Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Warm and sunny days are back!!!

and along with them have brought lovelier and happier evenings!

After 5 months of snowy winters, layered clothing and staying indoors, I could not resist the temptation of enjoying the early evening sun this week. Last Monday, Chinipie had refused to take her afternoon nap. Almost every evening, I take her downstairs in the lobby area of our apartment. She loves the attention she gets from all the people, and also loves looking at the cars through the glass doors. That day, we went down earlier than usual and I met a nice gentleman in the elevator who asked me if I was taking the baby out for a nice stroll in the sun. I told him I was not going to but that he suggested it sounded a very brilliant idea. And off we went out our building gate. The warm spring wind had felt so lovely on our skins. We leisurely strolled on the pavements within the premises of our apartments, enjoying the mild sun. Somebody has hung the wind chimes in their balcony and their soothing sound added ................Chinipie loved looking around and absorbing everything - the green grass, the 'Stop' signs posted near the speed breakers, couple of ladies swimming in the indoor pool(we could see them through the glass doors), the cars passing by, the children playing. Playing Children captivate her attention next to the cars, in fact more than the cars, I feel. There were a couple of kids biking on the pavement, another was on his skateboard while one of his friend was on the scooter. At another corner, there was another parent running behind a toddler. The sight was so lovely! A picture, you would want to paint, of a relaxed spring eve at a park. What more can be lovelier than the sounds of the kids playing, of a toddler's sweet laughter, of the birds chirping as they fly back home, and of soft claps and delightful chuckles of your own baby?

I had started this post last week but somehow could not complete it. I think I had kind of jinxed everything I have written above.. coz my starting this post was followed by a weekend of rains and flurry and a bit colder evenings this week. Nevertheless I take my Chinipie out for a stroll all wrapped up in woollens as we watch the cars passing by and an occasional kid playing out in the sunny chilly evening..

Wednesday, April 9, 2008

Chinipie talks

and makes sure you are engaged in the conversation.

A typical conversation, you will hear, anytime..

Chinipie: (pointing to a animal figure in a picture book) Maama! Maama! ka?
Maama: Dog
Chinipie: woooooooo
Maama: Woof! Woof!
Chinipie: (smiles) Whoo!
and this repeats at least 25 times until something else catches Chinipie's attention. Though, 'ka' and 'e ta' are used interchangeably.


Chinipie: (pointing to a animal figure in a picture book) Maama! Maama! ka? ka?
Maama: Cow
Chinipie: woooooooo
Maama: Moooo! Moooo!
Chinipie: (turns the page and points to another animal figure) Maama! Maama! ka? ka?
Maama: Tortoise
Chinipie: woooooooo
Maama: errrrr...
Chinipie: wooooooo
Maama frantically tries to turn the page back to the picture of cow

If any of you could help me with the sounds of turtle, zebra, kangaroo, giraffe and the likes, i mean, any other animal other than the barnyard ones, I would be highly grateful to you. Coming to think of it, these animals must also make some sounds.. how come they are not as popular as the lion's roars and dogs woofs?!?

Chinipie: (pointing to an object in a picture book) Maama! Maama! e ka?
Maama: Boat
Chinipie smiles and lifts both her hands up, swaying them and closing and opening her fists
Maama: Row, Row, Row your boat gently down the stream.... tries to sing the rhyme to her as close to the actual version as possible (I hope you all know how pathetic a singer Chinipie's momma is)

Yep! you guessed it right. This is how, my little girl dances. And she loves dance and music. Each times, she hears a song, her hands automatically go up. At times, we have used music to pacify a wailing Chinipie. Alas! I have not been able to click a picture of hers in the dancing pose yet. Promise to post it as soon as I have one.

By the way, she says 'Maama' ever since she was 7 and a half months old, initially i doubted if she actually meant it.. you see, i didn't want to be over-joyous.. though my heart was filled with pride every time she said that. Now, 'Maama' and 'Papaa' are her favourite words. Though, she calls her dad 'Maama' sometimes, especially, in the mornings, when she gets up and crawls towards him and kisses him with a 'Maama'. The other words she says, very clearly, are 'Bye-Bye', 'Ta-Ta' (used inter changeably for bye) and 'Bebe' for baby. She waves bye and blows kisses to DH every morning. In fact, she so much loves waving bye to him that as soon as she sees him dresses up, she starts waving her hand and saying 'Tye tye'... She is not bothered that daddy is yet to have his breakfast or wear his shoes. Last week, she used to cry and cling to him, when he would finally be leaving, but she happily waves him bye now.

