ON Monday the bank holiday, the indian high commission was open. So i went there to submit the application for registration and passport of the little one. We had to take Ananya's thumb impression on the application form.
We didnt have a stamp pad, nor ink at home. We finally decided on eyetex "Kajal" (http://www.gurjari.net/ico/Mystica/html/kajal.htm )
Ananya like to keep her fists folded and her thumb deep inside her fist. So it was quite an effort to get her thumb impression. :-)
Today(30th may) , lalitha took Ananya to the Health visitor's office. Ananya was weighed and checked. She is doing well. At this point, she weighs 4.6kgs. and is 25 inches tall.
The only concern which nags me is how would we manage Ananya once Lalitha's mom leaves for India. Thats something only time can tell.
Technically, we are in a position to understand and cater to Ananya's needs. I hope i am right :-)
~Murali
Showing posts with label Ananya's early days. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Ananya's early days. Show all posts
Wednesday, May 31, 2006
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
May 30 part1
Hi dear dairy!
Been away from you for five days. Not that i really was away, but i had nothing interesting to contribute.
The little one is slowly steadying herself in her new world. She usually sleeps during the day, but she has stuck to her routine of keeping me awake till midnight. This routine is more or less set for her. She usually sleeps for around 2-3 hours between each feed.
Me and lalitha are getting more confident understanding her (atleast we think so till Ananya decides to get us back to our toes). one thing of concern to us is her frequency of hiccups. These hiccups keep coming with alarming regularity. Not a day passes by without them, and it continues for around 15-20 minutes, causing extreme stress to the little one. She is taking it well so far.
On saturday(27 May) we decided to get her passport done. For which we needed her photo. I initially spent the whole afternoon trying to take some pictures of her, but without much success. So in the afternoon, me and lalitha took her to the studio for her first picture taken by somebody other than her immediate family.
Obviously, it was just a professional shoot for a passport, so no asthetics. Ananya was woken up from her sleep and she spared no doubts as to how annoyed she was. But, we did take a picture of hers.
Sunday, the weather was good. Since lalitha's mom will be laving for india next saturday, i took her around to see London. This was her second outing with me to see London.
we went round the usual tourist circuit: big ben, london eye, westminster abbey, buckingham palace, and a cruise to greenwich and thames barrier. It was ok. The weather didnt play truant.
will continue in sometime.
~Murali
Been away from you for five days. Not that i really was away, but i had nothing interesting to contribute.
The little one is slowly steadying herself in her new world. She usually sleeps during the day, but she has stuck to her routine of keeping me awake till midnight. This routine is more or less set for her. She usually sleeps for around 2-3 hours between each feed.
Me and lalitha are getting more confident understanding her (atleast we think so till Ananya decides to get us back to our toes). one thing of concern to us is her frequency of hiccups. These hiccups keep coming with alarming regularity. Not a day passes by without them, and it continues for around 15-20 minutes, causing extreme stress to the little one. She is taking it well so far.
On saturday(27 May) we decided to get her passport done. For which we needed her photo. I initially spent the whole afternoon trying to take some pictures of her, but without much success. So in the afternoon, me and lalitha took her to the studio for her first picture taken by somebody other than her immediate family.
Obviously, it was just a professional shoot for a passport, so no asthetics. Ananya was woken up from her sleep and she spared no doubts as to how annoyed she was. But, we did take a picture of hers.
Sunday, the weather was good. Since lalitha's mom will be laving for india next saturday, i took her around to see London. This was her second outing with me to see London.
we went round the usual tourist circuit: big ben, london eye, westminster abbey, buckingham palace, and a cruise to greenwich and thames barrier. It was ok. The weather didnt play truant.
will continue in sometime.
~Murali
Saturday, May 20, 2006
May 20 Part 2
Tomorrow is Ananya's formal naming ceremony.
We plan to go to a temple tomorrow morning and complete the brief ceremony.
Planning to invite some friends over for dinner.
We plan to go to a temple tomorrow morning and complete the brief ceremony.
Planning to invite some friends over for dinner.
May20 Part1
may 20
This week has mostly been uneventful and quiet.
Ananya stuck to her routine of being awake most of the night..and keeping me and lalitha awake in the process.
Another thing which became very apparent was her strong preferences for somethings!
