“Life will never be the same, once you become a mother”– this is something you keep hearing all your adult life, yet, you never really pay attention to it until you actually become one. I don’t know if “wake up call” is the right term, because you aren’t getting any sleep; but yes everything changes, overnight. As if pregnancy and delivery weren’t hard enough to deal with, once the baby comes you are inundated with hurdles, and it never seems to stop.

After my little one was born, I realized that I didn’t have enough “mommy friends”. Most of my friends were either single, or married without kids. As any new mom, I was overwhelmed and seemed to talk more about the baby than I realized. Due to a new schedule, I wasn’t always able to reach out to my friends or my social circle. When I did reach out, all my conversations began and ended with her.

When I tried to reach out to my single friends to talk about my insecurities in my new role, I probably set out with an expectation for them to understand and sympathize with me. For starters, I had gained close to sixty pounds with my pregnancy, definitely looked and felt like a cow (you know why!), none of my clothes fit, and my social life was almost non-existent. For the most part, they did tell me it would get better–but really who were they kidding. I needed a fellow mom to divulge the real deal; the weight was here to stay for a few more years. Ha! Gradually I realized that not all my single friends shared my enthusiasm with my child’s growth, because of the simple fact that they were not in that phase of their lives, just yet. I was there too, a few years back, phasing out as common friends/family spoke about their children.

Most of my insecurities and woes as a mother started transforming itself as tweets and Facebook posts, to which I got some hilarious responses and support from mostly mothers themselves. I slowly started connecting with other mothers, who were going through the same set of challenges as me, and suddenly it wasn’t that bad anymore. Whenever I took the baby to the park, I made it a point to talk to other mothers and get their emails/numbers Facebook/twitter information to stay connected. (If you’re not of the talkative type–you will slowly become one for your child!).

Not hearing from my single friends didn’t really bother me as much. I wasn’t bitter when they didn’t share my views or enthusiasm about all things baby and was less conspicuous of their absence. I was slowly bonding with some really cool and dynamic mothers, who supported each other and me along the way. I could ask a stupid question in the middle of the night (how much Vicks is too much Vicks) and I would always get a response, from my fellow mommy friends. It was a blessing to have that kind of support.

Another person who I got really close to during this whole process was my own mother. It was a wonderful feeling to find a new friend in her. She gave me a lot of support, insight, and taught me to trust my intuition with the child. It also gave me an opportunity to learn a lot about my own childhood through her. The experience of bonding with my mother through my child has been really beautiful. We need all categories of friends to complete us. Even though I don’t call my single friends often, I do enjoy conversing with them about all other things apart from my child. (I’ve learned to keep child talk at minimum now).

We do need to remember our roots, and our friends keep us rooted. When we take our jobs as mothers very seriously, we need these friends to remind us the importance of mundane things and learn how to keep things simple. I don’t cringe at “Oh let’s talk soon”, or ‘Lets hang out soon” anymore because god knows I need that break at regular intervals. I’m sure once my single friends are mothers-to-be, or mothers themselves they will see the other side of the spectrum. When they do reach out to me for support, I will always be here.

Do you agree with Shruthi? Leave your comments below, she’d love to hear your thoughts!

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Five ways to boost your energy with food

Every mom is a super woman.  Seriously, the whole month of May should be dedicated to celebrate moms, and not just the second Sunday. After all, as moms we juggle work, family, kids and the lion’s share of household chores.  Here are five ways to get super-sized energy to match our packed lifestyle:

Nutrition Columnist

1)     Get your morning energy boost: Yes, we all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But really, how good can it be? Chew on this: Eating food within two hours of waking up will help charge your body with much-needed fuel. Eating breakfast is also one of the most powerful ways to rev up your metabolism.  And, breakfast means you’re less likely to overeat later on in the day.

2)     Pick protein : While I don’t like talking about nutrients, protein deserves a special mention. Eating meals and snacks that have protein can help curb your hunger and keep your energy levels up. But there’s no need to go Paleo. Think eggs for breakfast, chickpea salad for lunch, and fish, chicken or beef for dinner.

3)     Make friends with fibre: Fibre slows down how quickly your body breaks down and absorbs food energy. Skip the coffee shop pastries and other refined carbs, which will send your blood sugar levels on a rollercoaster ride. Good options include high-fibre cereal, fruits, vegetables, and nuts.

4)     Snack right:  I’m a big believer in snacking. I’m talking real snacks like fruit, yogurt and nuts to name a few of my favourites. Eating an afternoon snack helps me make it to dinner without being cranky.

