tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-37763172024-02-28T12:31:16.914-08:00babida da babidaThoughts and events that collectively define the experience of becoming first-time parents.. from the eyes of the would-be fatherAndyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-1112037199268159872005-03-28T11:10:00.001-08:002005-03-28T11:13:19.270-08:00Just adding a link to <a href="http://second-time-parents.blogspost.com">Babida revisited</a> so that you can shuttle back and forth and marvel at how naive I was and how smart I've become. Not!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-1112037113922256222005-03-28T11:10:00.000-08:002005-03-28T11:11:53.926-08:00Just adding this link to <a href="http://www.second-time-parents.blogspot.com">Babida revisited </a>because I can't figure out how to get to and edit that link on the left!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-944326902003-05-15T22:18:00.000-07:002003-05-15T22:18:24.306-07:00<b>A mystery resolved:</b> I often tease Anvita by calling her 'Anveeda da bournveeda' (Anvita the Bournvita). No, there is no hidden message or meaning. I don't know why I do it, I just do. I think because it rhymes. If you say it really quickly and blur your speech a little, it sounds like Babida da Babida. Hence...the name of the blog.
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<br />Now I know I've enlightened you completely.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-939604002003-05-07T18:02:00.000-07:002003-05-07T18:02:07.766-07:00I didn't realize how little time I did have. Or how prophetic Papa's comments were.
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<br />At midnight Anvita started getting contractions. Next one was at 12:20. Then 12:33, and thereafter varying between 5 and 7 minutes apart. Her water also broke - no flood, but dribbles. Called the doc, she said to come over. Went over. She said Anvita was in labour and we went straight to the hospital.
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<br />Odd how her labour kicked in the way it did. Apparently it usually starts with contractions an hour or so apart. Then during the course of anywhere from 6 to 12 hours they get to a stage where they're 10 minutes apart. Hers <b>started </b>at 7 mins or so!
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<br />Anyway - I don't have much time as I just came home to leave instructions for the guys and get Papa updated. Mom and Anvita's mom are at the hospital with her. Initially it was just me and Mom, but there was a time when the pain was particularly bad and Anvita started crying and said she wanted her mom. So I went and got her.
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<br />I hate seeing her in so much pain.
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<br />It made me want to cry when she looked up at me holding her hand in the middle of a contraction and whispered 'I love you'.
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<br />Ok. Gotta run. When I left the hospital the contractions were 3 minutes apart and lasting 45 seconds. Doc is expected by or before 7am and will give us a more accurate idea of what the rest of the day is going to be like.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-939252112003-05-07T06:24:00.000-07:002003-05-07T06:24:56.490-07:00Did I mention that we found out and were disappointed by the fact that I won't be allowed in the delivery room? Bummer and kinda ridiculous, in today's day and age I thought, but I guess you can't get everything! We're lucky we've got a gynie that pays such close and genuine attention to us, and a hospital that will take good care of everything. But yeah...bummer. I was a little apprehensive at first about being in the room (I don't want to see my wife suffer). But as time went by, I was getting more and more excited at the prospect - imagine being witness to a new life coming into the world. Amazing.
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<br />So yeah...bummer.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-939228192003-05-07T05:27:00.000-07:002003-05-07T05:27:30.970-07:00We went to see Kumkum Aunty yesterday. Says the baby has in fact dropped a little. Also says that even if it doesn't, there's nothing to worry about. It was a relief to see her. Again - no reason to be uptight if she wasn't here, but it just makes us rest easier.
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<br />Papa is starting to get a little jumpy now. He suddenly realized that today was the 7th and we're due on the 10th. This morning he was like 'Hey, we need to wake up and get everything ready. If the little one decides to come quickly, we've had it!' Made us all laugh because we're all thinking exactly the same thing.
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<br />So the cot has come out of the attic. Has been cleaned and the mattress ordered. It'll be delivered this evening...any time now actually. We've hired a nanny/maid to help out with things. Today was her second day at work and we were falling over ourselves trying to figure out what to have her do. She may as well enjoy it - once this kid actually shows up, she won't have much free time!
