Connecticut Masala

Lets go bananas!

2011-03-29T10:02:00.004-04:00

Banana Bread

Ingredients

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 1/3 cups mashed overripe bananas

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Lightly grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan.
In a large bowl, combine flour, baking soda and salt. In a separate bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar. Stir in eggs and mashed bananas until well blended. Stir banana mixture into flour mixture; stir just to moisten. Pour batter into prepared loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 60 to 65 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of the loaf comes out clean. Let bread cool in pan for 10 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack.

All happiness depends on a leisurely breakfast. ~John Gunther

Terrific Two.

2009-10-18T13:12:00.002-04:00

Happy Birthday Ethan.

Two years ago we could have never imagined what a fantastic journey we were in for;and we are thankful everyday for Ethan and how much he has enriched our lives,taught us the art of patience and to live life to the fullest.Ethan is mellow,laid back and a very easy going toddler. He loves trains and anything related to trains-books with trains,train stickers,train puzzles and can spend long hours playing with his trains!

Ethan celebrated his second birthday at home.It was a small,Thomas the train party,with home-made cupcakes,friends,balloons,presents and a special Aunt who flew in from across the miles for his special day-Thank you Aunt Rou Rou!

Ethan loved his party,his cupcakes,playing with his friends and opening his presents.When asked how old he was,he said "Happy Two"!

For you see, each day I love you more ; Today more than yesterday and less than tomorrow.
~Rosemonde Gerard

Eighteen Months!

2009-06-02T13:21:00.007-04:00

Our little toddler is all of Eighteen months and has more energy than his daddy and mommy put together. He is always up bright and early and begins his day with a wholesome breakfast after which there is no stopping our little man,he is on the go playing with his favorite toys and things!

Ethan and his teddy.

Some of the things he loves doing through the day is taking a ride in his tricycle,he does not pedal yet,although at the rate he is going I know that is round the corner! He loves anything with wheels he can play all day with his cars,trucks, trains and scooter ( he is all boy)! He loves playing ball .when I say "B for"Ethan says "Ball"! Got to love the simple toys.

Ethan and his favorite scooter!

Ethan just walked by with something he's been fascinated with for months now "the
telephone",sometimes his toy phones don't make the cut and he wants the real one,so we dug out our old phones and he is content saying "hello" and making long conversations with the real phone!!

Ethan loves music,something he has enjoyed right from the time he has been a newborn.We play music every morning ( sometimes morning,noon and night) and its adorable watching him dance and say "dance"....while he grooves to the music. We just picked up 3 new CD's of educational sing along songs and he absolutely loves it! Some of the songs on it that he loves are 'Six little ducks','Three little Ducks that I once knew'....I think any song with Duck in it makes him happy, he loves doing the "duckie dance" and saying "quack quack"!!

We love spending time with Ethan and really he is our greatest joy. Everyday is something new and as he learns and explores I feel we do too....our journey has just begun and even though some days are harder than others we know how rewarding it is and are loving it!

Each day of our lives we make deposits in the memory banks of our children. ~Charles R. Swindoll, The Strong Family

Happy Birthday

2009-02-12T00:22:00.010-05:00

Its Deepak's birthday today and we want to wish him a very happy birthday.Deepak is a wonderful husband and loving,caring,patient,devoted dad...Here is a little wish to let him know how much we love him!

Day after day,year after year,

you've found so many ways to make us happy.
No matter what changes we go through no matter what life might bring our way,
no matter how much time goes by.
We will always and forever love you.

A Few of my Favorite Things!

2009-02-11T22:42:00.008-05:00

Its about time I write a post on Ethan's favorite things,he has tons of favorites,so its easier for me to categorize them into a few sections and do a post dedicated to his favorites!!

Toys :~
Ethan loves loves his toy vacuum cleaner,he can play with this toy for hours,every time we vacuum Ethan runs gets his little vacuum and starts vacuuming.I love watching him in action,every time his vacuum says "hello,lets clean up the dust",Ethan acknowledges the vacuum with his "hi wave"! I better hurry up and take a pic of Ethan and his latest bud! Another favorite is Elmo,Elmo is so interactive its like having a live play date! And last but not the least is his scooter,he loves his scooter,he makes a little engine sound and pushes his scooter around the home.Here is Ethan and his scooter!

Games :~
Ethan enjoys all hide and seek games,he loves "peek-a-boo". He loves playing ball and his favorite activity has to be running laps around the home!

Stories :~
The Berenstain Bears on the Moon,Hop On Pop,Unlucky Duck,Just like Daddy...to name a few that can be ranked high up on the favorite list!

Foods:~
Kichidi (rice,dhal & veggies),Blueberry Waffles,Dosa,Yogurt,Chicken Soup, and French Fries ( I know-well french fries is a rare treat -and when he gets them he will devour them!)

Nursery Rhymes :~
Itsy Bisty Spider,The wheels on the bus,Old Mac donald and If your Happy and you know it!

TV Shows :~
Barney :-)!

