http://www.womensweb.in/articles/travel-the-world-with-kids-san-francisco/
Friday, March 15, 2013
Parenting advice I wish I had received
Things I wish people would have said -
http://masalamommas.com/2011/10/04/moms-talk-parenting-advice-i-wish-someone-had-given-me/
http://masalamommas.com/2011/10/04/moms-talk-parenting-advice-i-wish-someone-had-given-me/
Corporate lessons learned at the crib
Motherhood and how it's teaching me valuable corporate lessons - guest post at masalamommas
http://masalamommas.com/2011/12/13/moms-talk-corporate-lessons-learned-at-crib/
http://masalamommas.com/2011/12/13/moms-talk-corporate-lessons-learned-at-crib/
Tips for traveling with kids - MM guest post
"Have kids, will travel"
http://masalamommas.com/2013/03/05/tips-for-traveling-with-kids/
http://masalamommas.com/2013/03/05/tips-for-traveling-with-kids/
Monday, March 26, 2012
The two are ONE!!
..And just like that, my babies are a year old!! I to fight back tears as we were singing Happy Birthday to them, given everything we went through the past year plus, it felt like quite the milestone..
Tuesday, June 21, 2011
A tag!
Although I'm a new mom,and do not have profound advice to offer,I thought I should take up this tag as a fun thing to do!
1. This too shall pass - There have been times when my babies have been absolutely impossible to manage,and a few hours after that,complete sweethearts! So now when I'm having a I-cant-do-this-anymore moment,I try to keep in mind that this tough moment will pass,and will be followed by a fabulous,blissful one.
2.The village - Any parenting issue I come across,there is someone who has already faced it before and dealt with it successfully. All it takes is asking,there are plenty of people willing to help.
3.ShowerPower - Just taking a quick shower is so incredibly refreshing.When I step out of the bathroom freshly showered with no spit up on me or my clothes,I feel like I am ready to take on the world!
4. The great outdoors - My babies are so small now,they still enjoy getting out of the house,be it a walk around the block or a few hours at a friend's house.
5. Sleep is over rated - We are yet to get a full night's sleep. Each night,we feel like we cannot possibly survive one more day like this,but somehow,the morning rolls around,and we manage to make it through the day!
There are so many times that I feel completely paranoid that I must be doing something more for the kids,that I must be doing more reading,I must be researching more about the best way to do this or that,I am fervently hoping and Praying that at the very minimum,I raise my kids to be well mannered and socially conscious. That in itself will make me proud(yes,I have very low expectations).
Stuff about parenthood that no one tells you!
My pregnancy was not all pickles and ice-cream, and my experience as a new mom has been quite the ride so far! While I've been dumped with my fair share of advice from experienced moms,new moms,my own mom and some non moms,here's stuff about pregnancy that no one told me about before.
There is something about sleeping babies that just melts away your heart. Given that I have two little ones,during those magic moments when they are both down for a nap,I can watch them for hours!
Nursing your child is an incredibly hard experience,yes,when it does finally work out,its a very special bonding experience,but at times,it leaves me feeling quite sore :(
Life as a new mom can be terribly isolating.Being a very social person,I terribly miss all the human interaction in my daily life - be it with colleagues at work or with friends and family after work. I've been finding it awfully isolating to be holed up in my bedroom for the most part and welcome rare outings such as the bathroom and living areas. However,thanks to the wonderful world of social media,I've made new friends with people from all over the world and had some fun conversations!
There is something about sleeping babies that just melts away your heart. Given that I have two little ones,during those magic moments when they are both down for a nap,I can watch them for hours!
Nursing your child is an incredibly hard experience,yes,when it does finally work out,its a very special bonding experience,but at times,it leaves me feeling quite sore :(
Life as a new mom can be terribly isolating.Being a very social person,I terribly miss all the human interaction in my daily life - be it with colleagues at work or with friends and family after work. I've been finding it awfully isolating to be holed up in my bedroom for the most part and welcome rare outings such as the bathroom and living areas. However,thanks to the wonderful world of social media,I've made new friends with people from all over the world and had some fun conversations!
