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Friday, December 21, 2007

What's in a name?


William Shakespeare did'nt have kids for sure, otherwise he would have never said those words. As Daddy and Mamma realized, it's a nerve-racking exercise in itself. It's a common custom in hindu religion that the pundit tells the first alphabet of the name based on a child's place and time of birth.

Daddy had already done his homework and created a big database of latest hindu names. He maintained a list of his favorite names for boys as well as girls. The internet is a big aid in finding baby names. It also confuses people all the more with so many choices cropping up!!

When I was a week old, Daddy and GrandPa went to the pundit to find out the first alphabet of my name. He told them that it's a "V". I'm a scorpio (it's called Vrish in hindi) by sun sign. It was'nt the best alphabet daddy could have hoped for and both he and Mamma did'nt agree on a name with 'V'.

So, the went for a second round of alphabet from the near by Gurudwara. The way Gurudwara does the naming it is based on fetching any page from the Guru Granth Sahib and it's belived that it is god's choice. Any how, the alphabet from gurudwara given out was 'P'.

The second round caused more problems than solving any. Daddy and Mamma were more confused than ever and the list began to grow. Here is the first list of names from 'V' that they thought about:-

Vaanya (Mamma's favourite)
Vartika
Vedika
Vanshika

They had a back up plan for alphabet 'P' as well:-

Prachi (Daddy's favourite)
Pragya
Payal
Preksha

Mamma then found some more:-

Vrishika
Vandita
Vanisha

It finally came down to between Vedika, Vaanya and Vanisha. They decided that it's better off going with 'V' rather than 'P' as it aligns well astrologically. The day soon arrived when Dad had to set off to get my birth certificate. It was still a toss between Vedika and Vanisha. The argument followed:-

Vedika - Good Meaning but too common (Moreover, it was the name for one of the villains in Mamma's favourite TV serial)

Vaanya - Mamma absolutely loved this name. Daddy did'nt like it as he believed that it's a bit too modern for India. It sounds similar to Vanya which means forest. Vaanya itself means queen of the forest. The meaning killed this one !!

Vanisha - This is a name that's not very common, it means 'pure' 'purest'. Sounds good and means great !! After much discussion, they decided that I'll be named Vanisha. Every body loved this name !!

Mamma further wanted it to be spelled as Vaneesha but Daddy was adamant to keep it as Vanisha. He convinced Mamma & she agreed to keep it that way. Though she absolutely loves this name, the only part that she does'nt like it is that most people hear it as 'Manisha' which is perhaps the most common name amongst girls in India.

Diwali 2007 - My Chola Ceremony !!


Time flew by and 10 days passed, 9th November arrived. It was Diwali - the biggest festival of India, the biggest celebration, the time to shop & eat lots of sweets. The time to catch up with friends and relatives and wish them well for the next year!

It is also the noisiest festival in India with people bursting crackers till the wee hours. Daddy was already worried that I'll find it difficult to cope up with the noise of firecrackers and he had contingency plans to stick some cotton in my ears. Thankfully, that was not needed as I slept though the night without even noticing what was going on around me.

Since it's one of the most auspicious days in the Hindu Calendar, Daddy thought that it would be a perfect occasion to take me to the gurudwara & seek Baba Ji's blessings. I dressed up in a beautiful pink dress which Daddy absolutely loved. The ritual was short and sweet and we were back home within an hour. Daddy clicked a few snaps of mine that day too, he was fond of doing it every day. He just did'nt want to miss any moment that was worth a click on his camera. Some day, I'll be old enough to see all my pics and take a flash back down the memory lane to my yester years.

Karvachauth


Ever since Daddy & Mamma landed in Jaipur, they had been contemplating whether Mamma would keep a fast on Karvachauth or not. Daddy was'nt too keen on it but Mamma said that she would try it out.

As fate would have it, she spent most of the day on Karvachauth in labour pain. GrandMa also skipped keeping her fast as it was almost impossible to find time for ceremonies in the evening. This was probably the first time she had done so in her marriage of 38 years !

Welcome Home !!


The first 2 nights in this world were'nt exactly the best I could have hoped for, I was not able to take feeds from Mamma who tried ever so hard. Mamma & Daddy were really sad when they saw me crying at the top of my voice (at 2 AM in the night :). It was a big change for me coming into this world from the secure prison where I stayed for last 8.5 months :)

Anyway, every body was very pleased when I arrived at home and they were always queueing up to hold me in their arms. More relatives & daddy's friends visited us in the next couple of days. After a couple of days, I started taking feeds from Mamma and every body had a huge sigh of relief !!

