Officially a "tween"!

Or that's what M proclaimed quite proudly this morning. The hurricane is 11 and continuing to turn our lives upside down!

I can begin to distinctly see mood changes or moody behavior. I used to think your kids always smell sweet to you till our pediatrician amusingly told me oh, you'll know! And oh yes, I do know now. :)

But the quintessential mature Manya - the one I can bank on to have my back in an emergency or an urgency, the one who makes the best travel companion, the one who is quick to compromise for the best in the situation, the one who just knows how to make you feel better - that quintessential daughter of mine just continues to shine thru the tantrums and the tween angst - fingers crossed! We have the trial by fire (teenage) awaiting us!

Manya and I are almost the same length, breadth and width now so it is part fun and part annoying stealing each other's shoes, clothes, accessories - as she wears my denims and i try to pull off her high waisted cargoes with cropped sweat shirts - shopping has gotten much more exciting for sure - the one time we are all buddy buddy with no fighting!

She continues to be a champ at school as always. For after school activities, we have closed doors to horse riding and gymnastics. It's piano (she's onto her 5th year now!), coding, and swimming for now.

Love you to bits Manya, continue rocking!

We are 10!

 Hello double digits. 

- We are 10 and we know it all. 

- Mom and Dad are no longer cool. 

- Friendships run strong.

- Other things not cool: Pink, Glitter, Frills

- What is very cool: Anime, Black - all shades of black :D, and all things Kawaii!

- Dream destination: Japan - because anime, duh!

- Roblox is the new Minecraft. 

- We stand tall and can't wait to surpass mom's height.

- Best co-traveller ever. Loves new experiences.

- A bit of that teenage whiny noise finds it's way and mom shuts it down immediately. 

- Overwhelming emotions sometimes - mostly when asked to clean the room.

- Horseriding, coding, gymnastics, swimming, piano - we do it all. Slave driver. Mom's the slave :D.

- We are still cuddly and snuggly but mostly at bedtime and in the morning. Any other time love yous or kisses are exchanged, mom's just sappy.

- We love writing fiction! Oh I am so proud of her writing. The genre is usually horror or something but the vocabulary and the plot complexities promise to keep you hooked!

- Fits into mom's shoes, steals mom's clothing even. 

Can't wait to see what the decade brings. Actually, scratch that, can wait :)

Last of the single digit birthdays!

 She is nine!

At home celebrations again this year - as everybody continues to mask.

- She is growing and every now and then I observe the baby face fading away. Tall but very huggable still :).

- Lot of missing teeth - finally!

- She's doing very well in school - Has joined the high capability - Discovery program at school and is acing it. Loves to read and write. Her writing has just flourished - her vocabulary, complexity of thought and emotion portrayed just blows me away! So very proud of her.

- Wanted a black bike with gears for her birthday - Though she still loves the occassional dresses, I can see the pink and glittler moving into oblivion on most days. Has her own sense of style - for some reason she loves sunglasses :). Still kinda likes jewellery and accessories.

- Minecraft has been big this year. Lot of online gaming with friends. It can be very educational mom, she tells me. Oh well, we know how that goes!

- Restarted swim after the pandemic break, piano doing great. Two big new additions this year - horseback riding and gymnastics!

- I see the obsession with politics easing off as the election madness has died down.

- Guess who is the new selfie queen in the house? My phone and ipad are filled with tonnes of selfies she's been taking! It's very very amusing.

Can't believe we are at the end of the single digits already!

Milestone Update - 8

 At 8, M is impossible :). But more here:

- She is tallish for her age - no longer tiny weight wise - she matches up at her height percentile and that is huge!

- She has lost 2 more baby teeth this year (totalling 4 till date).

- She no longer believes in magic, fairies, santa etc etc. She's, at most times, a ruthless pragmatic typhoon on steroids - go figure!

- She's going thru an intense politics phase! 

- Loves her piano - we are onto our second year of lessons!

- Thanks to COVID we have stopped swimming - physical games and exercising is something Manya does only because she must ;) She blames lack of comapny - I blame lack of will!

- She is strong willed and opinionated - we have our more than fair share of tiffs but makeup is mosly quick with snuggles and cuddles and kisses - While I keep hoping the first part becomes better- I pray the latter never changes!

