Time is flying

I've been meaning to post for some time now, but time is just slipping past me. This past week I ended my maternity leave and started working full-time again. This transition has been so difficult, and though there were a fair share of tears upon leaving my little angels at home, I trust that I will adjust to a new routine and we will survive this. Mom is here taking great care of Sailee and Chewie, and I have no worries, but I just so miss being home and absorbing every moment that passes. The debate continues in my head as to what to do next year - work or stay home or try part-time, but everything happens for a reason and we will figure it out in due time.

Last weekend we had Sailee's baarsa which is her naming ceremony. We had about 100 guests attend at Ashiana and we had a great time. Most surprising of all was Miss Sailee, who was such a great sport about being changed into different outfits and passed around and played with by every guest with a hankering for some baby love. It was such a wonderful feeling to have so much love around us and for everyone to get acquainted with one of the newest members of the Marathi clan.

Sailee is still growing leaps and bounds, and she is really resembling a baby as we always imagined. She talks and coos and kicks and laughs. She loves to play on her play mat and is particularly interested in the "other baby" in the mirror. The colors and textures seem to fascinate her and I am fascinated just watching her. If I could I would just do that all day.

Meanwhile, Neil and I are getting into a routine of trying to have healthier habits, like cooking more, cleaning more, staying more on top of ourselves and our time. What is really interesting to us is how much time we used to have that we did not make full use of. Since Sailee was born, every minute of every hour counts and I am constantly finding myself thinking of what I could be doing for her or for us as a family so that we are our optimal versions of ourselves, even if that means making purposeful time for simple rest, which is rare.We are paying more attention to how we live our lives so that we can be the best version of ourselves for Sailee, and create a healthy, happy, structured, and dependable environment for her as she grows. We are so privileged to have this little wonderous baby in our lives who will probably teach us more about ourselves than we could even ever teach each other or learn on our own, and maybe already has.

3 months old

Today Sailee is 3 months old. To us this is such a big milestone that it is hard to believe that before we had her, 3 months would pass by like nothing, without notice. Today Sailee is such a different baby than she was on July 16th. She is about 10 lbs and about 22 inches. She's still a little baby, considering some newborns are her same size. She has started to recognize me and Neil and Mom really well since we spend the most time with her, and she lights up when she makes eye contact with any one of us. She babbles and talks with us, literally with us and not at us, and she goes on and on for quite some time once she gets started. Her her little coos are purposeful and conversational, and she will often wait for me to respond before talking back. She has a very sweet temperament, and other than her tummy troubles, she never really complains without good reason. Sailee started sleeping through the night at around 6 weeks of age, and for that we are ever SO thankful. She's a very calm and happy baby, and so easy to fall in love with, and we have!

Sailee is definitely starting to notice the world around her. She loves being read to and sung to. She enjoys going on walks and looks around with amazement at all the colors. She has even started to notice Chewie. Chewie, ever so enamored with and protective of his litte sister, wants to greet her ever morning with kisses on her feet and legs, and loves to sit next to her while she drinks her bottle. Such is our life, and we constantly remind each other how lucky we are and marvel at how things came to be.

Neil and I are working hard at taking pictures regularly to capture these early moments in our lives. We have been so fortunate to have so many visitors that have made the effort to come to our home to see Sailee and get to know her. We are so thankful for our friends and family that are as excited to welcome her into our lives as we are, and have really enjoyed the company! Since we have decided to accept Neil's Houston offer, it looks like we will be around these parts for some time, and will have so many more opportunities to create memories with our loved ones. While this was a difficult decision as we had both dreamed of a day when we would be able to venture out of Texas for some time, in the end we decided it was too important to us that Sailee know her grandparents and aunts and uncles and all our friends, and that their influence in her life would be immeasurable.

