Per coloro che non lo sapessero, il secondo bimbo di Shalini - non so se mi e' consentito rivelare il nome - e' atteso per domani mattina (parto cesareo). E se nel frattempo vi interessa vedere qualche foto della nuova pettinatura di Arvind, ecco qua:
30.9.07
27.9.07
Nanny update (an excuse for more pictures)
This is how we found little one yesterday coming home after our two hour long separation from him. Not only he seems to get along well with Kelly, and - perhaps more importantly at this stage - she with him, but she is also able to put him peacefully to sleep when he needs it. She also doesn't mind using some cloth diapers, which is not to be taken for granted. (By the way, new nappy post coming soon...)
Unfortunately our search for another babysitter for the days when Kelly is busy is not over yet. We thought we had a good candidate (where by "good" I just mean that her schedule more or less meets our needs) and we were supposed to meet her today, but she called five minutes before our appointment to cancel it. Last minute cancellation tendencies are not exactly what I look for in a sitter, but we will meet her tomorrow anyway and see how it goes. We will probably end up giving her a try no matter what, because we don't have any alternatives. And to make matters worse, the schedule of seminars at the institute keeps changing... ;(
Unfortunately our search for another babysitter for the days when Kelly is busy is not over yet. We thought we had a good candidate (where by "good" I just mean that her schedule more or less meets our needs) and we were supposed to meet her today, but she called five minutes before our appointment to cancel it. Last minute cancellation tendencies are not exactly what I look for in a sitter, but we will meet her tomorrow anyway and see how it goes. We will probably end up giving her a try no matter what, because we don't have any alternatives. And to make matters worse, the schedule of seminars at the institute keeps changing... ;(
22.9.07
Childcare
We are trying to figure out the best child care solution for our situation. We need to find something for now, just for a few hours to be able to attend meetings and seminars at the institute, and something a bit more extended (but not too much) for when I will return to Canada without S. after Christmas.
As I said before, there is Kelly, the wife of another postdoc, who does babysitting at the moment, but unfortunately the schedule of meetings was changed last week and now it doesn't fit with Kelly's schedule anymore. She was able to help us this week though. We left Rajiv at home with her twice, for about two hours each time, and things seemed to go well. He didn't seem to be scared of being with a stranger, I think he is too young for that kind of reaction. I left some of my milk in a bottle for him both times - the expressing and storing milk part of leaving him with someone else is more difficult and stressful than I would have imagined - but he didn't seem to be interested. The first time he drank only half of the small quantity of milk I had left for him and the second time apparently he didn't want to drink from the bottle at all. Of course these were very short separations, but this is going to be quite important if I decide to leave him with somebody else for longer periods of time.
We might still use Kelly's help in the future, but we need to find some other solution as well, so we are looking into daycare centers, with no luck so far. Typically one needs to be on the waiting list for a couple of years before being accepted by one of these centers and most don't seem so attractive to me anyway. They have things like diaper changing schedule, meaning that all children are changed every so many hours at the same time. So what is "something" happens five minutes after the changing time? They sit in it until it's time again?
Small home childcare centers are also an option, but we haven't found anything good yet. We were referred to one lady who is apparently very experienced and accepts infants but she still has to return my call after a few days and anyway the same person who gave me her name now seems to have changed her mind and is actually discouraging me from choosing this solution. Apparently when she was checking out the place last week a child fell down the stairs... lovely.
The institute is supposed to help us sorting this out, but I think that our situation is quite unlike others they have had experience with. They promised to come up with some suggestions by next week, so we will have some updates then. For the moment the conclusion is that finding good daycare is very very hard and finding not so good daycare is very very hard anyway... :(
As I said before, there is Kelly, the wife of another postdoc, who does babysitting at the moment, but unfortunately the schedule of meetings was changed last week and now it doesn't fit with Kelly's schedule anymore. She was able to help us this week though. We left Rajiv at home with her twice, for about two hours each time, and things seemed to go well. He didn't seem to be scared of being with a stranger, I think he is too young for that kind of reaction. I left some of my milk in a bottle for him both times - the expressing and storing milk part of leaving him with someone else is more difficult and stressful than I would have imagined - but he didn't seem to be interested. The first time he drank only half of the small quantity of milk I had left for him and the second time apparently he didn't want to drink from the bottle at all. Of course these were very short separations, but this is going to be quite important if I decide to leave him with somebody else for longer periods of time.
