Luis - el Caballero

Luis LOVES to play with this hat of Diego's (that his parents brought from Colombia). I couldn't resist putting it on him and snapping some pics!

Luis & Shabina

An All-American Breakfast (sort of)

Diego has been very sweet, helping me to feel at home and trying to get me comfort foods here in India. Several weeks ago, he called to say that he had found taco sauce. Then, last week, he bought me some smoked bacon!!

Yesterday, I cooked the bacon and then fried some eggs for breakfast. We had some left over chapati's (a type of roti or Indian bread eaten in South Asia and East Africa) that Shabina had made for dinner the previous evening. Wha-La! A very delicious breakfast!

"Momma Drop Baba??"

I only turned away for a minute. Maybe not even a minute. A couple of seconds is more like it. However long it was, it was enough time for Luis to topple, head first, over the side of the bed, hitting his forehead on the corner of the bed-side table and the back of his head on the floor. It was horrible - for both of us. If Luis hadn't been crying so hard, I probably would have cried (thank goodness he started first!).
That was yesterday morning. Within about 15 minutes, he was completely over the whole thing. I, on the other hand, cannot get past it. All of the people in our life, one by one, when they've seen us, have asked, "What happened to Baba?" A few (yes more than one) asked, "Momma drop Baba??" Letting him fall of off the side of the bed is terrible enough. Before it's all said and done, I probably will drop him at some point. But still, I bristle at the question.
(Today, his forehead looks much better.)

Other Exciting News!

After all of my moaning and complaining and tiredness and despair, Luis slept through the night last night! Yeah!!! Not only did he sleep through the night, he slept 13 hours. Straight. It was glorious.

I realize that it was only one night, and it might be the only one for a while, but it still gives me hope that we could get back on schedule again soon.

Then, today, he went back to his previous three-nap-a-day schedule (taking the last of those naps now). I have a good feeling about this - but keep your fingers crossed for us anyway...

Stop The Presses!!

I will start this off by saying that the domestic help we have makes me slightly uncomfortable. Rather, talking about the help we have makes me squirm a bit. But the fact is that here in Mumbai, we are afforded the opportunity to have such help.

Last night, Shabina, our cook started. She will come in each afternoon - bringing groceries - and prepare dinner for us. She asked me yesterday what kinds of food I like. Normally, not such a tough question for me. But knowing that the answer included: I don't like curry, onions, very spicy food or fatty meats, and knowing that I was being asked this question in Mumbai, the home of curry, onions, and very spicy food (not so sure about the meats part) ... well I was a bit nervous to answer.

-I told her that I like my food only a little bit spicy. In the states, I fancied myself as some who likes spicy or at least medium-spicy food. However, I was keenly aware that she and I do not live on the same spiciness scale.

-I told Shabina that I like almost all vegetables; except onions and those I only like a little bit (stretching the truth a lot here, trying to be open to new experiences).

-And I told her that chicken was my favorite meat.

She took all of this in and asked to see our kitchen. I gave her the grand tour of our four cooking dishes, plentiful utensils, and bare pantry. She took all of this in as well. She thought for a moment, looked at the lack of food again and asked, "What do you want me to cook tonight?" I conceded that we had very little food and thought that part of the arrangement is that she would also to the shopping. She confirmed this and said she would go to the market.

"Do you like lady-fingers?" Shabina asked. Of course I had just told her that I liked almost all vegetables. It never occur ed to me that the first think she'd offer to make was OKRA, which I don't like. Again, I am trying very hard to be open to this new world I am in, so I said, "I think so." Sabina thought a moment more and said, "OK, I'll make non-smelly rice, lady fingers, dahl [lentils] and curry chicken. You like the curry, no, ma'am?"

She'd gotten me again. First the okra and then the curry. I'm not even going into my trepidation about lentils (weren't those stinky??) or my curiosity about what "non-smelly rice" was. But I said, "sounds good". I'm not sure if she wasn't sure what I said or if she was unsure about the look on my face. So I smiled big and said, very Mumba-like, No problem.