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<br />You know, I just realized that I'm close to what probably is the end of this blog and as yet, I have not even figured out how to put links here. I should actually go back through the whole thing and put in value adds. -laugh- I don't think I have the time for that.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-938167522003-05-05T12:23:00.000-07:002003-05-07T05:19:58.000-07:00Kumkum Aunty got back to Delhi this morning, and our family breathed a collective sigh of relief. It really wasn't an issue if she hadn't been here to deliver the child, but we're all just so much more comfortable with the thought that she'll be there. Anvita has an appointment with her tomorrow evening.
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<br />Anvita did speak with her today and said that she seemed a little concerned that the kid hadn't 'dropped' yet. Once I get done with this update, I'm going to pull out the books Madhu sent and read what they have to say about kids dropping. <i>For the completely uninformed - as a woman approaches the final stages of her pregnancy, the child drops. i.e. it's head kinda falls into the pelvic cavity, setting in motion the things that have to happen for labour to begin.</i> The plus side, is that if you're carrying the kid in front, or high, you get a fair bit of relief as the pressure on your internal organs lowers. Anvita is carrying in front, so she should have some (long overdue) relief.
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<br />She's also now officially on maternity leave. Her last day at work was Saturday, so today being Monday was the first day that she didn't go in to work. She says she's already bored.
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<br />Madhu and I were joking about it, but I think I really do need to have her help me out with some stuff at office. Part of her job is setting up SOPs for her company. I have a bunch of processes mapped. Maybe I should ask her to help me out with that - will keep her busy and prevent her from watching and waiting for the pot to boil.
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<br />There are a lot of things that remain to be done. The cot needs to be pulled out of the attic, cleaned, painted and a mattress ordered to size. Anvita's aunt has a pram that she's offered us - need to go pick that up. Need to get a bassinet (fancy name for a frilly basket that you put a baby in). Need to think up a name for a boy - for that eventuality. If it's a girl, we've decided on the name Rhea. Madhu has to give us a middle name - apparantly that's a tradition. Nice tradition though. :-)
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<br />I'm going to invite a bunch of people to become part of the 'team' for this blog. I think it'll be nice for Anvita to see what everyone around us has been thinking while I've been going on and on about what's happening in my head! So...anyone reading this, if you want access, you need to mail me. You should know my email address, so I'm not going to post it here! Please do ask for access and post something!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-935540362003-04-30T14:09:00.000-07:002003-04-30T14:09:12.370-07:00She's getting increasingly tired at work these days. Left early yesterday and took today off. I think she should just go on maternity leave, but she wants to keep working for as long as she can. Her call, so long as there's nothing wrong (medically) with her doing that, and the doc says there isn't, so... her call.
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<br />She's really uncomfortable and all the mothers we meet smile at her with understanding and say 'these are the most difficult days'.
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<br />Her back aches, feet swell up and hurt, head hurts, can't sleep, and today says she's getting something that feels like period cramps.
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<br />The delivery itself can be very painful. Very painful. Yet, all mothers agree that they forget the physical pain the moment they set eyes on their kids. Sandy (Abhra's wife), said the same thing. That is so amazing. Yet again I given another reason why I believe that no man alive can do what women do.
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<br />What must a mother's love for her children be like? I'm sure that is the most pure love possible.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-934175072003-04-28T12:47:00.000-07:002003-04-28T12:47:38.390-07:00The baby is moving around less than it used to - this is normal and due to the fact that it is getting bigger and consequently running out of room to maneuver. It was active this evening for a while and I instinctively found myself talking to it and saying stuff like 'hey, you're moving around today, hurry up and get out of there, we're waiting to see you'. I then proceeded to give 'the baby' a big resounding kiss.
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<br />Only later did I realize how <i>strongly </i>that instinct kicked in. At no stage did I realize that I was talking to her belly. <i>Or kissing her belly! </i>I actually felt like I was talking to and being affectionate with my child.
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<br />Wow.
