Title Town, baby!

When was the last time Pittsburgh had two championships in a row??


Avinash of course is starting to think this is the norm.



I sent Anuj a picture of him after the game, his response:



We have such a lucky baby!! At least he didn't get too startled and cry this time. Well, not for too long anyway.

Keep on trucking!

Avinash has been working hard on learning how to walk. His Naniji brought him a ride-a-long toy truck on her last visit. He loves grabbing the handle at the back and cruising around the living room. He is getting pretty good, but those landings can be a doozy!

I hope this isn't arresting his development..

Ok, so I am not posting the video, but I did feel inspired to make a scrapbook page with this installment of our Roomba story.

And, no! We don't really want him to be like Buster.

Though I guess I should be worried about what this says about me as a Mom. Especially since it was my idea to let him ride Roomba.

He's too big to actually ride it anymore, but he is fascinated with it now. He crawls after it and cries when he can't catch up! He even learned how to turn it on while it is in the dock.

Of course Ryan was complaining about the lack of robot features on the page, as if I have a huge stock of robot accessories. But! turns out I did have this really adorable card (sent to be my actual Robotics PhD friend Rachel when Avi was born along with a beautiful hand crocheted blankie and booties set). So, it worked out. I actually made three layouts tonight, but this was definitely the best.

Not Me Monday, post-call edition.

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

I would never say that staying at home with your baby instead of operating all day is hard work. It does not seem like two hours of nap time is way too short.

I would never, for example, resort to using household robots to entertain my child.

Ahem.

Photographs notwithstanding.

The video I will not not post.

I did not meet a whole host of other surprises. Last night, I was not way too proud of myself for making a healthy dinner and letting Avinash try endamame!

I did not come to regret this decision today. Not once this morning, twice by noon and three times total and counting...

Even though I could probably not do this every day I'm glad I get the chance every now and then (seriously, I do.)

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.

Family-filled weekend.

We hadn't been back East since my maternity leave. So, when I had an unprecedented two weekends off in a row we decided to go to Allentown and New Jersey this past weekend.

Me and Avi playing peekaboo. It still gets a laugh every time.

Playing with Great-grandma Dorothy and trying to grab the camera.

More monkey business.

Avi with his aunts, Great Aunt Shelley, Great-Aunt Jill and Aunt Amanda, aka Amanda Bua. And Ryan of course (not one of the aunts, just hogging the baby).

The family shot! Could only get like 75% of the people in the picture at any one time though... Ok, let's see, Randi, Stacey, Uncle Mel, Grandma Dorothy, Sherry, my mom, Aunt Shelley, Aunt Jill, Uncle Steve, then last row is me, Ryan, Avi and Amanda.