hello after a long time

I know, I haven't posted in 2 months, but the in-laws were visiting and we barely had time to breathe. They left and we are missing them a lot. They were soooo good with the girls I'll miss that the most not to mention all the yummy food MIL used to make.

A lot has happened in the last 2 months and a lot is happening now. The biggest news if you haven’t already heard is that I am going to be a stay at home mom. I know...WHOA…that’s big. It’s just been too crazy and stressful and just not worth it in the end. We are constantly rushing…in the morning…in the evening…all the time. Plus, I was not very happy with Ami’s classroom at the daycare. So both the girls will be staying home with me starting tomorrow. I’m excited.

I did a little sleep training on Ami last week. It went okay. In some ways it was much easier then when we did it with Diya. But the whole trying-not-to-wake-the sibling part was a challange. We moved Ami's crib out of our room and into her own which seems to have helped. Diya also needs to be sleep trained a bit. Every night she wakes around 2am and comes to our room. Its a pain. I guess that will be one of my first battles when I’m home.

Halloween is here. I love Halloween. Ami is a pumpkin as you can see and Diya is SpongeBob. Yes, maybe lame, but we made Diya’s costume at home. We took an empty diaper box and cut out the bottom and cut out holes for the head and the arms. Then used poster board to cover it. We couldn’t find brown poster board for the pants, so I’m calling it SpongeBob Pink Pants. The face I printed and cut out and glued on and then just drew the details like the tie and belt. Diya loves SpongeBob so I knew I wanted her to be that this year. So we ended up just making it. Diya absolutely loves it! She doesn’t really like wearing it, but she loves to carry it around and make it sit all over the house. It was totally worth it.

Here are photos from yesterday's trick or treating event..

Waiting to go out

Mahi as a pumpkin

Out and about

some progress last week

Last week was a good week for us. Both the girls showed signs of progress in some way. First, Ami started taking naps without the swing. (I know...finally!) All last week I put her down in the crib no matter what. Surprisingly, she did really well the first couple of days because the weather was cool and cloudy. Now its a little tougher, but still not so bad. I'm sure if I did put her in the swing she would sleep better, but since she is learning to sleep in the crib I don't want to confuse her and start using the swing again. I'm hoping as time goes on she will get even better at sleeping. The next battle will be to get her to sleep without being bundled up.

Now onto Diya. She is making progress in potty training. I've dreaded potty training since the day she was born. Apparently, at day care they have been putting her on the potty every so often. So I tried it one day and sure enough she tinkled. I was so excited and proud of her. Of course I thought the first time might have been a fluke. So later I tried it again and sure enough...success! Since then almost every try has been a success. Though her diapers are still wet I think if we stick to it and put her on the potty every couple hours she might get the hang of it. My goal is to have her be diaper-free by the end of the year. Too much to ask for?

Next week the in-laws will be here and the week after I go back to work so a whole new adjustment period will start for all of us. When they visited last time Diya was about 10 months old and didn't have any trouble taking care of her in the day while Premal and I were at work. But this time they will be taking care of Ami won't even be 4 months old yet. So lets see if they will be able to manage her. Diya will continue day care cause there is no way they would be able to handle both the girls especially since Neha is not coming this time. She will definitely be missed big time.

Lastly, I know he doesn't care much for it, but wishing Premal a very Happy Birthday!!!

Ami 3 months old

I can't believe August is already here. Its been great having the chance to stay home this summer, but at the same time we haven't really been able to take advantage of it cause Ami is so small. For one thing we can't go anywhere that requires a long car ride. Burlington is as far as we're willing to go. Diya had finally gotten used to long car rides and now we have to do it all over again with Ami. Its usually the car ride back home that is the problem. Ami usually cries non-stop. Good thing is that Diya doesn't get bothered by this at all. She totally zones it out and usually falls asleep. Its just amazing.

