smittenbyu: (Default)
I should go to bed. D will wake up in a bit for a feed and then am off. But wanted to put this down for future reference. D is definitely daddy's girl. She was crying like it was the end of the world. It was her bedtime and so I stopped everything and went to change her for the night. She cried and fussed the whole time. I came with her to the kitchen to turn off the stove so I don't burn down the house, or the food really. Then N walked in to the apartment from going to the gym.

Just like a switch, she looked at him and turned into the happiest baby on the block for the rest of the changing and feeding and sleeping time.

I am going to go pout and sulk now. good night.
smittenbyu: (Default)
Prompt: Ordinary joy.

Our most profound joy is often experienced during ordinary moments. What was one of your most joyful ordinary moments this year?

Walking in snow with N. Just the two of us back in January, during our second big snowstorm. Watching other parents bring out their kids and wondering how life will change for us in the coming years.

December 26 – Soul Food

What did you eat this year that you will never forget? What went into your mouth & touched your soul? (Author: Elise Marie Collins)


I was one of the few women who didn't have cravings during pregnancy. I felt deprived and bummed out. I was thinking this would make a great ruse to pig out on all kinds of food, that I probably really wouldn't  need. And my husband lucked out and didn't need to make any midnight runs to satisfy my cravings. However, this didn't mean that I didn't enjoy good food. My husband travelled to India sometime around February this year, leaving me alone to fend the cold weather. So, he brought back with him all the ingredients that go to make some good pani puri. Oh yum. Yes, I still remember. I got the pani from our favourite store in Mumbai and the puris too. yum yum yum. Of course, nothing beats standing at the street side with a bunch of strangers awaiting your turn to get the freshly assembled pani puri. Back in 2009, when I was in Mumbai, I still remember vividly getting pani puri with my mother-in-law. What fun. The stall was just opening and we got to see the fellow set everything up! Amazing how much time and effort was spent cleaning up even with the "street side stall" thing going. Great....now I have to wait till next year to get me some pani puri. Good thing time flies.

The other food that I truly enjoyed was pizza - who could go wrong with pizza you say? Try almost any Americanised pizza parlour. But there is this one place in Washington DC that a friend introduced me to that I just fell in love with. Almost paper thin crust, toppings that melt in your mouth. oh yum..nothing to replace a wood oven*. mmmmm... now I won't mind a slice of it and at least this is attainable but it's not a stroller friendly restaurant. yay for the ergo carrier!

*The restaurant's called Matchbox, found in Chinatown, Washington DC.
smittenbyu: (two of us)
Desktop meme stolen from [livejournal.com profile] echointhebone 

Make a screenshot of your current desktop. Don't change your wallpaper. Tell us in five sentences (or less if you can) why you have that image.

desktop

The picture is of my handsome hubby, whom I miss as he is traveling. Do I need to say more? ;) Plus he thinks no one takes good pics of him, but I think I captured this nicely... him on a snowpile throwing a snowball up in the air! This pic reminds me of his playfulness and always brings a smile to my face!
smittenbyu: (fun fun)
Maybe it’s the “dating” phase of the relationship.  But it’s the little things that have always made me happy; actually ecstatic.  I get a happy tingle that lasts for several hours and no matter what news hits that joy in my heart still flutters. Mom has always pointed that out about me.

The story she would share with me dated back to when I was three years old. I have heard this story many times. And it’s one I like to hear again and again and again. I was very sick with stomach flu or something for several days. I was continuously throwing up and was completely down and out. Upon my third or fourth throw-up in the day, my mom had just finished washing me up and finding something to change me into. She described the look I had on my face. I looked, it seems, completely drained out of energy, with no motivation to go on. She found a little dress and put it on me.

