Baby Cobra

Last Friday, after almost 2 weeks of better sleeping through the night (this means stretches of 5+ hours, not really a full night but I wasn't complaining)...well, he did an up-every-2-hours routine. I understand now that he was likely cluster feeding to prepare for a growth spurt - so I can't get too upset - but it wasn't fun. But, the results!

Yesterday for the first time, when we put him on his tummy, he pushed himself up all by himself (albeit only slightly) into a baby cobra pose and giggled when he saw us. So cute! Photos are also from a visit to friends Nimisha, Gurjeet, and Ameya - with Deven lying on the cute quilt our friend Steve's sister made for him. He loves this quilt - lots of bright colors. My sister hasn't seen it yet, but I know she'll approve of the froggie-print - and I love it because it's the perfect size and washable. :-)

We tested a nanny candidate that we really liked yesterday - don't want to give away too much yet, but I hope it all works out with her. She's going to babysit for us this Saturday and again in July when I have a few days work to attend to. I'm excited and relieved. Yogesh's mom (my Saas, or Mother-in-Law) will come over from India in mid-August to be with us

In other news, my Uncle Art continues his recovery from quadruple bypass surgery he had last Monday - doing quite well!

I've started thinking about my return to work. It was scheduled for early September, now may be sometime in August - depending on a number of factors (not least of which is the potential Nanny's availability). To quote the instructor of the Baby Boot Camp that I've been attending, "This is all so hard!" Sigh. It really is.

More photos and videos uploaded...check 'em out @ the links on the left...

Oblay! (The Prince and the Poo)

Deven has continued his growing-up-too-fast routine. He now has a series of grunts, squeaks, gurgles, and other cute-as-pie sounds that he makes, routinely. The funniest one that Yogesh and I have identified is "Oblay!" - this means "Change me! I'm sitting in my own poo and I don't like this!"

Have you ever heard the story of the Princess and the Pea? We have decided that Deven is the protagonist in his very own "Prince and the Poo" story. Every time he wets or soils his diaper (mind you, this is at LEAST 15 times a day), he cries. I don't mean whimpers - I mean full-out change from Dr. Jekyll cute-gurgly-baby to Mr. Hyde angry-red-faced-screamer. I keep telling myself that this is a good thing - that it means he won't get diaper rash as badly, and he'll potty train faster, because he can feel -and he doesn't like - his own excrement. (Ieewww, I mean, who does?).

A cute video of Deven and Nanii Gerda:

Got a great message from my cousin Rea that they're renting out their fabulous cottage for guests - it's complete with its own off-grid solar system and was lovingly built by Rea and Jeff. They got married on the property last year, and even with the rain it was a breathtaking getaway cottage. Check it out!

In other news, Mom & Dad are back in town after a visit to Southern California and my Uncle Hans's wedding (check out the photos on Deven's photo website). Our cousin Dennis is also here - over from Germany to learn more English. We're doing the tourist-thing while in town, meaning I'll finally get to see Alcatraz Island - something I've never done in all the years I've lived here. All we seem to be doing with Dennis is quizzing or teasing him about Mercedes (he works for Daimler) - he's taken it pretty well so far.

Must run now...hearing the Prince tell us to change him...OBLAY!

...and Nanaa Doug Met Deven

My parents were in town again, having driven cross-country in their new minivan (complete with child-seat friendly seats, Nanii Gerda was proud to say). They brought us the gorgeous piece of furniture that my grandmother, who I called Nunu, had forever - a Ladies' Desk. And, though my father isn't really 'into babies' as he says, he still held Deven (despite how uncomfortable he looked!).

They're now in Anaheim, and my great-uncle Hans is getting married today, so wedding bells ringing - congrats! They'll be back next weekend, where they'll meet Dennis, a distant relative who's also staying with us, and they'll drive off again back East.

