Vedant's Corner

My 21-Month Moods

2010-10-20T04:37:00.000-07:00

My 18-month Moods

2010-07-23T19:52:00.000-07:00

July 24, 2010

It's been a really interesting month! I started off July with loads of hair and then suddenly one day, when I thought I was having so much fun with amma/appa, some dude tried to shave my head. I cried soo much and begged amma/appa to just take me home, and when the dude finished, I cried in relief "DONE". I recall being confused when I saw myself in the mirror later that day - "yengai?" (where is [my hair]?).

Combined with this was a move to Chennai - now I hang with my grandpa/grandma all the time. They are so often, and I get my way most of the time. Amma started travelling for work - traumatic for me, I miss cuddling with her at nights. I wait eagerly for amma/appa to return on Thursday & Friday and I cling to them all weekend. They take me "tata" [outside] in the "caaa" [car], give me lots of fun "mummum" [food], meet other "paappaa" [kids]. When I go out, I get to see "moomoo" [cow], "maaee" [=meow=cat], "sssss" [bus], and "aaaatum" [auto]. I have also learned many manners - I say "ssss" [please] when I want something, and loads of "thunkoo" [thank you]. It's harder for me to say sorry, so I just say it in sign language.
All in all, good life. I am now looking forward to my hair growing back!
"baaa baaa" [byebye]
Vedu

My "Desi" Moods

2010-05-29T03:36:00.000-07:00

I am a li'l desi boy!

My middle name is b-r-a-t now!

It's very very sunny & hot

I do miss Ann Arbor... and being a family with amma & appa... and Jessie

Standing Tall

2010-02-23T19:13:00.000-08:00

Finally! Vedant is standing tall - by himself. What an evolution...

from lying on his back to

flipping over onto his stomach to
sitting up to crawling to
"knee-walking" to
standing / walking with help to
independently standing by himself.

We hold our breaths and wait... for when he will start walking, then running, soon.

The Big O-N-E

2009-12-30T03:24:00.001-08:00

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.

My 11-Month Moods

2009-12-01T18:20:00.000-08:00

Milestone Mania

2009-11-01T17:34:00.000-08:00

October 2009

It was an eventful month where I hit so many milestones!

October 3 - My Daddy turned 32! That was his milestone... mine was eating cake for the first time!

October 15 -My first tooth broke through my gums. I can now eat real food!

October 17 - Happy Deepavali! I celebrated my first "festival of lights". And because my amma & appa messed with my nap that day, I gave them hell by pooping in my Indian kurta-pajama at the temple - they performed a delicate maneuver with one parent holding me and one changing my diaper in mid-air!

October 20 - My first Fall - enjoying the beautiful colored leaves outside our home.

October 23 - I can move! I am crawling every where and I can find so much more dirt on the floor than amma ever can.

October 31 - Happy Halloween! I was a rooster and loved trick or treating in the neighborhood. I even collected candy in my own bag - amma says I can eat the candy when I become a big boy!

My 9-Month Moods

2009-10-12T18:21:00.000-07:00

My Travels - Cambridge & London, July 2009

2009-08-16T13:43:00.000-07:00

My first international trip was to the United Kingdom. I slept through the flights there and back, but I was most excited to hang out with my parents for a full week! We saw lots of old buildings and met some new people (Anita chitti, Vishwa uncle, my namesake Vedant, Ramji mama, Bindu mami). I don't think I'll remember all the fun places they tried to show me... I'll have to go back one day when I am older.

My "6 Month" Moods

2009-08-16T13:34:00.000-07:00

My Travels - Chicago, June 2009

2009-08-16T13:18:00.000-07:00

I loved being at the Trump hotel in Chicago! I am a pampered little boy!

My "7-Month" Moods

2009-08-13T16:56:00.000-07:00

It's time to start letting go...

2009-07-19T12:53:00.000-07:00

July 19, 2009

Today Vedant started to hold his own bottle. Lay him down or put him in his swing and hand him his bottle, and he would drink it up... with a little bit of "tilting assistance" since he still hasn't quite figured out how to tilt the bottle to drink the very bottom of the milk! While the moment made us very proud parents, it did start to tug a little at our hearts as well - our baby is starting to show signs of independence.

