Please Welcome Anupama

from Mom of All Trades.

Good to have you here, Anupama!!

The first baby step

Posted by Batul (http://scribblermom.wordpress.com)

Hi

I have recently been added to DMC and wanted to say a quick hello to all.

I am a first time mom to a 22 months old girl Genie (her nickname), living in Mumbai with my hubby and IL's (in-laws).

After a sabbatical of 16 months with freelancing and part time work thrown in, i have recently (nov 2007) started working full time and will go back to being a SAHM from April. I will be studying from this April for a period of 3 months (basically upgrading my skill sets).

My life's journey till i met my DH (darling hubby) with more of downs and less of ups and now the metamorphosis from being a workaholic to happily married mom has just been great. I wrote my first blog on 11th Feb 2008 after being inspired by a year old Mommy Blogging article in LiveMint. Previously i used to read loads of fictions (mysteries, thrillers, family drama) and now my reading comprise of Good Housekeeping, a really excellent mag for all genders. I loved reading Jhumpa Lahri's Namesake.

My kiddo - Genie is a cherubic girl, full of life, constantly moving, running, jumping all over the place, never still except when she is asleep :). Genie's terrible twos started this Jan and being the most impatient mom, i do spank her (hubby & IL's hate spanking, but i just can't help it).

I will end this post this quote - for all the parents... I don't how i stumbled upon this one.

"Parenting, at its best, comes as naturally as laughter. It is automatic, involuntary, unconditional love."

Ciao

Greeting, Namaste, "you talking to me?"

I have been reading the posts on DesiMomz for the past month, and have enjoyed the heart-felt sharing of anecdotes, the sisterly problem-solving, the recipes, the grouses.... It helps me remember that there is truly a community of us out there -- not just the professional, neighborhood, or parochial communities that surround us, but a community that shares similar day-to-day activities and associated emotions in so many ways. The community of professional, South-Asian moms, often far from their homelands and committed to giving their kids a deeply nurtured childhood.

I'd love to talk to you a little about my blogging experience. For more than a couple of years, I've gone online searching for inspiration as I stand in front of the fridge trying to figure something nice, nutritious and nosh'y for the kiddies. I finally decided that my Amma's recipes were just fine... but I did have to change them around to suit the sensitive palates of my 4 year olds. I then started chronicling our adventures with a blog. Yes, it was truly "our" adventures. I hated all those Jessica Seinfeld approaches - "hide the realities of good food and fool your kids to eat healthy." No way, no how...not in my house! I have kids who help me create my parota-based pizza layered with carrot slices, peas and cheese. They know their veggies and love them too. Hopefully, my blog can help other moms...and for that matter, anyone looking for some serendipitous food ideas. More importantly, I'm hoping people will give me advice -- some have given me tips on where to buy ingredients, others suggest variations. I'd love to hear from you!

As a working mom in NYC, I've tended to make the kitchen and cooking a dynamic part of my time with the kids. They hang out on tall chairs on the other side of the counter, chatting with me, snacking on ingredients, and more and more these days helping me cook! When the kids were younger (...and not quite up to the task of sitting up, etc.!), I would wake up at 5 am and cook up breakfast and lunch before leaving for work. I made sure that I hung out in the morning and fed them breakfast, and used that time to chat about the day, their friends, and bond over their fruit, eggs, cereals.... They still cried copiously as I left and I still ached as I got in the elevator. Knowing they were eating well was one of the many things that got me through the days at work (apart from the cool work I was doing!) Nowadays, I make sure to cook lunch and dinner about 3 days a week, and of course the weekends are cook-fests! The kids have their own spatulas, and aprons, and are real mini-chefs, and it's one big party most weekends!

My newest experiment is with video-blogging. I use the Flip (http://www.theflip.com/) - it's truly handy-dandy, easy and now difficult to get hold of now that Oprah put it on her list of coolest things around. I'll keep you updated on how we all fare! Also, I suspect I'll be telling you more about our political conversations (my daughter like "Hemalee" Clinton - one of our pals is called Hemalee - and my son like McCain. These are very opinionated 4-year olds!)

Looking forward to further discussions and posts.
Roopa Unnikrishnan
http://rooparecipes.blogspot.com

Hello DMC members!