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<br />Kumkum Aunty would have left Delhi yesterday morning. I'm crossing my fingers and hoping that the kid doesn't decide to come out before she comes back. We had a checkup with her on Friday and after the examination she was confident that the kid would take at least two more weeks. If that is the case, then she'll be here in time to do the delivery. Well in time to do it. She's just gone for a week.
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<br />I'm starting to see why parents get so superstitious and paranoid about things. It's so uncanny. Scary. I haven't even seen this kid yet, have a very limited sense of awareness of it's existence, but already it occupies most of my waking thoughts and the thought of anything happening to it, or to its mother fills me with an overwhelming sense of dread. I keep thinking 'God, I hope nothing goes wrong. Let everything go smoothly'.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-934155532003-04-28T12:12:00.000-07:002003-04-28T12:12:50.286-07:00I feel increasing pressure to keep up to date here, though there isn't much 'new' happening. As usual though, a million things happen during the day that I mentally make note of to blog, but forget by the time I'm sitting with blogger open.
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<br />A bunch of new fm radio stations were launched today, and Anvita's been after me to find the antennae for the stereo all day. She finally found where it was (where she'd kept it for safekeeping!!!) and as I type this, is lying in bed listening to 'Radio Mirchi'. I can hear her bangles jingling against one another as she tosses and turns. Poor thing is having such a difficult time sleeping every night. <i>And has been for the last 9 months!</i>
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<br />We've both got a sense of 'the end' of pregnancy. Yesterday we were talking about how we couldn't believe that she'd had morning sickness for the entire pregnancy. Today we (I) got tearful talking about the fact that within a couple of weeks, it won't be just the two of us anymore. This last thought is both pleasing and saddening at the same time. Pleasing for obvious reasons and saddening because there will now <b>always </b>be someone else with us. It can never again be just the two of us and our world comprising of one another.
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<br /><i>SHIT, she just walked behind me and into the bathroom and I didn't even notice!!! She may have been standing behind me reading everything! ...closing this window till she gets out and back into bed!</i>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-931938772003-04-24T12:16:00.000-07:002003-04-24T12:16:22.616-07:00So we've mentally decided to play music we LIKE now. And lots of it!!! <i>-pulls out all the dust covered Doors, Sting, Van Halen, Bob Marley, Shabaranks etc etc-</i> Finally got Tatto You on CD - I've been meaning to buy it for years but never got around to it.
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<br />So anyway...more waiting (though now we're waiting with music) for the baby to decide to come out - just a few weeks away now. There is less anxiety now but more impatience.
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<br />Anvita just asked me to get her something to eat so I took a break from blogging this to get her some boiled veggies from the fridge. She hasn't seen this blog yet (and won't till I gift her that book, which, incidentally, I started laying out yesterday) and I find myself looking over my shoulder constantly to make sure she isn't creeping up behind me.
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<br />She does know of it's existence, but hasn't seen it yet.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-931930152003-04-24T11:59:00.000-07:002003-04-24T11:59:40.673-07:00We've been reading all the baby books and dutifully playing classical music (which is soothing and relaxing), which is supposed to increase the kid's IQ and all that stuff. At the very least, almost everyone agrees that music you play while the kid is in the womb does seem to have a calming affect on the child after birth - we've heard countless stories of crying babies that immediately start smiling when music that was played while in the womb is put on.
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<br />It finally struck us that this kid has been listening to classical music for the last 9 months, but WE don't listen to that stuff very often..so we're creating a baby that has a taste for music we don't really have a passion for!!! I mean we like it and all, but given a choice don't listen to it every day, you know?
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<br />SO, we went out today and went nuts buying <b>real </b>music - Nora Jones, Rolling Stones, a few compliation albums, Bally Sagoo, Indian Ocean etc etc!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-931037542003-04-23T03:15:00.000-07:002003-04-23T03:15:30.600-07:00Coolers are running full blast and the house is freezing cold at night, and comfortable during the day. This made an immediate difference in Anvita's comfort level - the night the coolers were serviced, she slept very comfortably and peacefully...and has been (more or less) since.