Ethan loves the outdoors ( he gets that from daddy)he can spend hours just running around and enjoying the great outdoors.Got to love the beautiful warm weather,I'm glad that winter is finally coming to an end.Today was a really nice day outhere,so Ethan and I played in our backyard and Ethan was over the moon.I knew would be hard getting him back home for dinner,sure enough he had a total meltdown when it was time to go back inside.....a few minutes of crying and letting him get himself together he was fine!

Ethan also loves posing for the camera,its always "cheeeee" here are a few pics of my li'l poser!!

You are my sonshine. ~Author Unknown

Fifteen Months!

2009-02-05T00:15:00.012-05:00

Just back from school
{all of 15months and 32 inches tall!}

Our little boy is fifteen months,this can't be....as every month goes by and Ethan turns a month older,its hard to believe how fast he's growing.Ethan is full of life,and seems to enjoy every day to the fullest.I love his playfulness and his warmth,he is ever willing to bestow a zillion and one kisses and hugs....and guess what his kisses have the biggest "muaaah" to them. Its just not mommy and daddy that get kisses everyday,all his stuffed animals and Elmo does too :-)!!!

Ethan kissing Elmo!

We had our 15 month Appointment at the doctors last Friday,everything went well,and its always reassuring to know that your baby is healthy and doing everything he's supposed tobe! He got two shots,and wasn't very happy about that,weighing him and trying to measure his height was pretty hard as Ethan cried hysterically every time the nurse came near him,poor baby-it took two nurses to measure the little guy!

Weight- 24lbs 2 ounces
Height- Almost 32 inches tall ( 31 and 3/4 to be precise)!!!

Ethan says a few words,dada,mama,this,that....and not to mention "cheeee" every time he sees the camera,here is my favorite pic of Ethan and me,and little Ethan is saying "cheeeee"!

A hundred hearts would be too few
To carry all my love for you.
-Author unknown

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T20:57:00.014-04:00

My Little Count Dracula!

Here is our little Count Dracula wishing everyone a Happy Halloween!! Even though this wasn't Ethan's first official Halloween,I still consider it his first,last Halloween he was only a week old and too little to go trick or treating.So this year we went all out, he started his day at school with a little Halloween parade, I walked Ethan around in the parade it was really cute to see everyone,including his teachers in their costumes.Later in the evening we went trick or treating at our local mall, worked out great Ethan had a blast and was nice and toasty in there!

Ethan checking out his Halloween bucket and later running away with a snickers bar!

taking a much needed break with daddy!

The Big One!

2008-10-20T10:34:00.012-04:00

Where do I begin,what do I say,who do I owe this all to???
Its been such an amazing year,our lives have changed in ways we could have never imagined.We feel blessed and fortunate to be parents to such a beautiful baby....a baby who has brought more joy and love than we ever knew! Ethan we love you so so much!

Happy Birthday...Daddy can't stop kissing you!!

We had a fantastic birthday weekend,Ethan woke up to some freshly baked cupcakes which he loved,devoured and couldn't stop licking his fingers!!!(he's never had a cupcake before,so this was his first). We went to our local pumpkin festival and craft show.We had a really nice time,we got to see the "great" pumpkin,there was games, food, crafts, prizes, and the Great Pumpkin Bake Off.

The "Great" Pumpkin

Then we went out for lunch and hung out for a bit at the mall.Ethan had a great birthday doing simple things,he was happy,smiled a lot, giggled every now and then,I feel he knew it was his special day!

Because time itself is like a spiral, something special happens on your birthday each year: The same energy that God invested in you at birth is present once again.

~Menachem Mendel Schneerson

The First Birthday Party Pics!

2008-10-19T13:47:00.000-04:00

To daycare of not to daycare that is the question!!

2008-10-04T18:14:00.005-04:00

~We were faced in my opinion with one of our hardest decisions ~
In late July as I was getting ready to get back to work,we worried,and spent a lot of days and nights just wanting to make the best decision for Ethan and us.In the end we chose to go the daycare route...and for the most part it has worked out better than we imagined!

Ethan began going to school ( yes I call it school!!) when he turned ten months and he loves it.Intially he was so happy seeing so many toys,books,his kind and loving teachers,people the same age as him, that it didn't matter when I left.I was intially shocked that Ethan was fine with me gone an entire day because I anticipated the worst!That didn't last long by week two,Ethan caught on to the fact that mommy leaves and he wasn't too pleased about it ,broke my heart to see him cry and still does as we go through this heartbreaking ordeal every morning.While mornings continue to be really hard for Ethan and me,our evenings are fun....I miss Ethan during the day and think about him a bazillion times and when I pick him up in the evenings Ethan's face lights up as he see's me and I get the biggest,tighest hug .The only downside to daycare is Ethan has fallen sick a zillion times since he started school :-(!

Your child should feel entitled to cry when you leave; crying is a natural thing for a child to do when she feels bad. The fact that your child cries when you go doesn’t mean she will never like day care. It just means she wants you to stay.
Amy Laura Dombro, Leah Wallach

Eleven Months!!

