After multiple frustrations with trying to make a cute post with pictures of the kiddo, I'm jumping ship to tumblr.
Check out the continued antics of all things Rama here: theramas.tumblr.com
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Monday, February 21, 2011
Recent finds
...and no, I don't mean Christmas Trees and Apes, though who doesn't love a good Christmas tree and an ape to boot?!
Well, you may know that I was quite an addict to all things T.V. while growing up (and still somewhat to this day...though the bambino has changed much of that!). Anyhow, it has been a while since I've added any shows to my 'much watch' list, but there are a few recent additions I wanted to share with you, in case you find yourself with some extra hours here and there:
Parenthood
After much prompting from Danielle, we tuned into Parenthood. It's loosely based on the old 80's movie Parenthood (which I probably watched well before I should have, but who's counting?!), and it's definitely worth tuning in. It's just real life, honestly. And it's not pretty, and it's not taken care of in 42 minutes. And they used a Bob Dylan song for the intro, so there ya go.
Who Do You Think You Are
I stumbled upon this over the weekend, actually, during an extended naptime that I was trying to take advantage of. Thanks to our Roku and Hulu, I've been able to watch a few of these here and there. And honestly, it's been really neat. If you haven't heard of the show, it basically follows various celebrities as they trace their ancestors. I've never been one for genealogy, but it really has been neat to watch these people dig back through time. It's also been educational, as they dive into various parts of national and international history. Anyhow, fun to watch, and sometimes sad.
Sports Night
Now no, this isn't currently on t.v., but Amar and I are big Aaron Sorkin fans, and so we queued this up on Netflix and have been watching it (it also has ties to Parenthood via the main character). So if you like the West Wing(!!!), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, or just good tv, then you should check it out. Note: we also recommend The West Wing (!!!) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip if it wasn't obvious in the previous sentence...and while we're on the topic of Aaron Sorkin: see also The American President.
Parks and Recreation
So I caught this over the holiday break, and I wasn't that enthused about it. But when there was a household of sick people, I had some good TV time to burn. And I was pleasantly surprised. Even moreso now that Rob Lowe (um, West Wing alum!) has joined. Goodness all around.
The Biggest Loser
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't really watch this show. It just comes on either before or after Parenthood, and so I wind up catching a bit of it here and there. And honestly, I think it's great. They take people who are morbidly obese and just kick their butts right off. I'm not a huge fan of reality tv (with the major exception being Project Runway...which I miss, by the way. Where are you PR?!), but this reality show actually saves lives. These people are on the fast track to a short life, and to be honest, I cry whenever I watch it. Yes, I realize that 90+% of the time, these people have gotten themselves into this condition. But they are making a change, and keeping their family from the pain of losing them early in life.
Well, you may know that I was quite an addict to all things T.V. while growing up (and still somewhat to this day...though the bambino has changed much of that!). Anyhow, it has been a while since I've added any shows to my 'much watch' list, but there are a few recent additions I wanted to share with you, in case you find yourself with some extra hours here and there:
Parenthood
After much prompting from Danielle, we tuned into Parenthood. It's loosely based on the old 80's movie Parenthood (which I probably watched well before I should have, but who's counting?!), and it's definitely worth tuning in. It's just real life, honestly. And it's not pretty, and it's not taken care of in 42 minutes. And they used a Bob Dylan song for the intro, so there ya go.
Who Do You Think You Are
I stumbled upon this over the weekend, actually, during an extended naptime that I was trying to take advantage of. Thanks to our Roku and Hulu, I've been able to watch a few of these here and there. And honestly, it's been really neat. If you haven't heard of the show, it basically follows various celebrities as they trace their ancestors. I've never been one for genealogy, but it really has been neat to watch these people dig back through time. It's also been educational, as they dive into various parts of national and international history. Anyhow, fun to watch, and sometimes sad.
Sports Night
Now no, this isn't currently on t.v., but Amar and I are big Aaron Sorkin fans, and so we queued this up on Netflix and have been watching it (it also has ties to Parenthood via the main character). So if you like the West Wing(!!!), Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip, or just good tv, then you should check it out. Note: we also recommend The West Wing (!!!) and Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip if it wasn't obvious in the previous sentence...and while we're on the topic of Aaron Sorkin: see also The American President.
Parks and Recreation
So I caught this over the holiday break, and I wasn't that enthused about it. But when there was a household of sick people, I had some good TV time to burn. And I was pleasantly surprised. Even moreso now that Rob Lowe (um, West Wing alum!) has joined. Goodness all around.
The Biggest Loser
Now, don't get me wrong. I don't really watch this show. It just comes on either before or after Parenthood, and so I wind up catching a bit of it here and there. And honestly, I think it's great. They take people who are morbidly obese and just kick their butts right off. I'm not a huge fan of reality tv (with the major exception being Project Runway...which I miss, by the way. Where are you PR?!), but this reality show actually saves lives. These people are on the fast track to a short life, and to be honest, I cry whenever I watch it. Yes, I realize that 90+% of the time, these people have gotten themselves into this condition. But they are making a change, and keeping their family from the pain of losing them early in life.