We had heard recently that as parents we would have to start letting go of our child much sooner than we anticipate... but since Vedant was only 6 months, we didn't take the advice too seriously. Come on, what's a 6 month old going to do independently? And today we were surprised that it is time to start letting go a little... Vedant will want to do things his way and as parents we need to find the balance between letting him do it his way and gently nudging him (without his knowledge, like "tilting assistance" ;-)), supporting him so he is successful in whatever he wants to accomplish.

For anyone who doesn't believe that parenting decisions need to be made so early in a child's development, here is an example. We want our child to be independent, to be his own person, and it may seem trivial, but it starts with letting go of his bottle!

Baby's Day Out!

2009-05-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

May 2, 2009

My first roadtrip was to Holland, MI - yeah, my parents were too cheap (or too cautious!) and picked a location that was a 2.5 hour drive from home. I love being in the car - the world around me moves so fast, it's very exciting! Until it gets very overwhelming, then I just fall asleep. What I don't like is when Daddy stops the car like at a red light or a stop sign or for traffic. So I let him know my displeasure... crying really works.

When I woke up again, I saw Lakshmi paati was very excited because of some flowers. They looked pretty and we kept stopping to take photos. I thought amma was only fascinated with taking photos of me, but today I found out that she just likes to take photos... period. I was annoyed at first, but then it was so sunny and beautiful and I got to be with appa, so I felt better.

I also discovered a new play area when my parents changed my diaper today. They called it the "car trunk" but I call it my cave - and I had the most awesome adventure kicking my hands and feet in the cave. I haven't been there since but I hope my parents will let me go there more often. Will you tell them?

Meanwhile, enjoy some photos of my first roadtrip ever!

My "Four-and-a-Half Month" Moods

2009-05-24T14:54:00.001-07:00

The Working Mother

2009-05-24T13:11:00.000-07:00

If you wondered why there haven't been very many updates recently, it's because Vedant's mother is back at work! Thank God for family support - with Vedant's grandmother home to take care of him, I can focus all my attention from 8am to 7pm on work. Beyond those hours, I do have a bias toward hanging out with Vedant rather than work. I started at 60% for the month of April and have stepped it up to 80%, trying to take between 1-2 days per week off. "Trying" is the key word here :-) Given the nature of my job, it's hard to shut down for even a few hours, forget an entire day! As a result, my mother doesn't understand why I keep checking my blackberry on my "off day". For myself, I am just glad that on my "off day" I am at least allowed the luxury of not responding to work requests right away!

What's most interesting (or frustrating... depending on whether I'm having a good day or a bad day) is how everyone has an opinion to share about "working mothers". People ask me questions about my ability to focus, produce high-quality work, balance personal and professional life, hours at work, pursuing a career - traits that were never questioned prior to me becoming a mother. What is it about becoming a mother that changes everyone's belief that a woman can accomplish much at work? And why is the new father let off the hook? Is his life not transformed the same way mine is? Sure I have more un-outsourceable responsibilities :-) but he has to deal with similar distractions, lack of sleep and worse, getting only 1/10th of the attention his wife used to shower! That's a dramatic change...

Yes, things have changed! Having a baby is a life-changing situation, but it serves to strenghten and embolden, not weaken and discourage. We are determined to be successful professionally and personally. As I told a friend, there is no such thing as "work-life balance" at any given time - there are prolonged periods during which one is prioritized over the other. I hope to achieve that balance... in life. But for now, when I'm at work, I'm a professional, and when I'm home, I'm a homemaker. And Vedant will grow up knowing that it's not "either / or" for his mommy!

My Moods

2009-04-05T19:15:00.001-07:00

Fond Memories (3 months)