2008-09-22T22:43:00.013-04:00

Ethan my little star is such a happy baby and tons of fun to be around.He can make anyone feel like they're his best friend in the whole wide world.He loves to laugh,play,crawl,get into things he's not supposed to and did I mention walk!! Yes Ethan has begun his walking journey....he took his first step when he turned ten months and every since he's literally been taking it one step at a time.He loves walking,and will go a good I'd like to say ten steps before he falls (although I've lost track of the number of steps as he seems to go longer and further without falling) and then he gets back up again and continues walking with his hands up in the air for added balance :-)! He also loves to carry around things when he walks, books, toys,the remote control,cell phone basically anything he can lay his tiny hands on.

walking away with a cushion a little smaller than him or maybe as big as him!!

Ethan is a super active baby,he is always on the go,exploring things around the house and learning new things every single day.He's perfecting the art of rolling his hands,loves to wave "hi" and "bye".If for some reason I say "hello" instead of the usual "hi" he will immediately put his hand on his ear....as he associates the word "hello" with the telephone...here is a picture of Ethan saying "hello"!!

"Hello,Its Ethan!!"

Ethan is eleven months....has it really been eleven months.I'm in total denial about Ethan turning a year old in less than four weeks.I can't believe how fast this year has gone by,has it really been a year???!

It has been such a wonderful year,a year filled with loads of learning,tons of love, never ending kisses,cuddly hugs,million toothless smiles and not to mention the zillion sleepless nights.I couldn't be happier and I feel blessed to have a beautiful healthy baby and my best friend Dee,love love my family,they mean the world to me.

There comes a time when a woman needs to stop thinking about her looks and focus her energies on raising her children. This time comes at the moment of conception. A child needs a role model, not a supermodel. ~Astrid Alauda, on the "hot mom" trend

Home Sweet Home!

2008-07-25T21:44:00.000-04:00

Its been a while since I last blogged,and I'm glad I'm back at it...the past couple of weeks or more have been consumed with our move,packing and unpacking to say the least.We moved to a beautiful home and Ethan loves it,more room to crawl,cruise and get into things!!! My favorite thing about our home is the big backyard and Ethan's own play scape,which Ethan loves too!

I am grateful for the lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and floors that need waxing because it means I have a home.

Happy Father's Day!

2008-06-15T20:44:00.005-04:00

For My DADDY
Daddy's little guy.
That's me.
Little guy's best friend.
That's you.
I love you,Daddy!
Happy Father's Day.
Love,Hugs and Kisses,
Now and Always,
Ethan

Dee's first Father's day unfortunately was a day filled with tons and tons of work .So we're going to celebrate a weekend dedicated to Daddy Dee the last weekend of June.I want the weekend to be really special and totally relaxing for Deepak.Deepak as a dad amazes me every single day,I cannot begin to tell you what a great dad he is,Ethan simply adores his father,and that is evident every time Dee walks into the room;Ethan's face lights up and his smiles keep getting bigger and bigger and then he breaks out into a chuckle and the final note is a squeal of excitement.We love you very much Dee and will always do no matter what!

The last couple of weeks have been extremely hectic as we're moving (yaay!). Our week and weekends have been spent packing,painting our new place, furniture shopping and more packing.Its all very exciting stuff never the less tons of work! Ethan has been a doll through all our busy days,and is intrigued by every single thing we do and all the boxes lying around our place. I've been meaning to post about Ethan's latest milestones and will do shortly,just a quick update Ethan is crawling,go Ethan go!

Sleepless Nights

2008-05-22T14:40:00.007-04:00

Its been some real tough nights for the past nine weeks and I'm losing track of how many times Ethan is waking up at nights and how often I'm feeding him.Ethan's bedtime is 7pm and he has been going to bed at 7pm for the most part,although he wakes up several times (a zillion times more like it) between 7pm and 7am...last time around I did the math and it was sixteen times,yes he woke up sixteen times I was shocked to say the least .I'm one very very sleep deprived woman right now...and as every night unfolds I keep telling myself it'll get better and that tonight is going to be different. I've been telling myself this for the past nine weeks and instead of getting better our nights just seem to be getting worse.What do I do??!

Ethan's sleep pattern as a newborn was terrible,he wouldn't sleep longer than 30 mins at a stretch unless held,although things changed and started to get better with every passing month and by his fourth month he had learnt to sleep five hours at a stretch.We couldn't have been happier,waking up once felt like I was getting a full nights uninterrupted sleep.....alas that didn't last long.Around his fifth month he started to teeth,and lo and behold his teething began to bother him to the point that it would be hard for him to fall asleep and stay asleep,thus began the constant waking up saga.Initially he started to wake up every two hours,and when he'd wake up he'd think it was time to feed,and since I thought this would pass I gave in and would feed him every two hours ( something I shouldn't have done,although I knew no better then!!) A few days went by and Ethan stopped waking up every two hours instead he'd wake up every hour,then it got worse he started to wake up every 45mins to half hour...yes and thats how you get the math of waking up sixteen times!!