5)     Stay hydrated: Drink water and other fluids, like juice and milk throughout the day. Dehydration can have a wilting effect on your energy.  Even tea and coffee count. Surprised? If you’re used to drinking caffeinated drinks, your body adapts, and overall you gain more water that you lose. But keep your caffeine intake in check with no more than three cups a day.

Energy boosting trail mix

Whenever I’m on the go, I like to pack a little snack to keep me going. One of my fave combos is almonds and raisins. Mix in a little whole grain cereal and you’ve got a stellar snack.

Customize your own trail mix. Choose sweet or savoury options. Pack in a reusable container, and you’ve got energy in a box.

• Step 1: Pick nuts and seeds – Almonds, cashews, walnuts, pecans, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, soy nuts, peanuts, roasted chickpeas

• Step 2: Choose dried fruit: raisins, cranberries, dates, banana chips, mango, apricots, apple

• Step 3: Add whole grain cereal: the first ingredient should be a whole grain, it doesn’t matter if it says organic e.g. Cheerios, Chex, Mini-Wheats, Spoon-size Shredded Wheat, Fibre 1, Raisin Bran

(For a list of healthy cereals: http://www.cspinet.org/nah/04_06/cereal_can.pdf)

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MM @ Work Columnist

Mom Needs a Vacation

By Shweta Jacob @shwetajacob & online at: shwetasays.com

Hello everyone! So sorry to have been MIA for the last few months. Unfortunately, this Momma was juggling a little too much recently such as work, family, blogging and taking a course. As we all know when you juggle too much, one of the balls will ultimately fall. Glad to say that I’m back darlings!

Though I’m juggling as much as before (if not more) I feel like I’m ready to handle things a little better after taking a much-needed, electronics free vacation. For nine glorious days I wasn’t tethered to my phone, wasn’t checking my email or worrying about what was happening back at the office. I was free! I have heard others say that they can’t imagine not being in touch with their work. That their work “needs” them. As an Human Resources professional who has witnessed colleagues suffer from burn-out I can tell you that unless you are a specialized heart surgeon or Vijay Malaya, you CAN and should disconnect. Disconnect from your work and reconnect with your family, hobbies and the world around you.

My nine-day electronics free vacation included a lovely trip. In order to ensure an electronics free and guilt-free vacation it involved some pre-planning on my part. Our flight left on Saturday, and below is a schedule of what I did for the week to help get myself and the family prepared:

Sunday:

• Wash all dirty laundry. 
• Look in fridge and make a meal plan for the week based on what’s in there so it can all be finished by the time leave.
• Plan out weekly outfits of clothes that are not likely to take on the trip

Monday:

• Finish work deliverables.
• Book cleaning lady to arrive while you are away. That way you arrive home to a clean home!

 Tuesday:

• Finish work deliverables
• Go through travel toiletries and buy whatever is missing.

 Wednesday:

• Finish work deliverables

Thursday:

• Print out itineraries. Forward one copy to a family member in case of emergency.
• Get cash from bank in the currency required for your travels (if necessary).
• Make a list of what kinds of outfits are needed on vacation each day. Ie: Travel clothes, dinner clothes, touring clothes. This will help prevent over-packing.
  

Friday:

• Finish work deliverables in the morning.
• In the afternoon prepare an update sheet for your colleagues of all that you are working on, where they can find files, and try to anticipate any questions, problems that might arise while you are away.
• Schedule a short meeting with boss/team to go through your update sheet and answer any questions they may have.
• Set proper expectation and limits. Let all your colleagues and your boss know that you will NOT be available while you are on vacation.
• Check in online. Print tickets, boarding passes and hotel information etc.
• Last load of laundry.
• Start making outfits and packing based on the clothing list you made on Thursday

 Saturday:

• Pack last toiletries.
• Enjoy your vacation!

These tips may be simplistic, but it really doesn’t need to be complicated. I will admit that the day before I left on vacation I had some unexpected emergencies come up at work but I still managed to get everything important done on time. I made sure that my team and boss were fully aware of my project status’ and trusted that they could/would take care of things in my absence.

In the end, I had to remind myself that I’m not a heart surgeon, nor am I Vijay Malaya. The work world would get along just fine without me for one week. And in fact would appreciate me more when I returned. 

What tips do you have for managing the stress prior to vacation? Do you feel work guilt when you are away? Tell us below in the comments.

