAL:

22. How many people on your FB friends list do you know in real life: umm quite a few ๐Ÿ™‚

24. Do you have any pets: not here:) He’s at my dad’s ๐Ÿ™‚

25. Do you want to change your name : No never

26. What did you do for your last birthday : spent the day with a girlfriend,first time in last 9 years:) All these years,I always spent the day with Sanj!

27. What time did you wake up today: 4:00 am,then 6 am ,then 8 am..and finally at 9:15am!

28. What were you doing at midnight last night : surfing the net

29. Whats something you canโ€™t wait for: to start earning

30. Last time you saw your mother: A couple days back,in my dreams:) If only dreams could be real.

31. What is one thing you wish you could change about your life: My mom would still be alive and spoiling my husband and babies rotten..I would be calling her up,every day,for random nonsensical chats.

32. What are you listening to right now: Panchatantra,that Aadi is watching!

33. Have you ever talked to a person named Tom? nope!But I did know someone called Jerry!

34. Whatโ€™s getting on your nerves right now: People expecting too much of a 4 yo!

35. Most visited webpage : facebook, wordpress,gmail

37. Nickname(s) :Trish

38. Relationship Status : Happily married with kids

39.Zodiac Sign : Aquarius

40. He or She: She

41. Elementary : St.Johns English school,Rajasthan,India

42. High School :
Kendriya Vidyalaya-various locations,India

43. College : RRC,Mumbai

44. Hair color : BLACK

45. Long or short hair : Long

46. Height : 5โ€™1โ€ณ

47. Do you have a crush on someone? : nope

48. What do you like about yourself? : My friendly,no-nonsense nature..What you see is what you get-what I am inside,is what you see outside:)

50. Tattoos : I haven’t had the guts to get one,so far

51. Righty or lefty : Righty

FIRSTS :

52. First surgery : Appendectomy

53. First piercing : Ears-those are my only piercings too

54. First best friend : My sister!

55. First sport you joined : Badminton

56. First vacation : My vacation memories are made up of trips to Devlali,where my grandparents lived!

RIGHT NOW:

59. Eating : nothing

60. Drinking : nothing

61. Iโ€™m about to: make tea

62. Listening to :Panchatantra tales

63. Waiting for : a break,India trip,someone special’s wedding..a much-waited break for another special someone…

YOUR FUTURE :

64. Want kids?
Already have two beautiful babies

65. Get Married? : ummm yes!

66. Career? : will have one,one day!

WHICH IS BETTER :

67. Lips or eyes : Eyes

68. Hugs or kisses :Definitely Hugs..

69. Shorter or taller :Taller

70. Older or Younger : Older

71. Romantic or spontaneous : Depends

72. Nice stomach or nice arms : nice arms!

73. Sensitive or loud : sensitive

74. Hook-up or relationship: Relationship!

75. Funny or Shy?: funny

HAVE YOU EVER :

76. Kissed a stranger : nope!

77. Drank hard liquor : yes,tried it!

80. Broke someoneโ€™s heart : yes-not intentionally:(

81. Had your own heart broken : yes

82. Been arrested : no

83. Turned someone down : yes

84. Cried when someone died : Yes

DO YOU BELIEVE IN:

86. Yourself : Yes!

87. Miracles : yes

88. Love at first sight : no

89. Heaven : Yes

90. Santa Clause :
yes

91. The tooth fairy : well why not!

92. Angels : Yes:) I am dreamer:)

Now i take pleasure to tag R’s Mom, Shruti and Little Fingers. Do tag three more ppl when you finish!

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Where is the time going?

