The ever thrilling parenthood...

The next month was extra important coz May 7th was our pet Snowy's birthday. We celebrated his birthday along with Yuvi's cousin Sakthi, who stayed in our house for couple of months until his family arrived. Kavya got along with him easily, but it took some days for Oviya to get along. A pic with Snowy is extra special for sure :-) . We also went to a restaurant where everyone gets a big bib to get started :-P. Kavya & Oviya were learning their table manners slowly with no pressure on them (still haven't mastered yet).

We also had their best friend Avanthika's 2nd birthday party in the same month. She looked so gorgeous with her beautiful peacock colored dress. I used to pack home-made food wherever we went. Kavya was sick with cold & didn't eat much over there. But, both were playing a lot.
Since playing was their major activity in their entire day, we took Kavya & Oviya to a new play centre this time which had lots of fun rides, bounce & toddler area. After seeing the crowd & new people, Kavya was very hesitant at the beginning to start playing. It took a long time for her to let go off her clingy stranger anxiety. On the other hand, Oviya was breaking all the boundaries & was running like crazy without minding anyone on her way, even us :-P. Both were like opposite poles. There was a big question - when would they remain in their neutral state?!

This is what happens whenever we try to take a picture. Either they all peep inside camera or pounce into action THWACK!! :-)

The new half past one...

Months were flying, weeks were running, days were passing, hours were accelerating, minutes were rolling, seconds were ticking & milliseconds were enormously faster than light travel. The point here is, Kavya & Oviya became 18 months old :-). Daily life was one big adventure for the newly mobile ones. They were witnessing touch, smell & all kinds of experiments. They were now pointing out to objects they wanted & started forming some words out of babbling. I could notice some in dependency in them by rejecting the foods they don't like, choosing not to sit in one place etc..

Their Mickey & Minnie craze wasn't ending anywhere. They always played with these character fur toys. They also had a huge teddy to play with. Kavya would give lot of kisses to it. They loved to jump, roll, sit & stand over the teddy. I think, our pet Snowy became a toy too in their hands. He doesn't seem to regret it though :-).

                      

Kavya & Oviya were a complete mixture of feelings. Their way of cute expressions, naughty actions, strong opinions, silly giggles - everything was based on what they saw in both mom & dad. We feel so proud that they're following & learning from us. I guess, every parent experiences the joy of being a role model to their children. This in turn means every child chooses to follow his/her parent only when they feel that their parent is capable of guiding them in the right direction. I know we have this greatest responsibility of being their best mentor, friend, guide & teacher to make them better persons in this world. This picture depicts their happy moment. I hope we fulfill our responsibilities & make this laughter last for decades :-).

                                                         

Finding the kid inside everyone...

In Kavya & Oviya's next two months we were ready to face their next phase. We sold their 0-1 year old items; their infant car seat, stroller, swing etc and donated their small sized clothes & toys. Both were all set to use the next stage car seat, stroller & dresses. I was still preserving one pair of their newborn dress, socks & mittens for the sweet future memories :-)

                                               

                                         

We were able to see the next stage of growth in them. They started eating in restaurants, jumping over the couch, climbing up & down the stairs... Whatever they did, both were sticking to each other all the time. On the other side, they got hurt too while playing. Their vocabulary was slowly increasing and they began to understand basic words. We took them to the Moon bounce where they learnt to jump & bounce with great heights & pressure. The bounce effect continued even after coming home. Both jumped & jumped & fell down over the bed & couch :-P. They would start jumping wherever they see soft cushions.

We celebrated my birthday in March by going to a nearby restaurant with our family friends. We all three were wearing similar dresses :-). They don't really sit for a long time ( in the high chairs ) in the the restaurants. Their favourite was the French fries. Gosh! Now I couldn't hold both of them together... They became heavy :-) ( Remembering how both were tightly packed inside the womb where they didn't even have space to move & how I carried them hands-free ;-) ).

They brought out the kid inside me! I laughed, played & giggled along with them. Sometimes, becoming child-like gives a break from being carried away by the materialistic life!!

