39 Weeks

• My parents arrived this week. This is the first time they have stepped outside India and i think we both were anxious for their trip.Everything went off smoothly.They are loving London and appreciating little things which we used to take it for granted.
• I am now tired of carrying the huge bump and want to get it over with as early as possible.
• Temperatures in London have gone really high touching 29C and that is not helping me either.
• Despite the rising temperatures and my rising bump i have been fairly active this week.Went to Cambridge for a day trip/ had lunch in Tiffin Bites/Took my parents to Westminster to see Houses of Parliament and Big Ben and also running around to finish errands.
• I was reading somewhere that women do experience the sudden spurt of energy before the onset of labour- i think i am experiencing that.
• Started reading the "The contended Little Baby Book " by Gina Ford.

My Hospital Bag Checklist

• Maternity File+Birth Notes
• Shampoo
• 1 x Towel for bathing
• 2 x Hand Towels
• Moisturising Lotion
• 6 x Sanitary Towels
• Pack of Absorbent Breast pads
• Toothbrush and Toothpaste
• Body wash
• Hairbrush
• Hair Scrunchies
• Face Moisturiser
• Deodorant
• Slippers
• 2 x Socks
• Glasses
• Camera
• 6 x Cheap Extra Large Knickers
• 2 x Nighties for Breastfeeding
• 2 x Nursing Bras
• Notepad and Pen
• Disposable Bags
• Nipple Cream
• Clean home going clothes
• Antibacterial Wipes
• Watch to time contractions
• Bottled Water
• Granola Bars/Digestive Biscuits

Hospital Essentials-For the Baby

• 2-3 Sleep suits - Pack of three Unisex Layette Sleep suits
• Cotton Wool-Small Bag
• 10 Nappies
• Pair of Scratch Mitts
• Eight Coloured Muslin Squares
• Nappy Sacks
• Bodysuits - Pack of seven white short sleeved 100% cotton
• A Beanie Hat
• Blankets -Cellular Pram Blankets
• Baby Towels
• 2 x socks

36 Weeks

• I am now officially on Maternity Leave from work.Well officially it starts from 17Th August and before that i am availing my 3 weeks of holidays.
• Have completed my Antenatal Classes at King George. I made some friends in the class and have been in touch with them since then. Quite a few of them are due around the same date as mine.
• I am down with severe cold this week and didn't sleep for two nights in a row.A had taken off from work and has been nursing me and doing all the cooking and house work.
• Reading the controversial book "How Opal Mehta got kissed,got wild and got a life"by Kaavya Viswanathan.
• Packed my Hospital bag and Baby Bag.. still some bits and pieces to be finished.
• Movies watched this week -Ice Age 3D and Love Aaj Kal.
• My parents are coming on 14Th August - so looking forward for it.
  

30 Weeks

• Attended my first Parenting Workshop at the King George Hospital-The midwife discussed about stages of Labour/ Birth Plan/Pain relief available and various other things. I think it was helpful as it really if someone talks about these things in person. I knew quite a lot of stuff but i still learnt few things and was reassured on many topics.


• Baby is kicking extremely hard these days.. and nights. Sometimes i wake up in the middle of night and just cant go back to sleep after that.


• Currently reading "Ask a Midwife" by Catharine Parker-Litter and also while commuting " Interpreter of Maladies " by Jhumpa Lahiri.This is my second time reading this book. The last time the book was borrowed from my College Library.That time i didn't even knew the author name and just picked up the book as those days i was interested in reading short stories.


• These days i need rest after short periods as i can't over strain myself. If i do that i get such a bad body ache which goes out completely out of control.


• I had my 3D scan done last week at a private clinic in Docklands. It was amazing to see the baby's features so clearly on the screen. We got a DVD made of the whole session and bought one color photograph and two B&W images.Baby was not in a mood to be disturbed it seems and was sleeping i suppose..the person who was doing the scan said the baby is very "cheeky".


• Also visited Spitalfields Market and Brick Lane Market- it was interesting to see so many cuisines from all over the world gathered in one place.There was Ethiopian/ Macay/ Mauritian/Brazilian/Thai/Italian/ French/Spanish/Chinese/Japanese.. to name a few.I had vegetarian momos/Chow mien/ mango juice/ homemade lemonade.
  Also walked to Brick Lane market- and tasted the very famous Bagels from Beigel Bakery.The shop was so crowded and small.. We bought Cream Cheese bagels. They were fine .. definitely fresh but were not warm.

