Dearest Poppy,
Today your nani expressed her disappointment at my laziness and loss of enthusiasm at updating this blog. To be honest, there is so much to say; everyday is a treasure trove of adorable little new delights and there really are no words to describe this absolutely wonderful phase that you are at currently.
As mausi would say, you are at that turning point where the neurons in your brain are rapid firing and making all these new connections and circuits. You are just beginning to make sense of this very confusing and complex world. Thanks to your bilingual upbringing, you still don't have words to express yourself but you do understand and you do let us know what you think and what you want and most importantly what you don't.
Over the past one month you have developed a skill at recognising the sound of a plane high up in the sky. When you are out and about and you hear the engines of those massive flying objects, you point your finger up and start looking for the origin of the sound. Even at home, you almost always hear a plane no matter what you are doing and point up at the sky. It amazes me every single time you do it. And I am amazed a dozen times a day or more.
One of the many other things you love is unloading the dishwasher and handing each plate to mummy or daddy for us to put away in the shelf. However, when it comes to the last plate you let out a cry of anguish and hold the plate close to your chest. If you were to give away that plate, it would mean the end of the fun filled game and that would be a real tragedy. Often the game ends with mummy needing to distract you onto an even more exciting other game.
You have recently discovered where the dish washing tablets are stored. These are quite the perfect little toys. They are wrapped with the kind of material that makes a rustling sound, they are a convenient size to hold and they come in large numbers. You relish taking them out and hiding them all over the house. In fact today as I emptied the washing machine, a few tablets emerged along with the washing.
We have to be very careful about taking out the recycling. Another one of your pet hobbies at the moment is to take objects from around the house and place them with great care in the recycling bin. A lone shoe that had lost its partner for days was found in the recycling this morning and when we run out of dish washing tablets we can be sure that the recycling bin will solve our problem.
My little dressing table in our bedroom is a treasure chest of unique little objects. One kind is particularly interesting. It consists of two parts. A bottom and a lid. The bottom rotates, and like magic what appears is a shiny colourful crayon-like tip. Lo and behold, unlike your crayons which are not to be used on the face, mummy's fancier crayons are meant just for the face! You don't believe in inequality, so you have decided to chuck them all in the laundry which quite conveniently lives right next to the dressing table, but not before you have tried the crayon on your face and bitten off the tip.
Poppy, I love having lipsticks that have little tooth marks in them. I adore not finding dish washing tablets because you have hidden them in your car seat. With great anticipation, I go through the recycling, to see what treasures you have hidden in there every new day. May the chaos and cuteness never cease.
Love,
Mummy
Thursday 24 November 2011
Being bookish
Dear Poppy,
Surprise: it's daddy writing this time. Your mother has given me a guest appearance on the blog, to write about a topic of my choosing. So why not write about storytime?
We've been reading (or sometimes, just looking at) books with you more or less since the day you were born. Your first book was a black-and-white textile book with three pages. It had pictures of mommy, daddy, baby and a mirror on the front page. It didn't hold your attention (or mine) very long.
For a long time, your favourite book was 'Dear Zoo.' Having learnt it by heart pretty quickly, you would tear open the flaps as soon as the page was turned, never mind the story, and feel the teeth of the lion or the dog's tongue. Actually, 'feel'? More like, try to rip them off. That book is now completely in tatters, but it has certainly served its purpose, keeping you entertained for the first nine months of your life.
At 15 months you're much more diverse. There are at least 15 books you really like, and that you look forward to reading. But the best part is how enthusiastic you have recently become about the story time session itself. You always enjoyed it, but now you're literally quick stepping with anticipation as soon as story time is announced. Several times you have gone to select the books you want to read, carried them carefully to mommy and daddy's bed and carefully placed them, one by one, on top of it. Then you can get a little bit impatient if daddy is not ready, having dimmed the light and brought the bottle, the dummy and your favourite blanket into bed. And when he is ready and in place, you stretch your little arms out, wanting to be lifted up into the cozy wonderland that awaits.
And then, dummy in place and blanket around you, lights dimmed and ten books at the ready, I will lean you against the pillow next to me and put my arm around you. Nestled between pillows, blanket and daddy, you will wiggle your back several times to find the most comfortable and snug position possible.
And then, we are ready. You and I. Poppy and daddy. It's our time.
It's story time.
Much love,
your dad
Surprise: it's daddy writing this time. Your mother has given me a guest appearance on the blog, to write about a topic of my choosing. So why not write about storytime?
We've been reading (or sometimes, just looking at) books with you more or less since the day you were born. Your first book was a black-and-white textile book with three pages. It had pictures of mommy, daddy, baby and a mirror on the front page. It didn't hold your attention (or mine) very long.
For a long time, your favourite book was 'Dear Zoo.' Having learnt it by heart pretty quickly, you would tear open the flaps as soon as the page was turned, never mind the story, and feel the teeth of the lion or the dog's tongue. Actually, 'feel'? More like, try to rip them off. That book is now completely in tatters, but it has certainly served its purpose, keeping you entertained for the first nine months of your life.
At 15 months you're much more diverse. There are at least 15 books you really like, and that you look forward to reading. But the best part is how enthusiastic you have recently become about the story time session itself. You always enjoyed it, but now you're literally quick stepping with anticipation as soon as story time is announced. Several times you have gone to select the books you want to read, carried them carefully to mommy and daddy's bed and carefully placed them, one by one, on top of it. Then you can get a little bit impatient if daddy is not ready, having dimmed the light and brought the bottle, the dummy and your favourite blanket into bed. And when he is ready and in place, you stretch your little arms out, wanting to be lifted up into the cozy wonderland that awaits.