Shabina did the shopping and then spent about 90 minutes in the kitchen mixing and cooking and seasoning and chopping and mixing and sauteing. I tried to mostly stay out - not to be out of the way, but afraid that if I saw what she was doing, I'd be too scared to eat this strange food. When she was done, she proudly showed me her work - white rice (non-smelly, indeed), chopped an sauteed okra, dahl with seasoning-looking stuff in it, and sauteed, curry-sauced, chicken. She smiled hopefully at me and asked if it was OK. I smiled as confidently as I could and told her that it looked great.

I won't go into any details here, but suffice it for me to say that my stomach had been bothering me for about 48 hours. I'd essentially eaten nothing but 2-3 pieces of toast with butter and a small amount of plain pasta for two days. My first meal of real food was Shabina's meal. I was nervous for my taste buds and nervous for my stomach.

Diego called to say that he was going to be a work way past dinner time and that I should eat without him. I was disappointed that we wouldn't have this first meal together. But I was also a little relieved that I could react to this meal in private.

Feeling brave, and hungry (as 48 hours with almost no food will do to you), I dished up a plate of rice, okra and dahl (I wasn't feeling brave enough or hungry enough for the curry chicken). I took a deep breath. And then another. I picked up the plate and actually sniffed the food. I put my finger in the dahl and tasted a minuscule dot of it to test for spiciness (none). I bit one tiny slice of okra off of an already tiny piece to see what it tasted like (delicious). Next, I took a normal size bite of each dish on my plate. Good taste.

Eventually, I sort of swirled it all together and ate every last bite of it. The dinner was FANTASTIC. Flavorful, but also nicely textured. I emailed to Diego's phone - I ATE INDIAN FOOD. It was a big step for me. But the fact that I liked it was even better.

(And I had another dish of it for lunch today!)

(Author's Note: This post is done with special love for my brother Dodie, who, as long as I've been a picky eater -my whole life - has always come up with new ways to tease me about it.)

Tonight's Sunset (w/ Low Tide)

Look at Him Go!

Luis has gotten MUCH more agile in the last couple of weeks. Here, he is crawling through the legs of our dining room chairs. Just a week or two ago, when he would try to climb over something, he would almost always face plant on the way down. Now, he has figured out how to use his arms to brace his upper body while he pulls his legs down. Luis has more control when he lowers himself down from standing to sitting (i.e. he doesn't just sort of plunk down on his bottom). Today for the first time, he took a toy with him to crawl around the living room. I find these to be very exciting changes for Luis.

For Momma Croom

This isn't the greatest picture, but it's hard to photograph Luis up close w/o getting a blurry shot (b/c he's always on the move). While I was still pregnant, Mom started asking me when it was that the children in Diego's family got curly hair. Were they born with it? Did it come as an infant? A toddler? Did I think Luis's hair would be curly? Mom is very, very interested in the curl of Luis's hair.

And now, you can really start to see it. On the sides, he has kind of big curls that stick out a bit. In the back, he has small, tight little curls that mostly stick to his head. And, unfortunately, on the top he has straight hair. This, he gets from me. I'm sure we have quite some time before we really know what Luis's hair will do. I'd be happy with it straight (like me). Or curly (like Diego). Or even wavy (a nice mix). I just hope he gets thick Rincon hair and not fine hair like mine.
PS - The eye color is still a bit up for grabs. They are somewhere between blue and brown - but not really green. My eyes are hazel-green. I wonder if Luis will get hazel-brown (does that exist??).

Ashley Enjoys Kissing Luis (and he likes it too)

Diego & Luis Enjoy the Ocean View

What Do I Miss Most?

