Vedasri Siddamsetty

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#happyhappy

36 weeks! The time to pop begins now and lasts for the whole month. The final weeks of pregnancy is almost like a flashback and I can’t help but reflect on all  the whole nine months. It is but a spiritual journey to have a baby, to be a Mom! However I have learnt several lessons over the last couple of months, some bitter truths and other sweetest facts. The quotes that stuck with me are one, that if you have good thoughts they shine like sunbeams through your face and you will always look lovely and two, enthusiasm is the electricity of life! Armed with good thoughts and enthusiasm, life is but sheer joy. Such moments of relaxation and reflection further make one’s interests in life rather clear. There is nothing like sheer objectivity to know your mind, and there is no greater power than the knowledge of one’s mind! Apart from architectural work, I’d like to travel to one new country every year, be active every single day, fill my head with good thoughts that shine through my face and arm myself with electrifying enthusiasm on the majority of moments. While I now brace in body and mind for one of the greatest miracles of life, am suddenly feeling very wise. The strong let go and accept life, control is the respite of the weak. So while I digest all the revelations that relaxation have brought to me, there is one other scientific fact that I’d like to share. It has been studied that a relaxed person cannot experience pain. How wonderful then. Instead of resisting lets relax into life, at its every stage brimming with good thoughts and electrifying enthusiasm! Godspeed to all of us.

Baby B: 36 Weeks

Baby’s size? 18.7 inches

Girth: 42 inches

Plus: 17 kilograms (ouch!!)

Maternity clothes? The long dresses, stretch leggings combined with long hoodies – for winter is here!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: A day well spent with ample exercise equals to great sleep. Period.

Best moment this week: New Year’s and some glorious music!

Movement: Warm embraces! Now’s when I feel the hugs from inside. Warm and cuddly!!

Food Cravings: Cheese!!

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Acne on the chin. Darn it. Just when I thought they were gone for good =( Uff!

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Fearful! It’s a roller-coaster ride.

Loving: Sleeping.

Reading: Quotations!

Watched: Reign. Yet I am addicted.

Compliments: On retaining my face structure!

Acne: A blasphemous new one on my forehead.

Drawing: Lilies and Zerberas!

Dreaming of: Nothing this week. Or rather nothing that I remember.

Looking Forward To: 2018! And all the cheer it’s going to bring.

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#merrymerry

35 weeks! Now showing quite apparently I do get those sympathetic looks and polite questions from passer-bys and random acquaintences. With the baby expanding and taking up all space, the internal organs seem to be rather cramped with no space to even keep food down. Such are the intricacies of concocting a while new human being! While a much elaborated conflict resolves in my head this week, I have gotten utter clarity in my being. It’s the season of cheer and more so the season for some reason and introspection. Looking inwards and hence onwards is all the ammunition we need in life. Life as we know it is much too wise and can conveniently sort itself out rather abundantly. And that is itself a reason to be jolly!

Baby B: 35 Weeks

Baby’s size? 18.2 inches

Girth: 42 inches

Plus: 15.4 kilograms

Maternity clothes? Yoga pants and oversized shirts are so much more fun now. Its time to strettcccchhh!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Very very elusive.

Best moment this week: Santa Claus and Christmas ofcourse!

Movement: A flip here and a nudge there mostly.

Food Cravings: Plain wholewheat bread. Soft and tender. Still on it.

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Acne on the chin. Darn it. Just when I thought they were gone for good =( Uff!

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Fearful! It’s a roller-coaster ride.

Loving: Sleeping.

Reading: The Conscious Parent by Shefali Tsabary.

Watched: Reign. Yet I am addicted.

Compliments: On retaining my face structure! 

Acne: Dormant and threatening. 

Drawing: Pulling out the canvas today and banishing the laziness for good.

Dreaming of: Nothing this week. Or rather nothing that I remember.

Looking Forward To: 2018! And all the cheer it’s going to bring.

