Isn't it horrible when your child is sick? That to before your dream trip!

“What’s more important—the trip or your baby’s health?”, said the doctor.

I sat there chewing my finger nails while Aurko was sitting in a corner quietly playing— the fever has come down now. He doesn’t look sick. Anyone looking at him will wonder –why is he even at a doc’s clinic.

I knew otherwise.

The husband asked in a not-so-confident voice—“what if it’s not Hand-Foot-Mouth disease and a mere tummy upset”

“Then you will have a lucky escape because it’s pretty rampant in Delhi/NCR schools these days” says the doc.

“But he is just 1 year old.  He doesn’t go to school and comes in contact with other kids” I chipped in.

“You don’t want to cancel the trip, do you?” said the doc with a smile.

We nodded in unison. Can there ever be a greater monster parents alive.

“All right, you continue with this medicine, and call me in case of emergency. Goa has a medical college, so right treatment will not be a problem in case of emergency. Just monitor his food, and keep your fingers cross and hope it’s not HFM” said the doc.

“BTW, when are you flying?” she asked.

“The day after” said I, a little breathlessly. Not really sure, whether it will be wise to take a plunge and go to Goa (my first trip) with a sick child— who is pooping every hour.

We came out of the clinic completely flustered—thinking should we shouldn’t we? Eventually, we decided to take a plunge.

For time immemorial, I have been making plans for this trip; have rummaged through every parenting blog to get ideas about beach holidays with a baby. In the end, it came to no use.

In a day’s time, the poop went from runny to semi-runny, and soon we were onboard with a baby on toe and a bag full of—yoghurt, flat rice, and ORS.

And it was not fun? Dragging a sick child through the terminal, making him eat the khichdi in the plane, changing his diapers in the narrow plane-toilet. In moment like this, I told myself I should start giving him something to boost his immunity, something like Dabur Chyawanpras.

But Goa changed everything. Upon landing, food was our biggest concern, what would we feed him?  Restaurant food is so inappropriate?

In the end, the plain dal-chawal came to our rescue, and as our chipmunk was so sick of khichdi, he savoured the dal-chawal with much gusto, while we chopped on our seafood. The next morning, we took him for a stroll by the sea, without worrying about his breakfast and all. We let him sit on the sand to just soak in the atmosphere.

The light breeze, morning sun, and the waves touching his tiny feet—washed away the worries we had in our heart about his sickness. Eventually, it turned out to be one of the best family trips we had till date.

Guess Goa does that to everyone!

Disclaimer: This post was written as a part of IndiBlogger “A healthy Child Makes a happy Home”  Happy Hour contest.

P.S. The pictures are taken on that first morning in Calangute beach Goa. Isn't he looking so happy?

Winter's Here, Winter's Coming!

The winter is in the air and the topas are out. I thought last years woolens will not fit in this winter, but surprisingly it did. This hand knitted woolen cap is a gift from my sis-in-law when Aurko was 4 months old. See, how my cherub is flaunting it in style.

Ring in the winters, I say!

No Place for Walker

I can’t help feeling a pang of sadness as I put away Aurko’s walker up in the loft of the store room—he is walking full fledged these days. Though it’s not as if I am bidding good bye to the walker, but still it broke my heart to realize he is growing so fast, that he don't need it anymore. I have noticed, he don’t EVEN look like a little baby, more like a little toddler. A toddler? It seems like yesterday when I hold him for the 1st time. Parting with his baby clothes is again a sentiments ridden task, I've been hoarding everything since his birth, and he is 14 months old now. Imagine the clutter. I have become such a hoarder, I literally have closet full of cute little baby stuff because I'm so sad to put it all away in boxes. It's so hard to get rid of these stuffs, I feel sad that he will not be able to fit into all these clothes ever again. My baby is no longer a baby and knowing that I soon have to part with this chapter of my life is what breaking my heart.

Stop me if you can! Though in the picture he is sitting and not running. But boy,  you have to see him riding this to believe me? He use to be as fast as a flash. I wish I had a good video of this. 10 month old Aurko.

1st time in a walker, and he was a little scared. 8 Months old.

I can even run on sand. 14 Months old Aurko.

Moves like Jagger

1st Holiday With A Baby on Toe

The 1st picture of Aurko sums up our trip to Goa! Exhilarating, exciting and sheer happiness is how this trip has been for us. And all my apprehension about travelling with an year old vanished in thin year the moment I hopped on the plane. I really don't want this post to be about how one should prepare for holidaying with baby, what to pack, how much to pack and all that jazz, because my trip was on the brink of cancellation as Aurko fell ill 2 days before we were flying, and after many should we, shouldn't we moments, me and hubby decided that we'll go. So I guess, all the planning that I did before this trip came as no good as all those browsing the net for holidaying-with-baby didn't prepare me for how to take a sick baby along on a holiday. But look at my boy in the pictures below, does he look sick? That's what Goa did to him.

My Calangute Beach Boy

I was making a castle, and mum didn't helped at all!

Hey Mom, what's am I suppose to see?

Goa Facts: Coconut water in Goa is not cheap as one might think looking at all the coconut trees, because they ripe the coconut completely to cook fish. They get the watery coconuts from Karnataka.

Vagator Beach Facts; The right side of the beach is packed with Indian population, whereas the left side is for foreigners. Strange, isn't it? 

Sunset in Miramar and the moments!

And the lobsters in Souza Lobo

The Curious Case of Baby Bottoms

We are a family obsessed with bums! Yup, you heard that right; our jokes are funnier when it includes the mention of the rear. Our coochie-poos canoodling is more sweet and syrupy when it’s about the bottoms. When my sister had my niece (the elder one), our vocabulary took a drastic turn, and we both invented many innovative names for yours truly. Eventually, it became a habit for us to measure the loveliness of baby with the softness of baby bottoms. Weird, I know. But we Chanda’s are like that.

Ah! Seriously, can anything beat the joy of squeezing the chubbiness of baby soft bon bon? Watch any of that Pamper, Huggies or Johnson & Johnsons ads, the cute pat on the baby bottom always bring a smile to the face. 

 In my family, my nephew Ivan is the undisputed winner of having the softest baby bottom. I mean, we being a bum family have never come across a softer rear as his. You can compare it with the wispiness of cotton and the cotton will fall short of it. Life was happier when they were in India. I’ve not seen those cute 3 booties (2 nieces and 1 nephew) for 3 years now, and they have grown enough to be embarrassed by this post of Butu mashi. 

Guess I’ve to wait for some time more to coochie coo those three bums. Till then, I’ve my munchkin’s ever soft bottoms to console with! Ahhh!

Our Little Monkey is 1 Month Away from His Birthday!

I am a big boy, I'll turn 1 next month

Yes! I go bananas when I see slides and swings.

My walker is my favourite gear

Mommy, I want this book.

Hello Giana

First Book for my 9 months old

Price: Rs.200

I brought my son his first book "Now I am 1" from Limbooz.com the other day. And my little munchkin absolutely loved it. The sight of my little monkey being engrossed with the book is inexplicable. This touchy feely picture book is pretty interesting, with a no.1 written in the centre, engraved in fur in the book, which is quiet catchy for a 9 months old. The look of wonder and joy when he touches that furry one makes up my day. My tryst to inculcate reading habit has just taken off, and God willing he will pick it in his own good time. In the mean time we can buy more picture books to make reading more interesting. I guess it’s never too late— or for that matter— early to start reading. My little man is just getting started, he may or may not like it, that’s his choice, what I can do is try. Maybe I am a little biased but I think a gift of reading is one of the greatest gift you can give to a child, and I am trying my best.



Follow my blog with Bloglovin