Sunday, February 20, 2011
Online shopping
Amar was looking for "something whimsical" to get as a wedding gift for his newlywed brother...so he had me type "husband and wife coffee mugs" at Amazon.com
This was the search result:
Which one doesn't belong?
This was the search result:
Which one doesn't belong?
Sunday, February 06, 2011
Superbowl XLV: Musings and Observations
My thoughts upon watching portions of the Superbowl (and the commercials):
I'll leave things there for now. Best wishes for all of your Superbowl watching adventures!
- Either Troy Aikman is a giant, or Joe Buck is tiny. I googled their heights mid-game, and still, I think the data has been falsified. My current working theory: Joe Buck has a long neck making his shoulders look really short compared to good ol' Troy.
- The Steelers' head coach looks like Omar Epps. Arguably, Wikipedia does not have a good picture of either man, but trust me on this one. Doppelgangers.
- I don't care what you say, I still get a kick out of the Etrade talking baby commercials. Good stuff.
- Also, on the marketing front, I'm digging the Snickers commercials. They took the cake last year with Betty White getting tackled. And this year with (ick) Roseanne Barr and (ick-ish) Richard Lewis getting smacked around. Also good stuff.
- Not Superbowl-related, per se, but I'm contemplating starting a Twitter account. Anyone have any strong feelings either way?
- Not really looking forward to either of the upcoming Johnny Depp movies. Cartoon lizard? Pass. Yet another installment of Jack Sparrow? Meh.
- Half-time show? Seriously. People wearing neon light-up suits dancing around with boxes on their heads? Pass.
Taking a brief break...we just heard a crash outside and the back of the house shook...Amar is going to investigate...
...and we're back. Initial investigations didn't yield any findings. I'm off to investigate shortly.
Off to go check outside...and, nothing. But I did see a shooting star. And apparently when Amar went outside the first time, the neighbor was also outside checking things out with a flashlight. Strange happenings in Central Austin, I tell ya.
Back to the musings:
I'll leave things there for now. Best wishes for all of your Superbowl watching adventures!
Saturday, February 05, 2011
Rama Weekly Wrap-Up: 2
In this, the 2nd installment of the Rama Weekly Wrap-Up, we have some hot topics to cover! So grab your favorite beverage, pull up a cozy chair and settle in.
Update 1: The nanny
We love our new nanny, Bethany! And better yet, so does Anjali. Seriously, it's been great. So for all you inquiring minds, yes, all three Austin-based Ramas are still fully intact and thriving thanks, in part, to Miss Bethany (ok, so she is married, but "miss bethany" sounds better that "mrs bethany" to me...just deal with it).
Cute baby picture #1..just to keep you reading:
Update 2: Apple products invade (bonus: smartphones arrive!)
We are now inundated with various Apple products at Casa de Rama. We got an iPad late last year. we got a cube thingy a few weeks ago to replace a (very!) dated desktop unit we got when we first got married. But are we done? Apparently not. Today, we welcomed a new member to the family - the MacBook Pro. Goodie! (Seriously folks, Amar may need an intervention at this rate.) Also, we finally joined the revolution and upgraded our phones to new ones. We are now both sporting the MyTouch 4G, and thanks to an employer discount and Amar's negotiating class at his Executive MBA program, they were practically free. Bingo!
Cute baby picture #2...work with me people:
Update 3: Snowpocalypse 2011
Yes, I realize that other parts of the country actually have, what are they called again? Oh yeah, seasons, but around here, not so much. There's essentially an on/off switch for summer, and if it's off, it's basically 50 degrees. If it's on, double that.
But with the rest of the nation facing a blizzard, we were feeling left out. And voila! Snow(ishness)! Here's what it looked like at our house for a few hours on Friday.
Update 1: The nanny
We love our new nanny, Bethany! And better yet, so does Anjali. Seriously, it's been great. So for all you inquiring minds, yes, all three Austin-based Ramas are still fully intact and thriving thanks, in part, to Miss Bethany (ok, so she is married, but "miss bethany" sounds better that "mrs bethany" to me...just deal with it).
Cute baby picture #1..just to keep you reading:
Update 2: Apple products invade (bonus: smartphones arrive!)
We are now inundated with various Apple products at Casa de Rama. We got an iPad late last year. we got a cube thingy a few weeks ago to replace a (very!) dated desktop unit we got when we first got married. But are we done? Apparently not. Today, we welcomed a new member to the family - the MacBook Pro. Goodie! (Seriously folks, Amar may need an intervention at this rate.) Also, we finally joined the revolution and upgraded our phones to new ones. We are now both sporting the MyTouch 4G, and thanks to an employer discount and Amar's negotiating class at his Executive MBA program, they were practically free. Bingo!
