2 Months

Little Bobby boy turned 2 months old yesterday! And with it, he got his 2 month vaccines at the doctors' check up.

This 2 month old baby is now cooing at his favorite toys, the blue elephant, the lion, set of silver bells and the purple monkey. His smile is so unbearably cute ,it can melt any heart, and flood it with love. His cheeks are puffs of cotton candy, just too puffy and sweet to resist. When he's happy his legs are out air cycling, fast and furious. I figured he's cycling to Africa to see more lions and elephants and monkeys for himself. Although he might be headed to the zoo too. His hands are also boxing around, flooring imaginary foes and beating them to a pulp. Sometimes though, he doesn't aim right and ends up bumping his fist to his own forehead! Anyone who sees that sweet smile, that little curl of the lip cannot really remain a foe. When he sleeps he's the picture of sweet serenity. His 5 little toes on each feet line up together in a neat file. His fingers are quite often curled up together into a tight fists. And his legs are pushing up, ready to go places! Sometimes when he's not completely happy, he knits his eyebrows, they get all crumpled up above his eyes. I resolve the situation with a strategy guaranteed to get quick results; i straighten out those brows with my fingers :)!

Little miss Haana still considers little Bobby boy an oversized doll, part of her private collection. She loves him and cuddles, kisses and hugs him every chance she gets. She even roughs him up routinely. Bobby boy handles it pretty well, most of the time with the resilience of a younger brother! 

Little Bobby boy's favorite times of the day are either when mom is giving him a massage all over; and also when Papa sits next to him and plays with him! 

Much like the little boy's first month birthday, I made a chocolate cake; we sang him his birthday song and pretended he cut the cake. And then we ate it up!

Happy 2 month birthday little Bobby boy!!

Performance Appraisal

If there was ever a question in our minds about how we are faring as parents, little Bobby boy has answers. They're his hands. 

Many a times little Bobby boy holds his hands in tight fists held close to his chest and face. That's his 'I'm not so sure about you/this', 'I need to be on my guard' stance. This is also his 'not doing so hot' appraisal for his parents!

Then sometimes when he's held in a warm embrace while he's drifting off to la-la land, his arms (and the rest of him) get relaxed, his hands lay loose and open, fists opening up and you can tell he's in a peaceful, relaxed, happy place. That's his 'doing just fine!' appraisal to his parents!

As I write this, and I don't mean to brag, but I'm doing great right now! :)

Oh No, You Didn't

I imagine several situations in little Bobby boy's life that will have me start with 'oh no, you didn't!'. I just didn't expect it to happen this soon.

Yesterday little Bobby boy was on his play-mat hobnobbing with his favourite lion, elephant and the silver bells. Little miss Haana was talking to him wanting to play with him. 

Now sometimes little Bobby boy's tiny feet get lost inside his pant legs. On this morning too, as Bobby boy was kicking vigorously, his feet got lost inside the pant legs. This gave little miss Haana an idea. She quickly tied the pant legs together!! Poor Bobby boy must have wondered why his feet cannot kick comfortably anymore and are getting caught in the pants instead. So he did what any baby would have done, he kicked harder and harder to free his feet! Initially Bobby boy had some success. Vigorous kicking caused the knot to come lose and voila, his feet were free again.. success!! He couldn't be more pleased!

But then the girl struck back! Little miss Haana saw what happened and smugly tied the pant legs together again, only this time, she double knotted! Bobby boy kicked back again, but poor thing couldn't free his feet this time. So, as any self respecting baby would have done, he just kept trying harder. The knot still did not give away. Instead, because of the kicking, the pants started coming off.. and before long, not just his feet, the entire both legs were free. Pant-free that is. The legs were naked now! And there was much giggling and laughing to be heard. Little girl was making a video of the deed.

I finally came around to check what the commotion was about, and saw the little boy pant-less, a pair or tied up pants lying around in a lump, a video in progress, and much giggling. "Awww my poor baby" was my first reaction,  followed by snatching back the phone to stop the video and much giggling of my own! 

No videos were posted of this event. And pants were eventually reinstalled on the little boy.. The giggling took a while to die down though!!

Love

Little miss Haana loves her little brother Bobby boy a great deal! Sometimes she tells me, 'I still can't believe it that I have a little brother! I've always wanted a sibling, and he's so cuuuuutte!'. 

At other times, she's giving him kisses all over his little body, shoving her face into his face, playing violin for him when he's upset, talking to him, reading her favorite childrens' book to him (such as The Little White Owl, Cat in the Hat or The Day the Crayons Quit), coming up with a new jingle to sing (and crazy dance!) to him; and basically treating him like an oversized doll at all times! 

She would consider herself as having exclusive rights this sweet little Bobby 'doll', except that Mom and Dad are in the cuddle-the-doll business too! And there's a lots of pushing and jostling in that queue! 

Changes

The number of diaper changes I do in any given day are quite a few. Yesterday i noticed that Dad did not do a single diaper change all day (with all this work from home due to stay-at-home orders and quarantine measures). So, today being a weekend, I wanted to make sure Dad gets to partake in the bonding experience of diaper changes. I am selfless like that!

