a day of much laughter and few tears! :)

I have been blogging for maybe l'il over 3 years and in that time have been lucky enough to find friends where the jump from virtual to real world has been so easy and comfortable. We might not meet that often, but I know that these women are just an email or phone call away when I want to share a happy news or need a shoulder cry on.


I was a part of couple of baby showers we did in Bangalore for bangaloremom and later for CoS. It was so much fun to be a part of it and I would be lying if i said I hadnt hoped to get one of my own! :p And thats exactly what I got this Saturday. A baby shower that made me realize that friends become your family and then some more, that we could have so much fun within a span of coupla hours, that someone can take so much effort to make a day special for you. To say I feel blessed would be an understatement! :)


Saturday began like any other day with waking up late, wondering what to do about breakfast and then eventually stepping out to pay Cub's school fees. That done we went for a really late lunch to a Thai place close to home. Yummy lunch done, M insisted that we go buy a new phone for me. We did that and by around 5 we reached back home. Rang the bell, waiting for Amma to open the door. As soon as it was opened, we heard "Surprise!" And I saw our ghar gorgeously decorated and all these awesome women filing outta the room with their kids!


I was totally overwhelmed and all teary eyed, doing mad hugging rounds with one and all! :)


The organising committee spearheaded by Monika (lauuu you for that babes!) and ably supported by rest of the gang... some who could make it to the actual party and few who could not. Mon managed to make it even with her aching knee! :) And ofcourse the awesomest book with messages from whole lotta folks in the blogosphere that made me bawl and grin in turns! :) Guess that was Dee's effort in part! This was apart from goodies 2B, Cub and their very lucky Mommy got.


I would LOVE to write the whole thing in detail, but these other bloggers have done a fabulous job of it and I am just going to link their posts here. let us just blame it on last trimester lethargy, shall we?


Here Usha's post. I met her for the first time and i now know for sure that she could not have called her blog anything but Agelessbonding. Fabulous woman! :)


Here's the post by THE Artsy-crafty Shruti whose posts make me do something remotely creative at least once in a blue moon! :)


And the post by JLT, one of the oldest online dost became asli dost of mine. She painted me that super cute Snoopy tee saying Frens are best. I possibly cannot argue with that!


Thanks DD Mom for yummy pasta (recipe awaited as you well know), Preethi for the awesome games and those melt in mouth muffins we all are begging for! Ofcos, I never knew i could get grossed out by chocolate! :) Poppy, you took out time and came on your birthday. Need i say more?! Art and Starry for picking up really cool gifts for the kids! It was brilliant to see bangaloremom after HER babyshower. It did not seem like we had not met for that long, did it?! :) Anu who made it with both her adorable girls! I finally got to see the l'il one and K is already a very responsible big sistah!


And thank you to everyone who took time to send me those beautiful and personalized messages. That is going to be one of my most priceless treasures ever! :)


Here's some photos! There are a LOT of really nice pictures, but privacy issues meant I cant put most of em up. So pls to make do with these! :)



Hugging spree part 1 of 10 when i entered the ghar and was zapped beyond words! :)




Hugging spree part 2 of 10 when i entered the ghar and was zapped beyond words! :)




This is how pretty and festive the house looked! I still havent bothered pulling down the decorations! LOVE it! :)



The more controlled hug given to Usha when she gave me a gorgeous bunch of flowers!



A few calm moments before the madness began again! :)



That IS chocolate! As hard it is to believe!



And you thought we could never get grossed out by chocolate!



The pictionary. can you guess the rhymes?! :)



The super gorgeous cake! The bottle shaped candle was a brilliant touch! :)



THE Book! :) M and me very obviously zapped and shocked! and excited! :)


And i am wearing the snoopy tee JLT painted. Will put the pictures of that in next post!



Showing off my gifts! :)

I did it right this time!!!

What you ask?

Throw a surprise birthday party for M!

Remember that post I had written about my surprises end up becoming pseudo surprises?! Well Poppy remembered. Told me on chat "Don't forget your keys this time!"

Ofcourse this time there was no question of needing keys because I was throwing the party on Sunday, a day before his birthday, which falls on 25th May. It was a simple lunch do since there was IPL final in the evening and we have no cable TV at home for enthusiasts who didn't wanna miss it!

