Some things I can tell you about my little one-year-old self

1. I always wake up smiling. If I'm not smiling, it means I have been woken up wrongly. This is wrong, and makes me grumpy.
2. I have a Donald Duck that I'm absolutely in love with. Donald Duck is currently facing stiff competition from my yellow bath Duckie, who I like to hold in my hand and sleep.
3. When I drink milk, I need my mom or dad's cheek to pull at the same time. Milk just doesn't taste the same without a soft part of my parents to pull at.
4. I love to dance. I'm not selective about my music - I'll dance to pretty much anything although I do make sure to change my moves according to the music.
5. Sometimes, when I don't get what I want the way I want it, I like to throw myself on the floor and scream loudly. So far, this hasn't worked, but I can't believe it won't. I will keep trying.
6. I love drawers and cupboards - they always open up to reveal mysterious and fun things to pull out and collect on the floor. There's a really cool medicine drawer in my house that could give Disneyland a run for it's money.
7. I do not like winter clothing. I'd rather be naked.
8. I like Baggdu very much. He's what they call a "dog." He's furry and friendly and I like the tickly feeling when he licks my hand.
9. Tubes of toothpaste fascinate me endlessly. They're soft and squishy and so much fun to hold in my hand - all the time. In fact, I have spent today walking around with a tube of blue toothpaste that I WILL NOT part with.
10. I can roar like a tiger; sometimes, better than a tiger.
11. I do not like being in a car. When I'm in a car, and noone is making desperate attempts to keep me entertained, I can make life pretty difficult.
12. I love the look on my mom's face when I blow out the food she puts in my mouth...like so - phrrrrhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh. And again....phrrrrhhhhhhhh. See?! Fun!

A Doctor's Toys

We had a really fun evening at Shroopie's yesterday. Vir had such a blast and tired himself out so much that he's pretty much been sleeping since then. Not caring about any social graces, he proceeded to thoroughly recce each cupboard and shelf in her room and then the entire house as soon as he got in. His expeditions led to many great discoveries...mostly toys, least expected in the room of a soon to be doctoral degree holder. There were several blocks, a duck, a monkey, a kuala bear, a basketball, and a contraption to shoot blow darts with. Why didn't someone tell him about this place before?! The added benefit was that masi and nani were both much more willing than mom ever is to humor him and let him dig his nose into all the carefully arranged things in the house. Even nana didn't say a word when Vir casually interrupted his golf game on TV, changed the channel to music (thankfully, this is still unintentional! What will we do when he knows how to change channels?) and did a little jig. Vir also found his way to the kitchen, where all the action seemed to be, and casually chatted up Mithilesh bhaiya as he made rotis. It always pays to be on good terms with the chef.

He's lucky to have so many people to love him and be happy to have his antics in their house...I just hope he realizes that when he starts growing up. Meanwhile, I'm sure he's waiting for his next visit to this magical place where they don't seem to have heard the word "no" and there are toys in every drawer!

12 months!

He's sleeping now (yes, really!) so I can finally get around to writing about what my monkey of a kid can now do. The list isn't long, but it's pretty significant!

• WALK!!! He took his first 3 steps on the 28th of Jan, just 3 days before his birthday. The first time he did it, he just walked a little on the bed. Later that evening, I was sitting at the table doing something or the other when I heard little footsteps - and there he was...making his way all the way across from the dining chair to his high chair which is at least 7 baby steps away. Yipee. Now that he knows this makes us happy, it's all he does all day. He can basically walk to whatever his goal destination is, no matter how far across the room. Of course he only aims for things that aren't too far away, and is constantly re-estimating the distance and changing his goal if it seems unachievable. Also, he lunges at the goal towards the end instead of actually taking the last three steps with a big smile on his devil may care face.
• Throw tantrums. That's right - the inevitable has happened. I'll never know how, but he has figured out that sometimes, throwing yourself on the floor and crying bloody murder may get you what you want. I'm trying my best not to give in at all to this display of baby emotion, but I can tell you it's difficult. The temper tantrums are also invoked when things aren't going his way in general - for instance when he's trying to turn on the light and just can't hit the switch in the right place. What does he want me to do about that?

So he's finally hit the big 12 month mark. This year has been the most amazing, tiring, frustrating, happy, introspective, and life changing year that we'll probably ever have. Vijay and I are better and happier people because of it, and we wouldn't trade a minute of the experience for anything. Now if only, we could go watch a movie like the old times just this once:-)

Vir's First Year

January

February
March April

May

JuneJuly
August September
October
November
December
We're all really proud of you, little one.

