NA Shockers.

While I travelled to US, my friend at work gave me a contact- though she lived in another state. I noted it down, and added her as a friend.. Later a very close friend of mine called me, and we chatted as old days, and we wondered why not call regularly to pray.. And then God gave the idea of conference call. A quick search on google provided free conference numbers. The only hitch was the different time zone. I collected the girls from our fellowship ( very less then), to connect at 9.30 PM CST, everyday. Some couldn’t connect, and Priscilla used to connect from her cell phone. I was quite lonely then, and my only highlight of the evening would be these conference calls. We were bunch of strangers- as few girls, were friend’s friend. We quickly had become close friends- as we started being accountable for what we prayed for, what we did, and well, what we ate, and how we spent the weekend. It was fun.

Once I came back to India, I had the fellowship of my friends at work, but still encouraged the few ones back in US. They are not that regular, but there is a fb group for them still. Often, when I look at it, I see how the energy had dwindled and feel sad. But now I realize, God uses certain things for a season, and we need to honor that.

We had a women’s day special Medical camp set up at work. I was sitting there, waiting, when I spotted Jansi walking out. I stood up, smiled, and asked how are you, aren’t you… Jansi!? I surprised myself as I got the name correct. The rest of the things fell back into my memory,and I asked, weren’t you in Wipro? How do I know you. And then I realized, I had never seen her before face to face. We were fb friends- through ‘NA shockers’ and I never knew she was back in India, and that too in Infosys! Wow! IT was such a surprise!

It was a PM’s meet, in the 10th floor at B7 building. I was there early, and no one had come. So sat on a sofa opposite to the elevator., and was like an usher, directing and informing the folks coming out of the elevator, about the location of the room, and that the meeting had not started. Some sat with me in the sofa, and we introduced each other. She was Deepa. The name is a common name it dint ring any bell. After a few minutes, the meeting started, and my new found friend, tells me that my name was familiar, and that if I was part of fellowship. I said yes and was glad to meet a rocker. But still she seemed to dig deep, and we finaly realized that she was Priscilla’s friend who had joined in the 9.30 calls, back when I was in Houston. 3 years back! What a surprise! I praise God for using each other to build one another. Praise be to his name alone!

Element of surprise.

I’ve been reading a lot of books lately. Tough love- by James Dobson, Boundaries in Marriage- Cloud & Townsend, When pleasing others hurts you, etc. I have been introspecting myself, to find out where and how I’ve been wrong, and one of the findings was I have been quite an open book. And one of the book- tough love says, there should be an element of surprise in your moves..
Pretty interesting.. J

Amy episode..

Amy walks, runs, climbs, and ofcourse babbles few words.. She can say ’switchon/switch off’ as she presses the light switches. She says ‘catch’, ‘throw’, ‘ball’. She can say ‘patti’- it was poppy for some time! She can clearly say ‘thatha’, ‘mama’, ‘appa’,’amma’,’mma’.
She does have a temper, that throws things that she sees. All babies do they say. She can tear papers, books. She can bite.. She is a piranha! She can bite and pull the skin. .She bites anywhere, shoulders, fingers, ankle, toes, skins in the arm, knee, skin in the waist – just anything! Poor athai, bears the brunt.

She doesn’t like me using the laptop, or the phone, so when she does get a chance, she pushes or throws them out. She promptly gets a beating- however small, so this was another evening. I was back from work, and she had my phone in her hand. For some reason, she threw it down on the floor. I was angry,at the way she threw it. So I asked, her to pick it up and give it back, I also told her to put her hand out so that I can whack it. With all innocence, and fear, she looked at me puppy face, and I asked her, with my hands raised – ‘how many times have I told you not to throw the phone’. Amy did something, that I can’t forget. She looked at me and then at my hand. She took her extended hand, and slowly raised it to match mine- ( in the position of a hi-fi). It took me a sec to realize, what she did, and I doubled up laughing!

She’s such a cutie pie!

Amy and athai.

