WOW! Almost 6 months since I have posted anything on my
blog. I had been very busy in the first quarter of this year. We had planned a
visit to India to celebrate my son’s first birthday with his grandparents. Last
year, we had left India abruptly and came here to Nashville. We hardly have any
friends here.
It was my thought from the beginning that we should
celebrate Aarav’s first birthday with both his grandparents. I mean first
birthday is the special one…the next birthdays will happen.
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| "Super why" blueberry cake |
I wonder if I mentioned earlier, but he is a fan of this educational
cartoon program “SUPE WHY”. So we decided to have a super why themed party; for
which I pretty much bought all the decorations here in the US. His birthday
banner, balloons almost 100, the super why character cut outs, plates and cups
and spoons and fork – all with super why cartoons on them.
I had my brother-in-law in India to help and co-ordinate the
party. I stayed there for 6 weeks; 3 weeks each at my in-laws and my parents in
Baroda and Pune respectively! It was a trip to remember. Both his grandparents
waited eagerly to meet him, play with him. 6 weeks flew by so fast! Well his
entire first year has gone by so fast! He got used to seeing so many new faces
all the time. He used to get scared and feel shy…by the end of my trip he
learnt not to cry seeing new faces; yet didn’t go instantly to any new person.
That is probably common to most kids.
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| "Super Why" theme party |
We bought a Samsung tablet only to keep him busy on the
plane with Super why episodes. Well actually I was travelling back alone with
him, since my husband had only a 10-day vacation planned for himself. But my
son as before too, did not trouble me at all. He pretty much slept though both
ways.
By the time we started to India on March 18th, he
had picked up walking. He would walk 5-6 steps and then put his hands down instead
of crashing badly. And by the time I returned he was a perfect walker! He got
enough space and opportunity and people to take him out walking in India.
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| "Super why" coloring activity for kids |
He played a lot with his grandparents, especially his
grandfathers. He bonded with them easily. May be because they would let him
play freely, as against grandmothers who like to cuddle more often; with his
age of being a rebellious walker! J
My grandmother was there to spend time with him tooJ. She of course could
not dare to pick him up, but she enjoyed playing with him at a distance.
As per Indian traditions, we successfully displayed his
skills where he showed where the fan, light, moon, airplane, birds. Now it’s a coincidence
that all his answers are the same – up, towards the sky! But he knows them correctlyJ. He got to see lots of
birds in India, he pretty much screamed with joy every time he saw them. I
thoughtfully taught him actions to “how do birds fly” and “how does fan work” –
some new entertainment for the grandparents and more stories to brag aboutJ.
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| Color imaginations |
Nowadays he has learnt to say few words – choose (shoes), train,
truck, tar (car), dog. He can show A to D on the picture chart, Apple, Ball,
Car and Dog. And off the sequence Onion, because he played with it often in my
mom’s kitchen.
Those are the important updates from recent months. All in
all, beautiful start to the year.
One of the best things about Aarav’s birthday
was this idea I implemented – a diary with hand-written best wishes from all
near and dear ones on the occasion of his FIRST birthday. Something he will
have to read when he grows up. I hope he will enjoy it as much as all the
well-wishers did!
