He is a growing boy

How does that jingle go....

"He's a growing boy.... look how he's shooting up"..

"He's a growing boy....( i have forgotten the words....)..nananana...nanana"....

You guys know what I mean na???

Every few weeks , the maid and I sit and sort out Joy's closet...he outgrows his clothes every two weeks... and if it isn't that ... the weather changes and we need a change of clothing then....

Joy has been very lucky ..as I keep mentioning through out my blog.... all our aunts and other relatives...( both the husbands and mine) keep showering us with gifts for Joy...they come with bags of clothes for him.... the lil kiddo is only 9 months and owns 5 pairs of jeans...( a pair of light blue Levis, dark blue Next,blue- black acid wash, grey with red piping and black ) he has been wearing these from the age of 3 months and has them as of now right up till the age of 2.....( by the ways .. I checked.. The husband has two pairs of jeans and I have three .. which still makes his count more than ours)

Anyways... we keep going through all the clothes we have for him and changing his closet ..... yesterday ..we sat and aired all his trousers... yes he has four of those.. in beige, deep blue, moss green and black.... We had put these away for the past two months due to the intense heat... there was no way he was going to wear jeans in that weather.... but now that its quite pleasant in the evening ... I pulled them all out....

Joy all dressed up in his sandals, beige trousers and white Tshirt... all set to go out shopping with Ma

Joy looks quite cute now... we dress him up for the evening.... irrespective of where we are going and what we are doing in the evening... he is dressed up... and this usually means... full pants or jeans and a smart shirt or T shirt ... if its a lil nippy then he wears a basket ball jersey...

During the day ..if we are at home... he lives in his collection of 50 sleevless thin vests... some white ...some in different colours with cute slogans and his diaper....if someone comes home we slip on a pair of shorts over his diaper...

All this shifting his closet around also means that we have huge amounts of clothes that now don't fit him.... causing a HUGE storage problem for me.... after all I only have so many box bed and lofts...right....

so now we have another task to do.. we sit and sort out those clothes we think we might use incase I have baby number 2( my maid is very hopeful..and keeps keeping things I discard away...saying..."aar ekta to hobe..") these are the really nice ones....I hope all those people who gave Joy so much will do the needful for Baby no.2 as well...so those clothes we keep aside.. dryclean, or wash and sterilize and then get vacuum pressed and stored into the box beds.. and then some I give away to the help at my mum's place and also my maids to take home with them to give to family members having babies.....some the ones which are too good to give the help... I ask my friends with babies younger than Joy...if they would like to use them... and send them off...etc.... but its quite a task and every two months I have to do this....quite cumbersome.....

Here is another one of him.... He looks so cute...

Listen to the rhythm of the falling rain

A few days ago... it rained...... it was beautiful... Joy loves the rain...and this time I took him out to the balcony and stretched his little arms out so that he could feel the raindrops falling on his tiny palms....

He was amazed when the first droplet splashed on tiny hand.....I carried him from balcony to balcony... I have four.. and we reached out for the rain... we stuck out our faces and felt the cold rainwater splash off our faces.... Joy had the expression he has when his Baba holds him under the shower...he was thrilled...then he tried to lick the rainwater off his hand.... I let him.... knowing that that water wouldn't be very clean..... it came off the terrace ledge afterall... but what the hell....!

Joy watching the rain from his balcony

We got wet.... then after we dried ourselves nicely.... Joy and I sat in his room with the balcony door wide open... and saw the rain go pitter -patter in front of us...the trees were all green..there was a nice breeze.....my maid brought me a cup of hot tea and Joy his sweet lime juice to sip on... and followed it with a plate of pakoras....and some marie biscuits for Joy....I sat with him in my lap...and sang a few "rain" songs....in English and Hindi.... the maid also got inspired and joined in with a few "monsoon" songs in Bengali... Joy just sat and listened....and smiled...and clicked his tongue...( he's learnt how to do that..some how...)

We sat like that for almost an hour... me sitting on the bean bag just looking out .....humming a few songs and Joy playing with his new toy....every now and then crawling out on to the balcony ..getting his hands wet and crawling back with a naughty look on his face....I loved it ....

Joy playing with his new Toys

Both of us missed the husband.... that kind of weather is his favourite.... I looked out and thought of him sitting inside an office working .. sometimes he doesn't even realise that it had rained... poor guy....

We missed you sweetie.... but there will be more like that one.........

Jamai Shoshti

In Bengal, there is a tradition of something called Jamai Shoshti, where the son-in-law is fed special food and given gifts. On this day elders usually give the younger ones new clothes as well...

For the past four years, since our wedding, the husband and I have been away from my mother, hence ..she hasn't been able to do the needful personally. Usually , The husband and I have gone out to dinner at some fancy place and my mum's instructions would be to bill it to her. She would also send us new clothes and stuff...

This year we were in Delhi, so the day before, Mum arrived and gave Joy and me gifts, Joy got a blue checked shirt and I a lovely white and blue salwar kameez. When I asked about the husband, ma told me that they had already spoken... and he had requested her not to give him yet another set of clothes , but a book instead..... so she was very happy...( The husband and my mother are made from the same mould) The husband has gone and prebooked his copy of Harry Potters next... the number.....I can't remember....am not into it...

She then informed me that we should all be ready the next day for breakfast... it seems she had discovered this new breakfast buffet... and that would be her Jamai Shoshti treat....

So the next day, when the husband saw his son looking debonair in his new clothes... he went and found an outfit similar to his sons.....

Don't they look adorable....

Father and son team up in cool blues and khakis

Joy and me also dressed in new clothes

We went to C.P. so that the husband could go to work after breakfast and my brother would bring us all back....

For all those Delhiites.... who remember the old Nirulas in C.P.... well it closed down some time back.... and I was one of hose people who was quite sad ..when I heard ..It used to be our regular hangout after college.... we would go and share one HCF ( Hot chocolate fudge) between the four of us.... it used to be expensive back then.... around 50 bucks... and am talking ten years ago.....as students the only ways we could afford it was when and if we shared it .....