Never knew about textures before :-P

Kavya & Oviya became 15 months old. Nevertheless to say, there were different type of problem awaiting for us as they grew up - the change in their food consistency. Though I was constantly introducing them to different textures of food, Kavya was reluctant to eat foods that need chewing & she wanted only easy to swallow foods. Oviya was getting adopted to solid pieces and was biting her food gradually as she got more teeth. When we introduced this issue to their pediatrician, the doctor said that some babies may take some time to change & she told us to wait till 18 months. So, I was still making her food very soft, with lots of mashing & blending. I think that tasted so yummy for her :-)
The food consistency is expected to change this way...
0-6 months - milk
Supported Sitter - 1st stage foods - a complete puree of fruits, veggies, cereal
Sitter - 2nd stage foods - a little thick texture with less liquid
Crawler - 3rd stage foods - thick texture with tiny soft pieces of fruits, veggies or meat.
Toddler - All table foods with chunky texture( whatever we eat )

It is expected that after12 months, babies should start chewing all kinds of food with their teeth which didn't happen for Kavya. We were ready to wait happily :-). Her favourite was milk. Even in her sleep she dreams about drinking milk from the bottle. But, mealtimes were a struggle.

During this time, we took them to our friend's home where I realised that they grew up so fast. For the first time, Kavya was walking for a long distance & was sitting on a chair on her own. Oviya was trying to grab things from the top of the table & even tried to open the handle of the door. Both were walking & walking and mastering the skill :-). Life was still busy taking care of them.

You know you're a mom when you love your life even in chaos :-)

Confined or Comfy?

It was a freezing winter. We had no big options except to stay at home most of the times. Our Sundays go like this - Both Kavya & Oviya have their dad to play with. They get really excited when he's available that both would never depart him :-) . They have a spinach & mushroom cheese omelet with ranch in the side for breakfast. The day usually ends up playing in the hallway along with our pet Snowy. The next moment the door gets opened, all 3 would be outside the house.

                                              

By now, Oviya has started walking across the rooms without tumbling. Kavya was walking shorter distances without support. They started watching Mickey Mouse clubhouse episodes. I never thought this would end up being so crazy towards Mickey till now. Both are so obsessed with these characters that they would even fight for a Mickey drawing in the paper :-)

We bought a playing tent for them which they loved so much even though it occupied so much space. They played and played and broke it within few months :-) . This had a major role in playing hide & seek.

Indoors have never been so much fun !! :-)

Towards recovery...

After Kavya & Oviya's recovery from the illness, we were struggling hard to bring them back to normal life. Due to so much hospitalizations Kavya developed inner fear & timidness towards other people & the surrounding. It took months for her to come out of her boundaries.

Since we were in the peak winter season & with snow now and then, we couldn't go out much. Our pet Snowy was entertaining them and they had each other to play with. This is one of the wonderful pictures we've taken and puts a smile on my face whenever I see :-) 

Both were so excited to keep their first tiny steps with support, after a year. One more milestone was achieved -
from supported sitting to sitting,
sitting to crawling,
crawling to standing up
Standing to walking :-)
The fully covered sleep wears were of so much comfort to keep them warm. They needed lots and lots of attention from us like playing with them, talking & listening to them, entertaining them in different ways. They also loved playing in the bath tub with the bath toys. Since Oviya got a couple of teeth, we started brushing her too :-)

When life shows it's downside, it's important to keep in mind that there's always an upper side coming forward to experience :-) .

A heartbreaking story

After Kavya and Oviya's first birthday celebration and my sissy's wedding, we had their heads shaved in Tiruchendur temple(it's the tradition). So, we all went there with our relatives. The process of head shave was only for 5 minutes, but I couldn't watch them screaming and crying terribly:-(. Both were helplessly looking for me and I felt horrible that I couldn't help. I was consoling myself that this moment will pass on and it obviously did. Next was the dip in the Indian ocean which bordered the temple. After all these, the highlight was the bath in Nazhi Kinaru that is considered to be the clear and sacred water for thousands of years. Both were touching and wondering about their hairless heads.

This temple has a historic value and attracts lot of tourists throughout the year. But, I was so much disappointed with the cleanliness of this place. The beach sand and the way to Nazhi Kinaru were bitterly unclean. This unhealthy maintenance took a toll in our lives. I would never recommend taking any kids to have a bath here. Instead, one can take their own hot water (Late learned lesson).

