A turns one!

Happy birthday darling. A turned one a couple of weeks back. We are such lazy parents, we still have not bought her a birthday gift . But she was lucky to have all her doting grandparents over to celebrate her first birthday. We cut (S blew the candle and cut) a small cake for A and ate yummy dal vada which my MIL made.

Darling A, a year has passed by in a flash. It feels just like yesterday that we rushed for the C-section (you were taking your time inside and probably wouldn't have come out till the 40th week!) and now you're walking all over the house, fighting with your sister and charming your way into everyone's heart!

You can say Mama (but that usually refers to just about anything) and have also recently started saying Pummm (?) You love the cheeselings which Ajja gives you and have started saying Cheese. You go to the kitchen and point at the breadsticks and the cheeselings and insist that we give them to you. You run to S's pink bottle and drink the water quickly from the straw if it is partially opened. You love putting cream (Ajji's influence) and will sit down, take cream from my hand and rub it all over your legs. You love the bathtub, and playing with all the shampoo/soap bottles (the bathtub toys are passe for you).

You love going to the park and after your evening meal you are eager to be dressed and keep restlessly going towards the door and indicating that its time to go to the park. You enjoy the swing and the roundabout (very slowly), the slide (the small one if its Mummy and the big one if its Daddy) and rocking vigorously on the horsey/ducky! You'll then sit on the grass and wait for Akka to finish playing on the slides/in the mud etc. If we buy a balloon after the park you have to have one as well, but will still reach out for Akka's balloon (still highly suspicious that you're getting the short stick). Actually you love going out anywhere and often come with me when I go to pick up S from school. You'll smile and wave at strangers and are quite cheerful to be out and about.

You love to climb up on top of the sofas- right to the top, giving a few breathless moments to your mummy. Your latest trick is to stand on top and dance, and do you love to dance- if we play any music channel, or some channel suddenly plays music you'll dance about. You love being flung up in the air by daddy, or spinning round and round and will complain vigorously when the fun stops. You want all of S things- including her scooty which you are far too young for, sweetie. You don't like to sit in one place for long, but don't want anyone else to sit on my/ajji's lap and will complain loudly if we take S onto our lap. You've taken well to the musical bonding class, and even started going and picking up instruments and putting them back (and yesterday you didn't put a single instrument in your mouth!). You watch the other kids sing and dance and try a couple of movements yourself.

Your night sleep is as troublesome as ever and am sure you are responsible for more than your fair share of white hairs on mummy's head! Last few weeks have been a mix of sleep training with parental presence with some success, and some nights where I just give up and take you on my lap, or give you to the maid (at 4:30 in the morning!). I hope you started sleeping through the night soon !

Mummy is still spoiling you with only baby foods, am starting soup with limited success but given your troubles in the earlier stages, I still feel its good enough if you are eating well, why nix it?

Dear A, next year is going to see so many changes- a new city, maybe a playschool?, getting used to mummy 24X7, mummy's cooking, sitting in a car seat, cold weather and hopefully a lot of travelling with daddy. Here's to a happy 2nd year.