Anways, the good news is that it has reopened...it's in the outer circle just at the point where KG marg hits CP , above Amber Restaurant.....Its all new... open and airy... very nicely done up.... its got all their five separate eateries all under one roof.....called Nirulas Pot Pourri .

The other day we had tried the lunch salad buffet.....

I tell you ten years ago,, it used to cost Rs.105/- ...once about five years ago.... when I had been there the salad buffet had gone up to rs.120/-...I often usd to wonder why they couldn't increse the prices properly....( the were following the Petercat model...according the husband... where the price of the famouse chelo kebab had gone up from 80 bucks to 105 bucks over ten years....)

Anyways, it seems Nirulas Pot Pourri had started a breakfast buffet... and as a family we prefer breakfasts.. to any other meal....so it seemed ideal for the Jamai Shoshti treat.

It was fabulous.... the food amazing, Joy behaving himself.... the weather good.... and we all spent quality family time together after quite sometime.....which was wonderful....

Thanks Ma for the lovely Jamai Shoshti treat.....

Thakuma's out of her bed!!!!

Three days ago, I got a call from my mother....Thakuma, my fathers mother, had been taken out of her bed ,( she had been bed ridden since last December) and was sitting in her wheel chair....in the garden.... I felt tears go down my face....

I had been hoping to hear this news for ages....and was so happy.....

I rushed over with Joy armed with my camera to capture the occassion.

Look at Thakuma with Joy on her lap.... both of them admiring my mother's new lush green lawn...

Thakuma and Joy

Walker Woes

Every site I read on parenting has a different take on whether or not we should use a ''walker" to help the baby learn to walk...

Hmnnn... I read a lot ... and mentally decided to 'try' not using one... the husband and I had sort of taken this decision from stories we had heard as well as personal experiences....

The husband it seems was given a walker and when his grandmom and mother saw the contraption... they fainted... so they took photographs and then packed it up and kept it deep inside the loft.... lol...

I had grown up hearing stories about my cousin sister who used to go "whoosh" all over the place and then crash into things and fall over due to the thingy being very very unstable...

So...we said... "na..thaak"....

But after five days of running after Joy and him crawling into and under everything...we said .. maybe we should give it a try... at least it will have a radius.. and it will prevent him from lunging at some things at least.....and we won't have to hold on to him all the time... and he won't be able to go under things....

So , I called a cousin of mine who had offered to give us her son's old one.... now, this cousin.. is very particular about what her sons' use.. so I was sure she had bought a walker after properly researching the market... and sure enough.... its a great one... and even the husband .. after seeing it said .." Well! it looks very stable... unlike the one I had "

So , the walker arrived.... Joy took one look at it and gave us a toothless smile followed by a "Whoooooop!!!!! and Wheeeeeee!!!!!!" We too looked down at him with fondness ..thinking maybe we had done the right thing..... look how happy he is with it....maybe it will be good for him..he will learn to walk and explore....

That was one of the biggest mistakes we ever made... or one can call it our naivety.....I say.... we were idiots....!!!! Some one rightly told us that at each stage you think it can't get worse than this... but you are wrong... when the next stage happens... the previous one seems so so so peaceful....

Earlier , Joy would go under things and get into things... now he goes over them.... and around them....

Earlier , Joy would be crawling around ....so we would have to keep bending down to pick him up or help him stand up..... Now we have to look out and save our toes.. coz he goes over them.....and also we dont have to help him stand ..he is standing....

Earlier, he could not reach a few things.... but now.. he CAN....he can now open drawers, he can yank the table cloth off the table...with all the cutlery and crockery on it...

Earlier , my dressing table was safe.... now it isn't....nor is my nice-pretty drawing room.....and all the crystal...( thank god the drawing room has a door separating it from the rest of the house... so now it is out of bounds for Joy)

Earlier the fridge was off limits for him.... now he doesn't care...

Here is a pic of him openning the fridge door and examining what to chuck....

He did chuck the bread out... Thank god ! The eggs compartment was still a little too high for him..

Initially , he was a little unsure about manouvering the contraption.... but now he has mastered it.... he is still making a break for it .. whenever he sees the balcony door or the main door open....only difference being.... now he's gone in a flash... so if we thought the time when he would crawl and make a break for it ... bad.. it has just gotten worse...much worse....

I have been warned that it will become crazy when he starts walking.... I don't even want to think about it.....

Cornered in the walker

Fathers Day 2007 - a first for the husband and lil Joy

Sunday was Joy and his Baba's first fathers day.

Joy woke his Baba up early in the morning with a lil present and a card for him... but I think the best present he could have given his father was what he did at that moment. He looked at his father and said "Ba-bba"....gave him a grin and proceeded to climb over him and try and yank at his hair.

My heart strings moved .... my eyes went a bit watery...I think the husbands went the same way too... he won't admit.. but I know...

Joy gave his Ba-bba a smart Van Heusen white linen shirt and two pairs of socks.. the latter was added when we found that he needed a few more socks.. LOL... and a very cute card.... I checked Ba-bba has put the card away safely in his drawer... along with a few more... like.. The card I sent him before we got married, the ones I gave him after we got married and some other letters or sweet notes I wrote him..as well as the one Joy gave him for his birthday..... so sweet... I tell you I like men who have a slight emotional streak in them....

That doesn't mean I need my man to be metrosexual or whatever it is they are calling them now... I like them to be men... I still have problems with men advising me on what make up to buy, or whether I should wear pink or yellow.... or those who fix up monthly facial appointments.... puh-lease..!!!!!

As I said... I like men to be men.... they don't need to come shopping with me... if they want to sit and watch formula 1.... let them... I will go and watch a mushy movie... instead... If they want to hang out with their guys friends once in a while... let them.. they are entitled to it.... after all I too go off to meet my girlie friends and talk rott....

I once met a guy who was this total stud... but when I heard he fixes up facial appointments two months in advance and has a set deal with a leading mens salon for his weekly manicures and pedicures.... and also his face wax session.... I am sorry....I forgot how hot he was..actually I think I forgot him!!!

Ok! before people jump on me for being so stuck up and not cool... well.... Ok... men should take care of them selves .. not for beautification... but for personal hygenie purposes... keep your nails clipped and under arm hair trimmed...shave ... take a regular bath... use a good deo... do whatever.... but weekly appointments.. and face wax... good lord..!!!!! take a hike...