We might still use Kelly's help in the future, but we need to find some other solution as well, so we are looking into daycare centers, with no luck so far. Typically one needs to be on the waiting list for a couple of years before being accepted by one of these centers and most don't seem so attractive to me anyway. They have things like diaper changing schedule, meaning that all children are changed every so many hours at the same time. So what is "something" happens five minutes after the changing time? They sit in it until it's time again?
Small home childcare centers are also an option, but we haven't found anything good yet. We were referred to one lady who is apparently very experienced and accepts infants but she still has to return my call after a few days and anyway the same person who gave me her name now seems to have changed her mind and is actually discouraging me from choosing this solution. Apparently when she was checking out the place last week a child fell down the stairs... lovely.
The institute is supposed to help us sorting this out, but I think that our situation is quite unlike others they have had experience with. They promised to come up with some suggestions by next week, so we will have some updates then. For the moment the conclusion is that finding good daycare is very very hard and finding not so good daycare is very very hard anyway... :(
20.9.07
He crawls!!!
We saw some signs yesterday already, but today there is really no doubt. I'm talking about the commando style crawling, with belly on the floor, but he definitely moves. He can reach a toy put in front of him and he can also pivot on his belly if something - like his beloved father - attracts his attention. Maybe it is because of the smooth wooden floor here that makes it easier for him to slide, but I'm sure that now that he has experienced this freedom he will soon progress to move on tougher grounds (so maybe we should stop leaving him alone on the couch, now that I think about it...).
In other news, he has also learned to roll from front to back - earlier he was only able to roll from back to front - and he can do powerful abdominal crunches, the kind that his mom, not to mention his dad, can only dream of.
I have lots of other small updates, but I think that little one's athletic accomplishments deserve a post of their own, so I will keep the rest for later.
In other news, he has also learned to roll from front to back - earlier he was only able to roll from back to front - and he can do powerful abdominal crunches, the kind that his mom, not to mention his dad, can only dream of.
I have lots of other small updates, but I think that little one's athletic accomplishments deserve a post of their own, so I will keep the rest for later.
19.9.07
Getting taller
It seems that Rajiv is growing well. We went to the doctor yesterday and these are the latest measurements:
height 66 cm
weight 6.36 kg
head circumference 42 cm
The height is in the 90th percentile for Canada, which is really surprising because at birth he was a little shorter than average. It must be the good food (ehm...) and the physical exercise! The weight is in the 40-50th percentile, so it's fine. The weight increase seems to be slowing down, but I'm told this is normal so for now I will not worry.
height 66 cm
weight 6.36 kg
head circumference 42 cm
The height is in the 90th percentile for Canada, which is really surprising because at birth he was a little shorter than average. It must be the good food (ehm...) and the physical exercise! The weight is in the 40-50th percentile, so it's fine. The weight increase seems to be slowing down, but I'm told this is normal so for now I will not worry.
15.9.07
How many string theorists does it take...
... to install a convertible car seat?
Uhm, definitely more than three...
Uhm, definitely more than three...
13.9.07
Primi giorni in Canada
Here is what we have to report about our first days here... :)
Il resto a un'altra volta...
- Rajiv seems to like his new house. When we came in I immediately showed him his room and I put him down in his crib where I had arranged some toys for him. He played happily and he seemed comfortable. He will sleep with us at night, but the crib is a good place for him to take naps or play without risks of him getting hurt if we are not in the room. I am having fun showing him all the little things that we had got for him before he was born: little toys and books and so on. The clothes that seemed so big when I bought them now fit him just right!
Rajiv sembra contento nella sua nuova casa. Appena arrivati gli ho mostrato la sua stanza e l'ho messo nel suo piccolo lettino bianco a giocare con i giocattoli che avevo preparato per lui prima di partire. Di notte dorme con noi, ma ha fatto anche gia' qualche sonnellino nel suo letto e sebra che stia abbastanza comodo. - We have introduced Rajiv to most of the people we know here and he has been adorable with everybody. Mostly we received comments about his bright eyes, which is also what I like the most...
Rajiv ha gia' incontrato molte delle persone che conosciamo qui e ha fatto grandi sorrisi a tutti. Riceviamo soprattutto complimenti per i suoi occhi vivaci e la sua aria allegra. - We are having a few difficulties in getting around, because the rules here are very strict and a baby is not allowed even on a taxi without a car seat. Anyway as I already mentioned, we have bought a used car - and a new car seat that costs a significant fraction of the price of the car, so soon we should be able to move more easily.