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#awesometwosome #sheetlucomestotown #instax #iwant

34 weeks! A week of a nasty cold, doctor visits and a wonderful scan. No feeling beats that of seeing a little baby fully formed on the screen in almost life-like proportions. The beating of the heart, lungs, kidneys and what not. All of the organs work in tandem together to make one whole person, none more important that the other. It’s not all about the heart or the head either, it’s the two of them in varying proportions and orders. They are so remarkably interconnected and have a mind of their own, to survive, to beat out the odds that it is utterly amazing to witness the insides of a mini-version orchestrating in all it’s glory. Wonder why we dont have ultra-sound scan videos of adults. Just so that we can see how hard our bodies work and how well they know to figure stuff out. Constantly adapting to temperatures, conditions that we subject them to all day. Sometimes a walk in the park is all what the body needs, some nature time, some me time, and some time to get in touch with it’s maker. There definitely has to be a maker, and a bit more worthy that Swiss too, considering the precision! A medical scan is all it took to reinstate firmly my belief in God. The thought in the mind is a chemical reaction, and its all the same whether we automatically dictate our thoughts or manually inject chemicals into the body, and that is quite something. SO while I suddenly am filled with gratitude towards my own lungs, heart, hands, head and what not, I make up my mind to live out the life and it’s purpose joyfully. It’s a miracle they way our bodies work! And giving them all anything but amazement, joy, happiness, love and gratitude will be so utterly unfair. Thank you lungs, heart and all the other crew who work tirelessly in making me me. 😀

Baby B: 34 Weeks

Baby’s size? 17.2 inches

Girth: 42 inches

Plus: 14.7 kilograms

Maternity clothes? Yoga pants and oversized shirts are so much more fun now. Its time to strettcccchhh!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Can I just bribe my body into slumber!!!

Best moment this week: The Scan! The Scan! The Scan! Absolutely hearted every single moment of it.

Movement: To *baby music* (never even knew that was a genre!), religious bhajans, slokas.

Food Cravings: Plain wholewheat bread. Soft and tender.

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Acne on the chin. Darn it. Just when I thought they were gone for good =( Uff!

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Content! Feelings of plenty!

Loving: Stretching. Stretching. Stretching. Cat poses, cow poses. Thank God for Yoga!

Reading: The Art of Happiness. again. Yes apparently a book that cant be reread many times is not worth being read even once 😀

Watched: Reign. But am so not the Netflix type. It offers little or no entertainment to me. Watching a bunch of trees gives me better entertainment. 😀

Compliments: On my hugeness! Well am determined to take it as a compliment.

Acne: Terrible, unyielding, painful. Darn!

Drawing: In my head. Still so so lazy to put it on canvas. Still Lazy.

Dreaming of: Nothing this week. Or rather nothing that I remember.

Looking Forward To: Christmas. And all the cheer!! 😊

Perched atop a rocky hill, the Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad reaches up to the sky unabashedly. It offers a panoramic view of the city of pearls and a chance to live like the Nizam, the city’s most well-known dynasty who ruled for over 228 years in the city’s 400-odd year history. Today transformed to it’s erstwhile glory, it is Taj property where guests are treated to a gala time of luxury steeped in thoughtfulness, surrounded by delectable vintage pieces and food that would utterly surprise the Gods. As one of the most premium properties in the country it holds its fort in making a remarkable impression on its guests. Living life king-size is a dream and a rather wonderful dream at that. For one 24 hours at the Falaknuma is just that, a day like the king, relishing the riches and possessions of the king who was once the richest man in the world!

Making a reservation at this palace is a must as no walk-ins are ever allowed. Access into the palace precincts is itself keenly monitored and documented. Once in, the guests are asked to alight at the second line of defence for a horse-cart ride upto the main palace. Vehicles are kept away from the main palace, completely. The carriageway ride on the cobbled street in high incline is quite bumpy, but  the scenery breathtaking. The carriage is preceded by a man carrying the Nizam’s coat of arms. Royalty quite begins right at that point. Alighting at the entrance, the welcome with a glass of refreshment if followed by the climb up to the lobby, rose petals showered from above offer a surprise welcome, and are a shower full of the sweet smelling flower with fragrance and visual delight enveloping the stairway. While one is yet taking in the sheer grandeur and beauty of the palace, one is welcomed into the verandah adjoining the sky room and later the main lobby of the palace. While the main palace has been restored to its original glory, the wings of rooms have been redesigned to offer world-class facilities all equipped for the modern times. The rooms are all tastefully done, while the suites do have an element of bling in terms of decor and finish. What with all the gold-plated sanitary fittings!

