Wednesday 25 June 2014

Understanding the cry....

A baby's cry...While being the most heartbreaking its also the most annoying sound in the world... After a chalk screeching on a chalk board!

But no seriously... A crying baby can drive the most patient, the most motherly person mad! 

The solution more often than not is very simple but in the chaos we tend to forget the obvious...

There are four basic reasons a baby cries: 

1. Hunger: simple as that... It's been a while since his last meal... You are busy face booking... So he has decided to call out for his food!!!! 

2. Sleepy: he's exhausted... Maybe played too much or ate too much.. All he really wants is to be rocked to sleep...

3. Diaper change: you just changed his diaper he can't possibly have filled it up all ready... Don't you know all babies love pooping in a fresh diaper?!! They just do...!

4. Just plain bored! : this one is a tricky one.. But if you have checked all the above.. It usually is this one... So try taking him into another room... Or give him another toy... Distract him with funny songs or a crazy mommy dance .. And he'll be laughing again! 

For toddlers add these two brilliant bonuses:

5. Wants your attention: As soon as they see you pick up your phone or book or work... They feel like they have lost you and so will cry and make a fuss to get you to leave everything and come back to them!

6. A tantrum: now this cry is easy to understand... It's the one accompanied by a frown or stamping of the feet... Maybe even a bite or a whack from the kid... So don't fall for it... Frown back and let him know this won't do... 

Of course sometimes like recently with bumling, he had woken up at 7:30 am (on a Sunday mind you) and by ten he was super cranky.. I didn't expect it could be sleep because he was playing a lot... But it was... As soon as I gave him some milk he passed out... So some days they do throw a googly or two at you... So double check all the reasons.. And really try to understand them as opposed to just losing your mind! 

And ya, if the cry goes on non stop for more than two hours... Start thinking about tummy pains, gas, maybe he fell.. Things that are a little more serious....and call your doc...


A real cry....


The 'I'm a Brat' Cry!!

Sunday 22 June 2014

Sunday mornings....

I remember Sundays as the most fun days... I would sleep till late, sometimes till twelve - twelve thirty... Have a big brunch, lounge in front of the tv and watch random nonsense.... Then sleep some more eat some more and then call it a day and sleep some more!!!  

Sundays are still really fun days.... Aadi always has an off and it's a blessing... Because I can happily plonk the bumling onto him!!! 

The only difference is that now I wake up as early sometimes as 7:30! And almost never get a nap again! 


Some Sundays we try and take siddy to the club for a swim and some we just go chill with my brother and sister in law.... 

But this special Sunday it was just Aadi siddy and me... And boy did we have fun!!! 

From all of us dancing to some amazing music to eating a super yum breakfast of cheese omelettes and bacon,  to the perfect timing of his mid morning nap while Aadi and I watched the movie 'Her' and sipped on chilled beer!



To drawing together and taking truck rides with papa ... It was just sooooo much fun!! 





We even had a post breakfast, breakfast dessert!! Pancakes with mangoes and ice cream!! 


But of course crazy sugar rush happened and he refused to sleep all afternoon while me with my super heavy tummy was trying hard to put him to sleep before I could doze off next to Aadi who had already knocked out... But no such luck he stayed wide awake so I stayed wide awake!  

So maybe Sundays aren't the same lazy sleepy lounge days ... But in their own way they are really fun.... Because more than anything siddy is very happy to have Aadi home all day... I think he realises it's a special thing... Which is super cute... 


Monday 16 June 2014

First day at school

It's probably the biggest milestone post starting on solids and walking and talking...!!! 

Going to school means your little one isn't a little one anymore... Suddenly you find yourself going thru all his old pictures and videos when he was so small he frightened you... Suddenly you miss those days you would wrap him in his little mulmul and change his cloth diaper fifteen time in an hour (or so it felt like!!!) because it meant you could just hold him in your arms all thru the day!

You can't believe where the time went by dammit... I know he's young for his class... But he's super active super curious, it just made sense to get him to interact with kids... All the boxes got tick marked when we were taking this call except for the one where we had to ask ourselves will mommy cry at school... Yes! I had no idea my eyes would swell up... I had no idea the teacher would take him from my arms as soon as we enter and he would be in another room playing with the other kids... I had no idea I would feel so emotional!!! 

He was ok... In fact he was more than ok.... He loved seeing all the new faces the new toys... And while he kept one eye on me thru out the one hour we were there today... He happily mingled with everyone else... He played with the toys.. Clapped his hands and sang during singing time... Played with the puppets...ate his cheese slice peacefully... Explored every wall in the school.... Patted a few kids on their shoulders very approvingly!!! 

It was fun to watch him have fun! 

I really hope tomorrow is like today.. I hope he enjoys school and all the new things he will learn here.. And I really really hope I am not one of those super clingy mothers who stand outside school the whole time they are in!!!!! 

Too late.. That's so me!!! 







