The First Weeks

As a baby  you are not left with too much of choice. Skanda was no exception. Days and nights are spent feeding or sleeping alternately. On those occasional moments of wakefulness he would probably contemplate on the ceiling or anything that passed in his visual range.

He'd lie contentedly, gurgling when the tummy was full.

Or rocking himself with an expression of bliss on his face.

Sleeping children too can be fascinating. Not having been exposed to the harsh surfaces the little feet are soft and pink.

Sometimes the postures they choose are funny. One of Skanda's favourite was the "frog" posture with his soft posterior in the air! 

 

Once he learnt to turn over and crawl things were very different.

Lessons in parenting - my baby care trainer

Parenting is interesting if you can plunge into it without restraint. You get to see a little helpless waif grow up into a strong adult.

I believe the art of parenting comes instinctively; but to be a good parent, especially for a man, you need a trainer.

I was "trained" in parenting, thanks to my niece Rudraa (or Toota to us). I learnt to hold a baby correctly, change nappies, clear soiled beddings, put her to sleep and every possible thing about parenting. My teacher in baby care. My first born, little Toota.

Besides being my trainer she is Skanda's big sister and best buddy, from when Skanda was old enough to play with her.

My Toota is the most beautiful girl in the world. 

If anyone disagree, just watch out when you go out for a walk next time. Even on a day with a clear sky your brain will get fried by a freak bolt of lightning!! Ha! Ha!

The First Days

I wonder how it is to be a newborn. The first few days is a non-stop sleeping session. A few minutes of bawling results in instant filling of the tummy. Then back to sleep again.

The nurses in the hospital must be experts in Gift Wrapping. They wrapped Skanda so nicely that he must have been under the impression that he was not born yet!  Sleeping so soundly; it makes people watching jealous. 

Once in while he'd open his eyes and look at the world, finding nothing interesting he would promptly go back to sleep.

The Entry

Gods enter this world in many ways. Each time they come down to the world it is with a purpose. Nothing highlights this more than the 10 avatars of Maha Vishnu.

Skanda is the 329th name of Vishnu appearing in stanza 36 of the Vishnu Sahasranama. He is the DESTROYER (of asuras and evil doers).

However, my Skanda is actually Skandapoorvaja, the one born before Subramanya or Karthikeya. Confused? He is Ganesha, Vinayaka, Ganapati, Vigneswara call him what you want. He is my little God. The center of my universe and everything I live and breathe for.

He came into this world quietly on 25th October, 2002. My first sight of him was outside the labour room all wrapped in flannel. Looking so tiny, wrinkled and helpless.

One thing I remember he had a lot of hair! What struck me instantly was that he looked uncannily like my grandmother. Perhaps it was the wrinkles.

Prologue

Epics are long. It usually needs a monumental amount of patience to sit down and compose one. The thought process should be lucid and logical otherwise one can flounder midway. It happened to me.

When I selected the title last June I did not know that it would be so difficult to get going. I thought everything about Skanda, my son, was familiar to me. It was only when I sat in front of the computer I realized that I was stuck. Now, many months down the line I feel I have a thread.

Single parenting isn't as bad as some make it out to be but perhaps it's because Skanda is Skanda. Going through life without a complaint. Putting up with Papa's tantrums more than Papa puts up with his!

You, the reader will be my prop. Criticize freely. Contribute generously. Above all remind me when my fingers fall asleep on the key board.