Cute baby picture #2...work with me people:
Update 3: Snowpocalypse 2011
Yes, I realize that other parts of the country actually have, what are they called again? Oh yeah, seasons, but around here, not so much. There's essentially an on/off switch for summer, and if it's off, it's basically 50 degrees. If it's on, double that.
But with the rest of the nation facing a blizzard, we were feeling left out. And voila! Snow(ishness)! Here's what it looked like at our house for a few hours on Friday.
Saturday, January 29, 2011
Rama Weekly Wrap-Up
Hey folks,
It's blog-time again around these here parts. I was just thinking that nothing that I wanted to share with the internets really went together, per se, so I just decided to do a "weekly wrap-up"...and who knows, it might become a regular segment. Stay tuned!
So, without further ado, here is the Rama Weekly Wrap-Up:
And just for a sneak peek at what I'm going for in the laundry room, here's one of my inspiration pictures that I snagged:
Yes, I realize that it's a pantry, but what I'm going for is the neatly arranged bins of goodness, along with the overall curb (or hallway?) appeal of the space. Plus, if I can get some good baskets like that, I can move the cleaning supplies out of the space under the kitchen sink and into an out-of-sight/out-of-reach area for when Anjali starts roaming around the house on her own.
Also, one more find to share with you if you're looking for color-scheme type input: Kuler. I've just tinkered around with it a bit, but it looks like a total fun time waster. Good luck!
It's blog-time again around these here parts. I was just thinking that nothing that I wanted to share with the internets really went together, per se, so I just decided to do a "weekly wrap-up"...and who knows, it might become a regular segment. Stay tuned!
So, without further ado, here is the Rama Weekly Wrap-Up:
- The bambino:
- The kitchen:
- The casa:
She's officially 7 months old! She's sitting up on her own, and I just had to lower the crib this morning. For the past week or so, we've all been reeling from a daycare-inflicted illness, and ultimately, her first week at daycare turned out to be her last. We have a nanny starting Monday - goodie!
Since Amar's mom left, we've been faced with (gasp!) making dinner for ourselves on a regular basis. And for the most part, we've been doing ok. Last week was all about the slow-cooker, and this week was all about random stuff, including: chicken/broccoli stir fry, waffles and bacon, and pork tenderloin. They were met with varying degrees of success, but all in all, it was a decent food week.
During the week of illness, I had some time to think about updates that I want to make to the house. I even drew out (to scale!) what I want to do in the laundry room (including stacking the washer/dryer, updating the shelves, adding more storage, etc.). More to come on that in the near future, hopefully. I also stumbled upon some neat little blogs, one of which I wanted to share with you: Young House Love. Specifically, this post of theirs about the napkin that is serving as the 'jumping off point' for the color scheme of their new house really inspired me. I'm now in search of my own 'napkin' (or swatch, picture, etc.) that will serve as my inspiration for pulling this house together. Wish me luck!
And just for a sneak peek at what I'm going for in the laundry room, here's one of my inspiration pictures that I snagged:
Yes, I realize that it's a pantry, but what I'm going for is the neatly arranged bins of goodness, along with the overall curb (or hallway?) appeal of the space. Plus, if I can get some good baskets like that, I can move the cleaning supplies out of the space under the kitchen sink and into an out-of-sight/out-of-reach area for when Anjali starts roaming around the house on her own.
Also, one more find to share with you if you're looking for color-scheme type input: Kuler. I've just tinkered around with it a bit, but it looks like a total fun time waster. Good luck!
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Quick update
I haven't been blogging much lately because both Anjali and Amar were sick over the past few days. Not much fun, but we did survive it all.
To all of you who asked, the pot roast turned out quite well. I even made another crockpot recipe the other day: chicken makhani. And yum - quite a success!
Also, just a fun moment in parenting to share with you:
Yes, as parents we occasionally talk about the contents of our daughter's diaper, especially since she's been sick these last few days. Well, today I asked Amar how the diaper change was, and his response was "it looked like the Scottish countryside on a gray and angry winter day." Well, that was informative.
To all of you who asked, the pot roast turned out quite well. I even made another crockpot recipe the other day: chicken makhani. And yum - quite a success!
Also, just a fun moment in parenting to share with you:
Yes, as parents we occasionally talk about the contents of our daughter's diaper, especially since she's been sick these last few days. Well, today I asked Amar how the diaper change was, and his response was "it looked like the Scottish countryside on a gray and angry winter day." Well, that was informative.
Saturday, January 15, 2011
Provisions
I'm cooking a pot roast. The fact that 1) it's cold and gray outside and 2) my mother-in-law is no longer here to cook for the family, means that it's up to me (somewhat) and my severely lacking kitchen skills to provide dinner for us.
I was inspired by A Year of Slow Cooking and so I'm trying this "old fashioned pot roast".
I just wanted the internet to know.
If all goes well, we should have dinner on the table by 6ish. If all does not go well, we'll decide to fast....or get burgers.
Wish me luck!
