Sunshine of our Life

Aarush turns 3 !!!!

2011-04-29T23:41:00.000-07:00

Like most moms I am awestruck to know my little baby is growing up so fast....and his Birthday approacing in a weeks time forces me to admit the truth !

Its makes me feel so happy to see my little boy act all grown up, doing things which I never imagined him to be doing and asking me all sorts of smart questions ...and at the same time I miss him being a baby ...when I could just snuggle him in my arms and make him all mine...his lazy sweet smiling face....his tiny soft feet n hands...no complains or demands...just simple baby pleasure :)

I will always cherish the moment I first saw him.....our little hairy bundle of joy...he was just the way I always imagined him to be....perfect !

From then on our lives have never been the same...he sure keeps us amused, engaged, entertained and tired but always wanting more of him. Aarush @ 3 months.....all set to take down the cake :)

He has always been a charmer and a complete extrovert, loves having people around him and with his ever smiling face and non-stop activities he sure knows how to get attention....Aaru @ 6 months.

He loves being outdoors....one of his very first words were "Karp"...meaning Park. Aarush @ 9 months strolling through the park ...

Aaru has such thick black silky curls....he was so often thought of as a girl....wearing boys clothes :) Aaru a yr old in piggy tails :)

Aarush like most kids is obsessed with sports and cant have enough of it....our little champ @ 18 months all set to play wearing his Daddy's cap :)

Aaru is a very independent but an affectionate kid. He loves playing puzzles and blocks ...enjoys dancing and singing his favorite music...a clean freak and Mommy's little helper @ 2.

He has a witty sense of humor like his pappa.... When I raise my voice to get him to do something, he calmly responds "Mommy don't scare me" n I go short of words :) Aaru loves the movie 3 Idiots and enjoys the song "All is Well". The other day we were watching a emotional scene from the movie Dhobi Ghat and aaru goes...mamee...All is Well is crying....n we couldn't stop laughing :) Here is Aaru @ 2 1/2 ...my little stress buster :)

I cannot imagine how fast time has gone by post Aarush....from baby to toddler, he has shown various qualities , some of which I'm very proud n happy and some I am not so excited about. He is very particular about what he wears, any amount of soft talk or shrills wont change him... I have tried it all n left it to his choice.

He is a perfectionist....he's got to be right all the time....this is really hard coz he is still learning....every time he does something wrong he gets so upset and wants to do it from start all over again.....like reading book, building puzzle....only time will say how this will influence him....all I can do is , make him understand doing mistakes is fine.....as long as you learn from it and move on :)

I as a kid remember doing things because I was scared...I did not want mom to scold/spank me. Its just not so with Aaru....believe me I have tried several times and failed....when I scold or pat him to make him do things he gets even more stubborn....but when I sit him down and talk to him lovingly....he gladly agrees :) When I'm really upset with him....he knows and begs to be hugged and only then will he feel better. He is a very emotional kiddo....makes my heart melt.....but being a mom is not all about hugs n kisses....u gotta do what u gotta do !

Of all the various milestones he has bygone this year potty training being the top runner, can’t even be compared to how happy and blessed he makes us feel every time he says "I Love You" to mommy n daddy....so many times in the day.

B'day Note : He has a love for Spiderman. When he meets new friends he is so excited to show his spiderman and enact him jumping n flying.....and weaves a story around his actions.....I think I know exactly what he would like for his B'day this year..... ;) Best of all Grandma is visiting us to celebrate his B'day ....so loads of love,pampering,yummy food and surprises in store :)

A Year has gone by.....

2011-03-11T10:22:00.000-08:00

Its been almost a yr since I blogged about my little sunshine....So much happening on the home front and my son is growing up in leaps and bounds and I am thoroughly enjoying every moment ...just got so involved that I lagged behind in capturing so many wondrous moments on to my blog. Anyways Its never late to start back....I will try to give a short synopsis of all the major events I remember :)

Look at that naughty smile :)

Aarush is going to full time Pre - School and BOY was I petrified about how he will take this ? Spent sleepless nights and anxious days thinking about it.... and to my surprise n dismay, He did not show one bit of hindrance what so ever. he was so happy to see all the other kids in his group, so many toys and instantly jumped into action. It was as if he was meant to be there....no hint of separation anxiety what so ever ! I was so relieved that he was so happy but at some corner of my heart was expecting him to miss me just a little :)

We moved into our new Home in Nov last year. It was months of looking for the right house to call it our Home.We ended up building a semi-custom David Weekly Green home in a wonderful neighborhood.It was an amazing experience to select the tiles and accessories and paints to go along and see our home come to life. Then came the never ending list of shopping for our home appliances, furniture's,carpets etc etc etc which is still going on :)

Home Sweet Home !

Aarush has been wonderful helping us in all of this not so fun stuff for him.Its funny how he used to enter into a shop and exclaim , look mommy big kitchen ! , or so many refrigerators....he even helped us pick out the washer n dryer for our home (just the color of course). He looks at a piece of furniture or rug n goes....mummy I like it ! or takes a pillow and shows it to his Daddy n asks pappa u like it ? He used go along with all this for a while n then run around the shop n turn it to a playground....

We visited India in Dec, this time travelling was so much fun. He has his own seat to sit , was served his own meal , needed less diaper changes and was mostly own his own and funny enough that was creating some challenges n embarrassing moments for us parents:)

For instance, He wanted to check in his own bag , literally he had to put it on his own in the scanner else he would throw a fit, had to remove his jacket n shoes by himself n wear them back during the security check....taking his own time ... his mom n dad watched him helplessly while other passengers in line gave us weird expressions.

He wanted to pull his TV all by himself in the aeroplane and watch it...else u guessed it right ! The angry man would scream n yell to get his frustration out.....when meals were served, he wanted to place the tray by himself and open the food containers by himself to eat....spilling and dropping things in the process.....It was hard for us to calm him down, he just did not want us to help him.Its interesting to see how he figures out to do things by himself....although it takes a lot of patience and guts to stand by passers looks....thank goodness we did not have any bad experience with that, mostly people found his acts cute n funny and smiled at us ....but my fingers were always crossed ;)

Aaru with his Pappa before mudi.

