The Blogger Mommie

After my son was born, I could not wait to eat everything I missed while I was pregnant. Gestational Diabetes ensured that my sweet cravings (and several others) were put to eternal rest during those nine months. There were also several food myths that put a damper on several of the foods I loved to eat, Chinese, prawns (you know, the spicy kind). I had mentally prepared a list of absolutely everything I wanted to and (had) to eat after coming home from the hospital. Words like ‘nutrition’ and ‘healthy’ seemed distant because I knew that these ‘home cooked’ healthy meals were quite impossible in the initial days. It's no surprise that postpartum nutrition can sometimes be the last thing on your mind after delivery. For me, the initial weeks of motherhood were overwhelming. With no sleep, a baby who constantly wanted to feed and so much excitement, I hardly paid attention to the food I was eating. I also conveniently forgot to continue my prenatal vitamins. Big mistake! A...

If (like me) your favorite month in the year is December, then you will understand the rush of happiness that suddenly descends when the month begins. You'll feel the chill in the air, hear Christmas carols being played and everything gloomy will be somehow be replaced with joy. It definitely 'tis the season to be jolly', a time for love, family, giving, celebrating and for me, it's also a time to relive some wonderful childhood memories of Christmas. Growing up in the small town of Podanur at a time when social media was non-existent, my favorite day (apart from Christmas day) was December 23. The children's Christmas Tree organised by the Anglo-Indian Association was the highlight of the day. My father would take me to the Railway Institute for the games that began at 4 p.m, followed by high tea, and the much awaited arrival of Santa. I remember all the kids waiting for Uncle Cedric Fernandez to announce that Santa had arrived and boy he did! On a scooter! ...

I have always felt calm, happy and thankful watching my son sleep.

So this week has been really good and I've started something new. Like and Share if you agree :)

When I think of how excited I was to start my baby on solids, I should have known how short-lived that excitement would be. Whatever you hear about four months or six months being the ideal age for weaning, every baby is different and you must prepare yourself for one of the strongest battles you will ever have with your baby- food and all its matters.  Which brings me to mine (and at 20 plus months it's still in the active war stage). Someone told me that the biggest sign to indicate that my son was ready for something solid (other than milk) would be his interest and curiosity to eat whatever was in my plate. At his four months check - up he was on track (in weight and coordination) and seemed ready for the first big step into the 'food' world. But as a first time mom and well you know, just generally being a mom, I knew that we still needed to wait for some of those clues that he was ready.  While we waited, I talked to several friends and looked up similar quest...

My toddler son screams! He does it when he's happy, angry, excited, when I take something away from him, when he feels like it, when, oh my God! There's no stopping him. Sometimes it’s high-pitched, deafening, sometimes short and screechy. But wait, I already knew this and countless other pieces of advice (that I never really listened to).  You hear about sleepless nights, how life will never be the same again, tantrums that are sure to leave you red-faced and wondering who’s in charge. It's endless what you will hear and in your mind you might think it will never happen to you. Fat chance! I wish someone told me how the sleepless nights will seem less annoying when I see a big toothless smile or feel tiny fingers reaching out to grasp mine. How a tantrum (as frustrating as it may seem) will be less relevant when a tiny mouth plants a million kisses on my cheek in an attempt to say sorry. How after an exhausting day with a messy house, I'm ready to burst and the...

Milestones! The most exciting moments for any new parents and most definitely for me (and the husband) was seeing our son achieve these important stages in his growth and development. Each exciting moment brought many surprises and left us anxious for what to expect. From lifting his head, to rolling on his tummy, sitting and eventually crawling, he soon wanted to explore his surrounding all by himself. What we did learn though was that as he achieved all this, his curiously increased tenfold. The first thing he learnt to master was picking up anything minuscule from the ground and putting it straight into his mouth. His pleasure was quite evident and very soon we discovered that when something went into his mouth, his naughty, pleasurable smile would give him away. So it became very important for us not only to fuel this curiosity but ensure a safe environment where he was free to learn and explore without any fear. It meant being extra cautious of any little thing lying...

