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Top 10 Essentials I Bought for my Baby Girl from Amazon in 2018

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Fri, 23 Nov 2018 19:54:00 +0000

When I sat down and listed my purchases this year, I was surprised about my list. I have purchased so much this year. 2018 has been a remarkable year when it comes to online purchasing. A lot happened this year. For a start, I won a voucher for Rs. 3500 at Indi Blogger’s Evion contest early this year and my purchases sky-rocketed then. Very recently after the Johnson’s event, I am again on a shopping spree! Though I am not an impulse buyer, I realized that I love to buy things that I have set my eyes and mind on for a while.

After Ilakkiya, my shopping experiences have changed a lot. I usually buy only most familiar products for me. I use the same when it comes to skin care products because of my sensitive skin. While for Ilakkiya I was open to thousands of choices online, though I was initially confused on what to buy for her. I am glad I purchased all these things online because I am not interested in buying the costliest products as the best products pushed by the sales people in baby shops. After all, I know they are doing their job, still I am the one spending money and I don’t like being pushed too much.

So, let’s come to the products I purchased this year for the baby girl. My little one was 8 months and 5 days old in January 2018 and by the end of December 2018 she will be 19 months and a week old. I am listing the top 10 purchases I made between this period and those that helped me run my daily life this whole year.

1. Potty Seat Stool with Safety Belt

One of the toughest training for any child is potty training. That’s what I have heard from many other friends and in most articles I read online. Luckily, I was advised by my mother to start it as early as possible. So, this was one of Ilakkiya’s birthday gifts from me. I struggled for two weeks, because she did not like something about it. I have no idea what it is, but gradually she got comfortable using it. She was this sweet little darling when it came to potty training. Simple reason, we hardly used diapers on her. I realized she never liked wet pants. She always signals me to change her pants immediately. So, this made it easy for me to train her. I can happily say that I trained her only by showing her where to sit and what to do. She did the rest. Kids know things, they just need that guidance. Undoubtedly,this is my first product because it was the only one I wanted to buy before she turned 1.

2. Cloth Diapers

The Mother of All Cloth Diapers!

I have so much to share about my Cloth Diapering experience that I will dedicate many posts in the coming year for this. I initially bought a local brand from a baby shop and liked it. Then my go to product was Superbottoms All in One. Their soakers are the best I have bought till date. Their organic cotton soakers have absorbed better without much leakage. I love their trim cut. It looks adorable on the little one. I really love Mother Earth and I loved the design of these lovely diapers. Try these for your little ones, I am sure you will be glad you tried. They are the best below Rs. 1000.

3. Some More Cloth Diapering

LUZKER

There were so many other brands I tried. Yes, Super bottoms is costlier in comparison to these, but it was worth it. There are many other brands which come in the economical category due to microfiber inserts. I tried LUZKER and Babyhug(available on first cry). I am planning to stock a couple more diapers and I think I will choose Bumberry for it. If you are looking for diapers just for a walking session or short outings, I would suggest these brands. Fig-o-honey is also an excellent option. Motherly has wonderful prints that you will fall in love with.

4. Charcoal, Bamboo and Hemp Inserts

Charcoal that lasts long!

I felt microfiber wasn’t absorbing a lot as I expected, still it held up to an hour or two sometimes. I also found the material was getting rough after a period of usage. Microfibers mustn’t really touch the baby’s skin. It would create rashes due to its rough nature and it is best when used only in the pocket available in the cloth diapers. When I looked for other options, I found so many. Bamboo, hemp, charcoal to name a few. I loved the options offered. I also liked the fact that they get softer after usage and can be placed on the baby’s skin directly. Their absorbency was great and they don’t stink like microfiber.

5. Mama earth Berry Blast Toothpaste

When baby girl turned 15 months old, we started a brushing routine. It is almost three months now. Initially, I was apprehensive about using a toothpaste for her. I never felt the need for it, but I see that she has a sweet tooth just like her father. I am left with no choice, but to follow a stringent brushing routine and that’s when I found Mama earth’s Berry Blast toothpaste. She swallows it and that’s the whole point of using a toothpaste for someone so small. Safe to swallow. Kindly squeeze out tiny amounts only. Since there are no fluorides, I feel it is not harsh on her and she likes to eat it! I am not a fan actually of swallowing the toothpaste, but a fan of building a routine.

6. Mama earth Moisturizing Lotion

Since I was almost fixed with Mama earth, I must agree I am a fan of their range. I love the Daily Moisturizing lotion because I am glad that both of us could use the same. I purchase it with Amazon Subscribe and Save and it helps! I like the mild fragrance and it gets quickly absorbed into the baby’s skin. It is a travel-friendly bottle too.

7. Mama earth Mosquito Repellent

I use it. I use it for my little one. The citronella keeps away the mosquitoes. It is quickly absorbed and prevents any harm especially if your little one keeps her fingers in her mouth even while they sleep. It must be applied often during the day and a couple of times during the night in case you live in an hyper-active mosquito zone. I usually apply it only after my little one sleeps.

8. Classic Mosquito Net

One among the best buys this year is the Classic Mosquito Net. The best part of this net is I don’t have to go searching for four corners of my room to hang the mosquito net. This is the new age mosquito net ideal for anybody who uses a bed. I love it and baby girl and I enjoy the tent like creation. It is cozy and cute and protects us from mosquitoes. Aren’t our age old methods always the best? I fold it every morning and place it safely inside the cover provided.

9. Mamy Poko Pants

Truth be told, we all know, diapers cannot be avoided. Instead it can be used minimally. Undoubtedly, it is the best for heavy nights, sick days and long travel. So these are the times I use Mamy Poko Pants. One good thing is it holds up for 6 to 8 hours only. That is the best part about it. I don’t want to keep my girl in diapers for more than 4 to 8 hours too. So, subscribe and save in Amazon for best offers. My girl is on Medium size now and 74 pieces last for a full 3 months, at times it goes to 4 months too.

10. Johnson’s New Range of Products

After I attended the Johnson’s cafe meet, somehow I wanted to try their products. Leaving my fears behind, I am using some of their new ranges on me first. I love their Milk+Rice lotion. I am yet to use Top to toe baby wash on Ilakkiya. However, we like the Baby lotion already. Let’s see how well this works in the long run. If you are a fan of Johnson’s, then enjoy the new range. If you are one among the apprehensive lot, give it a try I say! I have heard raving reviews of their night range of products. Chamomile based body wash and lotion, worth the try, no?

