Great Expectations

How do I notify you?

2009-09-30T22:20:00.000-07:00

Dear Readers,

A few of you left comments on the last post stating that you would like the link to the new blog. PLEASE add your email, or at least a blog address where I can go and add a comment on your blog!

Anjali, I can't reach you...no email and no blog profile so I can't reach your blog either.

Ayesha - Same thing, when I click on your name it goes to profile unavailable.

You may email me at vavoom79@hotmail.com if you don't want to post your email on my comments.

THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!! :-) Have written a few new posts on the newer blog, am excited to share.

Toodle loo

2009-09-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

I've begun a new blog. Please add your email if you would like the link.

Not saying good bye, but am not inspired to continue writing for this blog. When the inspiration hits I'll be back. The new blog will also contain stories about Om but further include other random ideas floating through my head.

Thanks! :-) Much love to my lurkers (I know you are out there) and the new friends (fellow Moms) I have made.

Sparrow, Dad, and Son

2009-08-27T21:08:00.000-07:00

Happy Birthday & Happy Anniversary

2009-08-27T09:22:00.001-07:00

The anniversary of my labor pains. 53 weeks ago waddled into a hospital, moaning and groaning, not sure what to expect, excited and anxious. Labor pains which changed my life (and the life of G's) forever. In the span of 24 hours, my heart suddenly latched itself to another being in a way thoroughly unlike the way our heart attaches to our family or spouses.

Labor pains which resulted in this squishy cheeked sweet smelling eyelash envy wonder:

Happy First Birthday to Om.

And Happy Labor/Delivery Anniversary to me.

Back

2009-08-14T00:01:00.000-07:00

Okay so it's been a while, and I miss everyone.

And I realize that I need to blog so I can log Om's milestones, otherwise I get Mom Brain.

So I'll be writing up some posts soon and uploading. Stay tuned.

Portland Trip

2009-05-08T14:02:00.000-07:00

Last month we went to Portland, Oregon for a basketball game. Although I'm not a basketball fan, it was neat to see the L.A Lakers in action.

We took a train from Seattle to Portland. It was the first time for me on a train (in the US). The train ride went fairly well, we arrived there in about 4 hours. Om was SUPER excited thoughout the whole trip. It was hard to put him down for naps because he just wanted to explore and socialize.

Cute kid in the hotel, trying out the bed with toy in hand.

Cute kid tryin' out the bathroom sink. Mini jacuzzi anyone?

Cute kid makin' cute Shirley Temple look-alike friends on the train. Om's first girlfriend?

Cute kid passed out in the carseat during the game. He made it for about 2 hours before we had to put him down for a nap amidst all the noise. Om sleeps all bundled up.

LA Laker's vs. Portland Trail Blazers. Kobe Bryant is in there somewhere!

Cute kid with his 'rents. He's looking at me so admiringly! LOL...15 years later he may not like us this much. :D

FYI

2009-05-08T13:49:00.000-07:00

For those who's blog I read and leave comments on:

Changed profile handle.

Me = Chikki

Was my previous handle, am going back to it now. :D

The amazing Om

2009-04-29T21:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-26T05:16:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-25T05:08:00.000-07:00

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!

2009-04-24T08:50:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-23T09:54:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-22T13:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-16T21:51:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-09T14:43:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-07T09:27:00.000-07:00

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

2009-04-01T23:13:00.000-07:00

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!

Pampers and Swiffer

2009-03-26T23:35:00.001-07:00

Here are a couple funny videos. I use both these products so it's funny to see the parody! I am off to sleep, and I plan on responding to comments and read my fellow blogs soon! Goodnite!

Diaper Genie

2009-03-26T09:07:00.000-07:00

If the bag is missing inside, and has not been replaced...?

If a non - diaper genie refill bag (think fred meyer grocery plastic bag) has been inserted unsuccessfully inside, whom to blame?

If the grocery bag has fallen to the bottom of the genie and the result is a diaper genie coverd with a thin film of poop, who can we blame?

The prize goes to:

DADDY

Mommy had tons of fun scrubbing it out in the tub.

I'm a Mom

2009-03-25T09:07:00.000-07:00

Things that freak me out.

1. Going over a bridge or near any body of water with Om near me. NO HE WILL NOT FALL IN THE WATER.

2. Going near animals with Om. NO HE WILL NOT BE BITTEN. The dog will not bite him. The sea lions at the aquarium will not be able to reach Om. (I am the weirdest person I know).

3. The stairs in our house. NO I WILL NOT FALL DOWN THE STAIRS WITH OM.

4. Om choking. HE WILL BE FINE GIVE HIM A SECOND TO EXPEL THE FLUID.

The End. (SUBCONSIOUSLY BANISH THESE FEARS FROM MY MIND).

What are your fears?

Sometimes I am Super Woman

2009-03-23T22:45:00.000-07:00

Spring Cleaning last week. Actually my friend Ida was coming for a visit so I used that as an excuse. :-)

Monday:

Sweeped Pantry. Reorganized pantry items according to category (drinks on bottom shelf, spices on second, etc).

Went through all of our medicine collection and put in a neat new storage container (yes I get excited by these things).

Found all the batteries in our house and put them in a storage box. Now we won't go searching.

Organized tupperware cabinet.

Swept kitchen floor. Got down on hands and knees and scrubbed floor.

Cleaned stove top, put in new foil in the burners.
Put guest bedroom sheets in laundry.

Ironed 4 of G's shirts (I am not an expert iron person...I usually wait until the dryer is done and then rush to get the shirts out so that I don't have to iron them).

Went grocery shopping. Went to Target.

Cooked dinner.

Tuesday

Cleaned bathroom floor.

Cleaned guest bathroom tub.

Cleaned master bathroom tub.

Made guest bedroom bed.

Put away random clothes.

Dusted.

Cleaned kitchen counters.

Did laundry, Om's clothes and towels.

All of this on top of taking care of baby and doing normal day to day things. I was sooo tired.

Yellow Water

2009-03-22T10:18:00.000-07:00

This cartoon pretty much sums up the past couple weeks. :-)

Infant Crawling

2009-03-14T07:54:00.001-07:00

Should have added this to the previous post on revelations.

Apparently there are different forms of crawling. There is the classic bear crawl which means baby is on his hands and knees. I thought this was what crawling meant. But no, there are several different types, and we've realized that Om has been doing various forms of these since age 6 months! I'm such a ditzy Mom...Om get ready for many mistakes to come from parents who are learning on the fly! I just thought that there was only one official way of crawling!

Om does the commando style belly crawl. He lies on his stomach and inches forward with is elbows (slowly) until he reaches his destination.

He also rolls. This is the fastest way of getting around the room for him. I wish I could get a video of him rolling, but whenever I whip out the camera Om because camera shy and doesn't move (which is great for still photos) but bad for making movies. He also gets shy when there are strangers around and refuses to do all the cool things he can do at home. LOL.

Here is a link that explains the various forms of crawling: http://www.parents.com/baby/development/physical/6-cute-types-of-baby-crawls/

According to my parents, when I was an infant I was a very fast bear crawler and also used a walker to zoom around the house. However I didn't learn to walk until a year and a half! And it was only when we moved to the States from India at age 2 that I was forced to really learn how to walk because I didn't have the myriads of relatives to pick me up every 10 minutes!

So we'll see how Om does...G learned how to walk at a good age, and my brother learned to walk at 8 months (probably to follow his big sis around, ha!). I wonder if crawling/walking (physical abilities in general) are hereditary in nature?

Also, are walkers available in the US? My Mom called me yesterday and asked me to get him a walker so that he could burn all the extra energy and not get so frustrated. However I don't think I've seen a walker lately in stores, nor at people's homes. I'm assuming it's because they are too dangerous for homes with 2 levels. Any thoughts?

Revelations

2009-03-12T18:04:00.000-07:00

Increasing baby's solid food input from 1 jar to 2.5 jars also increases baby's output to 2.5x a day. And wowsie, it STINKS.

If using a bottle, there are different NIPPLE SIZES for each age range. So, for newborns, there is size 0 or 1. For 6 months and up, there is size 3 or 4. DID NOT KNOW THAT. Continued feeding baby with size 1 nipple at age 6 months and wondered why he got so tired and took so long consuming milk. Changed nipple size and lo and behold. Choked the first time but got used to it...now consuming milk in half the time. Saves me more time to spend on not so fun stuff.

Spending all day with baby, cleaning and cooking in between, with evenings full of studies or relaxing at the tube = No time for blogging. No time for commenting on wonderful blogs.

No rice and no white bread, cleaning house, cooking, and getting up repeatedly to take wire/poison out of baby's mouth result in slow but steady weight loss.

When baby screams at top of its lungs in a fit of happiness, do not scream at the top of your lungs back in a gesture of shared happiness. This results in baby frowning in shock and ultimately bursting into heart-breaking tears.

Spending all day with baby results in only being able to discuss baby. When friends or relatives call, discuss baby's latest universally amazing accomplishment in great detail. Gloss over the discussion of studies or career by redirecting to topic of cooking or how to remove stains from laundry.

Forget toys, give baby the daily junk mail of coupons/newsletters/empty envelopes to tear up and lick. Keeps the kid interested for 30 minutes, until you hear a scream that says he has thrown all the paper out of reach and is in an odd half split leg position that he cannot get out of.

Do NOT leave baby on a counter top alone after they reach 6 months. Even if they are in a safety seat with buckles, or especially in a bumbo chair, and you are leaving for just a minute. LOVED the bumbo chair until now, when little Houdini can escape and topple off said counter tops. Also can climb out of swings and jump out of crib if the wall is down. Yes we are bad parents....But that is another story. My only excuse is that we are dumb.

If baby is screaming while you are putting away laundry that has been sitting there for too long, insert baby in laundry basket and pretend that it is a little car as we drive to all the closets and dressers to put the clothes away.

Have different toys for different areas of the house. For example, while changing have only a couple of teething rings, and in the bathtub only rubber duckies. Keep variety so that baby is newly fascinated and keeps himself occupied while you do XYZ.

Naps are God's gift to parents.

After 6 months, it may be time to get re-sized for undergarments and jeans. Wearing maternity pants and other stretchy items is no longer excusable.

Concealer is a new Mom's best friend. Before leaving home for random errand, insert baby in bumbo chair (on the floor) hand baby random item to play with, shower while singing funny songs and playing peek-a-boo with shower curtain. Get dressed. Deoderant application. Apply face cream, apply concealer to zombie under eye patches. Blend, add chapstick to lips. Done. (Optional: If husband is at home or baby is in a coma type sleep, apply powder to t-zone, bronzer, mascara, comb out hair and blow dry).