We had a blast back home, he had such a fun time with grandparents,aunts,uncles and other kids.We visited our holy gods place (Bomagatti - Hanuman) and gave his hair. Its a small get together with family and friends , we pray to god, cooked food there and ate together.Aaru was so sleepy after the journey to the place and we had to get the mudi done early morning, so it worked out in our benefit, as he could not resist us with full energy....n yet we were 3 people holding him excluding the guy who shaved his hair off :)

I remember this one incident ...Aaru's grandpa wanted to buy him some toys so we went to a toy store and asked aarush to pick what he wants .....the shop keeper took out several toys and asked Aarush if he wants them....and to our surprise, aaru told "nope....not that one" He looked around for sometime and then picked a race car. My father felt the toy was over priced so asked the shop keeper to reduce it.....so he told, take it if u want it or leave it rather arrogantly.....my father was furious so he told we don't want your toy....and asked Aarush to keep it back....I could not believe my eyes when he so obediently did just that...I am sure the shop keeper also did not expect that..since the little boy already had the toy in his hands....now he had no choice but to sell it for asking price :) Grandpa was so impressed he got many many more toys for him...even though aaru did not ask for it.

During our stay in India, he learned to hum the song "Sheela ki Jawani". Love the way he sings that song.....really cute !

We are back to Home Sweet Home and getting along with our normal routine. Aaru is so much more an independant boy for his age.He expresses his likes and dislikes very clearly and stands by them.

We loved making Snow Man !

He loves to wear Jeans and only jeans outside....its hard to get him into any other pants in the morning. I have a hard time convincing him to wear other kinds of pants...I try naming Khaki pants as brown jeans....n it sometimes works and that's about it :)

He has no problem wearing his night suits though.....its just his morning attire he is so particular about.

He enjoys playing puzzles and blocks a lot. Even at school he spends a lot of time building n re-building structures. His teachers are so amazed by it....she takes pictures of it to show me sometimes....its really cute.

Last week his teacher was so happy to inform me that Aaru sat in front of a 48 piece Dinosaur puzzle for an hour and finally completed it ! I was so Proud :)

He know all his shapes, alphabets,numbers,vegetables ,fruits and rhymes.He has a list of favorite numbers to listen in the car....even recognises a few of them just by the music....n goes, I like that song mommy !

His favorite thing to do is read books...He enjoys them so much...I can get him to eat or do anything I want if I say "Its time to read book". Its like a toy for him. Well, I hope n pray his love for books continues...

His favorite game these days is to Guess n Draw...I draw various stuffs on the drawing board and he keeping guessing them....and then when I tell him its his turn to draw, he just scribbles and asks me to guess....n that's the funny part coz I most surely have no clue , and he goes...mamee...its an apple :))

I try to involve him in cooking and cleaning....Its never too late to help Mommy ;) After I pick him up from school we come home, I give him something to eat and then he sits on the kitchen island and watches me cook, I dress and chop the veges while he tells me the colors and tastes them, and then he know whats for dinner that night.....so he's all excited about eating Vegetable Pulao, Green Beans ,Palak Dal ,Pizza, Chicken n Pasta with homemade pesto or Scrambled Eggs...anything that I prepare :) Somethings he like more than others....but I make it a point to let him taste everything . There are days where he makes me so happy by eating well , while on some days he just does not want to eat anything....I offer him food in gaps, if that does not work....I feed him while we play spider man and blind cat......sometimes it works....and there are times where nothing seems to work....and I just let go :(

Potty training has been a major challenge for me in the past few months,He uses diapers only at night and when we go shopping/long drive. At home and school he is in underpants only. He uses potty on his own and cleans by himself ...but we are always there to keep an eye.

There are times even now when he has accidents while peeing, may be becoz he is lazy to use the bathroom or does not remove his pants properly. I read an article which suggested to leave the kids to roam around with no underpants at home....I have been implementing that since 3 days and it seems to do the trick....he runs to the bathroom without me asking him....I am thinking in a few more days I will keep him in underpants through the night as well.....have to wait n see how it will work :)

He will turn 3 in May...that's been so quick,Its hard to believe I need to prepare for a party soon.

This time I am sure he too will be excited since he now has seen a lot of his friends having their B'day parties.

Aaru turns TWO today !!!

2010-05-05T16:35:00.000-07:00

Typing that title make me wonder....how soon did the two yrs fly by.... the past 2 yrs have been the longest and shortest 2 yrs in my life. Long becoz so much has happened ....I have transformed from being a care free n outgoing yet ambitious career oriented lady to a totally obsessed mom, who talks abt her son 24/7 to who ever stranger. Short becoz all this happened really fast....I still cant believe my son is 2 yrs old....from snuggling him in my arms, to getting punched on my face .....didn't take time at all....

It’s weird to look at him sometimes as I see so much of myself in him,and then I feel bad for my parents knowing the hell I put them through ...They laugh when I tell them some of the things Aaru does, I guess payback comes in all shapes and sizes.
Here are a few of his latest activities:

* He can count from 1 to 10...YAY!!! I have made him repeat it so many times....he really does count numbers....n uses it in his play too...like counting his cars, counting while he jumps...makes mommy so proud:)

* He can point n name all his body parts and what he wears.

* He loves watching TV...Go Diego ,UmiZoomi and Dora...he claps his hands and laughs and counts with them.

* He kisses goodnight, in the cutest possible way...n I stop myself from biting his cheeks in return.

* He is learning to use the 3 golden words appropriately...Sorry,Thank you and Please.

* He appreciates when he likes something...when he gets his fav food...he says "Hmmmmmmmmmmm nice" or says "sooooooo good",when he gets to play his fav game on my iPhone, he proclaims "wow!!! its too cute" and looks the part too.

