New Year New Me

• I am really grateful for this year as i have lot of things to thank for .. i got a promotion in the starting of the year, became a mother to a gorgeous baby, work wise things were going fine until my Maternity Leave started..
• By end of this month - i have tried a whole lot of new recipes from baking bread to trying different pasta recipes by Jamie Oliver/Delia Smith.December has been an exciting month as i along with my mum tried new Indian recipes by Tarla Dalal.
• I am a very organised person and so i find it difficult if in a day i am unable to finish some of my To Do Things but sometimes i think it is a refreshing change as well.Now with a baby i tend to get cranky if i cant finish whatever i intended to finish in a day and that is why this is going to be one of my New Year Resolutions.. Not to get overwhelmed by the fact that i am unable to finish something.
• This year i have to regain my health and loose approximately 6 kg in at least 3 months.This is not a difficult task as i have in the past lost approximately 20 kg.
• Also, i have to strengthen my Pelvic Muscles which have become very weak due to Childbirth.. also because of which i am having back ache as well. By strengthening my pelvic muscles i am advised should get rid of my back ache.
• Above all, i want to become a positive person this year and dont want to have any negative thoughts bother me.I can achieve this by keeping myself busy as much as possible and not get bothered by my sorroundings.

Sindhi Saibhaji

This recipe is taken from Sindhi Rasoi Food Blog.The reason i love this Curry because it contains a lot of veggies with minimum oil which makes it a very healthy dish.Ashish is not very fond of this but i love it and make it often to incorporate veggies in our diet.I made this dish with whatever vegetables i had it omitting few which is mentioned in the Sindhi Rasoi Blog.



Ingredients:-



Spinach- 1 big bunch

Onions -2 Medium sized

Aubergine - 1 Small

Okra- Handful

Potatoes - 2-3 Small

Tomatoes-4 medium sized

Green Chillies- 2-3

Ginger

Channa Daal- 1 Small Cup Soaked for 1/2 Hour.

Kasuri Methi - 1 Tsp

Coriander Powder- 1 Tsp

Turmeric Powder - 1/4 Tsp

Salt/ Oil

Method :-

• Chop all the vegetables.Heat oil in the pressure cooker and add the veggies and cook until tender.


• Add Spinach and all Masala Powders. Add little water and close the lid. Wait for at least 7-8 whistles. Mash it well with the blender and adjust its consistency.

Daal Makhani

This one is an absolute favourite dish of Ashish.His way of gauging a Restaurant is how they prepare this Daal.Somehow this is not one of my favourite but i can have it only occasionally.I saw this recipe long time back on One Hot Stove Food blog and bookmarked it but never got around to cooking it.I have copied the recipe word to word from the blog. The Daal turned out excellent .. just like we eat outside.

Method:

• Soak 1/2 cup Rajma ,1/2 cup Black Urad Daal and 1/4 cup Chana Daal.I soaked then together overnight and pressure cooked them till they are done.
• Heat 2 Tsp of oil and add Cumin Seeds ,Asafoetida and 8-10 Fenugreek Seeds.Add 1 big Tsp Ginger Garlic paste.Add 2 cups thick Tomato Puree and cook for 5-7 mts.
• Add lentils,salt and bring to a boil.
• Add 1 tsp of Red Chilli Powder, 1/4 cup cream and 1 Tbsp Butter.I added Whole Milk instead.Simmer for 5-10 mts
• Turn off the heat and stir in 1 Tsp Garam Masala.Add 1 Tbsp butter for a glossy finish.

Life without Mum

My mother left for India after four months of stay with us. She came 15 days before my due date. She was suppose to leave after 3 months but we extended her stay for a month more.

She has been a great support throughout these months.The way my pregnancy turned out - i can't imagine not having her and getting recovered so quickly.To make my life easier she has cooked meals for me and put them in freezer- i think i won't have to cook much for this month.She entertained and cooked elaborate meals for my friends as well.

On Friday we took her out to Panna's Restaurant for dinner. Ambiance was good and food was all right. We had Virgin Pina Colada for drinks,Karahi Bhindi (Okra rolled in spiced Gram Flour) and Masala Papad as starters/ Dal Makhani,Malai Kofta and Diwani Handi( A blend of different garden vegetables cooked with spices ) accompanied with Tandoori Rotis and Pudina Parathas.

Saturday was the D-day when she was leaving. She made Rajma Chawal and Aloo Chaat for Lunch.We were busy packing and checking weight of her luggage.Before sending her off we had coffee and Scones from Cafe Nero.

