Getting naughtier by the day!

Lasr week i was in spring cleaning mode and was attending to the fridge. Emptied the fridge of all its contents,  wiped it down and rearranged the items.

Among the items to be discarded was a container of cut watermelon..it was about 2 days old and had started to taste chalky.. so out it went. While i was going about my business, Tiny was watching keenly. I assumed he was fascinated and also let him help me with some small stuff. Soon..I was done and moved on to another zone while the boy kepy himself busy with something (what..I realised only 3 days later!) in the utility.

The day was done and 2 more days zoomed by without much action. 3 days later. . I noticed a horrible stench in the utility area.. i mean horrible. .like something was dead and decaying!! I looked everywhere. .in the balcony,  below the sink..behind 5he washing machine. .in nooks and corners but couldn't find anything!  It continued to stink. *shuddering just at the memory of the stench*

I decided to wash the small load of clothes piled up in the laundry basket..just in case. As i loaded the washing machine. .the stench grew stronger! I feared something had died in my laundry basket! !! And then..when i picked up a bedsheet it appeared. .the container full of rotten watermelon. .in the laundry basket..cleverly hidden under a pile a clothes!!! *shudders again*

I called my boy and asked him if knew who put it there.  To which he proudly responded.."I did Amma.. you said the fruit was dirty so I thought it needs to be washed and put it in the laundry basket!"

*face palm *

Exploring a new country together

It was exactly around this time in 2013 that S and I did a recce to Singapore. Just the 2 of us, leaving baby back home in the comfort of his Ajjibear's arms. S made up his mind of wanting to move to Singapore, and I have always maintained home will be where S is. So he decided to move countries.

Earlier this year, we made our first trip to Singapore as a family and it was Tiny's maiden trip to a foreign country. I had my parents for support and they really managed Tiny well, through the journey and even at home. I don't know what it was - nervousness or some fear of the unknown, but I was in a nasty mood through the trip. All 15 days. And to top it up, Tiny was at his constipated worst. Poor baby. And within 3 days of getting back to India, he would start with his new school. His first time at a big school. I think all the anxiety and mixed emotions about having to manage by myself in Bangalore while S tries to settle down here and make things a lot more comfortable by the time we move was just making me cranky. But I had to deal with it. And I did.

I was back in Singapore for 12 days last month, to help S move houses. We moved to a place which is likely to be 'home' to us for several years to come. We moved. Settled down. Started cooking. And I went back without any clue of how soon I would be back here again.

Now, This was the second time this year that I had to leave Tiny back in Blr while I traveled. He usually copes well, but I think my anxiety rubbed off on him and he started developing insecurities. He would panic if we were not to be seen for a few minutes. It was of little surprise that when S made an impromptu plan that we all go back with him to Singapore, within 2 weeks of being back in Bangalore, and stay there for a couple of months, I jumped at the offer. It was just what Tiny and I wanted - time together - the 3 of us - our small family, together. So we packed in 2 days, got permission from Tiny's school, shopped for staples at record speed. And flew all the way to Singapore. :)

This time around, Tiny hardly took any time to adjust to the new home. He familiarized himself with the layout the moment he stepped in. It is after a very long time that Tiny and I are in each other's company the whole day, without getting time off from each other. Like when's out at school or when I step in to office for a few hours, leaving him with his grandmother. It's almost like we're just discovering much much fun it can be to spend time with each other! I've actually left my fears behind and except for meetings, I've decided I'll take him along wherever I go. So, in the one week that we've been here, I've taken Tiny on his first Double decker bus ride (oh he was soooo thrilled and kept squealing throughout), took him for a haircut, and yesterday went looking for a courier company across town.

I must say, he's been great company. He's also slightly more grown up and the big school has taught him additional social skills, so it's a lot easier. He's not as brash as the previous time - running out of the MRT at every stop (!!!). He's a lot more patient and understands when I tell him that he needs to wait for our stop or that we need to wait for our turn in a queue etc. And...it's so much fun talking to him. Looking at the world through his eyes. Stopping to look at wild flowers growing off the pavement or to look at ants marching in a line or to see car or monster shaped clouds floating through blue skies. We've also stuck to the routine which we followed in Bangalore, so the familiarity of the routine is doing him some good. We're spending more than 2 hours of quiet time with books and colours. Yes, am really enjoying my 4 year old's company.

