Tricks and Tantrums

I've relocated to Planet Alien. That’s my new address. Why? I am now treading the parts of an unknown world armed with knowledge from theoretical expert No. 1 "What to Expect when you're Expecting" and of course practical expert No. 2 "my mum". Still, no babies are alike and my little one definitely does not follow in my footsteps; at least that's what my mum tells me. 

 I am literally amazed at the number of tricks she already has up her sleeve. I mean it was just the other day; I actually saw her giving my sister a wink. Followed by a cheeky smile. She’s only a few days old but already knows how to encircle her tiny little fingers around my thumb. And I also caught her giving my sleeves a tiny tug. I tried balancing her feeding bottle on the pillow whilst getting her to drink her milk and she successfully managed to do that too.

I’ve always seen other babies scared of the water. They howl and cry when mummies try giving them their baths. But not my girl! She’s a pro, through and through! She splashes water all over; loves to shampoo and adores lathering in her baby body wash. She turns into one of the Roman babies, bundled in her bath towel. We have to have her milk ready to be served to her immediately after bundling her into the towel. She won’t even wait to get dressed. Post the drinking session is nose powdering time. A new dress ( and I literally mean she has tons of new dresses) comes out of the closet; by the way; she already has dedicated closet space. Did I have that when I was a baby too? Got to remember to ask my mum.

With all these chores out of the way; it’s nap time! 

Now that I’ve discussed all the good bits; this does not in any way mean that my darling daughter is an angel. Her tantrums are loud enough for even my neighbors to hear; not just at night but even during the day. Especially during the times when I have to change her nappy and she’s almost on the verge of dozing off. Again, I literally tear my hair out when she refuses to drink the required amount of milk. No amount of coaxing or pleading will get her to take to the bottle again. Even I want to; I can’t forcefully put it into her mouth either. She just closes her little lips so tight! She's going to one stubborn kid. 

Frustrations of being a first-time mother. But, she’s a bundle of amazement. Every day is a surprise package and I can’t wait to see what she does next.

First day Hiccups and Decisions

The one thing that I was really looking forward to, now that I've come back home, is to spend a full 24 hours with my daughter. During the first eventful evening and in the midst of all the shopping and baby paraphernalia, time went by pretty quickly. My first day at home was almost over; which I got my sister to again video tape; excuse being my poor memory. And I also would love my daughter to watch what her first day at home was like, when she's a little older. 

By the way, let me clarify that I've actually shifted to my mum's place. Reason being, I'm no baby expert and neither is hubby dear. So really can't take the chance of doing everything myself. That would be a big risk which I wasn't prepared to take, just yet! Maybe, I'll be more confident when I decide I want a sibling for my daughter.

I was instructed by the pediatrician about feeding the baby on demand. What a major disruption to my schedule. I mean, I just fed her like an hour ago and she's hungry again! I've been reading up on some info on the net where there is still an ongoing debate about feeding the baby on schedule or on demand. I guess it’s okay for homemakers or mums who are on a long term sabbatical to opt for the second. But for working mums, it’s going to be a nightmare. After the first few attempts, I decide to put her on a 3 hour schedule.

Next thing on the list - nappy changes. Again, a difficult one to crack. Plus, in the middle of this scorching summer in India, I'm afraid that my daughter will get severe heat or nappy rashes. Judiciously, and also an environmentally friendly solution, I choose cloth diapers, at least during the day. I realize it’s a lot of washing up at the end of the day, but on the whole it’s a much better option. I depend on Pampers for nights, just so that I can get at least 3 hours of sleep at a stretch. 

My greatest worry as night draws closer, especially after my very surprising night-time experience at the hospital, is how long my darling daughter actually sleeps at a stretch, or will she sleep at all. Since, she was kept in the Hospital Nursery (as that is the rule in India), I don't really know her sleeping patterns. And again, I've heard of horrific stories about babies not sleeping at all throughout the entire night. 

She's in a playful mood. Dinner over. A later supper, over and done with. Two happy-nappy sessions pass by. It's 2am. She's awake and so am I. I sing, I rock. Nothing works for now. My mum tries some techniques too, but does not succeed. At 2.30am, my dad walks into the room, makes a weird face at her and says, "Abracadabra Gili Gili "... or something similar to this.

Magic. She starts dozing off. It's 3am. And that's how my first day ends. 

Home. New Role. New Life.


I figured that coming back home would change things in my favor. That wasn't to be. Why? All this time at the hospital, I didn't actually have to look after the baby as much; apart from her regular snack times and mid-night visits, it was fairly quiet. But now that I'm home, there aren't any Nurses to look after her. She's not going to be a surprise night time visitor anymore. She is going to be with me 24/7. 


Another set of realizations dawns upon me. I've just been promoted to a new role in life. The job description includes:

1. Full-time nurse
2. Provider of meals at regular intervals & Burps
3. Cleaner: When she decides that she's had enough and just wants to vomit it out
4. Nappy changer: Every 3 to 4 hour intervals
5. Bath-time assistant: My mum is the real expert here
6. Singer: In case she wants to be sung to sleep
7. Expert Rocker: For the times she wants to be rocked to sleep
8. Entertainer: Making funny and weird faces, for the times she's bored and requires me to entertain her. And   by the way, I am damn good at this.


My very first day home and I am practically swarmed with phone calls. Everyone is just so excited. Especially my friends who don't have kids yet. New Daddy goes on a shopping spree and I see a new Baby Cot, Diaper Bag, Baby Clothes and tons of other stuff arrive in the evening. Instructions are read out, and with a few trial and error attempts, hubby darling and my sis manage to set up the cot. Even a cot mobile appears from nowhere. I just stare, flabbergasted! I mean, she can't even look that far yet. But who am I to argue! My daughter should get the best of what her daddy can afford. Nothing less will do. I reckon, that's the reason why they get pampered in the first place. Hmmm......Mums, always the arch enemies, for daughters! 


Another revelation! Babies really do make great shoppers out of their dads. He probably wouldn't spend half that amount of time shopping for my birthday gift. But when it comes to his dainty darling daughter, the ball game changes completely. He has all the time in the world, just to sit and look at her. 


I see everything in a new light. My husband, my family and even me. Life has changed drastically and I am still running hard to catch up.