Which products did you buy for your little one this year? Share here with me!

This is not a sponsored post. I have shared my honest opinions about the product. However, this post may contain affiliate links which means I make a small commission if you make a purchase at no additional cost to you. See the disclosure policy for more information.

The post Top 10 Essentials I Bought for my Baby Girl from Amazon in 2018 appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

My Kind of October #GratitudeCircleBloghop

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Tue, 13 Nov 2018 12:24:00 +0000

October is generally a very pleasant month. It was the beginning of many beautiful journeys and the holidays made this month extremely adorable. The colorful, enigmatic and Powerful Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Durga Maa brought smiles and blessings this month. This joyous month is the best festive season celebrated with so much gust all over India.

For me, October was an amazing month in itself. With birthdays of loved ones came unknown surprises overloading my month with delightful moments. Right from the beginning, October has been kind enough to me to call it the best month in so long. I was so drenched in October that it had to be Diwali to wake me up and get things done.

I can go on and on about October because it was a month to cherish. Since I don’t want to overdo it, I decided to get into the specifics of it. Even though I am posting this after Diwali, will share those dhamakas in next month’s gratitude post.

Ilakkiya

My darling daughter is now 17 months old. Days and months are running so fast than I could really imagine it. Ilakkiya took her first flight this October. She has already enjoyed her train journey and road trips, but I was worried about how will her reaction be in the entire trip. Thought it was a matter of 35 minutes, I read so much about travel with a kid for almost a week before the travel. I did everything to tire her, so that she could sleep, but she was active than I expected. New place, new surroundings and of course, so many people around her – enough to keep her smiling and babbling all the way. She wanted me to let her walk about in the flight. I got the window seat and for once I was bothered by it. I wasn’t willing to let her down nor was she interested in watching the dark night with beautiful lights. After all, I needed a distraction. You know what it was, Pomegranate. Yes, those tiny pearls can keep her busy for 10 minutes. That’s exactly the time we traveled in the sky. She sat compactly in the luggage trolley and I found her so cute. Okay, I really didn’t remember to click a photo. I just admired her and knew there are many travels ahead and will click her during one of them.

Just like many previous months, I started this October at Mom’s. Baby girl had a vaccine early this month. She had a mild fever, but after the vaccine she didn’t talk with the doctor. She had another little companion and spent her waiting time playing with her. It was lovely to see them playing together. I love it when my daughter is not fussy about toys and plays along with other children.

As much as I wanted to take her on all days of Navrathri, I couldn’t do it this time. I enjoyed watching her eat puffed rice straight out of the banana leaf. She joined me in my venture to a temple near home and loved walking inside it. She always wanted to sit down a bit by the end of the rounds and then she kneels down and bows before the God. That’s adorable and I just watch her do it with so much sincerity. I would just want to pick her and kiss her.

Family

I am blessed and I can never do without them. I was a very reserved person with family during my school and college days. I am glad I opened up to them later and happy for the situations that made me so. Though I regret some of my early life decisions, I am truly happy to have such supportive parents and a darling sister. They have been my shoulder to cry in my toughest times. As much as they have shared their thoughts about my mistakes, they have also encouraged me to move forward and be ME all over again.

I am also learning to make peace with many mistakes of mine and others. So, this is a new phase where I am in a position to understand that everyone makes mistakes. It is important to convey our disappointments as suggestions and with respect so that it helps make the relationship better. I am learning to put myself in their situation, even though I know I wouldn’t do something like that. It breaks my ego and helps me find a solution which I otherwise worry about and complaint.

Writing and Reading

I wrote two posts on the blog. Though I had planned 5 for the month, I only accomplished two. I am glad I wrote those two apart from my September Gratitude List. I must say I learn a lot while I write my posts. I also took a lovely break from Social Media last month. I will tell you why soon! I did a little bit of reading. Overall, my writing, reading and Social Media was very limited in October.

Since I was in Bangalore for a week, I had a lovely time reading Children of India by Ruskin Bond. I cherished what I read. Though I completed the book only during early November, I read those stories in the calmness of the room in Bangalore. Those sent me back to sweet memories of Bond’s early days.

View this post on Instagram

After a long break, back on Insta. Hello folks! ? Currently reading. Look at what I am reading today. ? I liked Ruskin Bond after I read his Funny Side Up, my first read from his entire collection. I loved it and couldn’t put the book down. Yet another book of his for the trip. ? A day late on the Bangalore trip, but I am glad to sit and relax today. ? While the little one is catching up on her lost sleep due to cold, cough and travel, I am excited to catch up on reading. ? #amreading #backinbangalore #bangaloredays #lovelytime #readinggoals #ruskinbond #childrenofindia #ruskinbondfan #ruskinbondbooks

A post shared by Jayanthy Govindarajan (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Oct 22, 2018 at 4:38am PDT

Parenting

With Ilakkiya growing day by day, it seems like I need deep reserves of Patience, quick paces and eyes on all sides. She is a curious little girl who wants to know everything and follows everything we do. The other day I was doing my breathing exercise with eyes closed while the little one was turning side to side. When I opened my eyes and looked at her, she was busy doing Pranayam herself! 🙂 So, as much as I am worried about her, I am also getting this awareness of what I say and what I do. It’s like someone is watching you all the time! Definitely my screen time is reduced a great deal and I am glad about it. I have finally realized that these are my moments to cherish with her and even though I get too bored when I spend a whole day with her, the next day is all new and I am happy to switch my routine in a better way.

Work

Slowly, I am working on small projects with care. I am not bothered about how many projects I have in hand. It is about how much effort I put into what I have and how to make it better. Slowly, I am understanding what it means to DO YOUR WORK.

Love

I couldn’t wait to type this. Still, I saved the best for the last. The Husband was here and we spent two weeks together! It is still like a dream. One week in Chennai and one week in Bangalore. Wow, it was like a dream come true. I planned so much for his birthday this year from the beginning, but he traveled right after our second anniversary and my plans never mattered to me after that. At last, to my surprise, we spent his birthday at an unbelievably calm place with good food and much longed family time. For this, I feel blessed.

Though, he had told me he would visit home soon, I did not believe it. New project and confusions go hand in hand. Project people decisions and decisions from the company ought to be similar for the travel to happen. After lots of workarounds, I am glad that travel resolved a couple of their issues. I couldn’t deny the fact that I missed him a lot. We spent time in Bangalore like we haven’t spent time in two years. I must agree this was such a nice time spent together.