Some remarkable elements in the palace are the huge collection of books of the Nizam, his private den, the 101-seater dining table with cutlery et al, the ball room where all state functions were once held, the old dial telephone (the Nizam had the viceroy on speed dial!), the bath for the Begum and grand proportions of architecture that was inspired by travels across Europe, Italy in particular. The palace collections are very spectacular in their historical significance and workmanship. The man who originally built the palace was a wealthy businessman Vicar-Ul-Umra who was then the Prime Minister of the Hyderabad state. His indulgence in the palace is said to have bankrupted him, causing him to sell the building to the smitten Nizam. Shaped like a Scorpion in plan it was designed to mark it’s owner Vicar’s zodiac sign. Though the plan is not read while experiencing the palace, several other measures of how the city is framed is more keenly observed and felt. Falaknuma in literal translation means ‘mirror of the sky’ and the palace does just that. It reflects the clear blue sky in the day and reflects the dazzling the lights of the city below in the night. It offers a wonderful sight to behold day or night. While we lounged for a bit, walked around the main building in the afternoon, took the palace Champagne tour, heard nostalgic stories of the city, read up about the Nizam’s jewels in the impressive library, were entertained to Sufi music in the evening, watched a great DVD show at night (accompanied all with nachos and coke! so very thoughtful), gorged on Italian for lunch, Hyderabadi for dinner and a continental breakfast, swam and spa-ed in the morning, played a game of croquet in the early afternoon, returned traditional Nizami greetings of ‘Adab’, we were constantly made to feel nothing short of the Nizam and his Begum!

A befitting experience of Nizami royalty, all in the name of the king!

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#twinning #winningcombinations #redandgold

33 weeks! Losing my centre of gravity has been the most happening thing this week, plus the beginning of the waddle! Between a whale and a penguin the empathy for animals of all kind has been on my mind this week. But if that means having a whale of a good time then it’s more than fine by me. It brings me to the notion of happiness and all things bright. It’s all literally in our own very heads, the conscious decision to be however we would like to be. Hakuna Matata or not! When asked what was the secret to his great health my 90 year old cousin grandfather said it was due to spending hours on the tennis court, playing, winning sports championships, staying on his feet all day and keeping away from complaining peeps. Oh well! All those tennis years inclusive of knee surgeries and a rather selective bunch of friends. Injury seems to be the price that vigorous exercise imparts for the all its other benefits. Sigh! Gain shouldn’t come with pain. Or so I believe. But either which way suffering is measured and hopefully set off by something that is worthy much.

Baby B: 33 Weeks

Baby’s size? 17.2 inches

Girth: 39.5 inches

Plus: 14.0 kilograms

Maternity clothes? Yes! Bored already!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Getting harder by the day. Or should I say easier. So very unpredictable.

Best moment this week: Finishing up with the IV has got to be the best moment of the week. Needle pokes et al 😐

Movement: A nudge here and there, much stronger and harder.

Food Cravings: Pretty much turned off by food (!) *exasperated*

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Acne on the chin. Darn it. Just when I thought they were gone for good =(

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Content! Feelings of plenty!

Loving: Stretching. Stretching. Stretching.

Reading: Rest. Pregnancy by Nutan Pandit.

Watched: The Crown. Whole two episodes.

Compliments: On my gorgeous abs!

Acne: Terrible, unyielding, painful. Darn!

Drawing: In my head. Still so so lazy to put it on canvas.

Dreaming of: Nothing this week. Or rather nothing that I remember.

Looking Forward To: A week of rest and solitude. Spending time with my favoritest person. 😊

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

 

#earlysignsoflife #heartwarming #canyousee?