Am sure this trip will be a memorable one for so many reasons!! Looking forward to the next 3 weeks of exclusive time with my little boy who's growing up so so fast. 

Advantages of being Tiny

   He can crawl under anything 

N

He can sit on AnyON

He can fit INTO anything!

Big boy!

Tiny had to wait an extra 10 minutes at school today as we were running late. The moment we reached school, I jumped out of the car and ran to the gate only to find Tiny happily cycling away with 2 other children. The teachers watching them and having a good laugh. He looked like he didn't care much that we were late. In fact, I had carry him out of school forcefully as I had interrupted his cycling race! 

I managed to have a word with his teachers and they seemed so pleased! Am surprised because Last year was dreadful for us...with a complaint almost everyday. Most complaints would be about how aggressive he was or how he chose to sit by himself and not mingle with other children or how he preferred playing outside to staying in class etc etc. 

Initially I used to get worked up and worried myself sick about how to set things right. Then I figured that letting him be and just giving a lot of love and attention may help. So through the holidays we would sit and tell each other stories, go for long walks, play in the park, visit his cousins and have them visit us, get busy in craft and so on. Basically a lot of time together. And it seems to have helped. Now, he seems like a much more secure child.  The teachers said that he's much more gentle with the other children now, sits through class and follows instructions well. 

He's grown up so much in just a few months....My big boy.

Learning for me: given time, lots of love and attention, children will turn out to be just fine. :)

       

First day of school...

was good :). It was an amazingly fuss free morning.  The glass of milk was finished within minutes. I didn't have to chase him around the house for breakfast. Nor did I have to drag him out of the bathroom after his bath. He'd chosen the clothes he wanted to wear to school and allowed me to dress him up without any traces of resistance! 

It was almost like he knew he had to go to school and that he is going to a bigger class and should behave appropriately. Maybe. What else could explain such good behavior?! Anyway, the bag was packed, 10 mini idlis arranged neatly in his snack box, water bottle around his neck, Tiny was all set. 

Before we left for school, he looked at me and said, " Maa, am going to school. I'll be back in 2 hours. Ok?" and hugged me. God, he's such a big boy already..tugging at heart strings and all! *sniff* 

We walked to school, which is 2 houses away, with me praying that it would be a good first day. No fights, no tears, no complaints...just lots of fun, that how I wanted it to be. And the moment I saw him coming out of the gate, with a wide grin pasted across his face, I knew that he had a wonderful time. 

I walked back home, satisfied, with a happily tired and hungry toddler who had just rediscovered his time away from home with peers. Hope this is a sign of a fuss free academic year. *keeping fingers crossed*

How was your child's first day back at school?

A brand new year at school

Re-admission. Check. Orientation program for parents. Check. Collect school kit. Check. Control enthu toddler who wants to run into school every time he passes by...:) check! 

I was never much of a school person. All stories of my first few years of schooling start and end with tears. Because of my dad's transferable job, We changed cities and I changed schools almost every year till high school. The obvious problems being letting go of friends whom I'd just started to get along with and making new friends all over again. I never quite settled down and in 29 years, I have just 1 friend, that too from junior college, who I've managed to stay close to. 

For Tiny, it's going to be different. With our businesses headquartered in Bangalore, am assuming we won't pack up and move cities often. We plan on taking admission into a proper school next year, when he's old enough. Till then, it's the play home next to home, where he'll spend a few hours every day with other children his age. 

Tiny started school at 1.8 years...mostly because I needed some help in keeping an overly active toddler constructively engaged while I balanced other aspects of our lives like work, domestic chores etc. the beginning was troublesome. He'd end up going to school only 3 days a week. Most days I would get a call from school asking to pick him up as he was standing by the gate and crying. I was even tempted to stop school and start afresh the next year, when he'd be older, and probably more prepared to manage on his own. We even discussed it with his teachers and decided that we'd try for one more month and if nothing charges, we could stop school. Then something changed.

. I did not send him to school of,r a whole week and he would sit by the window watching parents drop his friends off at school. And he suddenly wanted to go to school. Just like that. Without any fuss.  No effort from our end. And when he did get back, he was a different person, as the teachers told me. He enjoyed being with other children. Loved sand-pit and splash pool time. Looked forward to singing and dancing sessions. Enjoyed the group activities. And I thanked God for that!

