fall yummies

Anika and Papa made a delicious treat I saw here . Thank you fabulous internet mama.



It is seriously good and very easy..they put it together while I made dinner. DH loves it so much he's been taking lunch to work everyday just to pack it as dessert. On the first day when it was done I said this is going to be a major set back for my fitness plans so he very supportively said why not give some away to friends then?

He came back home the first day and tried to ask casually, "So did you give any pumpkin bread away yet?"

Its still in the fridge. I try not to eat more than one piece a day;)

how they've grown

This is Anika and her bff Nikhil, this is how they looked a year ago.

First they were asked to sit next to each other



then I said put your arms around each other



Nikhil's mom says, put your arm around her, Anika first pushes him away



and then looks down coyly!



Walking off into the sunset

confession

I ran for 22 consecutive days. I felt good about myself every single time. I never thought, I wish I hadn't done that.

I haven't been for my run for the past five days...there were valid reasons for three of those five days, but the other two I was lazy. And each day I slipped up it became easier to not go. This just goes to show...I cannot miss a SINGLE day if I want to make exercise a habit. Failure is a part of the process of change. Instead of dwelling too much on the failure I have decided I'm going to reset my resolve. This guy always helps.

I will be going tomorrow morning for sure and every other day after that unless I am ill. I need to just get back on the band wagon as quick as I can so whatever little conditioning I have created is not lost.

The reason I am blogging about this is accountability. Not that any of my readers is going to cross examine me, but just putting it out here will help.

This is about the REST of my life, like brushing my teeth...remember?

about the house

The animal cookie cutter set I bought for $8.99 was the best investment I ever made. Anika ate a seal and a bird full of cheese today=)







Yes he's wearing a diaper






That's Anika



And that's Papa(her idea). This is a bag I got a bottle of wine in from my sweet friend Leahann



Milk carton bus with badly constructed wheels

dandia in the park

First came the dolling up, our favorite part





Then came the pooja, there she is in the front row



Party! Dandia style=)



This impromptu dandia party took place in our park last night. We potlucked, arranged some music and tried not to knock each other's heads off! Fun all around=)

birthday

Dax came on the 29th of September. Stephana went into labor at 2:00 pm and her husband called us at 2:30. Andrea got there at 3:30 and I got there 15 minutes later with a knot in my stomach anticipating intense birthing. As I walked in I saw Andrea and Kelly speaking in hushed tones. Andrea said, she just had the baby. WHAT? WTF? She had the baby at 3:20 so even Andrea missed it! Can you believe that? There were two video cameras in the house, plus mine on the way, tripods, tapes , DSLRs, the works and not even one was turned on for the actual birth...Dax maxed all expectations..out in an hour! Wow.

I did shoot a little of the 'after' stuff. Stephana was laying there like a Goddess with the baby on her breast. She looked so beautiful and natural. I was quite literally in awe of her power and beauty. What struck me was her absolute attention on her new born with no regard to her own condition. Its amazing how every child gives birth to a mother.


I don't think I have the strength of spirit or body confidence it takes to have a child at home...I need the backup of a hospital and pain medication just incase. Having said that, midwives are very well equipped to handle birth emergencies and always know when to take a mother to a hospital if complications that require intervention arise...yet to me it is a leap of faith in SELF. Could I do it without flipping out? There was a point in Anika's birth where I definitely felt I couldn't do it any more, I wanted deliverance from 'suffering' so to speak. I guess its like everything I do, I need a back door to escape..it takes a different sort of strength to say, I will do this no matter what.

Being there made me think back to my birth experience. All I remember of it is love and support. I felt like a queen who was carried on love..sounds melodramatic...but when you're in the throes of labor pains, love is like water to a dying person's lips..it is such a powerful experience only dramatic analogies like that begin to come close to describing the experience. Dh was just incredibly loving and supportive, I couldn't have gotten as far as I did without him and my doula. My doula Giselle Whitwell was amazing, she was like a mother, so compassionate. They were both with me every step of the way, through the 21 hours it took! Thank you both for giving me the best birth experience I could have wanted.



This morning when mama wished me a happy birth day I wished HER a happy birthday for pushing me out. To all mothers who make, carry and birth love.