Adira Ticks One

Like I promised on my instagram handle that I will post about my daughter's birthday so here I am putting my thoughts down. It is going to be one long post. Caution: you might fall asleep. 

I have always been an excited person where birthdays concern. I am more excited about my husband’s birthday than he himself is so how could it be any different around my daughter. My daughter is a May girl and the moment may started this year I started reminiscing the same time last year (2016) when I was heavily pregnant and had just been wanting to deliver. 

Last year, the night of 23rd may my husband and I had tried making pakoras and oh boy the pakoras did the trick. I got into labour around 3:30 am that morning, 5:30 we reached the hospital and were informed that the pain is real and our baby is on its way!!! 

After almost 12 hours of labour we were blessed with our angel of a girl. Adira came into our lives on the hot afternoon of 24th may 2016. I still remember how I had to wait for nearly 6 hours to finally hold her just because I didn't pee after the delivery! Phewwww!

Time flew; months hopped and we jumped onto the biggest milestone; a year!! Together we entered the numbers. My daughter is one… the parents in us are one!! Such an achievement! 

I had been preparing for our daughter’s big day for a while. My daughter and I had got matching outfits. We had organised a little celebration with family and friends. I had already taken care of it . 

 

Since she is too small to go pamper herself at a salon like I generally do on special occasions, I gave her a nice scrub of wholewheat, turmeric and milk at home a day before her birthday. In the evening the family got together to decorate the house with pink and white balloons. I also made paper flowers to decorate the car she was going to get the next day. 

 

 

The moment the clock struck 12 I just kissed my daughter and whispered “happy birthday squirrel” in her ear since she was fast asleep. Softly we called in her birthday. 

The morning started with presents from dadu dadi. She took a drive in her new electric car. Our help also got her presents which touched me deeply. It was so thoughtful of them. We had inflated a pool for adira, had filled it with water, flower petals and her water toys. Adira and I took a dip in the water and she was beyond elated. The pool time was followed by a bath and a little nap. 

When you are happy about everything going well like it should be something has to happen. And so it did. 

In the afternoon while I was getting ready for the celebration, I heard adira crying. 

Now I always used to wonder how mothers could distinguish one type of crying from the other but now I realise it comes naturally. So when I heard my daughter crying I knew she had got hurt but I didn't want to presume so I sent my help downstairs to check. And yes she had fallen and had hurt her lip from the edge of the bed!!! That moment I left everything and rushed downstairs. Her dress had blood on it, I wanted to cry but I tried my best to keep my cool.

The thing with babies is that they somehow manage to fall and get hurt even under supervision. My father in law was sitting on the bed and he himself could not fathom how it happened. Anyway after applying an ice pack on her lip over and over again and after 15 minutes of watching telly tubbies she pacified. Her lip had swollen and I could not feel worse. 

The entire incident gave me a headache. I was upset that adira had got hurt. It is bizarre how mothers are connected to their babies. I was not bruised yet I felt so much pain.

Anyway I had a feeling that she would be cranky during the celebration. However I did not want to let that vibe spoil the remaining evening. So I smiled, gave some more love to adira and headed to the event.

Adira observed all the decorations and cooperated by meeting everyone quietly. However, she refused to part from me. I had worn heels hoping she would stay with dadu and nanu. But those hopes went into a pit. 

She enjoys walking a lot these days and dances but I think seeing so many people made her a little clingy. I could not blame her. It was a tough afternoon for my little birthday girl.

Finally the time to cut the cake came and only after tasting her birthday cake did adira feel a little better. I thought she would sleep but my girl wanted to enjoy the celebration till the very last.

 

She became herself when the last of the guests were left. It was a relief to see that smile on her face. Anyway all is well that ends well. 

We feel grateful to be surrounded by so much love. A big thank you to everyone who remembered adira on her special day and showered her with their blessings. 

Adira is growing naughtier with every passing day and keeps me on my toes. I think it just makes us appreciate our parents a little more. 

Thank you squirrel for filling our lives with so much love, joy and laughter. May you always be blessed.

My Mother's Day Gift

Sunday, May 14^th 2017 à My first Mother’s day.

Last year around this time I was hoping that I deliver the sweet little bun baking inside my big oven. It was my own special way of feeling gifted by the almighty. But my daughter had plans of her own. She decided to take her own time and arrived 16 days after.

Easy Mango Lollies

I picked out the softest mango from the refrigerator this afternoon to make a thick smoothie for my 11 months old. However, when I tasted  that soft mushy mango, it was just a little too tangy for my girl. I kept the half cut mango aside undecided what I will do with it later and went on to pick another one. I then prepared a quick smoothie from a relatively sweeter mango and transferred it into a bowl to be devoured by my daughter afterwards. I moved on to  the half cut mango.


I could have made “aamras” for everyone which is just another synonym for a mango smoothie. But I decided to choose the no-milky way. I don't know how at that moment I was struck by my childhood memories; my childhood memories with my nani dearest. May god bless her soul. She used to make us absolutely yummy ‘nimbu pani’, ‘rasna’ and “mango” lollies to beat the summer heat. So reminiscing my memories with her I decided to make everyone mango lollies for dessert.

