My little one's little tricks...

The latest in the set of things that Nephy does, is fetching her shoes.

The other day, I found one of her shoes, but couldn't find the other... Nephy found me looking for something and joined in the search. When I bent down to look under the sofa, she did it too. I looked at her, and asked her... 'Where is your other shoe dearie?'

She took off, and surprise...surpise... She came back with the other shoe.... How smart! (Like all mothers, I strongly do believe that my child is really smart... I repeat...just like every other mother, and am no exception)

The next day, I knew that one of her shoes was lying around in the kitchen. I looked at Nephy, showed her one of her shoes, and asked her to fetch the other one. She looked no where, went straight to the kitchen, and came back with the shoe... ha ha ha... my lil smartie...

Now, all I need to do is, tell her... 'Nephy, fetch your shoes...' and she would be back in a jiffy with her tiny shoes in her tiny hands. Now, you gotta agree that she is indeed smart just like her mom!

Running out butt naked

Yep, you read it right.... Running out butt naked... Thatz what Nephy did today.

My little baby had a bath, and I let her down for just a moment to dress her up... She seized the moment and made a swift dash to the door, which was ajar, thanks to my carelessness.

(Well, for worry-warts, calm down... take a deep breath... Nephy wouldn't hurt herself even if I leave the door ajar, coz there is a door stopper in place, so, the door wouldn't go bang on her tiny fingers(God forbid).... Hmm... I can almost hear my darling Renu-chitthi, breathing out a big sigh of relief... else, the lecturer would lecture me proper on how meticulous I need to be...)

Getting back on track, Yeah, Nephy made a quick move and ran out of the house, butt naked.... yup, butt naked!! U must be wondering what kind of a mother am I, to let my baby out naked. I know I know... Bad timing! I ran as fast as I could to keep up. Finally I caught up with her and rushed home with Nephy in my arms, crying n kicking n protesting out loud. Does she even realise that she isn't wearing anything...

Paul, the lil kid, who witnessed this incredible act first-hand, laughed his heart out.... n so, will you, if you had only seen it! Hmm... n before I end, a word of caution "Do not try this at home"

My little McD fan

Nephy's new interest - McDonald's

I guess kids need no teaching to like McD, probably God pre-programs kids to like it even before they are born. Since now, when we go to the mall, Nephy would point to the basement stairs & keep asking me to go there. Today, she saw KFC, and mistook it for McD, and refused to move, until I buy her her McWings. She cried and cried n cried(n cried n cried n cried....), finally, I gave up and took her to a McD, where she happily ate to her heart's content, with a big satisfied grin...

Like Father, like daughter... wonder what her dad cries for.... Saravana Bhavan 14 Idli.... enna kudumbam da saami..... Hehehe...

My new avatar

My new avatar.... Tuition teacher

I teach a lil kid named Paul, studying in P4... I think thats about namma ooru 6th standard.

Smart one... his only problem is his age! Studies are a pain at that age, I can almost hear Paul's mind voice ' Tell me about it!'

Very quiet fellow. Its been about 3 weeks since he started classes with me.

In the first week, all that he would open his mouth for, would be for 'yes' and 'no'.

The second week, he relaxed a bit, and started talking a lil more...proving my doubt, if he knows anything other than the two, wrong.

Third week, a lil more... Y'day, he forgot to bring in his homework for the second day in a row, so, I jokingly said... If you forget to bring it tomorrow, then I'll send ya back home to bring it back. He replied 'What if I don't come back?' grinning. Hmm... he does talk. Lovely little kid!

Nephy also has learnt a new trick. When Paul is studying, my mom, with her finger on her mouth, would say to Nephy, 'Sshhhh... Paul anna is studying' . Now, as soon as she sees Paul, she would too put her finger on her mouth, mumbling something silently. As usual, my little show-off doesn't hesitate to show off her new trick on the slightest mention of Paul's name.

Dark side of night time parenting

Its been a year and 2 months & 16 days since I slept through one whole night. Thats exactly the age of Nephy.

