Going Parental PDX

A New Year

2011-02-27T20:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings remaining faithful blog fans!

Seems like just a post ago we were talking about holiday traditions. Well...the holidays have come and gone, and believe it or not, we are in the midst of planning a little gathering for a certain almost three-year-old!

We have a huge backlog of pictures and updates to make. Over the holidays Terri transitioned to a new camera and hasn't had the time yet to figure out some of the logistics of uploading from the new fancy thing.

Thanks for your patience, and just know that life in Radha's world is pretty darn great these days, and there is never a dull moment between: daycare (3 days/week), music class with her favorite teacher Tyleena "The Fairy Funkmother" (1 day/week), swim lessons (past 8 weeks and wrapping up soon), and all sorts of play dates with playgroup and other friends.

Dancing (especially bhangra), singing, reading, counting (up to 20 in English, and up to 10 in Hindi and Spanish), Play-Do, and making muffins are some of her favorite activities lately.

Current favorite songs:

"You Can Call Me Al" (Paul Simon)

"Shake, Rattle & Roll" or "All Shook Up" (Elvis)

"Paw Paw Patch" (Sharon Jones)

The biggest milestone which we are THRILLED about is that over Christmas break Radha made the transition to being fully potty-trained. No more diapers, not even at night! We didn't expect it to go as quickly and smoothly as it did, but just like that it happened. Sheer luck, definitely! She has a lot of pride in this new level of independence, and we are thrilled to be done with that whole mess.

Fall Traditions Continues

2010-11-06T13:07:00.001-07:00

It feels really cool to have established family traditions.

One of our traditions since Radha has come along is the annual trip to the pumpkin patch. This is the third year we have visited Fir Point Farms in Aurora, Oregon.

Going to the pumpkin patch gives our family a couple of opportunities. It's about saying goodbye to Summer and saying hello to the Fall harvests, a preview of Halloween jack-o-laterns, and time to explore farmland and where some things are planted and grow.

This was the first year that Radha got to ride a pony, and boy was she excited!

Life Happens

2010-10-01T23:00:00.001-07:00

Greetings faithful blog readers!

Just a quick note to let you know that we have not abandoned this blog, and Radha is still actively growing, learning, laughing, and loving as much as documented already on this blog.

Day-to-day with a two-and-a-half year-old toddler is quite a ride. A VERY exhausting ride at times!

We are still in the process of uploading pictures from our Labor Day weekend adventures. That was only a month ago, but it feels like ages ago already. We've come to accept the fact that we are usually just too busy living life that we don't often have time to document, reflect, and share about Radha's development and happenings within the means of this blog.

There will be updates again. Thanks for your patience and interest in keeping tabs on the most amazing being in our lives.

P.S. If you're here mostly for some cute Radha pictures, I recommend you bookmark or add my Flickr stream to your favorite links.

Word Explosion

2010-04-28T13:10:00.000-07:00

Our household has encountered a verbal explosion of words and sentences lately.

Ro and I have been waiting for these moments for a while, for when we could carry an actual, real conversation with Radha. And now it's happening! It's so much fun to hear Radha put words together, and sometimes the results are pretty hilarious. We have no idea where she heard some of the things, or where she got the concepts from, and others are fairly obvious.

Here is a sampling of sentences and phrases that Radha has been repeating a lot lately:

Have a good day, Momma.

Radha Simone Wiley-Sood is eating strawberrries.

Mommy come too? Daddy come too?

Let's eat the chocolate (pronounced CHALK-OH-LOT) Momma.

This is the best book ever.

It happens.

Hop on the Dana! Hop on the Max! (reference to our neighbor's kids)

I like broccoli trees.

Baby Mook crying.

Daddy driving to work. *makes sound of car driving*

Ladybugs sleeping. (said during daycare when her class was exploring soil and looking at bugs and plants in the soil)

Go away Momma! Go away Daddy! (usually said in fun when she wants one of us to hide and play hide-and-seek with her)

You said it a long time ago.

You said it, boys and girls!

No problem! (said when pretending to talk on the phone with a real phone or her play "cell phone")

Of course, this list will only be growing, but we wanted to share a sampling of the word fun before we forget to document this fun stage.

Little Lady Meets Ladybug

2010-03-30T21:03:00.000-07:00

Radha was mesmerized by a ladybug we found on the beach recently while exploring Kelley Point Park in Portland.

All Work and No Play

2010-02-26T21:25:00.000-08:00

A rare dry and sunny day recently gave Radha an opportunity to help us with some yard work.

Nothing like a little dress-up for playtime after all that hard labor.

Happy Valentine's Day

2010-02-14T09:49:00.000-08:00

Radha sends her love to family friends across the globe.

xoxoxo

Treehugger

2010-02-06T13:06:00.000-08:00

A teaser of a sunny afternoon day in February. I can't remember if the groundhog saw his shadow or not, but at least on this particular afternoon it felt like spring is around the corner!

If We Took a Holiday

2010-01-15T12:48:00.001-08:00

(from Terri)

What a relaxing and mellow Christmas myself, Ro, and Radha had! Although I always miss seeing my family at this time of year it's nice to avoid the stress of holiday travel (and it will be much more enjoyable to visit the Midwest later in the year!).

We spent Christmas Eve and Christmas night at Ro's parents in Vancouver, and it was Radha's first milestone overnight at Babaji and Dadima's house. Radha also got some long overdue quality time with her aunts visiting from Seattle (Geeta) and Vancouver, BC (Vandana).

Nothing makes the holidays sweeter than a generous gift of delicious homemade cookies sent from my dear friend April, all the way from St. Paul, MN. (Thanks April!)

Christmas Eve morning at our house, checking out the new table & chair set from Grandma Sandy & Denny:

Super excited to have a reading & art table!

Still figuring out this whole wrapping paper thing:

Singing and drumming with Dadima later at their house:

Santa's Little Helper:

Decorating the tree with help from Babaji:

After all that decorating, time for shoulder rides on Dad:

Learning the in's and out's of the iPhone from Bhua Geeta and Bhua Vandana:

On a walk on the wonderfully sunny and dry Christmas Day:

Run, Radha, RUUUUNN!

Chilling out story time:

Yoga lessons from yoga teacher Vandana:

You learn fast, young grasshopper!

More pictures can be found here on our Flickr page. Hope your holidays were magical and filled with good food and love!

Bath Counting

2010-01-03T20:10:00.000-08:00

Radha continues to talk up a storm. She tries to repeat most things we say, and is often amusing herself with songs, naming family members, and anything else that crosses her mind. For some reason, after bath time is her favorite time to practice counting. Her counting song from school ends with the words "How many ducks did it take", followed by a count. Since this video was taken, she's almost made it up to 20!

Happy Holidays

2009-12-24T12:17:00.000-08:00

Radha wishes all her relatives, friends, schoolmates, and neighbors a very Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, and Happy Festivus (for the rest of us)!

Fun and Games

2009-12-12T12:29:00.000-08:00

(from Terri)

It's true what they say...having a kid makes you feel and behave like a kid again.

Lately Radha has been having lots of fun with active, physical games. "More Momma? More Dadda?" These are Radha's popular requests these days to play hide and seek. One of us will hide down the hallway, around a corner, and before we can barely catch our breath Radha has ran over to find and "tag" us with a hug. Ro and I will often take turns hiding, or one of us might make a stealth exit out of the game to do something around the house.

We've only seen Radha do this once, but a few weeks ago she was apparently inspired by the early 80s break dancers and put on this performance, which I've titled: Breakin' 2: Radha Boogaloo.

Yeah, this stuff is fun. And Radha's fun and laughter is totally contagious.

Second Halloween

2009-11-19T19:56:00.000-08:00

For Radha's second go round of Halloween, we ended up doing things more geared towards her compared to last year. She got all dressed up in her pumpkin outfit send by her Grandma Sandy, and we headed out. At first we went down Alberta looking for any Halloween action at the stores, but nothing was going on. On our way back home, Terri had a bolt of inspiration, and we went to Kennedy School. It was pure Halloween mayhem, and Radha loved it. Surprisingly she wasn't overwhelmed by the crowds, and even asked to go back for another round when we were thinking of leaving. Luckily this year, she wasn't too interested in the candy, and mainly looked at the offerings. After we got back home, we trick or treated at a few neighbors' houses, and called it a night by 6pm.

Little pumpkin taking a breather outside the Kennedy School.

Excellent instincts - she's suspicious of creepy clowns with candy.

We Have Lift Off

2009-11-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

(from Terri)

It's official...Radha started walking last month and has been enjoying her new sense of mobility and independence since. Granted, she is still walking with a bit of a drunken sailor swagger but she can move from Point A to Point B if she is determined enough.

We just had her year and a half check-up this week. She has grown an average of one inch a month in the past three months! No wonder the 18-month pants seem to be fitting like capri pants on her.