Ever since the vacations started over 2 months ago, Tiny has been looking forward to getting back to school. In fact, every time we crossed the school during our evening walks, he'd just stand there, peep through the gates and ask me how much longer it would be before he went to school again! The good news came last week. By courier. An invitation to their orientation programme along with a schedule for collecting the school kits. :) 

So my big boy is all set, with his new waker bokel, snack box, uniform and a cap, to go to school tomorrow! Here's to a great year ahead..full of fun and of course, lots of learning! 

                      

Accident prone

Tiny is a tough kid. He jumps, falls, brushes himself and goes back to jumping again. We've never fussed over him too much either. When there's an owie, we hug, kiss, cuddle, comfort him only till he feels better and then let him get back to playing. This is only when he,s not in trouble...and I mean serious trouble. He's all of 2 years and 8 months old and there's a list of accidents we've been through already.

Common and almost everyday.. Things we don't even bother much about and respond a kiss and a hug

- falls, bruises, scraped joints

Often, but not Everyday

- cut lips as a result of walking / cycling into walls or furniture. These result in a few drOps of blood and am on high alert. I usually try and soothe it with turmeric / ghee and TRY to restrict him from running too fast 

The irregular ones

When he was learning to walk, he'd lost balance in corners and hit his forehead on some piece of furniture. This has happened thrice already and he's got 3 cuts with visible marks on his eyebrows.

The horrifying one's 

- the first time was on a lazy Sunday morning when S and were playing with Tiny and the little fellow started this thing of bouncing off S's stomach. After doing it several times and with us laughing our heads off, he just started jumping and before we knew it, we heard a loud thud. He had hit his head against the foot of the cot and had slit his eyebrow from half tillthe end. We were so stunned and then the blod started flowing. He was crying and I couldn't think! S was comforting him as I jolted myself back into my senses and brought  a cold towel to press on the wound. Thankfully, the hospital was just 5 mins away from where we lived. Turned out that someone had expired and the staff in the ER was busy completing formalities. We waited, Tiny and S drenched in blood. By now, the little fellow had calmed down and was ready to get back to playing. He was smiling and gurgling at strangers who looked aghast at the sight of a bloody baby. Finally when we did see the doctor, they were thankful that the blow had landed on the socket and missed the eye. He needed to be stitched up, though! So now he sports a scar on a left eyebrow, in addition to the small cut marks he gets every time he walks into a piece of furniture.

- then the incident at the food court in a mall where he fell, face first, off a chair and ended up with a broken tooth!

Inspite of all this, he continues to play the same games, jump to and from places you wouldn't even step on, slide down head first from a big slide (!!!!) etc.

Tiny, till now

Tiny, till now.

So time is flying and Tiny is already 4 months past 2 years. He talks like he's been at it for ages. Every time he runs across the living room, am sure he's going to end up breaking something. Every time I get busy, am sure he'll find ways to make me stop whatever it is that am doing and run to him...either by being too cute and irresistible  or too naughty and intolerable. He' been springing surprises too often for me to keep track.

He's no longer the daredevil that he used to be even until a month ago. He's begun to get a grasp on how most things around him function.. People, places, things etc. it's fascinating to see how a child learns through observation and also by asking questions unabashedly. Unlike before, he doesn't warm up to strangers instantly.

Food -- He still doesn't snack in between meals and prefers savory south Indian meals / snacks to chocolates or cereal or breads! Has started becoming fussy about tastes and textures and spits out anything he finds yucky. Though, I see a little change..he's open to tasting Ice cream and jelly and even asks for repeats. :) He even enjoyed a spoonful of condensed milk while my brother and I were busy licking the tin clean. 

Memory -- is something that is driving me crazy! He remembers incidents, people and places from almost 4 months ago..and very clearly that too. Just last night he asked, "Amma where is Ajjibear (that's what he calls my mom)" I reminded him that she lives in Bombay. And then he starts talking about the lift, his blue cycle, Nikunj baby, meena Ajji,  Sanju aunty, the flyovers, and his favourite memory being a stray incident near Crawford market where a santro car was ablaze and he saw a fire engine in action! 

Love -- is expressed selectively. And is also used to manipulate and get things done his way. Like if he wants to play with the iPad, he'll give you any number of hugs and kisses. If there is nothing you can entice him with, you'Kll be lucky to even get a kiss blown in your direction. Sometimes, when he's in the mood, he goes about cycling across the hall singing " I loveoo Amma, I loveoo appa" but won't allow you to roll on him or hug him tightly and squish him! It's almost like,words speak louder than actions in his case:)

As the days go by, he promises to keep me realllllly busy while he just goes about with his business of growing up!

