The amazing Om

Plays peek-a-boo all by himself...give him a blanket and he will raise it over his head and start giggling while waiting for me to say "Where's Om?" This is so cute I just want to die. Sometimes the blanket won't cover his head completely, and one of his eyes will be uncovered, but he still thinks that he is "hiding. "

He is a hand clapping monster. Throughout the day I say "Yaaay" or "Clapping clapping" and Om will smack hands together in happiness. Om also randomly claps while playing or while crying (which blows Mommy's mind...clapping while crying? Don't get it). Also it's nice to get applauded everytime I walk into a room. :-)

Today I was putting Om down for a nap when the phone rang. Decided to take the phone call, and put Om on the sofa next to her while chatting. Om was frustrated, but occupied himself for a while. Then he climbed onto my lap and wriggled around, reaching for the phone on my ear. Also made lots of funny faces and fake cries showing his frustration with an interrupted nap and the fact that I wasn't paying him any attention. After sometime, Om FELL ASLEEP on my tummy, face down snuggled into the many folds of stomach tire. His body was half twisted in mid-crawl. He remained asleep for a whole hour and a half (during the phone call). This was so cute and new, because he NEVER falls asleep without a bottle of milk and a blanket. It's also amazing that he remained asleep for the entire phone call...usually I have to go upstairs to talk because any sound will wake the sleeping prince.

25 Things

I am the last person on Earth to do this. Tagged by Hitha and I think someone else...AARGH who was it? Let me know and I'll edit this post to mention you! I am such a ditz. (Mom Brain)

1. The only way to prevent biting my nails is to get my nails professionally done every month! As long as there is money in the bank.
2. Alchohol dehydrogenase is malfunctioning in my body. A few drops of ethanol transforms me into a drooling, slurring zombie.
3. I would get a massage daily if I could afford it.
4. I LOVE reading. Libraries are like candy shops to me.
5. As an elementary school kid, I beat up several boys in our neighborhood. I am not proud of this. Mom would get complaints. Personality changed drastically when puberty hit.
6. I loved playing in the high school orchestra. But I hated practicing the violin at home.
7. Can't whistle.
8. After 4 years of Latin in high school, all I remember is watching I,Claudius and making a toga.
9. As a teenager I made tea for my Dad all the time and hated doing it. Now I make tea for my husband all the time and hate doing it. (Recipe: Chai)
10. Never knew how to hold a baby, change a diaper, or feed a baby, until I had my own baby!
11. In my teens I used to paint beautiful pictures, embroider intricate designs on pillows, and crochet.
12. I've always loved going to work, whatever the job. (Me = Nerd)
13. Total dog lover. I love their noses the most, want to squeak them!
14. Took a year off between undergrad and law school to reevaluate my goals (i.e., slack off for a year) and worked as a pharmacy technician at Walgreens drugstore in the meantime. For some reason, I found that work to be highly satisfying and fun, despite low pay and highly demanding environment. I also met one of my best friends at that job.
15. Nothing disgusts me more than a raw onion. That being said, I briefly held a job at Grandma's Saloon & Grill making onion rings!
16. I was born in India, then when I was 2 years old moved to Minnesota, at 10 years moved to Oklahoma, at age 18 back to Minnesota, and now after getting married live in Washington State.
17. I was the kid who always won the coloring contests at the grocery stores, schools etc. Yeah I'm bragging about this LOL.
18. Was very religious in my youth...Now I am labeled agnostic, and have little patience for the various rituals and ceremonies in religions.
19. One of my dreams is to adopt a child from an orphanage, preferably from India.
20. I broke a foot bone while running, slightly intoxicated, in sub zero Duluth, Minnesota weather,in high heels, at 3am, on slippery ice.
21. I am one of the most sensitive people ever.
22. Love cheap gas station coffee. Like seriously, I want one now.
23.Went through a phase in my teens where I was fascinated by Greek/Roman/Egyptian/Indian mythology, astrology, palmistry, numerology, tarot cards...now forgot everything, and no real interest to go back and learn all that crap. :-)
24. The 9 months of pregnancy was physically the worst time of my life.
25. The song "all of my love" by Led Zepplin makes me think of my husband everytime I hear it because it used to be his ringtone on my cell while we were dating. I don't know what I would do without him, & thank my lucky stars that I met him.