There's something about birthday girls

Vir was invited to his first ever birthday party yesterday. He made his way to the second floor of our building dressed to kill and armed with a birthday present that he thought was his to rip the wrapping paper off and proceeded to be far from a model guest in this new social situation. He started off by sitting grumpily in a corner in a room full of babies ranging from 7 months to a year in age and completely refusing to chit chat and be sociable. I thought that was fine since he was sleepy from a broken nap. But when he was done with his let-me-take-this-all-in-and-choose-my-reaction time, he proceeded to grunt, make his way to the center of the group, and rip the paper mat all the little guests were sitting on to pieces. The girls in the group were understandably confused by this behavior, but the one other boy there (who is a few months younger but promises to follow on Vir's footsteps) was thrilled and completely understood that this is in fact a fun thing to do. He joined in as best he could and Vir and Jay had fun time with what was once a clean paper mat.

Vir's next target was the birthday girl, who was dressed up as a fairy (or a butterfly?) Her wings were obviously tempting...who wouldn't want to grab and pull at those things? I had to lift him and put him in a little round play pen in the room. The birthday girl, Inaya, joined him there in a bit. He bullied her so much that I had to lift him out eventually. Love was beginning to blossom by this time, so Vir and Inaya spent the next 15 minutes holding hands and "talking" to each other across the wall of the play pen. It was the cutest thing to watch - this little lovey-dovey conversation, and I think they may be friends after all...till she realizes he's too much to handle and dumps him.

The other highlight was a dance performance from him in her honor. Vir has become quite the dancer now with a whole array of steps up his sleeve - from the slow side to side swaying, to jerking his head up and down like a camel and alternating this with a little butt shake. Sometimes, when he's really carried away by the music, he bends down all the way to the floor and does a little jig. I have video recordings which will be fun to show his girlfriend one day.

All in all, he has some work to do on his social skills, but everyone had a good time and that's what counts!

It's official...

Mashui isn't coming back. I was half expecting this, so I'm not terribly surprised. But I'm definitely in a soup. I'm sure this will work out because that's what always happens, but for now I don't know how to make Vir (who has been terribly unwell), my job, my house, our shift to the new house, Vir's first birthday, the fact that my parents and in-laws were both coming for Vir's birthday work together and still be alive to write his 12 month post.

Where's a coffin when you need one?

11+ months

I'm terribly late with my update this time around. Things have been ridiculously crazy, and I'm surprised I'm even alive. Though that is an exaggeration, it feels true enough. In the last 10-15 days, the following has happened:

• Mashui left for her vacation with Vijay and me scrambling to maintain some order in our house - bad
• We bought a house, our first ever - very good
• We tried day care for Vir - okay
• We decided not to go with the day care for now and made a last minute decision to take him to Ddun and leave him with my mom - good (we thought)
• There was a problem with the house we bought - very bad
• The problem is more or less sorted after much screaming and shouting - okay
• I left Vir in Dun and came back thinking I have a week or so by myself, but he went on a hunger srike and I had to return in 2 days - bad. sigh.
• Vir now has a stomach infection - very bad

This roller coaster life will leave a wreck where I used to be. But for now, while I can still think straight, here's the good part...Vir's list of achievements this month! Here's all the stuff he can now do:

• Cruise! He can hold on to things (furniture, my pyjamas, hanging tablecloths, etc.) and walk! He was a little slow at this initially, but picked up confidence in no time at all and, this morning, walked up and down our verandah 6 times pushing a plastic chair.
• Kiss better than ever
• Roar like a tiger
• Boo like a cow (he had forgotten this, but has picked it up again)
• Dance using his head and the rest of his body alternately
• Shake hands
• Wave bye sometimes
• Understand several things like stand up, let's go out, do you want to have milk?, where's biji?, and are you having fun? Some of these are in Hindi and some in English. Curiously, he has not demonstrated and understanding of the simplest of words - "no"
• Spit out food that he doesn't like. This is a terrible development, since it means I can no longer trick him into eating. I can take the horse to the water now, but no longer can I make him drink.
• Jabber in a language I can't understand yet, though I pretend to and even manage to talk back in the same language!

There's more, I know, and I gues I'll just add to this if I think of something else. The best part this month, for me, was when I came back to Dehradun after having left him for three days with mom and dad. The welcome I got from my sleepy little kid simply cannot be beaten. I think I'll smile about that for the rest of my life!