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<br />She continues to suffer from aches and pains though. Her weight is up to 63kgs (138.6lbs). Her feet swell and back aches.
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<br />It was her birthday yesterday so we (somewhat) surprised her by calling a few close friends over and ordering out (Deez biryani). It was a nice relaxed evening, and she got constantly picked on for waddling like a duck. She really does. Waddle like a duck that is.
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<br />It is very endearing.
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<br />The intensity and frequency of false contractions is increasing. It was a while before we learned that those were infact what are called false contractions. Her stomach gets hard and she feels a slight ache in her abdomen. Then it goes away. That's a 'Brandon Hicks' contraction - or a false contraction. Apparently it's the body's way of practicing for the real thing. Amazing.
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<br />Her nesting instinct has also begun kicking in. She's been cleaning out the refrigerator, closets, drawers etc etc.
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<br />I used this to my advantage: She had, a few months after we got married, weaseled her way into the drawers in my table - i.e., taken a few of them over. I've been after her ever since to consolidate the stuff in them and throw away the stuff she isn't going to look at or use (my logic being, as with all my own stuff, that if you haven't used something in the last one year, you're not going to - and you may as well give it to someone that will appreciate it, or just trash it). By doing that, I figure that out of the 4 drawers she's taken over, two will get freed up for my stuff. She's vehemently refused for all the time that we've been married, insisting that she's going to start using all that stuff again...
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<br />SO...what I did, was start her cleaning out those drawers, and every once in a while I'd say 'Hmm, sweetie do you think you'll use this in the near future?' and hold up an offending item. Initially she fell for it, and would say 'You know, not really, toss it out.' Then after a while I think she started wising up to what I was doing and suddenly looks me straight in the eye and says pointedly 'You're lucky my nesting instinct is kicking in.'
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<br />-heh-
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<br />She then got tired, gave me a free rein to do what I wanted with the stuff, and left me clearing stuff out while she went and lay down.
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<br />I got 3 drawers back...*grins evilly*Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-931022412003-04-23T02:22:00.000-07:002003-04-23T02:22:05.113-07:00Back from Mussoorie and Dehradun last week - finalized some yearbook issues and Nigel came down with the book on Saturday. We (Anvita, Nigel & Selena, and I), went out for dinner and a movie (Two Towers - good!). We went to pick them up from Abhra's place and wound up spending longer than ancitipated talking and playing with his brand new, 5 day old son. They all seem to look the same at that age. His son looks exactly like Sid's daughter did.
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<br />He seems to feel very much the way I do about a lot of things - amazing how the whole childbirth experience brings people together by giving them things in common.
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<br />I thought it funny that Abhra wasn't allowed in the delivery room so sat outside watching a movie on his laptop.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-924419372003-04-11T11:15:00.000-07:002003-04-11T11:15:14.076-07:00Ok, so at least for the next few months, the heat is behind us. After Anvita had such a difficult time yesterday, I got Tarachand (the electrician) to come over and service our coolers. In this dry heat, they're better than air conditioners. So she's much much more comfortable tonight, and I think should get a proper night's sleep. <i>Well, I can hope.</i>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-924098172003-04-10T22:24:00.000-07:002003-04-10T22:24:57.110-07:00Another item for the record. Jared is 5'10" tall and wears size 11.5 shoes. At the age of 11!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-923826992003-04-10T13:50:00.000-07:002003-04-10T13:50:55.153-07:00Just for the record. Her weight is up to 61kgs (134lbs). Baby weight is 2.197kg (4.8lbs) and will increase quickly now.
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<br />My weight is down by 9kg (19.8lbs) and dropping - on a diet and light exercise routine. Long overdue, but I'm determined to get back into shape this year. I used to be able to run the 100m in 11.7 seconds, bench 275lbs and do push ups till people got sick of watching. I doubt I could even run 100m without resting, bench 150lbs or do 5 push ups anymore. So yeah...lots of things happening this year!Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-923820112003-04-10T13:38:00.000-07:002003-04-10T13:41:47.000-07:00Woodstock yearbook is coming up soon. This year they want to hand it over to us earlier than normal, allowing for easy production and early delivery. I have to head up to Mussoorie on Monday. I'll probably leave on Sunday and head back to Delhi on Thursday morning.
