For the Love of Elno (Elmo)

Maliya discovered the love of her life (Elmo) over the summer when Neal took her to a birthday party with an Elmo theme. Since July, Elno has been a huge part of her life- she loves the Elno Song, screams ELNO! when she seems him on her diapers, thinks every cartoon character is Elmo, and even dressed as Elno on Halloween. Maliya assumes that the best way to watch Elmo is on the computer so anytime she seems Neal or I typing or writing an email, she walks over and goes Elno, Elno? She is relentless and won't stop until you show her a video of her beloved Elmo- here are some pictures of Maliya and her favorite person-

Someone has a best friend: Cameron Rose Donahue

Maliya and Cameron have always had a special bond. They are only 2 weeks apart and literally have developed at the same pace. They both crawled late, walked late, and talked super early. The best part about Cameron is that she plays the same as Maliya does and the two of them have actually started playing together which is so cute to see! Maliya loves organizing and sorting things- Cameron does as well. They interact using their own language but seem to understand each other really well. Cameron's mom is Julie Donahue- Julie and I met a few years ago at a job that we both hated and quickly got back in touch once we realized we were both expecting girls at the same time- we literally went through our pregnancy together. We have nicknamed the girls Oceaie (Cameron has eyes the color of the ocean) and Nosey (Maliya flares her nose constantly)- and are hoping that Oceaie and Nosey are lifelong friends. Here are a few pics of the girls- you can actually see them playing together.

Maliya Words- Round 2!

Maliya has added some new words to her vocabulary-

1) Mama- which she says too me!
2) Car- pronounced cahhhhh
3) Tuck- for Truck
4) Elno- for Elmo (who she loves and who deserves another whole post)
5) Aji- she calls Neal's mom Aji but she can't say the J- so it sounds like Aahhhhzi
6) Sooes- for Shoes
7) She also sings a silly song that goes "Wah Wah Wah Wah Ga!" and another silly song goes "Tickle Tickle Tika"
8) All done, All done- or All gone, All gone

She speaks a ton already!

Burke Pumpkin Playground!

We have really enjoyed the month of October in Virginia this year. It has seriously been beautiful and the fall colors have been really great to see. My friend Julie told me about a pumpkin patch/playground for kids called Burke Pumpkin Playground. My friend Fuong and Maliya's friend Sophia came and met us there. We had a great time- there were huge slides, a merry go round, a petting zoo, horse rides, face painting, and other fun activities for kids. We had a great time- the chilly weather got us in the Halloween sprit. Both Maliya and Sophia cried as we were leaving. Here are some pictures of our day!

Its hard being a mom and mom's guilt

This post is a tad different from my usual ones. I have had a great time being Maliya's mom but recently I have realized that having become a mom is a huge challenge for someone who is a total control freak. I also feel guilty when things don't go as planned or feel like I am not doing enough and that I should be doing more as it relates to raising Maliya. This has been a challenge because anyone who knows me quickly gets the fact that I am a complete perfectionist and I don't think things are worth doing if they are not perfect. Because of that, I think I put a lot of pressure on myself to make sure Maliya looks perfect, eats perfect, behaves well, is getting stimulated enough, etc. All of these "I shoulds" have finally caught up with me and I think I need to take a bit of time to figure out who I am again- I have devoted every waking second to this little girl over the past 14 months and I think some time for myself is good. Also, when we have a second child- I am not sure this drive for perfection will due anybody good. Yikes- time out for mom!

MD

Maliya's second "international" trip

We decided to take a trip to Montreal and Quebec City. This really was a mixed experience because the trip started out well but things quickly took a turn. Maliya contracted a stomach virus in the middle of the trip and then passed it to me! She was having stomach issues for days and really lost her appetite. It is unnerving when your child doesn't want to eat anything but milk for 2 days. In any case, the three of us enjoyed being together and Maliya was a trooper. We took a long train ride to Quebec City and back from QC to Montreal- she really hung in there and had the train passengers laughing with all of her sounds, laughs, and saying hello. She is such a great kid and did not let a stomach illness break her spirit. Here are some pictures of the trip- needless to say, we were all happy to get home.

