Hello Maya,
Today marks your second month birthday. At this time around, 80% chances are you are being fed and the rest of course is that you are asleep. First of all let me put up some pictures of you in various states of expressions on which I managed to make some memes.
As you can see with barely 2 months, you are having distinct and varied expressions which we find it delightful to say the least. My favorite of all is this pic (taken by Amma).
One of my friends after seeing this pic thought you were sleeping on the bed all by yourself lying down on stomach first. Nope, he isn't right. You were resting on my shoulder when I picked you up for burping. A remarkable feat considering at 2 months old it isn't a common sight and I am bit proud to say you do this most often when I pick you up.
Now let's talk about some things that passed by in the last two months-
Some of the things that you are made to undergo everyday are
(a) Applying of Amudam (Castor Oil) to your hair - This depending on your mood you either get it done peacefully in your sleep or with huge wailing in which case the time taken to complete increases albeit by say 5 or 10 minutes. Time - Between 9:30 to 10:00 P.M.
(b) Dishti - This happens after (a) is done. Thatha would first cut 5 tiny pieces of dry coconut and would bring it in a small lid. Dishti routine is administered which would involve first holding one piece of cut coconut in hand, then going around your head by incanting 'irigi disthi, porugu dishti, nee dishti, naa dishti' and finally a spitting sound is made. This is repeated for 5 times. Once done Thatha goes to the kitchen, burns them all to ashes. This is then applied to one palm of your hand and sole of one of the feet. Likewise for Amma. This practice is an ancient ritual with a scientific reasoning too. This is done basically to negate the evil thoughts or beliefs around you.
(c) Painful, painful bath - Initial days after you came back, the bath routine I believe was peaceful. You weren't protesting much. As the days progressed, I guess you started realizing there are lot more things being done apart from bath like full body massage lying down and turned over, clearing the nostrils or ears, vigorous head massage etc. You cry so badly that my heart breaks hearing it. I just can't bear to witness your wails. This is one thing I can't prevent it from happening as everybody including your Amma believes this is the best way to strengthen your bones.
During the initial month, muthavva used to do both religiously even in the days when she is tired. Here is a pic of her holding you after one such routine.
As she has left to Bangalore, it is now being taken up by Avva and one time even by Amma. In no particular order here is how things have been going on.
-Thatha was instrumental in bringing down by regularly taking you to the roof and letting the morning sunlight fall on you. You were first unclothed and then oil applied to your whole body before being taken upstairs. These were again very dicey times. Thing is the best time to get this done is around 7:30 to 8:00 which is the time you will be sound asleep. Our fear, rather my fear was this affecting your sleep pattern. Thankfully that is now over and you are absolutely one hundred percent free.
-Your Amma has been taking utmost precautions as every mother does with regard to avoiding junk food, cold drinks or sweets. This is done to be on safer lest you catch cold/fever which then becomes very difficult to manage you. But somehow cold had gotten into you. Even when you are sound asleep we could hear your ragged breath coming out something akin to sound produced when say two iron coated rods rubbed against each other. It was that bad and it was loud too. Doctors advised us two things - medicated steam and vaporrub (liquid drops to put in the each of the nostrils once per day). Getting the latter done is a quite a tough task considering with one drop you go bonkers and vigorously shake your head. Best time to be done is during the sleep when you are least attentive.
-Medicated steam is nothing but letting the steam arising out of boiling water in which some medicinal liquid is put, onto your nose. There is a ready made apparatus in the market for such thing but no definite instrument exist for such a tiny tot like you. We made a makeshift arrangement or as they say Indian 'jugaad'. We let the steam come out of the container and then one person would hold a a folded towel with one end at the container and the other end going over you like you see below.
It involves two persons and the whole things takes about 15 minutes to complete. Holding the towel is a painful process and your Santosh mamma does it with so much ease, its quite remarkable.
Happy two report these two have worked wonders and the your breathing is as good as a tiny cute steam engine on a roll.
-You had so many visitors its difficult to list down. Everybody wanted a piece of you.
-It's still a enigma as to whom you look like. More and more people are now saying you look like Amma, some say you are looking like your Avva, some even said you are looking like Santosh Mamma. Nothing definitive yet but my sweet little munchkin, in my heart of hearts I know you look like me no matter who says what.
-Diwali passed by peacefully. This was one festival we were darn sure that would create havoc for you. You see this is a festival of light and crackers. People just go bonkers with the latter. There are in-numerous varieties being doled out year after year be it rockets, bombs anything. The noise is so loud and sometimes so very distracting that it becomes difficult being in the house and hearing each other talk. That day as we were having dinner, the house besides had this rally of rockets being doled out, at least 30 minimum that it irritated us to no end. I mean we literally were praying for the ordeal to end.
Throughout all this, I am very proud to say, you never ever raised a single cry hearing so much commotion outside. Not that you were asleep throughout but you weren't scared, frightened which was what we feared as the days were approaching.
-I wasn't able to be there for your first birthday which was on October 18th as I went for Udhay Mamma's wedding at Chennai. I am happy to say your Amma and I had equal thoughts as to how to celebrate it. I was not a big believer in cutting a cake every month and Amma too seconded that thought. You see for you except milk, you were not eat anything else. The cake which we would be buying would need to be eaten by the rest of the folks. Amma suggested that we should donate some money to Vizag rebuilding funds which was devastated by the cyclone Hudhdud, to which I readily agreed. And this is what we have planned to do till your 1st birthday. Each month whatever money we would have put in buying the cake, decorations etc, we would make some donation or the other be it monetary or otherwise.
-For your second birthday too, I couldn't come as I had undergo some tests and that took quite a long time for completion but I hope this blog makes up for it.
-Numerous pores appeared on your body mostly on the face and on the thighs which was bit distressing to us. On inquiring with the doctor, she told us there was nothing to worry and you will outgrow them. True to her word this has come down and slowly everything is coming down.
-We did one outing as a family i.e. you, Amma and myself for the first time and this was to Jeyjeyya's place. Though the distance was short, it was a bit tense ride. Much to the disappointment of Jeyjeyya and Dadi you were sleeping all throughout the time you were there but your presence was enough to lighten up the day for them.
-Jeyjeyya owing to the fact that bank is near, usually drops in at least twice to see you and only recently you have been very responsive when he is there which makes up his day.
Greatest Challenges -
You are having non-normal sleep cycles and this is having telling effect on Amma and Avva. You are sleeping as late as 5 A.M. in the night and on average it tends to be at least 2 A.M. Hopefully this will get cleared as you grow.
That's it for now my love.
With lots of kisses and hugs,
Nanna.
