Chicken pox strikes

On May 4th Thursday, the husband decided to work from home.  So grabbed the opportunity to drive to school and pick up both the kids early. We decided to make it a fun day out for us. We had a quick lunch from Mcdonalds and saw the movie "Saira Banu" after that.   In the evening we attended Roshitha's bday get together.  After a bit, an intense tiredness and headache set in which I attributed to the walk in the scorching hot sun that I was not used to.  Headache was severe into the next day as well inspite of having a good long nap.  Thats when I noticed a water filled boil on my chest. A few more here and there soon after.  Chicken pox!! Something I had dreaded always.  And to make it more dreadful, I had been so lazy that the little one was not even vaccinated yet!! By Sunday a few spots broke out on my face as well and the numbers on the chest and the back increased rapidly.  Severe itching all over!! But it was a very mild case as I felt completely normal by Tuesday and by the end of the week all the scabs had fallen off.  All was good and I was waiting for the next attack wondering who the victim would be.

Exactly after 14 days, on a Saturday, Aarush walks in with an itchy small sore which was bugging him.  I immediately noticed the two boils on his tummy.  And on Sunday, I search all over a totally exhausted Appu and catch sight of the dreaded water filled boil on the tip of her finger and later a few popped up on her face.  The baby appears ok so far.  Keeping fingers crossed that he is spared this time.

Its day 3 today and Aarush has quite a few severely itchy boils.  Appu seems to be a milder case though its too soon to say.  Neem leaves is what we have been using mostly to get relief from the itching.  Brushing the body gently with the leaves, bathing in water boiled with neem leaves and cooled and applying paste of neem and turmeric.  We made Aarush sleep on a bed of neem leaves yesterday too.  Calamine lotion is being spread over the body at regular intervals.   I have also been adding baking soda to bath water.  Oat bath has been said to give a lot of relief so I am going to try that tomorrow.  Aarush is on Zyrtec, an antihistamine, but that is not helping him much. He is crying out and unable to sleep due to severe itching.  As I type this its 3 15 am and he has just dozed off.  I am sitting beside him brushing him with neem leaves.  Appu, the more tolerant of the two is deep in sleep thankfully.

Thats where we stand now.  Will be updating on the progress soon.

Updated to add:

Now its a household of 3 chicken pox kids.  The tiny one started breaking out in spots on Tuesday and have quite a few by now.  Temperature was moderately high for a day otherwise he is manageable.  God has been kind enough to keep it mild for all three and giving a break after my attack so that I can take care of them.  And the timing is right enough not to mess with our vacation plans.  Thankful for small mercies!

Cheers to New friendship!

So at 24 months, Aaryav has made his first official friend.  An adorable cuddly little 27 month old in our same building...just a floor below.  Surprising how we never met earlier inspite of me being on a constant search for playmates for the bored little toddler.  For now, the duo seem to be getting along well though Aaryav is a little boisterous at times and this intimidates the ever so gentle Baby A a bit. They watched and sang along with a few rhymes, read a couple of books and played with blocks. Mental note made to introduce the little one to new and better methods of expression.

Baby As mom happens to be an awesome mommie blogger and is extremely sweet and warm as well. Love her positive parenting style and look forward to getting some amazing parenting tips from her.

I chose right over wrong

I really did not like the earlier post,,but that was just as much as I could do.  Life is totally different from what it was from where I left off.  I'm 37 years old, a mother of 3 lovely kids!  Much more matured though definitely a lot more boring.

Oct 2014 was when I came to know that I was pregnant once more. Periods were delayed.  So thought of a home pregnancy check pretty sure that it would be negative,  It was a huge shock for me and Biju when it came positive.   Another baby was absolutely not in our scheme of things.  After all we were a perfectly balanced family with 2 kids, a girl and a boy that too.  I was 35 and with 2 c sections under my belt why would I even think of another child.   What about the finances, the hassle of bringing up another child.  No definitely not.  At six weeks of pregnancy went with my friend Dhanya to meet Dr Vidhula at Healers and confirm the pregnancy.  She confirmed that there was a perfectly healthy foetus.  At that point of time, all that I was worried about was the hassle of going to India and getting a termination done especially since school was on for Appu and Aarush and I would have to make so many arrangements.  I was also scared to undergo the termination procedure somehow.  But was there any other choice. No...None!!!

