The Ironies of Life - Part II

So for the sake of little Bebu, I've been trying to give up dairy and cut down on my caffeine intake. Hard to do when you are a coffee and tea junkie (especially the coffee and tea you get here). It should've been easy - decaf coffee/tea and non-dairy creamer. Unfortunately, you just don't find those things here.

So it was Mom to the rescue. Bless her heart, she sent me a care package full of decaf coffee, decaf tea and a wonderful assortment of coffee-mate non-dairy creamers. I was in heaven! Nothing like enjoying a steaming cup of milky coffee without the guilt of dairy and caffeine. Or so I thought...

Today, after 2 weeks of becoming best friends with my Coffee-Mate powder, I decided to take a closer peek at this so-called non-dairy creamer. How could something so yummy and creamy not have milk? And there it was, right in front of my face. Checking out the ingredients, I found the following listed right after the sugars and oils: "sodium caseinate (a milk derivative)". Eek! I knew in an instant what was coming.

A quick web search (the internet - not sure if I should love it or hate it) revealed that sodium caseinate is really a milk protein. Just in case you didn't get that, I'll say it again - it is a milk protein. Precisely what sensitive little babies cannot handle in milk. Precisely what I've been trying to avoid!

Aside: found this interesting page when discovering the wrath of my creamer addiction: http://www.vegparadise.com/news24.html

So, no longer can I claim blissful ignorance.

Looks like it will be soy milk to the rescue!

Raising a New Fish

Made it to the gym this morning for the first time in I don't know how long. Considering that we had a rough night with very little sleep, the time probably would've been better spent napping along with Laykha. I debated momentarily about what would help my body more - sleep or exercise. The workout won out.

I suspect Laykha is either going through a growth spurt or teething as her sleeping has been fitful and erratic the past couple of days. Makes for some very long, tiring days, but I take comfort in the fact that, as with everything, she'll grow out of it.

Last weekend, Aakash and I introduced Laykha to the pool:

Laykha really took to the water like a duck! She seems to really enjoy her bath time, so we thought we'd give the pool a go. The other night, we took her during the pool's busy time - she caused quite a commotion among the other swimmers who had to come take a peek. We're anxious to get her back in again, but as of late, the weather hasn't been the greatest. Overcast and rainy.

On the subject of rain and swimming, saw an interesting occurrence the other day. It was evening, and the pool, like usual, was full of swimmers - both young and old. Typical of the rainy season, some storms started moving in. Turned out to be some pretty big storms, too - a lot of wind, rains and also lightning. The key word here is lightning. Despite the fact that bolts were flashing left and right, everyone still remained in the pool, contentedly swimming about. Now, if my memory serves me correctly, when I was younger, we'd be rushed out of the water at the mere mention of lightning. To each his own, I guess.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all the Mothers out there. I don't think you truly realize what it means to be a Mom until you are one. It's an incredibly tough job, but by far the most rewarding one you will ever take on. Heh - and my girl is only 3 months old. Having been through the first 3 months with Laykha, I already have a new-found respect for Mothers.

Being a working Mom has had some really interesting challenges. Not just the obvious heartbreak of being away from Laykha, but the logistical challenges have been, well, challenging. Here, offices are not yet quite as forward-thinking as some in the States - no "Mother's Rooms" set aside for pumping. I was able to work with HR to get access to one of our vendor's rooms. The room, unfortunately, has a big window and a door that doesn't lock - not the most ideal pumping environment. But, as with everything, we learn to adapt. I've fashioned together a makeshift paper curtain and have learned just where to sit so I won't be walked in on (yes, this has already happened to me - twice).

In addition to the pumping at work, I come home for Laykha's noontime feed. I'm so thankful that we live so close to the office. I love being able to come home and see both her and Aakash - makes for a crazy day, though.

Again, Happy Mother's Day to all of the Mothers out there - hope you enjoy the day. You've earned it!

The Ironies of Life

When my parents and Aakash's Mom visited us a few months back, we had them bring many of the goodies we miss from the States. One such goodie we loaded them down with was cheese.

Not quite sure why, but Bangalore just does not have good cheese. The cheese you get here is quite similar to Velveeta. Even what they call cheddar is nothing more than processed cheese. Their "pizza cheese", too, which one would hope might taste like mozzerella is processed.

So, it was our parents to the rescue. Right now, we've got a freezer full of cheese - in just about every shape, size and flavor you can imagine. We've got bricks of sharp and colby, chunks of cheddar, shredded taco cheese, you name it.

So, here's the kicker. I am officially on a non-dairy diet. I gave up dairy about a month ago hoping it might help with Laykha's gas. Thought maybe she was one of the unfortunate 50% of babies who are allergic to a protein in cow's milk. After about 2 weeks of no dairy, I tried slowly introducing it again to see how Laykha reacted. Although it isn't a radical change, she does seem better when I'm not having dairy.

And now, its official. I've been given doctor's orders to stay off of dairy. So much for that freezer full of yummy, very tempting cheese. But, in the end, if this will make Laykha stay healthy and happy, it's all worth it!