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Entertainment Writer

By: Renu Jain Chandra @renujc

Read a Good Movie Lately? Here are some Bollywood movies inspired by books: Looking for a good ‘cheat sheet’ way to read a classic? Why not watch a Bollywood film that’s based on one!

 My favorite has always been Devdas, a novel originally written by the famous Bengali author Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay in 1917. The novel was brought to life when it came to the big screen in 1955 (directed by Bimal Roy) and then again in 2002 (directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali) starring Shah Rukh Khan, Aishwarya Rai and Madhuri Dixit.

A close second for me has to be Omkara (2006) directed by Vishal Bhardawaj, based on Shakespeare’s Othello. It stars Ajay Devgan, Kareena Kapoor, Bipasha Basu and Saif Ali Khan. If you haven’t seen Omkara, I highly recommend it. Saif Ali Khan plays the villain, and I believe it is his best performance ever, but even Ajay Devgan and Kareena Kapoor’s performances are raw and realistic.

Here is a list of other Hindi films that were spun from a paperback and brought to the silver screen:

 Parineeta (2005) Directed by Pradeep Sarkar, Parineeta is a film adaptation of the 1914 Bengali novel, Parineeta by Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay. Sarat Chandra Chattopadhyay is a famous author from the early 20th century probably most famous for writing the story of Devdas.

 The Blue Umbrella (2007) The Blue Umbrella directed by Vishal Bhardawaj is a children’s film which is based on a short story of the same name by Ruskin Bond. Ruskin Bond is an Indian author who is of British descent. Bhardawaj goes on to make other film adaptations of Bond’s short stories (See 7 Khoon Maaf below)

Saawariya (2007) is directed by Sanjay Leela Bhansali and stars Rani Mukerjee and Ranbir Kapoor. It’s based on Fyodor Dostoevsky’s short Russian story White Nights. Sanjay Leela Bhansali can bring a book to life with his music, costuming, props, set design and extremely poignant attention to detail to the human emotions that sometimes only a book can really capture – it’s really something.

 3 Idiots (2009) directed by Rajkumar Hirani, based on a book by Chetan Bhagat titled Five Point Someone. Chetan Bhagat is a very popular novelist in India appealing to the twenty-something generation. Almost all of his novels have been turned into films (though, only a couple have done very well in the box office and are worth mentioning).

Aisha (2010) Aisha, a romantic comedy film produced by Anil Kapoor is an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel Emma. It stars Anil Kapoor’s daughter Sonam Kapoor and Abhay Deol.

 7 Khoon Maaf (2011) The film stars Priyanka Chopra in the lead role. She plays a murderous femme fatale who knocks off each of her seven husbands. The film also stars Naseeruddin Shah, Irrfan Khan, Annu Kapoor, Neil Nitin Mukesh, John Abraham, Aleksandr Dyachenko, Vivaan Shah and Usha Uthup. Vishal Bhardawaj the director, approached author Ruskin Bond regarding his short story titled Susanna’s Seven Husbands, wanting to turn it into a film. Ruskin Bond adapted the short story into a novel, which gave Vishal Bhardawaj a lot more to work with.

Kai Po Che! (2013) Based on Chetan Bhagat’s novel The 3 Mistakes of My Life, is directed by Abhishek Kapoor. This film stars some no namers (at least they are for now): Sushant Singh Rajput, Raj Kumar Yadav and Amit Sadh star as three best friends who’s bond is unbreakable until Hindu/Muslim politics gets in the way.

 There are definitely many many other adaptations of books into Hindi film, I just wanted to share a few that I thought were relevant and interesting. I didn’t even mention films like Life of Pi, Slumdog Millionaire, The Namesake, Mistress of Spices, and Bride and Prejudice. I don’t really consider those films to be true ‘Bollywood’ films, because they have North American appeal and star crossover stars that have made the jump from Bollywood to Hollywood. 

What are some of your favorite books into Bollywood films? What is one book that you wished you could see on the big Bollywood screen?

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Journey to Baby Columnist

By: Deepika @newindianwife

It has been two weeks since the IUI procedure, which can only mean one thing. Time to take a pregnancy test.

Admittedly, I was beyond curious over the last two weeks. Am I pregnant? Am I not? Did my fertility treatments work or will I have to go through this again? Can I go through this again? Will I be one of those desperate looking women in the fertility clinic’s waiting room who have tried not once, not twice but multiple times to conceive without a positive result? If I was this anxious the first time around, just imagine how anxious I would be if/when I have to go through this again.

