A Shower with Love

Welcome MTBs :)

2010-01-05T13:20:00.000-08:00

BABIES COME INTO THIS WORLD
Babies come into the world brand new
They have no preconceived notions of
bottles and you
Expecting love and giving it back,
These little Angels see nothing you lack.
They don't know when you're wondering if
what you're doing is right
Happiness comes from having you in sight.
Don't worry your skills are shaky and new
Your baby just wants you to be you.
Feedings and diapers and car seats won't last
The love that you show to your child says it best
Take care of this little gift from above
and everything is seen through her and your love.

BABIES DON'T KEEP
Mother, oh Mother,
come shake out your cloth,
empty the dustpan,
poison the moth,
hang out the washing
and butter the bread,
sew on a button and make up a bed.
Where is the mother whose house
is so shocking?
She's up in the nursery,
blissfully rocking.
Oh, I've grown shiftless as Little
Boy Blue (lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
Dishes are waiting and bills are past due
(pat-a-cake, darling, and peek, peekaboo).
The shopping's not done
and there's nothing for stew
and out in the yard there's a hullabaloo
but I'm playing Kanga and this is my Roo.
Look! Aren't her eyes the most wonderful hue?
(lullaby, rockaby, lullaby loo).
The cleaning and scrubbing
will wait till tomorrow,
for Children grow up,
as I've learned to my sorrow.
So quiet down, cobwebs.
Dust go to sleep.
I'm rocking my baby and babies don't keep......
~Author Unknown ~

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Gifts for all of you..with a lot of love

For Always Happy Kya

For Cluelessness

For Jotting

For Monika

For Parul

For Takshaka

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some people say motherhood is hyped. I do not really know. I have no experience. But my heart says it cannot be so. Every time I tell my mother she worries unnecessarily, she just smiles and tells me, "you'll know when you are a mother". I think that's true. There are some some feelings, some emotions that we do not understand unless we experience them. Motherhood, I am convinced, is one such emotion.

Carrying a baby in the womb for nine full months is no joke. And I realized that just when my sister got pregnant. I find myself worrying for her every minute. I find myself praying for her and her baby's health every night. I find myself utterly helpless when I know she isn't feeling alright or not eating. I call her to ask her weight, making sure its slowly and healthily increasing. I remind her to have almonds and milk. I tell her to read happy things, think happy thoughts. I crack silly jokes over the phone to hear her laugh. And more than once, I have wished I could bear the labor for her.

And with all that, I find myself caring and worrying for all the mother-to-be's I know around. Whether it's in the real world or this beautiful virtual blog world. AlwaysHappyKya, you are one happy, chirpy and pretty mommy-to-be I know. Cluelessness, even though you say you were born clueless, your baby, I am sure, will know right away how much its being loved. Jottings&Musings, seeing your colorful and cheerful Christmas post, I know you'll be just as happy with the baby on the way. Although I don't really know you three, I am sending loads of wishes and prayers your way. You will have a happy pregnancy, a happier delivery and be the happiest mommies very soon (along with my didi :) )

Celebrate every moment you have with the life in your womb. Be good, be safe and smile all the way. Your new year gift will be in your arms very soon!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Pink or Blue..it could be
I’m so glad for you MTB!!

Bottle, Nappy, Bib and Wraps,
Soon the baby will be in your laps!!

Mumma, Mommy, Mother or Mom
It will call you in any form.. !!

Happy-happy mother time this is,
Share the pictures soon, will you please!!

Loads of luck and positive energy sending your ways!!

-------------------------------------------------------------------

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A baby is cuddles and tickles on toes,
the sweet scent of powder, a kiss on the nose!
A baby is teddy bears, rattles, and pins,
meals at midnight...giggles and grins
Wishingg all 6 of u "All the happiness in the world" :) Enjoy ur motherhood...!! Lets celebrate ....by cutting the cake :)

Here's a special little something for your little someone special.

For AHK's Baby :

For Clue's Baby

For jottingss baby :

For Parul's baby :

For Monika's baby :

For Takshaka's Baby

Little baby on the way,
Getting bigger every day,
Kicking mommy here and there
for ur happiness we'l always pray... :)

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A little bit of you,

A little bit of him.

They sleep when you don’t,

Are up when you are not.

They smile to melt your heart,

They cry and your heart breaks.

They hold your world in their small little fists,

They make it go round on their own whim.

A heart so pure,

A love so deep.

A little bit of you,

A little bit of him,

A little bundle of joy,

Uniquely their own.

Dear Mommies to be, loads of wishes coming your way. Congratulations and good luck for what is to follow. It’s a bulk load of work, it’s a bulk load of fun.