And then, dummy in place and blanket around you, lights dimmed and ten books at the ready, I will lean you against the pillow next to me and put my arm around you. Nestled between pillows, blanket and daddy, you will wiggle your back several times to find the most comfortable and snug position possible.
And then, we are ready. You and I. Poppy and daddy. It's our time.
It's story time.
Much love,
your dad
Tuesday 13 September 2011
Small steps and large applauses...
Dearest Poppy,
Today you walked several steps on your own. You have been heading for this moment steadily for over a month now. Cruising, walking whilst being supported by our two index fingers, holding onto only one finger, crawling to us,using us as support to stand up, then letting go and falling with a thud, all these were steps along the way building up to the big climax of today.
You have a daily exercise regime which involves 5-10 squats at a time. You squat, then stand up, then squat again and stand up. So much fun and what a great workout. I have tried imitating you and can barely stand up from the squat position. Hmmmmm.
You enjoy using the walker and cruising around with admirable speed. But given the dimensions of our living room (large by London standards), you reach the other end of the room in five seconds. It made you impatient to wait for mummy to turn you around so you learned, at first, how to walk backwards with the walker but more recently you have been able to turn it in whatever direction your heart desires.
The part I love best is that when you do something that you know is probably praiseworthy, you applaud yourself. You then look at everyone in the room, willing them to contribute to the applause.
This has been so adorable but I must admit at times has been embarrassing too. For example, you clap at the slightest thing you do that is noteworthy and you insist that everyone must clap along. Of course, as proud parents we always chip in but not all strangers are aware that for instance your passing a ball onto someone else deserves a standing ovation!
Sometimes the clapping starts even when you have 'failed' at something! Note: I use the word fail with extreme caution. What I mean is that of course what matters is the attempt and not the result, but when you play with your shape sorter, you clap at every shape you manage to put through. Sometimes, the shape gets stuck in the hole and does not go through. But it is reason to applaud. As daddy says, it is the practice that matters!
We have watched your progress with enthusiasm and love, but what I find amazing is that at some level you too are fully aware of every little progress you make. I guess you are the one doing all the hard work and calculating in that little head of yours 'hmmm, can stand but legs feel shaky. Perhaps best not to put one leg forward and risk a mighty tumble in front of this devoted audience'
I have heard that from the first 3-4 independent steps, it is only a matter of days before full fledged walking. In no time will you be refusing the offer of help from the very hands that got you to this point.
Our little fledgling is getting ready to grow her wings and fly!
Love you Poppy.
Mummy
Today you walked several steps on your own. You have been heading for this moment steadily for over a month now. Cruising, walking whilst being supported by our two index fingers, holding onto only one finger, crawling to us,using us as support to stand up, then letting go and falling with a thud, all these were steps along the way building up to the big climax of today.
You have a daily exercise regime which involves 5-10 squats at a time. You squat, then stand up, then squat again and stand up. So much fun and what a great workout. I have tried imitating you and can barely stand up from the squat position. Hmmmmm.
You enjoy using the walker and cruising around with admirable speed. But given the dimensions of our living room (large by London standards), you reach the other end of the room in five seconds. It made you impatient to wait for mummy to turn you around so you learned, at first, how to walk backwards with the walker but more recently you have been able to turn it in whatever direction your heart desires.
The part I love best is that when you do something that you know is probably praiseworthy, you applaud yourself. You then look at everyone in the room, willing them to contribute to the applause.
This has been so adorable but I must admit at times has been embarrassing too. For example, you clap at the slightest thing you do that is noteworthy and you insist that everyone must clap along. Of course, as proud parents we always chip in but not all strangers are aware that for instance your passing a ball onto someone else deserves a standing ovation!
Sometimes the clapping starts even when you have 'failed' at something! Note: I use the word fail with extreme caution. What I mean is that of course what matters is the attempt and not the result, but when you play with your shape sorter, you clap at every shape you manage to put through. Sometimes, the shape gets stuck in the hole and does not go through. But it is reason to applaud. As daddy says, it is the practice that matters!
We have watched your progress with enthusiasm and love, but what I find amazing is that at some level you too are fully aware of every little progress you make. I guess you are the one doing all the hard work and calculating in that little head of yours 'hmmm, can stand but legs feel shaky. Perhaps best not to put one leg forward and risk a mighty tumble in front of this devoted audience'
I have heard that from the first 3-4 independent steps, it is only a matter of days before full fledged walking. In no time will you be refusing the offer of help from the very hands that got you to this point.
Our little fledgling is getting ready to grow her wings and fly!
Love you Poppy.
Mummy
Tuesday 5 July 2011
Advantages of having a baby
Dear Poppy
Apart from the obvious joys of having a little baby, there are some not-so-obvious joys that I have noticed over the last few months :
Love,
Mummy
Apart from the obvious joys of having a little baby, there are some not-so-obvious joys that I have noticed over the last few months :
- Grandparents visit us more often. Your bestemor has seen you six times in your ten months on this planet and your nana nani have seen you three times.
- Mummy gets loads of attention and compliments on facebook when she puts up photos of you. This would not happen if she had put up photos of just herself!
- Strangers on the road are very friendly and bemused by you. They stop to chat, try to help and even the grumpy ones manage a smile. It feels like the whole bus lights up when we get on!
- Even the Indian visa office fast-tracks applicants with babies! I felt sorry for this lady who had been waiting three hours while we got called straight away. I did suggest to her that next time round, she should borrow and bring a baby along.
- Mummy does not get to see movies in the cinema with daddy anymore. Which means she is not forced to see documentaries, science fiction, movies about caves and such like. Last week, I saw a chick flick with K and tomorrow I am seeing a bollywood movie with R. Yay!