A huge correction! I was just reviewing what I wrote and there's a very wrong piece of information I gave. Clearly, her favourite word is 'ka'! How could I ever say, it was something else. In her 9th month, she loved experimenting with 'Papa', when she would keep chattering 'Pappaaa', 'Papaii'. 'pepa' and the likes. But her 10th month onwards, it's clearly 'ka'. I clearly remember the first time she had uttered this word. It was in India, when in January, I, along with her, was visiting my father and brothers and she had pointed to the light that I had just switched on with a 'ka'. My brother, who was just going out of the room had stopped and looked at her. Obviously, an over-joyed me, had instantly said, 'light' and turned to my brother with a delight and asked, 'Did you see that?' Happily, I went on replying 'light' and fan' to her every 'ka', making a mental note to myself to update her Dad on this development, when he called up that night. Her curiosity and zeal to know everything around has taken new heights and she goes ka-ka-ing the whole day and night too! Twice or thrice, she ka-ed in her sleep, too, and with a lifted hand and pointed finger on top of that! When I first heard her, I got up to check if she has woken up and soon I realized that my little curious George cannot leave her inquisitiveness in her sleep too! Whatever had held her interest and whom-so-ever she had asked that, I hope she got an answer for her 'ka'!

Friday, April 4, 2008

Monkey see, Monkey do!

More aware of herself and more aware of people around her, Chinipie just loves mimicking the actions of those around her. If I lean forward towards her, she would lean towards me with a smile till our heads touch. Blow a kiss and she would blow it back. Smack your lips and she would smack hers, in turn. Wave your hand and she will wave hers. Blow raspberries and she will do the same. Laugh and she will laugh too. This becomes funny when DH and I are laughing over something, and she unknown of the conversation, just joins in and laughs!

She would be busy with her toys and I would be busy with my work and if I cough, a few seconds later I am sure to hear a 'ahe ahe ahe' across the corner. And when I look at her, she would repeat that cough with a huge smile on her face. I mimic coughing with a smile and for a few minutes, the whole house enjoys this coughing session (yeah! dad too joins in when he is around!). We have to be a little careful these days as she is actually coughing a lot, so in an attempt to mimic, she gets an original cough and with it all the food comes out too..

She enjoys somersaults. We, just, have to touch our heads to the bed and she starts doing the same. The difference is that in her case she lies down completely to do that. Then, she instantaneously does a somersault to touch her head again. Now a days, as soon as she gets on the bed, she starts rolling over with a chuckle to let us know that she wants to play this game.

She shares her food and drinks too. Whatever I try to feed her, with a smile on her face, she takes it from my hand and puts in my mouth too. And, if I act like I am eating it she feels immense proud that she can feed her momma.

She imitates not only actions but the emotions and moods too! I was surprised at her increased sensitivity and understanding when she had started crying seeing me cry. There was this incident, when I had put her to sleep, like a fool, in our bed instead of the crib and had gone out of the room. A few minutes later, her cries had drawn me to the room and I had found her sitting on the floor and crying. Both, DH and I, pacified her and she stopped crying after some time. But by then, I had started crying on my stupidity. Seeing my cry, she did too! No guesses, this had put a stop to my woes instantly.

These were some of the cute acts of my little monkey! Isn't she lovable?

Thursday, March 27, 2008

Recipes

Like any other mom, I had hoped that I might be lucky enough to proudly say that I never face any problem in feeding my child and she eats whatever and whenever I give her. (what high hopes I had!) Alas! that's not true. She just refuses to open her mouth when she sees a spoon coming towards her. Sometimes, we don't even get to that. The very sight of the high chair makes her rebellious enough to stiffen herself and there's no way that I can put a brawling and crying baby in the seat. This has made me try different forms, textures, varieties and combinations of food for her. Some click instantly with her and some don't. Some lose their charm after a few days while some are always a good saver. Here, I share a few recipes for which she automatically opens her mouth. These are very simple and easy to make. Hoping that they work for the other moms too as they did for me!

Apple Yogurt

Take 2 slices of apple and cut them into very thin pieces.
Put them in a bowl and pour a little water.
Microwave for 20-25 seconds to make them real soft. (This may vary on the power of the microwave. The idea is to soften the apple pieces so that the baby can swallow it easily without choking up)
Let is stand for another 10 seconds.
Add 3 tbsp of yogurt and mix well!

The yummy dish is ready :)
Of course, I had started with the apples first and used to make applesauce this way. Later, she got bored of them I guess. So, added yogurt to it which she loves to eat any time.

Yummy spinach

Yep! spinach can be yummy too!! I do not make this one specially for her. Rather whenever I make palak paneer, she gets to eat this and she absolutely loves it.

Boil spinach in a pressure cooker. Just give one whistle and switch off the gas. Let the spinach get tender in the built up pressure inside.
When the cooker cools off, put the spinach in a blender and puree it.
Take a few tsp out for the baby.
Add a pinch of salt and a few drops of lemon.
And the yummy spinach is ready!!

Biscuit Delight

This one is a real savior for me when she is hungry and I do not have her usual khichdi ready.

Take half-a-biscuit (sweet, non-creamy) and break it into smaller pieces.
Pour a little milk over it.
Microwave for 30-35 seconds. (Again, this would depend on microwave and biscuit as well. The harder the biscuit, more time it takes to get soft)
Let it stand for another 10 seconds.
Mash well. If needed, add a more milk for a thinner version.
Feed the little one, who would surely smack the lips!!!

Have fun!!