Ami is just about 3 months old. I can see her growth every week. She is getting bigger and no longer fits in 0-3 month clothes. She is also getting 'smarter' and more aware of things around her. She stares at her hands for much longer than before. She even tries to grab things hanging in her reach. She has also become a kicking machine. Her legs are constantly moving. If she is on her back she will bring them up so high that she could easily hold them with her hands if she knew how. She has also become louder. She actually screams in delight sometimes. She still gives smiles to everyone, and there is no doubt her biggest smiles are for her big sister. All Diya has to do is just make eye contact and Ami's face lights up. Diya can be just prancing around the room and Ami won't take her eyes off of her. Diya is also very affectionate towards Ami. Besides the usual hugging and kissing she really enjoys her. The other day Ami was crying while getting her diaper changed and Diya put her hand on Ami and said "no cry baby....no cry" and then went on to say "is okay"(meaning 'it's okay'). It just melted my heart. It was so sweet. I think I'll remember that forever. Also, I can't wait to re-tell that story when they get older and are fighting and want to pull each others hair out ;-P

Then there are things that still haven't changed with Ami which I really wish would. First, is that Ami still wakes up every 3 hours at night. Since I'm home I make up for the loss of sleep somehow during the day, but its gonna be a problem when I go back to work. Second, is that Ami still poops after every feeding. I don't mind in the day, but again in the night this is really annoying. Third, is her habit of the swing which effects her naps. Lately, her napping schedule has been unpredictable. If in the swing she takes a long nap at noon. Then rest of the day she will take short, half hour naps. If she doesn't use the swing none of her naps last more than half hour. For now I have kind of given up the battle with the swing. Once in awhile if Ami is really sleepy I put her down in her crib or I'll put her in the swing, but won't turn it on.

In other news my in-laws will be coming for a visit which means I won't have to put Ami in daycare for couple more months. They will be here before I return to work and will stay 'till October. They will be seeing Ami for the first time which is exciting so we-re looking forward to that.

And now the photos from last month...

July 2009

diya's 2nd bday

Diya celebrated her 2nd birthday last week. On Saturday we invited our friends for a combo bbq and a bday party. Last year the weather didn't cooperate and we didn't get the chance to use our new grill, but this year the weather was good. Actually, it was a little too good....it was so hot. But we still had a good time. Only thing is we totally forgot to take pictures. We only have one of the cake and some of Diya and Gautam that Amit took on his phone.

On the day of her birthday Diya's nana, nani and masis came with cake and Diya absolutely enjoyed. Her Vishwa masi and Vini masi gave her some really thoughtful and very creative presents. This poster was made by Vishwa.

This t-shirt was made by Vini.

A special thanks to Diya's dada and dadi and fai who woke up so early in India time just to wish her a Happy Birthday. Also, thanks to everyone else who also wished her.

Ami 2 months

Ami turned 2 months little over a week ago and today she had her 2 month checkup. She is doing great. She is 50th percentile for her weight. I was happily surprised to find this out since I thought she would be less due to the set back during her surgery. Diya was only 4 oz heavier than what Ami is now. Ami is 85th percentile for her height and 90th percentile for her head. I know...big head. Diya also had and still has a big head...I guess its the genes.

I discussed the swing issue with the pediatrician today. I was hoping she would give me some brilliant, magical idea that I hadn't thought of, but that wasn't the case. She gave some ideas such as trying to put Ami down for her naps when she is half awake and half asleep. Also, to try having some white noise in the back ground and to keep her inclined and position her so that her side is touching the crib. I will be trying all this, but I don't have high hopes about it. She also said that sleep training like letting her cry it out is not really recommended at this age. We can do that after 4 months (like we did with Diya, although her problem was different in that she kept waking up in the night). So, if nothing else we will have to keep dealing with this 'till then or 'till she reaches the weight limit on the swing.

Now for some 'fun'. So, I was looking at some old photos of Diya (basically to see what she wore at 2 months so I know what to put on Ami). Then I started comparing the girls. People have been telling us that they look so much alike, but I don't see it at all. So below I have a pic of both of them. Can you tell which is Ami and which is Diya?

trip to local farm and Sunday

Past weekend we stayed close to home since Ami had a slight cough. However, on Saturday we got sick of being in the house and visited the local farm. We are lucky there is a farm right in Millis and very close to our house. Not only does it have great fresh veggies, fruits and ice cream, its a great place to chill out. Here are some photos from our visit:

So the weekend was going well...then Sunday arrived. Our friends Amit and Soni invited us over to their place. They live close by so we thought Ami would be ok, but we were wrong! Once we arrived she had a good feeding then she even "played" with everyone by giving them big smiles and coos. Then she started to get tired and I took her to a quiet room to nap, but she wouldn't have it. Very quickly things got worse and she was crying her lungs out. She really wanted to sleep, but couldn't get comfortable. She was missing her swing. We decided to end the evening early and headed home. Soni and Amit really wanted Diya to stay back since she was enjoying with Gautam(their son). We let her stay. We got home and soon as Ami was in her swing she was fast asleep for 4 hrs straight. We really need to find a way to get her to nap out of her swing. Anyone has any ideas please let us know.