Mom's a total wimp

Commercials that start the waterworks:

State Farm Insurance Teen:

Gerber Start Healthy Stay Healthy

If you can't see the videos, what should I do? Is there youtube available abroad? Priyanka - I know you can never see the vids, maybe a search on google video?

Baby needs a new pair of shoes!

On Monday Om saw Dr. Mosca at Seattle Children's Hospital for a club foot checkup. Dr. Mosca said that Om's feet look great. His left foot is in the top 5% of club feet cases, and the right foot is in the top 1%. Again, it is all based on dorsiflexion, and according to the doc, Om has dorsiflexion very close to a normal foot. The achilles tendon has been growing wonderfully and is flexible.

I love that hospital...the atmosphere, the decor, how organized the system of check - in is (although I end up going through several lines and waiting a lot for a 5 min check up!). I don't mind waiting to a certain point as long as I know why I am waiting.

First the orthotist came and checked Om's feet and measured him for his growth. He determined that Om needed an upgrade to his Denis Brown Bar and Shoes. While we waited for him to adjust the new shoes, Om's weight was checked. After the orthotist put on Om's new shoes, we waited for what seemed like an eternity for Dr. Mosca. Thankfully the rooms and hallway are child friendly with pictures of sea creatures etc to entertain Om. I also took the time to feed Om breakfast and let him play with the paper cover on the patient table. Dr. Mosca almost always has a sidekick with him...whether it be a resident, a nurse, or another physician who is shadowing Dr. Mosca for the day. Dr. Mosca is very knowledgeable about this birth defect. When I ask him a question, he doesn't hesitate to go into a mini lecture explaining the dynamics of a particular problem. I actually like the explaination, because I have the habit of looking things up on the internet/library so why not save some time and have it come straight from the source? :-)

Om will continue to wear the brace 12 hours a day. And we got the okay to keep Om in the shoes for the straight 12 hours and do not need to bother with putting them on during the day. Om is incredibly mobile, and wearing the brace during the day is just annoying for his active legs.

Om munching on a mum-mum while waiting in the room.

India Packing Checklist

Suitcase #1 : All of Om's outgrown clothes (months 0 - 7), receiving blankets, boppy pillow, and baby gym. (These are items we are giving to my sister in law who is expecting).

Suitcase #2 : G's clothes, my clothes to wear during one month stay. Also personal care items etc. I will have less clothes because I CANNOT BEAR HEAT in jeans and western wear so am having some cotton salwar kameez's stitched for me there. G is lucky, he can just wear his shorts. Do men realize how easy they have it in this world?

Suitcase #3 : 5 boxes of formula, 3 packs of diapers, some baby food, medicines, baby sunblock.

Suitcase #4 : Whatever doesn't fit in suitcase #3, plus a few gifts. and Om's summer wardrobe. (18 assorted cotton onesies, 3 pairs of shorts, sleep sack, warm romper in case it gets chilly in the evening in Shimla, hats, and socks)

Suitcase #5 : Since Om is coming with us and we are traveling business class, we get one extra suitcase for baby items. This suitcase will contain extra items that don't fit in suitcases 1 - 4, baby wipes, plus a safety booster seat that Om no longer uses because we got this instead. (We'll use the safety seat in India and then leave it there).

Also add a stroller, carseat, and two carry-ons.

Shoot me now.

Om Update! Long overdue

Om turned 8 months on April 18th. He is very mobile now, commando crawl and rolling all over the place. He also began sitting up by himself (before we would need to put him in the sitting position, but if he fell to tummy position he wouldn't be able to get back to a sitting position by himself).

He gets into everything...his curiousity is at its peak! He's eyeing the table tops and sofa cushions for potential toys. I don't let anything hang from tables otherwise he pulls the cords HARD and down comes whatever else was with it!

His eyesight is keen...he sees the tiniest crumbs on the floor that are camoflauged to my eyes (and then proceeds to insert nasty item in mouth). He notices and hears everything. If his Dad is upstairs getting ready in the morning and we are downstairs, he listens to the music coming through the walls and the sound of water going down the drain pipes. If children are playing outside, he tilts his head around looking for the origin of the sound. Birds are his favorite...the chirps that I have learned to tune out he relishes and looks toward the window in hopes of seeing said bird. One of his favorite activities is watching the crows eat crackers that I've put out in the backyard.