For example, she always likes to feed with her face facing her mom's right side and her legs tucked in her mom's left hand.
We then did a complex manouvre and placed Ananya so that i held her in her favorite direction with her face in a position to feed, while the rest of her body was further away from Lalitha . This is as best as i can get trying to describe the position :-)
manouvres lasted for two-three days. Now, luckily for us, she feeds normally.
A well fed baby is a contented baby. And i know that she is happy whenever she makes all those grunts when i tap her gently on my shoulder.
I like it :-)
~Murali
This week has mostly been uneventful and quiet.
Ananya stuck to her routine of being awake most of the night..and keeping me and lalitha awake in the process.
Another thing which became very apparent was her strong preferences for somethings!
For example, she always likes to feed with her face facing her mom's right side and her legs tucked in her mom's left hand.
We then did a complex manouvre and placed Ananya so that i held her in her favorite direction with her face in a position to feed, while the rest of her body was further away from Lalitha . This is as best as i can get trying to describe the position :-)
manouvres lasted for two-three days. Now, luckily for us, she feeds normally.
A well fed baby is a contented baby. And i know that she is happy whenever she makes all those grunts when i tap her gently on my shoulder.
I like it :-)
~Murali
Tuesday, May 16, 2006
May 15 Part 2
This blog is just not about Ananya. It is also about how Me and lalitha are evolving as parents and about our own emotional journeys through the parenthood. Since i would want Ananya to read this blog some day in her life, i wouldnt want to mention extreme truths or things which she might regret reading. But at the same time, i hope to be reasonably truthful to ourselves.
check point 1: Two weeks after ananya's birth
Murali's feelings:
1. Exhilarated.
2. Sometimes in disbelief.
3. Tired, sleepless
4. Desire to be more responsible.
5. More quieter.
6. sometimes scared on how to handle baby.
lalitha's feelings:
1. Extremely tired
2. Possessive about baby
3. Emotional
4. No sleep
5. No interest in TV or internet
Noticably, between me and lalitha, we have started talking less of ourselves and more of the baby and other things.. I am not sure if this is a good development. After a month or so, i hope the baby settles down and we get to spend more time with each other.
check point 1: Two weeks after ananya's birth
Murali's feelings:
1. Exhilarated.
2. Sometimes in disbelief.
3. Tired, sleepless
4. Desire to be more responsible.
5. More quieter.
6. sometimes scared on how to handle baby.
lalitha's feelings:
1. Extremely tired
2. Possessive about baby
3. Emotional
4. No sleep
5. No interest in TV or internet
Noticably, between me and lalitha, we have started talking less of ourselves and more of the baby and other things.. I am not sure if this is a good development. After a month or so, i hope the baby settles down and we get to spend more time with each other.
May 15 part 1
Decisions.. decisions and so many decisions!
The internet doesnt make life any more easier. Probably my parents never had to struggle so much to make a choice. We started with an intention of buying some rocker to pacify Ananya when she lets her vocals loose. What we ended up buying was a motorised cradle cum swing sum rocker cum what not. The arrangement looks more like a space ship with all swanky buttons.. And it HAS A 30 PAGE MANUAL!
Minus the internet, we would have probably made a different purchase. Saner? hmm.. not sure though. Ananya is enjoying her new found play home in the mechanised beast.
Another choice which we had to make was the number of pictures we could possibly post here. We didnt want to clutter the whole web with pictures which look all the same. Yet, i need to have pictures there for continuity. After all, a picture speaks more than a thousand words.
Thanks again to digital camera technology.
Lalitha and me have consciously decided to post around two pictures every month. Ofcourse special occassions or memorable poses get to bypass this quota :-)
The internet doesnt make life any more easier. Probably my parents never had to struggle so much to make a choice. We started with an intention of buying some rocker to pacify Ananya when she lets her vocals loose. What we ended up buying was a motorised cradle cum swing sum rocker cum what not. The arrangement looks more like a space ship with all swanky buttons.. And it HAS A 30 PAGE MANUAL!
Minus the internet, we would have probably made a different purchase. Saner? hmm.. not sure though. Ananya is enjoying her new found play home in the mechanised beast.
Another choice which we had to make was the number of pictures we could possibly post here. We didnt want to clutter the whole web with pictures which look all the same. Yet, i need to have pictures there for continuity. After all, a picture speaks more than a thousand words.
