Is this normal?

Water park or waterboarding?

We went to Galveston on Memorial Day weekend for our friends' engagment party. We decided to spend the weekend at Moody Gardens there.

Despite our recent shark sightings in Houston...

We all decided to check out the aquarium at Moody Garden too (ie, I dragged Ryan there because I heard they have a million gallon shark tank).

Avi quietly posed for pictures...

under minor protest only,



Withstood imprisonment,



watched penguins dive,




And survived being fed to the sharks.

He even liked the boat cruise around Galveston and dancing to Hindi music.

But, he had no idea what was in store for him Sunday morning...

Strapped in a bulky red life vest, out in the blaring sun, he was forced to ride every single scary water slide torture device in the whole park!

I guess things haven't changed.

Laughing with mom.

My mom comes to visit once a month for a week or so. After every visit it seems like Avinash learns so much and starts doing so many new things. This time she bought him a red plastic ball to play with. A little video of his adorable laugh (sorry the lighting is so dark).

Not Me!

Another Not Me! post in imitation of my favorite blog, MyCharmingKids, by MckMama.

First of all, I am not super excited about NOT ME Monday being back again, because that means that little Stellan is getting better and finally gets to be home again.

I also did not work on scrap book pages over the last few days. I most certainly did not have better things to do with my evenings.

I am totally not presenting at grand rounds this week. It probably is not going to take me several all-nighters to finish my talk now. I would never procrastinate.

I did not gain a new sense of respect and appreciation for our pediatrician after he told us how to use the cry it out method. Avinash is such a good baby that his sleep cycle did not get disrupted by daylight savings time a month ago requiring us to retrain him. And, after being able to lie quietly by himself he did NOT figure out over the past few days that he does not have to just lie there in the dark. No! He does not just pull himself and stand along the edge of the crib, cooing and 'singing' to himself. I'm sure he does not have any escape plans cooked up. This of course, has not prompted me to sleep in the same room again out of fear.

I am also not the least bit worried about the fact that our little monkey is still afraid of the slide and will not say mama or dada. He seems to be doing so well with his motor skills why would I fret over a few consonants when he coos and 'sings' (aka screams) all the time? Not me! I guess we will just have to see what next week brings.

Boy, on the go.