Festival of Lights and "Joy"

The past few days have just flown....what with festival season on in full swing ...It is all the more special for us as it is our lil bundle of Joys first Diwali....well actually its his "first" everything....so in other words everyday is a first for him and for us as well....

Diwali is a lovely festival... as in the lights bit... and the food and festivities bit... am not so "hot" about the crackers bit anymore...
As kids we would wait for Diwali time... it would mean shopping with Dad for 'baaji-potka'...initially both my brother and I would get on to Dad's scooter and leave home to come back grinning from ear to ear....balancing a big bag of crackers and our selves behind Dad...Over the years we progressed to making the trip in the car with lots of room for the crackers...but sadly came back with not that many...reason inflation in the market and a Dads wallet which was not....correspondingly bulky...

Nonetheless, we used to have a blast ....Ma would visit the Blind School Diwali Mela and come back loaded with Diyas and candles...which we would as a family decorate and light all over the house... My parents home is a beautiful, big and two and a half storeyed independent house.. so all lit up it would look quite breath taking......
The lighting of candles and diyas became a family ritual and tradition which I tried to follow even after I married and moved away... Every year both the Husband and I would buy Diyas and decorate our home... I remember our first Diwali together in Bangalore... our flat looked beautiful and we had a huge gang of friends over for dinner... I cooked mutton and pullao and kaali daal and there were lots of sweets... everyone came all dressed up ... after dinner we burst some crackers and then after midnight went over to The Park Hotels coffee shop for coffee and another round of dessert...lovely...

Diwali in Bangalore was also spent gambling.. actually learning to gamble on 5 rupee stakes and having heart failures when we lost sums as large as 20 bucks... lol.. those were the days...

Our second Diwali was spent in Hyderabad... we had just about moved and knew very few people... but called them over nonetheless. ..and decorated the flat and had a nice time...

Our third Diwali ..is this year and soooo special.... we are glad we have been able to share this special festival this year with our family and close friends....

This year too we lit up our apartment with Diyas which I picked up from the old Family haunt.. yes the Blind School Diwali Mela... and then went over to my cousins place as it was also Kali Puja...

Oh! I so love this festival season in India.. all over the country we celebrate these few months... and the best thing about it is that it brings everyone together... which is so special.

My Bundle of JOY!!

I must say I am quite relieved.....To say the truth, I have never seen a baby ...as in a baby so small in my life..as in before my own..

For me....a baby is a picture of chubby cheeks, big round eyes ,rosy cheeks and a sloppy smile....so when The husband and I saw ours for the first time properly....we were disappointed....at least I was...
Where was my chubby baby?..where was the "baby" I had been dreaming of?...The place I delivered my baby had added to that dream by putting these big sized posters of very prosperous babies all over.....
The Husband and I felt a bit short-changed..with our little ET look alike ....

But..now Joy is a little over a month old and HAS HE CHANGED...
The past month has been a revelation for the Husband and I...everyday with our son has been a learning experience...We now instinctively know...when is the right time to change our baby's diaper...clean his poop....or wipe puke off his face .

All these days, I would complain how...none of his "newborn" clothes were the right size..as in they were all just too big for him..and there was no way I was going to let my son look like a "clown". Now suddenly I am having to bring out clothes which I had put away 'coz 'they wouldn't be needed for a while' .
My little bundle of Joy now changes his clothes thrice a day(not counting the ones soiled with pee and poop)..thanks to his over enthusiastic mom who wants him to wear all the smart clothes bought for him ... before it's too late.

The Husband and I have no hangups about hand-me-downs.... so the other day I visited a cousin of mine who has two lil boys aged 4 and 2....I came back home loaded with all the brands under the sun.... Joy now wears...Marks and Spencers onesies during the day and Carters Rompers to sleep.... He has a few sets of Ralph Lauren casuals and a few sets of Polo Sport tracks and also some very smart baby GAP shoes and the most precious of them all.... a pair of LEVIS ....
You don't get LEVIS in his size here.... and I am so excited and waiting for all three of us (Like Papa bear,Momma bear and Baby bear) all dressed in our Blue Levis ready to go out for the day.