Thanks again to digital camera technology.
Lalitha and me have consciously decided to post around two pictures every month. Ofcourse special occassions or memorable poses get to bypass this quota :-)
Saturday, May 13, 2006
May 13 Part 3
The day before, on 11th May, the health visitor called us up and asked us to take Ananya for the BCG vaccine. http://www.immunisation.nhs.uk/article.php?id=226
she booked us an appointment for the following day 12th may.
since it was a working day for me, i could not accompany her. so she went solo with the kid. She took ananya to the temple for the first time. It is a practice to seek the blessings of the lord before attempting any activity.
Initially, we wanted to let Ananya grow to atleast a month before the vaccine was administered.. but the health visitor advised us to get done with it asap.
We expected ananya to cry after the injection. Lucky for us, she was manageable. But the pain started to sink in only after we came home. The nurse who administered the injection told us that symptoms of pain might last upto six months!! Two weeks from now, her shoulder will get painful and some fluids might drip. We are praying that ananya rides over those painful times.
Lalitha also went to the registration office to register Ananya's birth. Somehow the registration office has not yet received the notification from hospital regarding ananya's birth. so she was asked to come back later. Planning to go next friday to register her.
~Murali
she booked us an appointment for the following day 12th may.
since it was a working day for me, i could not accompany her. so she went solo with the kid. She took ananya to the temple for the first time. It is a practice to seek the blessings of the lord before attempting any activity.
Initially, we wanted to let Ananya grow to atleast a month before the vaccine was administered.. but the health visitor advised us to get done with it asap.
We expected ananya to cry after the injection. Lucky for us, she was manageable. But the pain started to sink in only after we came home. The nurse who administered the injection told us that symptoms of pain might last upto six months!! Two weeks from now, her shoulder will get painful and some fluids might drip. We are praying that ananya rides over those painful times.
Lalitha also went to the registration office to register Ananya's birth. Somehow the registration office has not yet received the notification from hospital regarding ananya's birth. so she was asked to come back later. Planning to go next friday to register her.
~Murali
May 13 part 2
Thursday May 11, was Ananya's 11th day ( so easy to count.. she was born on the 1st :-).Hope she stays first in whatever she does. I guess thats a lot to ask for from her..Ok let me rephrase it..Hope she gets to LIKE what ever she does..and hope what she likes are good for her.
Ok back to May 11th. Ananya had her first head bath. We all woke up at 4Am. Her grandmom did her massage and gave her a head bath. Ananya was initially reluctant when water fell on her.. but she eventually seemed to enjoy it. She was then dried.Her grandmom used sambrani fumes to dry her hair. I was initially concerned that the smoke might turn out to be a health hazard for the littleone. I did know that using sambrani was very common in India. But I am now a father. I refuse to believe some things :-) So i did the next best thing i could.. searched the internet. I found a website.. http://www.saigan.com/heritage/alindex.html which talks about sambrani as follows.
Sambraani also known as Yellow Resin, comes from the fragrant sap of the Sal Tree and has been used in spiritual ceremonies since ancient times. Its smoke creates a soothing atmosphere of calm serenity
The dried sambraani (small pieces or powder) is sprinkled on pieces of burning coal. The resulting fragrant smoke is allowed to pass through washed hair.
There are various useful effects apart from the fragrance it imparts to hair. It aids in drying hair faster. Also, it tends to draw the excess water in the head & face, being a good treatment for those with a heavy head from cold and sinusitis.
Sambraani smoke is also applied to new born babies, after each bath, to assure that the child does not catch a cold.
Special holders in various patterns are available for burning the coal. When sambraani powder is sprinkled on the burning coal, the smoke drifts out through the nozzles on the cover of the holder. Thus it is safe to hold it near head and face.
I am still not too sure if sambraani is good or bad for an infant..but we are continuing to use it after every baby bath. If you have heard of it or used it, please provide me some inputs.
later that morning, the midwife made her second visit and proclaimed that Ananya was doing good. lalitha's stiches were examined too. She found the healing satisfactory.
