Too Hot for Shoes

It is officially too hot for me. I am being a wimp this year (5 years in Delhi), and starting to complain earlier than usual. Thirty-five more days until we are up and out. The temps are reaching 105 daily now and will continue to increase until about 115 through the end of June. Yesterday I declared a moratorium on shoes and socks. It is sandal season in Delhi.

Twins twins twins!

Both boys are walking (Ezra running). They are growing very fast. Cedric is tall enough to grab things off the kitchen counters. The boys are tons of fun and full of energy. Play time has become much more fun as their skills are developing.

Our lives have changed so much. Our house is also changing. We have dismantled our guest room and created an entire room dedicated to play time. We painted all the walls blue and put down a padded floor of letters and numbers. We love it right now, but are quite aware it might turn into more work down the road when they figure out it comes apart in a million pieces. Our dvds and books have been removed from twin level. No matter what we tried they couldn't resist the temptation.

The boys also like dancing on the coffee table. We are working on getting them to stop table dancing, but this is going to be an ongoing battle. I won't say if either father has danced on a box before...

Everyone in our house has been sick. The twins and I recovered within two days, but Douglas has been out of commission for the last two weeks. We all hope he is better soon since single parenting is no fun. It is easy to forget how much you depend on your spouse when everything is normal, but when one of you is missing you quickly realize how much help you need.

Chad

Spring Break

The temperature is rising in India, but it is still in the manageable nineties. That can only mean one thing. It is time for our last trip out of Delhi for the school year. Doug's mother is enroute to Delhi. She was due in last night, but as usual Newark was a cluster $%#@ and she had to reschedule for one day later. Thankfully United also let her change her return date by one day so she didn't cut any time off her trip.

Climbing is the newest event in our house. The higher the boys get the happier they are... chuckle chuckle. I am considering removing the couch from the nursery as I am afraid one of them will either jump or get pushed off which will lead to another trip to the hospital.

Dinner time continues to stress us out. It seems we can't make the boys happy. They refuse to eat things they loved five minutes before, they throw all the food off their trays in protest, and scream for more. We have tried so many things, but it seems nothing will suffice. This phase needs to pass.

Cedric is very clingy, and he wants to be held most of the time. I think this problem was created by having two ayahs at his beck and call. We are working on strategies to calm him down, but he gets so worked up we have to let him cry it out. This phase needs to pass.

Ezra is basically running around now. He is a busy boy and usually has on a big smile. Cedric has started taking a few steps here and there, but only when he wants to. He is a very effective crawler so he is content with his mobility. Plus every time he stands Ezra makes it his mission to push him over.

We are all looking forward to Goa. Our family does beach vacations well.

Chad

10 Months Old!

I've been the worst blogger ever. So, since we were dismissed from school early yesterday, I decided to edit a video to show you why we've been neglecting our blog in favor of chasing after these two rascals. 

I promise more blog updates soon!

Peace,
Douglas 

And on the Seventh Day...

Things I've noticed since the arrival of Ezra and Cedric, some of them more profound than others:

Life is beautiful. Not that it wasn't ever beautiful, but these two lives that are now a part of us are already opening our eyes to the wonders of the world. This week has been nothing short of amazing.

G-diapers are great. I love that we are diapering our kids in a way that supports what we believe about the environment. From the moment our kids got home from the hospital this week, they have been in cloth diapers. Even the nasty post-birth meconium mess was contained by the g-diapers. Wow!

We have the sweetest labrador ever! She has been ignored, been stepped on, and had her space invaded by two crying infants, two busy daddys and lots of well-wishers, and she is still the sweetest dog ever.

I love the community we live in. We've had so many people stop by this week to meet the babies and wish us well. They have cooked for us, helped us with diapers, brought us stories of the outside world, and just been there for us to talk to. Thank you to our friends. I'm so glad that we get to start our parenting journey in this community.

Organization is essential. Chad, my wonderful husband, was remarkably organized this week and got us through checkout of the hospital with both twins and for our surrogate, collecting the birth certificates and the initial paperwork and DNA test at the consulate. He was superb throughout the whole week! Every document that needed to be handed in was filed, color-coded, and ready to go.