Pregnancy, weight gain, and whatever other causes of nature often result in loss of balance. Case in point: While attending Bikram Yoga class, look utterly ridiculous while attempting tree asaan (pose), locust asaan, and any pose that requires standing on one foot.

Am extremely jealous of people with maids. Discussing with someone in India - So how was your day? She says she cooked today. Nothing else. Floors mopped by maid, dough kneeded by maid, laundry/house cleaned via maid help. GAAAAAAAAAAAAAH.

Definition of revelation: disclosure: the speech act of making something evident
an enlightening or astonishing disclosure
communication of knowledge to man by a divine or supernatural agency

4 - 4 - 4 Meme

2009-03-02T15:08:00.001-08:00

I've been tagged! Finally got around to doing this. My mother in law left last week, so I'm not getting as much time to lesiurely do stuff on the computer (including blogging). As we speak Om is rolling all over the living room floor, periodically getting into electronics and places where he shouldn't be. Not that this is an excuse. I am a perfectionist, so if I can't do something fully and the way I think it should be done, I won't do it until I have ample time to do so. This results in problems at times...but that's another post! LOL.

Here is my picture for the 4 - 4 - 4 meme, tagged by Sue over at Dreams and Journeys. Her's was super cute - love kids in costumes! My favorite has to be JoAnna's at Where will this little foot take him - poor little brother crying!

I couldn't decide whether to do the 4th folder from my picture folder or the 4th folder from my online web album. So I did both :-) Yeah I'm an over achiever! Or maybe just the confused type. Hehe.

Here were the instructions:
“Go into your photo archive,pick the 4th folder in the archive,select the 4th picture in the folder,and write about it.Then tag 4 other people to do the same."

August 2008:

This pic makes me imagine that Om is saying: "Yo lady, where's the milk?" It was the morning after Om was born, and it shows me and Om sitting in the hospital bed. Om looks like a newly hatched baby bird with his pointy nose and fingers, looking up at Mommy. I kept him very close the whole night because his temperature kept dropping, so the nurse suggested I sleep with him snuggled next to my body. We look so serene with the morning light pouring in to the room. He had jaundice and some thyroid issues, so he was continously pricked for blood samples. Poor sweet baby! I still recall him lying on my shoulder balling his newborn eyes out while they took blood samples from his club feet. It is HARD to get blood samples from clubbed feet...the soles of the foot aren't exposed enough, and the blood comes out at a very slow trickle.

November 2007:

The pic above is from the morning of our wedding. It shows my side of the family arriving at the groom's place for shagun ceremony (good luck ceremony that includes gift giving etc). The wedding was that night, but Indian weddings have many mini ceremonies that take place before the actual marriage. Pictured is (from left) my Mom, brother, Dad, Aunt, Cousin, Grandpa, Uncle, Aunt, Aunt, and Uncle. The gifts they are holding were all beautifully wrapped by my best friend Ida (who also attended the wedding, all the way from Minnesota). It may seem like much, but the gifts were just simple clothes, perfumes, watches and candy. In Indian weddings the gift giving can be a bit extreme, so sister in law and I arranged so that we would do the bare minimum in gifts. It was a stressful and simultaneously oh so happy time! The night before we arrived very late to our horrible hotel due to incredibly thick traffic. We were supposed to do the ceremony that evening but instead postponed it to the next morning. I woke up first, then proceeded to wake everyone else up! I was the one in charge of the schedule etc, but my relatives didn't really listen to the "silly little girl" and pretty much did their own thing all day! I guess in India 27 year old girls aren't put in charge of handling the affairs of the wedding. Little did they know that I (along with my sis in law) organized the entire wedding! My parents just sat back and listened. Ha!

The hotel was HORRENDOUS. Poor service, poor accomodations. It looked pretty enough (crown molding anyone?) but my bathroom flooded the night we arrived, and there was no hot water! The electricians and plumbers kept slipping on the wet rugs, too funny. I fell asleep to the sound of repairmen in the bathroom. We were exhausted from hours in traffic. My Dad was unusually awesome...he gave me 2 advil, some tea, and told me to sleep while he handled the repair men. I had a slight fever when I fell asleep, but I awoke fresh and ready to get everyone going on the day! Despite all the fuss, I have fond memories of this time.

I have no idea whom to tag, it feels like everyone has already done it. So I'll put some names here of the bloggers that I believe haven't done it yet... but if you've already done it sorry my bad! Do it for fun, but no obligations!

If I were a super hero

2009-02-26T22:07:00.000-08:00

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! ;-)

You are my Baby Love

2009-02-18T15:10:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-10T14:12:00.000-08:00

.

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

Family Circus

2009-02-06T11:02:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-04T13:48:00.000-08:00

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

2009-02-03T10:13:00.000-08:00

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.

I'm a Bette!

2009-01-30T17:41:00.000-08:00

I love the elegance of old - time actresses! And I think this quiz is very accurate!

Your result for Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else?

You Are a Bette!

You are a Bette -- "I must be strong"

Bettes are direct, self-reliant, self-confident, and protective.

How to Get Along with Me

* Stand up for yourself... and me.

* Be confident, strong, and direct.

* Don't gossip about me or betray my trust.

* Be vulnerable and share your feelings. See and acknowledge my tender, vulnerable side.

* Give me space to be alone.

* Acknowledge the contributions I make, but don't flatter me.

* I often speak in an assertive way. Don't automatically assume it's a personal attack.

* When I scream, curse, and stomp around, try to remember that's just the way I am.

What I Like About Being a Bette

* being independent and self-reliant

* being able to take charge and meet challenges head on

* being courageous, straightforward, and honest

* getting all the enjoyment I can out of life

* supporting, empowering, and protecting those close to me

* upholding just causes

What's Hard About Being a Bette

* overwhelming people with my bluntness; scaring them away when I don't intend to

* being restless and impatient with others' incompetence

* sticking my neck out for people and receiving no appreciation for it

* never forgetting injuries or injustices

* putting too much pressure on myself

* getting high blood pressure when people don't obey the rules or when things don't go right

Bettes as Children Often

* are independent; have an inner strength and a fighting spirit

* are sometimes loners

* seize control so they won't be controlled

* figure out others' weaknesses

* attack verbally or physically when provoked

* take charge in the family because they perceive themselves as the strongest, or grow up in difficult or abusive surroundings

Bettes as Parents

* are often loyal, caring, involved, and devoted

* are sometimes overprotective

* can be demanding, controlling, and rigid

Take Are You a Jackie or a Marilyn? Or Someone Else? Mad Men-era Female Icon Quiz at HelloQuizzy

3.5 Years Ago

2009-01-28T11:28:00.000-08:00

Me and G. Makes me so nostalgic! 3.5 years ago...in my law school dorm. The furniture was the standard stuff they gave all of the residents. Gray and boring! :-) Also this is about 20 pounds (or more) ago for both of us! LOL. I think we were about to go to see the play Les Miserables in Minneapolis. My roomate took this picture right before we left. The play was wonderful, but we had crappy seats in the balcony that didn't get us a good view. I recall coming back and making shrimp pasta for the first time (for the first time in front of G that is!). We ate it in our pajamas and chatted with my roomate in the living room. I was blissfully happy to spend that weekend with G.

Question for the Desi folks reading this blog

2009-01-27T22:09:00.000-08:00

Well this question is for everyone, but I thought the desi (native indian) people may relate a bit more.

Both my mom and mom in law (MIL) have this idea in their head that one must shower first thing in the morning. Even more so my MIL...at first when she would comment/criticize my nightly showering habit, I let it go. But I've heard this comment several times by now, and it's just getting annoying. Today I came back from the gym at 5pm and she went upstairs to do her evening prayer. I was with Om until G came home, then I figured well G's here to take care of the baby I'm going to shower and get my pajamas on. She started a huge speech and rant about what an odd time of day it is to shower!

A while ago, when I asked her what's behind the reasoning, she has nothing to support the argument besides "Beta yehi achha hotha hain tereliye aur tere bache keh liye. " (Daughter this is good for both you and your baby). What, if anything, does that comment mean? If I do happen to shower in the morning, boy do I get a cheery approval, like I've just won the Nobel Prize for cleanliness. It is just hilarious. I enjoy showering whenever I get the chance, whether it is morning or whenever.

Anyway there ends my rant. But maybe the desi folk can help me out with why showering in the morning is so important? Is it a cultural thing or just her?

Tired of

2009-01-27T14:37:00.000-08:00

Tired Of Studying. With constant interruptions. (can't help that & don't blame anyone...I have a 5 month old)

Oh and I still haven't gotten the letter saying that I am eligible to even sit for the exam. I have a sinking feeling this is going to take a while. In my mind I had a vision of taking the exam before our India trip in May. That's A LONG time away from now and thinking about it is just painful.

I asked a friend how she manages 2 babies while doing graduate school. Her reply? (paraphrased) "My babies just sit there. Alex was such a gentle baby that would watch me for hours while I studied."

My baby? 10 minutes per baby gym, jumperoo, swing, couch, bed. Feels lonely constantly. Sleeps for maybe 45 minutes in a stretch during the day.

Tired of my brother causing drama and interfering where he shouldn't.

Long story. Enough said.

Tired from waking every 2 hours last night to rock Om to sleep. Teething sucks.

Various Om

2009-01-26T21:54:00.001-08:00

Santa Claus

Chinese Baby

Indian Lady/Dulhan baby (probably going to hate me later for this)

Cowboy

Preppy Baby

Pink baby (again, he's not going to like this when older)

Christmas Baby

Year of the Rat Baby

:-) More to come...Om's mom cannot resist playing dress up!

Poetry of a Woman

2009-01-22T10:03:00.000-08:00

Whatever you give a woman, she will make greater.

If you give her sperm, she'll give you a baby.

If you give her a house, she'll give you a home.

If you give her groceries, she'll give you a meal.

If you give her a smile, she'll give you her heart.

She multiplies and enlarges what is given to her.

So, if you give her any crap, be ready to receive a ton of shit!

:-)

Happy Inauguration

2009-01-21T14:53:00.001-08:00

A day late. Today Om celebrated the new president by having a blow out. Poop blowout, to be more exact. I thoroughly enjoyed cleaning it.
You can get your obamicon (or rather, the red propaganda imagery) at http://obamiconme.pastemagazine.com/entries/new.html

Mentioned at Sepiamutiny.com, - Obama used the phrase "We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers." Regardless of what type of president he will be, I totally dig feeling included for the first time in my life. (I'm somewhere in between Hindu and non-believer).

