Celebrating Dads

We had a wonderful father’s day celebration with Gauri this year. She knew it was father’s day because she and I were busy preparing card and planning the activities for that day for quite some time.

We hope we treated daddy well. Gauri and I delivered him “bed-tea” "in bed" along with his favorite snacks (I am sure after becoming parents it’s a privilege to wake up to an already-awake-happy-kid, with no need of dragging yourself out of bed and running in full speed to get the little one ready without getting them upset. I would imagine, having Tea in bed must be every parents' dream-come-true). The smile on daddy’s face when he woke up was priceless and the big hug and kiss from Gauri – absolutely heavenly.

Gauri gave baba 2 gifts – a Movie Day Pass (a day of his choice where all he does is sit on the couch and watch his fav movies ALL-Day-Long. Godfather, Starwars, whatever he wishes, snacks and drinks placed at arms distance so he doesn't have to even open the refrigerator or get up from the couch, baby sitting and mommy-sitting all included) …. Hummm does that sound like every guy’s dream day or what?? I am sure daddy was thrilled.

We also found a special SPA place and really cool package for daddy called “Real dads do SPA”. After talking to the spa staff, we were sure it would be a fun experience for daddy and a much relaxing one too.

We spent the evening with 3 other dads and their little ones, two of whom we were meeting for the first time and had much fun making new friends with. While the dads were BBQing and chatting and having good laughs, all the mommies were making sure they keep the little one fully entertained so we didn’t have to look up to dads for any help (well, alteast for a few hours). Gauri played nicely with other kids and was very supportive of dad by trying to remain awake till 9 PM or so. After that she was almost ready to crash and fell asleep on our way back. Thanks to our wonderful friends for planning the BBQ party, we all had wonderful time and made new friends.

I have to admit that we the moms, sometimes take dads for granted and think of them as second parents but in fact it’s far easier to be a father than a dad. The level of personal commitment that our kids require is challenging, sometimes even overwhelming. Without the support of these wonderful life partners whom our kids call “dad”, we would not be able to "survive" - at times.

I found this interesting statistic on Career Builders’ annual Father’s Day survey thought it’s worth sharing:

Survey showed that 37% of working dads would leave their jobs if their spouse made enough money to support the family.

Given the choice, another 38% would take a pay-cut to spend more time with their kids.

FathersAtWork.com reported that 70% of working fathers have a difficult time balancing their professional and personal responsibilities.

When we became parents, we made a life decision that carries more responsibility than any other. Without the commitment and support of both parents I cant imagine how we would ever be able to make these tiny people responsible and good human beings. Thanks to all the dads for being the pillars of support for the family.

First BIG Boo-Boo

Sorry we have not been updating the blog lately and I so wanted to let you all know about Gauri’s first Big Boo-boo… (Sniff…Sniff…L ) but with Baba’s surgery and Gauri’s hand accident, we had barely anytime to sleep. Both of my dearest ones in so much pain and I wasn’t able to do much to ease it.

Last Tuesday (May 20^th) while I was on a conf. call we got a call from the daycare, and all I knew was Mani was running around looking for his wallet and car keys. I was half listening to what he was trying to tell me. Then while rushing out of the house, I heard him say, Gauri’s fingers …. and that’s all that I heard. This was enough for me to get me anxious and nervous and I was somehow trying to end the conference cal, but you know how when you want to get out of something, you feel like you just cant!! As soon as I hung up the phone, I tried to call Mani’s cell phone, all I heard was my poor baby screaming in the background and Mani asked me to call up Pediatrician right away as he was driving to their clinic. Dare I ask how was Gauri, from all the screaming I knew she was in too much pain, but in a very timid voice I asked how bad was it - “Not good Pragati….her fingers are bleeding profusely…now call up the Dr.”. As I explained to the lady at the clinic what had happened she seemed so relaxed about this accident, advised me to keep Gauri home, wash the wound and watch if she can move her fingers. Damn, she sounded COLD!! I agree kids do have accidents and Dr.s see it all the time, but not my child – its her very first cut, very first accident, very first bleeding and she is the most important thing in the world (at least to us). So I kept insisting that we need to see a Dr. and she said only after an hour. I wasn’t happy with her answer. I tried to call back Mani and he wouldn’t pick up his phone. I kept dialing like a maniac with all the wrong thoughts running in my head – “what’s going on, why is he not picking, Is Gauri Ok, is her hand OK, are fingers still intact” (my heart pounding like it was going to come out of my body), redialing with one hand, I was trying to see who to call and ask for a ride, my car was with him….. Finally after the longest 1 hour he called back confirming she was Ok, no fractures and the Dr. did see her.

