Reflections on 2020 AprilAtoZ

Hello! This is my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge and my was Experiences of a first time grandmother! 
Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! 
In case you have missed out, you can catch up here. 
Congratulations to all awesome bloggers who have completed this challenge. This year is unique as all of us around the world are facing the Covid19 pandemic. 

Luckily, the Internet Gods were kind enough to allow me to schedule, post and comment on many posts. The AtoZ master list listed 510 participants and 89 bloggers revealed their theme on the #BlogchatterAtoZ Theme reveal and I saw 144 awseome posts on the first of April!! Obviously I still have a lot of catching up to do, something that is top of my to-do list. 

I had delayed my decision to participate (its my seventh attempt) and once I did, I went into a frenzy of writing and managed to schedule all my posts much ahead of time. Y turned out to be most difficult and I was gasping for ideas till the last day! My posts were not image-intensive as it was more about my feelings and emotions and I did not make the effort of looking up memes to accompany the posts. Does it indicate a certain weariness? I cant say really! 

Visitors to my blog were generous with their comments and I Thank all of you! Even if you have not commented! ;-)

Across all the challenge, I saw the popular themes related to writing, books, travel, cooking and best of all, I found 4 blogs about babies/kids and one by a grandmother one about future grandkids!! Yay! I was not alone!! 

Z is to Zone Out

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Zone Out
When I look back, the day when Daughter went into Labour and next 2 months are a blur. On the one hand time seems to have flown yet all days were almost identical. 

It was a period of intense happenings in our country.. major political decisions had been taken which naturally generated much discussion among friends and family. 

I had Zoned Out. 
Switched off from the world.

Y is for Young

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Young

Every stage in a woman's life involves a huge change.. its difficult to say which is a bigger challenge ... 
- Puberty which changes a carefree girl to young woman 
- Marriage that makes her simultaneously balance the hats of a 'daughter in law', wife and professional.
- Motherhood which entails carrying, giving birth to, nurturing and then moulding the mind of her young one.
- Mother in law - this is equally challenging as she has to 'let go' of her child (son or daughter) to set up his own nest .. IMHO it may be more difficult for the mother of a son. 
- Becoming a grandmother.. again not something to be done lightly.. and this AtoZ is all about becoming a grandma..

The best part of becoming a grandma is that I can play, sing, dance with Grandbaba without inhibitions.. Baby talk becomes a norm as does miming nursery rhymes and stories.

X is for eXcitement

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

X has always been a challenging alphabet in the AtoZ Blogging Challenge..
So today again I will use X to outline my version of what I felt and did...

eXcited 
eXercised 
eXhausted (on a few days)
eXplained
eXalted
eXplored
eXamined
eXuberant
eXpressed
eXasperated
eXtrapolate
eXpedite
eXamine
eXhilerated
eXquisite
eXplosive
eXperiment
eXcuse

eXcellent for SAH Grandma!!

All eXtraordinary and eXceptional feelings!

I am sure my thoughts may cause a deja vu to some of you especially someone who has hosted a new born. I would love to hear from you!

See you tomorrow folks!

Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts. 
2013 Mixed Bag
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver
Disclaimer: My posts do mention some products or service providers but these are not sponsored and not meant to be an advertisement.  

W is for Wear

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

What has been your experience? 

Wear
Considering that I have showcased my new found tailoring skills (you can catch up here at my E and M posts), I am sure you expect me to talk about clothes that I made for new Mommie or the baby.

Well, not quite.
I am going to talk about Baby Wearing.
Rather my feelings about it.. because there is plenty and more about it on the Internet. 

V is for Visitors

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Visitors!
While at any other time, I love for people to visit us, I dreaded any one to call us with an infant at our home. 
I can almost hear the surprise in your mind, dear readers..
Let me clarify..

Traditionally, the new Mother and her baby were kept almost isolated.. Washing feet and hands was mandatory for anyone who wanted to see them.. obviously to protect them from infections. 
In our modern set up, it is a tricky job to ask visitors to do so..  People were actually offended when I asked them to. 

Of course Corona has now ensured everyone has reconnected with this particular and important hygiene aspect at all times. 

Then came the next hurdle.

U is for Unconditional

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Unconditional
Unquestioning
Unqualified
Unreserved
Unlimited

Phew.. As usual, despite a theme, some alphabets are a huge challenge in the AtoZ. My thinking cap for today's alphabet kept throwing out the above words..
That's when I realised that for a Grandma to truly and properly do her 'job' in looking an infant and the new Mom is to be unconditional.

Do what is to be done with unlimited love, without expectations and no reservations and overcome my own reservations if needed. 
There is no place for ego clashes, petty behaviour. 

T is for Toys

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

 

Toys! 

