Sparsh's first few sentences

mummy, come and sit

bird is flying

papa is coming

:-)

Sparsh's vocab

Sparsh is picking up new words everyday!

Common hindi words sound so funny from sparsh's mouth! But I am so glad that he already has a vocabulary....some of his typical hindi words are- khana, atak, niche, upar, andar, bahar, garam, thanda, aage, piche, chota, nanha, pyari, chalo, chot, goli, chala gaya, roz, dur, didi, dahi, nahane, nana, nani, mama, dadi, pani, neend, amma...and the list goes on!

and the english ones are even better- up, down, small, big, dancing, milk, apple, guava, banana, photo, cycle, car, scooter, bus, bike, truck, tanker, tractor, road-roller, helicopter, aeroplane, van, juice, jeep, book, school, mam, sleep, bottle, blue, green, red, yellow, white, pink, black, rice, butter, corn, salt, sauce, jam, egg, water, phone, laptop, parking, driving, uncle, aunty, morning, thank you, god, bag, good, open, close, toys, gun, bucket, monkey, dog, bird, sun, moon, star, tree, santa, doctor, cup, plate, spoon, one, two, three, four, counting, story, turn, colouring, music, come, go, clouds, sky, flying.....etc

wow..thats a long list slready :-)

Sparsh's second christmas

Toilet Training

We got a small toilet seat for Sparsh and have started rigrous toilet training. The care taker at the day care also claims to be doing the same. Sparsh likes the small toilet seat...so far so good!

Sense of time!

Sparsh has known moon and stars for sometime but sun was more difficult to identify, probable because we did not spend as much time out in the sun as we do out in the evenings.

Yesterday when I was changing his clothes and was putting his night suit he explained to me that we would all sleep now and get up in the "moooorning".

Sleeeep!

Sparsh has this orange sheet with small dogs made on it which the day care lady uses to cover him with when he takes a nap in the afternoon. One evening, when Sparsh's father was relaxing, Sparsh suddenly covered him with that orange sheet and said "sleeeep"..."dont cry"...."sleeeeep". He was looking so cute and we guessed that is the way he is put to sleep in daycare and he associates that orange sheet with sleep.

Mummy-office

seniors at work who have kids older than Sparsh have been telling me get over the guilt of being a working mom coz they feel that the kids tend to respect the fact that their mother is educated and goes to work. I always thought it was too heavy duty to be true, till I overheard Sparsh telling his baby-sitter with a big smile on his face that " Mummy-office- laptop- work". I think he understands that I leave him to take care of other responsibilities..I hope that seniors have been saying turns out to be true.

Chota!

Choti didi, chota nanu, choti nani, choti book......Sparsh likes the word Chota and likes to add Chota/choti before many words. It really sounds very cute.

Sparsh's first haircut

Sparsh had his first hair cut today!!! It took me, his dad and his nanu to manage all the crying that he did...but he is looking so cute in the new hair style :-)

Party time!

Toddler dictionary: Party is a place where there are lot of balloons, somebody cuts cake and there is an exchange of gifts! Simple and to the point!

Bed-time Story

Sparsh's school teacher sends one book home every friday and we read it to him over the weekend. These are really simple stories and sparsh is attracted to the pictures most of the time. On one such friday he got a book about keeping the city clean. Sparsh really liked the book. That night while going to bed he asked me to tell him a story- his first ever official bed-time story! It was such a beautiful moment and has become a ritual since then :-).

Aunty tummy fall!

the title sounds strange..isnt it! I felr the same when Sparsh started singing this while falling on the bed again and again. It took quite an effort to discover that he had actually learnt- " Humpty dumpty" at school and was calling that "aunty tummy"!

Dance dance!

One day when Sparsh's father went to pick him from day care, the care taker asked him to wait for some time. We never took that seriously that though that he must be just playing.

To our surprise 2-3 days later Sparsh suddenly said- "Cum mummy, dance!?"....I was so thrilled and he actually started doing some cute dance steps. he was enjoying himself and wanted to go on dancing. I so plan to send him to a dance class rightaway!

Thank you God!

