Chanda Hai Tu !

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This has to be one of the best hindi songs to be brilliantly written & most beautifully picturized. I simply love watching this one !!

Ten Months Old !!

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29th August, 2008 - The flight of time just continues to suprise my family & every passing month seems to come & go every so soon !! As usual, Daddy is left gasping for breath updating this blog for every month gone by.

Mamma managed to do something which Daddy could'nt do in the last 1.5 months - the monumental task was to take my photograph showing my two little toothies :P

More on the toothies later ;)

Me & Mamma !!

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No relation can be as pure & as sacred as that between a mother & child.


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No words can describe it, no images can depict it.


P.S - Daddy, you are a goner !! Mamma warned (ordered is the right word) you not to put her pics on this blog and you've forgetton to obey that. God bless you !

Nine Months Old !

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29th July, 2008 - I turned nine months old. To mark the occasion, I was dressed up by Mamma in this cute new dress. As usual, Daddy's feelings are a mixed bag - he's very happy to see me grow up, learning new things with every passing day but sad that he will miss these days a couple of years from now. He feels that he will miss

* Me sleeping on his lap all through the night and holding him tight whenever I get a scary dream
* Late Night walks around the house when he tries a million tricks to put me to sleep
* Watching the sky and the chirping birds when I wake him up early in the morning and he takes me to the roof of our house or to the near by garden

I wonder when will he grow up & realize that this is how life moves !!!

My Gang - Bittu, Vanu & Appu !

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Left to Right in this pic (Bittu - The Rabbit, Vanu - The Queen of Mischief and Appu - The Elephant)

How can my blog be complete without a photograph with my best friends? It took a long time coming but it is here finally. Some details on my best pals (apart from Daddy obviously :-)

Bittu - Daddy brought him home when I was 6 months old. My day starts with him by my side in the morning and it ends sleeping while holding him close to my heart. I like the soft touch of Bittu's feathers and I'm crazy about the carrot which he holds in his hands. I try hard to snatch it from him whenever he's near me but all my efforts have been in vain so far. I'm determined to tear him into pieces if I don't get the carrot soon.... Bittu, you better beware !!

Appu - Appu has been my buddy for as long as I can remember. He was amongst the first few toys that Daddy brought for me. Unlike Bittu who doesn't move, Appu lives on batteries so he walks around and plays the drum to please me and I love dancing to his tunes whenever he does so.

If you look closely in the above pic, you will notice that Appu lost one arm recently. It's sad but that's another proof of why anyone should not mess with a Scorpio (even if she is 6 months old) :P

Daddy, if you ever needed another reason to be more regular in updating my blog, this should be it. After all, you won't look nice with one arm either :)

Eight Months Old !

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Daddy - You lazy bum, it's just a week to go before I turn 9 months old, yet there is no post signifying that I turned 8 months old on June 29th, 2008.

To make up for his laziness, Daddy often brings me gifts - this blue ball resembling earth is the latest one. Having the earth/ world at your feet and playing with it is a great feeling - literally !!

आ चल के तुझे, मैं ले के चलूं इक ऐसे गगन के तले

Daddy may not be a perfect singer, but he loves singing this for me. I enjoy it till I dose off to sleep :)

आ चल के तुझे, मैं ले के चलूं
इक ऐसे गगन के तले
जहाँ ग़म भी न हो, आँसू भी न हो
बस प्यार ही प्यार पले)-२
इक ऐसे गगन के तले

सूरज की पहली किरण से, आशा का सवेरा जागे
चंदा की किरण से धुल कर, घनघोर अंधेरा भागे
कभी धूप खिले, कभी छाँव मिले
लम्बी सी डगर न खले
जहाँ ग़म भी न हो, आँसू भी न हो ......

जहाँ दूर नज़र दौड़ आए, आज़ाद गगन लहराए
जहाँ रंग बिरंगे पंछी, आशा का संदेसा लाएं)
सपनो मे पली हँसती हो कली
जहाँ शाम सुहानी ढले
जहाँ ग़म भी न हो, आँसू भी न हो ....

