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.

Ah! the Belly Button

Pardon me for this post, since I am not sure if this might sound a little bit weird, specially the part where I get more detailed and visual, but I found this so amusing that I had to share it with all you ladies (and men if any).

So baba (daddy) is out again on a business trip to a much warmer place and Gauri and I stuck home in this chilly-grey-no-sun day of New England winter. Of course, Gauri is so mobile now that its IMPOSSIBLE to keep that kid indoors. She needs to move move move and I have to find new things we can do indoors to keep her entertained. So after reading all the books, watching some Tom and Jerry, I played some music on and kid started dancing. Gauri is a dancer, she always has been, since almost when she was about 8 months old. She loves music (almost every kind and to some she simply likes to clap and others she just 'bangs her head' and I – I get dizzy banging mine!

She doesn’t care much for anything on TV but if you turn on the radio or the iPOD anytime, even just as she wakes up in the morning, that little monkey immediately drops everything and starts dancing. Yes, dancing.
Well anyway, so what happened is while we both were dancing I did that funky move and bent backwards on my back and she saw my belly button (a couple of days ago). Since then every now and then she just wants to see my belly button. She laughs and giggles as soon as she get a peak at the BB – not sure why is it so funny, but it seems to entertain her immensely. Every so often she will remember it and come running to me, lifting my shirt up and getting a kick out of tickling me there.

So last light during her bath time, she suddenly discovered her belly button, and boy – how happy she was….her eyes were light by a weird shine and she was poking in it, putting lotion and everything possible in it – even trying to stick a Cheerio in it – yeap Cheerio. She was so happy she was getting hysterical. She wouldn’t stop playing with it, I had to almost hide it with her diaper and make her believe that its gone. But came morning she found it again and now she often lifts her shirt (and mine too) and points at it and laughs. Funny how that tiny little belly button caught her attention and amused her so much.

Apparently it looks like even fruits and vegetables have belly buttons LOL!!

Welcome 2008

Happy New Year to all family and friends!!

No New years resolution this time, just stick to the one’s from last year (Sure you know why)!!

Just wanted to share the facts about the crystal ball that drops in Times Square. It’s the 100th anniversary of the ball drop and yes I have witnessed it one myself. Its madness I tell you to stand in queue to save the right spot for yourself, almost7 – 8 hours in advance not to mention in freezing temperatures. But well it has its own thrill and when you are there, the excitement is so high that you forget everything else.
So anyways, the crystal ball is light up on New Year’s Eve, and one minute before midnight the countdown starts, the ball begins its 77 foot descent down a poll on top of One Times Square, flashing all sorts of bright colors.

The concept is based on a time ball, an instrument used by sailors to set their chronometers, as accurate time keeping was essential for sailors so they could determine their longitude while at sea. The balls were typically dropped at 1 PM, and the time re-set was done upon the drop, not when it reached the bottom

Here’s some general info I found on the New Year’s ball, which debuted in 1907 I believe. The Ball gets an overhaul for the new millennium celebrations with a design from Waterford Crystal. It weighs 1070 pounds (485 kg), measures six feet (1.8 m) in diameter and installed with 504 crystal triangles, illuminated externally with 168 halogen light bulbs and internally with 432 light bulbs of clear, red, blue, green and yellow colors. There are strobe lights and mirrors to create bursts of excitement and special effects for the audience.

This year the ball was lit by LED lights provided by Philips instead of halogen bulbs for energy saving purpose.

Where have we been??

If some of you have been wondering why there has been no activity on the blog - it was because we were in India for past 4 weeks. We have just been back to States on Saturday, but still not fully functional. Manish is down with fever and I have runny rose and body ache. Gauri is also struggling with the jet lag, just like us. Most of our bags have been unpacked yesterday, but still lots to sort and arrange. I should be done cleaning most of our closets and emptying most of the bags by this evening - ofcourse if I have the energy during the day. I do plan to post new things from our India trip very soon.

Although I had planned to update the blog while in India, but at first there was no Internet access at home , then when we finally did get high-speed Internet, I had NO time what-so-ever to do anything leisurely.