- She loves travelling and like her parents has a never ending list of places she simply must visit.

- She continues to be a reader! Reads a wide variety too! We still continue our bedtime mom and daughte reading and it is one of the more special moments of our day - I really wish we both continue this forever :)

- She loves her gadgets - though thanks to online schooling - she is not as much into electronics over the weekends - she has developed interests in coding, pencil sketching, sewing.

- Earlier this year, she gave her room a complete makeover - the barbie dream house, the kitchen, 90% of her soft toys, her doll closets, barbies, LOLs, play dressers etc etc all were thrown out - I am too old for this stuff mom! Her room now has mainly a four poster bed with a delicate blue canopy, a huge L shaped desk, her piano, a small bunk bed for her American Girl dolls , a few toys and some paraphernalia around all this. Much much easier to clean but I miss the stuffies that I had curated over the years! Sigh! She is also into puzzles, LEGOs, board games, card games etc.  

- The other big change has been clothing - she tries to copy my wardrobe many a times - has ordered two pair of jeans that are exactly like what I have. Has a cable knit sweater dress like mom. Likes more chic clothing compared to the pinks, purples, glitter and frills of the earlier years! 

She can't wait to grow up and I can wait a lot longer :)

Happy 8th, my sweetheart!

You have been calling 6th November as Manya Day since forever now. Works for us except that every day other than 6th has also become Manya Day for us ;).

I love how excited you get about your birthdays - I still do at my age. A party or not - we have the complete paraphernalia - balloons, flowers, decorations, cake, wrapped presents, handwritten cards - May you always find it in your heart to celebrate yourself and may you always be surrounded by people who love you and want to celebrate you for the amazing person you are. May you be worthy of their adulation and pride, always.

This time around your enthusiasm for your birthday was matched with the election fever that has caught you strong. When I look at you today, I cannot see the tiny baby we were blessed with 8 years ago - even though you did take over our lives like a storm even back then - there's so much more force and vitality to you. You are confident, strong, brave, and you move with a whirlwind pace. As you flit from one interest to another, one conversation to another, hurrying about - I want to just hold you and let time stand still. But that's the nature of time - it doesn't stop - it keeps flowing. 

I admire that you are a person who embraces varied interests and pursuits. You play with your dolls but also run amuck and go digging in the dirt and mud. You enjoy your girly giggles and gossips and can also talk politics and business when you need to. You pick a sewing needle with as much ease as a bleybade or a drone. You like your electronic gadgets but find time for your sketching pencils and paints and colors and paper and books too. Always remain like this - embrace all that you see and want - don't shut out worlds without experiencing them. There's always a fun adventure on the other side of everything. And most importantly - balance - it seems like an impossible concept to explain but I know you can feel it. Always remain connected to that voice. 

"Halfway to Sweet 16, Mom!" That is what you exclaimed today (after ofcourse asking who did Nevada go to!). It took me a while to even respond to that. How can that be right? 

My, you are 8! So do we say goodbye to the Sassy Sevens now? I asked you, in the spirit of alliteration, what would go with 8. "That's easy mom", you said. "Electrifying 8!" "Exquisite 8!" - Umm not exactly what I had in mind but well okay - that then till I find something more appropriate :p

We love you!!!

Election Day 2012 VS Election Day 2020

Time flies, and today I cannot think of a better picture to encapsulate the enormity of that phrase.

Election Day 2012 was on November 6th. In the wee hours of the morning, the feverish excitement of Election day was mirroring in our lives for entirely different reasons. We became parents to a feisty spirit. Manys was born. We couldn't be bothered who was winning or losing the presidenatial race in the US that day. We had made it to the other side. 

Cut to the present. Manya is soon turning 8 and election day fever has hit her the most I think. For the last couple of months, she has been literally breathing, eating, sleeping, talking, watching only politics. Infact some days she sounds pretty much like those late night TV show hosts. Stephen Colbert and SNL are her top favorite shows - even though we censor most of it. She has very firm opinions and has painstakingly watched every debate and most town halls. Even with her limited knowledge, she can give you lectures on electoral college, election issues, pandemic handling, suffering of small businesses, fracking, racism, etc etc. At this point she wants to study law and become a President some day. 

