Height of glee - a success story :-)

It's Kavya's story now. 

She is a sweet little girl who grew up as a mommy's tiny treasure with her relishing side of shyness & charm. We don't exactly remember when it started. It must be after their first birthday, when she got severely sick in India. Later, she wasn't able to eat or swallow solids without gagging & choking. Her throwing up had become a part of her daily routine! Sometimes she even throws up 10 to 12 times a day without any known reason. She looks tired & lethargic most of the times. She never showed interest in any kind of food & feeding times were a big struggle. Even if left for a whole day, she would remain starving the entire day. She gets sick with fever or cold accompanied by vomiting throughout the month. She was also diagnosed with Reflux (acidity in adults) & she had wheezing last winter.  She underwent numerous scans with all possible specialists & even an endoscopy was done only to find out nothing was wrong. She was on all wrong medicines just to find out if anything is making things better. Everything went for vein. It is very common for children with this condition to struggle to get a proper diagnosis, and most children are misdiagnosed with stomach bugs first. 

The day that changed Kavya's life...

Once she had 'tofu' which is made with soy. Exactly after 1.5 hours she started throwing up continuously for more than an hour & became very sleepy & tired. We just thought it was her usual vomiting. After couple of weeks, the feeding specialist told us to do trials with the foods starting with eliminating diary from her diet to see if any change is making her better. That's when we switched the cow's milk to soy milk for her. Exactly after  1.5 hours of having a cup of soy milk, she reacted in a way we've never seen her before. It was a continuous non-stop throwing up for more than two hours & finally she collapsed & became pale. When we were trying to take her for emergency (luckily) she came to her recovery before entering the hospital & started drinking liquids. So we came back, but couldn't figure out what just happened to her. With the help of a friend, we figured out the symptoms could possibly be FPIES ( Food Protein Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome). It's hard to get it, right? Initially it was hard for us too. Everything she told about FPIES was just overwhelming.

Food Protein-Induced Enterocolitis Syndrome (FPIES) is a type of food allergy affecting the gastrointestinal (GI) tract.  Classic symptoms of FPIES include profound vomiting, diarrhea, and dehydration. These symptoms can lead to severe lethargy, change in body temperature and blood pressure. Unlike typical food allergies, symptoms may not be immediate and do not show up on standard allergy tests. When infants who are ingesting a problem food (usually milk or soy-based food) as a consistent part of their diet might experience increasingly severe vomiting, diarrhea, and poor growth, possibly progressing to an illness mimicking a severe total-body infection. There is a characteristic delay of 2-3 hours before onset of severe and repetitive vomiting and eventually diarrhea.  The child may appear very ill and sleepy (lethargic), and may become pale or blue, which in some cases can lead to sepsis-like shock. The most definitive test is a medically supervised oral food challenge (OFC)-where the suspect food is given to the child in a controlled clinical environment. The good news is that kids outgrow FPIES mostly before the age of 5 :-). Until then, we have to keep Kavya safe from her trigger - 'soy' which she was taking in small amounts every day all these days. Nowadays we travel around with a letter from our specialist explaining her condition so that when she has another severe reaction it explains to the personnel in the emergency department what is going on and what treatment is needed. This should be very helpful.

Unfortunately, soy is found in most of the foods including cookies, bread, cake & many other common foods. Fortunately, it became possible to give her a soy- free food by checking out the ingredients of every pack, providing a special soy free snack to her school & choosing a soy free diet while eating at restaurants. After couple of weeks of completely eliminating the traces of soy in Kavya's body, miracles happened in her life. She started eating without chocking or vomiting, her appetite increased significantly & she asked me for food for the first time :-). She wasn't lethargic anymore & became super active like any other toddler. Her reflux symptoms vanished & she's now leading a medicine free life after a very long time :-). Now, I just couldn't get my eyes off my little girl eating & eating throughout the day. I hope all her struggles & pain she underwent finally has come to a full stop! I was desperately waiting for this day when Kavya would stand before us with all her smiles & a strong heart bearing all her life experiences. 

               

There are lot more kids like Kavya, who are still struggling to have one safe food without a reaction. For all of them, I'm sure there's going to be a success story like Kavya when they outgrow it :-)!!

Thank u so much Maureen & Sarah for helping with the diagnosis!

Everyday's acrobatic maneuvers!