When I was born, I weighed 2.7 kg which is rather low. A normal healthy baby in India weighs somewhere around 3 kg in India while the norm in US & other developed countries is closer to 3.5 kg.

I got a couple of vital vaccination injections which made Daddy cry more than me :). Daddy soon informed his office colleagues about it and more blessings followed me.

29th Oct, 2007@4:42 PM: I've arrived !!



Daddy & GrandMa were waiting anxiously outside the operation theatre for the last one & a half hour. Daddy had already asked GrandMa about five times as to how long it would take and each time GrandMa said that it could be any moment now !!

Anyhow, the moment did come when the nurse came out and informed Daddy that he's been blessed with a beautiful daughter. She asked for the baby's clothes and went back inside the operation theatre.

Daddy was overjoyed to know that he was blessed with a baby girl. A million thoughts crossed his mind the very same moment - carrying me on his lap, dropping me to school when I grow up, seeing me go to college and even marrying me off to the prince of my dreams. He's got quiet an imagination as you can see ;)

The nurse came back after 5 minutes carrying me in her arms and handed me over to Daddy. The last few months had been emotionally & physically draining for him as well as Mamma and he broke down in tears with joy as he held me close to his heart. This was the moment he had waited for all his life, fatherhood - what a special feeling !!

Mamma came out of the operation theatre after another 5 minutes & daddy gave her the longest hug of her life :). Usually, it's the mother who touches the baby first as the doctors do it that way. In my case, daddy was the one who held me first as Mamma was still in the operation theatre. No wonder why I'm daddy's girl !!

It was then Mamma's turn to hold me in her arms. Those were moment that Daddy and Mamma will never forget. What a pity that I am too young to realize those :(. After Mamma, grandma held me in her arms and I loved it. It was probably my first smile (while sleeping) after entering this world.

They informed Grandpa and Bhua at home who were equally happy to hear the news. Within a couple of hours, all close relatives (Naani, Daddy's Mama Ji etc.) and friends were informed and the blessings were coming thick and fast from all corners.

The next day Naani arrived from Sirsa. One of daddy's closest childhood friends visited us the next day as well. They were followed by a bunch of relatives who just kept coming :)

Mamma stayed 2 nights in the hospital before we were discharged on Wednesday morning and I was set to visit my home for the first time.

The very next day !!

If Daddy were to count things that Mamma is scared of, the list would be endless. However, dogs and labour pain (or rather the fear of labour pain) would top the list any day.

It was sunday 10 PM when Mamma felt untolerable pain in her stomach. Daddy was unsure as to whether it was labour pain or some other illness. A couple of hours passed by and the pain refused to go away, Daddy took Mamma to the hospital with grandma.

At the hospital, the doctor examined Mamma again & told daddy that perhaps their child was eager to meet them so they'll have to prepone the delivery. She said that we could expect the baby next morning @ 11 AM. It was one of the most difficult nights to pass for Daddy with Mamma crying in pain on his shoulder and there was pretty much nothing he could do about it. Further, Mamma was given pain drips to increase the pain & ensure that she went into labour timely. None of them - Daddy, Mamma and GrandMa slept that night. They kept talking to Mamma and hoped that the night would pass soon. It did pass, slowly and by morning, rather unfortunately, Mamma's pain went away as well. She was induced further pain drips to sustain the labour pain. Daddy says that it was the longest and most painful night of his life.

The nurses would come every 2 hours to make sure that everything was normal. By noon, the labour pain reached it's prime and Mamma was barely able to talk to us. She's always been scared of labour pain & now the moment had arrived. At 3 o'clock in the afternoon, she was moved to operation theatre.

I wish Daddy wrote about what happened afterwards but he just does'nt have the courage to do so ;)

The penultimate visit to doctor's clinic !

27th Oct, 2007:- A day after landing in Jaipur, Daddy decided to take Mamma for a health checkup. Daddy tried to find out the best doctors and hospitals in Jaipur before they moved there. He finally zeroed in on 'Holy Family' hospital in Raja Park, Jaipur. The hospital is a 5 minute drive/ 15 minute walk from our home in Adarsh Nagar.