Love,
Mummy
Saturday 4 June 2011
The information overload
Dear Poppy,
I think it bodes well that I like to remember and write about happy times here but it would be unfair not to mention that motherhood has its moments.
In this day and age, there is an absolute overload of information on anything related to babies. Thousands of books and a plethora of different philosophies, each one selling a view point diametrically opposite to the other. It can make anyone go crazy. Actually, to be perfectly honest, it did not faze me so much. I went entirely with what I felt comfortable with. As they would say in my profession, I did not do anything 'ego-dystonic'and I think that is the reason that you are such a happy baby.
When we are out and about, we get a lot of attention from strangers. The things they tend to say most often about you are that you are such a curious, observant, alert and happy baby.
I do believe that temperament to a large degree is hard-wired but I am not going to shy away from my belief that certain decisions I made about bringing you up, have contributed to your overall happy demeanour. For one, you were breasfed on demand all along. Also, I did not and to this day, have not 'trained' you to sleep through the night. Which means of course that until now I have woken up several times a night to either feed you or to have to sing/rock/pat you back to sleep. But it also means that you have been consistently responded to. Which in my world makes for a secure and happy baby.
To this I must add that the lack of sleep does not bother me so much. My doctor training has helped me a lot in this regard. Even after lots of interruptions, having you awake for hours at night, I am able to wake up reasonably fresh and carry on with the day as if nothing ever happened. And this trait of mine is probably why I felt able to do things the way I chose to. And I do believe that allowing you to decide when you are ready, has worked. You went from being bounced to sleep, to being rocked to sleep, to being walked to sleep, to having to be put on our outstretched leg and shaken, to sleeping by yourself in your crib over the months. It was almost like you decided when you were ready to progress to the next level and you just did it. Much to our surprise. All you needed was to know that if you felt unhappy, we were there to listen.
I strongly believe that babies should be fed on demand. But again, this may not work for mums who need routines for themselves, who cannot deal with a chaotic schedule. And of course if the mum is not going to be happy, there is not going to be a happy baby. I tried the whole routine thing but I don't think it was for us. I tried to follow TH for a couple of days but those were our most miserable days ever. I soon learned that I could not decide for you that each of your naps had to be one and a half hours long and if not, something was very wrong. Rubbish. These methods consider all babies to fall into one category! Babies have different perosnalities, temperaments, moods, energy levels and how can one formula fit all. The thought makes me angry.
The other concept that makes me go purple with rage and almost cry with sadness is 'controlled crying' before six months or actually until the age of one, or perhaps ever! Once again, controlled crying is for the sanity of the mother who is unable to deal with the needs of a baby, a mother who needs to go to work and cannot afford to be woken up at night. And of course if it is going to make the mum a wreck to respond to the baby everytime they need it, I guess they need to resort to other ways. It would be fair to say that it works for some but it was not for me. You have always been picked up and cuddled as soon as you became unhappy, be it night or day.
The one thing I do regret is not having introduced you to the bottle when you were little. By the time I did, you were set in your ways. You liked mummy very much and would have nothing to do with the bottle. For seven months, I could never be more than three hours away from you. I once went to the Tate and daddy had to come half way so that I could fill up your tank again. I also saw two movies ( my first two after you came along) alone as I had to go as soon as I fed you and then run back home in a cab. It was impossible to liaise with anyone else as I could not know in advance your feeding times.
Last week, at the age of nine months and one week, you had your first night where you slept right through the night. And then you did it again two days ago.I am so excited. My little baby is growing up. Some of your friends have been doing this since they were six weeks old!
Poppy, our other big battle is your eating. It has been 3 months now and you are not fond of your solids. You hardly eat anything and your one favourite thing in the world is pear. You can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, having rejected the four other options that I have, ready for you. I am hoping, that like with the other things, you will decide one day that you are ready and then there will be no looking back.
Surprise me Poppy!
Love,
Mommy
I think it bodes well that I like to remember and write about happy times here but it would be unfair not to mention that motherhood has its moments.
In this day and age, there is an absolute overload of information on anything related to babies. Thousands of books and a plethora of different philosophies, each one selling a view point diametrically opposite to the other. It can make anyone go crazy. Actually, to be perfectly honest, it did not faze me so much. I went entirely with what I felt comfortable with. As they would say in my profession, I did not do anything 'ego-dystonic'and I think that is the reason that you are such a happy baby.
When we are out and about, we get a lot of attention from strangers. The things they tend to say most often about you are that you are such a curious, observant, alert and happy baby.
I do believe that temperament to a large degree is hard-wired but I am not going to shy away from my belief that certain decisions I made about bringing you up, have contributed to your overall happy demeanour. For one, you were breasfed on demand all along. Also, I did not and to this day, have not 'trained' you to sleep through the night. Which means of course that until now I have woken up several times a night to either feed you or to have to sing/rock/pat you back to sleep. But it also means that you have been consistently responded to. Which in my world makes for a secure and happy baby.
To this I must add that the lack of sleep does not bother me so much. My doctor training has helped me a lot in this regard. Even after lots of interruptions, having you awake for hours at night, I am able to wake up reasonably fresh and carry on with the day as if nothing ever happened. And this trait of mine is probably why I felt able to do things the way I chose to. And I do believe that allowing you to decide when you are ready, has worked. You went from being bounced to sleep, to being rocked to sleep, to being walked to sleep, to having to be put on our outstretched leg and shaken, to sleeping by yourself in your crib over the months. It was almost like you decided when you were ready to progress to the next level and you just did it. Much to our surprise. All you needed was to know that if you felt unhappy, we were there to listen.