Ok!!! so going back to what I was saying about men being men .. but with a slight emotional streak.... The husband is one such guy....

He is ever willing to help out with Joy, clean up after his son, change diapers at all hours, try and walk his son to sleep....etc. I have already written a number of posts about how good a father he is ... you can read them all over my blog. He is the most wonderful son-in-law...so much so... my own mother prefers to talk to him rather than me....He is also a very good son.. very close to his family....respects his elders and from what I have seen they value what he says and since he is the eldest amongst his cousins he is also the best Boro Dada one could ever ask for. I shall not again talk about how wonderful a husband he has been and is till date .. 'coz I have already done that earlier... and ahem!! there is no need to give him too much "bhaav"....

Anyways coming back to what we did on Fathers day....

It was the most idyllic day ever.... the kind I love... we spent the entire day together ..just the three of us... We got up early as we were woken up with Joy and his "Ba-bba"..... then the husband and I went for our usual morning walk... the weather was lovely..so it was very nice. We then had a nice and lazy breakfast, gave Joy his bath and set off for Lodi Gardens..Joy loves this park.... since the weather was great the entire place was green and shady... the birds were chirping and there were quite a few dad's spending time with their lil kids... which I found very cute.....after a nice walk around the park ...we headed for Khan Market... I love that place.. its so nice and each lil corner has some hidden treasures ... like Mrs. Kaurs Cookies shop ( am now a fan for life), The Sugar and Spice Bakery which has the most amazing cheese and cold cuts along with their delicious baked goodies, Khan Chachhas for the best kathis, Chonas for good old chinjaabi... and The Big Chill cafe.... not to mention all the Anokhis and Fab Indias and Good Earth and The Home Store..and well I could go on and on.....

Anyways the idea was to try out this place called the Rampur Kitchen.... which it seems according to the HT city eating out guide... had amazing Haleem and Mutton raan and stuff... so us being us... we headed there.... lol... we went around and around... and never found it.. then on asking... we were informed that it had shut and in its place was this ultra cool Cafe Zaffiro... which looked very good.... but when I looked in... I saw lots of foreigners hanging around and also lots of smoke... so since we had Joy with us.. it was a no-no... the husband was quite relieved as well.. coz while I was peeping inside.. he was reading their menu which was up on a black board outside.... it started off with Organic Pineapple salad and mushrooms tossed in herbs and fresh veggies.... I don't think my meat eater husband read any further.... lol.

Anyways, we ended up at The Big Chill Cafe... and since we had reached early we got place quite easily and didn't have to wait at all.. And .....the food was to die for... we started off by sharing a cold cut platter... which was very very nice... and then shared a frilled fish in a Portuguese Piri Piri sauce which was devine.... Joy ate his lunch which I was carrying for him... sitting in his stroller.. and then once he was done nibbled on a few cauliflower florets while we ate....

We had no place for dessert... and headed straight home for a nice nap under the Razai.... Joy thank fully cooperated and slept as well... in the evening we went and visited my grandmothers.... yes both of them.... and then returned home to watch Tv ...and laze in bed till dinner time.... It was the most perfect day ever.....

Domestic help and my problems

I have just gotten back from discussing Domestic help ( maids) with a friend and came home to find that she had already posted on the same topic.... before our discussion... which now explains why she had that grin while I ranted and raved!!!!! hmnnnn!!!

After reading it I just had to write... I tell you... sometimes.. these people just drive me mad...

I have a full time live in maid.. who is usually pretty good.... she is neat and clean and is very affectionate towards my son and has been with me from when I was four months pregnant and took very good care of me.. Due to all this I also know she is a good person....I usually don't make a fuss over everything she does...I check her if she doesn't do something right.... and I always do so in private... I do not do so in front of others and specially not the other help....

This does not however mean... that I will take all the rubbish and keep quiet....

When I was discussing this with my friend who has always had problems with the help....and I am usually the one who has to listen to her rants and raves and I always feel very sorry for her...managing a big house... two lil kids and a lot of crazy help....however.....this time I was fed up...

My maid... after she joined us realised that all the help employed with my family....even extended family have been there for ages... once they join.... they rarely leave.... they are a very well looked after lot.... they earn well.. they are tipped very frequently....thanks to all of us having innumerably guests all the time.. we look after their medical bills and also loan them or gift them money in their times of need. We have people over frequently for dinner and I usually ensure that she eats by around 9 pm.. cos sometimes our parties carry on till very late and there is no set time for dinner.. so why make them wait while we enjoy ourselves ?

We even don't make differentiations regarding the food they eat.....they eat what we eat... now in a number of places... they eat leftovers... and their rice and atta is made separatly.... in our family no such thing is allowed... we eat basmati... they do too.. we eat pillsbury atta they do too....some people say we spoil them.... well maybe ... but then again...its worked ok for us....

The maid at my mums house.. now buys... tea and rice from here and takes it along to her village when she goes on her annual leave... according to her .. now she can't get used to eating the thick rice they eat in the village... so yes maybe we spoil them!!!!

Anyways.... I sometimes feel they also take us for granted.....

I usually ask the maid to take her food after I have finished my meal...and put away whatever is left after she finishes... yesterday..I forgot...to ask her...

This morning after breakfast ..when I asked her to clear the dishes and have her meal while I played with Joy....before his bath.....she comes up to me and with this very "naeka"look....tells me ... that she never ate dinner last night.... so I asked her why....and she said... that ..Just....

so I was like Ok... whatever... and kept quiet.... and got busy.... then when Joy was being fed his mid morning snack... she repeated her not having dinner story....so this time I again asked her why..and she said...coz I hadnt asked to eat the night before....

I blew my fuse... I was hopping mad....I told her... that if she expects me to ask her after every meal she is sadly mistaken.....she should have the brains to eat ...I have never stopped her or asked her to eat.....what the hell!!!!!

What got me even more mad was that she expected me to feel guilty... well I dont ....

She has been given a piece of my mind... and has been shown the door incase she is finding it difficult to take it.... naturally she started stuttering and stammering after that.....

ok ..so that was her!!!