5 Months Cuter

2009-01-17T16:57:00.000-08:00

Om turned 5 months cute yesterday. He is such an active, expressive baby who feels lonely when we leave him alone (or just the other side of the room) even for a second! He needs stimulation and gets bored very easily!

- He has more than doubled his birth weight, but at the last checkup was only at the 30% of weight.

- His head size is at the 80% ... all that extra brain fat just means smart baby! He wears hats meant for 6 mos or older kids.

- His length was at 75%.

- He cries bloody hell murder and turns bright red that makes your heart drop when he gets his vaccinations. But after we picked him up, was bright and chipper again.

- He is so social with strangers...he chats it up with the pediatrician or the cashier.

- He giggles and laughs out loud when something is funny. He mostly laughs at his Dhadi talking to him, or when we make funny faces or sounds.

- He has now added a jumperoo to his favorite toys of swing and baby gym. He looks so adorable in it, I'll have to take a video of him playing in it!

- He's had a cold for the past couple of days that interferes a bit with is feeding/sleeping. I use the pump and saline drops in his nose before feeding/sleeping, but he cries SO hard when I do that. Not sure why, I don't think the pump actually hurts, maybe it's just annoying?

- He has cut his first tooth a couple weeks back, lower right side. We noticed another one emerging.

- He has discovered his tongue - loves to wiggle it around and out of his mouth. Just means for more drooling and the bibs are becoming even more necessary!

- He loves mashed bananas, and eats his rice cereal with hesitation. Unless, of course, we spike the rice cereal with bananas. Still eats out of his silver dish!

- Om is a screamer. Instead of just babbling or cooing, when excited he mostly tenses up and lets out a nice SCREETCH! This is especially lovely at 430am.

- He loves toys and is fascinated with any object you show him.

- He "officially" rolled over at 4 months. He was rolling over before that, around 3.5 mos, but more slowly and it took some luck, especially with a heavy brace on his feet. Now he can purposefully roll over onto his tummy. When he first discovered rolling over he did it repeatedly and then cried when he was on his tummy. We had to keep turning him over, just to have him repeat the process and then cry!

- He can sit by himself, but only for a few seconds before he leans forward to untie his shoe or grab a toy, resulting in toppling over.

- His routine is bedtime at 8pm with milk and lights out. He gets extremely cranky at 6pm, so for two hours we may give him a mini nap or play with him, but no matter what he needs to sleep at 8pm otherwise very cranky! He gets up at 12am for milk, then the next wake time is very random. At times he will wake up a beautiful 5 hours later, and then sometimes he will wake repeatedly every two hours, it depends on whether he is teething or has gas.

" Just another day swingin' with mah friends"

This is such a wonderful time with babies. When they are newborn they have very little expressions and don't do much, and plus they are a stranger to your family. But by this time they are the typical "baby" and have filled out with chubbiness, sounds, and expressions.

"Oh why did mom dress me up like a girl?"

Pretty Breakfast

2009-01-15T13:52:00.000-08:00

Was going through some photos and found a pic of the New Year's Day breakfast I made. Whole wheat buttermilk pancakes (eggless) with whole cream (from scratch) and blueberry topping. The drink is a home made vanilla cafe latte...it was delicious but fattening and took some time to let the vanilla bean soak into the milk.

Oh and vanilla beans are SO expensive! The cheapest I found was at Whole Foods (surprisingly, since they are so pricey for everything else). This will be a rare thing, because I refuse to buy this spice again unless necessary. I can invest in a bottle of vanilla coffee syrup instead. :-)

Other list of things I find ridiculously overpriced:

- Baby Corn (love adding this to everything)

- chopped nuts, i.e. pine nuts, walnuts, pecans, almonds.

- coconut milk (oh and why don't they make it in half can size? when will we ever use a whole can of it?)

- baby formula - the cheapo formula does not suit Om well...so we are buying the expensive stuff. I wonder what makes the difference in digestion?

Some Help

2009-01-14T17:50:00.001-08:00

I want to possibly:

1. Change this blog from 2 column to a 3 column format; and

2. Make my new header image fit to size. I have a header image but when I upload it it looks really funky....off to one side and the title is not centered.

Any suggestions?

Movie List

2009-01-14T11:23:00.000-08:00

Movies G and I have seen since becoming new parents. There may be a few missing. In lieu of my usual reading list...I don't read novels anymore! :( I enjoy watching DVDs in wide screen HDTV. Now when I watch regular television in the gym or otherwise, it just doesn't hit the spot. And I don't really miss going to the theater since lying on the couch cuddled up with Om sleeping on a Saturday night is a nice break.

I'm not going to rate these because, well...that's too much work. :-)

Suraj Ka Satwan Ghoda
Corporate
Amelie
Traffic Signal
The Wire: Season 1
300
Khosla Ka Ghosla
WALL-E
Bad Santa
Mystic River
Napoleon Dynamite
Happy Feet
Aaja Nachle
Lage Raho Munna Bhai
Tropic Thunder
Namastey London
Affliction
Persepolis
Kung Fu Panda
Syriana
Enchanted
Love on a Diet
Jaan-E-Mann
Spellbound
The Lives of Others
Driving Miss Daisy
Salaam-E-Ishq
Pan's Labyrinth
Ab Tak Chhappan
3:10 to Yuma
Amores Perros
Earth
Hanuman
Unforgiven
Over the Hedge
The Pursuit of Happyness
Johnny Gaddaar
Parineeta
Guru
There Will Be Blood
Salaam Bombay!
City of God
The Office: Season 4
The Office: Season 3
The Office: Season 2
The Office: Season 1
Super High Me
Sex and Lucia
Dan in Real Life
Outsourced
Ali G Indahouse
The Professional

Happy Feet

2009-01-12T18:27:00.000-08:00

The jumperoo never looked so GOOD.

The wooden tables and floor are saved.

No more questioning stares from people in public.

Today Om had his follow-up appointment at Children's Hospital in Seattle. First the orthotics team took a look at Om's feet. They were very pleased! Then Dr. Mosca checked his feet and reduced the hours Om has to wear brace. I can't tell you how amazing that is...now Om can be a normal baby for 12 hours of the day! The orthotist said that in his many years of practice he has not seen such improvement in club feet! The dorsiflexion is great, with a 40 degree angle, which is what NORMAL babies have! Usually club foot babies do not achieve that degree of flexibility.

Either Om is just lucky, or the constant massages, stretching, and bi-weekly visits to a physical therapist are really working.

Om got a new pair of Markel shoes one size up, but the bar is the same size and will be changed in another 3 months. Markell shoes are stiff and leathery and require some breaking in to adjust to the child's feet. I asked the orthotics folks if we could get the Mitchell shoes and bar, but they recommended against it, stating that why change something that is working so well. Also, according to the orthotist Mitchell shoes are geared more towards babies who have problems (constant blisters, feet slipping out of shoes, etc). He said that the Markell shoes are stiffer for a reason - they really work when used properly and if there are no slippage problems, the chances for success are greater. So I did not press the issue, because anyway now we only have to put the shoes on Om when he sleeps.

I just pray and hope that he doesn't relapse. You never know with club foot. Nazar nah lage (Antijinx on this post! Jinx monstor be gone!)

Tips for Teething

2009-01-10T16:45:00.000-08:00

Today I stuck my finger in Om's mouth (I'm such a weirdo Mom!) and discovered what only can be early signs of a tooth emerging from his lower gums. Will try to get a picture of it, but I highly doubt he'll open his mouth for that long.

Any tips from fellow Mommy bloggers?

Patent Bar Exam Study Schedule

2009-01-09T13:12:00.000-08:00

Also known as the I AM SO BORED OUT OF MY MIND WOULD RATHER CLEAN Studying Schedule. Hehe.

According to my calculations, I should be done by mid - February. After that it is just reviewing practice problems and practice exams. I'm waiting for my undegraduate and law school to send me transcripts so I can actually APPLY for the test...then after the government does its checks I'll be given a three month period to take the exam. Most likely, I'll take the exam as soon as I get approval and not wait the 3 months since I've already been studying.

Review of Resolutions from 2007

2009-01-08T17:51:00.001-08:00

In January of 2007, I posted the following resolution list in my previous blog which is no longer updated. In bold I'm commenting on whether any of those resolutions were kept.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I don't believe in resolutions, because they usually just fail anyhow.But here are some "goals" to aim for in 2007:

1. Pass the Washington winter bar exam. (DONE!!!)

2. Lose at least 15 lbs before my wedding in November. (I know I should be more specific with this goal, but whatever) (I lost about 10 lbs, and was firmer and more fit, and was very happy with how I looked on my wedding day and honeymoon)

3. Get married (I added this because the wedding date keeps getting postponed...) (DONE LOL)

4. Love EVERYONE more. Forgive more. Forget more. (I'm not sure, but I hope so)

5. To not be such a freaking elephant in terms of memory & sensitivity. I can't seem to remember law terminology, but I sure can remember mean words and neglect from my loved ones. (Totally failed in this resolution. After pregnancy and a new baby, I've gone through major mood overhauls and minor depression).

6. SHOW more love, whether in words or affection. (I think I do this more)

7. Get a physical, including cholesteral and thyroid checks. (Done. Actually, it took me getting pregnant for the smartest OBGYN (he's really experienced) to discover that I had a "hidden" thyroid issue that didn't show up on the first glance of my hormone levels. It required more probing into my antibody levels. I instinctively always knew I had a thyroid issue, this just confirmed it)

8. Pay off my car. (DONE Yaaaay)

9. Remind mom about her health and excercise more often. (Total failure)

10. Stop clicking my nails. I get 'em long, and then I do this clicking thing that I'm sure annoys everyone around me (especially G, hehe). (Oh boy, anyone can attest that I still do this)

11. Get a family potrait (everyone in my fam, including G the next time he visits and Jackie, our dog) done. (Done, but with G, Om and MIL, not my parents. That will have to be done some other time when we are all in Minnesota again).

Minnesota Trip

2009-01-06T15:42:00.000-08:00

Om went on an airplane for the first time in early December. Silly me of course did not take pictures on the plane, but there wasn't much excitment since Om was in deep sleep for the entire 3 hour flight. AWESOME doesn't even begin to describe it...but he did manage to do potty on the plane, which was a tad bit annoying. On the way to Minnesota the flight was empty so Om and I got 3 seats to ourselves to spread out. The extra seats were helpful during takeoff and landing to set Om down, but otherwise he remained in my lap (he refused to sleep on the seat). On the return flight we were upgraded to business class so we had ample room to adjust. Om also fell asleep for the duration of the flight. Fellow travelers around me were amazed that I had such a peaceful baby. (They do not know him very well hehe).

