Thursday, August 2, 2018

The first Happy Birthday!!


A chronicle of incidents from month 8 to the first birthday. To begin with, a family pic ... the three of us!




Hey Ananya,
You are a year old today. The last four months have been eventful. We, Deepa and I, are really impressed with how well you have adjusted to the scheme of things since Deepa has resumed work. You wake up with us early in the morning. Deepa bathes you at 7 am. You are happy and cheerful all along, never crying. All raring to go. You must continue this for life I think! 😊



The first Vishu
Vishu is the new year of Keralites. You should read more about it on Wikipedia to get a better idea. An easier way might to talk to your grandparents. 😊  
In the morning, on Vishu day which was on 15th April 2018, Deepa arranged for the Vishukani (google this to see how it looks). In the wee hours of the morning, during the time of the Kani, Deepa took you near the Kani and you looked at the decoration in awe. I, like frenzied paparazzi, climbed on the bed to click a picture. When I got down, I hurt my leg too.
We went to have the Vishu Sadhya at your grandparent’s house in Andheri and in Nerul.




The expression of feeling
You got used to being with your grandmother and grandfather from Nerul. Then, an emergency required them to go to Kerala for around three weeks. They came to say “Good Bye” to you. And you wouldn’t leave Achchama (Nerul Grandmother). You hugged her tight and refused to leave her. In fact, I am told you even feigned to be asleep. That’s some acting at this age. 😊

The first words
I think you started saying “Amma” and “Achcha” (though Achcha was pronounced as Aththa”). I am not sure if you really knew what it meant. They mean mom and dad respectively in Malayalam. I always believed you were calling me when you said the word. It may be an overdose of optimism from my end because there wasn’t much telling me that you were referring to me. As for Amma, I think you were talking about Deepa.

Interesting Observation
 During a conversation around this time, I asked Deepa, “How does the child invariably utter Amma and Achcha when they do not know what their mother tongue is. She made an interesting point and said that the language must have defined it as mother and father because those were the first words most children might have been uttering. I loved the thought. It had a judicious mix of “reverse engineering” and “analytics”.
Ok, I get it. This is not about technical things. Moving on…




















Morning Walks
Every Saturday, you and I would go for morning walks. We would roam in and around our neighbourhood in Seawoods. You took great pleasure in looking at the pigeons as they flew away. You were also in awe looking at flowers, plants, dogs, children playing in the garden, adults going about their exercise routine etc. Many of them smiled at you but you mostly kept a straight face.


Curious case of button
At home, I would wear three-fourths which used to have pockets with buttons. While playing with me, you used to get fascinated with these buttons. You used to look at them for long and wanted to pluck them out of the piece of cloth at times.

First teeth
Deepa and I were discussing about how you would look when will have your milk teeth. We were wondering if it is due and if you will spring it late. And, then, slowly one pearly white sprang out. We were so happy. In no time, we saw around four milk tooth springing in quick succession. Two on the upper jaw and two on the lower jaw.

Your smile glowed more. It was more radiant than it already was. We loved it.
After dinner, I used to take you to the wash basin at times to wash your face. While doing so, you used to bite my fingers. I used to act like it hurt me a lot. You enjoyed it to the core. You laughed at my expressions and that encouraged me to do this even more. It continued till your mother came in and restored some sanity.

However, despite Deepa’s efforts, we continued with our little game after dinner on many more days.

Ton … Ton …

As soon as I leave office, my focus in crystal clear. I want to reach home as quickly as possible to spend time with you. At home, I would walk around with you.  On one of the days when I was walking with you in my arms in the hall room, you started uttering something which sounded like “Ton..Ton” to me. I have not yet understood what it means. However, my mother (your Achchama) claims that it is ten and whenever she says “One..Two..Three.. … … Nine…” , you end up saying “Ton..Ton”



Climbing on the bed
You had now become a pro at crawling. Now, you were wanting to stand up. At night, you would stand up on the bed, balance yourself for a few seconds, raise both hands and dance and then fall flat on the bed. You used to enjoy this routine so much that you used to keep repeating it till you slept. If I was sleeping, you would hold on to me and stand up. You really enjoyed standing up with whatever support you could get… sometimes even without it.

Lights
I would light up the house with various lights, sometimes even switching on the chandelier. You would love it so much. Whenever I said “light”, you would invariably look at the light in the room.

First Rain
You enjoyed the smell of the first rain. You would stand near the window sill and enjoy the sights. As we have a school playground opposite our house, you used to enjoy seeing the kids play in the rain.

