Where is my mommee??

For the last 3 days, I've been plagued by a bad cold (stuffy nose, ears, sore throat, fever et al). So I've been keeping away from Ishi as much as possible. During feeding, I use a face mask to keep her away from infection. She doesn't like it one bit! She feeds with eyes wide open with horror! (my interpretation of course, she just has her eyes really wide open!!) Couple of times she has tried to grab the mask, (involuntary grasping while feeding). But overall she's been quieter but fussier, making me paranoid that she's going to get sick too! I'm realizing that as a mother, being paranoid about your baby getting sick, is pretty much constant, so may as well get used to it. I'm missing holding her though, and I'd like to think she misses me too. Hopefully, this cold is on its way out.

The last 3 days, she did have enough people to give her attention. It was weekend so her dad was at home, and my parents were away on vacation so my sister was staying with us. However, my sister went back yesterday, and hubby is going away on work for the next 3 days, so its just me and Leela. This cold better be gone by tonight. Mommee and Ishi want to be together!!

Top 5 ...

... reasons why it is fun being a 3-month baby:

1. Everyone loves you

2. You get fun gifts

3. You get to be held close and carried around

4. People are always doing funny things that make you laugh

5. Nobody disturbs you when you are sleeping


... reasons why it is tough being a 3-month old baby:

1. No one understands you

2. You have to wear diapers and wait for someone to clean you

3. Adults have this thing called Baby Development Chart, which they keep looking at and try to make you do weird things

4. You have to lie flat on your back all the time

5. You have to howl and howl before anyone gives you any attention


...pet peeves


1. Vaccine Injections (Mommeee they hurt :'( )

2. Cap covering eyes (not again!!)

3. Development Charts (enough with the goalsheets already!)

4. Badly fitting clothes (we're always supposed to grow into them)

5. Being put down before you are ready to sleep


... Fun things

1. People making funny faces

2. Shoulder rides

3. Colorful toys that make noises

4. Blowing bubbles

5. Music

What a wonderful world

Ishi had her first social outing on Jan 22, 2011. We went to meet Watford Dadu, Dida, Tinku and Rinku Maashi. Dali was also there. Appropriately, Watford Dadu and Runki Mashi were the first and only relatives to meet Ishi in the hospital apart from immediate family!

Watford Dadu is actually her great grandfather, so it was 4 generations basking in the winter sun! Tinku/Rinku Maashi gave her a lovely Baby Gap red/white singlet and Pumpkin Patch kids red/white sweater. Just the day before, Arati (Bangalore) Mashi had parceled a lovely hand knitted pink sweater dress-cap-booties set, which Ishi wore on her first social visit.

Ishi was as good as gold, curious about all the new faces, bestowing smiles around and didn't cry even once! After the initial curosity wore off, she happily went to sleep in Lila's (her nanny-maid) arms.

We spent threesunny hours there and returned after that as her feeding time was due. After returning we realized we had taken pictures of her with everybody, except Watford Dadu! Oh well...

Here is Ishi with her Dali Maashi and Great Dida:

And this is us with her Rinku and Tinku Maashi-Dida (L-R):

First Cake

Saisha completed 3 months yesterday. Mommy and Daddy celebrated by getting her very first cake - Chocolate and Vanilla Cream Cake. Yumm!

This space is reserved for Daddy to post a pic!!

The Heirloom Cot

This is a cot that was made for Nene Mama, about 50 years ago! Made of solid teak with a base of wrapped cotton bands, it has seen generations of us play in it and grow up. Strangely, I'm probably the exception, never having used this cot. My sister grew up in it (in fact we all have memories of her jumping up and down in it and falling through the base!)

The cot had been refurbished and was with my cousin Piya, who had last used it for her son Prithvi, the first of the next generation. It was lying in disuse for a year or so, when my hubby picked it up from her. We repolished the cot and my hubby washed the base with dettol and hot water. Then it was aired and sun dried for 2-3 days before we set it up.