27 weeks

......Had an extremely relaxing Bank Holiday weekend. Saturday - I stayed at home and finished household chores of cleaning and washing.Sunday- A and i ventured out to Regents Park and just walked around.Made Aloo Parathas that evening which turned out fabulous.Sunday- A had to work whole day in office. Had Pakoras and Spring Rolls at my Brother-In Law's place.

......This week London had the best sunshine ever and temperatures went up to 27C.It did get very hot at home but i think walking outside was lovely.
......I feel extremely tired once i come back from office - need rest for an hour and then can start my cooking routine for the evening.
......I crave for some dessert after dinner - had Haldiram Rasgullas last evening and wishing to make Shrikhand this weekend.
......Almost decided on my starting date for Maternity Leave. Plan to take whole of August off and take some last minute much needed rest.
......This week i made my Hospital Bag Checklist and Hospital essentials for the baby. Now the only job to do is to start buying the things and take them off list.
......Tomorrow i am taking off and will complete my chores for the week as busy this coming Saturday in attending a Bday Party of a 4 year old.

25 Weeks

• I have started experiencing the kicks of the baby and they are very prominent at night when i am trying to sleep.
• Fainted on the tube one morning - A was there so it was ok.
• I have changed my working hours to 8-4 but so far i am there in my office half past seven till half past four.
• Got to know that my Heamoglobin level is low - so intake of Iron is increased.Taking Iron supplements.
• Passed my Drivers Licence Theory exam -only one step behind from the full Drivers Licence.
• Eating home cooked food everyday for dinner and mostly for lunch as well.
• My typical lunch bag contains 3 kinds of fruit/ flavoured yogurt/and my lunch of roti and vegetable dish.Sometimes i do buy Twirl Chocolate to get over that afternoon slump.

Canada 2009

Day 1:- London/Ottawa

Checking in Terminal 5 which was a breeze compared to my previous Heathrow experiences.BA flight was excellent - way beyond my expectations. Drive to Ottawa was smooth and started the next day very late. The only thing we did in Ottawa was to eat our Lunch and Early Dinner in Taco Bell and enjoyed some retail therapy.Afternoon was spent browsing and shopping in Bed Bath and Beyond/Walmart/Tommy Hilfiger/Espirit. Then we headed towards Downtown Ottawa and clicked pictures of the Canadian Parliament and the nearby areas. Drove to Montreal - a two hour drive from Ottawa.

Day 2:-Montreal

I bought some baby stuff today - bibs/hooded bath towels and baby suits. It was an overwhelming experience to see baby stores and to decide what to buy and what not to buy. Took a stroll around the Downtown area-and had lunch in a french style cafe. Had the worst dinner of American style pizzas. Had to throw most of it.

Day 3:- Montreal/Quebec City

On our way to Quebec- we stopped at a shopping mall to have lunch. It was amazing to see that nobody speaks or understands English. Quebec city is beautiful- very unlike the typical North American Cities. Our Hotel room is excellent and very comfortable -complete with Flat Screen Television, a Jacuzzi Bath ,DVD player etc. All and all a very contemporary room.

Day 4:- Quebec City

We started our day by setting out to have a quick bite before we do the sightseeing around the town.We both had a grilled vegetable sandwich with a bowl of soup. Then we walked straight on to see the line of shops which adorned the town centre. First Stop - The Parliament of Quebec City followed by Citadelle and then the most seen attraction of the city- Chateau Frontenac.

We must have finished walking the entire city in about 2-3 hrs and then we were famished again - so we had a Pain Au Chocolat with coffee and Marble cake. Drove outside the city to see The Montmorency Falls which are higher than Niagara Falls but much smaller .

Day 5:- West Quebec

Today we drove towards Baie Sainte Paul and took breathtaking views from the mountains.Also saw a half frozen lake which was rock solid when we threw a stone to see how solid the snow is. While returning we stopped at Sainte Anne Church - the biggest pilgrimage place in North America.

Day 6:-Back to Montreal

Today was our last full day in Canada and we were going back to Montreal. We took the historic route " Le Chemin Du Roy" to Montreal instead of the usual Motorway. The drive was very stress free as the route was virtually empty. The route goes along the St Lawrence River and passed through quaint little villages which had Churches,Ancestral homes,Rectories and Mills. We stopped at a village called Trois-Rivieres and saw Sanctuaire Notre-Dame-Du-Cap -established in the mid 19Th century.It is one of the most important pilgrimage locations in North America.

Reached Montreal late in the evening and went straight to see the Olympique Park and La Biosphere.

After living in Canada for 6 days and not eaten Indian food at all - we were craving for some nice Indian meal - so we drove to an Indian Place "Pushp" which served vegetarian food. We had a Thali each of comprising of Chole,Palak Paneer and a mix vegetable served with rice, rotis and salad.For dessert we had a burfi and besan laddoos

Day 7:-Last Day

We started our day very late - around noon and saw Notre Deme Of Montreal - only few steps away from our hotel.

