More Visitors!

This weekend was filled with more visitors for Kamran! It started off on Saturday morning with a visit from the Unnis & Guptas. The Unnis are expecting a baby boy this fall. Uncle Satish & Auntie Monica were naturals! We are looking forward to introducing Kamran to their son!



Uncle Sonny and Auntie Harshna shared some of their newborn stories from their earlier days with Avi. We couldn't believe how big he is now - 2.5 yrs! While Mehul was playing with Avi he was kind of enough to remind Mehul of a house rule. It went something like this "We aren't allowed to throw the ball in the house - do you understand?!" Avi should come over more often - I can never get Mehul to listen to me when I say that!

Later in the day Auntie Jen stopped by. We missed Gregg & the kids but hope to see them soon! Jen's brother and sister-in-law recently had a baby boy and was born at a whopping 9.5lbs! So handling Kamran was a piece of cake for her! She couldn't get over how tiny he was.

Jen brought an assortment of cupcakes for us and they were so pretty I couldn't resist including a photo of them. This is not helping me get to my pre-pregnancy weight but I guess we all deserve to indulge a little right?!

On Sunday afternoon Auntie Prema & Uncle Raj stopped by. They are also expecting their first child - a boy! - this fall. Yet another play buddy for Kamran! We are looking forward to meeting their new addition!

And finally, Dadi and Mehul's aunt visiting from India stopped by on Sunday evening. Dadi was been out of town for a week and was thrilled to see Kamran!

Dinner at The Patels

On Saturday evening we headed over to The Patels for dinner. Kamran finally got to meet his friend, Rayan! We last saw Rayan about a month ago and he has grown so much since than! We remember first visiting Rayan when he was just one week old (see pic below). I was about 5 months pregnant with Kamran at the time.

Rayan was the same size as Kamran at birth and it's hard to believe that Kamran will be just as big as Rayan one day! The two guys got some play time together before they went down for their naps. We're looking forward to more play dates with these two fellas!

Babysitters in Training

This week both of Kamran's aunts & uncles came by for a visit.

Ami Fui & Chris Fua stopped by on Thursday evening.

Bhami Masi & Rob Masa stopped by on Saturday afternoon.

In our attempts to increase our babysitting pool, Mehul and I are trying to train both of our sisters on how to change Kamran's diapers. ;-) We've yet to convince either one of them to change his diaper to date, but we have been able to get them to watch us as we change his diapers so we can walk them through it. Baby steps....

Three Weeks!

We marked Kamran's three week birthday by having our first dinner out as a family! Unfortunately we did not think ahead to make reservations at the restaurant of our choice and ended up waiting for additional 30-40 minutes (even though they said it was going to be more like 20 minutes). Needless to say I was close to reenacting the scene from The Excorcist where the woman's head is spinning! My fears were mostly around Kamran screaming his head off in the restaurant and having to spend another 20 minutes in the car during the ride back listening to him cry. I'm not quite mentally prepared to deal with that scenario. I was ready to call it a night, go home and order a pizza when our name finally got called. Thankfully Mehul kept me (or more like attempted) calm during that agonizing wait! Once again Kamran was a gem and slept the entire time. While it was probably a bit too stressful for me, I'm glad we decided to go out. It was worth it and I'm looking forward to doing it again!

Home Alone - Update

Just thought I would provide an update on my week with Kamran since my parents left. I would categorize it as a roller coaster ride - there were many ups and downs! On the good days, Kamran is very playful and will sleep peacefully for hours. That provides a nice opportunity for me to relax and/or catch up around the house. Other days he can be extremely fussy and I can't seem to find anything to calm him down. Those are the days I am looking at the clock waiting for Mehul to get home! :-) It's been a juggling act trying to fit in time to eat meals, shower, etc but I'm getting used to it. Having a newborn certainly gives multi-tasking an entirely new definition!