I often wonder, what kind of relationship they have.. From the first time they saw each other, it looks like Amy thought athai was her play friend. Someone to play with all the time.. So they play with paper, clothes, books, toys,and what not... to be contd...

Amy and her water bottle.

Amy had a small water bottle, and loved it so much. She clutches the nipple with her mouth and walks around so much, that we got her another blue bottle. It seemed to be too big for her little hands. But she did love it. Now she has a bottle with a straw. She coughs to get attention, to indicate she needs a drink. Whenever Athai, coughs, she goes around to find her water bottle and brings it to athai J

Amy can walk!

Amy loved the red baby walker. She used it since 6 mths…. But lately in her 11th mth onward, we regularly used it. She loves sliding from one end of the room to the other. She goes in such speed, it was more like running. We had to be careful around the walker, as she will rush and hit yr feet with a thud.

Few weeks before her first bday.. and I think it was Dec 14th she tried to put her first steps.. We were at dad’s place, and she wanted to walk on the carpet in the living room. She kept few steps, and then had to hold on to us, or she will fall. She was little better before her bday, and on her bday, she started walking around!

Her plump thighs and legs are so cute to watch, as she wobbles around. She loves the squeaky shoes that I got her and knows to search and bring it, to wear it. It’s a joy to see her walking and running around. She understands so well.

Amy and her dress mania.

Amy loves colorful clothes. The moment she wears a brand new dress, she runs to the mirror and turns left and right, with a smile. She giggles so beautiful and she loves to kiss her reflection on the mirror. She loves to stand on the bed, with a towel and I guess she imagines it to be a pretty dress or a saree, and sways left and right.

It was bed time, one night, and I tried to get the towel off from her had, and she started crying.. So I let her play with it. And play she did, for almost 30 minutes. She swayed here and there, she stumbled and fell , giggled and got back up with towel. I was sleepy, athai was sleepy, but my little girl was all pumped up to play with an old towel!

Amy with her little tooth.

Amy got her first little white tooth few days after her first birthday (6th Jan 2014 – lower right). It was so small, I dint realize her first tooth had come until she gave me a bite.! And bite she does on everything that she can find. Chairs,clothes, toys, skin, hands, chin, cheeks, even forehead….

Amy’s second tooth(upper left) is showing up since March 22nd 2014. Though most of the kids her age, have couple more tooth, Amy has just got them. She is a beauty as she smiles with her little toothless smiles. J

Amy at Ryan’s bday.

Ryan my cousin’s son was turning 4, and had invited us over for the bday. The big day was approaching, and I was so eager to see the kids together. I was sure my other cousin’s kid 18 days younger to Amy, would be there, so would my other cousin’s 3.5 yr old daughter.. So more than the kids, I was eager to see them all together and have fun..

We were at my dad’s place, for a week- as a result of our babysitter getting sick. My earlier plan to go shopping for the bday boy over the weekend went for a toss. The week went pretty busy and fast, that I had no time to step out. On the day of bday, was when I could get some coloring book and activity book for Ryan, board books for the girls, and my long back desire of getting similar dress for the girls. By God’s grace did get 3.

We reached just in time, and as the bday cake was cut, we all rejoiced with lil Ryan. I was so happy to see a room full of family. The kids on the other hand were a disaster. They are meeting for the ‘second time’, so I should cut them some slack. But my overhyped expectation went for a toss, when all the gals were in different corners. Amy was trying to meddle with Ryan’s toys, and Ryan had boys his age to play with. Finally we decided to wear the dresses on the girls and take 1 proper picture, and boy was that hard.. the gals were like 3 ants put inside a frame. Each moved in its own direction, with its own mind.. After nearly 15 mins of pure struggle and exhaustion, we gave up.

I just hope that they become good friends once they grow up!

Amy contd...

Well, well, well Amy is growing up. Yes she keeps me busy. And yes, I’ve been busy for a number of things. As I look back on my blog, I realize I dint pen anything.. so here I am trying to do justice.