Little joys of self capturing!

Baby G has learnt so many songs by watching the iPad. He has started prompting me with the first word of the next line I'm going to sing. Here is how I found out. 

I sang Amma Ingey vaa vaa - a Classic Tamil rhymes to teach kids the Tamil vowels (a, aa, e, ee..) I sang a few lines and forgot the next mid-way And then he prompted me. 

And here are the bloopers after trying to record the entire song. Take 20 and Baby G got bored.

First movie with Baby G

You cannot take Tamil out of a Tamilian. Even those who haven't uttered a word in Tamil in years will use their abusive vocabulary when in a fight. Well, one more thing you cannot take out of a Tamilian is Rajinikanth. For me, Kamal hassan also. We were celebrating Daddy Gs birthday and our anniversary a day earlier so we decided to catch the newest Rajinikanth movie Kochadayan on 3D. We decided to take the risk of taking Baby G to the theatre. We knew it would be loud and noisy. If he got scared, we decided to bail. To our surprise he sat through the entire movie with just one poop complain. No poop came. ;) we couldn't be happier.

He obviously couldn't wear those huge 3D glasses but took one for himself anyway. Here's us celebrating Daddy G's 28th birthday and our 4th anniversary. Baby G's first movie! 

Blogger on my phone.

Dear Lord, where have I been without this one.

Its going to be great posting from here. Cheers!

Birthday Book

I bought this amazing birthday book from Amazon last week. Starting from birth, till the baby turns 18 every birthday moments are captured with additional fun stuff included for parent and child. There is a time capsule where the parents puts together a bunch of things for the baby to see later on. A hoarder like me would love this book! It comes with a special note from the parent to the child when the child turns 18! 

First little vehicle...

Baby G's first cycle came last weekend. We were so overjoyed with it. He still doesn't know how to pedal.. It going to take him at least 6 months to ride it like a beginner but we couldn't resist buying it right away. It looked perfect for him. Till he learns to ride it we decided to make him learn to sit on its seat without back support. He was quick and in two days he has learned to sit. Another six months, I'm sure he will learn to pedal. Till then we plan on having our evening walks and play dates.

Starting this week, we plan on collecting flowers during our walks. It's summer and all trees on our road are abloom and we're making the most of the local beauty here. 

 A baby needs to be at least 2 years or more to ride it but we are overexcited parents and we don't care. Voila! This is Baby G's new cycle.

Soon I'm expecting him to zoom past me during our evening walks. Cannot wait! 

LOL.. Actually Laughing Out Loud.

Today is one such day which all of us at home will never forget. One, because it's going to be a tale for years to come. Two, because we all laughed so much. 

So, this bank employee had come home to get a few signatures from my mother in law. Baby G and his cousin were playing outside near the gate. ( which is where everyone removes their footwear before they enter home). After all the paperwork was done, the bank guy had to leave and we were all outside and he was just blinking. Padhu thought he couldn't wear his shoes standing up, so he offered him a chair. The guy just kept blinking. We all then realised one of his socks were missing. We all immediately turned to the two kids. My niece said the both of them never touched it. We still looked at then and she told us they hadn't hidden it as well. I asked. Baby G if he took it and he said no. Somehow in my head, the two of them made the perfect team for a prank like that. 

For about three minutes we didn't see the missing sock. Padhu offered the guy a fresh pair of socks. The gentleman politely refused and wore his shoes commando and almost left when I saw the sock in the middle of the road. He picked it up himself and thanked everyone and left. The car may have crossed the house a few metres when we all burst into this boisterous laugh. It was so funny cause the kids started clapping and joining in too! I see a team of pranksters in the making.

Bali Beckons.

There is a solid 6 week gap before Baby G makes his first flight abroad, but excitement has gotten over me. We are going to Bali for 6 days to attend the Inner Wheel AGM. It's going to be his first beach, first flight, first dip in a pool and I'm hoping many more firsts. As scary as all these firsts sound now, I'm totally excited about having a fun trip with him. We got an excitement hit last Sunday and did some pool accessories shopping for Baby G. 

It's going to be one of those trips where he sees much more than home and my parents home. He is beginning to talk so much now, I cannot wait to go on this trip. Before this trip I'm hoping to get a big list accomplished..

- get him to forget the 'thottil' (cloth cradle) 

- get him used to a pool 

- potty train him (this one is BIG)

- plan and pack light. 

Since this one is an ambitious list, Daddy G has offered to help with the packing light. We plan on going with just one cabin luggage and one hand luggage. No iPods, no iPads, no office, no home, no shopping lists. Just us, friends and Bali and the memories to come off it. The mad photo lover that I'm, I've decided not to carry my dslr. Yes. Cause one baby at a time. Daddy G will carry it for himself. 