Radha was also very happy to be reunited with her Dadima last weekend too, as Dadima had finally returned from a several weeks long trip to India. In this video Radha has fun with a wooden flute that Dadima brought from India, and she has been having fun showing her teddy bears how to "play" it. We have recently started a music class and maybe she's getting some new ideas from class.

Fall Traditions and Pumpkins=Apples

2009-10-18T12:51:00.001-07:00

(from Terri)

Along with many other families, we ventured out to the country a few weekends ago to our favorite farm for their annual Fall Harvest and Pumpkin Patch festivities.

This is our second year visiting Fir Point Farms in Aurora, Oregon. It's barely a 20-minute drive from Portland and less crowded than some of the other farms we've visited in the past. We've decided that this is definitely one of our family's new traditions.

It was even more fun this year with Radha being more mobile, talkative and interactive. She is obsessed with kissing pumpkins (even cardboard versions of them at the grocery store, as discovered yesterday). One funny bit from our visit this time was some "fruit confusion" that Radha had between apples and pumpkins. She can certainly identify and say "apple" but when she saw all the pumpkins she kept calling them "apples". Pretty funny:

And remember this picture from October last year?

Radha was mostly still drinking momma's milk and barely eating baby rice cereal at the time. She looked up at her dad so longingly as he ate that delicious fresh apple donut!

Flash forward a year later and Radha finally gets to try the donut this time. Not surprisingly, she enjoyed every cinnamon-sugar-coated bite. (Hey, is that the same grey hoodie from last year that Ro is wearing?)

Pancakes

2009-10-03T12:01:00.000-07:00

The latest installment of our ongoing series, Radha In the High Chair. This episode: pancakes!

Heading Up Rocky Butte

2009-09-26T21:28:00.001-07:00

(from Terri)

It took a while but we finally put the hiking carrier to use again with a hike up Rocky Butte last weekend. The weather was just too great to pass up getting out in nature.

Our family shadows on the way up:

It was windy at the top, but the park has a nice lawn area:

Mount Hood was visible to the east:

Radha was happy to be out in nature:

Radha and I at the start of the hike. I was not used to carrying this much weight on my back, not to mention uphill, (Ro and I took turns) but it was a good workout!

Counting Song

2009-09-04T11:56:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Last week Ro and I noticed that Radha was singing a song that we didn't recognize over and over. The song has hand motions with it and a very dramatic "Ahhhhhh!" towards the end. She was singing this in the living room, during meals, and during bath time. It was driving us crazy that we didn't know the song and couldn't sing along with her!

We finally got her singing on video and then asked her daycare teachers about it. Turns out it's a counting song (of course!). Silly parents, we should've guessed that.

2009-08-24T13:52:00.000-07:00

A short video of Radha and her Babaji the other week at the park. Although not shown in this video, Radha has really taken to going down slides and stairs head first (with assistance, of course)!

Communication

2009-08-22T11:44:00.000-07:00

(from Ro)

Radha's latest development spurt has definitely been all about communication. She's starting to talk, and also her non-verbal communication is coming along nicely. She's always been pretty focused on mental things more than physical, often preferring books over toys. Here's a snapshot of where she's at:

Words: Mama, Dada, cat, cheese, Baba (for her Grandpa), bath, lots of attempts to repeat what we're saying

Signing: "More", "Eat", and gesturing along to songs like Ittsy Bittsy Spider and 5 Little Monkeys

Body Parts she knows: Head, hair, fingers, toes, arms, eyes, ears, mouth, nose

Singing: Twinkle twinkle, 5 Little Monkeys

Animals she recognizes: Duck, dog, cat, cow, pig, sheep, snake, frog, fish, monkey

There's plenty more I'm forgetting!

"Cheese!"

Summer Fun

2009-08-20T21:04:00.000-07:00

t's been quite the summer so far. We've been able to get out of the house much more than last year and enjoy all sorts of outdoor activities. Radha has been to The Enchanted Forest, the beach (Long Beach, WA), all sorts of parks, and the kiddie pool in our backyard. Here's a sampling of what we've been up to:

Staying cool in the kiddie pool during the heatwave.

Meeting Chippie the Chipmonk at the Enchanted Forest

Getting sand and salt water in the diaper at Long Beach

Zoo Tunes, Family-Style

2009-07-15T13:07:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Ro got us tickets to see Tears for Fears for my birthday (yes, the same band known for 80s hits such as "Shout" and "Everybody Wants to Rule the World", among others). I was super excited to not only get to see Tears for Fears on my actual birthday, but also to see a concert at the Oregon Zoo with the whole family.

Radha got to check out some of the zoo exhibits before the show, but not all of them as there was a long line we had to go through to even get to the concert lawn. We will definitely be visiting the zoo again soon.

Once we finally made it to the lawn we quickly grabbed one of the seemingly last pieces of lawn real estate and got Radha and ourselves fed during the opening act.

Radha enjoyed the crowd scene, and also provided some entertainment to us and the blanket "neighbors" as well. She had a blast dancing to the music, crawling onto other people's blankets (everyone around us was incredibly kind and commented how well behaved she was), and making herself fall down on purpose (total comedian!). She devoured her dinner (vegetable pasta, turkey, peas), a banana, some blanket neighbor's crackers and watermelon, and some of our baked beans. I think she was inspired by the Asian pig she saw earlier that afternoon. *oink oink*

Ro had picked up some earmuffs for Radha's hearing protection earlier in the week. Although she didn't keep these on the whole time, and the concert wasn't especially loud, I think it was a good idea. I suspect these will come in handy for more family concerts down the road!

The concert was great! Tears for Fears played nearly all of their hits (80s and beyond) and after all that rockin' out and huge dinner, Radha fell asleep in her dad's arms (notice the multi-tasking that Ro is doing here with his new iPhone).

Even despite the long wait for the shuttle bus after the show, it was pretty much a perfect birthday celebration with fun music, friends, and most importantly, family.

Skyrockets of Smiles

2009-07-07T15:39:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Guess what we did for the 4th of July? A whole lot of nothing but taking it easy, which was fine by me. Ro, Radha and I are taking it easy for the most part this summer.

July 4th weekend is the time of Portland's annual Waterfront Blues Festival, and while we didn't go to the fest, we did have a really nice morning walk on the 4th across the river where the festival takes place.

Radha kept cool in her cute summer 4th of July dress from Grandma Sandy (if you look closely enough, you can see little stars and cherries on her dress and inside the cherries are little flags!)

The Girl in the Mirror

2009-06-28T12:00:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

It's been a lot of fun seeing more of Radha's toddler personality come out these days! She just turned 14 months last week and the girl is actively on the move (much to Mookie's dismay). The other day she made me laugh so much by putting on this little "show" in front of the hallway closet mirror. As her Grandma Sandy says, "Our little ham!"

Feeding Goats

2009-06-19T19:48:00.000-07:00

Another one from the Niabi Zoo, with Radha helping Ro feed some hungry goats. It sounds like she was crying but it was more excitement over the goats than anything.

Choo-Choo Train

2009-06-19T19:40:00.000-07:00

A quick video from our QCs vacation of Radha jumping with joy on the zoo train.

First Visit to Momma's Hometown!

2009-06-08T21:23:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

We have finally caught up with our post-vacation chores and errands and ready to share about our recent trip!

We had an amazingly relaxing and enjoyable vacation back to my hometown area, the Quad Cities (Bettendorf, IA/Davenport, IA/Moline, IL/Rock Island, IL). I was thrilled to bring Radha to my hometown, show her some of the sights, sounds and tastes of the QCs, and have her spend some long overdue quality time with the Wiley side of the family.

It was our first plane trip with Radha, and the longest car ride yet (we flew to Chicago and picked up a rental car there). Ro and I were both a little anxious about the trip, but our mantra was, "Go with the flow." To our happy surprise, Radha was a very mellow and happy traveler, and charmed our fellow passengers. On the way there she didn't sleep much on the plane, but ended up napping the entire 3 hour drive to my dad's place!

Some of our trip highlights were:

The visit to Niabi Zoo in Coal Valley, IL:

This is the same zoo I went to as a kid. I was happy to see major improvements in the years since I've been there, but saddened to learn that the long-time matriarch elephant, "Kathy Sha-Boom" died a few years ago. Radha had a blast; it was her first experience at a zoo ever! She jumped with excitement during the train ride and especially seemed drawn to the giraffes (I wonder if she made the connection from her toy giraffe at home, or the painting of a giraffe on her wall that we show her every morning after she wakes up?)

Trip to Shady Lakes Campground in New Windsor, IL (about 30 minutes south of the QCs) where we took a dip in the pool and lounged on the patio of my brother-in-law's family's camper.

What do you mean the water's fine? Brrrrrrr!

Splashing in the pool with her Aunt Danelle at my brother-in-law's family's campground pool. Too bad it wasn't warmer out!

Walking around Black Hawk College (across the street from my dad's place). Radha is weighing her college options already. ;)

Walking on the Ben Butterworth Parkway that follows the Mississippi River. Radha saw the Mighty Miss for the first time, in addition to a huge gaggle of geese.