I should've guessed this - my babies got severely sick with cold, high fever, diarrhea and vomiting next day :'(. We saw 5-6 doctors in Tirunelveli and none of the medicines worked. At least Oviya was drinking something to keep her going, but Kavya couldn't keep her liquids down and she was almost in the fainted state for 3 days. I wonder why none of the doctors wanted to admit her. Then, with the same condition, we travelled in the sleeper bus and took them to Chennai from Tirunelveli. The first doctor we saw gave another set of medicines :-/ and Kavya threw up even those. At last, we found a doctor who told us to admit Kavya in the hospital and started the treatment. Since, Oviya's condition wasn't that bad she was OK with medicines and antibiotics.

Kavya's eyes went inside, her face turned pale and the soft spot in the head got sunk :-(. She was admitted for severe dehydration and diarrheal infection (due to unsafe water & inadequate sanitation in poor hygienic places) and was given drips continuously for five days. My heart almost stopped when she didn't even react while piercing the Intravenous tube in her hand.
Finally, she was getting better and her fever started to subside after a week's struggle. We had to postpone our trip back to US because of her condition. Within 10 days, chubby little Kavya lost so much weight and lost her smile too. She was wearing the IV tube in her hand for another 5 days to get the antibiotics through the vein.

When they both got completely better, we flew back to US. Since their immune systems were already down, they got 'Flu', the day we landed here. Kavya was admitted here again for 3 days as she showed up similar symptoms like before. She was given immediate treatment to help her recover fast. Oviya was at least drinking fluids. Besides jet lag , Kavya didn't allow me to sleep even for a couple of hours. When both were recovering from illness, I too got Flu & sinus infection and Yuvi got Shingles( the chicken pox virus which affects when immunity is down). Those were the hardest moments... Our home looked like a devil's invasion. It took a while for everyone to recover from the illness, both physically & mentally.

They always say that a healthy kid is always a happy kid...I hope such tough situations never happen to anyone. But, if it happens I wish everyone has the maximum strength to face and overcome it.

From 'Pretty' to 'Noticeable'!

Dec 2nd 2012

We had Kavya and Oviya's belated 1st birthday celebration in Green Meadows resort, Chennai. It was worth the effort to do the fun filled get together because it became a reunion of the relatives at one place. Everyone was so happy to keep in touch. Both little birthday babies were the center of attraction for the day. They were stealing every one's attention with their innocent looks :-) .

Two beautiful Barbie cakes were brought for each one and it was a double delight. The pictures taken with family are the keepsakes. Even though both wouldn't remember this celebration, I'm waiting for the day they would grow up and cherish the memories by seeing their party pictures and videos :-).

To make this fun filled event even more fun, we had some games were everyone laughed, played, jumped and danced like kids regardless of their age. I think celebrations are a best way to rekindle the spirit in everyone.

Dec 9th 2012

We attended my sister's marriage which was the sole purpose of this trip. I could only have a glimpse of tying the knot since I was so busy with Kavya & Oviya. They were dressed up beautifully for the occasion. I wonder how cute and lovely the dresses are made for the tiny tots! Pretty soon, people were admiring them from all corners. How could the photographer miss them! :-)

A sweet or a sour day?

Nov 17 2012

So, what next? Kavya & Oviya were about to turn '1' on Nov 24th. Since we had a plan of flying to India on their birthday, we had a pre-celebration at home with few friends, though there was a grand party plan in India too. ( after all it's their twin-special first birthday :-) ). Even 100 celebrations aren't enough for the day they were born. Here's a glimpse of the party pics.

              

Nov 23rd 2012

This day ( a day before their birthday), became an unforgettable day. With all the luggage and these two on board, we were heading towards the Newark airport which takes two hours to reach on a normal day. But, unexpectedly we were stuck in the traffic for two hours. And guess what, we couldn't reach the airport on time. Finally, we MISSED the flight. When we reached the airport, the customer care person told us to take the next flight which leaves after two hours in the nearby JFK airport. So, we rushed there in a taxi only to find out that it was a wrong information. The next flight was only for the next day. How could the day get even worse? Well, it did get worse... All 4 were stranded at the airport until our relative Prabhu searched a nearby hotel and booked our stay through Internet.

