22 October 2013 - Got Promoted as a Big Sister!

               You got a promotion today and we all had been waiting for this since last 9 months! Finally you are now a Big Sister. I can't believe that you will be considered a big girl here after. You are still a baby, you haven't even learnt to walk yet. And you are a big sister now.

               I had been trying to tell you that there is a baby inside my stomach. You had not understood that, you only kept repeating the word "baby". You always used my stomach as your personal pillow. But now that little human has come out. I am curious to see if you are going to continue seeing him as your personal toy.

               As much as we were eager to see your little brother, we all were curiously waiting to see your expression to see the little baby. Last night your dad and I had to leave home at 1 am and go to the hospital. You were not willing to let me go, you were grabbing my chain and hugging me even closer as I kept trying to go away from you. My contractions were stronger, we had to leave to the hospital and you had somehow got the clue, you were gripping me even tighter and crying. Somehow we finally managed to put you back to sleep and left home.

               I heard from your granny that you searched for me this morning as soon as you woke up. But you are a good girl, I heard that you didn't cry. Later you came to the hospital with your granny and dad. You looked expressionless when you looked at the little baby. And later you looked very confused to see me on the bed. When I held your brother, you had a big question mark on your face, but neither you could ask any question nor we could explain it to you the way you understand it. I felt happy and sad at the same time to consider you a big sister now. It feels so weird to call my little baby a "big sister" now though it is the fact. 

               You kept walking in the hospital lobby all the day holding your granny's hand. I didn't know if you were really not bothered about the new situation and busy with the new walk-walk play or if you were trying to keep yourself busy just to avoid it. I am really worried about how you are going to react once you see the baby at home after we get discharged. But you surely were puzzled to see me sleeping on the hospital bed. We all now wonder if you are going to sleep well at home without your mom next to you tonight or going to trouble granny the whole night.

               I really hope that everything settles down soon and you take it positively. As of now I am worried about you being fine more than anything else. We are never going to care less for you and you are equally important to us, you are the same sweetest cutie pie of ours always. And I somehow cannot call you a "big girl". You might be a big sister for your little brother, but for us, your brother is our little son and you are always our little daughter. Never big for your parents!

We had a photo shoot as you turned a year old. Because that would be the last time out family will have only three people. You looked very pretty in all the pictures and the above picture is one of them from J C Penny portrait studio.

8 November 2013 - 2 Week's Pediatrician Visit

              Today we had your two week's visit with the pediatrician and we were forced to see you cry! :( The pediatrician was good and we were happy to know that your weight now is 6 pounds and 9 ounces. So have gained 1 pound in 8 days. That is a good weight gain for your age. Doctor even gave us a few samples like Vitamin D drops. You need them as you are exclusively getting breast fed. She even cleaned your umbilicus with alcohol wipes. You had even grown much taller and your length now is 19.5 inches. I was given a book on breast feeding to clear all my doubts if I get any.

               Later, we went to Methodist Hospitals for the two week screening. You had to give your blood sample for 2 week screening and these 20 tests need to be done according to the Texas law. Your blood spots will be preserved for 25 years with them. It felt terrible for your dad and me to see the nurse pinch your little foot so hard to squeeze out those 25 drops of blood. She said that you were the 4th baby she tortured that day and they are so used to see the little babies cry. But it felt too bad to see you cry your lungs out when your tiny foot bled. 

               Mean while, your sister was not willing to stay at one place and she gave really a hard time to your granny out side the lab. She was running everywhere with her bare-feet and your granny was tired running behind her.

               You now wake up every half an hour or one hour at night for feeding. You seem hungry all the time and willing to have food any time I offer you. During the day you sleep well and at the end, I don't get to sleep at all. At night you keep me awake and during the day, your sister doesn't let me sleep. I now have become totally a zombie and I forget what I said even an hour ago. It feels like I am living in a different world altogether and I am wondering how long this is going to continue.

               At night when you are not drinking milk, you constancy keep making different sounds and I keep checking if you are awake. I later realize every time that you are making those sounds in sleep. It sometimes sounds like a pig's grunt and some times like a hissing snake! They are still cute, because at least that makes me feel that you are there right next to me. You sleep in your cradle, but you love to sleep next to your mom on the bed. But I cannot put you next to me as your sister keeps coming in and she might kick you anytime. 

               Your dad and I are now familiar with names like - gerber, similac, enfamil, graco, chicco, safety first, fisher price, pampers, huggies, munchkin, comfort, desitin, lansinoh, johnson, babiesrus, toysrus, nuk, shutterfly, yorkphoto, playtex, orajel, garanimals and many many more. Thanks to you and your sister for improving our vocabulary!