Do you know,where is the time going?Because,really,I have no idea!!!One minute,I am moping over the weekend that got over too soon and the next thing I know,its almost time for the next weekend.
Everyday,I think about updating the blog..Every day,I think of all the things,that I want to share with you all and every day,I promise myself,I will write after the girls are in bed..but,nope!doesn’t happen!!
OK,first things first,Babykins needs to be rechristened:) SD wants her to be known as Babychino on the blog..Since I picked Babushka’s name,I guess,its only fair to let him pick the baby’s name.So,Babykins will hence be known as BabyChino here:)
So much has happened since I last updated-
We completed 3 months as a family of 4! Yes,BabyChino turned 3 months and wow!! is she the cutest 3 month old or what!!! She has found her voice and keeps trying it out,every waking minute..She loves having long conversations and to my ears,its the best music ever..:)
We celebrated BabyChino’s first Diwali and she decided that she wasn’t really interested in a Happy Diwali afterall!!She cried and cried from 3:30pm till 6:00pm..Going off to sleep in between.She calmed down long enough for us to get dressed..and then started crying again..when it time to do the Lakshmi Puja.I wore a saree after more than a year..and in a record time of under 10 minutes!!
Babushka had her new school orientation and today we went in for the information night! She will start Prep in February and Gosh!I can’t wrap my head around it..that my first baby will go to a BIG school everyday,wearing a uniform!!She has another transition day,next week and can’t wait for it to be next year.
Babushka also started Kumon and after the initial excitement fizzled off,she isn’t too happy with the Maths worksheets.. but she loves English and is trying to read,looking at pictures.
My weight-loss has stopped..I haven’t seen the scale shift in the last ten days..All the Diwali sweets and no walking,don’t seem to help either.I keep thinking,I will go for a walk,but the constant running around in the house and driving to and from the kinder/kumon/library etc,4 days a week..means a long backlog of housework,and effectively no me-time!
I still haven’t booked the CT scan..SD fell sick last week..along with the girls..hopefully tomorrow,I will book the scan.
Ohh.. we celebrated Halloween this year:) Babushka dressed up like a Witch Princess and BabyChino was a Turtle.Lets just say,we brought home a big haul of treats…which is a big thing,considering,Halloween isn’t big in Australia.
I leave you with some pictures:)
See I can Roll:)

And this is how I wake up my big sister:)

Happy Halloween:)

See you soon,till then,Be good and Take care of yourself ๐Ÿ™‚

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3 months

Oh my Ananya,
I cannot believe,you have been with us for only 3 months,so far ๐Ÿ™‚ Gosh!it feels like forever,baby!
You are the cutest,funniest 3 month old..I mean it,really! You,have discovered your voice a couple days back and since then,our life has just become so musical. You spend every waking moment trying out your voice..and the sweetest part is when we go away from you and come back to you,you greet us with the most excited babble.
You are rolling over,every now and again and its really exciting for us to watch you like that. You used to hate tummy-time,but slowly,you are reaching the point when you lift your head for longer times and when we clap excitedly,it makes you very happy.
Anzie,you are happy in crowds.You love the sounds,the new faces,the activity and you don’t mind if new people hold you.But,you know what,Bubba, you now know your people from the other people.We recently took you to a party,where some of our friends,took turns holding you.You were fine for quite sometime,cooing and gurgling to them…and then suddenly for no apparent reason,you started fussing..Nothing they did seemed to calm you..Your Papa was summoned,because,I was eating..and as soon as he picked you up,you were happy.
When you see Mumma,you get so excited..you have the widest grin on your face,followed by a deep throated laugh and the whole-body-shaking excitement!!Aah,Bless!
While earlier,you were happy and content,to lie around in your crib,while I rushed through to finish the morning chores or get your big sister ready for school,those days are over.Now,you want to be in the middle of action.You hate being in a position,from where you can’t see whats happening.Even when we go out,you are no longer content,lying down in your stroller, you like to sit up and look around. And you stay away for as long as possible- you keep your eyes open till the very last minute!!
Even when we are nursing,if you hear anyone talking,you have to stop and listen.If I am the one that’s talking,then you want to join in and have your own little conversation:)
All this is a lot of fun..but you are turning into a little clingy baby..You just want mumma to carry you all the time..and I do..I feel bad for dragging you out all day long.. picking up and dropping your sister to her kinder and library and kumon.I totally get you,that we don’t get to spend enough face to face time.. but really,Bubba,Mumma can’t carry you all day long.
YOu know whats my favorite bit of you? You need some one-on-one time with mumma,everyday..really.. I figured it out,a few weeks back.And since I figured it out,I actually look forward to it.At the end of the day,you need Mumma to take you to another room,just you and mumma..and we have to spend some quiet time,that makes you so happy.
Your didi wants that kind of time too..and I feel like,I am constantly stretching myself…but God!I love it.. I love her..and I love you..and I love watching you both with each other…such fun..so much love and I can’t get over the fact,that I created you both.. that you came out of me..you precious little one!
I have to stop now..coz you are screaming…
Love you,always
Mumma

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Passport to a healthy pregnancy