Aug 24th 2014 - There has to be something inside everyone that burns like a fire or starts like the igniting wick or just a coal waiting to be exposed to flame. When the urge got stronger & stronger, I flew!! :-). Yes, I'm talking about heights, gusting winds & an enormous dive. The skydiving experience I had happened above 13,500 feet with the speed of 130 mph. Kavya & Oviya were super excited to see mommy in the parachute :-). The moment I jumped out of the plane, I had no idea how desperately my family was waiting to see me back. The fright they had in the mind was way more than me gasping for breath. It wasn't hard for me,

while signing the 'No obligation' declaration or

while boarding the skydiving plane or

while looking at the exclusive view of the earth from such a high altitude or

while my heart was pounding during the free fall & 

even while hanging in the parachute.... 

The hard part was Kavya & Oviya came running towards me & gave a tight hug. One little hug meant a thousand unspoken words. They kept saying 'mommy parachute' & looked so much relieved to hold my hands again. They might have missed me so much. I thought for myself, "my next adventure shouldn't be without them"!! :-)

                    

                    

We did tried to do some petty adventures since summer was still painted beautifully everyday, by the ever loving 'Sun'. We also wanted to make the day to it's best use before the sun changes it's mind :-).

Here's the sneak peek of how a day was well spent. It's brave Oviya who's enjoying a dip in the enormous dancing fountains. Being soaked up like a wet pumpkin, she was still not ready to leave :-P. Kavya made up her mind after getting the taste of little chillness through the spine. She wasn't willing to take the fountain challenge anymore. She remained all wrapped up & cozy for the remaining time lol :-).

                     

Another visit to zoo along with my in-laws came with the package of fun & curiosity. All the exotic animals, reptiles & birds were so close to us near the glass window.

The giraffe was looking for feeding them lettuce.

The flamingo's beak was hard & wide to the sense of our touch.

The iguana was waiting for someone to glide their fingers through it's open holed cage that said 'beware of biting' :-).

The elephant looked care-free about the visitors & continued to eat the dry grass by dipping every bite in the water.

The tiger was definitely trying to catch the kids behind the glass door :-)

The lion seemed lethargic at a distance & the monkeys jumped so close to us & showed scary faces!

               

                 

Sometimes, the moments are gone, captured only in the photographs. When I see an old picture, I wish I could have lived more in the moment enough. I wish I could remember what they ate, what we talked about, how they sounded & how they looked when they went to bed. I wish I had not been in such a hurry to get on to the next thing : brush, bath, eat, cook, feed, nap & again a snack, cook, feed, make them sleep... I wish I had treasured the doing the little more and the getting it done a little less.

Not all parents know that they're probably not cut out to be a parent until after the fact!

Love across the wormholes...

The whole life process seems mysterious like traveling through a black hole. No one is able to give a solid definition till now. The same way, every life on earth starts doing certain basic characteristics right after they're born. Nobody taught us to breathe, nobody pushed the fishes to swim, nobody trained the animals to feed their babies. Is that gene? Is that nature? Is that some unknown power? There is also a very strong base that connects the whole earth which is called 'Love'. I see it, feel it, wonder about it every day in Kavya & Oviya since they were newborns. How impressive is to see a newborn getting blindly in love with the mom, slowly with the dad, then with siblings, with friends & relatives!! Without any learning or explanation, without any experience or expectation, the 'love' in kids seems so magical beyond my understanding. When I clicked this pic, my eyes became wet to see the untaught magic happening between these kids :-). How sweet!

                       

With my in-laws' visit, the days became even more interesting. Kavya & Oviya were overjoyed with grandma & grandpa's presence at home rather than watching my boring face all the time :-P. And so the trips started (:-D). 
If the amusement & excitement never diminishes, if the visit never gets bored even after several times, if the heart pounds out of the chest with the breathtaking view, if you ever get suicidal thoughts with the overwhelmed experience ( some actually gets it.. Lol )

It means...

It means...

You're in 'Niagara'... 

                     

My in-laws were totally awestruck with the 'Maid of the Mist' boat trip & the 'Cave of the winds' where we all were drenched with cold water besides wearing rain ponchos. Although,Kavya was little scared, Oviya is one daring little girl who never stopped at any peak of drenching point :-). These kind of trips end so soon!

At times, there are rough days too... 

The days when I need more energy

The days when I lack more patience

The days when I look for extra support

The days when I miss encouraging words

The days when I feel like taking an off ;-)

Though I may not expect a perfect day every time, something keeps me going through all the curves. It's moments like these that make me smile even in a bad mood ;-).

                       

Every mom gets the goodies not in the form of bags, but by watching the cuteness in her kids! :-)

On the boat of life...