I try to tell myself to not think that way but I just can’t contain all the what ifs/then that’s zooming through my brain. All I can do right now is head to the lab and take the test, so that is what I do. I roll up my sleeve, hand over my arm, they jam the needle in, give me a band-aid and I leave the lab as fast as my legs will take me. It’s Saturday so it will be two days until I know the results. Time to keep myself very busy.

The weekend passed painfully slow. My  husband and I tried to keep ourselves busy by shopping, trying new restaurants, watching movies and whatever else we could think of that was sufficiently distracting. Unfortunately, no amount of distraction worked. All we wanted to know is would we or would we not get the news we wanted? Would we be pregnant? Would we be on our way to a family or would we be back to square one, back to fertility treatments, back to getting our hopes up only to be let down?

In our own way we were prepped for either scenario. Of course being pregnant would be amazing and exactly what we hoped for. Yet we are both very grounded in reality and knew from the experiences of our friends and acquaintances that these treatments do not always work on the first attempt. We kept hearing stories of couples trying time after time with unsuccessful results.

My husband kept reassuring me that no matter the result we can handle it. If we are pregnant, that would be a huge blessing and we will move happily into a completely new phase of our lives. But if we are unsuccessful, we will just keep trying and trying and trying until it works. With so many options available to couples these days, he just believed that something would have to work at some time.

His reassurances seemed practical and slightly disheartening all at the same time.

One more sleep until I know if it is Mom-to -be or try-try-again.

Looking for more posts from Deepika’s Journey to Baby Column? Read her journey here.

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Style Writer

By Raj Thandhi @pinkchai & online at www.pinkchaistyle.com

The moment I walked into the Kaur Couture store I was connected; this collection is so very me. Looking at the traditional Punjabi suits that Bir Kaur Dhillon (owner and designer) displays in her store, it’s obvious that her ideal client is a Punjaban at heart, or someone who appreciates Punjabi craftsmanship – like gota patti and phulkari work.  I’ve been following Kaur Couture on Facebook since last year, and have exchanged correspondence with Bir a few times about doing a profile, but nothing ever came together. I could say it was because Bir and I are both busy moms balancing work, life, kids, etc., but I think it was more than that – we needed to come together for a reason bigger than just a designer profile.

The bigger reason; fashion for a cause, fashion with a purpose. The traditional Punjaban in me was always drawn to the name Kaur Couture, but recently I stumbled onto another part of Bir’s story, her efforts to ‘Save Qila Mubarak’. Qila Mubarak (located in Patiala, Punjab) was a fortress built in 1763 and is a rare and outstanding example of Sikh Palace architecture in India. Just outside the Qila is Patiala’s famous Phulkari market, which provides inspiration for so many of Bir’s traditional designs. (Phulkari is a form of embroidery native to Punjab). Unfortunately, the Qila is in serious disrepair and no government agency has stepped up to take care of this building, in fact, it hasn’t even received the status of historical monument yet.  Bir has made it her personal cause though, and has started by conducting a photo shoot at the Qila, creating a Facebook page, and is even considering organizing a charity run to collect funds, and bring visibility to the cause. She is very humble about her efforts, but as I reminded her during our chat, every great movement begins with a few a little steps.

Before I met her, I was sure that Bir must have been connected to Qila Mubarak because of her upbringing in India, I was wrong. Although she immigrated to Canada years ago, Bir grew up outside of Punjab, and spent much of her life attending westernized schools. Her struggle is very much the same as mine – raising her kids in a western society, and trying to teach them to embrace their heritage and speak the native language.  She told me how Kaur Couture was originally created for “selfish reasons,” she was “missing India, didn’t want to work for someone else, wanted to set her own working hours, and didn’t want to wear ‘gora clothes’ every day.” This business was a way to control her lifestyle and do what she loved; now it’s the perfect balance as a mother. She works limited hours each day, and quite often her boys are with her at the store after school, she’s a full-time mom and entrepreneur.

As a designer her aesthetic is clear; she is connected to Punjab and so are her clothes. Patiala salwars, phulkari duppatas, sheesha work and gota patti (in limited quantities) are the highlight. Nothing about her line screams Bollywood or bling, yet she has a steady stream of clientele – some of whom have been with her for the entire 10 years she has been in business. I think Bir’s designs speak to part of all of us that is struggling to hold onto our traditions and culture while balancing our lives in the western world. Having worked in retail and studied fashion marketing, she was able to create a clear business concept;  I also think it helps that Bir truly is her ideal client; the modern Punjaban.

