Unbelievably enough, an entire 1/4 of my year-long maternity leave is now over and before I know it, it will be time to return to the wonderful world of semi-formal business attire, fast approaching due-dates, and very long subway rides. I don't know whether to be happy or sad about this fact since as much as I enjoyed working nine-to-five at the office, maternity leave is an entire full-time job in itself, only it involves much longer hours, no bosses, and the freedom to wear pajama pants while at it. It is interesting for me to compare my life pre and post baby, and to realize to my own surprise, that both have their challenges which can eventually lead to a sense of achievement, and that is always a good feeling. Of course, spending an entire day engaged in talking baby-talk and entertaining a two-month old with silly faces and rattlers can be quite amusing and fun, but a part of me also misses the adult environment which I am almost no longer part of. But for the time being, knowing that my little baby depends on me to provide for her every need and want is a very comforting and fulfilling thing that nothing out there can replace.

On a somewhat different note, Matthew and I are now more adapted to our new family of three. At times it even seems as if Natasha has been with us forever and it's impossible to imagine life without her. I also believe she already recognizes the two of us as her 'parents' (or the people closest to her) on whom she can fully depend and whom she can learn to trust. At the same time, our parents (the grandparents), have been very helpful on volunteering to babysit their granddaughter on the occasional weekend, allowing us some quality time for ourselves. And during a couple of those outings we have even managed to drop by the theater and watch two films, The Departed and also Borat which was great. And seeing how quickly time flies when your life is so busy and full, soon enough we will be taking our Natasha with us wherever we go.

Tomorrow is Natasha's two-month birthday, and next month will be her very first Christmas and first New Year's Celebration. It's very exciting to have her with us through these holidays and watch her experience everything for the first time (even though she is technically still too small to take notice), it is wonderful regardless. And I am sure we will take a million more pictures to remember these special moments.

…and it’s November!

It certainly seems as if it’s still September and I just returned home from the hospital with the little bundle of joy. But obviously that’s not the case – the cold winter months are fast approaching, the once green leaves are turning into orange shades, and the wind is getting chillier and chillier. Soon enough it will be too cold and uncomfortable for our frequent stroller-walks in the nearby park.

The past week, however, has been quite exciting for us. For once, our baby Natasha is hopping very quickly from one milestone to the next and she is very intact on her infant-development schedule:

Smiling: Natasha has begun demonstrating the traces of a very sweet social smile. This can be best seen following a good, satisfying feeding of at least 100ml – the baby would then lay on her back and the corners of her little mouth would begin to stretch sideways and her dark eyes would begin to shine. (Okay, this may sound cheesy but it’s very true). The smile could also be a response to tickling underneath the nose, behind the ears, or against the cheeks. Good job, Tasha!

Cooing: The baby has started to speak!!! Yes, over the past week, Natasha has been producing the weirdest, yet most adorable vowel-like sounds, such as: “aaooo”, or “aauwaa”. Sometimes these sounds would be almost non-audible, yet at other times quite loud; in any case, we have been encouraging the baby to coo as much as possible by mimicking her noises in hopes she would repeat them again. (Are we crazy?)

Movement: Natasha has also become very active and visibly much stronger than before. When placed flat on her back, she would begin very rapid, jerky movements with both her arms and legs; the baby simply cannot lay still for a one brief second! Previously, in the baby’s first month, those quick movements were only reflexes, but now we are pretty convinced that the baby is starting to gain control over her body more and more. It is no longer safe to leave her lying on the changing table for even a brief moment.

We both cannot wait to see what Natasha will accomplish next!