Sunday - We cleaned the house and did no cooking at all.In afternoon we went to our local Costa Cafe and had coffee with Paninis for lunch.We had Maggi Noodles for our Evening dinner.

Monday - First day alone with the baby.I was up very early mainly because i was anxious and wanted to be on top of chores around the house.Throughout the day Aayush seemed not very happy - i am thinking that he too is missing my mum.I took him out for a walk after his second feed and he slept throughout.After Dinner which we finished by 7:30 pm - i was so exhausted that i slept for an hour.

I am keeping myself busy by meeting friends and also planning some outings with Aayush. I am a control freak and i think that makes things difficult.I like to have a routine and micro manage things. One of the resolutions for next year should to just relax and take each day as it comes.

Sweet Times

This past week we tried three desserts -and the best part was it was homemade.Firstly, Gits Gulabjamuns and Falooda made from ready made mix and served with Kesar Pista ice cream and Rasgullas.Unfortunately i could not take picture for Falooda but next time i will make sure i don't forget it.Under my mother's guidance i made Gulabjamuns for the first time and they turned out fabulous.We also made Rasgullas which turned out to be spongy and soft just like good market ones.

3 Months

• Our baby turned 3 months old and we can already see significant changes in his personality.He has undergone a lot of things in these 3 months .. from his acute Reflux problem to his weight not gaining. He has been admitted to hospital and stayed there for 2 nights so that his feeding can be monitored.


• He has started to respond by smiling and squeaks when he is happy. We can see that he wants to talk and makes noises trying to make us understand whatever he is trying to say.


• He also holds his Tommee Tippee hand toy and takes it in his mouth.Also today i noticed he can hold his bottle while he is feeding.


• He loves watching colourful objects and follows them with his eyes.
• He has become less cranky after his bath when we try to put on his clothes.

Baby Corn & Carrot Masala

I have tried this recipe thrice now - once in front of my mom who is wary of baby corn but she loved it too.This recipe is taken from Monsoon Spice - Sia's Food Blog.I have followed this recipe exactly the way Sia has mentioned in her blog.Thanks Sia for such a simple and tasty recipe.

Recipe:-

15-20 baby corn cut into fingers
10-12 Baby carrots/2-3 medium carrots
1 medium onion finely chopped
2-3 green chillies slit
1 Tsp Jeera
1/2 Tbsp Kasuri Methi
1 Tbsp Coriander leaves finely chopped
1/4 Tsp Turmeric powder
1/2 Tbsp oil

For Ground Masala :-

1 small onion quartered
3 large tomatoes /1 canned chopped tomatoes
2-3 cloves garlic
Ginger paste
2-3 dry red chilli
1 Tsp Garam Masala
1 Tsp Kitchen King Masala
1/2 Tsp Amchur
1/2 Tsp Jeera
1 Tsp Coriander Seeds
1 Tsp Sugar
10-12 cashews

Method :-

• Grind all the ingredients of Ground Masala without adding any water and keep it aside.



• Cook Baby Corn and Carrots with Turmeric powder and salt in water for 5-6 mts till they are fork tender.Drain and reserve the water.



• Heat oil and add jeera. When they start to sizzle add finely chopped onions and slit chillies and saute on medium heat till they are golden brown.



• Now add Kasuri Methi ,ground paste and saute it continuously for 2-3 mts on medium to low flame till raw smell of masala disappears.



• Mix cooked Baby Corn and carrots. Add reserved water as and when required to get gravy consistency.Saute for 10 mts and add chopped coriander leaves.

Pineapple Cucumber Salad

I always wanted to make a diary of my recipes which i have tried and tested from magazines/ cookbooks/ Food Blogs etc.. I have a Notebook of recipes too but i want pictures as well to remember how the recipe turned out. So from now on i will try and include recipes in this blog.

This is a Tarla Dalal salad which came in my email - Pineapple Cucumber Salad.I tweaked the recipe by adding sugar instead of honey and added mint leaves and omitted lettuce altogether as my mum is not very fond of that.

Recipe:-

1 Cup pineapple cut into small pieces

1 Cup cucumber cut into small pieces

6 Cherry tomatoes halved

2 Tbsp Chopped coriander

2 Tbsp lemon juice

1 1/2 tbsp roasted Chana Dal -Coarsely powdered

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Method :-

• In a bowl combine the lemon juice ,honey,chana dal powder ,salt and pepper and mix well.


• Add the rest of the ingredients and toss lightly.


• Serve immediately.