Barbecue with relatives at my cousin Jesse's house with great food (my Grandma had made an awesome rhubarb cobbler), great company and lots of animal entertainment. Jesse and his wife Helen have one dog, one puppy, and several cats. The dogs gave Radha lots of kisses.

Lots and lots of playtime with Grandpa Cody since we stayed at his place. She had grown a lot since he last saw her last summer!

Radha also got to meet one of her great-grandmothers, my Grandma King. Don't they look like they've known each other for years?

One afternoon was especially hot, so Radha cooled down on the patio in just her diaper, splashing with a bowl of water and some kitchen toys. The simplest things!

For the entire set of trip pictures, take a look at my Flickr set here (warning: there are a bunch of food and toy pictures that not be of interest to some of you!)

She's a big girl now!

2009-06-05T21:14:00.000-07:00

(from Ro)

We just got back from a week-long visit to Terri's hometown(s), the Quad Cities. We stayed with Radha's Grandpa Cody, and got to see lots of relatives and friends. I must admit I was a little apprehensive about the trip, since it would be our first real extended time away from home and routine. Radha would be sitting on our laps in a plane for 4 hours, in a car seat longer than she had ever been, sleeping in a different place etc.

Radha was able to deal with the changes in routine and schedule quite well. She slept when she needed to, and thrived on the new sights and people. And getting out of the same (admittedly pretty rigid) schedule made me realize that she's not an infant any more, but a bona-fide toddler! She's expressing joy, humor, frustration, and opinions in a way she never has before. What a character!

Blast Off to Summer

2009-05-25T21:57:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Ro, Radha, and I spent the Memorial Day weekend very leisurely before our big trip back to the Midwest (Quad Cities, Illinois-Iowa area). Thanks to some good (and very generous!) friends of ours, we finally had the time to try out a hiking carrier pack and go on our first family hike.

Since this was our first trial with the carrier, we decided to take things easy. We headed to Oaks Bottom Nature Preserve within town. Radha was intrigued as we started the hike, wondering when the spaceship would lift off. "Where's the warp speed on this thing, Dad?"

Away we went! The "tent" cover for her head was great sun protection, especially since Radha prefers playing peek-a-bool with hats rather than wearing them. Of course, living in Oregon this will also be a handy rain protector on rainy days.

Can you spot the rare species, Cutius Babius Evahius, among the trees?

Bittersweet Thoughts This Mother's Day

2009-05-12T16:18:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

It's official. My daughter is growing up much too quickly than I would like.

The past few weeks have included several milestones (including the three birthday celebrations for Radha turning the big 1.0...the small, private family affair, the joint birthday party with Radha's playgroup friends, and then a big party with friends and family), news that space opened up for Radha to attend a new daycare that we've been hoping for, a visit from her Bhua Vandana, her one year check-up (including a traumatic bloodraw for her and I both!) and the second Mother's Day (I honestly cannot remember last year's Mother's Day since I was still in a post-partum blur). Thanks to Ro, for Mother's Day I had a lovely weekend of lunch outing and shopping with a friend, gardening time with Radha and Ro playing on a picnic blanket nearby, and a tasty pesto pasta dinner that required no help from me.

(Btw, more pictures from Radha's birthday party here and pictures from her playgroup friends' joint birthday party here)

All these activities have been fun (well, minus the pediatrician check-up!) but lately I've been reflecting on more emotional milestones. Last weekend we gave her a bottle of just cow's milk as an experiment. I didn't expect her to drink it so eagerly (!). But she did. And then a wave of bittersweet emotions came over me along with a few silent tears. Just like that, the weaning process has begun. "Wait...she doesn't need me anymore??"

I know it's part of the natural weaning process, this is what is "supposed to happen" yada, yada, yada. I feel incredibly lucky that I reached (and exceeded) my goal to breast feed Radha for a year. It certainly hasn't been easy at times (Ro knows all too well about my many late evening frustrations with pumping) but I felt the benefits were with it to make it work. And while I haven't completely stopped breast feeding and pumping altogether, it's become much less a part of the day for Radha and myself both.

Now that my little girl is beginning to show some signs of independence (and so much more on the way, I know) I look back at the old pictures of her and I am blown away how fast the past year has gone by. Are they all going to go by so quickly?

Reflections on Radha's First Year

2009-04-17T20:06:00.000-07:00

(from Ro)

I can't believe our little one has been with us for a year! One of the first things I've discovered about being a parent is how time moves differently. Sometimes it seems like it has sped by, but other times the individual moments and the amount of changes we have been through make it seem like a lifetime. For Radha, it has been a lifetime! There have been lots of good times and some challenging times. The good thing is that Terri and I have learned a lot about being parents, and about ourselves in the process. No child or parent is the same, so all three of us are figuring out how we operate in our new family.

We've had so many great memories of the last year: all of our visitors, our trip to the coast, visiting the pumpkin patch, Halloween and Christmas. One big moment was the first night we put her in the crib to sleep on her own. It was one of the first of many bittersweet moments we're going to have as Radha starts gaining independence.

Of course, the biggest joy has been watching her change and develop into her own person. Another lesson I am still learning is letting her develop at her own pace, and not to worry too much about what books say or what other kids are doing. I'll post some stats after her one year appointment next week, but in the meantime, here's a rundown of some of her latest and greatest accomplishments:

- standing on her own while leaning on something

- rolling around the living room

- feeding herself finger foods and bottles

- saying "mama" and "dada", but not always to the right person

- patting herself on the stomach when we ask "Where's your tum-tum?"

- imitating us when we raise our hands above our head, or "dance"

- doing her "big girl laugh" like in the video posted earlier

- being generally hilarious at dinner time, so that Mom and Dad have to try and keep straight faces to try and get some food in her

Coming up next week - birthday posts!

Hop Hop Happy Easter

2009-04-12T07:31:00.001-07:00

This little bunny wishes you a Happy Easter!

Curry Lover

2009-03-18T14:51:00.001-07:00

(from Terri)

The other night Ro and I were having some Thai take-out leftovers for dinner. We gave Radha a piece of some tofu for the first time, and then somehow we ended up with this in our head.

(sung to the tune of "Easy Lover" by Phil Collins & Philip Bailey)

Curry lover
She’ll eat your tofu but you won’t see it
She’s like no other
Before you know she’ll be eating the green curry at Siam Thai
She’s a curry lover
She likes the yellow and maybe one day, the spicy red stuff
She’s like no other
It’s just something you gotta see…

She’s the kind of girl we dream of
Dream of eating lots of foods
You’d better forget it
You’ll never get it
She will take your food and grab it
Grab it and smash it
Between her little fingers
If it doesn’t go on the floor first…

No, don’t try to take it from her,
just leave it, leave it
Serve it up warm ‘cuz tastin’ is believin’
It’s the only way, she’ll really eat it…

A Swing Full of Rainbows

2009-03-12T17:24:00.001-07:00

rainbow full of swings
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

As the weather has been gradually warming up, Radha has been playing at the nearby park quite a bit. We can't wait until she is old enough to go down the slides own her own, but for now, she loves the swings.

A Southern Visitor

2009-02-25T12:46:00.001-08:00

(from Terri)
My mom left the warmth of her home in Louisiana for a visit to see us last month. Grandma Sandy hadn't seen Radha since June last year, so as you can imagine the changes she saw in Radha were quite drastic and exciting. More hair, more weight, more foods, more verbal, more mobile...what a change from Radha's first three months!

Despite all of us feeling under the weather at one point or another during Grandma Sandy's visit, we had a nice mellow time hanging out, with a few trips to the park and restaurants for dinner. Grandma Sandy graciously offered to babysit one night while Ro and I enjoyed a belated Valentine's Day dinner with just the two of us.

Here are some pictures from Grandma Sandy's visit:

My mom and I at the Portland Chinese Classical Gardens in Chinatown/Old Town. It was nice to have Chinese tea and cookies in the teahouse; very relaxing! I've been to the teahouse here multiple times but never get tired of it. The choices of tea are endless and the stress just melts away the minute I walk into the door from the tranquil atmosphere.

Both grandmothers and our family at Ro's parents' house:

I love Chinese food! Now where is my fortune cookie Grandma?

Radha and Grandma Sandy playing with Radha's nametag from Book Babies at the library. She and Grandma Sandy got into quite the game of "Stick the Sticker On My Nose."

I'm not going high enough yet Grandma!
'

Let Me Off This Guilt Train

2009-01-19T11:29:00.000-08:00

(from Terri)

Lately I've been thinking a lot about guilt and trying to stop the "guilt voices" from filling up my head.