June 2014 - Ever had the experience of colors getting brighter, the air becoming softer, the ambiance creating fragrance & the mind feeling lighter ? This happens when we become the part of kid's play :-). This is not exaggerated. I think to keep our life vibrant & blooming, we have to keep carrying the childhood within us. 

I realized, sometimes the importance of letting go of the title 'mom' & believe in giving little independence makes a huge difference. Protecting the kids from rain or hot sun or in snow doesn't help with anything. Kavya & Oviya were getting sick often anyway. In reality, the human body is amazing to withstand all weather conditions. The more they get used to all environments, the more they develop immunity. Moreover, while we were trying to safeguard the kids we were forgetting the basic essence of life. We didn't want to miss the beauty of life anymore. Rain or shine, fog or mist, snow or ice, river or lake we're taking them out. After all, we're born to live in harmony with nature ;-).

                                                        Ice cold water in lake Erie

                 

                                                     Pics courtesy : Prashanth Kishan

The need for doing activities independently and wanting to take things in their own hands were dominating for Kavya & Oviya when they are 2 1/2 years old. Needless to say, they were not ready to listen when they're having fun. Of course, why do they have to come back to the yelling mom (lol) when they are having so much amusement in watching 

the multi-colored butterfly in the bushes

the cuckoo birds walking beside them

the brown bunny hopping on it's way

the rain water touching their toes

the kids riding their cycles or

just the breeze brushing their faces... 

It could be anything or it could be everything. There's a whole lot of world over there. This is how a picture look like when we try to intrude their way. This is applicable for Snowy too :-).

                                     Just trying to pose near Point state park fountain

Meanwhile it was June 27th - Yuvi's b'day

I couldn't hold the excitement until Yuvi came home. Kavya & Oviya did make a fingerprint painting along with me keeping the hands together. I made a book exclusively for him, ' The reasons I love you' stating & picturizing the top 30 reasons :-). Then ordered a couple of big posters, made couple of double layered chocolate cake with chocolate frosting (yummy!), blew balloons & decorated the house, prepared some sweets, ordered few foods outside, invited friends, waited for Yuvi's arrival from office. It's more of 'my proud moment' when I saw the awestruck reaction in his face :-D. There was still a touch of Kavya & Oviya in everything we made. Yayyy!! The celebration was a grand success.

               

Soon after that, I remember a very sensitive incident that happened near our home. While returning from shopping, we met a couple of elderly American men sitting in the nearby car . Kavya & Oviya were dressed with a traditional touch wearing bangles & chain. Since Oviya is more outgoing, she peeped in to say 'Hi' to them. One of the old men( who seemed so calm & loving) held Oviya's both hands & was so much interested in talking to her. He was telling her 'she's beautiful' & couldn't take his eyes off her. It felt very normal until then. When I asked him whether he has kids, he told me he doesn't have kids & added that he would take Oviya with him if I would allow (??!!). The next moment, he cried... I saw the pain & longing in his eyes. There was a moment of silence between us. I just smiled & left. He reluctantly let go off her hands. My heart was throbbing, after all he must've carried so much of aches throughout his life.

                                                    The day that left me with patches

We may not always end up where we thought we were going. But we'll always end up were we're meant to be.

Speck in a magnifying glass!

With the growing days & weeks, Kavya & Oviya were growing too. Their eyes, nose, lips, arms & legs were no longer the same like the previous day. ( Is it only me who didn't notice? :-/ )

They wanted to...

brush the teeth by themselves

dress up by themselves

wear their shoes by themselves

read a book by themselves

walk on the road by themselves

Now, this is a bitter & beautiful reality. 'All by themselves' - It's sometimes hard to accept the fact that they don't need us to help them anymore. Suddenly, something strikes in the mind - how fast they grow up!! I must remind myself, when they are working hard on finding their footing, I too must find mine. There's only a delicate difference between holding on & letting go.

                         

                          

Their intense eye contact & their height of innocence sure is irresistible. What else does a mom need when they start expressing their love in their own way of smiling or hugging & kissing or calling 'momma' a hundred times! Yes, it was happening :-). 

I do think I need a special class to know more activities to keep kids engaged. I run out of ideas all the time & they never seemed to stick with any toy for more than 5 minutes :-P (crazy!). Ok, here... Just to keep them occupied at home I keep blowing bubbles, give them tattoos, try out the forgotten toys or make them participate in the workout I do (it's fun... lol).

