Idli and Sambar

In the past week, Saavan has had a number of very significant meetings with very important people. To do each encounter justice, I figured I would blog them individually.

The picture above shows the first meeting between Saavan and his good buddy Saajan. Saav and Saaj are, in many ways, kindred spirits. Their names are remarkably similar. They were born only nine days apart (Saajan is older). Their moms had the same OB/GYNs (although they were delivered by different people). Their dads share an irrational love of college football (though unfortunately for Saajan, his dad's team sucks). And they both poop their pants a lot. As a result of these similarities, they will undoubtedly be good friends (also as a result of their parents forcing them to spend large quantities of time together).

But beyond friendship, I just can't imagine how Saajan and Saavan would not become an unstoppable crime-fighting superduo. Given the similarity of their names, it makes perfect sense. The picture above actually does a lot to set the scene. As you can see, Saavan (on the right, for randoms who may have stumbled upon this blog for the first time) is freaking out for reasons unexplained (as he is want to do), while Saajan looks perturbed only because someone woke him up (Saajan is apparently a sleep-machine. He slept the entire time he visited (like an angel, and I was totally jealous), except for during this photo, when Saavan's crying work him up). There's a lot of personality, on the part of both boys, in that photo.

In the crime-fighting superduo, I see Saavan as the hyperactive one with attitude. The picture fits perfectly - Saavan is crying (that's the hyperactivity manifesting itself at an early age), and at the same time, holding his pacifer as a proxy middle finger to flick off the camera. That's the attitude. But as I dad, I couldn't be more proud of his ingenuity.

Saajan, I imagine, will be the more quiet, stoic one. He will take the time to examine the situation (presumably with his eyes closed), before making any sort of rash judgment. He will have little patience for those who are overly excitable. Indeed, his face in the picture above says it all: "dude, you're harshing my buzz."

The personalities, as you can see, perfectly complement each other. They're like idli and sambar. Holy cow I just up with their crimefighting name! I think they've already made the world a better place.

In retrospect, perhaps I'm hoping for too much out of the crimefighting duo. I suppose that the two of them becoming good friends and macking on all the ladies of Arlington, VA, is enough for me.

Of course, will they're out prowling for the ladies, I still expect them to go by Idli and Sambar.

Our Son. The Jockey?

On Thursday we took Saavan to the pediatrician for his "one-month wellness exam." We were both nervous and excited about the trip. Nervous because Saavan would be getting his second Hepatitis B vaccination, and we were'nt sure how he (or we) would react to the shot. Excited, because Saavan was going to get his first set of "percentiles" - the statistics that would allow us to compare his height and weight to the "general" baby population (note - I'm not sure what constitutes the "general" population, or how many babies are used to determine the accuracy of the numbers provided. Not that I care. Life is all about seeing how you stand up to the next guy. Saavan was about to have his chance).

The doctor's appointment started with Saavan being weighed, which I had been looking forward to because he's on the small side, and I'm always a little nervous that we aren't feeding him enough. I'd become even more worried about this since Saavan met his buddy Saajan (pictures and entry describing the epic meeting to come). Saavan is only 9 days younger than Saajan, but it's very clear that Saavan will be wrestling in a far lighter weight class. Our boy is TINY. What I needed was for the doctor, after the weigh-in, to assure us Saavan was doing fine.

The weigh in (and measurements) were taken by our pediatrician's unfriendly physician's assistant. Saavan checked in at 21 3/8 inches long, and weighed 7 pounds, 7 ounces - a weight gain of well over a pound since he was born, and almost two pounds since his first doctor's visit (he had lost more than 10 ounces of weight in the days immediately following his birth). We were happy, but the PA was less than thrilled. We asked her if his weight was alright, to which she responded, "the doctor will talk to you about it." Those words are bad in general, but when they relate to your infant child, they're pretty horrifying. When we pressed her a little more, she explained to us that at one month, "your baby should weigh ten pounds." In that moment, we didn't stop to reflect on the total absurdity of that statement, because we had been overcome by a wash of guilt that accompanies the realization that you're a horrible parent. Our kid was two pounds too light. Holy f***ing sh*t.