I was inspired by A Year of Slow Cooking and so I'm trying this "old fashioned pot roast".
I just wanted the internet to know.
If all goes well, we should have dinner on the table by 6ish. If all does not go well, we'll decide to fast....or get burgers.
Wish me luck!
Sunday, January 09, 2011
Holiday fun, Rama-style
There are times in life that I think God enjoys letting us venture out on our own, only so that He can be somewhat amused at what we get ourselves into.
For us Ramas, that time came over the Christmas break. Specifically, in taking an infant to a rather mountainous state and attempting to sleep for any longer than 60 minutes in a row. Did I mention that it was mountainous? Oh, and at the base of the mountain it was 10,000 feet elevation? And the room we stayed in was on the second floor, so that adds what, 12 feet? It was definitely those last 12 feet that the infant objected to so vehemently.
On the other hand, it was beautiful, so that was a good little bonus over the Christmas break.
All that to say that we enjoyed our holiday break and here are some pictures to prove it:
For us Ramas, that time came over the Christmas break. Specifically, in taking an infant to a rather mountainous state and attempting to sleep for any longer than 60 minutes in a row. Did I mention that it was mountainous? Oh, and at the base of the mountain it was 10,000 feet elevation? And the room we stayed in was on the second floor, so that adds what, 12 feet? It was definitely those last 12 feet that the infant objected to so vehemently.
On the other hand, it was beautiful, so that was a good little bonus over the Christmas break.
All that to say that we enjoyed our holiday break and here are some pictures to prove it:
Monday, January 03, 2011
...anyone still there?
I know that I've been REALLY lazy about updating this here blog lately. If you're still with me, then THANK YOU! If you've given up on me, then, well you won't be reading this so I don't really care all that much ;)
Seriously though, things have been busy and "updating the ol' blog" hasn't really made it into the top 5 on the priority list. Hopefully, I'll be better about it in 2011, but who knows.
For my inaugural post of 2011, I thought I'd start with something light: what we've been up to in the wild and wonderful world of the Ramas.
Amar's parents have been with us since late August, and it's been amazing. Sure, the small house has become even more cozy, but it's a small price to pay to have such quality time with them and to watch them interact with Anjali. She loves them to pieces!
We took a "vacation" to Colorado...and I use the word "vacation" very lightly. It was more like a trip. An adventure. The baby did great on the plane, but didn't love the altitude (10,000 feet!) too much. Yes, it was a beautiful winter wonderland in the mountains, but I think our next family vacation will be much closer to home, in a much warmer climate and at a much more sane elevation. Mountains: 1, Ramas: 0
And it's official, we have a big baby on our hands. But she's proportionate, so it's ok. At her 6 month check-up, she was in the 90% for height and weight. Her head, however, is normal-sized (50%), so who knows. We've started doing some sleep training, with great results so far. Here's to a restful 2011!
On the pet-front, we got the Scotties officially groomed for the first time ever, and they actually look like Scotties. They didn't quite know what to think of their new 'do at first, but they were super cute and we loved it. They even smelled like perfume for the first week or so (I kept holding them and smelling them!), so they probably thought I was weird - what's new? Now, due to their new look, when they get running really fast, they look like flying carpets. Good stuff!
Over the holiday break, we saw our fair share of movies as well:
The Fighter
Overall, a great movie, though not as much about boxing as one might suspect. Any Marky Mark lovers out there will enjoy it. Yay! Note: you have to brace yourself for the very profuse and artistic use of the 'f' word....you've been warned.
The King's Speech
To be honest, I wanted to see this one because I really like a certain Mr. Colin Firth*. It was a good movie though, and I'd recommend it. It's a bit slow at times, but come on, what do you expect in a movie about British royalty? And note: there is also a bit of profanity in this one (not nearly as much as The Fighter), but it's done 1) with a British accent and 2) in such a way that you are cracking up...so I didn't mind it too much.
*How can you NOT love Mr. Darcy?!?
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Any Team Narnia folks will enjoy this one (I just made that up, by the way...good stuff, eh?). Reepicheep is great, and Eustace is believably obnoxious, in a good way. Overall, a fun holiday movie. Anyone know if any of the other books are being made into movies?
There has been much, much more going on, but you'll have to come back for more installments. Happy new year!
Seriously though, things have been busy and "updating the ol' blog" hasn't really made it into the top 5 on the priority list. Hopefully, I'll be better about it in 2011, but who knows.
For my inaugural post of 2011, I thought I'd start with something light: what we've been up to in the wild and wonderful world of the Ramas.
Amar's parents have been with us since late August, and it's been amazing. Sure, the small house has become even more cozy, but it's a small price to pay to have such quality time with them and to watch them interact with Anjali. She loves them to pieces!
