Thursday 3 April 2014

A Letter To My Baby

Warning: Super long post ahead. Read at your on risk!!!

Dear D,

Congratulations Baby, you have achieved yet another milestone in your eventful life. You turned 2 on 31st March 2014 and what a journey it has been thus far....

I still remember the day, seven weeks before you were born, a sonography revealed that you had the cord around your neck. I was in despair. Until then, I had heard about quite a few instances of the cord around the baby's neck and none of them reassuring. For months, I was told to sleep, get up and turn in a particular position to avoid this problem, none of them endorsed by doctors of course. And here I was, with this terrible report in my hand. The gynaec though was totally nonchalant.
She assured me that it was all the result of an active baby turning around in his mommy's tummy and not life-threatening unless, it was a multiple or tight loop. Yours was a single, loose one. Today when I see you, I can totally imagine, how you got that cord around your neck :D.

You were due mid April. Your Abba took me for a routine check up on 30th March 2012. We both were hoping the gynaec would finally ask us to do the nineth month ultrasound so that we could firstly be sure you're safe and secondly we could take a video of you in the womb.

You had other plans though, you were on your way out!!! The doc admitted me in the hospital right away, that very evening! Banker friends called in and joked that the delivery shouldn't go over to the next day - 31st March 2012, else they would never be able to attend your birthdays :D. But again you had your way. Out you came, through a normal procedure, the cutest, most adorable little bundle of pink that I had ever seen. Big head, sparse black curls, eyes tightly shut and a deep red mouth.....MAC Ruby Woo? :D

This was just the beginning. From then on, no matter what we planned, you always had your own and made sure you got it your way :)

But there is another notable quality about you. You are a fighter! First the cord. Then a couple of days after you were born, you contracted newborn jaundice. Though the doctors assured us it was quite common, we were on tenterhooks and couldn't relax till you were declared healthy again. 10 months later you had to undergo a minor surgery. The very same month, on a restaurant trip, on my birthday, you dunked your little hand in a bowl of piping hot soup.....OUCH!!!!. You yelled and and screamed in pain. I cried my heart out, because I failed to prevent the accident and because there was nothing that I could do to relieve your pain instantly :(. After almost two hours of crying in pain, you went to sleep. You woke up an hour later, laughing uncontrollably!!! Yes, you did :D That was the last time you cried over that hand. For days after that, when we cleaned and dressed the wounds you never shed a single tear. A brave and strong boy, you are!

No matter how many challenges life has thrown at you this far, you have always fought back and emerged a winner, every single time. Due to various factors, your walking got delayed, but once given the opportunity, you went ahead in leaps and bounds.

You have never been a fussy or demanding child. You ate whatever was given to you, even at 6 months. Eggs being an exception. Never ever demanded toys or chocolates. Infact, I have noticed on so many occassions, you see another child eating chocolates in front of you, but you never once attempted to grab it. We are so proud of you :).

However, you are equally possessive about your possessions and territory. You won't let R or any other kid sit on your bike or play with your toys, even though you may not look at it for days together! I am told a lot of kids do the same at this age. I do hope you change this one aspect and learn to share your belongings, as you grow up.

But what you are most possessive about is your Abba, your father. You won't let anyone touch him even with a finger, in front of you, not even me!!! Why you call him Abba is totally beyond us. Your father is a Malayalee Hindu and I am Goan Catholic! By the way, "Abba" is the first word that you uttered, at 6 months. Since it comes straight from your heart, we haven't attempted to change it :)

We will also never attempt to change your preference for using your left hand. Right from seven months of age, you have always used your left hand. People tell us that we should 'correct' it from now only....Excuse me? 'Correct' it? Why, is it a form of bad behaviour or something that needs to be 'corrected'. Your Abba and I choose not to :P...write away baby....

Anyway, Amitabh Bachchan is also left handed. Yes he is my favourite actor. At the age of two, he is one actor whom you recognise very well. Every ad, every pic of him that you see, you cheekily ask me, "Amma tell who this?" I purposely give you a random name and then you say, " Amira Bachchan (Amitabh Bachchan) and smile proudly, that you know the answer. I live to see that smile on your face.

You may be a hyper-active child, who cannot sit still for a minute. Where patience and understanding is concerned, you are miles ahead of your mother. I can lose my temper so easily and you calmly tell me, "Amma don't get angry, Amma laugh". I feel so small in front of you :(

One thing that everyone notices and instantly acknowledges about you, is you are a super quick learner with an elephant's memory. You can accurately narrate instances (even the people present at the time), months after it occurred. You are always sharp and alert to everything that happens around you. When we think you are busy with your toys, you suddenly look up and repeat a funny or new word you just heard someone say!
When you enter a room, your eyes scan every single corner, without missing a detail. You have only me to thank for this! B-)

What, I prayed really hard during my pregnancy that you inherit your father's brain, ok!!! =))

I just hope your memory and quick learning skills stay intact throughout your educational years and that you utilise it in the right direction :P

Talking of inheritances, your Abba and I have both been sticklers for cleanliness, but darling you did not need to inherit the genes from both of us, just one would have sufficed :P. If a grain of rice falls downw hile feeding you, you refuse to eat the next morsel, till the 'mess' is cleared up. You don't even spare the restaurant tables! Well, I can just hope and pray that you do carry forward some degree of this cleanliness streak to your terror teenage years.

If you do actually read this post some day in the future, I can totally hear you saying, "Ämma Bas...stop now...Thaamba ho!!!" Just the way you do now when you want me to stop doing something :D

Love you always my baby......stay the same always :)

If any of you blog readers are still here....CONGRATULATIONS!!! You have just passed a test in patience for which I will not be awarding any certificates :P.....but Thank You for bearing with me :)