Ps; yes I cut my hair.... New beginnings!! 

Saturday 14 June 2014

Best Dad Ever!

"Will the edge of the chocolate hurt him when he bites into it?"

Yes you read that right... The edge of the 'chocolate' !!!!! 

Only a father can think that the edge of a chocolate could hurt the little one!!

Fathers are a whole different breed of parents.... They will over think over imagine every situation... To the point where you don't know whether to laugh or beat them up.....!!!! 

They will jump across the room every time the bumling tries to get off the sofa... Or will follow him to every room because god knows what he is doing there and what could happen.... 

The craziest is when they ask you questions like ..' What is that paper on the floor? He will eat it, can't you be careful' or 'can he really carry such a big bottle? Don't you want to do something about it?!!!' 

And you are thinking ... All day long the bumling was fine, didn't eat any paper or drop anything on his feet... But oh my God... Just when daddy is around he will trip on everything and eat every damn thing he will find on the floor!!! 

But the part I find most awesome... Is that they ask so many silly questions because they love their bumling right... They worry for them... It's their way of showing their love.... And because they are out the whole day and because guys are just not wired to be all mushy... Their love comes out in the strangest ways!! 

It may annoy us... But the kids love it... I know because every time bumling runs to another room and his daddy follows him... He thinks it's a game... So he runs to the other room and then the other with his poor daddy running right behind! 

So for all his craziness and sweet worries about his baby boy.... 

Happy Father's Day Aadi... The best father ever!! 




Friday 13 June 2014

The window!!

Im sure you must have noticed that each and every kid loves sitting near the window...

I remember when I was younger I would look up at peoples homes and more often than not there would be a kid sitting at the window... Sometimes with someone other times on their own...

And they love it!

They love watching the word go by... All the trucks and autos and buses and bikes and cars.... All the people, school kids aunties old people... All the animals... Cats and dogs and hens, pigeons and crows and other colorful birds.... 

It's all just so fascinating for him.... He looks adorable looking out... The water tank trucks are his favorite... And bikes of course... Every time one passes by he says bai bai!!! 

He's learnt so many words and sounds sitting at the window.... What a crow says what the koyal says.... How to say truck... How to spot little kids and say baby!!!! 

Food goes down much faster by the window.... In all his fascination he doesn't focus in how much food I give him he simply opens his mouth and eats it all up! 

Of course as of now he hasn't understood the concept of throwing things out the window... One or two things went down accidently like my mums beloved thermocol sword but he hasn't purposely chucked anything out... 
And I'm hoping he never does! 

But the absolute best is when he wants some time on his own... He goes off to our room, gets up on the sofa next to the window, rests his head back and watches the world go by!!





Thursday 12 June 2014

Missing him..

Post my Jaipur trip I had a lot of catching up to do at work... Which got further postponed since I was busy celebrating my hubby's birthday for two days!! 

So when my mum said she wanted to take the little bumling to his mamu and mami's place for the day I was kinda happy... 

A day when I can do it all... Work blog maybe catch an afternoon nap... Yayie!!!!

So I happily gave my blessing and packed my mother and baby off...

Except for some reason I stood at the window watching the car roll out of the building and saw his little arms as he tried to stand looking out the back of the car and my heart crunched....

Yes crunched... Scrunched squeezed twisted and finally crumbled... My little baby was gone...

But I had lots to do... So I pulled my work table in the center of the room.. Surrounded myself with all my crafty things and got to work.... 

Then my sister in law sent me a picture of him and my brother lounging and laughing and there started the crunching of the heart again... It was almost stupid.. I was missing him... In about two or maybe three hours of him being away and I was missing him. 

No no.. This won't do .. Get back to work.. I got on to Pinterest for some distraction and some inspiration... 

When I couldn't take it any more I called my mum... What time you coming back... By six she said..

Ok back to work..

Around 5:30 I took a break for coffee.. Well work wasn't happening really anyhow so you could hardly call it a break!! 

I sat with my cup and box of biscuits and I really expected him to come out of no where demanding a biscuit like he always does... But nope... That's ok in half and hour he will be here... 

6:20 no mum no siddy.. I call to find out,  they are still there.. And we live an hour away...oh my god... This is just super sucky... Going to try getting back to work... 

But not before watching a few of his videos on my phone!! How Aadi? how did you spend so many days away from him? It's the worst feeling in the world...

I almost felt like I was over reacting maybe... But honestly I was just missing him so much .... It's funny and odd really.. And totally not what I was expecting... I was expecting to feel relieved happy even to get this break... All the time I am complaining that I never get a break, here was my chance... And I blew it by spending the whole day thinking about him!

Finally at 8:30 they walk in... He's sleepy and rubbing his eyes... But I pick him and hug him like we've been apart for days months even!!!  

This little thing as annoying and time consuming as he is, he is a very big part of me... Not my life... Of me... Literally... It was like spending the whole day without a part of me which I needed like my arm or leg.... Actually more like my heart! 