She completely cracked me up this Sunday, and I quote her, "Now that Halloween is over I don't know what to do - this election anxiety is getting to me - I hope the results are out soon.". Election anxiety? Like seriously? She is 7! She has been pacing up and down since yesterday as the results for various states started to be called in. She woke up at 4:45 and asked me on the status. I have been constantly telling her (because I am quite annoyed - we are beyond the amused point now) to take it easy and focus on her assignments - I mean not that her life is going to change whoever wins!!! 

But clearly, she cannot stay calm because Halloween happened, now Elections are underway; the Birthday comes where she turns 8 (can you imagine, mom!); then there's Diwali, followed by Thanksgiving. Christmas and New Year come next, and hopefully 2021 will bring with it the vaccine for COVID - and then she has to plan world travel - life cannot be easy for an almost 8 year old now, can it be?

Milestone update - 7

I don't know how many times a parent must say and wonder how time flies. Well it does, and it seems to get ahead of itself, if that was possible.

So what is our little 7 year old upto...

- Social, pragmatic, diplomatic - M is a joy to have. She is feisty, rebellious, and extremely sassy too especially at home - she is no goody two shoes all the time - but she is genuinely warm and kind. So go figure who she is - she is a hurricane with the right intentions mostly - haa!

- She started a new hobby this year - piano! She judiciously practices and seems to be enjoying it for the last couple of months and let's see where this musical journey takes her.

- Lost her two baby teeth! and gained a couple of inches - she does stand tall and threaten my position as number 2 tallest in our family of 3. ;)

- I think we have a reader here and quite a decent writer too (when she feels inspired enough that is). Horror as a genre fascinates her to no end.

- I feel the princess phase is kind of mellowing down and we might be on the pharaoh stage now - she wants to rule! But on a serious note - i think her mind is wandering beyond glitter and pink - literally and figuratively. She loves all her girlie accessories still but is embracing mustards and auburns and denims again, which is a welcome relief.

- She loves being out and about and busy - we have activities 2 days a week, another day she stays back at school for after school clubs (currently - Robotics), 2 other days she has recurring play dates most weeks - and she still thinks has has time for gymnastics, spanish, and what not. I had heard of overscheduling parents - ever heard of overscheduling kids?

- BabyCenter sent me an email this mornign congratulating me that I have now entered the most rewarding phase as a parent - well I am not celebrating yet - Agreed Manya is a great companion for most things - travel, car rides, conversations, activities, etc etc - but does she has an opinion or what. And she is defiant. My ears seldom hear, "Yes mom" at the first go. So many times anything that i say is replied by something that begins with But or However or No or How about. The sass, and sarcasm, and attitude all combined with this beautiful heart and intelligence is a deadly combination!

You are 7!

And you are on a roll!

Oh my god, Manya - you are 7. You are such a big girl now. I am thoroughly enjoying all our grown up conversations these days - errm - well mostly - I still shout back because I said so quite a few times don't I - when I know you want to know the inside and out of every why that could be possible. Well patience has not been my virtue and not really the greatest of your strengths either...;)

You know I have begun to imagine you reading these letters when you are all grown up and imagining your reactions to them. I hope I get to see you reading these at different points in your life. And I hope that each time you read them you recall the tender and the furious moments we have shared with love in your heart and joy in your soul. You are so loved - We are proud to have such an intelligent, caring, kind, (and sassy) but mostly very adorable daughter like you.

You wanted a rainbow themed birthday this year - and I think that is totally befitting! May you shine bright with all your colors, always.

I recently read this poem by Neil Gaiman and boy, could I have put in words better all the prayers and wishes that we have for you. So this one is for you my love. Happy 7th. Happy Every Day.

BLUEBERRY GIRL

by Neil Gaiman

Ladies of Light & Ladies of Darkness,
& Ladies of Never-You-Mind,
this is a prayer for a Blueberry Girl.
First, May you ladies be kind.

Keep her from spindles and sleeps at sixteen;
Let her stay waking and wise.
Nightmares at three, or bad husbands at thirty;
These will not trouble her eyes.

Dull days at forty, false friends at fifteen;
Let her have brave days and truth.
Let her go places that we’ve never been;
Trust and delight in her youth.

