Our Preparations for our little Cupcake - II

Ever since I knew you're coming I had planned to make most of the baby stuff myself. I just wanted the best & cutest prints for fabrics that I use for diaper changing mats, bibs, mattress cover etc.

I managed to find cute polka dots & soft floral prints of fabric from Bangalore. I've tried my hand at making all these, I hope they'll be as functional as well. And I made a few prints for your nursery too! Let's see how the final decor looks like considering the natural lights and wall colors. Too excited to put this up altogether & see you around these!

Nursery Wall Decor Art

Polka Dots Blanket Cover

Baby Bibs

Diaper Changing Mats

Our Preparations for our little Cupcake - I

In my previous post I mentioned many preparations that have been going on for your arrival dear baby. And now am almost done with gathering stuff from every nook and corner! So a few pics to show you the tiny surprises we've been shopping, collecting, searching & buying.

I did a little photoshoot of Aanya along with all the teeny weeny clothes we've bought for you. These are so cute, I can't wait to see you wearing them. I specially love the Catasy Onesies & the Sailor print Onesie we've bought. Actually I adore the Star print, Polka Dots print too. So difficult to say which one is my favorite! Actually they all are. 
Doesn't really matter whether you'll be our little boy or girl. The clothes will just look as sweet.

Your sister was just thrilled to pose as she got to apply makeup! She loves makeup and made me click another round of photos in the evening!

The last pic is soft & cute washcloths from Gerber. They are so soft & best of all, available in prints I love, love love!

So these are a few of the cute little clothes that I can't wait to see you in. And we all are excited to have you tucked cozily in our arms!

Moving around the 9 Months!

And its not about the baby's movements! Its our shifting saga that continues well into 8th month. First we shifted from our house of one year to a better place because of the mindless & never ending construction work that started just behind our house. Early morning they would start their construction work & come up with strange machine noises every now & then. I just could not afford to catch up on sleep or rest despite the extreme exhaustion I felt during those first 3 months.

Finally we just could not bear to live any longer in that house and decided to shift to a better place. In the first week of November 2014, we shifted to our new house & it took almost a week to settle down. 

Its been just five months in this house & we're back to shifting out, again! As the duration from delivery to recovery would almost take 2-3 months & considering our future schedule, we have decided to shift temporarily between the two houses - Delhi & Lucknow.

And no matter how much we plan, destiny does gently take its charge. So while we planned the delivery in Bangalore, you are now going to be born in Delhi, same place & hospital as Aanya!

Well, some forces plan better than us. So let's just go with the flow!

What went into making You - Food Choices over Nine Months

First time is usually 90% ignorance or in my case I'd say reluctance & ignorance. The first pregnancy was quite a stirrer for me - 5 months of terrible nausea & vomiting resulted in psychologically denting any desire for food & I ended up having too many food aversions (Onion, Ghee, Tea etc). So five months were somewhat a waste as far as nutrition is concerned. The remaining four were very normal - just the usual Indian meals comprising Roti (Indian bread), cooked vegetables, Daal (lentils), Rice, Fruits etc. Meals were definitely not in excess as happens now, it was just my regular diet. Junk was quite limited or I'd say rare. There was actually no craving except once in the fifth month (for South Indian food!). Milk with almond was a consistent routine in last two months. So I hope this just made up for all the loss of five months. Nevertheless, I am grateful to God for a perfect healthy little baby I got & though she is slim, she's healthy. No wonder Aanya is a picky eater, even till date.

Hmm... This time around I did have my share of nausea spread over 3 months, but thankfully it wasn't as loaded with bouts of vomits as last time. So I started on a healthy note from beginning.  Despite some food aversions, a regular diet and more frequent meals is what I started off with. I'd rather list down a monthly food routine than just some items here and there:

1) August / September / October: 

My regular dose of Tea slowly made an exit from being the first beverage in the morning & evenings to being totally undesirable. This made me quite cranky from within but I just didn't feel like having it either. So till October, I was off tea. 

Instead I had complete meals with Lentils, Roti, Cooked Veggies, Eggs, Poha (Rice Flakes), Salted Puffed Rice, Almonds, Raisins & Milkshakes (Banana shake is what I could gulp down comfortably, Milk being another aversion!), Yogurt etc. Warm lemon water has been a compulsory drink to ward off nausea. I had strong cravings for fresh fruits, fresh veggies, tomato soup, mint (which became an aversion food the very next day!) & of course carbohydrates (Crackers, Breads etc). Preferred salty foods to sweet due to the building nausea & extreme exhaustion.