But he also told how embarrassed he felt at the Pediatrician – “embarrassed why?” As he was fighting, arguing and shouting at the reception staff who refused to have a Dr. see Gauri, trying to tell she is too much pain and “look her hand is all bleeding” and blah..blah…blah…blah… Gauri stops screaming and starts insisting on getting down on the floor to - go play with the big toy stove and refrigerator in the play area!! “Hahaha…. Poor dad – he thins his little darling is in too much pain, but guess what daddy is in more pain… sure this is their first kid…hahaha”. I am sure this is what was running in the minds of everyone witnessing this scene.

Gauri came home, she wasn’t crying but her face had turned crimson and eyes puffy from all the crying, I looked at her bandaged fingers and as Mani described to me that her nail-bed might be damaged and that has serious implications, she pulled the bandages off and there I saw - ripped-up fingers, the open wounds and nail under the skin..God, how could someone do this to my little sweet-pea, my jigar-ka-tukda (piece of my heart)…and there you go….I was crying…crying hugging her closer to me and she started crying when she didn’t now what was mumma crying…..

Her wounds are almost healed now, the nail still doesn’t look good, its coming off from its roots, we may have to see a hand surgeon to see if the nail bed is still intact and the nerves to the nail are fine. But in all this Gauri has been the bravest little kid I have ever seen. She is definitely braver and tougher then her mommy is!!

Happy Mommy's Day

A very Happy Mother’s day to all the Mommy readers of this blog. Sorry we are late in posting this but we sure remembered all of you mommies on this special day. Hope you all had lots of fun with your “special-little-people”. With baba gone (work travel :o( …) Gauri and I had lots of just-my-mommy-and-me time together and loved every minute of it. OK, I did, but I am sure Gauri was missing her daddy way too much. He had to leave when she was still asleep so when she woke up she was looking for “baba” everywhere and then she pushed her toy-box to the window and started repeating “baba-aajao” (Daddy come back)!! Oh that poor thing, those words were melting my heart and I wished her daddy could come back :o(

It is amazing how quickly she is learning both Hindi and English phrases and when she speaks either one of the languages, its is so amazing that I cant express in words.

Later Gauri and I watched some videos and read some books and did I ever mention how crazy she is about her “buuks”, she needs them when she wakes up, when she eats, when she comes back from play outside, when she sleeps and now even at bath time.

Oh and I want to wish a VERY SPECIAL FIRST MOTHER’S DAY TO some very special mommies to my heart this year, my dear friends who all had babies in last one year – Tushima, Yamini, Shweta, Asma, Paridhi and my sis-in-laws Rashi and Tanu.

Hope these babies fill your lives with immense joy and love.

Lots of love to all babies and mommies,
Mommy & Gauri.

Little girls when they grow-up

Still love their daddies the most and daddies never stop loving them either.

Ok, now I shouldn’t but I am writing this little post about me instead of it being about Gauri. But I was so touched by a beautiful card I received from MY daddy that I couldn’t resist sharing it with you all and specially with Gauri, so she knows that no matter how grown up she may get, but she will ALWAYS BE DADDY’S LITTLE GIRL (just like her ma is for her naanu (Grandpa) )

On this birthday, I received this most beautiful birthday card ever, it touched my heart and definitely made my day. Sometimes, due to distances, due to our very busy lives and a million other things, we forget to appreciate small things and forget to tell our loved ones how much we love and appreciate them in our lives. This card made me realize how very much my father loves me and that, I must have brought similar happiness to his life that Gauri has brought into ours. Although, all grown-up now, we sometimes almost talk to our parents like we know everything and we know what’s best for them, but honestly, wouldn’t you give up anything and everything to just be that same little girl who would sit on your daddy’s shoulders to watch a puppet show or go to nauchandi-mela (fare) and ride that giant-wheel and every other scary ride sitting besides him? - I would!!

Here’s the card that brought tears to my eyes and took me back to my cherished childhood:

For the benefit of my non-hindi speaking friends, here is the translation of the card in English, Of course it is almost the literal translation so I can’t do justice to the beautiful simily being used in hindi but I am sure you’ll get the idea.

Dear Daughter,
You are our biggest happiness.
When you came into our life,
It felt as if the moonlight just came down to light our home
Your smile has decorated every corner of our house
May your life bloom like a beautiful garden,
Our world has become beautiful just by having you.

Thank you Father,
you are simply THE BEST
and I will always love you.

Ester or Oester

This morning I was curious to know about easter bunny so I could narrate the story to Gauri and this is what I found: The Easter Bunny is a mythological rabbit who brings gifts and candy to children on the Easter holiday, most likely based on pre-Christian customs honoring the fertility goddess Eostre. Humm Interesting.

Happy Easter everyone. Hope everyone had a nice time on this holiday and all the little kids lots of fun dressing up like little bunnies and going for egg hunt.