Ladies of Grace, and Ladies of Favour,
and Ladies of Merciful Night,
this is a prayer for a Blueberry Girl,
Grant her your clearness of sight.

Words can be worrisome, people complex;
Motives and manners unclear.
Grant her the wisdom to choose her path right,
Free from unkindness and fear.

Let her tell stories, and dance in the rain,
Somersault, tumble, and run;
Her joys must be high as her sorrows are deep,
Let her grow like a weed in the sun.

Ladies of Paradox, Ladies of Measure,
Ladies of Shadows-That-Fall;
this is a prayer for a Blueberry Girl,
Words written clear on a wall.

Help her to help herself, help her to stand,
Help her to lose, and to find.
Teach her we’re only as big as our dreams,
show her that fortune is blind.

Truth is a thing she must find for herself,
precious, and rare as a pearl;
Give her all these, and a little bit more,
Gifts for a Blueberry Girl.

Turning 6

Here's a milestone update as Madame M turns 6.

- Let's get this out of the way - boy, she can talk. talk back. talk loud. you get the drift.

- She is on the taller side for her age - I used to think she'd tower over the other kindergartners, but looks like she blends right in.

- We are in that terrible princess - rainbow - glitter - unicorn phase. I can't wait to move beyond.

- For every thing that mom says - first try to say no. Or argue. Or offer a deal. A yes right away would make it to the headlines.

- She is a reader alright! Has been devouring chapter books for many months now - notable ones - The Princess in Black series, Heidi Hecklebeck, Ivy and Bean, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Charlotte's Web, Magic Tree House series....

- She is getting better at writing - I am beginning to understand that her part frustration with writing is that she has all these big words that she wants to express herself with but can't get hold of the spellings - so she tries to consciously choose simpler words to make it less painful. ALso, she is plain lazy - would rather not write. 

- She is doing basic addition and subtraction - learning to use her fingers - trying teh counting by 5s and 10s.

- Art - painting, cutting , gluing, coloring, drawing -she can spend hours on this. We tried some art classes over the summer and she absolutely enjoyed them. We'll go back next summer too.

- Swimming continues - she doesn't take it competitively - loves the water though and that works for me!

- For all her declarations of being grown up and wagging her finger ta me telling me "You are not the boss of me", she still finds her way at night to snuggle and sleep with us!

- Still enjoying school too - her favorite part of the day is recess though!

Happy 6th!

Oh my dear lord! Manya, you are 6. Like you yourself put it really bluntly the other day you are not cute or baby or sweet anymore. 

You are a wildfire, a beautiful blossoming flower, a fast flowing river. The sassier you are getting, the harder my prayers get. We want you to have all the happiness that you desire and then some more. This year has been a big transition for you. We moved from Portland to Seattle. You moved from the snug preschool to the public elementary school where you started Kindergarten - all excited and ready to take on the world. 

In you, I see a very pragmatic person who is often overridden by the many emotions that ebb in her heart - and I might find it exhausting because one minute it seems like you are so mature, understanding everything and then the very next second you are this moody whiny baby like any six year old - but I guess that's how it should be. I have to keep reminding myself that inspite of your spitfire attitude and humongous vocabulary, you are my little baby. 

Today is a day to celebrate you. And it doesn't get old - the joy of preparing for your big. Your enthusiastic anticipation - you want to be surprised but "in a good way" Ha ha ha! Oh dear!

This year is special because nana nani are here to add their frosting of love over everything. You were not sure about a party with your friends and so we let it be this year. Though school was fun - with you wearing your royal dress and the cupcakes for everyone - you got to be the star of the week!

Now a days we are having a lot of conversation around what is really important - experiences, relationships and not necessarily things, objects, toys. We are talking about "real" happiness. I know it's hard especially because no joy can be greater than getting an american girl doll that looks just like you at 6! But I hope that someday the message goes deeper and stay with you. As you enjoy your presents, I hope that you will be able to look back at these days for their unconditional love and warmth, and celebration of you.

High Five!

Good lord, she is five.