I feel helpless because I want Ethan to sleep,I know he's not getting enough sleep with his constant waking up and neither am I! Dee and I are still trying to figure this whole thing out and hopefully will find a method that suits our parenting style and are keeping our fingers crossed,wish us luck and sleep :-)!

To become a mother is one of life’s greatest blessings. It is a lifelong event that forever changes you. Becoming a mother changes your heart, your thoughts, and your actions. However, you may soon wish you had a few extra hands.

My Graduation Ceremony.

2008-05-17T00:21:00.006-04:00

I graduated today in a beautiful ceremony with a Masters in Community Counseling.It felt really good to be able to graduate and to have Deepak and Ethan by my side,I could have never done this by myself and I want to thank Dee for being there for me,being my constant source of support and encouragement;not to mention for babysitting Ethan through finals and all my submissions!Here are couple of pictures of my big day!

In my cap and gown

with my favorite boys!

What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters compared to what lies within us. ~Ralph Waldo Emerson

Happy Mother's Day!

2008-05-12T11:56:00.005-04:00

My first mother's day was beautiful thanks to the wonderful surprise that Dee and Ethan had in store for me.Thanks to them,I spent a relaxing day at the spa,I feel like a completely new woman and not to mention;pampered,rejuvenated and beautified( if thats even a word) I loved ,loved,loved my mothers day surprise,it made my day!

My day started with the "ultimate recharge body treatment"-it definitely was a nice way to recharge and unwind. After my relaxing body treatment I had another surprise,was a manicure and pedicure waiting for me,so not only do I feel recharged I have pretty hands and feet!

Back home I had two lovely cards and my favorite chocolate waiting for me,one card was from Ethan with his little footprint on it and one of course from my darling Dee.

Ethan's card read :

My Darling Mommy,
I'm as Happy
and Proud
as a baby can be
That the best
of all mommies
belongs to me!
Happy Mothers Day,
You are my everything,
Love Always, Ethan.

Happy Six Months!

2008-04-23T16:23:00.003-04:00

Six Months,has it really been six months since I had my baby?!! I can't believe Ethan is six months old,how fast the months fly by.The day Ethan turned six months I thought it would be nice if I could do something special for Ethan's half birthday! The mommy son duo spent a beautiful sunny afternoon together ;we went down to Gymboree( Play and Music) and tried out their 6-10 month class.We loved it,it was tons and tons of fun,and worked out great for the both of us,I got to meet other mom's with babies in the same age group and Ethan got to interact with babies in his age group!!

Ethan on the slide weeeeeeeeee!

I just have one picture at the moment from the gymboree class,will be posting more pics this weekend :-)!

Glove Pup for Ethan!

2008-04-16T17:00:00.005-04:00

I found this crafty project on Martha Stewart's website,Its featured in her favorite TV crafts,mine didn't turn out as good as hers( there's always a next time!)This pup still needs eyes and a nose,I meant to stitch the eyes and nose and I already sewed the head :-(! So I just drew some eyes and a nose total disaster,I did it in a hurry so that I could complete this project before Ethan woke up,I drew the eyes too high,tried to wash it off,its a mess now,the pup has a blackened eye,and some black marks over the face...can't wait to do another one for Ethan!!!!( luckily I took a picture before the disaster)

Ethan's Portrait

2008-04-04T20:35:00.011-04:00

I love portraits and I couldn't resist getting a portrait done of Ethan in his fourth month.

He loves to smile and pose for the camera so I was hoping to they could capture all his charm in one sitting! We got this one done at Sears and they did an amazing job,here is Ethan at his best ( four and a half months old) so this was done a month ago.

March Madness!

2008-03-27T22:56:00.005-04:00

Just when we thought that the busiest month was behind us,March has proven to be a crazy busy month! Here are some of the things that we've been up to!

Mid Term Exam :~
I'm glad I had my mom around to babysit Ethan,so I could put in couple of hours of studying and every time I needed a break I would play with Ethan and get right back to books! Next month I take my finals( guess Dee will have to take a day off from work so that I can get in some quality studying done and take my exam). I graduate this May and I couldn't be more excited,my son gets to see me graduate how neat is that!!

Mom's Trip Back home :~
My mom returned to India two weeks ago :-(!It was great having her around to help us transition into parenthood and help me learn all the things I needed to about taking care of a baby!Ethan loved his time with grandma and when she left he took a couple of days to settle down,I'm sure he sensed something different.We will miss having her around!

Ethan and Grandma :-)!

Our Days and Nights with Ethan :~
Our days seem to be going pretty well ( don't want to jinx it so knock on wood) we've got our day time routine down to a "T",the nights *sigh* we're still working on that, they seem to go back and forth(functioning on very little sleep can be really challenging).We're doing tons of reading up on how to get a baby to sleep through the night,and plan to try a technique that we feel most comfortable with ( I def will blog and let everyone know how that goes!)

