It is that time of the year again, to look back, to reflect, to learn and to move on.
The year was promising to be particularly tough what with the second baby on the way and Subhash's new role and that too in a startup. I was ridiculously nervous about how I would manage all of this without his help.
But what a year it has turned out to be. Simple one of the best in the recent past, and like I say every year, tough to imagine a better one!
My mom came in and made everything very very easy, she stayed on, helping out in every possible way, and singularly thanks to her, the nervousness of managing everything just disappeared. My father in law, as always, like a pillar of support, silently, but very capably, managing everything in the background without much ado. Between these two, we were left with pretty much nothing left to do, and so, between the first son and the second, I actually do a lot less work for the second one in spite of having to manage two now!
Then my Dad's move - long long awaited - to Bangalore! It's like going back to your teens. Living with parents, forgetting troubles, living care-free! I don't think I could have asked for more. The single biggest aspiration since the last 12 years, to live with parents under one roof has come true for both Subhash and me, and how!
Then the older son, he has quite taken to my mom, and now I have actually offloaded my single biggest concern, his eating - to various people, my mom, Subhash and many a times my Dad too!! Truly having parents around is such an awesome gift! To see them gel so well with grandkids, there is simply nothing like it!
Professionally, been a good year, cannot complain at all. Aside from some standard maternity prejudice that I guess is an eventuality in any org, this org has actually supported me rather well before, during and after the maternity. Considering that I was carrying the first four months and off on maternity, the next five months, and in-office only for half a day for the rest of the three months, I was remarkably productive and got quite a few things done at work. Few proud moments for sure - when I signed off on Thursday evening from work and drove myself and son back from campus at 5.30 PM, with a scheduled C-section next morning at 9.30 AM. Back in campus, exactly a week after the surgery, to pick up son from the daycare, with mom and father in law and the younger one in tow. Performance reviews for the team during maternity leave, albeit on phone.
The entry of the younger one into the family scene - this was not as horrible as I was dreading it to be. In fact the second C-section was much more relaxed, more like checking into a hotel, getting done with it and checking back out. The pain was much more tolerable, maybe it was the state of mind or maybe the body truly gets used to what is "expected". Plus I don't feel the stigma of C-section anymore, unlike last time. The fact that it's much easier on the babies probably, plus I think I have grown out of the taunts from the first one - I am actually quite happy about having had both C-sections finally! Normal delivery has lost its "halo" for me, for sure :)
Older one finally began to write this year. He even signed his own school admission form! He moves out of Cisco campus next year finally. To a regular school, into UKG. This year was special for that reason too - he started LKG at work campus and we closed his admission process into UKG too - all very hassle free. We did not research, we did not pain ourselves too much, we checked the closest school to work, walked in there, applied, paid the fees and came out. The more I see the world, the more I realize that KG or even high school education has very little bearing on how you turn out in life. So long as you get the basics right, unit tests, assignments, marks, exams, matter very little. So I did not kill myself trying to get him into the best school in Bangalore, something I was likely to do a few years ago. Just something close to home so he doesn't get stressed/tired from the commute. Period.
We definitely continue to miss my mother in law. How she would have loved to see the younger one, see the older one's chatter, pranks, growing up! And us evolving too, I am sure she would have been proud of where Subhash is this year!
More importantly, this has been a "change" year for India. The dynasty seems finally threatened. We reached a new low in all possible senses as a country, but we also hope for a new high with 2014. A lot of ground work has gone into what I hope will be a catalysis for Indian politics next year. I will exercise my franchise in what way I think will be best for India. Hoping everyone will too, without inherent bias or prejudice! Actually, I just hope everyone will vote, just get out there without being lazy or sulking and just go and vote!
The year was promising to be particularly tough what with the second baby on the way and Subhash's new role and that too in a startup. I was ridiculously nervous about how I would manage all of this without his help.
But what a year it has turned out to be. Simple one of the best in the recent past, and like I say every year, tough to imagine a better one!
My mom came in and made everything very very easy, she stayed on, helping out in every possible way, and singularly thanks to her, the nervousness of managing everything just disappeared. My father in law, as always, like a pillar of support, silently, but very capably, managing everything in the background without much ado. Between these two, we were left with pretty much nothing left to do, and so, between the first son and the second, I actually do a lot less work for the second one in spite of having to manage two now!
Then my Dad's move - long long awaited - to Bangalore! It's like going back to your teens. Living with parents, forgetting troubles, living care-free! I don't think I could have asked for more. The single biggest aspiration since the last 12 years, to live with parents under one roof has come true for both Subhash and me, and how!
Then the older son, he has quite taken to my mom, and now I have actually offloaded my single biggest concern, his eating - to various people, my mom, Subhash and many a times my Dad too!! Truly having parents around is such an awesome gift! To see them gel so well with grandkids, there is simply nothing like it!
Professionally, been a good year, cannot complain at all. Aside from some standard maternity prejudice that I guess is an eventuality in any org, this org has actually supported me rather well before, during and after the maternity. Considering that I was carrying the first four months and off on maternity, the next five months, and in-office only for half a day for the rest of the three months, I was remarkably productive and got quite a few things done at work. Few proud moments for sure - when I signed off on Thursday evening from work and drove myself and son back from campus at 5.30 PM, with a scheduled C-section next morning at 9.30 AM. Back in campus, exactly a week after the surgery, to pick up son from the daycare, with mom and father in law and the younger one in tow. Performance reviews for the team during maternity leave, albeit on phone.
The entry of the younger one into the family scene - this was not as horrible as I was dreading it to be. In fact the second C-section was much more relaxed, more like checking into a hotel, getting done with it and checking back out. The pain was much more tolerable, maybe it was the state of mind or maybe the body truly gets used to what is "expected". Plus I don't feel the stigma of C-section anymore, unlike last time. The fact that it's much easier on the babies probably, plus I think I have grown out of the taunts from the first one - I am actually quite happy about having had both C-sections finally! Normal delivery has lost its "halo" for me, for sure :)
Older one finally began to write this year. He even signed his own school admission form! He moves out of Cisco campus next year finally. To a regular school, into UKG. This year was special for that reason too - he started LKG at work campus and we closed his admission process into UKG too - all very hassle free. We did not research, we did not pain ourselves too much, we checked the closest school to work, walked in there, applied, paid the fees and came out. The more I see the world, the more I realize that KG or even high school education has very little bearing on how you turn out in life. So long as you get the basics right, unit tests, assignments, marks, exams, matter very little. So I did not kill myself trying to get him into the best school in Bangalore, something I was likely to do a few years ago. Just something close to home so he doesn't get stressed/tired from the commute. Period.
We definitely continue to miss my mother in law. How she would have loved to see the younger one, see the older one's chatter, pranks, growing up! And us evolving too, I am sure she would have been proud of where Subhash is this year!
More importantly, this has been a "change" year for India. The dynasty seems finally threatened. We reached a new low in all possible senses as a country, but we also hope for a new high with 2014. A lot of ground work has gone into what I hope will be a catalysis for Indian politics next year. I will exercise my franchise in what way I think will be best for India. Hoping everyone will too, without inherent bias or prejudice! Actually, I just hope everyone will vote, just get out there without being lazy or sulking and just go and vote!