We spent a week at Nana and Nani's house. They were ecstatic to see Om, especially my Dad because he had not yet met Om. I didn't study the entire time in Minnesota and I also ate too much and did not go to the gym. Both my parents work so I was with Om 24/7 except for little bits here and there when my Mom took Om while I had a nap. Om also got his first kitchen sink bath. My brother cautiously picked up a baby for perhaps the first time in his life.

I cleaned out the closet in my parents house. Om enjoyed watching me sort out items to give to charity. Somewhere among all those bags is a baby. :-) Some are bigger than him.

Kitchen sink. He looks so much like G in this pic!

My handsome boyfriend in a Santa suit. All that is missing is his bag of toys and a hat. :-)

Cracking up at some joke with Nani.

Jackie was always nearby Om. It was the first time in Jackie's 11 years to meet a baby. He probably was wondering what the hell is this thing that totally ignores me! He was also confused because we all speak in high -pitched "baby talk" to Om, which Jackie is used to, so he would always rush over thinking we were talking to him!

Jackie jumping up while Om is in Nana's arms.

To Do List

2009-01-03T21:29:00.000-08:00

Because I plan on writing about things and then they leave my mind...

Om Updates, in particular 4.5 month post
Weight loss update (haha whatever)
Holidays etc.
Studying updates (just for my peace of mind...too boring)
TV shows I have discovered I enjoy watching
Movie list (in lieu of the reading list)
Review of resolutions from the past year and new resolutions for 2009.

Question about Celebrating Holidays

2008-12-30T22:55:00.000-08:00

I have a question for the fellow bloggers (and lurker readers) out there, especially if you are of Indian origin.

Why do some Indians (or any immigrants for that matter) celebrate holidays, such as New Year's, on the day it occurs in their home country INSTEAD of the day it occurs in their current country? For example, my Mom - in - Law is celebrating New Year's Day tomorrow, the 31st because in India it would have already changed to 2009. She also celebrated me and my hubbie's birthdays a day before the actual date.

Is it just a love of their home country? When I was in India during my wedding, I celebrated the holidays (Diwali, Christmas) the day it occured in India. NOT a day later to coordinate with USA time.

I don't get it. Any explainations to help out an American Born Cute Desi? :-)

Happy Birthday G

2008-12-20T16:01:00.000-08:00

We celebrated G's 34th Birthday on Dec. 19th. Since we were snowed in (this coming from a Minnesotan who transferred to Washington...sort of ridiculous) we kept the celebration low - key at home.

My gift to G was a homemade cake. G said he loves Chinese pineapple sponge cakes, but I couldn't find any decent recipes online (most of them required steaming the cake in a wok...too complicated for moi'). Instead, I used reduced sugar yellow cake mix. The water in the cake mix was replaced with evaporated milk, and the middle layer frosting was cream cheese mixed with vanilla flavor and crushed pineapple. For the top layer of frosting I used heavy cream whipped in the KitchenAid mixer (I love that thing!) with very little sugar added, then topped the whole cake with coconut and edible Christmas decorations. The cake came out not too sweet (some cakes are total sugar overload) but tasty. I could have easily purchased a cake from a bakery, but I enjoy doing stuff like this...I think in the future I'm going to invest in some cake decorating supplies and actually make the cakes prettier. Maybe borrow some books from the library on cake decorating. HAHA dream on...when I actually have time (which is never).

Anyway, Happy Birthday to my sweet, melt - in - water, cute cute cute, G.

Indian Christmas

2008-12-18T14:09:00.001-08:00

12 Days of Christmas, Indian Style, Enjoy!

To Do

2008-12-18T12:14:00.000-08:00

Many posts in my mind. Lots to blog about.

Need to read a bunch of fellow bloggers.

Need to update blogs I follow list.

Been a busy week....came back from Minnesota, then needed to unpack massive amounts of junk, then had to get caught up on studying, shopping etc. Hence blogging was neglected.

Stay Tuned!

How I will look once I return from Minnesota

2008-12-07T20:20:00.000-08:00

What I've consumed so far in my parents house...

Fried Chicken & mashed potatoes
Scrambled eggs (in oil) with toast (white)
Cookies
2% milk in all cups of chai
Chicken curry

And that's just in 2 days. Ack. Thank goodness I went grocery shopping today and got lots of healthy stuff to snack on here and not blow my weight loss (by too much!). Tomorrow I plan on cooking dinner, it's vegetarian day at our house (my parents don't eat meat on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays...too funny). Oh and I need to do some much needed cloth shopping for myself. Mom is home all day tomorrow so Om will stay with her until past lunchtime. He's been really fussy at his grandparents home...new place, new people, new sounds.

To do

2008-12-04T11:03:00.000-08:00

I've been studying the past few days, trying to get through a whole caboodle of lectures. They are SO boring. And I can't just listen to them mindlessly, I have to take notes and also pause the DVDs if I miss something (which is often).

Anyway, this Saturday Om and I are headed to Nana and Naani's house in Minnesota (maternal grandparents). I'm slightly anxious, because there are so many items to pack and so many items to keep track of in the airport.

I wonder how it'll go with Om through security with a laptop, video camera, and other junk in tow.

Mumbai Attacks

2008-12-04T10:44:00.000-08:00

We watched the news on CNN over the Thanksgiving weekend. CNN and its sister stations did a great job covering the story. Everytime I see these sort of attacks my heart just sinks for the relatives of the people killed. I put myself in their shoes and imagine what it would be like if someone I loved was killed so senselessly. (Side note - I also do a mini prayer each time I see an ambulance zipping through the street). G's childhood friend, who was staying at the Oberoi, called us the next mornign. He heard all the shots and firing, but managed to get out safely.

Last night while pumping breast milk (I know, so glamorous) I was flipping through Newsweek and read the article by Zakaria (summary of it at http://www.newsweek.com/id/171248). His articles are always very informative, and for someone like me (American Born Cute Desi) who doesn't know much about Mumbai it's very educational.

My positive thoughts and prayers go out to all the victims and their families.

Mmmm...

2008-11-30T21:44:00.001-08:00

White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino

One of a kind and forward looking, you're the first to introduce a wacky new trend to your friends. And even if your ideas seem weird, they get adopted pretty quickly.

What Flavor Frappuccino Are You?

First Anniversary

2008-11-30T10:36:00.001-08:00

We celebrated our first wedding anniversary on November 26th. Here is a list of the events of the past year, in no particular order:

9 months of sickness (AKA pregnancy)
Found out at 20 weeks that our gorgeous baby boy had bilateral club feet.
I moved from MN to WA permanently, big road trip across North Dakota, Montana, to transport my car etc.
We moved from G's apartment to a rental house. Various weekends spent looking for houses and lots of time spent packing/unpacking.
Purchasing new furniture/electronics for the house.
I traveled twice to Minnesota to visit my parents
G went to China twice (work related)
Trip to Cancun, Mexico (last vacation before baby)
G went to California for work twice, I joined him once and we visited my best friend in San Jose and his cousin's family.
Lots of dinner parties & outings with various friends.
I worked from home (on a contract).
A trip to Vancouver with friends (G's work related)
Weekend road trips to Cascades, Leavenworth, Lake Chelan, etc.
Baby shower weekend, two of my close friends and brother visited.
Baby Om arrived. My Mom visited for 2 weeks and then G's Mom came to stay for a while.

G took the day off Wednesday to hang out at home. In the morning I gave G his anniversary gift. Later, we had dinner at an Italian place in Snoqualmie, WA and then we went to Roaring River Bed & Breakfast in North Bend, WA. It was nice to get away from baby duties, especially since G's Mom is here to take care of Om so we did not have to place him with a babysitter. Nevertheless, I missed Om. :-)

Happy Thanksgiving

2008-11-27T22:28:00.000-08:00

I've been seeing them all over Facebook and the internet...reasons to be thankful. Made me start thinking as well. It's time to make another wonderful fantastic list! I am thankful for: (in no particular order)

My parents and brother, who have supported me, give me freedom to be myself (this is the most important...I can't stress how crucial it is to be yourself at all costs!), and lots of laughter, even if we don't agree most of the time.
My friends, who give me courage to stay strong, vent my feelings, and express myself.
My husband, for his love, affection, support, and patience.
My baby, because not everyone can have children and not everyone has the joy that comes with seeing your baby change and grow.
For acquaintances, for quietly helping me enrich my life and give me moral support at random times in life.
Ex - friends / boyfriends, for teaching me lessons and letting me make mistakes to help me get a better understanding of myself and what is important in life.
The health of my loved ones, my pets, and myself.
Always having something to eat, that tastes GOOD, place to sleep, bed to sleep, blankets, and enought money to pay most of my bills.
Laptop, cell phone, internet, TV, electricity, heat, good soap/toiletries, car, clothes (you get the idea)
My education
BOOKS, BOOKS, BOOKS...libraries.
privilege to vote, apply for any job.
SLEEP.

The End. :-)

P.S...in the above picture, isn't a little creepy that Snoopy is serving turkey (a bird) while his friend Woodstock, who is ALSO a bird, hovers above him? WEIRD.

Magic Shoes

2008-11-24T10:46:00.000-08:00

"Momma said they was my magic shoes, they'd take me anywhere"

--Forrest Gump

Reglan Sucks

2008-11-21T16:17:00.000-08:00

Reglan, or the generic version metoclopramide, is sometimes used in nursing mothers to increase the prolactin levels and thereby increase the milk supply.

I hate this medication. Don't get me wrong, it really works...compared to all the herbal products I've tried, this is the one item that will show results in as little as a 1 day. However, while it may help increase milk production, but it may do so while increasing the incidence of anxiety, depression, headaches, stomach cramps, diarrhea and sleepiness in the mother.

A depressed mother who is continously going to the bathroom and is so drowsy she falls asleep while doing normal chores (driving, feeding baby) is not a healthy thing for the baby (or for other family members), no matter how much milk he is getting out of the situation.

It took me about a month to find the pattern. When I took Reglan, I was so unhappy. At first I blamed it on general post partum blues, but then I found that when I was off of the medication I was in a better mood overall and didn't fret needlessly over Om. And when I say fret, I really mean FRET...I would imagine all sort of wild scenarious of what could possibly happen to my baby. Om falling off the bed, suffocating, getting burned, tumbling down the stairs with me, getting overheated, too cold, getting smushed, drowning, you name it. And I know these worries are normal, especially with new inexperienced Moms, but I was REALLY worried, more so than was normal. Constantly dreaming of these situations is not healthy. And then Reglan made me more emotional & tired overall so the crankiness factor also played in.