Organization is essential. This one is worth repeating. We spent most of the third trimester of our pregnancy getting the nursery ready for the babies, and I'm so glad we did. Now, I am really appreciating how detail oriented we were. Every little thing, down to the organization of clothes by size and the pre-stuffing of the diaper inserts has been appreciated.

Having twins means you have two children who are different. Actually, I knew that already. But, I never expected for a minute that my two children would be SO different even from the minute they were born. Having Ezra in the hospital for 3 days more than Cedric was difficult, to say the least. It reminded me again, that they are two different people, and from the outset will have different needs.

Sleep is great. I'm not going to pretend that we're all zombied out and sleep deprived. Have we slept less in the last week than in a good while?  Oh yes! Are we walking around carrying pictures of our bed? No (at least not yet...). What I will say, however, is that waking up when you're sleep deprived is like trying to get out of quicksand. The first two minutes of awake time are the hardest.

And finally, and most importantly, I love my boys and my husband more than I could ever have imagined possible.

Today is the one-week anniversary of the birth of our twins. Today our family took a moment to rest and relax together. From the two pictures below, you can tell why I feel exceedingly blessed.

Nursery Reveal!

After months of anticipation, we finally completed all of the major work in putting our nursery together. We are really pleased with the results, and can't wait to introduce our kids into their space.

There were two big challenges in designing this space. First, not knowing whether we're having boys, girls, or one of each. So, the colors needed to be more-or-less gender non-specific. Second, our nursery is not very big. Fitting two cribs, a changing table and a love seat into one space took a lot of trial and error.

Our nursery has been a work in progress for about a month now. Actually, the germinal idea for our nursery came from two baby blankets purchased way back in the spring by Mary, one of our greatest friends here in Delhi. The blankets, in delicate crimson and grey, were block printed with beautiful designs. Something just seemed to click with both of us about the colors and the design (both of my parents are Ohio State grads, so it's possible I was conditioned to love those colors from a very young age).

The baby blankets came from Anoukhi in Khan Market, a store that sells beautiful textiles of all types.Next came a beautiful Indian rug, brought to us by Lordson's Carpet. If you are in Delhi and are looking to purchase your next family heirloom, you should look up Mr. Lordson.

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Then we added in two natural wood cribs and a changing table from Mothercare. While we were hunting for cribs and carseats we found four paintings of common modes of transportation in India: bus, rickshaw, bicycle and taxi. Up close, you can see that each of the paintings is a group of small word typically associated with mass transit in India.

Next, we spent a ridiculous amount of time hunting for the right fabric to match the crimson in our carpet (which matched the crimson in the baby blanket). We finally found the right texture, color and pattern at Lal Furnishings in Sarojini Nagar Market. This really fun market has been transformed over the years since we've been in Delhi into a great one-stop place for all you could possibly need in India. Prices are still lower at this market than many of the other markets in Delhi.

We owe my boss, Susan a big thanks as well for helping us Feng Shui the placement of the art in our nursery.

 

Then we added some fun, soft things. I got the sleep sheep in the US, and Chad got the pandas on his recent trip to China (Yes, we know, you're not supposed to put stuffed animals in cribs... but they're fine for now. And, they're super cute!)


Finally, we added four soft pillows from my new favorite store in India, Maspar. The blue, off-white and the green bring out the non-red colors in the rug, and soften up the room quite a bit. We we're also lucky to acquire a love seat from one of our co-workers whose family has outgrown it.  It will be perfect for those late-night feeds when we just can't make it back to our own bed.

So, finally, after all of the tailors, carpet sellers, carpenters, delivery people and painters have come an gone, this is the end result. And we are really pleased with how everything came together.  But, now, we are SO ready to have our kids here with us that it's hardly bearable!