Friday, March 14, 2008

Chinipie's Milestones

It's been almost 3 months now that I have given updates on Chinipie's milestones and believe me there have been so many that am sure I will not be able to recollect now. All of them are so important and have filled my heart with equal joy that I want to cherish those memories forever and to write down all of them. With each milestone she achieved, I made a mental note to myself to blog about it but, somehow, could never get down to it. Then, I assured myself that it's okay if I am not able to blog them for the most important thing is to enjoy the time with her and celebrate those milestones. And, i knew that I still have my memory buds alive and thriving so if I try hard, I will be able to remember them and write many a posts. So, here I make an attempt to write them all.. one by one may be.. and am sure if I am not able to cover all of them in this post, I will do that in the subsequent ones.

Mobility

Chinipie is surely growing confident and her hands and feet are putting a wider range of things (read all the things) in her grasps. She is surely mastering her motor skills and her mom and dad, I must add!

She has become a expert in pulling herself to a stand position and can take 4 to 5 steps with support. Though she is motivated to take this steps only on the occasions like
1. dad encourages her to walk towards mom sitting a few baby-steps away and then back to dad 2. she is standing in her crib and an object of her interest (mostly mom) is a little towards the side
3. she badly wants something which is in mom's arms exactly opposite to the side she is standing.
I am sure, it's only a matter of few more days and she would make me run around her throughout the day. I am really looking forward for that as I hope to shed some pounds consequently (I have lots of the pregnancy(?) weight on me, so to say). Yep, I have very high hopes.

Somewhere in her 7th month, when she had already perfected rolling over, she used to get on her fours but after that, she couldn't figure out what to do next and would cry until she was rescued from that position. Watching her do that, always reminded me of those Hum-Tum strips where Tum couldn't un-yoga himself from the difficult yoga poses. And, how much I tried to avoid, I couldn't stop myself from chuckling. Towards her 8th month, she was more comfortable on her fours and used to enjoy being on fours, though she could not move yet but she compensated by staying put on her knees and palms and rocking forwards and backwards with a smile. It seemed like she was enjoying this new-found activity of hers. Then on 11th of December, her efforts did bear fruits and she could move her hands and knees one by one and move ahead! This had happened after our routine morning massage, when I had left her sitting on the floor and went to the bathroom to prepare her bath. I came back to pick her up and as soon as I bent down I noticed that she was moving forward. Instantly, I moved back and encouraged her by stretching my arms and asking her to come to momma. She found this lucrative and with a chirp started crawling. It was a mix of creeping and crawling. Nevertheless, she made it to momma's waiting arms. I was so jubilant!! Now at ten and a half months, her crawl is no longer awkward but she has perfected it to match the speed of light.

She can deftly pull herself to stand grabbing hold of anything withing her arms reach. Usually it is my neck when I am squatting on the ground, sending a clear message to be lifted or my pajamas, and when she does that I have to think for a second whether the ones I am wearing had strong elastic or not before letting her do so..

Reaching Out

Chinipie is developing fine motor skills in her hands and her grasp is becoming evermore precise and her vision microscopic. She can easily beat any vacuum manufactured. Throughout the day, I have to be extra vigilant as her super microscopic eyes and fast fingers can pick the minutest of objects and find their way to her mouth. There are times when she makes momma jump with joy by using the sippy-cups and spoons for their intended use. And then, there are times when she insists on self-feeding and eats the pieces of fruits/boiled vegetables/crackers/cheese bites herself. I clearly remember the first time she had done this was just a couple of days before we had to leave for India. I was so excited that I had started boiling lots of bite size veggies for her and used to give them as an after-dinner dessert. And then, after I returned and she was starting to get better, she would open her mouth to eat only if there was something for her to self feed. I used to grab this chance to shove a few spoonfuls of cereal in her mouth. She, in fact, tried feeding herself water by putting her hands in a glass of water and was surprised when she could not grasp anything. Later she enjoyed playing with water and I had to take the glass away to minimize the mess.

Her combined use of hands and legs have made my days busier than ever as she rummages through my kitchen cabinets, shelves and refrigerator. I let her do so, even though it means extra work for me, for two reasons: one, I made sure there's nothing in those places that poses potential danger for her (and from her too, if you count out the merciless squeezing of tomatoes :) ) and two, I feel this satiates her natural curiosity and contributes to her development.
Her favourite play-things in kitchen are the colanders, baskets and empty yogurt containers. She loves putting things in and out of the colanders and baskets. Sometimes, they are used as hat and sometimes used for playing peek-a-boo. Yogurt containers keep her busy by rolling over and making her chase them. Speaking of empty containers, we can open a waste material recycling unit for my princess hates the sight of throwing them in the waste basket. They empty cereal boxes, juice bottles, jars are her favourite toys. If you have any of these you want to dispose, you can send them to us. We promise to make a good use of them by either rolling them, tasting them or eating their labels. We also love using them as drums or banging them together and always are happy to hear the various musical notes we compose.


Will be back with more updates on my little monkey.. till then have a wonderful time!
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