As  we awaited our Bundle of Joy, I found myself in a totally new world .. one of baby products! I guess I must have mentioned this in almost every post, its a whole new game out there!

It is now all about sustainability, non toxic materials, learning experiences and so on... Ofcourse there are the usual brick and mortar but online shopping from various start ups opens up a fantastic range as toys go traditional. 

There are toys made from cloth, washable ones with non toxic materials. Some were so cute, I almost ended up ordering one for myself!! 

This cute cloth Elephant is actually a Rattle!

S is for Schedule

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Schedule
Time table or program..

Infants are their own masters, its difficult to have a 'schedule' for them. In our case, the closest we came was Bath time which was around 11am - naturally depending on punctuality of the concerned Helper. At times we had to keep him awake so massage and bath was not missed. Other than that, there was no schedule for the tiny tot.

I however did try to keep a time table. The main aim was that the household ran like a clockwork and new Mom's diet was always spot on. It also ensured I had time for stock taking, cooking, extra cooking, tending to my Bonsai and the occasional nap.  

R is Recipes

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

As I have said time and again, I am a reluctant cook, I was was really stumped when we returned home with a two-day old infant and a list of things the new Mom was advised against eating.
These are supposed to cause Colic and suddenly I was thrown into the deep end.
You see Potatoes, Baingan (Egg plant), Raw Onion, Besan (Chick Pea flour) were a absolute no no. This list also included Dals which were popular in our home.

These were not allowed

Q is for Questions

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Questions questions questions
I faced many of them, some from the daughter, some came up in my mind .. all through the pregnancy and later with the newborn. Several websites of reputed institutions helped clear many doubts and in fact prevented us from tearing off to the doctor in the middle of the night. WebMD, Mayo Clinic, are just a couple that I refer to. 


I would like to recommend You Tube videos by Dr Supriya Puranik - she provides pregnancy related information in an easy to understand manner in Hindi and in the Indian context.

Then there were the questions by visitors - both friends and relatives.
"Does the baby cry?" An affirmative answer almost always produced a gleeful smile.. 
"Does the baby sleep at night?" A negative answer elicited the same reaction as above

Sadistic pleasure or simply stupid questions?? 

What has been your experience? I am sure my thoughts may cause a deja vu to some of you especially someone who has hosted a new born. I would love to hear from you!

See you tomorrow folks!

Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts. 
2013 Mixed Bag
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver
Disclaimer: My posts do mention some products or service providers but these are not sponsored and not meant to be an advertisement.  All posts are from a maternal grandmother's point of view!

P is for Prepare

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet some not so sweet moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt and are not meant to be a guide. 

Obviously the baby is the focus of this years posts.. but today I would like to share my home preparations for arrival of the grandchild. 

Besides the usual stuff like washing curtains, linen etc.. I cleaned all the doors and windows and had pest control treatment done about one month when baby was still at about 30 weeks of pregnancy. Drawers had to be cleared out to keep baby stuff (its amazing how many things are needed and the amount of space they need!). Besides other stuff, I bought things like buckets to keep used clothes till they were washed next day, round clothes hangers (these are really really useful), sufficient stock of provisions and so on. 

During one of such many shopping trips, my husband had this interesting experience...

O is for Obsolete

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Obsolete.
May be this is a strong word .. not in vogue would be more suitable. 
As I mentioned before, Pregnancy care and care of newborns has changed a lot since when I had a child. So I thought this post would be easy to write. 

Yet as I started to actually note what has become obsolete the list was not as long as I had envisaged. In many instances, the method had changed but the basic aim remained the same. Let the Mom get proper rest to allow her body recover from the delivery and pregnancy. 
Let the baby adjust to this World and grow healthily. 

So getting back to the things that are not in vogue any more. 
There is a process called 'धुरी देणे ' dhuri dene - wherein, post bath, the baby is held over fumes of some medicinal herbs. It is supposed to prevent colds and so on. Here is an image of it which is from the Health Supplement of Sakal dated 13 Dec 2019. 

N is for Night

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Night. Sleep. Sleep deprived.

This a recurring topic with new Moms and their newborns. And the grandmas as well. 
I stayed up every time our baby woke at night initially as we were not confident of handling and changing the infant and then just for solidarity with my daughter. Take care of the soiled diapers and so on. 

Its a rule for new Moms to sleep when Baby sleeps. Not for Grandmoms especially if she like decides to stay awake at night  ---- then she (I) ends up dozing during the day. This can be pretty embarrassing or downright dangerous if driving. 

Night is also the time when Colic strikes and it is an unnerving experience for everyone. It is said that burping the baby after feeds is the best way to avoid Colicy pain. The hospital Nurses were a good guide for daughter and me to learn the firm touch vital to manoeuvre the tiny tot into different positions to encourage the burp.