सपनों के ऐसे जहाँ में जहाँ प्यार ही प्यार खिला हो
हम जाके वहाँ खो जाएँ, शिकवा ना कोई गिला हो
कहीं बैर न हो, कोई ग़ैर न हो
सब मिलके यूँ चलते चलें
जहाँ ग़म भी न हो, आँसू भी न हो
बस प्यार ही प्यार पले
आ चल के तुझे मैं ले के चलूं ......

Let's Dance !!

I love dancing, irrespective of whether there's any music being played or not :) Here is a short (really short) video of me enjoying myself, who says silence does not have a rhtyhm or a tune :P

Father's Day !!

Today is 15th June, 2008 and my first Father's Day - What a pity that I'm not with him :( I'm at Nani's place for a short vacation and will be going back home tomorrow.

So for a change, Daddy will celebrate Father's Day with Grandpa back home while Mamam will celebrate it with Naana Ji.

Weird as it may seem to be, Father's Day is celebrated on a variety of dates worldwide and for this year, most countries have adopted the third sunday of June as Father's Day.

Daddy, Mamma - Enjoy your day with Daddies !! I'll make up for it when I reach home tomorrow :)

Seven Months Old !

29th May, 2008 - I turned 7 months old today. Time flies !! For sure :)

As I grow up, I'm learning a lot of new things. During the last one month, I've learnt to

* Crawl on the ground, more importantly without falling down. Ouch, the first bump still hurts.
* Walk to every possible corner of the house with my walker.
* Learn to observe the sparrows on the neighbourhood tree.
* Mutter a few words like Aaba, Mama, Aiga
* Shout on the top of my voice when Daddy/ Mamma get tired & stop playing with me
* Dance whenever foot tapping music is played (Daddy, please upload my latest dance video soon)
* Watch serials with Mamma - I rarely bother Mamma when she is busy watching her favourite serials from 9:00-10:00 PM every day. In fact, I've started watching them on and off (Daddy - What a pity !!)
* Play Poshamba with Mamma - She does'nt really know any other game
* Play Bouncy Baby with Daddy - Difficult to explain in words but I enjoy it the most.
* Other new learnings would be best described by video clips :)

Daddy says that these seven months have been the happiest of his life (liar liar !! He used to say the same after seven months of marriage) and he's reliving his entire childhood with me. Mamma never grew up, her childhood is eternal so there's no question of reliving it in her case :)

The First Fall !

It was inevitable and waiting to happen ever since I learnt to roll over on my back and stomach. It happened a few days back & left Mamma in more pain than me.

Mamma usually reaches home around 5:30 PM in the evening and we play for as long as we can before we both doze off for an evening nap. Every thing was the same this evening except that Mamma made a fatal mistake of leaving me alone on the bed as she went to the kitchen to get some Cerelac for me.

With in no time, I was at the edge of the bed and wondering what to do next. My curiosity to touch the ground got the better of me and seconds later, I was on the floor with a bump on my head and tears in my eyes.

I cried out so loud that everybody at home rushed to see my adventure go bad. Grandma was holding me in her arms and trying to massage my head to minimize the pain and keep the bump size as small as possible :) Mamma was inconsolable by then and in a big pool of tears thinking that it was because of her mistake that I was in such pain.

Daddy reached home after an hour or so. I was just fine by then and back to my mischevious self. Mamma had a second round of tears for the next half an hour just in case Daddy did'nt come to know about round one from Grandma and others. Daddy had to give her usual dose of boring lectures about how it's natural for every child to fall in order to understand the importance of standing up. His philosphy can put anybody to sleep and Mamma is no exception :)

Anyway, the pain went away after a few hours and the bump went away after a couple of days. Thankfully and as Daddy says my "Invaluable smile never went away, that's what matters in life. Rest are mere details"

Yikes... what a boring line to end a painful post:(

Acute Diarrhoea :(

There have been a lot of climatic changes off-late in Jaipur - scorching sun & heat one day, rain & thunderstorms the very next day, pleasant & sunny at times and unpredictable at all times :) Such climatic variations often take their toll more on kids than adults.