32 weeks! The beating of a little heart has some more tangible elements this week as we looked into the scan of the little bean. Pouting lips and constant movements were such a highlight making me tear up as usual. Tears of joy or overwhelming emotions or well simply gratitude, it always happens to me in the Scan room, I can’t help but break into tears feeling overtly sensitive when I see the scan of the B on the screen, trying to decipher limbs from the abdomen and head from the face. It’s such a glorious feeling to have life moving inside you, its absolutely exhilarating. And to see the feeling in visuals I am left speechless, every single time. The human body is honestly nothing short of a miracle, and the very fact that we wake up every morning is something to be greatly thankful for. When in Moral Education class in school, the Nuns said that it’s a miracle that we ever wake up every morning, lauding that its something to be grateful for, I used to laugh finding the notion very funny. But now I understand what they meant. The human body is fragile yet robust, strong yet sensitive, grateful yet expecting. As I am filled with gratitude I am told that I will need to take Intravenous Fluid to set right some altering levels. Dreading the needle pokes am unnaturally worried, as usual, yet bravely go get the drips in, another 4 to go I tell myself, while the Mother says this is just the beginning! So much so am suddenly believing that eating right, sleeping right, exercising right, thinking positive is more important that anything else in life. All that chocolate indulgence, the lure of fried foods is not something to be proud of. Health is definitely wealth. And health is about moderation, about balance and about being clean in eating, living and being. While pain is not gain, I absolutely think so, respecting the human body and not exploiting it is the least we can do for a great being. Feeling good is extremely important and enjoying life is the basic premise. For life begins with and in the human (err especially woman) body! 😀

Baby B: 32 Weeks

Baby’s size? 16.7 inches

Girth: 39.0 inches

Plus: 14.0 kilograms

Maternity clothes? Yes! Missing my usual clothing preferences now.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Has been oh-so-elusive mainly due to the difficulty in finding the right or even remotely comfortable position for sleeping.

Best moment this week: Being in water. Swimming. Such sheer joy. Always. This time giving up all hangups about the sun, straight hair or whatever!

Movement: Hardly, some kicks here and there, now very visibly of-course.

Food Cravings: Pretty much turned off by food (!) *exasperated*

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Acne on the chin. Darn it. Just when I thought they were gone for good =(

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Content! Feelings of plenty!

Loving: The swimming pool!! The light blue water, the consistency of breathing, no glasses 😀

Reading: Mr Iyer Goes to War by Ryan Lobo, Screw it, lets do it by Richard Branson

Watched: Penguins of Madagascar, the movie.

Compliments: On my attitude to life and eyes!

Acne: Terrible, unyielding, painful. Darn!

Drawing: In my head. So lazy to put it on canvas.

Dreaming of:  Having a bony Baby girl, delivering etc. Such vivid dreams I tell you.

Looking Forward To: Getting the rest of them IV shots…and being done with them.

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

 

#goofingaround #myloves

31 weeks! This week had me be in awe of the miraculous human body. Our bodies are up to so much mischief and are much more than what simply meets the eye. And the love for my body especially has grown over the last few months. The mind-body connection is especially one that we could totally be mesmerised by in totality. It is indisputable that we could control our body through our minds and our minds through our bodies. Have you ever felt agitated? Then try breathing deeply and watch as your mind aligns with the body in a matter of minutes, and your troubles floating away like little helium balloons into outer space. After a wonderful day goofing around with the bestie and her son, I was given my first lessons of Mommyhood. And it didnt seem too daunting so to say the least. Either way, if women have survived birthing all over the world, then so will I! Thats called belief in humanity or well maybe specifically woomanity! So far, all the love, pampering and care has been wonderful and I may well get superbly used to it. Exercising has never felt better ever before, as has sleeping, the two things that truly pamper our bodies! Food is only but an offering of nourishment. In the book Warren Buffet’s Management Secrets I read about how important it is to do what one loves, and when hiring, hire someone who loves what they do. Its so crucial and apparently the best rule to ever have or follow in life. The sheer love for a thing would make you enjoy and hence work with exceeding merit. Hence I have been contemplating on what I do sincerely love to do. Of all the zillion things I have tried out. The gay abandon that comes forth in escaping away, and living fully in the moment comes when you are off to far-off places, experiencing the sheer beauty and diversity in the world, engaging in active or adventure sports or basking away in glorious sunlight on a hammock by sun-kissed sands or the all-knowing mountain ranges. To experience different things and assimilate the wonder that is through sketching or writing home about it. Life appreciation, in two words. A very successful businessman, one who follows a certain path of spirituality encompassing hours of meditation, integrity in life, non-violence in thought, word or deed, once told me that true spirituality is in surrendering yourself and embracing the tide of life. In that is true meditation. There is no need of religion, meditation, yoga or anything if one can truly master the art of accepting life and literally swimming with the tide. Life appreciators, I guess is what we need to be, appreciating the myriad of life’s offerings, even if once in a while we may sneak in a wish or two to the Lord! While one is pregnant am pretty sure one has a sense of divine connection and the true purpose of life comes blasting out in front of you. 😀

Baby B: 31 Weeks

Baby’s size? 16.2 inches

Girth: 39.0 inches

Plus: 13.0 kilograms (right there as yet)

Maternity clothes? Even the ones I got 10 days ago seem to be bursting at their seams. Phew!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Two days of slight difficulty in falling asleep followed by 5 of feeling like a sleeping beauty. My fav disney princess has firmly changed from Belle of Beauty and the beast to a cross between Aurora of the Sleeping Beauty and Ariel of the Little Mermaid.