* He is a clean freak!!! Cant stand even a little bit of food around his mouth, if he spills something he carefully wipes it off ..I hope this good nature continues.

He will be starting pre-school next week, first step forward into the outside world,learning new things,making mistakes,meeting expectations .....growing up ...Its like me growing up all over again...exciting but a little scared too.

He is growing up to be a man I will be proud of.He has my multi tasking skills and creativity and dad's compassion and logic.....and a heart as big and warm as the sun. He pats me on the back when he hugs me and his tiny hands make me forget what I was doing. His ever smiling face makes me feel like the luckiest mom ever.

Happy Birthday Aaru,I look forward to many more years of loving,sharing,learning and growing with you. Love u chinnu :)

He is a boy, will grow up to be a man but will always remain mine.

Back to Mommyhood !!!

2010-03-21T08:00:00.000-07:00

YAY !!!! My life is back...to being crazy buzy...

Aaru is back home with my mom....Gosh!!!....I feel so happy , relived and normal!!!
He has grown taller,has learnt so many new things and has gotten so naughty with all the pampering back home in India.

I was so excited to receive him....did not sleep for 2 nights...and when the day came...I was early at the airport waiting to see my sunshine...so many questions within...will he recognise me? It had been almost 2 long months... in my heart of heart I knew he would...but still..
He was so tired with the 22 hrs journey behind him, jet lag and...even more tired was my mom,taking care of him the whole time... He was wide awake though ...and as soon as he saw me...he came right into my arms..expressionless, both of us were speechless for a while overwhelmed with the joy of reunion...It was so good to see him and just hug him tight ...squeeze him. Then he jumped at his Daddy....it felt like he was with us all along...as though the last 2 months never happened. He came home n after a hot bath n some food...he played the whole time until bed time...i mean no jet lag....no nothing....we are so happy he is back...and he too is :)

He has learnt a lot the past few days...he understands everything we say...does little chores by himself...like putting his bowl in the dishwasher after he is done eating...
He has transformed into a non-stop chatterbox .....I am enjoying this phase where he loves to be around me all the time.Love the way he gives a little peck on my lips...love his warm cuddly hugs...and love all the special attention I get from my son ...maaa....maam...maameee...

Aaru seems to love music n dance so much....his fav being the Pa Pa Penguin...how he taps his toes and dances to this song...its become my fav song too :)

We love to play hide n seek together...also we have fun drawing and reading.We take Aaru for a walk in the park most evenings when the weather is warm...he is so amicable...loves to interact with people.

Aaru loves to draw on the scribble pad on my iPhone...he enjoys the wee Giggle soo much...it makes him giggle all the more.

Cant believe...he will be two in May...I want to do something really special and different for him...not the usual party stuff, nothing fancy schmancy....but something totally fun for Aaru ...any ideas frnds...POP in...

Painfull seperations...

2010-02-10T17:03:00.001-08:00

Its been four months since my last post...a really long time...There are somethings in life for which you can never be prepared for, well since this is a public blog ...I cannot be very personal....so will keep it minimal.

I lost my m-i-l in a tragic accident in Bangalore. While we were getting ready to welcome my in-laws just one week later, we got this shocking news that changed not just our plans but our lives.

I had to return back alone ,to get back to work due to which I had to forcefully leave Aaru with my family in India, my DH got home 2 weeks back but my sunshine is still in B'lore.

I never thought a situation like this would ever occur where I had to part from him even for a day...n here I am ....its almost been a month, n everyday every minute even when I am buzy at work, or cooking or sleeping all I can think is Whatz Aaru doing? Did he eat? Did he sleep,...his naughtiness, the way he smiles n giggels.....oh my god...its almost impossible to express my anxiety.

The only thing that is keeping me sane n alive is knowing that he is happy, playing well, enjoying the company of his grandparents and aunties so much that he hardly remembers me......he has made so many friends there.He is getting so spoilt with all the love back home...

His vocabulary and feeding skills have improved a lot.He says a lot of 2 letter words like, maaamee, chaitu and pitha (my sisters Chaitra and Smitha). Points to exactly what he wants to eat...bichi(biscuit),chappa(chapati) and many such things.

The best of all,he is also being potty trained.Well not 100% yet....hopefully should be there soon :)

He will be here in a couple weeks along with Ajji...each day passing makes me all the more eager to see him.

Chinnu come to maamee soon...love u :)

My baby is 18 Already !!!

2009-11-23T16:04:00.000-08:00

Aarush is 18 months...already !!! Saying that in my head alone, makes me think "isn't this all going too quick ?"...just few days back I was so excited to see him take his first steps and now I see him running around in jet speed everywhere in the house, racing his cars around and trying hard to do everything mommy n daddy r up to.

- Aarush was a Tiger Cub for Halloween.He looked soo adorable in the costume. We had fun visiting friends and exchanging treats. Aaru had such an amazing time with the other kids.

- He says a many more words now and understands most of everything we say...Once in a while he'll bust out a word so perfectly and then never say it again. Little teaser!

- He loves to sing songs and dance to music.

- He loves his blocks ....and stacks them up high.

- He loves helping mommy in the kitchen....guess he shares mommy's love for cooking ;)

- I got my new assignment, Thankfully its really close to my house :) My mom has come down to help me with Aarush . Its like suddenly I have ten hands....I can count on mommy dear to take care of me n pamper me.......Im really enjoying it :)Aaru welcomed his grandma with such excitement...they were friends at first sight.He now has one more person to spoil him....and my little champ is making max use of it...he is coming up with innovative ideas to get as much attention of grandma.

- Few days back Aaru,my mom and I went for a 45 min walk to the park. He held both of our hands and walked all way without a sigh.It was his longest walk until now and he enjoyed it a lot.