Two-Hundred Days

I noticed the fishbowl is showing we have been pregnant for two hundred days. That is really cool. I remember when the thing said two hundred more days to go! It is hard to believe that we are racing to the finish line already. Time has just flown by. The nursery furniture arrived yesterday. The cribs were bungee strapped to the top of a auto rickshaw. It would have been a baby book worthy picture for sure, but the camera was upstairs. Better luck next time.

One crib is assembled, and the other one was missing the package of nuts and bolts. My guess is they flew out of the box while the tuk-tuk was racing across Delhi to our house. They should be bringing another set of tools tonight to complete that set up. The changing table/chest will be delivered some time this week.

Things are taking shape around our house. It is getting more and more baby-fied by the day. It is fun to go baby shopping. We spent both Friday and Saturday evenings at the mall. It was pretty awkward walking through Saket mall with two empty car seats though. I could feel people watching us and thinking: 1: "Where are the babies?" 2. "Where is the mother?" That was just my perception... but maybe they were all saying "Look at those cute gays who are obviously about to have the best time in their lives!"

We are traveling up to Amritsar for Doug's birthday on Friday with two awesome friends. We have wanted to go up there since we arrived in India, so let's hope the Golden Temple doesn't disappoint!

Chad

Shopping Foibles

Sometimes living in Delhi is unreal. Wait, scratch that. Living in Delhi is unreal a lot of the time. Pretty much any time that we go outside of the four gated walls of the compound on which we live. I was driving to the mall today to do some scouting for cribs and drove past an elephant walking the other way amidst the deluge of traffic. That actually doesn't happen too often in the city, but I counted it as a much needed sign of good luck, especially since I broke a Ganesh statue on my desk at work the other day. How do you give a proper burial to a Hindu god?

Anyhow, once I got to the mall, I found what I needed to find. Sort of. There are approximately six different MotherCare stores in the greater Delhi area. Last night, Chad and I went to one and found a crib that we liked, but not in the finish that we liked, so I was basically scouting around for the store that would have two in stock with the proper finish, and I found what I was looking for at MotherCare #2. Unfortunately, though, they didn't have the correct carseats. So, on to MC #3, which happened to be hidden away in the mall next door (yes, literally, next door).

Somewhere, on some security footage stored in some back room at Ambience Mall in Delhi, there is now a picture of a crazy white boy taking down the car seats from the shelf and trying out his carseat/stroller adaptor to assure proper fit with the aforementioned carseats. And then, there is footage of said white boy being unable to remove his stroller/carseat adapter from the carseat. And, finally, there is footage of him being surrounded by two slightly perturbed, slightly amused Indian workers finding the now very red-with-embarassment caucasian, and helping him remove his apparatus.

While I didn't get kicked out of MotherCare #3, I definitely left with my tail between my legs, and some sweat stains underneath my arms. And proceeded to go to the biggest sporting goods store I've ever seen in India, hoping beyond hope that they would have baseball gloves (Chad and I have a softball game tomorrow, and my blistered hand hasn't recovered from practice last weekend). I found tennis gloves, and while bent over looking at them, my rear bumped into a golf bag full of clubs, which bumped into another and then, like dominos, the bags just kept falling over.

Not my day for shopping, as evidenced by the half dozen department store works I left scratching their heads about what had just happened.

Ah, incredible India! How will we ever live anywhere else and manage to stay awake?

Cheers,
Douglas 

Our Baby List (please comment!!)

Chad and I hit up every Baby store in Delhi yesterday. Well, not every one, but most of them. Thank god the weather was cooler than usual. This past week has seen temperatures as high as 114. Yesterday only made it up to 90. We could have worn sweaters!

Our shopping goal was to get a better idea of how much things cost in Delhi and what is available. The great answer is there is SO MUCH that is available. Case in point: our friends at work who got pregnant in the Fall and just had their baby a few weeks ago have not been to the US at all this year, and feel totally comfortable with the availability of baby products in Delhi. The only thing we didn't find was a really solid twin stroller. There are a few side-by-side models available, but no tandem strollers, and the side-by-sides that are available feel flimsy. So, we are waiting until we get to the US to purchase a stroller. Then, when we get back in Delhi in late July/early August, we'll get what we need here.

