When a hug can make a husband cringe

Yesterday we decided to surprise some friends. They are an elderly couple and we love spending time with them but we never surprise them. Arriving unannounced is a big no-no because they like to share a meal with us and aunty, as we call the lady of the house, hates being unable to offer us a good meal. Any assurances on our part that we have come just to spend some time with them falls on deaf ears.

Yesterday, I just sensed that they were a bit low and decided to break our self-imposed rule.

I had barely stepped into their home and I was surprised with a tight hug. It was then I heard a weak “Auntyyy…” from my husband and concern written all over his face.

I wanted to burst out laughing. I knew he had thought somehow our baby had gotten a big squeeze too but a mother-to-be knows how to naturally maneuver her body to prevent just such mishaps that arise out of well-intentioned acts of love.

Aunty also noticed my husband’s barely concealed anguish and burst into hearty laughter. She was enjoying a first-time father’s experiences!

Picture credit: alcoholics.org.za

Love thy neighbor …

After a much-awaited visit to the doctor last evening, I decided to take a nap while my husband opted to go for a friend’s wedding.

A gentle knock and I found a neighbor at the door.

She’s one of those quiet, devoted-wholly-to-family kind of lady. I’ve never really gotten to know her well but have always appreciated the way she expresses her love for her son, her generosity and her kindly smile every time our paths cross.

I was genuinely surprised to see her at our door and even more surprised as to why she was there: She had just learned that I was pregnant and had brought me a sweet made of condensed buffalo’s milk.

Why do I specify the buffalo milk? Apparently, in rural south, when a woman is pregnant, the family feeds her this sweet as it is very rich and full of protein.

But this was my neighbor, just someone I have a ‘smiling’ relationship with. I vowed then that if I ever had a pregnant neighbor, I would look after her.

Thank you, ma’am.

My tummy not big enough?

It was a classic case of comparisons leading to no good.

I’ve always been overly self-conscious about my weight. So naturally, after we discovered we were expectant parents, it was a frequent pastime to keep checking with my husband if my tummy was too big.

At a get-together last week, several friends commented on how I had not begun to ‘show’ yet, compared to another friend who’s in the same week of pregnancy as me.

And guess what I came back and told my husband disappointedly? My tummy’s not big at all!

He could only give me ‘the magical hug’ and laugh about it.

Well, I find myself falling deeper in love with my husband! :-)

Picture credit: 123greetings.com

Butterfly kisses

The other day at a get-together, some of our friends asked me if I had begun to feel the baby moving. I had not. Just the “butterfly kisses” as I like to call those fluttering sensations.

And I realized I had spoken too soon. The baby’s now 22 weeks old and letting me know just how busy he/she’s in there!

I like it! :-)

Btw, here's the baby update:



Picture credit: Art.com

Dad-to-be and his first bedtime story

Last night I woke up my sleeping(!) husband and asked him to tell our baby a bedtime story. (I had just read at BabyCenter that in their fifth month babies can hear.) His eyes still shut, speech tainted with sleep, he began the story of David and Goliath.

Wow! I said to myself, great story to begin our child’s life with. And then the story began to get heavy – the words were big and complex.

So I interrupted: Reuel doesn’t understand these words.

My sleepy husband: Of course. Our baby understands everything.”

I couldn’t argue with that! I let him complete the story and sealed it with a kiss. :-) He was sleeping, after all, when I came up with this bright spark.

Picture credit: Mayer-Johnson.com

The new me!

After a few months of being unable to eat as much as I wanted to, I’ve found that my appetite’s gradually increasing. To my surprise, I've found that I’m also able to rein in some of my fondness too.

Having been blessed with a sweet tooth, navigating through culinary delights has always been a challenge. And yet, I was astonished to find that over the last couple of weeks, I've been able to graciously say no to all the sweet stuff that my loved ones want to feed me.

Well, mother’s magic has begun to work on me, I guess. How else can I explain this new me?

Picture credit: pbase.com

The awakening

It’s been a little strange getting used to the idea that it’s three of us now especially when the third member of our family can hardly be seen.

But I’ve been sensing this gentle awakening inside me into my new role as a mother. The changes are not very obvious but nevertheless tiptoeing into me like the tranquil breeze beside a calm lake. The kind that surrounds you and lifts you to moments of absolute peace and contentment.

Well, the journey has begun! And you, my little one, are the star!

Picture credit: baymills.org

The true love of our lives

As my husband and I expectantly prepare for the joys of parenthood, one of the truths that hit home again and again, is that our true love continues to be each other. We’ve been discussing about children and how they play a wonderful role in our lives, and yet, we’ve also been discussing that the focus of our relationship does not change.

The other day, worn out after a day at work as well as carrying my now-obviously-pregnant tummy, I crashed, literally plonked myself in an undignified manner, onto the bed. Always on the alert, my husband cautioned me against lying down so rashly. Promptly, I had a rejoinder: You only care about the baby and not me!

The moment I said it, I was filled with a sense of confusion and shame. This was our baby and so what? The baby needed all the love and care that we could provide.

And like always, my darling had a classic statement of love: It has always been and will be you first and then the baby.

I’ve known it and I know it but in that moment of utter fatigue, hearing those words made all the difference to me.

Thank you, my dear.

And here's the latest update on our baby:



Picture (wreath) credit: weddingthings.com

To our baby – About the bright blue sky

Last night as I walked on the terrace and watched the planes land and take off in the distance, I was overwhelmed suddenly by the sheer beauty and vastness of the world that surrounded me. I realized there was so much to tell you, so much to introduce to you.

Well, I’ll start with my favorite: the blue sky. There’s a sky above us. During the day, it turns a bright blue - the kind of blue that makes your heart sing out loud. When the sky is blue and the sun’s shining, which is on most days, there’s a certain magic in the air. You feel that you can conquer the world. And that the entire world is conspiring to make a wonderful day for you!

Honey, I just can’t wait to share the beauty of a bright, blue sky with you!



That's another 19 weeks to go!

Picture credit: defra.gov.uk

A little life

Well, life throws up lovely surprises and one of them is that I’m pregnant. I waited for a while to share this news as there were many people in my life I wanted to inform personally before sharing it through my blog. And now, here it is!

I’m a mother-to-be!

Our yet-to-be-born baby’s 19 weeks old and we just can’t wait to see Reuel. Yes, that’s the name we’ve got for now. Reuel is a Hebrew name that means ‘friend of God’. We’re still hunting for a middle name. That’s ‘cos we want our child to have a name derived from our roots – this beautiful, colorful, multi-cultural land we call home, India.

Each week we read about Reuel’s rapid growth and can’t stem the excitement. And of course, we eagerly look forward to that day when we get to see and hold our baby in our arms.

To help track our baby's progress, I found a cute tracking tool from http://pregnancy.baby-gaga.com. And here's how far our little one's grown:



This is to let all our friends know how long before our baby’s born.