Keya is much better today. Her fever had somewhat subsided by the time I left home this morning, which was why we decided to wait and see before taking her to the doc. By afternoon her fever is almost gone, but she is a bit quieter than usual. But otherwise, she is playing and smiling. We gave her homeopathic medicine in the morning and the next dose is in the evening. We also gave her baby paracetamol. I hope that by the time I return home, she will be much better. Of course, she won’t be going downstairs to play for a couple of days till she gets 100% well.

This morning I noticed that Keya had a runny nose. We were very surprised and dismayed - this is the first time she has contracted a cold. We gave her homeopathic tablets for cold, hopefully she will get better soon.

In the photo above, she is having her first taste of idli and loving it.

Nowadays I notice that Keya favours Sri (her nanny) more than me I guess this is inevitable -

1. I dont spend enough time with her and
2. Sri really loves her too and takes good care of her.

I guess I should not complain; atleast the nanny does her job well and I can go to work assured that my baby is happy with her.

Yesterday after I reached home from work, I went back downstairs, where Sri and Keya were sitting by the jungle-gym. There was a small slide, a bright yellow thick-plastic tunnel and a tunnelled slide. I first zoomed Keya over the small slide, which she enjoyed. Then I asked Sri to sit at one end of the yellow tunnel and I sat at the other end. Then I placed Keya at the entrance of my side of the tunnel. At first, she was hesitant to go in. Then she looked up and saw Sri aunty’s familiar face at the other end. That enthused her so much that she kept crawling from me to Sri and back to Sri thru the tunnel several times! She was thrilled by that experience familiar faces at both ends and a safe, comfortable new area to explore! She thoroughly enjoyed it.

I had been very tired that day, but the moment I saw Keya and played with her, my aches and tiredness seemed to recede. By the time I came back home with her, I was feeling much better. So, yes, babies are a balm for tired souls

This funny girl has started peeing at the sight of running water (even from the kitchen tap) Its so difficult to get work done in the kitchen with her in our arms!

She has also started getting attracted to the kitchen shelves and the bookshelf in her room - not that she wants to read any of the books, just wants to “attack” them and throw them all over the floor. The same with any and all pots and pans she can lay her her hands on.

The first news of the week is that another baby tooth - the lower, right incisor - has also made its appearance. Both her little teeth seem to be competing for attention now!

Today we took Keya for her 9-month developmental checkup.

Keya’s first baby tooth is just visible today. Her dad and I were very excited It is the lower left central incisor. Keya has been drooling excessively and has red, swollen gums; poor baby! She has been chewing on every object she can lay her hands on, but she is not cranky or irritable (touch wood!)

Keya has also learnt to wave goodbye and to clap her hands together We have started teaching her baby signs (more, milk, potty etc). Already she verbalizes her need to go potty. We hope that she can start communicating all her needs to us soon.

Yesterday we spent the day at our friends’ home with two other families. In the evening we all went to the beach. After some time frolicking in the waves, we went to a bowling alley and everyone enjoyed a non-competitive game of bowling. We then had dinner at a Turkish restaurant by the beach.

We all enjoyed the day and we saw that the kids enjoyed each other’s company too. The girls were all unwilling to take their regular afternoon nap. Keya had so many new toys to play with, plus the other kids were around, she thoroughly enjoyed herself. She displayed no signs of stranger anxiety and didn’t cry at all the whole day. She was quite at ease even among the new faces What’s more, she didn’t give us any trouble even in the evening, though it was way past her usual bedtime. In fact, she was quite happy to look around while we were bowling or dining! She is truly an angel!

Yesterday, for the first time ever, Keya climbed *by herself* onto the sofa, not once, but twice! She was attracted to the mobile phone and went after it like a determined predator! For the last one month (ever since she started to pull herelf up holding to the sofa) we have been putting expensive/fragile things (like the phone) far behind on the sofa so that she would not be able to take them. Now, no spot is safe from her! I didn’t have enough time to take a video, so just took a couple of shots. In these too, I missed the shot of her actually pulling herself up onto the sofa. But these pics still tell the story. This weekend we will make her climb again and take a short video.

Hee hee…not really! But maybe someday…

Keya crawls more and more. When her dad or I are sitting at the computer, she repeatedly crawls from the couch to our feet (under the computer table). When we put her in her crib to play, she stands up holding the bars of the crib. When we put her on the floor, she stands up holding the couch.

Yesterday when we put her in the crib, she stood up and then took 1 or 2 steps to her left holding onto the bars!! Today she stood up holding the couch and then took a few steps (half the length of the couch.) Isnt that great?! I am so thrilled at her achievements. We have uploaded a video of her taking tentative steps along the sofa.

 In this photo taken today, she is wearing a skirt-blouse but it looks like a modern parkar-polka