Travel and Friends

Bangalore Days!

The time I spent in Bangalore could carry me happily into the next year. I met with friends after ages. I met three darlings who grew to become my sweethearts all along the way.

They are my happy people. My college buddy, my office buddy and my pregnancy buddy. What more could I ask for. I wasn’t able to meet a couple of other pals, due to shortage of time. I am sure time will come when I could meet them too. After enjoying the time in Bangalore, I really didn’t want the trip to end. I sat puppy faced and ready to cry, but we knew we had to move on. A few more months and we will be together. Sometimes we need to put our priorities as an individual and a parent too. He waved us off at the airport and he boarded the flight after we reached Chennai.

While I landed, I was mesmerized by Chennai’s beauty and I was glad I was home. One reason why I looked forward to travelling back home was the Johnson’s Cafe meet. I got the news while I was in Bangalore. I was not very sure I wanted to go, but glad I met them all. Read about my meet here.

So, once again I can say that October was such a lovely month that I can cherish the coming months just by its memories. You all must be deeply busy in November already, so let me catch up with your Octobers now.

Happy Happy November guys.

Joining Vidya Sury’s Gratitude Circle.

The post My Kind of October #GratitudeCircleBloghop appeared first on JAYANTHY'S FREE SPACE.

My Johnson’s Story #ChooseGentle

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Fri, 02 Nov 2018 07:15:00 +0000

I am excited to post about my experience at the cafe meet conducted for Chennai bloggers at Higginbotham Writer’s Cafe, Gopalapuram. I am grateful to be a part of such a beautiful gang and definitely I learnt so much from them. I am glad I participated in this event conducted by Johnson’s Baby India, promoted from Momspresso hosted by Prerna Wahi, she made it all better.

Women Power @ Writer’s Cafe, Gopalapuram

I met a delightful crowd. It was mostly mothers and they all shared their experiences of motherhood and how we have evolved because of it. I loved listening to each one’s introduction and admired the different facets they have as an individual. To me, that day meant a true revolution of women power. Obviously! Isn’t that the reason Johnson’s came forward to share their products directly with mothers?

Prerna Wahi, Our delightful host

Initially when I was contacted by the host to participate in Johnson’s Baby products launch event, I was very apprehensive on why I was chosen. The thing is I don’t use Johnson’s products. I never trusted them especially after some news making rounds few years back. Personally I did not use any Johnson’s products even though I was suggested by a dermatologist for my sensitive skin. After my baby girl was born, my grandmother and my mother insisted I use Johnson’s. Trust me I never touched any of those hampers. They are still lying around in my house. How do you think I would try something on my sweet little child’s skin when I don’t trust it?

Me, entering with doubts filled.

When I told my mother that I am going to the Johnson’s launch event she laughed at me. Yes, she very clearly knew that I wouldn’t budge easily. I chose to go because the new Johnson’s had beautiful advertisements. I wanted to know what was really NEW about them. I also wanted to know how much have they worked for people to trust them again. A 130 year old brand will definitely do something right to capture the hearts of people once again. I wanted to know what they did right for people to talk about them again. I came to know about many people who stood by the brand even during its hardest times. There was so much love for this brand that has brought this product back strongly into the market again.

Baby Tasneem, launching the products

Interestingly, I reached the venue by 10:30am, the allotted time. Yes, Ilakkiya was in safe hands and I was surprised that I had taken this chance without worrying about her. Since this is my first blogger meet/ Cafe meet / meet in general I was beyond excited about it. By 11 half of the crowd was already there. We started introducing ourselves to one another and conversations started building up slowly. We followed each other in Instagram and our social media notifications was flooding. Prerna and Richa officially started the meeting and it began with a bang.

Tasneem and Jameela

The highlight of this meet were the NEW Johnson’s products, but to me, it was the 9 month old Baby Tasneem. Her mother Jameela tried the products on her skin and her baby’s skin without any fear. She was glad to try it and the products definitely attracted the little one.

Deep discussions.

Coming back to us, it was more of a conversation between mothers than a meeting. My apprehensions started to melt away slowly by the middle of the meeting. After all, I was hearing some real news from real people. Maybe I never trusted the advertisement except for the factor that it was fascinating, we know that is how it must be, right? But, here I was sitting with 10+ mothers who had the same kind of worries I had in providing good things for their children. That is one of the prime reasons my apprehensions melted quickly than I thought possible. They clearly stated about removing 26 allergens that were used earlier and mostly included natural derivatives because people prefer them nowadays.

NEW Johnson’s

Don’t we all search for the following tags in every product whether we know what they mean or not?

?No Parabens
?No pthalates
?No sulphates
?No dyes

After introducing Organic variety this has become very common norms in everyday products. Johnsons has joined the race to make things better for it’s customers. With 8000+ clinically proven tests and 12 months of guidance on what Ingredients must be added to each of the products, Johnson’s is very clear this time. These products can be used for every newborn right from day one. Since my daughter is now 16 months old, I am thinking about shifting my perspective towards Johnson, I am willing to give it a try. I personally love their milk and rice cream which improved the texture of my skin in a few hours. More on the products when I personally use it.

My best moments at the meet!

When asked to write a tagline, I wrote the following,

With Johnsons,
I was initially judgemental,
Now I am on the verge of choosing gentle.

#choosegentle #johnsonsbabyindia

P. S. When I was home after the meet, I watched the advertisements with my dad. My grandmother was delighted to use the NEW Johnson’s. The best part is that Ilakkiya applied it on her great grandmother, grandma and grandpa. She just made it all easy for me to choose. Baby Video on Insta Highlights.

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Here’s Why I Chose Mamaearth for My 5 Month Old

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Fri, 05 Oct 2018 07:09:00 +0000

Worry and Parenting go hand in hand. As a new mother, I was apprehensive of using most baby products for my bundle of joy. After all, we call them bundle of joy for a reason, right? I got so many recommendations for her, right from the age old products to just launched products then. Seriously, I was confused. I haven’t gifted random products to kids of friends. With so many choices, I felt totally lost.