Best moment this week: Being in water. Swimming. Such sheer joy.

Movement: Tumbling! The handstands and swift movements have clearly stopped.

Food Cravings: Anything in chocolate!

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Acne on the chin. Darn it. Just when I thought they were gone for good =(

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Pensive! Thoughtful!

Loving: The swimming pool!! I wonder now, how did I ever agree to leave my beloved pool, for further studies, for shifting countries, for moving cities! And then I reminiscence about all the cool pools I got to swim in.

Reading: Lanka’s Princess by Kavita Kane, The Vedic Way of Living, Warren Buffet’s Management Secrets, If youre so smart why arent you happy.

Watched: Want to watch The Amazing Race, my favourite show of all time.

Compliments: On pregnancy suiting me!

Acne: A lot of chocolate this week = chin acne. Time to bid adieu to chocolate now. I love thee, and hence I will not eat thee! – thus became my motto. And sad to say I gave in to temptation. Yet Again. Sigh!

Drawing: A little fairy with a wand et al!

Dreaming of:  None at all. Super blissful.

Looking Forward To: Getting off the grid. Finally and truly. Disconnected the blog from public view, getting off facebook (well albeit), twitter, and all else. Basically going back to the basics. I think social media is no good. For the brain, for the heart, for the psyche.

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

 

#besties #love

30 weeks! An oh-so-magical week like no other. Great relationships, family and friends are truly the essence of life. It felt so good to have love pour in from all quarters and planning a fun afternoon garnering blessings and good cheer for the little baby to come. Add to that some indulgences and a complete eye-opener with the Android beating the Iphone hollow. Can’t believe am saying that at the moment but when it comes to phones the Android truly wins. Not the same with other gadgetry though 😀 Had wonderful moments with all the people I love and treasure and missed most who are miles away but send their love incessantly. Sheer awesomeness. All the Mommy advice cards and the Dear Baby letters got us all a glimpse of what we would not really know of ourselves. In my case a lot of mentions were made on the sense of humour, with a marker for laughter. Ahem, lets hope the baby does inherit a funny bone or two, that manifest themselves in the first few weeks, cause I really wouldn’t mind no crying baby and sleepless nights! The wise are beginning to ask if I have schools in mind to send the baby to, and caution on how we would need to book schools well before the baby is born! Would’ve been so great if we could home-school! But for that I guess we’d need a farm and some acreage allowing for diverse activities and interests, plus some learned scholars, akin to the education nobles like Akbar would’ve got in their time. To me, that would be ideal education as against classrooms full of students with a sack of books on their back and school bus rides that include ample traffic time. May be the kindle in tandem with the Ipad and Tata Sky education will certainly wipe out the need for text books at all! While I mull at the possibility of which school the little bean will finally go to, what kind of company he/she will keep, what lunch box I would need to pack, and a tumultuous range of possibilities, I wish the child will be more than anything else, superbly street-smart. Intelligent and street-smart, inherently happy, loves to read – ala Warren Buffet, kind, gracious maybe a tiny bit audacious and inherits a certain affinity to people. Now that would be real nice. I certainly feel any knowledge worth knowing can be got from books and the magic of our minds. With the combination and a tad of imagination one can teach oneself anything. From rocket science to the mechanics of running, from calculus to dance, from yoga to knitting, from music to values, anything at all. Knowing is as important as applying. Knowing yourself is the best knowledge one can have, says Sadhguru. And that knowledge comes from spending time in nature, in solitude with oneself, in deep meditation. And having a mastery over one’s thoughts is enough to have clarity, focus, zeal, happiness or just anything we might ever desire. Like Abraham Lincoln rightly proclaims, “most people are just about as happy as they make their minds up to be!”