Ok back to May 11th. Ananya had her first head bath. We all woke up at 4Am. Her grandmom did her massage and gave her a head bath. Ananya was initially reluctant when water fell on her.. but she eventually seemed to enjoy it. She was then dried.Her grandmom used sambrani fumes to dry her hair. I was initially concerned that the smoke might turn out to be a health hazard for the littleone. I did know that using sambrani was very common in India. But I am now a father. I refuse to believe some things :-) So i did the next best thing i could.. searched the internet. I found a website.. http://www.saigan.com/heritage/alindex.html which talks about sambrani as follows.
Sambraani also known as Yellow Resin, comes from the fragrant sap of the Sal Tree and has been used in spiritual ceremonies since ancient times. Its smoke creates a soothing atmosphere of calm serenity
The dried sambraani (small pieces or powder) is sprinkled on pieces of burning coal. The resulting fragrant smoke is allowed to pass through washed hair.
There are various useful effects apart from the fragrance it imparts to hair. It aids in drying hair faster. Also, it tends to draw the excess water in the head & face, being a good treatment for those with a heavy head from cold and sinusitis.
Sambraani smoke is also applied to new born babies, after each bath, to assure that the child does not catch a cold.
Special holders in various patterns are available for burning the coal. When sambraani powder is sprinkled on the burning coal, the smoke drifts out through the nozzles on the cover of the holder. Thus it is safe to hold it near head and face.
I am still not too sure if sambraani is good or bad for an infant..but we are continuing to use it after every baby bath. If you have heard of it or used it, please provide me some inputs.
later that morning, the midwife made her second visit and proclaimed that Ananya was doing good. lalitha's stiches were examined too. She found the healing satisfactory.
May 13 part 1
Well, the frequency of the posts are reducing to roughly four a week. I am sure that once lalitha recovers fully, she will be able to spend some quality time writing her experiences over the past few months.
Though I am writing roughly once every two days, i think i am doing a fair job of covering most of the activities since the last post.
Notable change to mention in the baby has been its reduced sleep over the past few days. She is hardly clocking 12 hours per day and is restless most of the night. She doesnt cry though.. but she wants to play a lot. she also throws up milk in small quantities . lalitha was worried with this.
We though we would call up NHS and check it, but Ananya does not really seem to be in pain.. it is only discomfort.
The big question is How to interpret a baby's cry? Obviously she gets her quota of milk on demand(obviously NOT the bottled one) and she gets her fair share of attention from her mom and dad.. Mom dotes on her. and dad burps her after every meal..The temperature in her room is reasonably ok. and she has no other worries to think about in the world :-)
SO what makes her cry?
If any reader of this blog knows of other signs to look for, i would be grateful!. Please post your comment.
~Murali
Though I am writing roughly once every two days, i think i am doing a fair job of covering most of the activities since the last post.
Notable change to mention in the baby has been its reduced sleep over the past few days. She is hardly clocking 12 hours per day and is restless most of the night. She doesnt cry though.. but she wants to play a lot. she also throws up milk in small quantities . lalitha was worried with this.
We though we would call up NHS and check it, but Ananya does not really seem to be in pain.. it is only discomfort.
The big question is How to interpret a baby's cry? Obviously she gets her quota of milk on demand(obviously NOT the bottled one) and she gets her fair share of attention from her mom and dad.. Mom dotes on her. and dad burps her after every meal..The temperature in her room is reasonably ok. and she has no other worries to think about in the world :-)
SO what makes her cry?
If any reader of this blog knows of other signs to look for, i would be grateful!. Please post your comment.
~Murali
Thursday, May 11, 2006
May 10 part 2
It has been quite some time that i last posted on this site. But the week has really been hectic. Ananya's sleeping hours have reduced from 21-22hours at the start of the week to around 15 now. She is a well behaved girl in the sense that she doent do those high pitched cries. Infact, to our great happiness she does not cry often. And those moments when she does cry lasts a few minutes. What she is good at is playing. And it does not really matter if the clock has struck well past midnight. We do really enjoy playing with her, but I have an office to attend the next morning.
With me needing to go to work and lalitha still recovering from her operation , put in some pressure on us with respect to sleep. We have currently worked around this by doing shifts keeping awake. I sleep at 9pm and wake up at midnight. lalitha handles ananya till midnight and wakes me up and rests. I play around with Ananya till such time she falls asleep which is usually at 2AM. But we have been able to take it well so far.
