For You My Baby...

...As you turn 12 months,

I keep thinking what I must write about you! There is so much about you to think and talk about. Where do I start! You are the most adorable baby I have ever seen. I know, I am your momma and so maybe I am biased, but what about the strangers who keep coming up to us to have a closer look at you and talk to you. Everyone who meets you says, you are a beautiful baby. Many times people presume that you are a girl because you are such a sweetie cutie pie to look with your perfect nose, twinkling eyes and the single dimple on your cheek when you smile. And people’s opinion has nothing to do with the pinks and reds that I sometimes wrap you up in. The other adjective attached with you is "Happy" We do call you "Happy Singh" simply coz you  are always smiling and laughing and coz you love music and do your own kind of singing. You don’t talk but you sure can sing. You love to play drums on the table, over the sink, on the couch on the plastic toys. And whenever I put on music you like to jive with it, by swinging your body - it’s such an adorable sight to watch you moving with the music.

You sat up really early just before you turned 5 months. But, you were a late crawler @ 10 months. You are an army crawler and @ 12 months you still army crawl albeit in a vigorous speedy manner. It is very necessary for you to do that because you have to pick the minutest of the dirt on the floor and taste it before anyone can catch you. So I am hesitant to let you alone on the floor which means limited floor time/crawling. You can now stand with the support of the table or couch. But, if I am anywhere near you will not try to walk, or stand, even sit. you just want your momma to hold you and love you all times. So, your ever smart momma devised a very smart plan. I place the iPad on the couch put on some music and make you stand and of course you will so anything for the music and songs. But then, you have kind of taken the ownership of the iPad. So, daddy thinks it really isn’t that smart of a plan.

Hence, we named you Dollu Dacoit. This name is self explainable. You have taken over our lives and we have given it all to you happily. From the first moment that we have laid our eyes on you, you have owned us. We live for your smile, your laughter, your needs and requirements. The way you look at us and smile, the way you wrap your fingers around ours, the way you pretend to be sad and cry when we put you down on the rug or high chair, the way you actually cry when we put you in your crib, every action of yours pulls our heart’s strings. I remember what a feat we thought it was when u first started to stretched your arms to come to us. Your first smile, first sign of recognition, first time stretching over to touch a toy. We squealed with joy each time you squeal with joy. You are the Dollu Dacoit who has captured our hearts and this is exactly how we always dreamt it to be.

You have four front teeth. Two top and two bottom. And you love to chew on biscuits. But long before that it was fun to watch you act as if you are chewing. Whenever we sit for meals we make you sit on the high chair and watch us eat. I give you biscuits or small pieces of chapatti that you can nibble and its fun to watch you copy us. But, you don’t really like to copy us otherwise, every time I try to show you eyes, ears and nose you look quite bored so I have stopped it. we will reach that milestone in due time.

You have learned the joy of books though. I love to read Dr. Seuss poetry books and instead of reading them to you, your father and I read it aloud to each other and laugh. That was the trick. You have caught the reading bug. You love books and love to turn pages, quite seriously. You spend considerable time with books. We feel very proud of this fact.

And you are a boy O boy. You love cars and wheels and balls and drums. You love to eat chicken and salmon. Before this your favorite meals were broccoli, sweet potatoes and masoor dal (lentil).  Nowadays, you are fussy if it’s not chicken or Salmon. You love to go out of the house, take lap walks in the backyard and pluck lemons and apricots from the trees. You enjoyed cold coffee so much you did not want to stop. You are a water baby; this is one time you really cry when I take you out of the tub. And this is a recurring story since the day you took your first bath. You can also make us laugh real hard sometimes and we would not mind if you decide to become a stand-up comedian. We love you know that and will be proud of you always.

Baby, my Baby! I love you so much. I can’t stop talking about you because there is nothing I can think about other than you. These days I am busy planning you First Birthday party and I hope you have fun turning One!!