Turning One

Cake shaped in the no. 1, made by James

Raghav enjoyed his First Birthday in London with family and friends. No sleep and super excitement was proof of it. Nalin and Nitin took him to the cricket, where (I'm told) he was more interested in watching the crowds and making friends than in anything going on on the field in front of him.

He had a small party at his playschool two days before, where they cut cake and wore party hats and sang "Happy Birthday" to Raghav.

In London we got together with friends at a very nice restaurant and Raghav enjoyed his number 1-shaped birthday cake.

More fascinated with Gergana than with Nitin initially, Raghav finally warmed up to Nitin as well, as the two of them constantly spoke to him in cute baby talk. He has also been quite obsessed with the tambourine that Nitin has bought him as a birthday gift. (He has developed a recent liking towards toys that make noise, or that play music.) Initially he tries to eat it, but now he usually shakes it and loves to make a big noise with it.

At Lords with daddy 

When we went for dinner to Nitin and Gergana's place, Raghav fell asleep on the walk to their place, but soon awoke and was instantly curious about the new place where we'd brought him. As I tried to put him back to sleep on the bed, he would constantly keep rolling around and trying to crawl about. Finally, I had to bring him out into the living room with us, because he just wouldn't sleep.

There, after crawling around everywhere, cruising about and sitting on Gergana's lap, I finally took him again to sleep and he slept after much crying and protesting in the pram.

The next day we went out for dinner with them, and Raghav again refused to sleep in the pram. The main road where we were walking him was very noisy, and he would be quietly sucking his thumb till you patted him, but the moment you stopped he would start screaming. Every time I brought him inside, having given up, he jumped with triumphant excitement and stayed a bit more to eat something.

Watch me grow!

He has learned to climb on the centre coffee table in our living room in Geneva, but doesn't know how to climb down yet. So he sits there practicing his newly-acquired skills of clapping, flying-kissing and waving, and then crawls round all corners of the table feeling thrilled that he can do this.

Since the time I taught him to give flying kisses, he kisses with his palm on his mouth every time I kiss him. It's the most wonderful thing!

He has also developed an interest in his books, or any books or magazines lying around. Perhaps it is because he sees me read, or that he's practicing his skill of being able to flip the pages, but he is more fascinated with his books nowadays than with his toys, which he seems a bit bored of.

He has started sleeping only when I make him sleep in my arms. With Nalin, he just lies in his arms sucking his thumb but with his eyes open; sometimes even beginning to cry and search for me. With me, he finally manages to drift off, and only then can I put him in his cot.

I tried to give him regular cow's milk when we got back to Geneva, a little warmed up, but he didn't seem to like it. he would get excited seeing the cup, maybe because he likes drinking from a cup that resembles a grown-up's glass, or perhaps because he likes water and thought I was giving him water. But after a few sips of the milk he would run away from it. But I then gave him cold milk, which he seems to like better, but still only has about a couple of ounces before he wants to hold the cup himself and then it only goes downhill from there.

He has also started showing great interest at feeding himself, and when his initial hunger has been satiated, he tries to grab the spoon himself, and turns his face away when I feed him. Once he has the spoon, he throws it away pretty quickly and then continues to feed himself with his hands, rather, stuff his mouth with his palms.

At the Museum of Childhood with
Madelaine and Harry

His eagerness for food continues as he wants more and more when he sees us eat something, even if he's himself just finished his meal. And then he starts crying when our food gets over and when I say there isn't anything for him any more.

He has been fascinated with Rohitpal's son, Anant, while they're here for a few days. He keeps following him everywhere and laughs whenever he sees him. He tries to hold his hand and to generally keep poking his face like he does ours. He has to play with the same thing Anant is playing with, which usually means that if Anant has built a house of lego, Raghav breaks it apart and then continues to eat it. He also started having milk when he saw Anant drink milk.

We ordered a kid meal for him for the first time at a restaurant when we went to Yvoire the other day. A strawberry crepe, and he managed to polish it all off, and then kept calling out to be fed again while I ate.

Raghav tries to say a new word at least once when he hears it. He might not be good at it yet, but at least he gives it a go. So bath becomes "bth", banana is "anana", baba black sheep becomes "bship", fish becomes "ish" and so on.

He is also getting quite stubborn as he grows. When he doesn't want to do something, you can't make him. If he doesn't want to sit in his pram, he stiffens his body so that there's no way you can make him sit in it. Sometimes, he'd rather fall on the ground than sit in his pram. Also when he's having fun in the park, or in the big toy car at the supermarket, or even when he's having a bath; he resists as soon as you end the play and take him away. He cries till you offer a distraction, and at the lack of one, he just sulks and sucks his thumb.