Lots more photos of my parents' trip cross-country (visiting with Tommy & Heather in Chicago and their vacation home in Indiana, and with Lauren in Dallas) , plus older photos of when cousin Albin came to visit us a few weeks back. Check 'em out! :-)

First Visit by a Sharma - Nicknames - and the Nanny Search Begins

FAMILY VISIT


Yogesh's cousin, Rahul (Shyamal) came to visit us on Friday evening - what fun! He lives in Toronto with his wife Sara, and was in town briefly for a conference. He thought Deven looks acceptably like a Sharma, so we'll keep him! He brought the cutest shirt for Deven to wear - so very Silicon Valley. No photos yet; but we'll take and post them once Deven fits into his new uber-fashionable duds.
More photos and brief videos from Rahul's visit:



NICKNAMES
Many people in Yogesh's family have nicknames: Rahul is Shyamal, his sister Rachna is Noopur, their cousin Kamini is Meenu... Yogesh didn't get a nickname beyond 'Yogi' but I don't call him that because I've got an Uncle Joergi, and don't want to confuse the two! Deven seems to be taking the Sharma trend to the new generation; so far his nicknames include:

• Muffin
• Milk-face
• Mr. Poopypants (thanks, Heather!)
• Baby Bird
• Lil' Devil
• LaLaa
• Motu LaLaa
• Dr. Dee
• D

THE NANNY SEARCH

Aargh. Before Deven was born, we took the advice of our wise friends Tom & Kaya, and put our names on the waiting lists of all the reputable daycare centers we could find (that's 5 in all; $225 in fees thank you very much!) We even were accepted into one of them...but have since heard some very poor feedback about the place, and about how even 'average-quality' daycare for young infants can hurt them in the long run. That, coupled with my general anxiety over leaving the little guy in group care so young, left me awake for 3 hours on Wednesday night while Deven and Yogesh snoozed peacefully (any of you who know how sleep-deprived new parents are, know that 3 hours of anxiety-induced insomnia is precious sleep NOT to be wasted on worrying!)

So, we discussed a Plan B; something we'd toyed with for a while now: Hiring a Nanny. I wasn't initially keen on the idea, because we've all heard horror stories about this method of childcare as well - and it's bloody expensive! I mean, we're talking well more than a year of college education - but what's the price of your child's well-being and feeling secure about their day-to-day development? So, we have a few unique twists that we're going to try to work out:

1. Daadii. We've invited Yogesh's mom to come live with us again. She is too frail to be Deven's primary caretaker by herself, but bringing her back would not only provide important 'nanny oversight', but also - and more importantly - it would give both she and Deven precious 'Daadii-Potaa' (Grandmother-Grandson) time together. She's excited by the idea of coming to stay with us again, but is understandably not looking forward to the 26-hour flight.


2. Share-care. Because nannies are frightfully expensive (at least the ones you want watching your children), we've spoken with another nice couple, Ute & Kevin, who have a son just 2 hours older than Deven. We've committed nothing yet, but have agreed to attempt to find a nanny willing to care for both of our little guys together in one of our houses (likely ours, given #1 above). Could be a way to save a bundle, and allow the two little guys to grow up together with both a full-time Nanny and Grandmother there to watch over them.


3. Hindi-speaking Nanny. We've started posting online for a Nanny, specifying someone who speaks Hindi. This is important, because Yogesh's mom is more comfortable in Hindi...and finding someone suitable isn't as easy as it sounds. Though we live in a major world city; the majority of Indians in the Bay area live in the South Bay areas of Fremont and Sunnyvale, leaving a dearth of potential Hindi-speaking nannies here in San Francisco. So, although it's officially 'too soon' to begin searching for the right candidate; we've posted ads in the major free Indian online sites and craigslist; and have gotten a couple of phone calls already. We have our first interview with a potential candidate tomorrow - wish us luck! See the text below - this is what we're seeking in a candidate. What do you think?

We are looking for a nurturing, responsible, mature and energetic Hindi- and English-speaking nanny to care for our son who will be 5 months old, starting in early September.

• Days/Hours: Mon - Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm (some flexibility)
• Starting: September 3, 2007 (some flexibility)
• Location: Our home in Noe Valley (convenient to both BART and MUNI public transportation)

Requirements:

• Experience working with infants
• Fluent in Hindi and English (Plus: knows or willing to learn sign language for pre-verbal communication)
• High level of energy and creativity, love of children and knowledge of various phases of development
• Child/infant CPR certified, with updated immunizations
• Background check (Trustline-certified preferred)
• Comfortable with a very friendly cat
• 2-3 excellent references
• Non-smoker

Responsibilities:

• Maintain/Develop healthy feeding and sleeping schedules
• Developmental and entertaining activities (i.e. reading, singing, taking walks, etc.)
• Walking to parks/library, etc.
• Light Housework and cooking for the child

Our family is Indian-American. We will pay market rates, benefits, vacations, etc. for the right person to join us. Please email me at ..., or call ...