First Holiday

Packed frantically on Wednesday for our first trip with baby to Leicester/No traffic on Thursday on route and reached Hilton Hotel on time/Not a very impressive Dinner in Bobby's/Drive around the Leicester City center/Elaborate breakfast buffet on Friday morning/Bought Real Simple Magazine from Borders/Browsed ASDA Superstore Friday morning/Bought Dhoklas,SabutDaana Cutlets,Laddoos,Aloo Bonda,Daal Pakoras from Popat Sweets and Farsaan /Took a detour to Warwick on route to Birmingham/Drive around the Birmingham City Center/Amazed to see the crowds in Ashas Restaurant/ Pineapple Spiced Lassi,Malai Kofta,Daal Makhani/ Roomali Rotis and Dessert Platter of Gulab Jamun,Rasmalai,Mango Kulfi,Gajar Halwa for Dinner/Left for home very late on Saturday/Detour again to Northampton/Lunch in Milton Keynes in Jaipur restaurant/Paneer Lababdaar,Aloo Gobhi,Daal Tadka with rotis for Lunch.

A Typical Day

My day starts when Baby A wakes up. Today he was up at 6:15 am.I changed his nappy and gave him his medicine and at 6:45am - his first milk feed of the day.After about an hour playing in his Swing - he slept.In the meantime i completed my morning chores of folding laundry, preparing his bottles and surfing the net/having breakfast.

Usually he sleeps for 45mts to an hour after his first feed.Before his next feed - we try and give his massage and bath.Since my mum is here she does the massage for the baby.

Most of the times he sleeps for an hour before his next feed at 11:00 am.After his second feed i take him out in his pram to shop locally or for a walk in the fresh air.

If i am lucky- he will be sleeping once i am back home and i can peacefully have my lunch.After this baby is ready for his next feed at 2 pm.I give him full bottle and then try to put him back to sleep.Sometimes i am successful and some times not.He does take a nap of 45 mts.

Otherwise he plays in his Play gym or in his swing.He does want attention all the time and would make sure he gets it. I do carry him around in every room as i do my chores.He is often fascinated by the music which i play for him on our DAB Radio.


By evening he gets restless - and is time for his feed.He gets his bottle around 6 pm.If Ashish comes back on time from office - he plays with him otherwise i try to put him back to sleep.He sleeps for an hour or so .. in the meantime we finish our dinner.We watch TV till 11 at night. He is given his last feed at 10-10:30 after which he sleeps through the night.


This schedule is followed almost everyday but there are days when schedules are thrown out of the window and i have to start all over again but so far so good.

Week At a Glance

Saturday - I woke up at 5 am along with Baby A and gave him his first feed of the day. He went back to sleep and slept for at least 3 hrs. In the meantime i completed my Morning chores.I have always felt that if i wake up early i finish a lot of work early in the day.My mum cooked a delicious breakfast of Semolina Dhokla which was made from scratch.Ashish and my Mum went for a movie " London Dreams" and i had my friend come over for a chat.
Evening we did Grocery Shopping and had Moong Daal Pakoris for dinner.After dinner we settled for some Evening television.


Sunday-Went for a drive around the Ilford area and did a takeaway lunch of Idlis /Vadas and Dosas.Pottered around the house the whole day.

Monday- I started writing Baby A's Feeding and Nap time schedule again.I also visited my local library and took some books out for reading.


Tuesday-This is the day when we visit our Local Clinic for Baby A's weighing Sessions.We also attended Baby Bounce sessions which take place in our Local Library. Unfortunately he was quite unsettled during the session and so i had to bring him out of the session.


Wednesday-We did nothing but shopped locally for grocery.


Thursday-I took Baby A and my mum to Canary Wharf to have lunch with Ashish.We had lunch in Tiffin Bites and had Vegetarian Thalis comprising of Biryani/Kadai Paneer and Chole.

Friday- The weather was extremely bad and Ashish had Doctor's appointment so we accompanied him and came back home.

Life with Baby A

• Last week has been very difficult for us.Little A 's Reflux issue got very serious as he started throwing up almost all his feeds. He was crying all the time and was unsettled almost all day.He didn't gain weight for 3 weeks.The only consolation was his weight was stable.We tried changing his milk to Enfamil but he could not digest that and had to be switched back to SMA Gold.He was admitted in Whipps Cross Hospital and stayed there for 2 nights.He had to undergo blood tests and an Ultrasound scan to determine if he had any underlying problem. Fortunately for us, he was diagnosed with Reflux and was given medication to control his throwing up.


