Ramesh's Wedding Pics- Better Late than Never!

We have been very remiss in posting  photos from Ramesh's wedding, but here are some highlights from the festivities, including Robin's mehndi and their gathering of family & friends...

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!