2) November / December / January:

Doughnuts is what I craved for during November & thank goodness for Dunkin Doughnuts that opened shop that very month, quite near to my doctor's clinic. I had my fair share of amazing doughnuts & lip smacking smoked burgers at Dunkins. Aanya too enjoyed along, so no one was complaining! :) ... This was just the craving part. Apart from that I ate healthy foods like Walnuts, Almonds, Milk, Ghee in Daals, warm Lemon water, Lentils, Rotis, Sabzis (cooked veggies), loads of eggs, Egg Biryani & Pizzas (made by your Papa), Lauki Kofta, Fruits (Apples, Oranges, Banana, Chikoos, Musk Melon), Mushrooms (sauteed or cooked in gravy) etc. 

In December & January, food choices were similar to November & much more regular as we employed a cook for half a day. The cravings were for Chinese foods - at my favorite restaurant - Hunan (Bangalore). Apart from that, I enjoyed home cooked South Indian food (Idli, Dosa, Vada, Coconut Chutney & Sambhar). I loved having homemade Paani Puri & Aaloo Tikki. I guess I just wanted to have very delicious foods all through & anything less than that did make me cranky at times! :) . And how can I miss the delicious Plum Cake from Aanya's  that I hogged on for about a week in December! Sheer indulgence!

3) February/March/April:

February finished off in a blink. The diet was same as above. I had lots of Baigan Bharta (Cooked & Mashed Eggplant recipe) over these months & its been a constant favorite. Lady finger, Bottle Gourd, Beans, Carrots, Cucumber, Eggplant, Capsicum, Onion, Tomato are few of the veggies that I've eaten all through the last 6 months. Salted peanuts, Banana chips were a favorite evening snack, along with milkshake. Lassi, Chaas, Milkshakes, Juices are a few of the beverages that I enjoyed. Tea is still off the routine but I do make a very light version at times in mornings. I rather prefer warm lemon water, but tea does entice me at times. March has just begun & I'm on the same diet. 

So a lot of healthy, yummy (at times a bit spicy) & variety of foods have helped me enjoy these 9 months. I am truly hoping that you will be a complete foodie & would love everything on the menu when you're old enough to eat. Overall, I am happy, thankful & really content with my food choices this time around. Now its time for us to welcome you to our regular weekend treats (Gala Dinner as we call it!) that we've been enjoying as a family of 3. 

Love you our little heart! :)

Welcome Preps & Thoughts about You!

Last Sunday we went to shop for a few more things for you and later at night Aanya began talking to you - through the belly of course! She said, "Mr.Baby, we are all set! We have bought everything for you, so tell me when are you going to come Mr.Baby?" I just laughed so hard. The Mr./Mrs. part is quite a cute little confused way to address you because we don't know the gender yet. So Aanya keeps addressing you with whatever she thinks of you at the moment. 

Okay, back to our preparations & thoughts about you... 

Our preparations are in full swing. We've managed to purchase almost everything we would need once you arrive. Aanya still keeps reminding me of diapers, wet wipes & baby cream. I tell her we'll get these right before your arrival. 

We've bought very cute Onesies, tiny Pyjamas, Caps & Mittens , Nappies etc from FirstCry.com. Actually there are a few brands like Mee Mee, BabyHugz, Carter etc which had the cutest stuff. And I just hogged it all. I want your outfits to be super cute, super soft and in the most adorable colors & prints. I hope you'll look back one day and be happy to see it all.

Apart from clothes, there's a lot that I wanted to create for you. So I have made a few diaper changing mats, bibs, mattress cover, wash cloths, baby wrap & storage baskets. A few nursery decor items like Nursery Mobile, Baby Wall Art are also underway & I hope to hang it all right before your arrival. I hope it will just make everything cute & totally baby-ish!

There isn't much stuff to pass on from Aanya's time, mainly because it was the peak of winter season. So most stuff was given away. But I certainly have a few little things that could be used for you. Isn't that special sweetheart?

I have also planned to create a beautiful space which will serve both as diaper changing place and a tiny little nursery decor. Not sure about your cot, but if we do manage to get it here (in Bangalore), I will certainly place it around this space.

None of this will seem special until you are old enough to understand. But I just don't want to miss out on any detail, definitely not this time. I hope it will be all magical & special when you arrive - so you can look back and feel special about it.