Our list has been edited by 3 ex-pat parents who had kids here in Delhi, and 1 soon-to-be parent also in Delhi, and one parent whose son is graduating high school this week. She's lived all over the world. Then, I sent the list to my mom and sister (both expert parents), and then I am including some Indian prices and store availability (MC is MotherCare, M&M is Mommy and Me and W is Wieners - we went to M&M and MC at Select City Walk and Wieners at GK II's M-block market ).

Absolutely necessary

Diaper Bag - We want more choices, so we'll probably buy in the US

Changing Pad to carry with you (Rs. 1000 at MC)

Pack and play (Rs. 5000 at MC)

Receiving blankets (lots of choices and prices at all stores)

Carseat (Rs. 11000 at MC - maxicosi brand)

Kid's sunblock - US

Natural mosquito repellant - US

Infrared thermometer (Rs. 3400 at M&M)

Baby asperin - US

Sheets for the crib - If we get the crib at MC, will get sheets here too. Size is peculiar.

Breathable pee pad - (Rs. 500 at M&M)

Elastic mosquito net - (Rs. 800 at MC)

Bottles, orthodontic nipples (many choices available, mostly Avent, but NO orthodontic nipples - will buy in the US)

Pacifier - (many choices available, mostly Avent, but NO orthodontic nipples - will buy in the US)

Rice Cereal - (Rs. 425 Gerber brand available at W)

Onesies - (Many available, including premie baby size at MC)

Cloth burping diapers - Will get a pack of these in the US

Mylicon gas drops - US

Baby wash cloths - available at MC

Bottle brush - (Rs. 300 at MC)

Swaddlers with velcro (available at different costs at MC)

Diaper rash cream (4oz desatin Rs. 425 at MC)

Baby nail trimmers (many available at all stores)

booties/socks (many available at all stores)

Mits ( many available at MC)

Soft towel (many available at all stores)

Baby monitor (Rs. 3499 at W)

Natural baby lotion/cream/oil/soap (if natural is desired, get in US, Johnsons is widely available in India)

Electric baby swing (Rs. 3800 at W)

Liked it and used it, but not totally necessary

Baby carrier front and back (Rs. 2500 at MC - Bjorn Organic also available at M&M for Rs. 5500)

Exersaucer (Rs. 3400 at M&M)

Boppy Pillow (Rs. 1000 at M&M)

Bouncy seat (Rs. 3800 at W)

Mobile (Rs. 1000 at MC)

Wait and get it later (well be back in the US when the kids are 6-7 months old)

High chair (Rs. 6000 at W)

Jolly jumper seat (buy in US)

Sippy cups (widely available in India)

Plastic plates (widely available in India)

Swimming diapers (widely available in India)

Swimming shirt (widely available in India)

Plastic bib (widely available in India)

Oral gel (available at the US commissary in India)

Baby toothbrush (widely available in India)

Baby proofing stuff (widely available in India)

Robeexs soft shoes (buy in US)

Bumbo seat (my sister used this instead of a high chair)

So, what do you think of my list? We'll most definitely buy everything from the absolutely necessary list. We will be weighing the higher cost in India of some of these items versus the inconvenience and baggage allowance of flying and decide what to buy here and what to bring from the US. Keep in mind that the current exchange rate from US$ to INR is 1 to 44.5. Not good.

Obviously, big things like cribs and a changing table we will be buying in India. But, like I said, I was disappointed by the twin stroller options here. And on that matter I need any advice you have (tandem? side by side? brand?).

We've got one more week in India and then we're out of here for 2 months.

Cheers and Happy Post-Rapture Sunday!

Douglas

Retail Therapy

Spring break is coming to a close. For the first half of the vacation, we headed up north to Dharamsala and ate as many momos as we could get our hands on. Having lived in Delhi for most of three years now, we find that leaving Delhi is almost a requirement every couple of months. Going up to Dharamsala was a very hassle-free trip and it afforded us some great sites as well as some semi-fresh air.