I have been chastising myself (and mentally apologising to Sandeepa) for being so late in taking action and becoming part of this wonderful forum of blogger mums. Well, no more putting it on the back burner... I am finally here and hope to do justice as an 'active' member :-)

So, hello everyone. I have been a silent onlooker of DMC for a while and really enjoy reading the posts, the tips and all that is close to the heart of all the members. Now for a bit of introduction. Originally from Calcutta, I have been in England for the past 5+ years since my marriage, had a baby girl there a year and a half ago, and have recently moved home across the pond to this very large country and spent a very busy 2 months settling down, settling my daughter into full-time montessori - AND just got a full-time job. I head back to an office environment after a very very long break (or so it seems despite being a 20 month gap).

As I am not quite sure about what exactly to start off with as my very first entry at DMC, I will take the easier way out and point you to my own blog site - which I infrequently update at Mimi's Space. In particular, I want to share my first entry on my blog site on Motherhood, as this was the column that got me started. I guess I wrote what was closest to my heart and this would probably give you a better idea of me 9 months into being a full-time mom at home! I have come a long way since then and probably gained much more confidence as a mother (or so she says!). But the feeling of wonder when I look at my daughter fast asleep or doing head stands, still leaves me thinking of motherhood as a huge achievement, a responsibility that always grows and an experience that simply cannot be beaten! I am loving it. So here goes (with apologies for being a rather long post!):

MOTHERHOOD!

The transition from being a full-time career woman to a full-time mother was more difficult than I had imagined. Like many women stepping into their 30s, the existence of the dreaded 'body clock' and its ticking seemed to suddenly hang over my head. The idea of having a child didn’t come naturally to me - even with my awareness of the fact that the time to start a family was probably coming close. I had always cooed at others’ babies and been happily willing to spend time in the company of little people. Yet somehow I was always stuck in that groove between ‘not sure if having kids is my thing’ and imagining the worst possible medical misfortunes that could befall us as parents.

And then of course there was the big issue of career. I had worked hard to get where I was... changing my profession and moving from print journalism to the business of academic journals - and that too in a different country altogether, following my marriage and the move to the UK from India. My work also took me to different countries, and I loved the opportunity of being able to squeeze in some 'touristy' outings in between my conference and meeting attendances. Not that I didn't complain often about the number of hours spent in front of my laptop or having to handle the temper tantrums and quirks of authors and society board members. Yet it all felt like the end of the world whenever I thought of having to put all of this on hold - albeit temporarily - to have a baby. How dearly would the hiatus in my work cost me?

My husband and I loved travelling and made sure we went away on regular holidays. I knew that packing our bags and leaving on a whim wouldn't be possible once we had a little one. We had been to Hawaii with friends who had toddlers and I remember the entire trip (almost) being shaped and changed according to how the little ones were doing. It was not easy.

So when was the 'right time'? Was there ever a right time to have a baby? Looking at those friends who had children I could only feel that they looked so right with their babes in their arms - though hugely changed! I remember a friend of mine telling me that all she could smell for the first four months of their first child was throw-up and poop... somehow clinging to her being like a badge proclaiming 'motherhood'!! And then there were other friends who firmly believed that having pets channelized all their maternal instincts and energy positively - without bringing about changes to their professional or personal lives.

But five years into marriage with a wonderful man who would make a great father, one couldn’t postpone the baby-phase for long. And then there came the day when the thought literally took seed. I knew my husband was ecstatic and just seeing him made me happy. It took me quite a few months to digest it all!! Was I happy? Yes and no... I was scared out of my mind. Now it was a reality and I was afraid of everything that could go wrong. And these days there were tests for so many things that could be done while the baby was in-utero. So we did...

We were told we would be having a girl. Somehow, it was the day I first saw the black and white scanned profile of her floating inside me that my feelings changed. Now I prayed that all would go well and our baby would come and fill a special place in our lives. There was also a shift in my attitude to work... yes, there was work and there would always be work, but there was probably a time for everything in life - all at the right time and in its own place. I knew I would get back to work sometime, but first there was a very important bundle to handle. The package arrived on 17th July 2006. She ruled our hearts from day one and lived up to her name - Ankita, the queen.