Lastly, here are couple of recent videos we took.

photos from the fair

Diya on the pony ride

Diya and Eshaan

Diya eating something

4th weekend

We had and are still having a great 4th weekend. We are in Burlington at my parents place. We made our way on Friday afternoon. Saturday, there was supposed to be a parade. So Diya and Premal along with many other family members were very excited. They all got up early so they'd be ready in time for the parade. My mom and I stayed back with Ami.

It turned out the parade was not as great as expected. But, hope was not lost since the commons had a fair after the parade. This was a super hit! There was free ice cream, toys, rides, coloring books and lots more. Apparently, the pony ride was Diya's favorite. Hopefully, next year Ami can also participate. That evening we went to masi's house where everyone enjoyed playing in the back yard. Diya and her cousin Eshaan were having a good time getting everyone wet with water guns.

Yesterday, my dad took his daughters and granddaughters to the mall. Diya enjoyed the play-area while Deesh, Ami and I walked around. Meanwhile, Premal headed back to Millis by himself. He has to go on a 1 day trip today. He will be back tomorrow and pick us up and we will all head home together. So for now are enjoying getting spoiled.

Here are photos from June. Btw, we have resorted to using our old digital camera for now.

June 2009

past week

Past Monday Diya graduated from toddlers to preschool 1 at her daycare. Its not real preschool its more like pre-preschool. She goes to a new classroom and gets new teachers. On Wednesday one of her new teachers called saying that Diya was breathing hard. We thought since it is a new teacher maybe she is just not used to Diya and is taking extra precaution. But, we were wrong. That night she had a fever and we noticed a slight cough. So we kept her home rest of the week. Her cough is still bad and her fever has been up and down. She hasn't been eating much, but her energy level is the same. Today she seems a little better, but lets see how it goes. The doctor just said to monitor her. Hopefully she will get over this soon.

While she was home she showed me a new trick of hers...

She can get herself in the high chair, but she still doesn't know how to get down. Another thing she did was lock her self in the bathroom. She went into the bathroom and closed the door and pushed the lock button on the door knob. Then she couldn't get out. It was actually funny. Our bathroom doors can be unlocked from the outside so I wasn't too worried. So I let her panic for a minute then opened the door hoping to scare her so she wouldn't do it again.

The worst thing she did was break our digital camera. It was charging and she got hold of the wire and it fell to the floor. Now it doesn't turn on. Great!

Meanwhile, Ami continues to give us big smiles and loves being entertained by her big sister. Both the girls keep disturbing each others sleep. Diya especially doesn't let Ami get her naps during the day. Ami continues to love the swing and sleeps long stretches in it. Not sure how to get her to sleep in her crib like that.

Happy Father's Day

Hope all the fathers around the world had a wonderful day yesterday. We celebrated the day at my parents place in Burlington. We had a great time. Since the weather was lousy we didn't go out, but relaxed and just enjoyed being inside. Diya was entertaining us with her antics. It was really funny. Even Ami did well. It was the first trip to her nana and nani's house and she loved it. She is such a smiler now. My dad was talking to her and she had smiles all over the place. I would say the girls behavior was the biggest gift for their daddy which he appreciated.

After dinner we headed back home and we realised it was the first time that just the four of us were in the car together. Until now there was always some reason or other that we were split up. Ami slept the whole way home. Diya wasn't too bad either and fell asleep about half way.

Ami and Diya with their daddy
Disha and I with our dad who was styling with his new sunglasses and watch

Ami visits the mandir

Past weekend we took Ami to her first visit to the mandir (temple). Traditionally, it is believed that the first time a newborn ventures out of the house should be to go to the mandir when they are about 5 weeks old. Well, we couldn't follow this exactly since the first trip out of the house for Ami was before 5 weeks and it was to the pediatrician's office, but we tried our best. Same was the case when we took Diya for her first trip to the mandir.