Random Facts Round 2

Here are some random facts about my little pumpkin:

1) She loves to eat- the only thing she has straight out rejected is cottage cheese (most people don't like that though)
2) She will have two passport stamps by the end of September- Bermuda and then Canada!
3) She loves putting lotion on her belly- in fact, she will pretend she is putting lotion on her belly if you say "rub, rub, rub"
4) Her hair is seriously like kramer from seinfeld- it is growing UP and she won't let you put a pin in it!
5) She loves eating at restaurants and being out and about
6) She is tired of her swimming class- we are not enrolling again until she is 2
7) Her best friend is Cameron Rose Donahue- I buy them matching clothes
8) She LOVES dogs- when she sees them she barks!
9) She won't let you know she is up from a nap- instead she stands up in her crib with her pacifier in her mouth and will stand there until you come and check on her!
10) She has not watched any tv yet- I am proud of that.
11) She loves to eat meat- she is a bad bad Hindu girl.
12) She has a huge closet full of clothes- and rarely wears the same outfit twice- I am kind of addicted to buying her things but am atopping!

What a difference a year makes!

I did not post on Maliya's first birthday which was 8/5/2011. I am a bad mom! Her first birthday was great- I tried really hard to make it about Maliya and her friends. We invited 5 families and all of Maliya's little friends were able to come over. We hosted Cameron, Sydney, Aliya and Kieran, Sophia, and Ekkin are new neighbors! Tia Anjali, Sej Masi, Uncle Komes, Nani, Nana, and Abha, and Aji all came as well- we had a full house! Tia Anjali came a day early and helped us with everything- she cooked a ton, made a specialty drink, helped to decorate, and provided a lot of moral support since I get so stressed out when I host things. What a difference a year makes- here is Maliya's first picture and a picture of Maliya around her first birthday!

Maliya's words!

Maliya speaks a ton for a 1 year old which I can barely believe. We actually took her to the pediatrician for her 1 year check up and Maliya was mimicking me the entire time- almost like she was showing off! I wanted to make a log of all of her words-

1) Thank you- sounds like yank ooo yank oooo- she actually hands you something and says yank ooo yank oooo
2) Duck
3) Quack
4) Yeah yeah yeah- sometimes just yeah- she got this from me. I need to remind myself to say Yes from now on.
5) Love you, love you--- kind of sounds like yank ooo yank ooo- but she is trying
6) Dada
7) Mama- though she rarely says it
8) Lalalala- when she hears la la la in a song she repeats it
9) Go go go- I was telling Hedvig to leave and Maliya copied and now says go go go!
10) Eeee I eeee I ooooh- what we sing old mcdonald she can sing the chorus.
11) Ahhh choo- as in the sneeze- sounds like Aaaaa tu- but I count this as a word
12) baby- this may have been her first word- it sounds like Beh beh
13) Hello- this sounds like Hellluuu
14) Hi

She is currently trying to say Again- sounds like Agah Agah Agah, Walk- sounds like Waahk. I think she has a big vocabulary for a little girl!

Latest Pic- What a Cutie!

Maliya thinks it is really fun to tilt her head from side to side- she plays this game with people she really likes. Luckily, she plays it with her mommy all the time!

Maliya's Classroom Antics

Many of you know how anal I am- so of course I worry about Maliya socializing with other kids and being comfortable around new people. She stays home with a nanny and doesn't interact with other children much during the week. I have tried to arrange playdates for her and take her out at least once a day. Interestingly, she is such a social little girl and loves to be out and about. In terms of classes, she has been in music, swimming, and storytime since 5 mos. We recently found a class through Arlington County called Family Circle. I had NO idea what to expect but have now realized this is something we have to keep up with! Maliya loves it! The class is taught by Ms. Maryanna (she is very young and pretty- I think that makes Maliya obsessed with her!)- Ms. Maryanna reads books, sings songs, teaches sign language, speaks in Spanish, plays instruments- you name it. There are two kids younger than Maliya in class but most of the kids are older (ages 2-5). Maliya has really come into her own in Family Circle- today she scooted to the middle of the circle and was flapping her arms out of excitement the entire time. Also, she has recently learned how to do a downward dog yoga move and did that in the circle three times. She was so excited and happy that all the other parents kept looking at her and laughing. She even scooted up to Ms. Maryanna and tried to sit on her lap. I think we will stick with these classes!

Bermuda Baby!

