Ah, for life to be so simple!

Holding the curtain and twisting it around himself like a saree:
"Mamma, jab main bada ho jaayega na, tab meri shaadi ho jaayegi."

30 seconds later, putting the end of the curtain over his head: "Dekho....main bada ho gaya...aur meri shaadi ho gayi."

(That's "When I grow up, I'm going to get married." And "Look, I'm older now, and I've got married")

I can't wait to tell your girlfriends about this and embarass you, my little one. I'm collecting my stack of stories (and pictures!) to get back at you for all the times you've farted loudly and announced gleefully "maine smell kar di" or come running to me with a snotty nose and demanded I clean it. Just you wait:-)

Plonk

So this last week has been quite crazy because Vir has been sick with a viral fever that spikes to a 102-103 degrees 3-4 times and day as well as a cough from hell that has tired him out terribly and rendered him completely unable to talk without breaking out into a long coughing fit. It's been horrible seeing my talkative little fellow only being able to point to the things he wants and not being able to ask any of the hundred questions that are in his mind at any point in the day. Of course, he still manages to choke out questions about which car we're going to hospital in or which car we'll buy him from the conveniently located gift shop in the hospital. That really makes us smile because no matter how low he's feeling, at least there's something that cheers him up.

He's been sick before but not as much and also not at an age when he's so aware about what's going on. When we took him to the ER the first night when his fever spiked suddenly, he took one look at the hospital and said, "Nahin...mamma....mera theek hai, mera theek hai...paint nahin ho raha." My heart actually broke into so many pieces at this point. Of course, as soon as they put some medicine in him and stopped poking him with stuff to check for infections in his ear and throat, and he started feeling better, he forgot about the whole thing and spent the drive back talking about the two policemen (security guards) and the blue ambulance he had seen at the hospital. The rest of the week since last Sunday has been a blur of medicines and syringes and nebulizers and hospital visits all of which he has taken as bravely and maturely as can be expected. I wouldn't blame him for any tantrums anyway, because all I've done this last week is come at him with some med syrup or the other (they really should call those things something else because I've had syrup and these things are not it. Maple syrup is syrup. Ascoril D is not syrup. And Vir's taste buds are definitely smart enough to figure out the difference). But even with all that we've put him through, he's been great...no tantrums whatsoever. Even giving him his meds has been easier than last time around when it actually took 3 whole people to give him 2 ml. of medicine. I'm really not joking - one person had to hold his arms and legs, one had to keep his head straight, and one had to push the syringe of medicine into his mouth. Somehow though, it's easier to give him medicine when he's struggling and fighting and screaming than when he's defeated because that look is just killing.

He was also pretty great this morning when we took him for an X-ray and a blood test. He insisted on taking off all his clothes and not just his T-shirt for the X-ray and even managed to tearfully thank the technician who drew his blood sample.

We've been rewarding him with dinky cars almost every day this week, which is probably spoiling him but I think at this point, Vijay and I really don't care about the long term effects of buying him too many toys and just want him to have some short term joy NOW when his days are so crappy. On the positive side though, he's a lot better today, and I'm really hoping the worst of his viral infection is over and he'll be back to his springy and mischief filled self next week. We can't wait because for Vijay and I, that cute little grin from his healthy little face is just what the doctor ordered.

Latest quotes from my bigger little one

"Mamma, mereko bless you aa raha hai. Kyunki pankha aa raha hai aur AC
se thand aa rahi hai"

"Mamma, please light on kar do. Mereko light ki zaroorat padh rahi
hai."

(I won't translate this because I just can't!)

Family outing

So, because we wanted to meet the reality of being parents of two tiny kids head on and with a let's-get-on-with-life-attitude, and also because we're that stupid, Vijay and I decided to take both of them out to the mall today. This is one of those things you dread when you have one kid and you're expecting your next. Because you know what chasing one of these things in and out of stores and away from glass railings, while telling him for the hundreth time why he can't have that toy or that ice cream or that chocolate is like. And you break out in a cold sweat when you realize that you have voluntarily taken steps to multiply the fun by two and that it's really only a matter of weeks before you'll be someone you hitherto only shook your head sympathetically at as they frantically ran after one kid while swinging his sibling by the arm as he clung to his ice cream cone.

But this is one of those things you dread and then the day comes that you have to do it. And then you do it and it's just like ripping off a bandaid. Ripping it off really slowly so you can feel each hair come out of your skin with a little plink. Today was that day and it was everything we had dreaded it would be.