The bit is ..now that I have come back and set up home close to my mums place.. a lot of the support staff are old timers.. they cook at mums and granny's and also come to my place and cook... it suits me fine... they are known people.. when I start work.. familiar people .. will be around Joy...for example the cook... he has seen me since the age of 15.... the grin Joy gives him everyday is priceless....he comes to cook at the crack of dawn and when I was looking for a cleaning person.. he volunteered saying that... I shouldnt let too many unknown people into the house... and that he would come and do the cleaning... so I was quite relieved...he is fabulous with Joy...He once told me .. he misses his own kids so much..he has two of them.. whom he sees only once every year for a month....so I feel sorry for him and let him drop in and play with Joy often...Joy knows him as Bharat Mama...

Anyways, the problem .with old timers... he doesn't listen to me most of the time.. If I have asked him to make a vegetable in a particular way he will cook it in the way he wants to....he sometimes doesn't come to cook and when I ask him the next day.. he turns around and tells me... "why? I cooked lots of food at nani's yesterday... there was a party... werent you all invited...? I thought you all were so I didnt think it was necessary to come here and cook...."..accha tell me....can't my grandmother entertain without us....? I found out later...that he does it with the others as well.. In case I have a party one day that day he conveniently bunks mums and nanis... I tell you he takes the cake... Then since he is the old timer... he bosses over all the other help... and sometimes.. gets them into trouble...by telling them what to do... when I have told them to do the opposite....

But he is a good soul so usually he gets a stern talking to... and everything is fine after that....

This friend also mentioned about how she was shocked when she saw some families who had come to a restaurant with their maids and didnt give them a morsel of food to eat..... I so agree with her.... I too have seen this happen very often and have always wondered .. why people do this...

The husband and I are so particular... if we go over to a friends place where we feel it will be helpful to have my maid along we take her... I always ensure that she eats her dinner before we go over.....If we feel we can manage with out her.. which is often.. we leave her home after all she also deserves some time off..

Till a month ago we had a driver... so since I was being chauferred everywhere I didnt need to take the maid if I went for a cup of coffee.. I could hold on to Joy...

Now we have let the driver off and I am driving my car... we didn't have a car seat for Joy all these days...so suddenly I found that I was stuck taking the maid everywhere I went with Joy.

One day I had to go to a Barista for a cup of coffee... the poor thing she heard we were going to this place... and took out her best saree to wear...I felt so guilty....I wasn't meeting anyone.. it was just supoosed to be Joy and me.. so I made her sit at our table and ordered her a cup of tea as well... poor thing she felt so out of place....but also was quite thrilled.. so I made it sound as if I had brought her here to show where her" babu" likes to come to have his Mango smoothie.. she had been hearing about this place...so I thought she should see it as well...

Anyways... the very next day.. I went out and picked up a car seat for Joy... and so now we can go out just mommy and baby without inconveniencing anyone and ourselves....

Comparisons

I was going through another fellow blogger's post on comparisons between babies....

Its a very natural thing....If I have an apple for tiffin.. and my friend has one too.. I will try and see if hers is redder ....If a friend of mine goes and buys a saree from the same shop where I bought my similar one.. I will ask her how much she got hers for... if it was more than I would feel satisfied... or quite thrilled.. and if it was for less I would feel cheated and upset....

So in otherwords..we always compare... either consciously or sub consciously...its human nature...

I have my mum and aunt breathing down my back nagging me about potty training Joy.. according to mum... I was potty trained by 6 months...or something like that.. and my brother was from day one... ( I don't believe a word of this... but whatever!!!) Whenever anyone sees Joy in his diaper.. they ask me..." he isn't always in a diaper ? is he?"

I honestly don't know why everyone is so concerned... Joy is our son.. we naturally have his best interests in mind.. and also are trying to do the best for him....

No he isnt potty trained..and Yes he is always in a diaper.. except for his bath time... so what....??

I have decided not to potty train him...

He will learn by himself...till then Diaper zindabaad...tellme honestly .. how many teenagers or even 10 year olds do you know who are not potty trained...or who crap in their pants.. ( sometimes mishaps happen.. hell they can happen to the best of us...)

Well if no one teaches them. they learn by them selves... off late a number of my friends have told me that their kids learnt themselves at around 2 years... thats fine by me... by the age of 2 .. a child can speak...by then hopefully and also therefore will be able to communicate their needs....I will just have to teach my child that the horriblly uncomfortable and squishy feeling that happens after potty is called Potty.. so they should either tell me before it happens.. or they will have to deal with the mess.. bas..I have a feeling one or two mishaps and they will figure it out by themselves...

The other thing... that keeps bugging me is this question...of why I keep my son in diapers all day.... well... Joy has got a rash just once touch wood..and that too only for a day.. he is 9 months old now... we change him frequently.. and now in summer I ensure that that frequency has increased...he is at peace and we are at peace.. I thought the keyword of the times... was Peace.. Man.... well so... yes!!! Peace Man!!!!

I have the whole world asking me if Joy has started teething....

well he supposedly started at three months... his gums turned white... I was asked to give him Calcera Phos...did that...I was made to buy hajaar teethers.. etc.... did that as well...rubbed clove oil did everything.... and yes he had started biting me like hell.... But.... no teeth..and still no teeth and he is 9 months old...

Now the husband and I aren't bothered...but..we have this couple who are friends.. and their sweet lil daughter is just 6 days younger than Joy... yes 6 days!!! and she has 2 teeth... and the third on the way... she started crawling before him... she ,I am sure will start walking before him as well...she even started sleeping through the night ages ago..... Joy is still problematic...

I sometimes compare Joy and this lil child.... and keep looking down at Joy with a worried look when he hasn't reached the milestones .. she has.... so I fret...sulk a bit.. get a little worried.. and then I come home and look at myself and feel like giving myself a shake... what is wrong with me!!!?????

Let Joy be.... he is a good healthy child... his doc assures me ..that he is doing fine( touch wood)....he hasn't fallen sick or had any such problems other kids might have at his age....( touch wood.. and I hope no lil kids are sick ever)......So why was I acting like a complete buffoon....?????????

Joy was fine....I had better chill....