My way of surprise party isn't taking the surprisee out and bring him into a house screaming SSUURRPPRRIISSEE! WE stay at home and let people walk in surprising M over and over again! :)

I decided the whole thing on Monday and sent sms to my small guest list of around 15 and everyone confirmed by evening. Next tip was to figure out the food and drinks. Since it was meant to be a surprise party, I possibly couldn't have cooked anything or even bought too much of stuff and kept at home.

I did what I am best at without being a MBA, delegate and then delegate some more. BIL and SIL were given responsibility of getting biryani. Buddy S was to get beer and dahi (as odd as the combo sounds!) and Puja was to get juice and soft drinks.

I had to order the cake. My SIL was maha excited about getting some sorta naughty cake. But then I didn't find anything interesting enough. But i liked the other stuff on this website and opted for something called Edible Photo Printing which I had seen at a birthday just the previous weekend! M is a BIG Amitabh Bachchan fan. AB bhakt one can safely say. So i decided on that to be the theme.

I pulled in Puja to help me again and she did seriously good job with it once i sent her the raw material - the pictures! This was the first time I ordered cake ONLINE! I had no clue where the heck this baking institute was or how their cakes were. I followed my dictum of "Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained!" and went ahead with it.

The owner, Manish, was extremely helpful and quick on take. Mails and smses would be responded to promptly and he helped do the final photoshopping of the image too. I told him that they can deliver the cake by 1pm and kept my fingers crossed! :p

Meanwhile, M being the total people person that he is, kept wanting to know whom were we meeting on Sunday. I had to refuse to meet a distant relative with help of some more lying. Finally I told him Puja and family are coming for lunch.

Murphy would have loved the moment when Amma asked for chhutti on the very same Sunday! How does one have a party without help. But there was no way i was cancelling the plan. I knew we had some biodegradable (made with dried leaves) plates and katoris and those would be used for khaana. Apart from that there was no cooking to be done really! I did jhaadu pocha afta AGES and I still do a good job of it! ;) Ofcos it's not something I would like to prove time and again! :p My other worry was the cake getting delivered when I was in the bathroom or before guests had arrived. But the guy was delayed just enough.

Thankfully as per what M knew was our plan, Puja & A arrived minus Diya (grrr!) arrived first. I had told M they were getting biryani because he kept asking me "khaane ka kya karenge?" They had also got along juice and sprite as requested and M thought it was l'ilw eird but didn't suspect much.

Next his bro called on my phone and M picked it up! he made some bahaana and told him we are coming over. Even till now M was clueless. Then my office pal walked in and he STILL thought it was a happy co-incidence though he was getting worried about about food and drinks! :p

Then when Ooi Bua, her hubby Sunil and Isaiah walked in is when M realised ki daal mein kuch kaala hai and arrival of Dee and her DH assured him that poori dal hi kaali hai! :)

Buddy S walked in wifey G and their adorable son Vikrant whom we hadn't seen since his birth and by now M was totally kicked and genuinely surprised. S bua was the last guest to walk in and the party was well under way!

Chilled beer and juice was being served. I was so preoccupied with catching up that I forgot all about offering some starters and bites! :( By now I was also calling cake guy who said "bass aapke ghar ke paas hi hai medam!' I saw the cake being delivered on one of them TVS mopeds and shuddered wondering whether I had pushed my luck a bit too far. But this time I couldn't go wrong! :D

Here's the cake;

Best of Amitabh Bachchan on one cake! With Us added for the corny factor! ;)

M wondering whether to cut "Mard" or "Hum"! :p

Neither M nor me were dressed for a party. M was like "Puja log hi aa rahe hai" and was in PJs and tee and me, i couldn't get dressed either in fear of arousing suspicion! So the birthday boy and organiser were the only badly dressed of the lot! :p

Cubby actually refused the cake! Ofcos he made it up later by having many pieces! :)

Puja and G! Two pretty ladies and one adorable Vikrant sleeping peacefully in the mayhem!! :)

Newly married Ooi bua serving drinks while SiL & BiL cozy up!