Abbiamo avuto qualche problema a spostarci, perche' qui le regole sono molto severe e i bambini non possono viaggiare neanche in taxi senza seggiolino. Abbiamo comprato il seggiolino e per il momento lo spostiamo da una macchina all'altra. Abbiamo comprato una macchina usata (Honda Civic 1997) e dovremmo entrarne in possesso tra qualche giorno. Nel frattempo andiamo oggi ad informarci su come ottenere una patente di guida valida in Ontario. - We have discovered one more way to make the little one laugh: he goes into hysterics if his hands - or feet - are rubbed against his father's beard. He says he won't shave anymore.
Abbiamo scoperto un modo nuovo per far ridere il piccolino: impazzisce se le sue mani - o i piedi - vengono strofinate sulla barba di suo papa'. - Yesterday morning I went jogging with Rajiv for the first time. It was very cold so we stayed only for ten minutes (mommy already has a cold) but now that we have taken this first step I am sure we will go again soon.
Ieri mattina sono andata a correre con Rajiv per la prima volta. Faceva molto freddo e siamo rimasti solo dieci minuti, ma il primo passo e' fatto! - We might have found a babysitter for Rajiv. Her name is Kelly and she is the wife of another string theory postdoc at PI. We haven't met yet, but our email exchanges so far seem promising.
Forse abbiamo trovato una babysitter per Rajiv. Si chiama Kelly ed e' la moglie di un altro postdoc. Dovremmo incontrarlala settimana prossima, ma sono gia' convinta che sia una buona soluzione, almeno per un po'.
Il resto a un'altra volta...
12.9.07
Say hello... Dite ciao...
Questa e' un'altra delle foto recuperate da poco. Sto lentamente caricando tutte le altre su Webshots, con un po' di pazienza.
This is another one of the pictures that I took when he was about two months old, so it's not recent, but it seems cute to me so I thought I would post it anyway. I am (very) slowly uploading all the pictures on Webshots, I hope to be done soon.
11.9.07
The long journey home
We have reached Canada yesterday evening. This is one day later than planned, because our flight from Milano to Toronto on Sunday was canceled and we ended up taking the same flight the next day. Needless to say, initially we weren't very happy of this development, but in the end it wasn't so bad. We were put in a hotel in Novara, a nice town not too far from the airport. We spent most of the afternoon sleeping - this is itself was very very good - and then we went out for a walk. The town has a nice center and there was some dance festival going on, so the atmosphere was quite pleasant. We walked around, had good ice cream and bought a book about holes for the little one. It was a nice break.
Today was very busy and we managed to accomplish quite a bit. Most notably, we have bought a car. I would write more, but jet leg and small babies are a deadly combinations and I must sleep...
Today was very busy and we managed to accomplish quite a bit. Most notably, we have bought a car. I would write more, but jet leg and small babies are a deadly combinations and I must sleep...
7.9.07
Travel
Our visit to Torino is almost over already and we are getting ready to travel to Canada on Sunday. We will leave early morning and reach Waterloo some time in the afternoon. I wish we could stay here longer, but it is time to go back to work...
Pictures!!!
Finally my camera troubles seem to be over! Now I am slowly transferring to my laptop all the pictures I have taken in the past weeks. This one below is one of my favorite, from when Rajiv was two months old. Many more pictures coming soon.
Finalmente ho risolto i problemi che avevo con la macchina fotografica. Ora pian piano trasferiro' tutte le foto di queste ultime settimane sul mio computer e ne potro' mostrare alcune sul blog. Questa qui sotto e' una delle mie preferite, di quando Rajiv aveva due mesi e pochi giorni.
Finalmente ho risolto i problemi che avevo con la macchina fotografica. Ora pian piano trasferiro' tutte le foto di queste ultime settimane sul mio computer e ne potro' mostrare alcune sul blog. Questa qui sotto e' una delle mie preferite, di quando Rajiv aveva due mesi e pochi giorni.
5.9.07
A beautiful September day
We have reached Italy yesterday morning, after a tiring - but less than I expected - journey. unfortunately we again failed to get the bassinet to use in flight, so Rajiv had to sit or sleep on my lap for most of the time. It seems there were again more infants than available bassinets on the plane. I bet this won't happen traveling to Canada: the advantages of low reproduction rates...
