37+ weeks

Babi hates to pose for pics anymore. 

Dearest lil champ,

So you’ve started showing the true colours of being a scorpio huh? Stubborn.  All this while you scared us by showing signs of coming out pre-maturely and now when it is actually the time, you are taking it easy and hanging deep inside there huh? I can imagine how difficult it must be for you to leave that cozy world, the world in which you are so close to your mom’s heart and come into this world where there is so much to deal with.

There is no match to your world here, but there is daddy in here too. I will iron all those creases on your path and give you the shade and warmth that you require, all in excess. And why to worry when you get to be with mom too all you want. Also, you get to see your chachu and maasi and your grandpa and grannys. They are so so excited to see you. You’ll get to see one of your granny probably before you see anyone of us, because she is the one who is going to conduct your mom’s labor in the labor room. And you have so many wonderful aunts and uncles, brothers and sisters, so many people who are praying that you come out into our world, healthy and handsome – to take all our lives by storm.

Come, come, come baby… Papa cant wait any further. Are you convinced or need I more?

Love,

Accha.

36+ weeks

Babi : Please stop punching me baby..

Dearest cup-cake,

Today I heard your heart-beats through my stethoscope.  It was such a great feeling. I feel the right word is – liberating. Beating at such a fast pace, as if telling me that you are waiting to come out and meet the both of us. And its likewise baby – cos everytime we perceive a movement or a kick, our heart races with joy too.

When its time for you to draw those curtains and finally see us, you’ll see two loving hearts amidst many others, two hearts to whom your existence have meant the world, two hearts who have counted each minute and measured each milestone of your growth inside, two hearts for whom nothing means more than having you in our lives – two hearts you’ll call Accha and Mamma.

We love you baby. Come soon. Cant wait.

Love,

Pa.

Hiccups from inside.

Last night Babi called me into our bedroom and she was very anxious. When I asked her what happened, she showed me her belly. Her belly moved in rhythmic contractions and we being doctors, knew for sure that it had nothing to do with the onset of labor.

As usual, I freaked out. Could it be that our baby is in distress? Can he be stuck for lack of amniotic fluid volume? Can it be a seizure? The most complicated and disturbing thoughts flashed into my mind for a brief point of time. In panicky, I picked up the phone and called Amma. She told us that these phenomenon are normal and there is nothing to worry. She said that it might be that the baby is having hiccups.

Still not convinced, I forced Babi to accompany me to the nearby hospital. She denied and asked me to fully trust her mother's judgement. Worried, panicky and totally lost, I turned to where everyone in such a situation would do. The internet. I searched the net and I found two videos and seeing them, there was no room left for doubt. I am attaching those videos here for reference to parents, should they go through something like this. And know this much - its a good thing!! It means that the Central Nervous System of your child has been fully developed.Since then, these hiccups have been entertaining and reassuring.

So worry not and just enjoy the moment. God speed.

Fear owns us all.

Fear is an emotion induced by a perceived threat that causes animals to move quickly away from the location of the perceived threat, and sometimes hide. It is a basic survival mechanism occurring in response to a specific stimulus, such as pain or the threat of danger. In short, fear is the ability to recognize danger leading to an urge to confront it or flee from it (also known as the fight-or-flight response) but in extreme cases of fear (horror and terror) a freeze or paralysis response is possible. -Wikipedia.

Well, that's all Wikipedia has got? Fear to me is much more than that. It's subject to change depending on the situation I am in.

I fear that my preparation for my exams are not good enough,

I fear that my theoretical knowledge of medicine that has rusted over time, will be the reason for my fall.

I fear to think that I am already a year behind a few colleagues of mine,

I fear that this fear will stop me from extracting the best of me.

I fear that any thing could go wrong at any point during the pregnancy.

I fear that the worst nightmares I have about delivery is actually what I have known to have happened in real.

I fear that may happen in my case too.

I fear that these negative thoughts can actually bring unwanted negative energy.

I fear about my wife's and baby's good health.

I fear that there is nothing much I can do about it.

I fear I am not giving so much time to my wife, as I should be now.

I fear that this time that is slipping from my hands will never come back.

I fear each night, because it brings me closer to my exams.

I fear less each night because it also brings me closer to meeting my baby.

I fear which side of the fence my mind will tread to every dark night.

I fear fear fiercely.

Fear - I do not want you to have the best of me! :(

Baby Names

Why cant my baby have any name in the world?

Why does any name necessarily have to denote the religion that person embraces?

Why cant a Hindu kid have the name Akbar or Kabir and why cant a Muslim child have the name Jaspreet or William?

Babi and I loved the names Armaan (boy) and Aafreen (girl), but its got shot down so badly by almost EVERYONE I know. Parents, friends, relatives. 

Dont the parents of the kid really have a say? Do all Hindu kids need to be named Ram or Shyam or Vishnu? Or should kids be the real ones to chose what name they should have?

All questions good, but answers all the same. I know that I will follow suit too, like how many do. 

But I always believe that every one should have the freedom to embrace whatever religion they want to, and it should not just be because of the virtue of being born into a family who already has one.

What do you think?

35+ Weeks

Dearest Munchkin,

How are you holding up in there my champ? Gearing up for your big debut huh? I am sure - cos like father, like child.

While you are doing your final preps in there, your mom and I are doing our bit of preparations at this end too. Your granny(s) have warned us from shopping anything for you before your big entry, because they say that brings ill luck. So sticking by that, we have been extensively (mostly your mom) checking up in the internet and adding things into our shopping cart. But no purchases yet!

Babi at 35+ weeks

You mom already knows what is the in-thing in baby world already. I keep hearing names like Chicco, Graco, Lillebabe, Ju.Ju.Be, and the endless list. I love all those things she has chosen for you, so it makes things a lot easier for the both of us, cos there is less debate. :)

Moreso, your mom has chosen everything in two shades - blue and pink. And you know why. We'll finally boil down onto one soon.

So keep growing in there, safe and sound. Listen to all those beautiful voices who come close to you and talk to you, for they are the ones who are close to your mom's and dad's heart. You'll love them too eventually, as much as they love you already.

Cant wait to see you baby.

Kisses,

Dadda.

Baby Shower

We celebrated Babi's baby shower. I wanted to make her baby shower really big. I wanted to call all our special friends, people who have been through all this with us, and also people who are really close to our hearts.

But just then, many of my friends raised a signal of caution telling me that it could get jinxed and that not many people should come to know and blah blah.. Not that I really buy it, because I dont mind making any amount of noise about the arrival of my baby, but then again, the last thing I want is some ill befall either the mother or the child because of some reason - whatever it may be.

So I just took the closest family members out, those who happened to be with us. Its surprising, because, these were the also two people who have been through Babi's entire pregnancy along our side - helping, supporting, loving. And I cant think of many more who could be in our list as important as them - for who they were to us, and for what they have done.

We all went dressy to Vivanta by Taj, Thycaud and celebrated Babi's baby shower - with love, laughter and happiness.

 

And just then I realised - it is not the amount of people on your list - its the quality of time spent. And when it came to that - I know for sure that it was a night Babi would never forget, for we had a beautiful, BEAUTIFUL evening.