• She talks non stop - a vocabulary that is far above her age range - she can still manage to surprise us with her words.
• She reads well above her peer level too. She loves books and has a varied range of interest.
• Still not very fond of writing - she prefers writing words and sentences rather than focussing on forming the individual letters. She insists that "not writing is alright mom, I will handle it"
• Doesn't care much for numbers but can write 1-100 and use manipulatives to add and subtract. 
• Loves drawing, cutting, gluing, coloring, painting, play dough and all kinds of messy projects!
• She has started saying she is getting bored of martial arts and so we might be ending that soon. I am not too happy but there's no point forcing it so...
• Swimming is something that continues to delight her - she absolutely loves the water and her swim coach!
• She is showing a lot of interest in music, instruments and dancing - wants to start learning ballad - we might just give that a try!
• She absolutely loves school. Has made a lot of friends and looks forward to it every single day.
• Lot of junk has found its way in her diet - we try to keep a check and I really hope we do better.
• In the princess and all things pink and glittery stage - Mommy gets annoyed with it but nobody dare argue with the "my life, my choice" stance!
• very strong willed - with distinct defiant streak -but absolutely adorable still :p

Oh the places you'll go!

Dearest Manya,

Happy 5th Birthday. High five. Really. You are five. I'll never grow tired but I'll definitely grow old exclaiming how time flies! And you are definitely growing sassier by the day.

You got a birthday card from one of your best friends that said why be a queen when you can be a goddess. Oh my god! That totally describes your attitude these days! Strong willed, you almost always know what you really want. While the defiant streak does put mommy and daddy on the simmering pot every now and then, you also possess the uncanny knack to diffuse a situation. And ofcourse that you are adorably cute does help your case!

Your biggest strength is your very plesant personality - you respect others' feelings, are mindful of your words and sensitive to your environment. I pray to god that that never ever changes. This is going to be your biggest asset always.

We are so blessed to have you in our lives - you fill it with infinite craziness but also with eternal joy. Mommy and daddy love you the best!

Happy Fourth Birthday, my love!

Oh my heart,

You are four - you are also going on 16, from the likes of it :). I am really not kidding. There are one too many moments when you say or do something that is so mature in a nice way, and then something that's totally brash and impudent in a teenage kind of way. Though, to be fair, for the most part, you are a very pleasant, well behaved darling and an absolute delight to be with. Your infrequent but stormy tantrums are usually reserved for mommy dearest - and I think we both understand and have learnt to navigate around the tough love that flows between us.

Your growing independence - not just in choosing your PJs and hair do's and accessories, but also in your thoughts fills us with seamless pride and a seemingly nagging insecurity at the same time. You are compassionate, sensitive, loving, intelligent but you are also too trusting, naive in the ways of the world and emotional - you wear your heart on your sleeve - I feel like constructing a barbed wire fence around you to keep away all the hurt that growing up brings. I like to believe I am that practical level headed mom who'll give you a hand when you fall, but I really wish I was the mom that would just prevent any and every fall. The fact that that is not possible aches my heart ever so often. I am very confident that you will grow stronger and tougher and better with every rough moment in life but as a parent my heart will break every time. 

On your fourth birthday, I wish that the spunk and zest for life that you have now, the empathy you show on your own accord, the absolute love that we share and the kindness in your heart - remains untainted as the years go by. We can never express how much we love you!

One...Two...Three

Oh goodness gracious, SHE is THREE!

Our spunky bundle of sunshine turns three and we are so overwhelmed! 

Dear Love,

You are three and you are so excited - I think this is your first birthday that you are really conscious and aware of what the day means - you have demanded a party, presents, trips, decorations and what not and you are so happy to tell everyone that you are three. You have told us to look for a school now - Yes Ma'am!

Mommy and daddy wish you a lifetime of happiness and joy - may the sunshine that you bring into our lives bring warmth to yours too - every single day.

I don't recall many days wherein you have not amazed us with your fantastic vocabulary and that toddler-teenage attitude that is not all that cute all the time :D. You are smart and spunky, and we know you are going to go places (Never mind that you didn't think much of Dr. Seuss' book :P on the subject.)

There's lots to look forward int his year - you'll join a preschool, you'll be more independent, you'll have more thought and opinions that are truly yours and will give us an insight into your personality, you'll learn more skills - motor, gross,and what not. Going by most dictionaries on babies, you are not even a toddler anymore but a preschooler - change of status - promotion of sorts!