Maliya took her first ever international trip to Bermuda the first week of June 2011. She had a great time- we found Bermuda to be very child friendly and the hotel staff and guests seemed to get a kick out of her. During our stay, we met up with Shabanam, James, and Dakota (their pitbull mix)- I was super nervous about Maliya being around a dog with such a bad reputation but Dakota proved that fear wrong. She was so sweet and loving towards Maliya. Some pictures are below-

Maliya loved the baby pool, the ocean, and the hotel. She tried all different types of food off of the children's menu including grilled cheese, butternut squash soup, chicken, mashed potatoes, and steamed veggies. She is such a good eater and slept really well and seemed to enjoy the change of scenery, She did get bored in the hotel room but who wouldn't? Bermuda was an easy trip for us- 90 minute direct flight from Baltimore and we have friends there! Pictures are below-

Michael Jackson Onsie-

Ha- guess who bought her this?!!!!!!

Meeting Bronwyn ThanaWandler in Atlanta!

Neal, Maliya, and I made a trip to Atlanta for Tia Anjali and Tio Pratap's wedding reception. The Raya family wanted to host an event for their community in Atlanta so we flew down on Friday morning. Our friends Sid and Eric live in Buckhead so we decided to spend one night with them in their new mansion and meet their beautiful yellow lab Bronwyn (named after the first female radiologist- and also called Boo Boo Cita). We were a bit nervous since Maliya has had very limited interactions with dogs- needless to say, the two of them LOVED each other. Maliya actually referred to Brownwyn as Mama on multiple occasions and just laughed hysterically each time Boo Boo came around. IN turn, Boo BOO was very protective of Maliya and was always at her feet. Sid and Eric told us that Labs love babies and always protect them. Here are some pictures and a video!

Maliya also had a great time with Anika, Riana, and Vivi- her three cousins who she loves!

Mother's Day

I was so happy to celebrate my first Mother's Day with my own momma- the one and only Smita Morjaria. Neal was working all weekend- not a big deal since I got to spend the day with my parents. We spent a huge part of the day at Maliya's favorite park in Arlington where she got to go on the swings (which she loved). The day was beautiful and actually, she started really copying and imitating on this actual day! If you spit, she spits- If you fake a sneeze- she tries her best to imitate you. We were laughing hysterically at how hard she was trying to copy- she is very good at it actually. She is a doll- pictures to follow of Mals and me, Mals and her Nani, and Mals and her Nana! Notice some of the features she shares with her grandfather- she doesn't really look like me but her nose and mouth look like my dad. How cute!

Some facts about my girl

Malya is a neat little girl. She has a very distinct and silly personality and is already exhibiting some behaviors that are just her own. Here are some facts about my munchkin-
1) She has multiple nicknames which include Buddy (Neal), Giggles (mom), Mals (mom), Malushka (given by her beloved Hedvig), Boo Boo (given by her Nani), and Googs (shortened version of Giggles).
2) She is 100th percentile in height.
3) She is 100th percentile in head size!
4) She always keeps a tiny bit of milk in her mouth to gargle after she is done with her bottle (literally every single time!)
5) She loves to swim and take baths.
6) She hates to be on her stomach and probably won't crawl. She is however, rolling from one end of the room to the other-
7) She is very vocal- starting from 3 mos on she found her voice!
8) She giggles when she sees dogs.
9) She imitates now- funny sounds, music, and noises
10) She LOVES to eat- her favorite food is applesauce of all different varieties-

I could go on and on- you get the idea- my girl is a cool little chick!

Two Pigtails

Cute! Maliya had a ton of hair- all in the front of her head just like her Dad! I don't know what else to do with it except for two pigtails!

Maliya's first wedding!