Just for example, last month was Martin Luther King Jr. Day. It's supposed to be a day to honor Dr. King and his legacy, work to improve our community by having a "day on, not a day off." There were a ton of community service projects happening around town. I had the day off, and while I would've loved to have participated in a community service project, it's just not easy with a non-mobile infant who is still dependent on you for food and doesn't have a completely regular nap schedule. I looked into some projects but none either fit a long enough timeframe between nursing or napping. So I didn't end up volunteering and my "volunteering sabbatical" continues.

I've been very involved with volunteerism in the past, having both supervised volunteers and participated as a volunteer. I miss it a lot because it fulfilled me in a way that nothing else can, not even parenthood. I'm really looking forward to bringing Radha along with me on future volunteer projects, teaching her the meaning of volunteerism, and creating change for the community good. But the guilt voice inside my head still said, "If you really wanted to, you could've found a volunteer project and gotten involved!"

The lack of volunteering is just one example though. In the past few months I've recognized how the parental guilt is so pervasive. It seems like even the most simple of activities and issues (eating, clothing, playtime) end up creating some feelings of guilt. Books, blogs, magazines, and conversations with other parents are so helpful, but yet they're also a double-edged sword. It seems like so many topics of discussion turn into talk about consuming the "right" product or doing the "right" activity. From cloth diapering to non-plastic toys to vaccinations to organic homemade baby food to music/swim/baby yoga lessons...where does the "have/have not" or "do/do not" conversations end?? This book addresses some of the consumerism/guilt-based marketing to parents topics, but it doesn't really address enough of the relational and social guilt that happens between parent-to-other-parents, parenting groups, online parenting communities, and other parenting-related social networks.

Don't get me wrong; I like sharing and engaging with other parents. The social and emotional support is tremendously valuable. I can't, and wouldn't want to, raise Radha in a bubble. I guess I just need to figure out how to stop listening to the guilt voices and focus on raising this amazing girl the best way I know how and enjoy the moment. The world will forever need volunteers for some cause or another, but your child only grows up once.

Little Drummer Girl

2009-01-17T21:50:00.001-08:00

Little Drummer Girl
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

Happy New Year!

Although it's a couple weeks late, Radha wanted to ring in the New Year with a catchy beat. This drum and her little egg shaker instruments were definitely her favorite gifts from Santa. Both are sure to bring lots of fun and noise mayhem to our household for years to come.

Note the boogie dancing she does.

Next week Radha turns 9 months old. We've been hearing a lot from friends how "grown up" she's looking these days. It'll be interesting to get her stats from the doctor next week to see just how much she's grown.

Snow, Meet Radha

2008-12-23T20:39:00.000-08:00

(from Terri)

Well, almost everyone by now has heard about Portland's record-breaking and highly unusual winter storms (aka, Snowpocalypse 2008) that swept through our city, starting last week. People seem to have a love/hate relationship with the snow and it brings out the opportunity to gripe about the city's lack of snowplows, use of salt, blah blah blah. It's also a time when us non-native Oregonians bond over the days of our youth in Iowa/Minnesota/other bitterly-cold-winter-States and how we had it "so bad" during winters and how this storm is "nothing like the ones I grew up with", how Portlanders don't know how to drive in the snow, blah blah blah...

I'm kind of tired of talking about the weather and more tired of having it hamper a lot of plans (holiday, family, social, work, doctor's appointments, etc.). It's been fun snow, and while it's cool that Radha got to meet you at our house (without having to drive up to Mt. Hood), I think we need a break from each other for a while. Nothing personal?

But I'm not too tired of taking pictures to remember you fondly:

To the above left is our hilly street, looking northbound. Now snow-covered, it's popular with bicyclists (yes, still biking in the snow, gotta love Portland), skiiers, a dog sledder (Ro spotted, yes, actually pulled by dogs), and kids and parents sledding. Today I even saw a couple of hardcore joggers in the snow! For obvious reasons, our street is NOT popular with buses and cars going northbound, and sometimes even southbound. When this weather hits, we typically have free entertainment and start counting the number of minor accidents and stalled cars in front of the house.

Kids like to eat snow, right? We gave Radha a tiny bit, just to see what her reaction would be. Clearly, she's not impressed. We may have to cross off future Winter Olympic Skiier off her list.

During one of the less windy days we all ventured down to the library and store (where onions were sold out of, oddly enough). Interaction with the outside world was a pleasant change for us; we were all going a bit stir-crazy being homebound.

Radha gets a close-up look at this fluffy white stuff a week ago during the first snowfall day.

Snowfall at night outside our house.

Xmas Jedi

2008-12-21T11:02:00.001-08:00

DSCF4230
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

(from Ro) The weather outside has been frightful over this last week. We've been inside most of the time, trying to find new ways to entertain ourselves and Radha. We noticed her looking at our tree topper, so I decided to put my puppetry skills into action. I think Radha has a new best friend.

Baby Mayhem

2008-12-11T19:39:00.000-08:00

(from Terri)

I finally hosted my playgroup of moms and babies last week. It was the first time I had hosted this particular group; the first time we had planned to do this, Radha got sick.

We had 8 babies and moms altogether in our living room. As you can imagine it's difficult to get all babies in one picture, so not everyone was captured here!

When we tried to put everyone on the couch for a group shot, all hell broke loose! This seems to be the case with the group baby pictures. The crying seems to always be contagious. Radha tried to take her friend Molly's toy, various babies pulling hair, trying to eat body parts of other babies, etc. Pure mayhem!

Should I feel bad that I was laughing at bit at the chaos? (I wasn't the only mom laughing, by the way!) And boy, did we need to do a thorough cleaning of Radha's toys after this playgroup.

Give Peas a Chance

2008-12-06T23:23:00.001-08:00

crazy for peas
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

(from Terri)

Yep, it's another baby food-related video. AGAIN! We just can't help ourselves.

The introduction of all kinds of foods and flavors have not only opened up Radha's flavor palatte but a whole new way of communicating. It's utterly fascinating. And FUN for us and her. When she's not happy with a food, she lets us know it. And when she's thrilled with a food, she also lets us know it, with leaning forward, grabbing of the spoon and bowl, attempted lurches forward in her high chair, and lots of "Mmmm, Mmmm" and various squeals and weird noises of delight.

The video speaks for itself regarding Radha's thoughts on pureed peas.

Sneak Peak

2008-11-28T17:15:00.000-08:00

(from Ro) I came across this video the other day on Carrie Brownstein's NPR blog, and after laughing, I thought to myself ... "Is this a glimpse into my future?"

Carrot Gobbler

2008-11-17T13:58:00.001-08:00

carrot gobbler
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

I know we've already posted some pictures of Radha eating baby dood already, but we just had to share this video. Check out how she lunges towards the spoon! (She had quite the opposite reaction to green beans, by the way.) We haven't finalized her Thanksgiving menu yet.

Party Time, Excellent!

2008-11-09T14:18:00.000-08:00

(from Terri)

Sorry we're a bit late with this post, but we promised Radha's fans that we would post some pictures from Radha's first Halloween. Thanks to my mom, Radha got to wear a cool kitty-cat costume for her first Halloween.

Before our party I took her to work to show off her costume (here she's thinking, "Check me out, I'm the kool kat!")

The only glitch was that we were invited to a party with an "Under the Sea" theme. No problem; we just told everyone that she was a CATfish instead. :) I went as seaweed (using an old green graduation robe) and Ro went as Steve Zissou from the movie The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou.

The same weekend Radha got to celebrate her first Diwali, which is a Hindu holiday and festival of lights. We took the opportunity to dress her up very girly in a fancy silver dress, which we had received from family friends at our baby shower. Here she is with her Babaji:

Of course, last Tuesday was Election Night and we had a election party to attend. Talk about excitement! We managed to squeeze Radha into her "Obama Baby" onesie for probably the last time. It must have brought Obama some good luck considering the results, which we were all thrilled about.

With three parties within a week, Radha was quite the party animal! Going to all these parties was a good learning experience for all of us (ex: how long it takes to get out of the house, mingling, eating, and drinking while holding a squirmy baby, first guests to arrive and first to leave, etc.). But all were fun and Radha got to meet some of her internet admirers and new faces, all which hopefully will make her a pretty socialable kid over time.

Things Just Got a Whole Lot Messier

2008-10-25T22:49:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Earlier this month

we decided it was time to give Radha something totally new: solid food. Well, not actually solid, more like slightly thicker liquid food, but something other than mom's milk.

Can you imagine eating nothing but the same thing for six months, and then, BAM, a whole new flavor profile and explosion in your mouth? No wonder the reactions are really weird. Here's what we've tried thus far.

First food: organic brown rice cereal

Second food: pureed pears

Third food: pureed sweet potatoes

Radha was pretty weirded out by the rice cereal since it was a whole new thing but she wasn't exactly thrilled. We thought maybe it was too warm, or too cold, and wondered why she didn't take to it immediately. After hearing some experiences of other moms at the moms group, I realized it's pretty bland on it's own and why not just move onto something different, although we plan to try it again because it's got some important vitamins in it that she needs.