2009-04-05T18:40:00.001-07:00

April 2, 2009
Dear Vedant,

You are now 3 months old! Time has flown by, but our memories stay fresh. We hope we can recall all the amusing expressions and little antics that you have already stopped doing in the these 3 months. Here's a short catalog so when you grow old enough to read this blog, we can laugh together about them -
1) "Little spring" - You would spring into a tiny ball on our shoulder whenever you wanted to be comforted; your hands would be under your head and legs folded so knees were by your chest!
2) "Please please" - Whenever you were hungry, you would hold your fingers together on each hand, and plead to be fed
3) Copycat - When Kamala patti did an "O" face or stuck out her tongue at you, you'd do the same back at her!
4) Cuddles - You loved to sleep on appa's chest. And neither amma nor Lakshmi patti had the long torso to be as comfortable as appa, so you would sleep for hours on appa during weekends!
5) Skin-to-skin - Those terrible winter days & nights when we'd do skin-to-skin so we can stay warm together and you can learn/remember amma's smell.
6) Bath time - You have always enjoyed bathing in super hot water; initially you looked confused, unsure if you liked water, but you have never cried during bath time... you only cry the second we take you out of the tub!
7) "Don't feed me any more" - When you had a small stomach and ate in super small installments, you'd quite often purse your lips together or raise your tongue to the upper palate so we couldn't feed you any more.
8) Triple whammy - You had the amazing ability to spray poop, pee in a wide trajectory, and spit up milk.... all at the same time! We'd be left stunned, unsure of where to begin to clean up.
9) Bring on the mobile - You have been mesmerized by the animal mobile that Jyothu Athai got you when she first came to see you! We can leave you for hours with the mobile while we finish our chores. And when the mobile's plastic arm broke, we had to be innovative since you kept searching for it - we took off the small stuffed animals, tied leaves and propped the mobile against pillows. When the replacement arm finally came in the mail, we were relieved!
10) Tummy time - When we first started tummy time, you hated it. You'd cry and cry, but now you have begun to enjoy the new world you can see during tummy time. And when you get tired, you just rest your head and fall asleep!

And now... you are starting to hold your head, amuse yourself, enjoy the world around you, babble in baby talk, recognize faces, suck on your fist, know when you are being scolded, hate to be kissed, cry to get your way... and we are enjoying every change!

Hugs & kisses,
Amma

My Moods

2009-03-16T19:41:00.000-07:00

P.S. Apologies for not posting a blog in a while - we've been busy!

My Moods

2009-03-10T19:19:00.001-07:00

"I am a big boy - wearing my first 'collar shirt'"

Pediatrician or Dentist?

2009-03-10T05:03:00.000-07:00

We all dread going to the dentist. But now, I fear the pediatrician more! Don't get me wrong, we love Vedant's pediatrician (she's fantastic!) but I pray before each visit that I don't get the disapproving "tsk tsk"... yet again.

It all began when Vedant lost weight rapidly during his first week after birth. Apparently all kids lose weight that 1st week, but no more than 8-10% of their birth weight. Vedant lost almost 8% within 72 hours, causing a great deal of anxiety for the (substitute) pediatrician and therefore, for us. When asked how often we fed him, we answered ~7-8 times a day... and got the dreaded "tsk tsk"! Apparently pre-term babies (and Vedant came 3 weeks prior to due date) should be fed 10-12 times a day. Alrighty then, that's what we did - we kept an alarm every 1.5 hours so we could be ready to feed him at 2 hour intervals. Crazy days...

We saw the (substitute) pediatrician almost every day that first week and each time we got the "tsk tsk" nod - for how he was held during feedings or how often he fed or for volumer per feed. After "tsk tsk"-ing at his weight 2 weeks after birth, our pediatrician suggested we spike Vedant's feedings with some formula to help his weight gain. When he finally started gaining weight at the rate he was supposed to, it was close to 3 weeks after birth... and we were exhausted.

You'd think the "tsk tsk" would stop. But no! each time we went back, there was always something we didn't do right, like...

1) Not swaddling him tight enough for him to "pass out" and sleep

2) Laying him on his side since he slept better than on his back

and... this last time

3) Vedant's mother still prancing around in her maternity jeans (Excuse me, it takes a while to lose pregnancy fat; after all, it took 9 months to put on all this weight! ok, maybe it's time for a new wardrobe)

*sigh* the disapproval one has to endure... as Vedant's father said we better be mentally prepared - for the rest of our lives, people will tell us that we aren't good enough parents, better grow a thicker skin earlier than later!

Personally, I'll trade going to the dentist over the next pediatrician appointment!

Addition to previous post

2009-03-04T13:44:00.000-08:00

March 4, 2009
Several people have commented on my cute outfit in the photos in the previous post - my parents finally decided to dress me up decently! Thank you, Aunty Diana, for the cute outfit.