This time I've been caught in the trap. It's been a long week of pain & illness, taking regular medicines, consulting 2 doctors and lots of care by Grandma, Mamma and Daddy. By God's grace & much to the joy of Daddy, I'm beginning to feel much better since today morning.

He'll hopefully now stop the following:-

* Criticizing doctors on how unprofessional & greedy they are
* Crib about how useless & expensive the medicines are
* Waking up 50 times during the night to see if I'm uncomfortable or in pain
* Taking leave from office or asking Mamma to do the same

Diarrhoea is common in young kids especially those less than an year old. It usually comes from a stomach infection & it's not hard to guess why I had this infection. I have a habit of trying to taste everything & anything so anything that comes within 50 centimeters of my range is bound to be tasted. It includes:-

* Newspaper - I love it - soft, easy to chew; makes a great sound while eating
* TV Remote - The colourful buttons fascinate me
* AC Remote - I'm learning to switch it on
* All my toys - Eating Appu is my favourite pass time

I hate the taste of these medicines. Yuck !!! During the past week, Daddy tried to be clever with me by giving me medicines using my milk bottle but he does not know that I've already developed a strong sense of what's happening around me. He, Mamma & Grandma - all 3 of them :) had to hold me together in order to give me medicines.

I'm glad all their care & love is paying off and am on my way to speedy recovery !! Dr. Bhasin always calls me 'Happy Baby' and today morning, he said that my mischevious smile is coming back. To prove that he's right, I played & played the whole day with Grandma & Grandpa.

Cheer up every body, it's fun time again !!!

Six Months Old !!

On 29th April-2008, I turned six months old. Much to the joy of Daddy & rest of my family, now it's just 6 more months to go before they celebrate my 1st birthday. Although I'm just 6 months old, Daddy and Mamma often expect me to behave like a 6 year old - eat, sleep and do just about everything at the right time :) I can understand as they are first time, over anxious parents who are yet to settle down into parenthood. They'll learn with time :)

I've learnt to sit and crawl on the bed in last one month or so. While it's pleasing for others to see and I enjoy it a lot, it makes everybody in the family nervous as I often crawl to edges on the bed. Those corners seem ever so dangerous to Daddy now. On more than one occasions, I would have nearly fallen off if Daddy/ Grandma would not have caught me mid-air :)

Growing up is fun and it has it's fair share of ups and downs associated with it (literally !!). A child who does not attempt to walk or crawl for the fear of falling down will never experience the joy of learning. Childhood is meant to be fun but it's also meant to be the start of learning experience for any human being (Yawn !! Daddy's Philosphy seems to go from bad to worse)

Signing off this short post with a promise (nth time) from Daddy, that there'll be at least one post every week from now on :)

Susu Factory !!

Now that winters are over, Daddy and rest of the family members have taken a huge sigh of relief. The winters were severly cold this year in North India including my home town Jaipur.

The chilly winters meant more susu, more wet beds, more & more wet bedsheets and a lot of washing up to do ;). Don't blame me daddy because I always give you a warning before I do susu (mostly on your lap) by crying out loud, it's a pity that you don't understand. Mamma is my favourite victim and I just love to do it on her :) and it does not matter to me if she's getting ready for college, sleeping, eating or blah blah.

Grandma is a tough nut to crack because she always takes me to the bathroom in every half an hour or so. She's determined to make me a well behaved kiddo rather than a spoiled brat. Needless to mention that almost every guest who's visited our house and picked me up in their arms have been fortunate to get the acclaimed 'Vanu's Susu dose.

