An ant and a thought

Last evening, during our daughter’s evening freshening-up, I noticed a tiny ant nestled tight in her skin. I was aghast and angry. I removed the ant, all the while wondering where it had come from despite taking all kinds of precautions from the insect world. She had not been hurt or bitten. Maybe I felt a little guilty too. Why had I not checked earlier?

And then another thought stopped by – I was grateful to God for having shown me the ant before she could be bitten by it. That helped. These small gestures make all the difference.

Picture credit: centralquestion.com

Amazing life

Every time I look at our baby, a thought runs through my head – over and over again – we have been invited to live an amazing life by God. When I see the perfectly formed little fingers and toes of my lil angel, her smile, wide-eyed expressions, I just know that life is a fantastic journey.

She’s amazing and she surprises me every day with something new.

Thank you God for choosing me to be her mom.

Picture credit: arafura.net.au

Welcome to the world, Baby Reuel!

12th June 2007 dawned quite ordinarily, if not a little cheerier than usual. It was also the day I was supposed to meet the doc for my weekly check-up.

I woke up feeling as though the rugby match within me had picked up pace. When I told mom about it, she decided to leave for the hospital as early as we could. The bags were already in the car.

The drive into Kerala was refreshing, as the previous night’s rain had left the earth looking beautifully groomed for the day.

I walked into the hospital bright and cheery, looking forward to the regular banana fritter treat that we allow ourselves when visiting the hospital. (Their canteen’s got some great stuff!)

My mom informed the nurse on duty that I had felt a little uneasy. (I actually thought the baby had been moving a bit too much.) The nurse decided to check me into the labor room, just in case.

The ‘just in case’ hunch proved to be fortunate. The doc walked into the room in a few minutes and announced to us that I had been in labor all night and that the baby would be born in 3 – 4 hours!

Well, that was at 10:30 am. At 1:45, I vaguely remember being moved into the ‘birthing room’ and the doc scrambling to get on her gloves and gown. At 1:50 pm I heard that distinguishing first cry and I remember thinking, ‘Is that the baby?’

Our first-born hurried into the world and into our hearts at 1:50 pm on 12th June 2007, four weeks earlier. (The last scan pegged the due date at 8th July 2007!)

So that’s the story of our daughter’s birth – the reason for this blog, the fruit of our love and the center of our universe.

Welcome to the world, Baby Reuel. We’ve waited for this moment all along! :-)

Some precautions just for moms-to-be

I’ve found that mothers-to-be can be prone to unthinkable accidents caused due to conflicts with the complex physical laws especially related to the center of gravity. Naturally, with a spine that progressively arches forward like a bow poised to shoot out an arrow, one can hardly expect stable bipedal gait.

So here are a few things I’ve taken to doing. Thanks to experience and of course, advice from parents, friends and well-wishers.

· Take it slow and steady. Most of us are career women who are used to a fast-paced life. But I’ve found it helps to walk a little slower.
· We like to accomplish things but if your growing tummy or the little one within demand your attention, you’re allowed to extend the deadline. The Universal Mom-to-be Law states so. :-)
· Try not to get out of breath.
· When getting out of a chair, do it slowly.
· When using a staircase, walk with a hand on the balustrade or handrail. Just in case…
· When going for a shower, don’t lock the door and let a family member know that you’re in.
· When around pets and children, ensure somebody is around. Kids and animals get excited and can inadvertently knock you over.
· Don’t feel delicate to put up your legs. Or you’ll hate the sight of your feet-turned-balloons.

That’s all I can think of for now.

And here's our 38 week baby! So near ... :-)

My faithful pretend predator

I’ve read several accounts of dogs looking after pregnant women. Of dogs being aware that the lady of the house was in a special state and needed to be treated with tenderness.

Of course, I had no such illusions with our Nan. She’s just as she ought to be - playful as a pup, a brat and bursting with a secret energy source.

However, there was a pleasant surprise – she does know I’m to be treated with special tenderness. So while she plays predator to the rest of us at home – stalking and jumping when you least expect it, I get escorted around the house like royalty.

She likes to lay down near me when I’m reading or working on the computer giving me a gentle lick now and then to remind me of her nearness. During my mandatory walks, she’s just a whisker away. I know she doesn’t understand this strange practice of walking up and down in the driveway but she’s faithfully there behind me. Of course, I would be exaggerating if I said she’s always there. You see, she’s competing for that perennial universal championship for the Global Ratter of a Lifetime Award for dogs. So a squeak means she’s vanished but she soon gets back. As sure as there’s sunshine after rain. :-)

And here's our baby at 37 weeks



Picture credit: mce.k12tn.net

All my bags are packed ...

Finally, all our baby clothes are washed. (It’s good to wash out those store-bought clothes with some baby-friendly detergent.) It was a memorable experience – sorting through those tiny tops, socks, mittens, onesies and all.

To know that those little clothes will soon be filled out by a little angel who has already captured our hearts and imagination.

Mom and I packed them into a little suitcase. I’m so tempted to take out those little clothes and look at them over and over again until I get to see our little darling in those clothes.

I’ll have plenty of time to do that now ... :-)

And finally, our baby's 36 weeks old!