I started my search when Ilakkiya was 3 months old. By then she already had a severe rash due to over-wiping with wet wipes, she used to cry when we used a mild soap(Pigeon) as it hurt her eye, she also got a diaper rash. Well, I was totally crushed to know that I was nowhere close to handling a baby in a soft and gentle manner. I have never held any other baby in my arms, no, not even my sister. Somehow I found them to be cute and adorable and too fragile for me. So, personally and officially, Ilakkiya was the first baby I had to experiment as well as experience everything with. Well, there she was lying on the bed, drooling happily and laughingly trusting her mother completely. Blind Love that was!

As a responsible mother, I really had this job to find something safe, free from most harmful chemicals and definitely not tested on animals. No synthetic fragrances, obviously free from parabens and definitely no added preservatives. This list eliminated many products that was gifted for the little one. I had to even keep away those given by close family. They felt bad, but I knew they would understand. I was looking for simple products that understood babies and their world that resolved parents concerns.

I really didn’t know where to look. I googled a lot and tried to find about the ingredients. I was tired by the end of it all. I was relatively new on Instagram then. I scrolled through posts by friends and friends of friends. The continuous scrolling lead me to mama earth from one random Instagram post. Many participated in some giveaway and I was luckily tagged since I was a new mother then. Anyway, I took that opportunity to run a quick check about them.

Image Courtesy: Google

I browsed Amazon for the list of mama earth products available with them. I found 200 ml of every product and honestly, I wasn’t ready to buy such big bottles of baby things. I scrolled to find this amazing mama earth Travel Essentials Kit for Babies with exactly what I needed at that moment. I was overjoyed. It was like a hit with me to find the right package.

The kit contained the following 40 ml vol.(each) products:

Moisturizing Daily Lotion for Babies
Deeply Nourishing Body Wash for Babies
Gentle Cleansing Shampoo for Babies
Soothing massage oil for Babies

On it’s very first use, the Body Wash didn’t irritate her eyes and that relieved me. It was a squeaky clean product which wasn’t really needed for a 5 month old. However, very small quantities were enough for her. The 40 ml lasted for for a month and a half(we bathed her thrice a week).

She loved the massages we gave her with the Massage Oil. The aroma was fantastic, it filled me with joy and it instantly relaxed me. I bet it was the right concoction for relaxing a tired mother.

The Cleansing Shampoo didn’t irritate her eyes, but she didn’t need much of it, so I used the remaining tube for my hair. It came by for two washes, but I felt it left my hair too dry.

The Moisturizing lotion helped her a lot during the rainy season. I went ahead and bought the bigger version of the same. More on that in another post soon.

Overall, I was impressed with the kit for the products it offered my little girl and me. The best part about these range of products was how it offered to help the baby as well as the mother. It can be used by both of us! That made me feel more safe and friendly towards their products.

In the coming posts, I will explain in detail what are the mama earth products I regularly buy for my little one and how it makes things easier for both of us.

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Letters to My Daughter: You are way off your weight chart dear #MyFriendAlexa

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Tue, 18 Sep 2018 01:54:00 +0000

Dear Ilakkiya,

I had initially thought of writing monthly letters to you, but I couldn’t do it after your birthday. I was troubled with many things, most related to you. I feel so much better now and we are having a good time. So, I really thought you should know what happened and what has changed between us within these months.

In a post here, I mentioned about your weight gain issues. You are a bit off the mark from your birth weight. What this means is, you were 3 when you were born, so per the standard charts you are supposed to triple your weight on your first birthday. Actually you didn’t and I didn’t know why. I was bombarded with a thousand questions on why you hadn’t gained any. Personally, I had not much idea on where I went wrong. I sat and saw your photos over time and you looked hale and healthy just as you do now. I really had no idea where things went wrong. It took me time to realize why you hadn’t gained weight for close to 3 months straight.

A couple of mistakes had lead to your stagnant weight. I moved to Appa’s place when you were 5 months old. For the first two months, I was able to nurse you every two hours. However, as time went, I was asked to focus on the chores and cut down slowly on the feeding schedules since you had started solids. I thought that is how it worked and I hardly fed you thrice a day. Neither was I ready to give you cow’s milk which was strictly prohibited till age 1. So, now I realize that I had not compensated on your regular milk with other options and I was supposed to continue the feeds until 1. I am sorry to have missed out on a crucial time, but I am glad your Ammama was the first to notice and ask me about it. She literally fought with me and ensured I feed first and then focus on everything else. I fought back with her, but now I am glad she noticed and she was the only one to come and help. Others didn’t know much. It is feeding that brings the best in a child!

Secondly, there was one instance where a mild dosage of honey was given to you in the name of medicine. I came to know this late, but was immensely pissed off when I knew it. Honey is generally given in drops to a child before 1 because it could cause botulism. Half a teaspoon in the name of medicine causes more harm than good. I cried when I first heard it, but I couldn’t do anything about it because I came to know it late. I only explained to the concerned person on why honey is dangerous for kids before 1. From then on I personally prepared medicine for you and also learnt to bathe you to prevent any miscommunication and interventions. Also, I was asked not to give you Ragi because it would cause cold. I had to fight this off and started giving you the porridge.

As a mother, I am not questioned just by family and friends about your growth, but by most unknowns because I have a tiny child. Trust me, it is tough being a mother. I also had to go through some critical comments from so many people I personally thought were friends. I am glad I learnt about many through our tough time. People really thought I hardly fed you. I was almost put under the radar by some. After facing the drum, I made up my mind not to give heed to any comments and also not to ask anyone for suggestions anymore. I sat and researched on healthy foods for kids. I asked my mother and grandmother to help me with recipes. I pretended I knew what I was doing, even though it was a trial and error method for me. I brought ingredients and my mother in law offered to help. Finally, your porridge got ready and I made a few changes to your routine. Slowly, you started gaining weight. Throughout the struggle, your Appa was very understanding and patient with others for throwing their mind our way.

Image Courtesy: Google

Earlier I used to be bothered about your weight, I even used to yell at you to eat. You wouldn’t. You would just move around. It took me some time to understand that a child’s cognitive development is the most important factor over weight. Appa and I used to sit down and talk about this. He wasn’t a tad worried about your weight. He always asks me to let you be and ignore everyone’s comments. I felt even my mother was very critical about you and I gave her a piece of my mind. After which, she realized how it has to be said and that you were alright. Just like us you prefer to eat fruits over juice. That was the first sign of a healthy baby to him. We never gave much fruit juices to you. People would try and pull you to follow the norm, but sometimes you need to go with your own flow to accomplish what you set out for.