               Your umbilical cord fell off on the 6th of November 2013 and I have preserved it to keep recalling that you were a part of me once upon a time. That makes me feel so blessed! I went to Kroger leaving you at home with granny on the 5th of November. But I kept remembering you through out, couldn't stay there for more than one hour. 

               You are such a sweet heart to be honest because you hardly make a peep. You don't cry even when you are in pain nor when you are hungry. You don't have colic. At night when you are awake, you keep staring at the roof or wall and make your own noises, lie for hours together, but you don't cry. You are such a good boy and we are extremely proud of you. I feel like giving you a biiiiiiiiig hug whenever I see you awake and not trouble your mom!

On this Deepavali, we clicked family pictures and it feels wonderful to see our little complete family.

28 October 2013 - First Pediatrician Visit

               Today you had your very first pediatrician visit. Your pediatrician is an Indian doctor - Dr. Anuradha Venkatachalam. We go to Pediatrics and Adolescent Center of Houston even for your sister, It is a group of 5 pediatricians and we had chosen Dr. Elizabeth Fowler for your sister. She is a good doctor, but we read even better review for Dr. Anu. We even know other kids who go to her and your dad and I finally decided to choose Dr. Anu for you.

               After today's visit, we were happy with the doctor, she sounded good and so far I feel that we have made a good decision of choosing her as your pediatrician. You are now 7 days old and your weight has increased to 5 pounds and 9 ounces. It is good to know that you have crossed your birth weight. 

               You had the bilirubin level 8 when you were born, but it has become normal now. I had thought of making you wear an yellow shirt today and your dad insisted that I must not carry anything today that is yellow - neither the shirt, nor your blanket. You wore a blue shirt. Because with our yellowish Indian skin tone, your sister's doctor had a doubt last year that she had jaundice. So we had to go for an extra visit and blood test. Your dad didn't want that to happen again. Hence the restriction on yellow for today!

               Everything looked normal and we were glad to know that you are healthy as well. So this was your second car journey so far and you slept well through out the journey. Today it was only a regular check up with the reports that hospital gave us at the time of discharge. Thankfully, there was no vaccination today and you were not made to cry. It was altogether a happy visit.

24 October 2013 - Little Prince to our little Palace!

               You are already 3 days old! You slept well on the very first night of your life. You woke up every one and half hours for feeding and went back to sleep soon after the food. You don’t really get to drink milk yet, but you are drinking the so called “liquid gold” now and that is colostrum. It has all the nutrients and is packed with immune cells and antibodies for your immature digestive system. I didn’t have to struggle much this time to make you latch on or to teach you how you drink. You were good at it and I was extremely happy.

               On your second day, you looked the same to us, the same tiny bundled joy. Your dad went home to fresh up in the morning and came back with your granny and sister. Your sister once again kept staring at you, but she got very scared every time you cried. She refused to come close to you and now she looked at me differently. I called her to sit on my lap, she eagerly wanted to come, but she was hesitating as you were there next to me. I felt bad for her and she was totally confused to see me stay at the hospital and to see a new person with me. She has to get adjusted to the new life with you, because even you are equally important to us. Together we make a complete family now.

               Like the previous day, your granny and dad were taking turns to take your sister out and to entertain her. After some time, we had the professional photographer in our room. She took beautiful pictures of yours, and some with your dad and me. We so wanted your sister also to be in the photograph with her newborn brother. But we failed to make her stay next to you even for a click. We were very happy to see the pictures later, but sad that your sister was not in it. There were different packages with photo, but preferred to take only the soft copies and it cost 135 dollars to us. But we believe that it is worth taking the pictures of your life’s beginning. We were not able to do that for your sister.

               I had been breaking my head for a beautiful name since past 2 months. From my shortlisted 42 names your dad had chosen 8 names earlier, then it came down to 4 and then 2 - Advay and Aniket. And finally your dad decided to name you Aniket! Aniket is one of the names of God Shiva. Your dad then was thinking of your second and last name and finally we named you "Aniket Bhat Kalandoor"! I now like the name. Your grand parents were eager to see you on video chat and they were happy to see their little grandson.

               Our room number was 2309 on the second floor. The nurses and doctors kept coming to our room throughout the day. They took you to the nursery for various tests every now and then and you passed the hearing test. The lactation consultant visited us and gave me a breast pump. You had not lost much weight, so we were all happy. I took a good shower and changed to my clothes and that made me much more comfortable. In the evening, you had your first visitors – Chaitra ate, Ashwin mama, Anvi akka and Anika akka. We celebrated your birth with a cake that the hospital provided. It was yummy and you were the center of all the celebrations! They brought you clothes and your sister too got her “big sister” clothes for the sweet promotion! Anvi akka was eager to see you and asked many questions too.