The first time that I had gone to Sparsh's school what caught my eye was the daily prayer that was posted on a wall. I was wondering if such young kids will understand the concept of prayer, assembly, etc. To my surprise sparsh came home one day saying-
"Thank You god- Thank you my mummy papa"...which is how that prayer starts....I was so happy and for the first time I felt that my lil baby is growing up fast!

Kids really are like a Sponge!

Within a month of Sparsh starting day care I have started agreeing to the fact that children really are like a sponge and they observe anything and everything that they see around them. My sweet cuddly lil boy has beacome a brat thanks to the company of older kids in day care. He has started doing some dare devil stunts and has become hyper active. I guess this is just the beginning...he would continue to suprise me for rest of my life...looking forward to it!

I SEA you!

Sparsh's first visit to the beach in Pondicherry and he took to it as if he has spent ages there. I have always enjoyed beach vacation earlier with my parents and siblings and then with hubby, but this one was out of the world. It was so much fun watching sparsh wait for the waves and grin like anything when he got hit by a big wave. I am already thinking of the next beach destination.

Pooooool!

My water baby simply loved the swimming pool. He was so comfortable in water that nobody could make out that it was his first time in the pool. He jumped, slipped, played with the ball, splashed water and loved his father's company. He saw some older kids swimming and wanted to lie down on water himself. I guess we would have to start swimming lessons for this enthusiast soon!

bathroom mein band

I always knew that it would happen sometime..but had no idea it will be sooo soon. One busy morning when I was putting the house in order I hear a few yells from my husband and rushed to the bedroom to find him standing outside the bathroom with his arms folded and a serious expression on his face. I asked him where Sparsh is and he said I have locked him in the bathroom coz he was not ready to brush his teeth! I could not control my laughter and rushed to open the bathroom to find a sobbing 21 month old inside. I have been teasing hubby about this for some time and I guess he also realizes now that he played the strict daddy role too soon :-)

Ta Ta

It is interesting how children associate things. Months back we taught Sparsh to say 'tata' when somebody is going away or if we are going somewhere. Recently i realized that Sparsh has extended the concept to anything that is going away from him- whether it is the soap bubbles flowing away after he has taken bath or the smoke from small shed behind our apartment complex. He quickly says "tata" to all these things in motion and going away from him.

Nanha bengali!

Sparsh had loads of fun this navratri and durga puja. We went to the pandals every single day and also had pujas at home since we were fasting thru navratri. My little boy was looking so different in his small kurtas :-)

India! India!!!

Common wealth games are about to end. I will miss the cute "India! India!!" gensture made by Sparsh everytime we cheered for an Indian player! I think he has started understanding the concept of winning and loosing, more than that I think he also understands that we are Indians. And I like it :-).

Cap!

He used to hate caps once! (I really struggled to make him one in December in North India). But things have changed now...sparsh has become very fond of things that cover one's head.

There is picture from our wedding in our bedroom where Biswarup is wearing a typical "safa" and I have the "pallu" on my head and Sparsh thinks that both of us are wearing caps!

T!

Sparsh likes the concept of sipping a hot liquid from a cup. Whenever our cook makes tea for all adults in the house he will quickly question her "baboo's?"...and is so happy when he is served little milk in a cup :-).

Sparsh's first report card

Sparsh got his first report card and he has passed with flying colours! We attended the first parent-teacher meeting at sparsh's school and the feedback from his teacher is that- "he is a very cute, affectionate, chirpy and intellegent child" :-). can a mother ask for anything more??!! :-)





CNG vs. petrol

Sparsh has a black and yellow auto (toy) and was pretty content with that till he has a green and yellow version with the neighbour's daughter (Pari). Since that day all the CNG autos on road have become Pari and all petrol versions have become Sparsh's.

Ganapati Bappa Morya!

having lived in Pune and bangalore for long...I am in love with the sound of "ganapayi bappa morrya"! Thanks to a small lake close to our place there is a constant rush for ganapati visarjan in the festive time and sparsh has started liking the sound too. Every time I say ganapati bappa...he screama 'Mooyya' :-).

NO! small word...but very powerful! I have been using it very frequently like most mothers do :-), but times have taken a U-turn now and Sparsh has started "NO" ing me! He looks so cute when he raise a small index fingure and says NO with lot of seriousness...muah to hom!

