Anvesha @ 1.5 yrs

No more counting in months.... my little doll is now 1.5 yrs :) What an age to be in !!! Happy Birthday sweetie..... you are a big girl now !!!!

Anvesha weighs 20.6 pounds .... she is more on the petite side I feel and is 31 inches in height ( I secretly wish she doesn't turn out to be like me in terms of height ). She hasn't started to speak much but understands simple instructions and attaches meaning to a particular object. Her caterpillar, for instance is synonym to going out for a walk. She lives in her own predictable world where everything follows a sequence, at least on weekdays :)

She is now 98% weaned. The bedtime feed was the hardest one so far and we are left with just one morning feed. I am night weaning her these days which means few sleepless nights :). Its much difficult than I thought it would be as she is very attached to me and I was left with no choice than to go cold turkey.  We will reach there in a few weeks I hope and I will surely miss the closeness and the special bond we had. On the positive side, she is becoming more efficient at drinking from a glass :) I know kids her age who are still using bottle and find it difficult to give up on them. Thankfully, I do not have to worry about that :)

We have started potty training for her, though not vigorously. There have been so many accidents in the recent past and I don't quite think she is ready yet. As of now her potty seat is more of a fun place for her :)

She has a total of 14 teeth now and its bit of a struggle daily to brush her teeth as she resists a lot and wants to brush her teeth herself, but when it comes to hygiene, there are no compromises whatsoever.We also had her first dental appointment :)The four molars and two upper canines have appeared and she is able to chew food more efficiently. That means she is able to eat chapatis now and practically everything that we eat with mild spices of course. Though I still miss the baby food that I used to prepare for her. She loves fruits and her current favorite are blueberries !!!! Cherries, apricots, plums, peaches, figs are in season and I ensure to offer her a wide variety.

Anvesha loves to dance and there are a few of her favorite rhymes that she loves to dance on. These are "Johny Johny", "heads, shoulders, knees and toes", "if you're happy and you know it clap your hands", "machli jal ki raani hai", "wheels on the bus". She just looks so adorable dancing around. She can point out to her body parts... eyes, head, nose, feet, hands and the best one is tummy. She will lift her dress to point out at her little tummy :) She is learning to identify fruits now. We have a small pocket size book of fruits and vegetables for her that she finds very interesting these days.

In 6 months from now Anvesha will be 2 and there will be another update from me then. I hope till then I am able to meet few timelines that I have set for myself  including potty training :)

Here's little Miss Sunshine @ 1.5 years.... love you baby. Muaahhhhhh !!!!

Temper Tantrums

I knew I would have to face this some day..... especially when Anvesha reaches the so called "terrible twos"... though was never prepared to have to face it around this time.  Temper tantrums !!!!!! These are plain expression of frustration over something that a toddler cannot or won't be allowed to do. Mix in hunger and fatigue and you have got an atom bomb. These are definitely not a pretty sight, especially in public places as it gets embarrassing and the only resort is to give in ( at least that's what I thought)

Anvesha is getting more independent day by day and with this also comes the freedom to make choices of what she wants to do and where she wants to go. Disapprove her actions and you have a  crying, whining toddler with an arching back.That is the time I wonder where has my sweet little girl disappeared ??  So what is the trigger??? Well, it could be anything from wanting to listen to a particular song, wanting to play in the mud when we have dressed her up in the most prettiest dress, not wanting to brush her teeth to throwing objects out from the aisle at the grocery store.   I did get some relief when somebody rightly pointed out, "You are in for a world of embarrassment if age appropriate behavior embarrasses you". 

So we have come up with our own strategy to deal with these nasty situations:

• Keep your cool- Its easier to have a meltdown yourself when the child is giving you a hard day
• Redirect, redirect, redirect- It could be through humor, favorite activity, books, the bottom line is to divert the attention.
• Ignore-When Anvesha gets to a point where she gets too frustrated, she simply lies down and rolls on the floor ( thanks to the carpet flooring she does not hurt herself :)).  At this point its best to just ignore her and carry on with the daily chores. Its just her tactic to get attention. Sorry sweety.... you cannot get my attention this way !!!!

When she calms down I cuddle her close to me, but no matter what, the key is to not give in to her demands as this would send out a wrong signal.This might be difficult when we are in a public place, so at that time, its best to leave.