We still don't know the gender (awful & shameful trend that still continues to linger in the rural & urban India - No matter how advanced technology gets, it fails right here in this country at the alter of some very shameful acts in the name of traditions / culture!). So the preparations have been done in a gender neutral way. But that really doesn't matter to us. And definitely not to me. I was super thrilled at having a baby girl when the doctor told me about Aanya in the operation theater. I certainly have a bit of fear about boys, but am sure the wildness of a child depends solely on his or her upbringing. So whether its a baby boy or a baby girl, we'll be equally thrilled! 

Off late, I'd say January onward, Aanya has been talking to you through the beautiful growing belly bulge she sees. So she has been really instrumental in making your presence felt even before you arrive. She talks to you, pretends to take you in her arms, asks you a million questions, is bothered about the food that I eat (and eventually going to you!), is always telling me about her plans when you come, is eager to play with you and says that she will only love her baby and no one else!!! Well, you already have a die hard fan and she loves you so much. This has just swelled our hearts with so much love for both of you and I can't wait to see how she will act/react when you're already around her. She wants to feed you food, take you to her school and talk to you (she loves talking and it will be such a delight to see her talk to you... you sure have a great company sweety!)

While we talk about you to Aanya, its her animated conversation with you that just makes everything so real and so happy. Am so glad that she is so prepared and ready to love you & take care of you. That makes 50% of our job easy already.

In the anomaly scan (January 2015), we did catch a glimpse of your tiny feet, hands, head, front & back, but the sweetest of all was your beautiful face! Although not clear enough to indicate features, but I vividly remember your big & curious eyes (just like your sister's). I wanted to immediately take you out and hold you, but patience is a virtue right? So I am just guessing that you will have the same bright, big & very curious eyes like your sister. We can't wait to kiss & photograph your tiny feet, hands & all those tiny details that will enthrall us for many years to come.

We're still figuring out names for you. I have been scratching my head over boy & girl names starting with Z & V. I would love to name you with the letter Z. Aanya has her own sweet little names for you - My Sweet Sunshine, Sunshine, My little Sweetheart & many such long but adorable names! Papa has of course been adamant on 'Rishabh' if its a boy. (He thinks its a very CEO kind of name!). I suggested Vedaant, Viaan, Vivaan. He liked Vedaant. But am still unsure. We just wish to think of a name that's close to our heart, just like the name Aanya! So am sure whatever we choose, it will be something close to our hearts and an adorable name!


Love you little cupcake ... can't wait to meet you and take you in our arms!

Move it Baby!

The most exciting and thrilling part of this phase is the baby movement - its like magic. Everything becomes more real and beautiful once baby starts moving within. While I can remember sweet little pokes and kicks from Aanya's time, this time am much more attentive, experienced and aware of every single development happening at each month. 

So around December (around 5th month, 18-19 weeks), I began feeling soft movements here and there. It felt like a little butterfly trying to flutter wings within. Slowly the flutters turned into tiny, soft pokes. And by January (6th month, 25-26 weeks) it began feeling a lot real - tiny feet or elbows trying to make space within!

And now in February (7th month, 29 weeks), I guess the room is shrinking and you're growing! So quite a few pokes, kicks, moves thrill me throughout the day. It feels really cute and adorable to know that something so magical is happening within. Sometimes you almost shake me from side to side - feels like a roller coaster ride going on within me! And may be once you are with us, I will miss these little squirms and pokes inside me... I fondly remember how I felt sharp pokes during last two months before Aanya was born... And this time I've been extra careful to notice the movements... Just love these squirms, specially after a meal. I really do wonder how it feels being right there with so little space to move around... but that's what Nature is - wonderful & adjusting in every manner! 

We're getting ready to welcome you and cannot wait to meet you. Everything is being planned around you now.Your big sister is so excited already... she keeps asking when you will arrive. There are a million questions she asks about you, a trillion things she wants to do when you arrive. I have noted it all for her and you so you both can enjoy those little snippets when you grow up.

The nursery decor, baby essentials & so many other preparations are already underway. Of course none of this will really matter right now, but am too excited to get the best - I guess I was too naive & inexperienced with Aanya's birth. Although I've tried to make everything special for her, but the birth preparations were not as planned as they are now. How I wish I had made cute arrangements for her room decor too. Nevertheless, I did try later when she turned One.

But this time the arrangements are more professional I'd say! :) - Let me reserve all this for another post - complete with pictures and detailed work that's being put in to create the best for you!