Although this is Gauri’s second Easter but this is the first one that she actually enjoyed a lot. Gauri and I decorated some fancy straws for her friends at the day care; Gauri loved to suck through hers and that actually was the reason why she drank a lot of milk on Friday – she was so fascinated by her decorated straws, it was fun watching her get exited about that. She also dressed up in all pink and was putting up quite a show in that fluffy skirt. I had thought earlier that she might find it difficult to wear the skirt and so I asked her teacher to take it off and put on another pants on her in a while. When I went to pick her up I found her still dressed in her fancy outfit and fluttering around daintily like a beautiful butterfly- I was told by her teachers that she loved all the attention she was getting because of her dress up and she just would not let them take the dress off - how funny!! Our little bunny had a lot of fun going for egg hunt although she was little apprehensive about the real bunnies she saw there. It was only at bath time that she finally let me take that skirt off. She loved the eggs she found since for once mommy wasn’t taking those away from her and they wouldn’t break into that messy yellow things that she so dislikes :o) Its always os much fun to see her happy !

Just be a Parent

And I mean literally.
Well, with dad always traveling for work, it mostly leaves Gauri and I to manage everything on our own, atleast during the weekdays.
Although, we do not notice, forget appreciate, our husbands for helping us with the baby but once they are not around – we very quickly realize what the poor dads were doing in helping us with the baby.... even if it means watching the baby while watching the other baby - "TV", it still is such a big help! How on earth would we have otherwise done anything in the house.

I am still discovering about raising a child, but by far, I think, Toddler stage is probably the most difficult one. The kid is more “I”, “me”, “Myself” yet wont understand when you try to tell them something. They are exploring everything around them and there is nothing that can stop a “curious George”. "Mommy, my hands are messy"
Parenting is hard enough but trying to raise a little with out an in-home partner is undoubtedly twice the work and most challenging for both the parent as well as the child.
As a “single parent” (for lack of better word for this unique situation that working couples are in) you have to deal with everything yourself from morning rush, to fixing dinner, food for the next day, bath time, playtime, bedtime, midnight crying, shopping, driving, childcare projects, daily disciplining and teaching and everything in between. And if this is not enough, just add to this mix – a full time job!! And even if you are sick and extremely exhausted it falls on you to step up and do what’s required.
Earlier (up until recently), I was a perfectionist and I would go above and beyond my capabilities to get things right and then get so over worked with it that I would not have the energy left to fully enjoy the moment. But it only took one class project of Gauri that I had to complete in just about 15 minutes because I totally forgot about it and I was not ready to let my little girl go to the daycare without her decorated heart-cut-out. Thanks to my collection of junk I was able to complete her project and send it with her but I felt bad - bad that it was really meant to do with her and not just do it on my own; I wish I had done a better job at it but I had to stop beating myself, after all, I am only human. And soon I realized that something had to change and that I need to enjoy the experience of raising my child. So I decided on the following tips to create a healthy happy environment for myself, my husband and our child.
- Stop striving for perfection - Good-enough is enough.
- Stop trying to be a super-mom and ask for help.
- Stop worrying about other parents and other’s in general and do what best I can and be happy with that.
- Make peace with my situation and accept it.
- Be appreciative of my partner and stop being frustrated.
- And above all – be A parent and stop acting like both.

A daughter may outgrow your lap......

but she will never outgrow your heart.


Remembering my mother, the woman who made me the woman I am today, who taught me everything I know, who spent countless sleepless nights worrying about me, caring for me, who put my dreams in front of every single one of hers, and expected only one thing in return - that I be a daugher who loves her.

Althought mother, you are no longer in this world, but I can feel your presence and continue to be your daughter in more profound ways. Mother, we love you and will alaways do. I just hope that I can be a good mother myself.

Gauri honey, I want you to know your Nani (mother's mother) as the most amazing woman you would have known, a woman with a heart so big, that she had place in her heart for every single person who crossed their path with hers. She was a wonderful guide a child could have the best friend a girl could ask for.

Love is in the air

Hope you all had a wonderful Valentines day yesterday. Gauri and I tried to keep ourselves busy and made the best of it; missing baba so much that she was calling this other kid’s dad – baba and embarrassed me, was telling Gauri “that's not baba, baba is going to be home soon…” Poor kid, I felt sorry for her, but who can we blame? Let me think, humm… well nobody; OK on a second thought baba’s job that takes him away from us so often and just like last year – on Valentines Day also. But hey, who said you’ll always be dealt all Aces in life??

Anyway, I know I am late for wishing everyone Happy Valentines day, but better late than never. I wanted to write this post yesterday but just was too tired last night from baking and decorating the previous night. This was the first year Gauri was going to celebrate Valentines Day with her friends at daycare and I had no idea how to make it special. I had thought of making Valentines Day cookies for her to take to the day care but when I saw heart shaped cookies everywhere in the supermarkets, I didn’t feel it was worth making them at home. So I decided to make mini cupcakes. We made several different types of cupcakes (I mean in shape and decoration) some heart shaped and some same ol round. Thank God, the recipe I followed was great, they came out just perfect though some of them oozed out of the cupcake liners, but I made plenty to chuck away some.