Iam doing my bit to prevent the meltdown by warding off hunger, fatigue, boredom or over stimulation. So whenever we go out I pack lots of healthy snacks, few toys or book and make sure she is well rested before leaving the house. It is such a horrible sight ... the crying, the whining aggghhhh !!!! I wish I had a video from last night when we would not let her watch TV. She created a big fuss, but soon went back to normal when she did not get much attention from us.

Like all other phases, this too shall pass !!!!!  SIGH !!!!!!!!

Teaching values

Raising Indian kids in US is quite challenging. Our Indian heritage is so rich and our children can benefit from its richness, but the influence of western culture is powerful- though not necessarily bad. Raising kids in two cultures, therefore, becomes more of a balancing act so  that the kids can benefit from these two very distinct influences.  I strongly feel that no matter where you bring up your kids, everything rests in the hands of parents. Be a friend to your child and your child will automatically start confiding in you, teach you child the importance of integrity, generosity and fairness - and you shall see how your child blossoms into a confident, well adjusted adult who loves, obeys and respects you. Having said that, it becomes equally important for parents to follow the same so that the child sees us as role models.

The kids need to understand the value of Indian values and this itself is a very difficult task as what we considered "Indian" is also changing. What worked for our parents or grandparents may not necessarily work here. There is a new term that has emerged recently which is referred to as "cultural parenting" which goes much beyond teaching the kids our cultural heritage. It is more about building bridges so that our future generation can effectively cross the boundaries of different cultures and become happy and healthy members of both.

As of now, we are doing our bit to teach Anvesha about morning/ evening prayers ( Hey Prabhu, mujhe achchi buddhi dena )We go for regular temple visits with her. At home she understands that the little corner we have is dedicated for praying and joins her hands together in front of the idols as a mark of respect. She rings the ghanti and bows her head as I put tikka on her forehead :) These days she is enjoying 'Amar Chitra Katha'  books that my parents sent from India. She's not at an age where she understands the stories, but this is just our way of getting her acquainted with the Indian heritage. Slowly as time will pass by, this will get embarked in her mind. I am sure we would have done all of this and more if we were in India..... its just that we need to go an extra mile here in the US.

Product Review: BRICA Auto Mirror

We had a tough time getting Anvesha to sit in her car seat. She would resist being seated, would scream and whine. Driving around with her was so stressful as she would cry for hours. When Prateek would drive, I really did not have a heart to let her cry and would unbuckle her and have her in my lap.  I know its a safety issue here, though all my friends back in India will laugh as they read this. Probable responses will be.... "safety issue?? don't we keep our babies in our laps while the car is on the driving mode?", or "did you ever sit in a car seat when you were young?", and the best one, "I drive my car with my baby sitting on my lap." I shamefully agree to all of this. Talking about safety, yes, its not safe to keep the baby out of the car seat when you are driving. Plus, car seats also give you freedom of mobility with the baby when you wanna go places alone.

So I asked a question to other moms in my birth club on how to keep the baby seated in the car seat. I was taken aback with the responses that I got and that made me realise Iam not doing it right. One of the responses that struck me was, " I rather have a crying baby in the car seat than a dead baby in my lap." So we headed to babiesrus and got home a BRICA baby in sight firefly mirror.

This mirror comes with a sleek remote to control the music and volume. The music is soothing and has two different modes: entertainment and lullaby. I can keep an eye at my rear facing baby from my rear view mirror and I often find her smiling at herself in the mirror. The captivating LED lights keep her entertained and me relaxed while driving. The soothing sounds of the music often lulls her to sleep and she wakes up happy again. This has made so much difference in our lives. Anvesha would cry on top of her lungs from the moment I buckled her into the car seat till the time we reached our destination.

I would highly recommend this product to anyone who has a baby like ours who hated car. We often go for long drives now and make multiple road trips... something that we couldn't have imagined previously.

A Day in the Life of Anvesha

For most of us, life revolves around a set routine, like having tea at particular time of the day, going out for a walk at certain time. This routine is true for even babies and toddlers. Activities that happen at about the same time and in about the same way every day provide comfort and sense of safety for young children. Framing a daily routine for babies is really important since they like a predictable world.

 We had always been so hard pressed when it came on framing Anvesha's daily schedule and often times I have stressed out when her nap time would move here and there Anvesha is 17 months old now !!!!! They grow so fast....  Although there is no such thing as a typical schedule for any child.... but this is how her day roughly looks like :

Wake up 7.30-8 AM... usually is in a playful mood earlier in the morning
Breakfast is usually an hour after she wakes up, mostly  9- 9.30 AM

I dress her up for the day and we play around a bit. If the weather is good I take her out for a stroller ride around the neighborhood.