Daddy's business ideas are always ridiculous and this one is no different. Considering my high productivity level and the extra ordinarily high frequency of susu associated with it :), he says that it should all be collected and re-cycled. This will put an end to India's water problems and earn huge profits for us as well. So, in near future, we might launch our first joint venture 'Susu Inc.' with me serving as Chief Production Officer and Daddy as my assistant. The company works 365 x 24 x 7 with no breaks what so ever :)

He also says that if the idea takes off, we'll recruit all new born babies in the neighbourhood and start training them on how to increase their susu productivity. Those interested in getting their kids registered should contact Daddy earliest possible, we offer cash as well as ESOPs for star performers :))

Happy Birthday Grandpa !!

A picture is worth a thousand words - so true !!!!

On 10th March, 2008 - Grandpa (aka Dadu aka Dada Ji aka Bade Papa) turned 69. It's the first of his many birthdays which he celebrated with me. We had great fun celebrating his birthday this year and I hope it's no different each year.

Daddy brought a delicious cake and some tasty food which we all enjoyed. As has become the custom in our family for all birthday celebrations, Daddy just puts cake all over my face :). I don't mind it as I lick it all off and it tastes amazing :)

Grandpa says that he's now in the 2nd innings of his life and I've given him a new lease of life. He's fought illness for a long time with a lot of determination and courage. Life has been full of ups and downs but by god's grace, he's doing very well now and enjyoing retired life primarily playing with me :)

He calls me Vini, Vanu Singh and a bunch of other really cute names. He's waiting for the time till I'm old enough to accompany him to the near by park for a morning walk & an evening stroll. Dadu, I'm waiting for that day as well.

Dadu getts worried if I don't sleep well during nights, if I cry a lot. He cares a lot for me and I do the same for him in my own sweet innocent ways.

Dadu, you are special to me and I love you !!

Pram Queen !

It's been a while since Daddy updated my blog but he's been awefully busy with a lot of things so I'll spare him one last time. Here we go:-

I knew Daddy was planning it for quiet some time. He was annoyed with himself that he was not getting enough time to do things he liked most - update this blog, bring lots of goodies for me and spends loads of time playing and pampering me :)

As I turned 3 months old, he did take time out for a short visit to the market to get a surprise gift for me. He and Mamma brought this beautiful pink pram for me. My first ride, aptly called "Joy Ride". I simply loved it when Daddy put me in the pram for the first time and took me for a ride from one room to another. It did feel a bit scared when Daddy increased the speed but over time, I've got used to it and I enjoy it even more :)

Now that I'm able to sit with support to my back.. I love sitting in my pram and just lazing around. In fact, moving me to the pram has become the de-facto solution to make me stop crying.

I usually get a ride from Daddy in the morning before he gets ready for office. In evening, it's Mamma's turn and she does the honours when she's back from her college. During the day, Grandma and I have long chats, each in our own language while I'm comfortably seated in my pram.

Photo shoots are common everytime I'm dressed up in pink to match the color of my pram. Actually, Daddy does'nt give a damn to the colour of my dress or even to the fact that I'm dressed or not :), he just loves capturing me smiling and enjoying my ride.

There are kids who don't like prams and then there are those who can't live without it. I've transitioned from the first club to the second one in just a month !!

Hoping that these joy rides last forever !!

First Quarter !

On 29th January, 2008 - I turned 3 months old. Since Daddy counts everything in terms of financial/ technical/ project planning terms, so I'm a quarter old now :)

As a kid grows, it develops a sense of recognition. It can recognize some things & can't make sense out of others. Here are the things I can easily recognize now:-

* Family Members - Mamma, Daddy, Grandpa, Grandma, Bhua
* My room
* My hands - I love licking my own fingers when I'm hungray & Mamma does'nt understand it :)
* My legs - I believe in the 'work hard, play hard' philosphy so I really do shake my legs as hard as I can while playing.
* TV - This has to be the first thing on the list for sure :). I absoulutely love watching the colorful characters on that screen. Grandma says that it's harmful for my eyes but who cares as long as she does'nt come to know that I'm watching TV :). When I cry and there's no other way to stop me, the idiot box works for me.
* Pram - Daddy promised to write a new post on it so I hope he fulfills his promise soon.