Babies gain weight. Sometimes it is a slow process. That is acceptable. I have stopped yelling at you. I am not making a fuss over your food anymore. I give you everything that is prepared at home for us. I am not trying hard to push it on to you. If you wave your hand to a No or shake your head sideways, I am okay to accept it as enough and not stuff more on to you. I have realized where to stop. This has helped you enjoy most foods now. Biriyani is your current favorite. You try to eat what you can. I am okay with breaking the meal time and meals. This helps me keep my calm and let you eat what you want. A hearty meal could be a spoonful or a plate full. I am okay with both now. You are still way off the chart, but I am okay with it. You are gaining and the doctors don’t see any problems with the slow weight gain either. They always ignored my weight queries. They just ask me if you are alert, active and happy. I say, “Yes Doc, she turns the house upside down!”

Love,
Amma

===============================================

To all new moms,

Don’t worry about infants being way off the chart. None of our parents or grandparents weighed us everyday and worried. Neither did they bother about every doctor visit like today. They provided good food and a happy environment. The rest followed. They were okay with the children being the children. That’s all we must bother about. Junk will help gain easy weight, but that isn’t going to help us in anyway. A little of everything is all they need. So let’s keep them happy and healthy!

People could make you feel terrible by sharing their children’s weight or grandchildren’s weight. That is okay. Just tell them every child is different and their growth spurts matter. If people don’t bother to listen and focus on the weight, well, that’s all they know folks! Leave it at that. Don’t waste a calorie more to explain. You need it to run behind your child! Let’s just be thankful that we have abundance to give our child. Let us remember the nations were parents are starving and their children are dying. This is enough to forget our doubts and be thankful.

Love,

A Mom!

I am excited to participate in #MyFriendAlexa Campaign by Blogchatter. I am taking my blogging to the next level! This is my Post 5 for the campaign!

Current Alexa Rank: 2,083,559

Indian Rank: 81101

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Of Baby Bumps and Kicks – Remembering My Pregnancy – Part 2

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Wed, 25 Jul 2018 04:20:00 +0000

Relaxing Second Trimester

Image Courtesy

My monthly visits to the gynecologist actually made me more curious. The gynecologist I visited never mentioned mine was a low-risk pregnancy openly. Instead she said I must walk everyday or 3 times a week and maintain a gradual increase of a Kg a month to 15 Kg max throughout my pregnancy. Until month 5, I wasn’t really sure if I was really pregnant. Come on, no bump, no sounds, no longing for mangoes. Well, now I realize that movies have been pathetically wrong when it comes to pregnancy stories. And.. Um. I believed them too much. Time for a reality check.

All I ever did was sleep or lie on the bed all day long and told myself I was enough tired already. Though pregnancy made me lazy than I already was, it also made me consistent when it came to my walking routine. I did yoga much regularly than I had before. It was mainly because it ached everywhere. Hip, hands, legs, you name it, I had pains everywhere. Lucky that I wasn’t restricted any food. I had more ice creams during my pregnancy than ever. Morning cravings and ice creams went hand in hand. Most mornings at 4 AM, I sat with a spoon to relish my chocolate delicacy. The husband became familiar with the unusual sounds at unusual times in our room. Though he woke up occasionally and asked if I was alright, to which I always answered, “I think so!”

Early morning hunger pangs!! #pregnancydiaries #pregnantlife #icecreamlove

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on Mar 2, 2017 at 4:25pm PST

Did I tell you I hated the waiting period in all my visits to the hospital? I was asked to visit once a month regularly until the 8th month. The one lucky thing was the hospital is just 2 streets away from my home . I preferred using OLA since the timings were late afternoons and loved walking back home. I never expected my husband or my mother-in-law to accompany me during these visits. Sitting there for a whole hour doing nothing is sometimes better for an already confused/emotional soul who is pregnant. They listened for a while and since my family was excited about my pregnancy more than me, each one of them accompanied me for a visit. My mother-in-law came once, my mother accompanied me once. The funniest visits were with the husband. I will share just one crazy conversations here.

Fifth Month Ultrasound: Okay, this will confirm what’s happening in my womb! *me thinks*

At the reception desk:

The Husband: So, you asked us about the appointment timings right?

Receptionist: Yes, Sir. You must wait for an hour Sir.

The Husband: If you cannot follow timings, why do you actually keep mentioning it? You must add a tagline like “You will be able to meet the doc, 1 or 2 hours after the appointment time”

Receptionist: Sir, what can we do Sir?

The Husband: Just stop asking us if we are here on our appointment time, and stop giving appointments during lunch time!

Receptionist: This doctor is available only during that time, Sir.

The Husband: Okay, we will go have lunch and come back.

Receptionist: Sir, you cannot go like this.

The Husband: Okay, tell me how can a pregnant woman be without eating her food on time?

Receptionist: Sir.. (She couldn’t help laughing)

She told us to please go and come back in exactly half an hour.

In the time given for lunch, We actually finished shopping our monthly groceries and also had lunch. While I was about to drop the plate in the sink, my phone rang. The husband smiled and asked me to tell them that he likes their Half an hour schedule very much! Okay, I just attended the call and told we are on the way. Since the clinic is just two streets away, we went there in a jiffy and met the doctor.
———————-
This happened two more times at Seventh Semester scan and at 9th. Both the times, I sent him home and asked him to come only when the scan was almost over. Not that we didn’t like each other’s company, I preferred talking to other pregnant woman. However, he saw what was necessary and we were happy.

Did I mention before that when friends asked me do you spend half the time in the loo, I was like, not much. It was in the end of second and third trimester, I used the loo almost 4 times every night even though I drank less water or no water before I slept. I wondered why did I even come back to my room! I even tried spending some time in the living room before I went into my bedroom. It never worked. I went back to the loo only when I was about to fall asleep again. Yes, it was just like that. And people talking about getting enough sleep during pregnancy, that is just to encourage you to try and feel light.

My regular checkups and walking was a regular routine by month 6. I don’t like dependency. I love to do my work all by myself. In fact, I didn’t feel I had to be dropped at the clinic for my monthly visits too. For the sake of couple visits, my husband and I visited in the last trimester together. I loved the idea of the husband being in the delivery room. So we both visited the doctor together in the last trimester.

The baby shower functions were fun. All I had to do was dress up and pose like a doll. I wasn’t looking great though, but felt excellent throughout pregnancy. The second trimester was all about a growing baby bump, excitement about baby kicks and talking with the baby. I loved dancing so much in this trimester. My 5 year old nephew and I danced all the time. That was enough encouragement for me to keep myself super-active

Summing it up!