I had my first outing alone with Kamran on Thursday. Mehul and I have suspected that Kamran either has reflux or is colic. Either way we wanted to check with the pediatrician to make sure his sudden bout with fussiness wasn't related to anything else. Unfortunately Mehul couldn't make the appointment because it was so last minute. That meant I had to venture out on my own with the little guy. I gave myself plenty of time to fasten him in the carseat and the offchance I would need to pull over to calm the little guy down in case he started crying. I realize most parents probably don't pull over everytime their kid starts crying but I don't think I could have driven all the way to the doctor's office if he was (atleast not for my first experience!). With the exception of some whimpering when I stopped at a traffic light, Kamran did really well in the car. By the time we got to the doctor's office he was fast asleep! He did so well after the doctor's appointment that I decided to run a few more errands while he was still passed out. All in all a good experience and I'm definitely more encouraged to venture out with him more on my own. In fact I'm pretty excited about it since it gives me a chance to leave the house more. :-)

Home Alone

Today officially marks the day that I begin staying home alone with Kamran. My parents left this morning and it was tough goodbye for all of us. The house seems so empty without them. They had graciously offered to stay another week but it's time for me to start facing this on my own. I know Kamran will miss his Nana and Nani very much. I call Nani the baby whisperer. She has an amazing effect on Kamran - he always seems to stay so calm with her.

I would be lying if I didn't say I am anxious and nervous about what these next few days alone (or should I say next few months!?!) will bring. But I know we will get through it and I'm looking forward to the quality time we are going to have together.

I'll end with some pictures of Nana, Nani, and Kamran over the past few weeks. Thanks for all of your help and support Mom and Dad!

Happy Father's Day!

I was going to wait for Mehul to post his entry fo Father's Day but we might be waiting a long time for that! ;-)

Daddy took part of the night shift on Saturday so he slept in on Sunday morning. He woke up to a breakfast of chocolate chip pancakes. Kamran waited patiently for Daddy and even had his bib ready to join him for breakfast.

Later in the day, Kamran gave Daddy one of his gifts. A little early for football season but it's like that 24-7 in our house so he knew Daddy would love it.

And what better way to celebrate the beautiful day than to grill - one of Daddy's favorite summer activities. With the assistance of Daddy manning the grill, Nani prepared an amazing feast that we all enjoyed! Kamran gives his seal of approval as well.

Happy Father's Day to all of you!

Date Night

On Saturday evening I decided to take a big step - per my suggestion a date night. We left Kamran with my parents, Nana & Nani.



I started to feel guilty the second Kamran woke up from his nap which was just about the same time we were heading out the door. I probably would have felt much better about the situation had he been asleep when we left. We didn't go too far, about 10 minutes from the house but it felt far enough for our first outing without Kamran.

I must admit that I thought it was going to be much easier to leave Kamran alone for a few hours, especially since he was with my parents. I called home three times during the two hours we were away but the grandparents were patient and humoured me!

Nana and Nani had a great time with Kamran and said he was gem! I missed him tons and loved on him so much when we got back, so much that I wasn't the normal crankpot during the night feedings! For those that know how much I cherish my sleep, that's saying A LOT!

Visit from Auntie Sonal & Uncle Neil

On Saturday afternoon Auntie Sonal & Uncle Neil stopped by to visit Kamran. Kamran slept during most of their visit but finally opened his eyes for the last 10 or 15 minutes. This was a first for Kamran as he usually sleeps while most people are visiting.

We caught up on some of their vacations and discussed Sonal's amazing recipes from her blog. I'm hoping to get Mehul to try some of those this summer!

2 Weeks Old!

It's hard to believe Kamran is already 2 weeks old! We have already noticed changes in him since he was born. Some of his changes include being more alert during the day, having a tighter grasp, grins more (only while he sleeps) and makes more eye contact (our favorite!).

This week included a two week checkup with the pediatrician . Kamran is up to 6lbs! His next checkup won't be until August. We have also been attempting to give him a few minutes of tummy time every day. Kamran is not a fan but is slowly warming up to it. Mehul and I couldn't resist posting this picture we took during his first few attempts at tummy time.