We already love you so much sweet little baby!

These 9 months!

The many many Mommy Blogs have inspired me to begin this blog - otherwise I was, and still am, a little skeptical about posting stuff about my personal life. Not sure whether am still on the right track, but I know that slowly this blog will be all about my Cupcakes and less about me!

So while I have documented countless little snippets, stories, words and acts of my little girl, I haven't ever put them up on the blog... And I guess its alright that way. But am sure that when I do jot down the tiny facts of my second newborn cupcake, I would be tempted to pen down a few things about my little girl too!

For now let's get back to why I started this post. I just wanted to list up the months and how I felt along - once you're done with the nine months, the baby mania takes you by storm and it gets difficult to remember anything at all. I have been on a complete memory loss ever since I became a Mommy - thanks to the million chores that automatically mushroom around baby care! Its been five years and am just on verge of recovering from memory loss and again on verge of losing it all over again - But its all worth when I see my sweet little girl every morning & would be now experiencing the sugar overload all over again!

Okay,before I further lose myself into Mommyhood intricacies, lets get to month wise updates:

Firstly, knowing the fact that we were now expecting our second one was quite a thrill. It was definitely planned, just like the first one - but the joy of succeeding at the attempt was quite an achievement in itself. This time we were (or at least I sure was!) more prepared to take the plunge. So I excitedly told my four year old little girl (Aanya) that God had begun creating a very lovely surprise for her! She didn't quite get it but accepted the news happily! 

Hmm.... now for the months....

August / September / October: 

It began with cramping back pain - just like normal cramps. This continued for about a week or two. Slowly I could also feel like there was something brewing within me - no, not tea or coffee! It felt like a volcano of nausea was waiting to erupt. Nausea was slowly developing within me - just enough to make me feel restless. Sleep was good, thankfully. So this is how August ended.

During September nausea kept growing & slowly I began feeling tired. But could still manage a normal routine through the day. A few smells definitely started bothering me - like the onion, sandalwood hand wash etc. This month I also began to develop a very faint but obvious depression - something I still can't figure out to date. But I felt depressed - wanted to be quiet, alone and just by myself for as long as I could. However, thank goodness for Aanya - she definitely kept me sane and normal. 

Overall, I still managed to eat normally (something that I just could not during my first pregnancy - right up to fifth month!). There were a few cravings - like fresh fruits, veggies, soups etc. And of course, felt hungry - quite hungry! At times I would eat something and the very next day have terrible aversions for the same food / ingredient! I remember I had tomato soup with generous dose of mint - I actually had one and a half bowl & the next thing I knew was that I hated mint. And right now, in 7th month too I actually dislike the smell & thought of having it. Crazy aversions. Crazier hormones that cause the circus within! 

Every half an hour or so I would feel hungry - I felt like a caterpillar devouring all the leaves of the tree... More than keeping myself satiated it the task of cooking that really got me tired and exhausted - a clueless cook is of no use! However, the month ended somehow with loads of help on food front from my darling hubby. He is simply so good at cooking!

End of September we planned a short visit to Lucknow & Delhi - Hubby had some work to finish & I got to visit my parents. 

October was definitely the highlight of this pregnancy - The depression grew by leaps and bounds. I just wanted to be alone, quiet, lie down all day long and feel & do nothing at all. We were in Lucknow during this time. All I know is that I was stuck to the bed all day long. I didn't talk to anyone, didn't laugh or smile much - just felt a horrible nausea all through the day & didn't really feel good. Aanya would watch cartoons on TV and my Mom would cook - all in the terrible heat of October! I felt really bad about the fact that she'd be cooking and sweating it out for us, while I lay on bed, totally useless and mindless. But I just could not help myself. She really took great care of the two of us - offering fruits, juice, meals and other light snacks all through the day. Had quite a few bouts of migraine too - good old October heat got me vomiting through a day or two with each migraine. So the nausea worsened off, tiredness increased & so did the depression. 

Just wanted to be out of the terrible state of my body - but it was just a week into October and the worst was yet to come!

Next I flew to Delhi. Again, mom-in-law made all the meals through the day & I felt guilty and burdensome about not helping her. The weather was atrocious and all I could do is to sit in my room with AC on.

Nausea did not subside, exhaustion increased and depression didn't leave me either. I'd constantly feel hungry, so keeping up with the battle between nausea and hunger, I was definitely confused about my food choices.