Ethan's First Easter :~

Ethan's first Easter was tons of fun,we spent it with our L.I family and Ethan loved his time there.As always it was great company and delicious food.Our aunt cooked an amazing spread of Indian food,Cousin/Godma Andrea made her Delicious Cupcakes and we got tons of food to bring back home! I got Ethan a little onsie that said "My first Easter" I couldn't resist haha! Apart from that Ethan got couple of presents,one that included his first Easter bunny and he loves it!

Mission Organization!

2008-03-17T14:05:00.007-04:00

haha they have a schedule for me!!

Our latest mission is to get organized so we have come up with our daily schedule based on Ethan's predictable routine and will try to stick to this schedule for the most part,I'm sure we're going to have days where things won't go as planned and we can live with that!!!

yeah this is how my day usually goes!!

7:00am- Wake up time,a quick Diaper Change and Bottle Time( Ethan wakes up starving!!)

10:30am: Breakfast time-usually consists of oatmeal cereal and a fruit,after which is a BIG clean up session,solids are always messy and clean up also includes a change of clothes then Ethan goes down for a cat nap

12 noon : Play time and tummy time(Ethan is beginning to roll over yaay!)

1:00pm: Bottle time again after which Ethan goes down for his afternoon nap which lasts longer than his morning nap of 30mins ( he sleeps between 45mins to two hours,its just depends,sometimes more and sometimes less)

3:00 pm-4:00pm: Ethan usually is up around this time and ready to for his bottle after which its play time ,so I either put him in his swing or bouncer and he is content in either one for 30mins,after which we listen to his weesing CD of nursery rhymes and I read him couple of stories ( he loves looking at colorful pictures)!

5:30pm-6:00 pm: Dinner Time-which includes his veggies and rice cereal :-)

7:00 pm: Bath time and we get ready to put Ethan down to bed.

7:30pm : Bedtime Bottle!

Ethan usually falls asleep somewhere between 8pm and 9pm on good nights and sometimes he stays up,fights sleep and tires himself out till he can't take no more and then falls asleep by 10pm!

Ethan does not sleep through the night so on good nights he'll probably wake up once and some nights a couple of times and if its a really bad night I have my little champ waking up every other hour ( although must admit that doesn't happen too often!) Thank God for small mercies!

The Fabulous Life of a Four Month Old!

2008-03-03T17:11:00.009-05:00

Someones all smiles this month :-)! Ethan has entered what might be considered the golden age of babyhood.The fourth month has been a lot of fun and smiles for Ethan and us.The frequency of smiles have multiplied to the nth degree!

As every month passes,Ethan's personality comes through a lot more,he is a mellow baby.He is sociable and likes having long drawn cooing conversations and his two favorite words are "ahhgoo" and "unga"! Wish we knew what they meant or maybe not ;)!!

His favorite thing to do is listen to music,play with his colorful pup spikey ,chew on his hand and watch people at the mall.The mall is an entertaining place for our four monther,and not to mention to me too! He likes the bright lights,the bright colors and the numerous people!

Ethan dislikes baby lotion (its too cold),dirty diapers and having his nails clipped or filed ( although must admit he is getting better and learning to stay still when he's getting his baby manicure!)!To sum it up I would say Ethan is a thinker,an observer and an explorer and loads of fun to be around! Love you my baby!

A baby has a special way of adding joy in every single day.

Ethan's Day Out!

2008-02-27T22:28:00.007-05:00

Ethan has had a lot of firsts and we have tried to capture it all,today was Ethan's first time at a restaurant.He did great,he smiled,drooled when he saw the menu and laughed every time mommy and daddy made funny faces! He sat with grammy through dinner and was a really good boy.

Hmmm everything looks good on the menu!!

Mommy and Daddy are making funny faces,haha they're funny!

Glad we ventured out and had a sit down dinner rather than take out,Ethan,Grammy and us really enjoyed our Restaurant Trip and yes dinner too,it was delicious!

"Having a baby is like falling in love again, both with your husband and your child".

Starting Solids!

2008-02-26T20:12:00.006-05:00

Ethan turned four months last week and reached another milestone in his baby life.We introduced him to solids for the very first time,we started with rice cereal and slowly introduced him to his very first fruit in the form of apple sauce,he loved it,and couldn't get enough of it! Every since he has been introduced to other fruits and vegetables.His favorite vegetable so far is carrot,here is a picture of messy carrot face Ethan :-)!

February Festivities Continued!!

2008-02-23T19:45:00.002-05:00

February for us has turned out to be a busier month than expected.Deepak's birthday was a quite family affair.I cooked some Indian food and Ethan stayed up for his dad to return from the city,he got to spend quality daddy time. Our long weekend was time for Ethan to meet his extended family.Deepak's cousins from Canada spent the Presidents weekend with us,it was tons of fun having the boys over,we hung out over famous TK wings and beer! We're gearing up for my mom's birthday which is this week....so let the festivities continue!!