We went on Saturday with my parents and sister. It didn't go too well for Ami. She was sleepy and therefore not too happy to be there. Diya on the other hand didn't mind it too much since she could run around in the open space. Since the trip gave me such a dejavu feeling from when we took Diya I had to compare the photos from both times.

our visit with Ami

our visit with Diya

home with both the girls

On Wednesday, Diya was sent home from daycare because her left eye was red and her daycare teachers were afraid it was conjunctivitis since it was going around. Then on Thursday Diya's right eye was red so we decided to keep her home again that day. So both those days, for the first time I was handling them by myself. It was absolutely crazy! I spend most of the day saying "no Diya!" At times I felt bad because I know how jealous she feels when I'm handling Ami, but at times it was really frustrating. Plus, she always wanted to hold Ami, or touch her or kiss her or hug her....all things I didn't want her doing since she had conjunctivitis which is very contagious. Some how I made it through and even took a photo to remember the days.

Today, Ami had her 1 month checkup. I'm very happy to say it went really well. Ami gained 6 ounces since getting back from the hospital. Her pediatrician and I were very pleased with that. Her next appointment will be her 2 month checkup where she will get her first set of shots.

Ami is starting to do more than just eat, sleep and poop. She now follows you with her eyes, she smiles, and she coos. She really likes watching Diya too. She's been sleeping pretty decent. At night she will sleep 3 to 4 hrs at a stretch. Hopefully, that will get longer. Over all she is a good baby.

all better

Ami is doing fine now. Besides the bandages you'd never know she had surgery done. She is no longer vomiting is totally back to normal. The feeding and the pooping is going good. This Friday she has her 1 month check up. Can't believe she is already a month old. It flew by extra fast because of all the chaos. I hope nothing else is waiting for us and we can enjoy the coming months in peace.

These are photos from the last week of May. We haven't taken any new photos in June, but I'm sure we will.

Ami's week 3

Pyloric Stenosis

This is gonna sound like something from an episode of ER, but believe me it really happened.

Our feeding situation with Ami got even worse after the last post. She started to vomit everything after every single feeding. She did it Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Plus, she hadn't pooped since Thursday. On Monday I took her to the pediatrician. She said that Ami might have something called Pyloric Stenosis. Which is when the muscle after the stomach is so big that it blocks food from being passed along to the small intestine. So the only way the food has to go is back up and out of the mouth. It also explains the no pooping.

Pediatrician said it was pretty serious and that she needed to be taken to the emergency room right away and if she does have this then surgery will be required. So we rushed Ami to Children's Hospital in Boston right away. They did an ultrasound and confirmed that she indeed had pyloric stenosis and would need surgery to fix it. The next day they performed the surgery and Ami did really well. After that she had to be monitored until she was able to hold down at least 2 feeding.

On Wednesday night we were finally discharged. Ami still had couple of episodes of vomiting that night, but they assured us it was part of the recovery process and it gets better within few days.

It has been over 24 hours now that Ami has not vomited and she's pooped about 4 times so we are keeping our fingers crossed. Big thanks to everyone who helped us. Thanks for taking care of Diya, bringing us food, and just being there.

I can't even put into words the emotional roller coaster we have been on since Monday. Things are finally starting to calm down. Everyone at the hospital told us that Ami will forget everything in a day, but we will remember it for the rest of our lives. I have a feeling they are gonna be absolutely right.

Ami's photos from week 2

I know I am a week late with these photos.

Ami's week 2

Three weeks after Ami's arrival and things are going OK. The biggest issue currently is Ami's feeding. I know, in the last post I mentioned it was going great. Well, that took a turn for the worse and Ami started losing weight. I was having some issues so we tried to give some formula, but she doesn't like that one bit. She spits it up every time and its just a mess. I'm doing better now have gone back to the nursing routine we had before. Just hoping Ami is satisfied and started gaining weight or at least doesn't lose anymore.

Diya's jealousy has not gotten any better. She acts up everytime she sees one of us(especially Premal) holding Ami. She even says 'no baby' when she gets angry. We knew this was gonna happen. I guess we just have to deal with it and hope over time it will get better.

Ami doesn't have a set sleeping schedule yet. Yesterday she surprised us and slept for amost 6 hours straight. It sounds nice, but she missed a feeding which stresses me out.

