The Big O-N-E

Vedant turned one on January 2, 2010. What a year it's been - so painfully slow in many ways, yet breathtakingly fast! Many milestones have been reached, many more to go. And he has developed quite the personality ;-)

Here's a recap of our most fun memories of the last year:
(10) Cuddling in appa's sweatshirt to keep warm during the first winter

(9) Squinting in bright sunlight... even when he was a few weeks old!

(8) Giggling when amma walks away and turns suddenly to look at Vedant, like peek-a-boo

(7) Changing a poopy diaper in the temple bathroom with one parent holding Vedant in mid-air because there was no diaper changing station

(6) Sporting the "zoolander" look

(5) Dressing him in appa's banian (vest) when our bags didn't arrive in India

(4) Bribing with cheerios to eat up his lunch / dinner

(3) Threatening his Lakshmi patti (maternal grandmother) with deep-throated grunts like a "rowdy" so she gives him what she wants

(2) Turning around to get our approval after climbing the stairs, and making sure we were taking photos!

(1) Actively kicking his legs and hands - at the bare ceiling (we never understood what he saw!) and in the park when watching the leaves rustling in the wind

And our most dreaded moments (thank god they are far fewer):
(1) Being hospitalized a week after Vedant was born for an E.coli infection and seeing him strapped by tubes and wires in a newborn hospital bed

(2) Feeding him every 2 hours every day for the first month (which meant we never slept more than 2 hours at a stretch!)

(3) His first fall from a couch about 18 inches high in the lounge at Waldorf Hilton in London (and then we dropped him many many times after)

(4) Misdiagnosing chicken pox for nasty mosquito bites in Bangalore the week before his first birthday

It has been a fabulous year watching Vedant grow - from being dependent on everyone for everything to crawling everywhere independently, with abounding curiosity, throwing adorable tantrums, reserving most exclusive smile for Daddy, outsmarting amma & appa during meals (and only eating what he feels like!), enjoying all cuisines off our plates, charming with a grin, fascinated by rustling leaves, excited by water, patiently letting amma & appa sleep in on weekends, enthralled by toys and books (Cookie Jar, Octopus, Dr Squeak, Brown Bear, Wheels on the bus), hugging a (cylindrical) pillow to bed.

We look forward to many more memories.