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<br />There are a host of holidays next week; we were really considering Anvita coming with me - it would be a nice vacation before the kid comes, and given that she's suffering in the heat, the mountain air would be a welcome respite. Unfortunately, it is a longish trip - 6 hours by road or by train, and neither of us feel that she'll be particularly comfortable - also, she's about to enter her 9th month of pregnancy, meaning that if the kid is premature it could want to pop out any day. A big IF, but one that I don't want to take a chance with. I can just see us sitting in the train, her water broken, and looking at each other thinking 'what the hell do we do now???'
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<br />So, anyway, it looks like it will just be me on this trip. She's all upset and all though - I really did get lucky, she loves me an awful lot. I'm going to get all soft and mushy here, but in truth, I really did get lucky. There are times when I think about how much she means to me, and how I'd feel if anything happened to her, and just the thought hurts so much I can feel it.
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<br />Everyone has problems, and we have our fair share of them, but we're very fortunate as well. Small mercies.
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<br />We spoke with Shruti today and I told her about the time when Anvita and I sat down to make a 10 and 20 year plan of where we wanted to be in life at that time - essentially a wishlist with those timeframes. The first thing on our list was 'To still be madly in love with each other'.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-923813522003-04-10T13:25:00.000-07:002003-04-10T13:25:57.200-07:00Ok, there's something wrong with Blogger. Three times I've lost longish posts because the system refuses to take them. That's annoying.
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<br />We've had two doc meetings since my last post. Iron is back to normal (yay!), and everything is on track. We've also had another ultrasound (the second one) and all systems are normal. The baby apparently is on the top edge of the normal category for height, and the low edge of the normal category for its weight. Tall and skinny. Watch us churn out another Jared - 5'7" at the age of 11!
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<br />Time is passing very slowly now. We're anxious and excited about seeing the kid, but time passes so damn slowly.
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<br />Anvita is having a lot of trouble sleeping at night. She's getting pretty big, and the heat is starting to get to her. It's quite normal for her to have 2 or 3 cold showers after getting home from work, before bed. She lies down and her skin is cool to the touch. Five minutes (timed) later, she seems as though she may have fever, her skin is so hot! Doc says that can happen and not to worry about it. She's also big enough to actually be uncomfortable now. Whichever way she sits, lies or stands, something hurts.
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<br />Giving her feet and back massages have become not only daily routines, but several times a day routines.
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<br />I'm going to save this before I lose it all.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-911218952003-03-21T05:33:00.000-08:002003-03-21T05:35:27.000-08:00<i><b>I just read over some of the last few posts, and think I should remind everyone reading this that the posts are in reverse order. That is, the most recent post is first, and the oldest (and first post) is last. So if you're chronologically challenged (i.e. if you're a doofus), then let the page load, and read it from the bottom.</b></i>Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-911217702003-03-21T05:30:00.000-08:002003-03-21T05:30:25.280-08:00We went to see Kumkum Aunty (Anvita's aunt and gynecologist) the other day. This was after a break of a month - as in, we were a month late; She wasn't happy about that. Finally it seems like the birth is drawing closer. In a nutshell - Anvita's iron has dropped too low, so she's prescribed some iron tablets and syrup to compensate. She's also given her strict instructions to not gain more weight (61kgs/134lbs, compared with 49kgs/108lbs pre-conception). Appointments are now every two weeks, rather than every month. Also the baby seems to have turned as it should around this time, to a head down position, preparing for birth. All systems go. Woo hoo!
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<br />We also talked a little about the actual birth and delivery etc. We're planning the delivery at Holy Angels Hospital at Vasant Vihar, where aunty consults. One bit of bad news though - she has to go out of town from the 27th of April till the 5th of May. So if Anvita goes into labour early, Dr. Jayshree will deliver the kid, not Kumkum Aunty. No biggie really, but I know Anvita would be very comfortable with aunty. Apparantly there is evidence to suggest that premature delivery is heriditary. Anvita was premature, Anvita's mom was premature, Anvita's aunts were premature... -heh- I on the other hand was a week or two late, so mebbe it'll balance out!!!