Ethan's Baptism

2008-02-10T23:18:00.013-05:00

Baptism is the sacrament by which one enters the Catholic church. Once baptized, a person is washed away of all the guilt for their past sins, especially original sin.

Ethan was Baptized today in a beautiful half hour ceremony at St Josephs Church in the presence of family members and his godmother Andrea.Ethan smiled a lot through the ceremony and loved posing for pictures,he truly was the star of the day in his white suit.After the ceremony we got together for a simple home cooked family lunch.Here are few pictures of the special occasion.

Ethan and mommy

The Elias family

Ethan at the Baptismal font

Back home-celebrating the newest member of the catholic church!!

With Uncle Rohan

The Mascarenhas Family & The Elias Family

"Through Baptism we are freed from sin and reborn as sons of God; we become members of Christ, and are incorporated into the Church..."

February Festivities

2008-02-01T11:57:00.000-05:00

February is our favorite month in the year.It is a action packed month in the Elias household,we start the month with my birthday followed by Deepak's ,then there's Valentines day and the long weekend of Presidents day.

My birthday was spent with my little man,we bonded over "weesing"- musical and rhythmical baby games,until Dee was done with work after which we entertained ourselves with a unique family bonding activity.Our activity consisted of making homemade mozzarella cheese! Making your own cheese is fun, interesting and delicious! We spent rest of the evening with mom,Ethan and couple of friends. We ordered Chinese food,sipped on some interesting wine and cut the yummiest chocolate cake (we can't have a birthday without cake!) Ethan loves having people over,new faces intrigue him,and he loves skipping nap time if it means,he can look at new faces all day long!

Ethan is going to be baptized next Sunday.So we have another event to look forward to,keep reading while our next post will include Ethan's Baptism and Deepak's Birthday details and pictures!

A birthday is just the first day of another 365-day journey around the sun.

Sparkling Smiles

2008-01-30T19:47:00.000-05:00

Ethan in his third month

A baby's first smile is precious and unforgettable.Ethan's first smile was captured on camera at just six weeks,his smile is charming and infectious. His smile brightens our lives and makes every day more fulfilling and complete. I've been reading about when and why babies smile, an article I stumbled upon at a parenthood website.In the article it states that just a few weeks after birth, that quick, small curve of the lips signals the beginning of a developmental journey that transforms an innate, spontaneous offering into a complex social expression of joy and invitation. Ethan has begun his journey of social connection,and smiles at people and things (mainly consisting of his favorite toys). With every passing day and week,Ethan's frequency of smiles seem to increase and we keep our camera handy to capture his every smile.

His laughter... sparkled like a splash of water in sunlight.
-- Joseph Lelyveld

Surprise Baby Shower-October Fourteen 2007.

2008-01-24T00:58:00.001-05:00

All this baby talk got me thinking about pregnancy and no pregnancy is complete without a baby shower. We had a HUGE surprise Baby Shower organized lovingly and very thoughtfully by our Aunt,Uncle and cousins (Andrea and Alisha) and yes Deepak was in on it,he did a great job of not letting the cat out of the bag!

Our Beautiful Baby Shower

October fourteen a beautiful sunny Sunday and Dee decides its a perfect day to get a family portrait done.I love portraits so I don't question him further,I can't wait to get our portrait done in our ninth month of pregnancy.Around noon we drive by our friends place and Dee says he needs to drop off a book and I'm real concerned about being late for our portrait session; he assures me that it wouldn't be long.As I walk through the doors of the gorgeous clubhouse I'm greeted with the loudest "surprise"-and standing there were 25 of our family and friends.I was really surprised to say the least and after couple of minutes of being in utter shock,I was able talk to everyone and party on!

Opening Presents

The brother-sister duo

Our Baby Shower was a lot of fun,loads and loads of fabulous food,tons of desserts,beautiful decorations and fun activities.The party started out with a brunch-the menu included,idly-vada and sambar,kebabs, samosas and chutney,followed by lunch,the spread gets even better.Our Aunt who is an excellent,excellent cook-made the most delicious Biryani,Mangalorean Pork,Sannas,Mangi Style Beans(by Aunt Lyn) and for people who didn't want the spice there was some other delights like Lasagne and Wraps. Dessert included a spread of Indian and American sweets,there was Jelabis,Cheese Cake ( baked by Andrea) and Huge over the top Chocolate Cake.

Aunt Anita,Andrea and Alisha put together some real fun activities.One of which was to guess how big my belly was :everyone cut pieces of ribbons to a length they believe matched the circumference of my belly!

Measuring my belly!

This was such a beautiful baby shower,something we will always remember for a long,long time to come! We have loads to be thankful for,as we're blessed with a great family and awesome group of friends.

The Masterminds behind the beautiful Baby Shower-
L-R: Andrea,Deepak,Uncle,Aunt,Alisha & of course moi!