Dear Babies, you are eagerly awaited and will be much loved. Can’t wait to greet you, can’t wait to see you, can’t wait to welcome you to our world.

Team 'Dhan ta naan'

2010-01-05T13:16:00.000-08:00

Special appearance by Sameer.
No, Nu? :D

Credits

2010-01-05T13:15:00.001-08:00

On last count, it was 1897 emails exchanged between 16 of us from 6 different countries in 19 days. This has been an awesome journey what with all the food talks, Bollywood music(gah!), more food talks and oh baby-shower discussions as well ;) And now its time to say our Thank-you's!

Thanks to all the members of the previous blog-shower team for being an inspiration. The 'blog-hunt' bit was almost similar to the last time and we hope you guys don't mind that we kept the tradition going :) We'd appreciate it, if you could all come forward and join us in wishing the MTBs here.

Each member of the group has been so kind and enthusiastic about sharing their time and energy to get this all going. Thanks..

Bluemist, for being the first one to accept to the whole plan with glee. For that lovely poem and for being very graceful when we made all the last minute changes just before you left on your holiday.

Chandni, for being the experienced one among us. For all your awesome plans, especially the photo idea. Everyone loved it, thanks to you. And a special thanks for coming up with such a cool title and the main poem. You totally rock!

Childwoman, for taking part in all this despite the very busy time at home. We are all so happy that you were with us in this and do remember that you and your family are definitely in our prayers.

Comfortablynam, for being the wise one among all of us. For having pitched in so much work in so little time, for all the collages and the last minute posts and for all the technical support. This blog wouldn't be what it is without you.

D, for all those clues you coined and a special thanks for offering to help in the last minute. Like we already said, you are a natural with words. Also the gifts you chose were a major hit with MTBs and thanks for inviting Madhuri Dixit ;)

Dee, for being the silent yet strong support. For always being there when we wanted you and for coming to our rescue when we needed to contact people and for being helpful always.

DewDropDreams, for having put-up with all the noise and chatter and for coming up with thoughtful and really cool gifts for each MTB. I'm sure a lot of thinking and searching went there and we truly appreciate it a lot.

DiDo, for jelling with us despite being the new-comer and for all the work you put in. We enjoyed your little verse, the delicious cake and the absolutely cute gifts and we are sure the MTBs enjoyed it too. It was really nice knowing you.

Divz, for being the one-woman behind all the banners. For having smiled each time we added an MTB and for doing all the work that you did despite the very sick laptop of yours. Your enthusiasm is contagious Divz and thats something that really kept us going.

Miss M, the woman behind the design of the blog. Thank you so much for searching for this very cute template and sorting out the blog account. You gave us the much needed push everytime and we appreciate all the work you've put in here despite all the exciting things at home.

Nu, for being our support system. Thank you for being such a fun part of the group, for all the food talk and for bringing Sameer into the otherwise only-girls group :D We so enjoy having you around and hate it when you leave us and go especially to eat those pani-puris.

Rani, for being so prompt and pro-active and for giving us a head start. You amazed us with your willingness and the speed with which you got your stuff ready before the holidays. We missed having you with us during the later part of the planning.

Revs, for starting it all. The child of the group with your child like enthusiasm you kept us going, mining through all the emails to get the pertinent information out, chatting with us all to coordinate the whole thing, fixing any snags that came up and for staying up all night the day before to get the posts up.

Snowsoulmate, Thanks for putting up with the enthusiastic lot and for being with us through the whole thing. We are very happy that you were game to it all and hope you had as much fun as all of us.

Sraikh, for being with us despite all the 'movers and (un)packers' work you were already doing. Please don't be sad that your page dint load at the right time. You were our life-saver and we had so much fun because of that page.

Titaxy, the love of us all. The sane one among us who kept us focused when talks moved too much on other topics. The one who was always there to help. The trooper who even wrote a post on a MTB she had never read before. The organized one who kept all the clues in order. The one who could be counted on for her thoughtful words no matter what.

And thank you dear MTBs for having taken part in this so enthusiastically and for all your kind words. Thanks for getting pregnant in the first place and due credits to your respective husbands for helping you there ;) Looking forwards to meeting your little ones.

Lots of Love,

16 very fond aunties!

Takshaka

2010-01-04T12:41:00.001-08:00

Dear Dear Takshaka,

We might know you well and you might not know us at all, but that does not stop us from getting excited about the little one on the way.