Crawl and climb on chair and sofa
The L-shaped sofa at home is your play area. You would hold on to it and walk around. As soon as you walked the stretch, you would feel very accomplished and give us a hearty laugh. That is priceless. That is what Deepa and I live for. Keep it going. I mean the hearty laugh, not running around the sofa. Just thought I would clarify. 😊  

Fly in the air... When I throw you up
You are a fan of acrobatics. If I flung you in the air, your joy knew no bounds. Sometimes, I would run a bit with you in my hand and you would express your joy by laughing out loudly. I enjoyed throwing you up, twirling with you in my hand etc. There were many people around though who advised me against doing it for obvious reasons. However, I used to continue this occasionally as I did not want to deprive you of such small yet significant joys.

Trying to catch small particles. An Eye for detail.
While playing, you would often wait and stare at the floor. Your tiny hand would then slowly move towards something. I used to wonder what it was. I would then realize that it would be some tiny, almost microscopic, particle. You would put a lot of effort to gather it between your fingers. It would result in many unsuccessful attempts, but you would persist. (I love the fact that you persist). Finally, either you get it in your hand or you just give up. But I have observed you giving up after giving it a whole-hearted try. You should continue doing so and give things in life a whole-hearted try. However, equally important is for you to know when to give up and move on. You demonstrated both in this small little activity. I think the experience was awesome for me as a silent observer.

Drumming the Drummer
Your uncle, Jagdeep, bought a toy for you when he came back from London. The toy was a drummer with the face of a teddy bear. Once you key in, the drummer would walk around and beat the drum on his own. It was a lovely toy.
However, you would kick it and throw it around. You took great pleasure in kicking the drummer on his head and using your hand to toss him across the room. I wonder why you did it but it was fun watching you do it. 😊

Pigeon Pigeon
There were some sunny days in June too. You would stand at the window sill and try hard to climb it. Sometimes, you would move around. I was wondering why and then I realized that you were trying to see the pigeon. You would even call out pigeon, but the words wouldn’t come out that clearly. You enjoyed watching the pigeons.

The Welcome
When I came from office, you would look at me and give me a smile. It was almost a laugh. I really loved the fact that you loved to see me coming back home. I really looked forward to it each day.

Keep playing even at night
Ananya, you are a bundle of joyful energy. You would continue playing, sometimes late into the night, when both Deepa and I would be tired. I would like to tell you that Deepa has been very patient with you and would wake up many times in the night, just to play with you or to put you to sleep again.

Star bday... Trivandrum... Turn of events
So, we were two days away from your star birthday. At dawn, I got a call from Maneesh uncle. He is one of my best friends. His dad passed away in Kerala. I decided to go to Kerala. I was accompanied by another one of my best friends, Dinu uncle. You and Dinu uncle’s daughter Nivi are the same age. Your respective mothers are good friends too. Its more like family.
After his last rites and after spending some time with Maneesh uncle, we went to Trivandrum. As it was raining heavily in Cochin, we had booked the flight from Trivandrum. And as things would have it, I was in Trivandrum (or Thiruvananthapuram) on your star birthday. In the morning, Dinu uncle and I went to the revered Padmanabhaswamy Temple in Trivandrum. I would not have in my wildest dreams imagined that I would be there on your birthday. I have heard a lot about the temple and have always wanted to visit it. But being there on your first star birthday and offering prayers for you was divine, pious and almost surreal.  
I am sure the turn of events has some connection with the cosmic forces. The fact that I was in this “sanctum sanctorum” of sorts on your first star birthday cannot be a mere coincidence.

All fell down ....
In the evening, you and I had a dedicated play time while Deepa prepared dinner for you. She is very particular about your food, clothes etc. She bought dedicated vessels, plates and spoons, all clean and shining at all times. She took great care to ensure that you were healthy and free from any disease or infection.
While she prepared your dinner, you and I would play. I used to sing "Ring a Ring o' Roses” for you which ended with “All fell down”. You had taken a liking to the word “down” and you used to repeat it with me. That is probably the first English word that you kept uttering occasionally. I think you enjoyed the sound of it.


You Turn One Today
So, you have turned One year old today. Very Happy Birthday Ananya. I cannot explain in words the amount of joy you have brought into our lives. I wish that you are always as cheerful as you are.

I wonder what I need to do to be a great father. I do not have an answer even today though I have spent a good amount of time thinking about it.

I think the two things I would want to do for you is:
  1. .          To instill great values
  2.        To help you to find your calling at a very early age.