                            

Kavya & Oviya got a new cute neighbor 'Alana', whom they started playing with almost everyday. All the pieces of my heart smile when they all play together. I couldn't believe that the cutest & sweetest moments were actually free of cost. Their little imaginations are fascinating. Isn't it true that little kids with dreams become adults with vision :-). 

                         

Their giggling & chuckling, laughing & rolling, jumping & dancing, bending & crawling, running & hopping - Oh, did I forget something? Yeah, while we try to teach our children all about life, they teach us what life is all about!! :-)

The magic of listening!

Kids are like a painting. The usage of colors & the brushing style can decide how vibrant & bright it can be or how bad it can turn out.  The artist needs utmost care & dedication to bring out the best in his art. If we think a little carelessness wouldn't affect the painting, it can turn out to be a big blunder. 

Every word we speak & every action we do are watched by our kids. It's been registered in some corner of their minds & they prove it soon or later in their life. 

               

When real words emerged, Kavya & Oviya were able to relate & remember stuffs that had happened earlier. They were comfortable with their familiar places & things. Their likes & dislikes were based on their previous experiences. The eagerness & curiosity to try something new always starts with Oviya & then followed by her big sister Kavya :-). But for every new thing , they looked for the confirmation & assurity from us ( the parents ) before trying on it. It happens with petting a stranger's dog or running into a dense bush or touching a spider or spilling the water - everything depends on how we react in front of them. So, it was important for me to try ( though it's tough all the time ) to act as if I'm bold and calm even when the situations are bad :-).

The actions they do & the words they speak are only impressions of what kids see & experience in their daily life.

               

May 7th - How could we forget our loyal family member, Snowy? It was his 5th birthday. He was looking stylish in his black tuxedo :-). We celebrated his birthday with his own doggy cake & cookie & my numerous home-made cupcakes. He was delighted about a couple of friends who joined his party :-). Celebrating the little lives in our life is exuberant! 

               

Kids always seem to do petty things to draw our attention. It gives them immense happiness if we appreciate them & listen to them. Kavya & Oviya would sometimes call me a number of times just to show how they jump or they come running to the kitchen just to smile at me or simply scream when I'm on a phone or would curiously look for me to laugh for their silly activities or would throw something to get my attention or expect me to hold them in my arms. 

I don't know for how long they would be roaming around my legs before they grow up. But for now, it's my honour to be able to happily available for them whenever they need me :-). 

               

Need some Oxytocin? ;-)

April 14 2014 - Tamil New year. 

Somehow, we were always waiting for a chance to celebrate. It was the Tamil New year this time. When we wake up early, when we distribute the prepared snacks to neighbors, when we wear new dresses, when we take pictures together, when we share our wishes, we're automatically drawn into the festive mood. 

               

Kavya &. Oviya - I've seen them cry, smile, laugh, mad, I've seen them sleeping, wide, hyper, awake, mellow; they're always so beautiful to me, always so close to my heart... Day by day, their eagerness to  become independent was dominating. A trip to the local library showed their interest in pretend - play & the trip to the zoo revealed their admiration towards animals. But, making them sit for a movie ( tried Rio-2 movie in the theatre for the first time) or do a shopping or a simple stroll in the mall would be very difficult. They needed entertainment, activities & varieties all the time :-).

                    

                

Both looked like 'day' & 'night'. Oviya seems hyper-active, while Kavya is hyper-sensitive. Each has different toddler tantrums & I sometimes worry about having only 2 arms :-/. 

When they were inside the womb, Kavya was the 'Baby A' & Oviya, the 'Baby B'. I was frequently told that 'Baby B' was super active, kicking & jumping inside while 'Baby A' was sleepy & shy in it's own cozy place. To add on to this, Oviya's head turned as a sign of readiness before delivery while Kavya was still in a breach position till the end without wanting to either come out or leave the way for Oviya :-). But, ready or not, they were born at 36 weeks (one month pre-mature). There was no need for the neonatal care since both of their weights were pretty good. 

The point is, their in-born characters never seemed to have changed till now. Nobody can do anything to Oviya without her willingness. We're sure to get kicks & scratches while locking her in the car seat or making her wear a dress or while trying to hold her in public. The other way of her resisting is screaming at a high pitch or just rolling & crying in the middle of the road. Whereas Kavya is just the antonym of Oviya. Though she's naughty inside the house, pushing & fighting with Oviya, she tends to be sensitive & shy when we go outside. It takes time for her to mingle with people in a new place. Sometimes, she feels nervous & scared around noisy environment ( awww, how she misses that extra one month inside the womb :- P). I always comfort her with a tight hug when she's nervous. This helps a lot in comforting both of them. So when Kavya or Oviya gets upset or nervous, hugging them gives them the reassurance of safely secured in my arms :-). 