Hugs,
Vedant

Two Months and Counting

2009-03-03T00:17:00.000-08:00

March 2, 2009

I am two months old. I had a milestone pediatrician appointment today - I got my first set of (zillion) shots! I tried to keep track of the many vaccinations the pediatrician described, but somewhere along the way she lost me. All I know is I finally ended up with two shots - one to each thigh - and one pleasant-tasting oral dose. They made me so drowsy that I haven't really been able to enjoy my 2nd month birthday - you'd think I'd get a cake at least... I hope my parents don't make this a habit!

I have enjoyed my 2 months - mostly sleeping, but also playing (my favorite toy is the musical mobile that Jyothu Athai got me), having a bath (oooh! I love bath time)... but most of all, I have enjoyed the gourmet foods. You must wonder how a little baby like can enjoy an variety, after all I am to be fed only breastmilk. Well, my parents are food connoisseurs and wanted to ensure I developed my tastebuds early. So here are the foods I enjoy -

1) Only breastmilk - "comfort food"

2) Breastmilk + formula - Amma alters this ratio every time so I am flooded with new tastes!

3) Only formula - boring, but do-able

4) Milk with Betelnut water - Spicy!

5) Milk with Woodwards gripe water - Dessert... develops my sweet tooth!

I am excited to try more foods, but for now, it looks like this is it for another 2 months!

Amma says I am getting more a-d-o-r-a-b-l-e each day (I hope that's a good thing), so come visit me! I'd like to meet more people :-)

Hugs,

Vedant

All Over Again

2009-02-15T06:58:00.000-08:00

Yes, we make the same mistakes all over again. As parents, it is innate that we begin to dream up a future for our children... the second they are born. And if we thought we would be any different, we were wrong!

Even before Vedant was born, we had created a profile in our mind of the "ideal child" and are already beginning to make him live our dream. Is that fair? I know my parents had many a dream for me - some I didn't live up to, others I overachieved in ;-) For example, I bet they still wished I was an IIT/IIM graduate, but I didn't care for engineering very much (or was it because I was afraid that I'd fail and shatter their dream?). I think I have redeemed myself though, in a circuitous way, by finally finding my way to management ;-) Despite my deviation from their dream for almost 10 years, my parents patiently supported me until I found my way again! I guess there's a lesson in there for us - even if our children don't do what we want them to do... we jolly well be supportive! As for overachieving, they only asked I marry a smart tam brahm - and I managed to find a smart vadagalai iyengar boy with a wonderful family who appreciates me (and my cooking)!

Time's running out, Vedant is 6 weeks old. He better get his act together soon if he wants to be

- Tennis champ (as his Lakshmi patti desires)

- Neurosurgeon (as his Kamala patti desires)

- High-altitude mountain climber (as his Amma desires)

- Famous Carnatic classical singer (as his Appa desires), disciple of T.M. Krishna (as both pattis desire)

Thank God we had a boy and not a girl... else the family would have designed and ordered a vairam (diamond) necklace for her wedding by now!

Growing up we are frustrated with the lofty dreams are parents have for us and insist on living our life our way, but now we do the same for our children. Maybe that's what having children is about - you finally understand why your parents did what they did. Parents never change, we make the same mistakes over and over again ;-)

My Moods

2009-02-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

Gummy Grippy Galaxy

2009-02-12T08:11:00.001-08:00

That's the name of Vedant's new toy. Yes, "Gummy Grippy Galaxy". What in the world inspires anyone to name anything Gummy Grippy Galaxy? We are just beginning to be introduced to this ridiculous world of toys that has overwhelmed the current generation - thanks to Radhu Athai & Vijay Athimber's gift to Vedant, a li'l box of "Baby's First Toys" by Sassy.

Now this box of toys is like a box of chocolates - you never know what you are going to get ;-) It has 14 different toys for the baby's first year - everything that will "stimulate your baby's senses, taste, smell, vision... and even motor skills"! What do toy marketers take us for? Here's my question to them - where was Sassy when I was a kid? I developed a sense of taste, sight, motor skills just fine... well, my sense of smell may be a little behind, so maybe I could have benefitted from Sassy's vanilla-scented (!?) Earth Brights Cuddle Elephant. What about my parents? and my parents' parents? How in the world did they develop into smart functioning adults without Sassy's toys?