We took a "vacation" to Colorado...and I use the word "vacation" very lightly. It was more like a trip. An adventure. The baby did great on the plane, but didn't love the altitude (10,000 feet!) too much. Yes, it was a beautiful winter wonderland in the mountains, but I think our next family vacation will be much closer to home, in a much warmer climate and at a much more sane elevation. Mountains: 1, Ramas: 0
And it's official, we have a big baby on our hands. But she's proportionate, so it's ok. At her 6 month check-up, she was in the 90% for height and weight. Her head, however, is normal-sized (50%), so who knows. We've started doing some sleep training, with great results so far. Here's to a restful 2011!
On the pet-front, we got the Scotties officially groomed for the first time ever, and they actually look like Scotties. They didn't quite know what to think of their new 'do at first, but they were super cute and we loved it. They even smelled like perfume for the first week or so (I kept holding them and smelling them!), so they probably thought I was weird - what's new? Now, due to their new look, when they get running really fast, they look like flying carpets. Good stuff!
Over the holiday break, we saw our fair share of movies as well:
The Fighter
Overall, a great movie, though not as much about boxing as one might suspect. Any Marky Mark lovers out there will enjoy it. Yay! Note: you have to brace yourself for the very profuse and artistic use of the 'f' word....you've been warned.
The King's Speech
To be honest, I wanted to see this one because I really like a certain Mr. Colin Firth*. It was a good movie though, and I'd recommend it. It's a bit slow at times, but come on, what do you expect in a movie about British royalty? And note: there is also a bit of profanity in this one (not nearly as much as The Fighter), but it's done 1) with a British accent and 2) in such a way that you are cracking up...so I didn't mind it too much.
*How can you NOT love Mr. Darcy?!?
The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader
Any Team Narnia folks will enjoy this one (I just made that up, by the way...good stuff, eh?). Reepicheep is great, and Eustace is believably obnoxious, in a good way. Overall, a fun holiday movie. Anyone know if any of the other books are being made into movies?
There has been much, much more going on, but you'll have to come back for more installments. Happy new year!
Monday, November 01, 2010
Quick rhetorical question:
Why is water that comes out of the ice machine not cold?!
Just a quick thought from my lunch break. Oy.
Just a quick thought from my lunch break. Oy.
Monday, October 11, 2010
A weekend of firsts
In retrospect, it seems that we had a great weekend a la Casa de Rama. We had a few 'firsts' that were enjoyable:
I thought I had some more 'firsts' but now I can't think of them...anyhow, hope you had a good weekend too!
- Usage of the TxTag
Since I'm now working out of an office in Round Rock several days each week, we decided that it was worth it to buy a TxTag. So we put it to use for the first time this weekend as we made our way to a friend's house in Pflugerville. Good times, though I'm still not too pleased with toll roads in general... - New kitchen sink
Our 'old' kitchen sink died, and I installed a new one. ('old' being somewhat of a misnomer, since we've only had it for about 4 years!) This was a 'first' because I haven't ever installed a kitchen sink before. Bathroom sinks, yes. Kitchen sinks, no. I take it as a good sign that it's still in working order after the weekend... - Laughing Baby
Our dear friend Tiffany got Anjali to laugh - and it was awesome! Yes, it's always cute when babies laugh, but when it's your kid, it's really fantastic. The only downside? We haven't been able to recreate it...but that's not for lack of trying! - Apple products
Amar surprised me yesterday by taking me to the Apple store and buying an iPad for the family. I was staunchly opposed to owning one, since I didn't really think we needed one, but I actually like it. It's a first real gadget (aside from an iPod Nano) from Apple...and it seemed post-worthy.
I thought I had some more 'firsts' but now I can't think of them...anyhow, hope you had a good weekend too!
Friday, October 01, 2010
Sunday, August 08, 2010
Too much tv
Not only is it a pillow.
Nor is it merely a pet.
In fact, it's a Pillow Pet.
Is anyone else plagued by this completely nonsensical informercial sweeping the nation? Yowzah!
Nor is it merely a pet.
In fact, it's a Pillow Pet.
Is anyone else plagued by this completely nonsensical informercial sweeping the nation? Yowzah!
Tuesday, August 03, 2010
Month in review: Parental Essentials
I'm thinking I should trademark that accidental rhyme in the title. Eh?
And now onto bigger and better things: the content of this post
Praise the Good Lord that we've survived 5+ weeks of keeping Anjali alive. Seriously. Now, before I get too far into today's edition, I want to say that this will NOT become a mommy blog. Not to slam the mommy blogs, but just to specify that this is not one of them.
However, there will occasionally be some random child-rearing thoughts that I will share with you from time to time.
I just wanted to make that clear....
Moving on.
I wanted to give a shout-out to some key essentials that have helped us survive these last 5+ weeks. You may or may not be a parent, but I'm hoping that in either case, this will be somewhat interesting/useful to you...there have been 2 things that we really couldn't live without, and an additional item that seems to get almost as many comments as the baby itself. Allow me to enlighten you:
Item 1: The pacifier
Now let me say this, I'm all for kiddos coming equipped with a 'mute' button. However, our Creator did not necessarily design us that way, thus enter the pacifier. Whoever invented this device has simply got to be a gazillionaire at this point. I will admit that we've gotten a lot of mileage out of the pacifier. Not that this is a revolutionary thought by any means...I just don't think I really valued it much before having a baby. Now if they just made them for adults....