The whole afternoon went off in such a blur that I really don't recollect any specific events. There was no time to click too many pictures either. I think i am putting ice in the glasses in the background!

While M hold on to his most precious gifts! :)

Genius Miggu bhaiyya doing a wooden puzzle at home and getting it right within no time! I was maha impressed! :)

While Cubby fooled around! :p


Cubby was in a bad mood thanks to lack of sleep and food, but was still manageable and had fun once some chocolate and sugar went into his body! ;) Miggu bhaiyya is a bundle of energy and lot of time was spent in just watching the kids in action!

A quickie family photo just for records!

What was left of the cake by the end of the party!

I could ask M if he wanted a piece of me in front of 15 people! ;)

I was not sure how the whole thing would go since i was mixing lot of different people together, but it was like everyone always knew everyone else.

Dee and her DH are among the sportiest couple I have known and Dee even made DH take off his shirt and show us his very cool tattoo on his back! :D

Puja and A are good friends now, as if we have known them foreva! And ofcos she did and redid the collage as and when I kept finding better posters of nicer movies! Thanks Girl! :)

Ooi Bua bought some seriously yummy kheer and nobody can say that her hubby Sunil is a new addition to the family!

Blog pals recognized Isaiah as the guy who straightened my hair and wished he had got the straightener with him! :p

S, G and Vikrant are people who are very close to our heart and M spend lot of time with em when they were in the US and he was visting. S helped me LOADS even at the last attempted surprise party! :)

M & Chits (Bil & Sil) took charge of the whole party and were more the hosts than we were!

S bua is always a calming and pleasant presence! :)

Thanks people for making this day so special and fun! :)

And M, my best pal, hubby, father of my child and an amazing human being, Happy Birthday yet again! May this year bring you everything you wanted and then some more! Love ya lots! :)

Hugs! :)

see ya soon! :)

Work has been maddeningly hectic past few days. The weekend even more so! Buddy G came home with much awaited Pannu Bhaiyya of Goa fame (warning! cuteness overload in that post!) and taking care of two kids who ALWAYS want the same toy can drive you crazy!

In M's words in an email to pals "G was here from Goa and the kids spent 3 days gouging each others' eyes out. Of course, since she left he's been looking mournfully for "pannu bhaiyya". Just keeping them apart was so tiring. I felt like Henry Kissinger negotiating a Middle East truce."

The weekend deserves a whole post by itself with pictures thrown in for good measure!

Right now, this post is just to tell you peoples that am off to Lucknow for a chhutti. If you can call 3 days that! There is a wedding in the family and I hope the heat won't play spoilsport with the naach gaana that a northie shaadi is supposed to be!

Ma-in-law has bought some chikan kurta pajamas for Cubby and am dying to see the l'il guy all decked up in cute traditional stuff! :)

You guys have a great week ahead! See ya soon enough! There is so much reading I have to catch up too. Milenge break ke baad!

Cheers!

the dressing down and dosti made!

I have finally mailed meself a lot of pictures that have apparently been holding up my new posts from even being thought about propahly. So, last night, the technologically challenged Mme.A, decided to see how she can the mail the pictures from Picasa, which is where the currently travelling pati stores them all.

It was actually fairly simple. I just had to select a picture and there was a BIG button that clearly said email. Just put my personal id there and whoosh it lands in my inbox! Now now! Don't deny me my small victories by laughing! :p

This is going back to Goa post! I warned you in the first post itself that I have no idea how many posts it would be.

We had got out yet again, with generous G's car to just look around the city. WE went to the gorgeously magnificent Bom Jesus Church. When we reached there Cubby was sleeping. So by the time we finished praying, lighting a candle and admiring the place, he decided to wake up.

Now one thing Cubby cannot take, just like his papa, is heat. He gets really grumpy and upset if the weather is too warm and sweaty and needs to be in least amount of clothes! So when we came out on the lawns is when the dressing down happened. The pictures below say it all!

Mumma! Mujhe garmi lag rahi hai! Feeling Hot Hot Hot!

Arre! Did I say I needed a topi? Did I?

Ab main iss shirt ka kya karoon? Mumma bhi naah!

