April 2018

25^th april 2018

The first month very very hard

The second very hard

The third hard

The months are getting less hard as time passes. Comparatively speaking

With Rutvi we are going back to the experiences of raising Tanvi, we are recalling all those moments

I am 58 kg now. My pre- pregnancy weight.

Morning breakfast usually rice item

Then a cup of milk with mothers horlicks, then a banana, then tea with 2-3 biscuits, then a cup of milk with women’s horlicks, then dinner then a cup with bournvita or shatavari guda

2 months drank 750ml of milk daily. Doc had recommended a litre

After that got bored with milk. So two cups. Then got bored some more; so by the time she turned three months, I was drinking only one cup a day.

3^rd april

Slept at 11:00 p.m

Woke up 5:30 a.m

5 mins drank milk and slept again.

Like adults, 6 hours continuous sleep.

Again woke up 6:30 a.m and slept. Again woke up 8:00 and played.

By 2 months, not yet 2 months, 3 days more to go, she has fallen into the adult sleep pattern. Thank god for these little mercies. I am regaining my mental balance which i lost in the first month due to sleeplessness, lack of sleep. I am happier now. able to do almost all the work at home. Yet to do breakfast full time every day. It needs someone to be with rutvi while i make. Right now can’t.

7^th april

Slept from 11 to 6:00 a.m. 7 hours at a stretch. Wow! From sleeping four hours in total that too in intervals of 20 minutes – 30 minutes throughout the night to a 7 hour stretch sleep. It has brought my sanity back.

 It also has been 2 weeks since she started cooing and babbling and responding to my voice and face. Recognises me and breaks into a delicious smile and when i speak, she opens her eyes this big and moves her lips saying something. It’s clear that she is talking to me though the words are not there yet. It’s such a pleasure –our conversations. Sometimes i say something and just repeat, is that you? And she nods and giggles and opens her eyes wide. As if saying yes Amma yes

 The boxing, kicking and cycling movements are pronounced now. Try holding her leg down, she will kick very hard. No more swaddling. She kicks the blanket away. And it’s hot too now.

I can’t believe I am saying this but if you can afford it (financially) and love children, you must go for a 2^nd child. The mistakes and trials and errors of the first time better equips you to handle the 2^nd one. You enjoy the process of raising a child more the 2^nd time. The first time you are so raw and young every little thing about the baby scares you – spitting, vomiting. Then there are people to scare you if you are not scared enough already. Now you know it’s a natural process of reflex or regurgitation and nothing to be anxious about. The level of calm is higher.

9^th April Monday

Constipated since Friday. Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon Rutvi had not passed motions. So worried. Finally today an hour after we were at home she passed her motions. What a relief! Imagine being happy to see shit! 

Sat 4 p.m we left for Mysore, visited Nanjangud today and reached home at 4 p.m.

Every time we changed her diaper, during the trip, we would eagerly look at it. But no. Every time just urine.

Nanjangud has changed so much. We last went in 2014 ? 2010 ? Don't remember!

14^th april 

His father called. Night 10 p.m from deepu’s phone. Which i had not saved. So picked up the call.

15^th april 

Cradle. Kiran. Colleague

Pregnancy - The Hard Part

18th August '17 entry:

It literally is the ‘hard’ part of pregnancy. Constipation. Pregnant women suffer from it.

I drink hot water to ‘ease’ things. I eat perle hannu (guava) to ‘help’. Guava really is great. Within an hour of eating just one ripe fruit, you can feel the ‘gudugudu’ (sound of rumbling) in your stomach. And when you sit in the toilet and things start moving, you are like. "OH Hell Yeah!" You thank your stars, the hot water and the guava for the miracle. And curse progesterone, the hormone that makes bowel movement a nightmare during pregnancy. It relaxes the muscles, slows the digestive tract and with the additional space taken up by the baby and the weight of it on your bladder, constipation and a constant urge to urinate are common side effects.

Sometimes, we have a counting ritual in our family.

Day 1 mummy didn’t go.....

Day 2 mummy didn’t go.....

Day 3 mummy didn’t go.....

It is now officially declared a family crisis. Tanvi springs into action and makes hot water for me. And they both wait for the khushkhabari (good news) that yes I went today. I have even called Sathya in his office to tell him that today was a 'good day'. I am sure this is one of the reasons some men avoid pregnancy like the plague. This constant torture of getting updates of your wife’s toilet struggles is not something they signed into when they married you. But Sathya doesn't grumble. He is a sweetheart. He listens. I guess 12 years of wedded misery does that to you. Pretty much nothing makes you go "ewww".

We have another secret understanding in our family. If it's day two of mummy not going, then it means it is "launch" day which means it is time for them to hide for cover or if they are within striking distance then at least, cover their ears. They joke that when mummy is 'stuck', it is mini diwali for them – full patakas (crackers) at home. And if we are outside, I whisper to Sathya and ask him to cover for me by pretending he did it. And then he mock practices suitable facial expressions so that it looks convincing enough! And does a final nod that acknowledges that yes he was the one who let out the sound. Those expressions he makes...it makes me laugh just thinking of it now. 

Tanvi is like the Kannada saying, "hath rupayige acting madu andre noor rupayige madthale" (ask her to act for Rs 10, she acts for Rs 100. Acts extra). So basically she mock runs like there was a grenade that dropped directly on her.