A growing family http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi A journey through life, love and laughter en-US http://backend.userland.com/rss 60 My daughter’s best friend Thu, 06 Sep 2007 23:00:41 +0000 Homepage Parenting 3895@http://blogs.jambav.com If you were expecting to read about a dog or a stuffed toy, you’ll be disappointed. She has a three-armed (yes!) friend who follows her everywhere. This friend gets the most number of smiles from Reuel. They have regular conversations that make you want to join in. And if you still haven’t guessed it, I’m talking about the ceiling fan. I know as much as it sounds strange, baby Reuel simply loves talking to the fan, smiling at it and even playing peek-a-boo with it! If she’s upset, switch on the fan and her sweet little face turns radiant with joy. Thou art truly lucky, O ceiling fan! Picture credit: g2art.com
If you were expecting to read about a dog or a stuffed toy, you’ll be disappointed. She has a three-armed (yes!) friend who follows her everywhere. This friend gets the most number of smiles from Reuel. They have regular conversations that make you want to join in.

And if you still haven’t guessed it, I’m talking about the ceiling fan. I know as much as it sounds strange, baby Reuel simply loves talking to the fan, smiling at it and even playing peek-a-boo with it!

If she’s upset, switch on the fan and her sweet little face turns radiant with joy.

Thou art truly lucky, O ceiling fan!

Picture credit: g2art.com

Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3895&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments The virtue of patience Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:56:21 +0000 Parenting 3894@http://blogs.jambav.com I have never prided myself on my patience. It’s a virtue I long for and manage to achieve on fewer occasions than I’d like to. That’s changing,, of course with the arrival of our daughter. Baby Reuel has been an amazingly patient baby. Babies cry when they’re hungry. However, in the nights, I’ve found that little Reuel likes to give me time to wake up. She keeps playing by herself until mama’s ready to feed her. At times, I have felt guilty for making my baby wait. Now I feel she’s teaching me the virtue of patience in her own sweet way by exhibiting it. Thank you, sweetheart. Picture credit: balloonlife.com
I have never prided myself on my patience. It’s a virtue I long for and manage to achieve on fewer occasions than I’d like to.

That’s changing,, of course with the arrival of our daughter. Baby Reuel has been an amazingly patient baby.

Babies cry when they’re hungry. However, in the nights, I’ve found that little Reuel likes to give me time to wake up. She keeps playing by herself until mama’s ready to feed her.

At times, I have felt guilty for making my baby wait. Now I feel she’s teaching me the virtue of patience in her own sweet way by exhibiting it.

Thank you, sweetheart.

Picture credit: balloonlife.com

Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3894&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments Look into my eyes ... Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:38:10 +0000 Parenting 3893@http://blogs.jambav.com I’ve found a new meaning for those words now that my daughter’s beginning to take in the world around her. If she’s awake, we’ve got to talk to her face-to-face and eye-to-eye. If the television’s on, we’ve learnt to ignore it, even if there’s news about floods and coups. Naturally, I ignore the inviting books, newspapers and magazines in favor of a far greater delight – a one-to-one tête-à-tête with the queen of my heart. Picture credit: multi-medium.net
I’ve found a new meaning for those words now that my daughter’s beginning to take in the world around her. If she’s awake, we’ve got to talk to her face-to-face and eye-to-eye. If the television’s on, we’ve learnt to ignore it, even if there’s news about floods and coups. Naturally, I ignore the inviting books, newspapers and magazines in favor of a far greater delight – a one-to-one tête-à-tête with the queen of my heart.

Picture credit: multi-medium.net

Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3893&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments The cyclist Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:33:15 +0000 Parenting 3892@http://blogs.jambav.com We’ve changed our mind. Our daughter is going to participate in the Tour de France. How do we know? Try putting a blanket across her legs. She’ll kick it aside with a series of cycling moves. Every waking moment is spent kicking in the air and moving her hands in the same rhythm too. I am told that’s the way babies grow and exercise their limbs. That’s fine by me except for the fact that a new realization has dawned on me. When a new mom says she’s busy, I know now what she means. She’s replacing the blanket the baby pushes aside every minute. By the way, ever since we began to time our baby, we found that she accomplishes the feat in 47 seconds at the latest or at least once, in just 7 seconds! There’s a record maker for you! Picture credit: bluebicycle.net
We’ve changed our mind. Our daughter is going to participate in the Tour de France.