The owner of Holy Family hospital is Dr. Neeta Ahluwalia, one of the most reputed doctors in Jaipur. She's from a defence background and very professional as far as work is concerned. After examining Mamma, she told that every thing is normal & the due date would be 3rd November (saturday). Daddy and Mamma went back home reassured and hoping that a week would pass by in a fly !

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Those Nine Months !

Perhaps it's more appropriate that Mamma write this blog rather than Daddy but she's not too fond of writing and she's always busy taking care of me, so daddy will do the honours :)

It's often said that the birth of a child is nature's most amazing creation. The nine months leading up to the birth are a mixed bag of emotions for the mother, father and the child. As my gandpa was not well, so my parents were on their own in Gurgaon during my mother's pregnancy. Daddy used to tell Mamma that he's always been there for her and will always be there for her. Mamma is his best friend (not any more, I'm his latest crush) and will always be.

Mamma coped up well during the first couple of months of her pregnancy without any health problems. She attended college regularly so that she did'nt miss the gossip sessions with her colleagues about the latest TV serials, movies and actors. She taught students in spare time as well ;). Daddy used to drop her to college in the morning and pick her up in the evening. He adjusted his work schedule so that he would spend maximum time with Mamma during this critical period. His was a tough job, working all day in office and then attending late night conference calls but he enjoyed doing it. Mamma often says that he's born to work and office is like his second wife :).

There were times when Mamma's health went up and down but she managed well with Daddy on her side. There would be times when she would place her head on daddy's shoulder and ask him about their future, their child. Daddy always assured her that everything will be fine. Daddy felt guilty that he was not taking enough care of Mamma and always tried to do better with every passing day.

They celebrated their anniversary (12th Sep) and Mamma's birthday (19th Sep) meanwhile and very happy to know that I'll be joining them next year onwards in those celebrations.

On 26th October, 2007, they moved to Jaipur as the due date was just two weeks away. Mamma took a break from her work schedule while Daddy took a short break from his office.

Due Date

Call it a conicidence or whatever, the doctors gave a due date of 9th November, 2007 for my birth. 9th November, 2007 was Diwali which is perhaps the most auspicious date in Hindu Calendar year. It symbolizes the victory of good over evil and the day when God Rama returned home after an exile of 14 long years.

Perhaps, god had decided that my and Rama's home coming should be on the same day ;)

Good News

3rd March, 2007: It was a usual lazy saturday morning for daddy and he was fast asleep till 9 o'clock in the morning. Mamma woke him up with a gentle hug and gave him the good news that their little angel was about to enter this world. It was the happiest moment in Daddy's life and he was overjoyed. He and Mamma visited the near by temple to thank god and seek his blessings (for me :).

They consulted a specialist doctor the next weekend who asked Mamma to take rest and asked Daddy to take good care of her. They consulted Dr. Aruna Kalra at a nearby hospital in Sector 15, Gurgaon. She's a very good doctor, very caring and made Mamma feel at ease right from the very first meeting. Daddy's little world of dreams was about to flourish and he was very excited. Mamma was a lot more composed, happy and a bit scared of the things to come ;).

Monday, December 17, 2007

The Wedding !

12th December 2005: D-day came before Daddy & Mamma realized the flight of time. As daddy calls it, he wanted a simple no non-sense wedding rather than a typical punjabi wedding with pomp & plendor. Anyway, his and Mamma's friends & relatives attended the ceremonies and had great fun. Daddy looked over joyed while Mamma was blushing all the time during wedding ceremonies.

And then, Daddy and Mamma were 'Happily Married'. As Daddy puts it, he's 'Married' while 'Mamma 'is happy.

Thursday, November 22, 2007

The Beginning !

It all started when Daddy (Gaurav) first met Mummy (Jyoti) on 19th June, 2005. Gaurav instantly fell in love with Jyoti due to her simplicity and innocence. Jyoti also liked Gaurav's modesty and down to earth nature (at least that what she tells Daddy and Daddy hopes that's true ;).

Two weeks later, 3rd July, 2005 - they got engaged and their short courtship period began. The date of marriage was finalized as 12th September, 2005 and both of them were feeling the wedding blues. Anyway, the courtship period passed in a fly with shopping, movies, frequent dates and dinners before they went off to Jaipur and Sirsa to wrap up the last minute preparations.

I'm sure daddy never imagined that 2.5 years down the line, he would be writing a blog for his daughter :)