I strongly believe that babies should be fed on demand. But again, this may not work for mums who need routines for themselves, who cannot deal with a chaotic schedule. And of course if the mum is not going to be happy, there is not going to be a happy baby. I tried the whole routine thing but I don't think it was for us. I tried to follow TH for a couple of days but those were our most miserable days ever. I soon learned that I could not decide for you that each of your naps had to be one and a half hours long and if not, something was very wrong. Rubbish. These methods consider all babies to fall into one category! Babies have different perosnalities, temperaments, moods, energy levels and how can one formula fit all. The thought makes me angry.
The other concept that makes me go purple with rage and almost cry with sadness is 'controlled crying' before six months or actually until the age of one, or perhaps ever! Once again, controlled crying is for the sanity of the mother who is unable to deal with the needs of a baby, a mother who needs to go to work and cannot afford to be woken up at night. And of course if it is going to make the mum a wreck to respond to the baby everytime they need it, I guess they need to resort to other ways. It would be fair to say that it works for some but it was not for me. You have always been picked up and cuddled as soon as you became unhappy, be it night or day.
The one thing I do regret is not having introduced you to the bottle when you were little. By the time I did, you were set in your ways. You liked mummy very much and would have nothing to do with the bottle. For seven months, I could never be more than three hours away from you. I once went to the Tate and daddy had to come half way so that I could fill up your tank again. I also saw two movies ( my first two after you came along) alone as I had to go as soon as I fed you and then run back home in a cab. It was impossible to liaise with anyone else as I could not know in advance your feeding times.
Last week, at the age of nine months and one week, you had your first night where you slept right through the night. And then you did it again two days ago.I am so excited. My little baby is growing up. Some of your friends have been doing this since they were six weeks old!
Poppy, our other big battle is your eating. It has been 3 months now and you are not fond of your solids. You hardly eat anything and your one favourite thing in the world is pear. You can have it for breakfast, lunch and dinner, having rejected the four other options that I have, ready for you. I am hoping, that like with the other things, you will decide one day that you are ready and then there will be no looking back.
Surprise me Poppy!
Love,
Mommy
Thursday 2 June 2011
Mummy make up your mind, is it a dromedary or a camel?
Dear Poppy,
You have a book called Dear Zoo which you absolutely love. Its a flap book and ever since you were about six months old, you have been opening all the flaps. Well actually not all, because the giraffe flap always stumped you.
So this has been the one book we read you every night at bed-time. You get super excited as we get the book out. You then watch eagerly as we open the book and you know that the first page has no flaps so you just sit back and save your energy. As soon as we turn to the next one, you leap forward and pull out the elephant flap and let out a little gleeful laugh. Of late, you are very kind and offer to close the flap too.
The next page is the giraffe which opens from the bottom which totally confused you for a while, but not anymore.
Then comes the lion. Not only do you open the flap, but you then go on to feel the teeth of the lion. Mummy has to be on high alert with super quick reflexes lest you leave him toothless.
Is it a dromedary or a camel, is the big argument between mummy and daddy about the next animal. Poor little you being confused at this little age. Daddy insists on calling it a dromedary because it has just one hump. But going at the rate you are, soon it will be a camel without any humps as you cant wait to get your hands on that hump..By the way, this is the only animal which opens with 2 flaps and you know this because you use both your hands. I am very proud of this particular one :)
The next parcel is the snake which no longer has a head. Can I take this opportunity to clarify for posterity that mummy has better reflexes than daddy. Both the decapitated animals in the book, met their sad fate while daddy was reading the book to you. And this, considering he reads the book to you only about 5 % of the time.
The naughty monkey follows and I have a strong feeling he will be your next victim when it is daddy's book-reading turn next.
The jumpy frog has jumped out of the book and is now jumping along in some garbage van. I think you know that there is no point in opening that flap anymore, so you dont even bother.
And then, your favourite one, the puppy. You emit another little shriek perhaps because you know it is the perfect parcel and the last one..You like feeling the puppy's tongue.
Poppy, you are getting stronger, quicker and more violent by the day. Lets see how long the Dear Zoo book continues to house these lovely animals..
Love you my book loving, fearless little baby,
Mummy
You have a book called Dear Zoo which you absolutely love. Its a flap book and ever since you were about six months old, you have been opening all the flaps. Well actually not all, because the giraffe flap always stumped you.
So this has been the one book we read you every night at bed-time. You get super excited as we get the book out. You then watch eagerly as we open the book and you know that the first page has no flaps so you just sit back and save your energy. As soon as we turn to the next one, you leap forward and pull out the elephant flap and let out a little gleeful laugh. Of late, you are very kind and offer to close the flap too.
The next page is the giraffe which opens from the bottom which totally confused you for a while, but not anymore.Then comes the lion. Not only do you open the flap, but you then go on to feel the teeth of the lion. Mummy has to be on high alert with super quick reflexes lest you leave him toothless.
Is it a dromedary or a camel, is the big argument between mummy and daddy about the next animal. Poor little you being confused at this little age. Daddy insists on calling it a dromedary because it has just one hump. But going at the rate you are, soon it will be a camel without any humps as you cant wait to get your hands on that hump..By the way, this is the only animal which opens with 2 flaps and you know this because you use both your hands. I am very proud of this particular one :)
The next parcel is the snake which no longer has a head. Can I take this opportunity to clarify for posterity that mummy has better reflexes than daddy. Both the decapitated animals in the book, met their sad fate while daddy was reading the book to you. And this, considering he reads the book to you only about 5 % of the time.
The naughty monkey follows and I have a strong feeling he will be your next victim when it is daddy's book-reading turn next.
The jumpy frog has jumped out of the book and is now jumping along in some garbage van. I think you know that there is no point in opening that flap anymore, so you dont even bother.
And then, your favourite one, the puppy. You emit another little shriek perhaps because you know it is the perfect parcel and the last one..You like feeling the puppy's tongue.
