Happy Diwali, everyone!
I wish I had a wonderful post full of pictures of the kids celebrating, but that will likely have to wait.
Ishaan caught a slight cold over the weekend, and although he's doing fine he's taken both Amaani and Kartik down with him. (and to be honest, I'm not in that good of a mood either!) I'm crossing my fingers that they will be better soon.
I hope every one has a happy, fun, and healthy Diwali!
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Monday, October 24, 2011
Laundry!
A few days before Amaani was born, our washing machine committed suicide. It was unfixable. Anyone with kids knows that you need a working washing machine when you have a newborn. We walked (well, I waddled) around home improvement stores in a panic before settling on a front loading Samsung.
Amaani especially loves it-- she can prop herself up on the door and watch the laundry go round and round and round and.... you get the picture!
So... Amaani and the washing machine arrived in our home at almost the same time. I really like the front loading machine for 2 reasons-- it fits a ton of laundry in it; and it can entertain both babies at the same time!
Amaani especially loves it-- she can prop herself up on the door and watch the laundry go round and round and round and.... you get the picture!
Friday, October 21, 2011
Pizza Night
Pizza night has been a tradition in our home since long before we had kids.
It's fresh, guilt free, and we can customize it for each person. So I can have a garlic, olive and feta cheese mediterrainian pizza and Kartik can have all the mushrooms he wants.
Kartik and I settled into a division of labor a few years ago-- I make the dough, and he rolls it out. We both cut toppings (and munch on them along the way) and pop that baby in the oven.
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| Amaani vs. Olive |
Last week we had to add another helper to our routine. Ishu is now our tiniest sous chef! He helped wash the veggies for all of us, make the dough, and even patted out his own little pizza (with Papa's help).
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And here we have it! Ishu's very first pizza! (He chose olives and tomatoes.)
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| Yummm.... |
Thursday, October 20, 2011
Happy Birthday, Grandma!
One of the best things about living in the place we do is our proximity to Grandparents (aka free babysitters aka emergency contacts aka loaner of tools... etc, you get the picture).
A short while ago, one special grandparent had her special day. A year ago, Ishu could not walk, or talk, much less wish her a happy birthday.
This year, Ishu was able to walk up the front steps with balloons in hand and surprise her-- all by himself.
He can reach the door bell without even trying!
Kartik took pictures from the bushes
Surprise!!!!
Happy Birthday, Mommy! We love you so much!
A short while ago, one special grandparent had her special day. A year ago, Ishu could not walk, or talk, much less wish her a happy birthday.
This year, Ishu was able to walk up the front steps with balloons in hand and surprise her-- all by himself.
He can reach the door bell without even trying!
Kartik took pictures from the bushes
Surprise!!!!
Happy Birthday, Mommy! We love you so much!
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Brotherly Love
And hear they are 30 seconds later. It's going to be a long 18 years....
I'm sure we'll all enjoy it!
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
Ishu's First Garba
With all the going-ons lately, the pictures of Ishu's first Garba have been pushed back a little on the blog. Unfortunately the pictures from Ishu's *actual* first Garba have been lost, so these are actually from the week after that.
But his lack of style didn't stop him from dancing. Ishu did Raas, and now he even claps and says, "theen thali!!!". He loved the garba, and didn't want to leave, until Kartik dragged him out at nearly 1 am.
Ishu had such a good time the first weekend; but the late night was just too much for Amaani. So when we were invited to garba the next weekend; Ishu and Kartik went stag, and Amaani and I relaxed at home. You can see from the photos that Ishu absolutely refused to wear any of the Indian outfits he has.
But his lack of style didn't stop him from dancing. Ishu did Raas, and now he even claps and says, "theen thali!!!". He loved the garba, and didn't want to leave, until Kartik dragged him out at nearly 1 am.
Aaaah... a snack before sneaking home. Remind anyone of the Garba's *we* used to go to in college?
Monday, October 17, 2011
Fifty Posts!
I'm so excited!!! This is the 50th post on this blog! I know it doesn't seem like much, but I'm so happy that I've stuck with this so long! And that my readership has gone from 0 to the double digits! :)
I started with the hope that one day I'd be able to share it with Ishaan and Amaani. I'm suprised I really enjoy taking, posting, and editing the photos, and writing up what we do each day.
But really, I need to thank all of you who read and keep up with the blog. It warms my heart that so many of ya'll take an interest in my family. It helps me keep going when I don't feel like spending precious naptime using my brain :).
I hope that everyone is reading along and having a great Monday.
I started with the hope that one day I'd be able to share it with Ishaan and Amaani. I'm suprised I really enjoy taking, posting, and editing the photos, and writing up what we do each day.
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| A photo from this weekend |
I hope that everyone is reading along and having a great Monday.