How do we know? Try putting a blanket across her legs. She’ll kick it aside with a series of cycling moves. Every waking moment is spent kicking in the air and moving her hands in the same rhythm too.

I am told that’s the way babies grow and exercise their limbs. That’s fine by me except for the fact that a new realization has dawned on me. When a new mom says she’s busy, I know now what she means. She’s replacing the blanket the baby pushes aside every minute. By the way, ever since we began to time our baby, we found that she accomplishes the feat in 47 seconds at the latest or at least once, in just 7 seconds!

There’s a record maker for you!

Picture credit: bluebicycle.net

Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3892&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments The singer Thu, 06 Sep 2007 22:28:21 +0000 Parenting 3891@http://blogs.jambav.com We are very happy for we think we have discovered one of the talents that our daughter will exhibit in the future. She’s going to be a singer. How do we know? You ought to visit us when she’s in one of her singing moods which vary from moments of hunger to sleepiness to just plain annoyance. The lung power she displays is awesome. It might sound like screaming to some people but to my motherly ears, it all just music. Please pardon her lack of tune for she’s an amateur but a singer is what she’ll be. That aside, this little bundle of joy is turning out to be a quick learner. My mom likes to sing the baby to sleep. One night, I heard the little angel making a new sound, something between a hum and a coo. I just assumed she was excited about a new discovery. Mamma understood immediately and said, “She’s singing herself to sleep!” I decided to test the theory and began singing to her. She stopped her ‘singing’ and was asleep in a jiffy! We’ve got music running all day long now.   Picture credit: teachersparadise.com
We are very happy for we think we have discovered one of the talents that our daughter will exhibit in the future. She’s going to be a singer.

How do we know? You ought to visit us when she’s in one of her singing moods which vary from moments of hunger to sleepiness to just plain annoyance. The lung power she displays is awesome. It might sound like screaming to some people but to my motherly ears, it all just music. Please pardon her lack of tune for she’s an amateur but a singer is what she’ll be.

That aside, this little bundle of joy is turning out to be a quick learner. My mom likes to sing the baby to sleep. One night, I heard the little angel making a new sound, something between a hum and a coo. I just assumed she was excited about a new discovery. Mamma understood immediately and said, “She’s singing herself to sleep!”

I decided to test the theory and began singing to her. She stopped her ‘singing’ and was asleep in a jiffy!

We’ve got music running all day long now.  

Picture credit: teachersparadise.com

Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3891&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments The 24x7 tour guides Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:25:09 +0000 Parenting 3857@http://blogs.jambav.com We’ve discovered a new vocation – that of tour guides. Here’s how I envisage our brochure will read … We offer you a choice of destinations – the drawing room, the dining hall, the garden, the terrace and the bedroom. We work 24x7 and are available at first cry. Dawn or dusk, midnight or the wee hours of the morning – we’re always at your service with a smile. For your extra comfort, we’ve mastered a cool language called baby talk, which consists essentially of coos, gurgles, unintelligible words and nonsense sounds. We recommend the drawing room tour as it is features souvenirs and memorabilia from around the country. Each of these comes with a story that changes according to the time of day. We’re completely dedicated to providing you the best of personalized service. Why, we even carry you in our arms. We rock you gently so you’re lulled to sleep. That’s how good we are! You can choose from four specialist guides: 1. Tall, mustachioed grandfather: Enjoy a panoramic view of the scenery! Known to pass on the tourist to grandmother when unable to satisfy. 2. Warm, ever-huggable grandmother: Highly experienced. Guaranteed comfort in her arms. Don’t forget to ask for a song! She’s got a great voice. Highly recommended. 3. Exhausted mom: Packed with a wealth of information but zero experience, she’s often the last resort. Good guide but needs to brush up on her skills. 4. Weekend dad: Lots of info, little experience but has the unique ability to talk you out of colic pain and frustration at being unable to sleep. Again highly recommended but difficult to obtain an appointment. We regale you with stories – some imagined, some real. Of course, not that it matters – all you want is the soothing voice, right? By the way, did I mention, our services are limited to those who weigh between 3 - 6 kgs. We don’t mind if you’re crying or colicky or sleepy. We serve all! Welcome to parenthood! Picture credit: exodus.co.uk
We’ve discovered a new vocation – that of tour guides.

Here’s how I envisage our brochure will read …

We offer you a choice of destinations – the drawing room, the dining hall, the garden, the terrace and the bedroom. We work 24x7 and are available at first cry. Dawn or dusk, midnight or the wee hours of the morning – we’re always at your service with a smile. For your extra comfort, we’ve mastered a cool language called baby talk, which consists essentially of coos, gurgles, unintelligible words and nonsense sounds.