Nov 24th 2012 12:00 AM

A year after Kavya and Oviya's magical birth, both were having their dinner at the booked hotel room after an exhausting day's mishaps. We didn't have a cake or candle, we didn't have party lights or decorations, we didn't even have guests or games. All we had was 4 little curious eyes waiting wide open to know what's gonna happen next :-) . Both listened to the 'Happy Birthday' song that we sang for them and went to sleep happily.
We finally boarded the flight to India that evening and that's the end of this story :-) .

Learning : No matter what terrific situations you handle, just wear the smile before the kids for they look into your eyes for every step of guidance :-)

Does 'Time' have turbo boost wings !!??

I realize that every moment of life is important & a chance that should never be missed. The moments gone remain only in memories unless we document it. When I write this, I sure miss those days - the days when Kavya & Oviya were sleeping in my arms as newborns, the days when they lay down still & adore my lullabies, the days when they were eagerly crawling towards me and the days when their eyes searched for me all the time.
The time came for them to take their first tiny step towards their in dependency. They seemed to have grown up all of a sudden when they stood up on their own & reached a new milestone.

There's no story behind these pics :-P They were just too cute to pen it down and they have really given a good smile :-) .

Oct 31st 2012- Halloween Day
We celebrated their first Halloween day and it was a half success. The reason the other half became a disaster was Kavya didn't like her costume and kept crying until we removed it :-/. Both were dressed up as Pinky winky monster (Weird! A baby in the monster costume ! :-) ). Oviya liked it and gave her bubbly smile. Even Snowy was dressed up with my handmade costume for the occasion. Oops! Nobody asked Snowy's opinion about his costume :-P.
I sure don't want to know :-) . We also had a cute baby tiger and a smart baby crocodile from our neighbourhood :-). 

"Trick or Treat"!! "Trick or Treat"!!

Oh..yeah.. they're not identical!

Kavya & Oviya were growing up very fast, every minute & every day right under my eyes. They were becoming more independent by exploring the surroundings and they were always on the move & couldn't stop digging things. Their world was always filled with wonders. They cry one moment, forget, clap & laugh the next moment. A child's life sure is a worry-free life! ;-)

                                          

We got a little more time now to spend in the play place. The little hearts didn't know the dangers of the outside world. They always wanted to roam & move without being held by anyone. I wished we had extra eyes & extra hands to watch them outside. :-P
Going to restaurants were cool too as they would get high chairs to sit and they get to taste different country foods. But, they don't sit for a long time & we don't get much time to finish our dinner :-)

At this stage, we were able to make out their basic characters.
Kavya seemed to be soft & sensitive. Oviya seemed to be brave & strong. Kavya likes to hold hands while Oviya likes to be independent. Kavya likes soft & cuddly toys & Oviya likes creative toys. Kavya likes to play safe while Oviya always wanted to take risks. Though both have different tastes & different opinions they will be there for each other all the time. No matter what, I'm sure the bonding between the twin sisters is gonna grow stronger & stronger everyday!! :-)

Best Sisters Forever!!! (BSF) ;-)

10 months old sugar canes...

Kavya & Oviya were 10 months old and got a good grip with crawling. Hmmm... Now it became hard for them to stay in the playpen. So, we childproofed the room a little more and set them free :-) Both were so happy that they could roam around now. But, we had to watch them very closely as they might get hurt somewhere or pull each other or put something in their mouth.

                                            

Also, the Fall season started and the climate changed. Warm days were over. Days became short and the nights were cold. So, all their mini costumes were replaced by fully covered dresses. Although they were happy for the change, we missed summer.

                                                        

We had two high chairs for them to sit and eat. This is one of the most useful thing we've ever bought. We take this wherever we go, even during the flight journey. They still sit in this chair when they eat. Even though it took a lot of time for them to eat, this was so convenient. The good part is, they don't ( or they can't) run away until their tummy is full :-)

                                           

Ready to fill the tummy!

Crawling caterpillars...

