A quick update on Raya

Raya will be one this 22nd.
She got her first tooth on her 10th month and is having her second one now, but very strong gums... tries to break walnut shell with them...
She started crawling on her 8th month....
Stood up with support by 9th month...
Stands without support by 11th month...
Stepping one foot without support by the beginning of her 12th month...
Started on fish... She does not require smashed food... Hand grind is alright with her...
Wants to have Om's food, rather than her own...
She has learnt to chew whereas Om still wants to swallow all his food...
Takes down all the books of Om and points on them with her show finger and blabbers on...
She is always after the toys Om is playing with even if she gets a thrashing from her big brother...
She has got a very good grip and aims. snatches away at the right moment when no one is ready ...
Accompanies Om to his school...
Previously She was very introvert. not communicating with strangers.... now she smiles to every unknown, truck drivers, hawkers, etc., inviting smiles in return. She has opened up a lot.

Best Friend

Guess Who?????????




Its the character of Maria of the film Sound of Music. Within few months she has reserved that place for herself.

When we were away from home at Regent Estate we were not connected to cable. So I carried the DVD player with me and among the few DVDs I took there was Sound of Music.

One day, just to involve Om, I turned on the film and sat down to explain it to him. He was so endorsed into the musical that soon it had to be played 3/4 times in a row. Raya also joined him. We left that place when Raya was 7.5 months and via my Mom's place we reached home after about one month. At home we were too much busy with cable network and Om seemed to enjoy his stuff at Disney channel too. So after one month at home I again played Sound of Music. Om was overjoyed to see his first best friend which was very expected... But Raya!!!!!

Even the sight of nuns in their uniform moving on the church courtyward triggered such expressions and cooing as if she got back her best friend after two months. She seemed to remember every moves of the movie.

Its so amazing that the movie after all these years can still such young hearts.

Almost a lady in 8 months

Raya is lady-like from the beginning. She had her legs crossed all the time. Her hand movements proved the presence of the female hormone. When she had her neck firmed up she insisted on sitting upright without any back support.

Raya had her 8 month B'Day on this 22nd. Her Nanny never forgets to wish her every month on the very day.

By the end of her 8th month she not only sits up straight without support but has started crawling too. She even stands up by holding the rails of her crib as she wails for her Mamma. Yesterday on 23rd as I put her down on the ground to pour some water for Om she pulled herself up with the support of a pouffe in our living room and took two steps with its support.

I hope she will be walking soon to give me some relief as it is strainous for me to do the job with her in my lap. I not only have to balance her but have to control her hands which are always busy to help me in whatever I am doing.

Om's love for Raya

When Raya was 5 months she insisted on sitting on my lap when I was operating the laptop. As usul she could not control his hands and made the laptop shout down within minutes. I was into an important job and so got irritated and raised my voice on Raya. Om came running from another room and said 'Bokcho??? Ami kole ni!! (Are you scolding her?? I will take her)' and embraced her with his little soft hands in a gesture to take her in his lap. I was moved with such affection.





Sometimes when feeding Om becomes a tidious job we apply blackmailing him by saying that Raya will be scolded if you dont have. It works wonders. Om does anything for his 'baby'. He even fights with Rik to have the first rights on Raya.

After coming back to our sweet home Raya is generally laid in her crib but Om asks for her when he is put to sleep at night.

Today we three were alone and I needed to go to the loo. Raya was locked in the high chair and I told Om 'Will you be gooddu? I need to go to the washroom.' When I was returning I heard Raya is starting his wails and Om was crossing the room towards her saying 'OM ache to!! (Om is here!!)'.





Today during the lunch : Raya was sleeping. Om, husband and I was having lunch together. Om did a naughty deed for which he was penalised. I can tolerate naughty but getting dirty and that also with his own water bottle, even after repeated warnings was too much for me. So Om was crying his hearts out. Raya got up and started crying too. Amongst his misery Om told me to go and fetch Raya. I told him to finish his lunch first as he was on the finishing line. Om insisted while continuing his crying. Husband got Raya from her crib and brought her to the dining table. Om still told me 'Mamma, Raya ke naoooo (Mamma, take Raya)' as he knew Raya wanted to be comforted by me after getting up from her slumber. A boy of only 2 yrs of age forgets his own sorrow to provide solace to his sis. Will Raya reciprocate this same love? I hope Om will be able to inbibe the same love to his beloved Sia.