I am sure Deepa will take care of either aspects if I miss it, but I would want to focus on helping you achieve the above. I genuinely believe the above accomplishments are a definite way to ensure that your exuberance and joyful demeanour remains intact and you keep soaring higher in life and make this world a better place.
Happiest birthday to you from Deepa and I. May the Almighty bless you with the best of everything in life!!!
Have a lot of fun. Life is meant to be lived that way!

Thursday, April 12, 2018

The First Celebrations and the First Flight!


Hey Ananya,

You are 8 months old today. (I am sorry I am publishing this a bit late. Had kept it ready on the second day of April. Couldn't publish here due to my busy schedule. Your mom received a copy on April 2nd :-)) 

Anyways, moving on. Let's see how well you have progressed along. 

You are making great strides in your journey. Congratulations!!

The last two months have been eventful. You have experienced many firsts. I would like to describe some of it.

6-Month birthday celebration!

Birthdays are normally celebrated when you complete one year. But, we couldn’t wait to celebrate something with you, for you. So, we decided to celebrate your 6-months on this beautiful planet.

I came from office a bit early. I reached home by 7.15 pm. Yes, that’s early compared to my normal standards! I went to pick up your Achchachan (grandfather) and Ammuma (grandmother) from Nerul. We came back with a cake. Vinu uncle was working in a late shift. He probably excused himself and made it for you.

We cut a small chocolate cake. Gave you a little taste of it too! You had fun. I am amazed by your poise when there are a lot of people. Neither I nor your mother seem to have this trait. So, keep it up!

After the cake cutting, we had a lavish dinner to culminate the celebrations.

First Wedding Attended by you – Dipti’s Wedding

I am sure if you are reading this, you already know Dipti. For everyone else, Dipti is Deepa’s younger sister, and hence Ananya’s aunt.

On 11th February, 2018, Dipti and Rahul decided to take their vows. That’s the first time you went to a function attended by more than 100 people. It was at the landmark party and marriage hall in Goregaon. You know what’s special about the place? Well, your parents also got married there.

Again, I was absolutely impressed with you being at ease with all the people, the celebrations, the occasional noise of the drums. Nothing seemed to faze you. At barely one year of age, you can manage in a scenario which can give jitters to adults. So, well done!



First Flight – Mumbai – Mangalore (Spice Jet)

February is normally a busy month with our annual plans and activities. I will explain about this when we talk but it is not important here. What’s important is your first flight. The first time I took a flight was when I was 17-years old. You are doing it at 7-months of age; it sounds exciting to me! I think your mother had done it when she was six-months old. Let me share a little secret – She is still not comfortable during take-off, but you seemed to be so much at ease. In fact, you slept thorough the take-off without a care in the world.

The idea was to go to Kerala (our native place). A brisk trip was planned, and we went to Kerala on Wednesday, 28th Feb, 2018. I had booked an Uber at 6 am to catch the 0845 flight. You slept in the Uber and at Mumbai airport too. By the time, you woke up, we were in the skies and about 10 minutes from landing into Mangalore.

Why Mangalore? Though its in Karnataka, it is the nearest airport to Kannur in Kerala. This is where your mother’s native place is. We visited your Achchchan and Ammama (Deepa’s parents) house. We stayed there for three days. The place is beautiful and seems like a hill station. The peace and tranquillity are unmatched.


Temple Spree
In those three days, 28th of February to 2nd March, we visited a host of temples in North Kerala. Let me tell you that this was my first visit to Kannur, just like you. So, whatever you saw was a first for me as well. 

Your uncle, Jagdeep, had come down for a surprise visit. All of us were taking care of you and playing with you. We visited the following temples with you. You can read about it in the link below.

We also visited your Achchachans ancestral home, your Ammumas home and the respective relatives. It was a fun filled three days with a lot of travel for you.

The first train Journey – Kannur to Changanacherry – Malabar Express
On 2nd March, at 9 pm, we had to leave for Changanacherry. While your mother and I are both Keralites, we are poles apart (no pun intended here 😊). She is from the extreme north of Kerala and we belong to the South. We are from a place called Mavelikara, which is in Alleppey district of Kerala.



So, we boarded the train to Changanacherry, that’s where my grandmother is, and we wanted her to see you and bless you. We reached there and stayed for a day. We had a lot of fun. You were thoroughly entertained by your uncles, aunts and ammumas.
After an awesome trip, we came back home to Mumbai.