Gummy Grippy Galaxy is a teether for birth+ infants and helps "develop communication" through gentle stimulation of the lips and tongue when the baby explores the different shapes and textures by mouth. The instructions make it sound like a baby can't ever develop sound or speech without Gummy G...! and give the parent instructions from the baby! (are you kidding me?)

The toy industry is notorious and we are in for the ride already. What do I care? As long as Gummy G... helps quiet a non-stop crying Vedant as it did this morning, I'll bless Radhu Athai and Vijay Athimber over and over again for getting him his first box of Sassy toys!

My Moods

2009-02-05T18:21:00.001-08:00

Raa-kuttu

2009-02-05T11:10:00.000-08:00

What is worse than waking up a cranky 1-month old after he's been crying for 3 hours straight?

Nothing.

P.S. "Raa-kuttu" translates to "nightly theatrics"

My First Month

2009-02-01T12:17:00.000-08:00

February 1, 2009

I celebrated my first month birthday a little early with Kamala paati's 56th birthday. Amma used this opportunity to stuff herself with Trader Joe's amazing Tiramisu (wonder why I didn't get any!). Kamala paati held me and we blew out the candle together. It was fun!

Amma has way too much time on her hands. Maybe I need to step it up a bit and be a real brat ;-) Although she dedicates all the "extra" time to either taking photos of me or blogging about me or... creating a photo book for my first month birthday! So technically she is busy with me all the time.

You can view the photo book at this site (also published as a post below) -
http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=2AcuW7Zq3asnRA

I enjoyed watching her create this book, but next time, I'd like to have more say on how it turns out. It's going to be hard to convince Amma though... she is quite strong-willed, especially with photos and how they should be presented. I must get Appa to teach me how to get my way with her since he seems to have figured it out. How can I tell? Well, well, I've been watching him for a month... he only does what he wants (regardless of what Amma thinks) and always gets away with it ;-)

Vedant

Vedant First Month

2009-02-01T09:13:00.001-08:00

View Project at Shutterfly

The Innocent Ones

2009-01-27T17:44:00.000-08:00

I worry about them, so naive, so innocent. If they can fall for my tricks, anyone can fool them. I need to watch out for them.

My paatis (grandmas) and amma believe everything I do. It's quite easy to fool them, although I must admit, amma is a touch harder than the paatis. My mother's friend (Jaideep) mentioned that babies can start manipulating from when they are 11 days old. That's what scientists think... in reality, we start manipulating within hours of birth ;-)

Here are the top 3 ways I manipulate my family -

3) "Spitting out the antibiotic" - What do pharmaceutical companies think? They mask horrible tasting antibiotics in two flavors - strawberry and cherry. Now here's the problem - what if there are babies that like neither strawberry nor cherry?! I am like my Dad, I don't like fruit that are colored pink or red. So when my parents tried to squirt 1ml of antibiotic into mouth, I had to find a way to outdo them. I learnt how to keep the antibiotic under my tongue to the side of mouth, so they think I've swallowed it. Then when they feed me, I pretend to suck and spit out the milk, along with the antibiotic! Haha. That was fun, watching them figure out how much of the 1ml I had spit out. This was my best trick... until amma decided to mix the antibiotic in my food. That was below the belt.

2) "Sympathy cry" - Daddy doesn't fall for this one (he's smart), but all the others do. When they put me to bed, I usually fake sleep until they put me down. Then I start to make uncomfortable sounding noises - like a gag, a cough, clearing my throat, a whine - and start moving restlessly - kicking my legs, trying to pull my hands out of the tight swaddle. Within minutes, I can guarantee one of the three - amma or the paatis - will pick me up. I especially like it when amma picks me up because then she'll let me sleep on her chest at least till the next feeding. The paatis... well, they try to sing me to sleep again. And this trick is especially fun at night in the dark, because they can't see if I'm really suffering!

