My baby better than your baby?

My little one is making so many sounds and he's just two months old... what about yours?

My little one is already rolling around and he's only three months old...what about yours?

My little one is already walking and she's only six months old... what about yours?

Hmmmm.... How are you supposed to react to mommy's like these? Without adding what your baby can do..

Competitiveness starts really early .. But this early??

I think our need for the best car the best job the best house make us so crazy we actually start believing we need to have the best baby ........

And its not just competitive people who are like this.... the other day I met a young couple with a baby boy a few months older than mine.... and well he wasn't exactly a johnson and johnson baby... but what was horrid was that for a split second that thought that my baby was "cute" passed my mind.... and immediately I felt horrible.... I mean I was shocked at how my mind could go there...  i trust myself to be quite non judgemetal, but still for me to have compared little babies in my head.... horrible.

But see thats when I realised that its us who put these thoughst and this sense of competitiveness in our kids... who walks first, who talks first, who burps first dammit!!

If we were to just let them be ... Let them cross their milestones at their pace irrespective of others... I think we'll bring up happier healthier stronger kids and maybe along the way we'll get better as people ourselves don't you think?

When he smiles back

Being a new mommy, you're never sure whether you're day started to early or your night ended too late... 5:30 is an odd hour.. And this thought is what makes your days and nights just roll into one full week and then a month and so on...

The other hours get filled up feeding the baby.. Sterilising his bottles making his formula.. Heating it .. Then cooling it because you didn't pay attention to the clock on the micro and he won't have it till its the perfect temperature.... 

Then when he gets cranky you rock him to sleep.. He won't sleep so you get on the swing and try swinging him to sleep .. He won't sleep.. So you sing in your horrible voice (!!!!!) you sing funny songs any songs hoping he'll sleep but he won't.. Then finally when you're out of things to do you suddenly realise he's knocked out...

Only to wake up again.. And now you have to entertain him.. So you make funny faces... Scrunch up your nose.. Wiggle your eyebrows.. Pout your lips... Shake your whole head maybe do a jig and then.. Suddenly.. He smiles!!! 

He smiles and he laughs his big toothless laugh...he crinkles his little nose and throws his head back and he laughs...

And you forget your days and nights have merged, you forget you sterilise the bottles a hundred times a day.. You forget you are exhausted and tired and grumpy.. 

And you laugh with him.. You laugh your big happy laugh and throw your head back with out a care in the world.. Just because your little sunshine smiled at you today :)

Breast Feeding... The Good The Bad The Ugly!!!

So you would think that your baby is born your breasts are super filled with milk... baby will latch on suck milk out all will be happy and merry.......

Right?

Wrong......

Breastfeeding for me atleast was one crazy experience..... I was so nervous in the hospital about it that I think I made the little one all nervous and together we were one big mess!!!

Except when that amazing nurse was around, Sulochna... my life saver.... I almost thought I would take her home with me or the baby wouldn't drink!!!

Don't get me wrong... it wasn't all bad and tough.... 60% of the time it really was a beautiful wonderful experience.... having a little baby be so close a part of you....  holding him, that little body that little bundle of joy and love.... right next to your heart.... nothing is more heart warming in this world....

Apart from that there are many other things that come into play....like li'l Sid refused my left breast from day one... i tried everything... all possible positions, a nipple guard, less of putting some salt and pepper for flavoring I tried it all!!!

Then as he grew... things like him not putting on enough weight start to become an issue.... and we put him to the bottle because he just had to reach a certain kilogram to be healthy....which of course made him into a lazy little bum and he started refusing my other breast as well :(

I still didn't give up... I bought a breast pump and started pumping everyday four to six times.... it was super exhausting but it got the job done...

Then my stupid pump broke and there was a break for almost a week which unfortunately dried me up :(

Even during that week I decided to put him on me again. but the munchkin was kind of confused!!!!

So finally after speaking to my doc I gave up...

It wasn't easy... everyone including me were hoping that I would feed till he was at least 6 months... but you know what it really isn't easy... there are a lot of girls I know who have fed till the baby was a year old... and that's great... but I really believe that as much as you do is good...

There really is no point in feeling guilty and feeling like less of a mother (there really isn't anything like that to begin with)... feeding your baby is a very personal and individual thing... You cannot do it under pressure from family and friends...

Lots of people will try saying "But you will be risking his immunity levels if you don't feed him till he is one" or that "Oh but what about your bond with your baby?" Really what demented statements.... 

You do your best... look after your baby and keep him healthy and happy and nothing will affect him.

And there is nothing in this world that can change or lessen your relationship with your baby... NOTHING.

So breastfeeding is great, its extremely important for a number of reasons that you can google and find out.... but the day for any reason you stop... you don't have to feel bad or guilty.

Just enjoy your baby!!

Haawww parents!!!

" hawww... don't hold your baby like that"

"hawwwwww.... you don't breast feed your baby?"

"hawwwwwwwww..... you haven't covered up your child in this weather?"

"hawwwwwwwwwwwww..... you have covered up your child in this weather?"

hawww hawww hawww....

So easy for all these aunties and "women with experience" to constantly get on your case about everything you do wrong.