To start off, we had only one stroller which we planned to use for Tara so that Vir could walk besides us (told you, we're that stupid). However, Vir decided to throw a tantrum that today of all days, he really wanted to be in the stroller. So we decided that this might actually be a good thing because at least Tara won't run off and slap someone's butt (yes, that too has happened). But of course, Vir soon realized that being strapped up in the stroller wasn't as much fun as he had imagined and being jealous of Tara is no fun if you get what you want. So he threw another tantrum to get out. "Okay," we said philosophically, "let's go with the flow," and switched again. Tara, who as I've previously documented is an absolute angel decided to surprise us today by not sleeping at all through this whole thing and also by commemorating her first mall outing in the only way she knows - by pooping. Ever accepting of the challenges life throws us, and with more philosophical nods, Vijay and I went about the task of changing a poopy diaper in a very public place while also chasing Vir who by now had realized that this was his chance to escape and had run off to try to get into a car on display not far away. Thinking that we might as well make this whole ordeal worth it by shopping (stoooopid), we made our way into a store where I wanted to pick up some clothes. It was quite interesting trying on clothes with a two month old screaming outside and a 28 month old crawling in and out of the trial room through the space below the door. Fun times. Lunch was another adventure but by that time we were so exhausted that we met this challenge by putting Vir in the stroller and loading him up with some chocolote dessert. We did go through the formality of offering him some healthy hummus and pita bread first, to which he gave us his formal are-you-kidding-me-you-clowns-you look. Once again, Vijay and I exchanged understanding and sympathetic looks that reaffirmed that we're in this together and tried not to think back to who had initiated the let's-have-that-second-kid-now conversation.

All in all, I'd say that it was a fairly successful trip out. We had a few laughs, learnt a few lessons, gained some grey hair, lost some extra calories, and came back weary and sleepy but also happy and thankful that we're a family of four.

Two months!

I find it hard to believe that I've been a mother of two children for two months now. Two months ago today, I hadn't even seen Tara - she was just a wish at that time since I didn't even know she was a girl. I don't think I'll ever forget the absolute burst of sunshine that was my heart when the doc told me she had arrived. And now, two months into being her mother, I'm amazed at how much I love this child. I used to wonder how it would be possible to love anyone as much as I love Vir and was almost guilty towards her even before she was born. Now I know how silly such doubts about how to love your second born are. 

I'm waiting for her personality to unfold, but if the last two months are anything to go by, she's the best baby in the whole world (touchwood). She has nothing on her agenda except to get through her days and nights without causing trouble to either herself or to anyone around her. She has a clear you-don't-hurt-me-I-won't-hurt-you philosophy. She often puts herself to sleep and spends a lot of time talking to herself and grinning happily at whatever part of the room she can see. If you happen to drop by to chat with her, she'll happily talk back for a bit. If you don't because you're busy chasing after her older brother, she'll understand and won't hold it against you. So she's calm for the most part but if you happen to piss her off by taking too long to serve up her meal, or God forbid by holding her in a way she doesn't want to be held, she'll make sure you're suitably chastened. If she doesn't want to be held up against a shoulder, she doesn't let a tiny detail like the fact that she's two months old come in the way of fighting you. There's no doubt that she can take on any one of us single handedly, and win. All we can do is always try to make sure things are always her way. What a ride this is going to be!

Tara, if you're reading this, I want you to know we're thrilled to be on this ride with you. You're the sort of stuff stars are made of, and don't you forget it:-).

Angrezi

I found him in the kitchen this morning screaming, "What's problem? What's problemmmmmm?" Turned out the problemmmm was that Mamta wasn't giving him water to spill on the floor. When he wants something and doesn't get it or things aren't working out the way he wants them to (for example when his cars don't stack up one on top of the other), he screams "I'm sorry. I'm soreeeee." When he's talking to his cars (yes, that happens all the time), he asks them how they are and "what's going on." When he wants attention he says, "Mamma, look at me." He loves to order Baggdu to "eat properly." The other day he told me he wanted a "particular" car (he thinks one of his red cars is called "particular" because he heard me tell Vijay once that he was looking for that particular one!) And he seems to love the word "actually" because though he doesn't have a clue what it means, he scatters it between his sentences in a completely random and hilarious way.

I'm seriously thinking of canceling our Tata Sky subscription and saving 250 bucks a month! Who needs TV with all this live entertainment. Of course, the Tata Sky remote comes with a mute button, which gives it that edge. Then again, the Tata Sky remote has never come up to me, given me a hug, and said, "mamma, mujhe pyaaaaar karo."