Radha liked the pears much better, but seemed to give us mixed signals. She occasionally would lick the spoon fine, but then turn her head, yet stick out her tongue as if she wanted more. What did it mean? A few more servings of pear and then we were done with that and time to move on. Sweet potatoes? Instant hit!

Radha was learning forward, lurching towards the spoon, mouth open, and grabbing for the spoon. Who knows what makes babies like one thing more than another, but I predict much more sweet potato in our future (luckily we eat them pretty often anyways). Next on her menu will be avocado and banana, two of my personal favorites.

Our other big realization from the foray into solid foods? We should probably get some of those rubber bibs that wipe off easily!

The Graduate

2008-10-25T17:27:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Last week Radha turned a whopping six months. Ro and I sang "Happy Birthday" to her twice that day, but otherwise kept the celebration mellow. (We're saving up for the big 1.0 next year!). For those keeping an eye on the stats, here is an update from Radha's six month check-up:

Weight: 16 pounds (50th percentile)

Height: 27 inches (90th percentile)

Head circumfrence: 43.9 centimeters (85th percentile)

She's more than doubled her weight since she was born, making our arms all the more stronger these days. Basically Radha is healthy and doing well. Some of the things she's been up to lately:

Obsessively following Mookie with her eyes and getting very animated when Mookie comes by or makes a move; we are trying to gradually teach Radha how to softly and gently pet Mookie. Mookie seems to have taken on the "big sister" role well as she'll often sit right by us when I'm nursing Radha, or sit nearby when Radha and I are playing.
Grabbing anything and everything in site; liquids are bound to be spilled around her and if you have long hair, I'm sorry if my daughter might make you bald sooner than expected.
Sitting up on her own. Well, for a few seconds and then she starts to lean. Very close now.
Various attempts at crawling, but mostly uncoordinated butt-in-air, legs-and-knees-move, and flailing arm movements, but not at the same time. She gets frustrated and prefers being upright for now.
Eating her toes. She doesn't care if they're clean or have schmutz in them, and sometimes she doesn't mind a leather flavor if she's wearing shoes.
"Graduating" from our moms group at the hospital (here's her serious graduate pose):

Since the support group is geared for new moms and babies, you get to "graduate" after six months. On the last day it definitely felt strange to be considered a "veteran" mom at this stage and asked to share my words of wisdom with others. I hardly felt qualified to offer any advice...I'm figuring this stuff out like everyone else. I just happen to be a few months further into it!

Lil Pumpkin

2008-10-12T11:45:00.000-07:00

(from Ro) Yesterday, we (along with many other parents, I'm sure) took Radha to the pumpkin patch. We went to Fir Point Farms outside of Canby. They had pony rides, a petting zoo, food, and of course a pumpkin patch. The weather was amazing! We also took the opportunity to put Radha in an obnoxiously cute outfit, and got lots of comments when we were there.

Test driving the pumpkin hat on Friday

Finding the perfect pumpkin

Radha and Mom (R's outfit says BOO!!)

Luckily it wasn't too muddy or wet for Radha to sit. She's almost sitting on her own these days!

Saying hi to a goat.

Dad sampling a fresh made apple cider donut. It was good. Radha looks on in envy. Next year, she'll be able to have one!

Exersaucing

2008-09-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

Now that Radha has her head control she's been able to spend a lot of playtime in her "exersaucer".

We were fortunate enough to get this item gently used from one of Ro's co-workers. It's been especially nice to have a structure that supports her while she plays because she outgrew her bouncer chair last month. (The amount of clothes she has outgrown already is pretty staggering!)

Can you see the drool coming from her mouth in that picture? Clearly, she's working really hard at spinning those colored cylinders...it takes a lot of focus and attention! She likes the cylinders (which each make a different sound when spun) and the sun rattle the best.

Super Girl Attempts to Fly

2008-09-17T15:28:00.001-07:00

squealing SuperGirl attempts to fly
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

(from Terri)
Here's a quick video of the Super Girl from our day at the park last week, before Ro went back to work.

It was such a nice day with nothing but blue skies, I think Radha wanted to fly up into the sky, and boy was she excited about it! I love her squeals of delight.

Transition

2008-09-12T11:48:00.000-07:00

(from Ro) Well, it's been almost 12 weeks since I took my leave of absence, so it's time to get back to work. That also means that Radha is going to start child care next week. Luckily, with Terri's schedule and some help from my Mom, she will be going for only two days a week. Still, it's definitely going to be a tough transition for all of us. I'm going to miss my morning walks with Radha, and all of the unstructured time we've had together. But on the other hand, now she's almost 5 months old, and I feel really good about where she's at developmentally. Since I can't stay home until she's ready for preschool, now's a good a time as any to start her in child care. We went to our child care facility yesterday, and had a nice time visiting with the director and Radha's "teacher". And, we got to see one of Radha's friends (son of good friends of Terri and I), who will be in the same room as her.

This week, we also went to a slightly delayed 4 month check up. She's doing great, and handled the vaccinations as well as can be expected. For you statisticians out there, she's now 15lbs and 2 oz, and 26 inches tall. She's ready for the next car seat already!

Happy Labor Day

2008-09-01T16:13:00.000-07:00

In honor of Labor Day here are a few recent pictures of Radha hard at work playing.

Inaugural Overnight

2008-08-27T22:07:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Considering Ro returns to work in a few weeks and Fall is soon upon us, we decided we had to get out to the coast at least once this summer, so we did. We splurged for a motel room with an ocean view on the beach and decided that whatever happened with Radha, we would give it a try.

We were so glad we went. Radha apparently was glad too for the change of pace. Even though we were without her bouncer chair and the yoga ball (things that we use as part of daily routines), she was happy as a clam and we had our first overnight away from home.

The ocean air, miles of beach, seagulls, and SUN! Our coastal trips are notorious for bad weather, but this one made up for past cold and wet trips. Radha got to feel sand on her feet for the first time and dip her toes in a pool at the motel.

I think the fact that Radha behaved wonderfully on the trip just made it so more relaxing for all of us. More difficult times are ahead I'm sure, but at least we had good weather and good demeanors for this mini-vacation before things change again.

Hamming It Up

2008-08-20T14:08:00.001-07:00

babble laugh
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

Here's another video of Radha doing her laugh and babble thing. We're not sure if she was laughing at the camera or at us.

We could put this video on a loop all day and never get tired of hearing her laugh, even though there are many more fun moments to come.

5 + 10 = 1

2008-08-13T14:39:00.001-07:00

(from Terri)

It's hard to believe that Ro and I have been married for five years now and altogether as a couple for ten. When we first met we had no idea our meeting would turn into anything serious, let alone marriage and this incredible baby down the road.

Lately Radha has just been hanging out enjoying the dry (and very hot lately!) Portland summer. We've been exploring our backyard (where the above picture was taken), local parks (picture below), and downtown.

I realize this may not sound like a big deal to some, but when you have a baby every outing requires a bit of planning and preparedness. When we arrive to a fun destination without a diaper blow-out or crying meltdown in one piece, it becomes a big accomplishment.

We're so glad she's our little girl

2008-08-10T20:47:00.001-07:00

We're so glad she's our little girl
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

Ro had our stereo receiver fixed last week so we put on some vinyl Beatles the other day to try it out again. Radha thought it sounded great and agreed it had a better dance beat than Raffi.

Self Soothing

2008-08-09T09:05:00.000-07:00

(from Ro) Now that Radha has passed the three month mark, she's showing more signs of independence. She's not objecting to the crib as much for daytime naps, which hopefully means our crib training for nighttime won't be too hard. She's been able to stay on her own for two hours in the crib, even when she's not fully asleep the entire time. One of the big reasons for this is that she's discovered her thumb! It's amazing what a difference it has made in her fussing and sleeping habits. Sometimes we have to even remind her that there's no milk in her thumb during feeding times! And interestingly, she keeps going for the left thumb, so we may have a southpaw on our hands. Her classic soothing position when she's lying on her back is to roll on to her left side, insert thumb into mouth, and put her right hand on her head. Though as the picture shows, having a toy in the other hand works too!

Congratulations Rishi and Sonia!

2008-08-02T14:03:00.000-07:00

(from Ro) My cousin Rishi from Toronto was married today to Sonia. Unfortunately we couldn't be there since we're not quite ready for plane travel with a little one yet. Rishi is only 11 months younger than me, so we've been like brothers from a young age. In Indian culture, your Dad's brother is your Chacha, and his wife is called Chachi. So welcome to the family Sonia Chachi!

PS - These pictures were from a photoshoot we did to try and capture Radha on our infamous basement couch. There are pictures of me at that age on the exact same couch. we always said we would try and re-create my baby picture on the same couch 30 some years later, and then finally get rid of it!