Image Courtesy

The final post in this series will be coming out soon! 😉

Read my Part 1 – Blame it on the Hormones to know how it all began.

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Get Online Help and Crack NEET in a Smarter Way

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Fri, 20 Jul 2018 16:30:00 +0000

I am an Engineer by choice. I have a lovely mix in my family. Two out of seven in our cousins gang are dentists and the third one did her Masters in Hospital Administration. The rest of us are Engineers. I love this mix because we have so much stories to share and we love to hear about the medical guys in our family. Luckily, the three of them did not have to undergo NEET entrance exams, but they are our go to when it comes to learning about the Pros and Cons of NEET and the field of Medicine. As a whole, I am lucky to have more than 20 cousins just on my paternal side and we all stayed together until my 10th standard i.e. 2002, that’s a decade and a half. I still remember playing doctor-patient game, enacting various soaps, playing hotel, playing train, playing cooking games, wrestling(I hate that) and tent games, yes, apart from the regular “Colour, Colour, What Colour do you choose?” and other hide and seek games.

Though I remember most of it as it is, it is those doctor-patient games that I was reminded of when I visited a friend recently. Her son and a couple of his friends from their apartment were playing with a Doctor set. I was very curious about it. They had so much detail than I ever knew. My friend’s son, let’s name him, Amith, sat down his other friend, Akash, and greeted him. Let me remind you, they are 7 years old. Their conversation got me curious. Well, when kids play don’t we all become their patients? So I am going to share just one patient details.

Amith: So, what brings you here, Akash?
Akash: A 103 Degree Temperature.
Amith: (Picks up the Stethoscope) Let me check. Are you able to breathe normally or due to feel heavy?
Akash: I feel very hot and tired.
Amith: Do you have a head-ache?
Akash: I do when I sneeze loudly.
Amith: I will prescribe you to take good rest for 3 days and 3 doses of 7ml Paracetamol drops for those 3 days.
Akash: I can’t take leave from work. How do you expect me to rest? Do you have any injection that could solve my problem in a day?
Amith: Yes, I do, but then it will make you take rest for 10 days. Okay?

I couldn’t stop laughing at this. They giggled themselves. Kids see and learn so much. I was amazed at the dosage he prescribed and also how he used the Stethoscope like a pro. After the giggles, they started a conversation with me. From why I laughed to what they want to become, we had a good chat for almost 15 minutes. Come on, that’s the longest I could talk with a kid or maybe, they could, with me. Both of them said, they wanted to become doctors and one wanted to specialize in Cardiology and the other in Gynaecology. At that age, I hardly knew what they meant, well, I didn’t know at all. I was surprised at the depth they knew. I asked them if they knew about NEET, the Medical entrance Exams. Their reply was cool and I felt they would fare well in the future. They said it must be something like the IIM entrance exams, and it must be fun to compete with so many people from all over India. I didn’t have a word. I guess by the time these children grow they would be well-prepared to face the NEET Exams, with so many options available online now. However, in the present situation it is a tough thing since parents are also equally worried as children are, about a change. Education will change for the best to make a person really knowledgeable.

Since children of this generation use technology like a pro, it will be super easy for them to study online. The future could be complete online education too. Isn’t tutoring over the Internet a huge success? We all love online education apps and NEET online Coaching classes is one such which helps candidates interested in Medicine to achieve their much promised goal. All we talk about is the cons of using the Internet, always. We must accept it has its benefits too. We learn so much too. Now culture has changed a lot. I prefer to sit in my study desk and write my blog or also do a course online. It’s the dedication that counts. Also, with the online chat and forums, the replies are instant. Aren’t our parents ready to allot a room and provide a calm environment for us to study? I guess that is enough to make parents happy. To tell that you are going to study and actually do it. Online learning actually simplifies our life. Let’s see how it helps.

It resolves travel issues and if you are living in traffic prone zones (almost every area falls into this category now) it is a saviour.
Cuts out unnecessary usage of phone and the tension to call and inform your whereabouts to family.
Saves a lot of money. Travel expenses, phone expenses, snack expenses are cut and you can also join any art class you are passionate about. Plus, you get some hot and fresh home food.
You still get to meet your pals and also make friends within the course you are part of.
Repeating recorded lectures will help you gain new insights on the same subject.
Making a routine for self to help focus better.

Some might be early birds and others night owls. Online education is apt for both of them. All that really matters is investing your time wisely by choosing quality education. Though children are very occupied with mobiles now, once we engage them towards what they are passionate about, they will find a balance and work towards their goal in a better way.

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5 Ways to Mould Children for Challenges in Life

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Wed, 18 Jul 2018 05:38:00 +0000

Children grow up quick. Though we plan their todays’, it is a must that we think about their tomorrows’ too. As my child grows, I am able to find out more about her and that helps me take better decisions. However, as a parent, it is more important that I let her make her choices. Around her eighth month, when my daughter literally put everything she found on the floor in her mouth, I was at my wits end. For a week or two, I pulled things from her and yelled at her. However, this left us upset. She continued crawling fast and putting more things into her mouth and also tried to hide what she took from the floor. I was left with no idea on what to do. When we were in our room together, she took up something to put into her mouth. Since I already lost in that game, I just looked at her and asked her to give it to me. She obliged. I was surprised. I wasn’t sure what I did right for her to obey. I thought about it. It was very simple. I just looked at her, respected her and requested her. I understood children know right from wrong. They just need moulding. They learn a lot from what they see. This was such an eye-opener for me.

From then, I started focussing on how my daughter responds to her surroundings. I learnt kids become what we mould them to be. It is how we groom their present that opens up a meaningful future and makes them a better individual. As a mother to a daughter and an aunt to a many nephews and nieces, I feel it is important to encourage children to focus on their challenging present since it opens up a beautiful future. When my friend became an IPS officer, I understood how sincerely she worked all through her life to become one. Her first step to success was her parents. They sincerely sat before her and explained about life as it is. Though it took her time to understand it, she said she realized what they meant during her IAS training.