One great achievement in my learning is that I learnt to burp Ananya properly after her feed. It was extremely tough earlier and that would leave us some anxious moments when Ananya appeared restless. Now, hopefully, I should be able to make her more comfortable with my technique to help her burp!!
Dont laugh.. This is a crucial technique when it comes to keeping an infant happy. I shall share my burping technique with you all once i am sure that it works most of the times!!
Murali
With me needing to go to work and lalitha still recovering from her operation , put in some pressure on us with respect to sleep. We have currently worked around this by doing shifts keeping awake. I sleep at 9pm and wake up at midnight. lalitha handles ananya till midnight and wakes me up and rests. I play around with Ananya till such time she falls asleep which is usually at 2AM. But we have been able to take it well so far.
One great achievement in my learning is that I learnt to burp Ananya properly after her feed. It was extremely tough earlier and that would leave us some anxious moments when Ananya appeared restless. Now, hopefully, I should be able to make her more comfortable with my technique to help her burp!!
Dont laugh.. This is a crucial technique when it comes to keeping an infant happy. I shall share my burping technique with you all once i am sure that it works most of the times!!
Murali
May10 Part 1
Whew! what a week has it been.
To start with, tomorrow is the 11th day after Ananya's birth. Traditionally, it is a big day for the family. Back in India, this function would be celebrated amid a lot of pomp ( hungama is what we call pomp in south indian slang and arbhaatam in Telugu) usually in her grandparents house. We call this function as 'Uyyala Pandaga'. Four main events comprise this day:
1. Head bath for the baby ( Infact the first bath for the baby, traditionally!)
2. Shower for the mother ( This is the mother's first shower after the delivery)
3. Prayers for the health of the baby
4. Uyyala ( or cradle ceremony). For ages, this 'cradle' is usually a long cloth( saree) hung from the roof (imagine a hammock hung from the roof) . The baby is ushered into this cloth cradle and is showered gifts by her grandparents and other relatives. The ladies in the gathering sing devotional songs and rock the baby.
Some families use this occassion to name the baby. A priest chants some prayers and the baby's name is written on rice grains which are spread on a flat silver plate.
But, we have decided to conduct Ananya's naming ceremony on her 21st day ( which is May 21)
To start with, tomorrow is the 11th day after Ananya's birth. Traditionally, it is a big day for the family. Back in India, this function would be celebrated amid a lot of pomp ( hungama is what we call pomp in south indian slang and arbhaatam in Telugu) usually in her grandparents house. We call this function as 'Uyyala Pandaga'. Four main events comprise this day:
1. Head bath for the baby ( Infact the first bath for the baby, traditionally!)
2. Shower for the mother ( This is the mother's first shower after the delivery)
3. Prayers for the health of the baby
4. Uyyala ( or cradle ceremony). For ages, this 'cradle' is usually a long cloth( saree) hung from the roof (imagine a hammock hung from the roof) . The baby is ushered into this cloth cradle and is showered gifts by her grandparents and other relatives. The ladies in the gathering sing devotional songs and rock the baby.
Some families use this occassion to name the baby. A priest chants some prayers and the baby's name is written on rice grains which are spread on a flat silver plate.
But, we have decided to conduct Ananya's naming ceremony on her 21st day ( which is May 21)
Saturday, May 06, 2006
May 06 part 4
Saturday
This morning the midwife visited us at home. She did a heal prick test on the baby to check for sickle cell and thallesemia ( ignore the spelling.. i really dont know how to spell complex medical terms). What she did was to prick Ananya's left heel and squeeze four drops of blood onto a special paper. The blood sample would be subjected to tests, the results of which will be known in two weeks.
Me and lalitha were scared if Ananya would cry a lot after the prick. Lucky for us, she was well fed and asleep that she didnt cry. The credit also goes to the midwife for being so gentle on sweet Ananya.
The midwife was happy with Ananya's and lalitha's health. Amma gave the midwife a good cup of Indian coffee. I showed her a video of ananya getting a massage which i had earlier taken. All is well and the little one is now asleep...
This morning the midwife visited us at home. She did a heal prick test on the baby to check for sickle cell and thallesemia ( ignore the spelling.. i really dont know how to spell complex medical terms). What she did was to prick Ananya's left heel and squeeze four drops of blood onto a special paper. The blood sample would be subjected to tests, the results of which will be known in two weeks.
