a Brilliant week and Cubby's lucky friday at 13th!

This post comes almost a week late! Cubby completed 13months of existence on 20th Aug and whoever said 13 is unlucky must be kidding. Its looking like by far the most promising month of his l'il life till date! :D

So here goes what transpired in the last 31 days!

You have taken your first baby steps!!! YESSSSSS!! While mommy sat in office, getting bored, she called Papa to check whats happening. Papa asked me, "did you see the video", and i said "what happened?" There you were on walking online, (You can watch the video and say verrry cute) taking your first unsure steps with SUCH a proud look in your eyes! Before I knew i was crying! My colleague came running wondering whats making me break into tears in the middle of afternoon. You keep trying to repeat the cat every now and then and seems more confident with every step. Way to go sweetheart! :)

You are saying some intelligible words now, sweetest of which is still Papa! I love the way, you go "papa" and then your papa fondly replies saying "Bolo beta". All of this is said in a sing song tone with both of you using your softest voice. (Papa has been threatened with divorce if you don't learn to say Mamma in 15 days) You have taken to repeating some words. The favourite is pussycat which is said like pussycada or something. Apple which is called Appue. You say Pappu when mommy is singing Pappu Can't Dance Saala. And Bookk. It's all so darn CUTE!

You love applause. You hate to perform without audience. Even now when you are taking your l'il steps, you fall down and wait for us to clap for effort made. If we don't, you start clapping yourself, looking at us to make sure we follow suite!

You have officially and totally given up on toys which keep languishing in their box. You would much rather play with all the bartans. The empty plastic dabbas, my kadchis and kadhais. You try putting one dabba into other or spoon in the katori (i wonder why i spend a good 125bucks on buying those stacking buckets!). Every morning and evening our kitchen looks like it has been hit with tornado.

You love showing that you recognise stuff (or maybe i just like seeing you know!). So when i say Mask Uncle and Mask Aunty you look at the masks hung at the entrance. Or the butterfly on the door. Mickey, Pluto and Winnie who adorn the bathroom tiles are also given a wide smile of recognition. Nose, ear etc are still being resolutely ignored.

You have become a little too aggressive for our comfort. Throwing toys from a height, banging things, answering back in your own baby sounds when scolded. We are hoping this too shall pass!

You resist EVERYTHING new. You don't wanna drink from glass. WE tried for a week to feed you with glass and you tshirt had more than you. Now we are taking it easy and trying to teach you to have water with Sipper. You create a major ruckus while being fed and mommy daddy have a tough time trying to figure out something NEW to distract you at every meal.

Of course that doesn't stop you from eating what we are eating. Nothing is too spicy for you. You eat a kadak onion pakoda, but you try to throw out small pieces of cooked carrot in your khichdi! You love eating biscuit etc with your hand and making a complete mess of the house while you are it. Yet again, healthy stuff like raw carrot is given a cold shoulder.

Potty training is being attempted. On lucky days we might see coupla peeing sessions and an actual potty too. But most times its a big dud and you are still to understand su su = potty. We live in hope of course.

You have started taking bribes to give smiles. You don't need shiny gift wrapped packages. You only need a chocolate chip biscuit. If not that, even Parle G will do. On rare occasion that you cry on seeing new people at home, we quickly handover a biscuit to said guest. Soon you are, literally eating out out of their hands!

You can REALLY cling now when you in the mood. Papa can even cook with you in one hand now! Mommy is still l'il more heartless and lets you cry while she finishes job at hand.

How could I forget? We can now say Teeth and not just tooth when you open your mouth. FOUR in all and it makes you look all grown up. Thanks to homeopathic dawai being administered all the time, teething has been a smooth sail.

You enjoy playing in water in your own little tub! We put some toys and you enjoy splashing around and we enjoy spending those minutes with you. It gets difficult at times to get you out, but it's not impossible, as yet.

There is so much more you do and watching you everyday, I just keep counting my blessings and say a little prayer for you! :)

Here's something a very dear friend did for Cubby's birthday. He sent it to us only now and am quite kicked that someone can take so much effort to do something so creative and personal.

Amen! ;)

Last week, I got my first opportunity to give an acceptance speech when Quirky Indian thought my blog was Brilliant while calling me a high octane Mum! That's that then. My identity is indeed Cubby ki Maa and I am not complaining.

In all my modesty I ofcos accept and it being my first award and all, I am thrilled! Here goes the rules for this award;

This award is for blogs whose content and design are brilliant as well as creative.

The purpose of the prize is to promote as many blogs as possible in the blogosphere.

1. When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back

2. Choose a minimum of 7 blogs (or even more) that you find brilliant in their content or design.

3. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Brilliant Weblog’

4. Show a picture of those who awarded you and those you give the prize (optional).

5. And then we pass it on!

So here goes my list of favs many of whom must have already got it more than once!

Swati - who speaks her heart and mind with equal ease.

~nm - whose creativity keeps giving me serious complex ALL the time! She even made my blog header!

Vidooshak - aka M whose blogs give you a slice of life with a dose of cynicsm and humour - a true gemini trademark

Grimescene - another v.v. brainy Gemini whose posts have you thinking, awwwwing or ROTFLing if such an expression exists.

Mamma-Mia - I call her my namesake, but she is leagues ahead in terms of creativity and sheer imagery she can create with her magical words. Must read!

Mampi - her tongue in cheek humour and her innate sensitivity when she writes her serious posts have me hooked.

Tazeen - her witty and satirical commentary of whats happening in Pakistan and elsewhere in the world will make you think furiously

Preethi - her cheeky tales will have you in splits! she really WRITES!

Preeti - The spunky Dentist with very cool attitude. Wish she would write more often.

Aren't ya all winners very very kicked?! :D So like the QI said, spread the cheer! :)