A tight hug for 20 seconds is as good as eating a piece of dark chocolate which produces the 'Oxytocin', the stress releasing harmone. We have the choice of hugging a person or a pet or a teddy. Lucky me! I have all the three. 

So if some one's in a bad mood, they may need some 'Oxytocin' :-P. 

In search of silliness...

The everyday experience in the perspective of kids is much more bigger than we actually imagine. Every object they see & every incident they relate shows how they still try to understand their tiny world. Kavya & Oviya needed more & more exposure to the outside world. We like to take them out just to see the curiosity in their eyes, awestruck reaction in their faces & the exciting smile in their lips. Regardless of tiny bug digging a hole to enormous aeroplane flying in the sky, everything catches their attention. When they see an empty road, they run without boundaries. If we watch them closely, we realize that their silliness teaches us important things we were forgetting in life. All these days,

I didn't know what was inside a drainage hole until both of them showed me.

I didn't watch the birds fly (with the same excitement every time) until they disappeared from the sight.

I didn't roll with laughter for petty things.

I didn't even care about the shadows that follow me.

I didn't feel contented with having just one cookie.

Now the details of life are clearly visible when I experience all of these by becoming one among them . There's no fake smiles or fake hugs & there's only genuine love to get drenched in :-)

                 

It was also Kavya & Oviya's time for the summer haircut & of course it was their first haircut :-). When we took them to a nearby parlour, both were tactically escaping the scene by going to the restroom alternatively :-). With all the tears, the haircut was done finally within few minutes. They still describe their first haircut ( they seem to remember incidents) as if something tragic has happened to them :-P. 

                 

Then, we took a right trip at the right time to the nearby Carnegie Science Center. We were amazed to see how the little brains were engaged in various activities. 

Both had fun with experimenting with water inside various shaped containers, building the giant blocks, brushing the giant teeth, watching a miniature village, feeding the ducks (Kavya was upset about the duck's teeny tiny bite of her finger along with the chips... Oops!!) etc. This was a place with lots & lots of activities, which they never got bored of. Meanwhile, I was doing something too.  Both were watching their mom hanging in 'zero gravity' like an astronaut ( well, not exactly )... hee hee!! Now, that's what I was talking about - becoming kid-like :-D :-P.

                 

It's sometimes hard to cope up with the rapid speed they grow. Kids surprise us by letting us know, 'Hey, we're capable of much more!'. It becomes challenging to feed their brains as they grow up. 

The only way to read our child is not through books, not through other people's advises, it's only through walking closely with their path of life!

Never to be missed moments!

Every day of parenting means we get to see something new for sure. Was it Kavya & Oviya's tremendous growth or their in dependency towards each step they take or their attitude towards life or the mega capture of knowledge in their tiny brains? It is everything that I'm amused of each day. The best part is they never stop grabbing all our attention. The unfavorable part is, they keep growing & growing every moment & we begin to miss the infant stage.
There was a day when I was holding 2 tiny bundled newborns in each hand.
There was a day when 4 tired eyes would doze off within seconds.
There was a day when they didn't know what to do with their wiggly arms & legs.
There was a day when they always remained in the crib until I picked up.
There was a day when there were no demanding cries or fights for a toy.
There was a day when they were happy with whatever color dress they wore.
So, caution : Once we start this bumpy ride, there's no reverse gear :-). The only way to get through the ride happily is to get as silly as possible, get as childish as possible, get as giggly as possible & get as naughty as possible. This way, we can make precious moments treasured :-).

How admiring is to watch the little sisters grow together! Kavya & Oviya might fight for petty reasons, sometimes push or kick each other, come running all the way just to tell complaints against each of them, would refuse to share toys. But, there's always love & bonding between them. There's always smiles & laughter when they play. They are the partners in crime. The cutest thing is, they never remain apart from each other :-). I wish the purity in their hearts & innocence in their eyes remain undisturbed forever.

                 

Meanwhile, this moment shouldn't be missed out here - my awesome birthday celebration with our neighbors & Yuvi who arranged a get together with sweets & cake. That was a sweet surprise :-).

                 

There came a day when the sun finally decided to show some light in our place. Then what were we waiting for? It was all trips on all days :-). Whether it's a walk to the nearby park or a ride to the play place or an yummy dinner in the restaurant or just strolling in the mall, every one's ready in minutes. At last, we got rid of the jackets & winter shoes for this season ;-). I'm happy that running on the roads, jumping among the balls, climbing over the gym, riding a toy car & coming through a slide sure gives them a nice workout. And once Kavya was stuck & crying inside a tube while playing in the play gym and I had to go inside the tunnel to rescue her. So, sometimes it's a workout for me too ;-). 