Me and lalitha were scared if Ananya would cry a lot after the prick. Lucky for us, she was well fed and asleep that she didnt cry. The credit also goes to the midwife for being so gentle on sweet Ananya.
The midwife was happy with Ananya's and lalitha's health. Amma gave the midwife a good cup of Indian coffee. I showed her a video of ananya getting a massage which i had earlier taken. All is well and the little one is now asleep...
May 06 part 3
Thursday, May 4
Wednesday was the first night for us with the baby. So many apprehensions about handling the baby. Does it hurt to touch, is the temperature right, is the baby feeding well?, is her diaper right?... and so on..
we woke up frequently during the night to feed, check and change the nappies everytime we felt a small wetness.
As a result of the very little sleep, lalitha woke up in the morning complaining of some soreness all over her body.
I suggested her to go and have a long warm shower and relax.
She was reluctant as our custom says otherwise. Our families traditionally follow a custom which does not permit a new mother to have a bath for 11 days after birth. There goes another clash with tradition.
While we are no sure as to why such a practise exists, we believed that there probably is a strong reason for it to be followed so faithfully by a large section of the society.
lalitha decided to follow the middle path. she did a hot water body wipe instead of a shower, thereby being dry on the operated area.
She then took a paracetamol to relieve some pain.
Wednesday was the first night for us with the baby. So many apprehensions about handling the baby. Does it hurt to touch, is the temperature right, is the baby feeding well?, is her diaper right?... and so on..
we woke up frequently during the night to feed, check and change the nappies everytime we felt a small wetness.
As a result of the very little sleep, lalitha woke up in the morning complaining of some soreness all over her body.
I suggested her to go and have a long warm shower and relax.
She was reluctant as our custom says otherwise. Our families traditionally follow a custom which does not permit a new mother to have a bath for 11 days after birth. There goes another clash with tradition.
While we are no sure as to why such a practise exists, we believed that there probably is a strong reason for it to be followed so faithfully by a large section of the society.
lalitha decided to follow the middle path. she did a hot water body wipe instead of a shower, thereby being dry on the operated area.
She then took a paracetamol to relieve some pain.
May 06 Part 2
So many things happened since may 02 (Tuesday)
On May 3rd, the doc gave an early morning visit to Lalitha ( she was still in the hospital) and told her that she would be discharged in a few hours.
Lalitha immediately called me up and we were both excited that she would be coming home soon.
I went to the hosp to get the discharge formalities done. Alas, that was not the case to be. The docs wanted to observe lalitha and Ananya for some more time before discharge. I had a lot of diapers for Ananya, but i was ignorant of the need for baby wipes. At around 4pm i had to rush to ASDA to get some wipes. Baby nappies and wipes get exhausted so quick!
Lalitha's Amma( mother) was at home preparing for the homecoming. She was anxious when we didnt turn up as expected. she called up to enquire if everything was well with lalitha and the baby. Though our reply was in affirmative, I was not sure if she was convinced enough. it was 7PM when the discharge formalities were complete. And it was half an hour more before i could get a taxi to ferry us home.
When we finally reached home at 8.20, lalitha's Amma welcomed us with a traditional prayer. She also did something called 'Dishti' ( not sure what they call in english, but it is an invocation to God to ward off the evil and undo any damages done by the evil spirit). Amma held some salt and sesame seeds and something else in each of her closed fists and rotated them clockwise and counter clockwise infront of lalitha and the baby after chanting a prayer. After rotating her hands thrice in each direction, she puts the contents in her hand in a garbage can. (Some people put the contents on the road, with the intent that whoever or whatever steps on the contents will catch the evil, thereby freeing the original person from the evil. I personally am strictly against wishing somebody pain just to keep us well. So we dumped the contents in the garbage so that no one would step on them)
Lalitha was gleaming with joy that she finally arrived at home sweet home. She could eat home food now.
Ananya was very comfortable in her new surroundings. It is her home, till such time Dad and Mom decide to move to another house. She slept after her attempts to suck her thumb from her mittens didnt work exactly the way she wanted it to be.
On May 3rd, the doc gave an early morning visit to Lalitha ( she was still in the hospital) and told her that she would be discharged in a few hours.
Lalitha immediately called me up and we were both excited that she would be coming home soon.
