If I were a super hero

I would be the Incredible Charitable Philanthropist. (According to the Hero Factory.) Interesting how they came up with that name...maybe because I decided to use a shopping bag as a weapon of choice? Or is it because that I am wearing a sarong and matching poncho (Ha...even in my cartoon fantasy world I cover up my thick post-partum waistline!) strolling about the city in bare feet?

Sometimes, however...I feel more like this:

Wonder Woman indeed. Complete with muffin top and underbelly stretch marks! ;-)

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You are my Baby Love

Om turns 6 months old today, February 18th. Here are some photos of updates from the past month or so. And yes, we take almost all the pics on the same couch!





G and I before attending a wedding. I'm posting this pic because it's a rare nice pic...most pics usually come out at some weird angle, with stray hair, double chin, and wires and diapers in the background. This one came out pretty decent! Oh and I usually don't wear saris.



This pic is screaming Valentine's Day with all the red. This year G and I left Om with Grandma and went out to dinner at Calabria, an italian place, in Kirkland, WA. Om behaved well while we were gone and was asleep when we returned. On Saturday I attended a Moms group coffee date and we all attended a wedding. Then on Sunday we ventured out to North Bend outlet mall for some shopping. Om was on good behavior all throughout. I found hats, shorts, and diaper covers for Om that will be useful when we travel to India this summer. (Why is it that a variety of hats is so hard to find in stores?).

This would have been a great pic, I look decent (for once)...but Om would not look directly at the camera! Argh! I wish I had more pics of him and I together that I actually like!

Om's hilarious passport pic. This boy's hair is NEVER settled. Love the crazy poofy hair!

Om stylin' before going to a birthday party. Notice the diaper in the background. Of course! LOL. Oh and I love baby pants...they look so grown up wearing miniature khakis and jeans!

This outfit (minus the pants) was stitched by grandma. Love the baby bonnet type hat!

Lots to explain in this pic - First, Om's hair is in a mini "bun" because we were trying to make him look like a little Sikh child (sardar kha bacha). For those who don't know what Sikh is, they are the religion that wear turbans. We are not Sikh, but just thought it would be funny to dress him up like one and show off to relatives in India. Second, Om's wearing pants knitted by Grandma. I love the rainbow print. Third, Om's favorite toy is his hairbrush, despite the state of his ever poofy hair! He loves to gnaw on the handle and we have to take it away from him lest he chew on the hair infested bristles.

Gotta love this pic, the lighting is perfect. And Om has his mouth closed! This boy breathes through his mouth so it's a rare sight (unless he's sleeping) to see him with his mouth clamped shut.

This pic is from a friend's baby shower. I like this pic because we look so natural! (Thanx Namita & Deepak). I'm holding a little mouse. LOL We decided to give his Halloween costume one more use before we gave it away.

For milestones, I don't even know what to write. He loves eating all sorts of sweet fruits like banana, pears, apples, sweet potatoes, and butternut squash. I enjoy feeding him even though he makes quite a mess and can be pretty fussy. It's so cute to see his facial expressions as he swishes the food around in his mouth. At times he'll stop and stare up at your face, which is soooo adorable. We tried spinach and carrot mix, which he refused to eat! He also has 4 teeth now...the two on the bottom came out at 4 months, and the top two are emerging.

He's so antsy ...wants entertainment and something to play with all the time. When he's sitting in my lap, he'll twist his head around to see who's holding him....LOVE when he does that! He's almost sitting up...he tends to lean forward or back so it affects how long he can stay in that position. He rolls around a bit, but not as much as other infants his age because he imagines his brace is still limiting his movements. Nevertheless, he's trying really hard and can hardly stay still.

Om went to his first baby playdate this month. All the babies were 6 to 8 months so he fit right in. :-) I've joined a Moms group and have so far attended a playdate with Om and a Moms only coffee date. I really enjoy meeting new people and especially enjoy getting advice from fellow Moms.

February and the end of Jan were chock full of social events such as birthdays, baby showers, weddings, and get togethers. I love attending, but at times I was missing some down time on the weekends to get stuff done (especially things that required G). I've been studying as much as I can, mostly just reading outlines. Am still waiting patiently for the date of my examination to magically appear in the mail box. Once that date is set, I will have more direction and focus, because there is so much to memorize that it doesn't make sense to implant it into my brain now and then forget later. (No I'm not rationalizing!)

G and I are excersising as much as possible. I feel sorry for G, his work schedule and commute time doesn't allow for much gym. But we are trying! And my first goal is to get into the 150s for weight. Be gone darn 160s!