Our first picnic

Super Sunday

23 Dec is a day i'd like to remember for a lot of reasons. After a break of almost 8 unbelievably long months, we took a day off, our style. Totally Unplanned, get on the road and see where it takes us types. So, after a lot of ideas and discussions about where to go and what to do, we decided to just get out of home. 

Excited about the unplanned journey, I quickly packed a basic bag with snacks, water and a change of clothes for Tiny. And we set off on a sunny December afternoon. This car too, like our previous one, knows us only too well. It was almost like it had figured we needed a day of fun, something new, something we hadn't done before and drove us towards Mysore. This particular route has several options to choose from... WonderLa, Innovative film city, golf resorts, and places like chennapatna and srirangapatnam, closer to Mysore. We then started making a short list like A-grade parents (!!) of our options considering time, a place that'll be fun for Tiny and the stuff in my bag. We'd already been to the film city and we weren't keen on wonderla.. So it had to be the Eagleton golf resort. 

I'd never been to any of these resorts before so I had absolutely no idea of what one could expect. S was keen on trying his hand at golf, while I was pretty sure I'd be running behind Tiny, like everyday. Somehow the idea didn't quite excite me initially. It was almost 2 when we reached so we headed straight for lunch. And it was quite a disappointment. Rude & uninterested staff, boring buffet, and a noisy restaurant. Hmph..mood spoilers, i thought. But, I kept an open mind and decided to get it done with and move on to figuring out ways to entertain the kid and myself. 

Out of curiosity of what one does on a day out in a resort, we set out to explore. We found the park. I am the one that takes Tiny to the park every evening and it had been a while since S had watched Tiny play. He was as excited as the little one. Hand in hand,the boys set out to explore. Tiny played while S watched in watched in awe how easily and carefully he climbs the big slides, loves the swing and the merry go round and, left to himself, will sit in the sandpit all day! After an hour in the hot sun, we had to drag him out to go back indoors. 

Once back inside, we found a kids play room which was basically a HUGE ball pit. When he started school 7months ago, the ball pit at the entrance was the only motivating factor. It was familiar territory :) S jumped into the pit with him and they both played for a while. It was a first for S and he was a little boy all over again.  And then came the swimming pool!!!

The husband and the kid are water babies. Tiny needs to play in the water every day. It's his thing. And I don't even like to get my feet wet, let alone get into the pool. Despite Rules written on a big board insisting that people should wear swimwear to get into the pool, a group of ladies were splashing around in the baby pool fully clothed, with dupattas and all! One was in a burkha with the veil  covering her face!! S went off to buy swimming shorts for himself and Tiny. Thankfully the ladies had finished their jalakrida and got out of the pool in their heavy, wet clothes. Drying their hair, squeezing water out of their clothes back into the pool YUCK! They walked to the rest rooms, dripping water all they way! I was not sure I wanted Tiny to get into that water...but he was ready..he'd taken his shoes off and was struggling with his shorts while I stared at the women. The trunks came, boys changed, and jumped into the water. For about 2 hours....they were in there, splashing around, wading and just having soooooo much fun. I forgot about the dirty water and just sat and watched. Took pictures, recorded videos, worried myself sick that the kid will slip and break another tooth or hurt his head or break his nose (like S had done when he was young). I kept telling S not to go too deep into the water and he asked, " please tell me how much deeper can I go on a 2 feet deep baby pool?!" yes, I am scared of water and have been scared since I was about 7 years old! But I decided to let them be while I was safe on the bench under a tree. 

It was almost 5 when they got out of the pool. We headed straight to the cafe as Tiny hadn't had a  proper lunch and after all this play he must be hungry. I also needed some caffeine. We sat and before we could order, the little fellow put his chair next to mine, pulled out his jata ( a whole post will be dedicated to that) placed his head on my lap and fell asleep. Just like that. Within seconds. He was exhausted! 

We quickly finished our coffee and headed home. Feeling satisfied. Happy. 