Three months old, I cry a lot more, I smile a lot more, I live each moment a lot more, Growing up is fun !!!!!!

Sakrant - 14th Jan, 2008

If I were to count the dates which Daddy looks forward to in the calendar, it would be my birthday, Mamma's birthday, his marriage anniversary & a bunch of other birthdays and anniversaries.

However, 14th January is the date he has the most fun. It's Makarsakranti, aka Sakrant, the festival of kites in Jaipur. The whole sky is filled with color & people have a gala time in the soothing winter sun. Jaipur is one of the world's most famous heritage cities and some of the festivals here attract tourists in large numbers. For the uninformed, a kite is known as 'Patang' in hindi while a person flying the kite is known as a 'Patangbaaz'. Daddy used to be a renowned kite flyer in his childhood days & he used to start as early as 5 AM in the morning. Grandma often had a very hard time making him study or even eat his food during January while he was in school.

This year was a bit different. He set off for the roof at around 9:30 AM (along with me). The number of kites was steadiliy increasing every minute & the sky was getting more colorful & more beautiful with every passsing minute. Very soon, everybody else (Grandpa, Grandma, Bhua & lastly Mamma) joined us on the rooftop.

In our neighbourhood, everywhere my eyes went, there were people & more people on the roofs of their houses. As soon as Daddy handed me over to Mamma, his kite was reaching out to the skies within minutes. The whole Kheterpal family enjoyed a delicious breakfast on the house roof. It was bright & sunny so we stayed on the roof while Daddy was busy with his kites. The lunch & evening tea were also served by Grandma while we were enjoying the pleasing sunlight of January.

It was a day of fun & frolic which I really enjoyed. I love colors & this day the sky looked like a colorful collage. Wishing everyday was as colorful and funfilled as this day!!

My First Lohri - 13th Jan, 2008

13th January is another auspicious day in Hindu Calendar, it's time to celebrate Lohri. The first Lohri assumes special significance for married couples and young ones as it's usually celebrated with friends and relatives arriving to bless them. However, it's a strange custom in our 'Punjabi Arora' famillies that it's only celebrated for male new borns & not for girls :(

Daddy does not agree with any useless customs/ superstitions & this one was no exception. So, we decided to have a small celebration at home to mark my first Lohri - I guess it's the official way of signifying that 'Vanisha Kheterpal' has arrived ;)

I was dressed up in a fabulous pink dress by Mamma. She says that pink colour suits me the most & I look best in it. Daddy says that every colour suits me & I look awesome in every dress including nappies (or without nappies for that matter.. shame shame). He just loves me too much to be honest about anything ;)

We lit fire using some wood & performed the usual rituals around it. Daddy had recieved invitations from a couple of relatives for Lohri celebrations. We set off for the first venue where as expected, I was the center of everybody's attraction with relatives queueing up to hold me in their arms. There were also a lot of small kids so I had a good time before I fell asleep because I was damn tired.

The scene was no different at the second venue and we were back home at 11 in the night. Some hindu rituals are terrific & some of them are terrible, this one comes in the terrific category & I had a great time :)

East or West, Home is the best !

Someone truly said that there's no place like home. We reached home at 10:30 AM after the long tiresome journey. As soon as daddy rang the doorbell, grandpa, grandma & bhua were out in a flash to meet me. They were all overjoyed to see me & I could see how much they had been missing me in the last one month.

Withing moments, our house which had been quiet for the last one month was buzzing with my chirps and everybody enjoying it. Till I was 8 weeks old, I did not have any set sleep pattern & it was a mission impossible to put me to sleep more often than not. Grandma, Mamma & Daddy used to try their own tricks to put me to sleep but I stood firm most of the time till they were tired & then I would budge so that we could all enjoy some dreams. Grandma's technique was the most efficient, she would make me lie down on her lap & recite chants & bhajans till I fell asleep. I hardly understand a word of what she said but it sounded nice so I would tend to fall asleep before I knew what was going on.

Some snaps were clicked to mark the occasion of my home coming before we all got a well deserved rest in the afternoon.