Then had a quick bite of Vegetable Panini's and Tomato Soup.Saw the historic Nelson Statue and the Bensecours Market. Checked out of the Hotel and went for a drive to see the Indian Area for our lunch but unfortunately didn't like any place and therefore went straight to the same place again as last night. Had Rotis/ Rice/Daal Makhni/Daal Tadka/ Baigan Bartha- took a take away of Barfis/Ladoos. Sat in the restaurant for a while and counting just minutes when our last trip just as a couple would come to an end.

22 weeks

Now officially 22 weeks our baby seems to be a very active person inside the tummy. The person who was scanning was quite amused the way baby was bouncing and it took her a while to count the chamber in the heart and take measurements.I am wondering if the baby is so active inside the tummy .. what will he do once he is outside.

Devon & Cornwall

A very nice and rejuvenating trip and seeing the English Countryside in detail for the first time.Had fun with friends and enjoyed the long sunny drives all across the Devon/ Cornwall.I was skeptical about my health and was wondering if i could take all the stress of travelling but it all turned out fine at the end.Highlights of the trip were:-

• Tasting the very famous Devonshire Cream Teas.
• Amazing coastline and beaches in Cornwall.
• The Bath Hotel- where we stayed was fabulous and different to the places where we have stayed before.Very English.
• Driving through very narrow country roads.
• Taking the car up on the cliffs and wondering how on earth we will come down.
• Watching the High tide from our room window.
• Topping it all up with our fleeting visit to Stonehenge.

20 Weeks

• Started doing my Wii Yoga to get some flexibility back.
• Also taking stairs when possible in office and while on Tube
• I dont feel like eating outside food but only home cooked simple meals like daal, no fuss sabzis.
• Absolutely hate eating paneer and chocolates.
• Love eating those cheap Supermarket Brand Choc Ices/ M & S gala sweet apples.
• Visited Devon & Cornwall - Lynton/ Lynmouth/ St Ives during Easter Break with freinds.
• Saw " The Knowing" and absolutely hated it.
• Looking forward to our Holiday in Canada - Montreal/ Quebec/ Ottawa.

50 Questions

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?
No-one.
2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED?
4 months ago.
3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING?
Yes i love my handwriting.
4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT?
None. I am vegetarian.
5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS?
No, not yet.
6. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON, WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU?
I am tempted to say ..yes.
7. DO YOU USE SARCASM?
No,I can never be sarcastic. however hard i try.
8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?
No.
9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP?
Not for a billion bucks!
10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL?
My favourite is Post Honey Bunches of Oats with Almonds.
11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF?
Yes always.
12. IF YOU WERE TO PICK YOU OWN FIRST NAME, WHAT WOULD IT BE?
I will stick to my original name.
13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM?
When i was young,i loved Butterscotch.But now i don't have any favourites.
14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE?
Eye Contact.I despise people who can't look into your eyes while talking.
15. RED OR PINK?
Both i think.
16. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF?
I lack diplomacy and sometimes i end up saying things which i should not be saying.
17. WHOM DO YOU MISS THE MOST?
Nobody.
18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO COMPLETE THIS LIST?
Sure!
19. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING?
Sky Blue Jeans and Dark Blue shirt.
21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW?
"Neele Neele Ambar Par" on You Tube.
22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Pink.Relaxing and Soothing colour.
23. FAVORITE SMELLS?
Smell of damp earth after the first rain.
24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE?
My husband.
25. HOW DO YOU KNOW THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU?
Through her blog.
26. FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH?
20-20 Cricket.
27. HAIR COLOR?
Black.
28. EYE COLOR?
Black.
29.DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS?
No.
30. FAVORITE FOODS?
Aloo Parathas,Aloo Tikki .. yes anything to do with potatoes.
31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS?
Definitely Happy Endings.
32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?
Marley and Me.
33. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING?
Blue.
34.SUMMER OR WINTER?
Summer in London. Winter in Australia.
35. HUGS OR KISSES?
Hard to choose, I cannot do without either!
36. DESCRIBE YOUR PENCIL CUP?
A Mother's Day coffee mug bought by A for his mum.
38. FAVORITE ARTIST(s)?
Sridevi and Madhuri Dixit.
39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW?
Ask a Midwife by Catharine Parker-Littler.
40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD?
Four principles of FISH Philosophy-Play,Make Their Day,Be There,Choose your attitude.
41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT?
Apprentice ( UK Version).
42. FAVORITE SOUND(S)?
Bird sounds early in the morning.
43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES?
Haven’t listened to either!
44. WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME?
Before marriage i lived in Hostel for 5 yrs and then i got married and created my own home.
45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT?
I don't know what special means but people say i am extremely organized.
46. WHERE WERE U BORN?
Bhilai.
47. FAVORITE PIECE OF JEWELRY?
My wedding ring.
48. HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER?
Our families knew each other and that is how i met A.
49. FAVORITE SONG?
I have many but to name a few "Tu Hai Wahi Dil Ne Jise Apna Kaha" reminds me of my MBA days in Ghaziabad and also "Pehla Nasha" from JJWS.
50. FAVORITE MUSICAL?
The very famous Hindi movie"Hum Aapke Hain Kaun".

