Flu shot..Ouch!

Ouch! Flu shot hurts!!

Doc says T is 4 days advanced :-). Whatever that means.

Maybe a kick?

I think it was a kick or a punch or maybe some movement. But I am very sure its my baby. It was like a flutter in the stomach or maybe like popcorn burst. Oh I am so thrilled. Think I won't sleep tonight. 

We are having a girl!

Oh hubby and I are so excited. We are having a lovely little girl baby. Have been waiting in anticipation the last one month, hoping and praying that we are going to have a girl. When the doc said, you guys are having a girl, I was soooooo thrilled. I almost jumped out of the table :-))). Boy!! Never thought I wanted a girl this bad. So happy. So relived. T baby, can't wait to have you :-). Muah!  

A long wait....

I can't forget those three months when hubby and I were trying to have a baby. All the tension, the excitement, the waiting and the disappointment. I would look longingly at all mommies with kids and at pregnant women hand-in-hand with their hubbies smiling with joy...They all made it and I didn't!

Two weeks into my second trimester and I am all but miserable. Gone are those days of joy. All I feel is fatigue or nausea, sometimes both. Somewhere deep down I know I am so much better than last month but I seem to have forgotten those days. At times I wonder if I really have a baby inside me.  Or am I sick with some unimaginable disease which will never leave me :-). Crazy is it not?

But then last week I saw my little one in the ultrasound, waving her tiny arms and legs, being as naughty as ever and not letting the doctor measure her.  That feeling is simply unexplainable. Yeah hubby and I are hoping its going to be a girl :-). Will know in my next month checkup :-).

So I guess things are not all that bad. I just have to be patient for few more months, till my bundle of joy lands into my arms. Maybe I will start my shopping list and make plans for the nursery. Good luck to me and my baby.

Varathu Arachu More Kuzhambu

From travel to food...
I have got into a routine of cooking elaborate South Indian food during the weekend and simpler meals during weekdays. Today being a Saturday, I am attempting my husband's favorite Varathu Arachu More Kuzhambu. My mom-in-law cooks this amazingly well and so does my husband. Yeah..so its going to be quite challenging. Here goes...this is my version.

Ingredients:

For the coconut mixture:
1 tsp oil

4 - 5 red chili

1 tbls black gram dal

5 - 6 methi seeds

1 tsp raw rice
4 tbls coconut
1/2 cup water

• In a tawa, heat oil in medium heat and add all the ingredients except the coconut
• Fry till the black gram dal becomes golden brown. Don't let anything blacken
• Keep aside and cool
• In the same tawa, add the coconut and fry for a minute
• Mix with the other ingredients and let cool
• Grind the ingredients so it becomes a coarse powder
• Use 1/2 cup of water a little at a time and grind until smooth

For the more kuzhambu:
1 tsp oil
1 tsp mustard seeds
1/2 cup of any cut vegetable (eg. Pumpkin, Okra, Brinjal, Carrot)
Water as required
Salt to taste
2 cups of buttermilk

Cilantro for garnish

• Heat oil. Add mustard seeds
• Once it crackles add the cut vegetable and fry for a minute
• Add salt and just enough water to cover the vegetable and cook till it becomes soft
• Once cooked, add the coconut mixture and let it come to a boil. Add a little water if it is too dry
• Take off the heat and let cool
• Add the buttermilk and mix well. Check for salt
• Keep the mixture back on low medium until it warms up. Don't let it heat too much, if not the curd with curdle
• Garnish with cilantro and serve

My baby looks like a baby :-)

Ok..I will try not to say this but I think this is the best ultrasound I have had so far. Today I saw my little baby - her hand, leg, heart beat..Oh I am so thrilled. She was waving her arms and legs. The doc couldn't measure her at all :-). Everything is looking fine. Even got a photo of the baby. I had a test for symptoms of down syndrome and other illnesses. Will get the results in the next couple of days. But think everything will be alright. Me happy child. Parents leaving next week. Feeling a little sad.

Baby's heart beat

Today was probably the best of all the checkups (and I guess I am going to say this every time:-))). I heard my little baby's heart beat for the first time. It wasn't really like a heart beat. It was more like a vaccumish sound that went woosh woosh woosh :-). Doc says the heart beat is not usually heard this early, so guess I am one of the lucky ones. The check up went well. I have another checkup and ultrasound scheduled. Another month, and I will successfully complete my first trimester. Can't wait!

P.S. Still sick. Doc has given some pills to take which is supposed to help. Lets hope it does. Can't stand it anymore. Have to still be careful with my back. Very painful :-(

My first ultrasound

Today was my first ultrasound. It was such a pleasant experience. I saw on the screen what was supposed to be my baby. It still hasn't formed into anything so I could not really make out anything. I saw the heartbeat count though (no, not the actual heart beat). Its too early to hear it though.

This test was called a Pelvic Viability Test, which basically means checking if I can carry the baby, I guess. Doc says everything is fine. Have fixed appointment for my next ultrasound which is called the First Trimester Screen. Its all so exciting. My parents are here as well. Glad to have them around. Will write again later.

P.S. Feeling very sick. Have a bad back sprain. Its because of a nerve called the Sciatic. Hopefully I will be alright soon.

First checkup with the doc

Back from the trip. Florida Keys was beautiful! We didn't really do much. Ate, slept, chilled :-). And oh, did a stick test almost every other day to be sure about the baby. Crazy, aren't we :-).