Poppy, you are getting stronger, quicker and more violent by the day. Lets see how long the Dear Zoo book continues to house these lovely animals..
Love you my book loving, fearless little baby,
Mummy
Wednesday 1 June 2011
I wonder .....
Dear Poppy,
I wonder :
what it is about wires that makes them so irresistible to you
why the tags on toys are far more interesting than the toys themselves
wearing a hat is so intolerable
how it is possible that you do not tire of trying your new skills over and over and over again. Today you have spent hours standing holding the bars of your crib and then sitting. And then pulling yourself up again and then sitting. Atleast fifty times at a go!
how it feels to have two teeth poking through your gums. It must hurt a lot (if you look carefully, there are two tiny teeth in that picture. click to zoom in)
why it is so horrible to have someone try to wipe your nose with a tissue. Does it feel like they are going to suffocate you?
why a toy in your hand is not remotely as interesting as the one on the floor, or more so, the one in another baby's hand?
if perhaps you dont like pink or polka dots!
why phones, ipads, laptops, landlines can keep you busy for hours but not your toys
how frustrating it must be to have a toy just out of reach. To make it worse, you then go on all fours, sway back and forth trying to decide whether the toy is worth the risk of trying something brand new, and all this while mummy just sits back and watches and does not help! Why! Why would she do that?
how it is that you can go from being super happy to super tired and sleepy in less than a minute
why while on the swing in the park, the most interesting place you focus on, is behind you. This means you spend the entire time on the swing sitting in a very uncomfortable position, twisted so you are facing 180 degrees behind. Turning you around doesnt help. You then want to look behind once again!
what makes buttons so interesting
what you are thinking as you stare at strangers on the bus, sometimes for a good half an hour
why of late, you always turn 90 degrees in the crib and fall asleep along the width. It means you are all scrunched up and have to rest your feet against the walls. Does it feel more cosy and snuggly that way?
what it is that fascinates you endlessly about the clothes in the washing machine going round and round. You almost fall out of your high chair, craning your neck to get a good view of the machine
how a simple act like you holding my finger can evoke the strongest emotions
whether the same mobile that is comforting in the day, is scary at night?
why is that you instantly want to reach out and touch other babies' faces or hands. You reserve this affection only for the little ones.
how it is possible to love you so so so so much that my heart could break into a million pieces every second of the day
Love you Poppy
Mommy
I wonder :
what it is about wires that makes them so irresistible to youwhy the tags on toys are far more interesting than the toys themselves
wearing a hat is so intolerable
how it is possible that you do not tire of trying your new skills over and over and over again. Today you have spent hours standing holding the bars of your crib and then sitting. And then pulling yourself up again and then sitting. Atleast fifty times at a go!
how it feels to have two teeth poking through your gums. It must hurt a lot (if you look carefully, there are two tiny teeth in that picture. click to zoom in)why it is so horrible to have someone try to wipe your nose with a tissue. Does it feel like they are going to suffocate you?
why a toy in your hand is not remotely as interesting as the one on the floor, or more so, the one in another baby's hand?
if perhaps you dont like pink or polka dots!
why phones, ipads, laptops, landlines can keep you busy for hours but not your toys
how frustrating it must be to have a toy just out of reach. To make it worse, you then go on all fours, sway back and forth trying to decide whether the toy is worth the risk of trying something brand new, and all this while mummy just sits back and watches and does not help! Why! Why would she do that?
how it is that you can go from being super happy to super tired and sleepy in less than a minute
why while on the swing in the park, the most interesting place you focus on, is behind you. This means you spend the entire time on the swing sitting in a very uncomfortable position, twisted so you are facing 180 degrees behind. Turning you around doesnt help. You then want to look behind once again!
what makes buttons so interesting
what you are thinking as you stare at strangers on the bus, sometimes for a good half an hour
why of late, you always turn 90 degrees in the crib and fall asleep along the width. It means you are all scrunched up and have to rest your feet against the walls. Does it feel more cosy and snuggly that way?
how a simple act like you holding my finger can evoke the strongest emotions
why is that you instantly want to reach out and touch other babies' faces or hands. You reserve this affection only for the little ones.
how it is possible to love you so so so so much that my heart could break into a million pieces every second of the day
Love you Poppy
Mommy
Thursday 31 March 2011
It never rains, it POURS!
Dear Poppy,
Boy, are we glad to see the end of the last two weeks! It was like a marathon of trying and testing moments; it all happened together but I would like to say that you and I, we passed with flying colours.And in the middle of all the misery and heartache there were some genuinely special and happy moments that took me completely by surprise.
Two weeks ago, you came down with your first cold. It is hard enough dealing with a runny nose, but then to have people attack you with a tissue to wipe it every 2 miniutes, that made you go crazy. Then you came down with the worst hacking awful cough that kept you up at night. It was not nice Poppy and it made daddy's heart ache so much that he actually cancelled an over-night stay at Oxford for his conference to be with you.
At the same time as your cold, daddy also fell ill and had a BIG conference that he had to present a paper at. It also meant staying in Oxford for a couple of nights, leaving home early in the mornings, coming back late at night and being SUPER STRESSED.
One Sunday, a week ago, when mummy finally got a tiny little break, she left you with daddy at home, and thought she would treat herself to her favourite mocha frappucino without cream from Starbucks. She left the house, put on her boots and ran to catch her bus. And she fell! She tripped, lurched forward, broke the fall with her left hand and lay sprawled on the side walk for a good five minutes before she could muster up the strength to get up again.
Two scraped knees, torn stockings and a not so good feeling in her shoulder was what she hobbled back home with. Sigh.
