So is watching tons of Hindi movies and hanging the Indian flag in one’s house an indication of one’s patriotism. Hmmm.. I don’t think so …

I’ve often seen that people tend to criticize today’s politicians, the corrupt processes, etc in India quite easily but i’ve never seen any of these people feel the need to help out and do anything themselves. We all talk about corruption but in my opinion we’ve all made our contributions to that system somewhere or the other.

Let me sight two very common examples:

1. If you get caught by a mamu (traffic inspector) in India … don’t many of you offer him chai-pani in the mumbai language .. what is that?

2. These days even to get into a mandir, i’ve seen people bribe someone or the other …

Basically, we are all in the food chain somewhere or the other, but do we admit it …. ha ha ..

So the next time you think about criticizing your country’s corrupt practices and processes … think about how you can contribute to correct that system and show your true patriotism.

Categories: Uncategorized, general
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Long pending posts

Massaging a baby:
Most Indian families believe in massaging their new borns. I think that’s a brilliant thing to do, it not only builds their muscle power but it gives the parents a good chance to bond with their little one. Most babies love being massaged, its relaxing for them … Incase your baby hates being massaged, try singing to them or doing silly gimmicks to distract them .. eventually he or she will develop a liking for it.

Oils:

There are various oils that are suggested by one and all .. Olive oil, Almond Oil, calendula Oil, coconut oil, ghee. We’ve tried to use them all on our little one. I thought ghee worked really well for our daughter but since it smells a lot, it was soon rejected and we drifted towards calendula oil. Calendula oil is mostly available in organic stores such as whole foods. Its a light oil and so it works well on babies that have sensitive skin. In the end the choice is pretty much yours, use the oil that best suits your baby.

Bath:
Many people believe in bathing their kids on alternate days/nights .. etc. For one i think its better to bath your baby everyday if you can. I think this kindoff sets them off into a routine. If possible i think most kids should try to bath during the AM hours, reason being that they tend to sleep through the night once they reach age 6M+ and like all humans they too will sweat etc during the night. Bathing them in the night is far too long a gap in my opinion. On the other hand if one has problems putting their little one to sleep or if their baby is unable to sleep very well in the night, they might want to try bathing them in the night to see if that helps their babies sleep throught the night.

Creams:
A big no-no to the J&J creams/lotions/oils, etc. I’ve spoken to a few doctors out here and in India and almost everyone was of the opinon that those products are’nt very good for the baby. We found a few good products namely Mustella, Burts Bee’s, Aquaphor, Nivea soft (the best so far). Use the one that best suits your baby.

Sleep:
Most parents love swaddling their babies beyond 3 months of age. If the weather is’nt as hot then it might be ok to do that but in dry and hot climates this is not advisable. Babies don’t feel very cold and too much heat can do harm to their skin. Try to stop swaddling your baby after a couple months. At first it will keep you awake throughout the night and the baby will invariably end up waking himself up but eventually he’ll get used to it.

Toys/Entertainment for the baby:
The tiny love playmat is a colorful treat for your baby. Its important to have a good set of learning toys for the baby. I really like the leap frog learning touch. Besides this the excersaucer is a good way for your baby to start balancing himself. The excersaucer has a good set of toys attached to it.

Categories: baby
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Rhea is my almost 4 month old daughter around whom our lives revolve. She is absolutely adorable and has made us proud and responsible every step of the way. We love her the most and consider her as our most precious treasure.

Both Rajiv and I were eagerly awaiting her birth. We would look at her empty crib every single day before her birth and would pray that our little angel would soon be in it. And finally on Saturday, March 10th 2007, our little angel decided to come into this world. The 10th of every month has now become a special day for us.

Like most new first time parents, we were really anxious and nervous when she was born but soon we grew out of that. Rhea is a friendly and happy baby on the whole. We spend most of our time laughing and talking to her. The one thing that really amazes us about her, is her curiosity. She is an excellent observer and doesn’t miss any opportunity to look around and explore things and loves to be in front of the camera. She has changed the meaning of life for us and we are thrilled to have her in our lives.

A few people who are and will be a positive influence on her life (other than us ofcourse ) :

daddi and daddu, nana and nani, chachu (Rohit) and chachi (Leena), masi (Vani), masad (Babban) and hardik (her elder brother), Umesh (uncle) and Priyanka masi.

I am really excited on starting this new chapter of my life.

Categories: Family
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