- Aaru now gives us a very hard time to eat. Since almost 3 weeks its becoming worst each day....I have tried it all...wait for him to ask for food...which never happens, give him diff food each time, giving him finger foods to munch on....feeding him smaller portions in shorter intervals....well, so far nothing seems to work. He just does not want to eat and does all sorts of stuffs to prevents me from feeding him.The best excuse so far is...hugging me with both arms when I go to feed him...that way he makes sure his mouth is not reachable....Smartie !

- He is learning many many things really fast these days, is very interactive...its so much fun for to see him grow into such a charmer....his every smiling face and non-stop fun filled activities keeps me captivated.Im one obsessed mom... ;)

The Hero...modelling daddy's cap.

I'll really miss him while Im working...but just knowing that he is in the much caring and loving hands of my mom keeps me in peace.

Its all play and more PLAY for little Aaru

2009-10-16T18:56:00.000-07:00

The last few weeks have been tough on Mommy...while I'm trying to squeeze in time to study n take calls for my interviews (well..the market is no good now...not so happy about that...but on the better side I get more time with my darling :)) Daddy dear has work loaded up to his neck ....and so is of no help at home...n my dear Aaru wants so much more attention than before...god its hard managing home, baby, working to get back to work n of course the other "n" number of day to day chores.

So whats Aaru up to lately....

He has become very very mischievous....has to be there everywhere pulling n pushing stuffs..the busy body that he is...any amount of "NO"s , "BACK" wont stop him anymore.
He always is running around mommy ,seeking for attention and if he is silent on his own...be sure there is something fishy going on...something like paper towel / toilet roll unrolled everywhere in the room, wipes pulled outside and thrown around, pulling out clothes from the closet, trying to fiddle with the cutlery in the kitchen , munching on the laptop wires or hitting the keyboard hard enough to pull out the buttons...its either this or that....my little bundle of energy...keeps mommy always occupied.

He loves to give kisses and huggies to mommy , daddy n his dolls....undoubtedly that's the best feeling ever...I'm totally loving it :)

Aaru has added a few more words to his vocabulary...no,this,yes,tha (thanks),caa(car)

He gives what ever he has in his hands when we tell him Thanks..ain't it cute ?????

Loves to help mommy in the kitchen....his fav cutlery is the orange spatula...he roams around with that everywhere in the house.

Brushes his teeth everyday almost by himself....I do the first bit n then he continues to munch on the brush ;)

He enjoys watching Baby Einstein and Elmo videos..... I too, love watching them with him ... :)

He just adores to have his blanki with him in the car....yup as soon as he sits in the car seat ,he grabs the blanket and puts it on his lap...making himself warm n comfy n...then is all set for the ride...the KING !

He loves to comb mommy's hair.Well mommy enjoys it too...as long as it does not hurt.

Aaru prays to god twice everyday along with daddy...when we say " JEJI " he joins his hands together in front of god. God bless :)

He loves to sing and dance...totally fun to watch him so glee :)

Aaru does a lot of talking on his phone these days....buzy buzy man.

Well in short ..its all about fun for my little monster, its never the same thing ...each day he is learning something new, different ways to amuse himself n surprise us, discovering fun ways to keep himself occupied and keep us captivated.

I am so ready to see whats coming next...just seeing him growing to be a wonderful n happy boy makes me feel so much younger and satisfied. Well its not really as easy as it sounds.... there are times when I wish he would sit quite in a place for 10 min at least or just sleep...so that I get some ME time(which by the way I hardly get post Aaru).......but at the end of the day I see him smile n play.... getting hugged and kissed by my baby....its all totally worth it :)

I am just a little anxious about how to keep Aaru occupied, with winter almost there, the park outings will have to be cut....n this guy has so much energy I have to find new ways to keep him occupied indoors n keep myself sane :)
Mommies any ideas / thoughts you can share will surely be appreciated.

Aaru...15 going to be 16 ...

2009-08-25T14:58:00.000-07:00

That last few weeks were undoubtedly the most eventful n hell strenuous.I just came back from my India trip...n in 10 days we were to be re-locating to Texas.We had to pack stuffs,clean the apartment n to top it all off my dear Aaru falls sick....all plans came to an abrupt halt....all i could think about was what should I do to make him feel better, he had lost appetite,crying n whining all the time....n had become so dull...it killed to see my baby like that...my DD diagnosed him with ear infection to be the culprit...after a weeks medication he was better n only then did I bother about packing....everything was done is such a hurry.....we packed some clothes n important docs to carry with us...shipped few ....gave furniture n grocery to friends n threw other not so imp things....all in all we moved :)

As we are getting accustomed to our new home ....Aaru has been helping me a great deal in re-arranging our stuffs back.....the first week...we had NO furniture ...so there was so much place for aaru to run around...he loved jumping on the airbed....tumbling down along with it at the end. Since his bigger toys which he enjoyed a lot are still one the way home...we brought him some new toys to keep him occupied....he really loves his new cars ...he pushes them everywhere in the house making the brrr....brrr sound....totally cute.

We have a very nice park by a creek near our apartment .....it so pretty with ducks n gooses in the creek...little rabbits running around...n lots of pigeons n other small birds chirping away melodiously....it a nice walk for me while aaru gets to play with other kids in the play area.
He has now learnt this dangerous game of jumping off the mattress down on the floor...thank god for the carpeted floor.....he so far has landed himself safely without hurting....still it drives me crazy.

Aaru is now fully moved to sippy cup...YAY!!!! It took us quite some time to make this transition a success ...but Alas! Better late then Never...