Now these lollies are unabashedly easy, fresh and simply delicious. It has a two-ingredients recipe and no you are not getting any prizes for guessing them. Mango and sugar!! That is it! I made these the traditional way like my nani used to; in ice cube molds. However, you can purchase the cute looking, colourful Icecream molds available in the market these days if you please.

So all you lazy people or even the not so lazy ones why don't you try these and make your near and dear ones super happy. After all who doesn't like some fruity coolers in the summers.

This is how the lollies looked! Small, cute and very inviting 

Ingredients ( prepared 6 cubed mango lollies)

1 mango
2.5 tbsp sugar

Recipe

Dice the mangoes and put them in a bowl.

Add sugar to it.

Blend them in a mixer or use a hand blender.

Transfer the thick mixture into the ice cube molds.

Put a toothpick or a disposable fruit fork into each mold.

Put the ice cube  tray into the freezer.

Check it in a few hours. When done just use a knife to take the lollies out of their molds.


Lick. Slurp. Enjoy.

Foodie Emotions

Unlike most of my food posts which are followed by a recipe this one is an exception. In this one, emotions follow. This post is mainly about how I felt today as I was baking a set of six muffins. I have always confessed that I am a moody baker. By moody I mean a lot of things. Firstly, I am not an everyday baker so I am moody that way. Secondly I should really need to be in a good mood to bake and not bake just for the namesake. Thirdly, I don’t care if it is an occasion if I feel like baking for that occasion I do else I simply buy from outside. 

Goa and some Gyaaaaan

My husband and I love Goa. Who doesn't? Right? Anyway so when our friends suggested that we make a trip to the Feniland we jumped at the suggestion. It was an easy yes because our friends (other two couples) too have daughters almost Adira’s age. 

Now the trip was a success and the girls even after doing all the work still enjoyed and the boys even after minimal baby handling found the trip challenging LOL. But towards the end of it we all came back as happy refreshed people.

Life like an Icecream

12th January 2017, 11:45 PM 

After packing each and every return favour in the day, I have now retired to bed all tired, hoping for a sound sleep. But somehow my thoughts are hopping between the confirmed guest list to the decor to the catering and then my own make up. It would be my daughter's first lohri tomorrow and her first celebration since birth and I am so looking forward to it. 

13th January 2017, 7:32 AM

I wake up at the sound of the door opening. I see my mother-in-law standing besides our bed with a face that is telling a sad story. We are informed about the demise of a very close relative and hence the lohri function has to be cancelled. I pick up my cell phone that has been left on snooze; a string of calls follows.

Later in the morning, while dipping a teabag in the cup I just found myself wondering about the course of events that took place in less than a span of 12 hours and the impact it left in our lives. It took me back to a quote we used quite often in school "life is like an ice cream, enjoy before it melts". How true it is, isn't it? One moment you have a cone of the most inviting ice cream swirl in your hand and the next moment the top has wilted and you find your hands all sticky with the cream pearls slowly giving themselves away in the darkness between your palm and cone.

The night before lohri, I was super excited about the celebration and the equation of my feelings just changed the following morning. My heart sank not just because we had to cancel our daughter's very first celebration and not because I had hand packed every return favour myself wanting to make it special but also because the life we lost that morning was very special. May his soul rest in peace.  He will continue to live in our hearts and be remembered in our thoughts. 

I usually get philosophical when such things happen. In general we spend so much time and exert so much energy planning this and that and then suddenly, from nowhere life hurls a mishap in our face leaving us ambushed. Do we stop planning then? I say NO. Because every successful even needs some planning. While we all like adventure a bit of planning does no harm. 

The two contrasting events just helped me realise how short life is and how uncertain. we must make the most of it while it lasts. After all who doesn't like licking the top of that ice cream swirl? 

So be happy. Love, laugh and forgive easily. Enjoy the ice cream before it melts away. Goodnight 

Mothers do you have an answer?

So all this time I have written posts; some generic,  some about relationships and most about food. However, today as I was driving back home while my daughter sat in my help’s lap, amidst all the noise of the traffic and the curry on the road I realised how I have lost patience in general after adorning the jewelled crown of motherhood. I suddenly got lost in my thoughts and it occurred to me how I never spoke of or posted about my dark side ( not that there is much to it and don't pretend you don't have any huh!); my failings or my weaknesses. 

Anyway so here I am sharing my shortcoming. Ideally my  patience level should go a notch higher because supposedly and theoretically   kids teach you the twisted art of keeping calm. I am not denying that I am a very patient mother to  my daughter who is soon going to turn seven months old. I still haven't doddered her like some mothers confess they do at the sight and sound of their wailing babies.

However I get a short circuit too, and recently too often doing general day to day chores. Not that my lack of patience has killed someone. My daughter has not had the brunt of it yet but my dearest younger sister and my mom have surely had a taste of my impatience. With my fuse going off I have yelled at them, ordered them like I own them (in my heart I believe I own these women). Sometimes they obey and the other times they yell back. 

Nevertheless, shutting my thoughts I honked and drove all the way back home. Now as I lay in my bed, my feet tucked in the quilt, the whistling of the mosquitoes in my room remind me again of my increased level of impatience. So I thought I will bounce the question at other mothers; have you experienced a low balance in your patience account after experiencing motherhood. Do you think my losing patience is normal/human or am I the crazy one? 

Let me know. Goodnight.