The trip started with Gauri falling severely sick on the flight. She seemed somewhat OK till Italy but on our flight from Italy to India her fever shot up to a 104 degree and would’t go down despite regular Tylenol and cold compresses. Poor thing was truly miserable and uneasy and cried all through the flight. We took turns to hold her and walk on the plane to give her some comfort from those suffocating tiny spaces on the flight but nothing helped. My heart was breaking but we had no choice but to wait 9 hours before we land.

First 8 days In India w, Gauri was constantly sick, high fever, bad cough and runny nose. She would simply cry cry cry, not want to get down and always wanted to be held and slept all day all night…..no activity at all. It was hard to believe that such an active kid like her could act this way. But I cant blame her, the fever wasn’t getting better despite heavy dose of fever reducers and antibiotics and the cough that would make you deaf. Finally my Grandfather suggested we try Homeopathic treatment for her. I was ready to anything, to help my little pumpkin so we started Homeopathic treatment and sure, she felt better right away. Although, the modern pharmaceutical sciences do not believe in Homeopathy for various controversial reasons, but I now have firm belief in that treatment, it sure did show miracles on my sick kid.

Gauri got better a few days later, but she has some weight loss and she did not eat even a grain of food the first 1 week in India. She would get sick now and then, with lose motions etc, but other than that she was a happy little person so energetic and so active that it would take her only a few sec to disappear in front of our eyes and engage in some mischief. She was darling of her entire family both Nanu’s side as well as Dadu’s and she made sure she check out everything in the house and rearrange everything in her own way and keep the grand parents on their toes J

More updates from our trip, to follow soon.

HAPPY NEW YEAR all of you.
.

First visit to a Hair Salon

After Gauri’s Mundan (Hindu tradition of shaving baby’s head) last week of March, we let her hair grow all this while. I was quire hopeful that I will be able to tie pigtails on my sweet pea but I guess I was wrong. Though she had enough hair to pull them into pigtails, but our little monkey did not want to stay at one place for anything. Ofcourse ,she is a very busy girl (as they saw at her daycare) and to stand still for 30 seconds, for mum to tie her hair in a band – NO – NO…too much. I was so excited that I have a HUGE collection of hair accessories for her, which ofcourse I have hardly been able put those in her hair partly because she is so mobile and partly because she loves to take them out and put them in her mouth. So finally, I decided to get her a decent hair trim if not a real hair cut - her hair was growing ‘Wild’.

Well anyway, after several unsuccessful attempts and various appointment cancellations and visits to different hair salons, I finally found one that was especially for ‘kids’. Sure, as her dad says, I am a “perfectionist”, thought, I don’t quite agree with him because all I want is to do things “right”, though I agree that sometimes it takes way too much time for me to just “do-things-right” but there was no compromise with Gauri’s hair-cut. After-all she has (atleast that’s what I think and a lot of people who see her tell me) the most beautiful hair for a one year old and I didn’t want anyone to mess it up specially when she is just 10 days from going to India first time. This salon had excellent reviews on internet and I had myself interviewed the hair dresser who was going to cut Gauri’s hair. I know that sounds funny but I needed the assurance that they understood that she is 1 year old, can’t stay in one place for more than a minute and how I wanted her hair.

We reached the salon 15 mins late and just as we entered they did give me “the look” and made me realize I was late for my ‘Appointment’ - can you believe it – baby needs hair appointment – Gosh! What are we talking about – no spontaneity, we are talking about a baby here. Well the place was somewhat special I must say - very cute and especially for kids and the people were trained to handle kids and I did like the overall experience. Sure the prices were comparable to adult hair cuts if not more! It did cost much more for Gauri to have a hair cut than her dad…..hahahaha…. I truly find that amusing. Anyway, Gauri I was so well behaved and stood still the entire time, here eyes were glues to the Mirror where she watches the girl do stuff with her hair. Sure, she loves it when you gently strove her hair (just like her dad) and loves to watch herself in the mirror. So she had a nice easy hair cut and even gave a BIG smile for a picture with the hair dresser. I think she looks cute with this new hair cut. I love it.

