Slept thru the night

My little one slept thru the night. Yehhh. I hope it continues.

God, protect my baby please

My heart goes out to all the parents who lost their precious little ones today in Sandy Hook.

God please take care of my little one. Please protect her the way you did me all these years.

And we can crawl now

My baby has been moving for a long time now but it has been backwards always :-). Now she is crawling forward. I hide behind the wall and say Amma kaanum. She will cry and lunge and move forward to get a glimpse of me :-). She has also been pulling herself up and can climb on me as well :-). This is such a beautiful stage. I can't wait to hear her call me Amma. :-).

My little one has an ear infection :-(. Hopefully she will get better soon. Love you precious.

That beautiful smile

I have never been so happy in my life. I feel blessed and thank God for giving me this little bundle of joy. The smile and happiness in her face, when she sees me, I will cherish all my life. Her face lights up when I enter the room :-). And a beaming smile follows it :-). I don't know how she and I will be when she grows up. But I will always remember this day, when I am her sun and moon and star. I love you my precious.

Clap clap

My little one clapped her hands for the first time. I am so happy :-). I have been showing her how to clap the last few weeks. She would take two blocks and hit it against each other. But today she moved both her hands together for the first time :-). Love you little one.

I am sorry little one.

Today was terrible. I clipped my baby's skin while cutting her nails. It bled quite a bit. My little one wasn't in too much pain. But it was probably the worst day in my life. Sorry Chinni. Please forgive me.

Am I losing it?

I don't know. Am I losing it? My only happiness is my little baby. Other than that I don't seem to have any interest. Am I alright? I am tired. I want to sleep. Sleep for a long time.

It's a long journey

I don't remember the last time I sat down doing nothing, thinking nothing. I don't know what I do everyday. Time flies. Before I know it's night and before I know it's day. Wish I could pause my life for a second the way I do with my TV remote. Pause to see the rain fall, pause to see the squirrel climbing up the wall, pause to enjoy my new couch, pause to catch up with life.

Seven months now

It's hard for me to talk about my little one to anybody. I hear many momies saying endless things about their baby. I sometime feel like sharing, but then hold back. It's just too hard. Maybe I am superstitious. I don't know.

My little one seems to be having this special bond with me these days. She does things to see if I react. It's just so amazing. She is rolling so much now. Can turn herself all over the place. She is growing up.

We are going to celebrate our first Diwali with her on Tuesday. Am all excited :-)

My baby's Lullaby

This afternoon while I was trying to make my little seven month old brat sleep I realized she still prefers her itzy bitzy lullaby. She was crying for about 20 mins and I was getting doubtful if she would sleep at all. I then hummed the song to calm her down. Within few mins she rested her head and stayed quite. I stopped humming and she lifted her head, smacked my face and cried. I sang again, she fell quite and fell fast asleep :-). I was so touched. Glad this song can calm my baby and help her sleep peacefully. God bless her for ever.

Vathal Kuzhambu with Methi & Small Onion

This is my version of vathal kuzhambu. Here goes.

Ingredients

Lemon size ball of tamarind

1.5 cups of water

3 tbls Idayum gingely oil (best taste if you use gingely oil, especially idayum brand)

1 tsp Mustard seeds

1 tsp Methi seeds (yes, 1 tsp)

2 tsp Thor dal

1 to 1.5 tsp Sambar powder

A pinch of Asafoetida

8 - 10 small onion (preferably fresh) or you can use any other vegetable too (drumstick tastes really good too)

curry leaves

1/2 - 1 tsp powdered Jaggery or a small block of jaggery (don't bother to crush)

Salt

1.5 tbsp rice flour & 3 tbls water

Prep: Soak tamarind in 1.5 cup of very hot water for 15 mins or more. If your tamarind is very sour add some more water. If not let the quantity of kuzhambu be just one to one & a half cup. The taste is much better this way.

Filter and keep tamarind water and all other ingredients ready. This way, nothing will blacken.

Cover nose with cloth especially after adding sambar powder :-)

1. Heat Tawa. Add gingely oil (you may have to be generous with oil). 

2. After oil heats, add mustard seeds. Let it crackle

3. Add methi seeds and thor dal. 

4. Keep gas stove in medium heat now.

5. Once thor dal browns, add sambar powder. Cover nose.

4. Tawa will be very hot now. Fry for 20 - 30 seconds, don't let sambar powder blacken

5. Add small onion & curry leaves and saute for 20-30 secs. 

6. Add tamarind water and salt.

7. Taste to check tamarind taste. If too sour add little water now

8. Boil until raw taste disappears (about 5 - 8 mins)

9. Add jaggery and let it melt (really changes the taste)

10. Mix 1.5 tbls rice flour with very little water. It sure be a thick consistency but not paste like. Also not watery. If not kuzhambu will not thicken.