My parents always encouraged us (my sister and I) and helped us build positive thoughts towards the Civil Services. My father wanted both of us to attempt Civil Service Exams and reminded us right through our college days. He believed we could make things better for people around us and choosing a challenging career would give us a challenging mindset and make us a better person. However, we had different thoughts then and we took up different fields. To our amazement, after almost 4 years now, my sister is preparing for her IAS examination. Though it is very difficult to succeed with a full time career, she has decided to enroll in an IAS Training Centre near our home. It’s the toughness that makes the Civil Services job very ideal for youngsters.

My daughter looks up to her aunt. As much as she loves playing with her aunt she also admires her summersaults, I feel they make a good team. That makes it one step easy to help my little one focus on the challenges in life. As a parent, I feel it is my responsibility to mould my daughter to take up challenges in her life joyfully. Choosing a challenging career has its own benefits and it is the best way to grow up. Imagine training your children for a challenging career, be it IAS, IPS or IFS, a pilot, a gymnast, an athlete or an Aeronautical Engineer. Every one of it requires so much dedication, how about it being the ideal training for our kids? Here are 5 benefits of moulding our kids to become a better person who can change our home and country and make it a better place. What does a Challenging career do?

1. It Brings Independence

Understanding that every choice we make affects us and also the people around us, makes a person sit and think about their choices. It is not about wise decisions alone, it is about good decisions that make things better for themselves and for others. Analysing the pros from cons and still having the courage to move on with their decision is a tough thing. Listening to others, but making our own decisions is the best part of an independent individual.

2. Power Brings Responsibility

A powerful career might look very appeasing on the outside. As much as power brings responsibility it also brings accountability in our lives. It is not about reporting to someone, it is about focussing on a larger good in our job. It is about the betterment of many lives. It is about making things better one place at a time. It is about seeing the change happen right in front of our eyes. It is seeing our country grow today setting a strong base towards good choices to many youngsters. It is about believing that doing good things is always worth it.

3. A Calm Mind and A Fit Body

A challenging career will make a person get into the depths of every subject before spilling out words. Isn’t reading the first success to become a great leader? When we understand, every little detail counts and every little thing makes a difference, we learn to appreciate them. This also brings more gratitude towards our life and our career. We would not fall prey to little annoyances and also learn to see people for who they are and what they really want. Working for the people of our country always yields greater satisfaction than anything. Health is the first goal and it is easier when set with a greater goal. Fitness falls into the list and becomes a daily habit and a way of life.

4. Learning from Failures

Not every decision we make is going to bring good, not every turn we take is going to be our destination. So, it is important to fail. It is more important to get back up and learn from our mistakes. Our mistakes teach us more than our successes. All our mistakes have always taught us one good lesson about ourselves and our lives. A challenging career would bring her lots of failures. Not everyone is going to shake their heads and accept to everything she says. So, she will learn much from her failures. She will learn to analyse about her strengths and weaknesses from her failures and change it. It is about becoming her own teacher. Correcting herself and moving on.

5. Humble and Kind

Mistakes make us humble. Helping others makes us kind. These are the ideal characteristics of a great leader. Though failures break us, it also opens us to many good things around us. A fuelled mind will always focus on learning from what is available. It is the first step to becoming a happy person and a successful person. Creating happiness is more important than depending on it. It is also about paving a better road for the generations to come.

I am glad to see parenting on a lighter note now. Earlier I used to stress about many things. Now, this has given me a clear vision on parenting and makes it an interesting path to tread on. Apart from the children, it also gives a grand vision and mission to parents. Let our children become great leaders who bring change in our country and make it our APJ’s pride as he always envisioned.

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Letters to my Daughter: On your first birthday

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Fri, 25 May 2018 02:41:00 +0000

Dear Ilakkiya,

A year has gone by,
Since you came into our lives,
We enjoy every precious moment,
All the simple things once again.

We wanted a little angel,
And we were blessed with one,
We realized someone so little,
Could occupy all the space in our heart.

The once upon a Time sleepless nights,
Are beautiful memories now,
Those moments I watched you sleep,
Came out as beautiful poetries.

We love you with all our heart, mind and soul,
For you are a blessing in our lives,
Happy birthday Darling,
Stay as blessed as you are now!

Love,

Amma & Appa

I saved this letter for today. Happy birthday my sweetheart! Have many blessed moments today and forever.

A post shared by Jayanthy G (@jayanthygovindarajan) on May 24, 2018 at 6:58pm PDT

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Letters to My Daughter: You Are Turning 1 Soon!

Jayanthy Govindarajan — Sat, 19 May 2018 02:06:00 +0000

Dear Daughter,

I am excited beyond measure to write this letter to you. This is my first letter to you and I can’t believe you are going to 1 soon. You are just a week away from celebrating your first birthday. This is enough for me to rewind it all and cherish our memories together. My pregnancy was the easiest period until now. From the day you were born, it has been a roller coaster ride. If happiness of the ride is one thing, the head boggling it brings is another. Well, you were not just a new lesson for me, but a whole new subject. I am learning so much everyday with you. I want you to know I am trying my best to be a mother. This is a new role and a responsible one at that. My heart skips a beat whenever you fall down as you try new things, but it takes more courage to just stand there and say, “Come on, Sweetheart!” At other times, the hugs and kisses say it all. You’ve also taught me again to love without words. Your smile is everything to me.

This one year has been hilarious with you growing up everyday and teaching me to be a mother. It’s the child that gives birth to a mother. Just birthing a child doesn’t make one a mother. It is all about growing up too. So I am hoping I learn to be a better one. I know I miss on a lot of things, but you must know once I know I have made a mistake, I admit it and take efforts to make sure it doesn’t happen again. That’s also learning. There is charm in everything you do, that’s because you are learning so much everyday. There is so much excitement in you. You change the mood of your surroundings so quickly. I cannot be angry at you for long. Okay, I yelled at you a couple of times last week because you suddenly became a fussy eater, but I felt ashamed at myself for losing my temper by listening to others. Then I realized that I must “Be Me” first to be a mother. People will come up with so many ideas when it comes to bringing up a child. It isn’t easy being a mother or a wife or a woman. Don’t be scared. It’s a crazy ride, but definitely worth it. Anyway, I will talk about all this in another letter as you grow up.