Anyway I'm tempted to take it again once in a while to get the milk going, but I am warning Moms who decide to take this medication. There is another medication called domperidone that is not approved by the FDA but widely used in Canada, but I have no experience with it.

Another breast feeding post

2008-11-21T16:06:00.000-08:00

I am not going to get into it too much, because 1) It's depressing; and 2) I feel so guilty.

But, I have learned a great deal in the past three months about breast feeding. How come no one ever told me it would be so difficult? I've sort of comes to terms with it now though...at least my baby got SOME b-milk the first 3 months of his life. And he will continue to get a little bit more each day until Mom can't take it anymore.

There are so many foods and herbs to eat, so many ways of pumping and latching, such specific "techniques" to encourage milk flow and have the baby suck properly.

I took it for granted that it would just work. My baby would come out of my womb and magically grab onto the breast and suck like there was no tomorrow. Little did we know!

I can't even blame my Mom or Mom in Law. They had no advice because in their time everything worked so smoothly. They had no idea of the concept of pumping, or Le Leche Leagues, or that a baby can have a weak sucking reflex and the Mom can have inverted nipples.

Okay, anyway. In the next post I'm going to get into the horrible medicine called Reglan.

One Good Thing

2008-11-21T15:54:00.000-08:00

Is there ANY positive aspect to your baby having a bar lodged between his stiff leathery shoes 23/7?

The diaper changes. It is SO much easier to hold both feet together when we wipe his little tush. Just grab the bar and lift!

People surprise me

2008-11-20T16:08:00.000-08:00

The other day had a major craving for a vanilla latte from Starbucks. Decided to go through the drive-thru, BAD idea when I ended up waiting more than 20 minutes! (I couldn't back out because there were drivers behind me). Well some lady in front of me was having some issues with her coffee so that was the reason we were being held up. After having a baby, I HATE having to wait for anything...I'm always in a rush to get in and get out of any store etc so I can get back home quickly. So I was in turmoil waiting, thinking of all the things I needed to do when I got home and if MIL needed to go for a nap/walk.

But, once I got the coffee, the server said the lady before me had already paid for my drink as a way to make up for my wait. How nice!

There is hope for people after all. :-)

My Boyfriend

2008-11-19T21:23:00.000-08:00

Om, AKA chipmunk, AKA my boyfriend, turned 3 months on Tuesday. He is a smiley, giggly child who loves to look around at the surroundings and also excerise his lungs with lovely baby talk. Sometimes he gets REALLY loud. His favorite time of the day to babble is early in the morning. Often times I will wake up to him talking in his bassinet, and if it is before 6am I just feed him and put him back to bed while I go to sleep. He continues babbling until Grandma comes and gets him for his bath. :-)

Sweet picture of my baby!

"I like to wear my hat to the side, very fashion conscious." Sweet dreams.

All giggles for Grandma!

"This book is SO fascinating."

"Umm did you want something? I was in the middle of reading my book!"

Monthly Update

2008-11-19T20:46:00.000-08:00

I have been so lazy with updating the blog, it's been too long...I keep thinking of things during the day to blog about and then never get around to actually posting. Meh. Of course now I've forgotten all the stuff I wanted to blog. Oh well.

The above picture is from Diwali (Hindu Festival of lights). We got all dressed up for a party, I had fun trying to wear a silk sari (one of the saris I recieved during our wedding). Got some much needed help from a friend (thanks Amrita!). Om wore a traditional outfit that was a bit on the large size for him.

We also celebrated Halloween by handing out candy to kids in our neighborhood. Om wore his very first costume, a little mouse. We had SO MUCH fun with him in costume...Does little mousey need some milk? Is mousey wousey sleepy? Hehe.

Picture of my two favorite men. G went to Behjing for a week for work, so Om, Grandma and I spent a week together. It was interesting because, without G around, we ended up going to bed at 8pm every night! Too funny.

ELECTION DAY - I exercised my right to vote on Nov 4th at a local church. Due to my last name change there was a bit of confusion (my driver's license still has my maiden name), but the election official (really old man who could barely see) decided to let me vote based on my YMCA membership card. Hehe.

I usually vote for the issues and not the people, but I just love that a skinny dark dude with a funny name was elected. Gives me hope for my children. :-)

Short Post

2008-11-09T15:16:00.000-08:00

Okay so I haven't had a chance to do some "proper" blogging for over a week now...my last few posts have been pretty random!

To Do:

- Upload pics from past 2 weeks (for some reason when I sit down to the computer the camera card is several feet away from me - usually upstairs or downstairs!)

- Write updates for past couple of holidays.

- Update the blog roll list (need to add several new blogs, some are for desi mom's and some for club foot blogs)

Meme

2008-11-06T21:36:00.000-08:00

Got this from chubbymummy's blog at www.chubbymummy.wordpress.com... feel free to copy and make your own list to share!

8 TV Shows I Love to Watch:
I don't watch much TV, hate being addicted to shows! I'm a random channel surfer. But if I must list some:

- Seinfeld
- Simpsons
- South Park (hilarious)
- Project Runway
- Top Chef
- Oprah
- The Office
- Random shows on TLC

8 Favorite Places to Eat:

- My Mom's house
- My own kitchen
- Cheap Mexican places (Chipotle, Taco Bell, etc)
- Gas Stations (yes, seriously...I love cheap coffee & slushies)
- I'm not very creative in this section...I'm usually open to eating most places!

8 Things That Happened Yesterday:

- 45 minutes on the elliptical trainer
- Grocery shopping (how I hate thee)
- Got through 2 hours of a lecture DVD on a home study course for the patent bar exam.
- Gave Chipmunk a bath
- Ate too much random stuff
- Forgot to call Chipmunk's doctor (again)
- Blogged
- Vented my feelings about motherhood to a fellow Mom for an hour on the phone.

8 Things I Look Forward To:

- Sleeping straight through the night (both me and Om)
- Sleeping in the same bed with G on a regular basis.
- Becoming a nuclear family again. (Extended version at the moment)
- Chipmunk holding his head up ALL the time with ease
- Chipmunk being able to wear the brace for only 12 hours a day (down from 23 hrs).
- Warm weather
- Passing the patent bar exam
- Starting work again

8 Things I Love About Fall:

- The color of the trees
- Pumpkins and Squashes
- Socks
- The fireplace
- Hot chai
- Hot coffee
- Charlie Brown TV Specials
- Fallen leaves

8 Things on my Wish List:

- Housekeeper
- A daughter
- A huge brick home with seperate living quarters for visiting parents
- Weekly Massages
- Chipmunk's feet no longer needs the brace.
- Laser surgery for permanent body hair removal
- Job that I can work from home
- A house in India

8 Things I’m Passionate About (not in specific order):

- My independance (generic, I realize)
- Getting my nails done (hehe)
- Fairness (no one getting the short end of the stick)
- My baby
- My husband
- Dogs and small furry creatures
- Being a helpful person

8 Words or Phrases I Use Often:

- Okay
- I don't know
- I guess
- So...
- ...But...(ending sentences with the word)
- f***!
- Cool
- Eh.

8 Things I Have Learned From My Past:

- Memorize...Memorize...Memorize.
- Time heals all wounds.
- Get it in writing.
- Write that email, and then delete it.
- You plan, God laughs. Hard.
- Be appreciative, (through words or actions).
- Thank God for unanswered prayers.
- Help others.

8 Places I Would Love to Go or See or Visit:

- Ireland
- Hawaii
- Alaska
- Australia
- African Safari
- The Moon
- The Past
- The Future

8 Things I Currently Need or Want:

- naps
- lose 30 lbs
- privacy
- more exercise clothes
- a trip to the salon for various things
- for chipmunk's doctor to return my call
- hubbie to return from work trip to China
- a massage

Post Partum Support?

2008-11-05T15:53:00.000-08:00

Here is one conversation I had with someone that made me change how I think of her:

Me: I heard that M is about to have her baby, can you give my regards to her and tell her that the terrible symptoms will soon pass and if she's feeling a bit depressed it's totally understandable?

Her: Depressed? Why would she feel depressed?

Me: It's the life changes and hormonal fluctuations...I went through something similar, it's called the post partum blues.

Her: You were depressed? How come you never told me?

Me: You never asked.

Her: Wow if I had a baby I would be euphoric with happiness.

Me: Good for you.

Blah

2008-10-28T10:44:00.000-07:00

Post Partum Weight Loss

2008-10-27T23:58:00.000-07:00

Starting weight 10-27-08 : 168 lbs (Need to face the music) (Not sharing body fat %...too scary for Halloween)

Goal weight: 145 lbs

It's a serious birth defect folks!

2008-10-27T15:53:00.000-07:00

Before Om, I had no idea what it meant to have club feet. To me, all foot and leg braces were the same. Now I realize that there are so many variations in the type of lower extremity birth defects. Some are more severe than others, and some are accompanied by other birth defects in different parts of the body. Each type of defect has a specified type of treatment which may or may not include a brace/special shoes.

Club feet is just one category of lower extremity birth defect. Within club feet there are variations in severity and also in what caused the condition. For instance, children can be born with bilateral or unilateral clubbed feet, with severe, moderate, or mild severity. There are also atypical club feet which are very difficult to treat. Om has bilateral club feet with moderate severity. The docs said it is an isolated (no other issues in Om) genetic problem. There was nothing we could do or could have done better (such as changing the diet etc). Om wasn't "cramped" inside me (he had plenty of room to kick the bejeezus out of his Mom).

Thus, I understand when people who hear about club feet for the first time say things like "Oh don't worry my cousin's friend's brother had this and he just wore special sandals and is totally fine now." How do they know it was club feet and not some other milder deformity that was easily fixed with special sandals? They don't, yet they are trying to be supportive and give us hope. So I listen. :-)

I also listened when my parents said that Om would "miracously" be healed in the womb due to prayer. They were convinced that club feet could be healed via intense prayer and that when Om was born we'd have a pleasant surprise. I knew in my heart that this would not be the case (I trust science too much) but I let them pray for my baby. They were just worried for their grandchild.

I listened when my mother in law conducted a puja (prayer) ceremony in her house in India and had a priest pray for the baby for several weeks after. Although I didn' t like the idea of the money spent, I didn't mind since she was just trying what she knew best.

What I don't listen to are when people say things like:

"You didn't get enough vitamins. You should have eaten (insert random food here) so that your baby would have normal feet."
"You didn't sleep in the correct position."
"Malnutrition causes this."
"You must have bent in an unusual position thus the baby's feet twisted inward."
"You should have prayed more during the pregnancy."