Three month progress report

2008-08-01T16:15:00.000-07:00

(from Ro) Terri has been doing most of the updates lately, I guess it's time for a report from Dad! After a month of so of my work leave, I've been able to spend lots of time with Radha while Terri works. Of course, I'm an objective source when I say she's an amazing kid! In the last few weeks, she's become very aware of the world, and is "talking" pretty constantly. As the last update shows, she's a big smiler, especially when I'm twirling her around. Her head control is almost all of the way there, which allows her to lift up during tummy time (see the picture), and she can mostly keep her head still when we prop her up in the sitting position. Just three days ago, I started playing the airplane game with her, when I hold her up in mid air above me supporting her under her arms. She loves that one, but it's a dangerous game for Dad cause the drool starts flying!

I also had to put this next picture up since it shows Radha's first time wearing shoes. Robeez are my only brand name addiction for her. Those dinosaurs are just too awesome!

Things are going well with my tasks for the break. We've picked a child care provider for the two days a week that Terri will be working, and my Mom will be helping out on Mondays. And, our big house project for the summer was finished this week. Thanks to the City of Portland, we (by we I mean our hired contractors) had to replace our sewer line, even though the old one was fine. At least it's done! Landscaping will have to wait until next year ...

Pure Joy

2008-07-25T22:10:00.000-07:00

Can it get any better than this?

It is so worth it.

Bath Time

2008-07-20T22:29:00.001-07:00

after a bath
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

For a while we were starting to think that this little girl preferred a little dirt and grime on her.

She just wasn't a fan of baths. Lately though, she seems to be enjoying them more and even grinning a bit. Maybe it helped that we started singing "Rubber Ducky" to her and she started to realize she could play with her rubber duck (one animal toy yet to be named; Ducky is too easy although the Pretty In Pink reference is fun).

We present her here, just out of the bath in her koala bath robe/towel. If computers had a scratch and sniff feature, you would smell one super clean baby right now!

When Home and Work Merge

2008-07-16T16:27:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

July has been a pretty busy month and we just haven't had the time to update the blog as we know some folks would like us to, but here's a brief update.

I started back to work this month part-time from home. It's been an interesting adjustment, learning to tune things out and missing the hum of my previous office space. I'm glad I invested in some quality headphones last year! It's been two weeks now and I feel like the three of us have adjusted pretty well to the routine. Radha is perfectly content to get nothing but dad time in the morning and has no problem taking a bottle while I pump (I think someone should make one of those construction signs that says, "Caution: Women at Work Pumping". I mean, there's got to be something like that out there already, right?).

Radha is doing great. More of her hair is coming in, she continues to gain weight (you should see her thighs, some definition happening there!), and she is smiling, cooing, and gurgling more often as she has "conversations" with us. Early morning and evening walks are helping us all cool down on the hot days and hanging out in her diaper as needed.

Aside from getting back into the work groove, we've been busy researching infant day care centers (pre-pregnancy I had no idea how much fewer options there are for kids under 2 years old), dealing with some house contracting work, and continuing to show off our beautiful girl to friends who haven't met her yet. I think we've had social obligations every Saturday and Saturday this month it seems, but all for good reason.

Our good friend Jen visited a few weeks ago during one of the monster heat spells and presented us with a really cool gift, which is now my latest favorite outfit of Radha's: a sock monkey onesie, seen here. It's not just any plain ol' sock monkeys, but sock monkeys scuba diving, swimming, and looking for underwater buried treasure. It will go well nicely with the sock monkey bib we got from one of my co-workers.

Radha Speaks

2008-07-07T22:08:00.001-07:00

Radha Speaks
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

Here is a little taste of what Radha has been doing the past few days.

Radha's First Visit to the Coast

2008-07-05T18:12:00.001-07:00

Radha's First Visit to the Coast
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

A quick video of Radha and her dad at the coast in Oceanside.

Cruisin' to the Coast

2008-07-05T17:42:00.001-07:00

As folks who live in Portland know, it was dang hot last weekend. Although our basement is a few degrees cooler than upstairs, it was still a pretty miserable weekend. Just holding Radha just made her sweaty and sticky.

We decided to trade in the heat for some cool ocean air and head to the coast. This was the first road trip with Radha and we had no idea how things would go. We figured, if anything, we would be out of the hot and stuffy house and in an air-conditioned car. We also figured I would nurse Radha before we left, and if we needed to stop on the side of the road for another feeding or fuss, we would just wing it.

I think we lucked out as Radha napped on both legs of the trip. We had packed up a blanket and assorted baby gear, thinking we would possibly lounge on the beach. As a typical coast trip goes, it was mostly cloudy at the coast and quite a bit cooler. Still, it beat being home! Radha seemed to like the ocean air as it made her more sleepy. We decided it was still a bit cool for lounging so we just walked for a long time while I picked up my usual assortment of shells and cool rocks.

The most challenging part of the trip was diaper changing. We discovered that with a full trunk and slanting seats of a sedan, it's not so easy to have a mobile changing station (unlike a family-friendly wagon or hatchback with raised trunk). Despite this, we managed the change without incident, phew! I can't wait until Radha gets older and we can make sandcastles with her.

Farmer's Market

2008-06-29T20:07:00.000-07:00

We took Radha to the Hollywood Farmer's Market yesterday, on the hottest day so far this year. We were glad we made the effort, since it was probably the best time to see so many things at the market at their peak of freshness. We filled the fridge with strawberries, cherries, zucchini, kale, and lettuce. Later in the day, Terri and I took advantage of Grandma coming to babysit again, and went out to Toro Bravo. So, we got to enjoy local produce in two very different ways in the same day!

Friends, Human and Inanimate

2008-06-28T14:10:00.000-07:00

(from Terri)

Now that we're feeling a bit more comfortable getting out and about with Radha, we've been getting together with friends more these days. We've been especially eager to meet up with other parents and hoping to build a circle of potential playmates for Radha, as well as develop her social skills.

My friend Robin and her lovely daughter Claire stopped by one afternoon this week. Robin was so nice to bring gifts, including a cool wooden rattle and a summer dress outfit for Radha but also all the fixings for huevos rancheros for Ro and I. How awesome is that? (She had no idea that huevos is one of Ro's favorite breakfast dishes). We already made an dinner out of them one night and it was heavenly.

Claire is a little older than a year, so while she's in a totally different developmental stage than Radha obviously, it was fun for Radha to "share" some of her toys with Claire. We got this barnyard toy from Ro's co-workers. We hadn't really pulled it out until this last week, but boy does it have a bunch of bells and whistles! Radha loves the noises the animals make and it also plays a few songs when you spin the wheel on top. I think Radha was a bit confused and wondering who this other cute girl was in the house though!

Speaking of friends, Radha and I went to our second "new moms group" on Friday, which includes a wide range of babies from a few weeks up to six months. One little girl "graduated" from the group this Friday. It's pretty crazy being in a big room full of moms and babies...I think there may have been around 15 or so moms and babies this week! the connecting and relating with other moms with little ones around the same age is really comforting and reaffirming, plus it's cool to be in a space where you can not be phased by your child fussing, crying or feel awkward about nursing or changing diapers in front of strangers. Some moms have organized some playgroups and we're looking forward to participating in those in the next little while, including meeting up with my friend Liz and her adorable daughter Fiona (who was born just a few days before Radha.)

Droolie Bubbles

2008-06-26T11:36:00.001-07:00

Droolie Bubbles
Originally uploaded by MookieLuv

The bibs we've received as gifts are finally coming in handy these days. Radha's latest thing seems to be making lots of drool and bubbles while she attempts to make some verbal babble of sorts.

Family Introductions (Part 2)

2008-06-25T13:00:00.000-07:00

The same time that Uncle Avinash and family were visiting, we also had the pleasure of hosting my mom from Lousiana for a few days. It was her first visit to Portland since Ro and I got married in 2003, not to mention her first time seeing our house, meeting Mookie, and of course, the main event...meeting the first grandchild!

Being June and Rose Festival time in Portland, Radha, one of the things I

did with my mom was to take her and Radha to the International Rose Test Gardens to see the hundreds of varieties of roses in bloom. Although I admit roses are not my favorite flower, I love seeing the rows and rows of colors and fragrances. Going there every few years never gets boring, nor does seeing the gorgeous views of Mt. Hood on a clear day. That day also was one of the longest outings for Radha yet because after the gardens we had lunch at Kennedy School and groceries and my first time breastfeeding out and about (which went pretty well except for a coughing fit while I was eating my lunch at the same time!).

Although time with the grandbaby was certainly the priority, it was nice to also get some non-baby mother-daughter time (thanks to Ro) as my mom and I weeded the back yard (picking up where my sister left off) and went and got my hair cut. Mom even bought my stylist a bagel at the coffee shop next door...just because she's nice like that. Mom helped a lot with stuff around the house while Radha and I went to my first "new moms group" which was a very positive, affirming and grounding experience for me. After hearing some of the challenges that other mothers are going through, I feel incredibly lucky.

Grandma Sandy and Radha had a nice time getting to know each other. We only wish she lived closer. :( These family visits are as much of a treat for us as they are for the relatives. It gives our arms a break from holding her and we also get more adult conversation time as well!