Sometime this afternoon, Bobby boy needed a diaper change and he and Dad embarked on their bonding journey. After a few minutes I heard a distinct yelp and then an announcement - "Fountain!!". I was in the next room and laughed at all the excitement I was missing! More on fountains here. What i heard next made me stop dead in my tracks. 

"Looks like there's a poo-poo accident too!". " What, really?" I left what I was doing to walk over and enjoy the spectacle. Thankfully a wash cloth was at hand to save the day, in what is best described by dad as 'sounded like an exquisite explosion of fireworks'! The wash cloth could not make it back alive!

It reminded me of a similar incident with little miss Haana and a 4am diaper change, here. Little miss Haana was exactly the same age as bobby boy now. 

College Education

I have long told little miss Haana that when she goes to college, I will in fact go with her and live with her wherever she goes when she moves out. Earlier she used to just listen and not have anything to say to this. But lately she outrightly rejects this idea, and doesn't mince words to communicate her opinion, summed up essentially as - "now way, josey". 

Yet, I persist. 

The other day at thd dinner table the topic came up again. I reminded her that i'll be moving in with her for college, and Bobby boy too, most likely Papa too. She reminded that's not actually happening. 

Then, I decided perhaps I should sell it. So, i told her its hard work running the household. This whole adulthood business takes work and all kinds of boring chores. I could help her with those when i move in with her. In fact once she gets a job, i'll help her manage her money too! (Laughing internally now). Of course after she gets a job, I would be getting my money from her. She informed me again that she's against all of what I just said! "But college is expensive. Why would I send you to college if i can't stay with you. What's in it for me!", I retorted. 

Dad interjected. 

Dad - We will help you with college. We will partly fund your college. But you'll have to pay for the remaining college expenses. If nothing else, it will teach you the value of money and value of work. 

For instance, when i was growing up Tata and Pati (paternal grandparents) took loan for my college education. And once i got a job, I repaid the loans.

So, how do you plan to fund your part of the college expenses? What's your plan?

Haana - (Serious now) You. You're my plan for funding the rest of college.

Me - (Laughing) I like my plan, i'm sticking with it!!!

Size 1

And just like that we are size 1 today. 

Here's excerpt from little miss Haana and I talking.

Mumma: Guess what Bobby boy is wearing today.

Haana: (The little boy is in plain view, so the question must deeper than that) What?

M: He's wearing Size 1 diaper. Not the newborn size anymore for him. He's grown to size 1 now. 

H: Oooh! Bobby boy is getting to be a big boy! In fact he's getting so big, he's almost a grandpa of babies now! He's an old guy already. 

M: (laughing) Ya, he's a giant!! 

(Haana and I nodding in a rare moment of agreement).

Fountains

It is my feeling that I get more than my fair share of fountain shows. 

Previously my friends had talked about their diaper changing experiences with little baby boys, and an occasional surprise fountain. When it happened with me the first few times, it left me really scared - the unexpected geyser that could erupt at any time, and shoot like a projectile to far away dry, pristine areas. 

But after gaining a wealth of first hand experience with fountains of baby-hood, me not scared anymore (scarred maybe, but not scared!). I've had myself a fountain on my hands on the bed (the fountain landed on the pillow a few inches away from Papa's face) , on the changing pad, in the washbasin (where I've tried to move the little Bobby boy's bottom so the fountain ends up nicely inside the basin!), and numerous times in the bathtub at bath time. In fact, now I almost miss these bathtime fountains.. when it happens I call out to little miss Haana and we cheer and giggle. When they don't happen I wonder when it might hit me again! 

Stage Persona

I've recently re-discovered love for my baby carrier - its like a backpack only worn on the front and used to carry babies. 

With little miss Haana, I used to love wearing her in my baby carrier, keeping her close to me in a constant hug! It was perfect. I think I used my baby carrier (which was an expensive purchase at that time) till she over a year old. In fact on her 1st birthday when we went on the europe trip, I used the carrier extensively. I have pictures of us in a close hug, little miss Haana and I as we go through all day walks, visit castles and museums. 

It's been over 7 years, but the carrier is back. This time for Bobby boy. I've been using it to take Bobby boy for walks around the block. I'm not entirely sure if he loves it as much as I do, sometimes he fidgets around and appears not so happy. But then, soon enough, he gives in to sweet slumber and falls asleep. I think it's the rhythm of the feet and warm embrace and he falls asleep right away. At least that's what I like to think. This also means all the neighborhood friends I run into, who lean sideways to catch a glimpse of the little baby face while still maintaining social distancing, always find him fast asleep. They must be thinking oh, such a zero maintenance baby, he's always asleep. 

Well, let it be known, that's just Bobby boy's stage persona. In reality, at home, he's been barely sleeping during the day these days. Far from zero maintenance, he's been cooing and kicking; crying and wailing; pooping and feeding; and generally coming across with quite a commanding presence! And the sweet slumber he slips into while I'm walking with him in the carrier? He snaps right out of it as soon as the carrier buckle clicks open!! :-/