B&V: Beads of my Rosary!

There is a very famous quote by Heraclitus -“You cannot step twice into the same stream."  I couldn’t agree more with this quote. Whenever I flash back down memory lane, there are some memories which I still cherish a lot - especially, from my childhood. I know childhood is one of the most precious and most memorable times of one’s life; this is the one phase of life which one doesn’t want to pass by.

 Whenever I think of childhood, I just want the time to come back. Alas! We can’t step back in time. Memories of making toys with olive-like drupes (Nimbori –fruit of Neem Tree) or counting the stars while lying on a charpoy in the night; imagining funny figures from clouds or playing hide and seek during electrical outages; making excuses for school or eating lunch in the class; asking Granny to repeat the same story a hundred times or dumping things deep in the ground with a hope that after some days I will find them a few feet away because the earth has moved. I remember, after reading “Gulliver’s Travels” I started to believe that deep inside the ground there exists a Lilliput; with this notion I used to dump my eraser, hairpin, pencil, sharpener and what not in the ground so that one day  people in Lilliput will get them and will come to talk to me. The thought of talking to a 6 inch man or woman used to amuse me a lot and it even amuses me today too - if they are from Lilliput . Eating a seed can grow a plant inside your stomach was another belief which used to scare me a lot.  Once I ate the seed of Ber (Zizyphus mauritiana) and throughout the evening I was asking my Mom how to get it out from my stomach. All these silly things and more make our childhood special.

Sometime I wonder should I consider today’s kids more lucky for all the comforts and gadgets and gizmos they have or ourselves for such exciting and joyful childhoods. Thanks to media exposure that kids are growing faster than their age. I do not know why there is this race to make them adults so fast. Don’t they have a right to have their innocence a little longer? I know it’s so hard to keep the kids away from all the bad things, but it is also true that one day they are going to cherish their childhoods like us but for different reasons.

Each memory of our childhood is like a bead of rosary which we like to count or recall again and again. Now, you might understand why the title of my post is “Beads of my rosary.” In upcoming days I am thinking of writing a few more post under this series - each time a new bead. Not sure, what and when I will post my next post; till then enjoy this and have a great day.

M&M : Shopping List for Mommy and Munchkin- II

While preparing for my baby registry, I was in a dilemma for certain items - whether to add them or not. Eventually, I added them to my registry, and I didn’t regret my decision. Here I am sharing my reasons for selecting those items.

 

Onesies: Generally, I have seen four kinds of onesies:

• Long-Sleeve Mitten-Cuffs 
  
• Long sleeve without mittens
• Short sleeve
• Sleeveless

 For initial three months, I decided to use mitten-cuff onesies for my son. These onesies were really comfortable for covering an infant’s hands. Beside that one doesn’t need to buy separate mittens. As per my friends, with separate mittens babies can take their hands out very easily. 

Sleep-and-playoutfit: I really admire the person who first designed them. Sleep-and-play outfits are my favorite for a number of reasons. First, my son born in the winters, so these outfits were perfect to cover him completely. Second, baby can slip inside them very easily. Third, these outfits are very comfortable for changing a baby’s diaper- you just unbutton the snaps. Last, you do not need to buy separate booties.

Again, there are two kinds of S&P outfits: one with titch-button snaps and other with zipper. If your baby is smart enough to pull out his leg from titch-button outfits then try with zipper. The only thing which I do not like about zipper is that one has to bend a baby’s leg to slip it in the suit which is quite uncomfortable for baby.

Baby gowns are another option if your baby born in summer.

Receiving blankets/Sleep-Sack: 

                                                              Receiving Blanket               

Our son didn’t like to swaddle, but we tried to swaddle him with receiving blankets and sleep-sack. I liked the sleep-sack better, as it made the swaddling easier. If you are planning to swaddle your baby then these are definitely worth some $$. Another advantage is that you do not need to cover your baby with a blanket while he/she is sleeping, so it reduces SID chances.

                                                                        Sleep Sack

Washcloths: Initially, I didn’t understand their use, but in spite of that I added them in my baby registry and I didn’t regret my decision. Now, I use them day in day out. Washcloths can be used for a variety of purposes: cleaning baby bottoms; wiping face, gums, and teeth. I bought a set of 12 wash cloths, and I am pretty happy with them.

Bulb Syringe/Nasal aspirator/Snot Sucker: A must have item. We got it from our hospital. It is used to clean the snot to ease the nasal congestion. Babies do not know how to breathe from their mouth. If they have nasal congestion, then it could become a life threatening situation. Check out the following link regarding Nasal aspirator use.

Glider Rocker: If you don’t want to walk the whole night holding your baby then this is a must have item.  Its motion really soothes the baby. We have been using our glider since day one. Now, my son is nine months old and it is still in use. If you are curious about "how it works" try them in any baby shop. I am sure you would like them.