Baby B: 30 Weeks

Baby’s size? 15.7 inches

Girth: 39.0 inches

Plus: 13.0 kilograms (right there as yet)

Maternity clothes? The Indian Saris have their own way with new-mommies! ❤

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Is elusive at best and relentless at worst. Tiny specks of insomnia as I haven’t been tiring the body at all!

Best moment this week: Feeling the love and happiness!! Such joy!

Movement: Tumbling and rumbling!

Food Cravings: Macarons! Chocolate ones!! from Concu!

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Gorgeous skin tales continue. (double yay!)

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Happy! Happy!

Loving: Mechanical watches. Such Engineering feats they truly are!!

Reading: The Mystic Eye by Sadhguru. After reading the book, am no longer a follower 😀 even that tiny bit of following is out of the picture now!

Watched: No shows this week! And This is me is starting to annoy me now 😀

Compliments: On my insanely awesome sense of humour!!

Acne: A lot of chocolate this week = chin acne. Time to bid adieu to chocolate now. I love thee, and hence I will not eat thee! – thus became my motto.

Drawing: On all the high!

Dreaming of:  Dreamt such crazy horrendous dreams. Don’t even want to think of them at all.

Looking Forward To: Some TLC and loads of love!!

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#feelingroyal #rockingoutfit

29 weeks! A rather hectic and crazy week. Meeting lots of people, traveling a bit, wearing make-up and dressing up. There is certainly no better time to be pregnant than at a family wedding. The vibes and high of meeting loved ones and the aura of celebrations is certainly something wonderful. While the baby B kicks and rolls at the sound of music I myself enjoyed every bit of my gorgeous skin. There is no need for foundation or any artist when one feels like a work of art oneself. True beauty or rather any beauty is what comes from within. My over active energetic brain had enough to do all week and while I thoroughly enjoyed myself I ended the week with a glorious session at the pool. Swimming by far is my most uplifting form of entertainment. It’s absolutely rejuvenating. And all the pains that I may have developed over the week, physical or mental, all absolutely withered away with the touch of clear and cool water. The buoyancy of water felt wonderful and added it’s own sense of buoyancy to my spirit. This week I did quite a bit of soul searching and came down to appreciating and loving my body, my area of work and my beautiful mind. Two interesting facts I came across this week from my reading is that, one, anger is triggered by a toxic liver, and two, the amygdala is largely responsible for the ‘fight or flight’ syndrome and anxiety can be worked on through the amygdala, a little organ at the base of the brain. Vitamin b12 plays an important part in keeping the amygdala cool. SO next time you find yourself flying off the handle or getting unduly anxious, look up to the amygdala or the liver 😀 Ancient Chinese medicine also prefixes certain other emotions to the Heart, Lungs and Kidneys, namely Joy, Grief and Fear respectively. Interesting! Also I realised looking at pictures, whatever I think shows up on my face! Oh my really what a disadvantage it could be, or rather what an advantage! So here’s to happy thoughts and happy faces!! =) Meanwhile Baby B showed me some serious dance moves as it has begun jiving to music tumbling here and there and marking some wonderful twists and turns!

P.s. So all through my life I have realised the power of my thoughts. What I have thought of I have become, what I thought I would like I have got and what I think happens. Whether it’s a trip to the market or to the beach, whatever I have thought has undoubtedly happened. While I always nursed a suspicion that the universe has always conspired on my behalf, I am now certain of the power of our thoughts. What we believe and what we think we become. While that does not mean we much guard our thoughts it certainly means there is no need to indulge in wasteful thinking, thoughts are so damn precious after all! 🙂

Baby B: 29 Weeks

Baby’s size? 15.2 inches

Girth: 39.0 inches

Plus: 13.0 kilograms (woah! 2 kgs in just a week)

Maternity clothes? Lets say this week I rocked the maternity wedding clothes!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Happily and peacefully. So tired and so sleepy so surrounded myself with pillows and slept away.

Best moment this week: Realising how much fun it is to actually let go. Took a bow and bid adieu to a lot of things this week. It is indeed liberating.

Movement: Rocking and rolling. What a baby!

Food Cravings: Pav Bhaji perhaps. And yogurt.

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Gorgeous skin tales continue. (double yay!)

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Teary! Happy!

Loving: Swimming. Oh my God. The bliss of water!