As much attention as Radha has received over her first two months we suspect this girl won't be as shy as she gets older.

More Family Introductions (Part 1)

2008-06-24T09:30:00.000-07:00

It's been a whirlwind of activity at our house the past week. Ro's uncle Avinash from Columbia, Maryland, and his children, came to visit the Vancouver-Portland area for the first time in a few years. My mom, who recently moved to outside New Orleans, also visited (see next blog post).

Everyone enjoyed meeting Radha for the first time and got to see her in all her range of moods, from wide-eyed interactive and babbling to fussing and kicking her legs like she was running a marathon. Nina and Alekh, Ro's cousins, were very happy to hold her and talk to her and didn't seem overwhelmed by a crying baby at all...we were impressed! (I think Alekh was trying to get Radha to smile in the third picture above).

Everyone seems to love Radha's strawberry outfit, as seen here. I'm sad to report that the little miss has just about outgrown this newborn outfit; however, I know that both grandmas are excited to have Radha grow big enough to fit into some of her new summer dresses.

I Break For Hands

2008-06-15T21:26:00.000-07:00

And here we present Radha during some Tummy Time on Father's Day.

It's a lot of work doing the Tummy Time...quite a bit of energy is used up. Because of this, Radha made sure to take a break from her exercises for some hand licking. And then the routine fuss started so we conveniently stopped the camera to spare our blog readers. :P

The Boxer

2008-06-15T21:17:00.000-07:00

Testing our first video post! Just a quick video of Radha "boxing" away in her bouncer chair. We think she prefers the toy lion on the bar more than the elephants.

Milestones

2008-06-15T14:31:00.000-07:00

Each day brings us more and more surprises. This week Radha produced big ol' social smiles for her mom, dad, and Grandma Sood, all within a few days of each other.

It's hard to convey the pure joy that a parent feels when you see your child truly smile at you for the first time (not the smile of "I'm making a big ol' poopy in the diaper you just put on me"). For those of you reading this that are already parents, I know you get what that feeling is about!

Although very difficult to capture, we did manage a shot of Radha giving a smile to her dad while doing some Tummy Time yesterday.

Also, for Father's Day Radha gave her dad a crying-free bath and slept on his lap for the ENTIRE Turkey vs Czech Republic soccer game. The best Father's Day gift ever!

Natur(escape)

2008-06-15T14:15:00.000-07:00

We're at least a week behind in updates but feel we have a valid excuse for the lack of timely blog posts!

We couldn't let last weekend past by without getting outside while it was sunny, dry, and in the mid-70s. After some discussion about local options we decided to head over to Sauvie Island for a bit of nature and fresh air. What a day it was, with amazing views of Mt. Hood, Mt. St. Helens and all kinds of beautiful flora and fauna.

It was our first chance to use the sun hat one of our friends got Radha, even though it's a bit on the big side, but boy it was needed that day! Maybe our next visit to Sauvie Island with Radha she'll be able to walk on the nature trail at the wildlife refuge on her own or pick some berries at one of the produce farms. We definitely forsee some pumpkin patch visits down the road...

Saturday Photo Essay...or Write-Your-Own-Caption

2008-06-07T20:34:00.000-07:00

Visit to Work

2008-06-06T08:29:00.000-07:00

Last week Radha and I took advantage of the nice weather and walked up to Alberta Street and visited my work offices.

It was the first chance to show off our little girl to my co-workers. Here is a picture snapped by one of my former office mates, Dawn. Radha had just woken up from her nap during the walk.

Naturally, everyone commented on how cute and small Radha is, as well as discussing which parent she looks more like. :) It was nice to visit with folks and not be complaining about my heartburn for once!

In one corner, weighing in at...

2008-06-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

Hard to believe Radha had a (light) weight issue when we left the hospital last month. We took her into the pediatrician yesterday to get an official weight.

As you can see, she was not too pleased with getting stripped down for this weigh-in. But we were pleased to see how healthy and big she has grown, now at 10 lbs 2 oz. Nearly a two pound gain since her last appointment a month ago!

TGIF

2008-05-30T07:51:00.000-07:00

Fridays don't mean a whole lot to Radha right now since she doesn't work...unless you count "working" herself into a fuss. Radha's weekend is off to a fresh start as we gave her another overdue bath last night.

She almost seemed to like it at first, a big improvement over her last bathing experience. But, eventually when her hair had to get washed, she broke down and cried quite a bit. The rewards are worth it though and she forgave us after a while.

Radha is still a bit modest for bath pictures, so in lieu of that we offer these other photos. Happy Friday!

Grandpa Cody's Visit

2008-05-27T12:50:00.000-07:00

We said goodbye to Grandpa Cody this morning after a nice long visit. Grandpa Cody drove all the way from Illinois out to visit us because he hates flying and loves road trips in his Prius.

We had a relaxing visit mostly hanging around the house, but we managed a walk on the Eastbank Esplanade, a walk up to Alberta Park and around the neighborhood, and watched the documentary King Corn (highly recommended!).

On my dad's last night in town Grandma Sood was nice enough to come over to keep him company and help babysit, giving Ro and I our first baby-free dinner outing (thanks Grandma Sood!)

Let's Get Physical

2008-05-27T10:23:00.000-07:00

Radha has shown some pretty impressive moves the past two weeks.

She has gained quite a bit of head control, both starting to lift her head up on her own (less "floppy head syndrome") and moving her head nearly 180 degrees from left to right. She's also stretching out her legs straight more often and reaching her arms out for objects more too. She likes to try to grab the rings in her bouncy chair (with a little help from her mom sometimes).

Grandpa Cody, Terri's dad, visited this past week and helped with Radha's "exercises." It gave tummy time coaches a break and allowed Grandpa Cody to spend time with his granddaughter.

cupcakes & community

2008-05-21T21:17:00.000-07:00

Although Radha isn't walking or crawling yet, we can already picture her playing on the cool new playground at our local park.

Sunday we walked just a few blocks over to the Sabin HydroPark and Community Gardens re-opening event. The City has spent the past year or so revamping the park, which has

mostly been known for its two giant water towers and a hangout for teenagers at night. The Portland Water Bureau worked together with the Parks & Recreation Department, as well as our neighborhood association (Sabin) and committed neighbors to clean up the park and really make it attractive and usable again. The park now has a cool new play structure, new swings, new picnic benches, fresh mulch, more accessible, and more and improved community garden plots.

One

of the City

commissioners was there to give kudos to City employees and kick off the re-opening. But, let's

be honest. We also went because of the promise of a "community cupcake potluck."

Who doesn't

like cupcakes? Granted, having a barely month-old-baby doesn't give us much time to bake so we brought some tasty but store bought mini-

cupcakes. They weren't as pretty as some of the big homemade ones that other neighbors brought, but oh well, they were still tasty!

Radha didn't get to enjoy the cupcakes but she did enjoy some shade with her dad on the very hot 95+ degree day.

Family Ties

2008-05-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

Radha had another milestone family visit last week, as my sister from Iowa flew out to stay with us for a couple days.

Apparently Danelle brought the Midwest heat with her, as us Portlanders experienced a very odd May warm spell of temps in the mid-90s during her visit. Before the heat was unbearable though, Danelle was a huge help to us around the house. She volunteered to mow the front and back yard and pulled up an incredible amount of weeds from the back (6+ yard debris

bags full now going out tomorrow!). Inside the house she had a blast getting to know her niece, learning about the joys of "tummy time", playing with Radha in her bouncer chair, and also experiencing the not-as-fun things like dirty diapers and long crying spells while giving me some down time.

Ro, Danelle, and I also experienced another milestone...our first dinner

outing with Radha! The timing worked out one night to head down the street to the nearest sushi restaurant and Radha slept the whole way through dinner. I managed to make dinner another

night (trying to get back into normal cooking routine) and another night we ventured out to our favorite Chinese restaurant, Wong's King. Radha was less excited about that outing, but we managed to enjoy most of our dinner before Radha and I excused ourselves to the lobby while she wailed up a storm. Wong's is a big place and very family-friendly luckily, but we still felt a little self-conscious as the volume of her crying intensified ("People are staring at us!" "Should we leave or wait it out?") I'm sure all parents get used to this eventually, but we're still figuring these things out.

Friday I took Danelle to the airport, which was the first solo trip with Radha and I in my car. It was a smooth, relatively quick outing, but sad as none of us wanted to say goodbye to Aunt Danelle. :( We look forward to visiting her in Iowa in the near future, going on boat rides on the Mississippi River, and showing Radha some of her Midwest roots. Until then, Radha has many places and things to experience in Oregon and some more growing up to do. :)

Baby as accessory

2008-05-18T11:22:00.000-07:00

Generally, I don't want to fall in the trap of making my child a political/lifestyle accessory, but sometimes it's too hard to resist. She just looks so cute in this outfit (thanks, Geeta bhua). Of course, dressing her like this probably means that her teenage rebellion will be joining the Young Republicans!! We would like to go to the Obama rally today, but Radha is still a little too small to be spending too much time in the hot sun away from home. Instead, we are going to the opening of a new playground in the neighborhood. The city converted what was basically a water tower for the neighborhood into a really nice playground/community garden. I hope Radha will be getting plenty of time at the playground down the road.