I think its pregnancy and baby season..So many of my friends and their friends and their friends’ friends are either pregnant or have newborns or babies:)Even in my immediate friend circle,4 of us had babies 20 days to a month apart and 3 others around the same date.
So,when Anne from Women’s Web,left me a comment asking me to participate in the Passport to a healthy pregnancy contest,I had to write this post.I have had two pregnancies so far and they were both poles apart.
During my first pregnancy,I did everything by the book.As soon as we found that I was pregnant,the husband went and bought “What to expect when you are expecting“gift pack and that book became our Bible for those 9 months.We religiously read the weekly fetal development chapters.Along with that I also signed up for Babycentre.com and received weekly updates in my inbox.I quite looked forward to it.The second time around,along with the weekly updates from Babycentre,being experienced,helped too.I didn’t panic at the drop of a hat and generally was more relaxed.
Finding a good Doctor..I found a great OB-GYN in my 4th month and she really guided me well through out the pregnancy.I realized its so important to find a Dr that you can talk to.I laughed with her,cried in front of her,asked her stupid questions,without any qualms. She laughed with me,scolded me,when I was careless and hugged me when I cried.The advice and care that she gave me four years back came in handy the second time around too.
Being active– is so important for your physical and emotional health. I started both my pregnancies at a higher weight.I did try to lose weight before getting pregnant,but couldn’t lose as much as I wanted to,because of various hormonal imbalances.So,I was adviced to gain not more than 5-6 kgs.I continued walking and every day activities until the very last day both the times.
Eating Healthy-I cannot stress anymore on this.Eating for two is a myth.As long as you eat a good well balanced diet you are good, you will be healthy and your baby will get enough nutrition.Ofcourse,if you are craving for that bar of chocolate,sitting in your refrigerator,then,you HAVE to eat it. What I found helpful was bulk cooking and freezing the food.I used to cook more or freeze the left-overs,so there was always ready to eat,preservative free food,in the house. In the last months of pregnancy,I started to cook food to freeze..that way,after the baby was born,we had ready food,for atleast the first month.
Rest,relax and Pamper yourself-Thats exactly what I did during my first pregancy..I rested,took naps,when I felt like.I listened to my favorite music all the time,read humor-filled books,talked to my favorite people,avoided those who stressed me out..and generally stayed happy.Oh and how can I forget,the spas..those trips were really a great blessing for a tired pregnant body.
During my second pregnancy,I didn’t get to rest/relax much,since I was sick most of the time and was caring for a very active 4 year old,but I was so happy because of her ๐Ÿ™‚ Her excitement was contagious.
Pregnancy is my favorite topic and I could go on and on about it..but,I will stop with these two last points.
Plan and Prepare– If you have PLANS-yes multiple plans and prepare for them,you will be much for relaxed.Keeping your hospital bag ready as the time approaches,really comes in handy.
And lastly,Selective hearing..LOL!yes, you read it right.Pregnancy and motherhood attract unsolicited advice in huge amounts.Everyone,be it family or friend,neighbour or a random stranger you run into the super-market..or even your maid,won’t stop at dispensing advice…It can be really daunting..Listen to everyone,nod and smile..and then finally,do only what you feel is right!
Just remember, you know your body and your baby better than anybody else..just trust your gut feeling and do what you feel is right.
I am so thankful to Women’s Web for hosting this contest..I am glad,I could write this post.

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Update..

Sorry,for updating late..I didn’t mean to keep you waiting.The girls are sick.First the baby came down with a horrible cough..its so painful to hear her cough..that hacking cough.
Then Babushka got allergic conjunctivitis..She is getting better.. but the baby woke up with sticky eyes today!! Phew!!
Anyway,as for my Dr. visit.. the Ultrasound was inconclusive and now I need to get a CT scan!So,the waiting game begins again..!!I am still freaking out.. but I guess,by the time I get the results,this time..I will be so over it!LOL!
On a positive note,I passed the GTT(post delivery Glucose tolerance test!) so YAYYYYYYYYY !
And have lost nearly 8 kgs,so far!!so yayyyyyyy yayyyyy yayyyy!!
Come join me for the happy dance..and we’ll worry about the results later!!
Thanks for sending me love and positive vibes!

