LG is 10 months old and the boys at home rock!

The monthly newsletter is a few weeks late this time. Lil General completed ten months on 18th October while his grandparents were here. Two months shy of completing an year, the boy is growing fast, his antics increasing by the day and doesn't lose a minute to surprise us. If you are short of energy you know who to look up to. Vivek and I are seriously considering to moving to a Cerelac - dal rice - Porridge diet. We believe this is better than any Red Bull. The only time during the day when we have a peaceful moment to ourselves is the time LG naps.

October was a month of heavy duty socializing that took us on a 10 day trip to Amritsar, meeting friends in Delhi and a visit by my parents on our return. Meeting new people did a world of good to Lil General's separation anxiety. Both sets of grandparents were anxious before they met him as to how he would react on seeing them, if he would play with them etc. All their doubts and fears were put to rest. it took him a few minutes to be all over them. Conquering my dad's tummy was like being on an expedition to Mt. Everest for LG, a feat that he couldn't achieve. But there's always a next time. Visits to grandparents naturally meant more and more gifts that his wardrobe can hold.

LG and his paternal granny competed in who could sleep the most while his grandpa stayed guard while LG slept, never leaving him alone even for a minute. His dadaji just couldn't have enough of him and played with him the most. Retirement, in his words, makes you feel lost. Suddenly you lose the purpose for living and get drawn into a mode of depression. LG's visit did a lot of good to him that way. One of our fond memories from Amritsar was the visit to Golden Temple and the lovely dinner at Pizza Hut. The guys at Pizza Hut took very good care of Lg while we ate and did a small dance that LG appreciated without even so much as blinking his eye. Maybe, we too should shake a leg for him.

The air hostesses became instant fans of LG. There was a lot of opportunity for brushing his hands over their face and pulling their hair - I must say they didn't mind their makeup going awry.

He has been able to sit well, without support. He can stand and walk with support. We just have a few weeks on our hand to move stuff around the house that are at a 2 feet level to over 4 feet.

Though "thambudu" didn't put an instant smile on his face, he connected with my mom in a special way. Laughing so loudly every time she gave a lemon to him to make him open his mouth so that I can feed him (yea, those were the fussy eater days) made her happy. He was fond of her new bangles. The only person he spared from biting frequently was my mom but her glasses were under attack often.

Dad ought to thank his stars for all his gadgets went back with him safe and sound. I can't guarantee the same next time though.

The potty stories remain - do I even need to start ranting the details about texture, color and smell. This makes me feel he is not a ten month old but a well grown up old.


He still blows raspberries, beats his chest out of happiness and has learnt to say pa-pa. No ma-ma yet. Vivek has been training him and I HATE him for that because he said pa-pa first. The boys rock when they are together. But doesn't matter because I know he loves me more and doesn't need a reason to smile at me. Bites me hard, pulls my hair and scratches my face. I know I make his day and that makes me happy.

Oh, before I forget, he stopped crawling on his stomach in Amritsar. I loved the way he used to do it and was so fast at it. There were times when I thought I should go around the house that way for a week - the only way I'll lose all the fat. He learnt the art of crawling on his fours. It is amazing how kids refuse to do what they did when they reach a new milestone. It would be a matter of weeks before he stops crawling and starts walking. What remains with us is memories and the footage on video camera. (I haven't been doing a very good job of filming him :( )