I won't kid you... it hasn't been easy. For all the love that I have for my baby, there are days when all I can manage is cry and sigh with relief when she has fallen asleep at the end of a rough day. I have swapped Powerpoint presentations with baby nursery rhymes and have taught myself to entertain, feed, clean and cuddle her all day long... and that can be exhausting (given that in this country one has to do every other household chore by themselves). At times I dream of taking off on a sudden trip, catch an afternoon movie - or simply go back to my old office to fill myself up with some grown-up conversation! But now, at 9 months of age, Ankita has started calling me 'mamma' and that's enough... that gets me going again! I know there is so much more to come - the list of challenges of child-rearing is long and bulleted (and sub-bulleted), but hey, so far what a trip it has been!!!!!

Hiya folks

I've been lurking at DMC for what seems like forever and even when I started blogging I felt kind of a bit shy of joining (I never claimed to be very rational!). Now that I've made friends with some of you, it seems ever so comfortable, just like walking in to your favourite coffee shop to chat with your friends.

For those of you who don't know me, I'm from Delhi, moved to London when I got married and then to Singapore just before Squiggles was born. I have been working until recently and after almost a year I'm looking forward to going back to work. It's a different matter, preparing a CV never took this long before :).

I'm using this break to learn the guitar which is something I've always wanted to do. But I'm pretty crap at it (though I'm not letting that stop me). I've also realised managing a household is just not my cup of tea and I would much rather be out of the house in the park, gallery or wherever, just so long as no one is asking me 'What's for dinner tonight?' In fact, husband and parents are constantly badgering me to go back to work so I will stop eating their heads!

Blogging has been fun. There are so many things which maybe I would have noticed as a mother, marvelled at and then forgotten. But the pleasure and surprise at going back and reading some of my older posts is immense. And the other wonderful thing about it is meeting (virtually) so many wonderful parents who don't mind me going ga ga over my daughter, something I promised I would never do. Ah, but changing her mind is a woman's prerogative *winks*

Here's to many wonderful moments at DMC. Keep it going mommies.

PS: I blog here.

Ice-breaking !

-- Posted by Pallavi


Hello Momz !

As you may have noticed by now, my name is Pallavi. I have a 2 yr old son Rishi. He is full of energy, loves to play and talk and keeps me on my toes these days with his clever little pranks.. I am sure most of you know exactly what I mean. I also work fulltime.. My husband and I are both in the Technology field.

On most days, I find myself juggling between all the things that life puts in my way..(I guess thats a "mom-attribute";) ) On other days, I try to blog (All Things Yummy) which I have started doing recently, read, research and try to learn about things and topics interesting to me...and these days its all about stuff for my son... and that is how I landed here. I am still trying to catch up on the old posts.. and am excited about the prospect of finding many more interesting things.

Thanks for letting me in and I hope to be make good friends here ! and great job you guys in making this valuable for all moms ! :)

Cheers !
Pallavi

A big hello

Hii Desi Moms,
I am Trishna, SAHM mom to a naughty little Princess,Aadya,saying Hi to you from the state of Texas. Aadya is 8 months old going on 2! Terrible 2's have already started and you can read more about her on My Sunshine . As for me,I am just thrilled to be a part of Desi Momz club.I used to frequently check this blog and always wanted to be a part of the fun! I love to talking,blogging,blog hopping and a good read. Oh and I also love cooking and trying new recipes- you can see some of my recipes here
Looking forward to knowing you all lovely ladies and having some fun :)

Hello, People

I am so excited to be here! I live in Virginia and am a working mom and have a 2-yr old, very, very active toddler. I blog about our daily adventures at Karma Calling . Looking forward to recieving nuggets of wisdom and sharing my thoughts!

Happy Holidays!

Introduction and my thoughts on WAHM/WOHM

Hello to all you wonderful Mums out there,

I'm a new member here. Thank you, Sandeepa, for adding me to the group.

Originally from Hyderabad, I now live in Europe - so I miss the sunshine! That says it all about the weather here, I guess :-)

I am a mother of 2 girls, and currently a SAHM (stay-at-home Mum). My girls are both under 4 years of age. I have grown to define myself first and most as a mother, and I marvel at this fact and wonder at the change in myself that motherhood has wrought.

It took me a while to understand this - that being a Mum deserves to be called a 'career' in it's own right - it's a job that requires endless patience and inventiveness. So now when somebody asks me what I'm doing about my 'career', I ask, "which one? I have 2. I'm concentrating on the first one. The second career is temporarily on hold. I'll go back to it when these 2 little critters don't need me as much as they do now".