Om is such a little fireball. Set him down anywhere, and he immediately searches for something to play. We have attended a few playdates and storytimes, and Om is not hesitant to venture away from Mommy and explore the new world around him. He especially likes interacting with other babies and tots. He will grab their hair, ears, or toy they are holding without so much as a glance. The expression on the other babies faces is priceless...they are usually left wondering what happened to the toy they were mouthing and why was hair just pulled? During storytime at the library he sings his own words along with the rhymes...I have to bounce him to get him to quiet down so that we can hear what the storyteller is saying!

My favorite part about Om is his sense of humor...he smiles so easily....he doesn't hold any facial expression back. If a cashier is talking to him, he will gift her his toothy grin. If I am across the room busy in something, and then suddenly look up to see where Om is, he will display a wide mischevious grin and say "eeeeeeh" and then turn away in an almost shy manner when he realizes he's being noticed. Sometimes I just need to look in his eyes and laugh, and he will laugh back at the secret joke. One of our favorite games is to pretend that there is a baby stuck to my head. I take Om and put him on my head and say "there is a baby on my head! get it off get it off! eeeek!" and then Om giggles. Another game is blowing rasberries on his stomach....there is nothing sweeter than the sound of a baby's laugh!

Om's current favorite toys are his jumperoo and any container taken from the kitchen. He also enjoys watching Baby Einstein videos while sitting in his high chair and munching on crackers. He smiles and coos at the puppets. For eating, it is a cycle...some days Om will eat 16 ounces of baby food, and other days he will not even allow a spoon to enter his mouth. Last week he was 17.5 lbs, so he is gaining about a pound a month. Not sure if that is normal, but I don't know what else I can do to encourage weight gain...this month we have started full fat yogurt so maybe that will help.

He loves to take toys and wave them in the air. I think he is trying to determine how the toy works and what sounds it makes when bumped against something. Speaking of bumping, Om bangs his palms on any flat surface, such as tiles, hard wood floor, or table.

The worse part of this time is the seperation anxiety...Om doesn't last more than 5 minutes in any play area unless I am sittng very close. Stranger anxiety has also set in...he loves interacting with people from afar, but not necessarily when he is in their lap.

Om is blissfully continuing to sleep through the night. He goes to bed at 8pm, and then wakes at 6am without any feeding during the night. Sometimes he wakes up at 5am, which is when I feed him and then put him back down to sleep. He'll babble to himself for a while before going back to sleep until 7am. We attribute his good sleeping behavior to sleeping in a seperate room from us.

Our house is filled with the sound of "Daa daaa dadada" all day long...I don't think Om knows what he is saying, but it's his favorite word, and it is usually associated with some material thing (toys, household items). He also blows rasberries frequently. I think the rasberries are associated with pretend play...he takes a toy and then holds it up and blows a rasberry...maybe he's mimicing a sound that he imagines must be coming from the toy? :-)

Om and his best friend Jovin. You can tell which one is Om hehe.

Exhausted

Don't know why...thyroid issues acting up again? Baby who needs Mommy's attention 24/7?

Feel like eating the entire refriderator and then passing out in bed for 24 hours.

Trying to prepare for exam. HARD when after 8pm I just want to SLEEP.

On another note, I hate being so negative...should write something positive! Was reading a blog where the SAHM complained in every. single. post. And she didn't work, or study, or excersise, or ANYTHING and only had one kid (Om's age). Complained about how messy her house was (don't we all) and also how she didn't have time to cook at all. How they ate pizza daily.

Umm...what does one do with a 7 month old all day if one is not also working/excersising/cleaning/studying/cooking? Maybe the baby is a monster who consumes every single minute of her day?

Yeah I'm being judgmental again. BLAAAH.

Not a Happy Bunny Rabbit

For those who celebrate it, Happy Easter!

To do: reply to comments, read blogs, update on Om (8th month coming up!), update pics from past month or so...

Club Feet will ruin your furniture

Om is supposed to wear his Dennis Brown Bar for 12 hours a day. All the parents out there will understand that those hours easily fly by in sleep time. However after reading enough posts about relapse at the nosurgeryforclubfoot group at yahoo groups, we have increased Om's brace time to about 14 hours. So for a baby who sleeps 12 hours EXACTLY this means the extra two hours in the bar are spent in our family room and kitchen area. This wouldn't be a big deal if Om was still the stationary 3 month old. But he's not...as I type he has rolled out of the family room and into the kitchen, and is eyeing the next room (formal living room) as his current destination.