Visiting the Kaur Couture store reminded me of so many stories from my childhood. My mom recounting her hours spent practicing embroidery, my grandma telling me about her prized ‘saggi phull’ (gold hair ornaments) that were lost during the partition, and memories of my first Punjabi suit that Mom sewed for me. It had a multi-coloured salwar and matching vest with a gold tissue kameez, and I felt like a princess every time I wore it. That is what fashion with a purpose can do; connect you with your inner identity like it did for me, or connect you with a cause so much bigger than you like it did for Bir with Qila Mubarak. 

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Are you in social media? Have a small biz or a blog? Get inside the minds of marketing gurus and mavens at this year’s ‘Art of Marketing’ Conference in Toronto on June 5.

Building on the success of the SOLD OUT national tour in 2012, this one day conference features five internationally renowned bestselling authors and thought leaders, who will share an exciting blend of cutting edge thinking and real world experience on today’s most critical marketing issues. Don’t miss your chance to gain a competitive advantage and network with over 2,000 of Canada’s most influential marketers.

The Art of Marketing will provide a clearer understanding of how marketing has changed, what role it now plays in the buying decision, its impact on your business and ultimately how the consumer views and interacts with your brand in a crowded marketplace.

Are you a twitter fanatic? Meet Biz Stone, one of the founders of twitter, at this year’s conference! Biz will share stories of creativity, empathy, innovation, and entrepreneurial spirit showing us a new way to move forward with a new definition of success. He will talk about understanding the importance of Twitter and the social media tools that have transformed communications, marketing and journalism. You will also discover how the role of information has been revolutionized by social media, blogging and microblogging.

Masalamommas is giving you a chance to go to the conference for a discounted price.

The promo code *TWITTERFAN *will give  $50 off each ticket. If you purchase 3 or more tickets you can get an additional $50 off each ticket!

Register now as tickets are going fast! http://email.theartof.com/KT13/TWITTERFAN/

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The Total Baby app, by ANDEsigned, is a complete baby tracking application available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch. From the moment your child is born you can record and review his complete history. At the top of the main screen there are 5 timers: Diapers, Feedings, Sleeping, Baths and Customized. Diaper Change?

Feeding baby? Hit “L” or “R” and it starts timing baby nursing on your right or left breast – so next time you remember which one you fed from last, how long baby took and how long since the last feed. If you’ve got twins and nurse at the same time, you can capture that too! Bottle feeding instead? No problem – indicate it was a bottle and choose what was in it – formula, breast milk, juice, water. I bet you love this app already… but there is more. 

The doctor page is fantastic. You can keep all of the height and weight measurements which it charts over time and even shows where baby falls on the growth chart. The doctor was amazed that I had such a detailed growth history with me. You can input all doctor visits so you know when the next one is, make notes on what you want to ask about, and read notes from previous visits. You can even keep track of vaccines and allergies – your child’s entire medical history is in your hands at any doctor’s appointment or emergency. 

Aiesha Zafar is a married mother of two young kids, who works full-time and also runs a business on the side. She is active in supporting women’s and health issues and blogs about gratitude and positivity to remind her how blessed life is. To read more about her, you can visit www.SealedWithABliss.com and follow her on Twitter @shaisays

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Youth Talk Columnist

You know how They (yes, Them, They who apparently know everything) say that we always end up like our mothers, no matter how much we think we won’t? In my younger, more naive days (when I was about 10?), I used to be absolutely appalled at this thought.

What, me becoming like my momma? My momma, who cleans about 563 times a day, 365 days a year? My momma, who is stricter than all the adults I knew put together? My momma, who has a crazy obsession with all things leafy and green? My momma, who is clearly not cool because she is Much Older?

Pish posh. Never. No way. Nuhhuh.

Fast forward to about 10 years later, where I catch myself talking to the myriad of plants littered around my living space. Where I have instilled the same type of fear in my students that my momma instilled in me, (when I used to teach). Where I hover my room at least 3 times a week minimum, because the sight of anything suspicious (read: dirt) frustrates me.

So it was happening then. I was becoming my momma.  And you know what, it doesn’t seem all that bad. Actually, it’s pretty brilliant.  Because as I grow up, as I become A Proper Adult, I realise that it’s not all that terrible being like my momma.

In contrast, now I have a different type of fear. And that is that I won’t be half the woman that my momma is. This is the woman who worked round the clock for me when I was younger. Who taught me that being a woman was never anything to be ashamed of. Who couldn’t cook very well, but made sure I had the best food in the world anyway (we used to go over to my grandmother’s place, and be filled with home-made goodness). Who wouldn’t appreciate my papa giving me money on the sly to get yet another book to read (“why don’t you just go to the library?”), but would slip an extra tenner into my pocket anyway.