Our son has already been out ... for lunch to Mainland China.. his parents favourite Chinese place....that place has a special place in our lives.....The Husband and I met there for the first time...( will write about how it all happened soon)..so it was quite apt that Joy's first lunch out would also be to MLC.....

Yesterday , being saturday...The Husband was home.... and so we went out shopping....( which I have come to the conclusion..The Husband HATES and Junior... I feel...finds BORING... much to my despair...) Actually, come to think of it...I thank God for that... so now I can shop in peace with out sulking tag- alongs....or the "we have an opinion"types.....will just leave them both home... and have a good time with The Husbands credit card....LOL....yippeee!!!

Anyways, coming back to yesterday,... we went to pick up some stuff for Joy.... a bathing chair .. which he loves by the way.... lounges in it as if he were relaxing in the French Riviera....and The maid, The Husband and I were his hand maidens..... massaging him, giving him a manicure or a pedicure....LOL....what a life....!!!

We were in this shopping place and The Husband and I smelt something familiar... our favourite coffee bar....so we looked at each other and said .. "Why not?"....so in we went..

Joy seemed to like the place... coz he fell asleep...in a few minutes and the smell of the coffee and all the noise didn't seem to bother him at all... All I can say is that Barista has gotten itself a new very very young client.. who will be visiting often .... as of now with his parents and soon.... with his own set....to hang out....play scrabble..strum the guitar....or just drink some Latte....

The Husband and I then went to visit some friends..who have a little 15 month old brat....he is the cutest kid I have ever seen and also the friendliest....The Husband and I had seen him about a month ago .. when Joy was born..... and were surprised to find that he wasn't the little baby we thought he was anymore.... He had grown.... into this Little-Big boy... the growth spurt was so visible.. that we were speechless... could one month do this to a kid.... common.. how long is a month anyways....

Both, The Husband and I looked down at Joy and realised that our"tadpole" wasn't looking like a tadpole anymore either....and he too was just a little over a month old...He was now looking like the baby we had been dreaming of...He had grown too....

On our way home ... we spoke about this...and felt silent...very soon our "little bundle of JOY" wouldn't be "little" anymore....

He missed it!!!!

The Husband has always had a job which entailed a lot of travel.... those who have been following my blog....will know of my frequent posts during his tours throughout my pregnancy....in fact he was on tour for 24 days in August.....the month before I delivered.
A cousin visiting from the US brought along a little water proof baby album in which i was supposed to put pictures of the people I wanted the baby to recognise.... so I think the first picture will have to be that of the Husband....


Ok! ok!..I shouldn't crib too much.... The Husband, I must say is amazing with his son and was genuinely upset about missing his son's first month birthday.....actually is upset about missing anything .....He is a complete hands on father....the whole world seems to be asking me this very question ... whether The Husband is helping out ?...Does he help with the baby?...Does he stay up with you...?....Well..the answer is YES to all of the above and more... actually I sometimes think he is much better with this parenthood thingy than I am.... and I have no qualms in accepting that.....

Anyways....He has to work to bring the bread to our table and be able to afford all the stuff we need for our little baby... and being enthusiastic parents we want the very best and well the very best costs...so he,poor chap has to work....coz..I am not...for a year at least....

As I was saying...Yesterday , the 6th of October ....our baby completed one month of being with us.....and yes his dad....missed his little birthday party.... however must give him his due.. he left only in the morning.. so technically was there to wish his son .....
It was quite sad to see Daddy leave his wife and son on such an important day.....Anyways we saved him two big slices of Birthday cake....chocolate cream his favourite( dads not sons...) and because it was a kiddie cake...we decorated it with bright coloured gems instead of the usual walnuts..... check this pic out...!

Cutting cake with some friends at home....

Our son spent the entire day with his Mom.... thats me.. and was very well behaved.. It actually seemed as though the lil one understood that he had just crossed a milestone and should hence act mature and his age... all of one month!!!

His Dads parents from Kolkata sent him an E- greeting... his very first... so I thought it should appear on this post as well.... and get recorded....

"On your completing one month

Our loving Babusona

You were born on a day which all said was 'Anand Chaturdashi"

You complete a month on a day which is the day of 'Goddess of Prosperity"

May health, happiness & 'god touch' be there in all you do.

This is all your Dadabhai & Nammi wish for you."

Happy Birthday.... darling son...!!