As you turn three, so does the mommy me. I feel like a pro sometimes and sometimes I feel like I have still not figured out the mommy thing - You know, I am not the most patient mom, and that is the major reason for almost all the unrest that we have between the two of us - you are learning to work around it though - a quick summon in the sweetest of voices reminding mommy that talking nicely helps more in the middle of a shouting match is sure to drown mommy in guilt for the rest of the day atleast - oh aren't you cute (and very very bratty)!

As we celebrate your day and you, we honestly believe that you are really the best thing that happened to us. We love you - to the moon and back. 

Welcome to the terrible twos, my love!

Dearest Manya,

So you are two - gosh, already! The tyrant that you have become, it is absolutely impossible for us to now imagine you as that cutest little pink bundle we got from the hospital two years ago!

And my my, what strides from your first birthday too - from gummy grins to toothy smiles; from an unstable hurtle to confident long marches; and from those almost-indecipherable babbles to long, complicated yet meaningful sentences that leaves us open-mouthed every single day!

What has not changed and remains essentially you is the bright cheer you bring to our mornings, the maddening rush and craziness you bring to our daily routines, the laughter and play you bring to our evenings, and the gentle soothing warmth you bring to our nights.

I feel like the typical filmy mom, as I add another candle to your cake and wonder at the lightning speed you are growing up - each day you become a little more independent, and tug at our hearts a little more tightly. But, don't worry, however, bollywoodish I may get at this motherhood thing, you know quite well how you drive me up the wall about a trillion times a day - running after you at nap times, convincing you to take in just one more morsel of food or sip of milk at mealtimes, convincing you that the mall is not available for shopping every single time "Manya wants", begging you to not put things in your nose or mouth at the first available opportunity, and finally what feeling like playing KBC/Who Wants to be a Millionaire - answering questions all day, "Who is that? What is that? Where is so and so? Why is it impossible? When will the market open? What is Manya doing? and the most dreaded of it all, "What is inside Manya's nose/mouth?".

And as I see you calmly smiling back at me through my (self imposed?) insanity, I know you are telling me, this gets worse. Terrible Twos, they say? Can it get worse, I think. My heart sinks a wee bit lower - ha ha ha! Okay, have I more than made up for all that sentimentality?

Oh darling, but mommy and daddy really love you - 'soooo much', as you yourself put it, and this world is a much much better place only because we have you to share it with.

Leaving you with these words from a lovely song...

"i'd like to show you a million things
i'd like to make the world for you a better place
but when it pours, it really rains, so
put on your boots, and let's play

it's a long long way to go now
i'll be there if you call
it's a long long way to go now
i'll be there if you call"

Happy Birthday, our little trooper!

[PS; Those wondering why this blog has been so quiet these past months, it is because mommy and daughter are holidaying in India and even though there are so many tales to be told, we are just not getting the time. We promise to be back with more :)]

First Birthday Celebrations

Manya turned one on November 6th! It being a week day, M's separation anxiety on the ascending path and not many parents with really young kids for M's company we know, we decided to keep the first birthday all about the birthday girl. And looks like we made a great decision. There were no crying fits, no anxious moments - just a lot fun and excitement.

On the night prior to the big day, we put M to sleep at her usual time and then both mommy and daddy sneaked to the living room area to spruce it up. I baked a Tres Leches cake - hoping that she'll like the milky sweetness. The picture and recipe on my other blog here. Vish blew about 30-40 balloons. Most of them were pink and black, along with the streamers, in keeping with M's main birthday dress! We put a huge bunch of colorful balloons on top of the dining table.

The next morning when M came down, the squeals of delight from her on seeing the decorations were such a source of joy for us. It's amazing how children instantly notice the difference. I am sure she had that inkling that this was a different day :). After Skype sessions with her thatha, daadi, nana, nani, mama, athai-athimber and her cousins, we cut the cake. We gave her a huge block to smash into and voila, how thrilled was our little devil. A whole piece to herself to do as she pleased! There was cake all over - she ate quite a bit too, giving me such a great sense of pride!