While its considered bad manners for an adult to burp, that's the best sound you want to hear from an infant!!  

What has been your experience? I am sure my thoughts may cause a deja vu to some of you especially someone who has hosted a new born. I would love to hear from you!

See you tomorrow folks!

Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts. 
2013 Mixed Bag
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver

Disclaimer: My posts do mention some products or service providers but these are not sponsored and not meant to be an advertisement. All posts are from a maternal grandmother's point of view! 

M is for Memories

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Memories
As I mentioned before, I have attempted to try some kind of stitching as we waited for the baby to arrive. Making a  baby sized 'Dupta' is just what grandmothers do. 

Naturally, I wanted to do something different. I struck upon the idea to make something using cut pieces from discarded clothes of the expectant Mom and Dad. This was totally in sync with the Reuse Upcycle theme! My design was inspired by one made by my Mom for my daughter. 

Fabric triangles stitched together to get this intricate pattern

Initially, I thought of simply using running stitch to bring my idea together but it was not strong enough. Buying a regular sewing machine seemed to be a waste so I got a mini version which served my purpose perfectly.

L is for Lactation

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

 

Lactation is a part of breast feeding which is what a grandmother is expected to guide the new Mom to do. So I will I will take the liberty of focusing on some really useful aids that are now available. 

Over these years, luckily or unluckily I had almost no exposure to handling newborns, so I had no idea that there is new kind of expert called Lactation Consultant! I heard about them via the prenatal classes at our OBGYN. (Prenatal classes itself was a new thing for me!!) 
That's when I learnt about different positions to nurse a baby.. If like me, this is a first for you, do update yourself here. 

Yet another master stroke by whoever designs such things is a range of products that has made the nursing process much easier and comfortable for Mom. Online shopping sites and regular stores offer a range of Feeding Pillows which are absolutely indispensable ... ask any new Mom! They come in several shapes and some even offer back support! 

Just check out the Breast Feeding section of any online shopping site and you will wonder how we managed so many years ago! 

What has been your experience? I am sure my thoughts may cause a deja vu to some of you especially someone who has hosted a new born. I would love to hear from you!

See you after the weekend folks!

Here are links to my previous AtoZ attempts. 
2013 Mixed Bag
2014 Exercising For Fitness
2015 Gardens of Pune
2016 Herbs
2018 Contemporary A to Z
2019 Caring for the Caregiver

Disclaimer: My posts do mention some products or service providers but these are not sponsored and not meant to be an advertisement.  All posts are from a maternal grandmother's point of view!

K is for Knitting

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

 

Knitting!
In my mind, a grandmother has always been associated with knitting. When I was awaiting our bundle of joy, i decided to  knit.
Easier said than done.
It was years since I had touched knitting needles, I could'nt locate any of my pattern books and I needed to get wool. Luckily for me, the wool shop had a Sirdar pamphlet for a cardigan for newborns. 

I did remember the Knit and Purl stitches but how does on cast on? Making friends with technology helped and I found You Tube videos describing the process in detail. Some videos described beautiful patterns but I was faithful to my pamphlet. 
After an initial test process, I was ready to take up the cardigan. 

I used every free minute with my rediscovered skill. Soon the cardigan began taking shape...

J is for Just Like That

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

 

As we head into the weekend, let me go out on a limb and share some of the cute photos/GIFs that I have received via WhatsApp. 

Enjoyyy!

                            

Specifically shared for Pilot Grandad

Grandma Loves Me!

For Daddy

                      For Mommy

I is for Imbibe

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Imbibe
All of us know the story of how Abhimanyu learnt the about entering the Chakravyuha when still in his mother's womb. 
While that is a story, my mother-in-law has always said, that kids brains are like sponges till the age of 5 and they soak in almost everything we tell them.  This happens even if they dont understand what we talk. Overall it contributes to higher intelligence. 

I took it quite seriously with my daughter, and in the same vein, I speak to my grandchild about everything. Each day, I describe a tree that I see from our balcony, its family, flowering, etc. I try to talk about the birds in our area (though I am not a bird-person), my husband talks about flying, Hindustani classical music and so on.. 

H is for Help

Hello! Welcome to my seventh attempt at the April AtoZ blogging challenge. My theme this year is Experiences of a first time grandmother! Some sweet, salty moments and learnings! My posts are totally based on what I felt (may even border on rants) and are not meant to be a guide. 

Help!
In order to ensure to properly look after Mom and her newborn , Grandma has to be on her toes practically round the clock. And NO. I am not trying to glorify myself. Ask any grandma who has been in my position.

So I had to recruit reliable helpers. In Maharashtra, we have a practice of special helpers who come in to give a massage and bath to the newborn (a very difficult task). I was advised to check if this lady suffered from any skin ailments, other infections.. that was tough.....I relied on references and then hoped for the best!