9 months

My baby is now 9 months old.

He is outside my womb for 9 months and he was inside my womb for 9 months. That is 18 months, almost a year and a half. Wow! The bonding with him started from the day I saw a small tiny dot throbbing with full vigor in the 12-13 week scan. I had tears in my eyes that day. From that tiny dot to a full blown baby in the next 9 months and after taking birth in my life, the journey from just lying there to the most current activity of trying to stand up and take steps has just been like a real life movie.

I did capture most of his moments on the camera once he took birth. His expressions, his eyes and the most innocent smile on this earth are the only things I can really remember. When I close my eyes, all I can see is his toothless smile which makes me forget every pain and sad moment. If at all I am sad and angry (which is very rare nowadays), I just think of him and the smile returns to my face. Children have this knack of making you smile when you least expect it. They do not have any prejudices or fears of any kind. My baby is so happy and playful when my maid and cook are around. He doesn’t differentiate between them and us when it comes to showering his love and attention. For him we all are same people and he plays with all of us with equal enthusiasm. He still doesn’t understand the concept of light and dark and sometimes merrily goes to the room to play with his favorite thing, even if the lights in that room are switched off. I will be very glad if this trend continues in future too. As a part of growing up, he now no longer wants to stay alone in a room, even if we leave him for a second to get some things for him. He immediately follows you and cries some sounds and stands up clinging to your dress. I fear that he may fall, which he sometimes does, but then it is all a part and parcel of growing up, isn’t it?

He now mutters a lot of sounds and is inquisitive about almost everything that comes in his way. First it goes into his mouth to taste it and then on the floor where he bangs it and sees how strong that thing is. He is not fussy about food, eats almost everything which we give him at home, but he has a liking towards sweet. Banana, apple, kheer with jaggery are his favorite. He gorges on all types of Cerelac items. He now tries to stand holding onto something and in the pursuit of doing many things at the same time often lands into trouble and falls down. But then some one or the other is around and so he is not hurt. I try to read him books and show him big objects in the book to catch his attention, but he hardly pays attention and does only what he wants to do. He loves to have his homeopathic medicines and almost reminds me to give them to him. He doesn’t have any teeth yet and he loves taking bath and lingering in the bathroom and kitchen.

I can go on and on about him the whole time. But this is so natural to a mother, isn't it?  

There are many more milestones to come in his and my life and I am very excited to see them happen!

A year that was 2012

I should have posted this article a day or two before the last day of the year 2012.

But there is a lot of difference between the "coulds" and "shoulds" and before one realizes, the time is already gone. The same thing happened with me. Before I could realize that I had become a mother, my baby was already 8 months old and getting independent day by day. On a personal front, this year was the most blessed one. God finally gave his blessings in the guise of my sweet little bundle of joy and made me the happiest person on this earth. I learnt to take care of the baby on my own much later and realized it is not easy to become a mother. There is a lot of responsibility involved; you are shaping an individual with your actions. You have to be extremely cautious while dealing with these kids as they learn by imitating you. You have to inculcate good values in them and for that you have to be near-perfect. The kids will follow you and then become just like you. This year has been one of tests, on personal front and also professionally.

The thought of devoting 2 years did pass my mind, where I would be entirely dependent on my husband for all my and my baby’s needs. One mind said that it is a golden opportunity, once in a life-time, I should seize it. You will be able to spend all your time with the baby at home. Other mind said, you are not meant for sitting at home. You are not the home-maker type! Get up and going!! I listened to the other mind and made up my mind to resume work again. I felt bad in the first week, but then I was doing it for my and my baby’s good. Managing the dual responsibility of a working woman and a mom was a good challenge and I am looking forward to many more such merry moments in my life, which I am sure will make me strong as a person.

This year, I was mostly confined to my home, but the first trip I made after becoming a mommy was to Germany and then to Mumbai and Pune with my baby. The travel with a baby makes it very different. You are almost all the time preoccupied with the thoughts of baby stuff and his sleep and eating timings. You lose out on your personal life and time completely, which to some extent is fine. But then you can’t lose your individuality, you shouldn’t rather. After the baby is settled and a little grown up, you should come back on track. This year, I plan to concentrate, rather re-concentrate on my health and my hobbies, which is writing, reading. I will have much more to write on now that my little one is learning to stand and walk on his own and slowly will have his own will and choices.

This year saw a lot of scams, deaths, and political craziness in the outside world. But somehow, I was oblivious to everything which was happening outside the four walls of my house. I hadn’t seen the newspaper for almost 7-8 months, hadn’t watched a serial or movie. There was a 24/7 channel live in my house, what was the need for anything else. As an individual I became a better planner and a better executer. I forgot to shop for myself and all the time it was just my baby’s shopping, which was on my mind. How time changes your priorities, isn’t it?

My day and world now starts and ends with my baby’s smile and laughter and chuckles.

Thank you all my friends and near and dear ones who blessed me and helped me to overcome the initial hiccups with the baby.

My family, my parents (both sides) and my dear, übercool husband – Thanks for being there always like solid rocks in my life. I am no one without you all!