This is the woman who battled with cancer and never lost her spirit. Who shaved her head and still strutted down the streets of my very conservative city completely bald, proud and triumphant. Who didn’t gawk when vein after vein collapsed from continuous chemotherapy sessions. Who warred with pain, who hid her watery eyes and grimaces behind smiles, and who never complained. Ever.

Yep, that’s my momma. Can I be half the woman that she is? Frankly, I don’t think so. I personally don’t think I can ever reach her standards, and in a way, I’m thankful for that.

Thankful, because that means I constantly have something to work towards. That there’s always room for improvement. On the days when I don’t think I can do something, or on the days when I get too consumed by my Trivial Young-Adult Problems, I remember all that has happened in her life, and know that there is much, much more for me to experience out there.

Thankful, because as her daughter, there are certain expectations of myself that I want to live up to.  So momma, if you’re reading this (and by momma, I mean to all the lovely mommas out there), a very happy Mother’s Day. You are the reason that as a daughter I (and I presume, many others) have hope for a better future and greater growth. Though you may be annoying in some occasions (let’s keep things real, here), there’s really no other way that I’d have it.

So thank you for being you, and thank you for giving me an important facet of my identity – of being your daughter.

Thank you, and Happy Mother’s Day, again.

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A Mama’s Favorite Moments

By Guest Blogger, Nischala Murthy Kaushik @nimu9

 When I started writing this post, I asked myself what has been my favorite “Mama” moment. Something which has by far been the most memorable in the motherhood journey; and which impacted me the most – Be it a moment, a memory, a milestone, a conversation, a touch, a memory, an experience, a high, an emotion. Honestly, I struggled to come up with that one moment simply because as a Mama – Every day is filled with moments of joy, wonder, amazement and happiness, fill your heart with love and joy, make your days brighter filled with hope, dreams, rainbows, wishes and prayers for a better tomorrow…

So in this post, I’m sharing my Most Favorite Mama Moments

1)    The first sight of my baby – That’s one moment which will always be extra special and dear for every Mama. Simply because you realize that while you understand the physics, chemistry and biology of making a baby, you can never fully comprehend the “divine element” in human creation

2)    The first hug from my baby

3)    The first kiss from my baby

4)    The first time my baby recognized me

5)    The first time my baby said “Mummy / Amma / Mama”

6)    The first time I cried for my baby – And you realize that “Mummyhood” and tears go hand in hand;  possibly for a lifetime 

7)    All the times when my baby relishes the food I cook for her

8)    When my baby makes imaginary tea / food (like idlis, dosa, paratha, sandwich) in her plastic toy cups; and serves it to me with love. Ah! Divine J

9)    The moments when my baby feeds me

10)That special smile which is reserved just for “Mama”; no matter where you are and no matter who else is there

11)The everyday hugs and kisses that greet me when I come home

12)Every night’s sleep which is so “complete and perfect”; just because my baby is in my arms

13) When anyone asks “Whom do you love the most?”. The response is consistently “Mummy” (unless I’ve done something which deserves an alternate response)

14) The first “Mothers Day” card that my baby made for me (And she gave it to me on 9 May 2013)

15) My new identity as “Baby N’s Mummy”

16) The times when she knows that I am stressed / worried, and cheer’s me up with her baby banter and wisdom “It’s OK. Leave it”

17)All the times she stands-up and speaks-up for me; No matter who she is speaking to & what they say

18) Enjoying little everyday moments with my baby (For e.g: Sharing a meal, a hug, a kiss, a laugh, an activity, an update); and creating a memory bank for life

19) Re-living childhood, and doing things I’d never usually do / have not done for ages– just to make her happy and bring a smile on her face

20) The moment I understood what “selfless love” truly means

21) The moments I truly and genuinely appreciated all that my Mother did for me

This post is dedicated to my daughter

This post is dedicated to my mother

More about Nischala

Mother of Baby N who is learning every single day | IT & Marketing Professional | Loves Social Media and Blogging | Philosopher | IIMB Alumni | Among 50 Indian Women to follow on Twitter | Among Top 10 Most Influential Bloggers in India | Scholar and Guru of Life for Life | Chief Happiness Officer of my Life | Blogs at Nischala’s Space Thoughts and Expressions & VERVE : The Quintessence of my Life | On Twitter @nimu9

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