Aaaaato!

My little boy is in love with mechanical modes of transport. The fascination started with Volvo bus and has spread to Copter (helicopter), Vaaaan (van), Aaaaato (autorickshaw), Tactor(tractor), Tuk (truck) and Eep (jeep)! We had fun looking for a toy autorickshaw for him and the next hunt would be for a tractor :-)

Tryyyyy

With the festive season coming up, we have been shopping quite a bit. Sparsh seems to have observed the vanishing act that hubby and I did behind the trial rooms at various malls. On one recent shopping trip he insisted that he would try clothes and wanted to change his clothes alone in the trial room. He pushed me out and I kept rushing back scared that he might lock himself inside. He was looking so cute carrying couple of oversized shirts into the room for tryyyy!

Rhymes!

Maybe it is the good side of going to a playschool. Sparsh has got familiar with some of the common nursery rhymes. he tries to do actions for- "Twinkle-twinkle", "Ringa-ringa roses", "Jhonny jhonny", etc. He also heard some hindi rhymes like- "nani nani suno kahani" and "bandar mama" and has become a big fan of them too!

Ji Ji Ji!

Pichle janam mein shayad punjabi tha! Thats why he calls us as Mum-ji and papa-ji :-). It sounds soooo cute and now I tease him by calling him "babboo-ji".

Mum-Mum has got hurt :-(

I had a road accident and have hurt myself on the knees, palms and feet! Sparsh had just come back from playschool when I was rushed home after the accident with all the blood still coming out. I think the sight and my crying freaked him out. he kept crying the whole night and looked scared. I always knew that there was lot of strength in blood-relations but never knew that a baby could be so sensitive! I pray he never sees a bad sight again.

Pooh, Chi and To!

Generally boys are the todu-phodu kinds, but sparsh has a soft angle to him too! He loves his soft toys and proudly calls them his babsies. the latest addition to his collection are-
Pooh (Pooh), Chi (A chimpangee) and To (a tortoise)!

Shopaholic in making!

I love to shop and so does rest of my family, so why would the lil one be left behind! It is amazing to see him checking out stuff at shopping malls. he studies things seriously as if evaluating the quality, value-for-money, etc. We recenly went saree shopping and my husband was showing me a few options from those on the racks, before we knew sparsh started pulling out sarees from all corners and brought them to me, carrying them very carefully and with an expression that said- 'Do you like this mom?". I dont know when he grew up so much!

Aall izzz well!

I have been a big fan of Aamir Khan and love his movies particularly the recent path-breaking ones. But I did not know that Sparsh would become a fan tooo..and his first favourite song would be "all is well". He can recogonize the tune anywhere and identifies aamir as the 'all is well" uncle!
he is watching 3 idiots with so much interest in the shot below!

Kids buffet!

A novel concept! I saw a kids special buffets for the very first time in my life. We had gone to Zuri for lunch and were pleasantly surprised to see a separate spread for kids at a height suitable for toddlers as well. And the menu was any child's dream- fish fingers, burgers, chicken lollypops, cucumber and carrots, steamed corn, cheese cubes, watermelon, choco-doughnuts and ice-cream! Though Sparsh is a lil young to go around carrying his own plate..but the concept gets 10 on 10!

2nd rakhi!

Sparsh's second rakhi! he has received his rakhi from his cousin-Sneha didi( my cute 7 year old neice). But....he does not want to tie the rakhi...after lot of tantrums and various temptations..he finally wore the rakhi only to pull it out in less than 2 minutes!

Jungle safari!

It was on my wish list for long and I thought that Sparsh would also enjoy a visit to banerghatta national park, since he has just started recogonizing dogs and cats!
Sparsh was an instant hit...not with the wild cats but with the mob of school kids out on a day trip.
Anyways as expected, Sparsh thought that all herbivores were "Birds" and all carnivores were "Bhow-bhows". Interesting classification...sweet and simple!

Mother's taste!

Sparsh has my taste! Proof- his love for panipuri. he can spot a pani-puri wallah from a distance and knows the concept of eat a puri with filling and water...so no child-like dry puri's for him! I treat him to home made panipuri once in a while!