Controversial question indeed! Coming especially from someone like me who has decided that the family mantra will quite definitely be "we 2 ours 1". However, I just had to write about this because quite recently, I bumped into an ex-colleague who almost brainwashed me with her views on having another baby (and she felt that it's much better to have babies close together in age). Getting back to the topic of discussion, my colleague had her second child after nine years and noticed a slight disconnect with her kids because of the age difference. The older child preferred different games, activities, fun stuff and just about everything which left the smaller one no choice but to entertain himself. The only pro she felt in her situation was her elder son’s eagerness to assist with everything 'help' related. The result: more patience and no worries because the elder one is always watching out for the younger one.  I recently had the chance to experience someth...

As your tummy grows bigger, you will begin to slow down and feel a slight discomfort as the third trimester looms large ahead. You might expect the next couple of weeks to go quickly (almost like the last few). But the last trimester will lag so much, it will seem like forever and you will be waiting for it to be over. It's important to discuss a birth plan with your gynecologist. Labor is never a perfectly planned situation so it's good to be well informed on what to expect with a normal or c-section delivery, pain medication, other labour specific situations etc. The most important thing is to be prepared for less and disturbed sleep (in positions that will sure leave you feeling like a clock). The weight of your growing tummy on your bladder will cause frequent visits to the wash room (so always keep an eye out for the nearest restroom wherever you go!) Planning a baby bump photo shoot? The third trimester is the best time to make an appointment and capture some bea...

Your body and mind will be much more relaxed and at peace for the next couple of weeks. As you embrace your new role, the second trimester will be THE absolute best among the three that will see you up and about. Face, hands, feet and so much more to see. Even if you cannot tell the difference who cares. You might spend hours looking at the Ultrasound image but rest assured, those tiny parts are meant to look exactly the way they do even if you can't figure them out.  Remember:  gender determination is legal in some countries so alert your doctor if you don't want the gender to be revealed. Antenatal classes, yoga classes, any classes that spell "pregnancy preparation" and more will form a large part of your thoughts in the coming weeks. It's good to confirm what exercise you can begin with. Look for to-be-moms in groups that you belong to and get as much detail about the classes you might be interested in.  Remember:  these classes are mostly avail...

So you've taken a home pregnancy test and it looks positive. You almost jump and stop short because "nooo" you can't jump now. In fact your happiness is now replaced with worry. Did you just eat a big piece of Papaya for breakfast? You colored your hair last week (will it be okay)? A thousand things run through your mind. Feels familiar? Well, I can vividly remember most of those beautiful days spent waiting to hold my bundle of joy. So, with the idea of decoding "what to expect", for all you to-be-moms, I've chronicled the three trimesters of pregnancy with some tips that might help you through this beautiful journey. What To Expect: The First Trimester (week 1 to 12) An appointment with a gynecologist for a urine and blood test called Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG) to confirm your pregnancy. Don't forget to make a note of the first day of your LMP (last menstrual period) as your doctor will ask you this. You will have the first ultra...

Dear Mom-to-be! Congratulations! and welcome to the most beautiful prelude to motherhood. While you bask in your new-found happiness and enjoy being pampered by every single person you know, there are a couple of things I wish to share with you (and I hope you'll spare a few minutes to read). The nine (or so) months ahead of you are going to be the most emotional roller coaster ride you will ever experience. Before you even know, well-meaning friends, relatives and people like me will flood (sometimes overwhelm) you with suggestions that can certainly leave you confused and bewildered. It's perfectly okay to listen to some (or none) of it and go with your own research or plan. Pregnancy, however, will bring with it a plethora of myths and that my dear is exactly what will leave you worried about whether you're doing the right thing or not. So I'm here to share my experience with the hope of giving you some much-needed assurance to deal with these so-called ...

I have always believed that some suffering is necessary to achieve something, so one of my birth plan statements was definitely: "No Epidural" (bold, underlined, whatever!). The biggest pressure for mothers-to-be is to make sure they do everything possible for a normal and pain free delivery (yes, you might even be fed food with gallons of ghee in the hope that the baby will slip out with ease). Everyone will tell you that shortcuts like pain medication are never the easy way out and the side-effects! They will rattle off a list of the many they can cause.  The first time I paid attention to pain medication; specifically the epidural was at my antenatal class quite early in my pregnancy. The pamphlet was crushed and I was certain I wasn't going to take that route. The husband was in awe, could not stop praising my choice and nevertheless chose to support my decision (come what may). That was a big mistake because knowing and yet choosing to ignore, this so-called ...