               

It became so hard to entertain such a high energy level kids of this generation. They are not satisfied with just one or two toys like I used to play in my childhood. They seem to crave for varieties & activities & fun everyday! Wonder what the younger generation looks like in the future :-?

MOM - 'M'ost 'O'ccupied 'M'ankind!

I'm a person,

Who wakes up every morning just to work for my kids.

Who wants to slip all the healthy nutrition in food whenever possible.

Who finds complete bliss in their laughter.

Who wants to give as many hugs & kisses to them & get drenched in their abundant love.

Who's heart rips off if they get hurt & bleed, yet try to stay calm to soothe them.

Who awes to see my reflection in every activity they do & every word they speak. 

Who wishes to mold them with boldness & intelligence in all the steps they take. 

Who's not much cared about own beauty, but wanted to see them wear cute dresses. 

Who wouldn't sleep properly even if one of them gets sick. 

Who wants to go only to the places which entertains them. 

Who strives hard to create a better life & better thoughts for them.

These symptoms are not uncommon, because I'm one among the MOMs :-). 

               

At this stage, there came another challenge of potty training. Kavya got the point easily while it took a while for Oviya to get trained. Similarly Kavya had a bunch of vocabulary while Oviya was in her own pace. To all the people who ask, "why hasn't your baby crawled yet?", "why hasn't your baby walked yet?", "why hasn't your baby talked yet?" or "why is he/she not doing this & that?", I have an answer. Even if we stand upside down, kids reach their milestones only when they are ready :-). Though Kavya & Oviya were born with only few seconds of time difference, they perceive things differently & look everything in a totally different angle. Why compare kids when we know that each one is special & beautiful? ;-)

               

Yayyy!! Now, we also had our first guests who actually came to stay in our new house. It was Yuvi's cousin sister's family with their cute baby, Harshitha! It was fun watching her move like a doll. Even with heavy snow on the roads, we went out with them. 

               

The best moments in life are usually unplanned, random & spontaneous!! :-)

A runaway from Home to hOmE :-) - Part 2

After a week...

The packing & cleaning process seemed never ending. Many of our friends helped at the last minute, some stayed overnight. Without their help, we wouldn't have made it. Packers & movers helped shifting the packages to the new home. After everything was over, again we travelled 5 hours with our 5 members crew ( :-D ) in the snow storm on that day without a single break. It became evening when we reached the place. Exactly when we were about to take a turn inside the apartment entrance the car skidded & moved towards the other street. Since we couldn't take a reverse turn due to the vehicles behind, we thought of taking a 'U' turn from the next street. There was only half an hour remaining for closing the leasing office & to sign the lease. But when we went to the adjacent street, we got stuck in the snow for one hour) ;-). Kavya & Oviya were cranky & crying, it was snowing heavily outside, there was nobody outside to help, a woman from a nearby home kept watching us now & then from her window ( looked like she was annoyed by our car standing there for a long time ). This looked like a thriller movie except that we were the victims in real time :-). Then, determined Yuvi took a roaring turn to get the tire out of snow, but the leasing office was closed by then & we had to stay in the nearby hotel that night. Since we finalized this apartment & gave the advance amount earlier, we came to sign the lease only the next day.

We were lucky that on the very first day our neighbors gave some food :-). For a month it was tough to organize the things & to make Kavya & Oviya get settled after sickness. Even Snowy was sad initially. Slowly everything was getting better & we even got some good neighbours. And finally it was time to shave Yuvi's beard too after a month. He was trying  a new style which looked horrifying :-D.

                       

                       

I'll look back on this & 'Smile' because it was 'Life' & we decided to live it :-).

A runaway from Home to hOmE :-) - Part 1

Kavya & Oviya were two months passed their 2nd birthday. We had to relocate from King of Prussia PA to Pittsburgh PA ( 5 hours of distance ) due to Yuvi's job change. We came to know about the moving only a couple of weeks before starting. Since then, there were too much work to do including packing all the stuffs, cleaning the house, informing the change of address to the post office & other important places, looking for a new apartment in the new place etc. On top of it, I still had to cook & take care of the kids. Kavya & Oviya were still wandering without enough attention ( Kavya was wearing one of my top ;-) ) & unpacking the things we already packed. The process of packing was overwhelmingly huge. We didn't knew the complexity of packing until we had some friends helping throughout the night in the last minute.

