Hiking in Shenandoah

For our anniversary gift to each other, we chose to go hiking in the Shenandoah Mtns with Jai during the first weekend in November.  It seemed fitting since a rather harrowing hiking experience served as our first date!  But our hiking expert friends, Ben & Melissa, would be proud.  We did two fairly steep hikes with Jai in the bjorn all the way.  It was a joy watching him look up at the trees and colorful leaves in wonder.  He was very bundled up - it was freezing!  But we all had a great time- here are some of the highlights...

Peaceful Dragon

For those new to the U.S., Hallowe'en must seem like the strangest of traditions.  We take our cute, cuddly children, turn them into fearsome monsters and ghoulish creatures, send them to the homes of perfect strangers, and instruct them to come home with bags of sugary snacks.  And Borat makes fun of Kazakhstan...

But, being Vijay's first Hallowe'en, we were just as excited as the next parent to get in on the fun.  In case you can't quite make it out, Jai is a dragon.  A very scary, fearsome dragon that strikes fear into the hearts of villagers and sends knights running for the hills.

Well, maybe not.  The folks at daycare insisted that Vijay was a "peaceful dragon".  And I suppose that's a good thing, because it looked like he wasn't entirely thrilled about the propsect of suddenly having soft cuddly fangs and a tail.

Baby Giggles

Ever have a bad day? Ever get caught in traffic? Ever turn all of the laundry pink? Okay, maybe I'm the only one who still does that, but whatever ails ya', there's no better cure than the sound of a baby's laugh. Completely joyful and almost a celebration of the purest elements of happiness, babies just have the most adorable darned giggles. Ours is no exception.

Vijay just learned to play "peek-a-boo", and while I'm not sure why he finds this so funny, he certainly does. If I didn't stop playing (because I, unlike Vijay, sometimes have to do other things besides play "peek-a-boo"), he might well sit there and play and laugh for hours. Which is kind of what happens on any given weekend.

Enjoy listening to him laugh - I hope that it brightens your day as much as it does ours.

Uncle Ramesh Comes to Town!

Vijay was blessed to get a visit from his Uncle Ramesh and Ramesh's fiance, Robin, last weekend. The two were in town to prepare for their upcoming wedding (stay tuned for pictures of the festivities!). They were able to spend time with the little guy - and he loved every second of it.

Ramesh and Robin even included Vijay in some of their pre-wedding photos. He wanted to get all gussied up for the occasion in his white button down and khakis (last photo). We are already excited for their next visit in October and can't wait for the wedding!

Who Knew Rice Cereal Could Cause Such a Ruckus?

So, Vijay got the green light to begin eating "real" food a few weeks ago: Solids. All the literature encourages new parents to begin with the tamest of the solids- rice cereal. To me, it appeared a rather bland concoction of dry cereal and milk, however, for Vijay it was one of the most exciting things to happen in his entire life (all five months of it).

As you can see, Vijay began the process with skepticism, followed by annoyance, spitting, and true outrage. But with a few feedings under his belt, he began to actually come to like the stuff and even open his mouth for more, and more, and more. Although we spend alot of time wiping down the highchair and changing his outfits multiple times, the experience of watching him go through the various reactions and emotions about this bland food makes the work well worth it!

Bring on the strained carrots, puffs, and cheerios. He is sold on this solids stuff.

Road Trip!

We took Vijay on his first road trip ever during the first weekend of August. He got to visit his Grandpa and aunty Sareena on Long Island, New York. He also got to meet his soon-to-be born new friend (Lex) at my friend Shirley's baby shower, as well as his recently born new friend, Ryan, at my friend Trisha's home. Is was quite a jam-packed weekend and a long drive, but Vijay passed with flying colors! He misses his grandpa, but they got plenty of quality time together laughing and rolling around.

As always, Vijay enjoyed getting spoiled by his aunt Sareena, who happily carried him around where ever he wanted to go. We all went for a walk to a lake in South Haven Park and played with the ducks on the shore. Vijay also got his first mosquito bite ;o(

Vijay is so excited to have new friends only a few months younger than him. Even though they are in NY, he knows he will see lots of Ryan and Lex in the coming years!

