THE PHONE SAYS 'BHOW WOW'

The mobile phone is the most important tool for a mother with 2 kids in the nursery .It serves as a lifeline for so many of the hallmarks of sanity – advice from the doctor , connection to a career (and hoping that your colleagues can’t hear the baby noises ) , instant access to a source of food (despite having domestic help , you never know how much time will go managing the kids – and ofcourse, adult food requirements are a distinct second priority ) …. The list goes on .

It is also the most hated devise , especially as it will start ringing just when the baby starts dropping off the sleep – after you have spent hours rocking her and singing ‘old mcdonald had a farm …..’ . Tring !Tring! And by the time you press the ‘silent mode’button , the deed is done. Vira is awake and trying to get going … And you know how kids are ..they are wide awake in a minute and look at you with injured eyes – ‘how dare you mummy ! how could you put me to sleep when there are so many interesting activities to do out here , with you !? ‘

And if you keep your phone on silent mode, you end up missing all the phone calls that come in ..and misplace the phone too . Is there no way out of the dilemma ?

I had a eureka moment a couple of weeks back when I realised that Vira sleeps thru even if the dogs next door bark loudly . Yipeee !! I choose  a ring tone of a barking Labrador and its solved my problem. The child ignores it , assuming it’s a dog barking next door , and I can keep the ringer on ..
Remember the saying – Dog is a man’s best friend !!it takes on a whole new dimension J

 Combat techniques from the art of war –

a. Camouflage wins the day

(You can download barks from :-http://www.soundboard.com/sb/Barking_Sound_effects)

I'M HAPPY AND I KNOW IT......

Eek …yeeeek… ayeeeeee. I ran from my work desk to the child’s room . And found a very pleased infant and a giggling maid .Whaaat was that? It was Vira communicating .WOW !!this is big .  I just have to sit down and see her do it. Common baby one more time … Pleaseeeeeee .  But these are moments that define her existence. THE YELL, made with all her might, tight fists and stiff legs, all the concentration on the creation of a sound. It is definitely not very musical but it’s a start. ‘Kilkari’ is word in hindi which defines it – the unique sound of childhood. It’s a big upgrade from goooo, which she was using till date to denote positive emotions.

The surprising part is how fast her vocabulary seems to grow. And as she adds new sounds to her database, she also adds in emotions. So she actually frowns and her tone changes. I am able to differentiate between the ‘yeek when not pleased’ and ‘yeek when pleased’.

The biggest joy of parenthood is to be able to watch these self –learnings . I know that kids pick up cues from the environment around them and, at this stage, its mostly the house. But it will be extremely pompous for me to claim the credit for all her learnings. As I watch in amazement and happiness, I can only say a big ‘Thank you ‘to the almighty for giving me an opportunity to watch this evolution of Vira .