Friday, April 26, 2013

Behind the wheel!

Today I drove to work - exactly one week from the date of the C-section. I was thrilled to be able to do it.

We visited the doc for post-op follow-up last evening - and fully knowing what he was going to say - asked him if I could drive. He said you do whatever you please, no restrictions from my end. So off today I went with my mom, father in law and the new baby in tow - to work - to pick up Rohan from the child care center. I met a few friends from work in the parking lot hurriedly, (I wish I could have done it a little more leisurely :( )before going off to pick him up. The younger one was just waking up so I was anxious to get back soon, I asked them to hurry up with Rohan and send him out fast. He has to be brought out in the middle of his snack session (those that know him, know he and food do NOT mix at all) On hind-sight, I should have lounged in the parking lot for some more time, fed the baby and then gone up leisurely so that Rohan could also have finished his snack, I could have gone a little less fidgety and could have spent a little more time with friends. Well, you learn everyday :)

This works out well, without the headache of having to hire a driver. But the flip side is the new born is too young and taking him everyday is strenuous for him and leaving him at home is risky since his schedule is not yet set and my mom will be utterly helpless if he starts feeling hungry and crying for me while I am gone. And with Bangalore traffic, there is zero predictability on when you can get back given you are out once.

Some neighbors dropped in just when we got back from the trip to see the new baby. Both kids had gone to sleep in the car, and I had just finished ferrying them one after the other into the bedroom when the younger one started crying and I started to feed him. So I asked them to come in and sit with me, rather than make them wait. While discussing how we just got back, they referred a driver agency which is apparently very good. So I took the number and called the lady up and she has promised to send a person on Monday. If he turns out OK, that will be a good daily-basis arrangement, till the younger one has a settled routine, can hold his milk a little longer and I can venture out a little more confidently leaving him at home.

But the bottom-line, it was amazing to be back behind the wheel already and driving to campus. Felt a sense of freedom which completely eluded me in the surgery's depression last time around. This time, whether I call it experience or a determination to not let myself get depressed like last time, I have managed to not only stay happy for the past one week, but also surprisingly more agile and less handicapped :) Well, all is good so far. I have to thank my mom and father in law without whom I could not have done this at all. A hundred thanks to them!!

Happy one week birthday to the son!!

Monday, April 22, 2013

It's a boy!

So we had a baby boy on April 19 :) All went well, and we cannot be thankful enough for that.

Although it is not very "relate"able, we believe it is my mother in law's soul come back - if it was a baby girl, that would have been more "obvious" :) And we now have two boys, the first shares his birth date with his Dad and the second shares his birth month with his Mom :) Also, both are now "Navami" boys, the older one was born during the Navratris on Maha Navami and the younger one was born on Ram Navami :)

I don't know what made me go through another C-section willingly, but I am glad the worst part of the experience is over and behind us. Now the recovery process only gets better with time. But yes, I hate the epidural and the surgery - hate it! This time around though, the pain is not as worse as it was last time partly because, to accommodate the demands of two kids, I decided to continue the pain-killer unlike last time where I was off it by day 2.

Two kids is a new experience. People say effort grows exponentially, but I am hoping it won't make us mad :) It is a little funny now - suddenly the older one looks "really old".

The son (older one) has taken it well so far. This experience brought two firsts for me and him - we spent the first night away from each other in his 3.5 year life-time - he at home and me in the hospital. It was something I was wondering about all along - how we would deal with it. I was too zonked out to deal with it I guess, and he took it well too, although both days before going home he insisted for a long time that we should all go together. So that is how it was, the first experience of being away from each other- ever. Second one, was today, when he went to the child care center in my office by himself with his Dad. He has never ever gone without me dropping him off - and he has been going there for ~2.5 years! I was feeling a little odd - he was saying, I should also come since last night itself, but when the time came, he said "bye amma, bye thammu (younger bro)", got into the car and left. He has always been and continues to be an amazingly well-behaved infant, toddler and kid, and now older brother :) Sometimes he says "Amma, I want to be with you" and I hate to tell him, it will just be a little longer before the stitches completely heal and we can rough it out like before.

I got my wish of having two boys :) I now get to enjoy my status as only woman in the house till the sons get married and I have daughters-in-law! :) Everyone said I was crazy, hoping for the second one to be a boy, too many boys in the house etc. maybe soon, they will drive me crazy too ;) But I am happy :)

As always, glad to have mom, dad and father-in-law around. It is help we so often tend to take for granted, but the thought of just me and Subhash going through the last three days, is enough to make me realize, how much their help needs to be valued. Who is cooking, who is shopping for groceries, who is managing the logistics around the house, it is all one blur. Because they all chip in and help and help amazingly well with a complete non-complaining attitude. This is probably why families were made. I hope to be an equally good support system for them too :)

And oh yes, we just got news that my sisters' move to Bangalore is confirmed :) So, the cousin joins the merry gang of boys!!! Yay!!

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Signing off

Today was the last day at work for the next five months! I was glad to have been able to go till the very end. Last time around, I was at home for a week before the baby came (more because he decided not to come out at all) and was very nervous and jittery because of the delay, not knowing what will come, and finally when the C-section was decided, worrying about the huge impending surgery.

This time, in complete contrast, the date was decided a week ahead of time, I went to work even today, drove myself (and the son along) till the end, and in general kept my mind on things that are day-to-day and routine. More than anything, want to be done with the whole saga, so looking forward to tomorrow and more than that to a month later when things would have somewhat recovered to normal, and settled into routine.

Mom, Dad, Father-in-law are all here. Glad to have everyone around.

More when there is later updates!

Monday, April 08, 2013

And so I turn a year older..

I love birthdays, especially if it is mine. I like the date so much, I am almost in love with it. I check my monitor screen 2-3 times just because I like to see the date there. I eagerly wait for it when April starts and feel really sad when the day passes away.

So today is my birthday. My mom and father in law had come back to Bangalore to be with us. I wish my dad was able to come too, but no regrets :) We shopped yesterday for new clothes, new watches and new sunglasses (I lost my old pair :( ). Loved it!

Day started off as usual with everyone at home wishing. Son refused to wish saying, he will order me a McQueen cake and get me gifts (a McQueen car and a Disco car, mind you!) and wish me, all in due time. Not today, in due time! I am not sure when that would come ;)

Lots of folks called in the morning, aunts, cousins, my beshtesht friend etc But my co-sister clinched the day - she actually called and sang the whole birthday song! It made my day, I was so touched :)

Then at work, people wished, thanks to Facebook everyone knew ;)

Evening my team sprang a surprise on me with a birthday cake, which said, Happy Birthday and "The Boss" in the bottom. One of the guys in my team, actually got me a birthday card with some nice poetry and very nice stuff written in it - it was like getting transported to a bygone era where we actually got a lot of cards for every birthday. Amazing!

Lunch gang met up again at 4 and shared some cake :) (Only regret being that we were not able to catch up with one of the guys today, I so wanted to :( )

Subhash came home early - very early!

So many wishes on Facebook too :)

So, what is not to love about a birthday!!!