Touch Down Delhi

Vyom flew for the first time on 5th with his parents and came to Delhi to meet his nanoo-nani.

He had his very own boarding pass even though as an infant he can only travel on mamma-seat or baba-seat.

At Delhi, he surprised his Pappu nani and Veena nani because they had no idea that Vyom was about to arrive. Vyom hid in the car with mamma and baba and then when both the nanis were inside with nanoo-nani, they ran inside shouting "surprise". This is the first time Vyom and Pappu-Veena nanis had met each other. And needless to say, like his mamma, Vyom too loved being there and felt like the king of the place

He also spent a lot of time with nanoo learning new songs.

Last time nanoo and nani saw Vyom he looked like this.

Isn't he almost a big boy now?

Annaprashana - the full story

This is about Vyom's annaprashana (see post below) that I had promised to post after I return from Belgium.
We started early in the morning by feeding and giving Vyom a bath. He was in a really good mood that day and though a little confused with this early start, bore it with immense good humour and lots of smiles. I was so sure that he will throw up milk all over his brand-new dhoti-kurta (embroidered in orange, mustard yellow and gold by yours truly) that I took him to the temple in an old onesie and changed him into the dhoti-kurta at the temple.


The dakshin kali (the benevolent form of kali) temple at Yeshwantpur was our destination that morning where the priest had experience in conducting the annaprashana ceremony in the Bengali tradition.

Vyom was very pleased with his new dress along with the gold bangles that Radhika mami got for him and the gold chain that dadu and thamma had given him. Unfortunately, Radhika mami and Skanda dada were not there as Skanda dada had fever.

The priest did the puja and arti of ma kali

as Vyom looked on sitting with his mamma and slightly bemused baba

After the arti and puja, Srig mama gave Vyom his first taste of payesh from the silver bowl and spoon given by Rama masi

At first Vyom wasn't so sure of the taste but then when everyone, including dadu, Sri masi, Doncy masi and Sashu didi fed him payesh three times each, he began to like it.

After such a tiring morning, which Vyom enjoyed thoroughly and did not once cry or create a fuss, he came home and spent some time playing with Doncy masi and Sashu didi. Sashu didi also tied him rakhi on behalf of Keya didi and Sushara didi, and herself , of course.

And then Sitaram mama and Katyayini mami came with Pranav bhaiya and Sriya didi.

Vyom had to change into his festive clothes again and put on the sandalwood tilaks and the flower garland for the next step in the ceremony. Srig mama sat again with Vyom in his lap while dadu offered him a plate full of choices for his future.

He could choose: pen or book if he wanted to be a scholar, rice or banana if he wanted to be a farmer, mud if he wanted lots of land and property, and coin if he wanted money (of course). After making a beeline for the pen and then throwing it out of the plate, and doing the same with the rice, Vyom decided he wanted none of it. So, he is either going to be a scholarly farmer or, if he truly didn't want it all, a sanyasi!

And then there was more food to eat...

All that lovely food made by Thamma

A little fellow gets tired with all that eating and needs to relax with his kaka

Sri masi is great fun all the time but in her pink and gold kanjeevaram silk saree, she is the best!

Back Home

I am back home from my 5 days trip of Belgium. Vyom seems to have survived very well without me. He didn't have any problems staying without me with his grandparents and father. He did seem happy to see me though and was all smiles and laughs. He also seems to have grown longer and bigger in less than a week. His neck is almost fully stable, he laughs and notices people more and definitely recognises a bottle of milk. He can also recognise people when they hold their hands out to take him in their arms and cries when they walk away. He "talks" a lot more too, and sometimes surprises us with a complicated sound which we haven't heard before. So, all in all, it was a successful trip for both Vyom and his mamma.