We ensured that we stuck to her food and nap schedule. Though we did manage to squeeze in atleast three dress changes and a lot of pictures in between! After her afternoon nap, we took her to the local zoo - a more of a petting center really. It turned out to be huge hit. There was an exclusive petting barn with sheep, lambs, goats and llamas - the animals are so used to visitors and kids that they readily approach you for food and even for posing! M spoke to quite a few of them. She loved the monkeys and the ducks at the pond. Even though she was too young for the pony ride, we let her watch it and clap hands as it trotted along. She didn't even spare a second glance to the more exotic species of snow leopards, foxes, and reptiles. The deer and the kangaroos were too far for her to really "enjoy" them. After spending a couple of hours there and letting her have her snack at the pond, we came back with great memories and pictures. 

Vish and I spent the late evening after her highness had gone off to sleep, reminiscing about the same day last year. I cannot say it enough, how fascinating it is to see how children change and grow up so much in 12 measly months! Amen.

Happy First Birthday, Our Little Tiger!

Dearest Manya,

You turn 1 today. Just like that a whole year has flown by. You are no longer the tiny, little, helpless-yet-the-cutest bundle we got at the hospital. You are assertive, you are wild, you are loving, you are ferocious, you are a cute pup and a terrifying tiger at the same time. The yummy little cupcake that you are and then how you transform to a sizzling fire cracker. Mommy and daddy have a handful for many years to come - but you know what makes it all worthwhile - your warm cuddles, your drooly licks for kisses, and the bewitching smiles that reach your eyes.

I can't help being the typical mom who tears up at the thought of her child growing up so fast. Having a baby is having your heart walk outside your body. I never valued the truth of that statement till I had you. You are a heart-breaker :). With those invisible devil's horns flashing, when you go diving down from heights, and rush after stink bugs and lady birds only to put them in your mouth, and twist mommy's and daddy's noses and ears in all sorts of directions, and kick us in our guts till we are screaming in pain, you ensure that our hearts are in our mouths - all the time. This one year was packed with more action than we had been forewarned :D. 

We have had our rough patches too, haven't we? You have had days that were down there and then I made them worse by getting upset. Mommy's got to be more patient - she is learning - ever so slowly. If we compare our learning curves, you are up there, and I am ashamed to look at my progress. I hope we get to improving that in the coming years.

However, keeping those resolutions in mind, today is a day for lot of blessed celebration and just like you have painted every day this past year in your own special vibrant colors, we hope and pray that you always have the honor and privilege of seeing and experiencing all the colors this beautiful life has to offer you. In the midst of the piquant crimsons, blistering sapphires, sunshine yellows, verdant greens, pastel pinks, there will also be seemingly dark grays and blacks - I'd wish to filter each hue that touches you but I sadly understand that is not even a distant reality. It is not possible nor would you like it :).
So, it is upto you to choose how you use each one to paint your canvas - make it unique, fill it with joy, love, and peace, and always ensure it remains a source of pride and inspiration for you and everybody else around. But, never forget, no matter what the colors, you will always be the rainbow of our lives!

Love you to bits!

November 6th, 2012

The world changes in a fraction of a second; and the enormity of the truth of this statement strikes you the loudest and clearest when an achingly delicate baby is put in your lap moments after the big bang birth.

When the democrats and the republicans were tossing and turning in bed in the wee hours of the morning of the election day, there was feverish excitement at our end too. Amidst the clamor of the sanitized tools of the doctor, the hurried activity of the nurses, the rhythmic beats of the monitor, the fast fading strength of mommy and the nervous anticipation of daddy, a tiny little being eagerly pushing to come out, finally managed to pop her whole self out and say hello to the world in one loud cry.

When her bare wriggly body was placed over my chest, Manya instinctively strained her neck to look at me; wide-eyed she stared into my eyes - a moment etched in my memory for ever. Suddenly, I seemed so small in front of her, her strength seemed greater than mine and so did her resilience. My heart froze and my body shivered in fright. For all the unsorted emotions I felt, all I could say to her was, 'I am scared, you take care.' Vish had a better grip on the situation and I was pleasantly surprised as he confidently took her and rocked her and cooed to her while I was still reeling from the shock of what had happened.

This was finally her. Our daughter, who we had eagerly awaited for, for nine long months. We were parents now. Priorities flipped as our heart skipped a beat with every sound and movement she made. We felt so responsible and vulnerable, at the same time. And, why not. A care so binding, a love so intense.


Our world had changed, for forever. And it had taken only a fraction of a second.