17 weeks

• Feeling good this week as no throwing up.
• Indulged myself in pamper session- a deep cleansing facial,luxury manicure/padicure and a hair cut at my local beauty saloon.
• Saturday was bright and sunny- went for a stroll in St Paul's/had a lazy lunch and strolled towards Tate Modern.
• Marvelled at the amazing art pieces from various artists.
• Friends came over and had a Wii session for 2 hrs or so.
• Sunday was not that great and was tired all day -maybe because of the over exertion on saturday.
• Had a quite dinner of daal and aloo sabzi with rice.
• Plan to start my Yoga on Wii next week.
  

My new reading material

This is my new reading material after getting pregnant. I never realised that there is so much to read and it seems that i am missing out on so many things.. I get overwhelmed after seeing so many magazines and books which i have to finish reading before the baby arrives.Hopefully i will be all finished reading by then..

Announcing the arrival of ...

..Our little bundle of joy who is officially 15 weeks old.

Christmas Lights

This year i decided that i will try and see as much as Xmas lights in and around London.Malls,streets and stores.. i just love seeing the lights and Xmas tress everywhere.A made a very brave attempt to accompany me on my mad trip and took some pictures for me.

We started with Westfield London which is a new mall opened only a few months ago. It is spacious and beautifully decorated.Just loved browsing around and doing nothing particular.

Next week i dragged A to come along with me to go to Oxford Street.We began with Carnaby Street which is dominated by giant snowman all over.They are quite huge and give a very snowy feeling everywhere.

Then came John Lewis, House of Fraser and Debenhams which are the most popular and decorated stores in Oxford Street.

Bond Street was almost shut when we could make it there.Stores were all packing up and we did some window shopping before we dragged our self back towards Oxford Street.

A wanted to buy Xmas gift for my niece and so we headed towards Hamleys.The pic below is of the Hamleys Store from inside.The place was jam packed and it was difficult to even stand on two feet and so we came out as quickly as possible.

Other places we saw where Xmas was at its peak..

• Somerset House


• Lakeside Mall


• Epping High Street


• St Paul's Cathedral


• Canary Wharf Mall

Me-me

I am: a very sensitive girl by heart.
I think: far too much!
I want: peace in my life.
I have: what i need.
I wish: i could be more confident in life.
I hate: when people talk behind your back.
I miss: taking long lunch breaks at my work.
I fear: loneliness.
I feel: sleepy.
I hear: keyboard typing.
I crave: for attention.
I search: for recipes all the time.
I regret: behaving badly with some of my family members.
I love:my family.
I care: for my near and dear ones.
I am not: ambitious.
I believe: very much in honesty.
I dance: terribly.
I sing: when no one is listening
I cry: at the drop of the hat.
I don’t always: like to do what I am told.
I fight: when i am not taken seriously
I write: not as well as I would like.
I win: by being a good listener.
I lose: my patience very easily.
I never: went to a discotheque.
I always: like to read when i am on the tube.
I listen: to my radio every morning.
I can usually be found: browsing book shops
I am scared: of losing everything precious to me.
I need: my husband 's support all the time
I am happy about: my life in general

Diwali

This year it was a special one .. We celebrated Diwali at our very own first home.We did our Diwali Shopping on Dhanteras Day and bought firecrackers,diyas,laddoos,assorted burfis.etc. It was really nice seeing all the chehal pehal in Wembley and just made me nostlagic of Diwali celebrations back home.I think one of the best points of living and working in London is that you do not miss these things and can enjoy festivals with as much gusto as you want.

A bought me a very gorgeous 18K White Gold ring on Dhanteras. Thanks A.Jewellery stores were busy like hell and the way people were flocking the jewellery stores and we had to skip atleast 3 stores before we could step in a store where we can stand on two feet.I think this must be the world's quickest jwellery buy ever. It took us less than 10 mts to buy this.