On the day you were born, your Appa and I were pleased. We wanted an angel and there you were, being held by the doc. When the doctor told us “It’s a girl!” we just laughed and told, “We know!” That’s how we welcomed you. Then you started crying. Okay, we both laughed. The nurses took you to clean up and tag you. When they gave you to me, I couldn’t really believe that I delivered such a cute bunny. You were born early in the morning around 4.45. I had a long day ahead. You were busy sleeping when family visited us in the hospital. They started guessing who you looked like. Trust me, I had no idea. After guesses they concluded you looked a bit like me and a bit like your dad. Funny, no? We left to Ammama’s place from the hospital. You spent your first 5 months there. Your Ammama learnt how to bathe you and it was like playing a dangerous sport. I was so scared just watching it even from a distance. I was worried we might hurt you since you were so tiny. She did it so well that she held you like a little doll in her hands, but I got scared every time. You loved your bathing sessions. You slept right on her lap while she bathed you. You loved your bathing time. You hated your hair wash though. It was periyamma and ammama who bathed you always. You were this chubby little girl, but you suddenly looked tiny after 3 days, we had to be super careful with you. Then I learnt that babies initially lose weight because of the release of water content from their bodies. It was only two weeks later I was convinced that your weight was normal and most babies looked chubby only in photos. Chithi(Aunt, my sister) felt she has a companion for her Kungfu stunts. Didn’t you do the Hose(Martial Art Salutation to Master) to her in your second month? She was floating on air when she saw you do that!

You cried for everything. The first four months I lived completely on research and stories from your kollu ammama (great-grandmother). Your ammama and kollu ammama thought I did too much, but most things I found online were true. You cried for the first 4 months regularly to pee and I learnt it means elimination communication and you were perfectly alright by 5th. My parents were so worried they thought you had a UTI. Thanks to google during those times. I never believed all old tales, only some were true. I am only thankful I was able to find out more when I wasn’t convinced with a story. That doesn’t mean I did not trust my family, it is just that they used to feed us only when we cried and they hardly had time in their hands back then due to joint families and work load. Now, we have time to learn about your activities and also take the time to enjoy them. They all understood later what I really meant and were glad they didn’t put you through unnecessary tests. You make everyone happy, but trust me this is only until you start talking, for some more time you will make everyone laugh.

If Ammama and kollu ammama took care of your needs, it was thatha who swaddled you to sleep. You love sleeping in his arms even now. How you guys get along so well is so nice to watch. I am always more than glad to leave you with thatha if I have to go out. I even send you out with him to paati’s (my aunts) house. Your thatha is good at giving you fruits and making you sleep. Appa and thatha are fruit lovers and always encourage me to give you fruits if you don’t have your food. If not for their support, Amma would have to answer 100’s of unnecessary questions. Lucky me for their support in most things I do related to you, of course.

My mother and I did not miss each other even while I was getting married. We were just busy with all the work and wondered how things are going to be. It is only in these 5 months we bonded so well that we shed a tear while I moved back here. It was like the old times, we really missed each other. We all had great girl time there. I wanted to extend my stay there. However, I came back, because I cannot let comfort get too much into me. I definitely needed the courage to do things on my own. And your Ammama had to get back to work. You were welcomed warmly by your paternal family too. They were all excited at your arrival. Since Appa is the youngest and they had waited too long for his wife to come(Me, of course), once that was ticked off, next in line was seeing the kid. Well, your Ava (paternal grandmother) adores you. She couldn’t let you alone for even a minute. She used to walk a 100 times from the kitchen to the room just to check on you. Anyway, that was a fun time.

I made sure you were vaccinated at Ammama’s place. The place was calmer than here and you always slept better there during fever. After the first fever at our home, you lost weight and never gained it for almost 3 months straight. I was so worried and didn’t know what was troubling you. All the doctors told you were active and that’s what really mattered. I wanted to trust them so much because as parents we felt the same. However, the questions I had to go through during that phase made me go through hell for weeks. From months 8 to 10 you hardly gained any weight, but these months you started sat firmly, crawled, rolled all sides effortlessly and tried to stand up. You stood up without any help for a few seconds by the time you were 11 month old. You were active enough for Appa and me to bother about your weight.

You started enjoying tub bath from last month. You splashed all the water and enjoyed every bit of your bath time. Your Appa and you love the air conditioned room during nights while I slept like I camped outdoors on a hill station. Yes, completely covered in a thick quilt. If not for feeding you, I would have slept heartily in a jerkin. Your Appa and you sleep alike and I roll my eyes watching you guys every morning. Your Appa and you fight over ice creams and chocolates, I just laugh and enjoy watching you guys go mad at each other. You crawl up to him and literally scratch him on his chest for this. You bite everybody with those squirrel teeth(4 up and 2 down). I dare keep my finger inside. An ant bite is better, I tell you that here. The way you smile after biting is precious, but being a mother, I just enjoy it by staring at you like I am angry at what you did. To my surprise, you understand my looks so well and you stop smiling and start doing other things. You understand so much at the age of 1. Wow! When you watch TV with your Ava (paternal grandmother), you fold your hands to the prayer pose immediately when you hear “Om Sai Ram”. You are adorable my sweetheart. Initially, I planned joining work after you turn 1, but trust me, I made my decision to join work only after you turn 3. I know I will think only about you and what you need if I join now. I am so tuned to you and your needs now. Luckily, Appa manages with work and though we are tight on finances at this moment, we are working on keeping things simple. We adore you and that’s all you must know. I love it when you pick everything from the ground and give it to me before actually putting it into your mouth. I am proud that I requested you to give it to me once and you followed it from then. You love it when I say “Thank you”. You smile so beautifully when you hear it. You are overjoyed.

All your squealing and babbles are for another letter because there is so much more to write in it. Amma writes only when you sleep or when you are busy playing with your cousins. Since you will wake up in sometime and Amma has a long day today, I am finishing this letter with hugs, kisses and wishes to you. I am so happy you are blessed to have grandparents from both sides showering their love on you. The best of all excitement is your Kollu ammama always being by your side and feeling gratified just by looking at you. You are blessed to have many paati’s and thatha’s, aunts and uncles, cute little and big cousins and a big brother. A big family. I feel blessed for all these people in my life, I am sure you will someday.

With your birthday just a week away, I am wishing you good health and prosperity all your life. And you must always remember, we love you. May you learn a lot and let your curiosity bring you more learning, exploration and experimentation. May you be blessed to differentiate between right and wrong and grow up as a strong girl/woman. May you spread love and kindness to all human beings, first of all being you! Let your motto be “Deeds not words”. Thanks for being my daughter. I love you with all my heart and with your father’s heart too.

I love you Sweetheart! Happy Birthday, once again!

Love,
Amma.

Linking with Shantala for Chattyblogs

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