Weight Loss Standstill

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After having Om I weighed 170 lbs. Now I weigh 163 lbs. So I've somehow managed a tiny weightloss of 7 lbs. Now I'm at a standstill because although I'm including excersise, I haven't fine - tuned the foods I am inhaling. This is primarily due to the amount of carbs I eat. Breakfast and lunch usually include bread, and then my mother in law cooks indian food daily, and white rice is usually on the menu. I swear the days I eat rice I feel bloated (which is a lot). But it's so EASY to just eat it when it's already cooked and the accompanying curried dish is present. I've debated with dear MIL about the perils of white rice, but she claims that one can eat anything as long as gym is included. YEAH RIGHT. (Insert eye roll here). She's the sweet lady who tells G and I to become "skinny" again yet serves hot kachoris and parathas (fried stuffed breads). Now I know why diabetes is rampant in northern indians!

Anyway so I've resigned to the fact that MIL can't be changed and that she will make fried foods, and include rice in her meals. So after she leaves I hope to change the diet a bit and use more protien/veggies/fruits and less carbs.

For the gym, I usually do the treadmill or the elliptical. I've gotten so BORED and demotivated lately. I began dreading the gym...which makes it easy to have excuses not to go. So I've attempted swimming. I've done it twice so far and really like it. Afterwards I feel so tired and ravenous. And there is something about doing laps that is really meditative. You don't need an mp3 player, no tv, no headphones, no magazine. Just you and the pool. I'm not a good swimmer. I have very poor form and I have no idea about the breathing techniques. But my goal is just to strengthen my muscles and not become winded after a lap. Maybe one day I will take lessons and actually learn!

For the moms reading this blog, when is a good time to get baby in the water? And what do you do about soggy diapers...do you use a diaper cover? I don't want Om to fear the water so would like to start playing around with him in the pool.

Back to the topic...so on a lighter note, here is a current picture of me*:

*pic is from sue @ dreams and journeys

** it's a chubby groundhog in case you were wondering

*** at least i still look cute :D

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Family Circus

Back in the day my parents subscribed to the Sunday newspaper bundle. I would eagerly devour the funny pages while eating breakfast. The Family Circus was published during that time...this comic was so cute!

Look a like and Lazy Eye

Here is G's childhood snap: (no he's not a Mexican kid in Catholic school uniform!)

Here is my baby snap: (Yes that's cigarette ash on my fingers! My 'rents were so safe! LOL ).

Here is Om's snap (one of 10,000):

Guess it's hard to tell at barely 6 months of age, but I think in this pic he looks like me. As long as he gets his Dad's height and IQ I am okay with this! My little pumpkin smoochie woochie mooshie face! Okay I'll stop gushing now.

Today we went to the eye doctor for Om. We suspected a lazy eye, in particular the right eye. We've noticed it in almost all his pictures. G's sister had it as a child and required surgery to correct. My side of the family was blessed with myopic vision (as part of a curse on our family due to an ancestor accidentally killing a snake in the butter churn...oh the hilarity). So of course we are paranoid about his eyes given that both side of the family have issues.

The doctor said he has a slight lazy eye on the right side, but nothing that can't be fixed with exercise and perhaps it will go away on it's own in a few months. The excersises are really simple. We need to hand him toys from the right side of his head and switch sides feeding him (I tend to feed him with his head towards my right side). We also need to make him follow moving objects with his eyes (as opposed to watching objects by moving his head).

Another question for the desis

Again this question can be answered by anyone, just thought the desi folks would relate!

Maybe some of you don't get bothered by this, but I really mind the system of making food in traditional indian households. I know everyone has their own system and that I'm generalizing, and as the number of kids increases or work schedules the logistics of dinner can change, but I've seen this system in both my Mom/Dad's side of the family and in G's family in India.

What I'm talking about is the lady of the house cooking fresh chappattis (indian tortilla bread) and serving them hot off the stove as they are being made. This means the lady has to stand at the stove while the rest of the family digs in.

This bugs me. I enjoy eating with everyone in the house. Together. On the table. Having someone at the stove makes me incredibly guilty and I can't enjoy the food I'm eating. It's almost as if they are a hired cook who do not deserve to eat first. And I do NOT like the idea of "switching." This means that one lady stands at the stove and cooks chappatis while the second lady eats, then the second lady switches places with the first lady while she eats. I enjoy sitting together & eating together, even if it means the chappatis are slighly less warm than they would be hot off the stove. Hello, there is a reason we have those plastic dishes with the lid that keep chappatis warm!

And it doesn't just apply to chappatis. I've seen it done with pakoras (fried veggie fritters) and all sorts of foods that require one to stand at the stove for sometime.

My MIL has talked wistfully of her desire to have me at the stove making chapattis while she eats. I don't mind serving anyone, but the idea of feeding everyone and then sitting down makes me feel odd...during the course of a meal I can get up and hand things/get things, but eating seperately feels weird. Of course, the man of the house (son, husband etc) is never expected to stand at the stove! And if they do, all the ladies should scream in delight.

One day, when Om is older and realizes what is happening around him, we will all eat at the table together. I will not allow chaos in my house with one person on the laptop, television blaring, another person in the kitchen cooking.