Here's to a successful first quarter! *Clink*
The kiddos are 3 months old now! Time sure flies when you are having..err.. no sleep and so much fun? I vividly remember THE day,3 months ago. I had just been sent home after several weeks in the hospital,on strict bed rest at home. It was a rainy,cold day. We had just finished having the "its-too-hot" "No,Its your pregnancy hormones,its actually very cold" argument and had fallen asleep into a blissful afternoon nap. This was just two days post St.Patrick's day, I had been fervently hoping that I would not deliver two boys on St.Patrick's day,for fear that their livers might become prunes at the end of their its-my-birthday-AND-St.Patrick's-day binge! We woke up after a really long nap and I said what he wanted to,but was afraid of - "Is this the calm before the storm?" That was the last time in a long time that we would be sleeping so soundly for so long :)
I was craving ravioli for dinner,S went to get some groceries for dinner. My back started killing me all of a sudden,it was a very different type of pain. I called the doctor on call,she asked me to swing by the hospital to just get checked out.maybe get a pain killer for the pain,and head back home. S came back home with a cheery " I found your favorite Ravioli and garlic bread" and I greeted him with "Don't take off those shoes,we need to go over to the hospital" . We picked up the chord blood registry kits and rushed to the hospital,all the while intending to come back home and make a nice dinner.
Hmm.. The kids had other plans.From then on,they would make the plans,we were merely going to follow on :) They were born that night via C-section. It has been truly the most trying time of my life. While I was excited to meet the little creatures who had been kicking and boxing away in my belly,I was very nervous and apprehensive about their impending NICU stay.
While its been the longest 3 months of our lives,the rewards could not have been better! As we cuddle our babies and enjoy their cute smiles today,I cannot thank our support system enough for being there for us throughout the journey!
We are looking forward to the next few milestones eagerly,I must say that the forecast for the upcoming quarter is very rosy!
I was craving ravioli for dinner,S went to get some groceries for dinner. My back started killing me all of a sudden,it was a very different type of pain. I called the doctor on call,she asked me to swing by the hospital to just get checked out.maybe get a pain killer for the pain,and head back home. S came back home with a cheery " I found your favorite Ravioli and garlic bread" and I greeted him with "Don't take off those shoes,we need to go over to the hospital" . We picked up the chord blood registry kits and rushed to the hospital,all the while intending to come back home and make a nice dinner.
Hmm.. The kids had other plans.From then on,they would make the plans,we were merely going to follow on :) They were born that night via C-section. It has been truly the most trying time of my life. While I was excited to meet the little creatures who had been kicking and boxing away in my belly,I was very nervous and apprehensive about their impending NICU stay.
While its been the longest 3 months of our lives,the rewards could not have been better! As we cuddle our babies and enjoy their cute smiles today,I cannot thank our support system enough for being there for us throughout the journey!
We are looking forward to the next few milestones eagerly,I must say that the forecast for the upcoming quarter is very rosy!
Monday, May 02, 2011
Long time,no post..
Hmm.. Its been a long time since I updated this blog. This year began in a rather unexpected manner,nothing could have prepared us for what the past few months have spewed at us :( It all started when I went in for a routine ultrasound on the 3rd of Jan.We used to look forward to these,it was our opportunity to say hello to our babies,who up until this point,looked rather alien-ish :P The doctor found a problem and sentenced me to couch-arrest or bed rest. At a follow-up ultrasound two weeks later,the condition had far worsened and I ended up hospitalized and on the worst possible medications. From then on,the next 9 weeks were spent in a constant state of stress and worry for the health of the babies and me,going in and out of the hospital. Most of what I felt then,I would rather not remember.
Anyhow,All's well that end's well - We were blessed twice as nice with two lovely little boys. After a few weeks at the NICU,we were asked to take them home.
I've gone from counting hours and days,lying in bed,to counting the minutes before the next diaper-change-feed-burp cycle begins so that I can get all the million little things done for my tiny masters.
Anyhow,All's well that end's well - We were blessed twice as nice with two lovely little boys. After a few weeks at the NICU,we were asked to take them home.
I've gone from counting hours and days,lying in bed,to counting the minutes before the next diaper-change-feed-burp cycle begins so that I can get all the million little things done for my tiny masters.
Friday, January 14, 2011
The end of a decade..
The past decade has had one overarching theme - "Growing Up". Yes,I feel very wise ( and kinda old too!) as we step into a new decade. And you know you have crossed the big three-oh milestone,when you feel like its not so much about what other people think of you and your ideas,but more about what you think of others and their ideas of life.
So,Cheers to a new decade ahead and all the fun and excitement that comes with it!! "clink"
So,Cheers to a new decade ahead and all the fun and excitement that comes with it!! "clink"
Thursday, December 02, 2010
Let is snow...