A Real Peacemaker

He is Sheehan. The name means 'peacemaker'. Indeed he is a peacemaker. Many a difficult relations have been settled down after his birth. He is a great entertainer. He becomes very busy when we have guests at home or when we are invited to someplace. He does not make any differentiation in known or unknown, male or female, young or aged. Everyone gets the same place with him and that is 'his friend'.

On 3rd August I took him to attend Annapurna puja. Every year I try to attend this puja as it plays a little sentimental issue, Om being born on Annapurna puja 2 yrs back. There he entertained all by beating the drum(dhol) and with all his cuties. When we were leaving for lunch everybody were already missing him. In the night we again attended the dinner out there and we got to hear that everybody was asking for him.

Om is very fortunate to get the love he is endowed with. Even a passerby showers him with affection. In the market when I am busy buying veg and others I cannot hold his hand all the time. And Om by nature drifts away, sometimes topples over but I always found somebody picking him up before me and brushing up all the dirts.

In my childhood I used to spend my sparetime with my next door neighbor. They had become relatives and I call them with such names too. Om has become a hot favourite with them too. They gather up all in the street to see him off when we leave my Mamma's place and awaits Om's next arrival.

Delicate Raya

Mamma, Mamma and Mamma....... that all she wants.
I thought I would keep abreast of Raya's activities but I am always out of time.

Well, Raya is almost crawling. She has started cooing ... first was Dadda... now she says tatta, nanna.....
She has taken on solid food nicely but yet to be taken to bottle milk. She denys to suck out from the bottle.
I had her ear pierced in the 7th month.
She wants to join her big brother in every action.

Holi 2009....Best Ever

It started off quitely... As we were away from home we arranged for small amounts of different colors ... just to serve the ritual and make Om aware of what holi is about. We applied colors in a very planned way. But Om was not satisfied. He wanted more... He picked up all the colors lying on the floor and started putting on himself.. Raya was a bit scared but slowly settled down with our colored faces.

Then came Tappu with lots of colors in his hand, as usual. He didnot even give us the time to change. We did not bother to change earlier as our holi was in a planned manner and mainly for the photoshoot. Soon we were fully colored. And Om ................. His kakka would throw colors at him. He accepted them with his head turned away... then turned his way with a broad smile and waited for the next color to be thrown again. We joined the other flat owners of the building we were staying in. Then Tappu took me and Om to his Nanny's. Om not only played with Nanny, Mum, Rik, Mesho but also with the neighbors who love him dearly. Many people who would not have touched colors gladly allowed themselves to be full with colors as they were being offered by Om.

In short, his Babba(even when he is used to vibrant holi at home), Nanny and Mum claimed that it was their best holi ever. JUST BECAUSE of OM.

He crossed his 2 yr Mark

OM behaved exactly as a B'day boy should behave... made everybody act on his orders.

He got up in the morning with all the gifts surrounding him. He was so overjoyed that he forgot to go to the loo and made his pant wet.

He got a bright bath robe from his Nany....
a sea beach set and a shape sorter foodballer blocks from his Pishiya....
a school bag, tiffin box, water bottle from his Mam as he is soon going start his schoolling....
a DVD of jungle book and crayons from his parents.....
4 formula car, a red ferrari, a bike, a baseball, a football, a rugby ball from his Kakka....

Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa... done with the long list of gifts

Since we were without the maid we were struggling to make everything right. I was struggling to visit the mandir with Om in the morning. But as the day progressed I realized that it was beyond my capacity and postponed the ritual till evening.

I cooked for him shak, fries, dal, fish head, fish, chatney, payesh. He had rasogolla too which is his favourite. I could arrange the blessing ceremony by 1-30p.p.m. when he was almost sleepy. But he carried out the ceremony peacefully. He could not finish his lunch though.

In the evening Tappu arrived with all his gifts and endowed him all around.
We all(Om, Raya, my husband, Tappu and me) visited the temple first and then went to Timezone which houses electronic rides of car, jeep, plane, helicopter, etc. at South City. Om enjoyed his hearts out and that was the only thing we wanted. We collected the B'day cake from the Cookie Jar out there and came back home.

Coming home we had the cake cutting occasion. Thereafter Om was too tired to finish his dinner and went off to sleep half stomach full. He hardly could realize that it was such an important day for him and obviously for us.

God may bless him with all the beauties of life.

Get Set Goooooooo.........

Trying hard to be back again. But I find myself short of words as I have been completely out of practice.

I need to put up a post urgently on Om as he crossed his 2 yr mark yesterday.

A belated happy B'Day to you Om.