From Baby to Toddler

My little Sejal is growing up fast. She has mastered the art of climbing stairs and refuses if someone tries to pick her up while climbing stairs. She wants to climb all the time and the minute we dont have our eyes on her, she is on the stairs. now we do have the stair gate but Daddy has not got any time to install it. So for now Sejal is keeping me on my toes for sure:) For last two days she is trying to walk, she stands and then she loses balance and falls on the floor, she gets up immediately and resumes the act again.

Her Food habits have changed recently. She wants a bite from our plates almost always. Wants to feed herself and many times refuses to let me feed her . Obviously this behavior is way too annoying for me cos the area around her highchair gets very messy and the time taken to feed her increases multifold. This is one new habit that she has probably picked up at her nursery. She is happy to share her food with the parents and tries to feed her daddy or me before she puts it in her mouth. Its cute but I have to keep cleaning all the time:(

Talking is another new acheivement these days. She has mastered word Daddy. Manoj gets so pleased when she says that. You have to see his face to believe me! She says Attya with a rhythm and then everything from dugdag----dugd to aaaaai----Sejal can also recognise light, if we ask her to show light, she looks up and points at the light. now her daddy got too excited about it and tried teaching her difference between man-made light and natural light------------yes you guessed it right sejal rescued herself and came to mE!

Stay tuned for more of Sejal's adventures.....

Love,

Snehal

Letter to my dear Sejal :)

Last few days been really difficult as Sejal is teething. So I am not able to do anything but she is much better today. So i thought of sitting down and writing this first letter to her while she is fast asleep in her little cot.

On Mother's Day last month I came across a few articles relating to the very subject. My favourite was a collection of letters written by three or four famous people to their daughters offering help and advice for their later life (all the daughters were young and this letter was to be given to them at the age of 21). And it got me thinking about what I would write in a letter to my daughter. This is what I came up with.

To my darling Sejal,

I'm going to start this letter with telling you how much I love you and adore you. I would die for you. I really would. I never understood how that felt until the first moment I saw you in pain. You were three day old and the nurse was perfoming routine 'heel-prick' test which involved extracting four or five drops of blood from your heel. Your dad held you in his arm and I couldnt even be in the same room. You were hysterical with pain and shock, not understanding why anyone could hurt you. And in that moment, as I watched your rigid body and your contorted face I felt it. I still feel it now and every day. Now you are teething and you are in pain and I feel it. Only if i could, i would, take the pain away. I rang your both grandmothers today telling them how helpless I feel to see you in so much of pain and not able to do anything. How can I explain anyone how I feel your pain when you come running towards the door when i come back from work and when you put your arms around my neck and let me take in your irresistible scent. I feel it when you share your excitement with me, telling me something in your baby language,,,,dadadada,,,,,tugadh tugadha tugadha. I would die for you in a heartbeat my sweetheart, and this is the truth. - the love I feel for you will always be there - no matter what you do, or who you are. Because here is another little note for you - I just want you to be happy. Truly. Of course I want you to be healthy too, and adored by all who meet you, and kind and successful and loving. But most of all I want you to be happy with whatever it is you choose to do.

So here's my advice to you - and I hope it helps somewhat towards your path of happiness as you grow older and wiser.

Try not to fixate on the future so much that you don't enjoy the present. The journey itself can be so much more rewarding than the destination.


Always treat people the way in which you would like to be treated. Be kind to everyone you meet. And if they are not kind back, then don't think it is your fault. Maybe they're having a bad day.


Don't be afraid to follow your dreams, whatever they may be. Only you know what really makes you tick.


Don't be afraid to trust people - but only if you understand that sometimes the people you trust can let you down.


Believe that you are capable of doing anything that you want. Don't be scared of trying. If at first you don't succeed, then try and try again. You can and you will do it.


Always be yourself - whoever that may be.


Try not to get excessively angry about things - nothing is that important. And if you realise half-way through an argument that you are wrong, then have the courage to back down.


1. Never forget that me and your daddy will always love you no matter what.
   


Never bite your fingernails.


Study hard, specially chemistry and maths.( mummy was very bad with them)


Eat your vegetables and go to gym .


Don't shave your legs - wax them.


Never go to bed on an argument or with an untidy kitchen.