Kavya & Oviya became 9 months old. They sat without support and crawled with leg support. Kavya even stood up with support. Dal & rice became their favorite food. They uttered the word I was dreaming of - 'Amma'. It was the sweetest word I've ever heard, especially when it came from them.

The first festival we celebrated after they were born was the Ganesh Chathurthy. With a hand drawn Ganapathy & with our pet Snowy, drooling over some homemade dishes we celebrated the occasion. Of course Kavya & Oviya were wearing new dresses and looked like bluebirds :-)

Our neighbour's kids became Kavya & Oviya's favourite pals. Everyone used to play together and one such time is this. Even Snowy became a part of their team :-) They loved playing in the corridor. I don't know why they have this kind of reaction in their face. Wonder what's going in every one's mind ;-).

                               

They became obsessed with crawling and were crawling everywhere. I should also mention this. Both were changing day by day. It meant that they were growing up very fast. Now, I could really see their chubby cheeks & dimple chin :-) .

                                    

I didn't swim to the deep of the ocean to find the most precious pearls. 

I was destined to shape these two :-)

Icing on the cupcakes!

We were able to take Kavya & Oviya outside now for at least short periods of time before they start crying. We took them to the mall, to the restaurants, to the shopping, for walk etc. They still had stranger anxiety and would never smile at anyone. They used to sit in the double stroller & watch the surrounding very keenly. Initially Kavya was crying whenever we entered a new place. Oviya seemed so brave, but that was not the case. She cries if someone comes close and talks to us. She'll start crying even if the bearer comes to us for taking the food orders in the restaurant :-) .
When we did shopping, we would give each some grocery item to keep them entertained :-) This might help for a while.  

                                                 

An important life event happened this month - 'ear piercing'. Gun shots in the mall are quick & less painful & hence we chose to do there. We get 14k gold here for piercing and if we buy an earring, they pierce for free (what an offer!). I was very nervous about how they're going to react & how are they going to manage. Kavya already slept in the stroller, so the first victim was Oviya :-\ .
Oviya was happily smiling & giggling at me when the measurements were taken. And within few minutes it happened, yeah her soft little ears were pierced and she was screaming. It took a while to console her, but she looked extra pretty now :-) . She gave a hi-five & cheered up immediately.
Then Kavya woke up without knowing what had happened. It was her turn now. Kavya was already freaking out when the measurements were taken. When her ears were pierced, she was sobbing & looking for help. I came in for her rescue & she was ok after few minutes. With their sad faces, we took our family picture together :-). They forgot the pain soon, but Kavya had to come back after couple of months to re-pierce one of the ears since it was pierced wrongly (whew! Poor Kavya!).
Soon everything was over & the pretty little ladies were all ready for the closeup with their pretty shiny earrings :-).

Say...cheese!!

           In the next few days, Kavya started crawling & was trying to stand up with support. Oviya would sit without support if we make her to sit, but would eventually fall after few minutes :) Oviya started clapping & Kavya was trying to do so by seeing her younger sister. They started drinking water in sippy cups (which I never thought they would do at this stage). Both laughed at each others' silly activities & were speaking in their own funny language. I wish I had a dictionary for baby language :p
Even before analyzing the toy, it ends up in their mouth. They never leave anything without tasting it.
                                          

One of my favorite pastime is to take them number of pictures until I get a good one. In the search of getting a perfect shot, I end up getting all the perplexed shots. If one smiles the other would stare, if one sits straight the other would bend, if one sees the camera the other would see down,if one wants to pose the other would spread the arms across the face, if one is ready the other would chew a toy, if one finally gets the point the other would squish her face. But, who cares? It's sooo adorable :)
                                           

     

(Click picture to enlarge)

Yet another try gave cute results. Besides, seeing here & there and getting distracted with the toys, Oviya couldn't sit for a long time & would fall down anytime (finally fell down too :P). Even though the final outcome is what I wanted, I think every pic is a moment to cherish.

                                            

Sometimes, when I need a miracle, I look into my babies' eyes and realize I've already created two ;)

New milestone

According to the human evaluation... nah... Let me start this way...