Is it looking cool on my shoulder?!

Or just walk around it with it?!

Maybe I will throw it here and leave!

Dekha! Idea kaam kar gaya! Mumma has taken the shirt back! :p

Ok! Now I am ready to roll! :p (mommy thot she is smart! hyuk!)

Meanwhile, I must tell you things went between 14month Cubby and G's son, 2 year old Pannu bhaiyya. They had a total love hate relationship.

Pannu being almost 9months older ofcos understands a lot more than Cubby, but cannot fathom the babyness of his actions. Plus pannu bhaiyya is extremely particular about everything. If shoes need to be kept on the shoe-rack, thats where everyone's shoes have to go. But who would explain it to Cubby, that Pannu is taking his shoes to keep them in place and not steal them. A battle of shoes and socks ensued as soon as they met and continued over next 5 days! :p

Plus Pannu would want exactly the same toy Cubby had and vice versa. Poor guy gave in to his mom's "You are the bigger one naah?" dialogue and gave the said toy to Cubby, which would have lost its charm by then. I mean whats the point of getting it if I cannot fight! :p

I was really hoping Cubby would pick up some of his good things like stuff in place, eating everything without creating any fuss, drinking water with glass and all that jazz. Pannu bhaiyaa is even fully potty trained at 2yrs. I am in awe of you my darling buddy G! You super-mom, you!

Cubby got scolded quite a few time by the strict Pannu and it was just so much fun to watch them, They would play peek-a-boo behind the cupboards and then come running out with smiles. Both of them stayed up as late as we did on all days. Every morning, the one who would wake up first, would go to other guy's room to see if he was up and about! :)

Again, heres some pictures that should explain their relationship! :) Thanks Pannu, for sharing your stuff with my thankless brat who kept troubling you the entire time.

If you can do it, so can I! ;)

he is SUCH a baby says Pannu!

Smiles too much, this dude!

Oye! Itna mat smile kar! Bhaav nahi milega phir!

Bola naah! Thoda smile control kar yaar!

Oh yaar! yeh nahi samjhega!

Chal main bhi smile kar hi deta hoon!

Paparazzi se bhag bhag ke thak gaye bechaare!

Friends forever, eh dudes?! :)

Till next time Adios Amigos!

jab likhne ke liye kuch nahi toh tag hi sahi!

I have been in a bit of bad mood today. I am not patience personified in any case, and Cubby's khaana tantrums are just driving me up the wall all of a sudden! Add to that I tried telling trusted Rajamma (which reminds me I need to do a post on her!) to make sure Cubby is not fed anything beyond 6pm so that he is hungry at a respectable hour of 830-9pm. What does she do? She fought and argued with me making me go madder! She argued if she gives him Raagi at 3pm, how will he be hungry at 6pm to have apple and milk? When M asked her "Applying the same logic, how will he be hungry at 9, if you feed him milk so late at 7pm?", she refused to accept the logic! AAAAArrgghhh!! Anyway we shall see. Aage aage dekho hota hai kya!

So, since I really cannot think of anything to say right now, I just realised I have a tag to do given by Monika and Ansh (aren't you supposed to inform me woman?!;). Add to that you basically just need to do a summary of the posts you have done! So get ready for BEST of Abha! :p

Yeah Yeah! We are vain like that only!

The tag: What you have to do is simple: Post 5 links to 5 of your previously written posts. The posts have to relate to the 5 key words given : family, friend, yourself, your love, anything you like. Tag 5 other friends to do this meme. Try to tag at least 2 new acquaintances (if not, your current blog buddies will do) so that you get to know them each a little bit better.

Family - since you can't choose em I have been lucky to have a really nice one! :D But generally my posts are so much about Cubby, I don't really have a decent post about my family as such. But there's one I did on rakhi for my brother.

Friends - You can choose em, but you may not always get lucky. I have a few who mean the world to me. I did one about two of my closest friends and how we have started on your journey to motherhood almost together. S is visiting us with her l'il daughter M (whom I haven't seen since birth) next month and I am already so so excited!

Yourself - oh well. since we have already agreed about being Vain, I have so many posts for this, but lemme try and pick ONE! Ok! I think THIS should be about what I am.