Dreaming beachy. 

Before this beautiful Bali plan, I have a packed two months. Padhu turns 29, Padhu and I turn 4 as a couple, my dad's 60th birthday, two best friends get married, one In karaikudi and one in Cochin. There is travel, there is fun, there are pictures, there is music, there is love. The next two month forecast is raining enjoyment! How is yours?! 

The age gap talk.

Over the weeks, during our evenings walks, Baby G has been enjoying playing with the neighbourhood kids - it being summer vacation and all. There are so many kids around home so he enjoys evening walks. I choose to spend summers here for this one reason. Mothers around me keep giving advice and suggestions on medical care, baby food and whatever they can. Baby G is quite a hit with most of these moms - which baby isn't?! He enjoys the attention -better to while it lasts! 

Most moms around keep saying that having another baby before Baby G turns 3 is the best option. They keep telling me that an age gap of two years is the best for siblings to grow. I think they are right but I don't think that option would be for me. They all keep telling me that an age gap of 5 years is too long and the siblings won't bond well. Most of them even tell me that it becomes easier for me to 'finish' off this mommy work in the next 5 years. I'm Mommy even after that, but anyway. 

 I would never consider my child as 'work' or an activity to do. I keep wondering why people have been believing that a bigger age gap doesn't allow the siblings to bond. My brother and I are five years apart and we are great! I had three years to dote on him while I worked in google. He would want to go for a movie in chennai, and  would book the tickets online in Hyderabad. I love to dote on him and I'm appropriately protective. I would have been so even if we were just two years apart. 

Siblings will be siblings not matter what their age gap is. I know sisters born 21 years apart. The older sister has two children of her own but doesn't fail as a sister. 

No amount of age gap can stop one from loving a sibling. 

Ten things that I learned from my mother.

The beauty and the character comes from the genes. There is much more that a mother gives to her child without her knowledge. There are many times when the family says, 'just like your mother'. Here are the ten things I learned from my mother..

1. When given a choice, take your time and then choose.
2. Every decision in your life belongs to you. Don't put it in somebody else's hands.
3. Be in charge of your finances.
4. When you take something from its place, put it back.
5. The lesser the items, the lesser the clutter. Don't hoard.
6. Many times, make an adjustment with someone else for your own good.
7. If you can learn something new, learn it. Don't analyse how useful it will be later.
8. Family is who you go home to. Who you lived for. Do it your way though.
9. It's okay to break the rules sometimes, just be careful.
10. Mango pickle.

Happy Mother's Day!

I woke yesterday with my mum's phone call. He was saying, 'bring him here, I want to spend some time with him.' I was barely awake and then I taught. Baby G to say 'Happy mothers day' and after he wished my mum, I got him ready and dropped him off at mums by 1. As soon as he got off my hands, he ran to his toy box at mums and then he never realised I was leaving. I spent the entire day with my husband visiting family and friends and then attended a birthday party. We reached mums at around 9pm and he still hadn't realised I was not around. He looked at me and said something and ran holding my hand to show me a little lizard on the wall. He has just learned to say 'Palli' which is lizard in Tamil and he added a 'kutty' after that meaning 'small lizard'.

He then realised we were leaving and very dutifully put on his diaper and shoes and walked out with us. He has learned this habit of falling on my grandparents feet every time we leave from home. This time somehow I forgot and he jumped off my hands and ran to their room and got their blessings and came back to me.

I had a Mother's Day of a relaxed kind but looks like my Mum and Baby G had a better than I did. Hope everyone wished your mummies on Mother's Day! Hope the hugs were long and warm! Happy Everyday dear mums!

Little heart breaks.

Baby G is growing fast and giving away clothes don't matter at all to me. I give away clothes quicker than anyone I know because I buy for cheap rates and I give away making sure the kid who wears it after him can use it for a couple of months. I just got done with all the cleaning and realised Baby G doesn't fit into these shoes anymore and I'm heart broken. I love all three pairs and all of the. We're starters when he started walking. Now that he runs, I may have to jog along behind with just memories of these beauties.

Mummy in me in sad/happy/confused.

(Comes back after an hour and checks Pinterest)

I couldn't stop being emotional. I did the usual Pragi thing and look what I found - this.


Nope, wouldn't want to see something that can be put to use by another child become an ornament, or go to waste as a planter. I'd rather see a happy mother who could not afford footwear for her child.