We recommend the drawing room tour as it is features souvenirs and memorabilia from around the country. Each of these comes with a story that changes according to the time of day.

We’re completely dedicated to providing you the best of personalized service. Why, we even carry you in our arms. We rock you gently so you’re lulled to sleep. That’s how good we are!

You can choose from four specialist guides:

1. Tall, mustachioed grandfather: Enjoy a panoramic view of the scenery! Known to pass on the tourist to grandmother when unable to satisfy.

2. Warm, ever-huggable grandmother: Highly experienced. Guaranteed comfort in her arms. Don’t forget to ask for a song! She’s got a great voice. Highly recommended.

3. Exhausted mom: Packed with a wealth of information but zero experience, she’s often the last resort. Good guide but needs to brush up on her skills.

4. Weekend dad: Lots of info, little experience but has the unique ability to talk you out of colic pain and frustration at being unable to sleep. Again highly recommended but difficult to obtain an appointment.

We regale you with stories – some imagined, some real. Of course, not that it matters – all you want is the soothing voice, right?

By the way, did I mention, our services are limited to those who weigh between 3 - 6 kgs. We don’t mind if you’re crying or colicky or sleepy. We serve all!

Welcome to parenthood!

Picture credit: exodus.co.uk



Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3857&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments An ant and a thought Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:14:09 +0000 Parenting 3856@http://blogs.jambav.com Last evening, during our daughter’s evening freshening-up, I noticed a tiny ant nestled tight in her skin. I was aghast and angry. I removed the ant, all the while wondering where it had come from despite taking all kinds of precautions from the insect world. She had not been hurt or bitten. Maybe I felt a little guilty too. Why had I not checked earlier? And then another thought stopped by – I was grateful to God for having shown me the ant before she could be bitten by it. That helped. These small gestures make all the difference. Picture credit: centralquestion.com Last evening, during our daughter’s evening freshening-up, I noticed a tiny ant nestled tight in her skin. I was aghast and angry. I removed the ant, all the while wondering where it had come from despite taking all kinds of precautions from the insect world. She had not been hurt or bitten. Maybe I felt a little guilty too. Why had I not checked earlier?

And then another thought stopped by – I was grateful to God for having shown me the ant before she could be bitten by it. That helped. These small gestures make all the difference.

Picture credit: centralquestion.com




Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3856&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments Amazing life Mon, 30 Jul 2007 12:09:27 +0000 Parenting 3855@http://blogs.jambav.com Every time I look at our baby, a thought runs through my head – over and over again – we have been invited to live an amazing life by God. When I see the perfectly formed little fingers and toes of my lil angel, her smile, wide-eyed expressions, I just know that life is a fantastic journey. She’s amazing and she surprises me every day with something new. nk you God for choosing me to be her mom. Picture credit: arafura.net.au  
Every time I look at our baby, a thought runs through my head – over and over again – we have been invited to live an amazing life by God. When I see the perfectly formed little fingers and toes of my lil angel, her smile, wide-eyed expressions, I just know that life is a fantastic journey.

She’s amazing and she surprises me every day with something new.

nk you God for choosing me to be her mom.

Picture credit: arafura.net.au

 



Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3855&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments Welcome to the world, Baby Reuel! Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:22:23 +0000 Parenting 3807@http://blogs.jambav.com 12th June 2007 dawned quite ordinarily, if not a little cheerier than usual. It was also the day I was supposed to meet the doc for my weekly check-up. I woke up feeling as though the rugby match within me had picked up pace. When I told mom about it, she decided to leave for the hospital as early as we could. The bags were already in the car. The drive into Kerala was refreshing, as the previous night’s rain had left the earth looking beautifully groomed for the day. I walked into the hospital bright and cheery, looking forward to the regular banana fritter treat that we allow ourselves when visiting the hospital. (Their canteen’s got some great stuff!) My mom informed the nurse on duty that I had felt a little uneasy. (I actually thought the baby had been moving a bit too much.) The nurse decided to check me into the labor room, just in case. The ‘just in case’ hunch proved to be fortunate. The doc walked into the room in a few minutes and announced to us that I had been in labor all night and that the baby would be born in 3 – 4 hours! Well, that was at 10:30 am. At 1:45, I vaguely remember being moved into the ‘birthing room’ and the doc scrambling to get on her gloves and gown. At 1:50 pm I heard that distinguishing first cry and I remember thinking, ‘Is that the baby?’ Our first-born hurried into the world and into our hearts at 1:50 pm on 12th June 2007, four weeks earlier. (The last scan pegged the due date at 8th July 2007!) So that’s the story of our daughter’s birth – the reason for this blog, the fruit of our love and the center of our universe. Welcome to the world, Baby Reuel. We’ve waited for this moment all along! :-) 12th June 2007 dawned quite ordinarily, if not a little cheerier than usual. It was also the day I was supposed to meet the doc for my weekly check-up.