As you talked about P not understanding the reason behind the two windows in the pregnancy tests, some of us can’t help but shake our head in agreement, with a bemused expression on our face. Do these guys ever listen to us? Even on the important things? And then they go and undo all of that (or should we say redo it all) by being supportive, smiling when we are uncertain, whopping with joy at the news unexpected.

As the exhaustion takes over and lack of sleep gets to you remember that this is just practice, for the time to come, when holding the baby will be the most important thing. Sleep or lack of, tiredness in extreme will be a thing you will deal with everyday but will not mind for a minute. But dear eating is important. Second trimester and loss of appetite is not a done thing. Well actually that’s not true. Listen to your body. It will lead you well. You will know when the baby wants extra nourishment and when it has enough. And that is a lesson to learn for the future as well. Listen to your instincts. There is no right or wrong ways of rearing a baby. There is nothing as strong as the mother’s instinct so listen to it now and listen to it later. As we said this is all a practice session for things to come.

And when you talk about Full Moon baby, we join our hand in prayer that the baby is born on a Full Moon. A full term baby that you get to take home with you as you leave the hospital. A full term baby easy to hold. A full term baby always healthy. We would love to call him/her Luna, so here’s to Luna. We raise our glasses (you can have some punch dear. No alcohol for you anytime soon).

Right now you are at the most interesting part of your pregnancy. The baby moves, the baby turns and P can finally feel the baby move. We can very well imagine the look of wonder on his face at the little miracle growing inside you making his/her presence known to his Dad. And we are glad that you got to relax and enjoy your time. We are glad that you got to go back and see all your family and friends. We are glad that you got to have a Sreementham surrounded my people who love you lots. We are glad that you got to sneak in a mini vacation within your major vacation, Goa being a haven that it is. We are glad that you have you parents visit to look forward to. We are glad, we are glad, we are glad for you, for the P, for the little one who is about to come into this world

And last but not least, dear as the paranoia about the baby before and after s/he is born starts to take a grip, remember you have 5 other Mother to Bes for company and 16 e-aunts to go gaa over the one coming along.

So we shower you with our love and a few virtual gifts for the sweet little angle to be.

Parul

2010-01-03T19:39:00.001-08:00

When we first read that you were expecting a mini parul or a mini Mahesh this year, the first thing that came to our mind was that post you had written about when you found out you were pregnant with Adi. You said (on behalf of Adi), “...In reply, mom stepped out, looking quite stricken, dazed and joyful and handed him (Dad aka Mahesh) the pee drenched stick. “ From just this one line you managed to convey the sheer excitement and happiness that you and Mahesh felt when you discovered you were pregnant with Adi. And we are very curious today- was a pee drenched stick once again handed to M this time round or did he just look at you and say “Pee in the cup woman and I shall check with the stick”, just like you mentioned in the same post? ;)

Parul, you have captivated our hearts and kept us addicted to your blog to the extent that we kept coming back to your space asking for more and more with each passing day. Yes, a lot of us are just silent readers, and maybe that’s why you might be unaware of our existence, but we read nonetheless; religiously, without fail. Your posts on Adi never cease to amaze on how perfectly you do your job- being a mother. The ‘Dear Adi’ letters that you write every once in a while reflects on how beautifully you are raising him, and how you capture all his special moments in those letters. To add slight wit and humour to the famous ‘Adi letters’, you write pretending to be in his shoes- as if Adi was writing a letter to his dear parents- these posts always manage to make us smile and realise, ‘this is how a mother should be’. And I can say without a doubt that a lot of non-mothers and even unwed girls out there who are reading you, you are an insipiration. We don’t even need to speak about your success outside the blogging world. We remember a post you did on the list of things you would like to do before you turn 40 and I guess you can already strike at least one thing off that list, i.e. to write a book. And how can one forget your home decor skills? Chic, elegant and absolutely fabulous! Plus the best part about you is that you write and talk about a lot of other things too. From Sandeep the autowallah's customer-friendly auto to Padma's indestructible love Adi. From your love for crockeries to your mother who refused to pay more than 15 rupees for a (or was it a couple?) pair of pyjamas. This just goes on to show how genuinely you care about your family and for the people around you.

We specially recall a post you had written in particular wherein M came back home all tensed up after work, walking in the darkness because lights used to be off in the bedroom at 7pm since that’s when you would put Adi to sleep, because of which M and you could only see each other using the light from your respective cellphones. While reading that post, anyone could just picture you and Mahesh on the bed, talking over the phone-light while Adi is fast asleep on your lap, Mahesh complaining about his work and you suggesting he has some ice-cream to cool down- it is probably these little, insignificant, fleeting moments that make life so much special and make you realise that you have everything you need right there with you on that bed, in that phone-lit room.