When the PA left, we were beside ourselves. I was upset at Neha at not feeding the baby enough, and trying to figure out the best way to rectify the situation. I decided that we would supplement Saavan's breastmilk with frosting, and as in the process of deciding whether vanilla or chocolate made more sense, when the doctor came in.

He was chipper, as always, but he saw that we looked a bit concerned. I asked the question: "So our baby isn't gaining enough weight?"

He was taken aback. "No! I LOVE his weight gain! He looks great!"

Our doctor explained that whether or not the baby is doing well, weight-wise, has less to do with what he actually weighs, and more with how much weight he's gained since his last visit. Because Saavan had gained nearly two pounds since his visit three weeks earlier, he was "fabulous." I asked if Saavan should weigh 10 pounds by now, and the doc looked at me like I was retarded. I began formulating plans to punch the PA in the face.

Next up, the percentiles. At 21 3/8 inches long, Saavan is in the 40th percentile for height. Which is fine. I didn't have any legitimate NBA aspirations for him anyways. As for weight, at 7 pounds, 7 ounces, Saavan is rocking...the 5th percentile. We laughed uncomfortably when the doctor gave us this news, but he assured us it was no big deal. "After all," he explained, "you're both skinny, so it makes sense that your baby will be skinny as well. Don't worry about it!"

This really made me feel much better. The doctor thinks I'm skinny!

With that good news in my pocket, I'm no longer concerned about Saavan's weight. Sure, he'll always be on the light side, but it's not like he's going to slip down the shower drain or anything.

Last up in our big visit was the Hepatitis B shot. I've just realized that pediatricians give shots at the end of the appointment so that if the child freaks out, they don't have to deal with the aftermath. I would be pissed off at this, but the plan is pretty genius.

The shot, as it turns out, was administered by the evil PA (I refrained from punching), and was to be given in Saavan's thigh. Neha could barely look, and I was a little nervous, but before we could come to terms with what happened, the PA injected him, pushed down on the lunger, and removed the needle. The whole process probably took less than two seconds. In fact, she removed the needle before Saavan could even cry. Saavan's reaction was pretty awesome. Immediately after the injection, at first he did nothing. The he got a look in his face that looked as if he was asking "what the hell was that?" And then he got pissed, and began to howl. But surprisingly, Saavan was over it in a couple of minutes, with very little consoling by us. Our kid is as tough as nails.

He's going to have to be, what with everyone making the "you're so skinny you're going to slip down the drain" jokes (do people make those jokes? I'm pretty sure we did in elementary school).

In Which I Shamelessly Steal From Kavi's Blog...

Saavan at one month (unfortunately, I forgot to make a sign):


I'm one month old. And wearing pants!

Today is Saavan's one month birthday. I figured it was a milestone that needed to be recorded. Especially because it makes me sort of sad. Immediately after Saavan was born (exactly one month ago, see?), the delivery room was filled with family and friends, all of whom were very excited and congratulating us. During all of this, I glanced up at the clock. Though it seemed like Saavan had just been born, an hour had already passed by. At that point it struck me that our time with him is going to fly, and everything was going to happen so fast. And wouldn't you know it, it's already been a month (although the month, with the constant lack of sleep and incessant crying, has been incredibly long at the same time).

Saavan has accomplished a lot in the first month, and I'm not just talking about the record for most poop-filled diapers in a month (I don't know exactly what the record is, but he's got to be close. Saavan's ability to crap his pants is mind-blowing). One month into his life, Saavan is staying awake longer during the day, moving his arms and legs around a lot, making verbal noises aside from just crying, eating more, developing the necessary neck muscles to hold his head up, and playing basic scales on the piano. He's not actually doing that last thing. I was just checking to see if you were paying attention. You probably weren't. Piano-playing skills notwithstanding, Saavan is basically already a little man. I'm afraid the next time I look up at the clock, it's going to be time to send him off to college. Sigh.

