BABY KICK ALERT !!!

Dear Baby Beanie...

I must say the last visit to your doc was quite a fruitful one. Remember how she asked me if I felt your movements and I was not too sure. Well !! I am pretty sure now and I can feel you very prominently inside of me.

When I got back from the doctor's consultation visit, I kept thinking - the doc said I should feel you within a week - but then have I been feeling you and I don't know yet ? So I lay down for a while wanting to see if what I felt is real. They say in THE book that babies are most active when mom is lying down or resting. And yes indeed, I did feel something different and concluded it has to be you.

Then we got busy with your elder cousin's birthday celebrations and me with my work and stuff and I only got time to really feel you at night everyday. Sorry I could not spend much time with you. Also, I had to get some last minute stuff done - we are finally leaving for Mangalore - to your maternal grandmother's place. I was so excited that I went on a last minute spree on Saturday. We are leaving on Sunday (8th Sept) on the day of Gowri pooja. I went to my dentist, got my fillings redone - went for a grooming session - oh and also went to the hospital again to get your delivery package.

It  will be close to the end of 6th month (mid 6th month atleast) when I get back from Mangalore and then it would be too late to book your delivery package at Cloud Nine. The package includes a lot of freebies - a free antenatal workshop for me and DD, a free pre-natal workout session for me, a free baby shower for us and then there is also other stuff like a lucky draw and then they gave me some printouts about what I should get at the time of admission for YOU (baby) and ME (mom). There was also a insurance form that I need to fill in and keep ready for admission procedures to go smoothly.

Anyways, this post was about your movements - so I left on Sunday night to Mangalore. I was so excited and maybe so were you. After I came to Mangalore, I guess you grew a tough pair of arms and legs. I feel you kick so hard every day when I sit down to relax and every night when I lie down to sleep. You have become super active here - not sure whats the difference. Maybe you know that you are in a different environment or are excited to meet your grandparents but you sure are not quiet :)

DD is hoping to get to feel you better when we get back since we have been away from him for around 9 days now. We will be going back to Bangalore tonite (Sep 17th). DD will be waiting to receive us in the morning :)

- So

Our little Zen

This particular post has been atleast 1.5 yrs due :) Long post warning.

We were (still are) a bunch of five girl friends in Athens and had grown pretty close within a years time. It was early in the year 2011 that we discussed about this.

How we had met each other at different times in the year 2009, but we never spent much time with each other. Then we all met once again for a performance for India Nite 2010 and we became fast friends - not just in the actual meaning of the word, but also in the literal meaning of 'fast'. We just 'clicked' if I must say - we started spending more n more time with each other and we soon became such close friends that we used to spend everyday together. We used to even have our dinners together and then play cards n other games in the night - almost every night.

Due to the girls spending so much time with each other, even the respective boyfriends ended up becoming close friends amongst themselves discussing about sports and politics and gadgets every time we met :) Boys are always boys - right ?? We were now a group of more than 10 people - with some couples and some single people in the group. Dec 2009, one of the girls (lets say P) in the group got married to S, and early in the year 2011, we heard a wonderful news from the couple :) Yes, she was expecting and we were gonna have the first baby in the group. That is how this post started and I have added to it over the "years".

All of us were super excited for the newcomer !! We soon started planning for her baby shower and for the arrival of the baby. Initially the parents did not want to know the gender. But later they decided to know it after all and found out that they were having a boy - They disclosed the news when the whole group was together and we were even more excited that now we could plan specifically for the baby boy !! I gifted her with a blanket, a cap and a pair of flip flops for the baby - all made by me.

We had an awesome surprise baby shower for her. It was super hectic, because I guess in some way, she had a hunch or something and she kept following us everywhere we went in case we got even a little bit late getting back. So we couldn't plan stuff with her not knowing. But we did manage to keep it secret somehow over lots of frustrated fights and stuff :) It was amazing that even her dear hubby knew and kept it from her (Lets just say he's not the most secretive in our group).

We lied to her that we are all going to some party and got her to dress up and to go with us. She was stunned to see that the entire party was planned for her !! We had all practiced for a funny dance and some games and it was all super fun !!! She was pleasantly surprised and we had a lot of photo sessions and the most amazing time :)

Soon, it was time for "THE DAY". Since P and S live in Atlanta, and everyone had gotten busy with their lives, we had not met her for quite a while. We had been planning to go meet her for quite some time and finally we decided it was already too late. So, we just started off one morning, thinking the whole way that we should meet her atleast once before the baby is here. And half way down to ATL, we got a wonderful news. That P was in labor !! Our joy knew no bounds. Because we would all get to meet our nephew soon :) And what better day to pick to meet the new parents than the day when their bundle of joy arrived in the world.

We reached the hospital and saw him in the little crib. He was easily the most cutest pinkest baby that I had ever seen and was a carbon copy of his dad. They had named him "Zen" - meaning peace. We greeted the parents, spent a couple of days at ATL, basking ourselves in the joy of his birth :) We found matching "Its a boy" and "Aunts" badges at the hospital. It was a memorable weekend.

I am currently in India and I so wish, Zen was a part of my life too. I know I would have had lots of fun with him and he would get a lot of handmade stuff from me. P, remembering Zen a lot :) Hence this post saw the light of the day today !!

- So