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<br />We're very lucky to have aunty involved. She goes out of her way to make us both feel comfortable and gives us special attention. This is something sorely lacking in todays medicine. We've heard stories from all our friends of how they have not been happy with their gynecologists and have changed just prior to birth, etc etc. We're really lucky.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-911210392003-03-21T05:11:00.000-08:002003-03-21T05:11:31.966-08:00Papa called Dr. Lakhotia (the eye doctor), and fixed an appointment for 2:00, yesterday. We went across, he looked at my eyes, checked my power (it's increased a fair bit in 3 years), gave me a bunch of tests that were like video games, and says that getting the new glasses made should get rid of the pain. He said that odds were that was what was causing the headaches, but we'd know only after I wore them for a few days. He's also prescribed some eyedrops.
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<br />I picked up the new glasses this morning, and they're great. The headaches are as before though, so lets wait a few days for that to go away.
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<br />I finally feel that I am returning somewhat to normal. I've lost 5 kilos (11lbs) in these two weeks - probably just cuz I've hardly felt like eating anything. My foot is hurting a lot though.
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<br />So in a nutshell, after all this ringmarole, I have a tooth half fixed, an ulcer that is being treated, a mysterious headache that hopefully should disappear in a few days, and a sore foot.
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<br />I also have an 8 month pregnant wife that has been ignored for two weeks because everyone's being worried about me. Lets talk about her now.
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<br />Anvita is getting really big now. Her stomach looks like a basketball! She's definately less moody than she used to be, but is increasingly anxious. Worried about labour, worried about being a good mother, worried about how we'll handle the expenses, worried about things that need worrying over and things that don't. She's having a lot of problems sleeping at night - tosses and turns a lot. Gets a lot of hot flashes. Her feet are swollen by the time bedtime comes around, and her back aches constantly. Giving her back rubs and foot massages is becoming second nature now!
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<br />We're both getting really excited now, and wouldn't you know it, time seems to have slowed down to a crawl. It seems like just yesterday when we were talking about starting a family, and now each days passes painfully slowly. We're both at a stage where we can't wait to see the kid. It's like talking about an old friend that's coming over for dinner, and you've been planning every little detail because you want it to be special. It's morning now, and dinnertime is taking forever to arrive.
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<br />The baby seems to have settled into some kind of waking and sleeping routine. Seems to wake up at around 6:30am (I can feel her stomach squirming around against my back!), and then again in the night at around 10:00 or so when she's lying in bed reading, he/she starts kicking about again. She says it happens at a fixed time during the day as well. I wonder if that has any relationship to what kind of waking/sleeping hours it'll have after birth. Who knows. We'll see!
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-911198892003-03-21T04:40:00.000-08:002003-03-21T04:40:30.500-08:00So I went to PSRI to meet Dr (Col) Arun Kumar, a retired army doctor, who's speciality is stomach disorders. By this time, my stomach pain is bad, my tooth is still aching, and I've got a weird shooting pain in the back of my head, slightly to the left. The doc listens to me and says that it sounds like an ulcer and he wanted to to an endoscopy to make sure. I haven't been eating much (no appetite at all) and it was a morning where coincidentally I hadn't had breakfast, so we could do the endoscopy immediately. We did, and he was right. I had two ulcers next to one another in my stomach.
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<br />Finally we were zeroing onto the real problems, and I felt a lot of relief just knowing that. The doc put me on some medication that has helped tremendously (no pain!), has allowed me to visit office for a couple of hours a day, and has made me rethink my frantic and lightning paced lifestyle.
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<br />The dentist visits are continuing for now - it seems that my molar has one root canal with a strange curve in it, that makes the process longer and more complicated. I've had 4 sittings so far, and will have at least one more. But the swelling is reduced and the pain is more or less gone. The gumline is still a little inflamed and sore, but nothing I can't live with.