Item 2: The Moses basket
We live in a small house. This means that we have about 2 closets in the entire abode, and I am not about to clutter them up with baby gear. If you want to buy the latest gadgets for your kid, go for it. Around our house, however, we are trying to take a minimalistic approach. Thus, when considering purchasing a bassinet, I decided to pass.
However, some friends of ours mentioned that for their 4 kids, they used a Moses basket and definitely got their money's worth out of it. And since their kids are now all well past the infant stage, they loaned the basket to us.
HALLELUJAH!
I think Anjali has slept at least 6-8 hours a day in this thing, if not more (granted, those precious hours aren't in a row yet...). She loves it. We love it. This thing plus the pacifier have allowed me to sleep, eat, shower, brush my teeth and occasionally watch TV. It's been nice to be able to cart a sleeping baby around the house as needed without disturbing her.
Item 3: The stroller
Now, we haven't used this thing too much thus far, but when we have, we get a lot of comments. At church on Sundays, people will actually spend more time asking us about the stroller than about the baby. It's pretty funny, actually.
Anyhow, it's really easy to use and again, Anjali seems to like it. But it still cracks me up how a lot of people are super curious about it. I think next Sunday we'll have to give demonstrations in the church lobby just to fend off the crowds.
Well, that's my take on early parenting. We have lots to learn, and believe you me, I could do an entire month's worth of posts on the usefulness of the burp cloth. I will spare you the details...
You parents out there - was there anything you couldn't live without during the early infant stage? Let me know...
And now onto bigger and better things: the content of this post
Praise the Good Lord that we've survived 5+ weeks of keeping Anjali alive. Seriously. Now, before I get too far into today's edition, I want to say that this will NOT become a mommy blog. Not to slam the mommy blogs, but just to specify that this is not one of them.
However, there will occasionally be some random child-rearing thoughts that I will share with you from time to time.
I just wanted to make that clear....
Moving on.
I wanted to give a shout-out to some key essentials that have helped us survive these last 5+ weeks. You may or may not be a parent, but I'm hoping that in either case, this will be somewhat interesting/useful to you...there have been 2 things that we really couldn't live without, and an additional item that seems to get almost as many comments as the baby itself. Allow me to enlighten you:
Item 1: The pacifier
Now let me say this, I'm all for kiddos coming equipped with a 'mute' button. However, our Creator did not necessarily design us that way, thus enter the pacifier. Whoever invented this device has simply got to be a gazillionaire at this point. I will admit that we've gotten a lot of mileage out of the pacifier. Not that this is a revolutionary thought by any means...I just don't think I really valued it much before having a baby. Now if they just made them for adults....
Item 2: The Moses basket
We live in a small house. This means that we have about 2 closets in the entire abode, and I am not about to clutter them up with baby gear. If you want to buy the latest gadgets for your kid, go for it. Around our house, however, we are trying to take a minimalistic approach. Thus, when considering purchasing a bassinet, I decided to pass.
However, some friends of ours mentioned that for their 4 kids, they used a Moses basket and definitely got their money's worth out of it. And since their kids are now all well past the infant stage, they loaned the basket to us.
HALLELUJAH!
I think Anjali has slept at least 6-8 hours a day in this thing, if not more (granted, those precious hours aren't in a row yet...). She loves it. We love it. This thing plus the pacifier have allowed me to sleep, eat, shower, brush my teeth and occasionally watch TV. It's been nice to be able to cart a sleeping baby around the house as needed without disturbing her.
Item 3: The stroller
Now, we haven't used this thing too much thus far, but when we have, we get a lot of comments. At church on Sundays, people will actually spend more time asking us about the stroller than about the baby. It's pretty funny, actually.
Anyhow, it's really easy to use and again, Anjali seems to like it. But it still cracks me up how a lot of people are super curious about it. I think next Sunday we'll have to give demonstrations in the church lobby just to fend off the crowds.
Well, that's my take on early parenting. We have lots to learn, and believe you me, I could do an entire month's worth of posts on the usefulness of the burp cloth. I will spare you the details...
You parents out there - was there anything you couldn't live without during the early infant stage? Let me know...
Monday, August 02, 2010
In praise of the Kindle
It's no secret that we have a lot of books in our household. In fact, there are several bookshelves where I've had to double-stack books (two rows deep on various shelves) just to fit them all in.
So when Amar decided that he wanted to purchase a Kindle, I was very much open to the expense, because it meant that there would eventually be less book clutter in our house. Little did I know that I would soon become a Kindle fan.