One week. We've been here almost one week. What do I miss the most (so far)? Not toilet paper that does not feel like newspaper (take a moment with that double negative). Not drinkable tap water. Not being a native speaker. What I miss the most is two simple things: a cutting board and a kitchen timer. I have already cut myself3 times in the kitchen, dicing up fruits and veggies in my hand (for pureeing). And I've 3 times forgotten about the thing that was boiling away on the stove (again, Luis's food).
The good news is that our cargo ship was due to dock today. If that's the case, we are about two weeks away from getting our things. I do have a cutting board in our shipment. As for the kitchen timer, I'm putting it on my shopping list!!

My Across th Street Neighbors

Joggers Park is immediately in front of our building, and to the left. It is a private park with three paths - one is brick, one is dirt, and I'm not sure what the third is. It's open from 5:30 - 9:30a and 4:30 - 9:00p (I think). An annual pass is 500/- (rupees; it's about 45/- = $1), and requires a passport size photo (apparently EVERYTHING around here requires a passport size photo, including getting a bank card). Yesterday, we dropped off my application and photo and today we'll go back to get the pass. The down side is that Ashley is not allowed there; but I'm hoping that I'll actually do some jogging there.

Speaking of jogging... I think it should more appropriately be called Walkers Park. There is some jogging that happens there, but I'd say that 95% of the people are walkers. And there are a lot of people who come. Everyday it's crowded. There is also a playground for children, a duck pond, a place for stretching or calisthenics (very popular here), and bars for pull ups, dips, etc.

I have talked in many other posts about the sea-view that we have. Here is a photo of it from our first day. With the palm trees all around, and the red clay tile roof of the private club across the street, sometimes I feel like I'm on vacation at a Caribbean resort.

This is the small grassy area/ Playground/ Frisbee park in front of our building. As an aside, that is our white vehicle parked to the left. The first day we were here, I saw two children playing on the swings - but that's all the action I've seen it get. Until now! I took Ashley down there shortly after her arrival yesterday to help her stretch her legs and relax. Both the guards (at the gate and at the building entrance) were very curious about Ashley. When she started catching the Frisbee, they watched open-mouthed. It was quite a site. The area is small for Frisbee throwing, but will do. Ashley is a bit particular about where she does her business; she requires grass. Outside of the housing compounds, grass is tough to come by in our neighborhood. I am very grateful for this patch of it.

The Table with the Ocean View

Diego bought us a super-beautiful, hand crafted dining room table (with 8 lovely chairs) for the apartment. It's stunning. But it's so nice - and we don't have any place mats or table clothes - that we're a bit afraid to eat at it. I'm definitely not interested in setting Luis there to eat, and to smear applesauce and drip water and crush cheerios on it. So instead, he eats at the small glass table, which I have moved over by the window. We both like the view. Here, Luis is enjoying a nice apple & banana puree. The lighting isn't so great for appreciating the horizon, but you can make it out to the right of Luis's noggin. This view is one of the first things I will get used to here! :)

Ashley's Here!

This isn't such a good picture of Ashley, but it does show that she is here with us in Mumbai (24 hours later than scheduled). Her original flight from London to Mumbai had a broken heater in the cargo area, so Ashley got bumped. I don't have any details of her extended stay in London, but I hope that she got to eat some fish n chips, have tea, drink a warm beer and see some rain.

Diego met her at the airport and escorted her through cargo and customs. She was a brave girl, not looking at all scared when she was off-loaded. Everyone in cargo was a bit shocked by this dog with blue eyes. When Diego let her out of the crate, they were also a bit surprised at how well she listened & obeyed (things like sit, stay, come here, in the car). The head of cargo teased Diego that Diego's life would be much easier if his airport staff was so obedient! :)

It's been over 4 years since Ashley didn't have a dog door to let her self outside. Living on the 7th floor is a big change for her. Babu, our kind of Guy Friday, will walk Ashley once or twice a day. Luis and I will also get her out once or twice a day. And right in front of our building is a small grassy area that is great (if not a little small) for frisbee-ing. I think (hope?)that Ashley will settle in nicely.

One of My New Friends in Mumbai

The view out our living room is the Arabian Sea. For 180-degrees. It's really beautiful and soothing. Both Luis and I enjoy watching the water. We also have lots (I mean LOTS) of birds that fly around. There are a bunch of ravens. Some doves. A family of 6 or so green parakeets. Other birds that I don't know the names of. But by far, my favorite are the hawks. They do fly-by's in front of my window all day long. The way they sort of float on the ocean breeze is a bit mesmerizing. I can't tell how many there are. I've seen 4 of them together at once.
Yesterday, I looked out the window to the balcony (the rear of the apartment, which over looks not the ocean). A hawk was sitting on the railing, just watching me. I wish, wish, wish that I'd had my camera - he was stunning.
One thing about the hawks - they make me a little bit glad that we didn't bring Muffles. Those claws look BIG!

More Long Nights

This started out as a picture of Luis sleeping in the middle of the day. But at the same time that I started shooting (pictures, of course), he started to wake up. We've had three long nights in a row now. Luis is having a tough time adjusting his body clock. By day, he is sweet, happy-go-lucky self. He eats and naps on schedule. By night, he is awake, but tired and cranky. Last night, he was up from 11p until 2:30a. I guess the good news is that he's getting back to sleep earlier - the first night it was 5a and the second night it was 4a.
Alison, my sis-in-law - who has transported her three babies across lots and lots of time zones - encourages me to give Luis a week to sort himself out. I am trying that. The result is that I'm just as tired this morning as I was on other mornings - but I'm feeling much more zen about it all.
One good thing about being so tired is that it seems easier to reset your body clock.

Full Disclosure

A quick post to up the honesty factor of this blog:
It's 5a, and Luis is lying in his crib crying. He's been awake since 1:15a. I've been awake since 1:16a. Diego and I have tried rocking, singing, cuddling, snuggling, walking, bouncing, cooing, talking, nursing, more rocking more singing, more nursing and more cooing. Not so much luck. He's exhausted, but can't settle enough to fall asleep.
To add insult to injury, Diego and I are both tired, but unable to sleep (and not just because of the crying baby). Sigh. It couldn't all be perfect.

Stacking Cups Make Any Place Feel Like Home...

... even Mumbai!

Mary & Luis go to Mumbai

Two pictures from our trip - one on the people movers at Dulles and the second on our flight from London to Mumbai. Luis was a great travel companion. He slept about 1/2 of each flight - and was agreeable and happy for the other half. Not surprisingly, Luis charmed the flight attendants on all three continents.

On the flight from DC to London, I made the mistake of reading when Luis first went to sleep. Approximately 10 minutes after I turned the light out to sleep, Luis woke up crying. The good news is that he settled back into sleep very quickly. But he wasn't in his car seat, he was curled up on me. I did sleep a bit, but not very well. On the second leg, Luis slept about 5 hours and I slept about 4. It was a life saver.

Ashley - Ready (as ever) for International Travel

Ashley left VA yesterday, and arrives in Mumbai tomorrow. The trip's a bit longer for her as she spends ~ 12 hours in London. There aren't words to say how relieved I'll be when she arrives safely tomorrow. Check back for an update (and keep your fingers crossed for her).

Life at the Rimicci's - Take Two

On our way out of town, Diego, Luis, Ashley and I spent two nights at Sarah's (though she was only there for one of them). It was a bit chaotic, but I love being with the Rimicci's: they are so generous with their love and their friendship that it fills my heart to be with them.

There are about 1o weeks between Matthew and Luis. For most of Matthew's 5 months, it's felt like a big difference. But as Luis and Matthew ate dinner together on Saturday night, they seemed a lot closer in age.

