You were anticipated to be part of our world any time soon. While in tummy, you kicked and played hide-n-seek. Poonam looked over-fed. I guess pregnancy was perhaps the only time, ive seen Poonam a little healthy and chubby!.
Everyone from your maternal family expected Poonam to have a baby boy. Except me :) . Not because of any gender bias, more so due to certain non-scientific signs Poonam displayed during pregnancy and her super blown tummy forced them to think so. But, little did they know that the tummy had a super intelligent brain inside, hence the large space it occupied. Your grandmom (amma) in fact, had chosen names for you - Ram! (based on her idol -Baba Ramdev) Hilarious!. We called you Ramu and spoke to you while you were cozying inside - did u hear us?
After my constant utterance that you would be indeed a baby girl, Amma challenged me regarding your gender, her confidence forced her to bet rs 10000. Needless to say, i won the bet :).
July 8th, evening 9 pm, Poonam complained of labor pains. Amma had all the hospital related bags/luggage packed since a week :P, we were all ready -well prepared. Umesh ajja came to pick us (amma, poonam, prashant and I). And we went to the Kalyanpurkar maternity hospital. It was 10.30 pm - an almost empty, silent hospital greeted us. Poonam was taken to the labour room. We could hear her scream. and scream more.... after some confirmation that it was THE time, the nurse shifted Poonam to a room where-in your mom screamed, shouted, cried for the next 23 hrs. While rest of us could only walk up and down, at times consoling Poonam, at times each other....
Finally on July 9th evening, Poonam was taken to the OT. We all waited outside, eagerly!. We saw nurses walking up and down with weird looking objects, then with cotton and cloth. Later, I spotted a nurse walking towards us with you. You were tiny, with loads of hair and blood allover. The nurse dint allow us to come closer. She took you into a room, cleaned your body, wrapped you in a towel and opened the door towards us. The door, I believe was the door of Joy and happiness. One look at you, and we all had a change in our status' - mom ,dad, grandmother, grand dad, aunt.....
The nurse ushered in, and said its a girl!. Prashant and I jumped with elation! the rest smiled.... you were beautiful, pure, soft, pink, elegant, charming..... you were indeed Khushi - Our happiness!
The pictures are your first 2 days in hospital! You have no idea how many people visited you! neither do I remember. Let me show you - you!
pic1: your first pic! resting besides your tired mom :)
pic 2: Day 2 - your eyes are already curious about ur new world! U are positioned on ur great-grandmother's lap. And hey! ur smiling :)