The Love Between Mothers and Sons

2008-01-18T01:52:00.000-05:00

When my friend found out we were pregnant she couldn't resist getting us presents,baby clothes, jewelery (a silver bracelet which has mother engraved on it,in 8 different languages) and books.One of the books she got me,was 'The Love between Mothers and Sons'.Its a beautiful book which pays tribute to the very special relationship between mothers and sons.The book is a collection of quotes,and here's my favorite:

"It's such a powerful connection ; it takes me by surprise,I feel like theres a dotted line connecting me to my son."
-Sarah Langston

Ethan's Exploration

2008-01-11T17:08:00.000-05:00

Research states that at birth sensations in the mouth are more highly developed than in any other part of the body. Thus the mouth is truly the baby's "window to the world." As Ethan explores his world,I watch and relearn everything I was taught in my Child Psychology course.

Ethan has begun to explore his new world,and was caught in the act of sucking his finger for the very first time.As a first time parent its fascinating watching Ethan learn ,grow and explore ,he still hasn't discovered his thumb,so I guess for now his index finger serves the purpose!

Ethan and Spike.

2008-01-09T19:23:00.000-05:00

Ethan has a new playmate,a stuffed pup,lovingly gifted by his Aunt Amy.We have named our adorable multi-colored pup Spike.Ethan and I play songs and make merry music by squeezing Spike's legs.

Ethan loves to have long conversations with Spike,he coos, babbles, smiles, giggles and tugs at Spike's ears and nose.I love to watch our little eleven weeker at play.Here is a picture of Ethan with his new buddy Spike...thank you Aunt Amy we love him!

Ten tiny little fingers that always want to play,
That never stop exploring the wonder of today.
Ten tiny little fingers that from the very start,
Will reach out for tomorrow yet always hold your heart.

2008 Already.....!!!!

2008-01-04T16:01:00.000-05:00

Well another year gone and we are none the wiser....!!!! Ok so I said what we were all thinking. All those resolutions to keep. Anyway back to that in a little, let me update you on whats been happening in our neck of the woods.

Christmas was a lot of fun, more so for our little man, Ethan. He decided to take on the world in his best baby duds and boy did he deliver. There was some discussion on whether he should wear something more Christmasy like a Santa outfit but it was decided that it was too cliche. We were down in long island for a family get together with of course a ton of absolutely fantastic food and some eggnog. I must say there is nothing like great home cooked Indian food, beats the pants off anything else......!!!! We even had some authentic kuswar (Indian Christmas sweets, or so I think...!!!). I must say our aunt really went all out and all her work was much appreciated.

~Our Long Island Family~
L to R-Alisha,Aunt Anita,Andrea and Uncle Tarcy

Aunt Anita,Mom and Ethan

Yay-Opening Presents-Deepak and Rohan

The trip to long island was the longest road trip so far for Ethan and he actually fared quite well. With a little help from his pacifier of course....!!!! I guess all the time he stayed awake at the party made him sleep in the car. He just would not sleep at the Christmas party, probably cause he was passed around like a little football. Everyone wanted to carry and hold him, at least until he produced a diaper disaster. Ethan seems to be liking being around people, he gets very intrigued with all the new faces and doesn't really mind being held. Not a bad deal when mom and dad need a break.

For Sharon and I, it was great to actually get out. As Ethan's doctor put it, we no longer had to be hermits.....!!!! Of course there wasnt too much spiked eggnog consumption on my part......you know, with setting a good example for my son and all.....!!!! I tried my hand, or I should say feet, at that dancing game they have for the PS2. The one with the floor mat of symbols that you need to step on based on the music and moves that come up. Ok so I should really find out what the game is called. I must say it was fun, I was no match for our cousins there but I did manage to beat a few other folks present.....!!!! (You know who you are.....:) I didn't pull out any of my travolta moves though, who knows what the machine might have done then.

So overall the Elias family had a jolly good time over Christmas. The rest of the Christmas week was low key. Low key meaning that a trip to the mall was the highlight of the week. I did manage to get out to driving range one day and promptly proceeded to hit the ball everywhere except where it should have been going.

New years was spent watching the ball drop at time square. Ok to be more specific, the ball dropped at time square and we watched it on tv.....!!!! Ok, ok so I set that one up. Ethan actually brought in the new years with us, but we shouldn't have been surprised cause hes a bit of a night owl. He can outlast the best of us, which is kinda like us going through some kind of navy seal training......!!!!

Anyway, thats an update of Xmas and New Years in a nutshell. Not a super bashtacular week but was awesome to have Ethan celebrate it with us. I hope you all had a great holiday season as well and heres wishing you all the best in the year to come.

I will leave it up to our in home photo editor (read as Sharon) to upload some pics for this posting so come back to check.

From Wakeful Wonder to Steady Slumber

2007-12-03T22:49:00.001-05:00

They say babies have their days and nights messed up,and our adorable six weeker is no exception to this rule,we humor ourselves saying he's on Indian standard time.Ethan loves to stay up at nights and party like a rock star!His favorite nighttime activity is starring at his musical mobile and hanging out with the person staying up with him,a task which usually requires three people taking turns at this strenuous graveyard shift!