general · health

I refuse to be scared…

I was not going to write this here.. because I was absolutely not going to think about anything bad..but damn it! I can’t stop thinking.. and not even a single good thought is coming to my mind.So,I write.
When I was pregnant,I felt a certain little lump in the left abdominal region.I thought it could be the baby’s foot or something..
After the baby came out,the lump was still there,firm to touch..its getting a little painful to touch. My GP asked me to get an ultrasound done. And I did..first one guy did it,then he called his boss,who did it again.Then they asked me to wait another half an hour and did another scan.
I got back home and he called me up and said,I need to go back in again,the next day..for a day later scan.All I know is that its the kidney region.
I was OK with till the time,I didn’t get the call to go back the next day. Now,I am sore for the scan..and I can’t stop thinking bad things..I am trying to be brave and not be scared..But every time,I look at Babykins,looking at me and smiling,I feel like I am going to start crying.. Every time,I see Babushka..I want to hold her and hug her.. I really hope its something silly… I hope I don’t go crazy till Thursday.. that’s when I see my Dr. and that’s when I get my results.
Can I just ask you to please send me lots and lots of positive vibes?

Baby #2 · parenting

Princess Ananya gets poked!

I remember going through this 4 years back..and the anxiety doesn’t get any lesser,the second time around.Ananya was due for her shots at 8 weeks, but the immunisation schedule in our area,didn’t work for us and so we ended up going for her shots today.
I told Aadya in the morning,that her sister was going to get poked and she made a sad face and hugged her close!*aww -a melt my heart moment*
It was a long wait and Ananya was awake for most of the time.She dozed off for a while but woke up again just in time for the vaccination.
Our number was called and we went inside.Sanj was holding her,and Aadi and I were fussing around her. I asked Aadi if she wanted to go for a walk,but she refused to leave Anzie alone.She got a balloon for being such a caring sister.
Sanj held her,the nurse gave her the oral drops first,then she jabbed her right thigh and after a quick band-aid..she jabbed another one in her left thigh!
OMG!she screamed..and screamed.I took her for Sanj’s arms and in two seconds she stopped crying ๐Ÿ˜€
P.S.-I was not going to write this bit.. Sanj just reminded me of it..or rather he taunted me..saying that I want to brag about my victory!!!LOL!
There is a little story behind his comment-When Aadi was a baby,everytime she got her shots or after I got her ears pierced(yes,Sanj still isn’t in favor of it!)-she would bawl her heart out and cling to SANJ! No matter what I did that time,she would want him and him only.And today,Anzie clung to me.. and she calmed down in literally 2 secs!!! and she has been clinging to me..all day..Didn’t even want to sleep,if I wasn’t holding her..and even when I was holding her,she just kept looking at my face..touching my face-Need I say,I am in Mommy heaven!
As for Sanj,he has been saying,to me every chance he gets,that I must have prayed really hard for the last 4 years to get this baby,who clung to me and not to him!!LOL!!!
Anyway,she is sleeping now and doesn’t need to be poked again,until Dec…we can all breathe easy till then.

Baby #2

Hanging by the hair…

..really! That’s what Ananya has been doing..She is super-clingy today. She spent a lot of time in her dad’s arms when I was cooking.She played a fair bit with her beloved sister..and finally,when she woke up for her post dinner feed,she decided that she wanted to cling to Mommy.We had a long long chat..:) OK,I was talking and she was cooing back for a long time.And Aadya was telling her own story,simultaneously.Finally Sanj went to bed and took Aadi with him.I had to fold the laundry and put Ananya on the bed next to him and she got mad..so mad..scrunched up her face and cried that angry cry. So,I brought her outside with me,propped her on the pillow and she happily watched me fold the clothes,cooing more:)
I moved her to the chaise lounger,so I could clean up the kitchen and she got mad,as soon as I went away from her.I came back,she gurgled and cooed..I bent down to kiss her,and she grabbed my hair and tried to sit up all the while smiling at me..It was so sweet,I let her stay that way,our faces so close,she hanging by my hair..:)
I heart babies playing with mom’s hair,absolutely heart it!!(umm yes,I am crazy that way!!) I grew my hair out,during both the pregnancies,so I could experience it.. Me bending down to kiss the baby and baby hangs on to my hair…:)
The laundry sits there,looking at me…while,I am typing away,stretched on the couch with Ananya next to me…Oh,well! the laundry can wait.. this moment won’t ๐Ÿ™‚