11. Add to kuzhambu, stir and turn off stove. Cover and let it rest for a short while (if you have time). This will thicken the kuzhambu. You can skip this if you like your kuzhambu thin.

Some people add raw gingely oil at this point. I don't. I add more at the beginning.

Motherhood!

Motherhood is beautiful. And I am so happy I have my little baby. It's very hard for me to tell anyone how I feel about her. She is beautiful and simply adorable. I am cherishing every minute I spend with her. I am scared to think of the day when she will leave me to start her own life. No. I don't want to think about it :-).

She has this special smile, which brightens my heart and I feel warm all over. She plays these little games with me, especially when I hold her in the Bjorne and she is ready to sleep. She will look up, wait for me to kiss her, look away. She will look up again, steal a kiss and look away. She will do it again and again.

It's heart warming to see her look at me with expectations and so trustingly. I hope I am always there for her, take the right decision and guide her to happiness.

I love you the most my little one. You make me proud :-)

Happy b'day and happy anniversary hubby :-)

This is my favorite time of the year, the labor day weekend which typically coincides with my husband's b'day and our anniversary.

The last two years we have been out traveling and visiting new places. This year we decided to take it easy coz of the new house. But we managed to have a fun weekend.

I baked a cake for hubby and gifted him brookstone's feet massager. He wasn't expecting it and was so thrilled. Also got him a mushy card :-). My hubby gifted me a lovely jewelry case. I so love it :-))).

On Saturday we went to the Bear mountain state park in New York. It was an hour away from Danbury. The drive itself wasn't too spectacular. But as we reached the mountains and drove up, the views were truly worth it.

Bear mountain is located on the Western bank of the Hudson river. Being a weekend the park was crowded. We found parking easily though and walked up to the picnic area. We sat on the banks of the scenic Hessian lake. Had a good time but then it got so hot that we came running back home.

Anniversary day was lovely too. It was my little one's maiden trip to New York city. We went by train so the trip was very peaceful. Hubby and I lunched at Mario Batali's Eately on 5th avenue. The market has some amazing food and I just managed to stop myself from shopping :-). They had an exclusive vegetarian restaurant and we had this amazing gnocchi cake and fresh mozzarella sandwich with minestrone soup. Had a lovely lovely day.

Looking forward to a lovely year ahead.

My little sis went back home

My little sis went back home yesterday. Think I had the best ever time with her in ages. I miss her already.

Sat up on her own

My little one surprised me last night by sitting up on her own. It happened first on my lap, when she held my finger and pulled herself up.

But later while she was on her rocker she just sat up for a second. Hubby and I were shocked for a second :-). I am so proud of her (as always :-))

TV giggles

Little one peeks at the TV-Seinfeld and starts giggling.

A Prayer

As I see my little one sleeping peacefully, I pray to God to give her the best of everything in life.

Nighty night ritual

My baby's sleep ritual is finally making a pattern. At six pm her 'cranky' time starts and she wants to be held close. She will be sleepy and hungry all at the same time.

Between seven and seven thirty I give her a bath. Between seven thirty and eight is eating and medicine time. By eight she is totally tired. She wants to be on my shoulder at any cost. Then I play lullabies and walk up & down the room.

She will fall asleep. I will place her in the crib. She will wake up. I will pick her up again. This will continue a couple of times. She will then want to eat and will fill up her tank.

Finally she will fall asleep completely exhausted.

And I will thank God for yet another glorious day with my baby.

Everything ok

Everything's alright. Little one is doing well. Me very emotional.

Was it a laugh/smile?

I think I got my first laugh/smile today but I may have been wrong :-). I bathed her and was patting her dry. Had to keep her occupied by playing mottu mottu and that's when I thought she kind of chuckled or smiled :-). It's also too early for a five week old to smile so I may have been wrong. Let's see :-)

Oh my God! I am gonna have a baby.