I went to the hosp to get the discharge formalities done. Alas, that was not the case to be. The docs wanted to observe lalitha and Ananya for some more time before discharge. I had a lot of diapers for Ananya, but i was ignorant of the need for baby wipes. At around 4pm i had to rush to ASDA to get some wipes. Baby nappies and wipes get exhausted so quick!
Lalitha's Amma( mother) was at home preparing for the homecoming. She was anxious when we didnt turn up as expected. she called up to enquire if everything was well with lalitha and the baby. Though our reply was in affirmative, I was not sure if she was convinced enough. it was 7PM when the discharge formalities were complete. And it was half an hour more before i could get a taxi to ferry us home.
When we finally reached home at 8.20, lalitha's Amma welcomed us with a traditional prayer. She also did something called 'Dishti' ( not sure what they call in english, but it is an invocation to God to ward off the evil and undo any damages done by the evil spirit). Amma held some salt and sesame seeds and something else in each of her closed fists and rotated them clockwise and counter clockwise infront of lalitha and the baby after chanting a prayer. After rotating her hands thrice in each direction, she puts the contents in her hand in a garbage can. (Some people put the contents on the road, with the intent that whoever or whatever steps on the contents will catch the evil, thereby freeing the original person from the evil. I personally am strictly against wishing somebody pain just to keep us well. So we dumped the contents in the garbage so that no one would step on them)
Lalitha was gleaming with joy that she finally arrived at home sweet home. She could eat home food now.
Ananya was very comfortable in her new surroundings. It is her home, till such time Dad and Mom decide to move to another house. She slept after her attempts to suck her thumb from her mittens didnt work exactly the way she wanted it to be.
May 06 part 1.. Introducing Ananya
I know it has been three full days since i wrote anything here. I have been so attached to my little one that it has been hard to stay away from her for long. Add to that, the misery that I need to go back to office this monday. That leaves me just tomorrow to get a whole day besides my daughter.
And yes, We have began to call her Ananya (Annu) . Ananya in sanskrit means 'unlike others ' ( or Unique one')
And yes, We have began to call her Ananya (Annu) . Ananya in sanskrit means 'unlike others ' ( or Unique one')
May 06 part 1.. Introducing Ananya
I know it has been three full days since i wrote anything here. I have been so attached to my little one that it has been hard to stay away from her for long. Add to that, the misery that I need to go back to office this monday. That leaves me just tomorrow to get a whole day besides my daughter.
And yes, We have began to call her Ananya (Annu) . Ananya in sanskrit means 'unlike others ' ( or Unique one')
And yes, We have began to call her Ananya (Annu) . Ananya in sanskrit means 'unlike others ' ( or Unique one')
Wednesday, May 03, 2006
part 2 daily dose may 2nd
Yes, i am back after a brief visit to check my mails.
It is now 11.30 in the night and i am still awake! Might not happen from tomorrow once the baby comes home. My posts will get smaller and lalitha might write more.
Early this afternoon, the midwife removed the two pressure bandages on Lalitha's tummy and asked lalitha to take a nice shower to forget all the pain she went through over the past few days.
The surgical cut has healed pretty well. I was impressed at the progress. The midwife was happy too.
Sometimes i wonder about the profile of people who read this blog. I primarily mean this blog to be more of a 'dairy' or a small note of things big and small, consequential and absolutely useless, rational and idiotic, everything which makes our day, especially in the context of our daughter reaching our lives. And a dairy is supposed to be a personal thing.But at this point of time, i am really okay sharing all this stuff.
Maybe twenty years from now i plan to present this to my daughter as a historic take on the road she travelled with us, but that is anyway a stupid thing to really think about so early in the life of this blog.
I also sometimes think about the kind of people who read this blog. I am from India, the southern part of india. we speak a language called telugu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_language) which is spoken by over 10 crore people ( 100 Million- guesstimate) which is almost the size of 1/3 USA population.
I am going to mention a lot of rituals and poojas which we do for the good of the baby ( as and when they happen). People who are conversant with the hindu tradition as practised in south india might find this normal. For those who are not familiar with indian rituals, please do not threat the poojas which i mention as authoritative. Traditions vary widely across india. I shall try to portray the events which we do for our daughter. I hope that u enjoy knowing abt those traditions!
~Murali
It is now 11.30 in the night and i am still awake! Might not happen from tomorrow once the baby comes home. My posts will get smaller and lalitha might write more.