Every evening after daddy is home aaru loves to play hide n seek with him....now when he knows daddy is at the door instead of welcoming him home....aaru goes n hides...waiting for daddy to come n find him :)

He has learnt to babble a lot more now...tic-ta,ba-ba,amma,bus,du-du are a few.....he speaks a lot but very little of it I understand:(

Here are a few things which he has learnt recently :

- When we ask him What does the fan do ? He looks up at the fan in response and turn his little hands in circular motion.
- He opens and closes the doors of his school bus when told to do so.
- He puts square,triangle n circle to its place in his shape sorter.
- He points to his nose when asked to do so.
- When he falls down or bangs his head to the table by mistake....he cries n then pats the object which hurt him telling atha,atha....sooo cute :) BTW atha means I hit u.
- He is now into chewing everything pillows,couch, any piece of cloth....all in the name of teething I guess :)
- He loves to kick the ball around in the play ground.
- Tries to feed himself with spoon n fork...but ends up eating by his hand. He loves the vegetable sambar with rice a lot. Also these days I give him tit-bits of what we eat...he seems to enjoy most of it :)
- Aaru is a chick magnet...smiles,giggles n waves at girls....n makes friends with girls everywhere he goes...be it a play area,park,mall.....hmmm what can i say ;)

Its been so much fun playing with him n taking care of him ....running around him 24/7. I get tired by the EOD but .....a good nights sleep n some hot coffee in the morning which my dear hubby makes for me ,gets me all charged up.... :)
I will be on the look for a job again....after a long vacation..of almost 4 months....so wish me luck guys :)

For u my son.....I Cross my Heart

2009-08-21T09:01:00.000-07:00

I have taken few of our most memorable times with Aaru n made this vedio.....He has brought so much fun,happiness, love n warmth to our lives and I will do everything I can to keep it going this way....for ever n ever

CLICK HERE

Our love is unconditional

We knew it from the start

I can see it in your eyes

You can feel it from my heart

from here on after

Lets stay the way we are right now

And share all the love and laughter

That a lifetime will allow

I cross my heart and promise to

Give all Ive got to give

To make all your dreams come true

In all the world

Youll never find

A love as true as mine

You will always be the miracle

That makes my life complete

And as long as theres still breath in me

Ill make yours just as sweet

As we look into the future

Its as far as we can see

So lets make each tomorrow

Be the best that it can be

And if along the way we find a day

It starts to storm

Youve got the promise of my love

To keep you warm

Aaru back in action..

2009-07-23T14:39:00.001-07:00

2 months passed in a wink of an eye n here I am back again all on my own.
I had such a memorable time back home meeting family n friends, eating all the yummy food i craved for such a long time....getting all pampered by my loved ones and of course having the luxury of being careless about Aarush....coz i knew very well..there was my MOM to take care :)
I was curious,excited and really scared about our journey coz I was travelling alone with a hyperactive 12 month old ....n damn it was a 23 hrs long flight.....16 hrs continuous flight from SFO to Dubai n then a 4 1/2 hrs from Dubai to Bangalore.

Aarush taking his seat in the Airplane....n yup belts r on.

Diaper changing,feeding n getting him to sleep was all a big nightmare and worst of all was to keep him engaged through out the journey...without letting him down. Many moms advised me to give him a small dosage of Tranquilizer so that he would fall asleep....but for some reason I did not favor the idea...what if something went wrong.... I could not take any chance.

During the journey Aaru would do such funny things....it was really cute.We had a old couple sitting beside us.This mischievous guy used to pull the lady's hair while she was asleep n one time he removed her bindi waking her up in the process......she was sweet to just smile at him n ignore. I was in the aile seat..so while male passengers moved beside us...he used grab their pockets....or hold on to their watches....most of them just saw the naughty child and smiled...while i used to apologize.. just in case.One time he pulled the burkha (covering the head) of the lady passenger sitting in front of us...man she gave us such a wild stare....i just excused myself smilingly...n warned Aaru not to do it again....as though he would care ;)

The first few days after we reached home was a trauma...I was suffering from jet-lag and this guy would not let go of me even for a sec..he did not go to anybody...he wanted to be with me all the time...not just be with me...wanted me to carry him...and food was a major issue..god how much I cursed myself for travelling alone.

Aaru getting to know the calf along with ajji

Slowly he got accustomed to everyone at home...n in about a weeks time...he totally ignored my existence...he was in glee with grandparents, pampered by his aunts n had fun doing dishum-dishum with his uncles.All in all we had a great time :)

Aaru exploring the garden with ajji

We had a great B'day bash for him....with lots of friends and family members.Aaru wore a Dhoti Sherwani n looked sooper cute.

We had a Nemo themed party with lots of fishes n balloons and a huge Black Forest pastry...again with fishes on it. Everybody had so much fun with balloons,caps,whistles n great food....most imp Aaru enjoyed it thoroughly as well.

In 60 days he has learnt a lot....now he does not just walk....but he runs n dances,does yoga,climbs steps(without sitting down),climbs the couch n bed by himself.

He now babbles a lot more ....with some meaningful words like mamma,dadda,tata,atta,bug,tis,jiji(for water)..etc n also tries to repeat after us.

He socialises with everyone...loves to play with kids...he totally enjoys company.

Aaru with his brothers Aryan n Abhi

He loves to play with water...tapping his toes eagerly n splashing it all around.Enjoys going out..traffic was never a problem for him ;) Helps in the kitchen....throwing the veges N,S,E n W, helps grandpa do pooja..he used to follow him though out the house observing every single action...totally cute.
He has a set of favorite songs which when played, he is glued to the TV....once the song is done...he is no longer interested in the idiot box.

He now likes to play with us like a big boy...comes behind us n hugs us making a surprising sound...or plays peek-a-boo by hiding behind the chair / curtain....does achoo n then says aahhhh to acknowledge the action.

After all the fun it was time to get back...I was curious to see how he would react to Daddy...whom he had not seen for 2 months...there you go as soon as we saw him in the airport he jumped right out of my hands n hugged daddy so tight....Megh was jumping with joy...it was a great re-union.

Now we are slowly getting back to our normal routine.We are re-locating to TX soon...so again there is a lot of packing,unpacking n arranging to be done...man...so much more before we settle down.

B'day Celebration .....

2009-05-07T04:33:00.000-07:00

We had so may ideas about celebrating Aaru's B'day ....but since the weather was not its best since past few weeks n with the swine flu pandemic ....we decided to be close to home n keep it safe.