I have keenly followed the topic of SAHM/WOHM on this forum. Many of you have written your views eloquently. They've all been interesting. You've mostly said it all, and I don't think there is much to add.

You know, it's not a 'this-versus-that' thing at all. It's not a question of which do you think is better, it's a question of what you want for your children/family and how you decide to reach that goal. It's a question of priorities. And it's unique to every situation, every family.

I think there are many people here who've worked and stayed at home at various times in their life. All parents would agree on one point - you do what you have to do to give your family the best chance in life. (Applies as much to me and you as to the poor women leaving their families and going abroad to do domestic duties. As far as this point is concerned, it's all down to our primal instinct to do what we think will be best for our kids.)

At the moment, I have decided to not work for as long as is necessary for my girls and family. I realize that as they grow older and spend more time at school, I will have plenty of time at my disposal.

I'll work again -later - because it's unfair to not use my professional talent and expertise. It took about 12 years to acquire it, so it would not be right to waste it away. As a medical professional, I can do immense good for the society I live in. So I will......just as soon as both my kiddies are in school for the greater part of the day.

On my first break, after working for 10 years, I was pretty much enslaved by my firstborn (she was demanding, temperamental, spirited and one step ahead of me - still is ). I had become a real homebody, when a very good job offer came my way. After a lot of thought, I started working again full-time. It was tough for all three of us. I worked till she was nearly 3, when I took another break for my second child.

This time, I had learnt enough from experience to make the decision to stay at home for at least 2 years after the birth.

Although some days they drive me crazy and make me admit that practicing medicine was a lot easier, on the whole I cherish the time I have with them. Their childhood won't come back.

I want to say that our children are not the only ones growing - so are we. We grow and learn from our experiences every day.

So I've changed from a staunch career-woman ("I want to be Head of the Dept before 35") to a 'working Mum' (oxymoron isn't it - who works harder than Mums?) who was willing to accept 'some' compromises("okay, okay, I'll get there before 45"), to a now mostly SAHM who won't even consider working till her child is at least 2 years ("I'll settle for doing something good for society while looking after my precious girls - somebody else can be the HOD").

That's how kids change you. And it's good that they do. I have accepted this change with happiness.

For now, I'm not in a rush to get anywhere further career-wise. At my own pace, I'll get there :-).

Member Introduction

Hi Mommies,
I am mnamma , part time working Mom of 4 year old, busy bee twin girls M and N. I, Hubby, M and N currently reside in the beautiful city of Portland in Northwestern USA. Our native place is Chennai, India and we have been in Portland for more than 7 years. I was introduced to DesiMomz club and the Indianmommies blogspot by Boo and I find both the blogspots awesome. Thanks sandeepa for sending me the invite, I admire you for the many Avatars you take! I look forward to being part of DMC. I find all the Mommies’s writings on DMC very thought provoking and interesting and I hope to contribute regularly to this blog. It has been a pretty eventful journey in life, for me as a Mom with double blessings. There have been highs and lows in this journey as a Mom and I intend to share with you guys, some of the interesting experiences of my life as a Mommy of twins. I wish to contribute pretty regularly here and I once again appreciate the efforts of the blog administrator Sandeepa, Asha and IndoSunGod and all the other Moms of DMC.

Hello, Hello from mom of twins!

Hi there everyone!

Thanks Sandeepa for re-inviting me to DMC. Hotmail didn’t like the invite but GMAIL did! go figure.

I have been lurking around and commenting for a little while but here is my official intro: I am Archana from Seattle, stay home mom of almost 13 month old boy and girl twins - N & A. I used to have a public blog but I got a little more personal on my blog (I didn’t blog anon) and went private! Some of you are on my private blog already and I can thank you all (Kay, Boo, Tharini) for introducing me to this wonderful space!

I went from a very busy software DINK lifestyle (dual income no kids) to this newly transformed world of motherhood. I love being a mother and it has been more enriching than anything else I have done in my life but at the same token it is the hardest undertaking of my life. I was a total spoilt brat before the babies arrived and now they are teaching a lesson or two on life! :)

I hope to contribute when I can. I do have a newbie food blog http://archanacooks.blogspot.com as I like to cook but I don't know how often I will be keeping that up! My other interests include traveling, reading, and sporting stuff. I am a certified scuba diver, love to hike, bike and even attempted surfing and skydiving in my lifetime!