*Unknown Benefactor Alert* - We received a beautiful photo album with Saavan's name stiched onto the front. It's totally awesome. Unfortunately, the album came in the mail, without any indication as to the sender. So we've received another anonymous gift. If you're the sender, please let me know so that I can properly thank you! Otherwise I have to give credit for the gift to Saajan's dad, AC. We've worked out an agreement.

Photos from this past week! Visits from Alka Nani, Puja Auntie, Bijal Auntie and Mayur Uncle, Sona Mausi and Minni Mausi, Ranjiv Mausa, Nidhi Auntie, Atul Uncle, baby buddy Seva, and Uncle Carlos.

A Most Perfect Union...

This past weekend was a busy one for Saavan. He met for the first time his Neel, Nihar and Manu Mamas, as well as his Kusha Masi and Sharlene Auntie. It was a lot of people, all of whom wanted to cuddle with and hold him, and Saavan acquitted himself quite nicely. More importantly, he passed a series of significant tests. Saavan's Manu Mama is a physician specializing in the ear, nose, and throat. He declared that Saavan's ears, nose, and throat were in good working order. Saavan's Kusha Masi is a psychologist, and she declared that Saavan was not crazy. So that was good news.

Actually, neither Manu nor Kusha made any sort of declarations regarding Saavan (other than that he is adorable and tiny, but we didn't need medical professionals to confirm my boy's cuteness). But they did not state that Saavan's ears, nose, throat, or brain were not working, and as a lawyer, I read the absence of any negative comments to automatically mean something positive. So good news indeed.

The biggest event of the weekend, though, was Saavan's introduction to baby Kavi, Veeral and Riya's (collectively, "the inspiration") boy. Saavan is a big fan of the Kavi blog, and is constantly praising Kavi's exponential weight gain over the last few months. And because Kavi is four full months older, Saavan looks at him as a role model for things like "cooing" and "making solid poops." So Saavan was excited about the meeting. When Kavi came over, he was all smiles, eating solid food (Riya was feeding him what appeared to be gruel) and holding his head up straight. Watching him from afar, Saavan couldn't help but be a little impressed. Finally, we parents formally introduced the two to one another, and as evidenced by the picture above, the two immediately hit it off. And by "hit it off," I mean "did not acknowledge one another's existence." Nonetheless, we think they have already developed a lifelong friendship. Of course, if their sizes stay relatively the same, Kavi is going to have to serve as Saavan's protector for the rest of their lives, but I don't think Kavi will mind. After all, he was already lined up to teach Saavan about solid poops.

The best thing about the meeting, in my opinion, is that Saavan used it as an opportunity to break out his Stephen Hawking impersonation, demonstrated in the picture above. I didn't even know Saavan knew who Stephen Hawking was! And he really nailed it! Apparently Saavan has been reading a lot more than I realized when I've been off at work. I am one proud papa.

Pictures from this past weekend (including all the visitors, the memorialization of Saavan's hands and feet in clay, and another bath):

Amateur Pediatrics...

Saavan was having a little trouble breathing yesterday. Not serious trouble; he was stuffed up and sort of snoring as a result. When he was awake, if he inhaled quickly (which happens a lot when he eats), he snorted like a pig. Big snorts. (What does it sound like when a small baby makes pig noises? It sounds like the world's most adorable pig.) Saavan was less than thrilled by his pigdom (he was probably also less than thrilled by the fact that we laughed hysterically every time he snorted), and we figured it was probably best if he could...breathe normally. So Neha and I decided to operate. Or aspirate, as it were.

Using a baby nasal aspirator, we proceeded to suck all of the mucus out of Saavan's nose. We knew that we were doing a good job when we were able to remove a remarkably large booger. This thing was HUGE. And unending. You know that magic trick where the magician pulls a piece of cloth out his sleeve, and the cloth just keeps going and going? Same thing with this booger. It was like the world's largest, and it was coming out of a 6-pound body. I'm actually a little concerned that we removed the booger, because Saavan lost at least one pound of weight as a result. Regardless, Neha and I were thrilled to have accomplished what was honestly a very difficult task (Saavan's nostrils are too small for even a q-tip). Neha actually cried upon the removal of said booger (she also tried to eat it, but I stopped her). We have now established that we're amazing parents. And that we're capable of complex booger removal.