Last week was the first week where Ami and I were alone and we didn't have any help. It went really well compared to when Diya and I used to be alone. Besides taking care of Ami I was actually able to shower, make dinner, and even take a nap before Premal and Diya got home.

Best part of the week was doing a load of laundry that contained my maternity clothes. It felt so nice knowing that I will never be wearing them ever, ever again!!!

photos and more

Hi Everyone. Things at the Shah house hold are busy these days. Ami is over 1 week old already. She is doing good. She sleeps a lot during the day, but from midnight to about 3am she likes to stay awake. Hopefully that will change soon. She feeds great...actually its a little too well. It seems like she is constantly hungry and ready for food at anytime. (Just like her big sister.)

Ami had lost 4 oz when we left the hospital. It is very normal for babies to lose weight after they are born. On Wednesday she had her first visit to the doctors. She had gained 1.5 oz by then. So it looks like she will be back to her birth weight in no time. What a difference Ami's first appointment was from Diya's first appointment. With Diya we had a million questions for the doc and we were full of stress. This time around we barely had any questions and are much more relaxed.

We have a lot of people helping out. Thanks to everyone.

Here are some photos below. We had the '6th day' ceremony. Those photos are below too.

May 2009, Ami Arrives!

Ami 's Shaathi

She's here!!

Baby has arrived!

Date: May 8th

Time: 5:30 pm

Weight: 8lb 15oz

Diya getting to know her sister

It was a Friday I will remember forever. I woke up at 6 am feeling contractions, but at that time I wasn't really sure what was going on. By 2pm we were at the hospital and by 5:30pm we were parents to 2 kids. Everything happened so fast this time around.

We are most likely going to name her Ami Shah. We expected a heavier baby then Diya, but didn't think she would be almost 9lbs!! It was a normal delivery too. We are all doing fine and will be going home tomorrow.

back home safe and sound

After almost a 2 hr delay Premal and Diya arrived safe and sound back to the US. My biggest gift was when Diya called me 'mummy' and reassured me that she didn't forget me. I know lot of people didn't know that Diya was going with Premal to India. I didn't mention it anywhere because it was a surprise for my in-laws. It was well worth it too. They were so surprised and made the whole idea totally worth it.

Diya loved India. I knew she would. She loved no seatbelts in the car, open air, balconies, no high chair, constant food, the weather, the kids next door and being totally spoiled. She or Premal didn't get sick at all. I was very concerned about that.

She hasn't been gone long, but I feel like she looks different and acts little different too. I think she may have lost a few pounds due to heat mostly. She seems as active as ever. She has gotten pretty good at drinking out of a cup. She's learned a lot of new words including some in Tamil that mummy taught her. I can tell she is missing everyone from there. When she sees photos of daddy or mummy she waves and says 'hi dada or hi dadi'. Its really cute.

The wedding seems to have gone over well. I can't believe its over and I missed it. I can't believe Neha is now a married woman. I see the photos and really feel sad that I couldn't go and be part of this important occasion. But, I'm glad at least Premal and Diya got to go.

Below are general photos of the India trip and the professional photos of the reception. The reception was given from the Shah family. Enjoy!

April 2009 India Trip

Neha Reception

April photos

Premal and Diya will be returning this Saturday...I can't wait! I miss them so much. I feel like I haven't seen them for months. Diya must have grown so much. I will have more details from their trip later. For now here are the photos from last month.

April 2009

big news!

Congrats Neha!

The Shah Family has big news...Neha is getting married!!!

The wedding will be on April 27th in Chennai. Yup, that's next week!! Unfortunately, the next auspicious date isn't 'till March of next year which is just too long of a wait. So bad news is that I won't be able to attend. For years I've known this day would one day come and I've been secretly looking forward to it. My bad luck that I can't go. I know everyone is feeling bad that I won't be there, but on the bright side at least Premal will be there. He is going for little over a week. He is excited to be going and at the same time he is worried that #2 will make her appearance before he gets back. I'll be 37 weeks on the day of the wedding. It's cutting it close...I'm keeping my fingers crossed, but I think it will work out just fine.

I hope everything goes fine with the wedding and wish Neha a very happy wedding and a great married life. I know her fiance loves her very much and will take good care of her.