So,more travel tales..
Right,so last weekend,we were all given an extra couple of days off from work to be Thankful,and boy we were! Even thought it was right after I had come back from Germany and was still fighting jet lag,we went on a family trip to lovely Lake Tahoe. After driving for many hours,we finally got to our cabin in the mountains,which was a big letdown :( Looked nothing like the lovely pics on the website,the heating system was broken down,and the fireplace didn't work either.. Finally,we woke up the property owners from their Thanksgiving Dinner induced slumber,and ended up in a bee-you-tee-full cabin with a lovely view of the lake,a jacuzzi tub(for the others!),etc.
We woke up the next morning to see the first snow of the season,what a pretty sight it was!
The next day,we drove to a nearby ski resort,and while everyone skied(or fell on their butts!),I sat in the restaurant area by a warm fireplace with a book.It was a gorgeous day,the sun shining bright, the slopes covered with powdery white snow,and I ended up watching people come down the slopes,more than read! I was telling my younger brother this,and he thought I was officially old now! huh?
We left the next day,and after hours ofdriving crawling in the snow,came back home in time for dinner. Was a lovely break,wish we could have stayed longer!
Right,so last weekend,we were all given an extra couple of days off from work to be Thankful,and boy we were! Even thought it was right after I had come back from Germany and was still fighting jet lag,we went on a family trip to lovely Lake Tahoe. After driving for many hours,we finally got to our cabin in the mountains,which was a big letdown :( Looked nothing like the lovely pics on the website,the heating system was broken down,and the fireplace didn't work either.. Finally,we woke up the property owners from their Thanksgiving Dinner induced slumber,and ended up in a bee-you-tee-full cabin with a lovely view of the lake,a jacuzzi tub(for the others!),etc.
We woke up the next morning to see the first snow of the season,what a pretty sight it was!
The next day,we drove to a nearby ski resort,and while everyone skied(or fell on their butts!),I sat in the restaurant area by a warm fireplace with a book.It was a gorgeous day,the sun shining bright, the slopes covered with powdery white snow,and I ended up watching people come down the slopes,more than read! I was telling my younger brother this,and he thought I was officially old now! huh?
We left the next day,and after hours of
Wanderlust..
So,after a rather bumpy roller-coaster ride for the first few months,I had a chance to travel around the past few weeks. My dad always said that I had wheels on my heels,because I always wanted to go someplace and hated to stay home!
My biggest adventure recently was a business trip to Germany. I was slated to be there for two full weeks and an extra weekend,but decided to control my appetite for risk and cut the trip down to a week and an extra weekend.As always,on my flight over,I was stuck in the middle with two big men on either side. But I had an upgraded seat,so it was all good.I warned the guy in the aisle seat that I will need to use the bathroom often.He said,so did he,so it was all good. Until I really-had-to-go-right-now! Had to poke him awake,apologize,wake him up again to get back into my seat. This whole routine was repeated 10 times before we finally landed!
The stay itself was the same old,long work hours,come back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes,looooong dinners.. yawn!!
I managed to get away for a few hours one weekend and dragged super jet-lagged-ass to the Zeil area,which has always been the most exciting part of my trip to that part of the world.. I felt a familiar rush of excitement as I saw all my favorite stores - The 4-floored Espirit,Mango,Zara,etc. Somehow,my eyes scanned the signs pointing to the baby section,and my feet just walked over there,and before I knew it,I had spent a small fortune on baby clothes!! As if all this was not enough,I asked around for good toy stores,and ended up buying some rather cute little things,completely ignoring the price tags and the conversion rates.. Blame it on the hormones again.. I must admit,I did end up buying some cute preggy clothes as well,which are wayy to big right now,I need to get closer to the blimp that I had always assumed I would be as a preggy lady before I can use them..
The flight back home was uneventful,but I had an aisle seat,so yay!! My neighbor on the flight had the most interesting story - she was a very sweet Polish girl,on a 2 week vacation to Hawaii.. She was going there to learn Hula dancing. Sounded so dreamy as she described the B & B she was going to be staying in,etc. Took me back mentally to our own trip there a few years ago :( Someday.... Soon....