Another Mom member of DMC

Hello to all the moms in DMC!

This is my first post on this awesome community. We (my honey P, my 2 & 1/2 yr old boy, E and I) returned to India this February after 9 years in the US, mostly in SoCal. We are in Hyderabad for a year( at least) and while P pursues his dream of getting an MBA, I am thoroughly enjoying being at home with my bundle of joy! Working full-time all these years didn't give me a chance to fully appreciate the daily, tiny miracles that my baby comes up with and I plan to make up for all those days.
I love to cook and I have visited some of the other moms' blogs and boy! am I on hallowed ground here!! I am really happy to be part of this community. See you all around!

You can visit my other world at My Taki.

New mom on the block!

Hello to all the momz of DMC and a very happy mother's day to you all!

A few quick words about me, living in Bangkok, under the tiny thumb of my 13 month old daughter, fondly referred to as Moppet, whose daily exploits can be found at my blog called - what else! - Moppet Tales

And what do I do when I'm not kowtowing to Her Little Highness, or polluting the blogosphere with extravagant punctuation?

Nothing much, really. A former corporate type, who gave it all up to become a flunk to a different and far more demanding little boss, I am currently enjoying the luxuries (?!) of stay-at-home motherhood. Now of course, I will be adding 'spending time at the Club' to my list of daily activities : -)

An addition and hence an Intro!

Post by K3 mom

Hi mommies,
Happy Moms day to all.

A nice day to start blogging on being a mom don't you think? I chanced upon this site a week ago, and thought it would be nice to have a seaparate space to blog on my children and just on being a mom. ..and to do it with a whole lot of other moms should be fun!

So here I am.
Live in US with my husband and children. I love being mom to my 3 children. K1 -11 years old, K2 - 10 years old, and K3 - who will be 3 years old in a couple of weeks. I know! :)
I am pretty sure some of you have your eyebrows raised and some are going "what?!" - that's always the case and though initially there was a bit of discomfort on the reaction, I now am just plain amused at the 'shock value' of my motherhood. My 3rd was a surprise and what an adorable one she turned out to be. She's the darling of the family and we are enjoying our bundle every minute.
..and before you start thinking am a grand old lady, no, am in mid 30's and by the looks of it most of us seem to be just about there.

I wear many hats. Apart from juggling basketball games, Odyssey of theMind coach, Lego league mentor, Chauffeur, chef, enthusiast, motivator for my kids, I do all I can to keep myself busy.

That's all from me now, I hope to interact regularly with all you fine moms.
Have a wonderful day.

Introducing Myself :

Hi Everybody,

I am Shweta , working mom of 2 yr old Shyam.We recently moved to Toronto, Canada from US.I came across this site by chance and I am really glad I discovered it.I enjoy reading all of your view points & comments.I hope I will be able to add some value to your community.

Happy Mother's Day !!

Introducing Poppin

Hello Folks.. I am Poppin's mom (Poppins, till I come up with a clever nickname) of babiesanon.blogspot.com. I also blog occasionally at my friend MDM's blog missdmom.blogspot.com

This will be a really short introduction since I have 80+ awesome posts to catch up at this cool blog hangout :-) Thanks Sandeepa for getting me in so quickly, this is a fantastic forum !

About me, I am a first time mom to a beautiful 20 month old girl. I live with Dear Hubby (DH) in my hometown, Bangalore (India). When I'm not spending time with family and friends, you can find me curled up with a book or with a laptop blogging, while listening to old hindi music.

Currently, I am reading an old bestseller - Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. It's a beautiful real life story of life lessons from a dying professor to his old student. I'd like to leave you with one of the many beautiful quotes from this book..

"Whenever people ask me about having children or not having children, I never tell them what to do", Morrie says now, looking at a photo of his oldest son. "I simply say, 'There is no experience like having children. That's all. There is no substitute for it. You cannot do it with a friend. You cannot do it with a lover. If you want that experience of having complete responsibility of another human being, and to learn to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children".

See you around !

Hello!

Hello Desi Momz,

Recently joined the group and wanted to say a quick hello to everyone.