But buckle up babe, cos a mini-Parul or maybe a mini-Mahesh is arriving soon in a few months! And I am very sure that Mahesh, Adi, you and all of your family is waiting for him/her impatiently. We know that you are already somewhat prepared, having gone through it once before, but we hope that you have an even more pampered pregnancy than the one before. And we hope you are glowing more than ever and not having a single bad hair day amidst all of this! ;) We are itching to read and find out when the little one will utter her/his first ‘UMMA’ and ‘UPPPA’ , whether he/she will sleep only to bollywood music and will he/she follow the footsteps of bhaiyya and go ‘Tata Issky’ every once in a while. Fret not Parul, I think Adi will teach all the aforementioned things and maybe a few more stunts of his own to the little one, being the big brother and all. Maybe then you would have to listen to Mann ka radio all the time all day! :P

By the way, before we forget, sometime in the future please do tell the little one that he/she has sixteen maasis out there, residing all over the world, who were waiting for his/her arrival with bated breath and who are going to pamper him/her like anything! Some (or all) of us might just take a big bite of her/his cheek or we might simply eat him/her up! :P And ofcourse inform Adi that when is eighteen and a bit, these sixteen maasis are taking him out for a drink and teaching him how to woo girls. I swear we would be a good, positive influence on both of them Parul! Don't worry! :P :D

Here’s wishing you a very happy, healthy and an absolutely gorgeous baby. We are very much waiting for the calendar to strike April/May and for the tiny little bundle of joy to arrive. :)

Wait wait wait.. where are you going?? We wouldn’t let you leave empty-handed, now would we?

First you will definitely need baby essentials- that is a Johnson & Johnson baby hamper which includes, powder, lotion, soaps etc.

Now how can we resist getting cute clothes for the baby?

A couple of tops from Pumkin Patch

Some hooded towels and a couple of bibs,

A param that we just had to give, and a pair of Puma shoes for our hep baby! ;)

Some dahi vada, papri chaat, Lindt chocolates, cake and iced mocha for you while you enjoy this post.

One of the things you wanted to do before you're 40 is own a Louis Vuitton luggage set. Well, we tried our best.

Here is something for our dear lil' Adi- a Ben ten bike.

And last but not least, here's something for Mahesh.

A photo frame in which he can capture some beautiful moments of his family and adorn his office desk with it. We also think one particular pic should hands down be in this photo frame. And it is this one.

On days that are ahead of you, I think this picture will remind you and Mahesh the time that has gone and the time that you have cherished, the time that you three have spent together, and most importantly the amazing time that is yet to come with the arrival of the little one. :)

Here's wishing the beautiful mommy and her family a happy, healthy and a gorgeous baby.

With lots and lots of love and best wishes to all four of you,

Us. :)

Jottings And Musings

2010-01-03T16:03:00.000-08:00

Giggles, laugh, chatter but above all excitement and anticipation. The room is full of all these as 16 women run around to get together the baby shower ready before MTB ‘Jotting’ comes over after the adventure of a treasure hunt.

Revs: First thing first. Banner, that’s what we need. It has to be put up in a place of prominence.

M: Divz you rock. This is amazing

Dee: Roar I am the king of the jungle.

Nu: But the baby rules. It says so right here.

Divz blushes as giggles are exchanged.

Chandu: Abbe so where does the banner go.

D: How about right in front of the door where it will be seen first thing when Jotting comes in.

Nods of agreement exchanged Revs hurries off to put up the Banner.

Dido: OK I have the decorations with Mumbai pictures right here.

Childwoman: I love Bombay. I can understand why Jotting loves the city so much

Comfy: Oh the local trains and the walk along Marin Drive

Divz: And the shopping, don’t forget the shopping. Fashion Street, Linking road

Divz and Comfy breathe a big sigh

Childwoman: Dido let these two be. Nostalgic fools (with a shake of head and an indulgent smile). Let’s put up the decorations there over those windows.

BM: Was there not to be decorations with New York pictures?

Chandu: Arre haan. T, did you get them?

T: (Scratching her head) I did print the pictures. Where did I put them?

Revs: Let me help you find it T?

BM: Revs may be we can have another mini hunt for it ?

Revs: yeah; now we are almost expert in arranging hunts.

T : No more hunts. I will hunt them myself.

T walks off hunting for the missing decoration leaving Revs and BM to their mutual adoration.

Sraikh: DDD what is so interesting outside the window?

DDD: Oh there is this sweet looking puppy

Sraikh: Hope Jotting does not get here before the puppy moves off

DDD: ??? Why ???