Since welcoming Anjali to our household, I've gotten a TON of use out of the Kindle. I think I probably spent about 3-4 hours reading now, mainly because there's not much else I can do when I'm feeding her. And since feeding her means that I have one hand free, the Kindle is perfect. Basically, I can feed Anjali, holding her with one hand, and read a book in the other hand. I can turn pages one-handed (a simple click of a button). It's super easy to use, and I can switch between books without getting up. Good stuff!
Thus far, I've read the following books on the Kindle in the last 5 weeks:
- Percy Jackson: The Titan's Curse
- Percy Jackson: The Battle of the Labyrinth
- Percy Jackson: The Last Olympian
- The Bible: Psalms 20-73 (I'm reading through Psalms and Provers this summer with our church via The Voyage)
- Moneyball: The Art of Winning and Unfair Game
- Liar's Poker
Also, books are cheaper on the Kindle. Books that would cost $10-$30 to purchase soft/hard copies of are only $4-$10 on the Kindle. All in all, the Rama household highly recommends the Kindle if you're considering purchasing one. Yay!
Friday, July 30, 2010
Adventures with wildlife
Yesterday was not a banner day for me and wildlife. There were three separate incidents that led to this post. Had they not occurred on the same day, I wouldn't have really thought anything of it. However, nature seemed to be conspiring against me yesterday, thus this post was hatched:
Incident 1: The bird at HEB
After loading up Anjali in the car and dropping Amar's lunch off at his office, I decided that I had time to do a quick grocery store run. Upon arriving at HEB, I parked the car, loaded the baby into the cart and headed toward the store. I noticed that there were some HEB employees milling around the parking lot, but didn't really think anything of it.
I was about 20 feet from the store when I felt something on my the back of my head. I quickly moved to brush it off, and then saw a bird fly precariously close to my face. Then I heard someone behind me yell, "Yep - that was a bird. I'm working on it!" I turned around to see that it was one of the employees talking, and then surmised that I had just been dive-bombed by said bird. I felt my head again, to make sure that the bird didn't leave anything behind after it said hello to me. All clear. Luckily, the bird targeted me and not the baby.
Incident 2: The squirrel
After a successful trip through the grocery store, I loaded everything (and everyone) back into the car and headed home. About 3 blocks from the grocery store, I apparently murdered a squirrel. I say "apparently" because I didn't even see him. I heard him. More specifically, I heard a "thump thump" as I ran over him, and not until I checked the rear-view mirror did I realize what I had done.
Incident 3: The bug in the kitchen
Now, you may know that I have a strict no-tolerance policy towards all members of the bug, insect and/or arachnid categories. No-tolerance. I will either kill it, or distance myself so far from it as to render its scary qualities mostly ineffective. And all of them have scary qualities.
Last night, as I was heading to bed, I turned the kitchen light on. I noticed some dust particles coming from one of the lights, and called Amar's attention to it. We both examined the light for a few seconds, and then Amar said "WOAH!" I then saw the reason: a huge, black bug started to poke its head down from the light and into the kitchen. Amar quickly handed me the baby and I darted into the bedroom, slamming the door behind me.
Now, after Amar dispatched the offending bug, he and I started to realize that Bella, the not-so-bright member of the Scottish Terrier branch of the Rama family, tried to alert us to the insect earlier in the week. She spent the better part of one evening staring intently at part of the ceiling of the kitchen. Amar and I both inspected that part of the kitchen several times that evening, but found nothing. Bella remained intent (she's nothing if not dedicated, especially when it looks like she might get some sort of food out of the operation...and I can only imagine that this bug looked like dessert to her). So it now looks like we have a good watchdog in our family. Apologies, Bella, for underestimating your intelligence in the past!
All that to say that yesterday was not my day with the local wildlife. Hopefully today will be much less dramatic!
Incident 1: The bird at HEB
After loading up Anjali in the car and dropping Amar's lunch off at his office, I decided that I had time to do a quick grocery store run. Upon arriving at HEB, I parked the car, loaded the baby into the cart and headed toward the store. I noticed that there were some HEB employees milling around the parking lot, but didn't really think anything of it.
I was about 20 feet from the store when I felt something on my the back of my head. I quickly moved to brush it off, and then saw a bird fly precariously close to my face. Then I heard someone behind me yell, "Yep - that was a bird. I'm working on it!" I turned around to see that it was one of the employees talking, and then surmised that I had just been dive-bombed by said bird. I felt my head again, to make sure that the bird didn't leave anything behind after it said hello to me. All clear. Luckily, the bird targeted me and not the baby.
Incident 2: The squirrel
After a successful trip through the grocery store, I loaded everything (and everyone) back into the car and headed home. About 3 blocks from the grocery store, I apparently murdered a squirrel. I say "apparently" because I didn't even see him. I heard him. More specifically, I heard a "thump thump" as I ran over him, and not until I checked the rear-view mirror did I realize what I had done.
Incident 3: The bug in the kitchen
Now, you may know that I have a strict no-tolerance policy towards all members of the bug, insect and/or arachnid categories. No-tolerance. I will either kill it, or distance myself so far from it as to render its scary qualities mostly ineffective. And all of them have scary qualities.