That mood changed instantly. Suddenly she saw the biggest smile on my face and that flicker of joy in my eyes. Mom couldn’t comprehend that change and it made her smile as well. What made my mood change so dramatically? My dress had pockets. It seems I had a thing for pockets. I liked them a lot and at that moment pockets made my life worth living for and I was happy. Who cares if I hadn’t had food for three days and really was down and out. My dress had pockets! Mom didn’t know whether to laugh with me or cry! (I still have a thing for pockets! :))

So what made me happy this morning? N had to go in my direction today for a seminar and I had to come to office earlier than usual for a program. So, we rode the train together. I was glowing. Yes, I was looking like the happiest woman on earth. Just his company on the morning commute made me feel so giddy and good. So, I of course suggested he do this every time I need to go into office! For some odd reason he thought it wasn’t a practical one.
smittenbyu: (distraught)
"These pharmacists!" I exclaimed to my sick husband as I came back from the freezing cold outside. He sat there looking perplexed and amused (hubby is a non-practicing pharmacist). "they are so bad!" I continued.

"What happened?" he asked, looking sick and sipping on hot tea and awaiting to give me a surprise.

As I removed my boots and coats, I continued, "You know I went to pick up the magic wash, I had to sign off that I picked up the prescription. On the log book there were a few columns and I was trying to read it. There were two main columns; one was if I wanted to talk to the pharmacist about the prescription and the second was if I decided not to talk about the prescription with the pharmacist. Well, I was going to sign under wanting to talk to the pharmacist about the prescription, because I couldn't read the directions written by the doctor. The pharmacist had the nerve to point me to sign under the other column! I let her know that I still had a question about the prescription, I couldn't read it. She just opened the bottle that had the printed instructions attached to it and wished me goodbye!"

I continued in all my excitement, "I thought pharmacists are supposed to tell you more about what to do and how to do, and also what not to do!! Especially when the patient wants to find out!"

We then opened the paper attached to the bottle and saw that there was no details about the "ingredients" that made the magic wash. Even my hubby was a bit surprised. It printed, "monograph* not available at this time". I guess what they say is true, the magician doesn't give the secret away! Yes, the medicine prescribed was really called magic wash!

But I can see why there are more possibilities of mixing medicines and causing in fatal mistakes. Each player in the equation has a part to play in the health of the patient. The patients themselves - sharing openly all medications they are on with the doctor (I take the medicine boxes with me, as I have no clue what the chemicals are); the doctor - listening to the patient and explaining what to do; and the pharmacist - explaining the goods and the bads of the prescription filled and make sure that the patient understands. N says the pharmacist is supposed to make the patient repeat what was said to him/her! At the end of the day listen to the patient and make sure he/she is reassured that they would get better!!

And our doctor's visit experience wasn't too reassuring either.

Yesterday morning we got ready and headed to the Doctor's as N was sick with a flu and it didn't seem to be getting better. We drove to this urgent care close by. It was a place we were trying for the first time. And of course, the first things we heard, "your insurance card & ID" and a 3 page form was given to be filled. The first two pages were the usual, names & places and insurance info. The third page was the symptoms list and then medical history that asked any medical history, what medications the patient is on. The forms were filled and submitted and we waited. and waited. An hour and half later we were called by a nurse and took us to the doctor's room, where she did the preliminary questioning. She had in hand another form filling up the same information that we had spent filling an hour earlier. N was sick and annoyed by this time. He asked her politely still why they were making him repeat the same questions, when he came in with a sore throat and had a tough time talking. The nurse, it was her first day, casually remarked that was for the medical records and this form will be looked at by the doctor. hmmm.. how many trees do we chop off for this silly procedure?!

And then we waited.

The doc came in and sped through the whole consultation. We were out of there in less than five minutes. She looked and prodded but N felt he wasn't listened to. I also concurred with him. With a prescription for some magic wash (yes, it's called that) and some suggestion for over the counter medicine, we were out in the cold weather.

At the end of it all, my hubby thought I looked cute when I was venting. sigh.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
* monograph - gives details about the medication given

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