Aarush woke up smiling just like any other day...little did he know what mamma n daddy had been up to while he was asleep ;)

He walked into the living room filled with colorful balloons....it was awesome to see him so excited ....he got to work instantly..banging n playing with them.....bursting a few of them too :)

Then it was time for gifts...he had loads of new toys to play with ...race car, fire truck, airplane...but his fav was the tricycle which his uncle n aunt sent from Houston,TX.

Then we gave him a hot oil bath n visited temple to get god's blessings......since it was kinda sunny, we headed towards a nearby Santa Cruz Beach.....it was not heavily crowded...just what we wanted.

Aaru was waiting to get all dirty...the moment we let him down....he did not hesitate even a little bit...he started drawing with his hands n feet....ran about everywhere in jet speed...screaming with excitement...he was soooo happy :)

We were reluctant to let him in the water ....since we are travelling to India in 2 days...did not want to take any chance :(

Back home...we gave him a quick shower before he got to see the big tadaaa....

He had a cutee little car cake made my mamma n pappa....

Now plz let me elaborate ....Its my first time ever making a cake...so it was sooper exciting n fun...although I must admit, my hubby n I did it together...so it was a team effort n we thoroughly enjoyed the process :)

The cake was ready by the time hubby came back from work, the day before...we knew what we wanted so all the decorative goodies n icing gel was ready.....we started by first outlining the car shape on a piece of paper....n then carved the cake accordingly.We used Oreo cakesters for wheels and M&M's for headlights....n the end result was....

Aaru jumped as soon as he saw the cake n it was hard for us to stop him from pouncing on it....since he already had his 2nd bath....n was tired after playing for quite some time in sand....actually it was not him...we were tired n lazy to give him another shower ;) we did not give him the cake to play ....like we did at times prior.....instead we lite candles, sand song and cut cake the traditional way.....he loved the cake....yup, mamma n pappa's mission accomplished.

Even though he is too young to know the importance of the day...we wanted him to feel special. He was sooper excited,happy n had fun the whole day.....n we were content :)

We winded the day by watching the loads of pics and videos we took during the day.

We will be leaving for India in 2 days....n there will be another celebration with grandparents, aunties n uncles waiting....we will be gone for almost 2 months....so until then Sayonara :)

Happy B'day Aaru

2009-05-05T17:23:00.000-07:00

Aarush ...a lovely impersonification of our love, happiness and celebration turns 1 today.

Like most parents we too reflect back to the same day last yr...we were so nervous,scared,excited n eager all at the same time waiting to see our bundle of joy...undoubtedly the most memorable and cherished moments of our lives.

Since then life has never been the same....from sleepless nights, diaper changes, feeding, bathing....to making funny sounds, n leaving masses of mess everywhere and running around the house ....playing peek-a-boo n catch me if u can....we have loved it all.

1 yr has passed all ready n really it could not have been better...you have made each and everyday so special and exclusive...I cannot ask for more but pray for many many such Happy Years to come .

We wish you happiness, good health, success and a great future ahead.....have fun and enjoy what ever you do.....and for sure mamma and dadda will always support you....just be a good boy :)

Life is a series of challenges, and you will grow up fast in no time, so I'll try to enjoy you for who you are not try to rush you to grow up.I know you will be a big, strong, independent young man someday , but you'll always be my sweet little baby.

Thank u chinnu for being such a happy, loving n friendly baby..mamma n daddy are really proud of you :)

How much I love u ? I can never say.....but I know it is more than it was just yesterday,

Mamma n Dadda

Motherhood Tag

2009-04-24T13:26:00.000-07:00

Lavs tagged me to write about 5 joys of motherhood , after seeing Priyanka's addition of not so happy things..I have written about them too....I will try my best to not be repetitive.....

Happy 5 :

I am a very happy person...I was always a happy person but laughing out loud was not me at all....I did that very rarely and now with Aaru, I cant stop myself from smiling n laughing all the time.His silly games, playing with him like a kid, n rolling all over the place....making funny noise and getting dirty...I love it all.

My priority in life has changed....I have always been a very ambitious person wanting a great career, a big house, lots of money n fame.....well...now also I wish to have all of that...but its all secondary....Aaru is my world...with him I can let go any such pleasures in life.I am not worried to quit my job forever if needed n any money cannot replace the joy he has added into my life.

He brings the best out of me....for him , I want to be the best mom ever, the best cook, eat healthy, keep the house spic n span,n not to forget multi-tasking around the home,do good deeds, be a good human being all around...in order to set a good example for my little one.....its like giving myself a makeover to be my best.

I have learnt to appreciate my life, learnt to live for the moment...enjoy the little happiness in life......n most importantly STOP cribbing.....I used to do that a lot before.

After being a mom...I have learnt to be patient,take things cool n stay calm which I was never before.yup...he's gonna fall sick sometimes, give me a hard time to eat, will have twice the no of poops when we go out....or will decide to dirty my clothes just before its time to go out.....still I need to stay calm and do what I need to do.....coz baby I love u :)

Not so Happy 5 :

The overwhelming love for my son, makes me very scared when I hear about any unpleasant news about other kids....I wish no harm for any kid in the world.

Shot times...I know it for his good...but when I see 2 people holding my son tight, and him crying hard to free himself to come to me...it brings me to tears :(

The fear of hurting my son without my knowledge or him getting hurt in anyways.... makes me go GAGA.

The back ace...man-o-man...does it hurt bad...I feel like I am 60 already :(

I am trying hard...but no more to say about the not so happy part being a mom....I am really enjoying being a MOM :)

I think most of you have already done this tag...If not...then u my friend are Tagged !

My Baby, my Life.....Love you Aaru

2009-04-10T21:07:00.000-07:00

I cant believe...my baby will be 1 year soon....Its been a roller coaster ride of so many beautiful emotions .....here I have tried to capture a very few of them.....

No words can describe the happiness and joy you have added to my life...