11 AM- Snack time

I drop her off at the day care at noon where she spends the next four hours.

Lunch at 1 at the daycare. She gets tired by that time and gets her siesta. She is down to just one nap in the afternoon now. 

3 PM - snack time

I pick her up at 4 PM and we head straight to the park and she plays there for an hour or so. In between I offer her some light snack to munch on.

7 PM- bath time. We have changed her bath timings for summers. She loves playing with water and splashes water all over. 

Dinner is at 7.30 PM

By 9.30 she is off to bed into her own dreamland !!!!

There is always room for deviations ofcourse, like vacations or flu. We do try to mix things up sometimes, especially on weekends so that she learns flexibility and tolerance.

Father's Day Messages

" Any man can be a father, but it takes someone special to be a Dad !!!"- Ann Geddes

Its Father's Day !!!! and I wanted to pass on few messages.... I am not very expressive when it comes to speaking out my inner feelings, so I thought it would be best to jot down my feelings and document them in my post :)

My dear loving hubby,
You are so much more than just a husband. You are the 'father' to our lovely daughter.Your love as a father shows through your interaction with Anvesha. You are a fabulous father, a great husband and we love you for who you are. There's another amazing side of you that only shows when you are with Anvesha. As difficult as it's been sometimes, I know I couldn't do it without your support.Thank you for being such a fantabulous father !!!!! 

And here's one from your darling princess.....

Dear Papa,
Happy Father's Day !!!! You are the world's coolest dad. You give me ice cream to eat, and you also give me chocolates without telling Mamma...... Our secrets remain with us.....I love it when you come home from office and I come running to you. You are a great storyteller. I want to dedicate this special song to you today.
Love you lotssss... Aanu

For me, father's day will be incomplete without these messages......

Respected Daddy,

Its Father's Day and I want you to know that the past four years with you have been truly knowledgeable. When I came into this family you ensured I feel comfortable and loved. Though I wasn't the religious type earlier, but being with you taught me many  things that I will cherish forever. Thanks for being such a great teacher.

Dear Papa,

Our relation is 32 years old and though I haven't been very vocal, I want you to know that you are an amazing father. Even though we've had many disagreements you are still  someone I look upto in my life. Thank you for working so hard to give me the best education possible. No matter how old I get, I will always be your little girl.

Happy Father's Day !!!!

Berry Berry Sweet !!

Strawberries are in season and this also marks the onset of summers... Yayyy !!!! They are in fact sweet little nuggets of summer goodness. What better way of celebrating summer than go berry picking :) Strawberries being Anvesha's favorite, so we decided to pick strawberries out of all berries :) Last year around this time Anvesha was about 5 months old and we decided to wait for another year so that she can enjoy this country side experience.

There are plenty of "U Pick Farms" in Seattle. We decided to go to the Remlingar Farms this Sunday . It was a warm sunny day and we put in lots of sunscreen to avoid any sun tan. Anvesha was still sleepy as we pulled her out of her car seat. As we entered the strawberry fields, she was more than delighted to run around and squealed in delight on seeing strawberries.  At first the strawberries barely reached the basket as they went directly into Anvesha's mouth :) A curious child as she has always been, she was watching us pick the strawberries and put them in the basket. Few minutes later she decided to give us a helping hand. She would pluck the berries, throw them into the basket and clap her hands on her accomplishment !!!! She had tons of fun playing with mud too. For the next couple of days, its gonna be strawberries on the menu.... smoothies, snack items, strawberry pancakes.... or maybe some homemade  strawberry jam......who knows ????

It was an altogether different experience for her and I am sure by the age of 4 or 5, she would enjoy it all the more. It's also a great way to expose kids to the country side. Living in the city we often forget how much sweat goes in producing the fruits and veggies that we so easily buy from our local grocery store. But as of now none of this will make sense to her :) All that she can see is these red dew drops hanging in the fields !!!!

After picking around 5 Lbs of strawberries,we headed straight to the fun park. Anvesha enjoyed the train ride, pony ride, the mini giant wheel and we enjoyed having fun with her. By the end of the day all three of us were exhausted. It was a fun filled Sunday. What a way to start the summer !!!!