• After completing 2 months- our baby smiles when we talk to him. He gives a very welcoming smile once he wakes up in the morning.I feel that he can now understand his surroundings and therefore gives us the response by smiling.


• We also noticed that he has started to entertain by himself for at least 20 mts... sometimes for half an hour.He stares at the ceiling and plays with his hands.


• Finally, i have switched to Formula based milk from Ready made carton milk.I was skeptical that he might reject it again as he did when he was 4 days old but this time he took it without any problem.


• Baby A has also settled into a routine.He is fed every 3-4 hrs depending how hungry he is.After coming from hospital i am feeding him 150 ml of milk which is recommended for an 8 week old baby.


• He had his 6 week checkup done at our local GP.Also he had his first injections.We all went for a nice afternoon lunch at "Rose Vegetarian" in Kingsbury.We had Aloo Tikki Chaat/Dahi Bhalla/Vegetable Chow Mein/Sweet Corn Soup and Rasgullas.


• Socially i have never been busier - I have my office colleagues coming to see the baby and have lunch prepared by my mum.Also i am going to attend this year's Christmas Dinner with my colleagues.

Notes from the Week

• I have recently started using Google Docs and i am loving it.Not sure why i was reluctant to use it but i think it is better than Google Notebook.I can organize my Contacts/Food Planning/Books by using the Templates provided.


• A bought Sony Vaio Personal Computer and Vaio Digital Frame


• Last Saturday i watched "Wake Up Sid" with my Mom in Cinema. Nice refreshing movie. A looked after the baby in the meantime.


• This Saturday was Diwali- My Baby's first one.My mom cooked a very lavish lunch for all of us.We had Moong Dal pakoris,Malai Paneer,Sweet Rice and Fruit Cream.In the evening we did Pooja and visited my Brother-in law's place. We had Vegetable Pulao for our evening dinner.


• I am maintaining a Baby Record Book (photo above) to record all milestones of our baby.It is not a very fancy book but a very simple book which we got when we registered our baby's birth.

Week Ramblings

• This year my birthday was special as now i have Little A in my life.Also Little A completed his first month in this world.A wanted to go out and treat me to a lavish Indian Dinner but i decided that it would be best for all of us to order food from outside and have it at home.As our baby completed his 1st month - we took him to temple.We performed a little puja for the baby.The most amazing thing was Baby A also folded hands while he was shown around the temple.I also got my haircut done that day.After a very long time i was quite happy with my haircut- exactly what i wanted.
  In the evening A got a Pineapple cake (photo above) and ordered from London Darbar. We had Dal Makhani/Tadka Daal/Baigan Bharta/Paneer Makhani/Malai Kofta and rotis.
• Baby A has become extremely fussy while he takes his milk. He hates to burp and wants to sleep as soon as he finishes his bottle.I never knew that feeding will be so difficult.Now i don't look forward to feed him as he cries a lot which breaks my heart at times.
• Celebrated Karwa Chauth with my mom for the first time - she made Malai Koftas/Chole/Aloo Bhindi / Boondi salad and Tandoori Rotis.Weather was extremely bad and we hardly could do any puja outside.It was raining all day which made things difficult as well.
• I am meeting one of my office colleagues this weekend.I think it will be a good change and will get to know office gossip as well.She has an 8 yr old daughter for which i am taking a 15 Book Box Set of Roald Dahl Stories.
• I thrive on routine and that i what i want to do with my baby as well.So far he sleeps all through night which is a boon as i have heard that babies tend to be awake all through night.He gets his massage and bath after me and my mom finish our work.I hate when things don't turn out the way i want and with a month old baby you can expect this to happen frequently.
• I have gained approx 9 kg after my pregnancy.Loosing weight is the most difficult thing.One has to be really focused and have immense self control. I have started doing simple Yoga and some light Aerobics but i have a long way to go.I am taking care of my diet as well and have decided on no more Dinners outside.