Since the cot was disassembled, every one's tired eyes made them sleep in the hall. And after so much packing, Yuvi made a special dish which tasted so yummy for my hungry tummy :-) ).

                       

We had to make a two day trip to our new place a week prior to the actual moving for booking an apartment, where we all ( including Snowy ) stayed in a hotel & searched for some apartments. That must be one of our worst trips ever. It was snowing outside & both Kavya & Oviya were having a cold. Their condition worsened during the 5 hour travel & it ended up taking Oviya to the emergency in a completely unknown place. She had trouble eating & drinking liquids due to her throat infection. When she got better, somehow we managed to see some apartments & booked one blindly.

While returning from the trip, Snowy did something to remind about his importance too :-). This incident would live in our minds for sure. At 12 AM, we stopped at the service area & I took Oviya alone ( Kavya was sleeping in the car with Yuvi & Snowy inside ) to the restroom where we were roaming in nearby shops. When we both came outside after 15 minutes, Yuvi was moving in panic around the car. He was sweating even in the freezing cold. His face was tensed & his words were stammering. What had happened was, Kavya was still sleeping in her car seat & Yuvi thought of taking Snowy down for a small walk. When he got down, closed the door & came to open the other door were Snowy was sitting, Snowy got excited & jumped over the lock button on the door. The next moment, all the doors of the car got locked while the engine was still on & the mobile was inside. Yuvi was desperately explaining Snowy how to open the lock. Unfortunately, Snowy only had paws & not fingers :-P.

When I came to know this, I rushed inside again & called the cops from a nearby shop. There were lots of thoughts going through our mind. What if Kavya got up & cried? What if Snowy could never open the lock? What if Snowy moved the driving gear out of jumping? What if the cops turned out late? What if the cops break the car to rescue both? What if this & what if that? Those few moments gave us the most unbelievable chills. But, miraculously Snowy opened the lock again after few minutes on his own & we informed the cops again before they arrived. Even with our eyes closed & nose pinched, we would never leave the key inside again while going out of the car.

Every day & every moment reminds me of 'We're still learning' :-).

A 24/7 job...

When life's clock is ticking every second, I keep in mind that every upcoming second is completely new, filled with unknown mysteries. Unveiling every surprising moment is definitely thrilling and adventurous :-). Some brings a smile & some bring tears. But when there are no expectations & while going with the flow one will experience just 'the moment' and not an emotional mix.
When Yuvi was at home for an entire month before getting another project, every day was yet another day taking care of the kids, entertaining them & cooking for them.
It's not possible to chose our children...
They just happen to us :-) .
So, everything revolves around them - our thoughts, our schedule, personal plans etc.. Even though Yuvi was at home, I still had to get up & fulfill Kavya & Oviya's needs, prepare food & keep them engaged for the whole day. There's no chance that a mom like me could escape due to laziness or sickness. Of course, even dad can't escape when he's at home with twin kids :-P.

                                         

A couple of beautiful incidents were missed while I was busy writing other stories. One is the Christmas Day celebration when our big family took a picture with Santa. This would be one of my favorite pic coz everyone gives a nice pose including Snowy :-). And this day is special due to the nutty plum cake which became a big hit among the friends & neighbors & got over within a day! 

                       

We also can't forget the New year day when I made our Indian chicken curry popular among our neighbor, the Vietnam granny & grandpa. Granny Linh is a sweet lady who has a very sweet husband who served in Vietnam war. We're a BIG fan of her smile & kindness :-).

                                         

How come this post could end without Kavya's story ;-) ? We finally found out why she wasn't interested in eating food. It was revealed in the milk scan we took in the pediatric imaging center for which she was watching cartoon & laying down for an hour. She had... 'Reflux' (heartburn in adults). Ok, now she had a good reason for not eating & chewing :-). There's nothing we could do much about it except giving her pills for heartburn. She should be able to outgrow it eventually. These pictures where taken after the scan while playing in the play area inside the center. She can happily go without food for hours & hours ( strange creature ) :-). 

                            

Both Oviya & Kavya developed their own attitude & thoughts. I guess all the toddlers hear a 'No' as 'Yes'. They always do the opposite :-P.
I was in the thought that mom's work gets easier every year when kids grow up. I was totally 'WrOnG' :-D !

The mysterious tomorrow!