The cot now travels with its own bedding! It came with a mattress, side railing wrap, side cushions, a couple of pillows and 2 sets of bedding. Additionally, Pappi Didi had sent a bedding set from US (which they delivered the blue/white version instead of the pink/white she had ordered!!). It was quickly set up and very soon covered with soft toys all around it and a lovely brand new mobile from the fisher-price rainforest series. The cot is also great for keeping burp cloths at hand when we carry her around!

Currently, Ishi uses the cot only to sleep at night. At daytime, she uses her play gym (fisher-price ocean series) or her bouncie (fisher-price rainforest series) when she is not being held in someone's arms (which scores over everything else!). The cot is her cosy place to sleep in as we tuck her in at night under her pink blankie and fur overwrap which her nani dida got from europe!

Something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue....thats the old victorian tradition for a bride at her wedding, symbolizing family, future, friends and loyalty/love. We wish the same for Saisha, from her birth and throughout a long, well-lived and meaningful life.

Nero and Ishi

We had all wondered about Nero's (our dog) reaction to Ishi. While we let him smell her discarded clothes to get her used to her smell, we didn't let him sniff her or actively introduce her. The plan was that she would seamlessly join the family without any fanfare (well for Nero at least! :) )

So everything was kept as normal. He still slept on the floor in the same room with us, while Ishi slept on the bed. After a couple of weeks, we got our heirloom cot for her and fitted it next to the bed, without removing his crate/den. He made his cosy sleep spot under her cot!

The first few days, when she cried, he would come up the side of the bed to investigate. Later (and till date) he ignores her. As Ishi grew a bit bigger, we started taking her to our daybed on the lounge where Nero is also allowed to climb on bed. Soon they were sleeping side by side, separated by a mountain of cushions! Of course all under supervision. Neither of them currently seem to be concerned with the other right now! They'd be lying side by side, Nero deaf to any wailing, Ishi largely ignoring any loud woofing! Often, when I feed Ishi, Nero will lie on/near my legs, separated by a quilt/cushion barrier, like a nice warm hot water bottle! And given the winter we've been having, his warmth is very welcome!

They both get their own times with Mommy and Daddy, who have ambitious future plans of taking them for walks together, once the weather gets a bit warmer!

Where to start?

From where do I start?

Saisha (Ishi to friends and family) was a miracle granted to us after 5 years of trying. She came to us just when we had given up all hope. Much awaited, much loved, she was born on 19th October (37 weeks, 4 days) at 4:24 pm at Artemis Hospital, Gurgaon. She was in a transverse position (Head - right flank) and lying just below my rib cage. It was one of the most difficult positions, Dr. Mukta Kapila, the surgeon conducting the caesarian told us. She was 2.63 kgs, 50 cms in length and 34cm head diameter. After a couple of days in the hospital, we came back home on 22nd October 2010.

The first few weeks, she was surrounded by family. My sister, her maashi had been managing my house in the last weeks of my pregnancy and stayed on to help with the first couple of weeks. My in-laws, her dada and dadi, stayed with us for the first month and helped us get on our feet. We were the only people to handle her through the first crucial weeks, minimizing contact with others till she was stronger. Though both my in-laws came down with colds in the duration of their stay (thankfully not together), Ishi kept healthy and safe.

Though the first few days of feeding were a learning experience for both mother and daughter, we hit our stride within a few days! She settled into a good routine and so far, manages to sleep 8-10 hours straight! At first I kept an excel sheet of her feeding routine but then moved to an online tool (http://go.trixietracker.com/saishatripathi/home) to keep a record of feedings, changing and sleep pattern!

On her 6th day, she had a Chathi Puja, for which Binny Bua and Indore dadi came over for a couple of days. After her first month, Bhaiya, Bhabi, Aayushi, Vimal Jeejaji, Gudiya Didi and Shubham came over and stayed for a few days. The youngest of the current generation, she is much cherished and has a bevy of elder cousins to dote on her!

The day they left, the next day, my maid came back from vacation, and took over helping with baby duty, as all of us settled down to a new daily routine.