Sraikh: She is not too fond of dogs not on a leash

DDD: Really

Sraikh: Yup, wrote a whole blog post on it

Rani breaks into an impromptu rendition of

SSM: Food is here.

M: Food!! Let’s go eat

BM: Sabar M, sabar. Sabar ka phal mitha hota hei

Revs: What? Sabar?

Comfy: Patience

Revs: Oh that..

M: But I only had curd and banana for lunch. Me hungry (rubs her rumbling stomach while ignoring Revs)

SSM: M, since you can’t eat how about you help me set things up. That way you get to smell the food at least

BM: Hey you two don’t forget to put the balloon tablecloth before you place the food (laughing all the while)

D: (All excited) Gals the entertainment for the day is here

Silence and wide eyes from everyone as heads turn.

Nu: (finally gets her voice back) Madhuri Dixit..Madhuri Dixit is going to perform for us??

Comfy: Along with err..who is that..Prabhu Deva??

A few heads nod in agreement

Sraikh: Oh Jotting is going to pass out. She LOVES Madhuri Dixit

Comfy: hmm OK but why Prabhu..??..

D: (whispering) was a package deal. Take it or leave it.

Comfy: (all impressed) How did you manage it?

D: Jugaad. Pulled some strings. Helps to be part of the social inner circle (pulling on her imaginary collars)

Nu: Ahh..to a be a popular blogger and all. Good going D

Dee: Ahem..can we have a preview of the show?

Nu: Are you crazy?

Dee: She is here to entertain us right? She can entertain us till we get everything ready.

Nu: D, can she?

Everyone holds their breath

D, gives everyone a dirty look. Walks off. Biiiggg discussion with Madhuri while Prabhu just lounges around. Finally D turns with a huge grin on her face, two thumbs up.

Everyone scrambles to find a good seat, while Madhuri pulls Prabhu on his feet

Claps, whistles, cheers all around.

T: (comes in running) I found it. I found the New York Picture decoration

Chandu: Show me, show me.

T: Here see ball dropping at New Years Eve at Time Square, Grand Central Park

Divz: Oh I love how you have captured the Statue of Liberty, T

T: Aww..thanks Divz. J

Chandu: Oh how I miss my New York days. Jotting is lucky that she stays in such a happening place.

T: How about we go put this up?

Dido: I have been on call with the flower guys. They keep delaying.

DDD: What kind of flowers did we order?

Dido: Rajnigandha since Jotting writes odes on the smell, the beauty of them

DDD: Ah, as in

Revs: So what is left? Banner done?

Divz: Check

Revs: Bombay and NY decoration put up?

Childwoman & T: Yup

Revs: Food?

SSM: Done

Revs: Entertainment?

D: Of Course

Revs: Flowers?

Dido: Working on it (gives a harried look)

Revs: Music?

Rani: Ops let me fix that

Rani: Does anyone know Jottings favorite song

Sraikh: That song, oh it’s on the tip of my …

Chandu: I can guess. Tell me anything you remember about the song

Sraikh: Oh Amir Khan and that hot babe..what’s her name..Darn this Mommy brain

Chandu: What was she wearing?

Sraikh: Red frock, I think, with a black belt

Chandu: Oh ‘Pehla Nasha’

Sraikh: That’s it. Good going Chandu

Chandu dances around. High Fives from everyone.

Rani: OK people lend me your ears for the one song Jotting likes above all else

Off everyone goes dancing with each other.

Comfy: Oh O.

Dancing stops and all eyes turn to the door. Jotting is standing with a huge smile.

DDD: Err..How long have you been standing there Jotting?

Jotting: It’s been a while.

M: Like how long?

Jotting: Since you guys started working on the whole decoration stuff.

Nu: Meaning you have been following everything that has been going on?

Jotting: Yup.

Dee: Oh no. That is so not fair.

Jotting: J

T: But you had fun right?

Jotting: That I did. I did not get the context of some of the conversation you guys had, but fun I did have.

BM: Oh the context lies in all the emails we exchanged while planning all this.

All: Write to us and we will explain.

Everyone runs to shower Jotting with gifts.

Cluelessness

2010-01-03T15:13:00.000-08:00

We are a little late dear Clueless for your baby-shower, but hey, we still love you :-)

Right from the time you announced it to us, we have been following you, knowing the progress as you wrote it down...

Your feel good moments, your confusions to teach the kid calculus, your uneasiness, kicks and pains and our soccer star's fantastic goals! Be it story-telling issues or car trading stories, we have been lurking around lady!