Do you have a child full of boogers that need to be removed? Disgusting.

Enjoy the latest photos!

Baby's First Modeling Shoot

Apologies for the delayed blog entry - Saavan's Kabir chacha decided to get married this weekend without any consideration of my important blogging schedule. Saavan is disappointed in you Kabir.

Seventeen days after his birth, Neha and I decided that Saavan was ready for his closeup. Because we wanted to have some nicer photos for keepsakes and for our "birth announcement" (he's born! he's born!), we took him to "Kiddie Kandids," a studio specializing in children's portraits and unnecessary alliteration. The experience in and of itself was awesome because Saavan is already a bit of a prima donna and has no interest in the schedules of others. Meaning that although we had a 3:30 appointment and arrived at that time (okay 15 minutes late), we couldn't start the photos until around 4:30 because Saavan decided that he first wanted to 1) eat, and 2) crap his pants. I'm not going to lie. I admire my boy's chutzpah.

Saavan's impudence notwithstanding, pictures were taken, and they turned out pretty awesome, as evidenced by the photo above. Those smoldering eyes will make you melt. Saavan clearly has a career in male modeling. The rest of his photos turned out equally well. Check 'em out below:


This photo has an interesting story. Neha really wanted to get a picture of Saavan either yawning or sleeping. The problem is, he was totally wired - he gets amped up when he has a lot of attention on him. I think he's going to be a Vegas entertainer or something. We tried everything to get him to yawn, including giving him a thimble of whiskey. Nothing worked. Finally, I decided to talk to him about what I did at work every day. The yawn pictured here preceded his falling into a five-hour nap.


In this photo we hoped to show the unity of our family, and also the amount upon which Saavan, in the infancy of his life, needs his parents. So as to truly convey the effect, we took this picture while standing at the edge of the building's roof. The Department of Children and Family Services was called soon afterwards.


This photo was Saavan's idea. Though he hasn't been around for long, he's quickly become a fan of "Seinfeld" (especially the Larry David-produced episodes). As such, he thought it would be hysterical to re-create this classic photo. Saavan's got a wicked sense of humor.


The photographer suggested we take this one. I liked it when she showed us an example of the photo, but now I'm a bit creeped out by it. Why am I holding him in my hands like that? And why is Neha's ginormous paw on top of his head? I suppose there was some terrific symbolism intended, but I don't get it. Wait, what's that? You think it's totally adorable? I couldn't agree more!


Finally, this photo simply shows the nauseating cuteness of Saavan's feet. They're the world's cutest feet. I will not accept argument as to this point.

The Unknown Benefactor...

Since Saavan's birth, we've received tons of wonderful gifts. People love giving them, and we love getting them, since they mean we pretty much don't have to worry about buying him clothes for quite some time. Sometimes we get food, which is awesome, but a bit frustrating, because it's invariably in the form of sweets. I eat sweets much more than Neha does, meaning that while she's losing her pregnancy weight, my "sympathy weight" remains intact. I suppose I could just not eat the food, but that requires a type of willpower that I neither have nor want.

Anyways, the point of this post was to let Baby Vohra Nation (thanks Drew for the name!) know that we received a onesie for Saavan yesterday that reads "My Mama Votes Obama." It's awesome, and almost certainly true, unless Neha bucks the establishment and votes Ron Paul. I doubt she will though, because she's not a nutjob. Unfortunately, the onesie, which came from CafePress, did not include a card or any other means by which to identify the giftor. And as a result, we cannot say thank you. Saavan is beside himself; he cannot cope with the idea of not being able to express his gratitude for such a thoughtful gift. If there is one thing Saavan is, it's polite. So if you got him the onesie, please either shoot Neha or I an email and let us know. Saavan will then thank you by pooping his pants and going to sleep.

More pictures from the last couple of days, including Saavan's first interaction with his new friend Nico, and grandparents attempting to handle multiple infants at the same time: