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A few months back, I had killing pelvic ache and I A few months back, I had killing pelvic ache and I remember asking an experienced friend if physical pain was more during second pregnancies. She summed it all when she said," Babe, everything is more the second time." . I was prepared for the lochia, the pains, the exhaustion, the sleepless nights, the crying and basically feeling like not the best version of myself. I even went a step ahead and prepped V for sharing time, space and big emotions. And I'm super lucky that V has been my biggest support system. But, somehow, I did not get the memo on mom guilt. I was lucky that my heart did the essential enlarging to feel double the love, but, my time and energy did not double. Every time I told V, "hold on, I'm feeding" or " Wait, the baby is sleeping" , I cringed within. My heart drooped when she'd cry or frown and insist I was needed right away. But my heart broke whenever she'd swallow a lump and say, "It's okay ma. Baby needs you more. I'll wait." And everytime I attended to the crying baby a moment later because I was tied with V, I felt inadequate. Add a global pandemic to the mix and we have a recipe for disaster. However, this difficult period of adjusting, is but a season that will end. When I step back, I see my girls reading and busy with each other. I see us engulfed in a circle of love. That what we've gained is much more than what we're shedding. That's why this picture- to remind myself, that despite the mom bun, spitups and self-doubt, the circle of love overpowers it all. The mental load of motherhood, (be it a new mum, or a mum-to-be, a stepmum, an adoptive mum or a mum with an empty nest or a mum in mourning) is heavy. Do whatever it takes to protect your mental health- me time, draw boundaries, sleep, read, talk to someone or seek help. And if the weight feels too heavy to carry alone, remember we're all connected. We're navigating this storm, alone, yet together. Like someone reminded me yesterday, think of the big bang and remember we're all made of the same stardust. And the same, magical universe resides in all of us. . Continued in comments.
A miracle happened over the weekend . V2 has been A miracle happened over the weekend . V2 has been cooing and smiling at us for a while. But, on Sunday morning around 4a.m she looked lovingly at V, and said her first makes-no-sense-to-the-adult word - aghoo. (If you're wondering why both my spawns were awake and playing with each other at that hour, welcome to my no-sleep world). . Anyhow, what's so miraculous about a baby's first babble you may ask? Amidst every moment seeming like a deja-vu, and wondering if the second-born would always be given half the special feels as the first-born, we found ourselves celebrating this milestone doubly- watching V2 babble, and V exclaim happily, "amma, she almost said akka for the first time!" . But, I'm digressing. I stayed up the rest of the night and wrote a long post on language aquisition in babies and how we can communicate to help them. The first steps to reading and writing are a desire to communicate and exposure to a rich environment. Did you know the child begins learning in the womb? Or that the focusing distance of a newborn's eyesight is the exact distance between her face and the mother's face while nursing? Read more on what, where and how to communicate with babies on the link in bio. . In the image Cloth book courtesy @twice_told_tales_ Baby mat courtesy @my_faktory Baby courtesy me, although I had a little help.🤭 . . #ammatoday #ammatoday_montessori #montessoriforall #montessorilanguage #montessorifrombirth #montessoribaby #montessorimom #iteachtoo #earlychildhoodeducation #earlylearning101 #attachmentparenting #parentingblogger #gentleparenting #positiveparenting #montessorifromthestart #babycommunication #earlyed
As adult book lovers, we know that a book is not j As adult book lovers, we know that a book is not just a book but so much more. A pathway to different places and times. A healing balm to a wounded heart. A loyal friend like no other. But how does one make this tangible for a child? We expose the child to books that are more than books, not just in story or illustration but basic architecture as well. This helps the child think outside the box and appreciate the magic in a book. Here are my favourite kinds 1. Pop up books Perfect to expose young toddlers to paper engineering, these are the visually stimulating kinds. Although expensive, my favourite titles are by Jennie Maizels, Matthew Reinhart and Robert Sabuda. Do check out youtube videos of their dinosaur and Harry Potter titles to see what I mean. 2. Fold out books These are books that have clever foldings. V loves them for the long book, never ending feels she gets when she reads them. These may be horizontal or vertical. Our favourite titles are Megalopolis, titles by Charlotte Guillain and the what on earth wall book by pratham books. 3. Never ending books Speaking of never ending books, Joelle Jolivet's works are amazing. An Indian beach is our favourite- there is no start or end, and there are multiple starts and ends. 4. Unraveling books I have no idea what these are called, but opening them is like opening a surprise gift and it is a pleasure to read them again and again. My favourite titles in this category are Home by Tulika publishers and Knock Knock by Tara books. You can find detailed reviews of both under #ammatoday_books . 5. Convertible books Last, but definitely not the least, these are books that can open into a playmat and be built into a 3d structure. Perfect for kinesthetic learners and those in connecting schema. Miles Kelly books are the best of this kind. Bonus: on my wishlist since ages, is This book is a planetarium by Kelli Anderson. A pop up cum projector cum musical instrument plus decoder plus sound amplifier book, I've been dying to have this in my collection. Swipe to see pictures of all of these and let me know in comments below if you need a detailed tour of any of these. . . #ammatoday
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