As first time parents we're eager to try new techniques to teach a six weeker to sleep at nights and let me tell you that has been no easy task.We've been experimenting with different techniques thanks to all the great books and tired and tested methods of family and friends.Hopefully Ethan will go from his wakeful wonder to steady slumber soon,sleep baby sleep!

"A baby will make love stronger, days shorter, nights longer, bankroll smaller, home happier, clothes shabbier, the past forgotten, and the future worth living for"

Time for a movie......think again....!!!

2007-11-20T20:21:00.000-05:00

So Ethans asleep, everything is quiet, time to maybe catch up on some tv......oh hey, we've got a hindi movie to watch. Those were the words that preceded a rather long hindi movie that we had borrowed from our public library. Which hindi movie isn't long....I know.

In all fairness the movie wasn't too bad. It was called "Swades", meant to be Swadesh but ended up being pronounced by the librarian as "suede-s". Shahrukh Khan gave another Oscar worth nomination.......!!!! Actually the leading lady had a little something to her. She was a refreshing change. Anyway, back to my story...!!!

We made it through most of the movie before our lil man decided he just had it with his diaper. Stupid thing was so uncomfortable it had to come off. So it was a quick diaper pit stop. After that he decides, hey you know I am up, why not a little milk while I am at it. Now where is that mom of mine.....!!! So it was diaper and then a feeding. Finally 24 hours after what we thought would be a quick diaper change and feeding we ended up watching the last 20 minutes of the movie.

So the moral of the story is that hindi movies are just too long for folks with a one monther......:)
Another day gone, another lesson learned !

Sleepless Nights to Cherish!

2007-11-18T15:10:00.000-05:00

Ethan turns a month old today,can't believe how fast the weeks have gone by,feels like we had Ethan couple of days ago.One time when Deepak and I were at a friends graduation party,we met a couple with a ten month old son,we got talking about pregnancy and babies,as we were into our fourth month of pregnancy.She was telling us how wonderful it was having her son and I had so many questions about pregnancy,hospitals,name it and I think I asked her,before we parted ways,she looked at me and said remember to cherish everything about motherhood even the 2am feeds,because someday you will miss them.As I stay up nights and seem to be up every other hour,I constantly think of what Sarah told me and as sleepy as I may be,when I look at adorable Ethan,I understand what she was talking about,I truly cherish the time I spend with Ethan and now I know why a baby is called a "bundle of joy"!

When you are a mother, you are never really alone in your thoughts. A mother always has to think twice, once for herself and once for her child. ~Sophia Loren, Women and Beauty

Fatherhood is not for sissies!

2007-11-17T02:24:00.000-05:00

Fathers are the gentle giants who offer protection and patience.As has been said,Every cub is the king of the jungle in his father's eyes.

Dads are there for comfort when things go bump in the night;for fun when things go vroom in the driveway;and later for support and counsel when the going gets tough.At the end of the day,there's no other job quite as important or satisfying.

Here's to you,Dad.
You're the Man!

Raising Ethan!

2007-11-16T19:23:00.000-05:00

Ethan is almost a month old and he's a wonderful baby.Transitioning into parenthood has been an amazing experience for us,we're glad we got through the hardest,which was the first two weeks!!

Ethan has been doing real well for a 36 week pre-term baby,he's been gaining weight,and continues to do so.He's now 7lbs15 ounces (3.25kgs) from his lowest weight being 5lbs 11ounces (2.32kgs) so he's gained a little over 2lbs which makes us really happy.

He's a calm and composed baby (he gets his temperament from his dad) and his favorite pass time is gazing at his dad and listening to music,both make him happy.We gave Ethan his first bath yesterday and he loved it,it took three people to give a baby a bath and after his bath,he did what all babies do best,took a nice 3 hour nap and woke up right in time for his next meal!

Pregnancy to Parenthood!

2007-11-01T04:08:00.001-04:00

We're pregnant!
Its Feb 2007 and I am eternally thankful and grateful that I am pregnant.I am blessed to have this child and I am going to enjoy this pregnancy (and uninterrupted sleep) for the next few months was what I kept telling myself,and that's exactly what I and we did.

Deepak and I at 5 Months.

Deepak and I enjoyed our pregnancy and documented every single aspect of it.Not to mention we took a zillion pictures to capture every stage of our pregnancy.My biggest craving was good Indian food,craved for loads of authentic Mangalorean dishes and it was always Indian all the way expect for a few exceptions!

9 months pregnant ( a week before I had our little man Ethan!)

"Making the decision to have a child-it's momentous. It is to decide forever to have your heart go walking around outside your body."
--Elizabeth Stone

Welcome to whats happening in CT.

2007-09-26T17:01:00.000-04:00

Ok, so this blog really revolves around the Elias family and not Connecticut, but hey you never know, you might find some interesting stuff.

This is our first go at blogging and I must say this is easier than we thought. We hope to keep this little nook of ours on the web updated with the latest news from us. Oh yeah and pictures of course cause the wifey wouldn't have it any other way.

Anyway, browse around and send us your comments. Hope you enjoy it....!!!