Your love - It's a pity I haven't done a full fledged post for M. This one says some of what I feel for him. I had a tough time not adding this to family because it covers a lot of our family in detail too! So THIS one is for M.

Anything you like - I just found an old post where I have put up funny comments I got on diaper review on another website. It makes for total fun read. The best part was, that I had lotsa Daddies telling me their stories showing husbands today defi make better fathers! :D So, THIS one is for you cool daddies out there!

Now to pass on the tag. This time let me just leave it open. Anyone who wants to do it, go on and do it. It's good fun to read all these old posts and have a silly smile on your face thinking you have indeed come a long way even in six months! :)

And since its been awards time galore, there's another one! A special one too. The one that says BFF on a gold card. It means Blogging Friends Forever.

I love lucy and Suma gave this to me.

I love lucy said "Abha - Her wonderfully warm and friendly smile says it all! Her passion and zest for life is reflected so well in her writing.I cannot wait to meet her and the little darling Cubby on my next trip to Bangalore!"

(I have a feeling that she just wants to meet Cubby!)

Suma has given it to all her blogger friends! But what she wrote about me while accepting the Brilliante Award made me float on Cloud Number 9! This is what her blog says about me "Mama mia's famous for her radiant 1000 watt smile, and her cubby who takes after her. esp in the beam and cuteness factor. Her optimism is contagious and i love the feel-good factor of her blog"

I would hate to pick and choose blogging friends too. It of course goes right back at two of you and thank you so much for thinking about me! It's also for some of these people I have met and known for some time. WIAN and JLT, please to come out of hibernation and entertain us! Other than that all of ya ladies and gents who take out time to read my blog and comment too, this is for all of you! :D

dil dosti etc! :)

"Friends" is one word that would always bring a smile on our face! It reminds me of masti, trust, conversations over coffee... a heart to heart chat or a laughter session! Friends make me count my blessings and i feel lucky to have them as an integral part of my life.

This one is for my best pals since last 10 years! These people have been there with me through all the highs and lows of my life and survived! :) So, heres to you girls, M and S for always making me feel special!

All three of us have given birth to our babies within this year! :)

M and me shared our pregnancy times and Atho was born 2 months after Kabir! M lives in Australia and both of us havent had a chance to see each other's babies except sharing photos and videos. Its so much fun seeing Atho through all the stages Kabir did and I do love giving gyaan to poor M who never complains!

Of course I admire M terribly. She has been taking care of Atharva all by herself from month 2 including maalish and bath and no maid! Hats off to you girl!! Am so so proud of you!! I cant imagine surviving it the way you did! Atharva also seems to be ebcoming quite a brat and is looking cuter by the day! God Bless Him! :)

S delivered a baby girl on 18th this month! Congrats girl!! :) That poor girl has suffered even more advice from this new mom! It's the first baby girl I have heard in a long time amonst all our friend and S is terribly lucky! Touchwood! :) S now lives in Mumbai and I havent had a chance to see her baby, Momo (till actual name is decided), but my parents managed to visit her at the hospital and i got a first hand account! Mom said Momo looks a lot like S and is quite tall with nice eyes! (I still cant make out who Kabir looks like!).

S just enjoy this time! Even when the going gets tough things do get better and in sometime all your l'il troubles will melt away with Momo's charming smile! God Bless Her! :)

As happy as I am for all three of us, somewhere I keep wishing we were in the same city and just MAYBE Atharva, Kabir and Momo would have been best friends too! :) It would have been SO much fun for us new mommies to catch up often, have picnics, go shopping, take turns at baby sitting and generally have fun!

Yet life can come up with most unexpected surprises! Maybe someday we WOULD be together and even if we dont our kids might just end up being good friends anywayz??

Another person who was a part of this group is now my hubby dearest! Thanx for being my best friend AND soul mate and for making a wonderful father to Kabir! What would I do without you??!! :)

So M and S, love you girls lots and heres wishing you amazing times ahead with your bundles of joy!! And keep being the buddies you always have been!

and yes, I'll be there for you!! (to be sung like Friends song!;)

Hugs!! :)