On Sunday, JF and RC came over to help us get our luggage out to Dulles. While waiting (very patiently) for us to finish stuffing things into bags, JF & RC got coerced into playing a game of Hullabaloo with Will. It's in the same game family as Twister, but made by the people who make Cranium. I didn't actually see the game in action, but both Sarah and Diego howled with laughter as they watched Will, RC and JF. I'm sorry I missed it.

Luis & Sandy

We spent almost 2 weeks in Annapolis before heading out of town. Luis sat with the grownups while they ate dinner each night. Luis sat next to Sandy and they had a good time together. It's hard to say who entertained whom more. Let's just say they were fast friends...

It was a sad goodbye on Thursday night, when Sandy said goodby to Luis. (It would have been sad for Luis if he had any idea what was going on.)

Catching Up - Diego Came Home (USA)

Diego arrived back in the states on Wednesday. It was good to have him here and Luis COMPLETELY adores him. Luis watches Diego's every move and lights up whenever he sees Diego. The gene that says, "That's my Daddy" has definitely kicked in!

Diego was tremendously helpful with the last packing push. I had everything sorted out into these messy and precarious piles. Diego watched Luis for two days while I sorted and stuffed things into bag after bag (after bag after bag).

We ended up with an armory of LL Bean bags. I think they should do a commercial about us. There were 3 XL duffels, 3 L duffels (1 on wheels), 1 Med. duffel, 1 hard case, 1 briefcase on wheels, 1 diaper bag and 1 back pack. In this picture (in our apartment in Mumbai), you can see 4 of our bags.

We Are HOME!!!

I am a bit too tired to try to be funny or witty or nostalgic right now - so I'll just be factual. We arrived in Mumbai this morning, Tuesday, at about 1a, Mumbai time. The trip was easy and uneventful and Luis was a trooper. We couldn't have asked for a better journey.

Luis is asleep in his room. I am trying to ignore the desire to empty ALL of the suitcases now - as it is 4a. I have no idea what time Luis thinks it is, nor how long he is going to sleep at this time. So I'm thinking I should work on some shut eye myself.

PS - Luis liked Business Class.

Luis's 1st Self-Inflicted Bruise

No - it's not the big red dot on his forehead, that is a bug bite. If you see the little scratch over his eye - that's it. Luis was trying to climb over a couch pillow that was on the floor. He's pretty good at getting up onto something, but the downhill part is still a bit much for him. On this particular occasion he face planted into a stacking cup scratching and bruising his eye.

I was a particularly prone to getting hurt when I was a child (my step dad called me the Master of Disaster). After seeing Luis's bruise, Sandy petted him very sweetly on the head and said, "I'm very sorry Luis, but you inherited some pretty bad 'getting hurt' genes." I'm afraid Sandy is probably right...

Which Toy Do I Want?

With Luis's new mobility and agility, he can go almost anywhere he wants (that is not more than 26" off the ground). He spends an hour at a stretch crawling across the room, pulling up on everything he can find, investigating toys (and things that he thinks could be toys but aren't) and putting as many objects into his mouth as he can. Here, he has crawled over to the toy box and pulling out things to play with, chew on and discard. He sat there for about 20 minutes.
Yesterday, it was almost time for him to nap, but he was showing no signs of being tired. I put him at the bottom of the stairs. He climbed the entire flight with no assistance (other than a hand to make sure he didn't topple over backwards). I took him to the bottom and he climbed it again. Luis was definitely breathing hard by the time he was done. And he went down quickly for his nap!

Another Milestone

So first, I have to say that this picture is a re-creation of an actual event. Yesterday morning, when I went in to get Luis up from his morning nap, I found him standing up in the pack n play. He was SO pleased with himself he was grinning from ear to ear. I have to admit that I was pretty pleased, too! Later in the day, I brought my camera down to the basement (where we are staying at Mom's) and staged this picture. Obviously, Luis is a whole lot less pleased at this moment.

Luis has the standing-up-in-the-crib thing down pat. He has been standing, peering over the side a couple times since. Always, he thinks it's very cool (or at least all of the times that he does it himself).