(These comments are actually quite entertaining at times. I can't wait to see what comments we get when we take Om to India for the first time in March).

Club Foot Gene Found

2008-10-27T15:44:00.000-07:00

This is fascinating. Neither G nor I know of anyone on either side of our families that has club feet. However, the physician told us (at the 5 month ultrasound) that our case was most likely genetic.

Gene Plays Key Role in Clubfoot
Finding could lead to tests, therapies, experts say
-- Robert Preidt

MONDAY, Oct. 27 (HealthDay News) -- The first gene linked to clubfoot has been identified by researchers at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, who analyzed the DNA of 35 extended family members of a male infant with clubfoot.

Through their analysis, the study authors concluded that a mutation in a gene called PITX1 -- which is critical for early development of lower limbs -- was responsible for the condition. The mutation was found in all 13 affected family members and in three carriers who showed no clinical symptoms.

Other genes may also play a role in clubfoot, but this finding is an initial step toward improved genetic counseling and the development of new therapies, the researchers said. The study appears in the Nov. 7 issue of the American Journal of Human Genetics.

"To our knowledge this report is the first evidence for PITX1 mutation in human disease," Dr. Christina Gurnett, an assistant professor of neurology, of pediatrics and of orthopedic surgery, said in a university news release. "Once we identified the mutation, we proved that all of the individuals in this family with lower extremity malformations also have the mutation. Having large families to work with is very helpful in genetic research."

Clubfoot, which affects about one in 1,000 newborns, is "a complex disorder meaning that more than one gene as well as environmental factors will be discovered to play a role in its [cause]," study senior author and clubfoot specialist Dr. Matthew Dobbs, an associate professor of orthopedic surgery, said in the news release.

In about 80 percent of clubfoot cases, the cause is unknown, while a familial link plays a role in about 25 percent of cases, according to background information about the study. Males are twice as likely as females to have clubfoot, which occurs more often in the right foot. About half of cases affect both feet.

Club Feet - Goodbye Casts, Hello Brace

2008-10-25T13:12:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was the chipmunk's (AKA Om) last day with the correcting casts. In this picture the casts are pretty dusty after 3 weeks of wear. I couldn't resist adding a few doodles to the casts.

My little surfer/snowboarder! In the above pic, the casts have been removed. He is wearing a brace (Dennis Brown Bar) that consists of corrective shoes and a metal bar to hold his feet in place. We have to keep the brace on Om 23 hours a day. The extra hour gets divided throughout the day for a bath and stretching of his feet (special stretches that the orthotics folks taught to us) These shoes are not easy to put back on once we've taken them off. They are leathery and stiff, and Om cries each time we squish his feet into them. The bar is heavy so Om needs to re-learn how to kick up his legs.

If we don't follow the prescribed treatment there is a good chance his feet will relapse into the clubbed position. We take Om back for a checkup in 3 months. I'm hoping the doctor will determine his feet are satisfactorily stable such that we can limit the brace to only nighttime. That will be a huge relief from taking off and putting on the brace during the day.

When I hold Om without his brace, I think to myself "This is what it feels like to have a normal baby." Sigh.

Karwa Chauth (a little late)

2008-10-22T22:21:00.000-07:00

Took me a few days to do a karwa chauth post. Karwa chauth is a Hindu holiday in which ladies fast all day and then eat at night. The fasting is for the long life of their husbands. I do it to participate with my Mom and Mom in law, and also to test how long I can go without eating. :-)

Here is a picture of me and Om all dressed up:

Here is a group pic:

An Ehem Moment

2008-10-22T14:56:00.000-07:00

From urbandictionary.com:

1. ehem
an expression used when you try to clearly explain something in a manner and bring your confidence up when actually you're feeling down.
ehem , i didn't mean to hurt you. :) ehem, it's for you.

At the Mommy & Me store the other day:

Me: Can I check these out here? (place baby clothes on counter)

Clerk: (size 0 teenage girl wearing leg warmers) Sure. So how many weeks along are you?

Me: Ehem. I already had my son 2 months ago.

Clerk: (embarressed & starts to ramble) Oh sorry...you know my sister she was pregnant and became really swollen. The swelling of the belly takes a long time to go down... (goes on and on about swelling)

Meh.

When you are having a bad day

2008-10-21T13:44:00.000-07:00

It doesn't mean you have to treat others disrespectfully. Especially if you are working in a customer service type job (where the whole point of working there is solving and explaining issues).

I just got off the phone with the King County Elections office (I needed to make a correction on my registration status). A lady was SO incredibly rude to me. I was asking her questions to explain to me why something was a certain way (won't get into details too boring) and she was silent...then said "How else can I help you?" I was confused to why she didn't answer my question, so asked her again. Then she said "Why are you arguing with me?" (At this point I was super confused, I thought I was being very polite). Then she had the nerve to say "There are something called deadlines" and proceeded to DEFINE to me what a deadline was (I had actually met the deadline, that wasn't the issue, she just didn't seem to understand what I was saying). I was shocked that a customer representative could be so rude, so I said "Look at that sarcasm, can I talk to your manager?" She put me on hold, then came back to say "I'm sorry the manager doesn't want to speak to people who don't understand. You won't be able to vote." THEN HUNG UP on me.

I started crying (post partum hormones are very much running through my veins) and then called the elections office back, and got a NORMAL person to talk to me. She assured me that everything with my voter registration status was fine, and that the person I had talked to previously obviously had something wrong with her. She went and told the supervisor what happened and he's looking into who could have been so rude.

Just a year ago...

2008-10-15T23:00:00.000-07:00

I was living in my parents house in MN. Everyday I would go to work 20 minutes away at an ecommerce company. I loooved working...discussing problems and challenges with my manager, interviewing engineers about their inventions, researching new technology, and ultimately prosecuting patent applications. I especially liked managing my own time and choosing which project I felt like working on at the moment.

I would come home fairly late since I preferred arriving at the office later in the day and staying late. I would eat dinner on my own and then go excersise, usually run around my parents neighborhood. Sometimes I'd call up my friend George and we'd run in his neighborhood or we'd use his punching bag in his steamy garage.

I'd probably get a phone call from G on his way back from work (due to different time zones). I'd lay on my bed and chat with him about our day. Then I would get ready for bed and go downstairs to the basement to do 500 jumprope.

It was a simple relaxing time, full of excitment for planning a trip to India for our wedding and the trip to London to see relatives. Lots of shopping, planning sessions with parents and friends, etc. I was physically full of energy and healthy. I was also planning a trip to Baltimore to see a college friend.

I was looking forward to moving to Washington, spending time with my new husband, and eventually going back to work for the same company in Minnesota (either by remote work or by traveling every week to MN). My goal was to take salsa lessons and do lots of experimental cooking, and go travel with my husband.

Then we got pregnant. :-) And now I'm always tired, have odd aches in my body, 30 lbs heavier than I was, living with a mother in law along with a new husband (no privacy), pressured to finish one more exam so that I can find a good job, just getting out of a post partum funk (baby blues) and have a 9 lb mini-me sleeping in the bassinet next to me.

Life is full of surprises. I'm just glad that they are happy surprises.

2 months

2008-10-15T18:14:00.000-07:00

Om turns 2 months old this weekend, and since I am SO bad at updating his activities on here on a timely basis, I'll just do it a few days early. :)

- Om coos and gurgles a lot now, talks to objects such as the toys in his baby gym. If in the mood, he talks to photographs and paintings on the wall.

- Om swats his hands at objects. I dont think he intentionally does it, but sort of randomly hits things in his way.

- Growing chubbier, taller, and cuter by the minute.

- My little man has a mustache. Takes after his Dad in body hair. :-)

- His hands are ALWAYS dirty no matter how many times we wash them.

- I remind myself of those primate mothers (chimpanzees, apes) that pick at their babies (and eat the bugs they find). I constantly remove eye boogers, nose boogers, dandruff, behind - the - ear - gunk, leftover milk cheese on his mouth, and finger lint. I've even bitten off his finger nails.

- Om hates sleeping during the day. Nuff said.

- Om makes the cutest frowny face when he's frustrated with something.

- Om has finally smiled intentionally. It usually happens once or twice a day when we are talking to him or when I find him talking to himself in his bassinet early in the morning. (I just wish he smiled more!! It would make all the work worthwhile).

- Om is finally eating regularily and finishes each bottle.

Don't forget to laugh

2008-10-15T17:40:00.000-07:00

Patent Bar

2008-10-14T17:13:00.000-07:00

Not very many attorneys take the patent bar exam because you need a science background (coursework and labs in a technical degree) in order to sit for the exam. The pass rate is about 50%, up from 33% a few years ago. It's still much lower than the normal state bar passing rates.

Out of 100 questions I need to get 70 questions right. It's an open book test consisting of 50 questions in the morning session and 50 questions in the afternoon session. Open book means the exam is just that much harder...and there is very little time to actually peruse the book and find solutions to the answers. However, memorizing the MPEP (manual for patent examining procedure) is not feasible...the book is redundant and extremely detailed on the rules and laws relating to patents and what they mean. Even if I were to go crazy and memorize it all, the rules get revised and updated every so often (which drives me bananas).

I have books from 2005 and I'm worried that I'm studying the wrong material since the MPEP has been revised a few times since then. Also, I don't know anyone personally who is taking this exam. At least in law school everyone had to take the state bar exam. Not everyone needs to take the patent bar, hence my frustration...how do I know if I'm on the right track?

I have a feeling I'll end up paying for a course so that I can get some structure and the most current material. I've tried looking in craigslist etc for people selling past exams but haven't had any success. My goal is to pass this exam by end of February.

Blargh.

Om Updates

2008-10-14T13:09:00.000-07:00

Om was given honey (I know, I know...risk for botulism) by his Grandma via his very own silver spoon and cup set. He smacked his lips afterwards.

A rare sight in our house...Om fast asleep. This little guy likes to wake up every hour and cause a ruckus (he gets really cranky due to lack of daytime sleep...aren't newborns supposed to sleep 14 hours a day? WHATEVER!!!) I think he takes after his Dad...has no idea of what it means to relax, and doesn't want to sleep.

Yummy hands. He's taken to putting his fingers in his mouth only to get frustrated when no milk is produced. I've tried putting the pacifier but he sucks on that for maybe 15 seconds before letting go.

Navrathri Puja - Invited young girls over and give them food and treats. I don't really like the puja part (my mom in law took care of that) but I liked making the little treat bags for the neighborhood girls. I'm glad the whole Navrathri week is over, too much random work involved. While growing up, my mom took care of a lot of these things and I would just need to show up for the puja. But with MIL, I need to help organize these events since she's not used to shopping and coordinating these things in the USA.