The problem is that when they have a hard metal bar attached to a pair of leather high tops, and they roll and kick in typical baby happiness, things get damaged. For instance, our wooden coffee table is a mess. He has kicked the table legs enough times that I've just ceased to stop him...the table is from G's bachelor days and wasn't in the best shape anyway. I don't want to get a new table because I know Om will just ruin that one too. We will just wait until he outgrows the kicking-things-with-his-bar phase (whenever that may be).

Om also manages to roll into the speakers of our new sound system. THAT is annoying, because they are expensive and probably can't bear the brunt of being smashed. Also, the microfiber and leather sofa has lots of baby scratches too. The bottom leather portion of the sofa is a prime area for getting scratched by the brace, and Om uses his finger nails to scratch the leather. The microfiber cusions were a great idea, however...spit up and food get cleaned up easily.

Oh and I can't forget the hardwood floor in the kitchen...Om loves new textures, and when he lands on tile or hardwood floor he likes to test out the area by kicking his braced legs HARD. I just hope when we leave this rental house that he hasn't caused too much damage, I feel bad for the landlord!

So here are some questions from a newbie Mom to all the experienced folks...besides surrounding Om with cushions and blocking areas, what can be done to soften the blow of the brace? And what can we do about saving the carpet from baby stains?

Pregnancy Tag

Long time coming...Munchkin's Mom's tag on pregnancy.

1. WAS YOUR FIRST PREGNANCY PLANNED?
Not at all! It was a total shock.




Dharamsala, India; 2007. Love the mountains in the background. I was probably very early stage preggo in this pic. (Can I ever fit into that kurti again? Or have that body again?)


2. WERE YOU MARRIED AT THE TIME?
Yes!



A business school (old palace converted) in Shimla, India. Probably early stage preggo in this pic.
3. WHAT WERE YOUR REACTIONS?
Bawled my eyes out. Was certain that life as I knew it,was over. (I'm copying Munchkin's Mom on this one!)


Taj Resort, Maldives. 2007. Not sure if I was preggo in this pic...but this is probably where he was conceived! :-D

4. WAS ABORTION AN OPTION FOR YOU? Noooo waaaay.




Shimla, India. 2007. Sun in our eyes, with a glimmer of baby. Little did we know!


5. HOW OLD WERE YOU? 28


6. HOW DID YOU FIND OUT YOU WERE PREGNANT?
HA...I am probably one of the few who went in to the dermatologist office to get checked for acne, and came out with the news that I was in the very early stages of pregnancy!



At our Seattle reception, Jan 2008. We revealed to everyone that we were expecting during a slideshow. I love this pic because the kids were drawn to the cake like a magnet...so excited! And that's my dear friend Shilpa on the side, setting up some music.


7. WHO DID YOU TELL FIRST?My sister in law, G, and then sister in law's husband (in that order...sis in law and her hubby are both doctors, so naturally I consulted them!) They were all in the room when I found out. Mom in law thought I had a horrible disease that we were all whispering about.


November 2007, my sister in law is on the right and her husband is on the left. (Not preggo in this pic FYI)

8. DUE DATE?August 18th 2008

9. DID YOU HAVE MORNING SICKNESS?
Yes. And every other symptom you can imagine. Go look in a pregnancy reference book...list of symptoms...I had ALL of those.





Swollen feet and ankles on August 17th, 2008. Could not fit into my shoes. And yes, those are scratch marks from my nails. My skin was on fire due to pregnancy PUPPPS.

10. WHAT DID YOU CRAVE?
LOL hence the name of this blog! Initially I craved salsa with refried beans, and then I just craved salsa on anything, then I craved peanut butter and jelly, then I craved yogurt shakes (lassi). But nothing like the cliche' out at 3am searching for food types. They were manageable cravings.





Preggo lady on a scooter, Cancun, Mexico, April 2008. My bum hurt SO much after 2 hours on this thing.


Preggo lady with coconuts. Cancun, Mexico, April 2008.



Preggo lady in hotel lobby, Cancun, Mexico April 2008. This was the first time people noticed I was pregnant...we were in the lobby getting Mexican coffee, and the waitress said so when's the baby due? I was so elated because FINALLY I looked pregnant and not just fat!