Things daddy G and I have stopped saying

There is always the first time a parent says a word in the presence of their child and goes, 'shit, I shouldn't have said that. Oh god, I shouldn't have said that too.' Lately at home, daddy G and I have been going through exactly that. There are some phrases we usually take for granted in both Tamil and English and use so frequently. Baby G has started repeating a lot of what we say.. He now knows to express himself with one word or so. It's been easy for us to understand him now but we've come to a point to be careful around him while we talk.

Daddy G and I don't use too many offensive words (at least not between us) but now we think words like 'stupid', 'dumb', and 'idiot' are offensive too. We've decided to stop using these words consciously. We've come to this approach of using the right words when or not baby G is around.

I have a problem with people who say 'can you do this for me?'. I'm the 'could' girl. 'Could you do this for me, please?' Can get me to help anyone. Baby G now says 'thanthu baby' and he means it. When his cousins hand him a toy he bends his head and says 'thanthu baby'. Initially he only observed when he was taught to say thank you, but now that he is using it makes me so happy.
Baby G has been asked to use the word 'sorry' but it doesn't end with that. He has been told to go the next step and do the right thing to undo what he did wrong. If he grabs a toy from his playmates he says sorry and gives it back and then waits his turn to play with it.

We are also consciously making it a point to let Baby G not to use words that describe a persons physical attributes. When we describe someone to him, we say words like 'friendly', 'he who gave you the elephant toy' and 'the little girl who helped you with your cycle'. We do teach him all this in Tamil, but when he learns English or any other language we know his transition will be easier.

I personally hope his language turns out well- mannered and polite. Weighing every word I say.

Now that he has started talking.. I'm so excited to start using this. One of my friends gifted me this book and I'm so excited to start using it..

And in 24 hours.. Www.beingmommyg.com will be mine.. Oops, OURS!

Thanks to Go Daddy, BeingMommyG.com will be mine. Tick tick 1, tick tick 2!! 

What's in your diaper bag?

I stumbled on the Topic Maker on Top Mommy Blogs and got this one - What's in your diaper bag?

Diapers (duh)
Wipes
Wash cloths
2 extra tees
1 pair of shorts
Baby G's travel blanket
Pacifier
Cotton balls
Coconut oil
Baby Gs kit (cream, powder, comb, nail cutter, fever meter)
Medicine kit
My kit ;) (lip balm, bindis and a comb)
Medical file
Extra feeding bottle
Travel charger/extra battery
A biscuit packet and a chocolate

We are a team. We come in one package. Soon he's gonna kick me out and say, 'get your own bag ma, don't bunk with me'.

Trying the toughest. Bedtime routines.

My time with my blog, myself, my camera, the TV, my hidden cookie jar falls entirely after baby G falls asleep for the night. I've been trying to get Baby G to learn to sleep on his own on the bed (other than me rocking him to sleep in his cradle). The past few nights have been long and I've ended up sleeping even before him. He tosses and turns and the slightest little light from my phone or iPad, he wakes up like its morning. It's a task. Huge task.

Today I seem to have improved and now here I'm with my blog. Baby Gs bedtime is nothing past 9pm. I usually give him his bath and then his bottle of milk and by 9 he is sound asleep. The trick is to evenly space his sleep times during the day. He gets his fours hours of sleep, (two for morn and two after noon) during the day. So when it is 8pm, he knows it's time to eat and sleep. We usually spend half hour with his bedtime storybook or singing rhymes together before his bath. He gets peppy enough for bath but tired enough for sleep this way.

Now I've taken to bedtime stories without a book and within cuddled sheets. He takes a while to feel drowsy and when he does he usually turns away and fidgets with fabric. Then he needs to be patted a little. It's been successful so far! Hoping to get him to learn to sleep on his own. Fingers crossed!

Tip: Never let a sleepy child play with a phone. One, he drowsy dials anyone. Two, he doesn't return your phone. 

Let's create smiles.

Almost all babies get bored of the toys they play with within a short span of time. Baby G is no different. He adores the new toy for a while and then he puts it away. So do I, I put it away and give it back to him after a few days. There are those toys that are children actually don't use at all anymore. I have a box full of these toys and had no idea what to do with them. I gave a few to my maid's neighbour's kid and then I was still left with a big bunch. I talked to a few mothers about this and all of them mostly had to say 'my child broke his toys often', 'I gave them away' 'the toys lasted for both kids and then I just threw them away'.

I looked up and found a beautiful ad on YouTube about toy donations. Many sites popped up and I was glad toys were actually not going for a waste. I decided to do a little something on my own for kids in and around my hometown. I plan on collecting toys from people I know and people they know.. And give to kids in orphanages. I do need to work on this a lot more but I intend on doing this. Old cribs, cradles, baby mattresses and other things that babies can re-use and of-course, toys!

Will come up with a plan and post soon. Creating smiles