Om celebrated his grandma's birthday.

Tenotomy

2008-10-13T11:16:00.000-07:00

2 weeks ago Om had his achilles tendon on both feet snipped. The casts will remain on until end of October, and then he'll be fitted for special brace-like shoes. I can't wait to be done with the whole mess of casts. First, I hate going weekly to the doctor's office...second I hate not being able to feel his legs when he's in my arms, and third I miss giving him daily baths (casts can't get wet).

The mini-surgery went well, they first numbed his feet with a topical cream (he cried bloody murder while the nurse was manipulating his feet) and then Dr. Mosca (along with 2 doctors observing) cut the tendon quickly with a scalpal and then injected anesthesia into the incision. Then Om was re-casted. We gave him Tyenol with codeine for 24 hours to help with any pain. It was funny to see him react to the medication...he would drift off into la la land somewhere between sleep and awake...We had a very high baby during that day! :-)

Half my brain cells

2008-09-28T22:19:00.000-07:00

Went to my child during pregnancy. Grammar, spelling, all have gone down hill.

Famous People born with Club Feet

2008-09-28T22:15:00.000-07:00

Olympic goldmedal iceskating champions, football and baseball stars...

(From Wikipedia):

Many notable people have been born with club foot, including the Roman emperor Claudius, the poet Lord Byron, statesman Prince Talleyrand, Civil War politician Thaddeus Stevens, the comedian Damon Wayans, actors Gary Burghoff and Dudley Moore, footballer Steven Gerrard, mathematician Ben Greenberg, and film director David Lynch.[citation needed]
Kristi Yamaguchi was born with a club foot, and went on to win figure skating gold in 1992. Soccer star Mia Hamm was born with the condition. Baseball pitcher Larry Sherry was born with club feet, as was pitcher Jim Mecir, and both enjoyed long and successful careers. Pittsburgh Pirates infielder Freddy Sanchez cites his ability to overcome the defect as a reason for his success [7]. Dallas Cowboys quarterback Troy Aikman also overcame the condition en route to a Pro Football Hall of Fame career. Josef Goebbels, the notorious Nazi propaganda minister, had a right club foot (possibly incurred after birth as a complication of osteomyelitis)[8], a fact hidden from the German public by censorship. Because of this malformation, Goebbels needed to wear a leg brace. That, plus his short stature, led to his rejection for military service in World War I.

Does breastfeeding increase appetite?

2008-09-25T00:40:00.000-07:00

It's either that or the prescription medicine I've been taking to increase the milk supply.

(Do not assume from the title of this post that Om's breastfeeding has been extremely successful...we are still working on it, right now he just uses the brown eyes for between-meal snacks and soothing himself to sleep. Oh well.)

I packed up all my clothes so that I wouldn't get depressed looking at them. Few items remain in my closet that fit, but I am still finding stuff on a daily basis that I have to put in the "wait until 30 lbs lost" pile. Keep pondering joining weightwatchers again.

I highly doubt I'll lose weight with breastfeeding like many women do. As with most of my pregnancy experiences, I'll probably be in the small percentage of women who GAIN or maintain their weight and lose it after their babies are weaned.

Possessed

2008-09-23T22:39:00.000-07:00

I was talking to a friend yesterday and she was surprised (or shocked) that I let Om's grandma (my mom in law) take care of Om so much. She gives him his daily sponge bath/oil massage and then the weekly bath once his casts come off, then she feeds him twice in the morning and does her daily prayer with him in her arms, then has him listen to her religous chanting music (bhajans) with her. This all happens until 11 or 12noon, then I take over while she prepares lunch. The rest of the afternoon I mess around with Om until his Dad comes home, then we all pitch in to take care of Om. Needless to say we are all his servants. :-)

Anyway, back to my point...my friend was surprised that I "allowed" someone else take care of my baby so much. Today, for instance, I studied in the afternoon so Om was with Grandma almost all day (until 6pm). I guess I'm missing that posessive feeling...I really don't mind if Om's grandma takes care of him so much, as long as I get some time in the day with him (I already spend 5 nights a week with him since I'm on night duty).

Is it wrong to not be territorial about one's kid? I don't mind at all if Grandma or his Dad take care of him. Most kids figure out who Mom is anyway, especially if they breastfeed. I like having some time during the day to sleep, and now with my patent exam still pending I like not needing to put him in daycare so that I can go study for a few hours.

One month old baby cakes

2008-09-23T14:24:00.000-07:00

" Yo what's up later there's a party in my playpen, you should drop by...byob (bring your own bottle)"

"What is this nasty stuff Grandma is feeding me? I know I have a tummy ache but dang this stuff stinks! Thank goodness now Mom has to drink the stuff so that I get it by proxy."

(BTW it was fennel seed water...ajwain in Hindi...yeah yeah we aren't supposed to give baby anything besides milk but his grandma insisted)

Pondering life on Mom's chest. Lots to think about and analyze.

Little chipmunk passed out on a blanket...too cute.

"Need to have a serious talk with Mom about her choice of wardrobe for me."

"This is what I wore on my birthday, it was a gift from my uncle Varun." (who doesn't read this blog).

Club Feet Updates

2008-09-22T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today was Om's 5th casting in a series. We go every Monday to Children's Hospital in Seattle to see Dr. Vincent Mosca, one of the top orthopedic physicians in the area. Folks come from far and wide to see this doctor...I spoke to one lady last week who was there with her infant son and had to catch a flight back home afterwards. Imagine doing that weekly! Sheesh what we do for our kids. We are so blessed that we live fairly close to the hospital.

Om keeps the cast on all week long, then Monday morning G removes the casts from Om's legs. Om doesn't like getting the casts taken off so is a bit fussy during the process. Grandma (my mom in law) gets all wet in the bathtub with him for his weekly bath (we wash him daily with a washcloth because the casts can't get wet or soiled). He also gets an oil massage from grandma. I dry Om and dress him after his bath.

In the above pic, Om's feet are clearly turned inward. This is before the casting series.

In this pic, Om was getting his first casts applied by Dr. Mosca. (He's content in sucking the bottle in this pic, which is not always the case!)

Above Om is getting his casts removed by his Dad. Again, he's quiet, but usually he hates when his casts come off (probably feels funny to the little guy!).

Here's Om before today's visit to the hospital. You can see the difference between this picture and the first one...his feet aren't as twisted anymore.

His feet are still odd looking, but MUCH more normal than 5 weeks ago! All the extra folds of skin are a good sign...it means the foot is changing to a normal shape and he will eventually grow into the extra skin.

Next week a procedure called a tentotomy will be performed on both of his feet. His achilles tendons will be snipped and then a new cast applied to last 3 more weeks. Fingers are crossed that Om suffers through it like the brave trooper he has been...and that all this work eventually leads to healthy normal chubby cute feet! Please keep us in your prayers / positive thoughts!

Hallelujah

2008-09-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

After a month of trying, today Om successfully latched on to Mommy's boob.

For thirty whole minutes. And he had a mouthful of milk afterwards (I had to make sure there was actually something coming out!)

Fingers are crossed that this continues and the bottles will be put on the backburner for storage.

100th post and Birthday

2008-09-13T23:04:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post...yippee! I also turned 29 today...woot woot one year away from the big 30!

Let's see...what have I accomplished in 29 years? How about a fun list?:-) Time to brag and remind myself of what else I need to finish before turning 30! (This list could be VERY long, if you add all my failures, missteps, and learning experiences...so we'll just keep it simple).

1. Bachelor's of Science in Bio/Chem

2. Juris Doctor (JD) of Law (finished law school)

3. Admitted to the Washington State Bar

4. Got married.

5. Had a kid.

Before next September I want to pass the patent bar exam. I don't have any other goals, but I could easily add finding a job and losing 30 pounds of pregnancy weight here. I'm going to play that by ear, right now I'm in my first month post partum so it's hard to think that far!

One year ago I would never have guessed I would be living in a house with my CHILD, hubby, and mother in law. Ack!

We had a low key day for the birthday. I went to the temple with my mom in law (more for her than for me) and then had lunch at home. Later G took me for a couple's massage at a spa in Bellevue...it was relaxing, post partum you definetly need a massage! Thanks to the silly goose hubby for the gift! Muah I love you.

Infant Sleep

2008-09-12T15:14:00.001-07:00

Infant Sleep

2008-09-12T15:12:00.001-07:00

Remembering 9 / 11

2008-09-12T15:08:00.000-07:00

I was in my senior year of undergrad, and I woke up late in the morning in my shared co-ed apartment. I walked into our shabby living room and turned on the TV to see the news on every channel, scenes of people falling off the buildings.

Was freaky ...

Prayers (or positive energy) go out to those who lost someone they loved.

Recent Reads

2008-09-11T15:48:00.001-07:00

Takes me much longer to finish a book now!

The Palace of Illusions - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni

Sharmila's Book - Bharti Kirchner

One Night at the Call Center - Chetan Bhagat

Thank heaven for Swings!

2008-09-11T14:33:00.000-07:00

The only reason I am able to read my email, blog, and check facebook. :-)

Labor and Drugs

2008-09-09T22:37:00.000-07:00

I didn't take Demerol or any sort of narcotic, but I did get the epidural during Om's birth. This scene isn't very accurate (why is John Travolta in scrubs and a mask? and 5 to 6 cm dialated is fine for drugs) but it's cute to see the baby acting high inside her (and I sympathize with her intolerance to the pain...you don't understand until you are actually in that moment!).

Updates

2008-09-07T19:41:00.000-07:00

Update on Om:

Om is now 3 weeks old. He is still adjusting to a sleep schedule. Today, for instance, he has only slept in small fits. Otherwise he demands to be held and rocked to sleep.

He has oohed and aahed a little bit, but is very alert and watches the surrounding scenery. Yesterday evening we took him shopping and then to a friend's house for dinner. He was extremely aware of everyone and everything. I think he gets a bit too stimulated at times, because the remaining night he slept very little.

His feet are doing better, but the casts annoy the little guy. Tomorrow will be his 3rd casting. Last time he cried bloody murder, and wouldn't even take the bottle. A nurse showed up with a binky and sweet gripe water, which he took for a little while before spitting it out. I can't bear to see him cry that hard, but I think he's a bit of a drama queen. He cries equally hard with the casts as he does when we check his temperature! Sheesh.

I'm also don't know what to do about his gassiness. He kicks his feet and arches his back, and spits up, then cries. I've tried adding Gas X to his formula and breastmilk, but it doesn't seem to change his behavior that much.