Reading: On a Dessert Trail. Am not so much of a sweet person, nor am I into cooking, but it was a decent read as it covered desserts across different countries.

Watched: No shows this week!

Compliments: On looking gorgeous, having gorgeous skin and smiling so so much.

Acne: None. Best thing ever.

Drawing: On my patience and energy reserves 😀

Dreaming of:  Dreamt of falling, free-falling. If it means sky-diving is in the offing, bring it on!

Looking Forward To: Some quality time and blessings of family and friends.

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#mehendiisfun #bumchums

28 weeks! It was a week that literally flew. Catching up with cousins, relatives and friends was the best thing ever this week as was the Mehendi function of my little brother. Culturally Mehendi or Henna (a ground and dried paste of the Henna plant) is applied on the palms of one’s hand to tap into the cooling benefits it renders to the body. Now done in various designs it adorns the palm not just cooling the body but also adding a touch of beauty to the palms. It is said to bring prosperity and good fortune. Inarguably keeping cool, calm and relaxed equates to prosperity and fortune! As I am hardly able to get a grip on my nervous system and hence emotions these days I have a new goal in life and that’s to relax and unwind. What a goal 😃.  While enthusiasm is awesome and boldness is everything, calmness is the secret to happiness I am told. So here’s to a new hobby of meditation that is scientifically proven to reduce the size of the amygdala in our brain that dictates the flight or fight aspect of the brain. With happiness being the purpose of life! (The pressure is certainly off with such a delectable goal 😃😃) Baby B is certainly making me wise.

Baby B: 28 Weeks

Baby’s size? 14.8 inches

Girth: 38.5 inches (right there)

Plus: 11.0 kilograms

Maternity clothes? Flaunting all the ones I got. I can live for one week on a compliment said Mark Twian. What fun!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: A quiet mind thanks to exercise and emptying has meant great sleep this week. Exercise apparently does quieter the mind.

Best moment this week: Undoubtedly catching up with one of my closest friends after 13 years and feeling like nothing has changed!

Movement: Ow ooow! That itself says a lot. 😃

Food Cravings: None this week.

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Gorgeous skin tales continue. (double yay!)

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Teary! Happy!

Loving: Stretching and squatting. Well almost.

Reading: Superconfidence. A good self-help book.

Watched: No shows this week!

Compliments: On looking pretty pretty pretty! (Thank you Baby B!)

Acne: None. Best thing ever.

Drawing: Concepts for mehendi decor. It all turned out pretty grand.

Dreaming of:  No dreams this week. None at all!

Looking Forward To: The little brother’s wedding et al.

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#howweseeisus #perceptionisreality

27 weeks! This week was awesomeness in that I picked up the paintbrush after what seems like a gazillion years and played the C-scale on my piano after what seems like another gazillion years. As I unearth all my hobbies over the ages that range from horse-riding to girl-scouting, from dancing to theatre, from fashion designing to writing, from painting to golf, from literature to surfing, from yoga to sewing, I realise that I have tried very varied activities and have had quite some fun doing them all. While Mom says I haven’t stuck to one, I beat myself a bit but then slowly let it go thinking that though, having a choice I would like to do every single one of them, I havent really given up, considering I still dream of completing Grade 8 in Piano and have my solo-art show someday,  there is one thing that is really dear to me and that I would really like to excel in and that’s Architecture, yes, the mother of all arts. A friends mother once told me that focus is the most important thing in life, but as a creative professional it takes more than that, connecting the dots becomes the norm and a bustling mind is as important as a calm one. A full life is a merry life. While it was fun to do a gypsy dance around the bonfire, it was equally fun to cook in a jungle camp. Fun being the basic premise. Life is after all for enjoyment. On that note I quipped to by super wise and mature brother, recently awarded for excellence in work, what is the secret of success, he said, its the urge to be successful. Then a few moments later he added and of-course put in the hours, the hardwork. Malcolm Gladwell in his book the Outliers claims that anyone can be great at a thing if they are pursuing it for about 10000 hours. Pilots have a similar view with their own value of flying hours to be fit to fly. While Mathieu Ricard, the world’s happiest man is said to have arrived at that envy-worthy title after meditating for exactly 10000 hours. Life is definitely more than 10000 hours, lets just say its about 8 hundred-thousand hours. And that’s enough time to master not just one but very many things! 😀 Life is for the living!

