LIFE AS IT IS

Tweety was our three-year-old parakeet, who we got from a PetSmart store in St. Cloud, Minnesota, two-and-a-half years ago. He was our first pet and we loved him so much. We used to hand-feed him, give him a shower once a week and play with him almost every day - he would sit on my shoulders for hours. Sometimes, he would hide behind my ponytail. He loved music, especially Hindi film numbers! He would sing along and hop from one perch to another. He was blue and white - very handsome. Tweety is not with us anymore. He is at a foster home. I miss him every day but we had to give him away because we are moving to Delaware soon. When Tweety fell ill last month, my husband took him to the Como Park Hospital - he was suffering from what looked like a sinus infection, he was also underweight. They gave him two shots and sent him home. Although he began to recover from the infection, he was not the old Tweety anymore - he did not eat and he was not as active as he used to be. It was at tha...

Even before my baby was born, I heard two types of opinions from people I know. While one group opined that it was absolutely okay to let a baby cry, the other group (this group was much smaller in size) strongly debated against letting a baby cry. I thought that instead of listening to what others said, I should do my own research and find out why a baby cries, what should be done when a baby cries and what are the implications of letting a baby cry for prolonged periods of time. From the local public library, I borrowed Dr. Jenn Berman’s “SuperBaby,” a Los Angeles Times bestseller.  Dr. Berman, a licensed psychotherapist, writes in her book that when a baby cries for prolonged periods of time the level of stress hormone cortisol increases in his body.  This cortisol can have dangerous effects on the growing brain a baby, inhibiting its normal development. Babies, who experience long crying episodes, lack confidence in themselves when they grow up. Distraught episodes...

No, Trinky is not the name of a person or a pet - Trinky is my 10-month-old daughter's most favorite toy. Trinky is white and pink, she is made of cloth and cotton. She is adorable and she accompanies my daughter everywhere. Trinky is Wareesha's favorite toy. Perhaps, I should now call Trinky a rag of a toy because my daughter's chewing and chomping have done some permanent damages to her hands and legs. But Trinky is still my daughter's favorite companion. There is a funny story behind how we got Trinky: No, we did not buy Trinky. It happened last January when my aunt was visiting us from New York. Among a bunch of gifts that she got for Wareesha, there was a sleeper with very cute cow prints on it. The sleeper came with a soft toy, which looked like a cow. The sleeper was too small for my daughter so I returned it to my aunt. But I liked the soft toy cow so much that I asked her if I could keep it. My aunt agreed readily. That little soft toy cow was Trinky. We...

As I saw dozens of photos on Facebook of my friends eating out with their  mothers , I wondered if  Mother ’s  Day  is more about gift-giving and dining-out than actually recognizing what a  mother  does  for  her child. In the Unites States,  Mother ’s  Day  is one of the most commercially successful celebrations -- cakes, flowers, greeting cards and expensive gifts, such as jewelry worth billions of dollars are spent around this occasion.  Anna Jarvis, the West Virginian woman who founded  Mother ’s  Day  in the U.S.A., fought against the  commercialization  of this  day  until her death. She spent her money and time, speaking and working against what businesses have turned  Mother ’s  Day  into. In a survey carried out by the National Retail Federation (NRF) before this year’s  Mother ’s  Day , it was found that the Americans were expected to spend some $20.7...

When I look at my 8-month-old daughter now, I find it so hard to believe that she was once a tiny newborn. She weighed less than 6lbs, even though I gained 32lbs during my pregnancy. After her birth, she was unofficially named the "tiny baby" of Abbott Northwestern Hospital, Minneapolis! Every doctor and nurse who saw her called her a tiny baby. Now at 8 months, when I look at her, she looks so mature and strong (God bless her!) that I find it hard to believe that she was once a tiny newborn. When she sleeps next to me, I cannot help but put my nose against her soft skin. Sometimes, I would wake up in the middle of the night and give her a quick kiss on her forehead. I love her distinct "baby smell." I love to kiss her on the neck when she is in my lap. I love her so much! I know it is perfectly natural, but it often feels unnatural when I think about it. I love to run my fingers through her soft hair. Sometimes, I scratch the back of her head and she closes her...

So, my anklet arrived last Saturday. And it looks just as pretty as it looked online. Unlike most websites, the photos posted on Etsy are not photoshopped. What a wonderful thing! I am so happy with the anklet, the seller and the website as a whole. Yesterday, I ordered a handmade ball made of fabric for my 8-month-old daughter. With shipping, it cost me $6. I would say the price was very reasonable. The seller had a number of handmade balls to choose from on her virtual shop. I think Wareesha will love to play with it. Just a few hours after I placed my order, I received an email saying that the item had been shipped. That was quick! A couple of weeks ago, I bought a Papyrus card for a good friend of mine. Then yesterday, I suddenly decided to find out if there were handmade cards on sale on Etsy. Guess what, hundreds of handmade cards are available on Etsy. After a half-hour browsing, I ordered one for my friend. The seller made only piece of that particular card so I know that n...