The Creature from the Black Lagoon. Cancun, Mexico, April 2008. Yes I wore a swimsuit while pregnant. Now that I think about it...I should have gone totally nuts and worn a bikini...every excuse to have my belly sticking out. I got super tanned lying in the sun for 4 days! I just wanted to bake myself in the heat since I'm such a sucker for anything warm. Washington is so dreary, so Cancun sun was a nice change.

11. WHO/WHAT IRRITATED YOU THE MOST?
Oh boy here we go. My nose. The fact that I couldn't breath for 7 months. Constant pain in my hips that prevented me from finishing physical work. The itchy skin that kept me up at night. The heartburn. The vomiting and nausea. The sleepless nights that resulted in my sleeping from 6am to 12pm. Sitting in the library doing work projects only to have to use the restroom constantly and blow my nose every 5 mins, much to the chagrin of folks around me.

As for people, no one really irritated me, everyone in my family and friends was supportive. G, however... no comment! Hehe.

April 2008, Cancun, Mexico. The stage where you know you are pregnant, but other people need to take a second guess...easily mistaken for having a large beer belly. I was SO tan in this pic! I'm slowly getting my normal complexion back...Seattle will do that to you! Although I have to say, I sort of enjoyed being tan...I didn't need concealer or bronzer!

12. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST CHILD’S SEX?Male

13. DID YOU WISH YOU HAD THE OPPOSITE SEX OF WHAT YOU WERE GETTING?
We were happy with anything. I had dreams it would be a boy.

14. HOW MANY POUNDS DID YOU GAIN THROUGHOUT THE PREGNANCY?
50 lbs. Holy cow!

About to pop. August 17th, 2008.

15. DID YOU HAVE A BABY SHOWER?
Yes.

June 2008. Huge. With cinnamon fried icecream and bro. He's probably a fifth of my weight in this pic! LOL.

16. WAS IT A SURPRISE OR DID YOU KNOW?
I knew.

17. DID YOU HAVE ANY COMPLICATIONS DURING YOUR PREGNANCY?
Thyroid issues arose, but other than that was fine (except for pesky symptoms).

18. WHERE DID YOU GIVE BIRTH?
Bellevue, Washington.

Independance Day (July 2008) at a baseball game (WA vs. Michigan)

19. HOW MANY HOURS WERE YOU IN LABOR?
Let's see...Contractions were uncomfortable at 11pm. Then by next morning I was in moaning type pain. In hospital at 3pm. I pushed for 20 mins, and then Om came out at 8pm. So I was in manageable labor for 20 hours, and only pushed for 20 minutes...which I attribute to a small baby and lots of squats, yoga, walks, and massage.

20. WHO DROVE YOU TO THE HOSPITAL/BIRTH CENTER? Technically, I drove myself to the clinic for my final checkup with the doc, and then G met up with Mom and I and he drove us to the hospital.

21. WHO WATCHED YOU GIVE BIRTH?
A whole big party. LOL. My Mom, G, the doctor, 2 nurses, and an intern nurse. It was great. We should have had party hats, streamers, and noise makers. And don't forget cake. Mmmm. Cake.

Note to preggo ladies...get your nails done....pedicure etc...haircut...facial...whatever you need to do. Because you will look like CRAP while in labor.

22. WAS IT NATURAL OR C-SECTION?
Natural.

23. DID YOU TAKE MEDICINE TO EASE THE PAIN?
HECK YEAH...epidural.

24. HOW MUCH DID YOUR CHILD WEIGH?
6.5 lbs.

25. WHEN WAS YOUR CHILD ACTUALLY BORN ?
Right on time. August 18th.

26. WHAT WAS YOUR REACTION WHEN THE DOCTOR ANNOUNCED THE SEX OF THE BABY?
We already knew!

27. WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST REACTION ON SEEING THE BABY?
I was in a daze, so I just held Om and stared at him while everyone oohed and aahed around me.

28. DID YOU CRY?
No

29. WHAT DID YOU NAME HIM/HER?
Om

30. HOW OLD IS YOUR FIRST BORN TODAY
7 months

He looks like his Mommy, but I have to say in this pic his Daddy's dimpled chin is clearly showing!

I'm probably the last person to do this tag, so if you haven't already done this, you are it!