I have taken a vow not to compare at all... I know... this vow will be broken everyday... but I shall try....

So all those of you who do the same... well... don't worry about it... its natural... and if we didn't have these lil faults... we would be GOD.... na??

We bought a new car!!!!

We had been planning on buying a new car for sometime now.... ever since Joy has been born.. all the paraphanelia... plus a maid and everything..... our sweet small car our Alto was just a lil too small...

What with the driver, Joy, the maid, me and all the stuff... the husband.. would either have to let driver off and drive himself.. or we would have to leave the maid home... which would mean... no peace for either of us... lol....

So.. now we have two cars... one a small car... which I use.. to run my errands and go meet up with my friends

and one a slightly bigger car... a sedan...its called the SX4....its the new Maruti Suzuki Sedan.. launched just over a month ago....

The last few months when we were contemplating about buying the car... and which one to buy.... have been quite entertaining.....

The husband and I are quite clueless when it comes to cars... ( ahem the husband is a mechanical engineer ... but doesn't know the front of a machine from the back of it ..) We were of the opinion that we needed a bigger car.... and by that we meant.... it should have a good boot...so that we could stow a number of things without having a problem... and that we could sit a little more confortably.... in the back seat....and that was that...

We had a budget.. and were hoping to stick within it....

..and then...? what happened...???

Well we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of major discussions and debates about which car should be bought by us....despite all the talk.... we in our minds had decided which one to buy....it was within our budget... it had good boot space..had good resale value...and did good mileage....

bas.. we were decided...

We were quite amused by the excitement and enthusiasm shown by our friends and family...three people most of all... one person was my brother... and the other was a close friend and her husband...and another friend... and this one... says she isn't excited by worldy possessions and such things and believes in a frugal lifestyle.. etc ..etc...

Anyways we went to test drive our chosen car... the Maruti Esteem...we drove it and found it convenient to manouver etc.. then the sales agent and my brother who had accompanied us.... casually asked us to also look at the new SX4 which had just been launched......

so we said... theek hain.. whats the harm....../?? ..... and we were bowled over....... not only by the looks but also by the feel.... one could not make out that the car was on..it was so smooth and silent.....

To be fair to our selves ..we decided to try out another car in the same segment.... the GM Aveo... we had ridden in it before...the husbands father and my uncle both have the Aveo... it was nice...So... we drove that one as well... but couldn't forget the SX4... we then realised we would have to increase our budget a bit... the husband tried to work it out and the biggest plus about the SX4 we found was that since it was a Maruti car it wouldn't be a problem to get spare parts replaced and service stations were all over....As a friend told us.. we could now safely drive upto Leh...lol!!!

Anyways.. the bottom line is that we have a new car.. we have the SX4... the husband is now a total convert.. he wont even drive the Alto unless its absolutely necessary.... and am glad.. coz.. I refuse to drive the SX4..I have decided I shall only be driven in that car.....lol... much to the husbands amusement...

Yippeee!!!! I am now mobile again....and Joy and I are all set to paint the town red....

Joy's first Balloon

All these days Joy hasn't been fascinated by balloons being sold at traffic signals and other lil toys that they keep trying to shove inside the car.....all specially made to lure kids....

After Joy's birth whenever we have passed such a vendor... the husband and I would get excited and look towards Joy pointing them out to him.... hoping he would respond.... but he didn't.... he liked our faces more... he would keep looking at us and grin....

Day before yesterday.. while I was driving to the market with Joy and the maid in tow... we stopped at a signal... and there was this balloon wala... he had yellow and blue and red balloons...he came up to the car and waved them at us.... for the first time I saw Joy look excited at the balloons.. and he tried to reach out for them...

I was so thrilled that I promptly went ahead and parked the car and took Joy out to select his Balloon... he chose a bright red one ..a heart shaped one... I actually thought he would like the squiggly one... but he chose the heart shaped one... by grabbing it with both his arms...

We were so thrilled with our purchase that we drove around to my mum's place to show off our balloon.... My mum gave one look and said..." Ok!!! all the best.... the I want phase has started...."....laughed loudly at me and then went off to play with her grandson and his balloon....

Joy's red balloon

The balloon burst today while Joy was playing with it ... I think his lil nails did the damage.... when I heard the loud pop... I ran to see if Joy wasn't startled..and crying.... but no... Not my Joy... he was sitting with shreds of the balloon in his hands and a devilish grin on his face... looking around for more things to go and burst!!!

Early Morning activites

Every morning Joy wakes us up by 5.30 am... I don't know how he does it .. but....every morning without fail... we don't even have to check the clock nowadays...

The husband and I try and go for a walk together everymorning.... we figured that since we are up so early anyways.. we might as well.. make the best of the decent weather at that time of the day and also.. attempt at some kind of a fitness routine.... I must confess however, The husband is more regular than I am..Sometimes after waking up about ten times at night to put Joy back to sleep... when he finally wakes up properly at 5.30 am I just hand him over to the maid and turn over to catch some undisturbed sleep for about an hour.... The husband who... ahem!! ...has slept the entire night ... is fresh at that time and hence goes for his walk...

( I am told by all the old aunties and uncles who see him at that park...." How come you don't come everyday.. your husband is so regular... .dear... you should also be regular.. only then will you lose some weight ...no??".....OK!!! Whatever!!!! Thanks for your concern... and Whatever!!!! %$^&* )

Anyways , when we do go for our walk... we have to slip away while Joy is being entertained by the maid or being given something to nibble....and when we return... Joy has finished his breakfast and is in his walker creating havoc.. and bossing over the cook who comes in at that time to do his magic and the car cleaner who has to clean two cars before the husband leaves for work....

Ths husband is sweet .. he shaves before we go for our walk.. so that he can spend more time with Joy in the morning before breakfast....so from around 7.15 am till 7.50 am... is our time with our son.... this time is also shared with the newspaper.. ie. if it survives Joy and the Sudoku....

Joy usually is so thrilled to see us in the morning... and spends most of that time climbing all over us .. and trying to sip at our nimbu pani....the lil fellow is quite a performer... he tries to show his Dad.... all his tricks... like rolling all over the floor,trying to pull the AC cables.., crawling under the coffee table..., sliding off the sofa and trying to turn one of the peck tables over, making a break for it as soon as he sees the balcony door open.. etc....