In another 3 months, Sailee will be eating some solid foods and sitting up on her own. It is really incredible to think she's turning into a real person! We really look forward to her adding more vowels to her repertoire. We love her so much and both agree that there is no love you can imagine like the love you have for your own child. Our parents have always said that to us, but we never truly understood that until now.

Happy birthday Sailee! We love you little one.

Oh, October

It is hard to believe October is already here. While we are really enjoying and taking advantage of the change in weather, I have been dreading this month since Sailee was born because it marks the end of my time with her. In a few short weeks, I will move back into my office, and I have a suspicion I will quickly start feeling like I am taking care of others' children while leaving my own at home. Granted, Sailee will be in my mother's very capable hands, but still I will so miss all the feedings and snuggly times, watching her take in all the sights and sounds around her, watching her move and kick, staring at each other, and talking with her! Sailee has started more recently to really enjoy talking. Most of our conversations are aaahs and ooohs, but the other day she was really excited to tryout her newest word, "Aaah-khoooooo." I am so incredibly enamored of my little precious baby and we have so much fun together. In the coming months, I know she will change so much more, and it is tearing me apart to know I will only have a few short hours with her everyday to be a part of her growing and changing. Going back to work while she is so little might be the hardest thing I will ever have to do. At least it feels that way now.

The Most Wonderful Feeling

Today my Sailee is two months old and the most wonderful thing happened. It was the most amazing feeling, the most excited I have ever been in my whole entire life...I made my baby laugh! It was an actual laugh, not a smile or a smirk or a grin, not a squink, grunt, or hiccup. It was a beautiful little laugh. I sat in front of Sailee's bouncer and as she stared into my eyes, I started repeatedly making the sounds Aaaahhhhh, Ooooohhhh, EEEEEEEEE! When I hit that "E" sound, she burst out into her sweet laugh!

We celebrated her two month birthday with close family friends and my parents. Sailee wore a pink cotton dress and I baked a pineapple upside down cake. We broke out the video camera and recorded (I almost wrote "taped" when I backspaced through the word after quickly realizing that the term is now outdated) in the hopes that we would remember this time, this youth, this house, and this feeling.

Sometimes I feel like I am floating outside of myself and looking down at our lives in sheer wonder at what we ever did to deserve so much happiness. What an amazing feeling to know that we are right in the middle of creating incredible moments with our daughter who we are so privileged to get to know more, little by little, every day. More than any tangible item we ever acquired, more than any accomplishment we ever achieved, this, right now, these moments, are what truly make life complete. I cannot imagine wanting more.

Daddy

I have to give props to Neil for being such an incredible dad and husband. Somehow, since the day we had Sailee, he just fell right into this new role as if he had been preparing for it his whole life. He immediately just picked up on how to hold her, burp her, swaddle her, change her diaper and took on her fussy moments with a sense of joy and gratefulness for getting to be her dad. His calm demeanor and can-do attitude made such a huge difference in soothing my initial fears and worries that we would be able to do this. I was able to look to him and know that at any given moment if I couldnt then he could, and would. Neil makes everyday with Sailee so casual, joyous, and fun, making up crazy songs and dancing little dances with her. He keeps me laughing, offers his constant support, and keeps me sane. I am so unbelievably lucky to have him as my partner, reciprocal other, and teammate through this new challenge.

The Nursery

I never imagined myself living in the house I grew up in, but it has been wonderful to be back here in such a familiar space that I can walk through with my eyes closed. One of the neatest experiences has been creating a nursery for my daughter in the very room that I grew up in, where I spent every night as a child since I was 2 years old. There are so many memories here of my childhood, and although we probably wont be in this house long enough for Sailee to create memories that she will remember, it is so sentimental to me to walk in and out of these spaces and be able to share them with her.

The project of creating this nursery was probably the most favorite of mine of any room that I have decorated. I have a passion for interior design, and love to get lost in creating beautiful spaces. Although I wanted a spare-no-expense creation for my daughter, we were on a pretty tight budget, and I am proud of what we did with not too much. Below are the pics.