Historic Day: President Obama's Inauguration

Today Vijay had the honor to be among the crowds of people who all came to Washington, DC to catch a little glimpse of the inauguration activities.  Living so close to the action, we were able to bundle him up (and I mean BUNDLE- poor thing probably felt life a  stuffed scarecrow) and take a walk to get as close as we could to the crowds.  We made it close to Pennsylvania Avenue to celebrate before heading back into the warmth of home!  On Sunday, we made it to the National Mall to watch the "We are One" concert and got to see performances by U2, Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, James Taylor, and many others. Here are a few images that sum up the excitement of the moment.  Jai is very excited for his new President Obama to begin work in our city!

Vacation in Puerto Rico Baby!

Shyam has been to Puerto Rico several times and we have been hoping to take a trip there together for years now.  Well, with winter setting in and a young infant in tow, what better trip than to relax by the blue, blue ocean, right?  Right- sort of.  We certainly relaxed and were able to check out Old San Juan and El Yunque Rain Forest.  Although a cold Vijay picked up slightly dampened our time late in the trip and definitely parent-tested us, we were happy to get him home safe and sound.  Aside from a sleepless night or two, you will see that we got some good rest and relaxation too...

8 Months Old= Constant Crawling and Giggly Play

The post 6-month age has been all play, giggles, and fun for Jai.  During this time Jai has been blessed with lots of hugs and kisses from grandma and grandpa in MD.  Since they live so close by, we can visit with the grandparents all the time.  They make him belly laugh like nobody else can!  Check out some of the fun Jai has!

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.