New parents anyhow go thru a bazillion moments of self doubt ... having a little human being in their charge is enough to drive anyone crazy...

You're not sure how much to fed him... how much to let him sleep... is he peeing too much too less.. I actually had a diary where i would write how many times he peed and pooped and how many hours he slept so I could share it with his doctor just to be sure it was all well within the "normal" limits!!

You don't know anything... everything is new and alien....

So you read and read... books, online... talk to friends and a few aunts you don't mind taking the advice of....

And still you will make mistakes....

The thing is so long as you don't physically hurt your little one... these small mistakes are ok. You can't possibly know everything and you can't possibly get it right everytime...

Something as simple as packing his baby bag for our outings... One day I forgot to put in an extra plastic bag for his dirty diaper... The next time I made sure to put it in but forgot the bibs!!!

Things happen... but the last thing you need is random people coming up to you and telling you what you are doing wrong...


So all you people who have kids give the new ones a break... I'm sure you were a haww parent yourself at some point... yes a "Haww Parent" that's my new term for new parents!!!

and all you people who don't have kids but think you'll are really over smart.... well to you all I can say is "one day you will be a parent and I can bet a million bucks you'll be a haww parent as well!!"

ha ha ha.... hawwwwww!!!!!

Being the one with kids!!!

So when I was young well ok, all the way till I had my own little squirt, I was kinda sorta anti kids!!!

I hated the noisy ones in the restaurants the cranky ones on the planes the over excited ones in the theatres running up and down the stairs during an intense scene!!! 

And then one day my brother tells me that I can't take my little baby boy to my club till he is three years old and BAM!!!!!!!

What so you mean babies aren't allowed?!! I wanted to take him swimming in the baby pool when I come visit... How can they be so insensitive?!!!! 

Babies cry, kids run around and play and fight and scream... It's natural... 

As a surly teenager I could get annoyed at them... as a oh so cool adult I could think of how badly they have been brought up... 

But now... Now I think of how brave those mothers are.... Handling a kid, teaching him to be disciplined while not ruining his childhood (!!!!!) and enjoying your own meal or movie... It takes a lot!!! 

Ha ha tables have surely turned... Now I'm thinking on my flight to Bombay I hope there isn't some cocky girl looking at me and the baby going " I hope I don't get a seat next to them"!!!!!! 

Time consumed!!!

The funny thing is I can go days without realising it but this little munchkin is super time consuming!!!!

Feeding him (which by the way has started to really go on and on) changing him putting him to sleep and most of all doing super mad things just to see that smile.. Takes up the whole day and more...

 And really it takes me a day or two to realise that I haven't kept my clothes away or I haven't cleared my drawers or kept my shoes inside or any small little chore that I have been wanting to ... No no no.. Needing to do .. Everything just takes a back seat with this kid!!! 

So this poor blog... Ha... It comes about seventh or eighth in my priority list.... Of course when he was really tiny and slept a lot I used to write and save them as drafts and publish as and when I wanted to... But now I have no time to save drafts and definitely have no "as and when i want to" more like "as and when he lets me!!!" 

So yeah... Have lots of fun things to put down about raising a little boy but its going to come slow ....!!!! 

Myth busting

So the funniest part of a pregnancy is listening to old wives tales... For some reason while you are pregnant every old aunt thinks its her god given right or duty to fill your head with nonsense!!!! 

Some of the stuff I heard myself and some that I got from all my new mommy friends were just too priceless so I am sharing it with you..

While its in no real order of crazy to craziest or anything... The first one is just my absolute favorite!!!

Wearing under garments will flatten the baby's face and features!!!! Right........ So  thru all those layers and layers of fat your thin cotton panties are going to "flatten" none the less, your baby's face!!!

If your belly itches it means your baby has hair on his head!! (No matter your dry skin or stretch marks having anything to do with it!!!) 

Going out during an eclipse will deform your baby so carry a knife with you to counter it!!

Eating a rasgulla a day will make your baby fair... Science and DNA be damned!!! 

This is for during and after deliveries:

Eating oil or ghee will make your baby slide out 

If your hair is in a plait undo it during delivery and your delivery will be painless!!! 

Don't have curd while you are breast feeding it will curdle your milk!!!

So while I was doing my bit of research in this a friend told me that only silly Indian women can come up with these things... And that abroad no one must be so dumb to believe these things.. Well I found out that they are!!!! 

Putting your hands over your head will entangle your baby in its umbilical cord!! 

Drink lots of water while you are pregnant or your baby will either get dirty in the sac or will come out dirty!!!! Yes I have actually read this one!!!!

If you stay mad at someone while pregnant your baby will look like that person!!!!!!! Hmmmm.... My baby boy looks like his dad... ;)

And of course to determine the sex of the child the myths are just hilarious!!!

If you look tired and drained you're having a girl as a girl will rob you of your good looks!!!!!!!! 

If you are moody and cranky you are having a girl as you have an extra girls hormones (which apparently are sullen) and you will be happy and cheerful if you have a boy (whaaaaaat!!!!!)

And lastly if you like salty spicy food it's a boy and sweet stuff you are having a girl... Now this last one might just be true since all thru my pregnancy, more or less, I craved yummy spicy foods and here is my little boy!!!!