All babies are unique and meet milestones at their own pace. There were huge differences between Kavya & Oviya in meeting their milestones even though they were twins. Kavya was the first to sit on her own. Oviya was trying to crawl and would always move towards Kavya to pull her. So, we placed some pillows in between them to block (this worked out only for few days :) ). They listened & laughed even if I sing the same song or played the same game again and again and again. They never get bored :) I was happy that they were beginning to understand my 'No's and 'Don't do's.

Playpen became their favorite place to hang out. They had all their favorite toys in it. They started paying attention to the songs played in TV. It was fun watching them play all day. Eating, sleeping and playing were their whole day jobs. I wondered what a busy schedule they had :) Something seemed to strike them at this point. Since they were watching each other closely, when one of them cries, the other started crying thinking that something went wrong. This made the doctor visits horrible. Both used to be crying inconsolably even if one gets the shots. And of course, if one gets up in the middle of the night, the other one gets up too :(                                   

When beautiful moments happen, I sure like to picture it. I tell both of them everyday to give me kisses. Finally, Oviya seemed to get the point. I was a proud momma to get Oviya's first kiss :) When I take her lips near my face, she would bend and bite my cheeks :). Lucky me, no teeth by then. 
A baby's kiss - I recommend including this in the wonders of the world :P

Rolling... jumping... laughing!

Kavya & Oviya became 6 months old and nevertheless to say, every passing day was filled with fun & surprises. 
Ready.. Set.. Go... It was time to start solids even though milk was their primary food until one year. They tasted rice cereal, mashed fruits and veggies. Kavya seemed to like Peach & apple while Oviya liked carrots & beans. Somehow, both didn't like green peas. I've read that it takes more than 10 tries for a baby to like a new food. Never give up :-)

Apart from crying, now they started showing other reactions like wriggling, making noises, blowing 'raspberries' and a lot other. Each had a favorite toy too. Kavya likes an elephant toy and she would chew it's trunk & made it wet all the time :-) Oviya likes a butterfly teether which she would bite, lick and drool over it. They rolled all over the place and tried to grab & play with each other. Both became familiar with each other's company. The giggles & smiles they shared were the evergreen moments.

                                                 

We got their most useful toy ever in which they still play each & every part of it - the combined walker and activity center  The next exciting toy they ever had was the jumper where they liked to jump, jump and jump ;-) Jumping made their legs strong and of course the urge to jump whenever we were holding them in the lap too :-) They become super excited and hyper energized when they jump and my heart melts like a butter when I see them laugh hysterically :-)      

                                            

Another interesting thing happened at this phase and this is my favorite part too. They started smiling and posing for the camera :-) They always give a surprised, amused, joyful expression while flashing the light in the camera.

This is what I call a flash shock!! :-)

Worst nightmare experience!

The 4 months of India trip came to an end. Now came the undesirable part of return flight journey. I was lucky enough to get a friend (Thanks to Vidhya Srinivasan) to accompany in the journey, but our bad, Kavya & Oviya didn't make it pleasant. Due to the crowd & new surrounding we had to face their uncontrollable crying right from the airport. Between weird looks and sympathetic comments we somehow traveled and reached USA (puff & pant) with the babies in infant carrier and luggage in hands, all the way!

To make the nightmare worse, the babies got stranger anxiety on seeing their dad who came to receive us at the airport. Neither they want to go with him nor ready to sit in the car. After much agitation, we reached home. The once they lived home and their own dad looked strange and new to them. It took 10 days for them to get adjusted and get along with dad although they wanted only me to make them sleep.
This was their reaction when taken a picture with dad and a picture with me in their new playpen :-)

                                           

Since we did not childproof the house fully, it was quite risky to leave them unattended in the room. So, we got them a playpen were they learned to sit, crawl and stand up. They rolled, moved, kicked inside the playpen without any danger of getting hurt. The jet lag was still there for a week which made them sleep so deep during nap times. Kavya would fall asleep immediately while drying her after the bath. Oviya would go to a deep sleep in whatever position she was, after the bath. Kavya's nap and Oviya's funny sleep position have been captured :-)

Later, both got comfortable with the new environment and started interacting with each other. This could be a part of their development or just sharing of sibling love. They seemed to touch and feel each other and tried to communicate with each other. The bonding between them started beautifully, after all they were born from the same womb just few seconds apart ;-)