A bit about me: I'm a proud mother of two. My son, J, is 11 (but going on 15) and daughter, A is 6.We (kids, hubby & me) live in the Bay Area, CA with our 1yr old cat.
Though I work full-time, my work hours are fortunately very flexible. This allows me to play an active role in the school PTA and also allows me to volunteer a lot in the school activities. Additionally, I love to cook and am an avid reader. Nowadays my daughter and i have been doing a lot of craft projects, be it soap making,stencilling, fabric painting etc.

My plate is full and my cup runneth over!
I believe in living life to the fullest and in making every moment count.

Parenting is not an easy task anywhere in the world. But when you live far away from home (India) you rely on our own instincts, on the wisdom of your parents and grandparents, and most importantly the support of your peers.I look forward to interacting with you all in the future. (Is Da Mama, Ashaji, listening?)

TheCooker (TC)
http://the-cooker.blogspot.com

From One Mother To Another...

...Here's a big hello and how-do-you-do! This is Kodi's Mom and I brag, I mean, blog about my son over at Kodimeow Kronicles. Some of you food bloggers may have also met my alter - @ - from the much neglected Yum Yum Mum Mum. I signed on to DesiMomzClub a few days after it was incorporated but just now found the right time and topic to start off.

Asha and Sandeepa have been arm twisting us to post something 'mothery' to honor Mother's Day. To get them off my back and because today is a Thursday in May, I thought I should post my take on motherhood right along with my intro..

[Warning: Keep Kleenex box handy. Either to sniffle in or to throw at the screen.]

Motherhood is...

..watching the world go by from 33 inches of height, through innocent eyes and a guiltless heart.

..learning to laugh, instead of yell, when your toddler empties a large box of dry beans on the floor and throws some on himself.

..crying over spilt milk. Breast milk. Pumped breast milk.

..discussing with your mom over an international phone call, the smell, color, texture and other such intricacies of your baby's poop. You know, just to make sure it is normal and all.

..making a milestone out of a mole. And then blogging about it.

..melting like candle, as a playful, loving father emerges out of your no-nonsense husband.

..when you wake up on day 3 and realize in horror that this is not a job that you can walk away from, or a project that you can hand off or a hobby that you can leave incomplete. It is a lifetime responsibility.

..believing that every wiggle and facial movement of your newborn is a Kodak moment.

..realizing later that even the best of Kodaks can never capture the essence of such moments the way your heart does.

..looking at your parents with renewed reverance; and wondering how on earth they raised THREE little monsters into human beings, while you're struggling with just one.

..about keeping promises. Whether it is 'As soon as I finish cooking, I will take you out' OR 'If you tear that book one more time, no more reading today'.

..about realizing that parenting is like a religion...there may be a 100 different ways to it, but the end goal is the same.

..when you change your opinion about Mother's Day. Of course, it is no longer just another Hallmark gimmick, and of course, you're expecting a celebration. After all, you now understand what it means to be a Mother.

Happy Mother's Day, comrades!

Quick Hello

Hi All! Just wanted to take a quick moment to introduce myself to the club. It's been long overdue.

I'm a mother of a 9 month old girl, M. My journey through pregnancy till now has been eventful, part of which I have chronicled in my blog. I have been reading all the posts here and I'm very glad that Sandeepa took the initiative to come up with a blog full of ideas & resources to help and support moms. The uncertainty and apprehension that parents go through at every stage in a child's development is made less so with sharing of experiences, thoughts and ideas. Thank you all for your contributions! I hope to be a constructive contributor soon.

See you all around, Desi Momz!

Suggestion: Can posts be categorized by age groups as well?

A long pending hello...

(This post is written by Sunita of 'Sunita's World')

Considering that I was one of the first to sign up and join this club, Its a bit of an embarrasment to be so late in introducing myself. Sorry Sandeepa...but then, better late than never...

I'm Sunita and I live in Kesgrave, a small town in the south east of England, with hubby Dinesh and two adorable kids - Rengoni (5.8 yrs) and Agastya (4.8 yrs). For the last three years, I've been a stay at home mother, trying to give them a kick start in life. My hands have been more than full with the kids, neck to neck.