When we sit down for our breakfast at around 8 am.... he sits with us in his high-chair and plays around with a few of his toys or a few cornflakes.. and sings for us...( yells is more like it).....he is usually put into his bath by around 8.15am after seeing his father off to work....

By 8.35 am or so... he is all nice and fresh.. smells lovely and ready for a bit of mommy time.. the both of us... play for a while ....cuddle and then .... gradually he starts singing his sleep song.... by 9 am... he is fast asleep....and usually sleeps for approximately 1 hour.. and sometimes if we are lucky about 2 hours ....

The maid and I get this break to finish some of the household chores and also get ourselves ready for the day.....

If someone asks me which part of the day do I enjoy most with Joy ..I would say.... my early morning mommy time after his bath is most precious...

Joy showing off his new activity mat sent by Bulku mashi....

Early morning Mommy time

The Shoe Story

Everyone has a fetish.... The husband does.... He has more books ..than clothes.. and that fact was one of the first things he told me about himself...

My Mum does...she collects old perfume bottles... hell not only old ones.. but also new ones... and doesn't use any one of them.... they dry up and then get transported to her collection cupboard...

My brother does.. he collects matchboxes from everywhere.... as well... as miniatures of various things and has them all arranged on the ledge above his desk at work...

My mother-in-law does ..she collects all kinds of cleaning liquid and gadgets.... she has various bottles from all over the world with various coloured gooey liquid in them..which she deligently uses to clean every inch of her house...

I do too... I collect cook books and childrens story books...I also collect clothes and shoes and bags... and..... well!!!! Whatever....( rolling my eyes)..This post isn't about my fetish for a number of things ..but about Joy and his...well...collection of shoes...

I don't call it a fetish.. coz..poor guy doesn't even know what that means...he eats what I make him eat.. he plays with all the toys I give him ...he sleeps when I make him sleep ....He wears what I make him wear...he does what I want him to..... ok!!!! scrap the last one... He does exactly what he wants to do....

Anyways this post is about his collection of shoes....

Joy is 9 months old.. and he owns... 20 pairs of shoes... yes... 20

In the past 9 months he has worn 7 pairs....each one has a story....

Firstly.... There was this pair I bought him.... at 2 months.... He never wore it... no.. maybe once or twice... and they kept slipping off.. they were yellow.. his favourite colour and with a lil giraffe embroidered on them...they were cute... but well they were quite useless.. coz.. at 2 months .. very few babies need shoes... that is also one of the reasons why I don't have a picture of them.. coz.. I think I gave them away.

Then came pair number two...a very smart pair of sneakers from Mother Care..in blue and red.. with laces .. and an anti skid sole.. The husband's aunt had brought a whole load of stuff for Joy and these were the cutest..and the pair that fit him when he was 4 months... The husband and I loved this pair.. ....when we saw the price tag however....we almost died... It cost 28 pounds.... yes ....28 pounds.... There was this funny incident .. when .. the husband's sister accompanied us for Joy's doctors visit... while we were waiting our turn... Joy decided to do potty and hence had to be cleaned.... the sweet father and enthu cutlet aunt were ready to do the needful... however when they opened his diaper.. they found a total mess and were trying to do a neat job . ....what was I doing.... ???? The first thing I did was to take off Joy's sneakers and then hold them away from the mess ..My sister-in-law was quite amused .. and came home and told everyone.. that "here were we ..in the middle of loads of potty.. and Tina is yelling at the top of her voice... don't let the shoes get dirty..."..well what to do....? I have been told by the husband that I should frame the shoes with some of the stuff of Joys that I plan to frame and add to his room's wall... you know memorablia.... but may be I will hold on to it till baby number 2 arrives.. and then decide...

The third pair was one given by the sister- in -law , Joy's aunt herself... She came to Delhi to see her lil nephew for the first time.. also loaded like Santa Claus...Both she and her sweet hubby had apparently had a blast shopping for stuff for Joy...and this pair of red canvas shoes were one of the things... They are adorable... and go very well with Joys jeans .. P.s Joy also found this particular pair to be extra tasty...

The fourth pair is a pair of leather sandals or floaters.... very very smart... and by smart ... I mean SMART... not cute... but SMART.... This is one pair ...I would pick up even for the husband... These were given to Joy by a cousin of mine... she has two lil boys of her own....and dresses them very well...Joy used to wear it when he was 6 months old... and could wear it even till about a month ago... try and visualise.. Joy in a linen shirt...a pair of khakis and these shoes... very very happening and cool... na...

The fifth pair is another MotherCare pair of shoes ... very cute ... They are called Pioneers.. they are meant for babies.. who are attempting to walk... they are very soft with anti skid soles..I think Joy liked these the best himself... coz.. he would sometimes wail when we tried to get his feet into any shoe... but with this one.. he never did... these were his regular park visit shoes..

The sixth pair is a pair of red summer sandals... that I picked up from the local market.... They are casual and are perfect for summers in Delhi.. where the weather is miserable.... nice and airy they keep his feet cool.And are my favourite colour.. RED.

The seventh pair is another pair of canvas shoes in blue and orange... they are still a lil big for Joy but I still make him wear them....I am hoping they will help him walk.. he is attempting to do so....This pair was given by my cousin with the two lil boys as well...

Joy already has another 12 pairs of shoes in his closet... which will fit him till he will be 2 years old.... I am not writing about them... cos.. then I shall be here for ever....

Going back to what I was saying.. Joy and his shoe collection are fabulous....he now actually shows which pair he would like to wear with what clothes.... how does he do that at 9 months ?..Well he does... he either points out or throws the worst temper ever..if I decide otherwise... the shoe which reaches his mouth first ..is the one he wants...

Will write about the other pairs as and when he wears them....

Captured

What does one do if you kid doesn't sit still.... ????

Well.. I go mad.. and run after him.... or make the maid run after him... making sure he doesn't pick up something and put it in his mouth... or so that he doesn't hit against sharp surfaces.. or basically we try and make sure he doesn't get into trouble and get hurt...