In the morning Gauri work up early and both she and I had fun time decorating them. I had already bought plenty of things to decorate (of course I had no idea what it takes to decorate them) When it comes to baking I am the worst and I will not lie, but that evening the thought of just buying some from the super market did cross my mind, but every time I was reminded of my mom and how special we felt when she would bake us a cake for our birthday etc. Of course she was the BEST cook in the entire world and I am not exaggerating this, some of you will concur with me on this since you have had a chance to taste her cooking, everything she made was simply amazing.
Anyway, the cupcakes looked cute and when we took them to the day care, Gauri’s teachers we very appreciative. In the evening we had a note from some teachers that they were really yummy and of course there were none left in the tray. This morning someone asked me for the recipe of yesterday’s cup cakes and that felt like a true compliment. Oh did I mention they had real strawberries in them – why not, our little Boo loves strawberries. And by the way I don’t have many pictures from yesterday, will post them here soon. And the name Boo was given to Gauri yesterday by her teacher since she thought Gauri reminded her of Boo in Monster Inc.

And before I end, here’s a beautiful quote I once read somewhere:

~~~~~~"Trip over love, you can get up.~~~~~
~~~~~~Fall in love and you fall forever."~~~~

First swim in the big pool

As promised in my last , here's a peak into our fun date with daddy on Gauri's 15th Month Birthday. Dad is going to be away on the valentines day, so we thought of an early celebration and it coincided with Gauri's 15th Mo. B'day also. We all had a lot of fun at the Red Door Spa, and then daddy decided to treat us to a 'slice of heaven' - the name of the famous Mystic Pizza. Now that Gauri and I are back on normal diet with no Soy or Dairy restrictions - that slice of pizza did really taste like a slice of Heaven. Gauri was extremely tired of playing in the water (and so were we) but she enjoyed some spaghetti-marinara, well at least it was fun throwing and flying it all over the table (Thanks to Super-Sunday, there was hardly anyone except us at the restaurant, oh and yes thanks to daddy for giving up his Sunday game to treat us - we love you baba) Some pictures now -

15 months old - Time flies

Gauri, turned 15 months yesterday. I still cant believe where time is flying away. She is growing way too fast for her mum….. I wish I could get more of her….I wish I could capture every single moment in a box and re-live it again when she is all grown up.
Of course she is no more an infant, she is a lil kid for sure, doing everything that a 15 month old does….and more....
She has a vocabulary that consists of "Mama", “mumma”, “ma” and "Dada", “papa”, “baba”, “nana”, “buba”, “meme” plus some other words, such as “Hello” (only when she has a phone in her hand), "Turtle” (thanks to her animal book, I wonder how she learned the most difficult animal….)She is also saying "More" and a word from hindi language “dede” dede meaning “give me”. The lasted development has been that at the very sight of a dog, its picture in a book, on TV ,she would immediately say “bhu-hu”, that sounds so funny when she says that!! Last couple of days, her daily activity report card from the Day care states “Gauri has been very talkative today”
She can also follow simple commands, such as "Not that drawer – that’s daddy’s" or "Put it back" or “come here”…. “Please give mum a kiss”. She very well understands the phrase "No," but must of the time she decides to ignore. She is definitely having a lot of fun talking and of course I am having more fun watching her talk.

She days are not very active – full of running around in the house (not walking – just running), hiding behind the doors, climbing (and falling) on the step up stool, pushing things around and making sure nothing stay where mum left it. I believe she is trying to redecorate the house, why not, she has her mum’s genes lol. I cant believe where these little ones get all this energy from, oh and I remember one of the dad’s (of one of Gauri’s little friend) we meet a couple of days ago said “they don’t get it from anywhere, they just drain it from us” hahahahaha…..how true. Now I know why I am dead tired and ready to go to bed at 8 PM (Well, if I get to go down that early or not that another question).

Gauri is also very keenly observing everything I do, its funny to find her imitating my hair drying process, applying lip guard on the lips….pretty much everything. Its so hilarious when she starts doing exactly how I do something. Oh gosh, it’s a full time entertainment channel just watching this little monkey copy us. On her 15th month Birthday, we took Gauri to the Pet store to look at some of the cute animals. She loved the birds and the mouse though I am not sure what she thought of the fishes (she wasn’t much interested) her favorite though was the dog, one of the pet owners had brought in the store. I think we might have to get her a pet sometime (not sure how will we manage that during our month long vacations to India). We also took Gauri for her first swim in the big swimming pool at the Red Door Spa and she loved it. We three had a great time celebrating her 15th month Birthday.

Happy 15th month birthday honey – we love you and you make our world a fun place to be in.
Everyone, have a great week.