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Stop Thief!!!!
Today is a sad day. I've discovered that some poo-poo head (for lack of a better term) has been stealing both the content and images from this blog and putting the complete posts up on their site. This is called scraping; and is not only unethical and illegal, but it's downright mean.
I put quite a bit of effort into this site-- from the actual writing and photo/taking and editing as well as actually creating the content. (Where are you, Mr Scraper, during those 3am feedings?). It's upsetting to see someone take all that (without permission) and post photos and stories of my sweet little babies to generate traffic for their site. This will probably result in just a few pennies worth of advertising revenue for them.
All this means that there will be a few changes around here-- Starting with only partial posts appearing in your email and RSS feeds. (The scraper is likely using a feed to steal content.) I feel bad about that, because I know that quite a few of you like to view posts in your email. I hope you understand and will take the extra few minutes to view on the website itself.
And if you are viewing this post on a website other than http://www.strawbazies.blogspot.com/; you should be aware that you are supporting somone who is stealing content from this site. If you'd like to keep up with our family, I encourage you to visit us at our home here at the Strawbazies Blog!
Tuesday, October 11, 2011
Garba Outfit
With all that's been going on lately; I hadn't gotten a chance to sit down with my sewing machine in a great while.
Last weekend my Kartik mentioned that there was garba going on at the temple; but that it was late that night-- starting at about 9. I knew I wanted Amaani to wear something comfy, so I got the idea to 'whip her up' a quick, comfortable chaniya choli out of a skirt that Mina Foi had given me ages ago. How hard could it possibly be, and how long could it possibly take?
Ugh! I ended up spending quite a bit of time on it. Sometimes poeple ask me how I find the time to make things with two young kids. The truth is I don't. I don't find the time. The time is generously gifted to me by my husband.
In this case, I could see the skepticism on his face when I assured him the dress would only take an hour. I had planned for a full gather skirt, and a shirred top like the white dress I made earlier this year. When I took it down to show Kartik 2 hours later, it was clear that it looked like Amaani was wearing two skirts, instead of a top and skirt.
At that point, I became kind of nutty, hacking and sewing the top without a real plan. Kartik ended up having to feed, bathe, and get the kids dressed for garba on his own, while I ran up and down the stairs like a crazy person. I was still cutting threads off the dress while he was getting the kids into their car seats.
In the end, I think it looks pretty cute-- but it was 10 am the next day before I realized that she had no chunni! Most importantly though, is that it's super comfy.
So comfortable that you can wear it for dancing....
And for playing...
I love the way the skirt looks paired with one of Ishu's old t-shirts. I wore the origional skirt with a t-shirt at my mehendi party, so I guess it reminds me of that. 'Maani rocks it better than I ever did, though!
Last weekend my Kartik mentioned that there was garba going on at the temple; but that it was late that night-- starting at about 9. I knew I wanted Amaani to wear something comfy, so I got the idea to 'whip her up' a quick, comfortable chaniya choli out of a skirt that Mina Foi had given me ages ago. How hard could it possibly be, and how long could it possibly take?
Ugh! I ended up spending quite a bit of time on it. Sometimes poeple ask me how I find the time to make things with two young kids. The truth is I don't. I don't find the time. The time is generously gifted to me by my husband.
In this case, I could see the skepticism on his face when I assured him the dress would only take an hour. I had planned for a full gather skirt, and a shirred top like the white dress I made earlier this year. When I took it down to show Kartik 2 hours later, it was clear that it looked like Amaani was wearing two skirts, instead of a top and skirt.
At that point, I became kind of nutty, hacking and sewing the top without a real plan. Kartik ended up having to feed, bathe, and get the kids dressed for garba on his own, while I ran up and down the stairs like a crazy person. I was still cutting threads off the dress while he was getting the kids into their car seats.
In the end, I think it looks pretty cute-- but it was 10 am the next day before I realized that she had no chunni! Most importantly though, is that it's super comfy.
So comfortable that you can wear it for dancing....
And for playing...
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| That's a toy Riksha. So cute! |
I love the way the skirt looks paired with one of Ishu's old t-shirts. I wore the origional skirt with a t-shirt at my mehendi party, so I guess it reminds me of that. 'Maani rocks it better than I ever did, though!
How was the garba, you ask? Well... you'll have to wait until tomorrow to find out :)
Monday, October 10, 2011
Hook 'em!
The Texas OU game has been a tradition in our little family since before we were a family! This is the 10th game day that Kartik and I have been together for... But our very first with two kidlets.
Every one woke up this morning and got dressed in their burntest-orange with high hopes for an exciting game.
Unfortunately, all did not go as planned, and Texas ended up losing badly. Frowns all around.
Ishaan was obviously shocked and dismayed.
