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'.

The Day of the Dead!

Oct 31st Halloween day - It was not just like any other day. It was not just about trick or treating, wearing scary costumes, lighting bonfires, carving pumpkin lanterns and telling & listening to scary stories. This day marked the end of harvest season. It's an ancient Celtic festival at which time it was believed that the barrier between This world and the Other world was removed so that the dead could visit the living :-) .

Now, let's see what Kavya & Oviya did for last Halloween. Both went 'Trick or Treat' to the nearby vet hospital & the pet store with their dearest pet pal 'Snowy'. Everyone was dressed up for the occasion. We had 2 bumble bees & a fall gift basket. They loved their costumes. I know, it was funny & not scary :-P. Wooahh... It was so much fun meeting other dogs who were dressed up too :-) .

             

While they were nearing their 2nd birthday, Kavya had a bunch of vocabulary & Oviya had a bunch of her gymnastic moves :-) . Their understanding was growing rapidly & their attitudeushas based on their likes & dislikes. They wanted our attention all the time, cried when we didn't play with them, circled us all the time - It all only meant one thing... They were showing their abundant love & affection :-) .

Sometimes, dads have to go that extra mile to make kids happy :-P . And the great winning look in the kid's face is priceless ;-) .

My unspoken words...

We had to undergo lot of stuffs in Kavya & Oviya's 22nd and the next few months. Both were running & jumping, rolling & falling & getting hurt. It was so tricky & exhausting to watch them every moment & running behind them all day. Apart from these, they developed strong temper tantrums too. They get angry or upset easily, cry with loud screams, fight for no reasons, laugh for silly things. Managing their feelings were increasingly complex. While double the fun seemed to be there, I was also able to feel the heat of double the trouble too :-) . Both had their own boundaries & thresholds. Kavya screams for pouring water over her head, Oviya screams for wiping her wet hair... Hold on! Sometimes, it wasn't over yet :-P. By taking a deep breath, I would just continue the rest of the day ending up with bedtime battles :-\ . Not all days are rough & not all days are smooth too :-) .

We had a birthday party & a housewarming ceremony where we were all dressed up traditionally differing from the rest of the day. Even though we live in a foreign country, I guess our tradition & our traditional dresses always bring a smile & eagerness among both of them. They loved to wear glittering dresses, asked for bangles & chains, showed patiently for keeping bindis. Watching them wear our traditional style is little special :-) .

On the other hand, they are naughty & stylish too :-) .

Sigh!!!! Among all the things happening, I don't know why Kavya had to go through the toughest phase. She was already getting sick very often, at least twice in a month. On top of it, she got Pneumonia on October 10th 2013. She got wheezing for the first time. We didn't knew it initially. She had tough time breathing and had rapid inhaling & exhaling cycles. She was given steroid & nebulizer in the nearby minute clinic to stop her symptoms of wheezing. She recovered soon, but became dull & weak. Later from the lung specialist we came to know that he suspects pediatric asthma in her ( This type of asthma lasts during the childhood, maybe until age 3 to 5. Rarely it comes back during adulthood too). This wasn't devastating. We have a strong hope that she would recover soon from wheezing & the medicines she's now taking. I know that she needs more concentration & we would do everything possible to support & make her feel better. We, the parents have to be strong to make her strong.

Dear Kavya & Oviya,

We always wanted you to know,
You both are an incredible presence...
Rain or shine, peak or base
Happiness or sadness
Mom & dad will always be there
To hug you tight, blow you kisses
Watch you grow, Hold your hands

And love you to bits & pieces :-) .

"Hope" - This small word gives a big meaning to life. Never, ever, let go of this :-)

A glaring show-off :-P

What happened next? Well, Kavya & Oviya became version 2. The reason is their second head shave, done by Yuvi ( looked like he has an extra talent for a part-time job) :-) . There was no better reason to shave their heads except that they would get thicker & longer hair in future. It sure was very hard to see them without their beautiful hair, but this hard decision paid off. Now they have too much hair :-) . Sometimes, change is good. Oviya didn't mind shaving her head coz she was keenly watching the cartoon, but Kavya was wiggling & pushing making the whole process very tough. Meanwhile, there was an unexpected twist. The electric shaving razor went out of charge leaving Kavya half bald :-\ (A BiG OOoPs!!). Yuvi rushed to buy a corded razor so that it doesn't stop in the middle. Kavya still was playing with her half sided hair on the head. This nervous 30 minutes until he was back went like 30 hours for me lol. Finally after he arrived, the full head shave was completed & then we took a relaxed deep breath :-) .

I took a 'before haircut' picture for everyone including our pet Snowy :-) . Kavya wanted Snowy to have a hairband too :-) . Both became very different after the head shave. When we took them to a nearby restaurant on the same day, everyone working over there came to see the twins with a different hairdo :-) . They were excited to watch similar heads with similar style coz many country people rarely do head shave for their kids, especially girls. OK, we know that they would get their hair back real soon. So, no worries :-P.

Then, we went on a trip to the Wild wood beach, NJ. I know, water is always amusing. Both had lots of fun in the water along with our friends. It was an enjoyable trip after a long time. Oviya was jumping for every wave & Kavya joined after a little hesitation. Water was warm, but the breeze was still chill.

                                               

Taking a break always gives a refreshing start to continue with our roles & responsibilities. So, Break = Better focus :-) .