My home town welcomed us with a fantastic weather, nice temperature not too hot but pleasantly warm and blue sky with white clouds here and there. The air was clear - and dry! I almost forgot how that feels - and you could see the mountains far away.
My mom picked us up at the airport (with support from a second car to carry the luggage) and we had some sandwiches with her at home before she had to return to work. Unfortunately she is experiencing an unexpected work overload and won't be able to take time off work to spend with us, but she is very happy to see Rajiv again and said she will come to see him every evening after work.
Then we saw briefly my aunt, while Rajiv was asleep, and we waited for him to wake up to go and spend some time outside and enjoy the weather. We took him for a short visit to his great -grandmother (bisnonna Lina) and after that we went to pick up Rajiv's new passport, that we had applied for before leaving to India. It is hilarious: eyes - brown - height -50 cm... By the way, he is much taller now already!
We walked around for some time and went to a bookstore that I hadn't yet visited since it was restructured last year. We got a popular science book on neuroscience by a Kerala guy who apparently is very well known - I suspect this must be the understatement of the century -
and a nice little book for Rajiv about a baby elephant that takes a bath at night and then goes nicely to sleep. Hope he will find it inspiring.
We came back home by bus and Rajiv by now was very cranky for some reason, probably a wet diaper. The people on the bus made every sort of nasty comments about how I wasn't taking care of the little one properly until I found it necessary to inform them that in spite of appearances I am actually Italian and I did understand what they were saying. I hate this kind of things, it almost ruined my day.
We reached home after six. Before dinner my aunt came to see Rajiv awake and bring us some icecream and then my mom came as well, on her way home from work. I am very happy to see that they are bonding nicely with the little one. Some time later my dad came to see us as well. He didn't get to see Rajiv awake, but that will be remedied soon. He commented on how much bigger he looks now and we had a nice chat anyway, in which my husband could finally demonstrate some of his knowledge of the Italian language. By the time he left it was quite late and we were ready to collapse in our beds.
Today looks like another very pleasant day outside and I hope to take Rajiv out for a walk later, maybe in one of the new wraps instead of the usual carrier. Maybe we will also take the stroller one of these days and see if now that he is a big boy he can sit and look around instead on lying down in the pram - which he hates and wouldn't do anyway.
My home town welcomed us with a fantastic weather, nice temperature not too hot but pleasantly warm and blue sky with white clouds here and there. The air was clear - and dry! I almost forgot how that feels - and you could see the mountains far away.
My mom picked us up at the airport (with support from a second car to carry the luggage) and we had some sandwiches with her at home before she had to return to work. Unfortunately she is experiencing an unexpected work overload and won't be able to take time off work to spend with us, but she is very happy to see Rajiv again and said she will come to see him every evening after work.
Then we saw briefly my aunt, while Rajiv was asleep, and we waited for him to wake up to go and spend some time outside and enjoy the weather. We took him for a short visit to his great -grandmother (bisnonna Lina) and after that we went to pick up Rajiv's new passport, that we had applied for before leaving to India. It is hilarious: eyes - brown - height -50 cm... By the way, he is much taller now already!
We walked around for some time and went to a bookstore that I hadn't yet visited since it was restructured last year. We got a popular science book on neuroscience by a Kerala guy who apparently is very well known - I suspect this must be the understatement of the century -
and a nice little book for Rajiv about a baby elephant that takes a bath at night and then goes nicely to sleep. Hope he will find it inspiring.
We came back home by bus and Rajiv by now was very cranky for some reason, probably a wet diaper. The people on the bus made every sort of nasty comments about how I wasn't taking care of the little one properly until I found it necessary to inform them that in spite of appearances I am actually Italian and I did understand what they were saying. I hate this kind of things, it almost ruined my day.
We reached home after six. Before dinner my aunt came to see Rajiv awake and bring us some icecream and then my mom came as well, on her way home from work. I am very happy to see that they are bonding nicely with the little one. Some time later my dad came to see us as well. He didn't get to see Rajiv awake, but that will be remedied soon. He commented on how much bigger he looks now and we had a nice chat anyway, in which my husband could finally demonstrate some of his knowledge of the Italian language. By the time he left it was quite late and we were ready to collapse in our beds.
Today looks like another very pleasant day outside and I hope to take Rajiv out for a walk later, maybe in one of the new wraps instead of the usual carrier. Maybe we will also take the stroller one of these days and see if now that he is a big boy he can sit and look around instead on lying down in the pram - which he hates and wouldn't do anyway.
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