We were excited that Aakash Kaka and Aneri Kaki were able to come over-- especially me, since I was able to escape with Aneri and go shopping! We didn't actually get to see the end of the game, but came home to two miserable looking guys sitting on the couch (both kids had gone to sleep). Here's hoping that next week goes a bit better.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Pardon Our Mess...
I've been trying out a few design graphics changes here at Strawbazies. Bear with us through the weekend-- I'm just trying to nail down something that I like and can stick with.
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| Pardon Our Mess |
I'll be back next week with lots more posts and cuteness! Don't forget to watch the Longhorns this weekend!
Thursday, October 6, 2011
Car Seats Are So Safe and Fun!
....And that's why all babies should be in one!
No one knows a child better than it's parents and I believe that the vast majority of parents try to make the best choices for their families.
That being said... I'm hijacking the blog today to talk about car seats. Amaani is getting really uncomfortable in her infant seat; and much prefers Ishu's current seat.
So we are in the market for a new seat for Ishaan. We are shopping for a seat with a higher rear facing limit-- that's right; he's still going to be backwards. My goal is to keep him rear facing for as long as reasonably possible. When he was born, rear facing car seat weight limits only went up to 35 pounds, but this year you can buy seats that go up to 40 and 45 pounds.
HERE is a good video explaining the benefits of RF complete with crash tests. The video mentions the 1 year 22 pound limit to turn kids around-- which was the rule when Ishu was little. Now the AAP is recommending keeping kids rear facing until they are at least 2 years old.
HERE is a link explaining the difference between an adult and child's bodies in a car crash. It's a interesting well explained read; even though it's a bit long.
Here are a few FAQ that I've heard since Ishu's gotten a bit older:
Doesn't he get uncomfortable? Ishaan can still fit in the seat with legs crossed and doesn't really complain. I've noticed he crosses his legs when he sits most places, so I'm not to worried.
What if he breaks his legs? I hope we never get in an accident, but I'd rather risk his legs than his spine.
Doesn't he want to look out the window? Ishu loves looking out the window at the trucks, busses, cars and anything we might pass. He just has to turn his head.
But you can't see him!!! How can you talk to him? This is a bonus! I need the break. Just kidding! Kartik has installed these really handy mirrors so I can see both kiddos when driving. That being said, I try really hard to keep my eyes on the road.
This is something that I never would have thought about if our pediatrician hadn't brought it up, so I worry that other's may have not heard of the benefits. Riding in the car is probably the most dangerous thing we do with our kids each day and I'm so thankful that we are able to do this simple thing to keep our kiddos safer in the car.
I know only a few of those who read this blog have their own kiddos; but I know all of you have little people in your life that you love. Consider just mentioning extended rear facing or forwarding these links to the car seat buyers (aka mom, dad and grandparents) in their lives.
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| This is how Ishu looked when we put him in the car for the first 12 months of his life. |
No one knows a child better than it's parents and I believe that the vast majority of parents try to make the best choices for their families.
 |
| No texting while driving! Have your baby do it! |
So we are in the market for a new seat for Ishaan. We are shopping for a seat with a higher rear facing limit-- that's right; he's still going to be backwards. My goal is to keep him rear facing for as long as reasonably possible. When he was born, rear facing car seat weight limits only went up to 35 pounds, but this year you can buy seats that go up to 40 and 45 pounds.
HERE is a good video explaining the benefits of RF complete with crash tests. The video mentions the 1 year 22 pound limit to turn kids around-- which was the rule when Ishu was little. Now the AAP is recommending keeping kids rear facing until they are at least 2 years old.
HERE is a link explaining the difference between an adult and child's bodies in a car crash. It's a interesting well explained read; even though it's a bit long.
 |
| They grow up so fast! Already driving a car! |
Doesn't he get uncomfortable? Ishaan can still fit in the seat with legs crossed and doesn't really complain. I've noticed he crosses his legs when he sits most places, so I'm not to worried.
What if he breaks his legs? I hope we never get in an accident, but I'd rather risk his legs than his spine.
Doesn't he want to look out the window? Ishu loves looking out the window at the trucks, busses, cars and anything we might pass. He just has to turn his head.
But you can't see him!!! How can you talk to him? This is a bonus! I need the break. Just kidding! Kartik has installed these really handy mirrors so I can see both kiddos when driving. That being said, I try really hard to keep my eyes on the road.
This is something that I never would have thought about if our pediatrician hadn't brought it up, so I worry that other's may have not heard of the benefits. Riding in the car is probably the most dangerous thing we do with our kids each day and I'm so thankful that we are able to do this simple thing to keep our kiddos safer in the car.
