At home at last

Nikhil comes home and has his first bath:

The bath continues with the correct temperature now:

Finally, its over, but it was nice:

Letters to my grandson- What's in a name ?

My dear Nikhil

It was good to see you today. You looked very handsome indeed. Not at all like a "lil monkey" . I have told your father to call you Nikhil or if he likes "handsome" or just "Nik" . 

But perhaps he forgets your name. After all he is getting old! So ask your grandma, the one giving you the milk bottle, to change the shirts you wear. Instead of just " I love daddy" they should all read  "I love daddy - Nikhil." That way they will not forget your name.

After all Nikhil is a lovely name and your Bua, your godmother, spent a lot of time getting it right. What does it mean? It means "perfection" or "complete". Which you are. 

All of us have to go through these problems of having to train your parents. See when I was young, yes, your dada was like you once, my mother called me "baby". Since I was the youngest I had to answer. Mostly they just forgot my name. Imagine that. Anil is a simple name isn't  it? So one day I went to my mothers dad ,she was the biggest culprit, and told him I was going to stop eating if any one called me a "baby". That stopped them. My moms dad gave her a firing and that was that. Of course, I was a little older than you are and had a better variety of food. But you need to start early with these people with fading memories!

with all our love

Dada and Dadi

Nikhil writes again

Hi Granma, Grampa, and Aunty;

Here are some more pics of me. Mommy made me wear these booties that were SO hot - I had the last laugh, though. I threw them off before we went to the doctor :P

Daddy got me some new toys for my crib. They make nice noises that make me oh so sleepy....

<yawn>

I talk to you tomorrow? I go for my sleepy time now!

Love,

Niky 

IMG_0051 - Mommy made me wear these booties. They're so hot!

 

IMG_0052 - I hate them I hate them I hate them!!

 

IMG_0053 - What are you looking at? These things are so annoying. It's okay - I threw them off afterward anyway.

 

IMG_0054 - Daddy bought me a new toy that makes nice noises and makes me sleepy....

 

IMG_0055 - Mmmm... what? Go away. It's sleepy time

 

IMG_0056 - Daddy, I just wanna sleep!!!

 

IMG_0057 - My crib :)

 

IMG_0058 - All my new toys :D

 

Advice for my father from his father

Here is what my grandpa advised my father. Wonder if he will take the advise? What do you think?

The seven stages of fatherhood

We are all familiar with Shakespearean line about how "one man in his time plays many parts. His acts being seven ages. ( to those who have forgotten these lines that we all learned at school, I have attached them below!) I am begining to think of fatherhood in a similar vein with its seven stages too:

"Days of awe and wonder". When a father beholds his first child, he is struck speechless, awestruck to see such a tiny image of himself complete in all respects. Every day brings a new wonder- today he smiled, then he sneezed, he opened his eyes, he said his first word, he actually said  "da da". A sight of him or her erases all troubles of life and you could hours just gazing into his eyes and making him smile. These are the golden years for all dads.

"The all knowing one". As they grow older, they are convinced that their father knows everything and has the answer to any questions they may have. It is a conviction that they carry with a confidence that does your heart good. Your boss at work may think you are an idiot but come home and your child looks up to you with adoration in his eyes. The signature line of this period is " My daddy can do anything." What more can a man want?

"You dont know anything". But the onset of teen years turns this adoration upside down. Now you know nothing. Every little thing has to be explained you in detail and in an exasperated voice. Now dad this is how you work the computer. Or this is not what we do at the prom. You dont understand fashion and please please dont play those songs in public they are so so old. The signature line of these years is " Father? he's hopelessly old-fashioned."


"Who is this person". Off they go to college and the crysllais turns into a butterfly that you hoped for but could not belive. Is this the person who never studied till just before the exam day? How come she is working from daybreak to midnight? How has he invented this new cure for the latest disease? How has he blossomed forth only in a few years? Where did all this energy come from? The signature line for this period is well "Wow!"

"I never knew ye". Then they meet a partner and you never can understand their behaviour anymore. The cooing and billing that goes on and that from a person who winced when you hugged him in public. And god forbid if you actually kissed him. The concentration on family and finances turns your head. How come he never thought of all this so carefully when he was living at home. How come his champagne tastes have now turned to root beer? You sometimes have to ask "Who are these people?"

"Return of the all( almost) knowing one". The grand kids arrival turns the clock back. The telephone now rings constantly after years of silence. What do we do if he cries at night? Should we feed him the new feeds? Which school should he go to? It is like old times again except that this time you have both your child and soon enough his child asking you for your advice. The signature line of these years is, hopefully, "Before we decide, let's get dad's opinion."


"Child of your children". A little while later when you have grown even older, you now become the child in the household. It is the time when your children delight on lecturing you on all aspects of life from diet to excercise, from financial matters to being out without informing them. They coddle you and fuss over you and even as they berate you for all and sundry things, you are deluged with their concern all around and about you. It is as if all the love you ever gave them when they were young is being repaid a thousand time over. It is I confess a time that I have come to love.

With that life turns a full circle.

Nikhil at two weeks

A letter from grandpa (dada)

My dear Nikhil

Your grandma showed me your letter ( yes she sometimes shows me her letters - but wont share her passwords) and I agree with you: your father was very naughty to take your pictures without any panties! Of course, you look handsome with or without clothes.

To make sure and keep your mom and dad in line, here are some photos when they were young!! And of course you can always complain to your grandpa.

lots of love to you ( and your mom and dad too)

A letter to grandma

Hi Grandma!

Happy (belated) birthday!!!

My Daddy & Mommy were so silly - they talked about your birthday all week, then forgot when they talked to you! Silly them!

But I remembered!! I'm sending you pics of me to make up for Daddy & Mommy!

It took me a while to learn how to use this weird white thing with little clicky things, but here's me! From just before my arrival to my first minutes (Daddy is very naughty taking pictures of me while the nurse was cleaning me), and to today (I'm a handsome little devil, if I do say so myself).

Love,

Nikhil (oh, and Mommy & Daddy, too)

When I was only one week old

My naughty dad took this photo when I was sleeping and he did not even tell me so I could dress up properly

My early days

This is a movie that my granddad made of my early days

And here are a few of the photos from those early days