A few days later we came back to our home in Bangalore. I actually felt like being on a roller coaster of nausea & exhaustion due to the long flight. It took me 2-3 days to recover from the effects of travelling around. The next visitors were constipation & metallic taste in the mouth! I had not even recovered properly and these two symptoms got added to my list of never ending ones. 

Now the remaining 15-20 days of October were spent just figuring out how to battle constant hunger against metallic taste in the mouth, constipation, immense exhaustion and terrible nausea - all my warring enemies together! Not to forget, eye pain and migraines  - they left me with no choice at all (could not watch anything or read anything at all!!! This rather spiraled up my depression as there was just no source of entertainment that I could divert my attention to... ). Fruits & juices felt good, onion & cumin seeds smells were still on the high aversion list. But this hand wash particularly made me vomit every time I washed my hands! And I still hate it like anything.

November/December/January:

Metallic taste, Nausea & Constipation subsided only by the third week of November. During the second week, we shifted to our new house too. So the exhaustion levels were pretty high. Kept feeling hungry constantly. Slept well due to exhaustion. No major cravings but felt good about eating eggs in any form, fruits, biscuits and mildly spicy food. Depression slowly disappeared around the second week.  Nausea was also on verge of fading. Migraine still cropped up at times due to household chores etc.

December: Nausea vanished and I was back to my senses and well being. Except immense exhaustion, nothing much that bothered me. Breathlessness frequently appeared through this month - may be because I used to eat and then immediately lie down. A little walk around the campus certainly helped. Yet breathlessness and exhaustion left me a little dry for the festive season of December. Eye pain faded and I started watching a bit of movies/videos to entertain myself. But we still had a lovely Christmas & New Year! :)

January: It was good. Breathlessness faded. But energy levels were not good enough to get me going. I wanted to do so much - travel to some beach/resort for a short holiday, create something beautiful - but energy was quite low - rather a battle between desires and my lack of energy.

February: So far, great. I just had a sleepless night (day before yesterday) and still managed to sew baby blanket, pay bill, head out to the library etc! It was actually the most energetic day through these months. However, there are spurts of energy clubbed with sudden exhaustion... Perhaps the excitement to make things perfect before you arrive gives me that spurt & when am done, I pay for all the energy I burnt, ha! Nevertheless, feeling excited, energized and happier. All these creative desires seem to be bubbling out of my heart and am kind of ready to start working on the many things I have planned for my little one! 

And February is almost ending, so there is loads of excitement & anxiety too. Anxiety because I want everything to be nice & perfect... taking good care of Aanya and the new little one. And also because its after five years that we'll be repeating it all over again - baby care (although better prepared and equipped!)...

Two more months & we'd be rejoicing as a family of four. Would update the next two months for sure, right in this post.

The first 4 months went without a pic as I was too exhausted to take any. And I rather didn't show much until December...

March: March was a long month with lot of activity in & out of me! We packed and packed & packed till the 23rd of March, until we finally boarded our flight to Delhi! And of course, within me I felt lots of pokes, kicks, hiccups & tiny stretches... Ate well, slept okay - sometimes good, sometimes not so well. The weight has been increasing & so it gets difficult to turn or shift at night. I guess I did not feel so much weight / pressure in my first one. So this is new and good and strange - all at the same time. I will certainly remember the amazing breakfasts (yes, two of them) I had on 23rd March - one while leaving our home & second one at the airport. It was the most perfect south Indian breakfast ever! And I hogged it all! 

While in Delhi, we've been able to catch up on two great restaurants - the BBQ Nation & Chew. And I've hogged as much barbecued veggies as I could, devoured the dessert section & loved the Chinese at Chew.

Apart from food, its been deja vu while visiting our third & final gynecologist as she is the one who brought Aanya into this world!

April:  This is it. Its the 9th month. Eager to see you sweetheart. Every week I count which week it is and try to feel any signs of your arrival. Sleep is disturbed with many visits to the washroom, hunger pangs, heartburn and complete discomfort in sleeping positions. If I try & sleep straight I feel choked - as if someone is pressing all the nerves from within and I can hardly breath. If I sleep sideways, the pressure is so much that I have to literally lift myself with my hands and then gently change from one side to another - the entire circus lasting a good two minutes. And after two minutes begins the urge to use washroom, hunger pangs, water, lights - better to stay awake than sleep! But am sure all this will be worth when we hold you in our arms and feel you for the first time!