My very own question bank

Honestly, I'd thought this particular phase was still at least a year away. But it's already been here for a while now..and I've been thinking.. God, give me some patience or give me some patience! The questions are in a hurry to jump out at me...nineteen to a dozen would be an understatement. 'Maa, tell me what am doing', 'Maa what are you doing' 'Maa what does the JCB do?' 'Maa what does the pink nano car do"! 'Maa why does appa go to office?!!' 'ma where is  Ashoka Pillar?' 'ma  can i sit here, or here or here or here or here...? All the while pointing out to different places and not stopping to look at me for s response! Phew!! the questions just never stop!

It's interesting that he repeats his questions randomly and expects a consistent answer...almost like he's checking to see if I remember :) so the other day, we were out for a drive and he he saw a JCB in action. Immediately,  'Maa what does the JCB do?' so I replied without paying attention that it just moves debris and helps in constructing a building. He went quiet for a few minutes and then said,'Maaaa, JCB Manuu, kallu tegiyathe!' (it moves mud and stones). I forget that he remembers and I have to be consistent!!

I'm now convinced that no amount of mental preparation can prepare one for this phase. And wondering what I'll do when he starts asking more complicated questions ..I guess itts time I introduced him to Google :P

Sports Day

The excitement began almost a month ago, when I received a circular announcing the school's annual sports meet in December. We blocked the date on our calendars instantly. The next circular was about practice sessions in school and how we should send the kids dressed in comfortable pants and sports shoes - with Velcro only and strictly no laces. :) I was more excited than anyone else. Of course Tiny had no clue what was going on. He just went about with his activities as usual. I made sure he didn't miss a single day of school and we played in the park every evening. 

One evening at the park I noticed him running neatly in a straight line on the tiled jogging path and figured that he'd actually been observing and absorbing things taught at school! He kept screaming 'school, Amma, school' as he ran. :)

The day came close. My parents came all the way from Bombay and made sure they stayed back for the event. The event originally to be held on a Saturday afternoon, was rescheduled for a weekday afternoon..which is really sad as most of the working parents would find it difficult to take time off. 

On the day of the event, Tiny fell asleep just an hour before we were to leave home. He woke up with a nasty temper and I wasn't sure if he would even want to participate. The moment we reached the venue, he saw some of his friends and just ran away..and got busy playing with them. This was the first time I was watching Tiny with his friends...he's such a big boy already. All the children were asked to assemble in some  room to get them ready for the events. The parents escorted the kids till the room and waited there...I got up to hold Tiny's hand and take him and he calmly said 'naan hothoni' (i'll go on my own) waved to me and scampered across the grounds to go to his teachers! I was really amazed at how independent he's growing up to be. And within minutes, the events started. 

Little children dressed in green walked out, led by a band. They were all over the place. Running towards any familiar faces they could see in tHe audience. Some refusing to walk. Some still sleepy.
 But they were all marching. Little green soldiers. All the parents eagerly searching for their little kids in the army. Mine was with his group right at the end. Doing his own thing. Looking everywhere. Walking only when he felt like it. :) I really couldn't stop cheering them.

The first event was the one with Tiny's group. They had to place blocks like a wall, place a roof and a solar panel on it. It was a relay of sorts and there were three groups of 3 kids each. Tiny was the second in his group and the first child in his group was in a bad mood and was crying and just didn't want to play. The teacher walked the kid to the blocks and helped him place a block but the child refused and ran away to his parents. Tiny took the cue and ran to the blocks, quickly placed them all in 2 rows, placed the roof and placed the solar panel also, all the while with the teacher telling him to stop and leave something for the next child to do! As he ran towards the finish line, he saw S sitting int he front row. He promptly changed course and ran into S's arms. His part in the sports day was
 over and he'd done it well. I. Was soooooo proud! The rest of the afternoon was fun and I was really amazed at how such young kids were following complex instructions so well. They even had a little
 race for the parents at the end and my son was cheering for me from the stands. He's such a sport. 

Then came the moment where he had to go up on the stage to collect his 'Gold Medal'! :D He thanked the chief guest politely and went on to receive his certificate and then said 'Amma a agoytu, hogona manège' (it's over Amma, shall we go home now?)! The day was over! Here's the certificate. More pics of the sports day coming up soon. 

The Tooth Fairy's unexpected visit

Yes, the terrible twos have struck. 3 months ago actually, but now, in the true sense of the phrase. He's just all over the place. And so are his moods. One moment he's happy an the next he's whiny an within minutes he'll be sitting by himself with a book or a truck. 