The shoulder and arm got worse, pain killers did not work and the nights were a misery. It was difficult to carry you and to feed you. Frozen shoulder, dislocation, fracture were all words that were muttered by the Consultant and each of them inspired dread and absolute helplessness about the days ahead and how we would manage.
We got some extra help from lovely V and M's nanny I. You got on very well with all these new faces holding you and playing with you. Mummy even managed to leave you for the first time for a little bit, with a baby sitter and go to High Tea with her mommy friends (This had been organised months ago).
In the midst of this awful misery, things started looking up a bit. The pain got better, mummy could contemplate pushing the buggy again which meant she could go outdoors with you. The sun decided to shine upon us and we had some beautiful Spring weather. Uncle N came by and took us to Regents Park on the Sunday when dad was away. We had a beautiful morning and you and he got on famously.
On another walk around the area the following day, we bumped into no less than three people from our NCT group. It was warm enough not to have to doll you up in your winter suit and sit you up on the park bench with your friend K. You loved watching the pigeons and got lots of attention from passer bys who stopped to say hello and were rewarded by your happy dance. It was the perfect day. But it was only about to get even better!
We came back home and mummy decided to once again try the bottle. This is a whole new post in itself, but in short, for the last seven months you have consistently and vehemently refused the bottle. It means mummy not having more than a three hour leash away from you. So once again, all set for another refusal, mummy offered you the bottle. You saw it, gave a big grin, stretched out both your arms, grabbed it and put it in your mouth. Most importantly you went suck suck gulp, suck suck suck gulp till you finished all of it. I cried, I cried and cried from the sheer relief and pure joy of the moment that I had been waiting for, very patiently for seven long months..
Poppy, you clearly are determined to go at your own pace and my role is really to follow your lead. I look forward to your next surprise.
Love you loads,
Mommy
Boy, are we glad to see the end of the last two weeks! It was like a marathon of trying and testing moments; it all happened together but I would like to say that you and I, we passed with flying colours.And in the middle of all the misery and heartache there were some genuinely special and happy moments that took me completely by surprise.
Two weeks ago, you came down with your first cold. It is hard enough dealing with a runny nose, but then to have people attack you with a tissue to wipe it every 2 miniutes, that made you go crazy. Then you came down with the worst hacking awful cough that kept you up at night. It was not nice Poppy and it made daddy's heart ache so much that he actually cancelled an over-night stay at Oxford for his conference to be with you.
At the same time as your cold, daddy also fell ill and had a BIG conference that he had to present a paper at. It also meant staying in Oxford for a couple of nights, leaving home early in the mornings, coming back late at night and being SUPER STRESSED.
One Sunday, a week ago, when mummy finally got a tiny little break, she left you with daddy at home, and thought she would treat herself to her favourite mocha frappucino without cream from Starbucks. She left the house, put on her boots and ran to catch her bus. And she fell! She tripped, lurched forward, broke the fall with her left hand and lay sprawled on the side walk for a good five minutes before she could muster up the strength to get up again.
Two scraped knees, torn stockings and a not so good feeling in her shoulder was what she hobbled back home with. Sigh.
The shoulder and arm got worse, pain killers did not work and the nights were a misery. It was difficult to carry you and to feed you. Frozen shoulder, dislocation, fracture were all words that were muttered by the Consultant and each of them inspired dread and absolute helplessness about the days ahead and how we would manage.
We got some extra help from lovely V and M's nanny I. You got on very well with all these new faces holding you and playing with you. Mummy even managed to leave you for the first time for a little bit, with a baby sitter and go to High Tea with her mommy friends (This had been organised months ago).
In the midst of this awful misery, things started looking up a bit. The pain got better, mummy could contemplate pushing the buggy again which meant she could go outdoors with you. The sun decided to shine upon us and we had some beautiful Spring weather. Uncle N came by and took us to Regents Park on the Sunday when dad was away. We had a beautiful morning and you and he got on famously.
On another walk around the area the following day, we bumped into no less than three people from our NCT group. It was warm enough not to have to doll you up in your winter suit and sit you up on the park bench with your friend K. You loved watching the pigeons and got lots of attention from passer bys who stopped to say hello and were rewarded by your happy dance. It was the perfect day. But it was only about to get even better!
We came back home and mummy decided to once again try the bottle. This is a whole new post in itself, but in short, for the last seven months you have consistently and vehemently refused the bottle. It means mummy not having more than a three hour leash away from you. So once again, all set for another refusal, mummy offered you the bottle. You saw it, gave a big grin, stretched out both your arms, grabbed it and put it in your mouth. Most importantly you went suck suck gulp, suck suck suck gulp till you finished all of it. I cried, I cried and cried from the sheer relief and pure joy of the moment that I had been waiting for, very patiently for seven long months..
Poppy, you clearly are determined to go at your own pace and my role is really to follow your lead. I look forward to your next surprise.
Love you loads,
Mommy
Saturday 19 February 2011
Almost 6 months old!
Dear Poppy,
You will be 6 months old in just under 3 days. 6 months old! How did that happen? How did we allow that to happen? I shall try to log some of your mile-stones here:
In the Canary Islands, you were about 4 months old and you started holding toys in your hand and inspecting them from every angle with utmost fascination. You would then drop the toy and stare at your hand and your fingers twirling them around. Daddy wonders if you are going to become a diamond/jewel expert.
Much to your daddy's delight, you gave us a glimpse of your first full throttle, absolutely adorable little laugh. He was making chimp sounds and to me they sounded scary but clearly, not to you. On the contrary, you loved it. For days after that mummy was reminded over and over again that daddy is the one who finally succeeded in getting that absolute gem of a laugh out of you.
The link is on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
In Bali, at 4.5 months, you started experimenting with your vocal cords on a completely different level. Your first complex bisyllabic sound was Ynggggggaaa. After all, you are a true Norwegain baby. Not ma ma, da da, ba ba for you. You had to go for the compex Norwegian sounding words, hey? Aunt Y will be most pleased..
