So for this first blog back I'll just share some updates and then hopefully this will entice me to continue writing a few times a week, since I know a lot of the stuff I am encountering is all noteworthy!
Updates:
Yasmine:
It is unbelievable how much my little girl changes everyday. Being a mother to her is the one of the greatest blessings in my life and I am thankful.
From the time she was 2 months I KNEW and my father KNEW (since we lived with him the first 8 weeks of her life) that Yasmine was going to be an early talker. If you know me you'll know I am quite the chatty Cathy, but she just had this want, or need to talk from a very early age. At 16 months old she is talking A LOT! She picks up a new word or 2 everyday and repeats everything she hears (within reason). She was saying mama and dadda around 7 months old, although used ineffectively, she said the words but didn't really know when to use it. When we went to visit my dad, she said Grandad (at age 10 months) and started saying it within a week of being back to Canada. Even now when she sees my dad on Skype and says Grandad. Now she probably has a vocabulary of about 40 words, and she also has her favourite words of course, "puppy, shoes, water, mama, dadda, no"
It's just amazing to see her progression, and when she saw my sister tonight, she remembered from the pictures we look at DAILY of my family that it was her aunty "shar shar"
In other news, Yasmine and I have joined a mom and toddler playgroup that is everyday for an hour and 15 minutes. We usually go about 3 times a week, and there is a lot of singing and clapping, and learning small concepts like open/close, in/out, yes/no etc... We also have picnics and outside play time. It really stimulates her and gets us out of the house. She gets bored with just me all day, and I honestly need the change of pace and scenery as well. After just 2 weeks I've noticed a huge difference in her vocabulary and creativity skills. This playgroup is also another way for me to meet other mom's with children around yasmine's age. The class is for 1-2 year olds, but the babies in this class range from about 16 months-22 months. Yasmine is one of the younger toddlers, but she does great in the class. She focuses intently on the teacher and loves to sing!
INDIA:
I have and always will have a love hate relationship with India. There are days where I am thankful to have this great opportunity and adventure that I will remember always. And there are other days when small things that should be easy become difficult and it brings me down. Things have been much better since my 3 month "vacation" at home and I know the weather plays a huge role in my being happy here too. The winter has been fabulous and all the expat mom's are taking advantage of the 26-28c days to get out and enjoy the coolness for as long as it lasts. I already feel the temps getting hotter and they are now hovering around 30 and it just makes me dread the March-June heat of 35-45c. It's just unbearable, especially with the power cuts.
Family:
My family in India is good. Hubby is working and has shift changes so he could be working from 630pm-330am or 9pm-6am, or 9-6pm. he works for a company that has dealings with North America so he has to work North American times. They actually work well for us, since he actually gets to see Yasmine more with the night shifts. When he works days, factoring in the traffic he is gone usually from 830am-730pm. So he is getting home just as Yasmine is getting her bath and going to bed. Today he spent a good portion of his time before work with her, which was really nice for all of us!
i actually remember my dad working the "graveyard" shift when my sister and I were teenagers because it allowed him to see us and be part of our extracurricular activities more. Since in high school we had afternoon practices and such, he chose to work the odd hours to be with us more. I never thought about it then, but I know he definitely sacrificed sleep for us a lot in those days. He would get home at 530am and go to sleep by 6am and sometimes wake up by 9 or 10am.
My family in Canada is well. My sister has gone back to work and her son in in daycare now. The poor little guy has gotten sick so much since he started, being around all the kiddie germs. My sis and her husband have had to deal with a sick little guy the past few months. Just when one cold goes away, along comes another.
The biggest news, is my dad has a girlfriend, although it seems weird to call her that, because girlfriend/boyfriend sounds so high school. It's still new, but my dad finally has a smile on his face for the first time since my mom died. Life was so awful for everyone that year after my mom died that I think all of us just didn't know if we could or would ever overcome our grief. And for my dad, losing the love of his life, the woman he spent 40 years with was devastating. So when he told me he met someone, I was so happy for him.
People ask me how I feel about it, and really, what can I feel? I just want my dad to be happy again.
Lastly a very special man in my family's life is very sick and has been given a short time to live. He is my grandmother's "partner" whom she met after my grandfather's death. He has been in our lives for about 5 years and has touched us all deeply. He is like a grandfather to me, and has treated me like a granddaughter. He even paced the floors with my dad while I was in the hospital in labour for Yasmine. He is one of the smartest/wisest person I have met, and he at 85 years of age, had dreamed about visiting Asia, so he booked a plane ticket to India with my dad, and brought me and my 2 month old baby back to India. He met my in-laws, my husband and saw what my life is like here. There have only been a select few people from Canada to meet my husband and in-laws and he is one of them! My in-laws grew to love this kind, gentle man, and they pray for him everyday.
The hardest part, is not being home. But know grandpa Fred, you are in my thoughts, you are in my prayers, and I love you dearly.