My Future's So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades

Well, as many of our friends and family have let us know over the past two months, we have been totally delinquent in updating Vijay'sblog. The return to work for me has definitely created a time black hole- where feeding, bathing, playing, and preparing bottles for day care the next day has taken top priority for our free time. However, in an effort to bring everyone up to date -- Vijay LOVES to play and is growing up way too fast.

He's been on tons of walks with us around our home in downtown DC and has also been on a few special hikes in Rock Creek Park, where he loves to look up at the trees and watch the creek flow by. Obviously, his shades are an imperative accessory for all these outings; he insists on wearing them all the time!

Vijay's animal gymini has provided great fun and lots of tummy time opportunities, but I fear he is quickly outgrowing it; if we turn our attention away for a moment, we find he has already rolled himself over clear to other side of the room! Here is a shot where he is giving us a break and staying on the activity mat... at least for a second. Are we ever in trouble when he figures out how to crawl.

Vijay is napping better these days and sleeping more consistently through the night, which as you can imagine is a great relief to me and Shyam. He has definitely come to enjoy sleep, even if he still prefers our bed to his crib!

We can hardly believe how he changes every day- both physically and developmentally. We keep telling him not to grow up too fast. He has yet to begin listening to us...

Paternity Leave

Believe it or not, this is 2008, and my company offers paternity leave. Yes - paternity leave. As if I didn't have enough reasons to goof off and do nothing, you might imagine that I was particularly thrilled about the idea of sleeping in late, playing with my son, relaxing, and otherwise having a good time.

Yeah, right.

This mothering thing is serious business. I was never so exhausted in my entire life. Kids require 1000% percent all the time - it's fortunate that they're so darned cute!



Vijay and Dad tried to keep up with the news. Vijay is a total political junkie, it turns out. Daddy likes the Style section...




I thought I'd try out a few new looks on the little guy. You know, see whether the 80's suit him.





This is the end of the day, when I'm visibly exhausted and Vijay is, well, still ready to play. An amazing child - I wish my brain still worked as quickly as his does...






But, after many, many hours of play, singing, walks, and books, I finally managed to tire out the little guy. Just in time for me to brush my teeth and - oh, wait - it's bedtime for me, too. Man, I'm tired... Never thought I would need to go to work to get some rest...

To Play or To Sleep? That is the Question

Hey, does anyone want to play with us?


Never mind, I'd rather sleep with daddy.


Woo, hoo! Did you know that I can fly? Let's go!


Oops, fell asleep again and this time I am really out!

More Fun with Family!

Vijay was blessed with visits from his aunty, uncle, and grandparents last weekend. My sister Sareena came down from NYC and we put her right to work on burping, bathing, and entertaining the little man... Seriously, she and my brother definitely bonded with Vijay and he had tons of fun with them! Vijay also got to see his grandparents for a relaxing outdoor brunch. Shyam got more practice carrying Vijay around DC in the Baby Bjorn, and Vijay was a champion sleeping through a Hirshhorn Museum exhibit. Vijay misses all his family vistors and can't wait for more visits!

3 Months and Counting...

I am really fortunate to have some extended quality time with this litte guy. I have taken hundreds (literally!) of photos of Vijay and he has only been on this circling planet for 3 months... His demonstrative expressions never cease to make me smile and/or surprise me...here are a few of his best little "looks." He especially loves playing with his giraffe and elephant friends in his gymini- in the attached photo, he winds up for a loving swat at one of them.

Blankie Bear

Trisha gave us Vijay's first "blankie", and little did we know that this blanket (which has
a cute "bear" attached - hence the name "blankie bear") would become Vijay's first best friend. This is what he does when he sees blankie-bear...

Pure and utter baby joy!

A Happy, Happy Mother's Day

Mother's Day just became one of my new favorite holidays. I got to relax with this adorable little boy and my sweet husband for a whole day- Shyam also gave me some much needed quiet time. Here are a few memorable photos- I especially love Vijay's face in the picture where I am attempting to give him a kiss. It just screams, "Ugh, Mommy cut it out-- kisses are gross! It's bad enough that you guys made me wear this I Love Mommy onesie all day long..."