My biggest adventure recently was a business trip to Germany. I was slated to be there for two full weeks and an extra weekend,but decided to control my appetite for risk and cut the trip down to a week and an extra weekend.As always,on my flight over,I was stuck in the middle with two big men on either side. But I had an upgraded seat,so it was all good.I warned the guy in the aisle seat that I will need to use the bathroom often.He said,so did he,so it was all good. Until I really-had-to-go-right-now! Had to poke him awake,apologize,wake him up again to get back into my seat. This whole routine was repeated 10 times before we finally landed!
The stay itself was the same old,long work hours,come back to the hotel for a quick change of clothes,looooong dinners.. yawn!!
I managed to get away for a few hours one weekend and dragged super jet-lagged-ass to the Zeil area,which has always been the most exciting part of my trip to that part of the world.. I felt a familiar rush of excitement as I saw all my favorite stores - The 4-floored Espirit,Mango,Zara,etc. Somehow,my eyes scanned the signs pointing to the baby section,and my feet just walked over there,and before I knew it,I had spent a small fortune on baby clothes!! As if all this was not enough,I asked around for good toy stores,and ended up buying some rather cute little things,completely ignoring the price tags and the conversion rates.. Blame it on the hormones again.. I must admit,I did end up buying some cute preggy clothes as well,which are wayy to big right now,I need to get closer to the blimp that I had always assumed I would be as a preggy lady before I can use them..
The flight back home was uneventful,but I had an aisle seat,so yay!! My neighbor on the flight had the most interesting story - she was a very sweet Polish girl,on a 2 week vacation to Hawaii.. She was going there to learn Hula dancing. Sounded so dreamy as she described the B & B she was going to be staying in,etc. Took me back mentally to our own trip there a few years ago :( Someday.... Soon....
Wednesday, December 01, 2010
The weeks are rolling by..
I oscillate between letting out a sigh of relief that I still have a few more months go,and the impatience of wanting to see my belly-squatter!
I'm starting to show a bit now - on some days,I look like I had a big cheeseburger for lunch,and on others,like I swallowed a small melon :) The first time S felt it was when he hugged me before leaving to work,a very cute moment indeed..
So,we've started to share the news with friends and family,the reactions have been interesting..
The close family and friends - Their warmth and love leave me feeling so wonderful and thankful!
The ecstatic - These are random friends that are more excited then both of us combined over the past few months,making me feel like eh,maybe I should be kicking my maternal instincts into higher gear!
The Happy-For-You - These folks react pleasantly,and leave me feeling comfortable,not overwhelmed or inadequate!
The et-tu crowd - These people are like,I cant believe you guys are going to become one of them now!
The oh-so-cold - These people are like so,what? And quickly switch the topic to the latest trend in shoes! It leaves me feeling like,why did I even bother to share my news with them,if it makes them so uncomfortable?
Above all,the Advisory Committee - This group includes new parents,veteran parents,non-parents who are experts because their friends have kids and what-have-you! What they have in common - an inexhaustible list of what I should be doing,and what I should be avoiding.. All well meaning,I'm sure,and very helpful for the most part,but unbelievably annoying at times..
I'm starting to show a bit now - on some days,I look like I had a big cheeseburger for lunch,and on others,like I swallowed a small melon :) The first time S felt it was when he hugged me before leaving to work,a very cute moment indeed..
So,we've started to share the news with friends and family,the reactions have been interesting..
The close family and friends - Their warmth and love leave me feeling so wonderful and thankful!
The ecstatic - These are random friends that are more excited then both of us combined over the past few months,making me feel like eh,maybe I should be kicking my maternal instincts into higher gear!
The Happy-For-You - These folks react pleasantly,and leave me feeling comfortable,not overwhelmed or inadequate!
The et-tu crowd - These people are like,I cant believe you guys are going to become one of them now!
The oh-so-cold - These people are like so,what? And quickly switch the topic to the latest trend in shoes! It leaves me feeling like,why did I even bother to share my news with them,if it makes them so uncomfortable?
Above all,the Advisory Committee - This group includes new parents,veteran parents,non-parents who are experts because their friends have kids and what-have-you! What they have in common - an inexhaustible list of what I should be doing,and what I should be avoiding.. All well meaning,I'm sure,and very helpful for the most part,but unbelievably annoying at times..
Oh the Irony :(
I've heard that a good sense of humor is very handy when it comes to dealing with pregnancy and babies later on.. I couldn't agree more today.
I had escaped from the cube farm all of last week because of severe nausea/vomiting/feeling-like-shit and was working from home..
