Letting it go in the snow storm!

So, being a FTM (first time mom :P), I do tend to exhibit typical paranoid behaviors every once in a while (actually more often than I would like to admit) but then what the hell, all that comes with the title!

M was born in November and I have been very particular about keeping her in controlled temperatures - even inside the house - so much so that I earned the nickname "Temperature Nazi" from Vish. 

For example, in the first year, we would maintain a temperature between 68F and 72F in winters. During bath times, I'd religiously spike it up to 74F. During summers, between 76F-80F. However, this winter we are doing between 65F-68F and 70F-72F for bathing. Any variance of even a degree used to cause (I swear it no longer does) hyper blood pressure in me :D. 

Now, outside temperatures are hard to control, right? So, guess what my rules for taking M out for a walk were until November of last year. Temperature range should be 68F-80F. No winds. No bright or harsh sun. UV index of 4 or lower (yes, I was crazy enough to check it every single time for our zip code). And obviously, not at meal times/milk times/ snack times/nap times. Go figure out the narrow time range then available for the outdoors :). 

However, the polar vortex has put me in my place. With continuous cold weather and more snow storms than ever before, I have realized keeping a toddler at home 24 hours is detrimental to your own sanity. Now, M has gone for walks at even 30F, with winds at 19MPH. I even allow her to play in all that piled up snow outside and around our apartment. She even eats it! Yuck! (But maybe not so much - it's cleaner than the window sills she licks every once in a while :P.)

So, have I let this aspect go? Pretty much, except that for every range of degrees, I have a mental chart on what M should be wearing - And on that I am not compromising (errr, for now)!

The first "real" outdoor outing!

Though Manya has been to the grocery stores, clinics, pharmacies, and even on a social visit and a long drive, she had her first "real" outdoor outing a couple of days back when we took her for a short visit to the East Potomac Park and the Tidal Basin in Washington DC to catch the last of the cherry blossoms.

We left the house at 6:15 AM. Yes, I got the AM bit right. Manya is the most active, cheerful and predictable in the mornings. So after a quick feed, we packed ourselves in the car to view the rising sun on the 267. We parked at the East Potomac Park - quite a prestigious spot :D. Though there were quite a few vacant lots, we were surprised at the number of early morning visitors. 

Her royal highness was very cooperative and supportive of our walk around the Tidal Basin, till the goddamn sun came out and hit her face. She lost all patience and howled. Oh, god, she must have really gone on me. I too so hate the sun on my face. So, we had to cut short our grand plans of the entire walk around and after soaking in the views for about 45 minutes, we were on our way back.

Most important lesson learnt:

• Expose Manya to bright light outings more often. We can't do without the sun now, can we?

All in all, I gave Manya a very high 9/10 for the trip, considering her sun-hating genes are not entirely her fault.

(P.S. Don't even ask about the pictures. No, don't you dare go there. The SD card ate them all up and I have still not gotten over the loss. Almost, as if Manya punished us for the sun :()