Dhanya, a devout Christian and another friend Reshmi kept telling me that I should go ahead with the pregnancy and not even think otherwise,  From the others that I disclosed this to I was getting mixed suggestions.  Appu was also surprisingly not receptive to the idea of having another sibling to hanker around. I was in a dilemma now.  I had to take a decision.  And that too the right one.  Age, health was not on my side.  Would my body be able to take another pregnancy and another c section?  What if something happens to me?  Should I put the kids and Biju through such a situation? What if there was something wrong with the baby? The pregnancy definitely wont be easy.  Should I let myself and my family get into a difficult situation.

But then there was this tiny life within me that had chosen me to be its mother.  Can I betray that tiny being's trust?  And it was Gods will, that cannot be wrong, can it?  Am I not a person who believes that everything happens for a reason.  No I should nurture that little life inside me and bring it out into the world.

The practical side of me suppressed the maternal feelings within me at that point of time and we decided it was in the interest of all that i terminate the pregnancy,  Accordingly a four day trip to India was made.  At the airport I signed a pregnancy declaration..I was 8 weeks pregnant.  Yes it did break my heart to think that when I return after four days I would not be having the tiny spark of life within me.  I had already bonded with the little one and had started having silent conversations with it. But I tried to push away such thoughts, It was decided that I would have the D&C done the morning I reached India so that I would have some rest too.  As planned made a visit to Bharat Hospital after having a small nap.  I still remember that day so vividly,  Around me were a lot of expectant jubilant mothers proudly walking around with their huge bellies and here I was waiting to snuff out the tiny light inside.  The meet with the doctor was very matter of fact.  She asked me to make the payment and go to the labour room after 10 minutes,  Payment for MTP was done.  Before going to the labour room as adviced, mommy asked if I could talk to the doctor as I seemed to be in two minds.  I put forward my fears about but surprisingly the doc tor was very positive and said I could go ahead with the pregnancy if I wanted to.  She definitely would not be able to assure smooth sail.  She asked me to go for a USG.  Here I saw the tiny heart beat for the first time.  The tiny life within me was flourishing confident that I would not let it down.  

The doctor must have sensed my relief and threw away the papers she had made for me asking me to go home and think about it and that she was not going to do the MTP that day.  If I chose to go ahead with the MTP I had to go the next morning.  My mind was in a turmoil.  Choose the easy wrong or the extremely hard right?  I knew whatever decision I made would be mine and mine only and I would have to take up the entire responsibility.  I spoke to Bijus Ammayi who had faced a similar situation in life and it felt so nice talking to someone who would understand.  I was bombarded with suggestions from all sides.  It was a very very long night for me.  I wonder if that tiny life too stayed awake waiting anxiously for me to decide. Or was it sleeping away peacefully completely trusting me.    No...I needed the tiny being more than it needed me.  I could not let it perish.  It would all be over in five minutes and then it would be a lifetime of longing for me if I let it go.  It was mine to be loved and nurtured.  It had chosen me as its mother and isnt a mother one who loves and nurtures.  Definitely not one who destroys.  I had made up my mind.  Come what may, I decided to protect that little life growing in me.  I firmly believed that little being had a purpose to complete.  That morning I woke up with a clear conscience and a happiness that I had not felt in a long time!!!  Cos I knew I had chosen right over wrong.......

Trying to bridge the gap

Its been too long a gap that it really does not make sense trying to fill up! But the memories saved in here are so precious that it is absolutely not fair to let this blog die I have no clue where to start from. So much has happened, so many changes, so many events.

Ours is now a five member family.  The latest addition being a handsome little 12 month old.  He entered our life on May 12th 2015.  Thats our darling little Aaryav.

His entry into our life was a huge surprise.  Totally unplanned and yes totally unprepared too.  But, surprisingly, he was the missing link,  He completes our family.  He has brought all of us so much joy!  He has made us so much more happier...he has made us so much more complete!! 

This may not be the best of posts.  But I have got to begin somewhere.  

Gifted

The little boy at home is besotted with Chotta Bheem on Pogo.  Inspite of my efforts, he still spends almost all his waking hours in front of the Tv watching this cartoon.  And at Pogo too, They happily oblige such kids by repeated re runs.  Today after seeing the bow and arrow of Raju, he set his heart on one and set out with his dad to get one.  Hubby says that at the shop, the little darling insisted on getting a flower for his mom! And since he could not get one there, he settled for this lovely hot pink purse that I instantly fell in love with! Thank you my sweetheart!

Time travel - A peep into the gap

Wow....the last post was just 6 days after the new year that was 2011. And now here we are in mid June 2013.