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<br />That weird headache on the other hand is a real killer. The pain comes without warning or precedent, and is overwhelming. I feel like an invalid when it kicks in. As long as it doesn't, I'm fine. Weird. Also inconvenient because I can't plan a normal day till it is taken care of. I can't be sitting in GE with my clients, and suddenly start whimpering and holding my head, you know? But at least I can be at office for a while to keep an eye on things.
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<br />I asked the dentist if the headache could be related to the tooth and he said it was unlikely. He, and everyone else I spoke with (including Dr. Tiwari, Anvita's dad), said that it was probably something to do with my eyesight. SO I decided to go meet my Ophthalmologist too (next post).Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-911194822003-03-21T04:27:00.000-08:002003-03-21T04:27:46.810-08:00<b>So I've been sick</b> for a couple of weeks now. My left rear molar began to hurt like hell, and I was in the middle of the RIMC job, so didn't want to take time out for the dentist. Instead I figured I'd take painkillers, and once the job was out, head over to the dentist and let him do whatever he needed to. Crocin (paracetamol) didn't work, to I shifted to combiflam and flexon (paracetamol and ibuprofen) which eased the swelling and the pain substantially - well enough for me to be able to work, in any case.
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<br />Then we went to a wedding where I had some fruit juice. The next day, everyone that had that juice fell ill. I too developed extreme stomach cramps and nausea. Assuming the juice was the culprit, I took the usual 'bad plumbing' medicine for a few days. It didn't work. So I went to a doctor. He said I had gastroentritis, and put me on a cycle of antibiotics and painkillers. It didn't work. After a week, he tells us that it was probably related to my tooth.
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<br />Full circle.
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<br />I then make an appointment with my dentist - my illness by this time had kept me away from office for a week already, so I now obviously had the time. He had a look and says that I have what they call a deep <i>pocket </i>behind my last molar, where food particles get stuck and pus had formed. The pus, by this time, had followed the path of my molar and was deposited in little pools, that the dentists call <i>abscesses </i>at each root of this molar. The nerves going into the tooth carried the infection with them, and the pulp tissue inside the said molar was infected, hence the pain. He also informed me that combiflam and flexon can play havoc with the intestines and stomach, and that was probably where my stomach problems were coming from. He said I needed a Root Canal Treatment to save the tooth and get rid of the infection, and suggested that I see a gastro specialist for the stomach problem.
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<br />This was the first time I actually felt that I was talking to a doctor with a brain, so I dutifully took an appointment for the first sitting of the RTC, and resolved to go to PSRI (the Pushpawati Singhania Research Institute - a hospital that specializes in stomach, liver and kidney problems) the next morning.
<br />Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3776317.post-911188202003-03-21T04:10:00.000-08:002003-03-21T04:10:15.076-08:00Ok, about 3 days ago, I updated the blog with a looooong ass update. SO long, that the damn system refused to take it, and I lost the whole thing! So here goes again...
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<br />First off, everyone knows I've been sick, but just to make sure you know that's why this blog hasn't been updated for so long. Well not just sick, but busy first, then sick.
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<br /><b>First the busy part... </b>We finally got through the RIMC book - what a nightmare. I don't think we'll work with them again. My company isn't so big or so successful that we can pick and choose who we want to work with, but I really don't think the returns from this job were worth the effort or the headaches that we've had dealing with them. I cannot for the life of me understand how someone can increase the scope of the work, and expect to pay the same amount. Anyway, this isn't the place to rant. Suffice to say that my office and me personally were working 3 shifts, day in and day out, to get this job out on time - not for any fault of ours, but because of lapses from their end. But I rant again...
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<br />The other thing that has kept me personally busy is the Quadrangle. Between being ill and coordinating the RIMC Annual, even sitting in front of the comp would set my mind reeling, and my head aching, so I had to call on Shashank (god bless him) to come over and help me out with it. As it stands, the files are ready and we're sending it off to print today... the CD's being burnt as I type.
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<br />I'm going to upload this bit now, so that I don't lose it all again.Andyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09140138699976614786noreply@blogger.com