The second half of our break was spent here in Delhi. We recuperated our lab, Jyoti from the kennel (a.k.a. puppy camp) and have had some quality time with her. Then, today we hit up our two favorite malls, The Promenade/Ambience Mall at Vasant Kunj and Select City Walk/The Metropolitan at Saket. I guess, technically we hit up FOUR malls today, but Indians love to put malls so close together--actually, right smack dab next to each other--that I don't think they count as separate malls, even though you have to go outside to get from one to the other.

I am not usually a mall rat. Neither is Chad. But, this was retail therapy with a point. We wanted to start scouting out what baby things are going to be available to us in Delhi, and what do we want to cram in our suitcases and bring on the plane when we come back to Delhi after summer vacation. We found our new favorite store; or, as Chad says, "We found our winner, winner chicken dinner." Mothercare will be the motherload for all our baby needs in Delhi. And, the runner up in the contest is Chicco. Interestingly enough, there was a Mothercare store (I can't say that I feel very affirmed by the name of the store) both at Saket and at Vasant Kunj. The one at Saket was a bit bigger, but not as nicely organized. The one at Vasant Kunj had better organization but not quite as much merchandise. Similarly, there were Chiccos at Saket and at Vasant Kunj, and both were of similar size/layout.

Mothercare had almost everything I can imagine that we will need: clothes for newborns, even some clothes for premies, blankets, hats, sweaters, bedding, bassinets, cribs, mattresses, reusable diapers, changing tables, baby toiletries, strollers, car-seats, bibs, nipples, bottles, sterilizers, steamers and baby food makers, safety items (household baby-proofing items), carry-cots, bathtubs and car seats. I am sure that I am forgetting many things that they had in the store.

If you are an IP and are afraid that you are going to forget something in your home country, and are afraid to shop in Delhi, this will be the place for you. Furthermore, the prices at these stores didn't seem exorbitant. I haven't been to a baby store in the US, so I'll keep you posted on what we find when we get back to Indiana, but, the prices at the mall in Delhi for baby things seemed reasonable. The rule of thumb for shopping in India is this: local goods are CHEAP, and imported goods are REALLY EXPENSIVE. So, for example, when buying electronic items in India, one can expect to pay 1.5 to 2 times the cost of the same item in the US (Macbook Air that I'm coveting in the US is $1000, and in India is $1500). But, I can have the tailor come to my house, measure me, and copy my linen pants for a quarter of what they cost me at Banana Republic in the US.

Needless to say, I am so glad we found these baby stores because it will save us having to cart so many items from the US. Only two disappointing things about Mothercare (beside the name): first, I felt like all of the strollers were a bit rickety. We are a family that loves to walk. I can't imagine that this will change after we have children. While we live in a very nice part of Delhi with wide streets and some usable sidewalks, I don't think that any of these strollers would make it as an out-of-doors stroller in Delhi. Second, while they did have some clothing for teeny, tiny babies (preemies up to 5 lbs), there wasn't a huge selection. If it turns out that we are having twins, I imagine that we will need some itsy-bitsy clothes, and I think that we'll have to bring some clothes with us next time we fly from the US to Delhi. Fortunately, though, the store had quite a few outfits for babies up to 7.5 lbs (these clothes were labeled "tiny babies").

Chicco also had a decent selection of baby clothes, strollers, car seats, baby monitors, nipples and bottles and a few other odds and ends. The selection was much more limited than Mothercare, and they didn't have any clothes for preemies or tiny babies like Mothercare did.

We are so early in our pregnancy that we resisted the temptation to buy anything. But, it was a lot of fun getting out there and seeing what's available in Delhi. Our plan is to make a list of the things we'll need and then go fake-shopping at the end of the school year in about 6 weeks, which will also be near the end of our first trimester. We won't buy anything then, but we'll know what we need to buy in the US. Then, we head back to Indiana for June and July. We'll get all of the things that we can't get in India. Then, when we come back to Delhi at the very end of July (nearing the end of our second trimester), we'll move to a different (hopefully bigger) apartment and start to set up a nursery.

What a fun way to end Spring Break!!