Oooooosh!

Sparsh is making serious effort to talk. Today while in the car, his show slipped out of his feet and he immediately started saying "Ooooosh".....I thought maybe he has hurt himself or is trying to tell me something about the fish he saw in an aquarium some time earlier....but finally I figured that he was actually trying to say "Shoeeeeee". Love your effort baby!

Lil Vocabulary

Sparsh's steadily expanding vocab comprises of-
Mum-mum (means mummy)
papa
nani
didi
baby
ba (cud mean bird or ball- context specific)
tic-tic (sound of opening the car central lock)
bam (means close)
.......and all of that sounds sooo sweet!

Your papa..my papa

I had heard that kids have ringing ears which means they talk as they hers. Sparsh gave a me a sweet example....he insists on calling my father as papa instead of nana...coz he heras me calling him as papa. he is totally convinced that papa is the right address for him!

next DID aspirant!

Father's day at school!

First ever function of Sparsh's school life. They celebrated father's day and invited all the fathers to join the kids for a small workshop and coffee!

Who is the youngest of them all!!!

Sparsh just completed 17 months and he is the youngest kid in his whole school. His classmates are at least 6 months older to him. Most other kids can talk very well and are conversant in at least two languages.

My little buy still relies on sign language but he is coping well with peer pressure. Sometimes I feel the guilt of putting too much pressure at him at an early age..but i know my boy is smart and soon he will outgrow the age gap.

I wish all the luck and I would always stand behind him..every moment!

Kora pillar tha wo mera!

And Sparsh has started what most parents dread particularly if the walls have been recently painted. Yes, he has started writing on the walls....a firm NO is working now ...god know for how long?!

laptop!

Sparsh was always fascinated with laptops and now he really wants to hit the keys and waits to see what effect that will have on the screen. In a bid to save our precious machines we gave him an old digital diary which looks like a mini laptop. Sparsh is overjoyed...and stays busy with it!

Classmates!

I am now known as "Sparsh's mom" to a large group of people whose kids go to the same school as Sparsh. I am happy about this new identity and love interacting with Sparsh's tiny lil classmates who are so innocent, cute and full of life. Am putting down a few names for memoroes sake (Avni, sharvi, samarth, rhea, yash, ved, shlok, saksham, etc.). very soon Sparsh will pick and choose and make some friends and I would love to watch them bond. Enjoy this new life my son...friends add new meaning to life!

Sparsh's description of first day at school!

First day at school!

First day at school!!!!!

School: Apple kids

Teacher: Suparna mam

class: Playgroup

It means such a lot for Sparsh's rest of the life...his very foundation is going to be set and from now on he would learn things beyond what his Mom teaches him. Apart from the utmost significance that school will have in the life to come..it is also a very important phase of Sparsh's life when he will learn to be away from his mom...even for a few hours in a day.

There was lot of crying and many emotional moments (Mom too needs to accept the routine!) but i am sure it will get better.

Gussa!

First visit to games parlour

If genes have anything to do with it, Sparsh would be a big video game addict...just like his mum :-). Today was his first visit to a games parlour...he was excited by all the bling but lil scared to touch all those fun machines!

Open!

Sparsh asking his grandmother to open a bottle....he looks so cute when he communicates in signs!

Sparsh giving an explaination!

Rolling on the floor!

Yes, Sparsh roles on the floor, not laughing but in his fit of anger when he wants to get things done his way and others dont agree. It can happen anywhere- malls, home, playground! I think it is not good but elders say that kids do that and he wud not do that once he starts understanding..hope so1

Throw away!

Sparsh's new idea of fun is throwing everything that he can get hold of , outside our window. It is fun for him and exercise for me to go down ten floors to pick those things back :-). His latest throw was my mom's cellphone..thankfully it got stuck in the cell..else!!!

Kabutar aa aa aa!

Sparsh can recogonize pigeons and likes them too. He waits for them to come near our window and offers food to them! Sometimes he can spot them from a far distance and signals to them to come to our window!

31 visits to baskin Robbins!

Sparsh's day does not end without a visit to baskin and Robbins. he is not sooo fond of icecreams but loves jumping on the sofas at the parlour and enjoys interacting with other patrons. His nanu is spoiling him!