Early this afternoon, the midwife removed the two pressure bandages on Lalitha's tummy and asked lalitha to take a nice shower to forget all the pain she went through over the past few days.
The surgical cut has healed pretty well. I was impressed at the progress. The midwife was happy too.
Sometimes i wonder about the profile of people who read this blog. I primarily mean this blog to be more of a 'dairy' or a small note of things big and small, consequential and absolutely useless, rational and idiotic, everything which makes our day, especially in the context of our daughter reaching our lives. And a dairy is supposed to be a personal thing.But at this point of time, i am really okay sharing all this stuff.
Maybe twenty years from now i plan to present this to my daughter as a historic take on the road she travelled with us, but that is anyway a stupid thing to really think about so early in the life of this blog.
I also sometimes think about the kind of people who read this blog. I am from India, the southern part of india. we speak a language called telugu (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Telugu_language) which is spoken by over 10 crore people ( 100 Million- guesstimate) which is almost the size of 1/3 USA population.
I am going to mention a lot of rituals and poojas which we do for the good of the baby ( as and when they happen). People who are conversant with the hindu tradition as practised in south india might find this normal. For those who are not familiar with indian rituals, please do not threat the poojas which i mention as authoritative. Traditions vary widely across india. I shall try to portray the events which we do for our daughter. I hope that u enjoy knowing abt those traditions!
~Murali
Daily news dose may 2nd
This was a much relaxed day!
I woke up slightly late at 8 AM after a wonderful night's sleep.
The aches and pains didnt wake me up, nor did they wake up with me!
I spent the morning trying to make calls, talking to people and e-mail friends abt the birth. basically tried to share the excitement with as many as i possible could. i had a deadline in the sense that i had to rush to hospital to spend some time with the baby and the mother.
When i reached her bedside by 11Am, the baby was blissfully asleep. The nurses had given her a nice clean bath and my cutie pie appeared all the more glowing!
It was supposed to be a training session as well for Lalitha on how to take care of the baby's bath etc.
Lalitha will write her experiences first hand on this once she gets back home.
There was a slight swelling on the baby's left eye and we were somewhat concerned. I tried to reason that it was probably ok with the baby as the baby didnt really mind it and was very happy trying to hold her pink mittens with her mouth. But we wanted to get it confirmed by a pediatrician. The pedi came around in the afternoon and told her that the swelling was ok and would go in a few days. no reason to worry really. He prescribed eye drops for her. The midwife has not yet delivered the eye drops to us.
Infact, this evening the baby's swelling already came down without any medication.
we were relieved.
They also conducted a hearing test on the baby. my lil one passed it with flying colors. I wasnt around for the test.. but lalitha told me that they pass some sound waves to her ears and wait for the echo from the ear drums. The stronger the echo, the better her hearing.
will continue writing in some more time...
~Murali
I woke up slightly late at 8 AM after a wonderful night's sleep.
The aches and pains didnt wake me up, nor did they wake up with me!
I spent the morning trying to make calls, talking to people and e-mail friends abt the birth. basically tried to share the excitement with as many as i possible could. i had a deadline in the sense that i had to rush to hospital to spend some time with the baby and the mother.
When i reached her bedside by 11Am, the baby was blissfully asleep. The nurses had given her a nice clean bath and my cutie pie appeared all the more glowing!
It was supposed to be a training session as well for Lalitha on how to take care of the baby's bath etc.
Lalitha will write her experiences first hand on this once she gets back home.
There was a slight swelling on the baby's left eye and we were somewhat concerned. I tried to reason that it was probably ok with the baby as the baby didnt really mind it and was very happy trying to hold her pink mittens with her mouth. But we wanted to get it confirmed by a pediatrician. The pedi came around in the afternoon and told her that the swelling was ok and would go in a few days. no reason to worry really. He prescribed eye drops for her. The midwife has not yet delivered the eye drops to us.
Infact, this evening the baby's swelling already came down without any medication.
we were relieved.
They also conducted a hearing test on the baby. my lil one passed it with flying colors. I wasnt around for the test.. but lalitha told me that they pass some sound waves to her ears and wait for the echo from the ear drums. The stronger the echo, the better her hearing.
will continue writing in some more time...
~Murali
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