Joy is now all over the place... if he is crawling... he slips out from under our noses....if he is in his cot.. he tries to climb out of it..or pull whatever he can get his lil hands on...if he is in his high chair.. he is usually yelling at the top of his voice for attention or throwing things at us.. if he is on the floor ..he wants to be lifted on to the bed or sofa.. if he is on the bed or the sofa... he wants to be put down on the floor...and if he is in his walker.. there is just no stopping him....

In other words.. the maid and I are going MAD.....

The other day, I had left Joy with his Dad for a while .....the husband was working on his laptop and Joy was playing on the bed with his toys.....after a while I could hear some squeaky sounds coming from the room... I said ..to myself... "Don't go in there .. let father and son bond..." The sqeaks soon became little screams and then.... groans...

I then went in there to see what was happening and almost collapsed in laughter.... The sight that greeted me ..was ...

The father had found a unique way of controling Joy... and keeping him under his thumb ..or should I say leg.... LOL!!!!

Poor Joy was trying desperately to get out from under his Dad's thigh-leg....and the father was continuing with his work without even noticing his son...

I saw that things were under control.... if Joy's scream became louder and I was sure the father would change his tactics...

After about 10mins... I came back to find the father had given up...and had resorted to a wrestling game with his son....LOL....

Curtains

This post on Joy's room curtains has been inspired by Tharini's post on clothing memories which you can read here

The husband's aunt had come down from the UK loaded with gifts for Joy...and she had brought a whole set of stuff only for his room....

We put everything up.... the theme which she had chosen was Animals.. and hence.. the curtains too had prints of giraffes and lil elephants and horses.... very very cute...

She had brought two sets of curtains... and when I put them up I found that there was too much sunlight coming in....and this being the height of summer... and all... poor Joy would roast... so I teamed them up with a set of red handloom ones and added bright orange loops for the animal print ones...

Now Joy's room looks nice and bright as well as shady...and a bit cooler than it was before... His room also has animal photo frames and a low mattress to match... Everything in that room now is in the colours of yellow, orange and red.....

Whenever Joy enters that room... his eyes light up looking at all the colours.....

And the grin he gives me.... Awwwwww!!!!

Daily morning fix

Everyone has their own type of early morning fix.... their get me going thingy....

Some people have to have a cup of tea.... or coffee.... some people have to turn on the music... ...some people have to light up....some people do yoga...some do a glass of water..whatever.....

The husband... has to have a glass of water and then yell for the newspaper and head for the loo...

The maid has to do "namaskar" to the sun and to her tulsi plant.....

I have to groan..and turn over.....and groan again....and yell for my bed tea....

Joy has his morning routine as well....

Somedays he... starts crying in his sleep....mind waking up ..but eyes..still wanting to stay shut...

Somedays he ...wakes up smiling....and turns over to stick his finger in our noses or pull hair..

whichever is within hands reach...

Somedays he...wakes up...looks round....and makes a"break for it".....heading straight for the

bedpost....or tries to climb over us...

Actually.... in all of the above... the routine ends only in one way....He always makes a break for it .

However after waking up he leaves our room.. to take his daily tour of the house... ie.. after the maid has made him also do his Surya and Tulsi namaskar..... he sits down to read...(ahem!! destroy ...) the newspaper....

This makes his father grin everytime... but only untill he realises ... that the paper in question is today's paper and he still hasn't read it .....LOL....

Joy reading/destroying The Mint...

This happens everyday.... I must say... full marks to Joy for his perseverence and full marks to his father as well.. for daily stupidity....

I think he has grown taller

Joy has been standing up for ages... he just holds on to something and stands up...

This has raised a lot of people's eyebrows and I have got loads of advice on how it isn't right for a lil baby to stand all the time... his legs will not be strong enough to support him... he will be bow legged.. he will get square feet.. ( whatever that means)....lots of "Oh! My Gods...."...."Aie....Ki..s"....."Aie...Ma..s".... but... well he stood then and still does it now.. My trying to make him sit... just doesn't work....

He not only stands ... but also does .. a ... "Dancy dancy"..which is him standing up and jumping up and down... or swaying by himself...

What to do?.. he is like that only... lol...

Joy standing on the floor mattress holding on to his cot rail

Joy has been standing up in his cot and demanding to be picked up .. or tries to grab at his cot mobile...he has been trying to look over the top of the side of the cot....

Yesterday.. I suddenly saw him stand up and I found that not only was he standing easily.... but also that the top of the bed rail was half way down his chest.....

Joy standing up in his cot

Now I am petrified..... he is a smart kid.. it wont take him long before he will figure out a way to climb on to the bit which folds down and jump over.....

Good Lord!!!!!!!! What am I to do.....????

En-Joy-ing the breeze in his High chair

Joy's didon and muma....( the husband's paternal aunt and maternal aunt) gifted him his high chair for his Annaprasan....

He sits on his high chair to eat......to supervise the help when they are doing the house work...to join his parents at the dining table and watch while they eat...to basically stay out of trouble...

We have a nice balcony in front of the house... where we have a lot of potted plants...to add some greenery to our lil flat... as well.. as to give us our supply of fresh oxygen ....

Joy likes to sit in his high chair and look out of the balcony at the 'pakhis'..birds, the 'kaak'..crow,the 'paata'...leaves, 'Dida' ..grandmother across the road... he sits there and enjoys the cool breeze when there is one... he sits and sings along with his Ma ..or listens to his Ganga mashis bhajansas she sings to him in the evening while she waters the plants....he sits and yells like and at the push cart vendors who come to sell their veggies and fruits and all other stuff...

Check out Joy sitting in his High chair :

Enjoying the breeze

Playing with a toy

Grinning at the Dida across the road

Making a break for it ..

Joy has been crawling around for a few weeks now... he goes everywhere and anywhere..... We have almost no control over him....

If we pick him up... he squirms so much that it is difficult to hold on to him... If we put him on the bed...our bed... he tries to slide off.. If we put him into his cot.... he stands up and shakes the entire thing... till I am sure it will collapse...

If we put him down... he shoots off before we can say....Gudda Budda...( his D'shona's latest name for him)....