K's dilemma that it was gas proved to us that he is completely and entirely, Clueless's K! A loving father conceiving this child in his thoughts and dreams all the while you were bearing all the kicks, a man who proudly turned into a father right from the time he knew there was a little life growing inside you (why else would he kiss his darling car's steering wheel goodbye)....

Your FIL, so cutely taking care of your craze to eat alu buns, the task he went through to freeze and get them to you. Which makes us wonder about the other specials from back home which you would be craving for: Dil-pasand, Masala Puri, veg puffs and the very special Iyengar bakery cakes without which, Karnataka would not be Karnataka.

Your parents must be so anxiously waiting to see their baby's baby. Rummy must be ready with his own animal instincts to bow down to another master. He needs no books, after all in some matters animals are far more understanding than the other animals with six senses. So with the entire family awaiting this little ruler, with pink lips, exploring eyes, tiny fingers to wrap around your finger which was used to bearing only K's ring until now, everyone 'awww'ing over every yawn and burp, we can be only and only happy for you.

Baby shower has many names all over the world, many customs but has only one reason. To make the mother feel special, to bestow upon her and her child positive energy, well wishes, prayers and blessings. To let the family know that the angel coming into this world is not just another human being, just another boy or girl but has a special existence in all our hearts.
I am sure, you were thus pampered by your family, but we bloggers don't want to leave any stone unturned.

So here's showering upon you the best wishes for a quick, not-more-than-a-mosquito-bite-pain-delivery, healthy, happy baby smiling in your hands, and lots of smiles and laughter for your family to follow.

Three cheers to a baby who will provide much blog fodder and entertain us all, even as the little one manages to stamp baby-presence all over your spotless house and turns Rummy into a dutiful playmate-cum-guardian.

Also wishing you no cluelessness in bringing up the little bundle of joy!
So here we go with the gifts -

1. For your first baby to gear up and be prepared for the new baby(and maybe it's attacks)

2. Your favourite alu buns (there are only 4 here, the rest are being thawed right now :P)

3. A book on fairy tales

4. A book on calculus (revise quickly before the baby grows up and declares that it's smarter than you!)

5. South Indians traditionally gift loads of bangles - so here are some traditional ones and some funky ones too :D

6. For the cutie pie

Hey lets have something to eat! Aren't we all hungry now?

Oh, and here are some videos to make you smile :D

Partly Cloudy, the last short movie from Pixar (13.4 Mb)

PS: Honda CRV is cool too :D
Trust us :D

Congratulations Monika!!!

2010-01-03T14:53:00.001-08:00

There’s going to be a new bundle of joy arriving at the Ansh household when the New Year strikes…What a pleasure to host a shower for you, Monika!

Most of us were introduced to your blog when the plan for a surprise baby shower started. And it’s amazing as to how each of us relate to at least some aspect of what you write about…all your posts about your family, friends, festivities, and life in general…everything’s been a delight to read. So many posts in your blog has a charm of its own…here’s what we particularly enjoyed while reading you –

Your enthusiasm to try different restaurants – eating out, exploring new cuisines is quite an adventure in itself, isn’t it? Some of think so, yes. :-). There is just so much out there that one needs to taste above anything else, right?. So here, for your highness we put together a magnificent meal of your choice – from your favorite Jasmine Tea from Mainland China to that lunch that you enjoyed at ‘Karaikudi’ restaurant in Chennai, from the Cornetto you enjoyed at Teej to the feast that you had at Zaranj…

Family and friends are the best part of anyone’s life, aren’t they Monika? Reading all about yours left us all in so much awe. Your posts to your mother and father (especially that “My Dad” post) , the tidbits about your friends, that post about your MIL’s sweet gesture, so many sweet anecdotes from Ansh’s life, your love for your husband…all that (and more) worked some magic on us. And so, here’s a little something from us...your favorite songs...dedicated to you, your family and friends.

What is everything if we can’t indulge in self-love every once in a while? Simple pleasures such as shopping…you like that, don’t you? Well, who doesn’t! Buying ourselves the best of outfits, finding opportunities to wear those…ahhh, the joy! Look what we have for you today…hope you like it.
And now to one of the most imp people in your life…Ansh. We didn’t forget about the brother-to-be, of course not. How could we? After all, all those posts about Ansh on your blog made us all go “Awwww” over and over and put a wide grin on all our faces. So here…to the soon brother-to-be…from all of us, with loads of love !

Last but not the least…the reason we are here today. That life inside you who is going to change your world altogether. The one that is going to melt your heart with just a smile. The one that will bring out more goodness that is hiding in you. The one you will love with all your heart, no matter what. The one that will make you a mother, second time around. The little bundle of joy who is waiting to arrive anytime now. The one that will make your world go round and round…all this was because of that baby…so here’s something for the baby, from all of us…with best wishes and love.