Even after a year, she firmly refuses to sleep through the night. Its quite frustrating. Sometimes, I take it out on Anto, Sometimes, I just take it out on Nephy, giving her a truck load of 'Don't u think amma is paavam' 'Don't u think amma needs to sleep' 'Won't you please let amma sleep a little' n such n so on... Of course, she goes back to sleep blissfully unaware of mom n her rantings.

I am so jealous of those parents who say that their baby sleeps through the night. How I wish, Nephy would sleep through the night, and end this dark phase at the earliest. Am so desperate, I even DREAM of sleep........... a velvetty soft bed, whitish white sheets, fluffy pink pillows, a white cotton night gown, a deep deep deep sleep, no dreams whatsoever, undisturbed for hours and hours... waking up to the smell of my mom's hot tea, and Nephy still sleeping next to me.... Bliss!

When... dear God... when??

I know, a good lot of you folks, who read my blog are people, who are planning to have babies in the near future. Do not get disheartened. Most of the babies start sleeping through the night by 4 -5 months or so, I hear. And ladies, please do get your beloved men involved in night time parenting. They would come up with creative, very creative reasons to why they have no part in it. Listen to none. Show no mercy. Do not make the same mistake that I did. You just can't do it alone. Am still trying my best to make Anto take care of Nephy in the night. But no go. I promise, I will still try my best though.

My little one learns to pray!

The latest addition to your sign language is , when I say 'Nephy... pray', you join your hands in prayer....

The other day, I took you to the chapel in Senkang and I was praying silently, while you were playing nearby. You kept looking at me for a while and then, as always, you tried to imitate me. you put your hands together in a prayer just like me. I looked at you and smiled and said 'Nephy... Pray' and you did it again.

Later at home, you showed it off a lot to your dad. So, my lil baby now knows to pray....

When I was a kid, my mom used to say that when kids pray, God answers them for sure & very soon too... Well, I really wonder what you would pray for? More baby discuits... More chocolates... More milk... n lesser nap times...

Thinking of prayers, I hardly pray for anything else other than you. Hmm..... I understood one thing. My brother got a whole two & a half years worth of my mother's prayers more than me. Can you believe it? A good load of prayers all to himself... No me ... You lucky first-borns!

Mastering the art of walking

Hey Nephy,

You have just learnt to walk...Its been only a couple of days since you mastered it, and you are already showing it off a hefty lot.

When you started to walk, you would ask me to take you everywhere holding my hand. Now, you don't want to hold my hand even while crossing the road... U r growing up big girl! Not without accidents though, you had a big fall the other day, and we rushed you to the doc for a lil cut, actually nothing.

All that you wanna do now, is walk.. walk.. walk.. No more "carry-me-mom" business. Hmm, guess the carrying-you-everywhere days are over already. I'm gonna miss them. I have complained so many times in the past about carrying you around eveywhere... So, many many times, I had complained. Now, no more...

If ever, anyone asks me, if I know, how an angel walks... I would proudly say 'yes'.... Thanks to you sweet heart...

Nephy's first sentence...

This blogging is quite a thing u know... Since the day I started writing, something or the other sees to be happening to me. Some good... some not so good(grrrrrrrrrr.....)

Y'day, I left behind my purse in a restaurant. I had a  full 500 dollars in it, which I was gonna do a cash deposit. Thats a lot of money for me, coz its the money I saved up without Anto's knowlege, by flicking a 50 here and a 50 there, through a course of 6 months. 

When I lost it, it hurt a lot.... a lot... thirruttu thanama save pannadhu.... paru...

Well, thanks to Mother Mary, I got my purse back... with the 500 dollars intact. 

The only unfortunate thing, Anto got to know about the money, and that cunning fellow, made ME spend for everything this weekend. Ellam pocche...ellame pocchu...

It so happened that Nephy formed her first sentence today.... 

'Amma thaa ma'... Thats a sentence, right?? Ofcourse, yes!! If I say so!!

Now that she has learnt it, she doesn't hesitate to show off her new sentence....

Nephy has taken a liking to sign language.

She can now do signs for 'come'(vaa vaa) , 'food' (universal sign for asking food) and 'applause' (raises her hands above her head and claps) and ofcourse, bye-bye(waves her hand & says Ta-ta)

Today morning, she woke up, and I was asleep next to her. She woke me up and did her sign for food. I was quite dumbstruck. I asked her again if you need chaappa(food) & she did the sign again. Again & again until I gave her her bottle. 