Monday 9 June 2014

Mommy Tips 001!

From the beginning try giving the baby something to hold in his hand while changing his diaper... For what ever reason they hate diaper changing and it gets worse as they grow up.. So what's worked for me is I always give bumling something colorful or noisy it could be a toy, a sock, his own tiny shoe... Your soft wallet (with nothing in it!!) somedays A cap.. Something, anything that will distract him from the on going task.. Also it will help in him not turning over... Which is super annoying!!

So a toy while diaper changing... Works like a charm!! 


Saturday 7 June 2014

Midnight playtime!

Have you ever seen a baby yawn.... Nothing is cuter.... And nothing can make you go 'awwwwww' at 3:30 in the morning more than his yawn!!

So last night I'm not very sure why... Considering he got his usual sleep at pretty much his usual time in the afternoon... But he woke up around 12:30 in the night and was wide awake till 3:30 in the morning...

Remember my post on sleep... Or rather the lack of it..? Well that was mainly about my afternoon sleep.. That sleeps like a cake walk compared to not sleeping at night...

What was worse was I was really exhausted... I had spent the day cleaning all my cupboards and packing my suitcase as well (I'm in Jaipur and leaving for Bombay tomorrow) ... So yup... Super exhaustion = super sleepy....

At first when his eyes opened I thought it was just a short time thing... You know he'll roll around in bed and go right back to sleep... But after about half an hour that didn't seem to be the case... So I assumed he was still hungry since he hadn't finished his milk... I quickly set him up in bed and gave him his bottle... He pushed it away and started laughing....so cutely I started laughing!!!!

And that was it.. He was officially up...

For the next three hours it could have been any three hours during the day... He played with his cars... He read his book.. He tore my magazine... He opened his cupboard and removed every bottle from it, put them on the bed took them back again about twenty times.... He walked around the bed... Sneakily tried to put on and off some switches he knows he isn't supposed to touch... 

While I struggled as hell to keep awake... So much so I put on baby tv just so the music would keep me up.. At one point I went and splashed water on my face because I needed to be alert.... I kept trying to give him milk thinking that would make him sleep... But it didn't work so finally I just played some stupid word game on my phone while he did his own thing... 

Till finally at 3:15 he started rubbing his eyes and he 'yawned' ... That super cute super adorable little yawn with his small lips going all round!!!! 

I picked him up kissed him and hugged him... Put him on his pillow and have him his milk.... 

And slowly... Still fighting... He went to sleep.....!!! 

As did I!!



Ps: the home electricity went out at 5:00 in the morning so we both woke up.. They came back in half and hour.. So we knocked back out only to wake up again at 8:45 when they went out again!!! Sleep was clearly not on the agenda for that night!!! 

But tonight... It's 12:15 as I write this and he has knocked out.. So will I in the hope that he doesn't wake up!!!

Wednesday 4 June 2014

Family restaurant...

You know that kid at a restaurant who comes stands near your table and stares at you... Or the one who keeps trying to get your attention by smiling and waving at you a hundred times.... Or the one who has decided that he can run around and scream like he does at home.... And in each scenario there is either a really embarrassed mother or an overly indulgent one. 

Because no sane mum can think it is ok for their kid to behave like a spoilt brat in public....

My mum would always smile back at the kids who would come to our table... But I was always anti encouraging them... In fact I would get down right annoyed!!! 

So here I am today with a fifteen month old who insisted on standing on this little
platform which had a grill between our table and the next, screaming 'Mumma Mumma' 

What did I do?

Pulled him right down.....

Yes he's just fifteen months old, he's still a baby... He's really cute so people may not mind as much... But it's just not right. 

I think letting your kids run wild in public spaces especially a restaurant is not cool... It's not your home... You don't own the space.. Other people are not paying money to have their meal ruined by screaming kids.... So be mindful of them and respectful. 

Teach the little one better.. Teach him from a young age. If I let bumling loose now... He will think that it's ok to be like that. 

I remember when we were kids and we would go to the CCI Club there would be a separate room for people with kids and a seperate room for adults and especially when I became an adult I loved this system. Since parents with kids will sympathise with other parents with kids much better. What was funny was we were four grand kids and the youngest one and me had a three year age gap.. And the other two were older than me.. It was so annoying because we had to wait  for the youngest one to turn 18 before we could all sit in the adults only room!!!!! 

How ever most places don't have the space for separate restaurants... And so I guess it's up to us parents to make sure our kids are well behaved....

The trick is to carry things for them to get distracted by.. Toys story books activity books... Make them play name place animal thing if nothing else!!!!!! 

Just keep them in their seats.. And if they must run around... See if the restaurant has a small garden or exterior space which is safe.. Insist they only play there and not disturb the rest of the patrons. 

Always always put your self in the shoes of the other people and make it such that they remember your little bumling to be a good kid as opposed to being a nuisance.