Last week, what started off as a perfectly ordinary day, turned into a nightmare with a trip to the ER. Thankfully, it ended at that. We were at a shopping mall waiting for our food at the food court. Tiny was behaving himself, much to my surprise, and sat on a chair an insisted that he eats his food himself. So I got up to get our tray from the counter and I heard a thud and people screaming. I looked back to see Tiny on the floor with blood flowing out of his mouth. I ran to get him and I noticed that he'd broken his tooth. The one in front had just come out from the root. God! How does he manage to do this so easily?! I rushed him to the ER (thank god for integrated living and the hospital closeby). He'd calmed down by then and even walked to the the hospital himself, refusing to be carried. The docs said it was nothing to worry. We got home and he even managed to eat some soft rice with curd.

Here's the important part. We took him to a pediatric dentist in the evening to rule put any other complications and this is what we were told. Since it was a tooth and gum injury, he should have been taken to a dentist instead of the ER. If it is a young child, immediately collect the broken tooth and keep it in some container of milk till you get to the dentist. They can fix it back. If the child is slightly older and can follow instructions well, it is best to keep the tooth on the floor of the mouth, below the tongue till you reach the dentist. This will rule out any risk of contamination. 

We, of course, were uninformed and the tooth had been everywhere from spectacle cases to jeans pockets. So if this happens to your kid, you know what to do. As of now, we've decided not to go in for any artificial fillers and plan to wait for the permanent tooth to grow. Let's see.

One year later

I can't believe it's been a whole year since the previous post on this blog. And now that Tiny is growing up really fast, I feel the need to put everything down so that I don't forget. So that I can come back, read these posts and relive his childhood whenever I want to. So that I can use this to blackmail him whenever I want to :) (I am kind of wicked!)

Now with new gadgets and, hopefully, some free time, I hope to keep this space updated. 

Happy Birthday Tiny!

Tiny turned a year old yesterday! And, first signs of becoming a big boy - he stood up without any support and I missed capturing the moment 'cos I was too shocked to see him stand!

And am noting this piece 'because I don't want to forget' - This morning, while on the potty, he was practicing all the signs he knew....its like a ritual for him. Almost like he has to do something to keep him busy while doing the job. So I asked him in kannada ' Bayi yelli baby du?' (where's baby's mouth) and he waved out to me. I repeated again -- baby bayi - mouth - yelli? and again, he waved. I assumed he'd lost interest and let him do his thing. After a while, I again prompted - chicku, bayi yelli? and again he waved. Only then it struck me...I was asking for Kannada bayi (mouth) and he was showing me the English 'bye'. So much for being grown up!

Other things he's learnt:
- he climbs - everything from a whole flight of 22 stairs, the bed, the side tables, the clothes stand, cupboard shelves, the book shelf, window grill...anything!
- He knows that the spoon is used to eat food and picks the spoon the right way and tries to put it into his mouth.
- Knows how to use the actions he's learnt in the correct context. Like when he wakes up and I ask him 'Where's appa?' He first looks around, then calls out 'appa' and then looks at me and shows a cute 'gothilla' (I don't know) with his little hand.
- Says the words appa, amma, akka, thatha, ajji, yedda (get up), baba (come) , geebugeebuphhrrr (I have no idea what it means..but it sounds irresistably adorable!)
- everytime a song plays or anyone hums a tune, Tiny has to join in. He goes 'oooooooooooo' and even tries to imitate the tune.
- If he wants to get out of the house for a stroll, he just crawls to the verandah and gets one of his little kitos back with him.The little rascal knows that he wears shoes only while going out.
- He loves his books...and they are the only things that can keep him sitting in one place for hours at a stretch..quite literally. So when I have to take a shower, I put him on the mat and give him a few of his favourite books and go. He turns the pages, pretends to read aloud, feels the text...and keeps himself entertained for as long as am gone.


Here's his very first picture...about 30 minutes after he was born and one of his latest pictures...

There's actually so much more that he does that has to be blogged about...and am lagging so far behind. So I hope to make at least 1 entry a day to catch up. Lets see. 

