Bojjandi's Homecoming

I've been so busy that posts are coming out weeks after the events but never mind. To me, it's more important to record the moments some time. We were dying to shake the dust of the hospital off our heels by the time we'd been in there three days. Even though it felt like a min-vacation for A and me with Bojjandi. No other kids to feed and take to the bathroom and put to bed, no house to be cared for, no servants asking for instructions...just the three of us with the added benefit of a little bell that would instantly produce a nurse for Bojjandi's potty cleaning and so on, our laptop and a bunch of videos if we felt like watching them. But still, 3 days of peace was quite enough.

We wondered how the kids would react to Bojji. Chubbocks has of course been through the drill of new sibling before. He kind of knew what to expect and had reacted well when he visited us at the hospital. Puddi on the other hand had never seen or dealt with a small baby. The one time she bvisited us at the hospital, she seemed to have visceral memories of her stay there earlier in the year and shivered all the time. She barely seemed to recognise us, never mind take cognizance of the fact that there was a baby in the room.

The hospital finally let us go only by 1 pm, and our slow and careful drive home to avoid jolting me and the baby had us arriving only by 2. As we drew up, I saw that dad had made a lovely and creative "Welcome Arman. The 3 As" sign on the door, made out of Ashoka leaves with silver foil in the center. The kids were dancing with impatience, and it felt wonderful to be ushered in by Puddi on one side and Chubbocks on the other. Mom did a traditional aarati otuside the front door before we came in. A was busy taking photos of oru arrival home, and it was an indescribable feeling to have the three kids cluster around me.

We parked Bojjandi in the bedroom and headde straight for lunch since a and I were starving. Manwhile, Puddi and Chubbocks couldn't bear to leave the bedroom where Bojjandi was and were in there under the supervision of our maid. Puddi and Chubbocks both fought over who got to have the baby on their laps and eventually both of them took turns nursing Bojjandi. That afternoon afetr our naps, Puddi and Chubbocks danced in again. Puddi surreptitously tried to feed Bojjandi some of the cheeselings that she was eating, while Chubbocks gazed at him with rapt attention. "He's cute", was his thoughtful verdict. Since that day, the two kids have adjusted amazingly well to Bojjandi's presence. Chubbocks prances in in the morning while leaving for school to say "Hi, Bojjandi", and is thrilled to put his finger into Bojjandi's firm grip. Puddi spends the day clambering laboriously onto our high bed and petting the baby, asking to hold him. She's already told him her favourite Lion bedtime story. She's been evry understanding abotu all the time I spend closeted with Bojji during his feeds and even wakes up from deep sleep at night to say, "Baby ro raha hai. Dudu dedo" ( baby is cying. Give him milk).

I guess at some stage further down the line there will be the usual sibling fights, which are starting between Chubbocks and Puddi. But the nice thing so far is that while they may fight each other, they always gang up against us. I'm guessing the same thing will continue even after Bojjandi joins the gang!