First Mother's Day

2008-05-12T09:23:00.000-07:00

Today Ro goes back to work after three weeks off. None of us are very excited about this, but it was inevitable. Mookie expressed her feelings on the subject by throwing up on the rug in our bedroom, in not one spot, but two. Just for good measure.

I'm already breaking new records on my quickest shower as we juggle watching Radha while getting back into our normal weekday routines. As she gets older and we get more confident with knowing her cries, movements, and expressions I know this will get easier, but in the meantime it's a delicate juggling act.

Yesterday was Mother's Day, the first parental celebration in our household. I celebrated by not leaving the house, watching a Paula Deen (of Food Network) DVD about barbecue, enjoying a visit with Babaji and Grandma Sood, reading the Sunday paper (over the course of the day), and take-out of fish and chips. Several family members and friends called to wish me a Happy (first) Mother's Day and Radha (with help from her dad) gave me a very cute card and surprise photo of her and I sleeping on the couch together. I love napping with her.

How Time Flies

2008-05-10T16:40:00.000-07:00

The past two and a half weeks have been a blur. This isn't because of the pain medication I was taking, but because our sense of time is completely off.

There is no longer wake-up, shower, eat breakfast, go to work, lunch, more work, go home, dinner, TV/read/computer/talk/occasional exercise, and go to bed. Repeat. Right now life resolves around the new little (but quickly growing!) being in our household. Radha doesn't know how to tell time yet and doesn't know how much her mom has lived the past 33 years by a schedule of some sort. There isn't a schedule anymore...and this isn't entirely a bad thing either. But being someone who likes her day neatly scheduled, organized, filed, cleaned...becoming a parent is gradually teaching me to let go of some of these things, learn to be more flexible, not care about the bits of cat food under the counter or the many other random, non-important things that I may have fretted about pre-baby. Every day I feel like Radha learns more about the world as do we.

A few days ago Radha had her two week check-up at the pediatrician.

I'm happy to report that she is doing wonderfully and weighed in at 8 lbs 3 oz. Unless something else

comes up

before then (cross our fingers), she won't need to go back until she's two months. Luckily we really like our pediatrician a lot and although Radha doesn't like getting put into her car seat, she loves riding in the car and looking at the trees and surroundings on the ride (see pic

ture). I can't wait until we are feeling more comfortable to take her out and about to fun outings other than the doctor!

Next week Radha's Aunt Danelle will be visiting. This will be her first visit from the Wiley side of the family. They can't wait to meet each other and I can't wait until Radha gets older so we can take her out on Aunt Danelle's boat on the Mississippi and enjoy some Midwest summer days like her mom grew up with. After all, Radha is a native Oregonian/Portlander...she'll need to be exposed to other climates that have all four seasons eventually!

One last bit...Radha is now "official" and legal. We received her county birth certificate and social security card in the mail this week. She's the real deal.

Great Weekend!

2008-05-05T12:08:00.000-07:00

Getting bigger every day! Looks like she's ready to smile!

Tummy time with Grandma.

In the sling.

We have been really enjoying ourselves since the last post! Radha is eating and sleeping like a champ, T is healing more every day, and we are starting to re-expand our little world and get back to a more permanent mode of operation. After one failed attempt, we managed to get Radha in a sling and take her out for a walk to enjoy the amazing weather we've had lately. We may be ready in the next little while to take her to a restaurant, or to actually drive to a destination other than the doctor's office! We've also give her tummy time a bit, which she seems to be enjoying.

Last weekend, Radha got to spend lots of time with her aunts on Ro's side (we call them bhuas), and her grandparents (who we call Babaji and Grandma). She loved all the attention, and of course stopped fussing the second they arrived, only to start again as soon as they left!!

Reflections on Radha's first week

2008-04-30T20:47:00.001-07:00

Yesterday marked one of Radha's first milestones, her first week birthday! We didn't do too much to celebrate, just stayed at home continuing to get to know each other. She was particularly fussy last night, and like most first time parents, we spent hours trying to figure out the cause, since it wasn't a dirty diaper or a need to eat. We decided to take her to the pediatrician, who told us of course that she was doing just fine!

He also told us that she had gained 7oz since her last weigh-in on Sunday, which finally made us feel like we had transitioned to breast feeding successfully. For me, it was another milestone, the end of what may have been the hardest and most rewarding week of my life, being there and helping where I could to bring my daughter into this world, get her established and healthy, and to make sure T is healing as well. I can't wait for the next one!

Baby Prediction Game Results!

2008-04-28T12:14:00.001-07:00

We have a winner in the Prediction Game that was played at the baby shower! It was very interesting seeing the results. Since R was so late, there was hardly anyone close on the date, and why did all of you think she was a boy? Without further ado:

Radha's stats:

10:29 pm, April 22

20.5 inches

7lbs 13 oz

Girl!

And the winner of the grand prize of $11 is Ro's Dad! No nepotism, I swear! His guess was 10pm, April 15, 20 inches, 7lbs 8oz, boy. Not bad, Dad.

Honorable mentions go to Ron (April 9, 5:27am, 7lbs 11oz, 19.5 inches, boy); and Sarah's team, for being the only one to guess Girl. Thanks for playing!

2008-04-27T20:40:00.000-07:00

"Mom" here...

I'm definitely still processing what's happened to me physically and emotionally the past few days. Feeling exhausted in a way I've never experienced before, but yet finding bits of energy here and there to make it through the day. Somehow the body learns to cope and get by in times like this.

I would love to have the mental energy to document some of my birth story, but I'm afraid that will take some time. It's going to take me a bit longer to recover since I ended up delivering little Radha by c-section (more on that later), but I went into this experience knowing that you have to expect the unexpected. It was necessary for her to get here healthy and definitely worth it.

In the meantime, everyone should know that we're doing alright and Radha has the best father in the world. :) Oh yeah...and tonight we gave her a sponge bath for the first time. Clean baby smell...yummmm.

Radha comes home

2008-04-26T07:27:00.001-07:00

Well, we all made it out of hospital land and back home yesterday. It's great to be in your own environment away from the constant interruptions and general drama of the hospital. Though the house is a bit of a disaster at the moment, we're happy to be around a familiar environment. We're pretty crazy busy at the moment, getting a feeding schedule going for Radha, which has to happen every two hours! It doesn't leave too much time for anything else. But every time the alarm goes off and I struggle to get out of bed, as soon as I see my daughter, it make it all worthwhile.

Thanks to everyone for the outpouring of well wishes. T&I wish we could respond to all of you individually, but will get around to seeing everyone sometime in the near future!

-Ro

Radha Simone Wiley-Sood

2008-04-23T14:06:00.001-07:00

It's a girl! Our beautiful daughter came into this world yesterday 4/22 at 10:30 pm. She's healthy as a horse, and has an awesome pair of lungs already to let us know when she's hungry! I'm writing a quick update now at home, but will be back in the hospital with T for a few days longer. Watch this space in the next few weeks for updates, pictures, stories, and all that good stuff! Oh, and for the statisticians and wagerers out there, she was born at 7lbs13oz, 20.5 inches.

It's time ...

2008-04-21T10:16:00.000-07:00

Today, we are heading to the hospital to start the induction process. The Sproutling seems to be doing quite well, and has been content to hang out in Mom's belly. Since it will be almost two weeks past our due

date, we're feeling comfortable entrusting things to medical science at this point. We're also feeling emotionally ready. Though it won't have the crazy spontanaeity of a mad rush to the hospital once labor has started, whatever way TS decides to come into the world is fine by us.

We've had a nice few weeks of prep time, and have gotten in lots of walks, movies, and restaurants. Some highlights for me were Screen Door (southern shrimp n' grits with a Sazerac to wash it down), Pok Pok, and Wong's King.

-R

the waiting...is the hardest part

2008-04-07T17:02:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow is D-Day...due day! Still no obvious signs of the Sproutling's arrival.

So we wait...

Family and friends keep trying to find out Sproutling's gender and name and keep trying to trick us into telling. I think we're experts at this point though in the game! Just a matter of days (hours?) before everyone will know.

And then the fun begins...

Launching Going Parental PDX

2008-01-26T12:53:00.000-08:00

Thus launches our joint blogging efforts documenting the arrival of our baby, aka the "Sproutling."

Sproutling's room is nicely coming along, with the recent addition of a rocking chair. We've been on the look out for a nice, solid, and roomy rocker for a while, but finally spotted this find on Craigslist (notice Mookie checking out the chair behind it in the corner!)

Let's see what happens...