Last night when I started leaking, I thought it was another false call. Called the clinic this morning to find Gory was away on a holiday. Nevertheless met Maly and she said, congratulations you have ruptured. You are gonna have a baby. Hubby and I looked stunned. She said go straight to the hospital and don't even stop to get your bag. Both of us looked at each other and couldn't believe it. We are now at the hospital and have got admitted.

2 pm - Have just been induced. A little nervous.

4 pm - contractions have begun. Painful.

5 pm - Thank you epidural.

6 pm - Waiting.

7 pm - Hubby gone to buy dinner. Have asked him to stock up some food.

9 pm - Doc says, baby by breakfast time.

11.30 pm - Feeling uneasy. Should I wake up hubby? He is sleeping so peacefully.

3 am - Baby born at 12.16 am. Everything ok. Happy. Very happy. Good night.

Can I get more bigger?

I am in week 32 and have eight more to go, and I am already so large!! People who look at me say I am so skinny, I just wish I felt that way :-).

Our baby's room is almost done. We have put up some lovely curtains, have assembled her crib, installed the mobile and put up pictures on the wall. Will post some pictures soon. The bed sheets have arrived and the mattress will get delivered next week. Her aunt has sent her a lovely swing & rocker and she already has so many clothes :-). I am so excited and awaiting impatiently for her arrival.

Happy Valentines Day

Had a lovely day thanks to hubby dear. Surprised him in the morning with Godiva's caramel pecan chocolate brownies and a greeting card. After a couple of hours, the ups guy delivered a lovely teddy bear and Hershey's milk chocolate from hubby :-). Totally mushy, isn't it :-).

In the evening hubby had made reservations at Barcelona restaurant in Greenwich. That was a lovely place with excellent service. We had some interesting tapas and paella. Ended with chocolate cake and ice cream. Totally delicious. Greenwich downtown looked very interesting as well. Must explore it more.

Thanks hubby for making it such a memorable day.

Yehhh getting a rocker

Hubby was so wonderful today. I asked him to look through the baby bargains book for rockers and gliders. And before I knew it he placed the order for a lovely Newco Glider from Walmart. Its beige in color. I am so so so happy. Hopefully it will be as comfy as it looks. Find it so hard to sit on the couch these days. Yehhhh so many things to look forward to.

Crib, dresser and all

Yehhhh. After visiting babies r us and other stores a million times, we finally placed the order for our crib and the dresser. We have chosen white - Baby Cache Crib and Europa Palisades Dresser. It will get delivered to us by the 16th of Feb. Yippee. Its all getting so real :-)

Officially started shopping

Yehhhh, we officially started baby shopping today. Baby's first set of clothes. Aren't they cute. :-)

Long and much awaited glimpse of the baby

Had to wait for more than a month to see my little one. My baby is developing well. She is a big girl now and weighs  2 lbs 2 oz. I am thrillllled :-). I could see her moving and saw her heart beating. One more week and I will advance into my third trimester. We are going to start shopping soon :-). Yippee.

Baby movements

My baby kicked me the first time on the 16th of Dec. She, of course, has probably been kicking me for a long time. But I realized it only then. I would tell my husband it felt like popcorn bursting in my tummy. Soon the bursts felt more like kicks and punches. They wouldn't hurt me but it sure tickled me especially in the sides :-). Now in my 26th week, I feel them a lot more. Infact the kicks and the punches and the movements are actually soothing to me. Makes me love my little one more and more. Just can't wait till she is out. Love you baby.

Baby says happy birthday

A special birthday treat..Had a check up this morning and said hello to my little baby :-). Thank you little one. You made my day :-). And thank you hubby for the lovely iphone. Off to PNC and then lunch at my favorite Chipotle. Hubby off tonight to NYC :-(. Gonna miss him. :-((

Finally some snow!

After the really long winter last year in MN, this year has been a treat. Except for the freak snow in October, we got our first snow today. Loving it!!

Sitting in Starbucks enjoying hot chocolate and reading Thackeray's Vanity Fair. Hubby busy working. Sigh! Good old days.

Happy holidays and happy new year

What a lovely end to this year. Celebrated our second wedding anniversary in Florida Keys. Got pregnant with our lovely little baby girl. Hubby's promotion. Got our GC and ended with a wonderful holiday in NYC - Dinner at Vathan, Peter Pan in Madison Square Garden, saw the beautiful Christmas tree at Rockefeller, and spent New Year's Eve at Times Square. Happy New Year!