1) "Fart but no poop" - This trick is priceless! I can stink up an entire room with a fart, and better still I can hold the smell in my diaper, so they are fooled into thinking it's a poop! Hahaha, you should see their disappointed faces at the diaper changing station. And I can do this many many times a day (whenever I want some entertainment) and they fall for it each time. I have to be careful with this one though... it shouldn't turn out like the "Tommy who cried wolf" story. It teaches me risk management - fooling them just enough to have some fun, but not so much that they don't change my diaper when I really poop!

But I do worry about them, so naive, so innocent.

Vedant

Sleepless Nights

2009-01-22T20:05:00.000-08:00

What do women think when they decide to have a baby??! Can they really fathom the complete exhaustion one has to endure? Or the absolute helplessness when the baby cries and one has no idea why or how to calm him down (and every trick from the "Happiest Baby in the Block" fails? Or the fact that one has no strength to do anything beyond sleep, eat, and feed the baby (I am disappointed - I am not "superwoman" anymore)? I definitely did not think about the consequences of having a baby... at all. And yes, I do believe there is a hormone somewhere that makes women forget... forget what it is like to carry a baby in the womb for 10 months (yes, it is 10 months... not 9!), forget what it is like to go through labor, and definitely forget the first month after birth! There is no way any sane woman would want to do this again if they vividly remembered every detail.

Despite all my whining (will somebody pass the cheese? ;-)), I must admit, the sheer joy of watching Vedant's every little expression, the creativity at guessing what he must be thinking or what he wants, the thrill at watching every new move - be it a new sleeping position, a new facial expression, a new use for his limbs, or a new cry - is worth all the sleepless nights... and more.

I hope it is like everyone says - "This is only for the first 4-6 weeks... trust me, it does get better".

Letter to Dad

2009-01-21T18:11:00.000-08:00

January 21, 2009

Today was my first day without you around, Daddy... and I missed you tons! I had a good day though - amma and paatis took good care of me. I spent most of my day sleeping (with amma) and tried something new - I tried to climb on paati's shoulders! Amma tried to capture it on photo but it didn't turn out good. Ofcourse, I also kept entertaining everyone with my myriad expressions. Amma did a few new things today - I am still trying to decide if I like them or not - she put me in a swing and when she feeds me now, she tastes like a bottle... weird. I thought you might like some photos of me to distract you from your important office work ;-)

Lots of love and hugs,

Vedant

Are We There Yet?

2009-01-16T15:43:00.001-08:00

It's been 2 weeks since Vedant was born - ONLY two weeks. It feels like we've lived a lifetime already. When will he start walking, talking, eating, and cleaning up after himself??? Our naps are too short, the nights are too long - yet the sleep deprivation doesn't feel like torture.

Vedant gave us a little scare a week after he was born. He came down with an E coli infection out of nowhere, even the doctors said it was just "bad luck". The poor kid! He was poked multiple times for blood draws and even a lumbar puncture for spinal fluid. No kid should have to go through this... and no parent should have to watch their baby from a distance while 5-6 doctors & nurses are working on him. It was heartbreaking. He responded well to antibiotics and is on the road to recovery, but the couple days in the hospital took its toll - on Vedant and on us.

We can't wait for him to grow up :-) and it has been o-n-l-y t-w-o w-e-e-k-s.

The Morning After

2009-01-16T15:38:00.000-08:00

I still cannot believe it - we have a little boy! He's absolutely adorable (which parent doesn't think their kid is adorable!) and has our undivided attention.

After months of denial, on January 1, we finally decided to organize the "baby room"... just enough to not be fumbling around when we bring the baby home. Thank God for that - the baby came that very night! I was cracking up at the dinner table over a silly joke with Pundi and his mother when my water broke! They tell you in the lamaze class - "it never happens like the movies" - but for me... it was just like the movies ;-) I was suddenly standing in a puddle and completely freaked out, and my gallant husband came over to calm me down and called the hospital! Thinking back to that moment now, it could have been easily mistaken for a clip from a movie! I really wanted to spend the night at home and go to the hospital the next morning... I knew someone who had labored for 52 hours... did I really want to spend all that time in a cold hospital room? Pundi and his mother ignored my pleas and rushed me to the hospital. Five hours later, in the wee hours of January 2, I was holding a tiny miracle in my arms - Vedant Krishna Sriram had arrived.

The morning after - we were exhausted, relieved, and completely overwhelmed with an emotion we had never known before - we were parents.