The Changing Table...

What can I say? I love to be changed.

Babies do a lot of stuff that, if they weren't babies, would qualify, by pretty much any definition, as "weird." They poop and fart relentlessly. They cry without reason. They spit up immediately after eating, and then demand to be fed again. Saavan does all of this, but we don't consider any of it peculiar. After all, he's a baby, and therefore it's totally adorable (spitting up on my suits is not quite as adorable, but still pretty damn cute).

One thing that is sort of weird, however, is Saavan's reaction to be placed upon his changing table. Every time this happens, without fail, he totally freaks out (in a positive way). He starts cooing and laughing and kicking his legs uncontrollably. This is all fine and great, but we just don't get it. What is it about the changing table that excites him so? He's flat on his back, but he's on his back pretty much most of the time, and he doesn't get nearly as excited otherwise. It's just bizarre. I mean, it's fine, but it totally lacks any plausible explanation. Maybe he just loves having his diaper changed?

Anyways, don't take my word for it - have a look at Saavan on the changing table (he also appears to be getting excited by the fact that it's "pajama time," but trust me, when he's on the changing table, he's going nuts whether its pajama time or not):



And there's this video too, where the changing table has inspired Saavan to talk. A lot:


See? Weird.

The 4-Month Birthday Post, Chillin With Kavi, "The Roboto," and Turning Into Our Parents

I'm four months old! And have fat thighs!

Given my recent lack of blogging, I have decided to combine Saavan's four-month birthday post with my latest fancy prose, describing our descent deep into the heart of suburbia. We spent this past weekend up in the suburbs of Philadelphia, so that Saavan could hang out with his buddy Kavi (and to facilitate the third installment of the Kavi-Saavan series! Now with inadvertent hair pulling! Check out the latest pictures here). And of course we got to hang out with Kavi's parents, Riya and Veeral (as well as Rupa and Rahul, who will welcome their own baby, with the world's best complexion, next April. Hooray!).

On Saturday, we took the boys out to PumpkinFest at Shady Brook Farms, which included my first-ever trip to a real-live pumpkin patch. Check out Saavan and Kavi chillin' in the pumpkin patch:


In addition to the pumpkin patch, PumpkinFest included a hay ride (awesome), piglet racing (awesome), tons of carnival food, including kettle corn and funnel cake (awesome), and a corn maze (we didn't actually do the maze, but there is no doubt in my mind that it was awesome). The only thing that wasn't awesome? On the hay ride, we passed "The Roboto," a monster truck giving people rides and revving its engine to jet-engine decibel levels. I thought my ear drums were going to explode, and apparently so did Saavan, because immediately after passing "The Roboto," he started crying uncontrollably. It was the first time we'd ever seen Saavan be scared by anything, and I cannot lie - we couldn't stop laughing, because it was frickin' adorable. I know I say that about everything that Saavan does, but it really was. Eventually though, Saavan will need to toughen up. Kavi was unfazed by "The Roboto," to the extent that I think he may have slept through the whole ordeal.

Of course, we didn't actually take the kids to PumpkinFest. We took ourselves. Kavi and Saavan obviously aren't going to remember any of the trip (although Saavan may harbor a deep, inexplicable anger towards "The Roboto" for the rest of his life. So will I.). And in doing so, we have become our parents, doing stuff that appears to be parent-like, whether or not the kids are at all interested (or, in this case, are even remotely cognizant of it). But that's a good thing, I think. After all, at bottom, we're thinking of our kids and doing stuff that we hope, somewhere down the line, will make them happy (and in the future Saavan will definitely get a kick out of PumpkinFest, if for no other reason than for the funnel cake).

What was even more parent-like? That night, after an exciting day at PumpkinFest, we went back to Riya and Veeral's house in the burbs, and built a ping-pong table. Our descent into Indian auntie and uncle-dom is now irreversible.

Check out the awesome family portrait from PumpkinFest!

Saavan Is Giving You The Bird (the blog's triumphant return!)

Neha took the picture of Saavan above this week. It's awesome. There's a lot going on with the picture, with the camouflage pants (actually you can't see them, but trust me, they're camo) and the cool sporty shirt and that piercing glare that is staring into your soul. I know you're transfixed by the photo, which is understandable, but you may not have noticed that Saavan, with his left hand, is flicking you off.
Normally I would laugh this off as an adorable and unknowing gesture, but remember this photo?


That's literally three minutes after he was born. There appears to be a pattern developing. I love the fact that Saavan has the wherewithal to recognize the humor in flicking off the camera (I do it all the time), but it may also be indicative of an attitude problem. I don't see him taking authority well. That's not a good thing. I mean, what kind of jobs is he going to be able to get with that kind of behavior? Could he still be President of the United States?


Oh. Keep up the good work son!

Work appears to be done giving me the finger, so more pictures/videos soon.