I have been putting off restarting the blog as I did not know where to begin, what to update, what to omit, the sequence to follow etc. Finally I have decide to just do it...no updates, no formats nothing..I start from today, now!!!

But just a brief outline of what happend in the past 30 months or so.  Mid Jan 2011, I called it quits at my work... the same place I have been working for 13 years. Of course....I was very sentimental about bidding adieu to the place that I really grew up in, that saw my transition from a mere school girl to a crazy, rebellious teenager to grown up woman with her head well set on her shoulders. Career wise there was a growth from Insurance Assistant to Operations Manager. In personal life, I became a wife, mother of 2 kids and 25 kgs heavier!! But not surprsingly, once I set my foot outside the office as an employee for the last time, I was feeling much lighter and have not missed the workplace a single day..why not even a minute after that. I have settled into the role of a SAHM and am very comfortable with it now.  My life now revloves around my favorite place, my home, and my favourite people, my kids!!!  Life is happy, peaceful and very rewarding.  I am truly happy!!  Appu has grown a lot...and at 9.5 yrs is very close to puberty.  She is in grade V at DPS Shj.  A very good student and is one of the Prefects of Nile House this year.   Aarush baby is now almost 4.  He too started school this April and is in KG1 at DPS Shj.  He is an absolute charmer and has wrapped me around his little fingers!  He is my little pet monkey!!

Im seriously into wt loss now and have been successful at putting off a few kilos. The endeavour continues and I am confident that I will see success this time!! 

I am still not a great cook.....but I have improved leaps and bounds.  From a person who could not make a decent omelette, I can now confidently manage the kitchen and can cook up a lot of tasty dishes in no time.  I can proudly call myself a good housewife now!! I love making typical kerala vegetarian dishes for lunch. 

Thats just a brief outine.  Now back to NOW!! :)

2011 - My Year!

We were among the thousands thronging the Downtown Dubai to witness the ringing in of the New Year by the much hyped world’s highest fireworks at Burj Khalifa. It lasted only for a few minutes and as we were totally awestruck at the unabashed display! Appu and her friend had their mouth wide open and eyes popping out. Later, in the car, they were very vocal about their disappointment that it did not last longer and were fuming and cribbing about the unfairness of it all – we were in the car for almost 6 hours to witness the 3 minutes show! But the young lasses did not waste a minute of these 6 hours and were chatting away and enjoying all the while. And eh… I could not help but eavesdrop on their conversation. Its fun to hear these little girls talk, uff, they left me feeling ashamed of my skills at gossip and b****ing!

A week has almost passed and I am busy trying up a lot of loose strings. “ My New Year” has not commenced yet! I am excited and jittery about this year as it is going to a very different one for me and a major turning point! Resolutions have been conciously avoided this year. But yes, a few goals are lined up at the starting point and waiting for the gunshot. Steps have been taken to chuck out and keep away all the negativities of year 2010. Positive outook and approach is on the cards for this year!

2011 – The year of Books, books and books and lots of books!
I was quite concerned about my reading being on the back burner for a while. Last year I got it rolling again, only about 12 books read but its an improvement and I am glad about it. I have signed up for the South Asian Challenge to read more of my current favourites - Asian authors, infact more of Indian authors. I am impatient to relish the fares dished out by the young crop of Indian authors. Its so much more easier to relate to them and many a times the bond is formed with the authors even before you actually start with the books.  I have also joined the 50 book challenge at Shelfari and look forward to completing atleast 50 books this year!

2011 – The year of health and fitness!
I have given away a precious year of mine being obscenely fat and resembling an overstuffed potato sack! Apart from the weight and tyres (so many that my hubby is now quite relaxed about driving around without a spare trye in the car), I have managed to gain more than my share of self loathing, a creaking knee, a borderline thyroid disfunction and worst of all, disgusted looks from Appu many a times! Yes, I am going to make this the year for reversal of the sins of the year gone by!

2011 – The year of Culinary Delights!
Well, I admit to a little bit of exaggeration there. I will take my first tiny steps into the world of gravies, stir frys, roasts, grills et al. And by the close of the year, I want to proudly proclaim “ Yeah..I can cook!”. I am not over ambitious here – as long as I can cook up a decent simple meal, and a healthy tasty snack fpr the kids, I will be happy! Ahem, ahem…..note the cookery blogs on my blogroll at the right!

So here’s 3 cheers to 2011 -
HIP HIP HOORAY!
HIP HIP HOORAY!!
HIP HIP HOORAY!!!

A healthy, peaceful, fun, contented, cheerful new year to all of you!!