So what else is Kamran up to these days? As with most newborns, Kamran spent most of his first week sleeping and only seemed to cry when he was hungry or needed a diaper change. Mehul and I thought we were getting off lucky! But Kamran had other plans for his parents! ;-) Kamran has been more fussy in his second week. He usually doesn't get fussy until it's time for us to sleep - go figure! Mehul calls it his "party time". Like his father, Kamran is a night owl! Fortunately Kam is on his best behavior for his visitors. The first few nights were horrible because Mehul and I could not figure out what was bothering him. After initially freaking out at his hysterical cries and not knowing what was wrong (admittedly it was me freaking and Mehul trying to calm the both of us down!), we think he is gassy and uncomfortable from the formula we are supplementing. In addition to nursing we are also giving the little man formula to add more meat to his bones! :-) We have switched formulas and it seems to be working. Keep your fingers crossed!

I'm feeling gulity for only posting a picture of him crying so I'll end with another one that I love!

A Visit from NC!

Today my college friend from Virginia Tech, Jen, made a special trip all the way from Wilmington, NC to visit Kamran. The last time Jen held a newborn was 15 years ago! You wouldn't have been able to tell by the way she handled Kam though. Kam slept in her arms for about an hour and I finally put him down to give her arms a break! It was great catching up with Jen and reminiscing about old times. We can't wait to see her again soon!

Back to the Grind...

The day I was dreading finally came on Monday. I started getting sad over the weekend and had to face the inevitable on Monday morning. Daddy is going back to work. Mehul and I really enjoyed what I call our "three time" with Kamran last week. Both Kamran and I will miss having him around during the day. The transition has been much easier since my parents are still with us. I am already dreading their departure but I know I have to face this on my own soon enough!

Daddy is telling Kam not to worry - Mr. Giraffe will look after him while he's gone ;-)

Weekend Recap

This weekend was our first at home with Kamran. Daddy and I chuckled at what a typical weekend is like now that the little guy has arrived.

The weekend started out with a visit from Auntie Kavitha and Uncle Praveen on Friday evening. It was great catching up with them. To Daddy's delight Uncle Praveen still insists on calling Kamran "Antonio" but I think I was successful in talking him out of it. ;-) I guess that's what we get for waiting so long to come up with a name!

On Saturday morning we gave Kamran a sponge bath. Nana and Nani giggled along as Daddy and I consulted the internet and our baby books before we got started.

Saturday afternoon Auntie Toby, Uncle Piyush, Uncle Basil and Kadyn stopped by for a visit. We missed Auntie Soma but hope to introduce Kamran to her soon enough. We are also looking forward to introducing Kamran to his buddy Rayan who is just 5 months older than him!

We finished up the afternoon with a stroll around the neighborhood. We were eager to show Kamran the world outside our home but he slept through the entire walk!

On Sunday afternoon Mehul's cousins Ketan and Nikki dropped by a for a visit. Unfortunately we were having such a good time catching up with them we forgot to get a picture. All the more reason for another visit!

Later in the afternoon Kamran had his newborn photos taken. Daddy and I can't wait to see how they turn out! Part two of our photo session will be another few weeks and we hope to share soon!

Who does Kamran look like???

Let us know what you think with your comments!!

Mommy


Daddy

More Pics of Kamran

Kamran's "Crib"

Although Kamran is bunking with us these days, we are still introducing him to his nursery. Here's a few shots of his jungle themed nursery:

Kamran's Sixth Day

On Wednesday Dadi performed a tradition in her family called the "Sixth Day" birth cermony for Kamran. The sixth day is a personal ceremony performed by the family elders on the sixth day after the child's birth. The belief of the ceremony is that the goddess of destiny will write the destiny of the newborn.

Mehul's cousins - Falgu, Milan, and Mitesh also came by for a visit.

We decided to open a bottle of champage (thanks Diena & Wes!) to celebrate Kamran's birth. I was so excited to have my very first drink after 9 months (after I neurotically cleared this with a couple of doctor's and planned it so that it was a few hours before Kam's next feeding)!