Have a safe rest of your pregnancy, Monika. We all wish you the very best.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo sources:
Cornetto - http://www.flickr.com/photos/vissago/3340081767/, Jasmine Tea - http://www.flickr.com/photos/samout3/3411424498/, banana leaf - http://www.flickr.com/photos/santochino/3389040163/, chicken - http://www.flickr.com/photos/nicolesusanne/1346325191/ , bed http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2646/4154981809_26be0d442f.jpg , children song - http://media.photobucket.com/image/happy%20children%20songs%20disney/Valhid/Disney-2.jpg , diapers http://media.photobucket.com/image/diapers/Immomsdaughter/packaging3.jpg , blah shirt http://www.babywit.com/Merchant2/graphics/00000001/ARF174i.jpg , dress set http://images04.olx.com/ui/1/80/20/2068020_2.jpg , flowers - http://www.flickr.com/photos/enamor/459652805/ , toys http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51lnHf%2Ba-pL._SL500_AA280_.jpg , sari: http://www.flickr.com/photos/nehavish/395374868/ , black necklace http://www.flickr.com/photos/shopgirl78/3423082642/ , nailpolish http://www.flickr.com/photos/karen_d/4200825853/ , lipstick http://www.flickr.com/photos/lexnger/2237152005/ , snowman - http://www.flickr.com/photos/harvardavenue/2273371012/ , toy car - http://www.flickr.com/photos/roadsidepictures/95991597/ , softtoys - http://www.flickr.com/photos/deivorytower/617939324/ , bats - http://www.flickr.com/photos/dcreeves2000/38822167/ , big bro tshirt http://www.stardustkids.co.uk/acatalog/t-shirt-own-slogan-bla.jpg , dress http://www.flickr.com/photos/barbietron/3522962361/

Alwayshappykya

2009-12-20T09:00:00.000-08:00

The sound of waves hitting the rocks, the lush greenery around, the tall forts that stand proud in all their finesse and majesty, the wind blowing in and out of the forts creating a musical magic that is as good as A.R.Rahman’s, the weather not too hot, not too cold-just pleasant..

No love, we aren’t talking about the location specifically for ArvindSamy and Manisha’s romance, neither are we saying that the self-proclaimed Kadalai Mannan that you married ran around the forts and sang something like this for you. Imagine..

H : En uyir pogum, ponaalum thuyar illai kannae.. Adharkaagava paadinaen?
Varum edhirkaalam un meedhu pazhi podum pennae.. Adharkaaga dhaan vaadinaen!

And we won’t even imagine you singing back something like..

A: Naan karumpaarai pala thaandi vaeraaga vandhaen,kannaalan mugam paarkavae!
Adadaaaaa Adadaaaaa, indru kanneerum thithikindradhae..
(Surely after the milk-burning incident with Mummy, you’ve learnt enough Tamil to understand these lines right? ;)

Not that you guys weren’t so much in love at that time, but hey! A few bluebirds that were flying above the coast at that time told us about the ‘ahem ahem’ start of a long journey of love and life that happened in this particular place and we thought it was only fair we give due recognition to the place that has brought the girls from all around the world together here :-)

Fast-forward from the fort scene and look what it has led to ;)

D: Now my dear AHK, off you go away with Sraikh and get ready as you listen to some baby-gyaan and don’t peek in and see what we are doing, ok? Here, we have a new saree for you.
{Sraikh marches AHK away}

AHK: Wowwwww! I love dressing up :D

AHK: {returns in less than a minute} Heyyy girls! I’m hungry. Give me something to eat if you want me to stay away.

D: {looks at AHK indulgently} Here take this plate of panipuris. I knew you’d be hungry.

AHK: {tears up} Awww D. I wuvvv you. But can I have something sweet as well please? You know, its not for me. Its for the baby.

D: Sure dear. Chandu, where’s the gelato we had for her?
{Chandu runs away to the kitchen and catches Revs and Titaxy with a bowl of gelato}

Chandu: Girls! That’s for AHK. Go put up the flower decorations now.
{Revs and Titaxy walk away looking longingly at the gelato and Chandu walks away with the bowl, helping herself to a spoonful when no one is looking}

D: Now girls, finish up the work quick. BM, Nu and I will go get the haldi-kumkum ready.

Dee: And I’ll go see to the bangles.

M: Can I go check the food?

Revs: And can I join you M?

Comfy: Revs NO! We are not letting you near the food as yet. You are the baby, so you can do all the climbing up the ladder and putting up flowers.