In India, at 5 months, you started to roll over. The first time you did it in one shot. You then spent the next 2 days, trying to recreate the success, to no avail. You were so annoyed. And even when you managed to roll over, your arm would be stuck underneath your body. Arrgghhh. We would have to come to your rescue before you went mad with frustration. Over the next few days, you mastered the skill. One quick movement and there you were on your tummy. But then came the problem. You do not like being on your tummy. And you had not yet learned how to roll back. Oh dear! So basically, you went through all that trouble over and over, only to land in a position that you most dislike.. Hmmmm. It meant that every 2 minutes, we had to rescue you. And this happened many many many times a day. Not very clever sometimes, are we?
Back in London at 5.5 months, the health visitor told us that you were ready for solids. Mummy thought it would be at 6 months and hence had not done all the reading and all the preparation it takes to start a baby on pureed banana/pear/apple or ready made rice cereal. The all important books were still on their way from Amazon. Crisis! Thanks to mum's NCT friends, she got a crash course in what to do and what not to and lo and behold, you had your first rice porridge and could not have enough of it.
You were a natural. You did not like eating in your high chair though and preferred the swing. 2 days later, similar success with banana. However, just when mummy was getting very smug and boasting about what an easy baby you were, you decided to put a spanner in the works. On day 4 in the morning, you took in a few spoonfulls of rice porridge. Only after a little time did mummy realise that you were pooling it all under your tongue and it was almost like you did not know what to do with it.. For about 10 minutes, you sat there with your mouth open, and white gooey stuff oozing from your mouth but you would not swallow! Finally I had to use a spoon and scoop it all back from inside your mouth. Similar story with pear puree later the same day. The following day, back to being a natural. You want to keep me on my toes, I get it, Poppy.
And 1 week short of your 6 month birthday, you have started sitting up by yourself. You do look a little drunk and sway from side to side and need to be closely monitored, but there you are. Its a whole new world with endless possibilities.
Today you with 4 of your other friends have your first photoshoot at your favourite place, the babyspa! The photo will be used to advertise the spa. We are hoping that we can soon find you an agent and resign from our present jobs.
And to end the proud rantings of a smitten mum, in 2 weeks, you start your first real swimming lessons. No floating device at this one. And mummy gets to be in the pool with you.What fun. Cannot wait!
Lots of love
Mummy
You will be 6 months old in just under 3 days. 6 months old! How did that happen? How did we allow that to happen? I shall try to log some of your mile-stones here:
In the Canary Islands, you were about 4 months old and you started holding toys in your hand and inspecting them from every angle with utmost fascination. You would then drop the toy and stare at your hand and your fingers twirling them around. Daddy wonders if you are going to become a diamond/jewel expert.
Much to your daddy's delight, you gave us a glimpse of your first full throttle, absolutely adorable little laugh. He was making chimp sounds and to me they sounded scary but clearly, not to you. On the contrary, you loved it. For days after that mummy was reminded over and over again that daddy is the one who finally succeeded in getting that absolute gem of a laugh out of you.
The link is on: http://www.youtube.com/watch?
In Bali, at 4.5 months, you started experimenting with your vocal cords on a completely different level. Your first complex bisyllabic sound was Ynggggggaaa. After all, you are a true Norwegain baby. Not ma ma, da da, ba ba for you. You had to go for the compex Norwegian sounding words, hey? Aunt Y will be most pleased..
In India, at 5 months, you started to roll over. The first time you did it in one shot. You then spent the next 2 days, trying to recreate the success, to no avail. You were so annoyed. And even when you managed to roll over, your arm would be stuck underneath your body. Arrgghhh. We would have to come to your rescue before you went mad with frustration. Over the next few days, you mastered the skill. One quick movement and there you were on your tummy. But then came the problem. You do not like being on your tummy. And you had not yet learned how to roll back. Oh dear! So basically, you went through all that trouble over and over, only to land in a position that you most dislike.. Hmmmm. It meant that every 2 minutes, we had to rescue you. And this happened many many many times a day. Not very clever sometimes, are we?
You were a natural. You did not like eating in your high chair though and preferred the swing. 2 days later, similar success with banana. However, just when mummy was getting very smug and boasting about what an easy baby you were, you decided to put a spanner in the works. On day 4 in the morning, you took in a few spoonfulls of rice porridge. Only after a little time did mummy realise that you were pooling it all under your tongue and it was almost like you did not know what to do with it.. For about 10 minutes, you sat there with your mouth open, and white gooey stuff oozing from your mouth but you would not swallow! Finally I had to use a spoon and scoop it all back from inside your mouth. Similar story with pear puree later the same day. The following day, back to being a natural. You want to keep me on my toes, I get it, Poppy.
Today you with 4 of your other friends have your first photoshoot at your favourite place, the babyspa! The photo will be used to advertise the spa. We are hoping that we can soon find you an agent and resign from our present jobs.
And to end the proud rantings of a smitten mum, in 2 weeks, you start your first real swimming lessons. No floating device at this one. And mummy gets to be in the pool with you.What fun. Cannot wait!
Lots of love
Mummy
Friday 18 February 2011
Wake up mommy, it's 2.30 am!
Dear Poppy,
It has been 2 weeks since we returned from India but you are still on India time. In our first few days back, you would wake up at 1.30 am (7 am India time) bright as a button and ready to play. Now, 2 weeks later, things are slightly better, you wake up between 2.30 and 3 am! Bed time is 2.30 in the afternoon.. Perhaps you figured out that in gray, dreary and drab London, night is almost the same as day. What difference does it really make..its always gray outside the window.