You are the reason I wake up every morning;
to see you giggle n smile my darling.
You are my little angle, my magic man;
just the thought of you and all my fears are gone
You have changed my life from any to extraordinary;
now i have so much to be proud off n be merry
your sweet smile, warm tight hug n innocent pranks,
you have given me all I want, n much more to thank.
I love you dear Aaru more than anything ever;
Because in you is where my life lies forever.

My mischievous bundle of energy turns 11 months...

2009-04-08T21:52:00.000-07:00

My little boy is 11 months already....creeping up, or really flying up, on a one year mark. It makes me happy n sad at the same time.....

Happy to see my chinnu growing up to be such a smart little kid. He is a fast learner....he is taking little steps by himself now....how proud it makes me when he takes each step forward is unexplainable..

Along with him, his hair is growing fast too....he has such silky tresses....boy do I have a hard time stopping it from falling all over his fore-head.... I tried it all....

piggy tails - It does not stay from more than a min ...n then to add it up...Aaru starts munching on those hair bands... oops!

pinning up his hair - This did stay for about 5 min and then the pins started sliding down...n I carefully removed it off...did not want to risk that being chewed or getting poked..

Aaru would be a cute girl too....what say ?

Really need to get him a haircut ....n for that I need to visit India...coz in our family we don't cut hair until the virgin hair is shaved off in god's name..in our holy place (mudi).

Thanks god its summer time....I have been waiting to take Aaru out to the park and now I get to do it :)

He really gets so excited to be out....just looking around...watching kids play, talking to them in his own cute language n gestures.

My little sunshine is so brave ....I put him on the swing...curious as to how he would react...he really took me by surprise....Aaru was giggling all the while enjoying his ride.....I let him play for almost 10 min...n then brought him down...once he started pulling himself up the swing...his not so brave momma kept her fingers crossed the whole time :)

Aaru is a buzy body...cannot be held in one place even for a moment...always up to something...lately he has learnt to climb up the couch on his own by placing his wipes box as a step... he even gets down the couch by himself, putting his head down...he slowly moves his hands for support...once his hands touch the floor , he moves the rest of his body down.....this little mischievous bundle of energy...always keeps me on my toes.

Aaru on his 11 month birthday...

This will be his last monthly B'day celebration....makes me a little sad, my little baby is on his way to be a little boy....he has so much more to learn n discover , so many new faces to see n remember....for now I am enjoying him always running behind me saying..mamma...mammma....

I cherish the one-on-one connection between us....He is my world and I am the only one in his world...I hope this lasts for a couple yrs more.....n then may be we will plan for Baby no 2 ;)

More than just PLAY !!!

2009-03-24T13:36:00.000-07:00

Aarush is a big boy now and wants to be involved in everything mommy n daddy are doing.

Few days back i was on phone...on call with my credit card company's Speech Recognition service (SRS)....Aaru was playing beside me....while i was verifying my acct details...Aaru come next to me,curious to know what I was up to....i turned ON the speaker so that he too could hear....then to my surprise .... he started to respond....

SRS : Could you Please verify the payment amount ?

Aaru : ammma....ammmmmbbaa

SRS : Sorry, I didn't get that. Could you Please verify the payment amount ?

Aaru : baaa....mamma...burrrrrrr

SRS : I am sorry, I still didn't get that... Let me transfer you to a representative....

ME: Oh well of course.......then I had to take over :)

Aaru has a lot of toys to play with.... but he does not care for them anymore....he has other stuffs to work on...like

pulling my pants down while i am buzy cooking n cleaning...oops
opening the kitchen doors n drawers....pulling out stuffs from there....n throwing them everywhere
as soon as i open the fridge door...his head is inside it...exploring everything within....
loves to play with the racks in the dish washer......n of course the utensils inside it...
pulls down the lamps in the house....yup...he is strong :)

he puts himself in such funny situations....just yesterday i found him under the telephone stand amidst the tangled wiring's....not knowing how to come out...but still not crying or panicky... slowing trying to squeeze himself out....

The other day he saw my laptop open on my lap desk.....he went up to it wanting to press the keys and while doing so....managed to put the desk down crashing my laptop on the ground....well...the smart kid that he is...he quickly turned his back n moved so swiftly...as if he had nothing to do with it ......hmmm SMART like momma :)

Any amount of baby-proofing the house in not enough for Aaru...coz he finds one other way to get into trouble ;)

One more new development I have observed during the past few days is Stranger Anxiety....He used to be fine in everybody's arms .....not anymore.....let alone strangers, he does not even want to go to his nanny when i am around...makes me feel like a Super Mom ....but this will make my close approaching India trip ...all the more difficult n memorable ;)

The 25 facts Tag

2009-03-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

I passed this tag onto myself....kind of a self-revelation..

- I am a very hyper-active person...always thinking about what to do next...

- I am a perfectionist...well this has pros n cons...

pros : I do everything to the best of my capability...n keep motivating myself to do better.

cons : I expect the same from others..n this is the problem ....its too hard to please me :(

- I am very short tempered.....i hate this about me, post Aaru I am working very hard on being patient...buy sadly my DH is not very supportive of that :(

- I love everything about FOOD...shopping , cooking , eating...even cleaning...i dream about hosting a show on Food Network ... :)

- I am so particular about food ...that sometimes even when i am really sick or hungry..... i feel like eating something....i go to the limits of shopping n cooking even at wee hrs to satisfy my craving.

- I love window shopping...I can spend hrs n hrs checking out the different shops in malls...totally missing out on what I really need to buy.

- I am a very practical person.

- I believe in the Kannada proverb "Haske eddastu kal chachu" meaning, "spend no more that what you can afford" .

- I don't believe anyone easily...I take my time to understand someone.....before i tell anything about myself...

- I am not judgmental...coz i believe "You are whatever you are for a reason".

- I am idiotically romantic ....but I have the common-sense, not to display that out in public.

- I am very close to my family....they are above everything in the world for me...I can go to any extent to keep them happy.