Tia Anjali and Uncle Pratap got married on 4/30. There were many events leading up to the event- Initially, I was very scared about Maliya's schedule getting completely thrown off- it did, but she adjusted well for the most part. The events started on 4/28- pooja at home and then a mendhi party. Maliya wore a pretty green outfit that we borrowed from her friend Aliya. In the evening, Maliya wore a pink Punjabi outfit that my mom had made for her. I tried to pigtails for the first time and Maliya seemed okay with her hair for a few hours anyway. She stuck around for about an hour and then I drove her home where her beloved Hedvig was waiting to put her to sleep and stay with her. Friday night- we went to a BBQ at the Desai residence and Maliya wore a pretty polo outfit that her Tia Anjali picked for her. The weather was cold and I got really nervous about keeping her outside for so long- my parents drove her home and put her to sleep. Finally, Maliya went to the wedding ceremony- saw her first horse up close that Uncle Pratap came in on, was carried down the aisle, and finally fell asleep towards the end of the ceremony. We drove her home and she napped for about 90 min before going to the reception. The reception was hard for Maliya as she had a hard time with the loud music and all the people. She loved seeing her cousins Anika, Riana, and Viena- they loved her too- particularly Anika who was very attached to her. Maliya got to meet both sides of the Desai family and see my parents as well. She also met her Auntie Gitika for the first time and spend time with Uncle Amit. Overall, I am very happy with how Maliya did through all of the wedding events.

Mom's Birthday

I celebrated my first every birthday as a mom on April 17th with Maliya and Neal. We had a great day- it started with blueberry pancakes (made by Neal and Maliya), presents (a picture of Maliya, a necklace, and two decorative items for our house), rock climbing with Kimberly, and taking Maliya to the park. Honestly, she is my best gift and she is part of what made my birthday this year so special. I can't wait to celebrate many more birthdays with her!

A Tough Week

This week hasn't been the best- Maliya turned 8 mos old on Tuesday which is amazing but has decided to revert back to her old newborn sleeping patterns! She spoiled us by waking up only once a night to eat for about 1.5 months. Neal and I would alternate getting up with her and we were both actually able to sleep through the night a few times a week. Not sure what happened- seems like night time separation anxiety. She used to be fine just being left in her crib or being put back in her crib after eating- not anymore. She woke up about 3 times a night every night for the past couple of days and would cry hysterically when we tried to put her back in her crib. So difficult- we spent a tough week in early March ferberizing which worked great. It seems like we are back at square one. Lauren D keeps reminding me that everything with a baby is temporary (even though it feels endless at times)-

Two things- 1) It is crazy what lack of sleep does to you- I find myself worrying a lot more, fixating on the problem a lot more, and just thinking about how tired I am constantly- 2) It is great to have friends close by that you can talk things out with and just be reminded that trying to get a little person who can't speak to do what you want is really hard! Maliya and I went to visit Fuong and Sophia today and it was very therapeutic to just talk to someone who is dealing with similar trials and tribulations with her own 8 month old.

Hopefully things will get better- Day 2 of referberization tonight!

I have a best friend!

I have a lot of great people in my life- always have. I am VERY lucky to have so many friends from so many different parts of my life. UVA, NYU, living in New York, living in DC- I am a very lucky person. However, I have never had a best friend- one person to do everything with, someone that knows me inside and out, someone I can say anything to, someone who laughs at all my dumb jokes....well, obviously Neal is my best friend in many ways but he is not a girl, does not always laugh at my jokes, and is not always around to talk too. Well guess what.....I have a best friend now! Maliya is my girl, my buddy, my companion, my bestie- man do I ADORE her.

We do everything together- us two. This past weekend we went to a coffee shop together (she played with a cup- I read the paper, we had a dance party (Motown Philly by Boyz II Men and Regulator by Warren G), we made pancakes, and we took a long walk in the park. I miss my bestie when she goes to sleep and can't wait to see her smile in the morning- am being serious.....I know I sound super cheesy.

I mean look at her.....how could you not be head over heels?

Ballerina Girl

Super cheesy I know-

I got Maliya a purple tutu a long time ago and swore I would never dress her in it. I was wrong- and how cute does she look?!!!!!!!! Am I turning her into a girley girl?!!!!!

I love my Nana, Nani, Masi, Aba, Aji, Foi, Fua, Auntie, Uncle, and cousins!

Maliya has a very close relationship with her grandparents and aunts and uncles. Neal and I made the decision to move back to Virginia prior to having children because I did not know any of my extended family growing up and really feel like I missed out. The Morjaria family is huge and live on every continent except the US. Sej and I never really knew our grandparents and are very close to our family in Spain (Arti, Pritesh) but don't really know anybody else. I wanted Maliya to grow up surrounded by her grandparents and family- just so she can have a well-rounded upbringing. Neal and I talk about moving to California-----maybe someday Neha and I can be neighbors!

Here are some pictures of Maliya with her beloved grandparents, Masi, cousins, Foi, and Fua-