Always listen to your Mummy and do exactly what she says. She is the best:)

And if at any point you forget this advice, then remember just one thing. I will always be here for you. If someone hurts you, I will be here for you. If you are scared or lonely or panicked, I will be here. Never ever forget that.

Your Mummy

What are we missing???

I was away from blogging for so long but I dont seem to get much time now a days to sit and write but I do have this chain of thought early in the morning but again I am too lazy to get up and write:(

Anyways, I read the following article, an email forward, I thought I should share it. I don’t know if it is a true story as claimed, but then, it could be.

Washington, DC, Metro Station, on a cold January morning in 2007. The man with a violin played six Bach pieces for about 45 minutes. During that time approximately 2 thousand people went through the station, most of them on their way to work. After 3 minutes, a middle aged man noticed there was a musician playing. He slowed his pace and stopped for a few seconds, and then hurried to meet his schedule.......

4 minutes later:
The violinist received his first dollar: a woman threw the money in the hat and, without stopping, continued to walk.

6 minutes:
A young man leaned against the wall to listen to him, then looked at his watch and started to walk again.

10 minutes:
A 3-year-old boy stopped, but his mother tugged him along hurriedly. The kid stopped to look at the violinist again, but the mother pushed hard and the child continued to walk, turning his head all the time. This action was repeated by several other children. Every parent, without exception, forced their children to move on quickly.

45 minutes:
The musician played continuously. Only 6 people stopped and listened for a short while. About 20 gave money, but continued to walk at their normal pace. The man collected a total of $32.

1 hour:
He finished playing and silence took over. No one noticed. No one applauded, nor was there any recognition.

No one knew this, but the violinist was Joshua Bell, one of the greatest musicians in the world. He played one of the most intricate pieces ever written, with a violin worth $3.5 million dollars. Two days before, Joshua Bell sold out a theater in Boston where the seats averaged $100.

This is a true story. Joshua Bell playing incognito in the Metro Station was organized by the Washington Post as part of a social experiment about perception, taste and people's priorities. The questions raised: in a commonplace environment at an inappropriate hour, do we perceive beauty? Do we stop to appreciate it? Do we recognize talent in an unexpected context?

One possible conclusion reached from this experiment could be this:

If we do not have a moment to stop and listen to one of the best musicians in the world, playing some of the finest music ever written, with one of the most beautiful instruments ever made.... How many other things are we missing?

My Sejal......

It is amazing how soon you forget things .. The first time I saw and held my lil’ one is still fresh in my memory but everything else is a haze. Right, trying to remember now..the first memory apparently goes back to very long nights when we used to struggle to remain awake :D.

During the first three months there was not a single hour on the clock that we didn’t see. Some days she would wake up at midnight, some days at 1pm some days at 2pm and so on. Getting to a routine was a far-cry. I tried reading all the books I could, Manoj kept going on internet wanting to find out how to put Sejal in a shedule. Then Sejal had this typical time of 9 pm where she use to start crying without any apparent reason!!! It took her the first few days to get adjusted to the light and all the surroundings which were obviously quite different when she was in the darkness of the womb. Meanwhile, friends and family poured in their wishes and enquiries in every possible mode. Some called, some sent messages over Orkut and Facebook, some visited and some sent cards and gifts by mail. We had organised a small naming ceremony party on the 28^th day which went well in spite of my clumsiness and last minute preparation.

Manoj's Parents were of great help during first 8 weeks after SEJAL was born but they had to go back to India as they had only 3 months visiting visa. They were quite sad to leave their new found love. After they left and Manoj had to go with them to India, I was all alone for 5 days with 8 weeks old Sejal which was not at all easy with her 9pm tantrum. However I had Julie Benson, Danise Walsh , Arundhati Tekale's Help and guidance. Julie use to come home every day to give me company at night, Denise told us all about Roller&coaster website and gave all the books on parenting. Arundhati almost called me every morning to enquire about the day.Thank you Guys!