Sparsh's first buddy!

Raghav is his name and he is 3 months older to Sparsh. Sparsh and he did not see eye to eye till 3 months back but now they are best buddies. They have there breakfast together, play together and even bath together. raghav calls out for "Parsh" every now and then and Sparsh fondly calls him "Raav". Long live their friendship!

Main aur meri maggi!

Sparsh had first taste of maggi today! He liked it and i guess he is also going to be a big maggi fan...just like his father :-)

Sparsh's first confident walk!

taste your own medicine!

Sparsh recogonizes medicine in any form and as soon as he spots one he would try to escape as quickly as possible. More recently he has started waving his hands vigrously to express his dislike for medicine. I hate it when we have to grab him and put the medicine in his mouth forcefully :-(.

Aao jhula jhulen!

Sparsh is such a big fan of swings...he never wants to step down once he is swinging in a park or any other public place. So his nanu-nani got him his own swing..and now the fun has begun at home itself! And he insists that all his babies (read, soft toys) should accompany him on the swing!

Show me the money!

Sparsh has understood the value of money so early in life. Yesterday he picked a 100 rupee note from my mom's desk and started crawling towards the door. When my mom asked him what is he upto he swifty showed her the note and pointed to the door. I was amazed that he knows that he can go out with money and get something!

Uff tera gussa!

Sparsh looks so cute when he is in gussa! Sometimes he would frown, sometimes he would be quite and go sit in a corner and sometimes he would throw a tantrum.....but everytime he does that i feel like taking him in my arms and giving him tons of kisses :-)

Doctor in making!?

Sparsh's latest activity is to give injections to everybody with pen/pencil. he would insist on giving insulin injections to my grandmother. As per his dictionary an injection is called amboo. Doctor in making???!!

kadam kadam badaye ja!

Sparsh took his first step!!!! hesitant, scared but very excited! he knew he had done something cool and loved the appreciation he got from all around. I am soooo happy..my lil boy will soon be more independent and would be able to explore more of the world on his own!!!!!

Let there be light and air!

Sparsh sure has some setting with electricity department! Anywhere he goes whether it is within the house, or at neighbours or at malls, everywhere he insists on switching on all fans, ACs and lights in sight. He has the broadest grin on his face once oblidged!

Mundan (Tonsuring)

In most Hindu communities Mundan is performed in 1st or 3rd year of life but our family does not have any such restrictions therefore we chose this day for Sparsh's Mundan since the weather is just right and the navratris are on which makes it an auspicious day (saptami). With guidance from family friends we chose a balaji temple for the sanskar. The barber was nice and friendly and took utmost care while shaving Sparsh's head. But, like most kids Sparsh did not like it and started crying like anything. His father kept him close to him and held him firmly throughout the sanskar (though he was very upset and does not want our kid to go thru any other torture like this on the name of traditions!). All was well once the Mundan was over and Sparsh looked sooo cute after he took a bath. We sleeked lord balaji's blessings in the end and returned home with satisfaction that a big milestone in our son's life has passed.

http://www.babycenter.in/baby/traditions/mundan/

What role are you playing today!?

A Mother can play a number of valuable roles that will help your toddler get the most out of his play:


Cheerleader Applaud your child every time he achieves his goal or masters a new skill.

Playmate Your toddler can't play certain games without a partner. You can roll the ball back to him or play "chase me," for example.

Research Assistant Bring your young scientist the things he needs for his experiments.

Expert Answer your child's questions about what he's playing with or show him how to do something if he asks.

Psychologist Help your child deal with the frustration of wanting to do more than he's physically capable of doing. Talk to him, encourage him, comfort him, and offer your help if he wants it.

Inspired By-http://life.familyeducation.com/play/toddler/53229.html

The pregnancy wheel!

Cute, creative, handmade!

Beta sweater pehno!

Sweater, n.: garment worn by child when its mother is feeling chilly. ~Ambrose Bierce

Reminds me of the cute "beta sweater pehno ad". And it is true that I ofetn insist on layering up Sparsh when I am feeling cold, irrespective of what others say!