Finally,decided that I was fit and fine today and should go back to the office to catch up on whats going on.. Woke up early,got dressed,and then... I realized that my car was parked in the garage,and the door opener for it was in my husband's car. After only 3 phone calls,he replies and says that he was in a meeting. I found a key that I could use instead of the electronic door opener. So I walked over to our garage,all set to drive out,only to realize that the key hole was so high up that I needed a step stool. Whew! Finally,step stool in tow,I walked back to the garage,and ended up breaking that measly key in half,it was the wrong key.. By now,I was questioning my sanity for wanting to not work from home another day!! Finally,my husband came home,spent 3 seconds opening the garage door,and drove off to work,mad that I had made him drive home in the middle of the work day.. These hormones,I tell ya!
So,I thought I was done with these almost-senile moments,but no! It happened again today..
My car needed gas,so,feeling mighty chuffed about not waiting till the needle had gone beyond the empty mark like I used to,I drove in to the gas station,all the while thinking how much more responsible I'm becoming. I turned off the ignition,pulled out the one credit card I needed,picked up some garbage I needed to get rid of,and step out. OOPS! I realized that I had locked the car from inside as I had stepped out. So,I was locked out of my car,no cell phone,no jacket,in the windiest part of town..:( Luckily,the gas station owner was very sweet,found me the AAA number from the yellow pages,and in 30 mins,I was all set,driving off home. Again,thank God for being able to blame it on the hormones and not my stupidity! hah!
I had escaped from the cube farm all of last week because of severe nausea/vomiting/feeling-like-shit and was working from home..
Finally,decided that I was fit and fine today and should go back to the office to catch up on whats going on.. Woke up early,got dressed,and then... I realized that my car was parked in the garage,and the door opener for it was in my husband's car. After only 3 phone calls,he replies and says that he was in a meeting. I found a key that I could use instead of the electronic door opener. So I walked over to our garage,all set to drive out,only to realize that the key hole was so high up that I needed a step stool. Whew! Finally,step stool in tow,I walked back to the garage,and ended up breaking that measly key in half,it was the wrong key.. By now,I was questioning my sanity for wanting to not work from home another day!! Finally,my husband came home,spent 3 seconds opening the garage door,and drove off to work,mad that I had made him drive home in the middle of the work day.. These hormones,I tell ya!
So,I thought I was done with these almost-senile moments,but no! It happened again today..
My car needed gas,so,feeling mighty chuffed about not waiting till the needle had gone beyond the empty mark like I used to,I drove in to the gas station,all the while thinking how much more responsible I'm becoming. I turned off the ignition,pulled out the one credit card I needed,picked up some garbage I needed to get rid of,and step out. OOPS! I realized that I had locked the car from inside as I had stepped out. So,I was locked out of my car,no cell phone,no jacket,in the windiest part of town..:( Luckily,the gas station owner was very sweet,found me the AAA number from the yellow pages,and in 30 mins,I was all set,driving off home. Again,thank God for being able to blame it on the hormones and not my stupidity! hah!
A scare
A few nights ago,I woke up with really bad stomach ache. It was the Friday night of a long weekend,what luck :( Most of Sat was spent in the Doc's office and the verdict was a wait-and-watch.
Last night,with the pain coming back,the doctor-on-call was freaking out and asked me to go to the ER right away. My man was ofcourse changed and ready to drag me to the ER in 3 seconds.. Fought them both back and decided to stay in my own bed for the night.. All out plans of joining friends who were vacationing in the nearby wine country ( only for the company and the views!) went out of the window,but all's well that end's well :)
After a few such scares,my Faith in God only strengthened! Thanks to all my supportive friends and family,we made it through the first trimester!! YAY!
Last night,with the pain coming back,the doctor-on-call was freaking out and asked me to go to the ER right away. My man was ofcourse changed and ready to drag me to the ER in 3 seconds.. Fought them both back and decided to stay in my own bed for the night.. All out plans of joining friends who were vacationing in the nearby wine country ( only for the company and the views!) went out of the window,but all's well that end's well :)
After a few such scares,my Faith in God only strengthened! Thanks to all my supportive friends and family,we made it through the first trimester!! YAY!
Wednesday, September 08, 2010
Bun in the oven!
So,the bun is in the oven!!! The countdown has begun for what is going to change our lives completely and make us "those" people! Yes,I'm going to be a mommy :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)