Summer of '13

We always wanted Anvesha to be an outdoor person and not be confined at home. Although she is a winter baby, she had been out and about  right from the time she was a week old :). In many cultures including ours, a newborn is confined at home for at least  a month, but that didn't stop us from taking her out. From Mt Rainer  to Olympic National Park, she had been everywhere :) Thanks to the Seattle weather, we didn't have those many opportunities to go out during winters and so I had been really looking forward to summers this year.A time where I could dress her in super adorable outfits. This summer was extra special as it was Anvesha's first and we wanted to introduce her to all the wonderful things that summer had to offer.

Here are the highlights of the summer of 2013 !!!!!

Every afternoon after lunch I  take Anvesha out for a stroller ride.. We live across the street from   Microsoft main campus and I must say its a beautiful place . I never knew where we were heading to, or where we will end up.  I call it the nature walk. Doesn't matter what the nature of the walk is, just walk, walk,walk !!  Whether this nature walk happened on a trail, or around the row houses, shopping malls or even the busy streets of the 156th Avenue :) The fresh air not only helped me destress, but it also sparked Anvesha's curiosity about environment, soak some vitamin D and stimulate her senses. Plus, a little exercise is always helpful  in getting rid of those stubborn  pregnancy pounds; added bonus: its absolutely free !!!

Anvesha's first official vacation was a 15 day long trip to the East Coast. She was still a tiny winy 5 month old baby at that time. Though we had our own set of  challenges travelling with a 5 month old, but that didn't stop us from enjoying the 4th of July fireworks at D.C, feeling the water gush through our faces at Maid of the Mist @ Niagara Falls or roaming aimlessly in the  night bedazzled by the lights of The Time Square, NYC.

We also took multiple day trips amongst the local getaways such as the cascade loop, lavender fest, skagit river trail, to name a few .  This bonding and closeness from just doing simple things together is great for future relation with the child.

Partner Support

One of the nicest, yet most difficult word to say is "Thank You" I know its not thanksgiving yet, but I want to take a moment to thank my husband, Prateek for all the love and support that he has offered in the last 7 months. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have even started this blog. I  remember the  night of 27th January ( yeah !!! the night before Anvesha was born ) that he suggested I start a blog to share my experiences as a new mom. I had always loved to pen down my thoughts on paper, something that I used to do when in college. I somehow almost forgot about it over the years. After much persuasion I at least started the template. We had almost finalized on the name so naming the blog was somehow easy. For those who know me well would know its such a big deal for a lazy person like me to start something new ;)

The kind of mom I wanted to be was a lot like June Cleaver from Leave it to Beaver whose house was always neat, laundry done on time, still having time for a a girl's night out and a perfectly done hair and makeup. But my house is more like Debra's from Everybody loves Raymond :) Domestic duties have doubled. Of course, before the baby there were still dishes & laundry and other loathsome household chores, but there were never so many things that had to be done so quickly. I know I haven't been able to make exotic meals ( at least I would call them so :P) ), but he has been absolutely non fussy about the mess in the house these days and helps around a lot when at home. From taking care of me during the initial days post delivery to staying awake with me at 2 in the morning when Anvesha was colicky, or running errands for me and babysitting Anvesha when I had to go attend my SGI meetings,  or for that matter even promoting this blog, he has been a true support system when I needed it most.

Taking care of a baby is a physically & mentally exhausting job.My experience as a mom might be relatively new  but I know what Iam doing. I might not be a perfect mother and  I may have made mistakes in the past, but their onus rests on me; plus, don't we learn from our mistakes? All said and done, Iam confident about my parenting style, something that I wasn't few months back. Thanks Prateek, for making me realize what Iam worth doing !!

"Baby makes three" is exciting, exhilarating & wonderful. It is also exhausting, exasperating & worrisome. Having a partner support can make life so much simpler and at the same time helps preserve your sanity :)

Thanks for being there !!!!