At a wedding reception, the bride's parents are getting ready to bid farewell to the couple, not before her father tells her that she will always be 'daddy's little girl'. Everyone is touched, has tears in their eyes and the groom, well he nods in agreement. At another wedding, the groom's parents read out a tearful note on "how much their son means to them". The mother ends by saying her son will always be her little boy. Silence! The expression on the bride and everyone's face says it all. In another completely different scenario, a girl is complemented for her tattoo that lovingly reads 'daddy's princess'. God help a guy who might have a tattoo glorifying his mum because it will surely ensure that he remains single forever. If you have ever attempted to google 'daddy's girl' you will find several lovely quotes and pictures to describe this beautiful bond. To give you an idea, here's one that tops the list: "...

When you're expecting a baby, one of the many things you will see is several ideas and promotions on what to gift your unborn child. From stem cell banking to clothes, photography and birthing experiences everything is so enticing and you want the very best for your child. With the magic of media and advertising, you don't have to worry because there are several options to choose from. You do your research, make your choice and you know it's the best. Looking back at my own experience as a new and first-time mom, I was looking for the advantages and benefits of everything I wanted to give my child. Surprisingly, breastfeeding did not top my list of 'best gifts' mostly because I had no idea about the extensive benefits, not to mention the support and information available to deal with the many challenges that accompany it. I have to admit that being so modern and from a generation that can handle any taboo topic, breastfeeding has somewhat eluded me. I knew I...

A wise man said "A Teacher takes a hand, opens a mind and touches a heart". Indeed, I feel lucky to have had several such teachers who took time not only to patiently teach but to nurture and instill strong confidence in (what used to be) a very timid me. It's no secret that I never liked (ok, hated) school and tried every possible trick in the book to skip whenever I could. If it wasn't for a special few, I don't think I would have overcome that feeling and be where I am today. As we celebrate Teacher's Day, I feel the need to thank those teachers who strengthened me in my journey through school and college. I am forever grateful to my special five!! so bear with me as I explain why. To begin with... Mrs. Noreen Harris was my kindergarten teacher. I remember crying the entire way on my first day of school. I stopped only when I saw her kind smile and stepped into the class only after her encouraging words. What was special and what I remember most i...

A discussion about husband's in the delivery room made me remember why I absolutely wanted mine in the labour room. It was a mutual agreement. Horror stories apart, he knew he was capable of being the strong one (and so did I) until the actual day when I was half-way through labour and no one could find him! and when they finally did, I yelled so loud for him to "get there in a second or else..." He told me later that he was so sure I wasn't going to deliver anytime soon and he was just getting himself prepared for what lay ahead.  To this very day, I remind him of this "great escape" and sometimes go a step further to call him a "chicken" (of course he vehemently denies it and says he was right there, taking a breath of fresh air, haha). But now that our son is almost 19 months we can actually look back and laugh at some of those moments that seemed so serious then. We also feel we should have talked about it more, prepared ourselves a bit ...

She couldn't take it anymore. She decided that today was going to be the day. The bottle of milk in her hand was hot, the baby, finally asleep would soon be awake and hungry. She placed the bottle of milk on the messy table, (another reminder of how similar her life was) walked out the door and never looked back. It was a short walk and one she had often thought about. It was a hot day (another reminder of the hot milk and her peaceful baby). Should she go back? No. It would all be over soon. No one would care. Mallika quickly finished the last of the vessels in her sink all while contemplating a relaxing afternoon ahead. The shrill screaming of her neighbours baby made her wince. So much for that nap, she thought. It would probably take another half an hour for that baby to stop yelling. The neighbours had recently moved in and although Mallika had made several attempts to get to know them and offer help, the couple seemed offhand(ish) and refused to share any details exc...