This act of his crawling off.... as if he has a train to catch has become a joke in the family... One day his Mamu saw this and said... " hey! Sis.... your son is making a break for it ..."... since then.. whenever Joy is put down on the ground and he crawls off before we can bend down to stop him.... we warn each-other to guard him in case he makes a "break for it .." lol... which he does everytime...

Here are some photographs of him "Making a break for it ..." .. when he found the balcony door open.. and us not really looking.... or ahem!!!.. he thought so....

Look at him go....sneaking towards the open door

Nudging the door open and slipping through

Falling flat on his face in his attempt to "make a break for it ..."

Yippeee!!!... made a break.... and out I go...

P.S.. Poor chap.. didn't know that he was allowed to make a break for it.... LOL... his Ma was just too busy clicking away to bother...

Happy Ninth Month birthday....Joy!!

Every month since Joy has been born ...I try and do something special on his "month " birthday..... This time too.. I had been counting the days for a while.... but yesterday.. I forgot all about it....



Today is Joy's ninth month birthday.....



Joy kept waking up every three hours last night.. so I was a bit cranky.... plus I had been nursing a swollen lil toe.. thanks to ramming it against the bed...hence... in otherwords... I wasn't the best person to be around early in the morning...



We don't need to look at the clock everymorning.... Joy lets out this wail at around 5.30 am every morning..... and then we pat him back to sleep... he quietens down for ten mins and at 5.40 am... I can usually feel someone tickling my back ..or trying to put his chubby lil finger up my nose... or if I am spared.. I can hear the husband..going" oh! ho! Buro.... chool taane na..." which means Joy has turned the otherway and is tugging at his fathers already sparse hair....







This morning....I half opened my eye to see something chubby squirming past my shoulder.... and when I turned my head in that direction... I saw Joy holding on to the headboard and about to take off... naturally I yelped... and the husband who was in the loo... almost ran out... lol.. quite funny....







Anyways... I forgot to hug my son... who was now 9 months old.... however not everyone forgot like we did....



His fans.. aka... his D'shona..( my mum ) and his Dadu and Nammi( the husbands parents) were the first people to send in their greetings.....



Am still waiting for my Mother-in-law's birthday poem... she sends one every month.... for Joy... very sweet....

"I call your Pa my Sunshine and your Pini my Rainbow

What do I call you my little darling beau?

You rule all our thoughts & aspirations

Praying ardently that each stage of your growing be reason for celebration

A beautiful body mind & soul you need to have in life’s journey

May you achieve this with all help from your Daddy & Mommy!

P.S. You are the beacon in the autumn of our lives …!

Love - Dadabhai
Nammi "
( it came in before I posted this...so here it is)

I was wondering what to do with Joy today.... then thought that since he was 9 months old now.. he was a big boy... and hence should go out with his Ma to run some errands and do some shopping ... despite it being 44 degrees outside...( My mom yelled at me when she found out...)







Anyways we had fun.... we went to two toy stores to help a friend pick up something for a nephew...You should have seen Joy's eyes... they went from big to bigger at every store... I could forsee our future....I called the husband to let him know.. that we were in for a lot of tantrums.. in the near future... LOL







After all the shopping... we went to cool down at the Barista... Joys favourite... I thought he should go to his favourite place on his 9th month birthday... and yes he had his "mango smoothie" ahem.. we didn't even have to order... the guy at the place just saw us ..and got us two mango smoothies and a big slice of apple cake...







Then we came home... Joy was quite pooped by then..... and crashed out for a good two hours... I got a break too....



We came home to find a lil package awaiting us.... his D'shona had come over while we were out with a great fisher price toy and a set of clothes for him....I don't know what she will do on his 1st birthday... she celebrates his every month birthday like it was his first year birthday..... she has me quite worried....!!!!

Joy wearing the clothes and playing with the toy his D'shona gave him

Am now waiting for a friend to drop in for a cup of tea and her daughter is Joy's friend... since its miserable outside... I think they will have to make do with Joy's room and play with his million toys .....while we sip our tea and make some sensible conversation.....

Am feeling guilty I haven't baked a cake for Joy today.. I usually do.... but .. theek aache...in this heat I suppose a big hug and a kissie should suffice..

Happy 9th month birthday my baby

Just a thought

A couple of days ago.. we were over at a friends place for her husbands 33rd birthday party.... This friend of mine is very close to me..... We have known each other through college and then later after marriage have again gotten in touch and our husbands get along like a house on fire and our kids are more like brothers.....however.. her lil daughter is my to be daughter-in-law....lol...

This friend has two kids... one is a two year old... the brat....and the second one a three month old lil cutie pie girl...the Bean....

Now Joy is almost 9 months old.... and he has a blast whenever he and the Brat get together.......

Getting back to what I wanted to write about....

At the party while we were sitting and chatting... my friend mentioned how our kids are almost the same age....( there was another couple over and their baby..Vidipta... is 6 days younger than Joy....).....The Brat is a lil older ....but Joy, Vidipta and The Bean are almost the same age...

My friend mentioned casually that we were lucky that atleast our kids and her second one were almost the same age....it made me think back....

Before Joy....The husband and I were pregnant once....we lost the baby.....the baby would have been exactly the same age as the Brat.....

We were four women all expecting at the same time... one friend had her baby in April and the other two had theirs in May......I didn't.... But I was there through the delivery of one of the babies...it was one of the most difficult moments of my life....

The other night ... I sat thinking.. looking at Joy and wondering.... he may have had an older brother or sister as well....

What would he or she been like....? I see the Brat play with his lil sister.... protect her..pat her to sleep....share his toys with her..... and my heart melts.....

I look down at Joy and imagine....someone doing that for him..... my eyes are all watery.....

I spoke about this with the husband....he looked at me and didn't say anything......just nodded....and then pointed at Joy doing some dushtumi.... it made us both smile... changing the mood immediately....

We sometimes think of having a second one.... a lil bonti or bhai for Joy.... actualy we are definitely going to try to have one... that decision is made....

P.s. (These thoughts..however....come to mind only when Joy is behaving himself... and being adorable .. or sleeping peaceful..... and they completely disappear when he drives us around the bend....or just refuses to co-operate)