25th month of Kavya & Oviya seemed little crazy. We always knew life is like a canoe in wild river. It has it's own unexpected twists & turns, ups & downs, screams & chills, but we keep moving on in different directions. When we take a look back, we always wonder how we crossed the challenging rough edges. We went through one of the kind of unexpected edge this month. Yuvi's project was about to end on 31st Dec 2013. Since, there wasn't any project availability, he had to leave the client & he stayed jobless for the next month. We didn't knew there was much more in store for us which finally ended up in relocation.

Meanwhile,

Ok, this picture has nothing to say except that these were taken by Yuvi's cousin who just bought a new SLR camera. Maybe he was practicing his initial shots :-P which turned out pretty too :-) .

We had another relative's visit too from the nearby state NJ and this is their elder daughter Deeksha posing with Snowy who looks very comfortable in her lap :-) . It was still the peak of winter and we could only go to indoor places like Bounce U where everyone could bounce & bounce & have fun ( Well, the kids needed some sort of activities outside the home :-) ).

The final day of the year 2013 still had something interesting for us. Some of Yuvi's office colleagues had arranged a New year party with cake & awesome food. We all ate, danced & had fun. Oviya was dancing & playing with lots of excitement while Kavya was slowly catching up the wave :-) .

Each new year carries all our hopes, dreams & responsibilities and I believe that everyone is destined to have a better tomorrow. We were hoping for the same in the next year 2014 :-) .

Lollipop & lemon drop!!

I blinked twice & 2 years passed since the birth of Kavya & Oviya. When they were little babies, we did everything for them. We changed their diapers, wiped & burped after every meal and chose their dresses. But as they get older, they learn to do more things for themselves, from pulling off their shirt to getting their own bowl of snacks. Watching them grow increasingly independent was bittersweet, but learning to take care of themselves is an important part of their development.

After the second birthday Kavya and Oviya seemed to have a sudden growth, having an increased rate of thinking and acting. It also seemed very tough to make them sit in one place. They hated to sit in a car seat or stroller. Shopping with them was a nightmare. Each one runs in each direction & throws all the items from each rack. Finally we get tired of managing both & would return home empty handed without buying anything :-P .
On the other hand, they showed abundant love & affection, gave kisses & hugs, showed lot of expressions and emotions. So, I guess this 'Terrible Two' is a multi combo of all the extremes :-).

Nov 30 2013- We desperately needed a winter break on our 5th wedding anniversary. So, we had an awesome 3 nights indoor water theme park trip to the Split rock Resort, Poconos along with Yuvi's cousin brother's family. We started early( which is quite rare :-P ) after the complimentary breakfast. These two are always ready to go out ;-) . All of us had an amazing fun in the wavy pool, water slides, kiddie pool etc. When it was snowing outside, we were enjoying a warm water pool. How cool was that? :-).

Dec 8 2013- When we came to the real world :-P , we experienced the first snow of the season. Kavya, Oviya & Snowy were thrilled, surprised, exuberated and showed all kinds of reactions :-) . They were wearing the fully covered snow costumes. Even Snowy got his own jerkin. They walked & walked in the snow leaving their first footprints on the fresh snow.

Two turning '2' !!

It was Kavya & Oviya's 2nd birthday on 24th November. I was waiting for THIS day for a long time :-) . The party plan was initialized, invitations were sent, decoration boards were made during my free time, cake was ordered, party hall was booked & their birthday dresses were altered and what not? I had been dreaming about their birthday celebration day & night because every birthday of our kids reminds about their first moment of arrival, first feel in our arms & the first look in their tiny eyes. I'm glad that we forget all the pains & procedures we underwent once we see the tiny wonders of joy. I truly think that birthdays are important to be celebrated since it's a milestone to be remembered & it reflects the path we've walked together, days we've crossed holding hands & things we've done for our little ones :-) . Also the specialty of this day would never fade away and will always be cherished!

Some of our friends were really helpful in decorating the hall, preparing all the delicious varieties of food & cleaning the hall after the party. It felt very happy when we had awesome friends like these around us. We slept late before the celebration day, but managed to get refreshed in the morning. Kavya had a fever on the birthday, but became alright after a while. Finally with a big crowd, great fun, interesting games & return gifts the party was a grand success. Apart from all, there was a tremendous satisfaction of sharing our little happiness which multiplied with all the people who attended.

Kids get the extra glow & shine when they're traditionally dressed up with glittering accessories :-) . Kavya & Oviya had the amazing looks too! It was hard to take my eyes off from them :-) !! 

       

So, that's how this wonderful day marked the beginning of Kavya & Oviya's BIG '2'.