Hmm... not bad.... asking for food happens to be one of her firsts.... u'll survive well babe!!

Superstitious ppl

U see.. my neighbour, an old couple, singaporeans... but Indians by race. 

The man hasn't even been to India since now. 

Sometimes, we talk to them. y'day, it so happened that we had a chit chat.

I told them abt the horrible episode, and that Nephy had just recovered from  a bout of fever & cough n such stories. Since they r next doors, they can also hear Nephy screaming in the middle of the night, which is quite often, i.e., almost daily. 

These 2 folks are quite superstitious, and whenever I see them, they keep insisting tat I ward off the eveil eye... sutthi podanum for Nephy.. but I being brought up in a very catholic home know nothing. So, she offerd to do it for me.

So, yesterday, the kind old lady, asked me to sit down with Nephy and did the thing in her house and asked me & Nephy not to look at the burning soodam and let me leave her house only after the whole of it had burnt. Strange customs...

Then the stories began to reel off one by one...

I thought, it was quite funny to hear them speak all this...

Well, no offense meant... but I just had to share their thoughts...

Next time somebody says that Nephy looks pretty, I must say to myself, 'unn vaayila kozhi pee'

Hehehe... I was almost suffocating , trying to hold back my laughs...

I know u guys wud have second thoughts about writing comments on Nephy's pics from now on... but I solemnly swear that I wud not curse u with 'unn vaayila kozhi pee'

Well, its not good to take Nephy out in the dark, which we often do..

So, when we go out and get back home, the last person should turn back and do 'thu.. thu..thu..' spit thrice to keep all devils at bay... Else, I can also, 'Aecchi thottu Vai' on Nephy's feet. 

Also, have to wash ur feet when you get into your house to keep the devils out.

Hmm... lots & lots more... Very superstitious ppl.... but I love them, nice & sweet

Such a horrible day...

Yesterday, something happened which scared the true life out of me....

JUst another day.... Just got back from some shopping... and I was doing some odd chores...

I turned around, and saw Nephy put something bluish in her mouth. 

I thought it was the blue hair-clip that she used to wear...

I pried open her mouth and tried to fish it out, but all that I could get out of her mouth was a small piece of bluish something... 

Horror of horrors, I thought that she had swallowed the baby clip, I tried giving a thump on her back to get it out... still, no go...

All I cud think of was... Run to the doctor...

I was in so bad a state of mind for fear of something happeneing to my lil baby. 

I ran and ran and ran for about 5 mins  to the clinic which is quite near my home. 

And all Nephy did was stare at me like I was crazy, and she was even nodding off.... That kinda ticked me off, thinking whatever that she had swallowed wasn't harming her.... 

Reached the clinic, but the doc had to take a bathroom break, at that precise moment. I had tough time forming words, one reason being fear, the other being exhausion... (U need to try n run for life carrying a 8 kilo baby once to know it....)

Another 2-3 mins, no sign of the doctor... I cursed n cursed n cursed.... 

By this time, Nephy neatly settled in my arms for her routine nap... and she almost slept off...

Then, slowly, realization took over fear... I began to think clearly for the first time since I saw put something in her mouth. Her baby-clip isn't too small for her to swallow it in one go... So, she must have atleast gagged on it. More reasoning... More sound reasoning... 

By this time, my mother had caught up with me, and she further assured that there were no baby clips in her toy box, coz she cleaned up the box last. 

The doc examined the baby, and said... Well, nothing stuck in her throat. So, Whatever it is, would be out in her poo within a day or two & to bring her in, if she vomits or is abnormal... 

Nothing abnormal untill now... She is fine & healthy... & Mother Mary & Jesus has thankfully saved us this time

The bluish something that I had taken out from her mouth, happens to be a piece of paper...

I guess she must have also swallowed a bit of it... Keeping a close watch on her poo-poo though ;)

[Hmm... Wat all a mother has to watch out for]

Yeah, the blue color baby clip had been there all this while in the drawer safely out of reach of Nephy!