Right now, it is just before 5 am and I am done with all my little jobs for the day, my emails, checking out my facebook page, making my endless lists and how would this be possible if not for your unique schedule.
People advise me: 'keep her up, dont let her sleep, take her out so the sunlight helps set her clock right'. Hmmm,well these people, with their best intentions, dont know my little Poppy and her not-so-little-fiery spirit. They dont know that when you want something, you want it now, in the next ten seconds or all hell breaks lose. They dont know that when you want to sleep, and give me your first signal of rubbing your eyes, I better drop everything else and get you to your crib in the next minute or else....
Do not get me wrong, Poppy, I am not complaining. I have come to admire and love your fiesty, embracing-the moment temperament. It also means, that when you are playful and happy, which you are most of the time, you are the most delightful little five and a half month old little-ball-of-cuteness on this planet. You giggle, chuckle, kick, roll around, try and jump, do this little dance you have recently learned and you make sure that mommy is around to witness all this cuteness on display. Dare I leave the room for a minute. Afterall you are not putting up that spectacular show not to have an audience. That would be audacious! The only place in the house where you are content to contemplate quietly for 15 minutes at the max, is the swing that nana bought you. It is then that mummy can have those precious moments to do all the household chores before you swing right out of your reverie .
We had planned to go to the States to meet your mausi, mausa and cousin R. No way in hell is that ever happening (Sorry P). India is only 5.5 hours ahead. San Francisco is 8 hours behind!! It would only take you 3 months to get that jet lag out of your system. For now, we are happy in London and Europe with a time difference of only 1 hour..:)
Lots of love my jet-lagged little girl
Mummy
It has been 2 weeks since we returned from India but you are still on India time. In our first few days back, you would wake up at 1.30 am (7 am India time) bright as a button and ready to play. Now, 2 weeks later, things are slightly better, you wake up between 2.30 and 3 am! Bed time is 2.30 in the afternoon.. Perhaps you figured out that in gray, dreary and drab London, night is almost the same as day. What difference does it really make..its always gray outside the window.
Right now, it is just before 5 am and I am done with all my little jobs for the day, my emails, checking out my facebook page, making my endless lists and how would this be possible if not for your unique schedule.
People advise me: 'keep her up, dont let her sleep, take her out so the sunlight helps set her clock right'. Hmmm,well these people, with their best intentions, dont know my little Poppy and her not-so-little-fiery spirit. They dont know that when you want something, you want it now, in the next ten seconds or all hell breaks lose. They dont know that when you want to sleep, and give me your first signal of rubbing your eyes, I better drop everything else and get you to your crib in the next minute or else....
We had planned to go to the States to meet your mausi, mausa and cousin R. No way in hell is that ever happening (Sorry P). India is only 5.5 hours ahead. San Francisco is 8 hours behind!! It would only take you 3 months to get that jet lag out of your system. For now, we are happy in London and Europe with a time difference of only 1 hour..:)
Lots of love my jet-lagged little girl
Mummy
Thursday 20 January 2011
5 months, 5 flights and 3 countries old
Dear Poppy,
Am sorry about the long while it took to get this letter coming. Perhaps I could attribute it to your jet-setting adventure loving spirit.
What is remarkable is not that you have travelled to 3 countries in your short time here in the outside world, but that each of those journeys has been marred by nail biting, last minute uncertainty. You really do like living on the edge. You must take after your grand father who has a similar reputation, but that you would start so early is something else..
Without going into mundane details and playing the blame game I shall try to list your list of near-misses:
Also looking forward to more travels, more adventures, more near-misses. This is only the beginning. Cant wait Poppy!
Love,
Mommy
Am sorry about the long while it took to get this letter coming. Perhaps I could attribute it to your jet-setting adventure loving spirit.
What is remarkable is not that you have travelled to 3 countries in your short time here in the outside world, but that each of those journeys has been marred by nail biting, last minute uncertainty. You really do like living on the edge. You must take after your grand father who has a similar reputation, but that you would start so early is something else..
Without going into mundane details and playing the blame game I shall try to list your list of near-misses:
- Your first holiday was to the Canary Islands for Jul (Christmas) with bestemor and tante S. We almost did not make our departure day as your passport was delayed due to unforeseen circumstances at a certain embassy. The same embassy finally gave you the wrong visa for your visit to India which had its own plethora of consequences. Anyway on the last day, at the last moment, the passport did arrive and we set off to Gatwick Airport. Little did we know what we had in store for us..
- Just as we were boarding the plane, there was a massive snow storm at Gatwick. We didnt think we were going anywhere excpet home, but 3 hours later, we did set off to +25 degrees celsius. Heaven! Gatwick then shut down for a good day or more but little did we care while lying on the beach in the Canary Islands..
- Our holiday to Bali from India was almost cancelled as you, not being an Indian citizen have certain restrictions to how many times you can enter India in a given amount of time. After hours and days of trying to figure out the process, we head off to Bali taking the very real risk that you and your dad might not be allowed back into India. I was happy to forego dad but was ready to fight tooth and nail for you, at immigration.
- In Bali, we found a nice travel agent who arranged the relevant permission from the Indian embassy in Jakarta. Just when we thought we were through the worse, it happened that the passports he couriered back to our hotel did not arrive in time. We had to change our flights! Hmmm another day in tropical paradise, could it get any worse?!
- Another few hours on the phone it transpired that we could pick up the passports from the cargo terminal of the airport even though the DHL office was closed. Instead of going to a Legong Dance performance at Ubud palace, dad spent 3.5 hours in a taxi to the airport to get the passports. Fun!
Also looking forward to more travels, more adventures, more near-misses. This is only the beginning. Cant wait Poppy!
Love,
Mommy
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