Revs: Oh nooo! :(

Comfy: Ssshh! No sulking! T is going to help you. Do you want to come now?

Revs: {all smiles} Sure!

{Sraikh walks out tired}
Sraikh: AHK is hungry!

Chandu: Oh I have garam garam samosas for her!

Childwoman: And here take some pickle I brought for her. Knowing her, she’ll dip the samosas in pickle and eat.

Sraikh: Girls add a samosa or two for me as well. I need a lot of energy to keep her entertained!

DDD: Here take this bowl of corn flakes with cold milk as well. She likes it.

Rani: I have the flowers ready! {Looks admiringly at the flowers}

Divz: DiDo and I decorated all the fruits.

DiDo: And we have the sweets ready as well.

Divz and DiDo: And we swear we dint eat any sweets.

Snowsoulmate: And you both know you are not going to get your daily bread after that lie!
{Laughter all around}

D: Girls, everything is ready! Flowers put up, haldi-kumkum, bangles, food.

Chandu: Lets all go dress up now. I’ve brought some very nice silver jewellery to match my saree.

Titaxy: We have to dress up in sarees?!! {sulks}

Rani: Shh! No sulking Titaxy. Yeah red sarees for all of us. That’s AHK’s favourite colour.

{all dressed up and going in to check if AHK is ready while Sraikh gets ready}

AHK: Girls, I’m hungry!

All: Again??????

BM: Here love, have this bar of chocolate. I know this is what you crave the most.

DDD: And here, have one more.

AHK: {smiles} Thanks, but nothing tangy?????

{group sighhhhhhhhhhhh}

Revs: Poor H! How does he manage you at home?!

Divz: But Revs, if they feed preggo women like this, don’t you think it’s a good idea to get pregnant now?

M, Revs, DiDo: Yessssss!

Revs: Sigh! If only they have an option to transfer sperm via Skype! Long distance relationship sucks!

M: You shut up! Atleast you have the boyfriend bit sorted, if I want a baby I need to go look for a sperm-donor!

Comfy: Girls! Enough enough. We’ll sort out sperms for you later. Now lets move on.

Sraikh: I’m ready too. Are we all set?

Sraikh: {applying haldi and kumkum on AHK’s forehead} With the arrival of the little munchkin, may your life always be filled with the vibrant hues of red and yellow and gold.

{AHK sniffs}

Comfy: {showering AHK with flowers} If you think these Jasmine petals are soft, wait till you touch the li’l one’s skin. If you think the Jasmine smells nice, wait till you hold your little bundle and breathe in the baby scent. Nothing would feel as soft or smell as nice as your baby {wipes away happy tears thinking of Buzz and then whispers to AHK in her ear} Not even soiled diaper smells as bad when it’s your baby’s :)

{AHK fakes a horrified look amidst happy tears}

{Nu, Dee, BM and D come forward to put bangles}

Nu: Just like how these bangles come together to make a heart-warming sound, may your home always sound with the melodious harmony of the lil one’s gurgles

D: And laughter :)

BM: And her/him calling out to you and H with love…

Dee: And more little ones joining this lovely family of yours :)

{AHK starts bawling}

Divz: Awww! Here, grab a tissue!

Chandu: No no! Stop crying. We have food for you! South Indian food!

{Divz, Revs and Titaxy run to get the food and start serving AHK}

AHK: {having cleaned off the banana leaf} That’s it?

DDD: We’ve ordered some Austrian Apple Strudel for you! It should be delivered in no time.

Titaxy: Hey! We’ve got some gifts for the baby!! Looooooook!

AHK: {bawling again} Thank you so much girls.

Childwoman: You are most welcome dear. Have a safe, less-pain labour :)

Bluemist: May it be quick..

Chandu: And easy-peasy..

DDD: With nice and pleasant doctors and nurses to assist you..

Dee: With H and Amma beside you giving you all the support you need..

Divz: May you have a healthy lil bundle of joy in your arms..

D: Who’d delight the whole family with its smiles..

DiDo: And bring home a lot joy and warmth..

Comfy: May the baby allow you enough sleep at nights..

Sraikh: May you be a pro at feeding..

Revs: May H fall in love with diaper-changing..

Titaxy: And may you enjoy and cherish every single moment with the lil one.

Rani: And remember you’ve got 16 friends here who love you

Snowsoulmate: pray for you

Nu: care for you very very much

M: And wish you and the lil one all the best things that life can shower you with.

{AHK calls everyone for a group hug and all wishes are exchanged}

AHK: After all those wishes………… Do I still get my apple strudel? ;)

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Congratulations AHK! We all love you :)