To Gauri - from Daddy (special post - Daddy first Post)

Happy Diwali my Love. This is your first diwali today with us and I am so happy and fortunate to celebrate it with you and your mommy. You have brought a huge change in our life, attitude and priorities, almost as if dust is cleared and we can see things clearly as to what matters in life. I think about the last 1 year of our life, your first birthday and exciting journey of planning your birthday party.
Your mommy started planning for your birthday more than 3 months ago, because we wanted to celebrate you coming into our lives with friends and family together, who have been incredibly excited about you. I know that we are lucky to have you in our life but in some sense I also believe that you are also very lucky to receive so much love from each and every person in our family and friends. Whenever you are with them, they talk about you, when they hold you, the love is oozing from their eyes, words and kisses.
We deliberated on the theme of the birthday for quite long. There was Elmo, Dora, princess Pooh etc. but we wanted to remember this year in a way that relates to you. We realized that "Strawberry" is your favorite food this year and it always give us immense pleasure to see you eat those. So what better theme than strawberry? This is how we came up with your Birthday theme.

Your Mommy created an invitation card with great love, and sent it to our friends and family. I am not sure how to thank all the people for the incredible effort of coming to the party despite not so favorable weather, and specially those who dove over 150 miles just for your birthday and others who flew 1500 miles for 2 days to be with you on this milestone.

I think the highlight of the party was the cake, if you can take one good thing from your mom then it should be persistence. She wanted a cake in a strawberry shape and that to something you can eat given that you cannot eat dairy or eggs. Long story short, after going to 5 bakers, tasting several toppings, creams, fillings etc, she finalized a vegan Strawberry flavored cake with strawberry Mousse from a custom baker. I must say that this is something that makes your mommy the incredible women she is.

Day before your birthday was really special as your mummy and I remembered this time last year, from the doctors visit, to Chinese food and how she was going through the labor and I was preparing the music to play in the delivery room from various CD to the i-pod from 10:00 PM to 5:00 AM at home before going to the hospital. How thrilled she was when she saw you for the first time and gave wonderful compliments to Dr. Simpson and the nurses Lestra and Alice on your arrival.

Day of the party started with calls from Nanu, Dadu, Bua, Mausi, Chacha and others calling to give you blessings and with Anubhav and Arvind, Abhinav mama (uncle) running around to prepare for decorating the place on the beach and getting other things ready. But the lord of rains and winds also wanted to celebrate your birthday just like janmastami and they came down with full force but it did not stop Harry chacha, Vipin Tauji, Supriya Mausi, Aarti Mausi and parents of your little friends to drive from New Jersey, Hartford and Boston etc to come and give you blessings.
You ran around in the party, danced with aunt Chantal, played with Shealyn, Brooke, Aryan, Tommy, Ethan and all the other kids and were happy the whole evening; you even clapped after cutting your own cake. Party ended with me making paan for the guests which Barry almost thought was a prank.

Day after the party was equally fun when you opened the gifts, I am almost certain that you enjoyed tearing the wrappers more than the gift and the best gift of all was the box of the telephone that you even took to bed with you that night.

This day makes me happy and sad, happy to see you grow and do new things but sad that you have grown 1 year in a blink. I do not know how can I hold on to all the memories that you have given us. Details of your smiles, cute little gestures, saying baba, papa, mum-mum and all the other things you do. Please don’t grow that fast, make the days longer, give us more time to savor each moment and better memory to hold on to all the things and bigger heart to keep all the love you have given us.

I love you my love.... yours baba (daddy)

You are 1 already!! Happy 1st Birthday

At 12:11 PM on Nov 3rd 2007, honey, you turned 1!!

Congratulations on completing one year of milestones and developmental achievements. Happy 1st Birthday my sweet-pea. You have filled our lives with immense happiness and new surprises. You bring sunshine to a cloudy day, your beautiful memories keep us warm on a cold winter day and your smile gives a cool sensation to a hot summer day. Honey you definitely complete us and though its your Birthday – we feel like we have been blessed with the most precious present!! Love and lots and lots of love for you always.

Baby we celebrate your first birthday,

with one candle on your cake;

we the proud parents stare in wonder

At each new move you make.
Friends and family join in celebration,

As this special date arrives,

For baby your have brought pleasureInto all our lives.

We look forward now to seeing

How you become and toddler and grow,

From the cute and tiny infant that you were one year ago.
So dig into your strawberry cake icing;

and enjoy your presents, too.

The reason for this day is a special person -you!