Update on his parents:

Mom got a much needed sleep break this weekend. G spent Friday and Saturday night with Om while I slept a straight 8 hours. It was GREAT to sleep through the night without needing to get up. However I still need to find some "me" time...sleeping is great, but spending all the waking hours on baby, watching whatever everyone else watches (which is either sports or desi television), and small household chores gets a bit old. I am blogging while simultaneously rocking baby with one hand (he's been moody). Mom in law managed to go out for a walk and socialize a bit, plus watched our wedding videos and do her daily pujas. She has been a great help, making most of the meals. Dad went out for 4 hours to the gym and shopping, plus watched his games and worked from home. I have managed to do one load of laundry, but our bedroom is still needing some serious organizing, which I wanted to do today but oh well. Otherwise I have been bound to the living room with baby, pumping and feeding and doing small kitchen chores. I have managed to check email and chat with my sister in law. Otherwise I am still sitting here without a shower at 8pm. I wanted to go out for a run and get some excersise, but oh well. Maybe tomorrow....but tomorrow is full of baby's doctor appointment, then the maid (thank god I hired them, I don't care how much it costs!) is coming at 2pm and I need to follow her around the house while she works.

Goals for this week:

I want to get out and start excersising.

I want to re-open my books for the patent bar and continue studying. Even if just for a little bit.

I want to get rid of Om's infection in his mouth...that requires diligent application of his medicine, 4 times a day. He gets extremely cranky each time it's applied, so it has to be timed just right.

2 Weeks

2008-09-01T22:59:00.000-07:00

Baby Om is two weeks old today. His umbilical chord stump fell off this evening, right on schedule. I was supposed to be cleaning it with rubbing achohol but didn't realize until today after I researched it on the internet, so I hope there is no infection...woops! Sorry Om, your Mom is quite the space cadet lately.

His sleep schedule is pretty random, which we think is normal for this age. He got his first casts put on last week with Dr. Mosca (the pediatric orthopedic surgeon at Children's Hospital). Poor guy is used to kicking his feet and doing the bicycle, so having those heavy casts on his legs isn't very pleasant, to say the least. He was very fussy the first day of the cast, but has progressively gotten used to the sensation of the fiberglass casts.

Physically for me, I still feel pregnant. Nothing much has changed in my body except that my stomach is flatter (if you can call it that) and my heartburn/swelling is gone. Otherwise I still have the horrible itch (PUPPS) and the rhinitus is actually getting worse. I'm sitting here in bed with a pile of tissues next to me, very reminscent of early pregnancy in the 2nd trimester (the trimester from Hell, as I like to call it). Also, I'm having plenty of post-partum cramping that gets worse with each breast pumping session. Naseau is also making a comeback...I constantly drink different types of liquids (water, juice, diet coke) to try to change the nasty taste in my mouth and keep me from running to the toilet.

*Sigh* Deep down I know it's all due to breast pumping. If I weren't breast pumping, my body would slowly go back to normal and all the hormones would leave my body once and for all.

The worst part of my day is the feeding schedule. Honestly, I would rather just feed Baby Om formula. That way I wouldn't be bothered with the whole pumping scenario every two to three hours. I have to pump because Om doesn't latch on...he fusses and gets very upset whenever we try to breastfeed. I have to keep on trying, however...apparently there is still a chance that the baby can latch on despite being on bottles.

I hate the two little pumps I attach to my breasts. I can't do anything else while pumping besides stare at whatever television show my husband has decided to watch. Also, I have to simultaneously massage myself to get more milk...it just gets so stressful to hope for 3 ounces of breast milk each time. In the morning I get 3 ounces, then progressively during the day the amount decreases. At first I was also pumping at night, but that got to be too much craziness for me, so I've decided to only pump between 6 am and 10 pm. That way the night time schedule is excusively changing diapers and feeding him formula.

For foods that increase milk production, I'm taking Fenugreek capsules several times a day and eating some Indian concoction that both my Mom and MIL made...Mom's is a sweet mix of gram flour with ground nuts and dried fruits, and MIL's is similar except it has a lot of ginger.

My breasts ache with what I think is engorgment...but I still don't produce enough to give Om exclusively breast milk.

Anyway, in summary it's guilt that drives me to continue pumping. I know breast milk is best for baby's health, so I will suffer for 3 more months (yes, only 3) before deciding whether to continue pumping or switch excusively to formula. Babies need breast milk, but babies also need normal mother's who are not going bananas mentally. I also want to ENJOY my time with my baby, not constantly stress over the amount of milk he's getting or how crappy I'm feeling with the hormones surging through my body.

Birth Story

2008-08-29T18:04:00.000-07:00

Saturday, August 16th, (a day after my dehydration stay in the hospital) was pretty good...no contractions. The night before we had friends over and I was able to eat decently despite the day full of naseau, that's why I think I was able to stand the next day. It was the Hindu holiday of Rakhi, so I tied G's rakhi on his wrist and G did the same for me (in his household it's customary for the brother's wife to get a rakhi as well). Afterwards, G and I went to the North Bend mall to do some cloth shopping for G. We also stopped to do some farmer's market shopping and grocery. Below is a pic of me right as we are leaving to go shopping. I was enormous. Probably around 188 to 191 lbs. The weather that day was wonderfully sunny. We had a flat tire along the way back home so our plans for an evening movie were canceled.

Sunday, August 17th was normal enough, Mom had arrived the night before from Minnesota. She cooked lunch (yay desi okra) and then in the afternoon we decided to take Mom to the Cascade mountain range, about 5 hours from where we currently live. In the morning I started feeling light contractions, but I knew that this was just random practice labor and decided to be risky and drive far off where there is no cell phone reception a day before my due date. :-) Of course we didn't tell Mom how I was feeling, if she had known she would never have agreed to such a long drive. Below is a pic of us at a pass in the Cascades.

By the end of the day, I had to really pace myself because I was having contractions every 30 minutes, and my whole lower region was achy feeling and I walked at a snail's pace. I was also really craving liquids, especially gas station slushies. :-) We came back at night and I barely ate dinner (I think I put on more of a "show" that I was eating dinner just to satisfy G and keep him from getting on me about not eating). Everyone went to bed, and I began having more painful contractions every 20 minutes or so. They were still bearable, but I was unable to sleep the entire night. I kept a log of the contractions while G slept peacefully besides me (halfway through the night I started moaning and of course woke up G with each contraction).

By 4 am, Monday the 18th, I woke G and told him we definetly need to go to the hospital, I didn't care if we didn't match the 5-1-1 (5 minutes apart, lasting a minute, for an hour) rule, they were getting too painful. So we woke up Mom and all 3 of us headed to Overlake. They checked me into a room, and the most annoying nurse came into help me. She checked my cervix and I started crying out of pain, she took WAY too long to measure the cervix (most people pop their fingers in and out, she took her sweet time). G and Mom were holding my hands the whole time. The annoying nurse told me I was 3 cm dialated and could have the baby now if my OBGYN popped the bag. Luckily my OBGYN was at the hospital at the time (I love the docs at this hospital, they show up for everything!) so he dropped by and discussed my options. I told him I wanted a chance for the bag to break on it's own, so Mom and I dropped G off at work and then Mom drove me back home. I was VERY much in pain by then, so Mom had to deal with a very moody and crabby daughter giving her directions back home. Back at home I took a LONG hot shower and beared through 4 hours of intense contractions. I tried reading, watching TV, anything to get my mind off the pain. G actually had the balls to ask me if I could take the car to the autoshop to get the spare tire changed (from our flat tire on Sunday) while I was writhing in pain at home. Obviously, that didn't happen. :-)

At 1pm Mom and I left for my afternoon appointment (I had originally had a 40 week checkup with the OBGYN scheduled). G was supposed to meet me there after he had lunch with a friend. G was 15 minutes late and I was pretty mad, but in so much pain that I really didn't care to bitch about it. The doctor was also late. The doctor said I was a whopping 7 cm dialated by then, so it meant baby was ready to come that day. The nurses in the clinic were excited and we all said goodbye and headed to the hospital. In the labor room a super nice nurse, Corey, helped me get ready for the epidural. I wanted an epidural more for rest...I had been contracting strongly the whole day and night before so had very little patience and strenght left in me. I changed into my own gown, and then the anesthesiologist had me curl up in a c shape and did the needle work. The oddest popping feeling followed. A student from a tech school came in to assist Corey, her name was Danita and she was also sweet and even cried at the end of the labor when Om was born.

So basically I had done 75% of the labor at home. The epidural was GREAT...God bless the person who invented it. I could still feel sensations in my legs and the urges to push. I still needed a catheter to use the bathroom, however, and getting that put in HURT. (I figured out I'm a big baby when it comes to anything below my waist...I would rather get 10 IV's put in my arm than go through an internal exam or catheter inserted).

Om kept playing with the umbilical cord while inside me, so his heart rate kept jumping up and down which concerned the nurses and had me turning sides to get his heart rate back up. Eventually I was a full 10 centimeters dialated and my OBGYN showed up to do the delivery. I pushed for 20 to 30 minutes, and then Om was born. He had a 3 feet umbilical cord (really long) wrapped around his neck, and he was covered with a film of meconium of greenish color. Apparently he had a bowel movement about a month back, hence the film. Due to that the doctor didn't put Om on my stomach, instead he was whisked off for some checking. I heard Om cry and saw him through my legs briefly. I was in a weird state of mind at that time, and was focused on the pain from the OBGYN stitching me up, so I really didn't mind anyway.

G was holding one leg of mine up the whole time, and the OBGYN was holding the other leg up while attending to the labor. My mom and the two nurses were near my head and giving me encouragement for pushing. G had a very close view of the labor, which I really didn't want to happen, I wanted him to be near my head giving me encouragment, but in the heat of the moment the doctor told him to hold my leg up and things started moving so fast that there was no time to adjust people's positions. But the good thing is that G knows how many breaths Om took before crying, how he looked right as he emerged. That is really special and I'm glad someone saw all that, despite how dirty it can be down there during labor. The nurses mentioned that the labor was really dramatic...I'm not sure how, but I guess all the people around me and how fast things went made the scene dramatic.

The OBGYN had to use an internal monitor on Om during the pushing phase to keep track of his heartbeat. He also used a vacuum to turn Om's head a bit. Om now has a slight bump at the back of his head, hopefully that'll go away soon!

Baby Om

2008-08-22T23:27:00.000-07:00

Born August 18th, 2008, at 8:13pm (his due date). :-) He's as sweet as can be, and cute as all heck. Mom must keep from eating him.