               Once again your dad went home in the evening to drop your granny and sister home. The second night at the hospital went on well too and I left you in the nursery for 2 hours, so that I could get some sleep. I knew that this would be the last peaceful sleep I will have for next 2 years at least. There are going to be two creatures at home here after to spoil my sleep, but I am not sad about it.  I had been getting contraction pain after the delivery, it feels just like the contractions and back ache I had just before the delivery. They are painful and I am on pain killers and they are saving the smile on my face.

               So today on the 24^th, we were told that we can go home in the morning. But after your complete health check-up and my health check-up and billing and after getting the discharge summary and packing the bag, finally we were ready to go at 1 pm. Your dad and I dressed you up with full clothes and that was the first time you wore a proper outfit. We had already kept your car seat ready after testing it at the hospital yesterday. You were made to sit in the car seat and that made you look so small in the big car seat. You were fast asleep in the car seat covered with a warm blanket. We gave all the remaining chocolates for the nurses to eat later and that’s how even they got to enjoy the celebration of your birth.

               Your discharge weight was 5 pounds and 4 ounces. You have lost only 3 ounces from your birth weight and that is good. Usually babies lose up to 8% of their birth weight at the time of discharge and your sister had lost 11% of her weight, where as you lost only 3% of your birth weight. You were 17 inches long. Your sister and granny have not come to the hospital today; they have stayed at home to welcome you. Your dad went home in the morning to vacuum clean the house and to make sure that everything was alright for your arrival. At 1 pm, we were ready with all our bags and hospital supplies like – formulas for you, my medicines, sitz tub, pain relief sprays, ointments, nipple cream (which I really need now), a few clothes for you, breast pump and many more. Just before the discharge, I asked for another pain killer and without that I cannot imagine my life as of now. I once again made sure that my prescription sheet for pain killers is safe in the bag. Your dad finally checked the room once again to make sure that we have not left anything in the hospital. Your sister had been leaving her toys and books in the room since past two days and we made sure to pack them all back in the bag.

               I was made to sit on a wheel chair, bags were loaded on a cart and your car seat with you was kept on the cart. My nurse pushed my wheel chair till the car park and your dad came pushing the cart with the most important person in it, behind us. We all waited near the hospital entrance as your dad went and brought the car. The nurse and he loaded the luggage in the car and I sat behind with our Mr. Precious! We waved bye to the nurse and your dad drove us all home. You slept through the 5 minutes’ drive and your dad and I were absolutely quiet to make sure that we don’t disturb your sleep.

               We were all waiting to see your sister’s reaction to see her little brother at home and you were anyway fast asleep. I slowly and safely climbed all the stairs taking enough time. Your granny and sister were standing in front of our door number 725 at the 7^th block of “The Mandolin”.  Your sister had a big smile on her face to see her mother’s return from the hospital. But behind me, your dad came holding the car seat with a tiny person in it. She very curiously looked into it, her smile faded away, but she definitely was not sad. She was confused and she was wondering why the baby from the hospital came to her house as well. She kept staring at every one with a totally puzzled face. Your dad introduced you to her once again and said “baby”. She did not repeat the word, but continued to stare at us as we all came in. Your granny had a huge smile on her face and she was eagerly waiting to welcome her precious grandson to home.

               Your dad kept the car seat on the sofa and your sister brought her yellow favorite car and dropped it on you. She spoke something to you in her language and she wanted you to pick the car up. You neither spoke to her nor picked up the car she shared with you. She once again searched around and gave the camera cap to you. She didn’t know where your hands were, so she kept dropping her toys on you. When you didn’t react, she pulled your leg, it was not to harm you, but she was trying to call you. But though her intension of making friends with you was good, we had to stop her from pulling your legs and dropping heavy things on you, as you are the gentlest thing ever in our world for now. You need to be protected from your sister for many more months to come.

               The rest of the day went on with a great joy at home. Your sister continued to be confused and curious, she was still hesitating to come close to you; granny continued to be in her smiling face as she took care of your sister and couldn’t resist her urge to hold you; dad kept a protective watch on you as he took the responsibility to make everything safe for you; I made sure that you are comfortable and not hungry. I was not in a state to do anything more, other than feeding you and taking care of myself. Your sister wanted me to play with her, carry her and run around with her. But there was no way I could satisfy all of these, I only kept talking to her. We all tried telling her that you are ours, our baby, our family, going to be with us here after and you are her little brother. We don’t know how much she understood, but she did not attempt to harm you.

               So finally here is a new member of our family and in fairy words, we already had got our little princess last year and now we got our little prince as well in our little palace. So this makes our happy family a complete one!