I know only a few of those who read this blog have their own kiddos; but I know all of you have little people in your life that you love. Consider just mentioning extended rear facing or forwarding these links to the car seat buyers (aka mom, dad and grandparents) in their lives.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
We Left the House!
I think everyone has read my post HERE complaining about how difficult it is to leave the house with both kiddos during the day when I'm alone (and at their mercy).
Suddenly it's become a lot easier! Ishu has magically transformed from a runner to a hand holder; making it possible to go for a walk without risking life and limb.
He holds the edge of the stroller (or the strap) while walking and doesn't let go for *anything*! This might not seem like a huge deal; but it opens a lot of doors for us as a family. I'm dreaming of going to the mall and grocery shopping but for now, I'm estatic that we can go for walks in the morning and discover new things...
Like this secret shortcut
Or this beautiful butterfly
Have a great day everyone!
Suddenly it's become a lot easier! Ishu has magically transformed from a runner to a hand holder; making it possible to go for a walk without risking life and limb.
He holds the edge of the stroller (or the strap) while walking and doesn't let go for *anything*! This might not seem like a huge deal; but it opens a lot of doors for us as a family. I'm dreaming of going to the mall and grocery shopping but for now, I'm estatic that we can go for walks in the morning and discover new things...
Like this secret shortcut
Or this beautiful butterfly
Have a great day everyone!
Monday, October 3, 2011
Sleepover!!!!
We were so lucky to have some awesome guests come over last weekend. Sonu Foi, Chintan Fua, Mina Ba, Ramila Ba and Ba suffered through delayed (and missed) flights and bad weather to spend some time with us and meet Amaani for the very first time.
We so very much enjoyed having them over. Because we live almost exactly where I grew up we spend a lot of time with my relatives. It's a real joy to see Kartik in the hot seat with people from his childhood for once! He may not say it much; but I know he misses them and loves when they come to visit.
Sonu and Chintan are so sweet to be around; and are great with kids! And it was a wonderful to have the adults outnumber the babies in the house for a bit.
We missed Ankita, Tulika and Hetu from Atlanta; but I was so excited that Ramila Foi was able to come visit. She is great at telling stories and had Ishaan and Amaani mesmerized by singing "If you're happy and you know it". It somehow doesn't work when I do it.
Ishu and Amaani loved hanging out with Ba and Mina Foi. The house seems so empty without everyone (and the kids so much more draining!).
I hope that everyone had as good a time as I did; and that we are able to do it again very soon. (and often!)
We so very much enjoyed having them over. Because we live almost exactly where I grew up we spend a lot of time with my relatives. It's a real joy to see Kartik in the hot seat with people from his childhood for once! He may not say it much; but I know he misses them and loves when they come to visit.
Sonu and Chintan are so sweet to be around; and are great with kids! And it was a wonderful to have the adults outnumber the babies in the house for a bit.
We missed Ankita, Tulika and Hetu from Atlanta; but I was so excited that Ramila Foi was able to come visit. She is great at telling stories and had Ishaan and Amaani mesmerized by singing "If you're happy and you know it". It somehow doesn't work when I do it.
Ishu and Amaani loved hanging out with Ba and Mina Foi. The house seems so empty without everyone (and the kids so much more draining!).
I hope that everyone had as good a time as I did; and that we are able to do it again very soon. (and often!)
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Our New Camera!
It's well known that a DSLR has been on the top of my 'things to buy when I start working again' list. Well... maybe right under getting a cleaning lady!
I had been wondering for a while now whether taking great pictures can be learned; or if it's a talent. I've been studying baby portraits and reading photography websites for a while now trying to learn exactly how to do what I wanted. This past weekend Chintan brought his fancy camera with him from New Jersey and they. are. so. cool. He was kind enough to let me 'adopt' it for the weekend.
What's the difference? Well... DSLR offers slightly more capability and a whole lot more control. It's a lot to learn, and I'm worried about taking on another hobby but.... I'm just falling in love with the pictures that I can take with the camera.
I still have so much to learn in order to get really great photos; but I'm very happy with the purchase so far. I'm looking forward to posting really great photos (without edits!) on the blog.
I had been wondering for a while now whether taking great pictures can be learned; or if it's a talent. I've been studying baby portraits and reading photography websites for a while now trying to learn exactly how to do what I wanted. This past weekend Chintan brought his fancy camera with him from New Jersey and they. are. so. cool. He was kind enough to let me 'adopt' it for the weekend.
What's the difference? Well... DSLR offers slightly more capability and a whole lot more control. It's a lot to learn, and I'm worried about taking on another hobby but.... I'm just falling in love with the pictures that I can take with the camera.
I still have so much to learn in order to get really great photos; but I'm very happy with the purchase so far. I'm looking forward to posting really great photos (without edits!) on the blog.
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