Last night, as I was heading to bed, I turned the kitchen light on. I noticed some dust particles coming from one of the lights, and called Amar's attention to it. We both examined the light for a few seconds, and then Amar said "WOAH!" I then saw the reason: a huge, black bug started to poke its head down from the light and into the kitchen. Amar quickly handed me the baby and I darted into the bedroom, slamming the door behind me.
Now, after Amar dispatched the offending bug, he and I started to realize that Bella, the not-so-bright member of the Scottish Terrier branch of the Rama family, tried to alert us to the insect earlier in the week. She spent the better part of one evening staring intently at part of the ceiling of the kitchen. Amar and I both inspected that part of the kitchen several times that evening, but found nothing. Bella remained intent (she's nothing if not dedicated, especially when it looks like she might get some sort of food out of the operation...and I can only imagine that this bug looked like dessert to her). So it now looks like we have a good watchdog in our family. Apologies, Bella, for underestimating your intelligence in the past!
All that to say that yesterday was not my day with the local wildlife. Hopefully today will be much less dramatic!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Chaos abounds...
We had a bit of a chaotic moment last night at the Rama household. Looking back, it was pretty entertaining, so I thought I'd share.
In general, Anjali has been a great baby. She is relatively easy to calm, and very rarely gets REALLY upset. However, she is just a baby and thus, she will occasionally have moments where she is upset even though nothing is obviously causing her pain or discomfort.
Last night was one of those moments.
I fed her around 6PM, and Amar got home around 6:30. Almost immediately after he got home, she got fussy. And not just "give me a pacifier" fussy - all out wailing and flailing.
Amar and I took turns trying to calm her over the next hour. And just to underscore how easy a baby she's been so far, she's never cried for more than 5 minutes at a time; we're usually able to calm her pretty quickly.
Last night, however, she would have none of that. We rocked her. We swaddled her. We unswaddled her. We put her on her back. We put her on her stomach. We bounced. We danced. We took her outside. We changed her diaper....you get the picture.
After about an hour, I decided to try to feed her a bit more. Amar and I headed to the nursery, and right as we were turning the corner in the hallway, we somehow knocked the carbon monoxide detector loose and it fell to the ground. As soon as it hit the floor, it started emitting the most horrible, shrill, loud and obnoxious sound known to man. I think essentially the entire block thought that our house was about to self-destruct.
So I'm trying to feed a screaming child. Amar is running around the house with a small white box that is making a horrific noise and is not able to turn it off (apparently when it fell, some part got lodged inside that prevented it from being shut off). He starts threatening to smash it with a hammer. I start laughing.
Then, somehow, the house alarm starts going off. Screaming baby. Screaming carbon monoxide alarm. Screaming house alarm.
It was pretty awesome to say the least.
Eventually, Amar got the house alarm off. Then he found a hammer and started to work on the carbon monoxide detector. The baby had stopped screaming so that she could eat a second meal. And after about 90 minutes of non-stop noise at our house, we were able to rest peacefully and have a conversation at a normal volume.
Good stuff indeed!
Tuesday, July 06, 2010
Update: Day 10
So our little one is now 10 days old. It's been a long, but good, 10 days :) Kudos to all the parents out there - we now understand how hard but rewarding this adventure is.
We had the 2 week pediatrician visit yesterday and for those of you into the stats, here's what we found out:
All in all, she's doing really well.
Here are some more pictures that our friend Krista took:
We had the 2 week pediatrician visit yesterday and for those of you into the stats, here's what we found out:
- Her head grew by 1 cm, bringing her into the 50th percentile for head size
- She is back up to her birth weight, weighing in a 7 lb. 10 oz., putting her into the 40th percentile for weight
- She is 20.5 inches long, putting her into the 50th percentile for length
All in all, she's doing really well.
Here are some more pictures that our friend Krista took:
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
The newest Rama
Well folks, she arrived!
Anjali Katherine was born on Saturday, June 26 at 4:55 PM. She weighed in at 7 lb 10 oz and was 20 inches long.
All was well at the first doctor's appointment yesterday. Amar and I are mainly trying to keep her alive at this point, while also trying to get as much sleep as we can. Here are a few pictures from Anjali's first few days with us:
Note: eventually we'll post some pictures of her NOT bundled up, but for now, that's her favorite thing in the world, so we keep her wrapped pretty tight most of the time.
Anjali Katherine was born on Saturday, June 26 at 4:55 PM. She weighed in at 7 lb 10 oz and was 20 inches long.
All was well at the first doctor's appointment yesterday. Amar and I are mainly trying to keep her alive at this point, while also trying to get as much sleep as we can. Here are a few pictures from Anjali's first few days with us:
Note: eventually we'll post some pictures of her NOT bundled up, but for now, that's her favorite thing in the world, so we keep her wrapped pretty tight most of the time.
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