Baby B: 27 Weeks

Baby’s size? 14.4 inches

Girth: 38.5 inches (right there)

Plus: 11.0 kilograms

Maternity clothes? The Maternity Swimsuit. Finally. Yay!!

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Those ideal 8-hours are beginning to be peppered by long sleepless punctuations and sometimes listlessness. But exercise is the best thing ever for sleep. A tired body, tired after a workout is the best thing ever!!

Best moment this week: Reading Origins: How nine months before birth shapes our life, and realising am a part of this huge ocean!

Movement: Baby B now really does pack in the punch!

Food Cravings: Yogurt! Finally some craving 😀

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Gorgeous skin tales continue. (double yay!)

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Super Happy! Deliriously Happy!

Loving: Warm showers, head baths, the smell of shampoo!

Reading: The Lord of the Rings, Book 1, finally!

Watched: Simran, a rather dumb movie, shut it halfway.

Compliments: On looking pretty pretty pretty! (Thank you Baby B!)

Acne: None. Best thing ever.

Drawing: Abstract art. With Oils, resembling sunset, or sunrise, really depends on how you look at life. It could be a (pl/min)us! How we see things really depends on who we are 🙂

Dreaming of:  No dreams this week. None at all!

Looking Forward To: The next week! No really this time it is finally getting my hands on the Lord of the Rings and yes trying out my super cool Polka-Dot swimsuit!!

Oh my Bump! is my weekly chronicling of this little pie baking away, and a sharing of the ebbs and flows of being two at a time. Its a wonderful journey of rising and falling hormones, the beating of two hearts, and a huge sea of change to the body. It’s love and life all the way. 

#red&gold #awesomeness

26 weeks! The best week ever, thus far. With Baby B kicking away at cues, at certain people, at certain events am starting to wonder if my behaviour in the last 6 months has been dictated by the Baby! Choices of food, colours, clothing, words and action are seeming so out of my characteristic and with the little soul bubbling inside of me, it definitely seems like it’s working its way in the world through me. While we assume as parents we shape our kids, I am now quite certain that they come in with personalities of their own and all we could hope for is enjoying their company. Good Lord! Baby Brewing 😀 And while the pixie is inside of me, all it does and wants affects me much more than the other way round. This week was the best ever with Diwali celebrations with la familie, a luxurious trip to Hyderabad’s most gorgeous palace and lots of pool time. Croquet is a new game we picked up this week and my, what fun it was. After a couple of sessions am told it was the prelude to golf. The sound of the croquet stick striking the ball is rather fun and addictive. Absolutely loved it. Vintage is so cool in every sense of the word. A lot of memories and reminiscing happened this week too. And whimsical seems to be the order of my design world. Pulled out my piano this week and hope to get back to serious playing, especially my favourite tune, Air from little Russia, this week. Happened to be introduced and listening up to the Terem Quartet, a musical ensemble from Saint Petersburg. What fun.

Baby B: 26 Weeks

Baby’s size? 14.0 inches

Girth: 38.5 inches (a plateau now)

Plus: 10.0 kilograms

Maternity clothes? Long, flowy and gorgeous! Cotton clothes, loose clothes.

Stretch marks? Nope.

Sleep: Getting comfortable is getting harder now. I wish I could melt into clouds literally but pillows will have to just simply do for now.

Best moment this week: Baby-mooning at the Taj Falaknuma!

Movement: Hot spicy food literally is giving the pie a kick. Or rather me a kick!

Food Cravings: None!

Gender: No idea!

Symptoms: Gorgeous skin tales continue. (double yay!)

Wedding Rings – on or off? On!

Happy or Moody? Happy! Super Happy! Deliriously Happy!

Loving: Oranges. Winter come away soonly.

Reading: Origins:How our first nine months shape the rest of out lives by Annie Murphy Paul

Watched: and still watching, Abstract a wonderful show on Netflix about design. Absolutely loving it. A must for all the design aficionados.

Compliments: On being the happiest person (!) (hehe)

Acne: None. Best thing ever.

Drawing: on inspiration for the SUn ARt. Darn its called procrastination but this week am so getting down to it.

Dreaming of:  Eating mud. Am so hoping the dream is just an allegory and it means something else.

Looking Forward To: The arrival of my favoritest Pedamma (read Aunt) end of this week!