- I am very sentimental....I can be hurt even by a stranger...on the contrary.....I am too stubborn to show off my emotions.

- I get very irritated when things are not in order ......I like to be very much in control of everything with respect to my home n my life.....or I at least I try to

- I can be a non-stop chatterbox to someone I am close to....and be a complete snob to someone I don't like.

- I am a very good listener....I like to learn from people's experiences.

- It shows on my face, when I don't like something.....someone

- I think wisely before i spend......n when I spend I am totally happy n make max use of it..

- Any number of shoes is not enough ...I am sure many gals would agree with me on this :)

- I love to leave my hair open....but you will mostly find me in a pony coz its easy that way.

- I love making friends....love to blabber for hrs together about past, present and future.

- I have Phobia Of Needles....injections /blood works turns me OFF.

- I am so excited to gift and be gifted.....just love how happy n special its makes one feel at both ends.

- My perfect day all alone would be ...at home...with some yummy food...TV and a good book to read....hmmmmm....

- I love myself...even with all the not so proud qualities I have...I have never ever wanted to be someone else....I get inspired by others...but still want to be me :)

I can go on and on....but 25 is the number....

You tell me yours.......?

Its Play Time

2009-02-27T12:36:00.000-08:00

Lately Aarush is all about games....Peek-A-Boo , Catch Me if u Can , Hide n Seek , Blanki are a few he loves to play.

Peek-A-Boo :
I hide my face behind my hands or a peice of cloth...and then surprise him saying "Peek-A-Boo" or "Where's Mamma" ....love to see my little boy all so excited.

Catch Me if u Can :
I crawl like him and go near him ...he gets all excited ..claps his hands in the most adorable way n run far from me ...then I run again to catch him...this we play vice - versa too, where he runs to catch me :)

Hide n Seek :
Aaru is in the living area,I go to my room and call his name and he comes to find me.... when he does so, we have a nice hug n lots of kisses to celebrate.........sweet

Blanki :
I put the throw on his face...he manages to pull it off n claps on the sucess.

Banthu Banthu :
In Kannada it means "Here it comes..."

I slowly move my fingers starting from his toes to his tummy saying "Banthu...banthu" to tickel him... he knows its comming so ....he waits for me to do it...n we both Laugh..

Mirror - Mirror :
He just loves making faces in front of the mirror n giggling...its fun for me to watch him so glee :)

Shadow Game :
I find this really amazing...watching him play with his shadow...he moves his fingers..n then...tries to grab them...oohhh...its too cute

Apart from this he loves playing his piano, enjoys spending time in his walker and also loves his activity cube which has rattler , music , lights and so much more all-in-one.

Lately he has learnt so many new skills like waving his hands to say Bye-Bye, gives us a Hi-Fi , climbs up and down staris....helps me clean the coffee table....by picking up things on that n throwing down ;)

Now that he is teething...I give him finger foods like vege puffs n crackers....he loves gnawing on his biscuits...he even takes small bites now..well about him making a big mess while doing it, ........ that's a different story.

Mamma's Boy

2009-01-16T11:07:00.000-08:00

Time flies....well I never experienced the practical meaning of this until Aarush was born. Its just like as though everything happened just yesterday and he is already 8 months old.

He is growing so fast and in just one month has discovered so many new things to keep himself and us engaged.

His inquisitiveness never fails to surprise me and keeps me on my toes. Now that he can crawl...he is on a tour of exploring every nook and corner of our house......kitchen being his favorite hang out :)
He follows me where ever I go and its so much fun playing peek-a-boo with my little boy.

He now speaks a lot too....ammma being his first word....has now progressed to ammbbba , aabbbaaa and mmaaa.

He holds on to the couch or the coffee table to stand and tries to move a few steps too....The sense of achievement he feels after each such step, the look in his eyes is priceless....
Another fun time is in front of the mirror...he loves to play with his image....he gets so excited each time ......smiles and giggles looking at himself....a unique combination of innocence and naughtiness.

Watching him moving on to continue on a new adventure....makes me as much proud...as a mother could be :)

Aarush's new Hobby

2008-12-02T13:57:00.000-08:00

Below are a few verses from my heart for my Aarush,who has added LIFE to my life...

I recollect the very first time I held you in my arms,
In your sparkling eyes i saw the sunshine of my life.

With unspoken words you gave me a message from above,
introducing me to the world of giving and uncoditional love.

Its with you I always want to be every hour of my day,
watching you smile,laugh and play with glee.

Every thought of you makes me smile with pride,
Every kiss from you makes my entire life right.

How much i love you,that cannot be expressed.
You mean the world to me,thats all can be said.

Every morning Aarush wakes up by himself....looks arround if someone is there , makes some noise to draw attention ...smiles and wishes good morning.

Now he makes our morning even special by humming ...he sings aaaaa....aaaaaa....and goes on...for about 10 min , I sing along and he is even happier for the company and sings with more enthu.

He is so cute when he sings...the expression on his face is so deep...

Its so much fun too see your little one grow..every new antic,every step forward....It makes me so proud

I know his interest will soon be diverted to a newer thing.....But untill then this is sooper fun :)

Kung Fu Aarush

2008-11-11T09:38:00.000-08:00

Its been six months and feels like just 6 days, Aarush is growing up so fast. Days have become short and nights shorter. He makes sure to plant a smile on everyones face by his antics.Now that he sits by himself, he creats a playground arround him, making sure to pull and push everything such that nothing is left untouched.

Just yesterday during his bath time, where in he enjoys splashing the water around and in the proceess gives mommy and daddy a bath.After all the fun it was time to wrap him in the towel. Megh took him in the room to whipe him off so that he does not catch cold.

Aarush would not let him , he kept pushing him off with his hands...tried again Aaarush pushed him back...and now megh came forward again with the towel and WHOA..Aarush kicked him with both his legs and pushed him .....who knew getting kicked could bring so much joy until now :0)