New Life

• It has been a month since our life changed completely. I think we are doing fine as first time parents.There are moments when i feel flustered with the mundane activity of nappy changing/ feeding and burping but overall it has been fine.Little A is also having Reflux and therefore he is quite unsettled at times.He has been given Infant Gaviscon which has brought some relief to his tummy.He has been to hospital in the middle of the night where doctor said his intake of milk is more than what his tummy can handle.So from then he has been given 90 ml of milk.
• With Little A in our lives now - our schedule depend on his nap and feeding times. I still do housework/ surf net/read and watch television but everything is done in snatches of time.At present my mom is here and she takes care of lot of things like cooking which gives me time to do other stuff.Everything else is done in a rush so that when Little A wakes up - we can give all our time to him.
• Our baby has started to smile -mostly in his sleep but today he smiled at A while his nappy was being changed.He also sometimes smile when we touch his chin.He is most happy when my mom gives him massage in the mornings.Only once he has cried while having his massage but overall he has been good.
• Today Little A has been extremely unsettled throughout the day and so in the evening i bought a pacifier. A is not really happy to use a pacifier as he thinks he will get used to it and it will be difficult for us to get rid of.I am aware of this but sometimes it gets difficult to listen his cries all through the day. I have decided to use it only in extreme circumstances when i am losing my patience.I do get stressed with Little A 's cries.. sometimes i feel so helpless that there is nothing i can do to soothe him. The only reassuring thing is that he is feeding well and gaining weight with no symptoms of any illness.
• I saw Hindi movie "Dil Bole Hadippa" in cinema. I was resisting to go to cinema as i was not sure how will Little A take to this outing. But his dad insisted that we should go. Little A woke up as soon as the movie started and so A took him to the nearby mall so that i can watch the movie.
• We have been very lucky in one thing-we hardly faced any sleepless nights with our baby. He sleeps quite well in the night almost 4-5 hrs in one go.Touchwood.He sleeps well in the first half of the day which gives me enough time to complete chores.After lunch he becomes quite restless and becomes difficult to handle.

Birth Notes

My due date was 26Th August.It came and went and i felt nothing.I had my Midwife appointment and she suggested a Membrane Sweep - which i declined.I wanted things to start naturally and was getting impatient that why things are not happening quickly.I knew that first pregnancies are often delayed.She also told me that baby is big for my height.After the appointment A and i went for a coffee locally and i spoke to one of his colleague about her birth story.

Saturday -early morning i started getting slight labour pains. I took Paracetamol which gave me some relief and i slept for few hours.By evening the pain was getting unbearable and A suggested that we should go to Hospital.I knew that it was of no use but as my parents and A felt that i should be seen by a Midwife.. i had to give in.
In Hospital - I was seen in the Triage Unit where Baby's heart beat was monitored.Midwife told me that i am in very early stages of labour and not dilated at all.We all came back home as this was the answer i was expecting.I could not sleep at night and started getting contractions which were 10 minutes apart.

Sunday- My contractions were fairly irregular as they were sometimes 10-14 mts apart. Again that late night around midnight we went to hospital and midwife told me i am only 2cm dilated.I came back home around 2 am. I took a hot water bath and it did give me some mild relief but after a while it became unbearable.

Monday :-We decided to go to hospital again around 5 am.
I was finally admitted to the Labour Ward around 7 am.Pain was getting beyond my control but midwife told me that i was again only 2-3 cm dilated. According to them i was still in the early stages of labour but i felt as if it was enough for me.

After seeing that i am unable to bear the pain - i was given Pethidine injection which gave me immense relief and i was knocked out for few hours. I remember i was in and out of sleep. Again after few hours i was examined and told that i am still 2-3 cm dilated.This time it was decided that my waters will be broken. The waters were broken and i was told to go for a walk around the hospital.By this time my contractions were irregular but as the effect of injection was going down i started getting the pains.Now i started using the Gas and Air which was effective for an hour or so but after that i was getting hysterical with pain.I also had a hot water bath in the hospital and it helped me pass 2 hrs.

Around 4:30 pm i was given Epidural - which finally got my misery to an end.I was told that my contractions are fairly regular and now i am 6 -7 cm dilated.
I was also told that it is quite a possibility that baby is not getting enough oxygen.My Blood Pressure was going low and therefore they decided to do a Foetal Blood Scan of the baby. They did this thrice in a span of 2 hrs. The result came out fine.Now i was full 10 cm dilated.By 9 in the evening i was so exhausted and disoriented that i had lost the urge to push the baby.During the entire process i also threw up quite a few times. There were 4 doctors who were now involved in my delivery.They tried to use Ventouse twice but were not able to take the baby out.

Finally after a lot of struggle and with the use of Forceps my baby was born at 10:45pm in the night.I suffered a major blood loss and my haemoglobin came down to 7 which led to blood transfusion.Even after the Blood Transfusion my haemoglobin level was 7 and the doctor was suggesting that again two units of blood needs to be given. I decided against that and requested them to discharge me. So on the fourth day i came back home with my baby.

New Arrival

Our Angel arrived on 31st August after a long labour.We are both in awe and over the moon.

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.