When I look back at their early years, I still feel a bit chaffed!! Those were really tough times. When I was five months pregnant with my first child, we moved from our hometown (Guwahati in Assam) to Kolkata-a new place, new people, new language, and most of all expecting a new born. I had resigned my job as a lecturer, because I did not feel we would have enough of family life with both of us in different places. But, along the way we made some really good friends, I learnt the language and it was fine. I had a very easy pregnancy with Rengoni. Apart from the extra weight that I had to tag along and the fact that the dresses no longer fit, I didn't feel any different. As I didn't believe in superstitious customs, didn't overfeed myself, I was relatively healthy. Just before the delivery, we brought my ma over...both my father and mother in law were no more. Finally, when Rengoni was born, she came as a beacon of light...that's why she was so called...'Rengoni' means 'a ray of light' in Assamese. We all loved her...she was a happy and bouncy child. Ma decided that she would stay for a few more months.

Rengoni was born in August, and by November, I was expecting another child...at that time we were in a dilemma...I still remember the worried look on my mother's face. I can still hear my elder sister calling up every now and then gently hinting at the repercussions that two deliveries so close to one another might have on my health ( the first was a cesarean section)

Dinesh and I consulted the doctor...a very nice man...Dr. R.S. Roy, with whom we are in touch even now. He was introduced to us by a surgeon, Dr. Mukherjee, who was a family friend of ours and a very good friend of Dr. Roy. I can still clearly remember what he said...he did not keep us under any false notions and said that if we decided to go on with the pregnancy, I will have the joy of seeing the two kids growing up together...on the negative side, my womb might burst. Actually I did not need the c. section for my first pregnancy. We were new to the place and unknowingly had fallen into the hands of a quack... But this time I felt safe with this gentle, soft-spoken doctor. I think his first prospect sounded more tempting and I made up my mind to go along. Dinesh was a bit apprehensive but in the end he gave in.

The first four months went by in a mix of the sweet and the sour...I was not able to be as active as I was with the first...As there was no one else I could call for help... Ma decided to give a hand and stay on till I delivered.

From the fifth month, the real trouble started. I had bouts of breathlessness and over the next four months, I had to be hospitalised for three times. At home, an oxygen cylinder had to be kept ready at all times. It was a chore to walk a little distance. And for me, to be so dependent was the worst thing. We literally had to count the days. At such times I couldn't believe that some day I would be writing about all that. Throughout these horrific times, Dinesh had always been there...a tower of strength...if he felt the nerves, he surely didn't show it. In fact once during my hospitalisation before the delivery, he went for a walk and his eyes fell on a small statue of the laughing buddha. He told me later that he felt a renewed strength after buying it ...and now, even when we are so far from that place, that statue of the laughing buddha is still with us as a reminder and also as a lucky charm. Ma was a great help...although we had domestic help, it was she who saw to it that everything in the household was running smoothly.Throughout Dr Roy was always there, at any time of the day or night. I once had an attack and Dinesh was at a meetin g where he had to turn off his cellphone...It was Dr. Roy along with Dr. Mukherjee, who took me to the nursing home. How can I ever forget them...

Agastya was also born in August, a week before Rengoni's first birthday, through anothetr c. section. When he was four months old, we again had to move to a new place...Gurgaon and after two months, Dinesh came over to the UK for six months. We decided that I would stay on with the kids. This time the hardship was of a different kind-raising two kids a year apart...the food was different...the patterns were different...although I tried my best to make them sleep at the same time. The days and nights flew by like a whirlwind. The six months were over,and Dinesh was back to a sort of shy Rengoni and a much grown Agastya...he had learnt to walk by this time.

Over the next eight months , Dinesh had to come to the UK again. But, on his third trip, we accompanied him and have been together since. The kids have grown a great deal...Rengoni is in year 1 and Agastya has started full time from today in Reception. In all earnesty, I think the quiet house is getting to me. For the last more than 5 and 1/2 years I've rarely stayed alone for the whole day...But then the kids really grow quickly...those early days of hardship are now over...although raising kids is never without new challenges...now, I've to ready myself to field Rengoni's 'questions' and Agastya will follow soon. Everyday, they too are faced with new challenges, and are reaching milestones. Just yesterday, they were successful in their first attempt at riding their bikes without stabilisers. It gives a sense of joy and pride to see them glowing at their accomplishments. I want to be there for them and give them the guiding hand whenever they need it, sharing their joys and disappointments.

When the announcement for this blog was made, I jumped at the opportunity to be able to share with and relate to other wonderful mums out there...yes, I've been reading every post and I must commend each one of you. Sandeepa, this club rocks!!! I just hope, I'll be able to keep up regularly...a little more time now.