Raghav's debut in Indian society

With Nihal and Tanvi, trying to figure out everyone

Raghav is just back from his first trip to India, and now back in familiar surroundings, I can actually see how much he has grown in the past month. He constantly practices crawling when he's lying on his stomach, now moving very quickly. When I put him down to change his diaper, by the time I collect all the things he's turned over onto his stomach and is already sliding away (bums up) towards something attractive he's seen.

It was a struggle in India to put him to sleep. Since there was no cot or other enclosed area, we had to put him down on the regular bed, from where he constantly, diligently tried to creep/turn/crawl out of. Even when we put pillows around him, we often found him lying on top of the pillow, trying to push forward. When you entered the bedroom and caught him that way, he'd give you a quick smile and continue pushing forward.

I had to lie next to him on the bed and pretend to be asleep as well. Even then he would without a minute's notice lift his bum up and start pushing forward. I would then have to literally force him to sleep by holding him down with relative force.

He has also started expressing his opinions very strongly. From happiness at seeing us, to displeasure at his food being over, to squealing when he wants to be put to bed. Often he would be playing happily with other people till he would spot me and then immediately start his complaining calls that he wanted me to put him down to sleep.

The squealing has become his favourite sound to express displeasure, and it's loud, too, and because one just wants him to stop screaming, one usually gives in fairly quickly. Currently, he usually just squeals when he's sleepy or hungry or generally irritated and tired.

What? No more food for me!?

Raghav has become very fond of eating regular food twice a day. Whenever his mashed banana finishes, and I wipe his face, he knows he's not getting any more and starts protesting. If another bowl of mashed banana doesn't appear immediately, the protests turn into tearful crying.

India was a revelation for Raghav; he saw so many people, all of them showering their attention on him. I was apprehensive that he would soon get overwhelmed and start crying but he took everything in his stride. Even on our way to Delhi, when in our 12-hour journey, Raghav hardly got to sleep for 2 hours and was so exhausted he couldn't even protest any more, I was in tears thinking this was how it was going to be in India -- he would be so exhausted with meeting people and not getting his usual sleep that he would fall in. But the boy took everything in his stride, once again, and slept when he wanted and played when he wanted.

At the party we held at DSOI for all the close relatives to come and meet him, Raghav was truly social, hardly needing me or Nalin till the end when he was exhausted with all the attention and just wanted to be put to bed.

Suddenly one day he started looking big to both Nalin and me. His hands and feet have grown, and there's so much more strength now in his feet. When you put him on your lap he pushes himself up to a standing position, and can stay up for quite a long time.

A bit confused at this other little person 

We can tell he's still trying to figure out other kids. Whether they're his age or older than him, he looks at them with a look that is both puzzled and curious at the same time. When Sanjeev's daughter Shambhavi touched him on his cheek, Raghav was startled because this was only the second time he was seeing another kid, but the next time Nalin and Sanjeev held the two kids close together, it was Raghav who made the move. Even when Nihal and Tanvi are being wild and naughty around him, Raghav watches with a puzzled, curious and startled expression. But usually, once very little kids have gauged each other adequately, they go back to doing their own thing.

He still gets startled by little things, like when my dad sneezed very loudly twice sitting next to him, Raghav was startled both times, but the third time it happened he started crying. He also started crying when Nalin's dad made him ring the temple bell. It's almost like the first time he hears something loud, he tries to gauge what it is, but then the next time when he can't figure out the purpose of the loud noise, he starts crying. Even now, sometimes when he's in Nalin's lap he still gets startled by Nalin's voice.

His communication skills also have greatly improved in this last month. He has started saying distinct syllables like ba-ba-ba. And you can tell he's making a lot of effort as each syllable leaves his mouth. If you talk to him very slowly, he closely notices how your mouth moves and how the sound comes out and then sometimes makes an effort himself. Many of the times you can tell he's probably replying to you. On the flight back to Geneva, every time an air-hostess spoke to him he replied with his own sounds.

When Sankar and Suman had come to see him in Sid Ex on the day that we were leaving, Nalin and I went upstairs with them. When I returned Raghav was sitting on Mamiji's lap busy practicing his vowels. He didn't notice me till I called out his name and put my hand on his stomach. He then looked at me and gave me his noisy sheep-laugh.

Catching Nihal's glasses

He was also fascinated with Shankar's beard and kept touching it. While he were still in Geneva, he also started eating my chin. I think he does it when he's hungry. He constantly tries to explore the other person's face. He holds Nalin's nose and twists it like a doorknob, or sucks his own hand and then puts it in my mouth. He also tries to hang from our jaw. Specs always come off first thing as they're the first he grabs as soon as he gets within reach.