The guilt

Recently I have started scolding Sparsh once in a while. Sometimes when he ignores my "No", sometimes when he wakes up every 30 minutes at night and sometimes when he hurts me badly while playing. I am completely aware that he is still very small and does not understand scolding but still sometimes I cant help letting the steam out. But the guilt that follows simply kills me :-(...and then I cant stop kissing my little boy as if to erase all the memories of the scolding that he never even understood.

I would have gone mad with guilt, thankfully I read this-

Some mothers are kissing mothers and some are scolding mothers, but it is love just the same, and most mothers kiss and scold together. ~Pearl S. Buck

Like father like son or Mommy's replica?

Most people tell us that Sparsh looks just like his father. I get mixed emotions when I hear that...and sometimes have a wish that if I could see my hubby's chilhood in flashback! Whats your say on resemblence bit??!! (Biswarup-Sparsh-Pallavi)

Holi hai!

Sparsh's second holi...but the first one when he can understand a lil. He was fully armed with two two pichkaris! We just played with gulaal fearing skin rashes for him..but that was fun too! Had an awesome breakfast of palak kachoris and then played holi with neighbours and friends.

Put me to sleep

Sparsh can think and feel more than we assume. Today he was feeling sleepy out of his regular sleep pattern...so he came to me and lied down in my lap and started patting himself singing aa-aa-aa-aa. maybe a sign for me that please "put me to sleep".

I got hurt!!!

Sparsh knows that his mom would give him a kiss everytime he gets hurt and cries....so now he shows his"chot" (imaginary injury) every now and then , particularly on his wrist and head to get some more kisses! Wisely said-

A baby is born with a need to be loved - and never outgrows it.
-- Frank A. Clark

Main-hun!

My lil boy can now have a conversation on phone. It sounds so cute when he says-" main-hun"!

The independent passenger!

Today Sparsh sat alone in his own seat in our flight to New delhi. I realised that he is still so tiny when I adjusted the seat belt on his waist. he was very brave thru take off and landing and enjoyed all the attention and food that he got in between. I have a feeling he is going to love to travel..may he see the whole world!

Help me sit!

Sparsh can stand on his own but he struggles to sit back. It is a mixed feeling to see him asking for help to make him sit..he looks aggressive yet vulnerable!

Tease-Tease

I dont know where all he learns things from...the newest cute thing he does is that he would offer you some food or some other nice thing and when you reach out to take it..he would tease you and pull it back. I love the twinkle in his eyes when he does that!

Pain gain

Sparsh now has a sense of pain and can locate the exact part of his body where he is hurt. A big leap from when he used to just keep crying every time he banged into something..not understanding that the pain is coming from where.

Cadbury's has touched life!

Today Sparsh had his first taste of cadbury's....wish for many more to come. Check out the grin!

My baby's babies!!

Sparsh has discovered that all the soft toys that he has are his babies. He would copy me and treat the toys as small babies. he would put them to his shoulder and gently pat. he would put the milk bottle to there mouth and offer them food. The best is when he tries to put them to sleep by gently putting them on the pillow and singing to them. I am amazed and impressed with the little instincts.

Mommy don't cry!

Sparsh cries when he sees me cry!!! he would try to come as close to me as possible as if to comfort me and telling "Mommy don't cry"!

Tantra-wise

Saw some cute tantra t-shirts for kids t shoppers stop. Could not believe that they had few in Sparsh's size as well. Here are some of the designs that we finally picked. I love the wsh care instructions on them...it says- "Mummy..I am allergic to Dhobis" :-)

Shall we dance!

I held Sparsh's tiny hand and did ball dance like movement...he caught it very quickly and soon we were dancing and Sparsh was like-'lalalalala" :-)

Holy Cow!

Sparsh had his first feed of cow's milk today with lil choco flavour for added taste!

Wipeout!

Sparsh has understood the concept of a towel....he grabs any towel or napkin close to him and starts wiping himself!

With Love!

After a big debate on wht should we give Sparsh as a gift on his first birthday we discarded the options of cycle, gold, dreses, etc. to give him his first set of board books! We hope he likes them :-).

Happy Birthday to you!

We cant believe our lil one is already one!!!! May God bless him always!