Another family function – celebrating the first PhD in our family at Kamothe, in Navi Mumbai. 
Your aunt, Viji, had received her Phd. Vinay uncle and Viji aunty, had thrown a party to celebrate this. They stayed very close to our house (yes, a house owned by us in Kamothe). The party was arranged by them in that house because it was unoccupied. This is the first time you saw our house. This is the first house that I bought after starting to earn a salary. It will always remain special to me.
However, we were there to celebrate a special achievement. You gifted your aunt and congratulated her on achieving her Phd. The food was great, and we had fun.



Mom resumes work – Your day-care with grandparents
Since you have two sets of grandparents, let me make it easy for you. My parents stay in Nerul. Let’s call them Nerul grandparents. Deepa’s parents stay in Andheri. Let’s call them Andheri grandparents from now on.

Deepa got a six-month maternity break to take care of you. And she left no stone unturned to take the greatest possible care of you in these six months. It was hardly a break. She did not sleep much and did not leave you alone for even a minute in these six months. You are a lucky child. You got all the love and attention that you rightly deserve. But do remember that not all children are so privileged. Always be grateful for it!

Moving on, let me take you to 12th March. It was a Monday and Deepa was going to resume work. She worked in a software company named Hexaware which is about 13 Kms from where we stay in
Seawoods.

We had arranged for a driver named Sambhaji, who knew us for long, to come and pick us up, drop you with Ammuma and Achchachan at Nerul and then drop Deepa to office. It was no easy task. We all got up at 5 am. Deepa got ready by 6.15 am. I looked after you till then. While I got ready, she would bathe you and get you ready. Luckily, we had a maid who would come at six and another who would come to clean the house. After completing everything and packing the stuff you would need for the day, we left home at 7.15 am to drop you with Nerul grandparents at 7.20 am. We then went ahead. I used to get dropped at Palm Beach in Vashi from where I would take a cab or go with my colleague named Preethi Menon in her car.

What I admired about you all through this has been your ability to adapt to a change. Your routine went haywire and still you managed to go through without a complaint, all smiles. You radiated so much positivity and energy. You ensured that your parents could concentrate on their respective work without getting worried. You won us in that week. I hope you carry that spirit all through life! Well done again, Ananya!

As soon as we dropped you, Nerul Ammuma would take you to the garden for a walk, she would show your flowers and trees. After a nice morning walk, you would come home, have a light breakfast and go to sleep. Whatsapp has been a great tool. We had a group called Angel, which comprised of Deepa, Nerul Ammuma, Achchchan and Vinu uncle. This group was dedicated to talk about you and share your pics and videos. We received regular updates from Ammuma on this group.

We worked in our office in peace knowing you were happy. We saw videos of you enjoying nursery rhymes sung by Ammuma and the kids that she teaches.

In the evening, your mom would come to Nerul and pick you up and you both would take a autorickshaw to come to Seawoods. It is not easy at all for Deepa. I am sure it is not easy for Nerul Ammuma and Achchachan too. But you have been a very good child.

I really cherish the moments after I come home in the evening. As you know, I work in Andheri so it takes a good two hours to reach home after office. So, as soon as I step out, my single-minded focus is to reach home as fast as I can. I used to run for the metro train, I used to book a cab from the metro itself to not waste time in transit. It tried my best to reach as fast as possible.

As soon as I came home, you would see me and smile in excitement. You would kick the bed vehemently with your legs, look up and keep smiling and laughing. That, to me, was utmost fulfilling.

Then, for at least an hour, we had our own father-daughter time while your mom made dinner for you. She used to experiment with various healthy foods. She would sometimes make soup, sometimes porridge, fruit juices etc.

During this time, you and I played without a care in the world. We jumped, we ran, we played on the bed, I would make faces, try to put a rhyme together. I would sometimes lift you up and walk. You would cuddle and sleep in my arm at times listening to the nursery rhymes I sang. I am sure the nursery rhymes are damn good as I cannot credit my singing for anything good. During this while, I also realized that the nursery rhyme with the highest recall for me was “Mary had a little Lamb”. 

That’s also because you really loved listening to it.

8-Months young!

Today, you are eight months young. We love you so much that we cannot even explain. You have changed our lives so much for the better. I pray to god to give you good health, happiness and the ability to find your calling as early as possible in life. I would love you to do something that you really enjoy doing and excel at it. Most importantly, we would want to see you grow into a remarkable human being.

Enjoy the next phase of growth Ananya. By the look of it, I think you will start talking before I write my next post!