Wednesday, May 9, 2012

Hitting Our Stride

We took the babies back to the hospital for a checkup and some blood tests yesterday morning and I am happy to report that after only 2 days home they are back up to their birth weights!  Yay!  With the amount of fatty fat formula being pumped into those two they are sure to double themselves in no time (which would mean they would still only be the size of roasting chickens but seeing as they are more the size of small guinea hens at the moment, that would be a big improvement!).  Something about small babies reminds me of fowl - what can I say!

The doctor's appointment went surprisingly well.  It's like everything here, just when you think you have something categorized and sorted out, it often goes in the opposite direction.  The doctor's office for appointments is in the basement of the hospital (ie cool all year round!!) and there were no people waiting so we were whisked in and out.  The doctor was very good (this is a different guy to the Sunday discharge doctor) and I am starting to really like him.  He did a very thorough exam of the twins and was very happy with their health. And in case anyone was concerned, after inspecting Ronan's diaper region, the doctor loudly pronounced that Ronan's "jewels" were in "EXCELLENT" condition!!!  This being important of course, as he told me, because men need to be able to carry on their lineage and it looked to him like Ronan has all the right parts to carry on and on!

After the babies were safely back at home, we took the Wild Animal (this is what I have taken to calling Neve these days) to her favorite place - the Mall!  Neve gets terribly bored in the apartment (even though it's twice the size of our apartment back in NYC) but in the Mall she turns on the charms.  We had what would have been a lovely lunch at an Asian fusion place in the Mall but the Wild Animal was restless and screechy and tossing food everywhere.  So on we went to the Plastic Playroom to let the Wild Animal romp a bit in her native environment (see photos evidence below).  I actually bought the value card for the Plastic Playroom so we can go at least another 10 times before we leave!!  How did this happen? Delhi has turned me into a Mall Rat Momma!!

So what else  - ok, yes, we are now starting the exit document process for the twins.  I, of course, am like "we have three weeks, what's the rush?" and Hamish is like "I don't want to have any issues so let's push to get it done."  And so the push as begun.  We had the photographers over to take the babies photos last night and that was a great improvement over last time with Neve.  They came to our house and had a very professional routine.  With a great show, they slathered themselves in hand sanitizer (a very thoughtful touch, I thought) and one acted as the baby handler, while the other snapped the pictures.  It was quick and easy and by 8pm last night we had a fist full of small passport photos.  They did a great job and in fact I am thinking of having them back to do a family portrait before we leave Delhi.  I swear Gemma's passport photo is the best picture we have of her so far!

Next in the process is to complete the US citizenship papers, the passport application and the Social Security application and take all of that with the birth certificates (when we get them) to the US embassy.  This time around it's a one stop shop at the embassy!  We do the DNA test at the same time as we lodge ALL the documents which saves several steps in the process (ie last time we had to do DNA, then citizenship, then passport, then the rest of it).  By my estimate, we should have citizenship and passports by the end of next week.  Only glitch could be the timing with getting the DNA testing back from the US.  We are not planning to leave until the 28th so I'm pretty hopeful that we have enough cushion built in for a few bumps which you have to expect here.  I hope have not jinxed us by just writing that out loud!

OMG - Neve JUST went down for a nap and is crying like she wants to get up!! WILD ANIMALS NEED THEIR SLEEP OR THEY ARE VERY DANGEROUS!!  I'm going to choose to ignore that for a minute . . . . . ., ok, there we go, all's quiet!  It's about time for the cleaners to come in to wake her up, so moment of calm is not going to last - I better speed this up!

I am LOVING our baby nurse - Anila.  She is wonderful with the babies and patient and sweet.  She just has this lovely manner and when she gets near a baby she starts talking in this little sing song voice that the babies LOVE.  This woman is in the right profession!  The Wild Animal has also taken to her as well and Anila finds the Wild Animal to be a fascinating creature.  Anila pretends to chase the Wild Animal and the Wild Animal scurries about, giggling and looking over her shoulder to make sure that Anila is still after her.   The Wild Animal likes to crawl up the marble stairs to the baby suite and hang out up there with Anila, grabbing creams and spurting them on the floor, taking Anila's beautiful sari wrap in her mouth, pulling dirty diapers out of the trash can, pointing at the crib and saying "baby", you know, the regular stuff.

The baby suite is the only room we have with a view - granted it's to the road and front gate, but it's still activity and the Wild Animal likes to bang her fists against the windows and watch the busy world go by outside.  There's a bridge that goes over the road just in front of us and people are constantly up and down it and the Wild Animal has actually gotten a few people to wave her - she's exceedingly adorable when she wants to be!

We have settled into a bit of a running routine in the early mornings now.  There is a very large park pretty close to us that we had been deterred from using because it's about half a mile away along two very busy roads (lot's of crossing - seemed too intimidating).  But, thanks to the ipad, we found a cut through road that is smaller with some markets and it goes almost from our apartment right to the back of the park (having an ipad has serious advantages here by the way!).  This park is like 3 times the size of the one we used to run in last year and it has hills (not a selling point for me, but still).  It is an absolute traffic jam of human walkers and the path is pretty small so we are really honing our passing skills, but it feels great to get out their and be a part of the life of the city.  I noticed a small children's playground in the middle covered with trees, so I may stroll down there with the Wild Animal one evening at dusk to check out the scene.

I went out first this morning and Hamish went next.  When he came back he stayed outside talking to the guards for a long time.  Neve heard him and was fussing by the front door, so I carried her out to see what was going on.  Hamish and one of the guards were sharing a glass of water and swapping running stories and I thought  -  how nice.  The guards (there are like 3 of them), as they always do, tried to get Neve to let them hold her - which has become something of a game to her.  They reach their hands out to her and say "come, baby, come, baby, come baby" in high pitched voices and she gives them a big smile like she might just let them take her and then she grabs me tightly and buries her face in my neck and everyone laughs, including the Wild Animal.

Turns out that when Hamish went to go running this morning he jokingly said to the security guard that he should come with him and, well, what do you know -- HE DID!  All dressed up in his long sleeved blue shirt, dress pants and flip flop/sandals, the night time security guard joined (and kept up with which is not easy) Hamish on his run around the park!  Now that must have been a sight!!  I have this image of people clearing the path as the Presidential candidate jogs by with his security detail!  We are starting to get to know the different personalities in our little apartment world and I hope we are on the verge of making some new friends.

I feel that we are finally hitting our stride here in Delhi and now we are off to the races!!

Love to all -

G, H & N R G

The Wild Animal in her natural habitat (ie enjoying Plastic Playworld).




This looks a little strange, but I swear no babies were 
harmed in the making of these passport photos!



Neve is really missing her baths.  She has to suffer through being 
splashed with boiled water (yes, we have cooled it!) in a bath chair.


Views of the street and overhead walkway from the baby suite.
I wish I had sound for you because this picture in no way 
conveys the noise and energy just outside this window!


View of front gate from baby suite.




1 comment:

  1. LOL at the wild animal : )
    You guys sound busy busy and am mightily impressed you can get running into your day. Best wishes for a quick exit.

    ReplyDelete