Sejal was very quiet in her initial days, she would just lie down and smile at us. People suggested to be careful as soon as she entered her 3^rd month, they said she could start rolling over anytime now. So, our cautions rose and we started putting pillows beside her every time she was on the family bed and kept a watchful eye on her almost all the time. She would lift her legs high up in the air and wiggle them but that’s about it. It was great fun to watch her, she was super-attracted to the lights, wherever we went she would choose a favourite light on the ceiling and kept staring at it. It was not just the lights but anything which came into focus for those lil’ eyes, she would stare at them for quite a long time.. Last night she kept playing with her Dad...It is amazing to see how the lil’ life starts to take in all the surroundings..

With Regards,
Snehal

Bye Bye 2009 :)

Year 2009 is in it's final laps and I want to say goodbye to this very special year with this note...
This year made me glad and sad, sensitive and stone-hearted, attached and detached, all in the same year. It discovered a new side of me that I never knew of... it taught me to truly let go. Some people think Letting Go means distancing from people, cursing them and staying angry...but Letting Go doesn't mean that. Letting Go basically means being able to smile even as you detach from things and people that crush your spirit...it also means keeping no grudges and staying in peace, even when you have to live without what you once craved for. Slowly I'm becoming good at being able to let go of things that I badly went after before, and still be content. I've learnt to let it go, thanks to 2009!

So, here's wishing you all a very Happy New Year!

May 2010 bring your dreams a step closer to you.

Keep smiling! Take care, be happy.

With Love,

Snehal

"Life"- stop trying to understand it..just live it..and love it.

The girl in the picture is Katie Kirkpatrick, she is 21 . Next to her, her fiancé, Nick, 23. The picture was taken shortly before their wedding ceremony, held on January 11, 2005 in the US . Katie has terminal cancer and spend hours a day receiving medication. In the picture, Nick is waiting for her on one of the many sessions of chemo to end.

In spite of all the pain, organ failures, and morphine shots, Katie is going along with her wedding and took care of every detail. The dress had to be adjusted a few times due to her constant weight loss

An unusual accessory at the party was the oxygen tube that Katie used throughout the ceremony and reception as well. The other couple in the picture are Nick's parents. Excited to see their son marrying his high school sweetheart

Katie, in her wheelchair with the oxygen tube , listening to a song from her husband and friends

At the reception, katie had to take a few rests. The pain did not allow her to stand for long periods

Katie died five days after her wedding day. Watching a woman so ill and weak getting married and with a smile on her face makes us think..... Happiness is reachable, no matter how long it lasts .
We should stop making our and others lives complicated and should live and let others live:)

:)
With love,
Snehal

I am in love with iPod

I have fallen in love with the iPod. No, I am not listening to music at all. I can't, I find that complete waste of time and it also gives me headache. Ever since Sejal arrived, I was missing my books and my reading. I just wasn't getting time to go to library...yes manoj, I know i have car and i know to drive but its such a big effort to take Sejal out and then car-seat and then to make sure that she doesn't cry in the library. So thanks to my Dublin county council library who gave me free membership to audio-books. Yes, I am the member for last 4 years now!!!

Anyways, I have the books in my own comfort now. While making chapaties, walking or even cleaning the house! God bless the technology!! My husband things I’m nuts but he also believes it’s just a phase. The iPod is his, you see!

I just started reading.........ahhh sorry.... listening to, and this is while cooking curry, A suitable Boy. I had no desire to read or buy this book until a friend recommended it . I like Vikram Seth and I went ahead and downloaded the book from the library. I completed the book in mere 4 hours. 2 hours in the morning and then 2 hours when sejal was fast asleep. I did like the book. I did read Vikram Seth's The Golden Gate 2 years ago and I liked his style of writing and I must say yet again he has not disappointed me.

Today I started listening to, The Devil Wore Prada. I had no desire to read or buy this book until I bumped into a trailer of the movie on Sky. I like Meryl Streep so I went ahead downloaded the book. So far I’ve finished maybe up to an hour and I can’t say it’s doing much for me. If I was reading this book, I’d be skipping pages. Some of the stuff is painfully bad and the writer uses the word “adult brain” about a million times in one hour. So maybe Meryl Streep isn’t being too smart taking on such a role; but she’s Meryl Streep, I guess she can do what she wants.


But still its not the same thing as taking that cup of tea, seating by the window and reading a novel. Ahh I missed those days!! But At the moment i am still loving my iPod.

Cheers to technology,
Love,
Snehal