I woke up feeling as though the rugby match within me had picked up pace. When I told mom about it, she decided to leave for the hospital as early as we could. The bags were already in the car.

The drive into Kerala was refreshing, as the previous night’s rain had left the earth looking beautifully groomed for the day.

I walked into the hospital bright and cheery, looking forward to the regular banana fritter treat that we allow ourselves when visiting the hospital. (Their canteen’s got some great stuff!)

My mom informed the nurse on duty that I had felt a little uneasy. (I actually thought the baby had been moving a bit too much.) The nurse decided to check me into the labor room, just in case.

The ‘just in case’ hunch proved to be fortunate. The doc walked into the room in a few minutes and announced to us that I had been in labor all night and that the baby would be born in 3 – 4 hours!

Well, that was at 10:30 am. At 1:45, I vaguely remember being moved into the ‘birthing room’ and the doc scrambling to get on her gloves and gown. At 1:50 pm I heard that distinguishing first cry and I remember thinking, ‘Is that the baby?’

Our first-born hurried into the world and into our hearts at 1:50 pm on 12th June 2007, four weeks earlier. (The last scan pegged the due date at 8th July 2007!)

So that’s the story of our daughter’s birth – the reason for this blog, the fruit of our love and the center of our universe.

Welcome to the world, Baby Reuel. We’ve waited for this moment all along! :-)

Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3807&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments Some precautions just for moms-to-be Thu, 28 Jun 2007 05:19:02 +0000 Parenting 3806@http://blogs.jambav.com I’ve found that mothers-to-be can be prone to unthinkable accidents caused due to conflicts with the complex physical laws especially related to the center of gravity. Naturally, with a spine that progressively arches forward like a bow poised to shoot out an arrow, one can hardly expect stable bipedal gait. So here are a few things I’ve taken to doing. Thanks to experience and of course, advice from parents, friends and well-wishers. · Take it slow and steady. Most of us are career women who are used to a fast-paced life. But I’ve found it helps to walk a little slower. · We like to accomplish things but if your growing tummy or the little one within demand your attention, you’re allowed to extend the deadline. The Universal Mom-to-be Law states so. :-) · Try not to get out of breath. · When getting out of a chair, do it slowly. · When using a staircase, walk with a hand on the balustrade or handrail. Just in case… · When going for a shower, don’t lock the door and let a family member know that you’re in. · When around pets and children, ensure somebody is around. Kids and animals get excited and can inadvertently knock you over. · Don’t feel delicate to put up your legs. Or you’ll hate the sight of your feet-turned-balloons. That’s all I can think of for now. I’ve found that mothers-to-be can be prone to unthinkable accidents caused due to conflicts with the complex physical laws especially related to the center of gravity. Naturally, with a spine that progressively arches forward like a bow poised to shoot out an arrow, one can hardly expect stable bipedal gait.

So here are a few things I’ve taken to doing. Thanks to experience and of course, advice from parents, friends and well-wishers.

· Take it slow and steady. Most of us are career women who are used to a fast-paced life. But I’ve found it helps to walk a little slower.
· We like to accomplish things but if your growing tummy or the little one within demand your attention, you’re allowed to extend the deadline. The Universal Mom-to-be Law states so. :-)
· Try not to get out of breath.
· When getting out of a chair, do it slowly.
· When using a staircase, walk with a hand on the balustrade or handrail. Just in case…
· When going for a shower, don’t lock the door and let a family member know that you’re in.
· When around pets and children, ensure somebody is around. Kids and animals get excited and can inadvertently knock you over.
· Don’t feel delicate to put up your legs. Or you’ll hate the sight of your feet-turned-balloons.

That’s all I can think of for now.

Written by a Jambav Parenting Blogger. For more, visit http://blogs.jambav.com]]> http://blogs.jambav.com/lithi?p=3806&c=1&tb=1&pb=1#comments