Resemblance!

a 6-month old Me with my g'mom (L) and a 3-month old Tiny with my g'mom

Two men and a baby

Tiny's first trip to Mysore

A day after he turned 6 months, Tiny made his first trip to Mysore. To the place where I was born. To the house where my grandparents lived, and then my mom, till she got married and then me for the first few years of my life. My earliest memories are of this home and the the people I lived with there. He also met one of my favourite aunts..in fact my favouritest aunt!

Some pics of the house:

The original Home

Same place as above, about 25 years ago (that's me!)

With a bit of the lovely garden

And the Bougainvillea  

The lovely driveway 

The driveway and me with my one of my first pets, 25 years ago 

All the loving from my fav. aunt

Look forward to many many more such fun trips to Mysore!

Tiny is now fun size!

Tiny has crossed the 6-month mark..yaaayyyyy!!!! He's all grown up now and is just so much fun to be with. The fact that he's big enough to carry comfortably and yet small enough to fit into your arms makes him absolutely fun-sized. Precious precious days.

Tiny is now a real person, not just a little baby who will do as you make him do. He has a mind of his own and will do only what he wants, when he wants to. Hmmm.

Among latest developments, he now offers his hand (the correct one, mind you) when you stretch out a hand and say 'shake hands, Tiny'! Manages to pull his toes to his mouth.

 When you hold out your hands to him, he grabs your fingers tightly and pulls himself up to sit and then even STAND! Yes, he's able to stand, when supported. And he loves it :).

He also imitates actions..like if you are playing music and you happen to dance, he'll watch for a few minutes and start jumping up and down. He's trying to sit down, but still isn't strong enough to sit steadily. Maybe a few more weeks..desperate attempts to crawl are still on but not much progress yet.

Hes started rolling...tummy to back, back to tummy and just doesn't stop..and I have to share this... First time he rolled from his tummy onto his back, he was on a play mat on the floor and hit his head quite hard on the ground. He was startled for a bit and then realized it hurt and started crying. No one fussed around him much and he tried it again after a few minutes. It hurt again. He stopped. Then, that night while putting him to sleep, he tried rolling back and forth on the bed and figured it don't hurt at all..and that it was in fact a lot of fun and a easy way to reach out to toys. So now what he does is rolls only when put on the bed and doesn't even attempt it if he's on the floor! Smart cookie this one.

Tiny can now clearly distinguish between familiar people and others. Living in a joint family, he's used to having people around him and isn't usually very cranky when he sees new people. But one strange thing...every time I take him to my aunts house to meet my grandma, something triggers off a bad mood and he starts crying inconsolably. I've taken him there about 7-8 times in 2 months and this has happened EVERY single time!!! He also behaves himself when we have guests at home...smiles back at just about anyone who smiles at him and if the mood is good he even gurgles and greets them with an aaaa..ooo...etc.

Tiny, with a t-shirt stuck on his head, playing with the bedspread

In the 2 months that he's been in Bangalore now, Tiny has changed a lot. He's traveled to 2 new places, both road trips; started eating semi-solid foods and has developed a keen sense of taste, has started playing with toys and already has quite a collection, visited a dirt bike track and watched, with his jaw open and drooling all over, his dad and mama ride one of those bulky MTV's; been to a restaurant; celebrated his very first Ugadi and not to forget...watched the World Cup for the very first time in his life and watched us bring home the cup!! More about this soon..

Back in Bangalore!

Yes...after 7 months of Bombaying, am back in Bangalore. It has been a hectic one month. The last month in Bombay just whizzed past and it was already time to get back. It's been a totally different story from the moment I set foot at home in Bangalore. Having to do all my chores myself, look after Tiny and S, tend to common chores around the house, run errands etc etc. What helped was mom's company till I settled down.

With all this going on, I haven't had the time to even switch on my laptop. So today I sacrificed my afternoon siesta with Tiny to catch up on blogging and emailing.

Quick updates: Tiny got his ears pierced and also got introduced to solid food. He completes 5 months (!!) today. He's already tasted sweet lime juice, litchi juice, rice porridge, and bits of rava idli and dosa. He has started rolling over regularly and is making desperate attempts to crawl. He's got a small collection of soft toys of which he even has his favourites -  a small tiger and a squeaky red hippo with silver horns! He enjoys a bath with the hand shower. The rougher the games, the more he enjoys them. He laughs out loud when he hears my voice or sees me after a gap.

Hope to continue blogging more regularly now that my schedule with Tiny is more or less set..or so I'd like to think! Till then, some of his recent snaps.

My favourite Martian!