We performed Lakshmi puja on D-day with reciting of Ganesh Aarti and Lakshmi Aarti and lit 21 diyas as per the tradition.I wish many more Diwali's like this every year for both of us.

Brighton

We have been blessed with some amazing weather for the past one month on all weekends and so we are doing some short day trips to nearby places. One of them was Brighton.We started quite late in the morning and luckily with no traffic jams we reached at 1 pm.Parked our car at the first opportunity and walked all along to the city center.

We came across this best landmark of Brighton which is Royal Pavilion -former royal residence built in the 19Th century for King George IV.

Designed by John Nash, the palace has a very Indian appearance from outside. Nash adopted what he called the Hindu Style,as in his delicate tracery on one of the imposing turban dome.

Brighton Pier was bustling with activity.. we had a crepe filled with mushrooms and cheese followed by a cone of vanilla ice cream to beat the heat.We did not do any rides or played any games.. just walked and enjoyed the sunshine.


Brighton Town center was the surprising part.. I just loved doing window shopping of so many independent shops. They were unique and very upmarket.It is also famous for its Lanes - which are actually twisting alleways steeped in history. They are the oldest areas in Brighton and definetely a must see!! I will be going again just to explore the Lanes.
For dinner we had a very boring buffet of which i liked only the salad and my favourite yellow daal.


Highlights of the trip were:-

• Sense of History


• Excellent Retail Therapy


• Good old style cafe


• Walking Non-stop for 6 hrs


• Pebble Beach


• Amazing Food & Drink
  

Open House Weekend

I was looking forward for this event since last year and boy what an amazing those two days were.. and amazingly A was really sweet in giving me company despite the fact that he was not really interested in seeing historic buildings.. Thanks a lot A.
Saturday we started with Royal Courts of Justice.The highlights were seeing Entrance to the cells/Unfinished Pillar/Memorial to George Edmund Street-the architect of the Royal Courts of Justice/Bear Garden/Lord Chancellor's Court.Organizers gave us a handout which guided us through the building.Very informative and gorgeous Gothic structure mesmerised me.

Main Hall -It is 238 feet long, 80 feet high and 48 feet wide.The mosaic floor was all individually hand laid out.

The Foreign and Commonwealth Office - again very elegant working office with larger than life paintings and beautiful interiors.Major attaractions in the building was Durbar Court/Locarno Suite/The Locarno Dining Room/The Grand Staircase.

Durbar Court-The name dates from 1902 when some of the Coronation celebrations of King Edward VII were held here.In March 1939, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth attended an evening reception for President Leburn of France,during which young Peggy Ashcroft and John Gielgud acted the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet.

Statues from left to right Sir Eyre Coote,The Marquess Cornwallis,Richard Marquess Wellesley, and the Duke of Wellington.

The Grand Staircase- designed by George Gilbert Scott.He saw the Foreign Office as 'a kind of national palace,or drawing room for the nation' and his use of lavish decoration to impress foreign visitors is exemplified by his Grand Staircase.

We lunched at a small pizzeria of Tomato Basil and Mozzarella Salad with Californian Pizza washed down with a large glass of coke.
As we had enough time on our hand we walked around the Charing Cross and browsed some paintings at National Portrait Gallery.

Our last stop for the day was Canada House.Contrary to my expectations Canada House did not impress me much.

Sunday i decided to take it easy as i was tired from last day's events ... i first stopped at Apsley House. We did a quick round of the house looking at the huge marble statues and gorgeous paintings.Highlights of the place was a huge Napoleon Statue and Waterloo Gallery.

It is one of London's finest mansions and is still the residence of Wellington's descendants.

My next and last stop was at Westminster Hall.It was amazing to see such a huge and palatial hall. It is the oldest extant building at the Palace of Westminster and is one of the largest medieval halls in Europe.The hall was the most frequent meeting place of the King's Great Council from the late 11th century and the principal home of the Courts of Justice since 1178.

Midweek Joys

• A had an unexpected pay rise of 23% ..Hurrah
• Successful in not eating any sweets this week.
• Had interesting lunches every day as my Bro-in law was in the city.Delicious hot bowl of whole wheat noodles with veggies at Wagamama/Crispy and tasty sandwich made of Focaccia bread stuffed with tomatoes/basil/mozzarella cheese at Birley Sandwiches/Fulfilling bowl of miso soup with udon noodles with spicy vegetable dumplings at Itsu/Baguette stuffed with Cucumber/ onions and Hummus at Apostrophe.
• Completed 4km of Wii Jogging.
• Made Pizza with Twist and it was loved by A and his friend K.