Had fixed an appointment with the doctor for today. Very nervous thinking he is going to say, "I am sorry folks, but you are not pregnant"...No no..Its just my nerves. Have started becoming sick. Have been eating potato chips like crazy. Feel pretty exhausted and have a funny taste in my mouth all the time. I am sure these are all symptoms right?! Off now. Good luck to me.

P.S. Back from the doc. Yes, I am still pregnant :-). Yippe Yippe :-). Have my first ultrasound on the 20th. All nervous and excited.

Positive!!!

Finally! I AM pregnant. The test showed a positive :-). Yipeee. Haaa I am so relaxed today and Hubby just the opposite. He is pacing up and down room asking, "are you sure", "maybe you should try again", "what do we do now?" :-)))

Looking forward to our Florida trip a lot more now. Love you baby.

The White Mountains of New Hampshire

Come Fairies, take me out of this dull world, for I would ride with you upon the wind and dance upon the mountains like a flame!
- William Butler Yeats

My husband and I decided to celebrate our first wedding anniversary in the beautiful mountains and valleys of New Hampshire and Vermont. It was one of the best vacations we have ever had. Initially our thoughts were on Yosemite in California or maybe see the Grand Canyon in Arizona. But wanting to do something special, we decided to explore the White Mountains of the Appalachian range that runs through New Hampshire.

The amount of information I found on NH was amazing. Reviewers of Trip advisor gave a whole lot of suggestions on places to stay and things to do. Many travelers had combined NH with Vermont and Maine. That seemed like a good idea, as we had seven to eight days in hand. We decided to spend the first half of our vacation exploring the mountains and the second half at a quite resort in Vermont.

We flew from Minneapolis into Boston city and drove down to North Conway in NH, a 3 hr drive including pit stop at the lovely town of Portsmouth. North Conway is an ideal location for exploring the white mountains. We stayed at the newly renovated Residence Inn, very centrally located. The Kancamagus Highway is one of the most scenic routes in the country and about 10 mins from the hotel. These are few things that we did:

1. Drove on the scenic Kanc highway to the Lost River Gorge and Boulder Caves. This is an hour and fifteen minute drive from North Conway, and well-worth the drive, as you get to go on the entire stretch of the scenic road.  If you are lucky enough, you may see a moose (we weren't). There are plenty of things to do here. We did "The Gorge and Boardwalk" and went into all the caves. At times we had to crawl on our knees and even on our tummy to get in and out of the cave. Its super fun!

2. Visited the Flume Gorge at the Franconia Notch State Park. We once again went on the Kanc highway, an hour and fifteen mins drive, and about 15 mins longer than the US 302 route. This gorge was really impressive, about 80-90 feet tall. We went up on a wooden pathway for a while and later on dirt trails. There is a lovely covered bridge half way down the trail. This trip was really good and I would highly recommend it.


3. Saw some spectacular views from Mt. Washington. Mt. Washington is the highest peak in the New England states. There are two ways to go up the mountain - in a car or by a train. We decided to drive up on the famous auto road, which is one of the oldest man-made attractions in the US. The views from the top of the mountain is simply stunning. The mountain also holds the record for the highest wind gust (231 miles per hr) at the earth's surface.  It took us about 45 mins to reach the foot of the mountains and about 30 mins to go up the summit. This is a must do!

4. On the way back, we stopped at wild cat mountains, where I tried the zip rider. Its super super cool! A chair lift carried us up the mountain, where we mounted a chair hung on a rope and zipped 1/2 a mile at the speed of 45 miles an hour. This is another must do! We also visited Attitash and went up the mountain on the chair lift. We didn't do much here though but would have been a good place if we were with kids.

Restaurants that we visited in North Conway:
1. Bellini's - Good Italian food. But very important to make a reservation before hand (we had to wait for two hours as we didn't have one)
2. Shalimar of India - Decent Indian food. Excellent service
3.  Black Gap Grill - Excellent food with vegetarian options as well (we are vegetarians)

More on Vermont in my next blog..

Memoirs of the year 2009

Another fresh new year is here, Another year to live! To banish worry, doubt, and fear, To love and laugh and give!
-  William Arthur Ward

Its been a little more than a year since I moved to the US. Looking back, 2009 has probably been one of the best years ever! The places I visited, newer activities I took up, cooking adventures I had and classic books that I read...yeah it will truly be memorable.

The year started with a bang. Relocating from Virginia to the Land of the North Star. Minnesota! My husband and I had mixed emotions. We were leaving behind the familiar scenes of east coast and heading into the unknown mid-west state known only for its extreme winter.

It however turned out to be a truly beautiful place! Ten thousand lakes at your feet, gorgeous state parks to explore and best of all a whole lot of outdoor things that one could possible do.

And thats what I did....hiking, trekking, biking, skiing, birdwatching and swimming!

The icing to the cake was a one-week vacation at the New England states of Boston, Vermont and New Hampshire! Driving through the mighty Appalachian mountains, whale watching at the Atlantic and staying at the Sound of Music's Von Trapp family lodge were all a dream come true. Wonder what holds for me this year :-).

My random favorites of the year were:
- My new-born nephew
- Hubby-baked b'day cake with double-layered chocolate
- Hiking at the Frontenac State Park with gorgeous views of the Mississippi river
- My first tomato
- The beautiful Great Heron I saw on the banks of the Medicine lake
- My first cheesecake
- Visit by my favorite uncle and aunt
- My fifth bike
- Sis's engagement

- Mom's surprise b'day books

- Biking around the entire trail of medicine lake
- My first bread
- Anniversary dinner at Michael's
- Zip ride in New Hampshire
- The Rockies!
- My first ski attempt